Athanafius

Verbi Dei.

"it being involved in fo great Obfcurities; that for “ the Understanding thereof, we need the Help of the "Holy Spirit, who through the Apoftle, dictated it."

5. "So great Things (faith Athanafius) doth our de Incarn."Saviour daily: He draws unto Piety, perfwades cc unto Virtue, teaches Immortality, excites to the De« fire of Heavenly Things, reveals the Knowledge of "the Father, pires Power againft Death, and fbews himself unto every one.

Greg. Mag.

upon the

Gospel.

6. Gregory the Great, upon thefe Words (He ball Hom. 30. teach you all things) faith, "That unless the fame "Spirit fit upon the Heart of the Hearer, in vain is "the Difcourfe of the Doctor; let no Man then afcribe "unto the Man that teacheth, what he understands "from the Mouth of him that speaketh; for unless be "that teacheth be within, the Tongue of the Doctor, "that's without, laboureth in vain.

in Thefauro

"

7178

7. Cyrillus Alexandrinus plainly afferteth, "That Cyril. Alex. « Men know that Jefus is the Lord by the Holy lib. 13.c.3.66 Ghoft, no otherwise, than they who tafte Honey, "know that it is fweet, even by its proper Quality.' Bernard in 8. "Therefore (faith Bernard) we daily exhort you, "Brethren, by Speech, that ye walk the Ways of the "Heart, and that your Souls be always in your Hands, "that ye may bear what the Lord faith in you. And

Pfal. 84.

Luther.

Tom. S.
P. 76.

again, upon thefe Words of the Apostle [Let him "that glorieth, glory in the Lord]" With which three"fold Vice (faith he)all forts of religious Men are lefs or "more dangerously affected, because they do not fo dili

gently attend, with the Ears of the Heart, to what the "Spirit of Truth (which flatters none)inwardlyfpeaks." This was the very Bafis, and main Foundation, upon which the Primitive Reformer's built.

Luther, in his Book to the Nobility of Germany, faith, "This is certain, that no Man can make himself

a Doctor of the holy Scriptures, but the Holy Spirit "alone. And upon the Magnificat he faith," No Man "can rightly understand God, or the Word of God, uns

lefs be immediately receive it from the Holy Spirit;

"neither

"neither can any one receive it from the Holy Spirit, except be find it by Experience in himself; and in "this Experience the Holy Ghoft teacheth, as in his 56 proper School; out of which School nothing is taught ༦ but meer Talk.”

Philip Melanchon, in his Annotations upon John Phil. Ma vi. "Who bear only an outward and bodily Voice, bear lanthon. "the Creature; but God is a Spirit, and is neither "difcerned, nor known, nor heard, but by the Spirit; By the Spi " and therefore to hear the Voice of God, to fee God, is rit alone "to know and hear the Spirit. By the Spirit alone know. "God is known and perceived."

God is

Dr. Smith of

Which alfo the moft Serious to this Day do acknowledge, even all fuch, who fatisfy themselves not with the Superfice of Religion, and use it not as a Cover or Art. Yea, all thofe, who apply themfelves effectually to Chriftianity, and are not fatiffied until they have found its effectual Work upon their Hearts, redeeming them from Sin, do feel that no Knowledge effectually prevails, to the producing of this, but that which proceeds from the warm Influence of God's Spirit upon the Heart, and from the comfortable Shining of his Light upon their Underftanding. And therefore to this purpofe a late modern Author faith well, (vid. Dr. Smith of Cambridge, in his Select Difcourfes) "To feek our Divinity meerly in Books Cambridge, "and Writings, is to feek the Living among the Dead, Book-Diviwe do but in vain many times feek God in thefe, nity. "where his Truth is too often not fo much Enfbrined "as Entombed. Intra te quære Deum, Seek God with"in thine own Soul; He is beft difcerned voεpa Tй á‡й (as Plotinus phrafeth it) by an Intellectual Touch of "bim. We must fee with our Eyes, and hear with our Ears, and our Hands muft handle the Word "of Life (to express it in St. John's Words) 'óri TÕS “Luxus ãlotnois Tis &c. The Soul it felf bath its Senfe, as "well as the Body. And therefore David, when he "would teach us to know what the Divine Goodness "is, calls not for Speculation, but Senfation: Tafte,

and

Concerning

"and fee how good the Lord is. That is not the best and "trueft Knowledge of God, which is wrought out "by the Labour and Sweat of the Brain, but that "which is kindled within us, by an heavenly Warmth ❝in our Hearts. And again: There is a Knowing "of the Truth, as it is in Jefus, as it is in a Chrift"like Nature; as it is in that fweet, mild, humble, "and loving Spirit of Jefus, which spreads it felf "like a Morning Sun, upon the Souls of good Men, "full of Light and Life. It profits little to know "Chrift himself after the Flesh; but he gives his "Spirit to good Men, that fearches the deep Things "of God. And again: It is but a thin airy Know"ledge, that is got by meer Speculation, which is "ufher'd in by Syllogifms and Demonstrations; but "that which fprings forth from true Goodness, is σε θειότερόν τι πάσης ὑποδείξεως (as Origen fpeakerh) I "brings fuch a Divine Light into the Soul, as is more "clear and convincing, than any Demonftration." Apoftacy §. III. That this certain and undoubted Method and a falfe of the true Knowledge of God hath been brought Knowledge introduced out of use, hath been none of the leaft Devices of the Devil, to fecure Mankind to his Kingdom. For after the Light and Glory of the Chriftian Religion had prevailed over a good Part of the World, and difpelled the thick Mifts of the Heathenish Doctrine of the Plurality of Gods, he that knew there was no Probability of deluding the World any longer that Way, did then puff Man up with a falfe Knowledge of the true God; fetting him on work to feek God the wrong Way, and perfwading him to be content with fuch a Knowledge as was of his own Acquiring, and not of God's Teaching. And this Device hath proved the more fuccefsful, because accommodated to the natural and corrupt Spirit and Temper of Man, who above all Things affects to exalt himself; in which Exaltation, as God is greatly dishonoured, fo therein the Devil hath his End; who is not anxious how much God is acknow

ledged

is become

humane

ledged in Words, provided himself be but always ferved; he matters not how great and high Speculations the Natural Man entertains of God, fo long as he ferves his Lufts and Paffions, and is obedient to his evil Suggestions and Temptations. Thus Chrifti- Chriftianity anity is become an Art, acquired by humane Science an Art, acand Industry, as any other Art or Science is; and Men quired by have not only affumed unto themselves the Name of Science and Chriftians, but even have procured to be efteemed Industry. as Mafters of Chriftianity, by certain Artificial Tricks, tho' altogether Strangers to the Spirit and Life of Jefus. But if we shall make a right Definition of a Chriftian, according to the Scripture, videlicet, That be is one, that bath the Spirit, and is led by it: How many Chriftians, yea, and of these great Mafters and Doctors of Chriftianity, fo accounted, fhall we justly diveft of that Noble Title?

If then fuch as have all the other Means of Knowledge, and are fufficiently Learned therein, whether it be the Letter of the Scripture, the Traditions of Churches, or the Works of Creation and Providence, whence they are able to deduce ftrong and undeniable Arguments (which may be true in themfelves) are not yet to be efteemed Chriftians, according to the certain and infallible Definition above-mentioned: And if the inward and immediate Revelation of God's Spirit in the Heart, in fuch as have been altogether ignorant of fome, and but very little skilled in others, of these Means of attaining Knowledge, hath brought them to Salvation; then it will neceffarily and evidently follow, that Inward and By Revela Immediate Revelation, is the only fure and certain on the Way to attain the true and saving Knowledge of ledge of God.

But the firft is true: Therefore the laft.

Now as this Argument doth very strongly conclude for this Way of Knowledge, and against such as deny it; fo herein it is the more confiderable, because the Propofitions, from which it is deduced,

arc

true Know

God.

Abel, Seth,
Noah, &c.

inftanced.

I.

11.

III.

IV.

are fo clear, that our very Adverfaries cannot deny them. For, as to the firft, it is acknowledged, that many Learned Men may be, and have been, damned. And as to the fecond; who will deny but many illiterate Men may be, and are, faved? Nor dare any affirm, that none come to the Knowledge of God and Salvation, by the inward Revelation of the Spirit, without these other outward Means; unlefs they be alfo fo bold, as to exclude Abel, Seth, Noah, Abraham, Job, and all the holy Patriarchs from true Knowledge and Salvation.

J. IV. I would however not be understood, as if hereby I excluded thofe other Means of Knowledge,' from any Use or Service to Man; it is far from me fo to judge, as in the next Propofition, concerning the Scriptures, fhall more plainly appear. The Quef tion is not, what may be profitable or helpful, but what is abfolutely neceffary. Many things may contribute to further a Work, which yet are not that Main Thing that makes the Work go on.

The Sum then of what is faid, amounts to this, That where the true Inward Knowledge of God is, through the Revelation of his Spirit, there is all; neither is there an abfolute Neceffity of any other. But where the beft, higheft, and moft profound Knowledge is, without this there is nothing, as to the obtaining the great End of Salvation. This Truth is very effectually confirmed by the first Part of the Propolition it felf, which in few Words comprehendeth divers unquestionable Arguments, which I fhall in brief fubfume.

First, That there is no Knowledge of the Father but by the Son.

Secondly, That there is no Knowledge of the Son, but by the Spirit.

Thirdly, That by the Spirit God hath always re-
vealed himself to his Children.

Fourthly, That thefe Revelations were the formal
Object of the Saints Faith.

And