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THE SPIRIT'S WITNESS TO THE TRUTH OF CHRIS-

TIANITY.

What St. Paul neaneth by the works of the law

1

What by the Spirit ....

5

How the Spirit is said to be given after faith...

6

The Testimony of the Spirit, then, a sufficient proof of the

truth of the Gospel

9

The commonness of the miraculous works of the Spirit

9

Their sufficiency to prove the Gospel true

11

The certainty of the tradition of the Scriptures to us

15

The reason of the need of miracles, then

20

But not to continue..

21

Use 1. An information of the certain truth of the christian

religion, to convince the doubtful ...

22

The truth of seeming contradictory Scriptures, and of

the most seeming improbable passages, and of the

most terrible passages .

27

Everlasting punishment of the wicked proved

29

Use this, 1. In all temptations to infidelity

38

2. In dulness and declining....

42

3. In sadness

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Use 2. The main argument ever used to prove the truth of

the christian religion

3. What the testimony of the Spirit is, and who have it .

4. What it is to believe in the Holy Ghost, and to be

baptised in his name

5. What is the sin against the Holy Ghost..

The Second Doctrine, That is the true doctrine and religion,

by which the Spirit is given: cautions for the right

understanding of this

50

55

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61

The reason

ibid.

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Quest. Must we try the doctrine by the Spirit, or the Spirit

by the doctrine.

Use ). The argument used against infidelity......

2. What clear light seekers contradict, that say we have

lost the Scriptures and church

3. There is but one true church and religion

4. To convince the revolters of these times.

5. To those that have not the Spirit

A Corollary, Demonstrating the life to come, and future hap-

piness or misery

A Determination of this question, Whether the miraculous

works of Christ and his disciples do oblige those to be-

lieve who never saw them:

The order of inquiry into the christian faith...

By what signs the christian religion hath been delivered

down to us

The certain tradition of these to us

The difference between popish and necessary tradition

That the apostles delivered these to the first churches

How miracles oblige us

The sufficiency of that testimony

Ten arguments to prove the affirmative of the question...

Sixteen objections of the apostates answered .....

Of the miracles mentioned by Augustin and other ancient

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97

117

doctors ....

121

Our certainty infallible, and, in a sort, physical, maintained

against Peter Hurtado de Mendoza

124
THE SECOND PART.

CHRIST'S WITNESS WITHIN US, THE BELIEVER'S SPE-

CIAL ADVANTAGE AGAINST TEMPTATIONS TO

INFIDELITY.

PAGE

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a

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Sect. 1. The text, 1 John v. 10 explained..

2. What the witness in ourselves is ..

3. The reasons why all true believers shall have the wit-

ness in themselves....

4. Use 1. The advantage of believers against tempta-

tions to infidelity

How great a mercy this is, Sect. 5, 6, 7, &c.

Object. I find not this witness in me answered

So many pretend to the Spirit that I can believe none

of them ....

But how shall I know which of them hath the Spirit,

when so many pretend to it?.....
Quest. But how shall I know, whether I have it?........
How a Christian should make use of the witness of the Spirit

within him, for the resisting of temptations to unbelief
Object. All this is but your own prejudice, which a Turk may

boast of in his own religion ..
It is not the truth of the Gospel, but your belief of it

that makes all these impressions on you .....
What need you a testimony within, if you can see

such evidence in the word without

Doth not that want evidence, which a reasonable man

cannot believe? ....

You prove the Scripture true, because you believe it;

whereas

you

should believe it because it is true

But what is your private spirit to convince another

man?....

Quest. What need we make use of Scripture, or ministers, if

we have the witness in ourselves?

Is not he' most likely to be in the right, in particular

controversies, that hath most of the Spirit?..

What an advantage it is in cases of particular temptations and

controversies to have the Spirit .....

Sect. 23. Twenty considerations, evincing the necessity of

common knowledge, called human learning, not-

withstanding the witness and helps of the Spirit.

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a

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ibid.

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PAGE

198

Sect. 24. All sins, but especially those that most quench the

Spirit, have a natural tendency to infidelity; and

wounding the conscience by sensuality, is a com-

mon way to it

25. Ungodly men are incompetent judges of the matters

of the christian faith

26. The way to firm belief is to taste and try, that we

may have christian experience

201

202

THE THIRD PART.

THE UNPARDONABLE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY

GHOST.

Sect. 1. Satan's course in tempting men to infidelity..

205

The reasons of this discourse.

209

Sect. 2. The text opened

211

Your children, who

213

Matt. xii. 30 reconciled with Luke ix. 49, 50 ...... 216

The Father's judgment of the sin against the Holy

Ghost.....

217

The papists' and protestants' judgment of it.... 220

Whether this sin be absolutely unpardonable, the judg-

ment of the ancients, and later writers.de

223

Why it is unpardonable...

225

3. The author's judgment, 1. On the negative, what is not

the sin against the Holy Ghost, in twenty-four pro-

positions....

226

And what it is, in twenty propositions.

235

Whether a malicious opposing the internal illumin-

ation of the Spirit be this sin ..

243

Of the sense of Heb. vi. 4-6, and whether all total

apostasy be this sin

246

The sum of all

251

4. Doct. How the enmity of Christ, his doctrine and

works against Satan's kingdom, prove that it was
not by Satan's power, but by God's, that Christ and
his disciples did their works ...

253

The enmity on Satan's part proved, from his nature,

interest, designs, and actions

254

*Proved from Satan's transactions with witches, by.

many histories of them....

255

5. Proved by possessions and other violence on the body 271

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