A SERMON Against the ANTI-SCRIPTURISTS ALSO Another concerning the Sinfulness Danger and Remedies OF INFIDELITY Preached at WHITE-HALL BY SETH Lord Bishop of Sarum LONDON Printed by J. M. for James Collins at the Kings-Head in Westminster-Hall MDCLXX Against the ANTI-SCRIPTURISTS 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 J. M. for James Collins at the Kings-Head in Westminster-Hall MDCLXX 2 Tim. 3.16 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 Jesus 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 Analogie 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 S. John 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 Vse 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 Vniversally 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 Anti-scripturists 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 pretend 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 Manichees Basilides and Carpocrates of old The Catabaptists of later times some Anabaptists Antinomians and other Fanatical Sectaries amongst our selves 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 other manifestations of himself in a co-ordination with that principle And therefore we find him still pressing the Jews with this that if they did believe the Writings of Moses and their other Scriptures they must of necessity believe him also Moses wrote of me saith he wherefore did ye believe Moses ye would believe me The Scriptures testifie of me therefore search them diligently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the attaining of everlasting life he refers the Lawyer to the Law What is written in the Law how readest thou For the avoiding of the place of torments he makes Abraham refer the Relations of Dives to Moses and the Prophets In all his Disputations with the Pharisees and Sadduces the Lawyers and the Scribes he makes his appeal to the Scriptures of the Old Testament And lest any one should think that in all this he did only argue ad homines that disputing with the Jews he only proceeded upon their own Hypothesis we find him in the course of his Ministration positively asserting that the Scriptures must be fulfilled that they cannot be broken that he came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets but to fullfil them and that Heaven and Earth shall pass away before one jot or tittle of these should perish until all was fulfilled Thus he asserted the Authority of the Old Testament before his death And after his Resurrection he made a real demonstration that the Old
his Empire was supported by Governour and Laws and fortified by the Arms and actual strength of all the world he saw that if the Gospel were not suppressed a little time would spoil the pride of all his glory that in a moment he should fall like lightning from Heaven That he should be exorcised out of the bodies which he possessed That his famous Oracles should soon be put to silence his gorgeous Temples and Images should be torn down his Mysteries and lying wonders set at nought That Prayers and Vows would be made to him no more and he should cease to be celebrated in the Songs of his Poets and Hymns of his Hierophantae That his revelling Festivals would be turned to mourning no more gifts would be presented no beasts nor children women or men sacrificed upon his Altars The Contention was de rerum summa pro aris focis and his rage was kindled accordingly He summons together all his wiles and stratagems he musters all his forces he sounds an Allarm to the world stirs up young and old rich and poor all ages sexes conditions the people wise and unwise the Common Souldiers and Commanders Counsellors and Judges Senate and Emperours by suppressing these Books and destroying the Believers of them to erase the memory of the Gospel and abolish it for ever The people were enraged against the Believers as against the common Enemy of mankind and pro solenni suo they slandered them with unthought of wickedness they imputed to them all the calamities of the world And required them to death Si Tiberis ascendit in moenia Christianos ad Leones Against these Books the Learned employed their Learning and the Witty employed their Wit Celsus Porphyrius Jamblichus Hierocles and other Philosophers endeavoured to dispute them out of the world Symmachus and Libanius and other Rhetors to declaim them away Julian and Lucian and other Scoptick wits endeavoured to jeer and droll away the credit of them Mean while the Senators and Lawyers employ themselves to destroy the Books by stretching against them the ancient Laws against bringing in Foreign Religions and against Magical and Fatidical Books And to destroy Books and Believers by New Laws made for that purpose against Combinations Heteriae Sacriledge Treason the Law that none should buy or sell or draw water without Thurification to the Gods and the like By force of these they persecute the Believers as Enemies to the Common-wealth and Traytors to the Emperour as sacrilegious persons and contemners of Religion The people sometimes rising upon them without any Edict sometimes by virtue of Edicts Imperial or Proconsular From the beginning of the Gospel to the end of Dioclesian and Maximian this was the state of Believers Their Scriptures were forbidden to be read and required to be burned their Oratories and obscure Churches were pulled in pieces their Estates were plundered and confiscate their bodies were imprisoned and tormented Fire and Sword hot Iron Chairs and Coffins Gridirons and Cauldrons Hooks Stakes and Gibbets the Teeth of Lions and Tygers c. were their portion It cannot be shewed that ever any Book or Story met with equal Opposition 2. Consider then how it prevailed how quickly and largely how deeply and effectually although the Precepts were not contrived to sollicit the Affections nor the Doctrines to court the Reason of men At one Sermon of Peter 3000 at another 5000 were converted Within a few years after the death of Christ we find by S. Peter that the Gospel was preached throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia Bithynia and Paul had planted it from Jerusalem round about to Ilyricum Besides what was done by other Apostles in the Provinces assigned them at the Council of Jerusalem Within 66 years this grane of Mustard seed was become a Tree Pliny Proconsul of Bithynia to whom the care of Religion ex officio did appertein appointed by Trajan to suppress the Christians he writes to him that this Belief was Longè latéque diffusa Civitates Vicos Agros impletos Christi cultoribus During the second Century it had shot out great branches the boughs of this Tree were stretched out Hesterni sumus vestra omnia implevimus Tertullian reckons up the known parts of the World in quibus omnibus Christi nomen regnat and concludes ubique porrigitur creditur colitur regnat adoratur And lastly During the third à morte Christi the Fowls of the air and Beasts of the field lodged under the shadow of it The Net drew good and bad to shore the Roman Emperour and Empire declared themselves Christians i.e. Believers and Assertors of these Books So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed It went on conquering and to conquer not by the Spirit of the Sword but by the sword of the Spirit the powers of the Earth and the gates of Hell could not withstand it it drove the Devil away with all his Temples Idols Oracles Priests Sacrifices Services like lightning So fell the Dragon the old Serpent that deceived the World he was cast out with all his train So fell Lucifer the Son of the morn his Friends and his Followers lamenting How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer the Son of the morning Desolata Templa rarissimus Victimarum emptor Some complain of people forsaking of the Gods others of the Gods forsaking their Oracles and Temples and becoming useless to the World He said I will ascend into Heaven and exalt my Throne above the Stars but he was soon brought down to Hell For the Gospel like Leaven or Fire from Heaven seized 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 Methodius against Porphyrie and Hierocles Lactantius and Eusebius besides what was written sparsim by Jerom 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 it 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 Dioclesian required the Scriptures that they might be burned In one Province Egypt in one Month 17000 persons chose
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 Job speakes to raise up flesh and skin bones and sinews to Advance an understanding creature capable of Adoring or blaspheming the maker of him Yet that is a miracle and this is none onely 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 Jesus said unto Thomas because thou hast seen thou hast believed Bâ—essed are they that have not seen yet 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 doe 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 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 dayes 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 accompanied wâ—th mighty Signes and wonders And so was â—ikewise 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 Jâ—ws 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 liveing 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 a notiori ad ignotius And in the the 5 of John and the 47. 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 2 supposition 3. The 3 is this that the sight of miracles is of it self alone sufficient to bring every person to believing We ought indeed to owne 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 Thornes The prepossession of their minds by an expectation of a temporal Messiah in the Rulers The fear of persecution by them in the People The Cares of the World and deceitfulness of riches The pleasures and lusts to which the Austerities of the Gospel-rules were opposit and Many other prejudices deeply rooted in the hearts of a pervers and froward Generation prevailed against the sight of miracles and None were more pervers and resolute unbeleivers 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 Christ and yet they concluded him a Blasphemer And when he had healed him that was borne blind they hypocritically bad the man give Glory to God and said they knew that Jesus was a sinner They turn'd his miracles into wantonness fain'd themselves Just men that they might tempt him i. e. put a trick upon him demanding a sign for a sight onely to satisfy their wanton Curiosity As for his Country men this Prophet had no honour there he did not many miracles among them because of their unbeleef His friends said he was beside himself and went to lay hold on him As for the People In the 6 of John we find that Christ fed 5000 men with 5 loavs and 2 small fishes so that they said this is of a truth that Prophet But the Very next day ver 22. the Very men that had eaten of the loaves 26 Said unto him what sign shewest thou that we may beleive what dost thou work 30. as if a miracle had not been a Signe He wrought a miracle among the Gadarens and they besought him to be gone Others were offended at him and cast him out of their City The issue of all his miracles was this Some said he was a good man Others Nay but he deceiveth the people And many said he had a Devil and was mad Nay when he hung upon the cross they acknowledged his miracles and jeered him with