them And this light is so glorious as those Atocryphals dare not pretend to it but rather seem willing to be in a lower form For this I instance in 2 Mac. 2. 24. where the Author whoever he was consesses that he had taken what he wrote out of Jason of Cyrene and contracted five Books of his into one Volume and whoever pleases to read on in that Chapter may easily perceive that the Spirit of God which spake by the holy Prophets could never frame to speak in such a manner God in Scripture as hath been already said speaks pro imperio as the only most soveraign Lord and never makes Apologies for himself to be excused with those to whom he speaks For why should he seeing they are all his vassals his creatures The distance is so infinitely great between him and them as it cannot be reasonably imagined that he should court them as that Authour doth For the many fictions and tales told in some of those Apocryphals I â—…all not mention them because they are so well known to such as have perused them and may be to others who have a mind to be satisfied What need have we then of Tradition to determine in this Case And whoever hath a mind to be further satisfied may find enough in all our Divines who have maintained Scriptures authority against our adversaries But the great question is about the Scriptures translâ—…ted For our adversaries think we can never prove them to be the Rule of faith The Rule say they must be certain and infallible But Translations are many and various and much different if not in many things contrary to one another And then how shall the vulgar understand which of them doth indeed declare the mind of God Or how shall the unlearned be infallibly sure that this or that Translation doth not erre Now to clear our selves in this puzzling question I say what Papists cannot deny that the whole Canon was at first written in two Languages which very few in comparison for these many Ages have understood better then our common people do But when the Scripture was pen'd these Languages viz. Hebrew and Greek were best known to the Church of any other Hebrew was the Mother tongue of the Jews and Greek was a language very familiar to such of them as were scattered abroad before our Saviours time and then seeing they were called Hellenists or Grecists for using the Greek Translation of the old Testament by the Seventy For the Gentiles unto whom the Gospel came as well as to the Jews many of them had it for their Mother-Tongue and others familiarly used it because the Grecian Monarchy had not long before swayed in all those parts of the World This I thought good to mention that it might appear the more probable that Gods mind was to have his Word understood by all But there were other people who understood neither of those Languages There were and are still such and we do not deny it But this is evident that God was not pleased to cause his Word to be written at first in the Vulgar languages of all Nations For if he had we should not be pozed as now we are with this Question However what I have said and cannot be denied serves to hint this That Gods mind was to have his Word understood by those to whom it came seeing he wrote to the Jews in Hebrew and to the Grecians in Greek True other people could not understand it without a Translation And what shall we say in this Case God did not cause the Scripture to be penned at first in the several Languages of all people and Nations We must here leave out adversaries to question God for it for we cannot deny That the Scripture was penned at first only in two Laguages which many could not possibly understand without a miracle unless it had been translated Only since it was thus we hope our adversaries will not say it ought not to be translated seeing there was a necessity for it in order to the understanding of it which else could never have been without a miracle But how shall the vulgar know whether Translations be according to the Originals And then how can the Scripture translated be a Rule of faith which must be such as a man may be sure that there is no errour in it This is indeed the Question where with they go about to puzzle us For the Scripture say they as translated into the English tongue cannot be the Rule of faith because not infallible And to this we intend to answer though others have answered it long ago* And our answer is that 1. We know of no infallible Spiâ—…it promised or given of God for translating Scripture And this is that which our adversaties think will give the cause wholly on their side For seeing all Translations are liable to mistakes the vulgar and unlearned can never have a Rule of faith in Scripture say they But we shall not quit ouâ—… claime to Scripture for all this For we can distinguish as that learned Divine hath between the doctrine taught in the Scriptu e and the means whereby the doctrine is 〈◊〉 to our capacity as between things and words The Divine truth which is the infallible Word of God is say we the Rule of faith The Translations are only means to shew it us and the vessels wherein it is presented to us And thus in rigour of speech we do not count the English or any other Translation no nor the Greek or Hebrew the Rule because all Language is but a certain form or manner or means whereby it cometh to us But because the doctrine is not made known but by words and languages Therefore the Scripture translated into English is a Divine authority for faith So men believe a Divine truth although delivered by humane voice in pâ—…eaching and just so we have the infallible Doctrine of the Scriptute immediately inspired by the holy Ghost though by an humane Translation it be manifested to us 2. But how do we know that our Translation is right and according to the Originals Or how can our unlearned people be sure of it And if they cannot how can the English Bibles be to them a Rule of Faith Sol. Our English Bible saith our learned White contains in it two things viz. The Doctrine and the Translation The Doctrine was inspired by God and written by men infallibly assisted by the Holy Ghost The Translation was done by the ministry of the Church and industry of certain men who thâ—…ugh they haâ—… no supernatural inspiration yet we know infallibly they have not erred in the mattâ—…r by the same means whereby we know other Truths and discern other Articles of Chriâ—…ian Faith viz. The light of the Doctrine Transl. .ted the testimony of the Spirit the ministry of the Word the rulâ—…s of Art the knowledge of the Tongues c. Obj. Some Translations have erred and how
wrought in us bâ—…t by the Word and Spirit of God And yet we do not yield to them that we can be no other way ascertained of the doctrine oâ—… Christ as true then by Tradition For we believe the Testimony of God speaking to us in Scripture and shall I hope while we live account of it more then Tradition or any Testimony of men I shall now add somewhat as an Answer in general to all and every one of the former Exceptions or any others of the same or like kind We sâ—…y that there is one onely Rule of Faith and manners and that is the Divine truth or the Doctrine of Christ which is summed up into these two general heads viz. Faith and Obedâ—…ence or faith and holiness according to what God hath declared as his mind and will What he promises we are to believe and when he commands we are to obey And in both we fulfill the will of God aâ—…d walk in the ways of eternal life This Divine truth we never found any where but in the Scripture and if our adversariâ—…s have made any other discovery we think it their duty to acquaint us with it That the Son of God was made man died and roâ—…e again c. for our redemption all Christians acknowledge as also that all who hope for salvation by Christ Jesus must deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and live soberly â—…ighteously and godly in this present world And this to know and do is eternal life and if our adversaries or any before theâ—… ever knew this doctrine otherwise then by Scripture we are willing to leaâ—…n For their Traditions as they signifie Râ—…straditas we have nothing to do with them For the question put to us is only this how we are or can be ascertained of Scripture that it hath delivered over to us the Doctrine of Christ and this question drawn out into many and several Queries we have answered already and now give this as an answer to all of them or any the like And this we do not for the sake of such as are more knowing and better grounded in the faith but only for the benefit of poor souls who through want and weakness of understanding may be puzzled with such questions Now to these we say again that we hold nothing for a Rule of faith but the Divine truth which teaches the way of salvation by Christ. For Originals or translations of Scripture we know there was a time when there was neither of them And yet there was ever since God had a Church upon earth a revelation of the doctrine of Christ. Hence this Doctrine must be the Rule unless we will say the people of God had no Rule of faith for two thousand years and more For whatever God reveals as his mind that we must heed to believe and obey There may be a difference and hath been in the manner of Revelation but the Divine truth revealed was alwaies the same viz. Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. There is no other name given under Heaven whereby men can be saved Act. 4. 12. This we believe as all Gods people have done from the beginning and this doctrine of Christ which we find no where but in the holy Scriptures is the Rule and Law and foundation of our faith So the Rule is and hath been always the same though the way and manner of revealing it hath been various according to the will and pleasure of God and that at first more obâ—…cure and after more and more clear till the Sun of righteousness arose And of this doctrine revealed no Christian we suppose hath ever made question What need is there then of such captious Queries about the Originals and Translations or about the letter and sence of Scripture We are sure that all Originals and Translations offer and hold forth the doctrine of Christ and whatever the letter be this is the sence that Christ is the only salvation of God And is there indeed no way of assuring this to us but Tradition or the Churches Testimony as it hath been given in all ages This â—…as hath been said is to confirm the Testimony of God by that of men And if our Faith be grounded only on the Translation English or other our foundation is the knowledge skill and faithfulness of men and they that cannot read as some we are sure cannot must have no foundation at all But he that hath the truth of God concerning the salvation of men by Jesus Christ whether in the Originals or Translations or whetesoever hath a sure foundation viz. the unchangeable counsel of God which never fails As for the Translations or the Originals though the truth of God contained in them be the Rule yet neither of them is any part of it For they are only means to conveigh and deliver over to men the Divine truth which is the only Rule And this we have I say again in all Originals and Translations and whatever sences have been made of scripture by any all agree unanimously in the doctrine of salvation by Christ. What need we then be questioned about that which no Christian ever made Question of If there be any such as doubt whether men are saved by Christ only or whether they who are saved by him must walk in love and shew their love by keeping his Commandments we desire to have nothing to do with them as not deserving the name of Christians And whether we can be assured of this doctrine in no other way then by Tradition I shall now leave to be judged by such as will impartially weigh what hath been said I have now done arguing and answering and shall only advise such as are by their profession Protestants that they would seriously bethink themselves how they may hold fast the profession of their faith without wavering unto the end The advice I offer them is 1. That they labour much and earnestly to understand the mind and meaning of God in his written Word And good reason there is for it Gods Word is his last Will and Testament by which alone we come to know what Inheritance there is laid up for us in Heaven and what Legacies he hath bequeath'd us for our livelihood and subsistence to all Eternity Scripture is as I may call it the Charter by which we have and hold all the Liberties and Priviledges which are freely conferr'd and bestowed on us by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ as also all the Laws and Orders we are bound to observe as we are Citizens of the New and Heavenly Jerusalem What should Christians then do other then read over their Fathers Will and study exactly in every particular what concerns them in order to their everlasting happiness The Letter and the sence the History and the mysterie every part and particle should be in our heaâ—…ts and heads so as we may have them as we say at our fingers ends If any ask How
to Revelations now adayes And for any other way of knowing these mysteries then by Scripture we know none and therefore resolve it is of God and cannot be of any other How much will this argument be enforc'd when we further consider of many other particulars reveal'd in Scripture which none but God could possibly know As that there are three that bear record in heaven That God was manifested in our flâ—…sh so as the alone Mediatour was God-Man in one Person Could any creature declare these if it were not inspir'd and â—…ht of God Again How could any Creature come to know how â—…he world was made or how could man come to know how himself was first made out of the dust Can the creature remember the time or know the manner of its own Creation And where have we these but in Scripture You will say these and the like are reveal'd in Scripture But how doth the argument hold good that the Scripture is of God because these things are revealed in it The argument is good and cannot be otherwise accounted by any that are not professed Antichristians because they own these Revelations as Divine and Heavenly Truths For I say again seeing we have in Scripture the great concernments of our Eternity and so many things past finding out by any creature we must of necessity own and acknowledge God alone to have written this word Nay Atheists themselves cannot but know that they are dust And now I shall enforce this by shewing further that Scripture cannot be the work or invention of any Creature either Angels or Men good or bad Good men or Angels would never devise such things and say they were of God For that would be such a belying God as we cannot rationally believe them capable of Wicked men and Devils would never attempt any such thing as penning publishing such a Book which tends so much to the exalting of God and the abasing of themselves This would have been to destroy and overthrow all which they labour so much to uphold Hence we make this challenge who it was that composed this Book we call the Bible if God did not If any object that it may be a collection of many things made up out of the monuments of many ages We may justly demand what hands they were that compiled them and when and where they liv'd If they lived in Moses time how could they write of the Kings If in the times of the former Kings how could they give an account of the latter If in the times of the latter how came the dispersed Jews to have so many Copies of the Law of Moses In a word how could any man or men write of so many things done in so many ages so far distant one from another or how could any man give an account of what was done from the very beginning and before man was made If it be said that it is the work of many in several ages we desire to be satisfied How all should agree so exactly together and who were they that compiled our Bibles or how came they all to agree in calling it the Word of God Mahomet indeed compiled a Book which is to Turks and others as the Scripture is to us For those deluded souls count the Alcoran their Rule of faith and manners And Mahomet calls himself a great Prophet and so his followers account of him to this day But what reasonable man sees not a bundle of fallacies and follies in that Book which by its contradictions and ridiculous relations confutes it self without more ado There are many passages in Scripture which seem to contradict one another There are so but they seem only contradictions and are not such indeed And who are they which apprehend such contracictions are they not commonly such as are most ignorant or least affected to the Scripture But the mutual consâ—…ency of all those passages may be soon found out by all that are intelligent and will use their diligence for that end And what is there were some passages to us irreconcilable will it follow they are such in themselves Surely the general consistency of Scripture with it self might be enough to perswade us rather to charge our selves with ignorance then to suspect it of any mistake And here I cannot omit what a learned man hath observed viz. a majestick kind of security as he is pleased to câ—…ll it in the Scriptures under many 〈◊〉 yea maâ—… sâ—…mingly bold and â—…urous contradictions that yâ—… either the honour of their truth nor that unity which they have in and with themselves shall as he saith at all suffer by For reconciling those seeming contradictions it is not my work at present Only I shall give you one consideration which I find in the same Author and it is this That Scriptures do not stand to excuse or purge themselves as if there were any cause to â—…ffect them of any crossâ—… or contrariety unto one another No They speak from place to place what they have a mind to say with that liberty and freedom as if there were nothing said by them elsewhere that either was like to suffer the least prejudice by it or else to cast the least prejudice on it They that have a mind to satisfie themselves further about this consideration may read his Discourse of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures Pag. 55 56 c. I shall adde for a further confirmation of Scriptures Divine Authority That whatever it hath foretold hath been accordingly fulfilled and that not as Stâ—…gazers Prognoflications atrandom and adventure but punctually and precisely in every particular circumstance So the New Testament confirm the Old by shewing how what was foretold many ages and some thousands of years before came to be fulfilled and accomplished in every particular just as it was foretold Many things we know may be foreseen in their causes so as intelligent and observant men may foretell them as more then meer surmises or conjectures and the Devil probably can do very much this way But Scripture foretells those things of which no reason of man can make any probable conjecture because as they are high and heavenly so they are purely contingent depending only on the will and pleasure of God and therefore the exact performance of those things in all particulars is a strong evidence to prove it written by the singer of God And hence it is so often repeated in the New Testament That it might be fulfilled c. But here is no warrant more then Scripture whose authority is the thing that is questioned 1. We have the consent and testimony of an ient Heathen writers who have recorded and hinted many of those particulars Besides none of the Heathens ever contradicted those Prophecies or the fulfilling of them as for instance our Saviours Birth Death Resurrection c. Though questionless they would have done their utmost had they not been silenced by the notoriety
appointment But the only wise God who certainly could foresee all these things thought it best to have his Word written and yet made no extraordinary provision for transcribing them upon occasion or preventing such questions as are now made by some Sure we are that our Saviour calls the Jews to Scripture and they do not excuse themselves by saying they know not whether they have the Law of Moses as it was first delivered nay they confess that God spake by Moses and they knew it And our Saviour pu s the question whether he were the Ch in to be proved by Scripture Strange that the only wise God should not foresee this quarrel miâ—…h be made in after ages which Pâ—…pists make now For might not the 〈◊〉 the Law of Moses and the writings of the Prophets were no Rule of faith and manners to them because they could not evidence their own certainty so as to ascertain them And how could they â—…icertain them then more then us new But Tradition is it which must secure all by its affidavit made to Scripture And what do we then believe in believing Scripture the authority of God or men If Scriptures authority as to us depends upon the Churches Testimony in our belief of Scripture we believe men and not God at least we believe God for the Testimony of men And what kind of faith that is let them who question us so much about Scripture resolve us For the various readings that are in the Originals we acknowledge them and think they happened much through the mistakes of those who transcribed the Copies from time to time However they happened for we stand not much upon it Papists know that the Jews Masoreth hath well provided for the Old Testament And though the New hath very many we stand to maintain that all those various readings put together let the worst be made of them can never be improved to prejudice the authority of Scripture in one Article of Faith For all the written and printed Copies of the Original Bibles do concurre in the whole main doctrine of Christ throughout And thereupon we challenge Papists to shew any alteration that clashes with the doctrine first delivered notwithstanding all the various readings in so great a multitude of Copies Hence we conclude as a learned man hath it That the true and proper foundation of Christian Religion is not ink and paper nor any writing or writings whether Originals or Translations but that substance of matter those gracious counsels of God concerning the salvation of the world by Jesus Christ which are indeed represented and 〈◊〉 both in Translations and Orginals but are really and 〈◊〉 distinct from both and no wayes for their natures and beings depending on either of them The writing as he saith declares the nature or tenour of the bargain which was in reality and compleatness of being before the writing and consequently the wâ—…iting can be no part of it In like manner the good pleasure of God concerning mans salvation bad its being in God himself long before any part of it was imparted unto the world by any writing For it was savingly imparted first By immediate inspiration of God unto some men And secendly By word of mouth from these to many others long before any part of it was ordered by God to be set down in writing So that no Book or writing whatsoever is either in whole or in part the Word or Will of God and consequently no foundation of Christian Religion unless we make some other foundation besides the Word of God As for the Originals we are assured that they are intire and not defective as any can be sure of any thing that is of so long standing And therefore we are bold to think that they who question us as they do in this kind might rather have questioned God himself for representing his mind and will in writing when he could not but foresee that such manner of questions might be put in after-ages as are made now adayes None dare say that God never ordered his will to be written And seeing it is so ordered by him why should we question the wise and gracious hand of his providence in contriving the preservation of these antient Records unto all posterity for whom he intended them Methinks it were a more direct course for our Adversaries to take if they would say downright that God never committed his mind and will to writing then now to say as they do that no man can be sure that these writings are the same which were at first For this seems to cast an aspersion upon God for taking such a way of representing his mind unto the sons of men as must leave those of these latter ages of the world under invincible doubtings about his will that respects their greatest and only concernments As for their expedient of Tradition what doth it other then resolve all the Divine authority of Scripture into the authority of men For they say Scripture cannot ascertain us concerning it self nor can any thing else but Tradition which yet is no more then the Testimony of men And so the Testimony of God as to us must be less then that of men To the second Querie we need not say much in way of answering it seeing the Books accounted by us Apocryphal do sufficiently shew what account we are bound to make of them while they confute themselves by their own contents That the Maccabees are a story of which there is good use we deny not and that Ecclesiâ—…sticus and the Book of Wisdom c. contain many and sundry moral instructions we do not question no more then that the like are found in other Books which yet pretend not to Divine authority But this proves them not to be Canonical as the Church of Rome hath determined Once the Jewish Church never owned them for part of the Canon nor were they ever written in their language as the other parts of the Old 〈◊〉 True they have been allowed to be read in some Churches for instruction in manners But the Christian Church never received them into the Canon of Scripture nor will it ever be proved The Romish Church indeed for what cause she best knows hath Canonized these Books But what is that to us who can as easily distinguish in this case as we can between light and darkness But we appeal to the Churches Testimony and say that the true Christian Church had no other Canonical Books then what we own for such There were indeed some who questioned some particular Books of the New Testâ—…ment but that question continued not long and if some also gave too much to these Apocryphals that is not enough to countervail the general vote of the whole Church which alwayes rejected them from having any place in the Canon Hence our answer is that we know what Books are Canonical by that light and lustre of Divine truth which shines out and shews it self in
shall we be sure of this or that Translation Sol. We grant that some have erred and any may unless there were an infallible Spirit to aâ—…st What is this to us who maintain not this or that Translation but the Scriptures well and faithfully translated to be the Rule of Faith True our Translations have been altered but this alteration hath been in words more then matter And one and the same sence may be expressed divers wayes So we may have different Translations without any error in the matter and Doctrine Nay further what if one Translation should differ from another in sence we are not therefore bound to quit our English Bibles unless it did appear that we have not in them the matter and substance of all Châ—…istian Doctrine And here we require it be shewed and proved that our various Translations do not all agree exactly so far as we have in them all the Articles of Christian Faith which are necessary to be known and believed in order to our happiness The differences in all our Translations are not such or so many as that we should need the Churches authority to assure and settle us For God openeth the hearts of his people to know his voice from others whiles the light of Divine truth gives testimony to it self and receives authority from no other as the Sun is seen by its own light and as we discern sweet from sowre by its own tast However as a learned man hath said we deny not that there are divers means whereby our consciences may be assured Some private as skill in tongues learning labour prayer conference c. Some publick as the ministry which act of the Church is not authority to secure but ministry to shew us that which shall secure us which ministry is founded on the Scripture it self in that from thence it fetcheth the Reasons that may pâ—…rswade us and shâ—…weth the light that doth infallibly assure us And the difference between these two is this That the Spirit is an inward means the teaching of the Church an outward The Spirit Secureth us by kis own authority the Church directeth us by her ministry The Spirit hath light in it self the Church borroweth hers from the Scripture For certain God never since his people had his Laws written to them hath left them without a ministry and this is the great work of that ministry to cause the people to understand the Laws of God And how this can be done amongst our vulgar unless by translating the Scripture let them shew that can for we cannot Whereas our Adversaries take occasion hence to quarrel Scripture as no competent Rule of faith because the unlearned vulgar want a Rule and can have no other then a Bible translated which is liable to many and great mistakes we may justly question them about their Translations For they know there is a Latine Translation not the Original for certain which is with them commended as authentical to say no more Only we desire them first to answer for themselves However we may justly marvel that they send us to Tradition for our assurance about Translations seeing our present English Translations are of no such antient date as we need to enquire much what our Fathers thought of them They are best known and discerned by those who best understand the Originals and have the most helps and means which God hath allowed for such a work as Translating the Scriptures And for these we may without ostentation say that we have as good and as many as they have and the Translations we have are approved of by our Church though not by theirs If the Papists would or could prove that the Scriptures ought not to be translated at all or else help us to a Translation absolutely answerable to the Originals and give us good security for it they should do both us and themselves a good piece of service But there is an absolute necessity of Translations unless we knew of any extraordinary and miraculous way of bringing our people to understand the will of God in his written Word And what then is to be done or what can we do in order to the salvation of poor souls There are some perhaps who can resolve this otherwise then we dare and say Let them alone to be as ignorant as may be and believe only as the Church believes right or wrong But for our part we are of the mind that our people will never grope out the way to Heaven while they are blindfolded nor can we be perswaded that ignorance is the mother of devotion though we know it is the mother of superstition God 〈◊〉 mâ—…n from darkness uâ—…to light when he turns them from the power of Satan 〈◊〉 himself Act. 26. 18 and why came our Saviour a lighâ—… into the world if we may go to Heaven as blind as we are born what have we to do while we are here â—…pon earth more then to get grace and knowledge and grow in it more and more Heaven is called the inheritance of the Saints in light and Hell is called utter darkness To say no more of this we have the Scriptures translated into English because the greatest number of our people whose souls are as precious as others cannot otherwise understand them without a miracle And we use the best means we have left us to make our people know Gods mind and will in 〈◊〉 written Word And for Tradition we know no use of it unless iâ—… be fiâ—…st resolved beyond all exception that we must believe as the Church believes whatever the Scripture saith What hath been said already in answer to the former Queries may serve in part for the 〈◊〉 hand last Qâ—…ery about the sence and interpretation of Scripture However we shall say what we thâ—…nk about the letter of Scripture not senc'd and to be senc'd Now the sence of 〈◊〉 that Scripture hath words and 〈◊〉 is the Rule of faith and they read it as any mâ—…n reads his friends or correspondents letters to know his mind in them or as Factouâ—…s beyond sea come to know their Merchants orders given them in and by their letters Sometimes a difference arises amongst these and â—…hen what can a Factour do to clear himself more then to produce his Merchants leâ—…ters and say Here is the order you gave me and I have followed it so do we when we are questioned about our faith we know no other answer but this that we have orders given us in Scripture to believe so and so and not otherwise We cannot in this case abstract the leâ—…ter from the sence Scholars indeed in their contemplations may make such abstractions But what have we to do with them in practical use or about moral actions for in such cases we must as all sober men do take words and sence together Words and letters as far as we ever learnt serve only to signifiâ—… mens sence and meaning And so doth the letter of Scripture signifie Gods mind
this Rule Did I consult God and his Word when I undertook such a business Is the way I am now in answerable to what God hath commanded Do not I in such a design or undertaking clash with some Commandment or other O! that so many loose and vitious persons as are now adayes would be perswaded to sit down and seriously question themselves whether their uncleanness excess revellings and riotings cursed Oâ—…ths and blasphemies and many other horrid Impieties be agreeable to the Rule of Gods Word But I must let them alone and leave them till the time come when they 'le be made to know that Gods Word is such a Rule as will over-rule yea and run them down so as they shall never rise more to contradict it as now they do For such as are more civil and sober so as to read the Scripture sometimes which those other likely seldome or never do I heartily wish they will henceforward observe what hath been said before and lay their lives to the Rule and Line which I hope they will do if they heartily believe the word of God to be that Law by which they and all mankind shall one day be judg'd and tri'd How eâ—se can they hope to stand and abide the trial And when shall they do this work of searching and trying their hearts and ways if they set not about it now when they have nothinh else to do but to frame their works and doings unto that which God hath laid out to lead and guide them to their happiness 7ly Let them in reading observe and attend chiefly those things which are often inculcated and most insisted upon in Scripture If any shall ask why I answer Because those to be sure are matters of greatest concernment 'T is a great vanity specially in men of weak parts and small gifts to pry and pore much as some will do upon such passages as have difficulty enough in them to poze and puzzle the wisest And their vanity to say no worse is the more because those difficult passages have for the most part nothing in them but what we may be safely ignorant of And yet some things of greatest concernment may be more obscurely in some places delivered But still I affirm confidently they are otherwhere express'd more fully and plainly so as no man of common sence can doubt or make any question about them And if any shall object against what I have said that we may be safely ignorant of some things declar'd in Scripture I answer That in this I am if I mistake not of the same mind with all Divines in the world who hold some things to be of the foundation so as they are necessary to be known and believ'd in order to salvation and others only superstructive such as ignorance or errour about them is not in it self damnable Who can rationally suppose that ' â—…is of the same consequence to know every passage of Scripture-History as to know and believe that Jesus Christ died for our Sins and rose again for our Justication No question the Lord who never did any thing in vain would never have reveal'd and recorded any the smallest matter but that there was a cause But thereupon 't will never follow that all things reveal'd do alike concern us To instance That the dead shall rise again and come to Judgement is as I take it a fundamental Article of our Faith But that the dead in Christ shall rise first before they who shall be found alive at the last day shall be changed is not I think of so much consequence though this also is a truth of Divine Revelation and therefore to be believed If the dead be not raised our faith is vain 1. Cor. 15. But so long as we believe the Resurrection I suppose we may be saved though we should not know the order that will be in raising the dead and changing them who will be then alive All this however must be so understood and interpreted as I intend it not to allow or countenance any wilfull neglect or affected ignorance of any Scripture-Truths but only to salve the Consciences of such as cannot after all their most carefull enquiry come to know all the mind of God in every particular as Scripture hath it Can any man reasonably think we are bound to mind and remember every descent in all the Genealogies as we are to have in mind the Birth Death Resurrection and Ascention of our Lord Jesus Christ who knows not the dâ—…fference that hath bee among the most learned and still is in reconciling the Genealogy of our Saviour as it is with some difference recorded in two Evangelists And are there not think we many in Heaven who never much studied Christs Pedigree after the flesh To return therefore where we left I say again observe those things especially which are most insisted on because those are of most concernment and the Holy Ghost often repeats them for this reason that we may the better mind and remember them We know and believe that in some one or more Books of Scripture there is revealed so much of Gods mind and will as is necessary to be known in order to Salvation And yet it pleased the Lord to give us his mind in other Books of Scripture about the same things and many others besides that the joynt consent of many might the more confirm our faith and we might in that which so much concerns our Souls have full measure pressed down and running over Witness the Evangelists all recording the History of our Saviour with some variety though no contradiction in the least As also Pauls Epistles so often repeating the doctrine of Salvation by Christ alone through faith in his blood and the duties of all Christians in all their Relations Now I say again observe and attend those things as being of greatest concernment and others also in their order For in so doing we shall be sure to know so much as we need to do In a word Read attentively and that as often as may be with all humility and an earnest sincere desire to know the will of God in order to your doing it alwayes begging the assistance of his grace and spirit who alone teaches us to 〈◊〉 Then will your own experience convince you against all the reasonings of corrupt minds that there is a clear light in Scripture such as may easily be seen of all whose eyes the God of this World hath not blinded lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them 3. Not to rest themselves satisfied in a notional knowledge of 〈◊〉 re-truths 〈◊〉 to labour for and never leave till they come to that which is practical and experimental For then men are indeed grounded and established in the truth when they have tasted of it so as to know it by experience Then they believe Scripture to be the Divine truth as a man believes snow to be white because he sees it or honey
to be sweet because he hath tasted of it Labour I say to set your Probatum cst to every Gospel-truth that you may be able to say out of your own experience this is the truth of Christ and cannot be otherwise Then you may reason as that woman did Joh. 4. 29. Come see a man that hath told me all things that ever I did Is not this the Christ So you may say here is doctrine that hath discovered me as nothing else could have done Can this be any other then the Word of God there is nothing in it but what I am certainly assured of by what I know and have found and felt in my self Surely God who is infinitely good could never produce out of himself such an unclean thing as I am by nature And that I am now altogether corrupted so as in me dwelleth no good thing I know by experience Hence I cannot in the least question what Scripture hath revealed concerning the fall of man from that estate of holiness wherein God first made him For I am sure of it because I find my natural and sinfull condition discovered to me in Scripture just as I have felt in my self and so laid open as I could never express it yea or have imagined it And so is all that I read of the womans seed Christ and all the graces of Christ revealed in me as that my heart is now the counterpart as it were of that act of pardon drawn with Gods own hand and recorded in the Scriptures of truth For the wayes of Gods Commandments I now find they are not grievous but all pleasant easie and plain as scripture makes them I care noâ—… for the reasonings of men so long as I know the truths of God by what I find and feel in my self And for a motive take this viz. Thou canst never be well rooted in the faith otherwise Let the head be never so full fraught with knowledge so long as the heart is not seasoned with grace a man is capable of being overcome by such arguments as will be suggested from worldly and sleshly Interests He that loves any thing better then Christ what ever be his present profession or resolution may be disswaded from following him when he comes to tempted with fears or favours from the world Only he who hath learnt Christ as the truth is in him to put off the old and put on the new man is impregnable in all assaults having the root of the matter in him such as will never quaile or die right away Many a Demas hath fallen off having loved this present world and no arguments will make a man invincible to all temptations but an unfeigned saith that is alway attended with a good conscience This and nothing else can give a man Sure-footing in his Christianity There is many a great Scholar who can dispute the truth against all gainsayers and never be moved or shaken because he is throughly studied in the grounds of it and understands the deceits and fallacies of all who are otherwise minded But so long as his heart is not right with God he is but as a tree with a great top that may soon be turned up by the roots if there come a great tempest or blast of temptation from worldly Interest either to fright or flatter him out of his Religion Hence I say again never think your selves well grounded in your Christianity tâ—…ll you have studied the Scriptures and your own hearts together and found by experience that you are transformed by the renewing of your minds into that doctrine which is therein delivered to you 3. And when you have found out the Divine truth in Scripture by your experimental feeling of the grace and power in it labour to hold it fast and by no means let it go Buy the truth and sell it not but contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the Saints If any now question how this is to be done my advice is 1 To order all your ways and doings exactly according as you find the Rule of them laid down in Scripture For it is not the profession or forme but the power of godliness as I said before that will will keep you stedfast unto the end Now Loosness and Carelesness in your ways and walkings will expose you to temptations and not only so but they will also loosen and unrivet your souls from cleaving so close to the truth as you have formerly done You will find by wofull experience that any indulgence to worldly Interests and fleshly lusts will much weaken your wonted affections to the truths of Christ and if there be a continuance of that indulgence it will eat out all the life and heart of your Religion so as you will never suffer or venture much for that which you love no better So long as your hearts are kept warm in the love of the truth so long only you are stedfast and unmoveable in the profession of it There are many Protestants so called who know little the more pitty of what they profess And there are too many who whatever they profess or know are vitious and abominable in their lives and conversations For these we must leave them to the mercy of God in hope that yet their eyes may be opened and their hearts turned But we cannot reasonably expect that such should be constant in their profession if once they meet with a strong temptation Alas how should they who know and love the truth no better Yea though men may perswade themselves and others in a calme what courage and resolution they have and will be ready to shew in a storm yet if there be not sincerity and real mortification of all lusts constantly endeavoured and exercised their hearts will deceive them when they are most confident of them Any prevailing Interest in a Soul is as a strong biass in a boule A man may aim to cast the boule so as it shall run in a right line to the mark but the biass will never suffer it to run as is intended And so it will prove by every one whose heart hath a biass in it For it will turn aside ere it come half way home whither its Interest carries it Sirs it is no small matter to abide by a mans profession and Religion when he is put to it by any great tryal whether of persecution or promotion Nay how can it be at all unless the Interest of Christ and the allurements of his love are such as will counterpoyse all that is laid into the ballance against them Will any man in cool blood venture life and all unless there be somewhat of far more worth to countervaile the loss this therefore must be in order to our stedfastness in the faith viz. A constant exercise of practical godliness for keeping up a good understanding and correspondence between God and our Souls that we may be so warmed with continual influences from Heaven as to say with the Apostle
that the Records we have to tâ—… day have in them all the mind God necessary to be known in orâ—… to our salvation They who maâ—… tain a Reliâ—…ion that cannot be maâ—… good by Scriprure may well quarâ—… it as they have cause But all Wâ—… believe it as they ought know much efficacy in it as they will nâ—… easily heed such flim-flams as â—…ome now adayes are bâ—…zzing into peoples ears Alâ—…s poor souls that have tasted how gracious the Lord is in his Word have an argument which all the world can never answer to them whatever it may do to others These men know and are sensible of a light within them and that it is of God and they heed and attend it But they know too that Scripture is a far more glorious light shewing them the way of life by Faith in a Saviouâ—… who is the Son of God And this light shewing the only way of life they find so to perfect all the natural light in them as they are the more confirmed in the belief of Scripture-Revelations For no man ever denyed the principles of Reason and Nature to be the impressions of God excepting Atheists of which there are so many now adayes Hence every civil and sober man considers seriously how the light of Scripture and Nature agree and that the one is superadded not to eclipse but to clear the other by a more glorious discovery of grace and mercy in a Mediatour for pardoning and purging all sin which else could never have been He is therefore the more perswaded of Scâ—…iptures descent from God as a light from Heaven to give a lustre to the more obscure Principles of Nature and Reason within him What shall I say Gods word is known as his work is known And how is that Even because none can do as God doth He works like himself so that any man may say when he looks on Gods work Here is the finger of God Dent. 3. 24. Is not every work of God such as no creature can do the like And such is every word that God hath spoken as any man that hath reason may say This is the voice of God and not of man Who can thunder with a voice like him so we may say of Scripture who but God could â—…eak such things or in such a manner Never man spake like this man said the Officers who were sent to apprehend Christ John 7. 46. so say we Never any creature did or could speak as Scripture And therefore we believe it to be the Word of God Now being thus perswaded we inferr what we think will unavoidably follow that Scripture is the only Rule of faith For let Papiâ—… say what they can the Rule of faith and manners too can be no other then that Revelation which God hath made of his mind and will for that end What! shall man or any creature prescribe what we are to believe concerning the matters of God It is against all common sence and reason so to imagine But I shall dispute the case in two considerations whereof one is taken from the nature and quality of a Rule the other from the Office and work of faith First a Rule as it regulates or him that useth it so it swaies and commands the things that are regulated by it that they stand or fall are allowed or rejected as they are conformable to it or otherwise And this holds good in every Rule whether properly or improperly so called The standard of all weights and measures hath as I may say an authority to allow or lay aside all other weights and measures that do not exactly answer to it And so is Scripture a Rule of faith because it shews what is to be believed and what not But here I must prevent what will be objected by Papists viz. That Scripture is no compleat Rule but some things are necessary to be believed which are not contained in it 1. That Popery hath many such things as are not in Scripture we believe But therefore we reject them because to make Scripture a Rule not compleat is indeed to make it none at all Who ever heard of a Rule that was not usfficient to regulate all things for which it was intended or if there was devised such a Rule who can be so unreasonable as to call or count it so surely Masons and Carpenters make use of no Rules but such as will serve to measure all the work which they take in hand 2. Whereas they say that God hath left some things unwritten to pass from hand to hand by Tradition who shall believe this more then what the Jews have said a long time and for many ages that Moses had some commands given him to be written and others to be delivered from Father to Son by word of mouth Alas we know what account our Saviour made of their oral and practical Traditions which he calls vain and so may we justly account of these Our Saviour called the Jews to Search the Scriptures and condemned all their Traditions And why may not we take the same course and say To the Law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them Isa. 8. 20. 3. Let Popish Traditions give as much evidence for their descent from Heaven as Scripture doth and we shall embrace both alike Bâ—…t in this case we say as the Jews did in another We know that God spake unto Moses But for this fellow we know not whence he is We know by the Contents and matter of Scripture the Majesty of the dispensation the power it hath upon conscience the certain fulfilling of all the Prophecies to a tittle and many other tokens and testim onies of God speaking in it that it is the Word of God and no other When Tradition can produce such and the like evidences we may haply attend it more then we have done In the mean while we are at a loss and cannot believe the written Word of God and unwritten Word which Papists count so much of to be of like authority because one contradicts the other in many particulars To instance Scripture shews a communion in both kinds so instituted as is to be seen in all the Evangelists and so administred in the Churches 1 Cor. 11. 23 c. according to the first Institution But Papists give only bread to the Laity afâ—…er the Tradition which they have a while received Here is a manifest contradiction of Scripture by Practical Tradition And so there is in forbidding Priests marriage which Scripture allows as honourable among all men excepting none Heb. 13. 4. and taxes the prohibition as a departing from the Faith c. 1 Tim. 4. 1 8. What should I mention abstinence from meats having publick Divine Service in an unknown tongue worshipping God in and before an Image and the like If these do not contradict Scripture there are no things contradictory to be sound upon
earth Yea worshipping God in an Image is against the light of nature if the Apostle speaks truth Rom. 1. 19 20 21 c. And particularly ver 25. it is plain that the Heathens Idolatry was serving the creature with the Crea or To return where we were before we call Scriâ—…ture a Rule of Faith as it reveals the Truths of God and commands our belief For if we had not such a Revelation of Gods will in Scripture we know not where to look for it And they who question us about this should do well to shew us another Revelation of Gods mind then what we have in Scripture For as we believe in God only so we acknowledge no other to have dominion over our Faith and hence we can acknowledge no Rule of Faith but what God himself hath made For certain what is the Rule must be the Law of our belief and who can make a Law of this nature but God only And this I leave to be tryed by the Law of Reason whether any thing can be the Law of Faith that is not a Law of God What! shall men or any creatures prescribe us what we are to believe concerning God It is unreasonable to imagine it And then let it be further considered if the Rule of Faith and the Law of Faith be not all one For it is not possible to prove that to be the Rule of Faith which doth not command us to believe prescribe what is to be believed and secuâ—…e â—…s of the promised good viz. eternal life upon our believing as we are commanded And this leads us to our second Argument from the Office and work of faith which is such a believing God in revealed Truths as leads us to our bliss There is a faith that saves not as all grant and I need not shew what it is But we mean a true faith or a sincere and saving faith and this being undeniable let it be considered How any thing can be the Rule of this faith besides Divine and supernatural Revelation But of this we may take more notice hereafter In the Interim we appeal to the consciences of all sober men whether we are not rational in making Divine Revelation to be the Rule of Divine Faith For sure footing to our faith we hope we have it where alone it is to be had And this will appear more plainly in the discourse of the Question Whether Tradition the Churches Testimony or any thing of that nature is or can bâ—… the Rule of Faâ—…th The second Part. Wherein is debated this Question viz. Whether Tradition the Churches Testimony or any thing besides Scripture is or can be a Rule of Faith IN this Question Protestants hold the Negative and say That Scripture alone is and Tradition cannot be a Rule of Faith And now I must first shew what Papists mean by Tradition Not as they say the Doctrine delivered But a delivery down from hand to hand bâ—… words and a constâ—…t course of frequent and visible actions conformable to those words of the sense and faith oâ—… Fâ—…re-fathers This they call Oral or Practical Tradition and this they would have to be the only Rule of Faith For they charge Scripture with imperfection and obscurity and affirm it to be no competent Rule as being not evident or certain in it self and therefore not sufficient to ascertain others Hence they speak of Scripture as a Rule regulated by Tradition which is indeed to say it is none at all and this they avouch some of them in express terms before all the world Now if we Protestants are once compeâ—…l'd to let go all Scripture authority in matters of Faith I know nothing we have to do more then burn our Bibles and as fast as we can turn Roman Catholicks Papists do not indeed say as far as I know that Scripture is not of Divine Inspiration But they say plainly that the doctrine of Scripture cannot be ascertained to us without Tradition and so Tradition is the Rule ruling as iâ—… aâ—…lures us what is Canonical Scripture and what not Yea they say expresly Tradition is a competent Rule and Scripture is not Now in this we cannot yield to them and we have this argument for our dissent Tradition by their own concession is but a certain way of delivering down the Faith and can be no other at most and that it is so much we cannot yield But supposing it only we say therefore it cannot be the Rule of Faith for it only delivers down to us the Rule And if any think this reason weak let him take notice of this also to back it that Tradition is but an humane Testimony and cannot therefore be a Rule of Divine Faith What! The Faith Divine and the Testimony received by it humane What reason is in this let any reasonable man judge I need say no more Nor will it help in this case to alledge the supernatural assistances of the Holy Ghost For our argument is That our Faith is as the Testimony received by it If therefore the Testimony be humane the Faith is such and where are we then Is our Faith in God that must save our souls only an humane and not a Divine Faith who ever heard such things as these If it be said again That this humane Testimony serves to ascertain us of the doctrine of Christ even so it cannot be the Rule for it is of men and it must be somewhat of God whatever it be that is the Rule of Faith in God Fâ—…r I may justly question in this Case In whom do we believe to the saving of our souls Surely no man will say other then that we believe in God Well and if we believe in God it must be because of some Revelation he hath made of himself and this can be no other then his promise in Christ of grace and pardon to poor sinners This is the Testimony or Record That God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son And this is the Testimony we receive by Faith and so our Faith is Divine If we receive the Testimony of men our Faith is only humane This I say again is our argument That our Faith being Divine the Testimony received by it is so also And therefore we receiving only the Testimony of God by Faith it cannot be reasonably imagined that our Faith should have its foundation and sure footing in any thing of man But here they ferch in the assistances of the Holy Ghost but to little purpose seeing those assistances are yielded us most likely to help us in believing the Word of God and not the Testimony of men And may not Protestants more rationally by far say they believe the Scripture by the perswasions of the holy Ghost then Papists say that Tradition receives incomparable strength by the supernatural assistances of the same holy Ghost surely if God have made any Revelation of his minde and will his Spiâ—…it most likely will help us to believe