The divine argument: Word, signs, and senses; Moses and Aaron; Christ the legate of legates

XV. The divine argument by which the Holy Spirit through His legates persuades humans that what they propose is infallibly God's Word — which all to whom it is sufficiently proposed must receive as God's Word, so that those who do not are condemned as unbelievers — contains three things: (1) the Word itself, which God or some legate in God's name has spoken; (2) certain signs and testimonies by which humans not wholly obstinate are persuaded this is from God; (3) eyes, ears, sense and reason, by which they can infallibly perceive that Word and those signs.

1. When God sent Moses and Aaron, He gave them the Word and signs, but had already given sense and intellect to His people (Exodus 4:30; Exodus 19:9). Therefore Israel gladly embraced Moses' word as divine (Deuteronomy 5:27).

2. Those signs were efficacious not only among eyewitnesses (αὐτόπται) but among posterity, who have fathers' history and tradition instead of eyewitnesses (Psalm 44:2; Psalm 78:2; Deuteronomy 4:9-Deuteronomy 4:10).

3. Other prophets followed Moses with equal authority, agreeing with the sacred letters already complete and pressing that no new worship be received.

4. The legate of legates, Apostle and High Priest of our confession, is JESUS CHRIST, whom Moses foretold (Deuteronomy 18:15). Testimony: sacred letters (John 5:39, John 5:46; Luke 24:46; Acts 10:43); John the Baptist (John 1:7); God's voice from heaven (Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5; 2 Peter 1:16); miracles (John 5:36; John 10:25); resurrection (Romans 1:4); ascension (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9). As prophets followed Moses, so the Apostles followed Christ.