from Scripture, as is too evident from the unhappy Divifions about them to this Day.

Nor is it reasonable to expect that the Gospel fbou'd be full and plain in every Particular, not only becaufe fuch Particulars wou'd fwell it to an incredible Bulk, but because it is not fitting in this State of Darkness and Tryal, that Men fhou'd have the Intuition of Angels, and fee thro' the whole Mystery of Godliness at first fight. It was defign'd only for a Touchftone as it were of boneft and curable Difpofitions, and not to break in upon the Understandings of wicked Men, in spite of their Wills; accordingly, we find *Novatianus interpreting the Word of God one way, Photinus another; Sabellius another; Donatus another; Arrius, Eunomius, Macedonius another; Apollinaris, Prifcillianus another; Jovinianus, Pelagius, Celeftius another and in fine, Neftorius another. Not to mention Ludovicus Capellus, and fome other Criticks of the new Way, who by their Infinite Emendations (if I may fo call 'em) have mended away the very Body of the Sacred Text, and by their new-fangled Interpretations have Expounded away the Senfe and Soul of it too into the Bargain.

Now in this Maze and Labyrinth of Interpreters the Queftion is, which is the moft adviseable Way to take for the true Interpretation of Scripture; for upon this † Hinge it is, that all

* Vincent. Lirin. Cap. 2.

+In hoc Cardine verfatur tota Queftio de Scripturis, unde vera Scripturæ Interpretatio fit petenda. Whitaker de Scriptu. Qu. §. CA. 3.

our Controverfies turn. Some Moderns have been of opinion that the Scripture it felf is the Law and the Judge, because the Word of God is faid to be || Quick or Lively; but thefe Expofitors muft first prove the Bible to be literally Alive, and able to speak for it felf, before they can prove it to be a Rule and Interpreter both. Others are for Setting up a Human Infallible Judge of Controverfie, and if they cou'd but tell us where we might infallibly find him, we fhou'd be very thankful for the Difcovery; but to tell us there is fuch a fudge, because they think it better there fhou'd be fuch a one, is in effect to tell us, that we are all born with our Clothes about us, and Houfes ready made by our Maker, because they think it better that we shou'd be fo provided, than be at the Trouble of providing for ourselves. But our Cubit of Reafon, is not to be the Meafure of Immenfe Wisdom; nor is it just to conclude that what we think most convenient to be done, God muft think fo too. For by this way of arguing 'tis eafie to prove Man, Woman, and Child to be Infallible, for it feems most coveninient that we fhou'd be all Infallible, rather than be at the pains of travelling God knows where, after one that is fo, therefore we are all Infalli ble. Others are for fetting the Sun by their own Dyals, for making pure Reafon, exclufive of the primitive Fathers, the beft Interpreter or Judge of Scripture; But I am apt to believe, what I Jhall make more fully out anon, that the Senfe of a Law is beft understood by those who liv'd near

Hebr. iv. 12. Zar jo å λós☺ & Dev.

7

eft the time of making it; Befides, our prefent Controverfies are mostly concerning Facts, whether fuch and fuch Doctrines were taught, and fuch a Form of Government inftituted by the Apoftles; and what can pure Reafon do here, without the Teftimony of the Fathers, concerning Matters of Fact at fuch a distance? And for Scripture, the Sence of that is the Point in Debate, and fo not proper to decide the Question. Was the Chriftian Religion indeed to be mended after it came out of the Hands of Chrift and his Apoftles, and the Work exprefly left to the Reafoners of latter Days, fomething might be faid for our Modern Refiners; but all the Mending that I know of late, has been only making Holes in the Creed and Conftitution of our Church and that fome free Thinkers by the Help of clear Ideas have made a fhift to reafon themselves clearly out of all Gofpel-Myftery, and the very Canon of Scripture it felf.

And lastly, to mention no more, there are fome Others who lay Claim to the Spirit for the Interpretation of the Letter, and if the Pretenders cou'd make good their Claim, we fhou'd be ruled by the Prophets, But Experience has taught us, what a wild Interpreter this Pretence to the Spirit has been; that by fetting weak Heads and frong Paffions to work upon the Bible, Men have been fpirited out of their Sences, and ran about ftark Bible-mad. For having their Brains once turn'd by the Teachers to a Fantaftick Scheme of Liberty, and their Minds all wound up and continually ply'd with the Notion of the new Jerufalem, where the Lord's People

were

were to reign moft purely under the Lord's Difcipline, to put down all Rule and all Authority and Power, the laft Enemy that was to be destroy'd was the Epifcopate worse than Death, and when all Things thou'd be thus fubdued unto them, then fhou'd they be all in all; and have fuch a precious Church the like was never Seen from the Apostles to that Day: While this Vifion, I fay, was running in their Heads, and their Fancies all up after Mount Sion, whatever they read in Scripture feem'd to Chime in with their imaginary Model; All the gracious Words and mighty Promifes they met with, they apply'd to their Party, they were the Godly and Meek ones that were to inherit the Earth; They were the Simple whom God had Chofen to confound the Wife, they were the true Ifraelites and the Joshuas, Deborahs, Baraks, Gideons, Jepthas, Sampfons, &c. were all Types only of their Leaders, who now were to root out the Idolatrous Nations round about, and to establish the Kingdom of Chrift with perfect Liberty. Such are the Vagaries of this foolish Fire, which fome call the Spirit; fuch the dangerous Adventures of forfaking the old to follow new Lights; fuch likewife is the Abfurdity of making Scripture a Rule and Interpreter both, and also of appealing to an infallible Judge, which neither Scripture nor Antiquity fay one Word of, nor the Makers themselves know where to find; and laftly fuch is the Pride and Folly of fetting up naked Reafon for the foundest Interpreter, exclufive of thofe antient Helps which Providence has left for our Learning and Inftruction in the Chriftian Faith;

I come now therefore to what I affirm'd for the fafeft Method to understand the Holy Scriptures, namely, the general Sence of the Catholick Writers in the pureft Ages of the Church; This is the Rule our moft Learned and Judicious Reformers went by, what their Conftitutions prescribe, and what Reafon juftifies, as I fhall now fhew particularly.

For 1ft, Notwithstanding the ingrate and dif boneft Practices of fome late unchristian Criticks, the Fathers must be allow'd not to have been bebind hand in the common Advantages of Men; for their Writings Speak 'em to be as great by Nature and Education, of as much Point and Solidity, Penetration and Brightness, and every Humane Way as well adjufted for Defenders of the Faith, as any Reafoners of the bugeft Size in thefe declining Ages of the World. But 2dly, They not only fet out with as great a Genius, with as good a Stock of Nature and Art, but they had the fart of us by far in many confiderable Refpects; for we now a days find it a great Impediment in our Courfe of Divinity, to learn but the Language, Idioms, Rites, Customs, and Difcipline of the Apoftolick Age, in order to underftand the obfcurer Paffages of the Gospel, all which Advantages they were in a manner born to; fo that what is our Day-labour, was their Inheritance. 3dly, They took all the pains imaginable to cultivate thefe natural Advantages; for laying afide worldly Wisdom, and worldly Adherences, and every Weight, they preffed toward the Mark for the Prize of the High Calling of God in Chrift Jefus. Christianity was

the