Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Preface – Head 5

Tropes and Figures · Treatise 1 · Preface – Head 5

p. iThe Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures aſſerted and vindicated, and the groundleſs Cavils againſt the ſame detected and confuted.

THE main Scope of this Work, being to offer ſome Aſſiſtance towards the explaining and finding out the true Senſe and Meaning of the Holy Scriptures, it will be convenient (according to our Promiſe in our Specimen of this Undertaking) to premiſe ſomething touching the Divine Authority of that bleſſed Book. For tho it be commonly own'd by Chriſtians to be the Word of God, yet ſince on the one Hand, there are (eſpecially in this Atheiſtical Age) too many amongſt us, whoſe Love of Sin, and Reſolutions to continue therein, tempt them to ſeek for ſhelter in bold Contempt of, or ſubtile Cavils againſt thoſe Heavenly Oracles; and on the other hand, not a few poor Souls are ſometimes ſhaken with Temptations, and know not how to diſcharge themſelves from the enſnaring Queſtions that they are often attaqued with, touching the Divine Original and Authority of thoſe Sacred Records; Not ſo much for want of Aſſent thereunto, as of a right Underſtanding or Conſideration of the Grounds of that Aſſent, and the true formal Reaſon thereof; Therefore that with a perfect Security to our preſent and future Wellfare, we may rely on that Book, as the infallible Store-houſe of Heavenly Verities, that great and only Revelation, whereby God does Inform, Rule, and will Judg the World; we ſhall ſet forth ſome Conſiderations evincing this moſt important Truth: But finding that divers able and worthy Men have of late wrote moſt learnedly and excellently upon this Subject, we ſhall upon that account be the more conciſe; and tho we have ſaid but little, yet we hope enough to ſatisfy any rational conſidering Man, and confute the vain Cavils of the Adverſary; for all along in this Eſſay we ſtrive to join Perſpicuity with Brevity, and to ſpeak ſo plainly and familiarly, that the weakeſt Capacity may with eaſe gather it up; (the neglect hereof having rendred the Labours of ſome others on the ſame Subject leſs ſerviceable to the vulgar unlearned Reader.) It being our great Deſign to endeavour the Help and Eſtabliſhment of the Unskilful, and to aſſiſt weak Chriſtians; knowing, that if Satan can once bring them into a diffidence of the Truth and Authority of God's Word, he at the ſame Inſtant ſhakes the very Foundation of all their Hope and Religion: And if the Foundations fail, what ſhall the Righteous do? Pſal. 11.3.

p. iiThat the Scripture, or Book called the Bible, is of Divine Original, Inſpired by the Spirit of God, and therefore of infallible Truth and Authority, Appears,

1. The ſublime Matter of the Scriptures ſhew them to be Divine.I. By the Contents, or Matters therein diſcovered and treated of, which are ſo tranſcendently ſublime and myſterious that they could never be the product of Human Invention, or Diſcovery; and therefore tho written by Men, as Inſtruments, muſt needs be revealed from above: for what Human Brain could ever have imagined a**Ma…. 28.19. 1 Joh. 5.7.1 John 5:7 Trinity in the Deity, or ſuch an Exiſtence of one ſimple Eſſence as this Book acquaints us withal? It deſcribes the Perſon of Chriſt, ſo plainly, fitly and excellently, that if the Mind of Man conſider it attentively, of neceſſity it muſt needs acknowledg, it doth far exceed the reach of a finite Underſtanding. It diſcovers unto us the Miſery and Corruption of Man by Nature, together with that general defect of the whole Creation (which tho ſome of the Heathen had ſome glimpſe of) yet could never find out the Cauſe, nor how it came to paſs; No finite Intellect could ever have travell'd into ſuch Heights and Depths, touching the Nature of God and his Eternal Counſels that ſtupendious Contrivement for the Salvation of Man, that the ſecond Perſon ſhould deſcend from Heaven, and aſſume Human Nature into a Conjunction with the Divine, take upon him in his own Perſon the Sin of Mankind, and die for the World, thereby making a ſatisfaction proportionate to infinite Juſtice, ſo that God may ſhow the utmoſt Act of Mercy, in a Conjunction with the higheſt Exerciſe of Juſtice: Nothing leſs than an Infinite Underſtanding could have found out Expedients to reconcile thoſe two infinite Attributes, in his dealings with an Apoſtate Creature. It unfolds the Covenant of Grace, which God made after the Fall, all which can be drawn from no other Fountain but Divine**1 Cor. 2.7. Eph. 3 4, 5.1 Cor 2:7Eph 3:4Eph 3:5 Revelation; it contains the Law of God, which is wiſe and juſt, the Gentiles themſelves being††Dan 4 5, 6, 7.Dan 4:5Dan 4:6Dan 4:7 Judges. In its Precepts ſhines forth its Divinity; 1. The ſurpaſſing Excellency of the Act, requiring that we ſhould deny our ſelves in all thoſe things which the corrupt Nature of Man cleaveth to, and hateth to forego. 2. The wonderful Equity that doth appear in every Command. 3. The admirable ſtrangeneſs of ſome Acts, which a natural Man would account Fooliſhneſs, and yet preſcribed as abſolutely neceſſary;‖‖Joh. 3 36. & 8.24.John 3:36John 8:24 ſhews its Divine Original. 4. The manner how Obedience is required, viz. that it proceed from a pure Heart, a good Conſcience, and Faith unfeigned**Deut. 6.5. 1 Cor. 13.1. 1 Tim. 1.4, 5.Deut 6:51 Cor 13:11 Tim 1:41 Tim 1:5: Take a view of the Ten Commandments, are they not plain, brief, perfect, juſt, extending to all, binding the Conſcience, and reaching to the very Thoughts? And do not all theſe things commend unto us the Juſtice, Wiſdom, Holineſs, Omnipotence, Omniſcience, Perfection, and abſolute Soveraignty of the Law-Maker?

'Tis a Book that comprehends an Univerſal Hiſtory of the World, paſt, preſent, and to come; Its Contents reach as far as the firſt Foundations of the Earth and Heavens, give us an Account of God's Revelations to Man ever ſince his firſt make, and the particulars of an Entercourſe between God and the World, for near upon two thouſand and five hundred Years, before they were any where extant upon Record; What other Book, ſince the World began, ſo much as pretended to do this? A Book! which as it was ſixteen hundred Years a writing (for ſo long it was from the Time of Moſes, till John cloſed it with the Revelations); ſo the Matters it treats of, are of the moſt excellent Nature, and higheſt Concernment.

To give the World a ſatisfactory Account not only of its Original, but of its End too; To bring Man acquainted with his true Soveraign Happineſs, and a moſt wonderful and aſtoniſhing method of Reconciliation with his Maker; Its Promiſes are everlaſting Glory, and never-fading Crowns: Its Precepts, perfect††Gal. 3.10.Gal 3:10 Righteouſneſs, and altogether ſuch as tend moſt to the Honour of God, the Happineſs of a Man's Self, and the Quiet of the World: Its Threatnings are of Miſeries that are endleſs: Its whole Tendency is to a Proſpect beyond the Grave: what Heathen ever ſo much as dream'd of the Reſurrection? Who but the Lord could be Author of ſuch Laws, that only can give eternal Life, and inflict eternal Death? Theſe things can move the Conſcience of none, but ſuch who acknowledg the Precepts thereof to be divine. In a Word, its General Subjects are Myſteries no where elſe to be heard of, and without ſuch a Manifeſtation, unconceivable. Now conſidering the Premiſes, what leſs than Infinite VViſdom, can be the ſuppoſed Author of ſuch a Book?

2. The Antiquity of the Holy Scriptures.II. By its Antiquity. The Books of Moſes, (wherein in Promiſes, Prophecies, Types, and Shadows, the Sum and Subſtance of all the reſt of the Bible is compriſed) were the firſt Writings in the World, (next to thoſe by the Finger of God on Mount Sinai.) This p. iiiis fully proved by Juſtin Martyr, an ancient Writer, that lived within one hundred and thirty Years after Chriſt, in his Paroenetick to the Greeks; who comparing the Times of all Human Writers, Poets, Philoſophers, Hiſtorians, and Law-givers, eſteemed moſt ancient, demonſtrates them all to be but Punies to Moſes. Euſebius alſo, who followed Juſtin Martyr at about two hundred Years diſtance, in the 2d and 3d Books of his Evangelical Preparation, proſecutes the ſame Argument at large, and from abundance of Teſtimonies and Confeſſions, out of the beſt and moſt authentick Heathen Authors themſelves, undeniably evinces, That Moſes was the moſt ancient of all the Writers that were known or named amongſt them. And Tertullian ſo confidently upbraids the Gentiles in this matter, that we think it not amiſs to recite his Words, in the 19th Chapter of his Apology. — Our Religion (ſaith he, ſpeaking to the Heathens,) far out-does all that you can boaſt of in that kind: For the Books of one of our Prophets only, viz. Moſes, (wherein it ſeems God hath encloſed, as in a Treaſury, all the Chriſtian Religion preceding ſo many Ages together) reach beyond the ancienteſt you have, even all your Publick Monuments, the Antiquity of your Originals, the Eſtabliſhment of your Eſtates, the Foundations of your Cities, all that are moſt advanced by you in all Ages of Hiſtory, and Memory of Times; the Invention even of the Characters, which are Interpreters of Sciences, and the Guardians of all Things excellent: I think I may ſay more, they are elder than your very Gods, your Temples, Oracles, and Sacrifices. Have you not heard mention made of that great Prophet, Moſes? He was contemporary with Inachus, and preceded Danaus, (the ancienteſt of all that have a Name in your Hiſtories) 393 Years: He lived ſome Hundreds of Years before the Ruine of Troy. [And Homer, the eldeſt Writer amongſt the Grecians, lived, as Pliny ſaith, 250 Years after the Subverſion of that City.] Every of the other Prophets ſucceeded Moſes, and yet the laſt of them was of the ſame Age as your prime Wiſe-Men, Law-givers, and Hiſtorians were.

So that 'tis a Thing out of diſpute, that for Antiquity, neither the Writings of Orpheus, or Homer, or Triſmegiſtus, or Pythagoras, or Beroſus, nor any other, can compare with the Pentateuch. Theſe Gray-Hairs ſhew them to be the Off-ſpring of the Ancient of Days; for Truth is always the Firſt-born.

And if we conſider, how low, mean, and imperfect all humane Inventions were in thoſe Times; and what fooliſh, irrational, and abſurd Conceptions, both the Egyptians and Grecians, (Nations moſt celebrated for Wiſdom) had of Things Divine, and the Duty and Happineſs of Man; we cannot but conclude, That ſo clear an Account of the World's Beginning, Depravation, Deſtruction by the Flood, and Re-peopling; ſuch a moſt excellent Law and Doctrine, in reference both to God and Man, &c. could not be of Humane Extract, but muſt needs be in truth, what it pretends it ſelf to be, a Divine Revelation. Beſides, who can believe the firſt Religion ſhould be the worſt, or the moſt timely Notions of God the falſeſt? Were this ſo, and the Bible not a Divine Book, but compoſed by Impoſtors, then it follows, That the moſt primitive Account we have of Religion is counterfeit; that the Devil ſet up his Chappel, before God built his Church; that in the earlieſt Notices we have of God, of the World's Original, Man's Fall, and the Way of his Recovery, the World is deceived and abuſed; and that God ſuffered the Devil, in the firſt place, (and without any Thing publickly extant from him, either before or ſince, to contradict it) in his Name, and under pretence of his Authority, to delude and miſlead Mankind, with a falſe Account of all thoſe Things which they are moſt concerned to know, and upon the right Knowledg of which their preſent and future Happineſs depends: All which, as it is unworthy of God, ſo it is no leſs repugnant to the Dictates of Reaſon. But on the contrary, 'tis moſt rational to believe, that God's Revelations were as early as Man's Neceſſities; and that the Bible being the moſt ancient, as well as the wiſeſt Book in the World, is alſo the trueſt, and proceeded from the God of Truth.

III. This Royal Deſcent, or Divinity of the Scriptures, further appears,3. The Majeſty and Strangeneſs of the Stile. by that Majeſty and Authoritativeneſs of the Spirit of God ſpeaking in them, and that extraordinary and inimitable Stile wherein they are written. As 'tis ſaid of our bleſſed Lord, Mat. 7.28. That he taught as one having Authority, and not as the Scribes: So the Scriptures teach with an awful Authority.††See the Epiſt. to the Firſt Volume. The Stile of the Sacred Scripture is ſingular, and has peculiar Properties, not elſewhere to be found; its Simplicity is joined with Majeſty, commanding the Veneration of all ſerious Men.**Lib. 3. Confeſſ. cap. 5. Auguſtine ſays, That the Holy Scriptures ſeemed rude and unpoliſh'd to him, in compariſon of Cicero's adorned Stile, becauſe he did not then underſtand its (interiora, or) inward Beauty: But when he was converted to Chriſtianity, declared,‖‖Lib. 4 de Doctrin. Chriſt. cap. 6. That when he underſtood them, no Writing appeared more wiſe and eloquent.††Budoeus, lib. 5. de Aſſe, & partibus ejus. p. 754. Greg. Nazianzen, a Man of prodigious Wit, Learning, and Eloquence, p. ivwhen he came to ſtudy the ſacred Scriptures, vilifies all Ornaments of Literature amongſt the Greek Philoſophers, as infinitely below thoſe Divine Oracles. Illyricus ſays, That altho we find not in the Holy Scripture that idle or delicate Itch of Words, that external Sweetneſs or Allurement, that Numeroſity of Sounds, or thoſe pleaſing Triffes, which vain-glorious Orators of Greece and Rome beautified their ſo much fam'd Harangues with; yet we find there a grave and maſculine Eloquence, exceeding all others. And ſhall we indeed think, that the great God would uſe Inductions, as Plato; Syllogiſms, as Ariſtotle; Elenchs, as the Carmeades; Epiphonema's, as Cicero; Subtilties, as Seneca; or Words far fetch'd, joined together with an artificial Syntax, with reſpect to Weight, Number, and Sound? If a Royal Edict were publiſhed in that kind of Speech, conſiſting of School-Follies, every wiſe Man would laugh at it. The more plain therefore the Word and Law of the great God is, 'tis (we ſay) the more becoming the Author thereof, and an Evidence of his Divine Stamp and Authority. Yet in that Humility of Stile in Scripture, there is far more Height and Loftineſs, and more Profoundneſs in its Simplicity, more Beauty in its Nakedneſs, and more Vigor and Acuteneſs in its (ſeeming) Rudeneſs, than in thoſe other Things Men ſo much praiſe and admire, &c. Eaſineſs and Plainneſs doth beſt become the Truth. A Pearl needs no painting; it becomes not the Majeſty of a Prince to play the Orator. In the holy Scripture is a peculiar and admirable Eloquence. What are all the elaborate Blandiſhments of Human Writers, to that grave, lively, and venerable Majeſty of the Prophet Iſaiah's Stile, as the Exordium of his Prophecy ſhews, alſo in chap. 25, 26, &c. That which Criticks admire in Homer, Pindar, &c. ſingly, are univerſally found here, tho not that Elegancy that tickles the Ear and Fancy, and reliſhes with the Fleſh, but the noble and immortal Part, viz. an illuminated Soul. Commandments are here given forth, and Subjection peremptorily required, with great Severity, and with no ſtronger Arguments than the Will of the Law-maker. Promiſes above likelihood are made; to allure of performance, no Reaſon is alledged, but I the Lord have ſpoken **Iſa. 51.22. & 52.4.Isa 51:22Isa 52:4: And to encourage againſt Difficulties, &c. divine Aſſiſtance is promiſed, both as neceſſary and ſufficient, in the manner of its‖‖Gen. 17 1. E…od. 12. Joſh 1.9.Gen 17:1Josh 1:9 Threats. Alſo the Divinity of the Stile may be obſerved, that without reſpect of Perſons, all degrees of Men are concerned, High and Low, Rich and Poor, Noble and Ignoble, Kings and Peaſants, commanding what is diſtaſteful to their Natures, and forbidding what they approve; promiſing not terrene Honour, but Life everlaſting; threatning not with Rack and Gibbet, but eternal Pain, and Torment in Hell-Fire.

Of all Writings in the World, the Sacred Scriptures aſſume moſt unto themſelves; they tell us,Ioh. 12.48. 2 Tim. 3.16 Rev. 2.29 1 Pet. 1.23. E…od. 20.1, 2.John 12:482 Tim 3:16Rev 2:291 Pet 1:23 that they are the Words of Eternal Life; that they are by the Inſpiration of the Holy-Ghoſt, the Teſtimony of Jeſus Chriſt, the Faithful Witneſs; that they ſhall judg the World; that they are able to make wiſe unto Salvation; that they are the Immortal Seed, of which the Sons and Daughters of God muſt be begotten. Their Tenor is, Thus ſaith the Lord; and no Concluſion, but, The Lord hath ſpoken; Hear the Word of the Lord; He that hath Ears to hear, let him hear, &c. The Nature, Quality, or Compoſure of the Stile or Phraſe (we ſay) is emphatically and ſignally different from that of all Humane Writings whatſoever. Here are no Apologies, begging Pardon of the Reader, or inſinuating into his good Opinion by Devices of Rhetorick, but a ſtately Plainneſs, 1 Cor. 2.13.1 Cor 2:13and myſterious Simplicity. We alſo ſpeak (ſaith the Apoſtle) not in the Words which Mans Wiſdom teacheth, but which the Holy-Ghoſt, comparing, (or rather ſuiting or fitting, foreign,) ſpirituals with ſpirituals, (for ſo only the Original runs, foreign,) that is, Matter or Things, which for their Nature and Subſtance are ſpiritual, Auguſtin.with Words or Phraſes which are ſpiritual alſo, and ſo ſuitable to them. Hence, well ſaith one of the Ancients, The Scripture ſo ſpeaketh, that with the Height of it, it laughs proud and lofty-ſpirited Men to ſcorn; with the Depth of it, it terrifies thoſe who with Attention look into it; with the Truth of it, it feeds Men of the greateſt Knowledg and Ʋnderſtanding; and with the Sweetneſs of it, it nouriſheth Babes and Sucklings.

4. Its deſign to promote Holineſs. Lev. 11.44. 1 Pet. 1.15.Lev 11:441 Pet 1:15IV. That excellent Spirit of Holineſs, which every where breaths in and from the Scriptures, is another fair Lineament of the Hand of God in the framing them. To this Holineſs they moſt powerfully perſuade Men, by expreſs Commands: Ye ſhall be holy, for I am holy. As he who hath called you is holy; ſo be ye holy in all manner of Converſation. And by Threatnings, Without Holineſs no Man ſhall ſee God. Heb. 12.14. And by a Multitude of Examples of holy Men, as Abraham, David, and all the Prophets and Apoſtles, and eſpecially of that immaculate Lamb of God, the bleſſed JESUS. As on the other ſide, it ſets before us the dreadful Vengeance that attends all Prophaneneſs, Unrighteouſneſs, Uncleanneſs, Pride, and worldly Luſts; requires not only an Abſtinence p. vfrom the groſs outward Acts of Sin, but ſearches the Heart, and condemns the very Thoughts and Inclinations: He that hateth his Brother, is a Murtherer. He that luſteth after a Woman, hath committed Adultery. The Doctrine taught every-where in this Book, is directly oppoſite to the whole Corporation of debauched and wicked Men; deſtructive to all Impiety, and corrupt Doctrines and Practices whatſoever, and perfectly ruinous and deſtructive to the Intereſts of the Devil in the World: A Doctrine, that has viſibly the higheſt Tendency to thoſe two great Ends of all Religion, the Honour of God, and Man's preſent and future Happineſs. What pitiful, crooked, and imperfect Lines have the wiſeſt and beſt of meer Men, as Socrates, Plato, Ariſtotle, Tully, Seneca, Plutarch, or any others, drawn, in their faireſt Documents, both Moral and Divine, compared with this compleat and tranſcendent Rule of holy Living! What undefiled Religion, what pure and ſpiritual Worſhip is here! How ſuitable to the holy Nature of God! What ſuperlative Piety and Vertue, without any ſpot of Vice! What punctual and perpetual Truth and Honeſty is here required! yet without the leaſt Taint of baſe Means, or unworthy ſordid Ends! No Vain-Glory! no Eſteem of Men! no corrupt Advantages! But on the contrary, what Charity is here required! What repeated Commands not to offend weak Ones! What mutual Forgiveneſſes! What Provocations to Love! With what Patience and Meekneſs, Juſtice and Modeſty, are we taught to behave our ſelves! In a word, 'Tis ſuch a Doctrine as makes a Man perfect, throughly furniſhed to every good Work; which brings Men to the beſt Way of Living, the nobleſt Way of Suffering, and the comfortableſt Way of Dying. — Now muſt not ſuch pure Streams needs flow from the Fountain of all Perfection? Does ſuch a ſerious and effectual Advancement of Holineſs in the World, look like an Intrigue of polluted Man, or any unclean Spirit? How can we better judg of a Law, that declares it proceeds from God, and is of Divine Obligation, than by its Nature, Tendency and Influence on humane Life? Whether it be ſuitable to thoſe Pretenſions, and ſuch an adorable and unſpotted Original? And when we find ſo holy and excellent a Deſign, as appears throughout this whole Book, for the Honour of God, and compleating the Happineſs of Men, by Methods ſo agreeable, and yet above the reach of Humane Invention; what can we judg, (unleſs we will be obſtinately perverſe) but that ſuch a Book's Teſtimony of it ſelf is true, and that it is indeed of God, and not of Men?

V. The ſweet and admirable Agreement, Conſent, Dependence, and Harmony,5. The Harmony of the Scriptures. that we find in all and every part of Scripture, tho there are ſo many Books thereof, written by ſo many different Perſons, of various Conditions, many Ages remov'd, in ſeveral Places, and in different Languages, yet all agreeing with each other, and every part with the whole, which could not be foreſeen or contriv'd by any humane Wiſdom or Cunning, in the writing of any one Part: For all the Hiſtories, Prophecies, Promiſes, Types, and Doctrines, in an orderly Connection, tend to promote the ſame Thing; and every Age proves a freſh Interpreter, and reveals to us more and more of this admirable Concord, which could not be the Effect of humane Artifice, nor of any other Cauſe, but an infinite Comprehenſion and Fore-ſight, and that the ſeveral Writers of this Book were in all Times guided in what they wrote by the Supreme Wiſdom of that one God, who is always conſtant to himſelf, and the ſame yeſterday, to day, and for ever.

VI. This further appears from the Credit and Sincerity of thoſe that were the Pen-men.6. The Credit of the Pen-men. If the Scriptures were not what they pretend to be, viz. the Word of God, and dictated to the Writers thereof by his holy Spirit, it would be the greateſt Affront to the Divine Majeſty, and the groſſeſt Cheat towards Mankind, that ever was put upon the World. But if we conſider the Pen-men thereof, we ſhall find them all of undoubted Credit, generally eſteemed holy and good Men in the Ages they liv'd in, ſo no way to be ſuſpected of Impoſture. Some of them were Kings, and of the deepeſt Learning, not likely to be guilty of ſuch a mean-ſpirited Baſeneſs, as Lying and Forgery. Many of the Prophets, and moſt of the Apoſtles were Men illiterate, of Parts and Education ſo mean, that of themſelves they ſeem no way capable to write ſo profoundly, or lay ſo deep a Contrivance for deluding the World. And as 'tis incredible, that ſo many Men, of ſuch diſtant Times, Qualities, and Abilities, ſhould all agree in the ſame Impoſture, and ſo harmonize in promoting it; ſo neither could any Intereſt or Ambition prompt them thereunto: For as the main Tendency of this Book is, to mortify Mens Ambitions and Luſts; ſo moſt of them expoſed themſelves, by publiſhing theſe Writings, to great Hazards and Perſecutions. Nor have ſeveral of them been ſhie to record the great Failings and Imperfections of themſelves, or their Brethren. Thus Moſes (a)(a)Exod. 3, & 4 chapters.Exod 3relates his own Infidelity, p. viand Averſeneſs to ſubmit to the extraordinary Call of God. In another place(b)(b)Numb. 11.21.Num 11:21, he records the Shame of his Diſtruſtfulneſs, or at leaſt the Carnality of his Conceit or Apprehenſion of the Power of God. Again,(c)(c)Numb. 20.12.Num 20:12 he inſerts God's heavy Sentence, and the Ground thereof, againſt him. The ſame Moſes did not ſet up any of his own Poſterity to ſucceed him in the Guidance of Iſrael, but left Joſhua to ſucceed him, &c. and placed the Kingly Superiority over that People in another Tribe from his own, viz. the Tribe of Judah. Indeed, throughout the whole Book there is a viſible Antipathy to all ſelf-ſeeking Flattery or Compliance: God alone is exalted, and all Mens Perſons, Actions, and Reputations are laid in the Duſt, in reſpect of his Honour, and the Truths therein delivered. Beſides, theſe very Writers appear themſelves to be under a ſubjection to the Doctrine they taught, and no way Maſters of it, as their own. All which plainly ſhews, that they were inſpired from above, and wrote not their own Words, or for their own Honour, but as inſpired, and for the Honour of God.

8. Scripture-prophecies, and their Accompliſhments, prove 'tis divine.VII. Another Demonſtration or Proof, that the Scriptures are from God, is the exact and punctual fulfilling of the Prophecies therein contained. To foretell Events, is the Prerogative of God:(d)(d)Iſa 41.22.Isa 41:22 Let them bring forth, (ſaith God, the Lord, expoſtulating with his People about the Vanity of Idols) and ſhew us, [What ſhall happen]: Shew us the Things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are Gods. Now the Body of the Scriptures is enlivened with the Spirit of Prophecy (almoſt) throughout. That of Jacob, recorded by Moſes, (e)(e)Gen. 49.10Gen 49:10That the Scepter ſhould not depart from Judah, nor a Law-giver from between his Feet untill Shiloh come; and to him ſhall the gathering of the People be: was not compleatly fulfilled till well near two thouſand Years after, tho made good during a great part of that Time, viz. from the Entrance of the Tribe of Judah upon the Government, in King David, until the going of it out again in the Perſon of Hircanus, whom Herod ſlew, as Joſephus teſtifies. But when the Time appointed was expired, the Prophecy it ſelf was compleatly fulfilled: For when Herod, a Stranger, and of another Nation, had cut off the Houſe and Line of Judah from the Government of Jewry, then and at that Time Shiloh, the long-expected Meſſiah, our Lord Chriſt, punctually came into the World: for that by Shiloh is meant the Meſſiah, the Jewiſh Rabbies do not deny. Now at the Time of Jacob's uttering theſe Words, there was little probability, that any of his Poſterity ſhould have a Scepter, or any Kingly Power, being poor, few, and in a ſtrange Land: Or, if they ſhould thrive ſo, as to become a Kingdom, or Nation, why ſhould Judah have the Government, ſeeing there were three elder Brothers, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi? Nor was there likelihood of this Prophecy's being accompliſh'd, when Moſes ſet it down in Writing; for then he himſelf (who was of the Tribe of Levi) was in the actual Poſſeſſion of the Government, and put into it by God himſelf, who appointed for his Succeſſor, Joſhua, not of the Tribe of Judah, but of Ephraim. Whence we have a notable Evidence of the Truth and Sincerity of this Prediction; for had not Jacob really uttered it, we cannot imagine Moſes would have put ſuch a Prophecy in Writing, to the diſparagement of his own Tribe. How accurately are the four great Monarchies of the World deſcribed by Daniel? (f)(f)Dan 7.3.Dan 7:3ſo lively, as if he had lived under them, and had that experience of them all reſpectively, which the World hath ſince had of them. How wonderful is that Prophecy of Iſaiah, at the end of his 44th, and the beginning of the 45th Chapter, touching Cyrus, delivered at leaſt an hundred Years (ſome ſay, two hundred) before he was born, wherein yet he is not only expreſly named, Thus ſaith the Lord to his Anointed Cyrus; but it is foretold, he ſhould conquer Babylon, and rebuild the Temple of Jeruſalem: which came to paſs accordingly. Nor can this Prophecy be ſuſpected of Forgery, or to be ſuppoſititious in any kind, ſince it was pronounced openly, as other Prophecies were, in the hearing of all the People, and ſo divulged into many hands, before the Captivity, and then alſo carried into Babylon, where no doubt it was peruſed by many, long before the accompliſhment of it. And that there was ſuch a Man as Cyrus many Years afterwards, that conquered Babylon, and reſtored the Jews from their Captivity, and furthered the Building of the Temple, all Heathen Authors, that write of thoſe Times, do affirm. And indeed one great Inducement of his Kindneſs to the Jews, was, becauſe he underſtood how his Succeſſes had been thus propheſied of, ſo long before, by one of that Nation. So that it appears the ſaid Prophecy was then publickly known, and its Truth and Authentickneſs no way doubted of. How manifeſtly are the many Prophecies of the Old-Teſtament, concerning our Saviour, fulfilled? And how dreadfully his Prophecy of the Deſtruction of Jeruſalem, was made good about forty Years after his Crucifixion, we find in the Hiſtory of Joſephus, exactly correſponding to what is foretold in Mat. 24. And p. viihow many other Prophecies of the New-Teſtament, and eſpecially of the Revelations, do we daily find Verified in and by the Apoſtacy, and wicked Uſurpations of the Church of Rome? Since therefore to foretell ſo plainly, Particulars and Events ſo remote, and depending on the meer Motions and Acts of the Wills of particular Perſons, yet unborn, is an evident Mark of Omniſciency; we cannot but conclude, that the Scriptures, which are fill'd with ſo many evident and certain Predictions, muſt certainly proceed from the Finger of God.

VIII. Thoſe Writings, and that Doctrine,8. Miracles confirm its divine Original. which were confirmed by many and real Miracles, muſt needs be of God: But the Books and Doctrines of Canonical Scriptures were ſo confirmed. Many and great Wonders, ſuch as Satan himſelf cannot imitate, ſuch as exceed the Power of any, yea, of all the Creatures in the World; ſuch as the moſt malicious Enemies could not deny to be divine, hath the Lord openly wrought by the hands of Moſes, and the Prophets, Chriſt, and his Apoſtles, for the Confirmation of this Truth.(g)(g)Numb. 11.9. Exod. 19.16. 1 Kings 17.24. Mark 16.20. Acts 5.12.Num 11:9Exod 19:161 Kgs 17:24Mark 16:20Acts 5:12 Theſe Miracles are recorded and atteſted by Perſons of unqueſtionable Credit, that were Eye and Ear-Witneſſes. The Things done, as raiſing the Dead to Life, curing the Blind, &c. were Matters of Fact, eaſy to be diſcerned. They were not done once or twice, but very often; not in the Night, or in a Corner, but in the open Light, in the midſt of the People, in the preſence of great Multitudes, who were generally Enemies to thoſe that wrought theſe Miracles: So that if the Relations of them were falſe, they would preſently have diſproved them; or if there had been any Deceit, they would ſoon have detected it.

When God puts forth his Miracle-working Power,Dr. Owen. in the Confirmation of any Word or Doctrine, he avows it to be of and from himſelf, to be abſolutely and infallibly true; ſetting the fulleſt and openeſt Seal unto it, which Men, who cannot diſcern his Eſſence or Being, are capable of receiving or diſcerning. And therefore when any Doctrine, which in it ſelf is ſuch as becometh the Holineſs and Righteouſneſs of God, is confirmed by the Emanation of his Divine Power in working of Miracles, there can no greater Aſſurance, even by God himſelf, be given to confirm the Truth of it.

And as we have the Teſtimony of the Evangeliſts, to confirm the many Miracles that Jeſus did; we alſo plead the Notoriety of thoſe Miracles wrought by him, and the Traditions delivering them down to us: They were openly wrought, and were all or moſt of them perform'd before the Eyes of Multitudes, who envied, hated, and perſecuted him, and that in the moſt knowing Days of the World, when Reaſon and Learning had improved the Light of the Minds of Men to the utmoſt of their Capacity; in and upon Multitudes, for ſundry Years together, being all of them ſifted by his Adverſaries, to try if they could diſcover any thing of Deceit in them.

Beſides, the very Enemies have not had the impudence to deny ſuch notorious Matters of Fact, as our Saviour's Miracles;Joſephus, in his Antiquity of the Jews, makes mention of the mighty Miracles that Jeſus did. See p. 400. only they aſcribe them to other Cauſes. Even to this Day, the Jews acknowledg much of the Works of Chriſt, but ſlanderouſly and blaſphemouſly father them on the Power of the Devil, or upon the Force of the Name of God ſowed up in his Thigh; and ſuch like ridiculous Stories they have. Even the Turks confeſs much of the Miracles of our Lord, and believe him to be a great Prophet, though they are profeſt Enemies to the Chriſtian Name. Nor could all the Adverſaries of theſe Miracles and Relations, with all their Arguments or Violence, hinder Thouſands from believing them, and even expoſing their Lives on that Belief, in the very Time and Country where they were done. So that we muſt ſay, Either they were Miracles, or not: If they were, why do you not believe? If they were not, behold the greateſt Miracle of all, that ſo many Thouſands (even of the Beholders) ſhould be ſo blind, as to believe Things that never were, eſpecially in thoſe very Times, when it was the eaſieſt Matter in the World to have diſproved ſuch Falſhoods. Indeed the Miracles of Jeſus, and thoſe of his Diſciples and Servants, in the Primitive Times, were in Fact ſo many, ſo eminent, ſo viſible, and laſted ſo long, (for they continued in the Church two or three hundred Years) and the Account of them has deſcended down to us by ſuch a conſtant, uninterrupted written and unwritten Tradition, that ſcarce any Man has aſſumed Impudence enough to gainſay them. Irenaeus (who lived about the Year of our Lord 200) affirmeth, that in his Time the working of Miracles, the raiſing of the Dead, the caſting out of Devils, healing the Sick by meer laying on of Hands, and Propheſying, were ſtill in force; and that ſome that were ſo raiſed from the Dead, remained alive amongst them long after. And Cyprian and Tertullian mention the ordinary caſting out of Devils, and challenge the Heathen to come and ſee it. Remarkable p. viiiare thoſe Words of the latter,(h)(h)Tertullian Apol. Ca. 23. Let any one be brought before your Tribunals, who is apparently poſſeſſed with a Devil, that Spirit, being commanded by any Chriſtian, ſhall confeſs of truth himſelf to be a Devil, as at other Times he boaſts himſelf a God. And in his Book to Scapula, the Procurator of Africk, Cap. 4. he repeats ſeveral miraculous Cures done by Chriſtians: Quanti honeſti viri, &c. How many Perſons of good Quality and Eſteem, ſays he, (for we ſpeak not of the Vulgar Sort) have been remedied either from Devils or Diſeaſes? Severus himſelf, the Father of Antoninus, was recovered by Chriſtians, &c. So that here we have the beſt Doctrine under the higheſt Atteſtation, God himſelf ſetting thereunto his ſupernatural Seals, to convince us of the Truth thereof. And this was the great Argument, whereby Chriſt all along convinced the World; for upon his beginning of Miracles, at Cana in Galilee, he manifeſted his Glory, and his Diſciples believed in him(i)(i)Joh. 1.48.John 1:48. The Jews therefore enquired for Signs, as that which muſt confirm any new Revelation to be of God(k)(k)Joh. 2.18.John 2:18. And tho Chriſt blames them for their unreaſonable unſatisfied Expectations herein, and would not humor them in each Particular; yet he continued to give them Miracles as great as they deſired. They that ſaw the Miracles of the Loaves, ſaid, This is of a truth the Prophet that ſhould come into the World (l)(l)Joh. 6 14.John 6:14. Many believed, when they ſaw the Miracles which he did (m)(m)Joh. 10.4…. Acts 4.16. Heb. 2.4.John 10:4Acts 4:16Heb 2:4. If I had not done the Works that no Man elſe could do, ye had not had Sin (in not believing)(n)(n)Joh. 15.24.John 15:24. And the Way of bringing Men to believe in theſe Days is expreſſed, Heb. 2.3, 4. How ſhall we eſcape, if we neglect ſo great Salvation, which at the firſt began to be ſpoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by thoſe that heard him, [There is the Evidence of Senſe to the firſt Re…eivers, and their Tradition to the next] God alſo bearing them witneſs, both with Signs and Wonders, and divers Miracles? Let us conclude this Argument with that ſmart Interrogation of that blind Man,(o)(o)Joh. 19.16John 19:16 Can a Man that is a Sinner do ſuch Miracles? Natural Reaſon ſhewing us, that God being the true and merciful Governor of the World, the Courſe of Nature cannot be altered, but by his ſpecial Appointment; and that he will never ſet the Seal of his Omnipotency to a Lie, nor ſuffer the laſt and greateſt Inducement to Belief, to be uſed to draw Men to embrace Falſhood and Forgeries.

9. The wonderful Preſervation of the Scriptures.IX. To theſe aſtoniſhing Miracles we may fitly add, the Preſervation of theſe holy Writings for ſo many Ages, being it ſelf little leſs than miraculous, and ſuch as is a great Argument, that they belong to God, as the Author and Parent of them: It being reaſonable to derive that from God, as a Book of his own Dictates, about which he has exerciſed a peculiar Care. Were not the Bible what it pretends to be, there had been nothing more ſuitable to the Nature of God, and more becoming Divine Providence, than long ſince to have blotted it out of the World: For why ſhould he ſuffer a Book to continue from the beginning of Times, falſly pretending his Name and Authority? How do learned Men accuſe Time of Injuries, for ſwallowing up the Works of many excellent Authors! and bewail the Loſs of divers of Livy's Decades, and other choice Books, which are now no where to be found! Nay, tho the Romans were ſo careful for the preſervation of the Books of the Sybils, that they lock'd them up in Places of greateſt Safety, and appointed ſpecial Officers to look after them; yet many Ages ſince they are gone and periſhed, and only ſome few Fragments do now remain. Whereas on the contrary, the Bible, notwithſtanding part of it was the firſt Book in the World, (as we proved in the ſecond Argument) and tho the Craft of Satan, and the Rage of Mankind, have from time to time combin'd utterly to ſuppreſs it; yet it has born up its Head, and remains not only extant, but whole and entire, without the leaſt Mutilation or Corruption. Antiochus Epiphanes, when he ſet up the Abomination of Deſolation in the Jewiſh Temple, in the Days of the Machabees, with utmoſt diligence made ſearch after their Law, and whereſoever he found it, immediatly burnt or deſtroy'd it, and threatned Death, with exquiſite Tortures, to any that ſhould conceal or retain it. In like manner, ſince Chriſt, the Tyrant Diocleſian, about the Year 300, with a full purpoſe to root out Chriſtianity for ever out of the World, publiſhes an Edict, That the Scriptures ſhould every where be burnt and deſtroyed; and whoſoever ſhould preſume to keep them, ſhould be moſt ſeverely tormented: Yet God permitted them not to quench the Light of theſe Divine Laws. But the Old Teſtament, above two hundred Years before the Incarnation of Chriſt, was tranſlated into Greek, (the moſt flouriſhing and ſpreading Language at that time in the World); and about thirty Years before Chriſt, it was paraphras'd into Caldee; and at this Day, both Old and New Teſtaments are extant, not only in their Original Languages, but in moſt other Tongues and Languages that are ſpoken upon the Face of the Earth, which no other Book can pretend to. So that all Endeavours that have from the very firſt been bent againſt it, have been p. ixvanquiſhed; and remarkable Judgments and Vengeance ſhew'd on all ſuch as have been the moſt violent Oppoſers of it. And further, whereas even thoſe to whom it was outwardly committed, as the Jews firſt, and the Antichriſtian Church of Apoſtatiz'd Rome afterwards, not only fell into Opinions and Practices abſolutely inconſiltent with it, but alſo built all their preſent and future Intereſts on thoſe Opinions and Practices; yet none of them could ever obliterate one Line in it, not even of thoſe Places which make moſt againſt their obſtinate Errors and Defections: But for their own Plea, they both are forced to pretend additional Traditions, (for the Miſhua, Talmud, and Cabala of the Jews, and the Oral Traditions of the Papiſts, all proceed from one and the ſame Ground, viz. a wicked Pretence, that the Scriptures, tho divine Truths, and the Word of God, yet do not contain all God's Will; but that there are theſe other unwritten Verities handed down, one ſays from Moſes, and the other ſays; from St Peter, &c. by Word of Mouth.)

Since therefore the Bible hath thus wonderfully ſurmounted all Difficulties and Oppoſitions, for ſo many Generations, and in ſo many Dangers, and againſt ſo many Endeavours to root it out of the World, we may (according to that Maxim in Philoſophy, Eadem eſt Cauſa procreans & conſervans; The procreating and conſerving Cauſe of Things, is one and the ſame) conclude, That the ſame God is the Author of it, who hath thus by his ſpecial Providence preſerved it, and faithfully promiſed (and cannot Lie) that Heaven and Earth ſhall paſs away, but one Iota or Tittle of his Word ſhall not paſs away.

X. The Scriptures did not only Survive, but have Triumph'd over,10. The Succeſs of the Scriptures in converting the World. all the Oppoſitions of the Devil and the World. That Succeſs wherewith the Goſpel was attended even in its Infancy, the mighty and marvellous prevailings of it where-ever it came, notwithſtanding the many and great Diſadvantages it was to encounter, are a ſtrong and irreſiſtible Argument that it was from Heaven. That a Doctrine directly oppoſite to the whole corrupt Intereſt of Human Nature, and to the Wiſdom and VVill of Man,(p)(p)1 Cor. 1.21. Rom. 8.7.1 Cor 1:21Rom 8:7 carried on and publiſhed by but a few, and thoſe (to outward appearance) weak, ignorant, and ſimple Perſons, Illiterate Fiſhermen, Tent-makers, &c. without any Force of Arms, or Temporal Support, but on the contrary againſt both VVind and Tide, the Cruelties of raging Powers, and Affronts of vaunting Wiſdom; A Doctrine againſt which the whole World, Jews and Gentiles perfectly concurr'd, thoſe hating it as a Stumblingblock, and theſe counting it Fooliſhneſs; that ſuch an improbable and unpleaſing, ſuch a friendleſs, unwelcome, ſlighted, oppoſed Doctrine, by ſuch Inſtruments, and under ſuch Circumſtances, ſhould make its way in the World, and ſubject ſo many Nations to the Obedience of the Croſs, and make thoſe who to Day perſecuted it, to Morrow ready to lay down their Lives in Defence and Juſtification of it; evidently ſhews it to be owned by Omnipotency, and not to be of Human Extract.

XI. But beſides theſe outward and more viſible Trophies of the Sacred Scriptures,11. Their inward Efficacy. how marvellous is their Empire, Efficacy and Power within; upon the Hearts and Conſciences of Men! 'tis this that Converts the Soul, Enlightens the Eye, (q)(q)Pſal. 19.7.Ps 19:7Diſcovers Sin, (r)(r)Rom. 7.7.Rom 7:7Convinces Gainſayers, (ſ)(ſ)2 Tim 3.162 Tim 3:16Killeth and Terrifieth, (t)(t)2 Cor. 3.6.2 Cor 3:6Rejoiceth the Heart, (u)(u)Pſal. 19.8. & Pſal. 119.103Ps 19:8Ps 119:103Quickneth, (x)(x)Pſal. 119.50Ps 119:50Comforteth, (y)(y)Rom 15.4.Rom 15:4Manifeſteth the Thoughts, (z)(z)1 Cot. 14.52.Overthrows falſe Religions, Caſteth down Strong-holds, and ſubverts the whole Kingdom of Satan. What Conſolations at ſome Times! What Terrors at others, do proceed from this Sacred Book! How are the poor Souls of Men by it mightily refreſh'd! Their weak Hearts wonderfully ſtrengthned! Their dead Spirits raiſed, and made to live again! Thoſe that ſate in Darkneſs, and the Shadow of Death, are Enlightned! Many that were in Chains and Fetters, of Fears and Terrors of Soul, are delivered and ſet at Liberty! Is it reaſonable to conceive that a Tree that bears ſuch wonderful Fruit, was planted by any other Hand than that of God? Who can ſpeak Words that ſhall reſtrain and repel all the Powers of Darkneſs, when falling in to make Havock and Deſolation in the Souls of Men? That ſhall be able to give Laws to the Terrors of Death, nay Eternal Death, when they have taken hold of the Conſciences of Sinners? Are not all theſe Wonders perform'd by the holy Scriptures? And do they not often, on the other ſide, breath Thunder and Lightnings? throw down the Mighty from their Seats, and deſtroy the Thrones of the Proud and Confident? Do they not turn the Security of many into Trembling and Horrour, and make their Conſciences to burn as if the Fire of Hell had already taken hold of them? Theſe Things are evident from the Experience of Thouſands that have felt and undergone ſuch powerful Effects of the Word: Nay, I verily believe, there are few that have read the p. xScriptures with attention and ſeriouſneſs, but can more or leſs witneſs the ſame: And whence ſhould ſuch Mighty Operations proceed, but becauſe the Almighty Author has endued them with ſuch Vertue through the Spirit, whereby they become the Power of God unto Salvation.

12. The Teſtimony of the Church and Martyrs.XII. Add to all theſe Arguments, the Teſtimony of the Church, and her Holy Martyrs, who have ſealed this Truth with their Blood. By the Church we do not mean the Pope, whom the Papiſts call the Church Virtual, nor his Cardinals, Biſhops, &c. met in General Council, whom they call the Church Repreſentative: But the whole Company of Believers in all Ages who have profeſſed the true Faith. The Pen-Men of the Scriptures, good, pious, honeſt, holy Men, delivered it out as the Word of the Lord, and ever ſince there have been Thouſands, and Hundreds of Thouſands that have believed and teſti…ied the ſame down from Age to Age in a continual uninterrupted Succeſſion; The Church of the Jews, (to whom were committed the Oracles of God)(a)(a)Rom. 8.3.Rom 8:3 profeſſed the Doctrine, and received the Books of the Old Teſtament, and teſtified of them that they were Divine, and in great Miſery they have conſtantly confeſſed the ſame; when as by the only denying thereof, they might have been partakers both of Liberty and Rule. And remarkable it is, both, that notwithſtanding the High Prieſts and others of that Nation perſecuted the Prophets while they lived, yet received their Writings as Prophetical and Divine; as alſo, that ſince the Spirit of Blindneſs and Obſtinacy is come upon Iſrael, and notwithſtanding their great hatred to the Chri…tian Religion, the Holy Scripture of the Old Teſtament is kept pure and uncorrupt among…t them, even in thoſe places which do evidently confirm the Truth of the Chriſtian Religion, as Iſa. 53.3. And as for the Chriſtian Church, it hath with great Conſtancy, and ſweet Conſent, received and acknowledged the Books of the Old and New Teſtament; for the Univerſal Church, which from the beginning thereof until theſe times profeſſed the Chriſtian Religion to be Divine, did and doth alſo profeſs that theſe Books are of God: And the ſeveral Primitive Churches which firſt received the Books of the Old Teſtament, and the Goſpels, the Epiſtles written from the Apoſtles to them, their Paſtors, or ſome they knew, did receive them as the Oracles of God, and delivered them afterwards under the ſame Title to their Succeſſors and other Churches: And all the Paſtors and Doctors (who being furniſhed with Skill both in the Languages and Matters, have tryed and ſearched into them) and all pious Chriſtians, who by Experience have felt their Divine Operation, on their own Souls, have aſſerted the ſame. So that whoever rejects the Bible, obliges himſelf to believe no other Books in the World whatſoever; for ſince none of them have any ſuch great and univerſal Atteſtations, if he ſhall credit them, and not this, it will ſhew apparent diſingenuity and peeviſh Obſtinacy. And ſecondly, He that does credit the Author of this Book, with the ſame Credit wherewith he credits other Authors, whom he ſuppoſes Men of common Honeſty that would not knowingly write an Untruth, cannot then refuſe to receive this as a Book Divine and Infallible, upon as good Terms of Credibility, as he believes any the beſt Human Author in its kind to be True; becauſe they themſelves tell us that it is ſo, (which were it otherwiſe, without moſt apparent Falſhood they would not do); They affirming that God himſelf inſpired them to write it, and that it was no Product of their own, but every part of it the Genuine Dictate of the Holy Ghoſt.

And this Argument is abundantly reinforc'd and ſtrengthned from the Conſideration of that Glorious Company of Martyrs, thoſe Innumerable Multitudes, who in the Flames and Rage of Perſecution, have with the loſs of their Lives maintained the Scriptures to be the Sacred Word of God, and had the ſame in ſuch Veneration, that in the Primitive Ages the Traditors (Deliverers up of their Bibles to the Heathen to be deſtroyed) were always eſteemed as bad as profeſs'd Apoſtates. Since therefore they did ſo conſtantly, and with ſuch Hazards affirm this Truth, what ſhadow of Reaſon is there to ſuſpect ſuch a Cloud of Witneſſes of Folly, Weakneſs, Credulity, Wickedneſs, or Conſpiracy amongſt themſelves? (which ſuch a diffuſed Multitude was abſolutely uncapable of.) Nor can we ſuppoſe that Popular Eſteem on Earth, and Vain-Glory could be the Ground upon which they ſuffered, ſince they gave up their Lives for a Religion, which both utterly condemned ſuch Vanity, and was every where in the World at that time odious and deteſtable, and whoſe Profeſſion brought nothing but outward Shame and Contempt.

p. xiXIII. But the Doctrines and Matters of Fact in the Scripture (which if true,13 The Acknowledgment of the Heathen its Divine Original will be undeniable) are not only avouched by its own Votaries, but many moſt conſiderable parts of it acknowledged by its Enemies: As appears by this brief induction of Particulars. The Creation of the World is intimated by Ovid in his Metamorphoſis, lib. 1. The extraordinary long Lives of the Patriarchs in the firſt Ages o… the VVorld, by Manetho the Egygtian, Beroſus, the Caldean and others; who add, That they were ordained to live ſo long that they might ſtudy Sciences, and invent Arts, eſpecially that they might obſerve the Celeſtial Motions, and enrich the World with the knowledg of Aſtronomy; wherein (ſay they) they would have done little good, if they had lived leſs than ſix hundred Years, becauſe the great Year (as they call it) is ſo long in going about and coming to a Period. The Flood is mentioned by the ſame Beroſus, whoſe VVords are recited by Joſephus, lib. 1. Antiq. cap. 4. Of Noah (under the Notion of Bifronted Janus, becauſe he lived in both VVorlds,) we read in Beroſus and Herodotus: And of the Ark Sayling over America, and the letting forth of Birds that found no dry Ground, in Polyhiſtor, and others. Of the Deſtruction of Sodom; or the Aſphaltick Lake, we have ſome Account in Pliny, lib. 5. cap. 16. and Juſtin, lib. 36. That there was ſuch a Man as Moſes, ſuch a People as the Iſraelites; that this Moſes was their Captain, and led them out of Egypt, wrote their Story, and gave them Laws, is teſtified by the moſt ancient Records or the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Caldeans, and Grecians. And Manetho ſpeaks very particularly both of their Coming into Egypt, and Departure thence. Of Circumciſion, Herodotus, Strabo, Diodorus Siculus, and Tacitus, lib. 2. Of the coming of the Iſraelites into Canaan, Procopius, lib. 4. Of Solomon we read in Dionyſius Caſſius; of the Slaughter of Sennachcrib, in Herodotus, lib. 2. The great Roman Hiſtorian, Tacitus, in his Annals, ſpeaking of the Chriſtians being perſecuted by Nero, on pretence of burning of Rome, which he ſet on fire himſelf, ſays expre…ly,(b)(b)Author nominis ejus Chriſtus, qui, Tiberio imperante, per Procuratorem Pontium Pilatum ſupplicio affectus erat. Tacit. Annal. l. 15. The Author of that Name or Sect was CHRIST, who, when Tiberius was Emperor, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, the then Procurator of Judea. The Star that appeared at our Saviour's Birth, is taken notice of by Pliny, lib. 2. cap. 5. But more particularly by Calcidius, an Heathen Philoſopher, in his Comment on Plato's Timaeus; whoſe Words, as I find them cited by Cardinal Baronius, that learned Annaliſt, are theſe:(c)(c)Eſt quoque alia venerabilior & ſanctior Hiſtoria, qua perhibet de ortu Stellae cujuſdam inſolita, non morbos, morteſ que denunciante, ſed deſcenſum Dei venerabilis ad humanae converſationis, rerum que mortalium gratiam: Quam Stellam cùm nocturno itinere ſuſpexiſſent Cald…eorum profectò ſapiences viri, & conſideratione rerum coeleſtium ſatis exercitati, quaeſiſſe dicuntur recentem Dei ortum, repertâ que illa Majeſtate puerili, venerati eſſe, & vota Deo tanto convenientia nuncupaſſe. Bar. Tom. 1. p. 52. There is another more venerable and holy Hiſtory, which tells us of the Riſe of a certain unwonted Star, not threatning Diſeaſes and Death, but the Deſcent of the venerable God, to converſe with Men, and mortal Affairs: Which Star, when certain wiſe Men of Caldea ſaw in their fourney by Night, being ſufficiently acquainted with Aſtronomy, and conſideration of Celeſtial things, They are reported to have ſought out this new Birth of God, and the Majeſty of this Child being found, to have worſhipped him, and offered Gifts ſuitable to ſo great a God. Herod's ſlaughtering of the Children is notorious, by that Joque paſſed upon him on that occaſion by the Emperor Auguſtus, recorded by Macrobius, (d)(d)Cum audiſſet inter eos, quos in Syria Herodes Rex Judaeorum inter Binatum juſſit interfici, filium quo que ejus occiſum, ait, Melius eſt Herodis porcum eſſe quam filium. Macrob. Saturnal. lib. 4.When he heard, that amongſt thoſe Children under two Years old, whom Herod the King of the Jews had commanded to be ſlain in Syria, his (the ſaid Herod's) own Son was ſlain alſo, he ſaid, 'Tis better to be Herod's Hog, than his Son: Alluding to the Jews Abhorrence of Swines Fleſh, which it ſeems Herod, tho not of that Nation, yet pretending himſelf a kind of Proſelyte, did likewiſe obſerve. Touching the preternatural Defect of the Sun at our Lord's Crucifixion it was with amazement ſeen and recorded by Dionyſius the Areopagite. And Tertullian, in his Apology, cap. 21. appeals to the Roman Records for the certainty of it. And Origen affirms, that one Phlegon, Secretary to the Emperor Adrian, did write thereof in his Chronicles. What an illuſtrious Teſtimony is that extorted by Truth from the Mouth of an Enemy, I mean Joſephus, a Jew in Religion, as well as by Nation, (tho he wrote in Greek) born not above five or ſix Years after Chriſt's Paſſion! In his 18th Book, and 4th Chapter, ſpeaking of the Reign of Tiberias, he hath theſe Words: In thoſe Days there was one Jeſus, a wiſe Man, (if it be lawful to call him a Man) for he was a Worker of great Miracles, and a Teacher of ſuch as readily receive the Truth, and had many Followers, as well Jews as Gentiles. This is that CHRIST, who tho he was accuſed by the chief of our Nation, and by Pilate condemned to be crucified; yet p. xiidid not they who had firſt loved him, forſake him; for he appeared unto them the third Day alive again: The holy Prophets foretelling theſe, and many other wonderful Things of him. And even to this Day the Chriſtian Sect (ſo named from him) continues. Nor is that leſs clear of Lentulus, in his Epiſtle to the Emperor Tiberius, recited by Eutropius, in his Annals of the Roman Senators, and now commonly extant in the Bibliotheca Patrum, (e)(e)Apparuit temporibus noſtris, & adhuc eſt, homo magnae virtutis, nominatus Jeſus Chriſtus, qui dicitur à Gentibus Propheta veritatis, quem ejus diſcipuli vocant Filium Dei, ſ…ſcitans mortros, & ſanans omnes languores.He thus begins, There hath appeared in our Days, and yet is living, a Man of great Virtue (or Power), named Jeſus Chriſt, who is called of the Nations the Prophet of Truth, whom his Diſciples call the Son of God, a Raiſer of the Dead, and an Healer of all manner of Diſeaſes.

To all which we might add the Prophecies of the Sybils, amongſt the Heathens, who moſt plainly foretold the Coming of Chriſt, the Son of God, into the World, and expreſs'd his very Name and Quality in certain Acroſtick Verſes, recited by the great Auguſtin, in the 23d Chapter of the Ninth Book of the City of God.

XIV. He that diſowns the Bible to be of Divine Authority, muſt either think there is ſome Revelation from God to the World, how he will be worſhipped, and how they ought to conduct themſelves; or he thinks there is none: If he thinks there is none, he not only gives the Lie to the Chriſtian and Jewiſh, but generally to all Religion, that has been, or is in the World: For they all have pretended, and do alledg the ſame as their Foundation. And beſides, he muſt confeſs, that God (who has made Man the nobleſt of Creatures, and Lord of the whole World) has left him in a worſe Condition, in the preſent Poſture we find him, than the meaneſt Creatures, to whom he has given ſufficient Means to attain the higheſt End of their Beings: But that infinite Wiſdom ſhould deal thus, is abſurd and unreaſonable to conceive. If he grant, there is any-where a Revelation from God to the World, let it be produced, and judg if it be any way able to vie with the Scriptures, for all thoſe glorious Characters and Marks of Divine Authority, Power, and Excellency, which we have enumerated.

XV. If the Scriptures be neither the Invention of Devils nor Men, then it can be from none but God: But they are not from Devils; for neither could they work Miracles, nor deliver true Prophecies to confirm them; nor would it conſiſt with God's Sovereignty over them, or with his Goodneſs, Wiſdom, or Faithfulneſs of governing the World; nor would Satan ſpeak ſo much for God, nor lay ſuch a Deſign for Man's Salvation, and againſt his own Kingdom, nor be ſo induſtrious to draw the World to unbelief of it. Nor were the Scriptures the Invention of Men; for they muſt be either good Men, or bad Men: Good Men they could not be; for nothing could be more oppoſite to Goodneſs, nay, even common Honeſty, than to aſſume the Name of God falſly, feign Miracles, and cheat People with Promiſes of another World. And then on the other ſide, 'tis as impoſſible ill Men could be the Deviſers of ſo holy a Book: For can any rational Man think, that wicked Deceivers would ſo highly advance the Glory of God? Would they ſo vilify themſelves, and brand and ſtigmatize their own Practices? Could ſuch an admirable undeniable Spirit of Holineſs, Righteouſneſs, and Self-denial, as runs through every Vein of Scripture, proceed from the Invention of the Wicked? Would they ever have extolled their Enemies, the Godly, and framed ſuch perfect ſpiritual Laws? or laid ſuch a Deſign againſt the Fleſh, and all their worldly Happineſs, as every-where the Scope of the Scripture doth carry on? If we cannot gather Grapes of Thorns, and Figs of Thiſtles, then may we be aſſured, that no ill Men had an hand in writing and promoting this good and holy Book.

16. Satan's Suggeſtions & Temptations againſt the Bible, argue it divine.XVI. The Divine Compoſition of this bleſſed Book is not a little manifeſted by the continual Rage of the Devil againſt it, which appears not only in ſtirring up his Inſtruments utterly to ſuppreſs it, (for what Book in the VVorld ever met with ſuch Oppoſition? as aforeſaid) but alſo in thoſe Temptations with which he aſſaults the Hearts of Men, when they apply themſelves to the ſerious Study of it. VVe can read any other Hiſtory, and readily entertain and credit it; but when we once come to the Bible, ſtrange Objections, Doubts, and Curioſities ariſe, and preſently we are apt to queſtion the Truth and Poſſibility of every Paſſage: Theſe are the Suggeſtions of Satan, to render that holy Book ineffectual to us, the Scope and Purport of which he knows tends directly to the Overthrow of his Kingdom of Darkneſs.

p. xiiiSome of the moſt frequent Objections againſt the Bible, are theſe that follow.

Object. 1. How Men, in the reſpective Ages wherein the ſeveral parts of the Bible were written, could know that they were written by an infallible Spirit, and ſo diſtinguiſh them from other Writings?

Anſw. Two ways: Firſt, by the Quality of the Perſons; and ſecondly, from the Nature and Quality of the Matter. As for Moſes, there could not be the leaſt Cauſe of doubting his being inſpired by God, ſince he wrought ſuch Miracles, and had a viſible and audible Entercourſe with the Lord, as we read, Exod. 19.9. that the Lord ſaid unto him, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick Cloud, that the People may hear when I ſpeak with thee, and believe thee for ever. The other Parts of the Old Teſtament were written by Prophets, and holy Men. And tho ſeveral of them were not received and hearkned to as ſuch, by the corrupt ruling Part of the Jews, whilſt they lived; yet they were acknowledged afterwards, as well for the Sanctity of their Lives, and the fulfilling of thoſe things mentioned, the Judgments which they foretold coming to paſs, and the Agreeableneſs of what they delivered to the eſtabliſh'd Worſhip of God. For two ways God himſelf had provided, for diſcovering all Pretences to Revelation: Firſt, If any ſuch Pretender went about to ſeduce the People to Idolatry, he was to be rejected. — The Prophet that ſhall ſpeak in the Name of other Gods, ſhall die (f)(f)Deut. 19.20.Deut 19:20. Secondly; If the Matter came not to paſs, as we have it in the next Verſe ſave one; When a Prophet ſpeaketh in the Name of the Lord, if the Thing follow not, nor come to paſs, that is the Thing which the Lord hath not ſpoken, but the Prophet hath ſpoken it preſumptuouſly. And a final Deciſion, what was to be received for the Old Teſtament, God was pleaſed to make, after the Babyloniſh Captivity, in the Days of Ezra, and that famous Synagogue, ſeveral of the laſt Prophets being perſonally preſent, where, by a divine Direction, all the Parts of the Old Teſtament were collected, and a Separation made, not only between the Works of true Prophets and falſe; and ſuch Writings as came by divine Inſpiration, from thoſe that were of divine Extraction; and ſuch as were to be a perpetual Rule to the Church, from ſuch as relating only to particular Caſes, were not ſo. And in this Settlement the Jewiſh Church did acquieſce, and from that time to this have had no further Diſputes, but received thoſe very Books, and none others, (for thoſe called Apocrypha, which the Papiſts would obtrude upon us, were never received as Canonical by the Jews.) Then as for the Books of the New Teſtament, they were all written either by Apoſtles, or Apoſtolical Men, known by their being called to that Office, and the Gift of Tongues, and Power of working Miracles, to be guided by the Holy-Ghoſt. And as the Writing of the Old Teſtament ended with the Prophets, (for after Malachi, to the Time of John the Baptiſt, which was near four hundred Years, there aroſe not a Prophet in Iſrael); ſo the New Teſtament begins with the Accompliſhment of Malachi's Prophecy, by the Birth of the ſaid John, predicted under the Type of Elias, and ends with the Apoſtles; for John, who wrote the Revelation, outliv'd all the reſt of the Apoſtles, (for he died not till the Time of Trajan, in the 99th Year of our Lord, and almoſt thirty Years after the Deſtruction of Jeruſalem) and he cloſes the Canon of the New Teſtament with a Denunciation of a Curſe to any that ſhould add thereunto (g)(g)Rev. 22.18Rev 22:18.

Object. 2. But how are we ſure that we have now at this Day all the Books that were anciently eſteemed Canonical? It ſeems not: for there is mention made of Solomon's three thouſand Parables or Proverbs, and Songs an hundred and five(h)(h)1 King. 4.32.1 Kgs 4:32, of Nathan the Prophet, and of Gad the Seer(i)(i)2 Chron. 29.29.2 Chr 29:29, the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the Viſions of Iddo the Seer(k)(k)2 Chron. 9.2 Chr 9: And in the New Teſtament, of the Epiſtle to the Laodiceans (l)(l)Col. 4.16.Col 4:16; now where are any of theſe extant?

Anſw. Thoſe Books mentioned in the Old Teſtament, were either Books of a common Nature, and not divinely inſpired; or elſe they are yet extant under another Name: For how do we know, but the Books called Samuel might be written partly by himſelf, whilſt he lived, and partly by Gad and Nathan, after his Death. And for the other Writings of Nathan, Ahijah, and Iddo, they may very probably be the ſame that we call the Books of the Kings. And for that Epiſtle to the Laodiceans, the Original is, foreign, [from] (not [to] as ſome Tranſlations would have it) Laodicea: And 'tis probable it was ſome Letter written from the Laodiceans to Paul, wherein there might be ſomething that concerned the Coloſſians, and therefore the Apoſtle adviſed them to read it.

Object. 3. But the Papiſts ſay, That the very Fountains, the Hebrew and Greek Originals themſelves, are corrupted, depraved, and troubled; and if ſo, how ſhall we be at any certainty?

p. xivAnſw. 'Tis true, they do ſay ſo, but moſt falſly and wickedly, only to the diſhonour of the Word of God, to make way for their own Traditions, and the Authority of their Church; tho by this Suggeſtion they blaſpheme the Providence of God, and alſo lay an inſufferable Scandal on the Church: For if the Scriptures were committed to her Charge, and ſhe hath ſuffered any part of them to be either lost or corrupted, has ſhe not groſly abuſed her Truſt? But they are not able to give one Inſtance where any ſuch Corruption has happen'd. As for the Old Teſtament, 'tis well enough known how ſtrictly careful the Jews were, and are to this day, to preſerve it, inſomuch that they took an account how oft every Letter in the Alphabet was uſed in every Book thereof. And Philo the Jew, an ancient, learned, and approved Author of that Nation, affirms, That from the giving of the Law to his Time, which was above two thouſand Years, there was not ſo much as one Word changed or varied; yea, that there was not any Jew, but would rather die a thouſand times over, than ſuffer their Law to be changed in the leaſt. And Arias Montanus, (a Perſon extremely skill'd in the Hebrew) in his Preface to the Interlineary Bible, aſſures us, That as in theſe Hebrew Bibles which are without Vowels, we find a certain conſtant Agreement of all the Manuſcripts and Prints, and a like Writing in each; ſo in all thoſe too that have the Points added, we have not obſerved the leaſt variation or difference of pointing: Nor is there any Man can affirm, That he ever in any place ſaw different Exemplars of the Hebrew Text. And indeed had the Jews ever corrupted any part of it, no doubt they would have done it in thoſe Texts that plainly refer to our Saviour; and had any Chriſtians done it, the Jews would ſoon have diſcovered the Forgery. But neither of theſe things have happened, therefore to ſay the ſame is any way corrupted, is falſe. And for the New Teſtament, 'tis true, there have in ancient Manuſcripts ſome various Readings been obſerv'd, but not ſuch as to cauſe any Diſpute touching the Sum or Subſtance of the Doctrine therein delivered, or conſiderably to alter the Sence of the Text.

Object. 4. But ſuppoſe the Originals be pure, how ſhall the Unlearned (who are the far greater part of Mankind) be ſure that the Tranſlations they have, and can only make uſe of, are well and honeſtly done, and do contain the Word of God?

Anſw. The Word of God is the D…ctrine and Revelation of God's …ill, the Sence and meaning, not barely or ſ…rictly the Words, Letters, and Syllables. This is contained e…actly and moſt purely in the Originals, and in all Tranſlations, ſo far as they agree therewith. Now tho ſome Tranſlations may exceed others in propriety, and ſignif…cant rendring the Originals; yet they generally (even the moſt imperfect that we know of) expreſs and hold f…rth ſo much of the Mind, Will, and Counſel of God, as is ſufficient, by the Bleſſing of God upon a conſciencious reading thereof, to acquaint a Man with the Myſteries of Salvation, to work in him a true Faith, and bring him to live godly, righteouſly, and ſoberly in this preſent World, and to Salvation in the next. The Tranſlators generally, as they have been Men of Learning, ſo likewiſe have they been honeſt, and for the moſt part godly Men, and th…refore would not, for their own Honours ſake, and much more for Conſcience ſake, abuſe the World with any wilful falſe Verſions, to lead Souls into Error in a Matter of that importance: Or, if ſome ſhoul… have …een ſo wicked, others as learned, and of better Principles, would ſoon have diſcovered the Impoſture. Nor if we conſider how many Men of different Perſuaſions, have tranſlated the Bible, and harmoniouſly agree in all things of moment, is it poſſible to imagine they ſhould all combine, ſo impertinently, as well as wickedly, to put a Fallacy on Mankind, which everry one, that has but beſtowed a very few Years in the Study of the Languages, can preſently detect?

Object. 5. How can we think the whole Bible to be of divine Inſpiration, when ſome parts of it contradict others? The Divine Spirit cannot be contrary to it ſelf; yet is there any thing more oppoſite than the two Evangeliſts, in reckoning up our Saviour's Genealogy? St. Matth…w(o)(o)Mat. 1.16.Matt 1:16 ſays, Jacob begat Joſeph, the Husband of Mary;(p)(p)Luk. 3.23:Luke 3:23 and St. Luke ſays, Joſeph, the Son of Eli.

Anſw. The ſeeming Contradictions of Scripture (for they are really no more) are an Argument, that in the writing of this Book there was no corrupt Deſign or Confederacy to engage the Opinions of Men; and upon a due Scrutiny, there will appear in them a deep and unthought of Concord, and an unanimous Tendency towards the great End of the Whole. 'Tis our Inad…ertency, or ſhallow Apprehenſion, makes us think the Scripture is at variance with it ſelf. In the two Texts cited, a natural Father is one thing, a legal Father another: For you muſt know, that Joſeph and Mary were both of one Houſe and Family: he deſcended from David by Solomon, ſhe by Nathan, but in the Poſterity of Zerobabel they were divided into two ſeveral Families, whereof one was the Royal Race, and that Linage Joſeph was of, which Matthew follows: The other Family Luke follows, whereof Mary was, whom Joſeph marries, and by that means is called the Son of her Father Eli. So that here is no Contradiction, but on the contrary, an excellent Diſcovery of our Saviour's Line drawn down on b…th ſides, whereby it appears, that as he was Joſeph 's reputed Son, ſo he had a Title to be King of the Jews; and as he was born of Mary, ſo likewiſe on her Side he deſcended from David, as was promiſed of the M…ſſias. But for reconciling all ſuch ſeeming Contradictions, ſee Mr. Streat's Book, entitled, The dividing of the Hoof, a very uſeful Piece, and worthy Peruſal.

I have but one Argument more to add, from a very learned Author, and then I ſhall cloſe up all with the Teſtimony of the Reverend and Learned Mr. John Calvin.

17. The internal Evidence of the Spi…it.XVII. And now it may not be amiſs to add one Thing more, which I could not paſs by, i. e. Notwithſtanding the great Force and Strength of external Arguments and Motives to evince the Divine Authority of the Holy Scripture; yet it is abſolutely p. xvneceſſary, to the ſtability and aſſurance of our Faith, in order to eternal Life, to have the internal Teſtimony of the Holy Spirit upon our Hearts, or the effectual Operations thereof; for if he does no otherwiſe work in and upon our Hearts, but by the common Communication of ſpiritual Light unto our Minds, enabling us to diſcern the Evidences that are in the Scripture of its own divine Original, we ſhould be often ſhaken in our Aſſent, and moved from our Stability. Therefore conſidering the great Darkneſs and Blindneſs which remains upon the Minds of Men, all Things believed having ſome ſort of Obſcurity attending them, beſides the manifold Temptations of Satan, who ſtrives to diſturb our Peace, and weaken our Faith, and cauſe Doubtings; Happy are ſuch who can experience the powerful Eſtabliſhment and Aſſurance of the Holy-Ghoſt, who gives them a ſpiritual ſenſe of the Power and Reality of thoſe Things believed, whereby their Faith is greatly confirmed. This is that which brings us unto the Riches of the full Aſſurance of Underſtanding(a)(a)Col 2 2… 1 Theſſ. 1.5.Col 2:21 Thess 1:5; and on the account of this ſpiritual Experience is our Perception of ſpiritual Things, ſo often expreſſed by Acts of Senſe, as Taſting, Seeing, Feeling, &c. which are the greateſt Evidences of the Property of Things natural. 'Tis the Holy Spirit that aſſiſts, helps, and relieves us againſt Temptations that may ariſe in us, ſo that they ſhall not be prevalent. And indeed without this, our firſt prime Aſſent unto the Divine Authority of the Scriptures will not ſecure us; but the Influence and Aſſiſtance of the Spirit in the midſt of Dangers, ſo ſtrengthens the ſincere Chriſtian, that it makes him ſtand as firm as a Rock, who has no skill to defend the Truth by force of Arguments, againſt thoſe ſubtil and ſophiſtical Artificers, who on all occaſions ſtrive to inſinuate Objections againſt it, from its Obſcurity, Imperfection, Want of Order, Difficulties, and ſeeming Contradictions contained therein, &c. Moreover, there are other ſpecial and gracious Actings of the Holy-Ghoſt on the Minds of Believers, which belong alſo to this internal Teſtimony, whereby their Faith is eſtabliſhed, viz. his anointing and ſealing of them, his witneſſing with them, and his being an Earneſt in them. Wherefore altho no internal Work of the Spirit can be the format Reaſon of of our Faith, or that which it is reſolved into; yet it is ſuch, as without it we can never ſincerely believe as we ought, nor be eſtabliſhed in believing, againſt the Temptations of the Devil, and Objections of evil Men.

It hath been already declared,Dr. Owen. (ſaith a Reverend Divine) that it is the Authority and Veracity of God, revealing themſelves in the Scripture, and by it, that is the formal Reaſon of our Faith, or ſupernatural Aſſent unto it, as it is the Word of God.

It remains only that we enquire, in the ſecond place, into the Way and Means whereby they evidence themſelves unto us, and the Scriptures thereby to be of God, ſo as that we may undoubtedly and infallibly believe them ſo to be. Now becauſe Faith, as we have ſhewed, is an Aſſent upon Teſtimony; and conſequently, Divine Faith is an Aſſent upon Divine Teſtimony; There muſt be ſome Teſtimony or Witneſs in this Caſe, whereon Faith doth reſt; and this, we ſay, is the Teſtimony of the Holy-Ghoſt, the Author of the Scriptures. And this Work and Teſtimony of the Spirit may be reduced unto two Heads, &c.

1. The Impreſſions or Characters, which are ſubjectively left in the Scripture, and upon it, by the Holy-Ghoſt its Author, of all the divine Excellencies or Properties of the Divine Nature, are the firſt Means evidencing that Teſtimony of the Spirit which our Faith reſts upon, or they give the firſt Evidence of its divine Original, whereon we do believe it. The way whereby we learn the eternal Power and Deity of God from the Works of Creation, is no otherwiſe, but by thoſe Marks, Tokens, and Impreſſions of his Divine Power, VViſdom, and Goodneſs that are upon them; for from the conſideration of their Subſiſtence, Greatneſs, Order, and Uſe, Reaſon doth neceſſarily conclude an infinite ſubſiſting Being, of whoſe Power and VViſdom theſe Things are the manifeſt Effects: Theſe are clearly ſeen and underſtood by the Things that are made, ſo that we need no other Arguments to prove that God made the World, but it ſelf,(b)(b)Pſal. 104.Ps 104 &c.

Now there are greater and more evident Impreſſions of Divine Excellencies left on the written VVord, from the infinite VViſdom of the Author of it, than any that are communicated unto the VVorks of God in the Creation of the VVorld. Hence David comparing the VVorks and VVord of God, as to their inſtructive Efficacy, doth prefer the VVord incomparably before them(c)(c)Pſal. 19.1, to 10. Pſal 146.8, 9. & 19, 20.Ps 19:1–10Ps 146:8Ps 146:9Ps 19:20. And theſe do manifeſt the VVord to our Faith to be his, more clearly than the other do the VVorks to be his to our Reaſon, &c. God, as the immediate Author of the Scriptures, hath left in the very Word it ſelf evident Tokens and Impreſſions of his Wiſdom, Preſcience, Omniſcience, Power, Goodneſs, Holineſs, Truth, and other divine infinite Excellencies, p. xviſufficiently evidenced unto the enlightned Minds of Believers, &c.

This is that whereon we believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God, with a Faith divine and ſupernatural. — And this Evidence is manifeſt unto the meaneſt and moſt unlearned, no leſs than unto the wiſeſt Philoſophers: And the truth is, if rational Arguments, and external Motives were the ſole Ground of receiving the Scripture to be the Word of God, it could not be but the Learned Men and Philoſophers would always have been the forwardeſt and moſt ready to admit it, and moſt firmly to adhere unto it; becauſe ſuch Arguments do prevail on the Minds of Men, according as they are able aright to diſcern their Force, and judg of them. — But how apparent the contrary is, is evident:1 C…r. 1.26. You ſee your Calling, Brethren; Not many wiſe Men after the Fleſh, &c.

2. The Spirit of God evidenceth the divine Original and Authority of the Scripture, by the Power and Authority which he puts forth in it and by it, over the Minds and Conſciences of Men, with its Operation of divine Effects thereon: This the Apoſtle expreſly affirms to be the Reaſon and Cauſe of Faith, 1 Cor. 14.24, 25. — And thus are the Secrets of his Heart made manifeſt, &c. It was not the Force of external Arguments, it was not the Teſtimony of this or that Church, nor was it the Uſe of Miracles, (that wrought upon them) v. 23, 24. Wherefore the only Evidence whereon they received the Word, and acknowledged it to be of God, was that divine Power and Efficacy in themſelves: He is convinced of all, and thus the Secrets of his Heart are made manifeſt, &c. He cannot deny, but there is a Divine Efficacy in it, or accompanying of it. And thus the Woman of Samaria was convinced of the Truth of Chriſt's Words, and believed in him, i. e. becauſe he told her all things that ever ſhe did (d)(d)Joh. 4.29. 1 Joh. 5.10.John 4:291 John 5:10. The Word of God is (as all ſincere Souls find) quick and powerful, &c. ſo that he that believeth, hath the Witneſs in himſelf. John 7.16, 17. Jeſus anſwered them, and ſaid, My Doctrine is not mine, but his that ſent me. If any Man will do his Will, he ſhall know of the Doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I ſpeak of my ſelf.

In a word, let it be granted, that all who are really converted unto God, by the Power of the Word, have that infallible Evidence and Teſtimony of its divine original Authority and Power in their own Souls and Conſciences, that they thereon believe it with Faith divine and ſupernatural, in conjunction with the other Evidences before-mentioned, (and largely demonſtrated) as parts of the ſame divine Teſtimony; and it is all I aim at herein.

This Teſtimony, tho it is not common unto all, nor can it convince another, yet is it very forceable to thoſe who experience the Virtue and Efficacy thereof, which we, having in another place more largely opened, we ſhall conclude this laſt Argument, entreating all to labour after a taſte of its divine, powerful, and Soul-changing Operations, and then they will need no further Arguments to prove 'tis of God.

We ſhall therefore conclude this brief Diſcourſe on this Subject, with thoſe excellent Words of a Learned Man upon the ſome occaſion: — Let this remain and be received as an eſtabliſh'd Truth, That thoſe whom the Spirit hath inwardly taught, do ſolidly acquieſce in the Scripture; And that the ſame is foreign Self-credible, or for its own ſake worthy of belief, and that it obtains that Certainty which it juſtly deſerves with us, by the Teſtimony of the Spirit: For tho its own Majeſty does of itſelf conciliate a Reverence, yet then only does it ſeriouſly affect us, when by the Spirit it is ſealed in & upon our hearts. With whoſe Truth being enlightned, we no longer believe that the Scripture is from God by our own Judgment, or that of other Men, but moſt certainly above all humane Judgment, we are aſſured thereof no otherwiſe, than as if there we beheld the very Voice of God, by the Miniſtry of Men, flowing from the Mouth of God to us. No longer do we then ſeek for Arguments, and probable Proofs, whereon our Judgment may rely, but ſubject our Judgment and Underſtanding thereunto, as to a Matter already out of all doubt or debate; yet not ſo, as wretched Men are wont to addict their captive Minds to Superſtitions, but becauſe we find and feel the undoubted Power of God there to breath and flouriſh; To obey which, we are drawn and inflamed, knowingly and willingly, but more livelily and efficaciouſly, than either humane Will or Knowledg could affect us. 'Tis therefore ſuch a Perſuaſion as does not require Reaſons, (and yet it does not want them neither); ſuch a Knowledg, to which the beſt Reaſon appears and agrees, as being ſuch as therein the Mind can acquieſce more ſecurely and conſtantly, than in any Reaſons. 'Tis, in fine, ſuch a Senſe, ſuch a Taſte, as can proceed from nothing, but a Revelation Divine. Nor do I ſpeak any thing but what every true Believer can bear witneſs to from his own Experience, ſave only that Words are too ſhort and unable to expreſs a juſt Explication of the thing.—Calv. Inſtit. lib. 2.

p. 1BOOK IV. THE Fifth HEAD OF Metaphors, Allegories, and Similes, With other borrowed Terms, Reſpecting the Graces of the Holy-Spirit, AND THE Bleſſed Ordinances of the Goſpel.