Argument for us to depend upon our Rule, than all the Cavils of our Adverfaries are to make us diftruft it. And furely, by the way, 'tis no Credit for our Adverfaries to join with profeffed Libertines and Deifts in undervaluing the Scriptures, and to furbish up their vile Arguments to abate our Veneration for them. For I appeal to any understanding Perfon, whether any Libertine or Deift did' ever argue more strenuously against the Authority of the Bible, than Mr. Penn does in what follows. I ask (faies (u) he) how are they assured, that they (viz. the Scriptures) are not MISERABLY ABUSED by carlefness or defign? fince we see, that (nfing utmost diligence) both Tranflation, Transcription, and Printing, are fubject to numerous Mistakes, and thofe fometimes very Material, against which the Scripture can be no Fence.

But admit there were no ground for any fuch Objection, I further demand of our Adverfaries, if they are well affured of thofe Men, that first collected, embodied, and authenticated them by a Public Canon, which we read to have been in the Council of Laodicea, 360 Years after Chrift, tho' not as they are now received; during which time they had been toffed and tumbled, fome received, fome rejected, doubtlefs many hundred times tranfcribed, and IT IS NOT IMPROBABLE THAT THEY WERE ALSO ABUSED. If they miss in their Fudgment here, they are gone, till they come to us. I fay, how do they know, that these Men rightly difcerned true from Spurious? Either their Judgment was infallible in the matter, or it was not. If it were, then there was fuch a thing as infallibility fince the Apostles daies,

(u) Chriftian Quaker, part 1. appen, p.141,142. Р

which

which is a Contradiction to your felves. But be it fo, that they were infallible; how came you to be affured they were fo? Not by Inspiration; That is dangerous Doctrine with you. Which way was it then? Not by Tradition. Was it by the Scripture? That were to say, that the Scripture tells you, that those Men that collected it for true, were right in their Judgment. But we are yet to find any such place, and that is to beg the Question. I cannot see any other ground, befides your very great kindness to their Choice; which you call Popery, and believing as the Church Believers, in other Folks. But if thefe Men are fallible, as your own Principle makes them, and their own Determinations prove them; what then? Doubtless your condition will be defpe

rate.

Now certain it is, that fome of the Scriptures taken in by one Council for Canonical, were rejected by another as Apocryphal; and that which was left out by the former for Apocryphal, was taken in by the latter for Canonical. Now visible it is, that they contradicted each other; and as true, that they both erreds refpecting the prefent Belief. For your Canon and Catalogue varies from theirs; and, let me fay without Offence, from any Catalogue you can produce. Behold, the Labyrinth of uncertainties you run your felves into, who go from that heavenly Gift in your felves, by which the Holy Scriptures are truly difcerned, relifbed, and diftinguished from the Inventions and Abufes of Men..

Somewhat, after the fame ftrain Mr. Barclay fpeaks. Laft of all (faies (2) he) there is no less difficulty even occurs to thefe skilled in the Origi

(w) Apol. prop. 3. P. 302, 303

nal

ཎཱ

nal Languages, who cannor jo immediately receive the mind of the Authors in thefe Writings, as that their Faith do not at least obliquely depend upon the Honesty and Credit of the Transcribers; fince the Original Copies are granted by all not to be now ex

tant.

Of which Tranfcribers Jerom in his time complain ed, faying, that they wrote not what they found, but what they understood. And Epiphanius faith, that in the good and correct Copies of Luke it was written, that Chrift wept, and that Irenæus doth cite it ; but that the Catholics blotted it out, fearing left Heretics fhould have dbufed it. Other Fathers alfo declare, that whole Verses were taken out of Mark becaufe of the Manichees.

But farther, the various Lections of the Hebrew Character by reason of the Points, which fome plead for as coevous with the firft Writings, which others with no less probability alledge alledge to be a later invention; the Disagreement of diverse Citations of Chrift and the Apostles with thofe Paffages in the old Teftament; the appeal to the great Controversy among the Fathers, whereof fome most highly approve the Greek Septuagint, decrying and rendring very doubtful the Hebrew Copy, as in many places vitiated and altered by the Jews; other fome, particularly Jerom, exalting the certainty of the Hebrew, and rejecting, yea, even deriding the Hiftory of the Septuagint, which the Primitive Church chiefly made use of, and some Fathers that lived Centuries before him affirmed to be a most certain thing; and the many various Lections in diverfe Copies of the Greek, and the great Altercations among the Fathers of the three Centuries, who had greater Opportunity to be better informed, than we can now lay claim to, concerning the Books to be admitted or rejected, as above is obferved; I say,

P 2

all

all thefe, and much more which might be alledged, puts the Minds even of the Learned into infinite Doubts, Scruples, and inextricable Difficulties.

I fhall not return an Answer to what is objected against the Scriptures in these paffages, because I have already referr'd my Reader to thofe Books which treat of the Canon of Scripture, and the integrity of our prefent Copies. Befides, I observe,

Secondly, that our Adverfaries themselves do at other times effectually answer this Objection, by granting, not only that the Scriptures, viz. that Canon which we receive, were written by infpiration; but also that they (x) give a TRVĖ and FAITHFUL Teftimony, and that (y) the Errors which may be fuppofed by the injury of Times to have fliptin, are not fuch, but that there is a SUFFICIENT CLEAR Teftimony left to ALL the Effentials of the Chriftian Faith, and that (z) they are a CLEAR and PERFECT Copy, as to ALL Effentials and Neceffaries of Chriftian Religion. And if fo, then what need was there of fuch hideous Declamations concerning the obfcurity, imperfection, and uncertainty of the Scriptures? How our Adverfaries can reconcile thefe Quotations, will appear upon Trial: but for my part, as I think that fome of 'em are grofs Abufes of the Holy Scriptures, fo I think others are a full Vindication of them.

(x) Ibid. p. 295. (y) Ibid. p. 305. (z) Quakerifm confirmed, fect. 1. p. 603,

CHAP.

Of the Judge of Controverfies, and an infallible judgment in things necessary to Salvation.

TF

O what has been faid concerning the Rule of Faith, I fhall annex a few words concerning the Judge of Controverfies; and an infallible judgment in things neceffary to Salvation.

Mr. Penn (a) faies, that an infallible judgment in things neceflary to Salvation is both poffible and requifite; and that God communicates it by his Spirit to the fouls of Men. Now whether, and in what fense, and by what means, an infallible judgment in things neceffary to Salvation is poffible, I need not inquire. But whether it be requifite or neceffary, I think it advisable briefly to confider.

'Tis certain, that he whofe judgment is infallible concerning thofe things which are neceffary to Salvation, is an infallible Judge of thofe Controverfies which arife about them. And 'tis granted on all hands, that God is an infallible Judge of thofe Controverfies which arife about Matters neceffary to Salvation; because his judgment concerning thofe Matters cannot but be infallible. 'Tis granted alfo, that the Spirit is an infallible Judge of thofe Controverfies which arife about Matters neceffary to Salvation; because the Spirit is God. Nor do our Adverfaries affert, that there is any other infallible Judge of thofe Contrayerfies, befides the Spirit and the Scriptures,

(4) Chriftian Quaker, part 1. append. p. 159. P 3

And