DIRECTIONS FOR THE Profitable Reading OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, &c. The INTRODUCTION. UR Divines have taken a great deal of pains, both by preaching and writing, to convince men of the obligations lying upon them to read and study the Holy Scriptures; and are as induftrious to lay before B their their people the great advantages they would receive by reading and meditating upon God's word, as the Romanifts have been follicitous to deter their Difciples from this employment, by reprefenting to them the dangers they are likely to incur thereby. A great prefumption, that the former are well affur'd that their doctrines will bear the teft of the Scriptures; and the latter are conscious to themselves, that their tenets will not abide fo fevere a trial. Thus far the argument in general has been fufficiently handled; but there is another particular relating to this fubject, that feems not to have been much confider'd, and that is, The giving rules for the more profitable reading of the Scriptures, and inftructing perfons, of ordinary understandings, what parts of Scripture are fitteft for them to read, and beft fuited to their capacities. This I take to be a confideration of great ufe and importance; the handling of which diftinctly, would of itfelf contain a full anfwer answer to all thofe popular objections which the Popish writers have made against the promifcuous reading of the Bible: As if we gave authority thereby to the meanest and most ignorant people, to judge of the sense of the abftrufeft and most difficult parts of God's word; and that this private interpretation of Scripture was the last refort in all difputes, from which there lay no appeal either to the ancient fathers and councils, or to the authority of the prefent guides and governours of the Church. From whence they infer, that whatever Herefies or Schifms arise among us, from mens rafh and unwarrantable interpretations of Scripture, we ought to bear all the blame, and may thank our felves if weak or ill-defigning men turn those weapons against us, which we at firft put into their hands. But there would be no ground for these clamours, if the people were made fenfible, that all parts of Scripture are not equally fitted for the capacities B 2 A pacities of all men; that as fome contain milk for babes in Christ, so others afford ftrong meat, which is proper only for those of a full and mature age; i. e. fuch as are arriv'd at a competent degree of knowledge in the mysteries of the Gofpel; and that to understand the Scriptures be throughly, fo as to able by found doctrine to establish the truth, and to convince gainfayers, is a work that requires as good parts, and as great industry, as any ftudy whatsoever. And therefore as the Clergy ought particularly to dedicate themselves to this employment, and bend all their ftudies chiefly this way, that their lips may preferve the knowledge of those facred oracles; fo 'tis the duty of the people to feek the law at their mouths : Not indeed to have fuch an implicit faith in what they fay, that if they call evil good, and good evil, they fhould be bound to believe them; but that perfons of ordinary capacities, and fuch have not made the study of the Scriptures their Bufinefs, fhould have the fame deference for the judgment of their teachers in difficulties relating to points of religion, as thofe that never studied Law or Phyfic, have for the judgment of Lawyers or Physicians in matters relating to their several profeffions. "Our Church is very unjustly reproach'd by the Papifts. to ufe the words of a learned writer (a), "as if it left every one at liberty to interpret Scripture as they pleas'd; "for we embrace the antient Creeds as "the fummary comprehenfion of the "articles of our faith; and we think "no man ought to follow his fancy, "in rejecting any doctrines which "have been univerfally receiv'd in the " in the Chriftian Church from the "times of the Apostles: And in diffi"cult cafes we require all men to call "in the affiftance of their fpiritual guides and governors, whom God "has appointed for the better inftructing and governing private per "fons." (a) Answer to the royal papers. B 3 This |