thou comest to be acquainted with that Heavenly Voice in thy Heart, thou shalt feel, as the Old Man, or the Natural Man, that savoureth not the Things of God’s Kingdom, is put off, with his evil and corrupt Affections and Lusts; I say, thou shalt feel the New Man, or the Spiritual Birth and Babe raised, which hath its Spiritual Senses, and can see, feel, taste, handle, and smell the Things of the Spirit; but till then the Knowledge of Things Spiritual is but as an Historical Faith. Who wants his Sight sees not the Light.But as the Description of the Light of the Sun, or of curious Colours to a blind Man, who, though of the largest Capacity, cannot so well understand it by the most acute and lively Description, as a Child can by seeing them; so neither can the Natural Man, of the largest Capacity, by the best Words, even Scripture-words, so well understand the Mysteries of God’s Kingdom, as the least and weakest Child who tasteth them, by having them Revealed inwardly and objectively by the Spirit.
Wait then for this in the small Revelation of that pure Light, which first reveals Things more known; and as thou becomest fitted for it, thou shalt receive more and more, and by a Living Experience easily refute their Ignorance, who ask, How dost thou know that thou art actuated by the Spirit of God? Which will appear to thee a Question no less ridiculous, than to ask one whose Eyes are open, How he knows the Sun shines at Noon-day? And though this be the surest and most certain Way to answer all Objections; yet by what is above written it may appear, that the Mouths of all such Opposers as deny this Doctrine may be shut, by unquestionable and unanswerable Reasons.
PROPOSITION III.
Concerning the Scriptures.
From these Revelations of the Spirit of God to the Saints have proceeded the Scriptures of Truth, which contain,
I. A faithful Historical Account of the Actings of God’s People in divers Ages; with many singular and remarkable Providences attending them.
II. A Prophetical Account of several Things, whereof some are already past, and some yet to come.
III. A full and ample Account of all the chief Principles of the Doctrine of Christ, held forth in divers precious Declarations, Exhortations, and Sentences, which, by the moving of God’s Spirit, were at several Times, and upon sundry Occasions, spoken and written unto some Churches and their Pastors.
Nevertheless, because they are only a Declaration of the Fountain, and not the Fountain itself, therefore they are not to be esteemed the principal Ground of all Truth and Knowledge, nor yet the Adequate Primary Rule of Faith and Manners. Yet because they give a true and faithful Testimony of the first Foundation, they are and may be esteemed a Secondary Rule, subordinate to the Spirit, from which they have all their Excellency and Certainty: For, as by the inward Testimony of the Spirit we do alone truly know them, so they testify, That the Spirit is that Guide by which the Saints are led into all Truth; therefore, according to the Scriptures, the Spirit is the First and Principal Leader.[45] Seeing then that we do therefore receive and believe the Scriptures because they proceeded from the Spirit, so the very same Reason is the Spirit more Originally and Principally the Rule, according to the received Maxim in the Schools, Propter quod unumquodque est tale, illud ipsum est magis tale: That for which a Thing is such, that Thing itself is more such.
[45] John 16. 13. Rom. 8. 14.
§. I.
The former Part of this Proposition, though it needs no Apology for itself, yet it is a good Apology for us, and will help to sweep away that, among many other Calumnies, wherewith we are often loaded, as if we were Vilifiers and Deniers of the Scriptures; for in that which we affirm of them, it doth appear at what high Rate we value them, accounting them, without all Deceit or Equivocation, the most excellent Writings in the World; The Holy Scriptures the most excellent Writings in the World.to which not only no other Writings are to be preferred, but even in divers Respects not comparable thereto. For as we freely acknowledge that their Authority doth not depend upon the Approbation or Canons of any Church or Assembly; so neither can we subject them to the fallen, corrupt, and defiled Reason of Man: And therein as we do freely agree with the Protestants against the Error of the Romanists, so on the other Hand, we cannot go the Length of such Protestants as make their Authority to depend upon any Virtue or Power that is in the Writings themselves; but we desire to ascribe all to that Spirit from which they proceeded.
We confess indeed there wants not a Majesty in the Style, a Coherence in the Parts, a good Scope in the Whole; but seeing these Things are not discerned by the natural, but only by the spiritual Man, it is the Spirit of God that must give us that Belief of the Scriptures which may satisfy our Consciences; therefore some of the Chief among Protestants, both in their particular Writings and publick Confessions, are forced to acknowledge this.
Calvin’s Testimony that the Scripture certainly is from the Spirit.Hence Calvin, though he saith he is able to prove that, if there be a God in Heaven, these Writings have proceeded from him, yet he concludes another Knowledge to be necessary. Instit. Lib. 1. Cap. 7. Sect. 4.
“But if (saith he) we respect the Consciences, that they be not daily molested with Doubts, and hesitate not at every Scruple, it is requisite that this Persuasion which we speak of be taken higher than human Reason, Judgment, or Conjecture; to wit, from the secret Testimony of the Spirit.” And again, “To those who ask, that we prove unto them, by Reason, that Moses and the Prophets were inspired of God to speak, I answer, That the Testimony of the Holy Spirit is more excellent than all Reason.” And again, “Let this remain a firm Truth, that he only whom the Holy Spirit hath persuaded, can repose himself on the Scripture with a true Certainty.” And lastly, “This then is a judgment which cannot be begotten but by an Heavenly Revelation, &c.”
The Confession of the French Churches.The same is also affirmed in the first publick Confession of the French Churches, published in the Year 1559. Art. 4. “We know these Books to be canonical, and the most certain Rule of our Faith, not so much by the common Accord and Consent of the Church, as by the Testimony and inward Persuasion of the Holy Spirit.”
Churches of Holland assert the same.Thus also in the 5th Article of the Confession of Faith, of the Churches of Holland, confirmed by the Synod of Dort. “We receive these Books only for holy and canonical—not so much because the Church receives and approves them, as because the Spirit of God doth witness in our Hearts that they are of God.”
Westminster Confession the same.And lastly, The Divines, so called, at Westminster, who began to be afraid of, and guard against the Testimony of the Spirit, because they perceived a Dispensation beyond that which they were under beginning to dawn, and to eclipse them; yet could they not get by this, though they have laid it down neither so clearly, distinctly, nor honestly as they that went before. It is in these Words, Chap. 1. Sect. 5. “Nevertheless our full Persuasion and Assurance of the Infallible Truth thereof, is from the inward Work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the Word in our Hearts.”
By all which it appeareth how necessary it is to seek the Certainty of the Scriptures from the Spirit, and no where else. The infinite Janglings and endless Contests of those that seek their Authority elsewhere, do witness to the Truth hereof.
Apocrypha.[46]For the Ancients themselves, even of the first Centuries, were not agreed among themselves concerning them; while some of them rejected Books which we approve, and others of them approved those which some of us reject. It is not unknown to such as are in the least acquainted with Antiquity, what great Contests are concerning the Second Epistle of Peter,