Section 7.

AGain, that the Doctrine is the most perfect Rule, being compared with the new Creature or work of Sanctification, is evident, because so far a Man is said to be the more sanctified and redeemed, the more that his Faith, Love, Hope, Humility, Pa∣tience, Temperance, Justice, and other Virtues, comes up to a Conformity to the precepts of God and Christ faithfully de∣clared to us in the Holy Scriptures. And notwithstanding the high pretentions of some among the People called Quakers to perfection, yet I appeal to W.P's Consci∣ence, if he can or dare say, or think, that his Sanctity, or Virtues come up to a full Conformity to the Holy precepts delivered in the Holy Scripture. Is his Faith as great, as the Doctrine given us in the Holy Scrip∣ture requires it to be? Is his Love as per∣fect Page  47 perfect and compleat? Is his Meekness, Pati∣ence and Humility, Justice, Temperance and Piety equal to the heighth, breadth, depth, and length of all God's Commands, even as outwardly delivered in the Holy Scriptures; I trust he hath so much discretion as to say nay; then let him not exalt his Sanctity, or Work of the New Creature wrought in him, above the Sanctity of the Holy Do∣ctrine, and precepts of God and Christ con∣tained in the Holy Scripture, making his Sanctity, or New Creature in him, superior or primary Rule to the Doctrine; but let the Doctrine have its due place, to be a superior and primary Rule, to his Sanctity, or work of the New Creature wrought in him; let his Faith and Love, and other Virtues (if he hath them) be Ruled by the Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures, and sub∣jected thereunto, but let not the Doctrine be subjected unto his Faith and Virtues, which are far inferior to the Purity, Spirituality and Holiness of the Doctrine. But if he will say, the New Creature in him, is the greatest, and highest, and most perfect Rule, whereby to square his Faith and Life, it followeth that he is arrived at the highest pitch of Holiness, for what can be beyond, or above the highest and most perfect Rule of Sanctity? But again, the greatest Sancti∣ty (that is possible) of Men, or Angels, Page  48 simply considered, could not have given the knowledge of Christ's Incarnation, and of our Redemption by him, without a divine Revelation; therefore the Sanctity or New Creature in the Holiest of Men, could not be to them a Rule of Faith, as touching these Mysteries. If he will say, there is a higher and more perfect Rule of Sanctity, than the New Creature wrought in him, let him tell us what it is, if not the Do∣ctrine delivered in the Holy Scriptures, the Laws, Precepts and Commandments deli∣vered there. If he say the Light within, or Christ and the Spirit within, is that high∣est and most perfect Rule of Sanctity. To this I answer, The Spirit, or Light within, ab∣stractly considered, cannot be properly a Rule; I say abstractly considered from the Doctrines and Precepts delivered by the Spirit, whither internally, without any external Medium, or externally by some ex∣ternal Meidum. Nothing properly can be a Rule of Christian Faith, as in respect of the peculiar Doctrines of the Christian Religion, but that Doctrine which sets before our Minds, certain propositions of Truth, to which the Mind can and ought to assent from sufficient Motives of Credibility, which W.P. from his own definition of Faith must al∣low. For he defines Faith (Page 4.) to be an assent of the Mind in such manner to the Page  49 discoveries made of God thereto, as to resign up to God, and have dependance on him, as the great Creator and Saviour of his People. [Where Note that he wholly passeth by, Christ Considered, as God-Man, from being concerned in the object of Faith, and so his Faith is no other, but the Faith of a meer Deist.] Now seeing he defines Faith to be an as∣sent of the Mind, to certain discoveries made of God thereto, &c. These discoveries must be certain propositions set before the Mind, in some form of Words mentally conceived and apprehended; for the Nature of the Mind, or intellect of Man is such, that it cannot Judge what is true or false, but as the truth is set before it in certain proposi∣tions consistng of Words, at least inter∣nally conceived and apprehended; for the assent of the Mind, is a Judgment of the Mind formed, whereby it Judgeth this or that to be true; and if it be a true Judgment, it must have some proposition consisting of words, concerning which it is enabled ei∣ther to affirm or deny what is really true; as the Mind cannot assent to this great truth, that God is not a Body, but by a negative proposition consisting of some words, which is a negative Judgment; nor can it assent to this other proposition, that God is a Spirit, but by an affirmative proposition, consist∣ing of some words, at least Internally con∣ceived, Page  50 [called by some Idea's] which is an affirmative Judgment; and therefore so far as Faith is an act of the intellect, and an assent of the Mind, it must needs have some Words, at least inter∣nally proposed to it, whereby it is capa∣ble to give an assent to the Truth of what it Judgeth; and seeing in matters purely of Faith, the Mind is not capable of giving an assent to the truth of them, with∣out some sufficient motives of Credibility, as that they are given of God, who is a God of Truth, and cannot lye nor deceive. From these Considerations it is evident, that as there can be no assent of the Mind or intel∣lect without words, or Idea's, so there can be no Faith without them, and consequent∣ly that the Rule of Faith must be certain pro∣positions consisting of words and sentences, such as God delivered to the Prophets, and which are recorded in Scriptures, such are, That the Word was made Flesh, that a Virgin should Conceive and Bare a Son, and that Son should be the Saviour of the World; that by his Death he should reconcile us unto God; That he should rise again from the Dead, on the Third Day, and ascend into Heaven; and that he should there remain, appearing in the presence of God for us, our mighty Advocate and Intercessor until he come again, to Judge the Quick and the Dead, &c. How can the Mind of Man Page  51 assent to these great Truths, without words, at least Internally conceived; if he cannot, as every intelligent Person must acknowledge, then those very words, as they lye in a cer∣tain series and order of propositions, are the Rule of his Faith. But seeing these words have no self-evidence, but the evidence of the truth of them depends on the veracity of God, the Original Author of them; the next thing to be enquired into is, what is the great and most principal motive of Cre∣dibility to move, and effectually perswade the Mind, that they are the Words of God; surely he who believes that there is a God, cannot but assent to this proposition, that whatever God hath said is true, that all the Words of God are Words of truth, it hath as immediate evidence to him, that has the least true knowledge of God, as that the whole is greater than the part. That then which is only requisite to move the Mind of Man to assent to any words delivered to us, as the words of God, is to have a sufficient motive of Credibility given us, why we should believe them to be indeed the words of God. That the Prophets and Apostles knew, that all the words they delivered to Men, as the words of God, were infallibly the words of God, is generally granted by all that own the Truth of Divine Revelati∣on, the manner of their Conveyance to their Page  52 Understanding, being with such a Divine Power, Majesty and Glory, and making such a Divine Impression on them, as infalli∣bly assured them; and this many times without all Miracles proposed to their out∣ward Senses.