long life of the fathers the oracles of God were committed to them without any mention of writing because they were both wise and faithful in the custody and transmission of them For Adam himself living nine hundred and thirty years to teach his children had under his teaching Seth Enosh Kenan Mahalaleel Iarod Henoch Methusalah and Lamech the father of Noah And Noah lived with Abraham 57 years But after the flood when the Church in the posterity of Iacob encreased and no doubt had many corruptions by dwelling in Aegypt then was Moses appointed both to be the deliverer of the People of Israel from Aegypt and to be the Penman of God to write those things which God would have to remain in the Church for all succeeding times and after him successively holy men wrote as they were inspired And a better Argument we cannot give for the danger of unwritten traditions which the Church of Rome doth so much commend even above Scripture then this God saw that men had corrupted their ways and he found the imaginations of mens hearts only evil continually and that the Church was a very few therefore he stirred up Noah to be a Preacher of righteousnesse in whom the light of truth was preserved he destroyed the old sinful world and by Noah and Sem he began a new Church to the restored world Yet after Noahs death the worship of strange gods were brought in so that to heal this grief and to prevent the danger of traditions God caused the Word to be written by holy men for the perpetual use of his Church whose books were faithfully preserved in all ages thereof Then came the Sonne of God and he left his spirit in the Church to lead the Church into all truth by which spirit the New Testament was endited and written So that now all things necessary to salvation are so clearly revealed that traditions of men have no necessary use in the Church in the substance of true Religion for that which is written is sufficient The Church of Rome denieth the sufficiency of Scripture Many of their great learned men write both basely and blasphemously thereof But they are not agreed upon the point for Scotus Gerson Oecam Cameracensis Waldensis Vincentius Lerinensis do all confesse what we teach of the sufficiency of Scripture as the learned Deane of Glocester Dr. Field l. 3. de Eccoles c. 7. hath fairly cited them And Dr. White in his way of the Church addeth Tho. Aquinas Antoninus Arch-bishop of Florence Durandus Alliaco a Cardinal Conradus Clingius Peresius Divinity Reader at Barcilena in Spain and Cardinal Bellarmine Of whom Possevinus writeth that he is one of the two that have won the Garland De verbo Dei l. 1. c. 2. Sacra Scriptura regulae credendi certissima tutissima est Per corporales literas quas cerneremus legeremus erudire not voluit Deus Writing against Swenck field and the Libertines this is a legal witnesse Pro Orthodoxo heretici testimonium valeat I know to whom I speak and therefore I forbear the Polemical bands of arguments to and fro upon this question which in print and in English is so fully and learnedly debated Our lesson is seeing Gods care of his Church for the instruction thereof is here exprest in commanding his revealed will to be written that God would have his Church to be taught his ways in all the ages thereof Doct. 1. Because the ways of God Reas 1 and the saving health of God cannot be parted none can have the saving health of God without the knowledge of his ways no ignorant man can be saved it is said of Christ By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Isa 53.11 per scientiam qua scitur Therefore Davids Prayer is That thy way may be known upon earth thy saving health among all nations 2. Because the promise of God doth run in semine Reas 2 in the seed I will be thy God and the God of thy seed Our children are the Lords inheritance his care extendeth so farre That yee may live Deut. 5.33 and that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days But that is not all That it may be well with them and their children for ever Vers 29. 3. For his own sake Reas 3 that his Wisdome Power and Iustice may be known to men that they may be able to plead the cause of God against such as either ignorantly through unbelief or maliciously and blasphemously shall dispute and argue against God for therefore God doth condescend to this Apology of himself that he may instruct his Church how to plead the cause of his Iustice against all strife of tongues that the name of God be not evil-spoken of To make profit of this point Vse 2 1. Herein let us consider what the Lord hath done for our souls for he hath given us two means to communicate to us his holy will hearing and reading and he hath used to this purpose both the voice and the pen of holy men for he spake by the mouth of all the holy Prophets since the world began and holy men wrote as his spirit directed them Let him that hath ears to heare heare quid Spiritus Ps 34.16 Mat. 24.15 and seek yee out the book of the Lord and read but then adde this caution Who so readeth let him understand It was Philips question sed intelligis quod legis Seeing God hath written to us Vse 2 and the whole body of holy Scripture may well be called Gods Epistle or Letter to his Church let us bestow the reading of Gods letter St. Augnstiue saith Quae de illa Civitate unde peregrinamur venerunt nobis literae ipsae sunt Scripturae It was St. Gregories complaint of Theodorus In Ps 90.2 that he was so over-busied with secular cares Regist 4.84 Et quotidie legere negligit verba redemptoris sui quid est autem Scriptura sacra nisi quaedam epistola Omnipotentis dei ad venturam suam It is a question in our times whether printing hath done more hurt or good for Satan finding this a means to keep things alive in the world hath employed the Presse in all sorts of heresies in all sorts of idle and lascivious false and dicterious slanderous and biasphemous books The remedy is to refrain such readings and as Dr. Reynold tels Hart his adversary that he hath no book allowed him to read but the Bible It is likely then that he is perfect in that book and that Physitians do well when they find their Patient surfeited with too much variety of meat to confine him to some one wholesome dyet So shall we do well to limit our selves to the reading of Gods letter and know his mind for he is wisest and the wisedome that we shall gather from thence is wisedome from above it is able to make us wise unto salvation as the Apostle saith 3. Seeing God teacheth us by
Justice or directly unjust in suffering his own servants to be opprest with the injuries of men The Minister must diligently preach the hearer must reverently hear and faithfully believe the truth concerning the Providence of God or else all Religion will sink and want foundation Vers 2. And the Lord answered me and said Write the vision and make it plaine upon Tables that he may run that readeth it 3. For the vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry HEre begins the second part of the chapt which contains the Lords answer to the Prophets expostulation Containing 1. A Direction to the Prophet ver 2 3. 2. A Declaration of his holy will in the general administration of Justice 1. Concerning the Direction given to the Prophet And the Lord answered me and said For the manner how God maintained intelligence with his holy Prophets we are not very particularly informed we find inspiration and revelation and ision mentioned he that made the light that is in us and gave us our understanding can best make his ways known to his holy ones and as I do not think that Habakkuks contestation with God was verbal and vocal but rather a wrastling and striving of his spirit and inward man neither do I think this answer of God was audidle presented to the eare but by some secret divine illumination suggested And where he saith The Lord answered and said These phrases do expresse so plain an answer as is made in conference between man and man Write the vision That is set down in writing my answer It is our manner for the better preservation of such things as we would not forget to set them down in writing But because this request of the Prophets doth concerne others that he may inform them God addeth Make it plain upon Tables that he may run that readeth it That is write my answer in a Table in great Characters that though a man be in haste and run by yet he may read as he runneth shewing that he was desirous to satisfie all such as the Prophet spake of before who should argue against him As out manner is to fix publike Proclamations and Edicts on wals or on Posts in ways of common passage that any Passenger may take notice thereof seeing it concerneth every one to that the Lord alludeth in this place giving the Prophet great charge for the declaration of his holy will in this great matter so to expresse it that every one of his People may receive information thereof Vult aperta esse verba apertè scribi saith St. Hierom. For the vision is yet for an appointed time The time is not yet fulfilled for the execution of the Will of God but it is in the holy wisedome and purpose of God determined when it shall be fulfilled At the end it shall speak and not lie That is in the time prefixed by Almighty God it shall take effect and the counsel and decree of God shall be executed For God that hath promised cannot lie The answer of God is full as it after will appear and doth not only clear the Iustice of God in the present cause of the oppressed Iews against the Chaldaeans but it maketh a further and more general overture of Gods decree against all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse of men so that this Prophecy shall not only comfort that Church and those times but it is directed to the perpetual use of the Church in all the ages thereof He therefore addeth Though it tarry wait for it do not think by any importunity to draw down the judgements of God upon the ungodly or to hasten the deliverance of the Church God doth all things tempore suo in his time and the servants of God must tarry his leasure Because it will surely come it will not tarry He giveth assurance of the complement of his Will in the proper and prestitute season thereof which nothing shall then hinder The parts of this text containing Gods direction given to his holy Prophet are three 1. The care that God takes for the publishing of his Wil to the Church vers 2. 2. The assurance that he gives of the performance thereof in the time by him appointed 3. The patient expectation which he commands for the performance thereof 1. The law that he takes for publishing it The Prophet must not only hear God speak the Seer must not only behold the vision but he must write the same litera scripta manet the written letter abideth I will not stand to search how ancient writing is wherein some have lost time and labour I know that many do make God the first immediate Author of it and do affirm that the first Scripture that ever was was Gods writing of the law in two Tables Exod. 32. But because I find in Exod. 24 that Moses wrote all the word of the Lord Vse 4 and Josephus doth report a tradition of the Hebrews for writing and graving before the flood I hold it probable that both Scripture and Sculpture are as ancient as the old world I will not question Josephus his Record of the two pillars erected before the flood engraven for the use of posterity with some memorable things to continue in succeeding ages whereof one remained in Syria in his own time It is frequent in Scripture to expresse a perpetuity of record by writing In the case of Amalek Write this for a memorial in a book Ex. 17.14 Iob. O that my words were now written that they were printed in a book Job 19 23 Graven with an iron pen Vers 24. in lead and in the ink for ever Isay the Prophet I heard a voice from heaven saying to me write all flesh is grasse Ioh. Audivi vocem dicentem Beati mortui I heard a voice from heaven saying Blessed are the dead Beloved thus have we the light that shineth upon the Church and guideth our feet in the ways of peace by writing for all Scripture is given by inspiration holy men wrote as they were inspired It was given to them by inspiration to know the will of God they impart it to the Church of God by writing and that boundeth and limiteth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus hath God revealed himself to his Church 1. Cor 4.6 both sufficiently that we need no more knowledge for eternal life then what is contained in Scripture and so clearly that the word giveth understanding to the simple And as this word from the immediate mouth of God doth warrant this particular prophecy so doth the Apostle say of all the body of Canonical Scripture that all Scripture is given by inspiration and Gods care is double 1. That it be written to continue 2. That it be written plain to be read 1. It must be written that it may remain 1. Written For in the old world because of the
The Author We must go to him from whom every good and perfect gift doth proceed to seek faith Here I must admonish you that faith is given without seeking at first for it is a free gift and it is the glory of God I am found of them that sought me not Do not think that the gift of faith is acquired that is freely given but the encrease of our faith is acquired by means I prove it thus The spirit of God is given in the wombe it is given to infants therefore faith is also given for the spirit is never unfruitful and faith is one of the fruits of the spirit And the Apostles said unto the Lord encrease our faith The grace of God which moveth in the generation of them that fear the Lord is the seed of all vertues and first of faith the mother vertue which issueth all the rest that is given early And the gift of faith doth so lie hid in the Elect of God that themselves know not of it till God be pleased not to put his sonne into them but to reveal his Sonne in them This magnifieth the free grace of God and teacheth us to say It is so father because thy good pleasure is such And this excludeth all boasting on our part seeing we have it of meer and free gift And it ascribeth the glory of all to God 2. The means to get faith These as I have said do not lay the foundation of faith in us that is the free gift of God but these means do advance the building they do help to encrease our faith I will referre you to one place to declare to you the acquisition of more faith And a certain woman named Lydia Act. 16.14 a Seller of Purple of the city of Thyatyra which worshipped God heard us whose heart God opened that she attended unto the things that were spoken of Paul And when she was baptized and her houshold she besought us Vers 15. saying if ye have judged me faithful to the Lord c. Observe the whole passage 1. Here was a woman living in an honest and lawful vocation She was a seller of Purple 2. Here were some beginnings of faith in her For she worshipped God 3. The outward means to increase her faith She heard us 4. The inward means The Lord opened her heart after which followeth 1. More attention to Paul 2. Baptism 3. A Desire to be esteemed faithful 4. Hospitality she welcomed her teachers So that for the encreasing of faith she heard the word and the more she believed the more attentively she heard and for confirming of faith she was baptized Faith cometh by hearing for how shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard Here let me admonish you 1. But when I say by the word with the Apostle I do understand and would be understood to speak of the Word not as it is the voice of a mortal man nor as it is a dead letter but as the spirit doth speak to us in the Word For this the Apostle biddeth us Be swift to hear it concerns us much but that you may see that faith is not begotten in us by hearing hearing doth us no good without faith and we must have a grain of faith to season our hearing or else our hearing will adde nothing to our faith The word preached did not profit them Hebr. 4.2 not being mixed with faith in them that heard it So do we see some at first poure water into a Pumpe to set it a work that it may yield water plenteously for faith poured into our hearing doth make our hearing bring forth more faith And so in Prayer Fulgentius saith of faith Incipit infundi ut incipiat posci A man cannot have faith without asking neither can he aske it without faith 2. When I name the word for a means to beget an increase of faith I mean the written word to exclude all unwritten traditions and all written legends which the tel-tale Church of Rome hath coyned to gull the swallowing credulity of the misled ignorants that is the books of Canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testament of which the Apostle saith They are able to make a man wise to salvation and perfect throughly perfect to every good work 3. When I name the word a means of faith I must mean the Word understood by us for the Eunuch learns nothing of Isaiah the Prophet by reading him without understanding And I wonder that ever the Church of Rome could so befool and infatuate the judgements of men to believe that either hearing a forme of service or praying in a strange tongue could carry any validity in them except they did conceive or do believe that such hearing and praying have power of incantation Therefore there is required A translation of the word into our natural language or some other that we understand if we understand not the original And herein I must stirre you up to a thankful consideration of their profitable labours who have taken pains to translate the Bible to English for the common benefit of you all that you may read the Scriptures and exercise your selves in the study of them and examine the doctrines that you hear by them Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers who put such a thing as this into the heart of our Kings Majesty to set this work afoot and to see it finished Herein also I must commend unto you the easinesse and perspicuity of Scripture for if God had not left the way of salvation open but had shut it up in such clouds of obscurity that we must needs have a guide to light us the way to the lanthorn why would David have called the Word it selfe A Lanthorne to our feet Therefore let no man be discouraged from his own private studying of Scriptures for feare of their hardnesse It is no better then idlenesse and shuffling to say the Scriptures are too deep for me I will not meddle with them Christ commandeth Search the Scriptures is he not Antichrist that saith do not thou shalt not search I say and believe that the Word only read over by us or to us without the help of any Comment or Sermon or Exposition of it is a Lanthorne and giveth light to the simple Much more the Word with good Commentaries and written Expositions Much more the Word preached by learned and judicious Preachers which know how to divide the same aright those be called fellow-labourers with God Angels of God the salt of the earth the light of the world and even Saviours of men and because of their labour in the Word and oversight of the People honour double honour is allowed to them by the Apostle Saint Paul This point is of great use 1. To us that are Ministers of the Word for it layeth a necessity upon us and wo be to us if we preach not the Gospel I am sure the Apostle putteth it home to Timothy I charge thee before