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hence to thee, for he is not now before me; for if he were, I would hold him, and ask him, and beseech him, for thy sake, that he would open these things unto me; and I would apply the ears of my body to the sounds breaking forth from his mouth. But if he should use the Hebrew language, in vain should he affect my sense, for he would not at all touch my mind. If he should speak Latin, I should know what he said. But whence should I know that he spake the truth ? and if I should know this also, should I know it of him? Within me, in the habitation of my own thoughts, truth, neither in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, nor any barbarous language, without the organs of mouth or tongue, without the noise of syllables, would say, ' He speaks the truth;' and I, being immediately assured or certain of it, would say unto that servant of thine, ' Thou speakest truth.' Whereas, therefore, I cannot ask him, I ask thee, O Truth, with which he being filled spake the things that are true, O my God, I ask of thee, pardon my sins ; and thou who gavest unto this thy servant to speak these things, give unto me to understand them."
That which is most remarkable in these words is, that he plainly affirms that faith would not ensue on the declaration of the prophets themselves if they were pre- sent with us, unless there be an internal work of the Holy Spirit upon our minds to enable us, and persuade them thereunto. And, indeed, he seems to place all assurance of the truth of divine revelations in the inward assurance which God gives us of them by his Spirit ; which we have before considered.
The second Arausican council gives full testimony unto the necessity of the in- ternal grace of the Spirit that we may believe : Can. vii., " Siquis evangelicae prae- dicationi consentire posse confirmat absque illuminatione et inspiratione Spiritus Sancti, haeretico fallitur spiritu."
To descend unto later times, wherein these things have been much disputed, yet the truth hath beamed such light into the eyes of many as to enforce an acknowledgment from them when they have examined themselves about it. The words of Baptista Mantuanus are remarkable, De Patient., lib. iii. cap. 2: "Saepe mecum cogitavi unde tam suadibilis sit ipsa Scriptura, unde tam potenter in- fluat in animos auditorum, unde tantum habeat energise, ut non ad opinandum tantum, sed ad solide credendum omnes inflectat? Non est hoc imputandum rationum evidential, quas non adducit; non artis industrial aut verbis suavibus ad persuadendum accommodatis, quibus non utitur. Sed vide an id in causa sit, quod persuasi sumus earn a prima veritate fluxisse ? Sed unde sumus ita persuasi nisi ab ipsa ? quasi ad ei credendum nos sui ipsius contrahat authori- tas. Sed unde oro hanc authoritatem sibi vendicavit ? Neque enim vidimus nos Deum concionantem, scribentem, docentem ; tamen, ac si vidissemus, credimus et tenemus a Spiritu Sancto fluxisse quas legimus. Forsan fuerit haec ratio firmiter adhaerendi, quod in ea Veritas sit solidior, quamvis non clarior; habet enim omnis Veritas vim inclinativam, et major majorem, et maxima maximam. Sed cur ergo non omnes credunt evangelio? Respond. Quod non omnes trahuntur a Deo. Sed longa opus est disputatione ? Firmiter sacris Scripturis ideo credimus quod divinam inspirationem intus accepimus ; " — " I have often thought with myself whence the Scripture itself is so persuasive, from whence it doth so powerfully influence the minds of its hearers, that it inclines or leads them not only to receive an opinion, but surely to believe. This is not to be imputed to the evidence of reasons, which it doth not produce; nor unto the industry of art, with words smooth and fit to persuade, which it useth not. See, then, if this be not the cause of it, that we are persuaded that it comes from the first Truth or Verity. But whence are we so per- suaded, but from itself alone ? as if its own authority should effectually draw us to believe it. But whence, I pray, hath it this authority ? We saw not God preach- ing, writing, or teaching of it; but yet, as if we had seen him, we believe and firmly hold that the things which we read proceeded from the Holy Ghost. It
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may be this is the reason why we so firmly adhere unto it, that truth is more solid in it, though not more clear, than in other writings ; for all truth hath a persuasive power, the greater truth the greater power, and that which is greatest the great- est efficacy of all. But why, then, do not all believe the gospel ? Ans. Because all are not drawn of God. But what need is there of any long disputation? We therefore firmly believe the Scriptures, because we have received a divine inspi- ration assuring us." And in what sense this is allowed hath been declared in the preceding discourse.
I shall close the whole with the testimony of them by whom the truth which we assert is most vehemently opposed, when it riseth in opposition unto an espe- cial interest of their own.
Two things there are which are principally excepted against in the doctrine of Protestants concerning our belief of the Scripture. The first is with respect unto the Holy Spirit as the efficient cause of faith ; for whereas they teach that no man can believe the Scripture to be the word of God in a due manner, and ac- cording unto his duty, without the real internal aid and operation of the Holy Ghost, however it be proposed unto him, and with what arguments soever the truth of its divine original be confirmed, this is charged on them as an error and a crime. And, secondly, whereas they also affirm that there is an inward testimony or witness of the Holy Spirit, whereby he assures and confirms the minds of men in the faith of the Scriptures with an efficacy exceeding all the persuasive evidence of outward arguments and motives, this also by some they are traduced for. And yet those of the Roman church who are looked on as most averse from that resolution of faith which most Protestants acquiesce in, do expressly maintain both these assertions.