traditional revelation as to the point of certainty below our intuitive, rational, and sensible knowledge; and banishes all faith, properly so called, out of the world, leaving no room for it, and substituting in its place an act of reason, proceeding upon probabilities, that is, on historical proofs, which he reckons only among probabilities: Nor do I blame him for this last, though perhaps some things he has offered on this head might be excepted against; but this is not my business.

The question amounts to this in short," Whereas the Scriptures, wherever they come, oblige all to whom they are offered, to receive them not as "the word of man, but,” as indeed they are, the word of God;* upon what ground or formal reason is it, that we assent thus unto them, and receive them as "the word of God," to his glory and our salvation, in compliance with our duty?"

In answer to this important query, I shall offer what, upon a review of former experience, consideration of the Scriptures, and what others, especially that judicious and profound divine, Dr Owen, in these two treatises he has written on this subject, have written on this head, appears satisfying to me; and this I shall do in the few following propositions, which I shall, with as much brevity and perspicuity as I can, lay down, explain, and shortly confirm, with some few arguments.†

PROP. I.

That Faith whereby we assent unto, and receive the word of God, to his glory and our salvation, is faith Divine and Supernatural."

I. THERE are at this day who teach, that whatever faith is this day to be found amongst men, is built upon, and resolved into the testimony of men. And therefore it will be necessary to insist a little in confirming and explaining of this important truth.

II. To clear this, we observe, that the understanding, or that faculty, power, or ability of the soul of man, whereby we perceive and assent unto truths, upon their proper evidence, may be distinguished or branched into divers subordinate powers, in respect of the different truths to which it assents. 1. We have an ability of assenting unto the self-evident maxims of reason, (such as, that "the same thing, at the same time, can

* 1 Thessalonians ii. 13.

Le Clerk in his Logics.

See note C.

not be and not be"), upon their own self-evidence, without any other argument, than a bare proposal of them in terms we understand. 2. We have an ability to assent unto other truths, upon conviction of their truth, by arguments drawn from the fore-mentioned self-evident truths, or any other acknowledged or owned by us. 3. We have an ability to assent unto truths, upon the evidence of the testimony of credible witnesses, or persons worthy to be believed, and deserving credit. This ability, and the assent given by it to such truths, upon such testimony, are both called by the same common name, "Faith."

III. Faith, then, is that power or ability of the mind of man, whereby he is capable of receiving, and actually assents unto truths, upon the evidence of the testimony of persons worthy of credit, who know what they testify, and will not deceive us. Now, whereas the person giving this testimony, is either God, men, or angels, good or bad, faith may be considered as either divine, human, or angelical. This last, as of no consideration to our purpose, we shall lay aside. Faith, or that ability whereby we assent to the testimony of men worthy of credit, is called "Human Faith;" and that whereby we assent to truths upon the evidence of God, who cannot lie, is called "Divine Faith."

IV. Divine faith is that power or ability whereby we assent unto, and receive truths proposed to us, upon evidence of the word or testimony of God to our own salvation, in compliance with our duty, to the glory of God.

V. In this account of divine faith, we add, in compliance with our duty, to the glory of God and our own salvation, because devils and men may yield some assent unto truths, upon the evidence of God's testimony, which neither answers their duty nor turns to the glory of God in their salvation, of which we do not now design to speak, and therefore by this clause have cut it off and laid it aside, as not belonging to that faith whereof we now speak, and whereby we conceive all to whom the Scriptures come, are obliged to receive them.

VI. This faith now described may be called divine and supernatural, and really is so on two accounts, 1. Because this ability is wrought in them, in whom it is found, by the divine and supernatural power of God. 2. Because it builds not its persuasion of, yields not its assent unto, the truths it receives upon any human authority or testimony; but upon the testimony of God, who can neither be ignorant of any truth, deceived, or deceive us.

VII. It now remains that we confirm this proposition that

we have thus shortly explained. And this we shall do by its several parts. First, then, we assert that this faith "is wrought in these who have it, by the power of God." Now for clearing this, we shall only hint at the heads of a few arguments, leaving the further proof to polemic treatises. 1. This ability to believe and receive the things of God to our salvation and his glory, is, in Scripture, expressly denied to natural or unrenewed men. 2 Thes. iii. 2, "All men have not faith."-1 Cor. ii. 14, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."--John viii. 47, "Ye therefore hear not God's words, because ye are not of God." 2. This is expressly denied to be of ourselves, and asserted a supernatural gift of God. Eph. ii. 8, "By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." 3. The production of it is ascribed unto God. He it is that fulfils, in his people, the work of faith with power, 2 Thes. i. 11. He it is that gives them, that is, that enables them, "on the behalf of Christ, to believe and suffer for his name," Philip. i. 29. It is one of the fruits produced by the Spirit, Gal. v. 22; and of it Christ is the au.thor, Heb. xii. 2.

VIII. We are next shortly to prove "That this faith builds its persuasion on the testimony of God evidencing itself such unto the mind," and not on human testimony. 1. It is in Scripture expressly said not to "stand in the wisdom of men," 1 Cor. ii. 5, that is, it leans not on the word, authority, eloquence, or reasonings of men. 2. It is expressly, in that same verse, said to "stand in the power of God," that is, as the foregoing words, compared with verses 5, 13, explain it, “in the words which the Holy Ghost teacheth," and which he demonstrates or evidences, by his power accompanying them, to be the word of God. 3. It is described in such a way as fully clears this; it is held forth as a "receiving of the word, not as the word of man, but, as it is indeed, the word of God, which effectually worketh in them that believe."-1 Thes. ii. 13. Many other proofs might be added, but this is sufficient to answer our purpose.

IX. We shall next shortly prove," That we are obliged in duty thus to believe the Scriptures, or to receive them as the word of God, and not of men." 1. The Scriptures are indeed, and hold forth themselves every where as, the word of God. They are the oracles of God which "holy men of God spake by the motion of the Spirit of God, and wrote by divine in

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spiration, and the Holy Ghost speaks to us by them." when God utters oracles, speaks, writes, and utters his mind to us, we are in duty obliged and bound to assent to what he says, and yield what obedience he requires. This the very light of nature teacheth. 2. The Scriptures were written for this very end, that we might believe, and that believing we might have life."-John xx. 30, 31. The Scriptures of the prophets (which contain the revelation of the mystery of God's will, otherwise not known), "according to the commandment of the everlasting God, are made known unto all nations for the obedience of faith."-Rom. xvi. 25, 26. Again, the Scriptures are termed a "more sure word of a prophecy" than the "voice from heaven," and men are said to "do well to take heed to them."-2 Pet. i. towards the close; that is, it is their duty to take heed to them or believe them. 3. The most dreadful judgments are threatened against those who receive not the word of God from the prophets or apostles; whether by word or writ, is all one. "Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.”—Matth. x. 14, 15. Accordingly we find the apostles preach the word at Antioch in Pisidia, Acts xiii.; demand acceptance of it both of Jews and Gentiles, and upon their refusal they testify against them in the way of the Lord's appointment, v. 51;—though, so far as we can learn, they there wrought no miracle to confirm their mission. 4. We have above heard the apostle commending the Thessalonians for receiving the word as "the word of God and not of man," 1 Thes. ii. 13, which sufficiently shows that it was their duty.

X. Whereas some may here say, "How can it be our duty to believe the word of God, since it has been above proved that we are not able of ourselves thus to do it?" I answer briefly, 1. The very light of nature requires perfect obedience of us; and yet we are not able to yield to it. 2. The Scriptures plainly require "That we serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear," and yet we must have grace whereby to do it. 3. We have destroyed ourselves, and through this, our faith or natural ability of believing truths upon testimony is so impaired and weakened, and by prejudices so ob* Heb. v. 12-2 Pet. i. 20, 21-2 Tim. iii. 16-Mark xii. 36-Acts i. 16 -Acts xxviii. 25-Heb. iii. 7.

↑ Heb. xii. 28.

structed otherwise, that we are not able to discern the evidence of God's authority in his word, nor assent thereon to his testimony in a due manner; yet this cannot prejudge reasonably God's right to demand credit to his word, whereon he has impressed such prints of his authority, as are sufficiently obvious to any one's faith that is not thus faultily depraved. 4. We have, therefore, no reason to question God, who gave us eyes which we have put out, but to blame ourselves and aim to do his will, that is, wait on him in all the ways of his own appointment; and we have no reason to despair but that in this way we may have graciously given of God's sovereign grace an understanding to know whether these truths are of God, or they who spoke them did it of themselves; though we cannot claim this as what is our due.*

Thus we have in some measure cleared what that faith is, whereby the Scriptures must be believed to the glory of God and our own salvation, and confirmed shortly our account of it from the Scriptures of truth. We now proceed to

PROP. II.

"The reason for which we are obliged in duty to believe or receive the Scriptures as the word of God, is not, that God has by his Spirit wrought Faith in us, or given us this ability thus to receive them.”

THIS proposition we have offered, because some do blame Protestants for saying it, whereas none of them really do it; nor can any man reasonably say it. For clearing this, observe,

I. It is indeed true that we cannot believe them, unless God give us this gracious ability or faith to believe them, and by his Holy Spirit remove our natural darkness, and clear our minds of those prejudices against his word, wherewith naturally they are filled.'

II. Yet this is not the reason wherefore we do assent unto, or receive the Scriptures; for it were impertinent if any should ask, "Upon what account do ye believe the Scriptures to be the word of God?" to answer, "I believe it, because God has wrought the faith of it in me." This is not to tell wherefore we do believe, but to tell how we came to be furnished with power or ability to believe.

* Hos. xiii. 9.

† 1 John v. 20-John vii. 17.