2. " But noAv, what if we have to do with those that deny the ivhole Scripture, — admit no part of it? how shall we convince them that it is the word of God?" I answer, —
524 AUTHORITY OF THE SCIlirTUKE.
(1.) Not by the chuvcli, be sure; for if they have no reverence for any part of the Scrii)ture, they will have as little for the churcli, Avhich hath no being, as a church, but from the Scripture. And there- fore it will be a most vain thing to attempt a proof of the Scripture, either in part or in the whole, by the church, which is as unknown, in the nature of a church, to them that tpiestion the Scripture, as the Scripture itself is.
(2.) We would prove the tvhole Scripture hy the whole, as well as one part of it by another. For as the whole system of God's works in the creation proves itself to be of God, and to have him for its author, Ps. xix. ], etc., by all those eminent signs and effects of God's goodness, power, and wisdom, which are to be seen in the whole ; so likewise doth the whole Scripture prove God to be the author of it, by all those signs and evidences of his Avisdom, goodness, power, and holiness, which appear in the whole, and manifest it to be of God. Nor doth it follow from hence, that if the whole Scripture prove itself, it is, as the Papists say, more known than itself, simply and absolutely, though in some respects it certainly may be so ; as a man in one respect, may be more known than himself in another. A man, when he hath given some eminent proofs of his learning, is thereby more known than without them he is; so the Scripture, too, consi- dered with all those evidences of God's goodness, wisdom, holiness, etc., which appear in it, is more known than itself, when these are not considered. How do we prove the sun to be the sun, but by the glory of its light, which so far excels the light of other stars? And is not the sun, considered with its light, more known to us than considered in itself How do we come to the knowledoe of the nature of thiuQ-s in the world, but by considering their properties, qualities, effects, etc. ; which plainly declare what their nature is, seeing such proper- ties, etc., could not be but where such a nature is? So likewise here, there are those properties in the Scripture, those excellencies, which could be from none but God; and, therefore, make it appear that that writing, which hath those excellencies in it, is of God. To speak of these distinctly is not my present business, not having to do with them that deny the Scripture.
Secondly. " We cannot," say the Papists again, " know the Scrij:)- ture to be the word of God by the testimony of the Sjnrit. For either it is by the public testimony, whicli is that of the church" (and if this be granted, they have enough); " or it is private testimony. But then," they say, " it will follow, — 1. That our faith in the Scrip- ture is enthusiasm. 2. That if the private testimony of the Spkit be questioned, it cannot be proved but by the Scripture; and so the Scripture being proved by the Spirit, and the Spirit again by the Scripture, we shall run in around, which is no lawful way of arguing."
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A71S. To this I answer, that we know the Scripture to be of God by the pubHc testmiony of the Spirit; but I deny his pubhc testi- mony to be his witnessing by the cliurch. It is indeed his witness- ing by tlie Scripture itself, when he witnesseth it to be of God, by those excellencies of it which evidence it so to be; and this he wit- nesseth to all that have their eyes open to see it: and in that respect it may be called " public." And when he \Aitnessetli the same thing, by the same means, in the hearts of particular believers, and so applies his public testimony to private consciences, enlightening and enabling men to believe upon his public testimony, you may, if you please, call that " his private testimony." This clearly cuts off all that the adversaries object; and no such things will follow, as they pretend, upon what we maintain. We know no other private testimony of the Spirit, but this particular application of his public one; and then, I am sure, there is no danger of entlmsiasm. For that is properly enthusiasm, when God reveals any thing to men's minds immediately and in an extraordinary way, and without the intervention of the usual means whereby he is wont to make himself known to men; as in former times he did to the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles (and the enthusiasm both the Papists and we find fault with is, when men pretend to this, which yet they have not) : but when God makes known his will in an ordinary way, by the use of instruments and means for the conveying of spiritual knowledge to them, this is not enthusiasm ; as when " faith comes by hearing," Rom. x. 1 7. And so it is in the case before us : when the Spirit witnesseth to the hearts of private believers that the Scripture is the word of God, he doth it in an ordinary way, — working in them a faith of the Scripture by those arguments of divinity which are in the Scripture itself; and makes use of them as means to induce them to believe. As the light and brightness of the sun is the medium whereby it is known to be the sun ; so that divine light and power which is in the word, is the very medium and argument whereby the Spirit, enabling us to perceive it, persuades us that that word is the word of God. And I would ask our adversaries. Can a private man believe the divinity of the Scrip- ture merely on the authority of the church, without the Spirit's wit- nessing it to him by that authority? If they say, " Yes," then they must acknowledge that faith to be merely human, because not wrought by God. If they say, " No," (as they must if they be constant to themselves, in holding that the Spirit witnesseth by the cluirch,) then, when the Spirit witnesseth to the conscience of a private be- liever by the church, why is not that enthusiasm too? For when he witnesseth to a private conscience by this application of his public testimony, here is as much a private spirit, and a private testimony, as any we speak of. The only diiference is in the mediinn the Spirit