A Treatise of Christian Religion, Chapter 12
CHAP. 12.
Of the Word of God.
The meanes of mans recouerie, in the Word of God,
Which is contained in the Scriptures of the
Old Teſtament: viz. the
Law. 5. bookes of Moſes:
Geneſis.
Exodus.
Leuiticus.
Numbers.
Deuteronomie.
Prophets, which are either
Poeſie,
Doctrinal only, as
Prouerbs.
Eccleſiaſtes.
Canticles.
Lamentations.
Iob.
Both doctrinal, & foretelling things to come; as the Pſalmes.
Proſe,
Hiſtorical
Ioſuab.
Judges.
Ruth.
Samuel. 2. bookes.
Kings. 2. bookes.
Ezra.
Nehemiah.
Heſter.
Chronicles. 2. bookes.
Doctrinal, and foretelling things to come.
Greater Prophets
Eſay.
Ieremie.
Ezechiel.
Daniel.
Smaller,
Hoſeas.
Ioel.
Amos.
Abdias.
Ionas.
Micheas.
Nahum.
Abakkuk.
Zephanie.
Aggei.
Zacharie.
Malachy.
New Teſtament,
Hiſtoricall, of
Chriſt
Matthew.
Marke.
Luke.
Iohn.
His Apoſtles, the Acts.
Doctrinall
OnelyOnly, as the Epiſtles to the
Romans. 1.
Corinth. 2.
Galath. 1.
Epheſ. 1.
Philip. 1.
Coloſſ. 1.
Theſſ. 2.
Timoth. 2.
Titus. 1.
Philemon. 1.
Hebr. 1.
Iames. 1.
Pet. 2.
Ioh. 3.
Iude. 1.
Propheticall alſo, Apocalyps.
Conſiſteth of two parts, Chap. 13.
2. TIM. chap. 3. verſ. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.
13. But euill men and ſeducers ſhall waxe worſe and worſe; deceiuing, and being deceiued.
14. But continue thou in the things which thou haſt learned, and haſt been aſſured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them,
15. And that from a child thou hast knowne the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wiſe vntounto ſaluation, through faith which is in Christ Ieſus.
16. All Scripture is giuen by inſpiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproofe, for correction, for instruction in righteouſneſſe:
17. That the man of God may be perfect, thorowly furniſhed vntounto all good workes.
Q. THus farre of the miſerable and vnhappie eſtate of man by ſinne, guilt, and puniſhment: where are wee to ſeeke remedie for recouerie from this curſed and damnable Eſtate?
A. In the word of God, as may appeare by the words of the Apoſtle, 2. Tim. 3.
Q. What is the word of God?
A. The reuealed wil of God, concerning the means of mans ſaluation. Rom. 15. 4. 1. Tim. 4. 16. Ioh. 5. 39.
Q. Where is the word of God to be found?
A. In the writings of the Prophets and Apoſtles, called the Scriptures, Ioh. 5. 39.
Q. What were theſe Prophets and Apostles?
A. Holy men, that writ by diuine Inſpiration.2. Pet. 1. 21. 2. Tim. 3 16.
Q. How are the Scriptures diuided?
A. Into the Old and New Teſtament.
Q. How is the Old Testament diuided?
A. Into the Law, and the Prophets.
Q. Where is the Law contained?
A. In the fiue bookes of Moſes, called Geneſis, Exodus, Leuiticus, Numbers, Deuteronomie.
Q. What are the Prophets?
A. Expoſitions of the Law, written either in Poeſie, or Proſe.
Q. What are they that are written in Poeſie?
A. They are either Doctrinall only, as the Prouerbs of Salomon, Eccleſiaſtes, the Canticles, the Lamentations of Ieremie, and Iob; or both Doctrinall, and foretelling things to come, as the Pſalmes.
Q. What are they that are written in Proſe?
A. They are either Hiſtoricall, or Doctrinall, and foretelling things to come, called the Prophets.
Q. What are the Historicall?
A. Ioſuah, Iudges, Ruth, the 2. bookes of Samuel, the 2. bookes of the Kings, Ezra, Nehemiah, Heſter, and the 2. bookes of Chronicles.
Q. What are the Doctrinall, and which foretell things to come?
A. They are called either the greater Prophets, as Eſay, Ieremie, Ezechiel, and Daniel. Or the ſmaller, as Hoſeas, Ioel, Amos, Abdias, Ionas, Micheas, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephanie, Aggei, Zacharie, and Malachy.
Q What are the bookes of the New Teſtament.
A. They are Hiſtoricall, or Doctrinall.
Q. VVhat are the Historicall?
A. Either ſuch as write of Chriſt, as Matthew, Marke, Luke, and Iohn; or of the Apoſtles, as the Hiſtory of the Acts.
Q. What are the Doctrinall?
A. They are ſuch as are either only Doctrinall, or Propheticall alſo.
Q. What are they that are Doctrinall onelyonly?
A. The Epiſtles of Paul to the Romans, the 1. and 2. to the Corinthians, to the Galathians, Epheſians, Philippians, Coloſsians, the 1. and 2. to the Theſſalonians, the 1. and 2. to Timothie, to Titus, Philemon, the Hebrewes, the Epiſtle of Iames, the 2. Epiſtles of Peter, the 3. Epiſtles of Iohn, the Epiſtle of Iude.
Q. VVhat is that which is Propheticall alſo?
A. The booke of the Apocalyps, or Reuelation.
Q. How may theſe bookes bee diſcerned to bee the word of God?
A. By theſe conſiderations following: Firſt, they Prou. 8. 8. & 30. 5. Pſalm. 12. 7. & 19. 8.are perfectly holy in themſelues, and by themſelues: whereas all other writings are prophane, further then they draw holineſſe from theſe; which yet is neuer ſuch, but that their holineſſe is imperfect and defectiue.
Secondly, they are perfectly profitable in themſelues, Jam. 1. 21.to inſtruct to ſaluation, and all other are vtterly vnprofitable thereunto, any further then they draw from them.
Thirdly, there is a perfect concord and harmonie Act. 26. 22.in all theſe Bookes, notwithſtanding the diuerſity of perſons by whom, places where, and times when, and matters whereof, they hauehave been written.
Fourthly, there is an admirable aPſalm. 19. 7. Heb. 4. 12.force in them, to incline mens hearts from vice to vertue.
Fifthly, in great b1. Cor. 1. 17. 18. 21. 24. & 2. 15. 1, Tim. 5. 21.plaineneſſe and eaſineſſe of ſtile, there ſhineth a great Maieſty and authority.
Sixthly, there is ſuch a gracious ſimplicity in the writers of theſe Bookes, that they neither ſpare their friends, nor themſelues, but moſt freely, and impartially, ſet downe their owne faults and infirmities as well as others.
Laſtly, Gods owne Spirit working in the harts of his children doth aſſure them, that theſe Scriptures are the word of God.
Q. Is it agreed vponupon, that theſe Bookes are alone in account of the Bookes of Scripture?
A. Concerning the Bookes of the New Teſtament it is generally agreed, that all they, and that they alone are of that account: But the Church of Rome holdeth, that diuers other books, (called Apocrypha) doe belong to the Old Teſtament, and are of the ſame authority with the other that hauehave been named.
Q. By what reaſons may this errour of theirs bee ouerthrowen?
A. By theſe: Firſt, they were not written at the firſt in the Hebrew tongue, in which, all the authenticall Bookes of the Old Teſtament were originally written.
Secondly, the Iewes (to whom the Oracles of God Rom. 3.were committed, vnderunder the Old Teſtament) hauehave acknowledged and kept theſe onelyonly as Canonicall, and the Oracles of God, and not the other.
Thirdly, theſe onelyonly were read and expounded in Act. 13. 15.their Synagogues, and not the other.
Fourthly, the Primitiue Churches after the Apoſtles, (both Greek and Latine) did receiue theſe Books onelyonly for Canonicall Scripture.
Q. VVhat worthie vſe and effect of theſe bookes of holy Scripture, doth the Apoſtle ſet forth in this place?
A. This, that they are able to make a man wiſe to 2. Tim. 3. 16. 17.Saluation, through faith in Ieſus Chriſt.
Q. How doth that appeare?
A. Firſt, for that God is the Author of them, who is for his wiſdome, able; & for his louelove to his Church, willing, to ſet downe ſuch a Rule as may guide them fully and perfectly to eternall Life. Secondly, for that it is profitable, to teach all true doctrine, and to confute the falſe; to correct all diſorder, priuate, and publike, and to informe men throughly in the way of righteouſneſſe. Thirdly, for that the Miniſter of the Word is ſaid thereby, to be made compleat and perfect to eueryevery dutie of the Miniſterie.
Q. How doth this laſt reaſon hold?
A. Very ſtrongly: for more being required of a Miniſter, that is to bee the eye and mouth of the people, then of the people themſelues; if it be ſufficient to make him perfect, it is much more able to giuegive them ſufficient Inſtruction. And ſeeing the Miniſter is Act. 20. 27.bound to diſcloſe the whole Counſell of God to his people, & may be therunto fully furniſhed out of the treaſurie of the Word of God; it followeth that they alſo out of the Scriptures may be abundātly taught to Saluation; & need not elſewher to ſeek for any ſupply.
Q. VVhat other things doe you gather from theſe cauſes, properties and effects of Scripture?
A. Firſt, that it alone being able and ſufficient to Mat. 23. 8. Ioh. 5. 39. Matth. 15. 9.make vsus wiſe to Saluation, we need no vnwritten Verities, no Traditions of men, no Canons of Councels, or Sentences of Fathers; much leſſe Decrees of Popes, to ſupply any ſuppoſed defect of the written Word of God, or to giuegive vsus a more perfect direction in the way of life, then is already ſet downe expreſſely in the Canonicall Scriptures.
Q. VVhat elſe learne you from thence?
A. I learne further, (eſpecially from this, that they Iohn 12. 48. Galath. 1. 9.they are inſpired of God): 1. That they are of diuine authority. 2. That they are ye rule, the line, the ſquyre, and light, wherby to examine and trie all iudgements and ſayings of men, and of Angels, whether they bee ſuch as God approueth, yea or no; & that they are not to be iudged or ſentenced by any. And therfore that the Church of Rome, who hangeth the credit and authority of the Scriptures on the Churches ſentence, doth therein offer horrible iniurie and indignity vntounto God, making thereby the Churches word, of greater credit and authority then the Word of God.
Q. What further doe you learne from hence?
A. I learne from hence (and eſpecially in that it is Matth. 5. 18. Pſalm. 19 9.ſaid to be a rule and a line) that it is firme and ſtable, and changeth not: and therefore is as a rule of ſteele, and not (as the Church of Rome blaſphemouſly affirmeth) like a rule of lead, which may be bowed eueryevery way at mens pleaſures.
Q. But it ſeemeth the Scriptures are darke, and hard to be vnderſtood, and therefore that the reading of them is not to be permitted vntounto the common people, but vntounto thoſe onelyonly that are learned.
A. The direct contrary is taught by the Apoſtle, when he affirmeth, that Timothy was nouriſhed vp in the Scriptures from his infancie. For if they be ſo penned, that little children may profitably reade them, there is none ſo groſſe (which hath the vnderſtanding of a man) but may profit by them; comming in the feare of God, and with inuocation of his name, to the reading and hearing of them.