PROTESTANT DOCTRINE ON UNITY OF FAITH. 273
see if this be not the cause of it, that we are persuaded that it pro- ceeds from the Prime Verity." He proceeds, " Sed unde sumus ita persLiasi nisi ab ipsa ? quasi ad ei credendum non sua ipsus trahat authoritas. Sed unde quseso hanc sibi authoritatem, vindicavit ? Neque eniin vidimus nos Deum conscionantem, scribentem, docentem ; tamen ac si vidissemus, credimus et tenemus a Spiritu Sancto fluxisse quod legimus. Forsitan fuerit hsec ratio firmiter adhserendi, quod in ea Veritas sit sohdior, quamvis non clarior. Habet enim omnis Veritas vim incUnativam; et major majorem, maxima maximam. Sed cur ergo omnes non credunt evamgelio ? Respondeo, Quod non omnes trahuntur a Deo." And again, " Inest ergo Scripturis sacris nescio quid natura sublimius ; id est, inspiratio facta divinitus et divinse irra- diatonis influxus certus." " But whence are we persuaded that it is from the First Verity but from itself? its own authority draws us to beUeve it. But whence obtains it this autliority ? We see not God preaching, writing, teaching; but yet, as if we had seen him, we believe and firmly hold that which we read to have come from the Holy Ghost. It may be that this is a reason of our firm adhering unto it, that the truth in it is more solid, though not more clear" (than in any other way of proposal.) " And all truth hath a power to incline unto belief; the gTeater the truth, the greater its power, and the greatest truth must have the greatest power so to incline us. But why, then, do not all believe the gospel ? I answer, Because all are not drawn of God." " There is, then, in the holy Scripture some- what more sublime than nature ; that is, the divine inspiration from whence it is, and the divine irradiation wherewith it is accompanied." This is the principle of Protestants. The sacred Scripture is credible, as proceeding from the First Verity; this it manifests by its own light and efficacy; and we are enabled to believe it by the effectual work- ing of the Spirit of God in our hearts. Whence our Saviour asks the Jews, John v. 47, " If ye believe not the writings of Moses, how shall ye believe my words?" They who will not believe the written word of the Scripture upon the authority that it hath in itself, would not believe if Christ should personally speak unto them. So saith Theophylact on the place : Oi» mffriUrs roTg ysypa/^jj^svois' xai tw; iri6Ti\j6iTi roTg e/j^oTg aypd(poig pYjiJ^aei;
III. Protestants believe and profess that the end wherefore God gave forth his word hy inspiration was, that it might he a stable, infallible revelation of his mind and will as to that knowledge which he would have mankind entertain of him, with that worship and obedience which he requireth of them, that so they may please him in this world, and come unto the fruition of him unto all eternity. God, who is the formal object, is also the prime cause of all religious wor- ship. What is due unto him as the first cause, last end, and sovereign
VOK XIV. 18
274 A VINDICATION OF THE ANIMADVERSIONS ON FIAT LUX.
Lord of all, as to the substance of it, and what he farther appoints himself as to the manner of its performance, suited unto his own holiness, and the condition wherein in reference unto our last end we stand and are, making up the whole of it, — that he hath given his word to reveal these things unto us, to be our rule, guide, and direc- tion in our waj^s, walkings, and universal deportment before him, is, as I take it, a fundamental principle of our Christian profession. Neither do I know that this is denied by your church, although you startle at the inferences that are justly made from it. I shall not need, therefore, to add any thing in its confirmation, but only mind you again that the calling of it into question is directly against the very heart of all religion, and the unanimous consent of all that in the world are called Christians, or ever were so. Yea, and it must be granted, or the whole Scripture esteemed a fable, because it fre- quently declares that it is given unto us of God for this end and purpose. And hence do Protestants infer two other conclusions, on which they build their persuasion concerning the unity of faith, and the proper means of their settlement therein: —
1. That therefore the Scripture is perfect and every way com- plete,— namely, with respect unto that end whereunto of God it is designed; a perfect and complete revelation of the will of God as to his worship and our obedience. And we cannot but wonder that any who profess themselves to believe that it was given for the end mentioned, should not have that sacred reverence for the wisdom, goodness, and love of its Author unto mankind, as freely to assent unto this inference and conclusion : " He is our Rock, and his work is perfect." And lest any men should please themselves in the imagina- tion of contributing any thing towards the effecting of the end of his word by a supply unto it, he hath strictly forbidden them any such addition, Deut. iv. 2, xii. 32, Prov. xxx. 6; which, if it were not com- plete in reference unto its proper end, would hold no great corre- spondency with that love and goodness which the same v/ord every- vfhere declares to be in him. I suppose you know with how many express testimonies of Scripture itself this truth is confirmed ; which, added unto that light and evidence which, as a deduction from the former fundamental truth, it hath in itself, is very sufficient to render it unquestionable. You may at your leisure, besides those fore-named, consult Ps. xix. 8; Isa. viii. 20; Ezek. xxxvi. 27; Matt. xv. 6; Luke i. 8, 4, xvi. 29, 31, xxiv. 25-27; John v. 39, xx. 9; Acts i. 16, xvii. 2, 3, XX. 27, xxvi. 22; Rom. x. 17, xv. 4; 1 Cor. xiv. 6; Gal. i. 8; Eph. ii. 19, 20; 2 Tim. iil 16, 17; Heb. i. 1; 2 Pet. i. 19; Rev. xxii. 18. For though texts of Scripture are not appointed for us to " throw at one another's heads," as you talk in your " Fiat," yet they are for us to use and insist on in the confirmation of the