3. Therefore the holy Scriptures which were the infallible dictates of the Spirit in the apostles, are more perfect than any of our apprehensions which come by the same Spirit (which we have not in so great a measure).[437]
4. Therefore we must not try the Scriptures by our most spiritual apprehensions, but our apprehensions by the Scriptures: that is, we must prefer the Spirit's inspiring the apostles to indite the Scriptures, before the Spirit's illuminating of us to understand them, or before any present inspirations, the former being the more perfect; because Christ gave the apostles the Spirit to deliver us infallibly his own commands, and to indite a rule for following ages; but he giveth us the Spirit but to understand and use that rule aright.[438]
5. This trying the Spirit by the Scriptures, is not a setting of the Scripture above the Spirit itself; but is only a trying the Spirit by the Spirit: that is, the Spirit's operations in ourselves and his revelations to any pretenders now, by the Spirit's operations in the apostles, and by their revelations recorded for our use. For they, and not we, are called foundations of the church.[439]
[437] John iv. 1, 2, 6; John xviii. 37; viii. 47.
[438] Acts xvii. 11, 12; Matt. v. 18; Rom. xvi. 26; Matt. xxviii. 20; Luke x. 16.
[439] Rev. ii. 2; Jude 17; 2 Pet. iii. 2; Eph. iv. 11, 12; 1 Cor. xii. 28, 29; Eph. ii. 20.
Quest. CLXIV. _How is a pretended prophet, or revelation, to be tried?_
_Answ._ 1. If it be contrary to the Scripture it is to be rejected as a deceit.[440]
2. If it be the same thing which is in the Scripture, we have it more certainly revealed already; therefore the revelation can be nothing but an assistance of the person's faith, or a call to obedience, or a reproof of some sin; which every man is to believe according as there is true evidence that indeed it is a divine revelation or vision; which if it be not, the same thing is still sure to us in the Scripture.
3. If it be something that is only besides the Scripture, (as about events and facts, or prophecies of what will befall particular places or persons,) we must first see whether the evidence of a divine revelation be clear in it or not; and that is known, 1. To the person himself, by the self-attesting and convincing power of a divine revelation, which no man knoweth but he that hath it (and we must be very cautelous lest we take false conceptions to be such). 2. But to himself and others it is known, (1.) At present by clear, uncontrolled miracles, which are God's attestation; which if men show, we are bound (in this case) to believe them. (2.) For the future, by the event, when things so plainly come to pass, as prove the prediction to be of God. He therefore that giveth you not by certain miracles uncontrolled, a just proof that he is sent of God, is to be heard with a suspended belief; you must stay till the event show whether he say true or not: and not act any thing in the mean time upon an unproved presumption either of the truth or falsehood of his words.[441]
4. If you are in doubt whether that which he speaketh be contrary to God's word or not, you must hear him with a proportionable suspicion, and give no credit to him till you have tried whether it be so or not.
5. It is a dangerous snare and sin to believe any one's prophecies or revelations merely because they are very holy persons, and do most confidently aver or swear it. For they may be deceived themselves. As also to take hysterical or melancholy delirations or conceptions for the revelations of the Spirit of God, and so to father falsehood upon God.
[440] Acts xvii. 11; 1 Cor. xv. 3, 4; John x. 35; xix. 24, 28, 36, 37.
[441] John iii. 2; xiii. 19; xiv. 20; Luke xxi. 7, 9, 28, 31, 36; Matt. v. 18; xxiv. 34; xxi. 4.
Quest. CLXV. _May one be saved who believeth that the Scripture hath any mistake or error, and believeth it not all?_
_Answ._ The chief part of the answer to this must be fetched from what is said before about fundamentals. 1. No man can be saved who believeth not that God is no liar, and that all his word is true; because indeed he believeth not that there is a God.[442]
2. No man can be saved who believeth not the points that are essential to true godliness; nor any man that heareth the word, who believeth not all essential to christianity, or the christian covenant and religion.
3. A man may be saved who believeth not some books of Scripture (as Jude, 2 Peter, 2 John, 3 John, Revelation) to be canonical, or the word of God; so he heartily believe the rest, or the essentials.