The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…

The Ministers of God are greatly to take heed,¹ that they preach no other thing, than what is already contained in the Scripture. Or

1. 1Observ. Of Ministers building upon the foundation of Scripture by their preaching

It's a dangerous thing to put that sense and meaning on the word of God, which is not the true genuine sense of it.

They are with much care, fear and trembling, to consider, how they build upon the Scriptures. And if Ministers are thus to take heed; then likewise all others, who read and search the Scriptures, are to take heed of presumptuous boldness, and irreverent ignorance in the perverting of it. The Scriptures are called [Greek or Hebrew], the Testament, or Will of Christ. Now as it's a dangerous thing,¹ even by the Laws of a Land, to corrupt, forge or falsify a mans will: No less capital is it to the soul of a man, any ways to pervert the Doctrine of the Word of God, 2 Pet. 3.16. They that are unlearned wrest the Scriptures unto their own destruction. See here, a man may damn his soul by wresting and tormenting the Scripture, as it were upon a rack, to a contrary sense, then what it intended. Oecumenius on the place saith, It's as great a sin to pervert the writings of the Apostles, as it was to cut and mangle, or murder their bodies.

They are with much care, fear and trembling, to consider, how they build upon the Scriptures. And if Ministers are thus to take heed; then likewise all others, who reade and search the Scriptures, are to take heed of presumptuous boldnesse, and irreverent ignorance in the perverting of it. The Scriptures are called , the Testament, or Will of Christ. Now as it's a dangerous thing,