be but needful to consider God’s manifesting himself towards, and in relation to his Creatures, from the Beginning, which resolves itself always herein. The first Step of all is ascribed hereunto by Moses, Gen. i. 2. And the Spirit of God moved upon the Face of the Waters. The Revelation is by the Spirit of God.I think it will not be denied, that God’s Converse with Man, all along from Adam to Moses, was by the Immediate Manifestation of his Spirit: And afterwards, through the whole Tract of the Law, he spake to his Children no otherways; which, as it naturally followeth from the Principles above proved, so it cannot be denied, by such as acknowledge the Scriptures of Truth to have been written by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost: For these Writings, from Moses to Malachi, do declare, that during all that Time, God revealed himself to his Children by his Spirit.
Object.But if any will Object, That after the Dispensation of the Law, God’s Method of Speaking was altered;
Answ.Sanctum Sanctorum. I answer: First, That God spake always immediately to the Jews, in that he spake always immediately to the High-Priest from betwixt the Cherubims; who, when he entered into the Holy of Holies, returning, did relate to the whole People the Voice and Will of God, there immediately Revealed. So that this immediate Speaking never ceased in any Age.
None shut out from this Immediate Fellowship.Secondly, From this immediate Fellowship were none shut out, who earnestly sought after, and waited for it; in that many, besides the High-Priest, who were not so much as of the Kindred of Levi, nor of the Prophets, did receive it and speak from it; as it is written, Numb. xi. 25. where the Spirit is said to have rested upon the Seventy Elders; which Spirit also reached unto two that were not in the Tabernacle, but in the Camp; whom when some would have forbidden, Moses would not, but rejoiced, wishing that all the Lord’s People were Prophets, and that he would put his Spirit upon them, Ver. 29.
This is also confirmed, Neh. ix. Where the Elders of the People, after their Return from Captivity, when they began to sanctify themselves by Fasting and Prayer, numbering up the many Mercies of God towards their Fathers, say, Ver. 20. Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them; and Ver. 30. Yet many Years didst thou forbear, and testify against them by thy Spirit in thy Prophets. Many are the Sayings of Spiritual David to this Purpose, as Psalm li. 11, 12. Take not thy holy Spirit from me; uphold me with thy free Spirit. Psal. cxxxix. 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Hereunto doth the Prophet Isaiah ascribe the Credit of his Testimony, saying, Chap. xlviii. 16. And now the Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me. And that God revealed himself to his Children under the New Testament, to wit, to the Apostles, Evangelists, and Primitive Disciples, is confessed by all. How far now this yet continueth, and is to be expected, comes hereafter to be spoken to.
§. VIII.
Assert. IV.The fourth thing affirmed is, That these Revelations were the Object of the Saints’ Faith of old.
Proved.This will easily appear by the Definition of Faith, and considering what its Object is: For which we shall not dive into the curious and various Notions of the School-men, but stay in the plain and positive Words of the Apostle Paul, who, Heb. xi. describes it two Ways. What Faith is?Faith (saith he) is the Substance of Things hoped for, and the Evidence of Things not seen: Which, as the Apostle illustrateth it in the same Chapter by many Examples, is no other but a firm and certain Belief of the Mind, whereby it resteth, and in a Sense possesseth the Substance of some Things hoped for, through its Confidence in the Promise of God: And thus the Soul hath a most firm Evidence, by its Faith, of Things not yet seen nor come to pass. The Object of this Faith, is the Promise, Word, or Testimony of God, speaking in the Mind. The Object of Faith, Deus Loquens.Hence it hath been generally affirmed, That the Object of Faith is Deus Loquens, &c. that is, God Speaking, &c. Which is also manifest from all those Examples, deduced by the Apostle throughout that whole Chapter, whose Faith was founded neither upon any outward Testimony, nor upon the Voice or Writing of Man, but upon the Revelation of God’s Will, manifest unto them, and in them; as in the Example of Noah, Ver. 7, thus, By Faith Noah being warned of God, of Things not seen as yet, moved with Fear, prepared an Ark to the saving of his House; by the which he condemned the World, and became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith. Noah’s Faith.What was here the Object of Noah’s Faith, but God speaking unto him? He had not the Writings nor Prophesyings of any going before, nor yet the Concurrence of any Church or People, to strengthen him; and yet his Faith in the Word, by which he contradicted the whole World, saved him and his House. Abraham’s Faith.Of which also Abraham is set forth as a singular Example, being therefore called the Father of the Faithful, who is said against Hope to have believed in Hope; in that he not only willingly forsook his Father’s Country, not knowing whither he went; in that he believed concerning the coming of Isaac, though contrary to natural Probability; but above all, in that he refused not to offer him up, not doubting but God was able to raise him from the Dead; of whom it is said, That in Isaac shall thy Seed be called. And last of all, In that he rested in the Promise, that his Seed should possess the Land, wherein he himself was but a Pilgrim, and which to them was not to be fulfilled while divers Ages after. The Object of Abraham’s Faith in all this, was no other but inward and immediate Revelation, or God signifying his Will unto him inwardly and immediately by his Spirit.
But because, in this Part of the Proposition, we made also Mention of external Voices, Appearances, and Dreams in the Alternative, I think also fit to speak hereof what in that respect may be objected; to wit,
Object.That those who found their Faith now upon Immediate and Objective Revelation, ought to have also outward Voices or Visions, Dreams or Appearances for it.
Answ.The Ministry of Angels speaking in the Appearance of Men to the Saints of old. It is not denied, but God made use of the Ministry of Angels, who, in the Appearance of Men, spake outwardly to the Saints of old, and that he did also reveal some Things to them in Dreams and Visions; none of which we will affirm to be ceased, so as to limit the Power and Liberty of God, in manifesting himself towards his Children. But while we are considering the Object of Faith, we must not stick to that which is but Circumstantially and Accidentally so, but to that which is Universally and Substantially so.
Next again, We must distinguish betwixt that which in itself is subject to Doubt and Delusion, and therefore is received for and because of another; and that which is not subject to any Doubt, but is received simply for and because of itself, as being Prima Veritas, the very First and Original Truth. Let us then consider how, or how far, these outward Voices, Appearances and Dreams, were the Object of the Saints’ Faith: Was it because they were simply Voices, Appearances or Dreams? Revelations by Dreams and Visions.Nay certainly; for they were not ignorant that the Devil might form a Sound of Words, convey it to the outward Ear, and deceive the outward Senses, by making Things to appear that are not. Yea, do we not see by daily Experience, that the jugglers and Mountebanks can do as much as all that, by their Legerdemain? God forbid then, that the Saints’ Faith should be founded upon so fallacious a Foundation, as Man’s outward and fallible Senses. What made them then give Credit to these Visions? Certainly nothing else, but the secret Testimony of God’s Spirit in their Hearts, assuring them that the Voices, Dreams and Visions, were of and from God. Abraham believed the Angels; but who told him that these Men were Angels? We must not think his Faith then was built upon his outward Senses; but proceeded from the secret Persuasion of God’s Spirit in his Heart. This then must needs be acknowledged to be originally and principally the Object of the Saints’ Faith; without which there is no true and certain Faith, and by which many Times Faith is begotten and strengthened, without any of these outward or visible Helps; as we may observe in many Passages of the Holy Scripture, where it is only mentioned, And God said, &c. And the Word of the Lord came unto such and such, saying, &c.
Object.But if any one should pertinaciously