Part 9
[Sidenote: _Answ. 1._] I answer, _First_, That the Scriptures ought to be searched, we do not at all deny; but are very willing to be tried by them, as hath been above declared: But the Question is, _Whether they be the Only and Principal Rule?_ Which this is so far from proving, that it proveth the contrary; [Sidenote: _Search the Scripture_, &c.] for Christ checks them here for too high an Esteem of the Scriptures, and neglecting of him that was to be preferred before them, and to whom they bore Witness, as the following Words declare; _For in them ye think ye have eternal Life, and they are they which testify of me: and ye will not come unto me, that ye might have Life._ This shews, that while they thought they had Eternal Life in the Scriptures, they neglected to come unto Christ to have Life, of which the Scriptures bore witness. This answers well to our Purpose, since our Adversaries now do also exalt the Scriptures, and think to have Life in them; which is no more than to look upon them as the only principal Rule and Way to Life, and yet refuse to come unto the Spirit of which they testify, even the inward spiritual Law, which could give them Life: So that the Cause of this People’s Ignorance and Unbelief was not their Want of Respect to the Scriptures, which though they knew, and had an high Esteem of, yet Christ testifies in the former Verses, that they had neither _seen the Father, nor heard his Voice at any Time; neither had his Word abiding in them_; which had they then had, then they had believed in the Son. [Sidenote: _Answ. 2._] Moreover, that Place may be taken in the Indicative Mood, _Ye search the Scriptures_; which Interpretation the _Greek_ Word will bear, and so _Pasor_ translateth it: Which by the Reproof following, seemeth also to be the more genuine Interpretation, as _Cyrillus_ long ago hath observed.
§. VIII. [Sidenote: Obj. 3.] Their third Objection is from these Words, _Acts_ xvii. 11. _These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all Readiness of Mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those Things were so._
[Sidenote: _Answ. 1._] _Here, _say they_, the _Bereans_ are commended for searching the Scriptures, and making them the Rule._
I answer; That the Scriptures either are the principal or only Rule, will not at all follow from this; neither will their searching the Scriptures, or being commended for it, infer any such Thing: For we recommend and approve the Use of them in that Respect as much as any; yet will it not follow, that we affirm them to be the principal and only Rule.
[Sidenote: _Answ. 2._] _Secondly_, It is to be observed that these were the _Jews_ of _Berea_, to whom these Scriptures, which were the Law and the Prophets, were more particularly a Rule; [Sidenote: _The_ Bereans _searching the Scriptures, makes them not the only Rule to try Doctrines._] and the Thing under Examination was, whether the Birth, Life, Works, and Sufferings of Christ, did answer to the Prophecies concerning him; so that it was most proper for them, being _Jews_, to examine the Apostle’s Doctrine by the Scriptures; seeing he pleaded it to be a fulfilling of them. It is said nevertheless, in the first Place, That _they received the Word with Chearfulness_; and in the second Place, _They searched the Scriptures_: Not that they searched the Scriptures, and then received the Word; for then could they not have prevailed to convert them, had they not first minded the _Word abiding in them_, which opened their Understandings; no more than the _Scribes_ and _Pharisees_, who (as in the former Objection we observed) searched the Scriptures, and exalted them, and yet remained in their Unbelief, because they had not the _Word abiding in them_.
[Sidenote: _Answ. 3._] But _Lastly_, If this Commendation of the _Jewish Bereans_ might infer that the Scriptures were the only and principal Rule to try the Apostle’s Doctrine by, what should have become of the _Gentiles_? How should they ever have come to have received the Faith of Christ, who neither knew the Scriptures, nor believed them? [Sidenote: _The _Athenians_ instanced._] We see in the End of the same Chapter, how the Apostle, preaching to the _Athenians_, took another Method, and directed them to somewhat of _God within_ themselves, that they might _feel after him_. He did not go about to proselyte them to the _Jewish Religion_, and to the Belief of the _Law_ and the _Prophets_, and from thence to prove the coming of Christ; nay, he took a nearer Way. Now certainly the principal and only Rule is not different; one to the _Jews_, and another to the _Gentiles_; but is _Universal_, reaching both: Though secondary and subordinate Rules and Means may be various, and diversly suited, according as the People they are used to are stated and circumstanced: Even so we see that the Apostle to the _Athenians_ used a Testimony of one of their own Poets, which he judged would have Credit with them; and no doubt such Testimonies, whose Authors they esteemed, had more Weight with them than all the Sayings of _Moses_ and the _Prophets_, whom they neither knew nor would have cared for. Now because the Apostle used the Testimony of a Poet to the _Athenians_, will it therefore follow, he made that the principal or only Rule to try his Doctrine by? So neither will it follow, that though he made use of the Scriptures to the _Jews_, as being a Principle already believed by them, to try his Doctrine, that from thence the Scriptures may be accounted the principal or only Rule.
§. IX. The last, and that which at first View seems to be the greatest Objection, is this:
[Sidenote: Obj. 4.] _If the Scripture be not the adequate, principal, and only Rule, then it would follow that the Scripture is not complete, nor the Canon filled; that if Men be now immediately led and ruled by the Spirit, they may add new Scriptures of equal Authority with the Old; whereas every one that adds is cursed: Yea, what Assurance have we, but at this Rate every one may bring in a new Gospel according to his Fancy?_
[Sidenote: _Answ._] The dangerous Consequences insinuated in this Objection were fully answered in the latter Part of the last Proposition, in what was said a little before, offering freely to disclaim all pretended Revelations contrary to the Scriptures.
[Sidenote: Obj. 1.] But if it be urged, _That it is not enough to deny these Consequences, if they naturally follow from your Doctrine of Immediate Revelation, and denying the Scripture to be the only Rule_:
[Sidenote: _Answ. 1._] I answer; We have proved both these Doctrines to be true and necessary, according to the Scriptures themselves; and therefore to fasten evil Consequences upon them, which we make appear do not follow, is not to accuse us, but Christ and his Apostles, who preached them.
[Sidenote: _Answ. 2._] But _Secondly_, We have shut the Door upon all such Doctrine in this very Position; affirming, _That the Scriptures give a full and ample Testimony to all the principal Doctrines of the Christian Faith_. For we do firmly believe that there is no other Gospel or Doctrine to be preached, but that which was delivered by the Apostles; and do freely subscribe to that Saying, [48]_Let him that preacheth any other Gospel, than that which hath been already preached by the Apostles, and according to the Scriptures, be accursed_.
[48] Gal. i. 8.
[Sidenote: _A new Revelation is not a new Gospel._] So we distinguish betwixt a Revelation of a _new Gospel_, and _new Doctrines_, and a _new Revelation_ of the _good old Gospel_ and _Doctrines_; the last we plead for, but the first we utterly deny. For we firmly believe, That _no other Foundation can any Man lay, than that which is laid already_. But that this Revelation is necessary we have already proved; and this Distinction doth sufficiently guard us against the Hazard insinuated in the Objection.
[Sidenote: _Books Canonical._] As to the _Scriptures_ being a _filled Canon_, I see no Necessity of believing it. And if these Men, that believe the Scriptures to be the only Rule, will be consistent with their own Doctrine, they must needs be of my Judgment; seeing it is simply impossible to prove the Canon by the Scriptures. For it cannot be found in any Book of the Scriptures, that these Books, and just these, and no other, are Canonical, as all are forced to acknowledge; how can they then evite this Argument?
That which cannot be proved by Scripture is no necessary Article of Faith.
But the Canon of the Scripture; to wit, that there are so many Books precisely, neither more nor less, cannot be proved by Scripture:
_Therefore_, it is no necessary Article of Faith.
[Sidenote: Obj. 2.] If they should allege; _That the admitting of any other Books to be now written by the same Spirit might infer the Admission of new Doctrines_:
I deny that Consequence; for the Principal or Fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Religion are contained in the tenth Part of the Scripture; but it will not follow thence that the Rest are impertinent, or useless. [Sidenote: _Books lost._] If it should please God to bring to us any of those Books, which by the Injury of Time are lost, which are mentioned in the Scripture; as, _The Prophecy of_ Enoch, _the Book of_ Nathan, _&c._ or, _the Third Epistle of _Paul_ to the_ Corinthians; I see no Reason why we ought not to receive them, and place them with the Rest. That which displeaseth me is, that Men should first affirm that the Scripture is the only and principal Rule, and yet make that a great Article of Faith into which the Scripture can give us no Light.
As for Instance: How shall a _Protestant_ prove by Scripture, to such as deny the Epistle of _James_ to be authentick, that it ought to be received?
_First_, If he would say, _Because it contradicts not the Rest_, (besides that there is no Mention of it in any of the Rest) perhaps these Men think it doth contradict _Paul_ in Relation to _Faith_ and _Works_. But, if that should be granted, it would as well follow, that every Writer that contradicts not the Scripture, should be put into the Canon; and by this Means these Men fall into a greater Absurdity than they fix upon us: For thus they would equal every one the Writings of their own Sect with the Scriptures; for I suppose they judge their own Confession of Faith doth not contradict the Scriptures: Will it therefore follow that it should be bound up with the Bible? And yet it seems impossible, according to their Principles, to bring any better Argument to prove the Epistle of _James_ to be Authentick. [Sidenote: _Whether the Epistle of _James_ be authentick, and how to know it?_] There is then this unavoidable Necessity to say, We know it by the same Spirit from which it was written; or otherwise to step back to _Rome_, and say, We know by Tradition that the Church hath declared it to be Canonical; and the Church is Infallible. Let them find a Mean, if they can. So that out of this Objection we shall draw an unanswerable Argument _ad Hominem_, to our Purpose.
That which cannot assure me concerning an Article of Faith necessary to be believed, is not the primary, adequate, only Rule of Faith, _&c._
Therefore, _&c._
I prove the Assumption thus:
That which cannot assure me concerning the Canon of the Scripture, to wit, that such Books are only to be admitted, and the _Apocrypha_ excluded, cannot assure me of this:
Therefore, _&c._
[Sidenote: Obj. 3.] And _Lastly_, As to these Words, _Rev._ xxii. 18. _That if any Man shall add unto these Things, God shall add unto him the Plagues that are written in this Book_; [Sidenote: _Answ._] I desire they will shew me how it relates to any Thing else than to that particular Prophecy. It saith not, _Now the Canon of the Scripture is filled up, no Man is to write more from the Spirit_; yea, do not all confess that there have been Prophecies and true Prophets since? The _Papists_ deny it not. And do not the _Protestants_ affirm, that _John Hus_ prophesied of the _Reformation?_ Was he therefore cursed? Or did he therein Evil? I could give many other Examples, confessed by themselves. [Sidenote: _What it means to add to the Scriptures._] But, moreover, the same was in Effect commanded long before, _Prov._ xxx. 6. _Add thou not unto his Words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a Liar_: Yet how many Books of the Prophets were written after? And the same was said by _Moses_, Deut. iv. 2. _Ye shall not add unto the Word which I command you; neither shall ye diminish aught from it._ So that, though we should extend that of the _Revelation_ beyond the particular Prophecy of that Book, it cannot be understood but of a new Gospel, or new Doctrines, or of restraining Man’s Spirit, that he mix not his Human Words with the Divine; and not of _a new Revelation of the Old_, as we have said before.
PROPOSITION IV.
Concerning the Condition of MAN in the FALL.
_All _Adam_’s Posterity, or Mankind, both _Jews_ and _Gentiles_, as to the first _Adam_, or Earthly Man, is fallen, degenerated, and dead; deprived of the Sensation or Feeling of this _Inward Testimony_ or Seed of God; _[49]_and is subject unto the Power, Nature, and Seed of the Serpent, which he soweth in Men’s Hearts, while they abide in this natural and corrupted Estate: From whence it comes, that not only their Words and Deeds, but all their Imaginations, are Evil perpetually in the Sight of God, as proceeding from this depraved and wicked Seed. Man therefore, as he is in this State, can know Nothing aright; yea, his Thoughts and Conceptions concerning God and Things _Spiritual_, until he be disjoined from this Evil Seed, and united to the _Divine Light_, are unprofitable both to himself and others. Hence are rejected the _Socinian_ and _Pelagian_ Errors, in exalting a Natural Light; as also of the _Papists_, and most _Protestants_, who affirm, _That Man, without the true Grace of God, may be a true Minister of the Gospel_. Nevertheless, this Seed is not imputed to Infants, until by Transgression they actually join themselves therewith; _[50]_for they are by Nature _the Children of Wrath_, who walk according to the _Power of the Prince of the Air, the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience_, having their Conversation in the Lusts of the Flesh, fulfilling the Desires of the Flesh, and of the Mind._
[49] Rom. 5. 12, 15.
[50] Ephes. 2.
§. I. Hitherto we have discoursed how the True Knowledge of God is attained and preserved; also of what Use and Service the Holy Scripture is to the Saints.
We come now to examine _the State and Condition of Man as he stands in the Fall_; _what his Capacity and Power is_; _and how far he is able, as of himself, to advance in Relation to the Things of God_. Of this we touched a little in the Beginning of the second Proposition; but the full, right, and thorough Understanding of it is of great Use and Service; because from the Ignorance and Altercations that have been about it, there have arisen great and dangerous Errors, both on the one Hand and on the other. While some do so far exalt the Light of Nature, or the Faculty of the Natural Man, as capable of himself, by Virtue of the inward Will, Faculty, Light and Power, that pertains to his Nature, to follow that which is good, and make real Progress towards Heaven. And of these are the _Pelagians_, and _Semi-Pelagians_ of Old; and of late the _Socinians_, and divers others among the _Papists_. Others again will needs run into another Extreme, [Sidenote: Augustine’s _Zeal against Pelagius_.] (to whom _Augustine_, among the Ancients, first made Way in his declining Age, through the Heat of his Zeal against _Pelagius_) not only confessing Man uncapable of himself to do Good, and prone to Evil; but that in his very Mother’s Womb, and before he commits any actual Transgression, he is contaminate with a real Guilt, whereby he deserves eternal Death: In which Respect they are not afraid to affirm, _That many poor Infants are Eternally Damned, and for ever endure the Torments of Hell_. Therefore the God of Truth, having now again revealed his Truth (that good and even Way) by his own Spirit, hath taught us to avoid both these Extremes.
That then which our Proposition leads to treat of is,
[Sidenote: I.] First, _What the Condition of Man is in the Fall; and how far uncapable to meddle in the Things of God_.
[Sidenote: II.] And Secondly, _That God doth not impute this Evil to Infants, until they actually join with it_: That so, by Establishing the Truth, we may overturn the Errors on both Parts.
[Sidenote: III.] And, as for that Third Thing included in the Proposition itself concerning these _Teachers_ which _want the Grace of God_, we shall refer that to the tenth Proposition, where the Matter is more particularly handled.
§. II. [Sidenote: Part I. _Adam’s Fall._] As to the first, not to dive into the many curious Notions which many have concerning the _Condition of_ Adam _before the Fall_, all agree in this, That thereby he came to a very great Loss, not only in the Things which related to the outward Man, but in Regard to that true Fellowship and Communion he had with God. This Loss was signified unto him in the Command, _For in the Day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die_, Gen. ii. 17. This Death could not be an outward Death, or the Dissolution of the outward Man; for as to that, he did not die yet many Hundred Years after; so that it must needs respect his spiritual Life and Communion with God. The Consequence of this Fall, besides that which relates to the Fruits of the Earth, is also expressed, _Gen._ iii. 24. _So he drove out the Man, and he placed at the East of the Garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming Sword, which turned every Way, to keep the Way of the Tree of Life._ Now whatsoever literal Signification this may have, we may safely ascribe to this Paradise a mystical Signification, and truly account it that spiritual Communion and Fellowship, which the Saints obtain with God by Jesus Christ; to whom only these Cherubims give Way, and unto as many as enter by him, who calls himself the _Door_. [Sidenote: _Guilt not ascribed to _Adam_’s Posterity._] So that, though we do not ascribe any Whit of _Adam_’s Guilt to Men, until they make it theirs by the like Acts of Disobedience; yet we cannot suppose that Men, who are come of _Adam_ naturally, can have any good Thing in their Nature, as belonging to it; which he, from whom they derive their Nature, had not himself to communicate unto them.
If then we may affirm, that _Adam_ did not retain in his Nature (as belonging thereunto) any Will or Light capable to give him Knowledge in spiritual Things, then neither can his Posterity: For whatsoever real Good any Man doth, it proceedeth not from his Nature, as he is Man, or the Son of _Adam_; but from the _Seed of God in him_, as a new Visitation of Life, in order to bring him out of this natural Condition: So that, though it be _in him_, yet it is not _of him_; and this the Lord himself witnessed, _Gen._ vi. 5. where it is said, he _saw that every Imagination of the Thoughts of his Heart was only evil continually_: Which Words as they are very positive, so are they very comprehensive. [Sidenote: _Every Imagination of the natural Man is evil._] Observe the Emphasis of them; _First, _There_ is every Imagination of the Thoughts of his Heart_; so that this admits of no Exception of any Imagination of the Thoughts of his Heart. _Secondly, Is only evil continually_; it is neither in _some Part evil continually_, nor yet _only_ evil _at some Times_; but both _only_ evil, and _always_ and _continually_ evil; which certainly excludes any Good, as a proper Effect of Man’s Heart, naturally: For that which is only evil, and that always, cannot of its own Nature produce any good Thing. The Lord expressed this again a little after, Chap. viii. 21. _The Imagination of Man’s Heart is evil from his Youth._ Thus inferring how natural and proper it is unto him; from which I thus argue:
If the Thoughts of Man’s Heart be not only evil, but always evil; then are they, as they simply proceed from his Heart, neither good in Part, nor at any Time:
But the First is true: Therefore the Last.
Again,
If Man’s Thoughts be always and only evil, then are they altogether useless and ineffectual to him in the Things of God:
But the First is true: Therefore the Last.
[Sidenote: _The Heart of Man deceitful._] _Secondly_, This appears clearly from that Saying of the Prophet _Jeremiah_, Chap. xvii. 9. _The Heart is deceitful above all Things, and desperately wicked._ For who can with any Colour of Reason imagine, that that which is so hath any Power of itself, or is in any wise fit, to lead a Man to Righteousness, whereunto it is of its own Nature directly opposite? This is as contrary to Reason, as it is impossible in Nature, that a Stone of its own Nature and proper Motion, should fly upwards: For as a Stone of its own Nature inclineth and is prone to move downwards towards the Center, so the Heart of Man is naturally prone and inclined to Evil, some to one, and some to another. From this then I also thus argue:
That which is _deceitful above all Things, and desperately wicked_, is not fit, neither can it lead a Man aright in Things that are good and honest.
But the Heart of Man is such:
Therefore, _&c._
[51]But the Apostle _Paul_ describeth the Condition of Men in the Fall at large, taking it out of the _Psalmist_. _There is none righteous, no not one; There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the Way, they are altogether become unprofitable; there is none that doth good, no not one._ [Sidenote: _Man’s Estate in the Fall._]_Their Throat is an open Sepulchre, with their Tongues they have used Deceit, the Poison of Asps is under their Lips: Whose Mouths are full of Cursing and Bitterness. Their Feet are swift to shed Blood; Destruction and Misery are in their Ways: And the Way of Peace have they not known. There is no Fear of God before their Eyes._ What more positive can be spoken? He seemeth to be particularly careful to avoid that any Good should be ascribed to the natural Man; he shews how he is polluted in all his Ways; he shews how he is void of Righteousness, of Understanding, of the Knowledge of God; how he is out of the Way, and in short unprofitable; than which nothing can be more fully said to confirm our Judgment: For if this be the Condition of the natural Man, or of the Man as he stands in the Fall, he is unfit to make one right Step to Heaven.
[51] Rom. 3. 10. Psal. 14. 3. _&_ 53. 2, _&c._
[Sidenote: Object.] If it be said, _That is not spoken of the Condition of Man in general; but only of some Particulars, or at the least that it comprehends not all_;
[Sidenote: _Answ._] The Text sheweth the clear Contrary in the foregoing Verses, where the Apostle takes in himself, as he stood in his natural Condition. _What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise; for we have before proved both _Jews_ and _Gentiles_, that they are all under Sin, as it is written_: And so he goes on; by which it is manifest that he speaks of Mankind in general.
[Sidenote: Object.] If they object that which the same Apostle saith in the foregoing Chapter, Ver. 14. to wit, That _the _Gentiles_ do by Nature the Things contained in the Law, and so consequently do by Nature that which is good and acceptable in the Sight of God_;