For when God of his infinite goodness had revealed his Will for the salvation of man and in his own due time inspired those holy men that writ it had they with-held or suppressed any part of it the drift of the whole had been rendered ineffectual our Faith had been lame and the means of our salvation imperfect Which can never consist with the integrity of such as are supposed to write by inspiration nor with the goodness of God that inspired them in order to the salvation of mankind But if this general Argument be less perswasive give me leave to enforce it with a matter of fact which admits of no exception And here for the Authority of the Old Testament we have the references and quotations of our Saviour and his Apostles for the perfection of the New the concurrent testimony of the Antients and for the sufficiency of both the constant appeals of the Church of God. 1. It is manifest that though our Saviour sometimes proved the truth of his Doctrine by Miracles and mighty Works yet generally he appeal'd to the Scriptures as to the principal test of the greatest truths for thus he confuted the Sadducees in that fundamental Article of the Resurrection Mat. 22. 29. Ye do err not knowing the Scriptures To them he referred the Jews when he prov'd himself the Messias Joh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they that testifie of me By them he confirmed his Disciples when he was risen from the dead for beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself Luke 24. 27. And hence St. Peter seems to prefer the Prophecies of old time before an immediate voice from Heaven for though we heard the voice in the holy Mount 2 Pet. 1. 18. yet he presently adds we have also a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place Thus St. Paul commends Timothy that from a child he had known the holy Scriptures which were able to make him wise unto salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3. 15. And to name no more The Beraeans are said to be more noble than they of Thessalonica because they searched the Scriptures daily whether these things were so Acts 17. 11. But you 'll say the testimonies hitherto produced concern onely the Old Testament what 's all this to the New which was not written while our Saviour was on Earth but after the descent of the Holy Ghost and that at some distance of time and by degrees as the Spirit moved the Apostles and other holy men to write For the perfection therefore and sufficiency of the New we have the practice of the Church in the purest times and the unanimous consent of the Fathers who appealed to the Scriptures in all their questions that concerned Faith or Manners and confuted all Heresies by them An Argument I confess from humane testimony but yet of undoubted authority such as no prudent man has reason to distrust and such as the matter is capable of I know they did sometimes alledge Traditions especially when they disputed with those that denied the Scriptures but this does not at all infer the insufficiency of the Scriptures because the Traditions they urged were of such things as were set down in the Scriptures Nay they did rather hereby confirm their authority by shewing the great agreement there was between such as were true Traditions and the holy Scriptures For it ought to be remembred that the Fathers were to encounter two sort of Adversaries some few that denied the Scriptures and others that received them Where the Scriptures were denied they alledg'd onely Traditions where the Scriptures were allowed they alledg'd the Scriptures in the first place and Traditions for the true sence and interpretation of the Scriptures But it does not appear that they ever did alledge Traditions for any one Article of Faith which is not plainly expressed in the Scriptures I shall not here detain you with a cloud of Quotations which are collected to my hands by a great many learned Pens but onely with a few that are plain and positive for I think I may safely affirm that if there be one Tradition which runs through the Writings of the Antients as a common Principle it is this That the Scriptures contain the perfect Rule of Faith. Irenaeus The Scriptures are perfect for Lib. 1. cap. 47. Lib. 3. cap. 1. they are the Word of God and were dictated by the Spirit of God. Again We have known the method of our salvation by no other but those that brought us the Gospel which at first indeed they preach'd but afterwards by the Will of God they delivered it unto us in the Scriptures to be the Foundation and Pillar of our Faith in time to come Clem. Alexandr They that look for the Strom. 7. vid. three pages near the end truth must non desist till they have found it in the holy Scriptures for the Writings of the Apostles and Prophets are the onely certain principle of the Christian Doctrine the onely demonstration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in matter of Faith. Origen For the confirmation of all our Hom. 25. in S. Mat. words which we deliver as Doctrine we must produce the sence of the Scriptures for as no gold was sanctified without the Temple so no Opinion without the Scriptures is holy Athanasius If ye are the Disciples of the De Incarnat Christi Gospel speak not wickedly against God but walk by the Scriptures for if ye discourse without them why do ye contend with us who dare not speak nor hear what is foreign to them Chrysost If we speak without the warrant Hom. in Ps 95. of Scripture the thoughts of our hearers are uncertain now they assent anon they doubt sometimes they reject our discourse as frivolous at the best they receive it onely as probable but when we produce the testimony of the voice of God from the Scripture it gives authority to the speech of the Preacher and confirms the mind of the Hearer And to the same effect speak St. Basil St. Cyril Hieros Damascen Theophylact Theoph. Alexandr and sundry other of the Greeks Give me leave to subjoyn some few of the Latins that by two sorts of Witnesses we may learn the Truth and silence Gain-sayers Tertullian The Gospel of Christ puts an end Adv. Hermog c. 22. De Praescr adv Haeret. to all our curiosity and enquiry when once we believe that we expect nothing further for this we believe first that we are to believe nothing further Again I adore the fulness of the Scriptures Let Hermogenes shew that 't is written if not let him expect the woe denounced against them that add or detract any thing St. Cyprian If it be commanded in the Ep. 74. ad Pompeium Gospel or
Father he delivered unto the Apostles that which the Apostles received of Christ they delivered to the Saints who were called so to be being converted by their preaching And thus the Faith was planted and the Church of Christ was founded That Primitive Holy and Uniform Church which began at Jerusalem and was the Mother of all true Churches in after Ages which consisted of a company of faithful and obedient and devout People professing the same Doctrine communicating in the same Sacraments and presenting the same Prayers As ye find them describ'd Act. 2. 41 42. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized and the same day there were added unto them about 3000 Souls and they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers I beseech you consult the place and ponder the words well because they contain all the necessary Notes and essential Ingredients of a true Church They were all baptized there 's the entrance by Baptism they stedfastly retained the Apostles Doctrine there 's the unity of the Faith they continued in the Apostles Fellowship there 's their union and adherence to their Governours they received the blessed Eucharist expressed by breaking of bread and consented in the use of the common Prayers there 's the Uniformity of their Worship These were the Saints of the first Church built upon the Faith which the Apostles then preached made capable of a continual increase and an uninterrupted succession for the Lord added daily then such as should be saved and Acts 2. 47. hath ever since added more and will still persevere to adde even unto the end of the World till he shall have compleated the number of his Elect and presented unto himself a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle in Eph. 5. 27. Heaven So much for the manner of its first conveyance and the Persons that first received it But here ariseth a material question that concerns all the succeeding Ages and is of great moment to us now living for that the Faith was at first revealed by Christ and published by his Apostles is confessed by all Christians however they be otherwise divided in their opinions or judgments but where this Faith is now to be found and how it is derived downwards unto us who live at the distance of 1600 years and upwards is a controversie that at this very hour disturbs Christendom That 't is preserved in the Scriptures as a perfect Rule of Gods revealed Will is the Doctrine of ours and all reformed Churches That the Scriptures are not a sufficient Rule of Faith but want a supply from Tradition is the known Doctrine of the Church of Rome By the meer mention of which you cannot but see the necessity of a Resolution for setling our Judgments for guiding our Consciences and building us up in our most holy Faith In order to which I crave leave to premise some few preliminaries that may at once give us light and prevent cavils in this Enquiry 1. It is confessed that as our Saviour writ Mat. 28. 19. Mark 16. 15. nothing himself so the commission he gave his Apostles was not to write but to teach and preach 2. But then it is no less certain that the Apostles taught the Churches by writing as well 2 Thess 2. 2. 5. 1 Cor. 11. 2. as by preaching and that the Faith was propagated by both by preaching to the Saints present by writing to those absent 3. Whatever the Apostles delivered by word of mouth or committed to writing is of equal authority because in both they were inspired by the Holy Ghost If therefore it appear that what is delivered be the Word and Will of God whether it be written or unwritten 't is sufficient ground of a Christians Faith. 4. But then fourthly since it is impossible to make it appear that after the Scriptures were written and the Canon was compleat there remained some Articles of Faith preserved onely by Tradition and not delivered in the Scriptures it will naturally follow that the written Word of God is a sufficient Rule of divine Faith. I confess at the first when Christianity was confin'd to a narrow compass and the number of Believers was but small their zeal and concern for the Faith was such that there was no danger of letting any thing slip which they had received as a necessary Doctrine and then Oral Tradition was a proper conveyance of the divine Will especially considering that then the gifts of the Spirit were plentifully shed not onely on the Apostles but on every true Believer also But when the Word of God grew and multiplied and the Religion of Jesus gained ground in the World when it spread it self far and near and passed through many hands into divers remote Countries the same Spirit that moved the Apostles to teach and preach moved some of them to write what they had preached and other holy men to write what they had seen and heard lest in process of time their Doctrine might be forgotten by the carelesness of luke-warm Professours or corrupted by the contrivance of crafty Hereticks or destroyed by the malice of the Devil And truly though the Writings of any one Apostle appointed for this purpose had been sufficient to preserve the Faith entire particularly had we onely the Gospel of St. John affirming of himself that though he had omitted many things that Jesus did yet he had written all things necessary to salvation Joh. 20. 30 31. And many other signes truly did Jesus in the presence of his Disciples which are not written in this Book But these are written why that ye might believe written that ye might believe what that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and what of that and that believing this as the great foundation of all the rest which the belief of this is apt to produce in your hearts and lives ye might have life through his Name I say though the Testimony of one in this manner had been sufficient yet such is the Providence of God and his abundant care of his Church which must continue to the end of the World that he ratifies his Will by a joynt testimony and consignes the Rule of our Faith by the hands of several Witnesses differing perhaps in stile and method and other circumstances but agreeing in the substance of all things necessary as the water is the same though it be conveyed through sundry pipes and channels From what hath been premised we may thus argue If to preserve a thing from oblivion or corruption be the main end of writing it then all that is necessary to salvation was also written because 't is most requisite to preserve what is most necessary Or if you please thus If it was necessary for the Apostles to write at all lest what they had delivered might be lost it was requisite they should write all that was necessary lest the designe of the whole might be frustrated
A SERMON Preached at the Anniversary Meeting OF THE Sons of Clergy-men In the Church of S. Mary le Bow On Thursday Decemb. 2. 1686. Printed at the Desire of the Right Worshipful The Stewards of the Feast To whom it is Humbly Presented By HENRY DOVE D. D. One of his Majesties Chaplains in Ordinary Imprimatur Dec. 13. 1686. Jo. Battely LONDON Printed for Benj. Tooke at the Ship in St. Paul's Church-yard 1687. Gen. Ep. of St. Jude v. 3. That ye should earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints IF it was needful for the Apostles to write unto the Churches and to exhort them to stedfastness and perseverance in the Faith while the Gospel was yet fresh in their memories it is certainly more necessary for us who live at this distance if we expect the same common Salvation to be instant and to urge the like Exhortations by how much the reason of their diligence and zeal is far more prevalent in our times For unless the Complaints of all sober men be groundless unless the publick Voice and our own Experience deceive us the sundry Prophecies of the last days are fulfilled in ours and the Mischiefs that did but creep in the beginning of Christianity gather strength and multiply among us upon whom the Ends of the World are come Should I read unto you this whole Epistle of St. Jude or the greatest part of the second of St. Peter which in most things agrees with this your own Observation would presently suit each Character you would point out the Persons to whom they belonged and think it not improbable that when the Spirit of God did inspire these holy men he might do it with an eye to the present Age. But being I come not hither to censure others but to confirm our selves in the true Faith and being Errour falls and disappears of it self when the Truth is set in a clear light I shall wave those black descriptions both of the Persons and their Doctrines which the Apostle has here exposed before us and shall onely use them as so many Arguments of our care and caution that if we meet with the men as 't is hard to avoid them we may notwithstanding shun their Errours that while we complain of Divisions on one hand and Corruptions on another of Ignorance in some Irreligion in others and Carelesness in most we may be sure not to contribute to the increase of either but that we labour for knowledge and a good Conscience the loss of which is enough of it self to endanger our Faith though there were none without us to oppose it and then that we study to be quiet and as much as lieth in us and if it be possible follow peace with all men for these we know are infallible Evidences of a Gospel-temper and inseparable Concomitants of a meek and sincere Christian Or if it be not possible for us to compass peace with all seeing all men have not Faith all men are not sincere let not that discourage but rather whet our diligence in doing our own undoubted duty Though it exceed our power and skill to make all men of one mind and we cannot of our selves attain unto it yet since we are sure of the mind of Christ and his Apostles let us always remember what he revealed and what they preached believing the Truth as it is in Jesus continuing in the Truth as 't is after Godliness living peaceably charitably and unblameably our selves and praying continually both for our selves and others and thus earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints The words are a plain but pathetical Exhortation to an indispensible and weighty Duty incumbent on every man that hath given up his Name to Christ that professes the true Apostolick Faith and hopes to be saved in that Profession And surely my Brethren if this be required of every Christian it will highly become us that are here assembled when we reflect on the relation wherein we stand not meerly as Professours but some as Fathers many as Dispensers and all as Sons in the common Faith to be very earnest and zealous for it that so we may at once credit our Extraction and adorn the Gospel of God our Saviour that we may walk worthy of that good Providence which attended us in our Birth and blessed us in our Baptism and manifest the efficacy of that primitive and sound Doctrine which both our Fathers and our Church have taught us That therefore I may recommend the Duty to your practice I shall observe what is proper for our instruction in the words and handle them in a method that may fairly conduce to each In order to which I shall endeavour I. To explain the meaning of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Faith. II. To consider the manner of its conveyance and the Persons that received it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 delivered to the Saints III. To observe the emphasis or force of the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Faith was delivered to the Saints and that but once IV. To conclude all with the earnest Exhortation of St. Jude that upon these and some other motives I shall offer we may be effectually perswaded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to contend earnestly for it i. e. to defend it with our utmost vigour to strive together that we lose it not not with the fury of a blind misguided Zeal which produceth Confusion and every evil Work but with the Spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind and with meekness of wisdom as becometh Saints I. I need not stay to tell you that this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Faith hath as many and perhaps more significations than any single word in the whole Scriptures which are obvious and easie to every careful Reader I shall onely explain the sence of it in this place as 't is drawn from the nature of Faith. Divine Faith in general is nothing else but an assent to the Truths of God upon his own Word and Testimony let it appear that God hath declared it and there needs no other ground of our Belief And the Faith of a Christian is an assent to the same truths and upon the same grounds but as the Church of Christ now stands and must continue to the end of the World it admits of this addition as they are delivered unto us in the Writings of the Apostles and Prophets In which you may easily distinguish two things the assent of the Understanding and something credible the act of Believing and the object of Faith. Now although the Faith in the Text doth not exclude but rather suppose the former for how should we contend for that which we do not believe yet it principally denotes the latter i. e. the word of Faith the Doctrine that brings Salvation the undoubted Principles of our holy Religion contained at large in the Gospel and sum'd up in the Apostolical and Primitive Confessions
his second thoughts v. 9. As we said before so say I now again If any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed And what need I say more If an Apostle or an Angel may not attempt a change in the Doctrine of the Gospel under pain of a Curse what shall be the doom of any other If Christ knew the mind of his Father and the Apostles his what words can express the heinousness of that guilt where men presume to make additions to it I shall add but one Rule which may serve to establish us in this Faith against all sort of innovations and 't is that of Tertullian's where he pleads Prescription for the Truth Id dominicum verum quod prius traditum id extraneum falsum quod posterius immissum Whatever is truly a part of the Christian Doctrine was once at first delivered whatever bears any latter date can never be a point of the true Faith. IV. And now methinks the Application of the whole is so easie and obvious that it makes it self For if the Faith of the Gospel be so certain and has been so fully evidenced and made known to us if it be a Doctrine of so great and pretious importance even the Doctrine that brings Salvation A Doctrine that comes from God by his onely begotten Son and shews us the onely way to him on which the eternal welfare of our Souls depends and without which we had still remained what we were before children of wrath Surely then 't is worthy of our Christian Resolution and Zeal not onely to love and obey it from the heart but to confess and maintain and propagate in the World with our earnest endeavours and persevering diligence Then we cannot but see what reason we have to stand fast in one Spirit with one mind striving together for the Faith of the Gospel as St. Paul exhorts Phil. 1. 27. or as St. Jude here in the Text To contend earnestly for it as 't was once delivered to the Saints There is a Zeal I know in the World which tends to destroy what it seems to contend for which is full of bitterness and wrath and clamours and evil speakings a Zeal that commonly rageth and is confident because it proceeds from ignorance and knows not whereon to bottom There is a Zeal that sets on fire the course of Nature and is set on fire of Hell nay that would call for fire from Heaven to consume those that oppose it such as once betray'd it self in two of the Disciples before they Luke 9. 54 55. well understood the gospel-Gospel-Spirit But blessed be God for his Grace we have not so learned Christ no the Zeal which the true Faith requires and works in all its sincere Followers is founded on knowledge and a sound mind it is innocent and patient and holy it is always tempered with meekness and guided by the wisdom that is from above which is first pure then Jam. 3. 17. peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie Wherefore while we strive together for the Faith of the Gospel let us strictly keep to the Laws and walk by the Rules which the Gospel prescribes to us always remembring that Apostolical Caution 2 Tim. 2. 5. If a man strive for Masteries yet he is not crowned except he strive lawfully As for you my Brethren and Friends whom I take to be grounded in this Faith and long since stablished in the love of it it is needless I hope to load you with Perswasions to stand for it or indeed to continue and persevere in it It is but the effect of that happy Education which your Parents at first bestowed upon you and 't is but reasonable to expect that the Seed of God which was then sown in your hearts should grow up daily to perfection and bring forth suitable fruit For any man to draw back or desert the ways of Religion argues either ignorance of its grounds or great vanity and lightness of mind but for Us who are descended from the Tribe of Levi and cannot be supposed to want instruction to forsake or waver or even to doubt of our most Holy Faith what is it else but to cast the highest reflection upon the honour of Religion to stain the care and piety of our Fathers to reproach and vilifie that Doctrine which they so faithfully dispensed and so effectually recommended to the World Wherefore Remember them who Heb. 13. 7. had the Rule over you who have spoken unto you the Word of God whose Faith follow considering the end of their Conversation Remember them I say who were your Parents and Pastours too and be not back-sliding Children And as the best means to maintain this Perseverance let us all be most earnestly exhorted to joyn in an hearty Union and Compliance with the Doctrine and Discipline and Liturgy of this Excellent and Apostolical Church whereof we are Members A Church that comes nearest the Pattern in the Mount to that I mean which began at Jerusalem and went forth from Sion which was once for all founded by our Lord built up by his Apostles and continued pure and uncorrupt in all the first and best Ages of Religion And seeing you are now dispersed and distributed into several Callings and a great diversity of Conditions howsoever God hath disposed of you see that you carry the Reputation of your Family and Extraction along with you let it appear by your walking in Christ as you have received him that the Principles of the Christian Religion have their efficacy in every Profession shew that you have been taught from your infancy to live soberly righteously and godly in this present World so shall ye adorn the Gospel which your Fathers preached and prove your sincerity in the Faith so shall it be manifest to your selves and others that ye do not rest merely in any external Priviledges but that you live over the Doctrines you profess and practise the Truth which is after Godliness And because the great demonstration of your Faith is to be seen in your Works especially the works of Mercy and Charity Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloved Bowels of mercies kindness and a benign temper of mind and above all these things put on Charity which is the bond of perfectness as the Apostle again exhorts Col. 3. 12. You cannot want Objects to move your compassion nor Motives to constrain it Here is a large Field before you of the Widows and the Fatherless whose Relation and Birth must needs endear this duty to you Some of their Widows are still alive who suffered much for their constancy to the Faith and their fidelity to the Crown two inseparable Notes of a genuine Son of the Church of England during the times of the Great Rebellion and many are the Children that can scarce speak for themselvs who through the narrow Provision that is made for the CLERGY in too many places of this Kingdom bespeak your assistance by my mouth 'T is the command you know of the Apostle That whilst ye have opportunity ye Gal. 6. 10. should do good unto all men but especially to them that are of the Houshold of Faith What should be accounted the Houshold of Faith rather than the Families of them that preach it And what opportunity can ye have of doing good that exceeds this And consider I beseech you You that are Rich among the Brotherhood who it is that hath put such a difference between you and them was it purely your own Industry or Parts or Studies that got you this Wealth or is it not rather the Blessing of God who hath given you all things richly to enjoy What has any amongst you which he did not receive Now if you did receive it look up to God your great Benefactor with thankful hearts and look down upon the Widows and the Fatherless with Pity and Compassion Deposite that Tribute which you owe unto God for their use and what you leave with the Stewards of the Feast to day let it be but an Earnest-Penny of what you designe for the Treasurers of the Corporation from time to time Think it not enough to sprinkle a little now but lay by something for them out of your constant Income and when you make Provision for your own Families let the Houshold of Faith have some share and portion even in your last Wills and Testaments Resolve to do it before you go hence Vow it here in the Church before the Lord your God from the ground of the heart and make him some chearful and suitable acknowledgement for his distinguishing Providence towards you and yours So shall the rest of your substance be blessed and increased and the Prayers of the Destitute shall be heard in your behalf so shall your own Posterity thrive the better nay the Children of others and the Generations to come shall call ye blessed and your great reward is with the Lord for I am warranted to assure you That God is not unrighteous to Heb. 6. 10. forget your work and labour of Love which ye have shewed towards his Name in that ye have ministred unto the Saints and yet do minister Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding Jude 24. 2◠joy To the onely wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty dominion and power now and ever Amen FINIS A true Report of the SVMS Distributed for the Relief of the Widows and Children of Clergy-men in the Years 1684 85 86. By the Corporation   l. s. d. A. 1684 To 28 Sequestred Ministers Widows 084 00 0 To 68 other Ministers Widows 101 10 0 For Binding out Children Apprentices 100 00 0   285 10 0 A. 1685 To 34 Sequest Ministers Wid. 099 00 0 To 98 other Ministers Widows 129 00 0   228 00 0 A. 1686 To 45 Sequest Ministers Wid. 135 00 0 To 112 other Ministers Wid. 179 00 0 For deceased Ministers Children 020 00 0   334 00 0   847 10 0 By the Stewards of the Feasts For Relief of poor Ministers Widows and Binding out Children for the said three years about 360 00 0 Tot. 1207 10 0