Thomas Cartwright (churchman)

From Textus Receptus

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Revision as of 04:05, 24 February 2019

Thomas Cartwright (1533 – 1603).

Firstly, we thinke it not amiss to set downe the generall doctrine, that no one oracle or sentence of God can fall away. Whereby it will bee evident that the holy Scriptures both in the old and new Testament written in their original tongues, cannot either by addition, detraćtion, or exchange be corrupted. Whereunto the consideration of the authour of them, ministreth a substantiall proofe. For seeing they are of God, all whose workes remaine for euer; it followed that all the holy scriptures, being not only his handyworke, but as it were the chieſe, and masterworke of all other, must have a continuall endurance. And if there be not the least and vilest creature in the world which either hath not heretofore, or shall not hereafter, (by the mighty hand of God upholding all things) be continued: how much less is it to be esteemed, that any sentence of God, wherein a greater glory commeth to him, and greater fruit to his people then of many of those creatures, which (for these two ends) he doth so carefully continue, should perish and fall away.

Secondly, they all are written generally for our instruction, and more particularly for admonition and warning, for comfort and consolation, &c. unless we will say that God may be deceived in his purpose and end wherefore he ordained them; it must needs be, that it must continue whatsoever hath been written in that respect. For if it, or any part thereof fall away, the same cannot, according to the ordinance of God, either inform us against ignorance, or warn us against danger, or comfort ss against afflictions; or finally do any other dutie unto us which we have need of and they were prepared for.

Thirdly, if the authority of the authentical Copies in Hebrew, Chaldee, and Greek fall: there is no high court of appeal, where controversy, (rising upon the diverstie of translations, or otherwiſe) may be ended; so that the exhortation of having, recourſe vnto the Law and to the Prophets, and of our Sauiour Christ asking how it is written, and how readest thou are now either of none effect, or not sufficient : whilest disgracers and disgraders of the Scripture have taught men to say, that the copies are corrupted, and the sense changed.

Fourthly, nay, not only our estate is worse then theirs under the law, and in our Saviour Christs time: but worse then theirs which lived some hundred yeares after Christ, when the ancient Fathers exhorted in such cases, that men should make suite unto the originall Scriptures,to have an end of their controversies.

Fifthly, Yea their owne Gratiian out of Augustine falsly (alleged for Jerom) sendeth us in deciding of differences, not to the old translator, but to the originals of the Hebrew in the old,and of the Greek: in the new Teſtament. They use quarrelously surmise againſt us, that we abbridge the priviledges of the Churches of our dayes, becauſe we accord them not to be so ample in every point, as they were when the Apostles lived.

Sixthly, But woe unto the Churches of our days, if the Scriptures be (as the Papiſts would beare us in hand) corrupted, if the Charters and records whereby we hold the inheritance of the kingdom of heauen, are razed, or otherwise falsified, if we have not wherewith to convey our selves to be children unto the heauenly Father, & Prieſts unto God in Jeſus Chriſt, further then from the hand of ſuch a scribe and Notarie as both might erre, and hath erred diverſy.

Seventhly, these evidences were safely and surely kept, when one only Nation of the Jewes, and the same sometimes (a few excepted) unfaithfull, bare the keyes of the Lords Librarie : now when there be many Nations that have the keyes unto the Arke or Counter wherein they are kept, it is altogether uncredible, that there should be such packing, or such defect as the adverſary doth wickedly suppose.

Eighthly, Again, if the Lord have kept unto us the book of Leviticus, and (in it) the ceremonies (which are abolished and whereof there is now no practice) for that they have a necessary and profitable use in the Church of God; how much more is it to be esteemed, that his providence hath watched over other bookes of the Scripture which more properly belong unto our times.

Last of all (passing by other reasons which might further be alledged) let ss hear the Scripture itself, witnessing of it own authority and durableness to all ages

Of all which matter, it is evident, that not only the matter of the Scripture, but also the words, not only the sense and meaning of them, but the manner and frame of speech in them do remain. For seeing the Scripture remaineth, which wholly both for matter and words is inspired of God, it must follow that the same words wherein the old and new Testament were written and indited by the hand of God, do remaine. For how great difference there is between the things both words and matter, that have Passed through the mouth or pen of God, and those which come from a mortal man, may appear by the sayings of the Poets taken up of the Holy Ghost.

(Confutation of the Rhemist Translation)