Shm1ld all read the Scripture! Of Tradition. Ho1v to know tl.~e Canon of Scripture. Object. But tbttt are m:my 1hi1tgJ in it hard to be undcrjlord? An[w. 1. And there arc.; many things c:atie w be underHood. 2. \Vc: r..<'\'ff Lid th.;.t mer: !hcu!d not ufe the help of their Teachers, and all that they c;.n to undt'tlland ir. 3· W~.;re nor tbojt Teacher I once ignorant ? And yet th<y did read ir by the help t{ TtJchrrJ: And lo mJy orhers. 4· As the King for Com:ord commandeth all the Schoolma!ien to reach one Grammu: So God make– ~th it the MitlJHtrs Office to loflruct people in the Scriptuns. Ar:d w(re it nor a q LIL (ti()n unworthy ofaSchoolmafler, to difpute, Whether the Scholars mull learn by their B11ok.., er by their M:~jicr? Yea, to conclude that ir mull be by their !'rlajlrr, and nor by iiHit Book/ or 1har thcr rnuH never open their Book, bur when their MJ!ler is juH at hand to reach them? The Dotl:rine of the Papifis ~ho tell us that the Scriptures fhould not be re:td by the Vulgar, ir being the: rile: of all Herdics, is fo in~umane and impious, as favouring of grofs enmity to Scripturu, and ro k.._'lon'!tdge, rhar were there no orher, it would make the Lovers of Religion and mens fouls, to pray Larncl\ly w Chrilt to {J.vi: his flocks from fuch feducers, who fo ]'wi!hly ufc the Key of Knowledge. !. Pc·. 3· 1( ,• Objdt. But m11ny lJirtft tht ScripturtJ to their own dejirutlion, and wbat Htrrfie M 1101 dcfexded .H l fal. 19. 3, S, by their authority? . . 9• ~<>. Anfw. r. And many thoufands receive f•ving knowledge and grace by them : The Law of the ~ J~::~~~~~~·· L01d is perfect, conv.t::rting_ the fou!._ All Scr-ipture. is protitable to inllru~ion, &c. ro make rhe man Q( God pc~fed-. lt IS the mconupuble feed by whtch we are born agam, and the finctrc milk, by which we are nouri(hed. z. And is it not as trqc:, I• That the Law of the L1n~ is abuf~d by every falfe pre(ender, Law}'er and Corrupt Judge? What title fo bad, rhat is not ddendcd in JYtjlminjlcr H,l\ fometimcs under prc· tence of Law? And what adion fo had, that feme pretend not Law for? What then? Mun the Llw b~ forbidden the common people for thi's ? z, N<~.y, what is {Q much abufed ro unrighreoufncfs and fin as Rtafon it f!lf? V.'hat Htrdie or Crime do nor men plead Reafon for? Muft Reafon therefore be forbic.ldc::n the Vulg;n? 3· Yea, Contrarily, this fignificth that Law and Repfcn are fo far from being rhings robe forbidden men, that they are indeed thofK things by which Nature and Necdrtry have raughr all che world to try and difcern right from wron~, good from bad? Othcrwife good and bOJ.d men would nor all rhus agree in pretending to them, and appealing to their decifions. 4· If many men are poyfoned or killed in eating or drinl~ing, If m:wy mens eye (ight is abufed to miflead them unto fin, &c. the way i$ not to eat nothing but what is put into our moU!hs; nor ro put out ?ur eyes, or wink, and be l&d only by a Priefi, but tO ufe both the more Cii.utioofly, wirh the bell adv1fe and help that we can get. ) ·And do not thefe Deceivers fee, that their Reafon pleadcd1 as firongly that Priefis and Prelates thcmfelves lhould never read the s,ripture, ( and confcquently that it f'hould be b.mifucd our of the world?) For who that is awake in the wo:ld can be ignorant, rl!at if is Pridls and Prela:res, who have bem the Leaders of alrnoft all Herefies and Sects: who differ in rh,ir Expdirions and opi– nions ? and lead the Vulgar into all the Hcrtfies which thry fall into? \.Yho rhrn fl10u/d be furbid~ drn to read the Scripture, bur Prietis and Prc:h.tcs, who wreH them to their own and other mens d t firuClion ? ' Q!_ell 147. Ho1v far u Tradttion and mens Words and Minijlry io be ujed or tmfted in, in the exercife offaitf, ! H~b. 1 • 3, 4 _ An[w. x. THe Churches apd MinHlers receive.d rhe Gorpel in S~ripturt. from the Apollles, and 1 P~t. 1, 17, the Crted as the fummary of .fatth : And they delivered H down to others, and 18, 19, 2o,l1. they to us: l. John 1. 1,1, 2, The Minillers by Office are the Iifflrut'lcrJ of the people in the mt.J~ting of it. And the keepers ;t;~-~.~.6• of the Scriptures, as Lawyers are of the Laws·of the Land. Titm t S· ~efl:. 148.. Ho1v KllOW we the true Ca11011 of Scripwre from Apocrypha? .Anfw. By thefe means fet togethn: 1· There is for the moll part, a fpecial venerable excellency 'in the Books thcmfelves, which hclpeth us in the diflind reception of thtm. 2· The Tradition of infaHihle Church Hifiory telleth us, which Books they are which we1e writ– ten by men icfpired by the Holy Ghofi, and who fealed their Doctrine with Miracles in rhofe times ; It being but matter of faCl (which Books fuch men wrote whom God bear witnefs to ) infallible Church Hiltory ( fuch as we have ro know which are the Statutes of the Land, and which are coun~ terfeir) is a fufficienr notification and proof. 3· The
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