the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God; but unto them thahare without all these bins are done in Parables: V 12. That feeing they may fee, and not perceive; and bearing they may hear, and not understand; left at any Time they should be converted, and their Sins fhould be forgiven them.

Had thefe parabolical Scriptures been made plainer, they would not have been fo accurately adjufted to the Legiflator's Intention; and confequently that additional Perfpicuity, in ftead of railing their Excellency, would have proyed an evident Imperfection. And the Apostle tells us exprefly, that in the Writings of Paul there are fome Things hard to be understood, which Things certainly could have been delivered in clearer Expreffions.

The infinitely wife God had feveral different Purposes to serve, with refpect to different Perfons and Circumftances, by the Holy Scriptures: And the admirable Pèrfection of thof: divine Records, muft not be made to depend upon the utmoft Degree of any one Quality, or their Fittednefs to one particular Cafe, but it really confifts in the Frame and Difpofition of the whole, and all the Parts of it, when taken together, being exactly adapted to the complex State and Defign of the Gofpel Revelation. And it is enough to answer all the Cavils of Adverfaries, with refpect to the Perfpicuity of the Bible, if the neceflary Truths of Religion,and thefe Doctrines which God requires the Knowledge of from fincere Chriftians, be revealed in the Scripture with that Certainty and Evidence that Perfons of whatever Capacity may attain the affured Difcovery of them, in a diligent Ufe of all appointed Means, and a humble Dependence on the enlightning Afliltances of the Holy Spirits who lead thofe that have fuch a fincere and pious Difpofi tion into all Truth: But then the Perfpicuity of Scripture-Expreffions is calculated for Diligence and not for Laziness; it is plain enough to be comprehended by a careful and impartial Enquirer, but it is not fo clear, but that it may be eafily mistaken by a Mind biaffed with Prejudices, clouded with Paffions, diffolved into foft Pleafures, or blown up with Pride or Vanity; nor is it fuch a Clearnefs that it will be immediately perceived, and give Light to a Man abandoned to his Eafe, and who will not be at the Pains to fearch after Truth. So that the Perfection and Perfpicuity of the Scriptures, are not of fuch a Nature, as to fuppofe that the moft obvious Ex preffions of Chriftian Doctrines,are always made Ufe of, and that it is impoffible to fall upon plainer and eafier Phrafes than are to be found in fome Texts.

Were the Holy Scriptures and Confeffions of Faith calculated for the fame Purposes, it were an impious Vanity, and a contemptuous Impeachment of the Word of God, to think any Phrafes but fcriptu ral Ones neceffary; or that Creeds could be better formed in Words of our own; fince that were to imagine that we could contrive Words, more adapted to their Defign, than thofe of the Spirit of God were to his. But if the Scriptures were levelled at another Mark than Confeffions are, and fo the Compofure of them was to be regulated by different Meafures; then it cannot be the tmalleft Reflection upon the Scriptures, that fome Phrafes may be more

proper

proper for Creeds than the precife Terms of the Bible; becauld tho thefe Terms were infinitely well fuited for their own Defign, they needed not be perfectly adjusted to the Intentions of another Compofure.

Now the Holy Scriptures are defigned for a perpetual and univerfal Rule of Faith and Manners, to all Places, in all Ages, and with refpect to Chriftians of whatfoever Language or Condition; and therefore the Phrafes of them muft be fitted to this comprehenfive and enlarged View, and muft not be confined to the fpecial Circumstances of this Age or Country. On the contrary, Confeffions of Faith are of a limited Nature, they must be adapted to the particular State of Nations and of Periods; to the Herefies which at any Time rage with the greateft Fury, the various Subterfuges of Hereticks, and the Difguifes under which they endeavour to conceal themselves; what Senfe they ufe Words in must be examined, and the different Turn which their Schemes and Notions may take must be confidered, in order to form a Creed aright: And fo according to the Variety of Cafes, fome Phrafes may be proper in one Cafe, which in another would entirely mifs the End, and different Churches may fee it fit for them to make Alterations in their Creeds, and ufe different Expreffions.

Now where is the smallest Injury done to the Holy Scriptures, if it fhould be afferted, That the Phrafes of a general univerfal Rule, are not always the fitteft for the fpecial Ufes of a particular Society; that the Words of a humane Compofure may better anfier the Exigencies of a particular Age or Place, and may be more actly proportioned to the Nature of fome Errors, and the Circumftances of fome Hereticks, than the fcriptural Phrafes: Because these were not defigned for that fingle Cafe, but had a much more extenfive View; while in the mean Time it is acknowledged that the Words and Terms of the Bible are incomparably better adjusted to the Ends of the Holy Ghost in inditing them, than any Words of Man's devifing can poffibly be.

But there remains one Confideration further, which we hope will fully clear this Matter, and demonftrate the Vanity of the Objection, and that the prefent Queftion hath no Relation to the Excellency or Perfpicuity of the Holy Scriptures, nor can have the smallest Influence upon the Proteftant Principles concerning them.

When we fpeak of the Perfpicuity and Plainnefs of Scripture Phrafes, we evidently confider them as they ly in the facred Oracles, and as they are Expreffions of the Chriftian Doctrine and of the Mind of our great Legiflator. And fo the only Meaning of the Proteftant Principle is, That in the Scriptures the Holy Ghoft hath revealed to us the Will of God, and the Truths of the Gofpel whereof he requires the Belief, in fo fimple a Stile and in fo plain a Manner; that without any Addition or the Authority of humane Explications, every ordinary Chriftian, who with Sincerity and Diligence fhall make Ufe of the Means laid to his Hand, may find out the true Senfe, and attain the Knowledge of Things pertaining to Salvation: And confequently that the Bible is of it felf, indepen

dent

dent of Tradition and of the Church, a full perfpicuous and infal Tible Rule of Faith and Manners. So that when we fpeak of the Plainnefs and Excellency of Scripture Phrafes, we confider them as the Words of the Holy Ghoft,and Expreffions of the Mind of God to us.

In which Senfe none /hall be readier than we to acknowledge the Certainty and Evidence of Scripture Expreffions; that they are as clear Declarations of the Mind of the Holy Spirit, concerning the Truths of Religion, as the moft determinate Phrafes of any humane Confeffion can be, and incomparably better adjusted to the Ends of divine Revelation: And that there is no Manner of Ambiguity and Uncertainty in their Signification. For my Part I always thought many Texts of Scripture, as plain and pofitive Declarations of the Divinity of our Saviour, and his being one God with the Father, as could be invented; and that the Words of the Bible are as clear and determinate, not only with regard to this, but also to the other important Articles of our Faith, as the Words of any Creed are: So that had the very Phrafes made Ufe of in the Weltminfter Confeffion, to affirm the Divinity of our Saviour and contradict the Arian and Socinian Herefies been inferted in the Scriptures by the infpired Writers; I would not have thought them more clear and evident, or freer from Ambiguity, or the Hazard of being taken in different Senfes by different Perfons, than the Expreffions which the divine Writers actually made Ufe of, really are. So that thus far, I hope we entertain as high Notions of the Sufficiency and Perfpicuity of the Scripture Phrafes, as our Adverfaries can poffibly do; and are far from comparing with them, even in the Point of Clearnefs, the Words of any humane Compofure, or the Creed of any Church whatfomever,

Why then do we make Ufe of other Phrafes in the Declarations of our Faith, and upon that very Account, that thefe of the Bible are too variable and indeterminate, and fo liable to an ambiguous Sig nification, that an Affent to them would not be a fufficient Teft of a Minifter's Orthodoxy? And how is this reconcilable with what hath been juft now acknowledged concerning the Clearnefs and Fulness of the Scriptural Phrafes?

The Cafe is very evident. Confeffions of Faith are not immediately defigned to give an Account of what the Holy Ghoft fays concerning fuch an Article; but of what fuch a Perfon or Church believes: And fo the Words of a Creed or Confeffion are not Expreffions of the Will of the Holy Ghost, but of our Faith, and of the Mind of the Subfcriber: And when a Confideration is had of the proper Terms in which Creeds fhould be drawn up, the Queftion is not whether fuch Phrafes be very plain Significations of the Mind of God, revealed in the Bible; but whether they'll be a clear enough Expreffion of your Mind, who makes the Profeffion of your Faith; for it is very poffible that thefe Words as they ly in the Scripture, may se very evident, and without any Ambiguity, and yet when made Jfe of by you, they may be of a very intricate and uncertain Meanng. So that 'tis the Senfe of the Speaker, or Subfcriber of a Confeffion thich is the Thing wanted: And if we be not informed what

Meaning

Meaning he affixes to them, how plain foever the Scriptural Phr fes are in themfelves, with refpect to the prefent Cafe they may be very obfcure, and evidently infufficient.

Every Body in the leaft acquainted with Language, must be fen fible that the precife fame Words may have different Significations, and Thould be interpreted differently according to the Circumftances of the Perfons who use them, their Way of Writing, the Age in which they lived, and the Seat or Party to which they belong: That in the Mouth or in the Writings of one Perfon they may have a plain eafie Meaning, level to every Body's Capacity; whereas in thofe of another, they may be very intricate and ambiguous, and except he ufe clearer Expreffions, it may be impoffible to attain any Affurance of his Sentiments.

The Signification of Terms is altered by a Variety of Caufes, of which it will be fufficient to give one Inftance: Thefe Words fo famous in Theological Controverfies, Merit, Satisfaction, Prief, A tar, Sacrifice, &c. have been applied to extremely diftant Purpofes, and the Meaning of them came at length to be entirely changed; fo that thefe Words have a very different Signification in the Wri tings of Tertullian, Cyprian, &c. from what they obtain in the Com polures of Bellarmine, Suarez, and their Affociates,

Now fhould Perfons living in these distant Ages, have fubfcribed Creeds compofed by them, wherein fuch Phrafes frequently oc curred, their Affent to them would have been fo far from teftify. ing the Harmony of their Faith, or laying a Foundation for Church Communion; that on the contrary, with one Man such a Subscrip tion would have fignified that he was an orthodox Chriftian, with another Man it would have been declaring that he was a Pa pift.

And had thefe Terms been affented to by a Perfon living in fome of the intermediate Ages, when there was not a total Change made in their Signification, and it was uncertain whether they fhould be understood according to the Ufe which Cyprian, or which Suarez makes of them, it feems evident that his Subfcription would have been abfolutely ufelefs; because thefe Phrafes were then very ambiguous, and fo extremely unfit to give a clear Reprefentation of a Perfon's Faith. But will this in the leaft reflect on the Lan guage of the Primitive Fathers; or will it argue that they did not write clearly and plainly, becaufe afterwards the Phrafes used by them became indiftin&t and dubious?

I know that Words in the Scripture are taken in the most ob vious Senfe, and that which, confidering all Circumftances, muft be their Signification according to the exactest Rules of the trueft Criticifim, I know what the fix'd and determinate Meaning of fuch Phrafes was at that Time; and am fure, that the Holy Ghost infpr ring the Prophets and Apoftles, could never mistake the juft Senfe of Words, or take them in a ftrained foreign Way, that he never could have a Defign to hide his Mind, and difguife his Doctrine by ambiguous and deceitful Terms; that the Scriptures dictated by him were perfectly harmonious in all their Parts, adorned with a

noble

noble Simplicity, and free from any Degree of Artifice. And there fore the Expreffions of the Sacred Oracles are an open, plain, and impartial Reprefentation of the Doctrines contained in them; and are fimple and fixed in their Signification, fo as they may be understood by all who fincerely apply their Minds to the Discovery of the Truth.

Upon the other hand when thefe Phrafes are made ufe of in Confefions, they are the Words of fallible Men, and it may be of cunning Hereticks, who want only fo fair a Vizard, as the Form and Appearance of Scripture-Expreffions, under which they may conceal the Poifon of their Errors; and impofe upon the fimple, who may, and certainly on one fide or other do, mistake the genuine and original Senfe of thefe Scripture-Terms, and confequently in their Mouths they exprefs very different Things from what they do as they ly in the Bible.

We have the moft convincing Experience that thefe Phrafes, in the Age and Country where the Creed is formed, are understood variously by feveral Men; one of them means one thing, and ano ther the quite contrary, when he pronounces them: In which Cafe it is evident they are dark ambiguous Words, the Signification whereof is to be determined, that they are not at all fufficiently plain Expreffions of a Man's Faith; it is impoffible without an Explication to know what is meant by them, and more clear and eafy Terms must be made ufe of, in order to attain any of the valuable and neceffary Ends of Confeffions.

But then this hath really nothing to do with the Difpute concerning the Perfection of the Scriptures: For thefe very Phrafes, which are obfcure and fcarce intelligible Expreffions of the Thoughts and Opinions of a Man, or a Society now a days, confidering the different Nature and Circumftances, as we have juft now in part reprefented; yet may be, and are very diftin&t and clear Expreffions of the Mind of God, as they ly in the Scriptures, becaufe 'tis really this Difference of Perfons and Circumftances which occafions the Obfcurity, and makes the Words unfit in one Cafe, which are made ufe of with infinite Wifdom in another.

Tho' therefore we with Confidence affirm, that other Words and Phrafes are abfolutely neceffary to give a fair and plain Confeffion of the Faith of Chriftians, and diftinguish betwixt thofe who receive the Truths of the Golpel, and fuch as have fallen away from them, and been led afide by Errors and Herefies; confidering the prefent State of religious Controverfies, and the ambiguous Senfe in which Scripture-Phrafes are at prefent ufed by different Perfons: Yet fince we maintain, in perfect Confiftence herewith, the abfolute Sufficiency Fulnefs and Perfpicuity of the Sacred Oracles; yet the Phrafes in them are chofen with admirable Wisdom, and in all refpects fuited to the Nature and Defigns of a Book, that was to be a complete and infallible Rule of Faith and Manners to all the Members of the Church in all Ages; and that thofe Terms are, without the Authority of any humane Explication, clear and certain Expreffions of the Mind of the Holy Ghost, it is evident we act in a perfect

84

Agree