by it is in humane Language a Trade and I see not how they can be angry at the Name that are so passionately in love with the Thing But of this in due place The Poor who are not suppos'd to understand Philosophical Systems soon apprehended the Difference between the plain convincing Instructions of Christ and the intricate ineffectual Declamations of the Scribes For the Jewish Rabbies divided at that time into Stoick Platonick and Pythagorean Sects c. did by a mad Liberty of Allegory accommodate the Scriptures to the wild Speculations of their several Masters They made the People who comprehended nothing of their Cabalistick Observations believe 'em to be all profound Mysteries and so taught 'em Subjection to Heathenish Rites whilst they set the Law of God at nought by their Traditions No wonder then if the disinterested common sort and the more ingenuous among the Rulers did reject these nonsensical Superstitions tho impudently father'd upon Moses for a Religion suted to the Capacities of all delineated and foretold by their own Prophets I wish no Application of this could be made in the following Discourse to the Case of any Christians much less to the purer and better sort Whoever considers with what Eagerness and Rigour some Men press Obedience to their own Constitutions and Discipline conniving in the mean while at all Nonconformity to the Divine Law bow strictly they enjoin the Observation of unreasonable unscriptural Ceremonies and the Belief of those unfathomable Explanations of what they stiffly hold themselves to be incomprehensible I say who considers all this is vehemently tempted to suspect they drive a more selfish Design than that of instructing the Ignorant or converting the Sinner That any should be hated despis'd and molested nay sometimes be charitably burn'd and damn'd for rejecting those Fooleries superadded and in many Cases substituted to the most blessed pure and practicable Religion that Men could wish or enjoy is Matter of Astonishment and Grief to such as prefer the Precepts of God to the Inventions of Men the plain Paths of Reason to the insuperable Labyrinths of the Fathers and true Christian Liberty to Diabolical and Antichristian Tyranny But the common Method of teaching and supporting this Mystery of Inâ—…quity is still more intolerable How many voluminous Systems infinitely more difficult than the Scriptâ—… 〈◊〉 read with great Atteâ—…â—…y 〈◊〉 â—…t would be Master of the present â—…-logy What a prodigious Number of barbarous Words mysterious no doubt what tedious and immethâ—…dical Directions what ridiculous anâ—… discrepant Interpretations must you patiently learn and observe before you can begin to understand a Professor of that Faculty The last and easiest part of your Labour will be to find his Sentiments in the Bible tho the holy Penmen never thought of them and you never read that sacred Book since you were a School-Boy But a Distrust of your own Reason a blind Veneration for those that liv'd before you and a firm Resolution of adhering to all the Expositions of your Party will do any thing Believe only as a sure Foundation for all your Allegories that the Words of Scripture tho never so equivocal and ambiguous without the Context may signify every where whatever they can signify And if this be not enough believe that every Truth is a true Sense of every Passage of Scripture that is that any thing may be made of every thing And you 'll not only find all the New Testament in the Old and all the Old in the New but I promise you there 's no Explication tho never so violent tho never so contradictory or perplex'd but you may as easily establish as admit But I will not repeat what I have expresly written of this Matter in an Epistolary Dissertation now lying by me entitul'd Systems of Divinity exploded In the following Discourse which is the first of three and wherein I prove my Subject in general the Divinity of the New Testament is taken for granted so that it regards only Christians immediately and others but remotely who are pray'd to weigh my Arguments by the said Supposition In the next Discourse equally concerning Christians and others I attempt a particular and rational Explanation of the reputed Mysteries of the Gospel And in the third I demonstrate the Verity of Divine Revelation against Atheists and all Enemies of reveal'd Religion This seems to me to be the best Method for the Order of Nature is in your Systems of Divinity quite inverted They prove the Authority and Perfection before they teach the Contents of Scripture whereas the first is in great measure known by the last How can any be sure that the Scripture contains all things necessary to Salvation till he first reads it over Nay how can he conclude it to be Scripture or the Word of God till he exactly studies it to speak now of no other Means he must use This Confusion then I have carefully avoided for I prove first that the true Religion must necessarily be reasonable and intelligible Next I shew that these requisite Conditions are found in Christianity But seeing a Man of good Parts and Knowledg may easily frame a clear and coherent System I demonstrate Thirdly that the Christian Religion was not form'd after such a manner but was divinely reveal'd from Heaven These three Subjects I handle in as many Books whereof as I said before the following Discourse is the first Before I finish I must take notice of those Gentlemen who love to call Names in Religion for what are all Party-Distinctions but according to them so many sorts of Hereticks or Schismaticks or worse But I assure them that I am neither of Paul nor of Cephas nor of Apollos but of the Lord Jesus Christ alone who is the Author and Finisher of my Faith I have as much Right to have others cal'd after my Name as they to give me a Denomination and that is no Right at all I say not this to prevent being invidiously represented according to a very common Artifice under the Notion of any Sect in the World that is justly or unjustly hated by others This would be a poor Consideration indeed but it is my settl'd Judgment that the thing is unlawful in it self to a good Christian. Leaving others nevertheless their Liberty in this Point it must at least be granted inconvenient for if you go under the Name of a Lutheran for instance tho you agree with those of your Communion but in the main Articles yet their Adversaries will not fail upon occasion to charge you with those other Matters wherein you dissent And should you then declare your Judgment the rest of the Lutherans will not only be much offended but be apt also to call your Sincerity in question about every thing besides which is the known Temper of most Sects The only religious Title therefore that I shall ever own for my part is that most glorious one of being a Christian. A Word or two more I must add
way contradicted how shall we be convinc'd of the Infallibility of the other Reason may err in this Point as well as in any thing else and we have no particular Promise it shall not no more than the Papists that their Senses may not deceive them in every thing as well as in Transubstantiation To say it bears witness to it self is equally to establish the Alcoran or the Poran And 't were a notable Argument to tell a Heathen that the Church has declar'd it when all Societies will say as much for themselves if we take their word for it Besides it may be he would ask whence the Church had Authority to decide this Matter And if it should be answer'd from the Scripture a thousand to one but he would divert himself with this Circle You must believe that the Scripture is Divine because the Church has so determin'd it and the Church has this deciding Authority from the Scripture 'T is doubted if this Power of the Church can be prov'd from the Passages alledg'd to that purpose but the Church it self a Party concern'd affirms it Hey-day are not these eternal Rounds very exquisite Inventions to giddy and entangle the Unthinking and the Weak 7. But if we believe the Scripture to be Divine not upon its own bare Assertion but from a real Testimony consisting in the Evidence of the things contain'd therein from undoubted Effects and not from Words and Letters what is this but to prove it by Reason It has in it self I grant the brightest Characters of Divinity But 't is Reason finds them out examines them and by its Principles approves and pronounces them sufficient which orderly begets in us an Acquiescence of Faith or Perswasion Now if Particulars be thus severely sifted if not only the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles be consider'd but also their Lives Predictions Miracles and Deaths surely all this Labour would be in vain might we upon any account dispense with Contradictions O! blessed and commodious System that dischargest at one stroak those troublesome Remarks about History Language figurative and literal Senses Scope of the Writer Circumstances and other Helps of Interpretation We judg of a Man's Wisdom and Learning by his Actions and his Discourses but God who we are assur'd has not left himself without a Witness must have no Privileges above the maddest Enthusiast or the Devil himself at this rate 8. But a Veneration for the very Words of God will be pretended This we are pleas'd with for we know that God is not a Man that he should lie But the Question is not about the Words but their Sense which must be ever worthy of their Author and therefore according to the Genius of all Speech figuratively interpreted when occasion requires it Otherwise under pretence of Faith in the Word of God the highest Follies and Blasphemies may be deduc'd from the Letter of Scripture as that God is subject to Passions is the Author of Sin that Christ is a Rock was actually guilty of and defil'd with our Transgressions that we are Worms or Sheep and no Men. And if a Figure be admitted in these Passages why not I pray in all Expressions of the like Nature when there appears an equal Necessity for it 9. It may be demanded why I have so long insisted upon this Article since that none expresly makes Scripture and Reason contradictory was acknowledg'd before But in the same place mention is made of some who hold that they may seem directly to clash and that tho we cannot reconcile them together yet that we are bound to acquiesce in the Decisions of the former A seeming Contradiction is to us as much as a real one and our Respect for the Scripture does not require us to grant any such in it but rather to conclude that we are ignorant of the right Meaning when a Difficulty occurs and so to suspend our Judgment concerning it till with sutable Helps and Industry we discover the Truth As for acquiescing in what a Man understands not or cannot reconcile to his Reason they know best the fruits of it that practise it For my part I 'm a Stranger to it and cannot reconcile my self to such a Principle On the contrary I am pretty sure he pretends in vain to convince the Judgment who explains not the Nature of the Thing A Man may give his verbal Assent to he knows not what out of Fear Superstition Indifference Interest and the like feeble and unfair Motives but as long as he conceives not what he believes he cannot sincerely acquiesce in it and remains depriv'd of all solid Satisfaction He is constantly perplex'd with Scruples not to be remov'd by his implicite Faith and so is ready to be shaken and carry'd away with every wind of Doctrine I will believe because I will believe that is because I 'm in the Humour so to do is the top of his Apology Such are unreasonable Men walking after the Vanity of their Minds having their Understandings darken'd being Strangers to the Life of God through the Ignorance that is in them because of the Hardness of their Hearts But he that comprehends a thing is as sure of it as if he were himself the Author He can never be brought to suspect his Profession and if he be honest will always render a pertinent account of it to others 10. The natural Result of what has been said is That to believe the Divinity of Scripture or the Sense of any Passage thereof without rational Proofs and an evident Consistency is a blameable Credulity and a temerarious Opinion ordinarily grounded upon an ignorant and wilful Disposition but more generally maintain'd out of a gainful Prospect For we frequently embrace certain Doctrines not from any convincing Evidence in them but because they serve our Designs better than the Truth and because other Contradictions we are not willing to quit are better defended by their means CHAP. II. Of the Authority of REVELATION as it regards this Controversy 11. AGainst all that we have been establishing in this Section the Authority of Revelation will be alledg'd with great shew as if without a Right of silencing or extingu shing REASON it were altogether useless and impertinent But if the Distinction I made in the precedent Section N. 9. be well consider'd the Weakness of the present Objection will quickly appear and this Controversy be better understood hereaster There I said REVELATION was not a necessitating Motive of Assent but a Mean of Information We should not confound the Way whereby we come to the knowledg of a thing with the Grounds we have to believe it A Man may inform me concerning a thousand Matters I never heard of before and of which I should not as much as think if I were not told yet I believe nothing purely upon his word without Evidence in the things themselves Not the bare Authority of him that speaks but the clear Conception I form of what he
hand but the Priest's with the like Ceremonies they had no colour of Authority from the Scriptures but only from Custom and Tradition 93. Now their own Advantage being the Motive that put the Primitive Clergy upon reviving Mystery they quickly erected themselves by its Assistance into a separate and politick Body tho not so soon into their various Orders and Degrees For in the two first Centuries we meet with no Sub-Deacons Readers or the like much less with the Names or Dignities of Popes Cardinals Patriarchs Metropolitans Archbishops Primates Suffragans Archdeacons Deans Chancellors Vicars or their numerous Dependants and Retinue But in small time Mystery made way for those and several other Usurpations upon Mankind under pretence of Labourers in the Lord's Vineyard 94. The Degrees or Constitutions concerning Ceremonies and Discipline to encrease the Splendor of this new State did strangely affect stupify and amaze the Minds of the ignorant People and made them believe they were in good earnest Mediators between God and Men that could fix Sanctity to certain Times Places Persons or Actions They seem'd almost a different and more divine Species of Creatures distinguishing themselves from other Men in their Garb in their manner of living by Tithes and Donations in their separate Places at Church and several other ways By this means the Clergy were able to do any thing they engross'd at length the sole Right of interpreting Scripture and with it claim'd Infallibility to their Body 95. This is the true Origin and Progress of the Christian Mysteries and we may observe how great a share of their Establishment is owing to Ceremonies These never fail to take off the Mind from the Substance of Religion and lead Men into dangerous Mistakes for Ceremonies being easily observ'd every one thinks himself religious enough that exactly performs them But there is nothing so naturally opposite as CEREMONY and CHRISTIANITY The latter discovers Religion naked to all the World and the former delivers it under mystical Representations of a meerly arbitrary Signification 96. It is visible then that Ceremonies perplex instead of explaining but supposing they made things easier then that would be the best Religion which had most of them for they are generally and may all be made equally significative A Candle put â—…nto the Hands of the Baptiz'd to denote the Light of the Gospel is every whit as good a Ceremony as to make the Sign of the Cross upon their Fore-heads in token of owning Christ for their Master and Saviour Wine Milk and Honey signify spiritual Nourishment Strength and Gladness as well as standing at the Gospel betokens our Readiness to hear or profess it 97. In short there 's no degree of Enthusiasm higher than placing Religion in such Fooleries nor any thing so base as by these fraudulent Arts to make the Gospel of no effect unles as sar as it serves a Party But I shall have a better Occasion of exhausting the Subject of Ceremonies elsewhere I treat of 'em here only as they made up the Gentile Mysteries and were afterwards brought in to constitute those of the Christians But as the vastmultitudes of the latter quickly render'd all secret Rites almost impossible so to preserve the Mystery things were purposely made downright unintelligible or very perplex'd In this Poiâ—… our pretended Christians outdid all the Mysteries of the Heathens for the Honour of these might be destroy'd by Discovery or the babling Tongue of any initiated Person But the new Mysteries were thus securely plac'd above the Reach of all Sense and Reason Nay so jealous were the CLERGY of their own Order lest any of 'em should irreligiously unfold those sublime Mysteries to the profanely inquisitive LAITY that they thought fit to put it as much out of the Power of the Holy Tribe it self as out of ours to understand them and so it continues in a great measure to this day The CONCLUSION THUS I have endeavour'd to shew others what I'm fully convinc'd of my self that there is no MYSTERY in CHRISTIANITY or the most perfect Religion and that by Consequence nothing contradictory or inconceivable however made an Article of Faith can be contain'd in the Gospel if it be really the Word of God for I have hitherto argu'd only upon this Supposition for the Reasons to be seen towards the end of the Preface Notwithstanding all Pretences that may be made to the contrary it is evident that no particular Instances or Doctrines of any sort can serve for a proper Answer to this DISCOURSE for as long as the Reasons of it hold good whatever Instance can be alledg'd must either be found not mysterious or if it prove a MYSTERY not divinely reveal'd There is no middle way that I can see When those Passages of Scripture I have cited for my Assertion are either reconcil'd to such as any would bring against me or prov'd not to be understood by me when my Arguments against all inconceivable Mysteries and the Absurdity of God's revealing any such Mysteries are confuted 't is time enough then for others to produce Examples or for me to consider ' em And tho by convincing People that all the Parts of their RELIGION must not only be in themselves but to them also must appear sound and intelligible I might justly leave every one to discover to himself the Reasonableness or Unreasonableness of his Religion which is no difficult Business when once Men are perswaded that they have a right to do it yet the Duties I ow GOD and the World oblige me to proceed further according as I enjoy Health or Leisure without limiting my self as to any time that being a thing in no Man's Power to command at his Pleasure My next Task therefore is God willing to prove the Doctrines of the New Testament perspicuous possible and most worthy of God as well as all calculated for the highest Benefits of Man Some will not thank me it 's probable for so useful an Undertaking and others will make me a Heretick in grain for what I have perform'd already But as it is Duty and no Body's Appláuse which is the Rule of my Actions so God knows I no more value this cheap and ridiculous Nick-name of a Heretick than Paul did besore me for I acknowledg no ORTHODOXY but the TRVTH and I 'm sure where-ever the TRVTH is there must be also the CHVRCH of God I mean and not any Human Faction or Policy Besides the Imputation of Heterodoxy being now as liberal upon the slightest Occasions out of Ignorance Passion or Malice as in the Days of Ireneus and Epiphanius it is many times instead of a Reproach the greatest Honour imaginable Some good Men may be apt to say that supposing my Opinion never so true it may notwithstanding occasion much harm because when People find themselves impos'd upon in any part of Religion they are ready to call the whole in question This Offence is plainly taken not given and my Design is nothing
antient Christians 22. HAving so dispatch'd these adequate Ideas and I know not what real Essences we come now to the main Point upon which the whole Controversy chiefly depends For the Question being whether or no Christianity is mysterious it ought to be naturally decided by the New Testament wherein the Christian Faith is originally contain'd I heartiâ—…y desire to put the Case upon this Issue I appeal to this Tribunal For did I not infinitely prefer the Truth I learn from these sacred Records to all other Considerations I should never assert that there are no Mysteries in Christianity The Scriptures have engag'd me in this Error if it be one and I will sooner be reputed Heterodox with these only on my side than to pass for Orthodox with the whole World and have them against me 23. Now by searching the Scriptures I find some of the Evangelick Doctrines call'd Mysteries in a more general or in a more particular Sense They are more generally so call'd with respect to all Mankind for being certain Matters of Fact only known to God and lodg'd in his Decree or such Events as were quite lost and forgot in the World it was impossible for any Person tho never so wise or learned to discover them for the things of God knoweth none but the Spirit of God as none can find out the secret Thoughts of Man till he tells them himself Such Revelations then of God in the New Testament are call'd Mysteries not from any present Inconceivableness or Obscurity but with respect to what they were before this Revelation as that is call'd our Task which we long since perform'd 24. If any should question this let him hear the Apostle Paul declare for himself and his Fellow-Labourers in the Gospel We speak says he the Wisdom of God hid in a MYSTERY which God ordain'd before the World for our Glory which none of the Princes of the World knew c. And to shew that this Divine Wisdom was a Mystery for want of revealing Information he presently subjoins Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the Heart of Man the things which God hath prepar'd for them that love him but God hath reveal'd them to us by his Spirit The most perspicacious Philosophers were not able to foretel the Coming of Christ to discover the Resurrection of the Body nor any other Matter of Fact that is deliver'd in the Gospel And if they happen'd now and then to say something like the Truth they did but divine at best and could never be certain of their Opinion It is a most delightful thing to consider what Pains the enquiring Heathens were often at to give a Reason for what depended not in the least upon any Principles in their Philosophy but was an historical Fact communicable by God alone or such as had undoubted Memoirs concerning it Of this I think it not amiss to add the following Example 25. The same Experience that taught the Gentiles their mortal Condition acquainted them also with the Frailty of their Natures and the numberless Calamities constantly attending them They could not perswade themselves that the Species of Man came in such deplorable Circumstances out of the Hands of an infinitely good and merciful Deity and so were inclin'd to impute all to the Wickedness of adult Persons till they perceiv'd that Death and Misfortune did not spare innocent Children more than Robbers and Pirates At last they imagin'd a pre-existent State wherein the Soul acting separately like Angels might have contracted some extraordinary Guilt and so for Punishment be thrust into the Body which they sometimes compar'd to a Prison but oftner to a Grave This was likewise the Origin of Transmigration tho in process of Time the Sins of this World became as much concern'd in that Opinion as those of the other But nothing is more ingenious than the Account which Cebes the Theban gives us of the Matter in his most excellent Portraiture of humane Life He feigns Imposture sitting in a Throne at the Gate of Life in the Shape of a most beautiful Lady holding a Cup in her Hand She obligingly presents it to all that are on their Journey to this World and these as civilly accept it but the Draught proves Ignorance and Error whence proceed all the Disorders and Misery of their Lives 26. This Point was a great Mystery to these honest Philosophers who had only Fancy to guide them and could not pretend to Instructions from the Mind of God but the thing is now no Mystery to us that have the Mind of Christ. We know that Adam the first Man became also the first Sinner and Mortal and that so the whole Race propagated from him could be naturally no better than he was By one Man Sin enter'd into the World and Death by Sin 27. But some Doctrines of the Gospel are more particularly call'd Mysteries because they were hid from God's peculiar People under the Mosaick Oeconomy not that they knew nothing concerning them for the Law had a Shadow of good things to come but they were not clearly and fully reveal'd till the New Testament Times being vail'd before by various Typical Representations Ceremonies and figurative Expressions Christ tells his Disciples Many Prophets and Kings have desir'd to see those things which you see and have not seen them and to hear those things which you hear and have not heard them Paul says we use great PLAINNESS of Speech and not as Moses who put a VAIL over his Face And then expresly adds that this VAIL is taken away in Christ which could not be truly affirm'd were the things reveal'd still inconceivable for I know no Difference between not hearing of a thing at all and not comprehending it when you do In another Place Paul has these remarkable Words The Preaching of Jesus Christ according to the REVELATION of the MYSTERY which was kept secret since the World began but now is made MANIFEST and by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to the Commandment of the everlasting God MADE KNOWN to all Nations for the Obedience of Faith 28. These Passages alone sufficiently prove the Assertions contain'd in N o 6 and 7 of this Section viz. First that the Mysteries of the Gospel were certain things in their own Nature intelligible enough but call'd Mysteries by reason of the Vail under which they were formerly hid Secondly that under the Gospel this Vail is wholly remov'd From which Thirdly follows the promis'd Conclusion that such Doctrines cannot now properly deserve the Name of Mysteries 29. It is observable that the hottest Sticklers for the Fathers do cite their Authority only where they think it makes for them and slight or suppress it when not favourable to their Cause Lest it should be maliciously insinuated that I serve the holy Scriptures after the same manner I shall here transcribe all the Passages of the New Testament where the
their Sentence when it sutes not with their Humour or Interest 41. Clemens Alexandrinus has every where the same Notion of Mystery that I have that the Gentiles had and which I have prov'd to be that of the Gospel In the 5th Book of his Stromates which merits the Perusal of all that are curious to understand the Nature of the Jewish and Heathen Mysteries in that Book I say he puts the Matter out of all Doubt and quotes several of those Texts of Scripture which I have already alledg'd to this purpose Nay he tells us that the Christian Discipline was call'd Illumination because it brought hidden things to light the Master CHRIST alone removing the Cover of the Ark that is the Mosaick Vail He adds in express Words that those things which were mysterious and obscure in the Old Testament are made plain in the New 42. Every one knows how the Primitive Christians in a ridiculous imitation of the Jews turn'd all the Scripture into Allegory accommodating the Properties of those Animals mention'd in the Old Testament to Events that happen'd under the New They took the same Liberty principally with Men where they could discover the least Resemblance between their Names Actions or State of Life and carry'd this Fancy at length to Numbers Letters Places and what not That which in the Old Testament therefore did according to them represent any thing in the New they call'd the Type or Mystery of it Thus TYPE SYMBOL PARABLE SHADOW FIGURE SIGN and MYSTERY signify all the same thing in Justin Martyr This Father affirms in his Dialogue with Tryphon the Jew that the Name of Joshua was a Mystery representing the Name Jesus and that the holding up of Moses's Hands during the Battel with the Amalekites in Rephidim was a Type or Mystery of Christ's Cross whereby he overcame Death as the Israelites there did their Enemies and then he adds the following Remark This is to be consider'd says he concerning those two holy Men and Prophets of God that neither of them was able in his single Person to carry both MYSTERIES I mean the Type of his Cross and that of being call'd by his Name In the saâ—…e Dialogue he calls the Predictions of the Prophets SYMBOLS PARABLES and MYSTERIES explain'd by the succeeding Prophets 43. When Tertullian in his Apology justifies the Christians from those inhumane Practices whereof their Enemies most unjustly accus'd 'em he cries We are beset we are discover'd every day But if we keep always hid how are those things known which we are said to commit Nay who could make them known Such as are guilty Not so surely for all Mysteries are of Course under an Oath of Secrecy The Samothracian the Eleusinian Mysteries are conceal'd how much rather such as being discover'd would now provoke the Justice of Men and might expect to meet with that of God hereafter They are secret Practices you see and not incomprehensible Doctrines which this Father counted Mysteries 44. Origen makes the Encampments of the Israelites in their Journey to the Promis'd Land to be Symbols or Mysteries describing the way to such as shall travel towards Heaven or heavenly things I need not add what he says of the Writings of the Prophets of the Vision of Ezekiel or the Apocalypse in particular for he is universally confess'd to have brought this Mystick or Allegorical Method of interpreting Scripture to its Perfection and to have surnish'd Matter to all that trod the same Path after him an Honour in my Opinion not to be envy'd him But he was so far from thinking any Doctrine of our Religion a Mystery in the present Sense of the Word that he expresly affirms them to agree all with COMMON NOTIONS and to commend themselves to the Assent of every well-dispos'd Hearer 45. The other Fathers of the three first Centuries have exactly the same Notions of Mystery And should they in this Matter happen to contradict in one Place what they establish'd in another as they ordinarily do in most things it would only serve to excluà e them from being a true Rule to others that were none to themselves But what is no small Prejudice in our Favour seeing we have to do with Men so apt to forget they keep very constant to this Point so that I may justly hope by this time the Cause of Incomprehensible and Inconceivable Mysteries in Religion should be readily given up by all that sincerely respect FATHERS SCRIPTURE or REASON CHAP. IV. Objections brought from particular Texts of SCRIPTURE and from the Nature of FAITH answer'd 46. SOME Men are so fond of Mysteries and it seems they find their Account in it that they are ready to hazard any thing sooner than part with them In the mean time whether they know it or not they lay nothing less than their Religion at stake by this Conduct for it is an ugly Sign when People profess that what they believe is above the Examination of Reason and will suffer it by no means to come into question It argues in themselves a Distrust of their Cause and others conclude that what dares not abide the Trial of Reason must needs it self be unreasonable at Bottom 47. Notwithstanding these Consequences are so obvious they harden themselves against them and are not asham'd to bring even Scripture to countenance their Assertion You shall hear nothing more frequently in their Mouths than these Words of the Apostle Beware lest any Man spoil you by PHILOSOPHY and vain Deceit after the Tradition of Men after the Rudiments of the World and not after Christ. Ridiculous as if Reason and Truth were Vanity and Craft By Philosophy is not here understood sound Reason as all Interpreters agree but the Systems of Plato of Aristotle of Epicurus of the Academicks c. many of whose Principles are directly repugnant to common Sense and good Morals Sophistry was never more in vogue than in the Days of Paul and several out of these Sects imbracing Christianity found the way to mix with it their old Opinions which they were loth to quit for good and all The Apostle therefore had weighty grounds to warn his Converts not to confound the Inventions of Men with the Doctrine of God It appears nevertheless that this good Advice was to little Purpose for you 'll find the grossest Mistakes and Whimsies of the Fathers to have been occasion'd by the several Systems of Philosophy they read before their Conversion and which they afterwards foolishly endeavour'd to reconcile with Christianity to the entire Ruine almost of the latter as we shall shew â—…n the following Chapter 48. But as no particular Hypothesis whatsoever has a Right to set up for a Standard of Reason to all Mankind much less may vain Philosophy cr Sophistry claim this Privilege and so far am I from aiming at any such thing that it is the very Practice I oppose in this Book When some have advanc'd the Metaphysical Nonsense of