Sections:
1. The temper and error of the Libertines,
who take to themselves the name of spiritual, briefly
described. Their refutation.
(a). The Apostles and all true
Christians have embraced
the written Word. This
confirmed by a passage in Isaiah; also by the example
and words of Paul.
(b). The Spirit OF Christ seals the doctrine of the written
Word on the minds of the godly.
(2) Refutation continued.
a) The impositions of Satan cannot be detected
without the aid of the written
Word. First Objection.
The Answer to it.
3. Second Objection from the words of
Paul as to the letter and spirit. The Answer, with an
explanation of Paul's meaning. How the Spirit and the
written Word are indissolubly connected.
1.The
fanatics wrongly appeal to the Holy Spirit
Those who, rejecting Scripture, imagine
that they have some peculiar
way of penetrating to God,
are to be deemed not so much under the influence of error
as madness. For certain giddy men have lately appeared, who, while they
make a great display of the superiority
of the Spirit,
reject all reading of the
Scriptures themselves,
and deride the simplicity of those who only delight in
what they call the dead and deadly
letter. But I wish they would tell me what spirit it
is whose inspiration raises them to such a sublime
height that they dare
despise the doctrine of
Scripture as mean and
childish.
If they answer that it is the Spirit of Christ, their confidence is exceedingly ridiculous; since they will, I presume, admit that
the apostles and other believers in the primitive Church were not
illuminated by any other Spirit. None of these thereby learned to despise the word of God, but every one was imbued with greater reverence for it, as their writings most clearly
testify.
And, indeed, it had been so foretold by
the mouth of Isaiah. For when he says, "My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I
have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out
of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy
seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for
ever," he does not tie down the ancient Church to external
doctrine, as he were a mere teacher of elements; he rather
shows that, under the reign of
Christ, the true and full felicity of the new Church will
consist in their being ruled not
less by the Word
than by the Spirit of God.
Hence we infer that these miscreants
are guilty of fearful
sacrilege in tearing asunder what the prophet joins in indissoluble union.
Add to this, that Paul, though carried up even to the third heaven, ceased not to profit by the doctrine of the law and the prophets, while, in like manner, he exhorts
Timothy, a teacher of singular excellence, to give attention to reading, (1 Tim. 4: 13.)
And the eulogium
which
he pronounces on Scripture well deserves to be remembered, viz., that
"it is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in
righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect,"
(2 Tim. 3: 16.)
What an infatuation
of the devil, therefore,
to fancy that Scripture, which conducts the sons of God
to the final goal, is of transient
and
temporary
use?
Again, I should like those people to
tell me whether they have imbibed
any other Spirit than that
which Christ promised to his disciples. Though their
madness is extreme, it will scarcely carry them the length
of making this their boast.
But what
kind of Spirit did our
Saviour promise to send? One who should not speak of
himself, (John 16: 13,) but
suggest and instil the truths which he
himself had delivered
through the word. Hence
the office of the Spirit promised to us, is not to form new and
unheard-of revelations, or to coin a new form of doctrine, by which we may be
led away from the received
doctrine of the gospel,
but to seal
on our minds the very
doctrine which the gospel
recommends.
2. The Holy Spirit is recognized
in his agreement with Scripture
Hence it is easy to understand that we
must give diligent heed both to the reading and hearing of Scripture, if we would obtain any benefit
from the Spirit of God, (just as Peter
praises those who attentively study the doctrine of the
prophets, (2 Pet. 1: 19,) though it might have been
thought to be superseded after the gospel light arose,)
and, on the contrary, that any
spirit which passes by the wisdom of God's Word, and
suggests any other doctrine, is deservedly suspected of vanity and falsehood.
Since Satan transforms himself into an angel of light [knowledge],
what authority can the Spirit have with us if he be not ascertained by an infallible mark? And assuredly he is pointed out to us by
the Lord with sufficient clearness; but these miserable men err as if bent on their own destruction, while they seek the Spirit from themselves rather than from Him.
But they say that it is insulting to subject the Spirit, to whom all things are to be subject, to the Scripture: as if it were disgraceful to the Holy Spirit to
maintain a perfect resemblance throughout, and be in all
respects without variation consistent with himself.
True, if he were subjected to a human,
an angelical, or to any foreign standard, it might be
thought that he was rendered
subordinate, or, if you
will, brought into bondage, but so long as he is compared with himself, and considered in himself, how can it be
said that he is thereby injured? I admit that he is
brought to a test, but the very test by which it has
pleased him that his majesty should be confirmed.
It ought to be enough for us when once
we hear his voice; but lest
Satan should insinuate himself under his name, he wishes us to recognise
him by the image which he has stamped on the Scriptures. The author of the Scriptures cannot vary,
and change his likeness. Such as he there appeared at
first, such he will perpetually remain. There is nothing
contumelious to him in this, unless we are to think it
would be honourable for him to degenerate,
and revolt against himself.
3. Word
and Spirit belong inseparably together
Their cavil about our cleaving to the dead letter
carries with it the punishment which they deserve for despising Scripture. It is clear that
Paul is there arguing against false apostles, (2 Cor. 3:
6,) who, by recommending the
law without Christ,
deprived the people of the benefit of the New Covenant,
by which the Lord engages
that he will write his law on the hearts of
believers, and engrave
it on their inward parts.
Who also hath made
us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but
of the spirit: for the letter killeth,
but the spirit
giveth life. 2 Cor 3:6
The letter therefore is dead, and the
law of the Lord kills its readers when it is dissevered from the grace of Christ, and only sounds in the ear
without touching the heart.
But
if it is effectually impressed on the heart by the
Spirit; if it exhibits Christ, it is the word of
life converting the soul, and making wise the simple.
Jesus said: It is
the spirit
that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words
that I speak unto you, they are spirit,
and they are life. John 6:63
Nay, in the very same passage, the
apostle calls his own
preaching the ministration
of the Spirit, (2 Cor. 3: 8,) intimating that the Holy Spirit so cleaves to his own truth, as he has expressed it in Scripture, that he then only
exerts and puts forth
his strength when the word is received with due honour and respect.
But if the
ministration of death, written and engraven in stones,
was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not
stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his
countenance; which glory was to be done away: 2 Cor 3:7
How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather
glorious? 2 Cor 3:8
There is nothing repugnant here to what
was lately said, (chap. 7) that we have no great certainty
of the word itself, until it be confirmed by the
testimony of the Spirit.
> He that cometh from above is above all:
he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of
the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. John 3:31
And what he hath
seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. John
3:32
He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. Jn.3:33
For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God:
for God giveth not the
Spirit by measure unto
him. Jn 3:34
The Father
loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
Jn 3:35
He that
believeth (past tense) on the Son hath everlasting life:
and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life;
but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 3:36
> This is the disciple
which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is
true. Jn.21:24
> If
we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is
greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath
testified of his Son. 1Jn.5:9
For the Lord has so knit together
the certainty of his word and his Spirit,
that our minds are duly imbued with reverence for the
word when the Spirit shining upon it enables us there to behold the face of
God;
and, on the other hand, we embrace the Spirit with
no danger of delusion when we recognise him in his image, that
is, in his word. Thus, indeed, it
is. God did not produce his word before men for the sake
of sudden display, intending to abolish it the moment the Spirit should arrive;