The Difficulties and Discouragements which Attend the Study of the Scriptures in the Way of Private Judgment: In Order to Shew That, Since Such a Study of the Scriptures is Men's Indispensable Duty, it Concerns All Christian Societies to Remove as Much as Possible Those Discouragements, in a Letter to a Young Clergyman. From the 8vo Ed. of His Works Published in 1746 |
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Page 13
... errors infinite . And there is hardly any notion with respect to any of them which some learned man , by following his own private judgment , instead of taking the doctrine of the Church for his guide , has not fallen into . Now if you ...
... errors infinite . And there is hardly any notion with respect to any of them which some learned man , by following his own private judgment , instead of taking the doctrine of the Church for his guide , has not fallen into . Now if you ...
Page 15
... errors , they will return to the vices you had persuaded them to leave , and , for the future , will take effectual care not to be the better for you . Nobody can do much good whom the people do not think a good man ; and that cannot be ...
... errors , they will return to the vices you had persuaded them to leave , and , for the future , will take effectual care not to be the better for you . Nobody can do much good whom the people do not think a good man ; and that cannot be ...
Page 16
... error in an incidental point of learning shall be a good proof that you know nothing . Every inaccurate expression shall be pressed into a crime ; any little warmth of temper shall be aggra- vated into pride and positiveness , into a ...
... error in an incidental point of learning shall be a good proof that you know nothing . Every inaccurate expression shall be pressed into a crime ; any little warmth of temper shall be aggra- vated into pride and positiveness , into a ...
Page 27
... errors , instead of exposing or mending them ; and to support the received interpreta- tions , however absurd , instead of such as reason and learning convinced them were the only true ones . But this was a task which men of ingenuous ...
... errors , instead of exposing or mending them ; and to support the received interpreta- tions , however absurd , instead of such as reason and learning convinced them were the only true ones . But this was a task which men of ingenuous ...
Page 30
... errors may be refuted , as the mistakes of learned men on other sub- jects ; if doubtful , and the Scriptures say so little or speak so obscurely that nothing can certainly be decided either way , that then nobody may be obliged to take ...
... errors may be refuted , as the mistakes of learned men on other sub- jects ; if doubtful , and the Scriptures say so little or speak so obscurely that nothing can certainly be decided either way , that then nobody may be obliged to take ...
Common terms and phrases
allowed argument Arian better Bishop Gibson BISHOPSGATE Catholic tradition Church of Rome clergy condemned confess conscience consequence danger DEAN OF WORCESTER declare diffi difficulties disturb the peace divine right doctrine doubt errors Established Church esteem excommunicated FRANCIS HARE free and impartial give me leave Greek impartial study imputation of heresy infamy judge knowledge labour language laws liberty literal sense little learning man's manner matter meaning ment minds misfortune necessary NEWGATE STREET offender Old Testament opinions orthodox faith pains perhaps piety plain and clear Popery pretend principle PRIVATE JUDGMENT proof Protestant prove punishment racter reason recant received notions Reformation religion reputation ruin rule of faith SAMUEL CLARK Scrip scripture and antiquity shew Sir MICHAEL FOSTER'S study the Scriptures suffered sure temper texts thing thought tion Tract true truth tures understand understood virtue WHISTON words writ write wrong YOUNG CLERGYMAN zeal
Popular passages
Page 27 - ... interpretations. To be plain ; the one thing, that turned them from so noble and necessary a study, was the want of liberty, which, in this study only, is denied men. They found it was dangerous to examine impartially, and speak freely ; that...
Page 20 - Whatever, therefore, you do, be orthodox : orthodoxy will cover a multitude of sins ; but a cloud of virtues cannot cover the want of the minutest particle of orthodoxy
Page 20 - Whatever therefore you do, be orthodox ; orthodoxy will cover a multitude of sins, but a cloud of virtues cannot cover the want of the minutest particle of orthodoxy. It is expected, no matter how unreasonably, that a man should always adhere to the party he has once taken. It is the opinion of the world, that he is all his life bound by the subscriptions he made in his first years ; as if a man were as wise at twenty,four, and knew as much of the Scripture and antiquity, and could judge as well...
Page 28 - Spend ten or twelve years upon Horace or Terence. To illustrate a billet-doux or a drunken catch, to explain an obscene jest, to make a happy emendation on a passage that a modest man would blush at, will do you more credit and be of greater service to you than the most useful employment of your time upon the Scriptures, unless you can resolve to conceal your sentiments and speak always with the vulgar.
Page 28 - How are his abilities confessed and admired by all ! But had the same genius, the same sagacity and labour, been applied to the study of the Scriptures, to settle the texts in doubtful places, to mend corrupted ones, explain hard ones, fix the meaning of obscure ones, and to trace out the literal sense where it can be done ; should he, I say, have attempted a work of this kind, instead of thanks and applause, it is more than probable he would have been treated as a rash man, of no judgment, of little...
Page 31 - ... further than in words ; if we in earnest think them the only rule of faith, let us act as if we thought so. Let us heartily encourage a free and impartial study of them; let us lay aside that malignant, arbitrary, persecuting, Popish spirit; let us put no fetters on men's understandings, nor any other bounds to their inquiries but what God and Truth have set. Let us, if we would not give up the Protestant principle, that the Scriptures are plain and clear in the necessary articles, declare nothing...