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A03268
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The abridgement of the gospell: or The order and course of mans saluation as it is set foorth by Zacharie the father of Iohn Baptist, Luke 1. 67. &c. and further opened in ten sermons thereupon: by Sam. Hieron.
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Hieron, Samuel, 1576?-1617.
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1609
(1609)
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STC 13386; ESTC S118877
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96,426
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126
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may bee assured that the verdit thereof is true Secondly it must be such as from which it shall not be lawfull to appeale Thirdly it must be indifferent and without partialitie Now nothing hath these three properties but the Scripture and therefore that onely is fit to bee the supreme Iudge in matters of Religion This makes first against the Papists Their opinion is The Vse of the 2. note touching the Scripture that the Authoritie of the Scripture dependeth vpon the Church that is that it is therefore Canonicall and of Diuine credit and authoritie because the Church that is indeed when the matter is well sifted the Pope hath so determined This one place is sufficient to ouerthrow this fancie The Scripture is the voice of God shall not the voice of God bee of credit to it selfe must men come in for a witnesse to iustifie that vnto vs which God hath said is true God forbid But how shall I know thou wilt say that God hath spoken this or that I answer what by the Church Thou perhaps wilt say so but I demand How shall I know which is the Church The Church must prooue it selfe by the Scripture and therefore the Scripture hath not its dependance vpon the Church Yet thou doest still vrge how thou shalt know the Scripture to be the voice of God I answer By it selfe Therefore it is often called The Testimonie h Isay 8.20 because it bâ—…witnesse to it selfe Thou shalt know it by the eâ—â—â—â—s it is mightie in operation c i Heb. 4.12 it will make thy heart to burne within thee k Luk. 24.32 He that will not beleeue this witnesse will beleeue none It is the Churches Ministry which commends the Scripture but it is not the Churches authority which maketh it to be Canonicall Another opinion of the Papists is that the Scripture is not the absolute Iudge in matters of Religion but the Church that is by their interpretation sometimes the consent of the Fathers sometime the decree of a generall Councell sometime the verdict of the Pope whose faith cannot faile They accuse the Scripture to bee obscure imperfit the matter of contention and therefore vnfit to bee a Iudge But if that be true which is heere that the Scripture is the voice of God who shall be more fit to determine But thou saiest how shall we be certaine of the sense I answer The Scripture is the interpreter of it selfe as the Law of the Land is of it selfe The Scripture is Light l Psal 119.105 As we see the light by the light so the Scripture by it selfe Who shall iudge what is Gods meaning but himselfe Scripture with Scripture must be conferred m This is the meaning of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 9.22 and that is the way to find the truth Secondly this point may be fitly applied to our own occasions There is betwixt vs and our Teachers controuersie about sundry things These and these things are vrged and perswaded as good necessary such and such things are cried out vpon as euill and vngodly The Preacher draweth one way by exhortation we draw cleane contrary by our conuersation He saith we must doe thus and thus we thinke it to be more than needs He saith this or that is a grosse sinne and will bring vs to hell if we continue in it we suppose there is no danger in committing it Heere is now a question and by whom shall it bee decided If we will haue a Iudge which is able to giue an absolute verdit let vs appeale to the Scripture let vs hearken what God saith where shall wee finde a more sufficient arbitrator â—…ee is the onely Law-giuer n Iam. 4.12 of his Church Euerie action euery course must stand or fall at his determining And where or whence shall we know what his will is but in the Scripture The Prophets and Apostles haue written and spoken but God spake by their mouths I would we could bee perswaded to yeeld to the Lords verdit reuealed in the Scripture What a notable reformation of sundry grosse euils would soone ensue Touching those things which wee goe about to perswade as diligence in the worship of God care to heare and to profit by the Word sanctifying the Sabbath Chastitie Sobrietie Mercie Peaceablenesse and such like sure we are we haue the Scripture on our sides and men haue nothing but humour and custome and obstinacie to oppose If wee will not yeeld to the iudgement of the Scripture now for our conuersion we shall ere long be forced to yeeld vnto it for our confusion The third thing touching the Scripture noted hence is the Trueth of it which followeth from hence necessarilie God is the God of Trueth o Psal 31.5 How can there bee any vntrueth in that which hee hath deliuered I remember that for confirmation this doeth often come in The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it p Isay 1.20 and elsewhere Heerupon are those commendations of the word of God The iudgements of the Lord are truth q Psal 19.9 Thy word is truth r Ioh. 17.17 The word of truth which is the Gospel Å¿ Col. 1.5 And not without cause For there is nothing related in it as done but it was so as is reported with euerie circumstance There is nothing mentioned as a matter to be done but it shall so come to passe as is foretold It is more easie that heauen and earth should passe away than that one tittle of the Law should fall t Luk. 16.17 The Vse of the 3. note touching the Scripture This is also a needful note It is probable that the greatest part of men doe not thinke that there is that absolute trueth and certaintie in the scripture but that they doe suppose it rather to bee an idle tale or frightfull sound to amaze fooles full of terrible threatnings but yet lighter than vanitie in performance Therefore it is meet to hold this firme that the Scripture is the voice of him who cannot lie Euery curse written in it shall fall vpon the vnrepentant and euery blessing promised therein shall be made good to the soule of euery true beleeuer The fourth generall point in this part touching the Euidence of redemption is What the Prophets spake Where we haue to note two things 1. The summe of that which God by the Prophets promised to doe by Christ verse 71.2 The inducement or reason moouing God so to doe vers 72.73 Concerning the first wheras mention is made of enemies and haters we must inquire what and who they be Touching their nature in generall they are spirituall Enemies or enemies in spiritual things or for spirituall respects u Eph. 6.12 The chiefe of them is Sathan He was the first and is therefore stiled A murtherer from the beginning x Ioh. 8.44 and an Old Serpent y Reu. 12.9 hee desireth vs to winnow vs z Luk. 22 31.
from aboue So it is generally said of all the hoie Writ Holy men spake as they were mooued by the Holie Ghost e 2 Pet. 1.21 All Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God f 2. Tim. 3.16 In the old time God spake by the Prophets g Heb. 1.1 I will bee with thy mouth said God to Moses h Exod. 4.12 I haue put my words in thy mouth to Ieremy i Ier. 1.9 The word of the Lord was in my toong said Dauid k 2. Sam. 23.2 The Holie Ghost spake by the mouth of Dauid said Peter l Act. 1.16 God doeth beseech you through vs saith Paul m 2. Cor. 5.20 These places shew that the things vttered by these men were not of their owne deuising but came by speciall authoritie from aboue For the making of the best profit by this point let vs looke a little further into it By the foretellings of the Prophets in this place Zecharie no doubt vnderstandeth the old Testament which is there-therefore called the Word of the Prophets n 2. Pet. 1.19 and The Prophets o Act. 26.27 and The Scriptures of the Prophets p Rom. 16.26 They haue Moses and the Prophets that is the Scriptures q Luk. 16.29 Now that which is heere said of the Prophets that by their mouth God spake is true also of those which wrote the New Testament according to that saying that the whole Scripture is giuen by Inspiration of God r 2 Tim. 3 16. and the Apostle speaking of the Foundation of the Church maketh it to be both Prophets the old Testament and Apostles Å¿ Eph. 2.20 the new Testament the body and frame whereof albeit it was not all compiled by Apostles yet the doctrine was taught and preached by the Apostles whose vnderstanding Christ opened t Luk. 24.45 and with whom hee promised to be u Mat. 28.20 So that it is true of all the writers of the holy Scriptures that God spake by their mouthes Wherupon touching the Scripture wee are heere taught three things Three things noted touching the Scriptures by occasion of this 3. Doctrine The first is the Maiestie of it For how must not that needs bee full of Maiestie and of admirable excellencie which proceedeth out of the mouth of the most high We see in experience when bookes come to our hands which containe some briefes of the Orations and speeches of the King how apt we be to carie an higher estimation of them than of other ordinarie writings and al is because we measure the words by the worth and dignitie of the Author so in the Scripture it comming from a God of infinite Maiestie there must needs be in it more than steps or prints of excellencie Heereupon they are called the Great or Stately or honorable Things of the Law x Hos 8.12 Dauid calleth them the Wonders of the Law y Psa 119.18 The Law of God seemed to him so full of many admirable things and the same so full of heauenly brightnesse and glorie that his naturall eyes were euen dazled therewith therefore hee desireth God to doe a cure vpon his sight that hee may be able to behold them Open mine eies c. It is said of Christ that he taught as one hauing authoritie z Matth. 7.29 there was another maner of state in his words than in the Verball Sermons and Lectures of the Scribes And so whosoeuer shall obserue it shall see a kinde of Maiestie in the word of God reuealed in the Scriptute more than in any other writings The vse heereof is The Vse of the 1. note touching the Scripture to admonish vs to beware of al slight and base and contemptuous vsing of Gods word That which God hath spoken must needs be maiesticall If the Scripture be such an euidence of his eternall and incomprehensible Maiestie who shall dare to vse it without respect The Maiestie of the Scripture is drawn â—undrie waies into contempt First if it be in preaching handled negligently and irreuerently Secondly if the phrases and sentences of it be drawne into common speech Thirdly if it be heard idlie carelesly scornfully sleepily which is the ordinarie indignitie offred to the Maiestie of Gods Word If it were but one of Esops fables or a tale of Robin-hood it could not be heard with lesse respect or with more disdaine than it is by many Yet euen Eglon though but a Heathen was better than such who when hee was told by Ehud that he had a message to him from God rose out of his throne a Iud. 3.20 When Pilate heard of hauing to doe with the Sonne of God he trembled b Ioh. 19.8 Well then when the Minister addresseth himselfe to the reading and to the opening of the Scriptures remember wee that that which wee shall heare is the voice of God He speaketh by Mans mouth let vs thinke with our selues how great Maiestie must needs be in his words and let vs labour to make our behauiour in hearing sutable to the state and excellencie of that which is deliuered The second note touching the Scripture is the Authoritie of it Is it Gods voice Then of it selfe it is of sufficient credit and needs no other testimonie to confirme it It is also an absolute Iudge for the ouer-ruling of all doubts and the determining of all cases and questions in Religion For who is higher than God when his mouth and word hath giuen the sentence what exception shall wee make or to whom shall wee appeale Thus you see that heerupon is grounded the authoritie of the Scripture of which authoritie of the Scripture you see also that there are two branches One that it is of sufficient credit to it selfe The other that it is in matters of Religion the supreme Iudge Touching the first wee haue this proofe I receaue not saith Christ the record of men c Ioh. 5.34 His meaning is that hee was of credit enough of himselfe and needed no testimonie from any other for the confirming of that which hee had dâ—…red That which is true of Christ is true of the word of Christ which is the Scripture It is the voice of God and needs no other witnesse to avowe it If wee receiue saith S. Iohn the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater d 1. Ioh. 5.9 There is none greater or more certaine than the diuine testimonie This is enough God hath spoken it where shall we haue a witnesse of better credit Now for the supreme authoritie which the Scripture hath in iudgeing it is the same in the Church that the Law is in the common-wealth To the Law saith God and to the testimonie e Isay 8.20 Christ submitted his doctrine to the decision of the Scripture f Ioh. 5.39 So did Paul g Act. 28.23 An Vmpire for matters of Religion had need of three things First it must be of that nature that we