A00665:1278
A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written
A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, written by the blessed apostle St. Peter. By Thomas AdamsA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written by the blessed apostle St. Peter. By Thomas Adams
London: printed by Richard Badger and Felix Kyngston for Jacob Bloome, 1633London: printed by Richard Badger and Felix Kyngston for Iacob Bloome, 1633
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Holy men of GOD spake.] This is the second General, the Conscription of GODS Word. GOD would have his Word written: though it be here said, they spake; yet that they spake is called Scripture, a thing written, Rom. 15.4. Whosoever things were written afore-time, were written for our learning. Wherein observe the Authority, Antiquity, Utility of the Scriptures. It is written, there is the Authority. Afore-time, there is the Antiquity. For our learning, there is the Utility. The voice is vanishing; ask for the voice, and find it in aure, in the ear: ask for the Scripture, find it in aere, written for the eye to look upon. Therefore would God have it written in books, that the syllables might be always in our eyes, so well as the sound in our ears. Hereby we may come to exercise ourselves in it day and night, Psal. 1.2. By this means no man shall add to it, or detract from it. Deut. 4.2. Though the Sound of the thundering Apostles went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world, Rom. 10.18. Yet the holy Ghost would have a Treatise written of all that Jesus did and taught, Act. 1.1. And this shall be entitled The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, Matth, 1.1. The Scripture is a Bible, because it is written: and The Bible, because it excels all other books, both for the matter, and the maker. God would not have his Instruments only Naphtali's, to give goodly words, Gen. 49.21. But that his will be committed to Zebulun, the handler of the pen, Judg. 5.14. Oh that my words were written, oh that they were printed in a book! Job 19.23. What would he have written? the words of his passion? No, but the words of his faith; even the truth of God; I know that my Redeemer liveth. Schismatics are all for a Speaking Scripture: Anabaptists all for an infused Scripture: Papists are all for a Painted Scripture: they love Testes fenestras; with them no lease of the Bible is so authentical as the Painters work in the window. But all true Catholics are only for the written Scripture: And the Lord make this our light and delight to the end.