Ch. xx. 11. 484 Our Use of the Apocrypha suitable to its Origin. BOOK V. which belongeth unto sacred Scripture, and to cut them off from the canon, would as effectually serve to shut them altogether out of the church, and to withdraw from granting unto them that public use wherein they are only held as profitable for instruction. Is it not acknowledged that those books are "holy," that they are "ecclesiastical" and "sacred," that to term them "divine," as being for their excellency next unto them which are properly so termed, is no way to honour them above desert; yea even that the whole Church of Christ as well at the first as sithence hath most worthily approved their fitness for the public information of life and manners; is not thus much I say acknowledged, and that by them, who notwithstanding receive not the same for "any “part of canonical Scripture,” by them who deny not but that they are "faulty," by them who are ready enough to give instances wherein they seem to contain matter "scarce agree"able with holy Scripture?" So little doth such their supposed faultiness in moderate men's judgment enforce the removal of them out of the house of God, that still they are judged to retain worthily those very titles of commendation, than which there cannot greater be given to writings the authors whereof are men. As in truth if the Scripture itself ascribing to the persons of men righteousness in regard of their manifold virtues, may not rightly be construed as though it did thereby clear them and make them quite free from all faults, no reason we should judge it absurd to commend their writings as reverend, holy, and sound, wherein there are so many singular perfections, only for that the exquisite wits of some few peradventure are able dispersedly here and there to find now a word and then a sentence, which may be more probably suspected than easily cleared of error, by us which have but conjectural knowledge of their meaning. Against immodest invectives therefore whereby they are charged as being fraught with outrageous liest, we doubt not but their more allowable censure will prevail, who without so passionate terms of disgrace, do note a difference great enough between Apocryphal and other writings, a difference such as *Confess. Helv. in Harm. Conf. sect. i. Bel. Con. art. 6. Lubert. de Princip. Christ. Dogm. l.i. c. 5. [c.4.] + The libel of Metaphys. Schoolp. art. 34. Lessons Proper from the Apocrypha justified. 485 Ch. xx. 12. Josephus and Epiphanius observe the one declaring that BOOK V amongst the Jews books written after the days of Artaxerxes were not of equal credit with them which had gone before, inasmuch as the Jews sithence that time had not the like exact succession of Prophets*; the other acknowledging that they are "profitable +," although denying them to be "divine" in such construction and sense as the Scripture itself is so termed. With what intent they were first published, those words of the nephew of Jesus do plainly enough signify, "After that my grandfather Jesus had given himself to the "reading of the Law and the Prophets and other books of "our fathers, and had gotten therein sufficient judgment, he purposed also to write something pertaining to learning "and wisdom, to the intent that they which were desirous "to learn, and would give themselves to these things, might "profit much more in living according to the Law." Their end in writing and ours in reading them is the same. books of Judith, Toby, Baruch, Wisdom, and Ecclesiasticus, we read, as serving most unto that end. The rest we leave unto men in private. 66 The [12.] Neither can it be reasonably thought, because upon certain solemn occasions some lessons are chosen out of those books, and of Scripture itself some chapters not appointed to be read at all, that we thereby do offer disgrace to the word of God, or lift up the writings of men above it. For in such choice we do not think but that Fitness of speech may be more respected than Worthiness. If in that which we use to read there happen by the way any clause, sentence, or speech, that soundeth towards error, should the mixture of a little dross constrain the Church to deprive herself of so much gold, rather than learn how by art and judgment to make separation of the one from the other? To this effect very fitly, from the counsel that St. Jerome giveth Læta, of taking heed "how" she read the Apocrypha, as also by the help of other learned men's judgments delivered in like case, we may take direction. But surely the arguments that should bind * Joseph. cont. Apion. lib. i. [§. 8.] μέν εἰσι καὶ ὠφέλιμοι, ἀλλ ̓ εἰς ἀριθ Præfat. ad lib. Eccles. Ch. xxi. 1, 2. of preaching by sermons; sermons be nary way of teaching, are brought to the saving knowledge of 486 Preaching by Sermons. What the Word of God is. us not to read them or any part of them publicly at all mus be stronger than as yet we have heard any. XXI. We marvel the less that our reading of books not and whether canonical is so much impugned, when so little is attributed? the only ordi- unto the reading of canonical Scripture itself, that now it hath whereby men grown to be a question, whether the word of God be any ordinary mean to save the souls of men, in that it is either od privately studied or publicly read and so made known, or else only as the same is preached, that is to say, explained by lively voice, and applied to the people's use as the speaker in his wisdom thinketh meet. For this alone is it which they use to call Preaching. The public reading of the Apocrypha they condemn altogether as a thing effectual unto evil; the bare reading in like sort of whatsoever, yea even of Scriptures themselves, they mislike, as a thing uneffectual to do that good, which we are persuaded may grow by it. [2.] Our desire is in this present controversy, as in the rest, not to be carried up and down with the waves of uncertain arguments, but rather positively to lead on the minds of the simpler sort by plain and easy degrees, till the very nature of the thing itself do make manifest what is truth. First therefore because whatsoever is spoken concerning the efficacy or necessity of God's Word, the same they tie and restrain only unto Sermons, howbeit not Sermons read neither (for such they also abhor in the church) but sermons without book, sermons which spend their life in their birth and may have public audience but once; for this cause to avoid ambiguities wherewith they often entangle themselves, not marking what doth agree to the word of God in itself, and what in regard of outward accidents which may befall it, we are to know that the word of God is his heavenly truth touching matters of eternal life revealed and uttered unto men; unto Prophets and Apostles by immediate divine inspiration, from them to us by their books and writings. We therefore have no word of God but the Scripture. Apostolic sermons were unto such as heard them his word, even as properly as to us their writings are. Howbeit not so our own sermons, the expositions which our discourse of wit doth gather and minister out of the word of God. For which cause in this present question, we are when we name the word of God always to mean the Scripture only. How it is made available to Salvation. 487 Ch. xxi. 3. [3] The end of the word of God is to save, and therefore BOOK V. we term it the word of life. The way for all men to be saved is by the knowledge of that truth which the word hath taught. And sith eternal life is a thing of itself communicable unto all, it behoveth that the word of God, the necessary mean thereunto, be so likewise. Wherefore the word of life hath been always a treasure, though precious, yet easy, as well to attain, as to find; lest any man desirous of life should perish through the difficulty of the way. To this end the word of God no otherwise serveth than only in the nature of a doctrinal instrument. It saveth because it maketh "wise to salvation*.” Wherefore the ignorant it saveth not; they which live by the f But as every thing of price, so this doth require travail. Ch. xxi. 4. 488 God's Word may be preached otherwise than by Sermons. BOOK V. We bring not the knowledge of God with us into the world. And the less our own opportunity or ability is that way, the more we need the help of other men's judgments to be our direction herein. Nor doth any man ever believe, into whom the doctrine of belief is not instilled by instruction some way received at the first from others. Wherein whatsoever fit means there are to notify the mysteries of the word of God, whether publicly (which we call Preaching) or in private howsoever, the word by every such mean even "ordinarily" doth save, and not only by being delivered unto men in Sermons. [4] Sermons are not the only preaching which doth save souls. For concerning the use and sense of this word Preaching, which they shut up in so close a prison, although more than enough have already been spoken to redeem the liberty thereof, yet because they insist so much and so proudly insult thereon, we must a little inure their ears with hearing how others whom they more regard are in this case accustomed to use the selfsame language with us whose manner of speech they deride. Justin Martyr doubteth not to tell the Grecians, that even in certain of their writings the very judgment to come is preached*; nor the council of Vaus to insinuate that presbyters absent through infirmity from their churches might be said to preach by those deputies who in their stead did but read Homiliest; nor the council of Toledo to call the usual public reading of the Gospels in the church Preaching‡; nor others long before these our days to write, that by him who but readeth a lesson in the solemn assembly as part of divine service, the very office of Preaching is so far forth executed §. Such kind of speeches were then familiar, those phrases seemed not to them absurd, they would have marvelled to hear the outcries which we do ||, because we think that the Apostles in writing, and others in reading to the church those books which the Apostles wrote, are neither untruly nor *Parænet. ad Gent. [p. i. C.] + Concil. Vasen. ii. [vel iii.] ca. ii. [vid. supr. p. 481, not. 89.] Concil. Tol. iv. c. 12. § Rupert. de Divin. Offic. lib. i. c. 12, 13. Isid. de Eccles. Offic. lib. i. C. IO. 66 The Libel of Schoolp. art. 11. T. C. lib. ii. p. 388. "St. Paul's writing is no more Preaching than his pen or his hand is his tongue : "seeing they cannot be the same "which cannot be made by the same "instruments." [i. 127.] |
