the foundation of the world, to glorify his Son Jefus Chrift, and the gospel itself which he had revealed, he put forth that effectual divine power in its administration, whereby the world was fubdued unto the obedience of it. And the time will come when he will revive the fame work of power and grace to retrieve the world into a fubjection to Jefus Chrift. And although he doth not in these latter ages cause it to run and profper among the nations of the world, who have not as yet received it, as he did formerly, yet confidering the state of things at present among the generality of mankind, the prefervation of it in that small remnant by whom it is obeyed in fincerity, is a no less glorious evidence of his prefence with it, and care over it, than was its eminent propagation in days of old.

3. The righteoufnefs of God is in like manner to be confidered in these things: for whereas he had granted the ineftimable privilege of his word unto many nations, they, through their horrible ingratitude and wickedness, "detained the truth in unrighteoufnefs;" so that the continuance of the gofpel among them was no way to the glory of God, no nor yet unto their own advantage: for neither nations nor persons will ever be advantaged by an outward profeffion of the gospel, whilst they live in a contradiction and difobedience to its precepts; yea nothing can be more pernicious to the fouls of men. This impiety God is at this day revenging on the nations of the world, having utterly caft off many of them from the knowledge of the truth, and given up others unto strong delufions, to believe lies, though they retain the Scripture and outward profeffion of Christianity. How far he may proceed in the fame way of righteous vengeance towards others also, we know not, but ought to tremble in confideration of it. When God first granted the gofpel unto the world, although the generality of mankind had greatly finned against the light of nature, and had rejected all those fupernatural revelations that at any time

had been made unto them; yet had they not finned against the gospel itself, nor the grace thereof. It pleafed God therefore to wink at, and pafs over that time of their ignorance, fo as that his juftice fhould not be provoked by any of their former fins, to withhold the efficacy of his divine power in the administration of the gofpel from them, whereby he called them to repentance. But now after that the gospel hath been fufficiently tendered unto all nations, and hath, either as unto its profeffion, or as unto its power with the obedience that it requires, been rejected by the most of them; things are quite otherwise ftated. It is from the righteous judgment of God, revenging the fins of the world against the gospel itself, that fo many nations are deprived of it, and so many left obstinate in its refufal. Wherefore the present state of things doth no way weaken or prejudice the evidence given unto the Scripture by that mighty power of God, which accompanied the administration of it in the world. For what hath fince fallen out, there are fecret reasons of fovereign wisdom, and open causes in divine justice, whereunto it is to be affigned.

These things I have briefly called over, and not as though they were all of this kind that may be pleaded, but only to give some instance of thofe external arguments, whereby the divine authority of the Scripture may be firmed.

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Now these arguments are fuch as are able of themselves to beget in the minds of men, fober, humble, intelligent, and unprejudiced, a firm opinion, judgment and perfuafion, that the Scripture doth proceed from God. Where perfons are prepoffeffed with invincible prejudices contracted by a courfe of education, wherein they have imbibed principles oppofite and contrary thereunto, and have increased and fortified them by fome fixed and hereditary enmity against all those whom they know to own the divinity of the Scripture, as it is with Mahometans, and fome of the Indians; thefe arguments it may be will not

prevail immediately to work nor effect their affent. It is fo with refpect unto them alfo, who out of love unto, and delight in those ways of vice, fin, and wickedness, which are absolutely and feverely condemned in the Scripture, without the leaft hope of a difpenfation unto them that continue under the power of them, who will not take thefe arguments into due confideration. Such perfons may talk and discourse of them, but they never weigh them ferioufly according as the importance of the cause doth require. For if men will examine them as they ought, it must be with a fedate judgment, that their eternal condition depends upon a right determination of this enquiry. But for thofe who can scarce get liberty from the fervice and power of their lufts, ferioufly to confider what is their condition, or what it is like to be; it is no wonder if they talk of thefe things after the manner of thefe days, without any impreffion on their mind's and affections, or influence on the practical understanding. But our enquiry is after what is a fufficient evidence for the conviction of rational and unprejudiced persons, and the defeating of objections to the contrary, which thefe, and the like arguments do every way anfwer.

Some think fit here to ftay, that is, in thefe or the like external arguments, or rational motives of faith, fuch as render the Scriptures so credible, as that it is an unreafonable thing not to affent unto them. That certainty which may be attained on these arguments and motives, is (as they fay) the highest which our minds are capable of with respect unto this object, and therefore includes all the affent which is required of us unto this propofition, that the Scriptures are the word of God; or all the faith whereby we believe them fo to be. When I fpeak of these arguments, I intend not them alone which I have infifted on, but all others of the fame kind, fome whereof have been urged and improved by others with great diligence, for in the variety of fuch arguments as offer therafelves in this caufe every one chooseth out what feems to him most cogent,

and fome amafs all that they can think on. Now thefe ar guments with the evidence tendered in them are fuch, as nothing but perverse prejudice can detain men from giving a firm affent unto. And no more is required of us, but that according to the motives that are proposed unto us, and, the arguments used to that purpose, we come unto a judgment and perfuafion, called a moral affurance of the truth of the Scripture, and endeavour to yield obedience unto God accordingly.

And it were to be wifhed that there were more than it is feared there are, who were really fo affected with these arguments and motives. For the truth is, tradition and education practically bear the whole fway in this matter. But yet when all this is done, it will be faid, that all this is but a mere natural work, whereunto no more is required, but the natural exercife and acting of our own reafon and understanding; that the arguments and motives used, though ftrong, are human and fallible, and therefore the conclufion we make from them is fo also, and wherein we may be deceived; that an affent grounded and refolved into fuch rational arguments only, is not faith in the fenfe of the Scripture; in brief, that it is required that we believe the Scripture to be the word of God with faith divine and fupernatural, which cannot be deceived. Two things are replied hereunto.

1. That where the things believed are divine and fupernatural, fo is the faith whereby we believe them, or give our affent unto them. Let the motives and arguments whereon we give our affent be of what kind they will, fo that the affent be true and real, and the things believed be divine and fupernatural, the faith whereby we believe them is fo alfo. But this is all one, as if in things natural a man fhould fay, our fight is green when we fee that which is fo, and blue when we fee that which is blue. And this would be fo in things moral, if the fpecification of acts were from their material objects; but it is certain that they are not of the fame nature always with the things

they are converfant about, nor are they changed thereby from what their nature is in themselves, be it natural or fupernatural, human or divine. Now things divine are only the material object of our faith, as hath been fhewed before; and by an enumeration of them do we answer unto the queftion, What is it that you do believe? But it is the formal object or reason of all our acts from whence they are denominated, or by which they are specified. And the formal reafon of our faith, affent or believing, is that which prevails with us to believe, and on whose account we do fo, wherewith we answer unto that queftion, Why do you believe? If this be human authority, arguments highly probable, but abfolutely fallible, motives cogent, but only to beget a moral perfuafion, whatever we do believe thereon, our faith is human, fallible, and a moral affurance only. Wherefore it is faid,

2. That this affent is fufficient, all that is required of us, and contains in it all the affurance which our minds are capable of in this matter. For no further evidence nor affurance is in any cafe to be enquired after, than the subject matter will bear. And fo is it in this cafe, where the truth is not expofed to fenfe, nor capable of a scientifical demonstration, but must be received upon fuch reasons and arguments, as carry it above the higheft probability, though they leave it beneath science or knowledge, or infallible affurance; if fuch a perfuafion of mind there be.

But yet I must needs fay, that although thofe external arguments, whereby learned and rational men have proved, or may yet further prove the Scripture to be a divine revelation given of God, and the doctrine contained in it to be a heavenly truth, are of fingular use for the strengthening of the faith of them that do believe, by relieving the mind against temptations and objections that will arife to the contrary, as alfo for the conviction of gainfayers; yet to fay that they contain the formal reason of that affent,” which is required of us unto the Scripture as the word of God that our faith is the effect and product of them,

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