Verfes i,ß,3. the Epifile to the Romanes. (if we endevour not to walke worthy of that grace) will colt us Beare, by pul- ling heavier judgements from Heaven upon us. Whe to thee Coorazin, Mats t . 21, &c. Alto learne,that the Gofpel pro - mifedto the Fathers by the Prophets, and performed by Chrift at his cony naing, is one in fitbftance. T z M. What doe ye call the Prophets ? S t L. Men called of God to the Mi- niftery of the old Church, and furnifhed with fpeciall graces, both for interpre- ting the will of God fet downe before by Mofès in his Books, and allo to foretell thewill ofGod touching future events and namely, touching the exhibiting of the Mcffias, and of the good things to be enjoyed by his fifferings,i Pet.t.t r. TIM. What cloth this admoniJl, Of of, that the promifes of Chriff are bid in the Scriptures of the prophets? S I L. That there is a great correfpon- dency and agreement for truth & mat- ter of Do&rine betweene the Old and the New Teftament,though great oddes in the meafure of revelation . Hence it is Paid of one that the Old Teflawent is the hiding of the New,and the New is the opening of the Old. Tr M. What posed this coitf nt forte unto? S z L. It fervetti to confirme us in this perlwafion, that the Scriptures are Di- vine,and no humane thing or invention of man : as alto it confateth the Mani - chhtes and Marcionites, which utterly re- je& the Old Teflanient. Tim. What doeye call Scriptures) S z L. Every thing that is written is fcripturein a large and generali fenfe: but this word[Scripture] by an excellen- cy, is given particularly to thofe books which containe the word of God, and were written by infpiration of the holy Ghoft,for the p'erpctuali hairnet' on of the Church, z Tim. ;. 16. This doeth put us in minde of Gods great good - neffe, that would have his Word put in writing, and fo wondroufly to preferve thofe Bookes in all Ages for his Church fake, without loffe of one jot or tittle, notwithffanding great meanes to fup- preffe and extinguifh them. TIM. By what reafn, can ye prove unto us, that theft Booties which are cal- led Scriptures be the very Word of God, rather then any other writings? S r L. There be hereof fundry argu- I; ments which may perfwade all meri,and fonte whichwill and do perfwade Gods children. Firft(that which was touched before)the great harmony and confiant confent of one part of this Hooke with another, in loch a huge variety of infi- nite matter, yet no repugnancy, howfo- ever fome diverfity may be found. Se- condly, the Majefty of the matter in great timplicity ofwords. Thirdly, the efficacy, power, and virtue thereof, working in the hearts offinners for their converfion, which no other Writing in the world doch or can effe &: For mans natures in their reafons and wills being corrupt,are as contrary to the do &vine taught in there Bookes, as darkeneffe to light, heaven to heil;yet are they by the mighty efficacy hid in them, recon- ciled to them; fo as they wiilingly yeeld, approve, and honour them. Allo, the power of them makech even the wicked to feare & tremble,as in Felix. Fourth- ly, the events of Prophefies fo many hundreds, yea fo many thoufand yeares fors- Ihcwed : (As the (-cede of the wo- man promifed to Adam,the bondage of ',scab in tEgypt, the captivity of Baby- lon, the birth of loftah and of Gyres, re- vealing ofAntichritt, and innumerable fach like:) and niadc before, yet accor- dingly fulfilled in their due time; Both bewray them to be from that all - feeing verity. Fittly,the Pen -men of the Scrip- 1 ture( as Mofes, David, lob, Matthew, Paul)diCcovering their owne corrupti- ons and infirmities, even to their owne great prejudice and crack of their otvne eftimation in the world,aud Cu unparti- ally reporting the foule blemifhes of their owne people and Conntr ey men, doch teftifie that they were governed by the holy Spirit of truth in the pen- ning of them. Sixtly, there bee fundry examples and ftories in the Bible, to which even the Heathen and Pagan, yea and JewilhWriters(being enemies to Chrifi) do give tellimony of the trueth ofthem :(as in Jofephus and others)and the
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