Branch 1. The times are full of heresy This is indeed sad ; when the dcA^il cannot by violence destroy the church, he endea- vours to poison it ; when he cannot with Samson's fox-tails set the corn on fire, then he sows tares ; as he labours to destroy the peace of the church by division, so the truth of it by error ; we may cry out with Seneca, vere vivivuis in temporum fecihuSy we live in times wherein there is a sluice open to all novel opinions, and every man's opinion is his Bible. Well ; this may make us mourn, but let us not murmur through discontent : consider,
Beply. 1. Error makes a discovery of men. Bad men ; error discovers such as are taint- ed and corrupt. When the leprosy brake forth in the forehead, then was the leper discovered. Error is a spiritual bastard ; the devil is the father, and pride the mother ; you never knew an erroneous man but he was a proud man. Now, it is good that such men should be laid open, to the intent, First, that God's righteous judgment upon them may be adored, 2 Thcss. ii. 12. Se- condly, that others, who are free, be not in fected. If a man have the plague, it is well it breaks forth ; for my part, I would avoid an heretic, as I would avoid the devil, fo he is sent on his errand. I appeal unto
ART OF DIVINE CONTENTMENT.
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you; if there were a tavern in this city, where under a pretence of selling wine, many liogsheads of poison were to be sold, were it not well that otliers sliould know of it, that tlicy might not buy ? It is good that tliose that have poisoned opinions should be known, that the people of God may not come near either the scent or taste of that poi- son.
2. Error is a touch-stone to discover good men : it tries the gold. " There must be heresies, that they which are approved, may be made manifest," 1 Cor. xi. 19. Thus our love to Christ, and zeal for truth doth appear. God shews who are the liv- ing fish, viz. such as swim against the stream ; who are the sound sheep, viz. such as feed in the green pastures of the ordi- nances ; who are the doves, viz. such as live in the best air, where the spirit breathes; God sets a garland of honour upon these, " These are they which came out of great tribulation," Rev. vii. 14. So these are they that have opposed the errors of the times, these are they that have preserved the virginity of their conscience, who have kept their judgment sound and their heart soft. God will have a trophy of honour set upon some of his saints, they shall be renowned for their sincerity, being like the cypress, which keeps its greenness and freshness in the winter-season.
Beply 2. Be not sinfully discontented, for God can make the errors of the church ad- vantageous to truth. Thus the truths of God hath come to be more beaten out and confirmed ; as it is in tlie law, one man laying a false title to a piece of land, the true title hath by this means been the more searched into and ratified ; some had never so studied to defend the truth by scripture, if others had not endeavoured to overthrow it by sophistry ; all the mists and fogs of error that have risen out of the bottomless pit, have made the glorious Sun of truth to shine so much the brighter. Had not Arius and Sabellius broached their damnable er- ror, the truth of those questions about the Messed Trinity had never been so discussed and defended by Athanasius, Augustine, and others ; had not the devil brouffht in so much of his princely darkness, the champions for truth had never run so fast to scripture
to light their lamps. So that God with a ' wheel within a wheel, over-rules these things wisely, and turns them to the best. Truth is an heavenly plant, that settles by shak- ing.
lieply 3. God raiseth the price of his truth the more ; the very shreds and filings of truth are venerable. When there is much counterfeit metal abroad, we prize the true gold the more; pure wine of truth is never more precious, than when unsound doctrines are broached and vented.
Reply 4. Error makes us more thankful to God for the jewel of truth. When you see another infected with the plague, how thankful are you that God hath freed you from the infection ? When we see others have the leprosy in the head, how thankful are we to God that he hath not given iis over to believe a lie and so be damned ? It is a good use that may be made even of the error of the times when it makes us more humble and thankful, adoring the free grace of God, who hath kept us from drinking of that deadly poison.