Gods Effectual Calling, Treatise · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Of the ſecond propertie of the ſacred Scripture, where begins the fourth controuerſie.
THe ſecond propertie of the ſacred ſcripture is opened ſufficiently in a manner alreadie, in the ſecond controuerſie before handled. This propertie is this; that the Scripture is moſt cleere in it ſelfe, and moſt eaſie to be vnderſtood: for it being the very word of God (which word euerie man muſt neceſſarily graunt, to be in it ſelfe moſt cleere, moſt manifeſt and moſt perſpicuous, whether you reſpect the words or the matter contained in the words, if men will not offer extreme iniurie to Gods holy Spirit:) aſſuredly it muſt follow (I ſay) that the holy ſcripture is in it ſelfe, and of it ſelfe, moſt cleere and euident in eueryevery part, and in euerie reſpect. Of this great perſpicuitie of the ſcripture, the holy ghoſt teſtifieth often, Pſal. 119. The word of the Lord is a lanterne to my feete. Pſal. 19. The precept of the Lord, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, is cleere, and inlighteneth the eyes. Prou. 6. The commandement is a lanterne, and the law is a light. The Lord by the Prophet Eſay, chap. 45. 19. ſaith, I hauehave not ſpoken in ſecret: and 2. Pet. 1. 19. he ſaith, We hauehave a moſt ſure word of the Prophets, to the which ye do well that ye take heede, as to a light that ſhineth in a darke place. Wherefore the whole ſcripture, & al places of the ſcripture, are by themſelues, and in themſelues moſt manifeſt, moſt cleere, and applied alſo to the capacity of the vulgar ſort, and of the moſt vnlettered among the people. For it is certaine, that the Lord in the ſcriptures doth as it were liſpe with vsus, Io. 3. 12. If I hauehave ſpoken to you of earthly things, and you beleeue not, that is, I hauehave ſpoken vntounto you, after an earthly and plaine manner, and I hauehave applied my ſelfe to your capacitie, &c.
I hauehave auouched that the ſacred ſcripture is in it ſelfe cleere and eaſie: True it is, if ye reſpect men, as they are All the ſcripture cleere and eaſie to the weakeſt beleeuer. 1. Cor. 2. 14.men, that is, naturall and carnall, the holy ſcripture vntounto ſuch is altogether obſcure and ſtrange: For the naturall man doth not conceiue the things which appertaine to the Spirit of God. But if ye conſider the ſpirituall man, and ſuch as be taught of God, I grant to ſuch it is partly obſcure, becauſe they be as yet in part carnall: And for this cauſe the godly put vp continually ſupplications vntounto God (as feeling the reliques of their naturall blindnes and corruption) and making requeſts, that the eyes of their vnderſtanding might be opened, that they may behold the bright ſhining light of the ſcriptures, and of euerie place and portion of the ſcripture, being otherwiſe moſt euident in it ſelfe. All the religious and godly in their prayers are ſo farre from laying any imputation of hardneſſe and obſcurity on Gods word; that they do euer accuſe & condemne themſelues, and their owne blindneſſe and dulneſſe.
And albeit this be true, that all the ſcripture, and all places of the ſcripture be ſimply and in themſelues moſt Note.cleare and eaſie, and onelyonly darke and hard by reaſon of our corruption and blindneſſe, yet this cannot be denied, but that ſome places of ſcripture be more cleere in themſelues, then others, more eaſie and more euident; as thoſe ſcriptures, concerning faith and manners, which bee ſo neceſſarie vntounto ſaluation: they be (I ſay) ſo cleerely ſet downe, ſo often repeated, and in ſo manie places expounded, that we need not manie rules for interpretation, or to find out the knowledge of them. But theſe places alſo require the grace of Gods holy ſpirit: for without him, ſpirituall things which be moſt perſpicuous and euident, cannot be vnderſtood of anie man on earth. Wherfore he that is ignorant of the moſt cleere ſcriptures, which doe ſo much concerne his ſaluation, is altogether blind, and lieth as yet in the wofull ſtate of perdition, for ſo the Apoſtle ſpeaketh: If that the Goſpell be hid, it is hidden to them that are loſt, 2. Cor. 4. 3. 4.
As for other ſcriptures which are more hard in appearance, for that they do not ſo much concerne the neceſſarie articles of faith, and rules of life and conuerſation, we may be ignorant of them without danger of faith and ſaluation: albeit the knowledge of ſuch places might bring ſome light for the better vnderſtanding of the How to interpret & expound hard ſcriptures.ſcriptures, which of neceſſity muſt be knowne concerning faith and manners. And we may attaine ſome tolerable interpretation of theſe ſcriptures, analogicall vntounto faith, if we obſerue thoſe rules of knowlege and interpretation, which are commonly recommended by the learned, euer making Gods holy ſpirit our firſt and principal guide for our inward illumination and inſtruction. The rules which follow this, are but the meanes which the holy Rules.Ghoſt vſeth; and they are borowed partly out of the 1holy ſcripture, as by conference of places of the ſcripture, 2either the very ſame, or the like in ſenſe and phraſe: partly 3from els where, as of the common places of diuinitie, 4of the teſtimonie of the Church, of the Grammar it ſelfe, 5ſpecially, the Hebrue and Greeke: and good rules and 6helpes are had from Rhetoricke and Logicke; which teacheth vsus to conſider not onelyonly of ſimple arguments ſet apart, 7but alſo of the diſpoſition and connexion of arguments, bound and knit together in Axiomes or propoſitions, in ſyllogiſme and methode. For Logicke teacheth vsus the coherence of Antecedents and conſequents, which ſerueth not a little for the vnfolding and opening of hard places. And to paſſe ouer other things, ſome little inſight in Ethickes and Phyſickes, &c. may giuegive ſome helpe hereunto. But aboue all things we muſt remember to put vp vntounto God contiuall and feruent prayers, to open and to enlighten our minds by his holie Spirit. If men obſerue theſe meanes for the interpretation and vnderſtanding of the Scriptures, and hard places of the Scripture, we ſhal not lightly erre from the truth of God.
Here fume the aduerſaries, and endeuour to proue by The drift of Papiſts in affirming the ſcriptures to be obſcure.manie arguments, that the Scriptures in themſelues and of themſelues are obſcure, euen in thoſe places which are neceſſarie, and appertaine to ſaluation: to this end and purpoſe, forſooth, to withdraw mens minds from reading the Scriptures, that they may attend and truſt to their dreames, and that they may obtrude their gloſſes on the Church, euen what pleaſe them, & what for the moſt part they preferre before the text it ſelfe; writhing as it were, and drawing rather the text of Scripture to be their gloſſe, then giuing any light of interpretation by or from the text it ſelfe. And heere they contend againſt vsus with teſtimonie, firſt, of the Scriptures themſelues; next, of the Doctors and Fathers of the Church; & laſtly, with arguments of their owne: all which may eaſily be anſwered, if we obſerue well the grounds before ſet downe. It ſhall ſuffice vsus now to heare onelyonly one or two of their arguments refuted.
They demaund, whether for theſe Scriptures now extant of the old and new Teſtament, we hauehave no need of commentaries, which are now in the world verie manie, written by manie men? I anſwer, that the diuine Scriptures of themſelues hauehave no need of the comments and interpretations of men; for the Scriptures we account thē to be the liuely voice of God himſelfe: and what is there that can make this voice of God more cleere and euident in it ſelfe? Can either man or Angell ſpeake anie thing more cleerely, then God himſelfe? or doth God purpoſely affect obſcuritie? both which to auoch is verie blaſphemous. As for the Commentaries or expoſitions Commentaries,of the godly learned, which hauehave ſpent ſome good time in the Scriptures of God, we graunt they helpe the ignorant and the common ſort very much, and that they ſerue well to diſpell the clouds of our naturall corruption.
But this may ſeeme a greater queſtion and more doubtful, touching the preaching of Gods word, and the expounding of the Scriptures, by Paſtors and preachers in the publike aſſemblies: whether preaching be not neceſſarie, I meane the liuely preaching of Paſtors and teachers? I anſwer, the Scriptures of God, which we account as the liuely voice of God, hauehave no need of this meanes in themſelues; I ſay, that God and his word in themſelues need neither this preaching nor interpretation of the ſcriptures: But the neceſſitie of the miniſtery and of preaching is only in reſpect of vsus, and of our blindneſſe and ignorance, which be but as children, yea as infants in a manner, all the dayes we liue on earth Ephe. 4. 1. Cor. 13. And when as we ſhall become men in the world to come, then ſhall we hauehave neede of no ſuch miniſterie: for we ſhal reſt contented (being filled with that The ſtate of the elect in heauen.onelyonly light of God, and of Chriſt) without any further inſtruction of men or Angels. And thus farre of the ſecond propertie of the Scripture, and of the fourth controuerſie.