SERM. Text, thus Explained and Justified, in XI. fome Obfervations and Inferences that it will afford us.

In order to ftate the Bounds of the Affertion, it will be fit to confider, more particularly,

I. What is strictly to be Understood here by Wrefting of Scripture.

II. What kind of Paffages in Scripture they were, that are faid to have been thus wrefted.

I. As to the First of thefe, it must be confidered, That, to Wreft Scripture, doth in Strictnefs of Speech fignify, not only to misinterpret, and misunderstand it, out of Weakness and Ignorance, as any Christian may blamelefly do, but with fome Degree of Perversity and Wilfulness to force an Unnatural and false Construction upon it, in order to make it fall in with our Corrupt Opinions and Prejudices, which we have before-hand entertained, and refolved not

to

to part with. Thus much is intimated SERM. by the Original Word speßay, which fig. XI. nifies, either to detort or turn away, or to torment, and put to the Question. In the First of thefe Senfes, when applied to Scripture, it implies, that these Wrefters of it Bent and Warped the ftreight Line and Measure of their Duty, on purpose to make it fuit with their own Crooked Opinions. In the Second, (which comes to much the fame) that They did as it were Torment and Vex it, till it fpake according to their Minds.

II. We are to obferve, What kind of Paffages in Scripture they were, which these Men are said to have Wrefted. They were fuch as were hard to be understood, (fo the preceding Words fpeak) and fuch as, for that very reason, there was no Neceffity that they should Understand, and yet thefe Men would pretend to Understand them, and to be very positive also, and peremptory in their Opinions concerning them. Further it appears, that Thefe Places treated not of flight Indifferent Points of

Doctrine,

SERM. Doctrine, but of fuch as were of the XI. utmost Concern and Moment; fuch as

were the Foundations of the Chriftian Faith, and the very Pillars that fupported the whole Frame of Religion. I fay, it appears, that they treated of fuch Points as these, f.om the foregoing Parts of this Chapter, where S. Peter difcourses of the Day of Judgment, of its Certainty, and of the Wife Reasons for which God was pleased to delay it; and represents fome Men as Scoffing at Ver. 4. these Doctrines, and faying, Where is the Promife of his Coming? For fince the Fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were. To convince these Scoffers, he urges the Authority of S. Paul to them; who in his Epistles had maintained the fame Affertions, not always however expreffed with fuch a Degree of Evidence and Clearness, as might be thought neceffary to prevent all Mistakes; from whence Ill Men had taken an Occafion to abuse his Words to a quite different Sense, and to pervert his Meaning. So that the Points of Doctrine, to

which these Wrefted Texts referred, SERM. were Great and Fundamental ones; and XI. which it was of the laft Importance to be rightly Inftructed in. And to this we may add alfo a

Third Remark, That this forced Interpretation of Obfcure Paffages was in Oppofition to other Plain and Evident Texts. For fince (as I have already Discoursed to you) there is no Point of Moment, but what is fomewhere or other plainly and perfpicuously delivered in Scripture, and fince thefe Wrested Places of Scripture, which S. Peter fpeaks of, related, as you have heard, to Points of Moment; it follows, that they who Wrefted them, did it in Contradiction to other Plain and Perfpicuous Parts of Holy Writ.

The full Import of the Text therefore, under these feveral Explications, will be, that They who, being misled by Pride, and Vanity, or any other Luft and Paffion, perverted the Senfe of Scripture, in order to make it fuit with their own wicked Practices, or justify their

VOL. I.

U

SERM. their Ill Opinions, who Vexed and TorXI. tured Texts, in order to make them speak fuch Language as was for their Purpose, who did this in Passages very Dard to be understood, and therefore not Neceffary to be understood, and in Points of Doctrine which were of the utmost Concern and Importance, and Interpreted thefe Paffages, in relation to these Points, quite contrary to other plain and exprefs Places of Scripture; These Men, I fay, are very juftly and reasonably faid, to have Wrefted the Scriptures to their own Deftruction. For furely there was fuch a Complication of Infincerity, Pride, and Obftinacy, in this Manner of Wrefting Scripture, as deferved fuch a Condemnation.

And therefore to that Queftion, Shall a Man be Eternally ruined for a misunderstood Place of Scripture? We anfwer, Yes doubtlefs, under thofe Circumftances which we have before Explained, if it be a Fundamental Point, about which he is mistaken, and be much his own Fault, that he is mistaken.