THE HE State of the Queftion concerning the Neceffity of immediate Revela- tion in order to a faving Chriftian Faith. Pag.1 Chap. 2. That there is no Neceffity of immediate Chap. 23. That God has commanded us to be bap- tized with Water, proved from John 3.5. and Chap. 24. That God has commanded us to be bap- tized with Water, proved from Matt. 28. 19. and from what the Scriptures attribute to Water- A A CONFUTATION O F* QUAKERIS M, &c. CHA P. I. The State of the Question concerning the Neceffity of immediate Revelation in order to a faving Chriftian Faith. T HE Controverfies between us of the Eftablished Church of England, and the People called Quakers, are not only many in Number, but of very great Importance. I fhall therefore endevor in the following Papers to ftate and determine the Principal of them. Now the firft Point about which we differ, is concerning the Neceffity of immediate Revelation in order to a faving Chriftian Faith. With this therefore I fhall begin. And that my difcourfe upon this Head may be the better understood, I think it neceffary for me to premise a few things. It has pleas'd Almighty God to endue Mankind with a certain faculty or power call'd Understanding. By this we are enabled to distinguish Truth from Falfhood; to believe the one, and reject the other. Now that we may believe any thing for Truth, 'tis neceffary that we perceive, not only the Thing it felf, but also the Evidence of it; which Evidence to be perceiv'd by us, may be either immediate, or mediate. That Evidence is immediate, which we our felves do perceive without the Mediation of another Man's perceiving it. But that Evidence which is first perceiv'd by another Man, and then communicated to us, is mediate Evidence. Thus for inftance; if I my felf do fee the Sun fhining, I have an immediate Evidence of this Truth, that the Sun fhines. But at the very fame time, a Blind man has only a mediate Evidence of the fame Truth; that is, fome perfon on whofe Judgment and Veracity the Blind man thinks he may fafely rely, faies that the Sun (hines; and the Evidence perceived by that perfon being communicated by Speech to the Blind man, the Blind man has a mediate Evidence of this Truth, that the Sun fhines. And the mediate Evidence of any Truth, is what we call the Evidence of Authority. But then there are diverfe kinds of this Evidence of Authority. For as the perfon differs upon whofe Authority the Evidence is built, fo the Evidence of Authority differs alfo. And confequently, fince I may believe a Truth upon the Authority, either of a Man, or of fome other Being; therefore the Evidence of Authority is twofold, viz. either that of human Authority, or that of fome other Authority which is not human; and the Evidence of that Authority which is not human, is the Evidence of Revelation. For when any 0ther Being, befides Man, discovers any thing to Man, this discovery or information is what we call Revelation. Now if the Revelation proceed from God, 'tis call'd Divine Revelation; and this Divine Revelation is either immediate, or mediate. ate. If the Revelation be made to any Perfon by God's fpeaking or declaring the Matter to that particular Perfon; then the Revelation is immediBut if that Perfon who receiv'd the Revelation from God himfelf, do declare the Matter to a third Perfon; then that third Perfon does indeed know the Matter by Revelation; but this Revelation is mediate. Becaufe, tho' his Knowledge of the Matter is indeed deriv'd Originally from God; yet 'tis deriv'd by the Mediation of the fecond Perfon, who receiv'd it immediately from God himfelf. Thus for inftance, when Nebuchadnezzar's Dream was interpreted by Daniel, Dan. 2. the Prophet knew the Interpretation by immediate Revelation; but the King knew it by mediate Revelation only; because the Prophet, to whom it was immediately reveal'd, acquainted him with it. But whatsoever kind of Truth a Man believes, or be the Evidence of it either immediate or mediate; 'tis the very fame Understanding with which he believes it. Wherefore, be the Truth fuch as relates to spiritual or corporeal Objects; be it Phyfical, Mathematical, Moral, or the like: and be the Evidence of that Truth either mediate, or immediate; be it built upon the Authority of God, or Man; yet I fay, 'tis the very fame Understand |