are proved by the Scriptures but as for the Scriptures they prove and evidence themselves sufficiently to the judgment of every true Christian by their own light manifesting their divine Original They are primum visibile not like colour that cannot be seen till light make it apparent but like light it self which maketh all other things manifest and it self too by its own proper quality Now then if a true believer should be ask'd why he believes the Articles of the Christian Religion he may truly answer thus because they are revealed in the holy Scriptures If it be further demanded how he can assure himself that the Scriptures are the word of God he may answer that he knows it by the Scriptures themselves the Spirit of God enlightning his understanding to see those lively characters of divine truth which are imprinted upon those sacred Volumes If yet it be further demanded how he knows whether that is the right meaning of such or such a place of Scripture he may likewise truly say that he knows it by the Scriptures which being diligently examined and compared together do plainly discover to the humble teachable Soul their own true sense and meaning in the things which concern everlasting Salvation And thus the faith of a Christian is finally and ultimately resolved into the infallible word of God or a divine Testimony and into nothing less As for the Authority and Testimony of the Church and the judgments and writings of the Godly learned they are good helps to make us see the Truth but no causes why we believe it this we do for its own sake not for their sayings or determinations which if they do not accord with the Scriptures we ought not to assent thereunto Though we should give due Reverence to the Assemblies of Godly judicious men and thoroughly examine and weigh with humility and self-denyal the grounds of our dissent from them yet the bare Authority of men though never so eminent for learning and piety should not command our assent to any Article of Religion that shall be proposed to us For our faith should not stand in the wisdome of men as the Apostle speaks but in the power of God and the Testimony and demonstration of his Spirit 1 Cor. 2.4 5. The first and chiefest ground whereon is built the certainty of faith's assent is the infallible truth and Authority of divine Revelation because God hath said it we are to believe it and assent to it for whatsoever God saith is true now this is a principle of Nature and Reason which is deeply ingraven into the heart and Conscience of every Rational man that God himself is so infinitely wise that he can be ignorant of nothing nor can any Creature circumvent and over-reach him and withal he is so infinitely good holy and just that no lye or untruth can proceed from him wisdome it self cannot be deceived truth it self cannot deceive and God is both And therefore wheresoever any Revelation is certainly known or believed to be of God there the reasonable Creature doth fully assent to the truth of things revealed But now the great question will be how we know infallibly that God is the Author of the Scriptures and that what we find written therein is of divine inspiration the very Oracles of God Here lyes the great yea the irreconcileable difference between the Church of Rome and us for whereas we maintain according to the truth that the Scriptures are known to be of God by themselves and by their own light and power they hold that we cannot be certain of their divine Authority but by the Testimony of the Church which as they say doth infalliby propose unto us what is to be believed and what is not to be believed And so by this means our faith shall be resolved either into nothing at all for they differ exceedingly about the Church representative and the supreme Judge of controversies here on Earth or at the furthest it shall be resolved but only into humane Authority and so shall be but a humane faith That Circle which they falsly charge upon us (m.) Mr. W. Pemble nature and properties of grace and faith P. 210 211. they themselves are guilty of and can never be dis-intangled therefrom by their Principles For ask a Romanist why do you believe that the Pope cannot err he will tell you because the Scripture saith so thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church and I have prayed that thy faith may not fail and the like Texts of Scripture But how know you that this is the infallible word of God and that your interpretation is the right sence and meaning of these places To this he answers because the Pope and the Councel of Trent say so or as some of them hold because the Pope only saith so or as others of them because a general Councel saith so If we further urge him yea but how know you infallibly that the Pope and Councel do not err in saying so he will answer you because the Scripture affirms they cannot err for thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church c. And thus they run round in a Circle (n.) The Popish Circle described and are so intangled that the wisest and most learned of them know not how to deliver themselves Indeed they accuse us with open mouth as if we were intangled in a Circle running round from the Scriptures to the Spirit and again from the Spirit to the Scriptures as thus how know you the Scriptures to be the word of God by the Spirit revealing the same to my heart and Conscience but how know you this Revelation of the Spirit to be true By the Scriptures which testifie that the secret of the Lord is revealed to them that fear him But then further how know you this and the like places of Scripture to be the word of God we know it by the Spirit which reveals to us the things that are freely given us of God And thus they pretend that they have caught us in a Circle but they greatly mistake us though we do not mistake their Doctrine we teach indeed that we know the Scriptures infallibly to be the word of God by the Spirit of God inwardly revealing and testifying the truth of them to our Consciences But what kind of Revelation or Testimony is this It is not any inward suggestion or immediate inspiration different from those Revelations of Divine truth that are in the Scriptures themselves as if the Spirit of God did by a second private immediate Revelation assure me of the truth of those former Revelations contained in the Scriptures we have no warrant for this in an ordinary way but the Spirit of God reveals and testifies to our Consciences the divine Authority and truth of the Scriptures by removing those impediments that hindred as namely our ignorance and unbelief and by bestowing upon us those graces that make us capable of
in maintaining and promoting the doctrine and kingdome of Christ Seventhly That sweet and admirable harmony and consent which is found in the sacred Scriptures cannot be rationally ascribed to any but to the Spirit of God and the divine wisdome each part agreeing so exactly with it self and with the whole which sufficiently appears by comparing the Prophesies of the old Testament touching Christ the calling of the Gentiles the reception of the Jews and other remarkable things with the accomplishment of them as the same is plainly declared and revealed in the new Testament Such exact consent and agreement as is here to be found is impossible to be feigned of men or Angels from whom the things foretold were hid till they were revealed Nor could there be forgery in these writings if we consider in a way of reason the length of time in which these writings have continued and been judg'd Authentick that they were not written in one or two but in many ages that there was a multitude of Books and of writers imployed in this Service and that these writers were distant in place one from another so that they could not confer together and withal if we consider the deep silence of the Adversaries who in all that long time whilst the Scripture was in writing could never detect any thing in those books as false or forged whose silence in this case is of great importance because they were eye witnesses of those things which our Saviour taught did and suffered according as it was prophesied of him so that they knew the prophesies saw the accomplishment of them and were acquainted with that which the Apostles had written Yea many or most of the things relating to Christ and his Apostles and the accomplishment of prophesies are mentioned and recorded in the writings of some heathen Authors that lived and wrote not long after those times If the Prophets and Apostles in their writings seem to dissent one from another for it is but a seeming not a real dissent in any circumstances this derogates nothing from their Authority for in themselves they differ not the fault is in our ignorance and misapprehension for by a right and just interpretation they may be easily reconciled and that dissonancy that seems to be amongst them in small things doth free them from all suspition of fraud and their sweet harmony and consent in all matters of importance may in reason convince us that they wrote by the guidance and direction of one and the same Spirit of truth If they had all written one thing they might seem superfluous if each had written a new History there could not have been such a full harmony and agreement when they relate the same story with the same circumstances they have their use and benefit one sometimes speaking more plainly then the other and when they agree in matter and only seem to dissent in some circumstances the truth is the more confirmed and an argument of fuller credit and certainty may be drawn out of that seeming dissent for as it is truly and wisely observed too exact diligence in every little circumstance is neither approved by all nor doth it want suspition There is in the holy Scripture as a learned man writing in defence of their Authority saith a Majestick kind of security under many seeming contradictions which yet neither the honour of their truth nor that harmony which they have in and with themselves do or shall at all suffer by Nor do the Scriptures stand to excuse and purge themselves as if there were any cause to suspect them of any contrariety or contradiction No they speak from place to place whatever they have a mind to say with that liberty and freedome as if there were nothing said by them elsewhere that either was like to suffer the least prejudice by it or to cast the least prejudice on it To that sweet agreement and consent that is in the holy Scripture with it self we may further add that it agreeth with all other truths whatsoever there is nothing true in Divinity which is false in true Philosophy nothing in Philosophy is repugnant to the truth in Divinity but it may be overthrown by the principles of right and true Philosophy which are and ought to be subject to Divinity Eightly The matter treated of in the Scripture is divine and wonderful which may convince us that it is the word of the eternal God it opens and reveals the greatest and most glorious Mysteries as the nature properties attributes and high acts of God and how he will be worshipped and adored It describes the person natures virtues and excellencies of Christ so fully so clearly that if the mind of man consider it attentively he must of necessity acknowledge that it doth far exceed the reach of a finite understanding and humane capacity it discovers to us the corruption and misery of man by nature the great and unparalled love of God in Jesus Christ towards lost man and the happy agreement of his infinite justice mercy and wisdome in ordaining Christ to be our Mediator and reveals the covenant of grace which God made with man after the fall for restoring him again to Gods favour All which can be derived from no other fountain but the Spirit of wisdome and Revelation 1 Cor. 2.7 8 9 10. Eph. 1.17 18. The Scripture also contains the law of God which teacheth the whole duty of man towards God and towards men in the precepts of Scripture there are divers notes of a divine power and wisdome as First The surpassing excellency of the acts required of us namely that we should deny our selves and conform our hearts and lives to the Image of the word of God Secondly the wonderful equity that doth appear in every Commandment Thirdly The admirable strangeness of some acts and duties as regeneration self-abasement the renouncing of our own righteousness and parting with all we have for Christ which a meer natural man would count foolishness and madness yet prescribed as necessary Fourthly The manner how obedience is required to be performed by us it must proceed from an inward spiritual principle even from a pure heart a good Conscience and faith unfeigned Fifthly The perfection of the holy law of God commanding and allowing all good and forbidding and condemning all sin and wickedness whatsoever in thought word and action not only the filthiness of the flesh but also the filthiness of the Spirit and that with reference to all persons times and places without exception binding the Conscience and reaching the very thoughts and secrets of the hearts of men And do not all these things which would fill a great Volume if I should treat of them at large clearly and convincingly set forth the divine Authority of the Scriptures so as we should acknowledge no other Author of those sacred writings but God himself for who can contrive these things but he who is infinite in power and wisdome who can give eternal life
of Faith You may know that there is a God and that he made the World by the Light of Nature For the things that are invisible are clearly seen and understood by the things that are made whereby we come to know his eternal Power and Godhead Rom. 1.20 And we must believe this also because God in the Scripture hath revealed it Heb. 11.3 Faith and the Light of Reason go to the knowledge of one and the same thing different wayes Faith doth it because of the divine Testimony Authority and Revelation of God who is Truth and Goodness it self but the Light of Reason doth it because of Arguments drawn from the thing it self by rational discourse However we must hold to this as an undoubted truth that though the Light of Nature and Reason as it is a relict of Gods Image in man be necessary in religious and moral things yet it is not sufficient there being great decayes and languishings in our Reason as the greatest Philosophers themselves have acknowledged V. Consider That if we speak of Nature and Reason as corrupted and depraved by sin as it is in every son of Adam so it is an enemy yea enmity it self against God Rom. 8.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very wisdom of the flesh i. e. the reasonings and discourses of the natural man his best thoughts desires and affections the best inclinations and motions of his mind are not only enemies but enmity against God An enemy may be reconciled but enmity it self can never be reconciled The Apostle 1 Cor. 1.21 useth a strange expression that the World by wisdom knew not God he doth not say that the World through foolishness was ignorant of God but that by wisdom that is by the right use of Reason and discourse it knew not God as Diodate notes upon the Text They became vain in their imaginations saith the same Apostle Rom. 1.21 The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be better rendred thus they became vain in their reasonings or their practical inferences and discourses such as they made out of the principles they had in their understandings So likewise 1 Cor. 3.20 The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise not the simple thoughts but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most prudent reasonings and discourses of the men of the world that they are vain You have the same word 1 Tim. 2.8 which is translated without doubting but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without reasoning or dispute In the exercise of Faith and Prayer we must not argue against the Promise by our Reason In this sense the more humane Reason Learning and Wisdom men have the more opposition there is in them against God and the great Mysteries of the Gospel 1 Cor. 1.20 26. and Chap. 2.9 10 11. and Ch. 3.18 19. And therefore Augustine wrote thus to a man of great learning and parts Ornari abs te Diabolus quaerit But now if we speak of Nature and Reason as enlightned and rectified by the Spirit and Word of God so it is an excellent help in matters of Religion let the Word of God let the Testimony of the Spirit of God in the holy Scriptures first lay the foundation and then Reason may build upon it Reason should not take the first place or have the preheminence but should be subject and subordinate to Faith as Agar the Bond-woman was to be to her Mistriss Sarah the Free-woman We must not first consult with Reason nor ask a Reason of our believing when we should believe beyond Reason A meer rational considering of means and second causes is a great enemy to Faith If you would believe saith Luther you must crucifie that Question Why God would not have us so full of Wherefores Abraham against hope believed in hope Rom. 4.18 19. Contra spem nempe carnis rationis totius naturae as some of the best Interpreters comment upon it He believed against Sense and natural Reason in hope against hope i. e. in hope supernatural against all the appearances of natural hope nothing doubting saith the Apostle speaking of Abraham's Faith 't is the same word which you find 1 Cor. 11.29 Nothing discerning as when a man looks on things with an eye of Sense and Reason he passeth a judgment of discerning or dijudication upon them as thus some things are easie some things are hard Abraham did not so reason or consider of things when he believed Faith when it is lively and strong will subscribe to a Blank and will rest on the Power and Goodness of God when all things seem contrary in outward appearance and to an eye of Reason Faith can see love in anger light in darkness life in death as we have the Woman of Canaan for an instance besides many others Faith will tell a man that the lower he is cast down and abased the higher he shall be raised and the more he shall be comforted and this is further then Reason can go Faith as a late godly Writer truly observes hath a great and large prospect it can look over all the World yea and into the other World too it beholds God who is invisible and is the evidence of things not seen but now as for Reason it gets upon some little Mole-hill of Creature ability and if it can see over two or three hedges this is much and therefore it is a great trouble to Faith to be tyed to Reason If a man be able to go a journey of two or three hundred miles on foot you will say he is a good Footman yet if you constrain him to carry a little Child with him this will be a great luggage to him for though the Child may run along in his hand half a mile yet he must carry him on his back or in his arms the rest of the way especially when he goes over waters and steep hills which will be no small burthen and trouble Thus it is between Faith and Reason Reason at the best is but a Child to Faith Faith can foot it over Mountains of difficulties and wade through the waters of affliction though great and many but when Reason comes to wade through an affliction or to go over some great difficulty it cryes out and sayes Oh Faith let us go back again and proceed no further No sayes Faith but I le take thee upon my back Reason and so it doth But yet Reason is a great luggage and burden to Faith which never works better then when it works most alone for then it has recourse to Gods Alsufficiency and Omnipotency and finds enough there to quiet and satisfie the Soul But now having premised these five Considerations touching Faith and Reason we shall shew the Christian Reader in some particulars what use he should make of humane Reason and Knowledge in reference to divine and religious matters and that it ought not to be rejected but to have its due respect and commendation First We find that many famous godly men have
cap. 26. What reason have I saith he to fight against God Why should I desire things not desireable He that gave hath power to take away and why should I resist This would not only be great folly in me to oppose one that is much stronger but great injustice likewise to fight against a Benefactor We have received all that we have and our very being from Him and why should we take it so heinously if He be pleased to resume something back again And speaking further of the reasonableness of mens resigning up themselves to God's disposal he saith Quis vero es tu aut unde venisti aut quare Do you consider what you are and whence you came and upon what business Did not He give you a being in the World endue you with such a nature put you into such a condition wherein you should be subject to His government and disposal Did not He appoint the time and place and part which you are to act upon the Theatre of this World And this is properly your Business to apply your self to the fittest means for performing the part allotted to you and not to take upon you to murmur or repine against it for it doth not belong to us to choose our parts but to act them Would it not better become us to go off the Stage with adorations and praises of God for so much as He hath permitted us to hear and see rather than mutining against Him because we had no more And in another place he suggests this Consideration That our condition whilst we are in this World is militant wherein every one is without reluctancy to submit to the Orders of his great Captain or General in whatever He shall appoint whether or no it be to dig in the Trenches or to stand upon the Watch or to fight Every man cannot be a Commander and a Common Souldier is to obey not to dispute or offer Counsel If thou maist refuse the condition or work assigned thee why may not another do so too And according to this what Order could there be in the World And again If God would have me saith Epictetus to be sick or poor I will be content to be so whatever Employment he will design for me I will not decline it and whatever He would not have me be or do I will be against it likewise And in another place he hath this excellent passage If I had been made a Nightingale or a Swan saith he I should have employed the time of my life in such a way as is sutable to the condition of those Creatures but being made a Man capable of serving and worshipping that Deity from whom I had my being 't is but reason I should apply my self to this as being my proper work and business and therefore hereunto will I devote my self as to that Employment to which I am chiefly designed I am now as to the condition of my Body lame and old and under servitude Yet still he concludes it to be his Duty wholly to devote himself to the praises and worship of that God who was the Author of his being That must needs be much more desireable saith this Heathen Moralist Epictetus which is chosen by the wisdom of God than that which I choose A reluctancy against the divine Will is the ground of all irreligion and Atheism in the World Why may not a man refuse to obey God in what He commands as well as to submit to Him in what He inflicts and then what ground can there be for any pretence to Religion We should all of us saith he conform our minds to the Will of Providence and most willingly follow whithersoever He shall lead us as knowing it to proceed from the best and wisest contrivance I do in my Judgment more consent to that which God would have than to that which mine own inclination doth lead unto I would desire and will just so and no otherwise than as He doth And in another place Use me saith he as Thou pleasest I do fully consent and submit to it and shall refuse nothing which shall seem good unto Thee Lead me whither-ever Thou wilt put me into what condition Thou pleasest Must I be in a private not in a publick station in poverty not in wealth I will not only consent to it but make it my business to Apologize for it to justifie and maintain before all men such Thy dealing with me to be most fitting and advantageous to my condition To the same purpose another Heathen Moralist to mention no more Antoninus Lib. 10. cap. 25. saith That man is to be esteemed a Fugitive and an Apostate who runs away from his Master Now the great Law-giver who governs the World is our common Master and Ruler and His Will is the only Law we are to submit unto And therefore for a man to be angry or grieved because things fall not out according to his desire what is this but revolting from the supreme Governour of the World and declaring enmity against Him And again If God saith he do not take particular notice of and care for me and my affairs why do I at any time pray to Him And if He doth exercise a special Providence towards all Events no doubt but He doth consult well and wisely about them nor would He suffer any hurt or prejudice to befal me unless it were for a greater good upon some other account and in this I ought to acquiesce And in another place saith the same Author I refer every thing that befals me to God as the Contriver of it by whom all Events are disposed in a wise Order Now what are these great and excellent Sayings of these two wise Philosophers and other grave Moralists that might be mentioned but the same in effect with those divine Sayings in the Sacred Scriptures Psal 25.10 Job 1. 15 17. and 2.10 Exod. 34.6 1 Sam. 3.18 Lam. 3.22 39. Job 5.7 and 34.31 and 40.4 and 33.12 13. Psal 39.9 and 8.4 and 94.12 and 118.18 and 119.75 2 Sam. 15.26 Isa 45.9 and 64.8 Heb. 12.5 8 10 11. Prov. 19.3 Rom. 8.28 and 9.20 1 Cor. 10.13 and 11.32 2 Cor. 1.5 Rev. 3.19 Religion to use the words of a late Learned Bishop * Dr. Wilkins Bishop of Chester hath a firm and deep foundation in the Nature and Reason of Mankind But yet we must not so exalt Reason or the Principles of natural Religion as to derogate in the least from the necessity and usefulnss of divine Revelation or to extenuate the great and unparallel'd Blessing and Benefit of the Christian Religion and the Doctrine of the Gospel of Christ which though it transcends yet it is not contrary to the Dictates and Sentiments of Reason For it is but reasonable that we should acquiesce in the Testimony and Authority of God the supreme Being who neither can nor will deceive us We should not despise any of those Advantages saith the grave Author of The whole
Duty of Man * Causes of the Decay of Christianity cap. 9. pag. 255. which may improve our Reason exalt the Man and depress the Beast in us Yet sure we shall derogate very impiously from Christ's Prophetick Office if we allow not Divinity to be the supreme and noblest Science such as is to be served and attended not regulated and governed by those inferiour But that just order seems now to be inverted Divine Learning is brought down to Humane and the simplicity of Christian Doctrine so perplexed and confounded with Philosophical Niceties that Plato and Aristotle are become the Umpires of our Religion and we must go ask Heathens how far we shall be Christians Those deep things of God as the Apostle calls them 1 Cor. 2.10 and of which he pronounces the Natural man an incompetent Judge are yet brought before that Tribunal subjected to be scanned by Rules of Art but alas our Line is too short to sound those Depths Thus far he Madam This Book which is Dedicated to Your Honour treats of the Right Use and Abuse of Reason in Divine matters There are two extremes which men are apt to run into some ascribe too much to Natural Light and Reason in Religious concernments and others ascribe too little As we should give to God the things that are God's and to Caesar the things that are Caesar's according to that saying of our Blessed Saviour Matth. 22.21 so we should give to Faith the things that belong to Faith and to Reason the things that belong to Reason And herein Madam You may meet with some Passages in this Treatise if You please to peruse it which may by the Blessing of God minister some Light and Direction to You. OF THE RIGHT USE ABUSE OF REASON IN MATTERS of RELIGION CHAP. I. Of distinguishing between Faith and Reason AS it requires much spiritual skill and judgment rightly to distinguish between the Law and the Gospel the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace to give the Law its due and the Gospel its due whereupon Luther was wont to say That he who can thus distinguish is the best Divine So truly it requires much spiritual skill and wisdom rightly to distinguish between the Light of Nature and the Light of Grace between Reason and Faith in matters of Religion That as Christ bids us render unto God the things that are Gods and to Caesar the things that are Caesars So we should give unto Faith the things that are Faith's and to Reason the things that are Reason's To Faith her full scope and latitude and to Reason also her just bounds and rights May we not wish that many great Professors of the Gospel did but equalize in their practise as to moral Justice and Faithfulness some Heathens that were only endued with the Light of Reason and moral Virtues Did not these go further with their Candle-light than the other do with their Sun-beams And will they not rise up in judgment against them that do so grosly abuse the Light of the Gospel which infinitely transcends the Light of Nature Perhaps this may be the reason why some vain Scriblers in our days place Religion chiefly in natural Improvements and moral Virtues because there is so little moral Justice and Honesty amongst Men yea amongst many forward Professors morality will go very far But yet though Men be unjust and exceeding defective in their morals we should not therefore derogate from the Spirit and Grace of God we should not confound Nature and Grace Divinity and Philosophy Faith and humane Reason Christ and Socrates Paul and Plato Nor the Church of God and the Christian Religion with the School of Aristotle For this sinful mixture and composition the Schoolmen are worthily blamed who by advancing Aristotle in their Writings and ascribing too much to moral Virtues have exceedingly darkned the purity of the Gospel and in a manner quite excluded the righteousness of Christ as Mediator and the gracious powerful operations of His Spirit Erasmus himself speaking of the Arians saith a Hoc ipso fuere pestilentiores quod Aristotelicis argutiis essent instructi Erasmus That they were the more dangerous and pestilent because they were so much acquainted with the Aristotelian Subtilties The like may be said of some curious Philosophical Wits and Pens in this divided Church and Nation who have in effect transformed the Gospel of Christ into a meer System of Morality Indeed a true sincere Christian is the most just and moral of any man but it is not his moral Virtues and Endowments but his Spiritual union with Christ that makes him accepted with God and puts him into a state of Salvation Let Reason be permitted with the Gibeonites to hew wood and draw water for the Sanctuary but let it not rush into the Holy of Holies into the Bosom-secrets of God into the deep Mysteries of the Gospel Reason may not come into these Seas except she strike her top-sail here she must submit and captivate her self to the obedience of Faith There is reason indeed for that which faith believeth b Dr. Preston on the Attributes of God but yet reason must be help'd by faith and rais'd up to Spiritual Objects by divine revelation As one that hath dim Eyes can see better by the help of Spectacles and to chuse a right Jewel we use the Skill of a Lapidary so if we would yield a firm assent to Divine Truths and Principles we must be help'd with light from above even with divine and supernatural Revelation Otherwise we shall give but a weak and doubtful assent thereunto which we call Opinion The works of Creation and the light of Natural Reason enabling us to discern the Characters of God stamped upon the Creatures will prove That there is a God or Supreme Being But as for those Truths that are meerly Supernatural as the Trinity of Persons the Hypostatical Union in Christ and other great Mysteries of the Gospel these are only known by revelation and have no prints or foot-steps in the Creatures to discern them by of which we shall speak more fully and particularly in the following part of this Treatise CHAP. II. Shewing that Reason though much weakned is of good use both in civil and divine things LEt it be granted which will not be denied by any sober Christian 1. That the light of Reason is exceedingly darkned and clouded that the Eye of Reason is weakned and vitiated that with Leah she is blear-eyed That this daughter of the morning is fallen from her primitive beauty from her original vigor and perfection And so fallen that she cannot savingly apprehend or comprehend the things of God Yea 2. Reason as it is now corrupted and perverted in man doth oppose the Gospel of Christ and wrangle against the mysteries of Salvation which it doth not understand 3. That the foulest and blackest Errors that ever were broached in the Church of Christ have shrowded themselves under the fair