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
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
And this is evident 1. from the following word in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Faith delivered for as for the Act or Habit of Faith it is either produced by the ordinary means of hearing or else supernaturally infus'd by the Spirit of God but that which is properly delivered is the Doctrine it self either by word of mouth or by writing And 2. from many parallel places of Scripture as Acts 13. 8. Where Elymas the Sorcerer sought to turn away the Deputy from the Faith who is afterwards said v. 12. to be astonished at the Doctrine of the Lord and Acts 14. 22. When St. Paul and Barnabas had preached the Gospel to several Cities they confirmed the Souls of the Disciples and exhorted them to continue in the Faith nay St. Paul tells us of himself Gal. 1. 23. That he preached the Faith which once he destroyed and prophesies also of others That in the latter times some shall depart from the Faith 1 Tim. 4. 1. By all which we are to understand the Doctrine of Faith that Faith which God revealed by his Son which Christ made known to his Apostles and the Apostles preached to the World at the promulgation of which the Angels rejoyced and the Devils trembled to see Man so wonderfully redeemed and themselves irrecoverably left in everlasting chains which was propagated by Signes and Wonders and so demonstrated by Miracles that men were easily induced to believe the Word of God in their mouths while they saw the Power of God in every Apostles hand by the energy of which the Cripples were cured the Dead were raised and some at first were deprived of life That Faith which all the Prophets foretold which the Evangelists pen'd and the Church receiv'd That Faith which in one day by the first Pentecost-Sermon converted Acts 2. 41 about 3000 Souls and hath crowned many Millions in succeeding Ages with eternal Glory In a word That Faith which hath saved all the Saints that are already in Heaven and must bring all the rest that are ordained to come thither Which leads me in the next place II. To consider the manner of its conveyance and the persons that received it The Faith delivered to the Saints I put these two together because they will help to explain each other And here if we would take in the whole we contend for we must go back to the beginning not onely to the Book of the Generation of Jesus Christ but even to the Epoche of time it self and may trace it down briefly in this succeeding course When God had created man for his own service that is his glory he was pleased to reveal his will to him because what was hid from him could never be the instance of his duty and hence to the Law of Nature which he printed on his mind he added a positive command to try the integrity of his obedience and this was the first Revelation made to Adam in innocence whereby he was enjoin'd to believe and to obey his Maker But alas we all know what Adam did and feel the sad efects of his transgression unto this day wherefore in the succeeding Ages he spake unto the Fathers at sundry times and in divers manners Heb. 1. sometimes by an audible Voice and sometimes by secret Illapses by Dreams and by Visions by the Ministry of Men and by the Message of Angels And when the fulness of time was come he spake unto us once for all by his onely begotten Son who being from all eternity in the bosom of the Father was able to know and undertaking this errand of his infinite compassion and his own accord was willing to impart whatever was necessary for us to receive In order to which he took our Nature upon him conversed among us unfolding the Mystery which was before kept secret and so became the Author of this Faith. And as his Mercy was great in his Advent so he shew'd his Wisdom in the choice of the Persons to whom he delivered this Will for he did not propound it at all adventures and expose it to the uncertain Multitude or commit it to the hands of the prejudiced Rabbies not unto the Rich and Noble or the Wise and Learned of the Age but unto a selected company of illiterate Galileans twelve men of mean quality and from an obscure corner without the advantages of Birth or Breeding that by the weakness of the Instruments and the improbability of the means the Power of God might appear stronger These were they despised indeed by men but highly favoured of God and chosen by Christ to be Witnesses of all that he began both to do and teach and suffer Who being always à latere to their Lord and Master and enjoying the access of Favourites and the freedom of Friends had the evidence of their outward Senses to confirm the inward perswasion of their Minds whereby they were as infallibly assured that he knew all things and that he came forth from God as that they heard him speak or saw him work a Miracle And thus St. John the familiar Disciple testifieth of himself and the rest of the Apostles 1 Ep. 1. 1. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you And as they were Witnesses of all his Divine Speeches and mighty Works and bitter Sufferings and above all of his glorious Resurrection Act. 1. 22. from the dead even of all that had passed from the Baptism of John until the day of his Assumption so after his Ascension he confirmed their Minds and increased their Faith and emboldened their Faces by the punctual performance of the Promise he made them on Earth in sending the Spirit from Heaven That good Spirit that enlightened their Understandings furnished their Memories and guided them into all Truth that inspired them with the gift of Tongues and of Prophecy endued them with a power of working Miracles also in some respects greater than those he had wrought himself and brought all things fresh to their remembrance whatsoever they had seen or heard before or were now to publish By which they were fully instructed and animated and perfectly enabled to discharge their trust maugre all the opposition that malice or rage or wit or power could make against them for by one short Sermon as I said which you read in the second of the Acts they augmented the former number of 120 with the addition of about 3000 Souls and by the next recorded in the third of near 5000 more so mightily grew the Word Act. 4. 4. of God and prevailed and Believers were the more added to the Lord multitudes both of men and women Act. 5. 14. These were the Persons to whom the Faith was at first delivered and these the means of its first conveyance That which Christ received of his
contained in the Epistles or Acts of the Apostles then let us observe it as a divine and holy Tradition And elsewhere having reckoned up the Canonical Books These are they says he that make up the Rule from whence we draw all the assertions of our Faith. Hieronymus The Church of Christ possesses In Mich. c. 1. Assemblies in all the World being joyn'd by the Unity of the Spirit and hath Cities founded on the Law and the Prophets the Gospel and the Apostles She departs not out of her own bounds that is from the Scriptures but retains her first possession The time will not permit me to quote every Father nor all of each I shall onely adde the words of St. Augustine disputing with Maximinus and those of Optatus against the Donatists because they are near akin and highly useful to put an end to this and all other Controversies Neither ought I to alledge S. Aug. contra Maximin l. 3j c. 14. now the Council of Nice nor thou that of Ariminum as prejudging the question on either side for neither am I bound to the authority of the one nor thou of the other let us both contest with authorities of Scriptures which are Witnesses common to us both Optat. You say 't is lawful we Optat. l. 5. contra Parmen say 't is not and between both the people are in suspence let them not believe either for perhaps we are both contentious but let us be tryed by Judges If they be Christians both sides will not afford such viz. such as are impartial if they be Heathens they are altogether ignorant if they be Jews they are utter Enemies Seeing therefore we can find no competent Judges on Earth we must have recourse to Heaven But alass what can we expect from Heaven while we have the last Will and Testament of our Saviour in the Gospel He compares the Scriptures to the Will of a Testatour if any Controversie arise among the Kindred after his death and one affirms this another that they don't run to his Grave but peruse the Writings and so learn his mind as though he were still among them Our Saviour therefore who is now in Heaven foreseeing strifes after his death hath left us his Will in the lasting Tables of the Gospel And surely these are sufficient to teach us his mind these alone must decide all our differences that concern Faith or Manners From hence alone we derive whatever we believe with our hearts or confess with our mouths as of necessity to salvation because by these we shall be judged at the last day For God says St. Paul shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Rom. 2. 16. These thingswe teach and exhort as the sure ground of our Faith and Practice and venture our Souls upon them And if any man teach otherwise for I doubt not to apply the words of St. Paul again 1 Tim. 6. 3. c. and consent not to wholsome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according â—o Godliness he is proud he knows nothing he doats They are not mine but the words of the Apostle with many more as severe as these And from such saith he to Timothy his own Son in the Faith withdraw thy self v. 5. Whatever any man would alledge or obtrude upon you which is not consonant to the wholsome words of Christ and his Apostles which make up the whole Doctrine according to Godliness reject and disclaim it as alien from the Faith for unless ye can have new Scriptures ye can never have new Articles of your Faith. To these alone we appeal as the immoveable Rule of our Doctrines and if any doubt arise in the interpretation of them we refer our selves gladly to the first and purest Antiquity To Christ alone as the great Author and Finisher of our Faith to the Apostles and Evangelists as the first Preachers and Publishers to the Primitive Fathers and Councils as the best Helpers and Interpreters Let no man therefore deceive you with vain words nor beat you off from this hold and fortress whatever is necessary to eternal life is fully contained in the holy Scriptures whatever is not there can never be a part of the Christian Faith. I conclude this point with the words and appeal of the Prophet which is back'd with an excellent reason Isai 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them III. I should now proceed in the third place to observe the emphasis and force of the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Faith was delivered to the Saints and that but once Which little word is of great weight and carries with it sufficient matter to conclude and determine those that seek it and to settle and secure those that hold it But that which I chiefly designe since the time forbids me to enlarge upon it is the Immutability of this Faith which is the proper importance of the word Once That which Christ received of his Father he communicated to his Apostles so he testifies himself when he prayed for them Joh. 17. 8. I have given them the words which thou gavest me and they have received them The same that they received of Christ they delivered to the Saints So St. Peter declares 2 Pet. 1. 16. We have not followed cunningly devised Fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eye-witnesses of his Majesty Nay St. Paul speaks of his Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ as one and the same thing Rom. 16. 25. which he there interprets once for all to be The Revelation of the Mystery which was kept secret since the World began but now is made manifest and by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to the commandment of the everlasting God mark that again I pray made known to all Nations for the obedience of Faith. Here then we are sure of the whole immutable counsel of God for the Faith and Obedience of all Nations which the succeeding Church is to preach and receive as from the beginning not to enlarge or shorten not to alter or corrupt by any mixtures or additions of their own devising For though when Christ founded his Church he made that indeed capable of a continual addition even till the full period of his coming again to Judgment yet the foundation of Faith upon which he built it is like himself the same yesterday and to day and for ever it stands as a Rock firm and unalterable never to be changed by Man or Angel. For though We says St. Paul Gal. 1. 8. or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you that that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed A dreadful sentence at first hearing but that we may not take it for a sudden transport we have the same result from