Chapter 9.
9. ALL THE PRINCIPLES OF PIETY SUBVERTED BY FANATICS, WHO SUBSTITUTE
REVELEVATIONS FOR SCRIPTURE.
Sections.
- The temper and error of the Libertines, who take to themselves
the name of spiritual, briefly described. Their refutation.
- 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.
- The Spirit of Christ seals the doctrine of the written Word on the minds
of the godly.
- Refutation continued.
- The impositions of Satan cannot be detected without the aid of
the written Word. First Objection. The Answer to it.
- 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, 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. 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. 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.
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. 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; but he employed the same Spirit, by whose agency he had
administered the word, to complete his work by the efficacious
confirmation of the word.
In this way Christ explained to the two disciples, (Luke 24: 27,)
not that they were to reject theScriptures and trust to their own
wisdom, but that they were tounderstand the Scriptures. In like manner,
when Paul says to the
Thessalonians, "Quench not the Spirit," he does not carry them aloft
to empty speculation apart from the word; he immediately adds,
"Despise not prophesying," (1 Thess. 5: 19, 20.) By this, doubtless,
he intimates that the light of the Spirit is quenched the moment
prophesying fall into contempt. How is this answered by those
swelling enthusiasts, in whose idea the only true illumination
consists, in carelessly laying aside, and bidding adieu to the Word
of God, while, with no less confidence than folly, they fasten upon
any dreaming notion which may have casually sprung up in their
minds? Surely a very different sobriety becomes the children of God.
As they feel that without the Spirit of God they are utterly devoid
of the light of truth, so they are not ignorant that the word is the
instrument by which the illumination of the Spirit is dispensed.
They know of no other Spirit than the one who dwelt and spake in the
apostles--the Spirit by whose oracles they are daily invited to the
hearing of the word.
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