terpretations and decifions. The members of that church endeavour to support this opinion by two or three texts in the New Teftament: fo that they would convince you from Scripture, that you have no right to judge of Scripture; which is a manifest abfurdity. But only confider.-When St. Paul tells you, Prove all things, does it mean, fhut your eyes, and follow the di rections of the church blindfold?-When our Saviour tells us, Search the Scriptures, does He mean never look into them at all? And when He fays, Why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right, does he command us to believe without enquiry, and to receive the doctrines of others, without ufing our own reason and judgment?

The Church of England, on the contrary, invites men to read the Bible, to prove the doctrines, whether they be of God, and to believe, upon a rational conviction of the truth. She appeals to the Scriptures in all queftions, which are proper to be tried by them; and chearfully fubmits all her Articles and Ordinances to the teft of the written word of God; being well affured, that the more fhe is tried and understood, the more fhe will be approved; and that every ingenuous inquirer will become a firm and zealous defender.

We should take care, however, to perufe the facred volumes with great humility and caution, without any prepoffeffion and prejudice; not straining and torturing any paffages, in order to bend them to our own favourite opinions, but follow Scripture whitherfoever it naturally leads us. Whoever

reads the Bible with a view to collect from thence a fyftem of faith, and determine truly what is neceffary to be believed, -let him not pick out fingle texts, or fome little fcraps and feparate portions; nor let him expound any difficult places in oppofition to thofe which are clear and easy to 'be understood: but let him confider the nature and defign of the whole revelation, and attend to the coherence and connection of the particular difcourfe which he is reading, the occafion of its having been written, and the true fcope and defign of each paffage. Let him alfo read at once a whole book, or a whole epiftle, or at least to the end of proper periods, fo as to dif cover the thread of reafoning, and have an entire view of the fubject: and let him make it an inviolable rule to explain doubtful and obfcure parts by thofe which are expreffed in the cleareft and most fimple. manner: for this must be allowed to be the most natural and reasonable method of interpreting and understanding them.

It is not neceffary for men to enter into perplexing controverfies about fpeculative points, and things hard to be understood. They may come to the knowledge of their faith, without the deep refinements of criticifm. The way to falvation is plain and obvious. Common fenfe and common honefty are the main requifites for finding it: and if they meet with any difficulties in their progrefs, let them, with a modeft teachable temper, confult their proper Minifters, who have dedicated themselves to ftudies of this kind, and are appointed, under God, to instruct and comfort those who are in doubt.

We fhould read the Scriptures alfo with attention. Inftead of running over the words with a negligent indifference, as if we had no concern or interest in them, we fhould collect our wandering thoughts, and confider who it is that fpeaks to us there, and what it is that he fays.-If there be not a close attention, there can be no improvement; all our reading will make no impreffion, and give no fatisfaction.

Efpecially let us attend to the practical defign of the facred writings; for the end of all instruction, of all revelation itself, is the love and practice of Virtue. This is the life and foul of all true religion: the very effence of that laft and beft difpenfa

tion of the Gospel, which is that Grace of God which bringeth falvation, teaching us to live foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent world. And then only fhall we have ftudied the Scriptures profitably and effectually, when we have learned to practife the wifdom which is from above, and purified our fouls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, unto unfeigned love of the brethren.

To our own weak endeavours for this important purpofe, we fhould add frequent and fervent prayers to God for the p ful affiftance of that good Spirit, who ted thefe holy writings, and make use of that admirable collect, which the church recommends to thofe who defire to grow in the knowledge of them.

"Bleffed Lord, who haft caufed all Holy! "Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may in fuch wife "hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digeft them; that by patience and comfort of thy holy word, we may embrace and ever hold faft the bleffed "hope of everlafting life, which Thou "haft given us in our Saviour Jefus Chrift." Amen.

FINIS.

Printed by Bye and Law, St. John's Square, Clerkenwell,