the Wis

lomon, Ju

the Maccabees, which

What

the Revelations, which many, even very ancient, deny dom of So- to have been written by the beloved disciple and brodith,Tobias, ther of James, but by another of that name. should then become of Christians, if they had not rethe council ceived that Spirit, and those spiritual senses, by which held in the' they know how to discern the true from the false?. It year 399, is the privilege of Christ's sheep indeed that they received. hear his voice, and refuse that of a stranger; which privilege being taken away, we are left a prey to all manner of wolves.

o f Carthage,

§. II. Though then we do acknowledge the scriptures to be very heavenly and divine writings, the use of them to be very comfortable and necessary to the church of Christ, and that we also admire and give praise to the Lord, for his wonderful providence in preserving these writings so pure and uncorrupted as we have them, through so long a night of apostacy, to be a testimony of his truth against the wickedness and abominations even of those whom he made instrumental in preserving them, so that they have The scrip- kept them to be a witness against themselves; yet we not the prin- may not call them the principal fountain of all truth cipal ground and knowledge, nor yet the first adequate rule of faith

tures are

of truth.

and manners; because the principal fountain of truth must be the truth itself; i. e. that whose certainty and authority depends not upon another. When we doubt of the streams of any river or flood, we recur to the fountain itself; and having found it, there we desist, we can go no farther, because there it springs out of the bowels of the earth, which are inscrutable. Even so the writings and sayings of all men we must bring to the word of God, I mean the eternal word, and if they agree hereunto, we stand there. For this word always proceedeth, and doth eternally proceed from God, in and by which the unsearchable wisdom of God, and unsearchable counsel and will conceived in the heart of God, is revealed unto us. That then the scripture is not the principal ground of faith and knowledge, as it appears by what is above spoken, so

it is proved in the latter part of the proposition; which being reduced to an argument, runs thus:

That whereof the certainty and authority depends upon another, and which is received as truth because of its proceeding from another, is not to be accounted the principal ground and origin of all truth and knowledge:

But the scriptures' authority and certainty depend upon the Spirit by which they were dictated; and the reason why they were received as truth is, because they proceeded from the Spirit:

Therefore they are not the principal ground of truth.

To confirm this argument, I added the school maxim, Propter quod unumquodque est tale, illud ipsum magis est tale. Which maxim, though I confess it doth not hold universally in all things, yet in this it doth and will very well hold, as by applying it, as we have above intimated, will appear.

they the pri

The same argument will hold as to the other branch Neither are of the proposition, That it is not the primary adequate rule of faith and manners; thus,

That which is not the rule of my faith in believing the scriptures themselves, is not the primary adequate rule of faith and manners:

But the scripture is not, nor can it be, the rule of that faith by which I believe them, &c.

Therefore, &c.

But as to this part, we shall produce divers argu

mary rule of faith and

manners.

rule.

ments hereafter. As to what is affirmed, that the That the Spirit, and not the scriptures, is the rule, it is largely Spirit is the handled in the former proposition; the sum whereof I shall subsume in one argument, thus:

If by the Spirit we can only come to the true knowledge of God; if by the Spirit we are to be led into all truth, and so be taught of all things; then the Spirit, and not the scriptures, is the foundation and ground of all truth and knowledge, and the primary rule of faith and manners:

Wherein

gospel dif

fer.

But the first is true, therefore also the last.

Next, the very nature of the gospel itself declareth that the scriptures cannot be the only and chief rule of Christians, else there should be no difference betwixt the law and the gospel; as from the nature of the new covenant, by divers scriptures described in the former proposition, is proved.

But besides these which are before mentioned, the law and herein doth the law and the gospel differ, in that the law, being outwardly written, brings under condemnation, but hath not life in it to save; whereas the gospel, as it declares and makes manifest the evil, so, being an inward powerful thing, it gives power also to obey, and deliver from the evil. Hence it is called Evayyelov, which is glad tidings. The law or letter, which is without us, kills; but the gospel, which is the inward spiritual law, gives life; for it consists not so much in words as in virtue. Wherefore such as come to know it, and be acquainted with it, come to feel greater power over their iniquities than all outward laws or rules can give them. Hence the apostle concludes, Rom. vi. 14, Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law, but under grace. This grace then that is inward, and not an outward law, is to be the rule of Christians. unto the apostle commends the elders of the church, saying, Acts, xx. 32, And now, Brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. He doth not commend them here to outward laws or writings, but to the word of grace, which is inward; even the spiritual law, which makes free, as he elsewhere affirms, Rom. viii. 2, The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death. This spiritual law is that which the apostle declares he preached and directed people unto, which was not outward, as by Rom. x. 8, is manifest; where distinguishing it from the law, he saith, The word is

Here

nigh thee, in thy heart, and in thy mouth; and this is the word of faith which we preach. From what is above said I argue thus:

The principal rule of Christians under the gospel is not an outward letter, nor law outwardly written and delivered, but an inward spiritual law, engraven in the heart, the law of the Spirit of life, the word that is nigh in the heart and in the mouth.

But the letter of the scripture is outward, of itself a dead thing, a mere declaration of good things, but not the things themselves:

Therefore it is not, nor can be, the chief or principal rule of Christians.

rule.

§. III. Thirdly, That which is given to Christians The scripfor a rule and guide must needs be so full, that it ture not the may clearly and distinctly guide and order them in all things and occurrences that may fall out.

But in that there are numberless things, with regard to their circumstances, which particular Christians may be concerned in, for which there can be no particular rule had in the scriptures;

Therefore the scriptures cannot be a rule to them. I shall give an instance in two or three particulars to prove this proposition. It is not to be doubted but some men are particularly called to some particular services; their being not found in which, though the act be no general positive duty, yet in so far as it may be required of them, is a great sin to omit; forasmuch as God is zealous of his glory, and every act of disobedience to his will manifested, is enough not only to hinder one greatly from that comfort and inward peace which otherwise he might have, but also bringeth condemnation.

As for instance, Some are called to the ministry of the word: Paul saith, There was a necessity upon him to preach the gospel; wo unto me, if I preach not.

If it be necessary that there be now ministers of the church, as well as then, then there is the same necessity upon some, more than upon others, to occupy

OBJECT.

ANSW.

this place; which necessity, as it may be incumbent upon particular persons, the scripture neither doth nor can declare.

If it be said, That the qualifications of a minister are found in the scripture, and by applying these qualifications to myself, I may know whether I be fit for such a place or not;

I answer, The qualifications of a bishop, or minister, as they are mentioned both in the Epistle to Timothy and Titus, are such as may be found in a private Christian; yea, which ought in some measure to be in every true Christian: so that this giveth a man no certainty. Every capacity to an office giveth me not a sufficient call to it.

Next again, By what rule shall I judge if I be so qualified? How do I know that I am sober, meek, holy, harmless? Is it not the testimony of the Spirit in my conscience that must assure me hereof? And suppose that I was qualified and called, yet what scripture rule shall inform me, Whether it be my duty to preach in this or that place, in France or England, Holland or Germany? Whether I shall take up my time in confirming the faithful, reclaiming hereticks, or converting infidels, as also in writing epistles to this or that church?

The general rules of the scripture, viz. To be diligent in my duty, to do all to the glory of God, and for the good of his church, can give me no light in this thing. Seeing two different things may both have a respect to that way, yet may I commit a great error and offence in doing the one, when I am called to the other. If Paul, when his face was turned by the Lord toward Jerusalem, had gone back to Achaia or Macedonia, he might have supposed he could have done God more acceptable service, in preaching and confirming the churches, than in being shut up in prison in Judea; but would God have been pleased herewith? Nay, certainly. Obedience is better than sacrifice; and it is not our doing that which is good