Trachers Oull not preach againll. )·And for all men moreover to profefs in General that they im· plicircly believe all which rhcy can ~i[ccrn m be the holy Canonical Scripture, and that all is true, which is the Word of flod : Forbcarmg each oth<:r even about the number of Canonical Books and Tcxcs. And it ls the great wifdom and mercy of God, which hath fo ordered it,.. that the Scripture fl1all r Cor. 8. r,:.. have enough to exerci[e the llrongdl, and yet that the weakdl may be ignount ·of the• meaning of & r J· 1 • 2 •3,4· a thouf.nd fcnrenccs) withnut danger of damnation, fO thLy do but under!l"nd the Marrow or Ef- ~Cor. 8 · 3· fentials, and tabour failhlully to increaf.: in the lu~owlcdge of the rclt. om. 8 · 23 • Qpell '45· May not a mml be faved tf,at beliewtf, all the Ejfentials of!f(eligi· · on, as (oming to bim by Verbal Tradition, and not as co1ltaiued in tl1e boly Scri• ptr~res, JVI,icl> perbaps be mwr knetv ~ Anfw. ,. HE that belicvcth Cball be favcd, which way ever he cqmcth by his belief: So be it c it be found as to the objell ~nd alJ ; that is, If it contain all the E.Jfentials, and they be predominantly Believed, Loved and practifrd. 2 • The Scriprurcs being the Records ofChrifis DoCloine delivered by Himftlf, his Spirir and his ApQjl/u) it is the Offi::e of Minillcrs, and the duty of all InllruCl:ers to open rhdfo Scriptures to thofc thq• teach, and to ddivcr particulus upon the authority of the[c Infpired fealcd Records which con· t:iin them. . 3· They rhatthusrcccive puticular truths, from a Teacher explaining the Scripture to them, do t ecei\•C them in a fubordination to the. Scripture Materially, and as to the Teachers part; though not formaUy and as to their own p.Jrt: And though the Scripture authority being not underfiood by them, be nor lhe formal objtd' of their fairh, bm only Godf authority in general. 4 · They that arc ignorant of the hLing of the Scripture, 1u.ve a grclf difadva.ntage to their fai(h. 5· Yet we cannot fay, but it may bet he cafe of thoufands to be faved by the Gofptl delivered by T r:adition, without refolving their fairh into the auchoriry of the Scriptures. For, r. This was the c:.~.fe of all the Chrifiians (as to the New Teflament) who lived before it was written: And there arc (everal Articles of the Creed now nc,e[ary, which the Old Tefiarncnt doth nor n veal. 2· This may be the cafe of thoufands in Ignorant Countrcys where the b b . Mattb. r6. r6. Bi le cmg rare, is to Rom.to. 9 , 10, 13, 14,.1S• moll unknown. 3· This moy be the cafe of thoufands of Children ~>ho are taught their Creed and Cate· ch11in, before they under!land what the Bible is. 4 . This may be the cafe of thonfa.nds among the Papills, where Come perycrfe Pricfis do keep not only the Rcadinf!., but the Knowltdge of the Scriptures from the people, for fear Jell they fhould be taubht to rdolve their f•ith into it ; and do teach them only the Articles of Faith and Catechifm, as known by theChu[ches tradition alone. Qpefl:. 146. Is tbe Scripture fit for all Chriftians to read, bei11g fo obfcurt ~ Anfrr. I· THe Eift'ntials and pointsnrcdfary to falvation are plain. 2· we a1e frequently and vehemently commanded to delight in it, and rnedi~ John!. ~9· tare in it d.ay and night ; to fearch it; eo teach it our very children, [peaking of ~t at home and P!alm 1, 2. abroad, lying down and rifing up, and to write it on the pofis of our houfes, and on our ~f;t· 6· ~ ''· doors, &c. · a. J9.?,8, 3· It is fuited to the ncctfllty and underfianding of thC meamll, to give Jight to the firnpJe; and 2 Tim~~o;;~· to make the very fool1fh wife. ' Pfal.119. 98,1 4· The anticnt Fathers and Chrifiians were all of this mind. 10 5·1J3· 148. 5· All 1he Chrif\ian Churches of the world, have been ufcd to Read it openly to all, even tp the ~g; ~~' 11' limpid! : A1id il chc; may Hor it, they may Read the fame words w~ich they hear. 6. G,)d bl· fLd the ig_norant EtMopia1: Eunuch when he found him Reading the Scriptures, though he kn<w not d;e ft:nfe ot what he read, and fent him Pbilip to inllruct him and conven him. 7· 1imvlhy was educated in the knowledge of the Scripturcs.in his childhood. 8. Tlw wh1ch is w1itrcn to and for all men, may be read by all that can ; But writtLn to and for "!i>--6'""c. y yy y y the Sc1ipture was ~~~~~i:~~· M:u. Jl,2i, .a:.
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