A Second Admonition to Edward Bagshaw, Part 2 · Section 97
Sect. 97. E. B. [And in Atheiſtically arguing againſt the▪ *46th Untruth.Divine and ſelf-evidencing authority of the holy Scriptures (which he doth for many pages together) that henceforth I hope he will no longer be a Snare, but juſtly he Rejected of all as one of the worſt ſort of Hereticks; ſince under the notion of being a Chriſtian and a Proteſtant,*47th Untruth. be doth with his utmoſt▪ induſtry and cunning labour to overthrow our foundation, in that he puts the credit of Scripture on the Truth of Hiſtory, and *48th Untruth.denies any certainty but what may be gathered from that: which dangerous doctrine I could not but warn thee, Chriſtian Reader, as thou loveſt thy peace and comfort, as well as the truth of Chriſt, that thou wilt diligently beware of. And I muſt leave it to thee to judge, whether that Conformity which ſuch a perſon pleads for, is not juſtly to be ſuſpected.
R. B. Here are three more viſible untruths in point of fact, 1. That I argue againſt the Divine Authority of the Scripture; yea or the ſelf-evidencing either; which I have written for at large in three ſeveral Treatiſes. 1. In the 2d Part of my Saints Reſt. 2. In a Book called the Unreaſonableneſs of Infidelity. 3. In my Reaſons of the Chriſtian Religion, moſt fully: but never wrote a word againſt it. 2. That I do with my induſtry and cunning labour to overthrow our foundation: Hath this man written more for the foundation than thoſe three Books? 3. That I deny any certainty but what may be gathered from the truth of Hiſtory: For which he citeth not one word in which I ever ſaid ſo, nor can: But the contrary is legible in the forecited Volumes, at large.
As to the matter of his Accuſation I will not here write another Book, to tell men what I have written in the former: Read my own words, even thoſe he accuſeth, and my Treatiſe for the Chriſtian Religion, and judge as you ſee Cauſe; But for them that will believe him to ſave them the labour of reading it in my own Books, as if another man were liker to tell rightly what I have written than the Books themſelves, I leave them to judge, and do as they are, and as ſuch men lead them.
And how far Tradition or Hiſtory, or Humane aide and Teſtimony is neceſſary to our Reception of the Scripture, I have long agoe opened at large in the Preface to the ſecond Part of my Saints Reſt, and ſhewed you that Dr. Whitaker, Chemnitius, Davenant, Rob. Baronius and other Proteſtants uſually ſay the ſame that I do, and that otherwiſe by caſting away ſuch ſubordinate means, Proud-ignorance and pieviſh wrangling will cut the throat of faith it ſelf, and undermine the Church of God.
Reader, I will conclude alſo with an Admonition as my Accuſer doth; As thou loveſt Chriſtianity, Scripture and thy ſoul, take heed of thoſe Ignorant deſtroying-defenders of the Scripture, who would tell the Infidel world, that they may continue Infidels till we can prove, that the Scripture alone by its own light, without humane Teſtimony, Hiſtory or Tradition, will bring it ſelf to all mens hands without mans bringing it, and will tranſlate it ſelf, without mans tranſlating it, or in the original tongues will make all Engliſh men, and all that cannot read at all, to underſtand it; or being tranſlated will tell you ſufficiently which is the true tranſlation; and where the Tranſlater failed; or will tell you among many hundred divers Readings which is the right, and which Copy is the trueſt, and which particular text is uncorrupted, or rightly tranſlated? For inſtance, whether it ſhould be in Luke 17. 37. foreign or foreign, when it is foreign in Matth. 24. 18. and Beza ſaith, In uno exemplari & apud Theophilactum Scriptum eſt, foreign, id eſt Cadaver; ſicut etiam in nonnullis codicibus teſtatur ſelegiſſe Eraſmus; Videtur que haec lectio magis accomodata, &c. Hundreds of ſuch may be named.
And believe not theſe men till they can name you one man that ever knew before ſome man told him, by the Book alone whether Eſther and the Canticles were Canonical, and the Book of Wiſdom and Pauls Epiſtle to the Laodioaeans Apocryphal; and knew what was the ſenſe of the Original Text, and what Copies, and Readings, and Tranſlations were true, and what falſe? Yea or that knew theſe particular Books were the ſame that the Apoſtles wrote, without alteration, till ſome one told it them?
Would not that man reduce the Church into leſs than one ſingle perſon, who would have no man believe the Scripture, nor take it for Gods word, till he can do it without any help of man, or humane Hiſtory, or Teſtimony or Tradition? But of this I put him twenty Queſtions before.
It ſhall now ſuffice to tell you this much of the plain truth, that ſuch furious falſe Teachers as ſhall take the foreſaid courſe may not utterly ſubvert your faith.
The Scripture and Chriſtian Religion taken together as one frame or Body,The ſelf-evidencing light of Scripture, what it is. hath that in it ſelf which may prove that frame, and all the eſſential parts of our Religion to be of God; And the true proof of the Divine Authority of the Scripture, is by the evidence of the ſpirit; not a new Revelation of the ſpirit; But by a double Impreſſion of Gods own Image made by the Holy Ghoſt, one upon the Scripture it ſelf, The other by the Scripture in its continued efficacy on Belivers ſouls: And both theſe Images are the Impreſſes of the Trinity of Divine Principles, even of the Power, Wiſdom, and Goodneſs of God; which are unimitably done in both. This is the true proof that Scripture is the word of God.
But this proof excludeth not but ſuppoſeth the Miniſtry and Teſtimony of man as a ſubſervient help and means; even to bring it to us, to tranſlate it, to teach us how to know both the ſenſe and verity of it, and to teſtifie which is the true Canon, Copies, Reading, Tranſlation, &c. And they are ignorant ſubverting deceivers and deſtroyers of your ſouls, who would ſeparate the Word, the Spirit and the Miniſtry which Chriſt hath conjoyned as neceſſary together for your faith: and that would caſt out ſubſervient helps as unneceſſary under pretence of the ſufficiency of the Scripture. As if Printing it were needleſs, becauſe Scripture is ſufficient of it ſelf.
And the fore-ſaid ſelf-evidencing Light is not ſufficient without humane help and Teſtimony to make you know every Canonical Book from the Apocryphal, nor to know the trueſt Copies in the Original, nor the righteſt readings, nor this or that particular verſe, to be uncorrupted; nor the tranſlation to be true, nor this or that to be the true meaning of the Greek or Hebrew word; nor that the Miniſter readeth truly to the unlearned that cannot try it by his own skill, nor read himſelf. And he that would make the contrary ſuppoſition to be the foundation of your faith, would deſtroy your faith, the Church and you.