l. 2. 47. c. 46. In aperto sine ambiguitate similiter ab omnibus audiri possint Tom. 8. in Ps 16. appertaining to Faith and Life are most evidently contained in the Scriptures And again elsewhere he tells us it hath the some notions in promptis that it hath in reconditis in the most clear as it has in the most obscure places So Irenaeus long before him Obscure places are consonant to plain ones He tells us the whole Scriptures Prophetick and Apostolical are evident without ambiguity and may indifferently be read by all Saint Hierom saith to deny the perspicuity Epist ad Cor. l. 12. of the holy Scriptures is all one or worse than wholly to supersede their use So thought the Orator 'T is better Mutum esse satius est quà m quod nemo intelligat dicere to be silent than so to speak as none understand you But we will end this notion with the testimony of St. Paul If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that 1 Cor. 4. 3. are lost i. e. to them who have deserv'd to perish In vain then do they cry the Church the Church Decrees of Councels or Cathedral decisions Let us not hear saith Austin Haec dico haec dicis but haec dicit Dominus Nor will I plead the Nicene nor you the Council of Ariminum nor will I be concluded by this nor you by that but by authority of Scriptures not proper nor partial to any side but witnesses indifferent to both sides that matter Austin lib. de unitat Eccl. c. 3. may contend with matter cause with cause and reason with reason So Optatus Between your licet and our non licet the mind of the people fluctuates no one believes either you or us but we are all contentious In this case we must look out for a Judge If Christians Quid de Coelo quaerendus est judex cum haebeamus hic in Evangello Testamentum lib. 5. they are partial if Pagans ignorant Jews they are enemies Since then none in Earth let us to Heaven for a Judge but to what purpose knock we at heaven gates seeing we have his last Will and Testament in the Gospel So that the Infallibility of the Church was not thought on in those days And for the Spirit I 'le give you my sence in the words of a very learned and pious man As for those marvellous discourses of some fram'd upon presumption of the Spirit 's help in private in judging or interpreting of difficult places of Scripture I must needs confess I have often wondered at the boldness of them The Spirit is a thing of dark and secret operation the manner of it none can descry as underminers are never seen till they have wrought their purpose so the Spirit is never perceived but by its effects The effects of the Spirit so far as they concern knowledge and instruction are not particular informations for resolution in any doubtful case for this were plain Revelation but as the Angel that was sent unto Cornelius informs him not but sends him to Peter to school so the Spirit teaches not but stirs up in us a desire to learn A desire to learn makes us thirst after the means and pious sedulity and carefulness makes us watchful in the choice and diligent in the use of our means The promise to the Apostles of the Spirit which should lead them into all truth was made good unto them by private and secret informing their understandings with the knowledge of high and heavenly Mysteries which as yet had never entred into the conceit of any man if the same promise be made to us it is fulfilled after another manner For what was written by Revelation in their hearts for our instruction they have written in their Books to us for information otherwise than out of those Books the Spirit speaks not When the Spirit regenerates a man it infuses no knowledge of any point of Faith but sends him to the Scriptures so Mr. Jo. Hales when it stirs him up to newness of life it doth not exhibit to him an inventory of his sins but supposes them known by the light of Nature or sends him to the Rule of life More than this in the ordinary proceeding of the Holy Spirit in matter of instruction I could never descry So that to speak of the help of the Spirit in private either in dijudicating or interpreting of Scripture is to speak they know not what So he And indeed the Spirit of God now-a-days works but by men and is secret in its operation to themselves and no way evident to others but by its effects in Reason or Discourse which are nor different from reason it self The Spirit supplants no man's reason on Scriptures Further it is a dangerous principle and at long run levelling it makes all Doctors Dotards Popes alike and serves for all designs absurdities or contradictions so that we have nothing ordinary now to argue from which is absolutely divine but the very Doctrine of the Scripture in its own proper sence And whosoever without prejudice or partiality shall take a view of that as it is laid down there will easily perceive See an excellent Sermon of the most learned and pious Dr. C. on 1 Jo. 2. 34. p. 117. there is no design to fill our heads with empty and useless opinions but to reform the manners of Mankind and to advance Vertue in the World For which reason the Scriptures being popularly written and descending to vulgar capacities take themselves altogether unconcerned in any accurate determinations of meer speculative Articles For example they do not represent God Almighty to us as he is in himself but as he is towards us viz. One Eternal Just Wise and Omnipotent God but in condescention to our capacities he is represented with the affections and members of a man confined to a place and his Eternity is Erasmus Atque utinam hic quoque Paulus aliquanto plus lucis nobis aperuisset qualiter extant animae semotae à corpore ubinam extent an fruantur immortalitatis gloria an impiorū animae jam nunc crucientur c. in his dedicatory of his Paraphrase to the Corinth Jer. 22. 16. crasly described by being before the World as his Immensity by filling the Heaven and the Earth And therefore it is that those divine Authors intreating not professedly of the Nature of Spirits of the intermediate State of the dead of Infants of the Heathen of Antemundane durations or Extramundane spaces have no ways assisted our curiosity in those or such like disquisitions But on the other side they tell us To do judgment and justice to judge the cause of the poor and needy is to know the Lord to be a son of Belial is not to know him that the fear Job 28. 28. of the Lord is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding and St. John represents Charity to be the knowledge 1 Joh.
with frail and weak flesh 't is that which lusts grievs and fears to die therefore I am led unwillingly and I do sin not that I would but I am compelled I do perceive I do sin but that frailty whereto I cannot resist doth necessarily enforce me to it So Medea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I very well understand the horrid Crimes I am about to accomplish but my passion is too hard for my reason So Lesbonicus Scibam ut esse me deceret facere non quibam miser Ita vi Veneris vinctus miser otio captus in fraudem incidi I know what becomes me but wretch that I am I cannot do it I am so taken with lust and idleness it is that deceives me But to this place I say no more but only observe that memorable accident which befel the famous Nicolas Zitinius who was put up by a Synod of the Reformed to explicate that Paragraph of St. Paul agreably to the modern sence of our Genevensian Masters and he did saith a noble Author eo Concilio rem strenuè aggredi briskly undertake the design but at length coming to those words I thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ haesit attonito similis was astonished But after he had recollected himself he broke out into these words Ecquod beneficium illud quod tantas Apostolo grates expressit an quod in tant◠eum peccati servitute detineri necesse fuit hoc vero mihi equidem probari nullo pacto potest Ego igitur inquit pariter ingentes patri luminum ago gratias quod mihi nunc ab errore liberato veritatis suae lucem adoriri voluit Ecqua vero est ista liberatio What deliverance is that What benefit is that which drew so great thank fulness from him was it that he was necessarily detained under so great bondage unto sin I can by no means think so therefore quoth he I give all possible thanks to the Father of Lights who hath now caused the light of truth to arise upon and deliver me from my error But whilst Zealots and high pretenders to Religion do against the sence of first and best Ages of the Church depretiate and vilifie moral honesty and obtrude such falshoods as are pure contradictions and impossibilities and that Qui innocentiam colit Domino supplicat qui justitiam Deo libat qui fraudibus abstinet propitiat Deum qui hominem periculo surripit optimam victimam caedit Haec nostra sacrificia haec Dei sacra sunt Sic apud nos religiosior est ille qui justior Min. Fel. with the same gravity authority and importunity as they do the holy Oracles of God it will startle prudent and conscientious men but gratifie the prophane and atheistical Spirit who willingly takes this advantage against the whole frame of Religion as if there were no truth in it But in vain do I object unreasonableness to these men who disclaim the use of their most noble Faculty in their affairs of greatest importance and that they may be always like themselves they think they have reason so to do As Myst Godl p. 495. if they had never read Try all things hold fast that which is good believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God or no be ready to render a reason of the hope that is in you Thus St. Paul If the blind lead the blind they both fall into the ditch Why of your selves do you not judg that which is right saith our Lord All which speeches if they do not advise men to make use of their Reason in the choice of their Religion saith an Excellent person dulce Mr. Chillingworth p. 97. Decus Praesidium nostrum the strength and ornament of our Church I must confess my self to understand nothing It was indeed the saying of Apelles Euseb l. 5. 19. in Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must by no means examin the Faith But Ludovicus Vives tells Alfaquinus a L. Viv. de Ver. fid lib. 6. 1. p. 546. Lugd. Bat. 1639. great truth Tutissimum mentiendi genus est nolle rationem corum quae dicas reddere It is the safest way of lying to refuse a reason of what you do affirm and to intitle God to your dreams And the Lib. 6. de verit great Hugo Grotius saith Meritò suspect a merx est quae hac lege obtruditur ne inspici possit you may justly suspect such wares as are sold unto you upon condition you may not look upon them And a famous Prelat of our own Church would have Ep. Laud Rel. p. 7◠no man think the Mysteries of Faith contradict reason or the principles thereof And a worthy person now living hath plainly told the World that That Religion is certainly false at the bottom that will not suffer it self to be enquired into by Reason And this was also the sence of other men who are in reputation for wisdom Melchior Canus Faith is not repugnant Fides sane cum natura non pugnat sed consentit nec dissident humana divina ratio sed cohaerent Vtraque verum est nec verum vero adversatur Vtraque est à Deo nec sibi contrarius est Deus Melc Can. C. C. fol. 358. 359. Col. Agrip. 15. 4. unto Nature but agreeable unto it nor doth humane and divine reason dissent but accord Each is true and one truth is not opposite to another each of them is from God and God is not contrary to himself And further he tells us It is the custom of unlearned men such as are Saracens Pagans Hereticks ut coeca temeraria Sectae suae Dogmata sine judicio amplectantur quae disquisitione egent maximè sine ulla disquisitione recipiant that they swallow down without any judgment every foolish and temerarious Dogma of their own Sect and receive without any disquisition those doctrines that most of all need it And after he hath most excellently perstringed this folly he opposes the divine method to it and tells us the Wisdom of God homines humano more instituit erudit i. e. rationales rationibus institutes and instructs men after the manner of men that is reasonable creatures with reasons But I shall end this with the testimony of Athanasius whose reason is as great as his authority he hath a little Tract on purpose against such as would have men believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. absolutely and never consider what is or is not fit to be believed and in the body of that discourse there is one passage Athan. Tom. 2. p. 325. Ed. Par. 1625. which I cannot but exscribe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Must I believe without all reason must I not enquire whether the notion be possible useful or decorous whether it be grateful to God congruous to Nature and consonant to Truth whether it be consequent from the Text agreeable to the Mystery and
eye to give solid meat to him that needs and uses milk And to these excellent men I shall subjoyn a worthy Prelate of our own See relation of a conference p. 25. Church who considering the proceedings of Rome in the Article Filioque concludes 't is hard to add and to anathematise too All which passages cannot For the modus of that Procession See Cyril late Patriarch of Alexandria to the Pious and Learned Vtenbogard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphan Ego me refero ad illas scripturae voces quae jubent invocare Christum quod est ei honorem divinitatis tribuere plenum consolationis est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Melancthon Ep. 140. p. 708. not be understood without that Royal distinction of necessary Articles and non-necessary And so we see what stress holy and good men laid upon the niceties of the Christian Faith Yet all this notwithstanding the boutefeues and incendiaries of Christendome suppose nor Creed nor Scripture sufficient to make up an Orthodox Christians Confession of Faith To all such superfine wits I shall oppose Tertullian What is Athens to Jerusalem or the Academy Quid ergo Athenis Hierosolumis quid Academiae Ecclesiae quid haereticis Christianis Viderrnt qui Stoicum Platonicum dialecticum Christianssmum protulerunt De Praescript C. 7 8. Nobis curositate non â—st opus post Christum Jesum nec Inquisitione post evangelium Cum credimus nihil desideramus ultra credere Hoc enim prius credimus non esse ultrae quod credere debeamus to the Church or Hereticks to Christians Let them see to it who have introduced a Stoical Platonick or a subtle Christianity What needs any curiosity after and beyond Christ Jesus or farther disquisition after we have receiv'd the Gospel So soon as we believe we desire nothing farther than to believe for this we first of all believe that there is nothing further that we ought to believe In vain I say did he adore the fulness of the Scripture and provoke the shop Adoro Scripturae plenitudinem Advers Herm. c. 22. of Hermogenes to shew where the matter in controverse was written if not to bid him fear that woe which is denounced against all such as add to or detract from the Sacred Scriptures In vain did Apollinaris fear to write against the Heresie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fusebius l. 5. c. 16. of Miltiades lest he should seem to some men to make additions to the Doctrine of the New Testament To or from which he may neither add nor substract who would institute his life according to the precepts of the Gospel They who think they can speak more properly than the Wisdom of God has spoken let them reconcile themselves to Athanasius who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. cont gentes avers the Sacred and Divinely inspir'd Scriptures are abundantly sufficient for the declaration of the truth and to Saint Basil who makes it without all doubt a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a manifest falling from the Faith and a most certain proof of pride 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either to reject any thing De vera fide p. 251. l. 10. that is written nor to introduce any thing that is not written Our Lord having said my sheep will hear my voice and a stranger will they not follow but will flee from him for they know the voyce of strangers And again enquiring of what mind the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ought to be he saith he would have them always to fear lest he should affirm or determine any thing besides the Will of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Regulâ— brevior 98. without controversie laid down in the Sacred Scriptures lest he he found a false witness of God And again he tells us 't is the property of a faithful minister to preserve intire and without the adulterate mixtures of any other Doctrines that which was concredited to him by his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de Ver. fid p. 249. merciful Lord to be communicated to his fellow servants and he assigns irrefragable reason because neither our Lord nor the Spirit of God spake from themselves Nay a little after he tells us he would spare to use such terms and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de ver fid p. 25. words which in so many syllables are not found in the divine Scriptures though they did retain the same sence and assigns this reason for it such kind of terms and words besides their novelty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are apt to innovate the sence of things and were never found used by holy men heretofore These I have by all means declined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as strange and forreign to the holy Faith Nothing can be more concluding unless I should end this observation with that voice out of the Cloud which said This is my beloved Son in whom I am well Mat. 17. 5. pleased Hear ye him Nor Obscure Though some men think nothing makes a Solemnity but Shades Cette parole contient nettement clairement tout ce qui est necessaire pour former la Foy pour regler le Culte les Moeurs saith the learned Claude in his Answer to Arnaud lib. 1. c. 4. speaking of God's Word Nay he further adds these excellent words Il est aise mesine aux plus simples de juger si le Ministere sous le quel nous vivons pout conduire an salut per consequent si nostre Societe est la veritable Eglise and therefore introduce their divine notions like Homer's Deities always cloathed with Cloud They represent our Lord as another Sphynx that they might be reputed the only Oedipus's in the World but can we think that he who was disclosed from the bosom of that God who dwells in inaccessible light he whose name is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the East or the Morning he who is the Sun of Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the true and genuine Light who was cloath'd with Light upon Mount Tabor and in that Garment appeared unto the persecuting Saul he who brought Life and Immortality to light and whose Disciples are the light of the World that he discourses Aenigmata Mysteries and Darkness We find him in his famous Sermon upon a Mountain indeed but below the Clouds Can we think it that that God who appeared in a pillar of Fire under the Oeconomy of Moses appears only in a pillar of Cloud under the dispensation of Christ Is there no light in the Sun that fountain of Light because the blind man doth not see it No no to the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according Esay 8. 20. to this word it is because there is no light in them Tell me not there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Pet. 3. 16. Homil. 3. in 2. Thess some things hard to be understood St. Chrysostom solves that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
worthy of Piety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What profit is there in a Scheme of unintelligible things or like a Parrat or an Eccho to reverberate a sound empty of mind and sence But this Novelty amongst the rest minds me of the Precept of the Prophet Stand in the ways and see and Jer. 6. 16. ask for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your Souls And here let me mind you my Brethren of the Clergy of a Canon of our own Church yet in force speaking of Preachers Imprimis vero videbunt ne quid unquam doceant pro concione quod à populo religiose teneri credi velint nisi quod consentaneum sit doctrinae veteris aut Novi Testamenti quodque ex illa ipsa doctrina catholici patres veteres Episcopi collegerint A Canon which I read many years since but never resented its worth until by an inspection into ancient divinity I found how different it was from that which now reigns in our Pulpits and Presses And here let me observe for the service of my younger Brethren whose reading reaches not beyond Geneva that those Apples of strife couched under the Quinquarticular question as they are apt to determine them are as perfect a piece of Novellism as any other notion we contemn under that name at this day He that thinks the liberty of humane minds is injurious to God's Grace or prejudicial to the faith and comfort of Christians accuses those famous Martyrs Ignatius Irenaeus Justin and Cyprian together with Athanasius Basil Nyssen Nazianzen Chrysostom Ambrose and Jerome of the same crime And farther let me mind you of the Anathemata of the Synod of Arles Let Anathema illi qui per Dei praescientiam in mortem hominem deprimi dixerit Anathema illi qui dixerit illum qui periit non accepisse unde salvus esse posset Anathema illi qui dixerit Vas contumeliae non posset assurgere ut sit vas in honorem Anathema illi qui dixerit quod Christus non pro omnibus mortuus sit â—â— omnes lomines salvos esse velit him be Anathema who shall say that the divine Prescience doth cause any man's death That he who perished had not grace enough to be saved That a vessel of dishonour could not rise to be a vessel of honour That Christ did not die for all men and would have all men to be saved I might farther instance in the novel sence of that famous Paragraph to the Romans which as a great man observes no man takes up but he that hath a Lust to serve and could easily shew you that the antient Church were all for a Metascematismus in the words and that St. Austin himself when he understood it worst understood it better than his pretended followers now do And thus have I imperfectly pointed out the causes of the decay of Christian Charity in the World and the fomes of those scandalous discords which vex Christendom at this day ridente Turcâ— nec dolente Judaeo And now I shall end with a succinct Paraenesis to you that have vouchsafed your presence and patience And first to you my Brethren of the Clergy Methinks I hear our Lord and Master Christ like another Joseph bespeaking his Brethren going to their Father to Canaan See that you fall not out by the way Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another St. Paul propounds a great Question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who is sufficient for these things The Psalmist thought to wash the hands in innocency was an excellent preparation to compass the Altars of God and no doubt but it would prepare for that wisdom also which would make us meet to wait in the Sanctuary My Brethren much of the peace and prosperity of God's Church depends upon our vertuous and prudent conduct of those affairs concredited to our trust We are constituted the Guides of Souls and in a sence to bear the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven but whilst it suffers violence and the violent take it by force let us see to it that we our selves be not shut out Let us remember the Age we live in 't is nice Many will not drink the waters of life if offered to them in an unclean Chalice they will not take the most medicinal dose if it be prepared with foul hands It is Philosophical and Rational Absurdities will not go for Mysteries weak and indemonstrable Propositions will not pass for supernatural Verities nor humane Presumptions for divine Revelations Let our Discourses be strong and useful that no prophane wit may say of our Exercises as Gallen reproached the doctrine Nibil iradatur populo nisi quod indubitatum est ad fidei negotium necessarium ad piè vivendum conducibile saith the great Erasmus Epist lib. 24. Epist 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Moses and Christ it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are indemonstrable I could not read without great affection an Observation of the learned Dr. Andrews in his Concio ad Clerum in a Provincial Convocation of some men who did involare in hunc locum hoc divinae sapientiae Solium and what does he here hic ad Clepsydram 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cohaerentia non cohaerentia scabra putida insulsa nec cocta nec condita praecipitare ad nauseam usque hoc scilicet concionari dicitur This is to preach forsooth too too lively a Character of many a Preacher in these days Let 's for Christ sake see our Doctrine and our lives be pure and pacifick If our Doctrines be doubtful and litigious and our Lives be careless and scandalous but I 'le rather use the words of the pious Author Si Doctrina ludibrium si Vita scandalum fortasse non momento uno non ictu oculi sed sensim tamen senescet evanescet tendet ad interitum Ordo vester 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nay I 'le add a few words more of that good Man from the same Paragraph Enimvero nisi vos vobis hac parte caveatis optimi Principis gratia Procerum favor Legum terror diu vobis cavere non poterunt But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Well you see Purity and Peace is in the precept of our Lord the best method I know to derive it into our hearts and lives is laid down in this sudden discourse especially in that observation of the Learned King who would have us distinguish between Necessaries and Non-necessaries and tells us the duty of every peaceable Divine is to explicate to urge to teach that distinction And for your divertisement now and then if you spent some time in Nazianzen's Apology Chrysostom de Sacerdotio and the 81. Paragraph of Mr. Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity as you would have no cause to repent your pains no more should I that have put you in remembrance so to do And now my Brethren of the Laity let me speak to you in
Apostles 2. That the Doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles is not a Speculative but a Practical Doctrine 3. And which will follow from both The raising of Opinions beside the Doctrine of our Lord and his Apostles and which have no good influence upon the lives of men is the effect of Pride Ignorance Corruption and destitution of Truth and the cause of Envy Strife Reproachings Suspicions and perverse Disputings Of these succinctly The only Rule of a Christian's faith and life is the Doctrine of Tertul. de Praescript C. 6. Nobis verò nihil ex nostro arbitrio inducere licet sed nec eligere quod aliquis de arbitrio suo induxerit Apostolos Domini habemus Auctores qui nec ipsi quicquam ex suo arbitrio quod inducerent elegerunt sed acceptam à Christo discipliuam fideliter Nationibus assignaverunt 1 Pet. 4. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles St. Peter would have him that speaks as the Oracles of God i. e. without Addition Subtraction or Alteration For the Apostles were Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Now 't is required of Stewards that they be found faithfull 1 Cor. 4. 1. St. Paul was not wont to withhold any thing profitable from them but Acts 20. 20 27. to declare the whole Counsel of God And Moses speaking of our Saviour truly said unto the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me him shall Acts 3. 22. ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say to you and the voice from the cloud telling us he was the beloved Son of God commands us to hear him Luke 9. 35. Why else are we bid to search the Scriptures are said to have Moses and the Prophets Why did St. Paul think it a just and full defence of himself to say After the way which they call heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things which are written Acts 24. 14. in the Law and the Prophets But here I expect the objections of the old Gnosticks decliners of the Scripture Lucifugae Scripturarum Tertul de c. 47. In accusationem ipsarum Scripturarum convertuntur as Tertullian calls them when they are reproved out of the Scriptures they accuse the Scriptures themselves either they want sufficient Authority or are hard to be understood or imperfect without Tradition not written but oral because St. Paul said We speak wisdom among them that are perfect So Clemens Iren. 3. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 757. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Alexandria tells us of some who did patch together false and feigned doctrines that with very good reason they might refuse the Scriptures But when God's Church had exploded those conceits the Romanist rises up against the Word Scriptures saith he be not necessary nor written by divine command are imperfect obscure that we have no original Books and such as we have be corrupted and some others quos dicere nolo imagin that they can speak better than the Wisdom and Spirit of God and notwithstanding St. Paul hath told us the Scripture is useful for reproof yet these men are pleased 1. Tim. 3. 16. to take up what Timothy was to avoid the introduction of Profanas vocum novitates So Ambr and the vulgar Latin Chrysostom as Theophylact intimates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though there is as little difference in the sence as the sound All new terms i. e. postnate to the sealing of the Canon in matters of faith being vain and empty as to the establishing any one Article in it New and Extra-scriptural words for the more effectual reproving of Hereticks forsooth as if he could be an Heretick who did receive the whole Scripture as his only Rule of Christian faith and life But if that be the Rule which is the language of the whole Reformation it must be so complete that it needs no addition as Chilling worth 54. well as so evident that it needs no interpretation for both these we are assured are properties requisite to a perfect Rule 'T is a strange piece of arrogance to think we can speak of God or the things of God better than he himself hath spoken Cannot he that fram'd Num Deus mentis vocis linguae Artifex disertè loqui non potest the mind the voice the tongue speak apposity Yes sure divine Providence took care that those things which were divine should be clear that all might understand Carere fuco voluit ea Lactan. de vero cultu p. 623. what things he spake to them all And Chrysostom having very much urged the reading of the holy Scriptures at length meets that objection What if we do not understand the things we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homil 3. de Laz. there He answers 'T is not possible you should be equally ignorant of all things therein For the grace of the Spirit hath so disposed matters therein that Publicans and Fishers and Tent-makers and Shepherds and Rusticks and Ideots and Illiterate did compose the books So that the most Idiotick soul cannot excuse himself on this account things being plain enough to be seen that mechanick Servants and Women and the worst educated may receive great benefit by them These things were not composed for vain glory Tom. 5. p. 244. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but for the salvation of such as should hear them Gentile Philosophers indeed and Rhetoricians and Writers not consulting the publick good but their own reputation delivered the most useful notions in their usual obscurity But Prophets and Apostles take the very contrary course their clear and manifest notions they explicated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all men as became the common teachers of the whole World So that every man of himself may by reading only understand the things that are said in these books And afterwards on occasion of the Eunuch's reading the Prophet he vehemently recommends a diligent reading of the holy Books He tells us how the reading of them defends us against sins the ignorance of them is a dangerous Precipice and deep Abyss A great hazard it is of our Salvation to be ignorant of the Scriptures This is it that introduces Heresies into our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyp. de lapsu Ecclesiae non jungitur qui ab Evangelio separatur Aufer haereticis quae cum ethnicis sapiunt ut de Scripturis solis quaestiones suas sistant stare non poterunt Tertul. Faith Immoralities into our lives and causes great confusion in matters of Religion 'T is the neglect or contempt of Scripture is cause of heresie So that we say as Austin All things De doct Chr. l. 2. c. 9. In its quae apertè in Scriptura posita sunt inveniri illa omnia quae continent fidem moresque vivendi Epist 3. ad Vo. Iren.