DO NOT
ADD TO OR TAKE AWAY FROM THIS PROPHECY. JOHN DOWNAME: In every age the whole truth of God was
delivered by a lively voice as concerning the substance of the doctrine,
although in greater clearness upon the coming of Christ than ever it was
before, and last and perfectly (in which we are now to rest, both for their
substance and manner of revelation) it is fully and absolutely comprehended in
the Scriptures. So we shall not need to fly either to visions and revelations,
or to human traditions and intentions, to unwritten truths, sentences of
fathers, canons of councils, and so on to help us, but all is to be had in the
written Word, for when our Savior says, “You err, not knowing the Scriptures,”
he manifestly teaches that all truth is to be learned from there. And the
apostle commended the Scriptures as being able to make us wise unto salvation:
“For the whole Scripture,” he says, “is inspired of God and is profitable unto
doctrine, unto reproof, unto correction, unto instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be perfect, perfectly fitted to every good work.”
Seeing the Word of God is able to thoroughly furnish a minister with
all these four things (comprehending all that can be necessary), the one who is
to disclose the whole counsel of God to the people, it must be able to inform a
common Christian unto salvation. John also gives this testimony of the
Scriptures, that they are written to the end that, believing, we might have
everlasting life. And Revelation he concludes with this most earnest
protestation, “If anyone add to the words of the prophecy of this book, God
will add to that one the seven plagues written in this book; and if anyone take
away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away that one’s
part of the tree of life.” This, if it is true in that one book alone, how much
more shall it hold in all the books of Scripture set together? SUM OF SACRED DIVINITY.
(Revelation, ed. Rodney Petersen, Gerald L. Bray, and Timothy
George [Reformation Commentary on Scripture 15; Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP
Academic, 2025], 169-70)
