Prop. 3. The means of standing fast is by holding the traditions which were taught by the holy apostles. Here I will prove : — (1.) That the doctrine of Christianity taught by the apostles is a tradition. (2.) That holding this tradition by strong hand when others would wrest it from us is the means of our perseverance.
1. That the doctrine of Christianity is a tradition. I prove it by two arguments.
[1.] Matters not evident by the light of nature, nor immediately revealed to us by God, must be either an invention or a tra-
2 ThES. 11. 15. J WITHOUT UNWRITTEN TRADITIONS. 401
dition. An invention is something in religion not evident by natural light nor agreeable to sound reason, but is some cunningly devised fable, invented by one or more, and obtruded by various arti- fices upon the belief of the world. Inventions in this kind were man's disease, not his remedy : Ecclcs. vii. 29, ' God made man upright, but they sought out many inventions.' As when the philosophers sat abrood upon religion, a goodly chimera it was they hatched and brought forth : Kom, i. 21, 22, 'They became vain in their imagina- tions, and their foolish heart was darkened, and professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.' These inventions little became the nature of God ; nor were they profitable to man, for still the great sore of nature was unhealed, which is a fear of death, and the right- eous w-rath of God, Eom. i. 32, so that neither man's comfort nor duty was well provided for. Surely the gospel is none of this sort ; not an invention of man, but a rev'elation of God ; and a revelation not made to us in person, but brought out of the bosom of God by Jesus Christ, and by him manifested to chosen witnesses who might publish this mystery and secret to others. Well, then, since the gospel is not an invention it is a tradition, or a delivery of the truth upon the testimony of one that came from God to instruct the world, or reduce it to him ; not an invention of man, but a secret brought out of the bosom of God by our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore it is said, Heb. ii. 3, 4, ' How shall we escape if we neglect so great salva- tion ; first spoken by the Lord himself, and then confirmed to us by them that heard him, the Lord bearing them witness?' &c. Christ delivered it to the apostles, and the apostles delivered it to others : 2 Tim. ii. 2, ' Those things which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.' The apostles received the gospel from Christ, and the churches and ministers from the apostles, and then delivered it down to others, until it came to us ; which is the means of our believing the truth, and confessing the name of Christ. This testimony, delivered and conveyed to us by the most credible means, and wdiich w'e have no reason to doubt of, is as binding as if we had heard Christ and his apostles in person ; for we have their word in writing ; though we did not hear them preach and publish it with the lively voice, their authority is the same delivered either way. And that these are their writings appeareth by the constant tradition of the church, and the acknowledgment of friends and enemies, wdio still appeal to them as a public authentic record ; and, as they have been attested by the church, they have been owned by God, and blessed by him to the converting and sanctifying of many souls throughout all succession of ages. And by this tradition Christianity hath held up the head against all encounters of time, and the persecutions of adverse powers have not suppressed it, nor the disputes of enemies silenced the profession of it ; but from age to age it hath been received and transmitted to future generations, though sometimes at a very dear rate. And this is binding to us, though we saw not the persons and miracles by which they confirmed their message, and heard not the first report. Yet the universal tradition having handed it to us is a sufficient ground of faith, and so we believe through their word, and
492 THE SCKIPTTJRE SUFFICIENT [2 ThES. II. 15.
are concerned in Christ's prayers, John xvii. 20, for with them and their successors (as to these necessary things) Christ hath promised to be to the end of the world. Mat. xxviii. 20.