APPENDIX.

A Summary reprefentation of the nature and reason of that Faith whereby we believe the Scripture to be the Word of God, with fome atteftations given unto the fubftance of what hath been delivered concerning it, fhall give a close to this difcourfe. As to the first part of this defign, the things that follow are propofed.

I. Unto the Enquiry, on what grounds, or for what reason we believe the Scripture to be the Word of God, many things are fuppofed, as on all hands agreed upon, whofe demonftration or proof belongs not unto our prefent work. Such are,

1. The Being of God, and his Self-fubfiftence, with all the effential properties of his nature.

2. Our relation unto him, and dependence on him, as our Creator, Benefactor, Preferver, Judge, and Rewarder, both as unto things temporal and eternal. Wherefore,

3. The Toys 8 e8, whatever may be known of God by the light of nature, whatever is manifeft in or from the works of creation or providence, and neceffary actings of confcience, as to the being, rule and authority of God, is fuppofed as acknowledged in this Enquiry.

4. That beyond the conduct and guidance of the light of nature, that men may live unto God, believe and put their trust in him, according to their duty, in that obedience which he requireth of them, fo as to come unto the enjoyment of him, a fupernatural revelation of his mind and will unto them, especially in that condition wherein all mankind are fince the entrance of fin, is neceffary.

5. That all thofe unto whom God hath granted divine revelations immediately from himself, for their own use, and that of all other men unto whom they were to be communicated, were infallibly affured that they came from God, and that their minds were no way imposed on in them.

6. That all thefe divine revelations, fo far as they are any way neceffary to guide and inftruct men in the true knowledge of God, and that obedience which is acceptable unto him, are now contained in the Scriptures, or thofe books of the Old and New Teftament which are

commonly received and owned among all forts of Chrif

tians.

These things I fay are fuppofed unto our present Enquiry, and taken for granted; fo as that the reader is not to look for any direct proof of them in the preceding difcourse. But on thefe fuppofitions it is alledged and proved.

1. That all men unto whom it is duly propofed as such, are bound to believe this Scripture, these books of the Old and New Teftament, to be the word of God; that is, to contain and exhibit an immediate, divine, fupernatural revelation of his mind and will, fo far as in any way needful that they may live unto him; and that nothing is contained in them, but what is of the fame divine original.

2. The obligation of this duty of thus believing the Scripture to be the word of God, arifeth partly from the nature of the thing itself, and partly from the especial command of God. For it being that revelation of the will of God, without the knowledge whereof, and affent whereunto, we cannot live unto God as we ought, nor come unto the enjoyment of him, it is neceffary that we should believe it unto thofe ends; and God requireth it of us, that fo we should do.

3. We cannot thus believe it in a way of duty, but upon a fufficient evidence and prevalent teftimony that fo

it is.

4. There are many cogent arguments, teftimonies, and motives to perfuade, convince, and fatisfy unprejudiced perfons, that the Scripture is the word of God, or a divine revelation, and every way fufficient to stop the mouths of gain-fayers, proceeding on fuch principles of teafon, as are owned and approved by the generality of mankind. And arguments of this nature may be taken from almost all confiderations of the properties of God; and his government of the world, of our relation unto him, of what belongs unto our prefent peace, and future happiness.

5. From the arguments and teftimonies of this nature, a firm perfuafion of mind defenfible against all objections, that the Scripture is the word of God, may be attained; and that fuch, as that those who live not in contradiction unto their own light and reafon through the power of their lufts, cannot but judge it their wifdom, duty, and interest to yield obedience unto his will as revealed therein.

6. But yet that persuasion of mind which may be thus

attained, and which refteth wholly upon thefe arguments and teftimonies, is not entirely that faith wherewith we are obliged to believe the Scripture to be the word of God in a way of duty. For it is not to be merely human, how firm foever the persuasions in it may be, but divine and supernatural, of the fame kind with that whereby we believe the things themselves contained in the Scripture.

7. We cannot thus believe the Scripture to be the word of God, nor any divine truth therein contained, without the effectual illumination of our minds by the Holy Ghost. And to exclude the confideration of his work herein is to caft the whole enquiry out of the limits of Chriftian religion,

8. Yet is not this work of the Holy Spirit in the illumination of our minds, whereby we are enabled to believe in a way of duty with faith supernatural and divine, the ground or reason why we do believe, or the evidence whereon we do so, nor is our faith refolved thereinto.

9. Whereas also there are fundry other acts of the Holy Spirit in and upon our minds, establishing this faith against temptations unto the contrary, and further afcertaining us of the divine original of the Scripture, or teftifying it unto us; yet are they none of them feverally, nor all of them jointly, the formal reafon of our faith, nor the ground which we believe upon. Yet are they fuch as that as without the first work of divine illumination, we cannot believe at all in a due manner; fo without his other confequent operations, we cannot believe stedfastly against temptations and oppofitions. Wherefore,

10. Thofe only can believe the Scripture aright to be the word of God in a way of duty, whofe minds are enlightened, and who are enabled to believe by the Holy Ghoft.

11. Those who believe not are of two forts, for they are either such as oppofe and gainsay the word as a cunningly devised fable; or fuch as are willing without prejudice to attend unto the confideration of it. The former fort may be refifted, opposed, and rebuked by external arguments, and fuch moral confiderations as vehemently perfuade the divine original of the Scripture, and from the fame principles may their mouths be ftopped as to their cavils and exceptions against it. The other fort are to be led on unto believing by the miniftry of the church in the difpenfation of the word itfelf, which is the ordinance of God unto that purpose. But,

12. Neither fort do ever come truly to believe, either merely induced thereunto by force of moral arguments, only, or

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upon the authority of that church by whose ministry the Scripture is propofed unto them to be believed. Wherefore,

13. The formal reafon of faith divine and fupernatural whereby we believe the Scripture to be the word of God in the way of duty, and as it is required of us, is the authority and veracity of God alone, evidencing themselves unto our minds and confciences in and by the Scripture itself. And herein confisteth that divine teftimony of the Holy Ghost, which as it is a teftimony gives our affent unto the Scriptures the general nature of faith, and as it is a divine teftimony gives it the efpecial nature of faith divine and fupernatural.

14. This divine teftimony given unto the divine original of the Scripture in and by itfelf whereinto our faith is ultimately refolved, is evidenced and made known, as by the characters of the infinite perfections of the divine nature that are in it and upon it; fo by the authority, power and efficacy over and upon the fouls and confciences of men, and the fatisfactory excellency of the truths contained therein, wherewith it is accompanied.

15. Wherefore although there be many cogent external arguments whereby a moral ftedfait perfuafion of the divine authority of the Scriptures may be attained, and it be the principal duty of the true church in all ages to give teftimony thereunto, which it hath done fucceffively at all times fince first it was entrusted with it; and so although there be many other means whereby we are induced, perfuaded, and enabled to believe it, yet is it for its own fake only, efficaciously manifefting itself to be the word of God, or upon the divine teftimony that is given in it and by it thereunto, that we belive it to be fo with faith divine and fupernatural.

Corol. Thofe who either deny the neceffity of an internal fubjective work of the Holy Ghost enabling us to believe, or the objective teftimony of the Holy Spirit given unto the Scripture in and by itself, or do deny their joint concurrence in and to our believing do deny all faith properly divine and fupernatural.

This being the fubftance of what is declared and pleaded for in the preceding treatise; to prevent the obloquy of fome and confirm the judgment of others, I fhall add the fuffrage of ancient and modern writers given unto the principal parts of it, and whereon all other things afferted in it do depend.

Clemens Alexandrinus discourseth at large unto this pur

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pofe, Stromat. 7. We have the Lord himself for, the principle or beginning of doctrine, who by the prophets, the gofpe1, and bleffed apoftles, in various manners and by divers degrees goeth before us, or leads us unto knowledge. (This is that which we lay down as the reafon and ground of faith, namely, the authority of the Lord himself inftructing us by the Scriptures.) So he adds: And if any one fuppofe that he needeth any other principle, the principle will not be kept.' (That is, if we need any other principle whereinto to refolve our faith, the word of God is no more a principle unto us.) But he who is faithful from himfelf is worthy to be believed in his fovereign writing and voice, which as it appeareth is adminiftred by the Lord for the benefit of men. And certainly we ufe it as a rule of judging for the invention of things., But whatever is judg ed, is not credible or to be believed until he is judged; and that is no principle which stands in need to be judged.' The intention of his word is, that God who alone is to be believed for himself, hath given us his' word as the rule whereby we are to judge of all things. And this word is fo to be believed, as not to be fubject unto any other judgment; because if it be fo it cannot be either a principle or a rule. And fo he proceeds; Wherefore it is meet that embracing by faith the most fufficient indemonftrable principle, and taking the demonftration of the principle from the principle itfelf, we are inftructed by the voice of the Lord himself unto the acknowledgment of the truth.' In few words he declares the fubftance of what we have pleaded for. No more do we maintain in this caufe, but what Clemens doth here affert; namely, that we believe the Scripture for itself, as that which needeth no antecedent or external demonstration; but all the evidence and demonstration of its divine original is to be taken from itself alone; which yet he further confirms. 'For we would not attend or give credit fimply to the definitions of men, feeing we have right alfo to define in contradiction unto them. And feeing it is not fufficient merely to fay or affert what appears to be truth, but to beget a belief alfo of what is fpoken, we expect not the teftimony of men, but confirm that which is enquired about with the voice of the Lord, which is more full and firm than any demonftration, yea which rather is the only demonftration. Thus we taking our demonftrations of the Scripture, as affured by faith, as by demonstration.' And in other places, as Strom. 4. he plainly affirms that