St. PETER likewife, the Apoftle of the Cireumcifion, informs us, "That the Prophefy came not in old Time by the Will of Man; but holy Men of GoD fpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost".

It may be objected: "Thefe Teftimonies in "Favor of the Bible, are all taken from the Bible "itfelf, and are not therefore, in this Cafe, to "be depended upon”.

True; Unbelievers may argue thus if they please; may call them fufpected Witnesses, and not altogether to be relied upon when they bear Witness to themfelves: But we have a Cloud of Witnesses to the fame Thing, most of which are not liable to the fame Objection.

In the Sixth and Seventh Articles of Religi on (to the Truth of which all the Archbishops, Bishops, and Clergy of England and Ireland. have fubfcribed) our pious Reformers have gi-. ven it as their Opinion, "That the Holy

Scriptures of the Old and New Teftament " contain all Things neceffary to Salvation, and "that the Old Teftament is not contrary to "the New".

The

"The firft Homily is all to the fame Purpose, containing a warm Exhortation to the reading and ftudying of the Holy Scriptures.

Unto a Christian Man there can be Nothing either more neceffary or profitable than the Knowledge of Holy Scripture; for as «much as in it is contained God's true Word, "fetting forth his Glory, and alfo Man's Duty. "And there is no Truth or Doctrine neceffary "for our Juftification and everlafting Salvati" on, but may be drawn out of that Fountain " and Well of Truth. Therefore as many as are defirous to enter into the right and perfect Way unto God, muft apply their Minds "to know the Holy Scripture; without which, they can neither fufficiently know God and "his Will, neither their Office and Duty. And "as Drink is pleafant to them that be dry, " and Meat to them that are hungry; fo is the reading, hearing, fearching and studying of

Holy Scripture to them that are defirous to ́"know God and themselves, and to do his Will, "And those Perfons only do loath and abhor "the heavenly Knowledge and Food of God's

Word,

"Word, that are fo drowned in worldly Bufi"nefs and Vanities, that they neither favor "GOD, nor any Godliness: For that is the "Cause why they defire fuch Vanities, rather " than the true Knowledge of God.

"As they that are fick of a Fever, whatsoe"ver they eat, though it be never so pleasant in "itself, yet it is bitter and naufeous to them "as Wormwood; not because of the Bitterness "of the Meat; but because of the corrupt and "bitter Humor that is in their own Mouth "and Stomach: Even fo is the Sweetness of "GOD's Word bitter, not of itself, but only un"to them that have their Minds corrupted with "long Custom of Sin, and Love of the World.› Therefore, forfaking the corrupt Judg

ment of carnal and worldly-minded People,' "let us reverently hear and read Holy Scripture, which is the Food of the Soul. For in Holy Scripture is fully contained, what we ought to do, and what to avoid; what to be->

lieve, what to love, and what to expect in "the World to come".

Such are the Sentiments, and fuch the Exhortations

hortations of Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley, and o thers, who fealed the Truth with their Blood. Such are the Sentiments, the openly avowed Sentiments, of all the Clergy of the Church of England at this Time, and in every Age fince the Reformation from Popery. Nay, fuch likewife are the Sentiments of the Church of Scotland, and of all the Proteftant Churches, of every Sect and Denomination, throughout the known World. However they may differ in other Matters of lefs Importance, they all agree in this, with one Mouth, with one Confent, That the Bible contains the Mind and Will of God; that we ought to be ruled and guided by it in all our Conduct; that we are to be judged by it at the last Day; and that we are to be eternally happy, or eternally miferable, according as the Bible acquits, or condemns us. I fay, All Nations, profeffing Christianity, agree in this, That the Bible is the Word of God; that we ought to be ruled and governed by it here; that we must be tried and judged by it at the last Day; confequently, that it is of infinite and everlasting Importance to every Soul of us, whe

ther it is for us, or against us; whether it a quits, or condemns us. This is no Principle peculiar to a Churchman, Methodist, or Diffenter; 'tis a Principle common to them all: They are all agreed in this fundamental Point, The Bible is the Word of Gop; By its Decifion we must stand, or fall.

It may be again objected, "That the Clergy "in all Ages and Nations have agreed to efta"blifh the Bible as the Word of Gop from lu"crative Views; for the fake of the Emoluments "arifing from the Church, and the Ease and "Honor conferred on that Order of Men".

It is but too true, that Priest-Craft has not a little prevailed in every Nation and Period of the Chriftian Church. Men of corrupt Minds, and covetous Difpofitions, have crept into the facred Office for the Sake of the Loaves and the Fishes. "Put me into the Priest's Office that I may get a Piece of Bread ", has too often been the Cry, to the great Scandal and Difgrace of the Church of Chrift. But this has not always been the Cafe. Thousands and Ten Thousands there have been, who have un

dertaken