Gods Effectual Calling, Treatise · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII. Of the ſixt propertie of the Scripture, and the eight controuerſie.
THE Scripture is perfect, containing in it all things neceſſarie for faith and manners, not onelyonly ſufficiently, but alſo abundantly: for this is the perfection which heere wee doe auouch. The ſenſe then of the Propoſition is this: This kind of reuelation containes all things, &c. The proofe is this. Argument 1. The liuely voice of God contained all articles or inſtructions concerning faith and manners: Ergo, ſo doth the Scripture. The reaſon of the argument is euident; for that nothing, in reſpect of ſubſtance, was ſpoken by that liuely voice, which is not recorded in the Scripture. ARG. 2. If the Scripture contained not all things neceſſarie perfectly, then euill were the condition of our Church, and of our time, which heareth not the liuely voice of anie man ſpeaking by diuine inſpiration, nor of any prophet or Apoſtle. ARG. 3. The religious and ſuch as be taught of God, hauehave an holy experience of the ſufficiencie of the Scriptures, and of the fulneſſe of it. Adde to theſe arguments theſe diuine teſtimonies. Deut. 4. Ye ſhall not ad to the word that I ſpeake, &c. Reuel. 22. If anie ſhall adde to theſe things, God ſhall Verſ. 18.adde vntounto him the plagues which are written in this booke. Albeit theſe ſayings are to bee vnderſtood properly of particular books, yet the ſame reaſon ſerues for all books of the canonicall ſcripture: and ſurely the reaſon binds more ſtrongly: for if we may not ad to particular books, how much leſſe is it lawfull to adde to the whole Canon. Prou. 30. Thou ſhalt ad nothing to his words: This ſeemes to be vnderſtood of the whole Scripture. Matth. 28. Teaching to obſerue all things which I commanded you. Gal. 1. 8. If we or an Angell from heauen ſhall preach vntounto you another Goſpel, or otherwiſe then that which we hauehave preached vntounto you, let him be accurſed. Ioh. 20. Theſe things are written that ye may beleeue, &c.
And as for the iudgment of the Aduerſaries in this matter, which affirme that the ſcripture is lame and maimed, chiefly note Bellarmine and his arguments for this purpoſe. They teach the ſcriptures to bee defectiue and weake, that we might giuegive place to their traditions and forgeries: wherefore let vsus a little conſider this matter of Of Traditions.traditions. The word Tradition is generall, and ſignifieth any doctrine written or vnwritten: and ſo this word is vſed both in the ſacred ſcriptures, and in the ancient Writers: albeit the Papiſts affirme that the Fathers vſe this word onelyonly to ſignifie a doctrine not written. Teſtimonies of ſcripture which cleere the generall acceptation of the word, are theſe. Act. 6. 14. And ſhall change the ordinances which Moſes *Quos nobis tradidit Moſes: foreign.gaue vsus, or which wee had from Moſes by tradition. 2. Theſſ. 2. 15. Keepe the tradition or doctrine *Traditam doctrinam. foreign.deliuered vntounto you, which ye were taught, either by word, or by our Epiſtle.
The word tradition in Scripture is giuen other whiles to things nceſſarie and continuing; and ſometimes to things not neceſſarie and temporarie. The teſtimonie which is 2. Theſſ. 2. verſ. 15. is of neceſſarie doctrine. The place which is cited out of the Acts, 16. 4. is of ceremonies: for heere the Spirit ſpeaketh of a decree of the Councell holden at Ieruſalem concerning bloud, and things offered to idols, and that which is ſtrangled: Of which Act. 15. 28. As touching traditions which concerne neceſſarie points of faith & manners, they were firſt deliuered by the liuely voice of Chriſt & his Apoſtles: and then the ſhort ſumme of them recorded in bookes, as may appeare by that ſpeech of the Apoſtle concerning the Lords ſupper, 1. Cor. 11. 23. And againe 1. Theſſ. 4. 2. *foreign.where he giueth rules of an honeſt conuerſation. And againe 2. Theſſ. 2. 15. And as touching traditions which be not neceſſarie, but ceremoniall, they were either recorded, as of Eccleſiaſticall rites, 1. Cor. 11. 14. or not recorded. 1. Cor. 11. 34. Other things will I ſet in order when I come. He promiſeth heere to ſet in order, but ceremonies, and namely ſuch as did concerne the Lords ſupper. Of ceremonies, onelyonly this I wil ſay, they did no way exceed, neither were Of Ceremonies. Good rules.they vnprofitable, neither were they deliuered with anie 1opinion of neceſſity to bind mens conſciences, neither 2were they contrarie to thoſe things which were written: 3yea, this I auouch, yt there was nothing deliuered by way 4of tradition; or touching ceremonies by the Apoſtles, which had not good ground & warrant in Gods word, that is, in the bookes of the Prophets, and in the doctrine of Chriſt, which not long after was written by the Euangeliſts and Apoſtles. And as for Popiſh traditions Popiſh traditions and ceremonies.and ceremonies, there is no end of them; they are vnprofitable; they are like old wiues fables; all for the moſt part deliuered with an opinion of neceſſitie; and moſt of them moſt repugnant to the Apoſtolicall doctrine. And thus do we diſtinguiſh traditions.
The aduerſaries vnderſtand by Tradition, their vnwritten veritie, not that which is no where found written, but that which is not written by the firſt author thereof, that is, by him which deliuered the ſame by his owne liuely voice. This then the Papiſts do here profeſſe, that they cannot find their traditions in the Scriptures, nor proue them by the Scriptures.