תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

thing that is fet forth by the infpiration of the Holy Ghoft, requireth an interpreter infpired with the like spirit; and without the infpiration of it, the fecrets of God cannot be known."'

Luther giveth us his mind thus: The fcriptures are not to be understood, but by that very fpirit by which they were writ."'

Peter Martyr, that famous Italian Proteftant, teacheth us, The spirit is the abettor, by which we must affure ourselves for understanding the fcriptures, that thereby we must discern between Chrift's words, and a stranger's;"' quoting Chrift's words, " My "fheep know my voice," and feveral other places of fcripture.

Again, The fpirit of God revealeth the truth in the fcriptures."'

H. Bullinger, decad. 4. ferm. 8. Men fetch the understanding of heavenly things, and knowledge ⚫ of the Holy Ghoft, from no-where else, but from the fame Spirit.'

John Bradford answered to the archbishop of York thus: We know the fcriptures, as Chrift's fheep, by the fame Spirit that wrote and spake them; being ⚫ thereby affured,' &c."

Calvin teacheth thus in his Inftitutes; It is neceffary the fame Spirit that fpake by the mouth of the prophets, fhould pierce into our hearts, to persuade us that they faithfully delivered that which was committed to them of God.""

Beza faith, That the way of understanding prophecies, and referring them to the right fcope, 'must be fought or fetched from the fame fpirit which ⚫ dictated them to the prophets themselves; and more to that purpose.

W. Tindal, called the English apoftle by J. Fox, faith, It is impoffible to understand in the fcripture

z Erafmus on 1 Pet. i. 19. on 1 Cor. ii.

fol.

a Luther, tom. 3.
c Ibid. p. 2.

169. Peter Martyr Com. loc. p. 1. c. 6. c. 18. d Book of Martyrs, 3 vol. p. 298. lib. 1. c. 8. f Beza on 2 Pet. i. 19,

e Calvin. Inftit.

<more

more than a Turk, for any that hath not the law ' of God, writ in the heart, to fulfil it."'

[ocr errors]

Bp. Jewel fays thus against Harding, The fpirit of God is bound neither to sharpness of wit, nor to abundance of learning: flesh and blood is not ⚫ able to understand the holy will of God, without Special revelation. Without this Special help, and prompting of God's Spirit, the fcripture is to the < reader, be he never fo wife and learned, as the vifion of a fealed book.h

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Dr. Ames, a great father of the Independents, faith upon occafion of Bellarmin's words, The anointing of the Holy Spirit doth teach the faithful to under• stand those things which they received of the apof<tles; therefore to understand the fcriptures in those 'things which are neceffary to falvation;' with more to that purpose.

Vatablus on Job xxxii. 8. with Drufius, Clarius, and others, speak to the fame effect.

G. Cradock, a famous Independent preacher, preached, that the fcripture is a fpeechless thing without the fpirit.*"

Ch. Goad, an eminent Separate, in his works ftiled B. D. of K. college, in Cambridge, and an Independent paftor thus taught, There is no knowledge of • Chrift, nor of the fcripture, but by revelation.

[ocr errors]

Dr. J. Owen, a man of greatest fame among the present Independents, faith, The public, authentic, and infallible interpreter of the holy fcriptures, is he who is the author of them; from the breathing of whose spirit they derive all their verity, perfpicuity, and authority."

[ocr errors]

So that we fee, upon the judgment of many confiderable perfons, the fcripture is no rule for our believing and understanding of itself; and therefore not

Tindal's Works, p. 319 & 80. h Jewel against Harding, p. 532, 534. iDr. Ames against Bellarm. 1. 1. c. 6. Thef. 32. G. Cradock's Divine Drops, p. 217. 1 C. Goad's Refr. Drops, Exercit. 2. 7. 9. against Quak.

p. 12.

Gg 4

the

the rule of faith and practice concerning the things therein declared.

I will give a fhort inftance in Chrift's words about regeneration. He taught (and ftrange it was, no doubt, to wife Nicodemus)" that unless a man be "born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God." This is as plain a propofition as can be laid down, and may be credited hiftorically: but what is that to the 'knowledge and experience of the new birth? That they are never like to be informed of there. Nor can that fcripture be my rule in that heavenly travel, respecting the many and wonderful trials and exercises that are to be met with in the way to it; neither can any other writing whatever. This only is the office of that Spirit and Word immortal, by which we are begotten again. What, then, is my rule, to inform, order, ftrengthen, and lead through the whole operation, but the fame fpirit? All doctrinal fcripture was experienced before written, or they had not been true witneffes who wrote it.

Now that which was their rule, can guide us into the fame experiences; nor are they to be rightly known before experienced: "If any man will do his " will, he shall know of the doctrine," faith Christ. I read the hiftory of fuch things: this faves not: neither can the history be the rule leading into the myftery. That belongs only to the fpirit, that fearcheth out the deep things of God. Confequently the spirit, and not the fcripture, is the rule for fo believing and living.

Obj. But is not this to make void the Proteftants plea against the Papifts, viz. That the fcriptures are the rule of faith and practice?

Anfw. No fuch matter: for the question was not, Whether the spirit of Chrift, or the fcripture, was the rule; but, Whether the fcripture, which is God's tradition, or Popish traditions, were the rule to measure the truth of doctrines and practices by? We grant

that

that particular fcriptures, rightly understood, may measure what is agreeable or difagreeable to them: that is, fuch doctrines and practices as are contrary to that part of scripture, more particularly relating to our days, are queftionable by the fcripture; efpecially fince all parties pretend that what they fay and do is according to fcripture. Yet this concludes not the fcripture to be the general and evangelical rule.

Obj. But if God had not revealed thofe things that are in fcripture, by it to us, how could they have been known by us?

Anfw. They were known by the light and spirit of Christ before they were written; for from being written they are called fcripture. Therefore it is faid, "that "the prophets fearched diligently what, and what "manner of time, the fpirit of Chrift, that was in "them, did fignify, when it teftified before-band of "the fufferings of Chrift."" Nor are they ever the more revealed to the blind and dark mind, because they are written. The myfteries of regeneration are as puzzling to natural wit and earthly wisdom, as before. Therefore well faid Epiphanius, Only to the ⚫ children of the Holy Ghoft all the holy fcriptures

are plain and eafy.' Mens going to hammer out principles, without this infallible guide and rule, hath been the cause of that great confufion that is over mankind about religion to this very day.

Obj. But how else could you have known thofe prophecies to be true; for that is not matter of witneffing, but foretelling.

Anfw. That is an extraordinary revelation, not falling within the ordinary discoveries that are abfolutely neceffary to man's falvation; by which God fhews his power and faithfulness, that he is God, and can fore

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

tel, and will bring to pafs: but therefore must there be an extraordinary light or fpirit, and not rather an extraordinary fight and fenfe from one and the fame light and spirit in them? Befides, that which gives me to believe and favour it to be from the spirit, and not by impofture, is my rule for believing it. Now that the spirit fo doth, both Calvin and Beza, as before cited, affert for me, viz. The fame spirit that fpake by the mouth of the prophets, muft pierce into our hearts, to perfuade us that they faithfully declared that which was committed to them of • God.'

Obj. But this light you speak of, could not tell you which way fin came into the world: that there was an Adam and Eve, that they fell after that manner, and that fin fo entered the world: that Chrift was born of a virgin, Juffered death, and rofe again: that you ought not to fwear in any cafe, &c. if the fcriptures had not told you fo.

Anfw. That is boldly faid. But confider well: Mofes,' fays the vulgar opinion, had that account of the creation, above two thousand years after it, by revelation, which we find in Genefis.' Now that there could be no revelation without this divine light or fpirit, which is the life of the eternal, creating Word, must needs be granted; "for," faith the apoftle Paul," the spirit of God only knoweth the things "of God; and whatever makes manifeft is light." And that the fpirit and light are one, though two names, has been fufficiently evidenced already. If then it was this light of the eternal Word, that delivered those past things to Mofes, and gave that profpect of future things to the prophets; as no doubt it was, if the fcriptures be credible; then to fay, the light or fpirit could not do it,' is blafphemous, as well as abfurd. Again, to argue, because the light does not reveal every circumstance of history to each

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
« הקודםהמשך »