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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A30916 A letter to a lady furnishing her with Scripture testimonies against the principal points and doctrines of popery Barecroft, Charles. 1688 (1688) Wing B757; ESTC R20623 57,234 84

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night that thou mayest observe to do all that is written therein This is the Psalmist's Character of a Good Man Psal 1. 2. His delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night This was the Commendation of Apollos Acts 18. 24. That he was not only an eloquent Man but mighty in the Scriptures And this was the Confidence of the Apostle concerning the Romans Rom. 15. After he had told them verse 4. That whatever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope At the 14. Verse he concludes And I my self also am perswaded of you my brethren that ye also are full of goodness filled with all knowledge and able to admonish one another Col. 3. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs c. And Ch. 4. 16. When this epistle is read amongst you cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans and that ye likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea Parallel to which is his Command to the Thessalonians 1 Epist 5. 27. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren And indeed it would be some Comfort if they of the Church of Rome could but have the Gospel read in the Congregation purely and without Adulteration in a Tongue understood by the Common People This would be much more to Edification than a few Stories out of the Golden Legend or the History of S. George's killing the Dragon which I assure you Madam is a part of the Service of his Day and in their Prayer to him they solemnly commemorate this Act of his as if it were as True as the Gospel But Lastly S. Peter speaking of the Voice from Heaven This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased says We have also a more sure word of prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts knowing this first That no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation 2 Pet. 1. 19 20. I give you both Verses because I know some Men would be apt to object the last to the first But we may observe That if S. Peter does condemn the Private Interpretation of Scriptures he does not condemn the Private Reading of them but says That all men will do well if they take good heed to them as to a more sure word than a voice from heaven And thus Madam I think it sufficiently appears That it is the necessary Duty of every Christian to Read and be well acquainted with the Scriptures they being the pillar and ground of truth and the power of God unto salvation But if after all it is objected as I suppose it will That the Scriptures are dark and hard to be understood be pleased to consider with me these few Texts Deut 30. 11. This commandment which I command thee this day is not hidden from thee neither is it far off it is not in heaven that thou shouldest say Who shall go up for us to heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it neither is it beyond the sea that thou shouldest say Who shall go over the sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it But the word is very nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest do it Psalm 119. 130. The entrance of thy words giveth light It giveth understanding to the simple Prov. 14. 6. A scorner seeketh wisdom and findeth it not but knowledge is easie to him that understandeth I take these to be sufficient indications of the Plainness and Intelligibleness of the Law. But we have God's own Word if he may be believed That the Gospel should be much more easie to be understood Jer. 31. 33. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my law into their inward parts and write it in their hearts and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least unto the greatest of them saith the Lord. And that the Understanding of the Scriptures is not reserved for the more Learned of Mankind only is plain from our Saviours own Words Matth. 11. 25. I thank thee O father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight And when his Disciples asked him Why he spake to the Jews in parables he answered and said unto them Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but to them it is not given Matth. 13. 11. And we know that his Disciples were for the most part Poor Ignorant Unlearned and among the Jews came very often the Scribes Pharisees and great Doctors All that I shall add at present to compleat this Subject is That Ignorance in the Scriptures is very Dangerous 1. Because it is generally the Cause of Mens committing all maner of sins Isai 1. 3. The ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider God Almighty had been so Gracious to them as to give them his law first for them to read and the Prophets afterwards to explain it that they might know and understand his Will therein but they would neither read the one nor give ear to the other And this without doubt was the cause of God's crying out How long shall I see the standard and hear the sound of the trumpet for my people is foolish they have not known me they are sottish children and they have no understanding they are wise to do evil but to do good they have no knowledge Jer. 4. 21. and Chap. 5. 21. Hear now this O foolish peopole and without Vnderstanding which have eyes and see not ears and hear not Because they would neither read the Law nor give Ear to the Prophets therefore they were justly called Sottish Children a foolish people and without understanding therefore they were wise to do evil but not to do good For it is most certain The Devil will be sure to make his best of Ignorance and use his utmost endeavour to keep Men in it because the more Light Men have the more Work they can do and the better they are informed the better they will act here and so he will be like to lose their Company hereafter I think then that S. Austin's tolle lege will be good Advice to all that are willing to live Virtuous Lives and as Luther's advice to Governours