That, then, which, to the establishment of the souls of believers, I shall labour to prove, is plainly this: that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament do abundantly and uncontrollably manifest themselves to be the word of the living God; so that, merely on the account of their own proposal of themselves to us, in the name and majesty of God, without assistance from tradition, church, or any thing else without themselves, we are obliged, upon the penalty of eternal damnation, to receive them with that subjection of soul which is due to the word of God. The authority of God shining in them, they afford to us all the divine evidence of themselves which God is willing to grant, or is any way needful for us. So, then, the authority of the written word is from itself, as the word of God, and the eviction of that authority to us is by itself.

The authority of the Scripture is strictly its power to command, and require obedience, in the name of God. To ask, then, whence it hath its authority, is to ask, whence it hath its power to command in the name of God. Surely men will not say, that the Scripture hath its power to command in the name of God from any thing but itself. And it is indeed a contradiction for men to say, "They give authority to the Scriptures." Why do they give this authority to that book rather than another? They must say, "Because it is the word of God." So the reason why they give authority to it, is the formal reason of all its authority, which it hath antecedently to their charter and concession of power: "Thy word is truth."

Some say, indeed, that the Scripture hath its

authority in itself, from its own divine original, but not in respect of us; and that we may know, understand, and submit to its authority, it must be testified to from some other person or thing appointed thereunto.

Ans. 1. But may not this be said of God himself, as well as of his word? If God reveal himself to us, it must be by means; and if those means do not reveal him, unless they are testified to from somewhat else, God cannot reveal himself to us. If God and his word will keep themselves to themselves, they may be God and his word still, and keep their authority; but if they will put forth their commands to us, let them look that they get the church's testimonials, or, on this principle, they may be safely rejected. But,

2. Authority is a thing that no person can have in himself, without respect of others. In its very nature, it relates to others that are subject to it. All authority arises from relation. The authority of God over his creatures, is from their relation to him as their Creator. A king's authority is in respect of his subjects. The authority of a minister relates to his flock; and he who hath no flock, hath no authority of a minister. If he have not a ministerial authority, in reference to a flock, a people, a church, he can have none in himself. So is it in this case: if the Scripture hath no authority, in respect of us, it hath none in itself, nor can have. If it hath it în itself, it hath it in respect of us. Such a right to command and oblige to obedience, is as inseparable from authority, or a moral power, as heat is from fire. It is true, a man may have a lawful authority over

those, whom, in practice, he cannot force or compel to obedience. But want of force doth not lessen authority. God looseth not his authority over men, though he put not forth towards them "the greatness of his power, or the efficacy of the might of his strength," to cause them to obey. It is foolish then to imagine, that a man should have an authority in himself, and yet not have that authority in respect of those who are subject to it. That is not properly a law at all, which is not a law to some. Besides, all the evil of disobedience relates to the authority of him that requires the obediente. No action is disobedience, but from the subjection of him who performs, to him who requires obedience.

And

therefore, if the Scripture hath not an authority in itself towards us, there is no evil in our disobedience to its commands. I speak of it as considered in itself, without the testimony pretended as necessary to give it an authority over us. Hitherto, then, have we carried this objection,—that to disobey the commands of the Scripture, before it receive a testimony from men, is no sin.

The sense, then, of our position, is evident and clear; and so our answer is given to the inquiry. The Scripture hath all its authority from its Author, both in itself, and in respect of us; and that it hath the author and original pleaded for, it declares itself, without any other assistance; the truth of which I shall now confirm, 1. By one general induction. 2. By testimonies. 3. By arguments, expressing the and means of its revelation of itself.

ways

There are three ways, by which God, in several degrees, reveals himself, his properties, his mind, and will, to the sons of men.

1. He doth it by his works, both of creation and providence: "All thy works praise thee." "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament telleth the works of his hands. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night declareth knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone

out throughout the earth, and their word to the end of the world." "God who made the heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein, suffered in times past all nations to walk in their own ways; yet he left not himself without a witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." And, "God, that made the world, and all things therein, seeing he is the Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men's hauds, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things, and hath made of one blood all mankind to dwell on the face of the earth, and assigned the seasons which were ordained before, and the bounds of their habitations, that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him." "For that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God hath showed it unto them; for the invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead." The sum of these passages amounts to this-that God reveals and declares himself to us, by the works of his hands.

2. God declares himself, his sovereign power and

authority, his righteousness and holiness, by the innate light of nature, and principles of the consciences of men. That indispensable moral obedience, which he requires of us as his creatures, subject to his law, is in general thus made known to us. For "the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law; they, having not the law, are a law unto themselves, showing the work of the law written in their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts in the mean time excusing or accusing one another," Rom. ii. 14, 15. By the light that God hath indelibly implanted in the minds of men, accompanied with a moral instinct of good and evil, seconded by that self-judgment which he hath placed in us, in reference to his authority over us, doth he reveal himself to the sons of men.

3. God reveals himself by his word, as is already proved. It remains then what we inquire, how we may know, and ascertain that these things are not deceivable pretences, but that God doth indeed so reveal himself by them.

First, The works of God have that expression of God upon them, that stamp and character of his eternal power and Godhead, that evidence with them that they are his, that wherever they are seen and considered, they undeniably evince that they are his works, and that what they teach concerning him, they do it in his name and authority. There is no need of traditions-no need of miracles-no need of the authority of any church to convince a rational creature, that the works of God are his, and his only; and that He is eternal and infinite in power