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Bickersteth’s Christian Hearer, p. 232. . The following remarks of a valuable Puritan writer are well-worthy of attention—‘When scholars furnish themselves with stores of other writers, besides the Scriptures, draw the Scriptures to the authors whom they most affect, and not their authors to the Scriptures, their divinity proves but humanity, and their Ministry speaks to the brain but not to the conscience of the hearer. But he that digs all the treasures of his knowledge and the ground of religion out of the Scripture, and makes use of other authors, not for showing off himself, nor for the ground of his faith, nor for the principal ornament of his Ministry, but for better searching out the deep wisdom of the Scriptures, such a person believes what he teaches, not by a human credulity from his author, but by a divine faith from the word; and because he believes, therefore he speaks; and speaking from faith in his own heart, he speaks much more powerfully to the begetting and strengthening of faith in the hearer.’ Hildersham’s Address prefixed to his Exposition of John 4.
