Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A51743
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Some considerations towards peace and quietness in religion. In answer to the question, whether the multitude are fit readers of Holy Scripture.
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Manby, William.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing M389; ESTC R31159
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11,498
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26
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the honour of Religion the peace and unity of the Church to have the use of Vulgar Translations with or without Licence I don't find the Church of Rome themselves absolutely forbidding the use of Vulgar Translations but only providing that the unlearned and unstable people may read but not wrest them to their own destruction as S. Peter speaks See Bellarm. lib. 2. de Verbo Dei cap. 15. I wish it were the worst of their errors whereby they have preserved themselves if not from all disputes of Religion at least from that Labyrinth of Reformation into which we of these Nations seem to have brought our selves at this day For as if Religion had not been often enough reform'd since Hen. 8. we are at this day not without our apprehensions nor our numerous Adversaries without their strong hopes of another Reformation Let it be remembred that envy and inconstancy are the natural humours of the Multitude and that no experience hath found these humours any whit abated but rather heightned by their familiarity with the Scriptures The High Commission Court in causes Ecclesiastical if restor'd were a happy remedy some think to suppress heresies errors schisms blasphemies and abuses in Religion But alas reflect a little on our late times and then tell me what did this High Commission Court signifie against the multitude intoxicated with mistakes of Holy Scripture But Heresies and Schisms you will say have been vented for the most part not by ignorant but learned men I know not perhaps if the truth were known their pride and ill nature would be found much greater than their learning and their schisms might have expir'd with themselves were not the Holy Scriptures unadvisedly expos'd into the rude hands of the Multitude To be short let the Reader please to observe with me this one thing that unlearned People when they read the Bible must of necessity construe it by an implicit faith on the skill of the Translators and why not by the same faith and much more safety and humility receive the substance and effect of it collected by the Church into Books of Piety and Devotion This I humbly think were not to keep them in ignorance but in sobriety and in their wits A man would think considering the popular incapacity and weakness to receive so strong meat not being chew'd nor prepar'd for them such Books as the Catechism of the Church of England or the whole Duty of man much fitter for them S. Paul gave this judgement concerning his Corinthians 1 Cor. 3.2 I have fed you with milk and not with meat for bitherto ye were not able to bear it neither yet are ye able Unlearned People I say whether they will or no must depend on the fidelity of the Translators of Holy Scripture For ought they know it may be all misinterpreted into the Vulgar Language as certainly many places are in our English Bible To instance in a few Matth. 28.19 Gal. 5.17 Coloss 2.20 1 Cor. 7.9 Matth. 19.11 Job 7.1 1 Cor. 11.2 Daniel 4.27 Acts 17.22 All which and many other Texts are made use of at every turn to justifie their loose and Fanatical opinions Particularly you shall find Gal. 5.17 cited by the Presbyterian Assembly of Divines to prove the impossibility of keeping Gods Commandments the words in the Original admitting no such construction We will not pin our faith on the sleeve of the Church no by no means The Church is not infallible but on the sleeve of Translators we will pin all our Religion The self-same thing we will abhor One way and long another for Hudibr Well in vain did we expect the common Peoples amendment by their own reading of the Scriptures In vain have they eaten of this Tree of knowledge And whereas divers of them who read the Bible are yet modest and tractable enough to Government and conformable to the present establisht Church some you may observe are indifferent for any Religion others are conformable not so much from their understanding of that book as out of the loyalty and honesty of their natures and that such may have licence to read it no body denies For the rest who are inclin'd to faction and change experience hath made it apparent enough the liberty of the Scriptures hath made them more factious and seditious For instance there are many extraordinary passages or matters of fact in the Old Testament particularly in the Books of Samuel the Kings and Chronicles which to them are very good arguments against the present Government of Church and State The destruction of the Groves and high places and molten Images by Josiah the slaughter of Baal's Priests by Jehu have been very good arguments against the Hierarchy and Cathedral Service of the Church of England The spoiling of the Egyptians the zeal of Phinehas against Zimri and Cozbi are good Precedents for Reformation and defensive Arms against the King And examples so they be Scripture are as argumentative with the Vulgar as any Precepts whatsoever The English Bible is become a Glass wherein the factious Multitude can see all the Vices but none of the Vertues of their Governours 'T is too apparent that English men were never so ill-natur'd towards one another so sacrilegious towards God nor so regardless of their Clergy as they have been for this last Century And the Author of the late book entituled The Reasons of the Contempt of the Clergy might have assigned one Reason for it which I think he has forgot namely the liberty of the English Bible For in Scripture I do not find saith the judicious Inn-keeper any such necessity of the Clergy do I not read Joel 2.28 It shall come to pass in the last dayes that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see Visions and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those dayes will I pour out my spirit and they shall prophesie And do I not read 1 Cor. 12.7 To every man is given the manifestation of the spirit to profit withall And Heb. 8.11 They shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest Veâ—ily methinks the Scripture saith the profound Weaver holds forth rather a Presbyterial than Prelatical Government For don't I read Luke 22.25 The Rings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them but it shall not be so among you And 1 Tim. 4.15 Neglect not the gift that was given thee by Prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery And in vain shall you or I tell him that he is mistaken in his interpretation of these Texts Yea as for Luke 22.25 the spirit saith he witnesseth with my spirit whatever your carnal Greek sayes to the contrary I am not mistaken To dress any meat on the Lords Day is with him a breach of the fourth
SOME CONSIDERATIONS TOWARDS PEACE and QUIETNESS IN RELIGION In Answer to the Question Whether the Multitude are fit Readers of HOLY SCRIPTURE Nolite Sanctum dare Canibus nec projiciatis margaritas vestras ante Porcos Matth. 7.6 Printed 1680. is the same betwixt the Scripture and the unstable People We can't suppose them viz. Women Tradesmen c. able to understand the Circumstances of time and place when and where it was written nor the coherence of things nor the Customes and Rites of the several Nations to which it alludes but that they will contrive and apply it as though it intended the very State and Condition of these Islands Nothing has been more experienc'd than this And here the Reader will please to observe I am not going about to argue this matter from the abuse of Scripture but from the popular unfitness and incapacity to meddle with it The argument I confess is not good from the ill use of a thing to take away the use but I hope the argument is good Such a man is of a weak digestion Therefore not to be advis'd to the use of strong meats or he is of a temper apt to quarrel Therefore let him abstain from much Wine That this may appear let it be remembred the Ordinary means to a right understanding of the Scriptures are these Learning study rational inference collation of places consulting the Original and Expositions of the primitive Fathers who liv'd nearest the Age of the Apostles together with an humble temper and constant prayer for Gods blessing upon all Consider also how naturally they mistake these following Texts The hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth In vain do ye worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men Ye are bought with a price be not ye the servants of men Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free Why as though living in the world are ye subject to Ordinances The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them but it shall not be so among you O father thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent but hast revealed them unto Babes Illuminated by these and other Texts the grave Shop-keeper can see Popery in the Church and Tyranny in the State and in vain shall you or I tell him that he is mistaken in his interpretation of them I would only say this That learning and modesty are necessary to the understanding of the Bible the People generally want both therefore no competent Readers What will the grave Inn-keeper say to this 'T is true I am not learned my self but our Minister Mr. T. is a very precious man and a Gospel Preacher and able to teach us the right sence of the aforesaid Texts Very good Though thou beest not learned nor so and so qualified thy self thy Minister is this seems to resolve all into the Minister and to confess unawares That not the unlearned People but the Church or Pastors thereof are fit to give the sence of Gods Word Thus perhaps unawares art thou confessing that Popery about which those of thy Party have so long confounded the peace of Christendom of resting in the Church or Pastors thereof for the sence of Gods Word Which being duly considered it seems to me a little incongruous if not absurd to say That every Weaver Brewer Taylor hath notwithstanding his want of the aforesaid requisits to wit learning and humility a judgement of discretion to assent or dissent from the sence given by the Church To allow him such a judgement and yet restrain him the external liberty thereof or censure him for it seems to him very hard and unjust My dulness I confess apprehends not the difference betwixt this Judgement of discretion and that which some call the private Spirit What am I allowed a judgement of discretion will the honest Taylor say and must I be debarr'd the liberty thereof must I pin my faith on the sleeve of the Church No good Mr. Parson for all your carnal Sophistry my Judgement obliges me to cut out my own Religion and set it up for a Fashion To this the ingenious and worthy Dr. Tillotson answers in his late Sermon on 1 John 4.1 pag. 39. That all Persons having Capacities for it are to read the Scriptures and judge for themselves in matters of Religion but with modesty and humility with great submission to their spiritual Guides Having Capacities for it which excludes all immodest and unlearned People from judging for themselves with submission to their spiritual Guides makes the Taylors judgement of discretion an impertinent thing It is to be considered saith the Doctor in the aforesaid Sermon That the proper remedy in this case is not to deprive men of this priviledge of judging for themselves in matters of Religion but to use the best means to prevent the abuse of it And this means is we are to caution them not to assume to themselves the Authority of Judges instead of demeaning themselves with the submission of Learners 'T is an excellent caution were the multitude capable to receive it Well but you will say it 's true the Multitude may be somewhat incapable to judge so them elves as to doubtful and disputable matters But as to all matters necessary to salvation the Scriptures are plain and evident to every Taylors understanding Perhaps not Where the obscurity dwells of divers Articles necessary to salvation whether in the Scriptures or the Peoples understandings I shall not undertake to determine but this I hope will be granted me that the doctrine of the Trinity the Article of the Holy Catholick Church Infants Baptism obedience to Authority Civil and Ecclesiastical are matters necessary to salvation and yet how many thousands good serious Tradesmen do attentively read the English Bible and miss the Orthodox belief of these things So that to tell us of such a brightness in the Scriptures as to all necessary matters is to inform us as Countrey People do Travellers enquiring their way to such a Town that we cann't go astray when nothing is more easie I know not but if the Scriptures were so extreamly perspicuous methinks the Controversies between us and the Papists and Socinians were soon at an end what should hinder it the blindness of their understandings or perverseness of their wills alas object this to a Presbyterian or Papist Independent or Socinian they will exceedingly pity your blindness Having premis'd these things let 's proceed to examine what 's usually objected to the contrary And first are we not commanded to search the Scriptures John 5.39 Indeed our English Bible renders the word Search in the imperative mood whereas it doth not appear in the Original whether it be indicative or imperative But supposing it to have been spoken imperatively Go search the Scriptures 't is a mistake to think they were the Vulgar and Unlearned Jews our blessed Saviour was then discoursing with whose