germ. V. OfGonffancy in theProfefton o_fthe f rueReligion. known Tongue, our Underftanding can have no part in it ; and if we do not un- derftand it, it cannot move our Affe&ions. And this likewife is plainly contrary to Scripture ; nmely, to a large Difcourfe of St. Paul's, almoft throughout a whole Chapter where he purpofely fets himfelf to thew the Unprofitablenefs and grofs Abfurdity of Praying, or Celebrating any other Part of Religious Worthip in an unknown Tongue. If any Part of Our Religion had been half fo clearly condemned in Scripture, as this is, (which yet is the conftant and general Prafhce ofthe Church ofRome) we mutt have lain down in our Shame, andConfu fion would have covered us ; and we muff either have rejelted the Authority of the Bible, or have renounced that Point of our Religion, whatever it had been ; tho' it had been dear to us as our Right.Hand, and our Right Eye, we muft, upon fuch plain Evidence of Scripture againft it, have cut it off, andplucked it out, and call it from zcs. The like may be faid of Locking up the Scriptures from the People in an un- known Tongue . contrary to the Command of the Scriptures themfelves, and to the great End and Defign of Almighty God in the writing and publifhing of them ; and contrary to the perpetual Exhortations and Councils of all the Ancient Fathers ofthe ChriftianChurch for a great many Ages, not one excepted : They are hardly more frequent, and copious, and earneft in any Argument, than in perfwading People of all Ranks and Conditions to the conftant and careful Reading of the Holy Scriptures And'contrary to the common Reafon and Senfe of Man- kind. For what fhould Men be perfwaded to be acquainted withal, if not with that which is the great Inftrument ofour Salvation ? that Book which was writ- ten on purpof to reveal and convey to Men the Knowledge of God, and of his Will, and their Duty ? What fhould Men be allowed to know, if not that 'vhiéh is the heft and molt effe&ual Means to dire& and bring them to Heaven, or turn them from Sin, and to preferve them from Eternal Mifery ? When our Saviour would reprefent the heft and moft effeftuai Means of bringing Men to Happinefs, and faving them from the Eternal Torments of Hell, in the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, he brings in Abraham, giving the heft Advice he could to the. Rich Man who was in Hell, concerning his Brethren that were upon Earth, how they might prevent their coming into that place of Torment ; and he dire&s them to the Scriptures, as the belt and molt effe&ual Means to that purpofe : They have (fays he) Mofes and the Prophets, let them bear them. Now if in the Church of God among the ` ew.r, the fame Courfe had been taken that is now in the Church of Rome ; the Rich Man might, and in all Rea- fon -ought to have reply'd, Nay, Father Abraham, but they have not Mofes and the Prophets, nor are they permitted to read them in a Language that they can un- derfland ; and therefore this Advice is of no Ufe to them : And then he might with Reafon have prefs'd him, as he did, that, one might be lent to them from the Dead, to teflifie unto them. But it appears that Abraham ,was very pofitive and peremptory in this Advice;and that he prefers the Knowledge of the Scriptures to any other Way and Means that could be thought of ; and that if this had not its Effe& to perfwade Men to Repentance, and to preferve them from Hell, he did not know any thing elfe that was fo likely to do it : For he concludes ; If they hear not Mofes and the Prophets, neither will they be - perfwaded though one rofe from the dead. And this is the Conclufionof the Parable; which plainly Mews what was the main Scope and Defign of our Saviour in it ; namely, to recom- mend to us the Ufe of the Holy Scriptures, as the belt and molt effeftual Means which the Wifdom ofGod hath provided for the Salvation of Mankind. And now any Man would be apt to think, that the- declared Judgment of our Saviour in the Cafe, fhould go a great way, even with the molt infallible Church in the World. However, this we muff fay, that it is in truth a very hard Cafe, to which the Church of Rome hath reduced Men ; that it will neither allow them Salvation out of their Church, nor the heft and, molt effe&ual Meansof Salva- tion when they are in it. I might fay much more upon this Head ; but this I hope may be fufficient. G Tlts
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