§. 12.
Consequently, in the Scripture; abstracting from the inward operations of God's Holy Spirit, and any external infallible Guide, (which infallible Guide Scripture it self cannot be to two men delivering a contrary sense thereof:) I see not from whence any certainty can arise to particular persons, for so many Texts or places thereof, concerning the sense of which, the most, or the most learned, or their Superiors, to whom also all their motives or arguments are represented, do differ from them. From the plainness of the expression or Grammatical construction of the words, such certainty cannot arise; unless no term thereof can possibly be distinguished, or taken in a diverse or unliteral sense; but, if it cannot be so taken, then all Expositors must needs agree in one and the same sense. For Example, For the Literal and Grammatical sense, what Text Plainer than [Hoc est corpus meum]? and yet Protestants understand it otherwise. Very deficient therefore seemeth that answer of Mr. Chillingworth's to F. Knot[23], urging, That the first Reformers ought to have doubted, whether their opinions were certain,—Which is to say (answers he), that they ought to have doubted of the certainty of Scripture; which in formal and express terms, contains many of their opinions [whenas the greater world of Catholicks sees no such matter.] Besides, as there is no term almost in any sentence, but is capable of several acceptions; so, since no falshood, no discord is in the Scriptures, there is no sentence in it, however sounding for the expression, but must be reconciled in its sense to all the rest; and for this a diligent comparing of Texts is necessary, to attain the true meaning of many places, that seem at the first sight most clear in what they say, but that there are also other places as clear that seem to say the contrary: And some such places they were, (and that in very necessary points too) of which St. Peter saith; That some wrested them to their own damnation[24]: wrested them, because they wanted (not industry, but) learning; which the unlearned (saith he) wrest——And indeed commonly the most ignorant have the strongliest-conceited certainty for what they apprehend or believe, because they know fewest reasons against it; whilst, by much study and comparing several Revelations one with another, those come at last to doubt, or deny that sense of some of them, which at the first they took for most certainly and evidently true. Pardon this long Parenthesis.