A misunderstood Place of Scripture SERM. may overthrow One of the Prime Arti- XI. cles of Faith, which God has made neceffary to be believed in order to Salvation: Or it may deftroy the Morality of the Gospel, by introducing a Loofe Opinion concerning Life and Manners. By wrefting One fingle Paffage of Holy Writ, a Man may either deny the Lord 2 Pet. ii. who bought him, or turn the Grace of Jude iv. God into Lafcivioufnefs. And he that does either of thefe, cannot be faid to be feverely dealt with, though he be cut off from the Mercies of the Gospel. For a Life led in Oppofition to the Plain Practical Rules of Chriftianity, or without that Faith which Christianity requires, are either of them a fufficient Caufe of our Condemnation. And therefore fuch aWilfulWrefting of Scripture, as occafions either of these, muft in its Confequence be Damnable, and excufe God in pronouncing this Sentence, from all manner of Severity or Rigour, in his Dealings with us. This is the Account of the true Meaning of S. Peter's

U 2

SERM. S. Peter's Affertion in the Text, and of XI. the Juftness alfo, and Reasonableness of

it. Which Points being thus Stated and Cleared, I come now, as I propofed, to make use of them, in fome Obfervations and Inferences that they afford us. And

First, It may be Obferved, that the Scriptures were pervited, and turned by Ill Men to Ill Purposes, in the Times of the Apostles themselves; That they were no fooner Written, but they were Wrested. From whence we may learn thefe Two Things.

ft, That if this happened in the Apofiles Days, then well might it happen in After-Times; efpecially in this Age, which is at fo great a Distance from the Time of the Apostles writing. We may cease to wonder, how it has come to pafs, that fo many Controverfies have been started about the Senfe of Scripture, that it has been urged to fo many Wrong and Different Purposes, and brought to support and countenance fo many Heretical Opinions, in Latter Days, when we find that during the Lives of S. Paul and S. Peter themfelves, it was thus infincerely

and

and unfairly dealt with. The Ink was SERM. hardly dry, which fell from the Apostles XI. Pens, but Men began to difpute about the Words that were wrote in it; to mifconftrue, and mifapply them, every one to fuch Doctrines as pleased him beft; and to draw from the Infpired Writings things deftructive of Faith and Salvation, in the Face of the Inspired Authors of them, without asking, or at least, without taking their Opinions in the Point; who furely had been the propereft Men to have given an Account of their own Meaning. And if these things were fo then, what Wonder is it, if ever fince, and efpecially now, in these Dregs of Time, there be Wilful Men found, who will oppofe their own Vain Fancies and Novelties to the General Senfe of the whole Body of Chriftians, and not submit themselves to fuch a Concurrent Testimony in the Exposition of Scripture, as though of the Utmost Moment towards de ermining our Affent, yet falls far fhort of Infallibility and Inspiration.

SERM.

XI.

From the fame Obfervation alfo we may learn, in the

2d Place, That an Unerring Expounder of Scripture, is not fo Useful and Neceffary, as fome Men would make us believe it is; because if there were such an One, and he were known and acknowledged to be fuch by all Men, yet would not that fecure all Men from mifinterpreting Scripture, as is plain from the Inftance of the Text. The Apostles were certainly Unexceptionable Interpreters of their Own Writings, and Infallible Judges of all Controverfies that could arife from them; and yet notwithstanding this, their Writings were in their Own Time perverted, to countenance Erroneous and Heretical Doctrines; and fo doubtless would they be now, though there were an Infallible Judge upon Earth ftill. And Vain therefore is the Pretence of our Adverfaries of the Church of Rome, that fuch an Infallible Judge is necessary, to assure us of the True Senfe of Scripture, and put an End to all Controverfies con

cerning

cerning it; fince plain it is, that, when SERM. there was fuch an Infallible Judge, he XI. did not put an End to all Controverfies of this Kind: There were ftill a great many Proud, Pertinacious, and Opiniative Men left, that would not be concluded by him.

Now if the Inferring the Neceffity of God's acting in fuch, or such a Manner, from the Convenience that would redound to Mankind from his fo acting, be no very good Argument in Divinity, even when that Convenience is allowed; what a Kind of Argument muft that be, which would prove the Neceffity of an Infallible Judge, from the great Expedience of it towards Determining all Controverfies, when even that Expedience itself (as we have seen) wants to be proved?

But to go on. We may obferve from S. Peter's Affertion in the Text,

Secondly, What Temper of Mind, what Precautions, what Degree of Knowledge are requifice, in order to make our Enquiries into the Obfcure Parts of