way contradicted how shall we be convinc'd of the Infallibility of the other Reason may err in this Point as well as in any thing else and we have no particular Promise it shall not no more than the Papists that their Senses may not deceive them in every thing as well as in Transubstantiation To say it bears witness to it self is equally to establish the Alcoran or the Poran And 't were a notable Argument to tell a Heathen that the Church has declar'd it when all Societies will say as much for themselves if we take their word for it Besides it may be he would ask whence the Church had Authority to decide this Matter And if it should be answer'd from the Scripture a thousand to one but he would divert himself with this Circle You must believe that the Scripture is Divine because the Church has so determin'd it and the Church has this deciding Authority from the Scripture 'T is doubted if this Power of the Church can be prov'd from the Passages alledg'd to that purpose but the Church it self a Party concern'd affirms it Hey-day are not these eternal Rounds very exquisite Inventions to giddy and entangle the Unthinking and the Weak 7. But if we believe the Scripture to be Divine not upon its own bare Assertion but from a real Testimony consisting in the Evidence of the things contain'd therein from undoubted Effects and not from Words and Letters what is this but to prove it by Reason It has in it self I grant the brightest Characters of Divinity But 't is Reason finds them out examines them and by its Principles approves and pronounces them sufficient which orderly begets in us an Acquiescence of Faith or Perswasion Now if Particulars be thus severely sifted if not only the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles be consider'd but also their Lives Predictions Miracles and Deaths surely all this Labour would be in vain might we upon any account dispense with Contradictions O! blessed and commodious System that dischargest at one stroak those troublesome Remarks about History Language figurative and literal Senses Scope of the Writer Circumstances and other Helps of Interpretation We judg of a Man's Wisdom and Learning by his Actions and his Discourses but God who we are assur'd has not left himself without a Witness must have no Privileges above the maddest Enthusiast or the Devil himself at this rate 8. But a Veneration for the very Words of God will be pretended This we are pleas'd with for we know that God is not a Man that he should lie But the Question is not about the Words but their Sense which must be ever worthy of their Author and therefore according to the Genius of all Speech figuratively interpreted when occasion requires it Otherwise under pretence of Faith in the Word of God the highest Follies and Blasphemies may be deduc'd from the Letter of Scripture as that God is subject to Passions is the Author of Sin that Christ is a Rock was actually guilty of and defil'd with our Transgressions that we are Worms or Sheep and no Men. And if a Figure be admitted in these Passages why not I pray in all Expressions of the like Nature when there appears an equal Necessity for it 9. It may be demanded why I have so long insisted upon this Article since that none expresly makes Scripture and Reason contradictory was acknowledg'd before But in the same place mention is made of some who hold that they may seem directly to clash and that tho we cannot reconcile them together yet that we are bound to acquiesce in the Decisions of the former A seeming Contradiction is to us as much as a real one and our Respect for the Scripture does not require us to grant any such in it but rather to conclude that we are ignorant of the right Meaning when a Difficulty occurs and so to suspend our Judgment concerning it till with sutable Helps and Industry we discover the Truth As for acquiescing in what a Man understands not or cannot reconcile to his Reason they know best the fruits of it that practise it For my part I 'm a Stranger to it and cannot reconcile my self to such a Principle On the contrary I am pretty sure he pretends in vain to convince the Judgment who explains not the Nature of the Thing A Man may give his verbal Assent to he knows not what out of Fear Superstition Indifference Interest and the like feeble and unfair Motives but as long as he conceives not what he believes he cannot sincerely acquiesce in it and remains depriv'd of all solid Satisfaction He is constantly perplex'd with Scruples not to be remov'd by his implicite Faith and so is ready to be shaken and carry'd away with every wind of Doctrine I will believe because I will believe that is because I 'm in the Humour so to do is the top of his Apology Such are unreasonable Men walking after the Vanity of their Minds having their Understandings darken'd being Strangers to the Life of God through the Ignorance that is in them because of the Hardness of their Hearts But he that comprehends a thing is as sure of it as if he were himself the Author He can never be brought to suspect his Profession and if he be honest will always render a pertinent account of it to others 10. The natural Result of what has been said is That to believe the Divinity of Scripture or the Sense of any Passage thereof without rational Proofs and an evident Consistency is a blameable Credulity and a temerarious Opinion ordinarily grounded upon an ignorant and wilful Disposition but more generally maintain'd out of a gainful Prospect For we frequently embrace certain Doctrines not from any convincing Evidence in them but because they serve our Designs better than the Truth and because other Contradictions we are not willing to quit are better defended by their means CHAP. II. Of the Authority of REVELATION as it regards this Controversy 11. AGainst all that we have been establishing in this Section the Authority of Revelation will be alledg'd with great shew as if without a Right of silencing or extingu shing REASON it were altogether useless and impertinent But if the Distinction I made in the precedent Section N. 9. be well consider'd the Weakness of the present Objection will quickly appear and this Controversy be better understood hereaster There I said REVELATION was not a necessitating Motive of Assent but a Mean of Information We should not confound the Way whereby we come to the knowledg of a thing with the Grounds we have to believe it A Man may inform me concerning a thousand Matters I never heard of before and of which I should not as much as think if I were not told yet I believe nothing purely upon his word without Evidence in the things themselves Not the bare Authority of him that speaks but the clear Conception I form of what he
Kindred with the scarlet Whore The only remaining Text is in chap. 10. 5 6 7. And the Angel which I saw stand upon the Sea and upon the Earth lifted up his Hand to Heaven and swore by him that liveth for ever and ever who created Heaven and the things that therein are and the Earth and the things that therein are and the Sea and the things which are therein that there should be Time no longer but that in the Days of the Voice of the seventh Angel when he shall begin to sound the MYSTERY of God should be finish'd that is that all the things figuratively deliver'd in this Prophecy concerning the Gospel which was shewn above to signify the same with the Mystery of God should have their final Accomplishment and so end with this Globe and all therein contain'd 35. I appeal now to all equitable Persons whether it be not evident to any that can read that Mystery in the whole New Testament is never put for any thing inconceivable in it self or not to be judg'd of by our ordinary Notions and Faculties however clearly reveal'd And whether on the contrary it do's not always signify some things naturally intelligible enough but either so vail'd by figurative Words and Rites or so lodg'd in God's sole Knowledg and Decree that they could not be discover'd without special Revelation Whoever retains any real Veneration for the Scripture and sincerely believes it to be the Word of God must be ever concluded by its Authority and render himself in spight of all Prejudices to its Evidence He that says the Gospel is his only Rule of Faith and yet believes any thing not warranted by it he is an arrant Hypocrite and do's but slily banter all the World 36. Nor can a more favourable Opinion be harbour'd of those who instead of Submission to the Dictates of Scripture and Reason straight have Recourse to such Persons as they specially follow or admire and are ready to receive or refuse an Opinion as these shall please to direct them Pray Doctor says one of his Parishioners what think you of such a Book it seems to make things plain Ah! dear Sir answers the Doctor it is a very bad Book he 's a dangerous Man that wrote it he 's for believing nothing but what agrees with his own purblind proud and carnal Reason P. Say you so Doctor then I 'm resolv'd to read no more of it for I heard you often preach against Humane Reason I 'm sorry truly it should unhappily fall into my Hands but I 'll take care that none of our Family set their Eyes upon 't D. You 'll do very well Sir besides this Book is still worse than I told you for it destroys a great many Points which we teach and should this Doctrine take which God forbid most of the good Books you have at home and which cost you no less Pains to read than Money to purchase would signify not a Straw and serve only for Waste-Paper to put under Pies or for other mean Uses P. Bless me good Doctor I pray God forgive me reading such a vile Treatise he 's an abominable Man that could write it but what my Books worth nothing say you Dr. H's Sermons and Mr. C's Discourses Waste-Paper I 'll never believe it let who will say the contrary Lord why don't you excommunicate the Author and seize upon his Books D. Ay Sir Time was but now it seems a Man may believe according to his own Sense and not as the Church directs there 's a Toleration establish'd you know P. That Toleration Doctor will D. Whist Sir say no more of it I am as much concern'd as you can be but it is not safe nor expedient at this time of day to find Faults 37. There are others far from this Simplicity but as firmly resolv'd to stand fast by their old Systems When they tell us of Mysteries we must believe them and there 's no Remedy for it It is not the Force of Reasoning that makes these for Mysteries but some by-Interest and they 'll be sure to applaud and defend any Author that writes in favour of their Cause whether he supports it with Reason or not But I 'm not half so angry with these Men as with a sort of People that will not be at the Pains of examining any thing lest they should become more clear-sighted or betterinform'd and so be tempted to take up a new Road. Such Persons must needs be very indifferent indeed or they make Religion come into their Scutcheons 38. The mention of Scutcheons naturally puts me in mind of those who are little mov'd with any Reasons when the Judgment of the Primitive Church comes in competition The Fathers as they love to speak are to them the best Interpreters of the Words of Scripture And what those honest Men says a very ingenious Person could not make good themselves by sufficient Reasons is now prov'd by their sole Authority If the Fathers foresaw this adds the same Author they were not to be blam'd for sparing themselves the Labour of reasoning more exactly than we find they commonly did That Truth and Falshood should be determin'd by a Majority of Voices or certain Periods of Time seems to me to be the most ridiculous of all Follies 39. But if Antiquity can in good earnest add any worth to an Opinion I think I need not fear to stand to its Decision For if we consider the Duration of the World says another celebrated Writer as we do that of Man's Life consisting of Infancy Youth Manhood and old Age then certainly such as liv'd before us were the Children or the Youth and we are the true Antients of the World And if Experience continues he be the most considerable Advantage which grown Persons have over the younger sort then questionless the Experience of such as come last into the World must be incomparably greater than of those that were born long before them for the last Comers enjoy not only all the Stock of their Predecessors but to it have likewise added their own Observations These Thoughts are no less ingenious than they are just and solid But if Antiquity be understood in the vulgar Sense I have no Reason to despair however for my Assertion too will become antient to Posterity and so be in a Condition to support it self by this commodious Privilege of Prescription 40. Yet seeing I am not likely to live till that time it cannot be amiss to make it appear that these same Fathers who have the good luck to be at once both the Young and the Old of the World are on my side 'T is not out of any Deference to their Judgments I confess that I take these Pains I have freely declar'd what Value I set upon their Authority in the Beginning of this Book but my Design is to shew the Disingenuity of those who pretending the highest Veneration for the Writings of the Fathers never fail to decline
most Translations When an able Linguist meets with a difficult Passage he presently takes it for a Mystery and concludes it is to no purpose to be at more Pains about what is in it self inexplicable But an uncapable Translator lays his own blundring Nonsense and all the mysterious Fruits of his Ignorance to God Almighty's Charge These are the Wretches who plentifully furnish the Atheistical and Profane with all the Matter of their Objections against Scripture But I hope in Time we may see a Remedy to these Disorders 62. The fourth Observation is That except Faith signifies an intelligible Perswasion we cannot give others a Reason of our Hope as Peter directs us To say that what we believe is the Word of God will be to no end except we prove it to be so by Reason and I need not add that if we may not examine and understand our Faith every Man will be oblig'd implicitely to continue of that Religion whereâ—…n he is first educated Suppose a Siamese Talapoin should tell a Christian Preacher that Sommonocodom forbad the Goodness of his Religion to be tri'd by the Light of Reason how could the Christian confute him if he likewise should maintain that certain Points of Christianity were above Reason The Question would not be â—…hen whether Mysteries might be allow'd in the true Religion but who had more Right to institute them Christ or Sommonocodom 63. My last Observation shall be That either the Apostles could not write more intelligibly of the reputed Mysteries or they would not If they would not then 't is no longer our Fault if we neither understand nor believe them for nothing cannot be the Object of Belief And if they could not write more clearly themselves which our Adversaries will not suppose they were so much the less to expect Credit from others 64. But 't is affirm'd that GOD has a Right to require the Assent of his Creatures to what they cannot comprehend and questionless he may command whatever is just and reasonable for to act Tyrannically do's only become the Devil But I demand to what end should God require us to believe what we cannot understand To exercise some say our Diligence But this at first sight looks ridiculous as if the plain Duties of the Gospel and our necessary Occupations were not sufficient to employ all our time But how exercise our Diligence Is it possible for us to understand those Mysteries at last or not If it be then all I contend for is gain'd for I never pretended that the Gospel could be understood without due Pains and Application no more than any other Book But if it be impossible after all to understand them this is such a piece of Folly and Iâ—…pertinence as no sober Man would be guilty of to puzzle Peoples Heads with what they could never conceive to exhort to and command the Study of them and all this to keep 'em from Idleness when they can scarce find leisure enough for what is on all hands granted to be intelligible 65. Others say that GOD has enjoin'd the Belief of MYSTERIES to make us more humble But how By letting us see the small Extent of our Knowledg But this extraordinary Method is quite needless for Experience acquaints us with that every day and I have spent a whole Chapter in the second Section of this Book to prove that we have not an adequate Idea of all the Properties and no Idea of the real Essence of any Substance in the World It had been a much better Answer that God would thus abridg our Speculations to gain us the more time for the practice of what we understand But many cover a Multitude of Sins by their Noise and Heat on the behalf of such foolish and unprofitable Speculations 66. From all these Observations and what went before it evidently follows that Faith is so far from being an implicite Assent to any thing above Reason that this Notion directly contradicts the Ends of Religion the Nature of Man and the Goodness and Wisdom of God But at this rate some will be apt to say Faith is no longer Faith but Knowledg I answer that if Knowledg be taken for a present and immediate View of things I have no where affirm'd any thing like it but the contrary in many Places But if by Knowledg be meant understanding what is believ'd then I stand by it that Faith is Knowledg I have all along maintain'd it and the very Words are promiscuously us'd for one another in the Gospel We know i. e. we believe that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the World I know and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of it self You know that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. 67. Others will say that this Notion of Faith makes Revelation useless But pray how so for the Question not whether we could discover all the Objects of our Faith by Ratiocination I have prov'd on the contrary that no Matter of Fact can be known without Revelation But I assert that what is once reveal'd we must as well understand as any other Matter in the World Revelation being only of use to inform us whilst the Evidence of its Subject perswades us Then reply they Reason is of more Digâ—…ity than Revelation I answer Just as much as a Greek Grammar is superiour to the New Testament for we make use of Grammar to understand the Language and of Reason to comprehend the Sense of that Book But in a word I see no need of Comparisons in this Case for Reason is not less from God than Revelation 't is the Candle the Guide the Judg he has lodg'd within every Man that cometh into this World 68. Lastly It may be objected That the Poor and Illiterate cannot have such a Faith as I maintain Truly if this can be made out it may pass for a greater Mystery than any System of Divinity in Christendom can afford for what can seem more strange and wonderful than that the common People will sooner believe what is unintelligible incomprehensible and above their Reasons than what is easy plain and suted to their Capacities But the Vulgar are more oblig'd to Christ who had a better Opinion of them than these Men for he preach'd his Gospel to them in a special manner and they on the other hand heard him gladly because no doubt they understood his Instructions better than the mysterious Lectures of their Priests and Scribes The uncorrupted Doctrines of Christianity are not above their Reach or Comprehension but the Gibberish of your Divinity Schools they understand not It is to them the Language of the Beast and is inconsistent with their Condition in this World when their very Teachers must serve above an Apprenticeship to master it before they begin the Study of the Bible How slowly must the Gospel have mov'd at the Beginning if such as were call'd to preach it had been oblig'd
by it is in humane Language a Trade and I see not how they can be angry at the Name that are so passionately in love with the Thing But of this in due place The Poor who are not suppos'd to understand Philosophical Systems soon apprehended the Difference between the plain convincing Instructions of Christ and the intricate ineffectual Declamations of the Scribes For the Jewish Rabbies divided at that time into Stoick Platonick and Pythagorean Sects c. did by a mad Liberty of Allegory accommodate the Scriptures to the wild Speculations of their several Masters They made the People who comprehended nothing of their Cabalistick Observations believe 'em to be all profound Mysteries and so taught 'em Subjection to Heathenish Rites whilst they set the Law of God at nought by their Traditions No wonder then if the disinterested common sort and the more ingenuous among the Rulers did reject these nonsensical Superstitions tho impudently father'd upon Moses for a Religion suted to the Capacities of all delineated and foretold by their own Prophets I wish no Application of this could be made in the following Discourse to the Case of any Christians much less to the purer and better sort Whoever considers with what Eagerness and Rigour some Men press Obedience to their own Constitutions and Discipline conniving in the mean while at all Nonconformity to the Divine Law bow strictly they enjoin the Observation of unreasonable unscriptural Ceremonies and the Belief of those unfathomable Explanations of what they stiffly hold themselves to be incomprehensible I say who considers all this is vehemently tempted to suspect they drive a more selfish Design than that of instructing the Ignorant or converting the Sinner That any should be hated despis'd and molested nay sometimes be charitably burn'd and damn'd for rejecting those Fooleries superadded and in many Cases substituted to the most blessed pure and practicable Religion that Men could wish or enjoy is Matter of Astonishment and Grief to such as prefer the Precepts of God to the Inventions of Men the plain Paths of Reason to the insuperable Labyrinths of the Fathers and true Christian Liberty to Diabolical and Antichristian Tyranny But the common Method of teaching and supporting this Mystery of Inâ—…quity is still more intolerable How many voluminous Systems infinitely more difficult than the Scriptâ—… 〈◊〉 read with great Atteâ—…â—…y 〈◊〉 â—…t would be Master of the present â—…-logy What a prodigious Number of barbarous Words mysterious no doubt what tedious and immethâ—…dical Directions what ridiculous anâ—… discrepant Interpretations must you patiently learn and observe before you can begin to understand a Professor of that Faculty The last and easiest part of your Labour will be to find his Sentiments in the Bible tho the holy Penmen never thought of them and you never read that sacred Book since you were a School-Boy But a Distrust of your own Reason a blind Veneration for those that liv'd before you and a firm Resolution of adhering to all the Expositions of your Party will do any thing Believe only as a sure Foundation for all your Allegories that the Words of Scripture tho never so equivocal and ambiguous without the Context may signify every where whatever they can signify And if this be not enough believe that every Truth is a true Sense of every Passage of Scripture that is that any thing may be made of every thing And you 'll not only find all the New Testament in the Old and all the Old in the New but I promise you there 's no Explication tho never so violent tho never so contradictory or perplex'd but you may as easily establish as admit But I will not repeat what I have expresly written of this Matter in an Epistolary Dissertation now lying by me entitul'd Systems of Divinity exploded In the following Discourse which is the first of three and wherein I prove my Subject in general the Divinity of the New Testament is taken for granted so that it regards only Christians immediately and others but remotely who are pray'd to weigh my Arguments by the said Supposition In the next Discourse equally concerning Christians and others I attempt a particular and rational Explanation of the reputed Mysteries of the Gospel And in the third I demonstrate the Verity of Divine Revelation against Atheists and all Enemies of reveal'd Religion This seems to me to be the best Method for the Order of Nature is in your Systems of Divinity quite inverted They prove the Authority and Perfection before they teach the Contents of Scripture whereas the first is in great measure known by the last How can any be sure that the Scripture contains all things necessary to Salvation till he first reads it over Nay how can he conclude it to be Scripture or the Word of God till he exactly studies it to speak now of no other Means he must use This Confusion then I have carefully avoided for I prove first that the true Religion must necessarily be reasonable and intelligible Next I shew that these requisite Conditions are found in Christianity But seeing a Man of good Parts and Knowledg may easily frame a clear and coherent System I demonstrate Thirdly that the Christian Religion was not form'd after such a manner but was divinely reveal'd from Heaven These three Subjects I handle in as many Books whereof as I said before the following Discourse is the first Before I finish I must take notice of those Gentlemen who love to call Names in Religion for what are all Party-Distinctions but according to them so many sorts of Hereticks or Schismaticks or worse But I assure them that I am neither of Paul nor of Cephas nor of Apollos but of the Lord Jesus Christ alone who is the Author and Finisher of my Faith I have as much Right to have others cal'd after my Name as they to give me a Denomination and that is no Right at all I say not this to prevent being invidiously represented according to a very common Artifice under the Notion of any Sect in the World that is justly or unjustly hated by others This would be a poor Consideration indeed but it is my settl'd Judgment that the thing is unlawful in it self to a good Christian. Leaving others nevertheless their Liberty in this Point it must at least be granted inconvenient for if you go under the Name of a Lutheran for instance tho you agree with those of your Communion but in the main Articles yet their Adversaries will not fail upon occasion to charge you with those other Matters wherein you dissent And should you then declare your Judgment the rest of the Lutherans will not only be much offended but be apt also to call your Sincerity in question about every thing besides which is the known Temper of most Sects The only religious Title therefore that I shall ever own for my part is that most glorious one of being a Christian. A Word or two more I must add
no Man therefore say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for as God cannot be tempted to Evil so neither tempteth he any Man But every Man is tempted when he is drawn away and entic'd of his own Lust. 31. Supposing a natural Impotency to reason well we could no more be liable to Condemnation for not keeping the Commands of God than those to whom the Gospel was never revealed for not believing on Christ For how shall they call on him in whom they have not believ'd and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard Were our reasoning Faculties imperfect or we not capable to employ them rightly there could be no Possibility of our understanding one another in Millions of things where the stock of our Ideas should prove unavoidably unequal or our Capacities different But 't is the Perfection of our Reason and Liberty that makes us deserve Rewards and Punishments We are perswaded that all our Thoughts are entirely free we can expend the Force of Words compare Ideas distinguish clear from obscure Conceptions suspend our Judgments about Uncertainties and yield only to Evidence In a word the Deliberations we use about our Designs and the Choice to which we determine our selves at last do prove us the free Disposers of all our Actions Now what is sound Reason except this be it Doubtless it is And no Evangelical or other knowable Truth can prove insuperable or monstrous to him that uses it after this manner But when we abuse it against it self and enslave it to our debauch'd Imaginations it is averse from all Good We are so habituated I confess to precarious and hasty Conclusions that without great Constancy and Exercise we cannot recover our innate Freedom nor do well having accustom'd our selves so much to Evil. But tho 't is said in Scripture that we will neither know nor understand 't is there also said that we may amend our Ways turn from our Iniquity and choose Life Encouragements are propos'd to such as do so We can upon serious Reflection see our Faults and find that what we held most unreasonable did only appear so from superficial Disquisitions or want of necessary Helps from Deference to Authority and Principles taken upon Trust from irregular Inclinations and Self-interest or the Hatred of a Party 32. But notwithstanding all this some are at a world of Pains to rob themselves if they could of their Liberty or Freewill the noblest and most useful of all our Faculties the only thing we can properly call ours and the only thing that neither Power nor Fortune can take from us Under whatever Vail these Men endeavour to hide their Folly yet they are engag'd in it by extreme Pride and Self-love For not willing to own their Ignorance and Miscarriages which proceed from Passion Sloth or Inconsideration they would remove all the Blame from their Will and charge it upon a natural Impotency not in their Power to cure Thus they ingeniously cheat themselves and chuse rather to be rank'd in the same Condition with Brutes or Machines than be oblig'd to acknowledg their humane Frailties and to mend 33. Since therefore the Perfection or Soundness of our Reason is so evident to our selves and so plainly contain'd in Scripture however wrested by some ignorant Persons we should labour to acquire Knowledg with more confident Hopes of Success Why should we entertain such mean and unbecoming Thoughts as if Truth like the Almighty dwelt in Light inaccessible and not to be discover'd by the Sons of Men Things are always the same how different soever the Conceptions of Men about them may be and what another did not I may happily find out That nothing escap'd the Sight of former Ages is a Tale to be told where one Person only speaks and no Body present must contradict him The Slips and Errors which are taken notice of in the World every Day serve only to put us in mind that many able Men did not examine the Truth with that Order and Application they should or might have done There are a thousand things in our Power to know of which through Prejudice or Neglect we may be and frequently remain ignorant all our Lives and innumerable Difficulties may be made by imagining MYSTERIES where there are none or by conceiving too discouraging and unjust an Opinion of our own Abilities whereas by a Parity of Reason we may hope to outdo all that outdid others before us as Posterity may exceed both 'T is no Presumption therefore for us to endeavour setting things in a better Light as to know what we are able to perform is not Pride but foolishly to presume none else can equal us when we are all upon the same Level For who maketh thee to differ from another And what hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not receiv'd it Have we not all the same sure and certain Promises of Light and Assistance from above as well as the Privilege of Reason in common If any lack Wisdom let him ask it of God who gives to all Men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him 34. To conclude let no Body think to be excus'd by this imaginary Corruption but learn from the Scripture our infallible Oracle that the Gospel if it be the Word of God is only contrary to the Opinions and Wishes of lewd Men that love to walk after their own Lusts of those that speak Evil of the things which they understand not and debauch themselves in what they know in common with Brutes It is hid to them whose Minds are blinded by the God of this World and to those who live by the Ignorance and simple Credulity of their Brethren To be brief It is contrary to the false Reasoning of all that will not know what it is to reflect or consider but it is not above the Possibility of their Reajon when they shall better improve their Faculties The Creation of the World was against the System of Aristotle the Immortality of the Soul against the Hypothesis of Epicurus and the Liberty of the Will was impugn'd by many antient Philsophers But is this to be contrary to Reason Have not these Men been quite baffl'd by as very Heathens as themselves And are not their other Errors since detected and exploded by most of the Learned Besides they wanted a principal mean of Information viz. REVELATION SECT III That there is nothing MYSTERIOVS or ABOVE Reason in the GOSPEL 1. WE come at length to enquire whether any Doctrine of the GOSPEL be ABOVE tho not contrary to REASON This Expression is taken in a twofold Signification First It denotes a thing intelligible of it self but so cover'd by figurative Words Types and Ceremonies that Reason cannot penetrate the Vail nor see what is under it till it be remov'd Secondly It is made to signify a thing
their Sentence when it sutes not with their Humour or Interest 41. Clemens Alexandrinus has every where the same Notion of Mystery that I have that the Gentiles had and which I have prov'd to be that of the Gospel In the 5th Book of his Stromates which merits the Perusal of all that are curious to understand the Nature of the Jewish and Heathen Mysteries in that Book I say he puts the Matter out of all Doubt and quotes several of those Texts of Scripture which I have already alledg'd to this purpose Nay he tells us that the Christian Discipline was call'd Illumination because it brought hidden things to light the Master CHRIST alone removing the Cover of the Ark that is the Mosaick Vail He adds in express Words that those things which were mysterious and obscure in the Old Testament are made plain in the New 42. Every one knows how the Primitive Christians in a ridiculous imitation of the Jews turn'd all the Scripture into Allegory accommodating the Properties of those Animals mention'd in the Old Testament to Events that happen'd under the New They took the same Liberty principally with Men where they could discover the least Resemblance between their Names Actions or State of Life and carry'd this Fancy at length to Numbers Letters Places and what not That which in the Old Testament therefore did according to them represent any thing in the New they call'd the Type or Mystery of it Thus TYPE SYMBOL PARABLE SHADOW FIGURE SIGN and MYSTERY signify all the same thing in Justin Martyr This Father affirms in his Dialogue with Tryphon the Jew that the Name of Joshua was a Mystery representing the Name Jesus and that the holding up of Moses's Hands during the Battel with the Amalekites in Rephidim was a Type or Mystery of Christ's Cross whereby he overcame Death as the Israelites there did their Enemies and then he adds the following Remark This is to be consider'd says he concerning those two holy Men and Prophets of God that neither of them was able in his single Person to carry both MYSTERIES I mean the Type of his Cross and that of being call'd by his Name In the saâ—…e Dialogue he calls the Predictions of the Prophets SYMBOLS PARABLES and MYSTERIES explain'd by the succeeding Prophets 43. When Tertullian in his Apology justifies the Christians from those inhumane Practices whereof their Enemies most unjustly accus'd 'em he cries We are beset we are discover'd every day But if we keep always hid how are those things known which we are said to commit Nay who could make them known Such as are guilty Not so surely for all Mysteries are of Course under an Oath of Secrecy The Samothracian the Eleusinian Mysteries are conceal'd how much rather such as being discover'd would now provoke the Justice of Men and might expect to meet with that of God hereafter They are secret Practices you see and not incomprehensible Doctrines which this Father counted Mysteries 44. Origen makes the Encampments of the Israelites in their Journey to the Promis'd Land to be Symbols or Mysteries describing the way to such as shall travel towards Heaven or heavenly things I need not add what he says of the Writings of the Prophets of the Vision of Ezekiel or the Apocalypse in particular for he is universally confess'd to have brought this Mystick or Allegorical Method of interpreting Scripture to its Perfection and to have surnish'd Matter to all that trod the same Path after him an Honour in my Opinion not to be envy'd him But he was so far from thinking any Doctrine of our Religion a Mystery in the present Sense of the Word that he expresly affirms them to agree all with COMMON NOTIONS and to commend themselves to the Assent of every well-dispos'd Hearer 45. The other Fathers of the three first Centuries have exactly the same Notions of Mystery And should they in this Matter happen to contradict in one Place what they establish'd in another as they ordinarily do in most things it would only serve to excluà e them from being a true Rule to others that were none to themselves But what is no small Prejudice in our Favour seeing we have to do with Men so apt to forget they keep very constant to this Point so that I may justly hope by this time the Cause of Incomprehensible and Inconceivable Mysteries in Religion should be readily given up by all that sincerely respect FATHERS SCRIPTURE or REASON CHAP. IV. Objections brought from particular Texts of SCRIPTURE and from the Nature of FAITH answer'd 46. SOME Men are so fond of Mysteries and it seems they find their Account in it that they are ready to hazard any thing sooner than part with them In the mean time whether they know it or not they lay nothing less than their Religion at stake by this Conduct for it is an ugly Sign when People profess that what they believe is above the Examination of Reason and will suffer it by no means to come into question It argues in themselves a Distrust of their Cause and others conclude that what dares not abide the Trial of Reason must needs it self be unreasonable at Bottom 47. Notwithstanding these Consequences are so obvious they harden themselves against them and are not asham'd to bring even Scripture to countenance their Assertion You shall hear nothing more frequently in their Mouths than these Words of the Apostle Beware lest any Man spoil you by PHILOSOPHY and vain Deceit after the Tradition of Men after the Rudiments of the World and not after Christ. Ridiculous as if Reason and Truth were Vanity and Craft By Philosophy is not here understood sound Reason as all Interpreters agree but the Systems of Plato of Aristotle of Epicurus of the Academicks c. many of whose Principles are directly repugnant to common Sense and good Morals Sophistry was never more in vogue than in the Days of Paul and several out of these Sects imbracing Christianity found the way to mix with it their old Opinions which they were loth to quit for good and all The Apostle therefore had weighty grounds to warn his Converts not to confound the Inventions of Men with the Doctrine of God It appears nevertheless that this good Advice was to little Purpose for you 'll find the grossest Mistakes and Whimsies of the Fathers to have been occasion'd by the several Systems of Philosophy they read before their Conversion and which they afterwards foolishly endeavour'd to reconcile with Christianity to the entire Ruine almost of the latter as we shall shew â—…n the following Chapter 48. But as no particular Hypothesis whatsoever has a Right to set up for a Standard of Reason to all Mankind much less may vain Philosophy cr Sophistry claim this Privilege and so far am I from aiming at any such thing that it is the very Practice I oppose in this Book When some have advanc'd the Metaphysical Nonsense of
Rewarder of them that diligently seek him So the firm Perswasion of a pious Man that his Requests will be granted is grounded upon his knowledg of the Being Goodness and Power of God It was reckon'd no Crime not to believe in Christ before he was reveal'd for how could they believe in him of whom they had not heard But with what better Reason could any be condemn'd for not believing what he said if they might not understand it for as far as I can see these Cases are parallel Faith is likewise said to come by hearing but without Understanding 't is plain this Hearing would signify nothing Words and their Ideas being reciprocal in all Languages 55. The Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews do's not define FAITH a Prejudice Opinion or Conjecture but Conviction or Demonstration Faith says he is the confident Expectation of things hop'd for and the Demonstration of things not seen These last Words things not seen signify not as some would have it things incomprehensible or unintelligible but past or future Matters of Fact as the Creation of the World and the Resurrection of the Dead or the Belief of some things invisible to our corporeal Eyes tho intelligible enough to the Eyes of our Understanding This appears by all the Examples subjoin'd to that Definition Besides there can be properly no Faith of things seen or present for then 't is Self-evidence and not Ratiocination Hope that is seen is not Hope for what a Man sees why doth he yet hope for But if we hope for what we see not then do we with Patience wait for it So the Patriarchs receiv'd not the Promises but saw them afar off and were perswaded of them 56. Without conceiving Faith after this manner how could Christ be term'd the Light of the World the Light of the Gentiles How could Believers be said to have the Spirit of Wisdom and to have the Eyes of their Hearts enlightn'd For the Light of the Heart or Understanding is the Knowledg of things and as this Knowledg is more or less so the Mind is proportionably illuminated Be not unwise says the Apostle but understanding what the Will of the Lord is And in another place he exhorts Men never to act in dubious Matters till they are fully perswaded in their own Minds 57. But to all this will be objected that remarkable Instance of Abraham's Faith who was ready to sacrifice his only Son notwithstanding God had promis'd that Kings should descend of him and his Seed be numerous as the Stars of Heaven or the Sand upon the Sea-shore Did Abraham blindly obey then without reconciling the apparent Contradiction between God's present Command and his former Promises Far from it for 't is expresly recorded that he that had receiv'd the Promises offer'd up his only begotten of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy Seed be blessed Reasoning that God was able to raise him again from the Dead from whence also he had receiv'd him in a Figure He rightly concluded that God was able to revive Isaac by a Miracle as he was miraculously born according to another Promise after his Parents were past having Children and so as good as dead therefore it is elsewhere written of Abraham that being not weak in Faith he consider'd not his own Body now dead when he was about an hundred Years old neither yet the Deadness of Sarah's Womb nor stagger'd at God's Promise through Unbelief but being strong in Faith he gave Glory to God and was fully perswaded that what he had promis'd he was able also to perform 58. Now what is there in all this but very strict Reasoning from Experience from the Possibility of the thing and from the Power Justice and Immutability of him that promis'd it Nor can any Man stew me in all the New Testament another Signification of Faith but a most firm Perswasion built upon substantial Reasons In this Sense all Christianity is not seldom stil'd the Faith as now we usually say that we are of this or that PERSWASION meaning the Profession of some Religion But surely nothing can better root and establish our Perswasion than a thorow Examination and Trial of what we believe whereas the Weakness and Instability of our Faith proceed from want of sufficient Reasons for it whereupon Incredulity always follows then fails Obedience which is the constant Sign and Fruit of genuine Faith and hence spring all the Irregularities of Mens Lives He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Liar For he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk as he walk'd Nor can it possibly fall out otherwise but that he who believes without Understanding must be tost and carri'd about with every Wind of Doctrine by the Slight and Cunning of Men ready to deceive 59. Tho the Authority of the New Testament be so clear in this Matter yet I shall further confirm it by the following Observations First if Faith were not a Perswasion resulting from the previous Knowledg and Comprehension of the thing believ'd there could be no Degrees nor Differences in it for these are evident Tokens that Men know more or less of a thing as they have Desires or Opportunities to learn it But that there are such Degrees appears by the Scripture where those that have only an imperfect and perfunctory Knowledg of Religion are compar'd to Infants who feed only upon Milk but they who arrive at a more full and accurate Certainty are liken'd to grown Men that can digest stronger Food 60. My next Observation is That the Subject of Faith must be intelligible to all since the Belief thereof is commanded under no less a Penalty than Damnation He that believetâ—… not shall be damn'd But shall any be damn'd for the Non-performance of Impossibilities Obligations to â—…elieve do therefore suppose a Possibility to understand I shew'd before that Contradiction and Nothing were convertible Terms and I may now say as much of Mystery in the Theological Sense for to speak freely Contradiction and Mystery are but two emphatick ways of saying Nothing Contradiction expresses Nothing by a couple of Ideas that destroy one another and Mystery expresses Nothing by Words that have no Ideas at all 61. The third Observation shall be That if any part of Scripture were unintelligible it could never be rightly translated except the Sound of the Words and not their Sense be look'd upon as the Revelation of God Terms can by no means be understood unless the things they denote be understood also I may well understand Things without their Names but never Names without knowing their Subjects And in good earnest to what sort of Assurance can any Man pretend that he has made a right Version of what he openly professes not to conceive It cannot be imagin'd how much the Notion of Mystery contributes to the Obscurity of Scripture in
antient Christians 22. HAving so dispatch'd these adequate Ideas and I know not what real Essences we come now to the main Point upon which the whole Controversy chiefly depends For the Question being whether or no Christianity is mysterious it ought to be naturally decided by the New Testament wherein the Christian Faith is originally contain'd I heartiâ—…y desire to put the Case upon this Issue I appeal to this Tribunal For did I not infinitely prefer the Truth I learn from these sacred Records to all other Considerations I should never assert that there are no Mysteries in Christianity The Scriptures have engag'd me in this Error if it be one and I will sooner be reputed Heterodox with these only on my side than to pass for Orthodox with the whole World and have them against me 23. Now by searching the Scriptures I find some of the Evangelick Doctrines call'd Mysteries in a more general or in a more particular Sense They are more generally so call'd with respect to all Mankind for being certain Matters of Fact only known to God and lodg'd in his Decree or such Events as were quite lost and forgot in the World it was impossible for any Person tho never so wise or learned to discover them for the things of God knoweth none but the Spirit of God as none can find out the secret Thoughts of Man till he tells them himself Such Revelations then of God in the New Testament are call'd Mysteries not from any present Inconceivableness or Obscurity but with respect to what they were before this Revelation as that is call'd our Task which we long since perform'd 24. If any should question this let him hear the Apostle Paul declare for himself and his Fellow-Labourers in the Gospel We speak says he the Wisdom of God hid in a MYSTERY which God ordain'd before the World for our Glory which none of the Princes of the World knew c. And to shew that this Divine Wisdom was a Mystery for want of revealing Information he presently subjoins Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the Heart of Man the things which God hath prepar'd for them that love him but God hath reveal'd them to us by his Spirit The most perspicacious Philosophers were not able to foretel the Coming of Christ to discover the Resurrection of the Body nor any other Matter of Fact that is deliver'd in the Gospel And if they happen'd now and then to say something like the Truth they did but divine at best and could never be certain of their Opinion It is a most delightful thing to consider what Pains the enquiring Heathens were often at to give a Reason for what depended not in the least upon any Principles in their Philosophy but was an historical Fact communicable by God alone or such as had undoubted Memoirs concerning it Of this I think it not amiss to add the following Example 25. The same Experience that taught the Gentiles their mortal Condition acquainted them also with the Frailty of their Natures and the numberless Calamities constantly attending them They could not perswade themselves that the Species of Man came in such deplorable Circumstances out of the Hands of an infinitely good and merciful Deity and so were inclin'd to impute all to the Wickedness of adult Persons till they perceiv'd that Death and Misfortune did not spare innocent Children more than Robbers and Pirates At last they imagin'd a pre-existent State wherein the Soul acting separately like Angels might have contracted some extraordinary Guilt and so for Punishment be thrust into the Body which they sometimes compar'd to a Prison but oftner to a Grave This was likewise the Origin of Transmigration tho in process of Time the Sins of this World became as much concern'd in that Opinion as those of the other But nothing is more ingenious than the Account which Cebes the Theban gives us of the Matter in his most excellent Portraiture of humane Life He feigns Imposture sitting in a Throne at the Gate of Life in the Shape of a most beautiful Lady holding a Cup in her Hand She obligingly presents it to all that are on their Journey to this World and these as civilly accept it but the Draught proves Ignorance and Error whence proceed all the Disorders and Misery of their Lives 26. This Point was a great Mystery to these honest Philosophers who had only Fancy to guide them and could not pretend to Instructions from the Mind of God but the thing is now no Mystery to us that have the Mind of Christ. We know that Adam the first Man became also the first Sinner and Mortal and that so the whole Race propagated from him could be naturally no better than he was By one Man Sin enter'd into the World and Death by Sin 27. But some Doctrines of the Gospel are more particularly call'd Mysteries because they were hid from God's peculiar People under the Mosaick Oeconomy not that they knew nothing concerning them for the Law had a Shadow of good things to come but they were not clearly and fully reveal'd till the New Testament Times being vail'd before by various Typical Representations Ceremonies and figurative Expressions Christ tells his Disciples Many Prophets and Kings have desir'd to see those things which you see and have not seen them and to hear those things which you hear and have not heard them Paul says we use great PLAINNESS of Speech and not as Moses who put a VAIL over his Face And then expresly adds that this VAIL is taken away in Christ which could not be truly affirm'd were the things reveal'd still inconceivable for I know no Difference between not hearing of a thing at all and not comprehending it when you do In another Place Paul has these remarkable Words The Preaching of Jesus Christ according to the REVELATION of the MYSTERY which was kept secret since the World began but now is made MANIFEST and by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to the Commandment of the everlasting God MADE KNOWN to all Nations for the Obedience of Faith 28. These Passages alone sufficiently prove the Assertions contain'd in N o 6 and 7 of this Section viz. First that the Mysteries of the Gospel were certain things in their own Nature intelligible enough but call'd Mysteries by reason of the Vail under which they were formerly hid Secondly that under the Gospel this Vail is wholly remov'd From which Thirdly follows the promis'd Conclusion that such Doctrines cannot now properly deserve the Name of Mysteries 29. It is observable that the hottest Sticklers for the Fathers do cite their Authority only where they think it makes for them and slight or suppress it when not favourable to their Cause Lest it should be maliciously insinuated that I serve the holy Scriptures after the same manner I shall here transcribe all the Passages of the New Testament where the
word Mystery occurs that a Man running may read with Conviction what I defend The whole may be commodiously reduc'd to these Heads First Mystery is read for the Gospel or the Christian Religion in general as it was a future Dispensation totally hid from the Gentiles and but very imperfectly known to the Jews Secondly Some particular Doctrines occasionally reveal'd by the Apostles are said to be manifested Mysteries that is unfolded Secrets And Thirdly Mystery is put for any thing vail'd under Parables or Enigmatical Forms of Speech Of all these in Order 30. Mystery is read for the Gospel or Christianity in general in the following Passages Rom. 16. 25 26. The Preaching of Jesus Christ according to the Revelation of the MYSTERY which was kept secret since the World began but now is made manifest and by the Writings of the Prophets according to the Commandment of the everlasting God made known to all Nations for the Obedience of Faith Now in what Sense could this Mystery be said to be reveal'd this Secret to be made manifest to be made known to all Nations by the Preaching of the Apostles if it remain'd still incomprehensible A mighty Favour indeed to bless the World with a parcel of uninâ—…elligible Notions or Expressions when it was already overstock'd with the Acroatick Discourses of Aristotle with the Esoterick Doctrines of Pythagoras and the Mysterious Jargon of the other Sects of Philosophers for they all made high Pretences to some rare and wonderful Secrets not communicable to every one of the Learned and never to any of the Vulgar By this means the obsequious Disciples apologiz'd for all that was found contradictory incoherent dubious or incomprehensible in the Works of their several Masters To any that complain'd of Inconsistency or Obscurity they presently answer'd O Sir the Philosopher said it and you ought therefore to believe it He knew his own Meaning well enough tho he car'd not it may be that all others should do it too So the Occasions of your Scruples Sir are only seeming and not real But the Christian Religion has no need of such miserable Shifts and Artifices there being nothing in it above or contrary to the strictest Reason And such as are of another Mind may as well justify the idle Dreams of the Philosophers the Impieties and Fables of the Alcoran or any thing as well as Christià nity The second Passage is in 1 Cor. 2. 7. the Words were but just now read and need not here be repeated The third Passage is in 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a Man so account of us as the Ministers of Christ and the Stewards or Dispensers of the MYSTERIES of God that is the Preachers of those Doctrines which God was pleas'd to reveal The fourth Passage is in Ephes. 6. 9. Praying for me that Utterance may be given unto me that I may open my Mouth boldly to make known the MYSTERY of the Gospel Parallel to this is the fifth Passage in Col. 4. 3 4. Praying also for us that God would open unto us a Door of Utterance to speak the MYSTERY of Christ that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak The Clearness of these Words admits of no Comment The sixth Passage is in Col. 2. 2. That their Hearts might be comforted being knit together in Love and unto all the Riches of the full Assurance of Understanding to the Knowledg of the MYSTERY of God and of the Father and of Christ. Here is evidently meant the Revelation of the Gospel-State for whatever right Conceptions the Jews might have of the Father they had not that full Knowledg of Christ and his Doctrines which are the inestimable Privileges we now enjoy The seventh Passage is in 1 Tim. 3. 8 9. Likewise must the Deacons be grave not double-tongu'd not given to much Wine nor greedy of filthy Lucre holding the MYSTERY of the Faith in a pure Conscience that is living to what they believe The eighth and last Passage relating to this Head is in 1 Tim. 3. 16. And without Controversy great is the MYSTERY of Godliness God was manifest in the Flesh justify'd in the Spirit seen of Angels preach'd unto the Gentiles believ'd on in the World receiv'd up into Glory I will not now insist upon the various Readings of these Words nor critically determine which is spurious or genuine All Parties how much soever they differ about their Sense agree that the Gradations of the Verse are Gospel-Revelations so that the Mystery of Godliness cannot be restrain'd to any one but is common to them all It refers not to the Nature of any of them in particular but to the Revelation of 'em all in general And it must be granted without any Dispute that the gracious Manifestation of Christ and his Gospel is not only to us wonderfully stupendous and surprizing but that it was likewise a very great Mystery to all preceding the New Testament Dispensation From these Passages it appears that the Gospel and the following Expressions are synonymous viz. The Mystery of the Faith the Mystery of God and Christ the Mystery of Godliness and the Mystery of the Gospel No Doctrine then of the Gospel is still a Mystery for the Apostles conceal'd nothing from us that was useful and have acquainted us with the whole Counsel of God but 't is the Gospel it self that was heretofore indeed a Mystery and cannot now after it is fully reveal'd properly deserve that Appellation 31. We design in the second place to shew that certain Matters occasionally reveal'd by the Apostles were only Mysterious before that Revelation The Jews who scarce allow'd other Nations to be Men thought of nothing less than that the time should ever come wherein those Nations might be reconcil'd to God and be made Coheirs and Partakers with them of the same Privileges This was never theless resolv'd upon in the Divine Decree and to the Jews was a Mystery but ceases so to continue after the Revelation of it to Paul who in his Epistles has openly declar'd it to ail the World The first Passage we shall alledg to that purpose is in Eph. 3. 1 6 9. If you have heard of the Dispensation of the Grace of God which is given me to you-ward how that by Revelation he made known unto me the MYSTERY as I wrote before in few Words whereby when you read you may understand my Knowledg in the MYSTERY of Christ which in other Ages was not made known unto the Sons of Men as it is now reveai'd unto us his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit that the Gentiles should be Fellow-heirs and of the same Body and Partakers of his Promise in Christ by the Gospel and to make all Men see what is the Fellowship of the MYSTERY which from the Beginning of the World hath been hid in God The second Passage is in Rom. 11. 25. For I would not Brethren that you should be ignorant of this MYSTERY that Blindness in part is happen'd