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The
Scriptnre the only
Rule
of
all
our
thoughts
of
God.
CAP.
X1.4: t 5.
difprove
it;
And
that
this
tis
his
refolved judgement,
he
manifefteth
in
the
nèxt
words
I
verily believe,
That
in
cafe
any
filch
afsurance
were
to
be
found
in
&C.
That
is
Si Deus homini non placuerit, Deus non erst.
What
more
con-
temptible
could
the
Pagans
of
old have fpoken
of
their
dunghill Deities,
with
their
Amphibolous oracles?
were
it not fitter
language
for
the
Indian
Conju-
rers, who
beatand
aflli&t
their
hellifh
Gods,
if
they anfwer not according
to
their
defires?
The
whole Authority
of
God,
and
of
his Word in
the
Scriptures,
is
here
calf
downe before
the
confideration
of
an intelligent man
(forfooth)
or
a
vaine
man,
that
mould
be
wife,
but
is
like
the wild
Afses
colt;
and this intel-
ligent
man
(it
feemes) may
contend to reject the
Word of
God, and
yet be
accounted molt wife;
Of
old,the Prophet thought not
fo.
To
what end
is
any
farther
difpute?
If
the
Scripture fpeaketh not
to
Mr Goodwin
mind,
(
for
doubtleffe
he
is
an intelligent
and
confidering
man,) he feeth
fuffecient
ground
to
queftion its
Authority.
By
what way
pof{ible, any
man can more advance
himfelfe
into
the
Throne
of
God
,
then
by
entertaining
filch
thoughts
and
conceptions
as
thefe,
I
know not.
An intelligent man
is
fuppofed
to have from
himfelfe, and
his
own Wifdome and
Intelligence,
confederations
of
Gods
nature and
perfection, by which he
is
to regulate and meafure
all
things,
that
are
affirmed
ofGod, or
his will
in
the
Scripture.
If
what
is
fo
delivered fuit
thefe conceptions
of
his,
that
Scripture wherein
it
is
:delivered may
paffe
for
Canonicall &Authentick:
If
otherwife,
eâdem
facilitate rejicitur
qua
of
eritur;
which
was
fometimes fpoken
of
Traditionalls; but it
feems
may now be ex-
tended to the written Word.
The
Scripture
is
fuppofed
to
hold
out
things
contrary
to
what
this
intelligent
Man
bath
conceived and confïdered
,
and
this
is
afferted,
as
a
juft ground
to
queftion
itsAuthority.
And
if
this
be not a
Progreffe
in
the contempt
of
the
Word ofGod,
to what
ever yet
Papi.fls,
so-
cinians,or
Enthuf
afts
have attempted,
I
am deceived.
To
the Lam, and
to
the
Tefiimony,
with
all
the
conceptions
and
notions
of
the
m
)ft
intelligent man:
if
they anfwer not to
this
Rule,
it
is
beeauf
e
there
is
no
truth in
them.
But
he
addeth the
Reafon
of
this
bold Affertion: for (faith he)
That a
God
0.
t9.
infinitely righteous
and
holy,
fbould irreverfibly
&c.
Anf.
Neither
yet
doth
this
at
all mend
the matter. Neither doth the
particular
inítance given alter
at
all,
but
confirme
the
firft
generali Afièrtion:
(viz.)that
If
there
be
any
thing
in
theScriptures contrary
to
thofe
thoughts
of
God,
which an intelligent
man
('without the Scripture) doth
conceive
of
him,
he
bath
full
grounds
to
quell
ion theirAuth.
ority,which wholly
cafes
downe the
Word
of
Go fro: its
E
cellency,
and
fettetha
poore,
datke, blind
creature,
under
t
e
notion
_
n intelligent
man,
at liberty from
his
fubje&ion
thereunto,
making him
his
owne rule, and guide,
as
to
his
A
pprehenlions
ofGod
and
his
Will: And
is
it
pofTble,that
fuch a
thought
fhould
enter into the heart
of
a
man fearing God,& reverencing
his
Word,which
God bathmagnifzed
above
all
his name?
There
is
fcarce any
one
Truth
in
the
whole
Booke
ofGod, but
fome men,
paffing in
the world
for intelligent
and
confidering men
doe
Tooke
upon
it,
and profeflè
it
to
be
unworthy
of
an
infinity Righteous, and
Holy
God.
So
do the
Socinians
think
of
the Doctrine
ofthe
Sati
ffaEfion
ofChrif,
the
great treafure
of
the Church; At the
rate that
men paffe
at
in
this
world,
it
will be difficult
to
exclude many
of
them from the number
of
intelligent
confidering men
;And
are they not
all abfolved
here by
Mr
G. in
this Principle,
from bowing
to
the
Authority
of
God
in
the
Scriptures, having juif
ground
to
tiueftion, whether
they are from God
or
no.
The
cafe
is
the
fame with
the
Papifls
&
others
in
fundry particulats. Frame the
fuppofition how you will, in
things never
fo
uncouth and ftrange, yet
if
this
bethe
pofition,
That
in
things
which appease
fo
to
men, upon
their
confideration,
if
any
thing
in
the Scrip-
K
k
3
titre
Zii