necessary volitions as of its own felicity c. which yet are free and not meerly per modum naturae though natural as being ex sua natura And this three or foursold witness or attestation of the spirit sometime Antecedent alwaies Constitutive Concomitant and subsequent though a holy soul that is suited to it and hath the witness in it self may most fully and certainly discern yet another also may discern The Miracles being Intelligible attestations to them and the beauty of Wisdom and Holiness in the Scripture and in the Saints being refulgent and discernable by a stander by though not as by a possessor § 9. But I have not an equal Certainty of all the parts of it that they are the word of God because 1. All the Books Texts and Readings are not brought to me with equal historical Evidence 2. And there are abundance of passages in it which are but Accidental to the Christian Religion which have not the same self-evidencing luster in them as the Essentials have And there is no Necessity of an equal knowledge of the parts § 10. The parts which I am fully Certain of in the Scripture are 1. All the Essentials of the Christian Religion Because 1. They are delivered in Scripture frequently plainly past all Controversie of which I will cite your testimonies anon 2. Because they were as certainly delivered to all Christians and Churches in the whole world distinctly by themselves twelve years before any of the New Testament was written and above threescore and ten years before all of it was written even in the Covenant of Baptism renewed in the Lords Supper and in the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalogue which are the exposition of the Covenants professed by all Christians in all Christian Churches at every sacred meeting And these two waies of Tradition in Scripture and by themselves are fuller than one 2. And all the rest of the holy Scriptures in which the full concord of Copies and the plainness of the words doth leave no room for rational doubting § 11. V. I know that all this word is True because God is True verax and it is impossible for him to lie For whoever lieth must want either Wisdom to know what to say or Goodness to Love Truth or Power to make good his word and attain his will by better means But God is perfect in all these Which you seem to grant us § 12. That all things necessary to Salvation have been delivered by the Apostles to the Churches two waies as by two hands viz. Distinctly by word of mouth and in the Bible is our Doctrine That more than all in the Bible hath been delivered by word of mouth and this as necessary to the Salvation of some men I know not whom who have no more wit than to create necessity to themselves is your Doctrine But yet your famousest contentious Doctors confess that all things commonly necessary to Salvation are plainly expressed in the holy Scriptures Concil Basil Orat. Ragus Bin. pag. 299. The holy Scripture in the literal sense soundly and well understood is the Infallible and most sufficient Rule of faith Bellarm. de verbo Dei lib. 4. c. 11. In the Christian Doctrine both of faith and manners some things are simply necessary to the salvation of all as the knowledge of the articles of the Apostles Creed of the ten Commandments and of the Sacraments The rest are not so necessary that a man cannot be saved without the explicite knowledge belief and profession of them These things which are simply necessary and profitable to all the Apostles preached to all All things are written by the Apostles which are necessary to all and which they openly preached to all Costerus in Enchirid. cap. 1. p. 49. We do not deny that those chief heads of faith which to all Christians are necessary to be known to Salvation are plainly enough comprehended in the writings of the Apostles § 13. By the way hence judge of the jugling of your praters when they call to us for a Catalogue of Essentials or Fundamentals as if no such distinction were to be made § 14. But the ancient Fathers talkt at a higher rate even as Theophil Alexandr Epist. Paschal 2. Cont. Orig. Biblioth Patr. To. 3. pag. 96. Ignorans quod daemoniaci spiritus esset instinctus sophismata humanarum mentium sequi aliquid extra Scripturarum authoritatem putare divinum i. e. not knowing that it is the instinct of a devilish spirit to follow the sophisms of mens minds and to think that any thing is Divine without or besides the authority of the Scriptures CHAP. IV. The distinct Questions all Implied or Confounded in his one Quest 1. What are the Revelations in Controversie § 1. I Must now for the satisfaction of him if he be judicious answer his Question more distinctly and therefore divide it into all these Questions Quest. 1. What are the Revelations of God about which our Controversies lie 2. Whether it be true that the Papists grant us that all Divine Revelations are true 3. What Certainty have we what is a real Revelation of God 4. What Certainty have we of the true Copies and Readings 5. What Certainty of the Canonical or Divine books 6. What Certainty of the Truth of Translations 7. What Certainty have we of the true sense of the words 8. What unity of faith may be expected to be consferred by such certainties 9. What Determination is necessary to this Certainty and Unity And the Questions what Principle and what Medium is established will be Answered in these § 2. Quest. I. What are the Revelations of God about which our Controversies lie Answ. To mention no more than I needs must there are three sorts of Revelation which we assert and rest in 1. Of Natural Production and Evidence such as is the Light and Law of Nature in the Nature of all things especially of man himself as revealing Gods will per modum signi 2. Infallible Oral and Historical Traditition And so 1. All the Covenant of Grace in the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper with the Catechistical explanation in the Creed Lords-prayer and Decalogue have been particularly delivered by themselves 2. And so the Bible hath been delivered to us in the bulks 3. Written Revelation in the sacred Records of the Spirit which is the holy Scriptures themselves § 3. Of the first more anon The second they grant us so far as to confess 1. That the said Covenant and Catechistical Principles have had that way of delivery by themselves as well as in the Scripture But they tell of much more I know not what delivered the same way than is in them and the Scripture it self 2. Yet as you see they confess that none of that addition is commonly necessary to Salvation The third they grant us that all those books which we receive are the Certain word of God But 1. They say that there are more 2. And that we must
Generally But you will understand the mater the better if I distinguish of Revelation Revelation is either I. Objective or the bare proposal of the Object II. Effective Illumination of the mind The first only is here spoken of In Objective Revelation we have to consider I. The Efficient cause viz. 1. Principall which is God 1 As the Author or first Cause of Nature 2. As the Cause of Gratious extraordinary Light II. Subservient I. Persons 1. Christ as man the Teacher of the Church and Messenger of God 2. His Ministers 1. Angels 2. Men. 1. Publick 1. Parents Oeconomical 2. Ecclesiastical 1. Inspired 2. Instructed 3. Magistrates 2. Private Neighbours and Friends II. Things Considered I. Singly 1. In the matter and so they are 1. Signs Natural viz. All Gods works 2. Signs Artificial viz. Writings c. 3. Signs Mixt viz. Vocal Words 2. In the manner of causing them 1. Naturally as the works and Law of Nature 2. Supernaturally and extraordinarily II. Conjunct and duly ordered as they make up just evidence Viz. 1. Things in their notifying conditions 2. Words 1. Simple Terms 2. Propositions 3. Discourses II. The Matter of Divine Revelations signified for the Matter signifying is before spoken of is I. Beings substantial 1. Created 2. The Creator II. The Modes or Accidents of Beings substantial which are 1. Physical and Hyperphysical 2. Moral Especially 1. Truth 2. Right or Dueness 3. Goodness And reductively and by accident All their contraries III. The form of Revelation is Evidence or the Notifying Aptitude which includeth 1. The Sense or Meaning as True 2. As Perceptible IV. The Terminus and Ends of Revelation to joyn them for brevity are 1. The sense and its Perception 1. External 2. Internal the Imagination 2. The higher faculties 1. The Intellect and its perception 2. The Will and its Complacencie or Displicence All this goeth to make up Divine Revelation And do you think we can give you one only Medium of it in a word § 3. II. Matter of fact is a phrase sometime used so largely as to signifie the Reality of any Being that is existent as such But ordinarily it signifieth something practised or done as such If he here take it in the first sense then the verity of this proposition Whatsoever God saith is True is as much matter of fact as the sence of that Proposition But if he mean the later neither of them is matter of fact And yet he saith that the said Proposition is matter of Right As if the Truth of a Proposition and Gods Right to be believed were formally the same And yet he saith that the sense is matter of fact § 4. III. The word Certainty is very ambiguous Lest he complain of needless distinction I will only remember you 1. That as Certainty is Objective and Subjective so it is the Objective Certainty that we have here to enquire of But so as it is the means of Subjective Certainty But withal to remember that to Subjective Certainty that we our selves may be sure there is need of much more than Objective Certainty viz. that the soul and faculties be 1. Rightly disposed 2. And duly excited and applied c. 2. Of Objective Certainty you must note that the word is sometimes taken for meer Verity and Reallity And so the word Infallible is used for that which verily is and whosoever apprehendeth it so to be is not deceived And so all Truth is Certain and Infallible Truth But usually besides Truth the word Certainty and infallibility denoteth the evidence of that Truth by which it is not alwaies actually but aptitudinally notified to us This evidence is either sensible or Intelligible as the sense or the intellect is to be the perceiver of it Where you must distinguish the Physical Evidence of the Thing or Incomplex Object from the Logical Evidence of Complex Objects And here between the Evidence of self-evident Principles and of Conclusions whose Evidence is derivative But especially you must note wherein it is that certainty of Intelligible evidence formally consisteth which is in a certain degree of evidence And 1. It is not every low degree For though all Truth be equally Truth and infallible so that no man is deceived that receiveth it yet we use not to call that Certainty of evidence which is apt only to give them some dark probability and leave the mind in hesitant doubtfulness 2. And yet it is not only that degree of evidence which must help us to a perfect apprehension which is to be called Certainty For then no man should be certain in this world For no man hath such a degree of apprehension but more may be added to the clearness of it 3. Therefore certainty must be denominated from a middle degree which is when the evidence is not only True for the confidentest apprehension of a falshood is no certainty but also so Clear as is apt to give a satisfying quieting resolving apprehension to the mind yea though it should be sometimes molested with some doubts 4. And therefore seeing such or none is our certainty here it followeth that Certainty hath divers degrees as the satisfaction of the mind is more or less And that we are not equally certain of all that we are certain of You will find necessary use of these distinctions about this controversie § 5. IV. And what he meaneth by Principle I know not 1. There is a Physical or Hyperphysical Principle of Being and there is a natural principle of notification and there is a Logical principle of notification 1. Our intellective faculties are the natural apprehending principle 2. The spirit of God is the supream moving principle of Influx 3. The intrinsick and adherent evidence of the thing in it self is the natural notifying principle which is as various as things are 4. The Premises as inferring the conclusion are the Logical Principles of derivative certainty § 6. V. And I scarce know what he meaneth by Medium he seemeth to take it for the same with Principle There are media essendi which I suppose he meaneth not means to make us Articles of faith or to make them True but rather the media cognoscendi But these are necessarily more than one 1. There are the media by which we hear the word and receive the Bible as it is 2. There are the media by which we come to understand the sense of the words 3. There are the media by which we know the difference between the several parts of the Book the more certain and the more doubtful and the different copies and readings and the different translations 4. There are the media by which we know that these Doctrines and these Books are the same which were delivered to the Churches by the Apostles c. 5. There are the media by which we know that Miracles were wrought by Christ and his Apostles and other Christians in confirmation of the Gospel 6. And there are the media by which we
pravity of mans nature and the great necessity that we have of Deliverance by Pardon and Sanctification the malice and endeavour of Devils or evil spirits to tempt us from God and destroy us the need of Gods continual help against them and our selves with such like And these also we have a double Revelation of § 20. 4. The Principal part of the Supernatural Revelations are so exceeding congruous to those which are of Natural and Experienced Certainty and are so aptly adjoyned to them and have so Divine a design and tendency apparent in them as that they are the more easily believed § 21. 5. And the main frame of the book hath so much of the same spirit and design and is adapted to the Communication of these principal parts that is the Essentials of Christianity and thereto so compaginated as that the Belief of the said Estials maketh it the more easie to believe that the whole system of books is of God § 22. 6. But where we are uncertain of any thing whether it be really a part of that book or system as some questioned Books some various Readings some Texts whose sense is not understood we must needs be equally uncertain whether those be the word of God § 23. 7. But that Medium which ascertaineth us that these supernatural Revelations are indeed Divine I mean the proper Truths of Christianity must be something which is Lower or is Notius prius cognitum better known than Christianity and known in order of Evidence before it For all proof of conclusions must be from something first and better known § 24. 8. These things which are sooner and better known than the supernatural Revelation can be nothing but Natural Revelations by Gods works in the Nature of things compared and our natural experience For there is nothing else antecedent to be a medium of proof The forementioned natural Verities about God and Holiness carry their own Evidence with them either as first principles or as certain conclusions And the Essentials of Christianity have a self-commending Goodness which rendreth them sweet to a man that is already a true Believer and desireable to all truly rational men and the Congruencie rendreth it credible supposing further proof But that really the Incarnation Deity Life Satisfaction Resurrection Ascension Offices and Coming of Christ are truth with the Trinity of persons and such other points must be proved by some more notorious Medium proving that they are Divine assertions which must be some Natural Verities § 25. 9. Therefore the Ascertianing Inference must be this that If this be not a Divine Revelation then some Certain Natural Verity must be denied which at last will amount to the denying of a God § 26. 10. Here the Matter of fact is supposed to be known by sight and other senses to the first Christians and the first Churches where Christ and his Apostles and multitudes of other Christians wrought them And to be known by Certain History to those that saw them not And the existence of the Persons Words and Books is supposed known the same way And on this supposition we infer that These Impressions of Divine Power Wisdom and Goodness set upon this Doctrine and all these Miracles by Christ and multitudes of his servants wrought in attestation of it and all this sanctification of all true Believers by this word through the world are either done by Gods will or against his will If they be done by his will he is the Author of them and approver And seeing it is evident that they are to the common capacity of mankind so notorious a signification that God is the Author or approver of that word which be so evidently and wonderfully attesteth if yet this word prove false mankind is unavoidably deceived and Governed in the greatest concernments and business of all his life by this deceit For he hath no principle no means left him to know that these are not Divine attestations nor to disoblige him from judgeing them so to be But if God shall thus necessitate mankind to a false belief and thereby Govern him while in Nature he hath taught man to value Truth and hate Lying he must do this either for want of Power to do otherwise or for want of Wisdom to do otherwise or for want of Will and Goodness to do otherwise And if he wanted any of these he is not God Or if he Govern not the world himself but permit some Evil Spirit to do all this he is not God For to be God is to be the Supream Governor and to be every where the nearest universal Agent These consequences being plain though there are vain Objections which I must not stay to answer we certainly infer There is a God who is the perfect Governour of the world and therefore is Gracious True and Iust and therefore doth not rule even the best of men by unavoidable deceit and falshood and therefore this word is True which he so notoriously owneth and attesteth as aforesaid § 27. And hence it is that we take our selves bound about the Sacrament to believe that all mens senses are not deceived because if they be man hath no remedy For God hath made our sense the perceiver of things sensible and if it be not a Certain perceiver we have no Certainer nor other about those objects And if the apprehensions of sense be uncertain having all the natural requisites then all Gods Miracles by which he attested the word as well as the word it self are so And if it be not contrary to Gods perfection Veracity and Justice to deceive all mens senses in the Sacrament we cannot prove it contrary to them to deceive them by Miracles § 28. As an unbeliever is not so well disposed to receive the Gospel as a holy person after is and recipitur ad modum recipientis so usually a more wavering belief goeth before a fuller Certainty And the holier and more experienced any man is the more he is Certain of the truth of the Gospel because he hath the witness in himself in the Gust and Certain Effects of it But yet there is that Evidence of Truth which Preachers may and must use to the Conviction of Infidels to bring them to true belief § 29. The holy Scripture Containing all the Divine Revelations belonging to Religion compleatly Essentials Integrals and Accidentals the parts of it are not of equal necessity to us All that truly have the Essentials in Head and Heart and Life shall be saved yea though culpably they understand not other points as plainly revealed and so believe them not to be Divine For this is the Covenant of Grace No wonder then if many less necessary parts are less evident § 30. We have a fuller Evidence that all these Miracles Prophesies and subsequent operations of the Sanctifying Spirit do attest the New Covenant and Substance of the Gospel than we have that they attested every book e.g. the Chronicles the Canticles c. or
all other plain points in which the Translators agree are truly translated Though the knowledge of it in lesser points is not so necessary § 4. And thus and no other way both unlearned Protestants and Papists that cannot read must know that there is a Bible in the world and that the Priests do ordinarily read truly that publickly read it to them and that there are Canons of Councils in the world c. Because it is not possible for so many men of cross interests to agree in feigning it without detection § 5. There are some passages in some Translations so palpably distorted to the Translators interests and ends as that the Text and Context to the Learned and the common agreement of the world to the unlearned may notifie the error § 6. There are many passages or words so difficult about which Translators differ as that few or none are Certain which of them is in the right And this uncertainty is of no danger to the Church or to mens souls CHAP. X. Quest. VII What Certainty have we of the true sense of the Text. § 1. Answ. THis Question is partly the same with the former For to Translate is to give the sense of the original in other words The sense is either 1. The sense of single terms 2. Or the sense of propositions and sentences 3. Or the sense of many sentences conjunct in Method § 2. The first is known to Translators as is aforesaid As you know the sense of all words of all languages by common usage and common Tradition The second is made up of the first by common reason As a sentence is made up of common words He that understandeth what these words Repentance and is and necessary signifie may know without a Pope what this sentence signifieth Repentance is necessary The same is to be said of divers sentences conjunct The sense is known by the way that men learn to talk and to understand one anothers speeches And as you understand Baronius Bellarmine the Councils or any of your Priests even by the common acception of words and reason setting them together as man from his Infancie is taught to reason § 3. But as Infants understand not common talk till they are taught nor children and untaught persons so well as men and Scholars so the plainest things in Scripture require some use and consideration and Teaching to the understanding of them Much more the harder parts And God hath made it the duty of Parents to teach the Scripture to their children at home and abroad lying down and rising up Deut. 6. 11. without asking the Pope the sense of it And God hath appointed the elder and wiser to teach the younger and more ignorant and especially Pastors and Teachers to teach the world and instruct their flocks to understand the word of God Not barely to rest in their opinion and words but to shew men the same Evidence which doth convince themselves Which Teaching is not a final Iudging § 4. But yet where the Teacher knoweth what the Learner doth not the Learner must have the humility of a Disciple and not set his untaught wit conceitedly against his Teacher and wrangle before he understandeth but must judge his Teacher whether it be Grammar Logick or Theologie words or sense that he Teacheth him to be wiser than himself Else why will he be his Scholar And so he must believe him as a fallible man with a humane faith in order to his attaining of a proper Certainty § 5. But there are in Scripture many passages so exceeding difficult that we have no Certainty of the sense And some that only a few extraordinary Students have a Certaintainty of neither Protestants nor Papists further understanding them And this is no disparagement to the Scripture nor hazard or injury to us CHAP. XI Quest. VIII What Unity of faith may be expected to be conserved by our foresaid Certainties § 1. HEre are two Questions for haste included I. What Unity in faith may be expected II. What Certainties are necessary thereto § 2. I. To the first 1. A Unity in all the Essentials of the Christian faith is already existent among all Christians in the world For they were not Christians if they agree not in all Essentials of Christianity § 3. 2. A Vnity of faith in the Integrals of Christianity is desireable and so far hopeful as that the wiser all Christians are in the more of the Integrals they will agree But here will never be an universal Concord or Unity any more than in mens age strength Stature and complexions This Paul openeth at large 1 Cor. 12. Rom. 14. 15 c. § 4. 3. A perfect Vnity in the common knowledge of all things in Scripture or all the revealed Accidentals of Religion will never be found between any two persons in this life because that no ones knowledge is perfect § 5. II. From hence the other Question is easily answered 1. To a Unity of Christians as Christians or the body of Christ and Church Universal and of necessity to Salvation no Certainty is necessary but of the Essentials of the Christian Religion 2. To the more Comfortable progress and the melius esse of Christians and the Churches as great a Concord and Certainty in the Integrals of Christianity is needful as the degree of melius esse doth require 3. To mens peaceable and comfortable Communion in Christian Societies an Unity and consequently knowledge of the points of Christian Love and holy communion is necessary 4. To our Heavenly Union Heavenly perfection is necessary § 6. But to insinuate that a Certainty of the sense of all the Scripture or all that God hath revealed to us Objectively or of all that Popes and Councils determine is necessary to that unity of faith which maketh all Christians to be Christians and one body of Christ is but a cheating trick which is against Scripture reason and their own Doctors CHAP. XII Quest. IX What Determination is necessary to this Certainty and Unity § 1. Answ. 1. GOds Determination of the Object by Verity and Evidence and his helping the faculty in determining it self in act is necessary § 2. 2. The inward true Determination of every mans own perceiving faculty sense and Intellect is necessary to his true perception § 3. 3. A Parent Schoolmaster Senior and Pastor must tell the Scholar their own Judgement and then open to him the Evidence of truth § 4. A Magistrate or other Superiour Parent Master c. hath a determining Judgement under God and his Laws in order to the ends of their proper Government and no further That is They are the only publick Judges in their Society who shall be punished or not punished by the sword restrained or encouraged as teaching false Doctrine or true But this is not an absolute and unregulated power If they determine contrary to Gods word they sin and bind not me to obey them though I am bound to continue my subjection
of faith For both waies is the Measure of faith exceeded and men deviate from the continence of the Holy Scripture which expresseth the Measure of faith And this Measure God assisting we will hold that we may write or teach nothing dissonant from the Holy Scripture But if by ignorance or inadvertencie we should write any thing let it be ipso facto esteemed as not written And so on And Prolog q. 1. his description of Theologie is 1. For a habit by which we only or principally assent to those things that are delivered in Scripture and as they are there delivered And so Theologie differs not from faith The reason of which is because the things that are delivered in the Scripture are so only held by Divine Authority Scotus Prolog Q. 2. doth conclude p. 7. that the Doctrine of the Canonical Scripture is sufficient to the attainment of our end And that the Holy Scripture containeth sufficiently the Doctrine necessary to a Viator a man in this life II. And to prove this Scripture to be true he giveth us these ten proofs which I must not repeat at large 1. From the predictions of Scripture which God only could do 2. From their notable concord 3. He proveth that their own Doctrine against Lying and such like prove that the writers lied not 4. From the great diligence and concord of the Receivers 5. From the Rationability of the Contents 6. From the unreasonableness of all other waies 7. From the stability of the Church 8. From the Miracles which God would never affix to a lie which he largely urgeth 9. From the testimony of aliens and adversaries 10. That God would not give up those to a lie who so seek him with all their hearts as many Christians do Abundance of their Authors more I could cite who thus argue for the truth of Scripture and not from an Authoritative decision of a Pope or Council only And what in this they give to them at other times doth but shew that their foundation was so much weaker than ours CHAP. III. That where the Learned Papists differ from us they are so far from building on a Certainer foundation that so far they are forced to deny all Certainty of faith TO prove this it may suffice to mind the Learned Reader how even the most judicious as Greg. Armin. Prolog Estius and commonly most Schoolmen deny a proper Certainty of Evidence to faith Not only that the Object is not Evident to sense which all confess but that the truth of the conclusion is not Demonstrable and that Faith is a pious act of the Election of the will which were not meritorious if it had rational demonstration or evidence And that it is but opinion which is resolved into humane Authority and yet that they believe the Scripture to be Gods word and this or that to be the sense meerly because the Church holdeth it I cannot stay to cite many Plain Durandus shall be instead of all Who Prolog q. 1. saith p. 6. c. 1. Faith which resteth on humane Authority differeth not from opinion because the place from humane authority is topical and an argument thence taken is the weakest And therefore the faith which resteth on that authority is the weakest opinion But pag. 9. of the faith which resteth on Gods authority he granteth us that it may stand with Science of many of the same things and that Divine authority and demonstrative reason may concur to cause the same assent But p. 10. he dissenteth from them that hold that Gods attestations were such to those that saw Christs Miracles and Resurrection c. as certainly proved the truth of his Godhead and so of his word which is Aquinas his honest Doctrine 3. q. 43. act 4. against which Durandus writeth this And because it is us as well as Aquinas that he opposeth I will briefly confute his reasons The first is Because Demonstration necessitateth the understanding to believe But many that saw Lazarus raised c. believed not Christ to be God c. Therefore Miracles were not a sufficient demonstration Answ. Not sufficient to all things but sufficient to do their own part By this you would prove that there is no demonstration of any thing almost in the world For there is almost nothing which convinceth all men I distinguish therefore of a disposed and an indisposed understanding And as to the later I deny the major Demonstrations constrein not millions of undisposed Intellects Recipitur ad modum recipientis What need any other proof than your oft mentioned denial of Bread in the Eucharist Because millions deny the perception of all mens Senses and Intellects thereby are not things sensible demonstrable or evident Can you hope to bring more cogent proof And yet this is rejected And so were Christs miracles The second is Gregory Faith hath no merit where humane reason hath experience and there is Science Answ. A falshood as easily denied as asserted without proof If by Merit you mean Rewardableness For it is only Natural involuntary necessity which evacuateth moral Good or Evil. The will may shew its virtue or vice in receiving or rejecting Objective ascertaining Evidence The third is that it was not known of it self that this miracle attested the truth of what Christ said But whether per se or by consequence it is a most evident certainty that a man yea abundance of men that assert such a point of unspeakable consequence to the world doing abundance of open notorious miracles as professed witnesses or proofs of their Doctrine could not do this but by Gods extraordinary providence And that if this be not to be taken for a Divine Testimony we know of none that mortals are capable of nor a possibility of the worlds escaping the deceit as caused unresistibly by God His Answers to this are not worthy the repeating The same Author li. 3. d. 23. q 7. Enquiring of the Certainty of faith whether it be certainer than Science brings in the several answers of others 1. That there is a Certainty of Evidence and this Science hath and a Certainty of Adhesion and this Faith hath But this he rejecteth and sheweth truly that Adhesion is not properly Certainty and also that the fullest Evidence causeth the closest Adhesion 2. That Faith hath most Certainty in se in the thing and Science most Certainly quoad nos as to us But the vanity of this he truly sheweth For to be Certain in it self and not to us is but to be True And all things True are equally True But no truth is Certain to us or Credible without revelation to us And as he saith The Certainty of Act or habit is not from the Certainty of the object in it self but from the mode which the habit putteth as to the person and the act No way therefore saith he is the act or habit called Certain unless it be certain as to us Therefore he is forced to conclude that many habits and acts of