out how could he have been restored not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of our God It may be this was done that we might say no more The Lord liveth which delivered us from the Treason of pretended Catholicks but The Lord liveth which hath delivered us from the Tyranny and blood rage of the wild Fanatical Enthusiasts Surely all these things have been permitted that the Stone which the Builders refused might be made tried and precious and that his Patience his Piety his Constancy in Religion his Christian Magnanimity being manifest to all the World by the impatient desire of all Nations he might become the head of the Corner Surely these things were suffered that the Faith and Patience and Loyalty of the Church of England might be made bright and glorious by the Flames of Persecution and that in the day when God shall have given our most Gracious Sovereign the hearts or necks of all his Enemies it may not repent him of the Kindness he hath shewn to Religion and Government in lifting out of the dust the despised Head of that only Church for ought I know which makes Obedience without base restrictions and limitations an Article of its Religion Lastly these things it may be have been permitted that by the Triumph of this day and by the vengeance lately executed in the sight of this Sun the Atheistical world might be convinced that the Powers that be are ordained of God and that though the wicked do evil an hundred times and God prolong their days yet Vengeance is his and he will repay it and They that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation FINIS Against the Antiscripturists A SERMON Preached at WHITE-HALL February 20. 1669 70. BY SETH Lord Bishop of Sarum Printed by His Majesties Special Command LONDON Printed by A. C. for Iames Collins at the Kings Arms within Ludgate near St. Pauls 1672. Against the Antiscripturists 2 Tim. iii. 16. All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God IN the verse preceding it is said concerning the Scriptures of the old Testament that they are able to make a man wise unto salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the faith which is in Iesus Christ And it follows immediately All Scripture c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Faith is often by a Metonymy taken for the Gospel which is the Object of the Faith of Christians We read often of the Preaching and Hearing of Faith of the Analogy of Faith the common Faith which was once delivered to the Saints in the preaching of Christ and the Writings of his Evangelists and Apostles and so I conceive it is to be taken in this place So that the meaning of the whole is this The Old Testament understood and expounded according to the Analogy of the New is able to make a man wise And the Pen-men of the Canonical Books of the Old Testament wherein Timothy had been instructed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of the Books of the New Testament which except those of St. Iohn were extant before the writing of this Epistle were inspired and directed by the Spirit of God The words of the Text are an entire Proposition asserting the Divine Authority of the Canon of Scripture and my endeavour shall be at this time to prove the truth of that Proposition Wherein that I may proceed with all plainness and clearness I shall premise two words by way of Petition Precaution 1. By way of Petition I suppose and take for granted 1. The great principle of the power of God and his providence in governing the world 2. That our Body of Canonical Books of the Old Testament is the same with that which was in Use in the time of Christ and his Apostles And our body of the New Testament the same which was anciently received in the Church So that what shall be proved of those is applicable to the Original Scripture used in our time 3. That those Books of New Testament whose Authors were not anciently questioned were written by those Authors whose name they bear And that those few others which were sometimes questioned by some particular Churches and afterward Universally received contain in them no one point of Faith or Manners dissentient from the Contents of those Books which were never questioned 2. By way of Precaution and Admonition I must intreat you to take notice that I shall not now meddle with the Controversies concerning Apocrypha Translations Keri and Chetib Hebrew points various Lections dubious Authors or parts of Scripture But my endeavour at this time shall be to Assert the Divine Authority of the body and substance of the Original Books of the Canon of the Old and New Testament And this not in the way of common place but in a particular Examination or Refutation of the most dangerous Opinions of the Antiscripturists which are these I. Of those who pretend to believe the truth of the New Testament and yet they deny the Divine Authority of the Old II. Of those who pretend to believe the truth but deny the Divine Authority of the New Testament III. Of such as pretâ—nd to believe matters of Fact to have been truly related in the New Testament but do not believe the truth of the Doctrinal parts relating to Faith and Manners IV. Such as deny the truth of the Relation of matters of Fact in the New Testament and in consequence reject the whole Body of Scripture Of these as briefly and plainly as I can I. The first Opinion is of those who pretending to believe the Truth of the New Testament deny the Divine Authority of the Old Testament The Severians and the Manichâ—es Basilides and Carpâ—â—rates of old The Catabaptists of later times some Anabâ—ptiâ—ts is Antinomians and other Fanatical Sectaries amongst our â—elves In opposition to these I shall shew that supposing the truth of the New Testament the Divine Authority of the Old Testament is to be acknowledged Because the Divine Authority of the Old Testament is asserted by Christ and his Evangelists and Apostles in the New 1. Next to the Redemption of the world the great business which Christ had to do upon Earth was to Convince men that he was the Messias and so to assert his Legislative Authority And the great Argument which he used for the conviction of the world was this All the Marks and the entire Character of the Messiah and of his Actions and Passions were prefigured and foretold by the Law and the Prophets and the Psalms i. e. in the Volume of the Old Testament And all things foretold or prefigured concerning the Messiah were accomplished by himself So that though the great Works of Christ and the purity and excellency of his Doctrine and of his Life were of themselves sufficient to justifie the Introduction of his Law into the World yet he was pleased to resolve as it were his own Authority into the Divine Authority of the Old Testament and to make use of those otheâ—
from Heaven seised upon all that stood before it it leaven'd Cities Islands Castles Councils Camps the Tribes and Decuries the Palaces Senate Pleading-places It took possession of the Learned and the Wise the greatest and noblest Wits of the Eastern and Western Nations It raised up Philosophers to confound the Philosophy and noble Orators to confound the Rhetorick wherewith it was opposed Against Celsus it excited Origen against Porphyrie Apollinarius and Methodius against Porphyrie and Hierocles Lactantius and Eusebius besides what was written sparsim Ierom Augustine Cyril c. It set up Chrysostom against Libanius Prudentius against Symmachus and the Rhetoricians And as it spread it self large and high so where it took possession it took a deep possession Quantum vertice tantum radice Those that received it truly received it in the love thereof it took possession of their hearts I penetrated their spirits and took its lodging in the inmost recesses of the soul. The Contents of these Books was their most precious Pearl and they hid it in their heart The Books themselves were their greatest worldly treasure and rather than they would deliver them to be burned they chose to suffer the loss of Honour Liberty Estate Wives and Children nay even Life it self When Di oclesian required the Scriptures that they might be burned In one Province Egypt in one Month 17000 persons chose rather to dye than to deliver them In comparison of these they counted not their lives dear to them the love of them was stronger than Death many waters could not quench it neither could the flouds drown it This was Testimonium Rei and an advantage above all other Histories or Writings in the World 2. Moreover they had Testimonium Dei Indeed all that is already spoken is an evidence of a Divine assistance But more particularly God gave Testimony to these Books by 1. Their operation upon Believers of them 2. His co-operation with Believers of them 1. The Gospel which they contein was the power of God to every true Believer That which no Institution in Philosophy nor Initiation in the Mysteries of any of the Gods was ever able to accomplish that was every where atchieved by the belief of the Gospel in a moment Like a charm from Heaven it stilled the passions and mortified the lusts of men What a Beadroll doth Paul reckon up in the Corinthans But ye are washed saith he but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God Notwithstanding all the calumnies thrown upon Believers and the prejudice wherewith they were loaded the unpropitious and relucting world were forcibly convinced that the Believers of these Books were effectually taught to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world through the cloud of ignominy wherewith they were encompassed their innocency broke forth as the light and their just dealing as the noon day the piety loyalty justice charity magnanimity patience meekness and purity of believers of these Books convinced the unbelieving world that God was in them of a truth for they taught as having Authority and Power and not as the writings of other Scribes 2. But beside the operation of these Books upon the Believers God was pleased to give testimony to them by his co-operation with them in signs and wonders and mighty deeds The History of the Gospel tells us that when Christ was even now leaving the world he left this Legacy to believers for confirmation of the truth of the Gospel These signs said he shall follow them that believe In my name they shall cast out Devils Speak in new tongues Take up Serpents If they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them They shall lay hands on the Sick and they shall recover Now that this was made good and that these signs so long as there was need were continued among Believers we have as good assurance as we can have of any thing◠beyond our own memory or experience They have been delivered to us by a Cloud of Witnesses by men of the greatest Wisdom and Learning in their Generations by persons of such Integrity that they laid down their lives in testimony of their veracity delivered not by hear-say but upon their certain knowledge delivered in their Disputations with and apologies to the Adversaries of Christianity with a challenge to the examination of the truth or a conviction of the falshood of them Instances are very numerous I shall produce only a very few Iustin the Martyr who suffered Anno 165 affirms to Trypho the Jew that these supernatural gifts were found in his time among Christians Irenaeus an Auditor of Polycarp who was a disciple of St. Iohn suffered circa 206 affirms upon his own knowledge that the gift of Prophesie was then frequent in the Church that many had the gift of tongues ipsi andivimus Others cast out Devils Others healed Diseases Others raised the dead and those raised persons continued many years amongst them pro cerio Tertullian in his Apologetica adversus Gentes affirms that Iam de vobis Daemonas ejiciunt Origen against Celsus saith that he himself had seen by invocation of God and the name of Jesus very many that were delivered from grievous maladies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alienatione mentis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not to mention others St. Augustine in his Book de Civitate Dei begun about 410 but many years in writing l. 22. c. 8. gives an account of very many Miracles done at Hippo Carthage and other places of no great distance noting times places persons occasions appealing to the Countrey delivering them under terms of the greatest assurance Scio ego cognosco ego nos interfuimus oculis nostris aspeximus And in his Retractations Ea quae cognoscimus neque referre neque enumer are possimus Other Histories and Writings and the Authors and Believers of them can pretend no higher than to the testimony of men these have the testimony of God also If we believe the testimony of men the testimony of God is greater I conclude therefore that there is greater Reason to believe the History of the New Testament than any other History in the world The sum of all is this The Divine Authority of the Scriptures is the great fundamental and comprehensive Principle of Christianity which being admitted it stands and being removed it presently falls to the ground Against this therefore the great Enemy of Religion in these later days under pretence of Reason and Philosophy directs his Forces and is said to have found a success very pernicious and deplorable I humbly conceive that the Resolution of the belief of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures into the Decrees of Popes or Determinations of Councils with those who call themselves Roman-Catholicks into private impulses and dictates of the Spirit with the Enthusiasts and into the Laws and
Edicts of Princes and Magistrates with our new pretenders to Reason and Philosophy is that engine whereby the Devil hath prevailed to scandalize the world and cast it into Antiscriptural infidelity It is for this cause that I have conceived it requisite after many others who have done worthily to have recourse once more to the Original Reason of things and the common grounds whereupon mankind doth proceed in matters of this nature Where hoping that I have escaped the absurdity of begging the matter in Question discoursing in a circle and the inconveniences of some other methods I have endeavoured to demonstrate That supposing the truth of the New Testament both 1. The Old Testament and 2. The New Testament are to be received as of Divine Authority 3. And supposing matters of fact to be truly related the Doctrinal parts are to be believed 4. For the Historical Relation of matters of fact that there is no ground to dis-believe it That for the reception of it it hath 1. All the advantages whereof an History is capable 2. Far greater advantages than any other History Wherefore I conclude that All the Scriptures i. e. the Canonical Books of the Old Testament and the Books of the New Testament were Given by inspiration of God Quod erat demonstrandum Concerning the Sinfulness Danger Remedies OF INFIDELITY A SERMON Preached at Whitehall February 16. 1667 68. BY SETH Lord Bishop of Sarum LONDON Printed by A. C. for Iames Collins at the Kings Arms within Ludgate near St. Pauls 1672. THE SINFULNESS OF INFIDELITY Heb. iii. 12. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Exhort one another daily I Shall not spend time in a disputation concerning the Author of this Epistle viz. whether it were Paul or Barnabas or Luke or Clemens or Apollos c. but shall with the Church of England suppose St. Paul to have been the Author of it If the Author of it be not infallibly known this ought not to detract from its Authority Most of the other Epistles have been acknowledged to be of divine Authority because they were known to have proceeded from Apostolical writers This on the contrary hath been concluded to be an Apostolical Epistle propter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Characterem by reason of that divine and Apostolical Spirit which to those who have had their Senses exercised hath manifestly appeared in it If it were lawful in this sense to compare spiritual things with spiritual I should not fear to affirm that this Epistle hath in it some peculiar advantages compared with some other of the Epistles Advantages I mean of usefulness not of Authority seeing all of them issued from the same Spirit The design of it is General Fundamental Comprehensive not Private Circumstantial Occasional And it hath peculiarly conveyed to the Church two great treasures 1. A Compleat Model or Systeme of Christian Divinity And 2. the way of that Analogy and manner of ratiocination whereby the true Spirit and meaning of the Types and Prophesies of the Old Testament is to be found out and applied It was directed to the Hebrews That is to those of the Jewish Nation who had received the Gospel and made a profession of Christianity And the main Scope and design of it is to preserve the Professors of Christianity from Apostacy and Infidelity The means used to this purpose are partly Didactical and partly Protreptical Demonstrating the truths of the Gospel and then urging the professors of those truths to be stedfast in the faith and to beware of Infidelity The Method here used is a mixt method of Doctrine and Application Dogmatical truths and pathetical Exhortations continually interwoven He begins with the Great foundation of our faith Christ is the Son of God the brightness of his glory better then the Angels Wherefore if the Word spoken by Angels was stedfast how shall we escape if we neglest so great salvation From the Comparison of Christ with Moses he concludes against Hardness of heart and Infidelity He demonstrates the Priesthood of Christ to be more Excellent then that of Aaron and in the midst of his argument he falls into an Application or Corollary concerning the dreadful Condition of them that fall away This is his design and method throughout the Epistle Whatever Doctrine he is upon this is still the drift and aim of all his Applications namely to preserve the Professors of Christianity from Apostacy and Infidelity The words which I have chosen are a Reiteration or Reinforcement of an Application or Corollary arising from the Consideration of the Excellency of Christ above Moses Moses was faithful in the house as a Servant Christ as a Son over his own house This house are we if we hold fast our faith Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith Harden not your hearts Take heed brethren left I say the words are an Use of Exhortation and in them are considerable 1. The Persons to whom directed Professors of Christianity expressed in the Word Brethren 2. Matter or Object about which it is conversant Unbelief heart unbelief 3. Form of Exhortation by way of Caveat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take heed Now every Caveat implies 1. Evil in the thing 2. Danger of the thing 3. That there are ways and means to prevent it This is implyed in the Caveat and expressed in words following My design at this time will be to enforce the Exhortation of the Text And seeing that every Application is a Consequence or Corollary arising from some Antecedent Proposition and the force of it is finally resolved into the truth and evidence and concernment of that Antecedent Therefore it will be necessary to draw out that Antecedent by reflecting briefly upon the Text as it lies in the Series of the Epistle I. Then for the Persons They are here styled Brethren and elsewhere Holy Brethren Partakers of the heavenly Calling They were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 baptized into the profession of the Gospel they had tasted of the Word of God and the powers of the world to come II. The Matter Unbelief or rather Disbelief not Negative Infidelity but a positive Revolting from the faith which they had professed Generally a Disbelief of the Word of God Particularly a Disbelief of the Gospel as to the Doctrines or Promises or Threatnings Thereof III. For the Form that which is here expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 look to it is in the other of forms Exhortation throughout the Epistle expressed by terms of the greatest Emphasis and earnestness imaginable Let us Fear lest we fall short 4. 1. Labour to enter 4. 1. Use diligence be not slothful 6. 11 12. Press earnestly draw near hold fast 10 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us give more deligent heed lest by any means we should let it slip 2. 1. So that the Sum of the Apostles Argumentation is this The last resolution of all the Obligation
abominable Hypocrites and the cause of their Unbelief was not the want of miracles and Prophesies but Carnal prejudice and interest and the Vile affections of their hearts Did not Christ work miracles Was not he that Prophet which was to come Yet they took him and with wicked hands they slew him and brought upon themselves the bloud of all the Prophets But 2 ly If we shall examine the bottom of this fancy and resolve it into its Principles we shall find that it supposes these things 1. That the want of the sight of miracles is sufficient to Justifie unbelief 2. That to live in the very age of miracles is apter to create belief then to be born and educated in a believing nation after the world hath been convinced by the miracles of former times which is our Case 3. That the bare sight of miracles is of it self alone sufficient to create belief in every person that should see them Of which suppositions the first is contrary to common Reason and the two later are contrary to Scriptural Reason and to the experience of the world 1. If the want of the sight of miracles were enough to justifie Infidelity then for every Dogma to be believed Every Individual person were to expect the sight of miracles which if it should happen the wonder should cease and miracles become no miracles by the frequency of the performances of them and so they would be inept to create belief Every work of nature is in it self a miracle Who would not think it easier to recover a man who had all his parts and humours already formed from the dead then from that liquid principle whereof Iob speakes to raise up flesh and skin bones and finews to advance an understanding creature capable of adoring or blaspheming the maker of him Yet that is a miracle and this is none only through the rarity of one and frequency of the other Again if every one were to see miracles the merit of faith would be taken away Iesus said unto Thomas because thou hast seen thou hast believed Blessed are they that have not seen yet they have believed This for the first supposition 2. The second is this that to live in the very age of miracles is apter to create a belief then to live in a believing nation a good time after the times of Miracles But contrary to this we have instances both in Jews and Gentiles After near 4000 years how pertinaciously do the Jews adhere to Moses against whom their fathers Murmured and rebelled notwithstanding the sight of all his miracles and when he had wrought that great miracle upon Corah and for his rebellion the next day they rebelled again And we find now all the whole world especially the wiser part Converted to Christianity whereas the Apostles complain of the paucity of professors and the Infidelity of the Jews in the Age of Christ and his Apostles was so great and resolute that it hath a fatal operation upon that nation unto this day I am sensible that in the Comparison of later ages with the days of miracles I may be thought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to advance a paradox where that I may not lean on my own understanding I beseech you to consider our Saviours decision of the Question which we have in hand I suppose I may take it for granted that the condition of the Jews in our Saviours time was in respect of Moses the same as to the matter in Question with our Condition in respect of Christ. The tradition of the law was accompanyed with mighty Signs and wonders And so likewise the tradition of the Gospel In the times succeeding Moses God for a Season continued the sensible manifestation of his presence by miracles So he did likewise in the times succeeding Christ. But before the time of our Saviour both miracles and Prophesies had a long time ceased We see not our Tokens saith the Psalmist there is not one Prophet left as it is with us at this day Onely they had the books of Moses and the prophets Just so Conveighed and propounded to them as our scriptures have been to us So that if the Question be proposed concerning those Jews whether the present miracles of Christ or the complexion of Motives which they had to induce them to believe the writings of Moses were apter to create belief It is the same with our Question Whether the living in the time of Miracles or our Motives are more powerful to believing To determine which Question we may observe That the Apostles after the sight of all our Saviours miracles continued in unbelief till he had opened unto them the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets That after many miracles he refers the Jews to the searching of the Scriptures bringing them à notiori ad ignotius And in the 5 of Iohn and the â—7 he decides this Question by another If ye do not believe the writings of Moses how shall ye believe my Words Thus much concerning the second supposition 3. The third is this that the sight of miracles is of it self alone sufficient to bring every person to believing We ought indeed to own it to the eternal glory of our blessed Redeemer that the Faith of Christians is founded upon his Miracles as well as on his Doctrine and example And he himself tells the Jews that if he had not done miracles they should not have had sin i e. the sin of Infidelity But Now to dream of miracles and hanker after them or to think to Excuse our Infidelity for want of the sight of them as if that alone would certainly make believers of us all it argues that we have been sloathful readers of the Scriptures It hapned to our Saviours miracles as it did to his Preaching according to his parable of the sower Some of them lighted upon hearts that were honest and good and brought forth the fruit of believing Others fell by the way side or upon stony places or among the Thorns The prepossession of their minds by an expectation of a temporal Messiah in the Rulers The sear of persecution by them in the People The Cares of the World and deceitfulness of riches The pleasures and and lusts to which the Austerities of the Gospel-rules were opposite and many other prejudices deeplyâ— rooted in the hearts of a perverse and froward Generation prevailed against the sight of miracles and none were more pervers and resolute unbelievers then some of those who had the Advantage of this great argument for believing If the sight of Miracles alone were sufficient to produce belief in all kinds of Spectators certainly the Scribes and Pharisees who by their learning were able to Judge of a miracle the Countrymen and Kinsmen of Christ with whom he was most Conversant should have been most Eminent in believing But behold the inchantment of prejudice and Carnal Interest In the 5. of Luke 21. The Pharisees and Doctors saw the miracles of