308 THE DIVINE OEIGINAL OF SCRIPTUEE.
and unto us — is from itself, as the Word of God ; and tlie eviction of that authority imto us, is by itself.
When the authority of the Scripture is inquired after, strictly its 'power to command and require obedience, in the name of God, is intended. To ask, then, whence it hath its authority, is to ask whence it hath its power to command in the name of God, Surely men will not say, that the Scripture hath its power to command in the name of God from any thing but itself And it is, indeed, a contradic- tion for men to say that they give authority to the Scriptures. Why do they do so ? why do they give this authority to that book rather than another ? They must say, Because it is the Word of God. So the reason why they give authority unto it is the formal reason of all its authority, which it hath antecedently to their charter and concession of power : ' O Xoyog 6 (fog dXyjdud sffri, (John xvii. 1 7,) " Thy word is truth.'"
Some say, indeed, that the Scripture hath its authority in itself, and from itself, or its own divine original, but not quoad nos, " in re- spect of us ;" [that in order] that it may reach us, that we may know, and understand, and submit to its authority, it must be testified unto aliunde, " from some other person or thing," appointed thereunto:
Ans. 1. But may not this be said of God himself, as well as of his Word ? If God reveal himself to us, it must be by means ; and if those means may not be understood to reveal him unless they are testified unto from somewhat else, God cannot reveal himself to us. " Si Deus hominibus non placuerit, utique Deus non erit." If God and his Word will keep themselves within themselves, to themselves, they may be God and his Word still, and keep their authority ; but if they will deal with us, and put forth their commands to us, let them look that they get the church's testimonials — or, on this prin- ciple, they may be safely rejected ! But,
2. Authority is a thing that no person or thing can have in him or itself, that hath it not in respect of others. In its very nature it relates to others that are subject unto it. All authority arises from relation, and answers to it throughout. The authority of God over his creatures, is from their relation to him as their Creator. A king's authority is in respect of his subjects; and he who hath no subjects hath no kingly authority in himself, but is only a stoical king. The authority of a minister relates to his flock ; and he who hath no flock hath no authority of a minister: if he have not a ministerial autho- rity, in reference to a flock, a people, a church, he hath none, he can have none in himself So is it in this case; if the Scripture hath no authority from itself in respect of us, it hath none in itself, nor can have. If it hath it in itself, it hath it in respect of us. Such a respect — that is, a right to command and oblige to obedience — is as inseparable from authority, or a moral power, as heat is from
VARIOUS WAYS WHEREBY GOD REVEALS HIMSELF. 309
fire. It is tnie, a man may have, de jure, a lawful authority over those whom, de facto, he cannot force or compel to obedience. But want of force doth not lessen authority. God loseth not his autho- rity over men though he put not forth towards them Ivif^aXkov fisysdog TTig duvd^sug, or ivipyiiav rov xpdroug rrig layjjog^ " the greatness of his power, or the efficacy of the might of his strength," to cause them to obey. It is fond, [foolish,] then, to imagine that a man, or any thing, should have an authority in himself or itself, and yet not have that authority in respect of them who are to be subject there- unto. That is not a law properly at all, which is not a law to some. Besides, all the evil of disobedience relates to the authority of him that requu-es the obedience. (James ii. 10, 11.) No action is dis- obedience, but from the subjection of him who performs it unto him who requires obedience. And, therefore, if the Scripture hath not an authority in itself towards us, there is no evil in our disobedience unto its commands, or in our not doing what it commandeth ; and our doing what it forbiddeth is not disobedience, because it hath not an authority over us, I speak of it as considered in itself, before the accession of the testimony pretended [to be] necessary to give it an authority over us. Hitherto, then,, have we carried this objection — To disobey the commands of the Scripture before the communication of a testimony unto it by men is no sin. Credat Apella.
The sense, then, of our position, is evident and clear; and so our answer to the inquiry made. The Scripture hath all its authority from its Author, both in itself and in respect of us. That it hath the Author and original pleaded for, it declares itself, without any other assistance — by the ways and means that shall afterward be insisted on. The truth whereof I shaU now confirm — 1st, By one general induction; 2d, By testimonies ; 3d!, By arguments, expressing the ways and means of its revelation of itself.