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
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
best then is the best still had almost made me think that he intended a perfect agreement with the truth which all along he had opposed but that I found him presently to falsifie that Text in Joh. 15 24. in like manner as he had done the same Text in many other places viz. In leaving out the Emphasis thereof even that which chiefly corroborated and upheld that truth which in his precedent assertion he seemingly maintained namely in omitting these words viz. Among them and that they did both see and hateâ— for the Text is If I had done among them c. that is in their presence that they might both see and hear the Miracles done by Christ as the Samaritans did those that were done by Philip Acts 8.6 they had not had sin but now have they beth seen and hated both me and my Father And with the like unfaithfulness doth he bring up the Rear in the words following by omitting to add to him by which it is made neither current nor found for if St. Paul were now living and had convincingly revealed the Gospel to many thousand men and not to me this though it bound them to believe yet it binds not me to whom it was never convincingly revealed but when ever it is convincingly revealed to me as well as to them then it binds me as well as them but not else These bawks are not comely in any man especially if in the least he pretends sincerity for as the sin of the Scribes and Pharisees there was much aggravated by their seeing and hating so is every mans else though not in the same degree that shall see this or any other Text flatly against his purpose and then to cite it so maimedly as to make it speak against the intention or genuine sense thereof as by this Author this is often cited whereby to make Christ whose words they were to bear false witness so much against himself and his truth this I conceive is no small offence nor is this any other then a friendly caution that when ever this Argument is again handled both Christ his truth and this Text may be better dealt with R. B. And whereas this Author here tells us from current Testimony That the gift of casting out Devils and making them confess themselves mastered by Christ did remain in the Church for three or four hundred yeers at least after the Apostles and that Satan could no where â—eep his possession where this power of Christ did assault him Now then let it be considered Quest. 1. Whether there be not many Pagan Nations whereof Satan hath full possession and wherein he is worshipped by the Inhabitants as God 2. Whether he hath not in all Nations places and persons some large possession at least in their hearts by envy pride covetousness or some other base affection and lust And shall any such man yet think that there is not now need or use of these powerful gifts of the Spirit to dispossess this powerful Prince that yet so ruleth in the world and hearts of men Or can he or any man else be so simple as to think that Satan ever was or yet is so weak or foolish as to be scared and cast out of any of all these his strong holds meerly by the various uncertain and contrary holy winds blown from Pulpits by artificial Divines any more then he ever was or will be cast out of any place or person by vertue of holy Water sprinkled by Fryars or Monks Wherefore for these and many other good causes it may be well deem'd That there was since the said four hundred yeers and is yet the same need of the said powerful gifts of the spirit as were formerly given by Christ to his Church notwithstanding all or any thing said by this learned Author to the contrary 5. Dan. Featly another Doctor in Divinity and famed for a great Schollar in his Dippers Dipt pag. 1. likewise plainly tells us That No Translation is simply authentical or the undoubted Word of God in the undoubted Word of God there can be no error but in Translations there may be and are errors The Bible translated therefore is not the undoubted Word of God but so far onely as it agreeth with the Original Now these passages coming forth by Authority as licenced Vertues if the learned Licencer know any and this Argument being approved as sound and good by other of the learned in my hearing I cannot chuse but query thus of my own understanding or of any mans else that hath charity and ability to inform me better Whether the very same Argument upon the very same grounds and reasons may not in like manner be enforc't against all Copies whatsoever in any Language whatsoever as well and as truly as against Translations thus viz. No Copy is simply authentical or the undoubted Word of God in the undoubted Word of God there can be no Error but in Copies there may be and are Errors The Bible copyed therefore is not the undoubted Word of God but so far onely as it agreeâ—h with the Original For although it be admitted by many that the original Pen-men of the Scripture were all inspired by God yet it may be and is by all denyed that the Copyers thereof were any more inspired then the Translators but that they might erre and have erred as well as Translators as before is manifest how else came there such diversities of Copies into the world as well as of Translations And whereas in the conclusion of the Argument is implyed That so far as either Translation or Copy can be proved to agree with the Original so far only it is to be accounted the Word of God Whence I query Whether it be possible for any to produce the undoubted several Originals of the several Books of the Bible or undoubtedly to know them if it were possible to produce them they being written by divers persons in divers places in diver ages in divâ—rs Languages and upon divers occasions And if none be able to do this I then query How it can be possible for any undoubtedly to prove any Book Chapter or Verse either of Translation or Copy to agree with the Original Besides seeing reason experience teach That time produceth such variations and changes in languages as that a word signifying one thing in one age may often hath another signisication put upon it by use and custom in another age whence else is it that some Hebrew and Greek words bears divers some six some seven and some contrary significations as one word to signifie both to bless and to curse in Job 2.9 And it cannot in reason be imagined but that some words may have quite lost their Original signification since the first writing of the Bible wherefore it would prove a very difficult work if not impossible for any to give to each passage and word its genuine sense and undoubted signification if it were possible as it is not
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