being wiser then any others and more able to discerne then they Now though I shall easily grant them to be very subtle and cunning yet that they are so much wiser then all the world besides that they are meet to impose upon their beliefe things that they neither do nor can discerne or know I would not be thought to admit untill I can believe my selfe and all others not of their society or combination to be beasts of the field and they as the serpent amongst us Sect. 26. If it be from the Scripture that they seek to make Good this claime then as we cause them there to make a stand which is all we aime at so their plea must be from the promise of some speciall Assistance granted to them for that purpose if their assistance be that of the spirit it is either of the spirit that is promised to believers to worke in them as before described and related or it is some private Testimony that they pretend is afforded to them If the former be affirmed we are in a condition wherein the necessity of devolving all on the scripture its selfe to decide and judge who are beleivers lies in every ones view if the latter who shall give me Assurance that when they pretend that witnesse and Testimony they do not lye and deceive we must here certainly go either to the Scrippture or to some cunning man to be resolved Isa 8. 19 20. Sect. 27. I confesse the Argument which hath not long since been singled out and dextrovsly mannaged by an able and learned pen namely of proving the Truth of the doctrine of the Scripture from the Truth of the story and the Truth of the story from the certainty there is that the Writers of the Books of the Bible were those Persons whose names and inscriptions they beare so pursuing the Evidence that what they wrote was true and known to them so to be from all requisita that may possibly be sought after for the strengthening of such Evidence is of great force and efficacy It is I say of great force and efficacy as to the end for which it is insisted on that is to satisfy mens rational Enquiries but as to a ground of faith it hath the same insufficiency with all other Arguments of the like kind Though I should grant that the Apostles penmen of the Scripture were persons of the greatest industry honesty integrity faithfullnesse holinesse that ever lived in the world as they were and that they wrote nothing but what themselves had as Good Assurance of as what men by their senses of seeing and hearing are able to attaine yet such a Knowledge and Assurance is not a sufficient foundation for the faith of the Church of God if they received not every Word by inspiration and that evidencing it's selfe unto us otherwise then by the Authority of their Integrity it can be no foundation for us to build our faith upon Sect. 28. Before the committing of the Scriptures to writing God had given the World an Experiment what keepers men were of this Revelation by tradition Within some hundreds of yeares after the flood all knowledge of him through the craft of Sathan and the vanity of the minds of men which is unspeakable was so lost that nothing but as it were the creation of a new World or the Erection of a new Church state by new Revelations could relieve it After that great triall what can be farther pretended on the behalfe of Tradition I know not Sect. 29. The summe of all is The mercifull Good Providence of God having by divers and various meanes using therin amongst other things the ministry of men and Churches preserved the Writings of the Old and New Testament in the World and by the same gratious disposall afforded them unto us they are received and submitted unto by us upon the Grounds and evidences of their divine Originall before insisted on Sect 30. Upon the whole matter then I would know whither if the Scriptures should be brought to any man when or where he could not possibly have it attested to be the Word of God by any publick or private Authority of man or Church Tradition or otherwise he were bound to believe it or no whither he should obey God in believing or sin in the rejecting of it suppose de do but take it into consideration doe but give it the reading or hearing seeing in every place it avers it's selfe to be the Word of God he must of necessity either give credit unto it or disbelieve it To hang in suspense which ariseth from the imperfect actings of the faculties of the soule is in it's selfe a weaknesse and in this case being reckoned no the worst side is interpretatively a Rejection If you say it were the duty of such an one to believe it you acknowledge in the scripture it 's selfe a sufficient Evidence of it's own originall Authority without which it can be no man's duty to believe it If you say it would not be his sinne to reject and refuse it to disbelieve all that it speakes in the name of God then this is that you say God may truly and really speake unto a man as he doth by the Scripture and yet that man not be bound to believe him We deale not thus with one another Sect. 31. To wind up then the plea insisted on in the foregoing Chapter concerning the selfe evidencing Light and Power of the Scripture from which we have diverted and to make way for some other considerations that tend to the confirmation of their divine Originall I shall close this discourse with the two generall considerations following Sect. 32. 1 Then laying aside these failing pleas there seemes to be a morall impossibility that the Word of God should not manifest it 's own Originall and it's Authority from thence Quaelibet herba deum There is no Worke of God as was shewed but reveales it's Authour A curious Artificer imparts that of forme shape proportion and comelinesse to the fruit of his Invention and worke of his hands that every one that looks upon it must conclude that it comes from skill and Ability A man in the delivery of his mind in the writing of a Book will give it such an impression of Reason that though you cannot conclude that this or that man wrote it yet you must that it was the product of a man or Rationall creature yea some individuall men of Excellency in some skill are instantly knowne by them that are able to judge in that Art or skill by the Effects of their skill This is the Peice this is the hand the Worke of such an one How easy is it for those who are conversant about antient Authours to discover an Authour by the spirit and stile of his writings Now certainly this is strange beyond all beliefe that almost every Agent should give an impresse to it's worke whereby it may be appropriated unto him and only the
preheminence that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 2. 3. it received it's beginning of being spoken by the Lord himselfe God spake in these last dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Son Heb. 1. 1. Sect. 24. Thus God who himselfe began the writing of the Word with his own finger Exod. 31. 11 after he had spoken it Exod. 20 appointing or approving the writing of the rest that followed Deut. 31. 12. Josh 23. 6. 1 King 2 3. 2 King 14. 6. 2 King 17. 13. 1 Chron. 21. 15. 2 Chron. 25. 4 4. Ezek. 2. 9 10. Hab. 2. 2. Luk. 16. 29. Joh. 5. 39. Joh. 20. 31. Act. 17. 11 doth lastly command the close of the immediate Revelation of his Will to be written in a Book Re. 1. 11 and so gives out the whole of his Mind and counsell unto us in writing as a mercifull and stedfast reliefe against all that confusion darknesse and uncertainty which the vanity folly and loosnesse of the minds of men drawne out and heightned by the unspeakable alterations that fall out amongst them would otherwise have certainly run into Sect. 25. Thus we have laid down the Originall of the Scriptures from the Scripture it 's selfe and this Originall is the basis and foundation of all it's Authority Thus is it from God entirely from him As to the Doctrine contained in it and the Words wherein that Doctrine is delivered it is wholly his what that speakes He speakes himselfe He speakes in it and by it and so it is vested with all the morall Authority of God over his Creatures CHAP. II. The maine Question proposed to consideration How we may know assuredly the Scripture to be the word of God The Scripture to be received by divine faith The Ground and foundation of that faith enquired after The Answer in the Generall Thesis of this discourse The Authority of God that foundation The way whereby that Authority is evidenced or made knowne What is meant by the Authority of the Scriptures Authority is in respect of others First generall Evidence given to the Thesis laid downe The various wayes of Gods Revealing him selfe and his mind 1 By his works 2. By the light of nature 3. By his word Each of these evince themselves to be from him His word especially Sect. 1. HAving laid in the foregoing Chapter the foundation that we are to build and proceed upon I come now to lay downe the Enquiry whose Resolution must thence be educed That then which we are seeking after is How We and the rest of men in the world who through the mercifull dispensation of God have the Book or Books wherein the Scripture given out from him as above declared is contained or said to be contained who live so many Ages from the last Person who received any part of it immediately from God or who have not received it immediately our selves may come to be assertained as to all ends and purposes wherein we may be concerned therein that the whole and entire written word in that Book or those Books hath the original consequently the Authority that it pleads and avowes namely that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from God in the way and manner laid down and not the Invention of men attending 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1. 26 or to cuningly devised fables Sect. 2. Now seeing it is expected from us and required of us by God himselfe and that on the penalty of his eternall Displeasure if we faile in our duty 2 Thes 1. 8 9 10. that we receive the Scripture not as we doe other Books in relation to their Author with a firme Opinion built on prevailing probable Arguments prevalent against any actuall conclusions to the contrary but with divine and supernaturall faith omitting all such inductions as serve only to ingenerate a perswasion not to be cast out of the mind by contrary reasonings or objections it is especially inquired what is the foundatiō formall Reason of our doing so if we so do Whatever that be it returns an answer to this important Question why or on what Account do you believe the Scriptures or Books of the old and new Testament to be the word of God Now the formall Reason of things being but one what ever consideration may be had of other inducements or Arguments to beget in us a Perswasion that the Scripture is the Word of God yet they have no influence into that divine faith wherewith we are bound to believe them They may indeed be of some use to repell the objections that are or may by any be raised against the Truth we believe and so indirectly cherish and further faith its selfe but as to a Concurrence unto the foundation or formall Reason of our believing it is not capable of it Sect. 3. Having then laid downe the Divine Originall of the Scriptures and opened the manner of the Word 's coming forth from God an Answer shall now on that sole foundation be returned to the Enquiry laid down And this I shall do in the ensuing Position The Authority of God the supreame Lord of all the first and only absolute Truth whose Word is Truth speaking in and by the Penmen of the Scriptures evidenced singly in and by the Scripture its selfe is the sole bottome and foundation or formall Reason of our assenting to those Scriptures as his word and of our submitting our hearts and Consciences unto them with that faith and obedience which morally respects him and is due to him alone Sect. 4 God speaking in the Penmen of the Scripture Heb. 1. 1 his Voyce to them was accompanied with its own Evidence which gave Assurance unto them And God speaking by them or their Writings unto us his Word is accompanied with its own Evidence and gives Assurance unto us His Authority and Veracity did and do in the one and the other sufficiently manifest themselves that men may quietly repose their Soules upon them in believing and obedience Thus are we built 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 2. 20. on the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles in our believing Sect. 5. That then which to the establishment of the Soules of Believers I shall labour to prove and evince is plainly this namely that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament do abundantly and uncontroleably manifest themselves to be the Word of the living God so that merely on the account of their own proposall of themselves unto us in the Name and Majesty of God as such without the contribution of help or Assistance from Tradition Church or any thing else without themselves we are obliged upon the penalty of eternall damnation as are all to whom by any meanes they come or are brought to receive them with that subjection of soule which is due to the Word of God The Authority of God shining in them they afford unto us all the divine Evidence of themselves which God is willing to grant unto us
The Ground of the Request for the rising of one from the dead is laid in the common Apprehension of men not knowing the power of God in the Scriptures who thinke that if an evident miracle were wrought all pretences and pleas of Unbeliefe would be excluded who doth not think so Our Saviour discovers that mistake and lets men know that those who will not owne or submit to the Authority of God in the Word would not be moved by the most signall miracles imaginable If an holy man whom we had known assuredly to have been dead for some yeares should rise out of his grave and come unto us with a message from God could any man doubt whether he were sent unto us of God or no I suppose not The rising of men from the dead was the greatest miracle that attended the Resurrection of our Saviour Math. 27. 52 53. yea greater then his owne if the Socinians may be beleived namely in that he raised not himselfe by his owne power yet the evidence of the mission of such an One the Authority of God speaking in him our Saviour being Judge is not of an Efficacy to enforce beleife beyond that which is in the Written Word nor a surer foundation for faith to repose its selfe upon Sect. 15. Could we heare a Voice from Heaven accompanied with such a divine power as to evidence its selfe to be from God should we not rest in it as such I suppose men think they would can we think that any man should withdraw his Assent and say yea but I must have some Testimony that this is from God All such Evasions are precluded in the supposition wherein a selfe evidencing Power is granted What greater miracles did the Apostles of Christ ever behold or heare then that Voice that came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the most excellent Glory This is my beloved Son yet Peter who heard that voice tells us that comparatively we have greater security from and by the Written Word then they had in and by that miraculous voice We have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we heard saith he that voice indeed but we have a more sure word of Prophesy to attend unto More sure not in in its selfe but in its giveing out its Evidence unto us And how doth it appear so to be The Reason he alledges for it was before insisted on 2 Pet. 1. 18 19 20. Sect. 16. Yea suppose that God should speak to us from Heaven as he spake to Moses or as he spake to Christ or from some certaine place as Numb 7. 8 9. How should we be able to know it to be the Voice of God Cannot Sathan cause a Voice to be heard in the Aire and so deceive us or may not there be some way in this kind found out whereby men might impose upon us with their delusions Pope Celestine thought he heard a voice from heaven when it was but the cheat of his Successor Must We not rest at last in that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which accompanies the true Voice of God evidencing its selfe and ascertaining the Soule beyond all possibility of mistake Now did not this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accompany the written Word at its first giving forth if it did not as was said how could any man be obliged to discerne it from all delusions if it did how came it to loose it did God appoint his word to be Written that so he might destroy its Authority If the Question be whether the doctrines proposed to be believed are Truths of God or cunningly devised fables we are sent to the Scripture its selfe and that alone to give the Determination CHAP. IV. Innate Arguments in the Scripture of its divine originall and Authority These the formall Reason of our Believing It s selfe evidencing Efficacy All light mâ—nifests it selfe The Scripture Light What kind of Light it is Spirituall light evidentiall The ground of mens not discerning this Light Consectaries from the Premises laid down What the selfe Evidencing Light of the Scripture peculiarly is The Proposition of the Scripture as an object of faith is from and by this Light Power selfe Evidencing The Scripture the Power of God And Powerfull How this Power exerts its selfe The whole Question resolved § 1. HAving given some few instances of those many Testimonies which the Scripture in expresse Termes beares to its selfe and the spring rise and fountaine of all that Authority which it claimes among and over the sons of men which all those who pretend on any account whatever to owne and acknowledge its Divinity are bound to stand to and are obliged by The second thing proposed or the innate Arguments that the Word of God is furnished withall for its owne manifestation and whereby the Authority of God is revealed for faith to repose its selfe upon comes in the next place into consideration Now these Arguments containe the full and formall Grounds of our Answer to that enquiry before laid downe namely why and wherefore we doe receive and beleive the Scripture to be the word of God It being the formall Reason of our faith that whereon it is built and whereunto it is resolved that is enquired after we answer as we said before we do so receive embrace believe and submit unto it because of the Authority of God who speaks it or gave it forth as his Mind and Will evidencing its selfe by the spirit in and with that word unto our minds and Consciences or because that the Scripture being brought unto us by the good Providence of God in Waies of his Appointment and Preservation it doth evidence its selfe infallibly unto our consciences to be the Word of the living God Sect. 2. The selfe evidencing Efficacy of the Scripture and the grounds of it which consist in common mediums that have an extent and latitude answerable to the Reasons of men whether as yet they acknowledge it to be the Word of God or no is that then which in the remainder of this discourse I shall indeavour to cleare and vindicate This only I shall desire to premise that whereas some Grounds of this efficacy seeme to be placed in the things themselves contained in the Scripture I shall not consider them abstractedly as such but under the formality of their being the Scripture or Written Word of God without which consideration and Resolution the things mentioned would be left naked and utterly devested of their Authority and efficacy pleaded for and be of no other nature and importance then the same things found in other Books It is the Writing its selfe that now supplies the place and Roome of the Persons in and by whom God originally spake to men As were the Persons speaking of old so are the Writings now It was the Word spoken that was to be believed yet as spoken by them from God and it is now the Word written that is to be believed yet as written by the Command and Appointment of God Sect.
Word wherein it was the designe of the Great and Holy God to give us a portraiture as it were of his Wisdome Holinesse and Goodnesse so farre as we are capable of an Acquaintance with him in this Life is not able to declare and evince it's Originall That God who is prima Veritas the first and soveraigne Truth infinitely seperated and distinguished from all creatures on all accounts whatever should Write a Book or at least immediately indite it commanding us to receive it as his under the penalty of his Eternall displeasure and yet that Booke not make a sufficient discovery of it's selfe to be his to be from him is past all beliefe Let men that live on things received by Tradition from their Fathers who perhaps never had sense of any reall Transaction betweene God and their soules who scarse ever perused the Word seriously in their lives nor brought their Consciences to it please themselves in their owne imaginations The sure Anchor of a soule that would draw nigh to God in and by his Word lyes in the things laid downe Sect. 33. I suppose it will not be denyed but that it was the Mind and Will of God that those to whom his Word should come should owne it and receive it as his if not it were no sinne in them to reject it unto whom it doth so come if it were then either he hath given those Characters unto it and left upon it that impression of his majesty whereby it might be knowne to be his or he hath not done so and that either because he would not or because he could not To say the latter is to make him more iâ—firme than a man or other wormes of the earth than any naturally eâ—fectuall cause He that saith the former must know that it is incumbent on him to yeild a satisfactory account why God would not doe so or else he will be thought blasphemously to impute a want of that Goodnesse Love of mankind unto him which he hath in infinite Grace manifested to be in himselfe That no man is able to assigne any such Reason I shall firmly believe untill I find some attempting so to doe which as yet none have arrived at that height of Impudence and wickednesse as to owne Sect. 34. 2ly How horrible is it to the thoughts of any Saint of God that the scripture should not have it's Authority from it's selfe Tertullian objects this to the Gentiles Apol. Cap. 5. Facit hoc ad causam nostram quod apud vos de humano arbitratu divinitas pensitatur nisi homini Deus placuerit Deus non erit homo jaâ— Deo propitiâ—s esse debebit Would it be otherwise in this case if the Scripture must stand to the mercy of man for the Reputation of its Divinity nay of its verity for whence it hath its Authority thence it hath its verity also as was observed before and many more words of this nature might be added CHAP. VI. Consequentiall considerations for the confirmation of the divine Authority of the Scripture Sect. 1. I said in the former Chapter that I would not employ my selfe willingly â—o enervate or weaken any of the Reasons or Arguments that are usually insisted on to prove the divine Authority of the Scripture Though I confesse I like not to multiply Arguments that conclude to a probability only and are suited to beget a firme Opinion at best where the principle intended to be evinced is de fide and must be beleived with faith divine and supernaturall Yet because some may happily be kept to some kind of Adherence to the Scriptures by meane grounds that will not in their owne strength abide untill they get footing in those that are more firme I shall not make it my businesse to drive them from their present station having perswaded them by that which is better Sect. 2. Yea because on Supposition of the Evidence formerly tenderd there may be great use at severall seasons of some consequentiall considerations and Arguments to the purpose in hand I shall insist on two of that kind which to me who have the Advantage of receiving the Word on the forementioned account seeme not only to perswade and in a great measure to convince to undeniable probability but also to prevaile irresistably on the understanding of unprejudiced men to close with the divine Truth of it Sect. 3. The first of these is taken from the nature of the doctrine its selfe contained in the Scripture the second from the mannagement of the whole designe therein the first is innate the other of a more externall and Rationall consideration Sect. 4. For the first of them there are two things considerable in the doctrine of the Scripture that are powerfull and if I may so say uncontroleably prevalent as to this purpose Sect. 5. First its universall suitablenesse upon its first cleare discovery and Revelation to all the Entanglements and perpleâ—ities of the soules of men in reference to their Relation to and dependance upon God If all mankind have certaine Entanglements upon their hearts and spirits in reference unto God which none of them that are not utterly brutish do not wrestle withall and which all of them are not able in the least to assoyle themselves in and about certainly that Doctrine which is suited universally to satisfy all their perplexities to calme and quiet their spiâ—its in all their tumultuatings and doth break in upon them with a glorious Efficacy to that purpose in its discovery and Revelation must needs be from that God with whom we have to doe and none else From whom else I pray should it be He that can give out such a Word ille mihi semper erit Deus Sect. 6. Now there are 3 generall heads of things that all and every one of mankind not naturally brutish are perplexed withall in reference to their dependance on God and Relation to him 1 How they may worship him as they ought 2 How they may be reconciled and at peace with him or have an Attonement for that guilt which naturally they are sensible of 3 VVhat is the nature of true Blessednesse and how they may attaine it or how they may come to the enjoyment of God Sect. 7. That all mankind is perplexed and entangled with and about these Considerations that all men ever were so without Exception more or lesse and continue so to be to this day that of themselves they miserably grope up and down in the dark and are never able to come to any satisfaction neither as to what is present nor as to what is to come I could manifest from the State Office and condition of conscience the indelible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and presumptions about them that are in the hearts of all by nature The whole History of all Religion which hath been in the World with the designe of All antient and present Philosophy with innumerable other uncontroleable Convictions which also God assisting I shall in
late dayes It is not imaginable what prejudice the Sacred truth of the Scripture preserved by the infinite love and care of God hath already suffered hereby and what it may further suffer for my part I cannot but tremble to think Lay but these two Principles together namely that the points are a late invention of some Judaicall Rabbins on which account there is no reason in the world that we should be bound unto them and that it is lawfull to gather various Lections by the help of Translations where there are no diversities in our present Copies which are owned in the Prolegomena to the Biblia Polyglotta and for my part I must needs cry cut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as not seeing any meanes of being delivered from utter uncertaintie in and about all sacred truth Those who have more wisdome learning are able to look throngh all the digladiations that are likely to ensue on these principles I hope will rather take paines to instruct me and such as I am then be angry or offended with us that we are not so wise or learned as themselves In the meane time I desire those who are shaken in mind by any of the specious pretences of Capellus and others to consider the specimen given us of reconciling the difficulties that they lay as the ground of their conjectures in the miscellany notes or Exercitations of the learned Mr Pocock as usefull and learned a worke as is extant in that kinde in so few sheets of paper The dangerous and causelesse attempts of men to rectifie our present copies of the Bible the Reader may there also find discovered and confuted But we have not as yet done there is a new invention of Capellus greatly applauded amongst the men of these opinions He tels us lib. 6. c. 10. Crit. Sâ—cr Planum est omnem quae hodiè est in terrarum orbe linguae Hebraicae cognitionem servandam tandèm esse ascribendam Graecae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. Sacrorum Bibliorum translationi This is greedily taken up by Morinus as nothing could be spoken more to his purpose who also tells us that the learned Prefacer to these Biblia Polyglotta is of the same judgement Morin Praefat ad opusc Haebr Samarit Hereupon he informes us that in the Translation of the Pentateuch he went for the meaning of sundry words unto Hierome and the Translation of the 70. But it is not unknowne to these learned persons that Hierome whom one of them makes his rule tels us over and over that notwithstanding the Translation of the 70. he had his knowledge of the Hebrew Tongue from the Hebrew it selfe and the help of such Hebrews as he hired to his assistance And for Capellus is not that the Helena for which he contends and upon the matter the onely foundation of his sacred worke of Criticising on the Scripture that there was a succession of learned men of the Jewes at Tiberias untill an hundred yeares after Hierome who invented the Points of the Hebrew Bible and that not in an arbitrary manner but according to the tradition they had received from theÌ„ who spoke that language in its purity shall these men be thought to have had the knowledge of the Hebrew tongue from the Translation of the 70 Certainly they would not then have hated it so as he informes us they did But this thing is plainly ridiculous The Language gives us the knowledge of it selfe Considering the helps that by providence have been in all Ages and at all times afforded thereunto ever since the time wherein Capellus saies some knew it so well as to invent and affix the present Punctation there hath beene a succession of living or dead Masters to further the knowledge of it And this will not seem strange to them who have given us exact Translations of the Persian and Aethiopick pieces of Scripture In the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are little assisted by the 70. The chiefest seeming help unto this tongue is from the Arabick And thus have I given you a briefe account how by the subtilty of Satan there are principles crept in even amongst Protestants undermining the Authority of the Hebrew verity as it was called of Old wherein Hierusalem hath justified Samaria and cleared the Papists in their reproaching of the Word of God Of the New Testament I shall speake particularly in the second discourse ensuing Morinus indeed tels us de Heb Graec Tex Sincerit Exercitat 1. cap 1. p. 5. it is a jocular thing that the Hereticks in their Disputations do grant that there are Corruptions and various Lections in the Greek Latine copies of the Scripture but deny it as to the Hebrew but why I pray is this so ridiculous It is founded on no lesse stable bottome than this experience that whereas we evidently find various lections in the Greek copies which we enjoy and so grant that which ocular Inspection evinces to be true yet although men discover such virulent and bitter spirits against the Hebrew Text as this Morinus doth calling all men fooles or knaves that contend for its purity yet they are none of them able to shew out of any Copies yet extant in the World or that they can make appeare ever to have been extant that ever there were any such various lections in the Originalls of the Old Testament And is there any reason that we should be esteemed Ridiculous because believing our own eyes we will not also believe the Testimony of same few men of no credit with us asserting that for truth which we have abundant cause to believe to be utterly false But of these men so far I thought at the Entrance of my discourse to have also insisted on some other wayes whereby Satan in these daies assaults the sacred truth of the Word of God in its Authority Purity Integrity or Perfection especially in the Poor Deluded Fanaticall soules amongst us commonly called Quakers For the instruction of the younger sort against whose abominations I have subjoyned the Theses in the Close of the other Treatises But I am sensible how far already I have exceeded the bounds of a Preface unto so small Treatises as these ensuing and therefore giving a briefe account of my undertaking in this Cause of God and his Word for the vindication of the Authority and Integrity of it I shall put a Close to this discourse It may be some of you have heard me professing my unwillingnesse to appeare any more in the World this way I have not in some things met with such pleasing Entertainment as to encourage me unto it where I have been for Peace others have made themselves ready for war Some of them especially one of late neither understanding me nor the things that he writes about but his mind for opposition was to be satisfied This is the manner of not a few in their writings they measure other men by their own ignorance and what they know not themselves
God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and Godhead Rom. 1. 18 19 20 All which places God assisting shall be opened before long in another Treatise The summe of them amounts to what was before laid downe namely that God reveales and declares himselfe unto us by the VVorks of his hands Sect. 11. God declares himselfe his Soveraigne power and Authority his Righteousnesse and Holinesse by the innate or ingrafted light of nature and Principles of the consciences of men That indispensible morall obedience which he requireth of us as his creatures subject to his law is in generall thus made knowne unto us For the Gentiles which have not the law doe by nature the things contained in the law they having not the law are a law unto themselves shewing the work of the law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing witnesse and their thoughts in the meane time excusing or accusing one another Rom. 2. 14 15. By the light that God hath indelibly implanted in the minds of men accompanied with a morall instinct of Good and evill seconded by that selfe-Judgment which he hath placed in us in reference to his own over us doth he reveale himselfe unto the Sons of men 3ly God reveales himselfe by his Word as is confessed It remaines then that we enquire how we may know and be ascertained that these things are not deceivable Pretences but that God doth indeed so reveale himselfe by them Sect. 12. First The Works of God as to what is his Will to teach and reveale of himselfe by them have that Expression of God upon them that stampe and character of his Eternall Power and Godhead that Evidence with them that they are his that where ever they are seene and considered they undeniably evince that they are so and that what they teach concerning him they doe it in his Name and Authority There is no need of Traditions no need of Miracles no need of the Authority of any Churches to convince a rationall Creature that the works of God are his and His only and that he is Eternlal and infinite in Power that made them They carry about with them their owne Authority By being what they are they declare whose they are To reveale God by his works there is need of nothing but that they be by themselves represented or objected to the consideration of Rationall creatures Sect. 13. The Voice of God in nature is in like manner effectuall It declares it selfe to be from God by it's owne light and Authority There is no need to convince a man by substantiall Witnesses that what his Conscience speakes it speakes from God Whether it beare Testimony to the Being Righteousnesse Power Omniscience or Holynesse of God himselfe or whether it call for that morall obedience which is eternally and indispensably due to him and so shews forth the worke of the law in the heart it so speakes and declares it selfe that without further Evidence or Reasoning without the Advantage of any considerations but what are by it's selfe supplyed it discovers it's Au-Author from whom it is and in whose name it speakes Those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those common notions and generall Presumptions of him and his Authority that are inlayed in the natures of Rationall Creatures by the hand of God to this End that they might make a Revelation of him as to the Purposes mentioned are able to plead their owne divine Originall without the least contribution of strength or Assistance from without Sect. 14. And thus is it with those things Now the Psalmist says unto God Thou hast magnified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over all thy name the Word thou hast spoken The Name of God is all that whereby he makes himselfe knowne Over all this God magnifies his Word It lyes all in a subserviency thereunto The name of God is not here God himselfe but every thing whereby God makes himselfe knowne Now it were very strange that those low darke obscure Principles and Meanes of the Revelation of God and his Will which we have mentioned should be able to evince themselves to be from him without any externall helpe Assistance Testimony or Authority and that which is by God himselfe magnified above them which is farre more noble and Excellent in it's selfe and in respect of it's end Order hath far more divinely conspicuous and glorious impressions and Characters of his Goodnesse Holinesse Power Grace Truth then all the Creation should lye dead obscure and have nothing in it's selfe to reveale it's Author untill this or that superadded Testimony be called in to it's Assistance We esteeme them to have done no service unto the Truth who amongst innumerable other bold denyalls have insisted on this also that there is no naturall knowledge of God arising from the innate Principles of Reason and the Workes of God proposing themselves to the consideration thereof let now the way to the progresse of supernaturall Revelation be obstructed by denying that it is able to evince it selfe to be from God and we shall quickly see what bankes are cut to let in a flood of Atheisme upon the face of the Earth Sect. 15. Let us consider the issue of this Generall Induction As God in the creation of the World and all things therin contained hath so made framed them hath left such characters of his Eternall Power and Wisdome in them and upon them filled with such Evidences of their Author suited to the Apprehensions of rationall Creatures that without any other Testimony from himselfe or any else under the naked consideration and Contemplation of what they ARE they so farre declare their Creator that they are left wholly unexcusable who will not learne and know him from thence So in the giving out of his Word to be the foundatiō of that VVorld which he hath set up in this world as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wheel within a wheel his Church He hath by his Spirit implanted in it and impressed on it such Characters of his Goodnesse Power Wisdome Holinesse Love to mankind Truth Faithfulnesse with all the rest of his Glorious Excellencies and Perfections that at all times and in all Places when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Expansion of it is stretched over men by his Providence without any other Witnesse or Testimony given unto it it declares it's selfe to be his and makes good it's Authority from him so that the refusall of it upon it's own evidence brings unavoidable condemnation on the soules of men This comparison is insisted on by the Psalmist Psal 19 where as he ascribeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a voice and line to the creatures so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Light Power stability and Permanency like that of the heavens Sun in
its Truth It s Authority in its selfe is its Authority in respect of us nor hath it any whit more in its selfe then de jure it hath towards and over all them to whom it comes That de facto some do not submit themselves unto it is their sin rebellion This Truth and consequently this Authority is evidenced and made known to us by the publick Testimony which is given unto it by the Holy Ghost speaking in it with divine Light and Power to the minds soules and consciences of men being therein by its selfe proposed unto us We being enlightned by the Holy Ghost which in the Condition wherein we are is necessary for the Apprehension of any spirituall thing or truth in a spirituall manner we receive it and religiously subject our soules unto it as the VVord and VVill of the everliving soveraigne God and judge of all And if this be not a bottome and foundation of faith I here publickly Professe that for ought I know I have no faith at all Sect. 14. Having laid this stable foundation I shall with all possible brevity consider some pretences and Allegations for the confirmation of the Authority of the Scripture invented and made use of by some to divert us from that foundation the closing wherewith will in this matter alone bring peace unto our soules and so this Chapter shall as it were lay in the ballance and compare together the Testimony of the Spirit before mentioned and explained and the other pretences and pleas that shall now be examined Sect. 15. 1. Some say when on other accounts they are concerned so to say that we have received the Scripture from the Church of Rome who received it by Tradition and this gives a credibility unto it Of Tradition in generall without this limitation which destroies it of the Church of Rome I shall speak afterwards Credibility either keeps within the bounds of probability as that may be heightned to a manifest uncontrâ—leablenesse whilst yet its principles exceed not that sphere in which sense it belongs not at all to our present discourse or it includes a firme suitable foundation for faith supernaturall and divine Have we in this sense received the Scripture from that Church as it is called is that Church able to give such a credibility to any thing or doth the Scripture stand in need of such a credibility to be given to it from that Church are not the first most false and is not the last blasphemous To receive a thing from a Church as a Church is to receive it upon the Authority of that Church If we receive any thing from the Authority of a Church we do it not because the thing its selfe is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worthy of Acceptation but because of the Authority alleadged If then we thus receive the Scriptures from the Church of Rome why in particular do we not receive the Apocryphall Books also which she receives How did the Church of Rome reâ—eive the Scriptures shall we say that she is authorized to give out what seemes Good to her as the Word of God not but she hath received them by Tradition so she pleads that she hath received the Apocryphall books also we then recive the Scriptures from Rome Rome by Tradition We make our selves Judges of that Tradition and yet Rome saith this is one thing that she hath by the same Tradition namely that she alone is judge of what she hath by Tradition But the common fate of lyars is befallen that Harlot she hath so long so constantly so desperately lyed in many the most things that she professeth pretending Tradition for them that indeed she deserves not to be believed when she telleth the Truth Besides She pleads that she received the Scriptures from the Beginning when it is granted that the copies of the Hebrew of the old and Greek of the new Testament were only authentick These she pleads now under her keeping to be woefully corrupted and yet is angry that we believe not her Tradition Sect. 16. Some adde that we receive the Scripture to be the Word of God upon the account of the miracles that were wrought at the giving of the Law and of the new Testament which miracles we have received by universall Tradition But first I desire to know whence it comes to passe that seeing our saviour Jesus Christ wrought many other miracles besides those that are written Joh. 20. 30. ch 21. 25. and the Apostles likewise they cannot by all their Traditions help us to so much as an obscure report of any one that is not written I speak not of Legends which yet at their performance were no lesse known then those that are nor were lesse usefull for the end of miracles then they Of Tradition in Generall afterwards But is it not evident that the miracles whereof they speak are preserved in the Scripture and no otherwise And if so can these miracles operate upon the understanding or judgment of any man unlesse they first grant the Scripture to be the Word of God I meane to the begetting of a divine faith of them even that there were ever any such miracles Suppose these miracles alleadged as the Ground of our believing of the word had not been written but like the Sybills leaves had been driven up and downe by the Worst and fiercest wind that blowes in this world the breath of man Those who should keepe them by tradition that is men are by nature so vaine foolish malicious such lyars adders detracters have spirits and minds so unsuited to spirituall things so liable to alteration in themselves and to contradiction one to another are so given to impostures and are so apt to be imposed upon have been so shuffled and driven up and downe the world in every Generation have for the most part so utterly lost the Remembrance of what themselves are whence they come or whether they are to goe that I can give very little credit to what I have nothing but their Authority to rely upon for without any Evidence from the nature of the thing it 's selfe Sect. 17. Abstracting then from the Testimony given in the Scriptures to the miracles wrought by the prime Revealers of the mind and will of God in the Word and no tolerable assurance as to the businesse in hand where a foundation for faith is enquired after can be given that ever any such miracles were wrought If numbers of men may be allowed to speake we may have a Traditionall Testimony given to the blasphemous figments of the Alcoran under the name of True miracles But the constant Tradition of more than a 1000 yeares carried on by innumerable multitudes of men great wise and sober from one Generation to another doth but set open the gates of hell for the Mahumetans Yet setting aside the Authority of God in his Word and what is resolved thereinto I know not why they may not vye Traditions with the rest of the world The world