given to them or that such Opposition might soon be suppressed and over-ruled by the Power and Reputation of such prevailing Men. From all which I cannot but conclude That though the general Tradition or Testimony of the Church may be a good Help yet it may not always be a certain Rule to lead me to the entire and unaltered Doctrine of Jesus XXIII Other there are who tell me That to find out the true and entire Doctrine of Jesus I must apply my self to the holy Scripture that is to say to the Books commonly called the Old and the New Testament And because I look upon this to be the right Way I shall briefly and plainly deliver my Thoughts in relation to these Books And first of the New Testament That the New Testament as it was extant in the Greek Toegue has been ever universally owned by all Christians as containing a true though some deny it to be a full Account of the Life and Doctrine of Jesus is a thing so notorious and so universally acknowledged that I cannot find the least Ground or Reason to question it Now the History and Doctrine of Jesus being so well known unto the first Christians by the Preaching of the Apostles and Disciples and they being so ready upon all Occasions to lay down their Lives for the Truth of Christianity it cannot be imagined that ever they would so readily and universally receive and own such a Book if it had contained any thing in it which was dissonant from that Doctrine which they had received It is confessed indeed that some of those Books which make up the Volume of the New Testament that is to say the Epistle to the Hebrews that of St. James the Second of St. Peter that of St. Jude the Second and Third of St. John and the Revelations were not so soon and so universally received throughout the Christian Church as the rest of the Books were The Reason of which apparently was not That these Books contained any thing in them contrary to what was delivered it the other Books of the New Testament for he that reads the whole will plainly find that there is a very compleat Agreement between them the only seeming Discord of St. Paul's Justification by Faith and St. James's Justification by Works being exactly and fully reconciled by considering That St. Paul means no other Faith but such as worketh by Love Gal. 5. 6. and St. James no other Works but such as proceed from Faith Jam. 2. 22. But because it was not at first universally known who were the Authors of them Which abundantly shews the Care and Caution of the Christian Church in not being hasty to receive and admit any Books as authentick Records of their Doctrine without very good Warrant for so doing And therefore since these same Books were in a very little time after received and owned to be of equal Authority with the rest of the New Testament I cannot but from thence conclude That those Churches which at the first doubted concerning those Books did soon receive most full and ample Satisfaction in that matter from those who had before received them I conclude therefore That the Book of the New Testament as it was extant in the Primitive Times in the Greek Tongue did contain a true Account of the Doctrine of Jesus XXIV That innumerable Copies of the New Testament were in a very little time dispersed through all places where Christianity was planted That it has heen at different times and in very distant places translated into all or almost all Languages And that Copies both of the Original and many of the several Translations have been preserved with much Care in a great many distant Parts of the World is allowed by all and denied by none From whence I think we may gather First That where the Generality of the Greek Copies of the New Testament do agree in the very same Words there we have undoubtedly the true and authentick Words of the New Testament For although some Mistakes might creep into some Copies either through the Wickedness or Negligence of some particular Men yet where so many Copies of a Book have been so carefully preserved and in such distant Parts of the World it is not to be imagined that the self-same Errour in any Expression should ever be propagated through the Generality of them Secondly That where the Words or Expressions of divers Greek Copies do differ one from another yet if the Sense and Meaning be exactly the same in all or almost all there we have certainly the true Sense and Meaning of the New Testament For it is easie to apprehend that a Transcriber might by a small Mistake put one Word or Expression of the same Signification in stead of another But that the same Sense should be punctually preserved in all or almost all Copies is not to be imagined except it were the true Sense delivered from the Beginning Thirdly That if there may be found any different Readings in divers Copies of the New Testament which disagree in Sense as well as in Words which scarce ever happens in any thing which is accounted a material Point of Religion then it seems to be most fit and proper to admit of that Reading and Sense which best agrees with the Tenour of the whole with the ancientest and best esteemed Translations and with the evident Principles of sound Reason And if any place be so obscure as that none of these Ways will afford any Light into its Meaning then I think that no stress ought to be laid upon it in any necessary part of Religion XXV But some will demand How are we sure of the Sense and Meaning even of those places of the New Testament where there is no difference about the Words In Answar to this I have already shewn § 21. that we are not to follow the Guidance of the Church of Rome to know the true Doctrine of Jesus Nor therefore consequently to know the true Meaning of the New Testament in which his Doctrine is owned to be contained I have shewn also § 22. That though general Tradition may be a good Help yet may it not always be a certain Rule to lead one to the unaltered Doctrine of Jesus nor therefore consequently to the true and genuine Interpretation of the New Testament Since therefore there is no other way to be found I conclude That the New Testament is to be interpreted the same way that other Books are that is by considering the Sense and Property of the Words and Sentences and the ordinary Figures of Speech as they are commonly used in the same Book and in others written in the same Language and about the same time together with the Scope Drift Coherence and Occasion of the Discourse To which End every Man that is learned being bound to use his best Endeavour to know the Will of God as I have shewn § 14. is obliged according to the measure of his Learning to consult
Lexicons Commentators and ancient Writers and to use all other Helps that he may both satisfie himself and also be able to inform others XXVI But perhaps I shall be told That when a Man has done all this to the best of his power yet after all he may be mistaken as it appears that many Learned Men are since 〈◊〉 oppose and contradict one another about the Meaning of the New Testament To this Ianswer That since I have shewn § 3. that all necessary things whether as to Belief or Practice in Religion are easie to be understood I must from hence conclude That a sober and honest Enquirer cannot easily be mistaken in the Interpretation of those places of the New Testament which do contain any necessary part of Religion And as for other parts and passages of it if Men would be but peaceable which is plainly enough commanded in the New Testament their Mistakes about them could do no harm And again Since I have shewn § 14. That God requires no more from a Man but his best Endeavours to know and perform his Will I do hence conclude That if a Man be mistaken in his Interpretation even of any such place as contains some necessary part of Religion yet if this Mistake be purely an Errour of the Vnderstanding and does not proceed from any Neglect or wilful Fault of the Person so mistaking God will never be offended with him for it And then What hurt can there be in such a Mistake as this XXVII But it may be demanded What shall they do to find out the Meaning of the New Testament who do not understand any thing of the Greek which is the only authentick Language of this Book Which is evidently the Case of much the greatest part of Mankind I answer That he who is ignorant of the Greek Tongue being yet obliged to use his best Endeavour § 14. must do the best he can by reading some Translation or Translations of it or if he cannot read himself by hearing them read and by asking and enquiring from such of his Acquaintance as he believes to be Persons of Sincerity and Knowledge to know what is the Sense and Doctrine of the New Testament and the Will of God therein contained And since God requires no more from any Man but his best Endeavour § 14. it follows That if such a Man be mistaken and cannot help it God will not be offended with him neither for it XXVIII And one thing more let me add for the sake of those who are not skilled in the Greek Tongue viz. That since there have many Translations been made of the New Testament most of them by Persons well skilled in Languages of good Repute for their Honesty and Integrity and who could not but know before-hand that their Translations would be narrowly sifted and examined by learned Men which must needs make them careful to commit as few Faults as they could and since all those things which God requires from Men must needs be easie enough to be understood § 3. and therefore easie to be translated and expressed in any Language I cannot but conclude That a sober and impartial Enquirer may be very well assured of the Doctrine of Jesus even from the Translations of the New Testament though he does not understand the Greek Original And for as much as I can understand of the matter if Men did stand only upon the honest and downright Sense and Meaning of plain Places which only can stive us good Assurance in Religion and would not quarrel about critical Niceties in such Texts as are confessedly obscure I believe there is scarce any Translation of the New Testament so defective but might be a sufficient Guide to any sober Man to lead him to the Doctrine of Jesus XXIX Having thus spoken what I designed of the New Testament I come to say something of the Old And here that the Jews in the Days of Jesus had among them a Book written in the Hebrew and some small part of it in the Chaldee-Tongue which we now call the Old Testament which they called the Holy Scripture and esteemed as the Word of God is a thing beyond dispute That this Book was owned and acknowledged quoted and referred to and all People exhorted and encouraged to search and study it as the Word of God both by Jesus himself and also by his Disciples is most evident to any one who reads the New Testament From whence I must conclude That the Doctrine of that Book as it was then extant is to be esteemed as part of the Doctrine of Jesus and that those Laws and Commands which are there to be found are to be kept and observed by all Christians the Followers of Jesus except where it can be shewn that Jesus has freed us from the Obligation of them XXX Moreover since this Book has been Translated into as many Languages and as many Copies of the Original have been carefully kept in distant Parts of the World as of the New Testament I do conclude That the very same things which just now were said concerning the Words the Meaning and Way of interpreting the New Testament will hold good concerning the Old Testament also as far as they can be accommodated to it XXXI There are some certain Books and Fragments which among the Protestants are well known by the Name of Apocryphal to which the Papists give the Title of Deuterocanonical These Pieces the Papists contend to be a real part of the Old Testament and of equal Authority with the other Books of it But the Protestants will not allow their Authority to be sacred although they grant that there are many useful and profitable things contained in them Now he that is not able to search into Antiquity for the Resolving of this Controversie may by another way be satisfied about it For since the Jews from whom the Christians originally received the Scriptures of the Old Testament do all of them and ever did unanimously reject these same Apocryphal Books and Fragments as being no part of their Holy Scripture I think it may from hence be sufficiently concluded That as to the Controversie about the Apocryphal Scripture the Protestants are in the right and the Papists in the wrong And yet if the Authority of those Pieces were as great as the Papists would have it I see not how it could make any Alteration in my Religion For I do not find any thing in them but what is easily reconcilable with the rest of the holy Scripture XXXII But there are some Difficulties which seem to arise concerning what I have discoursed to which it will be necessary to give a full and satisfactory Answer And First If all be granted that has hitherto been said yet how shall I be sure that the Book of the holy Scriptures contains not only truly but also fully and entirely the Doctrine of Jesus so that nothing is to be esteemed as a part of his Religion but what is contained in
to be a person wonderful a Counsellour the mighty God the Prince of Peace of the increase of whose Government there should be no end and unto whom the gathering of the Nations should be Now altho there may some Difficulties be started as to the Interpretation of some of those and such like Prophecies which do occurr in the Old Testament which is no great wonder considering how the Jews who are enemies to Christianity have endeavoured to obscure and perplex them yet if we do consider that there is evidently a fair consonant and reasonable Application of all these Predictions to be made unto Jesus of Nazareth and that there is not nor ever was any other person to whom they could be applied besides himself and since it is not possible for any one but God to foretell a thing with so many circumstances so long before it comes to pass I think I may very well from hence conclude not only against the Jews who acknowledge but also against all others who may perhaps at first deny the Authority of the Old Testament that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ or Messiah whom God had promised to send into the World And if to this we add the greatness of his Miracles and the transcendent Goodness of his Doctrine of which see Part 1. § 19 I think the Argument will have the force of a Demonstration 37. In the Holy Scriptures I find such things spoken of Christ as do plainly shew him to have been a true and real Man in all things like unto us sin only excepted Other Expressions also I find frequently applyed to him which cannot possibly agree to any Man or created Being whatsoever but only unto God as I have already said § 22. And altho there is a plain Distinction made between his Divine and Humane Nature yet is he always spoken of but as one person Here then I know not better how to express my Sentiments than by saying that in the one and single Person of Christ there is a Conjunction of both the Divine and Humane Nature and consequently that Christ is really and truly both God and Man And if the same Objection be made against this Doctrine as is against that of the Trinity viz. that it is very obscure and difficult to be apprehended I shall also return the same Answer as I have already done to that in the latter end of § 23. to which I refer my Reader 38. He who acknowledges Christ to be God to be sure will allow of his eternal Existence as to his Divine Nature And as to what concerns his Humane Nature that he was Conceived by the Power of the Holy Ghost Born of the Virgin Mary and that after some years spent in preaching and doing good he was thro the Malice of the Jews and at their vehement desire condemned by Pilate the Roman Governour to be crucified which was accordingly done and a Spear thrust into his Side That being dead he was buried and lay in the Sepulcher unto the third day upon which he rose from the dead and aster several times conversing with his Disciples for the space of Forty days that he was visibly taken up from them and received into Heaven unto infinite and eternal Glory where he is our perpetual Mediatour and Intercessour at the Throne of God All this I say is so evidently and without Controversy testified by his Disciples whose Veracity I have asserted Part 1. § 19 and recorded in the Scriptures of the New Testament whose Authority I have proved Part 1. § 23. c that no reasonable Man I think can now deny or so much as doubt of any part of it And altho there are one or two passages of Scripture from whence it is inferred that Christ before his Resurrection did descend into Hell yet will I not venture nor do I think it necessary to determine whether by the word Hell is meant the state of the dead only or the place of the damned or if the latter signification be to be chosen for what end and purpose it was that he descended thither Only I conclude certainly that it was not to suffer any thing there because I do not find the least intimation throughout the Scripture of any suffering of Christ which he did or was to endure beyond the shedding of his Blood and yielding up his life upon the Cross 39. What God might have done had he so pleased without any other consideration but only by virture of his own absolute Authority if he has rather chosen to do it for the sake of Jesus Christ and in consideration of that Obedience which he performed and those Sufferings which he underwent who shall dare to find fault with him or pretend to be wiser than he Now that it is for the sake of Christ and of his Obedience and Sufferings that God vouchsafes to us the Pardon of our Sins and makes us the offer of everlasting Happiness is so plainly declared in many places of the Holy Scriptures that nothing can be more And since I find God's sending of Christ to be set forth as an instance of his Love not to some few particular persons only but even to the whole World and since Christ is said to have died for all and to have been a Propitiation for the sins of the World without any exception I cannot but conclude that all men who ever were or are or shall be might have been or may be the better for Christ and his Sufferings if through their own default they have not or shall not forfeit that Benefit which was designed them And as it is not disputed but that the ancient Patriarchs who by Faith foresaw the coming of Christ had a share in that Redemption which he wrought altho they died before he came into the World so to me it seems to stand with a great deal of reason that even those persons who never heard any thing of Christ may yet for his sake find Mercy from God because God who perfectly knows the most secret Inclinations of all Hearts may clearly foresee that if the knowledge of Christ had been proposed and offered unto them they would have owned him and submitted unto his Gospel which our Saviour tells us was the very case of Tyre and Sidon and for which reason he declares that they should receive a milder Doom than Chorazin and Bethsaida in the day of Judgment Mat. 11. 21 22. And how far this may extend to all such as labour under very strong Prejudices altho not strictly invincible I think that God is the only proper Judge 40. But however God may think fit to deal with those who are either ignorant of or strongly prejudiced against the Christian Religion yet the manner of his proceeding with true Believers is plainly enough declared All those who receive and own the Christian Faith are not to be looked upon as so many separate persons each of them believing such and such Doctrines but are always represented