2. The moral certainty treated of is a mere effect of reason. There is no more required unto it but that the reasons proposed for the assent required be such as the mind judgeth to be convincing and prevalent; whence an inferior kind of knowledge, or a firm opinion, or some kind of persuasion which hath not yet gotten an in- telligible name, doth necessarily ensue. There is, therefore, on this supposition, no need of any work of the Holy Ghost to enable us to believe or to work faith in us; for no more is required herein but what necessarily ariseth from a naked exercise of reason. If it be said that the inquiry is not about what is the work of the Spirit of God in us, but concerning the reasons and motives to believing that are proposed unto us, I answer, it is granted ; but what we urge here- in is, that the act which is exerted on such motives, or the persua- sion which is begotten in our minds by them, is purely natural, and such as requires no especial work of the Holy Ghost in us for the effecting of it. Now, this is not faith, nor can we be said in the Scripture sense to believe hereby, and so, in particular, not the Scriptures to be the word of God ; for faith is " the gift of God," and is "not of ourselves," Eph. ii. 8. It is "given unto some on the behalf
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50 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I.
of Christ," Phil. i. 29, and not unto others; Matt. xi. 25, xiii. 11. But this assent on external arguments and motives is of ourselves, equally common and exposed unto all. "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost," 1 Cor. xii. 3 ; but he who believeth the Scripture truly, aright, and according to his duty, doth say so. No man cometh to Christ, but he that hath " heard and learned of the Father," John vi. 45. And as this is contrary to the Scripture, so it is expressly condemned by the ancient church, particularly by the second Arausican council, can. 5, 7 : " Si quis sicut augmentum ita etiam initium fidei, ipsumque credulitatis affec- tum, non per gratise donum, id est, per inspirationem Spiritus Sancti, corrigentem voluntatem nostram ab infidelitate ad fidem, ab impie- tate ad pietatem, sed naturaliter nobis inesse dicit, apostolicis dog- matibus adversarius approbatur." And plainly, can. 7 : "Si quis per naturse vigorem bonum aliquod quod ad salutem pertinet vitse eternse, cogitare ut expedit, aut eligere, sive salutari, id est, evange- licee prgedicationi consentire posse affirmat absque illuminatione et inspiratione Spiritus Sancti, qui dat omnibus suavitatem consentien- do et credendo veritati, haeretico fallitur spiritu."
It is still granted that the arguments intended (that is, all of them which are true indeed and will endure a strict examination, for some are frequently made use of in this cause which will not en- dure a trial) are of good use in their place and unto their proper end, — that is, to beget such an assent unto the truth as they are capable of effecting; for although this be not that which is required of us in a way of duty, but inferior to it, yet the mind is prepared and disposed by them unto the receiving of the truth in its proper evidence.
3. Our assent can be of no other nature than the arguments and motives whereon it is built, or by which it is wrought in us, as in degree it cannot exceed their evidence. Now, these arguments are all human and fallible. Exalt them unto the greatest esteem possible, yet because they are not demonstrations, nor do necessarily beget a certain knowledge in us (which, indeed, if they did, there were no room left for faith or our obedience therein), they produce an opi- nion only, though in the highest kind of probability, and firm against objections; for we will allow the utmost assurance that can be claimed upon them. But this is exclusive of all divine faith, as to any article, thing, matter, or object to be believed. For instance, a man professeth that he believes Jesus Christ to be the Son of God. Demand the reason why he doth so, and he will say, " Because God, who cannot lie, hath revealed and declared him so to be." Proceed yet farther, and ask him where or how God hath revealed and declared this so to be; and he will answer, " In the Scripture, which is his
CHAP. IV.] MOEAL CERTAINTY INSUFFICIENT. 51
word." Inquire now farther of him (which is necessary) wherefore he believes this Scripture to be the word of God* or an immediate re- velation given out from him, — for hereunto we must come, and have somewhat that we may ultimately rest in, excluding in its own nature all farther inquiries, or we can have neither certainty nor stability in our faith ; — on this supposition his answer must be, that he hath many cogent arguments that render it highly probable so to be, such as have prevailed with him to judge it so to be, and whereon he is fully persuaded, as having the highest assurance hereof that the matter will bear, and so doth firmly believe it to be the word of God. Yea, but, it will be replied, all these arguments are in their kind or nature human, and therefore fallible, such as it is possible they may be false ; for every thing may be so that is not immediately from the first essential Verity. This assent, therefore, unto the Scrip- tures as the word of God is human, fallible, and such as wherein we may be deceived. And our assent unto the things revealed can be of no other kind than that we give unto the revelation itself, for there- into it is resolved, and thereunto it must be reduced ; these waters will rise no higher than their fountain. And thus at length we come to believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God with a faith human and fallible, and which at last may deceive us; which is to " receive the word of God as the word of men, and not as it is in truth, the word of God," contrary to the apostle, 1 Thess. ii. 13. Wherefore, — 4. If I believe the Scripture to be the word of God with a human faith only, I do no otherwise believe whatever is contained in it, which overthrows all faith properly so called ; and if I believe what- ever is contained in the Scripture with faith divine and super- natural, I cannot but by the same faith believe the Scripture itself, which removes the moral certainty treated of out of our way. And the reason of this is, that we must believe the revelation and the things revealed with the same kind of faith, or we bring confusion on the whole work of believing. No man living can distinguish in his experience between that faith wherewith he believes the Scrip- ture and that wherewith he believes the doctrine of it, or the things contained in it, nor is there any such distinction or difference inti- mated in the Scripture itself; but all our believing is absolutely re- solved into the authority of God revealing. Nor can it be rationally apprehended that our assent unto the things revealed should be of a kind and nature superior unto that which we yield unto the reve- lation itself; for let the arguments which it is resolved into be never so evident and cogent, let the assent itself be as firm and certain as can be imagined, yet is it human still and natural, and therein is in- ferior unto that which is divine and supernatural. And yet, on this supposition, that which is of a superior kind and nature is wholly