The Life of Faith, Part 2 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. The true Method of enquiry into the ſupernatural Evidences of Faith, and Rules therein to be offered.
WHen you have thus ſeen what evidence there is of GOD, and his Government, and of a life of reward and puniſhment hereafter, and of the natural obligations which lie on man to a holy, juſt, and ſober life; and of the depraved ſtate of the world, which goeth ſo contrary to ſuch undoubted duty; and how certain all this is even by natural revelation; proceed next to conſider what ſupernatural revelation God hath added, both to confirm you in the ſame Truths, and to make known ſuch other, as were neceſſary for mankind to know. Where I muſt firſt direct you in the true Method of Enquiry, and then ſet before you the things themſelves, which you are to know.
1. Think not that every unprepared mind is immediately capable of the Truth (either this, or any other, except the firſt principles which are nota per ſe, or are next to ſenſe.) All truth requireth a capacity, and due preparation of the recipient: The plaineſt principles of any Art or Science, are not underſtood by novices at the firſt fight or hearing. And therefore it were vain to imagine that things of the greateſt diſtance in hiſtory, or profundity in doctrine, can be comprehended at the firſt attempt, by a diſuſed and unfurniſhed underſtanding. There muſt be at leaſt, as much time, and ſtudy, and help ſuppoſed and uſed, to the full diſcerning of the evidences of faith, as are allowed to the attainment of common Sciences. Though grace, in leſs time, may give men ſo much light as is neceſſary to ſalvation; yet he that will be able to defend the Truth, and anſwer Objections, and attain eſtabliſhing ſatisfaction in his own mind, muſt (ordinarily) have proportionable helps, and time, and ſtudyes; unleſs he look to be taught by miracles.
2. Remember that it is a practical and heavenly doctrine which you are to learn: It is the Art of loving God, and being happy in his love. And therefore a worldly, ſenſual, vicious ſoul, muſt needs be under very great diſadvantage for the receiving of ſuch a kind of Truths. Do not therefore impute that to the doubtfulneſs of the Doctrine, which is but the effect of the enmity and incapacity of your minds: How can he preſently relliſh the ſpiritual and heavenly doctrine of the Goſpel, who is drowned in the love and care of contrary things? Such men receive not the things of the Spirit: They ſeem to them both fooliſhneſs and undeſirable.
3. Think not that the hiſtory of things done ſo long ago, and ſo far off, ſhould have no more obſcurities, nor be liable to any more Objections, than of that which was done in the time and Country where you live. Nor yet that things done in the preſence of others, and words ſpoken in their hearing only, ſhould be known to you otherwiſe than by hiſtorical evidence, (unleſs every Revelation to others, muſt have a new Revelation to bring it to each individual perſon in the world.) And think not that he who is a ſtranger to all other helps of Church-hiſtory, ſhould be as well able to underſtand the Scripture-hiſtory, as thoſe that have thoſe other helps.
4. Think not that the narrativt of things done in a Country and Age ſo remote, and to us unknown, ſhould not have many difficulties, ariſing from our ignorance of the perſons, places, manners, cuſtoms, and many circumſtances, which if we had known, would eaſily have reſolved all ſuch doubts▪
5. Think not that a Book which was written ſo long ago, in ſo remote a Country, in a language which few do fully underſtand, and which may ſince then have ſeveral changes, as to phraſes, and proverbial and occaſional ſpeeches, ſhould have no more difficulties in it, than a Book that were written at home, in the preſent Ages in our Country language, and the moſt uſual dialect. To ſay nothing of our own language, what changes are made in all other tongues, ſince the times that the Goſpel was recorded? Many proverbial ſpeeches and phraſes may be now diſuſed and unknown, which were then moſt eaſie to be underſtood. And the tranſcribing and preſerving of the Copies, require us to allow for ſome defects of humane skill and induſtry therein.
6. Ʋnderſtand the different ſorts of Evidence, which are requiſite to the different matters in the holy Scriptures. The matters of fact require hiſtorical evidence (which yet is made infallible by additional miracles.) The miracles which were wrought to confirm our hiſtory, are brought to our knowledge only by other hiſtory. The Doctrines which are evident in nature, have further evidence of ſupernatural revelation, only to help us whoſe natural fight is much obſcured. But it is the ſupernatural Doctrines, Precepts and Promiſes, which of themſelves require ſupernatural revelation, to make them credible to man.
7. Miſtake not the true Ʋſe and End of the holy Scriptures.
1. Think not that the Goſpel as written was the firſt Conſtitutive or Governing Law of Chriſt, for the Chriſtian Churches. The Churches were conſtituted, and the Orders, and Offices, and Government of it ſettled, and exerciſed very many years together, before any part of the New Teſtament was written to them; much more before the writing of the whole. The Apoſtles had long before taught them what was commanded them by Chriſt; and had ſettled them in the order appointed by the Holy Ghoſt: And therefore you are not to look for the firſt determination of ſuch doctrines or orders in the Scripture as made thereby; but only for the Records of what was done and eſtabliſhed before: For the Apoſtles being to leave the world, did know the ſlipperineſs of the memory of man, and the danger of changing and corrupting the Chriſtian Doctrine and Orders, if there were not left a ſure record of it: And therefore they did that for the ſake of poſterity.
2. You muſt not think that all is eſſential to the Chriſtian Religion, which is contained in the holy Scriptures: Nor that they are only the adequate form or record of that which is ſtrictly and primarily called our Religion, or Chriſtianity. For there are divers particular Books of the New Teſtament, which contain much more than is eſſential to Chriſtianity: And many appurtenances, and hiſtories, and genealogies, and circumſtances are there recorded, which are indeed ſubſervient helps to our Religion; but are not ſtrictly our Religion it ſelf.
8. As the uſe of the Scripture muſt thus be judged of according to the purpoſe of the holy Spirit; ſo the Perfection of the Scripture muſt be judged of, in relation to its intended uſe. It was not written to be a ſyſteme of Phyſicks, nor Oratory; nor to decide grammatical Controverſies about words; but to record in apt expreſſions the things which God would have men to know, in order to their faith, their duty, and their happineſs. And in this reſpect it is a perfect word. But you muſt not imagine that it is ſo far the word of God himſelf, as if God had ſhewed in it his fulleſt skill, and made it as perfect in every reſpect, both phraſe and order, as God could do. And if you meet in it with ſeveral words, which you think are leſs grammatical, logical, or rhetorical, than many other men could ſpeak, and which really ſavour of ſome humane imperfection, remember that this is not at all derogatory to Chriſtianity; but rather tendeth to the ſtrengthening of our faith: For the Scriptures are perfect to their intended uſe: And God did purpoſely chuſe men of imperfect Oratory, to be his Apoſtles, that his Kingdom might not be in word, but in power; and that our faith might not be built upon the wiſdom and oratory of man, but on the ſupernatural operations of the Almighty God: As David's ſling and ſtone muſt kill Goliah: So unlearned men, that cannot out-wit the world to deceive them, ſhall by the Spirit and Miracles convince them. Looking for that in the Scripture, which God never intended it for, doth tempt the unskilful into unbelief.
9. Therefore you muſt be ſure to diſtinguiſh the Chriſtian Religion, which is the vital part or kernel of the Scriptures, from all the reſt: And to get well planted in your mind, the ſumm of that Religion it ſelf. And that is briefly contained in the two Sacraments, and more largely in the Creed, the Lords Prayer, and the Decalogue, the ſummaryes of our Belief, Deſire and Practice. And then wonder no more that the other parts of Scripture, have ſome things of leſs moment, than that a man hath fingers, nails and hair, as well as a ſtomach, heart and head.
10. Diſtinguiſh therefore between the Method of the Chriſtian Religion, and the Method of the particular Books of Scriptures. The Books were written on ſeveral occaſions, and in ſeveral Methods; and though that method of them all, be perfect, in order to their proper end; yet is it not neceſſary that there be in the Method no humane imperfection, or that one or all of them, be written in that method which is uſually moſt logical, and beſt. But the frame of Religion contained in thoſe Books, is compoſed in the moſt perfect method in the world. And thoſe ſyſtemes of Theology which endeavour to open this method to you, do not feign it, or make it of themſelves; but only attempt the explication of what they find in the holy Scriptures, Synthetically or Analytically: (Though indeed all attempts have yet fallen ſhort of any full explication of this divine and perfect harmony.)
11. Therefore the true Order of ſettling your faith, is not firſt to require a proof that all the Scriptures is the Word of God; but firſt to prove the marrow of them, which is properly called the Chriſtian Religion, and then to proceed to ſtrengthen your particular belief of the reſt. The contrary opinion, which hath obtained with many in this Age, hath greatly hindered the faith of the unskilful: And it came from a prepoſterous care of the honour of the Scriptures, through an exceſſive oppoſition to the Papiſts who undervalue them. For hence it comes to paſs, that every ſeeming contradiction, or inconſiſtency in any Book of Scripture, in Chronology or any other reſpect, is thought to be a ſufficient cauſe, to make the whole cauſe of Chriſtianity as difficult as that particular text is: And ſo all thoſe Readers, who meet with great or inſeparable difficulties, in their daily reading of the Scriptures, are thereby expoſed to equal temptations, to damning infidelity it ſelf: So that if the Tempter draw any man to doubt of the ſtanding ſtill of the Sun in the time of Joſhua; of the life of Jonas in the belly of the Whale; or any other ſuch paſſage in any one Book of the Scriptures, he muſt equally doubt of all his Religion.
But this was not the ancient method of faith: It was many years after Chriſts reſurrection, before any one Book of the New Teſtament was written; and almoſt an Age before it was finiſhed: And all that time the Chriſtian Churches had the ſame Faith and Religion as we have now; and the ſame foundation of it: That is, the Goſpel preached to them by the Apoſtles: But what they delivered to them by word of mouth, is now delivered to us in their writings, with all the appurtenances and circumſtances, which every Chriſtian did not then hear of. And there were many Articles of the Chriſtian Faith, which the Old Teſtament did not at all make known: (As that this Jeſus is the Chriſt; that he was born of the Virgin Mary, and is actually crucified, riſen and aſcended, &c.) And the method of the Apoſtles was, to teach the people, the ſumm of Chriſtianity (as Paul doth, 1 Cor. 15.3, 4, &c. and Peter, Act. 2.) and to bring them to the belief of that, and then baptize them, before they wrote any thing to them, or taught them the reſt which is now in the holy Scriptures; They were firſt to Diſciple the Nations and baptize them, and then to teach them to obſerve all things whatever Chriſt commanded: And the main bulk of the Scriptures is made up of this laſt, and of the main ſubſervient hiſtories and helps.
And accordingly it was the cuſtom of all the Primitive Churches, and ancient Doctors, to teach the people firſt the Creed and ſumm of Chriſtianity, and to make them Chriſtians before they taught them ſo much as to know what Books the Canonical Scriptures did contain: For they had the ſumm of Chriſtianity it ſelf delivered down collaterally by the two hands of tradition. 1. By the continuation of Baptiſm, and publick Church-profeſſions, was delivered the Creed or Covenant by it ſelf: And 2. By the holy Scriptures, where it was delivered with all the reſt; and from whence every novice was not put to gather it of himſelf; but had it collected to his hand by the Churches.
And you may ſee in the writings of all the ancient defenders of Chriſtianity (Juſtin, Athenagoras, Talianus, Clemens Alexandrinus, Arnobius, Theoph. Antioch. Lactantius, Tertullian, …uſebius, Auguſtine, &c.) that they uſed the method which I now direct you to.
And if you conſider it well, you will find that the miracles of Chriſt himſelf, and all thoſe of his Apoſtles after him, were wrought for the confirmation of Chriſtianity it ſelf immediately, and moſtly before the particular Epiſtles or Books were written; and therefore were only remotely and conſequentially for the confirmation of thoſe Books as ſuch: as they proved that the Writers of them were guided by the infallible Spirit, in all the proper work of their office; of which the writing of the Scriptures was a part.
1. Therefore ſettle your belief of Chriſtianity it ſelf; that is, of ſo much as Baptiſm containeth, or importeth: This is more eaſily proved, than the truth of every word in the Scriptures; becauſe there are controverſies about the Canon, and the various readings, and ſuch like: And this is the natural method, which Chriſt and his Spirit have directed us to, and the Apoſtles and the ancient Churches uſed. And when this is firſt ſoundly proved to you, then you cannot juſtly take any textual difficulties, to be ſufficient cauſe of raiſing difficulties to your faith in the eſſentials: But you may quietly go on in the ſtrength of faith, to clear up all thoſe difficulties by degrees.
I know you will meet with ſome who think very highly of their own miſtakes, and whoſe unskilfulneſs in theſe things is joyned with an equal meaſure of ſelf conceitedneſs, who will tell you that this method ſmells of an undervaluing of the Scripture: But I would adviſe you not to depart from the way of Chriſt, and his Apoſtles and Churches, nor to caſt your ſelves upon cauſeleſs hinderances, in ſo high a matter as Saving Faith is, upon the reverence of the words of any perverted factious wrangler, nor to eſcape the fangs of cenſorious ignorance. We cannot better juſtifie the holy Scriptures in the true Method, than they can in their falſe one: And can better build up, when we have laid the right foundation, than they can who begin in the middle, and omit the foundation, and call the ſuperſtructure by that name.
2. Suſpect not all Church-hiſtory or Tradition, in an extreme oppoſition to the Papiſts, who cry up a private unproved Tradition of their own. They tell us of Apoſtolical Traditions, which their own faction only are the keep…rs of; and of which no true hiſtorical evidence is produced: And this they call the Tradition of the Church: But we have another ſort of Tradition, which muſt not be neglected or rejected, unleſs we will deny humanity, and reject Chriſtianity. Our Traditio tradens, or active Tradition, is primarily nothing but the certain hiſtory or uſage of the univerſal Chriſtian Church; as Baptiſm, the Lords day, the Miniſtry, the Church Aſſemblies, and the daily Church exerciſes; which are certain proofs what Religion was then received by them. And 2. The Scriptures themſelves. Our Traditio tradita is nothing elſe but theſe two conjunctly: 1. The Chriſtian Religion, even the Faith then profeſſed, and the Worſhip and Obedience then exerciſed. 2. The Books themſelves, of the holy Scriptures, which contain all this, with much more. But we are ſo far from thinking that Apoſtolical Oral Tradition, is a ſupplement to the Scriptures, as being larger than them, that we believe the Scriptures to be much larger than ſuch Tradition; and that we have no certainty by any other than Scriptural Tradition, of any more than the common matters of Chriſtianity, which all the Churches are agreed in. But he that will not believe the moſt univerſal practice and hiſtory of the Church or world in a matter of fact, muſt in reaſon much leſs believe his eye-ſight.
13. When you have ſoundly proved your foundation, take not every difficult objection which you cannot anſwer, to be a ſufficient cauſe of doubting: For if the fundamentals be proved truths, you may truſt to that proof, and be ſure that there are waies of ſolving the ſeeming inconſiſtent points, though you are not yet acquainted with them. There are few Truths ſo clear, which a ſophiſter may not clog with difficulties: And there is ſcarce any man that hath ſo comprehenſive a knowledge of the moſt certain Truths, as to be able to anſwer all that can be ſaid againſt it.
14. Come not to this ſtudy in a melancholy or diſtracted frame of mind: For in ſuch a caſe you are (ordinarily) incapable of ſo great a work, as the tryal of the grounds of Faith: And therefore muſt live upon the ground-work before laid, and wait for a fitter time to clear it.
15. When new doubts ariſe, mark whether they proceed not from the advantage which the tempter findeth in your minds, rather than from the difficulty of the thing it ſelf: And whether you have not formerly had good ſatisfaction againſt the ſame doubts which now perplex you: If ſo, ſuffer not every diſcompoſure of your minds, to become a means of unbelief: And ſuffer not Satan to command you to diſpute your faith at his pleaſure: For if he may chuſe the time, he may chuſe the ſucceſs. Many a man hath caſt up a large account well, or written a learned Treatiſe or Poſition well, who cannot clear up all objected difficulties on a ſudden, nor without Books tell you all that he before wrote; eſpecially if he be half drunk or ſleepy, or in the midſt of other thoughts o… buſineſs.
15. When you are once perſwaded of the truth of Chriſtianity, and the holy Scriptures, think not that you need not ſtudy it any more, becauſe you do already confidently believe it: For if your faith be not built on ſuch cogent evidence as will warrant the concluſion (whether it be at the preſent ſound or not) you know not what change aſſaults may make upon you (as we have known them do on ſome ancient eminent Profeſſors of the ſtricteſt Godlineſs, who have turned from Chriſt, and the belief of immortality.)
Take heed how you underſtand the common ſaying of the Schools, that Faith differeth from Knowledge, in that it hath not Evidence: It hath not evidence of ſenſe indeed; nor the immediate evidence of things inviſible, as in themſelves; but as they are the concluſions which follow the principles which are in themſelves more evident. It is evident that God is true; and we can prove by good evidence, that the Chriſtian Verity is his Revelation: And therefore it is evident (though not immediately in it ſelf) that the matter of that word or revelation is true. And as Mr. Rich. Hooker truly ſaith [No man indeed believeth beyond the degree of evidence of truth which appeareth to him, how confidently ſoever they may talk.] I remember that our excellent Ʋſher anſwered me to this caſe, as out of Ariminenſis, that [faith hath evidence of Credibility, and ſcience hath evidence of Certainty.] But undoubtedly an evidence of Divine Revelation, is evidence of Certainty. And all evidence of Divine Credibility, is evidence of Certainty; though of humane faith and credibility, the caſe be otherwiſe.
16. Yea, think not that you have done the ſettling of your faith, when once you have found out the ſoundeſt evidences, and are able to anſwer all Objections: For you muſt grow ſtill in the fuller diſcerning and digeſting the ſame evidences which you have diſcerned: For you may hold them ſo looſely, that they may be eaſily wreſted from you: And you may ſee them with ſo clear and full a knowledge, as ſhall ſtabliſh your mind againſt all ordinary cauſes of mutation. It is one kind (or degree rather) of knowledge of the ſame things, which the Pupil, and another which the Doctor hath. I am ſure the knowledge which I have now of the evidences of the Chriſtian Verity, is much different from what I had thirty years ago, when perhaps I could ſay neer as much as now; and uſed the ſame Arguments.
17. Conſider well the great contentions of Philoſophers; and the great uncertainty of moſt of thoſe Nations, to which the Infidels would reduce our faith, or which they would make the teſt by which to try it. They judge Chriſtianity uncertain, becauſe it agreeth not with their uncertainties, or certain errours.
18. Enſlave not your Reaſon to the objects of ſenſe: While we are in the body, our ſouls are ſo impriſoned in fleſh, and have ſo much to do with worldly things, that moſt men by averſeneſs and diſuſe, can hardly at all employ their minds about any higher things than ſenſitive; nor go any further than ſenſe conduceth them. He that will not uſe his ſoul to contemplate things inviſible, will be as unfit for believing, as a Lady is to travel a thouſand miles on foot, who never went out of her doors, but in a Sedan or Coach.
19. Where your want of learning, or exerciſe or light, doth cauſe any difficulties which you cannot overcome, go to the more wiſe and experienced Believers, and Paſtors of the Church, to be your helpers: For it is their office to be both the preſervers and expounders of the ſacred Doctrine, and to be the helpers of the peoples faith. The Prieſts lips ſhould preſerve knowledge, and they ſhould ſeek the Law at his mouth: for he is the meſſenger of the Lord of Hoſts, Mal. 2.7.
20. Laſtly, Faithfully practiſe with Love and alacrity what you do believe, leſt God in juſtice leave you to diſbelieve that which you would not love and practiſe.
So much to direct you in the method of your endeavours, for the getting and ſtrengthening of faith.