ready taken notice of. Befides, if truth is liable to fuffer by the disguise and false gloffes put upon error, there is the more reafon to bring all propofitions to the standard of truth, and to certain principles and rules of judging concerning them.

Obj. 2. That free inquiry and controversy in religion have a tendency to divide Chriftians into fects and parties, and introduce, not only a diverfity of fentiments, but oftentimes uncharitable cenfures and animofity, even among the nearest friends.

Anf. As all are bound to think about religion, fo it is impoffible that all fhould think alike; but their thoughts will unavoidably iffue in different fentiments and opinions. This has been manifeftly the cafe in all ages; men have always had different opinions about religion, fuch, at least, as have had the liberty to make use of their reafon and judgment in it. This no doubt was the cafe of the apostles themfelves, in things wherein they were not immediately inspired or directed. And how manifeftly was it the cafe of others of the first Christians? Some believed they might eat all things; others, that were weak, believed that they might eat only herbs. Some efteemed one day above another, others efteemed every day alike, Rom. xiv. 2. 5. Some were for Paul, others for Apollos, &c. and it would be needlefs to fhew there was the like difference amongst Christians in the following ages of the church, whilst we have the transactions of their fynods and councils, and fo many volumes of their controverfies, and whatever may be inferred from thence to the prejudice of free enquiry, men may and do generally agree in all effential points; nnd it cannot be the duty of perfons under a state of imperfection, as ours is, to think alike; for, to fay nothing of the different measures of mens faculties, what a strange turn does education give to their minds, even when there is fomething of equality as to natural endowments? Their understandings are not tutored and brought up,

as

as I may exprefs it, the fame way; the different malters they have fat under, the different books that have been put into their hands, the different company they have kept, and converfation they have had, the various fubjects their thoughts have been employed upon (which have been represented to them by their catechists, teachers, tutors, in a very different light) will neceffarily determine them to different judgments and apprehenfions; in fhort, there is fcarcè a greater variety in voices and features, than there is in fentiments and opinions in the mere fpeculative points of religion, nor can this be avoided without a miracle, or conftant univerfal inspiration"; and this has led the pious and well-difpofed of every denomination,as well as those eminent in learning, to place the effentials or fundamentals of religion in a few neceffary articles, of. which we fhall take notice. However, this is certain, that Jefus Chrift hath provided no other remedy against errors, or a diverfity of opinions, than reafon and argument, offered with meeknefs and charity. We may propofe truth with all poffible advantage, recommend it by all proper arguments, and thereby endeavour to reclaim the erroneous; but when we cannot in this way of the gospel prevail with our mistaken brethren, we must leave them to God and their own confcience +.

Obj. 3. But our inquiries, it is urged, are unneceffary; we are to take knowledge from the priests lips. It is an inftance of prefumption to pretend to understand and judge for ourselves in matters of a religious nature, and thereby call in queftion the fuperior judgment and authority of those who are appointed the minifters of the gospel over us. And does it not favour of pride to oppofe our judgment of any point to the judgment of general councils, convocations, and all the learned members and decrees of the church?

Bennet's Irenicum.

+ Ibid,

Anf.

Anf. This, fays Dr. Whitby *, is that pride which those 7000, who would not bow the knee to Ball, were guilty of, in oppofition to the generality of the Ifraelites, who had agreed so to do. It was fuch an inftance of prefumption, as was practifed by thofe Jews who believed in Chrift, and acknowledged him to be the Meffiah, against the fentence of the great Sanhedrim, and of thofe Scribes and Pharifees who fat in the chair of Mofes. The fame difpofition was allo the foundation of the reformation of the church of England, and of all Proteftant churches. The doctrines and fuperftitious practices they renounced, being confirmed by many general councils, as agreeable to fcripture, or confirmed and handed down to them by catholic tradition, and which all Chriftians have a peculiar obligation to, as they would not prejudice the purity of the faith, which was once delivered to the faints, and hold fast the profeffion of it without wavering.

Many points of the Chriftian doctrine are not mere matters of fpeculation, in which perfons of different denominations are divided in their fentiments; but many of them are equally the concern of all, and will ever remain of fuch importance, that, till Chriftians are well acquainted with and confirmed in them, no one can be inexcufable that has opportunities to inquire, to remain ignorant of them. Such in general are the great principles and rules of human conduct; and what is next to it, are thofe truths of religion, that have a proper rational influence on our conduct, to animate us in the practice of virtue, and deter us from vice. Of this kind are inquiries concerning our own ftate and circumftances, as reasonable and accountable beings; that God is the moral Governor of his rational creatures; and that there will be a ftate of futurity, in which will be a righteous retribution, according to men's actions in this life.

Sermon IV. p. 95, 97, 98.

Obj.

Obj. 4. Is of a very different nature, viz. That faith has no virtue or true merit in it, because we cannot avoid affenting to particular truths, when the proofs are clearly difcerned, and appear to be ftrong and conclufive; and that we must in all cafes believe or disbelieve, juft as the evidence appears to our understanding.

A This is at beft a vague fuperficial objection; for it depends in a great measure upon ourselves, that things appear to our understandings in a true or a falfe light; if this be owing, as it is almoft univerfally on the one hand, to diligent and mature reflection; and, on the other, to entire neglect or partial inquiry, to criminal prejudices, or strength of corrupt paffions; it follows of course, that in all fuch cafes, where our right belief fprings from integrity, and the due exercise of our rational powers, and our infidelity or errors from a vicious indulgence and depravity of temper; the one may fitly be rewarded, and the other righteously punifhed; as fitly indeed as any inftances of moral rectitude, or of corruption and iniquity, that can be mentioned *.

Some OBJECTIONS to the Study of the SCRIPTURES, particularly confidered.

The

HE holy fcriptures, fays St. Gregory, is, as it were, a letter written by God to man; and we ought therefore to read it with reverence, to weigh it attentively, and learn the will of God from God himfelf; to defpife or neglect fo extraordinary a bleffing, were not only an imprudence, but a crime. The reading and meditating on the fcripture are, fays St. Bernard, a character of our relation to God, Jefus Chrift having himself faid, He that is of God, heareth God's words. What can we read elfe that can be more a

* Dr. Fofter of Incredulity, and the Morality of Faith, vol. III. p. 226 to 230.

greeable

greeable than this book? There is no true and falutary joy, fays St. Auftin, but that which arifes from hope, that hope, moft efpecially, whofe object is the kingdom of heaven. Now, the fcriptures fhew us the way thither, and fill the heart with innumerable fecret delights, whilft we walk in it, agreeably to what St, Paul fays, that through patience and comfort of the fcriptures, our hope becomes more fteady and refolved *.

Now, the doctrines and duties of a revelation men muft be capable of understanding the fenfe of fo much as is neceffary, or elfe it is a revelation unrevealed; for to fuppofe that a farther fupernatural and inward illumination, is abfolutely neceffary to give a right and juft idea of fcripture doctrines, is, in effect, to affert that the fcriptures are of no ufe at all; and that the internal teaching, is the only revelation of the mind of God to mankind. But here again a confiderable difficulty occurs, and that is, how we can poffibly know that this inward teaching is really divine, but from its correfpondence with the external revelation, and with the light and dictates of reafon; and confequently without admitting that the external revelation may be understood without it, and that reafon is the eternal ftandard of truth.

But there are a variety of difficulties started, that obftruct the knowledge of the true fenfe of fcripture, which deserve to be taken notice of in this place.

Obj. 1. It is faid the New Teftament cannot be well understood without the Old, which was for the moft part wrote in Hebrew, and for the understanding of which a good knowledge of the oriental language is neceffary. That a great part of the fcriptures are wrote in a stile extremely figurative; and thofe figures, fuch as this part of the world are very great trangers to; and confequently the version of books,

• Lamy's Introduction to the Holy Scripture, Pref. p. 1. VOL. I.

e

little