’Tis no Dishonour at all to the Spirit of God to compare all that pretends to come from him with the Scriptures; and reject all that is disagreeable thereto: For the Holy Spirit is entirely like himself, and all his Operations necessarily agree with his written Rule, unless he’s inconsistent with himself…Let us therefore ever cherish a mighty Veneration for our New Testament Writers as Divinely inspir’d. Let no Insinuations lessen our Esteem of them. Let us converse with them daily. Let us prize them as a Treasure and govern our Faith and our Life by their Direction: And we shall find they will make us Wise unto Salvation: and be profitable for Doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction , for Instruction in Righteousness: And that by their Means we may be perfect and throughly furnished unto all Good Works. Edmund Calamy, pp. 85-86
I. If the Old Testament was inspir’d as well as the New, we ought to be afraid of slighting it, which is the manner of some, who yet profess a great Veneration for the New Testament Writings. ’Tis true there is a peculiar Veneration due to the latter, which peculiarly contain the Religion we profess, and hope to be sav’d by: but we should have been at a woeful Loss, had the Writings of the Old Testament been either lost or kept from us. Had they been wanting, we should not have known what to have made of a great part of the New Testament which refers to the Old: We should not have been able to have understood a great many Doctrines, or to have taken in the Enforcements of many Duties that are prescrib’d. Edmund Calamy, p. 107
How comes it then about that the Holy Scriptures, some Books of which are of greater Antiquity than any other Writings, and against all of which there has been of great a Spite in the World, should be preferv’d, but thro’ the special Providence of God! The Philosophical Writings of King Solomon, against which the World had no Spleen, are long since lost and gone, whereas his Canonical Writings are still extant, and in our hands. Many other Tracts, which it was for the Civil Interest of Mankind to have had perpetuated, are perish’d with Time, while these Sacred Records, that have all along had the most Enemies of any Writings under Heaven, are yet preserv’d. If we consider this well, it will appear surprizing. How often hath Persecution open’d her Mouth from Age to Age, and swallow’d up Millions of Men and Books, while the Bible by the over-ruling Hand of Heaven has been still continu’d. Antiochus gave strict Orders that all the Bibles that could be met with should be burnt, as we have an Account in the History of the Maccabees. We are told, that when they had rent in pieces the Books of the Law which they found, they burnt them with Fire. And whosoever was found with any the Book of the Testament, or if any consented to the Law, the King’s Commandment was that they should put him to Death. And the Roman Emperors Diocletian and Julian afterwards did the like with respect to the New Testament also. Eusebius the Ecclesiastical Historian tells us, that he saw the Sacred Scriptures burning in the Market-place with his own Eyes, according to the Imperial Edict, which order’d all the Christians to deliver their Bibles to the publick Officers that they might be consum’d to Ashes. Could they have had their Will, there would not have been so much as a Bible left. And had all been of the Mind that some then were, who call’d themselves Christians, who deliver’d their Bibles up to be burnt, who are by the Antients call’d Traditores, they had reach’d their Design. But God would not suffer it. The Bible outliv’d their Malice, and they had the Vexation to live to see themselves disappointed. Nay ’tis observable that an infinitely Wise God hath in this respect so befool’d the Devil, as to preserve some Parts of Scripture even by the Means of those who prov’d Enemies to him and that. Thus the Jews preserv’d the Old Testament, for the Benefit of us Christians, tho’ they were bitterly against that Perfection of it, which we have under the New Testament. And as to one Book of the New Testament, which is the Revelation of St. John, it deserves a special Remark, that when it was heretofore question’d whether or no it was a genuine Apostolical Remain, the Church of Rome by her Testimony help’d to keep it in the Sacred Canon, and so contributed to the preserving and perpetuating of a Testimony against her self in the Days of her Apostacy.
It hath been a mighty Controversy with some, whether or no any Writings that were truly Divinely inspir’d, have been ever lost; and it hath been Warmly debated: But the best of it is, it is a Controversy that is not very material: For what tho’ some inspir’d Writings may have been lost, yet as long as we have all those remaining, that God design’d for the Use of his Church in all succeeding Ages, that is enough for us, and ought to satisfy us. As much is preserv’d as God thought sufficient. And that our Bible is preserv’d so entire, is one of the most amazing Providences, all things consider’d, that we can well pitch upon. The more valuable these Sacred Writings are, (and what can make Writings valuable if their having been given by the Inspiration of God will not do it?) the greater is the Mercy that they are preserv’d. ’Twere better a thousand times that we had lost all the Books there are in the World besides, than that those Sacred Volumes should be missing, which were given of God to make us wise unto Salvation, and to guide us in the Way to Heaven. We ought to bless God for this, as one of the greatest Mercies imaginable. Edmund Calamy, pp 354-357
No comments:
Post a Comment