§. VII. Their first objection is ufually drawn Obj. 1. from Ifaiab viii. 20. To the law and to the teftimony; if they fpeak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Now this law, teftimony, and word, they plead to be the scriptures.

To which I anfwer; That that is to beg the Anfw. thing in queftion, and remains yet unproved. Nor do I know for what reafon we may not fafely affirm this law and word to be inward: but fuppofe it was outward, it proves not the cafe at all for them, neither makes it against us; for it may be confeffed, without any prejudice to our cause, that the outward law was more particularly to the Jews a rule, and more principally than to us; feeing their law was outward and literal, but ours under the new covenant (as hath been already faid) is exprefly affirmed to be inward and fpiritual; fo that this fcripture is fo far from making against us, that it makes for us. For if To try all the Jews were directed to try all things by their things, by law, which was without them, written in tables of stone; then if we will have this advice of the prophet to reach us, we must make it hold parallel to that difpenfation of the gospel which we are under: fo that we are to try all things, in the first place, by that word of faith which is preached unto us, which the apoftle faith is in the heart; and by that law which God hath given us, which the apostle faith alfo exprefly is written and placed in the mind.

what?

Laftly, If we look to this place according to the Greek interpretation of the Septuagint, our adverfaries fhall have nothing from thence to carp; yea, it will favour us much; for there it is faid, that the law is given us for an help; which very well agrees with what is above afferted.

Their fecond objection is from John v. 39. Search Obj. 2. the Scriptures, &c.

Anfw.I.

Here, fay they, we are commanded, by Chrift himfelf, to fearch the fcriptures.

I answer, First, That the fcriptures ought to be fearched, we do not at all deny; but are very willing to be tried by them, as hath been above declared but the question is, Whether they be the only and principal rule? Which this is fo far from proving, that it proveth the contrary; for Chrift checks them here for too high an efteem of the fcriptures, and neglecting of him that was to be preferred before them, and to whom they bore Search the witness, as the following words declare; for in fcriptures, them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they

&c.

which testify of me: and ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life. This fhews, that while they thought they had eternal life in the fcriptures, they neglected to come unto Chrift to have life, of which the fcriptures bore witnefs. This answers well to our purpofe, fince our adverfaries now do alfo exalt the fcriptures, and think to have life in them; which is no more than to look upon them as the only principal rule and way to life, and yet refufe to come unto the Spirit of which they testify, even the inward fpiritual law, which could give them life: fo that the caufe of this people's ignorance and unbelief was not their want of refpect to the fcriptures, which though they knew, and had an high efteem of, yet Chrift teftifies in the former verfes, that they had neither feen the Father, nor beard his voice at any time; neither had bis word abiding in them; which had they then had, Anfw.2, then they had believed in the Son. Moreover, that place may be taken in the indicative mood, Ye fearch the fcriptures; which interpretation the Greek word will bear, and fo Pafor tranflateth it: which by the reproof following feemeth alfo to be the more genuine interpretation, as Cyrillus long ago hath obferved.

§. VIII.

§. VIII, Their third objection is from thefe Obj. 3. words, Ats xvii. 11. These were more noble than thofe in Theffalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and fearched the fcriptures daily, whether thofe things were fo.

Here, fay they, the Bereans are commended for Searching the fcriptures, and making them the rule.

I answer, That the fcriptures either are the prin- Anf. 1. cipal or only rule, will not at all follow from this; neither will their fearching the fcriptures, or being commended for it, infer any fuch thing: for we recommend and approve the use of them in that refpect as much as any; yet will it not follow, that we affirm them to be the principal and only rule.

ans fearch

makes them

doctrines.

Secondly, It is to be obferved that these were Anf. 2. the Jews of Berea, to whom thefe fcriptures, which were the law and the prophets, were more parti- The Berecularly a rule; and the thing under examination was, whether the birth, life, works, and sufferings feriptures, of Chrift, did anfwer to the prophecies that went not the only before of him; fo that it was moft proper for rule to try them, being Jews, to examine the apoftle's doctrine by the scriptures; feeing he pleaded it to be a fulfilling of them. It is faid nevertheless, in the first place, That they received the word with chearfulness; and in the second place, They fearched the fcriptures: not that they fearched the fcriptures, and then received the word; for then could they not have prevailed to convert them, had they not firft minded the word abiding in them, which opened their understandings; no more than the Scribes and Pharifees, who (as in the former objection we obferved) searched the fcriptures, and exalted them, and yet remained in their unbelief, because they had not the word abiding in them.

But laftly, If this commendation of the Jewish Ans. 3. Bereans might infer that the fcriptures were the only and principal rule to try the apoftles doctrine

A

The Athe

ftanced.

by, what fhould have become of the Gentiles? How should they ever have come to have received the faith of Chrift, who neither knew the fcriptures, nor believed them? We fee in the end of the fame chapter, how the apoftle, preaching to nians in- the Athenians, took another method, and directed them to fomewhat of God within themfelves, that they might feel after him. He did not go about to profelyte them to the Jewish religion, and to the belief of the law and the prophets, and from thence to prove the coming of Chrift; nay, he took a nearer way. Now certainly the principal and only rule is not different; one to the Jews, and another to the Gentiles; but is univerfal, reaching both: though fecondary and fubordinate rules and means may be various, and diverfly fuited, according as the people they are used to are ftated and cir cumftantiated even fo we fee that the apostle to the Athenians used a teftimony of one of their own poets, which he judged would have credit with them; and no doubt fuch teftimonies, whofe authors they esteemed, had more weight with them than all the fayings of Mofes and the prophets, whom they neither knew nor would have cared for. Now becaufe the apoftle ufed the teftimony of a poet to the Athenians, will it therefore follow he made that the principal or only rule to try his doctrine by? So neither will it follow, that though he made ufe of the fcriptures to the Jews, as being a principle already believed by them, to try his doctrine, that from thence the fcriptures may be accounted the principal or only rule.

§. IX. The laft, and that which at first view feems to be the greateft objection, is this: Obj. 4.

If the fcripture be not the adequate, principal, and only rule, then it would follow that the fcripture is not complete, nor the canon filled; that if men be now immediately led and ruled by the Spirit, they may add

new

new fcriptures of equal authority with the old; whereas every one that adds is curfed: yea, what affurance bave we, but at this rate every one may bring in a new gofpel according to his fancy?

The dangerous confequences infinuated in this Anfw. objection were fully anfwered in the latter part of the last propofition, in what was faid a little before, offering freely to difclaim all pretended revelations contrary to the scriptures.

But if it be ùrged, That it is not enough to deny Obj. 1. thefe confequences, if they naturally follow from your doctrine of immediate revelation, and denying the fcripture to be the only rule;

I anfwer; We have proved both thefe doctrines Anf. I. to be true and neceffary, according to the fcriptures themselves; and therefore to faften evil confequences upon them, which we make appear do not follow, is not to accufe us, but Chrift and his apostles, who preached them.

But Secondly, We have fhut the door upon all Anf. 2. fuch doctrine in this very pofition; affirming, That the Scriptures give a full and ample teftimony to all the principal doctrines of the Chriftian faith. For we do firmly believe that there is no other gospel or doctrine to be preached, but that which was delivered by the apostles; and do freely fubfcribe to that faying, Let him that preacheth any other Gal. i. 8. gofpel, than that which bath been already preached by the apostles, and according to the fcriptures, be accurfed.

not a new

So we distinguish betwixt a revelation of a new A new regospel, and new doctrines, and a new revelation of velation is the good old gofpel and doctrines; the last we plead gofpel. for, but the first we utterly deny. For we firmly believe, That no other foundation can any man lay, than that which is laid already. But that this revelation is neceffary we have already proved; and this diftinction doth fufficiently guard us against the hazard infinuated in the objection.

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