the assistance we receive from it we are left to acknowledge him with blind conceptions to worship him with uncertain expresses and depend upon him with a very infirm expectation But O blessed Saviour we have no reason to think our selves at a losse thou hast told us plainly of the Father thou hast explained the two great Commandements and in them the substance of the Law and the Prophets Thy Gospel holds forth to us all particular duties both of Faith and Love and Righteousnesse and Mercy Thou hast shewen us what kind of worship worshippers thou dost regard having commanded us to worship God in Spirit and in Truth with all true apprehensions and worthy affections to serve God in all good conscience and with purity of heart and hast rejected the vanities of superstition though they be never so gay or costly all exteriour shews which want the correspondencie of inward goodnesse so that now we may well say thou hast shewed us men what is good and what the Lord our God requires of us even to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with God Thou hast taught us how in all our religious addresses we may come acceptably before the Lord and what Mediatour we are to use we need no longer ask for thou hast shewed us the one Mediatour between God and man and told us for whom he will intercede even all that come to God by him and make themselves like unto him Thou hast shewen us how thou didst converse with Abraham Isaac and Iacob the Prophets and Apostles and that we also upon the same terms may become the friends of God by Christ Iesus who is the same yesterday and to day and for ever so that all good Christians may say and conclude they are certain of their way to God the Scripture having revealed it as clearly as with Sun-beames The Scripture given by inspiration is so profitable for doctrine reproofe correction and instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God teacher or learner is perfectly furnished with direction to all good works Now if any shall say the force of these arguments may be avoyed though the Scriptures be not plain if we have an infallible Interpreter to resolve their doubtfulnesse and cleare their obscurity I answer There is no question of that But where is that Interpreter it is harder to find him then the sence of the most difficult Scripture What will be answered if we aske these few questions concerning him What is his name what Countrey-man is he where doth he dwell If his Commission be not in the Scripture how came he by it if it be in what words is it set down We read but of one infallilible Interpreter of Gods mind Christ Iesus and he hath required of all his servants that they presume not to take any Mastership in this point And call no man your Father upon the earth for one is your Father which is in heaven Neither be ye called Masters for one is your Master even Christ These words are justly interpreted by most learned men as a command of Christ directed against mens usurpation of authority to impose upon others what they are to believe The chief Master in the Shoole of the Iewish Prophets had such authority that no man might contradict what he said and in this sence we are to call no man Father but God who hath taught us by him whom he appointed to be our onely Master i.e. Christ Iesus How much those are deceiveed that assume to themselves to be infallible guides and indeed Dictators to Gods Church hath been shewen abundantly by themselves and many learned men have forced them to take notice of their errours and therefore I will insist no further upon this point And now we see with what reason our Saviour closed his discourse saying If they believe not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead With which I shall also close the doctrinall part of this discourse Those which are not satisfied with Gods truth so fairly propounded in the Scriptures may pray to Abraham to send one from the dead to preach to them if their eares itch for such teachers but when he comes would they believe him No they would rather accost him thus Art thou come out of thy Grave to fright us Where is thy Certificate that thou wast in the other world Wed do not know that ever thou wast dead or if thou art a Ghost we know not whether thou camest from heaven or hell whether thy design be to teach or to disturb us They say good spirits do not walk What thou hast hid some money somewhere If thou comest to discover any murder tell us People talk of Goblins to fright children and fooles but dost thou think that we will leave our profits or pleasures for a shade That this is too true we have an instance in the Iews to whom our Saviour preached this point For they had Lazarus whether Christ alluded to his name or no raised from the grave and he discoursed with the Pharisees but as soon as he asserted a truth that crossed their humour they would have killed him and sent him to the other world again a messenger of their unbelief When men have no mind to do their duty they will quarrell with the Messenger and ask for another not that they will then obey but to gain a truce for disobedience {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and in the mean time they will seek for that which no doubt they will find i.e. something to make themselves believe that the next will not be so sent neither but that they shall be able to except against him Application 1. Upon the consideration of the things premised first Let us be thankeful to the Grace of God and the care of his divine Providence for transmitting to us the Holy Scriptures great Testimonies may one call them or high Courtesies of that Providence High Courtesies they are being the streames of that River of Truth which refreshed the City of God i.e. his Church so long agone But they are also great Testimonies of Gods Providence when so many with busie eagernesse sought to damme them up that they might not come at all or to poyson them that they might arrive as Ministers of errour and death Gods goodnesse permitted not the mischief his care hindred it This is that Alpheus that runs under the earth dives under the Sea not mixing with its brackish waters but rises up sweet and clear in the beloved Arethusa unto which God sends it When this holy Writ seemed to be sunk in one place as Ovid speaks of Lycus Sic ubi terreno Lycus est epotus hiatu Existit procul hinc alioque renascitur ore It riseth in another and brings up and lands safe the Truths which were committed unto it as Historians report of the aforesaid river If Moses applauded the Jewes happinesse when he had finished his
every good work He that hath lodged these provisions in his soul may bring out of his treasures new and old like a Scribe throughly instructed to thè Kingdome of God So that if the Grace which Christ hath brought to light in the Gospel hath taught us Godlinesse Righteousnesse and Sobriety we may say with Tertullian Nobis curiositate opus non est post Christum Iesum nec inquisitione post Evangelium Hoc enim prius credimus non esse quod ultra credere debemus The Scripture is so far from defect in this kind that it is redundant we have many things very profitable added besides the necessary and both these more then once or in one book See a strange appetite when men have more then they will do though it be necessary yet they would have more to do though it be not necessary nor it may be at all profitable What folly is this This is a design not to be keepers but makers of Commandements praeceptorum emendatores as Hilary calls them not to do Gods will but serve their own Our Saviours words do easily accommodate themselvs to such people You teach for doctrines the Commands of men and make the word of God of no effect by your Traditions But at what perill any can adde to Gods word the second Argument will shew which is That the Scriptures are also strict injunctions of Divine Authority concerning our duties The reason of our faith and obedience to the Scriptures is resolved into their divine Authority which as it is the greatest of all so upon lesse we may not depend Of his Authority we may truly say that it is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} God is infallible in his understanding faithfull in his declarations and so highly deserves our Assent He is Almighty and most true and therefore we believe and hope in the promises of his word As God he hath a Right to command and we as creatures are obliged to obey and so we receive his commands Gods authority onely could justly make us believe obey and fear what is there declared promised commanded and threatned There is a place of Scripture which the Papists do impertinently alledge for the obscurity i. e. the dishonour of Gods word which as it is nothing to their purpose so it doth most excellently serve to prove what we have in hand {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Knowing this first that no prophesie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation The designe of the Apostle was the same with mine to exhort Christians to give heed to the Scriptures as such Oracles which would not deceive them He affirms the prophetick word surer then a private revelation which he Iames Iohn had in the Mount and commends the diligent heed they gave to it till the day-star should arise peradventure till the truth of the prophesies of Christ shined forth in their accomplishment But the stresse of all this hope in the Scriptures lies upon this that none of them were {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of pri 〈…〉 impulse meaning as Saint â—aul sayes in other words {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} All Scripture is divinely inspired And this appeares by the verse that followes For the prophesie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost So that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} signifies they are not of mens private will but from the divine spirit The Prophets did not go on their own head as we say but on Gods errand When God reproved those that went without his bidding he sayes thus {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} I sent them not and yet they ran So that the sence will be those holy men who deliver'd the Scriptures upon which you relie w 〈…〉 ot what came into their minds as from themselves but they set down Gods will The other sence of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} for solution or explication in which some worthy persons do take it and in which sence it is used in good authors for so Iamblicus in the 21 Chapter of his Protrepticks being about to expound Pythagoras his short precepts sayes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} I will give the exposition of every precept is so far from disagreeing with the former that it is a necessary consequence from it as the best ground for if the Prophets deliver'd not their own will but Gods mind we must not resolve them into our sence but take his The Scriptures were given to expresse Gods meaning not to have ours impressed upon them So that take the word in any possible sence this place is pitifully urged against the plainnesse of the Scriptures unlesse we imagine that the Apostle should urge good men to trust the Scriptures because they could not tell what they meant which as it is most absurd to his purpose so all that it does afford for argument to prove the obscurity of the Scriptures is but this Because a man will not let me put what sence I please upon his words therefore I cannot tell what he sayes But as we see what little reason there is for that triumph in which the Papists bring this particular Scripture to accuse the whole of obscurity for it neither speaks of their obscurity nor plainnesse so we see by it how great reason we have to believe the Scriptures since their authority is from God It is a plain consequence since the holy perimen neither invented them by their wit nor writ them of their own will but delivered Gods sence at his appointment that we ought to give them all possible credit and observance But what should I speak of mens authority or of believeing Moses the Prophets or Apostles upon their own account Moses was but a servant and once so disobedient that for it he was kept out of Canaan and if his design had been to have had credit for his own authority he would never have lessened it with that story The Prophets were subject to like passions with our selves i.e. they were men The Apostles were weak in themselves and so far from being the New Wine of the Gospel that till Christ had strengthened them with new principles they were like old torn bottles they could not receive it But this hinders not their acceptance their authority is from God He took the stammering Moses and made him a God i.e. a divine teacher to the Church Moses was conscious of his own inability and loth to stir but at Gods command he took up his bundle of ceremonies and carried an Vmbrella to the Sun of Righteousnesse The Prophets as was said just now spake not of private impulse but God spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets ever since the world began The Apostles were commanded to stay till they were cloathed with power from on high and when they had
Pentateuch saying What nation is so happy whose Statutes are so righteous c. how happy are we did we but know it when God hath finished the Revelation of his will filled it with all necessary truths plainly set down and given us the Bible for the Pandects of them He hath drawn down his love from generation to generation and hath made this great instance of it to teach us also That which is made for great necessities is kept with equal care The Sun is not so appointed that it can be blowne out with bellowes or that the light of it can be infected with noysom vapours 2. Secondly Let us be content with the Scriptures i.e. let us be satisfied with what God hath not only esteemed enough but also proportioned to us as a very bountiful allowance These are perfect and plain we need no more and those which pretend a further want are not only phantastical or deceivers but they must needs be also injurious unto God as to say that he hath neglected to tell us what or where it is Let all sober minds repose here as in their safe conduct and not suffer themselves to be led out of the way either by mens usurped authority or pretended revelations i.e. by other mens or our own private spirits By mens usurped authority either as dictating new things or putting themselves for Infallible Interpreters of the sence of these writings All Vsurpers in this kind finding it impossible to make a new Scripture attempt to make the sence which is the Scripture in the most effectuall name They would have but the interpretation why that 's too much of all conscience But do they think so to get the Soveraignety over our soules and make that an obligation to believing which was never in any mans power to appoint Chrysostome told them otherwise in his twentieth Homily upon the seventh of Matthew if that work be his Omnis doctor est servus legis quia neque supra legem addere potest aliquid de suo sensu nec subtrahere aliquid secundum proprium intellectum sed hoc tantummodo praedicat quod habetur in lege i. e. Every Doctor is a servant of the Law because he can neither adde any thing to it of his own sence nor take away any thing from it according to his private understanding but onely deliver that which he findes there Those which conform not to this truth by him worthily asserted may pretend that whilst they go to God they permit him to sit in his Throne but when others come to them I am sure they sit down in it themselves If any man tell us what is the plain sence of the Scripture we are bound to believe it not because he tells us but because it is the plain will of God But if any man sayes this is the word of God this sence is plain to me I do interpret it right and you must and shall believe it this is to make his own will to us what he pretends Gods is to him i.e. a Law When one had fitted such a yoke to Augustines neck in a letter of Cyprian he thrust it by thus Ego hujus Epistolae authoritate non teneor quia literas Cypriani non ut Canonicas habeo sed eas ex Canonicis considero quod in iis divinarum scripturarum authoritati congruit cum laude ejus accipio quod autem non congruit cum pace ejus respuo i. e. I am not obliged by the authority of this Epistle because I take not Cyprians letters for Canonical but I consider them by those that are Canonical and whatsoever I find in his that agrees with the authorty of the Holy Scriptures I receive it with his praise but that which agrees not by his good leave I refuse See the improvement of cruell pride The eager Tyrant cryed for another world to plunder but these men are not content with another of the same sort they invade the intelligible world commit rapine upon Soules and make havock of the Church to which Angels referre but as ministring Spirits and Lord it over Gods heritage which the Apostles besought to be reconciled to God never commanded any thing in their own name and onely those things for which they shewed unquestionable Commission These Considerations made Tertullian say Nobis nihil licèt ex nostro arbitrio indulgere sed nec eligere quod aliquis de arbitrio suo induxerit Apostolos Domini habemus authores qui nec ipsi quicquam de suo arbitrio quod inducerent eligerunt sed acceptam à Christo disciplinam fideliter nationibus assignârunt i. e. We may not indulge our owne will nor chuse that which others bring in at their pleasure Herein following the example of the Apostles of our Lord who neither appointed any thing of their own choyce but faithfully delivered to the world that which they had received of Christ There is a Church which calls her self by a fine name The Mistris of our Faith but it is too imperious for Christs Spouse for she is and we know who taught her commanded her to be meek but usurpation needs cunning and cannot stay in moderate bounds and therefore the Romanists deny the people leave to read the Scriptures which is but a needfull artifice for if that Screen were not put up they would see them usurp their power and understand how groundlesse it is and besides beholding there the naked lovely face of Gods Church they would soon perceive how unlike their ugly vizard is to it But we are secure if we keep here and if any body talk of something that is not in these two Testaments every good Christian may answer with Origen Si quid autem superfuerit quod divina scriptura non decernat nullam aliam tertiam Scripturam debere ad authoritatem scientiae suscipi id Deo reservemus i. e. That which is not declared in these two Testaments we permit not to be supplyed by a third we leave it to God who hath made these two Canistrum perfectionis as the same Origen calls them a fair large basket perfectly containing all that heavenly bread which we need for our soules and therefore we may justly say further with him Servemus eas mensuras quas nobis per legislatorem Lex spiritualis enunciat Let us be content with that which God hath thought enough for us to know and keep those measures which the Law-giver hath appointed in his spiritual Law i.e. the Scriptures Let us take heed also of Enthusiasmes What would vain man have he cares not for these poor Scriptures he would have a Revelation i.e. he slights the greatest Revelation that ever was Such men make the same use of the Scripture as those do who having received a command to pray for divine assistances will not pray till they be so assisted as that they cannot well chuse and yet will not pray then neither They will have divine Revelation and