them Some it may be can give no other Account hereof but that they have been so instructed by them whom they have sufficient reason to give credit unto or that they have so received them by Tradition from their Fathers Now whatever Perswasion these Reasons may beget in the minds of men that the things which they profess to believe are true yet if they are alone it is not divine Faith whereby they do believe but that which is meerly humane as being resolved into humane Testimony only or an Opinion on probable Arguments for no Faith can be of any other kind than is the Evidence it reflects on or ariseth from I say it is so where they are alone for I doubt not but that some who have never further considered the reason of their believing than the teaching of their Instructors have yet that Evidence in their own souls of the Truth and Authority of God in what they believe that with respect thereunto their Faith is divine and supernatural The Faith of most hath a beginning and progress not unlike that of the Samaritans John 4. 40 41 42. as shall be afterwards declared 3. When we enquire after Faith that is infallible or believing infallibly which as we shall shew hereafter is necessary in this case we do not intend an inherent quality in the Subject as though he that believes with Faith infallible must himself also be infallible much less do we speak of Infallibility absolutely which is a property of God who alone from the perfection of his Nature can neither deceive nor be deceived But it is that Property or Adjunct of the Assent of our Minds unto divine Truths or supernatural Revelations whereby it is differenced from all other kinds of Assent whatever And this it hath from its formal Object or the Evidence whereon we give this Assent For the nature of every Assent is given unto it by the nature of the Evidence which it proceedeth from or relyeth on This in divine Faith is divine Revelation which being infallible renders the Faith that rests on it and is resolved into it infallible also No man can believe that which is false or which may be false with divine Faith for that which renders it divine is the divine Truth and Infallibility of the Ground and Evidence which it is built upon But a man may believe that which is true infallibly so and yet his Faith not be infallible That the Scripture is the Word of God is infallibly true yet the Faith whereby a man believes it so to be may be fallible for it is such as his Evidence is and no other He may believe it to be so on Tradition or the Testimony of the Church of Rome only or on outward Arguments all which being fallible his Faith is so also although the things he assents unto be infallibly true Wherefore unto this Faith divine and infallible it is not required that the Person in whom it is be infallible nor is it enough that the thing it self believed be infallibly true but moreover that the Evidence whereon he doth believe it be infallible also So it was with them who received divine Revelations immediately from God It was not enough that the things revealed unto them were infallibly true but they were to have infallible Evidence of the Revelation it self then was their Faith infallible though their persons were fallible With this Faith then a man can believe nothing but what is divinely true and therefore it is infallible and the reason is because Gods Veracity who is the God of Truth is the only Object of it Hence saith the Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Chron. 20. 20. Believe in the Lord your God and you shall be established or that Faith which is in God and his Word is fixed on Truth or is infallible Hence the Enquiry in this case is what is the Reason why we believe any thing with this faith divine or supernatural or what it is the believing whereof makes our Faith divine infallible and supernatural Wherefore 4. The Authority and Veracity of God revealing the material Objects of our Faith or what it is our Duty to believe is the formal Object and Reason of our Faith from whence it ariseth and whereinto it is ultimately resolved That is the only Reason why we do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God that God is one single Essence subsisting in three Persons is because that God who is Truth the God of Truth Deut. 32. 4. who cannot lye Tit. 1. 2. and whose Word is Truth John 17. 17. and the Spirit which gave it out is Truth 1 John 5 6. hath revealed these things to be so and our believing these things on that ground renders our Faith divine and supernatural Supposing also a Respect unto the subjective Efficiency of the Holy Ghost inspiring it into our minds whereof afterwards For to speak distinctly our Faith is supernatural with respect unto the production of it in our minds by the Holy Ghost and infallible with respect unto the formal Reason of it which is divine Revelation and is divine in opposition unto what is meerly humane on both accounts As things are proposed unto us to be believed as true Faith in its Assent respects only the Truth or Veracity of God but whereas this Faith is required of us in a way of Obedience and is considered not only physically in its nature but morally also as our Duty it respects also the Authority of God which I therefore joyn with the Truth of God as the formal Reason of our Faith see 2 Sam. 7. 28. And these things the Scripture pleads and and argues when Faith is required of us in the way of Obedience Thus saith the Lord is that which is proposed unto us as the Reason why we should believe what is spoken whereunto often times other divine Names and Titles are added signifying his Authority who requires us to believe Thus saith the Lord God the Holy One of Israel Isa. 30. 15. Thus saith the High and Lofty One who inhabiteth Eternity whose Name is Holy Isa. 57. 15. Believe the Lord your God 2 Chron. 20. 20. The Word of the Lord precedeth most Revelations in the Prophets and other Reason why we should believe the Scripture proposeth none Heb. 1. 1 2. yea the Interposition of any other Authority between the things to be believed and our Souls and Consciences besides the Authority of God overthrows the nature of divine Faith I do not say the Interposition of any other means whereby we should believe of which sort God hath appointed many but the interposition of anyother Authority upon which we should believe as that pretended in and by the Church of Rome No men can be Lords of our Faith though they may be helpers of our Joy 5. The Authority and Truth of God considered in themselves absolutely are not the immediate formal Object of our Faith though they are the ultimate whereinto it is resolved
For we can believe nothing on their Account unless it be evidenced unto us and this Evidence of them is in that Revelation which God is pleased to make of himself for that is the only means whereby our Consciences and Minds are affected with his Truth and Authority We do therefore no otherwise rest on the Truth and Veracity of God in any thing than we rest on the Revelation which he makes unto us for that is the only way whereby we are affected with them Not the Lord is true absolutely but Thus saith the Lord and the Lord hath spoken is that which we have immediate regard unto Hereby alone are our minds affected with the Authority and Veracity of God and by what way soever it is made unto us it is sufficient and able so to affect us At first as hath been shewed it was given immediately to some Persons and preserved for the use of others in an oral Ministry but now all Revelation as hath also been declared is contained in the Scriptures only 6. It follows that our Faith whereby we believe any divine supernatural Truth is resolved into the Scripture as the only means of divine Revelation affecting our Minds and Consciences with the Authority and Truth of God or the Scripture as the only immediate divine infallible Revelation of the Mind and Will of God is the first immediate formal Object of our Faith the sole Reason why and ground whereon we do believe the things that are revealed with Faith Divine Supernatural and Infallible We do believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God Why do we so do on what ground or reason It is because of the Authority of God commanding us so to do and the Truth of God testifying thereunto But how or by what means are our Minds and Consciences affected with the Authority and Truth of God so as to believe with respect unto them which makes our Faith Divine and Supernatural It is alone the Divine Supernatural Infallible Revelation that he hath made of this sacred Truth and of his Will that we should believe it But what is this Revelation or where is it to be found It is the Scripture alone which contains the entire Revelation that God hath made of himself in all things which he will have us to believe or do Hence 7. The last Enquiry ariseth how or on what ground for what Reasons do we believe the Scripture to be a divine Revelation proceeding immediately from God or to be that Word of God which is Truth divine and infallible Whereunto we answer it is solely on the Evidence that the Spirit of God in and by the Scripture it self gives unto us that it was given by immediate Inspiration from God Or the Ground and Reason whereon we believe the Scripture to be the Word of God are the Authority and Truth of God evidencing themselves in and by it unto the Minds and Consciences of Men. Hereon as whatever we assent unto as proposed in the Scripture our Faith rests on and is resolved into the Veracity and Faithfulness of God so is it also in this of believing the Scripture it self to be the infallible Word of God seeing we do it on no other Grounds but its own Evidence that so it is This is that which is principally to be proved and therefore to prepare for it and to remove prejudices something is to be spoken to prepare the way thereunto 1. There are sundry cogent Arguments which are taken from External considerations of the Scripture that evince it on rational Grounds to be from God All these are motives of credibility or effectual perswasives to account and esteem it to be the Word of God And although they neither are nor is it possible they ever should be the Ground and Reason whereon we believe it so to be with Faith Divine and Supernatural yet are they necessary unto the confirmation of our Faith herein against Temptations Oppositions and Objections These Arguments have been pleaded by many and that usefully and therefore it is not needful for me to insist upon them And they are the same for the substance of them in antient and modern Writers however managed by some with more Learning Dexterity and force of Reasoning than by others It may not be expected therefore that in this short discourse designed unto another purpose I should give them much improvement However I shall a little touch on those which seem to be most cogent and that in them wherein in my Apprehention their strength doth lye And I shall do this to manifest that although we plead that no Man can believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God with Faith Divine Supernatural and Infallible but upon its own internal Divine Evidence and Efficacy yet we allow and make use of all those external Arguments of its sacred Truth and divine Original which are pleaded by others ascribing unto them as much weight and cogency as they can do acknowledging the perswasion which they beget and effect to be as firm as they can pretend it to be Only we do not judg them to contain the whole of the Evidence which we have for Faith to rest in or to be resolved into yea not that at all which renders it Divine Supernatural and Infallible The Rational Arguments we say which are or may be used in this matter with the humane Testimonies whereby they are corroborated may and ought to be made use of and insisted on And it is but vainly pretended that their use is superseded by our other Assertions as though where Faith is required all the subservient use of Reason were absolutely discarded and our Faith thereby rendred irrational And the assent unto the divine Original and Authority of the Scriptures which the mind ought to give upon them we grant to be of as high a nature as is pretended to be namely a moral certainty Moreover the Conclusion which unprejudiced Reason will make upon these Arguments is more firm better grounded and more pleadable than that which is built meerly on the sole Authority of any Church whatever But this we assert that there is an assent of another kind unto the divine Original and Authority of the Scriptures required of us namely that of Faith divine and supernatural Of this none will say that it can be effected by or resolved into the best and most cogent of rational Arguments and external Testimonies which are absolutely humane and fallible For it doth imply a contradiction to believe infallibly upon fallible evidence Wherefore I shall prove that beyond all these Arguments and their effect upon our minds there is an Assent unto the Scripture as the Word of God required of us with Faith divine Supernatural and Infallible and therefore there must be a divine Evidence which is the Formal Object and Reason of it which alone it rests on and is resolved into which shall also be declared and proved But yet as was said in the first place because their
believe it so to be and then to believe the things contained in it For this Proposition that the Scripture is the Word of God is a divine Revelation and so to be believed But God no where requires nor ever did that we should believe any divine Revelation upon such Grounds much less on such Grounds and Motives only They are left unto us as consequential unto our Believing to plead with others in behalf of what we profess and for the Justification of it unto the World But that which requires our Faith and Obedience unto in the receiving of divine Revelations whether immediately given and declared or as recorded in the Scripture is his own Authority and Veracity I am the Lord the High and Lofty One. Thus saith the Lord. To the Law and to the Testimony This is my Son hear him All Scripture is given by Inspiration from God Believe the Lord and his Prophets This alone is that which he requires us to resolve our Faith into So when he gave unto us the Law of our Lives the eternal and unchangeable Rule of our Obedience unto him in the ten Commandments he gives no other Reason to oblige us thereunto but this only I am the Lord thy God The sole formal Reason of all our Obedience is taken from his own Nature and our Relation unto him Nor doth he propose any other Reason why we should believe him or the Revelation which he makes of his Mind and Will And our Faith is part of our Obedience the Root and principal Part of it therefore the Reason of both is the same Neither did our Lord Jesus Christ nor his Apostles ever make use of such Arguments or Motives for the ingenerating of Faith in the minds of men nor have they given Directions for the use of any such Arguments to this End and Purpose But when they were accused to have followed cunningly devised Fables they appealed unto Moses and the Prophets to the Revelations they had themselves received and those that were before recorded It is true they wrought Miracles in confirmation of their own divine Mission and of the Doctrine which they taught But the Miracles of our Saviour were all of them wrought amongst those who believed the whole Scripture then given to be the Word of God and those of the Apostles were before the Writings of the Books of the New Testament Their Doctrine therefore materially considered and their Warranty to teach it was sufficiently yea abundantly confirmed by them But Divine Revelation formally considered and as written was left upon the old Foundation of the Authority of God who gave it No such Method is prescribed no such Example is proposed unto us in the Scripture to make use of these Arguments and Motives for the Conversion of the Souls of men unto God and the ingenerating of Faith in them Yea in some Cases the use of such means is decryed as unprofitable and the Sole Authority of God putting forth his Power in and by his Word is appealed unto 1 Cor. 2. 4 5 13. chap. 14. 26 27. 2 Cor. 4. 7. But yet in a way of Preparation subservient unto the receiving the Scripture as the Word of God and for the Defence of it against Gainsayers and their Objections their use hath been granted and proved But from first to last in the Old and New Testament the Authority and Truth of God are constantly and uniformly proposed as the immediate Ground and Reason of Believing his Revelations nor can it be proved that he doth accept or approve of any kind of Faith or Assent but what is built thereon and resolved thereinto The Sum is We are obliged in a way of Duty to believe the Scriptures to be a Divine Revelation when they are ministerially or providentially proposed unto us whereof afterwards The Ground whereon we are to receive them is the Authority and Veracity of God speaking in them we believe them because they are the Word of God Now this Faith whereby we so believe is Divine and Supernatural because the mal Reason of it is so namely Gods Truth and Authority Wherefore we do not nor ought to believe the Scripture as highly probable or with a moral Perswasion and Assurance built upon Arguments absolutely fallible and humane only For if this be the formal Reason of Faith namely the Veracity and Authority of God if we believe not with Faith divine and supernatural we believe not at all 2. The moral Certainty treated of is a meer Effect of Reason There is no more required unto it but that the Reasons proposed for the Assent required be such as the mind judgeth to be convincing and prevalent whence an inferiour Kind of Knowledge or a firm Opinion or some kind of Perswasion which hath not yet gotten an intelligible Name doth necessarily ensue There is therefore on this Supposition no need of any Work of the Holy Ghost to enable us to believe or to work Faith in us for no more is required herein but what necessarily ariseth from a naked Exercise of Reason If it be said that the Enquiry is not about what is the Work of the Spirit of God in us but concerning the Reasons and Motives to Believing that are proposed unto us I answer it is granted but that we urge herein is that the Act which is exerted on such Motives or the Perswasion which is begotten in our minds by them is purely natural and such as requires no especial Work of the Holy Ghost in us for the effecting of it Now this is not Faith nor can we be said in the Scripture sense to believe thereby and so in particular not the Scriptures to be the Word of God For Faith is the Gift of God and is not of our selves Ephes 2. 8. It is given unto some on the behalf of Christ Phil. 1. 29. and not unto others Mat. 11. 29. chap. 13. 11. But this Assent on external Arguments and Motives is of our selves equally common and exposed unto all No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. But he who believeth the Scripture truly aright and according to his Duty doth say so No man cometh to Christ but he that hath heard and learned of the Father John 6. 45. And as this is contrary to the Scripture so it is expresly condemned by the ancient Church particularly by the second Arausican Council Can. 5. 7. Si quis sicut augmentum ita etià m initium Fidei ipsumque credulitatis affectum non per gratiae donum id est per inspirationem Spiritus Sancti corrigentem voluntatem nostram ab infidelitate ad fidem ab impietate ad pietatem sed naturalitèr nobis inesse dicit Apostolicis Dogmatibus adversarius approbatur And plainly Can. 7. Si quis per naturae vigorem bonum aliquod quod ad Salutem pertinet vitae eternae cogitare ut expedit aut eligere sive salutari id est evangelicae Praedicaiioni consentire
posse affirmat absque illumi natione et inspiratione Spiritus Sancti qui dat omnibus suavitatem consentiendo et credendo veritati haeretico fallitur Spiritu It is still granted that the Arguments intended that is all of them which ar true indeed and will endure a strict Examination for some are frequently made use of in this Cause which will not endure a Trial are of good use in their place and unto their proper end that is to beget such an Assent unto the Truth as they are capable of effecting For although this be not that which is required of us in a way of Duty but inferior to it yet the mind is prepared and disposed by them unto the receiving of the Truth in its proper Evidence 3. Our Assent can be of no other Nature than the Arguments and Motives whereon it is built or by which it is wrought in us as in Degree it cannot exceed their Evidence Now these Arguments are all humane and fallible exalt them unto the greatest esteem possible yet because they are not Demonstrations nor do necessarily beget a certain Knowledg in us which indeed if they did there were no room left for Faith or our Obedience therein they produce an Opinion only though in the highest kind of Probability and firm against Objections For we will allow the utmost Assurance that can be claimed upon them But this is exclusive of all divine Faith as to any Article Thing Matter or Object to be believed For Instance a man professeth that he believes Jesus Christ to be the Son of God Demand the Reason why he doth so and he will say because God who cannot lie hath revealed and declared him so to be proceed yet further and ask him where or how God hath revealed and declared this so to be and he will answer in the Scripture which is his Word enquire now further of him which is necessary wherefore he believes this Scripture to be the Word of God or an immediate Revelation given out from him for hereunto we must come and have somewhat that we may ultimately rest in excluding in its own Nature all further Enquiries or we can have neither certainty nor stability in our Faith On this Supposition his answer must be that he hath many cogent Arguments that render it highly propable so to be such as have prevailed with him to judg it so to be and whereon he is fully perswaded as having the highest Assurance hereof that the matter will bear and so doth firmly believe them to be the Word of God Yea but it will be replied all these Arguments are in their kind or Nature humane and therefore fallible such as it is possible they may be false for every thing may be so that is not immediately from the first essential Verity This Assent therefore unto the Scriptures as the Word of God is humane fallible and such as wherein we may be deceived And our Assent unto the things revealed can be of no other kind than that we give unto the Revelation it self For thereinto it is resolved and thereunto it must be reduced these waters will rise no higher than their Fountain And thus at length we come to believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God with a Faith humane and fallible and which at last may deceive us which is to receive the Word of God as the Word of Men and not as it is in truth the Word of God contrary to the Apostle 1 Thes. 2. 13. Wherefore 4. If I believe the Scripture to be the Word of God with an humane Faith only I do no otherwise believe whatever is contained in it which overthrows all Faith properly so called And if I believe what is contained in the Scripture with Faith divine and supernatural I cannot but by the same Faith believe the Scripture it self which removes the moral Certainty treated of out of our way And the Reason of this is that we must believe the Revelation and the things revealed with the same kind of Faith or we bring confusion on the whole work of believing No man living can distinguish in his Experience between that Faith wherewith he lieves the Scripture and that wherewith he believes the Doctrine of it or the things contained in it nor is there any such Distinction or Difference intimated in the Scripture it self but all our believing is absolutely resolved into the Authority of God revealing Nor can it be rationally apprehended that our Assent unto the things revealed should be of a kind and nature superior unto that which we yield unto the Revelation it self For let the Arguments which it is resolved into be never so evident and cogent let the Assent it self be as firm and certain as can be imagined yet is it humane still and natural and therein is inferior unto that which is divine and supernatural And yet on this Supposition that which is of a superior kind and nature is wholly resolved into that which is of an inferior and must be take it self on all occasions thereunto for relief and confirmation For the Faith whereby we believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God is on all occasions absolutely melted down into that whereby we believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God But none of these things are my present especial Design and therefore I have insisted long enough upon them I am not enquiring what Grounds men may have to build an Opinion or any kind of humane Perswasion upon that the Scriptures are the the Word of God no nor yet how we may prove or maintain them so to be unto Gainsayers but what is required hereunto that we may believe them to be so with Faith divine and supernatural and what is the Work of the Spirit of God therein But it may be further said that these external Arguments and Motives are not of themselves and considered separately from the Doctrine which they testify unto the sole Ground and Reason of our Believing For if it were possible that a thousand Arguments of a like cogency with them were offered to confirm any Truth or Doctrine if it had not a divine Worth and Excellency in it self they could give the mind no Assurance of it Wherefore it is the Truth it self or Doctrine contained in the Scripture which they testify unto that animates them and gives them their Efficacy For there is such a Majesty Holiness and Excellency in the Doctrine of the Gospel and moreover such a Suitableness in them unto unprejudiced Reason and such an Answerableness unto all the rational Desires and Expectations of the Soul as evidence their Procedure from the Fountain of infinite Wisdom and Goodness It cannot but be conceived impossible that such excellent heavenly Mysteries of such use and benefit unto all Mankind should be the Product of any created Industry Let but a man know himself his State and Condition in any measure with a desire of that Blessedness which his nature is capable of
and which he cannot but design when the Scripture is proposed unto him in the Ministry of the Church attested by the Arguments insisted on there will appear unto him in the Truths and Doctrines of it or in the things contained in it such an Evidence of the Majesty and Authority of God as will prevail with him to believe it to be a divine Revelation And this Perswasion is such that the mind is established in its Assent unto the Truth so as to yield Obedience unto all that is required of us And whereas our Belief of the Scripture is in order only to the right Performance of our Duty or all that Obedience which God expecteth from us our minds being guided by the Precepts and Directions and duly influenced by the Promises and Threatnings of it thereunto there is no other Faith required of us but what is sufficient to oblige us unto that Obedience This being so far as I can apprehend the Substance of what is by some learned men proposed and adhered unto it shall be briefly examined And I say here as on other occasions that I should rejoyce to see more of such a Faith in the World as would effectually oblige men unto Obedience out of a Conviction of the Excellency of the Doctrine the Truth of the Promises and Threatnings of the Word though learned men should never agree about the formal Reason of Faith Such Notions of Truth when most diligently inquired into are but as sacrifice compared with Obedience But the Truth it self is also to be enquired after diligently This Opinion therefore either supposeth what we shall immediatly declare namely the necessity of an internal effectual Work of the Holy Spirit in the Illumination of our minds so enabling us to believe with Faith divine and supernatural or it doth not If it doth it will be found as I suppose for the Substance of it to be co-incident with what we shall afterwards assert and prove to be the formal Reason of Believing However as it is usually proposed I cannot absolutely comply with it for these two Reasons among others 1. It belongs unto the Nature of Faith of what sort soever it be that it be built on and resolved into Testimony This is that which distinguisheth it from any other Conception Knowledge or Assent of our minds on other Reasons and Causes And if this Testimony be divine so is that Faith whereby we give assent unto it on the part of the Object But the Doctrines contained in the Scripture or the subject Matter of the Truth to be believed have not in them the Nature of a Testimony but are the material not formal Objects of Faith which must always differ If it be said that these Truths or Doctrines do so evidence themselves to be from God as that in and by them we have the Witness and Authority of God himself proposed unto us to resolve our Faith into I will not further contend about it but only say that the Authority of God and so his Veracity do manifest themselves primarily in the Revelation it self before they do so in the things revealed which is that we plead for 2. The Excellency of the Doctrine or things revealed in the Scriptures respects not so much the Truth of them in speculation as their Goodness and Suitableness unto the Souls of Men as to their present Condition and eternal End Now things under that Consideration respect not so much Faith as spiritual Sense and Experience Neither can any man have a due Apprehension of such a goodness suitable unto our Constitution and Condition with absolute usefulness in the Truth of the Scripture but on a Supposition of that antecedent Assent of the mind unto them which is Believing which therefore cannot be the Reason why we do believe But if this Opinion proceed not upon the aforesaid Supposition immediately to be proved but requires no more unto our satisfaction in the Truth of the Scripture and Assent thereon but the due Exercise of Reason or the natural Faculties of our Minds about them when proposed unto us then I suppose it to be most remote from the Truth and that amongst many other Reasons for these that ensue 1. On this Supposition the whole Work of Believing would be a Work of Reason Be it so say some nor is it meet it should be otherwise conceived But if so then the Object of it must be things so evident in themselves and their own Nature as that the Mind is as it were compelled by that Evidence unto an Assent and cannot do otherwise If there be such a Light and Evidence in the things themselves with respect unto our Reason in the right use and exercise of it then is the Mind thereby necessitated unto its Assent which both overthrows the Nature of Faith substituting an Assent upon natural Evidence in the room thereof and is absolutely exclusive of the necessity or use of any Work of the Holy Ghost in our Believing which sober Christians will scarce comply withal 2. There are some Doctrines revealed in the Scripture and those of the most Importance that are so revealed which concern and contain things so above our Reason that without some previous supernatural Dispositions of Mind they carry in them no Evidence of Truth unto meer Reason nor of Suitableness unto our Constitution and End There is required unto such an Apprehension both the spiritual Elevation of the Mind by supernatural Illumination and a divine Assent unto the Authority of the Revelation thereon before Reason can be so much as satisfied in the Truth and Excellency of such Doctrines Such are those concerning the Holy Trinity or the Subsistence of one singular Essence in three distinct Persons the Incarnation of the Son of God the Resurrection of the dead and sundry other that are the most proper Subjects of divine Revelation There is an heavenly Glory in some of these things which as Reason can never throughly apprehend because it is finite and limited so as 't is in us by Nature it can neither receive them nor delight in them as doctrinally proposed unto us with all the Aids and Assistance before mentioned Flesh and Blood reveals not these thisgs unto our minds but our Father which is in Heaven Nor doth any man know these Mysteries of the Kingdom of God but he unto whom it is given nor do any learn these things aright but those that are taught of God 3. Take our Reason singly without the Consideration of divine Grace and Illumination and it is not only weak and limited but depraved and corrupted And the carnal mind cannot subject it self unto the Authority of God in any supernatural Revelation whatever Wherefore the Truth is that the Doctrines of the Gospel which are purely and absolutely so are so far from having a convincing Evidence in themselves of their divine Truth Excellency and Goodness unto the Reason of men as unrenewed by the Holy Ghost as that they are foolishness and most undesirable
unto it as I have elsewhere proved at large We shall therefore proceed There are two Things considerable with respect unto our Believing the Scriptures to be the Word of God in a due manner or according to our Duty The first respects the Subject or the mind of man how it is enabled thereunto the other the Object to be believed with the true Reason why we do believe the Scripture with Faith divine and supernatural The first of these must of necessity fall under our Consideration herein as that without which what ever Reasons Evidences or Motives are proposed unto us we shall never believe in a due manner For whereas the mind of man or the minds of all men are by nature depraved corrupt carnal and enmity against God they cannot of themselves or by virtue of any innate Ability of their own understand or assent unto spiritual things in a spiritual manner which we have sufficiently proved and confirmed before Wherefore that Assent which is wrought in us by meer external Arguments consisting in the rational Conclusion and Judgment which we make upon their Truth and Evidence is not that Faith wherewith we ought to believe the Word of God Wherefore that we may believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God according to our Duty as God requireth it of us in an useful profitable and saving manner above and beyond that natural humane Faith and Assent which is the Effect of the Arguments and Motives of Credibility before insisted on with all others of the like kind there is and must be wrought in us by the power of the Holy Ghost Faith supernatural and divine whereby we are enabled so to do or rather whereby we do so This Work of the Spirit of God as it is distinct from so in order of Nature it is antecedent unto all divine objective Evidence of the Scriptures being the Word of God or the formal Reason moving us to believe it wherefore without it whatever Arguments or Motives are proposed unto us we cannot believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God in a due manner and as it is in duty required of us Some it may be will suppose these things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and impertinent unto our present purpose For while we are enquiring on what Grounds we believe the Scripture to be the Word of God we seem to fly to the Work of the Holy Ghost in our own minds which is irrational But we must not be ashamed of the Gospel nor of the Truth of it because some do not understand or will not duly consider what is proposed It is necessary that we should return unto the Work of the Holy Spirit not with peculiar respect unto the Scriptures that are to be believed but unto our own Minds and that Faith wherewith they are to be believed For it is not the Reason why we believe the Scriptures but the Power whereby we are enabled so to do which at present we enquire after 1. That the Faith whereby we believe the Scripture to be the Word of God is wrought in us by the Holy Ghost can be denied only on two Principles or Suppositions 1. That it is not Faith divine and supernatural whereby we believe them so to be but only we have other moral Assurance thereof 2. That this Faith divine and supernatural is of our selves and is not wrought in us by the Holy Ghost The first of these hath been already disproved and shall be further evicted afterwards and it may be they are very few who are of that Judgment For generally whatever men suppose the prime Object principal Motive and formal Reason of that Faith to be yet that it is Divine and Supernatural they all acknowledg And as to the second what is so 't is of the Operation of the Spirit of God For to say it is divine and supernatural is to say that it is not of our selves but that it is the Grace and Gift of the Spirit of God wrought in us by his divine and supernatural Power And those of the Church of Rome who would resolve our Faith in this matter objectively into the Authority of their Church yet subjectively acknowledge the Work of the Holy Spirit ingenerating Faith in us and that Work to be necessary to our Believing the Scripture in a due manner Externae omnes humanae persuasiones non sunt satis ad credendum quantumcunque ab hominibus competenter ea quae sunt fidei proponantur Sed necessaria est insuper causa interior hoc est divinum quoddam lumen incitans ad credendum oculi quidam interni Dei beneficio ad videndum dati saith Canus Loc. Theol. lib. 2. cap. 8. Nor is there any of the Divines of that Church which dissent herein We do not therefore assert any such divine formal Reoson of Believing as that the mind should not stand in need of supernatural Assistance enabling it to assent thereunto Nay we affirm that without this there is in no man any true Faith at all let the Arguments and Motives whereon he believes be as forcible and pregnant with Evidence as can be imagined It is in this Case as in things natural neither the the Light of the Sun nor any perswasive Arguments unto men to look up unto it will enable them to discern it unless they are endued with a due visive Faculty And this the Scripture is express in beyond all possibility of Contradiction Neither is it that I know of by any as yet in express terms denied For indeed that all which is properly called Faith with respect unto divine Revelation and is acceptted with God as such is the Work of the Spirit of God in us or is bestowed on us by him cannot be questioned by any who own the Gospel I have also proved it elsewhere so fully and largly as that I shall give it at present no other Confirmation but what will necessarily fall in with the Description of the Nature of that Faith whereby we do believe and the Way or Manner of its being wrought in us The Work of the Holy Ghost unto this purpose consists in the saving Illumination of the Mind and the Effect of it is a supernatural Light whereby the Mind is renewed see Rom. 12. 1. Ephes. 1. 18 19. chap. 3. 16 17 18 19. It is called an Heart to understand Eyes to see Ears to hear Deut. 29. 4. The opening of the Eyes of our Vunderstanding Ephes. 1. 18. The giving of an Vnderstanding 1 John 5. 20. Hereby we are enabled to discern the Evidences of the divine Original and Authority of the Scripture that are in it self as well as assent unto the Truth contained in it and without it we cannot do so For the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can be know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. And unto this end it is written in the Prophets that we
nempe in qua securius constantiusque mens qui scat quam in ullis rationibus talis denique sensus qui nisi ex caelesti Revelatione nequeat Non aliud loquor quam quod apud se experitur fidelium unusquisque nisi quod longe infra justam rei explicationem verba subsidunt Calv. Instit. lib. 2. cap. 7 8 9. And we may here briefly call over what we have attained or passed through For 1. We have shewed in general both what is the Nature of divine Revelation and divine Illumination with their mutual Respect unto one another 2. What are the principal external Arguments or Motives of Credibility whereby the Scripture may be proved to bâ— of a divine Original 3. What kind of Perswasion is the Effect of them or what is the Assent which we give unto the Truth of the Scriptures on their Account 4. What objective Evidence there is unto Reason in the Doctrine of the Scriptures to induce the mind to assent unto them 5. What is the Nature of that Faith whereby we believe the Scripture to be the Word of God and how it is wrought in us by the Holy Ghost 6. What is that Internal Testimony which is given unto the divine Authority of the Scriptures by the holy Spirit what is the Force and Use thereof The Principal Part of our Work doth yet remain That which we have thus far made way for and which is now our only remaining Enquiry is What is the Work of the Holy Ghost with respect unto the objective Evidence which we have concerning the Scripture that it is the Word of God which is the formal Reason of our Faith and whereinto it is resolved that is we come to enquire and to give a direct Answer unto that Question Why we believe the Scripture to be the Word of God what it is that our Faith rests upon herein and what it is that makes it the Duty of every man to believe it so to be unto whom it is proposed And the Reason why I shall be the briefer herein is because I have long since in another Discourse cleared this Argument and I shall not here again call over any thing that was delivered therein because what hath been unto this day gainsaid unto it or excepted against it hath been of little Weight or Consideration Unto this great Enquiry therefore I say We believe the Scripture to be the Word of God with divine Faith for its own sake only or our Faith is resolved into the Authority and Truth of God only as revealing himself unto us therein and thereby And this Authority and Veracity of God do infallibly manifest or evince themselves unto our Faith or our Minds in the exercise of it by the Revelation it self in the Scripture and no otherwise Or Thus saith the Lord is the Reason why we ought to believe and why we do so why we believe at all in general and why we believe any thing in particular And this we call the formal Object or Reason of Faith And it is evident that this is not God himself absolutely considered for so he is only the material Object of our Faith He that cometh unto God must believe that he is Heb. 11. 6. Nor is it the Truth of God absolutely for that we believe as we do other essential Properties of his Nature But it is the Truth of God revealing himself his mind and will unto us in the Scripture This is the sole Reason why we believe any thing with Divine Faith It is or may be enquired wherefore we do believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God or that God is one in Nature subsisting in three Persons the Father Son and Holy Spirit I answer it is because God himself the first Truth who cannot lie hath revealed and declared these things so to be and he who is our All requireth us so to believe If it be asked how wherein or whereby God hath revealed and declared these things so to be or what is that Revelation which God hath made hereof I answer It is the Scripture and that only And if it be asked how I know this Scripture to be a Divine Revelation to be the Word of God I answer 1. I do not know it demonstratively upon rational scientifical Principles because such a Divine Revelation is not capable of such a Demonstration 1. Cor. 2. 9. 2. I do not assent unto it or think it to be so upon Arguments and Motives highly probable or morally uncontroulable only as I am assuredly perswaded of many other things whereof I can have no certain Demonstration 1 Thes. 2. 15. But I believe it so to be with Faith divine and supernatural resting on and resolved into the Authority and Veracity of God himself evidencing themselves unto my Mind my Soul and Conscience by this Revelation it self and not otherwise Here we rest and deny that we believe the Scripture to be the Word of God formally for any other Reason but it self which assureth us of its Divine Authority And if we rest not here we must run on the Rock of a moral Certainty only which shakes the Foundation of all Divine Faith or fall into the Gulf and Labyrinth of an endless Circle in proving two things mutually by one another as the Church by the Scripture and the Scripture by the Church in an everlasting Rotation Unless we intend so to wander we must come to something wherein we may rest for its own sake and that not with a strong and firm Opinion but with Divine Faith And nothing can rationally pretend unto this Priviledge but the Truth of God manifesting it self in the Scripture And therefore those who will not allow it hereunto do some of them wisely deny that the Scriptures being the Word of God is the Object of Divine Faith directly but only of a moral Perswasion from eternal Arguments and Considerations And I do believe that they will grant that if the Scripture be so to be believed it must be for its own sake For those who would have us to believe the Scripture to be the Word of God upon the Authority of the Church proposing it unto us and witnessing so to be though they make a fair appearance of a ready and easy way for the exercise of Faith yet when things come to be sifted and tried they do so confound all sorts of things that they know not where to stand or abide But it is not now my Business to examine their Pretences I have done it elsewhere I shall therefore prove and establish the Assertion laid down after I have made way to it by one or two previous Observations 1. We suppose herein all the Motives of Credibity before mentioned that is all the Arguments ab extra which vehemently perswade the Scripture to be the Word of God and wherewith it may be protected against Objections and Temptations to the contrary They have all of them their Use and may in their proper place be
insisted on Especially ought they to be pleaded when the Scripture is attacked by an Atheism arising from the Love and Practice of those Lusts and Sins which are severely condemned therein and threatned with the utmost Vengeance With others they may be considered as previous inducements unto believing or concomitant means of strengthning Faith in them that do believe In the first way I confess to the best of my Observation of things past and present their Use is not great nor ever hath been in the Church of God For assuredly the most that do sincerely believe the divine Original and Authority of the Scripture do it without any great Consideration of them or being much influenced by them And there are many who as Austin speaks are saved simplicitate credendi and not subtilitate disputandi that are not able to enquire much into them nor yet to apprehend much of their Force and Efficacy when they are proposed unto them Most Persons therefore are effectually converted to God and have saving Faith whereby they believe the Scripture and virtually all that is contained in it before they have ever once considered them And God forbid we should think that none believe the Scripture aright but those who are able to apprehend and manage the subtil Arguments of learned men produced in their Confirmation Yea we affirm on the contrary that those who believe them on no other Grounds have indeed no true Divine Faith at all Hence they were not of old insisted on for the ingenerating of Faith in them to whom the Word was preached nor ordinarily are so to this day by any who understand what is their Work and Duty But in the second way wherever there is occasion from Objections Oppositions or Temptations they may be pleaded to good use and purpose And they may do well to be furnished with them who are unavoidably exposed unto trials of that Nature For as for that Course which some take in all places and at all times to be disputing about the Scriptures and their Authority it is a Practice giving countenance unto Atheism and is to be abhorred of all that fear God and the Consequents of it are sufficiently manifest 2. The Ministry of the Church as it is the Ground and Pillar of Truth holding it up and declaring it is in an ordinary way previously necessary unto Believing For Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God We believe the Scripture to be the Word of God for it self alone but not by it self alone The Ministry of the Word is the means which God hath appointed for the Declaration and making known the Testimony which the Holy Spirit gives in the Scripture unto its Divine Original And this is the ordinary way whereby men are brought to believe the Scripture to be the Word of God The Church in its Ministry owning witnessing and avowing it so to be instructing all sorts of Persons out of it there is together with a sense and apprehension of the Truth and Power of the things taught and revealed in it Faith in it self as the Word of God ingenerated in them 3. We do also here suppose the internal effectual Work of the Spirit begetting Faith in us as was before declared without which we can believe neither the Scripture nor any Thing else with Faith divine not for want of Evidence in them but of Faith in our selves These things being supposed we do affirm that it is the Authority and Truth of God as manifesting themselves in the supernatural Revelation made in the Scripture that our Faith ariseth from and is resolved into And herein consists that Testimony which the Spirit gives unto the Word of God that it is so for it is the Spirit that beareth witness because the Spirit is Truth The Holy Ghost being the immediate Author of the whole Scripture doth therein and thereby give Testimony unto the Divine Truth and Original of it by the Characters of Divine Authority and Veracity impressed on it and evidencing themselves in its Power and Efficacy And let it be observed that what we assert respects the Revelation it self the Scripture the Writing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not meerly the things written or contained in it The Arguments produced by some to prove the Truth of the Doctrines of the Scripture reach not the Cause in hand For our Enquiry is not about believing the Truths revealed but about believing the Revelation it self the Scripture it self to be Divine And this we do only because of the Authority and Veracity of the Revealer that is of God himself manifesting themselves therein To manifest this fully I shall do these things 1. Prove that our Faith is so resolved into the Scripture as a Divine Revelation and not into any thing else that is we believe the Scripture to be the Word of God for its own sake and not for the sake of any thing else either external Arguments or authoritative Testimony of men whatever 2. Shew how or by what means the Scripture doth evidence its own divine Original or the Authority of God is so evidenced in it and by it as that we need no other formal Cause or Reason of our Faith whatever Motives or Means of Believing we may make use of And as to the first of these 1. That is the formal Reason whereon we do believe which the Scripture proposeth as the only Reason why we should so do why it is our Duty to do so and whereunto it requireth our Assent Now this is to it self as it is the Word of God and because it is so Or it proposeth the Authority of God in it self and that alone which we are to acquiesce in and the Truth of God and that alone which our Faith is to rest on and is resolved into It doth not require us to believe it upon the Testimony of any Church or on any other Arguments that it gives us to prove that it is from God but speaks unto us immediately in his name and thereon requires Faith and Obedience Some it may be will ask Whether this prove the Scripture to be the Word of God because it says so of it self when any other Writing may say the same But we are not now giving Arguments to prove unto others the Scripture to be the Word of God but only proving and shewing what our own Faith resteth on and is resolved into or at least ought so to be How it evidenceth it self unto our Faith to be the Word of God we shall afterwards declare It is sufficient unto our present purpose that God requires us to believe the Scripture for no other Reason but because it is his Word or a Divine Revelation from him and if so his Authority and Truth are the formal Reason why we believe the Scripture or any thing contained in it To this purpose do Testimonies abound in particular besides that general Attestation which is given unto it in that sole Preface of divine Revelations Thus saith the
Lord and therefore they are to be believed Some of them we must mention Deut. 31. 11 12 13. When all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall chuse thou shalt read this Law before all Israel in their hearing Gather the people together Men Women and Children and the Stranger that is within thy Gates that they may hear and that they may learn and fear the Lord your God and observe to do all the Works of this Law and that their Children which have not known any thing may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God It is plain that God here requireth Faith and Obedience of the whole people Men Women and Children The Enquiry is what he requireth it unto It is to this Law to this Law written in the Books of Moses which was to be read unto them out of the Book at the hearing of which they were obliged to believe and obey To evidence that Law to be his he proposeth nothing but it self But it will be said that Generation was sufficiently convinced that the Law was from God by the Miracles which they beheld in the giving of it But moreover it is ordered to be proposed unto Children of future Generations who knew nothing that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord. That which by the Appointment of God is to be proposed unto them that know nothing that they may believe that is unto them the formal Reason of their Believing But this is the written Word Thou shalt read this Law unto them who have known nothing that they may hear and learn c. Whatever use therefore there may be of other Motives or Testimonies to commend the Law unto us of the Ministry of the Church especially which is here required unto the Proposal of the Word unto men it is the Law it self or the written Word which is the Object of our Faith and which we believe for its own sake see also chap. 29. 29. where revealed things are said to belong unto us and our Children that we might do them that is receive them on the Account of their Divine Revelation Isa. 8. 19 20. And when they shall say unto you Seek unto them that have familiar Spirits and unto Wizards that peep and mutter should not a people seek unto their God for the living to the dead To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them The Enquiry is by what means men may come to satisfaction in their Minds and Consciences or what their Faith and Trust is in Two Things are proposed unto this end 1. Immediate diabolical Revelations real or pretended 2. The written Word of God the Law and the Testimony Hereunto are we sent and that upon the Account of its own Authority alone in opposition unto all other pretences of Assurance or Security And the sole Reason why any one doth not acquiesce by Faith in the written Word is because he hath no Mornings or Light of Truth shining on him But how shall we know the Law and Testimony this written Word to be the Word of God and believe it so to be and distinguish it from every other pretended Divine Revelation that is not so This is declared Jerem. 23. 28 29. The Prophet that hath a Dream let him tell a Dream and he that hath my Word let him speak my Word faithfully What is the Chaff to the Wheat saith the Lord Is not my Word like as fire saith the Lord and like an Hammer that breaketh the Rock in pieces It is supposed that there are two Persons in Reputation for Divine Revelations esteemed Prophets one of them only pretends so to be and declares the Dreams of his own Fancy or the Divinations of his own Mind as the Word of God The other hath the Word of God and declares it faithfully from him Yea but how shall we know the one from the other Even as men know Wheat from Chaff by their different Natures and Effects For as false pretended Revelations are but as Chaff which every Wind will scatter so the true Word of God is like a Fire and like an Hammer is accompanied with that Light Efficacy and Power that it manifests it self unto the Consciences of men so to be Hereon doth God call us to rest our Faith on it in opposition unto all other Pretences whatever But is it of this Authority and Efficacy in it self See Luk. 16. 27 28 29 30 31. Then said he the rich Man in Hell I pray thee therefore Father that thou wouldest send him Lazarus who was dead unto my Fathers house for I have five Brethren that he may testify unto them lest they also come into this place of torment Abraham saith unto him they have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them And he said Nay Father Abraham but if one went unto them from the dead they would repent and he said unto him if they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead The Question here between Abraham and the rich Man in this Parable indeed between the Wisdom of God and the superstitious Contrivances of Men is about the way and means of bringing those who are Unbelievers and impenitent unto Faith and Repentance He who was in Hell apprehended that nothing would make them believe but a Miracle one rising from the dead and speaking unto them which or the like marvellous Operations many at this day think would have mighty power and influence upon them to settle their minds and change their lives should they see one rise from the dead and come and converse with them this would convince them of the Immortality of the Soul of future Rewards and Punishments as giving them sufficient Evidence thereof so that they would assuredly repent and change their Lives but as things are stated they have no sufficient evidence of these things so that they doubt so far about them as that they are not really influenced by them give them but one real Miracle and you shall have them for ever This I say was the Opinion and Judgment of him who was represented in Hell as it is of many who are posting thither apace He who was in Heaven thought otherwise wherein we have the immediate Judgment of Jesus Christ given in this matter determining this Controversy The Question is about sufficient Evidence and Efficacy to cause us to believe Things divine and supernatural and this he determines to be in the written Word Moses and the Prophets If he that will not believe on the single Evidence of the written Word to be from God or a Divine Revelation of his Will will never believe upon the Evidence of Miracles nor any other Motives then that written Word contains in it self the entire formal Reason of Faith or all that Evidence of the Authority and Truth of God in it which Faith divine
and supernatural rests upon that is it is to be believed for its own sake But saith our Lord Jesus Christ himself if men will not hear that is believe Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead and come and preach unto them a greater Miracle than which they could not desire Now this could not be spoken if the Scripture did not contain in it self the whole entire formal Reason of Believing for if it have not this something necessary unto believing would be wanting though that were enjoyed And this is directly affirmed John 20. 30 31. And many other Signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his Disciples which are not written in this Book But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing you might have life through his Name The Signs which Christ wrought did evidence him to be the Son of God But how come we to know and believe these Signs what is the way and means thereof Saith the blessed Apostle these things are written that you may believe this writing of them by Divine Inspiration is so far sufficient to beget and assure Faith in you as that thereby you may have eternal life through Jesus Christ. For if the writing of Divine Things and Revelations be the means appointed of God to cause men to believe unto eternal life then it must as such carry along with it sufficient Reason why we should believe and Grounds whereon we should do so And in like manner is this matter determined by the Apostle Peter 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 shining 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 The Question is about the Gospel or the Declaration of the powerful Coming of Jesus Christ whether it were to be believed or no and if it were upon what Grounds Some said it was a cunningly devised Fable others that it was a fanatical Story of mad men as Festus thought of it when preached by Paul Acts 26. 24. and very many are of the same mind still The Apostles on the contrary averred that what was spoken concerning him were Words of truth and soberness yea faithful Sayings and worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1. 15. that is to be believed for its Worth and Truth The Grounds and Reasons hereof are two 1. The Testimony of the Apostles who not only conversed with Jesus Christ and were eye Witnesses of his Majesty beholding his Glory the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth John 1. 14. which they gave in Evidence of the Truth of the Gospel 1 John 1. 1. But also heard a miraculous Testimony given unto him immediately from God in Heaven ver 17. 18. This gave them indeed sufficient Assurance but whereinto shall they resolve their Faith who heard not this Testimony Why they have a more sure that is a most sure Word of Prophecy that is the written Word of God that is sufficient of it self to secure their Faith in this matter especially as confirmed by the Testimony of the Apostles whereby the Church comes to be built in its Faith on the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Ephes. 2. 20. But why should we believe this Word of Prophecy may not that also be a cunningly devised Fable and the whole Scripture be but the Suggestions of mens private Spirits as is objected Ver. 20. All is finally resolved into this that the Writers of it were immediately moved and acted by the Holy Ghost from which Divine Original it carrieth along its own Evidence with it Plainly that which the Apostle teacheth us is that we believe all other Divine Truths for the Scriptures sake or because they are declared therein but the Scripture we believe for its own sake or because holy men of God wrote it as they were moved by the Holy Ghost So is the whole Object of Faith proposed by the same Apostle 2 Pet. 3. 2. The Words that were spoken before by the holy Prophets and the Commandments of the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour And because our Faith is resolved into them we are said to be built upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles as was said Eph. 2. 20. that is our Faith rests solely as on its proper Foundation which bears the weight of it on the Authority and Truth of God in their Writings Hereunto we may add that of Paul Rom. 16. 25 26. According to the Revelation of the Mystery which was kept secret since the World began but now is made manifest and by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to the Commandment of the everlasting God made known unto all Nations for the Obedience of Faith The matter to be beleived is the Mystery of the Gospel which was kept secret since the World began or from the giving of the first Promise not absolutely but with respect unto that full manifestation which it hath now received This God commands to be believed the everlasting God he who hath sovereign Authority over all requires Faith in a way of Obedience hereunto But what Ground or Reason have we to believe it This alone is proposed namely the Divine Revelation made in the Preaching of the Apostles and Writings of the Prophets for Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10. 17. This Course and no other did our Saviour even after his Resurrection take to beget and confirm Faith in the Disciples Luk. 24. 25 26 27. That great Testimony to this purpose 2 Tim. 3. 14 15 16 17. I do not plead in particular because I have so fully insisted on it in another Discourse From these and many other Testimonies to the same purpose which might be produced it is evident 1. That it is the Scripture it self the Word or Will of God as revealed or written which is proposed unto us as the Object of our Faith and Obedience which we are to receive and believe with Faith divine and supernatural 2. That no other Reason is proposed unto us either as a Motive to encourage us or as an Argument to assure us that we shall not
be mistaken but only its own Divine Original and Authority making our Duty necessary and securing our Faith infallibly And those Testimonies are with me of more weight a thousand times than the plausible Reasonings of any to the contrary With some indeed it is grown a matter of contempt to quote or cite the Scripture in our Writings such Reverence have they for the Ancient Fathers some of whose Writings are nothing else but a perpetual Contexture of Scripture But for such who pretend to despise those Testimonies in this Case it is because either they do not understand what they are produced to confirm or cannot answer the Proof that is in them For it is not unlikely but that some Persons well conceited of their own Understanding in things wherein they are most ignorant will pride and please themselves in the Ridiculousness of proving the Scripture to be the Word of God by Testimonies taken out of it But as was said we must not forgo the Truth because either they will not or cannot understand what we discourse about 2. Our Assertion is confirmed by the uniform Practice of the Prophets and Apostles and all the Penmen of the Scripture in proposing these Divine Revelations which they received by immediate Inspiration from God For that which was the Reason of their Faith unto whom they first declared those Divine Revelations is the Reason of our Faith now they are recorded in the Scripture For the writing of it being by God's Appointment it comes into the room and supplies the place of their Oral Ministry On what Ground soever men were obliged to receive and believe Divine Revelations when made unto them by the Prophets and Apostles on the same are we obliged to receive and believe them now they are made unto us in the Scripture the VVriting being by divine Inspiration and appointed as the Means and Cause of our Faith It is true God was pleased sometimes to bear witness unto their personal Ministry by Miracles or Signs and Wonders as Heb. 2. 4. God bearing them witness But this was only at some seasons and with some of them That which they universally insisted on whether they wrought any Miracles or no was that the Word which they preached declared wrote was not the Word of man came not by any private Suggestion or from any Invention of their own but was indeed the Word of God 1 Thes. 2. 13. and declared by them as they were acted by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. Under the Old Testament although the Prophets sometimes referred Persons unto the Word already written as that which their Faith was to acquiesce in Isa. 8. 20 Mal. 4. 4. setting out its Power and Excellency for all the ends of Faith and Obedience Psal. 19. 7 8 9. Psal. 119. and not to any thing else nor to any other Motives or Arguments to beget and require Faith but it s own Authority only yet as to their own especial Messages and Revelations they laid the Foundation of all the Faith and Obedience which they required in this alone Thus saith the Lord the God of Truth And under the New Testament the infallible Preachers and Writers thereof do in the first place propose the Writings of the Old Testament to be received for their own sake or on the Account of their Divine Original see John 45. 46 47. Luk. 16. 29 31. Mat. 21. 42. Acts 18. 24 25 28. Acts 24. 14. chap. 26. 22. 2 Pet. 1. 21. Hence are they called the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 2. And Oracles always required an Assent for their own sakes and other Evidence they pleaded none And for the Revelations which they superadded they pleaded that they had them immediately from God by Jesus Christ Gal. 1. 1. And this was accompanied with such an infallible Assurance in them that received it as to be preferred above a Supposition of the highest Miracle to confirm any thing to the contrary Gal. 1. 8. For if an Angel from Heaven should have preached any other Doctrine than what they revealed and proposed in the Name and Authority of God they were to esteem him accursed For this Cause they still insisted on their Apostolical Authority and Mission which included infallible Inspiration and Directions as the Reason of the Faith of them unto whom they preached and wrote And as for those who were not themselves divinely inspired or wherein those that were so did not act by immediate Inspiration they proved the Truth of what they delivered by its consonancy unto the Scriptures already written referring the Minds and Consciences of Men unto them for their ultimate Satisfaction Acts 18. 28. chap. 28. 33. 3. It was before granted that there is required as subservient unto believing as a means of it or the Resolution of our Faith into the Authority of God in the Scriptures the ministerial Proposal of the Scriptures and the Truths contained in them with the Command of God for Obedience unto them Rom. 16. 25. 26. This Ministry of the Church either extraordinary or ordinary God hath appointed unto this End and ordinarily it is indispensible thereunto Rom. 10. 14 15. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they preach unless they are sent Without this ordinarily we cannot believe the Scripture to be the Word of God nor the things contained in it to be from him though we do not believe either the one or the other for it I do grant that in extraordinary cases outward Providences may supply the room of this Ministerial Proposal for it is all one as unto our Duty by what means the Scripture is brought unto us But upon a Supposition of this Ministerial Proposal of the Word which ordinarily includes the whole Duty of the Church in its Testimony and Declaration of the Truth I desire to know whether those unto whom it is proposed are obliged without further external Evidence to receive it as the Word of God to rest their Faith in it and submit their Consciences unto it The Rule seems plain that they are obliged so to do Mark 16. 16. We may consider this under the distinct ways of its Proposal extraordinary and ordinary Upon the Preaching of any of the Prophets by immediate Inspiration of the Holy Ghost or on their Declaration of any new Revelation they had from God by preaching or writing suppose Isaiah or Jeremiah I desire to know whether or no all Persons were bound to receive their Doctrine as from God to believe and submit unto the Authority of God in the Revelation made by him without any external Motives or Arguments or the Testimony or Authority of the Church witnessing thereunto If they were not then were they all excused as guiltless who refused to believe the Message they declared in the Name of God and in despising the Warnings and Instructions which they gave them For external Motives they used not and the present Church mostly
condemned them and their Ministry as is plain and the Case of Jeremiah Now it is impious to imagine that those to whom they spake in the Name of God were not obliged to believe them and it tends to the overthrow of all Religion If we shall say that they were obliged to believe them and that under the Penalty of divine Displeasure and so to receive the Revelation made by them or their Declaration of it as the Word of God then it must contain in it the formal Reason of believing or the full and entire Cause Reason and Ground why they ought to believe with Faith divine and supernatural Or let another Ground of Faith in this Case be assigned Suppose the Proposal be made in the ordinary Ministry of the Church Hereby the Scripture is declared unto Men to be the Word of God they are acquainted with it and what God requires of them therein and they are charged in the Name of God to receive and believe it Doth any Obligation unto believing hence arise It may be some will say that immediately there is not only they will grant that men are bound hereon to enquire into such Reasons and Motives as are proposed unto them for its Reception and Admission I say there is no doubt but that Men are obliged to consider all things of that Nature which are proposed unto them and not to receive it with brutish implicit Belief For the receiving of it is to be an Act of Mens own Minds or Understandings on the best Grounds and Evidences which the Nature of the thing proposed is capable of But supposing Men to do their Duty in their diligent Enquiries into the whole Matter I desire to know whether by the Proposal mentioned there come upon Men an Obligation to believe If there do not then are all Men perfectly innocent who refuse to receive the Gospel in the preaching of it as to any respect unto that preaching which to say is to overthrow the whole Dispensation of the Ministry If they are obliged to believe upon the preaching of it then hath the Word in it self those Evidences of its Divine Original and Authority which are a sufficient Ground of Faith or Reason of Believing For what God requires us to believe upon hath so always As the Issue of this whole Discourse it is affirmed that our Faith is built on and resolved into the Scripture it self which carries with it its own Evidence of being a Divine Revelation And therefore doth that Faith ultimately rest in the Truth and Authority of God alone and not in any Human Testimony such as is that of the Churh nor in any rational Arguments or Motives that are absolutely fallible It may be said that if the Scripture thus evidence it self to be the Word of God as the Sun manifesteth it self by Light and Fire by Heat or as the first Principles of Reason are evident in themselves without further Proof or Testimony then every one and all men upon the Proposal of the Scripture unto them and its own bare Assertion that it is the Word of God would necessarily on that Evidence alone assent thereunto and believe it so to be But this is not so all Experience lyeth against it nor is there any pleadable Ground of Reason that so it is or that so it ought to be In Answer unto this Objection I shall do these two things 1. I shall shew what it is what Power what Faculty in the Minds of Men whereunto this Revelation is proposed and whereby we assent unto the Truth of it wherein the Mistakes whereon this Objection proceedeth will be discovered 2. I shall mention some of those things whereby the Holy Ghost testifieth and giveth Evidence unto the Scripture in and by it self so as that our Faith may be immediately resolved into the Veracity of God alone 1. And in the first place we may consider that there are three Ways whereby we assent unto any thing that is proposed unto us as true and receive it as such 1. By inbred Principles of natural Light and the first rational Actings of our Minds This in Reason answers Instinct in irrational Creatures Hence God complains that his People did neglect and sin against their own natural Light and first Dictates of Reason whereas brute Creatures would not forsake the Conduct of the Instinct of their Natures Isa. 1. 3. In general the Mind is necessarily determined to an Assent unto the proper Objects of these Principles it cannot do otherwise It cannot but assent unto the prime Dictates of the Light of Nature yea those Dictates are nothing but its Assent Its first Apprehension of the things which the Light of Nature embraceth without either express Reasonings or further Consideration are this Assent Thus doth the Mind embrace in it self the general Notions of moral Good and Evil with the Difference between them however it practically complies notwith what they guide unto Jude v. 10. And so doth it assent unto many Principles of Reason as that the whole is greater than the part without admitting any debate about them 2. By rational Considerations of things externally proposed unto us Herein the Mind exerciseth its discursive Faculty gathering one thing out of another and concluding one thing from another And hereon is it able to assent unto what is proposed unto it in various Degrees of Certainty according unto the nature and degree of the Evidence it proceeds upon Hence it hath a certain Knowledg of some things of others an Opinion or Perswasion prevalent against the Objections to the contrary which it knows and whose Force it understands which may be true or false 3. By Faith This respects that Power of our Minds whereby we are able to assent unto any thing as true which we have no first Principles concerning no inbred Notions of nor can from more known Principles make unto our selves any certain rational Conclusions concerning them This is our Assent upon Testimony whereon we believe many Things which no Sense inbred Principles nor Reasonings of our own could either give us an Acquaintance with or an Assurance of And this Assent also hath not only various Degrees but is also of divers Kinds according as the Testimony is which it ariseth from and resteth on as being Humane if that be Humane and Divine if that be so also According to these distinct Faculties and Powers of our Souls God is pleased to reveal or make known himself his Mind or Will three ways unto us For he hath implanted no Power on our Minds but the principal Use and Exercise of it are to be with respect unto himself and our living unto him which is the end of them all And a neglect of the improvement of them unto this end is the highest Aggravation of Sin It is an Aggravation of Sin when men abuse the Creatures of God otherwise than he hath appointed or in not using them to his Glory when they take his Corn and Wine and Oil and spend
to evidence it self to be so is exceedingly prejudicial unto his Honour and Glory seeing the everlasting Welfare of the Souls of Men is incomparably more concerned therein than in the other ways mentioned And what Reason could be assigned why he should implant a less Evidence of his Divine Authority on this than on them seeing he designed far greater and more glorious Ends in this than in them If any one shall say the Reason is because this kind of Divine Revelation is not capable of receiving such Evidences it must be either because there cannot be evident Characters of Divine Authority Goodness Wisdom Power implanted on it or mixed with it or because an Efficacy to manifest them cannot be communicated unto it That both these are otherwise shall be demonstrated in the last Part of this Discourse which I shall now enter upon It hath been already declared that it is the Authority and Veracity of God revealing themselves in the Scripture and by it that is the formal Reason of our Faith or Supernatural Assent unto it as it is the Word of God It remains only that we enquire in the Second Place into the Way and Means whereby they evidence themselves unto us and the Scripture thereby to be the Word of God so as that we may undoubtedly and infallibly believe it so to be Now because Faith as we have shewed is an Assent upon Testimony and consequently Divine Faith is an Assent upon Divine Testimony There must be some Testimony or Witness in this case whereon Faith doth rest And this we say is the Testimony of the Holy Ghost the Author of the Scriptures given unto them in them and by them And this Work or Testimony of the Spirit may be reduced unto two Heads which may be distinctly insisted on 1. The Impressions or Characters which are subjectively left in the Scripture and upon it by the Holy Spirit its Author of all the Divine Excellencies or Properties of the Divine Nature are the first Means evidencing that Testimony of the Spirit which our Faith rests upon or they do give the first Evidence of its Divine Original and Authority whereon we do believe it The Way whereby we learn the eternal Power and Deity of God from the Works of Creation is no otherwise but by those Marks Tokens and Impressions of his Divine Power Wisdom and Goodness that are upon them For from the Consideration of their Subsistence Greatness Order and Use Reason doth necessarily conclude an Infinite Subsisting Being of whose Power and Wisdom these things are the manifest Effects These are clearly seen and understood by the Things that are made we need no other Arguments to prove that God made the World but it self It carrieth in it and upon it the infallible Tokens of its Original See to this purpose the blessed Meditation of the Psalmist Psal. 104. throughout Now there are greater and more evident Impressions of Divine Excellencies left on the written Word from the Infinite Wisdom of the Author of it than any that are communicated unto the Works of God of what sort soever Hence David comparing the Works and the Word of God as to their instructive Efficacy in declaring God and his Glory although he ascribe much unto the Works of Creation yet doth he prefer the Word incomparably before them Psal. 19. 1 2 3 7 8 9. and Psal. 146. ver 8 9. c. and 19. 20. And these do manifest the Word unto our Faith to be his more clearly than the other do the Works to be his unto our Reason As yet I do not know that it is denied by any or the contrary asserted namely that God as the immediate Author of the Scripture hath left in the very Word it self Evident Tokens and Impressions of his Wisdom Prescience Omniscience Power Goodness Holiness Truth and other Divine Infinite Excellencies sufficiently evidenced unto the enlightned Minds of Believers Some I confess speak suspitiously herein but until they will directly deny it I shall not need further to confirm it than I have done long since in another Treatise And I leave it to be considered whether morally speaking it be possible that God should immediately by himself from the eternal Counsels of his Will reveal Himself his Mind the Thoughts and Purposes of his Heart which had been hidden in Himself from Eternity on purpose that we should believe them and yeild Obedience unto him according to the Declaration of Himself so made and yet not give with it or leave upon it any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any infallible Token evidencing him to be the Author of that Revelation Men who are not ashamed of their Christianity will not be so to profess and seal that Profession with their Blood and to rest their eternal Concernments on that Security herein which they have attained namely that there is that Manifestation made of the glorious Properties of God in and by the Scripture as it is a Divine Revelation which incomparably excells in Evidence all that their Reason receives concerning his Power from the Works of Creation This is that whereon we believe the Scripture to be the Word of God with Faith Divine and Supernatural if we believe it so at all There is in it self that Evidence of its Divine Original from the Characters of Divine Excellencies left upon it by its Author the Holy Ghost as Faith quietly rests in and is resolved into And this Evidence is manifest unto the meanest and most unlearned no less than unto the wisest Philosophers And the Truth is if Rational Arguments and External Motives were the sole Ground of receiving the Scripture to be the Word of God it could not be but that learned Men and Philosophers would have always been the forwardest and most ready to admit it and most firmly to adhere unto it and its Profession For whereas all such Arguments do prevail on the Minds of Men according as they are able aright to discern their Force and judge of them learned Philosophers would have had the Advantage incomparably above others And so some have of late affirmed that it was the wise rational and learned Men who at first most readily received the Gospel an Assertion which nothing but gross Ignorance of the Scripture it self and all the Writings concerning the Original of Christianity whether of Christians or Heathens could give the least Countenance unto see 1 Cor. 1. 23 26. From hence is the Scripâ—ure so often compared unto Light called Light a Light shining in a dark place which will evidence it self unto all who are not blind or do wilfully shut their Eyes or have their Eyes blinded by the God of this World lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them which Consideration I have handled at large elsewhere 2. The Spirit of God evidenceth the Divine Original and Authority of the Scripture by the Power and Authority which he puts forth in it and by it over the
Minds and Consciences of Men with its Operation of Divine Effects thereon This the Apostle expresly affirms to be the Reason and Cause of Faith 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. If all prophesy and there comes in one that believeth not or one unlearned he is convinced of all he is judged of all And thus are the Secrets of his Heart made manifest and so falling down on his Face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a Truth The Acknowledgment and Confession of God to be in them or among them is a Profession of Faith in the Word administred by them Such Persons assent unto its Divine Authority or believe it to be the Word of God And on what Evidence or Ground of Credibility they did so is expresly declared It was not upon the Force of any external Arguments produced and pleaded unto that Purpose It was not upon the Testimony of this or that or any Church whatever nor was it upon a Conviction of any Miracles which they saw wrought in its Confirmation Yea the Ground of the Faith and Confession declared is opposed unto the Efficacy and Use of the Miraculous Gift of Tongues v. 23 24. Wherefore the only Evidence whereon they received the Word and acknowledged it to be of God was that Divine Power and Efficacy whereof they found and felt the Experience in themselves He is convinced of all judged of all and thus are the Secrets of his Heart made manifest whereon he falls down before it with an Acknowledgment of its Divine Authority finding the VVord to come upon his Conscience with an irresistible Power of Conviction and Judgment thereon He is convinced of all judged of all He cannot but grant that there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Divine Efficacy in it or accompanying of it Especially his Mind is influenced by this that the Secrets of his Heart are made manifest by it For all Men must acknowledge this to be an Effect of Divine Power seeing God alone is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he who searcheth knoweth and judgeth the Heart And if the VVoman of Samaria believed that Jesus was the Christ because he told her all things that ever she did John 4. 29. there is Reason to believe that VVord to be from God which makes manifest even the Secrets of our Hearts And although I do conceive that by the Word of God Heb. 4. 12. the Living and Eternal Word is principally intended yet the Power and Efficacy there ascribed to him is that which he puts forth by the VVord of the Gospel And so that VVord also in its Place and use pierceth to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit of the Joynts and Marrew and is a Discerner or passeth a critical Judgment on the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart or makes manifest the Secrets of mens Hearts as it is here expressed Hereby then doth the Holy Ghost so evidence the Divine Authority of the Word namely by that Divine Power which it hath upon our Souls and Consciences that we do assuredly acquiesce in it to be from God So the Thessalonians are commended that they received the Word not as the Word of Men but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually works in them that believe 1 Thess. 2. 15. It distinguisheth it self from the Word of Men and evidences it self to be indeed the Word of God by its effectual Operation in them that believe And he who hath this Testimony in himself hath a higher and more firm Assurance of the Truth than what can be attained by the Force of external Arguments or the Credit of Humane Testimony VVherefore I say in general that the Holy Spirit giveth Testimony unto and evinceth the Divine Authority of the Word by its Powerful Operations and Divine Effects on the Souls of them that do believe So that although it be weakness and foolishness unto others yet as is Christ himself unto them that are called it is the Power of God and the VVisdom of God And I must say that although a Man be furnished with external Arguments of all Sorts concerning the Divine Original and Authority of the Scriptures although he esteem his Motives of Credibility to be effectually perswasive and have the Authority of any or all the Churches in the VVorld to confirm his Perswasion yet if he have no Experience in himself of its Divine Power Authority and Efficacy he neither doth nor can believe it to be the Word of God in a due manner with Faith Divine and Supernatural But he that hath this Experience hath that Testimony in himself which will never fail This will be the more manifest if we consider some few of those many Instances wherein it exerts its Power or the Effects which are produced thereby The Principal Divine Effect of the Word of God is in the Conversion of the Souls of Sinners unto God The Greatness and Glory of this Work we have elsewhere declared at large And all those who are acquainted with it as it is declared in the Scripture and have any Experience of it in their own Hearts do constantly give it as an Instance of the exceeding Greatness of the Power of God It may be they speak not improperly who prefer the Work of the New Creation before the Work of the Old for the express Evidences of Almighty Power contained in it as some of the Ancients do Now of this Great and Glorious Effect the Word is the only Instrumental Cause whereby the Divine Power operates and is expressive of it self For we are born again born of God not of Corruptible Seed but of Incorruptible by the Word of God which abideth for ever 1 Pet. 1. 21. For of his own Will doth God beget us with the Word of Truth Jam. 1. 18. The Word is the Seed of the New Creature in us that whereby our whole Natures our Souls and all their Faculties are changed and renewed into the Image and Likeness of God And by the same Word is this new Nature kept and preserved 1 Pet. 2. 2. and the whole Soul carried on unto the Enjoyment of God It is unto Believers an Ingrafted Word which is able to save their Souls James 1. 21. The Word of God's Grace which is able to build us up and give us an Inheritance among them that are sanctified Acts 20. 32. And that because it is the Power of God unto Salvation unto them that do believe Rom. 1. 16. All the Power which God puts forth and exerts in the Communication of that Grace and Mercy unto Believers whereby they are gradually carried on and prepared unto Salvation he doth it by the Word Therein in an especial manner is the Divine Authority of the Word evidenced by the Divine Power and Efficacy given unto it by the Holy Ghost The VVork which is effected by it in the Regeneration Conversion and Sanctification of the Souls of Believers doth evidence it infallibly unto their Consciences that it is not the VVord
Place that the Plea hitherto insisted on cannot be managed without great Disadvantage to Christian Religion For if we take away the Rational Grounds on which we believe the Doctrine of Christ to be True and Divine and the whole Evidence of the Truth of it be laid on things not only derided by Men of Atheistical Spirits but in themselves such as cannot be discerned by any but such as do believe on what Grounds can we proceed to convince an Unbeliever Answer 1. By the way it is one thing to prove and believe the Doctrine of Christ to be True and Divine another to prove and believe the Scripture to be given by Inspiration of God or the Divine Authority of the Scripture which alone was proposed unto Consideration A Doctrine True and Divine may be written in and proposed unto us by Writings that were not divinely and infallibly inspired and so might the Doctrine of Christ have been but not without the unspeakable Disadvantage of the Church And there are sundry Arguments which forcibly and effectually prove the Doctrine of Christ to have been True and Divine which are not of any Efficacy to prove the Divine Authority of the Scriptures though on the other hand whatever doth prove the Divine Authority of the Scriptures doth equally prove the Divine Truth of the Doctrine of Christ. 2. There are two Ways of convincing Vnbelievers the one insisted on by the Apostles and their Followers the other by some learned Men since their Days The Way principally insisted on by the Apostles was by preaching the Word it self unto them in the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit by the Power whereof manifesting the Authority of God in it they were convinced and falling down acknowledged God to be in it of a Truth 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. ch 14. 25 26. It is likely that in this their Proposal of the Gospel the Doctrine and Truths contained in it unto Unbelievers that those of Atheistical Spirits would both deride them and it and so indeed it came to pass many esteeming themselves to be Bablers and their Doctrine to be errant Folly But yet they desisted not from pursuing their Work in the same way whereunto God gave success The other VVay is to prove unto Vnbelievers that the Scripture is True and Divine by rational Arguments wherein some learned Persons have laboured especially in these last Ages to very good purpose And certainly their Labours are greatly to be commended whilst they attend unto these Rules 1. That they produce no Arguments but such as are cogent and not liable unto just Exceptions For if to manifest their own Skill or Learning they plead such Reasons as are capable of an Answer and Solution they exceedingly prejudice the Truth by subjecting it unto dubious Disputations whereas in it self it is Clear Firm and Sacred 2. That they do not pretend their rational Grounds and Arguments to be the Sole Foundation that Faith hath to rest upon or which it is resolved into For this were the ready way to set up an Opinion instead of Faith Supernatural and Divine Accept but of these two Limitations and it is acknowledged that the rational Grounds and Arguments intended may be rationally pleaded and ought so to be unto the Conviction of Gainsayers For no Man doth so plead the self-evidencing Power of the Scripture as to deny that the Use of other external Motives and Arguments is necessary to stop the Mouths of Atheists as also unto the further Establishment of them who do believe These Things are subordinate and no way inconsistent The Truth is if we will attend unto our own and the Experience of the whole Church of God the way whereby we come to believe the Scripture to be the Word of God ordinarily is this and no other God having first given his Word as the Foundation of our Faith and Obedience hath appointed the Ministry of Men at first extraordinary afterwards ordinary to propose unto us the Doctrines Truths Precepts Promises and Threatnings contained therein Together with this Proposition of them they are appointed to declare that these things are not from themselves nor of their own Invention 2 Tim. 3. 14 15 16 17. And this is done variously Unto some the VVord of God in this Ministry thus comes or is thus proposed preached or declared whilst they are in a Condition not only utterly unacquainted with the Mysteries of it but filled with contrary Apprehensions and consequently Prejudices against it Thus it came of old unto the Pagan World and must do so unto such Persons and Nations as are yet in the same state with them Unto these the first Preachers of the Gospel did not produce the Book of the Scriptures and tell them that it was the Word of God and that it would evidence it self unto them so to be For this had been to despise the Wisdom and Authority of God in their own Ministry But they preached the Doctrines of it unto them grounding themselves on the Divine Revelation contained therein And this Proposition of the Truth or Preaching of the Gospel was not left of God to work it self into the Reasons of Men by the Suitableness of it thereunto but being his own Institution for their Illumination and Conversion he accompanied it with Divine Power and made it effectual unto the Ends designed Rom. 1. 16. And the Event hereof among Mankind was that by some this new Doctrine was derided and scorned by others whose Hearts God opened to attend unto it it was embraced and submitted unto Among those who after the Propagation of the Gospel are born as they say within the Pale of the Church the same Doctrine is variously instilled into Persons according unto the several Duties and Concerns of others to instruct them Principally the Ministry of the Word is ordained of God unto that End wheron the Church is the Ground and Pillar of Truth Those of both Sorts unto whom the Doctrine mentioned is preached or proposed are directed unto the Scriptures as the Sacred Repository thereof For they are told that these things come by Revelation from God and that Revelation is contained in the Bible which is his Word Upon this Proposal with Enquiry into it and Consideration of it God co-operating by his Spirit there is that Evidence of its Divine Original communicated unto their Minds through its Power and Efficacy with the Characters of Divine Wisdom and Holiness implanted on it which they are now enabled to discern that they believe it and rest in it as the immediate Word of God Thus was it in the Case of the Woman of Samaria and the Inhabitants of Sychar with respect unto their Faith in Christ Jesus John 4. 42. This is the way whereby Men ordinarily are brought to believe the Word of God Rom. 10. 14 15. and that neither by external Arguments or Motives which no one Soul was ever converted unto God by nor by any meer naked Proposal and Offer of the Book unto them
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
God preaching writing or teaching of it but yet as if we had seen him we believe and firmly hold that the things which we read proceeded from the Holy Ghost It may be this is the Reason why we so firmly adhere unto it that truth is more solid in it though not more clear than in other writings for all Truth hath a perswasive power the greater Truth the greater power and that which is greatest the greatest Efficacy of all But why then do not all believe the Gospel Answ. Because all are not drawn of God But what need is there of any long disputation we therefore firmly believe the Scriptures because we have received a Divine Inspiration assuring of us And in what Sense this is allowed hath been declared in the preceding Discourse I shall close the whole with the Testimony of them by whom the Truth which we assert is most vehemently opposed when it riseth in opposition unto an especial interest of their own Two things there are which are principally excepted against in the Doctrine of Protestants concerning our belief of the Scripture The first is with respect unto the Holy Spirit as the efficient cause of Faith for whereas they teach that no man can believe the Scripture to be the Word of God in a due manner and according unto his duty without the real internal Aid and Operation of the Holy Ghost however it be proposed unto him and with what Arguments soever the Truth of its Divine Original be confirmed this is charged on them as an Error and a Crime And secondly whereas they also affirm that there is an inward Testimony or Witness of the Holy Spirit whereby he assures and confirms the minds of men in the Faith of the Scriptures with an Efficacy exceeding all the perswasive Evidence of outward Arguments and Motives this also by some they are traduced for And yet those of the Roman Church who are looked on as most averse from that Resolution of Faith which most Protestants acquiesce in do expresly maintain both these Assertions The Design of Stapleton de principiis Fidei controver 4. lib. 8. cap. 1. is to prove impossibile esse sine speciali gratia ac dono fidei divinitùs infuso actum verae fidei producere aut ex veri nominis fide credere Which he there proves with sundry Arguments namely that it is impossible to produce any act of Faith or to believe with Faith rightly so called without special Grace and the Divine Infusion of the Gift of Faith And Bellarmin speaks to the same purpose Argumenta quae articulos fidei nostrae credibiles faciunt non talia sunt ut fidem omnino indubitatam reddant nisi mens divinitùs adjuvetur De Grat. lib. Arbit lib. 6. cap. 3. The Arguments which render the Articles of our Faith credible are not such as produce an undoubted Faith unless the mind be divinely assisted Melchior Canus loc Theol. lib. 2. cap. 8. disputes expresly to this purpose Id statuendum est authoritatem humanam incitamenta omnia illa praedicta sive alia quaecunque adhibita ab eo qui proponit fidem non esse sufficientes causas ad credendum ut credere tenemur sed praeterea opus esse interiori causa efficiente id est Dei speciali auxilio moventis ad credendum This is firmly to be held that human Authority and all the Motives before mentioned nor any other which may be used by him who proposeth the Object of Faith to be believed are not sufficient causes of believing as we are obliged to believe but there is moreover necessary an internal efficient Cause moving us to believe which is the especial Help or Aid of God And a little after he speaks yet more plainly Externae igitur omnes humanae persuasiones non sunt satis ad credendum quantumcunque ab hominibus competenter ea quae sunt fidei proponantur sed necessaria est insuper causa interior hoc est divinum quoddam lumen incitans ad credendum oculi quidam interiores Dei beneficio ad videndum dati Wherefore all external human Perswasions or Arguments are not sufficient Causes of Faith however the things of Faith may be sufficiently proposed by Men there is moreover necessary an internal Cause that is a certain Divine Light inciting to believe or certain internal Eyes to see given us by the Grace of God Yea all other learned men of the same Profession do speak to the same purpose The other Assertion also they do no less comply withal Arcanum divini Spiritus Testimonium prorsus necessarium est ut quis Ecclesiae Testimonio ac Judicio circa Scripturarum approbationem credat saith Stapleton The secret Testimony of the Spirit is altogether necessary that a Man may believe the Testimony and Judgment of the Church about the Scriptures And the Words of Gregory de Valentia are remarkable Cum hactenus ejusmodi Argumenta pro authoritate Christianae Doctrinae fecerimus quae per seipsa satis prudentibus esse debeant ut animum inducant velle credere tamen nescio an non sit argumentum iis omnibus majus quod qui vere Christiani sunt ita se animo affectos esse quod ad fidem attinet sentiunt ut praecipue quidem propter nullum Argumentum quod vel hactenus fecimus vel ratione similiter excogitari possit sed propter aliud nescio quid quod alio quodam modo longe fortius quam ulla Argumenta persuadet at ad firmiter credendum se intelligant Tom. 3. in Thom. Disp. 7. Qu. 1. punc 4. §. 2. Let any man compare these Words with those of Calvin Institut lib. 1. cap. 7. sect 5. which as I remember I have cited before and he will know whence the sense of them was taken Whereas saith he we have hitherto pleaded Arguments for the Authority of Christian Doctrine which even by themselves ought to suffice prudent persons to induce their minds to belief yet I know not whether there be not an Argument greater than they all namely that those who are truly Christians do find or feel by experience their minds so affected in this matter of Faith that they are moved and obliged firmly to believe neither for any Argument that we have used nor for any of the like sort that can be found out by Reason but for somewhat else which perswades our minds in another manner and far more effectually than any Arguments whatever And to shew what he means by this internal Argument and Perswasion he affirms elsewhere that Deus ipse imprimis est qui Christianam Doctrinam atque adeo Scripturam sacram veram esse voce Revelationis suae interno quodam instinctu impulsu humanis mentibus contestatur It is God Himself who by the voice of his Revelation and by a certain internal Instinct and Impulse witnesseth unto the minds of Men the Truth of Christian Doctrine or of the Holy Scripture These few Testimonies have I produced amongst the many that might be urged to the same purpose not to confirm the Truth which we have pleaded for which stands on far surer foundations but only to obviate Prejudices in the minds of some who being not much conversant in things of this Nature are ready to charge what hath been delivered unto this purpose with Singularity FINIS De Naturae Theologiae lib. 3. ‖ De Naturae Theologiae lib. cap. * Vbi supra de Origine Progressu Idololatriae * Exercitat on the Epist. to the Heb. Exer. 1.
the Scripture to be the Word of God and that we understand savingly the mind of God therein both which belong unto our Illumination That which I shall first enquire into is the way how and the ground whereon we come to believe the Scripture to be the Word of God in a due manner For that this is required of us in a way of duty namely that we should believe the Scripture to be the Word of God with Faith Divine and Supernatural I suppose will not be denyed and it shall be afterwards proved And what is the work of the Spirit of God herein will be our first enquiry Secondly Whereas we see by experience that all who have or enjoy the Scripture do not yet understand it or come to an useful saving Knowledg of the Mind and Will of God therein revealed our other enquiry shall be how we may come to understand the Word of God aright and what is the work of the Spirit of God in the assistance which he affordeth us unto that purpose With respect unto the first of these Enquiries whereunto the present discourse is singly designed I affirm that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to enable us to believe the Scripture to be the Word of God or the supernatural immediate Revelation of his mind unto us and infallibly to evidence it unto our minds so as that we may spiritually and savingly acquiesce therein Some upon a mistake of this Proposition do seem to suppose that we resolve all Faith into private suggestions of the Spirit or deluding pretences thereof and some it may be will be ready to apprehend that we confound the efficient Cause and formal Reason of Faith or believing rendring all rational Arguments and external Testimonies useless But indeed there neither is nor shall be any occasion administred unto these fears or imaginations For we shall plead nothing in this matter but what is consonant to the Faith and Judgment of the Ancient and present Church of God as shall be fully evidenced in our progress I know some have found out other ways whereby the minds of men as they suppose may be sufficiently satisfied in the Divine Authority of the Scripture But I have tasted of their new Wine and desire it not because I know the Old to be better though what they plead is of use in its proper place My Design requires that I should confine my discourse unto as narrow bounds as possible and I shall so do shewing 1. What it is in general infallibly to believe the Scripture to be the Word of God and what is the Ground and Reason of our so doing Or what it is to believe the Scripture to be the Word of God as we are required to believe it so to be in a way of Duty 2. That there are external Arguments of the divine Original of the Scripture which are effectual Motives to perswade us to give an unfeigned assent thereunto 3. That yet moreover God requires of us that we believe them to be his Word with Faith divine supernatural and infallible 4. Evidence the Grounds and Reasons whereon we do so believe and ought so to do Unto these Heads most of what ensues in the first part of this Discourse may be reduced It is meet that we should clear the Foundation whereon we build and the Principles whereon we do proceed that what we design to prove may be the better understood by all sorts of Persons whose edification we intend For these things are the equal concernment of the learned and unlearned Wherefore some things must be insisted on which are generally known and granted And our first Enquiry is What it is to believe the Scripture to be the Word of God with Faith divine and supernatural according as it is our duty so to do And in our Believing or our Faith two things are to be considered 1. What it is that we do believe And 2. Wherefore we do so believe it The first is the material Object of our Faith namely the things which we do believe the latter the formal Object of it or the Cause and Reason why we do believe them and these things are distinct The Material Object of our Faith is the things revealed in the Scripture declared unto us in propositions of Truth For things must be so proposed unto us or we cannot believe them That God is one in three Persons that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the like propositions of Truth are the material Object of our Faith or the things that we do believe And the Reason why we do believe them is because they are proposed in the Scripture Thus the Apostle expresseth the whole of what we intend 1 Cor. 15. 3 4. I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures Christs Death and Burial and Resurrection are the things proposed unto us to be believed and so the Object of our Faith But the Reason why we believe them is because they are declared in the Scriptures see Acts 8. 28 29 30. Sometimes indeed this Expression of believing the Scriptures by a Metonymy denotes both the formal and material Objects of our Faith the Scriptures themselves as such and the things contained in them so John 2. 22. They believed the Scripture and the Word that Jesus said or the things delivered in the Scripture and further declared by Christ which before they understood not And they did so believe what was declared in the Scriptures because it was so declared in them both are intended in the same Expression they believed the Scripture under various considerations so Acts 26. 27. The material Object of our Faith therefore are the Articles of our Creed by whose Enumeration we answer unto that question what we believe giving an account of the hope that is in us as the Apostle doth Acts 26. 22 23. But if moreover we are asked a Reason of our Faith or Hope or why we believe the things we do profess as God to be One in three Persons Jesus Christ to be the Son of God we do not answer because so it is for this is that which we believe which were senseless But we must give some other Answer unto that Enquiry whether it be made by others or our selves The proper Answer unto this Question contains the formal Reason and Object of our Faith that which it rests upon and is resolved into And this is that which we look after 2. We do not in this Enquiry intend any kind of Perswasion or Faith but that which is divine and infallible both which it is from its formal Reason or objective Cause Men may be able to give some kind of Reasons why they believe what they profess so to do that will not suffice or abide the trial in this case although they themselves may rest in
the divine Witness whereunto our Faith is ultimately resolved doth not consist herein yet it is the greatest corroborating Testimony whereof we are capable This is that which brings us unto the Riches of the full Assurance of Vnderstanding Col. 2. 2. as also 1 Thes. 1. 5. And on the Account of this Spiritual Experience is our perception of Spiritual Things so often expressed by Acts of Sense as tasting seeing feeling and the like means of Assurance in things natural And when Believers have attained hereunto they do find the divine Wisdom Goodness and Authority of God so present unto them as that they need neither Argument nor Motive nor any thing else to perswade them unto or confirm them in believing And whereas this spiritual Experience which Believers obtain through the Holy Ghost is such as cannot rationally be contended about seeing those who have received it cannot fully express it and those who have not cannot understand it nor the Efficacy which it hath to secure and establish the mind it is left to be determined on by them alone who have their Senses exercised to discern Good aad Evil. And this belongs unto the internal subjective Testimony of the Holy Ghost 2. He assists helps and relieves us against Temptations to the contrary so as that they shall not be prevalent Our first prime Assent unto the divine Authority of the Scripture upon its proper Grounds and Reasons will not secure us against future Objections and Temptations unto the contrary from all manner of Causes and Occasions David's Faith was so assaulted by them as that he said in his hast that all men were liars And Abraham himself after he had received the Promise that in his Seed all Nations should be blessed was reduced unto that anxious Enquiry Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I go childless Gen 15. 2. And Peter was so winnowed by Satan that although his Faith failed not yet he greatly failed and fainted in its Exercise And we all know what fears from within what fightings from without we are exposed unto in this matter And of this sort are all those Atheistical Objections against the Scripture which these Days abound withal which the Devil useth as fiery Darts to enflame the Souls of men and to destroy their Faith and indeed this is that Work which the Powers of Hell are principally ingaged in at this day Having lopt off many Branches they now lay their Ax to the Root of Faith and thence in the midst of the Profession of Christian Religion there is no greater Controversy than whether the Scriptures are the Word of God or not Against all these Temptations doth the Holy Ghost give in such a continual supply of spiritual Strength and Assistance unto Believers as that they shall at no time prevail nor their Faith totally fail In such cases the Lord Christ intercedes for us that our Faith fail not and Gods Grace is sufficient against the buffetings of these Temptations And herein the Truth of Christs Intercession with the Grace of God and its Efficacy are communicated unto us by the Holy Ghost What are those internal Aids whereby he establisheth and assureth our Minds against the Force and Prevalency of Objections and Temptations against the Divine Authority of the Scripture how they are communicated unto us and received by us this is no place to declare in particular It is in vain for any to pretend unto the name of Christians by whom they are denied And these also have the nature of an internal real Testimony whereby Faith is established And because it is somewhat strange that after a long quiet Possession of the professed Faith and Assent of the Generality of the Minds of Men thereunto there should now arise among us such an open Opposition unto the divine Authority of the Scriptures as we find there is by Experience it may not be amiss in our passage to name the principal Causes or Occasions thereof For if we should bring them all into one Reckoning as justly we may who either openly oppose it and reject it or who use it or neglect it at their pleasure or who set up other Guides in Competition with it or above it or otherwise declare that they have no sense of the immediate Authority of God therein we shall find them to be like the Moors or Slaves in some Countries or Plantations they are so great in number and force above their Rulers and other Inhabitants that it is only want of Communication with Confidence and some distinct Interests that keep them from casting off their Yoak and Restraint I shall name three Causes only of this surprizing and perillous Event 1. A long continued outward Profession of the Truth of the Scripture without an inward Experience of its Power betrays men at length to question the Truth it self at least not to regard it as divine The Owning of the Scriptures to be the Word of God bespeaks a divine Majesty Authority and Power to be present in it and with it Wherefore after men who have for a long time so professed do find that they never had any real Experience of such a divine Presence in it by any Effects upon their own Minds they grow insensibly regardless of it or to allow it a very common place in their thoughts When they have worn off the Impressions that were on their mind from Tradition Education and Custom they do for the future rather not oppose it than in any way believe it And when once a Reverence unto the Word of God on the Account of its Authority is lost an Assent unto it on the Account of Truth will not long abide And all such Persons under a Concurrence of Temptations and outward Occasions will either reject it or prefer other Gnides before it 2. The Power of Lust rising up unto a Resolution of living in those Sins whereunto the Scripture doth unavoidably annex eternal Ruine hath prevailed with many to cast off its Authority For whilst they are resolved to live in an Outrage of Sin to allow a divine Truth and Power in the Scripture is to cast themselves under a present Torment as well as to ascertain their future Misery for no other can be his Condition who is perpetually sensible that God always condemns him in all that he doth and will assuredly take vengeance of him which is the constant language of the Scripture concerning such Persons Wherefore although they will not immediately fall into an open Atheistical Opposition unto it as that which it may be is not consistent with their Interest and Reputation in the World yet looking upon it as the Devils did on Jesus Christ as that which comes to torment them before their time they keep it at the greatest distance from their thoughts and minds until they have habituated themselves unto a Contempt of it There being therefore an utter impossibility of giving any pretence of Reconciliation between the Owning of the Scriptures to be the Word of God
upon them that they cannot see nor discern Spiritual Things no not when they are externally proposed unto them as I have at large evinced elsewhere And no Man can give a greater Evidence that it is so than he who denies it so to be With Respect unto both these Kinds of Darkness the Scripture is a Light and accompanied with a Spiritual Illuminating Efficacy thereby evidencing it self to be a Divine Revelation For what but Divine Truth could recall the Minds of Men from all their wandrings in Error Superstition and other Effects of Darkness which of themselves they love more than Truth All Things being filled with Vanity Error Confusion Misapprehensions about God and our selves our Duty and End our Misery and Blessedness the Scripture where it is communicated by the Providence of God comes in as a Light into a Dark Place discovering all Things clearly and steadily that concern either God or our selves our present or future Condition causing all the Ghosts and false Images of Things which Men had framed and fancied unto themselves in the Dark to vanish and disappear Digitus Dei this is none other but the Power of God But principally it evidenceth this its Divine Efficacy by that Spiritual Saving Light which it conveighs into and implants on the Minds of Believers Hence there is none of them who have gained any Experience by the Observation of God's Dealings with them but shall although they know not the Ways and Methods of the Spirits Operations by the Word yea can say with the Man unto whom the Lord Jesus restored his Sight One thing I know that whereas I was born blind now I see This Power of the Word as the Instrument of the Spirit of God for the Communication of Saving Light and Knowledge unto the Minds of Men the Apostle declares 2 Cor. 3. 18. chap. 4. 4 6. By the Efficacy of this Power doth he evidence the Scripture to be the Word of God Those who believe find by it a Glorious Supernatural Light introduced into their Minds whereby they who before saw nothing in a distinct affecting manner in Spirituals do now clearly discern the Truth the Glory the Beauty and Excellency of Heavenly Mysteries and have their Minds transformed into their Image and LikeLineness And there is no Person who hath the Witness in himself of the kindling of this Heavenly Light in his Mind by the Word but hath also the Evidence in himself of its Divine Original 3. It doth in like manner evidence its Divine Authority by the Awe which it puts on the Minds of the Generality of Mankind unto whom it is made known that they dare not absolutely reject it Multitudes there are unto whom the Word is declared who hate all its Precepts despise all its Promises abhor all its Threatnings like nothing approve of nothing of what it declares or proposes and yet dare not absolutely refuse or reject it They deal with it as they do with God Himself whom they hate also according to the Revelation which he hath made of Himself in his Word They wish he were not sometimes they hope he is not would be glad to be free of his Rule but yet dare not cannot absolutely deny and disown Him because of that Testimony for Himself which he keeps alive in them whether they will or no. The same is the Frame of their Hearts and Minds towards the Scripture and that for no other Reason but because it is the Word of God and manifesteth it selfsso to be They hate it wish it were not hope it is not true but are not by any Means able to shake off a Disquiet in the Sense of its Divine Authority This Testimony it hath fixed in the Hearts of Multitudes of its Enemies Psal. 45. 5. 4. It evidences its Divine Power in administring strong Consolations in the deepest and most unrelievable Distresses Some such there are and such many Men fall into wherein all Means and Hopes of Relief may be utterly removed and taken away So is it when the Miseries of Men are not known unto any that will so much as pity them or wish them Relief or if they have been known and there hath been an Eye to pity them yet there hath been no Hand to help them Such hath been the Condition of innumerable Souls as on other Accounts so in particular under the power of Persecutors when they have been shut up in filthy and nasty Dungeons not to be brought out but unto Death by the most exquisite Tortures that the Malice of Hell could invent or the bloody Cruelty of Man inflict Yet in these and the like Distresses doth the Word of God by its Divine Power and Efficacy break through all interposing Difficulties all dark and discouraging Circumstances supporting refreshing and comforting such poor distressed Sufferers yea commonly filling them under overwhelming Calamities with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory Though they are in Bonds yet is the Word of God not bound neither can all the Power of Hell nor all the Diligence or Fury of Men keep out the Word from entring into Prisons Dungeons Flames and to administer strong Consolations against all Fears Pains Wants Dangers Deaths or whatever we may in this mortal Life be exposed unto And sundry other Instances of the like Nature might be pleaded wherein the Word gives evident Demonstrations unto the Minds and Consciences of Men of its own Divine Power and Authority which is the second Way whereby the Holy Ghost its Author gives Testimony unto its Original But it is not meerly the Grounds and Reasons whereon we believe the Scripture to be the Word of God which we designed to declare The whole Work of the Holy Spirit enabling us to believe them so to be was proposed unto Consideration And beyond what we have insisted on there is yet a further peculiar Work of his whereby he effectually ascertains our minds of the Scriptures being the Word of God whereby we are ultimately established in the Faith thereof And I cannot but both admire and bewail that this should be denied by any that would be esteemed Christians Wherefore if there be any Necessity thereof I shall take Occasion in the Second Part of this Discourse further to confirm this Part of the Truth thus far debated namely that God by his Holy Spirit doth secretly and effectually perswade and satisfy the Minds and Souls of Believers in the Divine Truth and Authority of the Scriptures whereby he infallibly secures their Faith against all Objections and Temptations whatsoever so that they can safely and comfortably dispose of their Souls in all their Concernments with respect unto this Life and Eternity according unto the undeceivable Truth and Guidance of it But I shall no further insist on these Things at present Three Things do offer themselves unto Consideration from what hath been discoursed 1. What is the Ground and Reason why the meanest and most unlearned Sort of Believers do assent unto this Truth that the Scriptures are
Scripture to be the VVord of God in a way of Duty For it is not to be meerly Human how firm soever the Perswasions in it may be but Divine and Supernatural of the same kind with that whereby we believe the things themselves contained in the Scripture 7. VVe cannot thus believe the Scripture to be the VVord of God nor any Divine Truth therein contained without the effectual Illumination of our Minds by the Holy Ghost And to exclude the Consideration of his VVork herein is to cast the whole Enquiry out of the Limits of Christian Religion 8. Yet is not this VVork of the Holy Spirit in the Illumination of our Minds whereby we are enabled to believe in a way of Duty with Faith Supernatural and Divine the Ground and Reason why we do believe or the Evidence whereon we do so nor is our Faith resolved thereinto 9. VVhereas also there are sundry other Acts of the Holy Spirit in and upon our minds establishing this Faith against Temptations unto the contrary and further ascertaining us of the Divine Original of the Scripture or testifying it unto us yet are they none of them severally nor all of them joyntly the formal Reason of our Faith nor the Ground which we believe upon Yet are they such as that as without the first VVork of Divine Illumination we cannot believe at all in a due manner so without his other consequent Operations we cannot believe stedfastly against Temptations and Oppositions VVherefore 10. Those only can believe the Scripture aright to be the VVord of God in a way of Duty whose minds are enlightned and who are enabled to believe by the Holy Ghost 11. Those who believe not are of two Sorts for they are either such as oppose and gainsay the VVord as a cunningly devised Fable or such as are willing without prejudice to attend unto the consideration of it The former Sort may be resisted opposed and rebuked by external Arguments and such moral Considerations as vehemently perswade the Divine Original of the Scripture and from the same Principles may their mouths be stopped as to their Cavils and Exceptions against it The other Sort are to be led on unto believing by the Ministry of the Church in the dispensation of the VVord it self which is the Ordinance of God unto that purpose But 12. Neither sort do ever come truly to believe either meerly induced thereunto by force of moral Arguments only or upon the Authority of that Church by whose Ministry the Scripture is proposed unto them to be believed VVherefore 13. The formal Reason of Faith Divine and Supernatural whereby we believe the Scripture to be the VVord of God in the way of Duty and as it is required of us is the Authority and Veracity of God alone evidencing themselves unto our Minds and Consciences in and by the Scripture it self And herein consisteth that Divine Testimony of the Holy Ghost which as it is a Testimony gives our Assent unto the Scriptures the general nature of Faith and as it is a Divine Testimony gives it the especial nature of Faith Divine and Supernatural 14. This Divine Testimony given unto the Divine Original of the Scripture in and by it self whereinto our Faith is ultimately resolved is evidenced and made known as by the Characters of the infinite Perfections of the Divine Nature that are in it and upon it so by the Authority Power and Efficacy over and upon the Souls and Consciences of Men and the Satisfactory Excellency of the Truths contained therein wherewith it is accompanied 15. Wherefore although there be many cogent external Arguments whereby a moral stedfast Perwasion of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures may be attained and it be the principal Duty of the true Church in all Ages to give Testimony thereunto which it hath done successively at all all times since first it was intrusted with it and so although there be many other Means whereby we are induced perswaded and enabled to believe it yet is it for its own sake only efficaciously manifesting it self to be the Word of God or upon the Divine Testimony that is given in it and by it thereunto that we believe it to be so with Faith Divine and Supernatural Corel Those who either deny the necessity of an internal subjective Work of the Holy Ghost enabling us to believe or the objective Testimony of the Holy Spirit given unto the Scripture in and by it self or do deny their joynt concurrence in and unto our Believing do deny all Faith properly Divine and Supernatural This being the Substance of what is declared and pleaded for in the preceding Treatise to prevent the Obloquy of some and confirm the Judgment of others I shall add the Suffrage of Antient and Modern Writers given unto the principal Parts of it and whereon all other things asserted in it do depend Clemens Alexandrinus discourseth at large unto this purpose Stromat 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We have the Lord himself for the Principle or Beginning of Doctrine who by the Prophets the Gospel and blessed Apostles in various manners and by divers degrees goeth before us or leads us unto knowledg This is that which we lay down as the Reason and Ground of Faith namely the Authority of the Lord himself instructing us by the Scriptures So he adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if any one suppose that he needeth any oâ—her Principle the Principle will not be kept that is if we need any other Principle whereinto to resolve our Faith the Word of God is no more a Principle unto us But he who is faithful from himself is worthy to be believed in his Sovereign Writing and Voice which as it appeareth is administred by the Lord for the benefit of men And certainly we use it as a Rule of judging for the invention of things But whatever is judged is not credible or to be believed until it is judged and that is no Principle which stands in need to be judged The Intention of his Words is that God who alone is to believed for himself hath given us his Word as the Rule whereby we are to judg of all things And this Word is so to be believed as not to be subject unto any other Judgment because if it be so it cannot be either a Principle or a Rule And so he proceeds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore it is meet that embracing by Faith the most sufficient indemonstrable Principle and taking the Demonstrations of the Principle from the Principle it self we are instructed by the Voice of the Lord himself unto the acknowledgment of the Truth In few Words he declares the Substance of what we have pleaded for No more do we maintain in this Cause but what Clemens doth here assert namely that we believe the Scripture for it self as that which needeth no antecedent or external Demonstration but all the Evidence and Demonstration of its Divine Original is to be taken from it self alone which yet
he further confirms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For we would not attend or give credit simply to the definitions of Men seeing we have right also to define in contradiction unto them And seeing it is not sufficient meerly to say or assert what appears to be Truth but to beget a belief also of what is spoken we expect not the Testimony of Men but confirm that which is enquired about with the voice of the Lord which is more full and firm than any Demonstration yea which rather is the only Demonstration Thus we taking our Demonstrations of the Scripture out of the Scripture are assured by Faith as by Demonstration And in other places as Strom. 4. he plainly affirms that the way of Christians was to prove the Scripture by it self and all other things by the Scripture Basilius speaks to the same purpose on Psal. 115. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith which draws the Soul to assent above all methods of Reasonings Faith which is not the Effect of Geometrical Demonstrations but of the Efficacy of the Spirit The Nature Cause and Efficacy of that Faith whereby we believe the Scripture to be the Word of God are asserted by him Nemesius de Homin cap. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Doctrine of the Divine Oracles hath its credibility from it self because of its Divine Inspiration The Words of Austin though taken notice of by all yet may here be again reported Confess lib. II. cap. 3. Audiam intelligam quo modo fecisti Coelum Terram Scripsit hoc Moses scripsit abiit transivit hinc ad te neque enim nunc ante me est Nam si esset tenerem eum rogarem eum per te obsecrarem ut mihi ista panderet praeberem aures corporis mei sonis erumpentibus ex ore ejus At si Hebraea voce loqueretur frustra pulsaret sensum meum nec inde mentem meam quicquam tangeret Si autem Latinè scirem quid diceret sed unde scirem an verum diceret quod etsi hoc scirem num ab illo scirem Intus utique mihi intus in domicilio cogitationis nec hebraea nec graeca nec latina nec barbara veritas sine oris linguae organis sine strepitu syllabarum diceret verum dicit at ego statim erectus confidenter illi homini tuo dicerem verum dicis Cum ergo illum interrogare non possim te quo plenus vera dixit Veritas te Deus meus rogo parce peccatis meis qui illi servo tuo dedisti haec dicere da mihi haec intelligere I would hear I would understand how thou madest the Heaven and the Earth Moses wrote this he wrote it and is gone hence to thee for he is not now before me for if he were I would hold him and ask him and beseech him for thy sake that he would open these things unto me and I would apply the ears of my body to the sounds breaking forth from his mouth But if he should use the Hebrew Language in vain should he affect my sense for he would not at all touch my mind if he should speak Latin I should know what he said but whence should I know that he spake the Truth and if I should know this also should I know it of him Within me in the habitation of my own thoughts Truth neither in Hebrew Greek Latin nor any barbarous Language without the Organs of mouth or tongue without the Noise of syllables would say he speaks the Truth and I being immediately assured or certain of it would say unto that servant of thine thou speakest Truth Whereas therefore I cannot ask him I ask thee O Truth with which he being filled spake the things that are true O my God I ask of thee pardon my sins and thou who gavest unto this thy servant to speak these things give unto me to understand them That which is most remarkable in these Words is that he plainly affirms that Faith would not ensue on the declaration of the Prophets themselves if they were present with us unless there be an internal Work of the Holy Spirit upon our minds to enable us and perswade them thereunto And indeed he seems to place all Assurance of the Truth of Divine Revelations in the inward Assurance which God gives us of them by his Spirit which we have before considered The second Arausican Council gives full Testimony unto the necessity of the internal Grace of the Spirit that we may believe Can. 7. Siquis Evangelicae proedicationi consentire posse confirmat absque Illuminatione Inspiratione Spiritus Sancti haeretico fallitur Spiritu To descend unto later times wherein these things have been much disputed yet the Truth hath beam'd such Light into the eyes of many as to enforce an Acknowledgment from them when they have examined themselves about it The Words of Baptista Mantuanus are remarkable de Patient lib. 3. cap. 2. Saepe mecum cogitavi unde tam suadibilis sit ipsa Scriptura unde tam potenter influat in animos auditorum unde tantum habeat Energiae ut non ad opinandum tantum sed ad solide credendum omnes inflectat Non est hoc imputandum rationum evidentiae quas non adducit non artis industriae aut verbis suavibus ad persuadendum accomodatis quibus non utitur sed vide an id in causa sit quod persuasi sumus eam a prima veritate fluxisse sed unde sumus ita persuasi nisi ab ipsa quasi ad ei credendum nos suiipsius contrahat authoritas Sed unde oro hanc authoritatem sibi vendicavit neque enim vidimus nos Deum concionantem scribentem docentem tamen ac si vidissemus credimus tenemus a Spiritu Sancto fluxisse quae legimus forsan fuerit haec ratio firmiter adhaerendi quod in ea veritas sit solidior quamvis non clarior habet enim omnis veritas vim inclinativam major majorem maxima maximam sed cur ergo non omnes credunt Evangelio Respond quod non omnes trahuntur a Deo Sed longa opus est disputatione firmiter sacris Scripturis ideo credimus quod divinam Inspirationem intus accipimus I have often thought with my self whence the Scripture it self is so perswasive from whence it doth so powerfully influence the minds of its hearers that it inclines or leads them not only to receive an Opinion but surely to believe This is not to be imputed to the Evidence of Reasons which it doth not produce nor unto the Industry of Art with words smooth and fit to perswade which it useth not see then if this be not the cause of it that we are perswaded that it comes from the first Truth or Verity But whence are we so perswaded but from it self alone as if its own Authority should effectually draw us to believe it But whence I pray hath it this Authority we saw not
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
recompence in this World upon the Sole Account of the Doctrine taught by themselves with all other circumstances innumerable that are pleadable to evince the sincerity and integrity of any witnesses whatever do all concur to prove that they did not follow cunningly devised Fables in what they declared concerning the Mind and Will of God as immediately from himself To confront this evidence with bare Surmizes incapable of any rational Countenance or Confirmation is only to manifest what bruitish impudence Infidelity and Atheism are forced to retreat unto for shelter 2. Their Stile and Manner of Writing deserves a peculiar consideration For there are impressed on it all those Characters of a divine Original that can be communicated unto such an outward Adjunct of divine Revelation Notwithstanding the distance of the Ages and Seasons wherein they lived the difference of the Languages wherein they wrote with the great variety of their Parts Abilities Education and other circumstances yet there is upon the whole and all the parts of their writing that Gravity Majesty and Authority mixed with plainness of speech and absolute freedom from all appearance of affectation of esteem or applause or any things else that derive from humane frailty as must excite an Admiration in all that seriously consider them But I have at large elsewhere insisted on this consideration And have also in the same place shewed that there is no other writing extant in the world that ever pretended unto a divine Original as the Apocriphal Books under the Old Testament and some fragments of spurious pieces pretended to be written in the days of the Apostles but they are not only from their matter but from the manner of their writing and the plain footsteps of humane Artifice and Weakness therein sufficient for their own conviction and do openly discover their own vain pretensions So must every thing necessarily do which being meerly humane pretends unto an immediate derivation from God When men have done all they can these things will have as evident a difference between them as there is between Wheat and Chaff between real and painted Fire Jer. 23. 28 29. 2. Unto the Testimony of the Divine Writers themselves we must add that of those who in all Ages have believed in Christ through their Word which is the description which the Lord Jesus Christ giveth of his Church Joh. 17. 20. This is the Church that is those who wrote the Scripture and those who believe in Christ through their word through all Ages which beareth witness to the divine Original of the Scripture and it may be added that we know this witness is true With these I had rather venture my Faith and eternal condition then with any Society any real or pretended Church whatever And among these there is an especial consideration to be had of those innumerable multitudes who in the primitive times witnessed this confession all the World over For they had many advantages above us to know the certainty of sundry matters of fact which the verity of our Religion depends upon And we are directed unto an especial regard of their Testimony which is signalized by Christ himself In the great Judgment that is to be passed on the World the first Appearance is of the Souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus Christ and for the Word of God Rev. 20. 4. And there is at present an especial regard unto them in Heaven upon the account of their Witness and Testimony Rev. 6. 9 10 11. These were they who with the loss of their lives by the Sword and other ways of violence gave testimony unto the Truth of the Word of God And to reduce these things unto a rational consideration who can have the least occasion to suspect all those persons of folly weakness credulity wickedness or conspiracy among themselves which such a diffused multitude was absolutely uncapable of Neither can any man undervalue their Testimony but he must comply with their Adversaries against them who were known generally to be of the worst of Men. And who is there that believes there is a God and an eternal future State that had not rather have his Soul with Paul than Nero with the Holy Martyrs than their bestial Persecutors Wherefore this Suffrage and Testimony begun from the first writing of the Scripture and carried on by the best of Men in all Ages and made conspicuously glorious in the primitive times of Christianity must needs be with all wise men unavoidably cogent at least unto a due and sedate consideration of what they bare witness unto and sufficient to scatter all such prejudices as Atheism or prophaneness may raise or suggest Secondly What it was they gave Testimony unto is duly to be considered And this was not that the Book of the Scripture was Good Holy and True in all the contents of it only but that the whole and every part of it was given by divine Inspiration as their Faith in this matter is expressed 2 Pet. 1. 20 21. On this account and no other did they themselves receive the Scripture as also believe and yeild Obedience unto the things contained in it Neither would they admit that their Testimony was received if the whole World would be content to allow of or obey the Scripture on any other or lower terms Nor will God himself allow of an Assent unto the Scripture under any other conception but as the Word which is immediately spoken by himself Hence they who refuse to give credit thereunto are said to bely the Lord and say it is not he Jer. 5. 2. Yea to make God a liar 1 Joh. 5. 10. If all mankind should agree together to receive and make use of this Book as that which taught nothing but what is Good useful and profitable to humane Society as that which is a compleat Directory unto men in all that they need to believe or do towards God the best means under Heaven to bring them to setlement satisfaction and assurance in the Knowledg of God and themselves as the safest Guide to eternal blessedness and therefore must needs be written and composed by persons Wise Holy and Honest above all comparison and such as had that Knowledg of God and his Will as is necessary unto such an undertaking yet all this answers not the Testimony given by the Church of Believers in all ages unto the Scriptures It was not lawful for them it is not for us so to compound this matter with the World That the whole Scripture was given by Inspiration from God that it was his Word his true and faithful sayings was that which in the first place they gave Testimony unto and we also are obliged so to do They never pretended unto any other Assurance of the things they professed nor any other Reason of their Faith and Obedience but that the Scripture wherein all these things are contained was given immediately from God or was his Word And therefore they were
shall be all taught of God John 6. 45. That there is a divine and heavenly Excellency in the Scripture cannot be denied by any who on any Grounds or Motives whatever do own its divine Original For all the Works of God do set forth his Praise and it is impossible that any thing should proceed immediately from Him but that there will be express Characters of divine Excellencies upon it and as to the Communication of these Characters of Himself he hath magnified his Word above all his Name But these we cannot discern be they in themselves never so illustrious without the effectual Communication of the Light mentioned unto our Minds that is without divine supernatural Illumination Herein he who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness shineth into our Hearts the Knowledg of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 6. He irradiates the Mind with a spiritual Light whereby it is enabled to discern the Glory of spiritual Things This they cannot do in whom the God of this World hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine into them v. 6. Those who are under the Power of their natural Darkness and Blindness especially where there are in them also superadded Prejudices begotten and increased by the craft of Satan as there are in the whole World of Unbelievers cannot see nor discern that divine Excellency in the Scripture without an Apprehension whereof no man can believe it a right to be the Word of God Such Persons may assent unto the Truth of the Scripture and its divine Original upon external Arguments and rational Motives but believe it with Faith Divine and Supernatural on those Arguments and Motives only they cannot There are two things which hinder or disenable men from believing with Faith divine and supernatural when any Divine Revelation is objectively proposed unto them First The natural Blindness and Darkness of their Minds which are come upon all by the Fall and the Depravation of our Nature that ensued thereon Secondly The Prejudices that through the Crafts of Satan the God of this World their minds are possessed with by Traditions Educations and Converse in the World This last Obstruction or Hinderance may be so far removed by external Arguments and Motives of Credibility as that men may upon them attain unto a moral Perswasion concerning the Divine Original of the Scripture But these Arguments cannot remove or take away the native Blindness of the mind which is removed by their Renovation and Divine Illumination alone Wherefore none I think will positively affirm that we can believe the Scripture to be the Word of God in the way and manner which God requireth without a supernatural Work of the Holy Spirit upon our minds in the Illumination of them So David prays that God would open his eyes that he might behold wonderous things out of the Law Psal. 119. 10. That he would make him understand the way of his Precepts v. 27. That he would give him understanding and he should keep the Law v. 34. So the Lord Christ also opened the understandings of his Disciples that they might understand the Scriptures Luk. 24. 45. As he had affirmed before that it was given unto some to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God and not unto others Mat. 11. 25. chap. 13. 11. And neither are these things spoken in vain nor is the Grace intended in them needless The Communication of this Light unto us the Scripture calleth Revealing and Revelation Mat. 11. 25. Thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes that is giving them to understand the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven when they were preached unto them And no man knoweth the Father but he to whom the Son revealeth him v. 27. So the Apostle prayeth for the Ephesians that God would give them the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledg of Christ that the eyes of their understandings being enlightned they might know c. chap. 1. v. 17 18 19. It is true these Ephesians were already Believers or considered by the Apostle as such but if he judged it necessary to pray for them that they might have the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation to enlighten the eyes of their Vnderstanding with respect unto further Degrees of Faith and Knowledge or as he speaks in another place that they might come unto the full Assurance of Vnderstanding to the acknowledgment of the Mystery of God Col. 2. 2. Then it is much more necessary to make them Believers who before were not so but utter strangers unto the Faith But as a Pretence hereof hath been abused as we shall see afterwards so the pleading of it is liable to be mistaken For some are ready to apprehend that this Retreat unto a Spirit of Revelation is but a pretence to discard all rational Arguments and to introduce Enthusiasm into their room Now although the Charge be grievous yet because it is groundless we must not forego what the Scripture plainly affirms and instructs us in thereby to avoid it Scripture Testimonies may be expounded according to the Analogy of Faith but denied or despised seem they never so contrary unto our Apprehension of things they must not be Some I confess seem to disregard both the objective Work of the Holy Spirit in this matter whereof we shall treat afterwards and his subjective Work also in our minds that all things may be reduced unto Sense and Reason But we must grant that a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation to open the eyes of our Understanding is needful to enable us to believe the Scripture to be the Word of God in a due manner or forgo the Gospel And our Duty it is to pray continually for that Spirit if we intend to be established in the Faith thereof But yet we plead not for external immediate Revelations such as were granted unto the Prophets Apostles and other Penmen of the Scripture The Revelation we intend differs from them both in its especial Subject and formal Reason or Nature that is in the whole kind For 1. The subject matter of divine Prophetical Revelation by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or immediate divine Inspiration are things not made known before Things they were hid in God or the Counsels of his Will and revealed unto the Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit Ephes. 2. 5 9 10. Whether they were Doctrines or Things they were at least as unto their present Circumstances made known from the Counsels of God by their Revelation But the Matter and Subject of the Revelation we treat of is nothing but what is already revealed It is an internal Revelation of that which is outwardly and antecedent unto it beyond the Bounds thereof it is not to be extended And if any pretend unto immediate Revelations of things not before revealed we have no concernment in
compleat Revelation of the Will of God already made but new Revelations it hath neither need nor use of And to suppose them or a necessity of them not only overthrows the Perfection of the Scripture but also leaveth us uncertain whether we know all that is to be believed in order unto Salvation or our whole Duty or when we may do so For it would be our Duty to live all our days in expectation of new Revelations wherewith neither Peace Assurance nor Consolation are consistent 2. Those who are to believe will not be able on this Supposition to secure themselves from Delusion and from being imposed on by the Deceits of Satan For this new Revelation is to be tryed by the Scripture or it is not If it be to be tried and examined by the Scripture then doth it acknowledge a superiour Rule Judgment and Testimony and so cannot be that which our Faith is ultimately resolved into If it be exempted from that Rule of trying the Spirits then 1. It must produce the Grant of this Exemption seeing the Rule is extended generally unto all Things and Doctrines that relate unto Faith or Obedience 2. It must declare what are the Grounds and Evidences of its own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or self-credibility and how it may be infallibly or assuredly distinguished from all Delusions which can never be done And if any tolerable Countenance could be given unto these things yet we shall shew immediatly that no such private Testimony though real can be the formal Object of Faith or Reason of Believing 3. It hath so fallen out in the Providence of God that generally all who have given up themselves in any things concerning Faith or Obedience unto the pretended Conduct of immediate Revelations although they have pleaded a respect unto the Scripture also have been seduced into Opinions and Practices directly repugnant unto it And this with all Persons of Sobriety is sufficient to discard this Pretence But this internal Testimony of the Spirit is by others explained quite in another way For they say that besides the Work of the Holy Ghost before insisted on whereby he takes away our natural blindness and enlightning our minds enables us to discern the divine Excellencies that are in the Scripture there is another internal Efficiency of his whereby we are moved perswaded and enabled to believe Hereby we are taught of God so as that finding the Glory and Majesty of God in the Word our Hearts do by an ineffable Power assent unto the Truth without any Hesitation And this Work of the Spirit carrieth its own Evidence in it self producing an Assurance above all humane Judgment and such as stands in need of no further Arguments or Testimonies this Faith rests on and is resolved into And this some learned men seem to embrace because they suppose that the objective Evidence which is given in the Scripture it self is only moral or such as can give only a moral Assurance Whereas therefore Faith ought to be divine and supernatural so must that be whereinto it is resolved yea it is so alone from the formal Reason of it And they can apprehend nothing in this Work that is immediately divine but only this internal Testimony of the Spirit wherein God himself speaks unto our Hearts But yet neither as it is so explained can we allow it to be the formal Object of Faith nor that wherein it doth acquiesce For 1. It hath not the proper Nature of a divine Testimony A divine Work it may be but a divine Testimony it is not but it is of the nature of Faith to be built on an external Testimony However therefore our minds may be established and enabled to believe firmly and stedfastly by an ineffable internal Work of the Holy Ghost whereof also we may have a certain experience yet neither that Work nor the Effect of it can be the Reason why we do believe nor whereby we are moved to believe but only that whereby we do believe 2. That which is the formal Object of Faith or Reason whereon we believe is the same and common unto all that do believe For our Enquiry is not how or by what means this or that man came to believe but why any one or every one ought so to do unto whom the Scripture is proposed The Object proposed unto all to be believed is the same and the Faith required of all in a way of Duty is the same or of the same kind and nature and therefore the Reason why we believe must be the same also But on this Supposition there must be as many distinct Reasons of believing as there are Believers 3. On this Supposition it cannot be the Duty of any one to believe the Scripture to be the Word of God who hath not received this internal Testimony of the Spirit For where the true formal Reason of believing is not proposed unto us there it is not our duty to believe Wherefore although the Scripture be proposed as the Word of God yet is it not our duty to believe it so to be until we have this Work of the Spirit in our hearts in case that be the formal Reason of believing But not to press any further how it is possible men may be deceived and deluded in their Apprehensions of such an internal Testimony of the Spirit especially if it be not to be tried by the Scripture which if it be it loseth its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or self-credibility or if it be it casteth us into a Circle which the Papists charge us withal it cannot be admitted as the formal Object of our Faith because it would divert us from that which is publick proper every way certain and infallible However that Work of the Spirit which may be called an internal real Testimony is to be granted as that which belongs unto the Stability and Assurance of Faith For if he did no otherwise work in us or upon us but by the Communication of spiritual Light unto our minds enabling us to discern the Evidences that are in the Scripture of its own Divine Original we should often be shaken in our Assent and moved from our Stability For whereas our spiritual darkness is removed but in part and at best whilst we are here we see things but darkly as in a Glass all things believed having some sort of Inevidence or Obscurity attending them and whereas Temptations will frequently shake and disturb the due respect of the Faculty unto the Object or interpose Mists and Clouds between them we can have no Assurance in Believing unless our minds are further established by the Holy Ghost He doth therefore three ways assist us in believing and ascertain our minds of the things believed so as that we may hold fast the beginning of our Confidence firm and stedfast unto the end For 1. He gives unto Believers a spiritual Sense of the Power and Reality of the things believed whereby their Faith is greatly established And although
and a Resolution to live in an excess of known Sin Multitudes suffer their Minds to be bribed by their corrupt Affections to a Relinquishment of any Regard unto it 3. The scandalous Quarrels and Disputations of those of the Church of Rome against the Scripture and its Authority have contributed much unto the ruine of the Faith of many Their great Design is by all means to secure the Power Authority and Infallibility of their Church Of these they say continually as the Apostle in another case of the Mariners unless these stay in the Ship we cannot be saved Without an Acknowledgment of these things they would have it that men can neither at present believe nor be saved hereafter To secure this Interest the Authority of the Scripture must be by all means questioned and impaired A divine Authority in it self they will allow it but with respect unto us it hath none but what it obtains by the Suffrage and Testimony of their Church But whereas Authority is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and consists essentially in the Relation and Respect which it hath unto others or those that are to be subject unto it to say that it hath an Authority in it self but none towards us is not only to deny that it hath any Authority at all but also to reproach it with an empty name They deal with it as the Souldiers did with Christ they put a Crown on his Head and cloathed him with a purple Robe and bowing the Knee before him mocked him saying Hail King of the Jews The ascribe unto it the Crown and Robe of Divine Authority in it self but not towards any one Person in the World So if they please God shall be God and his Word be of some Credit among men Herein they seek continually to entangle those of the weaker Sort by urging them vehemently with this Question How do you know the Scripture to be the Word of God and have in continual readyness a number of sophistical Artifices to weaken all Evidences that shall be pleaded in its behalf Nor is that all but on all Occasions they insinuate such Objections against it from its Obscurity Imperfection want of Order Difficulties and seeming Contradictions in it as are suited to take off the minds of men from a firm Assent unto it or Reliance on it As if a Company of men should conspire by crafty multiplied Insinuations divulged on all advantages to weaken the Reputation of a chast and sober Matron although they cannot deprive her of her Vertue yet unless the World were wiser than for the most part it appears to be they will insensibly take off from her due esteem And this is as bold an Attempt as can well be made in any Case For the first Tendency of these Courses is to make men Atheists after which success it is left at uncertain hazard whether they will be Papists or no. Wherefore as there can be no greater nor more dishonourable Reflection made on Christian Religion than that it hath no other Evidence or Testimony of its Truth but the Authority and Witness of those by whom it is at present professed and who have notable worldly advantages thereby so the minds of multitudes are secretly influenced by the Poison of these Disputes to think it no way necessary to believe the Scripture to be the Word of God or at least are shaken off from the Grounds whereon they have professed it so to be And the like Dis-service is done unto Faith and the Souls of Men by such as advance a Light within or immediate Inspiration into Competition with it or the Room of it For as such Imaginations take place and prevail in the minds of men so their Respect unto the Scripture and all Sense of its divine Authority doth decay as Experience doth openly manifest It is I say from an unusual Concurrence of these and the like Causes and Occasions that there is at present among us such a Decay in Relinquishment of and Opposition unto the Belief of the Scripture as it may be former Ages could not parallel But against all these Objections and Temptations the Minds of true Believers are secured by Supplies of spiritual Light Wisdom and Grace from the Holy Ghost There are several other especial gracious Actings of the Holy Spirit on the minds of Believers which belong also unto this internal real Testimony whereby their Faith is established Such are his anointing and sealing of them his witnessing with them and his being an Earnest in them all which must be elsewhere spoken unto Hereby is our Faith every day more and more increased and established Wherefore although no internal Work of the Spirit can be the formal Reason of our Faith or that which it is resolved into yet is it such as without it we can never sincerely believe as we ought nor be established in believing against Temptations and Objections And with respect unto this Work of the Holy Ghost it is that Divines at the first Reformation did generally resolve our Faith of the divine Authority of the Scripture into the Testimony of the Holy Spirit But this they did not do exclusively unto the proper use of external Arguments and Motives of Credibility whose Store indeed is great and whose Fountain is inexhaustible For they arise from all the indubitable Notions that we have of God or our selves in reference unto our present Duty or future Happiness Much less did they exclude that Evidence thereof which the Holy Ghost gives unto it in and by it self Their Judgment is well expressed in the excellent Words of one of them Maneat ergo saith he hoc fixum quos Spiritus intus docuit solidè acquiescere in Scripturâ hanc quidem esse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neque demonstrationi rationibus subjici eam fas esse quam tamen meretur apud nos certitudinem Spiritus testimonio consequi eisi enim Reverentiam sua sibi ultro Majestate conciliat tunc tamen demum serio nos afficit quum per Spiritum obsignata est cordibus nostris Istius ergo veritate illuminati jam non aut nostro aut aliorum judicio credimus a Deo esse Scripturam sed supra humanum judicium certo certius constituimus non secus ac si ipsius Dei numen illic intueremur hominum ministerio ab ipsissimo Dei ore ad nos fluxisse Non Argumenta non veri Similitudines quaerimus quibus judicium nostrum incumbat sed ut rei extra estimandi aleam positae judicium ingeniumque nostrum subjicimus Non qualiter superstitionibus solent miseri homines captivam mentem addicere sed quia non dubiam vim Numinis illic sentimus vigere spirare quam ad parendum scientes ac volentes vividius tamen efficacius quam pro humana aut voluntate aut scientia trahimur accendimur Talis ergo est Persuasio quae rationes non requirat talis notitia cui optima ratio cosnstet
them on their Lusts Hos. 2. 8. It is an higher Aggravation when men in sinning abuse and dishonour their own Bodies for these are the principal external Workmanship of God being made for Eternity and whose Preservation unto his Glory is committed unto us in an especial manner This the Apostle declareth to be the peculiar Aggravation of the Sin of Fornication and Uncleanness in any kind 1 Cor. 6. 18 19. But the Height of Impiety consists in the Abuse of the Faculties aud Powers of the Soul wherewith we are endowed purposely and immediately for the glorifying of God Hence proceed Unbelief Prophaness Blasphemy Atheism and the like Pollutions of the Spirit of Mind And these are Sins of the highest Provocation For the Powers and Faculties of our Minds being given us only to enable us to live unto God the diverting of their principal Exercise unto other Ends is an Act of Enmity against him and Affront unto him 1. He makes himself known unto us by the innate Principles of our Nature unto which he hath communicated as a Power of apprehending so an indelible Sense of his Being his Authority and his Will so far as our natural Dependance on him and moral Subjection unto him do require For whereas there are two things in this natural Light and first Dictates of Reason first a Power of Conceiving Discerning and Assenting and secondly a Power of Judging and Determining upon the things so discerned and assented unto by the one God makes known his Being and Essential Properties by the other his Sovereign Authority over all As to the first the Apostle affirms that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1. 19. That which may be known of God his Essence Being Subsistence his natural necessary essential Properties is manifest in them that is it hath a self evidencing Power acting it self in the Minds of all Men indued with natural Light and Reason And as unto his Sovereign Authority he doth evidence it in and by the Consciences of men which are the Judgment that they make and cannot but make of themselves and their Actions with respect unto the Authority and Judgment of God Rom. 2. 14 15. And thus the Mind doth assent unto the Principles of God's Being and Authority antecedently unto any actual Exercise of the discursive Faculty of Reason or other Testimony whatever 2. He doth it unto our Reason in its Exercise by proposing such things unto its Consideration as from whence it may and cannot but conclude in an Assent unto the Truth of what God intends to reveal unto us that way This he doth by the Works of Creation and Providence which present themselves unavoidably unto Reason in its Exercise to instruct us in the Nature Being and Properties of God Thus the Heavens declare the Glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy-Work Day unto Day uttereth Speech and Night unto Night sheweth Knowledge There is no Speech nor Language where their Voice is not heard Psal. 19. 1 2 3. But yet they do not thus declare evidence and reveal the Glory of God unto the first Principles and Notions of natural Light without the actual Exercise of Reason Only they do so when we consider his Heavens the Work of his Fingers the Moon and the Stars which he hath ordained as the same Psalmist speaks Psal. 8. 3. A rational Consideration of them their Greatness Order Beauty and Use is required unto that Testimony and Evidence which God gives in them and by them unto Himself his glorious Being Power To this purpose the Apostle discourseth at large concerning the Works of Creation Rom. 1. 20 21 22. as also of those of Providence Acts 14. 15 16 17. chap. 17. 24 25 26 27 28. and the rational Use we are to make of them verse 29. So God calls unto Men for the Exercise of their Reason about these Things reproaching them with Stupidity and Brutishness where they are wanting therein Isa 46. 7 8 9. chap. 44. 18 19. 20. 3. God reveals himself unto our Faith or that Power of our Souls whereby we are able to assâ—nt unto the Truth of what is proposed unto us upon Testimony And this he doth by his Word or the Scriptures proposed unto us in the manner and way before expressed He doth not reveal himself by his Word unto the Principles of natural Light nor unto Reason in its Exercise But yet these Principles and Reason it self with all the Faculties of our Minds are consequentially affected with that Revelation and are drawn forth into their proper Exercise by it But in the Gospel the Righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith Rom. 1. 17. not to natural Light Sense or Reason in the first place And it is Faith that is the Evidence of things not seen as revealed in the Word Heb. 11. 1. Unto this kind of Revelation Thus saith the Lord is the only Ground and Reason of our Assent and that Assent is the Assent of Faith because it is resolved into Testimony alone And concerning these several ways of the Communication or Revelation of the Knowledge of God it must be always observed that there is a perfect consonancy in the things revealed by them all If any thing pretends from the one what is absolutely contradictory unto the other or our Senses as the means of them it is not to be received The Foundation of the whole as of all the actings of our Souls is in the inbred Principles of natural Light or first necessary Dictates of our intellectual rational Nature This so far as it extends is a Rule unto our Apprehension in all that follows Wherefore if any pretend in the Exercise of Reason to conclude unto any thing concerning the Nature Being or Will of God that is directly contradictory unto those Principles and Dictates it is no Divine Revelation unto our Reason but a Paralogism from the defect of Reason in its Exercise This is that which the Apostle chargeth on and vehemently urgeth against the Heathen Philosophers Inbred Notions they had in themselves of the Being and Eternal Power of God and these were so manifest in them thereby that they could not but own them Hereon they set their rational discursive Faculty at work in the Consideration of God and his Being But herein were they so vain and foolish as to draw Conclusions directly contrary unto the first Principles of natural Light and the unavoidable Notions which they had of the Eternal Being of God Rom. 1. 21 22 23 24. And many upon their pretended rational Consideration of the promiscuous Event of things in the World have foolishly concluded that all things had a fortuitous Beginning and have fortuitous Events or such as from a Concatenation of antecedent Causes are fatally necessarily and are not disposed by an infinitely Wise Unerring Holy Providence And this also is directly contradictory unto the first Principles and Notions of natural Light whereby it openly proclaims it self not to be an Effect of Reason in its due
the Word of God with no less Firmness Certainty and Assurance of Mind than do the wisest and most Learned of them Yea ofttimes the Faith of the former Sort herein is of the best Growth and firmest Consistency against Oppositions and Temptations Now no Assent of the Mind can be accompanied with any more Assurance than the Evidence whose Effect it is and which it is resolved into will afford Nor doth any Evidence of Truth beget an Assent unto it in the Mind but as it is apprehended and understood Wherefore the Evidence of this Truth wherein soever it consists must be that which is perceived apprehended and understood by the meanest and most unlearned Sort of true Believers For as was said they do no less firmly assent and adhere unto it than the Wisest and most Learned of them It cannot therefore consist in such subtil and learned Arguments whose Sense they cannot understand or comprehend But the Things we have pleaded are of another Nature For those Characters of Divine Wisdom Goodness Holiness Grace and Sovereign Authority which are implanted on the Scripture by the Holy Ghost are as legible unto the Faith of the Meanest as of the most Learned Believer And they also are no less capable of an Experimental Vnderstanding of the Divine Power and Efficacy of the Scriptures in all its Spiritual Operations than those who are more Wise and Skillful in discerning the Force of External Arguments and Motives of Credibility It must therefore of necessity be granted that the formal Reason of Faith consists in those Things whereof the Evidence is equally obvious unto all Sorts of Believers 2. Whence it is that the Assent of Faith whereby we believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God is usually affirmed to be accompanied with more Assurance than any Assent which is the Effect of Science upon the most demonstrative Principles They who affirm this do not consider Faith as it is in this or that Individual Person or in all that do sincerely believe but in its own Nature and Essence and what it is meet and able to produce And the Schoolmen do distinguish between a Certainty or Assurance of Evidence and an Assurance of Adherence In the latter they say the Certainty of Faith doth exceed that of Science but it is less in respect of the former But it is not easily to be conceived how the Certainty of Adherence should exceed the Certainty of Evidence with respect unto any Object whatsoever That which seems to render a Difference in this Case is that the Evidence which we have in Things scientifical is Speculative and affects the Mind only but the Evidence which we have by Faith effectually worketh on the Will also because of the Goodness and Excellency of the Things that are believed And hence it is that the whole Soul doth more firmly adhere unto the Objects of Faith upon that Evidence which it hath of them than unto other Things whereof it hath clearer Evidence wherein the Will and the Affections are little or not at all concerned And Bonaventure giveth a Reason of no small weight why Faith is more certain than Science not with the Certainty of Speculation but of Adherence Quoniam fideles Christiani nec Argumentis nec Tormentis nec Blandimentis adduci possunt vel inclinari ut Veritatem quam credunt vel ore tenus negent quod nemo peritus alicujus scientiae faceret si acerrimis Tormentis cogeretur scientiam suam de conclusione aliqua Geometrica vel Arithmetica retractare Stultus enim ridiculus esset Geometra qui pro sua scientia in Controversiis Geometricis mortem anderet subire nisi in quantum dictat Fides non esse mentiendum And whatever may be said of this Distinction I think it cannot modestly be denied that there is a greater Assurance in Faith than any is in scientifical Conclusions until as many good and wise Men will part with all their worldly Concernments and their Lives by the most exquisite Tortures in the Confirmation of any Truth which they have received meerly on the Ground of Reason acting in Humane Sciences as have so done on the Certainty which they had by Faith that the Scripture is a Divine Revelation For in bearing Testimony hereunto have innumerable Multitudes of the Best the Holiest and the VVisest Men that ever were in the VVorld chearfully and joyfully sacrificed all their Temporal and adventured all their Eternal Concernments For they did it under a full Satisfaction that in parting with all temporary things they should be eternally Blessed or eternally Miserable according as their Perswasion in Faith proved true or false VVherefore unto the Firmitude and Constancy which we have in the Assurance of Faith three Things do concur 1. That this Ability of Assent upon Testimony is the highest and most noble Power or Faculty of our rational Souls and therefore where it hath the highest Evidence whereof it is capable which it hath in the Testimony of God it giveth us the highest Certainty or Assurance whereof in this VVorld we are capable 2. Unto the Assent of Divine Faith there is required an especial internal Operation of the Holy Ghost This rendreth it of another Nature than any meer natural Act and Operation of our Minds And therefore if the Assurance of it may not properly be said to exceed the Assurance of Science in Degree it is only because it is of a more excellent kind and so is not capable of Comparison unto it as to Degrees 3. That the Revelation which God makes of Himself his Mind and Will by his Word is more excellent and accompanied with greater Evidence of his infinitely Glorious Properties wherein alone the Mind can find absolute Rest and Satisfaction which is its Assurance than any other Discovery of Truth of what sort soever is capable of Neither is the Assurance of the Mind absolutely perfect in any thing beneath the Enjoyment of God Wherefore the Soul by Faith making the nearest Approaches whereof in this Life it is capable unto the Eternal Spring of Being Truth and Goodness it hath the highest Rest Satisfaction and Assurance therein that in this Life it can attain unto 3. It followeth from hence that those that would deny either of those two Things or would so separate between them as to exclude the Necessity of either unto the Duty of Believing namely the internal Work of the Holy Spirit on the Minds of Men enabling them to believe and the external Work of the same Holy Spirit giving Evidence in and by the Scripture unto its own Divine Original do endeavour to expell all True Divine Faith out of the World and to substitute a probable Perswasion in the room thereof For a Close unto this Discourse which hath now been drawn forth unto a greater Length than was at first intended I shall consider some Objections that are usually pleaded in Opposition unto the Truth asserted and vindicated It is therefore objected in the first