Books canonical.

Obj. 2.

As to the fcriptures being a filled canon, I fee no neceffity of believing it. And if these men, that believe the fcriptures to be the only rule, will be confiftent with their own doctrine, they must needs be of my judgment; feeing it is fimply impoffible to prove the canon by the fcriptures. For it cannot be found in any book of the fcriptures, that these books, and just these, and no other, are canonical, as all are forced to acknowledge; how can they then evite this argument?

That which cannot be proved by fcripture is no neceffary article of faith.

But the canon of the fcripture; to wit, that there are fo many books precifely, neither more nor less, cannot be proved by fcripture:

Therefore, it is no neceffary article of faith.

If they fhould allege; That the admitting of any other books to be now written by the fame Spirit might infer the admiffion of new doctrines;

I deny that confequence; for the principal or fundamental doctrines of the Chriftian religion are contained in the tenth part of the fcripture; but it will not follow thence that the reft are impertinent or useless. If it fhould please God to bring to us any of thofe books, which by the injury of time are loft, which are mentioned in the fcripBooks loft. ture; as, The prophesy of Enoch; the Book of Nathan, &c. or, the third epistle of Paul to the Corinthians; I fee no reason why we ought not to receive them, and place them with the reft. That which displeaseth me is, that men fhould first affirm that the fcripture is the only and principal rule, and yet make a great article of faith of that which the scripture can give us no light in.

As for inftance: How fhall a Proteftant prove by fcripture, to fuch as deny the Epistle of James to be authentick, that it ought to be received?

Firft, If he would fay, Becaufe it contradicts not the reft, (befides that there is no mention of it in

any

any of the reft) perhaps thefe men think it doth contradict Paul in relation to faith and works. But, if that fhould be granted, it would as well follow, that every writer that contradicts not the fcripture, fhould be put into the canon; and by this means these men fall into a greater abfurdity than they fix upon us for thus they would equal every one the writings of their own fect with the fcriptures; for I fuppofe they judge their own con- feffion of faith doth not contradict the fcriptures: Will it therefore follow that it fhould be bound up with the bible? And yet it feems impoffible, according to their principles, to bring any better argument to prove the Epiftle of James to be whether authentick. There is then this unavoidable necef- the Epiftle fity to fay, We know it by the fame Spirit from authentick, of James be which it was written; or otherwise to step back to and how to Rome, and fay, We know by tradition that the church hath declared it to be canonical; and the church is infallible. Let them find a mean, if they can. So that out of this objection we shall draw an unanswerable argument ad bominem, to our purpose.

That which cannot affure me concerning an article of faith neceffary to be believed, is not the primary, adequate, only rule of faith, &c. Therefore, &c.

I prove the affumption thus:

That which cannot affure me concerning the canon of the fcripture, to wit, that fuch books are only to be admitted, and the Apocrypha excluded, cannot affure me of this.

Therefore, &c..

know it.

And Laftly, As to these words, Rev. xxii. 18. Obj. 3 That if any man fhall add unto these things, God fhall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; I defire they will fhew me how it relates to any thing Anfw. elfe than to that particular prophecy. It faith not, Now the canon of the fcripture is filled up, no man is

to

What it means to

add to the

to write more from the Spirit; yea, do not all confefs that there have been prophecies and true prophets fince? The Papists deny it not. And do not the Proteftants affirm, that John Hus prophefied of the reformation? Was he therefore curfed? Or did he therein evil? I could give many other examples, confeffed by themselves. But, moreover, the fame was in effect commanded long before, Prov. xxx. 6. fcriptures. Add thou not unto his words, left be reprove thee, and thou be found a liar: Yet how many books of the prophets were written after? And the fame was faid by Mofes, Deut. iv. 2. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you; neither fhall ye diminish aught from it. So that, though we fhould extend that of the revelation beyond the particular prophecy of that book, it cannot be understood but of a new gofpel, or new doctrines, or of restraining man's fpirit, that he mix not his human words with the divine; and not of a new revelation of the old, as we have faid before.

Rom. 5,12,

15.

PROPOSITION IV.

Concerning the Condition of MAN in the FALL. All Adam's pofterity, or mankind, both Jews and Gentiles, as to the first Adam, or earthly man, is fallen, degenerated, and dead; deprived of the fenfation or feeling of this inward teftimony or feed of God; and is fubject unto the power, nature, and feed of the ferpent, which he foweth in mens hearts, while they abide in this natural and corrupted eftate; from whence it comes, that not only their words and deeds, but all their imaginations, are evil perpetually in the fight of God, as proceeding from this depraved and wicked feed. Man therefore, as he is in this ftate, can know nothing aright; yea, his thoughts and concep

tions concerning God and things fpiritual, until he be disjoined from this evil feed, and united to the Divine Light, are unprofitable both to himself and others. Hence are rejected the Socinian and Pelagian errors, in exalting a natural light; as also of the Papifts, and most Protestants, who affirm, That man, without the true grace of God, may be a true minister of the gospel. Nevertheless, this feed is not imputed to infants, until by tranfgreffion they actually join themselves therewith; for they are by nature the children of wrath, who walk according to the power of the Eph. 2. prince of the air, the fpirit that now worketh in the children of difobedience, having their converfation in the lufts of the flesh, fulfilling the defires of the flesh, and of the mind.

§. I.

H'

ITHERTO we have difcourfed how the true knowledge of God is attained and preferved; also of what use and service the holy scripture is to the faints.

We come now to examime the state and condition of man as he stands in the fall; what his capacity and power is; and how far he is able, as of himself, to advance in relation to the things of God. Of this we touched a little in the beginning of the fecond propofition; but the full, right, and thorough understanding of it is of great ufe and fervice; because from the ignorance and altercations that have been about it, there have arifen great and dangerous errors, both on the one hand and on the other, While fome do fo far exalt the light of nature, or the faculty of the natural man, as capable of himself, by virtue of the inward will, faculty, light and power, that pertains to his nature, to follow that which is good, and make real progress towards heaven: and of these are the Pelagians, and Semi-Pelagians of old; and of late the Socinians, and divers others among the Papifts. Others again

will needs run into another extreme, (to whom Auguftine's Auguftine, among the ancients, first made way in zeal against his declining age, through the heat of his zeal

Pelagius.

I.

II.

III.

Part I.

Adam's fall.

:

against Pelagius) not only confeffing man uncapable of himself to do good, and prone to evil; but that in his very mother's womb, and before he commits any actual tranfgreffion, he is contaminate with a real guilt, whereby he deferves eternal death in which respect they are not afraid to affirm, That many poor infants are eternally damned, and for ever endure the torments of hell. Therefore the God of truth, having now again revealed his truth (that good and even way) by his own Spirit, hath taught us to avoid both thefe

extreams.

That then which our propofition leads to treat of is,

First, What the condition of man is in the fall; and how far uncapable to meddle in the things of God. And Secondly, That God doth not impute this evil to infants, until they actually join with it: that fo, by establishing the truth, we may overturn the errors on both parts.

1

And as for that third Thing included in the propofition itself concerning thefe teachers which want the grace of God, we fhall refer that to the tenth propofition, where the matter is more particularly handled.

§. II. As to the firft, not to dive into the many curious notions which many have concerning the condition of Adam before the fall, all agree in this, That thereby he came to a very great lofs, not only in the things which related to the outward man, but in regard of that true fellowship and communion he had with God. This lofs was fignified unto him in the command, For in the day thou eateft thereof, thou shalt furely die, Gen. ii. 17. This death could not be an outward death, or the diffolution of the outward man; for as to that,