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Show 6oo Of the, Ge~eral Rule VoL •. I. 16];. tures, that thereby we mujl difcern between Cbrift's ll'ords, and a Stranger•s ~ (quotinjl Chril\'o Words)'/tly Sbup k'now my Vorcr, and feveral other Places of Scri prure. !~~~·P· 1' Again, The Spirit of God revealcrh the Truth in tbt S&rip_tur~s. H. BuDinger Dtcad, 4· Serm. 8. Men fert'b tb' Under]landrng of HratJ( n/y Tbintr• and Knowltdgt of tbe holy Gbojl from no where elfe, but from tbejmne Spirit. Book of Mar~ John Bradford anfwered to the Archbi~.op of Tork thus, We know the tyr 3110z.p. Suiptures, tU Chrift_'s Sbetp, by the fame Sptrtt that wrote and fpake them, ~~~in Tnftir. beiC!r~f:~~{c~i;'~~us~~-his Infiitutes : It is nect.lfary the fame, Spirit that Jib. 1• up. a. Jp4ke by rbe Mouth of the ~rop}Jus,jhou~d pierce into ~ur Hearts, to ptrJwade 111, that rbq faitbfully ddiVtred that wbzcb Vhu. commuted t.o tbem of G6d: Ben on 2Prr. Be.=a faith, 'That the Way of Underftandmg prophecieS, and refernng •· 19• ' them to the right Scope, mufi be fought or fetcht from the fame Spirit, ' which di8:ated them to the Prophets themfeLves; and more to that Pur· Tindai W11rh ' ~VreTindal, called the Englifh Apofile by]. Fox, faith, ' It is impofiible p. 3'9· ~ Bo. ' to underftand in the Scripture, more than a Turk, for any that hath not ' the Law of God, writ in tbe Heart~ to fulfil it. L-- Jewel ~&ai"ft Bp. Jeu:el fays thus a~ainft Harding, ' The Spirit <?f God is bound nci· Harding p. ' rher to Sharpnefs of Wit, nor to ab~ndance of t.c:armng: Flefh and Bloo~ Sl 2, B4· c is not able to u~derft~nd the holy Wtll o~ Go?d wn,hout.Jpeetal Re'f!elatt· ' on: without tbufpeetal Help and Pramptmg o Gods Sptnt, the Scnpture ' is to the Reader, be he never fo Wife and we l Learned, as the Vifion of a Dr. Ames. q•inft Bel. larm.I.J,e, ~- 1btf. ~2. ' Sealed Book. w Dr. A1nes, a great Father of the Independents, faith upon Occafion of BeU~rmin's Words, ' The Anointing if the holy Spirit doth teach tbe faith· ' ful, to underftand thofe Things which they received of the Apoftles; • therefore to underftand the Scriptures in thofe Th~gs which are necef- ' fary to Salvation, with more to that Purpofe. ~ Vatab/11$ on Job. 32· 8. with Druji111 Claritn, and others, fpeak to the fameE!fea. a. Cradock G. C:radock, a famou~ lnd~pendent Pre~cp~r, preach'd, ' That the Scrip· J1ivine1Jrops 'ture ·ls aSptechlefs Tbrng Wlt~out the ·Spmt. page 217. . Ch. Goad, an eminent Separate in his Works, Riled B. D. of K. Colledge ~·GOad ~~ - in Cm~tbriJge,. and an Independelft Pafior, thus taught, ' There is no Know· ;:.:C':r· ledge ofChrifi, nor of the Scripture but by Revelation. Bxmir:2• Dr. J. Owen, a Man ofgreateft Fame among theprefent InJepe,rJents, 7•9• ·'' faith, ' The Publick, .Autbentick and In[t,lliblt Interpreter of the holy Scrip· ~t.t.inft Q!lak. ' tures, is He who is the Author of them; from the Breathing of wbofe Spi- - ' rit they derive all their Verity, Ptrfpicuity, and Authority. So tbat we fee, upon the Judgment of many confiderable Perfons, the Scripture is no Rule for our believing and underft~nding of it felf; and therefore not Tbt Rule of Faith and Praaice, concerning the Things therein declared. I will give a fhort Infiance in Chrift's Words about Rrgmeration: He taught (and ftrange it was, no doubt, to wife Nitodemus) Th11t unlefs a 111an be born agttin, he cannot Jte the Kingdom of God. This is as pl:lin l Propofition as can be laid down, and may be creJired HifloricaUy: But what is that to the Knowledge and Experience of the new Birth? Th:lt they are never Jike to be informed of there. Nor can that Scripture be my Rule in that heavenly Travel, refpeEling the many and wonderful Trials and Exercifes that are 1.0 be met with in tbe Way to it: neither can any other Writing whatever. This only is the Office of that Spirit and Wordimmor: al, by which we are begotten again. What then is my Rule, to inform, order, ftrengthen and lead through rhe whole Operation, but the St~me Spirit ? All Do£hinal Scripture was experienced before written, or they had not been true Witnelfes who wrote it. VoL. I. OJ Faith aNd Prattici. 6 . Npw that which was their Rule can on! . d . o I ri~nces; nor are they to be ri~htly 'known t1t;gut e us 1_nto the fame Expe.. I6]3 wdJ do hH !ViU, be jbaU ,.+,ow a} tht Dofl t fl!\e~nehced: If any ltlan ~ !lor~ of fuch Things ; This faves not , N':~her ~! h htlJlift I r~ad the Hi- John 7· , 7, lead tog tnto the Myfiety. That belongs only rod, t ~ . , ory be the Rule our the Deep Things of GOO. Cu fc I S e. ,Ptrtt, that fearcheyr 1:. , ture1 is the Rule for s(J believing and ea~~~. Y the pmt, and not [he Scrip· t r. 2• 10! . 0~, But H not tbi.r to~mdM Void rhe p 1f. . VIZ. b11t the Scriptures art tbt Rule of Fai:b~nd"Pt//h~~ 1atnjl tbt Papifts .Anfw. No fuch Matter: For the Qu~~- · . , ' of Chrtft, or the Scripture was th R 1108 was n6t; . W,her.h·e1 the Spirit which is God•s Tradidon or Popilh eT ~.e_; but, Whether th'e Scripture the Truth of Doctrines ~nd PraEtices {/ >ltlons were tbe Rule to n'leafur6 tures, rightly underfiood may meafur! · h We _g~:Jnt that particular Scrip,· ro them: That is, fuc:h i:>ofltines and p w ~r: lS agreeable or difagreeabie of Scri~ture, more particularly relatin ~~a•ce.s as are contrary t? that Part !he Scn~ture \ efpecially Iince all Parti~ ourldDays, are QJ.Iefhonable bj, lS acc:ordmg to Scripture. Yet this concl PJetei that wha~ they fay and do Gtneral and Evan.tt!ical Rtik, u es not the Scupture to be Tb~ Obj. But if God h•d nor Revtdkd rbofi Tb, b tom, bow&oMldTh~ybaveluen !mown !J_y ~5 /ngsr at are in Script/Ire, }y ~ .Anfw. They were known by th L' h . , were written (for from bein - . e tg t and Sptnt of Clnift be(ore the)i it _is faid, That the Prophets f~a~h~Jedut.hey ~re ~lied ScriptU[e) therefor~ I ret ••• hi Time, the Spirit of Cbrift tb t . Jgent Y "! at, and what Manner of be/art Hand of the Sufferin&s· 0fch~tt111 Nhem, dtd fignifie, when it teftified to the blind and dark Mind be nft · h or are tb~y ev1!r the more reveal,.d Regeneration are as ruzling' to ~~t~r~l etv~re wdnrEten. The. Mylleries of fore. Tt.erefore wei faid E · b . 1t :In arthly Wtfdom, as &e .. sU tbt Holy Script11res art p1f;~ a:':J''£.' On!J 1" ~he G_hi!Jr~n oft he Holy Gbofl tiples, without this infallible Guide fd· RP tfen hgo tng to hammer out Prin.; great Confufion that is over Mankind ~bo ~Re, lla.th been ~he C:aufe of that u e gton to thiS very Day. Ohj. But bow 'if' coMid JOM h•vt A b·r. that iS not Matter of Witnrn:1111 6 .. , ~own t,O;e frophefie.r to be True, {ott P'' bt • rort-teutng f ' .Anfw. That is an extraordinary R 1 · f . nary Difcoveries that are abfolutely ::ffinon, Mt ~1lmg W!thin the ordi..: God fhews his Power and FaithfulneG :ary t? an s Salvauon, by whiclt t!I. bring to pafs: Bur therefore muft t~h:r~e bi: G~ and ca_n foret~ll, and Spltlr, ~nd not rather an Extraordinary Sight an~n Se x~rafrdma;,y Ltght or arne lrght :and Spirit in them? Betides Th . n e. rom vne and thr> and Savour it to be from the S . . • at which gtves me to Believe bclievin~ ir. Now that tbe Spfri,110 ~~~hno~ b~ ~pollure, is my Rule for p:~he:s e~;or ~:;e j~~~ ~bt [;mt Spirit,' th~~ fp~';:116;~te8~';u~~ ~f~t! cfttred th;t wtc£ V.'tU commi~;ed ;::;;;~je[{;j~dt liS that they faitbfolly df<>; . Obj'· Bur rbir Light yoM .!peak of, d ld N , mto 11f War/d: Thtlt tbert WtU on Ad c II not U yo_rl whub Tl'ay Sin &amt Jlln~ntr, and that Sin fo Mtred tbr ~m td~dTbEve, tbat they feD after thai Vir~m, Suffered Dearl d R·t: . or · tJt CHRIST f.lltU Born of 4 Cnji:. &c. if tbf Sai:;11;.:s b 2e aga11l1,} Tbat youaugbr dot to StA'tar in any ,. a nor to a )Oil fo. ilnfro, That is boldly f1 'd B fid Opinion had that A at . f ut cCon J ~r well ·"i Mofes, f::~ys the Vulgat ' ccoun( o the reauon, al:tovc Two Thouf:md y~ Hhbh . aftw |