Schaff - History of the Christian Church Vol. 8 - Media Sabda Org

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in a surprising manner; but if, after reading them, you turn to the perusal of
the sacred volume, whether you are willing or unwilling, it will affect you
so powerfully, it will so penetrate your heart, and impress itself so strongly
on your mind, that, compared with its energetic influence, the beauties of
rhetoricians and philosophers will almost entirely disappear; so that it is
easy to perceive something divine in the sacred Scriptures, which far
surpass the highest attainments and ornaments of human industry.
2. “I grant, indeed, that the diction of some of the prophets is neat and
elegant, and even splendid; so that they are not inferior in eloquence to the
heathen writers. And by such examples the Holy Spirit hath been pleased to
show that he was not deficient in eloquence, though elsewhere he hath
used a rude and homely style. But whether we read David, Isaiah, and
others that resemble them, who have a sweet and pleasant flow of words,
or Amos, the herdsman, Jeremiah, and Zechariah, whose rougher language
savors of rusticity; that majesty of the Spirit which I have mentioned is
everywhere conspicuous .... With respect to the sacred Scripture, though
presumptuous men try to cavil at various passages, yet it is evidently
replete with sentences which are beyond the powers of human conception.
Let all the prophets be examined, not one will be found who has not far
surpassed the ability of men; so that those to whom their doctrine is insipid
must be accounted utterly destitute of all true taste ....
11. “If we proceed to the New Testament, by what solid foundations is its
truth supported ? Three evangelists recite their history in a low and mean
style. Many proud men are disgusted with that simplicity because they
attend not to the principal points of doctrine; whence it were easy to infer,
that they treat of heavenly mysteries which are above human capacity.
They who have a spark of ingenuous modesty will certainly be ashamed, if
they peruse the first chapter of Luke. Now the discourses of Christ, a
concise summary of which is comprised in these three evangelists, easily
exempt their writings from contempt. But John, thundering from his
sublimity, more powerfully than any thunderbolt, levels to the dust the
obstinacy of those whom he does not compel to the obedience of faith. Let
all those censorious critics, whose supreme pleasure consists in banishing
all reverence for the Scripture out of their own hearts and the hearts of
others, come forth to public view. Let them read the Gospel of John:
whether they wish it or not, they will there find numerous passages, which,
at least, arouse their indolence and which will even imprint a horrible brand
on their consciences to restrain their ridicule; similar is the method of Paul