ciples, and of the Holy Scriptures wherein they are contained. SECT. V. Queft. Can there be any real certain Belief of the Truth of Christianity, which may fatisfy a Man's Confcience, without the inward immediate Teftimony of the Spirit? Anf. Yes, There may be a real certain undoubted Belief of the Truth of Chriftianity, which may fatisfy a Man's Conscience, or Judgment, without the inward immediate Teftimony of the Spirit, by the outward Teftimony or Atteftation of the Spirit, to the Truth of what our Saviour and his Apoftles taught, to wit, by his external vifible descent upon our Saviour, at his Baptifm, when there came a Voice from Heaven, faying, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleafed; and at his Transfiguration, Hear ye bim, Mat. iii. 16, 17. xvii. 5. And by his defcent upon the Apoftles at the Day of Pentecoft, when they were all filled with the Holy Ghoft, and began to speak with other Tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance; and by the many. wonderful Works they were enabled to work by the Spirit, A&ts ii. 3, 4, 22. Rom. xv. 19. And alfo by many other external rational Proofs, as the punctual fulfilling of all the Prophecies of the Old Teftament concerning the Meffiah in the Perfon of Chrift; and of his own Predictions in the New Testament, concerning his Death and Refurrection, and Afcenfion, and fending the Holy Ghost, and the Destruction of Jerufalem, and the wonderful Success of his Gofpel, notwithstanding all the Oppofition it fhould meet with from the the Powers of the World, Job. ii. 19. xii. 32, 33. — xvi. 7, 13. Matth. xxiv. 2. 2 Pet. i. 19. 1 Cor. xii. 3. And if we could not have a certain undoubted Belief of the Truth of Christianity, without the inward immediate Teftimony of the Spirit, we should make the unbelieving Jews, who would not believe in Chrift upon the external rational Evidence he gave them of his being the Meffiah, and Son of God, more excufable than our Lord told them they would be, Joh. xv. 22. And alfo those wicked Men, who hold the Truth in unrighteousness, greater Unbelievers than the Scripture doth, which tells us, that Simon Magus, when he remained in the Bond of Iniquity, believed, bcing astonished at the Signs that were done by Philip; and that they who in the Parable are likened to ftony Ground, believed or affented to the Truth with their Understanding, tho' it brought forth no Fruit in their Lives. And fo did alfo many of the chief Rulers of the Jews believe on Jefus, but did not confefs him, left they should be put out of the Synagogue, Rom. i. 18. Acts viii. 13. Mat. xiii. 20, 21. Job. xii. 42, 43. ** *R. B's Queft. Can we have any real certain Belief of the Authority of the Scripture, which may fatisfy our Confciences, without the inward immediate Testimony of the Spirit? Anf. Yes, We may have a real certain Be- Ap. p. 68, lief thereof, which may fatisfy our Confciences, without the inward immediate Teftimo ny 70. ly infpired Apoftles and Evangelifts, whofe Names they bear; (who were Ear and Eye Witneffes of what they wrote, or had perfect understanding thereof from the very firft, or received it by immediate Revelation from Heaven, and were the firft Publishers thereof, and fealed the Truth of it with their Blood;) which is as authentick a Proof, as fuch a matter of Fact is capable of, But then, the Force of either the internal or the external Arguments that prove the Truth of Chriftianity and the Scriptures, does not exclude the need of the common Illumination of the Spirit, which we may reasonably fuppofe accompanies the outward Revelation of the Gofpel, and the written Word or Scripture, to enable us to affent to the Truth thereof; or elfe, Infidelity and Unbelief would not be fo feverely threatned and punished; efpecially confidering the great Difference there is, in affenting to Truths in Philofophy, and to the Truths of Religion, though propofed with equal Evidence, as the latter is fo contrary to our carnal and worldly Interefts and Paffions. And if we could not believe the Truth of Christianity, and the Authority of the Scriptures, without the inward immediate Teftimony of the Spirit, we fhould leave nothing to be done for convincing of Infidels, but only praying for them; which would be a great Difparagement to our Religion; feeing the inward Teftimony of the Spirit, can be an Argument to none, but to him that hath it. And these Men can neither prove they have it, or that there is any fuch thing, from the Scriptures, who fay, they can neither believe nor understand them, without the in ward immediate Teftimony of the Spirit; unless they will run into fuch a vitious Circle, as the proving the Truth of the Scriptures from Infpiration, and the Truth of their Infpirations from the Scripture. Quest. But whatever hiftorical or fpeculative Faith, any Man may have of the Truth of Christianity and the Scriptures, from external rational Proofs; is not the inward immediate Teftimony of the Spirit, neceffary to at faving Chriftian Faith ?* ** R. B's 34. Anf. No, The inward immediate Tefti- Ap. p. zo. mony of the Spirit, is not neceffary to a faving Chriftian Faith. For it can never be proved, either from the Nature of a faving Chriftian Faith, or any Declaration of the Will of God in Holy Scripture, that it can be no other way wrought in us, but only by the inward immediate Teftimony of the Spirit; which is only the Quakers own precarious and groundless Affertion. But it is owned, that the inward gracious Affiftance of the Spirit, in concurrence with outward Means, is abfolutely neceffary to a faving Chriftian Faith, to remove the Impediments of our Prejudices and Paffions, and to give us fuch a clear difcerning of the Chriftian Truths, and of the Evidence thereof, and to difpofe us to fuch a Teachableness and Attention thereto, as may not only gain a rational Conviction and Affent to them with our Understandings, but may also move and incline our Wills and Affections to yield that Obedience thereto, that makes the Faith thereof faving. And therefore the Faith through which we are faved, is faid in Scripture to be the gift of God, and is mention'd among the Fruits of the Spirit, Eph. ii. 8. Gal. v. 22. But But the Holy Spirit doth not effect this in us, by an inward immediate Teftimony, or by immediately prefenting and revealing the Chriftian Truths, and the Evidence thereof, by way of Object to the Understanding, without the external Word, and all other outward Means; but in and with the Use of them, by bleffing them, and making them effectual. So it is faid of Lydia, that the Lord opened her heart, that she attended unta the things that were spoken of Paul, or to weigh and confider them, fo as to produce a faving Faith in her, Acts xvi. 14. And Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, to wit, that is outwardly read or heard, Rom. x. 7. So that it is not the Manner of the Testimony of the Spirit to the divine Truths, and the fuitablenefs and excellency thereof, whether it be mediate or immediate, that makes the Faith of them faving; but only our yielding obedience thereto, through the gracious Affiftances of the Spirit, which worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure, Phil. ii. 13. And all who have had the Gifts of Prophecy or of immediate Infpiration, have not had this faving Faith, nor is it neceffary to the producing it, unless we will make all the Faithful to be Prophets; which is contrary to the Scripture, which tells us, he only gave Some Prophets, Eph. iv. 11. and that many will fay at the laft Day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophefied in thy name, to whom he will fay, depart from me, ye that work iniquity, Matth. vii. 22, 23. Queft. Have we not ftill need of the immediate Inspiration of the Spirit, for the true Understanding of the Scripture, fuch as the |