358 / 772
7'he
anfvvere
:
that
all reliai-
on
dependetb
vpoa
thcau-
thoiritíe
ofthe
,.Scriptures.
§.See12.
Rearons
to
proue
that
the
Scripture
mas
indrtcd
ly
Gods
fjirit.
.The
antiqui-
tie
ofthefcrip-
tures.
330 That
the
holy
Scripturesmereind:ted
6y
Gods
fpirit.
forefee,
preuent or punifh
any
faults
and
offences,
which
are
not
open
and manifef
}?
why
fhouldeft thou thereby
be
ma.
ued
to
forfake
thy delightful!
finnes,
and
to
imbrace vnplea.
fant godlincffe,
to abandon
thy
pleafures, and
to
vndertake
an auttere
and
ftricet
courfe
of
life,
Peeing.
thou knoweft
not
whether
the Scriptures be true or falfe,the
word
of
the euer-
laf}ing
God
or
the
inuention
of
mortall
man?
A ,ainfi which
temptation it behoueth
euerie man
moo
carefully
to
arme
himtelfe,
as
vndermining the
very
founda-
tion
of
all
true
religion
;
fvr
take away the
authoritie.
of
the
fcriptures,and
you (hall open
a
wide dore to
al
carnali
world
-
IinefTe,beallly
epicurifine,and diuelifh atheifrne; they
being
the
only
true
rule
ofvertue,
wherby
we are direí}ed
to
chufe
the
good
and
refufe
the
euill;
the fcepter
ofGod
whereby
he i
uleth all
the fubie6ts
ofhis
kingdome,which being
reie
,
e}ed
we
gi
tie
ouer our
felues
to
be
ruled by.thcdiuell,and
the
lulls
of
our ovine
flefh; the
light ofour
eyes,without which
wee
are
blind
and walke
in darknes; the food
ofour
foules,
which
being
taken away, they
languifh
in all
fpirituall
gra-
ces,
and
fall
into
miferable
death
and deftrucion;
and
the
fword
ofthe
fpirit whereby
we
defend our felues,
and
beate
backe our
fpirituall eneinies,which
being
plucked
out
ofour
hand,
we
arc eafily vancluithed
and
led
captiue
vnto
all
finne
and
wickednes.
And
that
we may
be
thebetter
prouided
agairìft
this
temp-
tation
let
vs
propound
fome reafons
whereby
gainefayers
may
be convinced and
Gods
children
perfvvaded
;ofthe
truth
and
authoritie
ofthe
Scriptures.
The
firfi
argument
to proue
the
Scriptures
to
bewritten by
the motion and revelation
of
Gods
fpirit,is
the antiquitie
thereof
for
whatfoeuer
religion
is
molt ancient,,that
proceedeth from
God :hut
the
religion
contained
in-theScriptures,is.olai.!
othermof!
ancient
:and
therefore
God
was the author.:thereof.
The
firft
part
of
this
reafon
is
cleere and
manifeft; forfeeing
man
was
created
for
Gods glorie, to
the
end hee
fhould worfhip
and
ferne
him,
and could
not
perfortne acceptable
worfhip and
feruice
vn-
to
God,vnlefTe he
reuealed
his
will
vnto
him;
therefore
that
man inight.attaine
unto
the
end..
o£his.creation,it
was
need
facie