The saints everlasting rest, or, A treatise of the blessed state of the saints in their enjoyment of God in glory wherein is shewed its excellency and certainty, the misery of those that lose it, the way to attain it, and assurance of it, and how to live in the continual delightful forecasts of it and now published by Richard Baxter ...

SECT. IIII.* 1.1

HAving thus shewed you in what sense the Scrip∣tures are the word of God, and how far to be believed, and what is the excellency, necessity and authority of them;* 1.2 I shall now adde three or four Arguments to help your Faith, which I hope will not onely prove them to be Divine Testimony to the substance of Doctrine (though that be a usefull work against our unbelief) but also that they are the very written Laws of God, and a perfect Rule of Faith and duty. My Arguments shall be but few, because I handle it but on the by; and those such as I finde little of in others writings, least I should wast time in doing what is done to my hands.

1. Those writings and that Doctrine which were confirmed by many & real * 1.3 Miracles, must needs be of God, and consequently,

of undoubted Truth! But the books and Doctrine of Canonicall Scripture were so confirmed: Therefore, &c.

Against the major proposition nothing of any moment can be said: For its a Truth apparent enough to nature, that none but God can work real Miracles, or at least none but those whom he doth especially enable thereto. And it is as manifest, that the Righteous and Faithfull God will not give this power for a seal to any falshood or deceit.

The usuall Objections are these. First, Antichrist shall come with lying wonders.

Answ. They are no true * 1.4 Miracles. As they are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 2 Thess. 2.9▪ lying, in sealing to a lying doctrine: so also in be∣ing but seeming and counterfeit Miracles. The like may be said to those of Pharaohs Magicians, and all other Sorcerers and Witches, and those that may be wrought by Satan himself. They may be wonders, but not Miracles.

Object. 2. God may enable false Prophets to work Miracles to try the world, without any derogation to his Faithfulness.

Answ. No: for Divine power being properly the attendant of Divine Revelation, if it should be annexed to Diabolicall delu¦sions, it would be a sufficient excuse to the world for their be∣lieving those delusions. And if Miracles should not be a sufficient seal to prove the Authority of the witness to be Divine, then is there nothing in the world sufficient; and so our Faith will be quite overthrown.

Object. But however, Miracles will no more prove Christ to be the Son of God, then they will prove Moses, Elias, or Elisha to be the Son of God: for they wrought Miracles as well as Christ.

Answ. Miracles are Gods seal, not to extoll the person that is instrumentall, nor for his glory: but to extoll God, and for his own Glory. God doth not entrust any creature with this seal so absolutely, as that they may use it when and in what case they please. If Moses or Elias had affirmed themselves to be the sons of God, they could never have confirmed that affirmati∣on with a Miracle: for God would not have sealed to a lye. Christs power of working Miracles did not immediatly prove him to be the Christ. But it immediately proved his Testimony to be Divine, and that Testimony spoke his nature and office. So that the power of Miracles in the Prophets and Apostles, was not to

a••••est to their own greatness, but to the truth of their Testimony con••••rning Christ. Whatsoever any man affirmes to me, and works a real Miracle to confirme it, I must needs take my self bound 〈◊〉〈◊〉 believe him.

Object. But what if some one should work miracles to confirme a Doctrine contrary to Scripture? Would you believe it? Doth not Paul say, if an Angel from Heaven teach any other Gospel, let him be accursed?

Answ. I am sure God will never give any false teacher the power of confirming his Doctrine by Miracles: else God should subscribe his name to contradictions. The appearance of an Angel is no Miracle, though a wonder.

Secondly, But the maine assault I know will be made, against the Minor proposition of the Argument, and so the question will be de facto, whether ever such Miracles were wrought or no? I shall grant that we must not here argue circularly, to prove the Doctrine to be of God by the miracles, and then the miracles to have been wrought by the Divine Testimony of the Doctrine, and so round. But yet to use the Testimony of the History of Scripture, as a humane Testimony of the matter of fact, is no cir∣cular arguing.

Notes

• * 1.1

  § 1.
• * 1.2

  2 Tim. 3.16.
• * 1.3

  Donum Mi∣raculorum & linguarum dandarum fuisse & extraordinarium, et a solis Apostolis (peculiari privelegio dato a Christo) conferri solitum certo certius est. Danaeus contr. Bellar. de Baptismo. pag. 443.
• * 1.4

  F••erunt mi∣racula ut 〈◊〉〈◊〉 atque praecones qui∣b••s Evangeli∣um commanda∣b••t••••. V••••∣nim L••x Mosis comp••uribus miraculis in monte Sina & per desertum authoritatem sibi conciliavit. quae pos••ea de∣stiterunt cum ad terram pro∣missionis ven∣tum est; eâdem ratione mira∣cula nunc quo∣que sublata sunt, cum E∣va••gelium per universum or∣bem diffusum est. Promissio igitur quam Christus in Marco. 16 17. scribi voluit, non ad omnia tem∣pora pertinebat. Pet. Mart. Loc. Com∣mun. Class. 1. cap. 8. §. 20.