standing in the hearers which they have not. Therefore it was wisdom and mercy to fit the Scriptures to the capacity of all. Yet will it not, therefore, follow, that all preachers at all times, should as much neglect definition, distinction, syllogism, &c., as Scripture doth. 37. Some doctrinal passages in Scripture are only historically related, and therefore the relating them is not asserting them for truth; and therefore those sentences may be false, and yet not the Scriptures false: yea, some falsehoods are written by way of reproving them, as Gehazi's lie, Saul's excuse, &c. 38. Every doctrine that is thus related only historically, is therefore of doubtful credit, because it is not a divine assertion, except Christ himself were the speaker, and therefore it is to be tried by the rest of the Scripture. 39. Where ordinary men were the speakers, the credit of such doctrine is the more doubtful, and yet much more, when the speakers were wicked; of the former sort are the speeches of Job's friends, and divers others; of the latter sort are the speeches of the Pharisees, &c., and perhaps Gamaliel's counsels. (Acts v. 34.) 40. Yet where God doth testify his inspiration, or approbation, the doctrine is of divine authority, though the speaker be wicked, as in Balaam's prophecy. 41. The like may be said of matter of fact; for it is not either necessary or lawful, to speak such words or do such actions, merely because men in Scripture did so speak or do; no, not though they were the best saints; for their own speeches or actions are to be judged by the law, and therefore are no part of the law themselves. And as they are evil where they cross the law, as Joseph's swearing, the ancients' polygamy, &c., so are they doubtful where their congruence with the law is doubtful. 42. But here is one most observable exception, conducing much to resolve that great doubt, whether examples bind; where men are designed by God to such an office, and act by commission, and with a promise of direction, their doctrines are of divine authority, though we find not where God did dictate; and their actions done by that commission are current and exemplary, so far as they are intended or performed for example; and so example may be equivalent to a law, and the argument, à facto ad jus, may hold. So Moses being appointed to the forming of the old church and commonwealth of the Jews, to the building of the tabernacle, &c. His precepts and examples in these works, though we could not find his

A facto ad jus ad licitum vel debitum non valet argum.

if

particular direction, are to be taken as divine. So also the apostles, having commission to form and order the gospel-churches, their doctrine and examples therein, are by their general commission warranted; and their practices in establishing the Lord's day, in settling the offices and orders of churches, are to us as laws, still binding with those limitations as positives only, which give way to greater. 43. The ground of this position is, because it is inconsistent with the wisdom and faithfulness of God; to send men to a work, and promise to be with them, and yet to forsake them, and suffer them to err in the building of that house, which must endure till the end of the world. 44. Yet any of the commissioners do err in their own particular conversations, or in matters without the extent of their commission, this may consist with the faithfulness of God; God hath not promised them infallibility and perfection; the disgrace is their own but if they should miscarry in that wherein they are sent to be a rule to others, the church would then have an imperfect rule, and the dishonour would redound to God. 45. Yet I find not that ever God authorized any mere man to be a lawgiver to the church in substantials, but only to deliver the laws which he had given to interpret them, and to determine circumstantials not by him determined. 46. Where God owneth men's doctrines and examples by miracles, they are to be taken as infallibly divine; much more, when commission, promises, and miracles, do concur, which confirmeth the apostles' examples for current. 47. So that if any of the kings or prophets had given laws, and formed the church, as Moses, they had not been binding, because without the said commission; or if any other minister of the Gospel shall by word or action arrogate an apostolical privilege. 48. There is no verity about God, or the chief happiness of man written in nature, but it is to be found written in Scriptures.m 49. So that the same thing may, in these several respects, be the object both of knowledge and of faith. 50. The Scripture being so perfect a transcript of the law of nature or reason, is much more to be credited in its supernatural revelations. 51. The probability of most things, and the possibility of all things contained in the Scriptures, may well be discerned by reason itself, which makes their existence or futurity the more easy to be believed. 52. Yet before this existence or futurity of any thing beyond the reach of reason

1 As Peter, Gal. ii. 12, 13.

m Sufficiunt quidem sanctæ ac divinitus inspiratæ Scripturæ ad omneminstructionem veritatis.-Athanas. lib. 1. cont. Gentil. initio.

can be soundly believed, the testimony must be known to be truly divine. 53. Yet a belief of scripture doctrine as probable, doth usually go before a belief of certainty, and is a good preparative thereto. 54. The direct, express sense, must be believed directly and absolutely as infallible, and the consequences where they may be clearly and certainly raised: but where there is danger of erring in raising consequences, the assent can be but weak and conditional. 55. A consequence raised from Scripture, being no part of the immediate sense, cannot be called any part of Scripture. 56. Where one of the premises is in nature, and the other only in Scripture, there the conclusion is mixed, partly known, and partly believed. That it is the consequence of those premises is known; but that it is a truth, is, as I said, apprehended by a mixed act. Such is a Christian's concluding himself to be justified and sanctified, &c. 57. Where, through weakness, we are unable to discern the consequences, there is enough in the express direct sense for salvation. 58. Where the sense is not understood, there the belief can be but implicit. 59. Where the sense is partly understood, but with some doubting, the belief can be but conditionally explicit; that is, we believe it, if it be the sense of the word. 60. Fundamentals must be believed explicitly and absolutely."

CHAP. IV.

The First Argument to prove Scripture to be the Word

of God.

SECT. 1. Having thus showed you in what sense the Scriptures are the word of God, and how far to be believed, and

" Credere autem hæc talia debemus Deo, qui et nos fecit rectissime scientes, quia Scripturæ quidem perfectæ sunt; quippe a verbo Dei et spiritu ejus dictatæ. Nos autem secundum quod minores sumus, et novissimi à verbo Dei et spiritu ejus, secundum hoc et scientia mysteriorum ejus indigemus. Et non est mirum si in spiritualibus, cœlestibus, in his quæ habent revelari, hoc patimur nos: quandoquidem etiam eorum quæ ante pedes sunt, (dico autem quæ sunt in hac creatura, quæ et conteruntur à nobis, et videntur, et sunt nobiscum) multa fugerunt nostram scientiam, et Deo hæc ipsa committimus. Oportet enim eum præ omnibus præcellare. Quid enim si tentemus exponere causam ascensionis Nili? Multa quidem dicimus, et fortassis suasoria, fortassis autem non suasoria; quod autem verum est et certum adjacet Deo. Sed et volantium animalium habitatio, eorum quæ veris tempore adveniunt ad nos, et autumni recedunt, cum in hoc mundo hoc ipsum fiat, fugit nostram scientiam, &c.—Irenæus adv. Hares. lib. 2.

what is the excellency, necessity, and authority of them, I shall now add three or four arguments to help your faith, which, I hope, will not only prove them to be a divine testimony to the substance of doctrine (though that be a useful work against unbelief), but also that they are the very written laws of God, and a perfect rule of faith and duty. (2 Tim. iii.16.) My arguments shall be but few, because I handle it but on the by, and those such as I find little of in ordinary writings, lest I should waste time in doing what is done to my hands.

1. Those writings and that doctrine which were confirmed by many and real P miracles, must needs be of God, and consesequently of undoubted truth. But the books and doctrines of canonical Scripture were so confirmed: therefore, &c.

Against the major proposition nothing of any moment can be said; for it is a truth apparent enough to nature, that none but God can work real miracles, or, at least, none but those whom he doth especially enable thereto; and it is as manifest that the righteous and faithful God will not give this power for a seal to any falsehood or deceit.

The usual objections are these: first, antichrist shall come with lying wonders.

Answ. They are no true miracles: as they are répara 4évdovs, (2 Thess. ii. 9,) lying, in sealing to a lying doctrine: so also in being but seeming and counterfeit miracles. The like may be said to those of Pharaoh's magicians, and all other sorcerers and witches, and those that may be wrought by Satan himself. They may be wonders, but not miracles."

See this argument from miracles, managed by Camero Prælect. ' De Verbo Dei,' (fol.) pp. 439-441, &c., and Grotius De Verit. Religionis Christianæ.' Vide et Polan. Syntag. lib. 1. c. 17.

P Donum et miraculorum et linguarum dandarum fuisse et extraordinarium, et a solis apostolis (peculiari privilegio dato à Christo) conferri solitum, certo certius est.—Danæus contr. Bellarm. de Baptismo, p. 443. But this certio certius is a mistake, if he intend to exclude all besides apostles.

4 Nam ut Ægyptiorum vatum nequaquam vis omnis æquari gratiæ potest, quæ Mosi mirandum est in modum collata. Sed exitus arguit, Ægyptios præstigiis niti: Moysen vero quæ gesserit, gessisse divinitus. Sic et eorum qui Christi falso sibi nomen adsciscunt, et qui perinde ac Jesu discipuli virtutes mentiuntur et prodigia; coarguuntur plane vel in omnis iniquitatis seductiones fallaces, &c.-Origen. cont. Celsum, lib. 2. fol. (mihi) 23. G. I do not not believe that God would have let the Egyptian sorcerers do so great things as they did, had not Moses been present, that so his miracles might discredit their wonders, and God be the more magnified by the conquest.

Fuerunt miracula ut buccinæ atque præcones quibus evangelium commendabatur. Ut enim lex Mosis compluribus miraculis in monte Sinæ et 'per desertum authoritatem sibi conciliavit, quæ postea destiterunt cum d

Object. 2. God may enable false prophets to work miracles to try the world, without any derogation to his faithfulness.

Answ. No: for divine power being properly the attendant of divine revelation, if it should be annexed to diabolical delusion, it would be a sufficient excuse to the world for their believing those delusions. And if miracles should not be a sufficient seal to prove the authority of the witness to be divine, then is there nothing in the world sufficient; and so our faith will be quite overthrown.

Object. But, however, miracles will no more prove Christ to be the Son of God, than they will prove Moses, Elias, or Elisha, to be the sons of God, for they wrought miracles as well as Christ.

Answ. Miracles are God's seal, not to extol the person that is instrumental, nor for his glory; but to extol God, and for his own glory. God doth not intrust any creatures with his seal so absolutely, as that they may use it when, and in what case they please. If Moses, or Elias, had affirmed themselves to be the sons of God, they could never have confirmed that affirmation with a miracle; for God would not have sealed to a lie. Christ's power of working miracles did not immediately prove him to be the Christ, but it immediately proved his testimony to be divine, and that testimony spoke his nature and office: so that the power of miracles in the prophets and apostles was not to attest to their own greatness, but to the truth of their testimony concerning Christ. Whatsoever any man affirms to me, and works a real ́miracle to confirm it, I must needs take myself bound to believe him.

Object. But what if some one should work miracles to confirm a doctrine contrary to Scripture, would you believe it? Doth not Paul say, "If an angel from heaven teach any other doctrine, let him be accursed?”

Answ. I am sure God will never give any false teacher the power of confirming his doctrine by miracles ;t else God should

terram promissionis ventum est; eademque ratione miracula nunc quoque sublata sunt, cum evangelium per universum orbem diffusum est. Promissio igitur quam Christus in Marco 16, 17, scribi voluit, non ad omnia tempora pertinebat.-Pet. Mart. Loc. Commun. Clas. 1. c. 8. sect. 20.

* See how Christ's miracles prove his Godhead, in Botsacci Anti-Crellio,' pp. 178, 179, 194, 195, 198, 716-718, &c. So Marius Victorius advers. Arian. lib. 1.

That none but God can work a miracle (except as an angel may be his instrument), see Aquin. cont. Gentiles, lib. 3. q. 122.; also, what a miracle is, ibid. q. 10; and of magicians' wonders, q. 103, 104.