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A49128
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The inspiration of the New Testament asserted and explain'd in answer to some modern writers / by C.G. La Mothe ...
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La Mothe, Claude Grostête, sieur de, 1647-1713.
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1694
(1694)
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Wing L298; ESTC R5817
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93,204
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238
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Commission to write his Gospel That Luke was excited and constrain'd by the secret impulses and instigations of the Holy Ghost §. 7. Spiritus Sanctus B. Lucam occultis quibusdam stimulis cogit excitat That the Holy Ghost enforc'd St. John to write his Gospel against his will §. 6. Spiritus Sanctus Joannem invitum licet ad scibendum Evangelium impulit §. 9. Quae cum Apostolus ex sancti spiritus afflatu pronunciaret necesse non habuit spiritus sancti mentionem facere Cum igitur Apostolus vel potius spiritus sanctus per Apostolum loqueretur ibid. quippe Apostolus sancto spiritu impulsus ibid. de quibus adeo mihi videtur in Epistola Judae commotus spiritus hoc est in Catholica ejus Epistola in qua per Apostoli vocem sanctus inquam spiritus Haeres 26. which is the Gnostic §. 11. That St. John has related all things faithfully under the Conduct of the Holy Ghost Spiritu sancto Gubernant an expression that ought to be born in mind for the better understanding of the nature of the Inspiration of the sacred Writings that the Holy Ghost spoke by Saint Paul That the Holy Ghost spoke by the mouth of Saint Jude in his General Epistle Thus it is that the Fathers generally express themselves after the Nicene Council But I have laid an Injunction upon my self not to descend too low and I have only spoken of Epiphanius by reason of Aetius who profest the same Opinion with M. N. Nor do I find that that same Arian was able any more than his Disciples to interrupt the Series of Tradition or to hinder the common Belief of the Universal Church from being altogether for the Inspiration of the Sacred Books of the New Testament As for Saint Jerom's anonymous Persons and Epiphanias's Anomeans they make not a part of the Church considerable enough for any man whatever to produce them as Testimonies But in regard it has been all along my aim to confine my self to the three first Ages of the Church I shall say no more than this that 't is apparent that these Innovators who appear'd not till the Ages following cannot hinder me from concluding that I have on my side the Universal testimony of the Church truly Primitive This Testimony is of great moment in the Minds of all men that consider those Ages to be the most pure at what time they had things deliver'd to them as it were from the first hand I know not what I ought to think of a Christian who despises such Antiquity Such a Scorn may be excus'd in people who are ignorant of it but when we find the learned neglecting a Testimony so authentick 't is a temptation to believe that either they have not well considered the influences which that Testimony has upon the Foundations of the Christian Religion or that else they would not be sorry to see that Foundation shaken It may be said that the Fathers which we so highly extol were guilty of divers Errors I grant it 't was by the permission of God that by that means the Writings which he has solely abandon'd to human Wisdom should be distinguish'd from those which he infallibly directed by his Spirit But we ought to know what those Errors are before we draw an argument against what the Fathers have said for the Inspiration of the Sacred Books First I observe that those Errors are not universal among the Fathers now that wherein they contradict themselves can never be said to be the unanimous Voice of Antiquity This is the Character of the Errors with which the first Authors of Christianity were upbraided Some deviated after one manner others after another but they were not found in company under the same deviation Such Errors have nothing common with the truths which they teach both constantly and without variation of which nature is the Inspiration of the Sacred Books of the New Testament I add to this consideration that it is requisite to examine well the nature of the Errors of which the Fathers are accus'd before an argument be rais'd from thence against their unanimous Testimonies for the inspiration of the Scripture Sometimes they mistake in speaking of something to come which never was revealed to them as when they discourse with too much confidence how near at hand the end of the World is Sometimes they err in matters of Fact which they have admitted with too much Credulity as when they tell the Story of a Phoenix rising again out of her ashes But nothing of all this does any injury to what they have averr'd touching the inspiration of the Sacred Books That is a Truth that marches step by step with the delivery it self of those Books They were deliver'd from hand to hand with this Advertisement that they were inspir'd by the Holy Ghost It is as certain that the Holy Ghost directed and order'd the Composition and structure of the Gospels as that the Gospels were written by St. Matthew Saint Mark Saint Luke and Saint John This is one of those things that were essential to the Honour of the Sacred Books and which were every day said of them So that 't was impossible that this Tradition so lively and universal as it was should come from any other hand than the Apostles themselves who when they left their works behind them acknowledged they had been written by the enlivening inspiration of the Holy Ghost This has no resemblance in the least with the story of a Phoenix nor with what the Father 's imagin'd about the end of the World while they crosly interpreted the words of the Apostles There is not any more plausible Objection than that which may be drawn from the judgment of the Fathers upon the Version of the Septuagint Justin Martyr Ireneus and Clement of Alexandria were of Opinion that those Interpreters were guided by the Spirit of God However at this day many people believe that they were subject to Error like the rest of the Interpreters and by consequence left to themselves Upon which some may raise this argument Since the Fathers were deceived in their Opinion touching the inspiration of the Greek Interpreters of the Old Testament the testimony which those Fathers give in relation to the Apostolic Writings ought not to be so strongly urged 't is from thence to be seen that 't is not an infallible Testimony I have several things to observe by way of solid answer to this Objection 1. There are learned Men of the first Rank who indeed maintain that the Seventy Interpreters were really guided by the Holy Spirit It cannot be deny'd but that it was by a special direction of Providence that the Sacred Books were translated into a Language that was almost Universal It was proper that at a time when God would not be known but in a small corner of the World the Sacred Books should be in Hebrew But when Grace was ready to disperse them over the Earth was
quens Secure enim noverant illarum sensum Prophetae spiritus discipuâ—i Cl. Alex. Strom. l. 1.292 The Spirit of God says he spoke occultly to the Prophets and Apostles and those Holy Men were the Disciples of the Spirit In another place the same Author assures us that the Authority of the Scripture distinctly and clearly makes out the Holy Spirit Qui divinis ergo credidit Scripturis firmum habens judicium cui contradicâ— nequit demonstraticnem ejus qui Scripturas dedit vocem accipit Id. l. 2. p. 362. and that they who have that Authority have a Demonstration from the Spirit that the Scriptures proceed from an Omnipotent Authority and that it was meant of the whole Scripture of the Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ib. l. 4. p. 475. what the Psalmist speaks when he said Apertè itaque de tota Soriptura nostra in Psalmis scriptum est audite Populus meus Legem meam Ibid. Strom. l. 5. p. 557. My people hear my Law In this Sense Tertullian calls the Scripture the Voice of God by which it may be seen what Opinion that Author had of the Scripture He attributes it in several other Passages to the Spirit of God I shall chuse out some of ' em In his Treatise of Prescriptions he cites the Words where S. Paul ad monishes the Colossians not to suffer themselves to be seduced by Human Traditions and adds this Expression Praeter Providentiam Spiritus Sancti visibly intimating thereby that it was the Holy Ghost who had set down the Measures of our Faith in the Scriptures It is more express in other parts disputing against Hermogenes It was the Holy Spirit says he Atque adeo Spiritus Sanctus hane Scripturae sunt rationem constituit Si tantam curam instructionis nostrae resumpsit Spiritus Sanctus Adoro Scripturae plenitudinem Ter. adv Hermog c. 22. that methodiz'd the Scripture in that Form as we now behold it That the Holy Spirit took care of our Instruction in the Holy Scripture and after that glorifies the Author of that Sacred Book with an Expression that would be profane were it made use of in Applause of any other Book I adore says he the Fulness of the Scripture Thus it is that we find Tertullian speaking of the Scripture in general tho the Subject of his Discourse was only Genesis where he treats of the Creation of the Matter the Eternity of which Hermogenes asserted But here is something yet more positive If you ask Tertullian who it is that speaks in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians he will answer Et ideo Majestas Spiritus Sancti perspicax ejusmodi sensunm in ipsa ad Thessalonicenses Epistolas suggerit De Resur Carnis c. 24. 'T is the Majesty of the Holy Ghost When the same Author discourses of the Rules that S. Paul gives the Bishops after what manner to carry themselves The Holy Ghost says he foresaw that some would say Prospiciebat Spiritus Sanctus dicturos quosdam omnia licent Episcopis Tert. de Monog c. 12. That it was lawful for the Bishops to do what they pleas'd By which it appears that Tertullian believ'd those Rules to be deriv'd from the Holy Spirit who deem'd 'em to be necessary Origen has explain'd himself in so many Places upon the Inspiration of the whole Scripture that I should have contented my self with only naming him if M. N. had not borrow'd the Authority of that ancient Doctor in saying That be did not acknowledge a continu'd Inspiration Sent. p. 262. The Author applies to Origen what he had said of S. Jerome by the Impulse of which the Apostles were constantly and stedfastly mov'd to write what they wrote But I need no more to shew the true Senâ—â—ments of Origen than to make choice of some parts of the Philocalia which is a Peice that S. Basil and S. Gregory Nazianzen compos'd out of Passages which they took out of Origen Persuasum habent sacros libros non hominum esse Commentarios sed ex Sancti Spiritus afflatu voluntate Dei per Jesum Christum Parentis universcrum descriptis Philoc. c. 1. ex lib. 4. De principiis He says That the Christians were convinced that the Sacred Books were not Human Commentaries but that they were inspir'd by the Holy Spirit He had also said a little before Postquam in discursu divinitus inspiratas esse Scripturas Sacras probavimus Idem ibid. that he had prov'd that the Scriptures were divinely inspired In the same Chapter we find that Origen affirms that the Prophets and Apostles were illuminated by the same Spirit while they compos'd the Scriptures Ac principio demonstrandum est spiritui Divinae Providentiae per verbum quod in principio erat apud Deum Ministros veritatis Prophetas Apostolos illuminanti c. Id. p. 11. Nor has Origen only explain'd himself upon the Inspiration of the Sacred Books in general but he takes 'em separately Vnius ejusdem Dei Spiritus idem in Evangeliis Apostolorum scriptis fecit Id. ib. p. 12. and has explain'd himself so clearly that it is not to be conceiv'd how M. N. could cite in favour of his Opinion an Author which has condemn'd it in express Terms In the Chapter already quoted he shews that the Obscurity of some Words which are to be found in Scripture no way prejudices the Divinity of it To that purpose he makes use of a Comparison drawn from Providence of which there is no manner of Question made tho there be several Occasions wherein the Conduct of it may seem to be obscure So neither is any thing abstracted from the Divinity of the Scripture diffus'd through every part of it because that in every particular word our Imbecility cannot reach the hidden Splendour of the Doctrine that lies latent in an ordinary and seemingly contemptible Phrase for we have that Treasure in Earthern Vessels to the end the Exuberance and Excellency of the Power of God might shine forth Origen expressed himself so vehemently that he declares that the smallest Letter of the Scripture was placed there by the Divine Wisdom and that for that Reason it was perhaps that our Lord and Saviour said that the least Iota of it should not pass away Exquisitissima cura studio Spiritus Sanctus per Ministros Verbi illa subjecit ne unquam nos latere posset ratio secundum quam Divina Sapientia omnem Scripturam Divinitus datam vel ad usque unam Literulam attigit propterea forsan servator Iota inquit unum vel Apex unus c. After this Origen shews that as the Care of God appear'd in the smallest Insects and the Seeds of the smallest Plants in like manner we ought to believe that the Holy Ghost has dispers'd the Traces of his Wisdom in every Letter of the Scripture I do not believe that M. N. could have cited an Author less favourable