Shepherd the Flock

The Puritan Obadiah Sedgwick, in the highly commendable work Christ’s Counsel to His Languishing Church, gives 7 general directions concerning our attempt to discern truth from false doctrine.

How are we to know truth from error in matters of doctrine?

…true doctrine may be discerned from false doctrines:

By the unity of them
…There is but one way (said Aristotle) to hit the mark, but many ways to miss it.
…erroneous doctrines are opposed to truth and themselves.
…truth is single, like Christ’s garment, undivided.

The purity of them
…All false doctrines (like treacherous medicine) gives ease.
…What [error] wants in verity, it makes up in liberty.
…But truth is holy in itself, and to us, teaching it within the heart, and ordering it in the life. It is an adversary to sin because all sin is an adversary unto God.

The efficacy of them
…Usually corrupt doctrines add to our notions, but meddle not with our corruptions. They swell us, but do not edify us; they are pills which only work upon the brain; they neither bring true grace or sound peace with them.
…But the doctrine which is true is strong…it come from God and brings to God; it makes the bad good and the good better.

The antiquity of them
…Truth is first born, for God spoke it, before the devil spoke the other.
…Errors may be old, but truth saw the light before them…

The simplicity of them
…Errors…[are] full of windings and turnings.
…All corrupt doctrines are deceivable an subtle.
…truth is naked and plain…it flatters no man, nor beguiles any.
…[truth] alone can maintain itself against all contrary quarrels.

The duration of them
…Truth, like the sun, has run down through the ages.
…Not that all men have embraced [truth], but that by some it has still been embraced.
…but erroneous doctrines, as they want an inward harmony, so also an outward consent. Like a deceitful brook, they are spent after awhile…though strong or long, yet they come to an end at length.
…[truth] runs from one generation to another.

The conformity of them to rule or word
…erroneous doctrines…cannot abide handling.
…truth will be found truth upon search; bring it to the conscience, it will work as truth. Bring it to the death bed; it will uphold as truth; bring it to the scriptures, it will hold out as truth.

When truths are upon search found to be truths, then embrace them for the truth’s sake, not upon personal and mutable causes or ends…Loyal affection is loyal when it is inclusive to every truth, and exclusive to nothing but truth. This loyal affection will make us to, first, do, second, suffer, and third, cleave. Love truth and truth will be held.

Therefore strive to obey truths: add to your faith virtue; be a doing Christian as well as a knowing Christian.