The true doctrine of justification asserted and vindicated, from the errors of Papists, Arminians,…The true doctrine of justification asserted and vindicated, from the errours of Papists, Arminians,…

And first, for the Text absolutely in it self,¹ The words are part of that excellent commendation, which is given to Gods word. The purity and power of Religion is kept up by acknowledging the fullness and perfection of the Scripture. Both Papists and Illuminatists agree in this dangerous Error, that they look for, and expect a Doctrinal teaching immediately by Gods Spirit, above, and besides that of the Word: Hence as the Papists make the Scripture but a sheath to receive any sword, either of gold or iron (words that will bear any sense you put upon them) so ⟨p. 86⟩do the Illuminatists, that a godly man is above all books, teachers, writings, and feels nothing but God working and acting in him. We have therefore the greater cause to set up the Scriptures in their Divine authority and fullness, by how much the more others endeavour to diminish it. This noble encomium of Gods word begineth, v. 12. where you have the subject of the commendation, & the commendation it self. The subject is called [Greek or Hebrew], the word of God. Bellarmine and other Papists, that they might depress the Authority of the Scriptures, understand this of Christ, who is often called the Word. Their reasons are partly because Christ is in other places called so, as Joh. 1.1. & alibi, and partly because this Word is spoken of as a person, and therefore all things are said to be open and naked to his sight. But these are not Cogent; for although in other places Christ is called the word, yet the context doth there clearly evince it, whereas here the contrary will appear: for having before exhorted them to receive the Gospel, and to hearken to the voice, while it calls to day, among other Arguments he brings this from the nature of Gods word, which is to be understood both of the Law and the Gospel; and its further observed as a peculiar thing to John only in his Gospel, and the Epistles, to call Christ the word of God; and although the Text speaks of the word of God as preached, and not as written, yet because the word written and preached, differ not essentially but accidentally in respect of the manner, therefore this Argument holds true of the Scriptures. As for the second reason it is ordinary by a metonymy to attribute that to the Scripture which belongs to God speaking by the Scripture, as