Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/54

 46 sci,?uas. ['Book I. of Beriptm'e, and declared to be a competent foundation of faith; the Scriptures, that contain much more, cannot want any necessary thing when the absolute necessities are so narrow. As to the attributes of God and of Christ, all that can be known of them is set down in Scrip- ture. And what moral precept is omitted in Scripture ? Will the Church of Rome inform us what doctrines or duties are omitted in the details of Scripture ? 6. There is no saying, miracle, or story of Christ, in an$t thing tIt is material, preserved in any indubitable record but in Scripture alone. Some things were reported to have been said by Christ and his apos- tles, some of which are not believed, and the others are unknown. The Scripture, therefore, contains all things, or else we have no gospel at all; for, except what is in Scripture, we have not a sufficient record of any miracle or saying of Christ. St. Paul quotes one saying of Christ which is not in the gospels, but it is in Scripture: "It is better to give than to receive." St. Jerome records another: "Be never very glad but when you see vour brother live in charity." This is a good say- ing; but whether t was uttered by Christ or not, is very uncertain. Now how is it possible that the Scriptures should not contain all things necessary to salvation, when of all the words of Christ there is nothing of any value preserved in any indubitable record, except in Scripture ? 7. That the Scriptures do not contain all things necessary to salva- tion is t source of many great and capital errors. Fanatics, such as the Mormons, Shaking Quakers, Southcotians. &c., add to the Scriptures their respective new revelations. They p&ronounce the Scriptures to be imperfect, a dead letter, obscure, unsafe, c. The Roman doctors say the same things, both in the same and similar words. From this principlb, as adopted by the fanatics, the most monstrous errors proceed, and the greatest crimes are counte- nanced and perpetrated. For supplying the insufficiency of Scripture by their inward word, or their new revelation, they can be the subjects of no discipline, are not to be met with any argument, and hence arises a number of inconsistencies. From the very same principle of sup- plying the defects of Scripture, the Romanists derive an imperious, interested, and tyrannical religion. For as the fanatics supply the insufficiency of Scripture by their new revelations, so do the Roman Catholics by the authority of the church. Thus the one and the other impose on consciences their additions to God's law. For these evils there is no remedy but Scripture, which is the proper standard by which to try the pretensions of each. The one supplies the deficiency of Scripture by the inward word, or new reve]ation; the other, by the pope's word, uttered ex cathedra: and the inward word and the pope's word shall rule and determine every thing, and the Scriptures shall pass for nothing; but as, under the pretence of an additional revelation, every new thing shall pass for the word of God, so shall it also under the Roman pretence. For not he that makes the law, but he that expounds the law, gives the proper standard. It follows from hence, that nothing but the Scripture's sufficiency can form a proper limit to the flood of evils which may enter from each of these parties relying on the same false principle. III. The Scriptures are a/da/n or account of the subjectz treated in them, so far as is conducive to faith or godliness. 1

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