it was in the Apostles time We have said enough to shew how Tradition which they so much commend and magnifie may fail and so prove no infallible Testimony And who were our Forefathers from whom we learnt our faith we have shewed already and now shall name some of them viz. The Reformers in the last ages and Jo. Hu and Hiâ—…rome of Prague and before them Wickliff and before him the Waldenses and all that protested against the Churches corruptions in all ages upward as might be shewed if it were pertinent Jo. Whites Way p. 336. § 45. 337. Digress 48. 2. Tradition being the Testimony of the Church let Papists first ascertain us which is the true Church whose Testimony we must believe For our parts we know none upon earth that pretend to Christianity that do not account themselves the true Church and that avow not themselves to have the true faith which the Apostles delivered Now there being so many pretenders we are at as great a loss wich Tradition as without it since all say they hold the Apostolick faith and yet extreamly differ one from another not in few matters or small at least some of them And it is said and granted on all hands that there are dissenters and of these some are ignorant and some obstinate and some Scepticks and we know too many professing Christians who are in their wayes and doings no better then Infidels Now may not any or all of these question Tradition as well as Scripture upon this pretence that they know not which is the Church whose Testimony they are obliged to believe If it be said as it hath been by some that there is no Christian but knows the Church It may be justly replyed that there is no Christian but knows the Scripture as well For all that own not Scripture we may justly disown them as being no Christians A man may be a Christian it is confessed though he never saw a Bible if he have heard the doctrine of Christ as many Gentiles yea all for ought I know did in the first times of the Church when the Gospel was first preached to them by the Apostles But to be a Christian and not know the doctrine of Christ is a pure contradiction Now how we shall know which Church gives the truest testimony to the doctrine of Christ if not by Scripture let Papists resolve us for we know not what to answer We think among so many pretenders there will be differences such as â—â—â—â—adition will no better reconcile then Scripture and that as Protestants cannot agree about the sense of Scripture but some interpret it one way and some another so they and others will agree no better about the Church and its Tradition For as I have said there are many Churches and those hugely differing in some things and yet all pretend to the Apostolick faith Therefore we have need of somewhat to ascertain us of that Church which hath preserved and delivered down all along the same faith which the Apostles taught For the true Catholick Church we believe it hath been faithfull in its testimony to the truth in all ages But we Protestants cannot own the Church of Rome as such though we know there was there one sound part of the Catholick Church in the Apostles times Papists indeed pretend and boast great things of their Church but what is that to us who can well distinguish between a Roman-Catholick and a Catholick Christian. Here then we Protestants resolve to believe the Church for the Scripture and not the Scripture for the Church And yet we allow what that ancient Father saith of himself That he had not believed Scripture but for the Church For we know that after he came once to learn the Scriptures he then believed it not upon account of the Churches authority but it s own only The Church we grant may at first perswade Infidels to attend and heed the Scripture as the Word of God even as the woman perswaded her neighbours to come and see Christ. But as they when they had heard him themselves believed not because of her saying but because of his own word even so is â—…in the case that now is in question The Church of Christ hath the office of ministry to hold out the light that others who are in darkeness may see it But this will never prove the Church to have such an authority as Papists plead for and much less that their Church is the Catholick Church which only holds the Apostolick faith And when they have said all they can they say no more then any Church never so corrupt will say for it self viz. That it hath the doctrine of Christ which the Apostles taught Hence we say again that Tradition leaves us at an irrecoverable loss and that we must have somewhat more certain then the Churches testimony which any company of never so corrupt principles may pretend unto as well as the Church of Rome 3. We desire to be satisfied whether the doctrine delivered down be true because the Church hath delivered it or that the Church hath delivered it because it is the truth For we think the Church ought to receive and believe the truth only and to deliver that and nothing else to be believed by others and if it received other then the truth it was deceived and if it delivered other it was not only deceived but deceived others also The Church can make nothing to be true but what is such before of it self and all it can do is to declare the truth which it hath received and perswade others to believe it Therefore when Papists press us as they do about our being assured of Scripture we say that we believe it upon account of its own authority because it speaks it self the Word of God For as when a place of trust and honor is conferred upon a person by his Prince and assured to him under the Great Seal though the messenger that brings the Patent may avow it to be the Princes act yet that which gives assurance to the person of his interest in that office and honour is the Patent it self and the Seal annext So we know the voice of God speaking to us in his Word and even so hath the true Church in all ages received Scripture as the true Word of God and commended it to others for such as a Patent sealed from Heaven 4. We desire to know when the Church first resolved the Case in Question and determined what is the doctrine of Christ. For the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Councils we count them of a latter date and but of yesterday in comparison For our part we think under correction of better judgments that the Canon was agreed upon very early because two eminent ones among the Ancients â—…counted upon the same number of Canonical Books which we now do and one of them saith that the Canonicall authority of the old and new Testament was confirmed in the Apostles times And that
it was so agreed very early we have reason to think because Coâ—…stantine in the first Nicene Council would not else have perswaded the Fathers assembled to examine and try all questions and controversies by the Canon of Scripture For had it been otherwise it had been rational to move them first to resolve what the Canon was Once we know the Christian Church had need to be resolved of a Rule of faith even from the beginning at least so soon as the Apostles had departed this life For if any thing surely this is of concernment to the Church viz. To have the Rule of faith stated as the standard whereby all doctrines are to be weighed and measured And this we think was done even from the Apostles times and that upon the determination which they had made so as there was no such Question of old about the Rule of faith such as Papists have made of late That some have questioned the authority of some Books of the New Testament we know but we say they were only some and not the whole Church Besides to question the authority of some few Books is not to question the authority of the whole Scripture And indeed this question was never made till of latter times when Papists could no more defend their Tenets by this Rule of faith 5. We would know how the Church came to know all the mysteries of Christian Religion And this we have reason to question because Papists make so much of the Churches Testimony as if Scripture had no authority as to us at least without it Whatâ—… did the Church devise the whole model of the Christian faith out of her own heart No certainly this will never be said by any that are sober What then Questionless she was taught it of God and in this I hope we all agree Well And how was she taught it was it not by the Revelation of Jesus Christ And where is this Revelation if it be not in Scripture But I proceed and say the Christian Church learnt the doctrine of Christ from Scripture the Spirit working with the Word For the Apostles did not in preaching the Gospel bring to light what had never been heard of or thought on before But they only declared to the world the performance of what God had foretold and promised in the old Testament concerning his Son made of a woman and made under the Law when once the fulness of time was come And so the Apostle avows Acts 26. 22. that his doctrine was no other then what Moses and the Prophets had signified before And did not Christ come to fulfill the promises made to the Fathers which promises were recorded in the old Testament Yea and Christ himself expounded the Scriptures concerning himself Lukâ—… 24. 27. And vers 25. he up 〈◊〉 he two Disciples with their not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what the Prophets had spoken 〈◊〉 iâ—… the Church in all ages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 themselves knew the 〈◊〉 of Christ by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is enough to shew us 〈◊〉 is the only Rule of faith Once 〈◊〉 If Scripture be not the Rule 〈◊〉 let Papists tell us what it serve â—…or Truly we are so ignorant as if it be not the Rule of our faith we know no use of it And if that be granted which our Adversaries plead for why may we not hearken to the Church and her Tradition and never look on Scripture more For they have of late framed a Rule of faith that is all-sufficient and tell us plainly Scripture is not so Surely if we thus let go the Word and take up Tradition we had best let God go also and content our selves with the Church But there are some Questions to be answered and till this be done we talk to no purpose whatever we say of Scripture or against Tradition For how know we 1. Whether the Originals be entire and the same with those which were first ponned by the Prophets and Apostles 2. What Books of Scripture are Canonical and what not 3. Whether the Originals are rightly translated into the English and other vulgar languages 4. Whether they are truly senâ—…'d and interpreted c. and what not These and such like are pressed upon us to enervate the sorce of Scriptures authority and prove it no Rule of faith For the Rule of faith say Papists must be easie to be understood of all and it must evidence it self so as we may be ascertained of it that it is the Word of God and how can the vulgar be sure of this when the wisest and most learned are not well agreed about it What shall become of the unlearned and such as make any doubts about these things And there are many such whereof some are Rational and others Sceptical and others no question are Atheistical to an high degree To all these we count our selves bound to answer and our answer in general is I. That if Scripture were never so plain and certain there will be some doubters and dissenters and enemies to it also There are too many who question and some who deny the Existence of God Is there no certainty therefore of Gods Existence Or hath not God sufficiently shewed himself to be known as he is so did Christ give evidence enough of himself though the blind Pharisee could nor or rather would not see him to be what he was We know there are many in the world who are dissenters to the Rules of common honesty and righteousness and yet they are plain enough and Papists I am confident think so It is abundantly sufficient if Scripture prove it self so far as all honest sober and uninterested persons may be satisfied These I am sure will be contented with such proofs as the matter in question will bear And who that is reasonable will expect arguments in this case to prove more then a moral certainty alwayes excepting that inward assurance which a gracious soul hath by the seal of Gods Spirit 2. We answer That the Rule may be easie though all men do not understand it And such is Scripture easie we say to be understood by all that will use means for that end What! do our Adversaries think it may be known by dreaming of it or shall we think that God hath not sufficiently provided for our souls because we cannot come to the knowledge of the Truth and Salvation by it without pains-taking This is to say no more unreasonable What can be learnt without using means and taking pains 3. We may justly look on these Queries about Scripture as if a man should ask another How do you know light from darkness white from black sowre from sweet For Scripture gives as clear a discovery of it self as things white and black sowre and sweet shew their taste and colour But I shall endeavour to answer particulars as they lye in order To the first Question about the Originals we answer 1. That we know them to be entire and not defective and the same with those that
it much rather then aâ—…y thing else Hence it is that we care so little sor Tradition because it is the testimony of men For we have no faith to save us but faith in God and know not how we can have faith in God but by receiving the Testimony which he himself hath given When Papists attribute so much to Tradition for ascertaining Scripture we cannot yield to them in it because we believe that God so speaks to men as they may know that it is he that speaks If he do not it is because he will not or because he cannot That he cannot no man can say without blasphemy To say he will not is little better For he hath not spoken in secret but openly and plainly so as they to whom he hath spoken have known certainly it was the Lord that spake to them And this is indeed the Spirit of Prophecy not only to declâ—…re the will and minde of God but to ascertain those unto whom it was declared that it was so And such is Scripture vz. a Revelation of Gods will so made as men may know that God hath spoken Wherefore though Papists say of Scripture as the Jews said of our Saviour Thou bearest record of thy self thy record is not true We answer as Christ answered for himself Though it bear record of it self yet its record is true For as it was the will of God that men should understand his mind so he spake in such a manner as they might know it was God that spake and not man or any creature For what can be said or thought more unworthy of God then that he hath spoken to men but in such a manner as he cannot be understood unless there be some other to ascertain them it is he that speaks we can speak to one another either by word or writing so as to know who speaks as well as what is spoken But God it seems to Papists must have some others to pass their word for him before he can have any credit with men And what is it that must ascertain us beyond all further question that Scripture is the very Word of God Only Tradition or the Testimony of the Church in all ages successively conveying down the faith once delivered by Christ and his Apostles For the satisfaction of those who need or desire it we shall inlarge in our answer yet not to exceed the bounds of our intended breviy 1. We acknowledge That the Church is bound to give testimony to Scripture as the Word of God and that the true Church hath so done in all ages we Protestants do believe But we say withall that the Church is only an outward instrument or means in giving this testimony and hath no authority such as Papists plead for or dominion over our faith We are so far from making it the Rule of faith as we stand to affirm we do not beâ—…ieve the Scripture because the Church saith it is the Word of God but we believe it such for its own and the Spirits testimony though no men bear witness to it For what is the Church make the best of it but a company of men more or less that believe the doctrine of Christ And where had these men this doctrine Or how came then by it Had they it not in Scripture Christ indeed delivered it by word of mouth and by his Spirit to his Apostles and they preached this doctrine But I hope Papists will not say That the new Testament was not penned by the Evangelists and Apostles or that the next Church received any doctrine other then is therein recorded so we are come to the very foundation of the Church such as is mentioned Ephes. 2. 20. The Church is founded upon Scripture and not Scripture upon the Church Indeed a Church is nothing but a company of men that believe Scripture and make it the ground work of their Faith And so is it distinguished from all other societies The Church did not make or frame the Scripture but received it made ready to their hands God had his Secretaries who wrote his wills and commands and to the obedience of these men have been called and such as submitted and came in have been the Church in all ages Hence the Church we say hath more need of Scriptures testimony then Scripture hath of the Churches and accordingly Protestants judge of the Church by Scripture and not of Scripture by the Church Questionless when God shall judge all by the Man whom he hath appointed he will try all Churches and men by his own Laws And where those Laws are we leave Papists to enquire For we know none but such as we find in Scripture They tell us a very fair tale of the infallibility of Tradition How impossible it is that the first Church which received the doctrine of Christ from the Apostles could be so unnatural as wittingly to hide it from posterity and deliver over to the next generation such lyes as would unavoidably damn them Now we suppose as well as they that all Parents and Progenitors have so much natural affection as not to procure willingly or wittingly the damnation of their Children But this will not prove say we Tradition to be so infallible as they would have it For Tradition or delivering any matter from hand to hand by word of mouth is and must be uncertain yea and soon fail if there be not some Records whereupon to bottom it And for this we desire them to consider That though in the first ages God was pleased to let his will be made known from Father to Son after he had once declared and revealed it yet God did not leave all to Tradition but ever and anon renewed the Revelations of his will as occasion required And this he did when those Patriarchs lived ten times so long as any have ordinarily lived for very many ages And when afterwards Abrahams seed was grown into a multitude it seemed good to the wisdom of God to have the lively Oracles enrolled and committed to writing Hence we think it rational to conclude that God thought his will written to be more infallible and certain then as delivered by word of mouth from hand to hand Once we are sure That whiles the mind of God was delivered without writing it all the world was corrupted so as all flesh had perverted their way in the times of Noah They had all of them at first the doctrine which God revealed to Adam and how came they to be corrupted as they were if Tradition cannot possibly fail Or how came the world after the Flood to be filled with Idols so as Abraham must be called out from the posterity of Shem whose posterity had the true Religion delivered to them If Tradition be so faithfull in the delivery of what is committed to it we wonder how true Religion should fail so soon and that not among a few but all the world over When it is said That some Hereticks have risen
were penned by the Prophets and Apostles as well as any such thing can be known These Records are very ancient some of them of some thousand years standing And must we now prove every particular as if we had been eye-witnesses Is it not enough if we have more certainty of these then can be had of any others that bear the same date or somewhat near Not to say that that this Question seems to strike at the force of all ancient Records and evidences For it may be said by any concerned How are we sure that these are the Authentick Copies or transcribed exactly to a letter 2. We are certainly assured in this Case as well as they that question us seeing they pretend only to Tradition for their Security and we know no certainty of that more then of Scripture 3. We know the Original Old Testament by the consent of our Bibles and those which the Jews preserve to this day as we think by a speciall providence What better evidence can there be in such a case then this They had the honour to have the lively Oracles committed to them and we never heard they could be justly blamed for being â—…alse to their trust thus far And these Infidels still retain the old Testament as it was though the Christians make use of it to justifie the Christian faith against them And if they had attempted any alteration they could never have effected it as was shewed before Now while their Copies and ours agree so well together as we have no difference with them about this have we not good reason to perswade our selves that our Original Bibles are as at first 4. We know it by as good evidences as our Adversaries know it viz. by the consent of all Ages bearing witness to it We do not indeed plead the authority of the Churches Testimony as Papists do nor have we need seeing the Testimony may be valid through its truth without any such authority We give as much as we ought to the Church when we say it hath been all along an external instrument or Medium to declare and testifiâ—… concerning the doctrine of Christ in Scripture And so it hath testified the Originals to be as at first I have yet more to say for clearing this Question only I must needs insert that we cannot think our selves so fairly dealt withall in such a question For we lay our claim by prescription and therefore think our adversaries should rather prove the contrary by undeniable arguments then pick quarrels with us by captious questions such as they can no better answer then we But we know the design and shall say no more of it 5. It is enough if the Originals be in the matter and substance of them the same as at first That they may have some alterations as to letters or words in the transcribing and printing of them who questions since the Transcribers and Printers had no infallible Spirit that we ever heard of But this being granted we have no cause to doubt Scriptures authority any whit the more What though no Original Copie now extant be so absolutely pure as no mixture can possibly be found in it as to words and letters yet Scripture ceases not to be a sufficient Rule so long as there is in it no violation mutilation or falsification through the ignorance negligence or malice of men as disables it for teaching all men what to believe and do in order to their salvation For this is it which we contend for That all the doctrine of Christ necessary to be known unto salvation we have in our present Bibles and this doctrine the very same that was delivered by the Prophets and Apostles It lies still however on our adversaries to prove any alteration so much as in any words Hence we say further that Books made of inke and parchment or paper are things that are perishable yea and will come to nothing But dare Papists say that God hath not given his Laws in writing dare they say that there never was such a man as Moses who at Gods command delivered a Law to Israel and after it was written caused it to be read in the audience of all the people or dare they say there never were such men as the Prophets and Apostles and that they never wrote any such Books as are now called the holy Scriptures We do not know and therefore dare not say that they have hiâ—…herto said any such thing and we have so much charity as to believe they will never say it What mean they then by such quirks and quibles as these viz. That we cannot be assured now that the Scriptures are not altered from what they were at first c. What thoughts have they of God Almighty was he not wise enough to foresee what might be objected in after times so as to provide against it and prevent all such questions as they now make about the written word This we know and they too that the only wise God thought it best to have the lively Oracles committed to writing though he could not but know that in process of time there might be some alteration in those writings and that the outside materials as parchment c. are such as wast and wear out Yea this way of writing was as I may say consecrated at first by the finger of God who wrote the ten Commandments in two Tâ—…bles of sione And those two tables were soon broken and the others afterwards prepared at Gods command and kept along time are yet long since gone so as none can give any account of them Notwithstanding we are not to seek of the Ten Commandments nor we hope will any say these are not the same that God wrote at first or we cannot be sure that they are so Alas to argue in this manner is to bring Heaven and Earth together Then farewell all the credit of all ancient Records that ever have been preserved in the World Yea then let the Scriptures which are the most ancient Records in the world go too upon the same account And this we think some would have or they would no more trouble the world with such frivolous Queries as these How say they can we be sure that the Originals are the same that were first penned what pitie it is that these men stood not by when God commanded a Law to be written for his people and the same to continue unto all genera ions they could have prompted God and told him what was to be considered of viz. That those Books might decay in time and the Copies be corrupted in the transcribing of them or they might be lost and hid aside For so they were in Josiahs time when one Copy was lighted on by chance and counted as a Jewel for its rarity And that in after ages there might be much questioning about them whether they had not under the revolutions of many ages been altered from what they were at first by his
places spoken more plainly and the plaiâ—… places well remembred will be as a Commentarie upon the more dark and difficult And for this purpose let it be considered that Scripture is difficult to none so much as to those who are greatest strangers to it and seldome take a Bible into their hands to read in it with any attention whereas many and I wish there were more who can only read it and use such small helps as God ministers to them while they are concionable in what is their duty are able to prove and justifie the main grounds and articles of their faith out of the word of God against any that question them What if some things be difficult so long as these which are absolutely necessary be plain and easy all are not bound to the same degree and measure of knowledge and this I hope no sober man will question I am now perswading those of the meanest and lowest ranck to study what I say again they may sufficiently understand though they have none to guide them And let them be still pressing forward and prying further to discover as much as may be seen and known For why hath God reveal'd his will but that we should acquaint our selves with it Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly c. i. e. plentifully abundantly He means It should not lodge as a stranger for a night but abide with them and they to give it rich and liberal entertainment and make it their familiar by frequent reading hearing meditating upon and conferring about the Scriptures And they who take this course will soon find by experience the improvement made by it The often reviewing of any thing as all men know is a great help to see more in it then ever we saw before Now Scripture deserves as I may say to be much and often lookâ—… upon if it were only for this that it is the Word of the great God But there is somewhat else Scripture resembles its Author in this that as he is unsearchable never to be known by any of his Creatures or all of them as he is in himself so neither can it be sought into so far as there will not still remain something that requires a further search He that digs the deepest into this Mine shall ever find new veins such as were never discover'd before yea and when we have made the utmost search the wisest of us must leave the world signing some Texts with a Non lâ—…quet In these we could never be resolv'd Men have been in the discoveries of Natures mysteries ever since the Creation and yet there is much that needs a further enquiry yea somewhat if not very much that will never I doubt be found out by any But however it be in Nature we may reasonably conceive that in supernatural Revelations we can never stretch our selves so far as to reach the utmost All that is necessary to be known in order to our salvation is easie enough to such as are willing to understand and therefore ignorance can be no excuse But all things in Scripture are not of the like necessity and therefore we may think I hope without prejudice that as Gods Spirit hath written some things more darkly to exercise our diligence so he hath written some also to humble us and make us know our selves And what of all this Scripture is still a plain and compleat Rule fit for any that will make use of it even such as can only read it and their reading it will help them to understand enough if they be serious and attentive in it though I would have them neglect no other means offer'd them viz. Meditation Conference c. And unto all let them adde servent Prayer never opening the Bible without putting up to God that which was Davids great request Psal. 119. 18. Lord open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law 4ly Let them not bring their own sence to Scripture but fetch the sence of it from out of it self because as one saith the Divine Scripture contains the whole and firm Rule of Faith and so its authority must sway us to take up that which it I yes down and nothing else They take a wrong coarse therefore who first entertain and harbour a conceit or opinion of their own upon some base or by-respects and then search and rack and torture Scripture to make it speak what they have a mind to which is in a manner to make God a lyar in wresting his Word to justifie and avouch the groundless conceits and fancies of mens deceived hearts The only right way to know the sence and meaning of Scripture in any doubtfull Case is to bring hearts as pure as white paper apt to receive and rest in the determinations of it whatever they be though never so contrary to our designs Qâ—… But what shall we do to know the true and right determination as Scripture gives it especially when many as knowing as our selves cannot agree about it Sol. 1. It is altogether impossible for some men to understand aright the mind of God in Scripture because they enquire after it with a mind resolv'd to hold what they have once taken up whatever it be Such are all that are wise in their own eyes and wilfull in their own wayes wedded to their wills and abandon'd to their filthy and fleshly Interests Such as these are constant and ordinary in works and wayes of ungodliness and unrighteousness notwithstanding Scripture-commands are so expresly and clearly against them What can be more plain then the 6th 7th 8th and 9th Commandments and yet how many make a constant trade as I may say of uncleaness and cruelty oppression deceit and falshood These might easily know Gods mind if they had a mind to it But they are Rebels against the light resolv'd to serve their lusts and have their wills whatever God hath said to the contrary And till these come to be of another mind I am sure they can never understand the mind of God in his Word as he intended it 2. To be resolv'd aright in all practical Questions and Cases we must first resolve to renounce and abandon our own wills and affections our lusts and interests as the Apostles advise Jac. 1. 22. 1 Pet. 2.1 No paper that 's besmear'd or blotted can be good to write upon The unlearned and unstable such as all are who are swayed by their own lusts will pervert all Scripture to their own destruction as the Apostle hath it 2 Pet. 3. 16. Qâ—… But what must there be Sol. An honest upright heart dispos'd and resolv'd to do all the wills of God unto whose obedience it is sabdued by the power of his grace and spirit New born babes desire to feed on that which bred them Now by the word of Truth they were begotten and that the Apostle Peter calls milk exhorting Christians after they are new born to desire it as little Infants do
ΛΟΓΟΣ ΑΥΤΟΠΙΣΤΟΣ OR Scriptures Self-Evidence TO PROVE Its Existence Authority Certainty in it Self and Sufficiency in its kind to ascertain others That it is Inspir'd of God to be the Only Rule of Faith PUBLISHED As a Plea for Protestants in the Defence of their Profession and intended only for the use and instruction of the Vulgar sort Isa. 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony John 5. 39. Search the Scriptures c. Canonica autoritas veteris novi Testamenti quae Apostolorum consirmata temporibus per successiones Episcoporum propagationes Ecclesiâ—rum tanquam in sede quâdam sublimitèr constituta est Aug. contr Faust. Ma. 1. 11. c. 5. LONDON Printed for Edward Brewster and are to be sold at Mr. Marriotts a Scrivener over against Hicks-Hall in St. Johns street 1667. TO ALL Well-meaning Protestants Who desire and resolve to hold fast their Profession Especially those who are least able to Dispute Controversies SIRS I Marvel not if you think your selves well grounded in your Religion whiles you are able to give a Reason of the hope that is in you by proving the Articles of your Faith out of Scripture For in this perswasion you are of 〈◊〉 same mind with me whoever you are However I must admonish you that what pleases you and me doth not satisfie all For there are still as of late have been such as will ask you How you are able to prove Scripture to be the word of God and the only Rule of Faith Therefore it concerns you and me too as the times are to bethink our selves what to Answer when we shall be put to the Question And that you may have some what to reply I have in this ensuing Discourse given you some of those thoughts which I have taken up by occasion of this Question that may be put to us I know well That divers Learned both English and Outlandish Divines have bestowed their pains to prove the authority of Scripture such as we account it and that it is the only Rule of Faith But the labours of those Learned men are such either for language or somewhat else as they would be to you if you had them by you as the word of a Book that is sealed I have therefore composed this Discourse in a plain English style and phrase and of no great price to ease your purses that you may have by you somewhat to answer your Adversaries In it I use and urge Scripture very little or nothing at all in a manner because I will cut off occasion from our Adversaries who will else say I prove my Conclusion by that which is the thing in Question How necessary it is for you to be well informed in this Case and to be fortified against the assaults of such as lie in wait to undermine you and turn up the foundations of your Faith I must leave you to be Judges For our Adversaries I am resolved never to draw the Saw against them partly because of mine insufficiency many wayes to enter the Lists with such Giant-like men and especially because there are so many worthies on our side whose great abilities and advantages such as I want cannot but encourage them to what I dare not undertake All my design is to instruct the ignorant whose desire is to learn And to such I offer these weak endeavours of mine in hope they may suggest somewhat that may serve to stay and uphold the weak till they be further established by the help of some more able hand And if this be I have all my design so as God may have all the glory SCRIPTURE THE Only Rule of Faith PRotestants have alwayes counted the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the Inspiration of God and the only Rule of Faith and Manners And that they may abide and increase more and more in this perswasion is and shall be my hearts desire and prayer to God for them But though they hold Scripture for a Principle and Ground-plot of their Faith yet they are called upon somewhat methinks besides the Laws of Science to prove it And this Task I am willing in their behalf to undertake because the Lord hath commanded us to be alwayes ready to give a reason of the hope that is in us For this consideration and nothing else hath emboldned me to let the World know the rational Grounds which Protestants have to perswade them that Scripture is the Word of God and written by his command to be the only Rule of Faith unto all Christians And what I have to say upon this account I shall reduce unto these two particulars 1. I shall alledge some of those rational Grounds by which Protestants are induc'd to believe the Scripture to be divinely inspir'd with the Conclusion which we think must unavoidably follow viz. That it is the only Rule of Faith 2. I shall a little discuss the Queflion wherher Tradition the Churches Testimony or any thing of that nature can be rationally allowed this great Priviledge of being a Rule of Faith and then conclude all with an Answer to the grand Objection of Papists against Scripture because as it is all they can say worth our notice so it is look't on by them as an invincible Achilles and a short but serious admonition to all Protestants who mind the concernments of their souls or may be perswaded to it The former Part Shewing the Rational Grounds upon which Protestants believe Scripture to be inspir'd of God c. SCripture is as it calls it self a Light and therefore is best seen in and by and of it self though there be nothing else to shew it Hence it is that when we have said as much as we can to prove its Divine authority we must â—…i I leave it to be seen in its own Light and to prove it selâ—… the Manitestation of Gods mind and will made to the sons of men And upon due consideration it will appear so to any that are judicious and impartial For how can it be prov'd to be what it is by any argument besides the attestation given it by God and his Spirit and the evident tokens of God speaking in it And so it proves it self just as a Learned man proves himself a Scholar by his learned Exercises when he is called to them or as God proves himself to be what he is by what he saith and doth However we are put to prove our Principles and we are contented so to do as well as we can I say as well as we can because all Scholars know that Principles are most hardly prov'd against such as have impudence enough to deny them And here I must in order to my intended work request the Reader to grant me somewhat which seems very reasonable and I hope will be supposed such by all that are indifferent and impartial 1. That in this Case I can alledge no rational Arguments other then such as Scripture yields and offers to prove it self inspired of
God so that my work is to let others see the light wherein Scripture shews it self 2. I do not in this undertaking charge Papists as denying in terms the Scripture to be Divinely inspired For they grant it in a sort when they say The Churches Testimony makes it not Authentical and Canonical in it self but quoad nos in respect to us who cannot otherwise be ascertained of its Divine authority 3. I hope it will not be expected from me that I shall prove the Divine authority of Scripture so as to silence all Gain-sayers since nothing can be so proved as there will not be some to make exceptions What can be more certain then Gods Existence And yet how many are there who deny or question i. Christ came a Light into the World and what Christian dare say or think he did not sufficiently prove himself to be what he was the promised Messias yet all he could say or do for that purpose was not enough to satisfie the most of his Country-men and Kinred that he was the Lords Christ. All that I can reasonably design is to shew that Scripture is a shining Light that doth sufficiently prove it self to be inspired of God though many have not eyes to see it 4. It must be supposed in this Discourse that as there is one living and true God so this God is to be honoured and adored by his reasonable Creatures with that service and worship which may become his infinite and most excellent Majesty Hence it cannot be denyed that there must be some Revelation made by God himself concerning that way of worship wherein he will have his Creatures to serve him For who can know what pleases God but he himself and they to whom he makes known the good pleasure of his will Now supposing some Revelation of Gods will in order to that service which he will accept and be well pleased with I may ask this Question viz. If Scripture be not this Revelation where is it And this will lie hard upon all who acknowledge one only true God that made Heaven and Earth to shew some other and better manifestation concerning the will and wayes of God then what he hath made in his written word But this is to be discuss'd hereafter and for the present I am to shew how and wherein Scripture speaks it self the word of God and by consequence the Rule of Faith Rational Grounds upon which Protestants are perswaded that Scripture is Divinely inspired 1. THere is nothing which doth so fully and clearly so punctually and perfectly declare the mind of God in all particulars which concern his Glory or mans everlasting happiness as Scripture doth To enforce this a little we readily grant the law of Nature to be a light shewing us somewhat yea very much of God and concerning our Duty towards him But how imperfect and obscure is this light in comparison of that which shines out to us in Scripture Scripture indeed doth not contradict it How should it Both are of God and one Truth cannot possibly contradict another Nay further as Scripture consents to and concurs with the light of Nature so it reproves the neglect and incites to a due improvement of it as might be shew'd in many particulars if we were put to it But how dim and dark is Natures light as to the way of reconciling the world unto God when it teaches nothing at all about it The Heathens had their Offerings and Sacrifices to appease their Gods and in these for ought any can say to the contrary they had light from Gods people who had the Divine Oracles But all those Offerings of theirs were lying vanities because they had not any the least apprebensions of God manifested in the flesh to be a Saviour of sinners And what revelation hath God made of his mind about this great concernment besides what we have in Scripture did ever any of the Learned Heathens so much as dream of such a work as Gods reconciling the world to himself by Jesus Christ And yet Papists I hope will acknowledge with us that he alone is the Mediatour of propitiation between God and man Now how came we and they to know this great mysterie if we learnt it not from Scripture And could any but God reveal it to us And since it is revealed in Scripture have we not reason to believe that it was written by the finger of God For the only way of purging sin and sanctifying our sinfull natures what have any Heathens done by their utmost improvement of their natural light They have indeed many of them commended vertue to the skies and exhorted others to it But what is that moral excellency and perfection which the Philosophers and learned men of the world have laboured to promote amongst men Is it not of a far inferiour nature and quite another thing from that true holiness which is taught in Scripture For this I refer the Reader to a learned Discourse of the Divine authority of Scripture not long since printed and only say though many Heathens by their natural light discovered many vices to shun the practise of them and were sober just and temperate in comparison of others yet all this moral righteousness in them was far short of Gods image and the Divine nature in those who are renewed by the Holy Ghost and as different as a living man and his statue or picture though drawn as we say to the life And to prove this I shall only say That true holiness consists especially in the inward impressions and dispositions which make a man meet for communion with God and in the inclinations and carriages of the soul towards God immediately such as meet Moralists never knew There 's a fountain and root within from whence springs all that honesty and integrity and purity which appears in the outward conversation and all is from a mans being ingrafted into Christ and receiving from him a continual supply of his Spirit And this I hope Papists will not deny viz. That all spiritual good is wrought in us by the Spirit of God Now this way of holiness being taught us in Scripture we conclude Scripture to be written with Gods finger because no other then God could reveal such glorious truths to us Let it be shew'd us how these things came to be written where we find them and who wrote them if God did not Once we think it a rational and unquestionable conclusion That Scripture is given by inspiration of God because we find in it the only way of our access to and acceptance with God and the only way of Purifying us so as we may be meet for communion with him for ever And why Even because God alone could teach us these things which the hearts of men or Angels otherwise could never have conceiv'd All this while we grant that these things were revealed to some men before they were recorded in the written word But we expect Papists will not send us
to Revelations now adayes And for any other way of knowing these mysteries then by Scripture we know none and therefore resolve it is of God and cannot be of any other How much will this argument be enforc'd when we further consider of many other particulars reveal'd in Scripture which none but God could possibly know As that there are three that bear record in heaven That God was manifested in our flâ—…sh so as the alone Mediatour was God-Man in one Person Could any creature declare these if it were not inspir'd and â—…ht of God Again How could any Creature come to know how â—…he world was made or how could man come to know how himself was first made out of the dust Can the creature remember the time or know the manner of its own Creation And where have we these but in Scripture You will say these and the like are reveal'd in Scripture But how doth the argument hold good that the Scripture is of God because these things are revealed in it The argument is good and cannot be otherwise accounted by any that are not professed Antichristians because they own these Revelations as Divine and Heavenly Truths For I say again seeing we have in Scripture the great concernments of our Eternity and so many things past finding out by any creature we must of necessity own and acknowledge God alone to have written this word Nay Atheists themselves cannot but know that they are dust And now I shall enforce this by shewing further that Scripture cannot be the work or invention of any Creature either Angels or Men good or bad Good men or Angels would never devise such things and say they were of God For that would be such a belying God as we cannot rationally believe them capable of Wicked men and Devils would never attempt any such thing as penning publishing such a Book which tends so much to the exalting of God and the abasing of themselves This would have been to destroy and overthrow all which they labour so much to uphold Hence we make this challenge who it was that composed this Book we call the Bible if God did not If any object that it may be a collection of many things made up out of the monuments of many ages We may justly demand what hands they were that compiled them and when and where they liv'd If they lived in Moses time how could they write of the Kings If in the times of the former Kings how could they give an account of the latter If in the times of the latter how came the dispersed Jews to have so many Copies of the Law of Moses In a word how could any man or men write of so many things done in so many ages so far distant one from another or how could any man give an account of what was done from the very beginning and before man was made If it be said that it is the work of many in several ages we desire to be satisfied How all should agree so exactly together and who were they that compiled our Bibles or how came they all to agree in calling it the Word of God Mahomet indeed compiled a Book which is to Turks and others as the Scripture is to us For those deluded souls count the Alcoran their Rule of faith and manners And Mahomet calls himself a great Prophet and so his followers account of him to this day But what reasonable man sees not a bundle of fallacies and follies in that Book which by its contradictions and ridiculous relations confutes it self without more ado There are many passages in Scripture which seem to contradict one another There are so but they seem only contradictions and are not such indeed And who are they which apprehend such contracictions are they not commonly such as are most ignorant or least affected to the Scripture But the mutual consâ—…ency of all those passages may be soon found out by all that are intelligent and will use their diligence for that end And what is there were some passages to us irreconcilable will it follow they are such in themselves Surely the general consistency of Scripture with it self might be enough to perswade us rather to charge our selves with ignorance then to suspect it of any mistake And here I cannot omit what a learned man hath observed viz. a majestick kind of security as he is pleased to câ—…ll it in the Scriptures under many 〈◊〉 yea maâ—… sâ—…mingly bold and â—…urous contradictions that yâ—… either the honour of their truth nor that unity which they have in and with themselves shall as he saith at all suffer by For reconciling those seeming contradictions it is not my work at present Only I shall give you one consideration which I find in the same Author and it is this That Scriptures do not stand to excuse or purge themselves as if there were any cause to â—…ffect them of any crossâ—… or contrariety unto one another No They speak from place to place what they have a mind to say with that liberty and freedom as if there were nothing said by them elsewhere that either was like to suffer the least prejudice by it or else to cast the least prejudice on it They that have a mind to satisfie themselves further about this consideration may read his Discourse of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures Pag. 55 56 c. I shall adde for a further confirmation of Scriptures Divine Authority That whatever it hath foretold hath been accordingly fulfilled and that not as Stâ—…gazers Prognoflications atrandom and adventure but punctually and precisely in every particular circumstance So the New Testament confirm the Old by shewing how what was foretold many ages and some thousands of years before came to be fulfilled and accomplished in every particular just as it was foretold Many things we know may be foreseen in their causes so as intelligent and observant men may foretell them as more then meer surmises or conjectures and the Devil probably can do very much this way But Scripture foretells those things of which no reason of man can make any probable conjecture because as they are high and heavenly so they are purely contingent depending only on the will and pleasure of God and therefore the exact performance of those things in all particulars is a strong evidence to prove it written by the singer of God And hence it is so often repeated in the New Testament That it might be fulfilled c. But here is no warrant more then Scripture whose authority is the thing that is questioned 1. We have the consent and testimony of an ient Heathen writers who have recorded and hinted many of those particulars Besides none of the Heathens ever contradicted those Prophecies or the fulfilling of them as for instance our Saviours Birth Death Resurrection c. Though questionless they would have done their utmost had they not been silenced by the notoriety
of the events every way answerable to the predictions 2. What need we any more witnesses when all that Scripture hath foretold and declared as the counsel and will of God is alwayes fulfilled every day as we may see with our eyes And this serves to confirm the Divine authority of it That no work of God is contrary to his word or varies from it in the least but all his Providences of Mercy and Judgement in all changes and chances â—…ill answer his promises and threatâ—…ings in Scripture Yea the sufferings of Gods Servants shew as clearly is any thing else the fulfilling of the written Word since nothing is spoâ—…en of in Scripture more often fully or plainly And here we may chalenge the World to shew any particular passage of providence which â—…utes not exactly with what is reveal'd â—…n the Word and therefore we are confident of this consent between the word and works of God as a strong evidence in the Case For how impossible is it that any one or all men together should pen a Book so precisely anâ—…weting to all and every thing that happens in the World What I pray hath happened to this hoâ—…r whereof an obiesvant and knowing Christian may not say This is no more then what was foretold and no other then what God hath said in his word should be Indeed Atheists and Epicures may dally awhile with Scripture as they do with God himself and count such things as these of small consideration But they of them who are yeâ—… alive might see if they shut not their eyes how Scripture is continually fulfilling in their fellows and hence we are bold to question them yeâ—… and dare them to shew that Goâ—… word hath not laid hold on such as they are just so as is foretold 〈◊〉 Scripture Oh! That these misâ—… would but read and observe Scripture surely then they would discerâ—… what will be their end even the same as of those that went before them And though God hath left himself a latitude in all his providâ—…ial dispensations so as we cannot precisely resolve in every particular concerning wicked ones what shalâ—… befall them on earth yet even that latitude is hinted and what Case is there wherein we are not provided for by some resolution of it in Scripture To instance yet again What design hath the Devil been driving on in these last ages of the World for troubling and diâ—…bing the Church or hindring the work of God in and about it of which there is not a President or parallel Instance in Scripture Or what distresses dangers and sufferings have ever attended Gods people of which there are not some the same or like to be found upon record in the written Word that so all Saints even to the worlds end through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope And hence all that fear God have this to encourage them that their troubles are no more then what others before them have undergone and that when 't is at worst there will be deliverance and enlargement as there hath been alwayes heretofore in the same or the like Cases And hence also they may challenge all those who quarrel Scriptures authority who or where is he that conceiv'd and contriv'd such a Writing beside him who alone can foresee and provide against all events though never so contingent and casual Let Atheists then sport themselves as they please and as long as they can their time is short and it will not be long ere they come to know whether Scripture be the word of God or no Doubtless the continual fulfilling of Scripture in the course of Gods providence is a singulaâ—… good argument to any sound Christian who can set his seal to Scripture and say This is so and I know it by what is to be seen every day Scripture shews it self the word of God in the mighty force and efficacy of it upon the hearts of all men Sometimes in casting down and sometimes again in comforting and lifting up Yea strange and wonderfull have been the effects of it on the godly and the wicked as might be shewed by many Instances but I may not enlarge my self this way not is there need more then to hint it as an argument and leave it to be considered of by such as are sober and perswadable All that I shall do more is only to answer an objection which is this viz. That only some precise and over-nice People so conceit as if Scripture could do great matters But others are not bound to a belief of their fancies For themselves they find no such power it hath to wound or search their hearts and therefore they believe no such thing as some talk of about the force of Scripture working upon the consciences and discovering the hearts of men They are not Phanaticks only who are so conceited of Scripture There are and have been many too well conceited of themselves and who had little regard either to the Scripture or him that we say penn'd it with his own finger which have found by experience the mighty force of it prevailing against and over them But I forbear Instances and shall only argue thus The corruption of mans heart and nature running out in so many infinitely various wayes as it hath and sâ—…ill doth and so cunningly hiding it self as much as possibly from the eyes of the world How should the written word meet with it in all and every of those wayes as it doth if it were not of God that alone searcheth the hearts And whether it do or no we appeal to the consciences of the most prophane scoffers What is it let them speak that hath many times challenged them for what they have done in secret when no eye but that of God could see them was it not conscience within them And could conscience have thus challenged them if there had not been some Law where on to draw the Indictment How could any mans heart smite him for what no creature knows but himself if his heart did not know there is a Judgement and a Soveraign power that will call to an account for the hidden things of darkness It must be some sense of a supreme Authority that keeps the heart in awe and causes it to reflect sadly upon its irregularities in secret and this sense must arise from some manifestation which hath been made by the only Law-giver who searcheth the hearts Men are never afraid of men for any thing which they are sure can never be found out or prov'd against them But they are afraid of Gods Judgement which could not be if there were not some known Law that fâ—…ighted them with sad expectations and what Law can that be other then what we have in Scripture Now let them speak if any can what it was that ever enter'd into their hearts which the written word did not let them know as well as they themselves in every circumstance if they please to consider it and
compare all together And let them shew too if they can how the written word should be privy to all their inmost thoughts if it were not penn'd by him that searcheth the hearts and reins The wisest of men could never frame a Law to control more then the overt act But this Law gives a check to mens inward thoughts and lusts when no act appears and spits Hell-fire in their faces for what no creature knows besides themselves To discourse it a little farther where is such another Law as that of the Decalogue or who but God could frame a Law all compriz'd in ten words to order the hearts and lives of all men in all ages to the worlds end A Law that discovers and condemns all offences in thought word and deed and never had nor will have need to be altered in any the least tittle of it And where do we find this Law Is it not in Scripture It is indeed all of it written in every mans hearr â—…nless any please to except one Commandment in it But how doth Scripture explain and clear up those inbred notions of Religion and moral righteousness imprinted in the hearts of men which otherwise would be very obscure and uncertain as they have been in all or most of the Heathens Though nature teach that there is a God and he to be served and worshipped yet Scripture alone teaches the right way of Divine Service And it alone shews us the right way of doing all offices of love to men so as our charity and righteousness may be more then an outside shew of fair dealing when the inside is nothing but hypocrisie and deceir In one word Scripture alone gives us a Law that commands body and sonl and therefore we have cause to believe it a Law which God alone bath made And if any proud and scornfull men shall say they know no such thing I can deny it with more truth then they can affirm it And affirm what they will not be able to deny when they shall find it true by wofull experience on their death-beds or before as others have done I could here to prove Scriptures Divine authority ask the reason why such as are most vicious and abominable in their conversation contrary to the rule of Reason care so little for Scripture If it were the word of a man or any creature what need they be afraid or troubled about it For what were it more to them then a Play-book or a Romance certaâ—…nly 't is not for nothing that the vilest of men care so little for Scripture read or open'd and applyed No Scripture searches thâ—…ir sores even to the bottom and farther by far then they have a mind to be discovered to others or themselves And now let the world be judge if the vâ—…st of men be not mostly the greatest enemies to Scripture This is enough if there were no more to prove Scriptures descent and pedigree as I may say to be from above Let me adde this to all the rest That a man may read a philosiphical discourse or any Book that treats of any civil and worldly matters and nâ—…ver be tempted as men commonly are about Scripture What 's the reason and why should it be thus If I may judge I must proâ—…ess from my heart I can think of none so probable as this That Scripture is of God For certain the Devil is as I may say tooth and naile against it and if it were of men the Devil would cherish as much as he could the belief of it because it were a lye But now when all Books almost are own'd and receiv'd under the names of their respective Authors it shews Scripture to be of God whose name only it bâ—…ars because there is so much ado about the authority of it Another beame of light to shew Scriptures Divine authority is its Antiquity beyond all Records that make the fairest pretence to it as hath been shewed of lare by an emineâ—…t Scholâ—…r in his labours this way The gray hâ—…rs as one saith which are upon the hend of Scripture shew it to be the off-spring of the antient of dayes and this writing hath the preeminency to be in this respect the first born of all its brethren What Book dare to compare with it as to Antiquity And that not only as to the matter and contents which were in the mind of God from eternity but as to the writing which now pastes up and down the world and may be seen and read of all Let the world shew if it can any Book of so long standing as the five Books of Moses Alas The most antient of all the Antients are but novices in comparison and how uncertain and confused any of them are in their discoveries is to be seen at large in the learned Author of Orig. Sâ—…cr abovesaid Hath any given us an account of the worlds Creation and begining such as we have in Moses Surely any that will be at pains to compare all together will soon perceive the difference and vote our Bible as most transcendent To say no more Unumquodque sapit authorem and Scripture in this is a resemblence of God who is call'd the antient of dayes Yea Scripture is in respect of its contents eternal as delivering to us the everlasting counsels of God What Book ever pretended to such discoveries Heathens have talkt ridiculously and absurdly enough of the feats and famous exploits of some of their dunghill Deities But never any dreamt of their counsels Whereas Scripture shews us the only living and true God not only in his effects and properties but also acquaints us with his mind and will as it was from all Eternity Once the long standing of Scripture shews that it bath outstood all tryals whiles the world hath had so much opportunity to enquire into it and prove it unsound and vain if it had not been far otherwise For still it retains and keeps up its reputation though there have been so many in all ages that would gladly if they knew how have fastened on it absurdity vanity or contradiction or any thing else that their wit or malice could devise So we see in it as an experiment how truth is everlasting whiles mens opinions vary and alter much and as the leaves of trees spring and flourish awhile and then fade and fall to the ground So a lye is never long liv'd but as paint or varnish wears out or washes off because it hath no substance to uphold it But great is the truth and shall prevaâ—…le this truth especially when Heaven and Earth shall fall And this argument hath the more force because that Scripture hath met with so much opposition and conquered notwithstanding For what else but an Almighty power coâ—…ld preserve it when all the ungoâ—…ly that ever were could look upon it no otherwise then an Engine fram'd to batter and overthrow all their fleshly and filthy interests And that is indeed the designe of Scripture to throw
down the Kingdome which Satan hath alwaies laboured to set up to himself in the would through the lusts of Men. There are but two parties in the world whatever men may dream and of these one is for Gods and the other for the Devils Kingdome and command Now whiles all men are by nature and of themselves addicted to the Devils interest in serving their own lusts and the most are alwaâ—…es this way given there must be more then an ordinary power to preserve that doctrine which cries down all sinfull interests and advances only the glory of Christ in his Kingdome The greatest work done by the doctrine of Christ is the subâ—…uing of mens hearts and lives to the obedience of the only Lawgiver But whiles it is a doing this work it alwaies meets with many and great disadvantages from the world that makes account to silence it quite and even swallow it up And if it be consider'd what contrariety and enmity is in the hearts of men against this doctrine and the weak and contemptibie means it had to advance and promote it against that arm of flesh which was listed up against it who can conclude otherwise then that God alone was its strength and therein shew'd himself the owner and author of it For the Pen-men and first publishers of it they were most of them of low estate and degree in the world and had indeed nothing to protect them more then the shadow of the Almighties wings And for those who profest the doctrine of Christ in Scripture were they not for the most part of the same rank and quality For the Pen-men they never insinuated themselves to curry favour with any by goodly titles or flatteries as men commonly do that write by their own instinct Nor is Scripture composed as may be observ'd as if it meant to take men with excellency of speech or mans wisdom Only which is remarkable there is in it a majesty and it speaks with a majestick auâ—…hority such as pretends an Author of it more then man For such as professed the doctrine of Christ in Scripture what reward had they in the world more then troubles and sufferings even to greatest extremity many of them Now who can look on these who have been the instruments and means of propagating and promoting the doctrine of Scripture and not presently bethink himself of some hidden invisible power that upheld them and the work they were ingaged in Let it be considered too that those poor souls who in all ages chose to suffer rather then forsake the doctrine of Christ taught in Scripture cannot be rationally suspected as guilty of a perverse spirit transporting them to maintain what once they had taken up though with the loss of all that was dear to them For how unlikely is it that such a multitude at so great a distance both in place and time should be all so unanimous and that in cool blood against many temptations and entreaties to favour themselves in a deliberate resolved laying down lives and all for a thing of uncertainty yea for any thing less then the matters of their Eternity Nothing else could provoke and put them on to encounter those hard trials of afflictions but the faith they had in Scripture-promises and the fear of that word which threatens all without exception Promises such as no creature durst to make and threats of judgement and vengeance beyond all the power of creatures to inflict These considerations and nothing else could â—…way them to hate Father and Mother and House and Lands yeâ—… and their own Lives seeing they were not mad men or such as had cast off all natural affection to themselves or theirs but held them clear and precious as their own souls Nothing for certain could put them upon such hâ—…zards and adventures but the impulâ—…es of that spirit which spoke and wrote those Scripture-truths as their greatest and only concernments And to reason no further How credible is it that God should suffer the world to be so long abused and deceived by a fardle of lyes fathered upon himself Questionless if Scripture be not indeed the very word of God it can be no other then the most pernicious and blasphemous lye that ever was vented by man or Devil For it calls it self by the name of Gods word and avouches him the authour of it and what can be said more false and blasphemous if it be â—…ot what it pretends to be And would God suffer such a lye to pass â—…urrant so long in the world to his â—…ishonour without checking it Some Impostures have prevailed 〈◊〉 and for a long time They have and it is confessed and Mahomets Alcoran may be an instance But how came that to get place with â—…o many was it not beaten as I may â—…ay into mens brains with dint of word Besides was it not a doctrine â—…hat gain'd it self credit by gratifying â—…ens â—…ilthy lusts Avenge your selves said he to his followers and take as â—…any wivâ—…s as you are able to keep And what hath served to spread and propagate other devices and inventions of men but the craft and subtlety of â—…uch as lay in wait to deceive or the â—…uelty of unreasonable men that knew the most of the world are wonâ—… to comply with that Religion which complies most with their ease and fleshly interests But the doctrine of Christ designs nothing but self deniall and to this it doth most authoritatively call both high and low rich and poor none excepted no not 〈◊〉 the greatest upon earth Now thâ—… a doctrine which requires a man wiâ—… greatest importunity to submit all 〈◊〉 interests and enjoyments to the wiâ—… of God and make performance accordingly whenever the glory 〈◊〉 God or the good of men call for it or give occasion of it should take place and prevaile and that against all means used for suppressing it 〈◊〉 such a miracle of Divine providence as we may justly call it a seale which God hath set to assure us of Scriptureâ—… Divine authority We know well that any doctrine which sutes with and will serve the lusts and interests of men may easily find entertainment But it is unconceivable how a doctrine of denying self and all things else even the most pleasing to corrupt and sinfull nature should preserve and propagate it self without the help of such an hand as is â—…ble to subdue all things Now Scripture was prepared and penn'd â—…or no other purpose but to shew men the way of honouring God with the utmost abasing of themselves â—…nd it is indeed the great Engine â—…hat God uses to the pulling down of strong holds in the hearts of men â—…nd whatever is exalted in opposition to the glory and government of Jesus Christ in the world And to â—…ay no more of this the word and Spirit of Christ have subdued mankind to the obedience of his name so far as the world is or can be justly called and accounted Christian. It were easie for me
to multiply arguments in this kind as so many evidences of Gods speaking to us in â—…he Scriptures But I shall forbear â—…nd proceed to somewhat that comes nearer to the Question concerning â—…he Rule of Faith It is well known that this Question hath been much disputed between us and our Adversaries for many years and that two things especially have been insisted on by them to prove the Scripture no competent Rule of Faith viz. the obscurity and the imperfection 〈◊〉 it In this dispute they have laboured to puzzle and plunge us by putting us to shew how Scripture proveâ—… it self to be what we account it the Word of God To this we may justly think it 〈◊〉 sufficient answer to say as one yea many have said long since thaâ—… in every profession the Principles aâ—… indemonstrable assented to without discourse and the Scriptures are thâ—… Principles of Christian Religion anâ—… therefore first we must grant them to be the very Word of God and therâ—… say they contain all points needfull to be known And since Scripture avoucheth it self to be the word of God 2 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Pâ—…t 1. 20 21 Luke 1. 70. it is rational in us to believe it Notwithstanding our Adversaries are not satisfied but insisâ—… much on this Question viz. How we know that the Scripture that saith it is the Word of God is so in very deed To this the Protestants have long since answered That they know this first and principally by the illumination of Gods Spirit as the inward means and then by the restimony of the Scriptures themselves as the outward means and lastly by the ministry of the Church inducing us to assent Here we say not that the certainty of the Scripture is written in any particular place or Book of it but the vertue and power that sheweth it self in every line and leaf of the Bible proclaimeth it to be the Word of the eternal God and the sheep of Christ discern the voice and light thereof as men discern light from darkness and as children are known by their faces and favours resembling their parents As the purity and perfection of the matter and many particulars else some of which I have hinted before and whoever will see them more fully may find them in a large and learned discourse of the Divine authority of Scripture which I name the rather because it is a Book which the vulgar may better understand then many others that handle this question Though the grounds I have hinted and others which I have omitted induce us strongly to believe the Scriptures Divine authority and we may count them sufficient to fence us against the cavils of our Adversaries yet it is one thing to answer the arguments of men and another to satisfie the doubts and fears of our own consciences Therefore we stand to this That no man can be effectually perswaded of the Scriptures authority as he ought to be in order to a sound and saving belief of the truths therein contained unless he be taught of God by the teachings of his Spirit which alone teacheth to know spiritual things in a spiritual manner God we say is the best witness to his own Word and his Spirit the best seal that can be put to it In the particulars fore-mentioned and many others we see evident tokens of God speaking to us in the Scriptures But the faith that saves us must have this foundation viz. Gods sealing the truth of Scripture by the special grace of his own Spirit to our souls And when this is done then is a man fully perswaded and confident indeed so as he can say and swear too if there be need the doctrine of Christ in Scripture is that which God hath revealed to lead and guide me to my happiness in the enjoyment of God for ever Then and not before a man hath comfort and peace in believing having not only a grant of eternal life but the great seal of the Kingdom of Heaven put to it Such a man so assured and sealed by the Spirit unless in a fit of temptation never troubles himself about this Question Whether Scripture be the Word of God His trouble is most about his own deceitfull and unbelieving heart that he can trust God no better when he hath so good security for all that is needfull in order to his happiness He never thinks what some have said that the Scriptures have been corrupted and are not what once they were He knows that Gods Word is pure and perfect and is only troubled at the corruption of his own heart Papists to shew what good will and respects they have to Scripture have a long time been quarrelling it as if some part of the Canon were lost and some of ours seem to yield somewhat to this thinking no prejudice to come thereby to it But others conceive that no part or member of Scripture that ever was Canonical is lost buâ—… that we have it as whole and compieat as ever it was Indeed aâ—… one faith if any Book were lost oâ—… those which were commended to the whole Church it must argue a strang conspiâ—…acy of this whole Church iâ—… carelessness and negligence such aâ—… is not lightly incident to this generation of men We grant that some particular Churches and single persons have doubted some parts oâ—… Scripture now generally acknowledged for Canonical But we deny that the whole Church hath ever done any such thing As for the old Testament who can justly suspect â—…he Jews for corrupting them when â—…heir zeal for them even almost to â—…uperstition hath been so notorious â—…n all ages and is so still even to this â—…ay Our Saviour blamed them â—…uch and often for their vain Traâ—…itions but never spake one word â—…out their corrupting the Scripture â—…hich questionless he would have â—…ne had there been cause since was a matter of such high concernent And if any had attempted it had been impossible for them to complish it when there were so any Copies dispersed in all places â—…d Countries which were many â—…erein the Jews dwelt If any â—…ereticks had essayed it since the â—…w Testament was written how â—…uld one party have observed anoâ—…er and so prevenâ—…ed the design â—…d to say no more it is impossible â—…ess we imagine that all and every one who had a Bible should at once with one consent in all places oâ—… the world resolve to corrupt those antient Records commended to mankind as the Word of God To clear this further having inserted it here occasionally The Scriptures have been written in parchment and papeâ—… which are things perishable and ic are subject to the injuries of time But who knows not the difference that is between the Word of God and the paper and parchment anâ—… ink which have been used to preserve and conveigh it to us Gods Woâ—… must and shall stand when all theâ—… parchments and paper Records shâ—… be no more And whatever alteâ—… tion there hath been we stand to iâ—…
that the Records we have to tâ—… day have in them all the mind God necessary to be known in orâ—… to our salvation They who maâ—… tain a Reliâ—…ion that cannot be maâ—… good by Scriprure may well quarâ—… it as they have cause But all Wâ—… believe it as they ought know much efficacy in it as they will nâ—… easily heed such flim-flams as â—…ome now adayes are bâ—…zzing into peoples ears Alâ—…s poor souls that have tasted how gracious the Lord is in his Word have an argument which all the world can never answer to them whatever it may do to others These men know and are sensible of a light within them and that it is of God and they heed and attend it But they know too that Scripture is a far more glorious light shewing them the way of life by Faith in a Saviouâ—… who is the Son of God And this light shewing the only way of life they find so to perfect all the natural light in them as they are the more confirmed in the belief of Scripture-Revelations For no man ever denyed the principles of Reason and Nature to be the impressions of God excepting Atheists of which there are so many now adayes Hence every civil and sober man considers seriously how the light of Scripture and Nature agree and that the one is superadded not to eclipse but to clear the other by a more glorious discovery of grace and mercy in a Mediatour for pardoning and purging all sin which else could never have been He is therefore the more perswaded of Scâ—…iptures descent from God as a light from Heaven to give a lustre to the more obscure Principles of Nature and Reason within him What shall I say Gods word is known as his work is known And how is that Even because none can do as God doth He works like himself so that any man may say when he looks on Gods work Here is the finger of God Dent. 3. 24. Is not every work of God such as no creature can do the like And such is every word that God hath spoken as any man that hath reason may say This is the voice of God and not of man Who can thunder with a voice like him so we may say of Scripture who but God could â—…eak such things or in such a manner Never man spake like this man said the Officers who were sent to apprehend Christ John 7. 46. so say we Never any creature did or could speak as Scripture And therefore we believe it to be the Word of God Now being thus perswaded we inferr what we think will unavoidably follow that Scripture is the only Rule of faith For let Papiâ—… say what they can the Rule of faith and manners too can be no other then that Revelation which God hath made of his mind and will for that end What! shall man or any creature prescribe what we are to believe concerning the matters of God It is against all common sence and reason so to imagine But I shall dispute the case in two considerations whereof one is taken from the nature and quality of a Rule the other from the Office and work of faith First a Rule as it regulates or him that useth it so it swaies and commands the things that are regulated by it that they stand or fall are allowed or rejected as they are conformable to it or otherwise And this holds good in every Rule whether properly or improperly so called The standard of all weights and measures hath as I may say an authority to allow or lay aside all other weights and measures that do not exactly answer to it And so is Scripture a Rule of faith because it shews what is to be believed and what not But here I must prevent what will be objected by Papists viz. That Scripture is no compleat Rule but some things are necessary to be believed which are not contained in it 1. That Popery hath many such things as are not in Scripture we believe But therefore we reject them because to make Scripture a Rule not compleat is indeed to make it none at all Who ever heard of a Rule that was not usfficient to regulate all things for which it was intended or if there was devised such a Rule who can be so unreasonable as to call or count it so surely Masons and Carpenters make use of no Rules but such as will serve to measure all the work which they take in hand 2. Whereas they say that God hath left some things unwritten to pass from hand to hand by Tradition who shall believe this more then what the Jews have said a long time and for many ages that Moses had some commands given him to be written and others to be delivered from Father to Son by word of mouth Alas we know what account our Saviour made of their oral and practical Traditions which he calls vain and so may we justly account of these Our Saviour called the Jews to Search the Scriptures and condemned all their Traditions And why may not we take the same course and say To the Law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them Isa. 8. 20. 3. Let Popish Traditions give as much evidence for their descent from Heaven as Scripture doth and we shall embrace both alike Bâ—…t in this case we say as the Jews did in another We know that God spake unto Moses But for this fellow we know not whence he is We know by the Contents and matter of Scripture the Majesty of the dispensation the power it hath upon conscience the certain fulfilling of all the Prophecies to a tittle and many other tokens and testim onies of God speaking in it that it is the Word of God and no other When Tradition can produce such and the like evidences we may haply attend it more then we have done In the mean while we are at a loss and cannot believe the written Word of God and unwritten Word which Papists count so much of to be of like authority because one contradicts the other in many particulars To instance Scripture shews a communion in both kinds so instituted as is to be seen in all the Evangelists and so administred in the Churches 1 Cor. 11. 23 c. according to the first Institution But Papists give only bread to the Laity afâ—…er the Tradition which they have a while received Here is a manifest contradiction of Scripture by Practical Tradition And so there is in forbidding Priests marriage which Scripture allows as honourable among all men excepting none Heb. 13. 4. and taxes the prohibition as a departing from the Faith c. 1 Tim. 4. 1 8. What should I mention abstinence from meats having publick Divine Service in an unknown tongue worshipping God in and before an Image and the like If these do not contradict Scripture there are no things contradictory to be sound upon
earth Yea worshipping God in an Image is against the light of nature if the Apostle speaks truth Rom. 1. 19 20 21 c. And particularly ver 25. it is plain that the Heathens Idolatry was serving the creature with the Crea or To return where we were before we call Scriâ—…ture a Rule of Faith as it reveals the Truths of God and commands our belief For if we had not such a Revelation of Gods will in Scripture we know not where to look for it And they who question us about this should do well to shew us another Revelation of Gods mind then what we have in Scripture For as we believe in God only so we acknowledge no other to have dominion over our Faith and hence we can acknowledge no Rule of Faith but what God himself hath made For certain what is the Rule must be the Law of our belief and who can make a Law of this nature but God only And this I leave to be tryed by the Law of Reason whether any thing can be the Law of Faith that is not a Law of God What! shall men or any creatures prescribe us what we are to believe concerning God It is unreasonable to imagine it And then let it be further considered if the Rule of Faith and the Law of Faith be not all one For it is not possible to prove that to be the Rule of Faith which doth not command us to believe prescribe what is to be believed and secuâ—…e â—…s of the promised good viz. eternal life upon our believing as we are commanded And this leads us to our second Argument from the Office and work of faith which is such a believing God in revealed Truths as leads us to our bliss There is a faith that saves not as all grant and I need not shew what it is But we mean a true faith or a sincere and saving faith and this being undeniable let it be considered How any thing can be the Rule of this faith besides Divine and supernatural Revelation But of this we may take more notice hereafter In the Interim we appeal to the consciences of all sober men whether we are not rational in making Divine Revelation to be the Rule of Divine Faith For sure footing to our faith we hope we have it where alone it is to be had And this will appear more plainly in the discourse of the Question Whether Tradition the Churches Testimony or any thing of that nature is or can bâ—… the Rule of Faâ—…th The second Part. Wherein is debated this Question viz. Whether Tradition the Churches Testimony or any thing besides Scripture is or can be a Rule of Faith IN this Question Protestants hold the Negative and say That Scripture alone is and Tradition cannot be a Rule of Faith And now I must first shew what Papists mean by Tradition Not as they say the Doctrine delivered But a delivery down from hand to hand bâ—… words and a constâ—…t course of frequent and visible actions conformable to those words of the sense and faith oâ—… Fâ—…re-fathers This they call Oral or Practical Tradition and this they would have to be the only Rule of Faith For they charge Scripture with imperfection and obscurity and affirm it to be no competent Rule as being not evident or certain in it self and therefore not sufficient to ascertain others Hence they speak of Scripture as a Rule regulated by Tradition which is indeed to say it is none at all and this they avouch some of them in express terms before all the world Now if we Protestants are once compeâ—…l'd to let go all Scripture authority in matters of Faith I know nothing we have to do more then burn our Bibles and as fast as we can turn Roman Catholicks Papists do not indeed say as far as I know that Scripture is not of Divine Inspiration But they say plainly that the doctrine of Scripture cannot be ascertained to us without Tradition and so Tradition is the Rule ruling as iâ—… aâ—…lures us what is Canonical Scripture and what not Yea they say expresly Tradition is a competent Rule and Scripture is not Now in this we cannot yield to them and we have this argument for our dissent Tradition by their own concession is but a certain way of delivering down the Faith and can be no other at most and that it is so much we cannot yield But supposing it only we say therefore it cannot be the Rule of Faith for it only delivers down to us the Rule And if any think this reason weak let him take notice of this also to back it that Tradition is but an humane Testimony and cannot therefore be a Rule of Divine Faith What! The Faith Divine and the Testimony received by it humane What reason is in this let any reasonable man judge I need say no more Nor will it help in this case to alledge the supernatural assistances of the Holy Ghost For our argument is That our Faith is as the Testimony received by it If therefore the Testimony be humane the Faith is such and where are we then Is our Faith in God that must save our souls only an humane and not a Divine Faith who ever heard such things as these If it be said again That this humane Testimony serves to ascertain us of the doctrine of Christ even so it cannot be the Rule for it is of men and it must be somewhat of God whatever it be that is the Rule of Faith in God Fâ—…r I may justly question in this Case In whom do we believe to the saving of our souls Surely no man will say other then that we believe in God Well and if we believe in God it must be because of some Revelation he hath made of himself and this can be no other then his promise in Christ of grace and pardon to poor sinners This is the Testimony or Record That God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son And this is the Testimony we receive by Faith and so our Faith is Divine If we receive the Testimony of men our Faith is only humane This I say again is our argument That our Faith being Divine the Testimony received by it is so also And therefore we receiving only the Testimony of God by Faith it cannot be reasonably imagined that our Faith should have its foundation and sure footing in any thing of man But here they ferch in the assistances of the Holy Ghost but to little purpose seeing those assistances are yielded us most likely to help us in believing the Word of God and not the Testimony of men And may not Protestants more rationally by far say they believe the Scripture by the perswasions of the holy Ghost then Papists say that Tradition receives incomparable strength by the supernatural assistances of the same holy Ghost surely if God have made any Revelation of his minde and will his Spiâ—…it most likely will help us to believe
them And this light is so glorious as those Atocryphals dare not pretend to it but rather seem willing to be in a lower form For this I instance in 2 Mac. 2. 24. where the Author whoever he was consesses that he had taken what he wrote out of Jason of Cyrene and contracted five Books of his into one Volume and whoever pleases to read on in that Chapter may easily perceive that the Spirit of God which spake by the holy Prophets could never frame to speak in such a manner God in Scripture as hath been already said speaks pro imperio as the only most soveraign Lord and never makes Apologies for himself to be excused with those to whom he speaks For why should he seeing they are all his vassals his creatures The distance is so infinitely great between him and them as it cannot be reasonably imagined that he should court them as that Authour doth For the many fictions and tales told in some of those Apocryphals I â—…all not mention them because they are so well known to such as have perused them and may be to others who have a mind to be satisfied What need have we then of Tradition to determine in this Case And whoever hath a mind to be further satisfied may find enough in all our Divines who have maintained Scriptures authority against our adversaries But the great question is about the Scriptures translâ—…ted For our adversaries think we can never prove them to be the Rule of faith The Rule say they must be certain and infallible But Translations are many and various and much different if not in many things contrary to one another And then how shall the vulgar understand which of them doth indeed declare the mind of God Or how shall the unlearned be infallibly sure that this or that Translation doth not erre Now to clear our selves in this puzzling question I say what Papists cannot deny that the whole Canon was at first written in two Languages which very few in comparison for these many Ages have understood better then our common people do But when the Scripture was pen'd these Languages viz. Hebrew and Greek were best known to the Church of any other Hebrew was the Mother tongue of the Jews and Greek was a language very familiar to such of them as were scattered abroad before our Saviours time and then seeing they were called Hellenists or Grecists for using the Greek Translation of the old Testament by the Seventy For the Gentiles unto whom the Gospel came as well as to the Jews many of them had it for their Mother-Tongue and others familiarly used it because the Grecian Monarchy had not long before swayed in all those parts of the World This I thought good to mention that it might appear the more probable that Gods mind was to have his Word understood by all But there were other people who understood neither of those Languages There were and are still such and we do not deny it But this is evident that God was not pleased to cause his Word to be written at first in the Vulgar languages of all Nations For if he had we should not be pozed as now we are with this Question However what I have said and cannot be denied serves to hint this That Gods mind was to have his Word understood by those to whom it came seeing he wrote to the Jews in Hebrew and to the Grecians in Greek True other people could not understand it without a Translation And what shall we say in this Case God did not cause the Scripture to be penned at first in the several Languages of all people and Nations We must here leave out adversaries to question God for it for we cannot deny That the Scripture was penned at first only in two Laguages which many could not possibly understand without a miracle unless it had been translated Only since it was thus we hope our adversaries will not say it ought not to be translated seeing there was a necessity for it in order to the understanding of it which else could never have been without a miracle But how shall the vulgar know whether Translations be according to the Originals And then how can the Scripture translated be a Rule of faith which must be such as a man may be sure that there is no errour in it This is indeed the Question where with they go about to puzzle us For the Scripture say they as translated into the English tongue cannot be the Rule of faith because not infallible And to this we intend to answer though others have answered it long ago* And our answer is that 1. We know of no infallible Spiâ—…it promised or given of God for translating Scripture And this is that which our adversaties think will give the cause wholly on their side For seeing all Translations are liable to mistakes the vulgar and unlearned can never have a Rule of faith in Scripture say they But we shall not quit ouâ—… claime to Scripture for all this For we can distinguish as that learned Divine hath between the doctrine taught in the Scriptu e and the means whereby the doctrine is 〈◊〉 to our capacity as between things and words The Divine truth which is the infallible Word of God is say we the Rule of faith The Translations are only means to shew it us and the vessels wherein it is presented to us And thus in rigour of speech we do not count the English or any other Translation no nor the Greek or Hebrew the Rule because all Language is but a certain form or manner or means whereby it cometh to us But because the doctrine is not made known but by words and languages Therefore the Scripture translated into English is a Divine authority for faith So men believe a Divine truth although delivered by humane voice in pâ—…eaching and just so we have the infallible Doctrine of the Scriptute immediately inspired by the holy Ghost though by an humane Translation it be manifested to us 2. But how do we know that our Translation is right and according to the Originals Or how can our unlearned people be sure of it And if they cannot how can the English Bibles be to them a Rule of Faith Sol. Our English Bible saith our learned White contains in it two things viz. The Doctrine and the Translation The Doctrine was inspired by God and written by men infallibly assisted by the Holy Ghost The Translation was done by the ministry of the Church and industry of certain men who thâ—…ugh they haâ—… no supernatural inspiration yet we know infallibly they have not erred in the mattâ—…r by the same means whereby we know other Truths and discern other Articles of Chriâ—…ian Faith viz. The light of the Doctrine Transl. .ted the testimony of the Spirit the ministry of the Word the rulâ—…s of Art the knowledge of the Tongues c. Obj. Some Translations have erred and how
shall we be sure of this or that Translation Sol. We grant that some have erred and any may unless there were an infallible Spirit to aâ—…st What is this to us who maintain not this or that Translation but the Scriptures well and faithfully translated to be the Rule of Faith True our Translations have been altered but this alteration hath been in words more then matter And one and the same sence may be expressed divers wayes So we may have different Translations without any error in the matter and Doctrine Nay further what if one Translation should differ from another in sence we are not therefore bound to quit our English Bibles unless it did appear that we have not in them the matter and substance of all Châ—…istian Doctrine And here we require it be shewed and proved that our various Translations do not all agree exactly so far as we have in them all the Articles of Christian Faith which are necessary to be known and believed in order to our happiness The differences in all our Translations are not such or so many as that we should need the Churches authority to assure and settle us For God openeth the hearts of his people to know his voice from others whiles the light of Divine truth gives testimony to it self and receives authority from no other as the Sun is seen by its own light and as we discern sweet from sowre by its own tast However as a learned man hath said we deny not that there are divers means whereby our consciences may be assured Some private as skill in tongues learning labour prayer conference c. Some publick as the ministry which act of the Church is not authority to secure but ministry to shew us that which shall secure us which ministry is founded on the Scripture it self in that from thence it fetcheth the Reasons that may pâ—…rswade us and shâ—…weth the light that doth infallibly assure us And the difference between these two is this That the Spirit is an inward means the teaching of the Church an outward The Spirit Secureth us by kis own authority the Church directeth us by her ministry The Spirit hath light in it self the Church borroweth hers from the Scripture For certain God never since his people had his Laws written to them hath left them without a ministry and this is the great work of that ministry to cause the people to understand the Laws of God And how this can be done amongst our vulgar unless by translating the Scripture let them shew that can for we cannot Whereas our Adversaries take occasion hence to quarrel Scripture as no competent Rule of faith because the unlearned vulgar want a Rule and can have no other then a Bible translated which is liable to many and great mistakes we may justly question them about their Translations For they know there is a Latine Translation not the Original for certain which is with them commended as authentical to say no more Only we desire them first to answer for themselves However we may justly marvel that they send us to Tradition for our assurance about Translations seeing our present English Translations are of no such antient date as we need to enquire much what our Fathers thought of them They are best known and discerned by those who best understand the Originals and have the most helps and means which God hath allowed for such a work as Translating the Scriptures And for these we may without ostentation say that we have as good and as many as they have and the Translations we have are approved of by our Church though not by theirs If the Papists would or could prove that the Scriptures ought not to be translated at all or else help us to a Translation absolutely answerable to the Originals and give us good security for it they should do both us and themselves a good piece of service But there is an absolute necessity of Translations unless we knew of any extraordinary and miraculous way of bringing our people to understand the will of God in his written Word And what then is to be done or what can we do in order to the salvation of poor souls There are some perhaps who can resolve this otherwise then we dare and say Let them alone to be as ignorant as may be and believe only as the Church believes right or wrong But for our part we are of the mind that our people will never grope out the way to Heaven while they are blindfolded nor can we be perswaded that ignorance is the mother of devotion though we know it is the mother of superstition God 〈◊〉 mâ—…n from darkness uâ—…to light when he turns them from the power of Satan 〈◊〉 himself Act. 26. 18 and why came our Saviour a lighâ—… into the world if we may go to Heaven as blind as we are born what have we to do while we are here â—…pon earth more then to get grace and knowledge and grow in it more and more Heaven is called the inheritance of the Saints in light and Hell is called utter darkness To say no more of this we have the Scriptures translated into English because the greatest number of our people whose souls are as precious as others cannot otherwise understand them without a miracle And we use the best means we have left us to make our people know Gods mind and will in 〈◊〉 written Word And for Tradition we know no use of it unless iâ—… be fiâ—…st resolved beyond all exception that we must believe as the Church believes whatever the Scripture saith What hath been said already in answer to the former Queries may serve in part for the 〈◊〉 hand last Qâ—…ery about the sence and interpretation of Scripture However we shall say what we thâ—…nk about the letter of Scripture not senc'd and to be senc'd Now the sence of 〈◊〉 that Scripture hath words and 〈◊〉 is the Rule of faith and they read it as any mâ—…n reads his friends or correspondents letters to know his mind in them or as Factouâ—…s beyond sea come to know their Merchants orders given them in and by their letters Sometimes a difference arises amongst these and â—…hen what can a Factour do to clear himself more then to produce his Merchants leâ—…ters and say Here is the order you gave me and I have followed it so do we when we are questioned about our faith we know no other answer but this that we have orders given us in Scripture to believe so and so and not otherwise We cannot in this case abstract the leâ—…ter from the sence Scholars indeed in their contemplations may make such abstractions But what have we to do with them in practical use or about moral actions for in such cases we must as all sober men do take words and sence together Words and letters as far as we ever learnt serve only to signifiâ—… mens sence and meaning And so doth the letter of Scripture signifie Gods mind
For this is confessed and cannot be reasonably denied that Scripture was penned by the Holy Ghost not in the several languages of all people but in two only which few now adayes in compâ—…on do understand Hence there is a necessity of translating and inâ—…erpreting Scripture and for this purpose God hath given gifts to men and these gifts we use as we ought to do What need our Adversaries quarrel us about what we cannot help but we know what lies at bottom They would fain have us go down to them to sharpen our shares and our coulters c. which we are not willing to do so long as we have Smiths enough at home to make us Swords and Spears I shall now conclude our answers with that which we count the Pillar of our hopes and as I may say the Sure-footing of our faith in Scripture We do indeed make the Scriptures our only Rule and believe that in them alone is prescribed to us whatever God would have us to know and do in order to our salvation And in this our faith we own the Divine authority whereof we see so many evident tokens in the Scriptures themselves But yet we say that as God only is a competent witness of himself speaking to us in his Word so his Word is never well rooted in our hearts till it be sealed to us by the inward Testimony of his Spirit that Spirit which spake by the Prophets pierâ—…ing our hearts and perswading us that what God commanded hath been faithfully delivered to us accordingly And this promise we have Isa. 59. 21. not his Word only but his Spirit also to seal it upon the soul of every true believer To this seal of the Spirit we owe all that acquiescency we have in Scripture For when we are therewith enlightned and enlivened we do no more trust our own or others judgement but are carried up above whatever is of man and so we resolve beyond all doubtings and fears that Scripture is of God alone Then we look no more after proofs or probabilities but submit our reason and all we have to that authority which we dare not any longer to deny or dispute For then we have an inward lively sense of God speaking in Scripture and are effectually drawn wittingly and willingly to submit to our Master in Heaven So we account as we have reason that only to be faith unfeigned which God by his Spirit seals upon our hearts in our hearing and reading the Scriptures But this may seem strange doctrine to such as know nothing of these matters by experience Therefore I shall discourse it a little that I may if possible make it manifest even to reason The question between us and our Adversaries is about the Rule of faith This faith iâ—… is granted is such as leads us to our bliss Hence we Protestants conclude that this faith cannot be wrought in us but by the Spirit of God which alone worketh all spiriâ—…ual good And this alâ—…o that the Spirit of God works it ordinarily at least by the Word as its most proper instrument Will any put us to prove this surely they must have too much of the Aâ—…heist that question it For how was all the world converted to the faith of Christ was it not by the preaching of Christs Word and his Spirit opening their hearts to receive it in the power of it did not Christ and his Apostles open and expound the Old Teslament to confirm the truths of the Gospel Luke 24. 27. Acts 26. 22. and did not the Spirit work that faith whereby thousands believed that truth But this is Scâ—…ipture and it must not be allowed if our Adversaries be judges to give evidence for us in this Case We shall therefore require them to shew what service Tradition did when Christ and his Apostles pâ—…eached the Gospel We hope they viz. Christ and his Apostles were assured some other way that the Old Testament was the Word of God And if they made use of it to open the blind eyes we may be excused for saying that God works faith in man by his Word as the most usual Instrument And if this also be questioned let Papists shew how faith which saves our souls is or can be wrought by their Oâ—…al or Practical Tradition We know well that children are apt enough to take up what they see or hear their Progenâ—…tors do or say before them And so they commonly p ofess the Religion whatever it be which they find ready to their hands Yea it is with many the great argument for their Religion that their Forefathers were so minded But what is all this to the bringing us unto a sound believing on our Lord Jesus Christ to the saving of our souls we believe Scripture to be the Word of God because it is the witness which God hath given of himself Nor do we know any other way of receiving any Testimony nor our Adversaries neither as we think We know too that a man may believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God and yet be far enough from that faith which will bring him to his happiness The Devil it is said cited and urged Scripture as Gods Word though to a very bad purpose Certainly that faith which brings men to their happiness is somewhat more then a bare belief of Scripture-Truth It is indeed a receiving of Christ offered in the Promises such as causes us to account all but loss and dung for Christ. And for this purpose God shines in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 6. Now it almost amazeth us to hear of such a faith wrought by Tradition What! hath God no Word at all or hath he given no testimony nor witness of himself and his will beside the testimony of men what need is there of Scripture if this strange doctrine take place For say our Adversaries Tradition is the only Rule of faith and it hath admirable strength by the supernatural assistances of the Holy Ghost Nay further we must be all Fanaticks if we hold to Scripture and let go Tradition But this needs no answer with those who believe that God hath a Word of his own to be a witness of his will And shall we be perswaded that the Testimony of men is greater then that of God there may be we grant and question nor some force of Tradition for the descent of the main body of Christs doctrine But what is this to the purpose unless it be proved that the Testimony of men is the power of God to salvation whiles by it and not by his Word he brings men to believe Alas what faith do our Adversaries count upon Do they dream of being saved only by a certain perswasion that the doctrine of Christ is a truth and no lye If they do let them keep their faith to themselves We count upon somewhat else which we are sure can never be effectually
this Rule Did I consult God and his Word when I undertook such a business Is the way I am now in answerable to what God hath commanded Do not I in such a design or undertaking clash with some Commandment or other O! that so many loose and vitious persons as are now adayes would be perswaded to sit down and seriously question themselves whether their uncleanness excess revellings and riotings cursed Oâ—…ths and blasphemies and many other horrid Impieties be agreeable to the Rule of Gods Word But I must let them alone and leave them till the time come when they 'le be made to know that Gods Word is such a Rule as will over-rule yea and run them down so as they shall never rise more to contradict it as now they do For such as are more civil and sober so as to read the Scripture sometimes which those other likely seldome or never do I heartily wish they will henceforward observe what hath been said before and lay their lives to the Rule and Line which I hope they will do if they heartily believe the word of God to be that Law by which they and all mankind shall one day be judg'd and tri'd How eâ—se can they hope to stand and abide the trial And when shall they do this work of searching and trying their hearts and ways if they set not about it now when they have nothinh else to do but to frame their works and doings unto that which God hath laid out to lead and guide them to their happiness 7ly Let them in reading observe and attend chiefly those things which are often inculcated and most insisted upon in Scripture If any shall ask why I answer Because those to be sure are matters of greatest concernment 'T is a great vanity specially in men of weak parts and small gifts to pry and pore much as some will do upon such passages as have difficulty enough in them to poze and puzzle the wisest And their vanity to say no worse is the more because those difficult passages have for the most part nothing in them but what we may be safely ignorant of And yet some things of greatest concernment may be more obscurely in some places delivered But still I affirm confidently they are otherwhere express'd more fully and plainly so as no man of common sence can doubt or make any question about them And if any shall object against what I have said that we may be safely ignorant of some things declar'd in Scripture I answer That in this I am if I mistake not of the same mind with all Divines in the world who hold some things to be of the foundation so as they are necessary to be known and believ'd in order to salvation and others only superstructive such as ignorance or errour about them is not in it self damnable Who can rationally suppose that ' â—…is of the same consequence to know every passage of Scripture-History as to know and believe that Jesus Christ died for our Sins and rose again for our Justication No question the Lord who never did any thing in vain would never have reveal'd and recorded any the smallest matter but that there was a cause But thereupon 't will never follow that all things reveal'd do alike concern us To instance That the dead shall rise again and come to Judgement is as I take it a fundamental Article of our Faith But that the dead in Christ shall rise first before they who shall be found alive at the last day shall be changed is not I think of so much consequence though this also is a truth of Divine Revelation and therefore to be believed If the dead be not raised our faith is vain 1. Cor. 15. But so long as we believe the Resurrection I suppose we may be saved though we should not know the order that will be in raising the dead and changing them who will be then alive All this however must be so understood and interpreted as I intend it not to allow or countenance any wilfull neglect or affected ignorance of any Scripture-Truths but only to salve the Consciences of such as cannot after all their most carefull enquiry come to know all the mind of God in every particular as Scripture hath it Can any man reasonably think we are bound to mind and remember every descent in all the Genealogies as we are to have in mind the Birth Death Resurrection and Ascention of our Lord Jesus Christ who knows not the dâ—…fference that hath bee among the most learned and still is in reconciling the Genealogy of our Saviour as it is with some difference recorded in two Evangelists And are there not think we many in Heaven who never much studied Christs Pedigree after the flesh To return therefore where we left I say again observe those things especially which are most insisted on because those are of most concernment and the Holy Ghost often repeats them for this reason that we may the better mind and remember them We know and believe that in some one or more Books of Scripture there is revealed so much of Gods mind and will as is necessary to be known in order to Salvation And yet it pleased the Lord to give us his mind in other Books of Scripture about the same things and many others besides that the joynt consent of many might the more confirm our faith and we might in that which so much concerns our Souls have full measure pressed down and running over Witness the Evangelists all recording the History of our Saviour with some variety though no contradiction in the least As also Pauls Epistles so often repeating the doctrine of Salvation by Christ alone through faith in his blood and the duties of all Christians in all their Relations Now I say again observe and attend those things as being of greatest concernment and others also in their order For in so doing we shall be sure to know so much as we need to do In a word Read attentively and that as often as may be with all humility and an earnest sincere desire to know the will of God in order to your doing it alwayes begging the assistance of his grace and spirit who alone teaches us to 〈◊〉 Then will your own experience convince you against all the reasonings of corrupt minds that there is a clear light in Scripture such as may easily be seen of all whose eyes the God of this World hath not blinded lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them 3. Not to rest themselves satisfied in a notional knowledge of 〈◊〉 re-truths 〈◊〉 to labour for and never leave till they come to that which is practical and experimental For then men are indeed grounded and established in the truth when they have tasted of it so as to know it by experience Then they believe Scripture to be the Divine truth as a man believes snow to be white because he sees it or honey
2. Cor. 5. 14. That the love of Christ constraineth us Such and so great are the manifestations which he hath made of himself and his love to our Souls as we can never be thankfull as we ought but in a full and absolute resignation of our selves and all we have to his service and glory 2. I advise yet farâ—…her that in our greatest inlargements we walk humbly with God as knowing that his power alone is all the strength whereby we are enabled to stand Peters preâ—…umptuous confidence in his own strength wrought nothing but repentance for his sainting in an evil day By his own strength shall no man prevail And therefore the Apostle exhorts to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Eph. 6. 10. and to put on the whole armour of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil v II. It is God alone that keeps the feet of his Saints 1 Sam. 2. 9. There need no motives I hope to perswade However consider 1. What we have believed Not cunningly devised fables but a sure Word of Prophecy such as the Apostle seems to prefer if the comparative be senc'd according to the letter before visions and immediate Revelations Or he might so call them because the Prophecies might be more sure to the godly Jews through long use and acquaintance We know the Jews at Berea examined Pauls doctrine by the Scriptures and are not taxed but commended for it And if an Angel from heaven should preach any other doctrine then what we have in Scripture we have no reason to believe it Those blessed Spirits indeed never did it nor ever will But we make the supposition which the Apostle doth Gal. 1. for the more Emphasis For Scripture-truths they are of long standing and approved by their abiding the test and triall of so many ages Christ and his Apostles made the old Testament the Standard of their doctrine and appealed to it for the proof of all they preacht to the people Moses and the Prophets are more to be heeded then if a man rose from the dead Luk. 16. 31. And they who hear not the one will never regard the other if our Saviour said true Was it ever heard that any doctrine so much as pretended to Scriptures antiquity Or is it possible that any thing but certain truth should outstand the siftings and winnowings of so many ages specially when it hath had so many professed enemies Shall we now call in question what was never questioned before Have not all Christians who deserved that name unanimously agreed in believing the faith and truth delivered in Scripture or do Protestants now believe any thing that was not believed by all Saints ever since any part of Scripture was penned we believe on the Son of God who gave himself a ransome for all And this Doctrine we have in Mosâ—…s who was the first penman of Scripture and as our Saviour saith wrote of him Must we now call in question all that Moses and the Prophets and the Apostles have written yea and cry it down as no Rule of faith then farewell all our Christianity and the Christian Religion at once For where have we learnt all the mystery of godliness God manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit c. 1 Tim. 3. fin Who or what hath given us to know what have been all the Transactions of God with the sons of men in order to eternal life from the beginning Will our Adversaries say roundly once for all that the doctrine of Scripture is not the doctrine of Christ Let them speak out if they have a mind to say so and then we know what to answer them But if they will not avow this as indeed they have not yet in plain terms we have this to say for our selves that we believe what they deny not to be the truth of God and the doctrine of Christ. That we cannot be assured of this otherwise then by Tradition hath been already answered and no more needs to be said about it For mens Tradition we know it will serve nothing better to usher in and establish mens Inventions But shall we renounce our own Reason so far as to appeal to men who are all lyars for the truth of what is spoken by him that cannot lye Oh! consider and remember that in believing Scripture we believe not Prophecies or Prodigies not heard of till yesterday No we believe the everlasting Gospel and the good old way to rest and peace The very doctrine of practical godliness and moral righteousness taught us in Scripture is such as we cannot but assent unto it as agreeing with and approved by our natural light so as we must forfeit out Reason ere we can be perswaded to question Scriptures authority Read but the Prophets and the Psalms and the Proverbs and Pauls Epistles or other parts of Scripture and consider the precepts of sobriety temperance righteousness justice and truth which are there so many and will not our consciences say these are all of God and we know they are Divine by the natural light which is in us Who could have cleared up the inbred notions and impressions that are upon all mens hearts so as they are cleared in Scripture but that light in which alone we see light for the mysterie of Godliness we know it is altogether of supernatural Divine Revelation and being such what need is there or can there be of any mens or Churches authority to confirm it To say no more let Reason judge and determine whether the faith of men can authoritatively confirm the faith of God And yet it must if we cannot be ascertained of the one without the other yea and our faith in Gods testimony must be resolved into the testimony of men as yielding to us the greatest certainty beyond all doubt or question Consider I say what we have believed viz. the antient yea eternal Word of the everliving God and this Word alwayes one and the same as God is only at sundry times and in divers manners it was spoken to the Fathers by the Prophets and in these last times to us by the Son himself and such as he hath sent 2. Consider that in believing the testimony of God in his written Word we believe and receive the faith of our Forefathers who suffered for their close adhering to Scriptures doctrine and could not be parted from it but rather chose to part with their lives for it And herein they approved themselves the genuine and kindly issue of all the antient Martyrs who loved not their lives unto the death for the testimony of Jesus We should too much wrong our selves and the cause of Christian Religion to yield that which our Adversaries will never be able by dint of argument to force from us viz. That we are upstarts newly sâ—…rung out of the ashes of our late Reformers They were as we call them Reformers that repaired the desolations which
lineal succession but look only after succession in doctrine And this we have reason to do seeing the Heavenly inheritance is entayled only upon those who know and obey the truth And where is this truth if not in Scripture and if we once let go Scriptures verdict in the Cause must we not stand or fall according to the sentence of the Church and what Church can pretend to more then the Church of Rome will pretend unto but let Scripture be judge in the Case and it will soon appear that all is but a vain and empty pretence And why should we not appeal to it alone and leave it to umpire the differences Our adversaries never durst say as yet for ought I have known that it is not the Word of God though some of them have spoken most unworthily of it and reproached it so as none would I think do that seriously believed it to be indeed the Word of God However they say not in terms that it is not the Word of God though that will be the consequence of what they say and that we think unavoidable if all things be duly considered Surely to us it must be so For if it hath no credit as to us without a Certificate under the hands of men it deserves no credit at all such as we must give to it as a Rule of faith and the ground work of all our hopes And this is rational because then we need not go to Scripture since there is somewhat else that is more to be credited then it For no man that is reasonable can be ignorant that what makes any thing to be what it is must be more such if not formally yet virtually or eminently And our adversaries take it so and therefore say plainly that Scripture for many reasons is no competent Rule of faith but Tradition doth the work that is needfull to be done and is a Rule in every respect compleat Now let this be granted and then look about and see what follows They say and think though not truly that they have Tradition by the forepart viz. that all the first ages of the Christian Church held as they do now And for the hinder end they hâ—…ve it fast enough as we all know For we must grant what we cannot without impudence deny 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of these parts of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ward for many of the latter ages And we do not wonder at it because it is no more then what Scripture hath foretold And now if Scripture be thus laid by what will become of all that faith which we have other then what Papists have or how can we refuse whatever they shall impose by their Tradition And shall it be ever said that we have made a separation so long and now turn back again upon no other ground then this viz. that Tradition is the Rule of Faith and Scripture is every way unfit for such a work what is this but to cast dirt in the faces of all that went before us and hazarded all to vindicate and obâ—…ain that liberty which the written Word so long suppressed hath since had amongst us For this was the rise and root of all the disorders and distempers that ever have been since the Apostles times unto this day viz. that men have not contented themselves with a Rule of Gods making but in the pride of their hearts would frame Laws unto themselves And this began in the Apostles times by the workings of Satan in the false Apostles who would then keep up the antient Laws of God intended only till the time of Reformation when according to his will they ought to be laid aside This I say we may justly suspect to have given the first occasion to others afterwards of devising many things besides the only Rule And so it is come to pass by many degrees at last that Scripture is no Rule at all if some men may be credited in what they say And now let us consider what we have been adoing for an hundred years and more Have we all this while believed in vain And have all those who are gone to another world before our eyes died without hope What! have we been in a sweet dream so long and could never be awakened till now Are we now to seek of a Rule of faith Indeed we have then believed to small purpose and so have many others whom we have hitherto thought to be with the Lord. What! have we never received any fruits of the Spirit such as have been a seal to the truths of the written Word so as we can say we know what and whom we have believed were our eyes never opened nor our hearts ever humbled or melted If they have been then consider what doctrine hath been preached to us and by what means we came to be what we are And have we not enough for all intents and purposes we have Jesus Christ evidently set forth to us in Scripture and no where else And have we need of any other Saviour we have the way of holiness in Scripture as no where else and can we go to heaven in any other way Are we in danger of perishing by believing in Christ alone or will the denyal of our selves and all ungodliness and worldly lusts as Scripture commands and requires hazard our souls Nay will not faith in Christ alone such faith I mean as works by love save us then what will become of me and others who never yet learnt any other way of salvation and resolve through Gods help and grace never to think of any other But I shall say no more when I have related one story Darbishire Benners kinsman said to Hawkes the Martyr You will have nothing but your pretty Gods Book No said Hawkes and is not that enough for my salvation Yes said the other but not for your instruction Then said Hawkes God send me the salvation and take you the instruction And of his mind am I and many others too I hope If Scripture be not sufficient to shew and assure us what we are to believe and do in order to our salvation as some would perswade us we are resolved however to leave our souls to Gods free mercy as it is revealed therein and leave others that have a mind to take all the Instruction that is to be had by Tradition FINIS AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER THE late dreadfull Fire kindled by our God-provoking sins and abominations transcending all our Forefathers after so many miracles of mercies and deliverances within three dayes space turned no less than 88 Pariâ—…es and Pâ—…ish-Churches with the Cathedâ—…al Church of the late great and glorious City of London into heaps of ashes and rubbish to the just horror and amazement of all Spectators of their â—…mes and ruines which as it proved extremely prejudicial and destructive to most Companies of the City yet none of them received so grand losses and dammages by that devouring Conflagration as the Company of Stationers most of
milk to grow thereby And lest they might think he meant they should be alwayes children he calls it * reasonable sincere milk to shew they should be in understanding men as well as in malice children An honest heart can never miss the mark because it aims at nothing but to know and do the will of God For such a one hath the promise of God for his security The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant And vers 12. Him shall he teach in the way that he shall chuse Let none therefore that are truly honest and sound at heart fear or doubt lest they should mistake their way so long as God undertakes to be their guide The Word is as God himself a light and often so called and how can he go astray that hath God and his Word to lead him Yea the entrance of thy words is light it giveth understanding unto the simple saith the Psalmist Even the veriest Idiots may here learn at first sight what the wilest of the world without grace will never attain unto And what if such poor souls should never understand all Scripture-Passages so as to satisfie themselves about the true sence and meaning of them Surely there 's no hutt nor hazard so long as they are sure to be taught of God in all the concernments of their souls To close up this Read I say with an intention and resolution to practice all that appears to be duty and remember well those words of our Saviour Joh. 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God For to him that hath i. e. that improves what he hath shall more be given and he shall have abundance And thus as one saith they want no gists for understanding the Text that have and use the Text it self in that all Exposition is to be fetched out of it I shall adde to the foregoing Direction this one word viz. That they who are honest be also humble because to such only is the promise of grace made Jac. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. The meek will he guide in judgement and the meek will he teach his way Psal. 25. 9. He that is wise in his own conceit cannot hope to be wiser through the teachings of the Spirit because God resisteth the proud or he scorneth the scornâ—…rs He is not with them but against them and is so far from giving them more as he takes away from them even that which they have 5ly Let their delight be in Gods Word to meditate and muse often and seriously upon what they have read and heard This was Davids constant practice as is to be seen by his professing it so often in the Psalms And Psal. 1. 2. he gives it as the character of a Blessed man and one that 's truly godly Whoever delights in any thing cannot but often think of it yea and take any occasion that 's offered to speak of it because his heart is full of it And this often thinking and speaking of the Word causes us both to understand it and also to be more affected with it Reading and hearing is as taking in meat Meditation is as concoction and digestion without which we shall never grow or gather strength There are many that read the Scripture and can discourse of it as being no strangers to it and yet they are great strangers to it all the while And why Because it is not in their hearts to love and delight in it as David did They have a conceit of it as somewhat worthy of some discourse now and then when they have little else to do or when company or some accident gives them an occasion But a professed Christian should be as David so affected alwayes as to say O how love I thy law It is my meditation all the day And again Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee So the Word thus hid and laid up in the heart would be at home alwayes at hand to answer those bad neighbours that will be alwayes about our doors to creep in whenever there is an opportunity yea and thrust them out when they are urgent as troublesom unwelcom guests and shut the door upon them So much is clearly implied in the place next abovecited The Word in the heart as in a place of constant residence is a Barricado against all the assaults and insinuations of sin and Satan and our Saviour gave a sufficient proof and experiment of it when he was tempted of the Devil Mat. 4. Search the Word therefore so as to get it into thy heart that it may lodge there to be as a guard about thee and whoever reads or hears it with any other intention I dare warrant him shall never thrive in his soul by it He may perhaps know much of the letter and sence also and be able to argue from it so as to puzzle others about some difficult passages in it but will never know any thing of it so as he ought to know For God hath given us his Word as a choice Jewel worthy of the best Cabinet we can find to lay it in viz. The secret of our hearts or the inmost closet of our souls Our outward senses our tongues our understandings our memories will give no entertainment to such a guest as the Word which saith as God himself Give me thy heart there 's nothing else will cont nt me There 's never a room besides in our houses where the Devil hath not a through-fare Only the heart fill'd and fenc'd with the Word laid up in it is an impregnable Fort which Satan may assault but can never enter 6ly Let them study the Scriptures and their own hearts together so as to observe how they suit one with the other and how they clash or accord together Scripture is we say the only Rule not of faith only but of manners also and by it alone we are to examine and try all the workings of our whole man bodies and souls our thoughts and fancies our affections purposes and resolutions whatever we design or take in hand all must be done by Rule and there 's no other Rule appointed of God for the regulating of our wayes and walkings but his written Word Let us then do as Workmen that have their Square or some other Rule alwayes by them and ever and anon are measuring and examining how their work answers and agrees with it Now our work in order to our Eternity being of infinitely more consequence we have more need to be alwayes measuring that we go not beyond or beside the line This do therefore when you read and study Scripture viz. Apply it to the frame of your spirits and the course of your lives by a serious questioning your consciences as in the presence of God to this purpose or somewhat like viz. Did I this or that according to