z t 2 Chap, 7. Of Faith axdVibelief. Can, i. how is may be deceived, and what great imperfections arc in it. Arid for ()lit eafon or underltamint 'wc fee how uncertain it is in but younger years, and how we cer- r Cor. 13.1:, re(t former errors, as cvc grow in years, when we are Children we fpcak as Children, }eafon as Children, and conceive as theydo, but when we arc Meüetve put away chil- d-PI things. Plow men cannot rcafon of the formal caufcs of things, bccaufe they can `not fec them, but tell them of labour, that theycan conceive, and fo in rcfpal of a moreTublimc underttanding they come far thort. And therefore we silo may be de- ceived in things that arc above us, And therefore the third way of knowledge that is by relation is ncccffary. The certainty of Faith is grounded upon the condition and quality of the relaters, andhath only two ; ,;ceptions. I. Eidloragainft the Authors, that they want skill, and are ignorant of the things they relate. 2. Or elfe thatthey arc filch upon whole fidelity we cannot rely; Now in either of theft cafes if the party relating want skill and cannot relate the truth, or is not honcf, and will not, his tcilimony is not to be taken. So then there is no more certain way than this, that whereas the knowledge of Faith, and gróunds of Religion arc to be built upon lueh witneffes, as want neither skill nor fidcli but for rhea skill can, and for their faithfullnefs will deliver the truth, we ÿ are to embrace what they deliver as certain truths. Tim. I. 13, The Apuille faith not, I believe whom I know, but fciocri credo, F know whom Apuc.15. 3. I believe. W c know that whom we believe is Amen, juft and true.. That cannot he, Tit' `' "' r S, a faithful witnefs, it is a thing impoffrble for aim fo to do. And for the manner of giving his tdtimony. The terms in Scripture are t. Düí- urn and Dixit Dominus, the wordof the Lord, and thus faith the Lord. Rom. t. ". -.And becaufe mans ftipulation and promi[e is more certain than his bare affirma_ Heb. 6.13. tion, therefore God hath made promifes to us, and his promifes are precious, as the Pet. t. 4. A eftle faith. 3. And for our greater comfortand a;fttrancc hath confirmed his pronule Heb. 6. 17. = with an Oath. 4.. Again, bccaufe if we have amans handwriting, we give greater çt I. i8. credit to that than to an Oath, we have his own handwriting, written with his own finger. y. And for confirmation of that he haih put tohis teal. 6, And laftly, ( beyond whim no man goeth, nor any man delreth more to ftrengthen a promife) Cor.1 __. he hath given an earned penny, a true Gods penny as we call it. a. Now that which may be objefled againfo this is, that the immea,ate voice of God isnot now amongft us, and that which we hear is from. Mofei, ,Efay, Saint Metthcw: Saint Paul, &e. Yet this we mutt know, that though we hear it from them; being but men, yet did they not fpeák of thcmfelves notof ,their own P . r. "t. 13rains, but as they wcremfpircd by the holy Ghoft. And this Saint Peter tells us, the Prophecy ( faith he ) came not in old timeby the will of man but holy men of God fpáke as theywere moved by the holy Chaff. For a Prince ufually fpeaketh nut to the people immediately from his own Mouth, but by Edi&s. and Proclama- tionspublifhed by others inhis name. And as the Scepter or Mace which in delivered to them that public; thote edidis is .a hgn and token that they :come from and for the Prince, fo the Scepter of Gods extraordinary power was committed tohis Pro. phctts, Apoftics, &c. The7eres required no more thana fignof our Saviour, which Jot" a- '8. with them was theScepter. And our Saviour dcfired no more of them than that, if 1O "4'the would not believe him for his words, yet they ['multi .for his works. And 1T a4't atif he had not done among them the works which no other. man did, (thofe were his miracles, ) they might have been excufed for their Unbelief. Upon which Saint Auguffine faith, that either wemutt grant that they were erne, or elfe, that Without miracles all the world was converted, and became Chriflians, which is a greater miracle than all the refs which he did , and fo we molt grant miracles whether we will or no. And this is our warrant that thefe men, the Prophets and Apoltles came from God , and that God hath fpoken to us by them. 2. The next quere is , whether he is able to perform thole things which he Lithe 1 37 hath promifed by them. To that we fay with the Angel, that with God nothing t Cr. S9.1. (hall be unpoffible. The prophet faith, his hands are not Manned; iris able to reach all Nan,. 1r, as. things. When Mies mrdruttedGods providence to feed 600030men, Paying (hall
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