Not so.

For when the apostle saith, "We are not ministers of the letter, but of the Spirit;" his meaning plainly there, is, not of the law, but of the gospel; for in that 2 Cor. iii. he calls the ministration of the law, the letter; and the whole ministration of the gospel, the Spirit. Those therefore that preach or walk according to the ministration of the law, are ministers and professors of the letter; those that preach or walk according to the ministration of the gospel, are ministers and professors of the Spirit: and therefore those that depart from and despise the ministration of the gospel, do depart from and do despite to the Spirit. It is one thing for a man to keep the letter of the Scripture, so as not to deny the same; another thing to keep to the letter only for the meaning of it. It is one thing to preach from the letter, another thing to preach the letter. Our Lord and Saviour Christ, when he expounded that Isa. lxi., as ye read Luke iv., did not preach the letter, yet he preached from the letter. So now, we may preach from the letter of the Scripture, yet not preach the letter, or be ministers of the letter; and you may practise the word from the letter of the Scripture, and yet not be professors of the letter, that is, of the law, and the ministration of it.

How can we hold and keep fast the letter of the Scripture, when there are so many Greek copies of the New Testament, and those diverse one from another?

none.

Yes, well; for though there are many received copies of the New Testament, yet there is no material difference between them. The four Evangelists do vary in the relation of the same thing; yet because there is no contradiction, or material variation, we do adhere to all of them, and deny In the times of the Jews, before Christ, they had but one original of the Old Testament, yet that hath several readings there is a marginal reading, and a line reading, and they differ no less than eight hundred times the one from the other; yet the Jews did adhere to both, and denied neither. Why? Because there was no material difference. And so now, though there be many copies of the New Testament, yet seeing there is no material difference between them, we may adhere to all: for whoever will understand the Scripture, must be sure to keep and hold fast the letter, not denying it.

2. If you would have the true knowledge, and understand the Scripture, and so behold this great light in its full glory and brightness; you must diligently inquire into the true sense and meaning of it, for the true sense and meaning is the soul thereof. Now the Scripture, or the word of God written, may be expounded; for Ezra stood up before the people in a pulpit, and gave the sense of the Scripture. Christ himself is said to expound: and 2 Peter i. 20, “No scripture is of any private interpretation." The word ελus επιλυπς signifies, exposition; it is the same word that is used in Luke iv., “Christ stood up, and expounded." Now, saith the apostle, "No Scripture is of any private exposition;" therefore it may be expounded. And if not, why were gifts given to men by the ascension of Christ? It is a very dangerous thing to bear false witness against the truth of Christ. Now if a man do not take heed unto the true sense and meaning of the Scripture, but will rigidly adhere to the letter of the Scripture, he may quickly bear false witness against the truth. Mark xiv. 56, it is said, "that many did bear false witness against Christ, but their witness agreed not together." But how did they bear false witness? They testified that Christ said, "I can destroy the temple of God, and build it again in three days;" which our Saviour Christ spake of his body, they applied to the temple of the Jews, and so they are said to bear false witness. Why? Because they kept to his words only, and not to his sense and meaning. So that we had need take heed how we report the words of Christ; though we do adhere to his words, yet if we keep not to his meaning, we shall be found false witnesses against him and his truth. "Search the Scriptures," saith our Saviour: why search? even because the sense and meaning doth lie deep. And therefore it is not enough for us that we do adhere to the words, but we must diligently inquire into the true sense and the meaning of them.

But one Scripture hath many senses; a literal sense, and a spiritual sense; a literal sense, and a mystical. How shall we be able then, to find out the true sense and the meaning of it?

Nay, but the same Scripture hath but one entire sense. Indeed Papists tell us, that one Scripture hath many senses ;*

* Excipiendus est Michael Modina,

but the Protestants hold, that there is but one entire sense of a Scripture, though divers applications of it. As for example, the Old Testament says, "Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox;" which the apostle applies to the maintenance of the ministers. The sense is but one in divers parts, thus: as the mouth of the ox is not to be muzzled, so ministry is to be maintained. There is but one whole sense of a scripture, though divers parts and applications of it.

Though the sense of the Scripture be but one entire sense, yet sometimes the Scripture is to be understood literally, sometimes figuratively and metaphorically; but always spiritually, for when it is taken literally, it is taken spiritually: for, says the apostle, "If thy brother offend thee, heap coals of fire upon his head;" that is not to be taken literally, but metaphorically. So when our Saviour saith, " If thine eye, or hand, or foot offend thee, pull it out, and cut it off;" this is not to be understood literally, but metaphorically.

Though the Scripture be applied mystically sometimes, and doth receive a mystical application; yet for your direction herein, ye must know,

That there is no fundamental doctrine of our salvation, but is laid down plainly and without mysticalness: the covenants of the law, "Thou shalt have no other god but me;" and, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;" faith in Christ, and love to our neighbour: all the fundamental doctrines of our salvation are laid down plainly and literally.

Though the great matters of our salvation be expressed plainly and literally, yet if the literal sense of any scripture be contrary to common sense or reason, or to modesty, honesty and good manners, then we are to balk the literal sense: for example, our Saviour saith, "This is my body," in the Lord's supper; if these words be taken literally, it is against common sense and reason; therefore you must balk the literal sense, and understand them otherwise. Again, the Lord commanded the prophet to go naked; if this be understood literally, it would be against common modesty. So when our Saviour saith, "If thine eye offend thee, pull it out; if thine hand offend thee, cut it off:" if this be understood literally, it would fight with that commandment, "Thou shalt

not kill:" therefore the literal sense is sometimes to be balked.

Though we are not always to adhere to the bare letter for the meaning of the words, yet if the words be applied mystically, ye are not to make a force upon the history; mystery doth not destroy the history. The history of the two women Hagar and Sarah, is by the apostle applied to the two Testaments; yet this doth not destroy the history; for as words are the substractum of the history, so history is the substractum of the mystery. Some, when they have attained to the mystical application, do deny the history; but remember, that though the words of the Scripture be applied mystically, yet the mystery is never to destroy the history.*

And though the words of Scripture be sometimes applied mystically, yet you must know that there is nothing mystical in one scripture but is literally set down in another scripture. Let any man shew me any truth set down mystically in one place, but I will shew it literally expressed in another. Some would have all the Scripture to be understood mystically; but doth any man tell you that this and that scripture is not literally but mystically to be understood, then let him shew you where the same truth is set down literally in another place, else you may not believe him: and if you walk by this rule and rules, you shall walk safely here, and in some good measure be helped to the true sense and meaning of the Scripture in this case.†

But suppose that a scripture lie under controversy: one lays claim to it for his opinion, and another lays claim to it for his opinion; how shall I be able to understand the true sense and meaning of it? Or suppose I be in the dark, in a

* In interpretatione Scripturæ sacræ illud apprime observandum est ne ulla vis inferatur literali.—August. de quivos. Disput. de sensu Scripturæ.

Verborum sacræ Scripturæ Germana intelligentia imprimis quærenda et instituenda, non quod tropo logicum intelligentia condemnemus sed quod spiritualis interpretatio sequi debet ordinem historiæ, quod plerique ignorantes, lymphatico in sacra Scriptura vagantur errore.-Hieronym. in cap. xiii. Isa.

† Quis autem non impudentissime nitatur aliquid quod in allegoria positum est, per se interpretari nisi et manifesta habeat testimonia quorum lumine illustrantur obscura.-Austin. Epist. 48, ad Vincent. Donat.

Si animus est allegoriam texere vide imprimis, ut interpretationis ejus quam meditaris sententia alibi in Scripturis clare et absque tropo expresso inveniatur atque detracto velamine analogiæ fidei respondeat.-Flac. Illyric. pars altera Tract. i. de ratione cognoscendi Scripturas, observ. 2.

dark estate and condition, how shall I so take heed unto the scripture that I may know and understand the same?

I answer, Something you must do by way of observation; something by way of practice.

As for observation, in case you be able, you must consult the original; for as old Mr. Dod once answered to a young man enquiring of him what was the best commentary upon the Scripture; The original, the Hebrew and the Greek text, said he, is the best commentary. So say I; the very text in the original doth sometimes put an end to the controversy. As for example, the apostle saith of women, "They shall be saved by child-bearing;" which some books read thus, "They shall be saved by bearing of children :" whereupon a controversy arises, whether those followings words, "If they continue in the faith," do relate to children or to women; whereas if men looked into the original, they should find that the word is but one, in the singular, according to our translation, "They shall be saved by child-bearing," and therefore the following words must relate unto women. Therefore it is good to consult with the original; and though you cannot understand Hebrew or Greek, yet you may consult with the original, and not pin your faith upon another's learning: for if you ask three or four how such or such a verse should be translated, and they do all agree in their translation for the substance, you know that so it is in the original, not because such a man doth say so, but because of their agreement, which could not be, if it were not so in truth.

If you would understand the true sense and meaning of a controverted scripture, then look well into the coherence, the scope, and the context thereof; for as the Hebrew Rabbin says well, There is no objection can arise upon the text, but there is an answer in the sides thereof: † for example, the papists urge that place of the iind of James for justification

* Δια της τεκνογονίας εαν μεινωσιν, &c. per fliorum generationem, si manserint.-Montanus.

Per natos suos, si manserint.-Syriac.

† Nulla est objectio in lege, quæ non habet solutionem in latere.

Turpe est de lege judicare tota lege nondum inspecta.

Quis, scopus, impellens, sedes, tempusque, locusque.

Et modus hæc septem Scripturæ attendito lector.

Vide Explicat. in Glass. Philog. Sacr. Lib. ii. p. 2, de Scripturæ sensu emendo, page 503.