of faith,

Deus lo

things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen: which, as the apostle illustrateth it in the same chapter by many examples, is no other but a firm and certain belief of the mind, whereby it resteth, and in a sense possesseth the substance of some things hoped for, through its confidence in the promise of God: and thus the soul hath a most firm evidence, by its faith, of things not yet seen nor come to pass. The object of this faith is the promise, word, or testimony of God, speaking in the mind. Hence it hath been generally affirmed, that the object of faith is Deus loquens, &c. ; that is, God speaking, &c. which The object is also manifest from all those examples deduced by the apostle throughout that whole chapter, whose quens. faith was founded neither upon any outward testimony, nor upon the voice or writing of man, but upon the revelation of God's will, manifest unto them, and in them; as in the example of Noah, ver. 7, thus, By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. What was here the object of Noah's Noah's faith, but God speaking unto him? He had not the faith. writings nor prophesyings of any going before, nor yet the concurrence of any church or people to strengthen him; and yet his faith in the word, by which he contradicted the whole world, saved him and his house. Of which also Abraham is set forth Abraham's as a singular example, being therefore called the faith. Father of the Faithful, who is said against hope to have believed in hope, in that he not only willingly forsook his father's country, not knowing whither he went; in that he believed concerning the coming of Isaac, though contrary to natural probability; but above all, in that he refused not to offer him up, not doubting but God was able to raise him from the dead; of whom it is said, that in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And, last of all, in that he rested in

D

OBJECT.

ANSW.

The minis

try of an

gels speak ing in the

appearance of men to the saints of old.

the promise, that his seed should possess the land wherein he himself was but a pilgrim, and which to them was not to be fulfilled while divers ages after. The object of Abraham's faith in all this was no other but inward and immediate revelation, or God signifying his will unto him inwardly and immediately by his Spirit.

But because, in this part of the proposition, we made also mention of external voices, appearances, and dreams in the alternative, I think also fit to speak hereof, what in that respect may be objected; to wit,

That those who found their faith now upon immediate and objective revelation, ought to have also outward voices or visions, dreams or appearances for it.

It is not denied but God made use of the ministry of angels, who, in the appearance of men, spake outwardly to the saints of old, and that he did also reveal some things to them in dreams and visions; none of which we will affirm to be ceased, so as to limit the power and liberty of God in manifesting himself towards his children. But while we are considering the object of faith, we must not stick to that which is but circumstantially and accidentally so, but to that which is universally and substantially so.

Next again, we must distinguish betwixt that which in itself is subject to doubt and delusion, and therefore is received for and because of another; and that which is not subject to any doubt, but is received simply for and because of itself, as being prima veritas, the very first and original truth. Let us Revelations then consider how or how far these outward voices, and visions. appearances, and dreams were the object of the saints'

by dreams

faith was it because they were simply voices, appearances, or dreams? Nay, certainly; for they were not ignorant that the devil might form a sound of words, convey it to the outward ear, and deceive the outward senses, by making things to appear that are not. Yea, do we not see by daily experience, that the jugglers and mountebanks can do as much as all

that by their legerdemain? God forbid then that the saints' faith should be founded upon so fallacious a foundation as man's outward and fallible senses. What made them then give credit to these visions? Certainly nothing else but the secret testimony of God's Spirit in their hearts, assuring them that the voices, dreams, and visions were of and from God. Abraham believed the angels; but who told him that these men were angels? We must not think his faith then was built upon his outward senses, but proceeded from the secret persuasion of God's Spirit in his heart. This then must needs be acknowledged to be originally and principally the object of the saints' faith, without which there is no true and certain faith, and by which many times faith is begotten and strengthened without any of these outward or visible helps; as we may observe in many passages of the holy scripture, where it is only men tioned, And God said, &c. . And the word of the Lord came unto such and such, saying, &c.

But if any one should pertinaciously affirm, That OBJECT. this did import an outward audible voice to the carnal ear;

the spiri

to the outward.

I would gladly know what other argument such ANSW, a one could bring for this his affirmation, saving his own simple conjecture. It is said indeed, The Spirit The Spirit witnesseth with our spirit; but not to our outward speaks to ears, Rom. viii. 16. And seeing the Spirit of God tual ear, not is within us, and not without us only, it speaks to our spiritual, and not to our bodily ear. Therefore I see no reason, where it is so often said in scripture, The Spirit said, moved, hindered, called such a one to do or forbear such or such a thing, that any have to conclude, that this was not an inward voice to the ear of the soul, rather than an outward voice to the bodily ear. If any be otherwise minded, let them, if they can, produce their arguments, and we may further consider of them.

From all therefore which is above declared, I shall

proved.

deduce an argument to conclude the proof of this assertion, thus:

That which any one firmly believes, as the ground and foundation of his hope in God, and life eternal, is the formal object of his faith.

But the inward and immediate revelation of God's Spirit, speaking in and unto the saints, was by them believed as the ground and foundation of their hope in God, and life eternal.

Therefore these inward and immediate revelations were the formal object of their faith.

Assert. 5 §. IX. That which now cometh under debate is what we asserted in the last place, to wit, That the same continueth to be the object of the saints' faith unto this day. Many will agree to what we have said before, who differ from us herein.

of old the

There is nevertheless a very firm argument, confirming the truth of this assertion, included in the proposition itself, to wit, That the object of the saints' faith is the same in all ages, though held forth under divers administrations; which I shall reduce to an argument, and prove thus:

First, Where the faith is one, the object of the faith is one.

But the faith is one: therefore, &c.

That the faith is one, is the express words of the apostle, Eph. iv. 5, who placeth the one faith with the one God; importing no less than that to affirm two faiths is as absurd as to affirm two gods.

Moreover, if the faith of the ancients were not one and the same with ours, i. e. agreeing in substance therewith, and receiving the same definition, it had The faith been impertinent for the apostle, Heb. xi. to have of the saints illustrated the definition of our faith by the examples same with of that of the ancients, or to go about to move us by the example of Abraham, if Abraham's faith were different in nature from ours. Nor doth any difference arise hence, because they believed in Christ with respect to his appearance outwardly as future,

ours.

and we as already appeared: for neither did they then so believe in him to come, as not to feel him present with them, and witness him near; seeing the apostle saith, They all drank of that spiritual rock which followed them, which rock was Christ; nor do we so believe concerning his appearance past, as not also to feel and know him present with us, and to feed upon him; except Christ (saith the apostle) be in you, ye are reprobates; so that both our faith is one, terminating in one and the same thing. And as to the other part or consequence of the antecedent, to wit, That the object is one where the faith is one, the apostle also proveth it in the forecited chapter, where he makes all the worthies of old examples to us. Now wherein are they imitable, but because they believed in God? And what was the object of their faith, but inward and immediate revelation, as we have before proved? Their example can be no ways applicable to us, except we believe in God, as they did; that is, by the same object. The apostle clears this yet further by his own example, Gal. i. 16, where he saith, So soon as Christ was revealed in him, he consulted not with flesh and blood, but forthwith believed and obeyed. The same apostle, Heb. xiii. 7, 8, where he exhorteth the Hebrews to follow the faith of the elders, adds this reason, Considering the end of their conversation, Jesus Christ, the same to-day, yesterday, and for ever: Hereby notably insinuating, that in the object there is no alteration.

If any now object the diversity of administration; OBJECT. I answer; That altereth not at all the object: for ANSW. the same apostle mentioning this diversity three times, 1 Cor. xii. 4, 5, 6, centreth always in the same object, the same Spirit, the same Lord, the same God.

But further; If the object of faith were not one and the same both to us and to them, then it would follow that we were to know God some other way than by the Spirit.

But this were absurd: Therefore, &c.