The Way to the Tree of Life, Part 1 · Chapter 5
CAP. V. Of the Subject or Matters handled in the Scriptures, that the Scriptures containe all things neceſſary to ſalvation.
IT much concerns ſuch as addreſſe themſelves to the reading of the Scriptures, The ſubject matters revealed in Scriptures are,to know what ſubject they handle, of what nature it is, whom, and what it concerns, as being an effectual means to awaken the heart, and quicken the affections of men unto that holy exerciſe. For all experience makes it evident, that men uſually attend carefully to ſuch things as moſt neerly concern themſelves, 1. Such as concern men. 2. And in the higheſt degree.and are not much moved uſually with things, in which they have no ſpeciall intereſt. And are ſerious in matters of importance, on which their own ſafety, or their eſtate depend, but ſleight things that are of ſmall worth, and of no great moment to their gain or loſſe. Wherefore to move men to be ſerious in reading the Word, it is needfull to make it evident that the ſubject thereof is high and heavenly, exceeding mans wiſdome, and therefore worthy to bee throughly ſearched into: And beſides, of ſuch importance to us, that upon it depends our everlaſting happineſſe, the way whereunto, and means whereof, are ſet down therein.
Seeing therfore it appears, that the Poſition propoſed, and the conſideration thereof are ſo pertinent to our preſent purpoſe, and therefore fit to be handled in this place, it will be needfull to open it more fully, and to that purpoſe to expreſſe,
Firſt, what is meant by things neceſſary to ſalvation.
Secondly, how the Scriptures doe containe them.
Concerning the former of theſe two, Neceſſary imports not, 1. A naturall neceſſity. 2. Nor meritorious.by neceſſary we underſtand not a naturall neceſſity, by which the beeing of one thing depends upon another, as the effect doth upon the cauſe, no nor a meritorious neceſſity, by which ſalvation might be earned as one earns his wages by his labor, in either of which ſenſes it is impoſſible that any thing ſhould be neceſſary to ſalvation, which can have no cauſe in nature, nor be earned by deſert, ſeeing it is a free gift, But a neceſſity impoſed by the will, of God.Rom. 6.23. Eph. 2.8. But by neceſſary, we mean a neceſſity impoſed by the will of God, who beſtowing eternall life freely, had power to beſtow it on what conditions he pleaſed, and hath promiſed it onelyonly under the Covenant of faith and obedience, the rules whereof being contained onelyonly in the Scriptures, and therein fully, they are for that cauſe ſaid to contain all things neceſſary to ſalvation.
When we ſay, it is onelyonly the will of God, that makes faith and obedience neceſſary to ſalvation, we deny not but this will of his hath in this, as in all things elſe, reſpect to his own glory, For the advancing of his own glory. 1. Our faith bearing witneſſe to his Al-ſufficiency, & Truth. 2. Our obedience to his Authority, & Righteouſneſſe. Yet are not all things in Scripture alike neceſſary.which is teſtified at leaſt by our faith and obedience. For our relying on him by faith bears witneſſe to his ſufficiency, faithfulneſſe, & truth, as our obedience in ſubmitting chearfully to his will, in all that he commands, acknowledgeth his Authority, Wiſdome, and Holineſſe; So then this will of God, in requiring of us theſe conditions, is every way juſt as well as free. Now when wee ſay, the grounds and rules of faith and obedience, contained in Scripture, are neceſſary to ſalvation, we mean not that all are of like neceſſity. Ignorance, or unbeleef in God, or Chriſt, excludes abſolutely from ſalvation, John 3.18. ſo doth not ignorance, or unbeleef in ſome temporall promiſe, although it cannot be excuſed from ſinne. In brief then, when we ſay all things neceſſary to ſalvation are contained in Scripture, we mean both that the things written therein are neceſſary to that end, although not alike neceſſary, and that there is nothing neceſſary to that end, that is not to be found there.
We are next to ſhew what we underſtand by this tearm containing. Scriptures containe things, 1. In expreſſe tearms. 2. By neceſſary conſequenceNow things may be contained in Scripture, either expreſly, and in plain tearms, or by conſequence drawn from ſome grounds that are delivered in Scripture, and one of theſe two ways all grounds of faith, or rules of practiſe, are to be found in theſe holy writings. It is no where affirmed in Scripture in expreſſe tearms, that the holy Ghoſt is God, but we read, 1 John 5.7. that the Father, the Word, and the holy Ghoſt are one, and from thence infer by neceſſary conſequence, that the holy Ghoſt is God, becauſe he is one with the Father, who is God. We are no where in preciſe words commanded to baptize infants, but from the precept given to the Fathers to circumciſe them, we take our ſelves to be warranted to baptize them, becauſe Baptiſme and Circumciſion are in ſubſtance one Sacrament. Wee are no where expreſly commanded to diſcover the fault of what we ſell, or to give a juſt value for that which we buy. But we have generall rules commanding us to ſpeak the truth from the heart, Pſ. 15.2. To doe as we deſire to be done unto, Mat. 7.12. and forbidden to defraud our brother in any matter, or goe beyond him in bargaining, which imports as much. Thus, where all things needfull to be beleeved, or done, are not clearly expreſſed in Scripture, yet they are implied and drawn out from thence by neceſſary conſequence.
This truth, that the Scriptures contain whatſoever is neceſſary to ſalvation, is ſufficiently ratified, by evident teſtimony of the Word it ſelf, which ſends us to the Law, and to the Teſtimony, Iſa. 8.20. tels us, that in them we have eternall life, John 5.39. that they alone are able to make the man of God perfect to every good work, 2 Tim. 2.17. and wiſe to ſalvation, ver. 15. that the Law of God is perfect, Pſal. 19.7. and though there be an end of all other perfections, yet the commandement is exceeding broad, Pſal. 119.96. that is, comprehends all needfull things, ſo that nothing is wanting in it. Whence proceeds that curſe upon every one that addes, as well as upon them that take away from that Book, Rev. 22.18. Yea beſides, this truth is conſonant to all grounds of reaſon, whatſoever our adverſaries alledge to the contrary.
For firſt, we have reaſon to preſume, It was fit that God ſhould deliver his will in writing. 1. As the moſt eaſie way to make it publike.that God would take the eaſieſt way for the inſtruction of his Church; now it is evident, that it is more eaſie to leave things upon record in writing, then to charge them upon mens memories, eſpecially when they are many, and conſequently muſt burthen the memory; whereas lying before mens eyes, in writing, they may eaſily be overlooked at all times, without trouble. If it be replied that traditions are few, and may therefore be eaſily remembred: VVe anſwer firſt; they may bee infinite, for ought we know, ſeeing no man ever took upon him to tell us how many they are. And ſecondly, be they more or fewer, yet they are more eaſily preſerved by writing, then by tradition, as all men know.
Again, it was fit that in teaching his Church, 2. As the ſafeſt way to prevent corruptionGod ſhould take the ſafeſt way, and freeſt from errour, as well for his own honour, as for his peoples good, both which muſt needs be extreamly hazarded and hindered by corrupting the truth with errours, which lead men into perdition, and can hardly be prevented by delivering the word by tradition, partly, becauſe many mens memories are weak, and a great part are negligent, eſpecially in things of this nature; and laſtly, becauſe many are maliciouſly bent againſt the law, which the wiſdome of the fleſh cannot admit, Rom. 8.7. whereas the word written, being an unerring record, eaſily helps the weak, and convinceth the refractary, by ſetting the undoubted truth before mens eyes.
Farther, 3. As the beſt way to win credit to his Word.ſeeing the word is the ground of faith, it is fit that it ſhould be ſo delivered as might win moſt credit and eſtimation amongſt men. Now we know that written records are moſt authenticall, and of moſt accompt with men, and therefore are fitteſt to work men to aſſent unto the truth of God. It is true I grant, that mens faith depends neither upon wirting nor tradition, but upon the teſtimony of the Spirit that dwels within the godlies hearts, manifeſting that the truth propoſed is the word of God. Notwithſtanding the outward credit which the Scriptures carry amongſt men, by which ſuch as are won afterwards to beleeve, beginne at firſt to think reverently of them; and others that beleeved not, are reſtrained from ſcorning or oppoſing them, ſeems to be much furthered by the Authority that the writing brings unto thoſe records, which are received and ſubmitted unto by the Church, and commanded and countenanced by the teſtimony thereof.
Laſtly, 4. And as moſt honourable.whereas there is ſo much honour done to all humane laws, by which States are governed, that they are compoſed into one body, and preſerved in books written or printed for that purpoſe, it ſeems abſurd that God ſhould deliver his law thus by patches, part by writing, and part by tradition, reſembling the feet of Nebuchadnezzars image, Dan. 2.33. part of iron, and part of clay, and unworthy both of the Majeſty of him that gives the law, and of the law it ſelf that is given. And if we may take precedent from former times, we may ſay with our Saviour, from the beginning it was not ſo. For when God left the law to be delivered by tradition, he delivered it wholly, that way; when he cauſed it to be written, he cauſed it to bee written wholly, not only the Morall, but the Judiciall and Ceremoniall too, containing many obſervances of ſmall value, tearmed beggerly rudiments, Gal. 4.9. So that he left not out the leaſt circumſtance of any legall rites to be ſupplyed by tradition. Is now Chriſt leſſe faithfull in Gods houſe, then Moſes was? Or how is it that in this clear light of the Goſpel, we ſhould be left more uncertain, then the Jews were under the law? and that in matters of greateſt importance, Purgatory, the Popes Supremacy, Invocation of Saints, &c.
The truth is, when men put no ſtint to their traditions, nor give us any accompt of the number of them, they give cauſe of ſuſpition, that they have purpoſely left open this back door, to conveigh into the Church thoſe humane inventions of theirs, under the cloake of the Traditions of the Church, which otherwiſe the expreſſe letter of the written word had excluded. But we reſolve to forbear controverſies: OnelyOnly, to quicken men to a more heedfull attention to the Scriptures, it was needfull to ſhew, not only that the moſt weighty things, that concern us far more neerly then our Lands and Revenues, then our libertie or lives, even our evidences for, and directions to everlaſting bleſſedneſſe, are to be found in the Scriptures, but more then that, to make it appear that they are to bee found in no other books or writings. Whence it muſt needs follow, that without this word having neither firm ground to ſtay our faith on, nor any certain rule to guide our practiſe by, we are in this left without light, without comfort for the preſent, and without hope or expectation for time to come.