Gods Effectual Calling, Treatise · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Of the written Word, or of the written Couenant of God.
THe word in both couenants was for a long time in the world, euen from Adams time till Moſes, vnwritten; deliuered as from hand to hand, and continued by a liuelie voice: for I paſſe ouer ſuch matters as Ioſeph recordes to be ingrauen in columnes before the floud, as alſo the Apocryphals of Henoch.
And whē as in continuance of time corruptions grew, by theſe traditions, and the puritie of the doctrine of the couenant could not thus be preſerued, and yt God would no longer follow the former courſe onelyonly, he beganne in Moſes time to ordaine and to publiſh another forme, to wit this, to preſerue and to continue the puritie of the celeſtiall doctrine in written books, approued and ſealed by diuine authoritie and teſtimonie; & the more to commend his written word vntounto men, in all ſucceeding ages, God himſelf with his owne hand did firſt write in tables of ſtone the words of the Decalogue: Next after this, he gaue it in charge vntounto Moſes, that he ſhould afterwards write and record all things which hee receiued at Gods owne mouth: and that the people of God might be aſſured that the bookes of Moſes came not by mans will, but were giuen by diuine inſpiration, the Lord ſealed 2. Tim. 3. 16,and teſtified theſe writings to be his heauenly oracles, by manie great wonders, before they were written, when they were written, and after they were written. And Moſes wrote the Word of both couenants; of both I ſay, Legall and Euangelicall: but whereas he gaue, but as it were, the firſt lineaments of the Euangelicall couenant, he ſet forth the Legall couenant clearely and in full meaſure. For the legall couenant in the bookes of Moſes is cleerely recommended and vrged, but the Euangelical more darkly ſet before vsus. For which cauſe all the doctrine of Moſes is ſaid to be legall: The Law came by Moſes, Ioh. 1.
After Moſes, God ſtirred vp his Prophets, whoſe writings alſo he confirmed with his great miracles, and gaue them great authoritie: yet were they not to ſet forth any thing diuers or contrary to the doctrine of Moſes and the Patriarches; nor to publiſh any thing, but what was grounded in the bookes of Moſes: but by diuine reuelation they did ad more cleere interpretations, as the morning ſtarre of the new teſtament did more neerely approch. Theſe holy men wrote the ſumme and chiefe heads of their doctrine, euen ſo much as God himſelfe thought meete to be reſerued for poſterity. And theſe records being written, were laid vp with the holie books of Moſes, which were kept in the ſide of the Arke, Ioſh. 24. 26.
Finally, after the incarnation of Chriſt, the Euangelicall doctrine, or the Goſpell firſt beganne for certaine yeares to be deliuered by voice, and to be preached by Chriſt himſelfe; and then after by his Apoſtles: And laſtly, the ſame was written by the Apoſtles. The works of Gods law, and nature are commanded in the bookes of the new Teſtament: And the verie moral law is expounded by Chriſt himſelfe, & freed from the leauen and corruption of the Phariſees: but the works of the law and nature, are not recommended to the end, that by them men might be iuſtified and ſaued; but they be commended, either to prepare men to intertaine grace offered, or to quicken them to proceed and grow in grace receiued, as is before ſhewed. Againe, the works of regeneration be commanded, not for iuſtification, but as teſtimonies of that iuſtification which is by faith, and of thankfulnes vntounto God: for which cauſe, ſo ſoone as the Apoſtle hath taught the doctrine of faith, he deſcends to the works of the lawe, teaching men that their life and conuerſation muſt be worthie that high calling, whereunto we are called in Chriſt Ieſu. See Ephe. 4. 1. 1. Theſſ. 2. 12. But faith in Chriſt is that, which is principally required in all the books of the new Teſtament. And thus farre generally of the written word of the couenant.