3d It is as destructive to our obedience as to either of the other. Gospel obedience is the fruit of faith ; and therefore such as is the faith we have, such will be the obedience we yield. If our faith be not right, our obedience can be no better. A human faith is not sufficient to found our duty to God upon ; and that obedience which proceeds only from such a faith, will neither be acceptable to God nor available to us. And yet such is the faith, .and no higher, which causeth our obedience, if it be grounded only, or firstly, in the testimony of man, and resolved into it. " Without faith it is impos- sible to please God," Heb. xi. 6; and that faith, surely, is a divine faith, such as rests on God's own authority. But if Ave believe the Scriptvn-e to be of God only because men say it is, that faith cannot
AUTHORITY OF THE SCRIPTURE. 537
be divine; nor, therefore, the obedience which flows from it accept- able. In this case, the same testimony of the church, which Avould be the foundation of our faith, would likewise be the cause of our obedience. We should believe duty to be duty with the same kind of faith with which we beheved the command of it to be of God, and that would be no other than men's telling us that it is; and so the result of all would be, that we must obey Gocl, because they tell us he commands us to obey him; and so we first show a respect to men in believing, before we show any to God in obeying him. And then, not only Ave must be beliolden to the church for the knowledge we have of our duty, but God must be beholden to her too for our j^er- forming of it.
2. How much better a religion is ours than that of the Papists! We are the veriest fools upon earth, if ever we change our own for theirs.
(1.) We have more certainty in our way than they have, or ever can have, in their way. Our faith is built upon no worse a bottom than the infinite veracity of Him who is the truth itself, revealing himself to us in the Scripture of truth, and not on the sandy founda- tion of any human testimony:- — it leans upon God, not upon men; upon " Thus saith the LoRU," not, " Thus saith the church." Though we despise not the true church, but pay reverence to all that autho- rity wherewith God hath vested it, yet we dare not set it up in God's place. We are willing it should be a help to our faith, but not the foundation of it; and so should do its own office, but not invade God's seat, nor take his work out of his hands: that would neither be for his glory nor our own security. Our faith is a better than such an one would be: we receive it not from churches, from popes, from councils; but from God himself, that cannot lie to us, and will not deceive us. If we are beholden to men, parents, ministers, etc., for putting the Bible into our hands, and directing us to the Scripture; yet when we read it, hear it 0|:>ened, and are enlightened by it, and see what a spirit there is in it ; when the word enters into us, as the sun- beams into a dark room, and gives us light, Ps. cxix. 130; when we see its excellency, are ravished with its beauty, taste its sweetness, feel its power, admire its majesty; when we find it to be such a word as searcheth our hearts, judgeth our thoughts, tells us all that is within us, all that ever we did in our lives, John iv. 29, awakens our con- sciences, commands the most inward spiritual obedience, sets before us the noblest ends, and oflers us the most glorious reward, — an unseen one, — an eternal one ; — then we come to acknowledge that of a truth God is in it, — no mere creature could be the author of it. And so we believe it, not because men have ministerially led us to the knowledge of it, or have persuaded or commanded us to receive it, or told us it
538 AUTHOllITY OF THE SCRIPTURE.
is of God ; but because we ourselves have heard and felt liim speaking in it. The S])irit shines into our minds by the light of this Avord, and speaks loudly to our hearts by the power of it, and plainly tells whose word it is ; and so makes us yield to God's authority. Take a Chris- tian whose faith is thus bottomed, and overturn it, if you can: — you must first beat him out of his senses, — persuade him he hath no eyes, no taste, no feeling, no understanding, no affections, no reflection upon himself, no knowledge of what is done in his own soul, and so, indeed, that he is not a man, but a brute or a stock, — ere ever you can per- suade him that the Scripture is not the word of God. Whereas, on the other side, the Papists' religion is built merely on men, and their faith hath no more certainty than those men have infallibility. Ask them what is the great, nay, the only convincing reason why they believe the Scripture to be the word of God, and they will tell you, " The church's testimony concerning it." They believe it, because the church commands it ; that is, the pope doth so, or a general council, or somebody, — they know not who.