books of Scripture and their wonderful humility in conculcating their own glory and confessing their own grosse faults and delinquencies when they have occasion to speak of themselves that they may exhibite and ascribe all glory to God manifesteth the divine authority of their writings for we know it is otherwise in all other Authors The truth hereof appears first from the books which Moses writ wherein he hath reported not only the cruelty of his grandfather Levi to the discredit of his own birth but also openly confesseth his own sin and how much the Lord was offended with him for it several times so as he was therefore debarred the entrance into the Land of (a) Numb 20.12 Canaan This truth also appeareth from the Gospel of S. Mark for there S. Peter's sin in he denial of his Master is more expresly set forth and aggravated then in any of the other Gospels and yet was it penned if not by the dictation of S. Peter as some report yet by his approbation at least as saith (a) Euseb Hist Eccl. lib. 2. cap. 15. Eusebius Lastly the Apostle Paul likewise rips up his own faults and notifies them with aggravation I was saith he a blasphemer a persecutor and an (a) 1 Tim. 1.13 oppressor This argues strongly that these men were set on work by God and guided by him and not by their own fancies and affections in that they were so far from flattery connivance or partiality that they spared not themselves at all nor regarded their own disgrace and infamy so that thereby glory might accrue to God In the eighth and last place Ar ∣ gument 12 the irresistible and supernatural power and efficacy of this word doth mightily declare it to be divine and heavenly which it expresseth not by one or two acts but by various operations and those specifically distinct one from another which ordinarily and frequently issue and proceed from it More especially we may observe these four supernaturl effects of it as demonstrative of its divinity First It 's a searcher of the heart and a discerner of the most secret thoughts and intricate imaginations of it and a revealer of the same this appears from Psalm 14.1 where it speaks thus The fool hath said in his heart there is no God Which affirmation imports that the Inditer of the Psalms was privy to some thoughts in the hearts of fools which none but God himself can discern Nay Scripture reveals some such thoughts as man himself without the light of it would searely ever have espied as that All the thoughts and imaginations of mans heart are only evill (a) Gen. 6.5 continually And that concupiscence is sin which Paul confesseth he had not known if the Law had not said thou shalt not (b) Rom. 7.7 lust And therefore this word which pierceth thus deeply as to the rifling of the very cogitations of mans heart must needs be of God whose alone property it is to search the heart and least through the propensity of mans nature to slight those things which belong unto his peace we should neglect or overslip the observation of this as a note of the divine power of Scripture it self rounds us in the ear in two places if not more and gives us intelligence and notice of it In one place it tells us That the word of God speaking of this written word is lively and mighty in operation and sharper then a two-edged sword dividing between the soul and the spirit and the joynts and marrow and is a disceruer of the thoughts and intents of the (c) Heb. 4.12 heart And in another place it saith That the illiterate unbelieving person having the thoughts of his heart made manifest by prophesie that is by the word preached will fall down on his face and worship God and report that God is in the (a) 2 Cor. 14.25 Preacher Where it gives us to understand that the discovery of mens thoughts by the preaching of the word shall extort from them this open and ingenuous confession that verily God speaks in them and that the word is his which is published by them Secondly the supernatural power of Scripture appears in that it shakes and terrifies the consciences of wicked men even the greatest upon earth of Kings and Princes and that in such a sort as is impossible for the word of any mortal to do That it doth so is clear from these instances in Scripture It 's said of Saul King of Israel that he was so affrighted with the Prophet Samuel his reproof of him for his disobedience to God's word that he confessed his sin to Samuel which he had denied before and sued to Samuel for favour with all (b) Sam. 15.24 submisnesse It 's said also of Felix who was a Vice-roy that he trembled when he heard Paul preach of righteousnesse and the judgement to (c) Acts 24.26 come Now that mans word should be thus formidable to Kings and Princes it cannot be imagined because no man hath coercive or compulsive power over the King and where such power is wanting menacies from thence are no more feared then the crack of a paper gun at least not in that manner and measure that the affrighted consciences of men do fear the thundrings and threatnings of the Law in Scripture And therefore that word which strikes such deep horror and amazement into the hearts of men yea of Kings who fear no mans word because no man hath coercive power over them must needs be more then humane Thirdly It usually prevails against the enemies and haters of it such as all men are by nature to open their eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God and to win them to a love and liking of it self which is an effect proper only to divine power That it doth produce this effect I presume no Christians will deny whence it testifieth of it self that it converts (a) Psal 19.7 souls and is the power of God to (b) Rom. 1.16 salvation And that it 's mighty through God to cast down strong holds casting down the imagination and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of (c) 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Christ This is a supernatural effect and wrought by the power of this word and therefore it necessarily and concludingly follows that it 's not mans word for that cannot work above the strength of nature of or by it self neither can win the affection of him that hates it without a change or variation of it self which yet this word doth If it be objected that it 's not the power of the word but the power of God's spirit that produceth this effect I answer that it 's true indeed that God's Spirit is the principal efficient cause hereof but the word is the instrumental and so the concurrence and cooperation of the Spirit of God
with this word speaks it to be his own ordinance for else God would give no such blessing to it Fourthly and lastly It ministers comfort above the power of nature to a depressed and distressed conscience in the greatest extremities and pressures of afflictions that are incident to this present life yea and in the very hour of death against the fear both of death and hell and condemnation when all humane comforts shake hands with us and forsake us And therefore extending it self beyond the power of nature also in this particular it 's apparently divine That it doth minister comfort to wounded and distressed consciences needs no proof it 's confessed of all without contradiction as having been proved by examples without number in all Ages And that nothing else can either heal or comfort a wounded and perplexed conscience is as true too Mirth and passime with such like avooations and the society of friends may allay the smart of this wound for a time but cannot possibly heal it It 's this balm of Gilead this rod and this staffe of God which comforted (a) Psal 23.4 David and but for which he had perished in his (b) Psal 119.92 affliction which alone and nothing else comforteth all that make a right use of it in their deepest misery And this is one and a principal end for which this word was written namely that it might minister comfort to us in this present life by breeding in us a stedfast hope of a better Iâ—fâ— to come This S. Paul teacheth where he saith that Whasoever things were written aforetime were written for our instruction that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have (c) Rom. 15.4 hope And now that I have led up the Reader to this highest stair of this gradation whence he may contemplate the glorious beams of divine lustre bespread throughout the whole region of Scripture I shall beseech him to stay here his thoughts and to demur and pause a while upon this last reason or Argument drawn from the power of Scripture to prove the divinity of it for it 's a very valid and powerful argument indeed a most evident eviction of the point in hand making it conspicuous to the eye of reason it self for here he may see God himself bearing witnesse of this Scripture to be his by four visible seals which he affixeth unto it which are these four supernatural effects now mentioned Having therefore so many broad seals of Heaven appensed unto it it must needs hold forth from it self the highest and surest ground of credibility that it is of God and not of man I confesse this hath sealed to my own conscience both that the Scripture is God's true word and that the Church of England is God's true Church I mean one member and branch of it for in it I see and so may all that are in it if their eyes be not holden with prejudice these wonderful and divine effects now mentioned wrought ordinarily by the ministry of this Word in deed and in truth and that without number which could not possibly be so if either the Word or the Church were not God's For if the Church were his and not the Word the Church should receive a blessing from him but not by the Word And if the Word were his and not the Church the Word should be glorified but the Church should not be blessed or bettered by it If all such as now separate themselves from this Church as if it were none of God's whether Papists or Anabaptists would mindfully consider this and lay aside their prejudice I cannot see what should withhold them from a speedy and joyful return to it again And now I am in good hope the promises being well considered that the Readers who before took the Scriptures for God's word upon the credit of the Churches testimony will now looking more inquisitively into them themselves then heretofore say to the Church as the Samaritans said to the woman that told them of Christ Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have seen it our selves (a) Joh. 4.42 and know that this is indeed God's own Word Yet I would not here be mistaken as if I meant that every one that looks into Scripture might presently espy this at the first sight for I confesse that the sight and certain knowledge thereof which is to be attained by this introspection into it is not obvious to every eye that looks upon it but my meaning is that this truth is evident in Scripture in it self and to the humble intelligent and inquisitive Reader whose mind is also prepared by the knowledge of the grounds principles of the Christian faith and in some measure inlightened from above Neither do I here slight or undervalue the Churches testimony for I acknowledge it to be very important and useful for this purpose as being a prime inducer and as it were a paedagogue to usher in and conduct us to the principal teacher of this truth which next after the spirit of God himself is the heavenly light of Scripture it self but it 's neither last nor best nor highest nor surest ground and proof thereof And therefore I desire the Reader to take notice that though I have not alledged the Churches testimony by it self as a particular argument to prove this truth because the drift of this Treatise is to shew the Scripture it self best to do it yet is it involved and lapped up amongst the external and lesse principal proofs namely in the second and third arguments And whereas Papists glory much in that saying of S. Augustines which is oft set down in his works Ego verò non crederem Evangelio nisi me Catholicae Ecclesiae commoveret authoritas That is I would not believe the Gospel but that the authority of the Catholique Church moved me As if this saying of his favoured their Tenet in this controversie between us and them It appears clearly to the contrary from another saying that he hath in his Tractate upon the Gospell of S. John where he speaks thus upon those words before mentioned of the Samaritans to the woman Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have seen it our selves Primò saith he per faeminam posteà per praejentiam sic agitur hodiè cum eis qui foris sunt nondùm sunt (a) Aug. in Joh. 4. Tract 15. Christiani That is first by the woman then by his presence so fareth it now with them that are without and are not yet Christians And the words following in the same place shew plainly his meaning to be this That as the Samaritans believed in some measure that Jesus was the Christ by the report of the woman but afterwards more undoubtedly when they came to enjoy his presence to have the sight of him and conference with him So the unbelievers which are out of the Church are first induced to believe in some measure that Scripture is God's
how they were gathered from all parts of the world where they were heard of by the Romans with great care and diligence and were laid up in their Capitol as writings most precious and momental Secondly the famous Orator Cicero who lived in the time of Marcus Antonius which was above forty years before Christ mentioneth these Sibylls writings in divers places of his works (a) Cicero lib. 2. de divina lib. 1. Epist ad Lent Epist 7. Yea Constantine affirmeth that the former Acrostick verses were by Cicero translated into the Roman Dialect and at that time to be seen in his works when he made this Oration Thirdly the renowned Poet Virgil who lived immediately after Cicero in the beginning of the reign of Augustus Caesar rehearseth divers verses out of Sibylla Cumaea and records her very name (a) Virgil Eglog 4. To these I will add but one record more which is out of the learned Aristotle who lived many years before any of these yet named namely under the great Alexander of Macedony who writes thus of one of the Sibylls Cumae in Italia ostenditur quoddam ut videtur conclave subterraneum Sibyllae vatis quam diutissimè vixisse virginem permansisse perhibent quae esset Erythraea sed a quibusdam Melanchraena vocaretur (a) Aristot de mirabil Narrat At Cuma saith he in Italy is shewed a certain subterraneous conclave or cave in the earth as it should seem of a Sibyll Prophetesse which men say lived very long and continued a Virgin which should be Erythraea but of some she was called Melanchraena Plato also who was Aristotle's Master makes mention of this Sibyll (b) Plato in Phaedro And Justin Martyr that ancient father before mentioned reports that he was at this Cuma and saw the Temple where this Sibyll uttered her predictions arithmetical and therein as a special monument of her a brazen vessel wherein were kept certain of her reliques (a) Justin Martyr in Admonitor Gentium libro in fine So that hence it s cleared from all doubt that the Sibylls verses at least some of them which spake of Christ which is sufficient for the present purpose were no forgeries but prophetical Poems for certain written long before the Gospell if any humane testimonies may be credited and so are potent proofs of Christ and consequently of the Divinity of the Gospell It follows now to speak something of the Oracles likewise which were nothing else but deluding Divels speaking out of Heathen Images and these also gave many attestations of Christ especially that notorious one of Apollo at Delphos in Greece And for proof hereof I will alledge only one speech of Porphyrius a great worshipper of these Oracles and an arch enemy of Christians Constantine called him The sworn adversary and deadly foe of divine service (b) Socrat Histor Eccle. lib. 1. cap. 6. who upon meditation of divers speeches uttered by the Oracles concerning Christ Jesus breaketh forth into this confession It is exceeding wonderful what testimony the gods so he styl'd the Oracles do give of the singular piety and sanctity of Jesus for which they avouch him to be honoured with immortality (a) Porphyr in Libr. de Laud Philosoph So that the Scripture we see hath implicite testimony and by consequence to be divine from the most livid and professed enemies of it according as we read also in the Gospell where the divels themselves were oft enforced to confesse Christ to be the holy one of God Lastly For the testimony of the Jews which were no Christians concerning Christ I will produce only two but those Classical writers and most famous of all other of them for their learning namely Josephus before mentioned who was born if not before our Saviours passion yet within a few years after and one Philo who was a Coaetan with our Saviour and was sent Embassador to Rome in behalf of the Jews the same year that our Saviour was baptised by John Both these in sundry places of their Histories make mention of our Saviour Christ in such sort as giveth proof sufficient that what is written of him in the Scripture is no feigned story but a known and confessed and undoubted truth for brevities sake I will reherse but one of their testimonies but it is so punctual and illustrious that it may stand in stead of many Thus Josephus (a) Joseph Antiq Jud. Lib. 18. cap. 4. writeth of him At that time was Jesus a wise man if it be lawful to call him a man for he was the performer of divers admirable works and the instructer of those who willingly entertain the truth And he drew unto him divers Greeks and Jews to be his followers This was Christ who being accused of the Princes of our Nation before Pilate and afterwards condemned to the Crosse by him yet did not those who followed him from the beginning forbear to love him for the ignominy of his death for he appeared unto them alive the third day after according as the divine Prophets had before testified the same and divers other wonderful things of him And from this time forward the race of the Christians who have derived their name from him hath never ceased This spontaneous perspicuous and ample confession of Christ proceeding out of the mouth of an adversary for he that is not with Christ is against him (b) Luk. 11.23 speaks so peremptorily for the truth of the History and so consequently for the divinity of the Gospel that it admits no exception Thus much for the first argument to prove the sacred authority of Scripture which is the testimony that hath been yielded by many out of the Church either explicitely or implicitely of the divinity of it which is not a contemptible argument but very prevalent to sway the conscience of any intelligent man to a credence of this truth Now follow those arguments which are drawn from within the Church but from without the Scripture which are three First Argu ∣ ment 2 This truth is proved by the miracles wrought by our Saviour Christ and the Pen-men of Scripture for the confirmation of the divinity thereof which miracles being acknowledged by the confession of adversaries is an argument of great validity to convince the most incredulous person in this point if he will but hear reason Now confessions hereof we find exceeding many from our professed adversaries in Religion And first to begin with the miracles which Moses wrought in Egypt before Pharaoh they are reported by divers Heathen Authors as namely by one Demetrius and Eupolemus two Greek Historiographers and by one Artabanus who writ a History of the Jews wherein he speaks thus of Moses as witnesseth the noble French Author in the Margent (a) Morn de Verita Christ Relig. cap. 26. This Moses saith he was occupied in continual prayer to God for the deliverance of the people and one day as he was earnest in praying there issued a
And omitting many other for brevities sake I will instance in some few best known and confessed of all to be fulfilled First Our Saviour Christ foretold the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction and subversion both of it and the (a) Luk. 19.43 44. Temple and the calamitous and distressed estate of the inhabitants of that City at that time to come to passe before one generation should passe (b) Matth. 24.34 away and the dissipation of the people of the Jews from thenceforth among all (c) Luk. 21.24 Nations The former of these Josephus a Jew before named and no Christian reports that he saw come to passe with his own eyes in a lamentable History which he hath written of the wars of the (d) Josep de Bella Jud. lib. 7. Jews And every Nation in Europe seeth likewise the fulfilling of the other over all which and many more Countrys also the Jews are all now dispersed and scattered Our blessed Saviour also foretold that the Gospel should be preached to all Nations before the finall (e) Mark 13.10 judgement The accomplishment of which prophesie having had its beginning in some measure in S. Augustine's time is noted by him as a special mark and cognisance of the Divinity of Scripture his words are these Ex uno homine quem primùm Deus condidit genus humanum sumsit exordium secundum sanctae Scripturae fidem quae mirabilem authoritatem non immeritò habet in orbe terrarum atque in omnibus gentibus quas sibi esse credituras inter caetera quae dixit verâ divinitate (a) Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 12. cap. 9. in fine praedixit From one man whom God first created mankind derived its beginning according to the testimony of the holy Scripture which hath admirable authority in the world and among all Nations and not without cause in that among other things which it hath divinely foretold this is one That all Nations should believe it And we our selves also see it to be dayly fulfilled still more and more for both the Indians from Spain and the Virginians and other barbarous people from England have of late years received the Gospel The Apostle Paul prophesied of some that should teach doctrines of Divels by forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from (b) 1 Tim. 4.3 meats This prophesie was fulfilled in the next succeeding age about 90 or 100 years after for then arose the Hereâ—icks Marcion Tatianus and Montanus and divers others discipled by them who taught that marriage was to be abhorred and commanded abstinence from living creatures that is from eating (c) Iren. advers Haere lib. 1. cap. 30. Euseb Hist Eccl. lib. 4. cap. 27. flesh Now that the New Testament was written and so these prophesies extant before their accomplishment we have a cloud of witnesses As Clement S. Paul's disciple Justin Marryr of whom Tatianus had sometime been an auditor and disciple who also writ a book against Marcion (d) Euseb Hist Eccl. lib. 4. cap. 11. Aegesippus Papias Polycarpus Ignatius with many others who writ books in their time wherein they quote the Scriptures of the New Testament and were all living in or before the time of the afore-named Hereticks which undeniably demonstrates the Gospel to be written and so these predictions to have had precedence before the event S. Pâ—ul also foretold of the conversion of the Jews to the Christian faith in several (a) Rom. 11.20 2 Cor. 3.16 places now this for ought we know is not yet fulâ—illed but undoubtly shall be in its due time which when it comes to passe shall cry down the incredulity of all such doubting spirits as will not receive the knowledge and love of this truth of the divinity of Scripture that they might be saved I have been long in this argument and yet I have not done with it for now again Mr. Parson's applause of the prevalent force of this argument as irrefragable and above all other for undoubted confirmation of the point in hand comes in my way and may not be omitted Who in the place formerly mentioned not very many lines intervening speaks thus This alone meaning the accomplishment of prophesies in Scripture doth convince most apparently all proofs and reasons and other arguments laid aside that these Scriptures are of God and of his eternal and infallible (a) Pars Resol par 2. cap. 2. sect 3. in 7. proof of Scripture spirit And again afterward he affirmeth That these prophesies being fulfilled are sufficient to establish any mans faith in the (b) Idem eâ—dem ca. 4. Ser. 1. in 4. consid world These sentences of Mr. Parson's do give his fellow Fisher such an affront for teaching the point formerly mentioned in the third internal Argument that I am confidently perswaded the most acute polite refinedwits in al that Fraternity wil never be able to reconcilethem Sixthly Let the whole form and frame of the doctrine of Scripture Ar ∣ gument 10 and the mould of mans natural disposition be compared together and we may observe and discover such a repugnancy between them as may induce us to believe that no man would ever write the same for it futits not at all with mans liking or desire nor accommodates it self in any place to humour man and please his corrupt nature But contrarily laies open the basenesse of his birth and the foulnesse of his sin and shame which every man naturally desires to conceal and cover crosseth his desires frustrates his hopes recordeth accusations indictments and restimonies against him finally denounceth judgment condemnation against him in that way which seems good unto him (a) Prov. 14.12 in that course of life which he best likes and loves Who then can imagine this to be mans devise or composed by him which is so derogatory from his estimation whereof he is so tender so averse from his humor and disposition to which he is so indulgent especially considering with what earnest and vehement asseverations the positions and doctrines of Scripture are a vouched and avoived to be divine truths If indeed this book did seem to be composed but jocose and not in earnest as that doth which Erasmus writ in the praise of folly or to be penned for â—stentation of eloquence and ingenuity like Craneades his second Oration which he made before Cato the Censor in dispraise of justice having made one the day before in the high commendation of it in the same place Then there might be some ground for surmise and suspition that some man might be the Author of it But seeing neither of these can be collected from the context and that the whole scope and drift of the book throughout is truly and verily to abase and humble all men before God it cannot probably be reputed to be any mans work In the seventh place Ar ∣ gument 11 the integrity and impartial fidelity of the writers of several