their owne good that their daies might be multiplied and the daies of their children as the daies of Heaven upon the earth vers 21. So that it had been a prodigious thing in Israel to forbid the people the reading of Moses his writings and books when God commanded all the people without exception to write his Laws upon the posts of their doores and upon their gates to the end that all men of what ranke or quality soever they were might read them and square their lives according to them and yet the Church of Rome contrary unto Gods command forbids the people either to read or have the Scripture in their houses And in the 34. of Isaiah ver 16. Seeke ye out of the booke of the Lord and read c. The Prophet here addresseth his speech to all the people of the earth as is evident by the beginning of the chapter And in Malachi 4. vers 4. Remember ye saith the Prophet the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statutes and judgements Here likewise all the people are commanded and enjoyned to the reading and remembring of Moses Law Yea Kings themselves and Governours are commanded to read the Law and to governe themselves and the people committed to their charge according to the Law of God Deut. 17. ver 18 19. And it shall be when he sitteth upon the Throne of his Kingdome that he shall write him a copy of this Law in a booke out of that which is before the Priests and the Levites And it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the daies of his life that he may learne to feare the Lord his God and to keep all the words of his Law and these statutes to doe them that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren and that he turne not aside from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left to the end he may prolong his dayes in his Kingdome hee and his children in the middest of Jsrael Hâ—re we see the Kings themselves are as strictly commanded to keepe the Law of God as the meanest of the people And Josua 1. v. 7 8. Only be thou strong and very couragious that thou mayest observe to doe according to all the Law which Moses my servant commanded thee turne not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goâ—st This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shall have good successe Josua was the Generall of their Army and yet hee is by an expresse command injoyned to reade and meditate in the holy Scriptures night and day and commanded not to turne to the right hand or to the left but to order his life and governe the people according to the same all the dayes of his life And Josua in the 23 Chap. vers 6. exhorts the people saying Be ye of a valiant courrage to observe and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses that ye turne not there-from to the right hand or to the left He ties all the people to the written Law and commands universall and constant obedience unto it and promiseth them blessings from God if they shal obey and pronounceth judgements from God against them if they shall rebell and be disobedient and for the more animating of them to the duty of obedience he sets his own example before them Chap. 24. v. 15. with his resolution that hee and his house would serve the Lord if others would not and by that he teacheth every one their duty that if all the world would go from God yet every one of us is particularly bound to cleave unto him and the way to cleave unto the Lord is to follow the direction of his Law and continually to have it before our eyes and in our hearts according to Solomons counsell frequently set down My sonne saith he Pro. 3. vers 1. Forget not my Law but let thy heart keepe my Commandements for length of dayes and yeares of life and peace shall they adde unto thee Let not mercy and truth forsake thee binde them about thy necke write them upon the Table of thy heart So shalt thou finde favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man Solomon contents not himselfe only to teach all men their duty but withall shewes them the benefit that redoundeth and ariseth from it viz. All manner of blessing according to that of S. Paul the first of Timoth. chap. 4. vers 8. Godlinesse is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come And in the sixth Chap. vers 20. My sonne saith he keepe thy fathers commandement and forsake not the Law of thy mother That Law saith Solomon that God gave unto thy Father and to thy Mother and injoyned them in the sixt of Deut. and the 11. to teach unto their children that Law and Commandement keep thou and forsake it not yea binde them continually upon thine heart and tie them about thy neck When thou goest it shall leade thee when thou sleepest it shall keepe thee and when thou awakest it shall talke with thee for the Commandement is a Lampe and the Law is light and reproofes of instruction are the way of life Infinite places more might be alledged out of all the holy Scriptures of the old Testament where all the holy Prophets exhort the people to the studying meditating and reading of the Law and where they pronounce them blessed that delight and meditate in the Law night and day Psal 1. But now let us see what Christ and his Apostles taught us in the new Testament and what the practise of all the Saints and holy men of God was in those dayes Christ in John 5. v. 38. saith Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to have eternall life and they are they that testify of mee And in Luke 16. vers 29.30 in the person of Abraham hee sends all that deâ—â—re salvation and to be freed from the torments of Diâ—eâ— to Moses and the Prophets and bids them heare them And tells them farther 〈◊〉 if â—â—y will not heare Moses and the Prophets though one should arise from the dead they would not be perswaded no miracles will be so prevalent and available either to instruct them or deterre them from their sinfull courses as Moses and the Prophets and therefore the Lord Jesus the Prophet of his Church ties them to the written Word And in both these places our Saviour speaketh unto all the people and not unto the Doctors and Teachers onely And S. Paul the Doctor of the Gentiles writing to the Colossians and in them to all Christians as S. Peter in his second Epistle confirmeth
particular motions of men or by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost that is we know and are most assured whatsoever they declared either viva voce and by word or whatsoever they spake by writing for God speakes unto his people by his Prophets both by voyce and writing as is apparent through the whole Scripture Isaia 45.19 All that saith he we known was by Divine inspiration and by the counsaile command and dictate of the holy Ghost and therefore must be more sure then all Traditions because they are Gods commands and writ of purpose for the direction of the people and not accidentally which will yet more cleerly appeare if we consider some other places of holy writ Deut. 30 Where Moses exhorting the people if they would avoid all Gods curses and procure his blessings and provide for their own eternall good and happinesse that they should obey the voyce of the Lord and doe all his Commandements which are written in the booke of the Law vers 10. Here first he setteth downe what voyce of God they should heare and what Commandements they should yeeld obedience unto and that was to the written voyce of God and the written Commandements which are written saith he in the Booke of the Law not to the Traditions of men and affirmes that they were written for this purpose that they might not run wandering about from place to place as men uncertaine what was the will pleasure and commands of God for they were written to this end that they might alwayes have them by them and in their sight for the guide and direction of their obedience both towards God and towards their Neighbour for this Commandement saith he which I command thee this day is not hid from thee neither is it farre off it is not in Heaven that thou shouldest say Who shall go up for us to Heaven and bring it us and cause us to heare it that we may do it neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say Who shall goe over the Sea for us and bring it us and cause us to heare it that we may doe it But the Word is very neare unto thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart for to do it vers 11 12 13. It is written saith he and it was written to this end that they might not be seduced by erronious opinions and carried about to the worshipping of other Gods and serving of them as this Chapter sheweth and all the other holy Scriptures and therefore was written not accidentally and by occasion but by Gods owne command and inspiration And Paul in Rom. 10. confirmeth the same vers 6.7 and in the fourth Ch. of the same Epistle vers 21.22 shewing the end and reason why the holy Scriptures were written he saith it was not written for Abrahams sake alone that it was imputed but for us also c. for the comfort of all the sonnes and daughters of Abraham signifying unto all believers and the deare servants of God that God had as great a care that they should be taught aright how to please him as Abaham the father of all the faithfull was and withall that he was the same God now he was then not changeable for his service and spirituall worship but if that they would obey him and believe in him without staggering and doubting as Abraham did and follow his commands they should be blessed with Father Abraham and for this very end saith the Apostle was the Scripture written by Gods owne appointment and not accidentally As in the 15 chapter and the fourth verse Where he declareth whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope In these words is set down both the reason and the end why they were penn'd viz. That through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope that is that wee might by them learne patience in all sufferings and be comforted in our greatest calamities in seeing and reading what God hath done to his suffering servants in all ages and how hee was with them in all their tribulations and was afflicted in all their afflictions and how the Angel of his presence saved them and how in his love and in his piety he redeemed them and bare them and carried them all their dayes Isa 63. vers 9. The Saints by seeing what God had done and by reading how that he carried his people through and over all difficulties and that his Angels have ever beene their guard and knowing that God is still the same in all loving kindnesse to them that feare him they are comforted and attaine to more hope and confidence in God and for this end was the Scripture written by Gods appoyntment and by the inspiration of his holy Spirit and not accidentally and by the will of men but as they were moved by God himselfe and received the Word from his mouth as all the Prophets did Ezek. 3. vers 17. And in the tenth of the first of the Cor. vers 11. speaking of the judgements of God that fell upon evill doers and wicked and ungodly men and such as provoke God by their sinfull courses he saith Now all these things happened unto them for examples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come Here we see God had an end why they should be written which was upon counsell and deliberation in God himselfe for the admonition of his people and for the instructing and teaching of them to take heed of all evill courses and wicked wayes if they would avoid his displeasure and enjoy his favour and protection and therefore the holy Scriptures now pend by Divine inspiration and Heavenly command for this very end and not by the will of man accidentally Innumerable more proofes to this purpose might be produced to prove that the Scriptures were not accidentally but of purpose written for the good of all men and for the preserving of them from error and that they might not be carried about with every wind of Doctrine and the vaine traditions of men and be led by uncertainties But I will content my selfe with one proofe more and so conclude this my first argument to prove that the Scripture was not accidentally written and by the will of man Luk. 1. vers 3.4 It seemed good to me also saith S. Luke having had perfect understanding of all things from the first to write unto thee in order most excellent Theophilus that thou mayest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast beene instructed Here are three things worthy of observation the first that he had a perfect understanding and true information of the things he wrote as having received them from eye-witnesses and such as were without exception being Christs Ministers and such as would not lie or relate untruths the second thing observable is that he hath
a very Angel from Heaven and all this Master Montague I shall prove by the following testimonies of holy Scripture and then I will conclude expecting the performance of your promise and your returne to your mother the Church of England whom you have without any due reason formerly deserted I shall therefore gather up all the proofes that have here and there been occasionally set downe in the foregoing Treatise and adde some other to them and that in good order that so you may have them all presented to your view at once for the confirming of this truth that the holy Scriptures are the onely rule of our faith obedience and manners and that we ought onely to cleave unto them And I will begin with the old Testament first out of the which heare what Moses saith Deut. 4. v. 2. Ye shall not adde saith the Lord unto the Word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it that you may keepe the Commandement of the Lord your God which I command you And in chap. 5. ver 32. Yee shall observe to doe therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you you shall not turne aside to the right hand or to the left And Chap. 12. ver 32. What thing soever I command you observe to doe it Thou shalt not adde thereto nor diminish from it And Proverb 30. ver 6. Adde not thou to his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a lyer Out of all which words these two conclusions necessarily follow the first that the holy Scriptures were the onely rule that the people of God in Moses his time were tied unto and from the which they ought not to decline or swarve either to the right hand or to the left The second thing that the Scriptures then had no need of the Traditions of men for the making of them a compleat rule for all men were forbidden either to adde unto them or diminish from them And if the holy Scriptures in Moses his time were the rule of direction unto all Israel and unto the which they were precisely tied in regard of its perfection then after the writings of the Prophets and the writings of the Apostles have beene joyned and annexed to the bookes of Moses we may truely conclude that the Scriptures now containing all those things in them the knowledge and faith of which is necessary to salvation are not only a perfect rule but that likewise we are still under the same command bound and tied to make the written Word of the old and new Testament the rule of our faith and manners and that onely For the hypotheticall connexion it is manifest and cleare not only from the identity of the Word of God but from the multitude of the bookes that were afterward penned and written both as well by the holy Prophets as the blessed Apostles as hath abundantly been proved in the precedent discourse for the Assumption it is sufficiently proved by the places above quoted Now Master Montague if the Papists shall affirme that these places cited by Moses are not to be restrained to the Word of God written by him they shall not onely oppose the truth it selfe but fight against the very light of reason and deny innumerable other expresse Texts of Scripture all which doe manifestly preclude and hinder them from all waies of evasion For in Exod. 24. ver 4. it is said that Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. And Deut. 31. ver 9. Moses wrote this Law And Deut. 28. ver 58. If thou wilt not observe to doe all the words of this Law that are written in this booke that thou mayst feare this glorious and fearefull Name the Lord thy God And Paul in Acts 24. I believe saith he all things that are written in the Law and in the Prophets And in Deut. 29. v. 19. And it come to passe when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walke in the imagination of mine heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst the Lord shall not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the curses that are written in this booke shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven And in the 30 chap. ver 10. If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God to keepe his Commandements and his Statutes which are written in this booke of the Law From all which places and many more that might be produced it is manifest that the Word of God of which Moses speakâ—th is to be understood of the writings of Moses and that it is not to be expounded or drawne to any unwritten Traditions delivered by Moses viva voce and therefore that the written word by Moses was onely to be the rule which all Israel were tied to for the ordering of their faith lives and manners and that all Christians at this day are much more tied and bound to cleave onely to the written Word of God in the old and new Testament Which will yet be far more evident from Deut. 4. ver 18 19 20. and from Joshua 1. ver 7 8. In both which places we see that the Kings and Rulers themselves are tied to the written Word and are enjoyned to make that the rule of their lives and actions and are commanded to meditate in it night and day and to rule and governe according to the same without declining from it either to the right hand or to the left And Joshua also in Chap. 23. ver 6. sendeth the people to the written Word saying Be ye therefore very couragious to keepe and doe all that is written in the booke of the Law of Moses that ye turne not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left This written Word was to be the rule of direction unto all the people no humane Traditions Master Montague David likewise sent all the people and his sonne Solomon to the Law of the Lord and commanded that they should both seeke and keepe all the Commandements of the Lord their God the 1 of Chron. 28. v. 8 9. and in Psal 19. v. 9. Wherewith saith he shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy Word We see here David directeth all men to the Word of God to the written Law affirming if they will observe that that they shall preserve themselves from errour and all manner of pollutions And in vers 19. I am a stranger in the earth saith he hide not thy Commandements from me If those therefore that are strangers and pilgrims on the earth desire to finde the right way to Heaven and to be kept from by-waies then let them follow Davids example and pray unto God that he would not hide his Commandements from them for the Commandements are able to direct them thither for they are the waies that God hath appointed men
Christ is become of no effect unto you saith Paul whosoever of you are justified by the Law yee are falne from grace All those therefore that will be justified by the works of the Law deprive themselves of the grace of God in Jesus Christ but the Church of Rome doth this Mr. Montague ergo But for the Church of England it followeth the Apostles example Phil. 3. ver 8 9. Counting all things losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ and that it may be found in him not having its owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith By the which righteousnesse of Christ all the workes of the Law are excluded from justification But I will yet more fully prove that the workes of grace are also excluded from justification Ephes 2. ver 8 9. For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of workes lest any man should boast Here againe all workes are removed withall we may observe that the holy Apostle in this place a firming that we are not saved by workes speakes not of those workes before grace and regeneration according to the ordinary evasion of the Church of Rome but he speakes of all the workes men doe in the state of grace and after conversion and which shall accompany us as we presse to the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus as we may see in the 10. verse For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good workes which God hath before ordained that we should walke in them So that good workes are not the meritorious cause of the Kingdome of Heaven but onely the way which God hath prepared and appointed for us to walke in to Heaven And in the 11. to the Rom. ver 6 7. he saith And if by grace then it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace He speakes here of the regenerate Romans and of the workes dond by them after their conversion which he excludes from justification and therefore it is a poore evasion or quillet of the Church of Rome to excuse their pride when they say that God hath given us the grace of meriting which is a flat contradiction for grace doth ever exclude merit as the words of Paul inferre who saith If it be by grace then not of workes and if of workes then it is no more grace otherwise worke is no more worke And in his Epistle to Titus ch 3. ver 4 5. But after saith he that the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by workes of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us Here the Apostle includes himselfe in the number of the regenerate as in all the other places and disavowes all workes and excludes them from justification for the mercy and grace of God cannot stand with mens merits as hath been sufficiently already proved And in that verse he further addes that being justified by grace we should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life From which words we learne that we have life eternall as heires of God and not in the way quality of mercenaries So that by all these proofes it is evident that all workes are excluded from justification as by many reasons also may be evinced For sinners are and ought so to be justified before God that all occasion of gloriation and boasting may be taken away as we see Rom. 3. ver 27. Where is boasting then it is taken away By what Law of workes Nay but by the law of faith Now if a man by the workes of grace might be justified he should then have something whereof to glory notwithstanding he acknowledged he received those workes from God as we may see in the example of the Pharisee in the 18. of Luke and should also have more to glory of than Abraham Rom. 4. ver 3 4. where it is said that if Abraham be justified by workes he hath whereof to glory but not before God For what saith the Scripture Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse Againe if a man be justified by workes then the justification of the Law should stand and be of force but that stands not as by all the testimonies before mentioned is evident and from the 14. verse of this chapter For if they which are of the Law be heires faith is made void and the promise made of no effect And not onely this verse but the tenour of the whole chapter proves that Abraham though he abounded in good workes yet was justified before God without the workes of the Law howsoever before men according to that of St. James chap. 2. He declared by his workes the livelinesse of his faith for St. James himselfe saith vers 23. That Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse and he was called the friend of God And that was long before he offered his Sonne Isaac And when the Apostle Paul saith that Abraham was not justified before God by his works it cannot be understood of the works of the ceremoniall Law which was not given till foure hundred yeares after the justification of Abraham But the principall things we may gather out of this whole fourth chapter to the Romans are these First that the workes of grace and after regeneration are excluded from justificaton Secondly that the justification of Abraham the father of the faithfull is the modell and patterne of the justification of all believers and sonnes of Abraham as appeares from the 22. and 23. verses And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him who raised up Jesus from the dead And therefore as Abraham was justified before God by faith without the workes of the law so all believers are justified which the Apostle in his Epistle to the Galatians chap. 3. ver 8. doth againe clearely prove And the Scripture saith he foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen through faith preached before the Gospell unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed so that they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham And from this very place it is manifest that Abraham then believed when the Apostle affirmes that he was not justified before God by his workes to confirme unto us likewise that we are not justified before God by our workes after that God hath given unto us faith Yea Paul evidences the same by his owne example and by the example of the faithfull that the works of grace also are excluded from justification for in 1 Cor. chap. 4. ver 4. I know nothing saith the Apostle by my selfe yet am I not hereby justified Here
as they finde it in the written word of the old and new Testament as they make that and that only the Rule of their faith and obedience and no unwritten word or Traditions Councells or Fathers no farther than they are grounded upon the written word contained in the holy Bible And this the Church of England hath good warrant to do from Christs both precept and example and from both the Prophets and Apostles practice John the 5. v. the 39. Search the Scriptures saith Christ for in them yee thinke to have eternall life and they are they which testify of mee And v. 46.47 for had yee believed Moses you would have believed me for he wrote of me but if yee believe not his writings how shall you believe my words Here our Saviour Christ ratifyes Moses his writings to be of Divine authority and equalizes them with if not prefers them before his owne words saying if yee believe not his writings how shall yee believe my words And in the sixteenth of Luke in the person of Abraham Christ sendeth all men that desire salvation to the writings of Moses saying v. 29 30 31. they have Moses and the Prophets let them heare them if they would escape damnation and have eternall life And Dives sayd Nay Father Abraham but if one come unto them from the dead they will amend their lives and repent And he said unto him If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead Here our Saviour tyes them precisely to the Scriptures and affirmes they are more prevalent to bring men unto Repentance and to save their soules than any miracles whatsoever and therefore that they are only to be cleaved unto by all the sonnes of Abraham And as he commanded all men to have recourse to Moses and the Prophets so all the time of his life and after his resurrection hee taught all his auditors out of the holy Scriptures Luke the 24. vers 27. and after that our Saviour Christ had upbrayded his Disciples for their unbeliefe He began saith the Evangelist at Moses and all the Prophets and expounded to them through all the Scriptures the things concerning himselfe And vers 44. he said unto them These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes concerning me Here our Saviour Christ instructs and teaches his Disciples onely out of the written Word and in them all Christians and sends them onely to the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalmist and affirmes that they were the voice of God which the Lord spake and uttered by them All the Prophets likewise sent the people to the written word as Deut. 30. Isaiah 8. ver 20. To the Law and to the Testimonies saith the Prophet if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Here the Lord by his Prophet sends all men to the written Word in which he declared his pleasure and will unto them and affirmes that they that speake not according to that Word they have no light in them that is they are in errour and darknesse according to that of our Saviour Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures Matth. 22. ever sending them to the Scripture for knowledge And Malac. 4. the Lord there vers 4. Remember saith he the law of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the statutes and judgements Here all the Church of the Jewes were sent unto the written Word and manded ever to remember that that was left by Gods appointment for the rule of their faith and obedience and to that onely they were stedfastly to cleave And Paul in Acts 24. vers 14. in his owne defence before Felix speakes thus This I confesse unto thee that after the way which they call heresie so worship I the God of my fathers believing all things in the Law and the Prophets The written word was the ground of his faith he continued stedfastly in the doctrine of the Prophets and taught all men so to doe proving and confirming his doctrine out of the holy Sciptures of the Prophets and convincing the Jewes out of them from morning to evening Acts 28. ver 23. And in Acts 26. ver 22. Witnessing saith the Apostle both to small and great saying no other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come Nothing but Scripture and the doctrine contained in them was the foundation of both the true Jewish and Christian Church And Apollos a man eloquent and mighty in the Scripture used the same way of teaching Acts 18. vers 28. who shewed by the Scriptures that Jesus was that Christ And Paul to the Thessalonians in the first Epistle chap. 5. vers 19 20. Quench not the spirit saith he despise not the Prophesies a thing worthy the noting after he had exhorted them to nourish in themselves the sparks of the Spirit of God kindled in them that they might not be deluded by any false spirit or conceive they had the Spirit when they had it not he ties them to the rule by which they should try the Spirits whether they be of God or not and that rule was the Prophesies of the old Testament and the studying of them As much as if he had said to the Thessalonians nourish daily within you all the graces of knowledge and wisdome the Spirit of God hath bestowed upon you and increase more and more in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus saying Quench not the Spirit and that you may the better increase in knowledge and abound in all gifts and graces and the truth and that ye may not be led away with any deceiving spirit and vaine delusion instead of true illumination after the manner of many enthusiasts who dreame of new inspirations new lights regulate your whole illumination and your spirit and knowledge according unto the written prophesies of the old Testament follow them and you cannot erre therefore saith he despise not the prophesies but by them try all things and keepe that which is good and agreeable to them and whatsoever is not agreeable to them is a meere delusion and not the true Spirit who is ever like it selfe and therefore he ties them to the prophesies of the old Testament as well as to the Scriptures of the new So Saint Peter in his second Epistle chap. 1. vers 19. We have also a more sure word of the Prophets saith he to the which ye doe well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place untill the day dawne and the day-starre arise in our hearts Here the holy Apostle Peter ties all Christians as well to the written Word of the old as to the Scriptures of the new This written Word was the foundation of the Church of the Jewes and
had not revealed himselfe fully unto them for our Saviour Christ the Messias of whom the woman in John 4. ver 25. said that when he was come he would tell us all things told the Ruler asking him what he should doe that he might have eternall life that if he would enter into life he should keepe the Commandements Matth. 19. ver 16 17. if then the Commandements alone containe all things necessary to salvation as is evident by Gods owne testimony and by Christs witnesse how prodigiously blasphemous are they that affirme that all the holy Scriptures containe not all things necessary to salvation but of this point in his due place For the present the place cited before proveth that the Scripture was not written accidentally as the Church of Rome impiously assert But now I will goe on to prove that the holy Word of God was penned by speciall command Exod. 17. v. 14. The Lord said there unto Moses Write this for a remembrance in the booke and rehearse it to Josua c. And Exod. 34. ver 27. And the Lord said unto Moses write thou these words c. And in Deut. 31.19 Now therefore saith the Lord write this song for you and teach it the children of Israel and put in their mouths c. Yea the people were commanded to write the Commandements of the Lord upon the posts of the houses and upon their gates and to teach them diligently unto their children and to talke of them to them when they sate in their houses and when they walked by the way and at their lying downe and at their rising up Deut. 6. ver 6 7 8 9. and the same reiterated againe Deut. 11. v. 18 19 20 21. So that the whole law was written by the command of God himselfe and was appointed by him to be the rule by which his people should serve him and by the keeping and observing of the which Law they should procure his favour and protection and enter into life eternall if they could perfectly keepe and observe it as is manifest by all the forementioned places and in the 30. of Deuteronomy they are all tied to the written Law as a compleat rule and witten by God himselfe and by his command penned by Moses for that purpose as a compleate rule And therefore Master Montague how dangerous a thing is it in any to slight the holy Scriptures and to vilifie them and to deny them their due honour and to accuse them of imperfection and to preferre their owne Traditions before those lively Oracles Is not this Mr. Montague to despise the holy Scriptures The Authour to the Hebrews chap. 10. v. 28. faith He that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses What then will become of those that not onely despise Moses and his writings but the writings of all the holy Prophets and blessed Apostles and Evangelists and accuse them all of imperfection and obscurity and make them the cause of all errours schismes and heresies and of all confusion and that in the sight of a thousand witnesses Is not this enough to provoke the Lord who is a consuming fire to wrath and indignation Mr. Montague as you love your salvation take heed of such expressions I am the more large in this businesse because you spoke very contumeliously of the Holy Scriptures as all can remember that were present as that they were accidentally writ and not of purpose to be the rule of faith and manners and not a perfect rule But now to goe on the Prophet Isaiah chap. 8. vers 1. had a speciall command to write Moreover the Lord said unto me Take thee a great Roll and write in it with a mans Pen c. And in the 30 chapter and vers 8. the Lord saith Goe write it before them and note it in a Table and write it in a booke that it may be for time to come and for ever and ever And in Jerem 36. ver 2. the Lord saith there Take thee a Roll of a book and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel and against Judah and against all the Nations from the day I spake unto thee from the daies of Josiah even unto this day And Habakkuk 2. ver 6. the Lord commands the Prophet saying Write the vision and make it plaine upon Tables that he may runne that readeth it And St. John likewise had an expresse and particular command to write the Apocalyps chap. 1. ver 19. Write the things saith Christ which thou hast seene and the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter And this Commandement of writing is reiterated seven times in the second and third chapters of the same books And the Prophet David speaking of all that he had both writ and taught the people in the second booke of Sam. chap. 23. ver 2. The Spirit of the Lord spake by me and his Word was in my mouth The same may be said of all the holy Prophets Apostles Evangelists and of all the Penmen of holy Scripture according to that of Saint Paul to Timothy the second Epistle chap. 3. ver 3. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God c. and that of Peter in the second Epistle chap. 2. ver 20 21. Knowing saith Saint Peter that no Prophesie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation for the Prophesie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost I will conclude this point with that of Saint Paul in the first of Cor. chap. 14. ver 37 38. If any man thinketh himselfe to be a Prophet or spirituall saith he let him acknowledge that the things I write unto you are the Commandements of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant let him be ignorant still As much as if he should say if any man will not acknowledge and take notice that I write nothing but what God hath given me in command to write and which I pen by his speciall inspiration and as he hath moved me but will still persevere in his ignorance and thinke that I write out of my owne particular and peculiar motion and accidentally and occasionally let him still continue in his ignorance I will not dispute with him nor bring any argument for the further convincing of him but if any man will be ignorant let him be ignorant still So say I unto you Mr. Montague if you will not notwithstanding all I have now said believe that the holy Scriptures were written by the speciall command of God and by his holy Spirit and not occasionally and accidentally as you and the Church of Rome affirme and by the will of man then you may continue in your ignorance and be ignorant still but for the Church of England she doth verily believe that the whole written Word was given by divine inspiration and by the special command of God to the end that it
their common and generall faith even in our Saviours time though they were then much degenerated from their ancient purity in the service and worship of God and had brought in their owne Traditions which our Saviour so often reproved them for Matth. 15. and Marke 7. and by that also shewed the al-sufficiency of the Scriptures of the old Testament for the Salvation of them that were under the Law without any traditions of men so that the witnesse the Jewes gave of the sufficiency of the Scriptures that they had in them eternall life was as a cloud of witnesses a whole Nation testifying the same thing and Christ himselfe approving of their evidence and allowing of their testimony and addes his owne witnesse for the confirming of the same doctrine and backes it with an unanswerable reason You believe saith he that the Scriptures containe all things necessary to salvation and in that you believe well and rightly for so they doe I will give you also my reason of it another argument to prove the truth of your witnesse and of the sufficiency of the Scriptures without traditions and to move you to read them for they testifie of me saith Christ for they speak of me preach me and bring you to me who am the Messias the Saviour of the world and they are the Schoole-master God hath appointed for that purpose to teach you to believe that I am he Galat. 3.24 Rom. 10. ver 4. for all the Law sets me forth all those washings and purifications of the Law and all those Ceremonies and Sacrifices have me for their end they are but shadowes and not the body nor the truth it selfe Yea and the Morall law also and all the Commandements that are the waies God would have you walke in bring ye unto me who am the doore of Heaven the doore of the sheepe John 10. v. 9. Who am the way the truth and the life and no man commeth unto the Father but by me Now then when all the Scriptures testifie of me and teach you how ye may come unto me where ye may finde rest unto your soules Matth. 11.28 and bring ye to the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ which is life eternall John 17. v. 3. they containe all things necessary to salvation So that Master Montague if there were no other argument in all the holy Scripture but this very place in the 5. of St John for the proving of the al-sufficiency of the Scriptures of the old Testament for the saving of those that were under the Law without any humane Traditions this alone were sufficient to prove it For that which hath the testimony both of God and men that it containeth all things in it necessary to salvation that is by the knowledge and faith of which they might have eternall life and be blessed for ever that comprehendeth all things in it sufficient for the attaining to life eternall and for saving of mens soules But the holy Scriptures of the old Testament have this testimony from God himselfe and from the Lord Jesus Christ and from the whole Nation of the Jewes which is an Iliad and cloud of witnesses that they have life eternall in them that is by the knowledge and faith of which they might have eternall life and be blessed for ever Ergo they containe all things in them necessary to salvation And if the Scriptures of the old Testament containe all things sufficient to salvation then the whole Scriptures when they also of the new Testament are joyned unto them of the old must of necessity be most absolutely compleat and have in them eternall life and neede no Traditions of men for the perfecting of them and making of them an absolute Rule which is a high point of Blasphemy to affirme So that Mr. Montague hee that shall dispute against the Al-sufficiency of the Scriptures shall dispute against Christ himselfe and call the very witnesse of God himselfe into question who cannot lie You will finde it a hard thing to kick against prickes as Christ said unto Saul persecuting him Acts 9. And this shall serve to have spoke concerning this place in S. John for the proofe of the sufficiency of the holy Scriptures under the Law And I will prove it by other places also of the old Testament before I come to those of the new Deuteronomy 4. verse 2. Yee shall not adde saith the Lord unto the Word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it that you may keep the Commandements of the Lord your God which I command you That to which nothing was to bee added nor from which nothing was to be detracted or taken away by the command of God himselfe that was absolutely perfect But to the written Word of God nothing was to be added nor nothing to be detracted or taken away and that by Gods own Commandement Ergo the written Word and the Law of God was absolutely perfect For the Major Mr. Montague no man will as I suppose deny it and for the Minor the place above cited proves it David also in Psal 19. vers 77. The Law of the Lord is perfect saith he converting the soule the Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple from the which words I thus argue That which is perfect in it selfe converting soules and giveth wisdom unto the simple and furnisheth them with all saving knowledge that containes all things in it necessary to salvation and is a perfect and absolute Rule and has no neede of humane Traditions for the making of it compleat But the Law of the Lord is perfect in it selfe converting soules and giveth wisdome unto the simple and furnisheth them with all saving knowledge Ergo it containeth all things in it necessary to salvation and is a perfect and absolute Rule and hath no need of humane Traditions for the making of it compleate For the proof of my whole Syllogisme the words themselves of the Text are sufficient I might here Mr. Montague accumulate proof upon proof out of the old Testament to evince the sufficiency of the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets for the salvation of those that were under the Law without the helpe of any Traditions of men but because I have been very large in my former discourse I shall produce no more out of the old Testament at this time only let mee say thus much that our Saviour and all the Apostles for the confirmation of the absolutenesse and perfection of the holy Scriptures of the old Testament comfirmed all their Doctrines of faith from them only and send the people ever to the written word as a sufficient and compleate rule of Direction Yea all the Prophets of the old Testament likewise did the same as wee see from Moses in Deut. 30. to Malachy the last Prophet who in Chap. 4. v. 4. sendeth all Israel to the Lawes of Moses and so also the Prophet Isaiah in the 8 Chap. To the Law and to the Testimony saith
to walke in for the attaining unto eternall happinesse they are the rule that all men are to be guided by and therefore he proclaimeth him blessed that delighteth in the Law of the Lord and doth meditate in it night and day Psal 1. Solomon likewise in Prov. 3. v. 1 2 3. and in Prov. 6. v. 20 21 22 23. and in many other places sendeth his sonne and all the people to the Law of the Lord for the rule of their lives and manners saying My sonne keepe thy fathers commandement and forsake not the law of thy mother Bind them continually upon thine heart and tie them about thy necke when thou goest it shall lead thee and when thou sleepest it shall keepe thee and when thou awakest it shall talke with thee For the Commandement is a Lampe and the Law is light and reproofes of instruction are the way of life And in Eccles 12. v. 13. Let us heare saith he the conclusion of the whole matter Feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man By all which places it appeareth that the holy Prophets made the written Word of God and that onely the rule of their lives and manners and commanded all people to have ever recourse unto that and that onely for the square to order their lives by And the Prophet Isaiah in the 8. v. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony saith he if they spake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them There was no other rule Mr. Montague knowen to the Prophets for the directing of the people how to serve God and to which they were tied but the Law and Testimonies the written Word and if under the Law they were ever to have recourse unto the Scripture and nothing in matter of faith was to be received which was not contained in the Scripture it was then a perfect rule and the onely rule by which they were to be guided and much more now Mr. Montague ought we to content our selves with the Word of God and to make that the onely rule of our faith and manners and of all our doctrines when the doctrine of the Gospell also written by the Apostles and Evangelists is joyned unto the Law the which hath also fully explained the meaning of all those hidden mysteries and shadowes and brought us into the cleare sunshine of all truths and hath indeed taught us the way the truth and the life The Prophet Jeremiah also in the 6 chap. vers 16. Thus saith the Lord Stand yee in the wayes and see and aske for the old pathes where is the good way and walke therein and yee shall finde rest unto your soules Here the Prophet sends them to the Law and the Testimony that old way and tells them the benefit that will accrue unto them by following his counsell viz. That by it they shall finde rest unto their soules And the Prophet Malachi 4. vers 4. Remember yee saith he the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded him in Horeb for all Jsrael with the statutes and judgments The Law of Moses and the Prophets was the rule Mr. Montague that all Israel was tied unto as that which was an absolute and perfect rule of direction from which they were bound not to swarve and which had no neede of any Traditions for the compleating of it much more now is it a perfect rule when the Gospell is annexed to it and therefore all Christians ought to make the old and new Testament the sole rule of their faith and manners and by all these precepts they are commanded and many more to cleave onely unto it But now Master Montague let us see what precepts and directions wee finde layd downe unto us in the New Testament that by the mouth of both these Witnesses the Truth of God may yet more fully be confirmed In Matthew 17. vers 51. And behold a voyce out of the clouds which said This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare you him And Acts 3. vers 22 23. For Moses truly said unto the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise unto you of your brethren like unto mee him shall ye heare in all things whatsoever hee shall say unto you and it shall come to passe that every soule that will not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed from the people Here are two things Mr. Montague observable first a command viz. that we should heare Christ that Prophet the Lord our God should raise up Secondly the danger that would insue if we heard him not viz. destruction for that is pronounced against those that do not heare him Now let us take notice how he teacheth us John 5. vers 39. Search the Scriptures saith he Here our great Prophet Mr. Montague sendeth us onely to the Scriptures he makes them the onely rule which wee are to follow And in Luke 16. in the person of Abraham hee sendeth all men to Moses and the Prophets vers 29. they have Moses and the Prophets saith he let them heare them This Mr. Montague was the old way to salvation where men might finde rest for their soules Moses and the Prophets and thither doth Christ the onely Prophet of his Church send all men to the holy Scriptures and to the Doctrines contained in them as the absolute and compleat rule that all the Christians are for ever tied to and out of the Scriptures and them onely did Christ confirme all his preaching as is evident out of Luke 24. and many other places averring that the people erred not knowing the Scriptures Mat. 22. The Apostles likewise in all their Sermons and Writings did the same and inoyned all Christians to cleave unto the holy Scriptures and to make them onely the rule of their faith and manners as by the places following do most cleerly appeare Paul in the 16 of the Rom. v. 17.18 Now I beseech you brethren saith he marke them which cause division and offences contrary unto the doctrine yee have received and avoyd them for they that are such serve not our Lord Iesus Christ but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Here the holy Apostle ties the Romans unto the doctrine they had received and which he writ unto them and forbids them to have any communication with any members of that Church that should teach contrary unto that Doctrine they had received for they that are such saith he serve not our Lord Jesus Christ All therefore Mr. Montague that teach any Doctrine contrary unto the written word swarve from the truth and are not by the Apostles command to be communicated with and therefore the written Word must be the onely rule of our direction And in the 4 of the 1 of Cor. vers 6. Hee commands them not to be wise above that that is written tying them ever to the doctrine that is set down in the written Word and in that