is much more necessary for fecular perfons: for they who converfe abroad, and receive frequent wounds, are in greatest need of remedies and prefervatives. So Hom. 2. on Mat. Hearken all you that are fecular, how you ought to order your wives and children; and how you are particularly enjoin'd to read the Scriptures, and that not perfunctorily, or by chance, but very diligently. 25. LIKEWISE Hom. 3. on Laz. What faieft thou, O man? it is not thy business to turn over the Scripture, being distracted by innumerable cares; no, thou hast therefore the greater obligation: others do not so much stand in need of the aids of the Scripture, as they who are converfant in much bufinefs. Farther, Hom. 8. on Heb. 5. I beseech you neglect not the reading of the Scriptures; but whether we comprehend the meaning of what is spoken or not, let us alwaies be converfant in them: for daily meditation Strengthens the memory; and it frequently happens, that what you now cannot find out, if you attemt it again, you will the next day difcover: for God of his goodness will enlighten the mind. It were endless to transcribe all the Exhortations of the ancient Doctors and Fathers of the Church; they not only permitted, but earneftly prest upon all Chriftians, whatever their eftate or condition were, the conftant reading of the holy Scripture. Nor indeed was their restraint ever heard of till the Church of Rome had efpous'd fuch doctrines as would not not bear the test of Scripture: and then as those who deal in falfe wares are us'd to do, they found it neceffary to proportion their lights accordingly. 26. THIS Peter Sutor in his fecond Book cap. 22. of the Tranflation of the Scripture honeftly confeffes, faying, that whereas many things are enjoin'd which are not exprefly in Scripture, the unlearned obferving this, will be apt to murmur and complain that fo heavy burthens are laid upon them, and their Chriftian liberty infring'd. They will easily be with-drawn from obferving the Conftitutions of the Church, when they find that they are not contain'd in the Law of Chrift. And that this was not a frivolous fuggeftion, the defperate attemt of the Romanifts above mention'd, in leaving out the fecond Commandment in their Primers and Catechifms which they communicate to the people, may pafs for an irrefragable evidence; For what Lay-man would not be fhockt, to find Almighty God command, not to make any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth; that no one Should bow down to them, nor worship them: when he fees the contrary is practic'd and commanded by the Church. 27. BUT would God none but the Romanift were impeachable of this detention of Scripture: there are too many among us that pre that are thus falfe and envious to themselves: and what the former do upon policy and tence of reverence, thofe do upon mere ofcitancy and avow'd profanefs; which are much worfe inducements. And for fuch as these to declaim against detention of the Scripture, is like the Law-fuits of those who contend only about fuch little punctilio's as themselves defign no advantage from, but only the worsting their Adverfaries: and it would be much fafer for them to lie under the interdict of others, than thus to restrain themselves: even as much as the errors of obedience are more excufable, than those of contemt and profaness. 28. AND here I would have it seriously confider'd that the Edict of Diocletian for the demolishing the Chriftian Churches, and the burning their Bibles; became the character and particular aggravation of his moft bloudy perfecution. Now fhould Almighty God call us to the like trial, fhould Antichriftian violence, whether heathen or other, take from us our Churches and our Bibles, what comfort could we have in that calamity, if our contemt of thofe bleffings drove them from us; nay, prevented perfecution, and bereft us of them even whilft we had them in our power? He who neglects to make his conftant refort unto the Church, which by Gods mercy now ftands open; or to read diligently the holy Scriptures, which by the fame fame divine Goodness are free for him to use, is his own Diocletian; and without the terrors of death, or torments, has renounc'd, if not the Faith, the great inftruments of its conveiance, and pledge of God Almighties presence among the fons of men. 29. BUT what if men either upon the one motive or the other, will not read; yet the Srriptures continue ftill moft worthy to be read: they retain ftill their propriety for all those excellent ends to which God defign'd them: and as the Prophet tells the Jews, Ez.2.5. whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, they fball know that there has bin a Prophet among them: fo whether we will take the benefit or no, we shall one day find that the holy Scriptures would have made us wife unto falvation. If thro our fault alone they fail to do so, they will one day affume a lefs grateful office; and from guides and affiftants, become accufers and witnesses against us. SECT. SECT. V. The Scripture has great propriety and fitness towards the attainment of its excellent end. WE are now in the next place to confi der how exactly the holy Scriptures are adapted to thofe great ends to which they are directed: how fufficient they are for that important negotiation on which they are fent: and that we fhall certainly find them, if we look on them either intrinfecally, or circumftantially. For the firft of these notions we need only to reflect on the third Part of this difcourfe, where the Scripture in respect of the fubject Matter is evinc'd to be a fyftem of the most excellent Laws, backt with the moft tranfcendent rewards and punishments; and the certainty of those confirm'd by fuch pregnant inftances of Gods mercies and vengeance in this world, as are the fureft gages and earnefts of what we are bid to expect in another. 2. Now what method imaginable can there be used to rational creatures of more force and energy? Nay it seems to descend T even |