Secondly, To the right guidance of our conscience, in witnessing to us, there is not only required the Word as a Rule, But the Spirit of God to enlighten thy ⟨p. 387⟩mind to receive the true meaning thereof. Such are the powerful delusions of Satan, that when he can no longer dethrone the Scripture from its authority, but men will appeal to that, then he looketh about to advance his Kingdom by the Scriptures ill handled, and wrested to corrupt opinions; and by this means men are brought into a worse condition, and more incurable then those who walk by no Scripture at all. For if a man be delivered up to this persuasion, that his opinions and ways are allowed by Scripture, warranted by Scripture, what way shall we take to reduce him? The Apostle Peter telleth us of some unstable and unlearned men, 2 Pet. 3. 16. which did wrest the Scriptures to their own perdition; And nothing is more ordinary, which made Luther say, That the Bible was the Heretics book; not in the sense the Papists do, accusing it thereby of insufficiency and imperfection: But for the dignity of it, having such authority, that every Heretic would gladly run to this Sanctuary. The Scripture then, though a perfect Rule, yet is not enough to guide our conscience, unless the Spirit of God, as is promised, lead us into truth; As the Sun, though never so full of light, yet cannot guide a blind man. We grant indeed that the Scripture is but a dead letter, and of it self without Gods Spirit, doth not enlighten the mind, and convert the heart. Only we say, The Spirit doth this, in and by the Scripture, and that all mens consciences, impulses, light, revelations and joys, must be examined, and stand or fall according to this Rule. Let this be granted, and then we plead as fervently as any can, for the work of Gods Spirit. This must enlighten the conscience, to be able to understand and believe the things revealed there. Hence the Disciples could not attempt their office, of publishing the Gospel, without this assistance from the holy Ghost, John 16. 13. he is said, To guide them into all truth. To guide them, [Greek or Hebrew], this signifieth that they did not know the way; or if they were in, they would quickly divert into by-paths, if this Spirit did not guide them. When David said, The Word was a lamp and light to his feet:
Secondly, To the right guidance of our conscience, in witnessing to us, there is not only required the Word as a Rule, But the Spirit of God to enlighten thy ⟨p. 387⟩mind to receive the true meaning thereof. Such are the powerfull delusions of Satan, that when he can no longer dethrone the Scripture from its authority, but men will appeal to that, then he looketh about to advance his Kingdom by the Scriptures ill handled, and wrested to corrupt opinions; and by this means men are brought into a worse condition, and more incurable then those who walk by no Scripture at all. For if a man be delivered up to this perswasion, that his opinions and wayes are allowed by Scripture, warranted by Scripture, what way shall we take to reduce him? The Apostle Peter telleth us of some unstable and unlearned men, 2 Pet. 3. 16. which did wrest the Scriptures to their own perdition; And nothing is more ordinary, which made Luther say, That the Bible was the Hereticks book; not in the sense the Papists do, accusing it thereby of insufficiency and imperfection: But for the dignity of it, having such authority, that every Heretick would gladly runne to this Sanctuary. The Scripture then, though a perfect Rule, yet is not enough to guide our conscience, unless the Spirit of God, as is promised, lead us into truth; As the Sunne, though never so full of light, yet cannot guide a blind man. We grant indeed that the Scripture is but a dead letter, and of it self without Gods Spirit, doth not enlighten the mind, and convert the heart. Only we say, The Spirit doth this, in and by the Scripture, and that all mens consciences, impulses, light, revelations and joyes, must be examined, and stand or fall according to this Rule. Let this be granted, and then we plead as fervently as any can, for the work of Gods Spirit. This must enlighten the conscience, to be able to understand and believe the things revealed there. Hence the Disciples could not attempt their office, of publishing the Gospel, without this assistance from the holy Ghost, John 16. 13. he is said, To guid them into all truth. To guide them, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, this signifieth that they did not know the way; or if they were in, they would quickly divert into by-paths, if this Spirit did not guide them. When David said, The Word was a lamp and light to his feet:
