The Saints' Everlasting Rest

Nature, Creatures, and Providence, are no sufficient Revelation of this tenor of the Covenants. 8. It is necessary not only that this Doctrine be Revealed, but also that it be Revealed with Grounds or Arguments rationally sufficient to evince the verity of the Doctrine or the Divineness of the Testimony, that from it we may conclude the former. 9. The Revelation of Truth is to be considered in respect of the first immediate delivery from God, or secondly, in respect of the way of its coming down to us. It is delivered by God immediately either by writing, (as the two Tables) or by informing Angels (who may be his Messengers) or by inspiring some choice particular men; So that few in the world have received it from God at the first hand. 10. The only ways of Revelation that (for ought I know) are now left, are Scripture and Tradition: For though God hath not tied himself from Revelations by the Spirit, yet he hath ceased them, and perfected his Scripture Revelations; so that the Spirit only Reveals what is Revealed already in the Word; by illuminating us to understand it. 11. The more immediate the Revelation, caeteris paribus, the more sure: and the more succession of hands it passeth through, the more uncertain, especially in matter of Doctrine. 12. When we receive from men by Tradition the Doctrine of God as in the Words of God, there is less danger of corruption, then when they deliver us that Doctrine in their own words, because here taking liberty to vary the expressions▪ it will represent the Truth more uncertainly and in more various shapes. 13. Therefore hath God been pleased when he ceased immediate Revelation, to leave his Will written in a form of words, which should be his standing Law, and a Rule to ⟨p. 186⟩try all other mens expressions by. 14. In all the forementioned respects therefore the written Word doth excel the unwritten Tradition of the same Doctrine. 15. Yet unwritten Tradition, or any sure way of Revealing this Doctrine, may suffice to save him who thereby is brought to believe. As if there be any among the Aba•sines of Ethiopia, the Copts in Egypt, or elsewhere that have the substance of the Covenants delivered them by unwritten Tradition, or by other Writings, if hereby they come to believe, they shall be saved. For so the Promise of the Gospel runs, giving salvation to all that believe, by what means soever they were brought to it.

Nature, Creatures, and Providence, are no sufficient Revelation of this tenor of the Covenants. 8. It is necessary not onely that this Doctrine be Revealed, but also that it be Revealed with Grounds or Arguments rationally sufficient to evince the verity of the Doctrine or the Divineness of the Testimony, that from it we may conclude the former. 9. The Revelation of Truth is to be considered in respect of the first immediate delivery from God, or secondly, in respect of the way of its coming down to us. It is delivered by God immediatly either by writing, (as the two Tables) or by informing Angels (who may be his Messengers) or by inspiring some choise particular men; So that few in the world have received it from God at the first hand. 10. The only ways of Revelation that (for ought I know) are now left, are Scripture and Tradition: For though God hath not tied himself from Revelations by the Spirit, yet he hath ceased them, and perfected his Scripture Revelations; so that the Spirit onely Reveales what is Revealed already in the Word; by illuminating us to understand it. 11. The more immediate the Revelation, caeteris paribus, the more sure: and the more succession of hands it passeth through, the more uncertain, especially in matter of Doctrine. 12. When we receive from men by Tradition the Doctrine of God as in the Words of God, there is less danger of corruption, then when they deliver us that Doctrine in their own words, because here taking liberty to vary the expressions it will represent the Truth more uncertainly and in more various shapes. 13. Therefore hath God been pleased when he ceased immediate Revelation, to leave his Will written in a form of words, which should be his standing Law, and a Rule to