man fhould use a fimilitude for ornament or illuftration fake, borrowed from Nature or history according to vulgar conceit, as of a Bafilifk, an Unicorn, a Centaur, a Briareus, an Hydra, or the like, that therefore he muft needs be thought to affirm the matter thereof pofitively to be true. To conclude, therefore, these two Interpretations, the one by reduction or Ænigmatical, the other Philofophical or Phyfical, which have been received and pursued in imitation of the Rabbins and Cabalifts, are to be confined with a Noli altum fapere, fed time.

But the two latter points, known to GOD and unknown to Man, touching the fecrets of the heart, and the fucceffions of time, do make a just and found difference between the manner of the expofition of the Scriptures and all other books. For it is an excellent obfervation which hath been made upon the answers of our Saviour CHRIST to many of the questions which were propounded to him, how that they are impertinent to the state of the question demanded; the reason whereof is, because, not being like man, which knows man's thoughts by his words, but knowing man's thoughts immediately, he never anfwered their words, but their thoughts: much in the like manner it is with the Scriptures, which being written to the thoughts of men, and to the fucceffion of all ages, with a forefight of all herefies, contradictions, differing eftates of the Church, yea and particularly of the elect, are not to be interpreted only according to

the latitude of the proper fenfe of the place, and respectively towards that present occafion whereupon the words were uttered, or in precife congruity or contexture with the words before or after, or in contemplation of the principal scope of the place; but have in themselves, not only totally or collectively, but diftributively in clauses and words, infinite fprings and ftreams of doctrine to water the Church in every part. And therefore as the literal sense is, as it were, the main stream or River; fo the Moral sense chiefly, and sometimes the Allegorical or Typical, are they whereof the Church hath most use; not that I wish men to be bold in Allegories, or indulgent or light in Allufions but that I do much condemn that Interpretation of the Scripture which is only after the manner as Men ufe to interpret a profane book.

In this part, touching the expofition of the Scriptures, I can report no deficience; but by way of remembrance this I will add: in perusing books of Divinity, I find many Books of controversies, and many of common places and treaties, a mass of pofitive Divinity, as it is made an Art: a number of Sermons and Lectures, and many prolix commentaries upon the Scriptures, with harmonies and concordances: but that form of writing in Divinity which in my judgment is of all others moft rich and precious, is pofitive Divinity, collected upon particular Texts of Scriptures in brief observations; not dilated into common places, not chafing after controverfies, not reduced into Me

thod of Art; a thing abounding in Sermons, which will vanish, but defective in books which will remain; and a thing wherein this age excelleth. For I am perfuaded, (and I may speak it with an Abfit invidia verbo, and no ways in derogation of Antiquity, but as in a good emulation between the vine and the olive, that if the choice and beft of those obfervations upon Texts of Scriptures, which have been made dispersedly in Sermons within this your Majesty's Island of Britain by the space of these forty years and more, leaving out the largenefs of exhortations and applications thereupon, had been fet down in a continuance, it had been the best work in Divinity which had been written fince the Apostles' times.

The matter informed by Divinity is of two kinds; matter of belief and truth of opinion, and matter of service and adoration; which is also judged and directed by the former: the one being as the internal foul of Religion, and the other as the external body thereof. And therefore the heathen Religion was not only a worship of idols, but the whole Religion was an Idol in itself; for it had no foul, that is, no certainty of belief or confeffion: as a man may well think, confidering the chief Doctors of their Church were the Poets: and the reason was, because the heathen Gods were no Jealous Gods, but were glad to be admitted into part, as they had reason. Neither did they respect the pureness of heart, so they might have external honour and rites.

But out of these two do result and iffue four main branches of Divinity; Faith, Manners, Liturgy, and Government. Faith containeth the Doctrine of the Nature of GOD, of the attributes of GOD, and of the works of GOD. The nature of GOD confifteth of three perfons in unity of Godhead. The attributes of GOD are either common to the Deity, or respective to the perfons. The works of GOD fummary are two, that of the Creation and that of the Redemption; and both these works, as in Total they appertain to the unity of the Godhead, fo in their parts they refer to the three perfons: that of the Creation, in the Mafs of the Matter, to the Father; in the difpofition of the form, to the Son; and in the continuance and confervation of the being, to the Holy Spirit: fo that of the Redemption, in the election and counfel, to the Father; in the whole Act and confummation to the Son; and in the application, to the Holy Spirit; for by the Holy Ghost was CHRIST conceived in flesh, and by the Holy Ghost are the elect regenerate in fpirit. This work likewife we confider either effectually, in the Elect; or privately in the reprobate; or according to appearance, in the vifible Church.

For Manners, the Doctrine thereof is contained in the law, which discloseth fin. The law itself is divided, according to the edition thereof, into the law of Nature, the law Moral, and the law Pofitive; and according to the ftile, into Negative and Affirmative, Prohibitions and Commandments.

Sin, in the matter and fubject thereof, is divided according to the Commandments; in the form thereof, it referreth to the three persons in Deity : Sins of infirmity against the Father, whose more special attribute is Power; Sins of Ignorance against the Son, whose attribute is Wisdom; and fins of Malice against the Holy Ghost, whose attribute is Grace or Love. In the motions of it, it either moveth to the right hand or to the left; either to blind devotion, or to profane and libertine tranfgreffion; either in impofing restraint where GOD granteth liberty, or in taking liberty where GOD impofeth reftraint. In the degrees and progress of it, it divideth itself into thought, word, or Act. And in this part I commend much the deducing of the Law of GOD to cafes of conscience; for that I take indeed to be a breaking, and not exhibiting whole of the bread of life. But that which quickeneth both these Doctrines of faith and Manners, is the elevation and consent of the heart; whereunto appertain books of exhortation, holy meditation, Chriftian refolution, and the like.

For the Liturgy or fervice, it confifteth of the reciprocal Acts between GOD and Man; which, on the part of GOD, are the Preaching of the word, and the Sacraments, which are feals to the covenant, or as the visible word; and on the part of Man, Invocation of the name of God; and under the Law, Sacrifices; which were as visible prayers or confeffions: but now the adoration being in fpiritu et veritate, there remaineth only vituli