16. Criteria of a divine revelation.
In what I have said I am far from denying, that God can, or doth sometimes
enlighten men's minds in the apprehending of certain truths or excite them to good actions, by the immediate
influence and assistance of the Holy Spirit, without any extraordinary signs accompanying it. But in such cases
too we have reason and Scripture; unerring rules to know whether it be from God or no. Where the truth embraced
is consonant to the revelation in the written word of God, or the action conformable to the dictates of right reason
or holy writ, we may be assured that we run no risk in entertaining it as such: because, though perhaps it be not an
immediate revelation from God, extraordinarily operating on our minds, yet we are sure it is warranted by that
revelation which he has given us of truth. But it is not the strength of our private persuasion within ourselves, that
can warrant it to be a light or motion from heaven: nothing can do that but the written Word of God without us, or
that standard of reason which is common to us with all men. Where reason or Scripture is express for any opinion
or action, we may receive it as of divine authority: but it is not the strength of our own persuasions which can by
itself give it that stamp. The bent of our own minds may favour it as much as we please: that may show it to be a
fondling of our own, but will by no means prove it to be an offspring of heaven, and of divine original.
