G he faies, that all thofe things which concern Faith and Manners, are plainly to be met with in the Scripture: and Saint Jerom in his Comment on Ef. 19. tells us, that 'tis the custom of the Scripture to clofe obfcure fayings with thofe that are easy; and what was first expreft darkly, to propofe in evident words: which very thing is faid likewife by Saint Chryfoftom, Hom. 9. 2 Cor. 4. II. who in his firft Homily on St. Mat. farther declares, that the Scriptures are eafy to be understood, and expos'd to vulgar capacities. 13. HE faies again, Hom. upon Esay, that the Scriptures are not mettals that require the help of Miners, but afford a treasure easily to be had to them that feek the riches contain d'in them. It is enough only to stoop down, and look upon them, and depart replenish'd with wealth; it is enough only to open them, and behold the fplendor of thofe Gems. Again Hom. 3. on the fecond Ep. to the Theff. 2. All things are eviIdent and trait, which are in the holy Scripture; whatever is neceffary is manifeft. So alfo Hom. 3. on Gen. 14. It cannot be that he who is ftudious in the holy Scripture fhould be rejected: for tho the inftruction of men be wanting, the Lord from above will inlighten our minds, fhine I in upon our reafon, reveal what is fecret, and teach what we do not know. So Hom. 1. on Jo. 11. Almighty God involves his doctrine with no mifts, and darkness, as did the Philofophers: his do arine arine is brighter than the Sun-beams, and more illuftrious; and therefore every where diffus'd: and Hom. 6. on Jo. 11. His doctrine is fo facile, that not only the wife, but even women, and youths must comprehend it. Hom. 13. on Gen. 2. Let us go to the Scripture as our Mark, which is its own interpreter. And foon after faies, that the Scripture interprets it felf, and fuffers not its Auditor to err. To the fame purpose faies Cyril in his third book against Julian. In the Scripture nothing is difficult to them, who are converfant in them as they ought to be. 14. IT is therefore a groundless cavil which men make at the obfcurity of the Scripture; fince it is not obfcure in those things wherein 'tis our common intereft it fhould be plain: which fufficiently juftifies its propriety to that great end of making us wife unto Salvation. And for those things which feem less intelligible to us, many of them become fo, not by the innate obfcurity of the Text, but by extrinfic circumstances (of which perhaps the over-bufy tampering of Paraphrafts, pleased with new notions of their own, may be reckon'd for one.) But this fubject the Reader may find fo well purfued in Mr. Boyls Tract concerning the ftile of Scripture, that I fhall be kindeft both to him and it to refer him thither; as alfo for answer to those other querulous objections which men galled with the fense of the Scripture, have made to its ftile. 15. A third circumftance in which the Scripture is fitted to attain its end, is its being committed to writing, as that is distinguish'd from oral delivery. It is moft true, the word of God is of equal autority and efficacy which way foever it be deliver'd: The Sermons of the Apoftles were every jot as divine and powerful out of their mouths, as they are now in their story. All the advantage therefore that the written Word can pretend to, is in order to its perpetuity, as it is a fecurer way of derivation to posterity, than that of oral Tradition. To evince that it is fo, I fhall firft weigh the rational probabilities on either fide. Secondly, I fhall confider to which God himself appears in Scripture to give the deference. 16. FOR the first of thefe, I fhall propofe this confideration, which I had occafion to intimate before, that the Bible being writ for the univerfal ufe of the faithful, 'twas as univerfally difperft amongst them: The Jews had the Law not only in their Synagogues, but in their private houses, and as foon as the Evangelical Books were writ, they were fcatter'd into all places where the Chriftian Faith had obtain'd. Now when there was fuch a vast multitude of copies, and those so revered by the poffeffors, that they thought it the highest pitch of facrilege to expose them, it muft furely be next to impoffible, entirely to U Sup fupprefs that Book. Befides, it could never be attemted but by fome eminent violence, as it was by the heathen Perfecutors; which (according to the common effect of oppofition) ferv'd to enhance the Chriftians value of the Bible; and confequently when the storm was paft, to excite their diligence for recruiting the number. So that, unless in after Ages, all the Chriftians in the world fhould at once make a voluntary defection, and confpire to eradicate their Religion, the Scriptures could not be utterly extinguish'd. 17. AND that which fecures it from total fuppreffion, do'st in a great degree do so from corruption and falfification. For whilft fo many genuine copies are extant in all parts of the world, to be appeal'd to, it would be a very difficult matter to impofe a fpurious one; efpecially if the change were fo material as to awaken mens jealoufies. And it must be only in a place aud age of grofs ignorance, that any can be daring enough to attemt it. And if it should happen to fucceed in fuch a particular Church, yet what is that to the univerfal? And to think to have the forgery admitted there, is (as a learned man faies) like attemting to poifon the sea. 18. ON the other fide, oral Tradition feems much more liable to hazards, error may there infinuate it felf much more infenfibly. And tho there be no universal conspi racy racy to admit it at firft; yet like a small eruption of waters, it widens its own paffage, till it cause an inundation. There is no impreffion fo deep, but time and intervening accidents may wear out of mens minds; efpecially where the notions are many and are founded not in nature, but pofitive inftitution, as a great part of Chriftian Religion is. And when we confider the various tempers of men, 'twill not be ftrange that fucceeding Ages will not alwaies be determin'd by the Traditions of the former. Some are pragmatic, and think themselves fitter to prefcribe to the belief of their pofterity, than to follow that of their Ancestors: fome have interefts and defigns which will be better ferved by new Tenets: and fome are ignorant and mistaking, and may unawares corrupt the doctrine they should barely deliver: and of this laft fort we may guefs there may be many, fince it falls commonly to the mothers lot to imbue children with the first rudiments. 19. Now in all these cafes how poffible is it that primitive Tradition may be either loft or adulterated? and confequently, and in proportion to that poffibility, our confidence of it must be ftagger'd. I am fure according to the common eftimate in feculars it must be fo. For I appeal to any man whether he be not apter to credit a relation which U 2 comes |