QUESTION X. fl signify that all the general and particular articles of it were written actually, and constantly abiding in the mind, but that they are plainly and easily deducible by natural reason. So a book is said to be sufficient to teach any art or science, if it con- tains all themain principles of it, so that all the parts of this art or science, maybe very easily learned thereby. The New Tes- tament is sufficient to teach us the holy skill of prayer, because it includes every thing necessary' for that duty; and the Lord's- prayer has been generally esteemed a perfect model for that part ofworship ; .yet a child may say over all the words of the Lord's- prayer, andknow not at all how to pray : And if it were possible for a strong memory to repeat all the NewTestament by heart, it would not be a sufficient proof, thatthat person was acquainted with the divine skill ofpraying. So thebible is abundantly suffi- cient to furnishes preacher for his work; but if hecould say never so many of the words of the bible without book, it would not be a proper test of his ability to preach. This spiritual furniture and skill for the performance of praying or preaching, is to be obtained by comparing several parts of the bible together, by learning their sense and meaning, and by drawing proper inferences from several passages of it, and knowing how to apply them to all particular cases in ser- mons and prayers : The same may be said in proportion con- cerning the furniture and fitness of a person to be admitted to christian communion. Now in order for a man to manifest that he has this spiritual skill and furniture, he must acquaint me in some other words, what he means by these words of scripture that he can repeat by memory It is not at all inconsistent with the clearness and perfection of scripture, that the unlearned should use their reason in find- ing oat doctrines and duties, by comparing scripture with scrip- ture, and drawing general inferences from the practice, example and occasional speeches of Christ and his apostles ; as it has never been counted inconsistent with the clearness and perfection of it, that learned men must translate the Greek and Hebrew intoour mother-tongue : For the bible in Greek and Hebrew, is more insufficient to lead a poor Englishman to heaven without translation, than an English bible is to lead him thither, without the exercise of his reason in explications and. inferences. Theplain and natural consequences of scripture, have in a larger sense been often called scripture itself; and have always been justly allowed as sufficient to determine any controversy in religion, or prove any truth, or refute any error. The example of Christ and his apostles, shew us the use and the necessity of consequences; they argued in this manner against their oppo- nents, who did not acknowledge their divine commission. Chil- lingworth himself, in that famous paragraph of his which is so VOL. IV. H
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