Capels Remains, Part 4
The Application of all.
I have made a long and tedious diſcourſe about the Originals and Tranſlations, becauſe I find by my ſelf, that things let fall in Print by learned men and great reformers as touching the Originals, that none can ſay this is the Hebrew, that the Greek, but becauſe Linguiſts and learned men ſay ſo, and they may erre: Nor that this is the Engliſh of the Hebrew, or of the Greek which we ſay is, but men ſubject to trip, do ſo ſay, That the Originals tranſcribed into many Copies might erre, and miſtake: and for the tranſlations, that there be flaws in them too, ſince the tranſcribers, and tranſlators were no Prophets, but men, though not willing perhaps, yet ſubject to ſpeak and write beſides the matter: that tranſlations are not the Word of God, nor our rule.
Theſe and ſuch things as theſe, I doubt not do ſtagger the thoughts of weak, & of ſtrong Chriſtians too, and drive a many towards Atheiſme: And now ſaith a ſick ſoule, What ſhall a poore feeble-hearted Chriſtian do?
My counſel is, that when he is come to be certain without actual doubting by reaſons, arguments, conſent of times, & of the Church, that our Bible is the Word of God, that he would in all humility and ſincerity apply himſelfe to read it, to hear it read, to heare it preached; and he may promiſe to himſelf that by the uſe of the word the Spirit of God will infuſe & inſpire divine & ſaving faith into his ſoul, and free him not only from all actual, but poſſible doubting, that the Bible tranſlated is the word of God. And if the tranſlation, then the Originals: For what ever is the inſtrument to convert the ſoul; muſt needs be the pure word of God.
Some are firme that God never works a miracle, but to confirme truth: This is paſt queſtion, that the Spirit of God doth never work this miracle to convert the ſoule, but by Gods word: So ſay, Now I know that it is the pure word of God, for that it is a means to convert my ſoul: ſo Pſal. 19. 7: The Law of the Pſal. 19. 7.Lord is perfect, converting the ſoul; By this then I know that it is without diſpute the perfect Law of the Lord, becauſe it doth not only evince and convince me, but convert my ſoul: St: Auſtine ſaith, that he was converted by reading the laſt verſe of the thirteenth to the Romans, and that did prove to Auſtine that it was the perfect Law and word of God: It is ſtoried, that Cyprian was converted by reading the Prophet Jonas: And Iunius in his life written by himſelf,Niceph. l. 5 …. 27 ſaith that he was converted by reading the firſt Chapter of the Goſpel of Iohn: For Auſtine & Cyprian, I think neither of them hadAuſtine was converted by eading the tranſlation his skill was little or none in the Creel; and Cyprian by reading Jonas in the tranſlation he having no skill in the Hebr. much skill in the Originals, no, nor Iunius neither at that time: wherefore it is plain enough that they were converted by reading tranſlations.
When then a man doth finde that by reading or hearing tranſlations read or preached upon, it hath pleaſed God to warme thy heart, to turn and change thy poor ſoul, to convert thee into a new creature, go thy ways, doubt nothing its an argument paſt anſwer, that the Bible even as tranſlated is the Word of God. Go on, look on it as Gods word, read on ſtill, be diligent to hear it, with the beſt ears thou haſt, and thou ſhalt finde it more and more to convert and ſanctifie thee, and ſo by conſequence to aſſure thee by an undoubtful, and divine faith inſpired and infuſed into thy poor ſoul by the Spirit of God, that this book, & no other, is the very Word of God.
By this you ſee, where, and how the poor crazy ſoul may find reſt, and it is to reſt on the tranſlated Word of God, waiting therein on the line of the ſweet providence, who by the uſe of the word will breath into his ſoul divine faith infuſed by the ſure influence of the Spirit of God, which ſpirit brings a light with it by which we know that, & what we know, this is done by a divine faith, not by humane conjecture, being wrought in us by a ſpecial providence of God perſwading and drawing us to acknowledge the contents therein to be of Divine authority.
Nor is this (as I ſaid) to make our private ſpirit the rule of our faith, but we lay all at the foote of the divine providence to put light into our minds, and then to work in us a firm aſſent to the Word of God, that it is indeed and truth the very Word of God. And none of this is done otherwiſe then by the Word of God itſelf, and the ſpirit joyning with the Word.
In a word, nothing can work ſaving grace in any man to the converſion of his ſoule, but the very Word of God: But this the word tranſlated hath wrought in me, therefore I know by this, that the Scripture tranſlated is the wordPſalme 19 of God, ſith nothing but Gods word can turne and convert the ſoul.
Make the moſt of that which ſome call univerſal tradition▪ it can bring us no farther then an humane belief, little better is it then that which the Papiſts call the authority of the Church.
The Miniſtry of the Church we grant needful, and uſeful, but for the authority of the Church, we acknowledge none. Thus the Jewes are for their Rabbines, and their univerſal tradition. So did the Saracens; like as the Gentiles did, build on the univerſal tradition.
But after this tedious diſcourſe, the thing which we Chriſtians are to reſt our faith on, which is common to all, even to the meaneſt, is that internal light infuſed into us all by the Spirit of God, whereby we moſt firmely, and moſt certainly are moved to believe that the bible, and all the Bible, and nothing but the Bible, is our moſt certaine rule which cannot erre; but that the Ʋniverſal Tradition of Jewes, Saracens, Papiſts, hath beene, is, and will be ſubject to errours more or leſſe.
The end and uſe of all, is to call upon all Chriſtians, chiefly when they are in ſome doubting veine, to turne away from all authority of Churches, of men, of univerſal 1 Pet: 2. 2Tradition, and to looke up to the providence who hath provided ſincere food and phyſick for our poore ſoules, which Chriſtians have found, do, and ſhall finde, to be the Bible tranſlated into ſeverall Languages, for the uſe of thoſe, who cannot skill in the Originals. And I think no man dares deny, but a Miniſter who hath himſelfe little skill in the Originals, may by expounding and propounding the Tranſlations convert the ſoules of ſuch Chriſtians as are the hearers of ſuch Preachers.