4. Things to be believed, or matter of faith.
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if the Scriptures appear to be both useful in the highest degree and infallibly true, it must needs speak to the very great perfection of those sacred writings. They may be distinguished into four parts according as they contain:
1. Things related, or matter of history; 2. Things foretold, or matter of prophecy;
3. Things to be done, as matter of action, or duty; 4. Things to be believed, or matter of faith.
As for the historical part of that book, how has it bidden defiance to time to discover any just exception! Nay, even the enemies of truth have owned and confirmed the matters of fact therein contained. And many profane writers, who either knew not of, or have not rightly acknowledged the Scriptures, have nevertheless inserted into their own stories the same things therein contained, as is well known, and has been oft observed by those that look into books. And though the divine history bears such authority and majesty in its style that it needs not the confirmation of profane ones, yet the testimony of adversaries against themselves is always considerable.
And has not much of the prophetic part been verified to the amazement of all those that duly consider it? How many, and how punctually, were the prophecies concerning our redemption by Christ? How plain was that concerning the type thereof, namely,
Israel's deliverance from Egyptian slavery (Gen. 15:13-14), and yet how wonderfully fulfilled, many hundreds of years after they were foretold? But I am not at leisure to enlarge upon these things; many learned men have done it, more especially the incomparable Sir
Charles Wolseley.
And then for the preceptive part, containing rules of life and manners, it is so rooted in the nature of things, so obvious to sense, so agreeable to reason, so beneficial to the world, and so confirmed by the experience of all men, whose faculties are not depraved, that heaven and earth shall pass away before one jot or tittle thereof shall fail or be found deficient.
Lastly, the Divine Mysteries therein revealed, such as the Doctrine of the Trinity, the Incarnation of the Blessed Jesus, etc., though they are beyond our capacity to explain the nature of them, yet
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are they so suitable to God's goodness, and do make such a harmony of divine attributes, that reason itself will rather infer the truth of their being from thence, than conclude they cannot be because we understand not the manner of how they are. How could God be just if justice were not satisfied? And how could He be merciful if all men were to be damned? How could lost man redeem himself? Or how could he be saved if he should suffer for himself?
But now in the person of our blessed Redeemer, the law is satisfied, justice is done, and even thereby, mercy does the more eminently appear; God is glorified, and man is not left to perish in his iniquity. If a man will be so morose as to urge that three in one, eternal generations, a virgin's conception, and the like, sound so harsh to human understanding that they cannot be true: He may after the same rate conclude that there is no such thing as human generation, since the nature and process thereof is very obscurely, if at all, understood. That there are no souls, because it is not yet agreed whether they are immediately created by God, or they are ex traduce, or pre-existent. No such thing as milk in a woman's breast, since anatomists are confounded with difficulties to find what matter it is made of, or by what secret channels conveyed thither: insomuch that one very learned writer in that faculty flies to the force of imagination to produce it. No such thing as quantity, because no man ever yet could demonstrate unexceptionably, whether it be infinitely divisible, or ultimately resolvable into indivisibles. No bodies in the world, since no man knows what kind of original particles they are made of.
These and many more things, as to the manner how they are, have difficulties attending them, which are insuperable and incomprehensible. And methinks it is somewhat hard, that we should do things ourselves, and see many things before our eyes, of which we can give no tolerable account, and should yet think that God cannot do somewhat more than we can apprehend; and should be so inclined to reject even God himself, his word, and all his works of wonder, if they will not accommodate themselves to our little understandings.
From these considerations, and many more that will occur to any impartial thinking man, it does appear beyond all possibility of doubting that the Scripture is most certainly true; and if so, it must be the word of God, for it testifies of itself that it is given by divine
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inspiration. Never did any book contain so much wisdom, kindness, and usefulness to the sons of men as it does. Summing up the whole world together, except the Bible and what is taken out of it, the total will neither afford you half so many excellent rules and observations for the government of men's lives, nor one thousandth part of that clear discovery of divine truth which that book contains. Shall we now say that this book is a forgery, a cheat, and an imposture of the devil? For so it must be, if it is not the word of God. And what follows? Why, that a corrupt tree brings forth good fruit, and that most pure and wholesome streams proceed from a putrid fountain.
That truth is falsehood, that good is evil, and that light is darkness. He that denies the Scriptures to be the word of God must quit his sense, his reason, and his conscience, that he may admit of these conclusions.
To which it may be added, that all the malicious and cunning adversaries of God and true religion; all the pagans, popes, and hellish apostates; all the devils themselves, and their incarnate brethren the Jesuits, with all their subtlety and contrivance, have not been able to destroy nor discredit that book: no, nor to corrupt it either, in any such degree, but that still there remain good copies thereof in several languages. And though there may be deficiency and human frailty in some readings and versions, as to some particular words, yet is not that any blemish unto, or diminution of the beauty and excellency of the whole, but may rather teach us to value it the more. For since neither the failings of some, nor the fraud of others, have availed in sixteen hundred years to do any substantial damage to that book, it is a convincing argument that divine providence has been engaged for its preservation.
If it should be here objected, that since there are so many various readings of the Scriptures, it may be doubtful which of them is the best: I readily grant it, but then there can be no doubt, that every one of them, for the main substance of it, is the Word of God. Let us suppose Religio Medici to be translated into several languages; there may be diverse faults in every one of them, as is observed to be in the Latin copy, and some of them very gross ones. But will anybody from thence infer that Sir Thomas Browne is not the author? For though indeed he is
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not the author of those errors, wherein the true sense of some particular words is mistaken, yet since they are not such, nor so many, as to evacuate the design and scope of the book, much less to denominate the whole work from the translator; I may say, with good propriety of speech, that that book was written by the learned Sir
Thomas Browne, though I should find the same in Latin or French, and had never seen the original English. Thus I scruple not to say, the Rheims translation is the Word of God. That is, for the substance and main purpose of it, it is not so spoiled as to lose the nature of divine truth, but is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: And, to such as cannot procure a better, it may doubtless be sufficient to make them wise unto salvation. But I intend not in the meantime, to entitle God Almighty to the failings or frauds of that version, or of any other.
The errors that have been occasioned from various copies taken and translations made, are either of infirmity or knavery. As for this latter, I suppose it cannot be proved, that ever any person was so audacious as to attempt the palpable corruption of the Scriptures, until the aspiring Popes had set up an infallible chair at Rome, a court only fit to protect such undertakings, because indeed it could not be supported without them. So that in the primitive times, the errors which have crept into the Bible have been first, only such failings as have escaped unawares in the transcribing thereof: And secondly, afterwards, when it came to be translated into other languages, some difficulty and contest could not choose but arise about the rendering of such words as were of various and doubtful signification, from which I believe there are very few languages entirely free. Now I say, it was impossible that both these together, whilst men were sincere and honest, should ever stifle or quench the divine spirit which breathes everywhere in those sacred writings. And we may reasonably suppose, that the Christian Church was stocked with a competent number of good copies, before the mystery of iniquity came to such a height, as to attempt the willful depravation of the Scriptures.
Two things are considerable in this matter; first, that in the infant state of Christianity, believers were cordial, and in good earnest, about the business of religion. The power of godliness prevailed, and those who called themselves Christians were really such; nor had they
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yet learned those crafts of cozenage and deceit, which afterwards, the mystery of iniquity furnished the world withal. And therefore they would be careful, in the highest degree, to transmit faithful copies of those precious papers unto posterity: a duty more especially incumbent on them, who had the keeping of the true originals.
Secondly, that God Almighty, having by the Holy Ghost inspired His penmen to deliver His mind unto the world, it is not likely, that He should relinquish the same, to perish in the hands of ignorant or wicked men. For since the blessed Spirit did so manifestly appear in it, divine Providence was sure to guard it, and will doubtless secure it to the end of the world.
These inducements, with others of like nature, are sufficient, I count, to convince any man, unto whose hands the Bible shall come, that it does contain the words of eternal life. For it carries that self-evidencing light, that majestic plainness, that unaffected gravity, and substantial utility throughout the whole; that no man, who will but consider, can possibly doubt of its original. And though men's corruptions may prevail so far with them, as to make them pretend at least, to call in question the being of God, as well as the truth of His word: yet it shall certainly operate upon them so far, as to leave them without excuse. I do not believe that nature ever yet produced so profligate a wretch, but would be sensible of some reluctancy and grief, to see his child murdered, his house fired, and have his limbs torn asunder, without any just cause or provocation given. But if these things have no evil in them, why should anybody be grieved at them?
If they have, why should anyone do the like to his neighbour? Now, if men ought not to do wrong in one respect, no more ought they to do it in any other. From whence ought to follow the universal rectitude of all our actions. And where are there such rules of equity and righteousness as the Scriptures afford, teaching us to do unto others, as we would that they should do unto us? The faithful observation of which short precept would confine Astraea to this lower world, and yet banish all her courts, as being useless: it would set such a face on things, as would far exceed all the imaginary beauties of the golden age. From whence now should this proceed, but from the fountain of all righteousness, God Almighty?
There is yet a further means of assurance that the Scriptures are the Word of God, namely, from the evidence of the Spirit bearing
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witness in our consciences to the truth of those things contained in our Bibles; of which there is a counterpart written in our hearts, and attested by the Holy Ghost. There are indeed many false spirits and many vain pretences to the true one; yet a measure thereof is given to every child of God, and promised to all those who seek it with sincerity and perseverance.
Now I say this evidence of the Spirit, wherever it is, fills the mind with assurance and satisfaction about divine truth, beyond all arguments: It is so convincing, that St. Paul calls it a demonstration.
And though perhaps it may not have that force to those who deride it in others, and stifle its motions in their own breasts, (for neither is geometrical demonstration of force to them that understand it not) yet to a mind enlightened by it, and brought under the power of it, the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit is beyond all other arguments and demonstrations whatsoever.
To sum up all, we need not go to a corrupt and adulterous Church to have its authority and imprimatur stamped upon our Bibles, from whence on the contrary it ought to derive its own authority: And it will one day sink under the weight and force of those laws and precepts which it now vainly pretends to authorize. I say then, the Scriptures are known to be the Word of God beyond all possibility of mistake or doubt, by evidence of sense, by arguments of reason, and by demonstration of the Spirit.
This, Sir, is all I shall trouble you with in this matter, till either I have your objections or some further opportunity of discovering my zeal to serve you, according to the utmost of my power.
I am, Sir, &c.
FINIS