il o Chap. a x> 4n Expofition upon the Book of JO: B. Verf. g. Thou haft faid. Dicere of af- Or, Thou haft confidently affirmed : The word imports more firmare C.5'prm then a bare fay-fo ; Thou haft flrongly teflified for thy fell, city certo affrere, clarine is pure , and am clean. That's the force of ¶avidá infir- mity (Pfal. I x6. a x.) I laid in my balk', All men are liars. IPaid, is, more then a conjeEture, and more then a naked affirmation,, evenan affertion,and a confident affertion too. Sois, Thou haft lid. If another had laid it , we fhould fooner have believed it. A modefl fubmiflionofthy doítrine to the judgement sf thy fuperi- ours , or of thy friends and equals , would become thee better. We have reafon todoubt thy datrinemore becaufe we fee thy own hand writes the approbation, and thou art not only a wit_ rtes but the only witnes in thy owncaufe. Hence note, When a man bears witnes of himfe f he laies J imf e_ f open to jealoufies andfuij ition. Thou haft/aid, Ally doárine ispure, Thou fhouldfl have expe; ¡fled the teflimony ofanother. What do thy neighbours fay of thee ? What do thyfriends fay of thee ? Doe they fubfcribe this certificate , That thy doítrine is pure, and thy life clean ? Chrift holds forth a divine prerogative , when he faith (fols. 8. 14.) Though I bear record of myfe f, yet my record is true. God may give teflimony to himfelf, and Chrift there (peaks in reference to his Godhead, as his next words intimate, Ikrowwhence Icarne, and whether Igo. It is the priviledge of God alose to be a fell- witnes. Hence that ofChi-ill (Yoh. 5.31.) If Ibear witnefe of anyfelf .any witneffe is not true. How ¡hall we pacifie and recon- cile thefe two texts ? In one Chrift faith , Though Ibear record of my'elf yet any record is true ; and in another , If[bear witneffe ofmy pel f, any witneffe is not true. ouceff+o Rhe I anfwer firft, Chrift fpeaks either by way of concefl on; though *arts Bea.. I thouldgrant thus much to you, that ifI bear witneffe ofmy (elf, my witneffe is not true, yet I have further teftimony (as he {hgws in the following verle) Thereis another beareth witnele of me, and fo I can eafily fparemy own. Or Secondly, If I fhould barely aflert for my feif, I give you an occation.to fufpeb`t whether my afi'ertionbe truc; Thirdly;
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