tained in it; but of the seal and estimony, which in the Scripture he gives unto it, shewing it to be his own work and word. Such a character have the works of other agents, whereby they. are known and discerned to be theirs. By such properties are the works of men discerned, and oftentimes of individuals amongst them. They bear the likeness of their authors, and are thereby known to be theirs. Neither is it possible that there should be any work of God, proceeding so immediately from him, as do writings by divine inspiration, but there will be such a communication of his Spirit and likeness unto it, such an impression of his greatness, holiness, goodness, truth and majesty upon it, as will manifest it to be from him. The false prophets of old pretended that their dreams, visions, predictions and revelations were from him. They prefixed ), he saith, unto all the declarations of them, Jer. xxiii. 31. and therefore doubttess framed them to as great a likeness unto those that were by inspiration from him as they were able. And yet the Lord declares that all their imaginations were as discernible from his word, as chaff from wheat; and this by that authority and power wherewith his word is accompanied, whereof they were utterly destitute; ver. 28, 29. And this authority do all they who have their senses exercised in it, find and acknowledge in this Epistle, and in it their minds and consciences do acquiesce. They hear and understand the voice of God in it, and by that spirit which is promised unto them, discern it from the voice of a stranger. And when their minds are prepared and fortified against objections, by the former considerations, into this they ultimately resolve their persuasion of its divine authority.

For

§ 33. From this authority, they find a divine efficacy proceeding; a powerful operation upon their souls and consciences, unto all the ends of the Scripture. A reverence and awe of God, from his authority, shining forth and exerting itself in it, being wrought in them, they find their minds effectually brought into captivity unto the obedience taught therein.

"Is

This efficacy and power is in the whole word of God. not my word as a fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the rocks in pieces," Jer. xxiii. 29. that is, living and powerful, and "sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart," Heb. iv. 12. As it hath an ovia, or authority over men, Matth. vii. 29. so it hath a duvas, or powerful efficacy in and towards them, Acts xx. 32. James i. 21. Yea, it is the power of God himself, for its proper end, Rom. i. 16. and therefore said to be accompanied with the demonstration of the Spirit and power, 1 Cor. ii. 4. a demonstration

της λογικής μεθοδους την ψυχην εις συγκατάβασιν έλκουσα, as Basile, drawing the soul to consent beyond the efficacy of rational or logical arguments, or geometrical demonstrations, as he adds in the same place. And this divine power and efficacy of the word, as to all the ends of it, proceeding from the authority of God in it, with his designation of it unto those ends, (which is that which giveth energy unto all things, enabling them to produce their proper effects, and setting limits and bounds to their operation) is testified unto in innumerable places of the Scripture itself. And it doth sufficiently manifest and evidence itself, both in the fruits and effects of it on the souls of particular persons, and in that work which it hath wrought, and doth yet carry on invisibly in the world, in defiance of all the opposition that is made unto it by the power of hell, in conjunction with the unbelief, darkness and lusts of the minds of men, as may elsewhere be more at large declared.

1

A learned man said well; Non monent, non persuadent Sacræ literæ, sed cogunt, agitant, vim inferunt; Legis rudia verba et a, grestia, sed viva, sed animata, flammea, aculeata, ad imum spiritum penetrantia, hominem totum potestate mirabili transformantia: expressing the sum of what we maintain. From hence is all that supernatural light and knowledge, that conviction and restraint, that conversion, faith, consolation and obedience, that are found amongst any of the sons of men. wara reapn, saith Basil b θεοπνευστος και ωφέλιμος, δια τουτο συγγραφεισα παρα του πνευματος εν ὥσπερ εν κοινω των ψυχων παρείω, πανίες ανθρωποι το ίαμα του οικείου παθους έκαστος εκλεγώμεθα. The whole Scripture is divinely inspired and profitable; being written by the Holy Ghost for this purpose, that in it, as a common healing office for souls, all men may choose the medicine suited to cure their own distempers. Such is the nature, power, and efficacy of this epistle towards them that do believe. It searches their hearts, discovers their thoughts, fixes principles in their consciences, judges their acts inward and outward, supports their spirits, comforts their souls, enlightens their minds, guides them in their hope, confidence, and love to God, directs them in all their communion with him, and obedience unto him, and leads them to an enjoyment of him. And this work of the Holy Ghost in it, and by it, seals its divine authority unto them, so that they find rest, spiritual satisfaction, and great assurance therein. When once they have obtained this experience of its divine power, it is in vain for men or devils to oppose its canonical authority with their frivolous cavils and objections. Neither is this experience merely satisfactory to themselves alone, as is by some pretend

z Basil, in Psal. 115. a Picus Mirand. Epist. ad Hermol. Barbar. Basil. in Psalm. 1.

ed. It is a thing pleadable, and that not only in their own defence to strengthen their faith against temptations, but to others also; though not to atheistical scoffers, yet to humble inquirers; and humility ought to be the frame of all men in the investigation of sacred truths.

$34. Unto what hath been spoken, we may add, that the canonical authority of this Epistle is confirmed unto us by catholic tradition. By this tradition I intend not the testimony only of the present church that is in the world, nor fancy a trust of a power to declare what is so in any church whatever; but a general uninterrupted fame conveyed and confirmed by particular instances, records, and testimonies, in all ages. In any other sense, traditions are of very little value, as we may learn from the instance of him who first began to magnify them. This was Papias, a contemporary of Policarp, in the very next age after the apostles. Tradition of what was done, or said by Christ, or the apostles, and what expositions they gave, he professed to set a very high value upon, equal to, if not above the Scripture. And two things are considerable in his search after these traditions.

First, That he did not think that there was any church appointed to be the preserver and declarer of apostolical traditions, but made his enquiry of all the individual ancient men that he could meet with, who had conversed with any of the apostles.

Secondly, That by all his pains, he gathered together a raphsody of incredible stories, fables, errors and useless curiosities. Such issue will the endeavours of men have, who forsake the stable word of prophecy, to follow rumours and reports, under the specious name of traditions. But this catholic fame whereof we speak, confirmed by particular records in all ages, testifying unto a matter of fact, is of great importance. And how clearly this may be pleaded in our present case, shall be manifested in our investigation of the penman of this Epistle.

And thus I hope, we have made it evident, that this Epistle is not destitute of any one of those rinungia, or infallible proofs and arguments, whereby any particular book of the Scripture evinceth itself unto the consciences of men to be written by inspiration from God. It remaineth now to shew, that it is not liable unto any of those exceptions, or arguments, whereby any book, or writing pretending a claim to a divine original, and to canonical authority thereupon, may be convicted, and manifested to be of other extract; whereby its just privilege will be on both sides secured.

$35. The first consideration of this nature is taken from the author or penman of any such writing. The books of the Ol

c Euseb. Eccles. Hist. 1. 3. c. ult.

Testament were all of them written by prophets or holy men inspired of God. Hence St Peter calls the whole of it, gopl prophecy, 2 Pet. i. 21.; prophecy delivered by men, acted or moved therein by the Holy Ghost. And though there be a distribution made of the several books of it from the subject-mat..ter, into the law, prophets and Psalms, Luke xxiv. 44. and often into the law and prophets on the same account, as Acts xxiv. 14. xxvi. 22. yet their penmen being all equally prophets, the whole in general is ascribed unto them and called prophecy, Rom. i. 2. xvi. 26. Luke xxiv. 25. 2 Pet. i. 19. So were the books of the New Testament written by apostles, or men endowed with an apostolical spirit, and in their work equally inspired by the Holy Ghost; whence the church is said to be "built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles, Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone," Eph. ii. 20. If then the author of any writing acknowledgeth himself, or may otherwise be proved to have been neither prophet nor apostle, nor endued with the same infallible spirit with them, his work, how excellent soever otherwise it may appear, must needs be esteemed a mere fruit of his own skill, diligence and wisdom, and not any way to belong unto the canon of the Scripture. This is the condition, for instance, of the second book of Maccabees. In the close of it, the author being doubtful what acceptance his endeavours and manner of writing would find amongst his readers, makes his excuse; and affirms, that he did his utmost to please them in his style and composition of his words. So he tells us before, Chap. ii. 24. that he did but epitomize the history of Jason the Cyrenean, wherein he took great pains and labour. In the course of his work the author commends Judas Maccabæus for offering sacrifices for the dead, (which indeed Judas did not, but for the living) no where appointed in the law; and affirms that Jeremiah hid the holy fire, ark, tabernacle and altar of incense in a cave. He affirms that Antiochus was killed at Nanea in Persia, Chap. i. 16. and that the same person died in the mountains of torments in his bowels, as he was coming to Judea, Chap. 9. while the first book affirms that he died of sorrow at Babylon, Chap. vi. 16. He affirms, that Judas wrote letters to Aristobulus in the one hundred and eighty eighth year of the Seleucian empire, (who was slain in the one hundred fifty second year of it, Lib. i. Chap. i. 3.) that is thirty six years after his death; with many other such mistakes and falsehoods. This author then had no great need to inform us, that he had no special divine assistance in his writing, but leaned unto his own understanding. But yet this he doth, as we shewed, and that openly; for the Holy Ghost will not be an epitomater of a profane writing, as he professeth himself to have been; nor make excuses for his weakness, nor declare his pains

f

and sweat in his work, as he doth. And yet to that pass are things brought in the world by custom, prejudice, love of repu tation, and scorn to be esteemed mistaken in any thing, that many earnestly contend, that this book was written by divine inspiration, when the author of it himself openly professeth it to have been of another extract. For although this book be not only rejected out of the canon, by the council of Laodicea, Hierome and others of the ancients, but by Gregory the great bishop of Rome himself; yet the church of Rome would now by force thrust it thereinto. But were the author himself alive again, I am so well persuaded of his ingenuity and honesty, from the conclusion of his story, that they would never be able to make him say, that he wrote by divine inspiration; and little reason then have we to believe it. Now this epistle is free from this exception. The penman of it doth no where intimate, directly or indirectly, that he wrote in his own strength, or by his own ability; which yet if he had done, in an argument of that nature which he insisted on, it had been incumbent on him to have declared it, that he might not lead the church into a pernicious error, in embracing that, as given by inspiration from God, which was but a fruit of his diligence and fallible endea vours. But on the contrary, he speaks as in the name of God, referring unto him, all that he delivers; nor can he in any minute instance, be convicted to have wanted his assistance.

§36. Circumstances of the general argument of a book, may also prove it to be of a human or fallible original. This they do for instance, in the book of Judith. For such a Nebuchadonosor, as should reign in Nineve, Chap. i. 1. and make war with Arphaxad king of Ecbatane, ver. 13. whose captains and officers should know nothing at all of the nation of the Jews, Chap. v. 3. that waged war against them in the days of Joakim, or as other copies Eliakim the high priest, Ch. iv. 5. after whose defeat, the Jews should have peace for eighty years at the least, Ch. xvi. 28. 30. is an imagination of that which never had subsistence in rerum natura; but is a representation of what Jewish woman ought, as the author of it conceived, to undertake for the good of her country. Setting aside the consideration of all other discoveries of the fallibility of the whole discourse, this alone is sufficient to impeach its reputation.

Our Epistle is no way obnoxious unto any exception of this nature. Yea, the state of things in the churches of God, and among the Hebrews in particular, did at that time administer so just and full occasion unto a writing of this kind, as gives. countenance unto its ascription unto the wisdom and care of the Holy Ghost. For if the eruption of the poisonous brood of he d Synod. Laod. cap. 59. e Hieron. Cat. Viror. illust. in Joseph. Gregor. Mor. lib. 19. cap. 16.