It is the fondest thing in the world to imagine that the Holy Ghost doth any way teach us but in and by our own reasons and under- standings. We renounce all enthusiasms in this matter, and plead not for any immediate prophetical inspirations. Those who would prohibit us the use of our reason in the things of religion would deal with us as the Philistines did with Samson, — first put out our eyes, and then make us grind in their mill. Whatever we know, be it of what sort it will, we know it in and by the use of our reason ; and what we conceive, we do it by our own understanding: only the inquiry is, whether there be not an especial work of the Holy Spirit of God, enlightening our minds and enabling our understandings to perceive and apprehend his mind and will as revealed in the Scripture, and without which we cannot so do. The substance, therefore, of the ensuing discourse may be reduced unto these heads : —
I. That we stand not in need of any new divine affiations, or im- mediate prophetical inspirations, to enable us to understand the Scripture, or the mind and will of God as revealed therein ; neither did the prophets or holy penmen of the Scripture learn the mind of God in the revelations made unto them, and by them unto the church, merely from the divine inspiration of them. Those immediate in- spirations unto them were in the stead and place of the written word, and no otherwise. After they did receive them, they were by the same means to inquire into the mind and will of God in them as we do it in and by the written word, 1 Pet. i. 10, 11.
II. That as to the right understanding of the mind of God in the Scripture, or our coming unto the riches of the full assurance of understanding in the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, we do not, nor need to depend on the authoritative instruction or in- terpretation of the Scripture by any church whatever, or all of them in the world, though there be great use of the true ministry of the church unto that end.
III. That in the mere exercise of our own natural reason and understanding, with the help of external means, we cannot attain that knowledge of the mind and will of God in the Scripture, of the sense and meaning of the Holy Ghost therein, which is required of
1 26 CAUSES, WAYS, AND MEANS, ETC. [BOOK VI., PART II.
us in a way of duty, without the special aid and assistance of the Holy Spirit of God. Wherefore, principally, it is asserted, —
IV. That there is an especial work of the Holy Spirit, in the super- natural illumination of our minds, needful unto the end proposed, — namely, that we may aright, and according unto our duty, under- stand the mind of God in the Scripture ourselves, or interpret it unto others.
V. That hereby alone is that full assurance of understanding in the knowledge of the mystery of God, his truth and grace, to be ob- tained, whereby any man may answer the mind and will of God, or comply with his own duty in all that he may be called to do or suffer in this world in his especial circumstances. Wherefore, —
VI. The certainty and assurance that we may have and ought to have of our right understanding the mind of God in the Scripture, either in general or as to any especial doctrine, doth not depend upon, is not resolved into, any immediate inspiration or enthu- siasm; it doth not depend upon nor is resolved into the authority of any church in the world; nor is it the result of our reason and un- derstanding merely in their natural actings, but as they are elevated, enlightened, guided, conducted, by an internal efficacious work of the Spirit of God upon them.
VII. That whereas the means of the right interpretation of the Scripture, and understanding of the mind of God therein, are of two sorts, — first, such as are prescribed unto us in a way of duty, as prayer, meditation on the word itself, and the like; and, secondly, disciplinary, in the accommodation of arts and sciences, with all kind of learning, unto that work, — the first sort of them doth entirely depend on a supposition of the spiritual aids mentioned, without which they are of no use ; and the latter is not only consistent there- with, but singularly subservient thereunto. Wherefore, the nature and use of all these means shall be afterward declared.
This being the substance of what is designed in the ensuing dis- course, it is evident that the positions before laid down concerning the especial work of the Spirit on the minds of men, in communicat- ing spiritual wisdom, light, and knowledge unto them, is in the first place and principally to be confirmed, as that whereon all the other assertions do absolutely depend.
It is the Scripture itself alone from whence the truth in this matter can be learned, and by which alone what is proposed concerning it must be tried ; therefore, as unto this first part of this work, I shall do little more than plead the express testimonies thereof. When we come to consider the wayand manner of the communication of these spiritual aids unto us, the whole matter will be more fully stated, and such ob- jections as may be laid against our assertion removed out of the way.