And have you such numerous examples and presidents take heart then and go on as they did joyfully in the strengrh of you God. How many have ventured all and sustained all both in former Ages and in this present Age in a neighbouring Countrey with astonishing Joy for this self same Religion But Oh! what will you loose and what must you suffer if you wickedly depart from your God and renounce his Truth Would you be in Judas his despair or sustain the horrour Spira was filled with for Worldly Favour and Preferment Would you be willing for ease and pleasure here to be the object of God's heaviest displeasure for ever To be shut out of Heaven to be continually followed with God's Curse To be a perpetual Companion of Devils and the worst Sinners To lie roaring and howling to all Eternity in unquenable flames In a word consider how the Faith you profess is the Faith which God Almighty hath taught and appointed which the Lord Jesus hath born witness unto and sealed with his Blood which the Apostles preached to the World and suffered for the Faith which has been justified and confirmed by multitudes of most real and undeniable Miracles a Faith that is pure and peaceable and tends most intirely to propagate and increase all that is truely excellent and praise-worthy amongst Men a Faith which God hath taken care of in all Ages of the Christian World and which assures its sincere Professors of things incomprehensibly great and glorious hereafter and fills them with unspeakable peace and comfort at present amidst all the Suffering they can be exposed to on its account a Faith God hath wonderfully freed from the Corruptions which were formerly mixed with it in these Nations and for which He hath often and even miraculously appeared in discovering and blasting the projects the designs and the attempts of its most subtle and unreconcileable Enemies a Faith your Ancestors after mature consideration priz'd above all their worldly Interests and Lives a Faith they took a great deal of care and pains to have transmitted to you pure and undefiled a Faith which brought with it multitudes of outward Blessings and which occasioned these Nations to be eas'd of a Yoke which all the Inhabitants who had ingenious sense complained often of and groaned under a Faith you cannot part with but in all probability you will again involve your selves in Calamities and Miseries like to those out of which your Predecessors strove with all their might to extricate themselves Have you an ambition now to expose your selves and your Posterity to all the mischief and evil which people of the adverse perswasion have been known industrious and unwearied to bring upon those they look upon as Hereticks Are you resolved to pull down with your own hands upon your selves all the sad and direful Plagues which are reserved to be inflicted in the next World on them who perfidiously betray the Faith of the Gospel and wickedly Apostatize from the True Religion If not then take care and look well to your selves and see that you be fixed and confirmed in the Protestant Religion And therefore 1. Be sure you be built upon the true Foundation Take heed you profess not the True Faith meerly because it is owned by any Society of some particular extrinsical denomination any particular Church may fall There is a Body of Men now in the World who assume to themselves a very glorious Title and yet when a just enquiry is made and the largest allowances Charity can prompt to are yielded them that Society can only pass for a very corrupt part of the Christian Church and yet the antient Inhabitants of that place where the Head of this Society hath fixed his See were a people in St. Paul's time so hearty in and true to the Doctrines of Christ their Faith was spoken of throughout all the World. Rom. 1. 8. Where are any tracts and footsteps now of those Churches you read of in the Revelations And yet God never forsaketh any till they first forsake him There has been I fear there is still altogether a fault amongst us that we are immoderately concerned for the credit and outward grandure of particular Parties and Christians are respected not for their being Christians but for their espousing some distinguishing Notions and Characters of Man's devising I am perswaded God will utterly overthrow at least mightily abase Men's affections to and zeal for all Party-making Notions amongst Christians before he will raise his Church to that prosperous flourishing State prophesied of and promised in the Scriptures There must be more Love and Charity and Unanimity amongst Christians Christianity will endure to the End of the World but as for all the Modes and Fashions of Man's devising wherewith any do dress up the Profession of Christianity these may all fall to the Earth as the Inventers of them have fall'n or will fall Mat. 16. 18. Gal. 6. 15. The True Foundation you should be built upon is that of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Corner-Stone Eph. 2. 20. Therefore 2. Embrace nothing as an Article of Faith or part of Religion but what the Holy Scriptures are express or very clear concerning You have in these Scriptures all that is necessary to any Man's Salvation 2 Tim. 3. 16. 17. Joh. 20. 13. Believe no Man nor no Society of Men in these Cases further than the Scriptures do warrant what they teach Act. 17. 11. Isai 8. 20. 3. Be not extreamly hot and zealous about any thing but what the purity of Faith and power of Godliness are really concerned in Good Men and Orthodox Christians may have different apprehensions about Matters of small moment without much prejudice to their own Souls or the common Faith provided these Differences be managed without uncharitableness and unchristian violence But too much heat and violence about things diverts from the weighty matters of God's Laws and Religion soon sensibly decays Phil. 3. 16. Gal. 6. 16. Tit. 3. 9. 4. Expect and prepare for Tryals Christ hath dealt plainly and openly with us In the World ye shall have Troubles See Mat. 16. 24. Learn to resign up your selves and live in expectation of Sufferings Read 1 Pet. 4. 12 13. 5. Be earnest in Prayer that your Hearts and Souls may have an inward real spiritual affectionate sense of the Truth and Importance of the Doctrines of Christianity 1 Cor. 2. 12 13 14. 6. Study the Holy Scriptures diligently and make them your dayly delight Psal 1. 2. Psal 119. 97 98. 7. Make a good Improvement of the plain faithful Ministry of the Word whil'st you can injoy it you know not what Times may come 2 Tim. 4. 3 4. 8. Take heed of Self-confidence and depend wholly on thy Saviour 9. Learn to be expert in using every part of the Christian Armour Eph. 6. 13. c. 10. Watch your selves carefully and your Enemies too 2 Pet. 3. 17. 11. Take a due care that your Faith may effectually influence you to all Holiness of Life and Conversation That Man is in a great preparation to renounce his Faith that hath prostituted his Conscience and is regardless how he lives 1 Tim. 1. 19. Read consider and improve what is offered unto you and the God of all Grace who hath called us to his Eternal Glory by Christ Jesus after that we have suffered a while make you Perfect c. 1 Pet. 5. 10. FINIS Per lustra popinas quotidie sine pudore in aleae lusum ususque turplssuhos potestatem extratendi animas functoâ—um ex igne expiatorio profundebant In Aug. Thuam Hist l. p. 13. vide Mezenrah Ann. 1517. Sleid. Com. lib. 1. An. 15. Qnicunque non innititur doctrinae Romanae Ecclesie ac Romani Pontificis tam quam regulae fidei infallibili aqua etiam sacra Scriptura â—obur trabit authoritatem est Haeriticus Mouns Clauddef of the Reformation part 3d. M. Clauddes of the Reform part 3d. pag 51. c. Vnde Protestantium nomen quod ad omnes postea qui eorum quae perperum in religionem invecta sunt emendationem amplecti se professi sunt obitque ab Ecclesia Romana defecere dimanavit Thuan Hist lib. 1. p. 26. Nomen per contemptum ab adversariis ob protestationem Spirae impositum D. Prideaux Lect. 9. de visibil Eccles Chilling worth 's Safe way to Salvation pag. 375. Catholick Ballance pag. 19.
Controversies But would it not seem odd for a Remonstrant or a Contra-Remonstrant to defend Christianiry or the particular Doctrines of Christianity against Jews or Heathens purely as a Remonstrant or a Contra-Remonstrant For what have their particular differences to do in matters wherein they all agreed and in maintaining of that for which both sides are equally concerned The main of the Controversy betwixt us and those of the Romish Communion is either whether the Holy Scriptures be the Only Rule in all Matters of Religion Or whether those particular Doctrines wherein they and we do differ have warrant from the Scriptures And what need we intreating on these points to interest any discriminating notions amongst our selves As far as we do agree let us walk by the same Rule Besides by concerning our selves for Protestantism and Protestant Doctrines even in opposition to our Adversaries in common as fixing the Scriptures to be the Only Rule and that our particular Doctrine have plain warrant from the Scripture and those we oppose are either contrary to the Scriptures or have no warrant at all from thence we are excused from any obligation to trouble our selves with defending any unwary or less proper expressions which may have slipt from particular Parties or particular Persons in declaring their sense of particular Doctrines for whether they exprest themselves properly or no or whether their opinion were right or no is not at all material to the Controversy betwixt those of the Church of Rome and us For if any Parties or single Persons have declared their sense and opinions concerning any Doctrine or matter of Practice either that their opinion doth accord with Scripture or it doth not if it do it is the Protestant Doctrine if it do not it is not a Protestant Doctrine and so it doth not at all affect us since we own that persons professing themselves Protestants may mistake as well as we do declare our assurance that those who have been named Infallible in another Communion have erred most grieviously But this we affirm that so far as any do keep strictly and closely to the Holy Scriptures they cannot mistake And Protestants have no real concern to vindicate any Party or Person any further than they do keep unto the Scripture But now to return from these digressions unto what was said before viz. That Protestants have such evidence as doth create certain assurance that the Holy Scriptures are fully perfect to instruct and direct Believers in all matters of Religion and do contain all those Divine Revelations God hath appointed to be of necessary and perpetual use unto his Church I need not relate the whole evidence that might be produced on this occasion I will therefore content my self with these two particulars relating to this matter which certainly must sway powerfully with them who are under an influence which is truly Religious The first is this 1. That the Holy Spirit of God hath expresly declared that the Holy Scriptures are compleat and perfect to all the ends and purposes of Divine Revelations Hear how large and particular the Holy Spirit of God is in declaring the Fullness and Perfection of the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. And that from a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be Perfect throughly furnished unto all Good Works 2. The same Holy Spirit hath solemnly devoted to the most dreadful Curse of Almighty God whomsoever shall be so arrogant and presumptuous as to offer any other Doctrine besides what the Holy Scriptures do teach as a Divine Revelation Gal. 1. 8. But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed Now if people will pretend to produce other Divine Revelations which God hath appointed to be of perpetual use to his Church either those must invalidate these Holy Scriptures or else these Holy Scriptures must invalidate them they cannot consist well together If we will own and stick to the Holy Scriptures we must reject whatever additional Discoveries shall be produced because the Spirit hath in these Scriptures excluded them What hath been discoursed concerning the evidence Protestants have for their great and main Principle may justly promt to take notice of two things 1. That they who would hinder and discourage people from reading and studying the Holy Scriptures do give them just occasion to suspect that they have none of the honestest and most commendable designs to manage We are very certain the Holy Prophets of God the Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles were Persons beloved of God and Persons who were greatly concerned for Peoples Spiritual Welfare and we are as certain that these were very much and in good earnest in pressing exciting and perswading the common sort of People to read and study the Scriptures they command them in the Name of God to read and learn the Scriptures and those Revelations of the Mind of God which were communicated unto them read Deut. 31. 11 12 13. Deut. 6. 6 7 8 9. John 5. 39. Col. 3. 16. Nay does not the design and end for which God hath made his Will known and caus'd it to be committed to Writing manifest and prove our Duty evidently enough For what end hath God given the Holy Scriptures unto his Church and People Are we not assured that the Scriptures were written for our Learning for our Instruction for our Admonition c. And must we not read them then How will they answer these ends if we must not consult them Were not the Scriptures written for our Learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope Read and consider Rom. 15. 4. Have we not then too much ground to suspect that those who would take or keep our Bibles from us are Enemies to our Faith Patience Comfort Hope and Happiness Is not the Word of God that Sword of the Spirit with which we are to defend our selves and worst our Spiritual Enemies Ephes 6. 17. And now what reason have we to take them for our Friends who would lay us open and expose us Naked to the Assaults of Sathan and his Instruments The Holy Penmen of the Scriptures did by the direction of the Blessed Spirit commend People for applying themselves to the Holy Scriptures and endeavouring to improve in the knowledge of them See Psal 1. 2. Act. 17. 11. Act. 18. 24. 2 Tim. 3. 15. And it is certain that the People of God of every rank and condition under the Old Testament Dispensation were obliged by Especial Appointment from God to take care to read and labour after a continual Increase in the knowledge of the Scriptures Now can we imagine that God having given
if the ordinary sort of People be well vers'd in the Holy Scriptures it will not be easie to impose upon them Why cannot Men that would be Teachers now a days be as open and plain as the Prophets and as Christ and as his Apostles were These came not to vent any counterfeit false Wares and therefore they were wiling the People should examine and try what they taught them They were for the People's reading and searching of the Scriptures and judging of the Doctrines which were taught them by those Holy Scriptures which had been delivered unto them They came to deliver people out of Darkness not to keep them in or lead them unto Darkness And those who are their true Successors and Followers will do the like If Men have no Notions to scatter about and perswade People to swallow and submit to but what are sound and true and good and which are authorised by Jesus Christ they will have no occasion to be ashamed or afraid that People should examine them by the Scripture None flee from the Light but those whose Doctrines or Practices will not bear the Light. Christ's Doctrines did accord very well with those Divine Revelations those Jews had amongst them But the Unscriptural Traditions they had got amongst them and our Saviour's Doctrines could not stand together To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them Isaiah 8. 20. Secondly Those who profess themselves Protestants ought to take care that they be well fixed and settled in the Protestant Religion The Apostles often require their Followers and Disciples and those they write unto to Stand fast in the Faith 1 Cor. 16. 13. And to Contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. And to Strive together for the Faith of the Gospel Phil. 1. 27. Now by these and the like Expressions which you meet with in the Apostolick Writing they plainly first warn them of the danger there is of Peoples Apostarizing from the True Faith and Religion of Jesus Christ after that they have made a Profession of the same And secondly excite and stir those up who make a Profession of the True Faith to take care that their Minds and Hearts may be throughly fixed and settled in the Faith least they should yield and waver and decline when Storms and Tryals shall arise and their constancy shall be assaulted And if there be but too much ground to fear that many who make a Profession of the Truth will Apostatize and forsake it when they shall be called to bear witness to it in some Instances which are ungrateful to Flesh and Blood. It highly concerns all who at present profess True Christianity to look well to it that they be so established and confirmed in what they profess that if a day of Tryal should come they may not loose their Crown destroy their Souls or betray the Truth First Those who do profess the True Religion may afterwards Apostatize from and relinquish it And there is too great occasion to fear that many however forward they appear in Profession will do so should they be tryed in any difficult and beloved Instances I do not mean that People who have long habituated themselves to profess the Christian Religion will easily be brought to an open and avowed renouncing of the Name of Christianity as though none could be justly charged with Apostacy from the Truth but those who can vye with Julian for impudence in contemning and trampling under foot the very Name and Profession of the Son of God. The estate of those who proceed so far is beyond measure dreadful Heb. 6. 4 5 6. But there are two things which the Scriptures more especially insist on as imported by People's Apostatizing from the True Faith and which People are generally too prone unto and both which are very displeasing unto and greatly provoking of God. 1. Departing from the Purity and Simplicity of the Faith of the Gospel espousing and imbracing together with those Doctrines and Practices which Christ hath authorized in his Holy Scriptures other Opinions and Practices which are destructive of the Truth and power of Religion Christianity is as really impaired and injured by evil mixtures as by open professed opposition The Apostacy the Apostles spake of which was to accompany or rather constitute that great Antichristian State they foretel would have such a vast and large and durable Empire in the Christian World seems plainly to be of this kind The great Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity should be retained in outward Profession but yet other Doctrines should be introduced and be so vehemently imposed and insisted on that thereby the main Essential of Religion should be slighted oppressed and become in a great measure useless And way has been made for these Innovations by first forging some gross Impostures and counterfeiting some strange things to which they have given the Name of Miracles and so unwary ignorant People have been prevailed with to entertain no better than Diabolical Delusions as Divine Instructions and Commands very agreeable to what the Apostle foretells of Antichrist's coming After the working of Sathan with all Power and Signs and lying Wonders 2 Thes 2. 9. 2. Altering the nature and use of many things which were Innovated by the pious Antients without any Divine Authority and purely by the conduct of a warm Zeal and a devout Intention Had no further progress been made in those Instances than those Antients made little prejudice would thence have happened to Religion But God is so jealous of his own Honour that usually when People manifest they have an Opinion that God hath not carefully enough provided for his own Cause and therefore they will guard and sence and provide more effectually for it He blasts all those Devices and suffers such Humane Inventions to be occasions of more than ordinary trouble and sometimes to be prosecuted so far as to make a formal and mortal Opposition to the Vitals of Religion 3. Depressing the Offices and Devotional Duties of Religion with unreasonable heaps of outward Formalities and Ritual Observations that so the Senses might be superfluously carest and by accomodating the Matters of Religion too much to the Rules of Carnal Policy By this means inward Seriousness and the Spirituality of Religion have been dispenc't with and Peoples Minds have been rendred lax and vain aiery and garish And having been thus inured for some time to these meer Externals which they have taken upon trust they have at last been so easie as to content themselves with an Implicite Faith and have rather chose to swallow any thing that should be offered them whole than put themselves to the trouble to enquire into its Nature Rise and Grounds 4. Finding out ways to reconcile what they stile Religion to Men's Carnal Lusts and Natural Tempers and Constitutions devising easier ways as they pretend to Heaven than any of the Saints in
our Principle which doth affirm that the Holy Scriptures are the Only Rule by which Christians are to govern themselves in all Matters of Religion But yet we affirm their doing this would not really advantage their Cause because the same Formal difference would remain betwixt them and us after as before for though we should be obliged on their exhibiting such proof for some particular Revelation which should warrant and oblige to own and use some Doctrine or Practice at present in dispute betwixt us yet the agreement which would then seem to be betwixt them and us in that particular would only be material and not formal because we should then own the Doctrine or Practice what is injoyned purely because taught and commanded by a Divine Revelation throughly evidenced And they would own the Doctrine or Practice the Duty injoyned purely because taught and commanded by a meer Humane Authority which they are pleased to name Infallible And it will not be to any purpose for them to undertake a more quick dispatch in this matter by talking of an Infallible Judge for he cannot be Judge and Rule too There must be Divine Revelation which must be the Rule for their Infallible Judge to exercise and imploy his Infallible Judgment about And seeing all their attempts to prove their Infallible Judge by Scripture have been very unfortunate and without success I may take it for granted when once they have agreed together and found out their Infallible Judge their best proof that that Person or Body of Men which ever they shall agree upon is a Judge and an Infallible Judge in Matters of Religion must be some new Revelation or some old Tradition never hitherto known to be a Divine Revelation for we must have better proof than any that has yet been offered on the behalf of any of their Traditions before we can entertain them as Divine Revelations And when they have well proved that Tradition and its Divine Authority which shall fix and settle their Infallible Judge they must still be at the trouble and pains to produce very substantial proof for every other Tradition they will make a part of the Christian Rule For the Authority of their Infallible Judge will not do here because his Infallibility does not reach to make nor declare a Rule but is purely concerned about the true sense and meaning of an acknowledged Rule when Controversies do arise about the importance of any Expressions contained in that Rule But besides all this Protestants have such evidence as doth create certain assurance that the Holy Scriptures are fully Perfect to instruct and direct Believers in all matters of Religion and do contain all those Divine Revelations God hath appointed to be of necessary and perpetual Use unto his Church greater evidence cannot be desired than the express Witness Testimony and Declaration of the unerring Spirit of the Faithful and True God. And this we have most plainly to the unavoidable and full Conviction of every honest piously disposed ingenious and unprejudiced Person who really owns and believes the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God And this you heard before is the professed Belief of all who profess themselves Christians And if such kind of evidence will not serve peoples turns I must acknowledge they are of a temper I do not much care to deal with for I must confess I am no preat admirer of booted blunderbus Apostles nor do I think he makes any real Proselites who only dragoon's Men into a Perswasion I never lik'd murthering Men for Religion nor persecuting Men because their Consciences would not stretch to every body's phancy I think whil'st the Scriptures are acknowledged on all sides to be Divine Revelations the greatest and best evidence we can have in matters of Religion is plain and express Scripture And if in all our Disputes with our Adversaries we did strictly keep within this compass we should guard and maintain our owe Cause the better and wound our Adversaries Cause the more fatally not but that I am very sensible we have Antiquity the Fathers rhe Primitive Writers and the most General Councils on our side either expresly or by way of silence thereby certifying us that no such Points were known or in question in those days But alas by having ordinary recourse to the Fathers c. we mightily gratifie our Adversaries for hereby they get out of the immediate reach of the Sword of the Spirit And all the Testimonies of Antiquity taken together in their own strength will not do rhe thousandth part of that execution against a Heresy as one plain and express Scripture will. Besides how often do we see that when the greatly Read and Learned on both sides do fall together by the Ears over the Fathers they lengthen the Dispute beyond measure and not only bewilder the Hearer or Reader but even themselves too that by the time they are got half through the Dispute they have well night forgot what it was they began to dispute about And having slipt into this digression I may even adventure to hint one digression more relating to the common way of managing Controversies with our Adversaries the Romanists It may be if it be well inquired into it may appear that we do not ordinarily proceed in our Controversial Discourses with them in that free and ingenious manner we ought but do too much limit and straighten our selves According to that little measure of apprehension I have it seems to me most expedient and most proper for us in opposing our Adversaries to maintain Protestantism or the Protestant Doctrines both really and professedly as such and not to pinnion our selves by pretending to maintain them as Taught or Owned by particular Communions The Cause is a common Cause and the Arguments we can truly maintain it with are common Arguments one Party is no more interested in them than another nor do the Matters in dispute amongst our selves concern the Controversies betwixt us and our Common Adversaries Why should we so affect and hug our selves in our private Notions and particular Differences as to please our selves with or at least receive and keep up the unreasonable Remembrance of them Indeed I do acknowledge the candor of our Adversaries in that they have not improved the advantage they might have taken to have made some Tragical Appearances by falling upon us with reference to this very matter of undertaking to maintain Protestant Doctrines meerly as owned by a particular Party for what doth this properly import but that we relinquish the Common Principle and undertake only to maintain our Doctrines not by the Scripture as the General and Only Rule of Christian Religion but by the Scripture as limited and bounded by those discriminating Terms and Instances whereby we are distinguished from all others who take the Scripture to be the Only Rule in all Matters of Religion Now will not this if insisted on make our task the harder and the more confound and perplex our
us a larger Discovery of his Mind doth dispence with our neglect to search the Scriptures Can those who are against the Lay-Peoples reading of the Scripture find any Command of Christ requiring them not to read the Scripture Can they produce any Condemnation or Censure from the Prophets from Christ or from his Apostles against those who shall read the Word of God Or can they make it appear that any of these did ever commend People for their neglecting to read the Scripture If they cannot do any of all this let their Pretences and Self-vindications touching this matter be never so plausible we may rest assured there is nothing solid and substantial in what they say for there cannot be any Reason against God. The more subtle and cunning their Pretences are the worse Men they manifest themselves to be because they abuse those Abilities which should have been applied another way and might had they been used aright have been very serviceable to promote the Interest of Truth and Holiness The most plausible Pretence they do produce for their prohibiting People the common use of the Scripture is That the ordinary sort of People would be very apt to abuse and wrest the Scriptures to their own Destruction should they be permitted to have free recourse unto them But allowing that People may wrest the Scripture and make some other use of it than they ought this is not an Inconvenience which will make null and discharge Men from God's Command of reading and searching the Scripture You may with as much reason oblige Men to forbear the use of wholesome Food Meat and Drink and starve themselves to death because some by their Intemperance and Excess do abuse wholesome Food and make it an occasion of dangerous Distempers and Diseases yea and Death it self You may as lawfully deprive People of their Corporal as of their Spiritual Food Besides this very particular hath been foreseen and taken notice of by the Pen-men of the Holy Scripture if we interpret 2 Pet. 3. 16. according to the usual acceptation of that place by those who do alledge it for their purpose as to this matter And yet there is not one word there to oblige People on that account to desist from the reading of the Scriptures The People may and ought to be warned to take heed how they read the Scriptures and that they avoid Errours and pervert not the Word of God. But the Scriptures are not therefore to be detained from them God hath not thought fit to provide such a Remedy against peoples abusing his Word as this is of keeping it intirely from them Yea this very Apostle doth as it were in the next verses perswade them to the due and right study and improvement of the Scriptures that they may avoid the Errours others do fall into by abusing them and may increase in the knowledge of Christ It is undeniably evident that this same Apostle doth in this same Epistle commend peoples reading of the Scriptures and attending unto them We have also a more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in your Hearts 2 Pet. 1. 19. And however it is common to attribute the Rise of Errours to the common sort of peoples having the free use of the Scriptures yet upon due examination it will be found that the worst and most fatal Errous have sprung from and been advanced by them who pretending to more Knowledge and Learning and Abilities than the rest of Mankind have presumed to appropriate to themselves the intire Custody or Interpretation of the Scriptures Nay it is truly observed by one who appears to have consulted Antiquity with much care and diligence That The Laity so well understood their Faith that many times they by their sagacity discerned the sly Insinuations of Errour in the Sermons of their Unsound and Heretical Bishops and so occasioned them to be condemned by Synodical Sentences and through the radicated sense of Faith would never be brought to any of the Alterations made by any corrupt Councils nor would ever rest under their Prevarications till the Primitive Faith recovered and vacated all those Synodical Prevarications as may be seen in all the Arian History and particularly the relation given of the vulgar Sagacity and Zeal to detect and repress that Heresy in St. Hierom against the Luciferians If this Notion of keeping the Scriptures from the people or of obliging the People to understand the Scriptures no otherwise than those would interpret them who were arrogant enough to claim and assume to themselves this priviledge had intirely prevail'd when our Blessed Saviour was on Earth God only knows how much our Saviour's Reputation might have suffered even in succeeding Generations For as these presumptuous Persons did pretend that the Key of the Scripture did hang only at their Girdle so they refused to acknowledge Christ was the Messiah the Son of God and they both accused him as an Impostor a Deceiver an Ill Man and charged and censured the People as ignorant Persons who did not understand the Law little better than Hereticks a cursed Generation and all this was because they did listen unto Christ follow Him and Believe in Him that is did undertake to judge of Matters by the Scripture and to determine this was the Saviour the Messiah c. prophesied of and promised in the Scriptures The Chief Priests the Scribes the Pharisees they were all against Christ and would fain have perswaded the People to have taken their Interpretation of the Scriptures and to have pinn'd their Faith on their Sleeves and not undertake to judge for themselves in so high and mysterious a Point as this concerning the Messiah was They would have perswaded them that this Jesus was a very Cheat and that all the things he did which won their admiration were wrought by the Intimacy he had with and the Power he borrowed from the Prince of the Devils and that the Messiah must be quite of another Make from this same Jesus Now what work would have been in the World if none must have read and understood the Scriptures in any other sense but what the Topping-Men and Chief Leaders of the Jewish Church had assigned What contempt do these Monopolizers of Knowledge express against the People who would not submit to their Determinations How angry were they when any dared to declare how they respected and admired Christ Then came the Officers to the Chief Priests and Pharisees and they said unto them Why have ye not brought him The Officers answered never Man spake like this Man Then answered them the Pharisees Are ye also deceived Have any of the Rulers or Pharisees believed on him But this People who knoweth not the Law are Cursed John 7. 45. to the 50th If People mean fairly and honestly why do they desire to have Folks bred up in Ignorance Indeed