Gillespie's Miscellany Questions: Stability and Firmness in the Truth

A Treatise of Miscellany Questions: Wherein Many useful Questions and Cases of Conscience are discussed and resolved: for the satisfaction of those, who desire nothing more, than to search for and find out the precious truths, in the controversies of these times.

By Mr. George Gillespie, late minister at Edinburgh.

Published posthumously by his brother, Mr. Patrik Gillespie, minister at Glasgow. Edinburgh, 1649, Pages 138-142.

Chap XI.

Of Stability and firmness in the truth.

It is good Divinity to maintain that Skepticism, fluctuation and wavering concerning those things which God hath revealed, to be believed or done by us, is a sin: and to be firm fixed and established in the truth, to hold fast the profession thereof, to stand fast in the faith, is a duty commanded...

Now the preservatives against Wavering, and helps to steadfastness in the faith, are these:

1. Grow in knowledge and circumspection; be not simple as Children in understanding. There is a slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive: so speaks the Apostle of these that spread diverse and strange Doctrines, Eph. 4.14 and Rom 16.18. he warns us that they do by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. Thou hast therefore need of the wisdom of the serpent that thou be not deceived, as well as of the simplicity of the Dove, that thou be not a deceiver, Phil: 1.9:10. Do not rashly engage into any new opinion, much less into the spreading of it. With the well-advised is wisdom: Pythagoras would have us Scholars only to hear, and not to speak for five years. Be swift to hear but not to speak or engage: Prove all things, and when thou hast proved, the be sure to hold fast that which is good. 1 Thess 5.21. Mat: 7.15.17. There was never an Heresy yet broached, but under some fair plausible pretence; beguiling unstable souls, as Peter speaks, 2. Pet 2.14. Pro: 14.15. The simple believes every word. Be not like the two hundred that went in the simplicity of their hearts after Absalom in his rebellion, not knowing anything, but that he was to pay his vow in Hebron, 2 Sam: 15:11.
2. Grow in grace and holiness, and the love of the truth, for the stability of the heart in grace, go hand in hand together, Heb: 13.9. David’s rule is good, Ps.24.12. What man is he that fears the Lord, him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. Which is also Christ’s rule, John 7.17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. See also Deut 11.13,16. Elisha healed the unwholesome waters of Jericho by casting salt into the fountain, 2. Kings 2.21, so must the bitter streams of pernicious errors be healed by getting the salt of mortification, and true sanctifying grace in the fountain.
3. Be sure to cleave to thy faithful and sound teachers, the sheep that follows the shepherd, are best kept from the wolf. I find the exhortation to stability in the faith, joined with the fruitful labors of faithful teachers, Phil 3.16.17 Heb:13 7,9. So the Apostle Eph 4. from the work of the Ministry verse 11.12,13. draws this consequence v.14. that we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of Doctrine. The Galatians were easily seduced, als soon as they were made to disgust Paul.
4. Watch and be vigilant against the first beginnings of declining, against the first seeds of error, Gal 5.9. It was while men slept, that the enemy came and sowed tears among the Wheat, and when he had done, went his way, Mat.13.25. Therefore watch ye, stand fast in the faith, I Cor 16.13. go hand in hand together.
5. Avoid and withdraw from the Authors and spreaders of Heresies and dangerous errors, Rom. 16.17. I Tim: 6,5. 2 epist John, 10.11. Phil 3.2. He that would be godly should not use ungodly company, and he that would be Orthodox should not sue heretical company, unless he have some good hopes to convert some who have erred from the truth, and come into their company only for that end, Ja.5.19,20: I remember Chrysostom in diverse places warns his hearers how much they endangered their souls by going into the Jewish synagogues, and there was a great zeal in the Ancient Church to keep Christians that were Orthodox from the Assemblies and company of Heretics.
6. Get Church Discipline established & duly exercised, which is ordained to purge the Church from false Doctrine. Rev. 2.14.20.
7. Lean not to thy own understanding, and be not wise in thine own eyes, Prov. 3.5.7. Let reason be brought in captivity to the obedience of Christ, 2 Cor: 10.5. That which made the Antitrinitarians and Socinians fall away from the belief of the Trinity of persons in the godhead, and of the union of the two natures of God and Man in the person of Christ, was because their reason could not comprehend these articles: which is the ground of their opinion professed by themselves. When I speak of Captivating reason, I do not mean implicit faith: the eyes of my understanding must be so far opened by the holy Ghost, that I may know such an article is held forth in Scripture to be believed, and therefore I do believe that it is, though my reason cannot comprehend how it is.
8. Count thy cost, and be well resolved before hand what it will cost thee to be a Disciple of Christ, to be a constant professor of the Truth. Luk. 14.26. to verse 34. Act 14.22. Confirming the souls of the Disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God. This is surer than to confirm our selves with the hopes of a golden age of prosperity in which we shall fell no affliction.
9. Search the Scriptures, Joh. 5.39, Act, 17.11. Do not take upon trust new Lights from any man, be he never so eminent for parts or for grace, but to the law and the Testimony.

The upshot of all is that we ought to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, and be steadfast and even unmovable in the truth, and not to give place to the adversaries, no not for an hour, Gal, 4,5...