The Life of Faith, Part 2 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. The means of making known all this infallibly to us.
I Suppoſe the evidence of divine atteſtation is ſo clear in this Image of God on the Chriſtian Religion, which I have been opening, that few can doubt of it, who are ſatisfied of the hiſtorical truth of the facts; and therefore this is next to be conſidered, How the certain knowledge of all theſe things cometh down to us?
The firſt queſtion is, whether this Doctrine and Religion indeed be the impreſs of Gods WISDOM, and his GOODNESS and POWER, ſuppoſing the truth of the hiſtorical part? This is it which I think that few reaſonable perſons wil deny: For the doctrine is legible, and ſheweth it ſelf.
But the next queſtion is it, which I am now to reſolve, How we ſhall know that this Doctrine was indeed delivered by Chriſt and his Apoſtles, and theſe things done by them, which the Scriptures mention?
And here the firſt queſtion ſhall be, How the Apoſtles, and all other the firſt witneſſes, knew it themſelves? For it is by every reaſonable man to be ſuppoſed, that they who were preſent, and we who are 1668 years diſtance, could not receive the knowledge of the matters of fact, in the very ſame manner. It is certain that their knowledge was by their preſent ſenſe and reaſon: They ſaw Chriſt and his miracles: They heard his words: They ſaw him riſen from the dead: They diſcourſed with him, and eat and drunk with him: They ſaw him aſcending up bodily to Heaven. They need no other Revelation to tell them what they ſaw, and heard, and felt.
If you had asked them then, H…w know you that all theſe things were ſaid and done? they would have anſwered you, Becauſe we ſaw and heard them. But we were not then preſent: we did not ſee, and hear, what they did: Nor did we ſee or hear them, who were the eye-witneſſes. And therefore as their ſenſes told it them; ſo the natural way for our knowledge, muſt be by derivation from their ſenſe to ours: For when they themſelves received it in a way ſo natural, (though not without the help of Gods Spirit, in the remembring, recording and atteſting it) we that can leſs pretend to inſpiration, or immediate revelation, have ſmall reaſon to think that we muſt know the ſame facts, by either of thoſe ſupernatural waies. Nor can our knowledge of a hiſtory, carryed down through ſo many ages, be ſo clearly ſatisfactory to our ſelves, as ſight and hearing was to them. And yet we have a certainty, not only infallible; but ſo far ſatisfactory, as is ſufficient to warrant all our faith, and duty, and ſufferings for the reward which Chriſt hath ſet before us.
Let us next then enquire, How did the firſt Churches know that the Apoſtles and other Preachers of the Goſpel did not deceive them in the matter of fact? I anſwer, They had their degrees of aſſurance or knowledge in this part of their belief. 1. They had the moſt credible humane teſtimony of men that were not like to deceive them. But this was not infallible.
2. They had in their teſtimony the evidence of a natural certainty: It being naturally impoſſible, that ſo many perſons ſhould agree together to deceive the world, in ſuch matters of fact, at ſo dear a rate, in the very place and age when the things were pretended to be done and ſaid, when any one might have preſently evinced the falſhood, if they had been lyars, about the twice feeding of many thouſands miraculouſly, and the raiſing of the dead, and many other publick miracles, and the darkneſs at his death, and the rending of the Rocks and Vail of the Temple, and the Earth-quake, and the coming down of the Holy Ghoſt upon themſelves; with many the like they would have been detected and confuted to their confuſion: And we ſhould have read what Apologies they made againſt ſuch detections and confutations! And ſome of them (at leaſt at their death) would have been forced by conſcience, to confeſs the plot.
3. But to leave no room for doubting, God gave thoſe firſt Churches, the addition of his own ſupernatural atteſtation, by the ſame threefold impreſs of his Image before deſcribed: 1. In the holy Wiſdom and Light which was in their doctrine. 2. In the holy Love, and Piety, and Purity, which was conſpicuous in their doctrine, and in their lives. 3. And in the evidences of divine Power, in the many gifts, and wonders and miracles which they wrought and manifeſted. And theſe things ſeem a fuller teſtimony than the miracles of Chriſt himſelf. For Chriſts miracles were the deeds of one alone; and his reſurrection was witneſſed but by twelve choſen witneſſes, and about five hundred other perſons; and he converſed with them but forty daies, and that by times: But the miracles of the Diſciples were wrought by many, and before many thouſands, at ſeveral times, and in many Countreys, and for many and many years together; and in the ſight and hearing of many of the Churches: So that theſe firſt Churches had ſight and hearing, to aſſure them of the divine miraculous atteſtation of the truth of their teſtimony, who told them of the doctrines, miracles, and reſurrection of Chriſt: And all this from Chriſts ſolemn promiſe and gift, John. 14.12. Verily, verily, I ſay unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do, ſhall he do alſo; and greater works than theſe ſhall he do, becauſe I go to the Father.
But if it be demanded, How did the next Chriſtians of the ſecond age, receive all this from the firſt Churches, who received it from the Apoſtles? I anſwer, by the ſame evidence, and with ſome advantages. For 1. They had the credible humane teſtimony of all their Paſtors, Neighbours, Parents, who told them but what they ſaw and heard. 2. They had a greater evidence of natural infallible certainty: For 1. The doctrine was now delivered to them in the records of the ſacred Scriptures, and ſo leſs liable to the miſreports of the ignorant, forgetful or erroneous. 2. The reporters were now more numerous, and the miracles reported more numerous alſo. 3. They were perſons now diſperſed over much of the world, and could not poſſibly agree together to deceive. 4. The deceit would now have been yet more eaſily detected and abhorred.
3. But beſides this, they had alſo the ſupernatural teſtimony of God: For the Apoſtles converts received the ſame ſpirit as they had themſelves: And though the miracles of other perſons were not ſo numerous as thoſe of the Apoſtles; yet the perſons were many thouſands more that wrought them: All this is aſſerted in the Scripture it ſelf; as Gal. 3.3, 4. 1 Cor. 14. & 12. and many places: And he that ſhould have told them falſly that they themſelves had the ſpirit of extraordinary gifts and miracles, would hardly have been believed by them. And all this alſo the following Ages have themſelves aſſerted unto us.
The queſtion then which remaineth is, How we receive all this infallibly from the ſubſequent Ages or Churches to this day? The anſwer to which is, ſtill by the ſame way, with yet greater advantages in ſome reſpects, though leſs in others. As 1. We have the humane teſtimony of all our anceſtors, and of many of our enemies. 2. We have greater evidence of natural certainty, that they could not poſſibly meet or plot together to deceive us. 3. We have ſtill the ſupernatural divine atteſtation (though rarely of miracles, yet) of thoſe more neceſſary and noble operations of the Spirit, in the ſanctification of all true Believers; which Spirit accompanieth and worketh by the doctrine which from our anceſtors we have received.
More diſtinctly obſerve all theſe conjunct means of our full reception of our Religion.
1. The very Being of the Chriſtians and Churches, is a teſtimony to us that they believed and received this Religion. For what maketh them Chriſtians and Churches but the receiving of it?
2. The ordinance of Baptiſm, is a notable tradition of it. For all that ever were made Chriſtians, have been baptized: And Baptiſm is nothing but the ſolemn initiation of perſons into this Religion, by a vowed conſent to it, as ſummarily there expreſſed in the Chriſtian Covenant. And this was uſed to be openly done.
3. The uſe of the Creed, which at Baptiſm and other ſacred ſeaſons, was alwaies wont to be profeſſed, (together with the Lords Prayer, and the Decalogue; the ſummaries of our faith, deſire and practice) is another notable tradition; by which this Religion hath been ſent down to following Ages: For though perhaps all the terms of the Creed were not ſo early as ſome think, thus conſtantly uſed; yet all the ſenſe and ſubſtance of it was.
4. The holy Scriptures or Records of this Religion, containing integrally all the doctrine, and all the neceſſary matter of fact, is the moſt compleat way of tradition: And it will appear to you in what further ſhall be ſaid, that we have infallible proof, that theſe Scriptures are the ſame, which the firſt Churches did receive; what ever inconſiderable errours may be crept into any Copies, by the unavoidable overſight of the Scribes.
5. The conſtant uſe of the ſacred Aſſemblies, hath been another means of ſure tradition: For we have infallible proof of the ſucceſſive continuation of ſuch Aſſemblies; and that their uſe was ſtill, the ſolemn profeſſion of the Chriſtian Faith, and worſhipping God according to it.
6. And the conſtant uſe of Reading the Scriptures in thoſe Aſſemblies, is another full hiſtorical tradition: For that which is conſtantly and publickly read, as the doctrine of their Religion, cannot be changed, without the notice of all the Church, and without an impoſſible combination of all the Churches in the world.
7. And it ſecureth the tradition that one ſet day hath been kept for this publick exerciſe of Religion, from the very firſt; even the Lords day (beſides all occaſional times) The day it ſelf being appointed to celebrate the memorial of Chriſts Reſurrection, is a moſt currant hiſtory of it; as the feaſt of unleavened bread, and the Paſſeover was of the Iſraelites deliverance from Egypt. And the exerciſes ſtill performed on that day, do make the tradition more compleat.
And becauſe ſome few Sabbatarians among our ſelves do keep the old Sabbath only, and call ſtill for Scrip…ure proof for the inſtitution of the Lords day; let me briefly tell them, that which is enough to evince their errour. 1. That the Apoſtles were Officers immediately commiſſioned by Chriſt, to diſciple the Nations, and to teach them all that Chriſt commanded, and ſo to ſettle Orders in the Church, Mat. 28.19, 20, 21. Acts 15. &c.
2. That Chriſt promiſed and gave them his Spirit infallibly to guide them in the performance of this commiſſion (though not to make them perfectly impeccable) John 16.13.
3. That de facto the Apoſtles appointed the uſe of the Lords day for the Church Aſſemblies: This being all that is left to be proved, and this being matter of fact, which requireth no other kind of proof but hiſtory, part of the hiſtory of it is in the Scripture, and the reſt in the hiſtory of all following Ages. In the Scripture it ſelf it is evident, that the Churches and the Apoſtles uſed this day accordingly: And it hath moſt infallible hiſtory (impoſſible to be falſe) that the Churches have uſed it ever to this day, as that which they found practiſed in their times by their appointment: And this is not a bare narrative, but an uninterrupted matter of publick fact and practice: So univerſal, that I remember not in all my reading, that ever one enemy queſtioned it, or ever one Chriſtian, or Heretick denyed, or once ſcrupled it. So that they who tell us that all this is yet but humane teſtimony, do ſhew their egregious inconſiderations, that know not that ſuch humane teſtimony or hiſtory in a matter of publick conſtant fact, may be moſt certain, and all that the nature of the caſe will allow a ſober perſon to require. And they might as well reject the Canon of the Scriptures, becauſe humane teſtimony is it which in point of fact doth certifie us, that theſe are the very unaltered Canonical Books, which were delivered at firſt to the Churches: Yea they may reject all the ſtore of hiſtorical tradition of Chriſtianity it ſelf, which I am here reciting to the ſhame of their underſtandings.
And conſider alſo, that the Lords day was ſettled, and conſtantly uſed in ſolemn worſhip by the Churches, many and many years before any part of the New Teſtament was written; and above threeſcore years before it was finiſhed. And when the Churches had ſo many years been in publick poſſeſſion of it, who would require that the Scriptures ſhould after all, make a Law to inſtitute that which was inſtituted ſo long ago.
If you ſay, that it might have declared the inſtitution, I anſwer, ſo it hath, as I have ſhewed; there needing no other declaration, but 1. Chriſts commiſſion to the Apoſtles to order the Church, and declare his commands. 2. And his promiſe of infallible guidance therein. 3. And the hiſtory of the Churches order and practice, to ſhew de facto, what they did: And that hiſtory need not be written in Scripture for the Churches that then were; no more than we need a revelation from Heaven to tell us thas the Lords day is kept in England: And ſure the next Age needed no ſupernatural teſtimony of it: and therefore neither do we: But yet it is occaſionally oft intimated or expreſſed in the Scripture, though on the by, as that which was no further neceſſary.
So that I may well conclude, that we have better hiſtorical evidence that the Lords day was actually obſerved by the Churches, for their publick worſhip and profeſſion of the Chriſtian Faith, than we have that ever there was ſuch a man as William the Conquerour in England, yea or King James; much more than that there was a Caeſar or Cicero.
8. Moreover, the very Office of the Paſtors of the Church, and their continuance from the beginning to this day, is a great part of the certain tradition of this Religion. For it is moſt certain, that the Churches were conſtituted, and the Aſſemblies held, and the worſhip performed with them, and by their conduct, and not without: And it is certain by infallible hiſtory, that their office hath been ſtill the ſame, even to teach men this Chriſtian Religion, and to guide them in the practice of it, and to read the ſame Scriptures as the word of truth, and to explain it to the people. And therefore as the Judicatures and Offices of the Judges is a certain proof that there have been thoſe Laws by which they judge (eſpecially if they had been alſo the weekly publick Readers and Expounders of them) and ſo much more is it in our caſe.
9. And the conſtant uſe of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Chriſt, hath according to his appointment, been an infallible tradition of his Covenant, and a means to keep him in remembrance in the Churches. For when all the Churches in the world have made this Sacramental Commemoration, and renewed covenanting with Chriſt as dead and riſen, to be their conſtant publick practice here, is a tradition of that faith and Covenant which cannot be counterfeit or falſe.
10. To this we may add, the conſtant uſe of Diſcipline in theſe Churches: it having been their conſtant law and practice, to enquire into the faith and lives of the members, and to cenſure or caſt out thoſe that impenitently violated their Religion: which ſheweth, that de facto that Faith and Religion was then received; and is a means of delivering it down to us. Under which we may mention 1. Their Synods and Officers. 2. And their Canons by which this Diſcipline was exerciſed.
11. Another tradition hath been the publiſhed confeſſions of their Faith and R…l…g…on in thoſe Apologies, which perſecutions and calumnies have cauſed them to write.
12. And another is, all thoſe publiſhed Confutations of the many hereſies, which in every age have riſen up; and all the controverſies which the Churches have had with them, and among themſelves.
13. And another is, all the Treatiſes, Sermons, and other inſtructing writings of the Paſtors of thoſe times.
14 And another way of tradition hath been by the teſtimony and ſufferings of Confeſſors and Martyrs, who have endured either torments or death, in the defence and owning of this Religion: In all which waies of tradition, the doctrine and the matter were joyntly atteſted by them. For the Reſurrection of Chriſt (which is part of the matter of fact) was one of the Articles of their Creed, which they ſuffered for: And all of them received the holy Scriptures, which declare the Apoſtles miracles; and they received their faith, as delivered by thoſe Apoſtles, with the confirmation of thoſe miracles: So that when they profeſſed to believe the doctrine, they eſpecially profeſſed to believe the hiſtory of the life and death of Chriſt, and of his Apoſtles: And the Religion which they ſuffered for, and daily profeſſed, contained both: And the hiſtorical Books called the Goſpels, were the chief part of the Scripture which they called, The Word of God, and the Records of the Chriſtian Religion.
15. To this I may add, that all the ordinary prayers and praiſes of the Churches, did continue the recital of much of this hiſtory, and of the Apoſtles names and acts, and were compoſed much in Scripture phraſe, which preſerved the memory, and profeſſed the belief of all thoſe things.
16. And the feſtivals or other dayes, which were kept in honourable commemoration of thoſe Apoſtles and Martyrs, was another way of keeping theſe things in memory: Whether it were well done or not, is not my preſent enquiry (only I may ſay, I cannot accuſe it of any ſin, till it come to over-doing, and aſcribing too much to them.) But certainly it was a way of tranſmitting the memory of thoſe things to poſterity.
17. Another hath been by the conſtant commemoration of the great works of Chriſt, by the dayes or ſeaſons of the year, which were annually obſerved: How far here alſo the Church did well▪ or ill, I now meddle not: But doubtleſs the obſerving of anniverſary ſolemnities for their commemoration, was a way of preſerving the memory of the acts themſelves to poſterity. How long the day of Chriſts Nativity hath been celebrated, I know not: Reading what Selden hath ſaid on one ſide; and on the other finding no currant Author mention it (that I have read) before Nazianzene: and finding by Chryſoſtome, that the Churches of the Eaſt, till his time had differed from the Weſtern Churches, as far as the ſixth of January is from the 25 of December. But that is of leſs moment, becauſe Chriſts birth is a thing unqueſtioned in it ſelf. But we find that the time of his faſting forty daies, the time of his Paſſion, and of his Reſurrection, and the giving of the Holy Ghoſt, were long before kept in memory, by ſome kind of obſervation by fa…ts or feſtivals: And though there was a controverſie about the due ſeaſon of the ſucceſſive obſervation of Eaſter, yet that ſignified no uncertainty of the firſt day, or the ſeaſon of the year. And though at firſt it was but few daies that were kept in faſting at that ſeaſon, yet they were enough to commemorate both the forty daies faſting, and the death of Chriſt.
18. And the hiſtories of the Heathens and enemies of the Church, do alſo declare how long Chriſtianity continued, and what they were, and what they ſuffered who were called Chriſtians; ſuch as Plinies, Celſus, Porphyry, Plotinus, Lucian, Su… tonius, and others.
19. And the conſtant inſtruction of Children by their Parents, which is Family-tradition, hath been a very great means alſo of this commemoration. For it cannot be (though ſome be negligent) but that multitudes in all times would teach their children, what the Chriſtian Religion was, as to its doctrine and its hiſtory. And the practice of catechizing, and teaching children the Creed, the Lords Prayer, and the Decalogue, and the Scriptures, the more ſecured this tradition in families.
20. Laſtly, A ſucceſſion of the ſame Spirit, which was in the Apoſtles, and of much of the ſame works, which were done by them, was ſuch a way of aſſuring us of the truth of their doctrine and hiſtory, as a ſucceſſion of poſterity teleth us, that our progenitors were men. The ſame ſpirit of Wiſdom and Goodneſs in a great degree continued after them to this day. And all wrought by their doctrine: and very credible hiſtory aſſureth us, that many miracles alſo were done, in many ages after them; though not ſo many as by them: Euſebius, Cyprian, Auguſtine, Victor, Ʋlicenſis, Sulpitius, Severus, and many others, ſhew us ſo much as may make the belief of the Apoſtles the more eaſie.
And indeed, the Image of Gods WISDOM, GOODNESS and POWER on the ſouls of all true Chriſtians in the world, ſucceſſively to this day, conſidered in it ſelf, and in its agreement with the ſame Image in the holy Scriptures, which do imprint it, and in its agreement or ſameneſs as found in all Ages, Nations and Perſons, is ſuch a ſtanding perpetual evidence that the Chriſtian Religion is Divine, that (being ſtill at hand) it ſhould be exceeding ſatisfactory to a conſiderate Believer, againſt all doubts and temptations to unbelief. And were it not leſt, I ſhould inſtead of an Index, give you too large a recital of what I have more fully written in my foreſaid Treatiſe, I would here ſtay yet to ſhew you how impoſſible it is that this Spirit of Holineſs, which we feel in us, and ſee by the effects in others, even in every true Believer, ſhould be cauſed by a word of falſhood, which he abhorreth, and as the Juſt Ruler of the world, would be obliged to diſown.
I ſhall only here deſire you by the way to note that when I have all this while ſhewed you that the SPIRIT is the great witneſs of the truth of Chriſtianity, that it is, this ſpirit of Wiſdom, Goodneſs and Power, in the Prophets, in Chriſt, in the Apoſtles, and in all Chriſtians, expreſſed in the doctrine, and the practices aforeſaid, which I mean; as being principally the Evidences, or objective witneſs of Jeſus Chriſt; and ſecondarily, being in all true Believers, their teacher, or illuminater and ſanctifier, efficiently to cauſe them to perceive the aforeſaid objective Evidences in its cogent undeniable power. And thus the Holy Ghoſt is the promiſed Agent or Advocate of Chriſt; to do his work in his bodily abſence in the world: And that in this ſenſe it is, that we Believe in the HOLY GHOST, and are baptized into his Name; and not only as he is the third perſon in the Eternal Trinity.
And therefore it is to be lamented exceedingly, 1. That any Orthodox Teachers ſhould recite over many of theſe parts of the witneſs of the SPIRIT, and when they have done, tell us, that yet all theſe are not ſufficient to convince us without the teſtimony of the Spirit: As if all this were none of the teſtimony of the Spirit; and as if they would perſwade us and our enemies, that the teſtimony which muſt ſatisfie us, is only ſome inward impreſs of this Propoſition on the mind, by way of inſpiration, [The Scriptures are the Word of God, and true.] Overlooking the great witneſs of the Spirit, which is his ſpecial work, and which our Baptiſm relateth to, and feigning ſome extraordinary new thing as the only teſtimony.
And it is to be lamented, that Papiſts, and quarrelling Sectaries ſhould take this occaſion to reproach us as Infidels, that have no true grounded faith in Chriſt; as telling us that we reſolve it all into a private inward pretended witneſs of the Spirit: And then they ask us, who can know that witneſs but our ſelves? and how can we preach the Goſpel to others, if the only cogent argument of faith be incommunicable, or ſuch as we cannot prove? Though both the Believing ſoul and the Church be the Kingdom of the Prince of Light, yet O what wrong hath the Prince of Darkneſs done, by the mixtures of darkneſs in them both!
So much for the firſt Direction for the ſtrengthening of Faith, which is, by diſcerning the Evidences of Truth in our Religion.