the formal reason of our faith, fee 2 Sam. vii. 28. And thefe things the Scripture pleads and argues, when faith is required of us in the way of obedience. "Thus faith the "Lord," is that which is proposed unto us as the reason why we fhould believe what is spoken, whereunto oftentimes other divine names and titles are added, fignifying his authority who requires us to believe: "Thus faith the Lord "God, the Holy One of Ifrael," Ifa. xxx. 15. "Thus faith "the High and Lofty One, who inhabiteth Eternity, whose "name is Holy," Ifa. Ivii. 15. "Believe the Lord your "God," 2 Chron. xx. 20. The word of the Lord precedeth most revelations in the prophets, and other reason why we should believe, the Scripture proposeth none, Heb. i. 1, 2. yea the interpofition of any other authority between the things to be believed and our fouls and confciences, befides the authority of God, overthrows the nature of divine faith; I do not fay, the interpofition of any other means whereby we fhould believe, of which fort God hath appointed many, but the interpofition of any other authority, upon which we should believe, as that pretended in and by the church of Rome. No men can be lords of our faith, though they may be " helpers of our joy."

5. The authority and truth of God, confidered in themfelves abfolutely, are not the immediate formal object of our faith, though they are the ultimate whereinto it is refolved. For we can believe nothing on their account unless it be evidenced unto us; and this evidence of them is in that revelation which God is pleafed to make of himfelf; for that is the only means whereby our confciences and minds are affected with his truth and authority, We do therefore no otherwife reft on the truth and veracity of `· God in any thing than we reft on the revelation which he makes unto us, for that is the only way whereby we are affected with them; not the Lord is true abfolutely, but, thus faith the Lord, and the Lord hath fpoken, is that which we have immediate regard unto. Hereby alone are our minds affected with the authority and veracity of

God, and by what way foever it is made unto us, it is fufficient and able fo to affect us. At first, as hath been fhewed, it was given immediately to fome perfons, and preferved for the use of others, in an oral ministry; but now all revelation, as hath alfo been declared, is contained in the Scriptures only.

6. It follows that our faith whereby we believe any divine fupernatural truth, is refolved into the Scripture, as the only means of divine revelation, affecting our minds and confciences with the authority and truth of God; or the Scripture, as the only immediate, divine, infallible revelation of the mind and will of God, is the first immediate formal object of our faith, the fole reason why, and ground whereon we do believe the things that are revealed, with faith divine, supernatural and infallible. We do be-, lieve Jefus Chrift to be the Son of God. Why do we fo do, on what ground or reafon? It is becaufe of the authority of God commanding us fo to do, and the truth of God testifying thereunto. But how or by what means are our minds and confciences affected with the authority and truth of God, fo as to believe with refpect unto them, which makes our faith divine and fupernatural? It is alone the divine, fupernatural, infallible revelation that he hath made of this facred truth, and of his will, that we should believe it. But what is this revelation, or where is it to be found?. It is the Scripture alone which contains the entire revelation that God hath made of himself in all things' which he will have us to believe or do. Hence,

7. The laft enquiry arifeth, how, or on what ground, for what reafons do we believe the Scripture to be a divine revelation proceeding immediately from God; or to be that word of God which is truth divine and infallible? Whereunto we answer, it is folely on the evidence that the Spirit of God in and by the Scripture itself gives unto us, that it was given by immediate infpiration from God. Or the ground and reafon whereon we believe the Scripture to be the word of God, are the authority and truth of

God evidencing themselves in and by it unto the minds' and confciences of men. Hereon, as whatever we affent unto as proposed in the Scripture, our faith refts on and is refolved into the veracity and faithfulness of God, fo is it alfo in this of believing the Scripture itself to be the infallible word of God, feeing we do it on no other grounds but its own evidence that fo it is.

This is that which is principally to be proved, and therefore to prepare for it, and to remove prejudices, fomething is to be spoken to prepare the way thereunto.

CHAP. III.

Sundry convincing external Arguments for Divine Revelation.

1.

THERE HERE are fundry cogent, arguments which are taken from external confiderations of the Scripture, that evince it on rational grounds to be from God. All these are motives of credibility, or effectual perfuafives to account and esteem it to be the word of God. And although they neither are, nor is it poffible they ever should be, the ground and reason whereon we believe it so to be with faith divine and fupernateral; yet are they neceffary unto the confirmation of our faith herein against temptations, oppofitions, and objections. These arguments have been pleaded by many and that usefully, and therefore it is not needful for me to infift upon them. And they are the fame for the fubitance of them in antient and modern writers, however managed by some with more learning, dexterity, and force of reasoning than by others. It may not be expected therefore that in this fhort difcourfe, defigned unto another purpose, I should give them much improvement, However I fhall a little touch on those which seem to be most cogent, and that in them wherein, in my apprehenfion, their ftrength doth lie. And I fhall do this to manifeft, that although we plead that no man can believe the Scriptures

to be the word of God with faith divine, fupernatural, and infallible, but upon its own internal divine evidence and efficacy, yet we allow and make ufe of all thofe external arguments of its facred truth and divine original which are pleaded by others, ascribing unto them as much weight and cogency as they can do, acknowledging the perfuafion which they beget and effect to be as firm as they can pretend it to be: Only we do not judge them to contain the whole of the evidence which we have for faith to rest in, or to be refolved into; yea not that at all, which renders it divine, fupernatural and infallible. The rational arguments we say which are, or may be used in this matter, with the human teftimonies whereby they are corroborated, may and ought to be made ufe of and infifted on; and it is but vainly pretended that their use is superseded by our other affertions; as though where faith is required, all the fubfervient use of reafon were abfolutely difcarded, and our faith thereby rendered irrational; and the affent unto the divine original and authority of the Scriptures, which the mind ought to give upon them, we grant to be of as high a nature as is pretended to be, namely, a moral certainty. Moreover, the conclufion which unprejudiced reafon will make upon these arguments, is more firm, better grounded, and more pleadable, than that which is built merely on the fole authority of any church whatever. But this we affert, that there is an affent of another kind, unto the divine original and authority of the Scriptures required of us; namely, that of faith divine and supernatural. Of this none will fay that it can be effected by, or resolved into the best and most cogent of rational arguments and external teftimonies, which are abfolutely human and fallible. For it doth imply a contradiction to believe infallibly upon fallible evidence. Wherefore I fhall prove, that beyond all thefe arguments and their effect upon our minds, there is an affent unto the Scripture as the word of God required of us with faith divine, fupernatural, and infallible; and therefore there must be a divine evidence

which is the formal object and reafon of it, which alone it refts on, and is refolved into, which fhall also be declared and proved. But yet, as was said in the first place, because their property is to level the ground, and to remove the rubbish of objections out of the way, that we may build the fafer on the fure foundation, I fhall mention fome of those which I esteem justly pleadable in this caufe. And,

1. The antiquity of these writings, and of the divine revelation contained in them, is pleaded in evidence of their divine original: and it may be fo defervedly; for where it is abfolute, it is unquestionable: that which is most antient in any kind is most true; God himfelf makes ufe of this plea against idols, Ifa. xliii. 10, 11, 12. "Ye "are my witneffes, faith the Lord, I, even I am the Lord, "and befides me there is no Saviour; I have declared and "have faved, and I have fhewed when there was no "ftrange god amongst you: therefore ye are my wit"neffes, faith the Lord, that I am God." That which he afferts is, that he alone is God, and no other: this he calls the people to teftify by this argument, that he was among them as God, that is, in the church, before any strange god was known or named. And fo it is juftly pleaded in behalf of this revelation of the mind of God in the Scripture; it was in the world long before any other thing or writing pretended to be given unto the fame end. Whatever therefore ensued with the like design, must either be fet up in competition with it, or oppofition unto it, above which it hath its advantage merely from its antiquity. Whereas therefore this writing in the first books of it, is acknowledged to be antienter than any other that is extant in the world, or indeed that ever was fo, and may be proved fo to be: it is beyond all reasonable apprehenfion that it should be of human original. For we know how low, weak, and imperfect all human inventions were at the firit, how rude and unpolished in every kind, until time, obfervation, following additions and diminutions had fhap