The Snake in the Grass Further Discovered, Part 1 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
The Quakers deny the Scriptures to be read to any profit, any further than they are before hand experienced by thoſe that read them.
THey may as well ſay that hearing the word SECT. I preached, is to no profit neither; any farther than it is experienced before hand: for there is the ſame reaſon of the one as of the other. But this is a ſtrange Doctrine, that at one blow cuts off both hearing, and reading the matter contained in the Scriptures, by men unregenerate. For what, I pray you, have they experienced, who are according to your notions ſtark blind, and utterly without ſenſe of the things of God.
Queſt. But if there be not another way to God &c. § 2
Anſw. Why Child, all that are faithful to God in Smiths prim p. 29. 30.what he makes known unto them, they are not judged. This is pretty charitable, but hear farther, the reaſon he gives why they that read the Scriptures profit not in the knowledge of God, &c. is, but they read in that book notionally, before they have paſſed the judgment experimentally. Again p. 30. For people wanting the life and power of Chriſt in themſelves, they are betrayed into the words, &c.
And ſuch were the Scribes, who were ever ſcraping in Fiſher. Velata quaedam revelata.the Scriptures to find God, and his life; yet never knew him at any time, nor ſaw his ſhape, becauſe they heard not his voice, nor heeded not his word within themſelves. John 5. 37. What a vile inſinuation is here of the Scriptures, and the ſtudy of them? as if the Scriptures were but a dunghil, and every unregegenerate perſon at leaſt (which all are with them wh… adore not the Light within as Chriſt) did but the part of a Brute (which ſcraping implies) in ſearching the Scriptures to know the things of God. For his blaſphemous inſinuation that God hath a ſhape, and that they who heed his voice within themſelves ſee it; I am too ſenſible of the inviſible Majeſty of God, to work my thoughts on ſuch a horrid ſubject: yet, he dares quote John 5, 37. to countenance it, which ſo far as it reaches it, doth deny any ſuch to be ſeen.
To reprove this evil Spirit of (worſe than) errour,3. John 5. 39. 40. read and underſtand this Scripture, wherein there is not any great difficulty. Search the Scriptures, (for in them ye think …e have eternal life) and they are they which teſtifie of me: and ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I have known more than a good many of the men of this controverſie expound this Scripture, as if Chriſt rebuked them for ſearching the Scripture, and having ſuch a fallacy in their opinion, as to think eternal life were to be had by ſearching of them: and inſtead of and (which gives the abſurdity of their ſearching the Scriptures to find the true Chriſt, by their teſtimony; and its teſtimony being ſo plain and clear, that Jeſus of Nazareth, he that then talked with them, was he) they have read it but you will not &c. as if the one were exceeding oppoſite to the other; viz. ſearching the Scripture; whereas the true ſenſe is, it condemns you as irrational men; that you ſhould think to have eternal life in the Scriptures, and will not believe their teſtimony. I muſt remember to tell you, that I do not take the Scriptures to be able to give eternal life to all that have them in their houſes or heads, or that do barely ſearch them, and not ſet th…r hearts (according to its direction) to find eternal life. It were ten to one if I had not ſaid ſo much, ſome or other of them would have had a fling at me, as making a Chriſt of the Scripture.
By what hath been produced, you may be ſure § 4 there is the beſt profit, by Gods bleſſing on an honeſt reading of the Scriptures. Young Timothy was bred up from a Child in the Holy Scripture; and it was the commendation of his Mother, and Grand-Mother for ſo educating him: but can you think he experienced all he read before he read it? ſome of them are prophetical of things to come. Can any of you all experience things that never yet had an exiſtence or being? And ſhould the Gentiles and Jews have been reproved for hearing Paul, and Peter, and Chriſt himſelf preach the Goſpel, and the Mediatour of it? becauſe they did not experience it in themſelves. But why ſhould I uſe many words about ſuch a cauſe? the willing to underſtand may ſee its groſſneſs, and forthoſe that will be ignorant, means ſignifie little to their cure.