Gods Effectual Calling, Treatise · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Of the Fourth propertie, and Sixt controuerſie.
THis we ſay alſo cōcerning the ſacred ſcripture, that it is moſt effectuall, moſt liuely, and moſt vocall, ſounding to eueryevery man an anſwer of all things neceſſarie vntounto ſaluation. The life which here I vnderſtād, is not any fleſhly or carnal life, as the life of man; but that ſpirituall life, as the life of God: and by a liuely voice I meane, a ſpirituall voice, ſpeaking not ſo much to the eare, as to the minde of man. For firſt if ye reſpect the ſubſtance of this diuine reuelation, this which I auouch, is without all controuerſie. For the ſcripture containes in it the word of God, which is liuely & powerfull, &c. Heb. 4. Next in reſpect of the forme of the reuelation thereof, that is, the very writing of God, this is euident in like manner; for it was giuen and written by diuine inſpiration: and whatſoeuer is of this kinde, muſt neceſſarily be in it ſelfe both liuely and ſpirituall. Againe, this Scripture is vntounto vsus, if not the liuely voice of God; yet certainly in ſtead thereof. For we hauehave none other liuely voice of God but this: for as for the voice of the Church, paſtors and teachers in the Church, the ſame may erre; neither may it properly be called the voice of God. The voice of God we muſt auouch of it, that it is a liuely voice: ergo, &c. Thirdly, the very Scripture ſpeaks of it ſelfe, as hauing a liuely voice, as we may reade, Rom. 9. The Scripture ſaith &c. Againe, Eſaias Scripture is ſaid to crie concerning Iſrael, Rom. 9. 27. Fourthly, ſo many as propound queſtions of any matter neceſſarie to ſaluation, be ſent to it: Eſaie. S. Should not a people inquire at their God? from the liuing to the dead? Turne rather to the law & to the teſtimonie: If they ſpeake not according to this word, there is no morning light in them. Againe, the Sonne of God himſelfe, ſo often as any propounded queſtions vntounto him of the law, of diuorcement, of the Sabboth, of the Meſſias, of regeneration and of the reſurrection, or how to attaine eternall life: he alwaies gaue them anſwer out of the ſacred Scripture, and euer he ſends ſuch as moue any ſuch doubts, vntounto the Scripture. How readeſt thou? ſaith hee: and hauehave ye not read? HaueHave ye neuer read? How is it written?
Againe, the Apoſtles of Chriſt for all their aſſertions, bring proofe and teſtimonies out of the old Teſtament. Apollos was a man mighty in Scriptures, He ſtrongly confuted publiquely the Iewes, with great vehemency ſhewing by the Scriptures, that Ieſus was that Chriſt, Act. 18. 24. 28. The men of Beraea receiued the word with all readineſſe, and ſearched the ſcriptures daily, whether thoſe things were ſo. Act. 17. 11. Thus the primitiue Church, and the fathers refuted hereſies by the Scriptures. To conclude this point, moſt memorable is that worthy fact of Conſtantinus the Great, who propounding the Bible to the Fathers aſſembled in the Nicene councell, ſpake on this manner: Here I ſet before you the writings Euangelicall, of the Apoſtles, and the ſanctions of the auncient Prophets, which can informe vsus concerning the ſacred law of God. To beat back therefore the dint of the ſword of the aduerſarie, let vsus learne how to anſwer all obiections of the aduerſarie, out of the words which are giuen vsus of God by diuine inſpiration. Laſtly, this I hauehave ſaid, that the Scripture is in it ſelfe liuely and vocall: for as concerning deafe and dead men, that is, the naturall neuer taught of God, vntounto ſuch (I ſay) it is but as deade & mute.
Here the aduerſaries blaſpheme and reply, ſaying, that ye ſacred ſcripture is but as a dead letter, mute, and not able togiue anſwere to any man, not able to decide queſtions and controuerſies in religion: And contrarily they glory that the voice of the Church, which proceeds from the Scripture (as they ſpeake) which is in grauen by Gods own Spirit in the hearts of men; they boaſt, I ſay, that this is vocall, and able to anſwer the demaunders of all queſtions appertaining to ſaluation, & that this cannot be wreſted nor peruerted, but euer abides the ſame in al reſpects. The anſwer to this calumniation and blaſphemy, is cleere of that which is before ſhewed: for we made it cleere and manifeſt, that the ſacred Scripture is moſt liuely and vocall in it ſelfe. And whereas controuerſies are not ſo ſoone decided by the Scriptures, the cauſe is not in Gods word, but in men, which be either ſo naturally blind and dull, that they cannot heare & vnderſtand the Scripture, ſpeaking, anſwering, yea crying in their eares: or they be ſo malitious and obſtinate, that they will not heare and vnderſtand; yea that they will full often, againſt their owne conſcience, wreſt the voice of the Scripture into another ſenſe, and that to their owne perdition. Wherefore we conclude this point, that the ſcripture is in it ſelfe, 2. Pet. 3.and by it ſelfe, moſt liuely and vocall.
And further we be to remember, that to the end it may ſpeake as a liuely voice vntounto vsus, and to the end we may vnderſtand it concerning all controuerſies in religion, we muſt vſe the meanes before mentioned, & our very Grā mar Meanes to be vſed for the vnderſtanding of the ſcripture.is one ſpeciall inſtrument for this purpoſe. For our eies & eares are opened by ſuch meanes to vnderſtand the Scripture, and to attend vntounto Gods voice ſpeaking in the ſcripture, if it ſhall ſeeme good to the holy Ghoſt to worke effectually by them in our hearts and minds. If ſo be that the ſpirit worke effectually by the aforeſaide meanes, then the Scripture ſhall anſwer to all controuerſies concerning faith and religion, with a more cleere, liuely, intelligible, and diſtinct voice, then all the men in the whole Church ſhall anſwer, who can auouch nothing ſound and certaine, vnleſſe firſt they hauehave receiued it from the mouth of the Scripture, and anſwer in the verie words of the ſcripture. For whereas theſe men ſay, the voice of the Church is liuely, and vocall, heard of all men, and cannot bee peruerted and wreſted: To this I anſwer firſt, that the voice of the Church, (as is aforeſaid) doth depend on the voice of the ſcripture: Next, that the voice of the Church is ſubiect to errours and change: ſo that they may this day anſwer one thing, and to morrow another: and this ſerues no better in a manner, then a Lesbian rule, to decide controuerſies concerning faith & religion. As for the church of Rome, they hauehave ſo long and ſo corruptly anſwered concerning faith and religion, that they hauehave caried the world from the truth to lies and errours, and infinite hereſies: that there is now no cauſe wherefore theſe men may ſo put forth to ſale, the voice and ſound of their Church, which is become ſo corrupt and adulterous.