( 2 pounce the Scripture-fufficiency and Chrilt'sperfeëtion, by obeying their Diétates and Canons, as co- ordinate with Chritt, ifnot co-equal. Thefe make Church- concord utterly impoflïble, while they deny the furnciency not onlyof the Effen- tials, but of all the Bible, to be the terms of Concord, without their fupple silents or additions : as ifChrift, that is theAuthor andFinifher of our Faith, and the maker of his ownChurch, had not fo much as told us what a Church or a Chriftian is, or whom we mufftake for fuch into our Love and-Communion, nor fix'd the neceffary terms of Union, but left them to none knowerh whom, even falliblemen,liabie to Error andTyranny, that can butget uppermoft, and fay then that they are the true Church, and the Mailers that mutt be obey'd, while they are themfelves (Was many mindsas they are ofdifferent Countries, in- terelts and degreesof Knowledge and Sincerity. y. On the other tide thofe overdo in afcribing to the Scripture, who fay that God had no Church,or the Church no infallible rule ofFaith and Life,before the wriringof it ; and who fáy,that Men convertedby the Creed,Catechifms, preach- ingor tradition-, without knowing the Scripture, can have no favingFaith ; and . that think none can be fav'd that doubt of any Canonical Books, Text or Matter, whether it beGod's Word ; or that fay, Scripture is fo perfeft, thatthere is no human imperfeaionofthePen-men found inl hrafe, Word or Method, and that God couldnot have made it better, or that every Book may be known to be ca- nonical, and every reading to be rightwhen Copies vary, without Hiftorical Tra- dition, by its own evident light, and that we have no more caufe todoubt ofany word or matter, than of the Truth ofthe Gofpel; and that reafon isof fmall u le either for the Proofor Expofition ofthe Scripture, but the molt illiterate, if he found a Bible that hehad never heard of, may by its own light know its truth and fenfe as well as ftudious learned Men ; and that no other Books need to be read; and that the Scripture is a fufficientTeacher ofPhyfiek, Logick,Grammar, (jc. and that nothing is to bens'd or done in theexternal Firms, Modes andac- cidents ofGod's Worlhip, but what is particularly commanded in Scripture; and that it tellerh every man whether he be fincere and juftified ornot, and not only telieth him howto know-it by inward evidence; with many other fuch mifiakes, proceeding from miflaking theufe ofthe Scripture, by which its perfebtion mutt. bemeafur'd. Which all tend to Confufion, and at laf-to Infidelity, or doubting of the whole, when thefe Errors are difcern'd. V. And tho' all the Scripture be ofequal truth, is it is God's Word, yet many untruths are in it as utrer'd by Men and Devils,whichGod truly recordeth. And all parts are not ofequal neceffity or weight: And,as manyerr by caning off the Old Teflament, foothers err by equalling it to uswith the New. It is God's word, left to acquaint us what was heretofore, and to thew us howChriftwas prophe fled ofand expedted, and howthe Church was govern'd in the darker and more fervile flare and times. But we have great caufe to take heedof overvaluing its ufe to us, left we contradilt Paul, that faith, That even that whichwas written in Stone is doneaway, and the Law chang'd with the Prierhoed, and the oldand faulty Covenant for a better ; of which fee the nine firfi Chapters to the He- brews, &c. Judaizers are they that molt of Paul's Epittles are written againft and as John Baptifl wasgreater than the Prophets, fo the lealt in the Kingdomof God is greater than he. Even the holy Patriarchs andDavid had a far more ob- fcure Revelation of Chrift andGrace, and theLoveofGod, and the: Glory to come, thanwe have : And accordingly we fhouldhave much more Faith, Holi aefs and Comfort than they. It is dangerous making theheft of them ourExam piesin points of Faith or Duty, wherein they came far fhort ofGofpel light and Grace. GodBoth not now bear with Polygamyas he did then, nur with fuch Divorces; nordoth theGofpel countenance fuch ftreamsof Blood astheIfraelites ordinarily fhed, nor fuch lies as Da-eid was oft guilty of, nor fuch a ftrange Life as Solomon hied : I mean,that fuch faults will not now conflit with trueGrace un- der our fuller Light and Mercy, as would do then to Men in a darker infant Age ; and therefore let us take heed of prefuming on their Examples; Chrift and his. Apoftles
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