foundation as their Masters speak upon which all the precepts depend is this precept of learning the Law which no man can imagine how they should do to such perfection as Moses requires unless they had the benefit of looking into the Book of the Law as often as they pleased Of which that they might be put in mind he took care also that the Law should be read to them publickly every Sabbath day whereby likewise they that could not read if there were any such among them might be assisted to inform their Children by hearing God's Word read unto them in their own language For this is certain that in the Synagogues where they met not for the Ceremonial Worship of God which was performed only at the Temple but for his Moral Service Moses had those that preached him or pronounced his Law with a loud voice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from ancient ages or generations being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day They are the words of St. James in the first Christian Council XV. Acts 21. Where Grotius observes that it is believed Moses himself was the Author of this practice which the Apostle affirms had been from old times i. e. from the time of the giving of the Law And so Josephus expresly writes in his second Book against Appion where he shews how Moses propounded to the Jews the most excellent and the most necessary of all other Learning viz. the Law not by letting them hear it once or twice or thrice but every seventh day laying aside their other works he commanded them to assemble together for the hearing of the Law and to learn it throughly and exactly For which end his Five Books were anciently divided into so many Sections as there are weeks in the year that the whole by reading one Section every week might be read over once in a year ending at the Feast of Tabernacles At which Feast in the Solemnity of the year of Release which was correspondent to the Sabbath because it was the seventh of years as that was of days Moses required that there should be a more General Assembly of all Israel called to appear before the Lord their God that the Law might be read to men women and children and they might hear and learn and fear the Lord their God and observe to do all the words of this Law as he speaks XXXI Deut. 10 11 12. Where Moses declaring what God had commanded him about this matter the Hebrew Doctors understand those words v. 11. Thou shalt read this Law before all Israel in their hearing to be the Command of God to Moses himself requiring him as he did the Elders and Priests under him to read the Law at this great Solemnity as the Ordinary Levites did every Sabbath day And thence they consequently enough conclude that Joshua after his time and the Judges and the Kings of Israel in succeeding Ages were bound to read publickly in this great Assembly to as many as the largest Court of the Temple would hold the principal things in the Book of Deuteronomy that the people might be moved to have an higher esteem of their Law and more reverently attend unto it For it was of mighty force to excite the people to Religion when the chief Authority in the Nation not only owned it but commended it unto them And because all Israel could not be contained in that Court of the Temple therefore while the King was thus reading there the Levites who were specially appointed for this work did the same in the City of Jerusalem after notice had been given of their intention by a solemn sound of Trumpets Thus care was taken that what he had enjoyned Chap. VI. 7. should not be neglected For if they did forget to whet the Law as the word there signifies upon their Childrens minds they themselves were excited and whetted to their duty by the sound of the Trumpets by this solemn Convocation by the Royal Majesty appearing to awaken their attention and by his Authority pressing the Laws of God upon their Consciences This was the constant work also it might be shown of the Prophets out of whose Books there were Lessons also added in after-times to be read together with those out of the Law of Moses How ancient this was we do not certainly know for some derive it from the times of Ezra others think it began after the Persecution by Antiochus Epiphanes Who forbidding the reading of the Law in their Synagogues they chose some portion out of the Prophetical Books as near to the sense of that Section which should have been read out of the Law as could be found to be read in its stead which when that Persecution was over they thought not fit to lay aside but continued the reading of them both But however that be this is a known truth That when our Lord himself came and as his custom was went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read He took a Lesson out of the Prophets for the subject of his first Sermon at Nazareth IV. Luke 16 17. And that it was after the reading of the Law and of the Prophets that St. Paul stood up and preached to the Jews at Antioch XIII Acts 15. From which Examples the custom of reading two Lessons one out of the Old Testament and another out of the New was very early taken up by Christians in their holy Assemblies and continued so long in the Church it appears by Isidore and Gratian that it was most worthily restored by our Learned and Pious Reformers whose study it was to form such an Order of Divine Service as was most agreeable to the Primitive Patterns Which publick Reading was not intended to hinder their private but to stir them up unto it Insomuch that it is a Maxim among the Hebrews That although a man had heard the Law read in the publick Assemblies on the Sabbath yet he was bound also to read himself the Parascha or Section appointed for that Week For this is the Character which David gives of that Blessed man who walks not in the way of the ungodly His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night Psal I. 2. That is saith the Commentary under the name of St. Hierom reads the Scripture perpetually that he may do the things contained therein And thus Isaiah calls upon them in after Ages saying Seek ye out the Book of the Lord and read no one of these shall fail c. That is when you shall hereafter see some of these things fulfilled get a Copy of the Prophetical Books if you want one seek it diligently as the word denotes till you find it and read and you shall see that there is not one word of what I have said that is not come to pass but events shall exactly answer to these predictions And it is well known that Moses himself in the very beginning took particular care that the
King should be furnished with a Copy of the Law and keep it by him that he might read therein all the days of his life and learn to fear the Lord his God and to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to do them XVII Deut. 18 19. Nay the more to imprint the words of this Book upon his mind the Law enjoyns this as a duty belonging to the King himself saying He shall write him a Copy of this Law in a Book out of that which is before the Priests the Levites Which though some are pleased to think a Priviledge indulged only to the King the Jews who are willing enough to excuse themselves from such laborious things constantly affirm that every private man was bound to do the same and that though the King had done it before as others were obliged to do yet being exalted to the Throne he was bound to do it over again out of the most authentick Records that it might be the more imprinted on his mind and work in him a greater reverence thereof This Maimonides grounds upon those words XXXI Deut. 19. which concern them all Now therefore write ye this Song for you as if he had said Write the Law for your selves of which this Song is a part for they were not wont to write the Law by parcels Wherein perhaps they go too far but there is little doubt to be made that pious Kings took care the people should be acquainted with the Law as well as themselves imitating that pious Prince Josiah who after a long forgetfulness of the Holy Scriptures having a Copy of the Law brought to him which was found in the Temple not only caused it to be read in the ears of the people but as the Jews with great reason affirm commanded the Priests and Scribes to write Copies of it and deliver them to the people For how should they be able to perform the words of the Covenantwritten in that Book unto which Josiah ingaged them 2 Kings XXIII 2 3. unless they knew them And how should they know them more than they had done formerly if they did only once barely hear them Which might give them some present sense of their duty but could not be remembred unless they had the words they were to perform constantly before their eyes There might much more be added on this subject but this is sufficient to introduce what follows II. THAT what was thus enjoyned by Moses and practised by the people of the Jews our Saviour confirmed by his Command or at least by his approbation saying V. John 39. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testifie of me Some indeed translate the words thus Ye search the Scriptures for in them c. and so they are a plain acknowledgement of what was then in use nay an approbation if not commendation of their diligence in turning over the holy Books wherein they hoped to find so great a Treasure as Eternal life But if they be rendred as we and as many of the Romanists themselves translate them Search the Scriptures then they are a Command wherein our Blessed Saviour requires what Moses had formerly done and charges them not to neglect this duty of making a diligent inquiry into the meaning of the holy Writings for there they would find plain testimonies concerning the Messiah and be satisfied that he was the Christ whom they expected And I cannot see how this Precept may be safely disobeyed But as our Lord in the Parable of the Rich man and Lazarus XVI Luke 29. brings in Abraham sending the Rich mans Brethren unto Moses and the Prophets i. e. to their Writings for they themselves were dead and gone for their instruction from whom they might learn enough to keep them from coming into that place of Torment So we in like manner ought to tell men if they will know how to be saved they must repair to Christ and his Apostles and out of the Gospel and Apostolical Instructions learn the way to Heaven and how to escape Eternal damnation For there can be no good reason alledged why the Jews should be permitted nay commanded to read Moses and the Prophets and we not be allowed but forbidden to read the words of Christ and his Apostles For we are as much concerned or rather more in these as they were in them and they are not harder to be understood by us than the old Scriptures were by them we have the same means the same helps that they had if not far better to prosit by them and to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And therefore it is no fault in our Preachers now but an honest discharge of their duty to say to their people as Origen doth to his in his second Homily upon Isaiah Would to God we did all practise that which is written Search the Scriptures And as St. Basil in his Second Book of Baptism Cap. 4. Let us obey our Lord who saith Search the Scriptures and let us imitate the Apostles who inquired of the Lord himself the interpretation of his own words learning the truth and wholesomness of what He saith in one place by what He speaks in another So far were these great and Holy men from discountenancing the reading of the Holy Scriptures that they most earnestly press every body to it as I shall show more fully before I have done III. LET us now further consider that the Apostles of our Lord were concerned that what they wrote concerning the Christian Doctrine should be read not only by the Elders of the Church to whom their Writings were directed but be communicated to all the Members thereof who were under their Instruction This appears from St. Paul's most solemn Charge in his first Epistle to the Thessalonians that it should be read to all the holy Brethren 1. v. 27. Who should read it to them but the Bishops and Pastors of the Church Who no doubt first received it but were not to keep it to themselves but impart it to the whole Community And if they read it to the whole Society we cannot think they refused to give Copies of it to them if any desired it that they might read it themselves Or rather they took care to disperse this Letter of their own accord among their Flock as they did also send it to other Churches whereby by it became common to the whole Christian World And it was a matter of such great importance that all the people should be acquainted with his sense that his Charge is in the form of an Adjuration That if they neglected him the Command should be obeyed for the Adjuration sake For Adjurations were dreadful to the ancient Christians though now alas wo be to us they are little regarded They are words of Theophylact. And to the same effect Theodoret glosses He adds an Adjuration contriving that all might have the
perverting his sense say we have Paul on our side who says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us sin the more abundantly that we may be the more abundantly pardoned Which they do to their own destruction saith St. Peter for they that killed the Prophets and the Apostles and they that destrey and takeaway their words by a perverse interpretation are obnoxious to one and the same Condemnation because they slew them that the World might be no longer taught by them the saving Truths of the Gospel and these in the like manner wrest or put upon the rack their words that none by them may work out their Salvation Again what is there clearer in the Apostolical Writings than that they every where taught God will raise the dead at the last day in which He will judge the World in righteousness And yet there were those who wrested these words so foully that some said the Resurrection was past already of whom were Hymenaeus and Philetas 2 Tim. II. 17 18. and others said there was no Resurrection 1 Cor. XV. 12. and others said Christ would never come again but laught at his promises of coming to reward the good and at his threatnings of coming to punish the wicked as St. Peter tells us in this very Chapter v. 3 4. Knowing this first that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts there was the reason of their scoffing saying Where is the promise of his coming for since the first men fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the world Which they would not have had the impudence to affirm it being so easie to disprove them had they not affected as he shows v. 5. to be ignorant of what was as plainly recorded in the Holy Books as any thing whatsoever that there had already been long ago a great change made by the Flood which swept away the World of the Ungodly Which if they had been serious would have kept them from mocking at another destruction threatned to the Wicked with a promise of Salvation to the Godly at our Saviour's second Coming and made them look upon what was past as an Example of the like future Judgment I might give more numerous instances which would prove something beyond this that unpurged minds or which is all one unlearned and unstable Souls will not only wrest plain Truths to serve their Lusts and Humours but thereby be apt to grow more wicked and more prejudiced against God and Goodness For the opinion or presumption as is excellently observed by a great Man that any of our evil actions or dispositions are countenanced from God's Word doth mightily heighten them in a degree of evil more than usual The covetous niggardly and unmerciful for instance if they please themselves in the precepts of frugality and diligence are exceedingly stifned and rooted in those sins with the pleasure they take in their conceited conformity with the rule of Gods Word which teacheth us to avoid Riot and Luxury Sloth and Negligence And thus the stubborn and self-willed are encouraged in their obstinacy by the commendations which are given to the constant and the well-resolved And the malicious turbulent and seditious Spirits justifie their bitterness fury and contempt of Authority from the examples of excessive zeal or indignation swelling in Holy men upon just occasions and that perhaps by a special Divine incitation which is not by any man to be now imitated But it is time to leave this and to give a short account of the other II. It is no less usual for want of observing this plain Rule to press one and the self same Scripture to serve for different purposes unto the great dishonour of God and of his Holy Oracles which men from hence imagine have an uncertain found I might instance in some very ancient abuses of this nature As that of our Saviour's X. Matth. 25. It is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Master may be strained to prove no body knows how many absurdities You may guess at the rest by this one that it was alledged by the Ebionites to prove that Christians ought to be circumcised because Christ their Master was as Epiphanius expresly remembers and by the same reason may be urged to prove that no Christian ought to marry because Christ their Master never married But there are modern instances more than enough of this such as show that not only ignorant people but the most instructed in humane Learning wrest the Scriptures notoriously if they keep not close to Principles of known Morality and Piety From those two words Pasce oves Feed my sheep I know not how many things are endeavoured to be established by the Doctors of the Roman Church If you ask how they prove the Popes Monarchy and Supreme Dominion in the Church the Answer is Christ said to Peter Simon bar-Jona Feed my sheep i. e. saith Bellarmine regio more impera command after a Regal manner If you ask again by what Right he challenges to be the Supreme Judge in Controversies of Faith which anciently was thought to belong to General Councils out of the Word of God the same Doctor tells you it is evident from the same words Feed my sheep Hence he proves also his Infallibility or that he cannot err in matters of Faith because Christ said Feed my sheep Nay by the same words a fourth Prerogative is established which is a power to make new Articles of Faith if he think good They are alledged also for a fifth purpose to prove that he hath a Treasure made up of the Merits of Christ and of the Saints which he dispenses as he pleases to the Faithful for so the same Doctor teaches in his Book of Indulgences because Christ said to Peter Feed my sheep By which wonderful words also he and others labour to prove that the Pope can transfer Kingdoms absolve Subjects from the Oath of Allegiance and depose them from their Thrones And Becanus from the same words still gathers that he may inflict temporal Punishments as they call them not excepting death upon those Princes that are disobedient to him So strangely are men bent to force the meaning of Holy Writ though they have never so good Parts and great Learning when they have once forsaken the guidance of Common Sense and the obvious Notions of Christianity Nay the more witty they are the worse they are if they have lost their Conscience and keep not strictly to the first Principles of all Religion There is another Example to be given of this of the same Nature From those words Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church c. one is content to prove no more but this that the Vniversal Church cannot err but another from hence affirms that the Tradition of the present Church cannot err which will not satisfie others who conclude from the same words that the Pope cannot err and there are those who