3. The sanctifying Spirit still in all ages and christians, attested the divinity and truth of the doctrine of the main body of the Bible, especially the gospel; and then if we should err about the authority of a particular book, it would not overthrow our faith. It is not necessary to salvation to believe this particular text to be divine, but it is sin and folly to doubt causelessly of the parts, when the Spirit attesteth the doctrine and the body of the book. I pass these things briefly, because I have largelier handled them elsewhere.
Quest. CXLIX. _Is the public reading of the Scripture the proper work of a minister? or may a layman ordinarily do it? or another officer?_
_Answ._ In such cases as I before showed that a layman may preach, he may also read the Scriptures. Of which look back.
2. No doubt but it is a work well beseeming the ordained ministers or pastors, and an integral part of their office; and should not be put off by them when they can do it.
3. When they need help the deacons are ordained ministers, authorized to help them in such work, and fittest to do it.
4. Whether in a case of necessity a layman may not ordinarily read the Scripture to the congregation, is a case that I am loth to determine, being loth to suppose such a necessity. But if the minister cannot, and there be no deacon, I cannot prove it unlawful for a layman to do it under the direction of the pastor. I lived some time under an old minister of about eighty years of age, (who never preached himself,) whose eye-sight failing him, and having not maintenance to keep an assistant, he did by memory say the Common-prayer himself, and got a tailor one year, and a thresher or poor day-labourer another year, to read all the Scriptures. Whether that were not better than nothing, I leave to consideration.
And I think it is commonly agreed on, that where there is no minister, it is better for the people to meet and hear a layman read the Scriptures and some good books, than to have no public helps and worship.
Quest. CL. _Is it lawful to read the apocrypha, or any good books besides the Scriptures, to the church? As homilies, &c.?_
_Answ._ 1. It is not lawful to read them as God's word, or to pretend them to be the holy Scriptures, for that is a falsehood, and an addition to God's word.
2. It is not lawful to read them scandalously, in a title and manner tending to draw the people to believe that they are God's word, or without a sufficient distinguishing of them from the holy Scriptures.
3. If any one of the apocryphal books, (as Judith, Tobit, Bel and the Dragon, &c.) be as fabulous, false, and bad as our protestant writers (Reignoldus, Amesius, Whitakers, Chamier, and abundance more) affirm them to be, it is not lawful ordinarily to read them, in that honourable way as chapters called lessons are usually read in the assemblies. Nor is it lawful so to read heretical, fabulous, or erroneous books.
But it is lawful to read publicly, apocryphal and human writings, homilies, or edifying sermons, on these conditions following.
1. So be it they be indeed sound doctrine, holy, and fitted to the people's edification.
2. So be it they be not read scandalously without sufficient differencing them from God's book.
3. So they be not read to exclude or hinder the reading of the Scriptures, or any other necessary church duty.
4. So they be not read to keep up an ignorant, lazy ministry that can or will do no better; nor to exercise the minister's sloth, and hinder him from preaching.
5. And especially if authority command it, and the church's agreement require it, as a signification what doctrine it is which they profess.
6. Or if the church's necessities require it; as if they have no minister, or no one that can do so much to their edification any other way.
7. Therefore the use of catechisms is confessed lawful in the church, by almost all.
Quest. CLI. _May church assemblies be held where there is no minister? Or what public worship may be so performed by laymen? (As among infidels, or papists, where persecution hath killed, imprisoned, or expelled the ministers.)_
_Answ._ 1. Such an assembly as hath no pastor, or minister of Christ, is not a church, in a political sense, as the word signifieth a society consisting of pastor and flock; but it may be a church in a larger sense, as the word signifieth only a community or association of private christians for mutual help in holy things.
2. Such an assembly ought on the Lord's days, and at other fit times, to meet together for mutual help, and the public worshipping of God, as they may, rather than not to meet at all.