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
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
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
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
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
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
of Man but of God It will be said this Testimony is private in the Minds only of them on whom this VVork is wrought And therefore do I press it no further but he that believeth hath the Witness in himself 1 John 5. 10. Let it be granted that all who are really converted unto God by the Power of the VVord have that infallible Evidence and Testimony of its Divine Original Authority and Power in their own Souls and Consciences that they thereon believe it with Faith Divine and Supernatural in Conjunction with the other Evidences before mentioned as Parts of the same Divine Testimony and it is all I aim at herein But yet although this Testimony be privately received for in it self it is not so but common unto all Believers yet is it ministerially pleadable in the Church as a Principal Motive unto Believing A Declaration of the Divine Power which some have found by Experience in the VVord is an Ordinance of God to convince others and to bring them unto the Faith Yea of all the external Arguments that are or may be pleaded to justify the Divine Authority of the Scripture there is none more prevalent nor cogent than this of its mighty Efficacy in all Ages on the Souls of Men to change convert and renew them into the Image and Likeness of God which hath been Visible and Manifest Moreover there are yet other particular Effects of the Divine Power of the Word on the Minds and Consciences of Men belonging unto this general Work either preceding or following of it which are clearly sensible and enlarge the Evidence As 1. The Work of Conviction of Sin on those who expected it not who desired it not and who would avoid it if by any means possible they could The VVorld is filled with Instances of this Nature whilst Men have been full of love to their Sins at Peace in them enjoying Benefit and Advantage by them the VVord coming upon them in its Power hath awed disquieted and terrified them taken away their Peace destroyed their Hopes and made them as it were whether they would or no that is contrary to their Desires Inclinations and carnal Affections to conclude that if they comply not with what is proposed unto them in that Word which before they took no notice of nor had any regard unto they must be presently or eternally miserable Conscience is the Territory or Dominion of God in Man which he hath so reserved unto himself that no Human Power can possibly enter into it or dispose of it in any wise But in this VVork of Conviction of Sin the VVord of God the Scripture entreth into the Conscience of the Sinner takes possession of it disposeth it unto Peace or Trouble by its Laws or Rules and no otherwise VVhere it gives Disquietments all the VVorld cannot give it Peace and where it speaks Peace there is none can give it Trouble VVere not this the Word of God how should it come thus to speak in his Name and to act his Authority in the Consciences of Men as it doth when once it begins this VVork Conscience immediately owns a new Rule a new Law a new Government in order to the Judgment of God upon it and all its Actions And it is contrary to the Nature of Conscience to take this upon it self nor would it do so but that it sensibly finds God speaking and acting in it and by it see 1 Cor. 14. 25 26. An Invasion may be made on the outward Duties that Conscience disposeth unto but none can be so upon its internal Actings No Power under Heaven can cause Conscience to think act or judge otherwise than it doth by its immediate Respect unto God For it is the Minds self-judging with respect unto God and what is not so is no Act of Conscience VVherefore to force an Act of Conscience implies a Contradiction However it may be defiled bribed seared and at length utterly debauched admit of a Superiour Power a Power above or over it self under God it cannot I know Conscience may be prepossessed with Prejudices and by Education with the Insinuation of Traditions take on it self the Power of False Corrupt Superstitious Principles and Errors as Means of Conveying unto it a Sense of Divine Authority So is it with the Mâ—humetans and other false Worshippers in the World But the Power of those Divine Convictions whereof we treat is manifestly different from such prejudicate Opinions For where these are not imposed on Men by Artifices and Delusions easily discoverable they prepossess their Minds and Inclinations by Traditions antecedently unto any right Judgment they can make of themselves or other things and they are generally wrapt up and condited in their secular Interests The Convictions we treat of come from without upon the Minds of Men and that with a sensible Power prevailing over all their previous Thoughts and Inclinations Those first affect deceive and delude the notional Part of the Soul whereby Conscience is insensibly influenced and diverted into improper Respects and is deceived as to its judging of the Voice of God these immediately principle the Practical Understanding and self-judging Power of the Soul Wherefore such Opinions and Perswasions are gradually insinuated into the Mind and are admitted insensibly without Opposition or Reluctancy being never accompanied at their first Admission with any secular Disadvantage But these Divine Convictions by the Word befall Men some when they think of nothing less and desire nothing less some when they design other Things as the Pleasing of their Ears or the Entertainment of their Company and some that go on purpose to deride and scoff at what should be spoken unto them from it It might also be added unto the same purpose how confirmed some have been in their carnal Peace and Security by Love of Sin with innumerable inveterate Prejudices what Losses and Ruine to their outward Concernments many have fallen into by admitting of their Convictions what Force Diligence and Artifices have been used to defeat them what Contribution of Aid and Assistance hath there been from Satan unto this purpose and yet against all hath the Divine Power of the Word absolutely prevailed and accomplished its whole designed Effect See 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. Jerem. 23. 29. Zach. 1. 6. 2. It doth it by the Light that is in it and that Spiritual Illuminating Efficacy wherewith it is accompanied Hence it is called a Light shining in a dark Place 2 Pet. 1. 19. That Light whereby God shines into the Hearts and Minds of Men 2 Cor. 4. 4 6. Without the Scripture all the World is in Darkness Darkness covers the Earth and thick Darkness the People Isa 60. 2. It is the Kingdom of Satan filled with Darkness and Confusion Superstition Idolatry lying Vanities wherein Men know not at all what they do nor whither they go fill the whole World even as it is at this Day And the Minds of Men are naturally in Darkness there is a Blindness