Abrahams Faith, Part 1 · Chapter 3 · Article 9
The ninth Article, of the meanes of religion, which is the word of God.
9 The word of God, is the onelyonly & perfect rule of religion: teaching all things whatſoeuer is neceſſarie vntounto ſaluation, and the ſame is fully, wholy, and onelyonly contained in the holy and canonicall ſcriptures of the old and new teſtament.
IN this Article it is firſt neceſſary to know diſtinctly what is this word of God. For ſome men confound this with the ſecond perſon in the trinitie, becauſe the ſonne of God is called the word by the holy EuangeliſtaIoh. 1.1. & 1. Ioh. 5.7. S. Iohn. Where they are to know, that we conſider in God two things, what hee is in himſelfe, and what outwardly he doth or commeth from him. Now the worde which is the ſonne of God which is the ſecond perſon in the trinitie, is alwaies in God, verie God as we truely ſay, The father, the word, (or the ſonne) and the holy ghoſt are ouer the ſame God. But the word of God which wee heere ſpeake of, is the knowledge and reuelation of Gods wil touching godlineſſe: therfore called Gods word; becauſe it commeth not, nor can come by the will or vnderſtanding of man, or any creature: but by God himſelfe is deliuered to his ſaintes, as it were ſpoken by Almightie God: as wee ſee in our firſt parentebGen. 3. Adam, after his fall, hee was deade in ſinne, he had no will, wit nor vnderſtanding, touching ſaluation: till God called him and taught him by his word, and gaue him the promiſe of Chriſt, ſaying: The ſeed of the woman ſhould breake the ſerpentes head. For which cauſe it is calledcEph. 1.9. Coloſ. 25.26. The myſtery of Gods will. Which God in diuers maners & in diuers times hath reueiled to his church,dNumb. 12. c. 7.8. 2. Pet. 1.21. In darke ſpeeches by dreames and viſion, & openly and plainly as vntounto Moſes, and by inſpiration of the holy Ghoſt. Of which it is thus written:eHeb. 1.1.2. At ſundrie times & in diuers manners God ſpake in the olde time to our fathers by the prophetes: in theſe laſt dayes he hath ſpoken to vsus by his ſon. And therfore theſe phraſes in the prophets are plentifull. The fEſai. 1. Hier. 1.Lord hath ſaid: The word of the Lord came &c. And many ſuch like as all men know …hich are acquainted with the holy ſcripture. Now this being vnderſtood, we are to obſerue in this Article two things: The vſe and power of this word, and the true touchſtone how we may know, or where we may find this word. The firſt is touching religion, that Gods word is the only rule thereof, which onelyonly teacheth the doctrine of righteouſneſſe and ſaluation. And this is verie well to be ſeene in the ſtorie of Abraham, that he had no ſauour of religion, before God taught him by his word, neither can wee find that he added any thing of his owne. And this will euidently appeare if you conſider how God firſt preached vntounto himaGal. 3.8. Gen. 12.1.2.3. the goſpell, and ſo frombCap. 15. & 17 & 18. time to time reuealed more and more vntounto him: and that God acknowleged him to bee acGen. 20.7. prophet & ſuch an one, as woulddCap. 18.19. command his ſonnes, and his houſhold after him, that they keepe the way of the Lord. What is all this els, but that God by his word taught him the true religion and godlineſſe, what he ſhould beleeue and doe. As for Moſes, he maketh the word of God ſo abſolute a rule, that the Church ought noteDeut. 4.2. to put any thing to it, nor take any thing from it, and the prophets are alſo verie confident in this point, ſaying:fProuerb. 30.5 Euerie word of God is pure, put nothing to his word, leaſt hee reproue thee, and thou be found a lyer. And the reaſon of this perfection is plaine, becauſe it maketh,gCap. 2.1.9. a man to vnderſtand righteouſnes and iudgement, and equitie, and euerie good path, and to exclude all mens inuentions from ordaining any part of religion, God ſaith by his prophets, thathEſai. 29.13. The wiſedome of the wiſe ſhall periſh, becauſe their feare toward God was taught by the precept of men. Which Chriſt intepreteth to this ſence:iMat. 15.9. That they worſhipped God in vaine, teaching for doctrines, mens preceptes. If this ſuffice, not then let vsus heare this point in expreſſe wordes of the Prophet:kPſal. 19.7. The law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the ſoule. So likewiſe our Sauiour Chriſt in the goſpell gaue to his Apoſtles and Church no other thing but thelIoh. 17.8. worde, which God his father gaue him: pronouncing, that this ismVerſ. 17. The truth by which they ſhould be ſanctified nCap. 15.3.made cleane, oCap. 8.31.32and free from ſin, pCap. 5.24.and by hearing thereof they might hauehave euerlaſting life. Therefore the Apoſtles finding the abſolute ſufficiencie thereof, doe forſake all wiſedome of men for the ſame, calling it the words of eternall life.qCap. 6.68. Hereof it is that Saint Iames ſaith:rCap. 1.19. Be ſwift to heare, and ſlow to ſpeake, becauſe wee men muſt not put forth our owne wiſedome, in matters of faith and religion, but ſubmit our ſelues to learne of God: as he after expoundeth, ſayingſVerſ. 21. Receiue with meekneſſe the word that is grafted in you, which is able to ſaue your ſoules. And thereupon Saint Paule condemneth all ſhewes of tColoſſ. 2.22.23.wiſedome in voluntarie religion, after the commandement and doctrines of men, giuing charge that no manuVerſ. 8. ſpoile vsus through philoſophie and vaine deceite, according to the traditions of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not after Chriſt. And the ground of this, is this, that inxVerſ. 3. Chriſt are hid all the treaſures of wiſedome and knowledge. Now as touching the ſecond point which is the touchſtone to trie the word of God, where and how to find and know it. This is The holy inſpired writinges of the olde and new Teſtament: wherein is contained all the word of God touching religion, neceſſarie for the Church and Gods elect to know for their ſaluation. Which although it were not written in the time of Abraham and of the fathers, but after by Moſes, the Prophetes, the Apoſtles, and Euangeliſtes: yet is it ſo abſolute a rule and canon, that wee ought not to beleeue any thing of faith and religion touching ſaluation, to be or to hauehave beene the word of God which may not be rightly gathered, taught or proued, confirmed or allowed by the writings of Moſes and the prophets in the old teſtament, and in the new teſtament by the Euangeliſtes and Apoſtles of Ieſus Chriſt. And this will appeare verie euidently to the conſcience of all faithful and wiſe hearted Chriſtians, if they conſider what the ſpirite of God teacheth in all theſe times. For the firſt (a moſt glorious writer) was theaDeut. 5.22. finger of God, writing the ten wordes in two tables. Then Moſes by his direction, wrote all the bExod. 24.4.words of the Lord, and a little before his death he wrote the wholecDeut. 31.9. law and deliuered it to the prieſtes the ſonnes of Leui. So that then and from thenceforth the law written became the canon of the Church, and the onelyonly rule to meaſure religion by, as may appeare, becauſe it was publiſhed in this ſort:dDeut. 27.26. Curſed bee he that confirmeth not all the wordes of this law, to do them, eCap 30.10.which is interpreted to bee the commandementes and ordinaunces of the Lord, written in the booke of the law. And Ioſhuah being of the ſame times, knowing it to bee ſuch an abſolute rule, chargeth the people a little before his death, to fIoſhua. 23.6.obſerue and do all that is written in the booke of the law of Moſes, that they turne not there from to the right hand nor to the left. By which it appeareth that in his time the writinges of Moſes were this touchſton, to know the word of God, & as it were the arke of God, wherein the tables of the couenant written with the finger of God were kept: which will ſomewhat more be ſeene, if you conſider with me, that in Moſes writings, and in and by nothing els, we learne all the word of God, reuealed and made knowne to the Church, not onelyonly touching the creation and olde world, but alſo concerning Abraham, Iſaack, & Iacob, and whatſoeuer God ſpake & would hauehave to be knowen to be his word in his time, which hee committed to writing for the perpetuall vſe of the people of God. And after him, God added the pen of the prophets, for the more perfect manifeſtation of this word, and miſterie of Gods will: and yet ſo as nothing in ſubſtance did differ from the written law of Moſes. Therefore the prophetes pronounce the ſame writinges to be a moſt perfect Canon, not to be added to nor taken from, ſaying after this maner:aEſa. 8.20. To the law and to the teſtimony, if they ſpeak not according to this word, it is becauſe there is no light in thē. And againe,bMalach. 4.4. Remember the law of Moſes my ſeruant, which I commanded him in Horeb, for all Iſrael, the ſtatutes and iudgements. Here you ſee that the prophets hauing the ſame ſpirite of truth to leade them and their pen, which Moſes had in his writings, auouch the perfection of Gods word in Moſes bookes: ſo farre as they would be vnderſtood, to doe or ſpeake nothing that ſhould not agree vntounto that worde, ſo written, and whoſoeuer did otherwiſe had not the light in him. Now becauſe, Moſes and the prophets agreed in their writinges, in declaring and making manifeſt the ſame truth and word of God, which he would hauehave to be the knowen canon and rule of religion: Our Sauiour Chriſt reiecteth allcMath. 15.3. new deuiſes, writing, traditions and cuſtomes of men, & ſendeth vsus to thedLuk. 16.29. cap. 24.44. law and the prophets, bidding vsus toeIoh. 5.39. ſearch the ſcriptures. Which alſo to bee a moſt certaine rule, Saint Peter ſaith: We hauehave a moſt ſure worde of the prophets. And Saint Paul,a2. Tim. 3.16. The whole ſcripture is giuen by inſpiration of God, and is profitable to teach vsus that the man of God may be abſolute, being made perfect vntounto all good workes. What can be a more perfect rule or touchſtone, then that which is moſt ſure, inſpired of God, profitable eueryevery way in righteouſnes, by which a man may be abſolute & perfect vntounto all good workes. And hereof it commeth, that the writinges of the new teſtament are not a new Canon or additament of rule in religion, but onelyonly a more plaine reuelation, & fulfilling of that which was before taught by Moſes and the prophetes, and therefore you ſhal find that Chriſt and the Apoſtles eueryevery where do approue their doctrine by the teſtimonies of the ſcriptures, of the olde teſtament. Wherefore Paul acknowledgeth, thatbRom. 16.26. God commanded the preaching of the goſpell to bee by the ſcriptures of the prophets, and PetercAct. 3.22.24. appealeth to Moſes and to all the prophets from Samuel and thenceforth, that they foretold of thoſe daies, that is of the time of the goſpell, and the things which ſhould bee manifeſted therein. And therefore Paul proteſted that hedCap. 26.22. witneſſed both to ſmall and great, no other things then thoſe which the prophets and Moſes did ſay ſhould come. Wherefore the whole ſcriptures of the olde and new teſtament, is one and the ſame rule of religion: Although peraduēture (as is before declared) there may be ſome difference in ceremony and maner of gouernment, yet is the firſt euen in thoſe thinges a witneſſe of the laſt, and the laſt a true and faithfull expounder and fulfiller of the firſt. Hereof it is that Mathew and the other Euangeliſts do confirme all the doctrine and doings of Chriſt, by ſeuerall ſcriptures. Yea thoſe thinges which in forme & order differ, are yet proued, that ſo they ought to be by Moſes and the prophetes as the miniſterie ofaMath. 3.3. Iohn Baptiſt,bAct. 2.16. and of the Apoſtles,cHeb. 7.1.12. the prieſthood of Chriſt, and his changing of the lawe,d1. Cor. 9.9.13 prouiding for the miniſterie, though not by tithes, and many ſuch like. But as for the moſt ſubſtantiall parts of the doctrine of faith and ſaluation, I hope it ſhal appeare to the godly Chriſtian, by reading this Chapter throughout, that there is but one canon and rule of truth. Therefore to conclude, let the reader obſerue, that this writing of Gods word is done by the ſpirit of God, to this vſe and ende, that we might bee ſure to know, and how to trie, and finde out, what is the worde of God, by examining all things, wee heare, by the Canon of the ſcripture. As dideAct. 17.11. the noble men of Berea. Wherefore SaintfCap. 1.3.4. Luke affirmeth, that the ende of this writing was, that wee might acknowledge the certaintie of thoſe thinges whereof wee hauehave beene inſtructed. And Saint Paule ſaith, that for the ChurchgPhilip. 3.1. it was a ſure thing, and this ſure thing is expounded by the Euangeliſt, who ſayth:hIoh. 20.21. Theſe thinges are written, that yee might beleeue that Ieſus is the Chriſt the ſonne of God, and that in beleeuing yee might hauehave life through his name. Therefore as Moyſes which firſt wrote, ſhewed the abſoluteneſſe of this Canon of Gods worde written byiDeut. 4.2. forbidding all adding to and taking from: So the laſt booke of this Canon, ſealeth vp all the writinges of God with the like admonition: ſaying,eReuelat. 22.18. I proteſt to euerie one that heareth the wordes of the propheſie of this booke, If any man ſhall adde vntounto theſe thinges, God ſhall adde vntounto him the plagues that are written in this booke.
Now in both partes of this Article, agreeing to all theſe teſtimonies of holy ſcripture, is the iudgement and profeſſion of the Church of England. For we ſay:bArtic. 20. of the authoritie of the church. It is not lawfull for the Church to ordaine any thing, that is contrarie to Gods worde, written: cArticl. 6. the doctrine of holy ſcripture.Holy ſcripture containeth all things neceſſarie to ſaluation: ſo that whatſoeuer is not read therein, nor may be proued thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it ſhould be beleeued as an article of the faith, or bee thought requiſite and neceſſarie to ſaluation &c. dApolog. cap. 9. diuiſ. 1.We receiue and embrace all the Canonicall ſcriptures, both of the old and new teſtament &c. they bee the verie ſure and infallible rule, whereby may be tried: Whether the Church do ſwarue or erre; and whereunto all eccleſiaſticall doctrine, ought to bee called to account: and that againſt theſe ſcriptures neyther law, nor ordinance, nor any cuſtome ought to be heard, &c. In all which wee doe acknowledge, this moſt abſolute canon of Gods word: agreeing with Abraham, Moſes, the Prophets, Chriſt, and his Apoſtles.