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For the Affirmation, which is the Objection it self, the contrary may be affirmed, for though the Scripture speaketh sometime more plainly, sometimes Metaphorically, and sometime Parabollically, and Figuratively; yet alway truly, and in that very sense the words so spoken, and as the place in which the words are, and the businese about which they treat, doe Import; For God is a God of truth, and Christ is the Truth. Psal. 31.5. Joh. 14, 6. and told the truth, which he
heard of God. Joh. 8.40.45. and did beare witnesse to the Truth. Joh. 18.37. and the holy Spirit, that convinceth, and will convince the World of sinne, for not having beleeved on Christ. Joh. 16.8. and by whom the Prophets and Apostles spake. 2 Tim. 3.16. 2 Pet. 1.21. Is the Spirit of Truth. 1 Joh. 4.6. and 5.6. and the Word of God, both essentiall and instrumentall, is Truth. Joh. 17.17. and the Word of Truth. 2 Cor. 6.7. Col. 1.5. And the Prophets spake the Truth of God, which Christ came to confirme. Rom. 15.8, 13. And John Paptist beare witnesse to the Truth. Joh. 5.33. And the Apo∣stles renounced the hidden things of dishonesty; not walking in craf∣tinesse, nor handling the Word of God deceitfully; but by manife∣station of the Truth, commending themselves to every mans Con∣science, in the sight of God. 2 Cor. 4.2. and spake the Words of Truth and sebernesse. Acts 26.25. And that with great plainnesse of speech; and not with a vaile over their face neither. 2 Cor. 3.12, 13. and the Scripture tells us, That hee that hateth, dissembleth with his lippes. Prov. 26.24. And that God needeth none to talke deceitfully for him. Joh. 13.7. how can it be then, that any of us beleeving, and reverencing God and Christ, and his Spirit as truth, and his Word, as a Word of Truth, and his Prophets and Apostles, Preachers and Writers of Truth, and that with plainnesse: That when they all say, That Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man, and gave himself a Ransome for All men, and is the Saviour of the VVorld, and the Propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world: That any of us, I say, should presume to say, His Words have not the sense or mean∣ing, they seem to import. Truth it is, the minde of God in the Scripture is mysterious, and the Scriptures are full of profound My∣steries, but they are divine and heavenly Mysteries of Truth, Righte∣ousnesse and Goodnesse, delivered in words of Wisedome, (but not the wisedome of this World,) so that we need a spirit of grace and Wisedome from Christ, to open our eyes to see, and our hearts to receive them. 1 Cor. 2.8.15. Yet the mysteriousnesse of the Scriptures stands not in any equivocall hiddennesse, and doubtfulness of speech, like the Oracles of the Heathens supposed gods, that by the witt of men, might be made true, which way soever taken, though contrary to what they imported, to those that sought and trusted to them; but the Scriptures, though mysterious, yet so full of unchangable truth,
that when by the spirit of grace, the knowledge thereof is so given to any man, that he understands the same: It will appeare to be so right and plain, and just, according to the words, in which it was exprest, That he that understands will say, As I have heard, so have I found in the house of God. Psal. 48.8. and will not contradict, but confesse the truth of Christs own sayings. Prov. 8.6, 9. Heare, for I will speak of excelient things, and the opening of my lippes shall be right things, for my mouth shall speak truth, and wickednesse is an abominati∣on to my lippes: And the words of my mouth are in righteousnesse. No∣thing froward, or wreathed, or perverse in them. Let none of us therefore say any more, His words hath not the sense they both ex∣presse and import: More need not be said to this; but because the Reasons used to fortify the Objections, are by some used as Argu∣ments, they must also briefly be answered.