710 6. TO know that the Go– fptl i1 his Word. l11 IVIMt order the GoJPel muft be preached to Infidels. likely to know what he fairh, and this in order to a Divine faith, it will not hinder, but help your Di~ vine faith and falvation ; and is indeed no more than is your duty. §. 22. Here nor, r. That primarily thefe two Great Prjnciplcs of faith, [God ir True, and this ; 1 6od1 rN:elatioa J are not them~lves Credcnria., the Material obje{ls of Divine f,;ith, but of Knowledge. 2. That yet the rofult of both JS de ~de, matter of faith. 3· And the fame principles are[tcond.ri!J de fide, as It.JS that.there u a God. For tho~gh they are firjt to be k._Hi'!WIJ by natural cvidmce, yer when the ~cnpturc IS opened ro ·us, we iliall hnd them there revealed; And fo the fame thing may be the objcCl: both of /;!10wt.dge and of f•itb. 4· And Faitb it fclf is a fort of Knowledc't: for though humane faith have that uncertainty in irs 't>remifes (for the moll p.ut ), as forbidd~th usro fay ( prupcrly) I k.}tow tbil to·be true, bec(ftt[e firch a man [aid it: Yet Divine faitb bath that cer– tainty _wl~ich may make it an cxceUent fo!t of Kno~ledge: (as I have pr?ve~ copi~uJly elfewhere.) In belzevmg mau we argue thus [ 1Ybatjoevcr [o wt{e and hom:ft a manfazrb, 1s crtdlble, that is, mojt lik._cly to be true : Bttt tJJif be faitb : Therefore, &c. But in believing God we argue thus: Wb:Jt• ever God {aitb i, crc~i.ble, that IS) •t! infaUibte truth: But thi.J God}jith, Therefore, &c.] So tha~the word Credible, tignirieth .nor the fame thing in the two arguTents; nor is Divine Faith) and Humane faitb the fame. . )5. 23· 6. The ncxtthing that the Preacher h.rh to teach you is the proofof 'the fordiid Minor Propolition ( tor the Major was proved in the proof of a Deity) And that is thus: 1be Gojpel Jrlhich Chrift and bi1 ApoflltJ firft. Prtacbcd, and i1 n~w delivered in the Sacred Scripturu is tbe 1Yord (or infallible rtvelation ofGod:) But this doUrine~ that Chrift, with {dith and Reptr.lance aHd obedience on cur pwrtJ, are the way to life .Eternal, i1 the Gnfpel whicb Chrift and his Apojllu firft Preached, &c. Therefore it i1 the IYord of God. For the Minor you need not take your Teachers word, if you can read; for }'OU may {cc it in the Books: (of which more anon): But the Major is rhar which all men will deGre to be alfurcd of ( that the Gojpel ir Godr word ) And for thar, though a Belief of your Teacher is a help and good preparatory yet you arc not there to flop, hut to ufc him as a 'fe'!cher to jhew you the Tm1h of it in the proof!; ( c:lfc you mull take any thing for G9ds Word, which your Teach(r ailirm~th to be fuch ). And the·proof which he will give you, rnufi be forM Divine atttjfati011 which may be {hewed to tbofe whom we would convince. 1 . The Divine §. 24·. 7· Th,is D:ivine attrjlation, which he is next to fhew you, hath many parts (that it m1y be anefiation of compkat and C.uisfad'ory ) J, Gods a.ntecedent Tenimony. 2· His inherent or impreJTed teftimony. thcGofpeJ.. 3· His adherent concomitant TcOimony. 4· }dis fuhfequent Tellimony. I. Gods Antecedent1ejfi~ moHy by which ht attefteth the G0fpd, is the train of Promifes, ~rophefies, Types, and~the pre-– par>ng Miniftry of John, which all foretold Chrifi, and were fulfilled in him. 2. Gods impreffid t.cftimony, is that Image and fuperfcription of God (in his Governing-wifdom, Holinefs and Love) which is unimmitably cngravcn on the Gofpcl; as an Image upon a fCal, which is thereby made the Infirument to imprint the fame on other things. Thus as the Sun, the Gofpel fhineth, and proverh it felf by irs proper light. 3· The concomitant atteJlation of God is that of [ mulJitudu of certain unco;!troulcd miraclu ;] done by Chrifi and his Apofiles, which proved the approving hand of God, and oblige all rational creatures to believe a refiimony fo confirmed to them. Among thcfe Chrifis owu Rr[~rrcaio11 and A[cenfion, and the Gifu of hi< Apofller arc the chief. 4· The fub[tquenJ at– tcflatiou Of God is, the power and efficacy of the Gofpel, in caVing and fanllifying unto Chrili a pecu~ 1iar people zealous of good works, and directing and confirming them sgainH .all temptations and tormenrs to the end : Producing that fame Image of God on the fouls of his Elect, which.is (more perfcdly engravcn on the word it felf :) making fuch changtS, and gathering fuch a people unto God, as no other doctrine ever _did. ~nd all thcfe four attcilations a~e but one, even the HD/y Spi– rit, who is become the great wHncfs of Chrifi and his Gofpel in the World : viz.., I. The fpirit of ProphcGe is the autrcedellt attdlation: 2. The Holy Image which the fpirit hath Printed on the Gofpel it fdf, is tlle inherent evidwce. 3· The miracles of the fpirit, is the concomitant atrefiarion or evi· dence. 4· And the fanctifying work of. the fpirit is the !Ubfi:quent attefiation, renewed and accom– panying it to the end of the World. So that the Argument runs th.us ['that dollrine which hath this witncfi of the H~ly Glnft, antecedently in fucb propheciu, inhtrently bearing hi1 i111age fo tmimitably, accompanyed by fo many certain unconlt'ouluJ miraclu, and foUowtJ and attended witb jiech matchle{s [];, fuccefr ;,. the fan{iijication of tbe body of Cbrijl, ir JuLy attrjl<d by God to be hir O>PU: But fuch ir tbe doUrine of the Go[pel ?] Thereforc)&c. The M1jor you arc not to take upon trufi from your Teachers (though your elteem of their judgement may the better difpofc you io learn); But you are ro difcern the evidences of truth which is apparent in it. For he that denyerh this mufi byforce of argument be driven to deny, I• Either that God is the Govcrnour of the World ; or that he is the Jitpream; but fay he is controulcd by another: 3· Or that he is Good and True; and mult affirm that he either Governeth the world by meer deceits, and UIJdifcernable l:tes, or that he bath given up the power to fame one that fa governeth i't: All whi>h is but to affirm that there is mvoil {which is fuppofed robe proved before.) "'C • • ST know the 9·25· 8. There nowremlinetllnothing to be taught you, as to prove the truth of the Gofpel n:3~crsofftCl: but only thofc matters of fqCl which are cortta~ed and fuppofcd in the Minor of the C\Vb lafi argu– fubfervient to rnents: And they arc thciC particulars.· I· 'that there were fuch perfons ~~ Chrijt and his Apofiles, ourfairh. and fuch a Gofpel Preached by them. z, 1bat fucb Mir~Zcles were done by them, as a1e fuppofed. liB: en:mi3. That both DoCtrine and Miracles were committed to writing by them, in the Scriprur~s, for the ~~~~;o~~h;uatiofericfq; rcrumJ ut alia eJ. illi:1 nexal & orunc5 intc{ fc: aptre coJJig:J.t<tq) videantur. Cic.dt Natkr. daw. pac. 6. ccrtainer
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