The Christian Warfare Part 1, Book 2 · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. That the testimony of Gods ſpirit, doth onelyonly perſwade vsus, that the Scriptures are the word of God.
ANd theſe are the arguments whereby all gaineſaiers may be conuinced, who deny the Scriptures to be the word of God, and his infallible trueth; but though they are ſufficient for the conuiction of all oppoſers, and for ſtopping the mouthes of all Atheiſts, Epicures and meere naturals; yet notwithſtanding, not any of theſe, nor al theſe are in themſelues ſufficient, to beget faith in the heart of any, or to perſwade him with full aſſurance, to beleeue that the Scriptures are the word of God, vnleſſe there be adioyned vntounto thē the teſtimony of Gods ſpirit, which doth not only conuince, but alſo throughly perſwade vsus of this truth; and this alone in it ſelfe is al-ſufficient, though we neuer heard any other of the former reaſons, for the working of faith in vsus, and a full perſwaſion of this truth.
§. Sect. 1 That all other arguments are inſufficient without the teſtimony of Gods ſpirit,That all other arguments are without this vnſufficient. hereby it is more then manifeſt, in that not many wiſe, nor many learned in the world doe beleeue the Scriptures, which is the cauſe why they doe not ſubmit themſelues to the obedience thereof; whereas if faith might be wrought in men by force of arguments or naturall reaſon,Matth. 11.25. they who beſt conceiue them would moſt eaſily be perſwaded by them: but contrariwiſe, we ſee that theſe things are hid from the wiſe and prudent, and are reuealed vntounto babes, not by meanes of naturall reaſon, but by the teſtimony of Gods ſpirit. For naturally we are all blind in ſpirituall things, neither can the naturall man diſcerne the things of the ſpirit of God, neither can he know them, 1. Cor. 2.14.becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned, as it is 1. Cor. 2.14. and therefore, though the Scriptures be the glorious light of Gods truth, ſhining as bright as the ſunne in the firmament, to thoſe whoſe eyes are inlightened with Gods ſpirit; yet to thoſe who continue in their naturall blindneſſe, and were neuer annoynted with the precious eye-ſalue of Gods ſpirit, this glorious light appeareth not, no more than the ſunſhine to thoſe who want their ſight, and hence it is that they grope at noone dayes. And as the poore woman, of whom Seneca ſpeaketh, being ſuddainely in the night ſtricken with blindneſſe, deſired the next day to vndraw the curtaines and open the windoes that ſhee might ſee, whereas the cauſe of her not ſeeing was not want of light, but want of eyes: So theſe men who are ſtricken with naturall blindneſſe, complaine that they cannot ſee the glorious light of Gods truth ſhining in his word, and therefore deſire to hauehave it cleered by taking away the clouds of obiections which ſeeme to ſhadow it, and by adding vntounto it the light of humane reaſon; but the truth is, the fault is not in this glorious light, which alwaies ſhineth, but in their blindneſſe who cannot diſcerne it; and yet ſuch is the pride, ſelfe louelove, and vaine opinion, which eueryevery one hath of his owne gifts, that they will ſooner imagine that the ſunne wanteth light, than they eyes to looke vponupon it.
§. Sect. 2 True it is, that by the former reaſons they may be conuinced,Other arguments conuince, but not perſwade. ſo that they hauehave nothing to obiect, and perhaps they may bee brought to hauehave a good opinion of the Scriptures, & to a doubtfull conceite that they are the word of God in deede; they may with the two Diſciples which trauailed to Emaus, when they heare the Scriptures interpreted, hauehave their harts burne and throb within thē, imagining that which they heare, to be more than the word of mortall man; and as the blind man in the Goſpell, when his eyes were a little illuminated by our Sauiour, diſcerned men, not as men, but as moouing trees, ſo they may in ſome confuſed manner know and acknowledge the Scriptures to be the word of God; but before Chriſt hath fully opened their eyes, and by the precious eye-ſalue of his ſpirit hath diſpelled their naturall blindneſſe, they wil neuer certainely be perſwaded nor aſſuredly beleeue, that the Scriptures are not the word of man, but the infallible truth of God. For it is not in mans power to beget faith in any, neither is it grounded vponupon any natural reaſons or perſwaſions, but it is the ſupernaturall gift of Gods ſpirit, who illuminates our vnderſtanding, and inclines our will, ſo that we ſee, and ſtedfaſtly beleeue that trueth which it deliuereth, as appeareth Epheſ. 2.8. 2. Theſ. 1.11.Epheſ. 2.8. 2. Theſ. 1.11.
And when we hauehave this teſtimony of Gods ſpirit in our hearts, it will certainely perſwade vsus of this truth,Gods ſpirit fully perſwadeth vsus of this truth. 1. Cor. 2.15. though we had no other reaſon: as appeareth by teſtimonies of Scripture, and by our owne experience. For the firſt it is ſaid, 1. Cor. 2.15. That the ſpirituall man, that is, he who is indued with Gods ſpirit, iudgeth all things, and yet himſelfe is iudged of no man. So 1. Iohn 2.27. But the annoynting which ye receiued of him, 1. Ioh. 2.27.dwelleth in you, and ye neede not that any man teach you, but as the annointing teacheth you all things, and verſe 20.Verſ. 20. But ye hauehave an oyntment him that is holy, and ye hauehave knowne all things. Where by hee vnderſtandeth the ſpirit of God,1. Cor. 2.10.12. which ſearcheth all things, euen the deepe things of God, which ſpirit is giuen vntounto vsus that we might know the things which are giuen vntounto vsus of God: as it is 1. Cor. 2.10.12. So our Sauiour promiſeth to ſend a comforter vntounto vsus, Ioh. 16 7.13.as it is Iohn 16.7.13. And in deede who is more fit then the ſpirit of God to confirme vsus in the aſſurance of that truth, which he himſelfe hath indited and inſpired? or who can better iudge of the things of God then the ſpirit of God? who can better informe vsus in this truth then hee who is the ſpirit of truth? And therefore if we hauehave the teſtimony of Gods ſpirit in vsus, we ſhall neede no other witneſſe, nor any reaſons inuented by mans wit, to confirme vsus in this truth, that the Scriptures are the word of the euerliuing God.
Gods ſpirit perſwadeth vsus of this truth by our owne feeling and experience.For whoſoeuer are indued with Gods ſpirit, doe alſo by their owne experience ſenſibly feele by the effects and operation of the ſcriptures in themſelues, that they are not the word or inuention of mortall man, but the word of the almightie and moſt wiſe God: for when they perceiue that the eyes of their vnderſtanding are illuminated, which before were blind and full of darkenes; that their will is inclined to the obedience of Gods commaundements, which before was ſtubborne and rebellious; that their heart is become ſoft and tender, ſo as like the heart of Ioſias it melteth at the preaching of the law, which before was obdurate and more hard then the Adamant; that their conſcience which was dead and ſeared, is now readie to checke & controule them when they commit any ſinne, and to allow and approue all good actions; that their affections are caſt in a new mould, ſo that whereas heretofore they loued nothing but the world and worldly things, now their louelove is fixed on the Lord and thoſe things that are aboue; and whereas nothing was more odious in former times then vertue and godlines, nothing more pleaſing then finne and the delights thereof, now contrariwiſe, nothing is more lothſome then ſinne, nothing more ſweete and delightfull, then obedience to Gods commaundements; and when they further conſider, that this great alteration is made in them onelyonly by the hearing of Gods word preached, they neede no further perſwaſions, nor other inſtructor to teach them, that the ſcriptures were penned by the diuine operation of Gods ſpirit, ſeeing the word of mortall man could neuer make ſuch a change in them, nor any thing elſe but the word of the euerliuing God; which at the firſt was alone ſufficient for their creation and generation, and now onelyonly of power ſufficient for their regeneration, and new birth.Ioh. 9. As therefore the blind man reaſoned with the Phariſies, Iohn. 9, not with any farre fetcht reaſon, but from his owne experience, to proue that our Sauiour was not a notorious ſinner, as the Phariſies accuſed him, but ſome great Prophet ſent from God; ſaying, doubtles this is a maruelous thing that ye know not whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes; and, if this man were not of God he could hauehave done nothing: ſo may we reaſon with thoſe who affirme that it cannot be knowne whence the ſcriptures came, from God or man; vſing this argument taken from our owne experience, ſaying, doubtles this is a meruelous thing that ye doe not know whence the ſcriptures are, ſeeing they hauehave opened mine eyes which were blinde from my birth, inclined my wil to obedience which before was rebellious, ſoftned my heart and ſanctified and quite changed mine affections, ſo that I now louelove that good which before I hated, and hate that euill which before I loued; and am delighted with thoſe holy exerciſes which heretofore did moſt diſpleaſe me; and am diſpleaſed with thoſe vaine pleaſures and filthie ſinnes, which in times paſt did moſt delight me; and therefore if it were not of God it could hauehave done no ſuch thing, if it were not inſpied and indited by his holy ſpirit, and made effectuall by the vertue and power thereof, it could neuer hauehave wrought in me ſuch ſtrange alterations.