otherwife minded, let them, if they can, produce their arguments, and we may further confider of them.

From all therefore which is above declared, I fhall deduce an argument to conclude the proof of this affertion, 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, fpeaking in and unto the faints, 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.

§. IX. That which now cometh under debate, is Affert. 5. what we afferted in the laft place, to wit, That the proved. fame continueth to be the object of the faints faith unto this day. Many will agree to what we have faid before, who differ from us herein.

There is nevertheless a very firm argument, confirming the truth of this affertion, included in the propofition itself, to wit, That the object of the faints faith is the fame in all ages, though held forth under divers adminiftrations; which I fhall 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 exprefs words of the apoftle, Eph. iv. 5. who placeth the one faith with the one God; importing no lefs, than that to affirm two faiths is as abfurd as to affirm two gods.

Moreover, if the faith of the ancients were not one and the fame with ours, i. e. agreeing in fubftance therewith, and receiving the fame definition, it had been impertinent for the apoftle, Heb. xi. to have The faith illuftrated the definition of our faith by the ex- of the faints amples of that of the ancients, or to go about to fame with

D 2

of old the

move ours.

move us by the example of Abraham, if Abraham's
faith were different in nature from ours. Nor doth
any difference arife hence, because they believed in
Chrift with refpect to his appearance outwardly as
future, and we as already appeared; for neither
did they then fo believe in him to come, as not to
feel him prefent with them, and witness him near;
feeing the apostle faith, They all drank of that fpiri-
tual rock which followed them, which rock was Chrift;
nor do we fo believe concerning his appearance
paft, as not alfo to feel and know him prefent with
us, and to feed upon him; except Chrift (faith the
apoftle) be in you, ye are reprobates; fo that both
our faith is one, terminating in one and the fame
thing. And as to the other part or confequence of
the antecedent, to wit, That the object is one where
the faith is one, the apoftle alfo proveth it in the
fore-cited chapter, where he makes all the worthies
of old examples to us.
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 fame object. The apoftle clears this yet fur-
ther by his own example, Gal. i. 16. where he faith,
So foon as Chrift was revealed in him, he confulted
not with flesh and blood, but forthwith believed and
obeyed. The fame apoftle, Heb. xiii. 7, 8. where
he exhorteth the Hebrews to follow the faith of the
elders, adds this reafon, Confidering the end of their
converfation, Jefus Chrift, the fame to-day, yesterday,
and for ever: Hereby notably infinuating, that in
the object there is no alteration.

If any now object the diverfity of administration;
I answer; That altereth not at all the object: for
the fame apoftle mentioning this diverfity three
times, I Cor. xii. 4, 5, 6. centereth always in the fame
object; the fame Spirit, the fame Lord, the fame God.

But

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

But this were abfurd: Therefore, &c.

Laftly, This is moft firmly proved from a common and received maxim of the fchool-men, to wit, Omnis actus fpecificatur ab objecto, Every act is specified from its object: from which, if it be true, as they acknowledge, (though for the fake of many I fhall not recur to this argument, as being too nice and fcholaftick, neither lay I much ftrefs upon those kind of things, as being that which commends not the fimplicity of the gospel) it would follow, that if the object were different, then the faith would be different alfo.

Such as deny this propofition now-a-days use here a diftinction; granting that God is to be known by his Spirit, but again denying that it is immediate or inward, but in and by the scriptures; in which the mind of the Spirit (as they fay) being fully and amply expreffed, we are thereby to know God, and be led in all things.

As to the negative of this affertion, That the fcriptures are not fufficient, neither were ever appointed to be the adequate and only rule, nor yet can guide or direct a Chriftian in all thofe things that are needful for him to know, we fhall leave that to the next propofition to be examined. What is proper in this place, to be proved is, That Chriftians now are to be led inwardly and immediately by the Spirit of God, even in the fame manner (though it befall not many to be led in the fame measure) as the faints were of old.

Christians are now to

§. X. I fhall prove this by divers arguments, and first from the promife of Chrift in these words, be led by the John xiv. 16. And I will pray the Father, and he will Spirit,in the give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you ner as the for ever. Ver. 17. Even the Spirit of truth, whom d old.

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the

fame man

faints of

Query 1.

Comforter?

the world cannot receive, because it feeth bim not, nei-
ther knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth
with you, and fall be in you. Again, ver. 26. But the
Comforter, which is the Holy Ghoft, whom the Father
will fend in my name, he shall teach you all things, and
bring all things to your remembrance. And xvi. 13. But
when the Spirit of truth fhall come, be fhall lead you
into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but
whatsoever he shall bear he shall speak, and shall de-
clare unto you things to come.
We have here first,
who this is, and that is divers ways expreffed, to
wit, The Comforter, the Spirit of truth, the Holy
Ghoft, the fent of the Father in the name of Chrift.
And hereby is fufficiently proved the fottifhness
of thofe Socinians, and other carnal Chriftians, who
neither know nor acknowledge any internal Spirit
or power but that which is merely natural; by
which they fufficiently declare themfelves to be of
the world, who cannot receive the Spirit, because
they neither fee him nor know him. Secondly,
Where this Spirit is to be. He dwelleth with you,
and fhall be in you. And Thirdly, What his work
is, He fhall teach you all things, and bring all things
to your remembrance, and guide you into all truth,
ὁδηγήσει ὑμας εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν ἀληθειαν.

As to the First, Moft do acknowledge that there Who is this is nothing elfe understood than what the plain words fignify; which is alfo evident by many other places of fcripture that will hereafter occur; neither do I fee how fuch as affirm otherways can avoid blafphemy: for, if the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, and Spirit of truth, be all one with the fcriptures, then it will follow that the fcriptures are God, feeing it is true that the Holy Ghoft is God. No fenfical If thefe mens reafoning might take place, whereces from the ever the Spirit is mentioned in relation to the Socinians faints, thereby might be truly and properly underfcriptures ftood the fcriptures; which, what a nonfenfical monfter it would make of the Chriftian religion,

confequen

belief of the

being the Spirit.

will eafily appear to all men.

As where it is faid,

A manifeftation of the Spirit is given to every man
to profit withal; it might be rendered thus, A ma-
nifeftation of the fcriptures is given to every man
to profit withal; what notable fenfe this would
make, and what a curious interpretation, let us
confider by the fequel of the fame chapter, 1 Cor.
xii. 9, 10, 11. To another the gifts of healing, by
the fame Spirit; to another the working of miracles,
&c. But all these worketh that one and the felf-fame
Spirit, dividing to every man feverally as he will.
What would now these great mafters of reason,
the Socinians, judge, if we should place the fcriptures
here instead of the Spirit? Would it anfwer their
reason, which is the great guide of their faith?
Would it be good and found reafon in their logical
Schools, to affirm that the fcripture divideth feve-
rally as it will, and giveth to fome the gift of beal-
ing, to others the working of miracles? If then this
Spirit, a manifeftation whereof is given to every
man to profit withal, be no other than that Spirit
of truth before-mentioned which guideth into all
truth, this Spirit of truth cannot be the fcripture.
I could infer an hundred more abfurdities of this
kind upon this fottifh opinion, but what is faid
For even fome of themfelves, being
may fuffice.
at times forgetful or afhamed of their own doc-
trine, do acknowledge that the spirit of God is
another thing, and distinct from the fcriptures, to
guide and influence the faints.

Where is his

place?

Secondly, That this Spirit is inward, in my Query 2. opinion needs no interpretation or commentary. He dwelleth with you, and fhall be in you. This indwelling of the Spirit in the faints, as it is a thing most needful to be known and believed, fo is it as pofitively afferted in the fcripture as any thing else can be. If fo be that the Spirit of God dwell in you, faith the apostle to the Romans, chap. viii. 9. And again, Know ye not that your body is the temple of the D 4

Holy