And then Secondly, It is too frequently abused, by stretching it beyond Christ's allowance and intendment upon the other side ; ■when every ignorant and confident person shall, under pretence of liberty granted by Christ, rudely break in upon die sacred text, distort, violate, and abuse the scriptures at pleasure, bv putting such strange and foreign senses upon them, as the Spirit of God never meant or intended *.
How often have I heard that scripture, j\Iicah iv. 10. "They " shall be brouglit even to Babylon," confidently interpreted for almost, but not full home to Babylon', against the very grammar of the text, and the truth of the history ? And so again, that place, Isa. Iviii. 8. " The glory of the Lord shall be tliy rere-ward,"
• Prov. viii. 22. Which words, Epiphiriu^ writes, gave the first occssion to Arius to form his heresy against the Sou of God.
448 A BLOW AT THE ROOT ; OR,
through ignorance of the word, read re-reward^ that is, a double reward to his people? But these are small matters, compared with those grosser abuses of scripture by the ignorant and unlearned, which prejudice truth, and too much countenance Popish re- proaches.
The proper way to prevent and remedy this mischief, is not by depriving any man of his just liberty, either to read or judge for himself what God speaks in his word, and think that way to cure errors ; that were the same thing as to cut off the head to cure an head-ach. Leave that sinful poUcy with the false religion ; let those only that know they do evil be afraid of coming to the light : But the proper course of preventing the mischiefs that come this way, is b}^ labouring to bound and contain Christians within those limits Christ himself hath set unto this liberty which he hath grant- ed them. And these are such as follow.
Limitation I. Though Christ hath indulged to the meanest and weakest Christian, a liberty to read and judge of the scriptures for himself; yet he hath neither thereby nor therewith granted him a liberty pubhcly to expound and preach the word to others : That is quite another thing.
Every man that can read the scriptures, and judge of their sense, is not thereby presently made Christ's commission-officer, publicly and authoritatively to preach and inculcate the same to others : Two things are requisite to such an employment, viz. Propei' qnalifica- tions, 9, Tim. iii. And a solemn call oi^ designation^ Rom. x. 14, 15. The ministry is a distinct office, Acts xx. 17, 28. 1 Thess. v. 12. .and none but qualified and ordained persons can authoritatively preach the word, 2 Tim. i. 6. 1 Tim. iv. 14. and v. 22.
Christians may privately edify one another by reading the scrip- tures, communicating their sense one to another of them, admo- nishing, counselling, reproving one another in a private, fraternal way, at seasons wherein they interfere not with more public duties : But for every one that hath confidence enough (and the ignorant usually are best stocked with it) to assume a liberty without due qua- hfication or call to expound and give tlie sense of scripture, and pour forth his crude and unstudied notions, as the pure sense and meaning of God's spirit in the scriptures ; this is what Christ never allowed, and through this flood-gate errors have broken in, and over-flowed the church of God, to the great scandal of religion, and confirmation of Popish enemies.
Limitation II. Though there be no part of scripture shut up or restrained from the knowledge or use of any Christian, yet Jesus
THE CAUSES AND CURE OF MENTAL ERRORS. 449
Christ hath recommended to Christians of different abilities, the study of some parts of scripture rather than others, as more proper and agreeable to their age and stature in religion.
Christians are by the apostle ranked into three classes, JatherSy young men, and ViHle children, 1 John ii. 13. and accordingly the wisdom of Christ uath directed to that sort of food which is proper for either : For there is in the word all sorts of food suitable to all ages in Christ; i'j"re is both milk for hahes, and strong meat for groion Christians, Heb. v. 13, 14. Those that are unskilful in the word of righteousness, should feed upon milk, that is, tlie easy, plain, but most nutritive and pleasant practical doctrines of the gos- pel. But strong meat (saith he) that is, the more abstruse, deep, and mysterious truths belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who, by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil ; that is, truth and error. To the same pur- pose he speaks, 1 Cor. iii. 2. " I have fed you with milk, and not *' with meat ; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it."
Art thou a weak unstudied Christian.?' a babe in Christ.? Then the easier and more nutritive milk of plain gospel doctrine is fitter for thee, and will do thee more good than the stronger meat of pro- found and more mysterious points; or the bones of controversy, which are too hard for thee to deal with.
God hath blessed this age with great variety of sound and al- lowed expositors in our own language, by the diligent study of which, and prayer for the illumination and guidance of the Spirit, you may not only attain unto the true sense and meaning of the more plain and obvious, but also unto greater knowledge and clearer insight into the more obscure and controverted parts of scripture.
Cause III. There is also another evil disposition in the subject, rendering it easil}^ receptive of errors, and that is spiritual slotJifuU ness and carelessness in a due and serious search of the whole scrip- ture, with a sedate and rational consideration of every part and particle therein ; which may give us any, though the least light, to understand the mind of God in those obscure and difficult points we search after the knowledge of.
Truth lies deep, as the rich veins of gold do, Prov. ii. If we will get the treasure, we must not only beg, as he directs, ver. 3. but dig also, ver. 4. else, as he speaks, Prov. xiv. 23. " The talk of the " lips tends only to poverty.'' We are not to take up with that which lies uppermost, and next at hand upon the surface of the text ; but to search with the most sedate and considerative mind into all parts of the written word, examining every text which hath any respect to the truth we are searching for, heedfully to observe the scope, antecedents, and consequents, and to value every apex.
450 A BLOW AT THE HOOT ; OR,
tittle, and lota ; for each of these are of Divine authority, Matth. v, 18. and sometimes greater weight is laid upon a small word, yea upon the addition or change of a letter in a word, as appears in the names Abram and Sai'ai.