audible Voice to the Carnal Ear;
Answ.I would gladly know, what other Argument such an one could bring for this his Affirmation, saving his own simple Conjecture. It is said indeed, The Spirit witnesseth with our Spirit; but not to our outward Ears, Rom. viii. 16. And seeing the Spirit of God is within us, and not without us only, it speaks to our spiritual, and not to our bodily Ear. The Spirit speaks to the Spiritual Ear, not to the Outward.Therefore I see no Reason, where it is so often said in Scripture, The Spirit said, moved, hindered, called such or such a one, to do or forbear such or such a Thing, that any have to conclude that this was not an Inward Voice to the Ear of the Soul, rather than an Outward Voice to the Bodily Ear. If any be otherwise minded, let them, if they can, produce their Arguments, and we may further consider of them.
From all therefore which is above declared, I shall deduce an Argument, to conclude the Proof of this Assertion, thus:
That which any one firmly believes, as the Ground and Foundation of his Hope in God, and Life Eternal, is the formal Object of his Faith.
But the inward and immediate Revelation of God’s Spirit, speaking in and unto the Saints, was by them believed, as the Ground and Foundation of their Hope in God, and Life Eternal.
Therefore these inward and immediate Revelations were the formal Object of their Faith.
§. IX.
Assert. V. Proved.That which now cometh under Debate, is, what we asserted in the last Place, to wit, That the same continueth to be the Object of the Saints’ Faith unto this Day. Many will agree to what we have said before, who differ from us herein.
There is nevertheless a very firm Argument confirming the Truth of this Assertion, included in the Proposition itself, to wit, That the Object of the Saints’ Faith is the same in all Ages, though held forth under divers Administrations. Which I shall reduce to an Argument, and prove, thus:
First, Where the Faith is one, the Object of the Faith is one.
But the Faith is one: Therefore, &c.
That the Faith is one, is the express Words of the Apostle, Eph. iv. 5. who placeth the one Faith with the one God; importing no less than, that to affirm two Faiths, is as absurd as to affirm two Gods.
The Faith of the Saints of old the same with ours.Moreover, if the Faith of the Ancients were not one and the same with ours, i.e. agreeing in Substance therewith, and receiving the same Definition, it had been impertinent for the Apostle, Heb. xi. to have illustrated the Definition of our Faith, by the Examples of that of the Ancients, or to go about to move us by the Example of Abraham, if Abraham’s Faith were different in Nature from ours. Nor doth any Difference arise hence, because they believed in Christ, with respect to his Appearance outwardly as future; and we, as already appeared: For neither did they then so believe in him to come, as not to feel him present with them, and witness him near; seeing the Apostle saith, They all drank of that spiritual Rock which followed them, which Rock was Christ. Nor do we so believe concerning his Appearance past, as not also to feel and know him present with us, and to feed upon him; except Christ (saith the Apostle) be in you, ye are Reprobates; so that both our Faith is one, terminating in one and the same Thing. And as to the other Part or Consequence of the Antecedent; to wit, That the Object is one, where the Faith is one; the Apostle also proveth it in the fore-cited Chapter, where he makes all the Worthies of old Examples to us. Now wherein are they imitable, but because they believed in God? And what was the Object of their Faith, but inward and immediate Revelation, as we have before proved? Their Example can be no-ways applicable to us, except we believe in God as they did; that is, by the same Object. The Apostle clears this yet further by his own Example, Gal. i. 16. where he saith, So soon as Christ was revealed in him, he consulted not with Flesh and Blood, but forthwith believed and obeyed. The same Apostle, Heb. xiii. 7, 8. where he exhorteth the Hebrews to follow the Faith of the Elders, adds this Reason, Considering the End of their Conversation, Jesus Christ, the same To-day, Yesterday, and for ever: Hereby notably insinuating, that in the Object there is no Alteration.
Object.If any now object the Diversity of Administration;
Answ.I answer; That altereth not at all the Object: For the same Apostle mentioning this Diversity three Times, 1 Cor. xii. 4, 5, 6. centereth always in the same Object; the same Spirit, the same Lord, the same God.
But further; If the Object of Faith were not one and the same, both to us and to them, then it would follow that we were to know God some other Way than by the Spirit.
But this were absurd: Therefore, &c.
Lastly, This is most firmly proved from a common and received Maxim of the School-men, to wit, Omnis actus specificatur ab objecto, Every Act is specified from its Object: for which if it be true, as they acknowledge; (though for the Sake of many, I shall not recur to this Argument, as being too Nice and Scholastick; neither lay I much Stress upon those Kind of Things, as being that which commends not the Simplicity of the Gospel) it would follow, that If the Object were different, then the Faith would be different also.
Such as deny this Proposition now-a-days, use here a Distinction; granting that God is to be known by his Spirit; but again denying that it is Immediate or Inward, but in and by the Scriptures, in which the Mind of the Spirit (as they say) being fully and amply Expressed, we are thereby to know God, and be led in all Things.
As to the Negative of this Assertion, That the Scriptures are not sufficient, neither were ever appointed to be the adequate and only Rule, nor yet can guide or direct a Christian in all those Things that are needful for him to know, we shall leave that to the next Proposition to be examined. Christians are now to be led by the Spirit, in the same Manner as the Saints of Old.What is proper in this Place to be proved, is, That Christians now are to be led inwardly and immediately by the Spirit of God, even in the same Manner (though it befal not many to be led in the same Measure) as the Saints were of old.
§. X.
I shall prove this by divers Arguments, and first from the Promise of Christ in these Words, John xiv. 16. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. Ver. 17. Even the Spirit of Truth, whom the World cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. Again, Ver. 26. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my Name, he shall teach you all Things, and bring all Things to your Remembrance; and xvi. 13. But when the Spirit of Truth shall come, he shall lead you into all Truth: For he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, he shall speak, and shall declare unto you Things to come. We have here first, who this is, and that is divers Ways expressed, to wit, The Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Ghost, the Sent of the Father in the Name of Christ. And hereby is sufficiently proved the Sottishness of those Socinians, and other carnal Christians, who neither know nor acknowledge any Internal Spirit or Power but that which is merely Natural, by which they sufficiently declare themselves to be of the World, who cannot receive the Spirit, because they neither see him nor know him. Secondly, Where this Spirit is to be, He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. And Thirdly, What his Work is, He shall teach you all Things, and bring all Things to your Remembrance, and guide you into all Truth, [Greek: hodêgêsei hymas eis pasan tên alêtheian: ὁδηγησει ὑμας εις πασαν την αληθειαν].
Query I. Who is this Comforter?As to the First,