The Sovereign Judge of Controversies in Matters of Religion, Chapter 9
CHAP. 9.
The verification of the second meanes of nullity against the first allegation.
IT is then very manyfest that all these allegations are incōpatible with the intent of those who alleaged them, but forall this they will darken, and weaken the right of the cause against which they are alleaged, if wee do not also shew their falsitie, and impertinencie, which is the second meanes of nullity that wee hauehave opposed against them.
To beginne then with the first, it is an infinite wrong that the written word of the liuing God is called a dead and dumbe letter, that God speaking in this fashion should bee accounted not to speake at all, vnderunder colour that hee vses not a voyce, the which cannot be admitted in the diuine nature, which is not necessary amongst men, but for to carry, and conveigh by the eare to the heart the conceptions of the minde, and together with them the knowledge of those things whereof they are the image: which beeing done by another meanes, as by writing, the liuely voyce is no word necessary. Hee therefore spake very wittily who first called bookes dumbe maisters, at once indeavouring to expresse what they were in regard of the sound, and what in regard of the vertue and efficacie, of expressing and teaching, to wit, dumbe, if wee respect the sound, but eloquent and powerfull, if wee regard what they expresse, and teach▪ we heare not at this day the voyce of Demosthenes nor of Cicero, neverthelesse when wee read their writings it seemes vntounto vsus that wee heare them. The instructions of an Ambassadour, the testament of a Father, the sentence of a Iudge, the letter of a friend, the authentique coppie of a contract, do they not expresse the pleasure of the King, the will of the Father, of the Iudge, of a frtend, of such as hauehave made any contract after the same manner as the vocall word and liuely voice? And shall not wee make the same account, of the instructions, of the Testament, of the sentence, of the letters, of the authentique coppie of the contract, which our King hath giuen to his Embassadours, our heavenly Father hath left to vsus his children, the Iudge of the whole world hath pronounced, the bridegroome hath written to his spouse, and which the mediator betweene God and men the Lord Iesus hath sealed with his blood?Iohn. 5. 46. For had yee beleeued Moses (sayth the Lord) ye would hauehave beleeued mee, and neverthelesse Moses then spake not,Luke. 16. 29. v. 31. but in and by his writings. They hauehave Moses and the Prophets, sayd Abraham to the rich glutton, if they heare not Moses and the Prophets, speaking of the rich mans brethren, neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead. And yet who doubteth but that in those dayes Moses and the Prophets were not liuing in the world, nor spake vntounto the world any other way, but in and by their writings: so true it is that he who imparts to vsus his minde by writing, doth speake and converse with vsus, albeit we heare not his voyce. And therefore since we hauehave, as wee acknowledge on both sides, the writings not only of Moses and the Prophets, but also of the Evangelists and Apostles, Why should not we hearken vntounto Moses and the Prophets, vntounto the Evangelists and Apostles? why shall wee say, vnderunder a pretext that they are dead, that they speake no more? Do they not speake all at this day in the same manner as Moses and the Prophets did when Abraham willed that we should giuegive eare vntounto them? And since it is most true that the Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God, 2 Tim. 3. 16. 2. Pet. 1. 10.that it is not of private interpretation, why should not we receiue it with the the same reverence, which wee would yeeld vntounto it, if wee should heare him delivering it by word of mouth vntounto the Prophets and Apostles? the letter and the word change not the signification, neyther the force and efficacy of it, like as the voyce and sound (with men of vnderstanding addeth little or nothing vntounto it. But yet if we so much desire the sound & noyse of the voyce, let vsus heare this word propounded, let vsus heare it preached, let vsus heare it red. But as we heare the Cryer & Sargeants proclaime the ordinances, and decrees of the Court, when they put them in execution, without attributing (for all that) vntounto them the title & honour of Iudges: yea if we find but the coppie of them fixed in our absence on our doores, we read it with reverence and readily obey it, so that there is no neede of the personall presence of the Iudge, who is sufficiently enough present, when he speaketh vntounto vsus by his decree: Let vsus then at least, beare the same respect towards the coelestiall Iudge and his holy decree, which wee do towards an earthly Iudge, towards humaine ordinances, although we hauehave but the coppy of it, let vsus read it with humility, let vsus obey it with zeale, let vsus not require that the invisible should make himselfe otherwise visible vntounto vsus, that the dead should rise from the graue; yea let vsus rather meditate on this trueth, wee hauehave Moses, wee hauehave the Prophets, if wee heare not them (to wit) speaking in their writings, wee should not a jot sooner be perswaded, if they should rise againe from the dead and speake vntounto vsus.