9 The honour of a Prophet is not from the breast of his Mother, it is not so material,1 who was his father, as who was his teacher. In whom chiefly is to be considered, what the Prophet speaketh, & how. The Prophets did sometimes threaten, sometimes promise, sometimes comfort, sometimes reprove, but this they did rather as teachers than Prophets, as whose proper function specially was in speaking of future things, we do not so much embrace good things▪ as wonder at strange things. The Prophets spake that by inspiration, which they knew by revelation, God disposing both their words and writings, so that all that they spake and wrote, they did but as instruments from God; so great a difference is there betwixt our speeches and theirs. Though we conceive exquisitely, how long are we before we can speak? And when we have meditated well, do not our tongues falter in our mouths? Though our tongues utter most the purity of knowledge, when we utter the wisdom of God; yet when herein we add much endeavour, how sore we grieve our hearers, sometimes by obscurity, sometimes by unsavoury, and sometimes by unseemly speeches? In things of art or reason, be they Prophets, be they Apostles, be they Evangelists, or be they Pastors, they may be deceived. Was not Moses counselled by his father in law Jethro? Was not Peter convicted of error by Paul? Was not some of the Prophets convicted2 by Jeremiah and Ezekiel? But how then are the books of the Prophets so generally allowed? Answer is, that the Prophets were exempted from all possibility of error in those things which they received by divine revelation, indeed they must be void of error, because God teaching them immediately every word and writing is void of error.3 But how shall we know, that these their books were of such divine revelation, and delivered from God himself? We must know, that the certain knowledge hereof to the prophets4 was one, and to the hearers was another. The Prophets by vision most certainly knew, that the things they delivered were from God. The knowledge and certainty of these things were confirmed to the hearers by miracle, and oracle:
9 The honour of a Prophet is not from the breast of his Mother, it is not so materiall,1 who was his father, as who was his teacher. In whom chiefly is to bee considered, what the Prophet speaketh, & how. The Prophets did somtimes threatē, sometimes promise, sometimes comfort, sometimes reprooue, but this they did rather as teachers than Prophets, as whose proper function specially was in speaking of future things, we doe not so much imbrace good things▪ as wonder at strange things. The Prophets spake that by inspiration, which they knew by reuelation, God disposing both their words and writings, so that all that they spake and wrote, they did but as instruments from God; so great a difference is there betwixt our speeches and theirs. Though we conceiue exquisitely, how long are wee before we can speake? And when we haue meditated wel, doe not our tongues falter in our mouthes? Though our tongues vtter most the puritie of knowledge, when wee vtter the wisedome of God; yet when herein we adde much indeuour, how sore we grieue our hearers, sometimes by obscuritie, sometimes by vnsauorie, and sometimes by vnseemly speeches? In things of arte or reason, be they Prophets, bee they Apostles, be they Euangelists, or be they Pastors, they may be deceiued. Was not Moses counselled by his father in law Iethro? Was not Peter conuicted of error by Paul? Was not some of the Prophets conuicted2 by Ieremiah and Ezechiel? But how then are the bookes of the Prophets so generally allowed? Answere is, that the Prophets were exempted from all possibilitie of errour in those things which they receiued by diuine reuelation, indeede they must be voide of errour, because God teaching them immediatly euery word and writing is voide of errour.3 But how shall wee know, that these their bookes were of such diuine reuelation, and deliuered from God himselfe? We must know, that the certaine knowledge hereof to the prophets4 was one, and to the hearers was another. The Prophets by vision most certainly knew, that the things they deliuered were from God. The knowledge and certaintie of these things were confirmed to the hearers by miracle, and oracle:
- 1Prophesying.Prophecying.
- 2The certainty of holy Scripture.
- 3Note.
- 4Prophecies tried.
