A discourse apologeticalA discours apologetical

For to make men, not silly people only, but even the learnedst of them, utterly uncertain of the genuine sense of Scripture, and Gods Oracles more ambiguous then Apollo Loxias dark Riddles, and Heraclitus [Greek or Hebrew] his Dictates were; you tell us that they are conceived in such an obscure manner, that they are referta Mysteriis omnifariam eventilatis, & in incertum cadentibus, aliisque velut Aenigmatibus infinitis, qae Lectores in diversa rapiant atque solicitent Argumentis aeqo ponder libratis, full fraught with Mysteries, blown out every way, or into all shapes, and falling out altogether uncertainly, as also with infinite Riddles, that solicit and draw the Reader divers ways with arguments of equal weight on either side, and so leave him in suspense, as if the whole Book of God were made up of such intricacies; as also that they are penned in such a Language, in qâ puncta varia, & in variis codicibus alia atqe alia, sensusqe radicum multiplices & in omnia propendentes, qae vel doctissimis undiqe tenebras offundere nemini uspiam docto dubium est, wherein the points are various, and the words pointed one way in one book, and another way in others, and the roots, or primitive words of so many several significations, that of themselves they incline to have any thing made of them, by reason whereof, even the most learned are encompassed with darkness on every side, that which no learned man any where can make doubt of. And therefore forsooth no man learned or unlearned can have any sure footing for their faith, unless they can find out, or light on such a party of whom they may have assurance, that he or they can clear all those infinite mysteries, and assoil all those obscure Riddles, and certainly settle all those varieties, and determine all those differences, by an undoubted pointing of the words first, and then limiting each of them to his true and proper sense there so read, and unless they be also firmly ascertained concerning such a party, that he or they cannot be deceived in any of these particulars, nor will deceive him therein. Which when it shall be discovered to be a matter of mere impossibility, is not this a ready course to make people warp towards Atheism? for doth he not herein the v•rie same work, that he saith the grand Plot-master of Hell doth, labour ⟨p. 75⟩¹to make holy Scripture a leaden rule, appliable to all things?

For to make men, not sillie people onelie, but even the lernedst of them, utterly uncertain of the genuine sense of Scripture, and Gods Oracles more ambiguous then Apollo Loxias dark Riddles, and Heraclitus his Dictates were; you tell us that they are conceived in such an obscure manner, that they are referta Mysteriis omnifariam eventilatis, & in incertum cadentibus, aliisque velut Aenigmatibus infinitis, qae Lectores in diversa rapiant atque solicitent Argumentis aeqo pondere libratis, full fraught with Mysteries, blown out every way, or into all shapes, and falling out altogether uncertainlie, as also with infinit Riddles, that solicite and draw the Reader divers ways with arguments of eqal weight on either side, and so leav him in suspence, as if the whole Book of God were made up of such intricacies; as also that they are penned in such a Language, in qâ puncta varia, & in variis codicibus alia atqe alia, sensusqe radicum multiplices & in omnia propendentes, qae vel doctissimis undiqe tenebras offundere nemini uspiam docto dubium est, wherein the points are various, and the words pointed one way in one book, and another way in others, and the roots, or primitive words of so manie several significations, that of themselvs they incline to have anie thing made of them, by reason whereof, even the most lerned are encompassed with darkness on everie side, that which no lerned man anie where can make doubt of. And therefore forsooth no man lerned or unlerned can have anie sure footing for their faith, unless they can find out, or light on such a partie of whom they may have assurance, that he or they can cleer all those infinit mysteries, and assoil all those obscure Riddles, and certainly settle all those varieties, and determine all those differences, by an undoubted pointing of the words first, and then limiting each of them to his tru and proper sense there so read, and unless they be also firmlie ascertained concerning such a partie, that he or they cannot be deceived in anie of these particulars, nor will deceive him therein. Which when it shall be discovered to be a matter of meer impossibilitie, is not this a readie course to make people warp towards Atheism? for doth he not herein the vrie same work, that he saith the grand Plot-master of Hell doth, labor