Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	rule_n	tradition_n	unwritten_a	2,845	5	12.5918	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28280	The sufficiency of a standing revelation in general, and of the Scripture revelation in particular both as to the matter of it and as to the proof of it : and that new revelations cannot reasonably be desired and would probably be unsuccessful in eight sermons preach'd in the Cathedral-Church of St. Paul, London, at the lecture founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esq., in the year MDCC / by Ofspring Blackall ...	Blackall, Offspring, 1654-1716.	1700 (1700)	Wing B3055; ESTC R6615	150,254	268

in the Holy Scripture it must be either in the Matter of it or in the Proof of it And if it be in the Matter of it it must be either that it does not give us sufficient Directions what to do or that it does not propose sufficient Motives to persuade Men to do what it requires And therefore in speaking to this Head I shall shew 1. That the Holy Scripture gives us sufficient Directions what to do 2. That the Motives which the Scripture proposes are sufficient to persuade us to do what it requires And 3. That we have sufficient Reason given us to convince us of the Truth and Authority of the Holy Scripture and consequently of all the Doctrines which are taught by it 1. I shall shew that the Holy Scripture gives us sufficient Directions what to do And of this there can be little Doubt among those that believe the divine Inspiration and Authority of the Holy Scripture because to them its own Testimony of its own sufficiency is a Proof thereof beyond all Exception For if as the Apostle says 2. Tim. 3.16 it be profitable for Doctrine and for Reproof and for Correction and for Instruction in Rigteousness it is plainly profitable for all the Purposes for which we can desire a divine Revelation And if as he says in the next Verse it was given to make perfect the Man of God that is the Man whose Business it is to teach and instruct others and throughly to furnish him unto all good Works it cannot be deficient in delivering all such Rules and Directions as are necessary to be given by a Pastor to the People committed to his Care And if as the same Apostle had said at the 15th Verse of that Chapter it be able to make us wise unto Salvation we have no Reason to desire to be wiser than this excellent Book can make us And if all this could truly be said by the Apostle before the Canon of the New Testament was compleated if it could be said by him of those Holy Scriptures which Timothy had known from a Child that is of the Books of the Old Testament only much more may it be now said of the Books of both Testaments together But to speak at large of this Point at present would be too great a Digression from the Design of these Lectures which were intended only against Infidels not against any Sect of Christians and such they pretend to be such because they hold the Foundation Christ Jesus they may in Charity be allow'd to be who do chiefly differ from us in this Article and deny the sufficiency of Scripture only because they are resolved to maintain some gainful Doctrines and Practices of their own Church which they are sensible have no Warrant from Scripture and so can be maintained no other Way but by affirming that they have been delivered down to them by Tradition and that unwritten Tradition is a necessary Supplement to the written Word and of equal Authority with it For between us and Infidels who reject the Scripture the Sufficiency of the Scripture as a Rule of Faith and Manners is hardly Matter of Controversie for these do not reject the Scripture because it teaches too little but rather because it teaches too much because it teaches Doctrines above their Reason and commands such Duties as they do not like to practise and if it taught less than it does they would be more ready to own its divine Authority But nevertheless even these Men that they may leave no Stone unturned will be sometimes discoursing upon this Point and altho' those Books of Holy Scripture which are now extant and which are now generally receiv'd do teach much more than they themselves are willing to believe and practise yet that they may as much as they can unsettle the Belief of others do not stick to argue againast the Christian Religion from this Topick and to affirm that the Books of Holy Scripture which are now receiv'd do not contain the whole Will of God For there were say they in former times several other Gospels and Epistles and other Tracts designed to instruct Men in the Christian Religion which were written by the Apostles or other inspired Men and which were consequently of the same Authority in themselves with those which are now receiv'd into the Canon of which nevertheless we have nothing now left but the Names and Titles or some imperfect and uncertain Fragments so that it may well be doubted whether those few Books which are now remaining are sufficient to instruct us in all necessary Points of Knowledge and Practice And of this Matter of Fact there is they say some Evidence even from the Scripture its self For St. Luke in the Beginning of his Gospel takes Notice that many before him had taken in Hand to set forth a Declaration of those things which were surely believed among Christians that is had written and published Narratives of the Life Actions Miracles Preaching Death and Resurrection of our Saviour But there are no Histories of this Kind no Gospels now extant that were written before St. Luke's except only St. Matthew's and St. Mark 's and if there had been no more extant at that time it would have been very improper they say for the Evangelist to have said that many had written upon this Subject when he spake only of those two And that there was Matter enough for several such Narratives so that tho' they were very different Gospels they might nevertheless be all true we are told by St. John who wrote his Gospel the last of the Four Evangelists Joh. 20.30 Many other Signs truly did Jesus in the Presence of his Disciples which are not written in this Book and again Ch. 21. Vers 25. There are also many other things which Jesus did the which if they should be written every one I suppose that even the World its self could not contain the Books that should be written Now if it be true that there were several other Books formerly extant but which are now lost that were written by the Apostles and other inspired Men and consequently by divine Inspiration either these were needless when written and it is unreasonable to suppose that any Book written by divine Inspiration was needless or else the Loss of these Books is a Loss to Religion and we cannot be well assured that those which we have now remaining do sufficiently instruct us in all Points of Christian Faith and Practice But admit the Truth of this Matter of Fact viz. that more Books were written by the Apostles or inspired Men than are now extant which I will not now dispute because I think it needless because I think it may be granted without any Prejudice to the Christian Cause altho' there be none or at most but very slender Evidence of it nay admit more than is upon any good Grounds alledged viz. not only that several but that every one of the Apostles and immediate Disciples of

he thought he himself had written enough in his Gospel to persuade Men to believe in Christ and to direct them in the Way to eternal Life There being therefore in those Books of the New Testament which we now have several Abridgments of the whole Christian Doctrine it cannot with any Reason be pretended that all these Books together are not sufficient fully to instruct us therein Besides The Gospel of Christ that was preached suppose by St. Thomas in India or by St. Simon in Africa or by any other of the Apostles in Countries remote from Judea or without the Bounds of the Roman Empire was undoubtedly the very same Gospel that was preached by St. Peter and St. Paul or those other of the Apostles whose Books are now extant and received by the Catholick Church for they were all taught by the same Master Christ and were all enlightned by the same Holy Ghost so that if any of them did as 't is reported they did write any Gospels for the present Use of those particular Churches which they had planted tho' they might be somewhat different from any of the four Gospels which we now have in the Expression or perhaps in the Relation of some particular Passages of our Saviour's Life which our Evangelists have omitted just as the four Gospels which we now have do differ from one another yet for Substance they must needs have been the same with these and with one another if indeed they were all true Relations of the Matters of which the Authors thereof had been Witnesses so that if we had them all now they could all together teach us no other Doctrines than are taught in the Books of the New Testament Nevertheless I do not deny but that if we had more Books of this Kind than we have that if we had all the Books that were written by the Apostles or their immediate Successors who had been taught by them they might be of very good Use to us to help us to understand more readily and easily those Books which we have as now we receive from some Portions of Holy Scripture great Light to help us to understand and to put a right Interpretation upon others But perhaps it was for this very Reason that the Providence of God did order no more to be written than were written or has suffered those to be lost that are supposed to be lost that it might cost us some Pains and Study to understand our Religion that so our Knowledge as well as our Practice being in some Measure the Fruit of our own Industry might be a proper Subject of Reward In short That there were more Books in the first Age of Christianity written by Apostles or other inspired Men than are now extant or than if extant can be well proved to be of their Writing is a Point which I believe cannot be now upon any certain Evidence either affirmed or denied But if it be granted I say however there is no Reason to inferr from thence that those which we now have are not sufficient For if there be a God and a Providence and if there be any Truth in the Scripture Declarations of the Love of God to Mankind and that he would have all Men to be saved and to come to the Knowledge of the Truth most certainly the necessary Means of Mens Salvation is a proper Subject of the divine Care And if so it can't be thought but that the same good Providence which as is now supposed took Care for the writing of more Books when more might be necessary has likewise taken Care for the Preservation of so many of these Books as are now sufficient Or if the Men we are now arguing with will not grant that there is such a particular Providence of God yet if they will but allow that God is just that he is not a hard Master expecting to reap where he has not sown I think they must allow that all things necessary to our Salvation not knowable by Reason are taught in the Books of Holy Scripture which we now have because there are no other Books extant which we have reason to receive and accept as divine Revelation Or if they deny this it will lie upon them to produce those other Books which we ought to receive besides these and to give good Evidence to the World of their divine Authority Which when they have done or if they shall but only shew that there is as good Reason to receive them as these We must own our selves to blame if we shall not then take them also into the Canon of Scripture But till that shall be done what hath been already said is enough to shew that the Holy Scripture is a compleat Rule both of Faith and Manners Especially considering as was noted before that when-ever the Insufficiency of Scripture in this Respect is urged by those who do not believe the Scripture which are the Persons I have now to deal with it can be only for Cavilling sake the true Reason of their Backwardness to receive it as a divine Revelation being not because it teaches not enough but because it teaches more than they are willing to believe and commands more than they are disposed to practise For I cannot imagine that these Men do truly desire more Duty than is laid upon them in the Books of Scripture now received by the Christian Church But what they may most reasonably be thought to desire is either some better Encouragement to undertake that difficult Task which the Scripture lays upon them or some better Evidence that the Scripture is a divine Revelation I proceed now therefore to the second thing propounded which was 2. To shew that the Motives which the Scripture proposes are sufficient to persuade Men to do what it requires Now Hopes and Fears are the great Springs of Action and the greater the Good is we hope for or the Evil we fear the stronglier do they move and incline us to Action And therefore how difficult soever the Undertaking be so it be but possible if the Motives are proportioned to the Difficulty they must be granted to be sufficient Inducements to undertake it But that the Task or Business required of us is possible to be done needs not to be proved now because it must be granted by those who say they believe they should be persuaded to do what is required if they had better Encouragement for no Arguments or Motives whatsoever can reasonably persuade a Man to undertake a thing that he believes impossible Supposing it therefore possible I say that whatsoever Difficulty there really is or we may apprehend there is in a Christian Life if any Motives that could possibly be proposed to us can be thought sufficient to induce us to undertake it most evidently those Motives which the Gospel proposes are so because better or greater cannot be so much as conceived or imagined seeing both the good things which it promises to persuade us to Virtue and

the evil things which it threatens to deterr us from Sin are as to the Matter of them the greatest that we are capable of enjoying or suffering and consequently the most probable to raise our Hopes and to excite our Fears to the highest Pitch For the Arguments that do most strongly persuade us to any thing are from Interest from the Profit and Advantage we shall reap by doing it from the Tendency it has to make us happy and Happiness consists in being perfectly free from all Pain and Trouble and Vexation and in the full and free Enjoyment of whatsoever is pleasing and delightful to us But now both these the Gospel gives Assurance of to all those that believe and obey it that is that they shall thereby be freed from that intolerable Pain and Misery which the Wicked and Unbelievers shall be condemned to and also that they shall thereby be instated in the perfectest and compleatest Happiness both of Body and Soul In a Happiness far greater than any they do or can enjoy now nay in a Happiness much greater than any they can now have so much as a Conception or Idea of in their Minds 1 Cor. 2.9 For Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the Heart of Man the Things that God hath prepared for them that love him But there is besides a remarkable Circumstance which does much enhanse the Value of any Good and likewise much aggravate the Evil of any Pain or Misery viz. its Duration For how great soever the Good or Evil proposed to persuade us to any thing are in themselves yet if they be but of short Continuance if they will soon expire and be at an End we reckon it not worth while to be at much Pains to obtain such a short-lived Good or to avoid such a transient Evil But in this Respect also the Motives both of Hope and of Fear which the Gospel proposes to us do far surpass all those Persuasives or Inducements which Sin can offer for the most we can hope to escape by the Commission of any Sin is the Pain and Suffering of a few Weeks or Years or a temporal Death which last yet we cannot be so vain as to hope to escape clearly for we can at most but delay it for a short Season And on the other side the greatest Good we can propose to our selves or so much as hope to obtain by any Sin is the Pleasure of a short Life In which Hope Men are likewise very often most sadly disappointed their sinful Gratifications commonly bringing with them or drawing after them much more Trouble and Vexation even in this World than the little Pleasure they can reap from them is sufficient to compensate for But if it were not so If the Pleasures of Sin were certain and sincere yet they are but for a Moment They can be but short because our Life its self is but short Jam. 4.14 being as St. James says a Vapour which appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away But the Motives of both kinds which the Gospel proposes have in this Respect also that is in Respect of the Duration of the Good or Evil proposed all the Advantage that is possible For the Misery we shall escape and the Blessedness we shall attain by yielding Belief and Obedience to the Gospel are both of them Mark 9.46 48. Matth. 25.46 Mark 3.29 Matth. 18.8 2 Thess 1.9 Jude 13. Rev. 20.10.14.11 of eternal and endless Duration A Worm that never dieth a Fire that never shall be quenched Everlasting Punishment Eternal Damnation Everlasting Fire Everlasting Destruction The Blackness of Darkness for ever A Lake of Fire and Brimstone where they shall be tormented Day and Night for ever and ever and where the smoke of their Torment ascendeth up for ever and ever These are the Evils which the Gospel threatens to Sin And if these be not sufficient to deterr Men from it what can be sufficient What Evil can that Man be supposed to be afraid of who is not afraid of everlasting Burning A greater Evil cannot be threatned and he who is not scared by this would certainly be less scared by the Threatning of a less Evil. And on the other side Everlasting Life a Crown that fadeth not away a Kingdom that cannot be moved an eternal Weight of Glory Fulness of Joy in the Presence of God and Pleasures for evermore at his right Hand these are the good things promised to Obedience And could greater things be promised than these could we our selves if we were put to desire what we would desire more and if the Promise of unspeakable and everlasting Blessedness be not sufficient to prevail with us to undertake a Godly and Christian Life certainly nothing can be sufficient If God should make never so many Revelations of his Will to Mankind he could not propose greater Encouragement to Obedience than he has done already in the Gospel And if those good things which he has promised do not move us 't is not because they are not great enough to move a wise and considering Man but because we are so bent upon Sin that we will not give way to any Considerations that might serve to restrain us from it In a Word The Gospel Motives to Repentance and Obedience comprehend all that we can fear or hope for so far therefore as Fears or Hopes can work upon us there is plainly nothing wanting in that Standing Revelation that God has made of his Will by Moses and the Prophets and especially by Christ and his Apostles to make it successfull that is to persuade Men to Repentance if they will but hear what they say and give Credit to it But 't is not perhaps the Infidels will say a better Rule that they Want than the Scripture is or better Motives to persuade them to lead their Lives according to it than the Scripture proposes but what they chiefly want is some better Evidence some greater Certainty of the Truth of the Scripture This therefore was what I propounded to do in the next place viz. To shew that we have sufficient Reason given us to convince us of the Truth and Authority of the Holy Scripture and consequently of all the Doctrines which are taught by it But because the handling of this Point would take up too much Time I shall chuse to deferr it and conclude this present Discourse with an earnest Exhortation to all those that do sincerely believe the Gospel to consider often and seriously of those great Motives which it proposes to persuade Men. For tho' we live in an Age of great Infidelity wherein some are bold enough to strike at the very Foundation of all Religion and to dispute at least if not deny the most evident and undeniable Truths of it and others think they pay Respect enough to the common Reason and Judgment of Mankind if they do but grant themselves to be Deists and wherein even among those that