II. Motives to study and preach the divine authority of Scripture
the glory: thirdly, how immediately upon this there follows "receiving the end of their faith, the salvation of the soul." And Paul also brings in the justified "rejoicing in hope of the glory of God."
(Rom. 5:2.) And I doubt not, but as some poor Christians among us, who have little to boast of appearing without, have often these foretastes in their souls. And do you think that God will tantalize his people? Will he give them the first-fruits and not the crop? Doth he show them glory to set them longing, and then deny the actual fruition? Or doth he lift them up so near this rest, and give them such rejoicings in it, and yet never bestow it on them? It cannot be. Nay, doth he give them the "earnest of the inheritance;" (Eph. 1:14;) and "seal them with the Holy Spirit of promise;" (Eph. 1:13;) and yet will he deny the full possession? These absurdities may not be charged on an ordinary man, much less on the faithful and righteous God.
Sect. VI. Sixthly, and lastly: The Scripture mentioneth particularly and by name, those who entered into this rest, as Enoch, who was taken up to God. So Abraham, Lazarus, and the thief that was crucified with Christ, &c. And if there be a rest for these, surely there is a rest for all believers. But it is vain to heap up scripture-proof, seeing it is the very end of the Scripture, to be a guide to lead us to this blessed state, and to discover it to us, and persuade us to seek it in the prescribed way, and to acquaint us with the hinderances that would keep us from it, and to be the charter and grant by which we hold all our title to it. So that our rest, and thereby God's glory, is, to the Scripture, as the end is to the way, which is frequently expressed and implied through the whole. There is no one that doubts of the certainty of this promised glory, but only they that doubt of the truth of the Scripture, or else know not what it containeth. And because I find the most temptations are resolved into this, and that there is so much unbelief even in true believers, and that the truth and strength of our belief of Scripture hath an exceeding great influence into all our graces, I shall briefly say something for your confirmation in this.
CHAP. II
Motives to Study and Preach the Divine Authority of Scripture.
Sect. I. Thus much may suffice where the Scripture is believed, to confirm the truth of the point in hand, viz., the certain futurity of the saints' rest. And for pagans and infidels who believe not Scripture, it is besides the intention of this discourse to endeavour their conviction. I am endeavouring the consolation and edification of saints, and not the information and conversion of pagans. Yet do I acknowledge the subject exceeding necessary, even to the saints themselves: for Satan's assaults are oft made at the foundation; and if he can persuade them to question the verity of Scripture, they will soon cast away their hopes of heaven.
But if I should here enter upon that task, to prove that Scripture to be the infallible word of God, I should make too broad a digression, and set upon a work as large as that, for the sake whereof I should undertake it; neither am I insensible of how great a difficulty it would prove to manage it satisfactorily, and how much more than my ability is thereto requisite.
Yet, lest the tempted Christian should have no relief, nor any argument at hand against the temptation, I will here lay down some few, not intending it as a full resolution of that great question, but as a competent help to the weak, that have no time nor ability to read larger volumes. And I the rather am induced to it, because the success of all the rest that I have written depends upon this: no man will love, desire, study, labour for that which he believeth not to be attainable. And in such supernatural points, we must first apprehend the truth of the revelation, before we can well believe the truth of the thing revealed. And I desire the Lord to persuade the hearts of some of his choicest servants in these times, whom he hath best furnished for such a work, to undertake the complete handling of it; to persuade them to which, I will here annex, first, some considerations, which also are the reasons of this brief attempt of my own, and may also serve to persuade all ministers to bestow a little
more pains, in a seasonable grounding their hearers in this so great and needful a point, by a more frequent and clear discovery of the verity of the Scripture, though some, that know not what they say, may tell them that it is needless.
1. Of what exceeding great necessity is it to the salvation of ourselves and hearers, to be soundly persuaded of the truth of Scripture! As God's own veracity is the prime foundation of our faith, from which particular axioms receive their verity, so the Scripture is the principal foundation quoad patefactionem, revealing to us what is of God, without which revelation it is impossible to believe. And should not the foundation be both timely and soundly laid?
2. The learned divines of these latter times have, in most points of doctrine, done better than any, since the apostles, before them; and have much advantaged the church thereby, and advanced sacred knowledge. And should we not endeavour it in this point if possible above all, when yet the ancients were more frequent and full in it, for the most part, than we? I know there are many excellent treatises already extant on this subject, and such as I doubt not may convince gainsayers, and much strengthen the weak; but yet, doubtless, much more may be done for the clearing this weighty and needful point.
Our great divines have said almost as much against papists in this, as need be said, especially Chamier, and our Robert Baronius,
Whitaker, Reignoldus, &c. But is not most of their industry there bestowed, while they put off the atheist, the Jew, and other infidels, with a few pages or none? And so the great master-sin of infidelity in the souls of men, whereof the best Christians have too great a share, is much neglected, and the very greatest matter of all overlooked.
Grotius, Morney, and Camero, above others, have done well; but if God would stir them up to this work, I doubt not but some, by the help of all foregoers, and especially improving antiquities, might do it more completely than any have yet done; which I think would be as acceptable a piece of service to the church as ever by human industry was performed.
3. And I fear the course that too many divines take this way, by resolving all into the testimony of the Spirit, in a mistaken sense, hath much wronged the Scripture and church of God, and much hardened pagans and atheists against the truth: I know that the illumination of the Spirit is necessary: a special illumination for the begetting of a special saving belief, and a common illumination for a common belief. But this is not so properly called the testimony of the Spirit; the use of this is to open our eyes to see that evidence of scripture verity which is already extant; and as to remove our blindness, so by farther sanctifying, to remove our natural enmity to the truth, and prejudice against it, which is no small hinderance to the believing of it; for all the hinderance lieth not in the bare intellect.
But it is another kind of testimony than this, which many great divines resolve their faith into: for when the question is of the objective cause of faith, how know you Scripture to be the word of God; or why do you believe it so to be? They finally conclude, by the testimony of the Spirit: but the Spirit's illumination being only the efficient cause of our discerning, and the question being only of the objective cause or evidence, they must needs mean some testimony besides illuminating, sanctifying grace, or else not understand themselves: and, therefore, even great Chamier calleth this testimony
'the word of God,' and likens it to the revelations made to the prophets and apostles, dangerously, I think. (Tom. iii. lib. 13. c. 17.)
To imagine a necessity, first, either of an internal proper testimony, which is argumentum inartificiale, as if the Spirit, as another person, spoke this truth within me, 'The Scripture is God's word;' or, secondly, of the Spirit's propounding that objective evidence internally in the soul, which is necessary to persuade by an artificial argument, without propounding it first ab extra; thirdly, or for the Spirit to infuse or create in a man's mind an actual persuasion that Scripture is God's word, the person not knowing how he is so persuaded, nor why; or of any the like immediate injection of the intelligible species; I say, to affirm that the Scriptures cannot be known to be God's word, without such a testimony of the Spirit as
some of these, is, in my judgment, a justifying men in their infidelity, and a telling them that there is not yet extant any sufficient evidence of scripture truth, till the Spirit create it in ourselves, and, withal, to leave it impossible to produce any evidence for the conviction of an unbeliever, who cannot know the testimony of the Spirit in me: and, indeed, it is direct expectation of enthusiasm, and that is ordinary to every Christian. And it also infers that all men have the testimony of the Spirit, who believe the Scriptures to be God's word, which would delude many natural men, who feel that they do believe this, though some unsoundly tell us that an unregenerate man cannot believe it. I know that, savingly, he cannot; but undissemblingly, as the devil does, he may. But I leave this point, referring the reader that understands them, for full satisfaction about the nature of the Spirit's testimony, to learned Robert Baronius, 'Apol. con. Turnebullum,' p.
733; and also to judicious Amyraldus, 'Thes. de Testim. Spir. in Thes.
Salmuriens.,' vol. i. p. 122: in both whom it is most solidly handled.
4. Doubtless, the first and chief work of preachers of the Gospel, is to endeavour the conversion of pagans and infidels, where men live within their reach, and have opportunity to do it. And we all believe that the Jews shall be brought in; and it must be by means. And how shall all this be done, if we cannot prove to them the divine authority of what we have to say to them, but naked affirmation? Or, how shall we maintain the credit of Christianity, if we be put to dispute the case with an infidel? I know somewhat may be done by tradition where
Scripture is not; but that is a weaker, uncertain means: I know also that the first truths, and those that are known by the light of nature, may be evinced by natural demonstrations: and when we deal with pagans, there we must begin. But for all supernatural truth, how shall we prove that to them, but by proving first the certainty of the revelation? As Aquinas, ut in marg., to tell them that the Spirit testifieth it, is no means to convince them that have not the Spirit.
And if they have the Spirit already, then what need we preach to convince them? If the word must be mixed with faith in them that hear it, before it profit them further to salvation; then we cannot expect to find the Spirit in infidels. He that thinks an unholy person
may not believe the Scriptures to be the word of God, doth not surely think that they may go so much further as our divines and the Scripture tell us they may do.n And to tell an infidel that it is principium indemonstrabile, that Scripture is God's word, and that it is to believed, and not to be proved, as if the very revelation. Hoc esse testimonium divinum, and not only the thing testified, Hoc esse verum, were not objectum scientiæ, sed puræ fidei. This might sooner harden infidels, than convince them. Sure I am, that both Christ and his apostles used sufficient, in suo genere, convincing arguments to persuade men to believe, and dealt with men as rational creatures. Truly, saith
Hooker, "It is not a thing impossible, nor greatly hard, even by such kind of proofs so to manifest and clear that point, that no man living shall be able to deny it, without denying some apparent principle, such as all men acknowledge to be true. And Scripture teacheth us that saving truth, which God hath discovered to the world by revelation; but it presumeth us taught otherwise, that itself is divine and sacred. And these things we believe, knowing by reason, that Scripture is the word of God." Again, saith he, "It is not required, nor can be exacted at our hands, that we should yield it any other assent, than such as doth answer the evidence." Again, how bold and confident soever we may be in words, when it comes to the trial, such as the evidence is, which the truth hath, such is the assent; nor can it be stronger, if grounded as it should be."
5.Is not faith a rational act of a rational creature? And so the understanding proceeds discursively in its production. And is not that the strongest faith which hath the strongest reasons to prove the testimony to be valid upon which it resteth, and the clearest apprehension and use of those reasons? And the truest faith which hath the truest reasons truly apprehended and used? And must not that, on the contrary, be weak or false faith which receives the verity and validity of the testimony from weak or false grounds, though the testimony, of itself, be the truest in the world? Our divines use to say, concerning love to Christ, that it is not to be measured by the degree
of fervour so much as by the grounds and motives; so that if a man should love Christ upon the same reason as the Turk loves Mahomet, it were no true love: if he love him upon false grounds, it must needs be false love; and, if upon common grounds, it can be but a common love. I will not conclude, that to believe in Jesus Christ upon the grounds that a Turk believes in Mahomet, or to believe Scripture upon the same reasons that the Turks believe the Alcoran, is no true faith, supposing that both have the like verity of their reasons; but at best, it must be more weak and doubtful.
6. Are the generality of Christians able to give any better than some such common reason, to prove the verity of Scripture: nay, are the more exercised, understanding sorts of Christians able by sound arguments to make it good, if an enemy or a temptation put them to it: nay, are the meaner sort of ministers in England able to do this?
Let them that have tried, judge.
7. Can the superstructure be firm, where the foundation is sandy; and can our affections and actions be sound and strong, when our belief of Scripture is unsound or infirm? Surely this faith will have influence into all. For my own part, I take it to be the greatest cause of coldness in duty, weakness in grace, boldness in sinning, and unwillingness to die, &c., that our faith is either unsound or infirm in this point; few Christians among us, for aught I find, have any better than the popish implicit faith in this point, nor any betterq arguments than the papists have to prove Scripture the word of God.
They have received it by tradition, godly ministers and Christians tell them so, it is impious to doubt of it, and therefore they believe it.
And this worm, lying at the root, causeth the languishing and decay of the whole: yet it is usually undiscerned, for the root lieth secret under ground. But I am apt to judge, that though the most complain of their uncertainty of salvation, through want of assurance of their own interest, and of the weakness of the applying act of faith; yet the greater cause of all their sorrows, and that which shakes the whole building, is the weakness of their faith about the truth of Scripture; though, perhaps, the other be more perceived, and this taken notice
of by few. There may be great weakness and unsoundness of belief, where yet no doubtings are perceived to stir. Therefore though we could persuade people to believe ever so confidently, that Scripture is the very word of God, and yet teach them no more reason why they should believe this, than any other book to be that word; as it will prove in them no right way of believing, so is it in us no right way of teaching.
8. There is many a one who feels his faith shake here, who never discovers it: to doubt of our evidence, is taken for no great disgrace, and therefore men more freely profess such doubts; nay, and some, perhaps, who are not much troubled with them, because they would be thought to be humble Christians. But to question the truth of Scripture, is a reproachful blasphemy, and therefore all that are guilty here, speak not their doubts.
9. Is not the greatest battery by all sorts of enemies, especially made against this foundation? The first place that the papist assaults you in, is here; How know you the Scripture to be the word of God? The seekers will accost you with the like question; How know you that your Scripture and your ministry is of God? The familists and libertines do spit their venom here: and some Christians, by experience, are able to testify, that Satan's temptations are most violent here. Yea, and our own carnal, deluded reason, is most apt of all to stumble here.
They talk of a toleration of all religions, and some desire that the Jews may have free commerce amongst us: it will then be time for us,
I think, to be well armed at this point. Let the ordinary professors of our time, who are of weak judgments, and fiery spirits, look to it, how they will stand in such assaults; lest, as now, when they cannot answer a separatist, they yield to him; and when they cannot answer an antinomian, they turn antinomians; so, then, when they can much less answer the subtle arguments of a Jew against Christ and the Gospel, they should as easily turn Jews, and deny Christ, and the verity of the Gospel.
The libertines among us think it necessary that we should have such a toleration to discover the unsound, who hold their faith upon tradition and custom. I am no more of their minds in this, than of his, who would have a fair virgin to lie with him, and try his chastity, and make its victory more honourable: but if we must needs have such a trial, it is time to look to the grounds of our belief, that we may be ready to give a reason of our hope.
10. However, though I were mistaken in all this, yet certain I am, that the strengthening of our faith in the verity of Scripture, would be an exceeding help to the joy of the saints, and would advance their confident hopes of rest. For myself, if my faith in this point had no imperfection, if I did as verily believe the glory to come, as I do believe that the sun will rise again when it is set; oh! how would it raise my desires and my joys; what haste should I make; how serious should I be; how should I trample on these earthly vanities, and even forget the things below; how restless should I be till my right were assured to this rest; and then, how restless, till I did possess it: how should I delight in the thought of death, and my heart leap at the tidings of its approach: how glad should I be of the body's decay; to feel my prison moulder to dust! Surely, this would be the fruit of a perfect belief of the truth of the promise of our eternal rest; which, though it cannot be here expected, yet should we use the most strengthening means, and press on till we have attained. "Truly," saith Mr. Pemble, (Vindic. Grat. p. 219.) "this loose and unsettled faith is one of the fiery darts, and forcible engines of Satan, whereby he assaults and overthrows the hope and comfort of many a dying man; who, having not strengthened himself on this point, by undoubted arguments and experiments, is there laid at where he lies open and unarmed, by such cunning cavils, shifts, and elusions against the authority of Scripture, that the poor man, not able to clear himself of them, falls into a doubting of all religion, and sinks into despair.
Sect. II. Thus much I have purposely spoken, as to stir up Christians to look to their faith, so especially to provoke some choice servants of
Christ, among the multitudes of books that are written, to bestow their labours on this most needful subject; and all ministers to preach it more frequently and clearly to their people. Some think it is faith's honour to be as credulous as may be, and the weaker are the rational grounds, the stronger is the faith; and therefore we must believe and not dispute. Indeed, when it is once known to be a divine testimony, then the most credulous soul is the best. But when the doubt is, whether it be the testimony of God, or no, a man may easily be over credulous; else, why are we bid, "believe not every spirit, but try them, whether they be of God, or not." And how should the false
Christs, and false prophets be known, who would "deceive, were it possible, the very elect?" "To be given up of God to believe a lie," is one of the sorest of God's judgments.
Some think the only way to deal with such temptations to blasphemy, is to cast them away, and not to dispute them; and I think the direction is very good, so it be used with distinction and caution. The rule holds good against real blasphemy, known to be such; but if the person know it not, how shall he make use of this rule against it?
Further, it is supposed, that he who knows it to be blasphemy, hath arguments whereby to prove it such; else, how doth he know it?
Therefore, here lies the sin; when a man is, by sufficient evidence, convinced, or, at least, hath evidence sufficient for conviction, that it is a divine testimony, and yet is still cherishing doubts, or hearkening to temptations which may feed those doubts; when a man, like
Balaam, will take no answer. But he who will, therefore, cast away all doubts before he hath any arguments sufficient against them, or could ever prove the thing in question, he doth indeed cast aside the temptation, but not overcome it, and may expect it should shortly return again; it is a methodical cure which prevents a relapse. Such a neglecter of temptations may be in the right, and may as well be in the wrong; however, it is not right to him, because not rightly believed. Faith always implies a knowledge, and the knowledge usually of the matter and author of that testimony; divine faith hath ever a divinea testimony, and supposeth the knowledge of the matter, when the faith is particular, but always of the author of that
testimony. An implicit faith in God, that is, a believing that all is true which he testifieth, though we see no reason for it, from the evidence of the matter, this is necessary to every true believer: but to believe implicitly, that the testimony is divine, or that Scripture is the word of God, this is not to believe God, but to resolve our faith into some human testimony; even to lay our foundation upon the sand, where all will fall at the next assault.
It is strange to consider how we all abhor that piece of popery, as most injurious to God of all the rest, which resolves our faith into the authority of the church: and yet that we do; for the generality of professors content ourselves with the same kind of faith. Only with this difference: the papists believe Scripture to be the word of God, because their church saith so; and we, because our church, or our leaders say so. Yea, and many ministers never yet gave their people better grounds, but tell them, which is true, that it is damnable to deny it, but help them not to the necessary antecedents of faith.
If any think that these words tend to the shaking of men's faith, I answer, first, only of that which will fall of itself; secondly, and that it may, in time, be built again more strongly; thirdly, or at least that the sound may be surer settled. It is to be understood that many a thousand do profess Christianity, and zealously hate the enemies thereof upon the same grounds, to the same ends, and from the same inward, corrupt principles, as the Jews did hate and kill Christ. It is the religion of the country, where every man is reproached who believes otherwise; they were born and brought up in this belief, and it hath increased in them upon the like occasions. Had they been born and bred in the religion of Mahomet, they would have been as zealous for him. The difference betwixt him and a Mahometan is more, that he lives where better laws and religion dwell, than that he hath more knowledge or soundness of apprehension.
Yet would I not drive into causeless doubtings the soul of any true believers, or make them believe their faith is unsound, because it is not so strong as some others; therefore I add, some may, perhaps,
have ground for their belief, though they are not able to express it by argumentation; and may have arguments in their hearts to persuade themselves, though they have none in their mouths to persuade another; yea, and those arguments in themselves may be solid and convincing. Some may be strengthened by some one sound argument, and yet be ignorant of all the rest, without overthrowing the truth of their faith. Some, also, may have weaker apprehensions of the divine authority of Scripture than others; and as weaker grounds for their faith, so a less degree of assent; and yet that assent may be sincere and saving, so it have these two qualifications: 1. If the arguments which we have for believing the Scripture, be in themselves more sufficient to convince of its truth, than any arguments of the enemies of Scripture can be to persuade a man to the contrary; and do accordingly discover to us a high degree, at least, of probability. 2. And if being thus far convinced, it prevails with us to choose this as the only way of life, and to adventure our souls upon this way, denying all other, and adhering, though to the loss of estate and life, to the truth of Christ, thus weakly apprehended. This, I think, God will accept as true belief.
But though such a faith may serve to salvation, yet when the Christian should use it for his consolation he will find it much fail him, even as legs or arms of the weak or lame, which when a man should use them, do fail them according to the degrees of their weakness or lameness; so much doubting as there remains of the truth of the word, or so much weakness as there is in our believing, or so much darkness or uncertainty as there is in the evidence which persuades us to believe; so much will be wanting to our love, desires, labours, adventures, and, especially, to our joys.
Therefore I think it necessary to speak a little, and but a little, to fortify the believer against temptations, and to confirm his faith in the certain truth of that Scripture which contains the promises of this rest.