tween great truth and grofs errors, that it is visible to every capacity; and an ordinary understanding that is not under a violent prejudice, or blinded by fome vice or fault of the will, may easily discern it. Indeed, in matters of leffer moment and concernment, and which have no fuch confiderable and immediate influence upon the practice of an holy life, the difference betwixt truth and error is not always fo grofs and fenfible, as to be obvious to every unprejudiced eye. But we have all the reafon in the world to believe, that the goodness and justice of God is fuch, as to make nothing neceffary to be believed by any man, which, by the help of due inftruction, may not be made fufficiently plain to a common understanding. God hath fo tender a care of good men, who fincerely love him and his truth, that we may reafonably prefume, that he will not leave them under an unavoidable mistake concerning those matters upon which their eternal falvation does depend. The judge of all the world will do right; and then we may certainly conclude, that he will not condemn any man for no fault, and make him for ever miserable, for falling into an error, which with all his care and diligence, he could not possibly either difcern or avoid.

Fourthly, God hath made abundant provision for our fecurity from fatal and dangerous errors in religion, by these three ways:

I. By an infallible rule, fufficiently plain in all things neceffary.

II. By fufficient means of inftruction, to help us to understand this rule.

III. By an infallible promife of fecurity from dangerous errors and mistakes, if with an honeft mind and due diligence we apply our felves to understand this rule, and make use of the means of inftruction, which God hath provided for that purpofe.

I. God hath given us an infallible rule, fufficiently plain in all things neceffary. He bath given us the holy fcriptures, which were given at firft by divine infpiration, i. e. by men infallibly affifted in the writing of them, and therefore must needs be an in

fallible

fallible rule; and all fcripture, divinely inspired, is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for inftruction in righteousness, as St. Paul tells us, 2 Tim. iii. 16. fpeaking there of the books of the Old Te ftament; and there is the fame reafon as to the infpired writings of the New.

Now, if the fcriptures be an infallible rule, and profitable for doctrine and inftruction in righteousness, i. e. to teach us to believe and do; it follows of neceffity that they are fufficiently plain in all things neceffary to faith and a good life; otherwife they could not be useful for doctrine and inftruction in righteousnefs for a rule that is not plain to us in these things, in which it is neceffary for us to be directed by it, is of no use to us; that is in truth, it is no rule. For a rule must have these two properties; it must be perfect, and it must be plain. The fcriptures are a perfect rule, because the writers of them, being divinely inspired, were infallible: And they muft likewife be plain; otherwife, though they be never fo perfect, they can be of no more ufe to direct our faith and practice, than a fun-dial in a dark room is to tell us the hour of the day: For though it be never fo exactly made, unless the fun fhine clearly upon it, we had as good be without it. A rule that is not plain to us, whatever it may be in itself, is of no use at all to us till it be made plain, and we understand it.

II. God hath likewife provided fufficient means of inftruction to help us to understand this rule. It. is not neceffary that a rule fhould be fo plain that we fhould perfectly understand it at firft fight; it is fufficient if it be fo plain that thofe of better capacity and understanding may, with due diligence and application of mind, come to the true knowledge of it, and those of a lower and more ordinary capaci ty by the help and inftruction of a teacher. clid's Elements is a book fufficiently plain to teach a man Geometry, but yet not fo plain that any man at firit reading fhould understand it perfectly; but that by diligent reading, by a due application, and fteady attention of mind, a man of extraordinary fagacity and understanding may come to understand

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the principles and demonftrations of it; and thofe of a more ordinary capacity with the help of a teacher, may come to the knowledge of it. So, when we fay that the fcriptures are plain in all things neceffary to faith and a good life, we do not mean that every man at first hearing or reading of these things in it, fhall perfectly understand them; but by diligent reading and confideration, if he be of good apprehenfion and capacity, he may come to a fufficient knowledge of them; and if he be of a meaner capacity, and be willing to learn, he may, by the help of a teacher, be brought to understand them without any great pains; and fuch teachers God hath appointed in his church for this very purpofe, and a fucceffion of them to continue to the end of the world.

In a word, when we fay the fcriptures are plain to all capacities, in all things neceffary, we mean, that any man of ordinary capacity, by his own diligence and care, in conjunction with the helps and advantages which God hath appointed, and in the due use of them, may attain to the knowledge of every thing neceffary to his falvation; and that there is no book in the world more plain, and better fitted to teach a man any art or science, than the Bible is to direct and inftruct men in the way to heaven; and it is every man's fault if he be ignorant of any thing neceffary for him to believe, or do, in order to his eternal happiness.

III. Good men are likewife fecured from fatal errors in religion, by the infallible promife of God, if fo be that with honeft minds and due diligence they apply themselves to the understanding of this rule, and make ufe of the means of inftruction which God hath provided for that purpofe. God hath promifed to guide and teach the humble and meek; that is, fuch as are of a fubmiffive and teachable temper, defirous and diligent to be inftructed in the truth. Prov. ii. 3. 4. 5. If thou incline thine ear to wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou crieft after knowledge, and lifteft up thy voice for understanding; if thou feekeft her as filver, and fearch

eft for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. And here in the text our Saviour affures us, that if any man be defirous to do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether he spake of himself; i. e. he fhall be able to difcern the doctrines which are from God.

This is the provifion which God hath made for our fecurity from fatal mistakes in religion; and this is in all refpects a better fecurity, and more likely to guide and conduct us fafely to heaven, than any infallible church; and that for these reafons:

Firft, Because it is much more certain that God hath made this provifion which I have mentioned, than that there is an infallible church appointed and affifted by him to this purpose. That the fcriptures are an infallible and adequate rule, and fufficiently plain in all things neceflary, I have already proved; and I add further. that this was the constant judgment of the ancient church, and fo declared by the unanimous confent of the fathers of it for many ages; and that all councils in their determination of faith proceeded upon this rule, till the fecond council of Nice.

I have likewife proved, that God hath provided a fucceffion of paftors and teachers in his church, to inftruct us in this rule; and that we have God's infallible promife for our fecurity from dangerous errors and mistakes, if with an honest mind and due diligence we apply ourfelves to understand this rule, and make ufe of the means of inftruction which. God hath provided for that purpose.

But that there is an infallible church appointed and affifted by God, to declare and determine matters of faith, and to be an infallible interpreter of fcripture, is not certain, because there is no clear and exprefs text of fcripture to that purpose, that any church whatfoever, much less that the church of Rome hath this power and privilege.

Nay, I add further, that it is impoffible, according to the principles of the church of Rome, that this fhould be proved from fcripture; because, ac

cording

cording to their principles, we cannot know either which are the true books of fcripture, or what is the true fenfe of fcripture, but from the authority and infallible declaration of that church. And if fo, then the infallibility of the church must be first known, and proved, before we can either know the fcriptures or the fenfe of them; and yet till we know the fcriptures, and the fenfe of them, nothing can be proved by them. Now to pretend to prove the infallibility of their church by fcripture, and at the fame time to declare, that which are the true books of fcripture, and what is the true fenfe of them, can only be proved by the infallible authority of their church, is a plain and fhameful circle, out of which there is no way to efcape; and confequently that God hath appointed an infallible church is impoffible, according to their principles, ever to be proved from fcripture, and the thing is capable of no other proof. For that God will infallibly affift any fociety of men, is not to be known but by divine revelation. So that unless they can prove it by fome other revelation than that of fcripture (which they do not pretend to) the thing is not to be proved at all. Yes, they fay, by the notes and marks of the true church; but what those marks are, must either be known from fcripture, or fome other divine revelation, and then the fame difficulty returns; befides that one of the most effential marks of the true church must be the profeffion of the true faith; and then it must first be known which is the true faith, before we can know which is the true church; and yet they fay, that no man can learn the true faith, but from the true church; and this runs them unavoidably into another circle as fhameful as the other. So that which way foever they go to prove an infallible church, they are fhut up in a plain circle, and muft either prove the fcriptures by the church, and the church by the fcriptures, or the true church by the true faith, and the true faith by the true church.

Secondly, This provifion and fecurity which I have mentioned, is more human, better accommodated and fuited to the nature of man; becaufe it doth

not