gumenta, non veri fimilitudines quærimus, quibus judicium náz frum incumbat, fed ut rei extra eftimandi aleam pofitæ judiciumi ingeniumq; noftrum fubjicimus. Non qualiter fuperftitionibus folent miferi bomines captivam mentem addicere; fed quia non dubiam vim numinis illic fentimus vigere & fpirare, quam ad parendum fcientes ac volentes, vividius tamen & efficacius quam pro humana aut voluntate aut fcientia trahimur & accendimur. Talis ergo eft perfuafio qua rationes non requirat, talis notitia cui optima ratio conftet, nempe, in qua fecurius conftantiufq; mens quiefcat, quam in ullis rationibus; talis deniq; fenfus, qui nifi ex cælefti revelatione nequeat. Non aliud loquor quam quod apud fe experitur fidelium unufquifq; nifi quod longe infra juftam rei explicationem verba fubfidunt. Calv. Inftit. lib. 2. cap. 7, 8, 9.

And we may here briefly call over what we have attained or paffed through. For, 1. We have fhewed 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 be of a divine original. 3. What kind of perfuafion is the effect of them, or what is the affent which we give unto the truth of the Scriptures on their account. 4. What objective evidence there is unto reafon in the doctrine of the Scriptures to induce the mind to affent 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 Ghoft. 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.

CHAP. V.

Divine Revelation itself the only foundation and Reason of Faith.

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 Ghoft with refpect unto the objective evidence which we have concerning the Scripture, that is the word of God, which is the formal reafon of our faith, and whereinto it is refolved, that is, we come to enquire and to give a direct anfwer unto that queftion, Why we believe the Scripture to be the word of God? what it is that our faith refts upon herein? and what it is that makes it the duty of every man to believe it fo to be, unto whom it is propofed. And the reafon why I fhall be the briefer herein is, because I have long fince in another discourse cleared this argument, and I shall not here again call over any thing that was delivered therein, becaufe what hath been unto this day gainfaid unto it, or excepted against it, hath been of little weight or confideration. Unto this great enquiry therefore I say,

We believe the Scripture to be the word of God with divine faith for its own fake only; or our faith is refolved 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 manifeft or evince themselves unto our faith, or our minds in the exercise of it, by the revelation itself in the Scripture, and no otherwife, or, thus faith the Lord, is the reason why we ought to believe, and why we do fo; 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 abfolutely confidered; for so he is only the material object of our faith; "he that cometh unto God muft believe that he is,"

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Heb xi. 6. Nor is it the truth of God abfolutely, for that we believe as we do other effential 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 fole reafon why we believe any thing with divine faith.

It is, or may be enquired, wherefore we do believe Jefus Chrift to be the Son of God, or that God is one in nature, fubfifting in three perfons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? I answer, it is, because God himself, the first truth, who cannot lie, hath revealed and declared thefe things fo to be, and he who is our all, requireth us so to believe. If it be asked how, wherein, or whereby God hath revealed or 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 afked, how I know this Scripture to be a divine revelation, to be the word of God? I answer, 1. I do not know it demonftratively, upon rational scientifical principles, because fuch a divine revelation is not capable of such a demonftration, 1 Cor. ii. 9. 2. I do not affent unto it, or think it to be fo upon arguments and motives highly probable, or morally uncontroulable only, as I am affuredly perfuaded of many other things whereof I can have no certain demonftration, 1 Thef. ii. 15. But I believe it so to be with faith divine and fupernatural, refting on, and refolved into the autho rity and veracity of God himself, evidencing themselves unto my mind, my foul and confcience by this revelation itself, and not otherwife.

Here we reft, and deny that we believe the Scripture to be the word of God formally for any other reafon but itself, which affureth us of its divine authority. And if we reft 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 gulph 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 fo to wander we

muft come to fomething wherein we may reft for its own with a strong and firm opinion, but And nothing can rationally pretend

fake, and that not

with divine faith.

unto this privilege, but the truth of God manifefting itself in the Scripture. And therefore thofe, who will not allow it hereunto, do fome of them wifely deny that the Scriptures being the word of God is the object of divine faith directly, but only of a moral perfuafion from eternal arguments and confiderations. And I do believe that they will grant, that if the Scripture be fo to be believed, it. muft be for its own fake. For thofe who would have us to believe the Scripture to be the word of God upon the authority of the church, propofing it unto us, and witneffing fo to be, though they make a fair appearance of a ready and eafy way for the exercife of faith, yet when things come to be fifted and tried, they do fo confound all forts of things, that they know not where to stand or abide. But it is not now my bufinefs to examine their pretences, I have done it elsewhere. I fhall therefore Atablish the affertion laid down, after I have made way to it by one or two previous obfervations.

prove

and e

1. We fuppofe herein all the motives of credibility before mentioned, that is, all the arguments ab extra, which vehemently perfuade 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 ufe, and may in their proper place be infifted on. Efpecially ought they to be pleaded when the Scripture is attacked by an atheism, arifing from the love and practice of thofe lufts and fins which are feverely condemned therein, and threatened with the utmost vengeance. With others they may be confidered as previous inducemen s unto be lieving, or concomitant means of ftrengthening faith in them that do believe. In the first way, I confefs, to the best of my observation of things paft and present, their use is not great, nor ever hath been in the church of God. For affuredly the most that do fincerely believe the divine

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original and authority of the Scripture, do it without any great confideration of them, or being much influenced by them. And there are many who, as Austin speaks, are faved fimplicitate credendi, and not fubtilitate difputandi, that are not able to enquire much into them, nor yet to apprehend much of their force and efficacy, when they are propofed unto them. Moft perfons therefore are effectually converted to God, and have faving faith whereby they believe the Scripture, and virtually all that is contained in it, before they have ever once confidered them. And God forbid we fhould think that none believe the Scripture aright, but those who are able to apprehend and manage the fubtile arguments of learned men produced in their confirmation. Yea we affirm on the contrary, that thofe who believe them on no other grounds have indeed no true divine faith at all. Hence they were not of old infifted on for the ingenerating of faith in them to whom the word was preached, nor ordinarily are fo to this day by any who understand what is their work and duty. But in the fecond way, wherever there is occafion from objections, oppofitions, or temptations, they may be pleaded to good use and purpose. And they may do well to be furnished with them, who are unavoidably expofed unto trials of that nature. For as for that courfe which fome take in all places and at all times to be difputing about the Scriptures, and their authority; it is a practice giving countenance unto atheism, and is to be abhorred of all that fear God, and the confequents of it are fufficiently manifeft.

2. The ministry of the church, as it is the ground and pillar of truth, holding it up and declaring it, is in an ordinary way previously neceffary unto believing. For faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. We believe the Scripture to be the word of God for itself alone, but not by itself alone. The miniftry of the word, is the means which God hath appointed, for the declaration and making known the teftimony which the Holy Spirit gives in the Scripture unto its divine original. And this