of S. Paul And yet he tells us That all Scripture is profitable not only for Doctrine and Reproof but for Correction too and Instruction in 2 Tim. 3. 16. righteousness Yea do not the Scriptures themselves frequently give this testimony of themselves That they are a Sovereign Preservative against Vice and that this was one great end to which God design'd them Even young Men who are most obnoxious to the pollution of Sin by attending to the Scriptures may cleanse themselves from it For wherewithal says David shall a young Man cleanse his way by taking Psal 119. 9. heed thereto according to thy word But suppose these evil examples are of such dangerous consequence why are they so to the Laity only Are all the Clergy of such approved virtue that a Temptation hath no power over them This is an attainment above the Vulgar which I presume the Roman Clergy do not yet pretend to But for a direct Answer to the objection I propose these two things in the general 1. That the Scripture it self hath prescribed a remedy against the evil of these Examples 2. That the examples themselves are many ways advantageous to our good for the prevention or cure of Sin and for the promoting of Virtue in us 1. The Scripture it self hath prescribed a Remedy against the evil of these examples and that several ways 1. By furnishing us with the most eminent examples of the contrary Virtues 2. By forbidding those very sins under the severest penalties 3. By telling us how severely God hath punished the sins of many of those good Men. 4. By setting before us many dreadful examples of God's judgment upon others for the like sins 1. By furnishing us with the most eminent examples of the contrary virtues which may be as powerful a motive to Good as the other can be to Evil. If we impartially read the Scriptures we shall find that the vicious actions of good Men are but few in comparison of their vertuous actions there recorded and whatsoever the sins be that some of them were sometimes overtaken with we shall also find that not only others but even they themselves for the most part were at other times exemplary for the contrary Duties I shall not stay to instance in particulars It may suffice That the holy Jesus is in Scripture set before us as such an illustrious Pattern not only of this or that but of all kinds of Moral Goodness as will to every attentive considering person be of greater force to excite to virtue than the sins of all good Men there registred taken together can be to provoke to the contrary 2. By forbidding those very sins under the severest penalties What though in telling the Story of the evil actions of good Men it does not always pass a censure upon them It was not needful it should do so because God hath expresly condemn'd them by his Law. It is the Law of God that is our only Rule Examples therefore are to be judg'd by Precepts and all Examples to be concluded bad so far as they do not agree with the Rule 3. The Scriptures also tell us how severely God has punished the sins of many of those good Men. He will have no encouragement to imitate David in his Murther and Adultery who considers that dismal train of punishments that follow'd at the heels of them For though God upon his Repentance forgave the eternal punishment yet he visited his iniquity with rods and his sin with scourges he punished him even to example in this World to the end that others might see and fear and do no more so presumptuously Nor can that Man be encouraged to fraud and lying by Jacob's example in getting the blessing who duly considers how very dear those sins afterward cost him 4. We find in Scripture many dreadful examples of God's Judgments upon others for the like sins on purpose to deter us from them S. Paul says thus of the Plagues God brought upon the Israelites in the Wilderness These things were our examples to the intent that we should 1 Corinth 10. 7 8 9 19. not lust after evil things as they also lusted neither be ye Idolaters as were some of them neither let us commit Fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty Thousand Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them tempted and were destroyed of Serpents neither murmur as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the Destroyer Now all these things happened to them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come Let Men but carefully read and seriously lay to heart these and other such terrible examples we find in Scripture of God's vengeance upon Men for their sins and this doubtless will be a powerful Antidote against the infection of bad Example Thus you see that whatsoever ill use some Men may be enclin'd to make of the sins of good Men recorded in Scripture the Scripture it self hath provided a sufficient Remedy against it But this is not all 2. The sins of good Men recorded in Scripture may be highly beneficial to us both for the preserving us from sin and the promoting of Holiness in us And that several ways 1. As they are a confirmation of the truth of the Sacred History and by consequence more fully assure us that those dreadful punishments there recorded as inflicted by God upon sinners are not cunningly devised fables but the most indubitable Truths For can we think that the Penmen of these Books were not Men of the greatest sincerity such as would report nothing but what they knew to be true when we find that they did not conceal those things that were most disgraceful to themselves Thus Moses relates his own Exod. 4. 10 13 14 24 25. Faults viz. his neglect to circumcise his Son his great backwardness to go upon that errand upon which God sent him his not sanctifying the name of God at Numb 20. 12 13. the Waters of Meribah and how the anger of God was kindled against him for these sins David hath left a memorial to all Posterity of such enormous sins committed by himself which the more ingenuous sort of Psal 51. Heathens abhorr'd the very thoughts of S. Peter hath given a more particular account than any of the other Evangelists of his own denial and abjuration of his Master in the Gospel written by S. Mark for that Gospel was dictated by S. Peter S. Mark was only the Amanuensis 2. As they serve to beat down spiritual Pride and to make us more humble by representing to us our own vileness in the foul sins of others who were better than our selves And by how much the more humble by so much the more holy we are Humility being not only a Grace it self but the Parent and Nurse of many other excellent Graces 3. As they quicken us to greater watchfulness against sin make
is obliged to search into them IV. And for the Commandments especially let it be further consider'd That there are some Commands laid upon Lay-men as well as others which no Man can be capable of yielding obedience to who is not conversant in the Holy Writings I shall instance in three only 1. To instruct their Children in the Scriptures 2. To try the Spirits whether they be of God. 3. To give a reason of the hope that is in them 1. To instruct their Children in the knowledge of the Scriptures This God commanded the Israelites in the place frorecited The words which I command thee this day shall be See also Deut. 4. 9. and chap. 32. 46. in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy Children Of the like import is S. Paul's injunction to Christian Parents To bring up their Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Hear what S. Chrysostom says upon these words Wouldst thou have thy Son obedient nurse him up from the beginning in the instruction and admonition of the Lord. Think it not more than needful that he hear the Divine Scriptures for there he will first hear this lesson Honour thy Father and thy Mother Say not that this belongs to Monks why dost thou fear that which is greatly gainful make him a Christian For it is most necessary for those who converse with the World to know those lessons which are to be learnt from thence especially for Children And a little after he adds Let us make them from their childhood to apply themselves to the reading of the Scriptures And can a Parent instruct his Children in the Scriptures who does not study them himself 2. To try the Spirits whether they be of God. This 1 Joh. 4. 1. S. John commands not only Bishops and Priests but all sorts of Christians to do By Spirits are meant the Teachers who pretend to divine inspiration but now because it cannot ordinarily be discerned whether the Teachers are of God but by the tryal of what they teach they are therefore first to try the Doctrines and as they find them either true or false to conclude the Teacher either a true or a false Prophet Now the Scriptures being the Rule by which Doctrines are to be tried how can a Man make this tryal who is not acquainted with them Yea should we suppose that the Scriptures are not the entire Rule as the present Church of Rome in contradiction to the antient Church and the Scriptures themselves teaches but stand in need of unwritten Traditions to supply their defects yet since the Romanists still grant them to be the Rule of all those Doctrines they extend to that whatsoever Doctrine is deliver'd in them is infallibly true whatsoever is contrary to any Doctrine deliver'd in them is certainly false It plainly follows that no Man can be qualified for the tryal of Doctrines who is a stranger to them because no Man can know what Doctrines are either contrary or agreeable to the Scriptures before he knows what are contain'd in them 3. To give a reason of the Hope that is in them Be 1 Pet. 3. 15. ready always says S. Peter to give an answer to every one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you When your Religion is opposed and persecuted be ready not only to confess it but to give a reason to every one that requires it why you are Christians And what reason can a Man who knows not the Scriptures give why he is a Christian rather than a Mahometan unless the very same that a Turk can give why he is a Mahometan rather than a Christian viz. That he had the good fortune to be born and bred in a Nation where the Christian Religion was in fashion To conclude this argument In that God commands those things to be done by Lay-men which no Man can do without the knowledge of the Scriptures he also commands them to acquaint themselves with the Scriptures As he that requires the end he also requires the use of those means without which it cannot be obtained V. The uses and ends to which the Holy Scriptures are by God designed are a sufficient proof of Lay-mens obligation to acquaint themselves with them 'T is true some parts of Scripture were intended for the use of Teachers and others of Hearers consider'd as such on purpose to instruct them in those Duties which belong to them as so distinguished the one from the other But besides those Texts which are proper to them with respect to their different ranks and stations the uses to which the Scriptures are design'd are such which respect Men in common both Laity and Clergy of what degree or quality soever Such are in the general To teach and instruct us in those things by which we may be made wise to Salvation S. Paul tells us That whatsoever things were written Rom. 15. 4. aforetime were written for our learning And if whatsoever was written by Moses and the Prophets to those who lived before Christ came in the flesh to reveal the will of God more fully and clearly to us was written not only for their learning but for ours too how much more whatsoever is written since by the Apostles and Evangelists this being written for our learning only and not for theirs More particularly They are design'd to teach us what is necessary for us to know and believe and do that we may be saved These Joh. 20. 31. things are written says S. John that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his name And these things have I written 1 Joh. 2. 1. to you that ye sin not To this purpose they teach us not only our Duty in general but what are those sins in particular that are to be avoided and those good works which God hath ordained that we should walk in and are admirably suted to the begetting and promoting of all those heavenly virtues by which we may be disposed and enabled to deny all sorts of ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present World that having our fruit unto holiness here our end may be everlasting life In short the word of Christ is the great instrument which God hath ordained for the saving of Souls and therefore it is call'd the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation Tit. 2. 11. Ephes 1. 13. Rom. 1. 24. Jam. 1. 21. the power of God to Salvation to every one that believeth the Gospel of Salvation And certainly no Man can deny that these uses and ends of Holy Scriptures appertain to Lay-men who does not place them in the order of Beasts and deny that they have Souls capable of immortal Bliss Nor were they written to instruct the People as well as Priests in those points only of Faith and Practice which concern them all in common as they are Men and
retires home take De utilitate Lect. Scrip. the Bible into his hands and run over the sense of those things that have been spoken if he desire to reap continual and sufficient benefit from the Scriptures for bare hearing for two hours is not sufficient for our security These were the lessons this Holy Man inculcated upon those who daily attended to the publick preaching and reading of the word and who heard the Scriptures read in a language they understood which is not now permitted in the Roman Church so necessary in his judgment was the private reading of the Scripture that all that was heard in publick would not suffice without it For it is not enough that the word of Christ dwell in us sparingly but 4. It must dwell in us richly which it can never do save in those only who frequently read it and meditate upon it Some persons I know there are who cannot read some others who can live in those unhappy places where they cannot procure Bibles If these do otherways what in them lies to attain to the knowledge of the Scriptures God will accept them according to that 2 Cor. 8. 12. they have and not according to that they have not For unavoidable defects he will either make allowances or make a supply some other way But for others who have both ability and opportunity of reading the word of Christ as it is their bounden duty so it can argue no less than contempt of God himself to neglect it For since God hath condescended for their good to write it how can they chuse but entertain very low thoughts of him who will not vouchsafe to read it VII What has been said of the need all Men stand in of the word of Christ suggests another argument viz. The great Evils they must needs lay themselves open to who neglect the study of the Scriptures For by how much the less they know them by so much the less must they know their duty and by how much the more ignorant they are of their duty by so much the less must they practise it Yea those duties which they are plainly taught by the Law written in their hearts they will be easily perswaded to neglect because the great motives to quicken them to these must be fetch'd from the Scriptures And therefore no wonder that many persons so eagerly pursue the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof and are led captive by the Devil at his pleasure who solemnly renounced all these in their Baptism because for want of acquaintance with the Scriptures they are destitute of those forces without which they cannot successfully encounter these their spiritual enemies Nor are such persons in more danger of falling into sin in matters of Practice than of being mis-led in points of Belief for having no solid foundation to bottom their Faith upon thy will like Children be tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of Men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive It need not therefore seem strange if many persons should be seduc'd from that Faith which was once deliver'd to the Saints and which they themselves for some time made profession of In short Ignorance of the Scriptures as S. Chrysostom in his Comment upon my Text tells us is the cause of all evil How deplorable then must their condition be who live in the constant disuse and neglect of them Having already shew'd That the things which are written were at first address'd to Laymen That God hath plainly commanded them to acquaint themselves familiarly with them That the subject matter of the Holy Scriptures and the uses and ends for which they were written do concern the Laity That some special Duties are laid upon them which no Man can perform who is not conversant in the Scriptures Having also shew'd the great need the Laity stand in of them the inestimable benefits they may receive by them and the intolerable evils they will expose themselves to in case they neglect the study of them VIII What now remains to quicken you further to this great duty unless it be to shew the vanity of those objections which are made against it It may indeed be just matter of wonder to find any thing objected against a Duty so clear and of such great moment Yet so it is that some Men have dared to say those things which if they were true might justly affright the People from it and make them take it for a Sin rather than a Duty to read the Bible In general it is said That the promiscuous reading of the Scriptures by the vulgar does more hurt than good Because in particular it occasions their falling into dangerous Errors both in matters of Faith and in matters of Practice so that if this liberty should be allow'd they will neither believe nor live so as they ought Which charge consisting of two parts the one relating to Belief the other to Manners that the answer may be the more clear and satisfactory I shall consider them distinctly and apart And Obj. First It is objected That many pestilent Sects and Heresies which infest the Church have taken their rise from the reading of the Scriptures by Laymen who for want of being qualified to understand them aright do usually wrest them to a pernicious sense What is commonly said of the obscurity of the Scripture may be considered elsewhere At present I return several things in answer to the objection as now proposed each of which singly considered would be a sufficient answer 1. This reflects foul dishonour upon God himself For what can be more highly derogatory both to his Wisdom and Goodness than to say that he hath written such a Book for his People's use which they cannot read but they will be in danger of being eternally ruin'd by it If this be so they are then much beholden to those who take the Bible from them but owe no thanks to God who gave it to them 2. Our blessed Saviour thought the ignorance of the Scriptures the cause of Heresies and the means he prescribes to prevent and cure them is the study of the Scriptures Ye err said he to the Sadducees what because ye study the Scriptures No but because ye know Matth. 22. 29. not the Scriptures And though he very well knew how maliciously the Jews were bent to wrest the Scriptures to justifie their rejection of him yet does he not reprove them for reading the Scriptures they so much abused but contrariwise commands to read them again and more diligently Search the Scriptures for they Joh. 5. 39. testifie of me As if he had said You will not yet believe on me but take me for a Deceiver I require you therefore not barely to read but to search the Scriptures that is attentively throughly and impartially to read them and you will then be convinced that