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this is our comfort, that Where the Scripture is not plain, There, if We, ufing honeft diligence to find the Truth, do yet mifs of it, and fall into Error, there is no danger in it. Neither therefore need we any living infallible Judge, or decider of Controverfies; For Those places that contain things neceffary, and wherein Errors are dangerous, need no fuch Interpreter, because they are plain; And those that are Obscure need none, because containing things not neceffary, Error in them is not dangerous. The Scri pture itself, by its own Light, is able to end all Controverfies neceffary to be ended and for others that are not fo, they will end when the World ends, and that will be time enough. In the mean-while, let us be thankful to God, for that Knowledge of his Will which he has been pleas'd to favour us with; and having done Our Duty, according to fo much of it as he has plainly taught, and which therefore he may juftly claim of us, and we are indifpenfably bound to perform; be content to wait his good Pleasure for the reft, and leave those things, which he has more obfcurely deliver'd, to his All-wife difpofal; Remembring that of Mofes, Deut. 29. 29. The Secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are reveal'd, belong unto Us and to our Children for Ever, that we may do all the Words of his Law. I have

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I have thus, with what brevity I could, endeavour'd to affert the Scriptures being an Abfolute Rule, by fhewing it to be qualify'd for fuch, in both its Capacities; fo that by Reason of its Fullness and PerfeEtion, there is no need of Human Tradition; nor by reafon of its Clearnefs and Perfpicuity, of any infallible Judge upon Earth.

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III. But because the Scriptures, as plain as they are in themselves, may thro' our default prove obfcure, and thro' our blindnefs of Heart be to Us dark; Ifhall now proceed to the Qualifications requifite to the Reading of 'em with Profit and Underftanding, which I shall comprehend under a few Heads, and

The First I fhall name isHumility. Truth never takes Root fo kindly, never finds fo agreeable a Soil, as in an Humble Heart. He that is conscious of his Own Natural Blindness, and having a juft Senfe of his Infirmities,approaches reverently these Holy Oracles with the perfect and entire Submiffion of a Difciple, whose business is to Learn, and not to Judge or Controll; void of all vain Conceit of his Own Wifdom, or Natural Reason, or acquir'd Abilities, is of all Others fittest to be admitted into the Schoo!

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of Christ, and shall experimentally find by his improvement inSpiritual Knowledge and Understanding, That God giveth Grace to the Humble. The fame God, that refifteth the Proud, that fo confounds the Wisdom of the World, that they who are puffed up with that conceit, profeffing themselves to be Wife, become Fools. It was Pride was the Reason why the Scribes and Pharifees, tho' otherwife of the best Skill in Scripture, were blinded in the most neceffary and material Point of Salvation, tho' most plainly set down in Scripture. For what in the whole Law and the Prophets is so plainly fet down as many of the Teftimonies concerning the Meffias, all vifibly Centring in Chrift? Yet They were fcatter'd in the proud Imaginetions of their Heart, and in their stead were fet up the Humble and Meek. Illiterate and Simple, but lowly and Meek Spirited Men were rais'd up to be Infallible Teachers of the Gentiles. And is it not Pride that makes the Divinity of the fame Chrift, which those Pharifees oppos'd, be at this Day alfo deny'd by thofe great pretenders, who having fet up their Own Natural Reason for the only Rule of their Belief, will allow nothing fit to be believ'd, or worthy to be known, which their piercing Faculties cannot Comprehend? Is not Socinus a deplorable Inftance of what averfeness to Truth

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this Pride of Understanding may, by its Natural Efficiency,andGod's juft Judgment, bring a Man to? when in exprefs words he tells us, fpeaking of the Satisfaction of Christ, As for me, if it were not only Once, but Oftentimes to be met with in Holy Scripture, yet would I not therefore believe it. And is not Smalcius, his Disciple, just such another (rans nóegnos

rov) who tells us in as plain Words; That He would not believe the Incarnation, tho? he bould meet with it in exprefs terms in the Bible. God keep all of Us from such Blafphemies! which I fhould not fo much as have nam'd were it not more seasonable than I could wish, when thefe and the like Spread every Day among us, and diffuse themselves without Check or Controll. Let us therefore take the greater heed, and laying afide all Pride and Conceit of our own Wisdom, if We defire to Understand the Word of God, Refign up our selves Entirely to the dictates and guidance of it. Entirely, I fay, in Our Understanding as well as our Will; acknowledging everGod's equal and undoubted Right over both those Faculties; and that therefore, as we are ty'd to obey the Commandments of God, tho' with Repugnancy to our Will; fo we must own ourselves under an Equal Obligation to believe the Word of God, tho' with Reluctancy to our Understanding. Let us not

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in Reading Scripture argue Thus loosely and wildly, This seems contradi&tory to Reafon, and therefore cannot be the Word of God; but rather most Conclusively Thus, · This is the Word of God, and therefore cannot be against Reason. Let us, as St. Paul advises, caft down all Imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the Knowledge of God, and bring into Captivity every thought to the Obedience of Chrift.

2dly. A Second Qualification is a Sincere and Hearty Love of Truth, which whoever brings with him to the Study of Scripture, that great Store-house of it, cannot choose but find what he seeks. I love them that love me, fays Wisdom, and he that feeks me early ball find me. He that has This Love in a Measure any way proportionable to that of David, who expresses so often his Longing Defire to it, his Delight in it, bis Preferring it to the most precious things, to thousands of Gold and Silver,and to the most sweet,to Honey and to the Honey-comb, will use all Diligence, will think no Pains too great, nor leave any Means untry'd, to acquire it. He will omit no outward Helps and Affiftances, he will labour to inform himself rightly of the Sense of the Primitive Church, exprefs'd in ancient Creeds, Confeffions, Councils, Writings of the Fathers; he will make use

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