The Christian Life Volume 5, Discourse 4

The Christian Life Volume 5 · Discourse 4

p. 407A Second Discourse

Upon JOHN V. 39.

Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life.

WHether these Words are to be rendred Indicatively; [Ye do search the Scriptures] as some would have them, or Imperatively, [Search the Scriptures] as our Translation renders them, amounts to the same thing; For if we render them Indicatively, [Ye do search the Scriptures] it is evident, that they are spoken with Approbation, Ye do read the Scriptures, and ye do very well in so doing: For thus we find the Bereans commended for Searching the Scriptures, and Timothy, for knowing them from a Child. And if to Search the Scripture be a commendable Practice, then to be sure our Saviour here mentions it at least with Approbation; and what he approves when done, that to be sure he would have us do. Whether therefore it be delivered in the Form of a Command, or of a bare Assertion, it is equivalent to a Command, it being at least an Assertion of a Thing which he approves, and consequently would have all Men to Practise. But because there is a numerous Party in the Christian World which doth not only forbid the People to Search the Scriptures, but represents it as a Practice of very dangerous Consequence, it p. 408is hereby become necessary that we should not only assert, but prove their Obligation to it, which otherwise would be very needless, there being nothing more plain and evident in it self. Now to prove that the People are obliged to Search and Read the Scriptures, I shall as briefly as I can, argue the Point from these following Topicks.

1. From the Obligations which the Iews were under to Read and Search the Scriptures of the Old Testament.

2. From our Saviour's and his Apostles Approbation of their Practice in pursuance of this their Obligation.

3. From the great Design and Intention of Writing the Scriptures.

4. From the Direction of these Holy Writings to the People.

5. From the great Concernment of the People in the Matters contained in them.

6. From the Vniversal Sense of the Primitive Church in this matter.

1. From the general Obligation which the Iews were under to Read and Search their Scriptures. For so God requires them to keep the words which he commanded them, in their Hearts, and to teach them diligently to their Children, and to talk of them as they sat in their Houses, and as they walked in the way, and when they lay down, and when they rose up, and to bind them as a sign upon their hands, Deut. 6. 6, 7, 8. And elsewhere, This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, p. 409speaking to the Children of Israel in general, Ios. 1. 8. And again, Ye shall lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware unto your Fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth, Deut. 11. 18, 21. And to meditate on God's Law day and night, David makes a Part of the Character of the Blessed Man, Psal. 1. 3. Now if they could not keep God's Laws in their Hearts, as most certainly they could not; if they could not teach them to their Children; if they could not talk of them upon all just and proper Occasions, and in a word, if they could not meditate on them day and night without being very well acquainted with them by diligent Search and Reading them, it is most certain that to Read and Search into them was their indispensable Duty. Now if there be the same Reason why we should Read the Scriptures as there was why the Iews should, then the Obligation of these Commands must extend to us as well as to them; because the Reason of the Law is the Law; but 'tis evident, even beyond Contradiction, that there is no good Reason assignable for the one, which is not of equal force for the other; and whatsoever is objected by our Adversaries in this Point against our Reading the Scriptures, is of equal validity against the Iews Reading them. It is Objected, That our Reading them, through our Incapacity to understand them, must occasion a great many Errors and Heresies in the Church. And why should not their Reading them occasion the same, since neither their Understandings were larger than ours, nor their Scriptures clearer and more intelligible than ours? It is p. 410farther objected, that because of the many ill Examples recorded in Scripture it is dangerous for the People to read it; because of their Aptness to be misled and corrupted by Example. But I beseech you, are there not more bad Examples in the Old Testament than in the New? And were not the Iews as apt to be corrupted by them as we Christians? And therefore since these Objections do press as much against their reading the Scriptures as ours, it is certain they ought to keep both from it or neither. Seeing therefore notwithstanding these Objections God obliged the Iews to read them, it's plain they are not of Force enough to disoblige us from doing the same.

2. From our Saviour and his Apostles Approbation of this Practice of the Iews in Pursuance of their Obligation to it, it is also evident that we are obliged to the same. That the Common People of the Iews did ordinarily read the Scriptures in our Saviour's Time, is evident not only from the Text, Search the Scriptures (which if you take them Indicatively, are an express Declaration that they did read them; and if you take them Imperatively, necessarily imply that they themselves owned that they ought to read them) but also from those Questions which our Saviour frequently ask'd them in his Conferences with them; such as, Have ye not read? Have ye never read in the Scripture? And hath not the Scripture said so and so? Which Question would be very impertinent if reading the Scripture were not then ordinarily practised by that People. And that even their holy Women were then so well instructed in the Scriptures as to be able to instruct their Children, p. 411Timothy is a signal Instance, who, though his Father were an Heathen, had known the holy Scriptures from a Child, 2 Tim. 3. 10. which Knowledge he must necessarily have derived from his Grand-Mother Lois, and his Mother Eunice, whose Faith St. Paul celebrates; 2 Tim. 1. 10. And this Practice of reading the Scriptures which was so common among that People in our Saviour's time is so far from being discontinued either by himself or his Apostles, that it is always mentioned by them with Applause and Approbation. Thus the B…reans are commended as a People of a nobler Strain than those of Thessalonica, because they searched the Scriptures daily whether those Things which St. Paul had preached to them were so or no. And St. Paul is so far from reprehending Timothy for medling with the Scriptures whilst he was a Lay-man, that he mentions it to his Honour, that he had known the Scriptures from a Child. And in all those Passages wherein our Saviour takes it for granted that the Common People of the Iews did read the Scripture, we have not the least Intimation of his dislike of their Practice, which we should certainly have had, had he apprehended it to be either dangerous or unwarrantable. Seeing therefore neither our Saviour nor his Apostles do in the least disallow of the Scriptures being read by the Common People, but on the contrary do expresly commend it; this is a plain Argument that it was their Intention to perpetuate the Practice of it to future Ages. For seeing the Iews read the Scriptures in Obedience to an express Command of God, as was shewn before, had our Saviour intended that they should not continue it, he would doubtless have repealed p. 412that Command by some Countermand, which he was so far from doing that he not only every where allows of their reading the Scriptures, but also expresly approves and commends it; whereby he plainly establishes the Obligation of that ancient Command in Obedience to which they did read them.

3. From the great Design and Intention of Writing the Scriptures, it is also evident, that the People are still obliged to Read them. It is plain that the great Design of Writing the Scripture was to instruct Men in the Knowledge, and persuade them to the Practice of True Religion; For thus of the Scriptures of the Old Testament St. Paul tells us, That whatsoever things were written afore-time, were written for our learning, Rom. 15. 4. and for our admonition, 1 Cor. 10. 11. And as for the New Testament, we are told, That it was written, that we might believe that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that believing we might have life through his name, Joh. 20. 31. And St. Peter tells us, That he wrote both his Epistles to stir up the pure minds of Christians by way of remembrance, and to put them in mind of the words which were spoken before by the Holy Prophets, and of the Commandment of the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour, 2 Pet. 3. 1. And St. Iohn gives us this account of his Writing his Epistles, These things have I written to you that ye sin not, 1 Joh. 2. …. And St. Iude, this of his, Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common Salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints, v. 3. These are the Ends for which the Scripture was p. 413written; but how can the Writing of it contribute to these Ends if we are not permitted to Read what is written? For the Scripture was written to the People as well as to the Clergy, as I shall shew by and by; but to what purpose should it be written to the People to instruct and admonish them, if the People are not allowed to Read its Instructions and Admonitions? What Influence could the Writing it have upon the People's Belief, that Iesus Christ is the Son of God, if they had been debarr'd from acquainting themselves with what is written concerning him? How could it stir up their Remembrance, if they might not Read what it suggested to their Memory? By what other way can it keep the People from Sinning, but by Motives and Persuasions? But how should its Motives and Persuasions affect their Minds if they are not allowed to consult and understand them? Upon what Account can it move the People earnestly to contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints, if they are not allowed to learn from it either what that Faith is, or what those Reasons are which oblige them to contend for it? So that to write to the People on purpose to instruct and reform them, and at the same time to purpose to debar them from Reading it, is either to suppose, that the Writing will operate like a Charm, or to purpose a downright Contradiction. For how oddly would it have lookt, if in the afore cited Passages, the Apostles had exprest themselves thus: These things are written for your Learning and Admonition; but 'tis by no means fit you should learn from them what they teach and admonish you. These Things are written that ye should believe that p. 414Iesus is the Christ and the Son of God; but they are not written that you should enquire of them whether Iesus be the Christ or the Son of God. These Things are written to put you in Mind of what hath been spoken by the Prophets and Apostles; but they were not written that you might acquaint your selves by them what the Prophets and Apostles spake. These Things are written that you should not Sin; but beware you do not read them lest the bad Examples recorded in them occasion you to Sin. In short, These Things were written to excite you earnestly to contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints; but you are by no means allowed to enquire into them lest you should misunderstand them, and so instead of contending for the Faith you should contend for Heresie and False Doctrine. Had the Apostles thus express'd themselves, I appeal to any reasonable Man whether these Passages would not have startled his Understanding, and tempted him to question whether the Authors of them were well in their Wits; and yet this must have been their meaning, supposing that they meant that the People should not read what they wrote.

4. From the Direction of these Holy Writings to the People, it is also evident, That the People are still obliged to Read, or acquaint themselves with them. For so we find the Law of Moses was delivered by God to all the People as well as to him and Aaron; and (as was shewn before) they were all of them commanded to search and enquire into it. And so also were the Sermons of the Prophets, which are usually prefaced with an, Hear O Israel, Hear O House of Iudah, Hear O House of Iacob, and Hear all ye of Iudah. So also our Blessed Saviour Preach'd his Sermons and p. 415Parables, not only to his Apostles, and Seventy Disciples, but also to the People, and to the Multitudes. And so also his Apostles direct their Epistles, not only to the Saints, to the faithful in Christ Iesus, to the Beloved, which in the Language of Scripture includes every Christian; but also to all that are at Rome, to all that in every place call upon the name of Iesus Christ our Lord, to all the Saints which are in Achaia, to all the Saints which are at Philippi, to the twelve Tribes which are scattered abroad, to the Strangers scattered through Pontus, Galatia, &c. and to them which have obtained like precious Faith with us, that is, to all the Iewish Christians dispersed over the World. Seeing therefore the Scriptures were directed to all, as well Laity as Clergy, this not only gives a Right to all to Read them, but also lays an Obligation npon all to acquaint themselves with them. For the very directing such a Writing or Epistle to such or such Persons, doth, in the Sense of all the World, imply, that he who writes doth design and intend, that they to whom he directs it should Read and Peruse it; and therefore, since the Scriptures were written to all, that is a plain Intimation, that it was the Intention of the Writers that all should Read them. And for us not to Read what God hath written, and directed to us, is by Implication of Fact, a Prophane Neglect and Contempt of his Mercy, and looks as if we either thought him such an Insignificant Being, or our selves so little concerned in any thing that he can say or write to us, as that it would not be worth our while to receive, and peruse the Contents of those Sacred Epistles, which by the Hands of his Holy Penmen he hath p. 416vouchsafed to direct to us. Nor is it a sufficient Excuse for our Contempt, to say, that in Consideration of our own Proneness to Err and Mistake, we ought to content our selves with this, that our Spir…tual Guides should Read God's Writings for us, and deliver the Sense and Contents of them to us: For to be sure, had God intended that the Priests only should read them, he would have directed them only to the Priests, and ordered them only to deliver the Sense of them to the People; and therefore since he hath directed them to both, this necessarily implies that it was his Intention that both should read them. For if God had not directed them to Men, neither Priests nor People were obliged to read them; and therefore seeing the great Reason why any Men ought to read them is, because they are directed to Men, this Reason obliges all Men to read them; because they are directed to all Men. For not to be highly concerned to know and understand what it is that God writes to us is an Argument that we have a very mean Regard both of his Majesty, and his Mind, and Will. But to be sure whosoever is highly concerned to know what such a Writing contains, will, if he can, be very curious to peruse it with his own Eyes at least, supposing that it is not unlawful for him so to do; because there is nothing gives that Satisfaction to a Man's Mind as the Information of his own Sense. So that for Men wilfully to neglect reading the Scripture which God hath so expresly directed to them, and thereby not only licensed but obliged them to read it, argues a very prophane Disregard both of the Author of it, and of the Matter it contains; and p. 417for any Man, or Society of Men to forbid the People to read what God hath written and directed to them, is not only to deprive them of a Right which God hath given them, but also to acquit them of a Duty which he hath laid upon them. For St. Paul in those Epistles which he wrote to the Christian People in general of such and such Churches, still takes it for granted that they would read them; as being not only warranted, but obliged thereunto by his writing them; for so Ephes. 3. 3, 4. speaking of that great Mystery of the calling the Gentiles which God had revealed to him, concerning which, saith he, I wrote afore in few words, whereby when ye read ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. So also 2 Cor. 1. 13. We write no other things unto you, than what you read, that is, than what you may at least, and are obliged to read by vertue of our writing them to you. And as for his Epistle to the Thessalonians, which he wrote to that whole Church, he gives Charge that it should be read to all the holy Brethren, 1 Thes. 5. 27. So also for that of the Coloss…ans, When this Epistle is, or hath been, read amongst you, cause that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea. Where you see he all along either supposes or requires that what he wrote to all should be read by all and to all. If therefore this Authority of St. Paul be sufficient to over-rule the Authority of any pretended Successor of St. Peter, then it's certain that reading the Scripture is still the Duty of Lay-men notwithstanding any Papal Prohibition to the contrary.

p. 4185. From the great Concernment the People have in the Matters contained in Scripture, it is also evident that they are obliged, if they are able, to read it and acquaint themselves with it: For as for the Matters which the Scriptures contain, they are such as are of everlasting Moment to the People as well as to the Clergy. The Articles of Faith which the Scripture proposes are as necessary to be believed by the People as by the Clergy. The Precepts of Life which the Scripture prescribes are as necessary to be practised by the People, as by the Clergy. The Promises and Threats with which the Scripture inforces those Precepts are as necessary to be considered by the People as by the Clergy: And seeing both are equally concerned in the great Matters which the Scriptures contain, what Reason can be assigned why both should not be obliged to acquaint themselves with them? I know 'tis pretended that it is the proper Office of the Clergy to study the Scriptures for the People as well as for themselves, and that therefore the People are obliged to receive the Sense of the Scriptures upon Trust from their Teachers without making any farther Enquiry. But I beseech you, are you sure that your Teachers are infallible? That they are not so is most certain, it being notorious that most of the prevailing Heresies of Christendom were first set on broach by the Teachers of the Church, and it is impossible they should be infallible, who have so often actually erred even in Matters of the highest Moment. Suppose then what is fairly supposable, that your Teachers should mislead you, and not only into dangerous but damnable Errors; are you sure that they shall be damned for you, p. 419and that you shall escape? If so, then Heresy in the Layty can never be damnable if they receive it upon Trust from their Teachers; and consequently their Souls are as safe under the Conduct of false Teachers as true; provided always that right or wrong they believe what is taught them. But if your selves must give an Account to God as well for your Faith as for your Manners, and are liable in your own Persons to eternal Damnation (as most certainly you are) as well for Heresy as Immorality, then it is the most unreasonable Thing in the World that you should in all Things be obliged to believe your Teachers upon Trust; for at this Rate a Man may be eternally damned, m…erly for believing what he is obliged to believe. If it be said that the People are not bound to believe what their particular Pastor teaches, but what the Church teaches them, and the Church cannot err though their particular Pastor may; I would fain know how shall the People be otherwise informed what the Church teaches them than by the Expositions of their particular Pastors, they being at least as incapable of informing themselves what the Doctrine of the Church is, as what the Doctrine of the Scripture is; and therefore if their Pastor should err damnably in expounding to them what the Church teaches, as it is supposable he may if he be not infallible, there is no Remedy but they must err damnably in believing whatsoever their Pastor teaches. But we are farther told, that it is sufficient for the People that they believe in the gross that whatsoever the Church teaches is true, and that as for the particulars there is no Necessity that they should be informed about them; because he who believes p. 420that all that the Church teaches is true, implicitly believes all that is necessary, seeing the Church teaches all that is necessary. But the mischief of it is that this compendious Way of Belief is utterly insignificant, and doth no way comport with the Design and Intention of a Christian's Faith. For God doth not require our Faith meerly for its own sake, but in order to a farther End, that it may purify our Hearts, and influence our Lives and Manners; that is, that the Matters which we believe might by being believed by us affect our Wills, and continually move and persuade us to abstain from all Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present World; and if our Faith hath not this Effect upon us, St. Iames assures us that it is a dead Faith, and will profit us nothing. But how is it possible that our believing such and such Propositions should move and persuade us, if we do not know what those Propositions are, and what is the true Sense and Meaning of them? What Man can be persuaded by such Proposals as he doth not understand, and of which he hath no Manner of explicite Knowledge? An Heathen that believes that whatsoever God teaches is true doth implicitly believe that Iesus Christ came from God to reveal his Will to Mankind, because it is certain that God teaches this; but what is he the better for this his implicite Belief? What Influence can it have upon his Heart and Manners, who perhaps never heard of Iesus Christ, nor of any one Proposition which he revealed to the World? And so he who believes that whatsoever the Church teaches is true, doth implicitly believe that there shall be a future Iudgment, a p. 421Resurrection of the Dead, and an everlasting State of Happiness or Misery after Death; because all these Things the Church teaches; but if he never hear of them, or hath no explicite Knowledge and Belief of them, how is it possible they should operate on his Will and Affections. or ever persuade him to be the better Man or the better Christian? And the same is to be said of all the other Articles of Christianity. So that either we must believe to no Purpose, and content our selves with an insignificant Faith that will not at all avail us; or take up our Faith upon Trust from fallible Teachers who may mislead us into damnable Errors, and if they should, we must be liable to answer for it in our Persons, and at our own eternal Peril; or, which is the Truth of the Case, we must be allowed to enquire, and judge for our selves at least in all Things necessary to our eternal Salvation. Seeing therefore there are many Things in Scripture which the Scripture it self obliges me upon Pain of Damnation to believe; it hence necessarily follows, that so far forth as the Scripture obliges me to believe what it teaches, it obliges me to understand what it teaches, otherwise I must believe I know not what, which is impossible; and so far as the Scripture obliges me to understand what it teaches, it must oblige me to search, enquire, and judge what it teaches; because I cannot understand without enquiring and judging: But how can I enquire what the Scripture teaches if I cannot be admitted to read and consult the Scripture? And so again, there are many Duties in Scripture which the Scripture it self obliges me to practise upon pain of eternal Damnation; but how p. 422can it oblige me to Practise what it doth not oblige me to Understand; or how can it oblige me to Understand what it doth not oblige me to enquire after? But how can I enquire what it is that the Scripture obliges me to Practise, when I am forbid all access to it, and it is lockt up from me in an unknown Tongue? In short therefore, seeing the Things contained in Scripture are of the highest Moment to the People, and it is as much as their Souls are worth not to Believe and Practise what it Teaches; and seeing they can neither Believe nor Practise what they do not understand; it is of infinite concern to them so far at least to Read, Consult, and Understand the Scripture, as they stand obliged to Believe and Practise its Doctrines and Precepts.

6. And lastly, From the Vniversal Sense of the Primitive Church in this matter, it is also evident, that the People are obliged to read or acquaint themselves with the Holy Scripture. For the Primitive Church for above six hundred years were so far from debarring the People the Use of the Scripture, that it continually urged and press'd it upon them as a matter of indispensable Obligation. For so Origen wishes, That all would do as it is written, viz. Search the Scriptures. So also Clemens Alexandrinus, Hearken ye that are afar off, hearken ye that be near; the Word of God is hid from no man: it is a Light common to all Men, and there is no Darkness in it. So also St. Austin **In Orat. adhort. …d Gent., Think it not sufficient that ye hear the Scriptures in the Church, but do you also read the Scriptures your selves in your own Houses, or get some other to p. 423read them to you. So also St. Ierom ††In Psal. 86.Ps 86, The Lord hath spoken to us by his Gospel, not that a few, but all should understand. And elsewhere, speaking of the Women that were at Bethlehem with Paula, It was not lawful, saith he, for any one of all the Sisters to be ignorant of the Psalms, nor to pass over any day without learning some part of the Scriptures. And elsewhere **Ep. ad Coloss. c. 3.Col 3, We are taught, saith he, That the Lay-People ought to have the Word of God not only sufficiently, but also with abundance, that so they may be able to teach and counsel others. So also St. Chrysostome ††Ep. ad Colos. Hom. 9., Hear me O Layty, get ye the Bible the most wholsom remedy for the Soul; and if ye will no more, at least get the New Testament, St. Paul's Epistles, and the Acts, that they may be your continual and earnest Teachers. And elsewhere, he affirms**In Matth. Hom. 3., That it is more necessary for the Lay-People to read the Scriptures than either for the Monks or Priests, or any others. And to cite no more of the infinite Authorities of the Fathers to this purpose, St. Basil observes**In Psal. 1.Ps 1, The Scripture of God is like an Apothecary's Shop full of Medicines of sundry sorts, that so every Man may there choose a convenient Remedy for his Disease. And that the People, as well as the Priests were then allowed the Use of the Bible, is evident from a notorious matter of Fact; for when the Roman Emperors endeavoured to force the Christians by Persecution and Torments to deliver up their Bibles to be burnt, that so by p. 424extinguishing those Sacred Records they might extinguish Christianity, they examined not only the Bishops and Clergy, but also the People of all Degrees and both Sexes; many of whom, as well Women as Men, owned that they had Bibles, but rather chose to die than to deliver them up; and many others, who to avoid Death, delivered up their Bibles, and are therefore branded with the ignominious Name of Traditors, for which they were excluded the Communion of the Church, and could not be readmitted without a long and severe Penance. But it is impossible the People could have been Traditors if they had had no Bibles to deliver up; and therefore being so, is an undeniable Argument, that the People were then allowed the Use of the Scripture as well as the Priests. And by the way, it's very strange that any Community of Christians should think, that a proper Way to extinguish Heresie, which those Heathen Persecutors made use of to extinguish Christianity. But that in those first Ages the People were allowed the Use of the Bible, is a case so plain, that they who of later Ages have thought meet to repeal this Allowance, have never been able to produce so much as one probable colour of Primitive Authority to warrant their Practice. And though in other Points they not only claim but ravish Antiquity, in despite of Modesty as well as Truth; yet here they are so abandoned of all pretence to it, that they are not able to produce so much as one Passage of any Primitive Father that seems to discourage the People from Reading the Scripture, and much less that forbids them so to do: And 'tis notorious to all the World, That in the Primitive Ages, p. 425when the Latin was the Vulgar Language of the Romans, the Bible was translated into that Language for the Use and Instruction of the People; but when through the many Incursions of the Barbarous Nations into the Roman Empire this Language was worn out by degrees, and instead of being the vulgar, became an unknown Tongue to that People; the Governours of that Church, having to serve their own secular Ends, introduced into it sundry corrupt Doctrines and Practices, which they feared the Light of the Scripture might detect to the People, they thought it most advisable not to translate it into the New Vulgar, but to let it remain lockt up from their Cognizance in the Old Latin, which by this Time very few, except the Clergy, understood. And when for some Time it had lain hid from them in an unknown Tongue, they proceeded at last wholly to forbid the Use of it to the Layty. So that about the Ninth and Tenth Ages, which all agree were over-cast with gross Darkness and Ignorance, the Scriptures were shut up, like the Sybilline Oracles in the Capitol, and none but the Priests were allowed to Read and Consult them. And though upon the Commencement of the Reformation, the Bible was for some time set forth again in sundry vulgar Languages among the People, yet did the Guides of that Church soon find it necessary, for Defence of their own Vnscriptural Doctrines and Practices, to remit it to its old Confinement. For First, The Council of Trent, in the Fourth Rule of their Index Expurgatorius, forbids the Layty to read, or so much as to have the Bible in the Vulgar Language, though translated by those of their own Church, p. 426without a Licence in Writing from the Bishop of the Diocess, or the Inquisitor; and this upon Pain of not receiving Absolution of their Sins unless they delivered up those their Bibles to their Ordinary. To which Rule, Pope Clement the Eighth afterwards added this Observation, That hitherto by the Command and Practice of the Holy Roman and Vniversal Inquisition, the Faculty of granting such Licences for reading or keeping Bibles in the Vulgar Tongue, or any Summaries or Historical Compendiums of the said Bibles, is taken away; which is to be inviolably observed. And in the Index of Prohibited Books, published by Pope Alexander the Seventh, not only those Bibles that are translated and printed by Hereticks, but also all Bibles in any Vulgar Tongue are absolutely forbidden. And though, where the Reformation hath prevailed, they are forced against their own Laws more freely to indulge the Use of the Scripture to their People, yet in those Countries where they are sole Masters this Priviledge is very rarely granted.

And now being thus necessitated to deprive the People of the Light of the Scripture, lest they should thereby discover their Errors and Corruptions, it was necessary for them to invent some plausible Pretences to justifie a Practice so contrary both to Scripture and Primitive Antiquity, and so enormously derogatory to the common Right of Christians; and when it must be done, it is a very hard Case if Men of Wit and Learning cannot find something to say for any thing. Now the two main Pretences that are urged in this Case are; First, That a general P…rmission of the Use of Scripture to the People must necessarily open a wide Door to Errors and Heresies: p. 427Secondly, That it will prove an unavoidable occasion of great Corruptions in Manners.

1. That a general Permission of the Use of Scripture to the People must necessarily open a wide Door to Errors and Heresies; because there are many Things in Scripture which are hard to be understood, and which the Vnlearned, who are unqualified to understand them aright, will be apt to wrest into a wrong Sense to their own Destruction. To which I answer,

1. That this Reason holds as good against the writing and publishing the Scripture at first in Languages that were vulgarly known to the People, as against the Translating them now into the vulgar Languages. For the Hebrew, in which the Old Testament was written, was the vulgar Language of the Iews, and the Greek in which the New Testament was written, was then the most vulgar Language of the Iews and Gentiles; and yet notwithstanding there were the same hard Things then in the Scripture as now, and the People were as unlearned then, and as apt to wrest these hard Scriptures to their own Destruction then as now; yet God notwithstanding thought fit to write and publish it in Languages that were most known to the People; and therefore, either we must say, that he did not take that Care that he ought to have done to prevent Errors and Heresies, or that this is no good Reason why the People should be debarred of the Scripture in their own vulgar Language. For why should not the Writing the Scriptures at first in the vulgar Languages as much open a Door to Heresie, as the translating them afterwards, seeing it is neither their being written in the Vulgar Language, nor their being translated into the Vulgar p. 428Language, but their being in the Vulgar Language that is here pretended to set open this dangerous Door to Heresies.

2. This Objection strikes with equal force against God's writing and publishing the Scripture to the People, as against their reading and consulting it. For that God wrote these Scriptures to the People, and that in so doing, he not only gave them a Right, but also laid on them an Obligation to Read them, I have already shewed. If therefore the Reading the Scripture by the People be such an unavoidable Inlet of Error and Heresie, as this Objection pretends, it was doubtless very unadvisedly done of God to publish such a dangerous Book to the World; which those for whom he published, and to whom he directed it cannot familiarly converse with without eminent Peril of being infected with Heresie. And if the Scripture be such a quarrelsome Knife as these Men say it is, that the People can hardly touch it without cutting their Fingers, they are certainly more beholding to the Church for taking it from them, than they are to God for bestowing it on them.

3. This Objection makes as much at least against the Priests Reading the Scripture as the People. For most of those Heresies that have been broacht to the People were first brewed by the Priests, from whose Lips the People do commonly derive their Errors, as well as their Knowledge: Witness those famous Heresies with which the Christian World hath been so distracted from one Generation to another, such as the Novatian, the Donatist, the Arian, the Pelagian, the Eutichian, the Eunomian; all which Counterfeits, and a p. 429great many more, were first coined by the Clergy, and dispersed for current Christianity among the Layty. And therefore, if this Pretence, that the Reading of Scripture opens a Gap to Heresie, be a sufficient Reason why the Layty should not Read it, it is a much more sufficient Reason why the Clergy should not Read it. For it requires Skill and Learning as well to wrest the Scripture into such false Senses as are likely to impose upon the World, as to interpret it into its true Sense; and I am very sure that it ordinarily requires more Wit and Art, to extort from the Scripture probable Errors, than it doth to discover by it necessary Truth; and if so, then if the danger of letting in Heresies is a true Reason why any should not Read it, it is much more a true Reason why the Learned should not Read it than the Vnlearned; and consequently why the Priests should not Read it than the People, seeing the former are more qualified to extract Heresies from it than the later. If therefore this Objection signifie any Thing, it must be this, That it is a very dangerous thing for any Body to Read the Bible; that this same Divine Book, which God thought fit to publish to the World, and which the Primitive Church thought fit to oblige all that were able to Peruse and Study, is now become such a dangerous Inlet of Heresie, that like Pandora's Box, you can no sooner open it, but Swarms of Errors and False Doctrines will presently fly abroad into the World; so that it would be very well for the World if it were either utterly extinguished, or hid in some inaccessible Repository, where no Mortal Eye might ever approach it.

p. 4304. This Objection expresly contradicts our Saviour, and the Primitive Fathers. For Matt. 22. 29. our Saviour tells the Sadducees, who were cavelling with him about the Resurrection; Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures. Had therefore the Sadducees been of the same Mind with our Objectors they would doubtless have told him, by your good Leave Sir, in this Point you your self are in an Error, for in all Probability had we known the Scripture or been intimately acquainted with it, we should have err'd much more. Either therefore our Saviour was mistaken in charging the Errour of the Sadducees upon their Ignorance of Scripture, or our Objectors are mistaken in making it so necessary an Expedient for the Prevention of Error to forbid the People being acquainted with Scripture; for 'tis plain He and They are of quite Different Opinions in the Case. But whatever their Opinion is, I am sure the Primitive Fathers were of the same Opinion with our Saviour: For Irenaeus writing of the Valentinian Hereticks, **Lib. 3. c. 12.All those Errors they fall into, because they know not the Scriptures. So St. Ierom, ††In Ep. ad Ephes. l. 3. c. 4We must search the Scriptures with all Diligence, that so as being good Exchangers we may know the lawful Coyn from the Copper. And elsewhere, That infinite Evils arise from Ignorance of the Scriptures, and that from this Cause the greatest Part of Heresies have proceeded. St. Chrysostom is of Opinion, that if Men would be conversant with the Scriptures and attend to them, they would not only not fall into Errors themselves, but be able to rescue those that are deceived; and that the Scriptures would instruct Men both in right Opinions, and good Life. And to p. 431name no more, Theophilact tells us, that nothing can deceive them who search the Holy Scriptures; for that saith he is the Candle whereby the Thief is discovered. But it seems, according to Modern Experiments, this Candle of Scripture rather serves to light the Thief into the House, than to discover him when he is there; and therefore it is thought necessary for honest Men's security either that it should be wholly extinguished, or at least hinder'd from giving Light by being shut up in a dark Lanthorn of an Vnknown Tongue. But when they who were once the honest Men are become the Thieves, it is no wonder that they should thus change their Note, and complain of the Light of this Candle as dangerous to them, which heretofore they esteemed their greatest Security. I am sure the Reason assigned by St. Peter, why some Men wrested the Scriptures to their own Destruction, was not their reading the Scripture, but contrary wise their not reading it enough, which they that are unlearned, saith he, wrest to their own destruction, 2 Pet. 3. 16. Vnlearned in what? Why doubtless in the Holy Scripture. For as to humane Learning, St. Peter himself was as unlearned as they; and if it were their being unlearned in Scripture that occasioned them to wrest it into an heretical Sense, then it is not Mens reading the Scripture that leads them into Heresy, but their not reading it enough. To say therefore that the Peoples reading the Scripture is an Inlet of Heresy, and to say, no it is not their reading it, but their not reading it enough is the Inlet of Heresy, is an express Contradiction; the former our Objectors say, the latter our Saviour, his Apostles, and the Primitive Church say; and I think it is no p. 432hard Matter to determine which of these two Contradictions we ought to believe.

5. And lastly, According to this Objection, the best Way to keep Men from being Hereticks is to deprive them of all Means of arriving at the Knowledge of the Truth: And this, I confess, is a very certain Way, though not a very Honest one. Let Men know nothing of Religion, and to be sure they cannot be Hereticks, it being impossible for Men to err in their Conceptions of those Things whereof they have no Notion. Put out a Man's Eyes, and you certainly prevent his being imposed upon by false Medium's of Sight to mistake one Colour or Figure for another; And yet I fancy most Men would think this a cruel Kind of Courtesy. But if Men must not be allowed Scripture to instruct them in the Truth, for this Reason; because it may occasionally mislead them into Errors and Heresies, then they must be allowed no Means of Instruction that may occasion them to err, and consequently no Means at all, there being no imaginable Means of Instruction which may not be an Occasion of Errors and Heresies. Is the Scripture it self in its own Nature an Occasion of misleading Men into Heresy, or not? If you say it is, consider before you say it, how it could consist with the Truth and Veracity of God to publish such a Book to the World as tends in its own Nature to seduce and mislead the Understandings of those that read it. If you say it is not so in it self, but only that it may be so accidentally, I would fain know what Means of Instruction is there which may not accidentally become an Occasion of misleading Men into Heresy; and therefore if p. 433this be a sufficient Reason to deprive Men of Scripture, it is sufficient to deprive them of all other Means of Instruction. And seeing the Knowledge of Religion is the Food of Mens Souls, to keep them in Ignorance for fear they should err, is to deny them Food for fear they should surfeit. There is no doubt but Men whose Minds are tinctured with Heretical Pravity will be apt enough to extract the Poison of Error out of the clearest Conveyances and Discoveries of Truth; but what then? Do not bad Men ordinarily apply the best Things to the worst Purposes? If Men fall into Heresy by reading the Scripture, where lies the Fault? not in the Scripture sure, no Christian will pretend that; and if it be in themselves, in their Pride, or Vain-glory, or Covetousness, or Sensuality, (as it is demonstrable it is) is it just that All should be deprived of it, because some ill Men have made an ill Use of it? Some Men have surfeited by Eating and Drinking, is it just that all Mankind therefore should be deprived of Meat and Drink? Suppose a Prince, pretending to be an infallible Geographer, should issue out a Proclamation commanding all his Subjects to travel at Mid-night, and should assign this as the Reason of it, that he had been certainly informed that several of them had lost their Way at Noon, and wandred into Bogs and Precipices by the Light of the Sun; would any one imagin this to be the true Reason, or rather would not every one believe that his true Design was to keep his People in Ignorance of the Roads and Situation of his Country, that so they might never be able to discover the Errors of his Maps, which would perhaps discover him to be not only a fallible Geographer, p. 434but also a very erroneous one? And where the People are forbid travelling in the Light of the Scripture, whatever may be pretended, wise Men will believe that the true Reason is not to prevent the Peoples falling into Errors, but to prevent the discovering the Errors of those to whose Guidance and Direction they are wholly and solely subjected. And this I conceive is a sufficient Answer to the first Objection, viz. That the Allowance of the Scripture to the People is a dangerous Inlet of Error and Heresy. I proceed therefore to the Second, which is this;

Object 2. That there are many Things recorded in Scripture which are very apt to suggest leud Thoughts to the People, and thereby to corrupt their Manners, as particularly the many bad Examples therein related, which are of a very contagious Nature, and consequently dangerous for the People to converse with. In Answer to which I desire these four Things may be seriously considered.

1. That this Objection strikes as much against the Scripture it self as against the People's reading it. For what worse Thing can be said of the Scripture than this, that it is such an infectious Book, so apt to excite impure Thoughts in Mens Minds, and to Kindle leud Affections in their Hearts, that it is by no Means fit the People should read it? Should this be said to a Turk, or a Heathen, who had never read one Word in the Bible, he would certainly conclude it to be nothing but a Canto of Ribbaldries written for no other End but to provoke and entertain the lascivious p. 435Inclinations of Mankind. And certainly had our Objectors but as much Reverence for this Holy Book as they pretend, they would rather oblige their People to read it than withhold it from them, upon a Pretence that doth so scandalously reflect upon its Reputation. If there be any such Passages in Scripture as are apt to start leud Thoughts in Mens Minds, the utmost that can be fairly pretended, is, That those Passages ought to have been left out of the Peoples Bibles, or at least to have been left untranslated: But to urge this as a Reason, why all the rest of the Scripture should be denied to the People, insinuates, as if the whole were nothing else but a meer Kennel of contagious Obscenities. For to urge that for a Reason, why the Scripture in general should not be read by, or to the People, (which at most is only a Reason why some few Passages of it should not be read by them) is to suppose the whole Scripture to be made up of such Passages as are apt to infuse vicious Thoughts into the People; than which what can there be supposed more false in it self, or more derogatory to the Scripture?

2. This Objection, if it proves any Thing, doth as well prove that it was unfit for God to publish the Scripture to the People, as it is for the People to read it. For is it fit, that He, who is a God of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity, should publish such Things to the World as are apt to engender impure Thoughts in Mens Minds? And yet though Mens Minds were as apt to imbibe impure Thoughts when these Things were first published, as they are now; this hindred not God from publishing them to the World in such p. 436Languages as are best known and understood by the People. Either therefore God did not so well know what is apt to corrupt Mens Minds as our wise Objectors; or He was less concerned than they to preserve them from being corrupted; or what they object is both false and scandalous. For to say, That the wise and holy God hath published such Things to the World as his Ministers find necessary to conceal from the World, lest its Thoughts should be corrupted by them, is in effect to say, that his Ministers are grown wiser than he, or are more concerned for the Interest of Holiness than he. If the Vicious Examples, for instance, that are recorded in Scripture are more apt to deprave Men than to instruct them, what need they have been recorded? What is there in the meer Story of Noah's Drunkenness and Incest, and David's Adultery, considered abstractly from the good Instructions it gives, that should move God to deliver it down to all future Posterity? If it serve no good Ends, it is recorded to a bad purpose; and therefore, if for this Reason, because it is apt to corrupt Mens Minds, the Church be obliged to conceal it now, for the very same Reason God was obliged to have concealed it for ever. Either therefore we must say that God did very ill in publishing it, or that the Church doth very ill in suppressing it; for God could have no other End in publishing it to the World, but only to instruct the World by it. If therefore it be not instructive, God was mistaken; but if it be, it is fit the World should be acquainted with it.

3. That this Objection doth expresly contradict the Scripture it self; For whereas it tells us, that p. 437the bad Examples recorded in Scripture would be apt to deprave the Peoples Minds and Manners, St. Paul tells us the quite contrary: These Things were our Examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they, i. e. the Israelites in the Wilderness, lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them: Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand: Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents: Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer: Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come, 1 Cor. 10. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Whereas this Objection urges that there are sundry Passages in Scripture which should the People read, would excite evil Thoughts in their Minds; The same St. Paul tells us, That all Scripture is profitable, not only for Doctrine and Reproof, but also for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 2 Tim. 3. 16. Whereas this Objection pretends, that it would be very unsafe for young People especially, to be allowed the Scripture, because there are several amorous Stories and Passages in it which will be apt to suggest wanton Thoughts to their gay and amorous Fancies. David, it is plain, was of a quite contrary Mind; for wherewith saith he, shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word, Psal. 119. 9. than which two Passages what Assertions can be more contrary one to another?

4. And lastly, That supposing this Objection to be thus …ar true, that there are some Passages in Scripture which may sometimes occasionally p. 438excite bad Thoughts in Mens Minds, yet this is no just Reason why the Use of Scripture should be forbid to the People. For every Thing which the People occasionally make bad Uses of, is for that Reason to be forbid to them; even Prayer and the Sacraments, and the Profession of Christianity ought to be forbidden them as well as the Scripture, seeing of the one as well as of the other, many People do occasionally make very bad Uses. So long as the Scripture is good in it self, and apt in its own Nature to instruct and edifie those that read it, this is sufficient not only to warrant the Peoples Use of it, but to enjoyn and require it; and if it sometimes occasion corrupt Thoughts in corrupt Minds, this is no more a Reason why the People should be deprived of the Light of it than some bad Mens making ill Use of the Light of the Sun is, why the Sun should be extinguished, or why the People should be for ever shut up from the Light of it in dark and dismal Dungeons. But as for those very Passages of Scripture, which do sometimes occasion ill Thoughts in Mens Minds, they are so far from doing it of their own Natures, that as they are delivered in Scripture, there is nothing more naturally apt to repress bad Thoughts, and to arm and fortifie Mens Minds against them. As for instance, The bad Examples recorded in Scripture are generally delivered with infamous Characters, severe Prohibitions, and dreadful Instances of God's Vengeance attending them, which render them much more apt to repress than to excite evil Thoughts in Mens Minds; to quicken them to Prayer and Watchfulness against Temptations, and when at any Time they have been overcome by them, to p. 439encourage them to Repentance; or when they have overcome them, to stir them up to a grateful Acknowledgment of that preventing and assisting Grace of God, by which they have been enabled to resist and repel them. These are the natural Uses of those bad Examples recorded in Scripture; and therefore, if instead of making these Uses of them, some Men pervert them to bad Purposes, that is their Faults and not the Scriptures. It is sufficient that the bad Examples in Scripture, as they are there recorded, are in themselves of excellent Use to the People; but should Men be deprived of the Use of every good Thing they abuse, I would fain know what one good Thing would be left free to their Enjoyment. And now having proved at large the Peoples Right and Obligation to Use and Search the Holy Scripture, and answered the main Objections against it; I shall conclude with these two Inferences from the whole.

1. If the People are obliged to acquaint themselves with Scripture, then they are obliged to receive upon the Authority of Scripture those Divine Truths which it proposes to their Belief. For to what other end should we be obliged to read and consult the Word of God, but only that we may learn from it what is his Mind and Will? but how should we learn from Scripture what God's Mind is, if we are not to believe what he therein declares upon Scripture Authority? If I must not believe when I read the Scripture that this is God's Mind, because the Scripture says so, it is impossible I should ever learn God's Mind by reading it; and consequently I am obliged to p. 440read it to no Purpose: For there is nothing can teach me what God's Mind is, but that which gives me sufficient Ground to believe that what it teaches is the Mind of God. When therefore I read the Scripture, and find such a Proposition plainly asserted in it, is this a sufficient Ground or no for me to believe it to be the Mind of God? If it be, then the Authority of Scripture is a sufficient Ground for my Belief; If it be not, then the Scripture cannot teach me what God's Mind is; because it cannot give me sufficient Ground to believe any one Proposition in it to be the Mind of God. We are told indeed, that we are not to receive the Sense of the Scripture from the Scripture, but from the Church, who alone hath Authority to Expound it to us, and whose Expositions in all Matters of Faith are infallible. But if this be so, to what End should we read the Scripture, seeing the only End of Reading is to learn the Sense of what we read, which according to this Principle is not to be learnt from Scripture? So that though there be no other wise End of reading the Scripture, but only to learn from it what it means, yet it seems for Men to read it for this End is a perfect Labour in Vain; seeing it is not from the Scripture but from the Church that they are to learn the Meaning of Scripture. For as for the Scripture, if these Men are to be believed, it is nothing but a heap of unsensed Characters; so they expresly term it: But what do they mean by it? Is it that the Scripture consists of a company of Letters, and Syllables, and Words, that carry with them no determinate Sense, that God Almighty hath written and published a Book to the World that means p. 441nothing? If so, then when the Church by its infallible Authority pretends to expound the Scripture, Her meaning is not to expound the Sense of it, but to impose a Sense on it which was never in it; for how can She expound the Sense of a Book which hath no Sense in it? If the Church is to expound the Sense of Scripture, the Scripture must have a certain determinate Sense in it before she expounds it; for to expound the Sense of That which hath no Sense, is Nonsense: And if the Scripture hath a certain Sense in it antecedently to the Church's Exposition of it, why do they call it a Parcel of Vnsensed Characters? If their Meaning be only this, that the Sense of Scripture as it is delivered in Scripture, is so obscure and ambiguous, that without the infallible Exposition of the Church, we can never be certain what it is; besides, that this is notoriously false, the Scripture in all necessary Points both of Faith and Manners, being so very plain and clear, that any Man that reads it with an unprejudiced Mind, may be as certain of the Sense of it, as he can be of the Sense of any Writing, and consequently of the Sense of any written Exposition of the Church; besides this, I say, it is evident, that whatever these Men pretend, it is not meerly because of the obscurity of Scripture that they oblige Men to ground their Faith upon the Church, and not upon the Scripture. For they own as well as we, that in many Things the Scripture is very plain and clear, and yet they will by no Means allow Men to ground their Belief of these things upon the Authority of Scripture, but all must be resolved into the Authority of the Church. By which it is evident, That if all the Scripture were as p. 442plain as the plainest Scriptures, they would still contend for the Necessity of Mens relying upon the Church, and not upon the Scripture; and consequently that the true Reason why they contend for it, is not because the Scripture is obscure, but because they are resolved to advance their Church's Authority. We own as well as they, that where the Scripture is obscure; Men ought to be guided by the Authority of the Church, which we freely allow to be the best Expositor of Scripture. But the true State of the Difference between them and us, is this, That whereas we require plain Men to judge of plain Things with their own Understandings, and all Men, so far forth as they are capable, to judge for themselves in Matters of Religion, and not content themselves to see with the Church's Eyes, where they are able to see with their own; nothing will satisfie these Men, but to have all Men, as well Wise as Simple, surrender up their Faith and Judgment to the Church, and wink hard, and believe what-ever the Church believes, purely because the Church believes it. Whatever they pretend therefore, the Truth of the Case is this; They will by no means allow us to believe upon the Authority of Scripture; not because the Scripture is obscure, (though this they pretend, for were it never so plain the Case would be the same) but because they are sensible that this will inevitably subvert their usurped Dominion over the Faith and Consciences of Men. But we must believe upon the Authority of the Church; and who is this Church I beseech you? Why they themselves are this Church. So that whereas God hath published a Book called the Bible, on purpose to declare p. 443his Mind and Will to the World, here are started up a Sort of Men that call themselves the Church, who very gravely tell us; Sirs, You must not so much as look into this Book, or if you do, must not believe any one Word in it upon its own Credit and Authority. For though we do confess it is the Word of God, yet we are the sole Iudges of the Sense of it; and therefore whatsoever we declare is its Sense, how unlikely soever it may seem to you, you are bound in Conscience to receive and believe it for this very Reason, because we declare it. In short, you must resign up your Eyes, your Faith, your Reason, and Vnderstandings to us, and see only with our Eyes, and believe only with our Faith, and judge only with our Iudgment; and whithersoever we shall think fit to lead you, you must tamely follow us without presuming to examin whether we lead you right or wrong. But yet after all to induce us thus to inslave our Understandings to them they themselves are fain to appeal to Scripture, and allow us in some Things to judge of the Sense of it, and to believe those Things upon its Authority. For no wise and honest Man will ever believe either that They are the Church, or the infallible Judges of the Sense of Scripture without some Proof and Evidence; and for this they are fain to produce several Texts of Scripture, such as, Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock will I build my Church. Now supposing that to be true, which is notoriously false, viz. that those Texts do necessarily imply that They are the only true Catholick Church, and that as such they are constituted by God infallible Judges of Scripture; yet before I can believe so, I must judge for my self whether this be the Sense of them or no; and if I judge it is, I must p. 444believe that they are the Church, and infallible upon the Scripture's Authority and not theirs; for their Authority is the Thing in debate, and I cannot believe upon it before I believe it. So then, though we must believe nothing else upon Scripture Authority, yet upon this very Authority we must believe that they are the Church, and that they are infallible, which are the fundamental Principles of their Religion; that is to say, we must believe as much upon Scripture Authority as will serve their turn, and no more. But may I be certain of the Truth of these two Fundamental Principles upon Scripture Authority, or no? If I may, why may I not as well be infallibly certain upon the same Authority of other Principles of Christianity as well as those, seeing there are no common Principles of Christian Religion but what are at least as plainly revealed in Scripture as these. But this will spoil all; for if Men may be infallibly certain of the Principles of Religion upon Scripture Authority, what will become of the Necessity of Mens relying upon the Church, which is founded upon this Principle that Men can arrive at no infallible Certainty in Religion by relying upon the Authority of Scripture, or indeed any other Authority but the Church's? But if I cannot be infallibly certain of those two Principles, viz. that they are the Church, and Infallible, by those Authorities of Scripture which they urge to prove them, how can I be infallibly certain of any Thing that they declare and define? For if I am not certain that they are the Church, for all I know the Church may be infallible, and yet they may be mistaken; and if I am not certain that they are infallible, for p. 445all I know they may be the Church, and yet still be mistaken. In short, no Authority can render me infallibly certain, but that which is infallible; no Infallibility can render me infallibly certain, but that of which I have an infallible Certainty. Either therefore the Scripture can render me infallibly certain of the Infallibility of their Church (and if it cannot, I am sure nothing can) or it cannot; if it can, why may it not as well render me infallibly certain of other Principles of Christianity which are at least as plainly revealed in it as that? If it cannot, how can I be infallibly certain that any Thing she defines and declares to me is true? If then the Authority of Scripture can give us an infallible Certainty, we have as just a Pretence to it as They, it being upon this Authority that we ground our Faith; if it cannot, neither they nor we can justly pretend to it; because they can no otherwise be infallibly certain of their own Infallibility but by Scripture. But the Truth of it is, God never intended either that they or we should be infallibly certain in the Matters of our Religion; for after all the Means of Certainty that he hath given us he still supposes that we may err, and plainly tells us that there must be Heresies, and that even from among the Members of the true Church, where infallible Certainty is (if it be any where) there should arise false Teachers who should bring in damnable Doctrines; which could never have happened if he had left any such Means to his Church as should render her Children infallibly certain. All that he designed was to leave us such sufficient Means of Certainty in Religion, as that we might not err either dangerously or damnably without p. 446our own Fault. He hath left us his Word, and in that hath plainly discovered to us all that is necessary for us to believe in order to eternal Life. He hath left us a standing Ministry in his Church to explain his Word to us, and to guide us in the Paths of Righteousness and Truth; but still he requires us to search the one, and attend to the other with honest, humble, and teachable Minds; and if we do not, we may err not only dangerously but damnably, and it is but fit and just we should. But if we diligently search the Scripture, and faithfully rely upon its Authority, without doing of which we search it in vain; if we sincerely attend to the publick Ministry, with Minds prepared to receive the Truth in the Love of it; though we may possibly err in Matters of less Moment, yet as to all Things necessary to our eternal Salvation our Faith shall be inviolably secured; and this is as much as any honest Man needs, or as any honest Church can promise.

2. From hence also I infer that in the Matters of our Faith and Religion, God doth expect that we should make use of our own Reason and Judgment. For to what End should he put us upon searching the Scriptures, but that thereby we may inform our selves what those Things are which he hath required us to believe and practise? But if it were his Mind that we should wholly rely upon the Authority of our Church, or of our Spiritual …ids, and submit our Faith to their Dictates without any Examination, what a needless and impert…nt Imployment would this be for us, to search and consult the Scriptures? Consult them, for what, it we are not to follow their Guidance and Direction, and to take the Measures of our p. 447Faith and Manners from them? And if for this End God hath obliged us to consult them (as to be sure it can be for no other End) then he hath obliged us to imploy our own Reason and Judgment, to consider what they say, and enquire what they mean; otherwise he hath obliged us to consult them to no Purpose. It is as evident therefore that God will have us use our own Reason and Judgment in discerning what we are to believe, and what not, in Religion, and not lazily rely upon others to see, and discern, and believe for us, as it is that he would have us search and consult the Scriptures; and that I think is evident enough, from what hath been said, to any one that is not resolved to admit of a Conviction. And indeed seeing our Reason is the noblest Faculty we have, it would be very strange if God should not allow it to intermeddle in the highest and most important Affair wherein he hath engaged us; and seeing it is our Reason only that renders us capable of Religion, what an odd Thing would it be for God to forbid us making use of our Reason in the most important Concerns of Religion, that is, indistinguishing what is true Religion from what is false, and what we ought to believe from what we ought to reject? I know it is pretended by those who urge the absolute Necessity of submitting our Reason to the Church, that they allow Men to make Use of their own Reason and Judgment in discovering which the true Church is, and that all they contend for is only this, that when once Men have found the true Church they ought to enquire no farther, but immediately to deliver up their Reason and Understanding to it, and believe every Thing it believes without any farther Examination. p. 448So that before Men come into their Church, it seems they are allowed to see for themselves, but after they are in, they must wink and follow their Guides, and depute them to see and understand for them; which to such Men as are not quite sick of their own Reason and Understandings should methinks be a great Temptation to keep them out of their Church for ever: For if I may judge for my self while I am out of it, but must not while I am in it, I must be very fond of parting with my own Eyes and Reason if ever I come into it at all. But suppose I was always in it, and had been bred up in its Communion from my Infancy, will they allow me when I come to the full use of my Reason fairly to question whether theirs be the only true Church or no, and to hear the Reasons, and examine the Scriptures, and consult the Doctors on both sides? No, by no means; this I am forbid under the Penalty of being deprived of the Benefit of Priestly Absolution. So that in short they will allow me to make Use of my Reason if I have been bred an Heretick in order to my Reconciliation to their Church, but if I have never been an Heretick I must never use my Reason to examine the Truth either of my Church or Religion; that is to say, I may use my Reason when there is no other Remedy, and I must continue a Heretick if I do not: But it were much better that I had never had Occasion to use my Reason at all. So that according to these Men the Use of our Reason in Religion is only the least of two Evils; it is not so bad as to continue a Heretick, but if I had never been one it would be very bad, and a certain Way to make me one; which methinks looks very odd, that the Use of p. 449my Reason should be necessary to reduce me from Heresy, and the Disuse of it as necessary, when I am reduced, to preserve me from relapsing into Heresy. 'Tis a memorable Passage of the Bishop of St. Mark in the Council of Trent, that Seculars are obliged humbly to obey that Doctrine of Faith which is given them by the Church, without disputing or thinking farther of it. Where by the Church he means the Clergy assembled in that Council. So that according to this Man…s Doctrine the Faith of the People is a meer Beast of Burthen, that right or wrong must bear all the Load that the Priests shall agree to lay upon it; and though it should feel it self oppressed by them with never such gross Contradictions or Absurdities, it must think no farther of it, but tamely trudg on without starting or bogling. At this Rate what Tricks may not the Priests play with the Faith of the People? Let them invent what Doctrins they please to serve the Interest of their own Ambition and Covetousness, the People must believe them without asking why; or if they should ask why, they must expect no other Answer but this, because we have thought to define and declare them. For it is by no means allowable that the People should exercise any private Judgment of their own, about Matters of Faith; no, I confess it is not, where the Matters proposed to their Faith are false and erroneus; because it is a thousand to one but one time or other the People will discover the Frauds and Impostures of the Priests, and this would spoil all. But if the Matters of Faith are true, in all Probability the farther the People enquire into them the better they will be satisfied about them; and if in the Exercise of their private p. 450Judgments they should in some particulars err, that is far more tollerable than that they should be utterly deprived of the Means of being able to give an Answer to every one that asks them a Reason of the Hope that is in them. But when God hath given the People reasonable Faculties on purpose that by them they may be able to distinguish what is true from what is false, for any Party of Men to forbid them the Use of these Faculties in distinguishing what is true from what is false in Religion, in which above all Things they are most highly concerned, it is a most injurious Usurpation upon the common Rights of humane Nature. For by this Means our best Faculty is rendred useless to us in our greatest Concerns; and whereas God gave it to us on purpose to guide and direct us, we are utterly deprived of it's Guidance where we have most need of it, and where it will prove most fatal to us if we should happen to err and go astray.