Truth and Falsehood, Book · Chapter 3
The Scripture a ſure Rule. CHAP. 3
THE PROTESTANTS
The ſcripture a ſure rule.ANd ſeeing that God by his prophet Dauid hath teſtified,Pſal. 19.8 that the Lawe of the Lorde is perfect, and hath by the Prophet Eſay ſent vsus to aske councel in doubtfull caſes.Eſay 8.20 To the Lawe and to the Teſtimony. Yea, and our Sauiour Chriſt,Luc. 16.17 when Diues mooueth Abraham to ſend ſome to his fiue brethren, to teach them, ſendeth them to Moſes and to the Prophets to learne of thē,verſ. 29 and telleth the Saduces, That they erre, Math. 22.29becauſe they knowe not the Scriptures. Laſtly, ſeeing the Apoſtle S. Paul incourageth Timothie to keepe well that he had learned, becauſe, ſaith hee,2. Tim. 3.15 thou haſt knowen the holy Scriptures of a childe, which are able to make thee wiſe vntounto ſaluation. Wee therfore willingly confes & conſtantly beleeue, that we hauehave a moſt ſure word of the prophets, 2. Pet. 1.19to the which we do wel if we do take heede as vntounto a light that ſhineth in a darke place, vntill the day dawne and the day ſtar ariſe in our hearts. And therefore wee doe account this Worde written to bee the moſt certaine and infallible rule of our faith or conuerſation.
THE PAPISTS
BƲt the Papists, who can get nothing but by the crooked meaſures of their traditions, to bring them into credit with men, do highly commend them, ſometime comparing them to Theſeus his thread, Screckius prefa… .whereby he was directed out of the laborinth, and vntounto the Touch ſtone whereby all doctrine ſhoulde be tried,Ibidem. and make it as great a fault to breake traditions,Andrad. Orthod. explic. lib. 5 & lib. 3 as if Chriſt with his owne mouth had ſpoken them, yea, ſomtime greater, & ſo make them at the leaſt equall to the written word, that is, to the vndoubted word of GOD. And on the other ſide do altogether deface and diſgrace the Scriptures, calling them Inke-Diuines that ſticke to them,Eckius de ſcripturis. and comparing them to a Leaden rule,Eccl. Hierar. ſo doeth Pighius, or a noſe of waxe,Explic. dial. 4 as the Cenſure of Collen doth moſt prophanely: both the which blaſphemous & godleſſe reproches againſt the Scriptures, are defended by Andradius, Li. 2. orthod. Explication.as catholike and ſound ſayings, becauſe hee thinketh (as they doe) that they may bee changed and drawen to any interpretation.Bellar. lib. 4 de verbo non ſcripto cap. 4 & 5 And therfore they teach that the verie Scriptures without traditions, are not altogether neceſſarie. And all this is to perſwade the ſimple, that the Scriptures are not a certaine Iudge of faith or rule of life.
Argument The argument whereby they indeuour to ſeduce men and to drawe them to their opinion is this: Whatſoeuer rule of faith or life may be changed, and according to mens affections expounded, is vncertaine and deceitful: but the Scripture is ſuch, therefore it is an vncertaine rule.
Anſwere Which I anſwer thus. Firſt, the maior or former propoſition, is not ſimply true, but with theſe additiōs: whatſoeuer may aptly, or without doing violence to the words, be ſo drawen vntounto ſundry opinions, is an vncertaine r… . And hereby will ſoone be gathered the falſeneſſe of the minor, which affirmeth the ſcripture to be ſuch. For although out of one ſentence of ſcripture a man may gather diuerſe good leſſons, and that with good fruit to others, and approbation of all men, ſo long as thoſe interpretations are agreeable to the rule of faith: yet when any euill thing in faith or life is thereby maintained, without all doubt the words are then wreſted, and it ceaſeth to bee Gods word. Now this is not the fault of the word, but of mans corrupt affections which abuſe the ſame.Rom. 7.12. For the Lawe truely is holy, and the commandement is holy, iuſt, and good. And as Epiphanius ſaieth,Hereſ. 70 There is no diſcord in the Scripture, nor one ſentence diſagreeing from an other. And in an other place,Hereſ. 76 All things in the holy Scripture are cleane enough to them that with godly conſideration will come vntounto that diuine word, and hauehave not conceiued in themſelues the worke of the Diuell, indeuoring to throw themſelues into the pit of death. Euen as ſaint Paul ſaith, If our goſpell be yet hid, 2. Cor. 4, 3, 4it is hid in them that are loſt, in whom the god of this world hath blinded their minds. And what is Gods word the worſe, if the wicked will not know it,2. Pet. 3.16 or the vnlearned or vnſtable peruert it to their owne deſtruction? I wil therefore conclude with that golden ſaying of Iuſtine the martyre. I would wiſh others to be of that mind, Iuſtin. Col. cum Tryphone Iud.that they would not ſwarue from our Sauiours wordes: For they can put religion into them that wander from the right way, and refreſh with moſt ſweete reſt, them that are exerciſed therein.