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A42787 A sermon against corrupting the word of God preached at Christ Church in Manchester upon a publick occasion on the 11th day of July, 1696 / by Thomas Gipps. Gipps, Thomas, d. 1709. 1697 (1697) Wing G781; ESTC R26767 15,690 33

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which were to be fulfilled in Christ and ever to remain in force Yet however he suits his Expression unto the Jews Curiosity in keeping the Word from being diminisht in the least Point But yet Interest has a Byas Instance M. has charg'd the Jews home with this Practice instancing in several Passages out of Ez. Neh. the Psal Isa Jer. and Ezek. that were expung'd because they seem'd too plainly to point at Jesus Christ And all the World knows the Papists in their Catechism at least have assum'd and exercis'd a like expurgatory Power upon the second Commandment Much more 2. Then we diminish from the Word when we reject whole Books as the Sadducees and Samaritans of Old did all but the 5. Books of Moses and as many over Subtil and Wickedly Critical Wits among the Christians have done calling into Question many intire Books of the New Testament and some there are who have endeavour'd to cashiere 'em all But 3. We diminish from the Word when we lay it aside as not a Necessary or not the Supreme Rule of Faith This is to diminish from it's Authority Some either Weak or Hypocritical Christians in Times of Old deliver'd up their Bibles to their Persecuters and for so doing were Branded with that disgraceful Name of Traditors Traitors And yet questionless they had or might have had the usual Excuses at hand which are currant now a days That they had the Light within 'em to guide 'em into all Truth That they had other Lights without 'em The Writings of Holy and Learned Men The assistance of Bishops and Priests and the infallible Popes The daily Conversation of the Faithful and the Decrees of Councils to direct and instruct 'em Moreover that the Truths and Mysteries of the Gospel whatever became of of the written Word might be transmitted by Oral Tradition unto Posterity and upon the whole matter that there was no necessity of the written Word of God But these new Pretexts notwithstanding the Church condemn'd their Treachery All which shews that in the Judgment both of the Church and of the Persecuters too neither the Light within nor the Writings of Holy Men nor the Decrees of Councils nor the Infallibility of the Popes nor Oral Tradition nor all of 'em were sufficient to uphold the Doctrine of Christianity and this demonstrates the necessity of the written Word of God that 't is the only Necessary and Supreme Rule of Faith There is a pernicions Law among the Romanists forbidding the People to Read the Scripture which is a great Diminution of at least the Honour the Sufficiency and Perspicuity of the Word 'T is pretended that it was found certissimo Experimento that ignorant and malicious Men did improve it unto Errours and Heresies by mistaking or depraving its meaning But this is a meer shift to palliate the Injury done to the Word of God contrary to the sense and practice of all Antiquity For our Predecessors in the Faith I mean the Ancient Fathers this Obj. notwithstanding were wont constantly to call upon all the Faithful without distinction to read the Word telling 'em It was not like Plato's Philosophy or Pythagoras's Cryptical Discipline calculated for the Meridian of a few of the Wiser Sort but fitted and design'd for all to read and to understand for the Wise and for the Unwise for Kings of the Earth for all People for Souldiers and for Lawyers for Monks and for Citizens of the World for Priests and Laymen for Husbandmen and Mariners Artificers and Labourers for Young Men and Maidens Old Men and Children and in a word for all Qualities Ages Sexes Fortunes and Degrees of Men whatever to be read in Publick and in Private and at all times as well at Home as Abroad in the Church and in the Fields and in the Desarts and in Journeys in a word in every place Shall I by the way crave leave to offer you a Demonstration of my own for any thing that I know against our Adversaries certissimum Experimentum and that out of the Scripture it self too because I am now pleading in its behalf See then the second Epistle of Peter 1 chap. 19. v. We have also a more sure word of Prophesy whereunto ye do well to take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place compar'd with the 16. v. of the 3 d chap. of the same Epistle As also in all his Epistles our beloved Brother Paul has written speaking in 'em of these things in which are some things hard to be understood which they that are unstable and unlearned wrest as they do all the other Scriptures unto their own Destruction Out of which Passages I argue thus That which Peter the first Pope or Bishop of Rome and Paul too commended and encourag'd the People to sc to take heed or to give attendance unto the reading of the Word although it was known by most certain Experience that some wrested it to Errour and Heresy and to their own Destruction that ought not now be deny'd the People because forsooth there be at this day also some among us that wrest it to their own Destruction That which was not a competent Reason unto Peter cannot be a sufficient Warrant unto his Successors to deprive the People of the Holy Scriptures What Peter could not would not do the Popes at this time of day cannot should not presume to do But above all to advance a Supreme Infallible and Independent Authority in the Church not Subordinate yea Superiour to the Scripture with liberty even to contradict it is certainly a diminishing of the Word that is its Soveraignty The Power of the Word is like God himself nec parem fert nec superiorem The Scripture is the intire body of the Divine Law who then shall dare to Diminish ought from it or thwart its Definitions He that touches the apple of Gods Eye He claims as I may say a share in the Legislative yea and makes himself Superior even to God himself It was then an impudent Presumption crimen laesae Majestatis in the Council of Constance to take upon 'em to decree with a non-obstante that tho' the Scripture says Drink ye all of this yet the Laity to whom also they confess it was spoken shall not drink thereof Thus they made the Word of God of none Effect by their Traditions teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men and declared ' emselves above Jesus Christ that Canon being set above his Word by their own acknowledgment And thus the Will and the Wisdom of Men took place of the Wisdom and Will of God What shall we then think of those who equal nay prefer the private Spirit of the Pope and others the Light within ' emselves before the Word of God St. Peter and the Believers he wrote to certainly had the Light within and the Spirit in as great abundance as any at this time of day can pretend And yet he tells his Flock
at least to the Continuance and Increase of it and that upon the following Accompts 1. Because the Alteration happen'd in the Year 38. Presbytery being then in the Ascendant I say just in that nick of time when all things were in Preparation and tended to the Subversion of Episcopacy Scotland having already made a Conspiracy and bound ' emselves under a Curse to Extripate it and England even a great part of the Universities ' emselves running into the same excess of riot So that here is a Concurrence of the Circumstance of time and a shrewd one too sufficient to ground a suspicion on 2. The Corruption in Appearance favours the Dissenters and their Design against Episcopacy If then any they may be suspected for being willing to have it at least continu'd and propagated 3. On the contrary it cannot with any Colour of Reason be imagin'd that the Episcopal Party design'd to Corrupt this Place or to Connive at it's Corruption except they shall be thought Felones de se and willingly and knavishly to destroy what they endeavour zealously to establish Satan as our Lord argues cannot be thought to cast out Satan and to throw down his own Kingdom Nor will any one of Sense believe that the Episcopal Party were willing to have that thrust out of the Scripture upon which their Church Government seems to be built Or to substitute in its room what in Appearance overthrows their Politie 4. That Party ought in all Reason to be Suspected of foul Play herein who admitting they did not at first on set purpose contrive the Corruption of this place yet now belike contribute to the Confirming and Vindicating it and under the Colour of this new Text of Scripture assert and support the new Popular Government of the Church as some of the Presbyterians do at this day For the Proof of which Charge upon 'em I need only to put you in mind of that memorable Story which doubtless ye have many of you heard of how that a Cameronian one of the most rigid Sects of the Scotch Presbyterians Preaching some years since concerning the Peoples Power of setting up their own Teachers having confirm'd his Point with some Reasons of his own the Principal whereof was I guess that it was most agreeable to the Inclination of the Scotch Nation which is just such another Reason as an Adulterer also might give for his Wantonness But I say having prov'd his Point as he thought no matter to us how at length bid his Audience not to believe him but to turn to their Bible and so sent them incontinently to the 6. Act. 3. v. where they might find their Character in these Words Whom YE the Multitude of Believers may appoint over this Business But whether this be a good Character or has on it the stamp of Divine Authority let the World judge by what has been already said For a Conclusion then I would crave leave to address 1. Unto all the Faithful in general Men Brethren and Fathers suffer me to entreat you in a few words with all diligence to preserve the Word of God pure and uncorrupt If once the Fountain-head be poyson'd the Streams will be so too and from thenceforth we shall never be able to distinguish between the Doctrines and Will of God and the Inventions and Inclinations of Men. The Adversaries of Christianity with design to overthrow the whole Frame of our Religion have already endeavour'd to take advantage of those numerous and various Lections which in times of darkness and ignorance heretofore stole into the Greek Testament as I find it taken notice of in a Learned Preface to a late Edition what then will they say when they observe the purest Kirk in the World as is pretended tempering with and refining upon the Word of God at this time of day But let not us to serve a Cause or to draw the simple People into our Interests let not us I say dare to suborn any false Witness whatever much less out of the Word of Truth Let us leave that vile Artifice to our Adversaries on both hands Truth needs not such feeble Supports but is indeed very much disparag'd and weaken'd thereby The brightest Truth will receive prejudice when we go about to establish it by a Lie much more Points in Controversy when they are varnish'd and washt over with false and fading Colours 'T is our Interest therefore as well as our Duty To lay aside all Guile and Hypocrisie and to feed our Flocks with the sincere Milk of the Word To put away Lying and to speak every Man Truth with his Neighbour Let us take to our selves the Example of St. Paul We are not says he reflecting upon the Corinthian Schismaticks as many which corrupt the Word of God But as of Sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ And once more he saith We have renounced the hidden things of Dishonesty not walking in Craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the Truth The Apostle not obscurely hinting in these Words that the Separatists at Corinth did so 2. But above all and with all Submission I would beg of those who are in Authority and do humbly propose that some effectual course be taken to make amends for this at first I am willing to believe unfortunate oversight committed I am asham'd to repeat where and to vindicate this Place in the Acts from the Injury it has suffer'd these Fifty Years past and upward How it may in some measure be repair'd is not hard to tell I have heard of a whole Impression of the Bible condemn'd to be burnt because the Negative Particle of a Commandment was casually left out What then if one of every Edition thus deprav'd or at least one for all were serv'd after the same manner in perpetuam rei Memoriam and to expose the craftiness of those Circumcellians among us who to advance their design do not stick it seems to promote it by Falshood and grounding ' emselves upon a meer Errour of the Press as we will suppose it was at first deceiving and being deceived do lie against the Holy Ghost and bring a Scandal upon the Word of God and our holy Religion To Conclude I may happily seem too Warm and Zealous in this matter Doubtless some will think so But upon Examination having found the first accidental slip repeated since in at least half a dozen Impressions of the Bible here in England and having now just Reason to suspect the Scotch Bibles generally faulty in this Passage I cannot Imagine but it has been a good while underhand countenanc'd and abetted For is it Possible to believe that One unhappy mistake should be so successful as to have got into so many Editions without the helping hand of some wily and undermining Schismatick But principally whereas now it begins to be avow'd for good and vendible Ware expos'd and sold publickly in the Market can any One continue to believe it still an Unwilling and Excusable Error Or rather is it not fit to be treated as Counterfeit and for bidden Commodities are That is in plain terms as I said cast into the Fire Moreover for any thing I can foresee it may if not timely prevented plead Prescription and set up for Authentic at least for a various Lection whereby the Popular Government of the Church may in a few more Years gain an Appearance of Divine Authority and the Scot's Inclination be thought Apostolical Institution All which consider'd the Warmth I have shew'd upon this Occasion if any before accounted it such will now I hope be allow'd Reasonable and not Unserviceable to the Word and to the Church of God to this Part of it especially among us by Law Divine Human Establish'd And long may it be so to the Glory of God to the Edification of the Church in Peace Love in Truth Unity Amen FINIS Champ. Chal. accepted by Dr. Hook late Vicar of Halifax v. 5. 1 Cor. 10. 11. Deut. 4. 2. 12. 32. Mr. De Laune in Lr. to Dr. Calamy page 43. In Metre and likewise sing 'em All which ought to be done if they are essential Parts of the Psalms Yea the whole Hebrew Bible De L. page 44. Vbi Supra 1 Cor. 15. 54 55. Isa 25. 8. Hos 13. 14. See Is 59. 7 8. Deut. 32. 33. Anastasius Patr. of Ant. apud Vserii Hist Dogma Multarum Gentium linguis Scriptura Translata docet falsa esse quae addita sunt Hieron Praefat ad 4. Evang S●e l. 4. c. 33. S●z l. 6. c. 37. phi●est l. 2. c. 6. apud Vissr ibid. Is 11. 9. His Country Men. Rev. 22. 18 19. Mat. 5. 18. Dial. cum Tryph. Council Trid. Bellarmin c. See 4th Col. 16. 17. Acts 11. v. ● Ep. 1. 19 20. no not of E●ter himself v. 18. Acts. 6. 3. We the Apostles By Tho. Buck and Rog. Daniel Printers to the Vniversity The latter of which was indeed the mannager of the Press and in the Interest of that Presbyterian Party Printed at Oxford Theater Anno 1675. 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. Eph. 4. 25. 1 Cor. 2. 17. c. 4. 2.