The Plain Mans Senses Exercised to Discern Good and Evil, Chapter 1 · Section 2
Of their Error, who deny the Authority of the Old Testament, as if now out of date.
Search the Scriptures, Joh. 5 39. 2d. Doct.&c. At that time there were no other scriptures penned, but those of the old Testament: hence my Second doctrine is this, That the scriptures of the old Testament are still of divine Authority to the Churches of Christ under the Gospell, to judge and determine in matters of Faith, and duty, &c. To what end should we search the scriptures, if they were no longer of Authority and Power to instruct, Command and direct our beliefe and practise? But sin is to be judged sin, and duty to be esteemed a duty, and faith to be accounted faith according to the old Testament, and therefore their Authority is unquestionable. For proofe observe how Christ and his Apostles in the new Testament doe beare witnesse to the Authority of the old. Mat. 7.12: Whatsoever ye would, &c. For this is the law and the Prophets: under the Law, and the Prophets, Christ comprehends the whole old Testament, and tells his hearers, they must doe, as they would be done unto, Because the Law and the Prophets teach and require it; Christ did not bring a weake proofe: Add hereunto the Practise and advice of Christ, Luke 24.25.27. He reproves the two disciples for not believing the Prophets, and then Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Eph. ….20.Paul saith our Faith and Salvation is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets; now if that foundation be destroyed, what will become of our faith? and therefore Christ opened their understandings, that they might understand the scripture, ver. 45. What needed this, if those scriptures were now abrogated? if Moses and the Prophets were removed by the preaching of the Gospell, why did Christ open their understandings to understand them, and not rather tell them, that they were abolished? Why did Christ lay the foundation of the Christian faith, upon that, which was not?
This answers their objection, Obj. who say, the old Testament was of force, till Christs death and Resurrection; But when the new Testament was confirmed by the death of the Testator, then the old was void.
But here you see Christ, after his Resurrection, Sol. doth turn those two Disciples to those writings for grounding of their Faith, Christ might have told them of new Gospel-truths if any such had been; But he remits them to the Scriptures, and heightens their wits to understand and believe them, as a sure Anchor of their Faith; And so in the Parable, Luke 16.29. the advise given by Christ to save the Living from going to Hell, is this, They have Moses and the Prophets, Hear them, therefore not to be rejected as of no use to save or damne.
Consider the example of the Apostles in all their preaching, they did acknowledge the Authority of the old Testament: Saint Peter Acts 2: when he would convince the Jews of the resurrection of Christ, and bring them to faith on him, whom they had betrayed and slain, he makes all good out of the Old Testament, quoted thrice from ver. 25. to 36. And this was after Christs Ascension.
It is objected by some, Obj. that Christ spake to his Disciples by and from Scripture: But when he was gone into heaven, then he refers them to the teaching of the holy Ghost, which he had promised to send unto them. Joh. 16.13. He will guide you into all Truth, and shew you things to come.
Christ speaks of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit to the Apostles after Christs Ascension: by help of which, Sol. residing and abiding in them, they should be priviledged from erring, and made to understand many things concerning Christs Kingdome, which as yet they understood not; but here's not a syllable of setting up a Teacher, that should overthrow the Scripture; Yea, this Objection is answered by the former example of S. Peter; for S. Peter fetcht his proofes out of the Old Testament, after the pouring forth of the holy Ghost upon them, ver. 16, 17. These are not drunken as ye suppose, &c. at that time the holy Ghost was already descended on the Apostles, and they spake with tongues, ver. 3. But they had never a tongue to slight the writings of the Old Testament; but S. Peter, though inspired by the holy Ghost, yet fetcht all his proofes from thence. Consider the practice of S. Paul, who contending for the faith of Jesus doth confirme his doctrine from thence, Acts 26.22. saying none other things then those, which Moses and the Prophets did say should come, that Christ should suffer &c. So he confirms his doctrin of the Resurrection out of the scripture, 1 Cor. 15.4. Lastly in this sort did Philip make use of the Prophets for the conversion of the Eunuch, Acts. 8.35. He began at that scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. Thus you see the Authority of those books is alleadged by Christ and his Apostles, and made use of to lay the foundation of faith, to convince of sin, to Convert souls, to keep men from the coming into the place of Torment; And all this after Christs ascension, and the comming of the holy Ghost, and therefore they are so to be acknowledged, and received of us for the same uses: Reas. 1 Because Salvation is of the Iews, Ioh. 4.22. The doctrine of Salvation was a sacred Treasure committed to that people; if their Religion were not true, ours is false; if their scriptures be vaine, our faith is vaine also; This was the Iews preheminence, chiefly because to them were committed the Oracles of God, Rom. 3.3. which S. Stephen calls lively Oracles, Acts. 7.38. because delivered, vivâ voce, and because they serve to make alive the dead soul, and the Fathers received them to deliver unto us.
Those Books of the old Testament, Reas. 2 are either Historicall, Propheticall, or Doctrinall; The Historicall and Propheticall are unto this day the grounds of our faith in the points of Creation and Providence; of the Fall and misery of man, of the comming of the Messiah, of his Person and Office, and of Salvation by him; Secondly, of admonition, reproofes, and instructions for holy life. The Doctrinall parts, as the Law of Moses, the Psalmes, Proverbs, and many passages of the Prophets, have their use of instruction in faith and holinesse, in the right use of Gods worship and Ordinances: every one of these parts is of perpetuall use and Authority, to command and regulate our faith and manners; It was true, it is true, and will be for ever true, they did teach the Church of God of old, they doe the same to us, and will doe the same to the worlds end; so that whosoever is under a promise of the old Testament, he may rejoyce, and take comfort in it; or if under a curse, let him Tremble, if under a command, let him obey it, (if under a Prophesie, let him rest upon it) we finde Gospell-graces regard Old Testament proofes. Heb. 13.5. Let your Conversation be without Covetousnesse; for he hath said, I will never leave thee. And Gospell-duties urged upon old Testament precepts, as Eph. 6.3. Honour thy Father and Mother, which is the first Commandement with promise.
What say you of that part, Quest. which is Typicall and Ceremoniall?
Though they cease and be abolished as to our practice, Answ. yet they are perpetuall, and still a part of holy scripture,The ceremoniall Law is still a Teacherof Morall duties. as for our teaching and learning, The Types and figures of the Law are a kinde of Prophesies, for they doe in certaine Actions set forth Christ to come, and the benefits by him; as the Prophets did by their words and writings, they still teach and instruct, and we may fetch Arguments of faith and duty from them, as Paul doth in the Epistle to the Hebrews, and other places (as for example) if the Question be between us and the Socinians, whether Christ by dying did make Attonement for sin. We say, yea, and the Law and the daily Burnt offerings and sin offerings doe teach the same: if ye ask of the manner how? Answer, it is by sprinkling the sinner, (that is) by applying it to our own souls. If the question be about Ministers and their maintenance, in the New Testament the Apostle proves it to be the peoples duty from the Law. 1 Cor. 9.7. Who goes a warfare at his own Charge? That's Pauls Argument; Ministers must be paid as well as souldiers, and he fortifies his reason by Testimony of old Testament ver. 8. Say I these things as a man? Or saith not the Law the same? For it is written in the Law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Ox, that treadeth out the Corne; The same proofe he uses upon another occasion. 1 Tim. 5.17.18.
But Pauls proofe is faulty, because it is a Ceremoniall proof, Obj. and so denies Christ to be come in the flesh.
God intended in that Law, to teach us something, Answ. that is morall, (namely) that God doth take care for Ministers, and for his Labourers in his word, more than for Oxen; and if that Law be written for our sakes; then why may not other things written in the Ceremoniall Law, teach a morall duty, as well as that? The Ceremoniall law, as it doth set forth Christ, so also the duty of Christians in their holy administrations: Thus the Purging out of Leaven, did teach the putting away of filthy affections from our holy services, and polluted people from the society of the Church, 1 Cor. 5.7.13. So the sprinkling of the unclean, doth teach, that when we present any service to the Lord, we must renue our repentance, and not come with defiled hearts or hands, 1 Tim. 2.8. By the consecrating of the first fruits we are taught, that we ought to be consecrated as holy unto the Lord, as a kind of first fruits of his creatures, Iam. 1.18. Rev. 14.4.
We are not subject to those Ordinances to doe them, we offer not the sacrifices, because Christ is come; yet looke what they signifie, they teach, and they serve for our learning, as is said.
But there is Heb. 7.18. Obj. A disanulling of the Commandement for the weaknesse and unprofitablenesse of it.
The meaning is this, Answ. 1 that the blood of those sacrifices did not take away sin by any power or vertue, that was in them; they of themselves are weake and beggarly, if any body should rest in them, as the Carnall Iews did; and therefore, he sayes, those Ordinances were to cease, and give place, when the true Sacrifice, Iesus Christ was offered; which alone did and could take away sin;Heb. 7.19. The law made nothing perfect, but in their relative use and end, they did lead unto Christ, that better hope, who made all perfect; For his blood served for the redemption of sins and transgressions, Heb 9.15.which were committed under the first Testament. So that the way of Salvation taught then in Types, and now without them; the substance of the Covenant is one and the same, only that former manner of Administring waxeth old, and is put into a new way, which is significantly expressed, Heb. 7.12. There is foreign; not an abolishing of the substance of the Covenant, but a Transposition of it into another way; As a Tenant, that holds by Copy, if he obtain to hold in Fee, the latter grant doth indeed actually null the former Tenure, yet not the former Benefit, his Tenure is mended, being changed into Fee simple:Blow at Root. p. 60. So the coming of the New Testament doth better our Tenure, but alters not the Promises, Commands, Counsels in the Old. For as the substance of the Priesthood was not to end, as having no more a being on the Earth, but onelyonly translated upon other persons.Isa. 66.21. I will take of the Gentiles for Priests and Levites: So the matter of the Covenant was not destroyed, and taken quite away, but onelyonly changed into another Form, other Sacraments, and yet the same; 1 Cor. 10.3, 4.other for the Sign, the same for Substance, the same spirituall meat and drink, the same Rock, Jesus Christ.
I answer, Answ. 2 That when the Apostle there speaks of disanulling the Old Testament, he doth not mean the Books of the Old Testament, but that old manner of publishing, administring, and applying the Covenant.
The Books of the Old Testament had Christ for their principall scope and subject. Moses wrote of me, John 5.46.if ye believe Moses, you would believe me, if ye believe not Moses, ye cannot soundly believe the Apostles: Acts 2. Acts 28.23.Thus they reasoned and perswaded the things concerning Iesus out of the Law, and Prophets. Wherefore we conclude, that the Scriptures of the Old Testament, are to be reteined still in force, as the good Word of God written for our learning, and a Word that still speaks unto us as unto Children, in Doctrines, 1 Cor. 10.11.in Exhortations, in Consolations.