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and cry'd down an infallible Interpreter:>
They feem'd all of one Mind in this, that the
Scriptures contain'd all the Truth in Matters of
Religion, which was neceffary to be known.
They thus declar'd, and they continue ftill for
the moft part to fay, that every individual
Chriftian, be he Layman or Clergyman, Pref
byter of Prelate, Cardinal or Pope, is a falli-
ble Man, and may fall into Errors. And that
when feveral fallible Chriftians meet in a Coun
cil, whether Provincial, National or Oecume
nical, and club and compound their feveral
Fallibilities, they cann't make up one commons
Infallibility out of them. They may, after
Prayer to God for his Direction, after moft fo
femn Vows made of Love to Truth, and Im-
partiality in their fearches after it, nay, tho
they lay the Holy Scriptures before them, and
profefs to fetch all their Sentiments in Re
ligion thence, they may be yet miftaken and
mifs of Truth and Orthodoxy.d in colteli
And yet by an unhappy turn of Thought, ma
ny with this Proteftation in their Mouths, will
be forming Tefts of Orthodoxy for others isto
which they will require Declarations of Affent,
Subfcriptions, and fuch other Methods of Subar
miffion as too much ferve to continue in Men's
Minds the perverted Notion of Orthodoxy. In
direct Contradiction to their avowed Principles
and Declarations in this Cafe, they will bind
down their Sentiments, nay, and their very
Words upon their Brethren as the Teft of
Truth; to which if you will not fubfcribe, you
fhall be branded with the moft odious Names;
you fhall be pafs'd upon the World under the
moft hateful and horrid Character; you fhall

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be mark'd out as a Wretch to be shunn'd, like the very Plague; as an Enemy to God's Truth, and to God himself.

But there are various Confiderations, that will serve to evince the Invalidity and Injuftice of fuch a Claim and Conduct as this: That will fhew it to be at once unreasonable for any to ufurp, and mean for any to allow or submit to, a Power of this kind in fallible Men.

There is no Foundation for it in Nature. For in this refpect, if in any, undoubtedly all Mankind are on a Level. He that pretends to diEtate his Sentiments to another, plainly breaks in upon the moft univerfal Law of Equity; and does that by his Neighbour, which he wou'd be very unwilling any other fhou'd do by him again. And he who yields his Neck to this Yoke, eafily betrays and gives up the most valuable and unalienable Right of a reasonable Creature; to think for himself, fee with his own Eyes, and in every Matter to judge according to the beft Light he can get of the true Merits of a Cause.

There is no Warrant for any thing of this kind in facred Writ. There every Man is allow'd and required to try for himself, and not to take his religious Sentiments upon Truft from others. There is nothing more oppofite to the Genius and Spirit of the Chriftian Inftitution, than a Religion taken upon Content. It was the command of its great Author, to every Individual, Search the Scriptures; it was the defire and advice of its firft Preachers the Apoftles, that all Chriftians wou'd for themselves try the Spirits, whether they were of God; prove all Things, and hold faft that which upon their ferious thorow fearch and enquiry, fhou'd appear

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appear to them to be Good, to be beft. They were willing that what they faid fhou'd be look'd into,and examin'd, and that every one for himself fhou'd fee whether it was reafonable, credible, fit to be receiv'd or no. Confider what we fay. I speak as to wife Men, judge ye what I Say. This or fomething of this kind was always their Language. They were far from being difpleas'd, or fhewing any Refentment, when Perfons took the Liberty of doubting, fo far as to canvass what they communicated to them; when they faw any Men trying their Doctrines, Reafonings, Inferences, by thofe Scriptures on which they pretended to found them. So far were they from being uneafie and offended at it, that to borrow Mr. Marvel's Expreffion on this Occafion, the Bereans were ennobled by Patent, are mention'd with the highest marks of Efteem by one of the facred Hiftorians, because they wou'd not credit Paul himself, whofe Writings make now fo great a part of the New Teftament, until they had fearch'd the Scriptures daily, whether thofe things were fo: And therefore they believed, being upon their own enquiry convinc'd of the Truth of what was faid to them.

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But this Practice is not only without warrant from Scripture, but 'tis likewife the moft fignal Affront, and the most injurious Reflection that can poffibly be caft on thofe holy Writings. 'Tis denying their Perfection, 'tis faying all neceffary Truth is not contain'd in them, or at least not in fo good and proper Expreffions as it ought to be: The Phrafes are more exceptionable, and more liable to be wrefted or mistaken, than

A. Marvel's Hift.

fome

fome of our own. And thus it can never be confiftent with the Honour which is due to Chrift, as a Prophet. It looks as tho' we apprehended we know the Father, his Nature, Mind and Will, better than the Son did. Or at leaft cou'd cloath out as perfect Notions of Things, in better and wifer, and founder Words, than he was either able or careful to make use of.

'Tis the greatest Discouragement that can be thought of from reading and confidering this Revelation. If I can't understand them in my own Senfe, if there is any Danger, that with all the Care and Pains I can take in the reading them, I may yet be damnably mistaken in the meaning of them, I fhall be lefs thankful than I have hitherto been, that I have those Writings put into my Hand in a Language I can underftand.

If it wou'd be much better, I am fure it wou'd be much easier for me to believe as others have done before me; to believe as my Fore-fathers believed. And this I cou'd have done without feeing one Leaf of the Bible my felf. I am fatiffy'd; other People have read this Book before I was born, they had more Time, more Judgment and Learning than I have, to be fure they understood it right, I'll acquiefce in their Interpretations. And while I am thus Orthodoxly difpos'd, you had better let me subscribe, for fear if I fhou'd come to look into it my felf, I fhou'd have fome Heretical Doubts arifing in my mind; And then I fhou'd fign with more Difficulty, with lefs Satisfaction.

And let not my Reader, imagine me in this merely to rally; for I affure him I am in earnest, B 2 when

when I fay I had rather have no Bible, than not have a Liberty of understanding it as I think reafonable.

Let the Capacity, Furniture, Diligence and Honefty of Men be what they will; how uncommon foever their Pretences may be to one, or all, of these; yet to make any Articles of Faith, or impose their Senfe of Scripture upon other Men, is too great a Truft to be committed to them, unless they have the Spirit of Infallibility. When once they are affur'd themselves they can't err, and give the World fufficient proof they can't be mistaken, they may be allow'd to call all that agree with them Orthodox, and all that differ from them Heretics, but not till then. When a Perfon or Synod can fay it feemeth good, it seemeth right to the Holy Ghost and to us,they are much to be blamed who won't liften to every thing that comes back'd with fuch an Authority. But when fuch a Guidance is not fo much as pretended, 'tis by no means modeft to expect an equal measure of Regard.

This Humour of Creed-making and Creed-impofing is one of the moft grievous Inftances of Perfecution, and the grand Source of every other kind of it. If it be only their good Opinion of us, that our Fellow.Chriftians fufpend upon Non-affent to their Confeffions of Faith, they in a very inhuman and unchristian Way perfecute us 'Tis in it felf barbarous, fays Mr. Marvel, for thefe Faith-ftretchers, whofoever they be, to put Men's Confciences upon the Torture, to rack them to the length of their Noti

ons.

I understand the Words of another in the fame Senfe he does; here is the leaft harm done me in

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