from Luke 24.21 22. where two of the Disciples after they had with much sadness declared how the chief Priests and Rulers had delivered Christ to be condemned to death and had crucified him said we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel intimating thereby that he being then dead and gone they were quite hopeless expecting nothing less then his rising again for after when they heard by the women that he was alive they were astonished at it in Mark 16.13 when upon his appearing unto two of them these went and told it to the rest of the Apostles yet they believed it not and hence it was that he appeared and shewed himself to his Disciples 500 at once and familiarly and often to such of them as he intended to make his Apostles and chief witnesses to the world to confirm this their belief in his resurrection insomuch that when he first appeared to them he shewed them his hands and his feet and bad them handle and see Luke 24.39 Jeh 20.20 c. where it is very observable that Thomas not being then present would not believe the report of all the rest of the Apostles that he was risen unless he might see and handle his wounds also as they had done wherein also afterward Christ gave him satisfaction by permitting him to do so likewise and then withal left a blessing in the hands of the Apostles for all such other of his Disciples who had not seen him as they had done yet did believe his resurrection Wherefore most requisite it was That as well for the communicating of this blessing as for the confirmation of the Disciples believers in the belief of Christs resurrection they should write the Narratives of all these things and most probable it is the Apostles did therefore write the three other Gospels for these ends and purposes as may be gathered by comparing John the Apostle with the Apostle John that is Joh. 20.31 with 1 Joh. 5.13 I have been the larger upon this because I finde not only ordinary men but most learned profound Teachers do pervert this place of Scripture to the mis-leading of many whether ignorantly or purposely I will not determine 1 In making the sence of the words as if Christ thereby did intend a blessing on all such as in the future should believe the teachings of men without seeing any divine evidence to attest the truth of their Doctrine whereas Christs words had respect onely to such other of his Disciples or believers who had not seen Christ as Thomas did yet did believe his being risen again which Thomas by no means would do until he had both seen and felt him 2 In making the Apostles words in vers 31. to be intended to all the world as a ground sufficient for true and saving faith whereas if it were so it might serve instead of a true Ministry in all nations when as to the generality of mankinde it was meer barbarism coming from the Apostle but in one language onely which would have been a failer not imaginable in the Apostle having the guift of tongues enabling him purposely to teach all nations people in their respective languages and accordingly no doubt he would have written if he had intended it for any such great and general use but it is most plain that his intention therein was onely to confirm believers of that one language in their belief of that one great article of Christs being the Son of God whereof they could not doubt if they firmly believed his resurrection And if we may have leave to give a like credit to the Scripture in this matter and to make conclusions from plain premisses such as many would have us give and make from none at all or at best from such as are far more dark We may both see and conclude that the Scripture is so far from testifying it self to be any sufficient ground for faith and conviction to the unbelieving world that it testifies the quite contrary 1 In that it testifies that the power of God by signes and miracles accompanying the Ministry and attesting the truth and divine authority of their doctrine was the onely true ground of faith and conviction unto unbelievers as before is set forth and is evident by these texts Ioh. 16.7 8 9. Acts 1.4 8. Luke 24.49 Act. 1.1 2 3. Mark 16.20 1 Cor. 2.4 5. compared with Rom. 15.18 19 20. Act. 8.6 And that thus and upon this foundation of the Apostles and Prophets the true Ministry of the Gospel fitted by gifts Ephesians 4.8 11 12 13. Christ Jesus himself being the chief Corner-stone was Christian belief and Churches founded Ephes 2.20 And that no foundation other then such can any man warrantably lay or plead for 1 Cor. 3.11 2 In that it testifies That whatsoever is delivered in any unknown tongue or but in a doubtful and uncertain sence is as barbarism not obliging any to believe it 1 Cor. 14.7 8 9 10. for no man is bound or can infallibly and convincingly believe any thing which is not infallibly and convincingly revealed to him Notwithstanding all the uncertainties afore specified yet how doth each Sect of Christians assert that they are of the true belief and many therefore challenge the highest priviledges of true believers mentioned in Scripture to belong unto them yea and some such do they assume to have as no true believer ever had in this life I shall give instances They assume to be true believers and to have the Spirit of God yea the same as true believers formerly had and by which the Scripture was given forth To be actually justified to have eternal life and to be already passed from death to life To have Christ and his divine nature within them and that white stone wherein a new is written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it c. Wherein if I am not exceedingly mistaken they are first in their conceiving themselves to be true believers yet ground it upon various yea on contrary doctrines and want both the true ground upon which true believers built their faith and the same power whereby true believers were to be known Mark 16.17 18. or that they have the same spirit by which the Scripture was given forth and yet make use of and cite texts amiss rendered in translations even as others do who pretend not to have the Spiâ—it Secondly what can reasonably be imagined or understood by believers being justified by faith I am inclined to think it is no more then their being saved by hope and what is or can be meant by this more then now in this life to hope to be saved hereafter in the life to come as the Apostle reasoneth Rom 8.24 25. where speaking of himself and other believers saith we are saved by hope but hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for for if we hope for that we see not then do we
as the devils instruments they unjustly hold their Fellow-brethren as captives in oppression slavery It is therefore to be lamented when at any time we see him thrive in any such devillish project The Lord in mercy deliver every honest man from being overcome by any such temptation Amen But to find the word answer of God in the way aforementioned may apear to be very uncertain by this viz. If four pious men should each of them seek by prayer for an answer from God in one and the same thing be it of publicke concernment or otherwise wherein their interests judgements and perswasions are different and various each from other you will find the propencity and bent of their hearts and desires after prayer for the most part will vary as much as before which will manifest this to be no sound or sure way to find out or know the word or answer of God nor is this intended to discourage any from seeking to the Lord in any occasion but from trusting to the bent of their own hearts to be any sure Rule to know the answer of God by because that may be the effect of some pride or vain desire of wordly glory or of some other lust secretly lurking in the heart of man undiscerned for the heart of man being deceitful above all things who then can know his own heart or the secret turnings thereof Jer. 17.9.10.11 or who can say his heart is so pure and clean as to be quite purged from all kind of vain carnal and eatthly affection and lust he must then be no longer a man having flesh blood or any other infirmity like other men on earth but be equal to the purest Angel in heaven And now having proposed left these things to consideration we will proceed to the next Fourthly Mr. R Baxter a man of Eminency both for exquisite learning parts in his Saints Rest Part. 2. pag. 201. of the sixth Edition tells us thus viz. R.B. That Divine Faith hath ever a Divine Fvidence And in page 205. thus We must know it to be a Divine Testimony before we can believe Fide Divina And in page 211. he saith As Translations are no further Scripture then they agree with the Copies in the Original Tongues so neither are these Copies further then they agree with the Authographs or original Copies or with some Copies perused and approved by the Apostles Obj. But it is a thing worth the knowing of this Author Whether he or any man else can infallibly produce the Authographs or any such original Copies of the Bible as have been so perused and approved of by the Apostles and if none can do this how can they then prove any Copie or Translation to be true or Scripture as he phraseth it And if any can do this how shall it be known to be such without Divine Evidence undoubtedly to prove it Answ But to this he gives us a general answer in his Preface to his Book of Infidelity where he tells us R.B. That the Holy Ghost by special inspiration was the Author of the Scriptures and by extraordinary Endowments was the Author of the miracles which were wrought for its confirmation Obj. But here it is necessary that he tells us where when by whom those miracles were wrought which so confirmed the scriptures And in the second place he should tell us where which are those Scriptures that were so confirmed withal to produce some Divine Evidence to prove what he therein sayes before any wise man believe him for he himself in his Rest Pag. 201. before cited informs us R. B. That to believe implicitely That the Testimony is Divine or the Scripture is the Word of God this is not to believe God but to resolve our faith into some humane Testimony even to lay our foundation upon the Sand where all will fall at the next assault And yet notwithstanding in Pag 238. 239. of his Saints Rest before mentioned he tells us R.B. That something must be taken upon trust from man whether we will or no yet no uncertainty in our faith neither For 1. saith he The meer illitterate man must take it upon trust that the Book is a Bible which he hears read for else he knows not but it may be some other Book Obj. What! may he not take it so upon trust that the Book is a Bible and yet never the more know but it may be some other Book or doth not a mans simple taking a thing especially of such high concernment so groundlesly upon trust argue some diminution of his knowledg and wisdom too rather then any augmentation of either R. B. 2. That these words are in it which the Reader pronounceth 3. That it is translated truly out of the Original Languages Obj. How can it be translated truly and imperfectly or imperfectly and truly for in pag. 211. of the same Book he positively asserts That there is an impossibility that any Translation should perfectly express the sense of the Original R. B. 4. That the Hebrew and Greek Copies out of which it was translated are true authentick Copies 5. That it was originally written in these Languages 6. Yea and the meaning of divers Scripture-passages which cannot be understood without the knowledge of Jewish ustoms of Cronology Geography c. though the words were never â—o exactly translated all these with many more the vulgar must take upon the word of their Teachers Obj. Alas poor Vulgars what miserable hard tasks are here imposed upon you and almost all men with a must much like those put upon the children of Israel to make their full tale of brick without any allowance of straw whereby they were put to take up any stubble where-ever they could find it But can any wise man take these Doctrines to be divine or come from God they being so irrational and absurd and so contrary to him and his wayes who oppointed his Gospel to be dispensed not in an unknown Tongue or upon any such uncertainties to any but to all people in their own language himself also evidently and powerfully attesting the same otherwise he obligeth no man to take it for truth nor blameth any man for taking it otherwise And whereas he positively asserts in pag. 211. of his Saints Rest as before is noted R. B. That there is an impossibility that any Translation should perfectly express the sense of the Original Obj. It 's now incumbent on him to tell us whether it was the expressable imperfect sense in Translations or the unexpressable perfect sense of the Original that was so confirmed by miracles or whether it was all or any of those many books which are mentioned in Scripture and whereof we have neither original nor Copy that were so confirmed plain dealing herein would be very satisfactory and is even more then necessary In his book of Infidelity Part 1. Pag. 11. he tells us That R. B. Besides the sanctifying Spirit of Christ proper
that the very true originals might be both produced and known For Resolution in the Premises conference being had with divers Schollars of eminent esteem for piety learning and ability in Divinity one whereof with womanish frowardness used altogether authoritative admonitions and censures instead of Argument and Reason which was expected and onely could satisfie But the other no less learned but much more ingenuous acknowledging the charge in the general to be just answered That notwithstanding the variations or contradictions either in Copies or in Translations yet they were all true in the substance whereas the truth in the substance was not the doubt nor question but this How the said Copies or Translations so qualified as aforesaid could or can with any Justice or Reason be imposed in each several Language on each several Nation people as the undoubted Word of God And how the various Expositions Doctrines and Conclusions drawn from these by their several and respective Ministers can be proposed to the people in each several Nation as the preaching of the true Gospel of Christ and Word of God to be believed in for salvation especially considering how that their preaching is altogether fallible seldom probable often contradicting and condemning one the other for erronious persons and Hereticks and one the others Doctrine for Error and Heresie c. Whereas it is evident by these Scriptures we have that the true onely Gospel Gal. 1.8 9. or Word of God being a great Mystery was hid in God Eph. 3.9 and first delivered to Christ Joh. 12.49 50. who gave it to his Disciples Joh. 17.8 14. Whom he deligated as his Witnesses and Embassadors Acts 10.41 2 Cor. 5.20 Authorizing them to publish the same unto the world as Gospel to every creature Mar. 16.15 Act. 10.42 Yet this their deligation or Authority was not compleat until they were endued with power from on high by coming down of the holy Spirit upon them Lu. 24.49 Act. 1.4 And when they were thus baptized with the holy Spirit themselves Acts 1.5 they then preached this Word of God 1 Pet. 1.25 or this Gospel by the holy Spirit sent down from heaven 1 Pet 1.12 i.e. God confirming the Word Mar. 16.20 and bearing witness thereto with signs and wonders and divers miracles and gifts of the holy Spirit Heb 2.4 Upon which infallible Testimony and evident Divine demonstration of the Spirit and Power of God was the Christian faith and Churches then founded by the Apostles and true Ministers 1 Cor 2.4 5. Heb. 6.1 2. and no other then the same Foundation can any man now lay more lawfully then he may now preach any other Gospel then the same that was then preached by the Apostles and true Ministers 1 Cor. 3.11 Gal. 1.8 9. Nor did these only publish this Gospel or Word of God thus witnessed but did also in their Ministry propose the gifts of the Spirit to be promised to all believing the Gospel or called thereby both near and afar off Acts 2 38 39. And they being made able Ministers of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 did accordingly administer the same by laying on of hands upon them Acts 8.17 18. Acts 19.6 Gal. 3.5 making good the promise of Christ to all believers that these signes should follow them that believe Mar. 16.17 18. Thus were they all baptized into one body by one spirit and were all made to drink into one spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 i.e. every one of this body had some manifest gift of the Spirit whereby they became Members of that body to profit the body withal 1 Cor. 12.7.12 Rom. 12.4 5 6. so as if any one had not some such gift of the spirit the same was none of Christs i.e. none of that his body or Church Rom. 8.9 The consideration of all which puts me thus further to query 1. Whether the said Copyes or Translations of the Bible or any Doctrines or Conclusions drawn from thence by men fallible and subject to error and mistake as other men are be any other or more then humane Testimony or so great as that of John Baptist mentioned Joh. 1.27 28 29 31 36 2. Whether all humane Testimony even that of John Baptist among the rest was not rejected by Christ as an insufficient ground for divine and saving faith to be built upon Joh. 5.32 33. 3. Whether did not Christ produce greater witness then that of John or any other humane Testimony without which the sons of men were not bound or required to believe Joh. 5.36 Joh. 15.24 Joh. 10.37 4. Whether any ought to be received for true Ministers or Ambassadors of the Gospel of Christ who seek their Ambassie out of Books or Libraries or make the various Commentaries or Expositions of the said Copâ—es or Translations or their own or other mens Doctrines or Conclusions therefrom the matter or ground of their Ministry or Embassie 5. Whether any ought to be received for true Ministers or Ambassadors of the Gospel of Christ who are not witnessed to by evident demonstration of the Spirit and Power of God as aforesaid seeing the reasons thereof both in the Apostles time and since are the same so that if it was not then superfluous it was since and is yet necessary even for the same ends and purposes Rom. 15.18 19. Acts 8.6 9 35 42. 11.21 and if the said witness of God was so absolutely necessary to evidence the Truth of Christs own Ministry as without it his own and other mens Testimony of him was invalid and not to be believed but might be waved without sin then no Ministry of the Gospel since ought to be believed or received as such upon easier or lesser terms for no servant is greater then his Master but the first is true Joh. 5.31.33 34 36. John 15.24 Joh. 10.37 6. Whether any ought to be accounted true Churches or Members of a true Church of Christ who are destitute of the said baptism of the spirit or who make the said fallible matter or Ministry or humane Testimony the ground of their faith and where in Scripture can we find mention of any such Church of Christ it being most consonant both to Scripture and Reason 1. That every member of that body be conformable to its Head in partaking of the Spirit in some measure with manifestation which Christ the Head received above measure whereby it ran down or extended it self to the whole body to each member in particular whereof the Oyle poured on Aarons head and running down to the very skirts of his Garment was a lively type and figure Psal 133.2 2. That the great structure of Christianity whose Principle is That a man at his first entrance therein should be required to deny himself and to forsake all his worldly enjoyments in this life only on the assurance he then receives of the great glory and rewards promised in the life to come should then also have this faith of his established upon Divine and infallible Evidence less
Officium Gregorianum gets by this means to be in credit but doth it continue without change or altering No the very Romen Service was of two Fashions the new Fashion and the old the one used in one Church the other in another as is to be seen in Pamilius a Romanist his preface before Micrologus The same Pamilius reporteth out of Radalphus de Rive That about the year of our Lord 1277 Pope Nicholas the third removed out of the Churches of Rome the more ancient Books of Service and brought into use the Missals of the Fryars Minorites and commanded them to be observed there insomuch that about an hundred yeers after when the above named Radulphus happened to be at Rome he found all the Books to be new after the new stamp Neither was this chopping changing in the ancient times only but also of late Pius Quintus himself confesseth That every Bishopprick almost had a peculiar kind of Service most unlike to that which others had which moved him to abolish all other Breviaries though never so ancient and priviledged and published by Bishops in their Diocesses and to establish and ratifie that only which was of his own setting forth in the year 1568. Now when the Father of their Church who gladly would heal the sore of the Daughter of his people softly and slightly and make the best of it finding so great fault with them for their odds and jarring we hope the children have no great cause to vaunt of their uniformity But the difference that appeareth in our Translation and our often correcting of them is the thing that we are specially charged with Let us see therefore whether they themselves be without fault this way if it be to be counted a fault to correct or whether they be fit men to throw stones at us o tandem major pareas minori they that are less sound themselves ought not to object infirmities to others If we should tell them that Valla Stapulensis Erusinus and Vives found fault with their vulgar Translation and consequently wished the same to be mended or a new one to be made they would answer peradventure That we produced their Enemies for Witnesses against them albeit they were in no other sort Enemies then St. Paul to the Galatians for telling them the truth and it were to be wished that they had dared to tell it them plainer oftner But what will they say to this That Pope Leo the tenth allowed Erasmus Translation of the New Testament so much different from the vulgar by his Apostolick Letter and Bull That the same Leo exhorted Pagnine to translate the whole Bible and bare whatsoever charges was necessary for the Work surely as the Apostle reasoneth to the Hebrews that if the former Law and Testament had been sufficient there had been no need of the later So we may say That if the old Vulgar had been at all points ollowable to small purpose had labour and charges been undergone about framing a new If they say it was one Popes private Opinion and that he consulted onely himself then we are able to go further with them and to aver That more of their chief men of all sorts even their own Trent-Champions Paiva Vega and their own Inquisitors Hierominus ab Oleastro and their own Bishop Isadorus Clarius and their own Cardinal Thomas a vio Caietan do either make new Translations themselves or follow new ones of other mens making or note the Vulgar Interpreter for halting none of them fear to dissent from him nor yet to except against him And call they this an uniform Tenor of Text judgement about the Text so many of their Worthies disclaiming the now received conceit Nay we will yet come a little nearer the quick doth not their Paris Edition differ from the Lovaine and Hentenius his from them both and yet all of them allowed by authority Nay doth not Sextus Quintus confess That certain Catholicks he meaneth certain of his own side were in such a humour of translating the Scriptures into Latine that Satan taking occasion by them though they thought of no such matter did strive what he could out of such uncertain and manifold a variety of Translations so to mingle all things that nothing might seem to be left certain and firm in them c. Nay further did not the same Sextus ordain by an inviolable Decree and that with the counsel and consent of the Cardinals That the Latine Edition of the Old and New Testament which the Councel of Trent would have to be authentick is the same without controversie which he then set forth being diligently Corrected and Printed in the Printing House of the Vatican thus Sextus in his Preface before his Bible And yet Clement the eight his immediate Successor to account of publisheth another Edition of the Bible containing in it infinite differences from that of Sextus and many of them weighty and material and yet this must be authentick by all means What is it to have the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with yea and nay if this be not Again what is sweet harmony and consent if this be Therefore as Dimaratus of Corinth advised a great King before he talked of the dissentions among the Grecians to compose his own domestick broils so all the while that our adversaries do make so many and so various Editions themselves and do jarre so much about the worth and authority of them they can with no shew of Equity challenge us for changing and correcting Thus far the said Translators From which may be observed At what great uncertainty the most wise and learned on both sides have been and are about the Scripture contesting which side hath the true not knowing that either side hath it 2. At what great uncertainty they likewise are in respect of those Scriptures which they have not certainly knowing the undoubted true sense and meaning thereof this plainly appears in that they do on each side so often alter change amend and new translate their respective Bibles wherein will be found many variations if not contradictions to the former and when they have done all they can it will be far from satisfying all the learned of the same party who having opportunity will alter and new translate it to their own minds which will as much displease others who will take their turn again to alter it and in this manner may it run ad infinitum from time to time and still upon like uncertainties and that the case is no better with us our next Author more fully sets forth 3. Jer. Taylor Dr. in Divinity and a great Schollar he in his Discourse of Liberty of prophesying pag. 61 62 63. shews and by many Reasons proves that which in effect amounts to an impossibility for any man to find out a true Copy or Translation or right sense of Scripture his words are these Viz. There are so many thousand of Copies that are writ by persons of
several interests and perswasions such different understandings and tempers such distinct abilities and weaknesses that it is no wonder there is so great variety of readings both in the Old and New Testament In the old Testament the Jews pretend that the Christians have corrupted many places on purpose to make symphony between both the Testaments On the other side the Christians have had so much reason to suspect the Jews That when Aquilla had translated the Bible in their Schools and had been taught by them they rejected the Edition many of them and some of them called it Heresie to follow it And Justin Martyr justified to Tryphon That the Jews had defalk'd many sayings from the Books of the Old Prophets and amongst the rest he instances that of the Psalm Dicite in Nationibus quia Dominus Regnavit à ligno Englished Tell it or say i.e. amongst the Nations the Lord hath raigned for or by the wood or tree The last words they have cut off and prevailed so far in it that to this day none of our Bibles have it but if they ought not to have it then Justin Martyr's Bible had more in it then it should have for there it was so that a fault there was eitheir under or over But however there are infinite readings of the New Testament for in that I will instance some whole verses in one that are not in another and there was in some Copies of Saint Marks Gospel in the last chapter a whole verse a chapter it was anciently called that is not found in our Bibles as St. Hierom ad Hedibiam Q. 3. notes the words he repeats Lib. 2. Contra Polygamos Et illi satis faciebant dicentes saeculum istu iniquitatis incredulitatis substantia est quae non sivit per immundos spiritus veram Dei apprehendi vertutem idcirto jam nunc revela justitiam tuam Englished And they did satisfie saying that age is the substance of iniquity and incredulity which by reason of unclean spirits doth not suffer the virtue power or efficacie of God to be apprehended therefore now reveal thy righteousness These words are thought by some to savour of Manichaism and for ought I can find were therefore rejected out of many Greek Copies and at last out of the Latine c. The Parable of the woman taken in Adultery which is now in Joh. 8. Eusebius sayes It was not in any Gospel but the Gospel secundum Hebraeos and St. Hierome makes it doubtful and so doth St. Chrysostome and Euthimius the first not vouchsafing to explicate it in Homolies upon St. John the other affirming it not to be found in the exacter Copies c. But the instances in this kinde are too many as appears in the variety of readings in several Copies proceeding from the negligence or ignorance of the Translators or the malicious * Graci corruperunt novum Testamentum ut Testantur Tertul. l. 5. ado Marcion Euseb L. 5. Hist C. ult Irenae l. 1. c. 29. Allu Haeres Bafil L. 2. Contr. Eunomium endeavour of Hereticks or the inserting Marginal Notes into the Text or the neerness of several words And in pag. 82. he saith That since there are in Scripture many mysteries and matters of question upon which there is a vail since there are so many Copies with infinite variety of readings since a various interpunction a Parenthesis a Letter an Accent may much alter the sense since some places have divers litteral senses many have spiritual mystical and allegorical meanings since there are so many trops metononies ironies hyperbolies properties and improperties of Languages whose understanding depends upon such circumstances that it is almost impossible to know its proper interpretation now that the proper knowledge of such circumstances and particular stories is irrecoverably lost since there are some mysteries which at the best advantage of expression are not easily to be apprehended and whose explication by reason of our imperfections must needs be dark sometimes weak sometimes untelligable And lastly Since those ordinary means of expounding Scripture as searching the Originals conference of places purity of reason analogie of faith are all dubious uncertain and very fallible he that is wisest and by consequence the likeliest to expound truest in all probability of reason will be very far from confidence because every one of these and many more are like so many degrees of improbabilities and incertainty all depressing our certtainty of finding out the truth in such mysteries and amidst so many difficulties and therefore a wise man that considers this would not willingly be prescribed to by others and therefore if he be also a just man he will not impose it upon others for it is best every man should be left to that Liberty from which no man can justly take him unless he could secure him from Error And in pag. 82. he tells us That Osiander in his confutation of a Book which Melanchthon wrote against him observes That there are twenty several Opinions concerning Justification all drawn from Scriptures by the men onely of the Augustan Confession there are sixteen several Opinions conncerning Original Sin and as many definitions of the Sacraments as there are Sects of men that disagree about them And then he proposeth a question with i'ts answer in these words viz. And now what help is there for us in the midst of these uncertainties if we follow any one Translation or any one mans Commentary what Rule have we to choose the right by Or is there any one man that hath translated perfectly or expounded infallibly No Translation challenges such a prerogative as to be authentick but the vulgar Latine and yet see with what success for when it was declared authentick by the Councel of Trent Sextus put forth a Copy much amended of what it was and tyed all men to follow that but that did not satisfie for Pope Clement reviews and corrects it in many places and still the Decree remains in a changed subject And secondly that Translation will be very unapt to satisfie in which one of their own Issidore Clarius a Monk of Brestia found and amended 8000. faults besides innumerable others which he sayes he pretermitted And then thirdly To shew how little themselves were satisfyed with it divers learned men among them did new translate the Bible and thought they did God and the Church good service in it So that if you take this for your president you are sure to be mistaken infinittly if you take any other the Authors themselves do not promise you any security If you resolve to follow any one as far only as you see cause then you only do wrong or right by chance for you have certainty just proportionable to your own skill to your own infallibility If you resolve to folllow any one whithersoever he leads we shall oftentimes come thither where we shall see our selves to become ridiculous Thus far that learned and ingenuous Doctor who also shews
year and commands the Lictors as if he that can kill a man cannot but be infallible and if he be not why should I do violence to my conscience because he can do violence to my person Force in matters of Opinion can do no good but is very apt to do hurt for no man can change his Opinion when he will or be satisfied in his reason that his Opinion is false because discountenanced if a man could change his opinion when he lists he might cure many inconveniences of his life all his fears and his sorrows would soon disband if he would but alter his Opinion whereby he is perswaded that such an accident that afflicts him is an evil and such an object formidable let him but believe himself impregnable or that he receives a benefit when he is plundered disgraced imprisoned condemned and afflicted neither his sleeps need to be disturbed nor his quietness discomposed but if a man cannot change his Opinion when he list nor ever doth heartily or resolutely but when he cannot do otherwise then to use force may make him an hypocrite but never to be a right believer and so instead of erecting a Trophee for God and true Religion to build a monument for the Devil Infinite examples are recorded in Church story to this very purpose but Socrates instances in one for all for when Elucius Bishop of Cyzicum was threatned by the Emperor Valence with banishment and confiscation if he did not subscribe to the Decree of Ariminum at last he yeelded to the Arian Opinion and prosently fell into great torment of conscience openly at Cyzicum recanted the Error asked God and the Church forgiveness and complained of the Emperors injustice and that was all the good the Arian party got by offering violence to his conscience and so many families in Spain which are as they call them new Christians and of a suspected Faith into which they were forced by the Tyranny of the Inquisition and yet are secret Moors is evidence enough of the inconvenience of preaching a Doctrine more gladly Ceventandi for it either punishes a man for keeping a good conscience or forces him into a bad it either punishes sincerity or perswades hypocrisie it persecutes a truth or drives into an error and it teaches a man to dissemble and to be safe but never to be honest Thus far he Notwithstanding all which where can we see it otherwise with any Nation or people in any form of religious Worship but that they have drank so deep of that Whores cup as to thirst for the blood of their opposites especially if they shall but in the least discover to the world the unsoundness of the foundation on which their Babel is built All which the aforesaid Mr. G. well knowing and by experience finding that a little Light will much offend the tender sights of many who therefore like Owls in the dark will both skreech and strick at the meer shine of a Candle yet nevertheless in this Divine Authority of Scripture pag 10. he tells us If no Translation whatsoever nor any any either written or printed Copy whatsoever be the Word of God or foundation of Religion certainly our English Translations cannot challenge this honor And in pag. 18. of the same he saith Questionless no writing whatsoever whether Translations or Originals are the foundation of Christian Religion And in his Youngling Elder pag. 35. he saith It is very possible that either through negligence ignorance want of memory or the like in Scribes and Correctors of the Press some such Error may be found in every Copy of the Scriptures now extant in the world which will render this Copy contradictious to it self yea it is possible that many such errors as this may be found in the best and truest Copies that are And in the 36. page of the same Book he saith The true and proper foundation of Religion is intrinsecally essentially and in the nature of it unchangeable unalterable in the least by the wills pleasures or attempts of men But there is no Book or Books whatsoever Bible or other but in the contents of them may be altered or changed by men Ergo The major he proveth thus If the proper Foundation of Religion were intrinsecally and in the nature of it changeable and alterable by men then can it not be any matter of truth because the nature of truth is like the nature of God himself unchangeable unalterable by men Angels Devils or any creature whatsoever yea God himself cannot alter it any whit more then deny himself or change his own nature or being And for the minor saith he That also is no less evident experience teacheth us that Books or Bibles themselves are de facto changed and altered by men from time to time every new Edition or Impression almost commending it self for somewhat corrected or amended in it which was delinquent or defective in the former Yet this learned Author notwithstanding all the aforesaid passages of his in his Divine Authority of Scripture pag. 13. doth affirm If by Scripture be meant the matter and substance of things contained and held forth in the Books of the Old and New Testament commonly known amongst Protestants by the Name of Canonical he fully with all his heart and all his soul believes them to be of Divine Authority and none other then the Word of God And in the 26. page of his Youngling Elder he doth distinguish and lay down a double sense and acceptation of the word Scripture and in the one sense clearly acknowledgeth them to be of Divine Authority and so the foundation of Christian Religion onely denying them to be such in the other sense And in that sense here denyed by this Author his learned Oponent Mr. William jenkin doth affirm them to be both of Divine Authority and the Word of God disallowing that distinction made by our Author demanding How any can believe the matter and substance of the Scripture to be the Word of God when he must be uncertain whether the written Word or Scriptures wherein the matter is contained are the Word of God or no. Now although both these learned men do affirm the Scripture to be of Divine Authority the Word of God yet it is so that the one affirms it to be such in one sense and the other in another sense neither of them allowing it to be such in the others sense nor yet producing any competent proof to evidence it to be such in his own sense The truth of it in either sense must still therefore remain much the more to be doubted and that from these grounds and reasons following First Because the Scripture as it came from the Original Pen-men was then if at all of Divine authority the word of God to the world but it was not so then being in an unknown Tongue to the generality of man-kind and therefore according to St. Pauls Doctrine was both in form matter and substance so far from being
such that it was meer Barbarism to them 1 Cor. 14.11 And if any urge That it was afterward made of Divine Authority and the Word of God to all by its being translated into all Languages here I demand What humane Power could confer upon Translations that Prerogative which the Authograph never had especially since all Translations have many such Errors Mistakes and Contradictions in them as the Authographs had not and as the Word of God cannot have for to affirm any thing not perfectly true and infallible to be the Word of God implyes a flat contradiction Besides herein also is a great failer namely in that the most learned are at great variance not certainly knowing but much disagreeing about the right sense and meaning of words in Scripture this is evident by their often changing altering amending and new making of the Bible and by the palpable material differences and contradictions which still remain among Traaslations when all is done and the many exceptions taken by some or other of the learned against every Translation Nay if the original Language were the Mother-Tongue of some amongst us yet the Scripture would not be much the easier to them and a natural Greek or Jew can with no more reason or authority obtrude any Translation upon other mens consciences then any other man of any other Nation can do Consider further the infinite variety of Translations of the Bible that were in the primitive Ages of the Church as St. Hierome observes and never a one like another And can any man think but that the most learned of these later ages have differed erred and be mistaken as much in Translations as the other were ☞ and that the medium is as uncertain to these as it was to them which is evidently seen by the great variety of late Translations Commentaries which are too pregnant an Argument that the most learned neither agree in the understanding of the words nor of the sense and therefore Translations can bind no man to believe them to be of Divine Authority or the Word of God for an unknown or uncertain sense binds men as little to the belief thereof as an unknown tongue doth this also St. Paul plainly sets forth 1 Cor. 14.7 8. in these words Even things saith he without life giving sound whether Pipe or Harp except it give a certain distinction in the sound how shall it be known what is piped or harped for if the trumpet give an uncertain sound who shall prepare himself to Battaile Secondly Because the Word of God or Gospel of Christ which was of Divine Authority and which universally concern'd and bound all men to believe it so to be came not in any unknown Tongue nor upon any such uncertainties to any nor only in plainness of speech to be rightly understood of the meanest vulgar rational capacity but with divine and evident demonstration to attest the certain truth thereof as may be seen in St. Pauls expression to the Corinths besides many other places of like import 1 Cor. 2.4.5 where he tells them That his speech and his preaching came not to them with perswasible words of mans wisdom only intelligible to them all but with evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and Power of God that there faith might not stand in the wisdom of men but in the Power of God evidently implying That if it had come to them only in never so great plainness and wisdom of speech and they had thereupon believed it that then their Faith had stood meerly in the wisdom of men and not in the Word and Power of God Now let it be considered whether St. Pauls meer preaching so as aforesaid be not of as much Divine Authority and the Word of God as any of his own or other mens writings in Scripture are or ever were Thirdly Because the Word of God is powerful Heb. 4.12 Jer. 23.29 for God did but say Let there be light and there was light Gen 1.3 Christ did say Lazarus come forth and the dead came forth bound hand and foot Joh. 11.44 These words actions were afterwards recorded and so became Scripture The words and acts of the Kings of Israel were afterwards recorded so became Scripture The words and acts of the Devil in his tempting of Christ in the Wilderness were afterwards recorded and so became Scripture But as the record of the words and acts of the Devil are not the words and acts of the Devil and as the record of the words and acts of the Kings of Israel are not the words and acts of the Kings of Israel so the writing or recording of Gods Words is not Gods Word but only a Declaration what was Gods Word whereby he created the Light not that it is Gods VVord so written or so read or so spoken by us for if it continue truly and indeed Gods VVord in our mouths it must then still powerfully produce Light when spoken by us as then it did when it was spoken by God himself And the like evident difference was in the Power that followed the Faith that was built upon the very VVord of God above any faith that is built upon the Scripture in any sense These signs followed the first namely The stopping the mouths of Lyons quenching the violence of fire casting out of Devils speaking with new Tongues healing of the sick by meer laying on of hands c. Heb. 11.33 34. Mark 16.17 18. But no such signs follow the Faith built upon the Scripture or on the matter and substance contained therein nor on the Doctrines drawn from them by any men who usually borrow or steal the words of God of Christ of the Prophets of the Apostles or any other which they there find recorded and then by the help of some Commentor whereof there are divers and many devise some Doctrines c. which they afterwards deliver as from God to the people But such would appear to deal more ingenuously if they did follow the Prophets advice He that had onely a dream should tell it but as a dream and not as the Word of God for what is the chaff to the wheat Jer. 23.28 29 30 31 32. And especially I conceive it would be much more pleasing to God beneficial to men comfortable to themselves not to trouble the world with any sublime and mysterious Doctrine as that of Trinity Election Predestination Reprobation the Nature or Essence of God the order or number of his Decrees the nature or extent of Christ his death Justification or any other matters in Divinity so much controverted among School-men and other of the learned and are but doubtfully and uncertainly known to the wisest of them all as is evident in that each opposite among them with great confidence maintains the verity of their several contradictory Propositions in these Points which is no marvel since we see them likewise at no small variance even about the very Principles of the Doctrine of Christ which
the Apostle reckoneth but as Milk for Babes who are unskilful in the word of righteousness Heb. 5.12 13 14 6.1 2. And would it not then be much wisdom in them so far to observe the prophilbition of Christ to his Apostless Luke 24.49 Act. 1.4.8 as to forbear teaching these points until they were undoubtedly assured of the truth of them themselves and endued with power from on high evidently to demonstrate the verity of them to other men wherby to convince them And in the mean time to teach men altogether such practical points as are evident to every rational mans understanding and conscience wherein they would find work enough much more profitable as to the forsaking of all kind of wicked sinful dishonest and deceitful dealings in their lives and conversations together with all kind of tyranny cruelty oppression injustice pride high and earthly-mindedness covetousness which is Idolatry and the root of all evil drunkenness and all other abuses of the good creatures of God in any kind of excess whatsoever suffering in the mean time many of their poor Brethren to pine away and starve for want of necessaries and on the contrary excite them to the diligent and constant practise of all honest virtuous pious just charitable good and conscionable living to the exercising mercy love and peace towards all men and to a despising of the riches honors and glories of this world shewing them the vanity and deceitfulness of them and the many thousand great evils and mischiefs which they certainly bring upon the lovers and possessors of them Hereby undoubtedly many great benefits would accrue unto themselves alwayes provided that indeed and in truth they reform their own affections and conversations accordingly which is absolutely necessary in the case For first Hereby they would free themselves from all the just contempts gainsayings and contradictions both of the Quakers all other men Secondly instead of mens envying hating and persecuting one another being now the usual product of their teachings they would breed amity peace and concord amongst men and in all likelyhood make their Congregations generally to consist of pious honest just and good men full of all courteous and civil deportment toward all both at home and abroad which would be no small Ornament Honor Benefit both to the place wherein they live and to the Commonwealth whereof they are Members And now for further illustration of the point in hand let us consider That when the Word of the Lord came to the Prophets of old and vvhen they had delivered it as Gods Word to them to vvhom it vvas sent and vvhen it had dispatched the business for vvhich it came then and not till then both it and its event was recorded and so became Scripture now though it was the Word of the Lord both when it came and vvhen it vvas delivered to them to vvhom it vvas sent yet it may be questioned whether it continued so in the writing of it I vvill instance only in the Prophet Jonah to whom the Word of the Lord came commanding him to arise and go to Nineveh and to cry and preach against it these words viz. Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be overthrown He went and did so whereupon they repented all which was aftervvard vvritten and so became Scripture But if the same Prophet in like manner had preached the same words to the same City any time after they had repented then it had been false and no Word of God at all unto them hovv then can it reasonably be accounted the Word of God either to that City or any other only by its being written and so becoming Scripture but to be meerly as a declaration what was the Word of God which he once sent by his Prophet to Nineveh upon which they repented and so escaped the Judgement threatned Nay suppose the same City had soon after relapsed into the the same sins yet the same Prophet could not without sin have preached the same words as Gods VVord unto them nor yet have pronounced the same Judgment nor any other as from the Lord against them vvithout some new Commission which might have been to pronounce some other Judgement or to have some shorter time allotted them for Repentance Many other Scriptures come under the like consideration Fourthly Because the Famine thratned by the Prophet Amos 8.11 12. that the Lord would send that men should wander from sea to sea from the North even to the East and run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and should not find it cannot be understood of Scriptures or Bibles nay it were well if we had not cause to fear from the Apostles Prophecy 2 Tim. 4.3 4. and from experience That that or the like Famine hath befalne Christiendom it self even where and when Bibles with its matter and substance Professors and Teachers have been most plentiful See and consider if any other then Christian Professors and Teachers can be meant by that prophesie of Saint Paul Fifthly and lastly Because whereas it is said 1 Sam. 3.1 That the Word of the Lord was precious in those dayes this is not meant that Scripture or Bibles was then searce for the text renders the reason thereof to be because there was no open vision So where it is often mentioned in Scripture of Saul David and many others making inquiry of the Lord and of the Word of the Lord in matters of difficulty this is not meant that they had recourse to the Bible or Scripture for if that had been the meaning then Saul needed not in his distress to have sought to the Witch at Ender to help him to the speech with Samuel that so he might of him enquire the Word of the Lord. Nor if after the seeking to God by prayer the propencity or bent of mens spirits were the answer or Word of the Lord then Balaam by taking that course to know the mind of God had not missed of the advancement proposed to him by the King nor of being King himself if that had been the question and the desire and motion of his heart after his seeking God by prayer or otherwise had been the answer to that question and to be taken as the voice word and answer of the Lord. And indeed the offer of such great preferment and honor in this world by Balaack was a great temptation to Balaam but the offer of Kingdoms of this world and the glory of them was a temptation of the devils own invention sufficient enough in his judgment to have entangled and by consequence to have overthrown Christ himself and so to have frustrated all his glorious deelared purposes designes of freeing mankind from all kind of bondage and slavery whatsoever and instead thereof to have made him become subservient to him to keep men under all the slaveries wherein they were involved yea and to become a chief supporter of all subordinate corrupt interests of worldly and wicked men whereby
from doing this that each various and contrary Faith and Doctrine is stifly upheld and maintained from the various Copies and Translations thereof and from the various and contrary readings and meanings which each Opinionist respectively may and doth put upon the Scripture it self insomuch that indeed it is now made capable of any impression which every learned and witty man can invent and pleaseth to put upon it to serve his own turn and occasion though he face about and change never so much never so often And thus each man still makes the Scriptures to be like to Pictures wherein every man in the Room believes they look on him only and that wheresoever he standeth or how often soever he changeth his station Now whether all this doth arise from a natural hidden sense of the Scripture or from the brevity of them or for want of many Books mentioned in Scripture whereof we never had either Original or Copy or from mistakes made by Transcribers Printers or Translators or from the varions acceptation of words and phrases contained in them and in probability understandable only by such persons to whom they were first written who being before-hand grounded in the Faith and Principles of Christianity and instrueted in the things treated upon were thereby enabled aright to understand the mind of the Pen-men in what they did but briefly touch upon in their Writings to them Or whether from all of these or from any other cause or causes I leave to the wise and considerate to determine but certainly were they perspicuous in their sense so many learned studious good men could not possible so much have erred and been divided in their understanding of them And if such as these notwithstanding all their advantages of learning have not been able to resolve the truth of these Doctrines so familiarly mentioned in the Scripture and so necessarily required to true Christianity who shall conceive that they were intended by God for the ground of Faith and Worship for all or any sort of men whatsoever except we shall conceive that the unlearned sort of men are in a better capacity perfectly to resolve the sense of Scripture then the learned which is too gross to imagine or else that all men are bound to know and conform their Faith and Worship to a Doctrine that none of them certainly understand which none will affirm it being inconsistent with that Justice and Goodness which all confesse to be in Almighty God Let us see what to this point is said by learned Dr. Taylor in his forecited Book pag. 13. his words are these viz. It is a demonstration that nothing can be necessary to be believed upon pain of damnation but such propositions of which it is certain that God hath spoken and taught them to us and of which it is certaine that this is their sense and purpose for if the sense be uncertaine we can no more be obliged to believe it in a certaine sense then we are to believe it at all if it were not certaine that God delivered it but if it be only certaine that God spake it and not certaine to what sense our faith of it is to be as indeterminate as its sense nor is it consonant to Gods justice to believe of him that he can or will require more But to go on and bring this neater It is manifest even in those Scriptures we have that Jesus Christ requires no credit to be given to his Doctrine either upon his own bare word or the bare word of any persons whatsoever as before is set forth If I bear witness of my self saith he my witness is not true neither receive I testimony of men the works that I do in my Fathers Name they bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me And when he is blaming the Scribes and Pharisees for their unbelief in him he thus far excuseth them in it That if he had not done among them the Works that none other man did they had not had sin Now who can conceive that Christ should pronounce men guiltless for not believing him upon his own bare testimony and yet not hold men much more guiltless for not believing the Scripture upon its bare testimony Christ though he bare witness of himself his witness was certain and true whereas Copies and Translations as before we have seen are uncertain and erroneous Christ disclaims the Testimony of men yea of John the Baptist as a ground insufficient to engage men to believe in his Doctrine though all that John said of him was true and what he had heard and seen that he testified And shall we imagine that he will binde all the succeeding generations of men to believe the truth of Christ and the Gospel upon any such inferior testimony as the testimony only of such as disclaim infallibility and have neither heard nor seen as John did Shall God and Christ be true and all men lyars and yet shall fallible men be preferred before them in being believed upon lower easier terms then either they or their most infallible servants Or shal God be conceived to require contraries of men as not to believe super-natural truths such the Gospel is judged to be without a sutable evidence and on the other side require men to believe it without any such evidence Shall men be blameless and blamed by him upon one and the same account If this cannot be as surely it cannot then it must necessarily follow That the Scripture was never instituted or intended by Almighty God to be the ground of Christian Faith and Religion or to be believed in and obeyed by mankind to salvation Moreover it is evident if we may take the meaning according to the sense of the words as they are delivered to us in Translations That the Epistles and St. Johns Revelation in the New Testament were all written unto Believers and that both the Acts and Lukes Gospel were written to Theophilus an instructed Disciple Luke 14. And it is most probable that the other three Gospels were written to believers also at least for their sakes especially for such of them as did not see Christ themselves after his resurrection whereby he mightily declared himself to be the Son of God Rom. 1.4 whereof the rest of the Apostles as well as Thomas much doubted whilest he lay dead as may appear by 1 Pet. 1.3 where St. Peter speaking of himself and of the rest saith That God of his abundant mercy had begotten them again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and what may be understood by this but that all their hope was extinct or languished by his death and revived again by his resurrection And that his being risen from death was very hardly believed by any of them may appear from Mark 16.10 11. when Mary Magdalen told the Disciples as they were mourning and weeping that Christ was alive and that she had seen him they believed it not and
circumcize all his male-servants whether born in his house or bought with money of any stranger though not of his seed as well as his natural seed Gen. 17. but these baptize no servant from that ground which they may as warrantably do as baptize any Infant Nor are the Anabaptists who deny the baptizing of Infants excusable upon the same account in pretending to derive divine authority to preach and baptize from the meer recital of that authority which was by Christ given personally to the eleven Apostles who both received and exercised the same long before the recital thereof in Matth. 28. from which no such authority can be derived to any because on that recital no authority at all was conferred by the eleven Apostles themselves there mentioned nor was their authority the more for it 's being there recited nor had it been the less if it had never been recited either there or any where else and therefore no such authority can be derived from that or any other Text. Besides these are very partial in that they assume such great and sublime authority to themselves from the meer recital of such authority given by Christ to his Apostles and not withall judge themselves also as well bound by the recital of that prohibition given also by Christ to the same Apostles viz. That they should not go out in the excercise of that Ministerial Function until they were indued with power from on high by the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon them Luke 24.49 Act. 1.4.8 And therefore upon due consideration of the whole matter it will be found That these do assume to themselves from meer recitals more authority then that which Christ gave to the Apostles themselves and whereof the Scriptures are but bare recitals Some other there are who disowning all the former wayes of conveyance yet to keep on foot that divine authority and that reverence accommodation which usually they received thereby in the world would by another trick both cozen themselves and all others their own consciences only excepted by telling the people that this divine authority which hitherto they have mist of must needs be in them and that they by their free election and bountiful contribution may convey it on whom they will and on them if they please but this also will be found a meer shuffle and as vain as any of the former for we finde both by Scripture and reason That a true Ministry divinely authorised and impowered did and alwayes must precede beget and constitute a true Church divinely authorised and that no Church or people whatsoever who are not so begotten and indued with divine power and authority themselves can possibly convey any such divine authority on any other this is evidently seen a truth by all the empty vain and fruitless laying on of hands used as well in particular Churches as by others in their Ordination of Ministers in imitation of the Apostles laying on their hands whereby the manifest and powerful gifts of the Spirit as that of tongues and prophesie c. were conveyed Act. 19.6 This form is still retained generally throughout Christendome as well as amongst us but where 's the power that should follow here 's the shell but where 's the kernel Might not little children or Apes in imitation of these lay hands one upon one another to as good purpose and with as much success Nor want we many amongst us who would needs have this whole Nation governed meerly by the Lawes and Ordinances of the Jews recited in Scripture and by Scriptural precepts onely pretending its divine authority to be alike over us as the Lawes and Ordinances given by Moses were over the Jews but how by this our case would be better then now it is I cannot imagine unless our Lawyers could which is not likely and would against their own profit which is not to be hoped make more certain and undoubted Translations Commentaries and Expositions of Scripture then ever any of the most Orthodox Divines have hitherto done But these men as it seems deeming themselves Saints and to be divinely authorized from Scripture to make this Nation the Kingdome of Christ and to set up and enthronize themselves to rule and raign for Christ and in his stead do declare it now their duty to effect all this by force and power * In their Standard set up pag. 10. inviting all the upright in heart to follow and joyn with them in this the work of the Lord * I wish that all Christians besides such as do jump with them were not to be numbred among the Heathen upon whom they would execute vengeane if they had power in their hands to do it To execute vengeance upon he Heathen and punishment upon the people c. and for this take their warrant from Psal 50.5 Psal 94.15 Psalm 149.7 applying these and very many other Scriptures of like import now unto themselves which do properly belong to other times persons and not to be fulfilled until the times of restoration of the Jews and the personal coming of Christ to set up his Kingdome But these mistakes at least as I conceive do arise from their deeming as many others inconsiderately do that the coming of Christ and his Kingdome is to be meerly spiritual by his grace coming and ruling in mens hearts without his personal coming whereas the Scripture plainly sets forth his personal coming in power and great glory visible to all men Act. 1.11 Act. 3 20 21. Matth. 24.30 Luke 21.27 Esa 40.5 after which he will gather together his ancient and elect people the Jews out of all Countreys where they are dispersed Luke 21.28 Matth. 24.31 compared with Esa 11.12 c. after which he will set up his Kingdome Luke 21.30 31. Luke 19.11 12 13. which shall be upon the earth and at the end of this world when he will gather and destroy out of his Kingdome the earth all the wicked and them that work iniquity Matth. 13.39 40 41. Then and not till then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of ther father vers 23. and then Christ will be King over all the earth Zach. 14.9 which will not be until his personal coming on the earth as ver 4 5. do manifest And then will be fulfilled the promise to Abraham and his seed to inherit the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession Gen. 17.8 wherein whilest he lived he did but so journ and dwell as in a strange Countrey with Isaac and Jacob heirs with him of the same promise Heb. 11.8 9. Act. 7.4 5. these all died in faith and expectation of that promise nevertheless to be performed to them afterward Hebr. 11.13 Then will the Kingdomes of this world become the Kingdomes of our Lord and his Christ wherein he shall reign for ever and ever Rev. 11 15. having the Heathen for his inheritance and the utter parts of the earth for his posession Psal 28. And