written in one of the Prophets I have written to them the great things of my Law and they have counted them as a strange thing Hos 8. 12. § 7. 5. The next Proposition is this That the Holy Scriptures extant in the Apostles days in conjunction with the Doctrine of the Christian Faith however made known by Writing or otherwise were then through that Grace of God which usually attends a due use of them able to make men wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. And that from a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus If by Scriptures here you will understand the Scriptures of the Old Testament only yet you may easily collect that if those Scriptures were in great part able to make men wise unto Salvation then when the Gospel was on foot then the Scriptures of the New Testament as containing the Christian Doctrine are able to do it much more and both in conjunction to be effectual to that end The Apostle acquainted the Christians then that the Mystery of the Gospel by the Scriptures of the Prophets is and that according to the Commandment of the everlasting God made known to all Nations for the obedience of Faith Rom. 16. 25 26. § 8. 6. The Holy Scriptures as the means which God works by are able not only to make men in a private capacity wise unto salvation but also to furnish men for the discharging of the publick Office of Teaching and Governing in the Church of God The Holy Scriptures given by inspiration of God are profitable for Doctrine Reproof Correction and Instruction in Righteousness so as to make the man of God to wit a publick Preacher perfect throughly furnished to all good works even to enable him to discharge his whole Duty towards the Souls of others 2 Tim. 3. 16. And St. Paul by his Writings instructed even Timothy himself how to behave himself in his Office and publick Capacity 1 Tim. 3. 14. These things write I unto thee that thou maist know how to behave thy self in the House of God which is the Church of the Living God And for the better discharge of his Ministerial Office directs and enjoins him to give attendance to Reading and to Meditation or Study 1 Tim. 4. 13 15. Which sure would have been needless if he had been sufficiently able to have done all by the immediate Illumination and operation of God's Spirit as you fancy your Teachers are able to do § 9. 7. The same promise is made to the reading of the Word written and to the keeping of it as is to the hearing and keeping of it Rev. 1. 3. Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophesie and keep those things which are written therein § 10. 8. The Scripture is said to say this or that which yet God said himself or by his Servants Rom. 9. 17. The Scripture saith unto Pharaoh even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee Rom. 10. 11. The Scripture saith Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed Gal. 3. 22. The Scripture hath concluded all under sin What saith the Scripture Cast out the Bondwoman and her Son Gal. 4. 30. Which yet was the Saying of God himself Gen. 16. Another Scripture saith They shall look on him whom they have pierced John 19. 17. No Prophesie of the Scriptures is of private Interpretation 2 Pet. 1. 20. So that according to this look what God saith in and by the Scriptures touching such things as concern us is in effect the same as if he had spoken them to us himself immediately If any man think himself to be a Prophet or Spiritual let him acknowledge that the things I write unto you are the Commandments of the Lord said St Paul 1 Cor. 14. 37. You are wont to insinuate indeed as if the Scriptures were not of that use to us now as they were to them to whom they were first written But however they might more concern them than us in some particular cases proper to them yet in things of common concern they are as much for our use as they were for theirs For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our Learning Rom. 15. 4. What God said to Joshua I will never leave thee nor forsake thee the Apostle would have all faithful Christians relie on as if it had been spoken to themselves Heb. 13. 5. That which was first spoken to the Jews Lev. 26. The Apostle applies to the Believing Gentiles as much as if it had been spoken to them only 2 Cor. 6. 16. For ye are the Temple of the Living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people § 11. 9. We that have the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles brought down to us in the Scriptures may according to Scripture-Dialect be said to have Christ and his Apostles as truly as it was said of the Jews in our Saviour's days on Earth that they had Moses and the Prophets for it was by having in the Scriptures what they said and did that were said to have them And by hearing and believing the Scriptures of the New Testament we may as well be said to hear and believe Christ and his Apostles as they to hear and believe Moses and the Prophets which yet they were said to do when they did believe their Writings Luke 16. 29. They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them Ver. 31. If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead John 5. 46 47. Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me But if ye believe not his Writings how should ye believe my Words Christ promised his Apostles upon his giving them Commission to teach all Nations that he would be with them to the end of the world and he is so in one sense when he accompanies their Ministration by their Doctrine and Writings with the presence of his Grace and power in their continuation to the end of the world And as it is said of Moses Acts 15. 21. That he had those in every City that preached him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day inasmuch as his Books of the Law were read so for the same or like reason it may be as truly said that Christ hath those that preach him now when the Books of the New Testament written by inspiration of his Spirit are read among us and opened unto us every Lord's Day You may then safely conclude that those that have the Doctrine of Christ in his Gospel among them have Christ among them and all that receive and hold fast that do receive and hold fast him So saith St. John in his second Epist v. 9. He that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he
Word taught and the Scriptures opened This appears all along the Acts of the Apostles In Chap. 2. when Peter had said ver 36. Let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye crucified both Lord and Christ and had further said unto them ver 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins then it s said ver 41. then they that gladly received his Word were baptized And Chap. 8. 12. But when they believed Philip Preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ they were baptized And Chap. 11 13 14. Send men to Joppa and call for Simon whose sirname is Peter who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved Again Chap. 16. 31 3â— 34. They said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house And they spake unto him the Word of the Lord and to all that were in his house and he rejoyced believing in God with all his House And Chap. 17. 2 3 4. And Paul as his manner was went in unto them and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures opening and alledging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen from the dead and that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ And some of them believed ver 11 12. They received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so therefore many believed Again Chap. 18. 8. And many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized ver 28. and he mightily convinced the Jews and that publickly shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ And Chap. 26. 17 18. To whom now I send thee to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light Also Chap. 28. 23 24. To whom he expounded and testified the Kingdom of God perswading them concerning Jesus both out of the Law of Moses and out of the Prophets from morning till evening and some believed the things which were spoken By all these instances you see or may see in what way and by what means God brought men to know Christ and to believe in him in the Apostles days under the highest Dispensation of Gospel-light as ever shined upon the World The Apostles Commission was to go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them Mat. 28. They in pursuance of this first taught the People to know and believe that Jesus was the Christ and that remission of sins was granted in his Name to such as believed repented and were baptized and then they afterwards instructed them in the particular duties of Holy living Nothing can be plainer than that this was the way and method which God pitcht upon and used in the Apostles days to bring men to the knowledge and belief of what was necessary to their Salvation And how you will satisfie the World or your selves either that God a few years ago not heard of till then hath altered his method and that now he reveals these things to men without any such teaching by the Scriptures and Ministry of men as in those times he constantly used to do I know not nor as I believe you neither But I pray you give an honest account to such as are unsatisfied for what reason it is that you are so zealous against teaching by men when you have but such thin pretences to support your selves in so doing Suppose your error were the truth and that God did by a light created in every man sufficiently teach them what they ought to believe and do pray you what hurt would accrue to men by having the same things imparted to them by men from without which they know and believe already by a light within When St. Peter had occasion to write to those that were already enlightened within though not in your pretended way he said unto them I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things though ye know them and be established in the present truth 2 Pet. 1 12. And St. John in his 1. Epist 2. 21. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth but because you know it and that no lie is of the truth And do not you your selves grant that the Light within you witnesseth to that which is in the Scriptures and that the Scriptures are as a Coppie of it Why then are you so angry with them that teach the people from the Scriptures those truths which you say the light within you witnesseth to I would ye did not give too much occasion hereby to suspect your integrity when you make such sad out-cryes against the publick Ministry one as well as another without distinction as you are wont to do when-as you cannot but know if you know at all what they preach that they teach the same Doctrine in the main to the people which the Apostles taught and which is declared in the Scriptures and so the same which you say the Light within you witnesseth to And also that they teach the Peopel that it is not the hearing of this Doctrine preached to them no nor yet the knowledge of it neither will avail them to their Salvation without receiving it into their hearts or without such a belief of it as issues it self in a frame of Spirit and tenour of Life and conversation as is suitable to it And if you know not this and yet speak evil of them for their preaching as surmising worse you then make your selves of the number of those ill men which Peter and Jude describe who spake evil of the things they know not 2. Pet. 2. 12. Jude 10. Besides you apparently discover a very ill mind while you seek to make them odious to the people by that which doth not at all make them so save only in the opinion of those whose minds are corrupted with prejudice against all teachers of Holy things as such or with Covetousness or Interest of a party and that is their taking mony of the people wherewith to support themselves and Families in serving them in the dear concernments of their souls And therefore you stile them hirelings such as preach for hire and make a trade of it and so make merchandize of mens souls Not considering that in doing thus you reproach the wisdome of our Lord who hath ordained that those that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1. Cor. 9. 14. and hath said in reference hereto that the Labourer is worthy of his hire Luke 10. 7. and that such as labour in the Word and Doctrine are worthy of double honour 1. Tim. 5. 17. that those that are taught in the Word should communicate to him that teacheth in all good things Gal. 6. 6. And St. Paul
I fear had a bad influence upon and produced ill effects in some others as well as your selves who perhaps have not been yet carried so far out of the way by it as you have been Whereas those things that are absolutely necessary for men of all capacities to know believe and do in order to their Salvation are delivered in the Gospel with great plainness and easiness to be understood even of those of meanest capacities that have but a mind to understand them and will attend to them and consider them Who is so weak as not to understand it when it is declared to him that there was such a one as Jesus Christ and that he was declared to be one come from God and his Doctrine touching his being the Son of God and concerning all other things to be true by the wonderfulness of his Birth of a Virgin and the many and mighty miracles which he wrought and which were wrought by others in his Name and by his Resurrection from the dead Who is so weak as not to understand when it is declared to him upon good grounds that this Jesus was put to death not for his own but for our Sins and that he rose again from the dead the third day Who is so weak as not to understand when he hears it declared in the Gospel that forgiveness of Sins a glorious Resurrection and eternal Happiness in another World are promised to those that believe in him as such and that believe his Doctrine and sincerely obey it touching the necessity of Repentance consisting in amendment of Life proceeding from sorrow for Sin and in a sincere observing all his Precepts These are things that may be understood by every body that hears and considers them And yet these are the things revealed by the Gospel as necessary to be believed and done in order to salvation The reason why so many of those that hear the Gospel do not believe and obey it to the saving of their Souls is not because they cannot understand it but because they are not willing to obey it and so not willing to believe it or to consider it that they might believe it but chuse rather to please themselves in their evil ways for the present and so run the hazard for the future of the Gospels being true or not true or else flatter themselves with hopes that they do repent and obey the Gospel under vain and delusive notions of the nature of saving Repentance and Obedience And it is not congruous to the goodness of God's nature to think that when he hath been pleased out of his great compassion to lost men to make a New Covenant of Salvation upon terms suitable to that love and goodness of his to think I say that he should lay the stress of their Salvation upon terms not easie to be understood by all one as well as another that are concerned therein And therefore the greatest reason I conceive why some things in the Gospel are stiled a Mistery is because they were so till they were plainly revealed by Christ a great part of the things therein contained being such as no man by the highest improvement of reason could discover or apprehend till God in a supernatural way was pleased to reveal them Such was God's sending his Son to assume our Nature and to die for our Sins and the granting Remission of Sins and eternal Life for his sake to those that believe and obey the Gospel But when they are once revealed and by revelation made plain and easie to be understood by men of all capacities they are sure then no longer Mysteries to them unless they remain so through their own wilful neglect to understand them Agreeable to this is that of St. Paul Col. 1. 26. Speaking of the Gospel even saith he the Mystery which hath been hid from Ages and from Generations but now is made manifest to his Saints Eph. 1. 9. Having made known to us the Mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself So the calling of the Gentiles is called a Mystery not because it was hard to be understood when the thing was revealed by Christ's Commission to preach the Gospel to them and by preaching the Gospel had given them the Holy Spirit as he had to the believing Jews at the first but because this calling of them was little known or understood in the World till then God saith St. Paul by revelation made known to me the Mystery which in other ages was not made known unto the Sons of men as it is now revealed unto his Holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit that the Gentiles should be fellow-Heirs and of the same Body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel Eph. 3. 2 6. And so again Ver. 9. and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the Mystery which from the beginning of the World hath been hid in God So that as the Gospel is called a Mystery as containing things in it which had been altogether a Mystery till they were revealed so it is called a Revelation of the Mystery by reason of its discovering that which was a Secret before Rom. 16. 25 26. The preaching of Jesus Christ according to the Revelation of the Mystery which was kept secret since the world began but now is made manifest and by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to the commandment of the everlasting God made known to all Nations for the obedience of Faith In all this I do not deny but that there are in the Gospel things very Mysterious and hard to be conceived as touching the manner of their existence as the Union of Christs two Natures and the Doctrine of the Trinity of Persons and Unity of Essence and some other things But it is not hard to understand that those things really are when God hath revealed and declared that they are though it is very hard or rather beyond our apprehension to know how and after what manner they are and to know and believe more than he hath plainly revealed is not doubtless necessary to mens Salvation and therefore men should be cautious of laying too great a stress upon their different apprehensions about them If you shall say if Evangelical Truths be made so perceptible by the plainness and fulness of the Revelation of them how comes it to pass then that there is such difference in mens opinions and so many controversies about them as there is I answer if the differences and controversies be about those things that are necessary to Salvation I have told you the reason already it is because men will not be satisfied nor acquiesce in that plainness in which such things are delivered in the Scriptures but still fancy there is some farther Mystery in them than indeed there is And when men take that liberty and think they do excellent well in it then one fancies he sees this hidden Mystery couched under truths plainly