wrought. By virtue of this Human Faith it is that we doubt not at all of those things which we never faw, by reason of their distance from us, either by time or place. Who doubts whether there be fuch a country as Italy, or fuch a city as Conftantinople, though he never pailed any of our four feas? Who queftions now whether there were fuch a man as Alexander in the eaft, or Cæfar in the weft? and yet the latest of these hath been beyond the poffibility of the knowledge of man these fixteen hundred years. There is no fcience taught without original belief, there are no letters learnt without preceding faith (i). There is no juftice executed, no commerce maintained, no business profecuted without this; (j) all fecular affairs are tranfacted, all great atchievements are attempted, all hopes, defires and inclinations are preferved by this Human Faith grounded upon the teftimony of Man.

In which case we all by eafy experience may obferve the nature, generation and progrefs of Belief. For in any thing which belongeth to more than ordinary knowledge, we believe not him whom we think to be ignorant, nor do we affent the more for his affertion, though never fo confidently delivered: but if we have a ftrong opinion of the knowledge and fkill of any perfon, what he affirmeth within the compafs of his knowledge, that we readily affent unto; and while we have no other ground but his affirmation, this Affent is properly Belief. Whereas, if it be any matter of concernment in which the intereft of him that relateth or affirmeth any thing to us is confiderable, there it is not the fkill or knowledge of the Relater which will fatisfy us, except we have as ftrong an opinion of his fidelity and integrity: but if we think him fo juft and honeft, that he hath no defign upon us, nor will affirm any thing contrary to his knowledge for any gain or advantage, then we readily affent unto his affirmations; and this Affent is our Belief. Seeing

then

then our Belief relies upon the ability and integrity of the Relater, and being the knowledge of all men is imperfect, and the hearts of all men are deceitful, and fo their integrity to be fufpected, there can be no infallible univerfal ground of Human Faith.

But what fatisfaction we cannot find in the teftimony of Man, we may receive in the teftimony of God. (k) If we receive the witness of Men, the witness John v. 9. of God is greater. Yea, let God be true, the ground of Rom. iii. 4. our Divine, and every man a liar, the ground of our

Human Faith.

་་

As for the other member of the divifion, we may now plainly perceive that it is thus to be defined; Divine Faith is an Affent unto fomething as credible upon the teftimony of God. This Affent is the higheft kind of Faith, because the object hath the highest credibility, becaufe grounded upon the teftimony of God, which is infallible. Balaam could tell Balak thus much, God is not a Man, that he should Num. xxiii. lye; and a better Prophet confirmed the fame truth 19 to Saul, The firength of Ifrael will not lye; and because I Sam. xv. he will not, because he cannot, he is the strength 29.

of Ifrael, even my God, my ftrength, in whom I will Pfal. xviii. truft.

2.

יהוה :

LXX. Osos

Heb.

For firft, God is of infinite knowledge and wifdom, as Hannah hath taught us, The Lord is a God 1 Sam. ii, 3. of knowledge, or rather, if our language will bear it, of knowledges, which are fo plural, or rather infinite in their plurality, that the Pfalmift hath faid, Of yvúcεwv KúHe knoweth Pfal. cxlvii. bis understanding there is no number. therefore all things, neither can any truth be hid 5: In the from his knowledge, who is effentially truth, and an effentially knowledge, and, as fo, the cause of all: other truth and knowledge. Thus the underftanding of God is infinite in refpect of (1) comprehenfion, and not fo only, but of certainty alfo and evidence. Some things we are faid to know which are but obfcurely known, we fee them but as in a glafs or through a cloud: but God is light, and in 1 John i. 5.

לתבונתו

אין מספר:

him is no darkness at all: he feeth without any obfcurity, and whatsoever is propounded to his underHeb. iv. 13. standing is most clear and evident; neither is there any creature that is not manifeft in his fight; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Wherefore being all things are within the compafs of his knowledge, being all things which are fo, are most clear and evident unto him, being the knowledge he hath of them is most certain and infallible, it inevitably followeth that he cannot be deceived in any thing.

4.

Secondly, The juftice of God is equal to his knowledge, nor is his holinefs inferior to his wif Deut. xxxii. dom: A God of truth, faith Mofes, and without iniquity, juft and right is he. From which internal, effential and infinite rectitude, goodness and holinefs, followeth an impoffibility to declare or deliver that for truth which he knoweth not to be true.. For if it be against that finite purity and integrity which is required of Man, to lye, and therefore finful, then must we conceive it abfolutely inconfiftent with that tranfcendant purity and infinite integrity which is effential unto God. Although therefore the power of God be infinite, though he can do all things; yet we may fafely fay, without any (m) prejudice to his omnipotency, that he (n) cannot fpeak that for truth which he knoweth to be otherwife. For the perfections of his will are as neceffarily infinite as thofe of his understanding; neither can he be unholy or unjust more than he can be ig2 Tim. ii. norant or unwife. If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself. Which words of the Apostle, though properly belonging to the promises of God, yet are as true in refpect of his affertions neither should he more deny himself in violating his fidelity, than in contradicting his veracity. It is Heb. vi. 17, true, that God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promife the immutability of his counfel, confirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things, in

13.

18.

which it was impoffible for God to lye, we might have a ftrong confolation: but it is as true, that all this confirmation is only for our confolation; otherwise it is as impoffible for God to lye, without an oath, as with one; for being he can fwear by no greater, Heb. vi. 13. he fweareth only by himself, and fo the ftrength even of the oath of God relieth upon the veracity of God. Wherefore being God, as God, is of infinite rectitude, goodness and holiness, being it is manifeftly repugnant to his purity, and inconfiftent with his integrity, to deliver any thing contrary to his knowledge, it clearly followeth that he cannot deceive any man.

It is therefore moft infallibly certain, that God being infinitely wife, cannot (o) be deceived; being infinitely good, cannot (p) deceive: and upon thefe two immovable pillars ftandeth the authority of the teftimony of God. For fince we cannot doubt of the witness of any one, but by questioning his ability, as one who may be ignorant of that which he affirmeth, and fo deceived; or by excepting against his integrity, as one who may affirm that which he knoweth to be falfe, and fo have a purpose to deceive us where there is no place for either of these exceptions, there can be no doubt of the truth of the teftimony. But where there is an intrinfical (q) repugnancy of being deceived in the underftanding, and of deceiving in the will, as there certainly is in the understanding and will of God, there can be no place for either of thofe exceptions, and confequently there can be no doubt of the truth of that which God teftifieth. And whofoever thinketh any thing comes from him, and affenteth not unto it, muft neceffarily deny him to be wife or holy : He that believeth not God, faith the Apoftle, bath made 1 John v. bim a liar. That truth then which is teftified by 10. God, hath a divine credibility: and an affent unto it as fo credible, is Divine Faith. In which the material object is the doctrine which God deliver

eth,

eth, the formal object is that credibility founded on the (r) authority of the deliverer. And this I conceive the true nature of Divine Faith in general.

Now being the credibility of all which we believe is founded upon the teftimony of God, we can never be fufficiently inftructed in the notion of Faith, till we first understand how this teftimony is given to those truths which we now believe. To this end it will be neceffary to give notice that the testimony of God is not given unto truths before queftioned or debated; nor are they fuch things as are first propounded and doubted of by Man, and then refolved and confirmed by interpofing the authority. of God: but he is then faid to witness when he doth propound, and his teftimony is given by way of Revelation, which is nothing else but the delivery or fpeech of God unto his creatures. And therefore upon a diverfity of delivery muft follow a difference, though not of Faith itself, yet of the means and manner of Affent.

A me

Wherefore it will be farther neceffary to obferve, that Divine Revelation is of two kinds, either immediate, or mediate. An immediate Revelation is that by which God delivereth himself to man by himself, without the intervention of man. diate Revelation is the conveyance of the counsel of God unto man by man. By the firft he spake unto the Prophets; by the fecond in the Prophets, and by them unto us. Being then there is this difference between the revealing of God unto the Prophets and to others, being the Faith both of Prophets, and others, relieth wholly upon Divine Revelation, the (s) difference of the manner of Affent in these. feveral kinds of Believers will be very obfervable for the explanation of the nature of our Faith.

Those then to whom God did immediately fpeak, himself, or by an Angel reprefenting God, and fo being in his stead, and bearing his name (of which I shall need here to make no distinction), thofe Perfons,