II. This being the substance of what is declared and pleaded for in the preceding treatise, to prevent the obloquy of some and confirm the judgment of others, I shall add the suffrage of ancient and modern writers given unto the principal parts of it, and whereon all other things asserted in it do depend : —
Clemens Alexandrinus discourseth at large unto this purpose, Strom, vii.
Cap. 16, "E-^o//.iv yap tjjv af%bv Ttis dtoa<rxaXta$ rov Kupiov, did ri rujy vpotptircov, iid rt <rov ti/ayyiXiov, xai bid ray fiaxapimv d.7ro<rroXuy, ToXvrpitfat xai •xoXvf/.ipois s§ apx/ii ii; riXos
Ytyovptvov rnt yvutrius- — " We have the Lord himself for the principle or beginning of doctrine ; who, by the prophets, the gospel, and blessed apostles, in various man- ners and by divers degrees, goeth before us, or leads us unto knowledge." [This is that which we lay down as the reason and ground of faith, — namely, the autho- rity of the Lord himself instructing us by the Scriptures.] So he adds: T«»
ap%hv 2' tin; iTipov 6ti<r$ai ii-proXdSoi, obxir' ay ovrais dp%k <pvXa%0t!r). 'O ftiv ouv IS; \avroZ ffirro;, tv\ xvpiaxy ypatpy rs xai tytayy a\ia-jriaro$ t'ix'oTu; ay Oia rou Kvpiov Tpi; tviv ray avdpidvrwy tbtpyttriay hipyovfiivw a/tiXu irpl$ <r»y ruy vpayfiarwv tvpuriv, avrn %pw//,il!a xpirripiai' <ro xpiv&ftiyoy dl <xay, 'in atfitrroy <xp)y xpi^tjyar &Vt' ovo apx* T° xp'iaiws Sieftivey
— " And if any one suppose that he needeth any other principle, the principle will not be kept ;" [that is, if we need any other principle whereinto to resolve our faith, the word of God is no more a principle unto us.] " But he who is faithful from himself is worthy to be believed in his sovereign writing and voice ; which, as it appeareth, is administered by the Lord for the benefit of men. And cer- tainly we use it as a rule of judging for the invention of things. But whatever is judged is not credible, or to be believed, until it is judged ; and that is no principle which stands in need to be judged." The intention of his words is, that God, who
112 APPENDIX.
alone is to be believed for himself, hath given us his word as the rule whereby we are to judge of all things. And this word is so to be believed as not to be sub- ject unto any other judgment ; because if it be so, it cannot be either a principle or
a rule. And SO he proceeds: Eixoras to'ivuv v'kttu -TipiXaSovTis avairohuxTov Ttiv ap%)iv tx ftpiouiria;, xa) ru; u.'Xoou^u; nap avTri; tv; a,px,ws vtipi rijs ap%7i; XaGovTZ;, <pavri Kuplou
<xa.ibiv'opi6tt. Tpi; rnv WiyvaKnt ttj; uXtihiu;- — " Wherefore, it is meet that, embracing by faith the most sufficient, indemonstrable principle, and taking the demonstra- tions of the principle from the principle itself, we are instructed by the voice of the Lord himself unto the acknowledgment of the truth." In few words he de- clares the substance of what we have pleaded for. No more do we maintain in this cause but what Clemens doth here assert, — namely, that we believe the Scrip- ture for itself, as that which needeth no antecedent or external demonstration, but all the evidence and demonstration of its divine original is to be taken from itself alone; which yet he farther confirms: Ou yap airxZ; a*o<$awop.<\oi; avfydvoi;
vrpo<ri%oifii)i, ois xa) aiTaKotyaltiaQai Icr' "irn; '(%1/ttiv. E; o obx apxu f/,ovov airXw; listtTv to %'o^av, aXXa vnrrdo 'utrOzi Be? to X$%l)tv, oh tw e| avSpui-xoiv ava/x.ivofjt.1)/ ftapTvpiav, aXXa T»j tou Kvpiov ipeovri •7ri<rTovfM.Qa. to Z,riTovi/,ivov. "H trawv uTroduZicav i^iyyuaripa, fiaXXov S', i\ f^ov/i usrodii^is ovffa Tvyp^avn. Outoj; ouv xa) '/ipu; art avrcuv vnp) ahrut tuv ypatfav
TiXtioi; a<7eohitxvvtTi.s;, Ix wiimas •xuQ'op.tQa a^oSuxrixolir — " For we would not attend or give credit simply to the definitions of men, seeing we have right also to define in contradiction unto them. And seeing it is not sufficient merely to say or assert what appears to be truth, but to beget a belief also of what is spoken, we expect not the testimony of men, but confirm that which is inquired about with the voice of the Lord ; which is more full and firm than any demonstration, yea, which rather is the only demonstration. Thus we, taking our demonstrations of the Scripture out of the Scripture, are assured by faith as by demonstration." And in other places, as Strom, iv., he plainly affirms that the way of Christians was to prove the Scripture by itself, and all other things by the Scripture.
Basilius speaks to the same purpose on Ps. cxv. : Wurrn, k ii-rip tu.$ Xoyixa.; ^i§'o-
Sav; t«v i^w^ijv ti; avyxarafoffiv 'iXxovtra. TJiffTis, ou% 'h yiwpsrpixaTs avdyxai;, aXX' r\
Ta~; tov ■xnipaTo; hipyi'iai; lyyivoftsvn — " Faith, which draws the soul to assent above all methods of reasonings ; faith, which is not the effect of geometrical demonstra- tions, but of the efficacy of the Spirit." The nature, cause, and efficacy of that faith whereby we believe the Scripture to be the word of God, are asserted by him.
NemesiUS, De Homin., cap. h. : 'H tZv S-iicov Xoyioiv h^atrxaXia, to ttkttov a(fi laurtjs
exovffa ha to S-eovrvsuo-Tov iTvai — " The doctrine of the divine oracles hath its credi- bility from itself, because of its divine inspiration."
The words of Austin, though taken notice of by all, yet may here be again re- ported. Confess., lib. xi. cap. 3: " Audiam et intelligam quomodo fecisti ccelum et terram. Scripsit hoc Moses ; scripsit et abiit, transivit hinc ad te. Neque nunc ante me est; nam si esset, tenerem eum, et rogarem eum, et per te obsecrarem, ut mihi ista panderet ; et praeberem aures corporis mei sonis erumpentibus ex ore ejus. At si Hebrasa voce loqueretur, frustra pulsaret sensum meum, nee inde mentem meam quidquam tangeret; si autem Latine, scirem quid diceret. Sed unde scirem an verum diceret ? quod si et hoc scirem, num et ab illo scirem ? Intus utique mihi, intus in domicilio cogitationis, nee Hebrsea, nee Graeca, nee Latina, nee barbara, Veritas, sine oris et lingua? organis, sine strepitu syllabarum diceret, ' Verum dicit;' at ego statim certus confidenter illi homini tuodicerem, * Verum dicis.' Cum ergo ilium interrogare non possim, te, quo plenus vera dixit, Veritas, te Deus meus rogo, parce peccatis meis ; et qui illi servo tuo dedisti hsec dicere, da et mihi haec intelligere ; " — "I would hear, I would understand how thou madest the heaven and the earth. Moses wrote this; he wrote it, and is gone