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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47136	Divine immediate revelation and inspiration, continued in the true church second part. In two treatises: the first being an answer to Jo. W. Bajer Doctor and Professor of Divinity, so called, at Jena in Germany, published first in Latine, and now in English. The second being an answer to George Hicks, stiled Doctor of Divinity, his sermon preached at Oxford, 1681. and printed with the title of, The spirit of enthusiasm exorcised; where this pretended exorcist is detected. Together, with some testimonies of truth, collected out of diverse ancient writers and fathers, so called. By G.K.; Divine immediate revelation and inspiration, continued in the true church. Part 2.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.	1685 (1685)	Wing K158; ESTC R218958	105,601	220

the habit of their mind because these are rules of righteousness but it is manifest their minds are unrighteous note where then are these rules writ where he who is unjust knoweth what is just where he understandeth that he ought to have that which he hath not Where are they therefore writ but in the Book of that Light which is called the Truth whence every just Law is described and is transferred into the Heart of Man who worketh Righteousness not by motion as from one place to another but by impression as the Image passeth from the Seal into the Wax and yet leaveth not the Seal Thus Augustine Again In this same Paragraph he blameth R.B. for saying That the General Revelation doth suffice unto Salvation although the Special doth not come nor be adjoyned thereunto But granting that he who hath faithfully obeyed and followed the General Revelation be in a safe state as to the present and hath a firm and sure hope of future happiness yet this doth not hinder but in order to obtain a more perfect state through Christ of Eternal Life the Special Revelation is necessary as is plain in the example of Cornelius to whom the Apostle Peter behoved to be sent who was to Preach unto him words concerning Christ by which as the Angel said Acts 11.14 He and his House were to be saved CHAP. IV. IN his Seventh and Eighth Paragraphs he saith little or nothing more than what he had formerly delivered concerning the state of the Controversie to wit whether Immediate Divine Revelations be the Principle of knowing God and Divine Things in respect of all men and for all times But divers other things remain as necessary to be opened for the more clear stating the Controversie First as to the Principle of Knowledg which is either Primary or Secundary or which is to the same effect Principal or Subordinate Now as concerning the Subordinate and Secundary Principle we deny not but that the Scriptures are a subordinate and secundary Principle of knowing Divine Doctrines and Truths as concerning God and Christ but still we contend for the Holy Spirit Inlightning Inspiring and by its Life giving Vigour and Vertue effectually working in the souls of men as the Principal or Primary And let the Adversary tell me seeing he doth acknowledge that the inward illumination and operation of the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary to the obtaining any Saving Knowledge of God whether he doth not believe that the Holy Spirit inwardly operating and inlightning the Minds of Believers is the Primary Principle of Divine Knowledge Or will he say that the Scriptures are the Primary Principle and that the Holy Spirit is but the secundary and subordinate which last as being too absurd and offensive to Christian ears I hope he will abhor to affirm Secondly As concerning the term of inward Revelation the strife or controversie is to be removed for why should we contend in meer words if we be agreed in the same sence as to the verity of the thing First he doth acknowledge that the inward Illuminations of the Holy Spirit are absolutely necessary to beget the saving knowledge of God and Divine Things in Mens minds Secondly He granteth that these inward Illuminations of the Holy Spirit are not only effective but also that they are objective as being real objects proposed to the Mind and moving it to the assent of Truth For so he doth in his Thirty Second Paragraph expresly affirm That God or the Spirit revealing doth not only work efficiently on the Intellectual Faculty to bring forth or produce the Act of Believing but doth also move the Mind objectively or by a formal representation of an object determine the Vnderstanding to assent Thus He. Wherein so far as I can understand or reach he doth acknowledge that the inward Illumination of the Holy Spirit is Revelation properly so called For by inward Revelation we do not understand any other thing than that the Holy Spirit works not only efficiently or as an Efficient Cause upon our Understanding to beget in us True Divine Knowledge and Faith but that he also moves objectively or by a formal representation of the Object determines our Understanding to Assent For what is it in general to Reveal but to propose the Object revealed to our perceptive Faculty and so in particular he who doth propose the outward visible Objects to my sight he is properly enough said to reveal unto me these Visibles and the same is to be understood of the Objects of the other outward Senses And surely according to Scripture phrase the inward illustrations and illuminations of the Holy Spirit produced in the hearts of the faithful are called Revelations in respect of which the Holy Spirit in Scripture is called The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation Eph. 1.17 as he doth illustrate and illuminate the hearts of the Faithful And Paul writing of the state of his Conversion affirmeth that God had revealed his Son in him the which in some manner and degree may be said of every converted man As yet therefore we agree well enough as I suppose in forming the state of the Controversie It remaineth then Thirdly that we discuss or consider this term Immediate a little more fully wherein alone almost the strife of the Controversie seemeth to be placed the which although at first view it may seem great yet afterwards laying aside prejudice it may appear to be little if any That it may therefore be more clearly understood what is signified by this term Immediate I desire the Reader to take notice that Immediate doth signifie two very different things One is the absence of all means or medium's in the producing any effect Hence God the Great Creator is rightly said to have produced or created his creatures immediately because there was no medium or mean existing save only his Word and Spirit whereby to create them But this signification of the word or term Immediate is too strait and narrow and perhaps agreeth to no other operation than to the Creation and Conservation of the World by God that infinite and supreme Cause unless we add those Divine Miracles and other marvellous things which God did of old and yet doth without the use or concurrence of means The second or other signification of the word Immediate doth not import the absence of the mean or medium but the intimate application or concurrence of the principal and primary Cause unto the secundary together with the mean or means in the operation Again the medium or mean is either continued or discontinued The continued mean I call that mean which is continued or continually and closely is conjoyned in working with the Cause both principal and subordinate But the discontinued mean is that which is not continued or conjoyned in the working with the primary and principal Cause but either works nothing at all or worketh only with the secundary Cause while as the principal and primary Cause worketh nothing with the

said mean but suspendeth and withdraweth its concourse and influence that is requisite to the producing the effect aright Now the continued mean or medium hindereth not that the action or operation of the principal and primary Cause be said to be immediate Hence Immediate is as much as to be in medio i. e. in the mean and therefore when God is said to be in the midst of the faithful so that by his presence in the midst of them or he mediating and intervening they perform all their works he is rightly and properly said immediately to work in them and to inspire and inlighten them Now that the continued mean hinders not the immediate operation of the principal Cause many examples might be produced to show it I shall give an instance in some few which follow The Sun doth immediately inlighten our eyes and shine upon the visible objects and yet it doth this by means of the Air and sometimes by means of the Chrystal or Glass of the Window But because the Air and Glass or other diaphanous and transparent mediums are continued with the Suns illumination the said illumination is immediate and is commonly acknowledged so to be Again when the Husbandman laboureth in his field using many means as Ploughing Digging Sowing Watering or Reaping and Gathering his Corn the Sun doth immediately inlighten him and shine upon his labours by vertue and assistance of which illumination he still laboureth Here we see the making use of many means doth not hinder the immediate illumination and operation of the Sun upon the Husbandman and his labours but all these means and the use of them doth very well agree with the Suns immediate illumination and as it were Revelation and the one is perfited and established by the other For as the labouring and using these outward means cannot be rightly performed and do not profit or avail without the Suns influence and operation so unless the said Husbandman doth labour in his Field Plow Dig Sow and perform other necessary actions for the labouring his ground the Suns illumination or operation although immediate shall little avail him Another example I shall give in the daily mutual conversation of men one with another When one man speaks to another face to face they both hear and see each other immediately and yet this hearing and seeing of one another is not without the use and intervening of many means or mediums for both the voice and image of those men immediately so conversing are conveyed from one to another not only by means of the Air but also of many Organs of the Eyes and Ears It now remaineth to apply these examples or similitudes to the present purpose of Immediate Revelation and the Illumination of the Holy Spirit Do not our Adversaries grant that God doth so inlighten the minds and inward eyes of the Faithful with his Light and Illumination who is the inward spiritual and invisible Sun of the Soul as the outward and worldly Sun doth inlighten our outward eyes I suppose this they will grant Again Is not God who is the light and life of the Faithful as closely and intimately present or rather indeed much more present with his people as the outward Sun is to our Body and outward Man Doth not the Spirit of God which is of a most subtle and penetrating nature and his Light Life and Virtue more perfectly go through and penetrate all means than the outward illumination of the Sun can penetrate or pierce through the Air or most clear and transparent Glass or Chrystal Is not God most inwardly present in all his Creatures and most near and close unto them Is he not more near unto us than all means however so near But it may be answered that God worketh in us using many and various means as reading of the Scriptures Preaching Hearing Meditation Prayer sometimes one and sometimes another and at other times divers joyned together This is granted but all this hinders not that the operation and illumination of God in the use of those means is immediate For if the use of all means in every respect be taken away in Gods instructing teaching inspiring and inlightning men I know not if it can be proved clearly that any man whether Prophet or Apostle was immediately inlightned or inspired by the Holy Spirit with special Revelation For besides that many of the Prophets were taught of God by the means and ministry of Angels and that Iohn the Apostle had his Visions of the Revelation when he was banished into the Isle of Patmos by means of an Angel sent by Christ unto him what Prophet or Apostle ever was of God or of Christ but made use of means Was not Prayer sometimes both Mental and Vocal sometimes only Mental a general and universal Mean which both Prophets and Apostles used and that frequently to obtain their Divine Inspirations and Revelations Do we not read how Moses besought the Lord that he might see his glory the which most sweet and blessed Vision he obtained by means of his prayer and the same is to be understood of the other Prophets And did not the Apostles continue with one accord in prayer at a certain place betwixt the time of Christ his ascending into heaven and the giving of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost And did they not obtain that most excellent gift of the Holy Spirit by means of their prayer And did not Cornelius and his Friends receive the Holy Spirit by means of Peter his Preaching and the like did frequently come to pass to the Primitive Disciples by means of the Apostles Preaching and laying on of their hands Did not Christ inspire the Apostles immediately before his Ascension by means of his outward Preaching unto them and laying his hands on them Did not the Apostles Minister one to another after they had received the Holy Spirit of the word of Life and did edifie and build up one another Had not the Prophets of old Schools and there did Prophesie and Preach and Pray and by using these means the Gift and Spirit of Prophesie came upon many Hearers immediately Surely few or none of the Prophets or Apostles but at times were outwardly taught Adam the first Prophet instructed Abel and Seth Seth instructed his Children and they again their children at least some of them until Noah and Noah instructed some of his Posterity and they again of theirs until Abraham for without all controversie both Abraham and Moses learned some things by outward teaching from their Forefathers of God and Divine Things which yet did not hinder but that they also were immediately inspired and taught of God themselves yea the outward teaching did further them and by its virtue did prepare their minds to receive their Divine Inspirations But put the case that some of them did not hear any thing taught them outwardly by mans voice as in the case of Adam when he was alone Did he or they therefore use no means

Kingdom of God standeth not in words but in power And seeing a Christians Faith is a part of Gods Kingdom in his Soul the said Faith stands not in the words even of the Apostles by Pauls own Testimony but hath a greater and more noble and excellent Foundation to wit the Power and holy Spirit of God in the Heart of the Believer as that doth inspire and inwardly operate move and act upon the intellectual Faculties of the Soul And here possibly some will grant that the Spirit hath the greatest efficiency or stroke in working this spiritual assent or Perswasion to the Doctrine of the Gospel as an efficient Cause in the Souls of Believers but perhaps they will say as this Author saith of the common saving Graces of the Spirit that they are Moral Virtues insensibly wrought in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost and that therefore any Divine Assent or Perswasion which the Holy Ghost works in our Hearts is wrought insensibly and that the Holy Ghost in his Inspiration and Operation is incognitum quid as some Popish Schoolmen and others have affirmed the Spirits operation to be medium incognitum assentiendum i. e. an unknown medium or mean that worketh in us insensibly or without all perception on our part whose footsteps this Author seemeth to follow And seeing the Spirits Influence or Operation is altogether unperceptible to the Soul as having no objectve evidence whereby to make it self known as they affirm and that the Soul or Mind of man cannot assent to Truth without some objective evidence of truth The Scripture therefore is that medium or mean which alone as they say giveth this objective Evidence of truth to the Soul and moveth it objectively to assent to the truth Hence they distinguish betwixt subjective and objective Illumination and the Subjective and objective Influence and Assistance saying that the Spirit indeed giveth us the Subjective illumination and Assistance but the Scripture only giveth us the objective Illumination and Assistance But this distinction I have sufficiently at length refuted in my Book of Immediate Revelation above cited so that I need not insist to make a new Refutation of it here until the Author or some else disprove the Arguments I have brought there to evince that the Holy Spirit worketh sensibly and perceptibly in the hearts of Believers and giveth unto them an objective Assistance and Illumination as well as subjective or effective that both can be known and is known to be a divine assistance and to proceed from the Holy Spirit in them who have it and whose minds are well prepared and disposed to receive and observe it for the Spirits inward Operation and Inspiration or Influence is sufficiently observable and reachable enough by the inward and spiritual Senses of the Soul when excited and awakned by the power of the Holy Spirit as I can appeal to all who have the least measure of experience in the case and whose spiritual senses are awakned and duly exercised to discern betwixt Good and Evil. Such by an inward spiritual divine sensation are able to discern and distinguish betwixt a good motion and Inspiration that cometh from the Spirit of God and an evil motion and Inspiration that cometh from the Devil or some evil Spirit Again seeing by the Inspiration and Illumination of the Spirit of God we are principally inclined moved and perswaded to assent to the truth of the Scripture-Testimony and are made to believe that the Scriptures are no cunningly devised Fable but the Holy Oracles and Sayings of God by men divinely inspired as all good and sound Protestants do acknowledge we must needs consequentially affirm that the spirits illumination is the more noble Rule and preferable to the Scripture And thus we evite that fallacious Circle that some run into and for which they are derided by some of the Church of Rome because they say they believe the Scriptures for the spirits inward Testimony and to go round again they say they believe the spirits inward Testimony for the Scriptures This say the Romanists is a fallacious Circle and not to be allowed according to the Rules of right Disputation But say we as we own the Scriptures Testimony as a good secondary Confirmation to induce or move us to believe the spirits inward Testimony so we beleive the Spirits inward Testimony being chiefly moved or induced so to do by the spirit of God himself inspiring us and inwardly moving and inclining us thereunto and we principally believe the Scriptures for the spirit but the spirit we principally believe for himself or his own immediate Testimony in our hearts which is secondarily confirmed to us by the Scriptures Testimony And I see not how any true Protestant or sober rational man who owneth a necessity of the spirits Inspiration to produce saving faith in the soul can blame us for so doing And thus the Romanists have no occasion to deride or blame us for running into a vicious Circle in giving the reason of our Faith And we judge it no derogation to the Scripture to prefer the spirit of God and Christ as he doth immediately bear witness in our Hearts to the external Testimony of the Scriptures For as Iohn and all the Prophets and Apostles gave the preference to Christ as more worthy so no doubt the Scriptures which are their Words and Writings prefer the holy spirit of Christ whose servants and Instruments they are And here I give the Reader a necessary Caution which I desire him well to observe that when the Question is stated betwixt the inward and immediate Testimony of the spirit in the soul of a true Christian and the outward Testimony of the Scripture we affirm the inward is the more noble the greater and the more preferable even as the soul is the more noble part of a man and of greater value than the Body however so excellent or beautiful as being that which giveth life to the Body for as the soul quickneth the body and useth it as its Instrument so the holy spirit inspiring the Heart of a true Christian quickneth the Scriptures Testimony and maketh it to live and bring forth Fruit in the soul yet when the Question is stated betwixt the Scriptures and any Revelation Vision or Inspiration externally brought forth in Words or Writing that in this case we most willingly prefer the Scripture words and writings to any words and writings of ours how much soever inspired or proceeding from Inspiration and do most willingly submit all our Words and Writings to the publick standard Test and Touch-stone of the Scriptures to be tryed by them and not otherwise to be received than as agreeing with them A second thing which possibly this Author or some other may answer in the case is That though the Church of England according to the Common Prayer owneth the Inspiration of the holy spirit as necessary to saving Faith and to the begetting a saving and spiritual knowledge of God and the Scriptures yet

affirmeth That the Jews have corrupted the Scriptures in diverse places as first that they have taken out of Esdras where he declareth the Law of the Passover these following words and Esdras said unto the people This Passover is our Saviour and our refuge and if ye think and call to mind to restore him being cast off in a sign and then shall place your hope in him this place shall not be forsaken for ever saith the Lord of Hosts but if ye shall not believe nor hear his words teaching and preaching ye shall be a derision to all Nations and out of the 96th Psalm whereas he saith it was written say among the Nations the Lord hath reigned from the tree viz. the tree of the Cross mentioned by Peter on which Christ was crucified they have left out or taken away these words from the tree leaving only these other words the Lord hath reigned he mentioneth also a third place in Ieremiah corrupted by them XX. Athanasius in his Synopsis Sacris Scripturis acknowledgeth that many Books of the Prophets are lost as the Book of Nathan Addo Achias the Silonite Semei and Iehu and of three thousand Psalms of David only an hundred and fifty now remaining also there were five thousand Parables of Solomon and five thousand Songs also he wrote of Trees from the Cedar of Libanon to the Hysop on the Wall and of Beasts Fouls Creeping-things and Fishes which are not now to be found in the Hebrew and Iosephus declareth that Ezekiel writ two Books of Prophesie It is manifest saith Athanasius that all these are lost by the madness and sloth of the wicked Jews XXI Tertullian in his Book de Virgini Velandis cap. 1. saith The Law of faith remaining the other things belonging to discipline and conversation admit the newness of correction the grace of God working and promoting unto the end for what sort of thing is it that while the Devil is always working and daily adding unto the engines of iniquity that the work of God should either cease or leave off to profit seeing for this cause he sent the Comforter that because mans weakness could not receive all at once by degrees the discipline should be directed and ordered and brought to perfection by that Holy Spirit the Vicar of the Lord. XXII Gregory Nazianzen in his Oration concerning Athanasius saith expresly thus What the Sun is to things sensible the same is God unto things intellectual for the Sun enlightneth the visible World and God enlightneth the invisible World and the one maketh us see the Sun the other maketh us see God Again the same Author saith thus ibid. Whosoever breaketh through the matter and this fleshly body whether saith he it may be lawful to call it a Cloud or a Vail and obtaineth to be conversant with God unfolding or revealing himself and to apprehend that most pure or supream light fo far as is lawful to the nature of man such a man is blessed both because he hath ascended from what is here below and also because he hath obtained that oneness with God or deiformity gr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the true Philosophie giveth These things saith he have been the care and study of some few both of old and now in this present time and among such he reckoneth Athanasius as equaling some and excelling others and falling little short of some others to wit even the Prophets and Apostles XXIII Clemens Alexandrinus already cited admon ad gent. As the true Sons of the Light let us behold the Light and look upward lest the Lord find us to be but Bastards as the Sun discovereth the Eagles And lib. 5. Stromatum he saith he who neither maketh use of his sight nor any other of his bodily senses in his contemplating but by the pure mind it self applyeth to things obtaineth the true Philosophy XXIV The same Clemens lib. 1. Stromatum directeth men in general to go to the Light and Water that is within themselves But he who hath the eye of his soul dimmed or made dull with evil education and doctrine let him go into his Domestick Light or the Light that is in his own House gr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the truth which graphically manifesteth things that are not written Ye who thirst go unto the Waters saith Esaias and Solomon admonisheth saying drink Water out of your own Cistern Prov. 5. therefore Plato who is a Philosopher out from among the Hebrews as having learned much from them in his Laws commandeth the Husbandman not to pour Water upon the Land nor to take Water from others to water it but that they first dig by themselves even unto the earth which is called Virgin-earth and in the same Book he saith the Scripture exciteth or stirreth up that which is within us which he calleth the fire of the Soul igniculum animae XXV In his admonition to the Gentiles he saith The Saviour hath many voices and ways for the salvation of men threatning he admonisheth them and reproving he converteth them c. also he terrifieth them by the fire kindling a flame out of a Pillar which is both a signification of grace and of fear if thou obeyest it is light if thou dost not obey it is fire And in the same Admonition to the Gentiles who were unbelievers he saith It is not difficult to come unto the Truth nor impossible to apprehend her for she is most near in our Houses even as the most wise Moses declareth living in our three parts the Hands the Mouth and the Heart for so the Septuagint rendreth these words this saith he is a true symbol of the Truth which is fulfilled universally in three viz. Counsel Action and Speech XXVI Athanasius whom I formerly mentioned as one greatly approved among the Fathers in his Oration against the Gentiles saith As God who is over all so the way which leadeth unto him is not far off nor is it forth without us but it is in us and the beginning of it may be found out by us even as Moses taught in these words the word of Faith is within thy heart which our Saviour also signified and confirmed saying the Kingdom of God is within you for because we have in us Faith viz. the word of Faith and the Kingdom of God therefore we may speedily understand and contemplate the King of the University to wit the saving word of the Father Neither can the Heathens pretend any cause who serve Idols nor let any man vainly deceive himself as if he wanted that way or method and therefore find out a pretext of his impiety for we all stand upon that way and have it although all do not endeavour to walk in it but transgress it being drawn a-away by the outward pleasures of this life XXVII Origin reputed by many inferiour to none of these called Fathers both for his great piety and great knowledge of the Scriptures who lived before Athanasius and was a Disciple of Clemens Alexandrinus

things which they think to be immediatly revealed unto them by God whatever can be objected to the contrary For first that we have many and diverse errours he saith it but doth not prove it but secondly suppose that any of us did err in some one thing or another which is possible if we be not duely watchful for we are Men and do not judge our selves above the reach or possibility of tentation yet it is not manifest by experience that a Brother who erreth may not be reclaimed from his errour unto truth yea the Contrary is manifest by experience For we have at diverse times seen our weaker brethren if at any time they have through humane frailty been tempted and overcome by the spiritual adversary and have fallen into Errour happily reclaimed and restored by the pains and labours of others more perfect and more enlightned the grace of God assisting and concurring with the same And supposing that any one should Imagine his errour to be the Truth and under the Notion of Truth should impute it to inward divine Revelation for no man who hath the least degree of a sober and sound mind will impute errour as such to the holy Spirit yet very good and seasonable means and arguments shall not be wanting to reclaim him unto Truth For we can readily suggest unto him that it is not always divine inward Revelation which hath an appearance so to be for Satan doth oft transform himself into a false likeness of an Angel of Light Therefore he who so erreth is to be admonished that neither lightly nor carelesly but weightily and with great diligence he prove and examine that which is presented unto him under a shew of truth and that he use all means both inward and outward and especially apply his mind to the true divine Illumination of the spirit of God which never errs that is in him to discover the said errour For no Man hath any errour if he hath the least grain of Piety but frequently an inward divine Illumination or Revelation contrary unto the said errour doth present it self unto his understanding revealing it and expelling it if duely attended even as the Light expelleth or driveth away the Darkness or as the day doth the Night Nor are Men at this day exposed to greater danger who profess to follow inward divine Revelation then those of Old in the days of the Prophets and Apostles Now we read in Scripture of a certain Young Prophet who was deceived by an Elder I ask our Adversary could he not be undeceived Again let him tell me why are they more in hazard to be deceived who profess to follow inward divine Revelation then others are who profess to follow the outward divine Revelation of the Scripture for he will not deny that many do fouly err who confidently boast that they follow the outward Revelation of the Scripture Many also embrace error for Truth in natural things professing to follow the guidance of sound natural reason can they not therefore be convinced of their errour and yet no man will confess that he hath erred in that wherein he believeth that he hath followed the conduct of right reason What the Adversary writeth in his second and third Paragraph concerning the things in the controversie agreed on by both sides I have little to answer or which seem to need any answer This only I take notice of that our a dversary doth grant that that divine Revelation whereby God and the things of his worship are sufficiently and savingly known doth come unto men not by the natural power of humane understanding but by the supernatural operation of God for so saith he our Men do profess on Luthers lesser Catechism on the third Article of the Creed I believe say they that I cannot confide or trust in the Lord Iesus Christ my Lord or approach or come unto him any away by the power of my own reason but the Holy Ghost by his Gospel hath called me with his gifts hath enlightned me c. The which words if some Socinians or Pelagians did read it is a wonder if they should not put on them the brand of Enthusiasm yea of Quakerism For the foresaid words seem to differ little or nothing from our Faith who in scorn are called Quakers which may be more clearly made apparent afterwards CHAP. II. IN his fourth Paragraph he propounds the state of the question thus Whether inward and Immediate Revelation be the common and ordinary way which God used not only to some men of old but which he doth always use even to our very times unto all men Manifesting unto them the things which are necessary for them to know in order to their Salvation And a little after he mentions a twofold divine Revelation the one inward and Immediate for which we contend the other outward and mediate viz. the Scripture by which he saith men attain to the knowledge of things Necessary to Salvation the holy spirit working in them by that very Doctrine But yet he seems not to me to state the matter of the controversie clearly enough for in the former Paragraph as it seemeth he called the supernatural operation of God and the holy Spirit which is necessary unto all believers and that absolutely Divine Revelation the which because it is distinct from the outward and mediate as he calls it of the Scripture although not contrary unto it I know not how he can refuse to acknowledge that the Revelation Illumination and Operation of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the faithful is both inward and Immediate For first that it is inward he will not deny secondly nor will he as I judge deny that it is Immediate in that sense wherein both he and all sound and right thinking Christians contend against the Socinians and Pelagians or any other adversaries of Gods grace that the holy Spirit doth Immediately most nearly and identically by a Supernatural Operation concurr in every holy man as well to the forming of every good thought or conception within mans heart as to the bringing forth every good work outwardly or without Yea and all the most sound teachers in the Schools do affirm against Durandus that not only in supernaturals but even in all natural Productions of effects God Almighty doth concurr with all his Creatures Immediately most nearly and as many say identically or in the sameness of operation Nor doth this Immediate concourse of God the first Cause hinder or stop the influence operation and use of second Causes or of the means but doth rather establish Corroborate and confirm them For Example When a Man is cured and restored to health out of a Fevour or any other Sickness by the application of certain outward means God hath wrought Immediatly with those means but if the immediate operation of God had been wanting the man had not been cured it is therefore piously believed by all pious men both according to Scripture and Right reason that