A complete body of divinity in two hundred and fifty expository lectures on the…A compleat body of divinity in two hundred and fifty expository lectures on the…

(2.) TO the truth of a Rule is required an agreement between the several Articles contained in it. A Rule is but one, tho' it may consist of many branches; but then there must be no contradiction between them: Truth is always consenting; where there is contradiction there is falsehood, that which is asserted in one place, must not be denied in another, because there would be an inconsistency; and if one be true, the […] cannot be so: This truth also belongs to the Scripture; there is a great harmony in it, as hath already been proved. The adversaries of the word of God have endeavoured to set it at variance with it self, but all in vain; and those seeming contradictions in it have been no more than seeming, arising from the darkness of mens understandings, and perverseness of their hearts: and God hath raised up many faithful Instruments in his Church, who have wiped off all those aspersions, and shown how easily those mistaken differences may be reconciled.

(2.) TO the truth of a Rule is required an agreement between the several Articles contained in it. A Rule is but one, tho' it may consist of many branches; but then there must be no contradiction between them: Truth is always consenting; where there is contradiction there is falshood, that which is asserted in one place, must not be denied in another, because there would be an inconsistency; and if one be true, the 〈…〉 cannot be so: This truth also belongs to the Scripture; there is a great harmony in it, as hath already been proved. The adversaries of the word of God have endeavoured to set it at variance with it self, but all in vain; and those seeming contradictions in it have been no more than seeming, arising from the darkness of mens understandings, and perverseness of their hearts: and God hath raised up many faithful Instruments in his Church, who have wiped off all those aspersions, and shewn how easily those mistaken differences may be reconciled.

(3.) TO the truth of a Rule, as such, there is further required, that all the several parts of it do concur to the same design or end. That a rule may be true, it must be Ho••geal. Truth is methodical; Error es latent in confusion. A thing may be true in it self, and yet not a truth in such a Science, because it belongs not to it; now a Rule is directive to an end, and hence every thing which it prescribes is so far of the truth of that Rule, as it is directive or helpful to that end: The end of the Rule of Religion is to point man to Happiness, to glorify God, and obtain Salvation, whatever is really subservient to this end, may truly be said to belong to it, and to be a Truth in it. And thus also the Scriptures are true: There is nothing spoken in the whole book of God, but contains some Theological Verity in it, and there may a spiritual improvement be made of it. It is true, God speaks there to us after divers manners; but all is not only accommodated to the state & capacity of his People, but also to the furtherance of our serving of God, and obeying of Salvation. The Rule of Divinity hath to do with the Understandings, Wills, Affections, and Senses of men; and they need both teaching and quickening: and tho' the Scripture is sometime delivered historically, yet all is for information, or excitation; and there is no text so barren but there is some Doctrine, and some Use spiritual that may be made of it; nothing that is besides this purpose, either to give us light, or to put life into us; all may be reduced to some of those heads mentioned by the Apostle. 2. […]. 3.16. All scripture is given by insation of God, and is profitable for doctrine […], for correction, for instruction […] righteous Ths are the Scriptures every way true, and this is one property of them, commending them to us as a sufficient Rule.