The Principle of Protestant Truth and Peace, Catechism · Chapter 6
CAP. VI. Of the Proof of Scripture, That it is of God; and that the Proof alſo is Publick and Divine.
Queſt. WHat kind of Proof of ſo Divine a Record as Scripture, is high enough to prove it to be ſo Divine?
Anſw. That which is, even as the Original of Scripture, Divine alſo.
Queſt. Why muſt the Proof or Evidence of Scripture be Divine?
Anſw. 1. Becauſe it is below the Dignity of Divine, to receive its principal Proof from Private, or lower than Divine or Publick.
2. Becauſe nothing but Divine can ſo reach the Conſcience, as to fill and poſſeſs it with ſatisfactory Evidence in ſo great a Concernment as Religion, nor ſtrikes the Heart with thoſe great Effects of Love to, Fear of, Joy in Scripture, and the Word of God, ſo eſſential to Religion, but Divine: When ye received the Word of God, ye received it not as the Word of Men, but as it is in Truth the Word of God.
3. Becauſe it is impoſſible what is truly Divine ſhould not dart the Rays of Divinity, as all other Things of Excellency ſend out the Beams of that Excellency they have, and thereby diſcover themſelves; For, we know all things eſpecially by themſelves. The Light remonſtrates it ſelf by it ſelf. The Genius of every Writer ſhews it ſelf firſt by it ſelf. We ſee the Divineneſs of Creation, and Miracles, by themſelves. Beſt and Greateſt is ſelf-evidently Divine; and whatever it is written upon, is evidently Divine alſo.
Queſt. How does Scripture ſhew it ſelf thus Divine?
Anſw. By a Majeſtick Aſſumption to it ſelf to be Divine, it ſpeaks ſo in and of all things it ſpeaks, and as it pleaſes effects as Divine only does and can effect, and is the Beſt and Greateſt Record of Truth to all Holy and Wiſe Minds: The only extant inviolate Record of Natural and Revealed Religion in the World, is Scripture.
Queſt. Is Ratiocination then, or the Juſt Compaſs Reaſon goes, to be neglected concerning Scriptures?
Anſw. By no means: For when theſe Self-evidences of every thing have ſtruck us earlier than our Scrutinies of Reaſon, and its Inqueſt can be performed about them; that they may neither appear Fancies to us on our ſecond Thoughts, nor we run into Miſtake concerning them by the Power of Imagination, there is then liberty for Reaſon to inquire further, and aſſure it ſelf.
Nor will the Evidence hereupon amount to leſs than Divine; For, Divine only can ſatisfie the Reaſon that rationally, and like it ſelf, inquires into Divine.
Queſt. What then are the great Aſſurances to Reaſon, of the Divinity of Scripture?
Anſw. I account this the Chief; That there are Two great Volumes, the Book of the Natural Law of Religion, written upon the Heart, and engraven in the Conſcience; and the Book of Scripture: That both theſe are addreſſed purely to the Mind, as abſtracted from Senſe: That each of them is Counterparted by Two great Manifeſtations of Divinity to Senſe, which Senſe is Reaſon incarnate, or Mind acting in and by Body. Theſe two are either Ordinary or Conſtant, as Creation, Conſervation, or Providence; or Extraordinary, as Miracles: That each of them have alſo two Executive Powers, acting them to their Ends; The Motions and Activities of Reaſon, inabled by the conſtant Concourſe of General Illumination; and the Supernatural Illuminations and Motions of the Divine Spirit: And that all theſe agree in one, unite with, and fortifie one another; all of them carrying the Evidences of Divine Preſence, and filling all the Apprehenſiveneſs of our Faculties concerning God, that he is in them: ſo that nothing is Divine in the whole World, the contrary of which we may feel, or Scripture is Divine.
Queſt. But what is to be allowed to Conſent of Hiſtory, Ʋniverſal Tradition, and Education, in the Belief of Scriptures?
Anſw. All that can be deſired to be allowed; for it ſpeaks the Abſolute Sovereignty of God, in making uſe of whom and what he pleaſes, in introducing his Word into any Parts of the World, and contriving the Teſtimony of Men as preparatory to the Teſtimony from himſelf, which is much greater; even as our Saviour received the Service of John's Teſtimony, but had much higher; or as Reaſon may receive from Senſe ſome accidental Teſtimonies.
Queſt. But is there not much more to be yielded to the Rational Aſſurance, that ſuch Hiſtorians as the Prophets, Apoſtles, and Inſpired Writers, of ſuch Honeſty and Integrity, would not prevaricate, nor give any falſe Account of Things, of the Miracles wrought by themſelves or our Saviour, of the Doctrines of Chriſtianity, or of their Divine Original; eſpecially when they ſeal'd all theſe with the Contempt of all things in this World, even of Life it ſelf, and died in the conſtant Affirmation of them; which remov'd all baſe Deſigns far from them, even the ſuſpicion of it?
Anſw. Theſe Proofs of the Doctrine and Divine Deſcent of Scripture, are undoubtedly of the higheſt Account that any Created Teſtimony can be, and are a down-weight of Proof to all ſober Reaſon: Yet that they can riſe above the Value of John Baptiſt's Teſtimony to Chriſt, I cannot find; and therefore we muſt remove higher to the Doctrines that thoſe Holy Men preach'd and writ, the ſpiritual Wiſdom and admirable Contexture they us'd in Writing, the Works they did, carrying the Evidences of Divinity in themſelves, and applied by the Holy Spirit to the Senſes of true Believers, with its own aſſuring Atteſtations, and gracious Operations: of which, all that was but created is no more than the Tube, Pipe, or Channel of Conveyance, if we enter it into a compare with what is Higher and Divine.
But if the laſt Reſolution of Proof were into any thing Humane, there might be miſtake in that; for Humane at its higheſt elevation is but Created, and Created is not firm and ſure enough for a Foundation, nor can it raiſe an Aſſent noble and generous enough for a Faith in that which is Divine. All that can be ſummon'd, may be an outward Fortification or Introduction; but the Rock of Truth is the Son of God, Divinity it ſelf: Upon this the Church is built, that the Gates of Hell cannot prevail againſt it.
Queſt. But are there no Parts of Scripture that receive greater Service from Humane Teſtimony, than others?
Anſw. There are ſome Parts of Scripture that are but Miniſterial, and almoſt Servile, in compariſon of others. And that theſe are found in all Authentick Copies, and have been delivered down from Age to Age with the Sacred Rolls, may depend more upon Humane Teſtimony, eſpecially where the Connexion with the more Divine Parts is not evident: For theſe being but as the Body, and ſome of them of the more remote Parts from the Soul of Scripture, cannot ſparkle that Divine Light and Heat the Spirit of Scripture does, and ſo may ſtand in need of borrowed Light from the Superiour Luminaries of Sacred Truth, and in many Caſes may, like the Moon, need Reflexions of Light from our very Earth; but the Sun of Scripture receives the Higheſt Teſtimony, by the ſtrongeſt Reflexions of its own Original Beams.
Queſt. How comes it to paſs, that there are ſuch different Degrees of Scripture-Excellency in the ſeveral Parts of it, and that it is not one Even Form of Doctrine, methodically laid together, and of the ſame Tenour of Diſcourſe.
Anſw. In this ſeeming Diſorder appears the great Wiſdom and Majeſty of Divine Contrivance, that without obliging it ſelf to the low and even pedantick Laws of Humane Diſcourſe, it raiſes ſo great a Record of Truth upon variety of Occaſions, and by an Infinite Foreſight predetermining to it ſelf the ſeveral Meaſures and Ends of Scripture, raiſes them out of a great variety of Accidents, and in ſuch an Order as ſeem'd beſt to it ſelf for thoſe Ends, ſo as to give eaſie and ready Advantages to him that runs to read, and gather Inſtructions of weightieſt moment, and alſo of quickeſt and ſuddeneſt ſally upon his Mind, of greateſt aptneſs to fix upon the Memory without loading it, and yet in the mean time to lay the Obligations of all Degrees of Search and Diligence to join one part of Scripture to another, ſo as to comprehend the whole Complex of Divine Doctrine, and extract the Order of Hiſtory. For by a moſt natural, free, and unaffected occaſional way, all Truths to make wiſe to Salvation, and a complete Sum of all Goodneſs, is to be found in Scripture, with infinite Varieties of Addreſs, all the ways poſſible, to the Underſtanding, Will, Affections, Conſcience, Memory, Imagination, ſuited to all Capacities, States, Conditions, full of plain and obvious, of moſt retir'd, ſecret, and fartheſtreach'd Wiſdom, which no Mind can fully graſp, nor Tongue expreſs.
And with theſe Things of main Importance, runs along ſuch a Chronology of the Dealings of God with the World, and eſpecially with his Church, as ſerves the main Deſign. All Learning and Knowledge in the mean time attending with lowlieſt Submiſſion, and not with pompous Appearance.
Now from this Supreme Diſpoſe of all things to the Ends of God in Scripture, out of ſuch a variety of Emergencies of all ſorts, ariſes ſuch a diverſity of ſeveral Excellencies in the Parts of Scripture, that yet all meet in that Great Center of the Glory of God, in a Communication of his Counſels concerning Man, and that turn round thoſe Two Globes, that little one of the preſent World, a Point like this Earth, and the other that vaſt Circumference of Eternity.
Queſt. But is there not as great a difference ariſing from the various States and Conditions of the Writers of Scripture, and the ſo different Periods of Time they were upon?
Anſw. That there is, and muſt needs be a difference, is undeniable; yet, to the great Glory of Scripture, and aſſurance it is from God, even thoſe ſmalleſt and loweſt things laſt ſpoken of are all treated with all the Purity, Gravity, becoming the Penmen of the Holy Spirit, and with all the Uſefulneſs their Nature can extend to; Even ſo the Holy Men uſed by God in this Service, how various and differing ſoever in their ſeveral Ages and Times of writing, in their Circumſtances of State and Condition in this World, High, Low, Rich, Poor, Learned, Unlearned, how diſtant ſoever in their Times of Writing, in the outward Forms and Modes of their Worſhip of God, in the Things that fell under their Account and Relation, before the Law, under the Law, in the Days of the Meſſiah, after his Death; yet there is the ſame Spirit, Scope, Chaſtneſs of Style, Majeſty, and Authority in the Contexture; one Aſpect upon the Glory of God, Obedience to him, Deſire of his Favour, as the whole Happineſs of Man; the ſame Reflexions upon the great Evil of Sin, and the conſequent Miſery, and even of their own Sins: So that where any Combination, or Conference to concert things, was impoſſible, yet there is ſuch an Union without a ſet Uniformity, as aſſures the One Hand of the Divine Spirit and Guidance upon All.
Queſt. Is not the Church of God the Truſtee and Depoſitory of Sacred Oracles?
Anſw. It is ſo in Divine Ordination, and the general Courſe of Providence; but yet it adds nothing to them, but receives all from them. The Church is known to be the Church by the Scriptures, not the Scriptures by the Church, except declaratorily only. The Church is the Pillar and Reſt of Scriptures, where God is pleas'd to fix them, that they may be expoſed to Publick View; but their Authority is of God, evident in themſelves.
Queſt. Do we then attribute nothing more to the Church, in which we were Baptiz'd, and received the Knowledge of Religion?
Anſw. A very great Favour it is of God, that when he writes up the People, he counts that we were born within his True Church, where all the Springs of Salvation run: but as to the Proof of Religion, or the Records of it, it can be no more than a Private Proof: For, till we make a true Judgment, by what is Divine and Publick, and of God in the true Church, it does no more than equal other Societies walking with Confidence and Aſſurance, with great Awes and Devotion, in the Name of their God, in the Profeſſion of their Religion. Till therefore there is a Trial of every Religion, and the Records of it, all ſuch Societies are upon the ſame Level. When the Religion, and Oracles of every Religion, come to be tried, and duely examined, the Church of God riſes to Heaven, and all elſe, except ſo far as they joyn in any Parts of the ſame Truth, ſink down beneath.
Queſt: But how can we know that every Book of Scripture is Scripture, but by the Teſtimony of the Church? or, that we have all the Books of it, but by the ſame Teſtimony?
Anſw. That the Books we own for Scripture are Scripture, and all of them ſo, ariſes to our Aſſurance by finding the ſame Divine Spirit of Truth running through one, as does through another: For, upon this account the True Church received them, when firſt received, and ſo tranſmitted them, making the ſame Judgment ſucceſſively in the ſeveral Ages, as the firſt did, the ſame Reaſon always continuing. What is beſides this, is to be attributed to the Diſcerning of Spirits in all the Times while Scripture was writing, by the due Exerciſe of which True Scripture was received, and all other ſhut out: for, the Writings of Prophets was ſubject to Prophets, and by them enroll'd into Scriptures. That we have the ſame Scripture juſtly and faithfully conſigned over to us from Age to Age, is to be own'd and acknowledg'd to Divine Providence watching over his Church and Oracles together, and conveying to us by the ordinary Security of the Churches Teſtimony, the Precious diſtinguiſh'd not only from the Vile, but from the leſs Precious alſo: but yet we muſt have greater Teſtimony than this, as hath been already urged.
Queſt. But how could we be aſſured we have all the Scripture, were it not for the Churches Teſtimony?
Anſw. Finding ſo much Divine, and no more of the ſame ſtamp in the World, we may be concluded that way, and abundantly ſatisfied, that God will accept us in our Faith and Obedience to ſo great a Revelation. When any meaſure of Divine Truth hath been adhered to ſincerely, the Danger hath always been greater in loſing True Religion by corrupt Additions; and the injurious Refuſals of further Revelation come to paſs more through the Prejudices of that Corruption, than by humble and modeſt Suſpenſions, till God hath aſſured us of his further Revelations. But beſides this, we may eaſily find, we muſt needs have the whole Globe of Truth, and the Horizon of the Goſpel gives us the whole Heaven or Kingdom of it, as it is adminiſtred in this World; ſo that all further Degrees of Light, and Diſcoveries of it, ſhall be but greater Clearneſſes of what we already have in the main and Subſtance: For, if even the New Teſtament, though it made ſo great a change, did but thus compleat and illuſtrate Chriſt yeſterday and to day the ſame, how much more may we be aſſured, who have the New it ſelf, ſo much excelling the Old, as it every where aſſures us? So that we can expect a Milennium, or the New Hieruſalem on Earth, only for the higheſt Exaltation of what we now have, till we come to Heaven it ſelf.
Queſt. Do the various Readings, ſo often bandied by Learned Men, make no Abatement from the Certainty of Scripture?
Anſw. Thoſe various Readings are ſuch as excite and quicken Search, and yet cannot diſtract the Doctrine, being not able to alter the Scope, Coherence, and Deſign of the Context, much leſs to change the Analogie of Scripture in other Places: While therefore they do not that, they take away the ſuſpicion of Conſpiracy, they preſerve from greater Corruptions, by turning the Eyes of Men to look every way; they ſhew how many excellent Senſes dwell near the Divine Writing, and the Bad are manifeſtly enough thrown off: For in main things there is ſo much repeated, and ſaid over again and again, as that all ſuch Truths may be fully preſented and aſſured, and yet not ſo much be ſaid, as might be ſaid of the ſame kind, without any Tautology; for the Subjects are ſo rich, that even the World would be over-charg'd, and not able to contain the Books that would be written. Amen.