Veneer on Article VI: Of the Sufficiency of the holy Scriptures for salvation

[…]

^ of the Names and Number of the Canonical Books,

Genesis,

Exodus,

Leviticus,

Numeri,

Deuteronomium,

Jofhue,

Judges,

Ruth,

Tbirty-Nine Articles. 1 2 1

ifirff 150tik of Samuel, Article VI,

©eCOnO TlSaok of Samuel, k/VN^

JFUtt T600fe Of Kings,

^eCOnO ‘:if OOfe of Kings,

S^ittt T500fe Ot Chronicles,

^eCOnt) T500k of chronicles,

ifitft TBOOfe Of Efdras,

®£COntl TBOOfe Of Efdras,

Cf)e TSOOft Of Hefter,

Cfie’Soofeof Job,

[…]

iFour […] Ctoelic p?opljetj3 tlje lefs.

[…]

ceeTBoofe Of Judith,

Clje reff of t&e ‘BOOfe of Hefter,

C&e TBOOfe of Wifdom,

Jesus tfie ^On of Sirach,

Baruch tfie PlOpljCt,

[…]

Cl)e @tO?p of Sufanna,

JDf Bell anO tfie Dragon,

CSel^japctOfManaffes,

C8e JFirfl QSOOfe of Maccabees,

Cue SeCOnD OBOOft of Maccabees.

I IX An Expofltion on the

[…]

The Exposition.

ROM a Child, faith St Pf/ to u, timothy, thou haft known the Holy MeMpZi […] fijjfo Salvation, thro’ Faith which is in Christ Jesus, 2 I’im, iii. 15. And in the two following Verses, All Scripture is gi’ven hy Jnfpiration of God, and is profitable for DoffrinCj for Reproof, for Correction, for Inftru5non in Righteoufnefs : ‘that the Man of God may he per fe5f, throughly furnijhed unto all good IVorks, The Gospel, faith S. Ignatius, is the Perfedion of Uncorruptnefs §. And ertuUian % hath these Words : We have no need of being curious since the Coming of Christ Jesus, or of being inquifitive lince the Gospel since we believe it, we want nothing to be believed fur- ther. From whence is that Tradition, faith S. Cyprian ? Does it come recommended by the Authority of our Lord and his Gospel, or from the Commands and Epiftlesof his Apostles ? For God testifies that we are to do those Things that are written *.

The Scriptures, faith Irenaus, are indeed perfeft, as they are dictated by the Word of God, and his Spirit ||. And again t. We who

§ Epiji. ad ThiUdel.

[…]

• ^P^fi- 74.

}| Lib. II. C. XLVII.

t Lib. IV. C. LXIX,

follow

ThWty-Wme Articles. 123

follow the one true God alone as our Teacher, Article vi. and having his Words for the Rule of Truth, V^‘^NTN*^ always fay the fame Things concerning them.

For indeed the Scripture contains every thing that relates either to Faith or Pradice, beyond which it hath pleased God to require nothing of us. Nothing Ihort of this can poflibly be con- cluded from the Places of Scripture before-men- tioned. That which makes us wife unto Salva- tion, makes us as wife as we need to be, and that which even perfeds a Pastor, who is to in- ftrud his People, hath no Deficiency in it. And they who are for imposing any thing as an Ar- tide of Faith, or as necelfary to Salvation, which is not to be read in the Scriptures or “othlng u bt cannot be fairly proved from them, are fuffi- ”“thfFuh ciently confuted by our bleffed Saviour’s Words, ormccjaryo atth. XV. 9. But in vam do they worjhip mesahano-n, teaching for Dorines the Commandments of Men. '''' ‘J And in the Words of fertullian % Let Hermo tiZl/”” genes fhew, faith he, that ‘tis written : If it be not written, let him take Care of that Woe which is pronounced against all those who either add to, or take from. For fmce it belongs to God to fix the Conditions of Salvation, in whole Power alone it is to confer it, ‘tis no Bufinefs of Man’s to command or teach other Things as necelfary to Salvation, besides thole which God hath taught and commanded in the Scriptures, and which he himself hath declared to be sufficient to answer the great End to be obtained by them, the Salvation of our Souls.

• Adver.^ermogen, c, 23.

How

124 -An Exposition on the

Article VI. How plain foevcr thIs Reafbning may ap-* K/’y*\J pear to an unprejudiced Reader, becaule the Proof of it Jies in o short a Compass, and is withal fo very full and convincing, yet it is fo furiously attack’d from fevcral Quarters, that it will be neceilary to consider the Arguments which are brought against it by Infidels by those of the Church of Rome and by the Sea ries. And first, though it be certain that the Sufficiency of the Scripture, as a Rule of Faith and Manners, is hardly Matter of Controversy betwixt us and Infidels inafmuch as they do not reject the Scripture, because it teaches too little, but rather because it teaches too much; because it teaches Dodtrines above their Reason, and commands such Duties as they do not like to pradtife ; and if it taught less than it does, they would be more ready to own its Divine Authority ; yet ‘tis as certain, that, in order to unfettle the Belief of others, they do not flick to argue against the Christian Re- ligion from this Topick, and to affirm, That the Books of Holy Scripture, which are now re- ceived, do not contain the whole Will of God. For there were, fay they, in former Times, several other Gospels and Epiftles, and other Trads, designed to inftrud Men in the Chri- ftian Religion, which were written by the Apo- ftles, or other inipired Men, and which were constantly of the fame Authority in them- selves, with those which are now received into the Canon, of which, nevertheless, we have nothing now left, but the Names and Titles, or fome imperfed and uncertain Fragments , fo that it may well be doubted, whether those few Books, which are now remaining, are sufficient to inftruft us in all neceflary Points of Know- ledge

Thirty ‘Wine Articles. 1 25

ledge and Pradice. And of this Matter of Article vi. Fad:, there is, they fay, Ibme Evidence even VXi from the Scripture itself : For St. Luke in the Beginning of his Gospel, takes Notice, that ma- ny before him had taken in hand to fet forth a Declaration of those hins which were surely helieved among Christians ; that is, had written and publiihed Narratives of the Life, Adions, Miracles, Preaching, Death, and Refurredion of our Saviour ! But there are no Histories of this kind, no Gospels now extant, that were written before St. Lukes except only St. Mat- thew’s and St. Mark’s ; and if there had been no more extant at that Time, it would have been very improper, they fay, for the Evan- gelift to have said, that many had written upon this Subjedt, when he fpake only of those Two. And that there was Matter enough for several such Narratives, (fb that though they were very different Gospels, they might, nevertheleis, all be true) we are told by St. yohn who wrote his Goel the lafl of the Four Evangelifts, yohn XX. 30. Many other Signs truly did Jesus in the Presence of his Lifciples which are not written in this Book ; and again. Chap, xxi. *ver. 25. There are also many other things which Jesus didy the which if they should he written every one I fuppofe that enjen the IVorld itself could not contain the Books that flooiild he written.

Now, if it be true, that there were several other Books formerly extant, but which are now loft, that were written by the Apoftlcs or other infpir’d Men, and consequently by Divine Inspiration ; either these were needlels when written, (and it is unreasonable to fup- pose that any Book, written by Divine Infpi- ration, was needless) or elfe the Loss of these

Books,

I z^ Jfi Exposition on the

Article VI. Books is a Loss to Religion J and we cannot be ^->Or^ well affured, that those which we have now remaining do sufficiently inflrud: us in all Points of Christian Faith and Pradtice. But admit the Truth of this Matter of Fadt:, viz. That more Books were written by the Apostles, or inspired Men, than are now extant, which I will not now dispute, because I think it needless ; be- cause I think it may be granted without any Prejudice to the Christian Cause ; although there be none, or at most but very llender Evidence of it , nay, admit more than is upon any good Grounds alledged, n:iz. Not only that several, but that every one of the Apo- ftles and immediate Disciples of Christ, every one that had heard him preach, and had been a Witness of his Life and Miracles, and Refur- reftion, and had received the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost, did write a diftind Gospel, giving an Account of fbme of the most remark- able PaiTages of our Saviour’s Life, which her had been a Witness of j and did likewise, as he had Occasion, write Epiftles or other Trads for the Ufe and Inftrudion of the Christian Church ; every one of all which Books, if they were now extant, and as well attested as the Books of the New Testament are, would be of equal Authority with them, because didated by the fame Spirit, by which all the Apostles were led into all Truth, and had all Things that Jesus had spoken brought to their Remem- brance ; yet, I fay, it would by no Means fol- low from hence, either that those Books which are now loft (if indeed there are any loft that were written by the Apostles) were needless when they were written, or that those which do now remain are not sufficient. And a very little Consideration of the State of Things as it was

then.

Thirty-Nine Articles.

then, and as it is now^ will make this which I Article vi. have said very plain. L/VNJ

F o R the Cafe then was thus : The Gospel of Christ was to be preached to the whole World by a few Perfbns, who had been Eye-Witnefles of his Miracles, and were enabled by the Power of the Holy Ghost, to confirm their Testimony of him, by doing the like Miracles themselves | and that this great Work might be accomplished within the Term of their Life, it was neceflary that they should quickly difperfe themselves in- to all Parts of the World, one going this Way and another that, according as they had agreed among themselves, or were direded by the Spi- rit ; and in this Division of Countries, every one had a large Province afligned to him, fb that having much Work to do in a little Time, he could not well stay long in one Place -, and upon this Account it might be very proper for him, after he had preach’d the Gospel in one City, and made a good Number of Converts, and ordained Elders, and eftablifhed a Chriflian Church there, when he went thence, to leave behind him in Writing the Sum of what he had before preached among them, for the Help of their Memories, for the Diredion of their Pallors, and to prevent any Mifreprefentation that might afterwards be made of his Do6lrine by ignorant or designing Men 5 and after he was gone from thence, he might have frequent Occasion to fend them Letters, either to con- firm them in their Faith, or to caution them against fome Errors which he had heard were fpringing up among them, or to correa; fome Fault in their Discipline or Manners. By this Means, 1 fay, it might well enough be, (tho’ there be no Evidence that it was fo) that in

the

128 An Exposition on the

Article VI. the first Age of Christianity, there might be, -” besides occasional Letters, as many diftindt Gospels as there were Apostles ; every one writing a Gospel for the proper Ufe of those Churches which he himself had planted, and in the Language that was best known to them. And this, if it was done, might be no more than might then be neceffary, when it was not fb easy as it is now, (fmce the Increase of Com- merce and Navigation, and the Invention of Printing,) to communicate and difperfe the Books that are publiflied in one Country, to other Countries that are far distant. Besides, if this could have been done then, it can’t well be fiippofed, that a Gospel written by any other of the Apostles, who had never been in that Province or Division, and of whom they had never heard, perhaps, more than only his Name, should be at first of fo great Authority to them, as a Gospel written by that very Apo- ftie, by whose Ministry they had been con- verted, and of whose Miracles they themselves had been Witneffes. Thus it might be, (and if it was fb, it might be agreeable to the Di- vine Wisdom and Goodness fo to order it) that before those Books of the New Teftamenr, which we now have, could be well difperfed, and upon good Atteflation received in all Chri- ftian Countries, fome particular Churches, and especially those most remote from Judea should have for their present Ufe, other Books written by fbme other of the Apostles, containing the fame Form of found Words ; and relating the fame Things concerning the Life and Doctrine of our Saviour that these do. And that fbme of those many Books which might be written by the Apostles, or other Inspired Men upon this Subied, should be loft, is no Marvel at

all:

Thirty-Nine Articles. 129

all: ‘Tis rather a Wonder, (considering the Article VL Poverty of the first Christians, and the con slant Perfecutions they were then under, and the many Revolutions of Government that have been in Cbrifiendo??i fmce that Time,) that fo many as we have now left could be preierved for fb many Ages before Printing was invented. And those were, of all, the most likely to be loft, which were published in rude and barba- rous Countries, and which were written in fomc Language that was peculiar to one Nation only : And those the most easy, and consequently the most probable to be preserved, which were pub- lifhed in the learned Part of the World, and written in the most learned Language then in Ufe. But although a greater Number of in- fpired Books, than are now extant, might be neceftary in the first Age of Christianity , be- fore theChriftian Churches then planted in all Countries of the then known World, could have Communication with one another ; it cannot be argued from hence, that those Books which we have now remaining, are not fuffi- cient for the present Time, and for all the Time that hath pafled fmce the other Books were loft; but rather, it may very reasonably be presumed, that there was nothing more for Substance in those Books, which are fuppofed to be loft than there is in thole which are now remaining 5 fo that the Loss of them may be no rel Lois or Detriment to Religion, and those which re- main and are now received in all Christian Churches, may be abundantly sufficient to in- ftrucft us in all Points of Christian Faith and Pradtice. And there is indeed no Reafori to think they are not, feeing fome of thole (ihglo Books which we have now, were written for this very Purpose were designed as Compendiums

i of

1 3 o An Exposition on the

Article VI. f jg whole Cbriftian Institution : For St. Luke -”f wrote his Goipel, Stbat I’heophilus miht know the Certainty of those I’hings wherein he had heeti inftru5ied ; hake i. 4. And if this was the Evangelist’s Design, it can’t be fuppofed but that he thought he had put into his Gospel whatever was neceflary, or very material : And St. John in the fame Place where he acknow- ledges that he had omitted the Relation of many Things which Jesus did, says, John xx. 30, 31. That he had written the Things contained in his Goipel, hat Men might bslie’ve that Jesus is the Christ the Son of Godj and that heUeviig they might have Life through his Name : By which it appears, that he thought he himself had written enough in his Gospel to persuade Men to believe in Christ, and to diredl them in the Way to Eternal Life. There being, there- fore, in those Books of the New Testament which v/e now have several Abridgments of, the whole Christian Doctrine, it cannot, with any Reason, be pretended, that all these Books together, are not sufficient fully to inftrud us therein.

Besides ; The Gospel of Christ that was preached, fuppofc by St. Thomas in India, or by St. Simon in Africa, or by any other of the Apostles in Countries remote from Judea, or without the Bounds of the Roman Empire, was undoubtedly the fame Gospel that was preached by St. Feter and St. Paul, or those other of the Apostles whose Books are now extant, and re- ceived by the Catholick Church • for they were ail taught by the fame Master, the fame Lord Jesus Christ j and were all enlightened by the fame Holy Ghost : So that if any of them did, (as ‘tis reported they did) write any Golpels for

the

Thirty-Nine Articles. 131

the present Ufe of those particular Churches Article vi. which they had planted • though they mjcrht /VX. be ibmewhat different from any of the Four Gospels, in ExprefTlon, or perhaps in the Re* lation of fbme particular Paflages of our Sa- viour’s Life, which our Evangelifts have omitted • (just as the Four Gospels which we now have, do differ from one another) yet for Subitance they must needs have been the fame with these, and with one another, if indeed they were all true Relations of the Matters of which the Au- thors thereof had been Witneffes • fo that if we had them all now, they could all together ’ teach us no other Doctrines than are taught in the Books of the New Teilament.

Nevertheless, I do not deny but that if we had more Books of this kind than we have • that if we had all the Books that were written by the Apostles, or their immediate Succeflbrs, who had been taught by them, they might be of very good Ufe to us, to help us to under- stand more readily and easily, those Books which we have, (as now we receive from fbme Portions of Holy Scripture, great Light to help us to underlland, and to put a right In- terpretation upon others •) but, perhaps, it was for this very Reason that the Providence of God did order no more to be written, than were written, or hath suffer’d those to be loft that are fuppofed to be loft, that it might cost us fome Pains and Study to understand our Re- ligion - that fo our Knowledge as well as our Pradlice, being in fbme measure the Fruit of our own Industry, might be a proper Subjedt of Reward. In ihort, that there were more Books in the first Age of Christianity, written by Apostles or other inlpired Men, than are now

I 2, extant.

i]! Jn Exposition on the

Article VI. extant, or than if extant, can be well proved yyJ to be of their Writing, is a Point which I be- lieve cannot be now, upon any certain Evidence, either affirmed or denied : But if it be granted, I fay, however, there is no Reason to infer from thence, that those which we now have are not sufficient. For if there be a God and a providence, and if there be any Truth in the Scripture Declarations of the Love of God to Mankind, and that he ‘would hanje all Men to be savedand to come to the Knozuledge of the Truth mod certainly, the neceffary Means of Mens Salvation is a proper Subject of the Divine Care : And if fo, it can’t be thought but that the fame good Providence which (as is now fuppofed) took Care for the Writing of more Books, when more might be neceffary, has like- wife taken Care for the Preservation of fo many of these Books as are now sufficient. Or if the Men we are now arguing with, will not grant that there is such a particular Providence of God ; yet if they will but allow that God is just, that he is not a hard Master, expecting to reap where he hath not fown 1 think they must allow, that all Things neceffary to our Sal- vation, not knowable by Reaibn, are taught in the Books of Holy Scripture which we now have, because there are no other Books extant which we have Reason to receive and accept as Divine Revelation. Or if they deny this, it will lie upon them to produce thofc other Books which we ought to receive besides these, and to give good Evidence to the World of their Di- vine Authority: Which when they have done; or if they fhali but only iliew that there is as good Reaibn to receive them as these ; we mufl ownourfelvesto blame, rf we shall not then take them also into the Canon of Scripture. But

‘till

Jhirty-Nine Articles. 155

‘dli that shall be done, what hath been already Article vL said is enough to fhew, that their Objedlion L/^VN*^. against the Scripture’s being a compleat Rule both of Faith and Manners, is cavilling, triflini and groundlefs.

»g.

I AM now to consider the Arguments which are brought against us by rhofe of the Church oiRome who deny the Sufficiency of the Scrips turc, for no other Reafbn than becaule they are resolved to maintain fome gainful Dodrines and Practices of their own Church, which they are fenfible have no Warrant from Scripture, and fb can be maintained no other Way, but by affirming, that they have been delivered down to them by radition and that unwritten tradition is a neceflary Supplement to the writ- ten IVord and of equal Authority with it. ‘Tis very certain that the Word of God is of equal Authority and Efficacy, which Way foever it be delivered : The Sermons of the Apostles were every jot as divine and powerful out of their Mouths as they are now in their Story. All the Advantage, therefore, that the written Word can pretend to, is in order to its Perpe- tuity, as it is a fecurer Way of Derivation to Pofterity, than that of Oral Tradition. To evince that it is fb, I shall first weigh the ratio- nal Probabilities on either Side • secondly, I iliall consider to which God himself appears in Scripture to give the Deference.

For the first of these I (hall propose this Consideration ; that the Bible, being writ for the universal Ufe of the Faithful, ‘twas as uni- verfally difpers’d amongst them : Ihtjews had the Law not only in their Synagogues, but in their private Houses, and as foon as the Evan-

I 3 gellcal

[…]

Article VI. gelical Eooks were writ, they were scatter’d K.y^y^^\J into all Places where the Christian Faith had obtained. Now, when there was such a vast Multitude of Copies, and those fb rever’d by the PolTeiTors, that they thought it the highest . Pitch of Sacrilege to expose them, it must surely be next to impofiible, entirely to fup- prefs that Book. Beiides, it could never be attempted but by Ibme eminent Violence, as it * was by the Heathen Perfecutors , which, accord-

ing to the common Effed: of Opposition, served to enhance the Ghrillians Value of the Bible ; and consequently, when the Storm was past, to excite their Diligence for recruiting the Num- ber : So that unless in After- Ages, all the Chri- flians in the World should at once make a voluntary Defed:ion, and conlpire to root out their own Religion, the Scriptures could not be utterly extinguished. And that which secures it from total Suppreflion, does in a great De- gree do fb from Corruption and Falfification. For whilst fo many genuine Copies are extant in all Parts of the World, to be appealed to, it would be a very difficult Matter to impose a fpurious one , elpecialJy if the Change were fo material as to awaken Mens Jealoufies : And it must be only in a Place and Age of gross Igno- rance, that any can be daring enough to attempt it. And if it should happen to succeed in such a particular Church, yet what is that to the Universal ? And to think to have the Forgery admitted there, is (as a learned Man says) like attempting to poison the Sea. On the other Side, Oral Tradition seems most liable to Hazards, Error may there infmuate itself much more in- fenfibly. And though there be no universal Conspiracy to admit it at firll ; yet, like a small Eruption of Waters, it widens its own

PafTage^

Thirty-Nme Articles. 135

Paffage ‘till it cause an Inundation. There is Article VI. no ImprefHon fo deep, but Time and interven- -/“VN- ing Accidents may wear out of Mens Minds 5 especially where the Notions are many, and are founded not in Nature, but positive Infti- tution, as a great Part of the Christian Reli- gion is. And when we consider the various Tempers of Men, ‘twill not be flrange that succeeding Ages will not always be determined by the Traditions of the former. Some are pragmatical, and think thcmfelves fitter to pre- scribe to the Belief of their Poflierity, than to follow that of their Ancestors. Some have In- terefts and Designs which will be better served by new Tenets 3 and fome are ignorant and mistaking, and may unawares corrupt the Doc- trine they should barely deliver : And of this iaft Sort we mayguefs there may be many, fmce it falls commonly to the Mother’s Lot to imbue Children with the first Rudiments.

Now, in all these Cafes, how pofTible is it that primitive Tradition may be either loft or adulterated ? And consequently, and in Pro- portion to that Poflibility, our Confidence of it must be staggered. I am sure, according to the common Estimate in Seculars, it must be fo. For I appeal to any Man, whether he be not apter to credit a Relation which comes from an Eye-witness than at the Third or Fourth, much more at the Hundredth Rebound, as in this Cafe. And daily Experience tells us, that a true and probable Story, by paiTIng through many Hands, often grows to an improbable Lye. This Man thinks he could add one be- coming Circumstance, that Man another j and whilst most Men take the Liberty to do fo, the Relation grows as monstrous as such a Heap of

I 4 incoherent

1 1 6 An Exposition on the

Akticle VI. incoherent Fancies can make it. If to this it be fald, that this happens only in trivial secular Matters, but that in the weighty Concern of P.eligion, Mankind is certainly more serious and fmcere • I answer, that ‘tis very improbar ble that they are , fmce ‘tis obvious in the com- mon Pra6lice of the World, that the Interests of Religion are poflponed to every little worldly Concern. And therefore when a temporal Ad- vantage requires the bending and warping of Religion, there will never be wanting fbme that will attempt it. Besides, there is still left in human Nature fo much of the Venom of the Serpent’s first Temptation, that though Men cannot be as God, yet they love to be prefcrib- ing to him, and to be their own Afferfors as to that Worihip and Homage they are to pay him. But above all, ‘tis considerable, that in this Caie Satan hath a more peculiar Concern, and can lerve himself more by a Falfification here, than in temporal Affairs. For if he can but cor- rupt Religion, it ceases to be his Enemy, and becomes one of his most useful Engines^ a^ sufficiently appeared in the Rites of the Flea- then Worship. We have therefore no Cause to think this an exempt Cafe, but to presume it may be influenced by the fame Pravity of hu- man Nature, which prevails in others ; and consequently are obliged to bleis God that he hath not left our Spiritual Concerns to such Hazards, but hath lodg’d them in a more secure Repository, the written Word. But I foresee ‘twill be objeded, that whilst I thus difparage Tradition, I do virtually invalidate the Scrip- ture itself, which comes to us upon its Credit. To this I answer, first, That {met God hath withdrawn immediate Revelation from the World, Tradition is the only Means to convey

to

Tbirty-Nine Articles. 157

to us the first Notice that this Book is the Article yi. Word of God : And it being the only -/“VX Means he affords, we have all Reason to de- pend upon his Goodness, that he will not suffer that to be evacuated to us : And that ho\y liable foever Tradition may be to err, yet that it shall not a6lually err in this Particular. But, fn the second Place, this Tradition leems not fb liable to Falfification as others : it is fb very short and simple a Proposition fucb and fucb IVritings are the Word of God ; that there is no great Room for Sophiftry or Miffake to pervert the Sense : The only poflible Deception must be to change the Subjed, and obtrude fuppofi- titious Writings in the Room of the true, un- der the Title of the Word of God. But this hath already appeared to be impracticable, be- cause of the Multitude of Copies which were diipers’d in the ’(\orld , by which such an At- tempt would foon have been detedted. There appears, therefore, more Reason as well as more Neceflity, to rely upon Tradition in this, than in most other Particulars. Neither yet do I fb fer decry Oral Tradition, as to conclude it impoflible it should derive any Truth to Pofle- rity. I only look oh it as more casual, and consequently a left fit Conveyance of the mofl important and neceifary Truths than the writ- ten Word 3 in which I conceive myself jufti- fied by the common Sense of Mankind, who ufe to commit those Things to Writing, which they are mofl felicitous to derive to Pofterity. Does any Nation trust their Fundamental Laws only to the Memory of the present Age and take no other Course to transmit them to the Future? Does any Man purchase an Eflate, and leave no Way for his Children to lay Claim to it, but the Traditon the present Witneffes - • shall

138 Alt Exposition an the

t’ fliall leave of it? Nay, does any considering ‘“f Man ordinarily make any important Contract or Bargain without putting the Articles in Writing ? And whence is all this Caution, but from an universal Consent, that Writing is the fureft Way of Transmitting ? But we have yet a higher Appeal in this Matter, than to the Suf- frage of Men : God himself leems to have de- termined it i and what his Decilion is, ‘tis our next Bulinefs to enquire.

And first, he hath given the most real and comprehensive Atteftation to this Way oilVrit- ing^ by having himself chose it. For he is too wife to be mistaken in his Estimate of Better and Worse, and too kind to chufe the Woril for us ; and yet he hath chosen to communicate himself to the latter Ages of the World by Writing ; and hath fumm’d up all the Eternal Concerns of Mankind in the sacred Scriptures, and left those sacred Records by which we are to be both informed and governed i which if Oral Tradition would infallibly have done, had been utterly needless: And God, sure, is not io prodigal of his Spirit, as to inspire the Au- thors of Scripture to write that, whose Ufe was fuperfeded by a former more certain Expedient. Nay, under the Mofaick Oeconomy, when he made Ufe of other Ways of Revealing himself, yet to perpetuate the Memory even of those Revelations, he chose to have them written. At the Delivery of the Law, God fpake ‘viva Voce^ hy IVord of Mouthy and with that Pomp of dreadful Solemnity, as certainly was apt to make the deepest Impreflions ; yet God fore- faw, that through every succeeding Age that Stamp would grow more dim, and in a long Revolution might at last be extinct. And there- fore.

Thirty^lSine Articles. 139

fore, how warm foever the Jfraelites Apprehen- Article vi. fions then were, he would not trust to them for V^^VN./ the perpetuating his Law, but committed it to Writing, Exoct xxxi. i8. Nay, wrote it twice himself.

Yet farther, even the Ceremonial Law, though not intended to be of perpetual Obliga- tion, was not yet referred to the Traditionary- Way, but was wrote by Moses and deposited with the Priests, Dent. xxxi. 9. And what happened afterwards, fhewed that this was no needlels Caution for when, under Manajfes Idolatry had prevailed in Jerusalem it was not by any dormant Tradition, but by the Book of the Law found in the Temple, hat Josiah was both excited to reform Religion, and inftrudled how to do it, 2 Kings xxii. 10. And, had not that, or fome other “Copy been produced, they had been much in the Dark as to the Particulars of their Reformation , which, that they had not been conveyed by Tradition, appears by the sudden Startling of the King upon the Reading of the Law which could not have been, had he been before poffefTcd with the Contents of it. In like manner we find in Nehemiab that the Observation of the Feast of Tabernacles was recovered by consulting the Law 5 the Tradition whereof was wholly worn out, or elfe it had been impoflible that it could for fb long a Time have been intermitted. Neb. viii. 18. And yet Mens Memories are commonly more retentive of an external, visible Rite, than they are of Ipeculative Proportions, or Moral Precepts. These Instances fhew how fallible an Expedient mere Oral Tradition is for TranfmifTion to Pofterity : But admit no such Instance could be given ‘tis Argument enough, ..- . _ that

140 An Exposition on the

Article VI. that God hath by his own Choice oi UVttlngj

ky’y^^u

given the Preference to it. Nor hath he barely chosen it, but hath made it the Standard by which to measure all succeeding Pretences • ‘tis the Means he prefcribes for diftinguifhing Divine from Diabolical Inlpirations : 0 the Law and to the eftiraony : if they [peak ?tot according to this iVord there is 720 Light in therri Isaiah viii. 20. And when the Lawyer inquired of our Saviour what he should do to inherit Eternal Life, he fends him not to ranfack Tradition, or the Cabaliftical Divinity of the Kahbins but refers him to the Law : l’hat is written in the Law ? How readeft thou ? Luke x. 26. And, indeed, throughout the Goipel, we still find him in his Difcourie appealing to Scripture, and afferting its Authority : As, on the other Side, inveighing against those Traditions of the Elders, which had evacuated the written Word Te make the IVord of God of none Effe by yotir radition Mat. xv. 6. Which, as it abun- dandy fhews Christ’s Adherence to the written Word, fo ‘tis a pregnant Instance how poflible it is for Tradition to be corrupted, and made the Instrument of imposing Mens Fancies, even in Contradidtion to God’s Commands. And fmce our Bleffed Lord hath made Scripture the Test whereby to try Tradition, we may surely acquiefce in his Decision ; and either embrace or reject Traditions, according as they cor- relpond to the Supreme Rule, the written Word. It must therefore be a very unwarrant- able Attempt, to fet up Tradition in Compe- tition with (much more in Contradidlion to) that to which Christ himself hath fubjedled it. St. Faul reckons it as the principal Privilege of the Jewtjh Church, that it had the Oracles of God committed to itj that is that the Holy

Scriptures

Thirty -ISline Articles. 141

Scriptures were depofitcd and put into its Article vl Cuflody j and in this the Christian Church fuc- OTVJ. ceeds it, and is the Guardian and Conlervator of Holy Writ. I ask then, had the Jewijh Church, by Virtue of its being Keeper, a Power to fuperfede any Part of those Oracles intruded to them ? If fo, St. Paul was much out in his Estimate, and ought to have reckoned that as their highest Privilege : But indeed, the very Nature of the Trust implies the con- trary ; and besides, tis evident, that is the very Crime which our Bleffed Saviour charges upon the Jews in the Place above cited. And if the Jewijlj Church had no such Right, upon what Account can the Christian claim any ? Hath Christ inlarged its Charter ? Hath he left the Sacred Scriptures with her, not to preserve and pradlife, but to regulate and reform ? to fill up its Vacancies, and supply its Defedls, by her own Traditions ? If fo, let the Commiilion be produced , but if her Office be only that of Guardianfhip and Trust, fhe must neither fub- trad from nor by any Superadditions of her own, evacuate its Meaning and Efficacy : And to do fb, would be the fame Guilt that it woul4 be in a Person intrufted with the Fundatnental Records of a Nation, to foift in whatever Clauses hi mfelf plea fes. It were easy to inlarge what may be said upon this Head into a Volume, but I shall only add, that if the Holy Scriptures were a perfed: Rule of Faith and Manners to all Christians heretofore, we may reasonably affure ourselves they are fo still, and will now guide us into all neceilary Truth and, conlequently, make us wife unto Salvation, without the Affiftance of Oral Tradition , and the impartial Reader will be enabled to judge, whether our Appeal to the Holy Scripture

in

i4i ^^ Exposition on the

Article VI. jn all Occasions of Controvcrfy, and Recommen-

Ky^Y^^ dation of it to the Study of every Christian, as

the Ground and Rule of his Faith and Pradice,

be that Heresy and Innovation which it is said

to be ? *

The first Opinion of the Sedtaries, with which the Church of England hath been for many Years peftered, which I propoie to con- fider, is this. That the Understanding, or Inter- preting the Word of God, or the Knowing of his Will, is not imputable to the Ufe of ordinary Means, the Affiftance of God’s Holy Spirit, joined with the Ufe of Learning, Study, Meditation, rational InferencCjCollation of Places, consulting of the Original Languages, and antient Copies and Expofitions of the Fathers of the Church, Analogy of received Dodtrine, together with unbiafTed Affedlions, and fmcere Desire of finding out the Truth, and constant Prayer for God’s special Blefling on, and Co-operation with these and the like Means ; but to an extraordinary Gift or Illumination of the Spirit, which is thought to be promised to the new Life, and to be the Work of the Spirit of God in every Saint of his, which, consequently, fuperfedes the Ufe of all external Ordinances to such, even of the written Word of God itself, contained in the Canon of Scripture, In examining this Pretence, and manifefting the Falfenefs of it, I ihall take a View of those Places of Scripture, which are, or may be produced in Favour of it.

[…]

The

Thirty-Wtne Articles. 145

T rt E first Ground or Proof of this Pretence, Article vi. Is taken from Joel ii. 28. cited and applied by L/VN’ St. Peter A6is ii. to the Times of the Gospel It [Jo all come to pass afterward (or in the iaft Days) that I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flejh : and your Sons and your Daughters JJoall prophefy your old Men pall dream Dreams your young Men JJjall fee Vtfions : and also upon the Sernjants and upon the Handmaids in those Days will I pour out my Spirit and they f hall prophefy, Whatsoever can be collected from this PJace, in Favour of those Pretenders which I have now to do with, will receive a short and clear An- fwer, by considering the Time to which this Prediction, and the Completion of it belonged, and that is exprefly the Taft Days in the Notion wherein the Writers of the A”ee; eftament con- ftantly ufe that Phrase , not for these Days of ours, fo far advanced toward the End of the World, but for the Time immediately preceding the Deftrudion of the JewtJJj Polity, City, and Temple. That this is the Cafe, appears not only by the mention oSion and the Dcftrudion approaching it, in the Beginning of that Chapter in Joel which plainly proves it to belong to Jerusalem that then was, but also by two other inconteftable Evidences, ift. By the mention of the Wonders in the Heavens and the Earth, c. as Fore-runners of the great and terrible Day of the Lord, the fame that had been before described, Joel ii. ver. 2, c. and applied by . Christ, in the very Words to this Deftrudion of Jerusalem J Mat. xxiv. 29, 30. 2/y, By the Occasion for which St. Peter produceth it, & ii. 14. The Effufion of the Holy Ghofi: upon the Apostles, njer. 2, 4. which, faith he, was no Effed of Drunkennefs in them ; but the

1 44 ^^ Expbfition on the

Article VI. ygj-y Thing which was foretold by that Place ‘i’r ofjoel before that great and notable Day of the Lord, that was to fall upon that People to an utter Deftrudlioh. This being a Predidtion of what should come before the Deftrudtion of yerufalcm the Completion whereof was fb visible and remarkable in that Age to which by the Prophet it was affigned, it must needs be impertinently and fallacioufly applied to any Men or Women, old or youngs of this Age, fo distant from that to which it belonged, and fb well provided for by the ordinary Means, the settled Office of the Ministry of Christ’s Churchg as to have ho need of Extraordinary,

A Second Proof is taken from 2 Cor. xii. 7. fo every Man is given the Manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal or i 70 ov/zsef, for the Benefit and Profit of the Church. But this is fbort cleared by the Context, which begins to treat ver. I. Tnai ‘TrnviuATJUfcVy of or concerning those that have the Spirit , fo ‘Trvivf.Tjuoi the Spiritual clearly signifies, chap. xiv. 37. being joined with ‘3;e;9’77/ Prophet , and fo it is exprelTed to iignify here, njer. 3. where h ‘Trvivf.u clkmv peak- ing in, or by the Spirit, is fet as an Instance of the ‘?rviv,uA77Kof the Spiritual 3 and ‘tis a Mistake to render it Spiritual things the Greek ‘?rviU(MVKup belonging as diredly to Persons as Things, being of the MafcuUne as well as of the Neuter Gender. Now for these ‘Trnv/TiKoi Spiritual Men or those that have the Spirit, ‘tis well known, that they were those which for the first Planting of the Gospel, were, by the Descent of the Spirit endowed with extraordinary Gtfts of Miracles oi Healings oi Prophefytng of Ipeak- ing ‘ith fi range tongues . which they had never learned all which and more are here men- tioned.

Thirty-Wine Articles. 145

tionedj n)eT. 8, 9, 10.: and when these are ex- ArticIeVI. ercifed, or made ufe of by any, this is called -OT’V/. cLVicomi ‘7ryv(cL7r the Mauifeftatwn of the Spirit the Spirit of God manifefling itself hereby to be in such a Man in an extraordinary Manner. And then, I need only add, that the fe;(V(w to every one in the Front of the Verse, cannot in any realbn be interpreted in the full Extent of every Man or every Chriflian ; for then the most Wicked would have their Part in it : Nor yet of every Saint ; for there is nothing in the Text which can Co restrain it, but only of every such Man as is spoken of in this Difcourfe, that is, every •f’su-T/m or Spiritual Man every one that is thus endowed with extraordinary Gifts ofiongues Sec. for of such it is here peculiarly said, That the Manifestation of the Spirit, the Exercise of those Gifts. is given, or designed by God, for the Benefit or Advantage of the Church. And fo this is of no Force for the Enthufiaft, nor applicable to any but thole who were thus extraordinarily endowed by the Spirifs descending upon them, which was a Privilege of that Age, for the Planting of the Church, and not to be hoped for, nor without Sacrilege pretended to, in any other.

A Third Proof is taken from John vi. 45. out o? I fat ah liv. 13. where it is foretold of the Christians, that they shall he all taught of Ged, For the Understanding of the full Importance of this Text, two frequent known Idioms of the Sacred Style must be observed. i. That Verbs of knowing or understanding such as Learning or eaching do ordinarily include the Will or Affedions alio ; fb that to know God, is to obey and serve him. tidly That Verbs Adive and Paffive, but cfpecially Adjeaives Parti-

K cipial.

146 Jn Expofitioti on the

Article VI. clpial, do frequently include a real Paflion, or “y” an EiFed wrought in the Subjeft of the Paflion : And, by Virtue of these two Observations, the Phrase JJknTt eiJ taught of God will signify those that by the Attradions of this prevenient Grace, yielded to, and made ufe of by them, are persuaded to be his Followers or Disciples, and fo belongs not at all to the Matter to which it is applied by the Advocates of new Light, That this not only may be, but certainly is, the intire Importance of this Place, appears by the Context in the Evangeliil:. i. By the An- tecedents, No Man— faith Chrifl, ver. 44. can come to me except the Father which hath fent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last Day t Where the Father s drawingj and in the fame Sense, the Father’s giving to Christ, Tr. 39. denotes this Effedt of the preventing Grace of God, received in the humble pliable Hearty and that as neceflary to the Undertaking the Faith of Christ, or Difciplefhip. And to this is this Testimony out o( Isaiah applied. It is writ ten in the Prophets ihey fljall he aJl taught of Cody that is, all that fmcerely come to Christ, that embrace the Christian Religion, are such as were formerly spoken of, drawn by God given to Chriji by God taught of God, by his prevenient Grace fo fitted and prepared, that they follow Christ, become his Profelytes and Disciples when he is proposed to them. 2dly By the Confequents, Every one therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh tmto we ; where, as the coming unto me is all one with can come unto me (that is unto Christ) ver. 44. : So they that had heard and learned of the Father, being all one with the, taught of Godj must needs be they on whom the Effect of that hearing and divine Dorine was wrought that

ts.

Thirty-Nine Avlichs, T47

H, those who were obedient to God’s Grace, Article vi. difpofing and fitting them with such a Temper, -V*” that they ihould be ready and willing to be Chtift’s Disciples. gi/y. By the Importance of the Prophecy, from whence ‘tis cited, Ifaiab liv. 13. where delcribing the fiourilhing Condition of the Christian Church,, Tr. ii, 12. two Things are affirmed of the Children that is, the Mem-, bers thereof; i. Their Obedience to God, fZ?jr pfMll he taught of the Lord j they shall be Difci- ples, Followers and Servants of God. And, 2dly Their prosperous State, and great floall he their Peace and those joined in one, n:er. 14. In Kighteottfnefs palt thou he eJiahUJJjed i, where, as Eftahlifmnent further expreffed by Security from Oppreffion, is all one v/ith their great Peace, fb, in all reason, is their Kighteoufnefs equivaknt, or of the fame Signification with their being taught of God. And fb flill, according to all the imaginable Ways oi judging, this which we have given is the Importance of that Phrase and not that which is pretended from it : Nay, if the Text be again oblerved, it would be a very great Absurdity that would be consequent to that Interpretation of it, that God the Father should be said thus immediately to teach them 5 who, upon being fo taught, are said to come to Chrifl : For ‘tis certain, Christ was fet forth by God as the Teacher of his Will, and that was the End of God’s drawing any Man to Christ, that he might receive the full Knowledge of his Will from thence, which it were impertinent, and even impoflible for them to do, who were first taught by God in this Sense. The great and learned 3- Chryfofiom gives the Word taught of God another Turn, and fuppofes them to signify no more than the Plainnefs and Perfpicuity of the Gospel, in which the great and fundamental,

K 2 and

14^ Jn Exposition on the

Af.tide VI.

and necefTarvThings^which we are both to believe and pradiife, are written, as it were with a Sun- Beam ; fb that he that runs may read, and who- foever reads may underiland them. In a Word, the utmost that can be concluded from the Promiie contained in Ifa’tah liv. 13. is this. That the Time fiiould come when the People of God fliould be inilrudted by faithful, w ile and good Men, in the Knowledge and Worship of God, and in the Nature of that Obedience which he required of them. That to improve this Teaching.,, and render it truly operative upon their Minds and Adions, God would add his Bleffing to their Labours, and by the Grace of his Holy Spirit, prepare the Way for, and give Force and Energy to their Inftrudions ; fo our Saviour warrants us to interpret this PromJfe, John vi. 44, 45.

A Fourth Ground for this Pretenfion is taken from the Purport or Design of the new Covenant, as it is fet down Hel\ viii. i !. out of Jer. xxxi. 34. hey jloall not teach every Man bis Neighbour and every Man his Brother jay- ing Know the Lord - for they jloall all know me from the Icaft to the greatest. But these Words can no way belong to this Matter, as will appear if It be but considered. That that which is here promised, is ibmewhat wherein the State of the Gospel is opposed to that of the Law ; which, if the net teaching be literally understood, ic c?n-iOtbe: For, as under the Law, the Will cf God was taught by Moses unto the People and after him I y those ho fate in Moses” s Chair y fo Christ alio tau2;ht it under the GoipeJ, and the Apostles after him 5 which could not be, unleis others were taught and inftrufted by them-: And, therefore, that cannot be the Sense

of

Thirty ^ISIhie Articles. 149

of it. The Words, indeed belong to a Matter Article VI. very distant they are a Description of the s/’V’ plain easy and gracious Toke of Christ, as placed in Opposition to the obscure, imperfe6l, more burthenfbme, and leis agreeable Yoke of the Mofaical Performances, Mat. -si. 30. com- pared with Heh. viii. 8. To the bare Plainnels and Perfpicuity of the Evangelical Precepts is it applied by St. Chryfofio??. as alio is that cf being taught ofGod and to that it certainly belongs, but withal, to those other Excellencies thereof, over and above the Mofaical Oeconomy. There were in that many ’?/:oya, ix’a beggarly Elements for Beginners, many Things improve- able, and capable of being heightned, and changed for the better by Chrifl’s Reformation : . ” It was not c&t’.?/cT7 faultlefs Ileh. viii. 7. and, therefore, when God designs to reform it, he doth it lU’.fAipouivB- cowplahung of the Defe5ts of it : And then this new Covenant, which was to be introduced indead of it, is fet off and illu- flr.ued I y the Opposition to it ; But this is the Cc’v?nant which I ‘will make with the House of Iiracl after those Days or in the latter Days, that is, at the Coming of the Mefflas faith the Lord &c. which, as ic is evidently a Notation of the Second Covenant betwixt God and the whole Chriftjan Church, and fb sufficiently removed from this of f?ew Light ; Co can it not be applied to any pecu’ir Gift of Prophefy, of Preaching, &c. appropriated to fome particular Men, but must have such a Notation as will be common to the whole House of Jfrael in the Antitype, that is, to all Christian FrofefTors, and not only to the Saints of God 3 for with all such is the

f -Tome J, p. 244. Line % x .

K 3 Covenant

150 An Exposition on the

Article VI. Covenant made in this gracious Manner, tho’ yy* many of them do not perform their Part, that is to fay, the Condition of it ; for otherwise they could not be said to count the Blood of it an unholy “jLh’mg Heb. x. 29. The plain Meaning of the Words is, that it is a most gracious Covenant that God now meant to make with Christians ; and the Gracioufnefs of it was to confift not only in the abundant Mercy and Pardon for Sin, which would be there afforded, above what the Mofaical Purgations, and other Obfervances could pretend to, but especially in the Agreeablenefs of the Precepts to the Mind of Man, to the Human Rational Soul: There should be no need of talcing ilich Pains as was taken among the Jeivs to infl:ru6l Men in the Multitude of Obfervances required of them, which yet under Moses was absolutely neceffary, becauf e the things commanded were such, as unless they had been known to be commanded by a Divine Law-giver, and to that End frequently snculcxited to that People, no Man would have difcerned himself obliged to perform ; bat the Duties which are now required by God, I mean thole of inward Purity and Holiness (not of outward Circumcision and Purifications) were of their own Nature able to approve themselves to a Rational Creature, as most Excellent, and most Eligible, wntten as it were, in every Man’s own Hearty if he would be patient to consult them there. And then, as this can no way be applied to new Light except as it signifies the Light which Christ brought with him when he came into the World to inlighten every Mau njiz. theccnftant eftabliflicd Duties of Christian Life, universally revealed by Christ ‘s preaching and promulgating this Second Covenant , fb it belongs not to any extraordinary Way of reveal- ing

Thirty -Wine Articles. 1 5 1’

mg or expounding this Covenant, or any Part Article VI. or Branch of it, there being no need of it after Vy”y Christ had fo plainly revealed it and com- manded his Apostles to preach it throughout the World, but only to the Agreeablenefs of that to the Soul of Man, which was already revealed j which is the Matter of this Covenant. The fame alfb is the Importance of the former Words, ver. lo. / will gi’ve my Laws into their Minds and I will write them on their Hearts ; that is, the Laws which ihall now be given the Christian Church, as God’s Covenant with them, shall be Laws of Spiritual internal Obe- dience, for the regulating and fubduing, and mortifying of their Affedions, impreffed and inscribed on their Hearts, which mull now be kept pure, as the Fountain from which all Ad: ions ipring , whereas the former Mofaical Ordinances reached only to the Flesh, or out- ward Members, and, by that Means did not conduce much either to inward or outward P/urity of the Heart or Anions.

There are, besides these, leveral other Places of Scripture, which are produced in Favour of the Privilege that the Saints have by being such, of understanding much more of the Will of God, than any other can pretend to do. The first that I shall take Notice of, is, Johr^ vii. 17. /jf any Man will do his Will^ he jhall know of the hoElrine whether it he of God^ &c. How little this Place favours the Pretenders to new Lights will presently appear ; i. By consider- ing what it is that is here &id to be known to the pious Man, or the Doer of his Father’s Will, ‘Viz, whether the Dodtrine which Christ hath already revealed and pubiifhed to the World, be of God or no? What hath been fo clearly

K 4 revealed

15^ ^n Eipofition on the

-icleVI. revealed already, can want no new Light to K:y make it known nor was there ever any Occa- fion for an extraordinary discerning Spirit in any of his Diiciples and Followers on this ac- count : The Miracles which he did in thePrefence of all, and the Voice from Heaven at his Bap- tifm, gave fall Authority to all that he said ; and there was nothing wanting to beget Belief, but Hearts duly qualified with Piety and Hu- mility, which v/as necellary to render them a Soil fit for the Reception of the good Seed. This is the Meaning of the Words 3 If any Man will do his IVill &c. and this is the fapae in Effect with what the Philofbphers were wont to lay of the Neceflity of curing and purging the Eye, before it would be able to behold a bright or illufi-rious ObjecSi:; by which they understood the laying aside all Prejudices and PrepolTellions, all unruly Pafilons and Habits of Sin, which while they are upon the Soul, cloud and ob- icure, and put a falle Biafs upon it, and hinder it from admitting such Truths as are of a moral and pradlical Nature, much more such Precepts as require such ftrid: Purity and HoL’ness as those of the Gospel. There are two other Places in the next Chapter, n)iz. John viii. which found as much for the Interest of the Pretenders we have to do with, and igniiy altogether as little to their Purpose. Thus njer. 31, 32. ‘tis laid, Jf ye continue in my Word, &c. ye Jhall know the nithj and the Truth JJoall make ye free. The Meaning of which, if compared with what hath been already said, and with what follows in this Chapter, is apparently this, If ye continue in Obedience to my Word, you will be thereby prepared for the Knowledge of my Dodlrine, and, by consequence, inftru6ted in itj and you foall be thereby freed “rom the

Bondage

Tbirty-Nhie Articles. 1 5 5

Bondage of Sin. But whether this be al- Article vi: lowed to be the Sense of this Place or not, ‘tis —“VNJ very certain, that it doth not contain the lead Promiie of any other Ligbt than v;as to be con- veyed by the Preaching of Christ and his Dif ciples. The iecond Place contained in this Chapter, is njer. 43. JVby do you not ttnderftand my Speech ? Even hecatife you cannot hear my U’ord, The plain and obvious Meaning of which Place, is no more than that the Perfbns he was difcourfing with, did not acquiefcc in, and believe what he said, because his Doctrine was not agreeable to their carnal Fancies and Inclinations ; and that they were innpatient of Vl3ch severe Precepts as he came to propose to them.

Another Ground is taken from i Cor. i i. 14, 15, 16. But the natural Man rece’roeth not the Things of the Spirit of God for they are FooliJJmefs unto him : neither can he know them for they are fpritually difcerned. But he that is fphitual judgeth all I’hings yet he himfejf is judged of no Man. For who hath kno’-jon the Mind of the Lordy that he may infiru him ? But “jue ha’ve the Mind of Christ. W hich we may very fairly venture to paraphrase thus : -— They that are led only by the Light of Human Reason, the learned Philosophers, c. do abiblutely defpife, rnd fo do not hearken after the Dodrine of the Gospel ; for it seems Folly to them : nor can they by any Study of their own come to the Knowledge of them for they are only to be had by understanding the Prophecies of Scrip- ture, and such other Means as depend on Divine Revelation, the Voice from Heaven, Descent of the Holy Ghofl, Miracles, c. But he that hath made ufe of all these aiForded him by the

Spirit

1 54 j4n Exposition on the

Article VI. Spirit of God, v’tz. Prophecies and Voices iyfKJ j.Q Heaven, and such other Evidences of Divine Revelation, he will be able to under- stand those Secrets perfedtly j and being not himself persuaded by any other Arguments, but only by those that he thus received from the Spirit of God, he cannot reasonably be refuted by any other Sort of Arguments, taken from Human Reaibn, or Worldly Wisdom : For who can be imagined to know more of God’s Mind than he doth, who is informed by the Spirit, that b he jfhould teach him God’s Mind Certainly no- body; and, consequently, no-body can teach you more of the Truth of God than we (to whom Chrifl: hath revealed his whole Will, as far as concerns any Man to know) have, or are able to do. Others are pleased to argue from I John iii. 24. By this we know that God ahidetb in us J by the Spirit that he hath given us that is, by our having the fame Temper, the fama Affedtion which is lb observable in God, that is, that of Charity to our Brethren, ‘ver, 23, That this is the true Meaning, appears by comparing it with chap, iv. wer. 12, and 13. If we love one ajiother God ahideth in us &c. by this we knov/ that we abide in him and h$ in us because he hath given us of his Spirit. So Kom. viii. 9. Te are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if fo he the Spirit of God dwelleth in you i where, by the Spirit is undoubtledly meant, that inward Purity and Obedience which is required under the Gospel. But the Places which are chiefly infifted upon in this Epiftle of St. Jo;/, are chap. ii. ver. 20. Te have an Union from the Holy One and ye know all Shings and ver. 27. which varies very little from it in Words, and not at all in Sense, ih@ Anointing which ye have received of hira abideth

in

Tlmty-‘Nme Articles. 1 5 5

in yoUy and ye need not that any Man teach you : ArticleVI. But as the fame Anointing teacheth you of all -f- Sthtngs and is fruth, and is no Lye and een as it bath taught you ye floall abide in him.

It was a Cuftom required by God himfelf,

to anoint such Perfbns with Oil as were fet apart for the Office of a King, of a Priest, or of a Prophet , and in procels of Time, after the Ceremony of Anointing had for a great while been made ufe of in confecrating and in- ftailing Men to Offices of special Eminence, the Word Anointed came to be used in a figura- tive Sense, and to signify a Man’s being pre- ferred to, and qualified for fbme Office or Fun- 5tion of great Importance and Diftincion. Thus that eminent Perfbn prophefied of by Moses whom God should fend, and whom they were to hear is generally known by the Name of the Anointed the Meffias or Chriji because he was thus preferred by God above his Fellows Psalm xlv. and Heb, i. 9. According to this Notion it is, that when the Holy Ghost came down on Christ, and thereby, by a Voice from Heaven, Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am wellpleafedy marked him out as the Person whom God had lent ; of whom John the Baptist there- fore said, that he was greater than he and pre- ferred before him : It is expreffed by the Prophet in these Words, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me hecaufe the Lord hath anointed me to preachy &c. Jfaiah Ixi. i. and Luke iv. 18. That is, the Lord hath preferred me before others, and fet me apart to this Office, as he hath no other Man : So again, As’w. 27. T’hy Son Jesus whom thou haft anointed that is, marked out to be that beloved Son of thine, which was done at the Spirit’s coming down upon him, which must therefore be resolved to be the Meaning of

anointing

1 5^ An Exposition on the

Article VI. anointing him in that Place. And fo ‘tis evi- -yi dently in this Place, How God hath anomted him with the Holy Spirit and with Power that is, whom God by those two Means, the Descent of the Spirit upon him, and the Power of Miracles, as by Privileges and Marks of Preference, pre- ferred and dignified beyond all others that were in the World, and demonstrated him to be the promised Mejfiah, This Ufe of the Phrase being fo remarkable of Christ and i’o particularly ap- plied to the Holy Ghofi’s testifying of him, and letting him apart for his Office, is further en- larged to the Apostles of Christ, on whom the Holy Ghost afterwards defcendcd in like manner, and even to all faithful Christians, as appears from 2 Cor. i. 21. where God’s having anointed them is joined with the Phrase of confirming them into Christ ; fo that God’s having anointed them, signifies his having afforded them such an efpecial Favour, as a miraculous Evidence of the Truth of what they were to believe : For the Power of working Miracles was not fo peculiar to the Twelve Apostles, but, as the Oil on Aaron Head descended to his Beard, and to the Skirts of his Cloathing, fo the Power of working Miracles, was communicated by them to other Chriilians also, A5is ii. and viii. From hence it appears, what is meant of the %eiV,c or Un6lion mentioned by t, John in the Places before mentioned, which the Chriflians, or Believers, to whom he writes, are by him said to have ato tS *, from the Ho/y, that is, I conceive, from the Holy Ghost 5 that is, either the extraordinary G?is of the Spirit, or t(e the Benefit of it,, the Evidence of those Truths which the Holy Ghofl confirmed, belongs to them ; and, therefore, as that Descent of the Holy Ghost was said to teach them all /hings,

fo

Thirty-‘Nine Articles. 1 57

fb here they which have this nla,, know all Article vr. hims that is, have sufficient Evidence there- —‘""W by of the Truth, er. 21, that is, of the Gospel, or that Jesus is the MeJJias “ver. 22. ; and that Vv’hat they had received from the Beginning, I’er. 24. that is, from the Beginning of Christ’s appearing among them, was such a Truth as they were never to part with. And lb, ver. 27. the Undlion again (that is, that which God had afforded them, to demonstrate that Jesus was the MeJJiasJ teacheth you of all hings that is, gives you AlTurance of the Truth of the Gospel of Christ, and is Truth, and not a Lye, that is, infallibly true, and fit to be confronted unto, and to fortify you against all thole that come to deceive you ver. 26. Some other Places I find to be mentioned, which are yet further removed from this Matter, for which they are pretended, as Gal iii. 14. That we might receinje the Promise of the Spirit throtigb Faith. The Promise here ipoken of, is the Promise made by Christ to his Disciples at his parting from the World, as appears from the 2d and 3d Verses of this Chapter, which was the Promise of a Power to work Miracles, to ipcak fevcral Languages, and the like • and fb ‘tis interpreted, n)er. 5. He therefore that miniftretb to you the Spirit and ijoorkcth Miracles among you. And. this may fitly be said to be received through Faith both as it is opposed to the Mofaical Oeconomy, under which there were not then those Powers in tle Church of the Jews as it is laid ver. 2. Received ye the Spirit by the IVorks of the Law or by the Hearing of Faith ? And, according to Christ’s Promise to Believers, these Signs shall follow them that believe j In my Name they shall cafi out Devils &c. Mark xvi. 17. And fo this Place belonging to those mira- culous

158 An Expofitioii on the

Article vl culous Operations of the Spirit in thoie Times ‘“y useful for the ereding of a Church, can no more be applicable to Believers in these Times, than the Speaking of Tongues, and Gifts of Healing, c. which are not imagined by these Pretenders to belong to them by Force of this Place. Somewhat different from this is that other Place, Ephef.i. 17. and parallel to Coh i, 9. hat the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory would give the Spirit of IVtfdom ind Hevelation in the Knowledge of him the Eyes of your Understand’mg being enlightned &c. In this Place there is but little Difficulty, fave that the Words u* k’Triyvadii dur are not rightly interpreted, in the Knowledge of him for it should be, to the Acknowledgment of him as the End of the JVifdom and Revelation not the Matter of it. That it is fo, appears by the following Words, the Eyes of your Understanding being enlightned that ye may know — where, as the enlightning of their Underjiandings is answer- able to the Spirit of iVifdom and Revelation ; fo the Phrase, hat ye way know is anfwerable to h lynyvurni and fo renders iv as it is ordinarily uftd for 5/f, to not /”;;, the knowings or acknoW” ledging of him. Which being premifed, the plain Meaning of the Words is. That the Apostles having heard of the Ephefians Pro- ficiency in the Faith of Christ prays that they m.ay come to farther Growth yet, even to all abundance of all Sorts of Chnftian Knowledge, understanding the highest Spiritual TruthSj. called lVifdoi7t. and interpreting of the Pro- phecies of the Old Testament, called Revelation and both these as extraordinary Gifts at that time, and fo called the Spirit of lVtfdo7n and Revelation that by this Means Christ might be fully difcernedg and the Truth of his Dodrine

•might-

Thirty -Nine Articles. 1 59

might be acknowledged. In like manner ‘tis Article vr. said. Chap. iv. wer. ii&c. Stbat he gave fome -”VNJ jpoftles and fome Prophet Sj and fome Evange lifts and fome Faftors and teachers for the Per fe5iing of the Saints for the JVork of the Mini firy for the Edifying of the Body of Christ, ‘till we all come in the Unity of the Faith, and of the Knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfeSi Man, %mto the Measure of the Stature of the Fullness of Christ, that we henceforth he no more Children toffed to and fro, and carried about with enjery Wind of Boirine, hy the Sleight of Men, and cunning Craftinefs, whereby they lie in wait to decein:e. All which, when compared with the History of the New Testament, ihews us the high and extraordinary Ways that were then afforded by God, by the Descent of the Holy Ghost, for the Building of a Church, and con- firming such as were weak in the Faith, against the Invasion of Hereticks, but cannot be ex- tended to the Enthufiaft now as a Promise that such Gifts shall be, or as a Proof that they are afforded him.

Besides theie of the New Teflament, there are several other Places produced out of the bid, in which it hath pleased God to pro- mife that he will teach, inftrucft, and guide such Perfbns as fear and obey him. But that these Promises have no Relation to any thing beyond the common and ordinary Methods of Inftrudtion, is manifest from hence — That it is well known that God revealed his Will in those Days by Prophets, particularly called, designed, and commiflionated to that Purpose ^ and if any thing was to be done, which had not been fufHciently declared by the Handing known Laws, or when those had been remark- ably

i6o Jn Expofidon on the

Article VI. iiy defpifed and negleded, a Man of God was -‘y’ chosen and fent from Heaven with such jiemj Kenjelations as were neceflary ; which was no way agreeable to, or reconciJeable with this other Method, of God’s Revealing all his Se- crets, to every pious, obedient Servant of his ; for then there would have been no need of any other.

Another Opinion which the Se&aries have constantly patronized, whenever they have found Succeis and worldly Prosperity on their Side, and the Laws both of God and Man against them, is, that such Success and Profpe- rity is a Proof that Almighty God acknow- ledges their Cauie to be his, and approves of their Proceedings, and, by Consequence, that such Things as they fee befall their Enemies, are a sure and certain Token of his Difpleafiire against them. Though as fbon as the Scene changes, and they themfeives become the Suf- ferers, we do not fail to be told, that Afflidi- ons of all kinds are the Lot of the Righteous, and the Discipline of God’s School, and that to suffer Perlecution is not the Unhappiness, but Glory, of the Saints.

The Truth is, that if Success and worldly Prosperity be a good Argument to prove that the Tenets or Notions of this or that Party be agreeable to the Will of God, there is no Re- ligion almost in the World, how false and ridi- culous Ibever it may be, but what is fairly entitled to it ^ and if any Society of Christians

[…]

nave

Thirty Nme Articles, i6i

have at any Time been without them, fo like- Article VI, wife hath Christianity itself. How often, for y"" Instance, did heathen Kings and Armies pre- vail against God’s antient People the Jezvs p How far hath Mahometifm extended itself? How many Christian Countries hath it over- run What miserable Deaths did our Blefled Saviour and his Apostles, and the Primitive Christians, that noble Army of Martyrs, un- dergo ? To which m.ay be added, the P.avages which Popifh Tyranny and Superstition hath made for fo many Years, and the Blood of those faithful and pious Protestants, which hath been Ihed like Water in this and other King- ’ doms, for the Sake of Christ’s true Religion, as ‘tis contained in the Holy Scriptures, and confirmed and explained by the Writings and Fradlices of the first and pureO: Ages of the Church. As the Affairs of this World are at present ordered, they fhew but very little Sign of an exadt Justice. All things come alike to all and there is one Event to the Righteous and to the iVicked fo that there is 70 Juch thing as knowing Love or Hatred by all that ts before us Ecclef ix. 2. And if we look back into the third and fourth Chapters of this Book, we shall fee, that Injustice and Iniquity are fome* times fuccefsful, infolent, and triumphant, whilst Right and Jufliqe are opprefTed a: trampled under Foot. I faw iaith the Preache tinder the Sun the Place ofJudg7nent that IVick ednefs was there and the Place of Right eoufnef that Iniquity was there : I considered all the Of- prefpons that are done under the Sun and beh’:!o the ears of such as were opprejfed ; on the Si.— of the Oppreffors there was Power hut they h’aa no Comforter Ecclef iii. 16. and iv. i. he 2I2- hsrnacles of the Robbers prosper faith holy L Jobj

\6t An Exposition on the

Article VI. Joh and they that pro’voke God are secure Job ”y xii. 7. And the Pfalmifl complaining of wicked Oppreflbrs, tells us, that they are inclofed in their own Fat and with their Mcuth they [peak proudly Psalm xvii. 10. Nozv we call the Proud bappy faith the Prophet Malachi yea they that work IVickednefs are fet tip yea they that tempt God are delivered Mai. iii. ijT- These Considerations have been Stumbling-blocks in the Way of good Men as well as bad, ‘till they have considered withal, that God hath appointed a Bay in which he will judge the World inRighteoufnefs Asyvn. 31. when the former shall receive an ample Reward for all their Suf- ferings, and the latter shall appear to have had their Portion of good Things in this Life, and when the one shall be comforted and the other tormented. Since the Way of God therefore is, as the Pfalmift most elegantly expreffes it, in the Sea and his Path in the great Waters and his Footjieps are not known Plalm Ixxvii. 19. Ajtd since his ‘Judgments are a great Deep Psalm xxxvi. 6. it cannot but be exceeding great Pre- liimption for us to pretend to understand and to argue from those secret things which belong to him alone, and much greater to make Ufe of them, to free ourselves from those plain and indilpenlable Obligations which are laid upon us in the Scriptures, which are revealed and therefore belojg unto us and to our Children for €er that we may do all the Words of this Law Deut. xxix. 29. In a Word, after our Bleffed Saviour hath fo plainly and sharply reprehended this busy and impious Way of prying into, and pretending to unfold the Secrets of God, and difengaging ourselves from the great Duties of Obedience to our Superiors, and Charity to our Brethren, by afTuring us that neither the Man

that

Thirty-Nine Articles. 16”^

that was born birnd nor his Parents, nor those Article vi. on whom the Tower of Siloam fell, nor those ^—‘OT^V whose Blood ?ilate mingled with the Sacrifices, were Sinners above the rest of Mankind, one would think it almofl: impoflible for this blaiphe- mous and mischievous Opinion to spread fo far among profeifed Chriilians as it hath done, and to take even deeper Root in the Minds of Men than the Scriptures themfclves. ‘Tis difficult to forbear thinking, that Ibmething worle than Folly and Enthufiaiin is at the Bottom, when Men pretend to acknowledge the HoJy Scrip- tures for a Rule of Faith and Manners, but yet at the fame time argue for and defend their Practices and Notions from Signs and Tokens, from Succeffes and Events, fb that Fancy, Pre* ’

judice, and Malice, Bigotry, and worldly In- tereft, may be more properly said to be the Rule by which they fleer their Course than the Books of the Old and New Teflament. I own, indeed, that it pleases God very often o to mo- del and frame our Afflictions, that they bear the very Image and Impress of those particular Guilts which they are lent to chaftife. Thus the Wife Man obfervcs, that the turning the Egyptian Waters into Blood was a manifest Reproof of that cruel Commandment for the Murdering the Hebrew Infants, Wtfdom xii. 5. In this Cafe and in that of Adonihezek Judges i. 6. and that of Ahah i Kings xxi. 19. and a great many others, which Hi’story, and daily Experience, and Observation have furnished us with j ‘tis no Presumption to fay, I’his hath God done and for such and such Reafbns. In a Word, to close this Head, there’s no Doubt but that Abfalotns Infurre6lion against David his Father, and lying with his Father’s Concu- binesj was a Euniftiment inflided on David for

L z the

1 ^4 ^n Exposition on the

Article VI. ^hc Murder of Uriahs and defiling of his Wife 3

O^W^

and yet, though the Hand of God was cer- tainly in this Affair, and though Ahfalom was permitted to prevail fo far as to drive his Fa« ther to the last Extremities, yet every-body must acknowledge, that Ahfalom and his Fol« lowers were Traytors, and in Rebellion against God and the King, he whose Judgments are unfearchablc, and his Ways past finding out^ being at Liberty to luffer the word of Men to punish his Servants for their Sins and Failings, without approving of the Outrages and Vio- lences, or any other indirect Methods made ufe of for this P-urpofe.

To fum up the Whole then, it appears, that the Holy Scriptures contain all Things neceffary to Salvation, and that, as they are a sufficient^ fb they are the only Rule both of Faith and Manners. But to prevent (uch Cavils, as fbme may imagine they have fair Room for, when they hear this Dodlrine from a Member of the Church of England^ it is neceflary to fhew in what Sense we understand it. We neither fay nor believe, that every particular Cafe that may happen is exprefly mentioned in Scripture, and that particular Diredions are therein given concerning it, but that we have such general Ktiles in Scripture, as may be applied to all Cafes that may happen, and by the Application of which, a Man may be ih fully diredled, as to adl always securely j that is, without hazard- ing his Eternal Salvation. Sometimes it is thus express and particular, but not always. Some Duties it requires iiidiredly, or by Conlequence, and fbmetimes it refers us to other Rules which it appproves and authorizes, n)lz. The Light of Nature, the Laws of our Country, and the

occafionali

TIjirty-Nhte Articles. 16*^

occasional Commands of our Parents, and of our Article vi: Civil and Ecclefiaftical Superiors. Prov. xx. 27. -“V” Kom. i. 19. and xi. 14, 15. i Cor, xi. 14, 15. Epbef. vl I. Col. iii. 22. 2l/. ilL i. Heb, xiii. 17 .

B Y Canonical Books, we mean such as were inspired by God, and given us for a Rule of Faith and Manners : And the Books which we esteem, are those of whose Authority there hath never been any Doubt in the Church. By the Church, we mean the Univerlal or Ca- tholick Church , becaule fome Churches did for fome time doubt of a few of them, ‘viz. The Epiftle to the Hebrews the Epiftles of St. James and St. Jude the Second Epiftle of St. Peler the Second and Third Epiftles of St. Jobn and the Revelations,

For the DifcuHion of these great and im- portant Points, it will be neceffary to fhew, First, upon what Grounds we look upon fome Books of the Scriptures to be Canonical, or inspired by God, and given us for a Rule of Faith and xVIanners. Secondly, to enquire what those Books are, which have constantly been received as such, by the Jewiih and Christian Church. Thirdly, why we rejed the Books mentioned in this Article, as Apcry^hal, And

L 3 lastly.

\66 An Exposition on the

Articlevt. hftly, to consider whether the Doubts which Ky^Y^\J have been entertained with relation to ibme Books of the New Testament before-men- tioned, be any Realbn why we fbould not re- ceive them as Canonical now.

And, Firll:, The Motives of our Belief that fbme Books of the Scriptures are Canonical, c, are both extriniick and intrinfick to the Scrip- tures ; of which the extrinfick are first, and preparative to the other and indeed, all that can reasonably be infilled on to a Gain-fay er, who must be fuppofed no competent Judge of the latter. But as to the former, I shall ad- venture to fay, that the Divine Original of the Scripture hath as great Grounds of Credibility as can be expedled in any thing of this kind. For whether God inspired the Pen-men of Holy Writ, is xMatter of Fad:, and being o is ca- pable of no other external Evidence but that of Testimony : And that Matter of Fad: being alio in point of Time ib remote from us, can be judged of only by a Series of Teflimonies derived from that Age wherein the Scriptures were written, to this present Time : And the more credible the Teftifiers, and the moreuni- verfal the Testimony, fo much the more con- vincing are they to all considering Men. Be- fore I proceed to mention them, it may not be amifs if I desire, that all such Objections may be waved, as would, if admitted, overthrow the Credit of all History, invalidate the Force of all Laws whatsoever, and deprive even God himielf of the Power and Means of revealing himself to Mankind. Arguments which prove such a vast deal too much, and neceffarily end in such monstrous Abiurdities, prove nothing but the Folly, Wickednefs, and Obftinacy of

those

Thirty-Nine Articles. 167

those that urge them. But to return to my Article VL Subject ; the Scripture hath this Atteftation in y the highest Circumstances, it having been wit- neffed to in all Ages, and in thoie Ages by all Peribns that could be presumed to know any- thing of it. Thus the Old Tcftament wa owned by the whole Nation of the Jews as containing the Writings of Men inspired by God ; and that with such Evidence of their Million, as abundantly satisfied those of that Age, of their being fb inspired , and they de- rived those Writings with that Atteftation to their Pofterity. Now, that those of the first Ages were not deceived, is as morally certain as any thing can be fuppofed. For in the first Part of the Bible is contained the History of those Miracles wherewith God rescued that People out of Egypt and inftated them in Canaan. Now, if they who lived at that Time knew that such Miracles were never done, ‘tis impoffible they could receive an evident Fable as an inspired Truth. No single Perfbn, much Icfs a whole Nation can be fuppofed fo stupid. But if, indeed, they were Eye-witneffes of those Miracles, they might with very good Reafbn conclude, that the fame Moses who was by God impowered to work them, was fb aifo for the relating them ; as alfb all those precedent Events from the Creation down to that Time, which are recorded by him. So alfb for the preceptive Parts of those Books, those that faw those formidable Solemnities, with which they were first: published, had, moll certainly, very little Temptation to doubt that they were the Didtates of God, when written. Now, if they could not be deceived themselves, ‘tis yet less imaginable that they fliould confpire to impose a Cheat upon their L 4 Pofteritie*

\6% An Exposition on the

Article VI. Pofteritics ; nor indeed were the Jews of lb KjiSJ easy a Credulity, that ‘tis at all probable the succeeding Generations would have been fo inn- poled on : Their Humour was stubborn enough, and the Precepts of their Law severe and bur thenfome enough to have tempted them to have cast off the Yoke, had it not been bound upon them by irrefiftible Convid:ions of its coming from God. But besides this Tradition of their Elders, they had the Advantage of living un- der a Theocracy, the immediate Guidance of God; Prophets aroie daily among them to foretel Events, to admonish them of their Duty, and reprove their Backilidings : Yet even theie gave the Deference to the written Word ; nay, made it the Test, by which to try true Inspirations from false : 2l? the Law and to the ieftimony : if they ffeak not according to it there is no Light in them lia. viii. 20. fo that the Veneration which they had before acquired, was still anew excited by fre(h Inspirations, which both attelled the old, and became new’ Parts of their Canon. Nor could it be esteemed a small Confirmation to the Scriptures, to find in succeeding Ages the signal Accornplifhments of those Prophecies which were long before regiftred in those Books ; for nothing less than Divine Power and Wif- dom could foretel, and alio verify them. Upon theie Grounds the Jews universally, through all SuccelHons, received the Books of the Old Tcflament as Divine Oracles, and look’d upon them as the greatest Trull that could be com- mitted to them : And accordingly were o fcru- puloufly vigilant in conferving them., that their Maforites numbered not only the Sections, but the Words, nay, Letters, that no Fraud or Inadvertency might corrupt or defalk the least Jot a of what they esteemed fo lacred. A far- ther

TJyirty-Wine Articles. 1^9

ther Testimony and Sepiment to which, were Article vi. the Samaritan Chaldee and Greek Versions ; /VNJ’ which being made ufe of in the Synagogues of the Jews in their Difperfions, and the Samari- tans at Sichem could not, at those Distances, receive a uniform Alteration and any other would be of no Effedt. Add to this, that the Original Exemplar of the Law was laid up in the Sanduary, that the Prince was to have a Copy of it always by him, and tranfcribe it with his own Hand ; that every Jew was to make it his constant Difcourfe and Meditation, teach it his Children, and wear Fart of it upon his Hands and Forehead. And now, surely, ‘tis impoilible to imagine any Matter of Fad: to be more carefully deduced, or irrefragably tefti- fied, nor any thing believed upon stronger Evi- dence. That all this is true in reference to the Jews that they did thus own these Wrinns as Divine, appears, not only by the Records of past Ages, but by the Jews of the preient, who still own them, and cannot be fufpeded of Combination with the Christians. And if these were reasonable Grounds of Convidion to the Jews (as he must be mod abfurdly Sceptical that Ihall deny) they must be fo to Christians alfb, who derive them from them : And that with this farther Advantage to our Faith, that w fee the clear Completion of those Evange- lical Prophecies which remained dark to them, and consequently have a farther Argument to confirm us, that the Scriptures of the Old Testament are certainly Divine.

The New Testament hath likewise the fame Means of Probation : Which, as it is a Col- iedion of what was taught by Christ and his Apostles, must, if truly related^ be acknow- ledged

170 An Exposition an the

Article VI. ledgcd no hs Divine than what they deliver’d -”y by Word of Mouth. History, as good and authentick as any the whole World affords, acquaints us. That the Gospel was attested with a Multitude of the most flupendous Mi- racles ; and that God should lend his Almighty Power to abet the false Pretenfions of Men, is a Conceit, one would think, too unworthy even for the very worst of Men to entertain. ‘Tis true, that God hath permitted lying Miracles ♦ such as were those of the Magicians in Egypt, in Opposition to the other of Moses j but then the Difference between both was fo confpi- CU0U3, that he must be more partial and difm- genuous, than even those Magicians were, who would not acknowledge the Disparity, and con- fefs in those which were truly supernatural, the Finger cfGod Exod. viii. 19. and therefore it is foretold both in the Old and New Testament, that false Prophets should arise and do Signs and JVonders Deut. xiii. i. Matth. xxiv. 11, 24. as a Trial of their Fidelity who made Profellion of the true Religion, whether they would prefer the few and trivial Sleights which recommended a Deceiver, before those great and numberlefs Miracles which attested the sacred Oracles de- livered to the Sons of Men by the God of Truth. Whether the Trick of a Barchochehas to hold Fire in his Mouth ; that of Marcus the Heretick, to make the Wine of the Holy Sacra- ment appear Blood , or that o? Mahomet to bring a Pigeon to his Ear, ought to be put in Balance against all the Miracles which were wrought by Moses our Saviour, or his Apostles : And in a Word, whether the filly Stories which Jam- hlichus solemnly relates of Pythagoras or those Philoftratus tells of Apollonitis ‘fyanceus defer ve to rival those of the Evangelist§ ? 1 ftiall fay

no

Thirty ”Nine Articles. 171

no more under this Article in relation to the Article vi: Miracles of Moses of our BlefTed Saviour, and vyX his Apostles and first Disciples ; but inafmuch as I have neither here, nor under the first Article, where 1 have likewise treated of Miracles, said any thing to confirm the Writings of the Pro- phets, which contain a considerable Part of the Old Testament, it is neceffary to oblerve, that it appears very reasonable to think, that when they first enter’d upon their Prophetick Office, they usually gave fome Sign of their MifHon, either by working a Miracle, or by revealing ibme secret, remote, or future Thing, which was not within the Compass of human Know- ledge, and the Nature of which was such, that a little Time would ibon discover, whether the Prophet pake true or not. We may find Foot- fireps in Scripture of these several Ways being accounted the Marks of a Prophet. We find the Pharifees demand a Sign from Heaven of our Saviour, such as JoJJjua Samuel Isaiah and Elias had wrought . And the Samaritan Woman judged our Saviour to be the Christ, becauie he told her all Things that ever fhe did t. This fhews, that in the common Opi- mon, the discovering of fbme hidden Thing, and out of the ordinary Reach of human Knowledge, was esteem.ed the Mark of a Pro- phet 3 and the Mefias being the Prophet the Jews at that Time expeded, the Woman con- dudes from thence, that he who knew such Secrets must be the MeJJias. And perhaps, for this Reafbn the Jews who looked upon our

• Matth. xvi. i. Joh. vi. 50. Mattli. xii. 58. JoHi. x. la. I Sam. xii. 18. Ifa, xxxviii. 8. i Kings i. 10. t joh. iv. 25>,

Saviour

\7i j4n Expofitioii on the

Article VI. Savjour as a Pretender only to Prophecy, de-

U^‘VNJ

mand of him the Discovery of a Mock-secret, wiz. Who it was that finote him when he was blindfolded, Matth, xxvi. 28. It appears from other Places, that the Prophets did commonly foretel fomcthing which should shortly come to pass, and the Accomplishment of this their Pre- didion did eftablifh their Authority for the Fu- ture, and gave Credibility to those Prophecies of theirs, whose Accomplishment was at a greater Diflance. So the Man of God that propheficd against the Altar of Bethel 1 Kings xiii. I, 2. bcfides his foretelling above Three Hundred Years before the Birth of that Prince, that one of David’s Family, Josiah by Name, Ihould defile that Altar • at the fame Time gave another Sign of his Million, that was prelently to come to pais, njiz. hat the Altar Jloould he rent and the AjJoes of it “poured out ver. 3. The Fulfilling of which was an Argument of his Veracity, as to the other Part of his Prophecy where the Event was at such a Diflance, that though it (hould not correspond with the Pro- phecy, it could not at present be difproved, and therefore the bare foretelling it did not bring along with It fufcient Evidence, that the Prophet who spoke it was really fent from God. In like manner ‘tis said of Samuel i Sam. iii. 19, 20. and ix. 6. hat all Israel knew him to he an efiahltjijed Prophet of the Lord’s when they faw that none of his Frophetick IFords fell to the Ground. So Ezekiel having delivered a Predidlion, adds, Chap, xxxiii. ver. 33. U’hen this JJjall come to pass then they JJjall know that a Prophet hath been among them. Which is an Argument that Men commonly fuipended their Judgment concerning the Authority of a Pro- phet, ‘till they had tried his Veracity, by feeing

whether

Tbirty-N’me x\rticles. 175

whether fome one Prophecy of his, which he Article vl delivered as a Test of his Miflion, came to pass -‘V’V or no. But though the Prophets usually gave a Sign in Testimony of their MifTion, yet fome Prophets did not, who were therefore to be tried by other Rules. ‘Tis recorded particu- larly of John the Baptist that he did no Mira- cle, John X. 41. and yet the People counted him a Prophet, Matth. xxi. 26. which they would not have done, if a Prophet had always given a Sign, before he was accounted fo : And we fee, that even the Priests and Elders could not find any thing to objed against his Autho- rity. Now, in such a Cafe, I fjppofe, they judged of a Prophet’s Pretences by fome of these following Tokens 3 by the Holiness of his Life and Dodrine j by the Agreement of what he said with the Predictions or Difcourfes of other Pro- phets, and especially if another Prophet of un- doubted Authority’ bare Witness to him : Ac- cording to that Maxim of the Jewijlo Mailers, The Prophet of whom fome other Prophet of undoubted Credit witnefTeth that he is a Prophet, is affuredly such *. All these Marks concurred in John the Baplji ; his OKice was plainly described by Isaiah chap. xl. .er. 3. and both that and his Person by Malacht chap. iii. I. — iv. 5. his Dodrine was Koly, and his Life an exad Copy of what he taught ; fo here was no Room to fufped him for a Counterfeit, though he gave no Sign to attest his MifTion. In a Word, where a Prophet gave no Sign whereby Men might make Trial of the Reality of his Pretenfions, they made a Judgment of it by considering his Education, whether he had

[…]

been

1 74 -^^^ Expofitioii on tie

Article VI. been brought up in the Schools of the Pro” -f” phets, which were the Seminaries of inspired Perfbns ; by examining his Manner of Life, his Dodrine, and his Agreement with other Pro- phets ; and the more any of these was liable to Exceptions, the more need there was that he ihould give a Sign to attest the Miffion. So, for Example, ‘twas more requisite that Amos should give a Sign who was no Prophet by Edu- cation, or Prophet’s Son, but a Herdman, by Profeflion, than any of those Prophets who were of the Prieftly Order, or brought up among the Sons of the Propbets Amos viii. 14.

This is what I proposed to fay concerning the extrinfick Evidence that hath been given to the Holy Scriptures. If we desire to be acquainted with that Evidence which is intrin- fick to the Scriptures, let us carefully and feri- oufly perufe them. H^re shall we find the utmost Impartiality in History ; Writers that neither conceal nor extenuate the Faults of themselves, or of their Relations and Friends ; Prophecies which were punctually fulfilled ; Precepts and Inftru6lions more excellent than all the Writings in the World besides can afford us ; the moil powerful Perfuafives to Virtue, and DiiTuafives from Vice that can poilibly be desired ; the most dextrous Applications both to our Judgment and our Affections • Courage and Freedom, to a Degree of Undauntedncfs, in reproving and rebuking the Great and Power- ful as well as others ; a perpetual Analogy and Conformity throughout the Whole; andaGreat- ness and Dignity both of Matter and Expref^ lion, worthy and becoming the Majefly of him v/ho indited them. ‘Tis difficult to forbear en- larging upon fo noble and delightful a Subjed:,

which

Thirty -‘Nine Articles. 175

which hath occafioned fo many excellent Dif- Aitide VI, courses, particularly the Third Sedion of lhe -‘y Lively Oracles , or, Chrifiians Birth-right y by the Author of ‘I’he Whole Duty of Man 9 and Bilhop Stillingfleefs last Chapter of his Origines Sacra : But because I am unwilling to swell my Observations upon this important Ar- tide into such a Bulk, as may render it rather tedious than inftrudive to my Readers, and fmce, God be thanked, we have the Scriptures in our own Language, and since they are open to the Perufal of every body, I pais on to the next thing which I proposed, ‘viz. To enquire what those Books are which have been con- ftantly received as Canonical by the Jewish and Christian Church.

And first, as to the Jewish Church, to which the Oracles of God were first committed, as St. Paul exprefles it, Kojn. iii. 2. ‘tis certain that they received no other Books into their Canon, besides those which are mentioned in this Article, which they called, the Five Books of Moses the Poor Books of the former, and the Four of the later Prophets, and the rest of the Holy Writings, confifting of Nine Books, which make up Twenty-two in the Whole. The only Difference betwixt them and us, is, that the Book of Kutb was by them put as an appendix to the Book of Judges and the Two Books of Samuel reckoned but as one Book ; as likewise were the Two Books of Kings and Jeremiah and his Lamentations, The Books of the Twelve leffer Prophets were Jikewife put into one, and called the Book of he Prophets. The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah were alio reckoned but as one Book, and fo were the First and Second Books of Chromcles. That

they

17^ ^^ Exposition on tie

.lifil !* y received no other Books but these into their Canon, appears from the Testimony of Jofephus who lived in the Time of the Apo- ftles, and wrote fhe Antiquities of the Jews of whom he was one himself, in a most exadt and diligent Manner. His Testimony is fb great in this Matter, that it is repeated by Eufe- hitis * in his Ecclefiaftical History at full length. The Substance of it is. That the Jewish Church had only Twenty-two Books of Scripture, w hich might juftly challenge Credit and Belief among them. Whereof Five were the Books of Mo- fesy containing little Ids than Three thousand Years 3 and Thirteen the Books of the Pro- phets, wherein they wrote the A6ls of their Times, from the Death of Moses to the Reign of Artaxerxes King of Persia • and Four more, containing both Hymns to God, and Admoni- tions to Men for the Amendment of their Lives. But from the Time o? Artaxerxes that though certain Books had been wTitten, yet they de- served not the fame Credit and Belief which the former had, because there was no certain Suc- ceiHon of Prophets among them. In the mean while, what Belief they had of the true Scrip- litres which alone they acknowledged, and how faithful they were towards them, was very ma- nifeft from hence, that though they were writ- ten o long Time before, yet never durft any Man presume either to add or diminifli, or alter any thing in them 3 it being a Maxim ingrafted into every one of that Nation from their Youth, and in a manner born with them, to hold these Writings for the Grades of God, and remainii

constant

Ihtrty-Kine Articles. 177

constant to them, if need were, willingly to die Article vr. for them. We have likewise the Testimony of VOTXi. hilQ who lived in the fame Age with Jofephus that the Jews would rather have fufFercd a thou- iand Deaths, than that any Thing should be once altered in all the Divine Laws and Statutes of their Nation §. And, indeed, both the antient and modern Jews have never acknow- ledged any other Canon of Scripture, besides that which we have been speaking of, having never heard of any Second or Third Canon, which a Writer of the Church of Rome hath taken upon him to make mention of, without the leali” Proof or Shadow of Probability f.. And thus much for the Testimony of the Jewijh Church i I (hall now proceed to that of the first Christian and Apoftolical Church, which the Reader may at his Leisure make very good Additions to, by reading downwards till the Council of ‘Trent which happened about the Middle of the Sixteenth Century, and confifted of about forty Persons, all Creatures of, and Dependants on the Court of Kome whole Sit- ting and Acting, together with the Summons which called them together, were juftJ.y excepted and protested against by the Princes, and all the Reformed Churches in Germany together with the Kingdoms of England and Denmark and many other Places.

‘T I s true, that the New fefiament affords us no particular Catalogue of the several Books which belong to the O/J, yet by the Ipecial Notes and Characters which Christ and his

[…]

M ApoJlUs

178 Jn Espofition on the

Article VI. yjpoftles have there fet upon them, we may yy’\J evidently diftinguifh them from all other Books whatlbever. And first, the Scriptures that Christ recommended to his Disciples, related to the former Partition that had been made of them by the Jews and were no other than what were then found written in the Law of Moses in the Prophets, and in the Psalms ; where the Pfaltns comprehended all the Hagiographa or the rest of the Holy Writings, as diftinguifhed from the Law and the Prophets, and being the most eminent Book among them, gave the Denomi- nation to the rest ; fo that all those Scriptures which are not contained within thisDivifion, and cannot be referred to one of these three Claffes, as none of the controverted Scriptures can be, are by Christ himself excluded out of the Canon of the Old Testament j for to those three he reduced all the Scriptures that were then extant, or acknowledged by him. Which is likewise St. Auguftines own Confeflion, and the true Sense that he gives to this Place in St. Luke when, for this very Reason, he excludeth the Maccabees out of that Division, because they had not the Testimony of Christ to be his Wit- nefles, and were neither comprehended in the Books of the Law oi Moses nor in the Pro- phets, nor in the Psalms ; for these were all the Canonical Scriptures that the old Church re- ceived upon Divine Authority § : Nor did the Apostles after Christ, ever recommend any other Scriptures of this Nature to us, than what were contained under these three Heads, whereof

• Luke xxiv. 27, 44, 4^.

they

T/y^rty-Nhie Anichs. \y^

they give us thefediftinguiihing and proper Chara- Article vI. ders 5 that they were written by Mojes and the V’VN, Prophets f j that by thole Prophets God Ipake of Old Time to their Fathers that all their Prophecies were sure and certain ” that not fb much as one Jot or Tittle of them should ever fail § 5 that all Scripture is of Divine Infpira- tion + • and, that the Oracles of God were com- mitted to the Jews \ : None of all which Notes can be fet upon the Books which are now contro- verted. And though it should appear, that the New Testament doth now and then refer to the Apocryphal Books, or to any other Writings or Stories of Old Time- for the Prophecy of Jeremiahj which is mentioned Mat. xxvii. 9. the Story of Jannes and Jambres spoken of 2 im. iii. 8. and the Prophecy of Enoch taken notice of Jude 14. are not to be found, either in the undoubted or disputed Books of the Old Testament; it will follow, that these Books or Stories contained fome Things in them that were true, but by no means that they are to be received as Canonical Scripture. There are several Places of St. Paurs Epiftles, in which Aratiis Menander and Epimenides three Heathen Writers, are made ufe of, and yet no body will pretend to plead for inserting their Writings among the Canonical Books of the New Testament, of which I proceed to speak. In the New Testament, those Books only are accounted Canonical, which were written, or, however.

[…]

M z authorized

1 8o Jn Exposition on the

Article VI. authorized by the Apostles ; for they being the ’”’ immediate Disciples of, and Attendants upon our Lord, and being commiflioned by him to inilrud the World in the Dodrine which he taught them, were, without doubt, infalHble, as I hope I have proved already from their Power of working Miracles ; for if such a Power, when “tis exercised for the Confirmation of a Dodlrine worthy of God, be not a sufficient Evidence, that what they are made ufe of to attest is from God, ‘tis hard to imagine how ‘tis pof fible for God himself to reveal his Will to Man- kind : And, therefore, their Teachings, their Writings, their Judgments ought to be received with all Veneration and Submiilion. St. Fatil is reckoned, very juftly, of the fame Authority with the rest, because our Saviour was pleased to appear to him from Heaven, and to reveal his Gospel to him in his own Person, and ap- point him an Apostle after an extraordinary Manner; for he received his Commiflion not from Men, as himself tells us. Gal. i. i, 12. but from Jesus Christ, and God the Father. What the Apostles wrote, and what they au- thorized, can be known no other Way, than by the Testimonies of those who lived at the fame Time with them, and the Tradition of those who succeeded them : And, therefore, when- ever any Churches received any Writings to inftru6t them in Religion from the Apostles, they looked upon those Writings as Canonical, or a Rule of Faith and Manners, in the Parti- culars whereof they treated. And whenever any other Churches were affured, either by the Tefti- mony of thoie who knew it themselves, or by cer- tain Tradition, that such and such were Apoftolical Writings, they too esteemed them Canonical, pre- fer ved them as such themselves and as such trans

mitted

Thirty -Kme Articles. 1 8 1

mitted them to others. Hence it appears, that the Article VI. written Canon increased gradually in itself, as ^-/W,^ the Apostles writ new Books, and was likewise gradually spread over the World, as particular Churches received those Books from others, with good Testimonies and Evidences, of their being the genuine Works of those, under whoie Names they were conveyed to them : No won- der then, if fome Books were iboner, and fome later received as Canonical by the univerial Body of Christians in all Places, because, either the Books themselves, or the Teftimonials to prove them Apoftolical, might, nay, naturally would, be transmitted to fome Churches later than others, as they were situated nearer to, or removed further from those Cities or Countries, where they were firll: published, or enjoyed a greater or leis Intercourie with them. But the general conveying a great Part of them over the whole Christian Church, seems to have been performed in the Beginning of the second Cen- tury, about the Time of St. Johns Death, or immediately after it , for, as Eufehins tells us, in his Ecclefiaftical History f, there were then great Numbers of Persons, Disciples of the Apostles, who travelled over the World, build- ing up Churches, where the Apostles had before laid the Foundations, and preaching the Faith of Christ in other Places, which had never heard of it before, carrying along with them the Copies of the Gospels to all Countries whither they travelled. And, it is very probable, that they took with them fome other Parts of the New Testament besides, fmce, as we fhail immediately fee, from the Testimony of Ire J7^us

f Book 3. c. 37.

M 3 and

1 82 Jjt Exposition on the

Article vj. and 7ertuUian they were owned and admitted \yy”” every where loon after. For the clearing of which, I shall consider what Books were first taken into the Canon by the whole Churchy and what afterwards ; not omitting aho to remark, that they had besides fbme that were ftiled Ec- clefiafttcal and others Spurious and Suppofitttious, I. The Four Gospels, the Ads of the Apostles, the Thirteen Epiftlcs of St. Paul that to the Hehreivs being excepted, the First of St. Peter and the First of St. Jchn were all received over the Christian World, in the Time o Eufebhis as appears from his Ecclefiaftical History. To him I might join Athanafius the Council of Laodicea Epiphanius Ruffinus &c. but because they wrote a while after, when the whole Canon of the New Testament began to be settled, their Testimony will reach the other Books as well as thelc under Consideration, and therefore I shall reserve them for a fitter Place.

I T is true. Indeed, that Etifehitts^ and those others, did not publish their Judgments on this Subject ‘till above 300 Years after Christ , and, therefore, seem fome of the latest to be Wit- neffes in a Cafe of this Nature : But then we ought to observe, not only that they speak pofi- tively what was the general Judgment of their Days, but that three of them appeal to the ftradition of the Churchy and the Testimony of the Antients^ who living nearer the Age of the Apostles, had better Opportunities of inform- ing themselves from authentick Proofs, what were their true and genuine Works. It was upon this Testimony of primitive and succeed- ing Writers, that the Catholick Church did, in the Time abovementioned, admit these Books as Apoftolical, and account them for

Canonical

Thirty ‘Wzne Articles. 1 8 5

Canonical Parts of the New Testament Article vi. Many of the Writings which they confultcd, wVN. are now perished, but fbme have been prelerved to our Days, from which I fliall produce an In- llance or two, to ihew that the Church, in the Time of Eufebius had real Warrant from Anti- quity, to look upon the Books, whereof I am now speaking, as Canonical, or Rules of Faith, since they had been efleemed for such long be- fore, and were attributed to them whose Names they bear, by their Predeceflbrs. Thus fer- tulUan who flourished at the End of the second Century, tells us exprefly, in his Diicourfe of the Prescription of Hereticks that the Law and the Prophets the Gospels and Apoflolick Writings were the Books from whence we are to learn our Faith, And that we may know what he meant by Gospels and Apoftolick IVritings for about them we are only concerned at present, he does, as Occasion was offered in his several Treatifes, appeal to all the Books ahovementioned except- ing only the Epiftle to Philemon *, out of

M 4 which.

• If it be required what Evidence we have, that the Epiftle to Fhilerrjon, iince it’s quoted neither by Tertullian nor IreriAus, belongs to this first Set of Canonical Books? I answer, I. That Eufeius 2nd Gregory Nazianzen, both in his lambicks to Seletictis, and his Poem concerning the Genuine Books of the Scripture, manifeftly reckon this Epiftle among those Parts of the Canon, which were never doubted of. 2. Origen ex- prefly afcribesitto St. Tdul, in his 19th Homily on Jeremiah (Ed.G, Lj p. iS;-. 3. Though Tertullmn does not indirect Terms tell us, that it was accounted one ot the Canonical Books in his Time, yet he says that from v/hence it necellarily fol- lows 5 foi Lib.. zgdXnx Mar cion, c. 21. he wonders why that Jleretick rejeded the Epiftles to Timothy and Titusy which con- cern the State of the whole Church, when yet he received another written to a (ingle Per fon, as well as thefej whereby one can be understood but this to Fhilemon, fmce ‘tis well

known.

1 §4 Ati Exposition on the

Article vi. which, being very short, he had no Occasion, I yysj luppofe, to produce any Testimonies, as the real VsWitings of the pofiles and Persons to whom we afcrihe them. And Irenceus before him, who converfed. as we learn from himself, with Polycarp and others, that had been in- ftruded by the Apostles and immediate Difci- ples of our Lord, mentions the Code of the New Testament as well as of the Old, calls the one as well as the other the Oracles of God, and Writings dilated by his Word and Spirit , speaks exprefly several times of the Four Goi pels, and quotes the fame Books of the New Testament, which we observed I’ertnllian does, and under the Names of the fame Authors that he does, even of those by whom we now believe they were written, and blames the Hereticks of those Times for rejeding their Authority +. They were Hereticks only that rejeded them in those early Ages , neither does it appear that fo much as one of the Books we are now con- fidering, was ever doubted of, or called in Question by any of the Members of the Catho- lick Church, after they were once publickly known. This is enough to evince, that Etife- hhis and the Church in his Time had Tefti- mon’es of the Antients to affure them, that the Books above ipecified were really the Writings of the Disciples and Followers of our Saviour :

known, that Murcion rejefted all the Canonical Epifrles, and, conlequcnily, the Second and Third of St. John; which alio, v/eve not at that Time generally embraced by the Catholicks, And, therefore, since he joined with the Catholicksin receiving one Epiftle to a single Person, it must neceflarily be this, for he rejeded all others.

:j: Z-i^. 3. c. 3. cS* 39- L.i.c.i, I. 3, f. i2o L.J. C.J. L.i.c.^-j. L. 3. f. I. 6cc. i. 3.^.2,

And

Thirty-Nhie Articles. 1 8 5

And besides these two Authors now mentioned. Article vr.

[…]

andria^ Or’tgen and Cyprian^ who confirm the

fame Truth, and many now loft, which they

then had in their Hands, from whence they

drew further Proofs and Evidences in this

Matter.

The Epiftle to the Hebrews the Second of St. Peter J the Second and Third of St. John the Epiftles of St. James and of St. Jtide and the Revelation were at the Beginning que- ftioned by fbmc, as Etifehius informs us, in the Book and Chapter above alledged but then, as the fame Author in the fame Place affures us, they were received and acknowledged by majiy others. The Argument about these, was not fo general and uniform as about the other Books : Some Perfbns and Churches, perhaps, received them all, but the whole Body of the Catholicks did not, as being not then fully satisfied, every where, concerning the Evidence which was pro- duced for them. Yet, neither were they generally rejeded, as Ibme pretend, for ieveral of them were received in several Places, as it would be very easy to prove from Irenceiis ertulUan and others of the Fathers yet extant. But however the Cafe was at first, it is apparent, that upon due Examination of the Testimonies of the Antients produced on their Behalf, these alfb were, in process of Time, received into the Canon j for Athanafius in one of his Festival Epiftles, wrote about twenty Years after the History oi Eufehhis reckons them exprefly among the rest § , fb does alio the Council o£ Laodicea,

excepting

i86 J?i Exposition oh the

Article vl excepting only the Revelation t j ib does Epi y” fhanius , and fo alfb does Kuffinus towards the End of that Century, and vouches the Autho- rity of the Antients, and the Monuments of his PredeccfTors for fo doing, as Athanafius also had done before him . Nazianzen indeed, in his lamhkks to Seleucus , which sometimes go under the Name of Amphilochius tells us, that the controverted Books were in his Time doubted of by fome. But ‘tis plain from the Verses under his own Name, concerning the genuine Books of the Scripture +, that he received them all, the Revelation only excepted. And it appears too by St. Jerome \ that when he wrote his Letter to Dardanus several of the Latin Church rejedted the Epiftle to the He- hrezusj and several of the Greek Church the Revelation ; but he declares positively, that he owned both for Canonical, because most of the Anttents had done fo before him. However, the Council of Laodicea being admitted into the Code of the universal Church, and afterwards more solemnly ratified, among others, in the first Canon of the § Fourth General Council, ihews plainly, that both the Eajiern and IVefiern

f Ibid. p. 870. Whether the Council of L/?o^/V^^ left out this Book, as a Book that is not Canonical, or, as a Canonical Book liot fit to be publickly read, is what I cannot take upon me to determine. The Church of England docs not read this Book in the Lcflbns, but only fome small Portions instead of the Epiftles, On fome peculiar Festivals, because not intelligible by the gene- rrUty of the People. And thus also, fhe reads no Part at all of the Canticles upon the fame Account, and yet hath afferted both one and the other to be part of the Canon in the 39 Articles.

[…]

II Vol. IT. p. 194.

4- F. 24.

Churches

Tbirty-Nhie Articles. 1 87

Churches did then receive all the Pieces men- Article vi.

[…]

Revelation only ; and what Opinion they had

of that, we can’t judge from this Argument,

because the Laodicean Fathers had said nothing

of it in their lad Canon. When it was first

universally received is not very cafy to decide.

Certain it is, from the Sixteenth Canon of the

Fourth Council at Toledo *, that there were

very many then, at least in Spain^ who rejeded

it ; and certain it is from the fame Canon, if

we may believe the Fathers who compoied it,

that it had been declared formerly Part of the

New Testament, by many Councils and Syno-

dical Decrees : But the Names of those Councils

which had alTerted the Divine Authority of this

Book, are not there fet down 5 and, therefore, I

must ingenuoufly confess, that I can’t tell what

Synods the Fathers had an Eye to therein, be-

fides that of Carthage §, which reckons the

y^pocalypfey or Revelation by Name, among

the Canonical Books of the New Testament.

For, as to the famous Decree of the Roman

[…]

forged till fome Years after the Fathers at Toledo

made that Canon we are now considering :

However, it is evident, that many of the most

Primitive Fathers acknowled”ged the Revelation

to be Divine, and written by St. John the

[…]

too, from what has been already alledged, that

[…]

and appealed to the Antients as their Warrant

for fo doing. We have feen likewise, that it

• A. C. 611, § A. C. 4,19.

was

i88 ^n Exposition o?i the

Article VI. was owned by Epipbamus and acknowledged as \yfU Canonical by a Synod at Cartbage, It was admitted also for such by St. Ambrose , St. Au- gtifiin 11, and many others of that andfucceed- ing Ages. But whether the difFufive Body of the Church, was fo far satisfied of its being au- thentick, as to receive it aery wbere for such ViU it was eftablifhed by the San6tion of the sixth General Council §, I shall not take upon me to determine : However, then the Controversy m seems to have been brought to an End, if not before ; for the Fathers of that Affembly having received, not only the Decrees of the Council of Carthage but also, which is more express in the Cafe f, the Epiftle of Athanafius above- mentioned did thereby own, the Revelation to be properly Canonical ; and the whole Church of that Age, and especially the Orientals, among whom this Book had been mod questioned, submitting to their Authority, backed with fb good Evidence, tbis as well as the other con- troverted Pieces had been, was afterwards reckoned as a genuine Part of the New Tefta- ment. There have been always in the Church besides these, other Writings that were called Ecclefiaftical viz. the Writings of the antient Fathers, which have ever been looked upon as ufefui and of good Authority (though not in- fallible, as the Canonical Scripture is) being generally composed, not only by pious and learned Men, but also by thole, who lived in, or near the primitive Ages of Christianity , and.

confequcntlyj

Thirty-Nme Articles, i8p

conlequently, had better Opportunities of being Article vi. acquainted with the Do(5trine and Practice of f” the first Preachers of it than we have. And among these, they have ahvays been esteemed of the greatest Authority (if their Charader was anfwerable upon other Accounts) who flourished and wTote nearest the Times of the Apostles. Of this Sort is that which is called the First Epiftle of Clemens to the Corinthians which, though Etifehius tells us was of fb great Estimation §, as to be read publickly in Churches, yet he excludes it from the Sacred Canon % and ib he doth the Pastor of Hermas t, which both he and Athanafius f, and Ruffinus acknowledge to have been read openly in fome Places, yet they all join in raising it no higher than an Ec* clefiaftical Piece. Several (purious Writings were also published very early in the Church, under the Names of the Apostles and other great Men : These were for the most Part com- posed by the Gnofticks and other Hereticks, to maintain and propagate their falie and wicked Opinions ; and Ibme too were the Works of zealous, but simple Catholicks. As for In- stance, the Travels of Paul and hecla the Author of which, as ertulUan and St. Jerome inform us \ wrote it out of Love to St. Faul : He was dilcovered in the Life-time of St. John and by him cenfured. Many of these were found out to be Cheats as foon as they came abroad, and others not till after fome Years :

t In the Places before ckcd.

!l Iren. lib. i. c. 17.

[…]

t However^

ipo Jn Expofitioli on the

Article VI. However, they were generally discovered sooner

OO^XJ

or later -, fo that of the Forgeries of the first Ages, there is little remaining to our Times except the bare Titles. I proceed now in the Third Place to fhew, why we rejed: the Books mentioned in this Article as ylpncryphal. And here, I hope, after what hath been already said, it will be sufficient to observe, First, That as the JewiJJj Church never received thele Books for Canonical Ws very absurd for us to pretend to do it upon no better Warrant than the Majority of Votes, at a partial, corrupt, and pretended Council, fo many hundred Years after those controverted Books had made their Appearance in the World, and when nobody could be fuppofed to be in a Capacity of judging whether they ought to be taken into the Canon of Scripture, in Comparison of those who had rejeded them under the yewijh and at the Beginning of the Christian Difpenfation • for if the Jews had the Oracles of God committed to them, and if they transmit- ted them to the first Christians, what the former received and transferred to the latter, ought to be received by us, and no other. And, 2dly, That every one of thele Books, contains either false Dodrine, or false History. Thus the Angel in ohit makes a Lye, which is contrary to the Nature of good Spirits, ‘Tob. v. 12. Judith in her Prayer commendeth the Fad of Simeon which is condemned by the Holy Ghost, Gen. xlix. 5. and prays that God would prosper such Stories and Speeches as were notorious Untruths. ‘Tis said in Baruch chap. i. That he wrote the Book which goes under his Name, in Babylon but it appears that he resided with Jeremiah at Jerusalem and went not from him, Jer. xxxiii. 6. The Story of Susanna maketh Bankl a young Child in the Days of

Afiyages^

Thirty- Nme Articles. 1 9 1

Afiyages and to become famous among the Article vi. People by the Judgment of Siifanna whereas -”“V”V- ‘Daniel himself writeth otherwise of his Car- riage into Babylon in the Days of Jehoiakim under Nebuchadnezzar and of the Means by which he was known first to be a Prophet, Dan. i. 12. The Story of Bel and the Dragon ipeaks of Hahakkttk the Prophet in the Days of Cyrus who prophefied before the Captivity of Babylon which was Seventy Years before Cyrus* The First Book of Maccabees faith, that Antio- thus died in his Bed at Babylon. Chap. vi. but the Second Book laith, that he was cut in Pie- ces in the Temple at Nanea, Chap. i. and in another Place, that he died of a grievous Dif- ease of his Bowels, in a strange Country, in the Mountains, 2 Alac, ix. 28. The Canonical Book of Esther faith, that Mordecai had no Reward, JEJiber vi. 3. the Apocryphal Book faith that he had. Chap. xii. 5. The Book of IVifdom is laid, by leveral ancient Writers, to be written fmce the Time of our Saviour. Its cruel Sentence against Bastards, at the End of the Third Chapter, is a Proof that it cannot be from God. The Author of Ecclefiafticus un- derftands the Prophecy oi Malachi of the Per- fbnal Coming of Elias which our Saviour doth manifeftly refer to John the Baptifi Matth. xi. 14. The Third Book of Efdras faith, that the Veflels of Gold and Silver, which Cyrus deli- vered to Sheshazzar were not fent to Jerufa- lem ‘till the Time of Darius which is contrary to the Account given us by Ezra Chap. i. II. See 3 Efdras iv. 44, 57. The Fourth Book of Efdras contains fo many Falfities and Fables, that is is rejecfted even by the Papifts themselves.

I c o M E

ipi j4n Exposition on the

Article VI. I CO M E HOW, ill xht fourth and last Place to KyyKJ consider, whether the Doubts which have been entertained, with relation to lome Books of the Ace; “Testament before-mentioned, be any Rea- fon why we should not receive them as Cano- nical now ? — ‘Tis certain that the Epiftle to the Hebrews is owned as St. Paul’s by Clemens of Alexandria J and by Or’tgen in his Comment on St. John . He affirmed, as we find in the Ecclefiajhcal History of Etifchius f, that many of the Antients believed it to be St. Paulas, Eufebius faith, it was only rejeded by fbme, and seems, for his own Part, to have admitted it into the Canon with the rest t. St. Jero7n in his Epiftle to Dardanus , says. That it was received by most of the Antients, and quoted by them as Canonical Scripture. I don’t pro- duce the Testimony of St. Jerom upon his own Account, in this Place, either for this Epiftle, or for the Revelation ; but only as he informs us, what was the Belief of most of the Antients, in the Cafe before us. The ancient Syriack Version hath this Epiftle, and afcribes it to St. Paul §. The Epiftle of St. James was owned as that Apostle’s by Origen in his Eighth Homily on Exodus 4-. And Eufebius in his Ecclefiafti* cal History faith, it was approved by many. The ancient Syriack Version hath likewise this Epiftle: The Second Epiftle of St. Peter is

owned

Th’irty-ISfhie Articles, 195

owned as his by OrieUy in his Seventh Hoinity Article vI. on Jofloua *, and by Fmniltan of Cappadccia uO”N. in his Epiftle to St. Cyprian among the Epiftles of that Father f. Eufebius says the fame of this as of the Epiftle of St. James and in the lame Place. The Second Epiftle of St. Juhn is owned as that Apostle’s, by Irenus t, by Clemens of Alexandria who wrote a short Explanation of it II5 by a Council at Carthage in the Year 256, among St. Cyprians Trads §. Eufebius says the lame of this as of the Epiftle of St. James. Origen allows, that both the Second and Third Epiftles of St. John might be admitted for that Apostle’s, and plainly acknowledges that majiy received both as genuine, when he says, all did not +. Dionyfius says the fame of this, that he does of the Second, and Eufebius the lame that he says of St. James’s Epiftle. The Epiftle of St. Jude is owned as his by ertiillian **, by Clemens of Alexandria ft, and by Origen in his Comment on St. Matlbe-zv . Eufebius alfb faith the fame of this that he does of the Epi- ftle of St. James. The Kevelaticn is ascribed ’ to St. John the Apostle by Jufttn Martyr m his Dialogue with rypbo , by Irenxus §§, by

II Which fee at the Eud ot his Treatise’ concerning the Salvation cf the Rich, Oxford Edit. p. 142. § P. 242.

[…]

N Clemens

1 94 An Fxpofition on the

Article VI. Clemeits of Alexandria , by Or i gen t, and by -/“V""* iertiillian X. By St. Cyprian in his Treat /fe of the Benefit of Patience ‘tis ascribed to John without any Epithet ; who quotes this Boole, I believe, a Hundred Times. St. Jerom in his Epiftle to Dardanus \ says, that it was received by most of the Antients as Canonical and that they cited Testimonies from it as such.

The Sum of the Argument then is this: Since a great many considerable Persons appear to have owned these controverted Books, even before they were generally received by the Whole Church ; and since even thole who did for Ibme Time doubt of their Authority, received them at last as the Authentick Writings of the Apo ftles or other inspired Men it follows, that their being once doubted of is no Argument against their being received as Canonical now. For if it be fuppofed, that while they doubted of these Books, they had Reason for their Doubt 3 that is, that they did it, becauie they were not as yet fully satisfied that they were Apoftolical Writings, which the Objediors, I believe, will readily enough grant, it may be very reasonably prelumed, that they had after- wards greater Reason to lay aside their Doubt ; and that when they did receive them, it was because there had been then lately such Evi- dence and Atteftation given, of their being written by the Apostles or other infiptred Men as they had not heard of before, such as they

f Comment on St. MatthevD, Tom. i6. p. 417.

could

Thirty-Wine Articles. ip5

could not then, with any Rcalbn, contradld or Article vi. gainfay ; for ordinarily, a iefs Reason will per- -’”’ Ibade a Man to take up an Opinion at first, than will persuade him to go back from an Opi- mon, how weakly foever grounded, which he hath before embraced and defended. So that this Obje6lion is fo far from lefTening, that ic rather strengthens the Proof we have of the Authority even of these once controDerted Books , and it is besides, a very good corroborating Evidence of the Authority of all the other Books of the New Testament. For the Back- wardneis of fome Churches to receive these con- tmverted Books at first, v/hen they had nothing to obje6t to the ?slatter of them, makes it evi- dent, that the Christians of the first Ages were not fo very eaiy and credulous as ibme have represented them , that they did not fo greedily swallow any Book for Divine Revelation that . contained a great many Miracles, mixed with a few good Morals, without making due Enquiry concerning the Author and Authority thereof. But on the contrary, their being io hard to be persuaded to receive these controverud Books for fbme Time, while they wanted, as they thought, fufricient Atteftation ( though the Dod:rinc of them was in all Points agreeable to the Dod:rine of the other Books which they had before received ; their being fo hard, I fay, to receive these Books) of the Authority of which there, neverthclefs, really was such Evidence, as they themselves, after having well weighed and considered it, declared themselves satisfied with, gives very good Ground to be- lieve, that they had, from the Beginning, such Evidence as was without Eliception, of the Authority of all those other Books (that is, of much the greatcft Part) of the New Testament

N 3 which

1^6 An Exposition oji the

Article VI. which was never controverted, which were V-Z’YX from the Beginning, and w’th iiniverial Con- fent, received by all Christian Churches ; for if there had not been very undeniable Ev’dence of their being the genuine Writings of the Apostles or other hifpired Men there would certainly have been the lame Doubt and Con- troverfy concerning them that there once was concerning thcfe.f

[…]

Article

Th’trty-N’me Articles.

Notes

• See Homily of the Reading of the Scripture. Nowelli Catech. pag. 4. Je-weWs Apology Defen. Part I. cap. 8, 9. Chilling-worth’s Relig. Prot. cap. 2. Stanhope on 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17. Hooker’s Keel. Pol. lib. i. §. 14. and lib. 2. §. 8. Field, of the Church, p. 232, 361, 315. Frideaux Fafc. Con- trov. cap. I. q. 6, 7. Hall’s Roma Irreconcil. §. 16. Biihop Blackall’s Eight Sermons at Boyle’s Ledures,
• See Eufeb’mis Ecclefiaftical History, lib. 3- alias 10. and yofephm’s First Book against Apion,
• St. Aug, lib, 1, Gontrn Gaud, c. i|. & de Unmt. EccL €Ap. 16.
• Athmfif. Vol II. G.L, P. 39. ^ Bdfum. p. 9^i-
• A. C. 4J0. See also Adt 1 1 . of that Council, p. 4o5.
• L. 5. Of Virgins, p. 98. || OfHercfy, c. 30. § A. C. 680. f Can. 2.
• Eccl. Hifr. lib. 3. c. 1(5.
• Lib. 2. c. 2c.
• Ibid.
• clem. Alexand. Stromatd, lib. 4. f. J14. f Lib. 6. cap. if. 4: Lib. 3. cap. 3. ^ ij-, o* 38. II F. 24.
• See Father Simon’s Critical History of the New Teita- ment. 4- F. 43. c^ Efi/eb. Zed Hijl. lib. 3. cap, if.
• F. ij-6. f Ep. 8j-. f. 220. ^ Lib. I. cap, I J. p. 95”.
• In his Stromatd, lib. 6. f. 66-! .
• Against Marclon, lib. i. ca^. 14, c?» 213.