Some, it may be, will ask whether this prove the Scripture to be the word of God, because it says so of itself, when any other writing may say the same; but we are not now giving arguments to prove unto others the Scripture to be the word of God, but only proving and showing what our own faith resteth on and is resolved into, or, at least, ought so to be. How it evidenceth itself unto our faith to be the word of God we shall afterwards declare. It is sufficient unto our present purpose that God requires us to believe the Scripture for no other reason but because it is his word, or a divine revelation from him; and if so, his authority and truth are the formal reason why we believe the Scripture or any thing contained in it. To this pur-
74 THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I.
pose do testimonies abound in particular, besides that general attes- tation which is given unto it in that sole preface of divine revelations, " Thus saith the Lord ;" and therefore they are to be believed. Some of them we must mention : —
Beut. xxxi. 11-13, "When all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law : and that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your God." It is plain that God here requireth faith and obedience of the whole people, men, women, and children. The inquiry is, what he requireth it unto. It is to this law, to this law written in the books of Moses, which was to be read unto them out of the book ; at the hearing of which they were obliged to believe and obey. To evidence that law to be his, he proposeth nothing but itself. But it will be said, "That generation was sufficiently convinced that the law was from God by the miracles which they beheld in the giving of it ; " but, moreover, it is ordered to be proposed unto chil- dren of future generations, who knew nothing, that they may hear, and learn to fear the Lord.
That which, by the appointment of God, is to be proposed unto them that know nothing, that they may believe, that is unto them the formal reason of their believing. But this is the written word : "Thou shalt read this law unto them which have not known any thing, that they may hear and learn," etc. Whatever use, therefore, there may be of other motives or testimonies to commend the law unto us, of the ministry of the church especially, which is here required unto the proposal of the word unto men, it is the law itself, or the written word, which is the object of our faith, and which we believe for its own sake. See also chap. xxix. 29, where "revealed things" are said to "belong unto us and our children, that we might do them," — that is, receive them on the account of their divine revelation.
Isa. viii. 19, 20, "When they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead ? To the law and to the testimony : if they speak not accord- ing to this word, it is because there is no light in them." The in- quiry is, by what means men may come to satisfaction in their minds and consciences, or what their faith or trust is in. Two things are proposed unto this end: — (1.) Immediate diabolical revelations, real or pretended ; (2.) The written word of God, " the law and the testi- mony." Hereunto are we sent, and that upon the account of its own
CHAP. V.] THE ONLY FOUNDATION AND REASON OF FAITH. 75
authority alone, in opposition unto all other pretences of assurance or security. And the sole reason why any one doth not acquiesce by faith in the written word is, because he hath no mornings or light of truth shining on him. But how shall we know the law and testimony, this written word, to be the word of God, and believe it so to be, and distinguish it from every other pretended divine reve- lation that is not so ? This is declared, —
Jer. xxiii. 28, 29, "The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faith- fully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" It is supposed that there are two per- sons in reputation for divine revelations, esteemed "prophets;" — one of them only pretends so to be, and declares the dreams of his own fancy, or the divinations of his own mind, as the word of God; the other hath the word of God, and declares it faithfully from him. Yea, but how shall we know the one from the other? Even as men know wheat from chaff, by their different natures and effects; for as false, pretended revelations are but as chaff, which every wind will scatter, so the true word of God is like a fire and like a hammer, is accompanied with such light, efficacy, and power, that it manifests itself unto the consciences of men so to be. Hereon doth God call us to rest our faith on it, in opposition unto all other pretences what- ever.