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of the great Usefulness and Neceffity of fome fhort and eafie Notes upon the Bible for the Ufe of Families. Perhaps 'tis that which, of all other things, is most wanting, and moft deferves the utmost care of the Governors and Inftructors of the Church.

We are agreed that the People ought to read the Holy Scriptures, and they are therefore Tranflated into the Vulgar Tongue. They do read them, and

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ere is nothing wanting now but such an help as may enable them to underftand them, and gain the greatest benefit by them. They must be often at a ftand, and may answer as the Eunuch anfwered Philip, when he faid, Underftandeft thou what thou readeft? And he faid, How can I, except fome Man fhould guide me? Act. 8. 30, 31. There are in the Holy Books fome things hard to be understood: And other things there are that are very liable to be misunderfood: And fometimes a mistake is of a dangerous, fometimes of a fatal Con

sequence.

sequence. There are some Men that fet up for Wits, that Cavil at these Holy Books, and pretend to have discovered Flaws or Inconfiftencies in them. These little Wits run away with this conceit, that they have juft Exceptions against these Books; they scatter their poison, and prevail. upon the profane and the ignorant: All this mischief, and very much more, might have been prevented by laying things in their true light, and informing the diligent Reader of the Holy Scriptures with the true fenfe and importance of the place. By this means we must stop the mouths of foolifh Men, and prevent the falling of the weak.

There have been of late years great attempts to difparage and leffen the e fteem of the Holy Writ, and Mofes himself hath not been fpared on this occafion. I am of opinion, after all, that these attempts have not done any harm to wife and ftable Souls. These Men think as Honourably of these Writings (24)

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as they did before. But yet a great number of our People have been feduced: And the unftable and unlearned have wrefted the Holy Scriptures to their own deftruction.

The Scriptures need not fear the most fubtle Enemies, They may be defended against the Sophiftry of those that wou'd render them defpicable and ridiculous, The Defence, which the Reader will find in the following Papers, of Mofes as the Writer of the Pentateuch, againft the Objections of the professed and moft famed Writers of this laft Age, will convince any indifferent Reader that these Men had no Wit to fpare. Tis an eas fie thing for a profane Man to fcoff at the Scriptures, and for a Wit to entertain his Reader or his Hearer with his Drollery on this occafion. But ftill here's nothing to be found that will en danger the wife and the ftable.

However, we are in the mean time to take care of our Brethren, and of fuch of them efpecially as are commit

ted to our Care and Charge. And 'tis high time now to defend our Common Religion against the profeffed Enemies of what is Revealed. 'Tis high time to encourage the Bible-learning; I mean all those Studies that will enable Men better to understand and defend the Holy Scriptures. We have long enough ufed our Pens against one another, and fully fhewn the Vanity of those of the Church of Rome, who in the late times attempted us. It well becomes us now to turn our Thoughts and Studies ana ther way.

As our Church hath dealt very fincerely in allowing the People the Use of the Scriptures in their Vulgar Tongue; fo, 'tis manifeft, that nothing can be of greater use than the commending to them fome cafie and plain, and wellconfidered Explication thereof. When the Law was read to the People, after their return from Babylon, in the days of Ezra, the Names of thofe Men are mentioned, who caused the People to understand

derftand the Law. It follows, So they read in the Book of the Law of God diftinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to underftand the reading, Nehem. 8. 7, 8. The Jews, when they were return'd from their Captivity in Babylon, and had in fome measure forgotten their own Language, needed such an Explication: And hence (it hath been thought) it was that the Targums, or Chaldee Paraphrafes, sprang.

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An exact and diligent studying of the Scriptures, and leading the People into a good understanding of them, will prevent many mischiefs which we have laboured under. It will enable us to understand the Questions agitated among Chriftians much better; it will divert us from that Contentious Theology that is fruitless, and very perplexed; 'Twill tend immediately to furnish us with usefull Knowledge, and to enable us to defend our Religion against the Common Enemy; 'Twill prevent many of our Difputes, put an end to

much

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