q z 6 Kno7ledge and Trac`.tice neceffary in Religion. Vol. j to know fo much as they can in Religion, for fear they Ihould grow troublefome with their Knowledge, then certainly the belt way in the World to maintain Peace in the Chriftian Church, would be to let thePeople know nothing at all in Religion; and the belt way to fecure the ignorance of the People would be to keep the Priefls as ignorant as the People, and then to be fure they could teach them nothing : but then the mifchief would be, that out of a fondnefs to main- tain Peace in the Chriftian Church, there would be no Church, nor no Chriftia- nity ; which would be the fame wife Contrivance, as if a Prince Ihould deftroy his Subjeéts, to keep his Kingdom quiet. Fourthly, Let us likewife Confider, that if this Redon be good, it is much flronger for witholding the Scriptures from the Priefls, and the Learned, than from the People; becaufe the danger of flailing Errors and Here es, and Counte- nancing them from Scripture, and managing them plautibly and with advantage, is much more tobe feared from the Learned, than from the Common People ; and the Experience of all Ages hath (hewn, that the great Broachers and Abetters of Herefie in the Chriftian Church, have been Men of Learning and Wit ; and molt of the famous Heretics, that are Recorded in Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, have their Names from Come Learned Man or other ; fo that it is a great mifiake to think that the way to prevent Error and Heretic in the Church, is to take the Bible out ofthe hands of the People, .fo long as the free ufe of it is permitted toMen of Learning and Skill, in whofe hands the danger of pervertingit is much greater. The Am ient Fathers, I am lure, do frequently prefcribe to the People the confiant and careful readingof the Holy Scriptures, as the fureft Antidote againfi the Poyfon of dan- gerous Errors, and damnable Hereties 5 and if there be fo much danger of fedufti- on into Error from theOracles of Truth, by what other or better Means can we hope to be fecured againft this danger ? If the Word of God be fo crois and impro- per a Means to this End, one would think that the teachings of Men (hould be much lefs effe&ual 5 fo thatMen mutt either be left in their ignorance, or they mutt be permitted to learn from the word of truth; and whatever force this Reafon of the danger of Herefie hath in it, to deprive the Common People of the ufe of the Scriptures, I am Cure it is much ftronger to wreft them out of the hands of the Priefls and the Learned, becaufe they are much more capableof perverting them to fo bad a purpole. Fifthly, and laltly, this danger was as great and vifible in the Age of the Apo files, as it is now ; and yet they took a quite contrary Courfe ; there were Herefies then, as well as now and either the Scriptures Were not thought by being in the hands of the People to be the Caufe of them, or theydid not think the taking of them out of their hands a proper Remedy. The Apo(tles in all their Epiftles, do earneflly Exhort the People to grow in Knowledge, and commend them for fearch- ing the Scriptures, and charges them that the word ofGod /bould dwell richly in therm And 'Sr. Peter takes particular notice of Come Men refting Come difficult paffagesin Sr. Paul's Epifiles, as likewife in the otherScriptures, to their own deftru&ion, 2 Per 3, 16. where fpeakïngof St. Pours Epifiles, he rays there are fosse things hard . to he underflood," which they,that are unlearned and unfiable wrell, as they doelfo the other Scriptures, to their owndeflrublion. Here the Danger Objehted is taken notice of; but the Remedy prefcribed by St. Peter, is not to take from the People the ale ofthe Scriptures, and to keep them in,ignorance, but after he had cautioned a- gainftthe like weaknefs and errors; he exhorts them to grow in Knowledge, ver. 17, 18. 're therefore; Beloved, feeingye know thefe things before (that is Peeingye are fo plainly told andwarned of this danger) beware lef$ ye alfa being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your ownfiedfa/%nefs ; butgrow ingrace, and in the knowledge ofour Lord and Savióuryefus Chreeji (that is, of the Chriftian Reli- peon ,) believing, it Items, that the more knowledge they had in Religion, the let's they would be in danger of falling into damnable Errors. I proceed to the Stecond Obfervation, vio. That theKnowledge ofour Duty, and thePrallice of it, `may and often arefeparated: This likewife isfuppofed in theText, that Men may, end Oftendo know the Will of God, and their Duty, and vet fall in the Praftice of it. Out Saviour elfewhere fuppofeth, that many know their Mafier's lfill, who de
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