thankfulness upon this very account of the excellency of its designs 76. NOR need we borrow the balance of the Sanctuary to weigh them in we may do it in our own scales for they exactly answer the two properties above mention'd of profit and diffusiveness which in secular concerns are the standard rules of good designs For first it is the sole scope and aim of Scripture the very end for which 't was writ to benefit and advantage men and that secondly not only som small select number som little angle or corner of the world but the whole race of mankind the entire Universe and he that can imagin a more diffusive design must imagin more worlds also 77. NOW for the first of these that it is the design of the Scripture to benefit men we need appeal but to Scripture it self which surely can give the best account to what ends 't is directed and that tells us it is to make us wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 In which is comprehended the greatest benefit that mans nature is capable of the making us wise while we live here and the saving us eternally And this sure is the most generous the most obliging design that 't is possible even for the Creator to have upon the creature and this is it which the holy Scripture negotiates with us 78. AND first the making us wise is so inviting a proposal to humanity that we see when that was much wiser then now it is it caught at a fallacious tender of it the very sound of it tho out of the devils mouth fascinated our first Parents and hurried them to the highest disobedience and certainest ruin And therefore now God by the holy Scriptures makes us an offer as much more safe as it is more sincere when he sends his Word thus to be a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths Ps 119.105 to teach us all that is good for us to know our affectation of ignorance will be more culpable then theirs of knowledg if we do not admire the kindness embrace the bounty of such a tender 79. NOW the making us wise must be understood according to the Scripture notion of wisdom which is not the wisdom of this world nor of the Princes of this world which come to nought as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 2.5 but that wisdom which descends from above Ja. 3.17 which he there describes to be first pure then peaceable gentle and easy to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy Indeed the Scripture usually comprehends these and all other graces under Wisdom for it makes it synonymous to that which includes them all viz. the fear of the Lord. Thus we find throout the whole Book of Proverbs these us'd as terms convertible In short Wisdom is that practical knowledg of God and our selves which engages us to obedience and duty and this is agreeable to that definition the Wise man gives of it The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way Pro. 14.8 Without this all the most refin'd and aerial speculations are but like Thales's star-gazing which secur'd him not from falling in the water nay betrai'd him to it In this is all solid wisdom compris'd 80. THE utmost all the wise men in the world have pretended to is but to know what true happiness is and what is the means of attaining it and what they sought with so much study and so little success the Scripture presents us with in the greatest certainty and plainest characters such as he that runs may read Hab. 2.2 It acquaints us with that supreme felicity that chief good whereof Philosophy could only give us a name and it shews us the means marks us out a path which will infallibly lead us to it Accordingly we find that Solomon after all the accurate search he had made to find what was that good for the sons of men he shuts up his inquest in this plain conclusion Fear God and keep his commandments for God shall bring every work unto judgment Eccles 12.13 14. The regulating our lives so by the rules of Piety as may acquit us at our final account is the most eligible thing that falls within human cognizance and that not only in relation to the superlative happiness of the next world but even to the quiet and tranquillity of this For alas we are impotent giddy creatures swai'd somtimes by one passion somtimes by another nay often the inter fearing of our appetites makes us irresolute which we are to gratify whilst in the interim their strugling agitates and turmoils the mind And what can be more desirable in such a case then to put our selves under a wiser conduct then our own and as opprest States use to defeat all lesser pretenders by becoming homagers to som more potent so for us to deliver our selves from the tyranny of our lusts by giving up our obedience to him whose service is perfect freedom 81. WERE there no other advantage of the exchange but the bringing us under fixt and determinat Laws 't were very considerable Every man would gladly know the terms of his subjection and have som standing rule to guide himself by and Gods Laws are so we may certainly know what he requires of us but the mandats of our passions are arbitrary and extemporary what pleases them to day disgusts them to morrow and we must alwaies be in readiness to do we know not what and of all the Arbitrary governments that men either feel or fear this is doubtless the most miserable I wish our apprehensions of it were but as sensible and then we should think the holy Scripture did us the office of a Patriot in offering us a rescue from so vile a slavery 82. AND that it do's make us this offer is manifest by the whole tenor of the Bible For first it rowzes and awakes us to a sense of our condition shews us that what we call liberty is indeed the saddest servitude that he that committeth sin is the servant of sin Jo. 8.34 that those vices which pretend to serve and gratify us do really subdue and enslave us and fetter when they seem to embrace and whereas the will in all other oppressions retains its liberty this tyranny brings that also into vassallage renders our spirits so mean and servile that we chuse bondage are apt to say with the Israelites Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians Ex. 14.12 83. AND what greater kindness can be don for people in this forlorn abject condition then to animate them to cast off this yoke and recover their freedom And to this are most of the Scripture exhortations addrest as may be seen in a multitude of places particularly in the sixth chapter to the Romans the whole scope whereof is directly to this purpose 84. NOR do's it only sound the alarm put us upon the contest with our enemies but it assists us in it furnishes us with that whole
10. ATHANASIUS in his Tract of the Incarnation saies It is fit for us to adhere to the word of God and not relinquish it thinking by syllogisms to evade what is there clearly deliver'd Again in his Tract to Serap of the holy Ghost Ask not saies he concerning the Trinity but learn only from the Scriptures For the instructions which you will find there are sufficient And in his Oration against the Gentiles declares That the Scriptures are sufficient to the manifestation of the truth 11. AGREEABLE to these is Optatus in his 5. Book against Parmen who reasons thus You say 't is lawful to rebaptize we say 't is not lawful betwixt your saying and our gain-saying the peoples minds are amus'd Let no man believe either you or us All men are apt to be contentious Therefore Judges are to be call'd in Christians they cannot be for they will be parties and thereby partial Therefore a Judg is to be lookt out from abroad If a Pagan he knows not the mysteries of our Religion If a Jew he is an enemy to our baptism There is therefore no earthly Judg but one is to be sought from heaven Yet there is no need of a resort to heaven when we have in the Gospel a Testament and in this case celestial things may be compar'd to earthly So it is as with a Father who has many children while he is present he orders them all and there is no need of a written Will Accordingly Christ when he was present upon earth from time to time commanded the Apostles whatsoever was necessary But as the earthly father finding himself to be at the point of death and fearing that after his departure his children should quarrel among themselves he calls witnesses and puts his mind in writing and if any difference arise among the brethren they go not to their Fathers Sepulcher but repair to his Will and Testament and he who rests in his grave speaks still in his writing as if he were alive Our Lord who left his Will among us is now in heaven therefore let us seek his commands in the Gospel as in his Will 12. THUS Cyril of Ierus Cat. 4. Nothing no not the least concernment of the divine and holy Sacraments of our Faith is to be deliver'd without the holy Scripture believe not me unless I give you a demonstration of what I say from the Scripture 13. SAINT Basil in his Book of the true Faith saies If God be faithful in all his sayings his words and works they remaining for ever and being don in truth and equity it must be an evident sign of infidelity and pride if any one shall reject what is written and introduce what is not written In which Books he generally declares that he will write nothing but what he receives from the holy Scripture and that he abhors from taking it elsewhere In his 29. Homily against the Antitrinit Believe saies he those which are written seek not those which are not written And in his Eth. reg 26. Every word and action ought to be confirm'd by the testimony of the divinely inspir'd Scriptures to the establishment of the Faith of the good and reproof of the wicked 14. SAINT Ambrose in the first Book of his Offic. saies How can we make use of any thing which is not to be found in Scripture And in his Instit of Virgins I read he is the first but read not he is the second let them who say he is second shew it from the reading 15. GREG. Nyssen in his Dial. of the soul and resurrect saies 'T is undeniable that truth is there only to be plac'd where there is the seal of Scripture Testimony 16. SAINT Jerom against Helvidius declares As we deny not that which is written so we refuse those which are not written And in his Comment on the 98. Ps Every thing that we assert we must shew from the holy Scripture The word of him that speaks has not that autority as Gods precept And on the 87. Ps Whatever is said after the Apostles let it be cut off nor have afterwards autority Tho one be holy after the Apostles tho one be eloquent yet has he not autority 17. SAINT Austin in his Tract of the unity of the Church c. 12. acknowledges that he could not be convinc'd but by the Scriptures of what he was to believe and adds they are read with such manifestation that he who believes them must confess the doctrin to be most true In the second Book of Christian doctrin c. 9. he saies that in the plain places of Scripture are found all those things that concern Faith and Manners And in Epist 42. All things which have bin exhibited heretofore as don to mankind and what we now see and deliver to our posterity the Scripture has not past them in silence so far forth as they concern the search or defence of our Religion In his Tract of the good of Widowhood he saies to Julian the person to whom he addresses What shall I teach you more then that we read in the Apostle for the holy Scripture settles the rule of our doctrin that we think not any thing more then we ought to think but to think soberly as God has dealt to every man the mesure of Faith Therefore my teaching is only to expound the words of this Doctor Ep. 157. Where any subject is obscure and passes our comprehension and the Scripture do's not plainly afford its help there human conjecture is presumtuous in defining 18. THEOPHILUS of Alex. in his second Paschal homily tells us that 't is the suggestion of a diabolical spirit to think that any thing besides the Scripture has divine autority And in his third he adds that the Doctors of the Church having the Testimony of the Scripture lay firm foundation of their doctrin 19. CHRYSOSTOM in his third Homily on the first of the Thessal asserts that from the alone reading or hearing of the Scripture one may learn all things necessary So Hom. 34. on Act. 15. he declares A heathen comes and saies I would willingly be a Christian but I know not who to join my self to for there are many contentions among you many seditions and tumults so that I am in doubt what opinion I should abuse Each man saies what I say is true and I know not whom to believe each pretends to Scripture which I am ignorant of 'T is very well the issue is put here for if the appeal were to reason in this case there would be just occasion of being troubled but when we appeal to Scripture and they are simple and certain you may easily your self judg He that agrees with the Scripture is a Christian he that resists them is far out of the way And on Ps 95. If any thing be said without the Scripture the mind halts between different opinions somtimes inclining as to what is probable anon rejecting as what is frivolous but when the testimony of holy Scripture
God has by his own choice of writing given the preference to it Nor has he barely chosen it but has made it the standard by which to mesure all succeeding pretences 'T is the means he prescribes for distinguishing divine from diabolical Inspirations To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word there is no light in them Isai 8.20 And when the Lawier interrogated our Savior what he should do to inherit eternal life he sends him not to ransac Tradition or the cabalistical divinity of the Rabbins but refers him to the Law What is written in the Law how readest thou Luk. 10.26 And indeed throout the Gospel we still find him in his discourse appealing to Scripture and asserting its autority as on the other side inveighing against those Traditions of the Elders which had evacuated the written Word Ye make the Word of God of none effect by your Tradition Mat. 15.6 Which as it abundantly shews Christs adherence to the written Word so 't is a pregnant instance how possible it is for Tradition to be corrupted and made the instrument of imposing mens phancies even in contradiction to Gods commands 31. AND since our blessed Lord has made Scripture the test whereby to try Traditions we may surely acquiesce in his decision and either Embrace or reject Traditions according as they correspond to the supreme rule the written Word It must therefore be a very unwarrantable attemt to set up Tradition in competition with much more in contradiction to that to which Christ himself hath subjected it 32. Saint Paul reckons it as the principal privilege of the Jewish Church that it had the Oracles of God committed to it i.e. that the holy Scriptures were deposited and put in its custody and in this the Christian Church succeeds it and is the guardian and conservator of holy Writ I ask then had the Jewish Church by vertue of its being keeper a power to supersede any part of those Oracles intrusted to them if so Saint Paul was much out in his estimate and ought to have reckon'd that as their highest privilege But indeed the very nature of the trust implies the contrary and besides 't is evident that is the very crime Christ charges upon the Jews in the place above cited And if the Jewish Church had no such right upon what account can the Christian claim any Has Christ enlarg'd its Charter has he left the sacred Scriptures with her not to preserve and practice but to regulate and reform to fill up its vacancies and supply its defects by her own Traditions if so let the commission be produc'd but if her office be only that of guardianship and trust she must neither substract from nor by any superadditions of her own evacuate its meaning and efficacy and to do so would be the same guilt that it would be in a person intrusted with the fundamental Records of a Nation to foist in such clauses as himself pleases 33. IN short God has in the Scriptures laid down exact rules for our belief and practice and has entrusted the Church to convey them to us if she vary or any way enervate them she is false to that trust but cannot by it oblige us to recede from that rule she should deliver to comply with that she obtrudes upon us The case may be illustrated by an easy resemblance Suppose a King have a forreign principality for which he composes a body of Laws annexes to them rewards and penalties and requires an exact and indispensable conformity to them These being put in writing he sends by a select messenger now suppose this messenger deliver them yet saies withall that himself has autority from the King to supersede these Laws at his plesure so that their last resort must be to his dictats yet produces no other testimony but his own bare affirmation Is it possible that any men in their wits should be so stupidly credulous as to incur the penalty of those Laws upon so improbable an indemnity And sure it would be no whit less madness in Christians to violate any precept of God on an ungrounded supposal of the Churches power to dispense with them 34. AND if the Church universal have not this power nor indeed ever claim'd it it must be a strange insolence for any particular Church to pretend to it as the Church of Rome do's as if we should owe to her Tradition all our Scripture and all our Faith insomuch that without the supplies which she affords from the Oracle of her Chair our Religion were imperfect and our salvation insecure Upon which wild dictates I shall take liberty in a distinct Section farther to animadvert SECT VI. The suffrage of the primitive Christian Church concerning the propriety and fitness which the Scripture hat towards the attainment of its excellent end AGAINST what has bin hitherto said to the advantage of the holy Scripture there opposes it self as we have already intimated the autority of the Church of Rome which allows it to be only an imperfect rule of Faith saying in the fourth Session of the Council of Trent that Christian faith and discipline are contain'd in the Books written and unwritten Tradition And in the fourth rule of the Index put forth by command of the said Council the Scripture is declar'd to be so far from useful that its reading is pernicious if permitted promiscuously in the vulgar Tongue and therefore to be withheld insomuch that the study of the holy Bible is commonly by persons of the Roman Communion imputed to Protestants as part of their heresy they being call'd by them in contemt the Evangelical men and Scripturarians And the Bible in the vulgar Tongue of any Nation is commonly reckon'd among prohibited Books and as such publicly burnt when met with by the Inquisitors and the person who is found with it or to read therein is subjected to severe penalties 2. FOR the vindication of the truth of God and to put to shame those unhappy Innovators who amidst great pretences to antiquity and veneration to the Scriptures prevaricat from both I think it may not be amiss to shew plainly the mind of the primitive Church herein and that in as few words as the matter will admit 3. FIRST I premise that Ireneus and Tertullian having to do with Heretics who boasted themselves to be emendators of the Apostles and wiser then they despising their autority rejecting several parts of the Scripture and obtruding other writings in their steed have had recourse unto Tradition with a seeming preference of it unto Scripture Their adversaries having no common principle besides the owning the name of Christians it was impossible to convince them but by a recourse to such a medium which they would allow But these Fathers being to set down and establish their Faith are most express in resolving it into Scripture and when they recommend Tradition ever mean such as is also Apostolical 4. IRENEUS in the
second Book 47. c. tells us that the Scriptures are perfect as dictated by the word of God and his spirit And the same Father begins his third Book in this manner The disposition of our salvation is no otherwise known by us then by those by whom the Gospel was brought to us which indeed they first preach'd but afterward deliver'd it to us in the Scripture to be the foundation and pillar of our Faith Nor may we imagin that they began to preach to others before they themselves had perfect knowledg as som are bold to say boasting themselves to be emendators of the Apostles For after our Lords Resurrection they were indued with the power of the holy Spirit from on high and having perfect knowledg went forth to the ends of the earth preaching the glad tidings of salvation and celestial praise unto men Each and all of whom had the Gospel of God So Saint Matthew wrote the Gospel to the Hebrews in their tongue Saint Peter and Saint Paul preach'd at Rome and there founded a Church Mark the Disciple and interpreter of Peter deliver'd in writing what he had preach'd and Luke the follower of Paul set down in his Book the Gospel he had deliver'd Afterward Saint John at Ephesus in Asia publish'd his Gospel c. In his fourth Book c. 66. he directs all the Heretics with whom he deals to read diligently the Gospel deliver'd by the Apostles and also read diligently the Prophets assuring they shall there find every action every doctrin and every suffering of our Lord declared by them 5. THUS Tertullian in his Book of Prescriptions c. 6. It is not lawful for us to introduce any thing of our own will nor make any choice upon our arbitrement We have the Apostles of our Lord for our Authors who themselves took up nothing on their own will or choice but faithfully imparted to the Nations the discipline which they had receiv'd from Christ So that if an Angel from heaven should teach another doctrin he were to be accurst And c. 25. 'T is madness saies he of the Heretics when they confess that the Apostles were ignorant of nothing nor taught things different to think that they did not revele all things to all which he enforces in the following chapter In his Book against Hermogenes c. 23. he discourses thus I adore the plenitude of the Scripture which discovers to me the Creator and what was created Also in the Gospel I find the Word was the Arbiter and Agent in the Creation That all things were made of preexistent matter I never read Let Hermogenes and his journy-men shew that it is written If it be not written let him fear the woe which belongs to them that add or detract And in the 39. ch of his Prescript We feed our faith raise our hope and establish our reliance with the sacred Words 6. IN like manner Hippolytus in the Homily against Noetus declares that we acknowledg only from Scripture that there is one God And whereas secular Philosophy is not to be had but from the reading of the doctrin of the Philosophers so whosoever of us will preserve piety towards God he cannot otherwise learn it then from the holy Scripture Accordingly Origen in the fifth Homily on Leviticus saies that in the Scripture every word appertaining to God is to be sought and discust and the knowledg of all things is to be receiv'd 7. WHAT Saint Cyprians opinion was in this point we learn at large from his Epistle to Pompey For when Tradition was objected to him he answers Whence is this Tradition is it from the autority of our Lord and his Gospel or comes it from the commands of the Apostles in their Epistles Almighty God declares that what is written should be obei'd and practic'd The Book of the Law saies he in Joshua shall not depart from thy mouth but thou shalt meditate in it day and night that you may observe and keep all that is written therein So our Lord sending his Apostles commands them to baptize all Nations and teach them to observe all things that he had commanded Again what obstinacy and presumtion is it to prefer human Tradition to divine Command not considering that Gods wrath is kindled as often as his Precepts are dissolv'd and neglected by reason of human Traditions Thus God warns and speaks by Isaiah This people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me but in vain do they worship me teaching for doctrins the commandments of men Also the Lord in the Gospel checks and reproves saying you reject the Law of God that you may establish your Tradition Of which Precept the Apostle Saint Paul being mindful admonishes and instructs saying If any man teaches otherwise and hearkens not to sound doctrin and the words of our Lord Jesus Christ he is proud knowing nothing From such we must depart And again he adds There is a compendious way for religious and sincere minds both to deposit their errors and find out the truth For if we return to the source and original of divine Tradition human error will cease and the ground of heavenly Mysteries being seen whatsoever was hid with clouds and darkness will be manifest by the light of truth If a pipe that brought plentiful supplies of water fail on the suddain do not men look to the fountain and thence learn the cause of the defect whether the spring it self be dry or if running freely the water is stopt in its passage that if by interrupted or broken conveiances it was hindred to pass they being repair'd it may again be brought to the City with the same plenty as it flows from the spring And this Gods Priests ought to do at this time obeying the commands of God that if truth have swerv'd or fail'd in any particular we go backward to the source of the Evangelical and Apostolical Tradition and there found our actings from whence their order and origination began 8. IT is true Bellarmine reproches this discourse as erroneous but whatever it might be in the inference which Saint Cyprian drew from it in it self it was not so For Saint Austin tho sufficiently engag'd against Saint Cyprians conclusion allows the position as most Orthodox saying in the fourth Book of Baptism c. 35. Whereas he admonishes to go back to the fountain that is the Tradition of the Apostles and thence bring the stream down to our times 't is most excellent and without doubt to be don 9. THUS Eusebius expresses himself in his second Book against Sabellius As it is a point of sloth not to seek into those things whereof one may enquire so 't is insolence to be inquisitive in others But what are those things which we ought to enquire into Even those which are to be found in the Scriptures those things which are not there to be found let us not seek after For if they ought to be known the holy Ghost had not omitted them in the Scripture
the seed and parent of the greatest It is so in all sins the kingdom of Satan like that of God may be compar'd to a grain of mustard seed Mat. 13.31 which tho little in it self is mighty in its increase 54. NO man ever yet began at the top of villany but the advance is still gradual from one degree to another each commission smoothing and glibbing the way to the next He that accustoms in his ordinary discourse to use the sacred Name of God with as little sentiment and reverence as he do's that of his neighbor or servant that makes it his common by-word and cries Lord and God upon every the lightest occasion of exclamation or wonder this man has a very short step to the using it in oaths and upon all frivolous occasions and he that swears vainly is at no great distance from swearing falsely It is the same in this instance of the Scriptures He that indulges his wit to rally with them will soon come to think them such tame things that he may down-right scorn them And when he is arriv'd to that then he must pick quarrels to justify it till at last he arrive even to the height of enmity 55. LET every man therefore take heed of setting so much as one step in this fatal circle guard himself against the first insinuation of this guilt and when a jest offers it self as a temtation let him balance that with a sober thought and consider whether the jest can quit the cost of the profanation Let him possess his mind with an habitual awe take up the Bible with solemner thoughts and other kind of apprehensions then any human Author and if he habituate himself to this reverence every clause and phrase of it that occurs to his mind will be apter to excite him to devout ejaculations then vain laughter 56. IT is reported of our excellent Prince King Edward the sixth that when in his Council Chamber a Paper that was call'd for happen'd to lie out of reach and the Person concern'd to produce it took a Bible that lay by and standing upon it reacht down the Paper the King observing what was don ran himself to the place and taking the Bible in his hands kissed it and laid it up again Of this it were a very desirable moral that Princes and all persons in autority would take care not to permit any to raise themselves by either a hypocritical or profane trampling upon holy things But besides that a more general application offers its self that all men of what condition soever should both themselves abstain from every action that has the appearance of a contemt of the holy Scripture and also when they observe it in others discountenance the insolence and by their words and actions give Testimony of the veneration which they have for that holy Book they see others so wretchedly despise 57. BUT above all let him who reads the Scripture seriously set himself to the practice of it and daily examin how he proceds in it he that diligently do's this will not be much at leisure to sport with it he will scarce meet with a Text which will not give him cause of reflection and provide him work within his own brest every duty injoin'd will promt him to examin how he has perform'd every sin forbid will call him to recollect how guilty he has bin every pathetic strain of devotion will kindle his zeal or at least upbraid his coldness every heroic example will excite his emulation In a word every part of Scripture will if duly appli'd contribute to som good and excellent end And when a thing is proper for such noble purposes can it be the part of a wise man to apply it only to mean and trivial Would any but an Idiot wast that Soveraign Liquor in the washing of his feet which was given him to expel poison from his heart And are not we guilty of the like folly when we apply Gods word to serve only a ludicrous humor and make our selves merry with that which was design'd for the most serious and most important purpose the salvation of our souls And indeed who ever takes any lower aim then that and the vertues preparatory to it in his study of Scripture extremely debases it 58. LET us therefore keep a steady eie upon that mark and press towards it as the Apostle did Phil. 3.14 walk by that rule the holy Scripture proposes faithfully and diligently observe its precepts that we may finally partake its promises To this end continually pray we in the words of our holy mother the Church unto Almighty God who has caus'd all holy Scripture to be written for our learning that we may in such wise hear them read mark learn and inwardly digest them that by patience and comfort of his holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting Life which he has given in our Savior Jesus Christ THE CONTENTS SECTION Sect. 1. The several methods of Gods communicating the knowledg of himself Pag. 1. Sect. 2. The divine Original Endearments and Autority of the Holy Scripture p. 9. Sect. 3. The Subject Matter treated of in the holy Scripture is excellent as is also its end and design p. 63. Sect. 4. The Custody of the holy Scripture is a privilege and right of the Christian Church and every member of it which cannot without impiety to God and injustice unto it and them be taken away or empeacht p. 123. Sect. 5. The Scripture has great propriety and fitness toward the attainment of its excellent end p. 145. Sect. 6. The suffrage of the primitive Christian Church concerning the propriety and fitness which the Scripture has toward the attainment of its excellent end p. 165. Sect. 7. Historical reflexions upon the events which have happen'd in the Church since the with-drawing of the holy Scripture p. 180. Sect. 8. Necessary Cautions to be us'd in the reading of the holy Scripture p. 193. FINIS
The lively Oracles given to us or The Christians birthright duty in the custody use of the holy Scripture burg sculp THE Lively Oracles given to us OR The Christians Birth-right and Duty in the custody and use of the HOLY SCRIPTURE By the Author of the WHOLE DUTY OF MAN c. Search the Scriptures Jo. 5.39 At the THEATER in OXFORD 1678. And are to be Sold by William Leak at the Crown in Fleet-street Lond. Beilby Thompson of Escrick Imprimatur JO. NICHOLAS Vice Cancell Oxon. Junii 10. 1678. THE PREFACE IN the Treatise of the Government of the Tongue publisht by me heretofore I had occasion to take notice among the exorbitances of that unruly part which sets on fire the whole course of nature and its self is set on fire from hell Jam. 3.6 of the impious vanity prevailing in this Age whereby men play with sacred things and exercise their wit upon those Scriptures by which they shall be judg'd at the last day Joh. 12.48 But that holy Book not only suffering by the petulancy of the Tongue but the malice of the heart out of the abundance whereof the mouth speaks Mat. 12.34 and also from that irreligion prepossession and supiness which the pursuit of sensual plesures certainly produces the mischief is too much diffus'd and deeply rooted to be controul'd by a few casual reflections I have therefore thought it necessary both in regard of the dignity and importance of the subject as also the prevalence of the opposition to attemt a profest and particular vindication of the holy Scriptures by displaying their native excellence and beauty and enforcing the veneration and obedience that is to be paid unto them This I design'd to do in my usual method by an address to the affections of the Reader soliciting the several passions of love hope fear shame and sorrow which either the majesty of God in his sublime being his goodness deriv'd to us or our ingratitude return'd to him could actuate in persons not utterly obdurate But whereas men when they have learnt to do amiss quickly dispute and dictate I found my self concern'd to pass somtimes within the verge of controversy and to discourse upon the principles of reason and deductions from Testimony which in the most important transactions of human life are justly taken for evidence In which whole performance I have studied to avoid the entanglements of Sophistry and the ambition of unintelligible quotations and kept my self within the reach of the unlearned Christian Reader to whose uses my labors have bin ever dedicated All that I require is that men would bring as much readiness to entertain the holy Scriptures as they do to the reading profane Authors I am asham'd to say as they do to the incentives of vice and folly nay to the libels and invectives that are levell'd against the Scriptures If I obtain this I will make no doubt that I shall gain a farther point that from the perusal of my imperfect conceptions the Reader will proceed to the study of the Scriptures themselves there tast and see how gracious the Lord is Ps 34.8 and as the Angel commanded Saint John Rev. 10.9 eat the Book where he will experimentally find the words of David verified Ps 19.7 The Law of the Lord is an undefiled Law converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure and giveth wisdom to the simple The Statutes of the Lord are right and rejoice the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure and giveth light to the eies The fear of the Lord is clean and endureth for ever the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether More to be desir'd are they then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then hony and the hony-comb Moreover by them is thy servant taught and in keeping of them there is great reward It is said of Moses Ex. 34.29 that having receiv'd the Law from God and converst with him in Mount Sina forty daies together his face shone and had a brightness fixt upon it that dazled the beholders a pledg and short essay not only of the appearance at Mount Tabor Mat. 17.1 where at the Transfiguration he again was seen in glory but of that greater and yet future change when he shall see indeed his God face to face and share his glory unto all eternity The same divine Goodness gives still his Law to every one of us Let us receive it with due regard and veneration converse with him therein instead of forty daies during our whole lives and so anticipate and certainly assure our interest in that great Transfiguration when all the faithful shall put off their mortal flesh be translated from glory to glory eternally behold their God see him as he is and so enjoy him Conversation has every where an assimilating power we are generally such as are the men and Books and business that we deal with but surely no familiarity has so great an influence on Life and Manners as when men hear God speaking to them in his Word That Word which the Apostle Heb. 4.12 declares to be quick and powerful sharper then any two-edg'd sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart The time will come when all our Books however recommended for subtilty of discourse exactness of method variety of matter or eloquence of Language when all our curious Acts like those mention'd Act. 19.19 shall be brought forth and burnt before all men When the great Book of nature and heaven it self shall depart as a scroul roll'd together Rev. 6.14 At which important season 't will be more to purpose to have studied well that is transcrib'd in practice this one Book then to have run thro all besides for then the dead small and great shall stand before God and the Books shall be open'd and another Book shall be open'd which is the Book of Life and the dead shall be judg'd out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works Rev. 20.12 In vain shall men allege the want of due conviction that they did not know how penal it would be to disregard the Sanctions of Gods Law which they would have had enforc'd by immediat miracle the apparition of one sent from the other world who might testify of the place of torment This expectation the Scripture charges every where with the guilt of temting God and indeed it really involves this insolent proposal that the Almighty should be oblig'd to break his own Laws that men might be prevail'd with to keep his But should he think fit to comply herein the condescention would be as successless in the event as 't is unreasonable in the offer Our Savior assures that they who hear not Moses and the Prophets the instructions and commands laid down in holy Scripture would not be wrought upon by any other method would not be
I confess vain for man to address nay 't were insolence to expect that human Oratory should succeed where the divine fails yet the spreading infection of these renders it necessary to administer antidotes to others And besides tho God be blest all are not of this form yet there are many who tho not arriv'd to this contemt yet want som degrees of that just reverence they owe the sacred Scripture who give a confus'd general assent to them as the word of God but afford them not a consideration and respect answerable to such an acknowledgment To such as these I shall hope it may not be utterly vain to attemt the exciting of those drowsy notions that lie unactive in them by presenting to them som considerations concerning the excellence and use of the Scripture which being all but necessary consequences of that principle they are supposed to own viz. that they are Gods word I cannot much question their assent to the speculative part I wish I could as probably assure my self of the practic 10. INDEED were there nothing else to be said in behalf of holy Writ but that it is Gods word that were enough to command the most awful regard to it And therefore it is but just we make that the first and principal consideration in our present discourse But then 't is impossible that that can want others to attend it since whatsoever God saies is in all respects compleatly good I shall therefore to that of its divine original add secondly the consideration of its subject matter thirdly of its excellent and no less diffusive end and design and fourthly of its exact propriety and fitness to that design which are all such qualifications that where they concur nothing more can be requir'd to commend a writing to the esteem of rational men And upon all these tests notwithstanding the cavil of the Romanists and others whose force we shall examin with the unhappy issue of contrary counsels this law of God will be found to answer the Psalmists character of it Ps 19.7 The Law of God is perfect and will appear that the custody and use thereof is the birth-right and duty of every Christian All which severals being faithfully deduced it will only remain that I add such cautions as will be necessary to the due performance of the aforesaid duty and our being in som degree render'd perfect as this Law of God and the Author thereof himself is perfect Mat. 5.48 SECT II. The divine Original Endearments and Authority of the Holy Scripture MENS judgments are so apt to be biast by their affections that we often find them readier to consider who speaks then what is spoken a temper very unsafe and the principle of great injustice in our inferior transactions with men yet here there are very few of us that can wholly divest our selves of it whereas when we deal with God in whom alone an implicit faith may securely be reposed we are nice and wary bring our scales and mesures will take nothing upon his word which holds not weight in our own balance 'T is true he needs not our partiality to be justified in his sayings Psal 51.4 His words are pure even as the silver tryed seven times in the fire Psal 12.6 able to pass the strictest test that right reason truly so called can put them to Yet it shews a great perverseness in our nature that we who so easily resign our understandings to fallible men stand thus upon our guard against God make him dispute for every inch he gains on us nor will afford him what we daily grant to any credible man to receive an affirmation upon trust of his veracity 2. I am far from contradicting our Saviors Precept of Search the Scriptures Jo. 7. or Saint Pauls of proving all things 1 Thes 5.21 we cannot be too industrious in our inquest after truth provided we still reserve to God the decisive vote and humbly acquiesce in his sense how distant soever from our own so that when we consult Scripture I may add reason either 't is not to resolve us whether God be to be believed or no in what he has said but whether he hath said such and such things for if we are convinc't he have reason as well as religion commands our assent 3. WHATEVER therefore God has said we are to pay it a reverence merely upon the account of its Author over and above what the excellence of the matter exacts and to this we have all inducements as well as obligation there being no motives to render the words of men estimable to us which are not eminently and transcendently appliable to those of God 4. THOSE motives we may reduce to four first the Autority of the Speaker secondly his kindness thirdly his wisdom and fourthly his truth First for that of Autority that may be either native or acquired the native is that of a parent which is such a charm of observance that we see Solomon when he would impress his counsels assumes the person of a Father Hear O my children the instructions of a Father Prov. 4.1 And generally through that whole Book he uses the compellation of my Son as the greatest endearment to engage attention and reverence Nay so indispensible was the obligation of children in this respect that we see the contumacious child that would not hearken to the advice of his Parents was by God himself adjudged to death Deut. 21.20 5. NOR have only Gods but mens Laws exacted that filial reverence to the dictats of Parents But certainly no Parent can pretend such a title to it as God who is not only the immediate Father of our persons but the original Father of our very nature not only of our flesh but of our spirits also Heb. 12.9 So that the Apostles Antithesis in that place is as properly applied to counsels as corrections and we may as rightly infer that if we give reverence to the advices of our earthly Parents much more ought we subject our selves to this Father of our spirits And we have the very same reason wherewith to enforce it for the Fathers of our flesh do as often dictate as correct according to their own plesures prescribe to their children not according to the exact mesures of right and wrong but after that humor which most predominates in themselves But God alwaies directs his admonitions to our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness Heb. 12.11 So that we are as unkind to our selves as irreverent towards him whenever we let any of his words fall to the ground whose claim to this part of our reverence is much more irrefragable then that of our natural Parents 6. BUT besides this native Autority there is also an acquired and that we may distinguish into two sorts the one of dominion the other of reputation To the first kind belongs that of Princes Magistrates Masters or any that have coercive power over us And our own interest teaches us not to
as the slight benefactions of every ordinary friend if it cannot so much recommend him to our regard as to rescue his word from contemt and dispose us to receive impressions from it especially when his very speaking is a new act of his kindness and design'd to our greatest advantage 13. BUT if all he has don and suffer'd for us cannot obtein him so much from us we must surely confess our disingenuity is as superlative as his love For in this instance we have no plea for our selves The discourses of men 't is true may somtime be so weak and irrational that tho kindness may suggest pity it cannot reverence But this can never happen in God whose wisdom is as infinite as his love He talks not at our vain rate who often talk only for talkings sake but his words are directed to the most important ends and addrest in such a manner as befits him in whom are all the tresures of wisdom and knowledg Col. 2. And this is our third consideration the wisdom of the Speaker 14. HOW attractive a thing Wisdom is we may observe in the instance of the Queen of Sheba who came from the utmost parts of the earth as Christ saies Mat. 12.42 to hear the Wisdom of Solomon And the like is noted of the Greek Sages that they were addrest to from all parts by persons of all ranks and qualities to hear their Lectures And indeed the rational nature of man do's by a kind of sympathetic motion close with what ever hath the stamp of reason upon it But alas what is the profoundest wisdom of men compar'd with that of God He is the essential reason and all that man can pretend to is but an emanation from him a ray of his Sun a drop of his Ocean which as he gives so he can also take away He can infatuate the most subtil designers And as he saies of himself makes the diviners mad turns the wise men back and makes their wisdom foolishness Esay 44.25 15. HOW impious a folly is it then in us to Idolize human Wisdom with all its imperfections and despise the divine yet this every man is guilty of who is not attracted to the study of sacred Writ by the supereminent wisdom of its Author For such men must either affirm that God has not such a supereminency or that tho he have in himself he hath not exerted it in this writing The former is down-right blasphemy and truly the later is the same a little varied For that any thing but what is exactly wise can proceed from infinite wisdom is too absurd for any man to imagin And therefore he that charges Gods Word with defect of wisdom must interpretively charge God so too For tho 't is true a wise man may somtimes speak foolishly yet that happens through that mixture of ignorance or passion which is in the most knowing of mortals but in God who is a pure act and essential wisdom that is an impossible supposition 16. NAY indeed it were to tax him of folly beyond what is incident to any sensible man who will still proportion his instruments to the work he designs Should we not conclude him mad that should attemt to fell a mighty Oak with a Pen-knife or stop a Torrent with a wisp of Straw And sure their conceptions are not much more reverend of God who can suppose that a writing design'd by him for such important ends as the making men wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 the cast-down all that exalts it self against the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 should it self be foolish and weak or that he should give it those great attributes of being sharper then a two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing a sunder of soul and spirit of the joints and marrow Heb. 4.14 if its discourses were so flat and insipid as some in this profane Age would represent them 17. 'T IS true indeed 't is not as the Apostle speaks the wisdom of this world 1 Cor. 2.6 The Scripture teaches us not the arts of undermining governments defrauding and circumventing our brethren but it teaches us that which would tend much more even to our temporal felicity and as reason promts us to aspire to happiness so it must acknowledg that is the highest wisdom which teaches us to attain it 18. AND as the Holy Scripture is thus recommended to us by the wisdom of its Author so in the last place is it by his truth without which the other might rather raise our jealousy then our reverence For wisdom without sincerity degenerates into serpentine guile and we rather fear to be ensnar'd then hope to be advantag'd by it The most subtil addresses and most cogent arguments prevail not upon us where we suspect som insidious design But where wisdom and fidelity meet in the same person we do not only attend but confide in his counsels And this qualification is most eminently in God The children of men are deceitfull upon the weights Psal 62.9 Much guile often lurks indiscernibly under the fairest appearances but Gods veracity is as essentially himself as his wisdom and he can no more deceive us then he can be deceiv'd himself He is not man that he should lie Num. 23.19 He designs not as men often do to sport himself with our credulity and raise hopes which he never means to satisfy he saies not to the seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain Ex. 45.19 but all his promises are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 He is perfectly sincere in all the proposals he makes in his Word which is a most rational motive for us to advert to it not only with reverence but love 19. AND now when all these motives are thus combined the authority the kindness the wisdom the veracity of the speaker what can be requir'd more to render his words of weight with us If this four-fold cord will not draw us we have sure the strength not of men but of that Legion we read of in the Gospel Mat. 5.1 For these are so much the cords of a man so adapted to our natures nay to our constant usage in other things that we must put off much of our humanity disclaim the common mesures of mankind if we be not attracted by them For I dare appeal to the breast of any sober industrious man whether in case a person who he were sure had all the fore-mention'd qualifications should recommend to him som rules as infallible for the certain doubling or trebling his estate he would not think them worth the pursuing nay whether he would not plod and study on them till he comprehended the whole Art And shall we then when God in whom all those qualifications are united and that in their utmost transcendencies shall we I say think him below our regard when he proposes the improving our interests not by the scanty proportions of two or three but in such as he intimated to Abraham when he shewed him the Stars as the
consideration and partly because these can be argumentative to none who are not qualified to discern them Let those who doubt the divine Original of Scripture well digest the former grounds which are within the verge of reason and when by those they are brought to read it with due reverence they will not want Arguments from the Scripture it self to confirm their veneration of it 45. IN the mean time to evince how proper the former discourse is to found a rational belief that the Scripture is the word of God I shall compare it with those mesures of credibilty upon which all human transactions move and upon which men trust their greatest concerns without diffidence or dispute 46. THAT we must in many things trust the report of others is so necessary that without it humane society cannot subsist What a multitude of subjects are there in the world who never saw their Prince nor were at the making of any Law if all these should deny their obedience because they have it only by hear-say there is such a man and such Laws what would become of goverment So also for property if nothing of testimony may be admitted how shall any man prove his right to any thing All pleas must be decided by the sword and we shall fall into that state which som have fancied the primitive of universal hostility In like manner for traffic and commerce how should any Merchant first attemt a trade to any foreign part of the world if he did not believe that such a place there was and how could he believe that but upon the credit of those who have bin there Nay indeed how could any man first attemt to go but to the next Market Town if he did not from the report of others conclude that such a one there was so that if this universal diffidence should prevail every man should be a kind of Plantagnus fixt to the soil he first sprung up in The absurdities are indeed so infinite and so obvious that I need not dilate upon them 47. BUT it will perhaps be said that in things that are told us by our contemporaries and that relate to our own time men will be less apt to deceive us because they know 't is in our power to examin and discover the truth To this I might say that in many instances it would scarce quit cost to do so and the inconveniences of trial would exceed those of belief But I shall willingly admit this probable Argument and only desire it may be applied to our main question by considering whether the primitive Christians who receiv'd the Scripture as divine had not the same security of not being deceiv'd who had as great opportunities of examining and the greatest concern of doing it throly since they were to engage not only their future hopes in another world but that which to nature is much more sensible all their present enjoiments and even life it self upon the truth of it 48. BUT because it must be confest that we who are so many Ages remov'd from them have not their means of assurance let us in the next place consider whether an assent to those testimonies they have left behind them be not warranted by the common practice of mankind in other cases Who is there that questions there was such a man as William the Conqueror in this Island or to lay the Scene farther who doubts there was an Alexander a Julius Caesar an Augustus Now what have we to found this confidence on besides the faith of History And I presume even those who exact the severest demonstrations for Ecclesiastic Story would think him a very impertinent Sceptic that should do the like in these So also as to the Authors of Books who disputes whether Homer writ the Iliads or Virgil the Aeneids or Caesar the Commentaries that pass under their names yet none of these have bin attested in any degree like the Scripture 'T is said indeed that Caesar ventured his own life to save his Commentaries imploying one hand to hold that above the water when it should have assisted him in swiming But who ever laid down their lives in attestation of that or any human composure as multitudes of men have don for the Bible 49. BUT perhaps 't will be said that the small concern men have who wrote these or other the like Books inclines them to acquiesce in the common opinion To this I must say that many things inconsiderable to mankind have oft bin very laboriously discust as appears by many unedifying Volumes both of Philosophers and Schole-men But whatever may be said in this instance 't is manifest there are others wherein mens real and greatest interests are intrusted to the testimonies of former Ages For example a man possesses an estate which was bought by his great Grand-father or perhaps elder Progenitor he charily preserves that deed of purchase and never looks for farther security of his title yet alas at the rate that men object against the Bible what numberless Cavils might be rais'd against such a deed How shall it be known that there was such a man as either Seller or Purchaser if by the witnesses they are as liable to doubt as the other it being as easy to forge the Attestation as the main writing and yet notwithstanding all these possible deceits nothing but a positive proof of forgery can invalidate this deed Let but the Scripture have the same mesure be allowed to stand in force to be what it pretends to be till the contrary be not by surmises and possible conjectures but by evident proof evinc'd and its greatest Advocats will ask no more 50. A like instance may be given in public concerns the immunities and rights of any Nation particularly here of our Magna Charta granted many Ages since and deposited among the public Records to make this signify any thing it must be taken for granted that this was without falsification preserved to our times yet how easy were it to suggest that in so long a succession of its keepers som may have bin prevail'd on by the influence of Princes to abridg and curtail its concessions others by a prevailing faction of the people to amplify and extend it Nay if men were as great Sceptics in Law as they are in Divinity they might exact demonstrations that the whole thing were not a forgery Yet for all these possible surmises we still build upon it and should think he argued very fallaciously that should go to evacuate it upon the force of such remote suppositions 51. NOW I desire it may be consider'd whether our security concerning the holy Scripture be not as great nay greater then it can be of this For first this is a concern only of a particular Nation and so can expect no foreign attestation and secondly it has all along rested on the fidelity of its keepers which has either bin a single person or at best som small number at a time whereas the Scriptures
must tacitly tax him of impotence that he could not do it But if any man will say he has and yet reject all this which both Jews and Christians receive as such let him produce his testimonies for the others or rather to retort his own mesure his demonstrations And then let it appear whether his Scheme of doctrin or ours will need the greater aid of that easy credulity he reproches us with 64. I have now gon thro the method I proposed for evincing the Divine Original of the Scriptures and shall not descend to examin those more minute and particular Cavils which profane men make against them the proof of this virtually superseding all those For if it be reasonable to believe it the Word of God it must be reasonable also to believe it of perfection proportionable to the Author and then certainly it must be advanc'd beyond all our objections For to those who except to the stile the incoherence the contradictions or whatever else in Scripture I shall only ask this one question whether it be not much more possible that they who can pretend to be nothing above fallible men may misjudg then that the infallible God should dictate any thing justly liable to those charges I am sure they must depart as much from Reason as Religion to affirm the contrary But alas instead of this implicit submission to Gods Word men take up explicit prejudices against it condemn it without ever examining the truth of the Allegation 'T is certain that in a writing of such Antiquity whose original Language has Idioms and Phrases so peculiar whose Country had customs so differing from the rest of the world 't is impossible to judg of it without reference to all those circumstances Add to this that the Hebrew has bin a dead Language for well nigh two thousand years no where in common use nor is there any other ancient Book now extant in it besides those yet not all neither of the Old Testament 65. Now of those many who defame Holy Writ how few are there that have the industry to inquire into those particulars And when for want of knowledg som passages seem improper or perhaps contradictory the Scripture must bear the blame of their ignorance and be accus'd as absurd and unintelligible because themselves are stupid and negligent It were therefore methinks but a reasonable proposal that no man should araign it till they have used all honest diligence taken in all probable helps for the understanding it and if this might be obtain'd I believe most of its Accusers would like those of the woman in the Gospel Jo. 8.9 drop away as conscious of their own incompetency the loudest out-cries that are made against it being commonly of those who fall upon it only as a fashionable theme of discourse and hope to acquire themselves the reputation of wits by thus charging God foolishly But he that would candidly and uprightly endeavor to comprehend before he judges and to that end industriously use those means which the providence of God by the labors of pious men hath afforded him will certainly find cause to acquit the Scripture of those imputations which our bold Critics have cast upon it I do not say that he shall have all the obscurities of it perfectly clear'd to him but he shall have so many of them as is for his real advantage and shall discern such reasons why the rest remain unfathomable as may make him not only justify but celebrate the wisdom of the Author 66. YET this is to be expected only upon the fore-mention'd condition viz. that he come with sincere and honest intentions for as for him that comes to the Scripture with design and wishes to find matter of cavil and accusations there is little doubt but that spirit of impiety and profaness which sent him thither will meet him there as a spirit of delusion and occecation That Prince of the Air will cast such mists raise such black vapors that as the Apostle speaks the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ shall not shine unto him 2 Cor. 4.5 Indeed were such a man left only to the natural efficacy of prejudice that is of it self so blinding so infatuating a thing as commonly fortifies against all conviction We see it in all the common instances of life mens very senses are often enslav'd by it the prepossession of a strong phancy will make the objects of sight or hearing appear quite different from what they are But in the present case when this shall be added to Satanical illusions and both left to their operations by Gods with-drawing his illuminating grace the case of such a man answers that description of the Scripture They have eies and see not ears have they and hear not Rom. 11.8 And that God will so withdraw his grace we have all reason to believe he having promis'd it only to the meek to those who come with malleable ductile spirits to learn not to deride or cavil Saint Peter tells us that the unlearned and unstable wrest the Scripture to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.15 And if God permit such to do so much more will he the proud and malicious 67. I say not this to deter any from the study of Holy Scripture but only to caution them to bring a due preparation of mind along with them Gods Word being like a generous soveraign medicament which if simply and regularly taken is of the greatest benefit but if mixt with poison serves only to make that more fatally operative To conclude he that would have his doubts solv'd concerning Scripture let him follow the method our blessed Lord has prescrib'd Let him do the will of God and then he shall know of the doctrin whether it be of God Jo. 7.17 Let him bring with him a probity of mind a willingness to assent to all convictions he shall there meet with and then he will find grounds sufficient to assure him that it is Gods Word and consequently to be receiv'd with all the the submission and reverence that its being so exacts SECT III. The subject matter treated of in the Holy Scripture is excellent as is also its end and design WE have hitherto consider'd the holy Scripture only under one notion as it is the Word of God we come now to view it in the subject matter of it the several parts whereof it consists which are so various and comprehensive as shews the whole is deriv'd from him who is all in all 1 Cor. 19.28 But that we may not speak only loosely and at rovers we will take this excellent frame in pieces and consider its most eminent parts distinctly Now the parts of Holy Writ seem to branch themselves into these severals First the Historical secondly the Prophetic thirdly the Doctrinal fourthly the Preceptive fifthly the Minatory sixthly the Promissory These are the several veins in this rich Mine in which he who industriously labors will find the Psalmist was not out in his
are all the beasts of the Forrest and the cattel upon a thousand hills Psal 50.10 49. AND when we are thus secur'd of all things necessary it may perhaps be an equal mercy to secure us from great abundance which at the best is but a lading ones self with thick clay in the Prophets phrase Hab. 2.6 but is often a snare as well as a burden 50. BESIDES the Gospel by its precepts of temperance and self-denial do's so contract our appetites that a competence is a more adequate promise to them then that of superfluity would have bin and 't is also the mesure wherein all the true satisfaction of the senses consist which are gratify'd with moderate plesures but suffocated and overwhelm'd with excessive The temperat man tasts and relishes his portion whilst the voluptuous may rather be said to wallow in his plenty then injoy it 51. AND as the necessaries of life so life it self and the continuance of that is a Scripture promise The fifth Commandment affixes it to one particular duty but it is in a multitude of places in the Old Testament annex'd to general obedience Thus it is Deut. 11.9 and again ver 21. And Solomon proposes this practical wisdom as the multiplier of daies By me thy daies shall be multipli'd and the years of thy life shall be increas'd Pro. 9.11 and chap. 3. Length of daies is in her right hand ver 16. And tho we find not this promise repeted in the New Testament yet neither is it retracted 't is true the Gospel bids us be ready to lay down our lives for Christs sake but it tells us withal that he that will lose his life shall save it which tho it be universally true only in the spiritual sense yet it often proves so in a literal It did so eminently in the destruction of Jerusalem where the most resolute Christians escap'd while the base compliers perish'd together with those they sought to endear This is certain that if the New Testament do not expresly promise long life yet it do's by its rules of temperance and sobriety contentedness and chearfulness very much promote it and so do's virtually and efficaciously ratify those the Old Testament made 52. THE next outward blessing is reputation and this also is a Scripture promise The wise shall inherit glory Prov. 3.38 And the vertuous woman Solomon describes is not only blessed by her children and husband but she is praised in the gate Pro. 31. ult Nay this blessing is extended even beyond life The memory of the just shall be blessed Pro. 10.7 Nor do's the Gospel evacuate this promise but rather promts us to the waies of having it made good to us by advising us to abstain from all appearance of evil 1 Thes 5.22 to provide for honest things not only in the sight of God but also in the sight of men 2 Cor. 8.21 53. 'T IS true indeed Christ fore-warns his Disciples that they shall be revil'd and have all manner of evil spoken against them falsly for his names sake but then the cause transform'd the sufferings and made it so honorable that they were to count it matter of joy Mat. 5.11.12 Neither was this any paradox even in relation to their reputation which tho sullied by a few ill men of that Age yet has bin most illustrious among all Ages since Their sufferings and indignities gave them a new title of honor and added the Martyr to the Apostle And the event has bin proportionable in all successions since Those holy men that fill'd up the Pagan prisons fill'd up the Churches Diptics also and have bin had as the Psalmist speaks in everlasting remembrance Ps 112.6 54. AND as Scripture promises thus take in all the concerns of the outward man so do they also of the inward The fundamental promise of this kind is that of sending Christ into the world and in him establishing the new Covenant which we find Jer. 31.31 and is referr'd to by the Author to the Hebrews I will put my Laws in their hearts and write them in their minds and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Heb. 10.16 55. AND this is so comprehensive a promise as includes all the concerns of the inward man The evils incident to the mind of man may be reduc'd to two impurity and inquietude and here is a cure to both The divine Law written in the heart drives thence all those swarms of noysom lusts which like the Egyptian Frogs over-run and putrify the soul Where that is seated and enshrin'd those can no more stand before it then Dagon before the Ark. This repairs the divine Image in us in which consists the perfection of our nature renews us in the spirits of our minds Eph. 4.22 and purges our consciences from dead works Heb. 9.4 which all the Cathartics and Lustrations among the Heathen all the sacrifices and ceremonies of the Law were not able to do 56. SECONDLY this promise secures the mind from that restlesness and unquietness which attends both the dominion and guilt of sin To be subject to a mans lusts and corrupt appetites is of all others the vilest vassallage they are the cruellest task-masters and allow their slaves no rest no intermission of their drudgery And then again the guilt that tortures and racks the mind with dreadful expectations keeps it in perpetual agitation and tumult which is excellently described by the Prophet Isaiah The wicked is like the troubled sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast out mire and dirt there is no peace saith my God to the wicked Is 48.22 How prosperous soever vice may seem to be in the world yet there are such secret pangs and horrors that dog it that as Solomon saies even in laughter the heart is sorrowful Prov. 14.13 57. BUT this Evangelical promise of being merciful to our iniquities and remembring our sins no more calms this tempest introduces peace and serenity into the mind and reconciles us at once to God and our selves And sure we may well say with the Apostle these are great and precious promises 2. Pet. 1.4 58. THERE are besides many other which spring from these principal as suckers from the root such are the promises of fresh supplies of grace upon a good imploiment of the former To him that hath shall be given Mat. 25.29 Nay even of the source and fountain of all grace He shall give the holy spirit to them that ask him Mat. 7.11 Such is that of supporting us in all difficulties and assaults the not suffering us to be temted above that we are able 1 Cor. 10.13 which like Gods bow set in the clouds Gen. 9. is our security that we shall not be over-whelm'd by any deluge of temtation and to instance no more such is that comprehensive promise of hearing our praiers Ask and it shall be given you Mat. 7.7 This puts all good things within our reach gives us the key of Gods Store-house from whence we may furnish
armor of God which we find describ'd Eph. 6.13 Nay further it excites our courage by assuring us that if we will not basely surrender our selves we can never be overpower'd if we do but stand our ground resist our enemy he will fly from us Ja. 4.7 And to that purpose it directs us under what banner we are to list our selves even his who hath spoil'd principalities and powers Col. 2.15 to whose conduct and discipline if we constantly adhere we cannot miss of victory 85. AND then lastly it sets before us the prize of this conquest that we shall not only recover our liberty manumit our selves from the vilest bondage to the vilest and cruellest oppressors but we shall be crown'd for it too be rewarded for being kind to our selves and be made happy eternally hereafter for being willing to be happy here 85. AND sure these are terms so apparently advantageous that he must be infinitly stupid foolish to destruction that will not be thus made wise unto salvation that despises or cavils at this divine Book which means him so much good which designs to make him live here generously and according to the dignity of his nature and in the next world to have that nature sublimated and exalted made more capacious of those refin'd and immense felicities which there await all who will qualify themselves for them who as the Apostle speaks by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality eternal life Rom. 2.7 87. BUT besides the greatest and principal advantages which concern our spiritual interest it takes in also the care of our secular directs us to such a managery of our selves as is naturally apt to promote a quiet and happy life It s injunction to live peaceable with all men keeps us out of the way of many misadventures which turbulent unruly spirits meet with and so secures our peace So also as to wealth it puts us into the fairest road to riches by prescribing diligence in our callings what is thus got being like sound flesh which will stick by us whereas the hasty growth of ill-gotten wealth is but a tumor and impostume which the bigger it swells the sooner it bursts and leaves us lanker then before In like manner it shews us also how to guard our reputation by providing honest things not only in the sight of God but also in the sight of men Cor. 8.28 by abstaining even from all appearance of evil 1 Thes 5.22 and making our light shine before men Mat. 5.16 It provides too for our ease and tranquillity supersedes our anxious cares and sollicitud's by directing us to cast our burden upon the Lord Psal 55.22 and by a reliance on his providence how to secure to our selves all we really want Finally it fixes us in all the changes supports us under all the pressures comforts us amidst all the calamities of this life by assuring us they shall all work together for good to those that love God Ro. 8.28 88. NOR do's the Scripture design to promote our interests consider'd only singly and personally but also in relation to Societies and Communities it gives us the best rules of distributive and commutative Justice teaches us to render to all their dues Ro. 13.7 to keep our words to observe inviolably all our pacts and contracts nay tho they prove to our damage Psa 15.4 and to preserve exact fidelity and truth which are the sinews of human commerce It infuses into us noble and generous principles to prefer a common good before our private and that highest flight of Ethnic vertue that of dying for ones Country is no more then the Scripture prescribes even for our common brethren 1 Jo. 3.16 89. BUT besides these generals it descends to more minute directions accommodated to our several circumstances it gives us appropriate rules in reference to our distinct relations whether natural civil ecclesiastical or oeconomical And if men would but universally conform to them to what a blessed harmony would it tune the world what order and peace would it introduce There would then be no oppressive Governors nor mutinous Subjects no unnatural Parents nor contumacious Children no idle Shepherds or straying Flocks none of those domestic jars which oft disquiet and somtimes subvert families all would be calm and serene and give us in reality that golden Age whereof the Poets did but dream 90. THIS tendency of the Scripture is remarkably acknowledg'd in all our public Judicatories where before any testimony is admitted we cause the person that is to give his testimony first to lay hold of with his hands then with his mouth to kiss the holy Scriptures as if it were impossible for those hands which held the mysteries of Truth to be immediatly emploi'd in working falsehood or that those lips which had ador'd those holy Oracles should be polluted with perjuries and lies And I fear the civil Government is exceedingly shaken at this day in its firmest foundation by the little regard is generally had of the holy Scriptures and what is consequent thereto the oaths that are taken upon them 91. T IS true we are far remov'd from that state which Esaiah prophecied of under the Gospel tho we have the Bible among us that when the Law should go forth of Sion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem they should beat their swords into plow-shares and their spears into pruning hooks Es 2.4 but that is not from any defect in it but from our own perversness we have it but as the Apostle speaks in another sense as if we had it not 1 Cor. 7.29 We have it that is use it to purposes widely different from what it means Som have it as a Supersedeas to all the duty it injoins and so they can but cap texts talk glibly of Scripture are not all concern'd to practice it som have it as their Arsenal to furnish them with weapons not against their spiritual enemies but their secular applying all the damnatory sentences they there find to all those to whose persons or opinions they have prejudice And som have it as a Scene of their mirth a topic of raillery dress their profane and scurrilous jests in its language and study it for no other end but to abuse it And whilst we treat it at this vile rate no wonder we are never the better for it For alas what will it avail us to have the most soveraign Balsom in our possession if instead of applying it to our wounds we trample it under our feet 92. BUT tho we may frustrate the use we cannot alter the nature of things Gods design in giving us the Scripture was to make us as happy as our nature is capable of being and the Scripture is excellently adapted to this end for as to our eternal felicity all that believe there is any such state must acknowledg the Scripture chalks us out the ready way to it not only because 't is dictated by God who infallibly
knows it but also by its prescribing those things which are in themselves best and which a sober Heathen would adjudg fittest to be rewarded And as to our temporal happiness I dare appeal to any unprejudic'd man whether any thing can contribute more to the peace and real happiness of mankind then the universal practice of the Scripture rules would do Would God we would all conspire to make the experiment and then doubtless not only our reason but our sense too would be convinc'd of it 93. AND as the design is thus beneficial so in the second place is it as extensive also Time was when the Jews had the inclosure of divine Revelation when the Oracles of God were their peculiar depositum and the Heathen had not the knowledg of his Laws Ps 147. ult but since that by the goodness of God the Gentiles are become fellow-heirs Eph. 3.6 he hath also deliver'd into their hands the deeds and evidences of their future state given them the holy Scriptures as the exact and authentic registers of the covenant between God and man and these not to be like the heathen Oracles appropriated to som one or two particular places so that they cannot be consulted but at the expence of a pilgrimage but laid open to the view of all that will believe themselves concern'd 94. IT was a large commission our Savior gave his Disciples go preach the Gospel to every creature Mar. 16.15 which in the narrowest acception must be the Gentile world and yet their oral Gospel did not reach farther then the written for wherever the Christian Faith was planted the holy Scriptures were left as the records of it nay as the conservers of it too the standing rule by which all corruptions were to be detected 'T is true the entire Canon of the New Testament as we now have it was not all at once deliver'd to the Church the Gospels and Epistles being successively writ as the needs of Christians and the encroachments of Heretics gave occasion but at last they became all together the common magazine of the Church to furnish arms both defensive and offensive For as the Gospel puts in our hands the shield of Faith so the Epistles help us to hold it that it may not be wrested out of our hands again either by the force of persecution or the sly insinuations of vice or heresy 95. THUS the Apostles like prudent leaders have beat up the Ambushes discover'd the snares that were laid for us and by discomfiting Satans forlorn hope that earliest Set of false teachers and corrupt practices which then invaded the Church have laid a foundation of victory to the succeeding Ages if they will but keep close to their conduct adhere to those sacred Writings they have left behind them in every Church for that purpose 96. NOW what was there deposited was design'd for the benefit of every particular member of that Church The Bible was not committed like the Regalia or rarities of a Nation to be kept under lock and key and consequently to constitute a profitable office for the keepers but expos'd like the Brazen Serpent for universal view and benefit that sacred Book like the common air being every mans propriety yet no mans inclosure yet there are a generation of men whose eies have bin evil because Gods have bin good who have seal'd up this spring monopoliz'd the word of Life and will allow none to partake of it but such persons and in such proportions as they please to retail it an attemt very insolent in respect of God whose purpose they contradict and very injurious in respect of man whose advantage they obstruct The iniquity of it will be very apparant if we consider what is offer'd in the following Section SECT IV. The Custody of the holy Scripture is a privilege and right of the Christian Church and every member of it which cannot without impiety to God and injustice unto it and them be taken away or empeacht BESIDES the keeping of the divine Law which is obsequious and imports a due regard to all its Precepts commonly exprest in Scripture by keeping the commandments hearkning to and obeying the voice of the Lord walking in his waies and observing and doing his statutes and his judgments there is a possessory keeping it in reference to our selves and others in respect whereof Almighty God Deut. 6. and elsewhere frequently having enjoin'd the people of Israel to love the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their might and that the words which he commanded them should be in their heart he adds that they shall teach them diligently to their children and shall talk of them when they sit down in their houses and when they walk by the way and when they lie down and when they rise up and that they bind them for a sign upon their hand and that they shall be as frontlets between their eies and that they shall write them upon the posts of their house and on their gates So justly was the Law call'd the Scripture being written by them and worn upon the several parts of the body inscrib'd upon the walls of their houses the entrance of their dores and gates of their Cities and in a word placed before their eies wherever they convers'd 2. AND this was granted to the Jews as matter of privilege and favor To them saies Saint Paul Rom. 9.4 pertaineth the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law And the same Saint Paul at the 3. chap. 2. v. of that Epistle unto the question what advantage hath the Jew or what profit is there of circumcision answers that it is much every way chiefly because unto them were committed the Oracles of God This depositum or trust was granted to the Fathers that it should be continued down unto their children He made a covenant saies David Ps 78. v. 5. with Jacob and gave Israel a Law which he commanded our Fore-fathers to teach their children that their posterity might know it and the children which were yet unborn to the intent that when they came up they might shew their children the same Which Scripture by a perpetual succession was to be handed down unto the Christian Church the Apostles on all occasions appealing unto them as being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day Act. 13.27 and also privatly in their hands so that they might at plesure search into them Jo. 5.39 Act. 17.11 Hereupon the Jews are by Saint Austin call'd the Capsarii or servants that carried the Christians books And Athanasius in his Tract of the Incarnation saies The Law was not for the Jews only nor were the Prophets sent for them alone but that Nation was the Divinity-Schole of the whole world from whence they were to fetch the knowledg of God and the way of spiritual living which amounts to what the Apostle saies Galat. 3.24 That the Law was a Schole-master to bring us unto
describing the offices in the public Assemblies We feed our faith with the sacred Words we raise our hopes and establish our reliance 15. AND as the Jews thought it indecent for persons professing piety to let three daies pass without the offices thereof in the congregation and therefore met in their Synagogues upon every Tuesday and Thursday in the week and there perform'd the duties of fasting praier and hearing the holy Scriptures concerning which is the boast of the Pharisee Luk. 18.12 in conformity hereto the Christians also their Sabbath being brought forward from the Saturday to the day following that the like number of daies might not pass them without performing the aforesaid duties in the congregation met together on the Wednesdaies and Fridaies which were the daies of Station so frequently mention'd in Tertullian and others the first writers of the Church Tertullian expresly saies that the Christians dedicated to the offices of Piety the fourth and sixth day of the week and Clemens Alex. saies of the Christians that they understood the secret reasons of their weekly fasts to wit those of the fourth day of the week and that of preparation before the Sabbath commonly call'd Wednesday and Friday Where by the way we may take notice what ground there is for the observation of the Wednesday and Friday in our Church and the Litanies then appointed so much neglected in this profligate Age. 16. BUT secondly as the Jews were diligent in the privat reading of the Scripture being taught it from their infancy which custom Saint Paul refers to 1 Tim. 3.15 whereof Josephus against Appion saies That if a man ask any Jew concerning the Laws he will tell every thing readier then his name for learning them from the first time they have sense of any thing they retain them imprinted in their minds So were the first Christians equally industrious in improving their knowledg of divine Truth The whole life of a Christian saies Clem. Alex. Strom. l. 7. is a holy solemnity there his sacrifices are praiers and praises before every meal he has the readings of the holy Scriptures and Psalms and Hymns at the time of his meals Which Tertullian also describes in his Apol. and Saint Cyprian in the end of the Epist to Donatus 17. AND this is farther evidenc'd by the early and numerous versions of the Scriptures into all vulgar Languages concerning which Theodoret speaks in his Book of the Cure of the Affections of the Greeks Serm. 5. We Christians saies he are enabled to shew the power of Apostolic and prophetic doctrins which have fill'd all Countries under Heaven For that which was formerly utter'd in Hebrew is not only translated into the Language of the Grecians but also the Romans Egyptians Persians Indians Armenians Scythians Samaritans and in a word to all the Languages that are us'd by any Nation The same is said by Saint Chrysostom in his first Homily upon Saint Iohn 18. NOR was this don by the blind zeal of inconsiderable men but the most eminent Doctors of the Church were concern'd herein such as Origen who with infinit labor contriv'd the Hexapla Saint Chrysostom who translated the New Testament Psalms and som part of the Old Testament into the Armenian Tongue as witnesses Geor. Alex. in the life of Chrysost So Vlphilas the first Bishop of the Goths translated the holy Scripture into the Gothic as Socrat. Eccl. Hist l. 4. cap. 33. and others testify Saint Jerom who translated them not only into Latin from the Hebrew the Old Italic version having bin from the Greek but also into his native vulgar Dalmatic which he saies himself in his Epistle to Sophronius 19. BUT the peoples having them for their privat and constant use appears farther by the Heathens making the extorting of them a part of their persecution and when diverse did faint in that trial and basely surrender'd them we find the Church level'd her severity only against the offending persons did not according to the Romish equity punish the innocent by depriving them of that sacred Book because the others had so unworthily prostituted it tho the prevention of such a profanation for the future had bin as fair a plea for it as the Romanists do now make but on the contrary the primitive Fathers are frequent nay indeed importunat in their exhortations to the privat study of holy Scripture which they recommend to Christians of all Ranks Ages and Sexes 20. AS an instance hereof let us hear Clemens of Alex. in his Exhort The Word saies he is not hid from any it is a common light that shineth to all men there is no obscurity in it hear it you that be far off and hear it you that are nigh 21. TO this purpose St. Jerom speaks in his Epistle to Leta whom he directs in the education of her young daughter and advises that instead of gems and silk she be enamour'd with the holy Scripture wherein not gold or skins or Babylonian embroideries but a correct and beautiful variety producing faith will recommend its self Let her first learn the Psalter and be entertain'd with those songs then be instructed unto life by the Proverbs of Solomon let her learn from Ecclesiastes to despise worldly things transcribe from Job the practice of patience and vertue let her pass then to the Gospels and never let them be out of her hands and then imbibe with all the faculties of the mind the Acts of the Apostles and Epistles When she has enrich'd the store-house of her breast with these tresures let her learn the Prophets the Heptateuch or books of Moses Joshua and Judges the books of Kings and Chronicles the volumes of Ezra and Esther and lastly the Canticles And indeed this Father is so concern'd to have the unletter'd female sex skilful in the Scriptures that tho he sharply rebukes their pride and over-wening he not only frequently resolves their doubts concerning difficult places in the said Scriptures but dedicates several of his Commentaries to them 22. THE same is to be said of Saint Austin who in his Epistles to unletter'd Laics encourages their enquiries concerning the Scripture assuring Volusianus Ep. 3. that it speaks those things that are plain to the heart of the learned and unlearned as a familiar friend in the mysterious mounts not up into high phrases which might deter a slow and unlearned mind as the poor are in their addresses to the rich but invites all with lowly speech feeding with manifest truth and exercising with secret And Ep. 1.21 tells the devout Proba that in this world where we are absent from the Lord and walk by faith and not by sight the soul is to think it self desolate and never cease from praier and the words of divine and holy Scripture c. 23. SAINT Chrysostom in his third Homily of Lazarus thus addresses himself to married persons house-holders and people engag'd in trades and secular professions telling them that the reading of the Scripture is a
advantage God closes with them upon their own terms and do's not so much injoin as buy those little services he asks from us 3. BUT because som mens natures are so disingenuous as to hate to be oblig'd no less then to be reform'd the Scripture has goads and scourges to drive such beasts as will not be led terrors and threatnings and those of most formidable sorts to affright those who will not be allur'd Nay lest incredulous men should question the reality of future rewards or punishments the Scripture gives as sensible evidence of them as we are capable of receiving in this world by registring such signal protections and judgments proportion'd to vertue and vice as sufficiently attests the Psalmists Axiom Doubtless there is a God that judgeth the earth Psal 58.11 and leaves nothing to the impenitent sinner but a fearful expectation of that fiery indignation threatned hereafter Heb. 10.27 4. AND now methinks the Scripture seems to be that net our Savior speaks of that caught of every sort Mat. 13.47 it is of so vast a compass that it must one would think fetch in all kind of tempers and sure had we not mixt natures with fiends contracted som of their malice and obstinacy mere human pravity could not hold out 5. AND as the holy Scripture is thus fitly proportion'd to its end in respect of the subject matter so is it also in reference to its circumstances which all conspire to render it the power of God unto salvation Ro. 1.16 In the first rank of those we must place its divine original which stamps it with an uncontroulable autority and is an infallible security that the matter of it is perfectly true since it proceeds from that essential verity which cannot abuse us with fraudulent promises or threatnings and from that infinite power that cannot be impeded in the execution of what he purposes 6. YET to render this circumstance efficacious there needs another to wit that its being the word of God be sufficiently testifi'd to us and we have in the fore-going discourse evinced it to be so and that in the utmost degree that a matter of that kind is capable of beyond which no sober man will require evidence in any thing And certainly these two circumstances thus united have a mighty force to impress the dictats of Scripture on us And we must rebel against God and our own convictions too to hold out against it 7. A third circumstance relates to the frame and composure of this divine Book both as to method and stile concerning which I have already made som reflexions But now that I may speak more distinctly I observe it takes its rise from the first point of time wherein 't was possible for mankind to be concern'd and so gradually proceeds to its fall and renovation shews us first our need of a Redeemer and then points us out who it is by types and promises in the Old Testament and by way of history and completion in the New In the former it acquaints us with that pedagogy of the Law which God design'd as our Schole-master to bring us to Christ Gal. 3.25 and in the Gospel shews us yet a more excellent way presents us with those more sublime elevated doctrins which Christ came down from heaven to revele 8. AS for the stile that is full of grateful variety somtimes high and majestic as becomes that high and holy one that inhabiteth eternity Esai 57.15 and somtimes so humble and after the manner of men as agrees to the other part of his Character his dwelling is with him that is of an humble spirit Esay 57.15 I know profane wits are apt to brand this as an unevenness of stile but they may as well accuse the various notes of Music as destructive to harmony or blame an Orator for being able to tune his tongue to the most different strains 9. ANOTHER excellency of the stile is its propriety to the several subjects it treats of When it speaks of such things as God would not have men pry into it wraps them up in clouds and thick darkness by that means to deter inquisitive man as he did at Sinai from breaking into the mount Ex. 20. And that he gives any intimation at all of such seems design'd only to give us a just estimate how shallow our comprehensions are and excite us to adore and admire that Abyss of divine Wisdom which we can never fathom 10. THINGS of a middle nature which may be useful to som but are indispensibly necessary to all the Scripture leaves more accessible yet not so obvious as to be within every mans reach but makes them only the prize of industry praier and humble endevors And it is no small benefit that those who covet the knowledg of divine Truth are by it engag'd to take these vertues in the way Besides there is so much time requir'd to that study as renders it inconsistent with those secular businesses wherein the generality of men are immerst and consequently 't is necessary that those who addict themselves to the one have competent vacancy from the other And in this it hath a visible use by being very contributive to the maintaining that spiritual subordination of the people of the Pastors which God has establish'd Miriam and Corahs Partisans are a pregnant instance how much the opinion of equal knowledg unfits for subjection and we see by sad experience how much the bare pretence of it has disturb'd the Church and made those turn preachers who never were understanding hearers 11. BUT besides these more abstruse there are easier truths in which every man is concern'd the explicit knowledg whereof is necessary to all I mean the divine Rules for saving Faith and Manners And in those the Scripture stile is as plain as is possible condescends to the apprehensions of the rudest capacities so that none that can read the Scripture but will there find the way to bliss evidently chalk'd out to him That I may use the words of Saint Gregory the Lamb may wade in those waters of life as well as the Elephant may swim The Holy Ghost as St. Austin tells us lib. 2. of Christian doctrin cap. 6. has made in the plainer places of Scripture magnificent and healthful provision for our hunger and in the obscure against satiety For there are scarce any things drawn from obscure places which in others are not spoken most plainly And he farther adds that if any thing happen to be no where explain'd every man may there abound in his own sense 12. SO again in the same Book cap. 9. he saies that all those things which concern Faith and Manners are plainly to be met with in the Scripture and Saint Jerom in his Comment on Es 19. tells us that 't is the custom of the Scripture to close obscure sayings with those that are easy and what was first exprest darkly to propose in evident words which very thing is said likewise by Saint Chrysostom Hom.
9. 2 Cor. 4.11 who in his first homily on Saint Mat. farther declares that the Scriptures are easy to be understood and expos'd to vulgar capacities 13. He saies again Hom upon Esay that th Scriptures are not mettals that require the help of Miners but afford a tresure easily to be bad to them that seek the riches contain'd in them It is enough only to stoop down and look upon them and depart replenish'd with wealth it is enough only to open them and behold the splendor of those Gems Again Hom. 3. on the second Ep. to the Thess 2. All things are evident and strait which are in the holy Scripture whatever is necessary is manifest So also Hom. 3. on Gen. 14. It cannot be that he who is studious in the holy Scripture should be rejected for tho the instruction of men be wanting the Lord from above will inlighten our minds shine in upon our reason revele what is secret and teach what we do not know So Hom. 1. on Jo. 11. Almighty God involves his doctrin with no mists and darkness as did the Philosophers his doctrin is brighter then the Sun-beams and more illustrious and therefore every where diffus'd and Hom. 6. on Jo. 11. His doctrin is so facile that not only the wise but even women and youths must comprehend it Hom. 13. on Gen. 2. Let us go to the Scripture as our Mark which is its own interpreter And soon after saies that the Scripture interprets it self and suffers not its Auditor to err To the same purpose saies Cyril in his third Book against Julian In the Scripture nothing is difficult to them who are conversant in them as they ought to be 14. It is therefore a groundless cavil which men make at the obscurity of the Scripture since it is not obscure in those things wherein 't is our common interest it should be plain which sufficiently justifies its propriety to that great end of making us wise unto salvation And for those things which seem less intelligible to us many of them become so not by the innate obscurity of the Text but by extrinsic circumstances of which perhaps the over-busy tampering of Paraphrasts pleased with new notions of their own may be reckon'd for one But this subject the Reader may find so well pursued in Mr. Boyls Tract concerning the stile of Scripture that I shall be kindest both to him and it to refer him thither as also for answer to those other querulous objections which men galled with the sense of the Scripture have made to its stile 15. A third circumstance in which the Scripture is fitted to attain its end is its being committed to writing as that is distinguish'd from oral delivery It is most true the word of God is of equal autority and efficacy which way soever it be deliver'd The Sermons of the Apostles were every jot as divine and powerful out of their mouths as they are now in their story All the advantage therefore that the written Word can pretend to is in order to its perpetuity as it is a securer way of derivation to posterity then that of oral Tradition To evince that it is so I shall first weigh the rational probabilities on either side Secondly I shall consider to which God himself appears in Scripture to give the deference 16. FOR the first of these I shall propose this consideration which I had occasion to intimate before that the Bible being writ for the universal use of the faithful 't was as universally disperst amongst them The Jews had the Law not only in their Synagogues but in their privat houses and as soon as the Evangelical Books were writ they were scatter'd into all places where the Christian Faith had obtain'd Now when there was such a vast multitude of copies and those so revered by the possessors that they thought it the highest pitch of sacrilege to expose them it must surely be next to impossible entirely to suppress that Book Besides it could never be attemted but by som eminent violence as it was by the heathen Persecutors which according to the common effect of opposition serv'd to enhance the Christians value of the Bible and consequently when the storm was past to excite their diligence for recruiting the number So that unless in after Ages all the Christians in the world should at once make a voluntary defection and conspire to eradicate their Religion the Scriptures could not be utterly extinguish'd 17. AND that which secures it from total suppression do's in a great degree do so from corruption and falsification For whilest so many genuine copies are extant in all parts of the world to be appeal'd to it would be a very difficult matter to impose a spurious one especially if the change were so material as to awaken mens jealousies And it must be only in a place and age of gross ignorance that any can be daring enough to attemt it And if it should happen to succeed in such a particular Church yet what is that to the universal And to think to have the forgery admitted there is as a learned man saies like attemting to poison the sea 18. ON the other side oral Tradition seems much more liable to hazards error may there insinuate it self much more insensibly And tho there be no universal conspiracy to admit it at first yet like a small eruption of waters it widens its own passage till it cause an inundation There is no impression so deep but time and intervening accidents may wear out of mens minds especially where the notions are many and are founded not in nature but positive institution as a great part of Christian Religion is And when we consider the various tempers of men 't will not be strange that succeeding Ages will not alwaies be determin'd by the Traditions of the former Som are pragmatic and think themselves fitter to prescribe to the belief of their posterity then to follow that of their Ancestors som have interests and designs which will be better serv'd by new Tenets and som are ignorant and mistaking and may unawares corrupt the doctrin they should barely deliver and of this last sort we may guess there may be many since it falls commonly to the mothers lot to imbue children with the first rudiments 19. NOW in all these cases how possible is it that primitive Tradition may be either lost or adulterated and consequently and in proportion to that possibility our confidence of it must be stagger'd I am sure according to the common estimate in seculars it must be so For I appeal to any man whether he be not apter to credit a relation which comes from an eie-witness then at the third or fourth much more at the hundredth rebound as in this case And daily experience tells us that a true and probable story by passing thro many hands often grows to an improbable lie This man thinks he could add one becoming circumstance that man another and whilst most
men take the liberty to do so the relation grows as monstrous as such a heap of incoherent phancies can make it 20. IF to this it be said that this happens only in trivial secular matters but that in the weighty concern of Religion mankind is certainly more serious and sincere I answer that 't is very improbable that they are since 't is obvious in the common practice of the world that the interests of Religion are postpon'd to every little worldly concern And therefore when a temporal advantage requires the bending and warping of Religion there will never be wanting som that will attemt it 21. BESIDES there is still left in human nature so much of the venom of the Serpents first temtation that tho men cannot be as God yet they love to be prescribing to him and to be their own Assessors as to that worship and homage they are to pay him 22. BUT above all 't is considerable that in this case Sathan has a more peculiar concern and can serve himself more by a falsification here then in temporal affairs For if he can but corrupt Religion it ceases to be his enemy and becomes one of his most useful engins as sufficiently appear'd in the rites of the heathen worship We have therefore no cause to think this an exemt case but to presume it may be influenc'd by the same pravity of human nature which prevailes in others and consequently are oblig'd to bless God that he has not left our spiritual concerns to such hazards but has lodg'd them in a more secure repository the written Word 23. BUT I fore-see 't will be objected that whilst I thus disparage Tradition I do vertually invalidate the Scripture it self which comes to us upon its credit To this I answer first that since God has with-drawn immediate revelation from the world Tradition is the only means to convey to us the first notice that this Book is the word of God and it being the only means he affords we have all reason to depend on his goodness that he will not suffer that to be evacuated to us and that how liable soever Tradition may be to err yet that it shall not actually err in this particular 24. BUT in the second place This Tradition seems not so liable to falsification as others It is so very short and simple a proposition such and such writings are the word of God that there is no great room for Sophistry or mistake to pervert the sense the only possible deception must be to change the subject and obtrude supposititious writings in room of the true under the title of the word of God But this has already appear'd to be unpracticable because of the multitude of copies which were disperst in the world by which such an attemt would soon have bin detected There appears more reason as well as more necessity to rely upon Tradition in this then in most other particulars 25. NEITHER yet do I so farr decry oral Tradition in any as to conclude it impossible it should derive any truth to posterity I only look on it as more casual and consequently a less fit conveiance of the most important and necessary verities then the writen Word In which I conceive my self justifi'd by the common sense of mankind who use to commit those things to writing which they are most solicitous to derive to posterity Do's any Nation trust their fundamental Laws only to the memory of the present Age and take no other course to transmit them to the future do's any man purchase an estate and leave no way for his children to lay claim to it but the Tradition the present witnesses shall leave of it Nay do's any considering man ordinarily make any important pact or bargain tho without relation to posterity without putting the Articles in writing And whence is all this caution but from a universal consent that writing is the surest way of transmitting 26. BUT we have yet a higher appeal in this matter then to the suffrage of men God himself seems to have determin'd it And what his decision is 't is our next business to inquire 27. AND first he has given the most real and comprehensive attestation to this way of writing by having himself chose it For he is too wise to be mistaken in his estimate of better and worse and too kind to chuse the worst for us and yet he has chosen to communicate himself to the latter Ages of the world by writing and has summ'd up all the Eternal concerns of mankind in the sacred Scriptures and left those sacred Records by which we are to be both inform'd and govern'd which if oral Tradition would infallibly have don had bin utterly needless and God sure is not so prodigal of his spirit as to inspire the Autors of Scripture to write that whose use was superseded by a former more certain expedient 28. NAY under the Mosaic oeconomy when he made use of other waies of reveling himself yet to perpetuate the memory even of those Revelations he chose to have them written At the delivery of the Law God spake then viva voce and with that pomp of dreadful solemnity as certainly was apt to make the deepest impressions yet God fore-saw that thro every succeeding Age that stamp would grow more dim and in a long revolution might at last be extinct And therefore how warm soever the Israelites apprehensions then were he would not trust to them for the perpetuating his Law but committed it to writing Ex. 31.18 nay wrote it twice himself 29. YET farther even the ceremonial Law tho not intended to be of perpetual obligation was not yet referr'd to the traditionary way but was wrote by Moses and deposited with the Priests Deut. 31.9 And after-event shew'd this was no needless caution For when under Manasses Idolatry had prevail'd in Jerusalem it was not by any dormant Tradition but by the Book of the Law found in the Temple that Josiah was both excited to reform Religion and instructed how to do it 2. Kings 22.10 And had not that or som other copy bin produc'd they had bin much in the dark as to the particulars of their reformation which that they had not bin convei'd by Tradition appears by the sudden startling of the King upon the reading of the Law which could not have bin had he bin before possest with the contents of it In like manner we find in Nehemiah that the observation of the Feast of Tabernacles was recover'd by consulting the Law the Tradition whereof was wholly worn out or else it had sure bin impossible that it could for so long a time have bin intermitted Neh. 8.18 And yet mens memories are commonly more retentive of an external visible rite then they are of speculative Propositions or moral Precepts 30. THESE instances shew how fallible an expedient mere oral Tradition is for transmission to posterity But admit no such instance could be given 't is argument enough that
is produc'd the mind both of speaker and hearer is confirm'd And Hom. 4. on Lazar Tho one should rise from the dead or an Angel come down from heaven we must believe the Scripture they being fram'd by the Lord of Angels and the quick and dead And Hom. 13. 2 Cor. 7. Is it not an absurd thing that when we deal with men about mony we will trust no body but cast up the sum and make use of our counters but in religious affairs suffer our selves to be led aside by other mens opinions even then when we have by an exact scale and touchstone the dictat of the divine Law Therefore I pray and exhort you that giving no heed to what this or that man saies you would consult the holy Scripture and thence learn the divine riches and pursue what you have learnt And Hom. 58. on Jo. 10.1 'T is the mark of a thief that he comes not in by the dore but another way now by the dore the testimony of the Scripture is signified And Hom. on Gal. 1.8 The Apostle saies not if any man teach a contrary doctrin let him be accurs'd or if he subvert the whole Gospel but if he teach any thing beside the Gospel which you have receiv'd or vary any little thing let him be accurs'd 20. CYRIL of Alex. against Jul. l. 7. saies The holy Scripture is sufficient to make them who are instructed in it wise unto salvation and endued with most ample knowledg 21. THEODORET Dial. 1. I am perswaded only by the holy Scripture And Dial. 2. I am not so bold to affirm any thing not spoken of in the Scripture And again qu. 45. upon Genes We ought not to enquire after what is past over in silence but acquiesce in what is written 22. IT were easy to enlarge this discourse into a Volume but having taken as they offer'd themselves the suffrages of the writers of the four first Centuries I shall not proceed to those that follow If the holy Scripture were a perfect rule of Faith and Manners to all Christians heretofore we may reasonably assure our selves it is so still and will now guide us into all necessary truth and consequently make us wise unto salvation without the aid of oral Tradition or the new mintage of a living infallible Judg of controversy And the impartial Reader will be enabled to judg whether our appeal to the holy Scripture in all occasions of controversy and recommendation of it to the study of every Christian be that heresy and innovation which it is said to be 23. IT is we know severely imputed to the Scribes and Pharisees by our Savior that they took from the people the key of knowledg Luk. 11.52 and had made the word of God of none effect by their Traditions Mat. 15.6 but they never attemted what has bin since practiced by their Successors in the Western Church to take away the Ark of the Testament it self and cut off not only the efficacy but very possession of the word of God by their Traditions Surely this had bin exceeding criminal from any hand but that the Bishops and Governors of the Church and the universal and infallible Pastor of it who claim the office to interpret the Scriptures exhort unto and assist in the knowledg of them should be the men who thus rob the people of them carries with it the highest aggravations both of cruelty and breach of trust If any man shall take away from the words of the Book of this prophecy saies Saint John Revel 22.19 God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this Book What vengeance therefore awaits those who have taken away not only from one Book but at once the Books themselves even all the Scriptures the whole word of God SECT VII Historical reflexions upon the events which have happen'd in the Church since the with-drawing of the holy Scripture T WILL in this place be no useless contemplation to observe after the Scriptures had bin ravisht from the people in the Church of Rome what pitiful pretenders were admitted to succeed And first because Lay-men were presum'd to be illiterate and easily seducible by those writings which were in themselves difficult and would be wrested by the unlearned to their own destruction pictures were recommended in their steed and complemented as the Books of the Laity which soon emprov'd into a necessity of their worship and that gross superstition which renders Christianity abominated by Turks and Jews and Heathens unto this day 2. I would not be hasty in charging Idolatry upon the Church of Rome or all in her communion but that their Image-worship is a most fatal snare in which vast numbers of unhappy souls are taken no man can doubt who hath with any regard travail'd in Popish Countries I my self and thousands of others whom the late troubles or other occasions sent abroad are and have bin witnesses thereof Charity 't is true believes all things but it do's not oblige men to disbelieve their eies 'T was the out-cry of Micah against the Danites Jud. 18.24 ye have taken away my Gods which I have made and the Priest and are gon away and what have I more but the Laity of the Roman communion may enlarge the complaint and say you have taken away the oracles of our God and set up every where among us graven and molten Images and Teraphims and what have we more and 't was lately the loud and I doubt me is still the unanswerable complaint of the poor Americans that they were deni'd to worship their Pagod once in the year when they who forbad them worship'd theirs every day 3. THE Jews before the captivity notwithstanding the recent memory of the Miracles in Egypt and the Wilderness and the first conquest of the Land of Canaan with those that succeeded under the Judges and kings of Israel and Iuda as also the express command of God and the menaces of Prophets ever and anon fell to downright Idolatry but after their return unto this day have kept themselves from falling into that sin tho they had no Prophets to instruct them no miracles or government to encourage or constrain them The reason of which a very learned man in his discourse of religious Assemblies takes to be the reading and teaching of the Law in their Synagogues which was perform'd with great exactness after the return from the captivity but was not so perform'd before And may we not invert the observation and impute the Image-worship now set up in the Christian Church to the forbidding the reading of the Scriptures in the Churches and interdicting the privat use and institution in them 4. FOR a farther supplement in place of the Scriptures whose History was thought not edifying enough the Legends of the Saints were introduc'd stories so stupid that one would imagin them design'd as an experiment how far credulity could be impos'd
practice and contemt of the divine Law they have deserted their profession and made themselves utterly unworthy of the blessings they enjoy and the light of that Gospel which with noon-day brightness has shin'd among them Upon which account I suppose it may not be impertinent in the next place to subjoin som plain directions and cautionary advices concerning the use of these sacred Books SECT VIII Necessary cautions to be us'd in the reading of the holy Scriptures IT is a common observation that the most generous and sprightly Medicins are the most unsafe if not appli'd with due care and regimen And the remark holds as well in spiritual as corporal remedies The Apostle asserts it upon his own experience that the doctrin of the Gospel which was to som the savor of life unto life was to others the savor of death 2 Cor. 2.15 And the same effect that the oral Word had then the written Word may have now not that either the one or the other have any thing in them that is of it self mortiferous but becomes so by the ill disposition of the persons who so pervert it It is therefore well worth our inquiry what qualifications on our part are necessary to make the Word be to us what it is in it self the power of God unto salvation Rom. 1.16 Of these som are previous before our reading som are concomitant with it and som are subsequent and follow after it 2. OF those that go before sincerity is a most essential requisit by sincerity I mean an upright intention by which we direct our reading to that proper end for which the holy Scriptures were design'd viz. the knowing Gods will in order to the practicing it This honest simplicity of heart is that which Christ represents by the good ground where alone it was that the seed could fructify Mat. 13.8 And he that brings not this with him brings only the shadow of a Disciple The word of God is indeed sharper then a two-edged sword Heb. 4.12 but what impression can a sword make on a body of air which still slips from and eludes its thrusts And as little can all the practical discourses of holy Writ make on him who brings only his speculative faculties with him and leaves his will and affections behind him which are the only proper subjects for it to work on 3. TO this we may probably impute that strange inefficaciousness we see of the Word Alas men rarely apply it to the right place our most inveterat diseases lie in our morals and we suffer the Medicin to reach no farther then our intellects As if he that had an ulcer in his bowels should apply all his balsoms and sanatives only to his head 'T is true the holy Scriptures are the tresuries of divine Wisdom the Oracles to which we should resort for saving knowledg but they are also the rule and guide of holy Life and he that covets to know Gods will for any purpose but to practice it is only studious to entitle himself to the greater number of stripes Luk. 12.47 4. NAY farther he that affects only the bare knowledg is oft disappointed even of that The Scripture like the Pillar of fire and cloud enlightens the Israelites those who sincerely resign themselves to its guidance but it darkens and confounds the Egyptians Ex. 14.20 And 't is frequently seen that those who read only to become knowing are toll'd on by their curiosity into the more abstruse and mysterious parts of Scripture where they entangle themselves in inextricable mazes and confusions and instead of acquiring a more superlative knowledg loose those easy and common notions which lie obvious to every plain well meaning Reader I fear this Age affords too many and too frequent instances of this in men who have lost God in the midst of his Word and studied Scripture till they have renounc'd its Author 5. AND sure this infatuation is very just and no more then God himself has warn'd us of who takes the wise in their own craftiness Job 5.12 but appropriates his secrets only to them that fear him and has promis'd to teach the meek his way Psal 25.9.14 And this was the method Christ observ'd in his preaching unveiling those truths to his Disciples which to the Scribes and Pharisees his inquisitive yet refractory hearers he wrapt up in parables not that he dislik'd their desire of knowledg but their want of sincerity which is so fatal a defect as blasts our pursuits tho of things in themselves never so excellent This we find exemplifi'd in Simon Magus Acts 8. who tho he coveted a thing in it self very desirable the power of conferring the holy Ghost yet desiring it not only upon undue conditions but for sinister ends he not only mist of that but was after all his convincement by the Apostles miracles and the engagement of his Baptism immerst in the gall of bitterness and at last advanc'd to that height of blasphemy as to set up himself for a God so becoming a lasting memento how unsafe it is to prevaricate in holy things 6. BUT as there is a sincerity of the Will in order to practice so there is also a sincerity of the understanding in order to belief and this is also no less requisit to the profitable reading of Scripture I mean by this that we come with a preparation of mind to embrace indifferently whatever God there reveles as the object of our Faith that we bring our own opinions not as the clue by which to unfold Scripture but to be tried and regulated by it The want of this has bin of very pernicious consequence in matters both of Faith and speculation Men are commonly prepossest strongly with their own notions and their errand to Scripture is not to lend them light to judg of them but aids to back and defend them 7. OF this there is no Book of controversy that do's not give notorious proof The Socinian can easily over-look the beginning of Saint John that saies The Word was God Jo. 1.1 and all those other places which plainly assert the Deity of our Savior if he can but divert to that other more agreeable Text that the Father is greater then I. Among the Romanists Peters being said to be first among the Apostles Mat. 10.2 and that on that Rock Christ would build his Church Mat. 16.18 carries away all attention from those other places where Saint Paul saies he was not behind the very chiefest of the Apostles 2 Cor. 11.5 that upon him lay the care of all the Churches 2 Cor. 11.28 and that the Church was not built upon the foundation of som one but all the twelve Apostles Revel 21.14 So it fares in the business of the Eucharist This is my body Mat. 26.26 carries it away clear for Transubstantiation when our Saviors calling that which he drunk the fruit of the vine Mat. 26.29 and then Saint Pauls naming the Elements in the Lords Supper several times over Bread and
Wine The Bread that we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ the Cup that we bless is it not the Communion c. 1 Cor. 10.16 And again He that eats this Bread and drinks this Cup unworthily c. 1 Cor. 11.29 can make no appearance of an Argument 8. THUS men once engag'd ransac for Texts that carry som correspondency to the opinions they have imbibed and those how do they rack and scrue to bring to a perfect conformity and improve every little probability into a demonstration On the other side the contrary Texts they look on as enemies and consider them no farther then to provide fences and guards against them So they bring Texts not into the scales to weigh but into the field to skirmish as Partizans and Auxiliaries of such or such opinions 9. BY this force of prepossession it is that that sacred Rule which is the mesure and standard of all rectitude is it self bow'd and distorted to countenance and abet the most contrary tenets and like a variable picture represents differing shapes according to the light in which you view it And sure we cannot do it a worse office then to represent it thus dissonant to it self Yet thus it must still be till men come unbiast to the reading of it And certainly there is all the reason in the world they should do so the ultimate end of our faith is but the salvation of our souls 1 Pet. 1.9 and we may be sure the Scripture can best direct us what Faith it is which will lead us to that end 10. WHY should we not then have the same indifference which a traveller hath whether his way lie on this hand or that so as it be the direct road to his journies end For altho it be infinitly material that I embrace right principles yet 't is not so that this should be right rather then the other and our wishes that it should be so proceed only from our prepossessions and fondness of our own conceptions then which nothing is more apt to intercept the clear view of truth It therefore nearly concerns us to deposit them and to give up our selves without reserve to the guidance of Gods Word and give it equal credit when it thwarts as when it complies with our own notions 11. WITHOUT this tho we may call Scripture the rule of Faith and judg of controversies yet 't is manifest we make it not so but reserve still the last appeal to our own prejudicat phancies and then no wonder tho we fall under the same occoecation which our Savior upbraids to the Jews that seeing we see not neither do we understand Mat. 13.14 For he that will not be sav'd Gods way will hardly be so by his own He that resolves not impartially to embrace all the Scriptures dictats comes to them as unsincerely as the remnant of the Jews did to Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord for them which he no sooner had don but they protest against his message Jer. 42.20 and may expect as fatal an event 12. BUT there are a set of men who deal yet more insincerely with the Word that read it insiduously on purpose to collect matter of objection and cavil that with a malicious diligence compare Texts in hope to find contradictions and read attentively but to no other end then to remark incoherences and defects in the stile which when they think they have started they have their design and never will use a quarter of the same diligence in considering how they may be solv'd or consulting with those who may assist them in it For I think I may appeal to the generality of those who have rais'd the loudest clamors against the Scripture whether they have endeavor'd to render themselves competent judges of it by inquiring into the Originals or informing themselves of those local Customs peculiar Idioms and many other circumstances by which obscure Texts are to be clear'd And tho I do not affirm it necessary to salvation that every man should do this yet I may affirm it necessary to him that will pretend to judg of the Bible and he that without this condems it do's it as manifest injury as a Judg that should pass sentence only upon the Indictment without hearing the defence 13. AND certainly there cannot be any thing more unmanly and disingenouos then for men to inveigh and condemn before they inquire and examin Yet this is the thing upon which so many value themselves assuming to be men of reason for that for which the Scripture pronounces them brute beasts viz. the speaking evil of those things they understand not 2 Pet. 2.12 Would men use due diligence no doubt many of those seeming contradictions would be reconcil'd and the obscurities clear'd and if any should after all remain he might find twenty things fitter to charge it on then want of verity or discourse in the inspir'd writers 14. ALAS what human writing is there of near that Antiquity wherein there are not many passages unintelligible And indeed unless modern times knew all those national customs obsolete Laws particular Rites and Ceremonies Phrases and proverbial Sayings to which such ancient Books refer 't is impossible but som passages must still remain obscure Yet in these we ordinarily have so much candor as to impute their unintelligibleness to our own ignorance of those things which should clear them the improprieties of stile to the variation that times make in dialects or to the errors of Scribes and do not presently exclame against the Authors as false or impertinent or discard the whole Book for som such passages 15. AND sure what allowances we make to other Books may with more reason be made to the Bible which having bin writ so many Ages since past thro infinit variety of hands and which is above all having bin the object of the Devils and wicked mens malice lies under greater disadvantages then any human composure And doubtless men would be as equitable to that as they are to others were it not that they more wish to have that false or irrational then any other Book The plain parts of it the precepts and threatnings speak clearer then they desire gall and fret them and therefore they will revenge themselves upon the obscurer and seem angry that there are som things they understand not when indeed their real displesure is at those they do 16. A second qualification preparatory to reading the Scripture is reverence When we take the Bible in our hands we should do it with other sentiments and apprehensions then when we take a common Book considering that it is the word of God the instrument of our salvation or upon our abuse of it a promoter of our ruin 17. AND sure this if duly apprehended cannot but strike us with a reverential awe make us to say with Jacob Gen. 28.17 surely God is in this place controle all trifling phancies and make us read not for custom or divertisement but with
those solemn and holy intentions which become the dignity of its Author Accordingly we find holy men have in all Ages bin affected with it and som to the inward reverence of the mind have join'd the outward of the body also and never read it but upon their knees an example that may both instruct and reproach our profaness who commonly read by chance and at a venture If a Bible happen in our way we take it up as we would do a Romance or Play-book only herein we differ that we dismiss it much sooner and retain less of its impressions 18. IT was a Law of Numa that no man should meddle with divine things or worship the Gods in passing or by accident but make it a set and solemn business And every one knows with how great ceremony and solemnity the heathen Oracles were consulted How great a shame is it then for Christians to defalk that reverence from the true God which heathens allow'd their false ones 19. NOW this proceeds somtimes from the want of that habitual reverence we should alwaies have to it as Gods word and somtimes from want of actual exciting it when we go to read for if the habit lie only dormant in us and be not awak'd by actual consideration it avails us as little in our reading as the habitual strength of a man do's towards labor when he will not exert it for that end 20. WE ought therefore as to make it our deliberat choice to read Gods word so when we do it to stir up our selves to those solemn apprehensions of its dignity and autority as may render us malleable and apt to receive its impressions for where there is no reverence 't is not to be expected there should be any genuine or lasting obedience 21. SAINT Austin in his Tract to Honoratus of the advantage of believing makes the first requisit to the knowledg of the Scriptures to be the love of them Believe me saies he every thing in the Scripture is sublime and divine its truth and doctrin are most accommodate to the refreshment and building up of our minds and in all respects so order'd that every one may draw thence what is sufficient for him provided he approach it with devotion piety and religion The proof of this may require much reasoning and discourse But this I am first to perswade that you do not hate the Authors and then that you love them Had we an ill opinion of Virgil nay if upon the account of the reputation he has gain'd with our Predecessors we did not greatly love before we understood him we should never patiently go thro all the difficult questions Grammarians raise about him Many employ themselves in commenting upon him we esteem him most whose exposition most commends the Book and shews that the Author not only was free from error but did excellently well where he is not understood And if such an account happen not to be given we impute it rather to the Interpreter then the Poet. 22. THUS the good Father whose words I have transcrib'd at large as being remarkable to the present purpose he also shews that the mind of no Author is to be learnt from one averse to his doctrin as that 't is vain to enquire of Aristotles Books from one of a different Sect Or of Archimedes from Epicurus the discourse will be as displeasing as the speaker and that shall be esteem'd absurd which comes from one that is envi'd or despis'd 23. A third preparative to our reading should be praier The Scripture as it was dictated at first by the holy Spirit so must still owe its effects and influence to its cooperation The things of God the Apostle tells us are spiritually discern'd 1 Cor. 2.14 And tho the natural man may well enough apprehend the letter and grammatical sense of the Word yet its power and energy that insinuative perswasive force whereby it works on hearts is peculiar to the spirit and therefore without his aids the Scripture whilst it lies open before our eies may still be as a Book that is seal'd Esai 29.11 be as ineffective as if the characters were illegible 24. BESIDES our Savior tells us the devil is still busy to steal away the seed as soon as it is sown Mat. 13.17 And unless we have som better guard then our own vigilance he is sure enough to prosper in his attemt Let it therefore be our care to invoke the divine Aid and when ever we take the Bible into our hands to dart up at least a hearty ejaculation that we may find its effects in our hearts Let us say with holy David open thou mine eies O Lord that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law Blessed art thou O Lord O teach me thy statutes Ps 119. Nay indeed 't wil be fit matter of a daily solemn devotion as our Church has made it an annual in the Collect on the second Sunday in Advent a praier so apt and fully expressive of what we should desire in this particular that if we transcribe not only the example but the very words I know not how we can form that part of our devotion more advantageously 25. IN the second place we are to consider what is requir'd of us at the time of reading the Scripture which consists principally in two things The first of these is attention which is so indispensably requisit that without it all Books are alike and all equally insignificant for he that adverts not to the sense of what he reads the wisest discourses signify no more to him then the most exquisit music do's to a man perfectly deaf The letters and syllables of the Bible are no more sacred then those of another Book 't is the sense and meaning only that is divinely inspir'd and he that considers only the former may as well entertain himself with a spelling-book 26. WE must therefore keep our minds fixt and attent to what we read 't is a folly and lightness not to do so in human Authors but 't is a sin and danger not to do so in this divine Book We know there can scarce be a greater instance of contemt and disvalue then to hear a man speak and not at all mind what he saies yet this vilest affront do all those put upon God who hear or read his Word and give it no attention Yet I fear the practice is not more impious then it is frequent for there are many that read the Bible who if at the end of each Chapter they should be call'd to account I doubt they could produce very slender collections and truly 't is a sad consideration that that sacred Book is read most attentively by those who read it as som preach the Gospel Phil. 1.15 out of envy and strife How curiously do men inspect nay ransac and embowel a Text to find a pretence for cavil and objection whilst men who profess to look there for life and salvation read with such a retchless
heedlesness as if it could tell them nothing they were concern'd in and to such 't is no wonder if their reading bring no advantage God is not in this sense found of those that seek him not Esai 65.1 't is Satans part to serve himself of the bare words and characters of holy Writ for charms and amulets the vertue God has put there consists in the sense and meaning and can never be drawn out by drousy inadverting Readers 27. THIS unattentiveness fore-stalls all possibility of good How shall that convince the understanding or perswade the affections which do's not so much as enter the imagination So that in this case the seed seems more cast away then in any of those instances the parable gives Mat. 13. In those it still fell upon the soil but in this it never reaches that but is scatter'd and dissipated as with a mighty wind by those thoughts which have prepossess'd the mind Let no man therefore take this sacred Book into his hand till he have turn'd out all distracting phancies and have his faculties free and vacant for those better objects which will there present themselves And when he has so dispos'd himself for attention then let him contrive to improve that attention to the best advantage 28. TO which purpose it may be very conducive to put it into som order and method As for instance when he reads the doctrinal part of Scripture let him first and principally advert to those plain Texts which contain the necessary points of Faith that he may not owe his Creed only to his education the institution of his Parents or Tutors but may know the true foundation on which it is bottom'd viz. the word of God and may thence be able to justify his Faith and as Saint Peter exhorts be ready to give an answer to every man that asks him a reason of the hope that is in him 1 Pet. 3.15 For want of this it is that Religion sits so loose upon men that every wind of doctrin blows them into distinct and various forms till at last their Christianity it self vapors away and disappears 29. BUT let men be careful thus to secure the foundation and then 't will be commendable in them who are capable of it to aspire to higher degrees of speculation yet even in these it will be their safest course chiefly to pursue such as have the most immediat influence on practice and be more industrious to make observations of that sort then curious and critical remarks or bold conjectures upon those mysteries on which God has spread a veil 30. BUT besides a mans own particular collections it will be prudence in him to advantage himself of those of others and to consult the learned'st and best expositors and that not only upon a present emergency when he is to dispute a point as most do but in the constant course of his reading wherein he will most sedatly and dispassionatly judg of the notions they offer 31. AS to the choice of the portions of Scripture to be read in course tho I shall not condemn that of reading the whole Bible in order yet 't is apparent that som parts of it as that of the Levitical Law are not so aptly accommodated to our present state as others are and consequently not so edificatory to us and therefore I cannot see why any man should oblige himself to an equal frequency in reading them And to this our Church seems to give her suffrage by excluding such out of her public Lessons And if we govern our privat reading by her mesures it will well express our deference to her judgment who has selected som parts of Scripture not that she would keep her children in ignorance of any but because they tend most immediatly to practice 32. NEITHER will the daily reading the Scripture in the rubricks order hinder any man from acquainting himself with the rest For he may take in the other parts as supernumeraries to his constant task and read them as his leisure and inclination shall promt So that all the hurt that can accrue to him by this method is the being invited to read somtimes extraordinary proportions 33. IF it be objected that to those who daily hear the Church Service 't will be a kind of tautology first to read those Lessons in privat which soon after they shall hear read publicly I answer that whatever men may please to call it 't will really be an advantage For he that shall read a chapter by himself with due consideration and consulting of good Paraphrasts will have div'd so far into the sense of it that he will much better comprehend it when he hears it read as on the other side the hearing it read so imediatly after will serve to confirm and rivet the sense in his mind The one is as the conning the other the repeating the Lesson which every Schole-boy can tell us is best don at the nearest distance to each other But I shall not contend for this or any particular method let the Scriptures be read in proportion to every mans leisure and capacity and read with attention and we need not be scrupulous about circumstances when the main duty is secur'd 34. BUT as in the doctrinal so in the preceptive part there is a caution to be us'd in our attention For we are to distingish between those temporary precepts that were adapted to particular times and occasions and such as are of perpetual obligation He that do's not this may bring himself under the Jewish Law or believe a necessity of selling all and giving it to the poor because 't was Christs command to the rich man Mat. 19. or incur other considerable mischeifs 35. THUS frequently commands are put in comprehensive indefinite words but concern only the Generality to whom the Law is written and not those who are entrusted with the vindication of their contemt Accordingly 'tis said thou shalt not kill Mark 10.19 which concerns the private person but extends not to the Magistrate in the execution of his office who is a revenger appointed by God and bears not the sword in vain Rom. 13.4 So the injunction not to swear at all Mat. 5.34 refers to the common transactions of life but not those solemn occasions where an oath is to give glory to God and is the end of all strife Heb. 6.16 Yet these mistakes at this day prevail with Anabaptists and Quakers and bottom their denial of the Magistrates power to protect his Subjects by war and to determin differences in Peace by the oath of witnesses in judicial proceedings 36. THERE is another distinction we are to attend to and that is between absolute and primary commands and secundary ones the former we are to set a special remark upon as those upon whose observance or violation our eternal life or death inseparably depends And therefore our first and most solicitous care must be concerning them I mention this not to divert any from aspiring to