A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Introduction
The New Teſtament of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt.
THO it be not known when or by whom all the Books of the New Teſtament, were gathered and made up into one, nor when or by whom this Title was ſet before them, and tho for a time ſome Churches received not the Epiſtle to the Hebrews, nor that of James; the 2 of Peter, the 2. and 3. of John, that of Jude, or the Revelation. Yet it hath never the leſs ſatisfactory evidence of its Truth, for this uncertainty and delay.
I. For As long as we know it is all the word of the Spirit of God, it ſatisfieth our Faith; whether all be bound up in one Book or in many. And John the Apoſtle living long after all the reſt, it is more than probable that none were received in his time, but by his approbation and conſent: and even in the daies of the Apoſtles they gave Teſtimony to the Writings of one another; ſo Peter doth of Pauls, and Jude tranſcribeth much of 2 Peter 2. (telling us that even inſpired Apoſtles diſdained not to uſe and repeat each others Writings; without any guilt of vain repetition or being plagiaries.)
II. And that the few books doubted of by ſome were commonly afterwards received, tends more to the confirming than the ſhaking of our belief of their Authority: certainty after doubt is the moſt confirmed certainty. It muſt needs be ſome time before all the Churches to whom the ſeveral Epiſtles were written, could produce and Communicate them by convincing proof to all the reſt And yet we muſt know, that the Epiſtles to particular Churches were ſent to them as to members of the Church Univerſal, and they were obliged to communicate them to others: ſo that we muſt not take them as private Letters.
III. Whoever firſt gave this title to the whole Book (The New Teſtament, or Covenant, &c.) it's of no great moment to know: It was [The New Teſtament] before it was ſo entitled as one Volume; But the Church hath by continual owning this Title, ſhewed that they have received all theſe Books as Gods word and the whole New Teſtament, and that no more are to be received as ſuch.
The Word foreign (of which Grotius in his preface hath ſpoken at large) ſignifieth indeed, Gods ſtatute Law concerning Mans Duty and Salvation, or Gods conſtituted and propoſed terms of Life. And tho foreign more ſtrictly ſignifie uſually a Mutual Covenant; this doth but imply the conſent of Man to the Law or terms of God. It is the ſame thing that is called a Law and a Covenant in ſeveral reſpects. As God enacts it, and promulgated it, before mans Conſent, it is a Law, and a conditional deed of Gift, and Teſtament; and an offered Covenant in ſeveral reſpects. When man conſents it is a Law accepted, a gift and Teſtament accepted, and a mutual actual Covenant, the Law hath its introductive Hiſtory and Doctrine, its precepts prohibitions, promiſes, and threats; And the Covenant hath the ſame parts only denominated from mutual conſent. But becauſe there are Laws of more or leſs rigor, and of various tenours; it is the Law of Faith or Grace which is the Covenant, Teſtament, and Goſpel, which is now before us denominated from the Donative and Promiſſory parts, though precept and threatening be included.
IV. It is of great importance that we err not by giving too little or too much to the ſacred Scriptures, from both which extreams many dangerous errours How. 1. On the left hand, thoſe err that deny it to be Gods word, of infallible truth, intelligible, and perfect as to its proper uſe, without humane ſupplements written or orall, Doctrinal or Canon Laws: and thoſe that deny it to have infallible aſcertaining evidences of its truth. Theſe be-friend infidelity, hereſies, prophaneſs, Church Tyranny (leaving it to Clergy-men to make us a new Faith, New Sacraments, and a new Religion at their Pleaſure; and to perſecute good men that dare not renounce the Scripture ſufficiency and Chriſts perfection, by obeying their dictates and Cannons as Co-ordinate with Chriſts if not co-equal: Theſe make Church-concord utterly impoſſible, while they deny the ſufficiency not only of the eſſentials, but of all the Bible to be the terms of Concord, without their ſupplements or additions: as if Chriſt that is the Author and finiſher of our Faith, and the maker of his own Church, had not ſo much as told us what a Church or a Chriſtian is, or whom we muſt take for ſuch into our love and Communion, nor fixed the neceſſary terms of Union; but left them to none knoweth whom, even fallible men, lyable to error and Tyranny that can but get uppermoſt, and ſay then that they are the true Church and the Maſters that muſt be obeyed, while they are themſelves of as many minds, as they are of different Countrys, intereſts and degrees of knowledge and ſincerity.
2. On the other ſide thoſe overdo in aſcribing to the Scripture, who ſay that God had no Church, or the Church no infallable rule of Faith and life, before the writing of i…: and who ſay that men converted by the Creed, Catechiſmes preaching, or tradition without knowing the Scripture can have no ſaving faith; and that think none can be ſaved that doubt of any Canonical Books, text or matter whether it be Gods word; or that ſay Scripture is ſo perfect that there is no humane imperfection of the Pen-Men foun… in phraſe, word or method, and that God could not have made it better, or that every Book may be known to be Canonical, and every reading to be right when copies vary, without Hiſtorical tradition by its own evident light, and that we have no more cauſe to doubt of any word or matter, than of the truth of the Goſpel; and that Reaſon is of ſmall uſe either for the proof or expoſition of the Scripture, but the moſt illiterate if he found a Bible that he had never heard of, may by its own light know its truth, and ſenſe as well as ſtudious learned Men, and that no other Books need to be read… and that the Scripture is a ſufficient teacher of Phyſick, Logick, Grammar, &c. and that nothing is to be uſed or done in the External Forms, Modes, and Accidents, of Gods Worſhip, but what is particularly commanded in Scripture, and that it telleth every man whether he be ſincere and juſtified or not, and not only telleth him …ow to know it by inward evidence; with many other ſuch miſtakes, proceeding from miſtaking the uſe of the Scripture, by which its perfection muſt be meaſured. Which all tend to confuſion, and at laſt to infidelity, or doubting of the whole, when theſe errour… are diſcerned.
V. And tho all the Scripture be of equal truth, as it is Gods word, yet many untruths are in it as uttered by Men and Devils; which God truly recordeth. And all parts are not of equal neceſſity or weight: And as many err by caſting off the Old Teſtament, ſo others err by equalling it to us with the New: It is Gods word, left to acquaint us what was heretofore, and to ſhew us how Chriſt was propheſied of and expected, and how the Church was governed in the darker and more ſervile ſtate and times. But we have great cauſe to take heed of overvaluing its uſe to us; leſt we contradict Paul that ſaith that even that which was written in ſtone is done away, and the Law Changed with the Prieſthood, and the old and faulty Covenant for a Better; of which ſee the nine firſt Chapters to the Hebrews, &c. Judaizers are they that moſt of Pauls Epiſtles are writt…n againſt; And as John Baptiſt wa… greater than the Prophets, ſo the leaſt in the Kingdom of God is greater than he. Ev…n the holy Patriarks, and David had a far more obſcure Revelation of Chriſt, and grace and the love of God, and the glory to come, then we have: And accordingly we ſhould have much more faith, holineſs and comfort than they. It is dangerous making the beſt of them our Examples in points of faith or duty, wherein they came far ſhort of Goſpel light and grace. God doth not now bear with Poligamy as lie did then, nor with ſuch divorces; nor doth the Goſpel countenance ſuch ſtreams of blood as the Iſraelites ordinarily ſhed, nor ſuch lies as David was oft guilty of; nor ſuch a ſtrange life as Solomon lived: I mean, that ſuch faults will not now conſiſt with true grace under our fuller light and mercy, as would do then to men in a darker infant Age; and therefore let us take heed of preſuming on their Examples: Chriſt and his Apoſtles are far fitter for our imitation. David fills moſt of his Pſalms with ſuch complaints of his Enemies, and curſes againſt them as ſhew a far deeper ſenſe of the ſuffering of the fleſh, and the concerns of this life, than Peter and Paul ſhewed, who ſuffered far more, and for a holier cauſe, and rejoyced in tribulation; and then is ſuitable either to the precepts or examples of Chriſt. All was not well ſaid and done by good men which is recited in the New Teſtament, much leſs in the old.
So far are they miſtaken, that ſay, the Jews and Gentiles were bound to believe the Apoſtles in no more than they proved out of the Scripture, that moſt of the Creed was to be believed by other evidences, And Chriſt and his Apoſtles gave us ſo full proof of the truth of the Goſpel, as that their atteſtation of the Old Teſtament is to us a more convincing proof of its Divine Authority, than any others.
Therefore Chriſtians muſt read and honour the Old Teſtament, and ſtudy it, but the New far more; to which it is that the Heart and Life muſt be conformed. There Heavenly glory ſhineth far more clearly, and the wonders of Divine Love are more abundantly manifeſted; and far greater power of the Spirit is given to make all effectual in faith, hope, and Patience, humility, obedience, and love, which now are become the very nature of a true believer.
The Goſpel according to St. MATTHEW.
That is, The Hiſtory of Chriſts Birth, Life, Death, Reſurrection, Aſcention, Doctrine, Covenant, Example and Miſſion of his Apoſtles to Preach Salvation through him to the World. Written by St. Matthew, a Converted Publican, one of the Twelve Apoſtles, as Tradition ſaith, eight years after Chriſts Aſcention; whether in Greek, or in Hebrew after tranſlated into Greek, is uncertain.