knowledge and faith impossible: and the reason why that historical knowledge and faith are in possible to that people, is, because they are destitute of the Scriptures, and live in those cor rs of the world, whereunto the outward preaChanger the listory never came; from which argun ent it will follow that the Scriptures are the only medium or mean, whereby the historical knowledge and faith of Christ came to any people. For the clearer understanding the solution of this argument, some things worthy of observation are to be considered. 1. First then ob serve, that the force of this argument at most intends to prove this, viz. That the Scripture is the principal rule and toundation of historical faith and knowledge; but we with good reason distinguish between historical and saving knowledge, and between an historical and saving faith; because many may have an historical knowledge and faith, who have not that which is saving. Yea, it is possible, that a man, by the inward revelation of the Holy Spirit, may have an historical knowledge and faith, who yet may not have that faith which is saving; because saving faith hath regard to God, not precisely, as revealing some outward history concerning God and Christ, but as revealing very God and Christ by his grace, mercy, and power, ready and willing to save us, according to his unspeakable good will towards us; by which saving faith we rest upon God through Christ, our light and life, as upon our most merciful Father; which faith can neither exist, nor be conceived without love to God, humility to God, humility before God, denial and diffidence of self; and therefore such a faith is saving. But historical faith, though wrought in the hearts of men by the inward revelation and operation of the Holy Spirit may be without that divine love, humility and self-denial : wherefore precisely considered in its own nature it is not saving. It was this kind of knowledge and faith which wicked Balaam had, who saw and knew many historical futurities, and believed them, but had not saving faith. 2. Observe, Secondly, That the knowledge and faith necessary to salvation, are to be understood two ways, either by a necessity antecedent, or in way of priority, or by a necessity consequent, or in way of posteriority. Necessity antecedent, or in way of priority is, when something is absolutely necessary to our salvation, that we both know and believe it; and because it is necessary, God doth therefore reveal it to us; of which sort are such principles as these, viz. That God follows men with his love and good will: that he invites and persuades them to come unto him; that he is ready to shew favour to men, and pardon their sins, if they sincerely repent themselves of their mispent life, and lead a new one for the time to come,; that God hears the prayers of those that are truly humble and suppliant; that he is a glorious rewarder of all that live soberly, righteously, and godly; that he is a most just avenger of all those who despise his grace and love, and repent not of their sins, &c. All which, in some degree, are to all men, even to those who are destitute of the Scriptures, revealed by that inward evangelical light, which enlightens all men. Necessity consequent, or in way of posteriority, is, when something is not absolutely necessary to our salvation, but after a certain sort, or under some respect, condition and limitation; of which kind are those things which are not revealed, because they are necessary; but as they are revealed, they are necessary to be believed by us: for example; if God should reveal to any man, that it was his will and command, he should go to Rome to reprove tyranny and superstition; certainly this revelation were necessary to be believed to that man's salvation, by a necessity consequent, because that faith is an act of obedience; and to obey God is necessary to salvation. 3. Observe in the third place, That amongst those things that are necessary to be believed to salvation by a necessity consequent, there are some things, though not absolutely necessary, yet are they very profitable, and conducive means to our salvation; of which sort are the historical knowledge and faith concerning God, the creation and government of the world, Christ's taking flesh, and dying for our sins, &c. whether that historical knowledge come to us, either by the sole inward revelation of the Holy Spirit, without the medium, or mean of Scriptures, or also by both, to wit, both by the inward inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and by the Scriptures which two mediums or means, do sometimes concur in producing in men historical knowledge and faith concerning God and Christ, but in a different manner. The outward revelation (as it is called) of Scripture, is a medium or mean, by way of material object, in producing that historical knowledge and faith: but the inward inspiration and revelation wrought in the hearts of men by the Holy Spirit, are a medium of mean by way of formal object, in producing the same historical knowledge and faith. By the material object we understand that which is believed; and therefore the Scriptures, which are believed, are the material object of historical knowledge and faith. By the formal object we understand the principal motive in respect of the object, for which the Scriptures are believed. But the principal motive in respect of the object, is not the Scripture itself, but that inward testimony of the Holy Spirit, which when we hear or read the Scriptures (when it pleaseth the most good and great God to inspire the hearts of men) works an assent in us, whether it inclines us to assent to the historical truths hitherto declared in the Scripture or no: wherefore we do not affirm that the Holy Spirit doth ordinarily and commonly speak in us something that is new, or declare to our inward hearing those particular histories of God and Christ (though God may if he please, do it at this day ;) but we say, that God doth by his Holy Spirit, through his sensible and perceptible operations and motions objectively representing themselves, move and incline us, to assent unto, and believe the Scriptures, and the historical truths declared of in the Scriptures. These things considered, we affirm, that though the Scriptures are ordinarily and commonly a certain medium or mean, by way of material object or condition, for the producing of historical knowledge and faith in us; and that, commonly speaking, a necessary mean too, as being that without which God doth not ordinarily reveal the outward history of God and Christ; yet we utterly deny, that in true Chris |