Of tiJe Lmv of NatHre. Of more !J\!velatiom. :Act. 17. 18, the Stoicks, the Pythagorcans and Phtonills, much more the Epicureans, the Lu\li.Jnifis, rhe CurdiJJF lt ry~ &c. TrlefiM, CampamUa, PatriciUf, Gaffendsu, &c. ) that it is a wonder thJt :my that C\'Cr rhroughly tr}'eri ~~f." :.' 1 1 _' 19 ' them, can be fo weak as to glory rnu~h of the ceruinties and methods of any, which hitherto arc fu & 6.6. palpably uncertain, and full of certam errours. We may therefore make ufc of all t1ue humane karn– pf .. l. IIj. 99. ing, Real and Organical, (And he is rhe happy Scholar who fallcnc:th upon the C£ R TA 1N and. ~ ~~::t 1•8~·,s. the U SE. F U L par~s, well dining_uifhed_from the rcfi:, and. tn~!y u(_C!h them w rhr:ir great and proCol, I.,]. per end~); Bur m~cttcs, and foolenes wh1ch fom~: {pend rhctr bves 1n for mecr ollcnr;Ation, and a\fo & J· 10• . uncertam prefumpuons, 01ould be much ntgled:ed ; And the grear, cnrain, mcd1Jry, faving Vcritics Phil.j.8. of Morality and the Gofpel mull be dearly loved, and than!dully imbraccd, and iiudiouJly learned ~~: ~: ;;; and l<irhfully practifed, by all char wouldprove wife men ar bli. ' Rom.r.1.o, u, t3, Eccl. r. t6, I7, 18·. I Cor. i . r, u. 1Cor. 13,1., 3,4. Rom, :, ::.o. Jlm. ;. 13, 14, r7. ]cr. -J. :z. I Co ... S. t, 1 Job. I, I,:, ;. Hlb.::..3>4·; ~ell 159· If we think that Scripwre and the Lmv of Nature do in any point contradi[l; each others, which may be the jlandard by JVIJich the other mttft be tryed ? Anfw. IT is certain that they never do contradict each other: 2· The L1w of Nature is either rhat which is very clear by N4tural eviden,e, or that which i5 d:uk ( as dcgrcc5 of Confan– guinity untie for }.h.rriagc, rhc evil of officious lies, &c.;. 3. The Scriptures aHo have their pl:Jin and lheir obfcurer paus. 4· A darl( Scripmre is not to be expounded contrary to a pltin natural Veriry. 5· A d:ak and, doubtful roint in N.uure is not to be cxpound,d contrary to a pbin and cer– tain S'ripwre. 6. To luppofe that there be an apparent contrldiCtion in cafes of equal clearnefs or doubtfu!ndS, is a c::..fc not to be li1ppofed ; Bur lu: thal (hould have fit eh a drram, mutt do as he would do if be thought two T~xts to b..: conuadittory, rhat i;, ht muil better Hudy both till he fee his crrour; fiill rtmcmbringlh:t natur<~levjdence hath ·this advantage, thar it is, z. tirtt in order, :;z. anJ rnofl common and received by all; But fupcrnatur;l evidenct lnrh this advantage, that it is for the mofi pau the more clear and fJlisfafrory. Qgefl:. t6o. May IVe not look that God jhould yet give m more !J\!velatiollJ of his will, thm1 there are already made ill Scripwre ? . Anfrr. you m.ufidiOinguifb between, 1• NewLarvJ or Covnt,11tf! tc m.Jn/;JJTd, :md mw preditlioHJ or information I of a pani~~>U/ar perfon. 2. Between what mtJy p~ffibly be, and what we may lxpell Mctrtain or probablr. And fo I conclude. I· That it is certain that God will m1keno oth_er Cot•tnant, Ttftammt or Vnivtr{aJ Law, for the Go· G:a\.1. 7 ) 8 , 9. vernment of mankind or the. ChuJ~h, zs a Rule ot D_ury and of J udgcmrn.t. Bc:cau((: he hath ofr rold us-, Mar. ::.8.z.o. that thHCovenant and lav.'IS perfdt, and Chall be m force as our rule till the end of rhe world. 2-•Thtf. I, xo,- Obj. So it was [aid u/ the Law of Mofes, tb.Jt it_was to Jbnd f or ever, ye:J of m:Jttj Certm9niet ~;.kx~S.Ir, iJI it l 16 • An[w 1. It is in the Original only, [for agn and agn ; ] or toJ!.fnerationJ and generations J which we tranOlle [ fortver] when it fignihc:rh bu{ [to many generations J. 2· lr is no where f3id, of Rev. 1 4. 6. Mofes Law a~ (uch, that it Chould continu_c either _tiU tbe endof the wurld, or till the 4.JY (}f Judgemmt, Rev. ::.z. tS, as it isfaid of ,he Gofpel. And 3· It 15 not fatd that hew•ll add nom~re to the turmt:r Teihmcor, 1 9· but contrarily, that he will make a Hf'WCovenant girh them, &c. But hrre in the Gofpel he perempro~ ~*i·~: ;~;;,:· rily rc:folveth againU all innovations and addition~. . . . . . Rom.6. u. 2• his certain that God will make no new Scnpturc or tnfpacd word as an tnfalhble umverfal Rule ]oh5.:.::.,z.4. fot thccxpofitionof the wordalreadywrirten. for 1. This were: anaddilion which hehathdif· & 6. 2-7, 4o, claimed, and 2· It would imply fuch an infufficicncy in the GoCpel to its ends (as b::ing not intd– ~~\ & Jl-;/;· liglble) as is contrary to its aflertcd pofe~ion, and 3· It would be contrary ro that eflablilhcd way e .t. 7 ) ' • for the undcrftanding of the Scripture, which God hath already {(tlcd and appoinctd for us lill tho:: end. Eph. r. :8,19. 3· It is certain that God will give all his fervants in their fcvenl meafures, the hdp and illumination of his fpirir, for the uud<rfianding and applying of rhe Gofpel. 4· It
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