A DISCOURSE OF THE GENERAL RULE of FAITH and PRACTICE. INCE there are so many faiths in the world, and greatly behoveth every man, if to contend for, then first to know, the true faith that overcometh the world; it may not be unneceffary to fay fomething of the general rule of faith and life, and judge of controverfy, at this time. And indeed I am preffed from this weighty confideration, that men perish for want of it, and can no more arrive at truth without it, than the diftreffed mariner can gain his port, who fails without either ftar or compafs. I fhall begin with an explanation of the terms, rule, and faith; of which we fhall first treat, that we may as well exprefs what we intend by the one, as what we mean by the other; which will be a proper introduction to the whole discourse. By GENERAL RULE, &c. we understand, that conftant measure or ftandard, by which men, in all ages, have been enabled to judge of the truth or error of doctrines, and the good or evil of thoughts, words, and actions. By FAITH, we understand, an affent of the mind, in fuch manner, to the difcoveries made of God thereto, as to refign up to God, and have dependence upon him, as the great Creator and Saviour of his people; which is infeparable from good works. That That men, in all ages, have had a belief of God, and fome knowledge of him, though not upon equal discovery, must be granted from that account that all ftory gives of mankind in matters of religion. Several have fully performed this; of old, Juftin Martyr, Clemens Alexandrinus, Auguftine, and others; of latter times, Du Pleffy, Grotius, Amiraldus, L. Herbert, and above all Dr. Cudworth: and indeed the relicks we have of the most ancient hiftorians and authors, are a demonftration in the point. Now the fcripture tells us, that "no man knows the Father "but the Son, and he to whom the Son reveals " him:"" and "as none know the things of man, "fave the spirit of man; fo the things of God knows "no man, but the Spirit of God." Hence we may fafely conclude, that the creating Word that was with God, and was God, in whom was life, and that life the light of men, and who is the quickening Spirit, was be by whom God in all ages hath revealed himfelf; confequently, that light or spirit must have been the general rule of mens knowledge, faith, and obedience, with respect to God. And thus much Pythagoras, who lived about fix hundred years before those words were fpoke or writ, laid down for a maxim, viz. That no man can know what is agreeable to God, except a man bear God himself,' and that must be within; for that was his doctrine. To which the apostle and prophet thus agree: 1. In that "whatever <makes manifeft is light. 2. That " whatever might be known of God was made manifeft within; for God (who is light, 1 John i. 5.) had shewn it unto them: and, "God hath fhewn unto thee, O *man, what is good, and what God requireth of "thee," &c. Which could not be without the light of his Son fhining in man's confcience: therefore the light of Chrift in the confcience muft needs have been the general rule, &c. It was by this law that Enoch, Mat. xi. 17. с 1 Cor. ii. 11. Eph. v. 13. Rom. i. 19. Noah, Noah, Abraham, Melchizedeck, Abimelech, Job, Jethro, &c. walked and were accepted, as faith Irenæus and Tertullian; They were juft by the law written in their hearts:" then was it their rule, to and in that just state. Obj. It seems then you deny the fcriptures to be the general rule, &c. Anfw. How can they be the general rule, that have not been general? That which was both before and fince they were in being, muft needs be more general than they: but that was this light in the confcience, the law and guide of those PATRIARCHS (for the fcriptures began long after, in the time of MOSES) confequently that must be the general rule, &c. Obj. But granting that the light within were fo before fcripture was extant; yet, fince the writings of holy Scripture, the fcripture, and not the light, hath been the general rule, Anfw. That cannot be, unless Paleftina, or Canaan, a little province of Afia, was the whole world, and that the Jews, a particular people, were all mankind. For at what time thofe writings were among the Jews, other nations were only left to the law and light within. This the apoftle confirmeth in that paffage, "For the Gentiles, which have not the law (that is, "the outward law, or law written upon ftone) do by "nature the things contained in the law, which fhew"eth the work of the law written in their hearts.f" And the Gentiles themselves called it, the immutable law; the everlafting foundation of virtue; no lifeless precepts, but immortal; a facred good, God the overfeer; the living rule; the root of the foul; that which makes the good man.' Thus Thales, Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Plotin, Hieron, Philo, f Rom. ii. 14, 15. ▸ Iren. 1. 2. c. 30. Tertul, con. Jud. p. 184. Plu my Plutarch, as cited. And faith Sophocles, God grant that I may always obferve that venerable fanctity in words and deeds which these noble precepts (writ in man's heart) require: God is their father, neither fhall they ever be abrogated; for there is in them a great God that never waxeth old.' More reverend epithets than our oppofers can afford, as their books but too openly witnefs; yet would go for Christian men, though manifeftly fhort of Heathens. Thus it is evident that the scripture was not the general rule, after it was given forth. Obj. But bath it not been fince, and is it not now, the general rule? &c. Anfw. There hath been fince, and is now, the fame impediment; for before Chrift's coming in the flefsh, and fince, where the fcriptures never reached, there hath been the fame light. And though nations, by not glorifying God as God, when they have known him, have been given up to all manner of iniquities, infomuch as their understandings have been greatly veiled; yet did not the light within fo entirely lose its ruling exercise among them, as that they lived without any sense of fuch a thing: therefore ftill the fcriptures have not been, neither are, the general rule; no not fo much as of any age; fince in no age can it be proved that the whole, or greatest part of the world, had them. But had they been fo for fome one or two ages, as they never were; yet the granting it will not reach our question, where the word general implieth the nature of the thing itself refpecting mankind, from the beginning of the world to this day, and fo to the end. Obj. But is not the Scripture the rule, &c. of our day? Anfw. If the rule, then the general rule: for whatfoever is the rule of faith and life, excludeth all other Ff4 from from being general, they being but particular in refpect of itself: therefore not the rule, though a rule, of faith and life. But befides their not being general, I have several reasons to offer, why they cannot be the rule of faith and life, &c. In (a) If now the rule, then ever the rule; but they were not ever the rule; and therefore they cannot now be the rule. That they were not ever the rule is granted: but that they are not therefore now the rule, may be by fome denied; which I fhall prove thus. If the faith of God's people in all ages be of one nature, then the rule but of one nature: but clear it is, Heb. xi. the faith has been but of one nature. fhort, if the holy ancients had faith before they had or wrote fcripture, they had a rule before they had or wrote fcripture; for where faith is, there is a rule for that faith. And if the faith be of one nature, the rule is of one nature also. And fince the faith is inward, fpiritual, begotten of the immortal Word, in which is life, and that life the light of men, and that this Word of life and light was the rule; then no book, writing, or engraving on visible and perishable matter, can be the rule now. Again; (a) Juftin Martyr faith, that all are Chriftians who live with • Chrift, as Abraham and Elias; and amongst the Greeks, as So. crates, Heraclitus, &c.' See Scultetus on him: who alfo faith, That fome at this day are of his judgment, who have taught that Melchizedeck, Abimelech, Ruth, Rachab, the queen of Sheba, Hiram of Tyre, Naaman the Syrian, and the city of Nineveh, are in the catalogue of Chriftians.' Eufebius Pamph. in his Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, faith, That Abraham and the ancient fathers were Chriftians:' and defines a Christian to be, one that by the knowledge, and doctrine of • Chrift excels in moderation of mind, in righteousness and conti⚫nency of life, and strength of virtue and godliness towards one only God.' See Scultetus on him. ⚫ is one. Clemens Alexandrinus faith, The law of nature and of difcipline And Mofes feems to call the Lord the Covenant:' for he had faid before, the covenant was not to be fought in fcripture; for that is the covenant, which God, the caufe of all, fettleth, ⚫ whence his nature in Greek is derived. And in the preaching of Peter, |