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it, it declares itself to be his, and makes good its authority from him, so that the refusal of it upon its own evidence brings unavoidable condemnation on the souls of men. This comparison is insisted on by the psalmist; Psal. xix. where as he ascribeth 5p and p a voice,' and 'line' to the creatures, so &c. Light, power, stability, and permanency, like that of the heavens and sun, in commutation of properties to the word, and in an inexpressible exaltation of it above them; the light of one day of this sun being unspeakably more than that of seven others, as to the manifestation of the glory of God..

This then is fixed as a principle of truth, Whatever God hath appointed to reveal himself by, as to any special or general end, that those whom he intends to discover himself unto, may either be effectually instructed in his mind and will, according to the measure, degree, and means, of the revelation afforded, or be left inexcusable for not receiving the testimony that he gives of himself, by any plea or pretence of want of clear, evident, manifest revelation; that whatever it be hath such an impression of his authority upon it, as undeniably to evince that it is from him. And this now concerning his word, comes farther to be confirmed by testimonies and arguments.

CHAP. III.

Arguments of two sorts. Inartificial arguments, by way of testimony, to the truth. To whom these arguments are valid; Isa. viii. 20. 2 Tim. iii. 16. of Jeoπvevoría. The rò eĩov that accompanies the voice of God; Jer. iii. 26–29. The rejection of a plea of Geoπvevorías, wherein it consists ; Luke xvi. 31. Of miracles, their efficacy to beget faith, compared with the word; 2 Pet. i. 16. 19, 20.

HAVING declared the divine original and authority of the Scripture, and explained the position laid down as the foundation of our ensuing discourse, way is now made for us, to the consideration of those self-evidences of its divine rise, and consequently authority, that it is attended withal, upon the account whereof we receive it, as (believing it to be) the word of God.

The arguments whereby any thing is confirmed are of two sorts; inartificial, by the way of testimony'; and artificial, by the way of deductions and inferences. Whatever is capable of contributing evidence unto truth, falls under one of these two heads. Both these kinds of proofs we make use of, in the business in hand. Some profess they own the authority of the Scriptures, and also urge others so to do; but they well dispute on what grounds and accounts they do so. With those we may deal in the first way, by testimony from the Scriptures themselves, which upon their own principles they cannot refuse. When they shall be pleased to inform us, that they have relinquished those principles, and do no longer own the Scripture to be the word of God, we will withdraw the witnesses upon their exceptions whom for the present we make use of. Testimonies that are innate and ingrafted in the word itself, used only as mediums of artificial arguments to be deduced from them, which are of the second sort, may be used towards them who at present own not the authority of the Scripture on any account whatever, or who are desirous to put on themselves the persons of such men, to try their skill and ability for the management of a controversy against the word of God.

In both these cases the testimony of the Scripture is pleaded, and is to be received; or cannot with any pretence

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of reason be refused; in the former, upon the account of the acknowledged authority and veracity of the witness, though speaking in its own case; in the latter, upon the account of that self-evidence which the testimony insisted on is accompanied withal, made out by such reasonings and arguments as, for the kind of them, persons who own not its authority cannot but admit. In human things, if a man of known integrity and unspotted reputation bear witness in any cause, and give uncontrollable evidence to his testimony, from the very nature and order of the things whereof he speaks, as it is expected that those who know and admit of his integrity and reputation do acquiesce in his assertion, so those to whom he is a stranger, who are not moved by his authority, will yet be overcome to assent to what is witnessed by him, from the nature of the things he asserts, especially if there be a coincidence of all such circumstances, as are any way needful to give evidence to the matter in hand.

Thus it is, in the case under consideration. For those who profess themselves to believe the Scriptures to be the word of God, and so own the credit and fidelity of the witness, it may reasonably be expected from them, yea in strict justice demanded of them, that they stand to the testimony, that they give to themselves, and their own divine original. By saying that the Scripture is the word of God, and then commanding us to prove it so to be, they render themselves obnoxious unto every testimony that we produce from it, that so it is; and that it is to be received on its own testimony. This witness they cannot wave without disavowing their own professed principles; without which principles they have not the least colour of imposing this task on us.

As for them, with whom we have not the present advantage of their own acknowledgment, it is not reasonable to impose upon them with the bare testimony of that witness concerning whom the question is, whether he be worthy the acceptation pleaded for; but yet arguments taken from the Scripture, from what it is and doth, its nature and operation, by which the causes and springs of all things are discovered, are not to be refused.

But it is neither of these, that principally I intend to deal withal; my present discourse is rather about the satis

faction of our own consciences, than the answering of others? objections. Only we must satisfy our consciences upon such principles as will stand against all men's objections. This then is chiefly inquired after; namely, what it is that gives such an assurance of the Scriptures being the word of God, as that relying thereon we have a sure bottom and foundation for our receiving them as such; and from whence it is, that those who receive them not in that manner, are left inexcusable in their damnable unbelief. This we say, is in and from the Scripture itself; so that there is no other need of any farther witness or testimony, nor is any, in the same kind, to be admitted.

It is not at all in my purpose to insist largely at present on this subject, and therefore, I shall content myself with instancing in some few-testimonies and arguments, beginning with one or two of the first sort; Isa. viii. 20. To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, there is no light in them.' Whatever any one says, be it what or who it will, church or person, if it be in or about the things of God, concerning his will or worship, with our obedience to him, it is to be tried by the law and testimony. Hither we are sent; this is asserted to be the rule and standard, the touchstone of all speakings whatever. Now that must speak alone for itself, which must try the speaking of all but itself, yea its own also.

But what doth this law and testimony, that is, this written word plead, on the account whereof it should be thus attended unto? What doth it urge for its acceptation? Tradition, authority of the church, miracles, consent of men? or doth it speak αὐτοκρατορικῶς, and stand only upon its own sovereignty? The apostle gives us his answer to this inquiry, 2 Tim. iii. 16. πãoa ypapǹ Jeóπvevoroç. Its plea for reception in comparison with, and opposition unto, all other ways of coming to the knowledge of God, his mind and will, founded whereon, it calls for attendance and submission with supreme uncontrollable authority, is its deoπvevoría, or divine inspiration.' It remains then only to be inquired, whether, when SEOTVEVOTía is 'pleaded,' there be any middle way, but either that it be received with divine faith, or rejected as false.

Suppose a man were JÓTVEVOTоç, divinely inspired,'

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and should so profess himself in the name of the Lord, aş did the prophets of old; Amos vii. supposing, I say, he were so indeed; it will not be denied, but that his message were to be received and submitted unto on that account. The denial of it would justify them who rejected and slew those, that spake unto them in the name of the Lord.' And it is to say in plain terms, we may reject them whom God sends. Though miracles were given only with respect to persons not things, yet most of the prophets who wrought no miracles insisted on this, that being SeÓTVEVOTOL, 'divinely inspired,' their doctrine was to be received, as from God. In their so doing, it was sin, even unbelief, and rebellion against God, not to submit to what they spake in his name. And it always so fell out, to fix our faith on the right bottom, that scarce any prophet that spake in the name of God, had any approbation from the church, in whose days he spake; Matt. v. 12. xxiii. 29. Luke xvii. 47, 48. Acts vii. 52. Matt. xxi. 33-38. It is true, ¿yévovтo Yeudoπpopñtai ev tý Xaq, 2 Pet. ii. 1. there were false prophets, that spake in the name of the Lord, when he sent them not; Jer. xxiii. 22. Yet were those whom he did send, to be received on pain of damnation: on the same penalty were the others to be refused; Jer. xxiii. 28, 29. The foundation of this duty lies in the rò Joy, that accompanied the word that was ek dɛoTVEVOTías: of which afterward. And without a supposal hereof, it could not consist with the goodness and righteousness of God, to require of men, under the penalty of his eternal displeasure, to make such a discrimination, where he had not given them TEKμnoia, infallible tokens to enable them so to do.

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But that he had, and hath done so, he declares, Jer. xxiii. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? that are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams, which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal. The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream, and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully; what is the chaff to the wheat, saith the Lord; is not my word like a fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the mountains in pieces.' In the latter days of that church,

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