explain them to advantage." Scripture," faid a very learned man, "is given to all to learn ; "but to teach, and to interpret, only to a "few1." 66 Ignorance of the Scriptures," as St. Jerome remarked many ages fince, "is the "mother and nurfe of all error"," But error is never more widely fpread, or more deeply rooted, than when a familiarity with fcriptural language is mistaken for a knowledge of Scripture when, (as the fame father describes the itate of religion in his own time, and would that the defcription did not apply to ours!) "perfons of whatever age, fex, or con"dition, all arrogantly claim the privilege of "interpreting Scripture; wreft it, mangle it, "teach before they have learned it; and with "a certain facility and boldnefs of fpeech loudly proclaim to others, what they them"felves do not understand":" when, like 66 Hales's Golden Remains, p. 12. So quoted by Bp. Ridley. See his Life by Gl. Ridley, book vi. p. 470. The paffage alluded to appears to be as follows: Propterea errant, quia fcripturas nefciunt; et quia fcripturas ignorant, confequentur nefciunt virtutem Dei, hoc eft Chriftum. Hieron. Comment. in Matt. xxii. • Sola Scripturarum ars eft, quam fibi omnes paffim vindicant hane garrula anus, hanc delirus fenex, hanc fophifta verbofus, banc univerfi præfumunt, lacerant, docent, antequam difcant:et quadam facilitate verborum, immo audacia, edifferunt aliis, quod ipfi non intelligunt. Hieron. Paulino. Ep. ciii. "those rash presumers," of whom St. Auftin complains, "in fupport of their ungrounded "opinions, they pretend the authority of these "facred books, and repeat much of them even 66 by heart, as bearing witness to what they "hold; whereas indeed they do but pro nounce the words, but understand, neither "what they speak, nor whereof they af "firm°." In order to form "a workman that needeth "not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word "of truth"," not only are much zeal and diligence neceffary in fearching the Scriptures, but much study alfo in preparatory exercises; much care in comparing them; much judgment in applying them; much difcrimination in diftinguishing between paffages of a limited, and those of an universal and perpetual import; much humility and fobriety of mind Quid enim moleftiæ triftitiæque ingerant prudentibus fratribus temerarii præfumtores, fatis dici non poteft : cum, fiquando de prava et falfa opinione fua reprehendi et convinci cœperint ab eis, qui noftrorum librorum auctoritate non tenentur; ad defendendum id quod leviffima temeritate et apertiffima falfitate dixerunt, eofdem libros fanctos, unde id probent, proferre conantur; vel etiam memoriter, quæ ad teftimonium valere arbitrantur, multa inde verba pronunciant, non intelligentes neque quæ loquuntur, neque de quibus affirmant. Auguft. de Genefi ad literam. lib. i. c. xix. tom. iii. p. 130. ed Bened. 2 Tim. ii. 15. in explaining more myfterious points of doctrine; and especially a freedom from all prepoffeffions, and a steadfast attention to the facred volume, as one great whole; confifting indeed of a variety of parts, but all the various parts of which neceffarily depend on, and harmonize with, each other. That fuch caution is reasonable will appear to those, who reflect upon the various perfons, by whom; the various perfons to whom, and for whose use; and the manifold variety of local, temporary, and other circumstances, under which they were written: at the fame time bearing in mind, that they relate to spiritual things, fome of which it furpaffes the capacity of the human understanding fully to comprehend; but that they all proceed from one unerring fource," the Father of lights, "with whom is no variablenefs neither sha"dow of turning ;" and that they are all directed to one fimple and harmonious end, "the bearing of witnefs unto the truth." Nor is it only from the reasonableness of the cafe, that I would enforce this falutary caution in examining and interpreting the Scriptures: but I feel juftified in enforcing it, by the express testimony of an inspired Apoftle, that in the epiftles of St. Paul, or in the James i. 17. ↑ John xviii. 37, fubjects of his epiftles, (for the fenfe varies with the original text,) "there are fome "things hard to be understood, which they "that are unlearned and unstable wreft, (sge"Chovo, put to the rack, unnaturally ftrain " and torture,) as they do also the other Scrip66 tures, unto their own deftruction." And this caution I accordingly confider to be, as it were the anchor of the orthodox belief, which many difregarding "have been toffed to and "fro, and carried about with every wind of "doctrine;" and have unhappily made fhip"wreck of the true "faith, which was once de"livered unto the faints"," Of fuch importance indeed is this caution. to be confidered in fcriptural inquiries in general, and fo peculiarly feasonable in the inquiry, which is propofed for the subject of thefe lectures; that I beg your attention, whilft, at the risk of anticipating, for the fake of a comprehenfive view, fome remarks which may hereafter recur more in detail, I proceed to enlarge on it to fome extent in this introductory difcourfe; and to lay before you a general statement of the principles, on which I conceive that the charges of our affailants may be repelled, and the evangelical character of our preaching be defended and maintained. • Eph. iv. 14. * Jude 3. I propofe accordingly to place before your view feveral rules, which may be regarded of the greatest benefit towards a fatisfactory interpretation of the Scriptures; and, having made an application of them to topics, on which Chriftians are for the moft part agreed, fhall fubjoin examples of their application to more controverted points. But here, before I proceed to a particular statement of the rules to be propofed, I must be allowed to protest most decidedly against a claim, advanced by certain religionists, who affume to themselves exclusively a fupernatu ral illumination in the explaining of Scripture; a claim, which is, if I mistake not, afferted for themfelves, and denied to us, by a large proportion of our accufers. It is obvious, that the admiffion of fuch a claim muft at once fuperfede all rational investigation into any controverted matter; for it were vain to expect, that any argument should weigh with him, who believes himfelf to be guided by an infallible monitor within him. The claim therefore carries with it a plain proof of its weakness; for it is a claim, which one man may advance as fairly as another; and if they do fo in mutual oppofition, where is the criterion that is to decide? How far the weakness of the claim is exemplified in the two great leaders of Methodifm, who maintained, each |