On this fuppofition his answer must be, that he hath ma-, ny cogent arguments that render it highly probable so to be, such as have prevailed with him to judge it so to be, and whereon he is fully perfuaded, as having the highest afsurance hereof that the matter will bear, and so doth firmly believe them to be the word of God. Yea, but it will be replied, all these arguments are in their kind or nature human, and therefore fallible, fuch as it is poffible they may be false; for every thing may be fo that is not immediately from the firft effential verity. This affent therefore unto the Scriptures as the word of God is human, fallible; and fuch as wherein we may be deceived: and our affent unto the things revealed can be of no other kind than that we give unto the revelation itself; for thereinto it is refolved, and thereunto it must be reduced; thefe waters will rife no higher than their fountain. And thus at length we come to believe Jefus Chrift to be the Son of God with a faith human and fallible, and which at last may deceive us; which is to receive the word of God as the word of men, and not as it is in truth the word of God, contrary to the apoftle, 1 Theff. ii. 13. Wherefore,

4. If I believe the Scripture to be the word of God with an human faith only, I do no otherwise believe whatever is contained in it, which overthrows all faith properly fo called. And if I believe what is contained in the Scripture with faith divine and fupernatural, I cannot but by the fame faith believe the Scripture itself, which removes the morar certainty treated of out of our way: and the reason of this is, that we may believe the revelation, and the things revealed with the fame kind of faith, or we bring confufion on the whole work of believing. No man living can distinguish in his experience between that faith wherewith he believes the Scripture, and that wherewith he believes the doctrine of it, or the things contained in it; nor is there any fuch diftinction intimated in the Scripture itfelf; but all our believing is abfolutely refolved into the

authority of God revealing. Nor can it be rationally apprehended that our affent unto the things revealed, should be of a kind and nature fuperior unto that which we yield unto the revelation itself. For let the arguments which it is refolved into be ever fo evident and cogent, let the affent itself be as firm and certain as can be imagined, yet is it human ftill, and natural, and therein is inferior to that which is divine and fupernatural. And yet on this fuppofition that which is of a superior kind and nature is wholly refolved into that which is of an inferior, and must betake itself on all occafions thereunto for relief and confirmation. For the faith whereby we believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, is on all occafions abfolutely melted down into that whereby we believe the Scriptures to be the word of God.

But none of these things are my prefent especial defign, and therefore I have infifted long enough upon them. I am not enquiring what grounds men have to build an opinion, or any kind of human perfuafion upon, that the Scriptures are the word of God, no, nor yet how we may prove or maintain them fo to be unto gainfayers; but what is required hereunto that we may believe them to be fo, with faith divine and fupernatural, and what is the work of the Spirit of God therein.

But it may be further faid, that these external arguments and motives are not of themselves, and confidered feparately from the doctrine which they teftify unto, the fole ground and reafon of our believing. For if it were poffible that a thousand arguments of a like cogency with them were offered to confirm any truth or doctrine, if it had not a divine worth and excellency in itself, they could give the mind no affurance of it: wherefore it is the truth itself, or doctrine contained in the Scripture which they testify unto, that animates them and gives them their effi- ́ cacy, for there is fuch a majefty, holinefs, and excellency in the doctrine of the gofpel, and moreover fuch a fuitablenefs in them unto unprejudiced reason, and fuch an

anfwerablenefs unto all the rational defires and expectations of the foul, as evidence their procedure from the fountain of infinite wisdom and goodness. It cannot but be conceived impoffible that fuch excellent, heavenly myfteries, of fuch ufe and benefit unto all mankind, fhould, be the product of any created industry. Let but a man know himself, his ftate and condition in any measure, with a defire of that bleffedness which his nature is capable of, and which he cannot but defign; when the Scripture is proposed unto him in the miniftry of the church, attefted by the arguments infifted on, there will appear unto him in the truths and doctrines of it, or in the things contained in it, fuch an evidence of the majefty and authority of God, as will prevail with him to believe it to be a di vine revelation. And this persuation is fuch, that the mind is established in its affent unto the truth, fo as to yield obedience unto all that is required of us. And whereas our belief of the Scripture is in order only to the right performance of our duty, or all that obedience which God expecteth from us, our minds being guided by the precepts and directions, and duly influenced by the promises and threatenings of it thereunto, there is no other faith required of us but what is fufficient to oblige us unto that obedience.

This being, so far as I can apprehend, the substance of what is by fome learned men proposed and adhered unto, it fhall be briefly examined. And, I fay here as on other occafions, that I should rejoice to see more of such a faith in the world, as would effectually oblige men unto obedience out of a conviction of the excellency of the doctrine and the truth of the promises and threatenings of the word, though learned men should never agree about the formal reafon of faith. Such notions of truth when most diligently enquired into, are but as facrifice compared with obedience. But the truth itfelf is alfo to be enquired af

ter diligently.

This opinion therefore either fuppofeth what we shall

K

immediately declare, namely, the neceffity of an internal effectual work of the Holy Spirit in the illumination of our minds, fo enabling us to believe with faith divine and fupernatural, or it doth not. If it doth, it will be found, as I fuppofe, for the fubftance of it to be co-incident with what we shall afterwards affert and prove to be the formal reafon of believing. However as it is ufually proposed, I cannot abfolutely comply with it, for these two reasons among others.

1. It belongs unto the nature of faith, of what fort foever it be, that it be built on and refolved into testimony. This is that which diftinguisheth it from any other concep`tion, knowledge or affent of our minds, on other reasons and causes. And if this teftimony be divine, fo is that faith whereby we give affent unto it, on the part of the object. But the doctrines contained in the Scripture, or the subject matter of the truth to be believed, have not in them the nature of a teftimony, but are the material, not formal objects of faith, which muft always differ. If it be faid that these truths or doctrines do fo evidence themselves to be from God, as that in and by them we have the witnefs and authority of God himself propofed unto us, to refolve our faith into, I will not further contend about it, but only fay, that the authority of God, and fo,his veracity, do manifest themselves primarily in the revelation itself, before they do fo in the things revealed, which is that we plead for.

2. The excellency of the doctrine or things revealed in the Scriptures refpects not fo much the truth of them in fpeculation, as their goodness and suitableness unto the fouls of men, as to their prefent condition and eternal end. Now things under that confideration refpect not fo much faith, as fpiritual fenfe and experi

ence.

Neither can any man have a due apprehenfion of fuch a goodness suitable unto our conftitution and condition, with abfolute usefulness in the truth of the Scripture, but on a fuppofition of that antecedent aflent of the mind

unto them, which is believing; which therefore cannot be the reason why we do believe.

But if this opinion proceed not upon the aforefaid fupposition (immediately to be proved) but requires no more unto our fatisfaction in the truth of the Scripture and affent thereon, but the due exercise of reason, or the natural faculties of our minds about them when propofed unto us, then I fupofe it to be most remote from the truth, and that amongst many other reafons; for these that ensue.

1. On this fuppofition the whole work of believing would be a work of reafon. Be it fo, fay fome, nor is it meet it fhould be otherwife conceived. But if fo, then the object of it must be things fo evident in themselves and their own nature, as that the mind is as it were compelled by that evidence unto an affent, and cannot do otherwise. If there be fuch a light and evidence in the the things themselves, with respect unto our reason in the right use and exercise of it, then is the mind thereby neceffitated unto its affent; which both overthrows the nature of faith, fubftituting an affent upon natural evidence in the room thereof, and is absolutely exclufive of the neceffity or ufe of any work of the Holy Ghoft in our believ ing, which fober Christians will scarce comply withal.

2. There are fome doctrines revealed in the Scripture, and those of the most importance that are fo revealed, which concern and contain things fo above our reason, that without fome previous fupernatural difpofitions of mind, they carry in them no evidence of truth unto mere reason, nor of suitableness unto our constitution and end. There is required unto fuch an apprehenfion both the spiritual elevation of the mind by fupernatural illumination, and a divine affent unto the authority of the revelation thereon, before reason can be fo much as fatisfied in the truth and excellency of fuch doctrines. Such are thofe concerning the Holy Trinity, or the fubftance of one fingular effence in three diftinct perfons; the incarnation of the Son of God; the resurrection of the dead, and fundry other that are the most proper