De Moor II: Outline of the Principium of Theology, or Sacred Scripture

This Chapter contains a Treatment of the Principium of Theology, or SACRED SCRIPTURE:

I.  A Nominal Treatment:  in which the reason the denomination of Sacred Scripture is explained, § 1.

II.  A Real Treatment:  in which a very full Definition of Sacred Scripture occurs, § 2, of which is explained:

A.  The Genus, which is the Word of God, which our AUTHOR discusses, § 3-11.

א.  That Word is considered as:

α.  Formerly ἄγραφον/unwritten,

a.  With the prophecy of Enoch, etc., not hindering,

b.  On account of various reasons, § 3.

β.  Afterwards ἔγγραφον/written at the Commandment of God, who

a.  Is shown to have given a Commandment

a.  To write to His Ministers,

b.  To read to His people, § 4, part 1.

b.  Hence the twofold Error of the Papists is rejected,

a.  That the Scripture was written down only by chance and at the bare pleasure of men.

b.  That the Scripture is not necessary, § 4, part 2.

ב.  That is called the Word of God, especially on account of its Infallible Inspiration; of which

α.  The Object is set forth, which are

a.  All the Persons, that wrote or are set forth as impelled by the Spirit to speak.

b.  All the Matters, dogmatic and historical, good and bad, more or less weighty, which last is defended against the Socinians.

c.  The individual Words, § 5.

β.  The Certitude of θεοπνευστίας/inspiration and of the connected Authority of Scripture in itself and with respect to us,

a.  Is asserted in a legitimate manner, § 6

b.  And that method of proving the Divinity of the Scripture is defended against the false method of the Papists, whose captious objections are refuted, § 7.

γ.  The Authority of Scripture, proceeding from Inspiration, as, with respect to Substance, is in every faithful Edition of the Scripture, so, with respect to the Words also, it is taught to be Independent and Authentic,

a.  Positively, only in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament and Greek text of the New Testament, which

a.  Is proven, § 8.

b.  Is defended especially against the Papists, disparaging the current Authenticity of those texts, whose Objections are resolved, § 9.

b.  Negatively, hence is rejected the Authenticity

a.  Of the Vulgate Latin Version of the Papists, which thesis

1.  Is confirmed by Arguments,

2.  Is freed from the Objections of the Papists, § 10.

b.  Of the Samaritan Pentateuch, § 11, in the beginning,

c.  Of the Greek Version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, vulgarly called Viralis, which

1.  Is built upon by Reasons,

2.  Is defended against Objections, § 11.

B.  Its Differences of Species, sought from

א.  The efficient, instrumental Cause, or Amanuenses, the Prophets and Apostles, of whose ministry God made use in the writing of His Word, § 12.

ב.  The Material from which and the external Form, which

α.  Positively is related, § 13-18.

a.  The Material of Composition of the Sacred Scripture is the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testaments, the number and division of which is discussed, § 13.

b.  The present Form the Canon of θεοπνεύστων/inspired Books receives by the reception of those Books into the Canon by the Church, to which was competent

a.  The Separation of those Books from the ἀκανονίστοις/non-canonical,

b.  The Arrangement, Inscription, Subscription, Division into Chapters, etc., of the same, § 14.

c.  The proper Attributes of these Canonical Books are,

a.  That they have never perished:

1.  Neither all at the same time in the Babylonian devastation of the City and Temple of Jerusalem, § 15.

2.  Nor any one individually, which

§.  Is proven,

§§.  Is defended against Objections, § 16.

b.  That enduring, all the Canonical books remain,

1.  Always, even those Old Testament books under the New, which against the Anabaptists, etc.,

§.  Is proven.

§§.  Their Objections are resolved, § 17.

2.  Equally, which is observed

§.  Against the Socinians and those Socinianizing, who sometimes make light of the predictions of the Prophets.

§§.  Against the Papists, distinguishing between Books Proto- and Deutero-Canonical, § 18.

β.  Negatively from the Canon of θεοπνεύστων/inspired books are excluded the books that are called Apocryphal, the repudiation of which

a.  Is confirmed, § 19.

b.  Is defended against the Objections of the Papists, who hold six of those as Canonical, and of others, § 20.

ג.  The Object or internal Material, the Material concerning which, or the Argument of Sacred Scripture, which

α.  Is taught to be the Doctrine of true Religion, unto which all the remaining things occurring in the Scriptures ought to be referred in their own manner, § 21.

β.  The Mode is explained, in which concerning its own Object the Scripture is conversant.  That is, Scripture relates that

a.  Truly, and indeed equally Truly in all things, Natural things not excepted, which is proven and defended, § 22.

b.  Consistently with itself, to such an extent that no Contradictions, rightly so called, are found among the Sacred Books, § 23.

c.  Perspicuously, to such an extent that in necessary matters it is able to be understood by those reading piously.  Which perspicuity

a.  Negatively, is not Objective, and to such an extent is not able to be understood savingly apart from the Illumination of the Spirit:  which

1.  Is proven,

2.  Is defended against the Socinians, § 24.

b.  Positively, is Subjective:  which Subjective Perspicuity

1.  Is proven against the Papists, § 25.

2.  Is freed from their Objections, § 26.

d.  Perfectly; in such a way that

a.  Positively we hold that the Dogmas necessary for Salvation are contained Perfectly and Sufficiently in Sacred Scripture:  which

1.  Is proven by arguments,

2.  Is defended against various Objections, § 27.

b.  Negatively we reject,

1.  Both the Traditions of the Papists orally propagated, which Traditions

§.  Are refuted by arguments, § 28.

§§.  A response is given to the Objections of the Papists on behalf of the same, § 29.

2.  And the Enthusiasts’ private Revelations of the Spirit, as if these might be another principium of the Faith:  which again

§.  Are confuted, § 30.

§§.  A response is given to the Objections of the Enthusiasts, § 31.

ד.  The Proximate End, which is that it might be a perpetual Canon or Rule of Faith and Manners:  Which

α.  End itself

a.  Is proven,

b.  Is defended against the Papists, § 32.

β.  The Means tending toward this end are exhibited:  which are

a.  The Translation of the Scripture into the vernacular Languages, of which

a.  The Propriety and Necessity is proven, § 33.

b.  The Respect due to Versions is asserted, § 34.

b.  The Reading of the Scripture before and by a Christian people, which

a.  Is asserted validly, § 35.

b.  Is defended against the Papists forbidding the Reading of the Bible to the people, § 36.

c.  The Understanding of the Sense of Scripture.  Where

a.  The Subject is discussed by our AUTHOR, or the Sense of Sacred Scripture, which

1.  He observes,

§.  Is commonly said to be only One by us, and that either Simple, or Composite.

§§.  But is everywhere established by the Papists as Twofold, Literal and Mystical, which Mystical again is Allegorical, Tropological, or Anagogical, § 37.

2.  His own Epicrisis concerning that, which concerning the Sense of Sacred Scripture he thinks is to be held, our AUTHOR subjoins in five distinct theses, § 38.

b.  And as far as the Predicate, of Understanding, is concerned, to this the Interpretation of Scripture and the Judgment of Controversies of Faith have regard.  Of these matters is determined

1.  The Subject, with which they agree.  And thus

§.  The Private Judgment of Discernment agrees with individual Believers; which

 ̸.  Is proven,

̸ ̸.  Is defended against the Papists, § 39, in the beginning.

§§.  A Judgment Ministerial, public, and externally definitive, agrees with the Overseers of the Church, which is proven, § 39, in the middle.

§§§.  The Judgment Normative or directive agrees with the Scripture itself, § 39, near the end.

§§§§.  Whether there be in addition a Judge, Supreme and ἀνυπεύθενος, not accountable, in the Church, is disputed, § 39, at the end.

̸.  Negatively our AUTHOR holds that this Dignity is not to be bestowed upon

̅ .  An Enthusiastical Spirit, § 40a.

̲̅ .  Human Reason or Philosophy, which, against the Socinians and various Philosophers,

†.  Is proven,

††.  Is defended, § 40b.

̶̲̅ .  The Church, which

†.  Our AUTHOR proves by various arguments, § 41,

††.  And defends against the Objections of the Papists, who maintain the contrary, § 42.

̸ ̸.  Positively he concludes that this honor agrees with the Holy Spirit Alone, speaking now in the Word Written; which our AUTHOR

̅ .  Proves,

̲̅ .  Defends against various arguments, § 43.

2.  The Object:  which our AUTHOR relates

§.  Negatively not to be Dominical sayings alone:

§§.  Positively, however, he maintains that the Interpretation of Scripture is extended to the whole Scripture, with the treatment of the Prophecies or of Controversial Passages not excluded, § 44.

3.  The Method of arriving at the true Understanding of the Scriptures, and a right Judgment concerning matters of faith:  to this have regard

§.  The various Means of Interpretation, which are

̸ .  Positively

̅ .  Prayers,

̲̅ .  A Spirit humble, teachable, etc.,

̶̲̅ .  The Resources of other Interpretations, an investigation of the original Languages;

̶̲͇̅ .  The Analogies

†.  Of Faith,

††.  Of Context, § 45.

̸ ̸.  Negatively the thesis of the Papists is not admitted, who maintain that the Unanimous Exposition of the Fathers is the best Means of true Interpretation and at the same time a most certain criterion.  Which

̅ .  Opinion is refuted, § 46.

̲̅ .  The Objections of the Papists are resolved, § 47.

§§.  The Canons to be observed in Interpretation:  of which sort are

̸ .  The Interpretation of Scripture, as it ought to be done through clearer words of the Scripture itself.

̸ ̸.  In that, there is to be no receding from the propriety of the words.

̸ ̸ ̸.  There is to be no transfer unto a Mystical Sense upon a slight basis, § 48.

̸ ̸ ̸ ̸.  The Force of the Words is to be retained, as far as the Analogy of Faith and of Context permits.  With which Canon is compared that other traditional Canon:  The Words signify all that, which they are able to signify, § 49.

ה.  The Highest End,

α.  Both subordinate, the Salvation of the Elect,

β.  And supreme, the Glory of God, § 50.