72 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I.
yet to apprehend much of their force and efficacy, when they are proposed unto thera. Most persons, therefore, are effectually con- verted to God, and have saving faith, whereby they believe the Scrip- ture, and virtually all that is contained in it, before they have ever once considered them. And God forbid we should think that none believe the Scriptures aright but those who are able to apprehend and manage the subtile arguments of learned men produced in their con- firmation! yea, we affirm, on the contrary, that those who believe them on no other grounds have, indeed, no true divine faith at all. Hence they were not of old insisted on for the ingenerating of faith in them to whom the word was preached, nor ordinarily are so to this day by any who understand what is their work and duty. But in the second way, wherever there is occasion from objections, oppo- sitions, or temptations, they may be pleaded to good use and purpose ; and they may do well to be furnished with them who are unavoid- ably exposed unto trials of that nature. For as for that course which some take, in all places and at all times, to be disputing about the Scriptures and their authority, it is a practice giving countenance unto atheism, and is to be abhorred of all that fear God ; and the consequents of it are sufficiently manifest.
2. The ministry of the church, as it is the pillar and ground of truth, holding it up and declaring it, is in an ordinary way previously necessary unto believing; for " faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." We believe the Scripture to be the word of God for itself alone, but not by itself alone. The ministry of the word is the means which God hath appointed for the declaration and making known the testimony which the Holy Spirit gives in the Scripture unto its divine original. And this is the ordinary way whereby men are brought to believe the Scripture to be the word of God. The church in its ministry owning, witnessing, and avo wing- it so to be, instructing all sorts of persons out of it, there is, together with a sense and apprehension of the truth and power of the things taught and revealed in it, faith in itself as the word of God ingene- rated in them.
3. We do also here suppose the internal effectual work of the Spirit begetting faith in us, as was before declared, without which we can believe neither the Scriptures nor any thing else with faith divine, not for want of evidence in them, but of faith in ourselves.
These things being supposed, we do affirm, That it is the authority and truth of God, as manifesting themselves in the supernatural re- velation made in the Scripture, that our faith ariseth from and is resolved into. And herein consists that testimony which the Spirit gives unto the word of God that it is so ; for it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. The Holy Ghost being
CHAP. V.] THE ONLY FOUNDATION AND REASON OF FAITH. 73
the immediate author of the whole Scripture, doth therein and. thereby give testimony unto the divine truth and original of it, by the characters of divine authority and veracity impressed on it, and evidencing themselves in its power and efficacy. And let it be ob- served, that what we assert respects the revelation itself, the Scrip- ture, the writing, rqv ypa^v, and not merely the things written or contained in it. The arguments produced by some to prove the truth of the doctrines of the Scripture reach not the cause in hand : for our inquiry is not about believing the truths revealed, but about believing the revelation itself, the Scripture itself, to be divine; and this we do only because of the authority and veracity of the revealer, that is, of God himself, manifesting themselves therein. To manifest this fully I shall do these things: —
1. Prove that our faith is so resolved into the Scripture as a divine revelation, and not into any thing else ; that is, we believe the Scrip- ture to be the word of God for its own sake, and not for the sake of any thing else whatever, either external arguments or authoritative testimony of men.
2. Show how or by what means the Scripture doth evidence its own divine original, or that the authority of God is so evidenced in it and by it as that we need no other formal cause or reason of our faith, whatever motives or means of believing we may make use of. And as to the first of these, —
1. That is the formal reason whereon we do believe which the Scripture proposeth as the only reason why we should so do, why it is our duty to do so, and whereunto it requireth our assent. Now, this is to itself as it is the word of God, and because it is so ; — or, it proposeth the authority of God in itself, and that alone, which we are to acquiesce in ; and the truth of God, and that alone, which our faith is to rest on and is resolved into. It doth not require us to be- lieve it upon the testimony of any church, or on any other arguments that it gives -us to prove that it is from God, but speaks unto us immediately in his name, and thereon requires faith and obedience.