The Shepherds Wanderings Discovered, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Wherein the ſixth and ſeventh pages are examined, and the Authours third propoſition is ſcanned, and his proofe of it enquired into, &c.
FOr your ſecond propoſition, viz. That the people as well as the preachers are to read and ſtudy the Scriptures. I grant it you to be a t…uth, and wiſh it may be practiſed. But it concludes nothing to the buſineſſe in hand, unleſſe you will conclude thus: They that are to read and ſtudy the Scriptures, are alſo to expound and preach them.—That is denied.
Your third propoſition is p. 6.
That the expoſition of Scripture (lying in the opening of the true ſenſe of the words and ſayings thereof: and the applying of them in that ſenſe to them that heare it, and read it, as to the right uſe and underſtanding thereof, is of neceſſity to preachers and people. This you prove p. 6 & 7. by ſeven particulars.
But Sir, before you had proved your doctrine, you ſhould again have opened it, for the meaning is not clear.
1. Whether you mean that it is neceſſary they ſhould have the Scriptures opened. Or
2. That they ſhould open the Scriptures themſelves. Whether you mean neceſſary as to ſalvation, or to the bene eſſe, and further edification of a Chriſtian.
If you mean that it is neceſſary to ſalvation that one have the Scriptures opened to him, I cannot grant it, nor have you proved it. If you mean in the other ſenſe neceſſary, I grant it; though I think another word would have better expreſſed it, eſpecially if Varro's notion for the Etymology of neceſſe, Neceſſe eſt quod nec eſſe aliter poteſt. Varro. Haec à me perſtricta ſunt ut intellige es te in Scripturis ſacris fine previo & monſtraente ſemitam non poſſe ingredi. D. Hier. ep. 103. c. 6.or neceſſarium (from whence our Engliſh word comes) be true. Neceſſe quod neceſſe aliter poteſt. But I eaſily grant you, that the expoſition of Scripture is an ordinance of God, and of ſingular advantage, though ſuch things as are neceſſary to ſalvation may be underſtood without an expoſitor, the wiſdome of God having ſo compounded the Scriptures, that there is milk for babes, and meat for ſtrong ones.
But I am afraid you mean ſomething elſe: that it is of neceſſity to the people, that they themſelves be able to expound Scriptures. This you muſt mean, or you have ſpoke little to your purpoſe; and then I deny it: for every Chriſtian (according to your own principles) hath not the guift: and God hath denied no neceſſary guift to any of his Saints. But you goe on to prove it neceſſary, in what ſence I know not.
1. You ſay God doth command it, John 5.39. Search the Scriptures. I eaſily grant (though that ſpeech be directed to the Phariſees) that it concernes every Chriſtian to doe what in him lies to finde out the meaning of the Scriptures, and ſo indeed it is neceſſary neceſſitate praecepti. But I am not of the mind that your ſecond place, 1 Cor. 14.1.39. Covet to prophecy, proves it. They are to ſearch the Scriptures for their own uſe. But prophecying is an extraordinary guift which they were to covet in thoſe times; and that precept is a ſpeciall precept relating to them, prophecying being now out of date; of which more hereafter. And although, as you ſay right, I believe the neglect of the ſtudy of the Scriptures is a ſin: yet I doe not think it is contrary to that Negative precept, 1 Theſſ. 5.20. Nor doe I think it the prophecying there meant, we will argue that hereafter. In the mean time let me tell you, that thoſe places you quote here to prove it, 1 Cor. 14.3, 24. prove it not at all. V. 4. He that prophecyeth edifieth the Church. V. 24. If all prophecie, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, be is convinced of all, be is judged of all.
Let us now argue from hence, it muſt be thus:In ſecunda figurā exduabus affi…mantibus non conciuditur.
He that prophecieth (ſaith the Apoſtle) edifieth the Chu…ch.
He that ordinarily expoundeth Scripture edifieth the Church.
E go, Prophecying and edifying the Church are the ſame.
By as good Logick (Sir) you may prove the Moon is made of green Cheeſe, as we ſay.
Green Cheeſe is a creature.
The Moon is a creature.
Ergo The Moon and Green Cheeſe are the ſame
If I ſhould argue ſo (Sir) you would tell me there were more creatures then one; and ſo I muſt tell you,He that adminiſtreth the Lords Supper edifieth the Church, doth it therefore follow that it is all one to expound Scripture and adminiſter the Lords Supper? there are more waies by which the Church may be edified then one. The Church was edified by prophecying, and by the guift of tongues: it doth not therefore follow, that both theſe are continuing guifts to the Church of Chriſt; or that our opening and expounding Scripture is the ſame with the prophecying ſo often mentioned in the New Teſtament. The thing you ſay is a truth, That Chriſtians are to ſearch the Scriptures, and to covet the beſt guifts; To deſire to be able to underſtand the meaning of Scripture. But you have not proved it by your ſecond reaſon, nor doe you prove your third reaſon well by 1 Cor. 14.3 I grant you your fourth, that Chriſt and his Apoſtles made much uſe of this way of expounding Scriptures, and doubtleſſe his Miniſters ought to doe ſo ſtill. Your fifth I grant, that there are many hard things in Scripture, foreign.that had need of explication. And that place in Peter which you quote, 2 Pet. 3.16. proves the unlearned very unfit to open them; and your other place, Acts 8.30, 31. ſhewes whom God hath appointed to that work. The Lord did not ſend one of the guifted brethren to doe it, but Philip, one ordained, Act. 6.5. and ſo in office a Preacher, Act. 8.6. and that had extraordinary gifts given to him; one that had power to baptize, and give the Holy Ghoſt, Act. 8. For that place you quote, Iob 33.22. I will not diſpute the meaning of that place with you, whether it doth prove there are many things hard in Scripture to be underſto…d. The Interpreter there ſpoken of ſeems to me to be one rather that ſhould interpret viſions or revelations, or Gods providences, read V. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. and ſee what they ſpeak of the Scriptures being hard to be underſtood. But (Sir) admit it, that the Interpreter there ſpoken of be meant One that ſhould interpret hard places of Scripture, Buxtorfius, ad verbum.marke what a one he muſt be. 1. He muſt be foreign a Meſſenger, an Angel. Qui ſic dicitur a functione quam deus ipſi imponit, called ſo from his office (ſaith Buxtorfius) The Prophet Malachy hath his name from this word, and he muſt be one of a thouſand. Nec enim ego …anctior ſum hoc Eunucho nec ſtudioſior, qui de Aethicpiâ, id eſt, de extremis mundi finibus venit ad templum, reliquit aulam regiam: & tantus amator legis divinaeque ſapientiae fuit ut etiam in vehiculo ſacras literas legeret, & tamen cum librum teneret & verba domini cogitatione conceperat, lingua volverat labiis perſonaret ignorabet eum quem in libro reſciens venerabatur. Hieron. ep 103. c. 5.So that, Sir, although it is true, that thoſe places 2 Pet. 3.16. and Act 8.30, 31. prove there are ſome things in Scripture hard to be underſtood; Yet I deſire you to take notice by the way, that he that opens them muſt not be one unlearned, for (ſaith the Apoſtle) he will wreſt them; but he muſt be a Philip, an Angel, (ſaith Job) and one of a thouſand. What elſe you ſay, p. 7. concerning the profitableneſſe of the expoſition and application of Scripture in generall, I grant you: onelyonly I think Heb. 3.12. proves not that you bring it for: the words are theſe, Take heed brethren leſt there be in any of you an unbelieving heart to depart from the living God. I ſuppoſe you intended v. 13. But exhort one another daily. But although you did, yet you cannot from thence (except your Logick be better then mine) conclude this truth, that The opening of Scripture is like the breaking and bruiſing of Spices. And yet you adde, ſee for this Matth. 23.16, &c. Heb 3.12. I have done with your third poſition, and my Marginall notes upon it; onelyonly I wonder you ſpeak ſo much of the excellency of Application, and make ſo little uſe of it; but I ſuppoſe we ſhall have the uſes anon. In the mean while having helped you in the expoſition of your doctrine I have granted you it in the ſame ſenſe wherein the Scriptures you quote prove it, though I ſuppoſe not in the ſame you would have it.