Reims Against Rome, Propositions · Proposition 4
IV. Propoſition. That the Scriptures doe not interpret themſelues, and that the true ſenſe may not bee fetched out of themſelues:
Confuted by their owne Bible.
1. THeir Bble teacheth vsus, that the Scriptures are of God, 2. Tim. 3. 16. that he himſelfe wrote ſome, Exod. 24. 4. Deut. 9. 10. Hoſ. 8. 12. otherſome his Prophets, Exod. 24. 4. Deut. 31. 9, 24. Eſay, 8. 1. and 30. 8. Ier. 29. 1. his Euangeliſts, Luk. 1. 3. his Apoſtles, 2. Cor. 10. 11. And theſe the Lords Scribes were ſo commanded to write, Exod. 17. 14. and 34. 27. Deut. 27. 8. and 31. 9. Ier. 30. 2. Heb. 2. 2. Reu. 1. 11, 19. The Scriptures therefore are called the Oracles of God, Rom. 3. 3.
Now thus then I reaſon, All wiſe mens writings carry ſuch a coherence and dependancie in them, whether they bee Wills, Letters, Hiſtories, or other learned ſpeeches, either of humane or diuine matters, as the iudicious Readers may, and doe collect the Authors true meaning out of them, though the Authors themſelues be not there, to giuegive their owne meaning. And ſhall wee thinke, that the Writings and Scriptures of our God, wherein is his Will, his Lawes, his Hiſtories, and other holy Inſtructions giuen of purpoſe to teach all, in all ages, to the worlds end, will not afford vsus the ſenſe of them out of themſelues? eſpecially if we doe conſider him euer liuing, and ayding his humble and godly Readers with his holy Spirit to vnderſtand his minde? To deny this to Gods Word, were to make it herein inferiour to mens writings.
2. Their owne Bible ſheweth vsus, that the Scriptures do plainely interpret themſelues, expounding words, Iud. 15. 17. Ramach lechi, which is interpreted, the lifting vp of the Iaw-bone, Iud. 12. 6. Schibboleth, which is interpreted, an eare of corne. So in Mat. 1. 23. Mark. 5 4. Ioh. 1. 38, 41, 42. and 9. 7. Act. 4. 36. and 13. 8. Heb. 5. 4. Thus it expounds its owne words.
3. Short ſentences, as Mark. 15. 34. Eloi, Eloi, Lamaſabachtani: which is, being interpreted; My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? So in Dan. 5. 25, 26, 27.
4. Whole Speeches and Parables, as Mat. 13. the Parable in verſ. 3. to the 9. is expounded in verſ. 18. to 23. ſo the Parable in verſ. 24. to 30. is expounded in verſ. 37. to 42.
5. Viſions, and Dreames & Propheſies of things to come, as in Gen. 40. 9 12, 13. & 16. 19. & 41. 2, 8. & 25. 32. Ier. 24. 1, 3. & 5. 8. Dan. 4. 16. 27. ſo in the 8. Chapter, and in other Prophets; yea in the Reuelation, the words and things in it are in many places interpreted verie plainely, as in Chap. 1. 12, 20. & 17. 1, 15. verſe, 3, 9 10, 18. and 4. 5. and 5. 6. and 19. 8.
6. Whole bookes. For what is Deuteronomie, but an explanation of Exodus, and other places of Moſes? What are the Prophets, but interpreters and appliers of Moſes to the times, places, and perſons? What is the new Teſtament, but a large and cleare Commentarie vponupon the old? In which was the Goſpell, Rom. 1. 2. and the myſterie kept ſecret in a manner, but now made manifeſt by the Scriptures, Rom. 16. 25, 26.
Laſtly, the Scripture eueryevery where expounds it ſelfe, either theSee S. Auſtin. de Verbo Dei, ſer. 49. place conſidered by it ſelfe in the full circumſtances thereof, or by ſome other being conferred with it.
The places which might be produced for proofe, are infinit;Origin, on Mat. chap. 13. concerning any neceſſarie point of controuerſies in Chriſtian Religion.
The Anſwers of our learned men to their obiected Scriptures againſt our Tenents, may be inſtance for euidence of theſe things, euen out of their owne Bible. See theſe anſwers before, and the reſt following, and conſider thereof without partialitie.
Contraried by the Ancients.
Irenaeus lib. 4. aduerſ. Haereſ. cap. 63. The moſt lawfull expoſition of the Scriptures, and without danger, is that which is according to the Scriptures themſelues. In lib. 2. cap. 46. the Scripture expounds it ſelfe, and ſuffereth none to erre.
Hillar. lib. 1. de Trinit. ſaith, God is a ſufficient witneſſe for himſelfe, and who is not to be knowne, but by himſelfe; and further he ſaith: It is vnlawfull to impoſe a meaning, but wee muſt rather receiue a meaning from holy Scriptures.
S. Auguſt. de doct. lib. 2. cap. 6. There is almoſt nothing in theſe obſcurities, but in other places one may find it moſt plainly deliuered. And in Ser. 2. de Verb. Dom. he ſaith, that the words of the Goſpell carrie their expoſition with them.
Baſil. Regul. contract. qu. 267. The things which are doubtfull, and ſeeme to be ſpoken obſcurely, are made plaine by thoſe things, which are euident in other places.
Chryſost. Hom. 13. in Gen. The holy Scripture expounds it ſelfe. And in Hom. 9. 2. Cor. The Scripture eueryevery where, when it ſpeaketh any thing obſcurely, interpreteth it ſelfe againe in another place.
Hieron. Com. in Eſa. cap. 19. It is the manner of Scripture, after things obſcure, to ſet downe things manifeſt.
Ambroſ. in Pſal. 118. Ser. 8. If thou knocke at the gate of the Scriptures with the hand of thy mind, thou ſhalt gather the reaſon of the ſayings, and the gate ſhall be opened vntounto thee; and that by none other, but by the Word of God. And the ſelfſame ſaith Aug. lib. 2. contra Donatiſt. cap. 6.
What can be more fully ſpoken againſt this their falſe Tenent, then here is vttered by theſe Fathers?
Gaineſaid by the learned on their owne ſide.
Gerſon, tract. contra aſſertiones Mag. Ioan. parui. The ſacred Scripture doth expound her rules by themſelues, according to the diuers paſſages of the Scripture.
Steuchius in Gen. 2. God was neuer ſo inhumane, as to ſuffer the world in all ages to be tormented with the ignorance of the ſenſe of the Scripture; but if we conſider it well, we may interpret it: and for this he citeth Theodoret, who ſaith, that the Scripture vſeth, when it teacheth any high matter, to expound it ſelfe, and not to ſuffer vsus to runne into error.
Ianſenius, Epiſc. Gandau. on Mat. pag. 413. part 2. Chriſt hath taught to conferre Scripture with Scripture, if we will not erre in reading of the Scriptures.
Acoſta the Ieſuite, lib. 3. de Chro, Reuel. cap. 21. pag. 479. There is nothing ſeemeth to me ſo to open the Scripture, as the Scripture it ſelfe.
Canus loc. Theol. lib. 7. cap. 3. num. 13. citeth out of Pope Clement, Epiſt. 5. ad diſcipulos Hier. theſe words: You muſt not from without ſeeke a foraine and ſtrange ſenſe, but out of the Scriptures themſelues receiue the meaning of the truth.
What Scriptures our Aduerſaries hauehave to obiect againſt vsus, and to defend this their falſitie by, I find not in the Gagger.
1. I know, they babble much againſt a mans priuate ſpirit, and a mans priuate interpretation, which we alſo diſallow: but Gods Spirit is not any priuate ſpirit, but the publike ſpirit; and the ſame alſo in eueryevery member of the Church, 1. Cor. 12. neither is the Scriptures interpretation, any priuate interpretation, though ſhewed out of a priuate mans mouth, according to that of Panormitan, in cap. ſignif. Extra. de electis In things concerning faith, the ſaying of one priuate man, is to be preferred before the words of the Lord Pope, if he bring better reaſons out of the new and old Teſtament. To which agreeth that of Gerſon part 1. de examin. doct. More credit is to be giuen to a priuate ſimple man alledging the Goſpell, then either to the Pope, or Councill.
2 Alſo that they alledge, how Moſes did iudge cauſes, the Prieſts alſo and the Leuites, and that the people ought to learne of them. But this is to be vnderſtood, as Moſes ſpake from God, and as the Prieſts and Leuites iudged and taught according to the Law, as in the place of Deuteronomie is before anſwered.