Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n
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A45342
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Vindiciæ literarum, the schools guarded, or, The excellency and vsefulnesse of humane learning in subordination to divinity, and preparation to the ministry as also, rules for the expounding of the Holy Scriptures : with a synopsis of the most materiall tropes and figures contained in the sacred scriptures : whereunto is added, an examination of John Websters delusive Examen of academies / by Thomas Hall ... ; in the end is annexed an elaborate defence of logick by a learned pen.
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Hall, Thomas, 1610-1665.
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1655
(1655)
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Wing H442; ESTC R19229
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111,014
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276
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so it can if it will Heathenize I 'm sure it may well spare such Mouths If God Permit them long we may cryâ— Ichabod For such wild Preachers whatsoe'r they say Will Preach true Preaching and even Christ away Th. Elshmor Centuria Sacra About one hundred Rules for the Expounding and clearer understanding of the Holy Scriptures To which are added a Synopsis or Compendium of all the most materiall Tropes and Figures contained in the Scriptures Psal. 119.96 I have seen an end of all perfection but thy Law is exceeding large Mat. 5.18 Heaven and Earth shall passe away but not one jot or tittle of Gods word shall passe away Iotaunum apex unus non cadet de Scriptura nihil ergo contemnendum aut parvi faciendum in Sacris literis Illyricus Adore plenitudinem Scripturarum Tertullian LONDON Printed by W. H. for Nathaniel Webb and William Grantham at the sign of the Bear in S Pauls Church yard near the little North door 1654. To the Candid and Courteous Reader Reader WHen I had perused the Theologicall Rules of Mr Wilson which came but lately to my hands by reason of their scarcity they being Printed 1615. I conceived it might be an acceptable service to the Publick to Reprint them with some additionall Rules especially now when errours abound so much through ignorance of such Rules But when I perceived by the Printers that the Presse at this time when Trading is so dead would not beare the volume I was constrained to take another course and to set forth my owne Rules single by themselves yet have I given the succum sanguinem the Marrow of Mr Wilson's Rules there is not a rule of his that is very materiall but thou hast it virtually though not literally here These Rules I have been gathering many years for my owne private use here thou hast them enlarged with references for brevities sake to such as handle any Rule more fully To them is added an Alphabeticall Table which will be very usefull for the finding out of any thing that is materiall I have also added many Tropes and Figures with explanations of the quotations where need required c. Now the blessing of God go with it and give it favour in the eyes of his people the Lord make it mighty and succesfull for the destruction of sin and Satans Kingdome and for the advancement of the Kingdom of his dear son this is and shall be the prayers of him who is From my Study in Kingsâ—orton Sept. 12. 1653 Thy servant in and for the Lord. Th. Hall Rules to be observed for the right Interpretation of Scripture FIrst They that would understand the meaning of Gods spirit must be men of spirituall minds 1 Cor. 2.15 the spirituall man i the regenerate man judgeth all things i he is not only certaine of the truth which himselfe holds but he can also judge and clearly discerne the errors that are held by others They have received an Unction from the holy one 1 they have the holy spirit of God and this benefit they have by him that they know all things 1 Iohâ— 2 26 27. not simply all things that are knowable but all things that are necessary to salvation and herein the poorest Idiot being a sound Christian goeth beyond the profoundest Clerks that are not sanctified for he hath his own heart instead of a Commentary â—o help him in the understanding of the most needfull points in Scripture He then that would interpret Scripture must come with a Scripture-frame of Spirit he must have a holy and heavenly heart sutable to the holinesse and Heavenlinesse that is in the word The Scriptures spiritualnesse cals for a heart filled with Scripture spiritualnesse to set forth its excellencies for as no man can rightly sing Davids Psalmes without Davids spirit so no man can rightly expound the Word of God without the spirit of God Carnall sensuall hearts and such divine spirituall work will never agree A vessell that 's full of poyson cannot receive pure waâ—er or if it could yet the Vessell would â—aint it Sincerum est nisi vas quodcunque insundis acessiâ— Hor. 'T is the nature of the Word to be facile and comfortable to such as are of a semblable disposition to it Micah 2.7 but dark harsh and hard to the wicked unregenerate unmortified men Sin in the affection will quickly breed error and darknesse in the understanding Pride Covetousnesse c. blind the judgement Iohn 5.44 Luke 16.14 We must be renewed in the spirit of our minds before ever we can prove what is that good and perfect will of God Rom. 12.2 for the secrets of the Lord are revealed to none but such as feare him Psal. 25.12 14. Pro. 1.7 and 9.10 2 Rule He that would know the mind of God in Scripture must earnestly beg for the direction and assistance of the spirit of God that so he may be taught of God to know and doe his will Nature is blind here 1 Cor. 2.14 the naturall man perceives not the things of God he may peradventure know the History but not the Mystery hee may read the words but shall never savingly know the mind of Christ without his spirit 't is this Eye-salve which must make us see and lead us into all truth We must therefore take Davids course goe unto God by Prayer and beseech him to inlighten thy understanding that thou mayest see into those deep mysteries and wonders of his Law Psal. 119.18 He that would have this wisdome must aske it of God for the Scripture can never be rightly interpreted without the assistance and teaching of that spirit by whom they were inspired that wrote them No Scripture is of private interpretation 2 Pet. 1.20 that is private which is meerly of man as ver 21. private is not here opposed to publike but to divine or to the holy Ghost Now our interpretations comming from the spirit are falsely called private because 't is that spirit teacheth us which teacheth all the faithfull This is the chiefest work and as it were the foundation of all the rest without which all other meanes are vaine therefore begin and end with Prayer Now though a man be Godly and have the spirit yet he must use the means which God hath ordeined for the right understanding of Scripture for God will be found onely in his own way 3. The Originall languages must be studied they have many speciall Ididioms proprieties phrases and elegancies which cannot be fully expressed in our own oâ— any other language and therefore 't is necessary that we understand them in some competent measure that so in our doubts we may have recourse to the fountain it selfe from whence the waters drink most sweetly The ignorance of Greek and Hebrew hath been the cause of many errors in the Ancients and especially amongst Monks and Fryars Till we understand the words we can never find out the sense
David So Gen. 49 7. I wil divide them in Iacob c. where by Iacob and Israel is not meant the person but the posterity of Iacob or Israel Exact clear and satisfactory in this kind that I shall onely refer the Reader to them for full satisfaction in his doubts If any desire yet fuller satisfaction and more Rules let him peruse Atteâ—soll on Numbers p. 10. and p. 371. and p. 1050. B. Andrews large Catechism p. 66 67 68 c. I can give you no more but the bare quotations of these two being plundered of them in the troubles See Weemse Jewish Synag c. 23. p. 42 c. Perkins Art of Prophesying c. 4. and 5. Stoughton Davids Love to the Word c. 12. p. 401 c. Bernards Faithfull Shepheard l. 4. c. 2. p. 175. Mr White of Dorchester's Rules for Reading Scripture c. 12. p. 160. Hyperius de ratione Studii Theol. l. 2. c. 8 9 10 11 c. a little book but of great worth its full of excellent directions for young men in their studying of the Scriptures c. 16. Rules to direct us in the right expounding of the Law THE knowledge of the Law in its utmost extent and spirituality is very necessary for every Christian. Wee are all by nature Pharisees and have high conceits of our selves and though many will confesse themselves to be sinneâ—s in grosse yet descend to particulars and then I have had many that could keep all the Commandements Now when such shall be made to see the spirituall nature of the Law and how it condemnes not onely the gross act but also the secret corruption of our hearts heart-murther heart-pride heart-theft heart-adultery c. they wil us humble make us poor in spirit sensible of our own impotency and inability to any goodnesse when in this glass we shall see the numberlesse number of our sins and those Seas of wrath due unto us for them this wil make us fly to Christ as to our City of refuge and prize a Saviour above all the Kingdomes of the world c. 2. As the Law is a glasse for detection so 't is a Rule for direction by which all beleevers must frame their lives serving him who hath redeemed them in Righteousnesse and Holinesse all their dayes and therefore it 's very necessary for all Gods people to know what vices are forbidden that they may shun them and what duties he enjoines us that we may practise them To this end I have taken some paines to collect all the Rules which in my little reading I have met with that give any light into the Commandements that having a compendium of them at hand we might have recourse to them on all occasions as for the particular opening of every commandement I shall refer the Reader to Mr Brinslyes Watch Mr Whately and Dr Downhams Expositions of the Commandements 1 Rule Every Precept of the Morall Law is both Affirmative and Negative 't is not sufficient that we fly evill but we must doe good Psal. 34.14 Mat. 3.10 and 25 42. Isaiah 1.16 17. for every Commandement hath two parts the first Affirmative commanding a duty the neglect whereof is called a sin of Omission 2. The Negative forbidding vice the doing whereof is called a sin of Commission 2. Under the Negative the Affirmative is alwaies comprehended when a sinne is forbidden the contrary Grace is commanded he that saies we shall not kill commands us also to preserve the life of our Neighbour Occidisti si non fovisti Aug. Qui prohibet impedimentum praecipit adjumentum 3. When a sinne is forbidden in any Commandement under it by a synecdoche all the sins of the same kind are forbidden also e. g. under adultery is condemned fornication incest â—apes Sodomy c. Under murder is forbidden malice raâ—h anger â—ighting c. with all kind of murther mentall verball reall 1 Iohn 3.13 and thus Christ himselfe expounds the Law Mat. 5.21 22. and the reason why God puts the name of the great sinne upon the lesser is to make us see the hainous nature of it to hate a man or give way to rash anger â—any think it a small matter but when the Lord tels us it is murther then wee see the greatnesse of it Thus Rebellion is called Witchcraft 1 Sam. 15.23 4. Every Precept is spirituall Rom. 7.14 the Law is spirituall Mans Law binds the hands and tongue but Gods Law binds the heart and soule Iohn 4.24 it requires not onely outward obedience in words and works but also inward in the heart and mind God sees and punisheth as well for inward sins as for outward Mat. 5 28. it takes notice of heart-adultery and herein this Royall excellent Law of God Iam. 2.28 excels all humane Lawes 1. Mens â—awes take no notice of every small offence but Gods Law observeth and condemneth even the least sins even Gnats as well as Camels the Nazarite must not only forbeare the wine but he must not so much as eate the kernell of the Raisin Numb 6.4 nor the huske 2. Mens Lawes take no notice of thoughts they cannot punish for them but Gods Law reacheth the heart and binds the most secret cogitations Gen. 6.5 God takes notice of the evill of the imaginations and thoughts of our heart he sees our wrath and observes our very countenance Gen. 4 6. why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance falleâ— and the gâ—ashing of the teeth Acts 7 54. making mouths Isaiah 57.4 pointing with the finger Isaiah 58.9 those small things which men think nothing yet Gods Law condemnes 5. The Law is perfect requiring perfect obedience both inward and outward both of parts and degrees therefore when any duty is commanded there the highest degree of it is commanded Mat. 22.37 38. and where a vice is forbidden there the least degree of it is forbidden and beares the name of a grosse sin that we might esteem no sin small 6. When a duty is commanded the meanes to attain it are commanded also and when a vice is forbidden the allurements thereto are forbidden e. g. when the Lord commands us to worship him alone this includes Praying Reading Hearing the word watching over our hearts and wayes and frequenting good company hence David bids the wicked depart that so he might keep the Commandements of the Lord Psal. 119.115 7. Where any virtue is commanded a vice forbidden there also the signes are commanded and forbidden as well as the things themselves e. g. hee that commands us to be gracious commands us also to shew forth the fruits of him that hath called us and that our light should shine before men and our moderation be known to all c. 2. For vices we must not only shun the sinne but the shews also and appearances of sinne 1 Thes. 5.22 Iude 23. lofty looks and strange apparell c. which are signes of pride must be avoided Isaiah 3.16 Zeph. 1.8