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 ...

* 1.1SECT. IV.

ANd thus I have done with this first Argument drawn from the Miracles which prove the Doctrine and VVritings to be of God.* 1.2

But I must satisfie the Scruples of some before I proceed. First, Some will question, whether this be not: 1. To resolve our faith in∣to [ 1] the Testimony of man. 2. And so to make it a Humane faith; And so 3. To jump in this with the Papists,* 1.3 who believe the Scripture for the Authority of the Church, and to argue Circularly in this as they. To this I Answer, First, I make in this Argument the last Resolution of my faith into the e 1.4 Miracles wrought to confirm the Doctrine. If you ask why I believe the Doctrine to be of God? I Answer, because it was confirmed by many undeniable Miracles. If you ask why I believe those Miracles to be from God? I Answer, because no created power can work a Miracle: So that the Testimony of man is not the Reason of my believing, but one∣ly the means by which this matter of Fact is brought down to my Knowledg. Again, Our Faith cannot be said to be Resolved into that which we give in Answer to your last Interrogation, except

your Question be onely still of the proper grounds of Faith: But if you change your Question from, what is the Ground of my Faith? to, what is the f 1.5 means of conveying down the History to me? Then my faith is not Resolved into this means. Yet this means, or some other equivalent, I acknowledg so necessary, that without it, I had never been like to have believed. 2. This shews you also that I argue not in the Popish Circle, nor take my faith on their common Grounds: For First, When you ask them, How know you the Testimony of the Church to be Infallible? They prove it again by Scripture; and ther's their Circle. But as I trust not on the Authority of the Romish Church onely, as they do; no nor properly to the Authority of any Church; no nor onely to the Testimony of the Church, but also to the Testimony of the enemies themselves: So do I prove the validity of the Testimony I bring from Nature, and well known Principles, in Reason, and not from Scripture it self, as you may see before. 3. There is a Humane Testimony which is also di∣vine, and so an Humane Faith which is also divine. Few of Gods extraordinary Revelations have been immediate,; (The * 1.6 best Schoolmen think none of all) but either by Angels or by Jesus himself, who was man as well as God. You will acknowledg if God reveal it to an Angel, and the Angel to Moses, and Moses to Israel, this is a divine Revelation to Israel: For that is called a divine Revelation, which we are certain that God doth any way Reveal. Now I would fain know, why that which God doth naturally and certainly Reveal to all men▪ may not as properly be called a Divine Revelation, as that which he Reveales by the Spirit to a few. Is not this Truth from God [That the Senses apprehension of their Object (rightly stated)s certain] as well as this [Jesus Christ was born of a Virgin, &c.] Though a Saint or Angel be a fitter Messenger to Reveal the things of the Spirit, yet any man may be a Messenger to reveal the things of the flesh. An ungodly man if he have better Eyes and Ears may be a better Messenger or Witness of that matter of Fact, which he seeth and heareth, then a godlier man that is blinde or deaf; especially in cases wherein that ungodly man hath no provocation to speak falsly; and most of all, if his Testimony be against himself. I take that Revelation whereby I know that there was a fight at York, &c. to be of God, though wicked men were the chief

witnesses. For I take it for an undeniable Maxime, That there is no Truth but of God, onely it is derived unto us by va∣rious means.

Notes

• * 1.1

  § 4.
• * 1.2

  Objection a∣gainst this Ar∣gument An∣swered.
• * 1.3

  Answ.
• e 1.4

  Nos fidem quae verbis Dei habetur, etsi non prorsus nasci ex mira∣culis, attamen ex cis confir∣mari possumus cred••re, Pet. Martyr. Loci Commun cap. 8 pag. 38. vid. plura ibidem.
• f 1.5

  Non per alios dispositionem salutis nostrae cognovimus, quam per•• eos per quos Evangelium pervenit ad nos; quod qui∣dem tunc pre∣coniavêrunt, postea verò per Dei volunta∣tem in Scrip∣turis nobis tra∣diderunt, fun∣damentum & columnam fidei nostrae futu∣rum.

  Irenaeus adver. haeres l. 3. c. 1.
• * 1.6

  Aquin. summ. 3. q. 55. 2. c.