from doing this that each various and contrary Faith and Doctrine is stifly upheld and maintained from the various Copies and Translations thereof and from the various and contrary readings and meanings which each Opinionist respectively may and doth put upon the Scripture it self insomuch that indeed it is now made capable of any impression which every learned and witty man can invent and pleaseth to put upon it to serve his own turn and occasion though he face about and change never so much never so often And thus each man still makes the Scriptures to be like to Pictures wherein every man in the Room believes they look on him only and that wheresoever he standeth or how often soever he changeth his station Now whether all this doth arise from a natural hidden sense of the Scripture or from the brevity of them or for want of many Books mentioned in Scripture whereof we never had either Original or Copy or from mistakes made by Transcribers Printers or Translators or from the varions acceptation of words and phrases contained in them and in probability understandable only by such persons to whom they were first written who being before-hand grounded in the Faith and Principles of Christianity and instrueted in the things treated upon were thereby enabled aright to understand the mind of the Pen-men in what they did but briefly touch upon in their Writings to them Or whether from all of these or from any other cause or causes I leave to the wise and considerate to determine but certainly were they perspicuous in their sense so many learned studious good men could not possible so much have erred and been divided in their understanding of them And if such as these notwithstanding all their advantages of learning have not been able to resolve the truth of these Doctrines so familiarly mentioned in the Scripture and so necessarily required to true Christianity who shall conceive that they were intended by God for the ground of Faith and Worship for all or any sort of men whatsoever except we shall conceive that the unlearned sort of men are in a better capacity perfectly to resolve the sense of Scripture then the learned which is too gross to imagine or else that all men are bound to know and conform their Faith and Worship to a Doctrine that none of them certainly understand which none will affirm it being inconsistent with that Justice and Goodness which all confesse to be in Almighty God Let us see what to this point is said by learned Dr. Taylor in his forecited Book pag. 13. his words are these viz. It is a demonstration that nothing can be necessary to be believed upon pain of damnation but such propositions of which it is certain that God hath spoken and taught them to us and of which it is certaine that this is their sense and purpose for if the sense be uncertaine we can no more be obliged to believe it in a certaine sense then we are to believe it at all if it were not certaine that God delivered it but if it be only certaine that God spake it and not certaine to what sense our faith of it is to be as indeterminate as its sense nor is it consonant to Gods justice to believe of him that he can or will require more But to go on and bring this neater It is manifest even in those Scriptures we have that Jesus Christ requires no credit to be given to his Doctrine either upon his own bare word or the bare word of any persons whatsoever as before is set forth If I bear witness of my self saith he my witness is not true neither receive I testimony of men the works that I do in my Fathers Name they bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me And when he is blaming the Scribes and Pharisees for their unbelief in him he thus far excuseth them in it That if he had not done among them the Works that none other man did they had not had sin Now who can conceive that Christ should pronounce men guiltless for not believing him upon his own bare testimony and yet not hold men much more guiltless for not believing the Scripture upon its bare testimony Christ though he bare witness of himself his witness was certain and true whereas Copies and Translations as before we have seen are uncertain and erroneous Christ disclaims the Testimony of men yea of John the Baptist as a ground insufficient to engage men to believe in his Doctrine though all that John said of him was true and what he had heard and seen that he testified And shall we imagine that he will binde all the succeeding generations of men to believe the truth of Christ and the Gospel upon any such inferior testimony as the testimony only of such as disclaim infallibility and have neither heard nor seen as John did Shall God and Christ be true and all men lyars and yet shall fallible men be preferred before them in being believed upon lower easier terms then either they or their most infallible servants Or shal God be conceived to require contraries of men as not to believe super-natural truths such the Gospel is judged to be without a sutable evidence and on the other side require men to believe it without any such evidence Shall men be blameless and blamed by him upon one and the same account If this cannot be as surely it cannot then it must necessarily follow That the Scripture was never instituted or intended by Almighty God to be the ground of Christian Faith and Religion or to be believed in and obeyed by mankind to salvation Moreover it is evident if we may take the meaning according to the sense of the words as they are delivered to us in Translations That the Epistles and St. Johns Revelation in the New Testament were all written unto Believers and that both the Acts and Lukes Gospel were written to Theophilus an instructed Disciple Luke 14. And it is most probable that the other three Gospels were written to believers also at least for their sakes especially for such of them as did not see Christ themselves after his resurrection whereby he mightily declared himself to be the Son of God Rom. 1.4 whereof the rest of the Apostles as well as Thomas much doubted whilest he lay dead as may appear by 1 Pet. 1.3 where St. Peter speaking of himself and of the rest saith That God of his abundant mercy had begotten them again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and what may be understood by this but that all their hope was extinct or languished by his death and revived again by his resurrection And that his being risen from death was very hardly believed by any of them may appear from Mark 16.10 11. when Mary Magdalen told the Disciples as they were mourning and weeping that Christ was alive and that she had seen him they believed it not and
from Luke 24.21 22. where two of the Disciples after they had with much sadness declared how the chief Priests and Rulers had delivered Christ to be condemned to death and had crucified him said we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel intimating thereby that he being then dead and gone they were quite hopeless expecting nothing less then his rising again for after when they heard by the women that he was alive they were astonished at it in Mark 16.13 when upon his appearing unto two of them these went and told it to the rest of the Apostles yet they believed it not and hence it was that he appeared and shewed himself to his Disciples 500 at once and familiarly and often to such of them as he intended to make his Apostles and chief witnesses to the world to confirm this their belief in his resurrection insomuch that when he first appeared to them he shewed them his hands and his feet and bad them handle and see Luke 24.39 Jeh 20.20 c. where it is very observable that Thomas not being then present would not believe the report of all the rest of the Apostles that he was risen unless he might see and handle his wounds also as they had done wherein also afterward Christ gave him satisfaction by permitting him to do so likewise and then withal left a blessing in the hands of the Apostles for all such other of his Disciples who had not seen him as they had done yet did believe his resurrection Wherefore most requisite it was That as well for the communicating of this blessing as for the confirmation of the Disciples believers in the belief of Christs resurrection they should write the Narratives of all these things and most probable it is the Apostles did therefore write the three other Gospels for these ends and purposes as may be gathered by comparing John the Apostle with the Apostle John that is Joh. 20.31 with 1 Joh. 5.13 I have been the larger upon this because I finde not only ordinary men but most learned profound Teachers do pervert this place of Scripture to the mis-leading of many whether ignorantly or purposely I will not determine 1 In making the sence of the words as if Christ thereby did intend a blessing on all such as in the future should believe the teachings of men without seeing any divine evidence to attest the truth of their Doctrine whereas Christs words had respect onely to such other of his Disciples or believers who had not seen Christ as Thomas did yet did believe his being risen again which Thomas by no means would do until he had both seen and felt him 2 In making the Apostles words in vers 31. to be intended to all the world as a ground sufficient for true and saving faith whereas if it were so it might serve instead of a true Ministry in all nations when as to the generality of mankinde it was meer barbarism coming from the Apostle but in one language onely which would have been a failer not imaginable in the Apostle having the guift of tongues enabling him purposely to teach all nations people in their respective languages and accordingly no doubt he would have written if he had intended it for any such great and general use but it is most plain that his intention therein was onely to confirm believers of that one language in their belief of that one great article of Christs being the Son of God whereof they could not doubt if they firmly believed his resurrection And if we may have leave to give a like credit to the Scripture in this matter and to make conclusions from plain premisses such as many would have us give and make from none at all or at best from such as are far more dark We may both see and conclude that the Scripture is so far from testifying it self to be any sufficient ground for faith and conviction to the unbelieving world that it testifies the quite contrary 1 In that it testifies that the power of God by signes and miracles accompanying the Ministry and attesting the truth and divine authority of their doctrine was the onely true ground of faith and conviction unto unbelievers as before is set forth and is evident by these texts Ioh. 16.7 8 9. Acts 1.4 8. Luke 24.49 Act. 1.1 2 3. Mark 16.20 1 Cor. 2.4 5. compared with Rom. 15.18 19 20. Act. 8.6 And that thus and upon this foundation of the Apostles and Prophets the true Ministry of the Gospel fitted by gifts Ephesians 4.8 11 12 13. Christ Jesus himself being the chief Corner-stone was Christian belief and Churches founded Ephes 2.20 And that no foundation other then such can any man warrantably lay or plead for 1 Cor. 3.11 2 In that it testifies That whatsoever is delivered in any unknown tongue or but in a doubtful and uncertain sence is as barbarism not obliging any to believe it 1 Cor. 14.7 8 9 10. for no man is bound or can infallibly and convincingly believe any thing which is not infallibly and convincingly revealed to him Notwithstanding all the uncertainties afore specified yet how doth each Sect of Christians assert that they are of the true belief and many therefore challenge the highest priviledges of true believers mentioned in Scripture to belong unto them yea and some such do they assume to have as no true believer ever had in this life I shall give instances They assume to be true believers and to have the Spirit of God yea the same as true believers formerly had and by which the Scripture was given forth To be actually justified to have eternal life and to be already passed from death to life To have Christ and his divine nature within them and that white stone wherein a new is written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it c. Wherein if I am not exceedingly mistaken they are first in their conceiving themselves to be true believers yet ground it upon various yea on contrary doctrines and want both the true ground upon which true believers built their faith and the same power whereby true believers were to be known Mark 16.17 18. or that they have the same spirit by which the Scripture was given forth and yet make use of and cite texts amiss rendered in translations even as others do who pretend not to have the Spiâ—it Secondly what can reasonably be imagined or understood by believers being justified by faith I am inclined to think it is no more then their being saved by hope and what is or can be meant by this more then now in this life to hope to be saved hereafter in the life to come as the Apostle reasoneth Rom 8.24 25. where speaking of himself and other believers saith we are saved by hope but hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for for if we hope for that we see not then do we
that it will swallow it up and cause it to vanish as the light of a candle will do at the presence of the Sun and so far bury it in oblivion that it shall never more be remembred for ever Jer. 23 from 3 to 9. This whole life is the time for the Saints and righteous to suffer in for and in hope of reward and rest in that Kingdome with Christ at his coming 2 Thess 1 4 to 9 but these men would fain be reaping before harvest and before the time of sowing is ended and be reigning in that Kingdome before the blessed Patriarchs and Apostles who yet sleep in the dust and who are to be the prime heirs and inheritours with Christ of that Kingdome Matth 8 11 Luke 22 30 yea and without and before Christ there raigns himself and before that Kingdome or the time of setting it up be come which may not be But the authority assumed and now attempted by these men seems at least to me to be much like to that which is exercised by his Holinesse the Pope as Christs Vice-gerent upon earth over all both persons and causes for which he pretends divine authority and that from Scripture also for from Ps 91.13 which sayes thus Thou shalt tread upon the Lion and Adder the young Lion and Dragon thou shalt trample under feet By pretence of divine authority from this Scripture he most presumptuously tramples under foot all civil Magistracy and sets his feet upon the necks of Emperours Like as I my self once heard Psa 45.16 expounded from a Pulpit in Pauls the Text runs thus Instead of thy Fathers shall thy children be whom thou shalt make Princes thorow all the earth By Fathers said he are meant the Patriarchs and Apostles and by Children are meant the Lords Bishops who are their successors Hence this learned Preacher in further prosecution of this his Text with great confidence asserted the principality of Bishops and their superiority over other Ministers to be of Divine Right And there 's no doubt but these called fifth Monarchy-men may prove their dominion over all others to be of Divine right as well as this Nay who can doubt but that Presbyters Independents Separatists Anabaptists yea and Mahometan Priests also can prove their several authorities to be of divine right as well as either of the former and that from Scripture too and if they can not they are very unworthy such offices of dignity and such places of profit as to be Masters and Heads of Colledges c. and if the Revenues of the best Bishopricks were also added thereto there 's no doubt but that these would easily swallow it up without making any bones thereat the name being onely changed Nay have we not had some who lately riding on hors-back into Bristol received such honour acclamations and attributes as were given to Christ when he rode into Jerusalem and no doubt but all this was done by some divine authority drawn from the Scripture Mat. 21. where the manner of Christs so riding into Jerusalem is recited And why might not the horse have run and bruised the riders foot against a wall by divine authority likewise from that Scripture which recites how that Balaams Asse dealt so by that false prophet Numb 22 25. But I shall at present forbear to trace this divine Goddess and great Idol any further but shall now leave her to the view of all men as she is set forth in Rev. 17. like a Queen sitting upon her Throne most sumptuously arraied in purple and scarlet and gilded with gold and precious stones and pearls having a cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication upon whom the more I look the more I wonder even with greatest admiration when I consider how such a counterfeit painted strumpet as this hath so much so long and so universally beguiled in effect the whole world and intoxicated many such men as are otherwise most exquisite wise and exact in far smaller matters I shall now conclude removing onely a scruple which from this Discourse may arise in some honest hearts to this effect Object Since there is no name given under heaven whereby men can be saved but by the name of Iesus Christ and none can be saved by that name but such as truly believe therein and none can have a sufficient ground for true and Christian faith but by a true Ministry evidencing the truth and divine authority of their doctrine by demonstration of the Spirit and power of God And if the case be so as by this Discourse it seems to be In what condition are all such who never enjoyed such a Ministry is not their case necessarily damnable Answ I say no for although it be granted That none are saved but by Christ yet many millions of thousands may be and are saved and that by Christ who never enjoyed any such Ministry never believed in Christ nor heard of him for what else think we should become of all infants since Adam who died in their infancy whose salvation at least their freedome from condemnation cannot upon any good ground be doubted of for they have suffered death the natural effect of Adams transgression from which at the resurrection they shall be redeemed and discharged by Christ for what or for whose sin can they then be condemned at the day of Judgement since they have committed none themselves and shall have already suffered death for Adams sin and from which they shall then be acquitted by Christ And their salvation as I conceive is as little to be doubted of because that condition or sort of mankinde which Christ himself did put as a president and example for his Disciples to conform themselves to for to become inheritours of the Kingdome of heaven must needs be inheritours of the Kingdome of heaven but such are little children and Christ affirmed that of such is the Kingdom of heaven and who then hath need or reason to doubt thereof The same may be deemed the case of all born Ideots living and dying so And what may be thought of all the Heathen nations people in the world since Adam that have lived to years of discretion can any man reasonably think that God hath left all these quite destitute of all means of salvation and of acceptance with him did God afford them or any of them such an ample excuse at the day of judgement as they might then have upon that account No surely for then all mens mouths will be stopped and no such reasonable and just excuse shall be found in the mouth of any What meaneth Saint Paul when he saith in Act. 17.25 26 27. That God had made of one blood all Nations to dwell on the face of the earth giving to all life breath and all things as rain from heaven and fruitful seasons filling their hearts with food and gladness chap 14 17 and to what end did God all this but that they might seek him and