nor by Miracles nor by Immediate Revelation or private subjective Testimony of the Spirit nor is their Faith a Perswasion of Mind that they can give no Reason of but only that they are so perswaded But it will be yet further objected that if there be such clear Evidences in the thing it self that is in the Divine Original and Authority of the Scriptures that none who freely use their Reason can deny it then it lies either in the naked Proposal of the Things unto the understanding and if so then every one that assents unto this Proposition that the whole is greater than the part must likewise assent unto this that the Scripture is the Word of God or the Evidence must not ly in the naked Proposal but in the Efficacy of the Spirit of God in the minds of them unto whom it is proposed Answ. 1. I know no Divine Ancient or Modern Popish or Protestant who doth not assert that tere is a work of the Holy Ghost on the minds of men necessary unto a due Belief of the Scriptures to be the VVord of God And the Consideration hereof ought not by any Christian to be excluded But they say not that this is the Objective Testimony or Evidence on which we believe the Scripture to be the VVord of God concerning which alone is our Enquiry 2. We do not dispute how far or by what means this Proposition the Scripture is the Word of God may be evidenced meerly unto our Reason but unto our understanding as capable of giving an Assent upon Testimony It is not said that this is a first Principle of Reason though it be of Faith nor that it is capable of a Mathematical Demonstration That the whole is greater than the part is self-evident unto our Reason upon its first Proposal but such none pretends to be in the Scripture because it is a Subject not capable of it Nor do those who denying the self-evidence of the Scripture pretend by their Arguments for its Divine Authority to give such an Evidence of it unto Reason as is in first Principles or Mathematical Demonstrations but content themselves with that which they call a Moral Certainty But it is by Faith we are obliged to receive the Truth of this Proposition which respects the Power of our Minds of assent unto Truth upon Testimony infallibly on that which is infallible And hereunto it evidenceth its own Truth not with the same but with an Evidence and Certainty of an higher nature and nobler kind than that of the strictest Demonstration in things natural or the most forcible Argumens in things moral 3. It will be objected that if this be so then none can be obliged to receive the Scripture as the Word of God who hath not Faith and none have Faith but those in whom it is wrought by the Spirit of God and thereinto all will be resolved at last Answ. 1. Indeed there is no Room for this Objection for the whole Work of the Spirit is pleaded only as he is the efficient Cause of Believing and not the objective or Reason why we do believe But 2. We must not be ashamed to resolve all we do well spiritually and in obedience to the Command of God unto the Efficacious Operation of the Holy Ghost in us unless we intend to be ashamed of the Gospel But this still makes his internal Operation to be the efficient and not his internal Testimony to be the formal Reason of our Faith 3. It is another Question whether all Obligation unto Duty is and must be proportionate unto our own Strength without Divine Assistance which we deny and affirm that we are obliged unto many things by virtue of Gods Command which we have no power to answer but by virtue of his Grace 4. Where the Proposal of the Scripture is made in the way before described those unto whom it is proposed are obliged to receive it as the Word of God upon the Evidence which it gives of it self so to be Yea every Real True Divine Revelation made unto Men or every Proposal of the Scripture by Divine Providence hath that Evidence of its being from God accompanying of it as is sufficient to oblige them unto whom it was made to believe it on pain of his Displeasure If this were otherwise then either were God obliged to confirm every particular Divine Revelation with a Miracle which as to its Obligation unto Believing wants not its difficulty which he did not as in many of the Prophets nor doth at this day at the first Proposal of the Gospel to the Heathen or else when he requires Faith and Obedience in such ways as in his Wisdom he judgeth meet that is in the ordinary Ministry of the Word they are not obliged thereby nor is it their Sin to refuse a Compliance with his Will 5. If this Difficulty can be no otherwise avoided but by affirming that the Faith which God requires of us with respect unto his VVord is nothing but a natural Assent unto it upon rational Arguments and Considerations which we have an Ability for without any spiritual Aid of the Holy Ghost or respect unto his Testimony as before described which overthrows all Faith especially that which is Divine I shall rather ten thousand times allow of all the just Consequences that can follow on the Supposition mentioned than admit of this Relief But of those Consequences this is none that any unto whom the Scripture is proposed are excepted from an Obligation unto Believing In like manner there is no difficulty in the usual Objection which respects particular Books of the Scripture why we receive them as Canonical and reject others as namely the Book of Proverbs and not of Wisdom of Ecclesiastes and not Ecclesiasticus For 1. As to the Books of the Old Testament we have the Canon of them given us in the New where it is affirmed that unto the Church of the Jews were committed the Oracles of God which both confirms all that we receive and excludes all that we exclude And unto the New there are no Pretenders nor ever were to the least Exercise of the Faith of any 2. All Books whatever that have either themselves pretended unto a Divine Original or have been pleaded by others to be of that Extract have been and may be from themselves without further help evicted of falshood in that pretence They have all of them hitherto in matter or manner in plain Confessions or other sufficient Evidence manifested themselves to be of an human Original And much Danger is not to be feared from any that for the future shall set forth with the same pretence 3. VVe are not bound to refuse the Ministry of the Church or the Advantages of Providence whereby the Scripture is brought unto us with the Testimonies which either directly or collaterally any one Part of it gives unto another Although the Scripture be to believed for it self yet it is not ordinarily to be believed by it self without
have advantage thereby The Sun of Righteousness is now risen upon us and Immortality is brought to light by the Gospel If we look now on the Revelations granted unto them of old we may yet see there was light in them which yields us little more advantage than the light of a Candle in the Sun But unto them who lived before this Sun arose they were a sufficient Guide unto all Duties of Faith and Obedience For 3. There was during this season a sufficient Ministry for the declaration of the Revelations which God made of Himself and his Will There was the natural Ministry of Parents who were obliged to instruct their Children and Families in the knowledge of the Truth which they had received And whereas this began in Adam who first received the Promise and therewithal whatsoever was necessary unto Faith and Obedience the knowledg of it could not be lost without the wilful neglect of Parents in teaching or of Children and Families in learning And they had the extraordinary Ministry of such as God entrusted new Revelations withal for the confirmation and inlargment of those before received who were all of them Preachers of Righteousness unto the rest of Mankind And it may be manifested that from the giving of the first Promise when divine external Revelations began to be the Rule of Faith and Life unto the Church to the writing of the Law there was always alive one or other who receiving divine Revelations immediatly were a kind of infallible Guides unto others If it was otherwise at any time it was after the death of the Patriarks before the Call of Moses during which time all things went into Darkness and Confusion For oral Tradition alone would not preserve the Truth of former Revelations But by whom these Instructions were received they had a sufficient outward means for their Illumination before any divine Revelations were recorded by Writing Yet 4. This way of Instruction as it was in it self imperfect and liable to many disadvantages so through the weakness negligence and wickedness of men it proved insufficient to retain the knowledg of God in the World For under this Dispensation the Generality of Mankind fell into their great Apostacy from God and betook themselves unto the conduct and service of the Devil of the ways means and degrees whereof I have discoursed* elsewhere Hereon God also regarded them not but suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways Acts 14. 16. giving them up to their own hearts lusts to walk in their own Counsels as it is expressed Psal. 81. 12. And although this fell not out without the horrible wickedness and ingratitude of the World yet there being then no certain Standard of divine Truth whereunto they might repair they brake off the easier from God through the imperfection of this Dispensation If it shall be said that since the Revelation of the Will of God hath been committed unto Writing men have Apostatized from the Knowledge of God as is evident in many Nations of the World which sometimes professed the Gospel but are now over-run with Heathenism Mahometism and Idolatry I say this hath not come to pass through any defect in the way and means of Illumination or the Communication of the Truth unto them but God hath given them up to be destroyed for their wickedness and ingratitude and unless we repent we shall all likewise perish Rom. 1. 18. 2 Thes. 2. 11 12. Otherwise where the Standard of the Word is once fixed there is a constant means of preserving divine Revelations Wherefore Thirdly God hath gathered up into the Scripture all divine Revelations given out by himself from the beginning of the World and all that ever shall be so to the end thereof which are of general use unto the Church that it may be throughly instructed in the whole mind and will of God and directed in all that Worship of Him and Obedience unto Him which is necessary to give us acceptance with Him here and to bring us unto the eternal enjoyment of him hereafter For 1. When God first committed the Law to writing with all those things which accompanied it he obliged the Church unto the use of it alone without Additions of any kind Now this he would not have done had he not expressed therein that is the Books of Moses all that was any way needful unto the Faith and Obedience of the Church For he did not only command them to attend with all diligence unto his Word as it was then written for their instruction and direction in Faith and Obedience annexing all sorts of Promises unto their so doing Deut. 6. 6 7. but also expresly forbids them as was said to add any thing thereunto or to conjoyn any thing therewith Deut. 4. 2. chap. 12 32. which he would not have done had he omitted other divine Revelations before given that were any way necessary unto the use of the Church As he added many new Ones so he gathered in all the old from the unfaithful Repository of Tradition and fixed them in a Writing given by divine Inspiration 2. For all other divine Revelations which were given out to the Church for its use in general under the Old Testament they are all comprised in the following Books thereof Nor was this that I know of ever questioned by any Person pretending to Sobriety though some who would be glad of any pretence against the Integrity and Perfection of the Scripture have fruitlesly wrangled about the loss of some Books which they can never prove concerning any one that was certainly of a divine Original 3. The full Revelation of the whole mind of God whereunto nothing pretending thereunto is ever to be added was committed unto and perfected by Jesus Christ Heb. 1. 1 2. That the Revelations of God made by him whether in his own Person or by his Spirit unto his Apostles were also by divine Inspiration committed to Writing is expressly affirmed concerning what he delivered in his own personal Ministry Luk. 1. 4. Acts 1. 1. John 20. 31. and may be proved by uncontroulable Arguments concerning the rest of them Hence as the Scriptures of the old Testament were shut up with a Caution and Admonition unto the Church to adhere unto the Law and Testimony with threatning of a Curse unto the contrary Mal. 4. 4 5 6. So the Writings of the New Testament are closed with a Curse on any that shall presume to add any thing more thereunto Rev. 22. 18. Wherefore Fourthly The Scripture is now become the only external means of divine supernatural Illumination because 't is the only Repository of all divine supernatural Revelation Psal. 19. 7 8. Isa. 8. 20. 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. The Pretences of Tradition as a collateral means of preserving and communicating supernatural Revelation have been so often evicted of falsity that I shall not further press their impeachment Besides I intend those in this Discourse by whom it is acknowledged that the Bible is
the help of other means 4. On these Suppositions I fear not to affirm that there are on every Individual Book of the Scripture particularly those named those Divine Characters and Criteria which are sufficient to difference them from all other VVritings whatever and to testify their Divine Authority unto the Minds and Consciences of Believers I say of Believers for we enquire not on what Ground unbelievers or those who do not believe do believe the VVord of God nor yet directly on what outward Motives such Persons may be induced so to do But our sole Enquiry at present is what the Faith of them who do believe is resolved into It is not therefore said that when our Lord Jesus Christ for we acknowledg that there is the same Reason of the first giving out of Divine Revelations as is of the Scripture came and preached unto the Jews that those meer VVords I am the Light of the World or the like had all this Evidence in them or with them for nothing he said of that kind may be separated from its Circumstances but supposing the Testimonies given in the Scripture before hand to his Person Work Time and Manner of Coming with the Evidence of the Presence of God with him in the declaration that he made of his Doctrine and himself to be the Messiah the Jews were bound to believe what he taught and himself to be the Son of God the Saviour of the World and so did many of them upon his Preaching only John 4. 42. And in like manner they were bound to believe the Doctrine of John Baptist and to submit unto his Institutions although he wrought no Miracle and those who did not rejected the Counsel of God for their Good and perished in their unbelief But although our Lord Jesus Christ wrought no Miracles to prove the Scripture then extant to be the VVord of God seeing he wrought them among such only as by whom that was firmly believed yet the VVisdom of God saw it necessary to confirm his Personal Ministry by them And without a Sense of the Power and Efficacy of the Divine Truth of the Doctrine proposed Miracles themselves will be despised so they were by some who were afterwards converted by the Preaching of the VVord Acts 2. 13. chap. 3. 7 8. or they will produce only a false Faith or a ravished Assent upon an Amazement that will not abide Acts 8. 13 21. APPENDIX A Summary Representation of the Nature and Reason of that Faith wherewith we believe the Scripture to be the Word of God with some Attestations given unto the Substance of what hath been delivered concerning it shall give a Close to this Discourse As to the first Part of this Design the Things that follow are proposed I. Unto the Enquiry on what Grounds or for what Reason we believe the Scripture to be the Word of God many Things are supposed as on all hands agreed upon whose Demonstration or Proof belongs not unto our present Work Such are 1. The Being of God and his Self-subsistence with all the Essential Properties of his Nature 2. Our Relation unto him and Dependance on him as our Creator Benefactor Preserver Judge and Rewarder both as unto Things Temporal and Eternal Wherefore 3. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatever may be known of God by the Light of Nature whatever is manifest in or from the Works of Creation or Providence and necessary Actings of Conscience as to the Being Rule and Authority of God is supposed as acknowledged in this Enquiry 4. That beyond the Conduct and Guidance of the Light of Nature that Men may live unto God believe and put their Trust in him according to their Duty in that Obedience which he requireth of them so as to come unto the Enjoyment of Him a Supernatural Revelation of his Mind and Will unto them especially in that Condition wherein all Mankind are since the Entrance of Sin is necessary 5. That all those unto whom God hath granted Divine Revelations immediately from Himself for their own use and that of all other Men unto whom they were to be communicated were infallibly assured that they came from God and that their Minds were no way imposed on in them 6. That all these Divine Revelations so far as they are any way necessary to guide and instruct Men in the true Knowledg of God and that Obedience which is acceptable unto him are now contained in the Scriptures or those Books of the Old and New Testament which are commonly received and owned among all Sorts of Christians These Things I say are supposed unto our present Enquiry and taken for granted so as that the Reader is not to look for any direct Proof of them in the preceding Discourse But on these Suppositions it is alledged and proved 1. That all Men unto whom it is duly proposed as such are bound to believe this Scripture these Books of the Old and New Testament to be the Word of God that is to contain and exhibit an Immediate Divine Supernatural Revelation of his Mind and Will so far as is any way needful that they may live unto him and that nothing is contained in them but what is of the same Divine Original 2. The Obligation of this Duty of thus Believing the Scripture to be the Word of God ariseth partly from the Nature of the Thing it self and partly from the especial Command of God For it being that Revelation of the Will of God without the Knowledg whereof and Assent whereunto we cannot live unto God as we ought nor come unto the enjoyment of him it is necessary that we should believe it unto those Ends and God requireth it of us that so we should do 3. We cannot thus believe it in a way of Duty but upon a sufficient Evidence and prevalent Testimony that so it is 4. There are many cogent Arguments Testimonies and Motives to perswade convince and satisfy unprejudiced Persons that the Scripture is the Word of God or a Divine Revelation and every way sufficient to stop the Mouths of Gain-sayers proceeding on such Principles of Reason as are owned and approved by the Generality of Mankind And Arguments of this Nature may be taken from almost all Considerations of the Properties of God and his Government of the World of our Relation unto him of what belongs unto our present Peace and future Happiness 5. From the Arguments and Testimonies of this Nature a firm Perswasion of Mind defensible against all Objections that the Scripture is the Word of God may be attained and that such as that those who live not in Contradiction unto their own Light and Reason through the Power of their Lusts cannot but judg it their Wisdom Duty and Interest to yield Obedience unto his VVill as revealed therein 6. But yet that Perswasion of Mind which may be thus attained and which resteth wholly upon these Arguments and Testimonies is not entirely that Faith wherewith we are obliged to believe the
did on the Authority of the Church of Rome in any sense whatever for the Reasons that shall be mentioned immediately But it may be granted that together with the Ministry of other Churches in the World and many other Providential Means of their Preservation and successive Communication we did de Facto receive the Scriptures by the Ministry of the Church of Rome also seeing they also were in the possession of them But this Ministry we allow only in the latter sense as an actual means in subserviency unto God's Providence without respect unto any especial Institution And for the Authority of the Church in this case in that sense wherein it is allowed namely as denoting the Weight and Importance of a Testimony which being strengthened by all sorts of Circumstances may be said to have great Authority in it we must be careful unto whom or what Church we grant or allow it For let men assume what Names or Titles to themselves they please yet if the Generality of them be corrupt or flagitious in their lives and have great secular Advantages which they highly prize and studiously improve from what they suppose and profess the Scripture to supply them withall be they called Church or what you please their Testimony therein is of very little value for all men may see that they have an earthly worldly Interest of their own therein And it will be said that if such Persons did know the whole Bible to be a Fable as one Pope expressed himself to that purpose they would not forego the Profession of it unless they could more advantage themselves in the World another way Wherefore whereas it is manifest unto all that those who have the Conduct of the Roman Church have made and do make to themselves great earthly temporal Advantages in Honour Power Wealth and Reputation in the World by their Profession of the Scripture their Testimony may rationally be supposed to be so far influenced by self interest as to be of little Validity The Testimony therefore which I intend is that of multitudes of persons of unspotted Reputâ—â—ion on all other accounts in the World free from all possibility of impeachment as unto any designed evil or conspiracy among themselves with respect unto any corrupt end and who having not the least secular Advantage by what they testified unto were absolutely secured against all Exceptions which either common Reason or common Vsage among Mankind can put in unto any Witness whatever And to evidence the force that is in this Consideration I shall briefly represent 1. Who they were that gave and do give this Testimony in some especial Instances 2. What they gave this Testimony unto 3. How or by what means they did so And in the first place The Testimony of those by whom the several Books of the Scripture were written is to be considered They all of them severally and joyntly witnessed that what they wrote was received by Inspiration from God This is pleaded by the Apostle Peter in the Name of them all 2 Pet. 1. 16 17 18 19 20 21. For we have not followed cunningly devised Fables when we made known unto you the Power and Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eye witnesses of his Majesty For he received from God the Father honour and glory when there came such a voice to him from the excellent Glory This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And this voice which came from Heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Mount We have also a more sure word of Prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts Knowing this first that no Prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation For the Prophecy came not in old time by the Will of Man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost This is the concurrent Testimony of the Writers both of the Old Testament and the New Namely that as they have certain knowledg of the things they wrote so their writing was by Inspiration from God So in particular John beareth witness unto his Revelations Chap. 19. 9. Chap. 22. 6. These are the true and faithful sayings of God And what weight is to be laid hereon is declared Joh. 21. 24. This is that Disciple which testifyeth of these things and wrote these things and we know that his testimony is true He testifyed the Truth of what he wrote but how was it known to the Church there intended we know that his Testimony is true that so it was indeed He was not absolutely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or one that was to be believed in meerly on his own account yet here it is spoken in the name of the Church with the highest Assurance and we know that his Testimony is true I answer this assurance of theirs did not arise meerly from his moral or natural endowments or holy Counsels but from the Evidence they had of his divine Inspiration Whereof we shall treat afterwards The things pleaded to give force unto this Testimony in particular are all that such a Testimony is capable of and so many as would require a large discourse by it self to propose discuss and confirm them But supposing the Testimony they gave I shall in compliance whith my own design reduce the Evidences of its Truth unto these two considerations 1. of their Persons and 2. of the Manner of their Writing 1. As to their Persons they were absolutely removed from all possible suspition of deceiving or being deceived The Wit of all the Atheistical Spirits in the World is not able to fix on any one thing that would be a tolerable ground of any such suspition concerning the integrity of witnesses could such a Testimony be given in any other case And surmises in things of this nature which had no pleadable ground for them are to be looked on as Diabolical suggestions or Atheistical Dreams or at best the false Imaginations of weak and distempered Minds The nature and design of their work their unconcernment with all secular interests their unacquaintance with one another the Times and Places wherein the things reported by them were done and acted the facility of convincing them of falshood if what they wrote in matter of fact which is the Fountain of what else they taught in case it were not true the evident certainty that this would have been done arising from the known Desire Ability Will and Interest of their Adversaries so to do had it been possible to be effected seeing this would have secured them the Victory in the conflicts wherein they were violently ingaged and have put an immediate issue unto all that difference and uproar that was in the World about their Doctrine their Harmony among themselves without conspiracy or antecedent Agreement the miseries which they underwent most of them without hope of releif or