The Certainty of Christianity Without Popery, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
The Explication of some Terms.
§. 1. THat he may be satisfactorily answered, these Terms must be necessarily explained, and distinguished of, 1. Revelation, 2. Matter of fact, 3. Certainty, 4. Principle, 5. Medium, 6. Determining, 7. Unity in faith.
§. 2. I. Either he taketh Revelation generally, as containing natural and supernatural Revelation, 2. Or specially for supernatural Revelation only: Because he distinguisheth not, we must suppose him to take it Generally: But you will understand the mater the better if I distinguish of Revelation.
Revelation is either
I. Objective, or the bare proposal of the Object.
II. Effective Illumination of the mind: The first only is here spoken of.
In Objective Revelation we have to consider,
I. The Efficient cause, viz.
1. Principall which is God.
1, As the Author or first Cause of Nature,
2. As the Cause of Gratious extraordinary Light.
II. Subservient.
I. Persons.
1. Christ as man; the Teacher of the Church and Messenger of God.
2. His Ministers.
1. Angels.
2. Men.
1. Publick.
1. Parents Oeconomical.
2. Ecclesiastical.
1. Inspired.
2. Instructed.
3. Magistrates.
2. Private: Neighbours and Friends.
II. Things: Considered
I. Singly.
1. In the matter, and so they are
1. Signs Natural, viz. All Gods works.
2. Signs Artificial, viz. Writings, &c.
3. Signs Mixt, viz. Vocal Words.
2. In the manner of causing them
1. Naturally, as the works and Law of Nature.
2. Supernaturally, and extraordinarily.
II. Conjunct and duly ordered; as they make up just evidence.
Viz.
1. Things in their notifying conditions.
2. Words; 1. Simple Terms, 2. Propositions, 3. Discourses
II. The Matter of Divine Revelations signified (for the Matter signifying is before spoken of) is,
I. Beings substantial
1. Created,
2. The Creator.
II. The Modes or Accidents of Beings substantial, which are,
1. Physical and Hyperphysical.
2. Moral: Especially, 1. Truth, 2. Right or Dueness, 3. Goodness.
And reductively and by accident, All their contraries.
III. The form of Revelation, is Evidence, or the Notifying Aptitude which includeth, 1. The Sense or Meaning as True: 2. As Perceptible.
IV. The Terminus and Ends of Revelation (to joyn them for brevity) are,
1. The sense and its Perception, 1. External, 2. Internal; the Imagination.
2. The higher faculties
1. The Intellect and its perception.
2. The Will and its Complacencie or Displicence.
All this goeth to make up Divine Revelation. And do you think we can give you one only Medium of it in a word?
§. 3. II. Matter of fact, is a phrase sometime used so largely as to signifie the Reality of any Being, that is existent as such. But ordinarily it signifieth something practised or done as such: If he here take it in the first sense, then the verity of this proposition [Whatsoever God saith is True] is as much matter of fact as the sence of that Proposition. But if he mean the later, neither of them is matter of fact. And yet he saith that the said Proposition is matter of Right; As if the Truth of a Proposition, and Gods Right to be believed, were formally the same. And yet he saith that the sense is matter of fact.
§. 4. III. The word Certainty is very ambiguous: Lest he complain of needless distinction, I will only remember you, 1. That as Certainty is Objective and Subjective, so it is the Objective Certainty that we have here to enquire of: But so as it is the means of Subjective Certainty. But withal to remember that to Subjective Certainty (that we our selves may be sure) there is need of much more than Objective Certainty, viz. that the soul and faculties be, 1. Rightly disposed: 2. And duly excited and applied, &c.
2. Of Objective Certainty you must note, that the word is sometimes taken for meer Verity and Reallity; And so the word [Infallible] is used, for that which verily is, and whosoever apprehendeth it so to be, is not deceived. And so all Truth is Certain and Infallible Truth. But usually besides Truth, the word Certainty, (and infallibility,) denoteth the evidence of that Truth, by which it is (not alwaies actually, but) aptitudinally notified to us.
This evidence is either sensible, or Intelligible, as the sense or the intellect is to be the perceiver of it.
Where you must distinguish the Physical Evidence of the Thing or Incomplex Object, from the Logical Evidence of Complex Objects. And here between the Evidence of self-evident Principles, and of Conclusions whose Evidence is derivative.
But especially you must note wherein it is that certainty of Intelligible evidence formally consisteth; which is in a certain degree of evidence: And 1. It is not every low degree: For though all Truth be equally Truth, and infallible, so that no man is deceived that receiveth it: yet we use not to call that Certainty of evidence which is apt only to give them some dark probability, and leave the mind in hesitant doubtfulness. 2. And yet it is not only that degree of evidence (which must help us to a perfect apprehension, which is to be called Certainty: For then no man should be certain in this world. For no man hath such a degree of apprehension, but more may be added to the clearness of it. 3. Therefore certainty must be denominated from a middle degree; which is, when the evidence is not only True (for the confidentest apprehension of a falshood is no certainty,) but also so Clear as is apt to give a satisfying, quieting, resolving apprehension to the mind, yea though it should be sometimes molested with some doubts. 4. And therefore seeing such or none is our certainty here, it followeth that Certainty hath divers degrees, as the satisfaction of the mind is more or less: And that we are not equally certain of all that we are certain of. You will find necessary use of these distinctions about this controversie.
§. 5. IV. And what he meaneth by [Principle] I know not. 1. There is a Physical or Hyperphysical Principle of Being, and there is a natural principle of notification, and there is a Logical principle of notification. 1. Our intellective faculties are the natural apprehending principle. 2. The spirit of God is the supream moving principle of Influx. 3. The intrinsick and adherent evidence of the thing in it self, is the natural notifying principle: which is as various as things are. 4. The Premises as inferring the conclusion are the Logical Principles of derivative certainty.
§. 6. V. And I scarce know what he meaneth by [Medium] he seemeth to take it for the same with [Principle]. There are media essendi which I suppose he meaneth not (means to make us Articles of faith, or to make them True); but rather the media cognoscendi: But these are necessarily more than one. 1. There are the media by which we hear the word and receive the Bible as it is. 2. There are the media by which we come to understand—the sense of the words. 3. There are the media by which we know the difference between the several parts of the Book, the more certain and the more doubtful, and the different copies and readings, and the different translations. 4. There are the media by which we know that these Doctrines and these Books are the same which were delivered to the Churches by the Apostles, &c. 5. There are the media by which we know that Miracles were wrought by Christ and his Apostles and other Christians in confirmation of the Gospel. 6. And there are the media by which we know that this Gospel and these Books are true. And all these are not to be confounded, by the simple pretence of calling for a fixed medium or principle.
§. 7. VI. [Determining] signifieth either the private decision or determining of doubts in the minds of particular persons; or else the publick decision of doubts as they are managed in the Church, by a publick Judge. And this either as binding mens Consciences or Minds what to believe, or only as ruling their tongues, and actions, in teaching and conversation.
§. 8. VII. By [Vnity in faith] is meant either unity in a general faith (which they call Implicite,) or in a particular (explicite) faith: And that is either a unity in all the essentials of Christianity, or also in all the Integrals, or also in all the accidentals which are revealed by God. And it is either a secret unity of minds, or a publick unity for communion that is meant.
If he think any of these distinctions needless, let him prove it and then cast them by. I am sure confusion is fit to deceive, but not to edifie.