SERMON I. THE SCRIPTURES. 2 TIM. iii. 16, 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." MANY a time and oft, Christian Brethren, within the last seventeen years, have I addressed you in these Holy Words from this place, and have shown you, as the Angel said to Daniel, the man of desires and greatly beloved, "that which is noted in the Scripture of truth." And, once Dan. x. 21. more, am I called to speak boldly, as I ought to speak, and herein to assure you, that" whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the ScripRom. xv.4. tures might have hope." 20. And great cause there is that I should do so, my Brethren greatly beloved,-ye amongst whom, in trouble and in joy, I have gone in and out these many years! For once more hath the Church of Rome awoke out of her pretended sleep, and, like Samson of old time, hath "said, I will go out as at other times before, and Judg. xvi. shake myself." And shook herself she hath, and become intrusive; and us too would she shake, were the word of the Lord departed from us! Ay, had she the power, as she hath the will, she would hinder free access to the Book of Life, which is the BIBLE-that HOLY Book which is the hope and the stay, the solace and the comfort, of all those who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity, and look to Him, and Him alone, in faith and hope, rejoicing in a name that protesteth against error and cleaveth unto the truth! Then, that your hearts and minds may continue grounded and settled in a true belief, and in communion with that pure and apostolical branch of Christ's Holy Catholic Church established in these kingdoms, and, as such, directly opposed to Romish or other corruptions, I purpose, by God's help, in this and some following Discourses, to call your attention to that Faith in which ye stand. And if, in so doing, I have to go a little out of my common way, which is to speak of "Christ and him crucified" only, of a holy faith and a holy life, and of things accompanying salvation,— ye must pardon me in this matter, considering that a sort of "necessity is laid upon me," and that my very and only 1 Cor. ix. object is, as I did promise when ordained Priest, "with all faithful diligence to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to God's word," using for that cause "both pub- Ord. of lic and private monitions and exhortations." These remarks thrown out, I proceed 16. Priests. Hooker, Ecc. Pol. ii. i. § 2. at once to a consideration of the Holy Scriptures, all-sufficient ', as we do think and profess, for salvation,-noting merely, that we, who protest against by the way, the errors of Rome, take not up that notion of the Puritan platform, that " Scripture is the only rule of all things which in this life may be done by men;" that it "must be the rule to direct in all things, even so far as to the taking up of a rush or straw." Far from this: and the discussion of this matter, which, as 1 66 Scripture complains justly of these main wrongs offered to it :-The first, of addition to the Canon; the second, of the detraction from the sufficiency of it; the third, of hanging all the authority thereof upon the sleeve of Rome."-Bp. Hall, "No Peace with Rome,” vol. i. 673, folio. But hear the words of St. Chrysostom: Μετὰ πολλῆς σπουδῆς τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν τῶν θείων γραφῶν ποιώμεθα· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ τῆς γνώσεως ἐπιτευξόμεθα, εἰ συνεχῶς ἐπίωμεν τὰ ἐγκείμενα· οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστι τὸν μετὰ σπουδῆς καὶ πολλοῦ πόθου τοῖς θείοις ἐντυγχάνοντα περιοφθῆναί ποτε· ἀλλὰ κἂν ἄνθρωπος ἡμῖν μὴ γένηται διδάσκαλος, αὐτὸς ὁ δεσπότης ἄνωθεν ἐμβατεύων ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμετέραις φωτίζει τὴν διάνοιαν, καταυγάζει τὸν λογισμὸν, ἐκκαλύπτει τὰ λανθάνοντα, διδάσκαλος ἡμῖν γίνεται τῶν ἀγνοουμένων μόνον ἐὰν ἡμεῖς τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν εἰσφέρειν βουλώμεθα.-In Gen. Hom. xxxv. tom. iv. 351. extremes meet, will again arise, we leave in the glowing pages of the judicious HOOKER. But what we assert and maintain is this, in the words of our sixth Article, that "Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an Article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation." In this, and in this sense alone, is it asserted that THE BIBLE AND THE BIBLE ONLY is the religion of Protestants. And hence it is that, in the Ordering of Priests, or ever they be sent forth to preach all saving truths, this question is put, "Are you persuaded that the Holy Scriptures contain sufficiently all doctrine required of necessity for eternal salvation, through faith in Jesus Christ? and are you determined, out of the said Scriptures, to instruct the people committed to your charge, and to teach nothing, as required of necessity to eternal salvation, but that which you shall |