(2.) TJiis doctrine of the Pajnsts is prejudicial, indeed destruc- tive, to Christian religion. It leaves us only the name of Christianity, and no more. What is all religion, if God be not the author of it? and, if the Papists say true, we can never be sure, that God is the author of that which we call Christian. This one doctrine of the Romish synagogTje puts us into a worse condition than the Jewish one is in; which hath some foundation for its faith and Avorship, whereas this leaves none at all for oure. It is, in a word, most per- niciously contrary to, and destructive of, a Christian /ai^/i, and co7?i- fo7% and obedience, all at once : —
1st. It is destructive to our faith. It leaves us no firm footing for it, when it must be first founded upon, and lastly resolved irito, the authority of men; and we can never know the Scripture to be the word of God, without either the concurring votes of all the Christian world to JXHsure us of it, or at least the definitive sentence of a pope or council, and have no better assurance of its being divine than their say-so. What can ruhi our faith, if the imdermining of it do not?
' Tortulliaiius.
AUTHORITY OF THE SCRIPTUEE. 535
and what is it to undermine it, if tliis be not? It takes aAvay the very- foundation of it ; and, instead of the infaUible veracity of the God of truth, puts us off ^\dth the uncertain testimony of, at least, a company of fallible men, who may every one of them be deceived; and there- fore so may we too, for company, if we rely on their authority. In- deed, it leaves us httle (if any at all) more certainty for om^ religion than the Turks have for theirs ; for why may not they as well require us to believe, that God speaks to us in the Alkoran, because they say he doth, as the Papists require us to believe he speaks to us in the Scripture, merely because the pope or council says so? nay, how little difl'erence doth this cursed doctrine make between the great mysteries of the gospel, the articles of our faith, and the ridiculous fables of the rabbins, or abominations of ]\Iohammed ! For if some writings are not canonical Scripture, merely because the church (that is, pope or council) hath not canonized them, and some are, because it hath, — the Acts of Peter and the Revelation of Paul are not the word of God, because the church would not so far dignify them; and the Epistles of Peter and Paul are therefore of divine authority, be- cause it so seemed good to the church to determine, — why might not the same chm-ch, if she had been so pleased, have added the Talmud to the Scripture, ay, and the Alkoran too? And they cannot say, it is because these books contain not only innumerable fopperies, but notorious lies, unless they will eat their own words, and recede fi'om one of their chiefest arguments; namely, that the apociyphal books they themselves do not receive are therefore only not canonical, because the church hath not received them, when the rest are, because she hath.
2d. It is as destructive to our comfort. When our great comfort proceeds from our faith, such as the one is, so will the other be too ; an ill-grounded faith can never produce a well-grounded comfort: the foundation being shaken, the buildmg must needs totter. What will become of that " comfort of the Scriptvire" the apostle speaks of, Rom. XV. 4, — that "joy and peace in believing," verse 13, — that hope in God's word David mentions, Ps. cxix. 81, cxxx. 5, — if we can no otherwise be sm-e that it is God's word, but only because men tell us it is so? How will our hope and comfort fail us, and our hearts fail us, when we come to consider, that that testimony of man, which is the ground of our faith, and therefore of our comfort, for aught we know, will (sure enough may) fad us ! How should we stand, if our foundation sink under us? If the rain should descend, and the floods come, and the winds blow, and beat upon us, what shelter, what fence should we have? How great would our fall be! Matt. vii. 27. If temptations should arise, and assault and shake oiu: faith, how should we maintain our comforts? Would it not be sad for us, or any of us,
536 AUTHORITY OF THE SCRIPTURE.
to say within ourselves, " I have ventured my soul and its eternal welfare upon the Scripture, and the promises I there find ; but how do I know that this Scripture is the word of God? How do I know I am not mistaken ? Am I as sure I am not deceived as I am cer- tain of being miserable if I be? Here is, indeed, a company of men that call themselves "the church;" but that is a hard word; I never meet it anywhere but in their mouths, and in this book which they have put into my hands ; and yet these are the only men that tell me it is the Avord of God. But what reason have I to believe them ? They say, indeed, they are infallible, and cannot be deceived; but how shall I know that ? They say the Scrijoture says so. Suppose it doth, Avhat know I bvit they make it say so, and the Scripture and they are agreed together to gratify one another, and speak for one another? I see not that they are the church unless the Scripture makes them so ; and yet they tell me, that the Scripture is not the word of God to me unless they make it so. I know no authority they have to bind me to believe them, but what this book gives them ; and they know none it hath to bind me to believe it, but what they give it. And tlius I am quite at a loss, if either this thing called " the church" be not honest, but will cheat me; or be not infallible, but may deceive me. How vain, then, and flattering have all my hopes been hitherto ! how uncertain my faith, how deceitful my joys and comforts! Farewell " glor}', and honour, and peace!" Farewell "life and immortality ! " Farewell " the inheritance of the saints," and the " crown of righteousness!" Fine things, if I knew where to have them! Rom. ii. 10; 2 Tim.i. 10; Col. i. 12; 2 Tim. iv. 8. How would you like this. Christians? Do ye not even tremble at the thoughts of such dismal temptations? What think you, then, of the religion of the Papists, which exposeth all that embrace it to such uncertainties? It is no wonder they allow no certainty of salvation to believers, when they leave them at so gi'eat uncertainties for the very foundation of their faith.