Reims Against Rome, Propositions · Proposition 7
VII. Propoſition. That the Scriptures cannot of themſelues be knowne to be the Word of God, vnleſſe the Church doe giuegive witneſſe vntounto them, that they are so;
Confuted by their owne Bible.
1. IT plainely auoucheth the contrary: 1. By teaching that Chriſts ſheepe knew his voice, Ioh. 10. 4.
2. That Chriſt hath promiſed, that ſuch as doe his will, ſhall vnderſtand all the doctrine, whether it be of God, Ioh. 7. 17.
3. That to his Diſciples it is giuen to know the Myſteries of the kingdome of heauen, Mat. 13. 11. Now, the Scriptures inſpired of God, 2. Tim. 3. 16. are his voice, are his doctrine; and there are the Myſteries of the Kingdome of heauen, euen that great Myſterie, opened by the Scriptures, Rom. 16. 26. in the Law and Prophets, Acts 28. 23. Therefore if Chriſts ſheepe and Diſciples can know his Voyce, his Doctrine, and the Myſteries of the Kingdome of Heauen, then they can know the Scriptures to be the Scriptures of God.
II. It telleth vsus by whom, and by what we hauehave this knowledge. 1. By the Spirit of God: for what things God hath prepared for them that louelove him, hath he reuealed to vsus by his Spirit, which we hauehave receiued, that we may know the things, that of God are giuen vntounto vsus, 1. Cor. 2. 9. 10, 12. Now, the Scriptures are of thoſe things which God hath giuen vntounto vsus: therefore by the Spirit of God can wee know them to be of God. And indeed all Scripture being inſpired of Gods Spirit, who can better informe our knowledge of them, then the bleſſed Inditer and Author of them?
2. By the Scriptures themſelues, which beare witneſſe of themſelues, that they are iuſtified in themſelues, Pſal. 18. 10. thatPſal. 19. they are all inſpired of God, 2. Tim. 3. 16. that they are holy Scriptures, Rom. 1. 6. the Scriptures of the Prophets, Rom. 16. 26. who were guided by the holy Ghoſt, 2. Pet. 1. 20. as alſo were the Apoſtles, Mat. 10. 20. Mark. 13. 11. And Paul telleth vsus, that he wrote the Commandements of God, 1. Cor. 14. 37.
III. As their Bible telleth vsus, that by the Spirit, and by the Scriptures themſelues, we know the Scriptures to be of God; ſo alſo the ſame Bible teacheth vsus: 1. That the teſtimonie of the Spirit is truth, 1. Ioh. 5. 6. and is no lye, 1. Ioh. 2. 27. which Spirit of Chriſt all the Children of God hauehave, Gal. 4. 6. and all that are Chriſts; elſe they are none of his, Rom. 8. 9.
2. That the teſtimony of the Scriptures are of more credit then the teſtimony of men; for the witneſſe of God is greater then men, 1. Ioh. 5. 9. And Chriſt preferred the teſtimony of the Scriptures before mans teſtimony, yea, though a Prophet: for he ſaith, he receiued not teſtimony of man, ſpeaking of Iohn Bapt. Ioh. 5. 33, 34. and yet he referred himſelf to the teſtimony of the Scriptures, teſtifying of him, verſ. 39. Yea, he ſaith, that his owne words would not be beleeued, if the Scriptures be not belieued, ver. 47. So that the Scriptures teſtimony of themſelues, being the Word of God, & ſo the teſtimony of God, are ſufficient witnes to take them for the Scriptures of God; which whoſo refuſeth or queſtioneth, the teſtimony of no men, no, not of Chriſt, if he were here on earth, would be beleeued, to make vsus to receiue them for Gods Word. This their owne Bible doth teach vsus.
IV. Their Bible doth not onelyonly ſhew, how the Scriptures giuegive witneſſe of themſelues thus in generall termes, but more particularly informeth vsus, that the Scriptures doe proue the particular bookes of holy Writ to bee the Word of God. Moſes witneſſeth of his owne writings, that he wrote by commandement, Deut. 31. 9, 19. and what he deliuered, was that which was commanded him Exod. 34. 34. All the Prophets witneſſe their Prophecies to be of God, Eſay 1, 2. Ier. 1. 2. Ezech. 1. 3. Dan. 10. 1. Hoſ. 1. 1. Ioel 1. 1. Amos 1. 3. Obadiah 1. 1. Ionah 1. 1. Mich. 1. 1. Nah. 1. 1. Hab. 1. 1. Zeph. 1. 1. Hag. 1. 1. Zach. 1. 1. Mal. 1. 1. Ieſus Chriſt gaue approbation to the authoritie of Moſes, the Prophets, and the Pſalmes, Luk. 24. 26, 24. And ſo the Apoſtles, Act. 26. 22. Rom. 16. 23. not onelyonly in expounding, but alſo by alleaging one where or other ſome thing out of eueryevery booke; as out of Geneſis, Mat. 23. 35. Act. 7. 3. and 3. 25. Ioh. 4. 5. out of Exodus, Mat. 5. 38. and 22. 32. Act. 13. 17, 18. Leuiticus, Rom. 10. 5. Mat. 5. 38. Numbers, Ioh. 3. 14. and 6. 31. Deuteronomy, Mat. 4. 4, 7. and 5. 31. or 7. 37. Ioſhua, Act. 7. Heb. 11. 31. Iam. 2. Iudges, Act. 13. 20. Heb. 11. 32. Ruth, Mat. 1. 2, 3 12. Samuel, Kings and Chronicles, Mat. 1. 2, 3, 6, 7. and 12. 3, 42. and 23. 35. Luk. 4. 25, 26, 27. Act. 13. 21, 22. Rom. 11. 3. Heb. 11. 32. Iob, Iam. 5. 11. Pſalmes the whole book, Act. 1. 16, 20. and parts thereof, Mat. 13. 35. and 21. 16, 42. Prouerbs, Rom. 12. 26. Iam. 4. 6. Heb. 12. 6. Eſay, Mat. 21. 5, 13. Ioh. 12. 38. Ieremy, Mat. 27. 9. Ezechiel, 2. Cor. 6. 18. Reuel. 4. 7. and 20. 8. Daniel, Mat. 24. 15. So might I goe thorow all the ſmall Prophets, but that whole booke of the Prophets is approoued, Act. 7. 42. And all the Scriptures of the old Teſtament, are called by Saint Paul, the words of God, Rom. 3. 2. and are confirmed in particular, as the reſt: as Hoſea, Mat. 9. 13. and 12. 7. Ro. 9. 25, 26. Ioel, Act. 2. 16. Ionas, Mat. 12. 40. Amos, Act. 7. 43. Micha, Mat. 2. 6. Zacharie, Mat. 27. 9. Habacuk, Rom. 1. 17. Gal. 3. 11. Nahum, Rom. 10. 15. Haggai, Heb. 12. 26. Malachy, Mat. 17. 11, 12.
Thus the old Teſtament beareth witneſſe to it ſelfe, and the New alſo to the Old; ſo doth the Old to the New, foreſhewing what in the New is reuealed, beſides the record it beareth of it ſelfe: For Iohn telleth vsus, that his writings are the truth of God, Ioh. 19. 35. Reuel. 1. 1. Saint Paul, that his are the commandements of God, 1. Cor. 14. 37. Saint Peter confirmeth the authoritie of all Pauls Epiſtles, 2. Pet. 3. 16. And thus muſt we thinke of all the Apoſtles writings, as the diuine truth of God, becauſe they were all led by the ſame Spirit, Ioh. 15. 26. into all truth, Ioh. 16. 13. which called the words of Chriſt to their remembrance, Ioh. 14. 26. which Spirit Chriſt gaue them, and they had receiued, Ioh. 17. 8. Neither is it to be doubted, but as their words in their Miniſterie were the words of God, Mat. 10. 20. Mark. 13. 11. ſo were their words written of God alſo, ſeeing they wrote what they taught, as theſe places ſhew, Luk. 1. 1, 3, 4. Act. 1. 1. 1. Cor. 15. 1. 2. Cor. 1. 13. Phil. 3. 1. 2. Theſ. 2. 5. and as before is prooued at large.
V. Their owne Bible telleth vsus, that the Word is a lampe and a light, Pſal. 118. 105. 2. Pet. 1. 19. This is ſpoken of the written…. 11 9. Word. Now a lampe and a light need no man to point to them, that hath eyes to ſee, if the ſame be before them, but they ſhew themſelues to ſuch clearely enough; euen ſo doth the light of Gods Word in Scripture ſhew it ſelfe. Gods workes ſhew themſelues to be his workes out of themſelues, Act. 14. 16. He leſt not himſelfe without teſtimony, Rom. 1. 20. Pſal. 18. 1. HisPſal. 19. workes ſhew him, and ſhew themſelues to be his; and ſhall not Gods Word ſhew it ſelfe to be Gods Word? Is there to a godly man a leſſe print of the Deitie in his Word to diſcerne it, then in a very naturall man to diſcerne his workes? Moreouer, ſhall the writings of men diſcouer their Authors, of what profeſſion and learning they be and ſhall not Gods Word be able to ſhew it ſelfe to bee of God? For let one man write like an Artiſt; another, as a Philoſopher; the third, as a Moraliſt; the fourth, as a Statiſt; the fifth, as a Diuine: No man that is an Artiſt, a Philoſopher, a Moraliſt, a Statiſt or Diuine, but hee can diſcerne of all theſe writings diſtinctly, though hee hauehave not ſome to tell him, what they bee. So let a man, endued with Gods Spirit, and ſpirituall vnderſtanding, come to the holy Scriptures, he will diſcerne them to be of God, and of his Spirits inditing, though none beare witneſſe to them, and tell him ſo much. For the ſpirituall man iudgeth all things, 1. Cor. 2. 15. and if he can iudge, he alſo can diſcerne of thē. Weigh alſo, that thoſe which bee good Bankers, know money at the firſt ſight, whoſe image and ſuperſcription it beareth. The worke of an Apelles is eaſily diſcerned from that, which is an ordinarie Painters. And wee know, that men well read, are ſo quickſighted, as that they can diſcerne learned mens writings from the counterfeites of them. How much more then may the writings of God, ſo infinitely ſurmounting all others in all manner of grace, dexteritie and maieſtie of themſelues, be ſeuered and ſundred from all other writings, and be knowne to be of the Lords owne inditing?
Laſtly, as in generall the Scriptures ſhew themſelues to bee Gods Word, and alſo more particularly, that the ſeuerall books thereof are his Word: So theſe very bookes, which wee at this day acknowledge, and hauehave in account for Gods Word, and ſo beleeue them to be, doe witneſſe for themſelues, that they are indeed the very Word of God, though the Church ſhould bee ſilent in her dutie ſo to profeſſe, and teach them to be. And this is cleare:
1. From the Penmen, who according to the wiſdome giuen to them, as Peter ſpeaketh, 2. Pet. 3. 15. hauehave written the truth of God, Ioh. 19 35. and the commandements of God, 1. Cor. 14. 37. Now, who were the Penmen of theſe bookes, we know: 1. By the titles of them. 2. By the inſcriptions, as that to the Rom. chap. 1. 1. to the Corinth. chap. 1. 1. 2. Cor. 1. 1. to the Gal. chap. 1. 1. and ſo of the reſt of the Epiſtles of Saint Paul. Likewiſe that of Saint Iames, Peter, and Iude, and the Reuel. 1. 1, 4. are knowne by their inſcriptions. 3. By the ſubſcription in ſome, as 1. Cor. chap. 16. 21. The ſalutation of me Paul with mine owne hand. 4. By apparant teſtimonie within them, telling vsus who wrote them. Iohn ſaith, he wrote the Goſpell aſcribed to him, Ioh. 21. 24. So Saint Paul his Epiſtles, 2. Cor. 10. 1. 1. Corinth. 15 9. 1. Tim. 1. 13. That to the Hebrewes, in many places diſcouers it ſelfe to be Saint Pauls. So the Goſpell to be Saint Lukes, and the Acts too; for hee that wrote the one, wrote the other alſo, Acts 7. 7.
2. From the puritie, the veritie, the integritie, the godly plaineneſſe and ſimplicitie, and yet powerfull maieſtie thereof, euincing all gaine-ſayers, and manifeſting theſe very bookes to be the Word of God. What true and euident properties ſoeuer can be ſhewed to be the properties of Gods Word to know it by, the very ſame theſe bookes challenge to themſelues, to approue themſelues to bee Gods Word to the conſcience of eueryevery true Chriſtian. See Scotus his ten arguments, 1. Sent. prol. Art. 1. Alſo Gregor. de Ʋalent. tom. 3. p. 329. Let our aduerſaries ſpeake herein.
3. From the witneſſe of Gods Spirit, making the reading, ſtudying, meditation, preaching, and hearing of the things contained in theſe bookes, very powerfull vponupon mens conſciences, working conuerſion to God, and ſo perſwading to beleeue them to bee of God, as hereupon they doe yeeld obedience thereto, feare to offend againſt the commandements therein, beleeue with comfort the promiſes, yea, and ſo fully to giuegive themſelues to the guiding thereof, as they thinke in them to find eternall life, and are ſo perſwaded, as that they can forſake all, yea, if need were, alſo to ſuffer death vponupon the faith of theſe ſauing truths therein contained, as holy Martyrs hauehave done very chearefully and conſtantly through the Spirits aſſiſtance, bearing witneſſe to them, and by which they and wee know them to be the things giuen vsus of God, 1. Cor. 2. 12.
This worketh faith, and maketh vsus beleeue them, and therefore is called the Spirit of Faith, 2. Cor. 4 13. This teacheth vsus, Ioh. 6. 45. and is truth, 1. Ioh. 5. 6. and euer accompanieth the Word, Eſay 59. 21. to make it the power of God to ſaluation, Rom. 1. and the ſauour of life vntounto life, to them that are ſaued, 2. Cor. 2.
The Church is to teſtifie of them, to interpret them out of themſelues, to keepe them, and to defend them; but ſhe cannot either make them to be Gods word, if they were not ſo already: for ſhe cannot make a word to be mans, if man neuer ſpoke it; neither can ſhe make Gods word to be his word vntounto vsus vponupon her owne credit, if it ſelfe bare not witneſſe of it ſelfe, and the Spirit did not confirme the ſame, and not worke this faith in vsus. If her authoritie could worke this beliefe, then were ſhe to blame for not bringing all to the faith of them. To worke diuine faith in our hearts, is of God, and not of men.
Contraried by Antiquitie.
Saluianus, lib. 3. de prouidentia, ſaith, All that men ſay, need reaſons and witneſſes; but Gods Word is witneſſe to it ſelfe: for whatſoeuer the incorrupt Truth ſpeaketh, muſt needs be an incorrupt witneſſe to it ſelfe.
Ambroſe. lib. 5. Epiſt. 31. Whom may I beleeue in the things of God, better then God himſelfe?
Hilarie, lib. 1. de Triniate. God is a witneſſe for himſelfe; and he is not to be knowne but by himſelf. Now, God and his Word is one; and therefore ſaith Nilus, it is all one to accuſe God, asDecauſis diſſent. Eccl. pag. 2. to challenge the Scriptures.
Origen, lib. 4. cap. 2. de Princip. Whoſoeuer with all diligence and reuerence, as is meete, ſhall conſider the words of the Prophets, it is certaine, that in the reading and diligent view thereof, hauing his mind and vnderſtanding knocked at by a diuine inſpiration, he ſhall know that the words which he readeth, were not vttered by man, but are the words of God; and of himſelfe ſhall perceiue, that theſe bookes were written, not by humane Art, not by the word of mortall man, but by a Maieſtie Diuine.
Gaineſaid by ſome of their owne.
Gregorie de Valentia, Comment. in Thom. cap. 3. pag. 31. The Reuelation of the Scripture is beleeued, not vponupon the credit of another Reuelation, but for it ſelfe.
Caniſius citeth, cap. de praecept. Eccl. Num. 16. We beleeue, adhere, and giuegive the greateſt authoritie to the Scripture, for the teſtimonies ſake of the holy Ghoſt ſpeaking in them.
Bellarmine, de Ʋerbo Dei, lib. ca. 2. Nothing is more knowne, nothing more certaine then the Scripture, that it were the greateſt madneſſe in the world, not to beleeue them. If he ſaith truth, as he doth; then is it madneſſe, not to beleeue the Scripture bearing witneſſe of it ſelfe, that it is all of it ſelfe inſpired of God. What farther Teſtimonie neede wee? A Papiſt now of late in His guide of Faith, ſaith thus: We beleeue the ScripturesS. N. Guide of faith. chap. 7. num. 3. for the diuine Authoritie, which is the formall obiect of Faith, and of infinit force and abilitie to perſwade immediately by it ſelfe, without the helpe of any formall inducement whatſoeuer.
Stapleton ſaith, That all the former writings of the Bible mayDefenſ. Eccl. Autho. lib. 1. cap 9. Tripl incoat. Aduerſ W…itak. in admonit. be aſſured to vsus by the latter; the old Teſtament by the new: and the inward Teſtimonie of the Spirit is ſo effectual for the beleeuing of any point of faith, that by it alone any part may be beleeued, though the Church hold her peace and neuer be heard. Note this ſaying well, you Papiſts, that perſwade your ſelues, that the Scripture is not Scripture to you, but becauſe the Church tels you ſo.
They hauehave no Scripture for defence of this their Poſition, toS. N. Guide of Faith. chap. 7. num. 2. and 3. obiect againſt vsus. Atheiſticall obiections ſome hauehave made, as if they would vphold the Turkiſh Alcoran, vnworthy any Chriſtian, and no more worthy any anſwer, then the blaſphemie of Rabſhekah, 2. King. 18 36. againſt which King Hezekias commandement was; Anſwer him not a word, Eſa. 36. 21.