Thirdly, God hath gathered up into the Scripture all divine Revelations given out by himself from the beginning of the World, and all that ever shall be so to the end thereof, which are of general use unto the Church, that it may be throughly instructed in the whole mind and will of God, and directed in all that Worship of Him, and Obedience unto Him, which is necessary to give us acceptance with Him here, and to bring us unto the eternal enjoyment of him hereafter. For (1.) When God first committed the Law to writing, with all those things which accompanied it, he obliged the Church unto the use of it alone, without Additions of any kind. Now this he would not have done, had he not expressed therein, that is the Books of Moses, all that was any way needful unto the Faith and Obedience of the Church. For he did not only command them to attend with all diligence unto his Word, as it was then written for their instruction and direction in Faith and Obedience, annexing all sorts of Promises unto their so doing, Deut. 6. 6, 7. but also expressly forbids them, as was said, to add any thing thereunto, or to conjoin any thing therewith, Deut. 4. 2. chap. 12, 32. which he would not have done, had he omitted other divine Revelations, before given, that were any way necessary unto the use of the Church. As he added many new Ones, ⟨p. 9⟩so he gathered in all the old from the unfaithful Repository of Tradition, and fixed them in a Writing, given by divine Inspiration. (2.) For all other divine Revelations, which were given out to the Church, for its use in general under the Old Testament, they are all comprised in the following Books thereof; Nor was this (that I know of) ever questioned by any Person pretending to Sobriety; though some, who would be glad of any pretence against the Integrity and Perfection of the Scripture, have fruitlessly wrangled about the loss of some Books, which they can never prove concerning any one, that was certainly of a divine Original. (3.) The full Revelation of the whole mind of God, whereunto nothing pretending thereunto is ever to be added, was committed unto, and perfected by Jesus Christ, Heb. 1. 1, 2.
Thirdly, God hath gathered up into the Scripture all divine Revelations given out by himself from the beginning of the World, and all that ever shall be so to the end thereof, which are of general use unto the Church, that it may be throughly instructed in the whole mind and will of God, and directed in all that Worship of Him, and Obedience unto Him, which is necessary to give us acceptance with Him here, and to bring us unto the eternal enjoyment of him hereafter. For (1.) When God first committed the Law to writing, with all those things which accompanied it, he obliged the Church unto the use of it alone, without Additions of any kind. Now this he would not have done, had he not expressed therein, that is the Books of Moses, all that was any way needful unto the Faith and Obedience of the Church. For he did not only command them to attend with all diligence unto his Word, as it was then written for their instruction and direction in Faith and Obedience, annexing all sorts of Promises unto their so doing, Deut. 6. 6, 7. but also expresly forbids them, as was said, to add any thing thereunto, or to conjoyn any thing therewith, Deut. 4. 2. chap. 12, 32. which he would not have done, had he omitted other divine Revelations, before given, that were any way necessary unto the use of the Church. As he added many new Ones, ⟨p. 9⟩so he gathered in all the old from the unfaithful Repository of Tradition, and fixed them in a Writing, given by divine Inspiration. (2.) For all other divine Revelations, which were given out to the Church, for its use in general under the Old Testament, they are all comprised in the following Books thereof; Nor was this (that I know of) ever questioned by any Person pretending to Sobriety; though some, who would be glad of any pretence against the Integrity and Perfection of the Scripture, have fruitlesly wrangled about the loss of some Books, which they can never prove concerning any one, that was certainly of a divine Original. (3.) The full Revelation of the whole mind of God, whereunto nothing pretending thereunto is ever to be added, was committed unto, and perfected by Jesus Christ, Heb. 1. 1, 2.
