descent into Hell totidem verbis is not in the Scripture yet it may be deduced thence Acts 2. Wee shall now lay downe some propositions or Theoremes about the sufficiency of Scripture 1. In every Age of the Church the Lord hath revealed so much supernaturall truth as was for that age necessary unto salvation his wayes he made knowne to Moses Psal. 103. 7. and his statutes to Israel Deut. 4. 6. Psal. 147. 20. Heb. 1. 1. Therefore that is an erroneous opinion that before the Law written men were saved by the Law of nature and in the time of the Law by the Law of Moses and since in the time of the Gospel by the Word of grace 2. The substance of all things necessary to salvation ever since the fall of Adam hath beene and is one and the same as the true Religion hath beene one and unchangeable 1. The knowledge of God and Christ is the summe of all things necâ—ssary to salvation John 17. 3. Col. 2. 2. but this knowledge was ever necessary Jer 9. 23. Acts 4. 12. the Fathers indeed saw Christ more obscurely and aenigmatically we more clearely distinctly and perspicuously but yet they knew him and believed in him unto salvation as well as wee John 8. 56. 2. The Covenant of grace which God made with man is an everlasting Covenant therein the Lord hath revealed himselfe to be one and unchangeable as in nature so in will Heb. 13. 8. Rom 3. 29. shewing that as God is one in nature truth and constancy and that as well toward the Gentiles as toward the Jewes so hee would justifie both the circumcision and uncircumcision the Jew and the Gentile by one way of Religion that is to say through faith and belief in his Son Jesus Christ. 3. Christ and his Apostles professed and taught no new Religion but the same which the Scriptures of the old Testament did before instruct Matâ—hew 5. 17 John 5. 39. Acts 10 43 Luke 24. 25 26 27 44. 45. Acts 18 28. 17. 7. 26. 22. 28. 23. Rom. 6. 26. Therefore the beleeving Jewes and the converted Gentiles are sâ—iled the children of faithfull Abraham being justified by Faith as Abraham was Whence wee may conclude that before under and after the Law since the fall of Adam there was never but one true Catholick Religion or way to Heaven and happinesse The Word of God being uttered in old time sundry ways was at length made knowne by writing the Lord stirring up and by his holy Spirit inspiring his servants to write his Will and Pleasure So long as there was any truth in any Age necessary to bee more fully and clearly knowne then was already revealed in the Bookes of Moses it pleased God to stir up holy men whom he Divinely inspired and sufficiently furnished to make the Truth knowne unto the Church thus after Moses during the time of the Law the Lord raised up Prophets who opened the perfect way of life unto the Church of the old Testament more clearely then it was before manifested in the Bookes of Moses the time and Age of the Church requiring the same The Church of the Jewes in the severall Ages thereof was sufficiently taught and instructed in all things necessary to salvation by the writings of Mâ—ses and the Prophets which appeares 1. In that our Saviour being asked of one what hee should doe that hee might inherite eternall life answered what is written in the Law and Prophets how Readest thou Luke 10. 25 26. and out of the Scripture hee declared himselfe to be the Saviour of the World foretold and promised Matthew 21. 44. 26. 31. Luke 4 21. 24 25 26 27 44 John 3. 14. 2. The answer of Abraham to the Rich man sending his friends to Moses and the Prophets sheweth that they sufficed to instruct the faithfull Jewes in all things necessary to salvation Luke 16. 29 30. by them they might learne how to obtaine Life and escape Death when hee saith Let them heare them he meaneth them onely as that place is meant Mat. 17. 5. 3. The Jewes themselves acknowledged the sufficiency of those writings to leade them unto life and happinesse John 5. 39. 5. The Prophets did expound the Law of God and speake more plainely precisely and distinctly touching the comming of the Messias then Moses did but the last full and cleare Will of God touching the salvation of man was not manifested by them that was together and at once to be published and taught by the Messias who also at his comming did establish that order in the Church of God which was to continue therein for ever For 1. Christ was ordained of the Father to bee the great Doctor of his Church a Prophet more excellent then the rest that were before him both in respect of his Person Office Manner of receiving his Doctrine and the excellency of the Doctrin which he delivered 2. This was well knowne not onely among the Jewes but also among the Samaritanes in so much that the woman of Samaria could say I know when the Messias is come he will tell us all things John 4. 25. 3. The time wherein God spake unto us by his Sonne is called the last dayes or the last time Heb. 1. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 20. to note that we are not hereafter to expect or looke for any fuller or more cleare Revelation of Divine mysteries then that which was then delivered 4. Christ is called a mediator of the New Testament or the new Covenant Heb. 9. 15. because all things are established by him as they ought to continue for ever for that which is old decayeth and is ready to vanish but that which is new abideth Heb. 8. 13. 5. It pleased the Lord in great wisdome to reveale the Covenant of grace to the Church that she might not despaire but obscurely at the first that she might earnestly long for the coming of that Messiah who was to make known what he had heard and seene of the Father which dispensation was needfull that the grace of God might not be contemned as haply it would have been if God had fully revealed and made knowne his bounty unto man before he had seen his misery and the necessity thereof Our Saviour Christ for substance of doctriâ—e necessary to salvation taught nothing which was not before in some sort contained in the writings of Moses and the Prophets out of whom he confirmed his doctrine but that which was in them more obscurely Enigmatically and briefely he explained more excellently fully and cleerely the Apostles proved their doctrine out of the Books of Moses and the Prophets Act. 17. 11. and 26. 22. Luke 24. 27. Rom. 1. 2. Act. 28. 23. 6. All things necessary in that manner as we have spoken were taught and inspired to the Apostles by our Saviour Christ and there were no new inspirations after their times nor are we to expect further hereafter which we prove 1. By places
He revealeth himselfe to his creature such a one as indeed he is Reall truth or the truth of things is a property of them by which they are the same indeed which they seem It is an agreement betwixt the being and appearance of things It is double 1. Essentiall or of the very substance of things 2. Accidentall of the qualities and actions of things and this as it is referred to the reasonable creature for such truth can be no where but in it is inward and outward according as the actions are Inward truth of understanding is an agreement betwixt its conceite of things and the things themselves contrary whereto is errour or misjudging and of the will contrary to hypocrisie and dissimulation Outward 1. of word which is Logicall when I speake as the thing is morall when I speake as I conceive the thing to be and also in the matter of promises when I mean as I say and hold still that meaning till I have actually made good my words 2 Of deeds when they are such in the intention and meaning of my mind as in the outward pretence and are agreeable to the promises I have made God is true in all these respects 1. His essence is reall and true he is a God indeed not in imagination alone the Scripture calls God the true God to know thee saith our Saviour Christ the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ. He is the true God not a bare conceit of our own head or fiction He hath not an imaginary and counterfeit but a very reall being he is indeed such he saith he is for that which gives being to other things must needs it selfe be in very deed The other supposed Gods alone in name and in fancy of the worshippers â—ut he is 2 He hath a true not an erroneous conceite of things lie knows all things most exactly he is indeed a willer of true goodnesse 3 He speaks nothing but as the thing is and as he doth conceive it He meanes what he promiseth and doth what he meanes the Lord dissembleth not with men He is true in his Word and his whole Word whether narrations promises threats visions or predictions what he telleth it is as he telleth it what he promiseth or threatneth to doe he intendeth and will performe Psalm 89. 33 34. Deut. 7. 9. 2. Cor. 1. 20. Promissa tua sunt suis falli timeat cum promittit veritas Aug. Confesâ— l. 12. c. 1. 4 God is true in his workes they are not done counterfeitly as those of the Devill but truely Psalm 145. 17. Revel 15. 3. The Scripture proves the truth of God 1. essentially when it affirmes God to be true in his workes Deut. 32. 4. Psalm 25. 10. Revel 15. 3. 16. 7. 2 In his words which is proved both affirmatively John 17. 17. 2 Sam. 7. 28. and negatively Num. 23. 19. 1 Sam. 15. 29. Heb. 6. 18. Reas. 1. All lying and fashood ariseth from weaknesse and imperfection or wickednesse neither of which is in God seeing to be God is to be perfect and absolute He is the Lord God of truth Psalm 34. 5. his sonne is truth John 14. 6. his holy Spirit the Spirit of truth John 17. 6. the Gospell is the word of truth Col. 1. 5. God is the chiefe and first truth the Authour of truth truth is in him essentially and immutably Psalm 100. 5. onely true Rom. 3. 4. This distinguisheth him from false Gods 2 Chron. 15. 3. John 17. 3. God is worthy to be trusted honoured and esteemed ergo most true Where it is said God seduced the Prophets it is not so understood as if God inspired a false prophesie and an errour but that he delivered them to the divell to be seduced 1. It serves to reprove the wicked who believe not threats and the weake Christians who in temptations and desertions doubt of promises 2 It exhorts us to desire the manifesting of this truth Psalm 43. 3. we should be true like God Zach 8. 16. in our words and deeds keepe our vowes with God and promises with men God loves truth as in himselfe so in his creatures but abhors dissimulation and hypocrisie Prov. 12. 22. The true Church is the pillar of truth Gods Word the word of truth Psalm 19. 9. We should therefore believe Gods Word and depend upon his promise seem it never so unlikely or impossible give him the glory of his truth he that believeth setteth to his Seale that God is true he that believeth not maketh God a lyar Will you receive the testimony of men and will you not much more receive the testimony of God He that believeth Gods promises will surely doe the things to which the Lord by promises encourageth him He that believes the threats will forbeare the thing which God by his threats seekes to deter him from This is matter of solid comfort for all the true children of God if he be faithfull they must be happy Truth is that vertue of the wil by which it is moved to goodnesse for Gods sake when the thing moving us to be good is Gods Commandement and the end whereat we aime is the glorifying and pleasing of God then we serve God in truth 5. God is Faithfull 1 Cor. 19. 18. Rev. 19. 11. First in himselfe by an uncreated faithfulnesse Secondly in his decrees Esay 14. 24 27. Thirdly in all his waies and workes Psal. 145. 17. 1 Of creation 1 Pet. 4. ult 2 Of Redemption Heb. 2. 17. 3 Of Justification John 1. 19. 4 Of protection and preservation of his Church Rev. 19. 11. Fourthly in all his words and speeches 1 His Commandements are the rule of truth and faithfulnesse to us Psal. 19. 9. 2 His predictions are all faithfully accomplished many thousand yeeres after as Christs incarnation in the fulnesse of time so Gen. 49. 10. 3 His menaces are most faithfull 4 His promises Exod. 12. 41. Heb. 10. 23. There is a difference between faithfulnesse in the Creator and in the creature 1 This is the ocean and full fountaine from whence all faithfulnesse and truth in men and Angels issue 2 This is the rule and measure of that and the neerer it comes to this the more compleat it is 3 It is unchangeable in him the Angels that fell were faithfull but soon changed so Adam 4 It is in God in most high perfection Reasons 1 Because of his most just and righteous nature whose most righteous will is the rule of all his waies Psal. 145. 17. 2 He is most perfect and unchangeable in perfection 3 Because of his most pure and holy affection 4 There is no imperfection in him to hinder his faithfulnesse Gods faithfulnesse is the ground of all true Religion 1 We must ground all the doctrine of faith all the Articles of faith all our judgement and opinion in matters of faith upon this faithfulnesse of God and this by holding
Ghost is the maker preserver and governour of all things by his wisdome power justice providence Concerning man 1 That he was made by God of a visible body and an immortall and spirituall soule both so perfect and good in their kindsâ— that he was perfectly able to have attained eternall life for himselfe which was provided as a reward of his obedience 2 That being thus made he yeelded to the temptations of the Devill and did voluntarily sinne against God in eating of the Tree forbidden and so became a child of wrath and heire of cursing an enemy to God and slave to the devill utterly unable to escape eternall death which was provided as a recompence of his disobedience 3 That he doth propagate this his sinfulnesse and misery to all his posterity Concerning Christ. 1 That he is perfect God and perfect man the second Person in the Trinity who tooke the nature of man from the Virgin Mary and united it to himselfe in one personall subsistence by an incomprehensible union 2 That in mans nature he did die and suffer in his life and death sufficient to satisfie Gods justice which man had offended and to deserve for mankind remission of sinnes and life everlasting and that in the same nature he rose againe from the dead and shall also raise up all men to receive judgement from him at the last day according to their deeds 3 That he is the onely sufficient and perfect Redeemer and no other merit must be added unto this either in whole or part Lastly concerning the meanes of applying the Redeemer they are three 1 That all men shall not be saved by Christ but onely those that are brought to such a sight and feeling of their owne sinfulnesse and misery that with sorrow of heart they doe bewaile their sinnes and renouncing all merits of their owne or any creature cast themselves upon the mercy of God and the onely merits of Jesus Christ which to doe is to repent and believe and in this hope live holily all the remainder of their life 2 That no man is able thus to see his sinnes by his owne power renounce himselfe and rest upon Christ but God must worke it in whom he pleaseth by the cooperation of his Spirit regenerating and renewing them 3 That for the working of this faith and repentance and direction of them in a holy life he hath left in writing by the Prophets and Apostles infallibly guided to all truth by his Spirit all things necessary to be done or believed to salvation and hath continued these writings to his people in all ages Observe those places Acts 15. 11. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Let a man hold this that there was nothing but death in the world till Christ came and that he is come to save horrible sinners John 17. 3. Secondly there is a practicall place Titus 3. 8. Let us 1. See our selves dead without Christ and wholy trust in him 2. Let us be exemplary in our lives and conversations There are other Fundamentals which are onely comparatively necessary that is expected from one man which is not expected from another and more from those that live in the Church Have these six principles of the Apostle not onely in your heads but hearts 1. That a man is dead in himselfe 2. That his remedy lies out of himselfe 3. Know the doctrine of the Sacraments 4. The Word of God 5. Have some apprehension of the life to come 1. That there is a passage from death to life 2. That there is a fixed and irrevokable estate after this life Hold the doctrine of faith so that Christ may live in you and you be delivered up into that forme of doctrine lay hold on life eternall Secondly there are some particular principles There is a naturall light and supernaturall The light of nature teacheth some principles That you must doe as you would be done by that no man hates his owne flesh that one must provide for his family that there is a God and one God that he is to be honoured and reverenced above all 2. Supernaturall Let all our actions be done 1. in love 2. in humility 3. in faith 4. in God this the Gospell teacheth Shew your selves Christians in power go beyond the Heathen in practising the good rules of nature 1. Be carefull to make a wise choice of principles one false principle admitted will let in many errors and erroneous principles will lead men into erroneous practises 2. Labour to act your principles if you captivate the light God wil put it out 3. Be sure you worke according to your principles we pitty another in an errour when he follows his principles Here is an apology for those teachers which tread in Pauls steps are carefull to lay the foundation well It was the observation of our most judicious King JAMES That the cause why so many fell to Popery and other errours was their ungroundednesse in points of Catechisme How many wanton opinions are broached in these daies I wish I might not justly call them Fundamentall errours Some deny the Scriptures some the Divinity of Christ some the immortality of the soule Errours are either contra against the foundation which subvert the Foundation as that of the Papists who deny the al-sufficiency of Christs once suffering 2. Circa about the foundation which pervert the Foundation as the Lutherans opinion of the ubiquity of Christs body 3. Citra meerly without these divert the foundation as in the controversies of Church-government whether it be Sociall or Solitary this strikes not at the Foundation Laurentius saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. 11 12 13 14 15. speakes not of Hereticall Teachers and those which erre in fundamentals but of those which erre in lighter matters because he saith of both that they build upon one and the same Foundation Christ. We should contend for a known Fundamentall necessary truth Jude 3. the common faith not every opinion entertained on probable grounds It is a great question in Divinity An Magistratui Christiano liceat capitales poenas de haereticis sumere Whether Heretickes are to be punished by the Christian Magistrate with death The Papists say Haeretici qua Haeretici comburendi That Hereticks for Heresie sake though they doe not trouble the State ought to be put to death Luther doth not approve of the capitall punishment of Heretickes especially for the pernicious sequell of it among the Papists against the Protestants He thinkes it better that they be banished The present Lutherans hold the same almost concerning that question Meisner doth distinguish between haereticus simplex and haereticus seditiosus ac blasphemus these last he saith may be punished with capitall punishments The Socinians being themselves the worst of Hereticks would have no outward forcible restraining of any errour though never so grosse and pernicious For the Protestants heare what Zanchy saith Omnes fere ex nostratibus hujus sunt sentenâ—iae quod haâ—retici sint
9. Foure thines are to be considered in this argument 1. The number which suffered for the same is numberlesse many millions that none can imagine it to arise from pride weaknesse or discontent More Christians were slaine as hath been observed under the ten bloody persecutions then Pasâ—hall Lambs were offered up under the State of the old Testament 2. The quality and condition of them which suffered noble and base learned and unlearned rich poore old yong men women children those which were tender and dainty all these could not suffer out of vain-glory that stubbornly they might defend the opinion which they had taken up 3. The torments used were usuall unusuall speedy slow some hewed in pieces burnt with slow fire cast in to Lyons given to be devoured by the teeth of wild beasts some beheaded some drowned some stoned with stones 4. All this they endured constantly patiently with great joy even a chearful heart merry countenance singing Psalms in the midst of the fire so that the madnesse of the enemy was overcome by the patience of them which did suffer Luther reports of the Martyr St. Agatha as she went to prisons and tortures she said she went to banquets and nuptials That martyr Hawkes lift up his hands above his head and clapt them together when he was in the fire as if he had been in a triumph So that their testimony was not onely humane God enabling them so stoutly to die for the truth Phil. 1. 29. Maytyrs of other sects differ from the martyrs of the true Church 1. They were fewer 2. They suffered not with joy of conscience which the godly martyrs did 3. They were punished for their errours discovered the martyrs were burned for having any part of the Bible and the Bible sometime with them where the Inquisition raignes it is death to have any part of the Bible in the vulgar tongue The Gentiles also which were out of the pale of the Church did give testimony to sundry stories and examples in the Bible Suetonius and Tacitus speakes of the miracles of Christ Pliny of the miracles of Moses and of the wise mens Star Macrobius of the slaughtering of the Infants Josepbus of the death of Herod the Poets of the flood Plutarke of the Dove which Noah sent out Josephus a Jew saith in his time there was a monument of the pillar of Salt into which Lots wife was turned Of Sodomes destruction speaketh Strabo Diodorus Siculus Galene in his booke of simples Pliny Solinus Polyst hist. Tacitus lib. ult Mela acknowledging that the remainders of Gods wrath are still to be seen there as the dead lake the fruite faire to the eye but falling to cinders and smoake in the hand The Oracles of the Sybillae were in greatest account among the Heathen and held as true of all men and if those be they which we have there is nothing which can more plainly set forth the birth of Christ his life and death Causabon makes it apparent that those prophesies of Sybil were counterfeited pieces and at first entertained by such as delighted in seeing the Christian Religion strengthned with forreine proofes Heretickes also prove the Scripture to be divine for they quote that and therefore Luther cals the Bible Librum Hereticorum Experience teacheth that all heresies either began or increased from the misunderstanding of Scripture Thirdly the Scripture it selfe doth give testimony to it selfe that it is divine it is called a light Psal. 119. 105. because it discovers it selfe the testimony and the testimony of the Lord because it beares witnesse to it selfe The Prophets give testimony of Moses Mal. 4. 4. the new Testament of the Old 2 Pet. 1. 19 20. Peter gives testimony of Pauls Epistles 2 Pet. 3. 15. and Paul witnesseth that all Scripture was given of God 2 Tim. 3. 16. which must be meant of all Scripture even of the new Testament that being the last Epistle which Paul wrote as appeares Chap. 4. v. 16. Fourthly none of all these arguments can undoubtedly perswade the heart certitudine fidei that the holy Scripture or any doctrine contained in it is the word of God till we be taught it of God till the holy Spirit of God have inwardly certified and assured us of it This is called the Sealing of the Spirit of God Ephes. 1. 13. by this the Scripture is imprinted in our hearts as the signe of the Seale in the Wax Other arguments may convince but this is absolutely necessary this is alsufficient to perswade certainly Matth. 11. 25. The Holy Ghost is the authour of light by which we understand the Scripture and the perswader of the heart by which we believe the things therein to be truly divine 1 John 5. 6. It is the Spirit that beareth witnesse because the Spirit i. metonymically the doctrine delivered by the Spirit is truth So to prove that there is a God reasons may be brought from nature and the testimony of the Church but no man can believe it savingly but by the Holy Ghost It is hard to carry the matter even between the Socinians reason and the Famalists spirit Socinians wil have nothing but reason no infused habits so they destroy the testimony of the spirit the Familists wil have nothing but Spirit they rest wholy in an immediate private spirit There are three that bear witnesse in earth blood that is justification by the blood of Christ water i. Sanctification by his grace and the Spirit say some witnesseth in these But ye have an unction from the holy one and ye know all things That is ye have received from Christ the Holy Ghost the Comforter and he hath taught and instructed you in all things which are necessary to the salvation of your soules for you to know and be instructed in see V. 27. The testimony is made up by arguing whosoever believeth and is sanctified shall be saved So the antiquity efficacy and Majesty of the Scripture the fidelity of the Penmen and its wonderfull preservation prove it to be the word of God The Spirit of God witnesseth that this word which hath these remarkable advantages above all other writings is the word of God The Spirit doth neither witnesse concerning my salvation nor that the Scripture is the word of God immediately but ultimately Because I am a believer and my faith is sound it assureth me that I am in the state of salvation and so he maketh use of the excellencies in the word to irradiate my understanding We are commanded to trie the Spirits true joy is first heard out of the word before it be fealt Psal. 51. 8. Spirituall joy is an affection proper to spirituall life that life is by faith and faith commeth by hearing Job 33. 22. See John 16. 14. Some question whether every part and parcell of the Scripture be divinely inspired as those places Touch him and he will curse thee
name at least thrice saying I John Chap. 1. 9. 21. 1 2. 22. 8. whereas in the Gospell he never maketh mention of his name there he writes the history of Christ here he writes of himself and the Revelations declared to him Thirdly in the last Chapter are five testimonies heaped together v. 5 6 7 8. 1. Of the Angels 2. Of God himselfe the Lord of the holy Prophets 3. Of Jesus Christ behold I come shortly 4. Of John I John heard and saw all these things 5. The protestation of Jesus Christ vers 18. Fourthly the matter of the Booke doth convince the authority thereof seeing everywhere the Divinity of a Propheticall spirit doth appeare the words and sentences of other Prophets are there set downe part of the Prophesies there delivered are in the sight of the world accomplished by which the truth and authority of the whole is undoubtedly proved there are extant many excellent testimonies of Christ and his Divinity and our redemption by Christ. Fifthly The most ancient Fathers Greeke and Latine ascribe this Booke to John the Apostle Theophylact Origen Chysâ—stome Tertullian Hilary Austin Ambrose Irenaeus To deny then the truth of this booke is contra solem obloqui to gainsay the shining of the Sunne it selfe The Chyliasts abuse many testimonies out of this Booke but those places have been cleared long agoe by the learned as bearing another sence See Dr Raynolds conf with Hart Chap. 8. p. 406. Calvin being demanded his opinion what he thought of the Revelation answered ingenuously he knew not at all what so obscure a writer meant Se penitus ignorare quid velit tam obscurus scriptor Cajetan at the end of his Exposition of Jude confesseth that he understands not the literall sence of the Revelation and therefore exponat saith he cui Deus concesserit It consists of 22 Chapters the best Expositors on it are Ribera Brightman Pareus Cartwright Dent Forbes Mode Simonds 1. The Scriptures written by Moses and the Propheâ—s sufficiently prove that Christ is the Messiah that was to come the old Testament may convince the Jewes which deny the new Testament of this truth John 5. 39. They that is those parts of Scripture written by Moses and the Prophets there were no other Scriptures then written The 53 Chapter of Esay is a large history of his sufferings We have also another Booke or Testament more clearely witnessing of Christ the Gospel is the unsearchable riches of Christ Ephes. 3. 8. So much may suffice to have spoken concerning the Divine Canon the Ecclesiasticall and false Canon follow CHAP. V. SOme Hereticks utterly abolisht the Divine Canon as the Swingfeldians and Libertines who contemned all Scriptures the Manichees and Marcionites refused all the Bookes of the old Testament as the Jewes doe those of the new as if they had proceeded from the Divell Some diminish this Canon as the Sadduces who as Whitaker and others hold rejected all the other Prophets but Moses some inlarge it as the Papists who hold that divers other Bookes called by us Aprcrypha i. hidden doe belong to the old Testament and are of the same authority with the other before named and they adde also their traditions and unwritten word equalling it with the Scripture both these are accursed Rev. 22. 18. But against the first we thus argue whatsoever Scripture 1. is divinely inspired 2. Christ commandeth to search 3. To which Christ and his Apostles appeale and confirme their doctrine by it that is Canonicall and of equall authority with the new Testament But the holy Scripture of the old Testament is divinely inspired 2 Tim. 3. 16. where he speakes even of the Bookes of the old Testament as is gathered both from the universall all writing viz. holy in the 15 verse and from the circumstance of time because in the time of Timothies infancy little or nothing of the new Testament was published 2. Christ speakes not to the Scribes and Pharisees but to the people in generall to search it John 5. 39. this famous elogium being added that it gives testimony of him and that we may finde eternall life in it 3. Christ and his Apostles appeale to it and confirme their doctrine by it Luke 24. 27. Rom. 3. 21. Acts 10. 43. 17. 11. 20 43 26. 20. the new Testament gives testimony of the old and Peter 2 Pet. 1. 19. of Pauls Epistles The Ecclesiasticall Canon which is also called the second Canon followeth to which these Bookes belong Tobit Judith first and second of the Machabees Wisdome Ecclesiasticus Baruch Additions to Daniel and Hester for these neither containe truth perfectly in themselves nor are sanctified by God in the Church that they may be a Canon of faith and although abusively from custome they were called Canonicall yet properly in the Church they are distinguished from the Canonicall by the name of Apocryphall The false Canon is that which after the authority of the Apocrypha increased was constituted by humane opinion for the Papists as well as we reject for Apocryphall the third and fourth Booke of Esdras the prayer of Manasses the third and fourth of Machabees as Thomas Aquinas Sixtus Senensis Bellarmine and so the Councell of Trent confesse when they omit these and reckon up the whole Canon The state therefore of the controversie betwixt us and the Papists is whether those seven whole bookes with the Appendices be Sacred Divine Canonicall We doe not deny but many of these especially Wisdome and Ecclesiasticus are very good and profitable and to be preferred before all humane Tractates but that they are properly and by an excellency Canonicall and of infallible truth out of which firme arguments may be drawne that we deny Those Bookes which the Jewes of old and the reformed Churches now reckon for truely Canonicall in the old Testament are received all even by our adversaries for Canonicall without any exception 2. for the Canonicall Bookes of the new Testament there is no controversie between us and so far we agree but in the old Testament whole Bookes are reckoned by them for Canonicall which we hold Apocryphall The reason why these Bookes at first were added to holy writ was this the Jewes in their later times before and at the comming of Christ were of two sorts some properly and for distinction sake named Hebrews inhabiting Jerusalem and the holy Land others were Hellenists that is the Jewes of the dispersion mingled with the Graecians These had written sundry bookes in Greeke which they made use of together with other parts of the old Testament which they had in Greeke of the translation of the 70 when they now understood not the Hebrew but the Hebrewes received onely the 22 Bookes before mentioned Hence it came that the Jewes delivered a double Canon of Scripture to the Christian Church the one pure unquestioned and Divine which is the Hebrew Canon the other in Greeke
he praised God Joseph was no King aud therefore had no Scepter to fall down before In the Hebrew Gen. 47. for top we read head which by a Metaphor signifies the top because the head is the end and highest part of man and consequently of any thing else And for staffe we now read in the Hebrew bed which fell out because the word mittah there extant pricked with other Vowels signifies a staffe for in the Hebrew matteh is a staffe and mitteh a bed The Septuagint whom the Apostle followes read it matteh and so translated it staffe otherwise thâ—n wâ— now read it in the Hebrew Text. If we follow the Hebrew Text as it is now extant the sence will be That Jacob because he could not raise his body out of his bed therefore he bowed his head forward upon his beds head and so worshipped God Bezâ— speaking of the divers Latine translations of the New Testament onely he saith of the vâ—lgar Latine that he followeth it for the most part and preferreth it before all the rest Maximâ— ex parte amplector claeeris omnibus antepono He speakes of the new Testament onely and of that Latine translation of the new Testament in comparison of all other Latine translations which were before him as Erasmus Castalion and such like These placâ—s may serve to shew that the vulgar Latine is corrupt no Book being entire or free fron errour Isidore Clarius Brixianus praefâ—â—t in Biblia a great learned man of their own affirmeth that it hath 8000 places in which the sense of the Holy Ghost is changed Since the Councell of Trent 2 Popes have set forth this vulgar Edition diversly which of these shall be received as authenticall How often doe the Papists leave the vulgar in all their controversies when it is for their advantage so to doe it is a matter ordinary with them and needlesse to be proved There is no Edition Ancienter then the Hebrew if the Latine have been used a 1000 yeares in the Church the Hebrew hath been used almost 3000 yeares the Chaldee Arbicke Syriacke and Greeke Editions also have beene used above a 1000 yeares and so should be authentique by the Papists argument Having spoken of the authority of the Scriptures the Canonicall Books and the Authenticall Editions I now goe on to treate of the end of the Scripture its adjuncts or properties fitted to that end and the Interpretation of Scripture The end of the Scripture comes next to be considered of this I have spoken somewhat afore but shall now inlarge my selfe The end of the Scripture is considered 1. In respect of God 2. In respect of us In respect of God the end of the Scripture is a glorifying of him by it we may learne to know love and feare him and so be blessed The glory of God is the chiefe end of all things Prov. 16. 4. In respect of us The end of the Scripture is 1. Intermediate temporall edification which is fitly referred to 5 principall uses the two first respect the mind the other three the heart will and affection It is profitable for Doctrine it serves to direct to all saving truth nothing is to be received as a truth necessary to salvation but what is proved out of Scripture Where that hath not a tongue to speake I must not have an eare to heare Hoc quia de scripâ—uris non habet autoritatem eadem facilitate contemuitur qua probatur Hieron 2. Reproofe or Confutation to refute all errours and heterodoxe opinions in Divinity By this sword of the Spirit Christ vanquished Satan Matth. 4. 4. 7. 10. by the Scripture he opposed the Jewes John 5. 45. 46. 47. and 10. 34. by this he refuted the Scribes and Pharisees Matth. 9. 13. and 12. 1. Luke 10. 25. 26. 27. Matth. 19. 34. and 21. 12. 13. the Sadducees Matth. 22 29. By this Austin refuted the Pelagians Irenaeus the Valentinians Tertullian the Mâ—rcionites Athanasius the Arrians In comitijs Vindelicorum cum episcopus Albertus aliquando legeret Biblia referente Luthero in Sermon Convival interrogasset quidam è consiliarijs quid libri hic â—sset nescio equidem respondet qualis sit liber sed omnia quae in eo lego nostrae religioni planè sunt contraria 3. Correction of iniquity setting streight that which is amisse in manners and life 4. Instruction to righteousnesse Instruunt Patriarchae etiam errantes Basil saith the Psalmes are a common Store house and Treasury of good Instruction The Title of the 32 and some other Psalmes is Maschil that is a Psalme of instruction 5. Comfort in all troubles Psal. 19. 8 and 119. 50. and 92. the Greek word for Gospell signifieth glad-tidings The Promises are the Christians best Cordials as Gods Promises are the rule of what we must pray for in faith so they are the ground of what we must expect in comfort 2. Ultimate and chiefest our Salvation and life Eternall John 5. 39. and 20. 31. 2 Tim. 3. 15. It will shew us the right way of escaping hell and attaining Heaven It will shew us what to beleeve and practise for our present and eternall happinesse This was Gods aime in causing the Scripture to be written and we shall find it fully availeable and effectuall for the ends for which it was ordained by God CHAP. VIII THe properties of the Scripture fitted to that end The properties which the Scripture must have for the former end are these It is 1. Of Divine Authority 2. True and Certaine 3. The rule of faith and manners 4. Necessary 5. Pure and Holy 6. Sufficient and Perfect 7. Perspicuous and Plaine 1. It is of Divine Authority and so greater then all exception It is Divine 1. In its efficient cause and Originall which is God the Father dictating in his Sonne declaring and publishing by his holy Spirit confirming and sealing it in the hearts of the faithfull He wrote the Decalogue immediately with his own finger and Commanded the whole Systeme and all the parts of Scripture to be written by his servants the Prophets and Apostles as the publike Actuaries and Pen-men thereof therefore the authority of the Scripture is as great as that of the holy Ghost who did dictate both the matter and words those speeches are frequent the Lord said and the mouth of the Lord hath spoken 2. In the subject matter which is truth according to godlinesse certaine powerfull of venerable antiquity joyned with a sensible demonstration of the Spirit and Divine presence and with many other things atteâ—â—ing its divine authority Whence it follows that the authority of the Holy Scriptures is 1. Infallible which expresseth the minde and will of God to whom truth is essentiall and necessary 2. Supreame and Independent into which at last all faith is resolved from whiâ—h it is not lawfull to appeale By which singular authority the Scripture is distinguished
mystery of the Trinity is necessary to be known and believed of all that shal be saved it was not so plainly revealed to the Jewes of old as it is to us in the new Testament a perfect and full knowledge of this mystery is not attainable in this life Although Trinity in its native signification signifie the number of any three things yet by Ecclesiasticall custome it is limited to signifie the three Persons in the Trinity This is not meant as if the Essence did consist of three Persons as so many parts and therefore there is a great difference between Trinity and Triplicity Trinity is when the same Essence hath divers waies of subsisting and Triplicity is when one thing is compounded of three as parts they are three not in respect of Essence or Divine attributes three Eternals but three in respect of personall properties as the Father is of none the Sonne of the Father and the holy Ghost of both three Persons but one God as to be to be true to be good are all one because Transcendents Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa the outward workes which concerne the creature belong to one person as wel as the other as to create govern but opera ad intra sunt divisa the personall properties or internall workes are distinguished as the Father begets the Sonne is begotten of the Father and the holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Sonne There is in the Trinity alius alius another and another but not aliud aliud another thing and another thing as there is in Christ the Father is another person from the Sonne but yet there is the same nature and Essence of them all They differ not in their natures as three men or three Angels differ for they differ so as one may be without the other but now the Father is not without the Sonne nor the Sonne without the Father so that there is the same numericall Essence The Father in some sence is said to be the onely God John 17. 3. that is besides the Divine nature which is common to the three persons there is not another God to be found the word alone is opposed to all faigned Gods to every thing which is not of this Divine nature so when it is said None knoweth the Father but the Sonne and the Sonne but the Father that excludes not the Holy Ghost which searcheth the hidden things of God but all which are not of that Essence Though there be no inequality in the persons yet there is an order not of dignity but of beginning The Father in the Sonne by the holy Ghost made the world not as if there were so many partiall causes much lesse as if God the Father were the Principall and these Instrumentall but onely meere order Persona divina est essentiae divinae subsistentia incommunicablis Wendelinus The Essence considered with the manner of subsisting is called a Person A Person is such a subsistence in the Divine nature as is distinguished from every other thing by some speciall or personall property or else it is the God-head restrained with his personall property Or it is a different manner of subsisting in the Godhead as the nature of man doth diversly subsist in Peter JAmes John but these are not all one It differs from the essence as the manner of the thing from the thing it selfe and not as one thing from another one person is distinguisht from another by its personall property and by its manner of working The personall property of the Father is to beget that is not to multiply his substance by production but to communicate his substance to the same The Sonne is said to be begotten that is to have the whole substance from the Father by communication The Holy ghost is said to proceed or to be breathed forth to receive his substance by proceeding from the Father and the Sonne joyntly in regard of which he is called the Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of the Sonne both Gal. 4. 6. The Father onely begetteth the Sonne onely is begotten and the holy Ghost onely proceedeth both procession and generation are ineffable In the manner of working they differ for the Father worketh of himselfe by the Sonne and through the holy Ghost the Sonne worketh from the Father by the Holy Ghost the holy Ghost worketh from the Father and the Sonne by himselfe There is so one God as that there are three persons or divers manners of being in that one Godhead the Father Sonne and the holy Ghost 1 Whatsoever absolutely agrees to the Divine nature that doth agree likewise to every person of the Trinity 2 Every person hath not a part but the whole Deity in it selfe A person is one entire distinct subsistence having life understanding will and power by which he is in continuall operation These things are required to a person 1 That it be a substance for accidents are not persons they inhere in another thing a person must subsist 2 A lively and intelligent substance endued with reason and will an house is not a person nor a stone or beast 3 Determinate and singular for mankind is not a person but John and Peter 4 Incommunicable it can not be given to another hence the nature of man is not a person because it is communicable to every particular man but every particular man is a person because that nature which he hath in particular can not be communirated to another 5 Not sustained by another therefore the humane nature of Christ is not a person because it is sustained by his Deity 6 It must not be the part of another therefore the reasonable soule which is a part of man is not a person That there are three persons in the Deity viz. Father Sonne and holy Ghost is manifest by expresse testimonies of Scripture Genes 1. 1. Gods created and v. 26. Psalm 33. 6. there three are named the Word the Lord and the Spirit Esay 6.3 Holy Holy Holy But this truth is most clearly taught in the new Testament Matth. 3. 16. Luke 3. 22. The first person in the Trinity utters his voice from Heaven This is my beloved Sonne the Sonne is baptized in Jordan the holy Ghost descends in the shape of a Dove upon Christ. Pater auditur in voce Filius manifestatur in homine Spiritus Sanctus dignoscitur in columba Aug. tract 6. in Joh. Adde to this the History of Christs transfiguration described Matth. 17. 5. Marke 9. 7. Luke 9. 35. In which likewise the voice of the Father was heard from Heaven This is my beloved Sonne the Sonne is transfigured the Holy Ghost manifests himselfe in a bright cloud Matth. 28. 19. The Apostles are commanded to baptize in the Name of Father Sonne and holy Ghost Cameron thinks that is the most evident place to prove the Trinity But that is as â—pposite a place as any for this purpose 1 John 5.
15. 1. Heb. 8. 11. Iâ—hn 14. 26. and by intellâ—ctuall visions Num. 12. 6. to the phantasie God revealed his will by imaginary visions to Prophets awake and by dreames to Prophets asleepe Gen. 40. 8. 41. 8 9. Acts 16. 10 10. 3. Num. 14. 4. to the senses God revealed his will and that either by vision to the eye or lively voyce to the Eare Gen. 3 9. 4. 6. 15. 4 5. Exod. 20. 1 2. 3. 1 2 3 33. 17. And Lastly by writing This Revelation was sometimes immediate by God himselfe after an unspeakable manner or by meanes viz. Angels Vrim Thummim Prophets Christ himselfe and his Apostles The written word forthematter contained in it is called the word of God Rom 9. 6. for the manner of Record the Scripture John 10. 35. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 6. or Scriptures Matthew 22. 29. John 5. 39. Romans 15. 4. 2. Pet. 3. 16. By an Antonomasie or an excellency of phrase as the most worthy writings that ever saw the light Sometimes with an Epithite the holy Scriptures Rom. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 3. 15. the Sâ—riptures of the Prophets Rom. 16. 26 Some thinke thâ—t Enoch the seventh from Alâ—m wrote but Jude 6. 14. speakâ—th onely of his prophesying which might rather be by word of mouth then writing because our Saviour citing Scripture ever gives the first place to Moses and undertaking by the Scriptures to prove himselfe to be the Messiah that he ought to suffer began at Moses Luke 24. 27. No doubt if there had beene any more ancient then Moses our Saviour would have alleadged it because all the Scripture that was before him was to give testimony of him Of the authority of the Scripture The Author of the Scriptures was God himselfe they came from him in a speciall and peculiar manner commonly called inspiration which is an act of Gods Spirit immediately imprinting or infusing those notions into their braines and those phrases and words by which the notions were uttered 2 Tim. 4. 16. All Scripture is given by Divine inspiration or by inspiration of God Prophesie came not of old time by the will of men but holy men of God spake as they were moved or carried by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. They did not write these things of their own heads but the Spirit of God did move and worke them to it and in it 2 Sam. 23. 2. The Spirit of the Lord spake by me that is did immediately guide me and tell me what matter to utter and in what words Stephen saith they resisted the Holy Ghost when they did disobey the Scriptures The Holy Ghost by the mouth of David and the mouth of Esay spake Acts 1. 16. 28. 25. The Inscriptions of many Propheticall bookes and Epistles Apostolicall run thus The word of the Lord which â—ame to Hosea Amos Joel Paul Peter JAmes a servant of God and an Apostle of Christ. The proeme that is set before divers prophecies is this Thus saith the Lord and the Prophets inculcate that speech the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it because they would take off the thoughts of the people from their own persons and lift them up to consideration of God the chiefe author It is all one to say the Scripture saith Rom. 4. 3. 10. 11. 11. 2. Gal. 4. 30. 1 Tim. 5. 10. and God saith Rom 9. 25. Heb. 4. 3. 8. 5. 13. 5. and the word Scripture is put for God speaking in the Scripture the Scripture saith to Pharaoh Rom. 9. 7. and the Scripture hath shut up all men under sinne Galat. 3. 22. for which in another place God hath shut up Rom. 11. 32. All other disciplines were from God and every truth whosoever speaks it is from the holy Ghost but the Scripture in a singular manner is attributed to the Holy Ghost he immediately dictated it to the holy men of God The efficient principall cause then of the Scripture was God the ten Commandements of which most of the rest is an exposition were writen after a secret and unutterable manner by God himselfe therefore they are called the writings of God Exod. 32. 16. Secondly all the rest which was written though men were the instruments was done by his appoinment and assistance Exo. 17. 14. Esay 8. 1. Jer. 30. 2. The Scripture is often attributed to the holy Ghost as the Author and no mention is made of the Pen-men Heb. 10 15. The Prophets and Apostles were the Pen-men of the Scripture whose calling sending and inspiration was certainly divine for whatsoever they taught the Church of God or left in writing they learned not before in the Schooles 1 Cor. 2. 13. The Divine authority of thâ— word may be defined a certain dignity and excellency of the Scripture above all other sayings or writings whatsoever whereby it is perfectly true in word and sence it deserves credit in all sayings narrations of things past present and to come threatnings and promises and as superiour doth binde to obedience if it either forbid or command any thing 1 Tim. 1. 15. 2 Pet. 1. 19. John 5. 39. Heb. 6. 18. Rom. 1. 5. 2 Cor. 10. 5 6. 13. 3. 12. 12. Gal. 1. 1 12 13. though the things in mans judgement seem unlike or incredible or the Commandements hard and foolish to the carnall minde Hereticks have laboured to prove their corrupt and damnable opinions out of the Scripture and have received some bookes if not all as Divine The Turkes at this day so esteem the five books of Moses as they will kisse such patches of Paper as they finde having any part thereof written in the same Aristaeus an Heathen when he had determined to have disputed against Scripture confesseth that he was forbidden by God in a dreame Plato is termed Moses Atticus Moses speaking Greeke The holy Scripture in it selâ—e is Divine and Authenticall though no man in the world should so acknowledge it as the Sunne in it selfe were light though all the men in the world were blind and could not or would not see it but in respect of us it is Divine and Authenticall when it is acknowledged and esteemed so to be The Scripture is the word of God written by holy men as they were inspired by the holy Ghost divinely containing all Divine truth necessary to salvation for the edification and instruction of Gods Church thereunto and for the glory of God That the Scriptures were from God may appeare by reasons contained in or cleaving to the Scripture 1. From the excellency of their matter which is Heavenly the divine and supernaturall matter contained in it It telleth us of such things as doe farre exceed the reach of mans reason and which it was impossible for any man to counterfeit and faine and which being told are so correspondent to reason
things contingent which are to come many ages after and which depend upon no necessary cause in nature therefore in what writings we meet with such things foretold and doe finde them fully and plainly acomplisht these writings we must confesse to have their birth from Heaven and from God Now in the Scripture we have divers such predictions The two principall and clearest which are most obvious and evident are 1. the conversion of the Gentiles to the God of Israel by meanes of Christ. For that was foretold exceeding often and plainly in him shall the Gentiles trust and he shall be a light to the Gentiles Jacob lying on his death-bed said the obedience of the Gentiles shall be to him and David all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God and Esay in him shall the Gentiles trust and Malachy my name shall be great to the ends of the earth See Esay 49. 6. 60. 3 5. Scarce one of the Prophets but have spoken of the conversion of the Gentiles Now we see the Gentiles turned from their Idols a great number of them and embracing the God of the Jewes and the Scriptures of the Jewes by means of Christ whom they see and acknowledge to be the Messias foretold to the Jewes Againe it was foretold that Christ should be a stone of offence to the Jewes that they should reject him and so be rejected by God from being a people doe we not see that to be performed The accomplishment of these two maine prophesies so long before delivered to the world by the Pen-men of holy writ shewes manifestly that they were moved by the holy Ghost That promise Gen. 3. 15. was made 3948 yeeres before it was fulfilled as Sâ—aliger computes it It was foretold of Christ that they should cast lots about his Garments and that his bones should not be broken Looke upon this in the inferiour causes the souldiers that brake the other mens bones and it seemes to be a very hap and chance yet there was a speciall ordering of this in Gods providence The predictions of Satan were doubtfull and ambiguous but these are distinct and plaine Satans predictions are of things which might be gathered by conjecture for the most part false though Satan cover his lying by likelihoods but these are aboue the reach of Angels most true and certaine their end was confirmation in sin and Idolatry 7. The CoÌ„mandements are 1. most righteous and equall 2. impartiall they bind all men all in men the affections thoughts consciences and that perpetually Secondly the Threatnings are generall 1 in respect of persons 2. In respect of things Deut. 28. 59 60. 3. The Promises are comprehensive Levit. 26. and strange Exod. 34. 24. of eternall life Marke 10. 29 30. 8. Another reason may be taken from antiquity of the Scripture many wonder at the Pyramids of Egypt being the most ancient structure in the world The Bible containes a continued History from age to age for the space of 4000 yeeres before Christ even from the beginning No writer of any humane story can be proved to be more ancient then Ezra and Nehemiah who wrote about the yeere of the world 3500. Amongst the Grecians some say Homer is the most ancient author that is extant who lived long after Troy was taken for that was the subject of his Poem Now those times were not neere so ancient as those in which the Scripture was written Homer was after Moses 600 and odde yeeres saith Peter du Moulin That which the Egyptians brag of their antiquity is fabulous by their account they were 6000 yeares before the creation unlesse they account a month for a yeere and then it maketh nothing against this argument History is an usefull and delightfull kind of instruction Among Histories none are comparable to the Histories of sacred Scripture and that in their antiquity rarity variety brevity perspieuity harmony and verity Dr Gouge on Exod. 13. 13. that song of Moses Exod. 15. was the first song that ever was in the world Orpheus Musaeus and Linus the most ancient of the Poets were 500 yeeres after this time 9. The power and efficacy of the Scripture upon the soules of men sheweth it to be of God and the wonderfull alteration that it makes in a man for God when he doth entertaine and believe it in his heart it makes him more then a man in power to oppose resist and fight against his own corruptions it brings him into a wonderfull familiarity and acquaintance with God It puts such a life and strength into him and that for Gods sake and his truth he can suffer all the hardest things in the world without almost complaining yea with exceeding and wonderfull rejoycing The holy Ghost by meanes of this word workes powerfully so changing and reforming a man that he â—â—ndes himselfe transformed and renewed thereby 1. It overmasters the soule 2. It separates the heart from lusts and the world 3. Alters and changeth the customes of men 4. It keeps the heart up under the guilt of sinnes against all the power of the divell It quickneth the dull Psal. 119. 93 107. comforteth the feeble Rom. 15. 4. giveth light to the simple Psal. 119. 7. convinceth the obstinaâ—e 1 Cor. 12. 3. 14. 24. reproveth errors rebuketh vices 2 Tim 3. 16. is a discerner of the thoughts 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. and aweth the conscience JAmes 4. 12. 10. If there be a God he ought to be worshipped and he cannot be worshipped unlesse he manifest himselfe to us which he hath done in the Scripture 11. The candour and sincerity of the Pen-men or Amanuenses respecting Gods glory onely and not their owne and in setting down not onely the sinnes of others but their own slips and infirmities doth testifie that they were guided by the holy Ghost Moses shewes his disobedience Num. 11. 11. Jonah his murmuring Jon. 1. 4. Jeremy his fretting Jer. 20. 14. David shames himselfe in his preface to the 51 Psalme Saint Marke wrote the Gospell out of Peters mouth and yet the deniall of Peter is more expresly laid down by the Evangelist St. Marke then any other and Paul sets down with his owne Pen his owne faults in a sharper manner then any other Matthew the Evangelist tels us of Matthew the Publican The Pen-men of holy Scripture were holy men called sent inspired by the Spirit which had denied the world with the lusts and affections thereof and were wholly consumed with zeale for the glory of God and salvation of men 2 Pet. 3. 15. 2 Tim 3. 16. Matth. 16. 17. Gal. 2. 11 12. Ephes. 2. 3 5. They learned not of men what they wrote Moses David Amos were heardsmen Jeremy was almost a child Peter JAmes and John were in their ships other Apostles were unlearned before their calling Acts 4. 13. Moses learned of the Egyptians and Daniel of the Chaldeans humane
Arts and Sciences but they could not learne of them the knowledge of the true God they themselves being ignorant and grosse Idolaters Neither could they erre in that which they delivered for by them the Spirit of Christ and Christ himselfe did speake 1 Pet. 1. 11. 2 Pet. 1. 21. Acts 28. 25. 2 Cor. 13 3. In thâ—ir owne judgement the most holy did erre as 1 San 16. 1 and Nathan 2 Sam. 6. which errour is truly related in the Scripture but when they spake according to the guidance of the Spirit which did ever assist them in the penning of the Scripture they could not erre I have learned saith Austin to Jerome to give this honour onely to the Canonicall bookes firmely to believe that no authour of them erred in writing from all others he expected proofe from Scripture or reason 12. The wonderfull consent singular harmony and agreement of the Scriptures shewes that they came not from men but from God John 5. 46. each part sweetly agreeth with it selfe and with another and with the whole Acts 26. 22. 11. 17. Luke 24 27. John 5. 46. Matth. 4. 4. what was foretold in the old is fulfilled in the new Testament If there seem any contrariety either in numbring of yeeres circumstance of time and place or point of doctrine the fault is in our apprehension and ignorance not in the thing it selfe and by a right interpretation may easily be cleared See Dr. Willet on Gen. 24. 38. These considerations strengthen this argument 1. The length of time in which this writing continued from Moses untill John to whom was shewed the last authenticall revelation which prevents all conceits of forgery since they were not written in one nor yet in many ages 2. The multitude of books that were written and of writers that were imployed in the service 3. That difference of place in which they were written which hinders the writers conferring together Two other arguments may evince this truth that the Scriptures were from God 1. Miracles both of 1. Confirmation which the Lord shewed by Moses Exod. 19. 16. 24. 18. 34. 29. the Prophets 1 Kings 7. 24. Christ himselfe and the Apostles for the confirmation of their doctrine such as the devill was not able to resemble in shew The raising of the dead the standing still or going backe of the Sunne the dividing of the Sea and the Rivers the making of the barren fruitfull My works testifie of me saith Christ and believe the workes which I doe if you will not believe me 2. Preservation of the bookes of the Scripture 〈◊〉 the fury of many wicked Tyrants which sought to suppresse and extinguish them but could not As God caused it to be written for the good of his people so by divine providence he hath preserved the same whole and entire Here we have three arguments in one 1. The hatred of the Devill and his wicked instruments against the Scripture more then any other booke Antiochus burnt it and made a Law that whosoever had this booke should die the death yet secondly it was preserved maugre his fury and the rage of Dioclesian Julian and other evill Tyrants Thirdly the miserable end of Julian Antiochus Epiphanes Herod Nero Domitian and Dioclesian and other persecutors of this doctrine The bookes of Salomon which he wrote of naturall philosophy and other knowledge the profitablest bookes that ever were the Canon excepted are perished but those alone which pertaine to godlinesse have been safely kept to posterity which is the rather to be observed since many more in the world affect the knowledge of naturall things then godlinesse and yet though carefull of keeping them they have not been able to preserve them from perpetuall forgetfulnesse whereas on the other side these holy writings hated of the most part and carelesly regarded of a number have notwithstanding as full a remembrance as they had the first day the Lord gave them unto the Church The Roman Empire for 300 yeeres set it selfe to persecute and extirpate this new doctrine and in all these troubles the Church grew and increased mighily Acts 12. 1. Herod killed JAmes with the sword yet v. 24. the word grew and multiplied The miracles wrought in the confirmation of Scripture differ much from the wonders wrought by the false Prophets Antichrist and Satan himselfe Matth. 24. 24. 2 Thes. 2. 11. Apoc. 13. 13 14. they are neither in number nor greatnesse comparable to these 1. They differ in substance Divine miracles are above and against the force of nature as dividing of the red Sea the standing still of the Sunne the others seem wonderfull to those which are ignorant of the cause of them but are not true miracles simply above the ordinary course of nature but effected by the art and power of Satan or his instruments by naturall causes though unknown to men and many times they are but vaine delusions 2. They differ in the end those true miracles were wrought by the finger of God for the promoting of his glory and mans salvations these to seale up falshood and destroy men confirmed in idolatry and heathenisme 2 Thess. 2. 9. Those were not done in a corner or secretly but openly in the presence of great multitudes nay in the sight of the whole world by the evidence of which an unknown doctrine before contrary to the nature and affections of men was believed Bainham said in the midst of the fire Ye Papists behold ye looke for miracles and here now ye may see a miracle for in this fire I feele no more paine then if I were in a bed of down but it is to me as sweet as a bed of Roses The miracles done by our Saviour Christ and his Apostles receved testimony of their most venemous and bitterest enemies they had 2. The Testimony 1. Of the Church and Saints of God in all ages 2. Of those which were out of the Church 1. Of the Church Both ancient and Judaicall and the present Christian Church 2. Of the members of the Church 1. The Church of the Jewes professed the doctrine and received the bookes of the old Testament and testified of them that they were Divine which invincible constancy remaineth still in the Jewes of these daies who though they be bitter enemies to the Christian Religion doe stiffely maintaine and preserve the Canon of the old Testament pure and uncorrupt even in those places which do evidently confirme the truth of Christian Religion 2. The Christian Church hath also most faithfully preserved the old Canon received from the Jewes and now delivered by the Apostles as a depositum and holy pledge of the Divine will 2. Of the members of the Church the constant testimony which so many worthy Martyrs by their blood have given to the truth Rev. 6.
that time of the writing of the new Testament did speake Syriacke and not Hebrew which language is mixt consisting of Hebrew and Chaldee therefore saith Whitaker it is more probable that Matthew and he which wrote the Epistle to the Hebrewes wrote in Greek because the Greeke tongue was not unknowne to the Jewes which were Hellenists Act. 6. 1. and other Apostles wrote in Greeke which wrote peculiarly to the Jewes as JAmes and Peter Matthaeum Hebraicè scripsisse convenit inter antiquos Citat Irenaeum Origenem Athanasium Epiphanium Chrysostomum Hieronymum Vossius de genere Christi dissertat Scripsit Haebraea lingua quiae praecipuè Judoeorum quos viva voce hactenus docuisset haberet rationem Id. ibid. vide Grotium in libros Evangel It was needfull that the Gospell should be written by many First for the certainty Secondly for the perfection of it Amongst all the Evangelists there is a Generall agreement and a speciall difference they all agree in the maine scope and Subject Christ they differ in the speciall argument and order All describe the life of Christ some more largely some more briefely some more loftily some more plainely yet because all were inspired by the same Spirit they all have equall authority The difference of Evangelists in some smaller matters proveth their consent in the greater to be the voyce of truth for had they conspired all together to have deceived the world they would in all things have more fully agreed The doctrine of the Covenant of grace is more plainly expounded the will of God and way to salvation more plentifully set down in the new Testament then ever it was in the daies of Moses or the Prophets and in these bookes of the new Testament all things are so established as to continue to the end so that we must not looke for any new revelation All these Bookes we receive as Canonicall because they are divine for matter and forme divinely inspired by God sanctified and given to the Church for their direction written by the Apostles or Apostolicall men sweetly consenting with other parts of holy Scripture and with themselves received alwaies by the greatest part of the Church of God They were written after the death of Christ by the direction of the holy Ghost the Apostles by lively voyce first preached because it was needfull that the doctrine of the Gospell should by their preaching as also by signes and wonders be confirmed against the contradictions and cavils of the Jewes and Gentiles and allowed by the assent of believers generally before it was committed to writing that we might be assured of the certainty of those things which were written These bookes are acknowledged Canonicall both by us and the Papists so that touching this matter there is no controversie between us and them The Epistles doubted of by some for a while were first the Epistle to the Hebrews the Epistle of JAmes the second Epistle of Peter the second and third Epistles of John the Epistle of Jude and the Revelation of which I shall treate more when I come to handle the bookes of the new Testament particularly The story of the woman taken in adultery hath met with very much opposition See Gregories preface to his notes upon some passages of Scripture Crojus defends the truth of it Observat. in nov Testam c. 17. Vide Seldeni uxorem Ebraicam c. 11. The inscriptions and titles prefixed before the Epistles are no part of holy Scripture written by the Apostles but added to the Epistles by some others The Subscriptions and Postscrips also of divers bookes are false counterfeit and erroneous not written by the Apostles but added afterward by the Scribes which copied out the Epistles The subscriptions of the latter Epistle to Timothy and also to Titus are supposititious they are neither found in the Syriacke nor in all Greeke copies nor yet in the vulgar Latin translation these additions were made some 100 yeeres after the Apostles The Canonicall Bookes of the new Testament are either Historicall Doctrinall or Propheticall 1. Historicall containing matters of fact the history of 1. Christ exhibited in the foure Evangelists or Gospels as they are stiled by God himselfe Marke 1. 1. Matthew Marke Luke and John so called because they containe a message of joy and gladnesse They all treate of one subject Christ Jesus incarnate most true Historians Luke 1. 2. John 21. 24. 2. His Apostles in the Acts written by Luke thirty yeeres after Christs ascention so termed of the principall subject of the History though the acts of others not Apostles are there recorded Dogmaticall or Doctrinall such as were written by the Apostles for the instruction of the Church of God in faith and manners commonly called Epistles and that by warrant of the Scriptures 1 Thess. 5. 27. 2 Pet. 3. 1. 16. because they were sent to them who had already received and professed the Gospell of God These are 21. written 1. By Paul 1. To whole Churches To the Romans Corinthians Galathians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Thessalonians 1. Gentiles 2. Jewes To the Hebrews 2. To particular persons 1. Timothy 2. Titus 3. Philemon 2. JAmes one 3. Peter two 4. John three 5. Jude one 3. Propheticall wherein under certaine resemblances the state of the Church of Christ till the end of the wolrd from the time of John the Evangelist is most truely and wonderfully described and receiveth its name Apoealyps of the Argument Beza Piscator Calvin Erasmus have doâ—e well on all the new Testament Of the Papists Jansenius hath done well on the harmony of the Lutherans Chemnitus and Gerhard of the Protestants Calvin Maldonate de Dieu Cameron Scultetus and Grotius have done well likewise on the Evangelists Matthew and John were Apostle of the twelve Marke and Luke Evangelists Apostles is a name of office or dignity It notes one sent from another with command in speciall certain famous Ambassadours of Christ. The Evangelists accompanied the Apostles in preaching the Gospell Matthew There was never any in the Church which doubted of its authority Some say he wrote in Hebrew but that is uncertaine as hath been already declared He interprets the Hebrew name Emanuel Chap. 1. 23. and those words Chap. 27. v. 46. therefore it is likely he wrote not in Hebrew for why should one that writeth in Hebrew interpret Hebrew words to such as understand Hebrew and how came this authenticall Copy and Prototype to be lost for it is not now extant How ever the Greeke edition is Authenticall because it came forth when the Apostles were living and was approved by them which the Ancients confirme Of the time when Matthew wrote Authours agree not Eusebius saith that he wrote in the third yeere of Cajus Caesar others say he wrote after Claudius He wrote his Gospell in the fifteenth yeere after Christs ascention saith Nicephorus the 21 saith Irenaeus in the eighth yeere saith Theophylact.
of the Interlineary version put forth by Arias Montanus for the finding out the sence and genuine signification of all the Hebrew and Greek words Amongst many and divers Latine translations there was one more common then the rest of the Old and New Teâ—â—ament usually called the vulgar because it was of vulgar use and received by many Who was the Author of this Edition it is not manifest Some say it was more Ancient then that of Jerome Jerome wrote pure Latine being skilfull in the Latine tongue but the vulgar transâ—ation is barbarous in many places Therefore Pagnine Maldonate Esâ—ius Sixtus Senensis Burgensis Valla Lindon deny it to be Jeromes that was translated from the Hebrew by the Greek and not by Jerome but by some uncertaine and unknown Authour saith Whitaker Bootius in the Index of his Sacred Animadversions ascribes it to Jerome Vide Whitakerum de Scripturis Quoest. secund controversiae Cap. Sexto Waltheri officinam Biblicam The Geneva translation for the French and our last translation for the English and Deodate for the Italian are the best which is now set out in English Diodatus noster in eximia Bibliorum Italicorum versione saith Spanbemius The question betwixt us and the Papists now cometh to be considered which of these Editions is authenticall that is which of it selfe hath credit and authority being sufficient of it selfe to prove and commend it selfe without the help of any other Edition because it is the first exemplar or Copy of divine truth delivered from God by the Prophets and Apostles This in respect of the old Testament is the Hebrew and in some Chapters of Daniel and Esra the Chaldee and in respect of the New Testament is the Greeke all other Editions are but of humane authority This proposition true in it selfe is yet divers wayes opposed by the Papists whose opinions may be set downe in three propositions 1. That the Hebrew and Greeke Text are corrupt and therefore not Authenticall for the fountaine is to be preferred before the streames if it come unto our hands uncorruptly The Book of Moses which by Gods Commandement was preserved in the Arke and that very Gospell written by Matthew those autographs saith Morinus are certainely the rule of all versions The second proposition is that the 70. Translaters were not so much Translaters as Prophets who wrote by divine inspiration so that their translation had been authentique if it had come to our hands purely and had not perished The third is that the vulgar Translation is of authentique authority and ought so to be received neither may any man presume to reject it upon any pretence they say it hangeth betweene the Hebrew and Greek as Christ did between the two Theeves To these 3. Propositions we oppose 3. which are most true and shall prevaile 1. The Hebrew of the old Testament and the Greeke of the new is the authentique Edition and the pure fountain of divine truth 2. The 70. were not Prophets but Translators 3. The vulgar translation neither is authenticall nor perfect neither ought it in any case so to be esteemed Reasons Proving that the Hebrew of the old Testament and the Greeke of the New are authenticall and pure To prove our first Proposition these arguments may be brought The Hebrew of the old and Greek of the New Testament are the very Scriptures which came immediately from God the very particular and individuall writings both for Character and stile of Speech yea the dialect as well as the matter of them is immediately by inspiration from from above and written by holy men as they were moved by the holy spirit what Edition therefore is worthy to be compared to this When we speake of the originall and authenticke Text of the Holy Scripture that is not to be so understood as if we meant it of the Autographs written by the hand of Moses or the other Prophets or Apostles but onely of the originall * or the primogeniall Text in that tongue out of which divers versions were derived according to the variety of tongues 2. For a long time before the Birth of Chirst the Hebrew was not only the alone authentique Copy but the only Edition which was extant in the world In the dayes of Moses the Kings of Israel and the Prophets before the Captivity what Edition of Scripture had the Church but the Hebrew what did the Jewes read in their Synagognes and in their solemne meetings but onely this Hebrew Edition After the time of Christ for the space of 600 yeeres the Hebrew Edition of the old Testament and the Greeke of the new were held Authentique and no other 3. If any thing be erroneous doubtfull lesse emphaticall or improper or if in the Articles of religion any doubt or difficulty arise which cannot be decided out of translations we must necessarily then have recourse to the Hebrew of the old and the Greeke of the new Testament as Augustine witnesseth and Jerome in lib. Contra Helvidium Beliarmine grants that sometimes we must have recourse to the Hebrew Greek fountaines 1. When in the Latine Edition there be any errours of the Scribe 2. When there are divers readings 3. When there is any thing doubtfull in the words of sentence 4. To understand the force and Energy of the word because all things are more emphaticall in the originall 4. If the authority of the authenticall Copies in Hebrew Chaldee and Greek fall then there is no pure Scripture in the Church of God there is no high court of appeale where controversies riâ—ing upon the diversity of translations or otherwise may be ended The exhortation of having recourse unto the Law and to the Prophets and of our Saviour Christ asking how it is written and how readest thou is now either of none effect or not sufficient The Papists differ among themselves in this controversie about the corruption of the originals some of them say that the Hebrew of the old and the Greeke of the New Testament is not generally corrupted and yet is not so very pure a fountain that whatsoever differs from it is necessarily to be corrected by it Others say that the Jewes in hatred of the Christian faith depraved and much corrupted the Hebrew Text of the Old Tesâ—ament Which opinion as absurd is rejected by Bellarmine and is easily refuted I shall first lay down some reasons against the grosser opinion and also that of Bellarmines before I come to answer the particular objections of the Papists 1. Jerome and Origen thus argue if the Jewes corrupted the Hebrew Text of the Old Testament then they did this before the coming of Christ or after it not before his coming for there was no cause why the Jewes should do it and our Saviour Christ would never have suffered so grosse a crime to have passed without due reproof when he was not silent for lesser faults On the contrary our Saviour sendeth
for holy men wrote as they were moved by Gods Spirit 4. Some thinke it the errour of heedlesse writers who might easily so erre but all the oldest Copies and the most Ancient Fathers have the name of Jeremy 5. Some say that Zachariah being Instructed and trained up with Jeremy did deliver it by tradition from Jeremy and so Jeremy spake it by Zachariah which might be true because it is said in the Text as was spoken by Jeremy not written But sixthly the most compendious and likely way of reconciling is this that Zachary and Jeremy was the same man having 2 names which was very usuall among the Jewes as Salomon was called Jedidiah Iehoiacim Jeconias and Coniah Simon Peter Cephas and Bariona Matthew Levi. So farre Junius and Doctor Taylor See Mr. Robert Baily on Zach. 3. 1. 2. p. 11. and last large Annotat. The best of the Popish writers cannot deny but that the name Jeremy the Prophet is put for Zachary either through the negligence of the Scribes or else it was inserted into the Text out of the Margent the Evangelist saying no more but that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet as both Iansâ—nius and Maldmate in loc doe confesse 1 Chamier distinguisheth of a twofold depravation one of Interpretation herein we excuse not nor defend the Jewes Second of the letter herein they are to be patroniz'd against the Papists who thorow their sides strike at the very Scriptures and labour to overthrow their authority The Hebrew Edition then notwithstanding these and such like frivolous objections is sincere and uncorrupt and if any errours crept in through negligence or Ignorance of the Pennien which Copyed out the Bookes yet Bellarimine himselfe granteth they arâ— of no great moment in matters pertaining to saith and manners saith he there is nothing wanting in the integrity of the Scriptures Haud negare ausim temporum injuria descriptorum iucuria errata quadam sphalmata in textum hebraum irrepsisse Amâ—ma Antibarb bibl What reasons can the Jesuites alledge why the Hebrew and the Greeke which kept their integrity 400 yeares together after Christ amidst as bitter Enemies as ever they had as troublesome and tempestuous times as ever were since should after in time of lesse danger and greater quiet loose not their beauty onely but their Chastity also And we marvell that the Jesuites are not afraid to suffer this blot to fall upon their Popish government which boasteth and saith it is the pillar of truth and yet hath had no better care to preserve the truth Objections of the Papists against the purity of the Greeke Text in the New Testament Ob. They instance in Rom. 12. 11. to be corrupt the Greek hath serving the time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for serving the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sol. Many of the ancient Greek Copies and Scholiasts have also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Salmerond the Jesuite confesseth serving the Lord and it appeareth in the Syriacke translation and who seeth not that it might rather be an oversight of the writer taking one word for another rather then a fault in the Text and the cause of the mistake saith Beza was the short writing of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was taken by some for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereas they should have taken it for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If we should admit the other reading we must not understand the Apostle as if he commanded us to be temporizaers or to apply our selves to the corrupt customes and manners of the times but to keep time in all our actions and doe them in the fittest season as Col. 4. 5. Ephes. 5. 16. Ob. Erasmus the best translator of all the later by the judgement of Beza saith that the Greek sometimes hath superstuities corruptly added to the Text of holy Scripture as Matth. 6. The doxologie for thine is the Kingdome the power and the glory for ever and ever He calleth these words trifles rashly added to the Lords Prayer and reprehends Valla for blaming the old vulgar Latine because it hath them not Tertullian Cyprian Ambrose Jerome and Augustine doe expound the Lords Prayer and yet make no mention of these words Beza confesseth it to be magnificam illam quidem sanctificam a most high and holy forme of expression sed irrepsisse in contextum quae in vetustissimis aliquot codicibus Graecis desit it is not to be found in that vetustissimus codex by Beza to the university Library of Cambridge that Copy perhaps was corrupted by the Heretickes It is not presently trifles whatsoever Erasmus or any other man shall reject out of the Greek Copy under that name and yet they doe Erasmus wrong to say that he called that part of the Lords Prayer trifles absolutely for he stiles it so conditionally if it be not part of the Ancient Text. 2. If Erasmus had understood that that passage had beene taken out of the Book of Chronicles written by the penne of the holy Ghost he would no doubt have taken heed how he had called this conclusion of the Lords Prayer trifles for it appeareth manifestly that this sentence was borrowed from David 1 Chron. 29. 11. with some Abridgement of the Prophets words 3. That cannot be superstuous without the which we should not have had a perfect form of Prayer for since Prayer standeth as well in praising of God and thanksgiving as in petitions and requests to be made unto him it is evident that if this conclusion had beene wanting there had wanted a forme of that Prayer which standeth in praise and thanksgiving 4. If to give a substantiall reason of that which goeth before be superfluous then this conclusion may be so 5. For confirmation of this reading we may alleadge besides the consent of the Greek Copies the Syrian interpretation which is very Ancient Chrysostome Theophylact and Euthymius expound it The Lords Prayer in Luke is perfect in respect of the Petitions yet nothing hindereth but that in Matthew might be added the confirmation and conclusion Matthew hath many other things in his Gospell which Luke hath not Salmeron reproves Cajetan for calling this Multilâ—quium since there is a notable confession of 4 properties of God his Kingdome Power Glory and Eternity I should now shew that neither the translation of the Seventy nor of the vulgar Latine are authenticall but there are two questions of great moment first to be discussed The first is whether any Bookes of the Scripture be lost The second whether the Scripture of the Old Testament was punctata from the beginning To the first question that we may give a right answer we must distinguish of the Bookes of Scripture some were Historicall Ethicall or Physicall others Dogmaticall The former might perish and fall away but not the latter Therefore that common objection of divers Books mentioned in the Old Testament whereof we finde none so
both from all prophane and Sacred writings and Paul honours it with this Elogie a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1. 15. a more sure word 2 Pet. 1. 19. the Comparative for the Superlative in which there is no doubting and uncertainty but all things firme As God is Iâ—hovah of himself so is his word autoritative of it selfe and is true and to be obeyed whether thou think it Scripture or no. There is no higher authority for thee to appeale to it is above opinions of men conscience and therefore it must determine all controversies 2. It is true and certaine verity is affirmed of the Scriptures primarily internally and by reason of it selfe which is called the truth of the object which is an abâ—olute and most perfect agreement of all things delivered in the Scripture with the first truth or divine will of which the Scripture is a symbole and lively Image so that all things are delivered in it as the Holy Ghost hath dictated whence those honourable titles are given to it the Scripture is called a sure word 2 Pet. 1. 19. Psal. 19. 7. the Scripture of truth Dan. 10. ult words of truth Eccles. 12. 10. Yea truth it self John 17. 17. having the God of truth for the Authour Christ Jesus the truth for the witnesse the Spirit of truth for the Composer of it and it worketh truth in the hearts of those which heare it 2 Pet. 2. 2. The Apostle preferres the Scripture before the Revelation made by Angâ—ls Gal. 1. 8. Christ commends the certainty of it above all other sorts of Revelation 1 Pet. 1. 19. above information from the dead Luke 16. 31. The word of God is not onely true but eminently true truth it selfe prima veritas and pura veritas The Scripture hath a twofold truth 1. Of assertion it containeth no errour 2. Of promise there is no unfaithfulnesse in it The first truth referres to the matter which is signified properly called truth or verity The second referres to the intention of the Speaker which is properly called veracite or fidelity the latter is implyed Psal. 19. thy Testimonies are sure and so the sure mercies of David the former is implyed in that the word is purer then Gold 7 times refined There are two signes of truth in the Scripture 1. The particularity of it it names particulars in genealogies dolosus versatur in generalibus 2. Impartiality toward friends and their adversaries the most holy men have their faults described they give due commendation to their adversaries The truth of Scripture is 1. More then any humane truth of sense or reason 2. Above all naturall reason as the doctrine of the Trinity the incarnation of Christ justification by faith in Christ. 3. A truth which evidenceth it self 4. The standard of all truth nothing is true in doctrin or worship which is not agreeable to this 3. The Scripture is the rule of faith and manners It is termed Canonicall generally by the Fathers of the word Canon which signifieth a rule because it containes a worthy rule of religion faith and godlinessâ— according whereunto the building of the house of God must be sitted These properties saith Suarez are required in a rule 1. That it be known and easie the Scripture is a light 2. That it be first in its kind and so the measure of all the rest 3. It must be inflexible 4. Universall 1. It is a perfect rule of faith and obedience and able to instruct us sufficiently in all points of faith or doctrinals which we are bound to beleeve and all good duties or practicals which we are bound to practise Whatsoever is needfull to beleeve or to doe to please God and save our soules is to be found here whatsoever is not here found is not needfull to beleeve and practise for felicity Christ proveth the resurrection of the dead being an article of our faith against the Sadduces Matth. 22. 32. and the use of the Sabbath being a rule of life against the Pharisees by an inference made from the Scripture Matth. 12. 7. The Heads of the Creed and Decalogue are plainely laid downe in Scripture therefore there we have a perfect rule of faith and manners It is a rule 1. For faith Jerome in his controversie with Helvidius saith Credimus quia legimus non credimus quia non legimus We beleeve because we read we doe not beleeve because we doe not read Christ often saith have ye not read is it not written what is written in the Law Luke 10. 26. faith and the word of God must run parallel This we first beleeve when we doe beleve saith Tertullian that we ought to beleeve nothing beyond Scripture When we say all matters of doctrine and faith are contained in the Scripture we understand as the Ancient Fathers did not that all things are literally and verbally contained in the Scripture but that all are either expressed therein or by necessary consequence may be drawne from thence All controversies about religion are to be decided by the Scripture Deut. 12. 32. and 4. 2. Josh. 1. 7. Franciscus de Sâ—lis a Popish Bishop saith the Gospell was honoured so much that it was brought into the Councell and set in the midst of them and to determine matters of faith as if Christ had been there 2. It is a perfect rule for our lives and practise Psal. 19. 11. and Psal. 119. 9. In the Scriptures there are delivered remedies against all vices and meanes are there laid down for the attaining of all vertues We must follow the Scriptures exactly and not swerve to the right hand or left a metaphore taken from a way or rule saith Chamier when Linacer a learned English man heard the beginning of the 5. of Matthew read Blessed are the poore in spirit c. he broke forth into these words either these sayings are not Christs or we are not Christians It is a perfect not a partiall and insufficient rule as the Papiâ—â—s make it as God is a perfect God so his word is a perfect word if it be but a partiall rule then it doth not perfectly direct and he that should perfectly doe the will of God revealed in Scripture should not yet be perfect Secondly if the Scripture be a partiall rule then men are bound to be wise above that which is written that is above the Law and Gospell Regula fidei debet esse adaequata fidei aut regula non erit Whitakerus 1. All addition and detraction are forbidden to be made by any man to the word Deut. 4. 2. and 12. 32. Deut. 5. 32. Gal. 1. 8. 2. The Scripture is said to be perfect to beget heavenly and saving wisdome Psal. 19. 8. 2 Tim. 3 15 16 17. 3. Men in the matter of faith and Religion are sent to the Scripture onely 2. The Scripture is an Infallible rule Luke 1. 4. of which thou hast had a full assent Regularectè definitur
time of Austin fasting on the Sabbath day which was kept only at Rome Necessary Traditions which are delivered in the forme of a Precept that Easter is to bee celebrated on the Lords Day Free which are delivered in the forme of counsell as sprinkling of holy water Objection The Scripture it not perfect with a perfection of parts because many parts are either defective or excessive 1. Some labour wiâ—h a defect as Genesis 11. 12. a person is omitted in the Genealogy of Cainaan which was the Sonne of Aphâ—xad but it is reckoned in Luke in Christs Genealogy not in the old Testament therefore there is a defect Sol. Luke reckons it according to the vulgar opinion of the Jewes Junius in his paralels would have the fault to be in the Septuagint whom Luke followed not approving of their errour but yeelding to the time least the Gospell otherwise should have beene prejudicâ—d but Bezas opinion is rather to be approved of that this word is inserted from the Ignorance of those who undertooke to correct this Text according to the translation of the Seventy Interpreters For in an Ancient manuscript which Beza followed this word Cainaan was not to be found therefore he omitted it in his translation and so hath our great English Bible Ob. There is something found in the Scripture against the Commandement of God Deut. 4. 2. therefore there is excesse as well as defect for many Bookes which we beleeve to be Canonicall are added Sol. He doth not forbid adding by Gods Command but from the will of man for God himselfe added afterward The Papists arguments for Traditions answered Ob. Bellarmine saith Religion was preserved for 2000 yeares from Adam to Moses onely by Tradition therefore the Scripture is not simply necessary Sol. By the like reason I might argue that Religion was long preserved not onely without the Pope of Rome but also without Baptisme and the Lords Supper with the like institutions therefore they are not simply necessary yet none of ours hold the Scriptures simply necessary Secondly it is false that Religion was preserved all that while by ordinary Tradition onely for the living voyce of God sounded most perpetually in the Church and the doctrine of Religion was conveighed successivly from the Father to the Sonne which living voyce of God by little and little ceasing writing afterward succeeded and hath the same necessity now which Gods living voyce had before Ob. Whatsoever things are commended from Scripture are necessary but so are Traditions ergo they are necessary Joh 16. 12. I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot beare them now therefore say they the Lord spake many things which are not written Sol. 1. He saith not that he had many things to tell them which he had not taught them before but which they were not now so well capable of for it appeareth that he taught them that which they understood not and therefore they needed to be further taught of them by the holy Ghost which should not teach them any new thing that Christ had not taught but onely make them understand that which they had beene taught of our Saviour Christ. 2. If the holy Ghost did teach them any thing which our Saviour Christ had not before spoke unto them of yet that makes nothing for Traditions seeing that which the holy spirit taught them he taught them out of the Scriptures 3. If the holy Ghost should have taught the Apostles some things which neither Christ had told them of nor the Scriptures had taught them yet this is rather against the Papists For that which the holy Ghost taught them they undoubtedly left in record unto the Church as being faithfull Stewards and revealing the whole Counsell of God unto the people 4. It hath been the practise of Hereticks as Austine affirmeth at all times to cover their dreames and phantasies with this sentence of our Saviour Christ. Lastly if it be asked what were those grave and great mysteries which the Apostles could not for their rudenesse beare they are forsooth Oyle and Spittle in Baptisme Candles light at noone dayes which was not in the darker time of the Law Baptizing of Bels and such like gue-gaws as the grossest and carnallest men are fittest to receive Ob. 2 Thess. 2. 15. Therefore Brethren stand fast and hold the Traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle From these words say our Adversaries it appeares that all things were not written nullum Papistae in Scripturis locum probabiliorem inveniunt saith Whitaker The Hereticks say the Rhemists on this place purposely guilefully and of ill conscience refraine in their translations from the Ecclesiasticall and most usuall word Tradition evermore when it is taken in good part though it expresse most exactly the signification of the Greeke word but when it â—oundeth in their fond fantasie againâ—â— the Traditions of the Church as indeed in true sense it never doth there they use it most gladly Here therefore and in the like plâ—ces that the reader may not so easily like of Traditions unwritten here commended by the Apostle they translate 〈◊〉 â—onstitutions Ordinances and what they can invent else to hide the truth from the Rimple or unwarry Reader whose translations have none other end but to be guile such by art and conveighance Thus farre the Rhemists Paul taught the Thessalonians some things by word of mouth which he taught them not in his two Epistles which he wrote unto them therefore he taught some doctrines which he wrote not as if that Paul wrote no more Epistles then these two whereby that which he taught not them in writing unto them he taught them by writing unto others Secondly how followeth this argument Paul wrote not all the doctrines of God unto the Thessalonians therefore they are not all written in the Propheticall and Evangelicall writings whereas it is plainly testified that the Old Testament containeth a perfect rule of the doctrine of salvation the new being written for a Declaration of the fulfilling and further clearing of that in the Old Testament Thirdly it appeareth manifestly in the Acts what was the summe of that which Paul taught the Thessalonians by word of mouth For there it is witnessed that Paul taught out of the Scriptures that it behoved Christ to suffer and rise againe from the dead and that Jesus was Christ this teaching then by word is there limited to the Scriptures of the Law and Prophets Neither ought it to seeme strange that this was the summe of all which the Apostle taught at Thessalonica where he tarried so small a while when amongst the Corinthians where he remained longest of any place and consequently taught most he sheweth that he taught nothing but Christ and him crucified Fourthly the Apostle himself in this very place calling verse 14. whatsoever he taught by word or wrote by the name of
the Evnuch and Luke 24. 45. also the divers expositions of old and New writers The first place is directly against them for teaching that it is the gift of Gods Holy Spirit obtained by Prayer to understand the Scripture the Spirit through Prayer being as well obtained by the simple as learned sort yea rather by them then the others it followeth that the reading of them belongeth to the simple as well as unto the learned The like answer serveth for the place of Luke 24. 45. for by that abuse of the place they may wring the reading of the Scriptures from all men even Ministers or the word commanded to attend the reading of them since they of whom they say that they understood not the Scriptures were Ministers of the word and that in the highest and most excellent degree of Ministery in the world which was the Aposâ—leship The cause oâ— want of understanding then was this the Spirit of God was not given because Christ was not glorified which can have now no place Besides that in saying they understood not the Scriptures concerning the suffering and glory of Christ it must needs be understood comparatively that they did not cleerly paricularly and sufficiently know them For that place in the 8th of the Acts it is to be understood comparatively viz. that a man faithfull and already gained to the truth as this Eunuch was cannot understand the Scriptures by the bare reading of them so well and throughly as when he hath one to expound them The Lord which helped the indeavor of the Eunuch searching the Scriptures by sending of Philip will never suffer those which seek him in carefull reading of his word to goe away ashamed without finding that which they seeke for in directing unto him some lawfull sufficient ministery to instruct him by The mystery of the Gospell then indeed fulfilled remained notwithstanding unpublished to the world by the Apostles which is now by their preaching and writings laid open and made more manifest The Eunuch which professed that he could not understand the Scripture without an Interpreter did notwithstanding busie himselfe in reading of it The multitude of Commentaries was not so necessary because the Scripture might have beene understood without them although they deserve singular respect amongst all those that are desirous to understand the Scripture who write learned and elaborate expositions on the Scripture That was a witty speech of Maldonates on Luke 2. 34. Nescio an facilior hic locus fuisset si nemo eum exposuisset Secondly These Commentaries are publisht that the Scriptures may better and more easiely be understood 3. The Papists confesse that the Articles of the Apostles Creed being necessary for all are easie Yet there are many commentaries of the Ancients upon the Creed as Ruffinus Augustine Cyrill Chrysostome Chrysologus and of Papists also Some Scriptures are hard for the matter which they handle as are the Books of Daniel Ezechiel Zachary or throng of much matter in few words as are in the Old Testament the Poeticall Books wherein no doubt the verse hath caused some cloud and amongst them the Proverbs from the tenth Chapter and the Prophesie of Hosea CHAP. IX Of the Interpretation of Scripture THis question divides it selfe into 3 parts First concerning the divers senses of the Scripture Secondly to whom the chiefe authority to expound Scripture is committed Thirdly what meanes must be used in the interpretation of Scripture 1. Of the divers senses of Scripture The Interpretation of Scripture is 2 fold One of the words which is called version or Translation this hath been handled already 2. Of things which is called explication the finding out of the meaning of any place which is more Theologicall the other being rather Grammaticall And this signification of the thing they commonly call the sence Nehem. 8. 9. Interpreting Scripture is 1. Ancient Nehem. 8. 8. 2. Honourable Marke 4. 34. The Scripture hath often two senses one of which the latter Divines call Literall Grammaticall or Historicall another mysticall or Spirituall The sense of the Scripture is that which God the Author of the Scripture in and by the Scriptures gives to men to know and understand The right expounding of Scripture consists in 2 things 1. In giving the right sense 2. In a right application of the same 1. Cor. 14. 3. The Literall sense is that which the letter it selfe or the words taken in their genuine signification carry And because the genuine signification of the words is that in which the Author useth them whether speaking properly or figuratively therefore the literall sense is subdivided into plaine and simple and figurative which ariseth from the words translated from their naturall signification into another as where Christ saith 10. John 16. I have other sheep which are not of this fold whereby he understandeth other people besides the Jewes The mysticall of spirituall sense is that in which the thing exprest in the literall sense signifieth another thing in a mystery for the shadowing out of which it was used by God The waters of the Floud with which the Arke was upheld signified Baptisme by which the Church is saved under the new Covenant as the Apostle teacheth 1 Pet. 3. 21. that History Exodus 12. it is a Passeover unto the Lord is spoken figuratively the other words properly The mysticall sense is the bones of Christ were no more broken then of the Paschall Lambe which did signifie Christ. The Papists say the literall sense is that which is gathered immediatly out of the words the spirituall which hath another reference then to that which the words doe properly signifie The last they subdivide into Allegoricall Tropologicall Anagogicall they say that the Scripture beside the literall sense may have these also The Allegoricall sense is when the words of the Scripture besides the plaine historicall and literall meaning signifie something in the new Testament which belongs to Christ or the Church as Gal. 4. besides the truth of the story of the bond and free-woman Saint Paul applyeth it unto the two Testaments Tropologicall when the words and deeds are referred to signifie something which belongs to manners as Paul 1 Cor. 9 teacheth from that place Deut. 25. thou shalt not muzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Corne that things necessary are to be allowed to Pastors Anagogigall when words or deeds are referred to signifie eternall life as Psal. 94. I sware unto them they shauld not enter into my rest this is litterally understood of the rest in Canâ—an but applied by Paul 4 Heb to life eternall Becanus saith as there are 3 Theologicall vertues Faith Hope and Charity so there are 3 mysticall sences The allegoricall answers to faith the Anagogicall to hope the Morall to Charity Jerome saith he excelled in the literall sense Ambrose in the Allegoricall Augustine in the Anagogicall Gregory in the Morall The Papists erre three wayes in
Pastor in the Old Testament had such authority much more the chiefe Priest in the New Sol. This one pastor signifieth neither the High Priest in the old Law nor the Pope in the New but Jesus Christ the High Shepheard for our soules Ob. Matth. 16. 19. Christ saith to Peter to theâ— will I give the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven therefore the Pope hath authority to expound Scripture Sol. First by the Keyes here is meant Commission to preach the Gospell not authority of interpreting the Scriptures When the Gospell is preached the Kingdome of heaven is opened to the beleevers and shut to the unbeleevers 2. That authority of the Keyes was not committed to Peter onely but to the other Apostles also Matth. 28. 18. 19. There is a twofold judgement 1. Of discretion 1 Cor. 10. 15. 2. Of authority as the Parllament judgeth Capitall crimes If the Papists understand the word Judge to â—ignifie Discerning as when we judge of meates by the taste every faithfull person ought to pray unto God for grace to judge to discerne and to know the true sense of the Scripture But if by judging they understand to pronounce decrees definitive and infallible judgements touching the sence of the Scriptures thereby to bind other mens consciences there is no man in the world that hath that power See Moulinâ— Buckler of Faith We have a more compendious way to come to the understanding of the Scripture It were too long when we doubt of any place to stay till we have the generall consent of the Pastors of the Church or to expect a generall counsell or to goe up to Rome But the word of God is amongst us the Scriptures themselves and the Spirit of God opening our hearts doe teach us how to understand them And yet we say not as the Papists falsely charge us that we allow every private mans interpretation of Scripture refusing the judgement of the Pastors of the Church Panoruitan saith the opinion of one godly man ought to be preferred before the Popes if it be grounded upon better authority of the Old and New Testament 2 Pet. 1. 20. No prophesie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation Stapleton saith interpretation is private either ratione personae when the man is private or ratione medij when it is not taken out of the context and circumstances or ratione finis when it is for a false end Now private interpretation in regard of the person if it be publike in regard of the meanes is not forbidden for it is lawfull for one man with Scripture toti resistere mundo saith the Glosse of the Canon-Law the meaning of this place is that the Prophets were no Interpreters or Messengers of their own minds but Gods The Catholickes hold saith Chamier meaning still by that Title the Protestants that the Scripture is to be interpreted by private labour and industry viz. of Augustine Jerome Chrysostome but not in a private sense that is in a sense arising from the braine of the Interpreter It is true saith Cartwright against the Rhemists that the Scriptures cannot be expounded of every private Spirit nor which is more of any private spirit nor yet of all private spirits together but onely of those which are inspired of God viz. the Prophets and Apostles which are here opposed unto private Interpretation And therefore it is evident that the exposition of the Scripture ought not to be fetched from Ecclesiasticall either Fathers or Councels which speake not by inspiration but from the Scriptures themselves what he meaneth he declareth in the next verse where he sheweth the reason of his saying namely that it must be interpreted as it was written and by as high authority Seeing therefore it was first spoken by holy men which spake as they were led by the holy Spirit and were inspired of God it followeth that it must be interpreted by the same authority The interpretation therefore that is brought but of the Apostles and Prophets is not private although it be avowed by one man onely On the other side that interpretation which is not brought from thence although it have the allowance of whole Generall Counsels is but private This is a principall meaning of our Saviour Christ when he willeth that we should call no man father or Master in the earth that is in matter of doctrine we should depend upon the authority of no man nor of all men in the earth but onely upon Christ and upon God Our reasons by which we prove that the chiefest judgement and authority of interpreting Scriptures is to be given not to the Church but to the Scriptures themselves and the Holy Ghost 1. That which onely hath power to beget faith that onely hath the chiefest authority of interpreting Scripture and of determining all controversies concerning faith and religion but the Scriptures onely and the Holy Ghost have this force Rom. 10. 17. the Holy Ghost onely can infuse saving faith into our hearts which is called by the Schoolemen infusa fides The faith which we have from the Church is acquired and sufficeth not to a certaine perswasion 2. The Scriptures cannot be interpreted but by the same Spirit wherewith they were written that spirit is found no where but in the Scripture whosoever have promises from God to understand the Scripture may interpret it but so have all the faithfull 3. Christ himselfe makes the Scripture a Judge John 12. 48. and still appealed to it 4. Although the Fathers were men indued of God with excellent gifts and brought no small light to understanding of the Scriptures yet learned men in our dayes may give a right sense of sundry places thereof which the Fathers saw not yea against the which perhaps they consent Hath any man living read all the Fathers nay have all the men living read them nay can they shew them can they get them I had almost said can they name them In the exposition of those words Tu es Petrus supra hanc petram almost every one of the Fathers at least the most part of them and the best expound it of Peters faith yet the Papists understand it non de fide sed de persona Petri. Here they dis-agree themselves from the Fathers John 10. 16. by the title of one Shepheard Augustine Chrysostome Jerome Cyrill Theodoret Theophylact Euthimius Rupertus Cyprian and other Fathers agree that Christ is there designed but Stapleton saith the Pope is there meant In the division of the Law they goe cleane contrary to the greatest part of the Fathers For they divide the Commandements as we doe but the Papists make the two first one and the tenth two 2. They have no Father to countenance them in this but Augustine There were no writings of the Fathers for a time many of them wrote 400 yeares after Christ but some 500 and 600 yeares after Christ what rule had they before that time of interpreting
good Those two kind of properties which are said to be in God differ from those properties which are given to men and Angels In God they are infinite unchangeable and perfect even the Divine essence it selfe and therefore indeed all one and the same but in men and Angels they are finite changeable and imperfect meere qualities divers they receiving them by participation onely not being such of themselves by nature It is hard to observe an accurate methode in the enumeration of the Attributes Zanchie Doctor Preston and Mr. Storke have handled some few of them none that I know hath written fully of them all CHAP. III. GOd in respect of his nature is a Spirit that is a substance or essence altogether incorporeall This the Scripture expressely witnesseth John 4. 24. 2 Cor. 3. 17. An understanding Spirit is either created or uncreated Created Spirit as the soule of man or an Angell Psal. 104. 4. 1 Cor. 6. ult uncreated God Whatsoever is affirmed of God which is also communicable to the creatures the same must be understood by a kinde of excellencie and singularity above the rest Angels are Spirits the soules of men are spirits but God is a spirit by a kind of excellency or singularity above all spirits the God of spirits Num 16 22. the Father of spirits Heb. 12. 9. the Authour of spirits and indeed the spirit of spirits The word spirit in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew Ruach is used chiefely of God and secondarily of the creatures when it is used of God it is used either properly or metonymically properly and so first essentially then it signifieth the Godhead absolutely as Iâ—hn 4. 24. or more restrictively the divine nature of Christ Heb. 9. 14. 1 Pet. 3. 18. secondly personally for the third person in the Trinity commonly called the Holy spirit or Ghost 1 Cor. 2. 11. Iâ— the word be taken metonymically it signifieth sometimes the effects of grace either the common graces of Gods spirit propheticall 1 Sam. 10. 6. 10. miraculous or the sanctifying graces Ephes. 5. 13. Reasons 1. God is a spirit because a spirit is the best highest and purest nature God being the most excellent and highest nature must needs be a spirit too 2. God is a most simple and noble being therefore must needs be incorporeall Angels and Souls have a composition in them their essence and faculties are distinguished they are compounded of Subject and Accidents their nature and qualities or graces but Gods holinesse is his nature 3 God is insensible therefore a Spirit Spirits are not subject to senses John 1. 18. This confutes 1. Tertullian who held God to be Corporeall then he should consist of matter and forme 2. The Anthropomorphites who ascribed to God the parts and members of a man they alleage that place Gen. 1. 27. But some thinke the soule is the onely subject and seat in which the Image of God is placed grant that it was in the body likewise it being capable of immortality yet a man was not said to be made after the Image of God in respect of his corporall figure but in respect of knowledge righteousnesse and holinesse Ephes. 4. 23. Col. 3. 10. not in respect of his substance but qualities Ob. God is said to have members face hands eyes in some places of Scripture and yet in others he is said not to be a body but a Spirit and consequently to have no hands nor eyes Sol. The word hand and eye is taken figuratively for the power of seeing and working which are actions that men performe with the hand and eye as an instrument and so it is attributed to God because he hath an ability of discerning and doing infinitely more excellent then can be found in man Sometimes againe those words are taken properly for members of the body of some such forme fashion making so they are not to be attributed unto God who because he hath no body cannot have an hand an eye A body is taken three wayes 1. For every thing which is opposite to a fancy and notion and so what ever hath a being may be called a body in this sence Tertullian attributes a body to God 2. For that thing which hath some composition or change so God onely is incorporeall 3. More strictly for that which consists of matter and forme so Angels are incorporeall 3. This shewes the unlawfulnesse then of painting the Godhead Cajetane disliked it Bellarmine argues thus Man is the Image of God but man may be pictured therefore the Image of God may be pictured Man is not the Image of God but in the faculties of his soule which cannot be pictured therefore the Image of God cannot be pictured Although the whole man may be said Synecdochically to be pictured yet is not man called the Image of God in his whole but in a part which is his reasonable and invisible soule which cannot be pictured 1. We must call upon God and worship him with the Spirit our Saviour Christ teâ—cheth us this practicall use John 4. 24. Blesse the Lord O my soule Psal. 103. whom I serve in the Spirit saith Paul The very Heathen made this inference Si Deus est animus sit pura mente colendus 2. God though invisible in himselfe may be knowne by things visible He that seeth the Sonne hath seene the Father John 14. 9. We should praise God as for other excellencies so for his invisibility 1 Tim. 1. 17. 2. Learn to walk by faith as seeing him who is invisible Heb. 11. 27. 3. Labour for pure hearts that we may see God hereafter 4. Here is comfort against invisible Enemies we have the invisible God and invisible Angels to help us 3. God hath immediate power over thy Spirit to humble and terrifie thee He is the Father of Spirits he cannot onely make thee poor sick but make thy conscience roare for sinne it was God put that horrour into Cain Judas Spira's spirits He is a Spirit and so can deale with the Spirit 2. Take heed of the sinnes of the heart and spirit pride unbeleefe insincerity 2 Cor. 7. 1. 1 Thess. 5. 23. such as not onely arise from but are terminated in the spirit These are first most abhorred by God He is a Spirit and as he loveth spirituall performances so he hates spirituall iniquities 6 Gen. He punisht the old world because all the imaginations of the thoughts of their hearts were evill 2. Most contrary to the Law of God which is chiefely Spirituall 3. Sinne is strongest in the spirit as all evill in the fountaine Matth. 15. 19. 4. Spirituall evill make us most like the Devils who are Spirituall wickednesses All sinne is from Satan per modum servitutis these per modum imaginis God is most Simple Ens Simplicissimum Simplicity is a property of God whereby he is voide of all composition mixtion and division being all
needfull for it Mercy in God is not any passion or quality as it is in men but it is the very divine essence it selfe and therefore perpetuall and inâ—inite such as no tongue can expresse Mercy in God and in us differ 1. It is in him essentially in us as a quality 2. In him primarily in us secondarily Gods mercy is the cause of all mercy it is without motive or worth in us naturall free Rom. 9. 18. boundlesse extends to a mans soule body this life the next to a man and his posterity Exod. 34 6 7. it is above all his workes Psal. 145. 9. it is beyond his promise and our expectation Reasons 1. Whatsoever good and commendable thing is to be found in the creature that must needs be found eminently and excellently in the Creator from whom it is derived to the creature and who could not derive it tâ— the creature if he had it not more perfectly in himselfe Now mercy is to be found in all good men and it is a lovely and commendable thing in them such as begets good will and liking towards them therefore it is much more fully in God 2. He hath great mercy in him if God be mercifull at all he must needs be mercifull in great measure yea above all measure beyond all degrees in all perfection for the essence of God is infinite and his wisdome power and mercy are infâ—nite There is a mercy of God which extends to all his creatures Psal. 145. 9. Luke 6. 35. God is mercifull unto all men but especially to some men whom he hath chosen unto himselfe The speciall mercy of God is offered unto all within the Church Ezech. 16. 6. Acts 13. 40. but is bestowed onely upon some viz. such as receive Christ John 1. 11 12. This life is the time of mercy wherein we obtaine pardon for sinne after this life there is no remission or place for repentance All blessings Spiritual and Corporeall are the effects of Gods mercy Common blessings of his generall mercy speciall blessings of his speciall mercy The effects of Gods speciall mercy are 1. The giving of Christ for us 2. His Word 3. Justification 4. Sanctification 5. giving his Spirit for a comforter in our griefes and afflictions Iâ—hn 14. 16. 6. The Sacraments Mercy must accord with wisdome justice and truth therefore those that stoope to justice by acknowledging their offence and worthinesse to be punisht for it and are sorry they have so offended and â—esolve to offend so no more and earnestly also implore Gods mercy shall partake of it The Lord is plenteous in mercy to all which call upon him and the Lords delight is in them which feare him and hope in his mercy Judge your selves and you shall not be judged humble your selves under the hand of God and he will exalt you On these termes he will shew mercy universally to all which submit to him thus and seeke to him for mercy without any exception of person fault time Quest. Whether mercy and justice be equall in God and how can he be most just and most mercifull Answ. Mercy and Justice may be considered ad intra as they are essentiall properties in God and so he is equally just as well as mercifull 2. Ad extra as he puts himselfe forth into the outward exercise of mercy and punishment In this latter sence we must distinguish between this present time where mercy triumphs against judgement Jam. 2. 13. and the day of judgement that is a time of justice and retribution to the wicked and so David speaking of this present time saith All thy waies are mercy and truth Psalm 25. and that of the Schooles is true remunerat ultra condignum punit infra Gods justice and mercy are both infinite and equall in him onely in regard of man there is an inequality For God may be said to be more mercifull unto them that are saved then just to them that are damned for the just cause of damnation is in man but of salvation is wholy from God In himselfe and originally they are both equall and so are all his attributes but in respect of the exercise and expression upon his creatures and abroad in the world there is some difference Mr Bolton on Prov. 18. 14. 1. We should believe this point labour to be fully perswaded in our hearts that Gods mercies are great and many he hath preventing mercies how many sinnes hath he preserved thee from 2. sparing mercies Lam. 3. 22. behold Gods severity towards others and mercy toward thee 3. renewing mercies 4. pardoning mercies He is willing and ready to helpe us out of misery Therefore we should praise him for this attribute how excellent and desirable a thing is mercy therefore give him the glory of his mercy 2. It is full of comfort to a child of God he need not be dismayed with any thing not his imperfections since the divell himselfe cannot hurt him for God is more mercifull to help him then the divell can be malicious to hurt him 3. We should be encouraged to seeke to him for mercy seeing there is so great store of it in him There is an infinitnesse of mercy in God so that what ever my sinnes have been if now I will turne he will accept me if I strive to turne he will enable me Therefore I will now runne to him for mercy I will fall down before the Throne of justice and confesse I have deserved wrath and nothing but wrath but will cry to him for mercy 4. Those that have and doe seeke should give him the glory of his mercy and take comfort themselves in the confident hope of finding mercy Praise him for his mercy to others and he will give thee some comfortable hope of finding it thy selfe 5. We should be mercifull like God to our selves and brethren their soules and bodies imitate his mercy be you mercifull to the afflicted and distressed shew mercy freely and constantly and then we shall obtaine mercy Matth. 5. 7. 6. We should labour to be qualified for mercy 1. Confesse our sinnes and forsake them Prov. 28. 13. 2. Feare God his mercy is on them that feare him Luke 1. 50. Psal. 103. 11 17 18. 3. Love God He shewes mercy to them that love him Exod. 20. 6. 4. Trust in God then mercy shall compasse us Psal. 32. 10. 5. Thinke on good things then we shall have mercy Prov. 14. 22. 6. Keepe close to the rule of Gods Word Gal. 6 16. CHAP. XII AThird vertue in God is Justice by which God in all things wils that which is just or it is the Attribute whereby God is just in and of himselfe and exerciseth justice toward all creatures and giveth every one his due Esay 45. 21. Psal. 11. 7. Gen. 18. 25. Zeph. 3. 5. Rom. 2. 6 7. 1 Pet. 1. 17. 2 Thess. 1. 6 7. 2 Tim. 4. 8. 1 John
ought to blesse God that is to observe and know his blessednes and for to doe two things to him 1 To applaude it 2 To expresse and acknowledge it In Scripture-phrase to blesse signifieth two things 1 To praise a person for those things which are praise-worthy in him as Gods name is said to be above all blessing and praise Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy Name 2 To wish well to it that my soule may blesse thee before it die pronounce and wish thee blessed We cannot pronounce any blessing upon God nor bestow any benefit upon him He is too excellent to receive any thing by way of promise or performance from us but we must performe these two things viz. wish well to him speake well of him Wish well to him that is acknowledge his exceeding happinesse and will that he may be ever what he is as we know he ever wil be For to wish a thing continue being that is is possible and to wil Gods eternall blessed and glorious being that is one of the most excellent acts of the creature and in doing so we blesse God so much as a creature can blesse him Perfect happinesse is not to be had here but so much happines as can be had here is to be had in him he can give himselfe to those which seeke him in some degrees and then are they in some degrees happy he can give himselfe to them in the highest degree and then they are in the highest degree happy according as he doth communicate himselfe to us more or lesse so are we more or lesse happy 1 We have little mind to wish well to God or rejoyce in his welfare or to acknowledge and speake of it 2 We should stir up our selves to blesse God and say how blessed art thou and blessed by thy Name We should set our minds and our tongues aworke to set forth to our selves and others his exceeding great excellencies When we see and know excellent abilities in any man we cannot but be oft talking with our selves and others of his great worth so we seeing and knowing the infinitenesse of God must be often telling our selves and others what we do know by him thereby to stirre up our selves and others more and more to know him and we must declare before the Lord his goodnesse and his loving kindnesse to the sonnes of men 3 We must learne to seeke happinesse where it is even in God and in his favourable vouchsafing to be ours and to give himselfe to us It is not possible for the creature to be happy and enjoy it selfe unlesse it enjoy the best and greatest good whereof it is capable and which will fully satisfie all the longings and inclinations of it We should 1. see our misery that being alienated from God must needs be miserable till this estrangement be removed 2 Set our selves to get true blessednesse by regaining this union and communion with God the fountaine of all blisse and hate sinne which onely separates between God and us and hinders us from enjoying the Blessed God 3 We should place all our happinesse in him and in him alone for he is not onely the chiefe but the sole happinesse we should use the world but enjoy him Psalm 16. 11. we should use the meanes which may bring blessednesse Psalm 1. 1. Matth. 5. 3 to 12. if we live holily we may looke for happinesse All the promises in the Scripture belong to godly men they shall be blessed here and hereafter who serve God in sincerity We must expect and looke for happinesse onely in our union with and fruition of him Austin alledgeth out of Varro 288 severall opinions of Philosophers concerning felicity Blessednesse is the enjoying of the Soveraigne Good now what that is we must judge by these two Characters it must be 1. Optimum the best otherwise it wil not sistere appetitum give us content we wil be ever longing 2. Maximum the most compleat otherwise it wil not implere appetitum we shall not be satisfied therewith God is Optimus Maximus Happinesse it the summe of all our desires and the ayme of all our endeavours Perfect Blessednesse consisteth in the immediate fruition of the chiefe perfect and al-sufficient good even God himselfe The good to be deâ—ired simply for it selfe is God onely who being the first cause of all things the first essentiall eternall infinite unchangeable and onely good must needs be the chiefe good and therefore the last end intended by man given by God who being not onely desired but enjoyed of necessity must fully satisfie the soule that it can goe no further not onely because the subject is infinite and so the mind can desire to know no more but also because fulnesse of all good that can be wished is to be found in God Therefore our happinesse is compleat and perfect when we enjoy God as an object wherein the powers of the soule are satisfied with everlasting delight This may suffice to have spoken concerning Gods Essence and Attributes by which it appeares that God is farre different both from all faigned Gods and from all creatures The consideration of the Divine persons followeth for in one most simple nature of God there are distinct persons CHAP. XVI Of the Trinity or distinction of Persons in the Divine Essence WE cannot by the light of nature know the mystery of the Trinity nor the incarnation of Jesus Christ. But when by faith we receive this doctrine we may illustrate it by reason The similies which the Schoolmen and other Divines bring drawn from the creature are unequall and unsatisfactory since there can be no proportion between things Finite and Infinite Two resemblances are much used in Scripture the Light and the word The Light which was three daies before the Sunne Gen. 1. and then condensed into that glorious body and ever since diffused throughout the world is all one and the same light So the Father of lights which inhabiteth light which none can approach Jam. 1. 17. and the Sunne of righteousnesse Mal. 4. 2. in whom all the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth bodily and the holy Ghost the Spirit of illumination are all one and the same God Again it is the same thing that the mind thinketh and the word signifieth and the voyce uttereth so is the Father as the mind conceiving the Sonne as the word conceived or begotten the holy Ghost as the voice or speech uttered and imparted to all hearers and all one and the same God A studious Father meditating on the mysterie of the Trinity there appeared unto him a child with a shell lading the Sea into a little hole he demanding what the child did I intend said the child to empty the Ocean into this pit It is impossible said the Father as possible said the child as for thee to comprehend this profound mystery in thy shallow capacity The
or uttered which hath revealed the councels of God to men especially the elect that we may know the Father by the Sonne as it were by an Image John 1. 18. so also he is the externall wisdome instructing us us concerning the will and wisdome of the Father to salvation 1 Cor. 1. 21. and v. 30. 3 The Property of the Sonne in respect of the Holy Ghost is to send him out Iâ—hn 15 26. Hence arose the Schisme between the Westerne and the Easterne Churches they affirming the procession from the Father and the Sonne these from the Father alone To deny the procession of the holy Ghost from the Sonne is a grievous errour in Divinity and would have grated the foundation if the Greeke Church had so denied the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Sonne as that they they had made an inequality between the Persons But since their forme of speech is that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father by the Sonne and is the Spirit of the Sonne without making any difference in the consubstantiality of the Persons it is a true though an erroneous Church in this particular divers learned men thinke that à Filio per Filium in the sense of the Greeke Church was but a question in modo loquendi in manner of speech and not fundamentall 3 The personall propriety of the holy Ghost is called procession or emanation John 15. 26. neither hath the word defined nor the Church known a formall difference between this procession and generation The third internall difference among the Persons is in the number for they are three subsisting truly distinctly and per se distinguished by their relations and properties for they are internall workes and different and incommunicably proper to every person There follows an externall distinction in respect of effects and operations which the persons exercise about externall objects namely the creatures for though the outward works are undivided in respect of the Essence yet in respect of the manner and determination all the persons in their manner and order concur to such workes As the manner is of existing so of working in the persons The Father is the originall and principle of action works from himselfe by the Sonne as by his Image and wisdome and by the holy Ghost But he is said to worke by his Sonne not as an instrumentall but as a principall cause distinguished in a certaine manner from himselfe as the Artificer workes by an Image of his worke framed in his mind which Image or Idea is not in the instrumentall cause of the worke but his hand To the Sonne is given the dispensation and administration of the action from the Father by the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 8. 6. John 1. 3. 5. 19. To the holy Ghost is given the consummation of the action which he effects from the Father and the Sonne Job 26. 13. 1 Cor. 12. 11. The effects or workes which are distinctly given to the Persons are Creation ascribed to the Father Redemption to the Sonne Sanctification to the holy Ghost all which things are done by the Persons equally and inseparably in respect of the effect it selfe but distinctly in respect of the manner of working The equality of the Persons may be proved 1. by the worke of Creation joyntly Psalm 33. 6. severally for the Father those places prove it 1 Cor. 8. 6. Heb. 1. 2. the Sonne John 1. 3 10. Col. 1. 16. the holy Ghost Job 33. 4. 2 By the worke of Redemption the Father sends and gives the Son the Son is sent and given by him the holy Ghost perfects the worke of conception and incarnation Luke 1. 35. 3 By the worke of Sanctification the Father sanctifieth John 17. 17. Jude v. 1. the Son Ephes. 5. 26. the holy Ghost 2 Thess. 2. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 2. 4 By the worship of religious adoration The Father is religiously adored often in the Scripture Ephes. 1. 17. the Sonne Acts 7. 59. Heb. 1. 6. the holy Ghost Acts 28. 25 26. Rom. 9. 1. This is a wonderfull mystery rather to be adored and admired then inquired into yet every one is bound to know it with an apprehensive knowledge though not with a comprehensive No man can be saved without the knowledge of the Father he hath not the Father who denieth the Sonne and he receives not the Holy Ghost who knowes him not John 14. 17. 2 We must worship the Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity as it is in Athanasius Creed We must worship God as one in substance and three in Persons as if Thomas John and Matthew had one singular soule and body common to them all and entirely possessed of every one we were baptized in the Name of Father Sonne and Holy Ghost 3 We should praise God for revealing this mystery to us in his word and be assured that what he promiseth or threatens shall be accomplished being confirmed by three witnesses The end of the Second Booke A Treatise of Divinitie The third Booke CHAP. I. Of Gods Workes HAving spoken of the Scripture and God the Workes of God in the next place are to bee handled which some make two the Decree and the Execution of the Decree others three Decree Creation Providence The Works of God whereby he moves himselfe to his Creatures are three Decree Creation Providence not three individually for so they are innumerable but in the species and kindes of things The Workes of God are 1. Before time or eternall his Decree 2. In time 1. Past Creation of all things 2. Present Gubernation and Susteâ—tation Government and Preservation Or thus Gods Workes are 1. Internall which are in the very will of God from eternity and they are called the Decrees of God by which God determined from eternitie what he would doe in time We follow the received Phrase of Divines when we call the Decrees the works of God and speake of God after our capacity Therefore we call Decrees of God his Works because the Decrees of man are Works or Actions from man and really distinct from his understanding and will by which we conceive the Decrees of God or rather God decreeing 2. Externall Creation and Providence 1. Of Gods Decree Decree is a speech taken from the affaires of men especially Princes in the determination of causes between parties at variance whose sentence is called a Decree or secondly it is a resolution of things consulted of either negatively or affirmatively according to the latter use of the Phrase it is applyed to God Esay 46. 10. Decretum in the Latine is indifferent to signifie either in the Abstract Gods Decree or in the Concrete a thing decreed Gods Absolute Decree is that whereby the Lord according to the Counsell of his owne Will hath determined with himselfe what he will doe command or forbid permit or hinder together with the circumstances of the same Acts 2. 23. and 4. 28. Luke 22. 22. John 7. 30. Or
our election sure by our calling Rom. 8. 29 30. and our effectuall calling by two things 1. by a new light 2. a new life 2 Cor. 4. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 9. John 12. 36. Ephes. 5. 8. We have a new knowledge wrought in us of our selves we see our miserie by sin and our inability to help our selves Rom. 2. 23. 2 of God God in Jesus Christ is discovered to us 2 Pet. 1. 3. We see our need of Christ and know him to be a mediatour who must reconcile God and us 2. a new life is wrought in us Ephes. 2. 1. We now die to sin and live to God 1. By faith Rev. 17. 14. These three are put together faithfull chosen and called 2. By new obedience CHAP. II. 2. The Execution of Gods Decree GOD executes his Decree by Actions Creation and Providence Gods workes are in time 1. Past Creation of all things 2. Present Governement and preservation Creation is taken 1. Strictly when God makes any Creature of nothing meerly of nothing not as if nothing were the matter but the terme so the souls of men and Angels are created of nothing 2. Largely when of some prejasent matter but very unfit and indisposed a creature is made as Adam of the earth Creation is the action of God whereby out of nothing he brought forth nature it selfe and all things in nature both substances and accidents in and with the substances and finished them in the space of sixe dayes both to his owne glory and the salvation of the Elect. Or it is an action whereby God the Father by his word and holy Spirit made all things exceeding good for the glory of his name Or thus Creation is a transient or externall action of God whereby in the beginning He made the world by a meere command out of his owne free will in sixe dayes space to the glory of his name 1. An action not a motion or change motion argueth some succession but in the things created the fieri factum esse is all one nor is it a change because that supposeth some alteration in the Agent 2. Transient it passeth from the Agent to the thing created whereas in immanent actions as Gods will decrees and personall actions they abide in himselfe 3. Of God The efficient cause of Creation is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Creation is the proper worke of God alone so that He is God which created the world and he created the world who is God Jer. 10. 11. It is without controversie that the worke of creation agrees to God the Father the same is expressely given to the Sonne John 1 3. Col. 1. 16. and to the Holy Ghost also Psal. 33. 6. 4. In the beginning By the Scripture it is a matter of faith to hold that the world was not from all eternity in the beginning that notes not that there was time first and then God created the world for time is a creature and concreated but it denotes orde that is at first 5. The world that is the Heaven and Earth and all things contained in them Acts 4. 4. and 17. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that well ordered decent beautifull and comely frame of heaven and earth 6. By his meere command as appeares Gen. 1. Let there be light let there be heavens wâ—ich argues his omnipotencie 7. Out of his owne free will for God did not need the world and therefore he created it no sooner 8. The finall cause to the glorie of his name Rom. 2. 20. Three Attrbiutes especially manifest themselves in this work of Creation Gods power wisedome goodnesse his power in that he made all thingâ— by a word and of nothing his wisedome is seene in the order and exceeding wonderfull and particular uses all creatures have his goodnesse in that he would communicate being to the creatures He needed not the world but was happie enough in himselfe without men or Angels The worke of Creation say some set out generally in a generall proposition In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth Which proposition He after explains by its parts That the world was not from eternity but was made by God these arguments may perswade First and principally Faith Heb. 11. 3. which is grounded upon divers places of Scripture as the first and second chapters of Genesis 38 and 39 chapters of Job and some Psalmes almost whole as 104. and 136. this also is the first Article of our Creede that the world was created in time by God The Apostle Paul Acts 14. 15. and 17. 24. doth point out God to the Heathen by this worke above others Secondly and probably the light of nature shining in these reasons 1. The originall of Nations laid downe by Moses Gen. 10. and else where which could not be fained by him since some memorie of them was then extant among many which yet in progresse of time was extinguished 2. The beginning of Arts the first inventers whereof are known and in what time they flourished for it is not probable that so many ages before mankind lived without arts and that in these last times they were all both invented perfected 3. The newnesse of all Heathenish histories the ancientest of which tell of nothing before Noah's flood or the beginning of the Assyrian Empire under Ninus The holy history it selfe is only of 4000. yeares or thereabout which neverthelesse iâ— the greatest monument of antiquity Now it would be a most unworthy reproach and contumelie cast upon all those men who had lived so many infinite ages agoe to say that they were so ignorant that they could not or so sloathfull that they would not deliver in writing what was done in their times 4. The decay of mans bodie and age which from a great strength quantity bignesse and time of life is now come down to a narrow scantling which if had decreased so alwais in infinite ages it would by this time have been brought almost to nothing The certaine series and order of causes and impossibility of their proceeding in infinitum for it must needs be that there should be one first which is the universall cause but first it is not unlesse it be one nor one except it be God 6. As a thing is so it workes but God doth not depend upon another in his being therefore neither in working doth he require a pre-existent matter 7. Art presupposeth nature and nature matter but God in working is a more excellent cause then art or nature therefore presupposeth nothing in working 8. The first cause viz. God is infinite therefore he can do whatsoever implyeth not a contradiction but the Creation of things in time implyeth it not 9. Whatsoever perisheth hath a beginning the world doth perish because all its parts decay and are subject to corruption therefore the whole The Angels and soules of men are changeable by nature as appears by the
1. natural which they had from the Creation John 4. Some abode in the the truth others fell from it 2. revealed 1 Pet. 1. 12. Eph. 3. 10. the Greek word signifies to look into it narrowly Piscator thinkes it hath reference to the Cherubims who did turne their faces to the propitiatory which was a type of Christ. 3. Experimentall which they have by the observation of those things which are done among us so they know the repentance of the godly Luke 16. 10. 2. The will of * Angels is to bee considered will in the good Angels is that whereby they desire good things known and forsake evill The Angels would never have sinned if they had not beene voluntary for although the good Angels be now so confirmed in holinesse that they can will nothing but good yet that hinders not liberty no more then it doth in God or Christ himselfe to be a free Agent is a perfection to sin is a defect and ariseth not from the liberty but the mutability of the will 3. Their motion and place That they are in a place is plaine by Scripture which witnesseth that they are sometimes in heaven and sometime on earth as their service and office doth require They are not in a place as bodies are they are not circumscribed by place for a legion of Devills was in one man they are so here that they are not there and therefore one Angel cannot be in many places although many Angels may bee in the same place and they move not in an instant though they move very speedily They continue in the highest heavens unlesse they be sent thence by the Lord to doe something appointed by him where being freed from all distractions and humane necessities they behold the glorious presence of God their understanding and will being pitcht upon him 4. Their society and communion for it cannot bee conceived that these glorious Spirits should not signifie to one another their meaning but how this should be it is hard to determine they say that the Angels make known their minds to one another by their meer will 5. Their multitude and order That there are many Angels appeares Dan. 7. 10. and Heb. 12. 22. an innumerable company of Angels But that is a foolish dreame that just so many Angels fell as there are men elected and they are chosen by God to make up their number againe Some say the good Angels exceed the number of the wicked Angels by how much evill men exceed the good the greatest number of evill angels that we read of is but legion the good very many as that place in Daniel and Revel 5. 11. will shew As for their order the Apostle indeed Coloss. 1. sheweth that there is an order among them so that one may be above another in dignity but not in power and command hence they are called an host which word signifieth chiefly what hath a compleat order Dyonisius Areopagita makes nine orders of Angels and distinguisheth them into threes The first containing Cherubims Seraphims Thrones The second Dominions Armies and powers The third Principalities Arch-angells and Angels Much more modest is Augustin qui fatetur se rationem hujus distinctionis ignorare cont Priscil c. 11. c. 57. Lau-See Doctor Prideaux on Matth. 18. 10. for their nature properties order and Ministrie The Scripture makes mention only of two orders of Angels Angels and Arch-angels Heb. 1. 4. 1 Thess. 4. 16. Seraphim is a common name unto all Angels they are all described to be flames of fire Psal. 104. 4. and all the Angels are Cherubims as is evident by the Curtaines of the Tabernacle which were set forth and garnished with Cherubims onely Exod. 26. 31. signifying the presence of the Angels in the Assembly of the Church as the Apostle expounds it 1 Cor. 11. 10. It is evident saith Mr. Cartwright that the Apostle Col. 1. 16. heapeth up divers words of one and the same signification thereby the more effectually to set forth the supereminent power of our Saviour Christ above all 6. The names of the Angels The first and most common name is that of Angel which name is common to the good and evill angels yet in a farre different sense The evill spirits are seldome called so simply though they be sometimes to note the excellencie of their originall because they fell from their blessed condition 1 Cor. 6. 3. Jude 6. In the first place to shew the prerogative of the Saints and in the second to shew the reason of Gods justice The evill spirits are called Angels the name which was first given them Otherwise they are not absolutely called Angels that name being peculiar to the Angels which stood but Angels of the Divell angels of Satan viz. because they are sent by the Divell their Prince Some as proper names are given to certaine Angels Michael Dan. 10. 13. which is compounded of 3. Hebrew particles Mi-ca-el who is like or equall to the strong God It signifieth the power of God because by him God exercised his power and Gabriel Dan. 8. 16. 9. 21. Luke 17. 19. that is the glory of God who executed the greatest Embassages in Gods name to men Vide Sculteti exercitat Evangel l. 1. c. 9 7. The Angels Ministrie and service Their service may be considered either in respect of God the Church or the enemies of the Church Respecting God and the Church and the people of God they have divers services The office of good Angels in respect of God 1. They enjoy God and glory Matth. 18. 10. 22. 30. This implieth their great purity and happinesse and withall their Ministrie what God bids them doe they are ready to doe They shall attend Christ when hee comes to judgement 2. They praise God and celebrate his Name cleave inseperably unto him and obey his Commandements Esay 6. Psalm 103. 20 21. 104. 4. Dan. 7. 10. Job 1. 6. they see the worth and excellencie of God that he deserves more praise then they can give 3 They praise and worship Christ as the head of the Church Apoc. 5. 11 12. Heb. 1. 6. Phil. 2. 10. also as his Ministers Matth. 4. 11. Luke 22. 43. Matth. 28. 2. they stand alwaies ready to doe him service so in his agonie an Angel comforted him 2. Their service in respect of the Church and people of God 1. They are glad for the good which befalls the Elect so when Christ came into the world how glad were they Luke 2. they cryed glory be to God on high they further rejoyce at their conversion Luke 15. 10. 2. They reveale unto them the will of God Dan. 8. 9 Rev. 1. 11. 3. They keepe the elect from dangers both of soule body so far as is expedient Gen. 19. 16. 28. 12. 25. 7. 32. 1. 2. Psal. 34. 7. and 91. 11. Numb 22. 1 King 19. 7. 2 Kings 6.
7. 1. Cor 10 20. The Hebrew names for the Devill are 1. Satan an adversarie 2. Sam. 19 22. of Satan to oppose and resist 2. Pet. 2 14. Belial 2. Cor. 6. though some read it Beliar unprofitable He is likewise called Beelsebub or Beelsebul which word comes of Bagnall Dominus a Lord or Master and Zebub a flie the Idoll of the Achronnes because they thought these best of those pestiferous creatures or else because the Devils were apprehended as flying up and downe in the aire but if it be read Zebul then it signifieth by way of contempt a Dunghill-God Levit. 17 7. the Devils are called Shegnirim the hairie ones because they appeared to their worshippers like hairy goates and in the mountaines The Devill is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to accuse because he accuseth men to God God to men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scio because they know much by creation and by experience The Deuill is called an enemie or the envious man Math. 13 39. the Tempter Matth. 4 3. 1. Thes. 3 5. a Destroyer Apoc. 9 11. the old serpent Apoc. 12 7 9. a roaring Lion 1. Pet. 5. 8. the strong man armed Matth. 12 24. the Prince of the world 2. Cor. 4 4. John 12 31. 2. Their nature The evill Angels are Spirits created at first entire and good Gen 1. vlt. But by a willing and free Apostacie from their Creator are become enemies to God and man and for this eternally tormented John 8. 44. That they are Spirits appeares by the opposition Ephes 6. Wee wrestle not with flesh and blood and this is to bee opposed to those that deny that there are any Spirits or that the Divels are Incorporeall For their sinne what when and how it was it is hard to determine That they did sinne is plaine but the sin is not specified Some say it was lust with women misunderstanding that place the Sonnes of God saw the Daughters of men for it is plaine the Divels were fallen before Chrysostome and our Divines generally conclude it was pride from that place in Timothie 1 Tim 3. 6. though there be different opinions about what this pride shewed it selfe whether in affecting a higher degree than God created them in or refusing the worke and office God set them about which some conceive was the ministration or the guardianship of man which trust they diserted or scorned Zanchius thinketh their sin was that they were not contented with the truth of the Gospell Concerning Christ propounded to them at the beginning and that they chose rather to leave their heavenly mansion then subscribe to the truth An inordinate desire of power to be like God in omnipotencie say the Schoole-men Concerning the time when the Devill first sind it is uncertaine Tempus lapsus non definit scriptura It seemeth they continued in their integritie till the sixth day was past Gen 1 31. It is likely that neither man nor Angel did fall before the 8th day Gen. 2. 1. 2. The Divels stood not long John 8. Hee was a manslâ—yer from the begining they fell before man that is plaine 3. How the Devill sinned seeing his understanding and will were perfect It was initiatively in his understanding and consummativly in his will Many of them fell as appeareth Luke 8 30 there was a legion in one man one of the cheifest as some conceive fell first and drew the rest with him by his perswasion example yet Voetius seemes to doubt of this They fell irrecoverably being obstinate in wickednesse The Schoolemen and Fathers give reasons why they fell soe and not man Aquinas gives this reason from the condition of an Angels will whose nature is such they say that what it hath chosen with full deliberation it cannot refuse it againe but this is noe good reason because the choice made cannot alter the nature of the will The Fathers give these reasons 1. The Divell sinned of himselfe but man was tempted 2. In mans fall all mankinde would have beene damned but in the Angels fall not all Angels The best answer is this when thy had sinned God out of his justice refused to give them any help of grace by which they might rise from sinne and without which it was impossible for them to recover and this is the Apostles argument if God were so severe that he would not give these so great and noble Creatures time of repentance neither would he others The Angels were intellectuall Spirits dwelling in heavenly places in the presence of God and the light of his countenance and therefore could not sinne by error or misperswasion but of purposed malice which is the sin against the Holy Ghost and irremissible But man fell by misperswasion and being deceived by the lying suggestion of the Spirit of errou The Devils malice against man-kinde appeares Gen. 3. where there is an imbred enmitie in the Devill as likewise 1 Pet. where he is saide to be a roaring Lion a Lion roares when he hath got his pray by way of triumph or when hee is hungrie and almost starved and so most cruell This malice of his appeares in his going up and downe the whole world to damne men that though hee get no good by it nay though his condemnation bee so much the greater and therefore if God should let him doe what he would against us He would first bring all outward miserie as upon Job and then eternall damnation And though he knowes God will defend the godly yet he never leaveth to vex them to tempt them to sinne to overwhelme them with griefe and dispaire so that he is opposite to God The Devils malice is beyond his wisedome else he would never oppose the people of God as he doth since hee doth hereby advance their glory and his owne ruine Their craft is seene in their divers and sutable temptations 2 Cor. 2. 12. we read of his methods Ephes. 6. and depths Rev 3. His first stratagem and device is to observe the natural constitution of every mans minde and bodie and to fit his temptations thereunto 2. To observe our naturall abilities and endowments and accommodate his temptations thereunto 3. To apply his temptations to mens outward estate condition and place 4. To tempt us by method begining with questionable actions thence proceeding to sinnes of infirmitie and soe to wilfull transgressions and at last to obstinacie and finall impenitencie 5. To bring us from one extreame to another 6. To perswade that this suggestions are the motions of Gods Spirit 7. To make advantage of time by alluring every age to the peculiar vices thereof as children to idlenesse and vanitie youth to lust perfect age to violent and audacious attempts old age to covetousnesse and every one to the sinnes of the time The Devill is called the Tempter because of his trade and way He takes advantages
most Perfect 2. Truly blessed therefore most free b The Scripture often ascribes a will to God Isay 46. 10. Rom 9. 19. John 6. 39. The will of God is an essentiall property whereby the Lord approveth that which is good and dis-proveth the contrary Matth. 19. 17. Jam. 1. 17. Psal. 5. 4. * Every distinction of Gods will must be framed ex parte volitorum non ex parte volentis Doctor Jackson Sâ—e Doctor Prideaux his Sermon on 2 Chron. 32. 24. p. 17. a Miro ineffabili modo not fit praeter ejus voluntatem quod etiam contra ejus fit voluntatem quia non â—â—eret si non siâ—eret nec utique 〈…〉 sed volent Nec siâ—eret bonus fieri malè nisi omnipâ—tens etiam de malo facere pâ—ssit 〈◊〉 August Enchir. ad Laurent c. 100. Psal. 115. 3. Ephes. 1. 11. Rom 9 18. called the will oâ— God concerning us Rom. 9. 20. 21. 22. * Psal. 110. Deut. 16. 14. * Psal. 119. * Psal. 51. 8. a Rev. 2. 4. Levit. 10. 3. Joâ— 1. 21. Psal. 39. 19. Psal 119. 6. Prov. 30. 6. 2 Sam 6. 7. and 7. 7. * Aug. Ench. ad â—aur c. 101. * Deut. 19. 29. Râ—m 9. 20. Eccles. 7. 15. 16. * Master Pemble vinâ—licie gratiae p 108. 109. Apostolus 1 Tim. 2. 4. non intelligit siâ—gulos homines 〈◊〉 quosâ—is â—omiâ—es hoc est omâ—lâ— genrâ—◠〈◊〉 genera singulâ—rum non singulâ— generum * God pleaseth to ascribe to himselfe our humane affections not because he hath any perturbation or passion or troublesome stirring and working within as we have but because he hath an aptnesse to produce such effects as we out of those passions doe accustome to produce but without any manner of those weaknesses or distempers which accompany us in such actions * It is an attribute whereby God loveth himselfe above all and others for himself a Amor Dei est quo se oblectat in eo quod approbat eique bene vult â—ibi unit Wendelinus God is first affected toward himselfe and his owne glory John 14. 23. Ezek. 33. 11. Amor Divinus est 1. Naturallâ— quo Deus necessario amat seipsum 2. Voluntatius 1. universalis quo omnes creaturas aliquo modo Deus diligit Amare enim est velle alicui bonum Matth. 5. 45. 2. Speciallâ— quo deus inaequaliter amat has illas creaturas respectu boni inaequalis quod ijs vult sic magis diligit creaturas rationales inter illas electos Christum Wendelinus 1 John 4. 16. John 3. 35. Rom. 5. 8. Mal. 1. 2. 1 John 4. 10. 19. Jer. 31. 3. Rom. 8. 1. 2. and 5. 5. God is the onely immediate and proper object of love Psal. 103. 1. Beatus qui amat te amicum in te inimicum propter te August Master Bradford when others were merry at Table fell a weeping because he could not get his dull heart to love God * Gods hatred is that whereby he is ready to that which we doe when we hate even to separate a thing from himselfe Ezek. 33. 11. Rom. 9 14. Psal. 45. 7. 5. 6 Esay 1. 14. Hatred is of things contrary to us as God hates sinne being contrary to his 1 Nature 2 Law 3 Hononr Psal 45. 8. Prov. 6. 16. Hatred in a reasonable creature is a motion of the will whereby it flieth from that which it apprehends to be evill and opposeth it It ariseth from a disconformity of the object There is a twofold hatred â— Odium abominationis a flying onely from a thing 2. Odium inimicitiae whereby I pursue what is evill As much of our originall corruption is found in his affection as any * Anger is given to God Non secundum turbationis affectum sed secundum ulâ—ionis effectum say the Schoolmen Gods wrath is his revenging justice which justice of God as it simply burns against sinne the Scripture cals his anger when it doth most fiercely sparkle out it is called his wrath the same justice when it pronounceth sentence is called his judgement when it is brought into execution it is called his vengeance M. Marshall on 2 King 23. 26. Gods anger signifieth three things 1 The eternall decree whereby God hath purposed in himselfe to take vengeance upon all evill doers John 3. 36. Rom. 1. 18. 2 His menacings or threatnings Psal. 6. 1. Jonah 3. 9. Hos. 11. 9. 3 It is put for the effects of his anger for punishment and revenge Rom. 3. 5. Matth. 3. 7. Ephes. 5. 6. Dr. Benfields Sermon 10 on Heb. â—0 30. See Nehem. 9. 32. Heb. 10. 27. Revel 6. 16 17. See those words Zagnam Zagnath Charad in my Hebrew Critica * To this belongs the Catalogue of curses repeated Deut. 21. Levit. 26. God is infinitly just a perfect hater of sin * The word Chamah in the the originall is rendred excandescentia burning or fiery wrath which the last Translation fitly cals fury * Dr Burges on Psal. 76. 10. Consectaries from Gods anger Deut. 9. 9. Psal. 103. 10. God commandeth meeknesse in his word Christ patterneth it in his life and death the holy Spirit produceth it in our hearts Matth. 5. 5. Much what the same with desirâ— and detestation * Vertues in men are certain excellent and confirmed habits by which they are made apt and prompt to use their faculties well and orderly Luke 18. 19. Matth. 19. 17. Exod 33 19. Psal 34 8 9. 73. 1. 117. 2. Rom. 2. 4. * Bonum est id quod omnes appetunt Aristotle seu quod natura sua appetibile est Goodnesse is a property of things by which they are fit to produce actions requisite for their owne and the common welfare David seemeth to give us this description of Gods goodnesse Psalm 119. 68. Bonitas Dei est qua Deus in se maximè perfectâ—â— appetibilis oâ—niumque extra se appetibilium bonorum causa est Wendeliâ—us Goodnesse is the fitnesse of every thing for its owne end and for the actions which for that â—nd it ought to performe Whatsoever thing is excellent in the creatures is much more in God Jaâ— 1. 17. Psal. 25. 8. There are naturally the good Heavens the good Sun and Moone good Food and Rayment Spiritually good Angels and Men because there is a good God Psal 34. James 1. Râ—â—etor sortis Bonitas Dâ—i erga creaturas est merè voluntaria atque arbiâ—ria nisi quum est aliquid in creatura quod referat Dei imaginem qua sanctus est Fieri non potest ut creaturam suam non â—met in qua re fulgere videt imaginem suam at cum aliquid est in creatura ab illa imagine abhorrens ei repugnans tum sapientia moderatur bonitatem Cameron praelect in Manh. 16. 20. Consectaries from Gods goodnesse Two things make men happy in Heaven 1. Because they wâ—ll nothing but what is good 2. They enjoy what they will Gâ—lat 5. 22.
woâ—ks He governes his Church Ephes. 4. 11. 1 Pet. 3. 19. Matth. 8. 2. compared with 2 Kings 5. 9. Christ cured those that were borne blind John 10. 28. See Rev. 2. 23. John 17. 5. Psalm 45. 11. John 5. 22. * Juvenis iste quamvis in Jesu majus homine nihil agnosceret sperabat tamen co monstrante se per venturum ad possessionâ—m ejus boni quo vita aeterna paratur quasi ad eam rem monstratore tantum egeret Caetera per se consecturus At Jesus occurrens huis errori simulque moâ—â—stiae nobis pâ—oebens exemplum ait non esse multos boni 〈◊〉 sed unicum Deum scilicet hâ—o ipso indicans non satis esse bonum nobis monstrati nisi Deus mentem illustrans vires nobis suggerat Grotius in loc * Arrius stumbleth at the Greeke Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord created me and on that corrupt Translation grounded his heresie That Christ was a creature In the first Nicene Councell gathered together against Arius the Prince of all Hereticks who denied the Divinity of Christ there were 318 Bishops A man would thinke that there were but small difference it is but a little Iota between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet the right believers could never be brought as Theodoret witnesseth either to omit the one or admit the other Dâ— Prideauâ— Ephesus 〈◊〉 He is called the Spirit of truth John 14. 26. the Spirit of adopâ—ion Rom. 8. 15. the Spirit of sanctification Rom. 1. 4 the Spirit of renewing Titus 3. 5. Rom. 9. 1. All the moderne Socinians and Photinians deny the holy Ghost to be God and a distinct person from the Father Proprieâ—â—â—es Patris personales quibus à Filio distinguitur Spiritu fancto 〈◊〉 duae 1 Esse à se Peter enim ab alio 〈◊〉 â—st 2 Gignere filium ab aeterno 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wendelinus Dâ— Field somewhat qualifieth this opinion of the Graecians and saith they differ but modo loquendi they held saith he that the Holy Ghost was not à Patre Filio but à Patre per Filium See Dr Hals Peace-maker Sect. 4. 1 Cor. 8. 6. Rom. 11. 36. Heb. 1 2 3. John â— 23. 1. Quid nominis 2. Quid Rei a Decretum Dei est definita ejus sententia de rebus omnibus per omnipotentiam et se cundum consilium suum efficiendis Ames Medulla Theol. Ephes. 1. 11. b Decretum Dei est actio illius interna atque aeterâ—â— quae ex rebus possibilibus atque indefiniâ—is ea omnia sola quae jam fuerunt sunt erunt secundum sapientiae suoe judicium immutabili liberrimae voluntatis placito ut ita fierent ad suam gloriam rectè praefinivit Gomarus in Thesibus Decretum est actio Dei ex consilio proposito suae voluntatis omnia omniumque rerum circumstantiâ—â— omnes ab aeterno in se certo immutabiliter tamen liberè definiens Acts 2. 23. 4. 28. Gen. 45. 5 6 7. 1 Cor. 10. 13. * Habet rationem boni triplici respectu 1â— ut est poena peccati poena enim est bonum morale quiâ— justitiae opus est 2â— ut est mera actio ab ipsa creatura producta 3â— ut est castigatio atque exercitium fidei ut Martyrium vel satisfactio pro peccatis ut mors Christi * To Predestinate signifieth to Decree Appoint and Define a thing before it come to passe and also to separate a thing to this or that use Praedestinare nihil aut majus aut minus significat quam destinare Chamierus Eph. 1. 4. 6. Rom. 9. 22 23. 2 Tim. 1. 9. Acts 1. 25. * Praedestinatio quatenus pro objecto habet hemines est aeternum immutabile Dei decreâ—um de â—uturo hominum statu aeterno Wendelinus Matth. 24. 24. John 10. 15. Dan. 12. 1. Ezek. 13. 9. Exod. 33. 19. John 13. 18. 2 Pet. 1. 10. That is a full place for Election Ephes 1. 3 4 5 6. Rom 11. 22. Mal. 1. 2 3. Joh 3. 16. â—â— 9. 23 Eph. 2. 14. Titus 3. 5. The Doctrine of Election is 1. one part of Gods Counsell Acts 20. 27. 2. It will support us in trouble to consider that every thing falls out by Gods Decree yet it ought to bee taught wisely Rom. 12. 3. Psalme 105. 6. 1 Thes. 1. 4. Ephes. 1. 11. Rom. 9. 11. Eph. 1. 4 5 6. * Electio est praedestinatio hominum quorundam ad vi tam aeternam in Christo per fidem obtinendam ex solo Dei beneplacito ad declarandam in iis miserecordiam divinam Wendelinus * Quare Deus hunc trahat illam non trahat noli velle judicare si non vis errare August Some men whether fallen or not fallen * Dr. Twisse If men extend the Decree of Election to the Creation of man and the permission of his fall then man created and fallen could not bee the object of Election so called but the effect of it rather * Finis electionis est patefactio divinae misericordiae in gratuita quorundam peccatorum salute Wendelinus Ephes. 1. 4. 2 Tim. 1. 7. 2. 19. * Seâ—el electus semper dilectus No regenerate man can fall totus a toto in totum not the whole man with full con-sent from all grace for altogether to the end * A man is elected say they on foresight that such a man will beleeve and persevere in this and if he doe not so he shall not be elected * Laudet misericordiam Dei qui liberatur non culpet judicium qui punitur August Eepist 106. See Rom. 9. 16. and 11. 35. Rom. 11. 5. 6. * Elegit qui è multis aliquos legit The very word Election signifieth a separating and culling out of some from the rest John 15. 19. 2 The. 3. 2. Matth. 8. 11. Rom. 5. 19. Rev. 7. 9. Hebr. 2. 10. * Reprobatio est praedestinatio quorundam ad aeternam mortem propter peccata infligendam ad declarandam justitiam divinam Wendelinus Reprobavit Deus propter voluntatem damnavit propter peccatum Rom. 9. 22. * Qui quos vis homines vult servari That any of his Elect should perish Consectaries of Gods Decree Psalm 115. 3. 135. 6. Jam. 1. 14. Consectaries of Predestination Ephes. 1. 4. Consectaries of Gods election and reprobation Austin some others which have written largely of election write sparingly of reprobation because there appeares more seeming offensive harshnesse in the Doctrine of reprobation then in that of election 2. the first being known gives light to the other This Doctrine of absolute election is very comfortable and usefull Eph. 15. 6. 11. The Apostle there inculcats it 3. times in one Chapter Rom. 8. 33. It is absolute as it opposeth cause or condition in us not as it opposeth meanes It is the dutie of Christians to make their Election sure by their calling 2 Per.
intituled in the Canon thereof is easily answered Either they were Civill and common-wealth Stories whether the Reader is referred if it like him to read the stories more at large which the Prophets touched shortly or else they are contained in the Books of the Kings which are manifestly proved to be written by divers Prophets in their severall ages wherein they prophesied Salomons Books which he wrote of generall Philosophy fell away but all the other Books of the Scripture do still remain First they are all of God all whose works remain for ever therefore the holy Scriptures being not onely his handy-work but as it were the chief and Master-work of all other must have a continuall endurance Secondly they all are written generally for our instruction and more particularly for admonition and warning for comfort and consolation unlesse we will say that God may be deceived in his purpose and end wherefore he ordained them it must needs be that it must continue whatsoever hath been written in that respect Thirdly if the Lord have kept unto us the whole Book of Leviticus and in it the ceremonies which are abolished and whereof there is now no practice because they have a necessary and profitable use in the Church of God how much more is it to be esteemed that his providence hath watched over other Books of the Scripture which more properly belong unto our times Fourthly let us heare the Scripture it self witnessing of it own authority and durablenesse to all ages Moses thus writeth of it The secret and hidden things remain to the Lord our God but the things that are revealed to us and our Children for ever David also professeth that he knew long before that the Lord had founded his testimonies for ever-more But our Saviour Christs testimony is of all other most evident That heaven and earth shall passe but that his word cannot passe And yet more vehemently that not one jot or small letter prick or stop of his Law can passe untill all be fulfilled Rom 15. 4. therefore none of those which were written for that end are lost Origen in praefat in Cant. Canticorum Augustine l. 18. de civitate Dei c. 38. thought it could not neither stand with the Divine providence nor with the honour of the Church that any Canonicall Books and given for such to the Church should be lost Of this opinion are many worthy moderne Divines Junius Chamierus Tomo 1. L. 9. c. 5. Polanus Wendelinus Waltherus Spanhemius Cartwright Gerardus in exegesi loci primi de Scriptura sacra c. 6. Joh. Camero Tomo 3. in Praelectionibus de verbo Dei Cap. 15. Rivetus in Isagoge ad S. Script c. 6. in Summa Controversiarum Tom. 1. Tract 1. Quaest. 1. Altingi us But Chrysost. and Whitaker also Bellarmine l. 4. de verbo Dei c. 4. Grâ—ther and Becanus hold that some Canonicall Books are lost I rather subscribe to the judgement of the former Reverend Divines who held the contrary The second question is whether the Scripture of the old Testament was punctata from the beginning or whether the Hebrew Text had Vowels or points from the beginning as now it hath Controversiam de punctorum antiquitate vel novitate inter viros eruditos disceptatam non attingo Sententia utraque suos habet assertores magni quidem nominis Cevalerius Buxtorsius Marinus Junius and other very godly and learned men have defended the antiquity of the pricks which to the Hebrews are in stead of Vowels and say that the Bibles were punctata in our Saviour Christs time and that he approved of the same Matth. 5. 18. others hold that the invention of the pricks and the Massâ—reth is to be ascribed to the Tiberian Massorites who flourished about 500 yeares after Christs birth this opinion divers learned men have defended with most weighty reasons as Martinius in Technologia Luther Mercer Scaliger and Drusius Calvin upon the 11. of Zacharie Zuinglius in his Preface on Esay Raynolds in his censure of the Apocryphall Books But above all Capellus in his Book entitled Arcanum punctationis revelatum hath so strongly confirmed that opinion and hath so solidly confuted the reasons which are commonly brought to the contrary that he hath drawn some learned Divines to his opinion which before did stiffely adhere to the contrary opinion and left others very doubtfull He hath well answered that place Matth. 5. 18. l. 2. c. 14. But as Amana saith if any will not be moved from the other opinion that the puncta were invented by the Prophets which many godly Divines doe out of a good zeale stand for suum Cuique liberum sit judicium Vide Fulleri Miscell Sac. l. 4. c. 4. Mercerum ad Gen. 16. 13. Drusium ad difficuliora loca Genes Buxtor fij dissertationem de Ebraeorum literis Our Saviour saith Matth. 5. 18. that not one jot or prick of the Law shall perish whereby it should appeare that the Law and the Prophets for of both he speaketh immediately before had vowels pricks whereunto also belong all those places of Scripture which testifie of the clearnesse and certainty of the Scripture which could not at all be now if it lacked Vowels Yet this is not B. Vshers judgement as himselfe told me Non est improbabile argumentum ex Matth. 5. v. 18. Luc. 16. 17. ubi per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 puncta accentus commodè intelligi posse docti opinantur inter quos Broughthonius in Daniel p. 45. Polanus Syntagm lib. 1. cap. 37. quamvis argumento illi nolimus insistere Voetius Tomo primo disputat de authoritate Scripturae Sine punctis legere saith Drusius paucis hodie Concessum Serarius de Rabbinis saith Elias Hutter a Lutherane writes thus è mille Praedicantibus ne unum quidem esse qui etiam punctatissina possit Hebraea legere nedum absque punctis CHAP. VII NOw I proceed to shew that neither the translation of the Seventy nor the vulgar Latine are anthenticall 1. The Greek translation of the Old Testament which is commonly ascribed to the Seventy Interpreters is not Divinely inspired The chiefe Pillars of the Primitive Church ranne into this errour whence sprung many other errours The Greek Fathers who were generally unskilfull both in Hebrew and Latine some few excepted were the lesse to be blamed here since they made use of no other Editions therefore they more confidently affirmed their own to be Authenticall Augustine Tertullian and many of the Latine Fathers whom divers Divines follow ascribed too much to the Seventy Interpreters Yet there was a controversie between Augustine and Jerome concerning their authority as is evident by both their Epistles Bellarmine is large in commending this version saying that it is most certain that those Interpreters did very well translate the Scripture and had the Holy Ghost peculiarly assisting them least they should erre
in any thing so that they may seeme rather to be Prophets then Interpreters Gretzer bestoweth a Prophetique spirit upon them because they did so agree and absolved their taske in so short a space of time viz. in 72. dayes They are said to have been put a part in 72. celles and to have all agreed in their translation and the ruines thereof were as is reported shewed a long time after at Alexandria But Hierome and many of the * Papists held this to be a Fable of the 72 celles since neither Aristaeus who was a chiefe man about King Ptolomie that set the 70 Interpreters on work nor Josâ—phus who was most desirous of the honour of his Nation maketh any mention thereof And as touching the Interpreters themselves Jerome saith Aliud est vatem agere aliud Interpretem It is one thing to be a Prophet another to be an Interpreter And as for the translation he saith Germana illa antiqua translatio corrupta violata est That Ancient and true translation of the Septuagint is corrupted and violated which as Hierome saith was agreeable to the Hebrew but so is not the Greek Copy now extant which is full of corruptions and seemeth to be a mixt and confused translation of many If the Seventy as well as the Hebrew had been authenticall the Lord would have been carefull to have kept it pure and uncorrupt unto our dayes as well as he hath done the Hebrew There is indeed a Greek Edition extant which goeth under the name of the 70. but Wâ—itaker saith that the true Seventy is lost and that this which we now have is mixt and miserably corrupted Danda 70 Interpretibus venia ut hominibus juxta Jacobi sententiam multa peceamus omnes Hieron ad Pamâ—ch The Apostles and Evangelists writing in Greek often followed the version of the Septuagint then common amongst the Graecians and cited it sometimes where there is a most manifest difference from the Hebrew Text but yet they did not alwayes use that translation which they would have done if they had esteemed it Divine and Authenticall Spanhemius Dub Evangel parte 1a Dub. 23. and Amama Antibarb Bibl. l. 2. both thinke that conjecture of Heinsius in his holy Aristarchus very probable viz. that the fable of the number and consent of the Interpreters took its originall from the 24. of Exâ—dus Hence saith Henisius there without doubt the History concerning Ptolomie hence those famous celles which Jerome scoffs at Hence that invention that none of all that number differed in their Interpreations Therefore since that version when pure was but a humane not Divine worke and proceeded from Interpreters not Prophets it couldbe neither Authenticall nor fide digna any farther then it agreed with the Hebrew Text. The Ancients themselves Commenting upon Scripture used not the Septuagint Edition as authenticke from which it would not have been then lawfull to depart but rather often correct it as Origen and Jerome from the Hebrew fountaines which every one knoweth that is versed in their workes They are most bold in changing numbers without any reason as Gen. 5. to Seth Enos Cainaan Malaleel they give each a 100 yeares beyond the Hebrew truth In the 46 Chapter of Genesis for Seventy soules they say 75. The Seventie read Prov. 8. 23 in the beginning God created me for in the beginning God possessed me whether because they mistook the Hebrew word Chava for Cava upon their likenesse in the Hebrew Characters or their translation was at the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possedit possessed and the Copies slipping in one letter made it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 creavit created as Bellarmine after Zanchie thinketh 2. The vulgar Edition is not authenticall We are now come to shew that the vulgar Latine Edition is not authenticall a thing of it self manifest but yet to be proved by some arguments because our Adversaries stand upon it Our arguments are these 1. It was not Divinely inspired in respect of matter forme speech as the Hebrew of the Old Testament and the Greek of the new were but was translated by humane indeavour and therefore it is against both religion and reason to say it is authenticall a work of men cannot in perfection be equall with a work of God for as Jerome saith aliud est esse vatem aliud est esse Interpretem It is the office of an Interpreter to translate the authenticall Scripture not to make his translation authenticall for both Jerome and every other Interpreter might erre so did not the Prophets and Apostles the Councell of Trent first decreed that this translation should be authenticall before it many learned Papists themselves did disallow that translation as Paulus Brugensis Valla Engubinus Isidorus Clarius Jobannes Isaacus Cajetan Erasmus Jacobus Faber Ludovicus Vives and divers others 2. The vulgar translation doth oft change the sentence of the Holy Ghost yea it doth dangerously and heretically deprave the sense of holy Scripture and translate senselesly many times therefore it is not to be held authenticall Gen. 3. 15. ipsa for ipse viz. Christ or ipsum viz. semen which place it seemeth was corrupted Idolatrously to extoll the praises of the Virgin Mary and to prove her patronage and protection This reading drew Bernard into this opinion Maria abstulit opprobrium matris Evae patri pro matre satisfecit quod promittitur Gen. 3. 15. ipsa conteret cui servanda est victoria nisi Mariae Bern. See Bedels answer to Wadesworths Letters Ch. 6. Hoc conteret Tremel alij that is that same seed rather he viz. that one person Hieron Ipse câ—nteret caput tuunt so the Septuagint our translation Gen. 4. 13. Major est iniquitas mea quam ut veniam merear a corrupt translation serving to countenance the errour touching merit de congruo In the Hebrew there is nothing which hath the least signification of merit it should be translated ut feram vel sustineam vel remissionem consequar Translatio ista potest tolerari sumatur mereri pro consequi ut saepissimè olim apud veteres Chamierus Exod. 34. 29. v. The vulgar hath videbant faciem Mosis cornutam for radiantem which the Hebrew word signifieth the Seventie translate it the Apostle Paul approving of it 2 Cor. 3. 7. 10. was glorified This interpretation of the vulgar is reprehended by Valla Vatablus Arius Montanus Steuchus Cajetan Ferus Oleaster Thomas Aquinas and Bellarmine himself de ecclesia triumphante l. 2. c. 4. which is also confirmed by the Text it self for the Scripture witnesseth that the people could not behold the face of Moses for the brightnesse thereof Exod. 34. 30. and therefore his whole face not the highest part of his forehead or his head was covered with a vaile 33. v. of that Chapter 2 Cor. 3. 3. Job 5. 1. The vulgar Latine hath voca ergo si est qui tiâ—i respondeat et ad