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<DATE>2012-03-14</DATE>
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<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A DISCOURSE Concerning the <HI>Queries</HI> propo&s;ed by the Hou&s;e of Commons to the A&s;&s;embly of Divines; about the divine right of <HI>Church</HI> Government in an&s;wer to two main Que&s;tions.</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t, whether it be expedient to the State</HI> and Church, that the A&s;&s;embly of Divines &s;hould an&s;wer tho&s;e Que&s;tions yea or no?</P>
<P><HI>Secondly, in ca&s;e it be expedient; How</HI> they &s;hould be an&s;wered &s;atisfactorily both to the con&s;cionable and uncon&s;cionable Di&s;puter of the matter.</P>
<P>SHEWING</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t, the nece&s;&s;ity of giving an An&s;werr.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Secondly, &s;ome nece&s;&s;ary Requi&s;ites to make that An&s;wer &s;atisfactory to all, and without exception.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Written for the private &s;atisfaction of a friend, Anno Dom.</HI> 1646.</P>
<P><HI>And now publi&s;hed for more common u&s;e, by an unpartiall Lover of TRUTH and PEACE.</HI></P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed for <HI>Richard Wodenothe</HI> at the &s;igne of the Star neer Saint <HI>Peters</HI> Church in Cornhill, 1648.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="publisher to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>The Publi&s;her to the impartiall READER.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>READER,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_THis <HI>Di&s;cour&s;e,</HI> gentle and im|partiall <HI>Reader,</HI> was written long agoe, that is, &s;oon after the <HI>Queries</HI> were propo&s;ed to the <HI>A&s;&s;embly</HI> of <HI>Divines</HI> by the <HI>Hou&s;e</HI> of <HI>Commons.</HI> And the rea&s;on why then it was not put forth by him to whom it was written, was perhaps the &s;ame which occa&s;ioned the &s;topping of the <HI>An&s;wer</HI> which the <HI>A&s;&s;em|bly</HI> of <HI>Divines</HI> was then preparing to the <HI>Queries;</HI> namely, an <HI>Order</HI> of the <HI>Hou&s;e</HI> &s;ent to the <HI>A&s;&s;embly,</HI> bidding them forth|with
<PB REF="3">
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<PB REF="3">
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<PB REF="4">to proceed to the <HI>Confe&s;&s;ion</HI> of <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Catechi&s;me,</HI> till they &s;hould fini&s;h the &s;ame. It &s;eemed by the <HI>Order</HI> that the <HI>Di|vines</HI> were taken off from an&s;wering tho&s;e <HI>Queries,</HI> and it is likely that thereupon the <HI>Authors</HI> friend to whom this <HI>Di&s;cour&s;e</HI> was &s;ent thought it needle&s;&s;e to publi&s;h it to the world.</P>
<P>But I having lately &s;een it; and knowing the <HI>Order</HI> (that an <HI>An&s;wer</HI> &s;hould be gi|ven to the <HI>Queries</HI>) to be renewed; becau&s;e I thought the <HI>Di&s;cour&s;e</HI> worthy of the con&s;i|deration of all that lay the <HI>Queries</HI> to heart, have u&s;ed means to advance it to the <HI>Pre&s;&s;e.</HI> My de&s;igne is chiefly to provoke &s;uch as are in love with <HI>Truth,</HI> to follow the temper of this mans <HI>Spirit</HI> in the &s;earch thereof. And then al&s;o to call upon the <HI>Author</HI> him&s;elfe, who hath offered the&s;e <HI>Advices</HI> unto others, that &s;eeing <HI>he</HI> hath convincingly &s;hewed that
<PB REF="4">a &s;etled <HI>rule</HI> and <HI>method</HI> of <HI>interpretation</HI> is &s;o nece&s;&s;ary to find out the true &s;en&s;e of the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> that therefore <HI>hee</HI> would <HI>(if he hath any Talent in this kind)</HI> di&s;charg <HI>his con&s;cience</HI> by holding forth unto the <HI>chil|dren</HI> of <HI>Truth,</HI> that which <HI>he</HI> perhaps doth further know or hath <HI>elaborated</HI> concern|ing that <HI>Rule</HI> and <HI>Method</HI> then any other, <HI>it being a thing &s;o far beyond either the thought or hope of mo&s;t men. And cer|tainly nothing can be more u&s;efull to the compo&s;ure of our</HI> Scriptural controver&s;ies <HI>then this</HI> Rule, <HI>if it can be gained. There|fore &s;uch as know the</HI> Author, <HI>and have any intere&s;t in him, &s;hould pre&s;&s;e him to enlarge him&s;elfe upon this</HI> Subject; <HI>but e&s;pecially in my humble opinion the</HI> hono rable hou&s;e <HI>it &s;elf &s;hould be moved in &s;ome particular manner by their</HI> call <HI>to &s;et him apart, and to enjoyn him thereunto, and give him all po&s;&s;ible encouragement for
<PB REF="5">the perfecting of it, as a thing of great concernment, wherein he is a debtor to the</HI> Church <HI>of</HI> God, <HI>and to Them, and to the publike cour&s;e of &s;piritual Learning.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>W. H.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="imprimatur">
<P><HI>Imprimatur</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>John Downame.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<HEAD>Errata.</HEAD>
<P>Pag. 1. line 17. Univer&s;all r. Univer&s;all, p. 5. l. 2. of tho&s;e truths, r. of tho&s;e main truths, p. 6. l. 31. be bound r. bound, p. 7. ancien&s;t r. ancient, l. 22. and an&s;wer, r. an an&s;wer, p. 8. l. 7. faith. r. belief, l. 11. which be propo&s;ed, r. which &s;hall be pro|po&s;ed, p. 9. l. 24. entrance r. envy, p. 10. which they proceed to di&s;cover, r. they di&s;cover Truths, l. 29. held forth, r. hold forth. p. 11. l. 25. proceed univer&s;ally &s;it, r. proceed would be univer&s;ally fit. p. 12. l. 14. from the&s;e, r. them. l. 33. an&s;wera|bly, r. an&s;werable, p. 13. l 4 &s;o different r. &s;o many different, l. 27. who were, r. that are, l. 28. doubts in, r. doubt an, l. 28, 29. by which men, r. by which all men l. 30. my deci&s;ion, r. any deci&s;ion. l. 33. particular. r. particulars. p. 14. l. 10. &s;im|ple, r. &s;ingle. l. 11. as that, r. as the, l. 20. of the one, r. in the one, l. 21. in their, r. by their.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="5">
<HEAD>A DISCOVRSE Concerning the QUERIES propo&s;ed by the Hou&s;e of COMMONS, <HI>to the A&s;&s;embly of Divines.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_WOrthy Sir, This State would be happy, if all that manage publike affairs did minde the true intere&s;t thereof with zeale and &s;implicity, as you doe. The great cau&s;e of our mi&s;ery is, that men of publike em|ployments have no publike &s;pirits, few there are that walk in the light openly, according to the Royall Law of Li|berty; for almo&s;t all are &s;nared in holes, and hid in pri&s;on hou&s;es. The holes are their private Intere&s;ts, and Ends, without which, nothing, almo&s;t, is done for the Publike by any body, and the pri&s;on hou&s;es are the Parties to which they are engaged, for mo&s;t men act by the rule of prejudice, rather to cro&s;&s;e an oppo&s;ite party, then to ad|vance the Univer&s;all good of all. Therfore matters which are named publike, are carryed rather by &s;trife and debate then in a peaceable way, and de&s;truction is found to be the path of many, rather then edification in love. But &s;eeing you are enabled to rai&s;e your minde above the thoughts of &s;uch, as are led by the &s;en&s;e of their fle&s;h to run into parties, and do not enquire &s;o much after the mi&s;carriages of others, to lay them open, and to clamour again&s;t them before the World; as after the wayes of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, whereby all may come unto the acknowledgement and
<PB REF="6">
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<PB N="1" REF="6">
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<PB N="2" REF="7">apprehen&s;ion of that truth which is after godline&s;s, &s;eeing, I &s;ay, this is your commendable endeavour and &s;tudy, I thinke it my duty to contribute what I can to your fur|therance therein; and for this cau&s;e, &s;hall be at this time, willing to let you know my true &s;en&s;e of the doubts which you make; concerning the Que&s;tions which are offered by the Parliament unto the A&s;&s;embly of Divines to be re&s;olved.</P>
<P>The Queries whereunto you &s;eeke an impartiall An|&s;wer, are two.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>Whether, yea or no, it be expedient for the Church and State, that the Divines of the A&s;&s;embly &s;hould an&s;wer the&s;e Que&s;tions.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>If it be expedient that an An&s;wer &s;hould be given thereunto, then your further Que&s;tion is, of the man|ner how that An&s;wer &s;hould be made: Namely, what mu&s;t be intended to make it &s;uch, as will give to tho&s;e who doubt of the matter, con&s;cionably ju&s;t &s;atisfaction; and will take a|way from others who de&s;ire no &s;atisfaction, but rather pre|tences of cavilling, all ju&s;t occa&s;ion of contradiction, and of multiplying new Que&s;tions</HI> in infinitum? For you doe prudently and ju&s;tly conceive that no an&s;wer will be bet|ter then one that is not &s;atisfactory, becau&s;e it may be the end of &s;ome Stati&s;ts and Lawyers is, to make the Que&s;tion endle&s;&s;e: for &s;eeing they have not been able to gain either the whole power over the Church, therein to rule all at their own will; or the priviledge to be exempt from all rule of the Church, by an expre&s;&s;e Ordinance of Parlia|ment; it is not unlikely that they will endeavour to gain it &s;ome other way, namely, by the un&s;ettlement of all, and by Argument; in denying to the Church that which is due to it: and this perhaps they will attempt by &s;ome endle&s;&s;e di&s;pute about the points of right, to make the
<PB N="3" REF="7">Civill and Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall pretences of Right unto power, cla&s;h together irreconciliably. For &s;o long as the matter is not decided, they will pretend to a liberty to doe what they li&s;t; and without controule will ca&s;t the cords of Chri&s;t from them, which is all the World aims at in this controver&s;ie, as is cleere by <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2.3.</P>
<P>Now then although this inconvenience may &s;eeme unavoydable as matters now &s;tand with us; and although the remedy which you enquire after is &s;omewhat difficult to be found; yet I &s;hall briefly open my thoughts thereof unto you, if perhaps &s;omthing from hence may be hinted to your &s;elfe, or others for the facilitating of the worke.</P>
<P>Therefore to the fir&s;t Que&s;tion I &s;ay, that it will be ve|ry expedient for the Divines to An&s;wer the Que&s;tion pro|po&s;ed unto them for the&s;e three principall cau&s;es. 1 Be|cau&s;e the matter is of &s;uch con&s;equence in re&s;pect of Chri&s;t and his Kingdom, that in con&s;cience they are bound to give a re&s;olution thereof &s;o far as they are able. 2 Becau&s;e the con&s;titution of this State and Church, is &s;uch at this time, that except this matter be &s;atisfactorily decided, there is no &s;ettlement at all to be expected therein; and the whole guilt of our publike confu&s;ions will be imputed unto the Divines. 3 Becau&s;e their call and engagement to give an An&s;wer, is &s;o publike and Obliga|tory, that if they decline to doe their duty, they will not onely lo&s;e their reputation in this Cau&s;e, and mo&s;t of their Authority in the Mini&s;try, and give their Adver&s;aries matter of triumph over them; but they will prejudge ex|treamly the Rights of all the be&s;t reformed Churches to their di&s;advantage.</P>
<P>If the&s;e Rea&s;ons be well con&s;idered, it will appeare not onely expedient, but even nece&s;&s;ary, that an An&s;wer be given to the Que&s;tions which I &s;hall briefly endeavour to let you &s;ee.</P>
<PB N="4" REF="8">
<P> Fir&s;t, The Importance of the matter is &s;uch that to the fundamentall con&s;titution and compleat being of a true Church nothing is more nece&s;&s;ary then to know by what Right the Officers thereof &s;tand in their Charges; and how they are authorized to execute the government and judi|catures belonging thereunto. And if the Royalty of Chri&s;t power in government and in Spirituall Judicatures, is &s;o highly concerned in this matter; that except this plea be maintained, his prerogative over the &s;oules of men will be di&s;claimed, and given up to the will of worldlings; then certainly no faithfull Mini&s;ter, who doth beleeve him to be the only King of &s;ouls, can with a good Con&s;cience be &s;ilent when this his right is called into Que&s;tion: for &s;ee|ing their calling is to beare witne&s;&s;e unto him; their &s;ilence in &s;uch a matter would be a great breach of tru&s;t. And if Chri&s;t in that good confe&s;&s;ion which he made before <HI>Pon|tius Pilate Joh.</HI> 18.35, 36, 37. Did profe&s;&s;e that he was in|deed a King, but that his Kingdome was not of this world: how can any of his Officers in that Kingdome be counted faithfull unto him, if they &s;uffer the world to incroach up|on the Rights of his Juri&s;diction? For if they are not of the world; they cannot be given up unto the world: for the Rule is; <HI>give unto Cae&s;ar what is Cae&s;ars, and unto God what is Gods.</HI> Therefore if the Divines of the A&s;&s;embly lay this matter to heart, as believing it to concerne mainly Chri&s;ts Royall Prerogative; I cannot &s;ee how their Con|&s;cience will &s;uffer them to be &s;ilent in the vindication of his Right: for Chri&s;t when he him&s;elfe was que&s;tioned before a worldly judge concerning the point of Right to his Kingdome; atte&s;ted the Truth thereof although it was laid to his charge as a matter of high trea&s;on. And having plainly declared that he was a King; he doth adde imme|diately the&s;e words. <HI>To this end was I borne; and for this
<PB N="5" REF="8">cau&s;e came I into the world, that I &s;hould beare witne&s;&s;e unto the Truth:</HI> thereby intimating that this was one of tho&s;e Truths which he was to manife&s;t unto the world, although it might be with the perill of his life: and if this was of &s;uch importance for him to declare; &s;ure it is of no le&s;&s;e importance for us to know, and in Ca&s;e of doubt to be re|&s;olved of. For as it doth concerne on the one &s;ide: the Right which Chri&s;t hath to his Spirituall Crowne that his Title may be cleered; and all worldly pretences of power over it taken away: &s;o on the other &s;ide it doth concerne our Con&s;ciences to be informed under whom they mu&s;t &s;tand in point of Judicature; and what Chri&s;ts will and appointment is (who is the undoubted King of &s;ouls) for the &s;ettlement of the &s;ame in doubtfull matters.</P>
<P>And as the matter is thus important in re&s;pect of Chri&s;t, of his Kingdome, and of our Con&s;cience in order to him; So it is of that Con&s;equence to this Church and State; that it brings with it no le&s;&s;e then the to tall di&s;&s;olution, or happy e&s;tabli&s;hment thereof. For if this matter be cleerly determined according to the Word God; then the Churches of this Kingdome may be ordered and &s;ettled in Peace; and by this meanes the foundation of the State will be &s;etled al&s;o, which now is &s;haken by rea&s;on of this un-&s;ettlement: for it is Chri&s;t, that doth beare up the pil|lars of the earth, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 75.3. And to him is the gathering of the people, <HI>Gen.</HI> 49.10. (now they cannot be gathered to him without a government, nor can the pillars of the earth &s;tand without order) and if the matter be not deter|mined one way or other, nothing can po&s;&s;ibly en&s;ue but endle&s;&s;e continuance of divi&s;ions and &s;trife, which being remedile&s;&s;e without the deci&s;ion of the&s;e doubts; will at la&s;t produce inevitable ruine both to Church and State, and the rea&s;on of this is cleer; becau&s;e the relations which
<PB N="6" REF="9">men have unto God in re&s;pect of Con&s;cience; not being &s;ettled, all other relations will be di&s;&s;olved, for if Chri&s;ts will be not knowne or regarded in his government of &s;pi|rits, no mans &s;pirit will regard the will of any other govern|ment and power, further then he is either by feare con&s;trai|ned, or for his owne ends, he thinkes good to comply with others to &s;erve his own turne of them: for naturally thus farre, and no further one man doth yield unto ano|ther. So that for want of that Rule whereby mens Con|&s;ciences may be wrought upon, and &s;pirits directed in the concernment of Religion, to prevent or remedy Scan|dals: all other Rules will be broken and ca&s;t off; becau&s;e every man being left to his own arbitrement to doe with|out the controulement of true &s;pirituall government what|&s;oever he plea&s;eth in matters of Con&s;cience; will frame his Con&s;cience to his own will, and intending only to plea&s;e him&s;elfe, will not regard any other, by any other Rule, then that of his own conveniencie: and if in the greate&s;t matters, the &s;pirits of men will be let loo&s;e, thus to run riot; what &s;hall re&s;traine or direct them in matters of le&s;&s;er concernment? Thus till the Higher Sphere of Government relating the Wor&s;hip of God, be in a right frame, all the lower relating the Outward Man in Civill conver&s;ation will be out of order: and where no Order is &s;etled in worldly matters; there naturally every one wil or|der him&s;elf, according to his &s;trength and other advantages to the prejuduce; and in the end, to the oppre&s;&s;ion of his neighbor. For naturally he that is &s;tronge&s;t wil make u&s;e of his &s;trength to over rule the weaker and &s;ubject him in all things to his own will; except his Con&s;cience be over|awed by the Rules of Religion, and be bonnd up thereby, and made willing to deny him&s;elfe. For where this is not inwardly, and no Government &s;etled outwardly, there
<PB N="7" REF="9">every one will be oppre&s;&s;ed by his neighbour;
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>I&s;a</HI> 3.5.</NOTE> and the child will behave him&s;elfe proudly again&s;t the ancien&s;t, and the ba&s;e again&s;t the Honourable. Therefore &s;eeing the &s;etlement of this higher Sphere of Government cannot be brought to pa&s;&s;e, in this State, at this time without the determination of the&s;e Que&s;tions; the guilt of all the evils that will en&s;ue upon our continued un-&s;etlement; will lye at the Doore of the Divines of the A&s;&s;embly if they decline to give their An&s;wer &s;o farre as they are able thereunto.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Their engagement is &s;uch, that except an An|&s;wer be given they will de&s;ervedly lo&s;e their credit in the lo&s;&s;e of the Cau&s;e, and that to the prejudice of all the Reformed Churches of <HI>Europe.</HI></P>
<P>For &s;eeing the Divines have declared by their Petition to the Hou&s;es that the Judicature of Scandals, is intrin|lecall to the Church re&s;iding in the Officers thereof by Divine Right: and this Declaration not being believed, but a proof thereof demanded, and to make the proof more full and &s;atisfactory, Que&s;tions being framed to &s;tate the point of doubt rightly, and they called upon and re|quired by the Parliament to give and An&s;wer thereunto from the Word of God: &s;eeing I &s;ay upon their Petition the matter is come to this i&s;&s;ue; their credit will be lo&s;t if they &s;hew not the grounds of their judgment: for they are accu&s;ed to affect an Arbitrary Power of Judicature; and if they make it not apparent that the Judicature which they challenge is not Arbitrary but Subordinate and Legall in the Kingdome of Chri&s;t; they &s;hall ju&s;tly fall before their Accu&s;ers; and may be counted Pre&s;ump|tuous and Tyrannicall in their places; and con&s;equently, lo&s;e the Right whereunto they pretend.</P>
<P>And although they had not by any Declaration thus
<PB N="8" REF="10">engaged them&s;elves in the Cau&s;e: yet the Supream Ma|gi&s;trates call, by who&s;e Authority they &s;it; and the end wherefore they are called together, doth fully obliege and nece&s;&s;itate them to give an An&s;wer. For they are comand|ed by God to be ready to give an An&s;wer to every one that doth aske a rea&s;on of them of their hope, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.15. And if of their Hope then al&s;o of their Faith and judgment, whereof they have declared this to be a part.</P>
<P>And if to every one then far more to their Magi&s;trate, who hath &s;et them apart, and authorized them to declare their judgement in matters which be propo&s;ed unto them. It is then a cleer and undoubted duty, whereunto they are bound in Con&s;cience to apply them&s;elves: and if they &s;hould decline it, it would not only open the mouthes of all their Adver&s;aries, who already begin to give out that they cannot An&s;wer the Que&s;tions, and therefore have quitted the plea of a <HI>Jus Divinum:</HI> but pre-judge all the Prote&s;tant Churches Rights, which el&s;e where they en|joy under their Civill Magi&s;trates without controule, which by this occa&s;ion would become doubtfull and que&s;tionable. And finally this &s;ilence, as it would betray the cau&s;e of the Church to the world, and involue all into confu&s;ion; &s;o it would no doubt bring &s;ome exemplary judgement both upon the&s;e that decline &s;o nece&s;&s;ary a du|ty in &s;uch a time of Reformation; and upon the whole Mini&s;tery of this land, which ju&s;tly would become for this cau&s;e more contemptible, then any in al the world be&s;ides.</P>
<P>For the&s;e Rea&s;ons I conceive it not only expedient, but even nece&s;&s;ary that the Divines of the A&s;&s;embly &s;hould &s;et them&s;elves as one man to An&s;wer the Que&s;tions &s;ati&s;|factorily, &s;o farre as God &s;hall enable them.</P>
<P>But now to &s;peake to the &s;econd Que&s;tion, how this may be done both &s;atisfactorily to the con&s;cionable, and
<PB N="9" REF="10">al&s;o fully to the uncon&s;cionable, &s;o as to prevent cavilling and multiplying of new Que&s;tions, is a matter of no &s;mall difficulty to determine: yet let us try what may be &s;aid unto it.</P>
<P>I &s;uppo&s;e then to re&s;olve any doubt &s;atisfactorily, two things are requi&s;ite. Fir&s;t, the minde mu&s;t be free from all prejudicate opinions. Secondly, &s;ome evident and un|denyable rules mu&s;t be known and followed, by which the matter in doubt may be determined. For if the minde be not free from prejudice, it is not capable of any rule, and although it be free from prejudice, if it want a &s;ure rule to walke by in the &s;earch of truths, it will never be &s;atisfactorily re&s;olved of doubts: but if both it be free from all fore&s;tallment and partiality: and hath al&s;o a &s;ure directory to lead it unto the di&s;covery of hidden matters then it may be able both to find out and hold forth the re&s;olution of doubts demon&s;tratively: for to prevent Ca|villing it is nece&s;&s;ary, both that the way of finding out and of holding forth Truth be Demon&s;trative.</P>
<P>If therefore the Divines being free from all partiality, and minding nothing but the &s;imple manife&s;tation of the truth in their heart (as I am per&s;waded they will doe ac|cording to the Prote&s;tation which they made at their en|trance into the A&s;&s;embly) can &s;hew an undenyable Rule by which the truth of doubtfull matters in Divinity may certainly be found out, and can make it apparent; that in the &s;earch of a Re&s;olution to the&s;e Que&s;tions they have followed that rule without wavering from it: then I &s;up|po&s;e, that the thing which you require to be done, may be effected; namely, that the con&s;cionable will be &s;atisfi|ed, the uncon&s;cionable cut off from cavilling pretences, becau&s;e all matters of doubt (if they hold fa&s;t received Principles, and wil not fall to Sceptici&s;me) will be redu|ced
<PB N="10" REF="11">to the&s;e two neads: namely, to the &s;ufficiencie of the rules by which they proceed to di&s;cover Truths; or to the right application of tho&s;e rules, unto the Que&s;tions to be re&s;olved, for if no exception can be made, neither again&s;t the Rules of the di&s;covery of Truth in them&s;elves, nor at the u&s;e which is made of them, for the determination of matters in hand; then I &s;uppo&s;e all Objections will be prevented.</P>
<P>Therefore if I might have my wi&s;h, I could de&s;ire that all Divines or con&s;cionable men, before they &s;et upon any Que&s;tions, to re&s;olve them in particular: would &s;et down the Rules by which they doe order them&s;elves in their meditations, for the impartiall deci&s;ion of Scripturall doubts. This I would have them to doe, that they may be able to make it appear upon due &s;earch, that their way in an&s;wering doubts is cleere before them; that they are not &s;wayed by any intere&s;t of their own, or by any fore|&s;tallment of received opinions from other men of their own &s;ide, or by any other thing in the cour&s;e of Humane Learning, which might have any influence upon them to byas their thoughts, and take them off from the &s;impli|city of the Go&s;pel; but that their light doth come cleerly from the Word it &s;elfe alone, by a Scientificall way of truth, demon&s;trable unto all men of capacity to be &s;uch, and ri&s;ing from &s;uch undenyable principles of interpreta|tion, which all under&s;tanding Chri&s;tians do acknowledge and receive as undoubted, for when men can give an ac|count unto them&s;elves, by a &s;earch of their own intelle|ctuall proceedings; that the light which they held forth from the Word unto others is thus begotten in them; they need not feare to be much contradicted, if they can but make them&s;elves to be under&s;tood in what they hold forth; or &s;eriou&s;ly minded and con&s;idered in the way by
<PB N="11" REF="11">which they hold it forth in doubtfull ca&s;es. And truly, becau&s;e the way of Scripturall interpretation is not agreed upon among&s;t Divines, therefore mo&s;t men are led rather by opinion to deliver the meaning of the Text conjectu|rally, then by Scientificall grounds demon&s;tratively: But if the Chri&s;tian World could once be made &s;o happy, as to be taught a cleere and plain rule of Scripturall interpre|tation, and a method to apply plain Scripturall truths unto doubtfull ca&s;es of con&s;cience, for the re&s;olution of the &s;ame, and if the&s;e two things &s;hould be publi&s;hed to the Chri&s;tian World, and made upon &s;ufficient tryall demon|&s;trable to all men of capacity; then a ground would be laid for a greater matter then the re&s;olution of the&s;e Par|liamentary Que&s;tions, namely, for the ending of all vain janglings and confu&s;ed di&s;putes about matters Doctrinall and Practicall in Divinity.</P>
<P>For if the&s;e two Rules can be found out and made u&s;e of in the&s;e Queries, not onely all obloquie would be pre|vented in this matter; but a Way found to direct all men that are impartially rationall, to enlarge the knowledge of Scripturall truths from the Scripture it &s;elfe, and Scrip|turall grounds; &s;o as to avoid the intanglements of meer humane and Philo&s;ophicall notions; and the deceits of a Science &s;alfly &s;o called, becau&s;e the Rules, by which they in this matter &s;hould proceed, univer&s;ally &s;it to de|termine other doubts of the &s;ame kinde, &s;o far as by the opening of the &s;en&s;e of holy Scriptures, and by the appli|cation thereof unto humane ca&s;es, they are determinable. And that &s;ome &s;uch Rules may be found; and mu&s;t be fought after, if ever we &s;hould receive &s;atisfaction in Scripturall doubts, may thus be made apparent. Fir&s;t, we all confe&s;&s;e that nothing is to be received as a Divine Truth, but that which is atte&s;ted by the Word, or con&s;o|nant
<PB N="12" REF="12">unto the Te&s;timonies thereof. Now it is cleer that the Word cannot be &s;aid properly to atte&s;t any thing to us, except we under&s;tand the meaning thereof. Nor can we be &s;aid to under&s;tand the meaning thereof, except we know a rea&s;on why we co~ceive it to be &s;o as we apprehend it to be, and not otherwi&s;e; nor can &s;uch a rea&s;on be knowne without &s;ome Rules of Interpretation and Meditation, which are demon&s;trable to lead the mindes of tho&s;e that u&s;e the &s;ame, into Truth. Nor can the&s;e Rules be de|mon&s;trable, except they ari&s;e from &s;uch Common and undeniable Principles which all Rationall men in matters of that kind do take as granted, &s;eeing I &s;ay the&s;e things are &s;o; it followeth that if there be &s;uch Principles, then from the&s;e Rules may be taken to lead the doubting mind unto the apprehen&s;ion of Truth: and if &s;uch Rules may be had they &s;hould be held forth: for if they can not be held forth, no rea&s;on can be given of any Scripturall inter|pretation; and all interpretations are alike to be received; but this being ab&s;urd and de&s;tructive to all common Prin|ciples and to the Analogy of Faith, it followeth evidently that Rules may be had, and mu&s;t be &s;ought after and knowne and received before any Scripturall doubts and di&s;putable matters can be re&s;olved &s;atisfactorily.</P>
<P>Therefore the onely true Meanes to prevent contradi|ctions and endle&s;&s;e debates, will be to &s;hew the method of intellectuall proceedings, unpartially regulated towards the deci&s;ion of doubts, and &s;ufficiently fitted without all exception, to di&s;cover and finde out truths, as well in the&s;e as in all other doubts of the &s;ame kinde, for except the Rules and method be univer&s;all to hold in all, it can|not be tru&s;ted in any particulars, for we know that it is the ordinary cour&s;e of mo&s;t men in controver&s;all points: fir&s;t, to conceive a po&s;ition an&s;werably to their capacity
<PB N="13" REF="12">and intere&s;t; and then to &s;eeke out places of Scripture by which it may be made good. This is to build the wall fir&s;t, and then to fit the Rule unto it; whence it is that the Scripture is made to &s;peake &s;o different &s;en&s;es, as men for the maintaining of their &s;everall Opinions can probably wre&s;t it unto. But if we would know the truth indeed; we &s;hould look upon our own opinions as doubtfull matters; and having no ayme but to examine them by the Word; we &s;hould come to the meditation of the word by a cleer Rule; and having found the truth atte&s;ted by the Word it &s;hould be made a line and plummer, by which all particu|lar opinions in debate &s;hould be &s;quared; for in &s;o doing the wall would be fitted to the Rule. And except men be willing to lay down the love of their own tenents, and to &s;u&s;pect them&s;elves that they may be led out of the way by their own fore&s;tallments; or fail to enter rightly upon the way, or &s;tray from it after they are entred, for want of con&s;tant and &s;ufficient light; except I &s;ay they will &s;u&s;pect that they may erre &s;ome of the&s;e or all the&s;e wayes; they will never be carefull to prevent the deceits of their own thoughts unto which men are liable; and if they be not carefull of this they will never be &s;ure that they have found the Truth.</P>
<P>Therefore in this doubtfull matter which is of &s;uch main concernment, as that unto this particular Church and State I know nothing of greater or equall importance at this time; I could wi&s;h that among&s;t tho&s;e who were in doubts, in agreement were made of the Rule; by which men &s;hould proceed to An&s;wer doubtfull Que&s;tions &s;ati&s;|factorily, and before my deci&s;ion &s;hould be given to any Queries or ca&s;es of Con&s;cience, I would have them always to declare their whole Method of proceeding by way of <HI>Prolegomenon</HI> or Preface. And if in the&s;e particular my ad|vice
<PB N="14" REF="13">could be taken; the Method &s;hould be this; fir&s;t to collect out of the whole Scripture, but chiefly out of the New Te&s;tament, all the places of Scripture which &s;peake cleerly of the Church of Chri&s;t and of the Government thereof. The&s;e places they &s;hould Analy&s;e each by them|&s;elves to finde the true &s;en&s;e thereof, and demon&s;trate the the &s;ame by a Rule of Interpretation, which &s;hould be un|deniable.</P>
<P>Having found the &s;en&s;e of every place, they &s;hould ca&s;t the matter of Truth gathered from them into &s;o many &s;im|ple or compound Propo&s;itions as that matter wil conveni|ently afford, di&s;tingui&s;hing them into &s;everall heads. The&s;e Propo&s;itions &s;hould be &s;et a part as Rules fit to be made u&s;e of for the determination of the doubts propo&s;ed. Ha|ving found all the Rules, which the Scripture doth yield; they &s;hould Analy&s;e the Que&s;tions al&s;o and &s;hew the point of doubt di&s;tinctly which &s;hould be determined; then they &s;hould proceed to compare the matter que&s;tionable with that which the Scripture hath already determined, and from the proportion which &s;hall be found of the one to the other, in their Agreement or Di&s;agreement, a conclu&s;ion will re&s;ult to determine the whole matter: and to &s;hew that the inference of the conclu&s;ion is according to truth, the Rea&s;on of the Method of the Application might be declared; That when it &s;hall appeare that nothing is done Magi&s;terially; but by a Rule, directing the mind unto the the di&s;covery of Truth; all exceptions may be cut off: for in ca&s;e no fault can be found, neither in the Rules of pro|ceeding: nor in the proceedings according to Rules, cavil|ling will be prevented, and the danger of endle&s;&s;e debates incident to the&s;e and all other matters, will be taken away, which I be&s;eech the Lord at la&s;t to bring to pa&s;&s;e for his own name &s;ake. <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
