Of ~adi1!g Scripwre by Lay.m~n: Of Apocrypha and Homilies. 3· The fanCl:ifying Spirit ftill in all Ages and Chrillians atrclleth the Divinity and Truth of rhi: Do– {/rine of themain body of,the Bible ; efpecially the Gofpel: And then if we jho"M rrr about the au– thority of a p.uticubr Book, it would nor overthrow our f.;~hh. It is not nci:dfary to f41varion to believe rhis puricula.r Text to be Divine. But it is fi~ an~ (ally to . doubt pufetclly Qf the pa,rrs, when the Spirit atreflcth the Doctrine and the Body of the Eoolt. I pafs thefe things bri<fly, bccaufe 1 have largelier handled them clfewhctc. Q!ell:. 149. Is the publick. ~ading •f the Scripture tl>e proper work. of a M;~;. · fter ~ or may aLry-m.111 ordi1~arily do it~ or ilnotber Officer ~ An[w. ,, IN fuch cafes as I before !hewed that a Lay-man may preach; he inay a!fc Read the Scriptures. Of which look back. 2· No doubt but it is a work well befecming the Ordained Minillcis or Po~.fiors, and an integral parr of their Office; and fhould not be put off by thtm when they ea~ do it. . 3• When they need help the Deacons are ordained Miniflers authorized tci, help them in fuch work, ~~tiro~~ · 4· Whether in a cafe of neccl!ity ~Lay-man may not ordinarily Read the Scripture to the Congre– g~tion, is a Cafe that I ain loth to determine, being loth to fuppofe fuch a mccffity. But if the Mini/lcr·--eicnoJ,...and there be ilo Deacon, I cannot prove it unlawful for a Lay-man to do it under th~ direelion of the Pallor: I lived fometime urider an old Minitler of about eighty years of a~ (who never preached himfelf ), whofe eye fight failing him; arid hiving not maintenance to keep an affiftant,he did by Memory fay tbe Common-prayer himfclf, and got a Taylor one year,and a Threfher or poor day-labourer another year to Read all the Scriptuus. Whether that were not better than no · thing, I leave to c;onfideration. And I think it is·commonly agreed on, that where there is no Minifier, it is better for the people to meet and hear a Lay-man Read the Scriptures and fome good Books; than to have no publick helps and Wor01ip; · Qgell:. 15 o. Is it lawful to read the Apocrypha., or a1ry good !Books bejides the Scriptures to the [lmrch ~ as Homilies, &c. .A>~[w. I· JT is not lawful to Read them as Gods Word, or to prete~d them to be the Holy Scri· pturcs, fot th~t IS a fal!hood, and an ~ddition to Gods Word. 2. It is not laWfUl io read them fcandaloufly, in a title and manner tending fo draw the people to believe that they are Gods Word, or wi<hour a fufficient ditlinguifhing of them from the holy Scriptures-. 3. Ifany one of the Apociypnal books, (as Judith, 'tobit, BeU and the Dragon, &c. ) be as fabulous faHC and b:~d as our Protdlant Writers .( Reignoldtu, Amefiur, wlbita~eri, Ch4mier, and abundanc~ more) affirm them to be, it is not lawful ordiriariiY to Read them , in that honourable way as Chapters called Ldfons are ufually read in the affemblies, Nor is it bwful fo toRead heretical, fa– bulous, or erroneous books. But it is lawful to Read publickly Apocryphal and humane Writings, Homilies, or edifying Scrmons on rhefe conditions following. r. So be it they be indeed found dollrine, holy, and fitted to the peoples edification. . 2. SJ be it they be not r;ad fcandaloufly wit~out fuflicient diffmncing them from Gods Book. . · . . . 3· So they be not Read to exclude or hinder the Reading of the Scriptures; or any other ne– cefflry Church-duty. · 4· So they be not Read to keep up an ignorant lazy Minillry that can or will do no better ; nor to exercifc the Minificrs lloth, and hinder him from preaching. . 5· And fpccially if Authprity corbmand it, and the·Churches Agreement require it, as a fignifica .. t10n what doctrine it is which they profefs. 6. Or if the Churches Necdli!ies require it ; As if they haVe no tV!inifler, or ilo one that can do fo much to their Edification any other way. 7· Therefore the life o[Cattchiftils is COilf<ffed lawful iu ihe Church, by almoll all. ~ell:.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=