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tient Writers: But this, only as a Means to affift and clear up their own Underftanding, not to over-rule it; as a Means to afford them Light to fee what Christ has taught them, not to prejudice them with fuppofing that Chrift has taught any thing, which, after the ftrictest inquiry and most careful examination, they cannot find to be delivered in his Do&rine.

If in all things abfolutely neceffary to be believed and practifed in order to Salvation, the Revelation of Christ was not in it felf fo clear, as that every fincere perfon, using the best Helps and Affiftances he can meet with, could fufficiently understand it; it would follow, that God had not at all made fufficient provision for the Salvation of men. For the Doctrine of Chrift and his Apostles being the only Foundation we have to go upon, and no man fince pretending to have had any new Revelation; 'tis evident there can never poffibly be any Authority upon Earth, "fufficient to oblige any man to receive any thing as of divine Revelation, which it cannot make appear to that Mans own Understanding (fincerely ftudying and inquiring after the Truth,) to be included in That Revelation. For if any man can by any exter

nal

nal Authority be bound to believe any thing to be the Doctrine of Christ, which at the fame time his best Understanding neceffitates him to believe is not that Doctrine; he is unavoidably under the Abfurdity of being obliged to obey Two contrary Masters, and to follow Two inconfiftent Rules at once. The only Rule of Faith therefore to every Chriftian, is the Doctrine of Chrift; and That Do&rine, as applied to him by his own Understanding, In which matter, to preferve his Understanding from erring, he is obliged indeed, at his utmost peril, to lay afide all Vice and all Prejudice, and to make use of the best Affistances he can procure But after he has done all that can be done, he muft of neceffity at laft understand with his own Understanding, and believe with his own, not anothers, Faith.

For (whatever has fometimes been abfurdly pretended to the contrary,) 'tis evidently as impoffible in Nature, that in these things any one perfon fhould fubmit himself to another, as that one man should fee or tafte, fhould live or breathe for another.

Wherefore in every Inquiry, Doubt, Question or Controverfy concerning Religion, every man that is follicitous to avoid erring, is obliged to have recourse (accor

(according to the best of his Capacity) to the Rule itself, to the original Revelation. Ufing (as is before faid) all the Helps and Afliftances he can obtain; But ftill taking care to ufe them, only as Helps and Affiftances; not confounding and blending them with the Rule itself.

Where That Rule is to be found by every fincere Christian, is very evident. Whatever our Lord himself taught, (becaufe his Miracles proved his divine Authority,) was infallibly True, and to Us (in matters of Religion) the Rule of Truth. Whatever his Apoftles preached, (because they were infpired by the fame Spirit, and proved their Commission by the like Teftimony of Miracles,) was likewife a part of the Rule of Truth. Whatever the Apoftles wrote, (because they wrote under the Direction of the fame Spirit by which they preached,) was in like manner a part of the Rule of Truth. Now in the Books of Scripture is.conveyed down to us the Sum of what our Saviour taught, and of what the Apoflles preached and wrote: And were there as good evidence, by any certain means of Tradition whatsoever, of any other things taught by Chrift or his Apofles, as there is for thofe delivered down to us in these Writings; it could not be

denied but that fuch Tradition would be of the fame Authority, and in every respect as much a part of the Rule of Truth, as the Scripture itself. But fince there is no fuch Tradition (and indeed in the nature of things there can be no fuch Tradition) at this distance of Time; therefore the Books of Scripture are to Us Now not only the Rule, but the Whole and the Only Rule of Truth in matters of Religion.

This Notion is Non enim per awell expreffed by, lios difpofitionem faIrenæus: We have lutis noftræ cognonot (faith he) been taught the Method of our Salvation by any Others, than by Thofe from whom the Gospel it felf was delivered to us: Which the Apostles, at first, preached; and afterwards, by the Will of God, delivered down to us in Writing, that it might be the Foundation and Pillar

vimus, quàm per eos per quos Evangelium pervenit ad nos: Quod quidem Tunc præconiaverunt;pofteà verò per Dei voluntatem in Scripturis nobis tradiderunt, fundamentum & columnam fidei noftræ futurum. Nec enim fas eft dicere, quoniam antè prædicaverunt quàm perfectam haberent

of our Faith. And agnitionem; ficut

it is impious to ima

quidam audent di

cere,

gine, that they prea- cere, gloriantes eched before they had mendatores fe effe Perfect Knowledge Apoftolorum. Post

of what they were ea enim quàm furreto deliver; as fome, xit Dominus nofter who boaft them felves a mortuis, & induto be Amenders of ti funt fupervenienthe Apoftles do- te Spiritu fancto virctrine, have pre- tutem ex alto, de fumed to affirm. For omnibus adimpleti after our Lord was funt, & habuerunt rifen from the dead, perfectam agnitioand they were in- nem; [6] exierunt dued by the Holy in fines terræ, ea Ghoft with Power quæ a Deo nobis bofrom on high; they na funt evangelizanwere Fully inftruct- tes, & cæleftem paed, and had Perfect cem hominibus anKnowledge in all nunciantes; qui quithings; and went dem & omnes pariforth into the ends of ter & finguli eorum, the World, declaring habentes Evangelithe good things which um Dei. Ità MatGod hath provided thæus---Scripturam for us, and preaching edidit Evangelii, Peace from Heaven &c. Lib.3.cap. 1. unto Men; having

All and Each of them the Gospel of God. Thus Matthew fet forth the Gospel in Writing, &c.

Nevertheless, though the Whole Scripture is the Rule of Truth; and whatever

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