John 14. 26. and again, John 16. 13. When the Spirit of Truth is come, He fhall guide You into all Truth. Now this Promife our Saviour did most affuredly make good, and these Holy Men Writing by this Divine Affiftance, to this very end and purpose, to reveal the whole Mind of God; how can it be fuppos'd, without Blafphemy against the Holy Ghoft, that they fell fhort of what by His Infpiration they undertook, that they left a lame and imperfect Rule of Faith and Manners to be fupply'd and patch'd up with Human, Uncertain, Unwritten Traditions? If all the Gospel of Chrift, the whole Covenant between God and Man, were not written; God would have certainly ordered to whom we should have recourse for that part of it which was not written; which feeing he has not done, it is reasonable to conclude that he has left no part of it Unwritten. Why do's every One of the Four Evangelifts entitle His Book the Gospel, if any neceffary or Ef fential Part of the Gospel were left out of it? Did the Holy Penmen Omit any thing out of Ignorance, as not knowing it to be neceffary? Or did they, knowing it to be fo, wilfully and enviously detain it from us? Or did they negligently or carelessly content themselves with doing fo great a Work, as they had taken in hand, by halfs?

Did

Did they Purpofely or Unwittingly, by Defign or by Accident drop and fpill by the way part of their Commiffion? If none of these things can be objected against them without manifeftly Blafpheming, as I faid before, the Holy Ghoft, by whofe Motion and Affiftance they Wrote; it must be concluded that in their Writings is fully comprehended all and every thing Neceffary to Salvation. These things, fays St John of his own Gospel, are written that ye might Believe that Jefus is the Chrift; and that Believing ye might have Life through His Name. And fince all Scripture is given by Infpiration from God, and is profitable for Doarine, for Reproof, for Correction, for Inftrution in Righteousneß, that the Man of God may be Perfect, throughly furnish'd unto all Good Works; St Paul fays no more than the undoubted Truth, when he tells Timothy, that the Scriptures are able to make him Wife to Salvation. 2 Tim. 3. 15, 16, 17.

The Holy Scripture being thus abundantly Sufficient, We are from them alone to receive all Rules of Life, and by them alone to examine all points of Doctrine. Neither can Any thing whatsoever, which is not exprefsly in these Books contain'd, or by direct Confequence naturally from them deduc'd, be impos'd by any Man, or Company of Men, as an Article of Faith or Law of Manners,

Manners, without the greatest, most unwarrantable, and most intolerable Ufurpation over the Confciences of their FellowChristians; as well as the higheft Indignity to, and Derogation from, the Gospel of Chrift. What therefore must be faid of that Church, that has not only apparently done fo; but that in a General Council, as they are pleas'd to call it, has determin'd Unwritten Traditions to be of equal Authority, and to be receiv'd with like Veneration as the Written Word of God? Is not that of Solomon worth their Confideration? Add thou not unto His Words, left he reprove thee, and thou be found a Lyar, thy Forgeries and Impoftures being laid open and expos'd to all the World. Should not that Curfe of the Apoftle affright their Souls? (Gal. 1. 8.) Tho' We, or an Angel from Heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be Accurfed. Or ought not that dreadful Denuntiation, with which St John concludes his Revelation, terrify 'em from this facrilegioufs Boldness? If Any Man fhall add unto the Words of this Book, God ball add unto him the Plagues that are written in this Book, (Rev. 22. 18.)

II. I come now to the other Character of Holy Scripture; namely its Clearness and Perfpicuity, plainly taught in my Text, and

vifible

vifible in this, that it Makes Wife the Simple.

And indeed to what purpose had it been, that in these Holy Books all things neceffary both to Faith and Obedience were contain'd, if they were so Obscure to Us, that we could be never the Wifer for them? How abfurdly, as well as impiously, muft they think of that Holy Spirit, that di&tated these Writings for the Ufe of the Church in all Ages, who accufe them of being Dark, and not to be Understood? What an Imputation of Folly would it be in a Lawgiver to pen his Laws in fuch a Phrase and Style, as his People could not understand? and what horrible Iniquity to punish them for not acting according to a Command, which they were not able to know the Meaning and Purpose of? Far be it from Us to conceive fuch an Unworthy Opinion of God Himself and his Holy Word. No; the Word of God, in all things neceffary, is plain and open to the meanest Capacity. Hear what Mofes fays of His Law, (and St Paul applys the very fame words to his Gospel, the word of Faith which he preach'd, Rom. 10. 6.) This Commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in Heaven, that thou should ft fay, Who shall go up for us to Heaven, and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it? Neither is it be

yond

yond the Sea, that thou should ft fay, Who shall go over the Sea for us, and bring it to us, that we may bear it and do it? But the Word is very Nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou may' ft do it. (Deut. 30.11--14.) Again, Thefe words that I command thee this day fhall be in thy heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy Children, and Jhalt talk of them when thou fitteft in thy house, and when thou walkeft in the way, and when thou lyeft down, and when thou rifeft up. (Deut. 6. 7 &c.) So plain did he think his Senfe deliver'd in the Law, that it was to be their dayly and familiar Discourse, at home and abroad, in all places, in all postures, and upon all occafions; So plain, that instead of running in fearch of any Infallible Expofitor, every Father might inftruct his Son in it, and every Mother her Daughter. The fame Clearness did Holy David acknowledge, when he says in the very next Verfe to that of my Text, The Commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightning the Eyes: and elsewhere, Thy Word is a Lamp unto my Feet, and a Light unto my Path; and his Son Solomon agrees exactly with his Father, The Commandment is a Lamp, and the Law is Light, (Prov. 6. 23.)

In like manner we find St John in many places ftyling, fometimes our Saviour himfelf, and fometimes his Gofpel, Light, a Light that fin'd in Darkness, the true Light that lightens