Christianismus primitivus, or, The ancient Christian religion, in its nature, certainty, excellency, and beauty, (internal and external) particularly considered, asserted, and vindicated from the many abuses which have invaded that sacred profession, by humane innovation, or pretended revelation comprehending likewise the general duties of mankind, in their respective relations : and particularly the obedience of all Christians to magistrates, and the necessity of Christian-moderation about things dispensible in matters of religion : with divers cases of conscience discussed and resolved / by Thomas Grantham ...

SECT. IV.

I have been very earnestly demanded, by some of the Romish Church, How I knew our Copies and Translations of the Scriptures to be the true Word of God? I shall cut my Answer short to this importune Demand, and yet trust to make it plain to every Capacity, only by shewing that the New Testament is God's Holy Oracle; for in so doing, the Law and the Pro∣phets are confirmed, being therein alledged as the Word of God more than an hundred and twenty times, by Christ and his Holy Apostles; and once in general it is said of the Lord Jesus, That beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he expounded to his Disciples, in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself, Luke 24. Which is a full Evidence that the Scriptures then extant are Authentick; notwithstanding they had been Translated by the seventy two Intepreters, long before that time, so that it is needless to enquire further in that case.

And that the New Testament is God's Oracle, I prove after this man∣ner; 1. It is either the Oracle of God, or the Oracle of Satan, or Man's Devices. But it is not Satan's Oracle, nor Man's Devices; Ergo, it is God's Oracle. The Major is evident of it self. And Satan's Oracle it is not, because it teacheth all manner of Vertue and Holy Living; nor can any Iniquity or Impiety be shewed to be the Design thereof, for it doth constantly reprove all Implety and Iniquity; and who so loveth these Testimonies, and conforms to their Documents, doth hate the Devil above all things. And again, all the workers of Iniquity, and such as love Debauchery, do fly from the Light of the Sacred Writings, having no greater torment in this World, than to be brought to their powerful Evidence against their Impieties, as blessed Experience doth abundantly testifie; so that he must have a brazen Forehead that dare contradict it. And that they are not Mens Devices is clear;

1. Because they do not only agree to the Principles of Morality, and humane Vertue, in the highest degrees thereof, but do also heighten their Zeal to Vertue, and enlighten their Understandings in things more excellent, than Principles of a Common Justice, as appears undeni∣ably by a Comparison between those who are actuated by them, and those that are ignorant of them.

2. What is contained in these Writings of the New Testament, as

Matter of Fact, are no Devised Fables, because the very Adversaries of the Gospel are forced to acknowledg such things were done; and so ap∣parent was the Life, Death, and Miracles of Jesus, (on which the whole Testimony depends) that Josephus, the Jewish Historiagrapher, who lived about these Times, cannot dissemble it, but is forced to confess it, and to say it was scarce lawful to call our Lord Christ a Man, because of the admirable Works which he did.

3. The Sanctity of the Precepts have not a meer humane Stamp, they having no tendency to exalt any but the Lord only; and lie so thwart to the humane Will, and worldly Interest, as nothing more; now had cor∣rupt Man had the forming of these Laws, its apparent by the Laws they daily make, that he would have consulted his own Honour and Interest in the making of them.

4. Neither do the Promises contain'd in the New Testament, savour of Man's Device, being of such sublimity, as hath not entred into the Heart of Man to conceive, especially that of the Resurrection of the Body, and the Glory that shall follow, which we see those that leave these Ora∣cles contemn as a Fable, or else make the beatitude they look for, to stand in Carnal Delights, as the Mahumetans.

5. Nor are the Threatnings or Judgments against wicked Men, there∣by given forth like Men's Imaginations, being a perpetual Torment in everlasting Fire, which is a thing beyond the reach of Man's Conceit how it should be; and therefore derided by those that follow their humane Light only, as a thing incredible.

6. If this Book of the New Testament be Fabulous, or Men's Devi∣ces, than no Book whatsoever can escape the like Censure. No History can have so much as Humane Credit: all are lies, if this be not true; see∣ing upon the same grounds any Man questions this to be a true Record of the Will and Testament of the Lord Christ, all Monuments of Anti∣quity, Records, Wills, Charters, Donations, Histories, Precepts of Philosophy, and whatsoever is by Writing transmitted to us from the Ages before us, must undergo the same Censure. And then as the first would turn Christianity out of the World, the latter sends away Huma∣nity after it. But if otherwise we will not part with the latter, let us like Men consider, that God hath been as careful over Men in things Re∣ligious as Civil; and that it is by his Providence that these Divine Records have out-liv'd the malice of many wicked Generations who have sought their Destruction, as much as Herod sought the life of Christ himself. This way went the Famous Augustine, affirming, * 1.1 That by the disposing of Divine Providence, the Scripture hath gotten the most excellent Authority of any other Books.

7. Let the Accomplishment of the wonderful Prophecies of Christ, contained in the New Testament, convince a Jew as well as a Turk, and much more Men pretending to love Christ, that these Records are Ho∣ly: The Unbelieving Jews have had occasion to bewail the Desolation of their City and Nation, as Christ with Tears foreshewed them, Luke 19: 42, 43, 44. and by this let all Men learn to beware how they question the verity of the Residue.

8. Bellarmine himself is compelled to allow the Scriptures own Evi∣dence to be of great Authority to prove it the Word of God, Testes est ipsa Scriptura, as he is quoted by Dr. Willit. This we call God's own Witness, putting his name to these Holy Sayings, that we might have sure confidence. Thus Augustine; * 1.2 God having spoken what he held con∣venient, first by the Prophets, then by himself, [meaning the Lord Christ] afterward by his Apostles made that to be Scripture also (which we call Cano∣nical) of the most excellent Authority, on which we rely in things which befal our Understanding.

9. Nor shall we baulk the Testimony, in which the Romanists suppose they have the clearest Interest, viz. the Church of Christ, by whom God hath transmitted these Writings (as God's Oracles) to us. But then, will they, nill they, this Church is the * 1.3 Baptized Church; for unto them was committed the Oracles whereof we speak, as the Direction or In∣scription of divers of the Holy Epistles do clearly shew: Nor can they deny it, or prove the contrary; and of these first Churches, Who saw Christ, and were his Record-bearers? We ought to interpret (saith Gerson) * 1.4 that saying of Augustine, I would not believe the Scripture, unless the Au∣thority of the Church did move me. As for those Churches which succeed∣ed in the Ages following, wherein presently great Divisions happened; these are a far lower Evidence from whence to fetch the Certainty or Au∣thority of these Sacred Books; not much stronger than the Evidence of the present Christians, being proper, neither to this or that Party of them, who still retained the Scriptures as they were delivered; any more than if the Greek Church at this day should arrogate that Prerogative; or the Roman-Papal Church, who would wrest it from all professing Chri∣stianity, to themselves only; whereas in truth, all that acknowledg the Scriptures, and profess to own that way of Christianity at first delivered, may claim this priviledg with as good Reason as the Papists: However the most pure Churches, have the fairest plea in this behalf; and who they are, will I trust, appear in some good measure in the following Treatises. And thus much at present (for we shall have occasion, in our Defence of Christianity, to speak further) to this Question, How we know the Scriptures to be the Word of God?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Aug. de Civit. Dei. l. 11. c. 1.
• * 1.2

  Aug. de Civit. Dei. l. 11. c. 3.
• * 1.3

  Acts 2. 41, 42. Rom. 6. 2, 3. Col. 2. 11, 12. Gal. 3 27. Acts 18. 8. Acts 19. 1, 2, 3. Heb. 6. 1, 2.
• * 1.4

  John Gerson de Vita Spir.