The lively oracles given to us; or, The Christians birth-right and duty, in the custody and use of the Holy Scripture

f

. v
VV

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12

Imprimatur. V.

; f o. NICHOLAS.

Vice Cancel!. Qxon<

i

' '" *

Junli io. 1678.

Chrittians, birthright £C duty, in the
custody. ££ ttst of ttte koltj Scripture.

..

THE

Lively Oracles given to us.

O R

The Chriftians Birth-right and Duty, in
the cuftody and life of the

If: HOLY SCRIPTURE.

By the Author of the WHOLE DUTY
o F MAN, &c.

Search the Scriptures, Jo. y. 39.

At the THEATER in OXFORD, 1671.

.'A

THE

PREFACE

IN the Treatife of the Government of
the Tongue publijht by me heretofore,
1 had occafion to takg, notice among the
exorbitances of that unruly part , which
fets on fire the whole courfe of nature,
and its felf is fet on fire from hell ,Jam.
3.6. of the impious vpnity prevailing in
this Age , whereby men flay with facred
things , and exercife their wit upon thofe
Scriptures by which tbey fliall be judg'd
at the laft day, Job.- 12.48.

But that holy Book, not only fufering
ly the petulancy of tie Tongue , but the
malice of the heart , out of the abundance
whereof the mouth fpeaks, Mat. 1 2. 34.
and alfo from that irreligion, prepoffefjion^
and fupinefs ^ which the purfuit of fen-

fual

The Preface.

fual pkfures certainly produces ; the mif-
chiefis too much diffused, and deeply root
ed \ to be controul d by a few cafual refle-
ftions. I have therefore thought it necef-
fary, both in regard of the dignity and im
portance of the fubjeft , a* alfo the preva
lence of the oppofition , to attemt a profefl
and particular vindication of the holy
Scriptures, by delaying their native ex
cellence and beauty ; and enforcing the
•veneration and obedience that i* to be paid
unto them.

This / de{igri*d to do in my ufual me
thod, by an addrefs to the affeftions of the
Pleader ; foliating the feveral pajfions of
love, hope, fear, Jhame and forrow , which
either the mayfly of God in his fublime
being, blsgoodnefs derivd to ut , or our
ingratitude returndto him, could aftuate
in perfons not utterly obdurate.

But whereas men, when they have learnt

to

The Preface.

lo do amijs, quickly difpute and diflate*, I
found my felf concerned to pafs fomtimes
within the verge ofcontroverjy, and to dif-
courfe upon the principles of reafcn^and de+
duflionsfrom Testimony ^ which in the mojl
important tranfaflions of human life are
juftly takfn for evidence. In which whole
performance I have Jludied to avoid the en
tanglements of Sophiftry , and the ambi
tion of unintelligible quotations ; and
kfpt my felf within the reach of tbe un
learned Chriftian Reader ; to whoje ufes ,
my labors have bin ever dedicated*

All that I require > is that men would
bring as much readinefs to entertain the
holy Scriptures , as they do to the reading
profane Authors ; I am ajhamd to fay ^ as
they do to the incentives of vice and folly ;
nay , to tbe libels and invettives that are
leveW d againft the Scriptures.

I obtain this , I will make no doubt

that

The Preface*

that I fiatt gam a farther point ; that
from the perufal of my imp erf eft conceptions ^
the Reader mil proceed to the ftudy of
the Scriptures them/elves : there tail and
fee how gracious the Lord is^Pf. 34. 8.
and as the Angel commanded Saint Johnr
Rev. 10.9. eat the Book ; where he mil
experimentally find the words of David
verified, PI. 19. 7. The Law of the
Lord is an undefiled Law , converting
the foul: the teftimony of the Lord is
fure, and giveth wifdom to the fimple.
The Statutes of the Lord are right,and
rejoice the heart; the commandment of
the Lord is pure , and giveth light to
the eies. The fear of the Lord is clean
and endureth for ever , the judgments
of the Lord are true and righteous alto
gether. More to be defir'd are they then
gold ,yea., then much finegold,iweeter al-
fo then hony and the hony-comb. More
over

The Prefaced

over by them is thy fervant taught, and
in keeping of them there is great reward.
// is [aid 0/Mofes, Ex, 34. 29. that
having received the Law from God , and
converft with him in Mount Sina forty
daks together , his face ftone, and had
a brightnefs fixt upon it that dazjed
the beholders ; a pledg and Jbort effay
not only of the appearance at Mount Ta
bor, Mat. 17. i. where at the Trans
figuration he again was- feen in glory :
but of that greater, and yet future change
when he Jhall fee indeed his God face
to face, and foare his glory unto all e-
ternity. The fame d'nrine Goodnefs gives
fiill his Law to every one of tit. Let ut
receive it with due regard and venera~
tion • converfe with him therein , injiead
of forty daies ^ during our whole lives ;
and fo anticipate and certainly affufe our
intereft in that great Transfiguration,

b when

The Preface.

when all the faithful fhall put of their
mortal flejh , be tranflated from glory
to glory, eternally behold their God^ fee
him as he is, and jo enjoy him.

Convention bat every where an affimi*
latingfower , we are generally fuch at are
the men and Books , and bufinefs that we
deal with : but furely no familiarity ha* fo
great an influence on Life and Manners^
as when men hear God freaking to them in
his Word. That Word which the Apoftle^
Heb. 4. 12. declares to be quick and
powerful, (harper then any two-edg'd
fword, piercing even to the dividing a-
funder of foul and fpirit , and of the
joints and marrow, and is a difcerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The time will come when all our Books
however recommended , for fubtilty of dif*
courfe , exafincfs of method , variety of
matter jr eloquence of Language ; when all

our

The Preface.

our curious Afts , like thofe mention d
Ad. 19. 19". flhall be brought forth.and
burnt before all men: When the great
Book of nature , and heaven it felf ftiall
depart as a fcroul rolPd together, Rev.
6. 14. At which important feafon "twill
be more to purpofe , to have ftudied well ^
that isjranfcritidinpraftice this one Book*
then to have run thro all befides , for then
the dead fmall and great fhall Hand be
fore God,and the Books (hall be opened,
and another Book (ball be open'd which
is the Book of Life , and the dead (hall
be judged out of thofe things which
were written in the Books, according to
their works, Rev. 20. 12.

In vain Jftall men allege the want of due
conviftlon, that they did not know how
penal it would be , to difregard the San-
ttions of Gods Law, which they would have
had enforced by immediat miracle • the

appari-

The Preface*

apparition of one fent from the other
world , who might teftify of the place
of torment. This expeflation the Scri
pture charges every where with the guilt
of temting God^ and indeed it really in
volves this infdlent propofal , that the Al
mighty Jhould be obliged to break, his own
Laws , that men might be prevailed with
to keep hi*. But fiould he think,fit to com
ply herein, the condefcention wouldbe as
fuccefslefs in the event, as 'tis unreafonable
in the offer. Our Savior afjures, that they
who hear not Mofes and the Prophets,
the inftruftions and commands laid down
in holy Scripture , would not be wrought
upon by any other method , would not be
perfwaded, by that which they allow for
irrefiftible conviction*, tho one rofe again
from the dead, Luke 16* 31.

The

SECT. I. i

THE •

LIVELY ORACLES

GIVEN TO US,

Or the Chriftians Birth-right and Duty
in the cuftody and ufe of the

HOLY SCRIPTURE.

' ^" : S £ C T. I.

The f ever al Methods of Gods communicating
the knowledg of himfelf.

O D , as he is invifible to human
eies,fo is he unfathomable by hu
man underftandings ; the per
fection of his nature, and the im-
potency of ours, fetting us at too
great a diftance to have any clear
perception of him. Nay, fo far are we from
a full comprehenfion , that we can difcern
nothing at all of him, but by his own light ;
thofe difcoveries he hath bin pleas'd to make
of himfelf.

2. THOSE have bin of feveral forts s The
firft was by infuiion in mans creation , when

A God

The Chrijiians Birth-right,

God interwove into Mans very conftitution
and being the notions and apprehenfions of
a Deity : and at the fame inllant when he
breath' d into him a living foul, impreft on
it that native religion , which taught him to
know and reverence his Creator , which we
may call the initind: of humanity. Nor were
thofe principles dark and confus'd, but clear
and evident,proportionable to the ends they
were defign'd to., which were not only to
contemplate the nature , but to do the will
of God; practice being even in the ftate of
innocence preferrable before an unadiive
Speculation.

3 . BUT this Light being foorx eclips'd by
4dams difobedience , th^re remain a to his
benighted poiterity, only fom faint glim
merings , which were utterly infufficient to
guide them to their end , without frefti aids,
and renew'd manifeftations of God to them.
I tpleas'd God therefore to repair this ruine,
and by frequent revelations to communicate
hunfelf to the Patriarchs in the firft Ages of
the World -, afterwards to Prophets, and o-
ther holy men ; till at laft he revealed him-
felf yet more illuftrioully in the face of Jefu*
Chnft, 2 Cor. 4. 6.

4. THIS is the one great comprehensive
Revelation wherein all the former were m-
volv d,and to which they pointed ; the whole
myftery of Godlinef* being coinphs'd iii this

of

SECT. I. Gods Methods of Commun. 3

of Gods being mamfefted in the flejh, and the
confequents thereof, i Tim. 3. id. whereby
our Savior as he effected our reconciliation
with God by the facrifice of his death ; fo he
declar'd both that , and all things elfe that
it concern9 d man to know in order to blifs ,
in his dodrin and holy life. And this Teacher
•being not only fent from God, Jo. 3. but be
ing fiimfelf God blefled forever; it cannot
be that his inftru&ions can want any fupple-
ment. Yet that they might not want atte-
ftation neither , to the incredulous world ;
he confirni'd them by the repeted miracles
of his life , and by the teftimony of thofe
who faw the niore irrefragable convi&ion of
his Refurredtion and Afcenfion. And that
they alfo might not want credit and en
ticement, the Holy Spirit fet to his feal , and
by his miraculous defcent upon the Apoftles,
both aflerted their commiffion, and enabled
them for the dilcharge of it ; by all gifts ne-
ceflary for the propagating the Faith of
Chrift over the whole World.

y. THESE were the waies by which God
was pleafed to revele himfelf to the Fore
fathers of our Faith , and that not only for
their fakes, but ours alfo, to whom they were
to derive thole divine didtats they had re-
ceiv'd. Saint Stephen tells us, thofe under the
Law receivd the lively Oracles to deliver down
to their pofterity, Aftsj* 38. And thofe un-

A 2 der

The Chrijlians Birth-right,

der the Gofpel , who receiv d yet more lively
Oracles , from him who was both the Word
and the Life, did it for the like purpofe > to
tranfmit it to us upon whom the ends of the
world are come. By this all need pf repeted
Revelations is fuperieded , the faithful deri
ving of the former, being fufficient to us for
att things that pert ainto life andgodlinefs, z Pet.

6. AND for this, God (whofe care is equal
for all fucceffions of men ) hath gracioufly
provided , by caufing Holy Scriptures to be
writ ; by which he hath deriv'd on every fuc-
ceeding Age the illuminations of the fotr
mcr. And for that purpofe endowed the
Writers not only with that moral fidelity
requifite to the truth of Hiftory , but with a
divine Spirit, proportionable to the great de-
fign of fixing an immutable rule for faith
and manners. And to give us the fuller fe-
curity herein, he has chofen no other pen
men of the New Teftament, then thofe who
were the firft oral promulgers of our Chri-
ftian Religion ; fo that they have left to us
the very lame do6trin they taught the Pri
mitive Chriftians ; and he that acknowledges
them divinely infpir'd in what they preach'd,
cannot doubt them to be fo in what they
.writ. So that we all may injoy virtually and
cffe&ively that wifh of the devout Father,
who defir'd to be Saint Pauls Auditor : for he

that

SECT. I. GodsMethodsofCommun. $

that hears any of his Epiftles read, is as really
ipoke to by Saint Paid , as thofe who were
within the found of his voice. Thus Godrvho
in times paft ffal(e at fandry times, and in diverfe
manners to our Fathers by the Prophets , and in the
latter daies by his fon, Heb. i. 1,2. continues
ftill to fpeak to us by thefe infpir'd Writers,
and what Chrift once faid to his Difciples in
relation to their preaching, is no lefs true of
their writings : He that dejpifeth you, defpifeth
we, Luke 10. id. All the contemt that is at
any time flung on the,fe facred Writings, re
bounds higher , and finally devolves on the
firft Author of thofe do&rins , whereof thefe
are the regifters and tranfcripts.

7. BUT this is a guilt which one would
think peculiar to Infidels and Pagans, and
not incident to any who had in their Ba-
ptifm lifted themfelves under Chrifts ban
ner : yet I fear I may fay, of the two parties,
the Scripture has met with the worft treat
ment from the later. For if we mefujre by
the frequency and variety of injuries , I fear
Chriftians will appear to have outvied Hea
thens : Thefe bluntly disbelieve them , ne-
gledt , nay perhaps icornfully deride them.
Alas Chriftians do this and more ; they not
only put contemts , but tricks upon the Scri
pture , wreft and diftort it to juftify all their
wild fancies , or fecular defigns ; and fuborn
its Patronage to thofe things it forbids , and
tells us that God abhors. 8. In-

The Chriflians Birth-right,

8 . INDEED fo many are the abufes we ofrer
it , that he that confiders them would fcarce
think we own'd it for the words of a fenflble
man, much lels of the great omnifcient God.
And I believe 'twere hard to affign any one
fo comprehenfive and efficacious caufe of the
universal depravation of manners, asthedif-
valuing of this divine Book, which was de-
fign'd to regulate them. It were therefore a
work worthy another infpired writing, to at-
temt the reicue of this , and recover it to its
juft eftimate. Yet alas, could we hope for
that , we have fcofFers who would as well de-
fpife the New as the Old ; and like the Huf-
bandmen in the Gofpel, Mat. 21. $6. would
anfwer fuch a fucceffion of meffages by re-
peting the fame injuries.

9. T o fuch asthele 'tis I confefs vain for
man to addrefs j nay 'twere infolence to ex-
pedfc that human Oratory fhould fucceed
where the divine fails ; yet the fpreading in
fection of thefe renders it neceflary to admi-
nifter antidotes to others ; And befides , tho
( God be blelt) all are not of this form, ^yet
there are many who, tho not arriv'd to this
contemt , yet want (otn degrees of that juft
reverence they owe the facred Scripture,who
give a confus'd general aflent to them as the
word of God, but aiiord them not a confide-
ration and refped: anfwerable to fuch an ac
knowledgment. To fuch as thefe,! ftiall hope

it

SECT. I. Gods Methods of Commun. 7

it may not be utterly vain to attemt the ex
citing of thole drowfy notions that lie un-
adive in them , by prefentingto them fom
cpnfiderations concerning the excellence
and ufe of the Scripture : which being all but
neceffary confequences of that principle they
are fuppofed to own, vi^. that they are Gods
word, I cannot much queftion their affent to
the fpeculative part : I wilh I could as proba
bly aflure my felf of the pradtic.

10. INDEED were there nothing elfe to be
faid in behalf of holy Writ,but that it is Gods
word , that were enough to command the
moft awful regard to it. And therefore it is
but juft we make that the firft and principal
confederation in our prefent difcourfe. But
then 'tis impoffible that that can want others
to attend it j fince whatfoever God faies is
in all refpe&s compleatly good. I lliall there
fore to that of its divine original add fecond-
ly the confideration of its fubjed: matter;
thirdly, of its excellent and no lefs diffufive
end and defign -, and fourthly , of its exa6t
propriety and iitnefs to that dcfign,which are
all luch qualifications , that where they con
cur, nothing more can be required to com
mend a writing to the efteem of rational
men. And upon all thefe tells, notwithftan*
ding the cavil of the Romaniits and others,
whole force we fliall examin with the unhap
py irfue of contrary counfels, this law of God

will

The Chfiftians Birth-right,

will be found to anfwer the Pfalmifts chara
cter of it,Pf. 1 9 .7 .The Law of God isperfecl: and
will appear that the cuftody and ufe thereof,
is the birth-right and duty of every Chriftian.
All which feverals being faithfully deduced;
it will only remain that I add fuch cautions
as will be neceflary to the due performance
of the aforefaid duty -y and our being in Ibm
degree render'd peried: , as this Law of God,
and the Author thereof himielf is perfed,

SECT.

SECT. II. Divine Original of Holy Scripture.

SECT. It.

The divine Original, Endearments, and
Authority of the Holy Serif Mire.

ME N s judgments are fo apt to be biaft
by their affections 5 that we often find
them readier to conlider who fpeaks , then
what is fpoken : a temper very unfafe , and
the principle of great injuftice in our infe
rior tranfadtions with men ; yet here there
are very few of us that can wholly diveft our
felves of it 3 whereas3when we deal with God
(in whom alone an implicit faith may fe-
curely be repofed ) we are nice and wary,
bring our fcales and mefures ; will take no
thing upon his word which holds not weight
in our own balance. "Tistrue, he needs not
our partiality to be juftifiedinhis fayinvs, Pfal.
f i . 4 . His words are purs , even as the fiher tryed
feven times in the firey Pfal. 12. 6. able to pafs
the ftri&eft teft that right reafon ( truly lo
called) can put them to. Yet it fhews a great
perverfenels in our nature , that we who lo
eafily relign our underftandings to fallible
men,ftand thus upon our guard againlt God ;
make him difpute for every inch he gains on
us i nor .will afford him what we daily grant

B to

I..O

The Chriftians Birth-right,

to any credible man ; to receive an affirma
tion upon truft of his veracity.

2. I am far from contradicting our Saviors
Precept, of Search the Scriptures , Jo. 7. or
Saint Pauls, of proving all things, i Thef^ f. 21.
we cannot be too induftrious in our inqueft
after truth , provided we ftill referve to God
the decifive vote , and humbly acquiefce in
his fenfe , how diftant foever from our own ;
fo that when we confult Scripture ( I may
add reafon either ) 'tis not to refolve us whe
ther God be to be believed or no in what he
hasfaid , but whether he hath faid fnch and
iuch things : for if we are convinc't he have ;
reafon as well as religion commands ouraf-
ient.

3. WHATEVER therefore God hasfaid, we
are to pay it a reverence merely upon the
account of its Author -, over and above what
the excellence of the matter exacts : and to
this we have all inducements as well as obli
gation: there being no motives to render
the words of men eltimable to us , which are
not eminently and tranfcendently appliable
tothofeofGod.

4. THOSE motives we may reduce to four:
firft, the Autority of the Speaker -, fecondly,
his kindnefs; thirdly , his wifdom; and fourth
ly, his truth. Firft,tor that of Autority ; that
may be either native , or acquired ; the na
tive is that of a parent, which is luch a charm

of

II

SECT. II. Divine Original of Holy Scripture.,

of obfervance, that we fee Solomon, when he
would imprefs his counfels , a flumes the per-
fbnof a Father; Hear 0 my children the in-
Jfrutltons of a Father, Prov. 4. i. And gene
rally through that whole Book he ufes the
compellation of my Son , as the greateit en
dearment to engage attention and reve
rence. Nay fo indifpenfible was the obliga
tion of children in this refpedt , that we fee
the contumacious child that would not hear
ken to the advice of his Parents , was by God
himfeif adjudged to death. Deut. 21.20.

f. NOR have only Gods, but mens Laws
exacted that filial reverence to the did:ats of
Parents. But certainly no Parent can pre
tend fiich a title to it as God, who is not only
the immediate Father of our perfons, but the
original Father of our very nature ; not on
ly of our flefh,bitt of our fpirits alfo, Heb. i z.g.
So that the Apoftles Antithefis in that place
is as properly applied to counfels as corre
ctions; and we may as rightly infer , that if
we give reverence to the advices of our earth
ly Parents , much more ought we fubjed: our
ielves to this Father of our fpirits. And we
have the very fame reafon wherewith to en
force it : for the Fathers of our flefh do as
often didate , as correct according to their
own plefures ; prefcribe to their children not
according to the exadt mefures of right and
wrong, but after that humor which moft pre-

B 2 domi-

The ChriJ'Hans Birth-right,

dominates in themfelves. But God alwaies
dire&s his admonitions to our profit , that tve
may he partakers of his holinefs , Heb. 12. n.
So that we are as unkind to our felves, as irre
verent towards him, whenever we let any of
his words fall to the ground -> whofq claim to
this part of our reverence is much more irre
fragable then that of our natural Parents.

6. BUT befides this native Autority there
is alfo an acquired ; and that we may diftin-
guilh into two forts ; the one of dominion,
the other of reputation ; To the firlt kind be
longs that of Princes, Magistrates, Mailers, or
any that have coercive power over us. Andv
our own intereft teaches us not to flight the
wojrds of any of thefe , who can fo much to
our coft fecond them with deeds. Now God
lias all thele titles of jurifdidion ; He is the
great King, Pf. 4$. 2. Nor was it only a
Complement of the Pfalmifts; for himfelf
owns the itile, lama £reak I\ing, Mai. i. He
is the Judg of all the World; Gen. 18. yea, that
Ancient ofd ;?>/, before whom the Books were
open'd, Dan. 7.10. He is our Lord and Ma-
fter by right,both of creation and redemtioni
and this Chrift owns even in his Hate of ina
nition; yea, when he was about the moft
fervile imploiment ; the wafhing his Difciples
feet : when he was molt literally in the form
qf a fervant ; yet he fcruples not to aflert his
right to that oppolite title s You call me Mafar.,

and

SECT. II. Divine Original of Holy Scripture. 1 3

and Lord; and ye fay n> ell, for fo I am ; Jo. 13.
Nor are thefe emty names, but efic&ively at
tended with all the power they denote. Yet
fo ftupid are we , that whilit we awfully re
ceive the dictates of our earthly Superiors,
we flight and negled: the Oracles of that God
who is King of Kings , and Lord of Lords.
When a Prince fpeaks, we are apt to cry out
with Herods Flatterers, the voice of aGoa, and
not of a man, Adt. 12. Yet when it is indeed
the voice of God, we chufe to lillen to any
thing elfe rather then it. But let us fadly re-
member,that notwithftanding our contemts,
this wordfhall ( as our Savior tells us ) judg
us atthelaftdav, Jo. 12. 48.

7. A fecond Tort of acquired Autority is
that of reputation. When a man is famed
for fome extraordinary excellencies, whether
moral or intellectual , men come with appe
tite to his difcourfes, greedily fuck them in,
nor need fuch a one belpeak attention ; his
very name has don it for him , and prepoffeft
him of his Auditors regard. Thus the Rab-
bies among the Jews,the Philofophers among
the Greeks, were liftened to as Oracles , and
to cite them was ( by their admiring Difci-
ples) thought a concluding argument. Nay,
under Chriftianity this admiration of mens
perfons has bin fo inordinate, that it has
crumbled Religion away in little infignifi-
cant parties j whilft not only Paul, ^po/fo., or

1 4 The Chrijtians Birth-right, &c .

Cephas , but names infinitly inferior , have be
come the diftindive charaders of Seds and
and feparate Communions. So eafily alas
are we charm'd by our prepoffeffions , and
with itching ears run in queft of thole do-
drins which the fame of their Authors,rather
then the evidence of truth commend to us.

8. AND hath God don nothing to get him
a repute among us ? has he no excellencies
to deferve our efteem ? Is he not worthy to
prefcribe to his own creatures ? if we think
yes, why is he the only perfon to be difregard-
ed ? or why do we fo unleafonably depart
from our own humor, as not to give his Word
a reverence proportionable to that we pre
tend for him ; nay, which we adually pay to
men of like pailions with our felves ? A con-
temt fo abfurd as well as impious , that we
have not the example of any the moft barba
rous people to countenance us. For tho fom
of them have made very wild miftakes in the
choice of their Deities , yet they have all a-
greed in this common principle , that what
ever thofe Deities faid,was to be receiv'd with
all poffible veneration ; yea , fuch a defe
rence gave they to all fignifications of the
divine will, that as they would undertake no
great enterprize without confulting their
Auguries ; fo upon any inaufpicious figns they
relinquifiit their attemts. And certainly if
we had the fame reverence for the true God

which

SECT:. II. Divine Original of Holy Scripture, if

which they had for the falfe , we fhould as
frequently confult him. We may do it with
much more eafe and certainty : we need not
truft to the entrails of Beafts , or motion of
Birds : we need not go to Delpbos , or the Ly-
bian Hammon for the refolving our doubts ;
but what Mofes laid to Ifrael is very applica
ble to us , the Word is nigh thee, Deut. 30. 14.
That Word which Davtd made his Counfellor,,
Pfal. 119.24. his Comforter, vex. yo. his Tre-
/#n?, ver. 72. his Study, ver. 99. And had we
thofe awful apprehenfions of God which he
had , we fhould pay the like reverence to his
Word. Did we well ponder how many titles
of Autority he has over us, we fhould furely
be afham a to deny that refpedt to him in
whom they all conlpire ; which we dare not
deny to them feparately in human Supe
riors.

9 . A fecond motive to efteem mens words,
is the kindnefs of the fpeaker. This has fuch
a fafcinating power , as nothing but ex
treme ill nature can refill. When a man is
affuf d @f the kindnefs of him that fpeaks,
whatever is fpoken is taken in good part.
This is it that diftinguifhes the admonitions
of a friend from the reproches of an enemy ;
and we daily in common converfation re
ceive thofe things with contentment and ap-
plaufe from an intimte and familiar , which
if fpokeu by a ftranger or enemy would be
•b . defpis'd

1 6 The Chriflians Birth-right, &t .

defpis d or ftomach'd. So infinuating a thing
is kindnefs , that where it has onee got it felt
believ'd, nothing it faies after is difputed -, iv
iupplesthe mind, and makes it ductile and
pliant to any impreffions.

10. BUT what human kindnefs is there
that can come in any competition with the
Divine ? it fiirpafles that of the neareft and
deareft relations ; Mothers may forget , yet will
not I forget thee, Ifa. 49. 1 5*. And the Pfalmift
found it experimentally true , When my Father
andmyMother for fake me, the Lord taketh me up,
Pf. 27. 10. the tendereft bowels compared to
his are adamant and flint : io that 'tis a moft
proper epithet the Wife man gives him -, 0
Lord , thou hver of fouls ; Wif. n. 26. Nor is
this affedion merely mental , but it attefts it
felf by innumerable eftedts. The etie&s of love
are all reducible to two heads, doing and fuf-
fering •> and by both thefe God has moft e-
minently attefted his love to us.

u. FOR thefirft, we cannot look either
on our bodies or our fouls, on the whole Uni-
verfe about us,or that better World above us ;
but we fhall in each lee the Lord hath fan great
things for us , Pfal. 114. Nay, not only our
cnjoiments , but even the capacity to enjoy,
is his bounty. Had not he drawn mankind
out of his original clay3 what had we bin con-
cern'd in all the other works of his Creation.
So that if we put any value either upon what

we

SECT. II. Divine Original of Holy Scripture, i ?

we have or what we are , we cannot but ac
count our felves fo much indebted to this his
adive love. And tho the paffive was not pra-
dicable b/ the divine Nature fimply and a-
part , yet that we might not want all ima
ginable evidences of his love, he who was
God blefled for ever , linkt his impaflible to
ourpaffible nature ; aflum'd our humanity,
that he might efpoufe our forrows , and was
born on purpofe that he might die for us. So
that fure we may fay in his own words , grt**
ttr love then this hath no man s lo. i f. 1 3 .

12. AND now tis very hard, iffuchanun-
parallel'd love in God , may not as much af*
ted us, as the flight benefactions of every or
dinary friend ; if it cannot fo much recom
mend him to our regard , as to refcue his
word from contemt , and difpofe us to re
ceive impreffions from it ; (efpecially when
his very ipeaking is a new ad of his kindnefs*
and defign'd to our greateft advantage. )

1 3 . BUT if all he has don and fuffer d for us
cannot obtein him fo much from us, we muft
furely confefs, our difingenuity is as fuperla-
tive as his love. For in this inftance we have
no plea for our felves. The difcourfes of meii
'tis true may fomtime be fo weak and irra
tional , that tho kindnefs may fuggeft pity*
it cannot reverence ; But this can never hap
pen in God, whofe wifdom is as infinite as
his love. He talks not at our vain rate who

C oftea

i g The Chriftians Birth-right, &c.

often talk only for talkings fake* but his
words are directed to the moft important
ends and addreft in fuch a manner as befits
him in whom are all the trefures of wifdom
and knowledg. Col. 2. And this is our third
confideration, the wifdom of the Speaker.

14. How attractive a thing Wiidom is, we
may obferve in the inttance of tke Quetn of
Sbeba, who came from the utmoft parts of the
earth, as Chriftfaies Mat. 12. 42. to hear the
Wifdom of Solomon. And the like is noted of
the Greek Sages, that they were addreft to
from all parts, by perfons of all ranks and
q ualities,to hear their Ledures. And indeed
tne rational nature of man do's by a kind of
fympathetic motion clofe with whatever
hath the ftamp of reafon upon it. But alas ,
what is the profoundeft wifdom of men,
compar'd with that of God ? He is the ef-
fential reafon ; and all that man can pretend
to is but an emanation from him ; a ray of
his Sun , a drop of his Ocean : which as he
gives , fo he can alfb take away. He can in
fatuate the moft fubtil defigners ; And ( as
he faies of himfelf ) mattes the diviners mad;
turns the wife men back^> *nd makes their tvifdom
foolijhnefs, Efay 44. 25*.

1 5*. How impious a folly is it then in us, to
Idolize human Wifdom with all its imperfe-
dions, and defpife the divine ? yet this every
man is guilty of, who is -not attraded to the

ftudy

SECT. II. Divine Original of Holy Scripture. 19

ftudy of facred Writ by the fupereminent
wifdom of its Author. For fuch men muft
either affirm that God has not fuch a fuper-
eminency, or that, tho he have in himfelf, he
hath not exerted it in this writing : The for
mer is down-right blafphemy ; and truly the
later is the fame, a little varied. For that any
thing , but what is exactly wife can proceed
from infinite wifdom , is too abfurd for any
man to imagin, And therefore he that
charges Gods Word with defe& of wifdom,
muft interpretively charge God fo too, For
tho 'tis true , a wife man may fomtimes fpeak
foolifhly; yet that happens through that
mixture of ignorance, or paffion which is in
the moft knowing of mortals : but in God,
who is a pure ad: , and effential wifdom, that
is an impoffible fuppofition.

16. NAY, indeed it were to tax him of fol
ly beyond what is incident to any fenfible
man$ who will ftill proportion his inftru-
ments to the work he defigns. Should we not
conclude him mad, that Ihould attemt to fell
a mighty Qak with a Pen-knife,or ftop a Tor
rent with a wifp of Straw ? And fure their
conceptions are not much more reverend of
God, who can fuppofe thar a writing defign'd
by him for fuch important ends3as the making
men wife unto falvation, ^ Tim. 3.15*. the cajt-
down all that exalts it felf againfl the obedience
2 Cor. 10. f . fliould it felf be foolilh
C z and

*Q The Chriftians 'Birth-right, tic.

?ind weak: or that he ftiould give it thofe
great attributes of being Jbarper then a trvo^
edged fword, piercing even to the dividing afunder
ofjoul awdjpirit, of the joints and marrow, Heb.
4. 14. if its difcourfes were fo flqt and infipid
as feme in this profane Age would reprefent
them.

17. 'Tis true indeed, 'tis not , as theApor
jftle fpeaks the rvifdom ofthi* world, i Cor. 2. £,
The Scripture teaches us not the arts of un
dermining governments, defrauding and cir-?
cumventing our brethren -y but it teaches us
that which would tend much more even to
our temporal felicity ; and as reafon promts
us to afpire to happinefs , fo it muft acknow-;
Jedg that is the higheft wifdom >vhich teaches
us to attain it.

1 8 . AND as the Holy Scripture is thus recom
mended to us by the wimom of its Author ;
fo in the laft place is it by his truth , without
which the other might rather raife our jea-
loufy then our reverence. For wifdom with
out fincerity degenerates into ferpentinc
guile ; and we rather fear to be enfnar'd then
hope to be advantag'd by it. The moft fubtil
^ddrefles , and moft cogent arguments pre
vail not upon us , where we fufpedl fom infi-
dious defigu. But where wifdom and fidelity
meet in the fame perfon , we do not only at
tend , but confide in his counfels. And this
Qualification is moft eminently in G.od. The

children

SECT. II. Divine Original of Holy Scripture. 21

children of men are deceitfull upon the weights,
Pfal. 62.9. Much guile often lurks indilcer-
nibly under the faireft appearances : but Gods
veracity is as effentially himfelf , as his wif-
dom, and he can no more deceive us, then he
can be deceiv'd himfelf. He is not man that he
Jhould He, Num. 23. 19. He defigns not (as
men often do ) to fport himfelf with our cre
dulity , and raife hopes which he never means
to fatisfy : he fates not to the feed of Jacob, fee^
ye me in vain, Ex. 45-. 19. but all his promifes
are yea and Amen, 2 Cor. i. 20. He is perfect
ly fincere in all the propofals he makes in his
Word : which is a moft rational motive for
us to advert to it, not only with reverence but
love.

19. AND now when all thefe motives are
thus combined -, the authority, thekindnefs,
the wifdom, the veracity of the fpeaker,what
can be requir'd more to render his words of
weight with us ? If this four-fold cord will
not draw us, we have fure the ftrength, not of
men , but of that Legion we read of in the
Gofpel, Mat. y. / . For thefe are fo much the
cords of a man , fo adapted to our natures,
nay to our eonftant ufage in other things,
that we muft put off much of our humanity,
difclaim the common mefures of mankind,
if we be not attracted by them. For I dare
appeal to the breaft of any fober, induftrious
man, whether in cafe a perfoa , who he were

fure

The Chriftians Birth-right, &c.

Jure had all the fore-mention'd qualifica
tions, fhould recommend to him fom rules as
infallible for the certain doubling, or tre
bling his eftate , he would not think them
worth the purfuing , nay, whether he would
not plod and ftudy on tnem , till he compre
hended the whole Art. And fhall we then
when God in whom all thofe qualifications
are united, and that in their utmoft tranfcen-
dencies,(hall we , I fay, think him below our
regard , when he propofes the improving our
interefts, not by the fcanty proportions of
two or three , but in fuch as he intimated to
j4brabam,when he fliewed him the Stars,as the
reprefentative of his numerous off-fpring,
Gen. if.?, when he teaches us that higheft,
and yet moft certain Alchimy , of refining
and multiplying our enjoyments , and then
perpetuating them ?

20. ALL this God do's in Scripture; and
we muft be ftupidly improvident , if we will
take no advantage by it. It was once the
complaint of Chriit to the Jews , / am come in
my Fathers name and ye receive me not, if another
Jhall come in his own name, him ye will receive. Jo.
y. 43. And what was laid by him the eternal
eflential Word , is no lefs applicable to the
written; which coming in the name, and
upon the meflage of God , is defpis'd and
flighted, and every the lighted compofure of
men preferr'd before it. As if that lignature

of

SECT. II. Divine Original of Holy Scripture, z $

of Divinity it carries/erved rather as a Brand
to ftigmatize and defame , then adorn and
recommend it. A contemt which ftrikes
immediatly at God himfelf , whofe refent-
ments of it, tho for the prefent fupprefi by his
long-fuffering, will at laft break out upon all
who perfevere fo to affront him, in a judgment
worthy of God. Wif. 12. 26.

2 1 . BUT after all that has bin faid, I fore*
fee fom may fay, that I have all this while but
beaten the air , have built upon a principle
which fom flatly deny, others doubt of, and
have run away with a fuppofition that the
Bible is of divine Original , without any at-
temt of proof. To fuch as thefe I might juft-
ly enough objed: the extreme hard mefure
they offer toDivijiity above all other Sciences*
For in thofe , they ftill allow ibm fundamen
tal maxims , which are prefuppofed without
proof; but in this they admit or no Poftulata,
no granted principle on which to fuperftrud:.
If the fame rigor mould be extended to fecu-
lar cafes , what a damp would it ftrike upon
commerce ! For example, a man experts fair
dealing from his neighbor, upon the ftrength
of thole common notions of Juitice he pre-
fumes writ in all mens hearts : but according
to this mefure , he mutt firft prove to every
man he deals with , that fuch notions there
are, and that they are obligatory : that the
wares expos' d to fale are his own j that domi
nion

24 The Chrtftians j$irth-rigbt> &c .

nion is not founded in grace , or that he is
in that ftate , and fo has a property to confer
upon anotherjthat the perfon dealtwith,paies
a juft price j do's it in good mony ; and that it
is his own s or that he is in the ftate of grace ;
or needs not be fo , to juftify his purchafe*
and at this rate the Market will be as full of
nice queftions as the Scholes. But becaufe
complaints and retortions are thecommoa
refuge of caufes that want better Arguments,
I fhall not infift here -, but proceed to a de
fence of the queftion'd Aflertion > that the
Bible is the Word of God.

22. IN which I fhall proceed by thefe de
grees. Firft, I {hall lay down the plain
grounds upon which Chriftians beleive it. Se
condly , I ftiall compare thofe with thofe of
iefs credibility which have generally fatisfied
mankind in other things of the like nature.
And thirdly , I {hall confider whether thofe
who are difTatisfied with thofe grounds would
not be equally fo with any other way of at-
teftation.

23. BEFORE Tenter upon the firft of thefe,
I defire it may be confider'd, that matters ot
fad: are not capable of fuch rigorous demon-
ftrative evidences as mathematical propofi-
tionsare. To render a thing fit for rational
belief, there is no more requir'd , but that
the motives for it do overpoife thofe againft
it ; and in that degree they do fo/o is the be
lief ftroager or weaker. 24. Now

SECT. II. Divine Original of Holy Scripture. 2 5*

24. Now the motives of our belief in the
prefent cafe > are Inch as are extrinlic , or
intrinfic -to the Scriptures; of which the ex-
trinfic are firft, and preparative to the other ;
and indeed all that can reasonably be infilled
on to a gainfaier , who muft be iiippos'd no
competent judg of the later. But as to the
former I {hall adventure to fay , that the di
vine Original of the Scripture hath as great
grounds of credibility as can be expected in
any thing of this kind. For whether God
infpir d the pen-men of Holy Writ, is matter
of fad: , and being fo is capable of no other
external evidence but that of teftimony :
and that matter of fad: being alfo in point
of time fo remote from us, can- be judg'd of
only by a feriesof teftimoniesderiv'd from
thatAge wherein the Scriptures were written,
to this : and the more credible the teftifiers ,
and the more univerial the teftimony •, fo
much the more convincing are they to all
confidering men.

25-. AND this atteftation the Scripture hath
in the higheft circumftances 3 it having bin
witnefs'd to in all Ages , and in thole Ages by
all perlons that could be prefum'd to know
any thing of it. Thus the Old Teftament was
own'd by the whole nation of the jews 3 as
the writings of men infpir' d by God 3 Stthat
with fuch evidence of their miffion , as abun
dantly fatisfied thole of that Age, of their

D being

2 6 The Chriflians Birth-right, &c .

being fo infpired; and they deriv'd thofe
Writings with that atteftation to their po-
fterity . Now that thofe of the firft Ages were
not deceiv'd, is as morally certain as any
thing can be fuppos'd. For in the firft part of
the Bible is contain'd the hiftory of thofe mi
racles wherewith God refcued that people
out of Egypt , and inflated them in Canaan.
Now if they who liv'd at that time knew that
fuch miracles were never don, 'tis impoflible
they could receive an evident Fable as an in-
fpird truth. No fingle perfon, muchlefsa
whole Nation can be hippos' d fo ftupid. Eut
if indeed they were eie-witnefles of thofe mi
racles , they might with very good reafon
conclude , that the fame Mojes who was by
God impower d to work them, was fo alfo for
the relating them; as alfo all thofe prece
dent events from the Creation down to that
time, which are recorded by him.

26. So alfo for the preceptive parts of
thofe Books, thofe that faw thofe formidable
folemnities , with which they were firft pub-
lilh'd, had lure little temtation to doubt that
they were the diftats of God , when written.
Now if they could not be deceiv'd them-
felves/tis yet lefs imaginable that they fliould
confpire to impofe a cheat upon their pofte-
rities ; nor indeed were the Jews of fo eafy a
credulity, that 'tis at all probable the liiccee-
ding Generations would have bin fo impos'd

on :

SECT. II. Divine Original of Holy Scripture. 27

on : their humor was ftubborn enough , and
the precepts of their Law fevere and burden-
fom enough to have temted them to have
caft off the yoak, had it not bia bound upon
them by irrefiftible convi&ions of its coming
from God. But befides this Tradition of
their Elders , they had the advantage of li
ving under a Theocracy, the immediat gui
dance of God; Prophets daily rais'dup a-
mong them, to fore-tell events , to admonifh
them of their duty , and reprove their back-
flidings : yet even thefe gave the deference
to the written Word ; nay , made it the teft
by which to try true infpirations from falle :
To the Law and to the Testimony 3 if they fyeat^
not according to it , there is no light in them, Efay
8.20. So that the veneration which they had
before acquir'd,was ftill anew excited by frefh
infpirations, which both attefted the old, and
became new parts of their Canon.

27. NOR could it be efteem'd a fmall con
firmation to the Scriptures, to find in fuccee-
ding Ages the fignal accomplifhments of
thole prophecies which were long before re-
giftred in thofe Books ; for nothing lefs then
divine power and wifdom could foretell, and
alfo verify them. Upon thefe grounds the
Jews univerfally through all fucceffions re-
ceiv d the Books of the Old Teltament as di
vine Oracles , and lookt upon them as the
greateft truft that could be committed to

D 2 them :

28 The Chrijtians Birth-right, &c.

them : and accordingly were fo fcrupuloufly
vigilant inconfervingthem , that their Mar
forits numbred not only the {editions , but th#
very words, nay letters , that no fraud or in
advertency might corrupt or defalk the leaft
iota of what they efteem'd fo facred. A far
ther teftimony and fepiment to which , were
the Samaritan, Chaldee, and Greek verfions :
which being made ufe of in the Synagogs of
Jews, in their difperflons, and the Samaritans
ntSichem could not at thofe diftances receive
a uniform alteration , and any other would
be of no effed:. Add to this , that the Origi
nal exemplar of the Law , was laid up in the
Sandtuary, that the Prince was to have a Co-

Ey of it alwaies by him, 'and tranfcribe it with
is own hand ; that every Jew was to make
it his conftant difcourfe and meditation,
teach it his children , and wear part of it up
on his hands and forehead. And now fure
'tis impoffible to imagin any matter of fad:
to be more carefully deduced , or irrefraga-
bly teftiried, nor any thing believ'd upon
ftronger evidence.

28. THAT all this is true in reference to
the Jews , that they did thus own thefe Wri
tings as divine , appears not only by the Re
cords of pall Ages, but by the Jews of the pre-
fent , who itill own them , and cannot be fu-
ipedled of combination with the Chnftians.
And if thefe were reafonable grounds of con-

SECT.!!. Divine Original of Holy Scripture. 29

vidion to the Jews, ( as he muft be moft ab-
furdly fceptical that fhall deny ) they muft
be fo to us Chriftians alfo ; who derive them
from them : and that with this farther ad
vantage to our Faith , that we fee the clear
completion of thofe Evangelical prophecies
which remain' d dark to them, and confe-
queritly have a farther Argument to confirm
us, that the Scriptures of the Old Teftament
are certainly divine.

29. THE New has alfo the like means of
probation: which as it is a collection of the
dodtrin taught by Chrift and his Apoftles,
muft if truly related be acknowleged no lefs
divine then what they orally deliver'd. So
that they who doubt its being divine, muft
either deny what Chrift and his Apoftles
preacht to be fo •> or elfe diftruft the fidelity
of the relation :• The former ftrikes at the
whole Chriftian Faith ; which if only of men,
muft not only be fallible, but is adually a
deceit , whilft it pretends to be of God, and is
not. To fiich Obje&ors we have to oppofc
thofe ftupendous miracles with which the
Gofpel was attefted ; fuch as demonltrated a
more then human efficacy. And that God
fliould lend his omnipotence to abet the
falfe preteiifions of men , is a conceit too
unworthy even for the worft of men to enter
tain.

30, 'Tis true, there have bin by God per

mitted

3 o The Chriftians Birth-right, &c.

mitted lying miracles ; as well as true ones
have bin don by him : Such as were thofe of
the Magicians in Egypt, in oppofition to the
other of Mofes $ but then the difference be
tween both was fo confpicuous , that he muft
be more partial and difmgenuous , then even
thofe Magicians were, who would not ac-
knowledg the difparity, and confefs in thofe
which were truly fupernatural , tie finger of
God, Exod. 8.19. Therefore both in the Old
and New Teftament it is predicted, that falfe
Prophets Jhould arife , and do Jigns and wonders ,
Deut. 13.1. Mat. 24. 11.24. as a trial of their
fidelity who made profeffion of Religion ;
whether they would prefer the few and trivial
Heights which recommended a deceiver , be
fore thofe great and numberlefs miracles
which attefted the facred Oracles deliver'd
to the fons of men by the God of truth. Whe
ther the trick of a Barchocheba* to hold fire in
his mouth ; that of Marcus the heretic , to
make the Wine of the Holy Sacrament ap
pear bloud; or that of Mahomet, to bring a
Pidgeon to his ear, ought to be put in balance
againft all the miracles wrought by Mofes,ovr
Savior, or his Apoftles. And in a word , whe
ther the filly ftories which lamblicbus folzm n-
ly relates of Pythagoras, or thofe Philojtratu*
tells of JlpoUonius Tyaneus , deferve to rival
thole of the EvangeMs. It is a mott juft
judgment, and accordingly threatned by

Almighty

SECT.!!. Divine Original of Holy Scripture. 3 1

Almighty God , that they who would not obey
the truth Jhould believe a lie, 2 Thef. 2. n. But
ftill the Almighty , where any man or devil dos
proudly , it evidently above Aim, Exod. 18. n.
will bejuftified in bis Jayings,and be clear when he
is judged, Rom. 3.4.

31. BUT if men will be Sceptics,and doubt
every thing,they are to know that the matter
call a into queftion, is of a nature that admits
but two waies of folution ; probability , and
teftimony . Firft for probability,let it be con-
fider'd , who were the firft promulgers of
Chrifts miracles. In his life time they were
either the patients on whom his miracles were
wrought , or the common people , that were
Ipedators : the former , as they could not be
deceiv'd themfelves , but muft needs know
whether they were cur'd or no $ fo what ima
ginable defign could they have to deceive o-
thers?Many indeed have pretended impoten-
cy as a motive of compaffion •> but what could
they gain by owning a cure they had not ?
As for the Spectators, as their multitude adds
to their credibility 5 (it being morally im-
poffible that fo many mould at once be delu
ded in a matter obvious to their fenfes ) fo
do's it alfo acquit them from fraud and com
bination. Cheats and forgeries are alwaies
hatcht in the dark , in clofe Cabals , and pri-
vat Jun&o's. That five thoufand men at one
time, and four thoufand at another , fhould

coafpirc

3 ^ The Chriflians Birth-right, &f.

confpire to fay , that they were miraculoufly
fed,when they were not ; and all prove true to
the fidion, and not betray it : is a thing as
irrational to be fuppos'd, as impoffible to be
parallel'd.

32. BESIDES, admit it poffible that fo many
could have join'd in the deceit, yet what ima
ginable end could they have in it > Had their
lie bin fubfervient to the defigns of fom po
tent Prince that might have rewarded it ,
there had bin fom temtation : but what could
they exped: from the reputed fon of a Car
penter, who had not himfelf where to lay his
head ? Nay,who difclaim'd all fecular power ;
convei'd himfelf away from their importuni
ties , when they would have forc'd him to be
a King : And confequently , could not be
lookt on as one that would head a Sedition,
or attemt to raife himfelf to a capacity of re
warding his Abettors. Upon all thefe confi-
derations , there appears not the leaft fhadow
of probability j that either thofe particular
perions who publifli'd the cures they had re-
ceiv'd,or thole multitudes who were witnefles
and divulgers of thofe, or his other miracles ;
could do it upon any finifter defign, or indeed,
upon any other motive but gratitude and ad
miration.

35. In the next place, if we come to thofe
miracles which fucceeded Chrifts death, thofe
moil important, and convincing , of his Re-
fur-

SECT. I. Divine Original of Holy Scripture 3 3

furredtion and Afcenfion , and obferve who
were the divulgers of thofe,we fhall find them
very unlikely to be men of defign ; a fet of il
literate men , taken from the Fifher-boats ,
and other mean occupations: and fuch as
needed a miracle as great as any of thofe they
were to aflert (the defcent of the Holy Ghoft)
to fit them for their office. What alas could
they drive at , or how could they hope that
their teftimony could be received, fo much a-
gainft the humor and intereft of the prefent
rulers; unlefs they were afTur'd not only of the
truth of the things, but alfo of fom fuperna-
turalaids to back and fortify them? Accor
dingly we find , that till they had received
thofe ; till by the defcent of the Holy Ghoft
they were endued with power from on high, Luk.
24. 49. they never attcmted the difcovery of
what they had feen : but rather hid them-
felves, kept all their afTemblies in privacy and
concealment for fear of the Jews, Jo. 20. 19.
and fo were far. enough from projecting any
thing befides their own fafety. Afterwards,
when they began to preach , they had early
effays , what their fecular advantages would
be by it; threatnings and revilings , fcourg-
ings and imprifonnlents, 4$. 4. 2.0. y. 18. 40.
And can it be imagined, that men who a lit
tle before had {hewed themfelves fo little in
love with fuSering , that none of them durft
Ibck to their Mafter at his apprehenfion , but

E one

34 The Chriftians Birth-right y &c.

one forfwore , and all forfook him ; can it, I
lay, be imagin'd that thefe men fhould be fo
much in love with their own Fable, as to ven
ture all forts of perfecution for the propaga
ting it ? Or if they could , let us in the next
place confider what probability there could
be of fuccels.

34. THEIR preaching amounted to no lefs
then the Deifying of one , whom both their
Roman and Jewifh Rulers, nay, the generali
ty of the people had executed as a malefa
ctor : fo that they were all engag'd , in de
fence of their own Ad, to fift their teftimony
with all the rigor that confcious jealoufy
could fuggeft. And where were fb many con-
cern'd inquifitors , there was very little hope
for a forgery to pafs. Befides the avow'd dif-
plelure of their Governors made it a hazar
dous thing to own a belief of what they afler-
ted. Thofe that adher'd to them could not
but know , that at the fame time they mult
efpoufe their dangers and iufiferings. And
men ufe not to incur certain mifchiefs, upon
doubtful and fufpicious grounds.

35-. YET f arther,their dodtrin was defign'd
to an end to which their Auditors could not
but have the greateft reludrancy: they were
to ftru^gle with that rooted prepofleffion
which the Jews had for the Mofaical Law,
which their Gofpel out-dated ; and the Gen
tiles for the Rites and Religion of their An-

celtors ;

.IL Divine Original of Holy Scripture. 3 ;

ceftors ; and , which was harder then either*
with the corruptions and vices of both : to
plant humility and internal laiuStity , fo con
trary to that ceremonial holinefs, upon which
the Jews fo valued themfelves , and defpis'd
others : and Temperance Juftice,and Purity,
fo contrary to the practice, nay, even the re
ligion of the Heathen : and to attemt all this
with no other allurement , no other promife
of recompence but what they muft attend in
another world , and pafs too through re-
proches and afflictions , torments and death.
Thefe were all fuch invincible prejudices , as
they could never hope to break thorow with
a lie, nay, which they could not have en
counter' d even with every common truth,
but only with that , which being divine ,
brought its aids with it ; without which 'twas
utterly impoffible for all the skill or oratory
of men to overcome fuch difadvantages.

36. AND yet with all thefe did thele rude
inartificial men conteft, and that with fignal
fuccefs : no lefs then three thoufand Profe-
lytes made by Saint Peters firft Sermon ; and
that in Jerusalem , the Scene where all was
acted, and confequently where 'twas the moft
impoffible to impofe a forgery. And at the
like miraculous rate they went on, till as
the Pharifees themfelves complain, they had
filed Jerufalem rvitb their do£lrin,K&$ y. 2 8 . nor
did Judea fet bounds to them ; their found went

E 2 out

3 6 The Cbrijtians Birth-right, &c.

out into all Nations, Rom. 10. 18. and their
dodrin fpred it felf through all the Gentile
world.

37. AND iiire fo wonderful an event, fo
contrary to all human mefures^do's fiifficient-
ly evince there was more then man in it. No
thing but the fame creative Power that pro-
duc'd light out of darknefs, could bring forth
effects fo much above the proportion of the
caule. Had thefe weak inftruments aded on
ly by their natural powers , nothing of this
had bin achiev d. Alas,could thefe poor rude
men learn all Languages within the Ipace of
fifty daies,whidi would take up almoft as ma
ny years of the moft induftrious Student, and
yet had they not bin able to fpeak them,they
could never have divulg'd the Gofpel to the
feveral Nations , nor fo effectually have con-
vinc'd the by-ftanders, ^ff . 2. that they aded
by a higher impulfe. And to convince the
world they did fo , they repeted their Mafters
miracles as well as his dodtrin ; heal'd the
fick., caftout devils, raisd the dead; And
where God communicated fo much of his
power 3 we may reafonably conclude he did
it to promote his own work , not the work of
the devil , as it muft have bin if this whole
Scene were a lie.

38. WHEN all this is welgh'd, I prefume
there will remaine little ground tolufped:,
that the firft planters of Chriftian Faith had

any

SECT.!!. Divine Original of Holy Scripture. 37

any other defign then what they avowed,
vi\. the bringing men to holinefs here , and
falvation hereafter. The fufpicion therefore,
if any3muft reft upon later times ; and accor
dingly fbm are willing to perfwade them-
felves and others , that the whole Scheme of
our Religion , is but a lately devis'd Fable to
keep the world in awe ; whereof Princes have
made fom ufe, but Clergy-men more; and
that Chrift and his Apoftles are only adors
whom themfelves have conjured up upon the
ftage to purfue their plot.

39. IN anfwer to this bold, this blafphe-
mous fuggeftion, I fhould firft defire thefe
furmilers to point out the time when, and the
perfons who began this defign; to tell us
exadly whence they date this politic Reli
gion, as they are pleas'd to fuppofe it. If they
cannot,they are manifeftly unjuft to rejedt our
account of it when they can give none them
felves ; and fail very much of that rigid de-
monftration they require from others. That
there is fuch a profeffion asChriftianity in the
world , is yet ( God be bleft ) undeniable ;
(tho at the rate it has of late declin'd, God
knows how long it will be To : ) we fay it came
by Chrift , and his Apoftles , and that it is
attefted by an uninterrupted teftimony of all
the intervening Ages, the fuffrage of all Chri-
ftian Churches from that day to this. And
fure they who embraced the dodriu , are the

moft

3 8 The Chriflians Birth-right, &c .

inoft competent witnefles from whence they
received it.

40.. YET left they fhould be all thought
parties to the defign , and their witnefs exce-
pted againft,it has pleafed God to give us col
lateral afliirances.and made both^Jewifh and
Gentile Writers give teftimony to the Anti
quity of Chriftianity. Jofephus do's this, lib.
2,0. chap. 8. and lib. 18. chap. 4. where,
after he has given an account of the cru
cifixion of Chrift exactly agreeing with the
Evangelifts; he concludes, And to this day
the Chrijtian people , who of him borrow their
name ceafe not to increafe. . I add not the
perfonal elogium which he gives of our Sa
vior ; becaufe fbm are lo hardy to controul it :
alfo I pafs what Philo mentions of the reli
gious in Egypt , becaufe feveral Learned
men refer it to the Eflens , a Sed: among the
Jews,or fom other. There is no doubt of what
Tacitus and other Roman Hiftorians fpeak of
Chrift as the Author of the Chriftian do&rin ;
which it had bin impoffible for him to have
don, if there had then bin no fuch dodtrin, or
if Chrift had not bin known as the Founder
of it. So afterward Plinie gives the Emperor
Trajan an account both of the manners, and
multitude of the Chriftians; and makes the
innocence of the one,and the greatnefs of the
other, an Argument to flacken the perfecuti-
on againft them. Nay, the very bloody Edicfo

of

SECT.!!. Divine Original of Holy Scripture. 3^

of the perlecuting Emperors, & the feoffs and
reproches of Celjus,Porpbyri, Lucian^nd other
profane oppolers of this Dodtrin, do undeni
ably aflert its being. By all which it appears,
that Chriftianity had in thofe Ages not only
a being, but had alfo obtain' d mightily in the
world , and drawn in vaft numbers to its pro-
tfeffion ; and vaft indeed they muft needs be,
to furnifh out that whole Army of Martyrs,
of which profane , as well as Eccleliaftic wri
ters fpeak. And if all this be not fufficient
to evince that Chriftianity ftole not clancu-
larly into the world , but took its rife from
thofe times and perfons it pretends , we muft
renounce all faith of teftimony , and not be
lieve an inch farther then we fee.

41. I fiippofe I need fay no more to {hew
that the Gofpel, and all thofe portentous mi
racles which attefted it , were no forgeries, or
dtratagems of men. I come now to that doubt
which more immediatly concerns the Holy
Scripture, vi%. whether all thofe tranfadlions
ibe lo faithfully related there , that We may
believe them to have bin dictated bv the fpi-
irit of God. Now for this, the procefs need be
ibut fliort , if we confider who were the pen
men of the New Teftament ; even for the
moft part the Apoftles themfelves : Matthew,
and John who wrote two of the Gofpels were
^certainly fo : andM^r^, as all the Ancients
aver, was but the Amanuenfis to Saint Peter,

who

40 The Chriflians Birth-right, &c.

who dictated that Gofpel. Saint Luke indeed
comes not under this firft rank of Apoftles ;
yet is by fom affirm* d to be one of the feven-
ty Difciples : however an Apoftolical perfon
'tis certain he was , and it was no wonder for
fuch to be infpired. For in thofe firft Ages
of the Church men a6ted more by immediat
inflation of the Spirit then fince. And accor
dingly we find Stephen, the but a Deacon, had
the power of miracles; and preacht as divine
ly as the prime Apoftles, Aft. 7. And the gift
of the Holy Ghoft was then a ufual concomi
tant of converfion , as appears in the Story
off0r;z£/m,A<9:s 10.45-, 46. Befides,Saint Luke
was a conftant attendant on Saint Paul (who
derived the Faith not from man, but by the im
mediat revelation of Jefus Chrift , as himfelf
profeffes , GaL i. 12.) and is by fom faid to
have wrote by diktat from him , as Marl^
did from Saint Peter. Then as to the Epiftles
they all bear the names of Apoftles, except
that to the Hebrews , which yet is upon very
good grounds, prefum'd to be Saint Pauls.
Now thefe were the perfbns commiffionated
by Chrift to preach the Chriftian clod:nn,and
were fignally affifted in the difcharge of that
office; fo that as he tells them, itwaswlf^fy,
who ffiake , but the fyirit of the Father that fpal^c
in them, Mat. 1 3 . 1 1 . And if they fpake by di
vine infpiration , there can be no queftion
that they wrote fo allb. Nay, indeed of the

two.

SECT. II. Divine Original of Holy Scripture. 4 1

two , it feems more neceffary they fhould do
the later. For had they err'd in any thing
they orally deliver d , they might have re tra
ded and cured the mifchief : but thefe Books
being defign'd asaftanding immutable rule
of Faith and manners to all fucceffions , any
error in them would have bin irreparable,
and have entail'd it felf upon pofterity ;
which agreed neither with the truth , not
goodnefs of God to permit*

42. Now that thefe Books were indeed
writ by them whole names they bear, we have
as much aflurance as 'tis poffible to have of:
any thing of that nature , and that diftance
of time from us. For however fom of them
may have bin controverted ; yet the greateft
part have admitted no difpute 3 whofe do-
d:rins agreeing exactly with the others , give
testimony to them. And to the bulk of thole
writings 3 it is notorious that the firfl Chri--
ftians receiv'd them from the Apoftles3and fo
tranfmitted them to the enfuing Ages, which
receiv'd them with the like efteem and vene
ration. They cannot be corrupted, laies Saint
jduftin in the thirty iecond Book againft Fau«
flus the Manich. c. 16. becaufe they are and
have bin in the bands of 'all Chrijiians. And, who-
fbeverjhouldfirji attemt an alteration., he would be
confuted by the injpeftion of other ancient er Copies.
Bcfidcsjhe Scriptures are not in fom one Language^
but translated into many : jo that the faults ofons

F '

42' The Chrijiians Birth-right, &c.

BooJ^ivouldbe cor relied by others more ancient, or
in a different Tongue.

43. And how much the body of Chriftians
were in earneft concerned to take care in this
matter,appearsby very coftly evidences; mul
titudes of them chufing rather to part with
their lives then their Bibles. And indeed 'tis
a fufficient proof, that their reverence of that
Book was very avowed and manifeft ; when
their heathen Perfecuters made that one part
of their perfecudon. So that as wherever
the Chriitian Faith was receiv'd , this Book
was alfo , under the notion we now plead for,
t>/£. as the writings of men infpirdby God :
fo it was alfo contended for even unto death ;
and to part with the Bible was to renounce
the Faith. And now, after fuch a cloud of te-
ftimonies,we may fure take up that (ill-appli
ed) faying of the high Prielt , Mat. 26. 6$.
what farther need have we ofrvitnejjes.

44. YET befides thefe, another fort of wit-
neflfes there are, I mean thofe intrinfic evi
dences which arife out of the Scripture it felf ;
but of rhefe I think not proper here to infill ,
partly becaufe the fubjed: will be in a great
degree coincident with that of the fecond
general confideration ; and partly becaufe
tkefe can be argumentative to none who arc
not qualified to difcern them. Let thofe
who doubt the divine Original of Scripture ,
well digeft the former grounds which are

witbin

SECT. II. Divine Original of Holy Scripture. 43

within the verge of reafon ; and when by
thofe they are brought to read it with due
reverence , they will not want Arguments
from the Scripture it felf to confirm their
veneration of it.

4^. IN the mean time 3 to evince how pro
per the former difcourfe is to found a ratio
nal belief that the Scripture is the word of
God ; I fhall compare it with thofe meiiires
ofcredibilty upon which all human tranfa-
d:ions move, and upon which men truft their
greateft concerns without diffidence or dif-
pute.

4<*. THAT we muft in many things truft
the report of others is fo neceffary, that with
out it humane fociety cannot fubfift. What
a multitude of fubje&s are there in the world,
who never faw their Prince , nor were at the
making of any Law ? if all thefe fliould deny
their obedience, becaufe they have it only.
by hear-fay, there is fuch a man , and iucli '
Laws , what would become of goverment ?
So alfo for property , if nothing of teftimony
•may be admitted , how fhall any man prove
ihis right to any thing ? All pleas muft be
^decided by the fword , and we fhalt fall into
thatftate ( which fom have fancied the pri
mitive) of univerfal hoftility. In'like man
ner for traffic and commerce ; how fhould
any Merchant firft attemt a trade to any
foreign part of the world, if lie did not be-

F 2 lieve

44 The Chriflians Birth-right, &c.

lieve that fuch a place there was ? and how
could he believe that , but upon the creclitof
thofe who have bin there ? Nay indeed how
could any man firft attemt to go but to the
next Market Town 3 if he did not from the
report of others, conclude that fuch a one
there was ? io that if this univerfal diffidence
fhould prevail , every man fliould be a kind
of Plant agnus, fixttothe foil he firltfpnmg
up in. The abfurdities are indeed fo infinite ,
and fo obvious , that I need not dilate upon
them.

47. BUT it will perhaps be faid , that in
things that are told us by our contempora
ries , and that relate to our own time , men
will be lefs apt to deceive us , becaufe they
know 'tis in our power to examin and difco-
ver the truth. To this I might fay , that in
many inftances it would fcarce quit coft to
do fo j and the inconveniences of trial would
exceed thofe of belief. But I lhall willingly
admit this probable Argument, and only de-
fire it may be applied to our main queftion,
by confidering whether the primitive Chri-
ftianswho receiv'd the Scripture as divine,
had not the fame fecurity of not being de-
ceiv d.,who had as great opportunities ot exa
mining 3 gnd the greatell concern of doing
it throly , fince they were to engage not
only their future hopes in another world, but
( that which to nature is much more fenfible }

all

SECT, II. Divine Original of Holy Scripture. 47

all their prefent enjoiments , and even life it
felf upon the truth of it.

48. BUT becaufe it muft be confeft that
we who are fo many Ages remov'd from
them, ha ve not their means of affurance, let
us in the next place coniider, whether an af-
fent to thofe teftimonies they have left be
hind themf be not warranted by the common
pra&ice of mankind in other cafes. Who is
there that queftions there was fuch a man a$
William the Conqueror in this Ifland? or, to
lay the Scene farther ; who doubts there was
an Alexander^ Julius Cafar}an Auguftus ? Now
what have we to found this confidence on be-
fides the faith of Hiftory ? And I prefume e-
ven thofe who exad: the fevereft demonftra-
tions for Ecclefiaftic Story ,would think him a
very impertinent Sceptic that fhould do the
like in thefe. Soalfo, as to the Authors of
Books ; who difputes whether Homer writ the
Iliads, or Virgil the .flEneidSjOr Ciefar the Com-
mentaries,that pafs under their names? yet
none of thefe have bin attefted in any degree
like the Scripture. 'Tis faid indeed, that Ca-
far ventured his own life to fave his Com
mentaries , imploying one hand to hold that
above the water, when it fhould have affifted
him in fwiming. But who ever laid down
their lives in atteftation of that, or any hu
man compofure, as multitudes of men have
don for the Bible ?

BUT

4 6 The Chrijtia ns Birth-right, &c .

49. BUT perhaps 'twill befaid, that the
fmall concern men have, who wrote thefe, or
other the like Books , inclines them to ac-
jquiefce in the common opinion. To this I
mull fay , that many things inconfiderable to
mankind have oft bin very laborioufly dif-
cuft,as appears by many unedifying Volumes*
both of Philofophers and Schole^tnen. But
whatever may be faid in this inftance, 'tis ma-
Alifeft there are others, wherein mens real and
greateft interefts are intruded to the teftimo-
iiiesof former Ages. For example, a man
poflefles an eftate which was bought by his
great Grand-father, or perhaps elder Proge
nitor : he charily preferves that deed of pur-
chafe, and never looks for farther fecurity of
his title : yet alas, at the rate that men objed:
againft the Bible , what numberlefs Cavils
might be rais'd againft fuch a deed? How
fliall it be known that there was fuch a man as
either Seller or Purchafer ? if by the witnef-
fes ; they are as liable to doubt as the other ;
it being as eafy to forge the Atteftation as the
main writing : and yet notwithftanding all
thefe poffible deceits , nothing but a pofitive
proof of forgery can invalidate this deed.
Let but the Scripture have the fame mefure,
be allowed to ftand in force , to be what it
pretends to be , till the contrary be ( not by
iurmifes and poffible conjectures) but by evi
dent proof evinc'd; and its greateft Advocats
will ask no more. fo. A

SECT. II. Divine Original of Holy Scripture. 47

jo. A like inftance may be given in public
concerns : the immunities and rights of any
Nation, particularly here, of our Magna Char-
ta 3 granted many Ages fince , and depofited
among the public Records : to make this
fignify any thing, it muft be taken for grant
ed, that this was without falfification prefer-
ved to our times ; yet how eafy were it to fug-
geft that in fo long a fucceffion of its keepers,
lorn may have bin prevail'd on by the in
fluence of Princes to abridg and curtail its
conceffions, others by a prevailing fa&ion of
the people to amplify and extend it ? Nay,
if men were as great Sceptics in Law , as they
are in Divinity, they might exad: demonftra-
tions that the whole thing were not a forge
ry. Yet,for all thefe poflible furmiles,we itill
build upon it, and fhould think he argued ve
ry fallacioufly , that fhould go to evacuate it,
upon the force of fuch remote fuppofitions.

f i . Now I defire it may be conlider'd whe
ther our fecurity concerning theholyScripture
be not as great, nay, greater then it can be ot
this. For firft, this is a concern only of a par*
ticular Nation , and fo can exped: no foreign
latteftation ; and fecondly , it has all along
refted on the fidelity of its keepers ; which
has either bin a fingle perfon ^ or at belt fom
fmall number at a time ; whereas the Scri
ptures have bin witnefs'd to by perfons of all
Nations, and thofe not fingle , but collective

Bodies

4 8 The Cbriftians Birtb-rijrht, &c .

Bodies and Societies , even as many as there
have bin Chriftian Churches throout the
world. And the fame that are its Atteftors
have bin its Guardians alfo , and by their
multitudes made it a very difficult , if not an
impoffible thing to faliify it in any confide-
table degree; it being not imaginable, as I
Jhew'd before from St. Auftin , all Churches
fliould combine to do it : and if they did not,
the fraud could not pafs undetected : and if
no eminent change could happen , much lefs
could any new , any counterfeit Gofpel be
obtruded , after innumerable Copies of the
firft had bin tranflated into almoft all Lan
guages, and difperft throughout the world.

$-2. THE Imperial Law compil'd by fa*
ftinian, was foon after his death , by reafon of
the inroads of the Goths, and other barbarous
Nations , utterly loll in the Weftern world ;
and icarce once heard of for the fpace of five
hundred years , and then came cafually to be
retriv'd upon the taking viAmalfis by the Pi-
fans, one fingleCopy being found thereat
the plundering of the City. And the whole
credit of thofe PandecSts, which have everfince
govern'd the Weftern world, depends in a
manner on that fingle Book , formerly call'd
the Pifan ; and now,after that Pifa was taken
by the Florentines, the Florentine Copy. But
notwithftanding this -, the body of the Civil
Law obtains ; and no man thinks it reafon-

able

SECT. II. DivineOriginalof Holy Scripture.

able to queftion its being really what it pre
tends to be , notwithttanding its lingle , and
fo long interrupted derivation. I might draw
this parallel thro many other inftances , but
thefe may fuffice to fhew,that if the Scriptures
might find but fo much equity,asto be tried
by the common mefures of other things , it
it would very well pafs the teft.

$-3. BUT. men feem in this cafe (like our

late Legiflajtors ) to fet up new extraregular

Courts of Jabice , to try thofe whom no or

dinary rules will call , yet their defigns re-

require fhouldbe condemn'd: And<we may

conclude, 'tis not the force of reafon, but

of prejudice^ that makes them fo unequal to

themlelves as to rejed: the Scriptures, when

they receive every thing elfe upon far weaker

grounds. The bottom of it is, they are re-

iolv'dnottoobey its precepts •> and therefore

think it the fhorteit cut to difavow its au-

tority : for Ihould they once own that, they

would find themfelves intangled in the moft

inextricable dilemma ; that of the Pharifees

about John ¥>aptijt : If we fay from heaven , he

will Jay, tvhy then did you not believe him ? Mat.

2 1 . 2f . If they contefs the Scriptures divine ,

they muft be felf-condemn'd in not obeying

them. And truely men that have fuch prein-

gagements to their Iuits5that they muft admit

nothing that will difturb them; do but pre

varicate when they call for greater evidences

G ' and

The Chriftians Birth-right,

and demonftrations : for thofe bofom Sophi-
fters will elude the moft manifeft convidionss
and like Juglers , make men disbelieve even
their own fenles. So that any other waies of
evidence will be as difputable with them , as
thofe already offer'd: which is the third
thing I propofed to confider. ,r

^4. IT has bin fomtimes feen in popular.
mutinies , that when blanks have bin fent
them, they could not agree whatJfo ask : and
were it imaginable that God Anauld fo far
court the infidelity of men, as to allow them
to make their own demands , to fet down
what waies of proof would perfwade them ;
I doubt not there are many have obftinacy
enough,to defeat their own methods, as well
as they now do Gods. 'Tis fure there is no
ordinary way of conviction left for them to
ask , God having already ( as hath alfo bin
fhew'd) afforded that. Theymuft therefore
relort to immediat revelation, expert in-
ftant aflurances from heaven , that this book
we call the Bible is the word of God.

f f. MY firft queftion then is, in what
manner this revelation muft be made to ap
pear credible to them. Thebeft account we.
have of the feveral waies of revelation is
from the Jews , to whom God was pleas'd
upon new emergencies fignally to revele
himfelf. Thefe were firft dreams •> fecondiy,
vifions ; by both which the Prophets recei

ved

SECT.IL Divine Original of Holy Scripture, yi

ved their infpirations. Thirdly, Vrim and
Thummim. Fourthly , the Bath- col ( as they
term it ) Thunder and voice from Heaven.
Let us confider them diftin&ly , and fee whe
ther our Sceptical men may not probably find
fomwhat to difpute in every one of thefe. And
firft for dreams ; it is among us fo hard to di-
ftinguiih between thofe that arife from con-r
ftitution, prepofleffion of phancy, diabolical
or divine infufion , that thofe that jsave the
moft critically confider'd them, do rather dif
ference them by their matter , then any cer
tain difcriminating circumftances : and un-
lefswehadfbm infallible way of difcerning,
our dependence on them may more probably
betray then dire<9; us. Tis unquestionable
that ufually phancy has the greateit ftroke in
them. And if he that fhould commit himfelf
to the guidance of his waking phancy, is not
like to be over-wifely govern'd, what can we
expedt from his fleeping ? All this and more
may doubtlefs be foberly enough obje&ed a-
gainft the validity of our common dreams.

56. BUT admit there were now fuch di
vine dreams as brought their evidence along
with them ; yet fure 'tis poffible for prejudic'd
men, to refift even the cleareft convictions.
For do we not fee fom that have made a Ihift
to extinguifh that natural light , thofe no
tions which are interwoven into the very
frame and c®nftitution of their minds, that

G 2 fo

f 2 The Chriftians Birth-right, &c.

fo they may fin more at eafe, and without re-
lu£tancy ? and lure 'tis as poflible for them to
clofe their eies againft all raies from without
too , to refift revelation as well as inftmd: ;
and more likely , by how much a tranfient
caufe is naturally lefs operative then a per
manent. Aninftanceof this we have in Ba
laam; who being in thele nightly vifitations
prohibited by God to go to BalacJ^; and tho
ne knew then, what he afterwards faies, Num.
23. ip. that God was not a man that he Jhould
lie, nor the f on of man that he fljould repent : yet
he would not take God at his firft word , but
upon a frefli bait to his covetoufnefs, tries a-
gain for an anfwer more indulgent to his in-
tereft. Befides.if God Jliould thus revele him-
felf to fom particular perfon?, yet 'tis beyond
all prefident or imagination , that he fhould
do it to every man -, and then how fhall thofe
who have thefe dreams3be able to convince o-
thers that they are divine >

?7. 'Tis eafy to guefs what reception a
man that produces no other autority. would
have in this ludicrous Age : he would certain
ly be thought rather to want deep , then to
have had revelations in it. And if Jacob and
the Patriarchs, who were themfelves acquain
ted with divine dreams, yet did not believe
Jofephs ; any man that Ihould now pretend in
that kind , would be lure to fall under the
fame irony that he did3to be entertain'd with

a be-

SECT.!!. Divine Original of Holy Scripture. 5-3

a behold this dreamer cometh,Gen. 37. 19.

5-8. THE fecond way of revelation by vifion
was, where the man was wrapt into an extafy,
his fpirit for a while fufpended from alj. fenfi-
ble communication with the body , and en
tertain d with fupernatural light. In thefe *
the Prophets faw emblematical repreienta-
tions of future events , receiv'd knowledg of
divine Myfteries, and commiffion and ability
to difcharge the whole prophetic office. Now
fuppofe God fliould now raife us Prophets., and
infpire them after this manner ; what would
the merry men of this time fay to it ? Can we
think that they who rally upon all that the
former Prophets have writ, would look with
much reverence on what the new ones fhould
fay? Som perhaps would conftrue their ra
ptures to be but like Mahomets Epilepfy ; o-
thers a fit of frenzy , others perhaps a being
drunl^Tvith new wine ; Adi. 2. 13. but thofe
that did the moft foberly confider it , would
ftill need a new revelation to atteft the truth
of this : there being far more convincing ar
guments to prove the Scriptures divine, then
any man can allege to prove his infpiration
to be fo. And 'tis fiire a very irrational me
thod , to attemt the clearing of a doubt , by
fomwhat which is it felf more doubtful.

79. A third way, wasby^rm and Thum-
mim, which Writers tell us was an Oracle re-
fulting from the Letters which were graven

in

f 4 The Cbriftians Birth-right, &c.

the High Priefts Pectoral, to which in all im
portant doubts the Jews of thoic Ages refor-
ted , and receiv'd refponfes ; but whether it
were by the fuddain prominency , or refplen-
dency of the letters , or by any other way, is
not material in this place to enquire : one
thing is certain, that the Ephod, and confe*
quently the Pectoral was in the Priefts cufto-
ay, and that he had the adminiftration of the
whole affair. Now I refer it to confideration,
whether this one circumftance would not (to
thofe prejudiced menlfpeakof) utterly eva
cuate the credit of the Oracle. They have
taught themfelves to look on Prieft-hood ,
whether Legal or Evangelical, only as a bet
ter name for impofture and cofenage : and
they that can accufe the Priefts for having
kept up a cheat for fo many Ages ; muft needs
think them fuch omnipotent Juglers,that no
thing can be fence againft their Legerde
main : and by confequence, this way of reve
lation would rather foment their difplefure
at the Ecclefiaftics , then fatisfy their doubts
of the Scripture.

60. LASTLY, for the fourth way, that of
thunder and voice from Heaven , tho that
would be a fignal way of convidion to unpre
judiced men , yet it would probably have as
little effed as the reft upon the others: men
that pretend to fuch deep reafoning would
think it childifli to be frighted out of their

opinion

SECT.!!. Divine Original of Holy Scripture, y 5*

opinion by a clap of Thunder -, fom philo-
fophical reafon fliall be found out , to fatisfy
them that 'tis the effed: only of fom natural
caufe, and any the moft improbable fhall
ferve turn to fupplant the fear of its being a
divine tellimony to that, which they are fo
unwilling fhould be true. As for the toice
from Heaven , it muft either be heard by o-
thers, and related to them ; or elfe imediatly
by themfelves : if the former, 'twill lie under
the fame prejudice which the Bible already
do's ; that they have it but by hear-fay, and
reporters would fall under the reproach ci
ther of defign or frenzy •, that they meanx to
deceive, or were themfelves deceiv'd by their
own diftemper'd phancy. But if themfelves
fhould be Auditors of it ; 'tis odds but tkcir
bottomlefs jealoufies in divine Matters would
fuggeft a poffibility of fraud , tho they knew
not how to trace it : nay 'tis more then poffi-
ble that they will rather disbelieve their own
fenfes, then in this inftance take their te-
ftimony with all its confequences.

tf i. NOR is this a wild fuppofition : for we
fee it poffible not only for fingle men, but
multitudes to disbelieve their fenfes , thro
an excefs of credulity -, witnefs the dodrin
of Tranliibftantiation, Why may it not then
be as poffible for others to do the like thro
.a greater excels of incredulity ? Befides3mens
;prepoffeffions and affections have a ftrange

influence

The Chriflians Birth-right,

influence on their Faith : men many times
will not fuffer themfelves to believe the molt
credible things , if they crofs their inclina
tion. How often do we fee irregular patients
that will not believe any thing that their ap
petite craves will do them hurt, tho their
Phylitians, nay , their own even fenfitive ex
perience atteit it to them ? And can we think
that a diieasd mind, gafping with an Hy
dropic thirft after the plelures of fin, will ever
aflent to thole premifes,whofe conclufion will
engage to the renouncing them ? Will not a
luxurious voluptuous perfon be willing rather
to give his cars the lie , to disbelieve what he
hears , then permit them more deeply to dif-
oblige his other fenfes , by bringing in thole
reftraintsand mortifications which the Scri
pture would impole upon them ?

62. THUS we fee how little probability
there is, that any of thefe waies ot revelation
would convince thefe incredulous men. And
indeed, thofe that will not believe upon fuch
inducements as may fatisfy men of fober rea-
foii, will hardly fubmit to any other method,
according to that Affertion of Father Abra
ham ; If they hear not Mofes and the Prophets,
neither will they be perfn>adedy tho one rojefrom
the dead, Luk. 16. 31. Now at this rate of
infidelity, what way will they leave God to
manifelt any thing convincingly to the
world? which is to put him under an impo-

potency

SECT .II. Divine Original of Holy Scripture f?

potency greater then adheres to humanity :
For we men have power to communicate our
minds to others, to tell whether we own fuch
or fuch a thing , to which we are intitled 5
and we can fatisfy our Auditors that it is in
deed we that fbeak to them: but if every
method God ufes, do's rather increafe then
fatisfy mens doubts, all inter courfe between
God and man is intercepted; and he muft
do that of neceffity, which Epicurus phancied
he did of choice ; vi^. keep himfelf uncon-
cern'd in the affairs of mortals, as having no
way of communicating with them. Nay
( what is yet, if poffible,more abfurd) he muft
be fuppos'd to have put the works of his Crea
tion out of his own reach, to have given men
difcourfive faculties , and left himfelf no
way of addrefs to them.

6$. THESE inferences how horridly fo-
ever they found, yet I fee not how they can be
difclaim'd by thofe, who are unfatisfied with
all thofe waies by which God hath hitherto
fevel'd himfelf to the world. For can it be
imagin'd , that God who created man a rea-
fbnable creature , that himfelf might be glo-
£ified in his free and rational obedience ;
( when all other creatures obey upon impulie
andinftind:) can it, I fay, be imagin'd, that
he fhonld fo remifly purfue his own delign, as
to let fo many Ages pafs lince the Creation,
and never to acquaint mankind with the

H parti-

$• g The Chrijtians Birth-right, &c.

particulars wherein that obedience was to be
exercis'd. This lure were fo difagreeable to
his wifdom and goodnefs , that it cannot be
charg'd upon his will; and confequently
they who own not that he has made any fuch
revelation, muft tacitly tax him of impo
tence , that he could not do it. But if any
man will fay he has, and yet rejedt all this
which both Jews and Chriftians receive as
fuch, let him produce his teflimonies for the
others, or rather ( to retort his own mefure )
his demonftrations. And then let it appear
whether his Scheme of doCtrin , or ours,
will need the greater aid of that eafy credu
lity he reproches us with.

64. I have now gon thro the method I
propofed for evincing the Divine Original
of the Scriptures , and fliall not defcend to
examin thole more minute and particular
Cavils which profane men make againft
them s the proof of this, virtually fuperieding
all thofe. For if it be reafonable to believe it
the Word of God , it muft be reafonable alfo
to believe it of perfection proportionable to
the Author ; and then certainly it muft be ad-
vancd beyond all our objections. For to^
thole who except to the ftile,the incoherence,
the contradictions, or whatever elfe in Scri
pture ; I fhall only ask this one queftion, whe
ther it be not much more poffible that they

( who can pretend, to be nothing above fal-

i'ii
lible

SECT.!!. Divine Original of Holy Scripture. 5-9

liblemen) may misjudg, then that the infal
lible God fliould didate any thing juftly lia
ble to thofe charges ; I am lure they muft de
part as much from Reafon as Religion, to
affirm the contrary. But alas, inftead of this
implicit fubmiffion to Gods Word, men take
up explicit prejudices againft it ; condemn it
without ever examining the truth of the Al
legation. 'Tis certain , that in a writing of
fuch Antiquity, whofe original Language has
Idioms and Phrafes fo peculiar , whofe Coun
try had cuftoms fo differing from the reft of
the world •> tis impoffible to judg of it with
out reference to all thofe circumftances. Add
to this , that the Hebrew lias bin a dead Lan
guage for well nigh two thoufand years , no
where in common ufe : nor is there any other
ancient Book now extant in it, befides thofe,
yet not all neither, of the Old Teftament.

tfy. Now pf thofe many who defame Holy
Writ , how few are there that have the indu-
ftry to inquire into thofe particulars ? And
when for want of knowledg , fom paflages
feem improper, or perhaps contradictory;
the Scripture muft bear the blame of their
ignorance, and be accus'd as abfurd and un^t
intelligible, becaufe themfelves are ftupid
and negligent. It were therefore methinks
but a reafonable propofal, that no man fliould
araign it , tilt they have ufed all honeft dili
gence, taken in all probable helps for the un-

H 2 derftand-

6 o The Chrijtians Birth-right , &c.

clcrftanding it : and if this might be obtaind,
I believe moft of its Accufers would like thofe
of the woman in the Golbel, Jo. 8. 9. drop a-
way, as confcious of their own incompeten-
cy : the loudeft out-cries that are made a-
gainft jt, being commonly of thofe who fall
upon it only as a fafhionable theme of dif-
courfe , ana hope to acquire themfelves the
reputation of wits by thus charging God foo-
liihly. But he that would candidly and up
rightly endeavor to comprehend before he
judges.and to that end induftrioufly uie thofe
means which the providence of God by the
labors of pious men hath afforded him , will
certainly find caufe to acquit the Scripture
of thofe imputations which our bold Critics
have caft upon it. I do not fay that he fhall
have all the obfcurities of it perfectly clear' d
to him ; but he lhall have fo many of them as
is for his real advantage , and fliall difcern
fuch reafbns why the reft remain unfathom
able , as may make him not only juftify , but
celebrate the wifdom of the Author.

66. YET this is to be expeded only upon
the fore-rnention'd condition, vi^. that he
come with fincere and honeft intentions -, for
as for him that comes to the Scripture with
defign, and vvilhes tofind matter of cavil, and
ac'ciifations ; there is little doubt but that
ipirit of impiety and profancfs which fent
him thither , will meet him there as a fpirit

of

SECT. II. Divine Original of Holy Scripture. 6x

of delufion and occecation. That Prince of
the Air will call fuch mifts , raife fuch black
vapors 5 that as the Apoftle fncaks , the light
of the glorious Gcfyel of Chrijtjhall not Jkine un
to him , 2 Cor. 4. y. Indeed were iiich a man
left only to the natural efficacy of prejudice,
that is of it felf fo blinding , fo infatuating a
thing , as commonly fortifies againft all con
viction. We fee it in all the common in-
ftances of life ; mens very lenfes are often en-
flav'd by it : the prepoffeffion of a ftrong
pliancy will make the objeds of fight or hear
ing appear quite different from what they
are. But in the prefent cafe , when this (hall
be added to Satanical illufions, and both left
to their operations by Gods with-drawing his
illuminating grace , the cafe of fuch a man
anfwers that defcriptionof the Scrip ture.TA^y
have eies and fee not , ears have they and hear
«0£,Rom.i i. 8. And that God will fo withdraw
his grace , we have all reafon to believe ; he
having promis'd it only to the meek ; to thofe
who come with malleable dudlile fpirits , to
learn, not to deride or cavil. Saint Peter tells
us, that the unlearned andunflable wrejt the
Scripture to their own dcJlruHion, 2 Pet. 3. iy.
And if God permit fuch to do fo, much more
will he the proud and malicious.

67. I iay not this, to deter any from the
ftudy of Holy Scripture , but only to caution
them to bring a due preparation of mind a-

long

6 z The Chriftians Birth-right, &c .

long with them > Gods Word being like a ge
nerous foveraign medicament ; which if fim-
ply and regularly taken, is ot the greateit be
nefit > but ifmixtwith poilon, ferves only to-
make that more fatally operative. To con
clude , he that would have his doubts folv'd
concerning Scripture, let him follow the me
thod our blefled Lord has prefcrib'd: Let
him do the will of God , and then hejhall know of
the doftrin, whether it be of Gvd, Jo. 7. 17. Let
him bring with him a probity of mind, a wil-
lingnels to aflent to all convi<5tions he fliall
there meet withrand then he will findgrounds
fufficient to affure him that it is Gods Word,
and confequently to be receiv'd with all the
fubmiffion and reverence , that its being fo.
exads.

SECT.

SECT. III. Subjeft Matter of Holy Scripture. 6$

SECT. III.

The fubjeff matter treated of in the Holy

Scripture is excellent, a* is alfo

its end and defign.

WE have hitherto confider'd the holy
Scripture only under one notion, as it
is the Word of God ; we come now to view
it in the fubjedt matter of it, the feveral parts
whereof it conlifts -3 which are fo various and
comprehenfive, as fhews the whole is derivd
from him who is all in all , i Cor. 19.28. But
that we may not fpeak only loofely , and at
rovers , we will take this excellent frame in
pieces , and confider its moil eminent parts
diftindtly. Now the parts of Holy Writ feein
to branch themfelves into thefe feverals. Firft,
the Hiftorical j fecondly , the Prophetic j
thirdly, the Dodrinal; fourthly, the Prece
ptive ; fifthly, the Minatory , fixthly,the Pro-
miflbry. Thefe are the feveral veins in this
rich Mine , in which he who induftrioufly la
bors, will find the Pfalmift was not out in his
eftimate, when he pronounces them more to
be dejird then gold, yea , then much fine gold,
Pfal. 19. 10.

2. To fpeak ffHi of the Hiftorical part;

the

The Chriflians Birth-right,

the things which chieflly recommend a HH
ftory are the dignity of the fubjed: , the truth
of the relation , and thole plefant or profita-*
ble obfervations which are interwoven with
it. And firft , for the dignity of the fubjed,
the Hiftory of the Bible mutt be acknowledg
ed to excel all others: thofe ftiew the rife
and progrels of fom one people or Empire ;
this Ihews us the original of the whole Uni-
verie ; and particularly of man^for whofe ufe;
and benefit the whole Creation was defign'd.
By this mankind is brought into acquain
tance with it felf ; made to know the ele
ments of its confutation , and taught to put
a differing value upon that Spirit which was
breattid into it by God, Gen. 2. 7. and the flcfll
whofe foundation is in the dujl, Job 4.19. And
when this Hiftorical part of Scripture con*
tradts and draws into a narrow channel,when
it records the concerns but of one Nation,
yet it was that which God had dignified a-
bove all the reft of the world, markt it out for
his own peculiar; made it the repofitory of
his truth , and the vifible itock from whence
the Meffias fhould come, in whom all the Na
tions of the earth -were to be bleffed.Gcn.i$. ig«
fo that in this one people of the Jews.was vir
tually infolded thehigheft and moil impor
tant intereftsof the whole world; and it mutt
be acknowledg'd ., no Story could have a no
bler iubjeft to treat of.

3. SE-

SECT.!!!. Subjctt Matter of Holy Scripture. 6?

3. SECONDLY, as to the truth of the rela
tion, tho to thofe who own it Gods Word
there needs no other proof, yet it wants
not human Arguments to confirm it. The
moft undoubted fymtomc of fincerity in an
Hiftorian is impartiality. Now this is very
eminent in Scripture writers : they do not
record others faults , and baulk their own;
but indifferently accufe thenjfelves as well as
others. Mofes mentions his own diffidence
and unwillingneis to go on Gods mcffage,
Ex. 4. / 3. his provocation of God at the wa
ters of 'Meribab, Num. 20. Jonah records his
own fullen behavior towards God , with as
great aggravations as any ot his enemies
could have don. Peter in his dictating Saint
Marks Gofpel, neither omits nor extenuates
his fin; all. he feems to fpeak fhort in, is his
repentance. Saint Paul regifters himfelf as
the greateft of finners.

4. AND as they were not i%lulgent to
their own perfonal faults, fo neither did any
nearnels of relation , any relpecSt of quality
bribe them to a concelement : Mofes relates
the oieace of his filter Miriam in muti-
ning. Num. 12. i. of his brother Aaron in the
matter of the Cal£ Ex. 32. 4. with asdtttle
diiguife as that of I\orab and his company.
D^^^tho a King,- hath his adultery and mur
der diiplaied in the bla eke ft -characters' ; and

little vanity of Ihewing his
I treiuves.

66 The Chriftians Birth-right, &c.

trefures, do's not efcape a remark. Nay, even
the reputation of their Nation could not
biafs the facred Writers ; but they freely tax
their crimes: the Ifraelites murmurings in
the wildernefs; their Idolatries in Canaan,
are fet down without any palliation or ex-
cufe. And they are as frequently branded
for their ftubbornefs and ingratitude, as the
Canaanites are for their abominations. So
that certainly no Hiftory in the world do's
better atteft its truth by this evidence of im
partiality.

f . IN the laft place it commends it felf
both by the plefure and profit it yields.
The rarity of thole events it records fiirprizes
the mind with a delightful admiration ; and
that mixture of fage Difcourfes , and well-
coucht Parables wherewith it abounds , do's
at once pleafe and inftrudt. How ingenuouily
apt was Nathans Apologue to David, where
by with holji artifice he enfnafd him into re
pentance ? And it remains Itill matter of in-
itrudtion to us , to (hew us with what unequal
fcales we are apt to weigh the fame crime in
others and our felves. So alfo that long train •
of (mart calamities which fucceeded his fin ,
is fet out with fuch particularity^that it feems
to be exactly the crime reverft. His own lult
with Bathjheba y was anfwerd with Amnons
towards Thamar -, his murder of Vriah with
that of Amnw -9 his trecherous contrivance

of

•

Subj ell Matter of Holy Scripture. 6 7

of thatmurder,with Abfoloms traiterous con-
fpiracy againft him. So that every circum-
ftance ofhispunilhmeut , was the very echo
and reverberation of his guilt. A multitude
of the like inftances might be produc'd out
of holy Writ ; all concurring to admonifh us,
that God exa&ly marks , and will repay our
crimes $ and that commonly with fuch pro
priety, that we need no other clue to guide
us to the caufe of our fufferings,then the very
fuffcrings themfelves. Indeed innumerable
are the profitable obfervations arifing from
the hiftorical part of Scripture, that flow fb
ealily and unconftrein'd ; that nothing but
a ttupid inadvertence in the reader can make
him baulk them : therefore 'twould be im
pertinent here to multiply inftances.

6. LET us next confider the prophetic part
of Scripture, and wefhail find it no lefs ex
cellent in its kind. The prophetic Books are
for the.moft part made up (as the prophetic
Office was) or two parts ; predidtion and in-
ftrudtion. When God rais'd up Prophets,
'twas not only to acquaint men with future
events , but to reform their prefent man
ners : and therefore as they are called Seers
in one reipcdt , fo they are Watch-men and
Shepherds in another. Nay, indeed the for
mer was often fubfervient to the other as to
the nobler end : their gift of foretelling was
to gain them autarky , to be as it were the

I 2 feat

6 8 The Cbriflians Birth-right, &c.

feal of their commiffion; to convince men'
that they were fent from God : and io to ren
der them the more pliaut, to their reproofs
ai}d admonitions. And the very matter of
their prophecies was ufually adapted to this
end : the denouncing of judgments being
the molt frequent theme , and that defign'd
to bring men to repentance; as appears ex
perimentally in the cafe pi Nineveh. And in
this latter part of their office, the Prophets
acted with the grcateft incitation and vehe
mence.

7. WITH \yhat liberty and zeal do's Elijah
arraign Akab of Nab-oths murder, and fore*-
tel the fatal event of it , without any fear
of his power, or reverence of his greatnefs ?
And Samuel when he delivers Saul the fatal
jneflage of his rejection , do's paffionately
and convincingly expoftulate with him con*
ccrning hislin, i Sam. if. 17. Now the very
fame Spirit trill breaths in all the prophetic
Writings : the fame truth of prediction, and
the lame zeal againft vice.

8. FIRST, for the predictions whatfignal
completions do we find ? How exactly are all
the denunciations of judgments fulfil'd/where
repentance lias not intervened? He that
reads the 28. chap. vtDcut. and compares it
with the Jews calamities, both under the
Aflyrians and Babylonians , and efpecially
iindci the Rouifinaj would think their op?

prefTors

5ECT.III. Subjeft Matter of Holy Scripture. 69

preflbrs had confulted it , and tranfcrib'd
their fe verities thence. And -even thefe Na-^
tions , who were the inftruments of acconv-
pi ifhing thofe difmal prefages, had their own
ruins foretold, and as punctually executed.
And as in Kingdoms and Nations , ib to pri
vate perfons none of the prophetic threat-
nings ever return' d einty. The fentence
pronounc'd againft Ahab I Je^abel^ and their
porterity3\vas fulfill'd even to the moft minute
circumftances of place and manner; as is^
evident by comparing the denunciation of
Elijah,* l\fngs. 21.19.23. with their tragical
ends recorded in the following chapters. And
as for Jehu , whofe fervice God was pleated
toufemthat execution, tho he rewarded it
with entailing the crown of Ifirael on him
for four defcents ; yet he foretold tliofc
fliould be the limits ; and accordingly we find
J^achartab3the fourth defcendent ot his line,
was the laft of it that fate on that throne,
2 Kings TJ-. io. So alfo the cleftrudtion oi
j4chitopbel and Judas , the one 'immediat ,
the other many hundred years remote, are
fore-told by David, Pfal. 109. and we find
exactly aniwer'd in the event.

9. NOR was this exadnefs confin'd only to
the fevere predictions , but as eminent in the
more gracious. ' All the ble flings which God
by himfelf, or the Miniftry of his Prophets,
promis'd, were ftill infallibly made good.

At

7 o The Chrijitans Birth-right, &c .

At the time of life God return'd and vifited
Sarah with conception. ; notwithftanding
thofe natural improbabilities which made
her not only dittruft, but even deride and
laugh at the promife. Gen. i g. The pofterity
of that ,Son of • - romife ; the whole race of
Abraham was deliverd from the Egyptian
bondage, and po:^itof ^;//-#;^atthepreciie
time which G od had long before fignified to
Abraham, Gen. 15*. So likewife the return of
the Jews from the Babvloniih captivity , was
fore-told many years before their deporta
tion , and Cyrus named for their reftorer ,
before he had either name or being fave only
inGodsprefcience, If. 44. 28, But I need
not multiply inftances of national or perfonal
promifes. The earlieft, and rnoft compre-
henfive promife of all was that oftheMef-
fiah , in whom all perfons and Nations of the
norldivere tobe bleft, Gen. 22. n. that feed
of the no man that Jhould bruife the Serpents
bead, Gen. 3.15-. To him give all the Prophets
nitnefs, as Saint Peter obferves, Ails 10. And
lie who was the fubjed:, rhade himfelf alfo the
expounder of thofe prophecies in his walk
to Emmaus with the two Difciples,L#. 24. 13.
beginning at Mofes, and all the Prophets, he
expounded io thtm in all the Scriptures, the
things concerning In mfelf.

io. THIS as it was infmitly the greateft
Welling afforded mankind, fb was it the moft

fre-

SECT. III. Subject Matter of Holy Scripture. 71

frequently and eminently predidied^andthat
with the moft exadt particularity as to all the
circumftances. His immaculate conception,
the union of his two natures implied in his
name Immanuefc Behold a v ir gin jb all conceive
and bear afon3andjhall call his name Immanuel;
is moft plainly foretold by//.' Chap. 7- 14.
Nay the very place of his birth fo punctually
fore-told 5 that the Priefts and Scribes could
readily refolve Herods queltion upon the
ftrengthof the prophecy,and aflure himChriit
muft be born in Bethlehem, Mat. 2. 5-. As
for the whole bufinefs and defign of his life 3
we find it io defcrib'd by Ifaiah chap, 61.
as Chrift himfelf owns it, Luk. 4. ig.'T/^
fpirit of the Lordis upon me, becaufe he hath
anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek^t
he hathfent me to bind up the broken hearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives , and recover
ing of fight to the blind , to fet at liberty them
that are bruijed , to preach the acceptable year
of the Lord.

ii. IF we look farther to his death, the
greateft part of the Old Teftament has a
diredt afoed: on it. All the Levitical oeco-
nomy OJT Sacrifices and Ablutions were but
prophetic Rites, and ocular Predictions of
that one expiatory Oblation. Nay, moft of
Gods providential difpenfations to the Jews ,
carried in them types and prefigurations of
this. Their refcue from Egypt > the fprin-

kling

The Cbriflians Birtb-rijrbt,

kling of blood to iecure from the de-
ftroying Angel , the Manna with which
they were ted, the Rock which {applied
the iii water: thefe and many more reterr'd
to Chriit , as their final and higheil fignifiea-
tion.

12. BUT befides thefe darker adumbra
tions, we have (as the Apoftle (peaks) a more
jure word of prophecy. Saint Peter in his calcu
lation begins with A/0/i^takes in Samuel and
the whole fucceffion of Prophets after him,
as bearing witnefs to this great event of
Chriils pailion, Ails 4. 22. 24. And indeed hd
that reads the Prophets confideringly, fhall
find ft fo punctually delcrib 'd, that the Evan-
gclifts do not much more fully inftriuSt him
in the circumltances of it. Daniel tells us, his
death, as to the kind of it, was to be violent:
The Me/Jiabjhall be cut off-., and as to the de-
fignof it, 'twas not for bimfelflDzn. 9. 26. But
the Prophet Ifaiah gives us more then a bare
negative account of itj and exprclly faies,
be rcas wounded for out tranf^rejjions , be was
bruifed for our iniquities ; the cbajti foment of
our peace was on him , and by bis Jtnpes we were
healed, chap. ^3. f. And again, ver. 10. Thou
Jhult ma^e bis foul an offering for Jin ± and ver.
1 1 . my righteous Servant fo all] uji if y liiany, for
bejhall bear their iniquities. Nor is Job an 1-
dumean much fhort of even this Evangelical
Prophetjin that fliort Creed of liis,-wherei« he

owns

SECT.!!!. Subjett Matter of Holy Scripture 75

owns him as his Redeemer , I l^norv that my
J^edeemerliveth, &c. Job. 19. 25-.

13. AND as the end, ib the circumftance*
of his fufferings are moft of them under pre
diction : His extenfion upon the Crofs is men-
tion'd by the Pfalmift : They pierced my hands,
and my feet ; I may tell all my bones, Pfal. 22.
16. 17. As for his inward dolors , they are in
that Pfalm fo pathetically defcribed , that
Chrift chofe that very form to breath them
out in : My God, my God, why haft thou for fallen,
me? ver. i. So his revilers did alfo transcribe
part of their reproches from ver. 8 . He tru*
jied in God > let him deliver him now if be will
have him, Mat. 27.43. That vinegar which
was offer' d him on the crofs, was a comple
tion of a prophecy ; In my thirft they gave m*
vinegar to drinf^y Pf. 69.21. the piercing of
his fide was exprefly fore-told by ^achary ;
they jhattlook^ on him whom they have pierced,
Z^ach. 10. 12. The company in which he fuf-
fer d , and the interment he had, are alfo in
timated by Ifaiah 9 he made his grave with the
rvick^d,anawith the rich in his death, Ifai. 73.9.
Nay even the difpofal of his garments was
not without a prophecy : they parted my gar ~
ments among them, and upon my vefture did they
caft lots, Pf. 22 . 1 8 . Here are a cloud of wit*
neflfes, which as they ferve eminently to atteft
the truth of Chriftian Religion ; fo do they
to evince the excellency of facred Scri-

K pture 3

74 The Cbriftians Birth-right, &c.

pture -, as to the verity of the prophetic part.
14. As to the admonitory part of the
prophetic Writings , they are in their kind
no way inferior to the other. The reproofs
are autoritative and convincing. What
piercing exprobrations do we find of Jfraels
ingratitude ? How often are they upbraided
with the better examples of the bruit, crea
tures ? with the Ox and the Afs by Ifaiab,
chap. i. 3. with the Stork, and the Crane,
and theSwallow,by5^r^^,chap. 8. 7. Nay
the conftancy of the Heathen to their falie
gods is inftanc'd to reproch their revolt
from the true. Hath a Nation changed their
gods which yet are no gods ? but my people have
changed their glory for that which doth not pro-
fa, Jer. 2. 1 1 . What awful, what majeftic re-
prefentations do we find of Gods power, to
awake their dread ! Fear ye not me faith the
Lord? will ye not tremble at my pre fence ; who
have placed the f and for the bounds of the fea
by a perpetual deer eejhat it cannot pafs over ;
and t ho the waves thereof tofs themfelve s , ye t
can they not prevail s tho they roar yet can they
not pafs over it, Jer. 22. And again, Tkusjaith
the high and lofty one that inhabzteth eternity,
whoje name is holy : I dwell in the high and holy
place., If. 5-7. i y. So we find him defcrib'd as
a God glorious in bolinefs, fearful in praifes^ do-
i?igwonders,1^yi. if. u. Thefe and many o-
thcr the like heights of diviiie eloquence we

SECT.HI. Subjeft Matter of Holy Scripture. 7?

meet with in the prophetic Writings: which
cannot but ftrike us with an awful reverence
of the divine Power.

iy. NOR are they lefs pathetic in the
gentler ftrains. What inftance is there of the
greateft tendernefs and love which God has
not adopted to exprefshis by ? He perfonates
all the neareft and moft endearing relations ;
that of a Husbands I will marry tbee to my
felf9 Hof. 2.19. of a Father ; / am a Father
to lfrael,#WEphraim is my fir ft born : nay, he
vies bowels with the tender lex ; and makes
it more poffible for a mother to renounce her
compajjions towards the fon of her womb , then
for him to withdraw his , I/a. 49. i?. By all
thefe endearments, thele cords of a ?nany tbefe
bands of love, asdiimfelf ftiles them, Hof. 77.4.
endeavoring to draw his people to their du
ty, and their happinefs. And when their per-
verfenefs fruttrates all this his holy Artifice ;
how paffionately do's he expoftulate with
them ? how folemnly proteil his averlhefs
to their ruin ? Why will ye die 0 houfe o/lfrael ?
for I have no plefure in the death of him that
dieth , faith the Lord God, Ezek. .18. 31, 32.
with what regrets and relentings do's he
think of abandoning them > HowjhalL I give
thee up Ephraim ? how Jhall I deliver tbee If-
raei f bow Jhall I maJ^c thee as Admah ! how
Jhalilfet tbee as Zcboim ? my heart is turn d
within me> my repent ings are kindled together $

K 2 Hof.

The Chriftians Birth-right,

Hof. ii. 8. In fhort, 'twere endlefs to cite
the places in thefe prophetic Books, wherein
God do's thus condefcend to lolicit even the
lenfitive part of man ; and that with fuch
moving Rhetoric , that I cannot but wonder
at the exception fom of our late Critics make
againft the Bible, for its defed in that parti
cular : for Oratory is nothing but a dextrous
application to the affections and paffions of
men. And certainly we find not that don
with greater advantage any where then in fa-
cred Writ.

16 . YET it was not the defign of the Pro
phets ( no more then of the Apoftle ) to take
men with guile; 2 Cor. 12. 16. to inveigle
their affe&ions unawares to their underftan-
dings; but they addrefs as well to their rea-
ibns, make folemn appeals to their judicative
faculties. And now judg I pray between me
and my vineyard, faies Ifa. ?. 3. Nay, God by
the Prophet £^^/ folemnly pleads his own
caufe before them , vindicates the equity of
his proceedings from the afperfions they had
caftonthem; and by moft irrefragable Ar
guments refutes that injurious proverb which
went currant among them 5 and in the clofe
appeals to themfelves, 0 houfe ^jTlfrael are not
my wates equal , are not your Tvazes unequal ?
5zek. 1 8. the evidences were fo clear that he
remits the matter to their own determina
tion, And generally we fliall find that firnong

ail

SECT.IH. Subjett Matter of Holy Scripture. 77

all the Topics of diflwafion from fin , there is
none more clofely preft, then that of the fol
ly of it. Idolatry was a fin to which Ifrael had
a great propenfion , and againft which moft
of the Prophets admonitions were directed.
And certainly it can never be more expos'd,
and the fottifh unreafonablenefs of it better
difplaied, then we find it in the 44. chap, of
Ifaiab. In like manner we may read the Pro
phet Jeremy difTwading from the lame fin by
Arguments of the moft irrefragable convi-
<ftion, Jer. 10.

17- AND as the Prophets omitted nothing
as to the manner of their addrefs, to render
their exhortations effectual , the matter of
them was likewife fo confiderable as to com
mand attention; It was commonly either
the recalling them from their revolts and
Apoftacies from God by Idolatry , or elfe to
convince them of the infignificancy of all
thofe legal ceremonial performances they fo
much confided in ; when taken up as zfuper-
fedeas to moral duties. Upon this account it
is, that they often depreciate, and in a man
ner prohibit the folemneft of their worfhips.
To what purpofe are the multitude of your fa-
crifices unto me ? bring no more vain oblations ;
incenfe is an abomination to me ; the new moons
andfabbatbs, the calling of ajjemblies I cannot
away with: it ts iniquity even your folemn
meetings ^c. If, j . 1 1 . 1 3 . Not that thefe things

were

78 The Cbriftians Birth-right, &c.

were in themfelvcs reprovable ; for they were
all commanded by God ; but becaufe £he
Jews depended fo much on thefe external
obfervances, that they thought by them to
commute for the weightier matters of the
Law (as our Savior after ftiles t\\tn\) judgment,
mercy and faith, Mat. 23.23. lookt on thefe
rites which difcriminated them from other
Nations , as difpenfations from the univer-
fal obligations of nature and common ju-
ftice.

1 8 . THIS deceit of theirs is fliarply upbraid
ed to them by the Prophet Jeremy ; where he
calls their boafts of the Temple of the Lord,
the Temple of the Lord, lying words -y and on
the contrary, laies the whole ftrefs of their
obedience , and expectation of their happi-
nefs on the juftice and innocence of their
converfation, ch. 7. 4, And after do's fmart-
ly reproch their infolence in boldly reforting
to that houfe , which by bringing their fins
along with them , they made but an Afylum,
and Sandtuary for thofe crimes. Will ye Jieal^
murder and commit adultery, andfwear falfely,
and burn incenfe to Baal, andwalk^ after other
gods whom ye kjiow not, and come and ft and be
fore me in this houfe ? Is this houfe which is cal
led by my name become a den of robbers in your,
ties? chap. 7. 9, 10, n. Indeed all the Pro-,
phets leem to confpire in this onedefign, of
making them look thro lhadows and ceremo-.

nies,

SECT.HI. Subjett Matter of Holy Scripture. ?p

nies, to that inward purity , Juftice and HO_
nelly, which they were defign'd to inculcate,
not to fupplant. And this defign as it is in it
felf moft excellent , moft worthy the com
mand of God, and the nature of man; fo
we have feen that it has bin purfued by all
the moft apt , and moft powerful mediums,
tha* the thing or perfons addreft to were ca-

Eable of j and fo that the Prophets are no
*fs eminent for the difcharge ofthisexhor-
tatory part of their office , then they were in
the former, of the predicting.

19. THE next part of Scripture we are to
confider, is the Doctrinal -, by which I fhall
not in this place underftand the whole com
plex of Faith and Manners together ; but re-
itrain it only to thofe Revelations which are
the objed: of our Belief: and thefe are fo fu-
blime , as fliews flefh and bloud never revel d
them. Thofe great myfteries of our Faith,
the Trinity, the Incarnation , the Hypoftati-
cal union, the Redemtion of the world by
making the offended party the facrificefor
the oflence -> are things of fo high and abftrufe
Ipeculation, as no finite underftanding can
fully fathom. I know their being fo , is by
fom made an Argument for disbelief ; but
doub tie fs^ very unjuftly: for (not to infift
upon th'e ' different natures of Faith and
Science , by which that becomes a proper ob-
of the OIIG which is not of the other ) our

noil-

g o The Chriflians Birth-right, &c.

non-comprehenfion is rather an indication
that they have a higher rife ; and renders it
infinitly improbable that they could fpring
from mans invention. For 'twere to fuppole
too great a difproportion between human fa
culties to think men could invent what them-
felves could not underftand. Indeed thefe
things lie fb much out of the road of human
imagination, that I dare appeal to the brefts
of the moft perverle gain-faiers, whether ever
they could have fallen into their thoughts
without fuggeftion from without. And there
fore 'tis a malicious contradiction to rejed:
thefe truths becaufe of their difTonancy from,
human reafon, and yet at the fame time to
afcribe their original to man. But certainly
there can be nothing more inconfiftent with
mere natural reafon , then to think God can
be or do no more then man can comprehend.
Never any Nation or perfon that own'd a
Deity,did ever attemt fo to circumfcribe him:
and it is proportionable only to the licentious
profanelsof thefe later daies, thustomefure
immenlity and omnipotence by our narrow
fcantling.

20. THE more genuine and proper effect
of thefe fupernatural truths is,to raiie our ad

it , and the higheft of that reafon wherein we

fo

SECT.!!!. Subjeft Matter of Holy Scripture, g

fo pride our felves. And the great propriety
thefe dodtrins have to that end , may well be
reckon d as one part of their excellency.

21. INDEED there is no part of our holy
Faith , but is naturally productive of fom pe
culiar vertue ; as the whole Scheme together
engages us to be univerfally holy in all man
ner of converfation, i Pet. i. if. And it is the
fupereminent advantage true Religion hath
over all falfe ones ; that it tends to fo lauda
ble ah end.

22. THE Theology of the Heathens was
in many inftances an extract and quintel-
ience of vice. Their moft folemn Rites, and
facredeft Myfteries were of fuch a nature,that
inftead of refining and elevating , they cor
rupted and debaled their Votaries ; immerft
them in all thofe abominable pollutions
which fober nature abhorred. Whereas the
principles of our Faith ferve to fpiritualize
and rectify us, to raife us as much above mere
manhood as theirs caft them below it.

23. AND as they are of this vaft advantage
to us, fo allb are they juft to God, in giving us
right notions of him. What vile unworthy
apprehenfions had the Heathen of their Dei
ties , intitling them not only to the paffions,
but even to the crimes of men : making Ju
piter an adulterer, JMercury a thief, Bacchus a
drunkard , &c. proporrionably of the relt?
Whereas our God is repreiented to us as an

L eilence,

8 2 The Chriftians Birth-right, &c. . ,

eifence, fofpiritual, and incorporal, that we
mult be unbodied our felves before we can
perte&ly conceive what he is : fo far from the
impotent afte&ions and inclinations of men,
that he has neither parts , nor paffions -, and
is fain to veil himfelf under that difguife, to
fpeak lomtimes as if he had , merely in con-
defcenflon to our grofler faculties. And a-
gain, fo far from being an example, a patron
of vice, that his eies are too pure tv beboldini-
quity, Hab. 1.13. Holinefs is an eflential part
of his nature, and he mull deny himfelf to put
it off.

24. THE greateft defcent that ever he
made to humanity, was in the incarnation of
the lecond perfon : yet even in that tho he
linked with a finful nature , yet he preferved
the perfon immaculate j and while he had all
the iins ot the world upon him by imputa
tion , lufter'd not any one to be inherent in
him.

25-. To conclude, the Scripture defcribes
our God to us by all thofe glorious Attributes
of infinity., Power and juiliee, which may ren
der him the proper objed: of our Adorations
and Reverence: and it defcribes him alfo
in thofe gentler Attributes of Gooclnefs,Mer-
cy and Truth , which may excite our love of,
and dependence on him. Thefe are reprefen-
tations ibmthing worthy of God, and iiich as
imprets upon our mind great thoughts of him.

2d. BUT

SECT.IH. Sub jefl Matter of Holy Scripture. 83

2.6. BUT never did the divine Attributes
fo concur to exert themfelves as in the my-
ftery of our Redemtion : where his Juftice
wasfatisfied without diminution to his Mer
cy ; and his Mercy without entrenching oil
his Juftice : his Holinefs moft eminent in his
indignation againft fin , and yet his love no
lefs fo in fparing finners: thefe contradi-
dtions being reconcil'd , this difcord com*
pos'd into harmony by his infinit Wifdom.
This is that ftupendous Myftery into which
the Angels dejirdto loot^ i Pet. 1.12. And this
is it which by the Gofyel is preach'd unto us ;
as it follows, ver. 25-.

27. AND as the Scripture gives us this
knowledg of God, fo it do's alfo of our felves ;
in which two all profitable knowledg is com-
prifed. It teaches us how vile we were in our
original duft $ and how much viler yet in our
fall: which would have funk us below our
firft principles ; fent us not only to earth, but
hell. It fhews the impotence of our lapfed
eftate ; that we are not able of our felves fo
much as to tiling a good thought : and it fhews
us alfo the dignity of our renovated eftate,
that we are heirs of God , and fellow-heirs with
Chrijt, Ro. 8.17. yet left this might puff us up
with miftaken hopes ; it plainly acquaints us
with the condition on which this depends ^
that it muft be our obedience both active and
paffive, which is to intitle us to it: that we

I, 2 mult

84 T&* Cbrijtians Birth-right, tic.

muft be faithful to death if we mean to inherit
a crown of life, Rev. 2. 10. and that roe muft
fuffer with Chriji, if we will be glorified with him,
Jlo. 8.17. And upon fuppofition that we per
form our parts or the condition , it gives us
the moft certain aflurance, engages Gods ve
racity that he will not fail on his. By this it
gives us fupport againft all the adverfities of
life y afluring us the fujfer ings of it are not wor
thy to be compared with the glory we expett,
Rom. 8. 18. yea, and againft the terrors of
death too; by alluring us that what we look
on as a diflblution , is but a temporary part
ing ; and we only put off our bodiesthat they
may put off corruption , and be clothed with
immortality.

28. THESE and the like are the dodlrins
the holy Scripture offers to us: and, we may
certainly fay , they are faithful fayings , and
worthy of all acceptation, i Tim. 4. 15-. The
notions it gives us of God are fo fublime and
great , that they cannot but affed: us with re
verence, and admiration : and yet withal, fo
amiable and endearing that they cannot but
raife love and gratitude, affiance and de
light.

29. A N D, which is yet more, thefe milder
Attributes are apt to infpiritus with a gene
rous ambition of affimilation ; excite us to
tranfcribe all his imitable excellencies: in
which the very Heathens could difcern con-

fitted

SubjeS Matter of Holy Scripture. 8

lifted the accompliftiment of human feli
city.

30. AND then the knowledg it gives us of
our felves , do's us the kindeft office imagina
ble: keeps us from thofe Iwelling thoughts
we are too apt to entertain , and (hews us the
neceffity of bottoming our hopes upon a fir
mer foundation: and then again keeps us
from being lazy or fecure , by Jhewing us the
neceffity of our own endevors. In a word, it
teaches us to be humble and induftrious •> and
whoever is fo ballafted can hardly be ihip-
wrackt.

31. THESE are the excellencies of the
do&rinal part of Scripture,which aifo renders
them molt aptly preparative for the prece
ptive. And indeed , fo they were defign'd :
the Credenda, and the ^Agenda being fuch infe-
parable relations , that whoever parts them,
forfeits the advantage of both. The moftfo-
lemn prcfeffion of Chrift, the moft importu
nate invocations, Lord, Lord, will fignify no
thing to them which do not the things which he
/i*W,Mat> 7. And how excellent, how ratio
nal thofe precepts are which the Scripture
propofes to us from him , is our next point of
confideration.

32. THE firft Law which God gave to
mankind was that of nature. And tho the
impreffions of it upon the mind be by Adams
fall exceedingly dimm'd and defac'd; yet

that

8 6 The Cbrijtians Btrtb-rigbt,

that derogates nothing from the dignity and
worth of that Law -y which God has bin fo
far from cancelling , that he feems to have
made it the rule and fquare of his lubfequent
Laws : fo that nothing is injoin'd in thofe,
but what is confonant and agreeable to that.
The Moral Law given in the Decalogue to
the Jews, the Evangelical Law given in the
Gofpel to Chriftians , have this natural Law
for their baiis and foundation. They licence
nothing which that prohibits, and very rare
ly prohibit any thing which it licences.

33. 'Tis true, Chrift in his Sermon on the
Mount, raifes Chriftians to a greater ftridhiefs
then the Jews thought themielves oblig'd to ;
but that was not by contradicting cither the
natural, or moral Law,but by refcuing the la
ter from thofe corruptions which the falfe
glofles of the Scribes and Pharifees had mixt
with it; and reducing it to its primitive in
tegrity, and extent. In a word , as the Deca
logue was given to repair the defacmgs , and
renew the impreffions of the natural Law ;
Ib the precepts of the Gofpel were defign'd to
revive and illuftrate both. And accordingly
we find Chrift in the matter of divorce calls
them back to this natural Law ; In the bcgin-
inv it was notfoJsHzt .19.8. I fay not but that
even thefe natural notions are in fom in-
ftances refin'd and elevated by Chrift ; the fe-
cond Adarn being to repair the fall of the firft

with

SECT.III. Sub] eft Matter of Holy Scripture. 87

with advantage : but yet he ftill builds upon
that ground-work , introduces nothing that
is inconfiftent with it.

34. AND this accordance between thefe
feveral Laws is a circumftance that highly re-
eommends Scripture precepts to us. We can
not imagin but that God who made man for
no other end but to be an inftruinent of his
glory , and a recipient of all communicable
parts of his happinefs, would aflign him fuch
rules and mefures as were moft conducive to
thofe ends. And therefore lince the Scri
pture injunctions are of the lame mould, we
muft conclude them to be fuch as tend to the
perfection of our being ; the making us what
God originally intended us : and he that
would not be that, will certainly chufe much
worfe for himfelf.

3 y . I know there have bin prejudices taken
up againft the precepts of Chrift,as if they im-
pos'd unreafonable , unfupportable ftricknef-
les upon men , and fom have aflum'd liberty
to argue mutinoufly againft them; nay, a-
gainft God too for putting fuch natural appe
tites into men, and then forbidding them to
fatisfy them.

36. BUT the ground of this cavil is the
not rightly diftmguifhing of natural appe
tites , which are to be di.ierencd according
to the two ftates of rectitude and deprava
tion : thofe of the firft rank are the appetites

God

8 8 The CbriJHans Birth-right,

God put into man ; and thofe were all regu
lar and innocent ; fuch as tended to the pre-
fervation of his being : nature in its firft inte
grity mefiiring its defires by its needs. Now
Chrifts prohibitions are not directed againft
thefe : he forbids no one kind of thele de-
fires. And tho the precept of felf-denial may
fomtimes reftrain us in fom particular adts -y
yet that is but proportionable to that re-
ftraint Adam was under in relation to the for-
bidden tree , a particular inltance of his obe
dience and fence of his fafety. So that if
men would confider nature under this its firft
and belt notion ; they cannot accule Chrift
of being fevere to it.

37. BUT 'tis manifeft they take it in a^o-
ther acception , and mean that corruption of
nature which inordinatly inclines to ienfitive
things ; and on this account they call their
riots, their luxuries, appetites put into them
by God : whereas tis manifeft this was fuper-
induced from another coaft : The wife man
gives us its true pedigree in what he iaies of
death , which is its twin-fifter : By the envy of
the devil came death into the world, Wif. 2. 2.4.
And can they exped: that Chrift who came to
deftroy the ivories of the devil i Joh. 3.8. fliould
frame Laws in their favor , make A<5ts of to
leration and indulgence for them? This were
to annul the whole defign of his coming into
the world , which was to reftore us from our

lapft

SECT.HI. Sutjcft Matter of Holy Scripture. 89

lapft eftate , and elevate us to thofe higher
degrees of purity which he came not only to
prefcribe but to exemplify to us^

38. BUT in this affair men often take nature
ina yet wider and worfe notion 5 and under
natural delires comprehend whatever upon
any fort of motive they have a mind to do*
The awe of a fuperior , the importunity of a
companion, cuftom, and example make men
do many ill things, to which their nature
would never promt them ; nay, many times
fucli as their nature reludts to , and abhors,
'Tis certainly thus in all debauchery and ex-
cefs. 'Tis evident-.it gratifies no mans nature
to be drunk , or to lie under undigefted loads
of meats : thefe are out-rages and violence^
upon nature ; take it only in the moft fenfi-
live notion ; fuch as {he ftruggles to avert :
and yet men make her bear not only the op-
preffion, but the blame too.

39. BUT befides 'tis to be confider'd , that
the nature of a man includes reafon as well as
fenfe , and tci this all forts of luxury are yet
more repugnant: as that which clouds the
mind, and degrades the man (who in his
cbnftitution is a rational being) and fets him.
in the rank of mere animals: and certainly
thefe can be no appetites of nature , which
ihus fubvert it,

40. THE like may be faid concerning re-
tenge, particularly "that abfurdeflt fort of it,

M dush

9 o The Chrijiians T$irth*rigbt> &c.

duels ; which certainly are as great contradi-
ftions to nature as can be imagined , the
unravelling and cancelling its very firft prin-^
ciple of felt-prefervation, (which in other in-
ftances men bring in bar againft duty. ) And
yet men will fay the generality of their na
tures compels them to it; fo making their na
tures a kind of felo de fe$ to promt the de-
ftroying it felf : when alas 'tis only the falfe
notion they have got of honor that fo enga
ges them. And if men would but foberly
confider , they muft be convinc'd that there
is nothing more agreeable to reafon then
that precept ofChrift of not retaliating in
juries ; which is in efied: but to bid us to chufe
a fingle inconvenience before a long train of
mifchiefs. And certainly if nature even in
its deprav'd eftate were left to determine , it
would refolve it a better bargain to go off
with a reprochful word, then to loofe a limb,
perhaps a life in the revenge of it. There
being no maxim more indifputable , then
that of evils the leaft is to be chofen. And the
innate principle of felf-love do's more itrong-
ly biafs nature to preferve it felf, then any
external thing can to deftroy it.

41, I know 'twill be laid to this, that re
venge is a natural appetite : but I fay ftill,felf-
prelervation is more fo -, and would prevail
againft as much of revenge as is natural, were
it uot heightned and fortified by pliancy, and

SECT.!!!, Subjeft Matter of Holy Scripture. 9 r

that Chimera of point of honor,which,as it is
now ftated,is certainly one of the moft emty
nothings that ever was brought in balance
with folid interefts. And indeed 'tis to belie
nature , and fuppofe it to have forfeited all
degrees of reafon, as well as vertuc, to faften
fo abfurd a choice upon her. But admit re
venge to be never fo much the dictate of cor<-
rupt nature -, 'tis certain 'tis not of primitive
regular nature. Revenge is but a relative to
injury : and he that will fay God put the ap
petite of revenge into ijian , muft fay he put
the appetite of injury into him alfo: which
is fuch an account of the fixth daies creation,
as is hardly confiftent with Gods own tcfti*
jnony of its being very good, Gen. i.

42. BESIDES 'tis certain all the defires
God infus'd into human nature, were fuch
as tended to its prefervation ; but this of re
venge is of all other the moft deftrudive, as
is too fadly attefted by the daily tragical
effedfo of it. In fhort, the wifeman gives a
good fummary of the whole matter : God
made man upright , but he fought out many in*
ventions. Eccl. 7. 29.

43. Now if man have by his own volun
tary a£t deprav'd himfelf , it would be nei^
ther jult nor kind in God to warp his Laws to
mans now diftorted frame ; but it is both, to
keep up the perfect rectitude of thofe 3 and
call upon man to reduce himfelf to a confor*

M z

22 The Chriftians 'Birth-right.,

mity with them : and when to this is added
fiich a iupply of grace as may filence the plea
of difability, there can nothing be imagin'd
more worthy of God, or more indulgent to
man.

44. AND all this Chrift do's in the Gofpel ,
in thofe precepts which the blind world
makes the fubjed of their cavil or fcorn. It
were an eafy task to evince this in every par
ticular precept of the Gofpel ; but I mall
content my felf with the inftances already
given, and not fwell this Tradtby infifting
upon what has already bin the fubje&of fo
many pious and excellent difcourfes , as muft
already have convinc'd all but the obftinate.

45-. WE proceed therefore to a view of
the promiflbry parts of Scripture ; in which
we are firft in general to obferve the great
goodnefs pf God , in making any promifes
at all to us y and next to examin of what na
ture and excellence thefe promifes are. And
firft if we confider how many titles God has
to our obedience , we muft acknowledg he
may challenge it as his undoubted right.
We are the work of his hands 5 and if the
Potter have power over the clay (the mate
rials whereof are not of his making ) much
more has God over his creatures, whofe mat
ter as well as form is wholy owing to him.
We are the price of his blood. And if men
account purchafe an indefeifible title ? God

muft

Subjeft Matter of Holy Scripture. 93

mufthave abfolute dominion over what he
has bought , and at fo dear a price too as hi?
own blood. Laftly we depend upon him for
the fiipport of that being he has given us : we
live merely upon his bounty , fpend upon his
ftock. And what Patron will not expe& ob-
lervance from one who thus fubfifts by him >

4.6. YET as if God had none of thefe
claims , thefe preingagements upon us , he
defcends to treat with us as free-men ; by
way of Article and compact ; buies his own
of us, and engages to reward that obedience,
which he might upon the utmoft penalties
exad: which is fuch an aftonifhing indul*
gence as our higheft gratitude cannot reach :
and of this the facred Scriptures are the evi
dences and records -y and therefore upon that
account defeive at once our reverence , and
our joy.

47. BUT this will yet farther appear, if
we look in the fecond place into the promifes
themfelves s which are fo extenfive as to take
in both our prefent and future ftate : accor
ding to that of the Apoitle ; Godlinefs hath the
promife of this life , and of that -which u to come,
Tim. 4. 8. For the prefent they are propor
tion d to the feveral parts of our compofition;
the body3and the mind: the outward and the
inward man , fo ftretching themfelves to all
we can really be concern'd for in this world.

48. AND flrft for the body , the Old Te-

ftament

5>4 The Chrijtians Birth-right, &c.

ftament abounds in promifes of this fort,
The firft part of the 28 of Deut. contains a
full catalogue of all temporal bleffings ; and
thofe irreverfibly entail'd upon the Israelites
obedien,ce, ver. r. The Pfalmift tells us, they
that fear the Lordjhall l&c kjiothing , Pf. 34. p.
that they /hall not be confounded in the perillous
time , and in the dates of dearth they Jhall have
enough, Pfa. 37. 19. And Solomon, that the
Lord will not fuffer the righteous to famifh ,
Pro. 10. 3. And thq under theGofpel, the
promifes of temporal affluence feem not fo
large ; (its defign being to fpiritualize us, and
raiie our minds to higher injoiments ; ) yet
it gives us ample fecurity of fo much as is real-?
ly good for us. It fuperfedes our care for our
felves by alluring us all thefe things Jhall be ad"
dedtous; Mat. 6. 33. that is, all thofe things
which our heavenly Father knows we have need
qf> ver. 32. which is all the limitation the
context gives. And certainly we have little
temtation to fear want, who have him for our
provider -y whofe are all the beafts of the Forreff,
find the cattel upon a thoufand hills, Pfal.fo. iof
49. AJND when we are thusfecur'd of all
things neceffary , it may perhaps be an equal
mercy to fecure us from great abundance ;
which at the belt, is but a lading ones felf with
thicl^clay , in the Prophets phraie, Hab. 2. 6*
but is often a fnare as well as a burden.
jo, B E s i p E s, the Gofpel by its precepts

pi:

SiCT.IIL Subjetl Matter of Holy Scripture. 9?

of temperance and felf-denial , do's fo con-
trad; our appetites , that a competence is a
more adequate promiie to them then that of
fuperfluity wbuld have bin : and 'tis alfo the
mefure wnerein all the true fatisfa&ion of the
fenles confift 5 which are gratify'd with mo
derate plefures, but fuftocated and over-
whelm'a with exceffive. The temperat man
tafts and rcliflies his portion ; whilft the volu
ptuous may rather be faid to wallow in his
plenty then injoy it.

7 1. AND as the neceflaries of life, folife
it felf, and the continuance of that, is a Scri
pture promife. The fifth Commandment af
fixes it to one particular duty : but it is in a
multitude of places in the Old Teftament
annex'd to general obedience. Thus it is,
Deut.n.g. and again, ver. 21. AndSolomon
propofes this practical wifdom as the multi
plier of daies : By me thy dates Jhall be multi~
ptid, and the years >{of thy lifejtiall be increasd,
Pro. 9. ii. and chap. 3. Length of daies is in
her right hand, ver. id, And tho we find not
this promife repeted in the New Teftament,
yet neither is it retraded : 'tis true, the Go-
Ipel bids us be ready to lay down our lives
for Chrifts fake ; but it tells us withal, that he
that will lofe his life, fhall fave it : which tho
it be univerfally true only in the Tpiritual
fenfe , yet it often proves fo in a literal. It,
did fo eminently in the deftru&ion of Jerufa-

iem,

The Chriftians Birth-right,

lem , where the moft refolute Chriftians e-
fcap'd,while the bafe eompliers perifh'd toge
ther with thofe they fought to endear; This
is certain, that if the New Teftament do not
exprefly promife long life , yet it do's by its
rules of temperance and fobriety, contented-
nefs and chearfulnefs, very much promote it :
and fo do's virtually and efficaciowfly ratify
thofe the Old Teftament made.

5-2. THE next outward bleffing is repu
tation : and this alfo is a Scripture pro
mife. The wife Jhall inherit glory > Prov. 3. 38.
And the vertuous woman Solomon defcribes
is not only blefledby her children andhuf-
band,buty/?£ ispraifedin the gate, Pro. 3 1 . ult.
Nay , this bleffing is extended even beyond
life : The memory of the jujt Jhall be blejfedy
Pro. ID. 7. Nor do's the Gofpel evacuate this
promife ; but rather ptomts us to the waies of
having it made good to us : by advifing us to
abjlain from all appearance of evil, i Thef. 5.
2,2. to provide for nonejt things , not only in the
Jight of'God, but alfo in the (ight ofmen> 2 Cor*

£.21.

^3. 'Tis true indeed^ Chrift fore-warns
his Difciples that they fhall be revil'd , and
have all manner of evil fyoken againjt them
falfly, for his names fake : but then the caufe
transformed the fufferings, and made it fo ho-1
norable, that they were to count it matter of
joy, Mat* f. ii.i2. Neither was this any pa

radox

SECT .III. Subjett Matter of Holy Scripture. 97

radox even in relation to theh4 reputation ;
whicjb tho fullied by a few ill men of that
Age, yet has bin moft illuftrions among all
Ages fince. Their fufierings and indignities
gave them a new title of honor , and added
the Martyr to the Apoftle. And the event
has bin proportionable in all fucceffians fince.
Thofe holy men that fill'd up the Pagan pri-
Ibns , fill'd up the Churches Diptics alfo, and
have bin had as the Plalmift fpeaks , in ever*
lafting remembrance, Pf. 112. 6.

J4- -AND as Scripture promifes thus take
in all the concerns of the outward man, fo do
they alfo of the inward. The fundamental
promife of this kind , is that of fending Cbrijl
into the world, and in him ejtablijhin<r the
new Covenant -y which we find, Jer. 3i. 3t.
and is referred to by the Author to the He
brews , I will put my Laws in their hearts , and
write them in their minds 5 and their fins and
iniquities will I remember n& more, Heb. i o, 161

5-5-. AND this is fo comprehenfive a pro->
mife as includes all the concerns of the in-*
ward man. The evils incident to the mind
of man may be reduc'd to two ; impurity,
and inquietude : and here is a cure to both.
The divine Law written in the heart , drives
thence allthofe fwarms of noyfom liifts^whicli
like the Egyptian Frogs over-run and putrity
the foul. Where that is leated and enmrin'd,
tliofe can no more ftand before it > then Da^

N £**

p g The Ckrijtians Birth-right, &c.

gon before the Ark. This repairs the divine
Image in us (in which confifts the perfection
of our nature ) renews us in the fyirits of our
minds., Eph. 4. 22. and purges our consciences
from deaawork*, Heb. 9.4. which all the Ca
thartics and Luftrations among the Heathen,
all the facrifices and ceremonies of the Law
were not able to do.

ftf. SECONDLY, this promife fecures the
mind from that reftleihels and unquietnefs,
which attends both the dominion and guilt
of fin. To be fubjed: to a mans lufts and cor
rupt appetites is of all others the vileft vaflal-
lage : they are the cruelleft task-mafters, and
allow their flaves no reft, no intermiffion
of their drudgery. And then again, the guilt
that tortures and racks the mind with dread
ful expectations , keeps it in perpetual agita
tion and tumult ; which is excellently deicri-
bed by the Prophet Ifaiab , The wicked is like
the troubled fea^when it cannot rejt ; whofe wa
ters cajt out mire and dirt : there is no peace
faith my God to the wicked, If. 48. 22. How
profperous foever vice may feem to be in the
world, yet there are fuch iecret pangs and
horrors that dog it, that as Solomon faies, even
in laughter the heart isforrowful, Prov. 14. 13.

5-7- BUT this Evangelical promife of be
ing merciful to our iniquities y and remem-
bring our fins no more., calms this tempeft, in
troduces peace and ferenity in.to the mind,

and

SECT,!!!. Subjett Matter of Holy Scripture. 9^

and reconciles us at once to God and our
felves. And lure we may well fay with the A-
poftle , thefe are great and precious promifes,
2. Pet. 1.4.

5-8. THERE are befides many other which
fpring from thefe principal , as fuckers from
the root : fuch are the promifes of firefh fup-
plies of grace upon a good imploiment of the
former. To him that hathjhall be given >, Mat,
ay. 29. Nay, even of thefource and foun
tain of all grace. He Jh all give the holy $>irit
to them that asJ^him , Mat. 7. n. Such is
that of fupportino; us in all difficulties and at-
faults: the not Buffering us to be temted above
that tve are able, i Cor. 10. 13. which like
Gods borvfet in the clouds. Gen. 9. is our fecu-
rity, that we fhall not be over-whelm'd by any
deluge of temtation: and (to inftance no
more ) fuch is that comprehenfive pro-
mife of hearing our praiers, Ask^anditjhall
be given you, Mat. 7. 7. This puts all good
things within our reach 3 gives us the key of
Gods Store-houfe, from whence we may fur-
nifh our felves with all that is really good for
us. And if a few full Barns could temtthe
rich man in the Gofpel, to pronounce a Re
quiem to his foul ; what notes of acquiefcence
may they fing, who have the command of an
inexhauitible (tore; that are fuppli'd by him
whofe is the earth, and the fulnels thereof.

f$. AND certainly, all thefe promifes to-*
N 2. Aether

JOO

TheChriJtians Birth-right,

gether muft be ( to ufe the Apoftles phrafe )
Jirong confolation ; fueh as may quiet and
Calm all the fears and griefs , all the tumults
and perturbations of the mind, in relation to
its prefent ftate. But then there are others
^ relating to the future of a much higher eleva
tion : thofe glories and felicities of another
world , which are fo far beyond our narrow
conceptions, that the comprehenfion and in-
joiment mult begin together. The Scripture
fhadpws it out to us by ail the notions, we have
of happinels : by£/0ry,Rom. 8. 18. by a king
dom > Mat. 25-. 14. by joy, Mat. 25-. 21. and
which comprehends all,by being with the Lord,
i Thef. 4. 17 .feeing him face tofacs, i Cor. 1 3 .
12. being like to him, i Jo. 3. 2. In a word tis
blifs jn the utmoft extent : immenle for quan
tity, and eternal for duration.

<So. AND furely this promife is fb excellent for
kind, fo liberal in its degree, fo tntnfcendent-
ly great in all refpe£ts,that did it ftand fingle,
ftoipt of all thofe that relate to this life , it a-
lone would juftify the name of Gofpel, and be
the beft tidings that ever came to mankind.
For alas , if we compare the hopes that other
Religions pyopofe to their Votaries with
thele, how bafe, how ignoble are they ! The
Heathens Elyfium, the Mahumetan Faradiie,
were but higher gratifications of the fenfual
part, and confequently were depreffions and
debafeixients of the rational. SQ that iu en^d:

they

SECT.IH. Subjett Matter of Holy Scripture. 101

they provided a heaven for the beaft, and a
hell for the man. We may therfore confident
ly refume our conclufion ; and pronounce the
Scripture promifes to be fo divine and excel
lent, that they could as little have bin made,
as they can be perform'd by any but an holy
and almighty Author.

6 1. NOR is their being conditional any
impeachment to their worth, but an enhanfe-
ment. Should God have made them (asfom
phancy he has his decrees) abfolute and irre-
ipe&ive i he had let his promifes at war with
his precepts , and thefe Ihould have fuperfe*
ded what thofe injoin. We are all very nig
gardly towards God, and (hould have bin apt
to have ask'd Judas 's queftion j to rvbatpurpofe
istbisTvaft? Mat. 26. 8. What needs the la^
bor of the courle if the prize be certain ? And
it muft have bin infinitly below the wifdom
and majefty of the fiipreme Legiflator, to
make Laws , and then evacuate them by di-
Ipencing rewards without any afped: on their
obfervance. 'Tis the Sanction which inlpi-
rits the Law, without which the divine*as well
as the human , would to molt men be a dead
letter.

62. BUT againftthis God has abundant
ly provided , not only by the conditionally
of the promifes,but by the terror of his threats
too ; which is the laft part of Scripture which
falls under conlideration. And thele are of

the

102

The Cbriflians Birth-right,

the moft direful kinds ; and cannot better be
illuftrated then by the oppofition they ftand
in to the promifes : for as thofe included all
things that might make men happy either as
to this life or the next , fo thefe do all that
may make them miferable. If we make our
reflection on all the particulars of the promi-
ies, we fh all find the threats anfwering them
as their reverfe or dark fhadow.

63. AND firftas concerning the outward
ftate , if we look but into the 28 of Deut. we
fliall find, that after all the gracious promifes
which begun the chapter, it finally ends in
thunder, in the moft dreadful denunciations
imaginable ; and thofe adapted by a moft
peculiar oppofition to the former promifesras
the Reader may fee at large in that Chapter..
And the whole tenor of the Scripture go's in
the like ftile. Thus, Pfal. 140. n. Annexed
f erf on Jhatt not pro/per in the earth , evill Jhall
bunt the wicked man to overthrow him. The Lord
m/l not fuffer the righteous to famijh 9 but he
cajleth out the fubjtance of the nicked; Pro.
10.3. And again , the righteous eateth to the
fatisfying of bis foul , but the belly of the wicked
jhallivant, Pro. 13. 25". Multitudes of like ge
neral threatnings of temporal improfperi-
ty there are every where fcatter'd throout
the Scripture; and many more appli'd to
particular vices, as floth , unmercihilnefs ,

luxury,

SECT.III.i$fci;>S Matter of Holy Scripture. 103

luxury , and the like ; which would be here
too long to enumerate.

64. AND altho thefe threatnings may
feem fomtimes to be literally confuted by
the wealth and opulency of wicked men , yet
they never mils of being really and vertually
verified. For either their profperities are very
fhort , and only preparative to a more emi
nent ruin , which was the Pfalmilts refolu-
tionof this doubt, Pfal. 72, orelfe if God
leave them the matter of temporal happi-
nefs , yet he fubftra&s the vertue and fpirit
of them , renders them emty and unfatisfy-
ing. This is well expreft by thePfaimiftin
the cafe of the Ifraelites : He gave them their
defire , and. fent leanefs rvithall into their foul ,
Ffa. 106. if. and by J^opbar, Job 20. 22.
where fpeaking of the wicked, he faith ; In
the fulntfs of hisfufficiencyjhall be be injlraits.
And to this Solomon feems to refer , when he
faith 5 the blejfing of the LordmaJ^eth rich , and
be addeth nojorrow with it, Pro. 10 .22.

65-. NEITHER is it only the com forts of
life , but life it felf that is threatned to bs
taken from wicked men : untimely death is
throout the Old Teftament frequently men-
tion'd as the guerdon of impiety : 'tis often
affign'd judicially in particular cafes: He
Jhattbe cut off from Ins people, being the ufual
fentence upon moft offenders under the Le-
vitical Law. But 'tis alfo menaced more gene
rally

1 04 The Cbriflians Birth-right, &c.

rally as an immediat judgment from God :
The blood-thirfty and deceitful men Jhallnot live
outhalf their daies , Pfal. ff . 23. farther yet,
their names {hall putrify as foon as their Car-
kaflfes: the name of the wicked Jhatt rot -, Pro.
10. 7. Nay both their infamy and their ruin
are intail'd upon their pofterity. The feed of
evil doers Jhall never be renorvrid. Prepare
flaugbter for his children \ for the iniquity of
their fathers s Ifa. 14. 20. 21.

66. I F now we look on Scripture threat-
nings in relation to the mind of man , we
fliall find them yet morefevere: wilful im
penitent finners being cut off from the bene
fits of the new covenant ; nor barely io 5 but
look'd upon as defpifers of it, and that blood
of Chrift in which it was feal'd ; Heb. io. 29.
nay asthofe murtherous Wretches that flied
it: They crucify to themfelves th0 Son of God
afrejh ; Heb. 6. 6. And this is the fatalleft
fentence that can fall on any man in this
life i to be thus disfranchifed of all the privi
leges of the Gofpel , and rankt as well in
punifhment as guilt, with the moft criniinous
of mankind.

67. FROM hence 'tis confequent , that
the mind remains not only in its native im
purity , but in a greater and more incurable
one : whilft that bloud which alone could
cleanfe it a ferves but to embrue and pollute
it 5 and as it were fiufli , and excite it to all

irnina-

. Subjeft ^Latter of Holy Scripture.

immanities and vilenefles : and he that is thus
filthy , 'tis the doom pronounc'd againft him,
t\&*htJbaU be filthy JtiU, Rev. 12. n.

68. AND then in the fecond place, what
calm can there be to fuch a mind > what re
mains to fuch a perfon , but that fearful
expectation of wrath and fiery indignation ,
which the Apoftle mentions, Heb. 10. 27. In
deed, were there none but temporal mif-
chiefs to fear ; yet it were very unplefant to
think ones felt , like Cain, out-law'd fr@m the
prefence and protection of God ; to be afraid
that every man that meets us Jhould flay us ,
Gen. 4. 14. Nay, thofe confus'd indiftindl
fears of indefinite evils which attend guilt,
are very unquiet uneaiy inmates in the mind.
This is excellently delcrib'd by Mofes ; The
Lord Jhatt give thee a trembling hearty and fail*
ing ofeies, and for row of mind, and thy life Jh all
hang in doubt before thee , and thou Jhalt feaf
day and night > in the morning thou Jhalt fay^
would Goa it were evening and in the evening
would God it were morning , Deut. 28. <5y,
66, 67.

6$. AND what can be more wretched then
to have a mind thus agitated and toft , rackt
and tortur'ds especially when thro all thefe
clouds it fees a glimpfe of the eternal To-
phet ; and knows , that from the bilknvs of
this uneafy ftate, it mvt be tolt into that
Lake of fire. And this is indeed the dregs of

O the

1 06 The Cbrijtians Birth-right, &c.

the cup of Gods wrath , the dreadfullcft and
molt aftonifhing of all Scripture denuncia
tions. This comprehends all that the nature
of man is capable of fuifering. Divines di*
ftinguifh it into the pain of fenfe, and of lofs :
that of fenfe is reprefented to us in Scripture
by fire; and that acceaded, and render' d
noyfom as well as painful by brimftone , that
afflids the fmell as well as the touch : fom-
times by outer darJ^nefs , wailing and gnajh-
ing of teeth, to grate the ears , and coniume
the eies ; by intolerable thirft,to torment the
palate. Not that we are to think the fenfi-
tive pains of Hell do not infinitly exceed all
thefe ; but becaufe thefe are the higheft me-
fures our prefent capacities can make,and are
adequate to thofe fenles for whofe carnal fa-
tisfadions we incur them.

70. THE pain of lofs is yet more difmal ;
as being feated. in tjae foul ; whofe fpiritual
nature will then ferve it only to render its
torments more refin d5 and acute. With what
anguifh will it then fee it felf baniflVd from
the prefence of God ; and confequently from
all that may give fatisfadion and blifs to the
creature ? But yet with how much deeper an
guifh will it refled: on it felf as the Author of
that deprivation ? How will it recoiled: the
many defpis'd tenders of grace, the eafy
terms on which falvation might have bin
had ? And how ladly will confcience then re
venge

SECT.HI. Subjett Matter of Holy Scripture. 107

all its ftifled admonitions by an unfilenceable
clamor, that worm which never dies., Mar. 9.48.
How wounding will it then be to fee Abra
ham, If z&c and Jacob , and all the Saints in
the kingdom of God, Luk. 13. 28. (nay, that
poor Lazarus .whom here men turnd over to
the charity of their dogs ; ) and it felf in the
company of the devil and his angels -y who
will then upbraid what they once inticed to.

71. NATURE abhors nothing more then
to have our mifery infulted over by thofe
who drew us into it : yet that no circum-
ftance may be lacking to their torment , this
muft be the perpetual entertainment of
damn'd fouls. And to all this Eternity is the
difmal adjund; ; which is of all other circum-
ftances the moft dilconfolate ; as leaving not
fo much as a glimpfe of hopes ; which here
ufes ftill to be the referve , and laft refort of
themilerable.

72. THIS Eternity is that which gives an
edg, infofes a new acrimony into the tor
ments : and is the higheft ftrain, the vertical
point of mifery. Thefe are thofe terrors of
the Lord, with which the Scripture acquaints
us : and fure we cannot fay that thefe are flat
contemtible menaces; but fuch as fuit the
dreadful Majefty of that God who is a confu-
ming fire, Heb. 12* 29. So that thefe are as
aptly accommodated for the exciting our
dread , as the promifes were of our love :

O 2 both

2 P 8 'The Chrijiians Birth-right;

both jointly concur to awake our induftry.

7 3 . FOR God has bin fo good to mankind,
as to make the threats conditional as well as
the promifes: fo that we as well know the
way to avoid the one , as we do to attain the
other. Nor has he any other intendment or
end in propofing them, but that we may do
fo. See to this purpofe, with what folemnity
he protefts it by Mofes ;I call heaven and earth
to record againji you this day, that Ihavefet be
fore you life and death , blefjm^ and curfing >•
therefore chufe life , that both thou and thy feed
may live, Deut. 50. 19.

74. I have now run thro the feveral parts
of Scripture I propofed to fpeak of. And tho
I have in each given rather fliort inftances
and eflaies then an exaft defcription , yet
even in thefe contracted lineaments the ex-
quilit proportions may be difcern'd. And if
the Reader fhall hence be incourag'd to ex
tend his contemplations, and as he reads ho
ly ScripturejObferve it in all its graces, and
fall dimenfions; I doubt not he will pro
nounce from his experience, that the matter
of the divine Book is very correfpondent to
the Author: which is the higheft Eulogy
imaginable.

7j- IN the next place we are to confider

(ihe holy Scripture in relation to its end and

tleiign ; in proportion to which every thing

Js mpreorJeft valuable The moft exquifit

framea

SECT. III. Sub j eft Matter of Holy Scripture. 109

frame, and curious contrivance , that has no
determinat end or ufe, is but a piece of indu-
ftrious folly , a Spiders web , as the Prophet
fpeaks, Ifa, 59. ?. Now thofe defigns have al-
waies been elteem'd the moft excellent that
have had the moft worthy fubjeds 3 and bin
of the greateft extent. Accordingly thofe
who have projected the obliging and bene
fiting of other men (tho but within a privat
Sphere) have alwaies bin lookt on as men of
generous and noble defigns. Thofe who have
taken their level higher , and direded their
aim to a more public good , tho but of a Ci
ty or Nation, have proportionably acquir d
a greater efteem. But thofe who haveafpi-
r'd to be univerfal benefadors, to do fom-
thing for the common benefit of the world,
their fame has commonly reach 'd as far as
their influence ; men have reverenc'd , nay
fomtimes (according to the common excef-
fes of mans nature ) ador'cl them. Many
of the heathen deities (efpecially their demi
gods ) having bin only thofe perfons, who by
introducing lorn u(eful Art , or other part of
knowledg, had oblig'cl mankind. So we fee
what a natural gratitude men are apt to pay
to worthy and generous defigns. And if we
will be content but to ftand to this common
award of our nature , the Scripture will have
the faireft claim imaginable to our reverence
th*mkfulnef$ , upon this very account,

of

no

The Chrijtians Birth-right,

of the excellency of its defigns.

76. NOR ncea we borrow the balance of
the San&uary to weigh them in -, we may do
it in our own fcales ; for they exactly anlwer
the two properties above mention'd, of profit
and diffiifivenefs: which in fecular concerns
are the ftandard rules of good defigns. For
firft, it is the fole fcope and aim of Scripture,
the very end for which 'twas writ , to benefit
and advantage men ; and that fecondly,not
only fom fmall feled: number, fom little an
gle or corner of the world , but the whole
race of mankind -, the entire Univerfe ; and
he that can imagin a more difiufive defign,
inuft imagin more worlds alfo.

77- Now for the firft of thefe , that it is
the defign of the Scripture to benefit men ;
we need appeal but to Scripture it felf ; which
furely can give the beft account to wh t ends
'tis directed ; and that tells us, it u to maJ^e us
wife untofalvation, 2 Tim. 3. iy. In which is
comprehended the greateft benefit that mans
nature is capable of: the making us wife
while we live here, and the faving us eternal
ly. And this fure is the moft generous , the
moil obliging defign , that 'tis poffible even
for the Creator to have upon the creature :
and this is it which the holy Scripture nego
tiates with us.

78. AND firft , the making us wife, is fo
inviting a propofal to humanity , that we fee

when

SKT.TLI.Subje8 Matter of Holy Scripture, m

when that was much wifer then now it is , it
caught at a fallacious tender of it $ the very
found of it , tho out of the devils mouth , fa-
fcinated our firft Parents , and hurried them
to the higheft difobcdience , and certaineft
ruin. And therefore now God by the holy
Scriptures makes us an offer as much more
fafe , as it is more fincere j when he fends his
Word thus to be a lamp to our feet ,and a light
to our paths 3 Pf. 119. iof. to teach us all
that is good for us to know,our affectation of
ignorance will be more culpable then theirs
of knowledg, if we do not admire the kind-
nefs, & embrace the bounty of fuch a tender.
79. Now the making us wife muft be un-
derftood according to the Scripture notion
of wifdom,which is not the wifdom of this world,
nor of the trine es of this world , which come to
nought, as the Apoftle fpeaks , iCor.2.?. but
that wifdom which defc ends from above , Ja. 3.
17. which he there defcribes to be firft pure,
then peaceable, gentle and eafy to be intreated,
full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality,
and without hypocrify. Indeed the Scripture
ufually comprehends thefe and all other
graces under Wifdom $ for it makes it fyno-
nymous to that which includes them all, vi^.
the fear of the Lord. Thus we find throout
the whole Book of Proverbs thefe us d as
terms convertible. In fliort, Wifdom is that
practical knowledg of God and our felves

which

112

The Chrijhans Birth-right,

which engages us to obedience and duty ;
and this is agreeable to that definition the
Wife man gives of it; The tvifdom of the pru
dent is to underftand his way, Pro. 14* g. With
out this> all the moft refin'd and aerial fpecu-
lations, are but like Tbaless ftar-gazing;
which fecufd him not from falling in the
water ; nay > betrai'd him to it. In this is all
folid wifdom compris'd.

80. THE utmoit all the wife men in the
world have pretended to,is but to know what
true happinefs is , and what is the means of
attaining it : and what they fought with fo
much ftudy , and fo little fuccels , the Scri
pture prefents us with in the greateft certain
ty , and plaineft characters , fuch as he that
runs may read, Hab. 2. 2. It acquaints us with
that fupreme felicity, that chief go©d where
of Philofophy could only give us a name ;
and it fliews us the means, marks us out a path
which will infallibly lead us to it. Accor
dingly we find that Solomon after all the ac
curate iearch he had made to find what was
that good for the fons of men ; he iliuts up his
inqueft in this plain conclufion : Fear God and
keep his commandments ; for God Jhall bring
every TV or kjmto judgment, Ecclef. 12. 13, 14.
The regulating our lives fo by the rules of
Piety , as may acquit us at our final account,
is the moft eligible thing that falls within hu
man cognizance j and that not only in rela
tion

SECT. III. Subjett Matter of Holy Scripture. 1 1 3

tion to the fuperlative happinefs of the next
world, but even to the quiet and tranquillity
of this. For alas, we are impotent giddy crea
tures , fwai'd fomtimes by one paffion , ibm-
times by another ; nay often the interfear-
ing of our appetites makes us irrefolute which
we are to gratify ; whilft in the interim their
ftrugling agitates and turmoils the mind.
And what can be more defirable in fuch a
cafe , then to put our felves under a wifer
condudl then our own -, and as oppreft States
ufe to defeat all leiTer pretenders by becom
ing homagers to fom more potent : fo for us
to deliver our felves from the tyranny of our
lufts, by giving up our obedience to him
whofe fervice is perfect freedom.

8 1. WERE there no other advantage of
the exchange, but the bringing us under fixt
and determmat Laws, 'twere very confidera-
ble. Every man would gladly know the terms
of his fubjedtion, and have fom ftanding
rule to guide himfelf by ; and Gods Laws are
fo ; we may certainly know what he requires
of us: but the mandats of ourpaflions arc
arbitrary and extemporary : what pleafes
them to day difgufts them to morrow ; and
we muft alwaies be in readinefs to do we
know not what, and of all the Arbitrary
governments that men either feel or fear ,
this is doubtlefs the moft miferable- 1 wifh our
apprehenlions of it were but as fenfible : and.

P thea

ii4 The Chriftians Birth-right, &c.

then we fhould think the holy Scripture did
us the office of a Patriot , in offering us a
refcue from fo vile a flavery .

82. AND that it do's make us this offer, is
manifeft by the whole tenor of the Bible. For
firft it rowzes and awakes us to a fenfc of our
condition , Ihews us that what we call liberty,
is indeed the f addeft fervitude ; that he that
commit tcth Jin is the fervant of Jin ; Jo. 8.34.
thatthofe vices which pretend to ferveand
gratify us, do really fubdue and enflave us,
and fetter when they feem to embrace : and
whereas the will in all other oppreffions re
tains its liberty , this tyranny brings that al-
fo into vaffallage: renders our fpirits fo mean
and fervile , that we chufe bondage ; are
apt to fay with the Ifraelites , Let us alone
that we mayjervethe Egyptians, Ex. 14. 12.

83. AND what greater kmdnefs can be
don for people in this forlorn abjed: con
dition, then to animate them to caft off this
yoke, and recover their freedom. And to
this are mod of the Scripture exhortations
addrefts as maybe feen in a multitude of
places, particularly in the fixth chapter to
the Romans , the whole fcope whereof is di-
redly to this purpofe.

84. NOR do sit only found the alarm, put
us upon the conteft with our enemies^but it af-
fills us in it , furnifhes us with that whole armor
efGod which we find defcrib'd, Eph.t.i 3. Nay

further

SECT.HI.SvbjeS Matter of Holy Scripture. 1 1 ;

further it excites our courage , by affiiring us
that i£we will not bafely furrender our felves,
we can never be overpowered if we do but
ftand our ground ', refill our enemy, he rvillfly
fromm ; Ja. 4. 7. And to that purpofe it di-
re&s us under what banner we are to lift our
felves > even his who bath fyoildprineipalities
and powers, Col. 2. iy. to whofe condudt and
difcipline if we conftantly adhere, we cannot
mifsof vi&ory.

8f. AND then laftly it fets before us the
prize of this conqueft ; that we fliall not only
recover our liberty, manumit our felves from
the vileft bondage to the vileft and cruellelt
oppreffors ; but we (hall be crown d for it too ,
be rewarded for being kind to our felves,
and be made happy eternally hereafter for
being willing to be happy here.

86. AND fure thefe are terms fo appa
rently advantageous,thathe muft be infinitly
ftupid (fooltfhto deftra&ion) that will not
be thus made wife unto falva^ion, that defpi-
fes or cavils at this divine Book , which
means him fo much good , which defigns to
make him live here generoufly and accor
ding to the dignity ot his nature, and in the
next world to have that nature fublimated,
and exalted , made more capacious of thofe
refin'd and immenfe felicities, which there
await all who will qualify themfelves for
them 5 who ( as the Apoftle fpeaks) by patient

P 2 con-

1 1 6 The Cbrijlians Birth-right , &c.

continuance in well doing feeJ^ for glory , and
honor, and i mmortality ^eternal life, Rom. 2. 7.

87. BUT beficles the greateft and princi
pal advantages which concern our fpiritual
mtereft, it takes in alib the care of our fecu-
iar, directs us to fuch a managery ofourfelves,
as is naturally apt to promote a quiet and
happy life. Its injunction to live peaceable
wich all men, keeps us out of the way of many
mifadventures, which turbulent unruly fpirits
meet with, and fo fecures our peace. So alfo
as to wealth, it puts us into the faireft road to
riches by prefcribing diligence in our cal
lings : what is thus got being like found flefh,
which will ftick by us; whereas the hafty
growth of ill-gotten wealth is but a tumor
and impoftume, which the bigger it fwells,the
fooner it burfts and leaves us lanker then be
fore. In like manner it fliews us alfo how to
guard our reputation , by providing bonejt
things not only in the fight of God , but alfo in
thejight of men, Cor. 8. 28. by abjlaining even
from all appearance of evil, i Thef. f . 2 2 . and
making our ligLt Jhine before men, Mat. 5-. 16.
It provides too tor our eafe and tranquillity ,
iiiperfedes our anxious cares and follicitud's,
bv directing us to caji our burden upon the Lord,
Plal. yf. 22. and by a reliance on his provi
dence how to fecure to our felves all we
really want. Finally it fixes us in all the
changes 3 ftipports us under all the preflures,

com-

SECT.III. SubjeS Matter of Holy Scripture. 117

comforts us amidft all the calamities of this
life, by affiiring us they fhall all worl^ together
for good to thofe that love God 3 Ro. 8.28.

88. NOR do's the Scripture defign to pro
mote our interefts coniider'd only fingly and
perfonally, but alfo in relation to Societies
and Communities; it gives us the beft rules
of diftributive and commutative Juftice •,
teaches us to render to all their dues , Ro. 13.7-
to keep our words , to obferve inviolably all
our pads and contracts ; naytho they prove
to our damage, Pfa. if. 4. and to preferve
exad: fidelity and truth ; which are the finews
of human commerce. It infufes into us noble
and generous principles, to prefer a common
good before our private : and that higheft
flight of Ethnic vertue , that of dying for
ones Country, is no more then the Scripture
prefcribes even for our common brethren,
i Jo. 3. 1 6.

89. BUT befides thefe generals,it defcends
to more minute directions accommodated
to our feveral circumftances > it gives us ap
propriate rules in reference to our diftmft
relations, whether natural, civil, ecclefiafti-
calor oeconomical. And if men would but
univerfally conform to them , to what a blef-
fed harmony would it tune the world ? what
order and peace would it introduce ? There
would then be no oppreffive Governors , nor
mutinous Subjects 5 no unnatural Parents,nor

con-

1 1 8 The Chrijlians Birth-right,

contumacious Children : no idle Shepherds,
or ftraying Flocks : none of thofe domeftic
jars which oft difquiet, and fomtimes fubvert
families: all would be calm and ferene j and
give us in reality that golden Age , whereof
the Poets did but dream.

90. THIS tendency of the Scripture is
remarkably acknowledged in all our public
Judicatories , where before any teftimony is
admitted, we caufe the perfon that is to give
his teftimony , firft to lay hold of with his
hands , then with his mouth to kifs the holy
Scriptures : as if it were impoffible for thofe
hands , which held the myfteries of Truth, to
be immediatly emploi'd in working falfe-
hood y or that thofe lips which had ador'd
thofe holy Oracles , fliould be polluted with
perjuries and lies. And I fear, the civil Go
vernment is exceedingly fliaken at this day
in its firmeft foundation, by the little regard
is generally had of the holy Scriptures, and
what is confequent thereto , the oaths that
are taken upon them.

91. Tis true, we are far removd from
that ftate which Efaiah prophecied of under
the G of pel, tho we have the Bible among us ;
that when the Lawjhouldgo forth 0/Sion, and
the Word of the Lord from Jerufalem ; they
jhould beat their fivords into plow-Jhares , and
their fyears into pruning hooks , Ef. 2. 4. but
that is not from any defedtin it , but from

our

SECT.IH. Sub j eft Matter of Holy Scripture. 119

our own perverfnefs: rvebaveit, but (as the
Apoftlefpeaks in another fenle) as if we had
it not, i Cor. 7. 29. We have it (that is, ufe
it) to purpofes widely different from what it
means. Som have it as a Superfedeas to all the
duty jt injoins ; and lo they can but cap texts,
talk glibly of Scripture , are not at all con-
cern'd to practice it : fom have it as their Ar-
fenal , to furnifh them with weapons, not a-
gainft their fpiritual enemies , but their fecu-
lar: applying all the damnatory fentences
they there find , to all thofe to whofe perfons
or opinions they have prejudice. And fom
have it as a Scene of their mirth , a topic of
raillery, drefs their profane and fcurrilous
jefts in its language ; and ftudy it for no o-
ther end but to abufe it. And whillt we treat
it at this vile rate , no wonder we are never
the better for it. For alas, what will it avail
us to have the molt foveraign Balfom in our
pofleffion , if inftead of applying it to our
wounds, we trample it under our teet ?

92. BUT tho we may fruftrate the ufe,
we cannot alter the nature of things, Gods
defign in giving us the Scripture was to make
us as happy as our nature is capable of being ;
and the Scripture is excellently adapted to
this end: for as to our eternal felicity, all
that believe there is any fuch ftate , muft ac-
knowledg the Scripture chalks us out the rea
dy way to it : not only becaufe 'tis didated

120 The Chriflians Birth-right, &c.

by God who infallibly knows it , but alfo by
its prefcribing thole things which are in
themfelves beft ; and which a fober Heathen
would adjudg fitteft to be rewarded. And as
to our temporal happinefs , I dare appeal to
any unprejudic'd man, whether any thing
can contribute more to the peace and real
happinefs of mankind , then the univerfal
practice of the Scripture rules would do.
Would God we would all confpire to make
the experiment ; and then doubtlefs, not on
ly our reafon, but our fenfe too would be con-
vinc'd of it.

93. AND as the defign is thus beneficial,
fo in the fecond place is it as extenfive alfo.
Time was when the Jews had the inclofure
of divine Revelation ; when the Oracles of
God were their peculiar depofitum , and the
Heathen had not the knowledg of his Laws, Pf.
147. ult. but fince that by the goodnefs of
God the Gentiles are become fellow-heir j,Eph.
3.6. he hath alfo deliver d into their hands
the deeds and evidences of their future ftate,
given them the holy Scriptures as the exadt
and authentic regifters ot the covenant be
tween God and man, and thefe not to be
like the heathen Oracles appropriated to
fom one or two particular places ; fo that
they cannot be conlulted but at the expence
of a pilgrimage ; but laid open to the view
of all that will believe themlelves concern d.

94. IT

I2t

SECT.IH. Subjeft Matter of Holy Scripture.

94. I T was a large commiffion our Savior
gave his Difciples : go preach the Gofyelto eve
ry creature, Mar. 1 6. if, (which in the nar-
roweft acception muft be the Gentile world )
and yet their oral Gofpel did not reach far
ther then the written : for wherever the Chri-
ftian Faith was planted , the holy Scriptures
were left as the records of it ; nay as the con-
fervers of it too -3 the Handing rule by which
all corruptions were to be detected. 'Tis true,
the entire Canon of the New Teftament, as
we now have it , was not all at once deliver'd
to the Church ; the Gofpels and Epiftles be
ing fuceeffively writ , as the needs of Chri-
ftians , and the encroachments of Heretics
gave occalion ; but at latt they became all
together the common magazine of the
Church , to furnifh arms both defenfive and
cffenfive. For as the Gofpel puts in our hands
the fliield of Faith , fo the Epittles help us to
hold it, that it may not be wrefted out of our
hands again, either by the force ofperfecu-
tion , or the fly insinuations of vice or he-
refy.

5^5-. THUS the Apoftles like prudent lea
ders have beat up the Ambufhes , difcovefd.
the fnares that were laid for us 3 and by dif-
comfiting Satans forlorn hope, that earlieft
Set of falfe teachers and corrupt practices
which then invaded the Church ; have laid a,
fouudation of vi&ory tp the fucceedingAges,

if

122

The Cbriftians Birth-right,

if they will but keep clofe to their conduit,
adhere to thofe lacred Writings they have
left behind them in every Church for that
purpofe.

96. Now what was there depofited , was
defign'd for the benefit of every particular
member of that Church. The Bible was not
committed (like the fiegalia, or rarities of a
Nation) to be kept under lock and key (and
confequently to conftitute a profitable office
for the keepers) but expos'd like the Brazen
Serpent for univerfal view and benefit : that
facred Book (like the common air) being
every mans propriety,yet no mans inclofure :
yet there are a generation of men whofe eies
have bin evil , becaufe Gods have bin good :
who have leal'd up this fpring , monopoliz'd
the word of Life ; and will allow none to par
take of it but fuch perfons , and in fuch pro
portions as they pleafe to retail it : an attemt
very infolent in refped: of God , whofe pur
pofe they contradict ; and very injurious in
reipedt of man, whofe advantage they ob-
ftrud:. The iniquity of it will be very appa-
rant if we confider what is offer d in the fol
lowing Sedion.

SECT.

SECT. IV. Cuflody of Holy Scripture. 123

SECT. IV.

The Cuftody of the holy Scripture is a privi
lege and right of the Chriftian Church,
and every member of it ; which cannot
without impiety to God^and injuftice unto
it andthem^ be taken away orernpeacht.

BESIDES the keeping of the divine Law,
which is obfequious , and imports a due
regard to all its Precepts , commonly expreft
in Scripture by keeping the commandments ,
bear tying to, and obeying the voice of the Lords
availing in his waies , and observing and doing
his Jtatutes and his judgments : there is a poi-
feffory keeping it , in reference to our felves
and others j in refpedt whereof ,. Almighty
God, Deut.6. a ndelfewhere frequently , ha
ving enjoin d the people of Ifrael, to love the
Lord their God with all their heart , and with all
their foul ', and with all their might, and that the
words which he commanded them foould be in
their heart, he adds, that they Jh all teach them
diligently to their children, and Jh all talk^of
them when they Jit down in their houfes,and when
they wallaby the way ,and when they lie down^and
when they rife up : and that they bind them for d
Jign upon their hand, and that they Jhall be as

front-

124 The Chriftians Birthright, &c.

frontlets between their eies , and that they Jb all
write them upon, khe pofls af their, houfe 3 and on
their gates. So juftly was the Law call'd the
Scripture, being written by them, and worn
upon the ieveral parts of the body , infcrib'd
upon the walls of their houies , the entrance
of their dores, and gates of their Cities ; and
in a word , placed before their eies wherever
they convers'd.

2. AND this was granted to the Jews, as
matter of privilege and favor. To them, laies
Saint P#///,Rom. 9. 4. pertaineth the adoption,
and the glory > and the covenants ^ and-the giving
of the Law. And the fame Saint Paul -, at the
3. chap. 2. v. of that Epiftle , unto the que-
ftion, what advantage hath the Jew, or what
profit is there of circumcijion , anfwers that it is
much every way , chiefly becaufe unto them were
committed the Oracles of God. This depolituni
or trait was granted to the Fathers , that it
(liould be continued down unto their chil
dren. He made a covenant , iaies David , Pi.
78. v. f. with Jacob , and gave Ifracl a Law ,
which he commanded our Fore-fathers to teach
their children., that their pojhrity might fyon> it,
and the children which were yet unborn: to the
intent that when they came up^ they might Jheiv
their children the fame. Which Scripture by
a perpetual fuccellion was to be handed down
unto the Chriltian Church ; the Apoftles ori
all occaiipns appealing unto them , as beirig

read

SECT. IV. Cuftody of Holy Scripture. 1 2 f

read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day, A6t.
13.27. and alfo privatly , in their hands ; fo
that they might at plefure fearch into them,
Jo. f. 39. A£t 17. ii. Hereupon the Jews are
by Saint dujtin call'd the Cafforii, or fervant*
that cattied the Chriftians books. And Atha-
nafius in his Trad: of the Incarnation, faies,
The Law was not for the Jews only, nor were the
Prophets fent for them alone ; but that Nation
was the Divinity-Scbole of the whole world; from
whence they were to fetch the knowledg of God,
(indthe way offyiritual living : which amounts
to what the Apoftle faies , Galat. 3. 24. That
the Law was a Schole-majte-r to bring us unto
Chrijt.

3 . A N D 'tis obfervable that the very fame
word, fym. 3. 2. in the Text even now reci
ted , which exprefles the committing of the
Oracles of God to the Jews, is made ufe of
conftantly by Saint Paul, when he declares
the truft and duty encumbent on him in the
preaching of the Gofpel : of which, fee / Cor.
9. //. Gal. 2. 7. i Thef. 2. 4. i Tim. z. / /. Tit*
i . 3. And therefore, as he faies, / Cor. p. Tho I
preach the Gofyel , I have nothing to glory of;
for necejjity is laid upon me, yea, wo is unto me if
I preach not the Gofyel , for if Ida this thing wil~
li.#gly> I have a rewards but if againjl my will,
a dijpenfation of the Gofycl is committed unto
me: Sb may all Chriftians fay; if we our
felves keep and tranfmitto our pofterities the

holy

1 2 6 The Cbrijtians Birth-right, &c.

holy Scriptures , we have nothing to glory of,
for a neceffity is laid upon us, and wo be unto
us if we do not our felves keep , and tranfmit
to our pofterity the holy Scriptures. If we do
this thing willingly, we have a reward -, but if
againft our will, the cuftody of the'Gofpel,
and at leaft that difpenfation of it , is com
mitted to us. But if we are Traditors.and give
up our Bibles,or take them away from others $
let us confider how black an apoftacy and fa-
crilege we fhall incur.

4. THE Mofaic Law was a temporary con-
ftitution , and only a foadow of good things to
come9Heb. 10. i. but the Gofpel being in its
duration as well as its \ntendment,everlaftmg,
Jftev. 14. 6. and to remain when timejhall be
no more, Rev. lo.tf. it is an infinitly more
precious depofitum , and fo with greater care
and folemner atteftation to bepreferv'd. Not
only the Clergy, or the people of one parties
lar Church , nor the Clergy of the univerfa!
are entrufted with this care,but 'tis the charge,
the privilege and duty of every Chriftian
man, that either is , or was, or fhall be in the
world j even that collective Church which a-
bove all competition , is the pillar and ground
of truth, i Tim. 3. if. againft which theaf-
faults of men and devils, and even theg^j- of
helljhallnotprevail,1sla.t. 16. ig.

5". THE Gofpels were not written by theif
holy Pen-men to inftrud the Apoftles , but to

the

SECT. IV. Cujtody of Holy Scripture. 127

the Chriftian Church , that they might believe
Jeftts was the Chrift, thefon of God, and that be
lieving they might have life thro his name y Jo.
20. 31. The Epiftles were not addreft pecu
liarly to the Bilhops and Deacons, but all the
holy brethren , to the Churches of God that are
fanftified in Jefus Chrijt , and to all thofe that
call upon the name of the Lordjefus C/;r^Rom«
i. 7. i Cor. i. 2. 2 Cor. i. r. Galat. i. 2. Eph.
i. i. Col. 4. 16. i Thef. f. 27. Phil. 1. 1. Jam*
1. 1. i Pet. i. i. 2 Pet. i. i. Revel, i. 4. Or
if by chance fom one or two of the Epiftles
were addreft to an Ecclefiaftic perfon,as thofe
to Timothy and Titus, their purport plainly
refers to the community of Chriftians, and
the depofitum committed to their truft ; Tim.
6. 20. And Saint John on the other fide di-
reds his Epiftles to thofe who were plainly fe-
cular s to fathers, young men, and little chil
dren s and a Lady and her children, Epift. i.
chap. 2. 12, 13, 14. andEpift. 2. 1. 1.

6. BUT befides the intereft which every
Chriftian has in the cuftody of the Scripture
upon the account of its being a depofitum
cntrufted to him ; he has alfo another no lefs
forcible ; that tis the Teftament of his Sa
vior, by which he becomes a Son of God , no
more a Servant but a Son s and if he be a Son, it
is the Apoftles inference , that he is then an
heir, an heir of God thro Cbrift, Gal. 4, 7. Now
as he who is heir toaa eftate, is alfo to the

deeds

The Chriftians 'Birth-right,

deeds and conveiances thereof ; which with
out injury cannot be deiain'd , or if they be,
there is a remedy at Law for the recovery of
them: So it fares in our Chriftian inheri
tance; every believer by the privilege of
faith, is made a fon of Graham , and an heir
of the promifes made unto the fathers,where-
by he has an hereditary interell in the Old
Teftament; and alfo by the privilege of the
fame Faith he has a firm right to thepurchaft
poJfi/ioritEph. i. 14. and the charter thereof,
the New. Therfore the detention of the Scri
ptures, which are made up of thefe two parts >
is a manifeft injuftice and facrilegious inva-
lion of right, which the perfon wrong d is em
power' d , nay is ftridly oblig'd by all law-*
tul means to vindicate.

7. WHICH invafion of rights will ap
pear more flagrant when the nature and im
portance of it is confider'd; which relating to
inens fpiritual intereft * renders the violation
infinitly more injurious then it could be in
anyfecular. I might mention feveral detri
ments coniequent to this detention of Scri
pture, even as many as there are benefits ap-
pendant to the free ufe of it ; but there is one
of fo fundamental and comprehenlive a na
ture , that I need name no more ; and that
is , that it delivers men up to any delufion
their teachers lhall impole upon them , by
depriving them of means of detecting them.

Where

SECT. IV. Cuflody of Holy Scripture. 129

Where there isnoftandard or mefures, 'tis
eafy for men to falfify both ; and no lels ea-
fy is It to adulterate do&rins , where no re-
xxnirfe can be had to the primary rule. Now
that there is a poffibility that falfe teachers
may arife , We have all affurance ; nay we
have the word of Chnft, and his Apoftles that
it fhould be fo : and all Eccleliaftic ftory to
atteft it has bin Ib, And if in the firft and
pureft times ( thofe Ages of more immediat
illumination) the God of this rvorldfoimd. in-
ftruments whereby to blind mens minds , 2
Cor. 4. 4. it cannot be fuppos'd impoffibie or
improbable he fhould do fo now.

8. BUT to leave generals, and to fpeak to
the cafe of that Church which magifterially
prohibits Scripture to the vulganfhe manifeft-
ly ftands liable to that charge of our Savior,
Luk. ii 5-2. Te have taken away the i(ey of
knowledg : and by allowing the common
people no more Scripture then what Hie air
fords them in their Sermons and privat Ma-
nuals,keeps it in her power to impofeon them
what fhepleafes. For 'tis fure thofe portions
fhe feled:s for them , fhall be none of thof®
which clafli with the do&rins fhe recom
mends : and when ever fhe will ufe this power
to the corrupting their faith, orworihip (yea,
or their manners either) they muft brutiflily
fubmittoit, becaufe they cannot bring her

R , Bur

130 The Chriftians Birth-right, &c.

9. BUT 'twill be faid, this danger fhe wards
by her dodrin of infallibility : that is , fiie
enervates a probable fuppofition attefted by
event , by an impoffible one confuted by e-
vent. For 'tis certain , that all particular
Churches may err 5 and tho the confciouf-
nefs of that, forces the Roman Church upon
the abfurd pretence of univerfality , to aflert
her infallibility ; yet alas, Tyber may as well
call it felf the Ocean, or Italy the world , as
the Roman Church may name it felf the u-
niverfal -, whileft 'tis fo apparent that far the
the lefs part of Chriftians are under her com
munion. And if fhe be but a particular
Church, fhe has no immunity from errors,nor
thofe under her from having thofe errors
(how pernicious foever) impos d upon them.
As to her having adtually err'd, and in diverfe
particulars , the proof of that has bin the
work of fo many Volumes , that 'twould be
impertinent here to undertake it : I fhall on
ly inftance in that of Image-worfhip $ a pra-
ftice perfectly irreconcileable with the fe-
cond Commandment ; and doubtlefs, clear
ly difcern'd by her to be fo : upon which ac
count it is , that tho by Tranflatibns and Pa-
raphrafes fhe wrefts and moulds other Texts
to comply with her doftrins, yet fhe dares not
truft to thofe arts for this : but takes a more
compendious courfe,and expunges the Com-
rnaudmeiit; as is evident in her Catechifms

and

SECT. IV. Cujiody of Holy Scripture. 131

and other Manuals. Now a Church that cap:
thus facrilegioufly purloin one Command
ment (and fuch a one as God has own'd him-
felf the moft jealoufly concern' d in) and to
delude her children fplit another to make up
the number , may as her needs require, fub-
ftradt and divide what others file pleafe : and
then whilft all refort to Scripture is obftru-
(Sted; how fatal a hazard muft thofe poor fouls
run.who are oblig'd to follow thefe blind , or
rather thefe winking guides into the ditch >

10. BUT all thefe criminations fhe retorts,
by objecting the dangers of allowing the
Scriptures to the vulgar ; which fhe accufes
as the fpring of all Se&s, Schifms, and Here-
iies. To which I aniwer firft , that fuppofing
this were true, 'twas certainly fore-leen by
God, who notwithftanding laid no reftraint ;
probably as fore-leeing , that the dangers of
implicit faith (to which fuch a reftraint muft
fubjed: men) would be far greater : and if
God faw fit to indulge the liberty, thofe that
(hall oppofe it , muft certainly think they do
not only partake , but have tranfplanted in
fallibility from God to themfeives.

11. BUT fecondly, 'tis not generally true,
that Se&s, Schifms,and Herefies are owing to
this liberty: All Ecclefiaftical Story Ihews us
that they were not the illiterat Lay-men, but
the learned Clerks who were ufually the
broachers of Herefies. And indeed many of

R 2 them

132 The Ckrijtians ~Birth-rigbt> &c.

them were fb fubtil and aerial, as could never
have bin forg'd in grofler brains ; but were
founded not on Scripture merely miftaken,
butrackt anddiftorted with nice criticifms,
and quirks of Logic , as feveral of the An
cients complain: fom again fprang from
that ambition of attaining, or impatience of
miffing Ecclefiaftical dignities : which appro
priates them to the Clergy. So that if the a-
bufe infer a forfeiture of the ufe, the Learned
have of all others the leaft title to the Scri
ptures ; and perhaps thofe who now ingrofs
them, the leait title of all the Learned. *

12. ON the other fide, Church-ftory in
deed mentions fom lay-propugners of Here-
Jies ; but thofe for the moft part were either fo
grofs and beftial , as dilparag'd and confuted
themfelves and Authors.and rofe rather from
the brutifh inclination of the men , then
from their miftakcs of Scripture : or elfe they
were by the immediat infufion of the devil,
who backt his heretical fuggeftions with for-
ceries and lying wonders , as in Simon Magus- ,
lMenander,&c. And for later times, thofom-
times there happens among the vulgar a few
pragmatic fpiiits , that love to tamper with
theobfcurefts Texts, and will undertake to
expound before they underftand ; yet that is
not their common temper : the generality
are rather in the other extreme , ftupid and
uiiobiervaut even of the plaineft dodrins.

And

SECT, IV. Cuftody of Holy Scripture. 133

And if to this be objeCted the multitude of
Quakers and Fanatics , who generally are of
the ignorant fort ; I anfwer , that 'tis mani-
feft the firft propugners of thofe tenets in
Germany were not feduc'd into them by mi-
ftakes of Scripture , but induftrioufly form'd
them, at once to difguife and promote their
villainous defigns of fedition and rapine :
and as for thofe amongft us , it is not at all
certain that their firft errors were their own
productions: there are vehement prefum-
tions that the feeds were fown by greater Ar
tificers 5 whofe firft bufmefs was to unhinge
them from the Church , and then to fill their
heads with ftrange Chimera's of their privi
leges and perfections ; and by that intoxica
tion of fpiritual pride3difpofe them for all de-
lufions : and thereby render them , like Sam-
fons Foxes,fit inftruments to fet all in combu-
ftion.

13. BUT admit this were but a conjecture,
and that they were the fole Authors of their
own frenzy •, how appears it that the liberty
of reading the Scripture was the caufe of it ?
Had thefe men bin of the Romifh commu
nion , and fp bin interdicted privat reading,
yet iom broken parts of Scripture would have
bin in Sermons and Books of devotion com
municated to them; had it not bin as poflible
for them to have wrefted what they heard as
what they read? In one refpeCt it feems ra
ther

j 34 The Cbriftians Birtb-rigbt, &c.

ther more likely : for in thofe loofe and inci
dental quotations the connexion is fom+
times not fo difcernable : and many Textf
there are whofe fenfe isfb interwoven with
the context, that without confulting
there may be very pernicious mifta&es :
which account it is probably more fafe
the Auditors Ihould have Bibles to confult.
So that this reftraint of Scripture is a very fal
lible expedient of the infallible Church. And
indeed themfelves have in event found it fo $
for if it were fo foveraign a prophylactic a-
gainft error, how comes it to pafs that fb ma
ny of their members who were under that dif-
cipline have revolted from them into that
which they call herefy ? If they fay , the
defecation was made by fom of the Learned to
whom the Scripture was allow'd, why do they
not (according to their way of arguing) take
it from them alfo upon that experiment of
its mifchief, and confine it only to the infal
lible chair ? but if they own them to have bin
unlearn'd ( as probably the Albigenfes and
Waldenfes , &c. were ) they may lee how in-
fignificant a guard this reftraint is againft
error: and learn how little is got by that
policy which controles the divine Wifdom.

14. NOR can they take flicker in the ex
ample of the primitive Chriftians, for they in
the conftant ufeof the holy Scriptures yiel
ded not unto the Jews. Whereas the Jews had

the

SECT. IV. Cuftody of Holy Scripture. 13^

the Scriptures read publicly to them every
Sabbath day ; which Jofephus againft Apptort
thus expreffes :Mofes propounded to the Jews the
mojl excellent and necejjary learning oftheLaw*
not by hearing it once or twice , but every fe-
•venth day laying ajide tbeirworks,he commanded
them to ajjemblefor the hearing of the Law, and
throughly andexaftly tolearn z>. Parallel to this
was the practice of the primitive Church, per
form' d by the Le£tor,or Reader,of which Ju-
ftin Martyr in his 2. Apol. gives this account.
On the day c all' d Sunday, all that abide in towns ,
or the countries about, meet in one place , and the
"writings of the Apojlles and Prophets are read,
Jo far as there is place. So Tertullian in his A-
pol. defcribing the offices in the publicAffem-
blies : We feed our faith with the f acred Words >
rve raife our hopes, andeftablijh our reliance.

if. AND as the Jews thought it indecent
for perfons profeffing piety, to let three daies
pafs without the offices thereof in the con
gregation s and therefore met in their Syna
gogues upon every Tuefday and Thurfday in
the week , and there performed the duties of
fafting, praier, and hearing the holy Scri
ptures j concerning which is the boaft of
the Pharifee,L^. 18.12. in conformity here
to the Chriftians alfo , their Sabbath being
brought forward from the Saturday to the
day following ; that the like number of daies
might not pals them without performing the

albre-

1 3 6 The Cbriflians Birth-right, &c.

aforefaid duties in the congregation -, met
together on the Wednefdaies and Fridaies,
which were the daies of Station,fo frequently
mention'd h\Tertullian , and others, thefirft
writers of theChurch.Tertullzan exprefly faies,
that the Chriftians dedicated to the offices o£
Piety, the fourth andfixth day of the tveeJ^: and
Clemens Alex, faies of the Chriftians, that they
underjtood the fecret reafons of their weekly
fafts, to wit , thofe of the fourth day of the Tveekj
and that of preparation before the Sabbath*
commonly calld Wednesday and Friday. Where*
by the way, we may take notice what ground
there is for the obfervation of the Wednef
day and Friday in our Church, and the Lita
nies then appointed, fo much negleded in
this profligate Age.

itf. BUT fecondly, as the Jews were dili
gent in the privat reading of the Scripture ;
being taught it from their infancy : which
cuftom Saint Paul refers to i Tim. 3. if.
vrheteofjofephus againft Appion faies, That if
a man asj^any Jew concerning the Laws, he will
tell every thing readier then his name : for
learning them from the fir Ji time they havefenfe
of any thing, they retain them imprint edin their
minds. So were the firft Chriftians equally
induftrious in improving their knowledg of
divine Truth. The whole life of a Chnjtian,
faies Clem. Alex. Strom. L 7. is a holy folemnityz
there his facrijioes are praicrs and praijes s be~

fore

SECT. IV. Cuftody of Holy Scripture. 1 3 7

fore every meal be has the readings of the holy
Scriptures ; and Pj alms, and Hymns at the time
of his meals. Which Tertullian alib defcribes
in his Apol. and Saint Cyprian in the end of
the Epiit. to Donatus.

17. AND this is farther evidenc'd by the
early and numerous verfions of the Scriptures
into all vulgar Languages; concerning which
Theodoret fpeaks in his Book of the Cure of
the Affe&ions of the Greeks , Serm. f . We
Chrijtians ( faies he ) are enabled to Jhew the
power of Apojiolic andprophetic doclrins, which
have fill'd all Countries under Heaven. For
that which was formerly utter d in Hebrew , is
not only translated into the Language of the Gre
cians, but alfo the JK^o mans, Egypt tans, Perfians,
Indians, Armenians, Scythians, Samaritans-, and
in a word to all the Languages that are usd by
any Nation. The fame is faid by Saint Chry-
foftom in his firft Homily upon Saint lohn.

1 8 . NOR was this don by the blind zeal
of mconfiderable men, but the moft eminent
Doctors of the Church were concern'cl herein:
fuch as Origen who with infinit labor contriv'd
the Hexapla. Saint Chryfojtom, who tranlla-
ted the New Teftament , Pfalms , and loin
part of the Old Teftament into the Armeni
an Tongue, as witneffes Geor. Alex, in the
life of Chryfojt. So Vlpbilas the firft Biiliop of
the Goths tranflated the holy Scripture into
the Gothic ; as Socrat, Eccl. HijL I. 4. cap. 33.

S and

1 3 8 The Cbrijtians Birth-right,

and others teftify. Saint Jerom , who tran-
flated them not only into Latin from the He
brew, the Old Italic verlion having bin from
the Greek -, but alfo into his native vulgar
Dalmatic: which he faies himfelf in his Epi-
ille to Sophronius.

19. BUT the peoples having them for
their privat and conftant ule appears farther,
by the Heathens making the extorting of
them a part of their perlecution : and when
diverfe did faint in that trial , and bafely
furrender'tl them , we find the Church level'd
her feverity only againit the offending per-
fons , did not ( according to the Romim e-
quity ) punifh the innocent , by depriving
them of that f acred Book , becaufe the others
had fo unworthily proltituted it (tho the pre
vention of luch a profanation for the future
had bin as fair a plea for it as the Romanifts
do now make : ) but on the contrary the pri
mitive Fathers are frequent , nay indeed im-
portunat in their exhortations to the privat
itudy of holy Scripture , which they recom
mend to Chriftians of all Ranks, Ages, and
Sexes.

20. As an inftance hereof, let us hear Cle
mens ofjflex. in his Exhort. The Word,faies
he, is not hid from any $ it is a common light-
thatjhineth to all men -3 there is no obfcurity in
it y hear it you that be far off, and hear it you
that are nigh*

21. To

SECT. IV. Cujtody of Holy Scripture. 13$,

21. To this purpofe St. Jerom /peaks in his
Epiftle to Let a , whom he directs in the edu
cation of her young daughter , and advifes,
that injtead of gems andfil^ Jhe be enamour d
with the holy Scripture ; wherein not gold, or
st(insy or Babylonian embroideries , but a cor-
retl and beautiful variety producingfaith y rvill
recommendits felf. Let herfirjt learn the Pfal-
ter, and be entertain d with thofe fongs ; then
be injtruttedunto life by the Proverbs of Solo
mon : let her learn from Ecclefiaftes to defpife
worldly things ; tranfcribe from Job the pra-
Rice of patience and vertue : let her pafs then
to the Gofyels , and never let them be out of her
hands : and then imbibe with all the faculties of
the mind, the Afts of the jfpojtles, andEpiJtles.
When Jhe has enrich d the Jtore-houfe of her
breaft with thefe trefures, let her learn the Pro-
phets, the Heptateuch, or boo](s c/Mofes , Jo-
fliua and Judges, the booJ^s pjf Kings tf^Chrb^
nicies , the volumes 0/~Ezra and Either; and
laftly the Canticles. And indeed, this Father
is fo concern'd to have the unletter'd female
iex skilful in the Scriptures>that tho he fharp-
ly rebukes their pride and over-wening ; he
not only frequently refolves their doubts
concerning difficult places in the faid Scri
ptures, but dedicates leveral of his Commen
taries to them.

22. THE fame is to be faid of Saint Au+
in his Epiftles to unletter'd Laics,en-
S 2

140 The Chrijtians Birth-right, &c.

courages their enquiries concerning the Scri
pture, alluring Volufianns Ep. 3 . that itfpeaks
thoje things that are plain to the heart of the
learned and unlearned, as a familiar friend ;
in the myfterious , mounts not up into high
phrafes which might deter a flow and unlearned
mind, (as the poor are in their addreffes to the
rich ; ) but invites all with lowly fpeech, feeding
with manifejl truth , and exercijingwith fecret.
And Ep. 1.21. tells the devout Proba, that in
this world where we are abfent from the Lord,
and wallaby faith and not by fight, the foul is to
thinly it Jelf defolate , and never ceafe from
prater 9 and the words of divine and holy Scri
pture, &c.

23. SAINT Chryfojtom in his third Homi
ly of Lazarus thus addreffes himfclf to mar
ried p erf bns, houje-holdcrs, and people cngagdin
trades and fecular profejfions y telling them,
that the reading of the Scripture is a great de-
fenfative agxinji Jin $ and on the other J/de, the
ignorance thereof is a deep and head-long pre
cipice ; that not to fyion the Law of God, is the
utter lofs of falvatwn ; that this has cans' dhe-
rejies, and corruption of life , and has confounded
the order of things : for it cannot be by any
means , that his labor jhould be fruit left , who
emploies In mf elf in a daily and attentive read
ing of the Scripture.

24. I am not /aies the fame St. Chry. Horn. 9*
QnColof\3. a jMoujt^, I have wife and children,

and

SECT. IV. Cuflody of Holy Scripture. 141

and the cares of a family. But 'tis a
opinion , that the reading of the Scripture per
tains only to thofe who have addicled themf elves
to a monastic life ,• when the reading of Scripture
is much more neceffary for fecular perfons : for
they rvho converfe abroad , and receive frequent
wounds , are in greatefl need of remedies and
prefervativesfo Horn. 2 . on Mat. Hearken all
you that are fecular, how you ought to order your
wives and children^andhowyou are particularly
enjoin d to read, the Scripture s^and that not per-
funilorily, or by chance, but very diligently.

2?. LIKEWISE Horn. 3. on La%. What
faiejt thou, 0 man ? it is not thy bujinefs to turn
over the Scripture , being di (trailed by innume
rable cares s noy thou hajl therefore the greater
obligation : others do not fo much Jlandin need
of the aids of the Scripture, as they who are con-
v erf ant in much bujinefs. Farther, Horn. 8. on
Hcb. y. / befeech you negleft not the reading of
the Scriptures s but whsther we comprehend the
meaning of what is fyok^n or not, let us alwaies
be conversant in them : for daily meditation
jtrengthens the memory ; and it frequently hap
pens , that what you now cannot find out , if you
attemt it again , you will the next day dif cover :
for God of Iris goo dnefs will enlighten the mind.
It were endlefs to tranfcribe all the Exhorta
tions of the ancient Dodors and Fathers of
the Church; they not only permitted3but ear-
neftly preft upon all Chriftians,whatever their

eftate

142 The Chrijiians Birth-right > ($c.

eftatc or condition were , the conftant read
ing of the holy Scripture. Nor indeed was
their reftraint ever heard of till the Church of
Rome had eipous'd fuch dodtrins as would
not bear rhe teft of Scripture : and then as
thofe who deal in falfe wares are us'd to do,
they found it neceflary to proportion their
lights accordingly.

2.6. THIS Peter $utor in his fecond Book
cap. 22. of the Tranflation of the Scripture
honeftly confefTes, faying, that whereas many
things are enjoind which are not exprcjly in Scri
pture, the unlearned obferving this , mil be apt
to murmur and complain that Jo heavy burthens
are laid upon them, and their Chrijtian liberty
infringd. They will eajily be with-drawn from
observing the Conjtitutions of the Church , when
they find that they are not contain d in the
Law ofChriJt. And that this was not a frivo
lous fiiggeftion , the defperat attemt of the
Romanifts above mention'd, in leaving out
the fecond Commandment in their Primers
and Catechifms which they communicate to
the people , may pafs for an irrefragable evi
dence; For what Lay-man would not be
ftlocktjto find Almighty God command,#0£ to
make any graven image, nor the hkenejs of any
thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth be-
neath.or in the water under the earthrfhat no one
Jhouldbow down to them, nor worjlrip them : when
he fees the contrary is praftic'd and com
manded by the Church. J 27- BUT

SECT. IV. Cujtody of Holy Scripture. 143

27. BUT would God none but the Roma-
manift were impeachable of this detention
of Scripture : there are too many among us
that are thus falfe and envious to themfelves :
and what the former do upon policy and pre
tence of reverence, thofe do upon mere ofci-
tancy and avow'd profanefs; which are
much worfe inducements. And for fuch as
thefe to declaim againft detention of the
Scripture , is like the Law-fuits of thofe who
contend only about fuch little punctilio's as
themfelves defign no advantage frpm,but on
ly the wording their Adverfaries: and it
would be much fafer for them to lie under
the interdict of others, then thus toreftrain
themfelves: even as much as the errors of
obedience are more excufable, then thofe of
contemt and profanefs.

28. AND here I would have it ferioufly
confider'd that the Edid: of Diocletian for
the demolifiiing the Chriftian Churches , and
the burning their Bibles -, became the cha
racter and particular aggravation of his moft
bloudy perfecution. Now fbould Almighty
God call us to the like trial, fhould Antichri-
ftian violence,whether heathen or other,take
from us our Churches and our Bibles , what
comfort could we have in that calamity , if
our contemt of thofe bleffings drove them
from us s nay, prevented perfecution,and be
reft us of them even whilft we had them in

ou,r

144 The Chrijtians Birth-right,

our power > He who neglects to make his
conftant refort unto the Church , which by
Gods mercy now ftands open; or to read di
ligently the holy Scriptures , which by the
fame divine Goodnefs are free for him to ufe,
is his own Diocletian ; and without the ter
rors of death, or torments, has renounc'd, if
not the Faith, the great inftruments of its
conveiance, and pledg of God Almighties
prelence among the ions of men.

29. BUT what if men either upon the
one motive or the other, will not read ;' yet
the Scriptures continue ftill moft worthy to
be read: they retain ftill their propriety for
all thofe excellent ends to which God de-
fign'd them : and as the Prophet tells the
Jews, jB^. 2. y. whether they will bear, or whe- .
thcr they will forbear, they Jh all know there has
bin a Prophet among them-, fo whether we
will take the benefit or no , we fhall one day
find that the holy Scriptures would have
made us wife untojalvation. if thro our fault
alone they fail to do fb , they will one day
aflame a lefs grateful office j and from guides
and affiftants, become accufers and witneffes
againft us.

SECT.

SECT. V. ' Propriety of Holy Scripture. 145-

SECT. V. -•:-'.- '4?-

"cripture has great propriety and fit-
nefs tovpard the attainment of its
- excellent end.

WE are now in the next place to confi-
der how exactly the holy Scriptures
are adapted to thofe great ends to which
they are directed : how fufficient they are for
that important negotiation on which they
are.fent: and that we fhall certainly find
them, if we look on them either intrinncally,
or circurhftantially. For the firft of thefe m>
tions we need only to reflect on the third
part of this difcourfe , where the Scripture
in refped: of the fubjed: Matter is evinc'd to
be a iyftem of the moft excellent Laws,backt
with the moft tranfcendent rewards and pu-
nifliments ; and the certainty of thofe con
firm' d by inch pregnant inftances of Gods
mercies and vengeance in this world 3 as are
the fureft gages and earnefts of what we are
bid to expect in another.

2. Now what method imaginable can
there be ufed to rational creatures of more
force and energy ? Nav it feems to defcend

"

The Chriftians Birth-right, &c.

even to our paflions and accommodates it
felf to our feveral inclinations. And feeing
how few Profelytes there arc to bare and
naked vertue, and how many to intereft
and. advantage s God clofes with them upon
their own terms , and do's not fo much injoin
as buy thofe little fervices he asks from us.

3 . B u T becaufe fom mens natures are fo
difingenuous as to hate to be oblig'd no lefs
then to be reform'd, the Scripture has goads
and fcourges to drive fuch beafts as will not
be led 5 terrors and threatnings , and thofe
of moft formidable forts, to affright thofe
who will not be allur'd. Nay left incredulous
men fhould queftion the reality of future re
wards or punifhments , the Scripture gives as
fenfible evidence of them as we are capable
of receiving in this world $ by regiftring fuch
fignal protections and judgments propor-
tion'd to vertue and vice , as fufficiently at-
tefts the Pfalmifts Axiom : Doubtlefs there is
« God that judpetb the earth, Pfal. f8, n. and
leaves nothing to the impenitent finner, but
a fearful expectation of that fiery indignation
threatned hereafter ; Heb, 10. 27.

4. AND now methinks the Scripture feems
to be that net ourSavior fpeaks ofyhat caught
of every fort JA&t. 1 3, 47, it is of fo vaft a com-
pafs , that it muft, one would think/etch in
all kind of tempers : and fure had we not
ciixt natures wit$%ja45? §outra<3;cd fom of

their

SECT. V. Propriety of Holy Scripture. 147

their malice and obftinacy , mere human
pravity could not hold out.

y. AND as the holy Scripture is thus fitly
proportion' d to its end in refped: of the iub*
je6t matter,fo is it alfo in reference to its cir-
cumftances , which all confpire to render it >
the power of Goduntofalvation, Ro. i. id. In
the firft rank of thofe we muft place its divine
original, which ftamps it with an uncon-
troulable autority , and is an infallible fecu-
rity that the matter of it is perfectly true :
fince it proceeds from tha't eflential verity
which cannot abufe us with fraudulent pro-
mifes or threatnings : and from that infinite
power that cannot be impeded in the execu
tion of what he purpofes.

6. YET to render this circumftance effi
cacious, there needs another; to wit, that
its being the word of God be fufficiently te-
ftifi'd to us:and we have in the fore-going dif-
courfe evinced it to be fo -> and that in the
utmoft degree that a matter of that kind is
capable of ; beyond which no fober man will
require evidence in any thing. And certain
ly thefe two circumttances thus united, have
a mighty force to imprefs the diftats of Scri
pture on us. And we mult rebel againft God
and our own convictions too , to hold out
againft it.

7. A third circumftance relates to the
frame and compofure of this divine Book ,

both

14 & The Chrijlians Birth-right,

both as to method, and ftile : concerning
which I have already made fom reflexions.
But now that I may fpeak more diftindtly, I
obferve it takes its rife from the firft point of
time wherein 'twas poffible for mankind to
be concern'd ; and lo gradually proceeds to
its fall and renovation : fhews us firft ©ur
need of a Redeemer , and then points us out
who it is , by types and promifes in the Old
Teftament, and by way of hiftory and com
pletion in the New. In the former it ac
quaints us with that pedagogy of the Law
which God defign'd as our Schole-mafter to
bring us to Chrift, Gal. 3. 25-. and in the Gof-
pel mews us yet a more excellent way •, pre-
ients us with thofe more fublime elevated do-
d:rins, which Chrift came down from heaven
to revele.

8. As for the ftile, that is full of grateful
variety , fomtimes high and majeftic , as
becomes that high ana holy one that inhabi-
teth eternity : Efai. 5-7.15-. and fomtimes fo
humble and after the manner of men , as
agrees to the other part of his Character , his
dwelling is with him that is of an humble fpirit^
Elay 77. 15-. I know profane wits are apt to
brand this as an unevennefs of ftile : but they
may as well accufe the various notes of Mufic
as deftrudive to harmony ,or blame anOrator
for being able to tune his tongue to the moft
diiierent ftrains.

SECT. V- Propriety of Holy Scripture. 149

9 . ANOTHER excellency of the ftile , is its
propriety to the feveral fubjefts it treats of.
When it fpeaks of fuch things as God would
not have men pry into ; it wraps them up in
clouds and thick darknefs ; by that means
to deter inquifitive man (as he did at Sinai}
from breaking into the mount , Ex. 20. And
that he gives any intimation at all of fuch,
feems defign'd only to give us a juft eftimate
how fliallow our comprehenfions are ; and
excite us to adore and admire that Abyfs
of divine Wifdom which we can never fa
thom.

10. THINGS of a middle nature, which
may be ufeful to fom , but are indifpenfibly
neceflary to all, the Scripture leaves more ac-
ceffible ; yet not fo obvious as to be within
every mans reach : but makes them only the
prize of induftry , praier, and humble ende-
vors. And it is no fmall benefit , that thofe
who covet the knowledg of divine Truth, are
by it engag d to take thefe vertues in the
way. Befides there is fo much time requir'd
to that ftudy , as renders it inconfiftent with
thofe fecular bufineffes wherein the genera^
lity of men are immerft : and confequently
'tis neceffary that thofe who addid: them-
felves to the one , have competent vacancy
from the other : And in this it hath a vilible
ufe by being very contributive to the main
taining that fpiritual fubordination of the

people

j / o The Cbrijtians Birthright, &c .

people to the Paftors ; which God has efta-
blifh'd. Miriam and Corahs Partifans area
pregnant inftance how much the opinion of
equal knowledg unfits for fubjeftion: and
we fee by fad experience how much the bare
pretence of it has difturb'd the Church , and
made thofe turn preachers who never were
underftanding hearers.

ii. BUT befides thefe more abftrufe, there
are eafier truths in which every man is con
cern' d -y the explicit knowledg whereof is ne-
ceffary to all : I mean the divine Rules for
faving Faith and Manners. And in thofe the
Scripture ftile is as plain as is poffible : con-
defcends to the apprehenfions of the rudeft
capacities : fo that none that can read the
Scripture but will there find the way to blifs
evidently chalk' d out to him. That I may
ufe the words of Saint Gregory , the Lamb
may wade in thofe waters of life, as well as the E~
lephant may fwim. The Holy Gboft, as St. Au-«
fin tells us, lib. 2. of Chriilian do6trin, cap. 6.
has made in the plainer places of Scripture ma^
gnificent and healthful proviji on for our hunger -y
and in the obfcure^a^ainjtfatiety. For there are
fcarce any things drawn from obfcure places^
nhich in others are not fpol^en moji plainly. And
he farther adds, that if any thing happen to be
no where explain d, every man may there abound
Zn his ownjenfe.

*2. So again, in the fame Book, cap. 9,

he

SECT. V. Propriety of Holy Scripture. 1 5 x

he iaies , that all thofe things -which concern
Faith and Manners , are plainly to be met with
in the Scripture : and Saint Jerom in his Com
ment on Ef. i p. tells us, that 'tis the cuftom of
the Scripture to clofe obf cure fay ings -with thofe:
that are eafy , and what was firjl expreft dark^
ly , to propofe in evident words : which very
thing is faid likewife by Saint Chryfoftom y
Horn. 9. 2 Cor. 4. H. who in his fiiit homily
on Saint Mat. farther declares, that the Scri-
ftures are eafy to be understood, andexpasd tv
vulgar capacities.

13. Hefaies again,, Horn, upon Efay, that
the Scriptures are not mettals that require the
help of Miners , but afford a trefure eajily to be
had to them that feek^the riches contain d in
them. It is enough only to jioop down , and looj^
upon them, and depart replenijtidwith wealth z
it is enough only to open them., and behold the
fylendor of thofe Gems. Again, Horn. 3 . on the
iecond Ep. to the ThefT. 2. .All things are evi
dent andjirait, which are in the holy Scripture*
whatever is necejfary is manifejt. So alfo Horn.
3. on Gen. 14. It cannot be that he who is Jtu-
dious in the holy Scripture Jhould be rejected:
for tho the injiruftion of men be wanting , the
JLordfrom above will inlighten our minds., jhine
in upon our reafon 3 revile what is fecret , and
teach what we do notJ^now.SoHom.i.QnJo.ii*
Almighty God involves his doflrin with no mifts^
andd&rknefs 3 as &d th? fhi.lofophers : his do*

firm

The Chriftians Birth-right,

ilrin is brighter then the Sun-beams , and more
illuftrious * and therefore every where Aiffusd :
and Horn. 6. on Jo. n. His doftrin is fo facile,
that not only the wife , but even women , and
youths muji comprehend it. Horn. 13. on Gen. 2.
Let ns go to the Scripture as our Mar^ which if
its own interpreter. And icon after faies, that
the Scripture interprets itfelf, and fuffers not'
itr Auditor to err. To the fame purpofe faies
Cyril in his third Book againft Julian. In the
Scripture nothing u difficult to them , who are
conversant in them as they ought to be.

14. It is therefore a groundlefs cavil which
men make at the obfcurity of the Scripture *
fince it is not obfcure in thofe things wherer-
in 'tis our common intereft it (hould be plain :
which fufficiently juftifies its propriety to that
great end of making us wife unto Jhlvation.
And for thofe things which feem leis intel
ligible to- us, many of them become fo,not by
the innate obfcurity of the Text , but by ex-
trinfic circumftances (of which perhaps the
over-buiy tampering of Paraphrafts, plealed
with new notions of their own, may be
reckon'd for one.) But this fubjeft the Reader
may find fo well purfued in Mr. Boyls Trad:
concerning the ftile of Scripture, that I fhall
be kindeft both to him and it , to refer him
thither; as alfo for aniwer to thofe other que
rulous objections which men galled with the
feufe of the Scripture, have made to its ftile.

*. A

SECT. V. Propriety of Holy Scripture. i y 5

15-. A third circumftance in which the
Scripture is fitted to attain its end, is its being
committed to writing, as that is diftinguifh'd
from oral delivery. It is moil true, the word
of God is of equal autority and efficacy
which way foever it be deliver'd : The Ser
mons of the Apoftles were every jot as divine
and powerful out of their mouths, as they are
now in their ftory. All the advantage there
fore that the written Word can pretend to,
is in order to its perpetuity ; as it is a fecurer
way of derivation to pofterity , then that of
oral Tradition. To evince that it is io, I
fhall firft weigh the rational probabilities ori
either fide. Secondly , I fhall confider to
which God himfelf appears in Scripture to
give the deference.

16. FOR the firft ofthefe , I fhall propofc
this confideration ; which I had occafion to
intimate before ; that the Bible being writ
for the univerfal ufe of the faithful , 'twas as
univerfally difperft amongft them : The Jews
had the Law not only in their Synagogues^
but in their privat houfes , and as loon as the
Evangelical Books were writ, they were fcat-
tefd into all places where the Chriftiaix
Faith had obtained. Now when there was
fiich a vail multitude of copies , and thofe fo
revered by the poffeffors, that they thought it
the higheft pitch of facrilege to expofe the my
it muft lureiy be next to impoffible eiitirely to?

¥

1 5*4 The Chriflians Birth-right, &c.

fupprefs that Book. Befides it could never be
attemted but by fom eminent violence , as it
was by the heathen Perfecutors ; which ( ac
cording to the common eiied: of oppofition )
ferv'd to enhance the Chriftians value of the
Bible ; and confequently when the ftorm was
paft , to excite their diligence for recruiting
the number. So that, unlefs in after Ages3all
the Chriftians in the world fhould at once
make a voluntary defection, and confpire to
eradicate their Religion , the Scriptures
could not be utterly extmguifh'd.

17. AND that which fecures it from total
fuppreffion, do's in a great degree do fo from
corruption and falsification. For whileft fo
many genuine copies are extant in all parts
of the world, to be appeal'd to , it would be a
very difficult matter to impofe a fpurious one;
efpecially if the change were fo material as
to awaken mens jealoufies. And it muft be
only in a place and age of grofs ignorance,
that any can be daring enough to attemt it.
And if it fhould happen to fucceed in liich a
particular Church,yet what is that to the uni-
Verfal ? And to think to have the forgery ad
mitted there, is (as a learned man faies) like
attempting to poilon the fea.

1 8. ON the other fide, oral Tradition
leems much more liable to hazards, error
may there infinuate it felf much more mfen-
fibly. And tho there be no univerfal confpi-

racy

SECT. V. Propriety of Holy Scripture.

racy to admit it at firft; yet like a fmall
eruption of waters , it widens its ownpaflage,
till it caufe an inundation. There is no im-
preffion fo deep , but time and intervening
accidents may wear out of mens minds 3 e-
fpecially where the notions are many, and
are founded not in nature , but pofitive infti-
tution , as a great part of Chriftian Religion
is. And when we confider the various tem
pers of men, 'twill not be ftrange that ltu>
ceeding Ages will not alwaies be determin d
by the Traditions of the former. Som are
pragmatic, and think themfelves fitter to
prescribe to the belief of their pofterity, then
to follow that of their Anceftors : fom have
interefts and defigns which will be better fer-
v'd by new Tenets: and fbm are ignorant
and miftaking , and may unawares corrupt
the do&rin they fhou'ld barely deliver : and
of this laftfort we may guefs there may be
many, lince it falls commonly to the mo
thers lot to imbue children with the firft ru
diments.

19. Now in all thefe cafes how poffible
is it that primitive Tradition may be either
loft or adulterated ; and confequently , and
in proportion to that poffibility , our confi
dence of it muft be ftagger'd. I am fure ac
cording to the common eftimate in feculars
it muft be fo. For I appeal to any man whe
ther he be not apter to credit a relation which

U 2, x comes

The Cbriftians Birth -right,

comes from an eie-witnefs then at the third
£>r fourth, much more at the hundredth re
bound : ( as in this cafe. ) And daily experi
ence tells us 5 that a true and probable ftory
by paffing thro many hands , often grows
to an improbable lie. This man thinks he
could add one becoming circumftance ; that
man another : and whilft moft men take the
liberty to do fo , the relation grows asmon-
•ftrous as fuch a heap of incoherent phancies
can make it.

20. IF to this it be faid^that this happens
only in trivial fecular matters, but that in the
weighty concern of Religion mankind is cer
tainly more ferious and fincere: I anfwer that
?tis very improbable that they are; fmce 'tis
obvious in the common practice of the world,
that the interefts of Religion are poftpon'd
to every little worldly concern. And there
fore when a temporal advantage requires the
bending and warping of Religion , there
will never be wanting fbm that will attemt
it.

21. BESIDES there is ftill left in human
nature lo much of the venom of the Serpents
firit temtation , that tho men cannot be as
God, yet they love to be prefcribing to
him, and to be their own Afleflbrs as to
that worfhip and homage they are to pay
him.

22. BUT above all 'tis confiderable that

SECT. V* Propriety of Holy Scripture.

in this cafe Sathan has a more peculiar con
cern, and can ferve himfelf more by a falfi-
fication here then in temporal affairs. For if
he can but corrupt Religion, it ceafes to be
his enemy , and becomes one of his mod
ufefulengins, asfufficiently appear din the
rites of the heathen worlhip. We have
therefore no caufe to think this an exemt
cafe, but to prefume it may be influenced
by the fame pravity of human nature, which
prevailes in others; and confequently are
oblig'd to blefs God that he has not left our
fpiritual concerns to fuch hazards, but has
lodg'd them in a more fecure repofitory, the
written Word.

23. BUT I fore- fee 'twill be objed:ed,that
whilft I thus difparageTradition,! do vertual-
ly invalidate the Scripture it felf , which
comes to us upon its credit. To this I anfwer
firft that fince God has with-drawn immedi
ate revelation from the world, Tradition is
the only means to convey to us the firft no
tice that this Book is the word of God: and
it being the only means he affords , we have
all reafon to depend on his goodnefs , that he
will not fuffer that to be evacuated to us:
and that how liable foever Tradition may be
to err , yet that it fhall not actually err in
this particular.

24. BUT in the fecond place; This Tra
dition feems not fo liable to fallification as o-

thers*

i y 8 The Chriftians Birth-right, &c.

thers : It is fo very (hort and fimple a propo-
fition ; fuch and fuch writings are the word
of God , that there is no great room for
Sophiftry or miftake to pervert the fenfe; the
only poffible deception rnuft be to change the
fubjedt, and obtrude fuppofititious writings in
room of the true, under the title of the word
of God. But this has already appear d to be
impracticable , becaule of the multitude of
copies which were difperft in the world ; by
which fuch an altemt would foon have bin
detected. There appears more reafon as well
as more neceffity , to rely upon Tradition in
this,then in molt other particulars.

25-. NEITHER yet do I fo farr decry
oral Tradition in any , as to conclude it im-
poffible it fhould derive any truth to pofterity:
I only look on it as more cafual , and confe-
quently a lefs fit conveiance of 'the moll im
portant and neceflary verities then the wri-
ten Word : In which I conceive my (elf jufti-
fi'd by the common fenie of mankind ; who
ufe to commit thofe things to writing, which
they are moft folicitous to derive to pofterity.
POJS any Nation truft their fundamental
Laws only to the memory of the prefent Age ,
and take no other courfe to tranfmit them
to the future ? do*s any man purchaie an c-
ftate, and leave no way for his children to
lay claim to it, but the Tradition the prefent
witnefles fhall leave of it ? Nay do's any con-

fidering

SECT. V. Propriety of Holy Scripture.

fidering man ordinarily make any important
pad-tor bargain ( tho without relation to po-
fterity) without putting the Articles in wri
ting ? And whence is all this caution but
from a univerfal confent that writing is the
fureft way of tranfmitting ?

16. BUT we have yet a higher appeal in
this matter then to the fuffrage of men : God
himfelf feems to have determined it -y And
what his decifion is,'tis our next bufinefs to in
quire.

27. AND firft he has given the moftreal
and comprehenfive atteftation to this way of
writing , by having himfelf chofe it. For he
is too wife to be miftaken in his eftimate of
better and worfe , and too kind to chufe the
worft for us : and yet he has chofen to com
municate himfelf to the latter Ages of the
world by writing •, and has fumm'd up all the
Eternal concerns of mankind in the facred
Scriptures , and left thole facred Records by
which we are to be both inform'd and go-
vern'd -, which if oral Tradition would infal
libly have don, had bin utterly needlefs: and
God fure is not fo prodigal of his fpirit , as to
inlpire the Autors of Scripture to write that,
whole ule was fuperfeded by a former more
certain expedient.

28. NAY, under the Mofaic oeconomy?
when he made ufe of other waies of reveling
himfelf, yet to perpetuate the memory even

of

1 6 o The Chriflians Birth-right, &c.

of thofe Revelations ; he cliofe to have them,
written. At the delivery of the Law , God
Ipake then viva voce , and with that pomp
of dreadful folemnity , as certainly was apt
to make the deepeft impreffions; yet God
fore-fa w that thro every fucceeding Age that
ftamp would grow more dim , and in a long
revolution might at laft be extindl. And
therefore how warm foever the Israelites ap-
prehenfions then were , he would not truft
to them for the perpetuating his Law , but
committed it to writing; Ex. Si. 18* nay
wrote it twice himfelf.

29. YET farther even the ceremonial
Law tho not intended to be of perpetual ob
ligation; was not yet referr'd to the traditkv
nary way,but was wrote by Mofes, and depoli-
ted with the Priefts, Deut. 31. p. And after-
event fhew'd tliis was no needleis caution.
For when under Manajfes, Idolatry had pre-
vail'd in Jerufalem , it was not by any dor
mant Tradition,but by the Book of the Law
found in the Temple, that Jo/tab was both
excited to reform Religion, andinftrud:ed
how to do it; 2. things 22. 10. And had not
that or fom other copy bin produc d.theyhad
bin much ill the dark as to the particulars
of their reformation , which that they had
not bin convei'd by Tradition,appears by the
fudden Itartling of the King upon the rea^
ding of the Law $ which could not have Wnv

had

SECT. V. Propriety of Holy Scripture. 1 6 1

had he bin before poffeft with the contents
of it. In like manner we find in Nehemiah,
that the obfervation of the Feaft of Taber
nacles was recover d by confulting the Law;
the Tradition whereof was wholly worn out ;
or elfe it had lure bin impoffible that it could
for fo long a time have bin intermitted, Neh.
8. 18. And yet mens memories are common
ly more retentive of an external vifible rite,
then they are of fpeculative Propolitions , or
moral Precepts.

30. THESE inftances Ihew how fallible
an expedient mere oralTradition is for tranf-
miffion to pofterity. But admit no fuch in-
ftance could be given , 'tis argument enough
that God has by his own choice of writing,
given the preference to it. Nor has he barely
chofen it , but has made it the ftandard by
which to mefare all fucceeding pretences.
'Tis the means he prefcribes for diftinguifh-
ing divine from diabolical Infpirations : To
the Law and to the Tejtimony : iftheyfteat^not
according to this Word, there is no tight in them,
Ifai. 8. 20. And when the Lawier interroga
ted our Savior what he fliould do to inherit
eternal life , he fends him not to ranfac Tra
dition, or the cabaliltical divinity of the
Rabbins, but refers him to the Law: What i*
written in the Law? how readejl thou ? Luk.
-10.25. And indeed, throout theGofpel, we
(till find him in his difcourfe appealing to

X Sen-

1 62 The Chrijtians Jtirtb-rigbt> &c.

Scripture , and nfferting its autority : as on
the other fide inveighing againft thofe Tra
ditions of the Elders which had evacuated
the written Word : Te make the Word of God
of none ejjeU by your Tradition, Mat. iy. 6.
Which as it abundantly Ihews Chrifts adhe
rence to the written Word, fo 'tis a pregnant
inftance how poffible it is for Tradition to be
corrupted , and made the inftrument of im-
pofing mens pliancies even in contradi&ion
to Gods commands.

31. AND fince our blefled Lord has made
Scripture the teft whereby to try Traditions,
we may ftirely acquielce in his decifion , and
either embrace or rejedt Traditions , accor
ding as they correfpond to the fupreme rule,
the written Word. It muft therefore be a ve
ry unwarrantable attemt to fet up Tradition
in competition with (much more in contra-
diftion to) that to which Chrift himfelf hath
fubje&ed it.

32. Saint Paul reckons it as the principal
privilege of the Jewifh Church,that it had the
Oracles of God committed to it; i.e. that
the holy Scriptures were depofited , and put
in its cuitody: and in this the Chriftian
Church fiicceeds it, and is the guardian and
confervator of holy Writ. I ask then, had the
Jewifh Church by vertue of its being keeper,
a power to fuperfede any part of thofe Ora
cles intrufted to them? if fo, Saint Paul was

much

SECT. V. Propriety of Holy Scripture. 163

much out in hiseftimate , and ought to have
reckon' d that as their higheft privilege. But
indeed , the very nature of the truft implies
the contrary; andbefides, 'tis evident, that
is the very crime Chrift charges upon the
Jews in the place above cited. And if the
Jewifli Church had no fuch right, upon what
account can the Chriftian claim any ? Has
Chrift enlarged its Charter ? has he left the
facred Scriptures with her , not to preferve
and practice, but to regulate and reform ? to
fill up its vacancies , andfupplyits defedsby
her own Traditions? if fo , let the com mil
lion be produc'd ; but if her office be only
that of guardianfliip and truft , fhe muft nei
ther fubftrad from , nor by any fuperaddi-
tions of her own evacuate its meaning and
efficacy : and to do fo , would be the fame
guilt that it would be in a perfon intruded
with the fundamental Records of a Nation,
to foift in fuch claufes as himlelt pleafes.

3 3 . I N ihort , God has in the Scriptures
laid down exad rules for our belief and pra-
dice, and has entrufted the Church to convey
them to us : if fhe vary , or any way enervate
them, Hie is falfe to that truft, but cannot by
it oblige us to recede from that rule flie fhould
deliver, to comply with that fhe obtrudes up
on us. The cafe may be illuftrated by an
eafy refemblance. Suppofe a King have a
forreign principality for which he compofes

X 2 a bo-

1 64 The Cbriftians Birth-right, &c.

a body of Laws ; annexes to them rewards
and penalties , and requires an exa£t and in-
difpenfable conformity to them. Thefe be
ing put in writing , he fends by a feledt mef-
ienger:"now fuppofe this meflenger deliver
them, yet faies withall, that himfelf has auto-
rity from the King to fuperfede thefe Laws at
his plefure ; fo that their laft refort muft be to
his diktats, yet produces no other teftimony
but his own bare affirmation. Is it poffible
that any men in their wits fliould be fo ftu-
pidly credulous , as to incur the penalty of
thoie Laws upon fo improbable an indemni
ty ? And fure it would be no whit lefs mad-
nefs in Chriftians, to violate any precept of
God, on an ungrounded fuppofal of the
Churches power to difpenfe with them.

34. AND if the Church univerfal have not
this power, nor indeed ever claim' d it,it muft
be a itrange iniblence for any particular
Church to pretend to it, as the Church of
J^o me do's ; as if we fliould owe to her Tra
dition all our Scripture , and all our Faith ;
infomuch that without the fupplies which fhe
afords from the Oracle of her Chair, our Re
ligion were imperfect , and our falvation in-*
fecure. Upon which wild dictates I fliall take
Jiberty in a diftindSe&ion, farther to anim»
Advert,

SECT.

SECT. VI. Suffrage of the Church.

-V-. :j. ;:;;.. SECT. VI. ^f-,

The fuffrage of the primitive Chriftian
Church^ concerning the propriety and fit-
nefs which the Scripture has towards the
attainment of its excellent end.

AGAINST what has bin hitherto faid
to the advantage of the holy Scripture,
there oppofes it felf ( as we have already in
timated) the autority of the Church ottyme ;
which allows it to be only an imperfed: rule
of Faith , faying in the fourth Seffion of the
Council of Trent, that Chrijhan faith and dif-
cipline , are contain d in the Sooi(s' written ,
and unwritten Tradition. And in the fourth
rule of the Index put forth by command
of the faid Council, the Scripture is-declar'd
to be (o far from ufeful , that its reading
is pernicious if permitted promifcuoujly in the
vulgar Tongue , and therefore to be with
held : infomuch that the ftudy of the holy
Bible is commonly by perfons of the Roman
Communion, imputed to Proteftants as part
of their herefy ; they being call'd by them in
contemt the Evangelical men , and Scriptu-
rarians. And the Bible in the vulgar Tongue
of any Nation, is commonly reckoned among
prohibited Books, and as fuch.publicly burnt

when

j 66 The Cbriflians Birth-right , &c.

when met with by the Inquifitors : and the
perfon who is found with it, or to read there-
in,is fubjecfted to ievere penalties.

2. Fo R the vindication of the truth of
God, and to put to fliame thofe unhappy In
novators , who amidft great pretences to an
tiquity, and veneration to the Scriptures pre-
varicat from both : I think it may not be a-
mifs, to fliew plainly the mind of the primi
tive Church herein ; and that in as few words
as the matter will admit.

3 . FIRST I premife that Ireneus and T*r-
tullian having to do with Heretics, who boaft-
ed themfelves to be emendators of the Apo-
ftles, and wifer then they ,- defpifing their au-
tority,reje<fting feveral parts of the Scripture,
and obtruding other writings in their fteed,
have had recourfe unto Tradition, with a
feeming preference of it unto Scripture.
Their adverfaries having no common prin
ciple befides the owning the name of Chri-
ftians; it was impoffible to convince them,
but by a recourfe to fuch a medium which
they would allow. But thefe Fathers being
to let down and eftablifh their Faith,are moft
exprefs in refolving it into Scripture: and
when they recommend Tradition, ever mean
fuch as is alfb Apoftolical.

4. I R E N E u s in the fecond Book, 47. c.
tells us, that the Scriptures areperfeft, as ditta-
tcd by the rvord of God and bis Jpirit. And the

fame

SECT. VI. Suffrage of the Church. 16 7

fame Father begins his third Book in this
manner, The dijpojition of our falvation is no
otherwife known by us , then by thofe by whom
the Gojpel was brought to us j which indeed they
frftpreactid , but afterward deliver d it to us in
the Scripture, to be the foundation and pillar of
our Faith. Nor may we zmagin, that they began
to preach to others , before they themfehes bad
perfeft knowledg , as fom are bold to fay -y boaft-
ing themfelves to be emendators of the Jlpoftles.
For after our Lords Refurreftion , they were in
dued with the power of the holy Spirit from on,
high, and havtng perfect tyowledg, went forth t0
tne ends of the earth y preaching the glaa tidings-
of falvation, and eel eftzalprai fe unto men. Each
and all of whom had the Gojpel of God. So Saint
Matthew wrote the Gojjtel to the Hebrews , in
their tongue. Saint Peter &nd Saint Paul
preactidat Rome, and there founded a Church :
Mark the Difciple and interpreter 0/Peter, de
liver d in writing what he had preacbd, and
Luke the follower of Paul fet down in bis Boo^
the Gofyel he had deliver d. Afterward Saint
John at Ephefus in Afia publijh'd his Gofyel,
&c. In his fourth Book,c. 66. he direds all
the Heretics with whom he deals, to read di
ligently the Gofyel deliver d by the ^poflles ^
and alfo read diligently the Prophets , alluring
they Jhall there find every aftion 9 every doftrin,
and every fuffering of GUT Lord declared by
them.

5*, THUS

i 6 8 The Chriftians Birth-right, &c.

f. THUS Tcrtullian in his Book of Pre-
fcriptions, c. 6. It is not lawful for us to intro
duce any thing of our own will , nor maJ^e any
choice upon our arbitrement. We have the Apo-
Jtles of our Lord for our Authors , rvho themfelves
up nothing on their own will or choice ; but

faithfully imparted to the Nations the difcipline
winch they had receivd from Chrift. So that if
an Angel from heaven jhould teach another do-
ftrin, he were to be accurft. And c. 2f. "7ii
madnefs , faies he of the Heretics, when they
confejs that the Apoflles were ignorant of no
thing, nor taught things different .-> to think^tkat
they did not revele all things to all : which he
enforces in the following chapter. In his
Bookagainlt Hermogenes, c. 23. he difcourfes
thus ; / adore the .plenitude of the Scripture,
which dif covers to me the Creator., and what was
created. Aljo in the Gojpel I find, the Word was
the Arbiter and Agent in the Creation. That all
things were made ofpreexiflent matter I never
read. Let Hermogeh.es , and his journy-men
Jherv that it is written. If it be not written^ let
him fear the woe, which belongs to them that add
or detratt. And in. the 39. ch. of his Prefcript.
Wt feed our faith ^ raife our hope y andejiablijh
our reliance with thefacredWords.

6. IN like manner Hippolytusmthz Ho
mily againtt Noetic declares, that we acknow-
ledg only from Scripture that there is one God.
And whereas fccular Philofophy is not to be had,

but;

SECT. VI. Suffrage of the Church.

but from the reading of the doftrin of the Philo-
fophers ; fo whofoever of ti* -will preferve piety
towards God y he cannot otherwise learn it then-
from the holy Scripture. Accordingly Origer*
in the fifth Homily on Leviticus, faies, that in
the Scripture every word appertaining to Gody if
to be fought anddifcujl j and the ^nowledg of all
things is to be receiv'd^

7. WHAT Saint Cyprians opinion was in
this point , we learn at large from his Epiftle
to Pompey. For when Tradition was objec3>
edto him, he anfwers; Whe nc e u this Tradi
tion ? is it from the autority of our Lord and
his Gofyel ; or comes it from the commands-
of the j4poftles in their Efiftles ? Almighty
God declares that what is written Jhould be
ebefd and prafticd* The Boo^ of the Law ±
faies he in Jofhua , Jhall not depart from thy
mouth , but thou Jhalt meditate in it day and
night j that you may obferve and k^eep all that is
-written therein. So our Lord fending his *dpo*
jtles , commands them to baptise all Nations,
and teach them to obferve all things that he had
commanded. Again , what objtinacy and pre-
Jumtion is it to prefer human Tradition t& di
vine Command : not conjidering that Gods wrath
ti kindled as often M his Precepts are dijfilvd
andneglefted by reafon of human Traditions*
Thus God warns and fyeak* by Ifaiah: This peo»
fie honors me with their lips , but their heart is.
for front me k fat in VMK do they werjhip me,

\ teaching

170 The Cbriftians Birth-right, &c.

teaching for doHrins the commandments of men*
sflfo the Lor din the Gofael checks and reproves,
faying ; you rejett the Law of God, that you may
ejtablijh your "Tradition. Of which Precept the
jfpojtle Saint Paul being mindful , admonijhes
and injtrufts, faying ; If any man teaches other-
wife, andhearJ^cns not to found doftrin , and the
words of our Lordjefus Chrijt , he is proudfaow-
ing nothing : From fuch we muji depart. And
again he adds , There is a compendioivs way for
religious and/incere minds , both to de.pojit their
errors, andjmd out the: truth. For if we return
to the Jburce and original of divine Tradition^
human error will ceafe , and the ground of hea
venly Myjieries being feen, whatsoever was hid
with clouds and darkgefs , will be manifest by
the light of truth* If a pipe that brought plen
tiful fupp lies of water fail on thefuddain, do not
men look^to the fountain ^ and thence learn the
cauf'e of the defeft , whether the faring it felf be
dry 3 or if running freely , the water is flopt in
its pajfage -y that if by interrupted or brol(en
conveiances , it was hindred to pafs ,. they being
repair d^-t may again be brought to the City, with
the fame plenty as it flows from the faring? And
this Gods Priejis ought to do at this time, obeying
the commands of God, that if truth havefwerva
or fail' d in any particular , we go bac^ardto
the fource of the Evangelical and dpojlolical
Tradition , and there found our attings $ from
whence their order and origination began.

8. IT

SECT. VI. Suffrage of the Church. 171

8. IT is true Bellarmine reproches this dif-
courfe as erroneous ; but whatever it might
be in the inference which Saint Cyprian drew
from it, in it felf it was not fo. For Saint Au-

Jtin, tho fuffieiently engag'd againft Saint Cy
prians conclufion allows the pofition as moft
Orthodox ; faying , in the fourth Book of
Baptifm, c. 35-. Whereas he admomjhes to go
bacJ^ to the fountain, that is , the Tradition of
the Apoflles , and thence bring the Jlream down
to our times ; 'tis mojt excellent , and without
doubt to be don.

9. THUS £&/£#//# expreffeshimfelf in his
fecond Book againft Sqbellius. As it is a point
pfjloth, not tojeekjnto thofe things, -whereof one
may enquire ; fo '£r infolence to be inquijitive
in others. But what are thofe things which we
ought to enquire into ? Even thofe which are to
be found in the Scriptures : thofe things which
are not there to be found y let us not feek^after.
For if they ought to be fyown , the holy Gbojt had
not omittedthem in the Scripture.

10. ATHANASIUS in his Trad of the Incar-
nation,faies, It is fit for us to adhere to the word
of God, and not relinquijh it , thinking by fyl-
logifms to evade, what is there clearly deliver d.
Again in his Trad to Scrap, of the holy
Ghoft: As kjiot, faies he, concerning the 'Tri
nity, but learn only from the Scriptures. For the
^njtrufl;ions which you will find there, are juffi-
cienl. And in his Oration againft the Gen-

Y 2 tiles,

172 The Cbrijtians Birth-right,

tiles, declares , That the Scriptures are
tunt to the manifcjlation of the truth*

ii. AGREEABLE to thefe is Optatut in his
f. Book againft Parmen. who reafons thus,
Ton fay 'tis lawful to rebapti^e , we fay 'tis not
lawful : betwixt your faying and our gain-fay
ing the peoples minds are amusd. Let no man
believe either you or us. All men are apt to be
Contentious, therefore fudges are to be call d
in* Cbrijtians they tannot be •> for they will be
fartics -, and thereby partial. Therefore a fadg
is to be looJ^t out from abroad. If a Pagan , h&
knows not the myfteriet of our Rchgion. If a
Jervy be it an enemy to our baptifm. There is
therefore no earthly Judg • b.ut one is to be fought
from heaven. Tet there is no need of a refort tot
heaven a when we have in tthe Gojpel a Tefta-
went : and in this cafe , celejtixl things may bt
iompafd to earthly. So it is as with a Father
who has many children ; while he is prefent b&
orders them all, and there is no need of a written
Will : Accordingly Chriji when he was prefent
upon earth , from time, to time commanded the
j4poftles whatsoever wits neceffary. ~But as the,
earthly father finding himfelf to be at the point
of death , and fearing that after his departure
his cbildr en Jhjuld quarrel among themfelves9 he
calls wiunejfes, ana puts bis mind in writing and
if any difference arife among the brethren y they
go not to their Fathers Sepulcher , but repair to
his Will and Tcjtament 5 and b? who rejls in kis

grave,

SECT. VI. Suffrage of the Church. 173

grave, fyeaksjlill in bis writing, as if he were a-
live. Our Lord who left his Will among us, is now
in heaven , therefore let wfeekjju commands in
the Gofyel, as in his Will.

12. THUS Cyrilofleruf.C&t, 4.. Nothing,
no not the leajl concernment of the divine and
holy Sacraments of our Faith, is to be deliver d
without the holy Scripture : believe not me un-
lefs I give you a demonstration of what I fay
from the Scripture.

13. SAINT ~Bafil in his Book of the true
Faith faies, If God be faithful in all hisfayings,
bis words, and workj, they remaining for ever>
and being don in truth and equity ; it mujl be
an evident fign of infidelity and pride, if any one
Jhall rejeft -what is written , and introduce what
is not written. In which Books he generally
declares that he will write nothing but what
he receives from the holy Scripture : and that
he abhors from taking it elfewhere. In his 29.
Homily againft the Antitrinit. Believe , faies
he, thofe which are written ; fee \ not thofe
which are not written. And in his Eth. reg. 26.
Every word and aftion ought to be confirm d by
the tejtimony of the divinely infpird Scriptures
to the ejtablijhment of theFaithofthegood.and
reproof of the wicfyd.

14. SAINT ^mbrofe'm thefirft Book of his
Qffic. faies : How can we make ufe of any thing
which is not to be found in Scripture ? And in
his Jnftit. qf Virgins. / read be is tbefrji, but

read

J74 The Chrijtians ftirth-ri^ht,

read not he u the fecund \ let them who fay he is
fecond, Jhew it from the reading.

if. G K E a. Nyffen in his Dial, of the foul
and refurred:. faies, "/// undeniable jtbat truth
*s there only to beplacd, where there if the Jeal
if Scripture T«Jtiniony.

16. SA^NT Jrrom againft Helvidius de
clares. 4s we deny not that which is written, fo
iverefuft thofe which are not written. And in
his Comment on the 9 8 . yf. Every thing that
roe aflert, we mujl Jhew from the holy Scripture.
The word of him that //>eaJ(s has not that auto~
rity of Gods precept. And on the 8 7 . Pf. Itfjat-
*ver /f /aid after the Jpojtles, let it be cut off]
nor have after war dt autority. 'Tho one be holy
fifter the .dftojtlcs , tho one be eloquent ; yet has
fa not autority.

*7> SAINT jfajtin in his Tra6t of the uni
ty ot the Church, c. 12. acknowledges that
he^could not be convincd but by the Scriptures
v( what he was to believe ; and adds they are
read with fuch man? fixation , that he who be
lieves them mujt confefs the docirin to be mojt
trul. in the lecond Book ot Chriltiau do-
rtrin, c. 9. he faies, that in the plain places cf
Scripture are found all thofe things that concern
Faith and Manners. And in Epilt. 42. sill
things which have bin exhibited heretofore as
don to mankj-nd) anil what we now fee anil deli
ver to o?ir fjojhnty, the Scripture has not pajt
them tti Jihnce, Jo far forth M they concern

SECT. VI. Suffrage of the Church.

the I cu nli or defence of our Religion. Jnhis
Trait of the good oj: Widowhood, he faies to
Julian, the perfou to whom he addrefles.
// hatjhalll teach you more then that we readin
the jjjjojtle : for tie holy Scripture fettles the .
rule of our doffrin j that we thinkjiot any thing
more then we ought to thinly but to thinly fo-
berly, as God Iw dealt to every man the me/ur*
of Faith. There] ore my teaching # only to ex*
pound the words of thts Dottor, lip. if 7. Where
#ny (ubje'd M vbfcure 9 and pajjcs our compre*
henjion , and the Scripture dos not plainly af*
fordits help , there bu?nan conjecture is prefum-
tuous in defining.

1 8. THEOPHILUS ctlAlex. ia his fecond
Palchal homily, tells us, that'll'; thefuggejtion
of a diabolical jpirit to thinly that any thiny
bcjides the Scripture has divine authority. Alia
in his third he adds, that the Doctors of the
Church having the Tejtimony of the Scripture ,
lay firm foundation of their doclrin.

19. CHKYSOSTOM in his third Homily
on the firit of the Tkeffal. aflerts, that from the
alone reading or hearing of the Scripture one
may learn all things necejjary. So Horn. 34. on
Adt. if. he declares. A neat hen comes and
jaies : I would willingly he a Chnjtian , but /
kjiow not who to join my felf to j for there are
many contentions among y ou ,m any f editions and
tumults 5 fo that lam in doubt what opinion I

chufc , Each man Jaies , what J Jay is

true*

1 7 6 The Chrijlians Birth-right,

true i and I know not whom to believe > each
pretends to Scripture which I am ignorant of*
'Tis very well the iffueis put here : for if the ap
peal were to reafon + in this cafe t&ere would oe
jujt occafion of being troubled : but when we ap~
peal to Scripture , and they arejtmple and cer~
tain, you may eajily your felf judg* He that
agrees with the Scripture u a Cbrijltan , he that
rejijls them js far out of the way. And on Pf.^y.
If any thing be faid without the Scripture ± the
mind halts between different opinions ifomtime*
inclining as to what is probable , anon rejecting
us what is frivolous : but when the tejiimony of
holy Scripture isproducdjhe mind both offyeal(er
andheareris confirm d. And Horn. 4. on La-
?{ar. Tho one Jhould rife from the dead, or ari
jingelcome down from heaven , we muji believe
the Scripture, they being fr am d by the Lord of
jfngels, and the quickjind dead. AndHom. 13.
2 Cor. 7. Is it not an abfurd thing that when
we deal with men about mony , we will trujt no
body, but caji up thefum, and make ufe of our
counters ; but in religion* affairs , Juffer out
f elves to be led ajide by other mens opinions, even,
then when we have by an exa& Jcale and touch*
Jfone, the diSat of the divine JLawt Therefor*
I pray and exhort you , that giving no heed tot
what this or that man Jaies , you would confute
the holy Scripture, and thence learn the divine
riches, andpurjue what you have learnt. And
Horn, 78. on Jg* 10. i. 'Tistht wart^ofa thief ±

thtt

SECT. VI. Suffrage of the Church. 1 77

that he comes not in by the dor e% but another
way ; now by the dor e the testimony of the Scri*
pture is fignified. And Horn, on Gal. r. g. Thg
dpojile faies not > if any man teach a contrary
do fir in let him be accursd, or if he fubvert tb&
whole Gofyel ; but if he teach any thing befide
the Go/pel which you have receivd > or vary any
little thing, let him be accursd.

20. CYRIL of Alex, againft Jul. /. 7. faies^
The holy Scripture isfufficient to mal^e them whv
are inftruHedin it^wife unto falvation ^ and en*
duedwith mojt ampfaknorvledg.

21. THEODORET Dial, i. tarn perfwadeJ
tnly by the holy Scripture. And Dial. 2. / an*
notfo bold to affirm any thing > not fyoken of in
the Scripture. And again, qu. 45-. uponGenefi
We ought not to enquire after what is pdjt ev&i
injilence, but acquiefcein what is written.

22. IT were eafy to enlarge this difcourfe
into a Volume j but having taken, as they o£-
ferd themfelves,the fiiffrages of the writers o£
the four firft Centuries , I (hall not proceed to
thofe that follow. If the holy Scripture were
a perfect rule of Faith and Manners to all
Chriltians heretofore, we may reafonably a£
fure our felves it is fo ftill ; and will now guide
us into all neceffary truth , and confequeiitly
inake us wife unto falvation^without the aidof
oral Tradition, or the new mintage of £ H-»
Ving infallible Judg of contrbvesly < And the

j 7 8 The C'hriftians Birth-right, &c.

impartial Reader will be enabled to judg
whether our appeal to the holy Scripture , in
all occafions of controverfy, and recommen-
4ation of it to the ftudy of every Chriftian, be
that herefy and innovation which it isfaid
tbbe.

VKfcj. IT is, we know, feverely imputed to
the Scribes and Pharifees by our Savior , that
they took from the people the key of kpowledg,
iLuk. ii. ? 2. and had made the word of Godef
none effett by their Traditions, Mat. if. 6. but
they never attemted what has bin fince pra-
ifticed by their Succeffors in the Weftern
Church , to take away the Ark of the Tefta-
ment it felf, and cut off not only the effica
cy 5 but very pofleffion of the word of God
by their Traditions. Surely this had bin ex
ceeding criminal from any hand: but that
the Biihops and Governors of the Church,
and the univerfal and infallible Paftor of it,
who claim the office to interpret the Scri
ptures, exhort unto , and affift in the know-
ledg of them , ftiould be the men who thus
rob the people of them; carries with it the
higheft aggravations both of cruelty and
breach of truft. If any man Jhall ta^g away
from the words of the Boo^ of this prophecy,
faies Saint John, Revel. 22. 19. God Jhall ta\e
away his part out of the Book^of Lift , and
QUt of the holy City 9 and from the things

whick

SECT. VI. Suffrage of the Church. 1 7 j

rvtych are written in this Boo^. What ven
geance therefore awaits thofe , who have ta
ken away not only from one Book, but at
once the Books themfelves , even all the Scri
ptures, the whole word of God ?

SECT,

1 8 o The Chrijlians Birthright, tic.

SECT. VII.

reflexions upon the events which
have happened in the Church fince the
with-drawing of the holy Scripture.

TWILL in this place be no ufelefs con-?
tertoplation toobferve, after the Scri
ptures had bin raviflit from the people in the
Church of'Jfyme; what pitiful pretenders
were admitted to lucceed. And firft becaufe
.Lay-men were prefum'd to be illiterate, and
eafily feducible by thofe writings which were
in themfelves difficult , and would be wrefted
by the unlearned to their own deftruftion-, pi-
<5tures were recommended in their fteed, and
complemented as the Books of the Laity ,
which foon emprov'd into a neceffity of their
worfhip, and that grofs fuperftition which
renders Chriftianity Abominated by Turks,
and Jews, and Heathens unto this day.

2. I would not be hafty in charging Idola
try upon the Church of Home , or all in her
communion ; but that their Image-worfhip is
a moft fatal fnare , in which vaft numbers of
unhappy fouls are taken , no man can doubt
who hath with any regard travail'd in Popifli
Countries. I my felt, and thoufands of others,

whom

SECT. VII. Events of withdrawing H. Scrip. 1 8 1

whom the late troubles , or other occafions
fent abroad, are and have bin witneffes there
of. Charity, 'tis true, believes all things,but it
,do's not oblige men to disbelieve their eies.
'Twas the out-cry of Micah againft the Da-
nites , Jud. /#. 24. ye have taken away my Gods
which I have made , and the Prieft, and are gon
away^ and what have I more f but the Laity of
the Roman communion may enlarge the
complaint , and fay ; you have taken away
the oracles of our God , and fet up every
where among us graven and molten Images ,
and Teraphims , and what have we more >
and 'twas lately the loud , and I doubt me is
ftill, the unanfwerable complaint of the poor
Americans, that they were deni'd to worfhip
their Pagod once in the year,when they who
forbad them, worfhip'd theirs every day.

3 - T H E Jews before the captivity , not-
withftanding the recent memory of the
Miracles in Egypt and the Wildernefs , and
the firft conqueft of the Land of Canaan
with thofe that fucceeded under the Judges
and kings of Ifrael and luda ; as alfo the ex-
preis command of God , and the menaces of
Prophets , ever and anon fell to downright
Idolatry : but after their return unto this daya
have kept themfelves from falling into that
{in^tlio they had no Prophets to inftru£t them,
no miracles or government to encourage or
conftrainthein. The reafonof which a very

learned

1 8 2 The Chriftians

learned man in his difcourfe of religious Af-
femblies takes to be , the reading and teach
ing of the Law in their Synagogues ; which
was perform'd with great exadnefs after the
return from the captivity, but was not fo per
form'd before. And may we not invert the
obfervation , and impute the Image-worfliip
now fet up in the Chriftian Church, to the for
bidding the reading of the Scriptures in the
Churches, and interdicting the privat ufe,and
inftitution in them ?

4. F o R a farther fupplement in place of
the Scriptures, whofe Hiftory was thought not
edifying enough , the Legends of the Saints
were introduc'd; ftoriesfb ftupid, that one
would imagin them defign'd as an experi
ment how far credulity could be impos a up
on 5 or elfe fram'd to a worle intent, that
Chriitianity by them might be made ridicu
lous. Yet thefe are recommended to ufe and
veneration, while in the mean time the word
of God is utterly forbidden, whereby the par
ties to this unhappy practice ( that I may
fpeak in the words of the Prophet Jerem. 2.13.)
have committed two evils, they have for fallen the
fountain of living waters , and hewed thorn out:
crjterns , broken cijlerns that canho-ld no wa
ter.

y. FARTHER yet, the fame unreasonable
tyranny which permitted not the Laity to un-
derlland Almighty God fpeakiag to them m

the

SECT. VII. Events of witk-dr awing H.Scrip. 183

the Scripture j hinder' d them from being fuf-
fer'd to underftand the Church or themlelves
Ipeaking to him in their praiers; whilft the
whole Roman office is fb difpos'd, that in
defiance of the Apoftles difcourfe, i Cor. 14.
be that occupies the room of the unlearned mujt
fay amen , to thofe praters andpraijes which he
has no compreken/ionof:and by his endlefs
repetitions of Paters, Ave's and Credo's, falls
into that battology reprov'd by our Savior,
T^lat, 6. 7. and as 'twas faid to the woman of
Samaria, Jo. 4. 22. knows not what he worjhips.
Yet this unaccountable practice is fo much
the darling of that Church , that when in
France about eighteen years fince,the Roman
Miflal was traniiated into the vulgar Tongue,
and publifh'd by the direction of feveral of
their Biihops ; the Clergy of France rofe up in
great fury againft the attemt , anathemati
zing in their circular Epiftles , all that fold,
read, orusd the faid Book^: and upon com
plaint unto Pope Alex, the 7. he refented the
matter fo deeply , as to iffue out his Bull a-
gainft it in the following words.

6. WHEREAS fonsofperdition^endevorintrthe
dejtruffiion of fouls , have tranflatedtbe Roman
MiJJal into the French Tongue , andfo attemt ed
to throw down and trample upon the majefy of
the holy Rites comprehended in Latin words :
j4s we abominate and deteji the novelty, which
mil deform the beauty of the Church, andprodvce

1 8 4 The Chriflians Birth-right,

difobedience , temerity, boldnefs y /'edition and
fchifm -, fo we condemn, reprobate andforbid,the
faid andall other JuchTranflations , and inter-
di£l the reading and keeping, to all and Jingular
the faithful, of whatever f ex, degree, order, con*
dit ion, dignity, honor, or preeminence, &c. un
der pain of excommunication, jlndwe command
the copies to be immediatly burnt, &c. So mor
tal a fin it feems 'twas thought for the Laity
to underftand the praiers in which they miift
communicate.

7. NOR is this all; agreeable to the other
attemts upon the holy Scripture, was the bold
infolence of making a new authentic Text,in
that unknown Tongue in which the offices of
praier had bin, and were to be kept difguis'd ;
which was don by the decree of the Council
ofTrent in the fourth Seflion. But when the
Council had given this Prerogative to the
Verfion which it call'd vulgar, the lucceeding
Popes began to confider what that Verfion
was ; and this work fius the fourth and fifth
fet upon ; but prevented by death feil'd to
complete it , io that the honor of the perfor
mance fell to Sixtus the fifth, who in the ple
nitude of his Apoftolic power,the Tranflation
being reform'd to his mind, commanded it to
be that genuine ancient Edition , which the
Trent Fathers had before made authentic,and
under the pain of excommunication requir'd
it to be fo received : which lie do's in this

. Events of with-dr awing H.Scrip. 1 8 ^

form. Of eur certain knowledg , andthe pleni
tude of Afojlolic power , we order and declare
that vulgar Edition which has bin receivdfor au
thentic by the Council 0/Trent , is without doubt
or controversy to be efteenid this very one, which
being amended as well as it is pojjlble, and printed
at the Vatican Prefs , we publijh to be read in
the whole Chrijtian Republic 9 and in all Churches
of the Chnjtian worla. Decreeing that it having
bin approv'd by the confent of the holy universal
Church, andthe holy Fathers, and then by the De
cree of the general Council fl/^Trent, and now by
the Apoftolic autority deliver d to us by the
Lord ; u the true, legitimate , authentic, and
undoubted , which is to be received and heldin all
public and priv at Difyutations, Lectures, Preach
ings 9 and Expojitions, &c. But notwithitan-
ding this certain knowledg, and plenitude of
Apoftolic power, foon after came Clement
the eighth, and again refumes the work of his
Predeceffor Sixtus, difcovers great and many
errors in it , and puts out one more reform'd,
yet confeft by himlelf to be imperfect ; which
now ftands for the authentic Text , and car
ries the title of the Bible put forth by Sixtus,
notwithftanding all its alterations. So well
do s the Roman Church deferve the honor
which flie pretends to , of being the rniflrefs of
all Churches ; and ib infallible is the holy Chair
in its determinations : and laftly , fo authen
tic a Tranfcript* of the word of God (con-

A a cerning

1 8 6 The Cbrijtians Birth-right;

eerning which 'tis faid, Mat. y. 18. one jot or
one title Jhall not fail] is that which fheefta-
blillit, and that has receiv'd fo many, and yet
according to the confeffion of the infallible
Corrector, wants ftill more alterations.

8. DEPENDENT upon this, and as great
a mifchief as any of the former, confequent
to the with-drawing of the Scripture, I take
to be the ftep it made to the overthrow of the
ancient and moft ufeful difciplin of the
Church in point of Penance , whofe rigors
alwaies heretofore preceded the poffibility of
having abfolution. Now of this we know a
folemn part was the ftate of Audience , when
the lapit perfon was receiv'd after long atten
dance without dores,proftrations, and lamen
tations there, within the entrance of the
Church ; and was permitted with the Cate
chumens orCandidats of.Baptifm, to hear
the readings of the Scripture , and ftay till
praier began, but then depart. He was ob-
lig'd to hear the terrors of the Lord, the
threats of the divine Law againft fin and fin-
ners, to Hand among the unbaptiz'd and hea
then multitude, and learn again the ele
ments of that holy Faith from which he had
prevaricated ; and fo in time be render' d
capable of the devotions of the faithful , and
afterward the reception of the Eucharift.
But when the Scriptures were thought ufelefs
or dangercras to bs uadsrftood sod heard, it

was

SECT. VII. Events of rvitb-dr awing H.Scrip. 187

was confcquent that the itate of Audience
fliould be cut off from Penance, and that the
next to it, upon the felf-fame principle fhouhl
be difmift : and fo the long probation for
merly requir d Qiould be fupplanted ; and the
compendious way of pardoning firft, and re
penting afterwards, the endlefs circle of fin
ning and being abfolv'd, and then finning,
and being abfolv'd again,fhould prevail upon
the Church. Which ftill obtains,notwithftan-
dingthe complaints,and irrefragable demon-
ftrations of learned men even of the Romifh
Communion , who plainly fhew this now re-
ceiv'd method , to be an innovation ground-
lefs and unreasonable , and moft pernicious
in its confequents.

9. AND, by the way, we may take notice
that there cannot be a plainer evidence of
the judgment of the Church, concerning the
neceffity of the Scriptures being known, not
only by the learned but mean Chnftian, and
the intereft they have therein ; then is the
ancient courfe of Penance, eftablifht by the
the practice of all the firft Ages , and almoft
as many Councils, whether general or local,
as have decreed any thing concerning difci-
plin 5 with the penitentiary Books and Ca
nons which were written for the firft eleven
hundred years in the whole Chriftian world.
For if even the unbaptiz d Catechumen, and
the lapft finner > notwithftanding their flen-

Aa 2 der

1 8 8 The Chriftians Birth-right,

der knowledg in the myfteries of Faith , or
frail pretence to the privilege thereof, had
a r'ght to the ftate of Audience, and was ob-
lig d to hear the Scripture read; furelythe
meanelt unobnoxious Laic , was in as advan-
tagious circumftances, and might not only
be trufted with the reading of thofe facred
Books , but might claim them as his birth
right.

9. I may juftly, over and above what has
bin hitherto allegd , impute to the Gover
nors of the fame Church , and their with
holding from the Laity the holy Scripture ;
the many dangerous errors, grofs ignorances,
and fcandaious immoralities which have pre-
vail'd among them both. It is no new me
thod of divine vengeance, that there Ihould
be Unpeople lil^e Priefl^ Hof. 4. 9. andtbat the
Idol Jhepherd who lea his floc^into the ditch,

Jbould fall therein himfelf\ Mat. ij. 14. And as
the Prophet ^achary defcribes it, c. n. 17.
The fword fball be upon his arm, and upon his
right eie : his arm jh all be clean dried up, and his
right eiejhallbe utterly dar^ned.

10. BUT no confequence can be more ob-
vioufly deducible from that practice , then
that men Ihould juftify the with-holding of
the Scripture, by leffening its credit, and de
preciating its worth : which has occafion'd
thofe reproches which by the writers of the
Church of fyme 9 of belt uote? have bin caft

upon

ofrvith-drarvingH.Scrip.

upon it. As that it was a Nofe of wax, a leaden
rule, a deaf and ufelefs deputy to God in the of-
fice of a Judg; oflef's autority then the J^oman
Churchy and of no more credit then Efops Fables 9
but for the teflimony of the Jaid Church ± that
they contain things apt to raife laughter or in
dignation , that the Latin Tranflation in the
ComplutenfianBible is placed between theHebrew
Text , and the Septuagint Verfion^ as our Savior
TVCIA at his Crucifixion between tno thieves ,
and that the vulgar Edition is of fuch autority
that the Originals ought to be mendectby it , ra
ther then itjhould be mended from them : which
are the complements of Cardinal Beliarmin ,
Hofius, Eckius, Perron, Ximenes, Coqueus, and
others of that Communion : words to be
anfwer'd by a Thunderbolt, and fitter for the
mouth of a Celfus or a Porphyrie , then of the
pious fons, and zealous Champions of the
Church of Chriit.

ii. T i s to be expecfted that the Romanifts
fhould now wipe their mouths, and plead not
guilty 5 telling us that they permit the Scri
pture to the Laity in the«ir mother Tongue :
And to that purpofe the Fathers of Rhemes
and Doway have publifht an Englifh Bible for
thofe of their communion. I fhall therefore
give a Ihort and plain account of the whole
ariair as really it itands , and then on Gods
name let the Romanifts make the beft of
their Apology,,

12. THE

190 The Chrifltans Birth-right , tfr.

13. THE fourth rule of the Index of
prohibited Books composed upon the com
mand and aufpice of the Council of Trent,
and publifh'd by the autority of Pius the
fomth^ixtus the fifth,and Clement the eighth,
runs thus ; Since 'tis manifejt by experience Jbkat
tf the holy Bible be fufferd promifcuoujly in the
vulgar Tongue, fuch is the temerity of men, that
greater detriment then advantage will thence a-
rife s in this matter let the judgment of the Bi-
Jhoporlnquijitorbejtoodto: tnat with the ad
vice of the Cur at or Confejfor ,tl?ey may give leave
for the reading of the Bible in the vulgar Tongue,
tranflated by Catholics , to fuch as they know will
not receive damage , but increafe of Faith and
Piety thereby. Which faculty they jhall have in
writing, and whofoever without fuch faculty Jhall
prefiime to have or to read the Bible, he Jhall not
till he have deliver d it up, receive abfolution of
his fins* Now (to pafsover the iniquity of ob
liging men to ask leave to do that whichGod
Almighty commands ) when 'tis confider d
how tew of the Laity can make means to the
Bifnop or Inquifitor, or convince them, or the
Curat or Confeffor , that they are fuch who
will not receive damage, but encreaie of
Faith and Piety by the reading of the Scri
pture ; and alib have intereft to prevail with
them for their favor herein : and after all
can and will be at the charge of taking out
the faculty, which is fo penally requir'd : 'tis

eafy

SECT.VH.Events of with -drawing H. Scrip. i<>i

eafy to guefs what thin numbers of the Laity
are likely , or indeed capable of reaping be
nefit by this Indulgence pretended to be al
lowed them.

14. BUT, befides all this, what fhall we fay,
if the power it felf of giving Licences be a
mere fnew , and really fignifies juft nothing ?
In the observation fubjoin'd to this fourth
rule it is declafd, that the Imprejjion and Edi
tion thereof gives no new faculty to Bijhops , or
Inquijttors, or Superiors of regulars to grant Li
cences of buying, reading , or retaining Bibles
publijht in a vulgar Tongue ; fence hitherto by
the command ana practice of the holy J^oman
and univerfal Inquifition , the power of giving
fuch faculties , to read or retain vulgar Bibles,
or any parts of Scripture of the Old or New Te-
Jiament, in any vulgar Tongue ; or alfo fumma-
ries, or hijiorical compendiums of the faid Bibles
or Books of Scripture , in whatfoever Tongue
they are written, hat bin ta\en away. And lure
if a Lay-man cannot read the Bible without
a faculty , and it is not in any ones power to
grant it ; 'twill evidently follow that he can
not read it : And fo the pretence of giving
liberty, owns the {harne of openly refufing it,
but has no other effedt or conieqoence. And
if any Romanift among us , or in any other
Proteftant Country enjoies any liberty here
in, 'tis merely by connivance, and owed to a
fear leaft the Votary would be loft, and take

the

192 The Chriftians Birth-right, &c.

the Bible where it was without difficulty to be
had , if ftridnefs fhould be us'd. And ftiould
Popery , which God forbid , become para
mount ; the Tranflations of the Scripture
into our Mother Tongues, would be no mote
endur'd here, then they are in Spain: and
they who have formerly bin wary in commu
nicating the Scriptures •, remembring how
thereby their errors have bin detected,
would upon a revolution effectually provide
for the future , and be fure to keep their peo
ple in an Egyptian darknefs , that might it
lelf be felt, but that allow'd the notices of no
other objeft. They would not be content
with that competition of the Ammonite , to
thrujt out all tne right eies of thofe that fiib-
mitted to them , / Sam. 11.2. but would put
out both ; as the Philiftins did to &*fw/0«,that
they might make their miferable captives for
t\t\: grind in their Mill, Jud. 16. 21.

14. B tr T this heavieft of judgments will
never fall upon the reform'd Churches, till, by
their vicious practice and contemt of the di
vine Law,they have deferred their profeffion ;
and made themfelves utterly unworthy of
the bleffings they enjoy, and the light of that
Gofpel which with noon-day brightnefs has
fhm'd among them. Upon which account,
I fuppofe it may not be impertinent in the
next place to lubjoin foni plain directions,
and cautionary advices , concerning the ufe
of thefefacred Books. ' SECT.

SECT. VIII. Cautions in reading Holy Scrip. 193

\--J^~ s E c iy VIIL

Nece/ary cautions to le us" din the reading
of the holy Scriptures.

IT is a common obfervation, that the moft
generous and fprightly Medicins , are the
ftioft unfafe , if not appli'd with due care and
fegimen : And the remark holds as well in
fpiritual as corporal remedies. The Apoftle
aflerts it upon his own experience , that the
do&rin of the Gofpel , which was to fom the
favor of life unto life , was to others the favor of
death, i Cor. 2.15-. And the lame effect that
the oral Word had then , the written Word
may have now -y not that either the one or
the other have any thing in them that is of it
felf mortiferous3 but becomes fo by the ill dif-
pofition of the perfons who fo pervert it. It is
therefore well worth our inquiry, what quali
fications on our part are neceffary to make
the Word be to us what it is in it &l£}the porver
of God unto falvation? Rom. i. 16. Ofthefe
fom are previous before our reading, fom are
concomitant with it, and fom are fubfequent
and follow after it.

2, O F thofe that go before , fincerity is a
mofteffentialrequifit : by fincerity, I mean

Bb aa

1 9 4 The Chrijtians Birth-right, &c.

an upright intention, by which we diredt our
reading to that proper end for which the
holy Scriptures were defign'd j vi%. the know
ing Gods will in order to the practicing it.
This honeft fimplicity of heart is that which
Chrift reprefents by me good ground, where a-
lone it was that the feed could frudify, Mat.
J3.8. And he that brings not this with him,
brings only the fhadow of a Difciple. The
word of God, is indeed, Jharper then a two-edged
fivord, Heb. 4. 12. but what impreffion can a
fword make on a body of air ; which ftill flips
from, and eludes its thrufts ? And as little can
all the practical difcourfes of holy Writ
make on him, who brings only his fpeculative
faculties with him, and leaves his will and af-
fed:ions behind him ; which are the only pro
per fubjeds for it to work on.

3. To this we may probably impute that
ftrange inefficacioufnefs we fee of the Word.
Alas, men rarely apply it to the right place :
our moft inveterat difeafes lie in our morals;
and we fuffer the Medicin to reach no farther
then our intellects. As if he that had an ulcer
in his bowels fliould apply all his balfoms and
fanatives only to his head. 'Tis true,the holy
Scriptures are the trefuries of divine Wifdom;
the Oracles to which we fliould re fort for fa-
ving knowledg: but they are alfo the rule
and guide of holy Life : and he that covets to
know Gods will for any purpofe but to pra-

SECT. VIII. Cautions in reading Holy Scrip. 19 y

d:ice it, is only ftudious to entitle himfelf to
the greater number of Jlripes, Luk. 12. 47.

4. N A Y farther , he that affeds only the
bare knowledg , is oft difappointed even of
that. The Scripture, like the Pillar of fire
and cloud,enlightens the Ifraelites, thofe who
fincerely refign themfelves to its guidance;
but it darkens and confounds the Egyptians,
Ex. 74. 20. And 'tis frequently feen, that
thofe who read only to become knowing, are
toll'd on by their cunofity into the more ab-
ftrufe and myfterious parts of Scripture,where
they entangle themfelves in inextricable ma
zes and confufions 5 and inftead of acquiring
a more fuperlative knowledg,loofe thofe ealy
and common notions which lie obvious to
every plain well meaning Reader. I fear this
Age affords too many , and too frequent in-
ftances of this -, in men who have lolt God in
the midft of his Word , and ftudied Scriptuse
till they have renounc'd its Author.

5-. AND fiire this infatuation is very juft,
and no more then God himfelf has warn'd us
of, who takes the wife in their own craftinefs,
Job.?. 12. but appropriates his fecrets only to
them that fear him , and has promis'd to teach
the meekhis way, Pfal. 25-. 9. 14. And. this was
the method Chrift obferv'd in his preaching -y
unveiling thofe truths to his Difciples , which
to the Scribes and Phariiees , his inquilitive,
yet refradory hearers,he wrapt up in parables :

B b 2 not

1 9 6 The Chriftians Birth-right,

not that he diilik'd their defire of knowkdg,
but their want of fincerity : which is io fatal
a defedt as blafts our purfuits, tho of things in
themfelves never fo excellent. This we find
exemplifid in Simon Magus, A6ts 8. who tho
he coveted a thing in it felf very defirable, the
pow^r of conferring the holy Ghoft , yet de-
firing it not only upon undue conditions, but
for iinifter ends, he not only mift of that, but
was (after all his convincement by the Apo-r
ftles miracles, and the engagement of his Ba-
ptifm) immerftm the gall of bitternefs ; and
at laft advancd to that height of blafphemy,
as to fet up himfelf for a God ; fo becoming
a lafting memento, how unfafe it is to prevari
cate in holy things.

6. BUT as there is a fincerity of the Will
In order to practice , fo there is alio a finceri
ty of the underftanding in order to belief;
and this is alfo no leis requifit to the profitable
reading of Scripture. I mean by this, that we
come with a preparation of mind, to embrace
indifferently , whatever God there reveles as
the objed: of our Faith : that we bring our
own opinions, not as the clue by which to un
fold Scripture , but to be tried and regulated
by it. The want of this has bin of very per
nicious confequence in matters both of Faith
and fpeculation. Men are commonly pre-
pofleit ftrongly with their own notions, and
their errand to Scripture is not to lend them

light

. Cautions in reading Holy Serif. 197

light to judg of them > but aids to back and
defendtnem.

7. O F this there is no Book of controverfy
that do's not give notorious proof. The So-
cinian can eafily over-look the beginning of
Saint John,t\\nt fa i^TheWordwas God, Jo. i.i.
and all thofe other places which plainly af-
fert the Deity of our Savior j if he can but di
vert to that other more agreeable Text , that
the Father is greater then I. Among the Ro-
manifts, Peters being faid to be fir ft among
the ^poftles, Mat. 10.2, and that on that I^ocl^
Chrift would build his Church, Mat. 16. 18. car
ries away all attention from thofe other
places where Saint Paul faies he was not be
hind the very chief eft of the ^poftles^z Cor. i i.f.
that upon him lay the care of all the Churches,
2 Cor. 11.28. and that the Church was not
built upon t\& foundation offom one, but all the
twelve j4p fifties i Revel. 21.14. So it fares in
the bufinefs of the Eucharift : This is my body,
Mat. 26. 2.6. carries it away clear for Tran-
fubftantiation, when our Saviors calling that
which he drunk the fruit of the vine, Mat. 26.
29. and then Saint Pauls naming the Ele
ments in the Lords Supper feveral times over
Bread and Wine j The Bread that rve breasts it
not the Communion of the Body ofChrift : the Cup
that we blefsjs it not the Communion ,&£• i Cor.
10. id. And again, He that eats this Bread,
and drinks phis £up unworthily , &c. i Cor. 1 1 .

29.

198 The Cbrijlians Birth-right, &c.

29. can make no appearance of an Argu
ment.

8. THUS men once engag'd ranfac for
Texts that carry fom correipondency to the
opinions they have imbibed ; and thofe how
do they rack and fcrue to bring to a perfed:
conformity ; and improve every little pro
bability into a demonllration ? On the other
fide, the contrary Texts they lookon as ene
mies, and confider them no farther then
to provide fences and guards againft them :
So they bring Texts not into the fcales to
weigh, but into the field to skirmifh , as Par-
tizans and Auxiliaries of fuch or fuch opi
nions.

5>. BY this force of prepoffeffion it is, that
that facredRule, which is the mefure and
ftandard of all rectitude, is it lelf bow'd and
diftorted to countenance and abet the moft
contrary tenets : and like a variable picture,
reprefents differing fhapes according to the
lightin which you view it. And fure we cannot
do it a worfe office then to reprefent it thus
diflbnant to it felf. Yet thus it muftftillbe
till men come unbiaft to the reading of it.
And certainly there is all the reafon in the
world they fliould do fo : the ultimate end of
our faith is but thefalvation of our fouls, i Pet.
i. p. and we may be fure the Scripture can
beft diredfc us what Faith it is which will lead
us to that end.

JQ. WHY

Cautions in reading Holy Scrip.

10. WHY fiiould we not then have the
fame indifference which a traveller hath,whe-
ther his way lie on this hand or that 5 fo as it
be the dired: road to his journies end ? For al-
tho it be infinitly material that I embrace
right principles, yet 'tis not fo that this fhould
be right rather then the other : and our
wifhes that it fhould be fo, proceed only from
our prepoffeffions and fondnefs of our own
conceptions, then which nothing is more apt
to intercept the clear view of truth^It there
fore nearly concerns us to depofit them , and
to give up our felves without referve to the
guidance of Gods Word , and give it equal
credit when it thwarts , as when it complies
with our own notions.

n. WITHOUT this, tho we may call
Scripture the rule of Faith , and judg of con-
troverfies ; yet 'tis manifeft we make it not
fo, but referve ftill the laft appeal to our own
prejudicat phancies : and then no wonder,tho
we fall under the fame occoecation which our
Savior upbraids to the Tews, that feeing we fee
not, neither do we understand, Mat. 13. 14. For
he that will not be fav'd Gods way, will hard
ly be lo by his own. He that refolves not im
partially to embrace all the Scriptures di
ktats , comes to them as unfincerely , as the
remnant of the Jews did to Jeremiah to in
quire of the Lord for them, which he no
|ooner had dou , but they proteft againft his

mef-

a oo The Chriftians Birth-right,

fage, Jer.42.2o. and may expert as fatal an
event.

12. BUT there are a fet of men who deal
yet more infincerely with the Word,- that
read it infiduoufly, on purpofe to colled: mat
ter of objection and cavil : that with a mali
cious diligence compare Texts in hope to
find contradictions -y and read attentively, but
to no other end then to remark incoherences
and defeats in the ftile ; which when they
think they have ftarted , they have their de-
fign -, and never will ufe a quarter of the
fame diligence in confidering now they may
be folv'd , or confulting with thofe who may
affift them in it. For I think I may appeal to
the generality of thole who have rais'd the
loudeil clamors againft the Scripture, whe
ther they have endeavored to render them-
felves competent judges of it by inquiring in
to the Originals, or informing themfelves of
thofe local Cuftoms, peculiar Idioms,and ma
ny other circumftances , by which 'obfcure
Texts are to be clear'd. And tho I do not af
firm it neceflary to falvation that every man
fliould do this ; yet I may affirm it neceflary
to him that will pretend to judg of the Bi-*
ble : and he that without this condems it,do's
it as manifeft injury , as a Judg that ftiould
pafs fentence only upon the Indidment*
without hearing the defence.

13. AND certainly there cannot be any

thing

SECT. VIII. Cautions in reading Holy Scrip. 201

thing more unmanly and difingenuous, then
for men to inveigh and condemn before they
inquire and examin. Yet this is the thing
upon which fo many value themfelves , affu-
in ing to be men of reafon , for that for which
the Scripture pronounces them brute beafts,
viz. the fyeafyng evilofthofe things they under -
Jt and not, z Pet. 2. 12. Would men ufe due di
ligence , no doubt many of thofe feeming
contradictions would be reconcil'd , and the
obfcurities clear'd : and if any fliould after
all remain , he might find twenty things fit
ter to charge it on , then want of verity or
difcourfe in the inipir'd writers.

14. ALAS what human writing is there
of near that Antiquity, wherein there are not
many pafTages unintelligible ? And indeed,
unlefs modern times knew all thofe national
cuftoms, obfolete Laws, particular Rites and
Ceremonies , Phf afes and proverbial Sayings,
to which fuch ancient Books refer, 'tis im-
poffible but fom paffages muft ftill remain ob-
icure. Yet in thefe we ordinarily have fo
much candor , as to impute their unintelligi-
blenefs to our own ignorance of thole things
which Ihould clear them , the improprieties
of ftile, to the variation that times make
in dialeds, or to the errors of Scribes , and
do not prefently exclame againft the Authors
as falfe or impertinent , or difcard the whole
Book for fom fuch paflages.

Cc 1-. AND

2O2

The Chriflians Birth-right:, &c.

15-. AND fure what allowances we make
to other Books , may with more reafon be
made to the Bible ; which having bin writ fo
many Ages fince , paft thro infinit variety of
hands , and (which is above all) having bin
the object of the Devils , and wicked mens
malice, lies under greater difadvantages then ,
any human compofure : And doubtlefs men
would be as equitable to that as they are to
others , were it not that they more wifh to
have that falfe or irrational then any other
Book. The plain parts of it, the precepts and
threatnings {peak clearer then they defire ,
gall and tret them ; and therefore they will
revenge themfelves upon the obfcurer : and
{eem angry that there are fom things they
underftand not, when indeed their realdif-
plefure is at thole they do.

1 6. A fecond qualification preparatory to
reading the Scripture is reverence. When
we take the Bible in our hands , we fhould do
it with other fentiments and apprehenfions
then when we take a common Book ; confi-
dering that it is the word of God , the inftru-
ment of our falvation ; or upon our abufe of
it, a promoter of our ruin.

17. AND fure this if duly apprehended,
cannot but ftrike us with a reverential awe,
in ike us to fay with Jacob, Gen. 28.17. farely
God-is in this place ,- controle all trifling plian
cies, and make us read, not for cuftom or di-

vertife-

SECT.VHI- Cautions in reading Holy Scrip. 203

vertifement , but with thofe folemn and holy
intentions which become the dignity of its
Author. Accordingly we find holy men have
in all Ages bin affeded with it ; and fom to
the inward reverence of the mindjiave join'd
the outward of the body alfo, and never read
it but upon their knees : an example that
may both inftrud and reproach our profa-
nefs^ who commonly read by chance, and at
a venture : If a Bible happen in our way, we
take it up as we would do a Romance , or
Play-book 5 only herein we differ , that we
difmifs it muchfooner, and retain lefs of its
inipreffions.

1 8. IT was a Law of Numa> that no man
fhould meddle with divine things, or worfhip
the Gods,in paffing,or by accident, but make
it afet and folemn bufinefs. And every one
knows with how great ceremony and folem-
nity the heathen Oracles were confulted.
How great a fliame is it then for Chriftians
to defalk that reverence from the true God,
which heathens allow'd their falfe ones ?

19. Now this proceeds fomtimes from
the want of that habitual reverence we fliould
alwaies have to it as Gods word,and fomtimes
from want of actual exciting it , when we go
to read : for if the habit lie only dormant in
us, and be not awak'd by adual confidera-
tion>-it avails us as little in our reading, as the
habitual ftrength of a man do's towards la-

Cc 2 borj

204 The Chrijlians Birth-right,

bor , when he will not exert it for that end.

20. WE ought therefore,as to make it our
deliberat choice to read Gods word ; fo when
we do it, to ftir up our felves to thofe folemn
apprehenfions or its dignity and autority , as
may render us malleable, and apt to receive
its impreflions: for where there is no reve
rence , 'tis not to be expected there Ihould be
any genuine or lafting obedience.

21. SAINT Aujtin in his Trad; to Hono*
ratur, of the advantage of believing, makes
the firft requifit to the knowledg of the Scri
ptures to be the love of them. Believe me,
laies he, every thing in the Scripture is fubhme
and divine , its truth and doHrin are mofl
accommodate to the refrejhment, and building
up of our minds: and in allrejpefls fo order dy
that every one may draw thence what is fuffi-
ctent for him -3 provided he approach it with
devotion, piety , and religion. The proof of this
may require much reafoning anddifcourfe. But
this lamfirjl to perfrvade , that you do not hate
the Authors^ and then that you love them. Had
roe an ill opinion of Virgil , nay , if upon the ac+
count of the reputation he has gaind with our
Predecejfors , tve didnot greatly love before tve
underjtood him ; n>e Jhould never patiently go
thro all the difficult quejiions Grammarians raijc
about him. Many employ themfelves in com*
minting upon him -, roe ejteem him moftjwhofe ex-
pojition mojl commends the Boo^ andjheivs that

the

SECT. VIII. Cautions in reading Holy Scrip. 20 y

the Author, not only was free from error, but did
excellently well where he is not under 'flood. And
iffuch an account happen not to be given , we
impute it rather to the Interpreter then the
Poet.

22. THUS the good Father ; whofe words
I have tranfcrib'd at large, as being remark
able to the prefent piirpofes he alfo fliews
that the mind of no Author is to be learnt
from one averfe to his do&rin : as that 'tis-
vain to enquire of Arijlotles Books from one
of a different Se£t : Or of Archimedes from
Epicurus : the difcourfe will be as difpleafing
as the fpeaker ; and that fhall be efteem'd ab-
furd, which comes from one that is envi'd
ordefpis'd.

23. A third preparative to our reading
fhouid be praier. The Scripture as it was di
lated at hrft by the holy Spirit , fo mult ftill
owe its effeds and influence to its coopera
tion. The things of God, the Apoftle tells us,
are fyiritually difcern'd, i Cor. 2. 14. And tho
the natural man may well enough apprehend
the letter , and grammatical lenie ot the
Word ; yet its power and energy , that infi-
nuative perfwahve force whereby it works on
hearts , is peculiar to the fpirit ; and there
fore without his aids , the Scripture whilft it
lies open before our eies , may ftill be M a

that is feal'dy Efai. 29. n. be as ineffe-
as if che-chara&ers were illegible.

24. 65-

The Chriftians Birth-right,

24. BESIDES our Savior tells us the devil
is ftill buiy tofteal away the feedasfoon as it is
fown, Mat. 13. 17. And uniefs we have fom
jbetter guard then our own vigilance , he is
fure enough to profperin his attemt. Let it
therefore be our care, to invoke the divine
Aid ; and when ever we take the Bible into
our hands , to dart up at leaft a hearty ejacu
lation, that we may find its effe&s in our
hearts. Let us lay with holy David, open thou
mine eies 0 Lord y that I may fee the wondrous
things of thy Law. Bleffed art thou 0 Lord, 0
teach me thy ftatutes, Pf. 119. Nay indeed
'twil be fit matter of a daily folemn devotion,
as our Church has made it an annual in the
Colled: on the fecond Sunday in Advent : a
praier fo apt and fully expreffive of what we
flioulddefireinthisparticular5that if we tran-
fcribe not only the example , but the very
words,! know not how we can form that part
of our devotion more advantageoufly.

2f. IN the fecond place we are to confi-
der what is requir'd of us at the time of read
ing the Scripture; which confifts principally
in two things. The firft of thefe is attention,
which is fo indifpenfably requifit.thatwithout
it allBooks are alike.and all equally infignifi-
cant: for he that adverts not to thefenfe of
what he reads, the wifeft difcourfes fignify no
more to himathen the moft exquifit mufic do's
to a man perfectly deaf. The letters and fyl-

lables

SECT. VIII. Cautions in reading Holy Scrip. 207

lables of the Bible are no more facred then
thofe of another Book 3 'tis the fenfe and
meaning only that is divinely infpir'd : and
he that confiders only the former,may as well
entertain himfelf with a fpelling-book.

2.6. W E muft therefore keep our minds
fixt and attent to what we read : 'tis a folly
and lightnefs not to do fo in human Authors;
but 'tis a fin and danger not to do fo in this
divine Book. We know there can fcarce be
a greater inftance of contemt and difvalue,
then to hear a man fpeak, and not at all
mind what he faies : yet this vileft affront do
all thofe put upon God, who hear or read his
Word , and give it no attention. Yet I fear
the practice is not more impious then it is
frequent ; for there are many that read the
Bible, who if at the end of each Chapter they
fhould be call'd to account,! doubt they could
produce very {lender collections : and truly
'tis a fad confideration,that that facred Book
is read rnoft attentively by thofe , who read
it asfompreach the Gojfpel, Phil. i. if. out of
envy and Jtrife. How curioufly do men in-
fped:, nay ranfac and embowel a Text to find
a pretence for cavil and objedion,whilft: men
who profefs to look there for lite and falva-
tion, read with fuch a retchlefs heedlefnefs,
as if it could tell them nothing they were
concern'd in : and to fuch 'tis no wonder if
their reading bring no advantage. God is

not

z o 8 The Chriflians Birth-right,

not in this fenfe found of thofe that feet^ hint
not, Efai. rff . i. 'tis Satans part to ferve him-
lelf of the bare words and characters of holy
Writ , for charms and amulets : the vertuc
God has put there confifts in the fenfe and
meaning, and can never be drawn out by
droufy inadverting Readers.

27. THIS unattentivenefs fore-ftalls all
poffibility of good. How fhall that convince
the underftanding,or perfwade the affedions,
which do's not io much as enter the imagi
nation. So that in this cafe the feed feems
'more caft away then in any of thole inftances
the parable gives, Mat. 13. In thofe it ftill
fell upon the foil, but in this it never reaches
that ; but is fcatter'd and diffipated , as with
a mighty wind , by thofe thoughts which
have prepoflels d the mind. Let no man
therefore take this facred Book into his hand,
till he have turn'd out all diftrafting phan-
cies , and have his faculties free and vacant
for thofe better objects which will there pre-
lent themfelves. And when he has fo difpos'd
himfelf for attention, then let him contrive
to improve that attention to the beft advan
tage.

28. To which purpofe it may be very con
ducive to put it into lorn order and method,
As for inftance, when he reads the doctrinal
part of Scripture, let him firil and principally
advert to thofe plain Texts which contain

the

SECT .VIII. Cautions in reading Holy Scrip.

the neceflary points of Faith : that he may
not dwehis Creed only to his education , the
inftitution of his Parents or Tutors ; but may
know the true foundation on which it is
bottom'd, w\. the word of God, and may
thence be able to juftify his Faith : and as
Saint Peter exhorts , be ready to give an an-
fwer to every man that asks him a reafon of the
hope that is in him, i Pet. 3. 15-. For want of
this it is, that Religion fits fo loofe upon men,
that every wind of do&rin blows them intd
diftind: and various forms j till at laft their
Chriftianity it felf vapors away and difap-
pears.

29. BUT let men be careful thus to fecure
the foundation, and then 'twill be commen
dable in them ( who are capable of it ) to
afpire to higher degrees of fpeculation : yet
even in thefe it will be their fafeft courfe
chiefly to purfue fuch as have the moll imme-
diat influence on practice, and be more indu-
ftrious to make obfervations of that fort,then
curious and critical remarks , or bold conje-
£tures upon thoie myfteries on which God has
Ipread a veil.

30. BUT befides a mans own particular
Collections , it will be prudence in him to ad-
vantage himfelf of thofe of others , and to
conlult the learned'ft and belt expofitors; and
that not only upon a prefent emergency ,;
when he is to diipute a point, ( as molt dp )

Dd We

210 The Chriftians Birth-right, &c.

but in the conftant courfe of his reading ,
wherein he will moft fedatly , and diipaffio-
natly judg of the notions they offer.

31. As to the choice of the portions of
Scripture to be read in courfe, tho I fliall not
condemn that of reading the whole Bible in
order , yet 'tis apparent that fom parts of it
( as that of the Levitical Law ) are not fb
aptly accommodated to our prefent ftate , as
others are ; and confequeptly not fo edifica-
tory to us : and therefore I cannot fee why
any man fhould oblige himfelf to an equal
frequency in reading them. And to this our
Church feems to give her fuffrage ; by exclu
ding fuch out of her public Leifons. And if
we govern our privat reading by.her mefures,
it will well exprefs our deference to her judg
ment -, who has fele&ed fom parts of Scri
pture, not that fhe would keep her children
in ignorance of any , but becaufe they tend
molt immediatly to practice.

32. NEITHER will the daily reading the
Scripture in the rubricks order , hinder any
man from acquainting himfelf with the reft.
For he may take in the other parts as fuper-
numeraries to his conftant task , and read
them ashis leifure and inclination fliall promt.
So that all the hurt that can accrue to him
by this method , is the being invited to read
fomtimes extraordinary proportions.

3 j. I F it be objected , that to thofe who

daily

SECT. VIII. Cautions in reading Holy Scrip. 211

daily hear the Church Service/twill be a kind
of tautology , firft to read thofe Leflbns in
privat , which foon after they fliall hear read
publicly , I anfwer that whatever men may
pleafe to call it/ twill really be an advantage:
For he that fliall read a chapter by himfelf
with due confideration , and confulting oi
good Paraphrafts , will have div'd fo far into
the fenfe of it, that he will much better
comprehend it when he hears it read : as on
the other fide3the hearing it read fo imediat-
ly after will ferve to confirm and rivet the
fenfe in his mind. The one is as the conning,
the other the repeating the LeiTon ; which
every cchole-boy can tell us is beft don at the
neareft diftance to* each other. But I ftiall
not contend for this , or any particular me
thod ; let the Scriptures be read in proportion
to every mans leifure and capacity , and read
with attention ; and we need not be fcru-
pulous about circumftances, when the main
duty is fecur'd.

34. BUT as in the do&rinal, fo in the
preceptive part, there is a caution to be us'd
in our attention. For we are to diftingifh be
tween thofe temporary precepts that were a-
dapted to particular times and occafions, and
fuch as are of perpetual obligation. He that
do's not this may bring himfelf under the
JewifhLaw, or believe a neceffity of felling
all and giving it to the poor becaufe 'twas

Dd* Chrifts

212

TheCkriftians Birth-right, &c.

Chrifts command to the rich man , Mat. 19.
or incur other confiderable mifcheifs,

3 f. THUS frequently commands are put
in comprehenfive indefinite words, but con
cern only the Generality to whom the Law
is written; and not thole who are entrufted
with the vindication of their contemt. Ac
cordingly 'tis faid, thoa Jbalt not kitty Mark.
10. 19. which concerns the private perfon;
but extends not to the Magiftrate in the exe
cution of his office, who is a revenger appoin
ted by God, and bears not the fwordin vain,
Rom. 13.4. So the injunction not to /wear
at all, Mat. y. 34 refers to the common tranC-
actions of life; but not thofe folemn occa?
fions where an oath is to give glory to God ,
and is the end of all ftrife , Heb. 6. 16. Yet
thefe miftakes at this day prevail with Ana-
b^ptifts and Quakers , and bottom their
denial of die Magiftrates power to proted his
Subjects by war ; and to determin differences
in Peace , by the oath of witneffes in judicial
proceedings.

5 6- THERE is another diftin&ion we are to
attend to ; and that is between abfolute and
primary commands.and fecundary ones : the
tormer we are to fet a fpecial remark upon,as
thofe upon whofe obfervance or violation our
eternal life or death infeparably depends.And
therefore our firft and molt folicitous care
muft be concerning them. I mention this,

not

SECT. VIII. Cautions in reading Holy Scrip. 213

not to divert any from afpiring to the higheft
degrees of perfection : but to reprove that
prepofterous courfe many take , who lay
the greateft weight upon thofe things on
which God laies the leaft; and have more
zeal for oblique intimations , then for ex-
prefs downright commands -, nay think by
the one to commute for the contemt of the
other. For example , fafting is recommen
ded to us in Scripture , but in a far lower key
then moral duties : rather as an expedient
and help to vertue , then as properly a ver-
tue it felf. And yet we may fee men fcrupu-
lousinthat, whoftartle not atinjuftice, and
oppreffion ( that clamorous fin that cries to
heaven ) who pretend to mortify their ap
petites by denying it its proper food, or being
luxurious in one fort of it -, and yet glut their
avarice , eat up the poor > and devour widows
boufes, Mat. 23.

37. To fuch as thefe 'twould be good ad
vice to fix their attention on the abfolute
commands, to ftudy moral honefty, and the
effentials of Chriftianity ; to make a good
progrefs there , and do what God indilpen-
fably requires : and then it may be feafonable
to think of voluntary oblations : but till then
they arc fo far from homage , that they are
the moft reprochful flattery ; an attemt to
bribe God againft himfelf ; and a facrilege ,
like that oiDionyfasi who took away Jf ol
ios

214 The Chriflians Birth-right, &c.

Id s golden robe, and gave htm a ftuff one.

38. THE fecond thing requifit in our rea
ding is application : this is the proper end of
our attention : and without this we may be
very bufyto very little purpofe. The moft
laborious attention without it , puts us but in
the condition of thofe poor flaves that labor
in the mines : who with infinit toil dig that
ore of which they fhall never partake. If
therefore we will appropriate that rich tre-
fure, we muft apply, and 10 make it our own.

39. LET us then at every period of holy
Writ , refle6l and look on our felves as the
perfons fpoke to. When we find Philip giving
baptiim to the Eunuch upon this condition
that he believe tvith all his heart , Ad. 8. let
us confider that unlefs we do fo ; our baptifm
(like a thing furreptitioufly obtain'd) conveis
no title to us j will avail us nothing.

40. WHEN we read our Saviours denun
ciation to the Jews, except ye repent,yejhall all
likeroife perijh\ Lu. 13. y. we are to look on
it as if adureil immediatly to our ielves ; and
conclude as great a neceffity of our repen
tance. In thofe black catalogues of crimes
which the Apoftle mentions, i Cor. 6. 10. and
Gal.?. 19,20,21. as excluding from the King
dom of heaven , we are to behold our own
guilts arraign'd, and to refolve that the lame
crimes will as certainly fhut heaven gates a-
gainit u>,as thofe to whom thole Epiftles were

immc-

SECT. VIII. Cautions in reading Holy Scrip. 21?

immediatly directed. In all the precepts of
good life, and Chriftian vertue, we are to
think our felves as nearly and particularly
concern' d , as if we had bin Chrifts Auditors
on the Mount. So proportionately in all the
threats and promifes we are either to tremble
or hope, according as we find our felves ad
here to thofe fins or vertues to which they are
affixt.

41. THIS clofe application would ren
der what we read operative and effective,
ivhich without it will be ufelefs and infignifi-
cant. We may fee an inftance of it in David-,
who was not at all convinc'd of his own guilt
by Nathans parable ( tho the moft appo-
fite that was imaginable ) till he roundly
appli'd it , faying, thou art the man : 2 Sam.
12. And unlefs we treat our felves at the
fame rate , the Scripture may fill our heads
with high notions, nay with many fpecula-
tive truths , which yet amounts to no more
then the Devils theology, Ja. 2. 19. and will
as litte advantage us.

42. IT now remains that wefpeakof what
we are to do after our reading ; which may
befumm'd up in two words: Recoiled: and
practice. Our memories are very frail as to
things of this nature. And therefore we
ought to imprefs them as deep as we can , by
receding on what we have read. It is an ob-

fervation out of the Levitical Law , thaj;

thofe

2 1 6 The fhriftians Birth-right , &c.

thofe beafts only were clean, and fit for fa-
crifice,£/;0£ chewd the cudj^tv. 11.4. And tho
the ceremony were Jewifh, the moral is Chri-
ftian, and admonifhes us how we fliould re
volve and ruminate on fpiritual inftrudtions.
Without this what we hear or read flips in-
fenfibly from us,and like letters writ in chalk,
is wip't out by the next fucceeding thought -
bat recollection engraves and indents the
characters in the mind. And he that would
duly ufe it , would find other manner of im-
preffions; more afte&ive 'and more lafting r
then bare reading will leave.

43. WE find it thus in all Sciences: he
that only reads over the rules, and laies afide
the thoughts of them together with his Book,
will make but a flow advance $ whileft he that
plods and ftudies upon them,repetes and rein*
forces them upon his mind , foon arrives to
aneminency. By this it was that David aN
taind to that perfection in Gods Law as to
out-ftrip his teachers, and under ft and more then
the Ancients, Pfal. 119.99, 100. becaufe it was
his meditation as himfelf tell us, ver. 97. 99.

44. L E T us therefore purfue the fame me
thod ; and when we have read a portion of
Scripture , let us recollect what obfervable
things we have there met with : what exhor
tations tovertue, or determents from vice 5
what promifes to obedience , or menaces for
the contrary:- what examples of Gods ven
geance*

SECT. VIII. Cautions zti readingHoly Scrip, ii /

geance againft fuch or fuch fins , .or . what in*
itances of his blefling upon duties. If we dq
this daily, we cannot but amafs together a
great ftock of Scripture documents , which
will be ready for us to produce iipon every
occafion. Satan can affault us no where, .but
we fhall be provided of a guard •;? a Sc riptum
eft y which we fee was the fole armor the ca-?
ptain of our falvation us'd in his encounter
with him. Mat. 4. ver. 4. 7. and 20. and, wilt
be as fuccefsful to us, if we will duly, mk?
nageit.' li rn^rt

4f. THE laft thing requif das confequentj
to our reading, is practice. 'This is the ul:tiq
mate end, to which all the fore-going qmaH4
fications are directed. And if we fail here.;
the moft alOSduous diligence in all the fornies
will be but loft labor. Let us mean never iq
well, attend never fo clofe, recoiled: never for
exactly ; if after all we do not prad:ice,all the
reft will ferve but to enhance our guilt . Chri-
ftiamty isan adive Science, and the Bibje
was given us not merely for a theriie of fpeeu-
lation, but for a rule of life,

46. And alas, what will it avail us that our
dpinions are right , if our manners be crogk-.
ed > When the Scripture has fhew'd us what.
God requires of us ^ nay, hasevinc'd to us the;
reafonablenefs of the injundions,the great a«
greeablenefs which they have to the excel
lency of our nature: and has backttliis with

E e the

2 1 8 The Cbriftians Birth-right,

the aflurance that in keeping of them there
Jhall be a great reward, Pf. 19. n. if in the
midft of fuch importunate invitations to life
wewillchufe death 5 we are indeed worthy,
as the wife man fpeaks, to take part with it,
Wif. i. 16. our crimes are hereby increased
to a monftrous bulk, and alfo depriv'd of that
veil and flicker which darknefs and igno
rance would have given them. And a vicious
Chriftian may have caufe at the laft day to
wifli that he had ftudied the Alcoran rather
then the Bible. His fenfualities might then
have pleaded , that they were but the antici-

Eating his Paradice , taking up that before
and , which his Religion proposed to him as
hi; fummum bonum, his final and higheft aim.
But with what confufion muft a Chriftian
then appear , whofe inftitution obliges him
to mortify the flefh : and yet has made it the
bufinefs of his life , not only to fatisfy , but
even to enrage , and enflame its appetites >
that has fet up a counter-difcipline to that of
the Gofpel iie profefles ; and when that re
quires aufterities and felf-denials , to reduce
corrupt nature to a tamenefs and fubje£tion i
has not only pull'd off the bridle, but us'd the
fpur ; contriv'd Arts to debauch even corru
ption it felf i and has forc'd his relucting na
ture upon itudied and artificial leudnefs? Such
men may be thought to have read the Scri
pture with no other delign but to be fure to

run

. Cautions in reading Holy Scrip. 219

run counter to it •> that by informing them-
felves of Gods will , they may know the more
exactly how to affront and contradict it.

47 • NAY, fo it is , too many unto malice
add contemt ; are not content only fullenly
to refift its Precepts , but defpife and revile
themalfoj arraign the wifdom of God, and
pronounce the divine Laws to be weak and
impertinent ; lay their Scenes of ridiculous
Jnirth in the Bible ; rally in the facred Dia
led:, and play the Buffoons with the moftfe-
rious thing in the world. An impious licen-
tioufnefs which is now grown to that height,
that it is one of the wonders of Godslong-
fuffering, that there are not as many eminent
inftances of the vengeance, as there are of the
guilt. I have formerly complain d of it, and
muft ftill crave leave to do fo. It is indeed
fo fpreading an infection , that we can never
be fufficiently arm'd againft it. Som degrees
of it have tainted many who have not utterly
renounc'd their reverence for the Bible: there
being thofe who in their folemn moods own
it as Gods word, and profefs they muft finally
Hand or fall by itsverdid:; who yet in their
jocular humors make light and irreverent
applications of its phrafes and fentences, fur-
nim out their little jells in its attire, and ufe
it as if they thought it good for nothing elle.

48. AND certainly this abufe in men that
own the Bible, is infinitly more monftrous

Ee 2 then

220

TbeChriftians Birth-right,

then in thofe who defy it : the later look oil
it as a. common thing, and ufe it as fuch : but
for thofe who cotifefs it facred , thus to pro-
ftitute it , is a flat contradiction as mucha-
gainit the rules of Difcourfe as Religion : 'tis
to offer the fame abufe to Chrift in his Word,
which the rude fbldiers did to his perfon ; to
bow the knee before it , and yet expofe it as
an objedt of fcorn and laughter. But. fure
there cannot be two things more inconfiftent,
then the avowing it to be dictated by God
in order to the moft important concern of
man , and yet debafe it to the vileft pur-
pofes ; make it the drudg and hackney to
our fportfiil humors ., and bring it out as the
Philiftims didSatnfbn, only to make us mer
ry, Jud. 16. 2?.

49. INDEED one would wonder how that
fnould become a proper inftrument for that
purpofe, that thoie dodtrins of righteoufnefs,
temperance and judgment to come (every
where fcatter'd thro that Book) which fet
heathen Felix a trembling , fhould fet Chri-
ftians a laughing: and yet fliould men cite
the fame things and phrafes out of another
Author, there would be no jeft in it. It ieems
therefore that the fpirit and efTence of this
fort of wit lies in the profanenefs. How ab-
furd is it then for men that do not utterly
abjure Religion, to affe£t this impious fort of
raillery, which lias nothing but daring wick

ed nefs

Cautions in reading Holy Scrip.

221

ednefs to recommend it ? For certainly,of all
the waies of difcourfe that ever pretended
to wit, this has the leaft claim to it.

fo. WHAT ftrength of reafon, or height

of phancy is there, in repeting of phrafes and

fragments of Books , when what they would

fay, they might much more properly exprefs

in their own words ? In any other inftance

but this of the Bible , it would pafs rather for

a defe£t then an excefs of wit. But that which

I fuppofe renders it fo taking,is, that it is the

cheapeft expedient for men to arrive to that

reputation. Men that cannot go to the coft

or any thing that is truly ingenious , can by

•this means immediatly commence wits ; if

they can but charge their memories with halt

a dozen Texts , they need no other furniture

for the trade : thefe mangled and tranfpo-

fed, will be ready at all turns, and render

them applauded by thofe who have no other

mefure of wit, but its oppofition to Piety. But

would God,men would look a little before

them , and confider what the final reckoning

will be for fuch divertifements ; and it the

whole world be an unequal exchange for a

foul , what a miferable Merchant is he that

barters his for a bald infipid jeft ? fuch as a

fober man would avoid were there no fin

in it.

5*1. I know men are apt to flatter them-
felves , that thefe lighter frolics will pals for

nothing,

222

The Chrijlians Birth-right, &c.

nothing , fo long as they do not ferioufly and
malicioufly oppofe Gods word : but I fear
they will find God in earneft , tho they be in
jeft. He that has magnified his Word above all
things, Pfal. 138. 2. cannot brook that we
fliould make it vile and cheap, play and dally
with it. And if it were a capital crime to
convert any of the perfume or the San&uary
to common ufe, Ex. 3o. 32. can we think God
canbepleas'd to fee his more lacred Word,
the theme of our giddy mirth , and have his
own words echoed to him in profane drol
lery ?

72. BUT befides'tis to be confider'd that
this wanton liberty is a itep to the more fo-
lemn and deliberate contemt of Gods word :
cuftom do's ftrangely prefcribe to us ; and he
that a while has us d any thing irreverently,
will at laft bring his practice into argument,
and conclude that there is no reverence due
to it. God knows we are naturally too apt
to flight and eafy apprehenfions of lacred
things -, and had need to ufe all Arts and In-
Itruments to imprefs an awe upon our minds.

f5. IT will lure then be very unfafe for
us to trifle with them , and by fo undue a fa
miliarity draw on that contemt which we
fliould make it our care to avoid. The wife
man faies , he that contemns final! things, Jhali
fall by little and UttleJLcd. 19.1. And tho no
degree of irreverence towards God or his

Word,

SECT. VIII. Cautions in reading Holy Scrip.

Word, can be call'd a final! thing abfolutely
confider'd , yet comparatively with the more
exorbitant degrees it may : and yet that fmal-
ler is the feed and parent of the greateft. It is
fo in all fins ; the kingdom of Satan,like that
of God , may be compaf d to a grain of mu-
liar d feed, Mat. 13. 31. which tho little in
it felf, is mighty in its increafe.

f 4. N o man ever yet began at the top of
villany , but the advance is ftill gradual from
one degree to another; each commiffion
fmoothing and glibbing the way to the next.
He that accuftoms in his ordinary difcourfe,
to ufe the facred Name of God with as little
fentiment and reverence , as he do's that of
his neighbor orfervant ; that makes it his
common by-word , and cries Lord and God
upon every the lighteft occafion of exclama
tion or wonder, this maB has a very fliort ftep
to the ufing it in oaths, and upon all frivolous
voccafions ; and he that (wears vainly, is at
no great diftance from fwearing falfely. It
is the fame in this inftance of the Scriptures :
He that indulges his wit to rally with them,
will foon come to think them fuch tame
things that he may down-right fcorn them :
AndVhen he is arriv'd to that , then he muft
pick quarrels to juftify it , till at laft he ar
rive even to the height of enmity.

5- 5*. LET every man therefore take heed
of fettingfo much as one ftep in this fatal

circle *

224 The Cbrijlians Birtb-right> &c.

circle 5 guard himfelf againft the firft infi-
nuation of this guilt : and when a jeft offers it
felf as a temtation, let him balance that with
a fober thought , and confider whether the
jeft can quit the coft of the profanation. Let
him pofieis his mind with an habitual awe*
take up the Bible with folemner thoughts,
and other kind of apprehenfions then any
human Author : and if he habituate himfelf
to this reverence , every claufe and phrafe of'
it that occurs to his mind,will be apter to ex
cite him to devout ejaculations then vain
laughter.

fd. IT is reported of our excellent Prince,
King Edward the fixth ; that when in his!
Council Chamber, a Paper that was call'd
for happen'd to lie out of reach , and the
Perfort concerned to produce it, took a Bible
that lay by,and ftanding upon it reacht down
the Paper : the King obferving what was
don, ranhiinfelf to the place, and taking
the Bible in his hands, killed it, and laid it
up again. Of this it were a very defirable
moral , that Princes , and all perlons in au-
tority, would take care not to permit any to'
raife themfelves by either a hypocritical or*
profane trampling upon holy things. But
befides that , a more general application of
fers its felf j that all men of what condition
foever , fliould both themfelves abftain from
every adion that has the appearance of at

con-

SECT. VII. Events of voitk-dr awing H.Scrip. 22 5-

contemt of the holy Scripture ; and alfo when
they obierve it in others , difcountenance the
infolence: and by their words and adtions
give Teftimony of the veneration which they
have for that holy Book, they fee others fo
wretchedly defpife.

f 7. BUT above all let him who reads the
Scripture ferioufly, fet himfelf to the practice
of it, and daily examin how he proceds in it :
he that diligently do's this, will not be much
at leifure to fport with it : he will fcarce meet
with a Text which will not give him caufe of
reflection , and provide him work within his
own breft: every duty injoin'd will promt
him to examin how he has perform 'd ; eve
ry fin forbid, will call him to recoiled: how
guilty he has bin, every pathetic ftrain of de
votion will kindle his zeal, or at leaft upbraid
his coldnefs: every heroic example will excite
his emulation. In a word, every part of Scri
pture will, if duly appli'd, contribute to fom
good and excellent end. And when a thing is
proper for fuch noble purpofes, can it be the
part of a wife man to apply it only to mean
and trivial? Would any but an Idiot waft that
Soveraign Liquor in the wafhing of his feet*
which was given him to expel poifon from,
his heart > And are not we guilty of the like
folly when we apply Gods word to ferve only
a ludicrous humor : and make our felves mer-*
jrywith that which was defign'd for the moft

F f feriou!

The Chriftians Birth-right,

ferious and moft important piirpofej thefal-
vation of our fouls. And indeed who ever
takes any lower aim then that , and the ver-
tues preparatory to it in his ftudy of Scripture,
extremely debafes it.

5- 8 . LET us therefore keep a fteady eie up
on that mark,and prefs towards it as the Apo-
ftle did ; Phil. 3. 1 4. roal^by that rule the holy
Scripture propofes -, faithfully and diligently
obferve its precepts, that we may finally par
take its promifes. To this end continually
pray we in the words of our holy mother the
Church unto Almighty God , who has cans' d
all holy Scripture to be written for our learn
ing ; that we may in fuch wife hear them,
read, mark, learn, and inwardly digeft them,
that by patience and comfort of his holy
Word , we may embrace and ever hold faft
the bleffed hope of everlafting Life, which he
has given in our Savior Jefus Chrift,

THE

THE CONTENTS.

SECTION.

Se%. /. The fever al methods of Gods communi*
eating the knowledg of himfelf. Pag. i.

Self. 2. The divine Original, Endear merits, and
Autority of the Holy Scripture. p. 9*

Se%. 3. The Subjett Matter treated of in the ho
ly Scripture is excellent, as is alfo its end and
dejign. P- 6 3 •

SeSl. 4. The Cujtody of the holy Scripture is ct

privilege and right of the Chrijhan Church,

and every member of it, which cannot without

impiety to God, andinjujtice unto it and them,

be taken away or empeacht. p« 123.

SeS. ?. The Scripture has great propriety and
ftnefs toward the attainment of its excellent
end. P- i4f-

Se&.-6. The fujfrage of the primitive Chrijtian
Church, concerning the propriety and fitnefs
which the Scripture has , toward the attain
ment of its excellent end. p« 16 7-

$e£f. 7. Htftorical reflexions upon the events
which have happen d in the Church, Jince the
with-df awing of the holy Scripture. p. 1 8 o.

Sell. 8. Neceffary Cautions to be us d in the
reading of the holy Scripture. p- 1 9 3 •

FINIS.