Discourse of Mental Errors, Part · Section 5
Cause II.
A Second evil temper in the Subject, disposing and inclining men to receive and suck in erroneous Doctrines and Opinions,Controversiae Anabaptisticae exortae sunt superiore saeculo variis in Europae locis, puta à Muntzero Saxone cum Sociis Anno MDXXI. occasione scripti Lutheri de libertate Christianâ, Fred. Spanh. Elench. Contr. p. 95. is the ABVSE of that just and due CHRISTIAN LIBERTY allowed by Christ to all his people to read, examine, and judge the sense of Scriptures with a private judgment of discretion.
This is a glorious acquisition, and blessed fruit of Reformation, to vindicate and recover that just Right, and gracious Grant made to us by Christ and the Apostles, out of the injurious hands of our Popish Enemies, who had usurped and invaded it. The exercise of this Liberty, is at once a Duty commanded by Christ, and commended in Scripture. 'Tis commanded by Christ, Iohn 5. 39. Search the Scriptures, saith Christ to the people. 1 Cor. 10. 15. I speak as to wise men; judge you what I say. And the exercise of this private judgment of discretion by the people, is highly commended by St. Paul in the Bereans, Acts 17. 11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so. This Liberty is not allowed in that latitude in any Religion, as it is in the Christian Religion, nor enjoyed in its full liberty, as it is in the Reformed Religion, whose glory it is that it allows its Principles and Doctrines to be critically examined and tryed of all Men by the Rule of the Word, as well knowing, the more it is sifted and searched by its Professors, the more they will be still confirmed and satisfied in the truth of it.
But yet this gracious and just liberty of Christians, suffers a double abuse: One from the Popish Enemies, who injuriously restrain and deny it to the people. Another, by Protestants themselves, who sinfully stretch and extend it beyond the just degree and measure in which Christ allows it to them.
The Pope injuriously restrains it, discerning the danger that must necessarily follow the concession of such a liberty to the people, to compare his superstitious and erroneous Doctrines with the Rule of the Word.
St. Peter, in 2 Pet. 1. 19. tells the people they have a more sure Word of Prophecy, whereunto they do well that they take heed. Certainly the Pope forgot either that he was Peter's Successour; or that ever St. Peter told the people they did well to make use of that liberty, which he denies them. Mr. Pool tells us of a Spaniard that used this expression to an English Merchant, You people of England (said he) are happy, you have liberty to see with your own eyes, and to examine the Doctrines delivered to you, upon which your everlasting Life depends; but we dare not say our souls are our own, but are commanded to believe whatever our Teachers tell us, be it never so unreasonable or ridiculous. This is a most injurious and sinful restraint upon it on the one side.
And then Secondly, 'Tis too frequently abused, by stretching it beyond Christ's allowance and intendment upon the other side; when every ignorant and confident person shall, under pretence of liberty granted by Christ, rudely break in upon the Sacred Text, distort, violate and abuse the Scriptures at pleasure, by putting such strange and …oreign senses upon them, as the Spirit of God never meant or intended*Prov. 8. 22. Quod dictum scribit Epiphanius, primam Ario praebuisse occasionem, haeresin contra filium dei fingendi.
How often have I heard that Scripture, Micha 4. 10. They shall be brought even to Babylon; confidently interpreted, for almost, but not full h…me to Babylon, against the very Grammar of the Text, and the Truth of the History? And so again, that place, Isa. 58. 8. The glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward, through ignorance of the word, read re-reward, that is, a double reward to his people? But these are small matters compared with those grosser abuses of Scripture by the ignorant and unlearned, which prejudice Truth, and too much countenance Popish Reproaches.