Wise and Learned men of the World does not terrifie 'em and oblige 'em to quit their own Doctrine But they think so arrogantly of themselves that they look on those with pity not to say rage who dare contradict 'em or in the least doubt of their Infallibility Yet as a just punishment on 'em they are so blinded as to be ignorant of and suffer others to be so too what it has pleas'd God to reveal unto Babes Matth. 11. 25. to the confounding of the greatest part of the Mighty of the Noble and the Learned themselves 1 Cor. 1. 26. All sorts of Reason teaches us that he spake only to be understood that he caus'd his Word to be written that it might be read and hid it not but from those who are lost If he condemns a wilful and brutish Ignorance he disapproves of a haughty and vain Knowledge the Spring from whence arise so many Disputes which do infinitely more hurt than good and which maintain not so much the Truth as the first received Opinion He believes He follows Christ who persecutes him He believes himself of the number of the Faithful whose whole Faith consists but in an indiscreet Zeal in the strength of Errour and in being positive and obdurate The men of the Age acquaint not themselves with this Truth or if they do 't is from those of their own party who confirm 'em in their belief and neither the one or the other allow of any Religion which agrees not with their Conveniencies If any of 'em have a sense of their Disease it is agreeable to 'em they take such pleasure in it that they 'l not endeavour after any cure But to conclude all I will maintain that men have no surer sign of their Election than their love of the Word of God and that those shall not be saved who have not loved it more than Honour Riches and the most amiable things in the World A LETTER to an Officer of the Crown that often discours'd to him of Religion MY LORD WHEN Your Lordship does me the Honour to discourse to me of Religion my Respect will not give me leave to answer you but only to listen to you yet if I am longer silent I fear you may judge me insensible of what I have the most lively Sense 'T is this makes me take the Confidence of entertaining Your Lordship with a few Lines concerning my Belief and not without wonder that others are not of the same Opinion with me As soon as my Sense and Reason began to be serviceable to me I with great Care and Diligence search'd the Holy Scriptures and I have no other Religion but what I learn'd from thence I never believed that some dark and abstruse Passages were contrary to others that were clear and evident and I have found most of 'em sufficiently plain fully to inform me of what I ought to believe I never thought that God would speak to his Children only to deceive 'em or not to be understood by ' em Those who have good Inclinations never read the Scriptures but they profit by ' em If those whom Curiosity it may be has invited once to read 'em don't continually persevere in doing so 't is a shrewd Sign they have had no Operation on ' em 'T is not the meek or humble the plain men of the World or even the ignorant that promote Heresies those who do this and then maintain 'em must be both malicious and learned too 'T was no disheartening to me to see the true Professors of the Gospel bear a certain Character that made the World despise 'em and they the World They are dejected as if out of their Element and did but out of Complaisance participate of others Joys Above all in the Exercise of their Religion they abhor all manner of Superstition and believe that 't is an Abuse and a high Crime to mix the Inventions of men with the Ordinances of God If our good Intentions were capable of making our Vows and Offerings equally acceptable all Religions would be good ones But the Jealousie of the Eternal Exod. 20. 5. will not suffer us to profane holy Things or sanctifie profane ones or to speak yet more fully to consecrate Sacriledges Let the most rational men read and read again the Scriptures and let 'em frame a Religion according to the Rules they prescribe without presuming beyond what is written 1 Cor. 4 6. and I am confident they cannot make any other than that which I profess and by the Grace of God will do the same all my Life A LETTER to Monsieur de la Militiere who begged his Opinion in Writing upon the Books of Controversie he had made SIR I Don't pretend to answer in one Letter so many Books which your Revolt has occasion'd you to write in Opposition to that Religion you have forsaken and in the Defence of that you have closed with I must only say I could never with all the Sense and Reason Heaven has been pleas'd to bestow on me reconcile what I see in the Church of Rome to what I read in the Holy Scriptures I have ever consulted both Parties I have read the Writings both of the one and the other that I might the better know 'em by their Words and their Actions But I find that your Doctors serve themselves of too much Art and Cunning to be believ'd their Divinity is so refin'd that they undo themselves by their own Subtilty They mix with it I know not what Leaven of which our Saviour bids us beware and which indeed has not the taste of true Bread or the heavenly Manna Those of the Reform'd Religion on the contrary act with greater Sincerity adhere to the Rule of the Scriptures which do more enlighten our Understandings and give greater Tranquillity to our Minds Let who please imagine he has clearer Illuminations than I have such as I have I find in their Doctrine as full Satisfaction as a reasonable Soul can wish for in the Search of the Truth Why then all this Controversie If we have never so little Knowledge of the Will of God or how jealous he is of his Commandments we cannot see the Church of Rome without condemning it We are extreamly in the Wrong to call those Christians who have no sign of true Christianity who speak not in the style of Jesus Christ or the Gospel to whom the Words of Eternal Life are strange and uncouth If we mistake any one Word in their Hearing 't is enough to make us pronounc'd Hereticks they look a skew on us and 't is very likely we shall pass for Strangers even in our own Country Instead of this they discourse only of the Prayer-book of our Lady and the Office of the Blessed Virgin of their praying by Beads of their devoting themselves to St. Francis or St. Roch and those defective Instructions shew that those who instruct them thus must needs be very bad Masters What Sir would you have me
Time of a Woman to make a Man that will us restore to Life again Thus is the Divine and Humane Nature mysteriously united and without the Properties either of the one or the other being changed The Son of God is joyn'd in Unity of Person with the Son of Man I say the Son and not the Father because we cannot have for Intercessor that Person to whom he must intercede He who sends cannot be sent and then as the Father does nothing of himself but all things by the Son 't is reasonable that the second Creation should be made by the same as the first was Who can more effectually speak than He who is the Word it self Who can better renew in us the Divine Image than He who first form'd it and who can better bestow on us the right of Children than the Possessour of it But it is not enough that He makes Satisfaction or that that be imputed to us but 't is necessary that this Grace be conferr'd upon us that it be apply'd to us which is the Office of the Spirit that equally proceeds both from the Father and the Son 'T is He that does both enlighten and purifie us that makes us understand love and believe these Mysteries that makes us as he did the Blessed Virgin conceive our Saviour He is the Bond of Love that unites us to Divinity 't is the true anointing by which we are made Kings Priests and Prophets To conclude This is He who gives himself as a Pledge and assurance of the Promises of a future Life of the Resurrection and of Glory This great Mediator is then come and as he was foretold not as a Conquerour as a Cyrus or Alexander but a man of sorrows consecrated by his Afflictions the publick Victim of Mankind whose Merit is sufficient for all but only applicable to those who believe in him He is come not to shed the Blood of others but his own to overcome Rebellion by Obedience Force and Power by Weakness and Pride by Humility and this makes him appear greater and more Divine as well as us to admire and adore him Behold the sole Object of Religion which is not onely to save Man but of him to make a God without prejudice to the Divine Unity or Holy Trinity For what name can we give the Son of man who makes one and the same Person with the Son of God And of what Race ought we to esteem those whom he has vouchsafed to honour with the name of Brethren Now this Religion is establish'd not by Contention or private Conspiracy not by the favour of Kings or the suffrage of the People not by the cunning of Philosophers or the Eloquence of Orators not by a multitude of men as the Mahometan or by numbers of Gods as the Pagan but by the alone publishing of the simple and naked Truth Yet this Truth notwithstanding all manner of opposition has flourish'd and made it self known throughout the World It has so prevailed that Errours of all sorts have been confounded all Sects dispers'd and wasted false Oracles with Idols and their worshippers have fall'n before it CHAP. V. AFter that which we are taught concerning the only way of Man's Salvation What can we learn from all the Religions in the World To what would Mahomet perswade us if the Name of Christian be so hateful to him if he differs from the Religion of Jesus Christ to which all the Prophets do so strongly adhere Is it not strange that so many inspired men should be rais'd at different Times and at distant Places to foretell the coming of one Man alone who was to be rejected by his own and receiv'd by all the other Nations of the Earth Undoubtedly after what we learn of him from the Scriptures and those Commands it lays upon us as well as those Instructions we receive from 'em we have no need of being longer curious but to submit and obey Let those who make to themselves Gods appoint Services for 'em 't is otherwise with him who is not made by our Opinion but is the Maker of us all His Will cannot be discover'd by our Conceit or vain Imaginations but by his Word alone this he gives us as a Light to guide us and woe be to them who call this Light Darkness The Knowledge which it teaches us is so sublime and excellent that Man could never have found it out and then so consonant to Reason that 't is impossible to consider of it well and not approve of it It first represents Man to himself informing him of his Weakness and Misery then comforts him and no sooner discovers his Disease to him but offers him a Remedy against it It contains many Revelations and Predictions confirm'd after a long Succession of Time by certain Events whose end is the Salvation of the Creature and the glorifying of the Creator The Naturalness the End the Stile the Antiquity the Strength the Duration and divers other Marks which eminently appear in it do so clearly prove it's Divinity that it seems to be God himself who speaks Man therefore must attend and be silent Has the Truth of any History of the greatest and most flourishing Empires been so much strengthned by its Friends as this has even by its Enemies What other begins with the World continues from Age to Age speaks of things to come as if present and ends with the World it self 'T is the way of Salvation the Gate of Heaven and he who endeavours to enter by any other is a Thief 'T is the model of Perfection that shews us of what Good or of what Ill we are capable and teaches us to examine to know and reform our selves 'T is the true Paradise where grows the Tree of Life whose Leaves are for the Health of the Gentiles To conclude they are the Words of the Almighty writ by him and equally dispens'd to his Servants and Friends being neither kept or hid from any one of those who belong to his Election Whoever then knows that there are Holy Scriptures for to instruct men how they ought to serve God and what Recompence they may hope for and does not carefully consult 'em whatever Profession he may make of Religion is a Lyar a Hypocrite and deceives himself since they are writ as well for the meaner sort as the greatest Doctor for Women as Men and for Children as their Fathers If there be any who having once read 'em though out of Curiosity perhaps and are not so taken with 'em as to read 'em continually 't is a very ill Sign Is it to deal fairly or indeed Is it not to declare they receive the Devils Wages and take his part to prevent the Salvation of men when they forbid the reading of 'em to so many pious Souls who thirst after the Word of Eternal Life Let Hereticks and Turks conceal the Falseness of their Doctrines and Errors but let the Gospel of Jesus Christ being Truth it self be expos'd and visible
afterwards worship the Sun the Moon the whole Host of Heaven or of Hell There is no Religion so extravagant which he does not favour nor is there any one displeasing to him but the true He hath first added Gods to Gods carry'd their Idols to the Holy place and then hath found out wayes of opposing the Scripture by Scripture and by untrue Interpretations on it created false Beliefs He hath served himself of the Light only to dazle and of Truth to disguise falshood the better to put off his Impostures He has his Learned men to teach and dispute his Professors of Religion to give Examples of living well his Priests his Prophets Martyrs and Confessors And yet men are not sensible by what Spirit they are led so obdurate are they and given up to Satan they are so fully possess'd with and infatuated by him that they scarce think that he is They are so profane and presumptuous have so mighty an Opinion of their own Natural Reason that they pretend to reform the Works of their Maker and to judge of the Word of God as if barely Humane They content not themselves with what they learn from Divinity without the aid of Philosophy and confound both the one and the other and thus insensibly forsaking the Profession of Christians become as Heathens They employ themselves in the search of nice and curious Questions and not regarding what is clear and evident take a pride in raising Doubts and Scruples and in a collection of Contradictions and affected Difficulties pervert themselves and others from the knowledge of the Truth They take when they please figurative Expressions literally they make the worst Interpretations on those things that are obscure and doubtful and when they meet with Words of a double Sense they be sure take that which suits best with their Interest and Designs They puzzle each other with specious Reasons and their Judgment is so weak as to allow that two Contradictories may be maintain'd by equal Proofs One would believe they learn that they may be more ignorant and that they study to be Scepticks and by these means they make Knowledge of less Value than Ignorance it self In Effect if Humane Knowledge was grounded on any Certainty those who pretend so perfectly to understand the Art of reasoning well would be all of the same Belief but if their Opinions are so very different and divided and yet that there is but one Truth in what can they be so understanding in a certain crabbed knotty artificial Divinity only full of Metaphysical Terms which neither the Prophets or Apostles judg'd necessary to Salvation or rather have not at all known and of which according to their Example 't is much better to be ignorant than knowing In Humane Inventions in Chimaera's and odd Pictures and indeed in all things capable of producing Errors and of destroying Reason by its own subtilty you meet with some who are always vainly prating eternal Disputants that employ their whole study in contradicting others and who are concern'd more for a false Syllogism than for the Peace of the Church or the Happiness of the World They never engage in any Conference but with a resolution not to yield in the least for the love of the Truth but only to endeavour either to seduce their Adversaries by all manner of perswasions and promises or at least to supplant 'em by Artificial Stratagems They fear nothing so much as granting one Point lest then they should be obliged to allow all If any of 'em does in the least yield he loses all his Credit with his Party and if sincere but in one act 't will be look'd on by 'em as an unpardonable fault They are alwayes armed with the fallacious Arguments of the Schools and Proofs grounded on certain Maxims which they lay down and oblige them to maintain as Principles of unquestionable Truth which must admit of no Doubt or endure any Examination and on these depend the infallible consequence of what they believe or what they endeavour to perswade us to For though their Impostures are apparent yet they so disguise 'em as to make 'em plausible that they may keep the People by their pious Cheats in their impious Devotions They know how to take the advantage of the Enemy they are well skill'd in shifting the most formal Assertions they subtilly refine the very substance of the Matter and the state of the Question they have their Sophistical Distinctions their set Comments their Evasions and Defeats and thus every one in their Disputes as in War aims only at Conquest Execrable Souls who regard more the defence of their Honour and Interest than their Religion it self and who look after what they are to object or answer rather than what they ought to believe who value not their want of Faith provided they appear not to be void of Reason Why should we hope from these men for a candid and faithful Interpretation of the most hidden things who only endeavour to render more obscure those which are clear and evident and who so change the Ordinances of God that 't is easie to discover it for with the assistance even of common sence our Eyes alone may be just Judges of it But we are not to expect other fruits from their Animosity or Obdurateness who are only free and sociable with those who suffer themselves to be instructed or wholly govern'd by 'em For they are not capable of knowing more having as they presume learn't all they can and proposing to themselves only the teaching of others are pleas'd to be rather esteem'd the Masters of Error than the Disciples of Truth But 't will be asked me if in a Consideration of so great weight as this I can pretend without Presumption that my Opinion herein is infallible or at least more enlighten'd than that of the Learned themselves I answer that I profess to embrace no other than what is establish'd on the clear Evidence of Scripture intelligible by the meanest of men and which it has pleas'd God to reveal to the humble and hide from the proud No other than that by which I am taught that no one ought to presume beyond what is written 1 Cor. 4. 6. That 't is absolutely forbid either to add or take from it that those who promote God's Honour and Service barely by humane Doctrines do it in vain and by their Traditions make the Law of no effect No other than that which presses me to avoid profane Questions vain and impertinent Disputes and unreasonable Contradictions of a Knowledge falsly so called which 't is difficult to pursue without erring from the Faith and becoming even impious Besides I answer that these Demands cannot be justly propos'd to those who serve themselves only of their Sense and Reason to know the Voice of their Lord and Father to receive his Commands and obey him who presume not boldly to intermine their own idle Conceits with his Ordinances and who expound the
as that of his Body which was to be broken for us From hence 't is apparent that the Breaking and the Communion are so firmly joyned to this Action that without them 't is not indeed a Sacrament Let those who so frequently urge that He hath said it teach us after what manner He gave his Body to his Disciples during his Weakness before his Resurrection and Glory as also before his Passion and Death Is it not in breaking Bread for 'em himself who was in some sort broken before he suffer'd and that by his own hands and not by those of his Enemies since the Sacrament preceded the Sacrifice Is it not according to the custom of all Sacraments that he spake of it in giving it a Name expressive of the Effect and in saying that 't is not only what he represents but that which he offers to those who desire to receive it Who perceives not that our Corporal eating does assist at the same time and is a means to excite our â—ouls to a â—piritual one which is absolutely dependent on Faith 'T is certain that many have been afraid after the Blessing to give the Bread the name of Bread lest it should be taken for ordinary Bread But St. Paul calls it Bread four times at least for fear that as by the Capernaites or Romans it should be taken for Flesh he said also the Cup is the Communion of the Blood of Christ for fear it should be believ'd the Blood it self We cannot doubtless approach these Sacred Signs with too great Reverence since by their means the things they signifie are convey'd to us or at least so offer'd that 't is but desiring 'em and we may receive ' em Faith serves as a Mouth to us and our Souls in some sort eat and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ as our Bodies eat and drink the Bread and Wine which represent ' em Thus the Fathers to stir up a Peoples Devotion and engage 'em to the profound Respect of Holy Things used certain ways of speaking which were not to have been believed had they not been figurative Their mighty Zeal which perswaded 'em they could never say too much left 'em no room to imagine that their Metaphors Metonymies and Hyperboles would one day pass for Articles of Faith They could never have thought that from the Flowers of their Rhetorick would have grown such a monstrous Doctrine or that from the Weakness or Malice of men their serious and devout Meditations would have been turn'd into Chimerical Notions But having endeavour'd to improve each others Expressions they have unhappily contributed without thinking of it to a Mystery they as yet knew not and have by their Arguments helped to strengthen it's Abuse Their Evidence is every day cited to this purpose the Transports of their Thoughts and their extraordinary heights of Speech are urged as undoubted Testimonies of the simple Truth Though the same Writings of these Fathers are so expounded that we may say of them as of the Holy Scriptures That those things which are clear and manifest remove the Scruples raised by such which are difficult and obscure yet the great Doctors of the Age whatever Reasons have been shewn 'em to the contrary forbear not to impose on the Credulity of the People who as the highest Peice of Devotion daily worship a bit of Bread and in this are so far prevail'd with by Custom that they are even ready to massacre those who will not believe it Add to the Errors of Speech the long Conversation the Primitive Christians held with the Heathens of whom they have not only borrowed Temples Altars and Images but also Habits Gestures Numbers and Mysteries you 'll find that after their Example they have omitted nothing that may render their Religion pompous and suitable to the Grandeur of the World that they could not stoop to the simplicity of the Gospel preferring rather the Appearance of things than the real Truth Those who have read but a very little must confess that they scarce see any thing in their Churches which they have not borrowed from the superstitious Gentiles And not to speak of any thing but what relates to our Subject of Discourse they worshipp'd no Images but what must be consecrated being perswaded the Deities they represented were fixed to 'em by the power of their magical Operations Those Christians who have not been satisfy'd with the Terms of Blessing and giving of Thanks have been so pleas'd with that of Consecration that in time they believed a Virtue and Efficacy in it hence proceeded the Observation of many mysterious Ceremonies an Affectation of certain Words often repeated besides a Presumption of adding others to those of Jesus Christ's that they might not be wanting either in their Numbers or Virtue Hence arose the Name of Transubstantiation so ill understood and so ill made use of that without the Explication they give of it 't would not be in the least significative of what they design it This is a Doctrine which as much as 't is possible destroys the Humanity of Jesus Christ and which frames to it self a God in which no reasonable Creature can believe This is the Source from whence flow such Streams of Contradictions and unallowable Consequences that they both scandalize and discourage the greatest part of Men they obstruct the Conversion of the Infidel and confirm the Atheist in his Unbelief 'T is indeed a horrible Abuse of those Sacramental Words This is my Body to place a Power in 'em in these lattertimes of changing the Bread of the Eucharist into the incorruptible Body of Jesus Christ to be receiv'd in by our corruptible ones without any Need or our finding any extraordinary Effect or Advantage by it The Text is much more express that says The Word was made Flesh yet no one believes that by Transubstantiation the Divine Nature was changed into the Humane So from the Sacramental way of speaking that says This is my Body no one ought to infer that the Substance of the Bread is converted into the Substance of the Body of Jesus Christ What Virtue what efficacious Use has not been allowed to Baptism both by the Scripture and the Fathers By it we put on Jesus Christ and partake not only of his Death and Burial but his Resurrection also By it we are in an Instant made new Creatures we pass from Sin to Justification and ascend from Earth to Heaven However Holy and Celestial the Eucharist is what more abundant Graces can it bestow on us than the Confirmation of these same Priviledges the Operations of the same Spirit the first Fruits of the same Transfiguration and Glory Yet for this only the Learned of the Times have sought out many Inventions that exceed the Capacity of Men and subvert all Orders and the very Principles of the True Doctrine From their hollow brain is produced an idle vain thing that is void of all Substance a real Apparition which presents it self
who are both their Accusers and Judges unjust and inconsiderate Judges who continually pronounce against 'em this short sentence inspir'd into 'em by truly infernal Furies you are damn'd you are damn'd Inhumane and Diabolical saying which against the Prohibition of our Saviour himself rashly judges anothers Servants and those who are not under their jurisdiction These are the strongest arguments the softest remonstrances and the most charitable words they put into the mouths of their people who bark and rail at their Brethren instead of gently discovering their Errour to 'em or hearing their Justification How great is the injustice of Men And how do most of 'em deserve that Condemnation they pronounce against their Neighbours Such as these upbraid me with my Religion who are unacquainted with their own and know nothing of mine but from its Enemies They condemn me upon the bare report of my Adversaries without hearing either my Advocate or my self But pray tell me Gentlemen and Ladies who are they for whom you have so great an Aversion to whom do you talk with that Sharpness and Anger Are they not those who ground all their Religion on the Holy Scripture who read meditate on love and admire it who learn it by heart and who are so far from accusing it of insufficiency that in that alone they find the Words of Eternal Life sufficient for their perfect Instruction and Comfort Are they not those whose Charity recalls you to that first Estate in which you were When no Images were yet set up in your Churches when you own'd no other Purgatory than the Blood of Jesus Christ when going to Mass or taking the Cup from the People was not so much as talked of but meeting together for the breaking of Bread which was not elevated to make it ador'd They certainly have not the Spirit of God who hate such as love his Word and only covet to impart to you that Light and those Joyes they receive from it It must be acknowledg'd these are strange Hereticks and are mightily in the wrong to stick to Principles not to presume beyond what is written 1 Cor. 4. 6. and not to turn to the right hand or to the left Josh 23. 6. They are to blame not to consent to the adding of other Commands to the Law or other Articles to the Faith which is prescrib'd ' em In a word they do very ill that they mix not profane things with Holy Indeed I consent with all my Soul to their Profession let what name they please be given 'em I had much rather be one of those Hereticks than one of the Catholicks of the Age. For in effect who are they whose Doctrine we ought so very much fear Is it that of Kings and Princes who are chiefly intrusted with the care of Secular things Is it that of Magistrates who decide Differences between men Is it that of the People who are employ'd in Mechanical Arts or in Trading Nothing less 'T is that of the Great Doctors of the Church and whose Leaven ought to be suspected by us as that of the Pharisees They are those who do what they please by the Priviledge and Authority of that Character they bear who under the name of Doctors or Fathers preach Errour effectually and who the more they are fill'd with Frenzy and Enthusiasm the more would they perswade us they are inlighten'd They are those who have such an extraordinary Opinion of their own Strength that they brag that they are not only able to fulfill but to surpass the Law And though that obliges us to love God with all our Hearts and our Neighbours as our selves it is not sufficient to bear testimony of their Faith or to magnifie their Works To this must be added Councils which it comprehends not and which transport men beyond that perfect Love which it obliges us to Several Traditions must be observ'd which tho' instituted by Pagans and Infidels are become Sacred since admitted into the Church and called Apostolical To conclude Many amongst 'em do so abound in doing Good Works that they have some to spare to impart to those who do none at all and in order too to their obtaining Eternal Life It is not to be wonder'd at that the Evil Spirit has prevail'd on men to forbid the reading of the Holy Scripture for 't is impossible that those impressions it makes on pious minds which are seriously industrious in the search of Salvation can consist with the Doctrine and Religion of the Times It has often recover'd me from a Lethargy into which I was insensibly plunged by the Errours of the World By it I have learn'd to know both my Beginning and my End It has infus'd into me both a Love and Fear of my Creator it has made me fear his Judgments adore his Goodness and lay claim to his Mercy It has caus'd me to observe such various and so many proofs of his Providence that I had no room left to doubt of it I never read it but I became better'd by it yet not with that Perseverance as I could have wish'd Therefore I thought 't was necessary for me to begin it often and never to leave it off I met with so many Truths in it from one end to the other that I have not follow'd their Example who only seek after Contradictions in it who will not distinguish Times or consider the different respects why things have been said It is not dangerous to such who have good desires it ought not to be mistrusted by 'em it does inlighten 'em instruct 'em and shews 'em the way that leads to Eternal Life It is impossible that He who suspends his Judgment who is not sway'd by Passion Custome or Prejudice who is only govern'd by Reason and seeks after the Truth should not find it by this way and thus to search after it comes from the Spirit of God What shall I say more He must not expect to be saved who does not love this Word above all things and who does not evidence the love he has for it by frequent reading of it For many will say with their Mouths they love that which indeed they do not They in vain pretend to excuse themselves upon the Credit of their Teachers in saying that 't is not intelligible by all that every one expounds it to his own Advantage If they are to be believ'd God spake to his Children only to deceive 'em and not to be understood by ' em Thus there is no way left either to read or know any thing Every passage hath its different Sense whereupon we must refer our selves to our Masters Even those which seem most Evident are most obscure and oftentimes signifie the contrary of what they seem to signifie As for Example when 't is said Thou shalt not make to thy self any likeness Exod. 20. vers 4. this signifies we must fill our Churches with Images when 't is said Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy