the Apostles to write the remainder of them and yet what he would not suffer them to write design'd that the Trent Fathers who I hope have perfected the Catalogue should write all of these since 't is not possible to give a reason 't is not therfore rational to affirm it was upon design But 2. If he shall say it only happen'd so by chance he does affront both Scriptures and Gods Holy Spirit who as they affirm inspir'd them for this very end to bring men to the faith and to salvation But there is no place for chance in those things that are don in order to an end by the design impulse and motion of the infinit wisdom of Gods holy Spirit He certainly does most unworthily reproch his Maker who can think it possible that what he did design expressly and on that account alone to attain such an end by namely that men should believe and be sav'd and inspire it for that purpose should yet fail not be sufficient for that purpose And sure if it be sufficient it contains all necessaries otherwise it were deficient in the main yea so clearly also as that they for whose salvation they are intended may with use of such methods as are obvious and agreed upon by all men understand them for otherwise they could not be sufficient if men could not be instructed by them in things necessary both to faith and life they could not make them wise unto salvation I must confess the Scripture labors under a great prejudice against this doctrine from the different senses and interpretations that are made of it even in the most fundamental points by them that grant it is the word of God when yet all use the same means to find out the meaning and no doubt they seek sincerely after it But yet I think it evident this happens not from the obscurity of Scripture since it is not only in the most express texts but also if you should suppose the doctrins were as plain set down there as words can express them yet there are such principles assum'd into the faith of different sects as must oblige them to interpret diversly the same plain words I am not so vain as to imagin that no places are obscure in Scripture and I know that learned men have arts by obscure places to confound the plainest just as the Philosopher did motion Neither am I so perverse and singular not to think that universal practise and profession of the Church does much assure and confirm explications of Scriptures whether obscure or plain But this I say that the diversities of explication come as I now said from the diversity of principles or rather prejudices and that this only is the cause of it I thus demonstrate First in the Socinian who interprets all those Scriptures which the Catholic world hath still apply'd to the Divinity and satisfaction of Christ that I name no more points otherwise then the Church did alway and I affirm he does it not because he thinks the words do favor his interpretation but because his principle requires it namely this To admit nothing into his faith but what agrees with that which he counts reason which in a Socinians faith is judg of all points in the last resort And I mean reason upon natural principles and thus I prove it Socinus speaking of Christ's satisfaction says the word is not in Scripture yet if it were there very often I would not believe it because it does not consist with right reason that is with the arguments that he had brought against it drawn from human principles And therefore he there adds those things which 't is apparent cannot be i. e. that appear such to him who judges by the principles of natural reason which yet cannot judg of supernatural and infinite beings tho the Holy Scripture does expresly say they are yet must not be admitted idcirco sacra verba in alium sensum quam ipsa sonant per inusitatos etiam tropos quandoque explicantur aud for this reason we make use of even unusual tropes strain'd figures to explain the words of Holy writ to other senses then the words themselves import And so he therfore serves that great variety of words by which the Scripture does express Christs suffering for our sins in our stead as our sacrifice against the universal notions of those words not only which the Church of Christ but which the Jew's and which the heathen world had of them And when his reason told him that Christ could not be God one with his Father that he was so far from having any being from eternity as that he was not at all till he had a being from the Blessed Virgin Therfore when the Scripture saies directly I and the Father are one he must strain it to this meaning are of one mind we agree in one altho St Iohn avert that by distinguishing those two expressly Yea worse when to prove that Christ had a being e're the world was made we urge from the first Chap. to the Hebr. what St Paul produces from the Psalms and does apply to him most particularly Thou Lord in the beginning hast lai'd the foundation of the earth and the Heavens are the works of thine hands they shall perish but thou remainest and they all shall wax old as does a garment and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall not fail They explain it thus that God by Christ will at last destroy these Heavens and this Earth and change them according to that saying in the Psalms which altho the Apostle produce at length as it stood there both concerning the Creation and destruction of the world yet he intended only to apply this last to Christ. And tho he say as well of the same Lord Thou Lord in the beginning didst lay the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the works of thine hands as thou shalt change them yet he meant no more but that this change God would effect by Christ. It is not possible that the text can give any the least countenance to this interpretation The different explication of this Scripture does not come from the obscurity of any words in it for in the Psalm they and we understand the same words in the same sense exactly therefore that we differ here is not from any thing in the words quoted but is wholly from the Principle And we may not wonder for the plain sense will not sute with their Hypothesis There are no other that are instanc'd in as differing from us in points of faith but the Romanists I know not whether they account those differences to be in things necessary to salvation If that be true that they allow for what cause they know best some that are reconcil'd to their Church to communicate with ours that is join in our worship and by doing so own the
did it in the language that was then most vulgar to the world what God and the Holy Spirit thus appointed as the fittest means for the Salvation of the world to define not expedient as the Holy Fathers of Trent did looks like blasphemy against God and the Holy Spirit But blasphemies of this kind are not to be wonder'd at from that kind of men that call the Scripture a dumb judg a black Gospel incken Divinity written not that they should be the rule of our faith and Religion but that they should be regulated by submitted to our faith that the autority of the Church hath given canonical autority to Scriptures and those the chief which otherwise they had not neither from themselves nor from their authors And that if the Scriptures were not sustain'd by the autority of the Church they would be of no more value then Aesops fables And lastly that the people are permitted to read the bible was the invention of the Devil But to leave the controversy and speak to the advantages which may be had from early institution in the Scripture 't is so evident that I need not observe how 't is for want of principles imprest and wrought into the mind in Childhood that our youth is so licencious And 't is not possible it can be otherwise when they have nothing to oppose to constitution when t is growing and to all the temtations both of objects and example no strict sense of duty planted in them no such notions as would make resistance to the risings of their inclination and seducements of ill company and they therefore follow and indulge to all of them And in Gods name why do parents give their Children up to God in their first infancy deliver him so early a possession of them as if they would have Religion to take seizure on them strait as if by their baptizing them so soon they meant to consecrate their whole lives to Gods service make them his as soon as they were theirs as if they had bin given them meerly for Gods uses And they therfore enter them into a vow of Religion almost as soon as they have them why all this if accordingly they do not season and prepare them as they shall grow capable Why when they are but newly born their children do they take care they shall be regenerate and born again Gods children if they do not furnish them with necessaries educate them into all the qualities and hopes that appertain to the condition of Gods children as well as they do to that of their own That parent which not only like some delicate ones refuses her own breasts to her own infant but provides no other to sustain it that does only wash her babe from i'ts first blood and uncleanness to expose it the more handsom prey to wolves and tigers in the desert is more savage then those tigers even the sea monsters draw out the breasts they give suck to their young ones saith lamenting Ieremy but he adds the daughter of my people is cruel like the Ostrich in the wilderness which leaveth her eggs in the earth and forgetteth that the foot may crush them or that the wild beast may break them shee is hardned against her young ones such are they who when their children are so born again to God yet as they shall wax capable provide not that which St Peter calls the sincere milk of the word that they may grow thereby but from their being washt so in the laver of regeneration take no more care but expose them forthwith to such lusts and conversations as are much more wild and savage then those beasts in the comparison to which they cannot choose but be a prey They strive indeed they say to educate them into men betimes that is make them conversible and bold and since for that they must engage them into frequent company where they see and hear mens follies that I say no worse by that means they come to have their understandings stor'd with nothing but the Modes and sins of conversation fill'd with froth and puddle men betimes only thus as they have forwarded their inclinations to and got an early understanding and experience of those vices which one would think men only could be equal for But by this means the mind that only part that makes us be men is not only not improv'd but dwarft They do not only still continue children in their understanding as to any thing that 's real and solid but the hopes of reason are destroy'd in them and its growth kill'd by turniug all its nurishment to feed the beast part and the Christian is quite starv'd There needs no other cause be given for the most part why so many men have no Religion own being Libertines and profess vice for want of education they have nothing in them that does check this for they had no principles of a Religion instil'd into them And if at any time it comes to pass that they think it is their interest to take upon them the profession of some Religion they therfore since they have no Principles nor rules to judg by are most apt to choose to profess that Religion which is like to be most gentle to the courses they have steer'd and are engag'd in Now that men hope to find such an one whether by its constitution I shall not enquire but by i'ts practice is but too appaernt Accordingly when they go over to it they carry with them and preserve in it the vices of their no Religion and by consequence they went not over seriously for Religion and are therfore so much worse now then when they own'd no Religion that they do their wickednesses with certainty of easy absolution and so hopes of salvation and by this are likely to be made twofold more children of Hell then before and let them triumph in such conquests Ther 's nothing in the world that contributes so much to this as mens being not acquainted early with instructed in those divine rules and obligations to piety and virtue which this book the Bible does afford If men had bin season'd first with the knowledg and the sense of duty with the comforts that are in it with the apprehensions of great blessings that attend it and the mischiefs that are consequent indeed essential to impiety and vice here and their minds were furnisht with examples of both which this book abounds with and their hearts too rais'd with expectations of far greater blessedness in a life hereafter and with the belief that both that blessedness and life shall have no end and were made sensible also of strange dreadful torments that await the breach of duty which shall also last for ever If these impressions I say did prevent all other and take up the mind and had in them the stamp and character of God and so there were a reverence and awe of him wrought in them and they
lookt upon him as concern'd in all this how it was his word that said and these sentiments were grown into the very habit of their mind as it would not be easy to corrupt or soften such so 't would be much more difficult to shake them since their faith is founded on the rock of ages Besides the Holy Scriptures carry in them such an obligation of adhering to them and to them alone since they are sufficient to make us wise unto salvation and are Gods word that men would not be apt to exchange them for Legends pious forgeries for things that can make good no certain title from the Lord for let them shew an equal derivation of it bring it down through all the ages ae we have don the Scriptures title to him Otherwise it justly may provoke Gods exclamation in the Prophet Jeremy Be astonisht O ye Heavens and be horribly afraid be yee very desolate saith the Lord for my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hew'd them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water cisterns therfore that may leave them in a state to want a drop of water when their tongue shall be horribly tormented whereas he that drinks that living water which Christ gives his word shall never thirst but it shall be a well of water in him springing up to everlasting life FINIS * John 20. 30 31. a Hil. l. 1. de Trinit p. 53 54. Clemens Al. Strom. 6. p. 675. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Iustin. Mart. ad Diognetuâ— p. 499. Athanas ad Serapionem â—om 1. p. 191. 194. edit Par. 1672. a Iustin. ex Trogo l. 36. Diod. Sicul. l. 1. Strabo l. 16. Plinius 30. Tacitus Hist. 5. Ioseph contra Apionem mentions many others b Exod. 7 8 9 10. Chapters c Exod. 14. 21. d Exod. 16. 15. Deut. 8. 24. a Exod. 16. 20. b Exod. 16. 24. c Num. 11. 19 20. 31 32. d Num. 20. 8. 11. e Exod. 20. f Josh. 3. 16. g Josh. 6. 20. a Num. 2. 32. Num. 11. 21. a Jer. 25. 11. 12 b Isa 44. 26. 21. 28. 45. 1. c Dan. 9. 24. c. a Tac. An. l. 15. b Vid. Raim Martin pug fid p. 2. c. 8. c Celsus apud Orig. l. 2. Iulian. Cyril contra ipsum 6. Origen contra Cel. l. 2. c. 69. d Mat. 8. Mar. 1. Luc. 4. e Mat. 8. Mar. 5. Luc. 8. f Mat. 9. Mar. 2. Luc. 5. g Mar. 5. Luc. 8. b John 5. c Luc. 7. d Mat. 14. Mar. 6. Luc. 9. Joh. 6. e Mat. 15. Mar. 8. f Mat. 17. Mar. 9. Luc. 9. g John 11. a Mat. 24. Mar. 13. Luc. 21. b Mat. 26. Mar. 14. John 12. c Mat. 27. Mar. 15. Luc. 23. John 19. Phlegon apud Orig contra Cels. l 2. p. 80. Euseb. ad Olym. 202 ann 4 Philop. Georg. Syncel Thallus apud African vid. Seal animad ad Euseb. Chron. p. 186. ad ann 2044. Etiam vide Just. Mart. p. 76. p. 84. Tertull. Apol c. 21. de isto terrae motâ— agere Tacitum Plin. l. 2. c. 84. scribit Oros. a Mat. 281 Mar. 16. Luc. 29. John 24. b Mar. 16. 9. a Luc. 24. 5. b V. 33. c V. 13. d V. 36. 37. 41. e John 20. 24. f John 21. g Mat. 28. 16. Mar. 15. 6. h 1 Cor. 15. 7. i Luc. 24. 49. Act. 1. 4. 5. k Act. 1 9. Luc. 24. 51. l Act. 2. 6. 7. 8. a Luc. 1. 14. a 1 Cor. 4. 9. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sâ—idas in voâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whence Euseb. says l. 2. Ecc. hist. c. 14. they at Rome not thinking it enough to have heard the gospel once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not being contented with the preaching of the heavenly doctrine while it was but an unwritten doctrine earnestly entreat St Mark that he would leave in writing with them a monument of that doctrine which had bin delivered to them by preaching Nor did they give over till they had prevail'd which when St Peter knew by revelation of the H. G. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being extremly pleas'd with that desire and their earnestness in it He approv'd it and appointed it to be read in their assembly b Euseb. l. 3. c. 37. a l. 10. epist. 97. b Iust. Mart. dial cum Tryph. Iudaeo p. 247. 302 311. Iren. l. 2. c. 56. 57. c Excerpt ex Quadrat Apolog. ad Hadrian apud Eus. l. 4. c. 3. d Iust. Mart. Apol 2. p. 98. e Iren. l. 3. c 1. â— f Iust. Mar. Apol 2. Eccl. Smyrnens apud Euseb. l. 4. c. 15. Ecclesiarum Viennen Lug. dun comment de passione Martyr suorum apud Euseb. l. 5. c. 1. Niceph. l. 3. 4. g Orig cont Cel. l. 2. p. 62. p. 80. Tertul. Apol c. 23. h Niceph. l. 5. c. 29. a V. Euseb. l. 6. 7. â—erè integros de Sev. Spartian Tertul. de Decio S. Cypr. b Euseb. l. 8. c. 2. c. 6. Niceph. l. 7. c. 6. Euseb. l. 8. c. 11. c. 9. Sulp. Sev. l. 2. Oros. l. 7. c. 25. Ignatii Patr. Antioch literas apud Scalig. de emend temp l. 5. p. 496. Spond ad annum 302 n. 4. Luc. 1. 4. Ego quidem etiamsi non semel sed saepe id in sacris monimentis scriptum extaret non ideirco tamen ita rem prorsus se hubâ—re crederem Socin de Iesu Chr. Servatore parte 3 c. 6 operum tom 2. p. 204. a John 10. 30. b Joh. 5. 7. The Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one 8. the Spirit and the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one c Heb. 1. 10. 11. 12. d Psal. 102. 25. 26. 27. a The reasonableness of this supposition might be demonstrated if there were any need of it a L. 1. de Sanct. Beatit c. 17. a Psal. 27. 8. b Psal. 4. 6. c Psal. 45. 12. d Concil tom 18. p. 295. * Sigen de regno Ital. ad annum 712. l. 3. p. 94. a Sigen de regno Ital. ad annum 726. l. 3. p. 103. b Leonis impeperium respuerunt ac solenni sacramento se Pontificis vitam statumque in perpetuum defensuros atque ejus in omnibus rebus autoritati obtemperaturos jurarunt Ita Roma Romanusque ducatus à Graecis ad Romanum Pontificem pervenit Sigon de Regno Ital. ad annum 727. l 3. p. 105. c 1 Cor. 1. 5. 12. 19. 20. d V. 6. 14. 16. 17. * Basil. Mag. in reg brevior interrog 278. Tom. 2. p. 641. Theodor. Cecumen in locum c. and the commentary under St Ambrose's name makes these who in the Church of Corinth would use an unknown tongue in their sacred offices against whom St Paul directs his speech and takes occasion for that which he saies in this chap. converted Hebrew 's who would it should seem perform the service or at least some parts of it in the Christian Assemblies as they had bin don of old in the Synagogues in the Hebrew tongue which the Corinthians understood not against which St. Paul disputes Conc. tom 24. p. 287. b Mat. 26. 27. 1 Cor. 11. 25. c Yet the Counc of Trent Sess. 22. c. 9. can 2. pronounces Anathema to all those that shall say these words do this quoting them also in the margin out of this place 1 Cor 11 did not constitute preists and ordain that they should offer the body and blood of Christ. Edit Col. Agrip. anno 1261. a 1 Cor. 11. 27. a Vsser de Chris. Eccle. success c. 6. §. 17. b c. 8. §. 1. c Spicileg tom 2. p. 624. a cap. 4. a Ordonnance de Messieurs les Vicaire Genereux de Monseigneur l'Emiminentissime Cardinal de Retz Archevesque de Paris which is in the 137th page of the Extrait du Frecez verbal de l'Assemblee general du Clerge de France tenuë à Paris en l'année 1660. b p. 128 of that extrait c Ibid. p. 128. p. 139. d p. 130. e p. 141. le enfans de nostre mere ont pris les armes contre neus ils la vent attaquer jusques dans le Sanctuaire des Mysteres de son Espoux pour les prostituer f p. 132. g p. 147 and the same bull is printed in the Index of prohibited books set out by the command of Alex. 7. at Rome 1664. p. 382. h Missa le praefatum Gallico idiomate conscriptum vel in posterum alias quomodolibet conscribendum evillgendum perpetuo damnamus reprobamus interdicimus ejusque impressionem lectionem retentionem universis singulis utriusque sexus Christi fidelibus eujuscunque gradus ordinis conditionis existant sub poena excommunicationis latae sententiae ipso jure incurrendae perpetuo prohibemus mandantes quod statim quicunque illud habuerint vel in futurum quodcunque habebunt realiter cum effectu exhibeant tradant locorum Ordinariis vel inquisitoribus qui nulla interposita more exemplaria igne comburant comburi faciant a Pigh 3. de hier Ecc. b Eccius c Pigh de hier l. 1. c. 2. fol. 8. d Idem Pigh e Vid. Chemn examen de S. Can. p. 47. f Peres de tradit par 1. assert 3. a Lam. 4. 3. b Iob. 39. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 2. a Jer. 2. 13. b Joh. 4. 14. compard with c. 6. 34.