A DISCOURSE Confirming the TRUTH and CERTAINTY OF THE Christian Faith From the Extraordinary GIFTS and OPERATIONS OF THE Holy Ghost Vouchsafed to the APOSTLES and PRIMITIVE PROFESSORS of that FAITH By Daniel Whitby D. D. and Chantor of the Church of Sarum LONDON Printed for A. Churchill at the Black Swan in Pater-Noster-Row MDCXCI Imprimatur Geo. Royse R. Rmo. in Christo Patri at Dom. Dom. Johanni Archiep. Cantuar. a Sacris June the 30th 1691. THE PREFACE TO THE READER THAT this Discourse may not seem to take that for granted which cannot be proved and that some Notions in it seemingly new may give the Reader no Offence I crave leave to premise First That the Holy Ghost was certainly designed for a Witness to the Truth of our Lord's Resurrection and Exaltation to the Right-Hand of Majesty and given to confirm the Christian Faith For First Our Saviour doth assure his Disciples that this his Advocate should at his coming convince the World of Sin viz. of the great Sin of Infidelity because they believed not in him 16. Jo. 9 10. and of Righteousness or that He though condemned by the Sanhedrim as a False Prophet and a Deceiver of the People was a just and righteous Person one highly favoured by the God of Heaven because the sending of the Holy Spirit was a full Evidence that he was Gone to the Father that he was exalted to the Right-hand of God and had received from the Father the Promise of the Holy Ghost Secondly St. John the beloved Disciple doth inform us that the Spirit was the great Witness that Jesus was the Son of God Joh. 5.6 8. and that of the three Witnesses on Earth to this great Truth the Holy Spirit was the first Thirdly St. Paul doth frequently declare that by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the Gifts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 1.21 22. and Distributions of the Holy Ghost the Testimony of Christ was confirmed to all Christians and that God by giving this Holy Spirit to them did confirm them in Christ And upon this as well as other Accounts he seemeth to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Advocate of Christ because he was to undertake the Defence of the Ministry and the Prophetick Office of our Lord against the Presidents of the Sinagogue and the great Sanhedrim of the Jews who had condemned him and procur'd his Death as a False Prophet Secondly I premise that the Sin against the Holy Ghost seems best explained by that Notion of the Holy Ghost which I have here espoused to make this as clear as I am able let it be noted First That there is a manifest Distinction in the New Testament betwixt the Power of working Signs and Miracles and the Gifts and Distributions of the Holy Ghost As when St. Paul speaketh of things wrought by him to make the Gentiles obedient in Word and Deed by mighty Signs and Miracles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 15. Rom. 19. and Powers of the Holy Ghost when he speaks of the Gospel preached by him in demonstration of the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor 2.4.1 and in Power and of the Duty of the Clergy to commend themselves to others by the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 6.6 7. and by the Power of God VVhen he speaks to his Galathians of him that ministreth the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 Gal. 5. and worketh Miracles among them And to his Thessalonians of the Gospel coming to them in Power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 1.5 and in the Holy Ghost And lastly to the Jewish Converts that God bore witness to the Word of his Grace by Signs and Wonders and divers Miracles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Heb 4. and Distributions of the Holy Ghost And that being baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6 Heb. 4 5. they were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost and had tasted the Powers of the World to come Secondly That the Holy Ghost was sent after our Saviour's Resurrection to bear witness both to the Truth of his Resurrection and of the Doctrine which he taught He giving in his Testimony with the Apostles of these things For when the Advocate cometh 15 Joh. 16 17. which I saith Christ will send you from the Father he shall testifie of me and you also shall bear Witness of me for you have been with me from the beginning Accordingly we saith St. Peter are his Witnesses of these things 5 Act 32 and so is the Holy Ghost which he hath given to those that obey him Thirdly That our Lord Jesus and his Apostles seem plainly to assert the Holy Spirit was to give in his Testimony after his Resurrection and Ascension to the Father This is so evident from the forecited Places and from that Expression of St. John 7 Joh. 39. the Holy Ghost was not yet because that Jesus was not yet glorified that it seems needless to add any thing in farther Confirmation of it Now hence it follows that the Holy Ghost was to be a succeeding Testimony to that of the Miracles wrought by our Saviour upon Earth and consequently that the Sin against the Holy Ghost was a Sin chiefly and compleatly to be committed afterwards which also seemeth probable even from the Tenor of oâ—r Saviours Words 12 Luk. 10. 12 Matt. 24. 3 Mark 29. Whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man as you now do who say He hath a Devil and casts out Devils by Beelzebub it shall be forgiven him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but whosever hereafter shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him Fourthly Observe that this was the last Testimony God would exhibit to the Jews to evidence to them that Jesus was indeed the true Messiah and that on their Rejection of it depended their being given up to judicial Blindness and to utter Desolation and Excision from being any more hiâ— Church and his peculiar People Accordingly after this Blasphemy against our Lord both He and his Disciples sâ—ill call them to that Faith and Repentance which would assuredly procure their Pardon but then He warns them of the Greatness of their Sin as being next to that which was unpardonable informing them that as they had blasphemed the Miracles wrought by he Finger of God or by the Power of the Spirit before their Eyes so if they should add to this the Contempt of those internal Gifts and Operations of the Holy Ghost which were to be vouchsafed after his Resurrection for farther Confirmation that he was the Son of God their Sin should then become unpardonable And the Author to the Hebrews declares it a thing impossible to renew them to Repentance 6 Heb. 5 6. who being made Partakers of the Holy Ghost and having tasted the Powers of the World to come did notwithstanding wilfully apostatize from the Profession of
the Christian Faith for that by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that Expression we are to understand miraculous Powers may be concluded not only from the like Vse of the Word in this Epistle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Hebr. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Act. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 .4 Act. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 8 Act. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 19 Act. 10. See 15. Rom. 19. 1 Cor. 2.4 2 Cor. 6.7 3 Gal. 5. 1 Thes 1.5 but also in many other Places of the New Testament 2. That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the World to come denotes the Times of the Messiah cannot be reasonably doubted by him who well considers that Christ himself according to the Translation 9 Esa 6. or Exposition of the Septuagint is stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father of the future Age and that the Apostle writes to the Jews in whose Account there were two Ages the one before the other after the coming of our Saviour which they constantly stiled Holam Habba the future Age or the World to come 2 Heb. 5. as the Apostle intimates in that Expression For unto Angels hath he not put into Subjection the World to come that is whereas the World before Christ was chiefly governed by Angels the Almighty having divided the Nations 32 Deut. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Number of the Angels which were to preside over them 17 Eccl. 17. saith the Septuagint and Set of them a Ruler over every People saith the Son of Syrach according to the constant Doctrine of the Jews embraced also generally by the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just M. Apol. P. 44. vid. Athenag â—g pro Christian P. 27. c. Clem. Recogn l. 4. c. 4.2 Euseb Demonst Evang. l. 4. Antient Fathers the World to come or Christian State is not thus put in Subjection to them but to one far exceeding the Angels even the only begotten Son of God A Discourse tending to evince the Truth of Christian Faith from the extraordinary Gifts and Operations of the Holy Ghost by which it was at first confirmed WHosoever well considers the admirable Perfection of the Christian Faith how far the Doctrines and Precepts of it do excell all other Doctrines and Precepts which either in pretence or truly have been revealed to the World will find sufficient Reason to believe that such an excellent Dispensation took it's rise from the most excellent of Beings For it is 1. A Revelation which represents God to us such in all Respects as Men of Wisdom and Discretion would desire to be their Governor viz. a God of infinite Power to protect of infinite Wisdom to direct us and of the greatest Goodness Love and Compassion to design and to promote our Happiness and Welfare 2. It prescribes such Laws as every wise Man would chuse to live by they being Holy Just and Good 7 Rom. 12. 12. Rom. 1. and Obedience they require being our reasonable Service that is such Service as our own Reason cannot but approve of as fit and proper to be done 3. It is a Dispensation which propounds such Arguments to perswade us to yield Obedience to these Laws as no Man who regardeth his own Interest and truly loves himself can resist they being the most admirable Blessings promised to the Obedient and the most direful and lasting Evils threatned to the Disobedient 4. It is a Revelation which affords us good Assurance of the most powerful Assistance to perform this Duty even the Aids of Divine Grace Now that such a Revelation hath in it the true Characters of a Divine Religion that it contains a Doctrine worthy of God and therefore worthy of all Acceptation and cannot reasonably be thought a politick Contrivance of the Wit of Man much less the Product of wicked and deluding Spirits will appear evident to any who hath Ability and Opportunity to compare it with all pretended Doctrines and Religions which either the Wit of Man or Craft of Satan had before brought into the World Let any Person who thinks otherwise produce any Religion which doth so naturally tend to render Men truly devout and pious towards God Chast and Temperate Patient and Contented under all Conditions more Just and Honest Kind and Peaceable and Fruitful in good Offices towards all Men and which affords more solid Comforts and Supports under the Miseries of human Life let him produce one Book besides the Holy Scriptures composed before they were written which gives us such a clear and true Idea of the Attributes and Works of God prescribeth a more rational Service of him hath Rules of Life more equal in themselves more beneficial to Mankind which doth more fully tend to make Men better in all Respects Relations and Conditions and which doth offer more powerful Enducements to perswade them to be so and then he may have reason to prefer what he hath thus produced before the Pandects of the Christian Faith but if no other Book can vie with the New Testament no other Religion can compare with that which is contained in it then must we either say with Epicurus that God is not concerned to be obeyed and worshipby the Sons of Men or with the Infidel discard all Revelations of his Will as false or grant that this above all others deserves to be embraced as the must true and perfect Revelation of the Will of God But this Argument hath by much better Pens been handled and improved into so clear a Demonstration of the Truth of Christian Faith that nothing but the disagreeing Lives of Christians which generally fall so exceeding short of what this perfect Rule prescribes or run so counter to it could make Men to suspect the shining Evidence of it I therefore have chosen to insist upon another Argument arising from the Extraordinary Gifts and Distributions of the Holy Ghost by which this Doctrine was at first confirmed in which I hope to make some small addition to the Performances of others and which I shall endeavor to confirm by proving the ensuing Propositions I. That the Gifts and powerful Operations of the Holy Ghost were most assuredly vouchsafed to propagate and confirm the Christian Faith II. That the Assistance of the Holy Ghost vouchsafed to our Lords Apostles and to the Primitive Professors of the Christian Faith are a most full and ample Confirmation of it and a convincing Evidence that it is derived from the God of Truth Now that the Gifts and powerful Operations of the Holy Ghost were thus engaged to confirm and propagate the Christian Faith will be apparent 1. From the Assurance which the Baptist gave 44 Isa 3. 36 Ez. 27. 2 Joel 28. both to the Jews in general and to the Pharisees and Sadducees in particular that the Messiah would suddenly baptize those who believed in him with the Holy Ghost 3 Mat. 7.11 2. From a like Promise which our Saviour made to his Disciples that he would
able to attest that they receiv'd not the least Benefit from any of his Balsoms should by this impudene Untruth engage those very Persons he so shamefully bely'd to assert the Soveraign Virtue of them in contradiction to their own Experience Lastly if they who enter these Appeals and by them do endeavour to confirm their Proselytes in the Profession of the Faith they teach have many subtil and industrious Adversaries Men zealous to oppose that Faith and defirous to find Occasions of Advantages over them and apt for want of such Occasions to accuse them falsly and charged by the Apostles with false Accusation and yet these very Persons when these very Arguments and Demonstrations of the spirit are urged in Confirmation of that Faith which these deceitful Workers did gainsay could find no Ground of Cavil against these things or could prevail upon no Persons to believe that they had reason to accuse them of Falshood or Deceit in these Particulars we cannot reasonably suspect they used any Fraud or Falshood in their Words or Writings but this is certainly the Case of these Apostles and more especially of Blessed Paul 1 Cor. 16.9 1 Thes 2.14 1 Tit. 10.2 Tim. 3.2 3. Ep. of Joh. v. 10. 1 Phil. 25 16. 2 Gal. 4. for their Epistles do inform us that they had many Adversaries that they were in continual Perils from the Jews were oft encounter'd by the Philosophers and the Disputers of the World that even among themselves were many vain unruly Talkers and Deceivers which gainsaid their Doctrine many proud Boasters and Corrupters of the Truth which did endeavour to empair their Credit in the Church and who did prate against them with malitious words that there were some who preached Christ only out of a Principle of Strife and Envy that they might add Affliction to their Bonds and some false Brethren who came in privily to spy out thâ—ir Liberty Nor have we reason to suspect that all or any of these Adversaries negelected any Pains or Diligence which ought in reason to be used to search into the Certainty of what they offer'd for Confirmation of this Faith and for Vindication of their Apostleship from these Aspersions which these false Apostles laid upon them Since then we never find the Truth of these Relations question'd by any of their numerous and potent Adversaries the false Apostle or false Brother the inqusitive and learned Precisian or the malicious Jew and since we are assured by the Event that if Attempts of such a Nature have been made they all prov'd ineffectual and insufficient to lessen or take a way the Credit of these Writings in the Christian World I say seeing these things are so it may be certainly concluded that these Writings were not and could not be convinced of Falshood but contained Matter of unquestionable Truth Now hence it clearly follows that this Assistance of the Holy Ghost was a most full and ample Confirmation of the Christian Faith and a sufficient Evidence that it derived from the God of Truth for this they constantly declared 1 Cor. 3.9 1 Rom. 4 that they were Apostles sent from God Co-workers with God and faithful Stewards of his Mysteries that they were Servants and Apostles of that Jesus who was declared to be the Son of God with power and that they preached the Gospel by Virtue of the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven This then must be a certain Truth or else their Story must be false Moreover from what hath been discoursed I conclude that the Power by which these holy Men were acted could not derive from Satan it therefore must derive from God whence it will follow that what it was design'd to confirm must be certain Truth or God must be supposed to employ his Power to confirm a Lye and stablish an Imposture in the World by the Assistance of his Holy Spirit which is a great Absurdity and very much repugnant to to his Truth and Justice And if these things convince us of the Truth of Christian Faith Hence have we reason to infer That it is very worthy of our Labour and much concerns us to be well acquainted with this Faith God is not busied about Trifles when he is pleased by extraordinary Methods and Transports of Nature to shew the Glory of his Power we may be sure the Doctrine he thus confirms is worthy of all Acceptation of this Salvation saith St. Peter the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently 1 Pet. 1.11 12. because it was that glorious Work of Mercy and of Wisdom to which the Holy Spirit in them gave his Testimony and when we preached the same Gospel by the Assistance of the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Angels presently desired to look into it if then these Sacred Prophets thought it worthy of their Diligence instantly to search till they had found the Time appointed for this Revelation of the Will of Heaven it must be worthy of our Care to search those Scriptures which contain it If blessed Angels who continually behold the Face of God in Glory and who are less concern'd in these glad Tidings than we are thus earnestly desire to view the Mystery which contain it If blessed Angels who continually behold the Face of God in Glory and who are less concern'd in these glad Tidings than we are thus earnestly desire to view the Mystery which the Apostles had discovered by the assistance of the Holy Ghost it must be both our Duty and our Wisdom to be industrious to know it the Speculations of Philosophy may be neglected as being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Socrates but Ethicks well deserve our Study as being purposely design'd for the Improvement of our Souls Wherefore this Wisdom this Demonstration of the Spirit which wholely aims at the eternal Happiness of Man and is designed to make him wise unto Salvation and even advanced to Divine Perfections deserves as much to be prefer'd before all other Wisdom as the Concernments of our Souls deserve to be prefer'd before the Interests of our frail Bodies or our eternal Interests to be regarded more than temporal Inf II. If this Demonstration of the Holy Spirit doth so abundantly confirm the Truth of Christian Faith it must exceedingly concern us in Point of Interest and Wisdom to yield Obedience to all the Precepts of that Faith The Gentiles had the Law of Nature written in their Hearts their Conscience bearing them witness 2 Rom. 14 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Rom 24 26. and their inward Reasonings sometimes accusing and sometimes excusing them and the Result of their Trasgressions against this dim and imperfect Law of Nature was that God gave them up to vile Affections and to a reprobate Mind the Law was given to the Jews by Ministration of holy Angels and therefore every Transgression of it receiv'd a just Reward of Recompence 2 Heb. 3 4. How then saith the Apostle shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first was spoken by the Lord and was confirm'd by his Apostles God hearing witness to it by divers Distributions of the Holy Ghost Especially if we consider First That by Disobedience to the Christian Precepts we contradict the great Design of all those Demonstrations of the Holy Spirit which were vouchsafed to confirm it the Wonders wrought by the Power of the Spirit being intended 15 Rom. 18. faith St. Paul to make the Gentiles obedient in Word and Deed. Secondly That this great Confirmtion of the Christian Faith doth highly aggravate the Gunt of our Transgressions of the Christian Precepts for the stronger is the Motive to believe the greater is the Guilt of Disobedience because such Motives may be easily discerned and so our Ignorance of them must be less excusable and we cannot resist their Evidence but we must offer violence to the Convictions of our Consciences were Christian Faith confirmed only be probable Inducements to believe it our Disobedience to its Precepts would be most irrational they being in themselves most excellent and such as our own Reason must approve as beneficial to our selves and others the Motives which engage to the Performance of them are infinitely to be prefer'd besore whatever stands in competition with them the Evils which they threaten to the disobedient more terrible and lasting than any we can suffer by being stedfast in this Faith and surely then whoever owns the Certainty of Christian Faith and lives in Contradiction to it or by his Practice gives the Lye to his Profession can have no Shadow of Excuse or Hopes or Mercy at the great Day of his Account In a word seeing this Demonstration of the Holy Spirit doth convince us of the Truth of Christian Faith it must add Strength to all the Motives Engagements and Encouragements to lead a Virtuous and holy Life which this Religion above all others doth afford For ifall that is delivered in these VVriting and Epistles indited by the Apostles and Evangelists be the Revealed VVill of Heaven then all the Promises and comfortable Passages recorded in them will be assuredly made good to all true Christians and the Assurance of these inestimable Blessings must lay upon us strong Engagements to be stedfast immoveable always abounding in the VVork of the Lord as knowing that our Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. FINIS