A Short Treatise Containing the Principal Grounds of Christian Religion, Catechism · Question 6
Q. How may it be prooued that thoſe bookes are the word of God, immediately inſpired by the holy Ghoſt to the Prophets and Apoſtles?
A. 7 By the • teſtimonie f2. Pet. 1. 19.of the Church, 9 conſtancie gReu. 6. 9.of the Saints, 10 miracles h1. King 17. 24. Ioh. 3. 2. 1. Ier. 6. 16. Heb. 13. 8.wrought to confirme the truth, and the 11 Antiquitie i thereof.
Expoſ. 7. It is very expedient and neceſſary, that all Chriſtians of age and diſcreation, ſhould knowe that the Scriptures are the very word of God, the immediate and infallible truth of God, that is to be receiued, obeied and beleeued. For thereby we are the better fitted to heare, read, and rec…eiue the word with attention, ioy, reuerence, ſubmiſſion. Act. 10. 33. and aſſurance of faith, which being a diuine grace muſt hauehave a diuine foundation. 2. Tim. 3. 15, 16. 1. Ioh 5. 9. and being certaine muſt hauehave a ſure ground euen the word of God. Ioh. 5. 46. Eph. 2. 20. Rom. 4. 18. Alſo it miniſters no ſmall comfort in affliction and temptation that we knowe whom we hauehave truſted, 2. Tim. 1. 12. Act. 5. 29. This muſt be knowne not by opinion, or probable coniecture which may deceiue, but by certain and diſtinct knowledge, whereby we conceiue of things certaine certainely as they are, and are aſſured that we conceiue of them none otherwiſe then as they are; that we may be able to ſtop the mouthes of Atheiſts and Papiſts, who carp againſt the truth. 2. Cor. 13. 3. We come not to the vnderſtanding hereof by ſenſe, or diſcourſe of reaſon: this matter is to be diſcerned, and beleeued by faith.
But for the fuller clearing of the point, ſundry rules are to bee obſerued, both concerning faith, and concerning the Scripture it ſelfe. 1. Diſtinction muſt be made, betweene certainty of faith, and certainty of ſenſe or ſight. Things beleeued, in themſelues are more certaine then things ſeen, but they are not alwaies ſo apprehended by vsus. Certainty of ſight excludes doubtings, ſo doth not certainty of faith, it is ſufficient that it preuaile againſt them. Gen. 15. 6. 8. 1. Cor. 13. 9. 12. Iud. 6. 36, 37, 38. 2. Implicite faith, by which wee confuſedly beleeue, that ſuch bookes are the word of God not vnderſtanding the ſenſe of them, is to be diſtinguiſhed from explicite faith, which is euer ioyned with a diſtinct and certain vnderſtanding of the thing beleiued. Ioh. 3. 2. 10. 3. Hiſtorical faith, which ſtands in the certainty of the mind, and beleeues God ſpeaking in his word, muſt bee diſtinguiſhed from iuſtifying and ſauing faith, which containes the perſwaſion and confidence of the heart, whereby we not only beleeue the word of God to be the cheife truth; but alſo do embrace it, as containing the cheife good of man. Iam. 2. 19. Ioh. 5. 35. Heb. 6. 11. & 10. 22. Eph. 3. 12. for all things in Scripture are not alike to be beleeued, neither doe the ſame arguments ſerue, to beget each faith. 4. Concerning the Scripture, wee muſt put a difference betweene the doctrine therin contained, and the writing: for the ſigne is for the ſenſe, and the knowledge and faith of both is not alike neceſſarie. The doctrine was euer neceſſary to be beleeued, the manner of reuealing was not alwaies. Ioh. 8. 24. 5. Of doctrines, ſome are ſimply neceſſary to ſaluation, containing the maine grounds and cheife heads of Chriſtian religion: others are expoſitions, or amplifications of the ſame, very profitable, but not of ſuch neceſſitie. 1. Cor. 3. 12. 13. Col. 2. 18. 19. Phil. 3. 15. 6. A diſtinction is to bee put betweene the Scripture generally conſidered, in reſpect of the manner of reuealing, and between the number and order of the Bookes: it being one thing to beleeue that the will of God is nowe fully and wholly committed to writing: another that this is the diſtinct order, & preciſe number of Bookes. 7. Alſo it is one thing to beleeue, that God is the author of this or that booke; another to beleeue that it was written by this or that Scribe or Amanuenſis; ſo that a difference is to be made between the cheife Author of a booke, and the Inſtrument thereof. 1. Cor. 12. 3. Mat. 10. 20. 8. The ſubſtance of doctrine neceſſarie to ſaluation contained in Scripture, is to be beleeued with an expreſſe, hiſtoricall, and ſauing faith: but the number and order of bookes is to bee beleeued with faith hiſtoricall.
8. By the Church we vnderſtand not the Pope, whome the Papiſts call the Church virtuall; nor his Biſhops & Cardinalls met in a generall Council, whom they call the Church repreſentatiue; but the whole companie of beleeuers, who hauehave profeſſed the true faith, whether thoſe who receiued the bookes of holy Scripture from the Prophets and Apoſtles; or thoſe who liued after. VnderUnder the name of the Church we comprehend not the Prophets and Apoſtles, as they were immediately choſen and called to be the penmen of holy Scripture; for they wrote not as men in the Church, but aboue the Church. The Church of the Iewes profeſſed the doctrine, and receiued the Bookes of the old Teſtament, and teſtified of them that they were diuine. To whoſe teſtimony theſe things giuegive force: 1. To them were committed the Oracles of God. Rom. 3. 2. 2. In great miſerie they hauehave conſtantly confeſſed the ſame, when as by the onelyonly denying thereof, they might hauehave been partakers both of libertie and rule. 3. Notwithſtanding the high Prieſts and others perſecuted the Prophets whiles they liued, yet they receiued their writings as propheticall and diuine. 4. Since obſtinacie is come to Iſrael, notwithſtanding their great hatred to the Chriſtian religion, the holy Scripture of the old Teſtament, is kept pure and vncorrupt amongſt them, euen in thoſe places which doe euidently confirme the truth of Chriſtian religion. Eſa. 53. 3, 4, 5, &c. The Chriſtian Church hath embraced the doctrine of God, and receiued the books both of the Old and New-Teſtament. To whoſe teſtimonie two things giuegive weight: 1. their great conſtancie. 2. their admirable and ſweet conſent: for in other matters we may obſerue differences in opinions, in this a ſingular and wonderfull agreement. This teſtimonie of Chriſtians is conſidered three waies; 1. Of the vniuerſall Church, which from the beginning thereof vntill theſe times, profeſſing the Chriſtian religion to bee diuine, doth alſo profeſſe that theſe bookes are of God. 2. Of the ſeuerall primatiue Churches, which firſt receiued the bookes of the old Teſtament, and the Epiſtles written from the Apoſtles to them, their Paſtors, or to ſome they knew, and after deliuered thē vnderunder the ſame title, to their ſucceſſors, and other Churches. 3. Of the Paſtors and Doctors, who (being furniſhed with skill, both in the tongues and matters diuine,) vponupon due triall and examination hauehave pronounced their iudgement, and approoued them to the people committed to their charge. This teſtimonie is of great weight and importance, profitable to prepare the heart, and to mooue it to beleeue; of all humane teſtimonies wherby the author of any booke that hath, is, or ſhall be extant, can be prooued, the greateſt, both in reſpect of the multitude, wiſedome, honeſtie, faithfulneſſe of the witneſſes, & the likenes, conſtancie, and continuance of the Teſtimonie it ſelfe. But this teſtimonie is onelyonly humane; not the onelyonly, not the cheife, whereby the truth and diuinitie of the Scripture is confirmed, neither can it be the ground of diuine faith and aſſurance.
9. The Saints of God of all ſorts and conditions, noble, baſe, rich, poore, learned, vnlearned, old, young, married, vnmarried, &c hauehave ſuffered the moſt grieuous torments, vſuall, vnuſuall, ſpeedy, ſlowe, euen what hell could inuent, or mans malice find out, for the defence of this truth. All theſe things a number numberles endured, and that with great conſtancie and ioy, euen with a cheerefull heart, and merrie countenance, ſo that none can thinke they ſuffered out of weakneſſe, pride, vaine-glorie, or diſcontent. This the patient ſuffering of the Martyrs is not a teſtimonie meerely humane, but partly diuine: for that courage, and cheerefulnes which they ſhewed in the midſt of all torments, was not from nature but from aboue.
10. Many and great wonders, ſuch as Sathan himſelfe cannot imitate, ſuch as exceed the power of any, yea of all the creatures in the world, ſuch as the moſt malitious ene…ies of Gods truth, could not denie to be diuine, hath the Lord openly wroug…t by the hands of Moſes, the Prophets, and Apoſtles, for the confirmation of this truth. Numb. 11. 9. and 20. 10. Exod. 19. 16. 1. King 17. 24. Mark. 16. 20. H…b. 2. 4 Ioh. 5. 36. and 9. 30. 33. Act. 5. 12. Theſe miracles were ſufficient to confirme the diuinity of this truth, and writing, to them who were eie-witneſſes thereof. Heb. 2. 3. Ioh. 20. 20. Iudg. 2. 7. 10. The vndoubted and cleare narration of them, is to vsus an inuincible argument thereof.
11. That which is moſt auncient, is moſt true and diuine, the pureſt religion is before all others; there muſt needs be a law before tranſgreſſion; and a commandement giuen vntounto man, before there could bee place for the Deuill to tempt him. But the religion taught in Scripture is of greateſt antiquitie; the doctrin of the creation and fall is their handled, in all other ſtories whatſoeuer is omitted.