A Persuasive to an Ingenuous Trial of Opinions in Religion, Section 6
§ 6.
2. As Reaſon is a Rule to all men, ſo is Scripture a Rule to all Chriſtians, at leaſt it ought to be ſo; and all pretend to make it a Rule for their Judgment, by appealing to it. The Church of Rome indeed allows it to be but part of the Rule of Faith; we ſay it is an intire and perfect Rule thereof. However, ſo long as ſhe acknowledges the Scriptures to be a Rule, though ſhe pretends there is another Rule beſides that, ſhe is to be concluded by the authority of the Scriptures; and ſo we are to be acquitted by her, in not believing her againſt the Scriptures.
Now every body muſt grant that we do not judge rightly by the Scriptures, where we miſtake the meaning of the Text. And we ought to be ſure that the ſence wherein we take any place, is the true ſence, before we make our interpretation of it a Rule whereby to examine other things.
Where the ſence is very plain, it requires nothing more than common ſence and common honeſty to underſtand it; and it is very reaſonable to ſuppoſe that God hath revealed all points neceſſary to ſalvation ſo clearly and plainly, that it is not difficult for an honeſt man to underſtand what they are.
But becauſe there are many obſcure places in the Scriptures, we muſt be very careful not to ground any Doctrine upon them, till we have well weighed and examined the meaning of thoſe places; and the way to be ſecure from any dangerous miſtake in concluding from places of Scripture that are more or leſs hard to be underſtood, is to obſerve ſuch cautions as theſe are, which I think all Chriſtians muſt allow to be reaſonable.
1. That we take no Text in a ſence which is repugnant to common Senſe and natural Reaſon.
2. That we put no ſence upon a place of Scripture that is repugnant to the general ſcope and deſigne of the whole Word of God.
3. That we underſtand no▪difficult places in a ſence that is contrary to to thoſe places whoſe meaning is plain and manifeſt to all men.
4. That we miſtake not thoſe places for plain, which are not ſo.
5. That we put no other ſence upon a Text than what agrees with the ſcope and deſigne of that particular Diſcourſe wherein we find it.
1. Before we conclude upon the ſence of a Text, ſo as to prove any thing by it, we muſt be ſure that ſence is not repugnant to natural Reaſon. For if it be, it cannot be the true meaning of the Scripture. For God is the Original of natural Truth, as well as of that which comes by particular Revelation; and, as Hierocles ſaith, to believe and obey right Reaſon, and to follow God, are the ſame thing. And therefore no Propoſition that is repugnant to the fundamental Principles of Reaſon, can be the ſence of any part of Gods Book; and that which is falſe and contrary to Reaſon, can no more be true and agreeable to the revelations of Scripture, than God, who is the Author of one as well as the other, can contradict himſelf. From hence it is evident, that theſe words, This is my body, are not to be underſtood in that ſence which makes for the Doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation, becauſe it is impoſſible that contradictions ſhould be true; and we cannot be more certain that any thing is true, than we are that that Doctrine is falſe. There are ſome other Doctrines maintained by men of Name in the World, that they have no better grounds for, than obſcure Texts interpreted contrary to the Principles of natural Reaſon and Religion. This caution therefore is to be minded in the firſt place.
2. We muſt put no ſence upon a difficult place, which contradicts the great end and drift of the whole Bible. Now that is, to work Faith in men, and thereby to bring them to repentance, and to a holy life. And therefore whatſoever Doctrine does naturally tend to take men off from the care of holy living, by nouriſhing them in fooliſh preſumption, or driving them to miſerable deſpair, cannot be the Doctrine of the Scriptures; and therefore ſuch a Doctrine cannot be proved from any obſcure Text of the Bible, and by conſequence that ſence of an obſure Text from which it may be proved, is not the true ſence, unleſs we can believe that ſome part of the holy Books teaches ſomething that undermines the great end of the whole. There are too many Opinions amongſt ſome Chriſtians that have no other colour for them, than Scripture interpreted without this neceſſary caution, which muſt therefore be added to the former.
3. We muſt not underſtand a difficult place in a ſence that is contrary to thoſe places whoſe meaning is plain and manifeſt to all men. For the Scripture cannot teach one thing plainly in one place, and the quite contrary obſcurely in another. It is but reaſonable therefore in trying to underſtand a difficult place, or in going about to prove any thing from it, that we ſhould compare Scripture with Scripture, and the obſcure places with thoſe that are plain; not to interpret the plain by the obſcure, which is contrary to all Rules of Diſcourſe, but the obſcure by the plain; eſpecially becauſe the plain places contain things that are moſt neceſſary to be underſtood and believed by us: and therefore we cannot without great danger forſake the Doctrine which they teach; as every man in effect does, who takes a difficult place in a ſence contrary to that Doctrine. In a word, the Scripture is our Rule principally where it is eaſieſt to be underſtood, and the meaning is moſt plain and evident. But this caution will be of greater uſe, if we take the next along with us; and that is this:
4. In trying Opinions by Scripture, we muſt be ſomething careful leſt we miſtake thoſe places for plain, which indeed are not ſo, but more or leſs obſcure.
And here I think it needful to ſhew what I mean by the plainneſs or by the difficulty of a Text. A Text is then plain, when that is the true and intended meaning of it which the firſt reading or hearing of the words doth ſuggeſt to a mans mind. And the Scripture is thus plain in neceſſary points, eſpecially in the Precepts and Exhortations thereof, which though in ſome places they are couched under more obſcure terms, yet in others they are delivered with this plainneſs.
A Text may be ſaid to be difficult, when we do not hit of the true and intended ſence upon the firſt reading, or gather it from the bare ſurface of the words, but muſt ſearch and enquire farther to know it.
And there are two ſorts of difficult Texts in Scripture. Some places are ſo hard to be underſtood, that upon the firſt reading of the words or phraſes, no tolerable or intelligible ſence can be put on them at all, without a great deal of farther ſtudy and enquiry; the difficult places of which ſort are more ſeldom perverted to maintain any ill Opinion: for no body goes about to make a Text a Scriptural proof of any thing, without he firſt determines with himſelf in what ſence to take it; and as for the hard places of this kind, it being not obvious at the firſt reading what ſence they can bear, a man cannot well offer to prove any thing by them. The other ſort of difficult Texts are thoſe which being taken by themſelves, do upon the firſt ſight or ſound of the words, ſeem to have a plain ſence and meaning, which yet are not to be underſtood in that ſence the words will be upon the firſt reading of them; and theſe are the hard places in Gods Word which are moſt perverted, and taken in ſuch ſence as the Holy Ghoſt never intended: for then is an hard place like to be wreſted, when it ſeems plain to him who doth not underſtand it; and a difficult Text may ſeem plain to him who for want of ſtudying and conſidering, thinks he underſtands it, but doth not.
I ſhall inſtance in ſome difficult Texts of the latter ſort, which have been miſtaken for plain (that is) erroneouſly taken to have ſuch a meaning as they appear to have upon the firſt reading.
In the ninth Chapter of the Epiſtle to the Romans we have theſe words, That it might not be of works, but of him that calleth: ſome take this for a plain place, and therefore think it a clear ſcriptural truth, that our ſalvation is not at all of our works, but onelyonly proceeds from an abſolute decree of Heaven.
So again we have it affirmed by the Apoſtle in the ſame Chapter, It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that ſheweth mercy. Hence ſome think it is plain in Scripture, that what we do ſignifies little, all is from an arbitrary favour of God.
Again, in the 1 Cor. 4. 7. we find theſe words, Who maketh thee to differ from another? From the ſound of which words ſome gather that we are not free Agents in our own converſion; but that if we be better than our Neighbours, it is an Almighty Power hath made us ſo, and not any free choice or care of our own.
Now certain it is, that we miſtake the meaning of a Text of Scripture, if we look upon it as plain when it is not ſo; and conſequently, in this caſe we cannot be able to judge what is orthodox or erroneous, by having recourſe to any Scriptures ſo miſapprehended.
But how can I know when a place is but ſeemingly plain, and not really ſo, (i. e.) when I am not to take that to be the meaning of the place, which I may apprehend upon the firſt running of the words and ſound of the phraſes?
This is to be known by comparing places together, and going by this Rule. A place ſeems onelyonly to be plain, but is not, when it's uppermoſt ſence, and what it offers to us, does not agree with the ſence of a place undoubtedly plain. For inſtance, the Texts now mentioned may ſeem plain to thoſe who would prove their erroneous Perſwaſions to be ſcriptural Truths by them; yet if we ſuppoſe them plain, (i. e.) if we think they are to be taken in that ſence which they will bear at the firſt reading, then they are Texts undeniably repugnant to ſuch places of St. Paul, as all muſt believe and acknowledge to be plain.
For whereas he ſays—That it might not be of works, &c. in another place he gives us this plain Precept, Work out your ſalvation. Is not ſalvation of works, andPhil. 2. 12. yet muſt we work it out? Either therefore it is not true in the ſence ſome take the words, that ſalvation is not of works, or it is not proper to bid us work it out; wherefore by this plain place [Work out your ſalvation] we muſt conclude that the other place [That it might not be of works] whatſoever the ſence of it may be, it cannot have this meaning, that our ſalvation doth not depend upon our works or doings.
In like manner, whereas the Apoſtle ſays [It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, &c.] doth he not in a plain practical diſcourſe, wherein he compares the Chriſtian life to a Race, exhort us ſo to run that we 1 Cor. 12. 24.may obtain?
Now is it not of running that we obtain? and yet doth he bid us ſo run that we may obtain? Wherefore the plain Precept to run, &c. evidently ſhews that it cannot be the meaning of the other place, that it is not by running or by diligence in a Chriſtian life▪ that we obtain ſalvation.
1 Cor 4. 7.Again, whereas he asketh in one place, Who maketh thee to differ from another? he alſo exhorteth in another,Rom. 12. 2. Be not conformed to the world. And therefore the meaning of the former clauſe cannot be, that the righteous man who is more excellent than his neighbour, doth nothing towards the making of that difference: for then it would be very improper to exhort a man to make that difference, by not conforming to the world.
Finally, it is evident that theſe places of St. Paul which I have now compared, cannot be all of them plain, for then they are irreconcilably repugnant to one another; and if they are not all plain, then ſome of them muſt not be thought to have ſuch a meaning, as the firſt reading of the words might make us think they have. And therefore in judging things by Scripture, we muſt be careful that we do not prove or diſprove them by Scriptures miſtaken for plain when they are not ſo.
5. We muſt alſo ſee that the ſence wherein we take a paſſage of Scripture that belongeth to a Diſcourſe, be agreeable to the deſigne and ſcope of that Diſcourſe to which it belongeth. This Rule, as it is neceſſary for all to obſerve, ſo it is eſpecially to be urged upon men that are apt to interpret places that are not of themſelves plain, by thoſe Opinions that they are already poſſeſſed with a belief of, but for which they have little ground, beſides the mere ſound of ſome Texts, which at firſt hearing ſeem to be of their ſide, but which, if they were compared with the deſigne of the holy Writer in that Chapter or Book, would be found to mean quite another thing. All that I ſhall ſay beſides of this Rule is, that the difficulty of many places that are not of themſelves plain, will be removed by obſerving it. For inſtance, by this way we ſhall eaſily be ſatisfied, that that forementioned place of St. Paul, Who maketh thee to differ from another? was chiefly meant of thoſe extraordinary gifts which were diſtributed amongſt believers in the firſt Ages of the Church; and therefore (though in a qualified ſence this is true of all ſaving Graces) it is very conſiſtent with all thoſe Scriptures that ſuppoſe the difference between the righteous and the wicked, to depend upon ſomething which is in the power of the righteous. If we mangle coherent Diſcourſes, and take a ſhred or a phraſe of Scripture by it ſelf, without regard to the main ſcope of the place, and this to prove what what we would have; we do not try our Opinions by Scripture, but we interpret Scripture by our own Opinions.
Thus I have ſhewn what Cautions are to be obſerved in judging by Scripture. I doubt not but all will acknowledge them to be very reaſonable and equal; and if all men had obſerved them, who have a juſt veneration for the Scriptures, the Word of God had been better underſtood and leſs wreſted; unſound Divinity had not eaſily paſſed for Scriptural Truth, and all occaſion of thoſe unjuſt Reproaches had been taken away which the Church of Rome throws upon us for allowing to all Chriſtians the free uſe of Gods Holy Book.
And thus much for the Rules of Reaſon and Scripture.
3. The third I mentioned was Antiquity and Catholick Tradition. Now if this Rule, as I ſaid at firſt, be of excellent uſe, then they are in the beſt way to find out what is the true Chriſtian Religion by it, who ſtick to the Holy Scriptures, though they are not capable of uſing it otherwiſe. For if that be true which was moſt anciently taught and believed in the Church, and which was received all along in the beſt Ages of the Church; then he that can prove his Faith by Scripture, has the Argument of Antiquity and Catholick Tradition unqueſtionably on his ſide, becauſe the Scriptures are the moſt ancient Records of our Religion, and they have been delivered down to us as ſuch from the beginning through all Ages to our preſent times. But we acknowledge alſo the teſtimony of Antiquity of ſomething of a later date, that is, of the antient Fathers of the Church, to be of very good uſe for the clearing of ſome places in Scripture; for ſhewing what Order and Diſcipline was left in the Church by the Apoſtles; for confirming us in points of Faith grounded upon the Scriptures, but which have been diſputed and oppoſed by Hereticks; and likewiſe for confuting thoſe groſs errours in Belief or Practice, which of later days have been brought in amongſt Chriſtians, eſpecially thoſe of the Church of Rome. But how things are to be examined by this Rule, I ſhall notDiſcourſe about Tradition, ſhewing, &c. here direct, becauſe this is the ſubject of an excellent Diſcourſe already publiſhed.
And thus much concerning Rules whereby to try Opinions in Religion.