hear Persons of different Judgments cite the same Passages of Holy Writ should not give Offence to any Because that Trumpet gives an uncertain Sound I see no reason why the Parties should prepare themselves for Battle and Dispute with so much Fierceness and Rage as generally they do I cannot sufficiently Admire and Commend the excellent Candor and Moderation of the first Pious Reformers of Our Church who in such Articles as are Dubious and Disputable have not shewed themselves Stiff and Peremptory Rigid and Magisterial have not wound up the Strings too high lest they should marr the Harmony and Peace of the Church But where the Arguments are deemed to be Equal on both Sides they have allowed us an ingenuous Freedom and permit us to make use of our own Judgments and yet at the same time severely and indispensably urge upon us all Articles that are of the Foundation and which are certainly known to be True And this brings me to the Fifth and Last Rank of Principles in our Holy Religion and they are Fundamental and Necessary and of the very Essence of Christianity Of which sort are the Doctrines of Man's Corruption and Degeneracy of the Reparation made by Christ the Redeemer of Forgiveness and Justification by his Blood c. with all those substantial Articles of Faith comprised in the Creed which goes under the Name of the Apostles These are the Christian Verities and these are clear and manifest in God's Word and have plain Evidence of Scripture and are agreed upon by all Sober and Considerate Persons who have not renounced the Christian Profession Here it is that we have the greatest Use and Guidance of Scripture and for that plain Direction which it gives us in these we are to Prize and Value it as the Richest Treasure nay as the Only Treasure in the World For from this Inspired Book alone we have these Heavenly and Divine Doctrines they were originally in no other Writings in the World but these Wherefore let us look upon these grand Truths as the main and necessary Contents of the Bible and as the Matters which we are indispensably concerned in As for those Texts which are Obscure and Difficult or which relate not to Faith or Manners and consequently are not necessary to be known let us not be displeased that we cannot reach the meaning of them Let it not seem strange that Interpreters vary here and cannot agree about the Sense of these Places St. Ierom upon the Place saith thus St. Augustin otherwise and St. Chrisostom varies from both and it may be a fourth differs from these and a fifth comes and diffents from them all This doth not offend me in the least for where the Scripture speaks of things that are Abstruse or speaks in an obscure and dark manner it is not strange that we have not a clear and plain discovery of those Passages and consequently that those Writers who have treated of them differ in their Expositions Let not this trouble us for it was God's Will there should be these Difficulties in Scripture and he hath not made it necessary for us to have the certain sense and meaning of these Places But this should satisfy us that whatever is necessary to Salvation is plainly revealed declared and written in the Old and New Testament and that the Knowledge of this alone is absolutely necessary This then is that which I say that if Christian Men would read the Bible to learn thence these undoubted Principles and their indispensable Duty and not to furnish themselves with Matter of Dispute they would be the happiest People under Heaven and be no longer Scandalous to the greater which is the Unbelieving Part of the World by their Dissentions and Disagreements O when will that Blessed Day come when Rectified and Unbiassed Reason and the plain Arbitrement of Scripture shall decide the Controversies in Christendom If these were once admitted as Impartial Umpires they would make short Work of all the Quarrels about Religion namely by pronouncing Many of them to be vain Janglings and Most of them Unreasonable and Absurd by assuring the Christian World That if they would lay aside Prejudice and Interest and Vile-Affections nothing would appear so Clear and Evident and Undisputable as the Fundamental Doctrines above-named and that all who name the Name of Christ are obliged to Embrace and Profess these necessary and unquestionable Maxims and that they ought to be Wary and Modest in their Determinations concerning other Propositions which are uncertain and that in Matters which are Indifferent and Circumstantial it is Reasonable that they should either conform themselves to the Practice of the Church they live in or mutually agree to bear with one another Where then is there any place left for Uncharitable Disputes and Unchristian Animosities No where certainly but where meer Wilfulness and Perversness reign For are not the Rules and Standards of Truth Easy and Intelligible Have we not the Eternal Laws of Reason the immediate Directions of Nature and the Convictions of our own Minds and moreover have we not the Infallible Oracles and Inspired Writings to rectify our Mistakes Have we not Heavenly and Divine Knowledge to Exalt our Natural Notions Hath not the Divine Goodness blessed us with abundant Discoveries both from the Law of Nature and the Positive Laws of Christ Jesus but more especially from the Latter that compleat Body of Divine Laws that Authentick Volume of Religion that Inestimable Treasury of true Wisdom and Knowlege So that if we will sincerely make use of these Helps which God hath given us we shall have no occasion to renew this Demand What is Truth Now to the God of Truth and Father of Lights and to his Son Christ Iesus who is the Way and the Truth and to the Holy Spirit of Truth and Grace be ascribed everlasting Honour and Glory Amen Why Rulers and Iudges are called Gods A Sermon Preach'd before the Iudges at the Assizes held at Cambridge PSALM LXXXII 6 7. I have said Ye are Gods and all of you are the Children of the most High But ye shall die like Men and fall like one of the Princes THIS Psalm may not unfitly be stiled the Iudges or Magistrates Psalm for of them it speaks and for them it was Penn'd that they might understand their Duty and not be ignorant of their Dignity that they might know how to discharge their Office which is briefly summed up in the third and fourth Verses and that they might be assured likewise that Heaven it self hath vouched their Function and authorized their Profession that they might be Ascertained that those of their Eminent Rank and Quality are under the peculiar Influence of Providence that they are God's Charge and that they are themselves Gods I have said Ye are Gods In which Words and the following ones which I have read to you we may take notice of these Two General Parts viz. a Concession and a Correction 1st An honourable Concession of
all unjust Prejudice and causeless Iealousie all Hatred and Malice and desire of Revenge and whatsoever may hinder us from discerning the things that belong unto our Peace And by the power of thy holy Spirit do thou dispose all our Hearts to such meekness of Wisdom lowliness of Mind Patience Gentleness and long-suffering and forbearance of one another in Love and such Honour and Reverence of those whom thou hast set over us as becomes the Sons of Peace that so the God of Peace may be with us Give us grace O Lord seriously to lay to heart the great Dangers we are in by our unhappy Divisions and the great Obligations which lie upon us to godly Vnion and Concord That as there is but one Body and one Spirit and one Hope of our Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of us all so we may henceforth be all of one Heart and of one Soul united in one holy Bond of Truth and Peace of Faith and Charity and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee O Lord who with thy Father and holy Spirit livest and reignest oâ—â— God world without end Amen The Use and Abuse of APPAREL In Two Sermons occasion'd by the present Excess in that kind 1 TIM II. 8 9. I will that Women adorn themselves in modest Apparel with Shame-facedness and Sobriety Not with broidered Hair or Gold or Pearls or costly Aray IF you impartially view the general Practice of this Age you cannot but look upon these Words as one of the most Seasonable Portions of Scripture that can be offer'd to your Consideration For among the many Follies and Vices which prevail amongst us the indulging of an Extravagant Way of Attire is not the least Wherefore I reckon it part of my Office and Function to chastise this Reigning Excess and in order to the Reforming of it if I may be so happy as to Influence upon any of you by this Discourse I will undertake these Three Things I. To shew the True and Proper Vse of Apparel II. To discover the Abuse of it and to let you see how it becomes Unlawful and Vitious and unworthy of sober and modest Christians III. To make some Practical Deductions from these Things and to disswade you from that Excess which is now grown so Common by setting before you the Evils and Mischiefs of it which you will find to be so great and so many that I hope you will be prevail'd with to abandon that undue Practice There is a fourfold Vse or Design of Apparel The First whereof is to hide aâ—d shrowd our Nakedness For though in tâ—e State of Innocency when the Image of God shined bright in the Soul of Man the very Nakedness of his Body was Beauty nor needed he any other Covering than his Original Integrity and Righteousness with God had adorn'd him yet when he offended against Heaven and defaced the Image of his Maker and became a guilty Creature he was ashamed of the Nakedness of his Body and accordingly made himself a Garment of Fig-leaves 3 Gen. 7. Afterwards God himself was pleas'd to instruct him how to make a more substantial and solid sort of Cloathing viz. Coats of Skins v. 21. i.e. of the Skins or Hides of Beasts And ever afterwards among the Civilized Nations of the World Garments have been in use for the same End that they were at first that is for Modesty sake About the Middle of the Fourteenth Century there arose an Heretical sort of People call'd Adamites who gain'd that Name because they imitated Adam's Nakedness in Paradice for they contended that since the Restauration wrought by Christ the Pristine Nakedness should be resumed and Men and Women being now reduced to the Primitive State of Innocency ought to go without Cloathing But this silly Sect who divested themselves of Sobriety and Reason before they stript themselves of their Apparel were justly exploded by wise and sober Men and their Practice voted to be unlawful because the Fall hath left a great Depravity in Men and the best of them are not perfectly healed of it So that we now have the like Reason to be ashamed of our Nakedness that our first Parents had to be of theirs and consequently we have need of a Covering as they had Secondly Garments are for Distinction sake Different Habits are not only for the differencing of the Sexes and therefore the Old Testament makes the promiscuous Use of Men and Womens Apparel unlawful but for making a Discrimination between the Qualities or Ranks of Persons Accordingly in all Ages except the very first when there were but few People in the World and there was not such an occasion for discriminating of Persons from one another the Qualities of Men were distinguish'd by their respective Garbs Not only Kings and Queens were differenc'd from their Subjects by their Royal Apparel 6 Est. 8. but there were Vestures proper and peculiar to other Orders and Dignities Offices and Degrees of Men 1 Sam. 18. 4. 1 Iob 20. 4 Lam. 5. 15 Luk. 22. 16. 19. Ioseph refus'd not to wear Pharaoh's Ring that he put upon his Hand nor to be aray'd in Vestures of fine Linnen and to wear a Gold Chain about his Neck 41 Gen. 42. Mordecai and Daniel were cloath'd with rich and stately Ornaments suitable to the Degree they were advanc'd to 8 Esth. 15. 5 Dan. 29. We read of precious Cloaths or according to the Hebrew Cloaths of Freedom 27 Ezek. 20. i.e. such Garments as became free and ingenuous Men such as those of the better Quality were cloath'd with Among the old Romans the Rank of Persons was known by their Habits The Purple Embroider'd Vesture with large Studs like broad Nail's Heads thence call'd Laticlavia was used only by the Senators and Noblemen Divers kinds of Shooes were worn at Rome according to the different Quality of the Inhabitants And the like Distinction of Garbs hath been among All Nations When our Saviour tells us That they who wear soft Rayment are in Kings Houses 11 Mat. 8. he doth not condemn the Use of rich and goodly Attire which are meant by Soft Rayment but he intimates this Distinction which I am now speaking of And so it is as much as if he had said By their Habit you may know them to be Courtiers He allows Men to be attir'd according to their Place and Degree Christianity doth not disrobe Men of their Distinctive Garments For this was one Design of Apparel viz. To discriminate between Persons of an higher and a lower Degree Yea we read that the immediate Ministers of Religion among the Iews were according to God's Command distinguish'd from the People by a peculiar Manner of Garb Which was imitated by others afterwards and would it is likely have been practis'd by the Apostles and first Ecclesiastical Persons in the Christian Church if their Conspicuousness of the Cloathing would not have made them too much known to their Enemies and so would have been
not be misinterpreted And now I have produced every individual place of Scripture where the word Mystery occurs and I have faithfully and impartially set them before the Considerate in their true and proper light that they may have a view of the right and genuine meaning of them and not misunderstand and misapply the word as some have done to the great prejudice of Truth but that more especially they may be convinc'd of this that Mystery as it is applied in the Sacred Writ to the Christian Doctrines expresses the Nature of them and lets us know that Christianity hath this Title given it because it is a Real Mystery in it self Wherefore after I have thus clear'd the way I will offer this Proposition and make it good that the Sublime Truths of the Christian Religion still retain and ever shall the nature of a Mystery This in general is evident from that idea and notion which we have of a Mystery which we learn from the Original denotation of the word whether we borrow it from the Hebrew or Greek viz. that it is some Hidden Secret thing some thing Shut up for such are the Chief Doctrines and Truths of the Gospel they are in a great measure hid and as it were lock'd up from us Many of the Articles of our Christian Faith are cover'd with great Darkness a Veil is cast over them and we are not able to penetrate into them Thus Christianity is a Mystery But particularly and distinctly to demonstrate this I will insist upon these two Heads 1 Christianity is an incomprehensible Mystery in a special manner to some 2. In a more extensive way of speaking it is so to all I begin with the first Christianity is in a special and singular way a Mystery to some persons and ever will be Those whom I here mean are all such as according to the Apostle's Emphatick stile lie in their wickedness continue in their state of Degeneracy and Corruption and have felt nothing of the Divine Birth and Renovation which are the sole gift of the Holy Spirit These as long as they remain in this wretched state are in darkness as the same Inspired Writer speaks that is they have no Effectual and Saving Knowledge of the divine Truths of the Gospel they understand nothing of them to any purpose for these cannot be thus known but by Divine Illumination by a Supernatural discovery from above which they wilfully debar themselves of Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast reveal'd them unto babes saith our Blessed Lord Mat. 11. 33. Therefore to the former of these the Fundamental doctrines of the Gospel concerning the Redemption of mankind by the Blood of Iesus and much more the doctrines of Regeneration Faith Self-denial Mortification c. are no other than Mysteries yea insignificant Iargon to them We hear the same Infallible Master speaking at another time thus It is given it is a Particular Donation a Special Grant unto you my Disciples to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven but to them i.e. the whole Multitude who are not Enlightned it is not given Mat. 13. 11. There are such representations of those Heavenly and Divine things made by the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the Regenerate as are not to be found in others Which is according to those other Sayings of our Saviour The Spirit of Truth the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him i.e. in a Saving way but ye know him Joh. 14. 17. O righteous Father the world hath not known thee Joh. 17. 25. They are in the dark and all thy Sacred Truths are Riddles to them And this is the Apostolical doctrine The Natural man receives not discerns not entertains not the things of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2. 14. The Natural or Animal man here meant saith an Ancient Father of the Church is he that lives according to the flesh and hath not his mind yet enlightned by the Spirit But he adds this to the Character That he is one that hath only that inbred and humane knowledge which the Creator furnishes all mens minds with And so other Ancient Writers interpret the words as we shall hear afterwards According to the Learned Grotius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not one that is govern'd by the affections of his fleshly part but he that is lead only by the light of Humane Reason he that hath no other light but that of Nature This Interpretation of this Learned Writer is the more considerable because the persons I 'm concern'd with at present have so great an esteem and veneration and that not unjustly for him and boast that he is theirs It appears they are mistaken for now he is ours whilst he directly and expresly avows the Apostle's Natural or Animal Man to be one that is wholly conducted by the light of Natural Reason and Humane Wisdom Such a one having no Supernatural guidance and direction cannot as long as he is such attain to a Right Knowledge of the things of God because they are foolishness unto him as the Apostle here subjoyns Nay he adds further he cannot know them there is no Possibility of the thing That the Natural man should rightly perceive the things of the Spirit of God implies as evident a Contradiction as to say a Blind man should be able to see things visible So a Judicious Divine of our Church expresses himself concerning this matter The ground of the Apostle's Assertion follows which is very remarkable These things saith he of the Spirit of God can't be known by a Natural man because they are Spiritually discerned Spiritual things are discover'd and known in a peculiar way and such as is proper to Good and Holy men only These persons have an inward sense and conviction of the Reality of the things and they know the true Value and Worth of them They know them so as to make them their own proper Concern they know them so as to feel an influence from them on their hearts affections and lives Thus a Religious person knows and discovers these things in an other manner than Natural and Vnregenerate men do It is true the knowledge of both these is alike as to some sort of discoveries relating to Holy things Thus not only the Grammatical Critical Rhetorical Historical and Philosophical part of the Bible may be understood by the one as well as the other for the Worst men may have as great an insight into these as the Best but even the Theological part of this Inspired Book so far as is meant by it the meer Speculative and Notional discovery of Divine Truths may be equally known by both But to know the Truths contain'd in this Sacred Volume so as to be better'd by them is from Supernatural Light alone and this is it which distinguishes the Spiritual from the Natural man This latter falls
short of the other in this that he hath not attain'd to that Spiritual discerning of Evangelical truths which the Apostle speaks of and without which it is utterly impossible to have such a knowledge of them as will be effectual to Salvation and Happiness I will add only one Text more 2 Cor. 4. 3. If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world i.e. Satan hath blinded the minds of them who believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them Here it is implied that the Gospel is hid from some persons yea and we are told from whom viz. such as according to the foregoing stile of the Apostle are Natural men those that live in their sins and suffer their minds to be blinded and perverted to be corrupted and debauch'd by the Diabolick Spirit the Prince and Ruler of this lower world To such the Gospel and the Truths of it are meer Darkness Thus it abundantly appears from the Sacred Writ whence we are to fetch our discoveries concerning these things that the Proposition which I laid down is an impregnable and unshaken Truth viz. that Christianity retains still the nature of a Mystery and that more especially as so some persons The Reason is plain because Natural Strength is not sufficient of it self to discover these Divine Truths Unless the Soul be illuminated by the Holy Spirit these remain unintelligible and wholly ineffectual and useless as to any Saving vertue and efficacy This I take to be the meaning of our Saviour's words Iohn 3. 3. Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God Unless as the Apostle speaks he be renewed in the spirit of his mind and that by the power of the Holy Ghost he cannot understand aright the Truths of the Gospel which is call'd frequently the kingdom of God and of heaven he cannot see he cannot enter into as 't is express'd in v. 5. those divine things This is that which our Saviour avers Mat. 11. 27. Neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son and he to whosoever the Son will reveal him viz. by an Inward and Effectual Discovery for they had the Outward Revelation then When the Apostle St. Peter acknowledged Christ to be the Son of the living God our Saviour told him that flesh and blood had not reveal'd this to him but his Father who is in heaven Mat. 16. 17. It was not the work of Nature but of the Spirit of God the Father that had effectually wrought this Knowledge in him This sort of Light is peculiarly from the Father of lights this Singular Wisdom is from above and accordingly as some interpret that place Iohn 3. 13. the knowledge of these Heavenly and Spiritual things is call'd ascending up to heaven From thence is deriv'd that Insight into the things of God which no Natural man hath attain'd to For in this Degenerate State of mankind the Great Points of our Religion are under a Seal and lock'd up from us and are never to be disclosed till a Divine Light opens our eyes We must of necessity remain Blind till that Eye-Salve Rev. 3. 18. be effectually applied And it can be applied only by the Holy Spirit whose proper work it is to dispel that spiritual darkness whereby the mind is indisposed to understand and discern divine matters aright This is variously express'd in the Holy Writings viz. by such terms as these shining in our hearts to give the light of knowledge 2 Cor. 4. 6. giving us an understanding to know 1 John 5. 20. enlightning the eyes of our understanding Eph. 1. 18. an Vnction from the Holy One 1 John 2. 20. Which cannot be better paraphras'd and explain'd than in the words of an Eminent Prelate of our Church The same Spirit which revealeth the Object of Faith generally to the Universal Church doth also illuminate the understanding of such as believe that they may receive the Truth For Faith is the gift of God not only in the Object but also in the Act. And afterwards in the Close he hath these words We affirm not only the Revelation of the Will of God but also the Illumination of the Soul of Man to be part of the office of the Holy Spirit of God against the Old and New Palagians So that Judicious Writer It is this Holy Instructor that disposes the mind to receive the light of Divine Truth by curing it of its Natural Darkness and Ignorance and by preparing the heart to receive its Rays There is required a Special Grace of the Holy Ghost to enlighten the Soul and to make due impressions upon it The â—aculty of the Understanding must be puriâ—ied and so made fit to apprehend Spiritual objects This is part of the Renewed Nature and Regenerate Principle and consequently where this is not the Great Doctrines of Christianity are Hidden Secrets and Unknown Mysteries From what hath been said I will only draw these Two Corollaries 1. It is no wonder that the Followers of Socinus will not acknowledge Christianity to be a Mystery for they hold there is no necessity of â— Supernatural Light no need of Illumination from the Spirit in order to the due apprehending and understanding of the Divine Truths of the Gospel There is they say in all men that natural ability whereby they are capable of discerning all Spiritual and Heavenly matters in a spiritual way They are enabled by virtue of an Inbred Power in their minds abstract from what is Supernatural to perceive and believe as they ought all the Evangelical doctrines propounded to them Wolzogen ridicules the Internal and Supernatural Illumination I have been speaking of Velthusius an Author that is much applauded by some of Socinus's follwers tells us plainly That the knowledge of a regenerate and unregenerate man concerning the things and mysteries of faith differs not from the light of Reason I appeal to the Intelligent whether this be not an approach to an Heresie long since condemned in the Christian Church It is well known that it was the Pelagian Error to assert that men can attain to a perfect knowledge of their duty and an ability to perform it by meer Natural Reason by the bare help of that light which Nature gives them And in this as well as some other Points the Socinians symbolize with those Ancient Hereticks They cry up Reason as the Only thing in Religion this with them like the Archaeus among the Chymists doth all feats produces all operations Though these men seem to be great Abhorrers of those who talk of the Light within them yet it is evident that they allow of the very same Principle and Practise they equal the Light of Reason to the Holy Scripture and say it will serve instead of this and that it is as good as Scripture because all men may be Saved by it Therefore this they urge
as the One thing Necessary in Religion and assure their Proselytes that this alone is sufficient to conduct them to Eternal Happiness Which is not unlike the Attempt of those late Iesuites who would teach the people of China and Siam the way to Heaven by the Mathematicks These men whom I am speaking of pretend to effect every thing in Christianity and to climb Heaven it self by meer Natural Strength and Humane Accomplishments as appears from the express words of the Racovian Catechism That there is no need of the inward gift of the Holy Spirit that we may believe the Gospel no not at all They have another way of Believing viz. by a strength of their own by the natural conduct and improvement of their Faculties And if True Faith then such a Knowledge as accompanies Salvation is to be acquir'd after the same manner and no other for a man need not be beholding to the Holy Spirit for it It is no wonder that those who talk thus find no Mysteries in Christianity 2. This gives an account of that Scarcity of true Divine Knowledge and Religion which is observable in the world There are Secrets in the Christian Faith which are known but by a few and therefore True Christians must needs be Rare There is indeed an Equivocal sort of Christians in the world who boldly assume the Name but are strangers to the Thing it self they boast of that Honourable Title but are regardless of the True Import of it and to use the Apostle's words though they think they know something they know nothing as they ought to know 1 Cor. 8. 2. These are very Numerous and every place swarms with them but the number of those who have a Practical Knowledge and Sense of Gospel-Truths is very mean and low The Multitude of those who derive their denomination from Christ have not attain'd to this Accomplishment and the reason is because it is by their own default hidden from them they are unwilling to receive the Divine Supernatural Light into their minds Let us implore the assistance of the Holy Spirit the Great and Heavenly Mystagogue the Effectual Interpreter of Divine Secrets and who alone can discover them to us that he would vouchsafe to enlighten and irradiate our souls in such a manner as shall be really beneficial to us Let us beg the aid of the Spirit of Truth to lead us into the Advantageous Knowledge of all Evangelical Truths and to enable us to feel them as well as know them Thus much of the First Branch of the Proposition founded on the words Christianity Mysterious A Sermon shewing that there are Mysteries properly so call'd in the Christian Religion With the True Reasons of it and the Natural Consequences from it Preached before the Vniversity at St. Mary's in Cambridge Iune 29. 1697. And since much Enlarged 1 TIM III. 16. And without controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness HAving in a former Discourse shew'd that Christianity is a Mystery to some more especially now I will pass to the Second thing I undertook viz. to prove that it is such even in a general way unto every one There are several Great Truths in the Gospel which the Spiritual Man can no more arrive to a full knowledge of than the Natural man can With relation and respect even to All persons whomsoever the sublime Truths of the Christian Religion still retain and ever shall the nature of a Mystery And I choose the rather to treat on this Subject because I verily believe it is of that nature and influence that if it were duly entertain'd it would be serviceable to put an end to all the Disputes and Cavils against the Doctrine of the Trinity and other Important Points that relate to it There would be no farther Contest about these if the abovesaid Proposition did but take place in mens minds This must needs be so at least in the nature of the thing it self because when it shall appear that there are Fathomless Secrets in Christianity and that they were design'd to be so yea and to be so to all as well as to some this cannot but supersede all Controversies about 〈◊〉 This with ingenuous and rational Spirits solves all Difficulties this with religious and pious minds answers all Doubts and fully satisfies all Scruples This thereâ—ore is the thing which I will evince that â—here are such Secrets as these in our Reliâ—â—on that there are many things in this Holy Institution which we have but a Dark and Imperfect notice of and it is impossible for us to attain to any other and these are properly stiled Mysteries That one Text alone 1 Cor. 13. 9 12. is sufficient to prove this We know in part saith the Apostle which refers to the knowledge mention'd in the foregoing verse by which as it is agreed by all is to be understood the knowledge of Divine and Evangelical matters and then it follows by way of natural consequence We prophesie in part for our instructing of others must be answerable to our own knowledge which is but in part He superadds Now we see through a glass that is either as men looking through a Perspective on an Object a great way off and therefore made Obscure by its great Distance from the eye or as persons beholding themselves in a Glass or Mirror which manner of expression St. Iames uses to signifie a Slight View 1 Iam. 23. and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But this Apostle thinks not this sufficient to set forth the Meanness and Deficiency of our Knowledge of Sacred matters but he adds another Emphatick expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a riddle i.e. in a very Obscure dark and intricate manner and therefore our Translators render it darkly The sum of what the Apostle saith is this that we have but a Partial discovery of some Divine Truths our Sight of them is very Imperfect there are certain Points of Christianity which are not within the sphere of our Capacities but are in themselves Aenigmatical and Abstruse And these passages are the more considerable if we call to mind the peculiar quality of the Person who writes thus It was that Apostle who was famous for his Knowledge he who among all the Apostles was the only man that was brought up a Scholar for we read that he was educated in the School of Gamaliel a Celebrated Hebrew Doctor and Professor and thence was stock'd with all the Iewish Literature And he that was well skill'd in the Heathen Poets as his Quotations in the New Testament let us know was questionless not defective in other parts of Humane Learning which he had the advantage of furnishing himself within his own Native City that of Tarsus which was at that time a famous Vniversity And these Excellencies joyn'd with his own Natural Parts and Endowments which as we may gather from his Acute Reasonings and Arguings on all occasions were of the highest
of Wealth is the Natural Product and Just Penalty of Vice in a Nation A Sermon Preach'd at the Proclaiming and Opening of a Great Fair. EZEK XXVII 27. Thy Riches and thy Fairs and thy Merchandize thy Mariners and thy Pilots thy Calkers and the Occupiers of thy Merchandize and all thy Men of War that are in thee and in all thy Company which is in the midst of thee shall fall in the midst of the Seas in the Day of thy Ruine P. 133 SERM. VI. The Lawfulness and Necessity of Going to War on Just Occasions A Sermon occasion'd by the Proclaiming of the War against France GEN. XVIII 14. And when Abram heard that his Brother was taken Captive be armed his trained Servants born in his own House Three Hundred and Eighteen and pursued them unto Dan Pag. 160 SERM. VII The true Causes of the Ill Success of War A Sermon Preach'd on a Fast Day appointed by Their Majesties for the Imploring God's Blessing on their Forces by Sea and Land JOSH. VII 12. Therefore the Children of Israel could not stand before their Enemies but turned their Backs before their enemies because they were accursed Neither will I be with you any more except you destroy the Accursed thing from amongst you Pag. 192 SERM. VIII The Extream Danger of Intestine Divisions in a Kingdom A Sermon Preach'd before Sir Iohn Hoâ—blon late Lord Mayor and Alderman at Guild-hall Chappel MARK III. 24. And if a Kingdom be divided against it self that Kingdom cannot stand P. 225 SERM. IX X. The Use and Abuse of Apparel In Two Sermons occasion'd by the present Excess in that kind 1 TIM II. 8 9. I will that Women adorn themselves in modest Apparel with Shamefacedness and Sobriety Not with broidered Hair or Gold or Pearls or costly Aray Pag. 257 SERM. XI Christianity Mysterious A Sermon shewing the true Meaning and Acception of the word Mystery in Scripture and why the Christian Religion is called a Mystery occasion'd by some late Socinian Writings which Explode all Christian Mysteries 1 TIM III. 16. And without Controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness Pag. 328 SERM. XII Christianity Mysterious A Sermon shewing that there are Mysteries properly so called in the Christian Religion With the true Reasons of it and the Natural Consequences from it Preach'd before the University at St. Mary's in Cambridge Iune 29. 1697. and since much Enlarged 1 TIM III. 16. And without Controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness P. 365 ERRATA PAg. 11. l. 14. r Monstrous p. 19. l. 27. r. of Truth p. 92. l. ult dele were p 142. l. 4. r. thence p. 171. l. 20. r. one p. 176. l. 12. after Blood inseâ—t a 〈◊〉 point p. 178. l. 1. for on r. to p. 262. l. 2. r. there for their and their for the. p. 268. l. 1. dele were l. 17. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 269. l. ult r. Muliebri p. 271. l. 12. r. restrained p. 278. l. 5. r. gorgeous p. 279. l. 2. r. exotick p. 289. l. 18. r. supercilious p. 304. l. 7. r. altum p. 322. l. 8. r. Viands p. 345. l. 22. before which insert v. 9. p. 351. l. 5. r. things as the Spirits cleansing and. p. 380. l. 10. r. give it p. 389. l. 7. r. rarities With other Faults in the Greek and Latin which the Reader is desired to correct An Answer to Pilate's Question What is Truth A Sermon Preach'd before King Charles II. at Newmarket JOHN XVIII 38. Pilate saith unto him What is Truth ONE Signal Circumstance of our Saviour's Meritorious Passion was That which we daily rehearse in the Creed That he Suffered under Pontius Pilate And truly from the Character which is given this Person not only by the Evangelists but Other Writers he appears to have been a Fit Man for that Execrable work of Condemning the Lord of Life For who was more so than the Covetous and Greedy Pilate who attempted to Rob the Temple and Sacrilegiously to Rifle the Corban as Iosephus relateth Who could be Fitter than He to receive a Bribe from the Jews and even against his Conscience to deliver up the Messias a Victim to their fury and malice Who than He who had inhumanly mingled the Galileans Blood with their Sacrifices was Fitter to be employ'd when the Great Sacrifice of the World was to be offered and when Iesus of Galilee from whom his followers were called Galileans was to give his Blood for the Redemption of Mankind But though this Man was thus fitly Disposed and Prepared for his Work yet the Bloody Sentence against our Saviour was not to be pronounced by him without the Preamble of a Formal Arraignment and Trial. And accordingly the Innocent Iesus was set to the Bar and this Roman Governour took the Bench where as you will find by the Context this Iudg was full of his Interrogatories and propounded several and those not Inconsiderable Questions But among them all there was none certainly that was in it self more Substantial and Useful than this What is Truth And it was as Pertinent as it was Weighty for it was justly occasioned by our Lord's Plea and Protestation in Court viz. That notwithstanding the malicious Jews had Accused him as an Impostor yet to This end he was born and for â—his cause he came into the world that he might 〈◊〉 â—itness to the Truth v. 37. As if our Saviour had said Whereas Error and Falshood have 〈◊〉 a long time in the World and the 〈◊〉 have miserably perverted the Law of Nature and great numbers of them have been spoiled through their Philosophy and vain Deceit And likewise among you Iews the Meaning of God's Written Law is depraved by the Corrupt Doctrines of the Superstitious Pharisees and Prophane Sadducees the former a sort of Hebrew Stoicks the later a kind of Iewish Epicures and Atheists and you are divided into several Other Disagreeing Sects and Schools and go on daily to corrupt and stifle the True Notions of Morality and Religion and even utterly to take away the Key of Knowledge and Truth Whereas things are Thus The Great Design of my Visiting mankind is of a Contrary nature namely to lead them to Right Apprehensions of things to baffle all Error and Delusion and to direct them most effectually into the way of Truth And every one that is of the Truth heareth my voice v. 37. that is Those who are Competent Judges and Sincere Lovers of Truth will soon descry My Doctrin to be fraught with the Highest and most Important Verities and will imbrace it as the Greatest Blessing that was ever vouchsafed to the World Pilate hearing our Saviour discourse of Truth puts this Question to him in the Text. It is Luther's Conjecture that he did it out of Kindness to our Lord for Pilate saith he being a worldly-wise man and willing to relâ—ase Christ did as much as say to him What wilt thou dispute concerning TRUTH in these Wicked Times of the World TRUTH is
This is the Christian Truth Our singular Glory whereby We are distinguished from all those who profess any other Religions whatsoever whether of the Unbelieving Iews or the Idolatrous Gentiles or the Deluded Saracens and Turks or downright Atheists and others of a like Perverse Perswasion These all Err especially the three first Ranks of Men by not knowing or not imbracing the Scriptures which are deservedly stiled The Word of Truth and are the only supreme Rule of Faith and Doctrin We then who imbrace this Christian Rule are Blessed with that Institution which is Pure and Undefiled which is grounded on undoubted Revelation which is backed by a more sure Word of Prophecy which hath a divine Impress stamped upon it So that Our Religion as far surmounts all Others as the Gold which hath passed the Refiners Fire and hath the Royal Stamp upon it outbids the common Ore and shames its Dross and meaner Alloy You see then which are the unalterable Standards of Truth viz. Reason and Revelation the Light of Nature and of Scripture And I dare confidently aver that if our Enquiries and Determinations in Religion were faithfully managed by these two it were impossible to fail of Truth If we would but act thus as Men and Christians and that is as we ought to do we cannot miss of it For it is certainly the Purchase of all those who make a right Use of their Rational Powers and also help and direct those Powers by the Revelation of the Sacred Spirit in the Holy Scriptures By these two we may examine the Truth of the Whole Christian Religion and we shall find that it will abide the Test. By these Standards of Truth we may examine the Doctrins of all Seducers that are abroad in the World and we shall find them to be False and Adulterate If we would sincerely follow these Rules the great Diversity of Opinions and Sentiments amongst us would soon be reconciled If we would faithfully take these Measures i.e. always be Ruled and Conducted by Reason and Scripture we should easily agree upon what is to be believed and asserted in Religion and all our Disputes and Controversies would vanish Now from what hath been hitherto Discoursed we may in some good measure be able not only to return an Answer to Pilates Question What is Truth but to another near a kin to it viz. What is Error and Falshood All Propositions which contradict the common Notices and first Principles in our Minds and which affront right Reason and the plain Deductions made from it are to be looked upon as False And on the same account those Assertions which overthrow the Verdict of our Senses and much more those that imply Contradictions in them and consequently Impossibilities cannot be True And on These Grounds I might shew that the Divinity of some High-flown Enthusiasts and the Doctrin of the Roman Catholicks concerning Transubstantiation are justly to be impeached of Falshood Again whatsoever Assertions in any Religion are repugnant to Divine Revelation to God's Will declared by some Positive Law to such Discoveries as are known to be immediately from Heaven these must necessarily be False And on this Ground the Religion of the Pagans Iews and Mahometans must be voted to be such because they oppose an Infallible Revelation and That confirmed by unparallelled Miracles And semblably in Christianity all those Tenents of several Sects which bid defiance to any part of the Sacred Scripture which is left us by the Holy Ghost as the generality of the Roman Opinions the Doctrins of Pelagians Socinians Anabaptists Antinomians Libertines Quakers Hobbians c. are False and Erroneous Thus far then by vertue of the Premises we have advanced that when there are several Claims and Pretences to Truth and it is enquired What Judge shall decide the Controversy the Answer must be That Right Reason and Inspired Scripture are the only Judges they being the fixed Standards and Measures of Truth But then here will lie the main Difficulty of all that in the Questions and Debates of Religion Scripture is quoted with equal Vigor and Confidence on all Sides as if what the Iewish Rabbies say of Scripture That it hath Seventy-two Faces were the received Opinion of Christians Nay some of these seem to acknowledge by their strange way of Interpreting it That it hath not only different but contrary Aspects When therefore there are Disputes about Scripture-Interpretation What must we do How can we discern what is Truth by Consulting of Scripture when as that is Dubious and Uncertain If contrary Sects and Parties quote it and plead it how can it be a fixed Standard of Truth How is it an unerring Guide It might suffice to say in General That it is no wonder that all Opinionists even the Wildest of them make use of Scripture yea a great Part of the Turks Alcoran is express Words of the Bible It is no wonder I say since Scripture was quoted by Satan himself who when he Tempted our Saviour misapplied it to the vilest Purpose But particularly to satisfie this Great and Affrighting Difficulty we may inform our selves that in Religion there are Five Sorts of Enquiries and Doctrines Now I will briefly shew how Scripture is to be made use of and when it is fit to Apply it to any of these Particulars I. Some Points of our Religion are in themselves Mystical and Profound and the Sacred Writings having not Explained them it cannot be expected that we should ever do it Such Difficult and Sublime Doctrines as the Mystery of the Sacred Trinity i.e. a Trinity of Divine Persons in the Unity of the Godhead the Union of the Divine and Humane Nature in One Person the Manner of the Resurrection and the like are not to be throughly known by us as long as we sojourn on Earth These are like the Book in the Revelation which none is able to open in Heaven or in Earth but the Lamb. And seeing he is not pleased to Unfold them to us we must Admire and Adore them but not be sollicitous to Comprehend them We are to remember this that some Things must be believed on the mere Authority of the Speaker and it argues Infidelity to question the Truth of them or so much as to be Inquisitive about them The Things are spoken by God therefore we ought to give Credit to them The Manner and Circumstances of them are not discovered therefore I 'm obliged not to pry into them This was the Sense and Practice of the Primitive Christians as we may learn from Origen who tells us That the believing some Articles of Faith on the bare Authority of the Scriptures was objected to the Christians by the Heathens Their Complaint against them was That they would neither give nor receive a Reason of their Faith but were wont to cry out Examine not but believe Here likewise I may rank some Insuperable Problems concerning the Divine Decrees and Predestination the Abstruseness of which forbids
a curious and close Enquiry But This is most true That Modesty is the most commendable Vertue here Theâ—doret saith well I think it Boldness to pronounce peremptorily concerning those Things of which the Sacred Scripture delivers nothing plainly God was not pleased to deliver all things with equal Evidence and why then should we undertake to make every Thing Plain and Demonstrable Or why are we Angry if others think some things are not so Those Words which I meet with in one of St. Ierom's Epistles are Admirable and are worth the Observation of those especially who are Students of Divinity When we search saith he with too much Nicety and Curiosity into those things which God would not have us know but hath purposely concealed from us we catch only at Shadows we entertain and busy our selves with Trifles we quit the Fountain Truth and run after the fruitless Streams of meer Opinion and Fancy Let us fix this on our Minds That there are some unsearchable Mysteries and it was designed by the All-Wise God that we should not be acquainted with them We may say here as Seneca concerning the Nature of Comets God only whose sole Prerogative is to have a perfect Knowledge of Truth knows these things to be true and the very manner of them tho' it be hid from us When we peremptorily say this or that concerning these obscure Matters we may Err and we cannot tell when we do but when we determine nothing precisely above what is determined in Scripture we are sure we do not Err and we are sure of this too that we are not guilty of Distorting and Misinterpreting the Word of God which is a Fault very frequent in these Cases To conclude this Particular Let not weak Christians be troubled that there are several Passages in the Bible which they cannot clearly understand I assure them that they may be Ignorant of the full meaning and manner of them and yet their Salvation is not endangered thereby And as to our Deportment towards others with respect to these Points seeing we cannot perfectly explain them why should we be Angry at those who embrace a different Perswasion concerning the manner of these things II. Many things in Religion are made difficult merely by Disputes and Quarrels and if the Holy Scriptures were Plainer than they are yea never so Plain yet Wrangling Heads would fall a Disputing and make way for Error by that means And here it is their way commonly to make use of one or two places of Scripture and to oppose them against a whole heap of other Texts The old Hereticks those Interfectores Vâ—ritatis as Tertullian calls them those Murtherers and Assasines of Truth frequently used this way A few Texts yea sometimes a single one shall serve to baffle a great number It might be shewed in particular Instances how Erroneous Doctrines are grounded on some Mens attending to one or a very few Places of Scripture whilâ—t in the mean time they take no notice of several and divers Texts which look another way Nay not only a few Texts but those also which are very dark and obscure difficult and knotty are oftentimes weilded and managed against very plain and direct Places of Scripture This was observed by that Learned Father whom I last mentioned One Chapter saith he in the Bible where some Ambiguous Words are is brought by them to Confront a numerous Company and Host of Texts But this is an Indirect Method for it is most Just and Reasonable that a few Places of Scripture should yield to many obscure ones to the plainer doubtful to the certain that Those should be judged and decided by These not vice versa that so amidst this seeming Discord and Discrepancy our Belief may not be shaken and that the Truth may not be endangered and that the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scriptures may not be thought to be Inconsistent with its self as that Excellent Person saith in another Place It is an useful Rule therefore of St. Austin To explain obscure Places of Scripture let us use the Assistance of those that are plainer and by the Certainty and Clearness of some let the Doubtfulness of others be taken away This may be serviceable to us when we read the Scriptures and when we would be satisfied about some Controversies which arise thence But alas this Holy Book is Ruffled and Intangled by wilful Mistakes and Disputes wherein it is common to Wrest the Words and to Oppose one part of them to another instead of Adjusting the whole Matter by a fair Reconcilement To Instance Nothing is Plainer in the Book of God than this That he hath fully Decreed and Predetermined whatever shall come to pass and Nothing is more Plain in the said Holy Volume than this That Man is a free Agent and is not Constrained and Compelled but what he willeth he willeth freely All sober Persons agree in these and therefore this ought to be a Ground of mutual Concord and Reconciliation But instead of this some raise Disputes still and whereas we are agreed that both these are True and Consistent viz. God's Decree and Man's Freedom they will ask How this can be And if you do not satisfy them as to this which it is utterly Impossible perhaps to do they will shew themselves very much displeas'd Which argues that they are of a quarrelsom Temper and delight in Wrangling and make use of Scripture for that purpose in the most serious and weighty Doctrines III. It happens by the Luxuriancy of busy Brains that many Enquiries in Religion are Nice and Subtle Over-curious and Trifling and as for these they are below the Verdict of Holy Scripture It began to be a matter of Wit to be a Christian as One observes about the days of Constantine the Great So soon had they learned to be Quaint in their Divinity and that about the highest Points of it And other subtile Heads since that time such were most of the Schoolmen have troubled the World with their Fruitless Speculations their Foolish and Unlearned Questions their Fond and Sapless Notions And these and others added to them are called Truths by some Persons but indeed they are not worthy of that great Name A Man may be Ignorant of a thousand of them and yet not Impair his Knowledge To make use of Holy Scripture here is to be serious in the midst of Trifles and which is worse to Prophane that Holy Book The same Judgment may be made of many not to say most of the Questions propounded and handled by the Roman Casuists which are of no moment or use at all nay they are very hurtful and pernicious because they distract Mens Minds instead of directing them and yet they are very warmly controverted as if they were the most serious and important Truths IV. There are some Propositions in our Religion which are Disputable and Probable on both Sides And in these doubtful Cases to
such Premises as these he Infers that 't is gross Folly for any to be Proud of their Gifts and to Insult over their Brethren on the account of what they have received and that it is as unreasonable to Envy those that are Possessors of the Choicest Gifts as 't is to despise those that are Owners of the Meanest This is the main Scope of the 12th Chapter And now because Ambition and desire of Excelling and Outstripping one another have possessed their Minds he perswades them in the last Verse of that Chapter to a Vertuous Zeal and Holy Emulation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Covet earnestly the better Gifts and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way a Superlative Method of Outvying others and even of Out-doing your selves and that is no other than Charity that Great and Noble Grace which will render you Eminent and Useful in the World which will set off all your other Gifts and Endowments and direct you how to manage them for the best Advantages This Sovereign and Superintending Grace will most successfully guide all the Inferior ones and put them upon their proper Work and Employment and conduct them most prosperously to their right End This Grace the Apostle admirably deciphers in the Thirteenth Chapter and in the beginning of the Fourteenth he shuts up that part of his Discourse with a Perswasive to so Incomparable a Vertue Follow after Charity pursue it with the greatest Eagerness and Vigour and give not over till you have perfectly attained it Be careful above all things to Excel in This which makes all your other Attainments beneficial both to your selves and others Strive then to surpass one another in the Improvement of this Evangelical Grace for this is an Harmless Contention this is an Innocent and Holy Emulation and most suitable to the Christian Spirit and the Genius of the Gospel Follow after Charity and desire spiritual Gifts Join the one and the other and you are safe And then immediately our Apostle having thus caution'd all with Charity takes occasion again to speak of those Spiritual Gifts which he had insisted on before There was it seems a Great Mistake about them and therefore he thinks good to Rectify their Judgments thoroughly in the point and this he doth by telling them that though the Gift of Tongues was in great request among them for This Reason it is likely because the Apâ—stles were most eminently indued with That the Holy Ghost descending on them in the shape of Cloven Tongues yet the Gift of Prâ—pheâ—ying i.e. of Understanding and Interpreting God's Will was clearly the more Valuable and Desirable Accomplishment and amongst All the Spiritual Gifts conferr'd on the Christian Church deserved to be ranked in the first place For tho' Variety of Tongues might seem more Admirable and make a greater Noise and create more Wonder and Astonishment yet certainly if they sought not rather to be Admired for their Gifts than to be Beneficial by them they could not but give the Precedency to Prophecy that being the more Useful Gift and that which conduceth most to our greatest Concern and our highest Interest the Edification of the Church of Christ. It is better to do Good than to appear Great Tongues have their Use but in Subordination to Prophecying That is most Excellent which is most Advantageous and Edifying This is the Scope of the Apostle's Discourse in this Chapter whereof my Text is a part and indeed the Sum of the whole What is Vseful to many and Profitable to the Church that the Apostle here sets down for a Rule to go by saith St. Chrysostom on the Place Whatsoever Gifts ye seek to Excel in do it ye Corinthians with this main design which is the Worthiest and Noblest in the World to advance the Building of the Church of Christ forasmuch as ye are desirous of Spiritual Gifts seeing ye are such great Zealots for Spirits for so it is in the Original since your Ambition hurries you to things of that Exalted Quality study I beseech you to improve them for the real Benefit of the Christian Community Seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the Church God hath a Church to erect and calls for our Service therein Who would not bring the Best things to the Best Work Who would not be furnish'd with the Greatest Skill for so Difficult an Employment They that heartily love the Church and sincerely tender the Good of its Members never think they can prepare themselves enough for its Service and are ever studying to do More making the Apostle's Words their Motto Who is sufficient for these things Here it is that they spend their best Affections and their highest Aims and Enterprizes centre in This. They are Impatient till they can bring with them Gold and Silver and Precious Stones for so Glorious and Edifice They are ambitious to Excel not that they may thereby derive a Glory and Applause upon themselves but for the solid Good of their Christian Brethren So that the Text is no other than the Dictate of Christian Charity prescribing to us the way of Using those Gifts Well which are so subject to be abused Charity esteems it better to be Profitable to Mens Souls than to purchase their Acclamations and Applause it teaches us to prize the Salvation of Men more than our own Glory But it is high time to lead you to the Particular and Distinct Consideration of the two things here mention'd 1. The Operation or Means in order to a Noble End Seek that ye may excel 2. The End it self to the edifying of the Church I begin with the latter first for in Practical Discourse the End doth not unjustly challenge the first Place And indeed true Wisdom instructs its Followers to propound a Right End to themselves and then to make Choice of such Means as are proper for that End We are liable to miscarry in both of These for sometimes we Aim right but shoot awry our Actions bearing no proportion to the Goodness of our Intentions At other times we are in a right Course but propound a wrong End so that Good Performances are marr'd by Ill Purposes Now the Apostle here meets with both these Defects and labours their amendment propounding to us the End together with the Means the best End the Church of God and the edifying thereof the best Means seek that ye may Excel Every Action is design'd to some Purpose and according to this we aim either Right or Wrong we either deport our selves laudably or hugely miscarry in our Lives It will concern us therefore to fix our selves Aright at first and to propound to our selves such an End as we may not be ashamed to own in the whole Course of our Actions And such certainly is the Church of God which is most deservedly the Scope of all our Enterprizes Prayers and Wishes This baffles all sneaking Designs and Projects this bravely leads us out of our selves and carries us directly to the Supreme
must be sought at the Hands of God by humble and earnest Addresses If Bezaleel and Aholiab were fill'd with the Spirit of God to excel in all manner of Cunning Workmanship for the adorning of the Mosaick Tabernacle surely then it is from that Holy Spirit that the Apostles and their Successors are endued with eminent Abilities for the Service of the Spiritual and Mystical Tabernacle And if we are convinc'd of this we cannot but see it necessary to apply our selves to this Sacred Author and Donor of all those Gifts whereby we may be made capable of serving the Church of God You know whose words those are According to the Grace of God which is given to me as a wise Master-builder I have laid the foundation And if it be by Divine Grace and Bounty then we know whose work it may properly be said to be and therefore in the foregoing Verse he tells them they are God's Building it is from Him that they make any progress in Christian Knowledge and Goodness in Faith and Holiness To this Great Operator and Architect we are therefore to repair and to implore his Aid and Assistance Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it We are not able to effect any thing in this great and weighty Undertaking without his Presence and Blessing at least we can do nothing successfully without his special Concurrence and Guidance Wherefore according to Iustin Martyr's Pious Advice we must above all things pray that the Gates of Light may be opened to us that we may have a Spiritual and Divine Understanding whereby we may be taught to teach others Building up of others as well as of our selves in the most holy Faith must be joined with Praying in the Holy Ghost Iude ver 20 22 23. We may observe that St. Paul is frequent in Prayer that he may be assisted in his Ministerial Employment and he is often requesting others to pray for him that his Labours in the Gospel may prove really Advantageous and Successful This is that which We also are concerned in if we expect any Blessing on our Enterprizes We must remind those who are the peculiar Charge of our Ministry to solicite Heaven in our behalf and we must with singular Importunity and Earnestness beg the Divine Aid our selves If thus with the devout Supplications of others we join our own fervent Petitions we shall certainly Prosper we shall derive the Grace and Blessing of Heaven upon us in the Performances and Offices belonging to our Calling Secondly To this first Method of Edifying and Excelling we must add that Apostolical Direction to Timothy and in him to all the Spiritual Instructors in the Church Give attendance to Reading 1 Tim iv 13. Diligently peruse the Law and the Prophets be conversant in the Writings of the Sacred Volume Though Timothy was an Inspired Person yet he is commanded to read the Scriptures and to give attendance to them which is the same with that of St. Peter where the same Greek word is used and therefore might have been rendred as it is here To take heed to viz. the more sure word of Prophecy 2 Pet. i. 19. The word denotes great Attention and Application of Mind and obliges us to be very Careful and Diligent in consulting these Sacred Oracles Nor are Other Books excluded here nay they are partly meant as Historians Moralists Poets Orators and other Humane Authors For it 's likely the Apostle's Advice here was in conformity to his own Practice who reckon'd his Books and Parchments which some think to be the same because the Antient Books were made of Skins or Parchments and roll'd upon a Cilinder as our Maps are as necessary to him as his Cloak in Winter 2 Tim. iv 13. What these Books were I have no Catalogue to tell me but I know of some others that he dealt in as those three Poets Epimenides Aratus and Menander the quoting of which he thought not unworthy of an Inspir'd Apostle And he was not only Skill'd in the Greek Poets and other Good Greek Authors that wrote in Prose for if he was Curious to read the former it is not to be questioned but that he was acquainted with the latter but he had Knowledge in Hebrew Writers For he sat at the Feet of Rabbi Gamaliel who was a Famous Doctor of the Law Nephew of the Celebrated Hillel and Prince of the Sanhedrim by whom this his Scholar was created a Member and an Elder of that Renowned Councel as the Learned Mr. Selden affirms who was Antiquary sufficient to make it good This Great Apostle tells us himself that he was Exceedingly zealous of the Traditions of his Fathers he had a mighty desire to be acquainted with the Antient Doctrines and Customs of the Hebrews and accordingly he searched into the Talmudick Writings and there it was that he found the express Names of two of the Egyptian Magicians viz. Iannes and Iambres and hath left them upon Record in 2 Tim. iii. 8. From these Hints we may guess what other Authors he was versed in and how he came by his Polite Learning and by that which was Severe and how exactly he was fitted to be a Doctor of the Gentiles and the Iews both Which is abundantly demonstrated from his Profound Epistles which speak him a Master of Logick and Oratory of Reason and Eloquence Nor was it thought in the succeeding Ages of the Christian Church that this sort of Accomplishments was unworthy of the Evangelical Ministers nay it was reckon'd to be of great Use and Advantage Whence it was that Iulian the Apostate by a Decree forbad Christians the Reading of Heathen Authors giving this reason for it that they by the studying of these Writers would know how to Wound the Pagans with their own Weapons And on other Accounts it might be shew'd that Prophane Writers are serviceable among Christians There is no sober Man will give heed to that strange Illusion of St. Ierom who dreamt that an Angel Scourg'd him for Reading Tully's Orations and other good Latin Authors as if to be a Ciceronian and a Christian were inconsistent It is enough to say that it was a Dream and that his composed Thoughts when he was awake and throughly sensible corrected such Extravagant Fancies and represented to him how useful some of the Gentile Writings are and that a Man cannot understand the Original Texts of the Old and New Testament without some Skill and insight into them How requisite the Poets and Philosophers Writings are to a Christian Divine is shew'd by St. Augustin and other Antient Fathers who particularly represent to us the Usefulness of this sort of Learning in Sacred Studies But our Chief Converse should be with the Bible This we should constantly look into and be always perusing Why do you not spend all your time in which you are not employ'd in the Service of the Church in reading this Book especially said a very Pious
Lord And he gather'd unto him the Children of Ammon and Amalek and went and smote Israel Judg. iii. 12 13. Markit the Sin of Israel was the Strength of Eglon Moab and Ammon prevail'd against God's People because they walked not as such because they acted Sinfully and Wickedly And at several other times it is particularly recorded in this Book that when the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord then he gave them into the Hands of their Enemies who prevail'd over them and grievously oppressed them To this refer the Psalmist's Words in Psal. lxxviii 56. c. They tempted and provoked the most high God and kept not his Testimonies They provoked him to anger with their high places and moved him to jealousy with their graven Images When God heard this he was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel he deliver'd his strength into Captivity and his Glory into the Enemies hand He gave his People over also unto the Sword So God by his Prophet acquaints us that they rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit Therefore he was turned to be their Enemy and he fought against them Isa. lxiii 10. I will only add that notable Instance in 2 Chron. xxiv 23 24. It came to pass that the Host of Syria came up against him viz. King Ioash and they came to Iudah and Ierusalem and destroy'd all the Princes of the People from among the People and sent all the spoil of them to the King of Damascus For the Army of the Syrians came with a small company of Men and the Lord deliver'd a very great host into their Hand The Syrians were but few and the Israelites were many yet These were defeated by Them and if you would know the Reason of it the next Words will inform you because they had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers For this it was that God forsook them and gave them up to their Enemies to be destroy'd by them All this which I have produced is an undeniable proof of what I asserted that Sin hinders Success in War this is the cause of Armies being discomfited All warlike Provisions prove Successless all Force and Artillery become useless and unable to repulse the Enemy when a Nation by their Sins fight against God This must needs be so if you consider either the Nature of the Thing it self or the just Judgment of God First it is so in the Thing it self Immorality and Vice do naturally impede the Success of War and give a check to the Military proceedings of any People Especially there are some Vices which more visibly hinder the Thriving of Warlike Undertakings and Exploits Debauchery takes away the steady use of Men's Reasons and renders them uncapable of minding and attending to their Safety The Amalekites after their Success at Ziklag lay spread all over the Ground eating and drinking 1 Sam. 30. 16. And this was it which exposed them to the Enemy who as we read in the next Verses took the advantage of their Debauchery and slew them all except a few who it is likely were those that retain'd some measure of Sobriety Belshazar was set upon in the Night of his Pleasure as it is call'd Isa. xxi 4. i.e. in the time of his Feasting and Revelling which was in the Night Then it was that Cyrus and Darius took Babylon viz. when the Chaldean Nobles were in the heighth of their disorder'd Mirth Dan. v. 1 30. which we may find confirmed by Xenophon in the Life of Cyrus Our Chronicles tell us that the English Army upon occasion of King Harold's birth Day had been Drinking and Revelling all Night before they came to Fight with the Normans which was one great Reason of their losing the Day and being Conquered Intemperance and Sottishness have been pernicious and fatal to Men of Arms These darken and cloud their Minds so that they are not able to see into the Projects and Designs of their Enemies nor to apprehend what is most proper to be done on emergent occasions These are the cause of their neglecting the fit Seasons and Opportunities of action which being lost they are so too Again Incontinence and Luxury and Love of Pleasure weaken and enervate Mens Bodies and cramp those Hands that should War and those Fingers that should Fight Hence it was that Xerxes's Prodigious great Army of above a Million of Men proved ineffectual to the purposes he had formed Their Delicacy and Luxurious way of living spoilt all their military Conduct They were more eager to Fight with their Teeth than with their Hands and Weapons They were not so much for devouring the Enemy as their Viands They wish'd work for their Knives rather than their Swords they thirsted after Wine more than Blood Who could expect but that their Softness and Dalliances should unfit them for harsh Encounters In a word Being sunk into Sensuality they hated to venture their Lives and being fill'd with Guilt they dared not And when we remember that in the Princes of Asia's Armies there were Troops of Women and Eunuchs and useless Persons design'd only for Pleasure and Diversion we need not wonder that they were so often Defeated and that their vast Numbers fled away in disorder Especially it is requisite in Military Officers that they be Masters of great Continence and Moderation For as Tully well observes He that in this point is not able to govern himself cannot rule an Army Wherefore for this excellent Virtue we find some of the greatest Commanders Agesilaus Fabritius Scipio the African c. commended by Plutarch Valerius Maximus and others Tho' Cesar made his Vaunt that he won Battels with Perfumed Soldiers yet you shall rarely hear that Commanders do so For Effeminacy exhausts their Spirits dries up their Marrow and shrinks their Nerves An Armed Venus among the Romans was but an Image a Fiction but in reality 't is known that Lewdness is destructive to the Camp In short no Debauched or Effeminate Man can be a Good Soldier For he can never do the things that are required of a Man of Arms and he can never undergo the Hardships which that Life is subject to and consequently he is wholly unfit for Warlike Service There are other Vices also which hinder the Prospering of Military Undertakings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a fit Epithet bestow'd on Mars by the Antient Poet as much as if he had stiled him a Changling a Fickle and Slippery Deity And it seems some of his Votaries do too much imitate him else there would not have been that Complaint of old That there is no Faith nor Honesty to be found in them Deceit and Treachery have made many Armies Unsuccessful The Faithless and Persidious whilst they have seem'd to take up Arms for their Country have really betray'd it holding secret Correspondence with the Enemy and promoting that Cause which they pretend to fight against It is not incredible that We have had some ground to complain on this account If we had
pitch could not but render him a very Accomplish'd Person such as was able to discern and judge of things in the best manner and to know and comprehend whatever was to be known and comprehended of them But we are to remember this further that his knowledge in Divine and Sacred things was as eminent for even as to these he had those Helps which other Christians had not yea which the rest of the Apostles were not honoured with for he tells Gal. 1. 11 12. That the Gospel which was preached of him was not after man for he neither received it of man neither was he taught it but by the revelation of Iesus Christ. He was in an Extraordinary and unparalell'd manner call'd to the Office by Christ himself then in heaven he had Immedâ—ate declarations of God's will by Visions and Revelations 2 Cor. 12. 1. yea by abundance of Revelations v. 7. for he had the matchless dignity and priviledge to be caught up to the third heaven into paradice as he otherwise expresses it the Seat of the Divine Majesty and the place of the Blessed and there he heard those unspeakable words those Doctrines and Truths which it is not possible for a man to utter i. e. fully v. 4. Then were display'd before him those Mysteries and Profound Doctrines which his Writings every where abound with several of which are not so much as mention'd in the Writings of the other Apostles which plainly shews that he far excell'd them in Spiritual Knowledge and in the understanding of some of the Main Heads of the Christian Religion And yet behold this Apostle who was thus bless'd with all manner of Intellectual Accomplishments and was possessor of all the Knowledge that Nature or Art and his own happy Genius could furnish him with and which is unspeakably much more all that Knowledge that God himself vouchsafed to infuse into him and inspire him with Behold this very Apostle is the man who uses here this humble and mean language We know in part we see through a glass darkly When he saith we he means himself as well as other Christians nay it appears that he chiefly and principally intends himself for he changes the plural into the singular v. 12. Now I know in part as much as to say notwithstanding all my advantages of Knowing much more than others I acknowledge my self to be but a Smatterer a Novice I own my self to have but a mean and imperfect insight into the High and Mystical Points of the Gospel and if they were not such I should not have so short and partial a knowledge of them This is an unanswerable place of Scripture to prove that there are Mysteries in Christianity such Divine Truths which no quickness of thoughts no sharpness and sagacity of mind can wholly reach And therefore if St. Paul be in the right we know who have taken the wrong part If Plato could say of the Rites of Sacrificing and Divine Worship It is impossible for our mortal nature to have any knowledge of these things surely then our conceptions concerning the Sublime Points of Christianity which is the Noblest and Highest Dispensation of Religion must needs be weak and shallow Divine matters are not clear and manifest of themselves to men said one of the Greek Sages quoted by Iustin Martyr To the same purpose Clement of Alexandria cites that eminent passage of Plato in his Timaeus The only way to learn Truth is to be taught it of God himself or of those that are from God Those are notable words of Iamblicus a Platonick Philosopher It is not easie to know what things God is pleas'd with unless we have convers'd with those who have heard them from God or we have heard God himself or we have attain'd to that knowledge by some Divine Art These are the apprehensions of Improved Heathens concerning Religious matters and shall not those who have attain'd to clearer notions believe the same with a more special relation to the doctrines of the Gospel As these things were not at first found out by Man so they cannot be comprehended by him As they were not discover'd by humane skill and art so they can never be fully known and explain'd by them Thus they are universally a Mystery It is true and I am very forward to grant it that the Christian Religion is stock'd even with Natural Principles such as are in themselves manifest Even that Model of Religion which is made up wholly of the Law of Nature and therefore is call'd Natural Religion is here entirely receiv'd All Rational and Moral dictates are incorporated into this Institution Here are Admirable Notions which carry with them an Intrinsick Evidence as an undeniable demonstration of their Worth and Excellency here are Reason and Morality at their Heighth It was excellently said of an Ancient Writer of the Church Far â—e it that God should hate in us that very thing wherein he hath created us more excellent than other creatures So we may say Far be it that Christianity should disallow that very thing in us which distinguishes our nature from that of Brutes and gives us a Preference to them Some of the Mahometans have a conceit that Idiots and Mad-men are Inspired persons that those who have so little of Man have the more of God But this is an idle fancy and unworthy of our Humane Nature as well as of the Supreame Being it self who was the Author of it The Best Brains are fittest for Religion and even for the Best Religion Christianity It is admirably shew'd by a Worthy Person that the Christian Religion suits even with a Philosophick Genius I question not but it may be made evident from Strict Reason that the Main System of the Christian Theology is uniform and harmonious in it self and conformable to all the Divine Attributes and Perfections that the Coming of Christ in the flesh was requisite in order to the Redemption of lost Man that his Undertatakings were the most Rational Expedient for the restoring of mankind that they were the most Proper and Suitable Method to reduce lapsed creatures and raise them up again after their fall and that Christ's Divinity was no more impair'd by being joyned to the Humane Nature than the Soul of Man is by its Union with the Body These and several things of this kind I could make clear and evident and thereby shew that Christianity is consonant to the most sober Reflections we can make on things that it is agreeable to the most solid and natural Reasonings we can form For we are not to imagine as some Enthusiastick Spirits do that Divine Revelation contradicts the principles of Reason this being a certain Truth that it is impossible to know that any Revelation i. e. any Reveal'd doctrine is from God unless we be first Reasonably satisfied that it is from him Besides Reason is from God as well as Revelation and therefore if we receive the latter we must
was excellently said by another Brave Man of a true primitive temper This question How can have no place in the things of God whose only Will is sufficient and is to be greatly admired of all And with these Ancient Writers agrees the Great Modern Reformer This word Why saith he hath misled and destroy'd many souls it is too high for us to search into When we come to insist too busily on these demands Why or How God saith or doth this or that we shew that we are loth to submit our Reason to Faith and to give assent to God's Word though we cannot clearly conceive it Which argues a very Unchristian temper for the Gospel hath propounded many things to us which are Mystical which neither our thoughts can fully apprehend nor our words express But this should not hinder us from believing and embracing them for though they are Mysterious yet it is plain and manifest that they are asserted in the Sacred Writings It was prudently and Christianly advised and determin'd by St. Augustine in such Points as these which I have been of speaking and especially the Trinity which that Pious Father particularly mentions Let us saith he by that previous Faith which helps the eye-sight of the mind clearly imbrace what we understand and firmly believe what we understand not The Reason of which Advice and Resolution is this that some things that are above the reach of our Understandings may be and ought to be the matter of our Belief Which is founded on this that the object of Faith is of a much larger Extent than that of Reason and therefore we may give assent to some Propositions which we cannot explain and clear up by the light of Reason And besides every Thinking Man ought to revolve this in his mind that Faith is of an higher nature than Reason and accordingly was designed to bear Sway over it and to controul it To this purpose it is to be consider'd that there are these Three Faculties or Operations in Men Sense and Reason and Faith and they gradually rise one higher than the other Sense is common to us with Brutes and takes notice only of Corporeal and External Objects but Reason is proper to us as we are Men and is bestow'd upon us to correct the mistakes of Sense thus by Sense we can't perceive the Motion of the Sun and Stars they so couzen our sight that we can't apprehend when they move yea they seem to stand immoveable wherefore we must consult with something else than Sense and that is Reason which tells us that either those Heavenly Bodies or the Ground we stand upon move very swiftly our Reason not our Eyes must give us an account of this Thus it is plain that Reason controuls Sense and consequently is a higher and superior faculty But then comes Faith and claims a Superiority over them both for as Reason was given by God to correct Sense so this Function was added to give a check to Reason as being Higher and Nobler than that This is the Order of these Operations in Man and it is by Divine appointment and therefore no man of sober thoughts can find fault with it If we are free to acknowledge that Reason is a Curb to Sense and we cannot deny it then we should be as forward to own that Faith is the same to Reason and that we ought to make use of the one to check and bridle the other when Sacred and Supernatural things are under our consideration Here then as is fitting let us strenuously exert our Faith and not judge of the Divine Being and the Truths revealed by him according to humane measures according to what we find and perceive in one another still remembring that they are Mysteries As for the Contrary Sentiment there are these three Great things that disparage it 1. It argues Pride and Arrogant Stiffness 2. It is an undeniable proof of gross Prejudice and Partiality 3. It unavoidably introduces Indifferency in Religion I will distinctly insist upon this Triple Charge and then leave the Judicious to judge of my performance First It is a great argument of a Proud and Haughty Spirit For it must needs proceed from this Principle that the men of that perswasion will by no means acknowledge their Short-sightedness and the Shallowness of their Intellectuals They cannot brook such Condescention as this and therefore they scorn to own any Mysteries If any Difficult Truths are propounded to them they have learnt of a Great Conqueror to cut the knot instead of untying it they violently null the proposition and so make it no Mystery as we see they do in the Articles of the Trinity and the Incarnation of the Son of God and the like For they pretend to manage all by meer force of Reason and reject all propositions and doctrines which they think come not up to this heighth They take it very ill if you allow them not a Catholick and Unbounded Knowledge of every thing whether finite or infinite and of the particular Manner and minutest Circumstances that appertain to them They disdain that there should be any thing in nature which they are not able to comprehend they deem it an unsufferable disgrace to their understandings that any thing should be above the reach of them that there should be any Point of Speculation so deep and abstruse that they cannot penetrate to the very bottom of it they scorn to have it said that there are any Mysteries and Darknesses in Religion when their minds are so bright and their intellects are so shining What is this but Pride What is this but being over-conceited of their natural Faculties and having too great an opinion of their own Rational Capacities what is this but an immodest and extravagant magnifying of these Powers Yea what is it but a kind of aspiring to Divinity and attributing to themselves an Infinite and Immense nature an extraordinary and more than humane Wisdom Zophar gives us the true Character and Pedigree of this sort of persons Iob 11. 12. Vain man would be wise this Empty Hollow Creature would fain be thought to be full of Knowledge though he be born like a wild asses colt though he be by nature ignorant and rude he hath such an opinion and esteem of his Parts and Acquirements he is of such Arrogancy and Elation of Mind that he thinks it below him to acknowledge any Abstrusities in Religion He takes part with the Conceited Sect of the Stoicks among whom it was a Maxim That it became not a Wise man to wonder at any of those things which to others seem to be Paradoxes Nay he is so much of this Vaunting humour that he will not be perswaded that there is any thing Wonderful and Amazing even in Religion it self St. Paul stiles Christianity a Mystery but he being intoxicated with Pride and Self-conceit directly contradicts him and saith it is not mysterious But those who attend to the Apostle's Advice Not
enjoyn'd us but we are to satisfie our selves with this that God's Will ought to be the Standard of ours and therefore we ought to resign our selves to the Divine Conduct And these men allow of this as just and rational and advise that our Natural desires and propensions should give way to our Saviour's Commands he being our Great Law-giver and Master And why then do they shew themselves Partial in denying it reasonable to submit the Intellectual part of the Mind to the doctrines and dictates of the Gospel Is there not as much reason to take care of this Faculty to look to the management of it to keep it within its due bounds as there is to deal thus with the Elective Power of the Soul If they are content to surrender this to the Divine Will why are they against subjecting the other to the Divine Lighâ— and Discoveries If it be commendâ—ble to curb and moderate the Concupiscible or â—rascible part why not also to regulate and govern the Perceptive If the Will must be check'd why must the Intellect be left uncontroulable If they measure the Goodness of the former Power in them by the Laws and Rules of Christ what is the reason that they measure not the Rectitude of the latter by the discoveries of Divine Truth made by the same Author in the Writings of the New Testament Seeing they deem it proper and necessary for humane minds to vail the first to the express Injunctions of the Gospel why do they not think it as requisite to submit the second to the infallible dictates of the Holy Spirit in Scripture why do they not abandon their own weak sentiments about the highest Concerns of Christianity why do they not renounce their private surmises their shallow arguings their sophistical ratiocinations and give them up to be corrected by the light of Divine Revelation why are they not sensible of the deficiency and indigence of their Minds of the narrowness and contractedness of their understandings and why do they not at the same time adore the Divine Perfection why do they not inure their understandings to the dictates of Inspiration and believe what is Unintelligible Particularly in the doctrine of the Trinity why do they lean to their own understandings why do they prescribe to Heaven and set up their own weak Conceptions as the Standard of Divine Truth In a word why do they not make their meer Natural Notions and Principles truckle to Reveal'd Truth and bring their Reason into subjection to the Eternal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If they come here with their old cry and cavils that the Article of the Trinity and some others that appertain to it are contrary to Reason and are a perfect Contradiction and are Impossibilities as their language is we may for ever silence them with this that they can't with any shew of Reason talk after this rate because they can't pronounce that to be Contrary to Reason the Nature of which they are ignorant of what they can't reach with their Reason they can't say is Repugnant to it Nor can they doom this or that to be Contradictory when they know nothing of the Manner of it And so for the Impossibility of a thing it is rash folly to determine it cannot be when they are unacquainted with the Transcendent Nature of it when the Mode of its existence is hid from them This I think is very plain and it is as pertinent to the matter in hand I having proved that the doctrine of the Trinity and such like Articles of Christianity are hidden Mysteries Therefore let not these men think to amuse and banter us as they would needs do with â—alking of Contradictions Impossibilities c. which are Terms that are nothing to the purpose But this I request of them that they would be Serious and vouchsafe to reflect on what I have suggested under this Head for the Article of the Trinity would be a very clear and bright Truth to them if they would but entertain this one thing in their thoughts that they are oblig'd as much to keep a discipline over their Understandings as over their Wills that the Intellectual Powers as well as the other Faculties of the mind are to be in subjection It is mention'd as part of Man's Depravity and alienation from his first Make that he seeks out many Inventions i. e. as the Hebrew word signifies curious Excogitations quaint Arguings fanciful Reasonings These especially in matters of Religion are greedily sought out and pursued by Vain men but where the true force and vertue of Religion prevail there they cast down imaginations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reasonings and every high thing every proud Conceit that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bring into captivity every thought i. e. every corrupt notion and conception which usurps upon Faith This is the Conduct of our Minds which the Apostles teaches us we must quit our false Argumentations and Debates about the the Great Mysteries of our Religion we must not dare to be wise above what is written above or beyond what Divine Revelation hath taught us but we must resolve all our doubts and scruples by appealing to Divine Authority and the Veracity of God It may be the Sagacious Gentlemen we have to do with at present will grant that some Vulgar heads among whom perhaps they will reckon the foresaid Apostle have favour'd the restraining and limiting of the Intellectual Powers as well as the other Faculties of the mind but will this pass current they may say with those that are voted for Men of Sense and Wit will it be admitted by Men of Keen Apprehensions men of Judgment and Philosophy Yes most surely if they will be pleas'd to take the Learned Lord Verulam and the Great Des Cartes into that number The former of whom hath left these remarkable words Gods Sovereignty reaches to the whole man extending it self no less to his Reason than his Will so that it well becomes man to deny himself universally and yield up all to God Wherefore as we are bound to obey the Law of God notwithstanding the reluctancy of our Will so are we also to believe his Word though against the reluctancy of our Reason The latter expresses himself thus and though some may think it is spoken in Politick Compliance yet it is more than they can prove and it is certain that they are in themselves words of truth and soberness and worthy of so Great a Man We must saith he always and chiefly remember this that God the Author of things is Infinite and we altogether finite so that when God reveals any thing concerning himself or other things which surpasses the natural strength of our wit such as the Mysteries of the Incarnation or Trinity we are not to refuse to give our Assent to them though we do not clearly understand them And again in the Close of this First Part of his Philosophical Principles he hath left
we cannot but entertain these Divine Doctrines and firmly believe them and heartily approve of them for when we find any thing though 't is impossible to explain and unfold it vouch'd by Scripture we need desire no more Whence we may judge of Socinus aud Smalcius the former of whom declares concerning the Satisfaction of Christ and the latter concerning the Incarnation of the Son of God that they would not believe these doctrines though the Scripture should expresly assert them These are strange passages in Writers that bear the Name of Christians and seem to own the New Testament as well as the Old where every thing is Authentick and worthy of all acceptation and depends not on the arbitrement of our shallow Reasons Here to doubt is Inâ—idelity to be scrupulous is an affront to Heaven to dispute is an injury to the Deity To conclude It appears from the whole that the Disciples of Socinus are the most foolish and sensless pretenders to Reason in the whole world because they make it their business to argue against the God of Reason and the Spirit of Truth But if they will call their Anti-Scriptural Notions by the name of Reason who can help it Only this we are sure of and it is all I will add at present no truly Rational and Sober man will be pleas'd with that Reason which rejects what God hath reveal'd which vilifies the Discoveries that come from Heaven which contradicts the Bible and gives the Lye to Him who is the Original Truth the Eternal Reason the Source of all Understanding and Light and Knowledge it self FINIS BOOKS written by the Reverend Mr. John Edwards and printed for Jonathan Robinson and John Wyat. 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