Look from Adam and Behold the Protestants Faith Proved, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. The originall of the holy Scripture and faith thereof.
The five originall b…kes of holy Scripture written by Moſes.THis matter which I have hitherto treated upon, have I not fained of my ſelfe, but taken it out of the mouth and word of God. For God ſtirred up Moſes to write, and leave behinde him all the matter, for our learning and knowledge. This did now Moſes with great faithfulneſſe, and comprehended all in foure bookes. The firſt is called the booke of the creation,The firſt b…oke of Moſes. from the beginning of the world unto his time, of the creation of the world, beginning of all nations, and of the Patriarks and old righteous ſervants of God, of their faith and converſation, of the promiſes and works of God. The ſame wrote hee as hee was inſpired of the Holy Ghoſt, and as he had received of old fathers, and ſomewhat as he found in the bookes of the Aegyptians.Acts 7.22. For Moſes was excellently well learned in all wiſdome of the Aegyptians, as Steven doth witneſſe of him, Act. 7. The other three bookes wrote he of his owne time, according as he himſelfe was preſent, ſaw, and knew. And ſpecially the ſecond booke,The ſecond booke of Moſes. concerning the departing out of Aegypt, how the people of God were oppreſſed in Aegypt, how the Aegyptians were puniſhed, how Iſrael was delivered, received the Law, and ſet up a Tabernacle with a gorgeous ſerving of God.The third booke. In the third booke, which is called Leviticus, are written the ſpirituall Lawes, namely ſuch as concerne the Prieſts and the Prieſthood, their office, living, knowledge, ſacrifices, ſolemne feaſt dayes, rites, ceremonies, and ſuch like.The fourth booke. In the fourth, which is called Numeri, hee writeth at length, how they went thorow the wilderneſſe, and came to Iordan, with a rehearſall of their order and number, of their murmuring alſo and puniſhment, and of certaine victories, with a remembrance of certaine lawes and ſtatutes. Beſide all this,The fifth booke. hee made yet an Enchiridion and ſumme of all the acts of his time, and of the Law of God, which is called Deuteronomium: the ſame commanded hee to bee laid in the Arke at the motion of God, and that it ſhould be read unto all the people, as it is mentioned, Deut. 31. And in theſe five bookes,The originall Scripture of our faith. given us of God by Moſes, is the whole ground of our holy faith. For all the Prophets afterward grounded themſelves upon the ſame, and wrote thereout, like as afterward our Lord Ieſus and the Apoſtles point unto Moſes. Neither did ever any righteous man of underſtanding, and that feared God, doubt any thing, or blaſpheme ſuch Scriptures. And from ſuch true ſervants of God, have wee hitherto received our matters in writing.
Thus much have I ſaid concerning the Law,The Law written is no new thing. how it is no new thing, but even the onelyonly will of God, but now comprehended in writing: Moreover, that all the Law pointeth unto Chriſt, and that all men of right underſtanding which lived under the Law, were Chriſtians. For manifeſt is it that Paul ſaid, Rom. 10. Chriſt is the end of the Law, Rom. 10.4.to juſtifie everie one that beleeveth. And Galat. 3. Or ever faith (that is to ſay,Gal. 3.23. Chriſt) came, we were kept and ſhut up under the Law, unto the faith which ſhould afterward be declared. Thus was the Law our ſchoole-maſter unto Chriſt, that wee might bee made righteous by faith. All this, I ſuppoſe, will bee new and ſtrange in many hearts; nevertheleſſe, I truſt that all they which have underſtanding, doe ſee and knowledge, that this is the true, old, right, and godly Divinitie and Theologie, which aſcribeth all honour unto God the Father, through our Lord Ieſus Chriſt in the Holy Ghoſt. To whom be glorie and praiſe for ever. Amen.