inexcufable; and the Blafpheming Volume of the Spirit, whereby they faw fuch XII. Miracles to be wrought, was the fin against the Holy Ghost.

(2.) If we have the credible report of Eye-witneffes of thofe Miracles, who are credible Perfons, and we have no reason to doubt of their Testimony; that is, if we have the Reports of them immediately from the mouth of those who were Eye-witneffes of them. That this lays likewife an obligation on men to believe, appears by our Saviour's reproof of Thomas, who would not believe except he himself faw: but most exprefly from that Text, Mark 16. 14. He upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had feen him after he was rifen.

(3.) If the credible report of Eyewitnesses concerning fuch Miracles be conveyed to us in fuch a manner, and with fo much evidence, as we have no reafon to doubt of it. For why fhould we not believe a credible Report conveyed to us in fuch a manner, as we have no reason to question, but that it hath been faithfully conveyed and transmitted to us? St. John

thought

ye

Sermon

thought this to be Affurance fufficient to induce belief, John 20. 31. But these things were written, that IV. might believe, &c. And this is that Affurance which we, who live at this distance from the Age of Christ and his Apostles, have of the Miracles wrought in confirmation of the Gospel. I fhall have occafion to enlarge upon these Heads hereafter.

3. What affurance Miracles give us, that the Scriptures are a Divine Revelation. And this contains four diftinct Questions in it.

1. What affurance we have from hence, that the Doctrine contained in the Scripture is from God? To which the Anfwer is eafie; Because these Miracles were wrought for the confirmation of this Doctrine.

2. The Question is, What Affurance the Miracles give us, that those perfons who are faid to be the Pen-men of the feveral Books of Scripture, were really fo? To this I Anfwer; None at all: for I do not know of any Miracle that was wrought to prove Mofes wrote the Pentateuch, or that St. Matthew wrote the Gospel which goes under his Name. But if the Question be, How then am I affured of this?

XII.

Volume I Answer, By credible and uncontroul'd Report. It bears his Name, and hath always been received for his: and if this will not fatisfie, I cannot prove it farther, it is too late now to prove it by any other Argument. St. Matthew is dead, and thofe who faw him write it, and thofe who received it from them; fo that we cannot go to enquire of them in order to our fatisfaЄtion: but the best of it is,that as it cannot now be proved at this distance, otherwise than by constant and uncontroul'd report; so no Man at this diftance can have any reason to doubt of it; and fo long as no man can have any reason to doubt of it; there can be no need of proving it, especially confidering that it is by no means neceifary to Salvation, to believe that St. Matthew wrote the Hiftory of the Golpel; but only to believe what he wrote.

3. The Question is, What affurance Miracles give, that thofe perfons who are faid to be the Pen-men of the Books of Scripture were divinely infpired? The Miracles (under which I comprehend the Prediction of future Events) which Mofes, and the Prophets, and the Apoftles wrought, were

Te

Teftimonies from Heaven, that they were Divine Perfons, and that what Sermon IV. they faid was to be credited, and confequently if they gave out themfelves for fuch, that they were fuch. That the Pen-men of the New Teftament were Perfons endued with a miraculous Power, is plain, because they were moft of them Apoftles: and for the reit we have no reafon to doubt of it; thofe extraordinary Gifts being fo common in the Primitive times: however, fo long as there is nothing in the reft, that is diffonant from, or contrary to what those wrote, of whofe Inspirations we are affur'd, and these their Writings having always been receiv'd in the Church as of Divine Infpiration, which we may well prefume was not rafhly done, and without grounds, we have no reafon to doubt as to them or if there were, fo long as they contain nothing that is contrary to thole who were unqueftionably infpired, the matter is of no dangerous confequence. And as for the Pen-men of the Old Teftament, we are affured that they were all inspired, by one in the New Testament, that was unquestionably fo;

St. Paul, who tells us, that all ScripVolume ture is of Divine Inspiration, meanXII. ing the Books of the Old Testament, which were call'd by that Name xal Cox, or by way of Eminency.

But if any one enquire farther, How far the Pen-men of Scripture were infpired in the writing of thofe Books? whether only fo far as to be fecur'd from mistake in the delivery of any Meffage or Doctrine from God, or in the relation of any History, or Matter of Fact; yet fo, as they were left every man to his own Stile and manner of Expreffion? or that every thing they wrote, was immediately dictated to them, and that not only the Sense of it, but the very Words and Phrafes by which they exprefs things, and that they were meerly Inftruments or Pen-men; I fhall not take upon me to determine; I fhall only fay this in general, that confidering the End of this Infpiration, which was to inform the World certainly of the Mind and Will of God, it is necessary for every man to believe that the infpired Pen-men of Scripture were fo far affifted as was neceffary to this

End;