CHAP. II.] WHAT IT IS TO BELIEVE THE SCRIPTURE. 17
2. We do not, in this inquiry, intend any kind of persuasion or faith but that which is divine and infallible ; both which it is from its formal reason or objective cause. Men may be able to give some kind of reasons why they believe what they profess so to do, that will not suffice or abide the trial in this case, although they them- selves may rest in them. Some, it may be, can give no other account hereof but that they have been so instructed by them whom they have sufficient reason to give credit unto, or that they have so re- ceived them by tradition from their fathers. Now, whatever persua- sion these reasons may beget in the minds of men that the things which they profess to believe are true, yet if they are alone, it is not divine faith whereby they do believe, but that which is merely human, as being resolved into human testimony only, or an opinion on probable arguments; for no faith can be of any other kind than is the evidence it reflects on or ariseth from. I say it is so where they are alone; for I doubt not but that some who have never far- ther considered the reason of their believing than the teaching of their instructors have yet that evidence in their own souls of the truth and authority of God in what they believe that with respect thereunto their faith is divine and supernatural. The faith of most hath a beginning and progress not unlike that of the Samaritans, John iv. 40-42, as shall be afterwards declared.
3. When we inquire after faith that is infallible, or believing in- fallibly,— which, as we shall show hereafter, is necessary in this case, — we do not intend an inherent quality in the subject, as though he that believes with faith infallible must himself also be infallible; much less do we speak of infallibility absolutely, which is a property of God, who alone, from the perfection of his nature, can neither de- ceive nor be deceived: but it is that property or adjunct of the assent of our minds unto divine truths or supernatural revelations, whereby it is differenced from all other kinds of assent whatever. And this it hath from its formal object, or the evidence whereon we give this assent ; for the nature of every assent is given unto it by the nature of the evidence which it proceedeth from or relieth on. This in divine faith is divine revelation ; which, being infallible, ren- ders the faith that rests on it and is resolved into it infallible also. No man can believe that which is false, or which may be false, with divine faith ; for that which renders it divine is the divine truth and infalli- bility of the ground and evidence which it is built upon: but a man may believe that which is true infallibly so, and yet his faith not be infallible. That the Scripture is the word of God is infallibly true, yet the faith whereby a man believes it so to be may be fallible; for it is such as his evidence is, and no other. He may believe it to be so on tradition, or the testimony of the church of Rome only, or
VOL. iv. 2
18 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I.
on outward arguments; all which being fallible, his faith is so also, although the things he assents unto be infallibly true. Wherefore, unto this faith divine and infallible it is not required that the person in whom it is be infallible, nor is it enough that the thing itself be- lieved be infallibly true, but, moreover, that the evidence whereon he doth believe it be infallible also. So it was with them who re- ceived divine revelations immediately from God. It was not enough that the things revealed unto them were infallibly true, but they were to have infallible evidence of the revelation itself; then was their faith infallible, though their persons were fallible. With this faith, then, a man can believe nothing but what is divinely true, and therefore it is infallible; and the reason is, because God's veracity, who is the God of truth, is the only object of it (hence saith the prophet, «»#?] D?D"Hi nln^ ^^P, 2 Chron. xx. 20,— " Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established"); or that faith which is in God and his word is fixed on truth, or is infallible. Hence the inquiry in this case is, What is the reason why we believe any thing with this faith divine or supernatural? or, What is it the believing whereof makes our faith divine, infallible, and supernatural ? Wherefore, —
4. The authority and veracity of God revealing the material ob- ject of our faith, or what it is our duty to believe, are the formal object and reason of our faith, from whence it ariseth and whereinto it is ultimately resolved; — that is, the only reason why we do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that God is one single essence subsisting in three persons, is because that God who is truth, the " God of truth," Deut. xxxii. 4, who " cannot lie," Tit. i. 2, and whose " word is truth," John xvii. 17, and the Spirit which gave it out is " truth," 1 John v. 6, hath revealed these things to be so. And our believing these things on that ground renders our faith divine and supernatural ; supposing also a respect unto the subjective efficiency of the Holy Ghost inspiring it into our minds, whereof afterwards: or, to speak distinctly, our faith is supernatural, with respect unto the production of it in our minds by the Holy Ghost; and infallible, with respect unto the formal reason oi it, which is divine revelation ; and is divine, in opposition unto what is merely human, on both ac- counts.