seeming innocency and fair pretences. (Matt. vii. 15; Acts xx. 29.) And they that creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with iniquity, ever learning, but never coming to the knowledge of the truth, shall have a form of godliness. (2 Tit. iii. 5, 6.) If one of Montanus's disciples, or one of our ranters, should take their strange satanical delusions or possessions for the Spirit of Christ as they do, no wonder if they be enemies to the true religion: for that Spirit comes not by Christ's doctrine, nor leads to his way and end: and it is a duty of great moment to try the spirits.

3. You must carefully understand, that this rule is no further to be extended to any doctrine, or trial of it, than it can well be proved that this doctrine was the means of conveying the Spirit and, therefore, that it reacheth not to every circumstance or accident of that doctrine, and every manner of delivery, or every qualification of the instruments that deliver it. We are certain that the first church received the Spirit by the preaching of the faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law; and therefore, we are certain the christian religion is the true religion, and not the Jewish ceremonies ; and conse-' quently, that every part of Christ's doctrine is true: for if Christ be proved once true in his main testimony, that he is the Son of God and Saviour of the world, then is it impossible but that all is true which is his doctrine. So clear is this, that Mahomet himself, in his Alcoran, confesseth it, (for God would have his truth have the confession of enemies also,) and therefore he feigneth, that though Jesus taught nothing but truth, yet his disciples depraved his doctrine. And how? Forsooth, by blotting out Mahomet's name, whom Christ promised to send as the comforter. As if the former Christians had any reason to blot out his name, or the latter in his own days could have done it undiscerned, when no Bible then in the church had his name in it. But to pass by these foolish adversaries; I say, it is a good argument, the christian doctrine is true, because by it the Spirit was and is given.

But now you cannot argue for the goodness of the preacher, or for such or such an accidental manner of preaching, or for such a man's opinion in other smaller things, that these are certainly of Christ, because you received the Spirit by that man's doctrine, or such a manner of preaching. For example: if Judas say, by his preaching men received the Spirit, thereføre I am a true believer; this is no good argument or if

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Peter should have argued, by my preaching men received the Spirit therefore my dissembling, or my denying Christ, was good; this is ill arguing. So, perhaps, men may receive the Spirit from a minister's preaching that hath an ill method, or an ill delivery or gesture; it will not follow that the Spirit is a witness to these faults of his : nor may you thus argue, I received the Spirit by such a method of preaching, therefore that is the only method. For it was not the method, or delivery, or gesture of the man, but the christian doctrine by which you received the Spirit: men of divers ways and opinions about inferior things, may yet all preach the same christian doctrine, by which the Spirit may be conveyed. A presbyterian, or independent, or episcopal man, as they are now termed, may none of them argue thus: By my doctrine men received the Spirit, therefore these opinions are true.' No man ever received the Spirit by the preaching for episcopacy, or presbytery, or independency, as such, or in these parts wherein they differ from others, and whence they have their names: the like may be said of some other such controversies. Yet this must be acknowledged, that if God do ordinarily bleɛs one way of preaching, or one sort of men to be his instruments for conveying the Spirit more than all others, it is a very probable mark, that he favoureth that very way of preaching, and sort of men. Plain preachers, and zealous, are often more blessed to be instruments in this work, than cold or dull, or daubers, or quaint-wordy preachers. Hence, we may well argue thus: Most men receive the Spirit by plain, zealous preachers, and few by dull or daubing ones, and therefore God approveth the former more than the latter. Yet here you must take heed of a mistake, by stretching this rule further than ever God intended it, or the nature of it will bear. As if one should argue thus: Presbyterians succeeded more than episcopal or independent: or independent succeeds more than presbyterian or episcopal : therefore, God more approveth of them;' it is not a certain argument; for, perhaps, the reason of God's approbation may be from something else, wherein they differ, that is of greater moment than these parts. Perhaps, most of this or that opinion may be more godly, zealous, conscionable preachers, and therefore may be more successful; whereas, if the other were such, they might succeed too, for all their opinion. Yet this may be granted, that if God ordinarily give up the men of one judgment to wicked lives, and their doctrine doth more harm than

good; or though their lives be good, yet God useth not to bless their doctrine to the saving of souls, and ordinarily useth to bless the doctrine of others, and that both to the sanctifying of themselves and their hearers; this is a strong probable argument that God favoureth not that opinion which bringeth forth no better fruits. You see, then, in what sense this Spirit must be received.

Reason. That doctrine, religion, and way in which the Spirit is given, must needs be the true doctrine, religion, and way to salvation, because God will not bless any other with such noble success. It is the end and use of God's own doctrine and way to convey the Spirit to his people; and he that hath appointed means of his own to that end, will not bless others, but his own thereto. It is the highest honour of his own ordinances, which he will not give to any other: the Spirit will not ride in any chariot, but what is of God's own making; the conveying of the Spirit is the chiefest seal that any doctrine can have; and, therefore, God will not set his seal to any falsehood. So that I need no more proof of this.

Quest. But do not our divines ordinarily teach that we must try the Spirit by the doctrine, and not the doctrine by the Spirit.

Answ. This is a great question, and because it is much tossed, and of great use for these times, I will speak to it the more exactly, though briefly.

1. You must distinguish between the doctrine of Scripture, and the doctrine delivered now by particular men.

2. You must distinguish between the Spirit that hath already sealed the christian doctrine, and the particular spirits that now men have, or pretend to have.

1. The first doctrine delivered to the church and to Adam by God himself, needed no other witness, he having the cer tainty of sense and knowledge that it was of God.

2. This doctrine he delivered down to his posterity, which they received, till Moses' time, by tradition, and needed no new testimony for the sealing of it, but only a hand or mouth still to report and deliver it.

3. When God added a new system of doctrines by Moses, there was a necessity of some new means for to discover the truth of it and here the people had, first, for the moral law, its clear agreement with the law of nature written in them. 2. For the whole they had, partly the voice of God, and the sight of the

flaming mountain; and partly many and frequent miracles upon every rising of unbelief to convince them.

4. What was added afterwards by particular prophets in each age, was not any doctrines or new parts of God's law, but predictions about matters of fact, or reproof, or counsel in particular cases and here the witness was partly the holiness of the men, and partly the fulfilling of their prophecies and partly the agreement of their counsels and reproofs to the general law.

5. But then for the doctrine of Christ and his apostles: though he had many witnesses, yet his main witness was his own miracles and his Spirit ; even that Spirit by which he, as it were, animated the body of his church, and so Christ's doctrine was proved by the Spirit.

6. But now Christ by his Spirit hath sealed and well proved his doctrine that doctrine standeth as our rule hereafter, to try both all doctrines and spirits by. For a doctrine sealed by the Spirit of truth, must needs be truth, and, therefore, nothing can be truth that disagreeth from it. And the rather must men bring all hither for trial, because this doctrine is not only true, but full and sufficient; no more being to be added; it being given to make the man of God perfect and wise to salvation; and is able to build us up, and give us the inheritance: and Christ having promised to be with them that preach this very doctrine, to the end of the world; and having purposely given to his church the preachers of this doctrine for the edifying of the saints, and perfecting his body, till they all come to the stature of his fulness, to a perfect man; and he will, sanctify and cleanse his church by the washing of water by his word, that he may present it spotless and without blame. And Paul chargeth him to keep what he had delivered to him till the coming of Jesus Christ. All this you know is Scripture, and, therefore, this word is not only true, but a perfect rule, and consequently being thus sealed up by the Spirit of miracles and sanctification already, it is now the rule of doctrine and spirits.

Quest. But how was that Spirit known by which Christ first proved his word? Was there any way of knowing the Spirit to be of God, but by the word?

Answ. Thus that Spirit which certainly comes from the highest wisdom, power, goodness, faithfulness, and holiness, doth certainly come from God. This reason can see as plain as the eye can see the sun; but such was and is the Spirit of Jesus, by which he attested his doctrine therefore,

1. It came from the highest wisdom, as appeareth both in the doctrine itself revealing the hidden things of God, and the way of salvation, and opening the secrets of men's hearts; 2. And by the effects, in that it illuminateth the simple, and maketh Christians the wisest men in the world.

Object. They say so themselves, but how will that appear? Answ. I will not stand now on the answer of this, being on the by: but this one thing I will say; it appeareth in that all men sooner or later are of their mind. The wiser any heathen philosopher is, the nearer he is to the doctrine and way of Christians Plato, Plotinus, Seneca, Cicero, were the wisest, and they were likest to Christians. 1. Most dying men say, as they say in most things, though they were against them never so much before; they speak against sin, and commend a holy life, and acknowledge their folly in judging otherwise. 3. Those that are converted, and have had experience of both ways, are the fittest judges.

2. The Spirit of Christ comes from the highest power; for none but the Almighty could do such things, and could animate so many thousand mean people for many years after with the sarne spirit, and by this means subdue the world far and near in so short a time, to a doctrine so contrary to flesh and blood.

3. The Spirit of Jesus Christ came from the highest goodness; for it discovereth the greatest perfection of the author, and the greatest love to mankind, especially to the good, that is possible to conceive of, both in the way to salvation by the redemption through Christ, and in the end, in the glory prepared for believers.

4. The Spirit of Christ comes from the highest truth and faithfulness for, as the prophets foretold it, and Christ, before he went from earth, promised it, so did he perform it; and the doctrine it sealeth is but the doctrine of the fulfilling of former prophecies and doctrines, and exactly agreeth with all the former word of God.

5. The Spirit of Christ came from the most perfect holiness, as appeareth undeniably in the holy contents of it, and holy design which it prosecuteth. Scripture is most perfectly contrary to all vice, without respect to any fleshly pleasure or interest; and most perfectly contrary to all the laws of nature, and prescribing the most holy, perfect means to everlasting blessedness. So that thus the Spirit of Christ might easily be known, by which he proved his doctrine. If, therefore, any Spirit