The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…

There are pregnant Reasons for this:

First, Because as our faith in regard of the efficient cause is the gift of God, so the object and motive of it, must be Gods authority, because he speaks and revealeth such things. Humane faith is, because a man sa••h such a thing; divine faith, because God saith so. Now see how careful the Apostle was, that the Churches faith should not be in humane wisdom, but in the mighty power of God. And so the Thessalonians received it, not as the word of man, but as the word of God, 1 Thess. 2.13. The Apostle saith, They had not dominion of their faith, 2 Cor. 1.24. They were not able to make any Articles of Faith necessary to be believed. You see then, none may be called after men; we are not their Disciples, their believers; for that which resteth on men is but an humane faith, and we ought to have a divine faith. Men indeed may be instruments to propound the things to be believed, but the motive is a divine testimony, because God saith so. Solomon by his wisdom declared, to which woman the child belonged to, but he did not cause the affections of the mother to the child: So faithful Officers of the Church may declare the truth of God, but they cannot work faith in thee.

First, Because as our faith in regard of the efficient cause is the gift of God, so the object and motive of it, must be Gods authori•y, because he speaks and revealeth such things. Humane faith is, because a man sa••h such a thing; divine faith, because God saith so. Now see how carefull the Apostle was, that the Churches faith should not be in humane wisdome, but in the mighty power of God. And so the Thessalonians received it, not as the word of man, but as the word of God, 1 Thess. 2.13. The Apostle saith, They had not dominion of their faith,