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true, and I know not whom to believe; each pretends to Scripture which I am ignorant of. 'Tis very well the issue is put here: for if the appeal were to reafon, in this cafe there would be juft occafion of being troubled: but when we appeal to the Scriptures, and they are fimple and cer tain, you may easily your felf judge. He that agrees with the Scriptures is a Chriftian, he that refifts them, is far out of the way. And on Pf. 95. If any thing be faid without the Scripture, the mind balts between different opinions; fometimes inclining as to what is probable, anon rejecting as what is frivolous but when the teftimony of holy Scripture is produc'd, the mind both of speaker and hearer is confirm'd. And Hom. 4. on Lazar. Tho one should arise from the dead, or an Angel come down from heaven, we must believe the Scriptures; they being fram'd by the Lord of Angels, and the quick and dead. And Hom. 13. 2 Cor. 7. Is it not an abfurd thing that when we deal with men about mony, we will truft no body, but caft up the fum, and make use of our counters; but in religious affairs, fuffer our felves to be led afide by other mens opinions, even then when we have by an exact scale and touchStone, the dictate of the divine Law? Therefore I pray and exhort you, that giving no heed to what this or that man faies, you would confult the holy Scripture, and thence learn the divine riches, and purfue what you have learnt. And Hom. 58. on Jo. 10. 1. "Tis the mark of a thief,

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that he comes not in by the door, but another way: now by the door the teftimony of the Scri pture is fignified. And Hom. on Gal. 1. 8. The Apostle Jaies not, if any man teach a Contrary doctrine let him be accurs'd, or if he fubvert the whole Gospel; but if he teach any thing befide the Gospel which have receiv'd, or vary any little thing, let him be accurs'd.

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20. CYRIL of Alex. against Jul. 1. 7. faies, The holy Scripture is fufficient to make them who are inftructed in it, wife unto falvation, and endued with most ample knowledge.

21. THEODORET Dial. I. I am perfwaded only by the holy Scripture. And Dial. 2. I am not fo bold to affirm any thing, not spoken of in the Scripture. And again, qu. 45. upon Genef. We ought not to enquire after what is past over in filence, but acquiefce in what is written.

22. IT were eafy to enlarge this difcourfe into a Volume; but having taken, as they of fer'd themselves,the fuffrages of the writers of the four firft Centuries, I fhall not proceed to thofe that follow. If the holy Scripture were a perfect rule of Faith and Manners to all Christians heretofore, we may reasonably affure our felves it is fo ftill; and will now guide us into all neceffary truth, and confequently make us wife unto falvation,without the aid of oral Tradition, or the new mintage of a living infallible Judge of controverfy. And the impar

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impartial Reader will be enabled to judge whether our appeal to the holy Scripture, in all occafions of controverfy, and recommendation of it to the study of every Christian, be that herefy and innovation which it is faid to be.

23. IT is, we know, feverely imputed to the Scribes and Pharifees by our Savior, that they took from the people the key of knowledge, Luke 11. 52. and had made the word of God of none effect by their Traditions, Mat. 15. 6. but they never attemted what has bin fince practiced by their Succeffors in the Weftern Church, to take away the Ark of the Tefta ment it felf, and cut off not only the efficacy, but very poffeffion of the word of God by their Traditions. Surely this had bin exceeding criminal from any hand: but that the Bishops and Governors of the Church and the univerfal and infallible Pastor of it, who claim the office to interpret the Scriptures, exhort unto, and affift in the knowledge of them, fhould be the men who thus rob the people of them, carries with it the higheft aggravations both of cruelty and breach of truft. If any man fhall take away from the words of the Book of this prophecy faies Saint John, Revel. 22. 19. God fhall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy City, and from the things

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which are written in this Book. What vengeance therefore awaits thofe, who have taken away not only from one Book, but at once the Books themselves, even all the Scriptures, the whole word of God?

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SECT. VII.

Historical reflexions upon the Events which have happend in the Church Since the with drawing of the holy Scripture.

TWILL in this place be no useless contemplation to obferve, after the Scriptures had bin ravifht from the people in the Church of Rome, what pitiful pretenders were admitted to fucceed. And first because Lay-men were prefum'd to be illiterate, and eafily feducible by those writings which were in themselves difficult, and would be wrested by the unlearned to their own deftruction; pictures were recommended in their stead, and complemented as the Books of the Laity, which foon emprov'd into a neceffity of their worship, and that grofs fuperftition which renders Chriftianity abominated by Turks, and Jews, and Heathens unto this day.

2. I would not be hafty in charging Idolatry upon the Church of Rome, or all in her communion; but that their Image-worship is a most fatal fnare, in which vaft numbers of unhappy fouls are taken, no man can doubt who hath with any regard travail'd in Popish Countries. I my self, and thousands of others, whom

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