both start from the same point, degrading the holy Scriptures; and I fear very much, they will meet and unite again in a few generations. For where Deistical principles prevail in a family, the rifing generation must grow up in great ignorance of revelation, and the true worship of God, and fo will be exposed to the artifice of the seducer, who lies in wait to deceive. For however men may ay refine in their speculations, and put a force upon the most common and obvious principles in their minds, yet certainly such is the general sense of mankind, when left free and unbiaffed, with regard to religion, that they easily admit the belief of fome fuperior invisible powers, and their intercourse with this world; and being ignorant of the truth, are with little difficulty drawn into error.

This makes me apprehend that the present spread of Deism will, in a few ages, produce a large increase of Popery among us. Not to fay, that Popish seminaries, where they cannot directly promote the cause of the church of ROME, are allowed and instructed to do it in this indirect way. For confufion and ignorance of any kind is a proper ground for them to work upon. But this by the bye. My design is to guard you against those who would raise scruples and prejudices in your minds against revelation. And without defcending to particulars, you may be very fure of this one thing, that whoever cavil against the Scriptures are ftrangers to them. They object and take upon themselves to judge in a matter in which they are no ways qualified to be judges; in a matter which they neither understand, nor, in their present way of thinking, ever intend to understand. For, whatever airs such may give themselves, or what semblance or show foever they make of knowledge and wisdom, these men have never studied the Scriptures; nor, generally speaking, have they learning or capacity to enter into their deep and abstruse parts. Had they ever foberly and ferioufly studied the Scriptures, they must of neceffity have found so many, and such evident marks of a Divine Spirit, fuch glorious displays of the wisdom, power, and truth of God, as would I have taught them to think more modeftly of what is doubtful and obscure.

When did you ever hear of any name, illustrious for learning and wifdom, that ever disputed the Divine original and authority of Scripture? | Did ever a BoYLE, a NEWTON, or a LOCKE, question the Divine original or truth of Scripture?* No. These men, of the most eminent attainments

• The famous SELDEN, one of the most eminent philosophers, and most learned men of his time; who had taken a diligent survey of antiquity, and what knowledge was confiderable amongst Jews, Heathens, and Chriftians, and read as much, perhaps, as any man ever read; towards the end of his days, declared to Arch-Bishop USHER,

That notwithstanding he had been so laborious in his enquiries, and "curious in his collections; and had poffefsed himself of a treasury of books "and manuscripts, upon all ancient subjects; yet he could reft bis foul on none Save the Scriptures. And above all, that paffage gave him the most fatisfaction, Titus ii. 11-14. as comprising the nature, end, and reward of true religion.

"THE grace of God, that bringeth falvation, bath appeared to all men.

TEACHING

attainments in wisdom and knowledge, held the Scriptures in the highest veneration and esteen, as a revelation from God; and by their excellent comments have acknowledged the Divine authority even of the most abftruse and difficult parts. No. The cavillers against Scripture are men of an inferior class, who want, and are no ways folicitous to gain, the qualifications needful to render them in any degree fit or competent judges. It is enough for fuch to pick up a small collection of scruples, to ease themselves of the trouble of thought or study, and at the fame time to give a plausible appearance of both. But with men of judgment, such must stand in a very ridiculous light. To a judicious physician, how filly and contemptible must a person be, who, though no ways skilled in the science, should take upon him perpetually to censure, vilify, and condemn a BOERHAVE, or a SYDENHAM, the greatest mafters in the art of medicine!

Perhaps you may fay-Are there not real difficulties in the Scriptures? And will not difficulties naturally and unavoidably produce objections? I answer-There are difficulties in the Scriptures; and difficulties are

the

"TEACHING us, that denying ungodliness, and worldly lufts, we should live "foberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.

"LOOKING for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearance of the great "God, and our Saviour Jesus Chrift.

"Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

SIR CHRISTOPHER HATTON, a great statesman, a little before his death, advised his relations to be serious in fearching after the will of God in his holy word; for, faid he

" It is defervedly accounted a piece of excellent knowledge to understand "the laws of the land, and the customs of a man's country; how much more,

to know the statutes of heaven, and the laws of eternity, those immutable " and eternal laws of justice and righteousness! to know the will and plea" fure of the great Monarch and universal King! I have seen an end of all perfection, but thy commandment is exceeding broad. Whatever other knowledge a man may be endowed withal, could he by a vast and imperious " mind, and a heart as large as the sand upon the fea-shore, command all "the knowledge of art and nature, of words and things; and yet not know "the Author of his being, and the Preserver of his life, his Sovereign and "his Judge, his surest Refuge in trouble, his best Friend or worst Enemy, "the Support of his life and the Hope of his death, his future Happiness " and his Portion for ever; he doth but go down to hell with a great deal "of wisdom."

MR. LOCKE, also justly esteemed one of the greatest masters of reason, and a philosopher of the greatest freedom of thought, at the close of his life, thus advised an intimate friend.

Study the holy Scriptures, especially the New Testament; therein are "contained the words of eternal life. It hath God for its author, falvation " for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter." Posthumous Works, p. 344.

And to the fame effect, a wiser still in the same situation, SOLOMON. To fear God, and keep his commandments, (in order to which, it is necessary that we read and study them) is the whole of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Ecclef. xii. 13, 14.

the natural ground of objections, but not of destroying any truth, otherwife well established. For all fcience whatever is attended with difficulties, and objections may be raised against the clearest and most demonstrable truths. The being of God, and his perfections, the creation of the world, the conftitution of nature, the ways of Providence, and any the best and most useful knowledge we can gain, is attended with difficulties, and confequently liable to objections. Let it be well obferved, those difficulties arife not from the things themfelves, but from the imperfection of our minds. In the things themselves there are no difficulties, nor any ground for objection; the difficulties are in the narrowness of our understandings, which find a great difficulty in comprehending many things relating even to the most certain and undoubted truths. And, with regard to the Scriptures, I myself have had large experience of this. Many things which at firft, and for fome time, appeared to me very obfcure, unaccountable, and inconfiftent, by patient application, and a closer attention, have fhone out unclouded into the plaineft and clearest truths. By this I am convinced, that all remaining difficulties are not fo in themfelves, but only fo with refpect to the imperfection of my mind. And upon the whole, you may be very fure, when you hear any objection advanced against the Scriptures, that the objection, in truth and reality, lies against the objector himself, as he either cannot, or will not, fee the truth as it ftands in the word of God.

But you may fay-Why fhould God put into his word things to us difficult and obfcure? I anfwer-To exercife our diligence, and to try our integrity. I have faid fo much to convince you of the vanity and folly of Deifm, and to guard you against any bad impreffions from that quarter, which may prove of very fatal confequence. A little of this leaven may do a great deal of harm, as it creates an indifference to Divine knowledge, to the inftructions and counfels of our heavenly Father; as it takes us off from the ftudy of the Scriptures, robs us of the beft guide of our actions, the most powerful motives to all virtue, the strongest confolations in every day of affliction; and at laft exposes to the righteous judgment of God, for the neglect and contempt of the best of bleffings he ever beftowed upon the world.

We have the strongest reafon to be fully fatisfied of the fufficiency of Scripture, as perfectly able to make us wife unto falvation. The Papift will own the Scriptures to be the word of God, and a true rule of faith, but not a fufficient rule. The only fufficient rule of faith he will tell you, is the church of ROME, which infallibly understands and propounds what the Chriftian world is to believe and do, in order to eternal falvation; and therefore you ought implicitly to fubmit your understanding and confcience to her direction and decifions; and doing fo, you have no need to confult the Scriptures, being already provided with a living infallible guide. But if the Scriptures are a true rule of faith, then are they a fufficient rule to all forts and degrees of perfons, for they expressly affirm their own fufficiency in this extenfive fenfe.

That nothing but Scripture is a fufficient ground to build our faith and practice upon, as Chriftians, will clearly appear to any confiderate perfon. All befides is uncertainty and confufion. You have Popes against Popes, councils against councils, fathers against fathers,

VOL. 1.

rch of

one

one age against the church of another age; and tradition paffing through hands fo uncertain and inconfiftent, muft of neceffity lofe all force of evidence. Only upon the rock of Scripture can we find any reft for the fole of our feet; and there we have a firm foundation, and a fure infallible guide, which we may with the greateft certainty and steadfastness oppofe to the authority of the church of ROME.

Whatever may be pretended to gain that church the credit of a guide, all that, and much more, may be faid for the Scriptures. Has the church of ROME been ancient? The Scriptures are more ancient. Is that church a means to keep Chriftians in unity? So is the Scriptures to preferve unity of belief in things neceffary and plainly revealed, and in unity of charity in other matters. Following the Scriptures, we shall follow that which must be true, if the church of ROME be true, for the owns the truth of Scripture. Whereas, if we follow that church, we follow that which, if the Scriptures be true, may be falfe; nay, which, if the Scriptures be true, must be falfe, because the Scriptures teftify against it. We have God's exprefs command to follow the Scriptures, and no intimation or colour of any prohibition; but to believe in the church of ROME we have no command at all, much lefs an exprefs command; nay, on the contrary, we have a general prohibition in these words, Call no man mafter upon earth.

Following the Scriptures, we fhall embrace a religion which, being contrary to flesh and blood, without any affiftance from worldly power, wifdom, or policy, nay, against all the power and policy of the world, prevailed and spread itself in a fhort time over a very great part of the world. Whereas it is apparent the church of ROME has got, and ftill maintains her authority over men's confciences, by counterfeiting falfe miracles, forging falfe hiftories, corrupting the monuments of former times, by wars, by perfecutions, by maffacres, by treasons, by rebellions; in fhort, by all manner of carnal unjustifiable means, whether violent or fraudulent.

Following the Scriptures, we shall believe a religion the first preachers and profeffors whereof could certainly have no worldly ends; could neither project nor promife to themfelves by it any of the profits, honours, or pleafures of this world, but rather the contrary, even all the hardships the world could lay upon them. On the other hand, the head of the church of ROME, the pretended vicar of Chrift, fucceffor of the Apoftles, and guide of faith, it is palpably evident, makes the Popish religion the inftrument of his ambition, to gratify the luft of dominion, by fubjecting the confciences of all mankind to his authority, and all nations to his jurifdiction. Befides, it is evident to any man who has but half an eye, that most of thofe doctrines which the Romish church addeth to the Scriptures, are, one way or other, calculated to promote the honour or temporal profit of the teachers of them.

Following the Scriptures only, we fhall embrace a religion of perfect fimplicity and purity; confifting, in a manner, wholly in the worship of God in fpirit and truth, and in fincere obedience to his will. Whereas the Roman church, and doctrine, is loaded with an infinity of weak, childish, ridiculous fuperftitions and ceremonies, and the moft grofs and manifeft idolatry. If we follow the Scriptures, we must not promise our

felves

selves falvation without forfaking effectually, and mortifying all vices, and practifing fincerely all Chriftian virtues, which our reafon tells us is the only way in which we can fecure the favour of God, and our own happiness. But the church of ROME opens an eafier and broader way to heaven, and, though a man continues all his life long in a courfe of fin, gives him affurances he may be let into heaven by a back gate, even by an act of attrition, at the hour of death, if it be joined with confeffion to a priest, or by an act of contrition without it.

Juft and perfect are the precepts of piety and humility, of innocence and patience, of good nefs, temperance, fobriety, juftice, meeknefs, fortitude, and conftancy, contempt of the world, the love of God, and of mankind; in a word, of all virtues, and against all vices, which the Scriptures oblige us to obferve and obey, as ever we hope to fee God in his heavenly kingdom; which, if they were generally obeyed, could not but make the world generally happy; and the goodness of them alone is fufficient to make any wife and good man believe that the religion which obliges to them, comes from God, the fountain of all goodness. The church of ROME enervates, and in a manner diffolves and abrogates, many of the holy precepts of the Gofpel, by teaching men that they are not laws for all Chriftians, but counfels of perfection, and matters of fupererogation, which a man fhould do well if he obferves, but shall not fin if he doth not obferve them; that they are for those who aim at high places in heaven; but if a man will be content with an inferior fituation there, especially if he be content to tafte of purgatory in the way, he need not incumber his thoughts at prefent with many of the rules of the Gofpel. Not to fay, that the Romish church manifeftly foments a fpirit of uncharitablenefs and cruelty to all mankind, not of her profeffion. Therefore the religion of this church is far from being fo holy or fo good as the doctrine of Chrift delivered in the Scriptures, and confequently cannot come from the fame fountain of holiness and good

nefs.

Following the church of ROME for our guide, we fhall only follow a combination of deluded men, who have fast closed their eyes, and are not at liberty to open them, or to examine and confider whether they are in the right or no. For that Papifts have no liberty of judgement is manifeft, because they reckon it a mortal fin to doubt of any part of their doctrine. Whence it follows, that feeing every man must refolve that he will never commit mortal fin, he muft never examine the grounds of Popery at all, for fear he should be moved to doubt; or if he do examine, he muft before refolve that no evidence, not even of Scripture, no motives, be they ever fo ftrong, fhall move him to doubt, left he should fall into mortal fin.

Seeing this is the condition of all who are esteemed good Catholics, who can deny that they are a fet of men unwilling and afraid to underftand, that have eyes to fee and will not, that have not the love of the truth, but are given over to ftrong delufion? And therefore, in following fuch a church, and fuch guides, we fhall only follow the blind, and with them fall into the ditch. If we follow the Scriptures, we shall follow only the truth; we fhall follow a guide which exhorts us to keep our eyes always open to the truth, to try all things, and to hold faft only