here of no value it is generally despised and rejected You must think of some Other way for This will not do Alas What is TRUTH worth and what are you like to get by abetting it But I rather think that Pilate ask'd This Question in Contempt and Derision I pray Sir What is the Right Definition of Truth Do you pretend to understand the Exact Notion of it I must tell you This Friend Men are as much Mistaken about This as Any thing in the World and I believe You are One of that number You talk of Truth but do you know What it is And as soon as he had started this Query he went off the Bench. By which it appears that his Enquiry was not Serious and that he Cared not for a Reply to it Otherwise if he had been in Good Earnest without doubt our Saviour would not have failed to return an Answer For he was a Person extremely Communicative and used to satisfy all Material Questions to the Full yea above what was demanded As when a Lawyer ask'd him What was the First Commandment he told him moreover what was the Second which was like unto it So when it was asked him Is it lawful to give Tribute to Cesar or no His Answer was more than Satisfactory for he not only acquaints them that they ought to pay Cesar his Tribute but he adds also that God's as well as Cesar's Dues are to be discharged It is not to be doubted that He who was so Ready at all times to Satisfy Mens Demands would have returned an Answer to This of Pilate if this Great Man would have Stayed for it But though Pilate went away in Haste I hope it will be worth our Time to Stay and Satisfy our selves about This Question of so unspeakable Use and Value a Question which is every ways Necessary in order to the Resolving of the Scruples of the Conscientious and Silencing the Cavils of the Atheistical and Prophane a Question whereon the whole Frame and Constitution of Religion depends a Question of the Greatest Importance next to That What shall we do to be Saved Or rather it is of the Same rank with it for as the Apostle hath joyned them together God would have all Men to be Saved and come to the Knowledge of the Truth But an Other Question then will arise How shall we come to the Knowledg of the Truth Are we not on every side beset with Mistakes and False Notions Was not Error very Early in the World and doth it not bear Date from Adam I have not Examined whether that be True which One saith That there is but One Speech deliver'd before the Flood by Man wherein there is not an Erroneous Conception But this is certain that Mistake and Falshood enter'd into the World betimes and that ever since a Night of Ignorance hath over-spread our Minds and our Judgments are involved in a Cloud of Obscurity and Imperfection In Cebes's Table which represents Man's Life Imposture gives her Cup to all that come into the World Error and Ignorance are the Potion and every one Drinks of it but some more and some less Hence it is that Pretences and Appearances of Reason cozen us Imperfect Argumentations and Superficial Discourses easily determine us A Petty Inducement a Weak Likelihood a Plausible Harangue are enough to Turn the Scales with us and Weigh heavier sometimes than a Demonstration Hence it is that Truth is so Rare a thing in the World We may justly complain as He of old It is Difficult to find out True Reason Or we may cry out as Hermias the Old Christian Philosopher did Truth hath abandon'd and taken its farewell of the World How then shall we hope to have this Question assoil'd and to know What is Truth Nay We are in as bad Circumstances as before and Pilate's Demand is as far from being Answer'd as it was for as the Sceptick doubteth of all Truth yea indeed denies it so on the other hand we see that All Parties of Religion in the World pretend that they are Masters and Possessors of it Before there was No Truth and now All is Truth If you ask what it Truth you shall not want whole Herds of Men who will come and offer their Service to you and with all Officiousness will tell you that they are able to Resolve you in such an Easy Question as That is Truth takes up its Residence with Vs say the Pagaâ— Worshipers Our Numerous Deities and their Idols have been vouched by Oracles and Divinations and all the ways that are requisite to make a Religion Authentick We are the Parents of Orthodox Faith say the Iews and all the rest of the World are Bewilder'd and Lost being destitute of a Pillar of Light to lead them Alas they are inveloped in Egyptian Darkness and must continue to be so till they take Moses for their Only Guide to bring them out of it But then again Neither Gentiles nor Iews are in the right say the Followers of Mahomet who yet was the Son of a Pagan Father and a Iewish Mother The Alcoran is the True Charter of our Religion and who can suspect it since our Prophet received it from the Angel Gabriel We are the True Musselmen i.e. Believers and all Others are downright Infidels and Miscreants Nay even among Those who profess Christianity for out of the Best and Purest Religion will arise the Worst of Corruptions and Heresies the Parties and Divisions the Disputes and Claims are not a few Truth is but One and yet they All think they Monopolize it Every Sect is Eager and Violent and some of them Confine All Religion and Salvation to their Own Way Nay they are for Persecuting all Parties but their Own like the Ottoman Princes they must Strangle all their Brethren otherwise they think they cannot Reign safely Ask the Different Parties even from the Highest to the Lowest from the Old Gentleman that sits in the Porphyry Chair to the meanest Quaker or Muggletonian and they will all tell you they are in possession of the Truth Every Perswasion hath this of Popery in it that the Professors of it think themselves Infallible and say they have an Unerring Guide and therefore they take the Chair and Determine Peremptorily on their Own Sides Even whilst some cry This is False and others That if you ask them singly they all say they are in the Right and every one confidently vouches that he is Proprietor of Truth It seems by This that Truth is Equally divided among All Men or rather indeed that the Opinion of it is so And hence it is probable that Scepticism and Indifferency in Religion have had their Rise for too Lavish Pretences to Truth have made some question whether there be Any The Divers Claims and Quarrels in Christianity have wonderfully fostered Atheism For whilst it hath been observed that Divinity hath every where become Polemical and that Men have thrown Bibles at one anothers
and Capacious a Sphere is some mean Resemblance of the Divine Dominion The vast Influence which Rulers have over the People and the Great Circumference they describe may entitle them to a kind of Deity Secondly More Particularly The God of Heaven and Those whom he hath appointed to Rule on Earth Resemble one another in their Actions and Imployments viz. in Ruling and Governing All for the Good of the Community in making and appointing Laws to That End in distributing of Punishments and Rewards and in executing of Justice and Judgment in the World Therefore saith Theoderet Iudges are called Gods because they imitate God as they are entrusted with the Office of Iudging And Iustin Martyr before him had Words to the same purpose The Pagan Iove was Celebrated for his Thunder But it is a Truth without any Fiction That a Magistrate is an Earthly God as to his Severity in Punishing obstinate Offenders And he is a God in Mercifulness and Compassion when there is occasion for it for God himself is Love One of the Antiochus's Successors of Alexander the Great had the Title of Theos given him because of his singular Acts of Kindness to several People especially to the Meletians whom he relieved and rescued from the Tyranny they were under It is God-like to shew Mercy to help defend and deliver Men in their Distresses In this therefore Rulers are concerned to make the nearest Approach to Divinity that they can God himself is frequently termed a Shield and Magistrates in their Proportion are to be such and accordingly are stiled the Shields of the Earth Thus Earthly Rulers Imitate God and are deservedly stiled Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of the Eminency of their Vertue as the Antient Philosopher said well Thus Good Magistrates have the Character of Divinity upon them They have the Signature and Mark of Heaven They are called in my Text The Children of the most High This Resemblance and Likeness to their Father gives them most deservedly That Denomination Now they are truly God's Image and bear his Superscription They are the Admirable Words of Plutarch A Ruler saith he is the Image of God who Governs all things A Magistrate needs no Statuary to make an Image of God for by no other Workmanship and Art than that of Vertue and Goodness he can make Himself Such a Piece of so much Worth and Excellency that it shall be most Acceptable to God and Worthy of Him This Doctrin Thus Illustrated may be Applied both to Magistrates and People First To the People who by Vertue of what hath been said are obliged to Consider and Weigh well the Dignity of the Persons who are Set over them and to Behave themselves Accordingly i.e. willingly to Acknowledge their Authority and Superiority to Respect and Reverence them to pay them that Civil Worship which is due to them and chearfully to Obey their Lawful Commands Governours are Gods therefore to Speak Evil of them is a kind of Blasphemy They are the Images of God and so he that Disrespects and Despises them Abuseth God in Effigie To do Violence to Them is to Assault the Deity to Combate against Heaven and Fight against God himself Here then is a Solid Basis for Obedience God hath Deputed Magistrates and made them his Representatives and Communicated his Authority and Power to them and by being Good they do more signally Resemble Him Whence it is Rational to Infer That the wilful Contempt of Human Authority is Affronting of God and despising even the Majesty of Heaven It is the Peoples Duty then to Study and Practise Obedience and more especially to Thank God for Good Magistrates who are sent from Heaven and are the peculiar Gift of God Magistracy deserves a Double Veneration when it is in Conjunction with Holiness Secondly The Magistrate no less than the People is concerned in This Text and in This Discourse He may see here at once his Eminency and his Duty what God hath made him and what He expects of him Let the Masters of Heraldry range all their Titles of Honour it is certain there cannot be a greater and more Honourable one than This of Gods But as it carries Honour with it so it bespeaks a Behaviour becoming That Honour If any Magistrate should be so Vain as to Rely on the Title of God and Vaunt of That and yet in the mean time Neglect his Duty he may remember that Heathen Idols are called Gods Psal. xcvi 5. and Satan is called the God of this World 2 Cor. iv 4. Rulers must Deport themselves like Gods else they fondly lay Claim to that Name They must remember that the Name they bear puts them in mind whose Deputies they are It is a high Compliment which Pliny passes upon Trajan in the Close of his Panegyrick viz. That nothing Greater or Better could be wished to the Commonwealth than that the Gods would Imitate the Emperour It is a Truth without any strain of Rhetorick that no greater Felicity can be wished to Kingdoms and Commonwealths than that the Gods so stiled in my Text would endeavour to Imitate the King of Kings It will be a Shame and a great Solecism if Those who are in God's Stead discover Nothing of God or Divinity in their Lives and Actions if Those who bear the Name of God partake not of the God-like Nature but rather of that which is Diabolick Remember that as you are Deputed by God so you must Resemble Him You are the Children of the most High you are his Off-spring more Signally be mindful of your Heavenly Extraction and commit nothing Unworthy of it You that are Governours must use your Power for God for it is reasonable that He who is the Original of your Power should also be the End of it Think not that the Title given you here is an Idle and Empty Thing The Gods which the Psalmist speaks of must not be like the Heathen Gods and Idols who as he saith Have eyes but see not ears but hear not hands but handle not We have too many of such Gods as These in This Nation How many Magistrates sit with their Arms across and Study to do Nothing How many Gallio's are there of this Age which Care for none of those Things which are the Proper Work of their Place The Hebrew word which signifies a Statue and a Tomb signifies also a President a Governour How many are there that bear this Latter Chacter who are too near of Kin to the Former Though they are appointed to be Publick Dispencers of Justice yet they are not Sollicitous to Discharge that Office but rather give the Neighbourhood to understand that they are meer Senseless Statues and Empty Sepulchres But certainly it is very unbecoming a Christain Magistrate to be Idle and Unactive in his Place to be Careless and Unconcerned and sleep away his time as if the People of his Province were as Inconsiderable as the Frogs over whom
and Partiality 1. They profess themselves to be satisfied about the Divine Conduct in the Governing of the Vniverse though many Difficulties and those very Great and Insuperable accompany it They acquiesce in the unerring Wisdom of the Supreme Ruler of all things and they pretend not to judge of his actions but most willingly grant them to be just and wise and good notwithstanding they cannot give an Account of them notwithstanding they acknowledge them to be Unsearchable and Incomprehensible None of them have ever ventured to question God's Wisdom because there are some Events and Occurrences in the world which no man can possibly give a Reason of We do not hear them say that these are contrary to Reason and that they are Contradictory although at the same time they yield that they have no knowledge of them they are out of their sight and they can render no particular account of them Nor do we hear them cry out to have these Intricate Events made out by Reason they don't peremtorily demand to have the Causes of them laid open or else they will throw up the doctrine of Providence No they very patiently and contentedly resolve all into the Infinite and Unsearchable Wisdom of the Absolute Governour of the World and into the Ignorance and Weakness of humane understandings God hath not thought fit to reveal those Secrets and therefore they are content to be ignorant of them yea they submissively admire revere and adore that Infinite Wisdom which they vote to be Mysterious and Unaccountble And why then do they not act thus with with reference to the Mysterious Articles of the Christian Faith and the Great but Abstruse Verities of the Gospel Seeing they deny not the Providence of God because of some harsh and difficult passages in it why should they reject those Doctrines because there are some things in them hard to be understood Seeing they quarrel not with the Divine Government though many things in it are mysterious and dark and far above their understandings why do they find fault with those Points of the Christian Belief which were deliver'd to us by the same All-wise Governour of the world because there are certain Mysteries in them If the Infinite Wisdom and the Absolute Power and Sovereignty of the Supreme Being render his Actions unaccountable why should not these make his Words his Sayings his Dictates about divine things to be of the same nature If the methods of God's ruling the world be Inscrutable why should we undertake to fathom the depths and secrets of those Truths which he hath declared to the world If God doth great things past finding out why may not he be allow'd to speak such If the Iudgments of God are unsearchable and his ways past finding out is there not cause to believe that God's Nature and Essence are so too If the Socinians are not concern'd to answer the Difficulties about the former what is the reason that they startle at the latter If they acknowledge that God acts many things which are above their understandings why should they not own him to be what they cannot comprehend If they can't know what he doth why should they expect to know what he is Are the Works of God's Providence unsearchable and is not He himself so Are there several things done above their apprehensions and shall they deny the Author of them to be above them Is God to be trusted and relied upon beyond their knowledge and understanding and is he not barely to be believ'd though he delivers some things which are above their capacities Is the doctrine of Providence though in sundry things Unaccountable imbrac'd and profess'd by them and is not the doctrine of the Holy Trinity to be entertain'd though it contains in it such things of which we are not able to give an account Is it an unquestionable Truth that there is a Divine Management of all mundane affairs though the particular administrations of it are inexplicable and is it not as reasonable to assert that there are Three Persons in the Deity though we cannot explain and unfold the Manner of it I challenge those that make the boldest pretences to Reason and Good Sense to shew the Difference between these All unprejudiced and impartial minds must grant the Case to be the same for surely God's Essence is as infinite and incomprehensible as his Providence and therefore if it be a rational and sufficient Answer to all the Objections and Scruples against Providence to say that they believe God is Wise and Good and Just though they are not able to comprehend the secret methods of his Wisdom Justice and Goodness then it ought to be as good and satisfactory an Answer to all Difficulties of the Trinity to say they firmly assent to that doctrine though they cannot understand the Manner of it But the persons I am speaking of will not submit to this and therefore they demonstrate how Partial they are when they quarrel with the foresaid Article and other doctrines of the Gospel for no other reason but this that they are Mysterious and Vnaccountable they are rais'd above the reach of their understandings I appeal now to the severest Judges of Reason whether these men can justly lay claim to any such thing whilst they thus behave themselves whilst they declare that even in Religious and Divine Matters for such certainly is that of Providence it is reasonable to believe and embrace more than we can understand and comprehend and yet renounce the doctrine of the Trinity and some other substantial Points of Christianity for their being in some measure Incomprehensible What can this be but Perverseness and Crosness What is it but acting contrary to themselves And then who will give heed to men of this cross-grain'd temper Who will regard such vain people that are inconsistent with themselves and clash with their own Concessions They frankly subscribe to Divine Providence though it hath many Mysteries Obscurities Difficulties Intrigues in it which no mortal man can unfold and yet they discard some of the chief Evangelical Truths because they can't explain them by Reason Thus they run counter to their own Principles and Practice and are Self-condemned persons and proclaim to all mankind that they are corrupted with Prejudice and Partiality 2. They give open and undeniable proofs of this by granting that it is convenient yea necessary to regulate and limit the tendencies of the Will and Affections and yet with the same breath they pronounce it unfitting and unreasonable to use any restraint or set any bounds or prescribe any rules to the Intellectual faculty They own it to be the indispensable Character of a Good and Religious Man to exercise a discipline on his Imagination and his Passions they hold it to be a main part of Christian Philosophy to be severe and rigorous here For some things which seem reasonable and plausible are forbidden us by the Evangelical Laws and many harsh and difficult things are
Heads whilst it hath been cried in their Ears that here is Truth and there is Truth they have grown Perplexed and Distracted and know not how to behave themselves and What Part to take They hear that the Claim to Truth is Universal but then they know This that All the Pretences to it cannot be True and How say they if None of them should be so Hereupon they renounce Religion as a Faction and in plain terms a Cheat and consequently they Live and Act in the World as they Please If Truth be claimed by All the Professors of Religion and those Professors Contradict one another Where shall we find an Answer to This Interrogatory What is Truth In way of Reply it is enough to say at present for I shall answer a great part of these Cavils afterwards in the sequel of this Discourse 1. These Several Divisions and Parties evidently prove a True Religion For it is certain that Rational Men would not Contend for Nothing Unless there were some Reality at the bottom we cannot imagine that Persons of unprejudic'd Minds and sincere Intentions as we must allow a great Part of them to be would thus seriously busie themselves and be so mightily concern'd 2. Some Mens fond and groundless Pretences ought not to be equalled with the Iust Claims of others As long as the World continues in this degenerate posture where it is there will ever be a great number of men who will be pretending to Truth even whilst they are maintaining those Doctrines which are directly opposite to it Therefore we are not to concern our selves for these Pretenders only so far as to slight them as Persons govern'd by Interest or Passion or to pity them as those who are misled by Ignorance or Prejudice 3. As for the generality of Disputes which are at this day on foot Religion and particularly the Christian Religion I mean the Essentials and Vitals of it which give it its denomination are little or not at all concern'd in those Quarrels as will appear from what I shall suggest anon and therefore I shall say no more here But notwithstanding what hath been objected I will go on with my present design which is an Inquest after Truth and I hope the attempt will not prove vain and succesless That we may certainly find it out those Two known but too much neglected Rules or Standards are to be made use of by us viz. Reason and Scripture By Reason I mean the free and impartial use of our Understandings and Judgments which God hath naturally endued us with and which we are obliged to improve and cultivate by the aid of our Bodily Senses by the Testimony of others by serious and steady Observation and well-grounded Experience for these must be assisting to Humane Reason to render it perfect and compleat If thuâ— we would apply our selves to a serious search after Truth we should soon make our selves Masters of it For the Candle of the Lord as Solomon very significantly calls the Reason of Man was set up in our Breasts by God on purpose to discover Truth to us But it must be acknowledged that this Light hath been much impair'd by Man's Degeneracy so that it can scarcely be said to Shine out i.e. perfectly to display it self It hath been Clouded ever since the First Apostacy and obscured daily by the actual Prevalency of Vice An undeniable Evidence whereof were those swarms of monsterous Opinions among the Pagans that gross Superstition and Idolatry of the Gentile World those prodigious Shapes and Models of Religion which were invented by them Oftentimes it happened that the Creature made and framed his Creator they shaped out Deities and the way of Worshipping them according to their own Fancies and Imaginations and a God was even what they thought good to make him Or suppose Natures Light did shine out to the full yet it would not be Clear and Bright enough to give us a Prospect of those Divine and Supernatural Truths which are to bring us to Everlasting Happiness For Nature and Reason cannot Dictate those things which depend wholly on God's Free Grace and Pleasure And such are the Doctrine of a Saviour and Redeemer the Method of Man's Salvation and all the Mysteries of the Christian and Evangelical Dispensation How was Nicodemus a Noted Master in Israel and no mean Possessor of Reason baffled with the Doctrin of Regeneration He might truly be said to go to Iesus by Night who made his Visit only by the dusky and obscure Light of Nature Therefore tho' Reason or rather the Understanding using its reasoning Faculty be a laudable Guide in Religion yet it will not be a safe Conduct to Truth if it be alone There must of necessity be another Guide besides this to lead us to the Discovery of Heavenly Verities and Propositions of Faith There must be Divine Illumination to assist us to find out Divine and Spiritual Truths The Second Standard then of Truth is the Infallible Word of God Divine Truths must be sought for not from Man but from God not from Human Writings but an Unerring Word not from those who are Finite and Ignorant but from Him who is Infinite and knoweth all Things not from the Sons of Men but from Him who is the only-begotten Son of God the Revealer of his Father's Will For No man hath seen God at any time the only-begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him as the beloved Disciple beareth witness Iohn 1. 18. None is able to discover the Divine and Supernatural Mysteries which our Religion is fraught with but the Founder of them We could never have arrived to those Transcendent Notions unless we had been taught them from Heaven We were not skilled to appoint the Manner of Appeasing the incensed Majesty of Heaven and to prescribe the Way of Worship suitable to that Oeconomy This would have been as if it should be left to some silly Country Peasant to assign the Way and Manner of Treating a Mighty King and Monarch Who would not expect in such a case a strange and uncouth a rude and ridiculous Way of Address and Courtship and below the Greatness and Majesty of a Prince But it was requisite there should be a particular Divine Discovery a clearer Light a surer Guide than that of Nature For though God at sundry times and in divers manners had Revealed himself to the past Generations of Men yet to make that Revelation compleat he spoke in the last days by his Son and by the Testimony of the Holy Ghost in the inspired Writings of the Apostles and Evangelists Christ therefore saith and that Emphatically I am the Truth Iohn 14. 6. The Gospel was the last and most corrected Edition of the Doctrin of Truth and we must never look for any other to come forth to the End of the World This is Truth more eminently so called The Truth which came by Iesus Christ as the Blessed Evangelist speaketh
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
Good and there stints and determines all our Passions and Desires We at once become Lovers of God and of his Church the one absolutely Influencing upon the other the Glory of the Almighty and the Good of Souls being so twisted together that it will be found a thing wholly impossible to divide them For the Church being that Society of Holy Men wherein God is more peculiarly acknowledged and glorified it must needs be that whilst we tender the Welfare of that Society we likewise more signally advance God's Glory Our Love if it be true and real will reflect from God to his Church and through the Church it will ascend to God again The Edifying or Building of the Church which is the thing here design'd principally belongs to Christ Iesus himself It looks like a Paradox but is certainly true that the Foundation and Chief Corner-stone in the Building are the Chief Architect also On this Rock saith he to St. Peter I will build my Church This Glorious Fabrick is rais'd by Christ's own hand Yet this Work in some measure belongs to all Holy and Exemplary Christians they are useful and necessary for the promoting of this Structure But more especially the Guides and Rulers of the Church the Ministers of the Gospel the Dispensers of God's Holy Word are employ'd in this Work they are in a peculiar manner appointed and set apart on purpose to be Artificers and Builders in the Erecting of the Christian Church they are particularly design'd for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ i.e. his Church Eph. iv 12. First Our great Care must be to lay the Foundation and what that is our Apostle tells us 1. Cor. iii. 11. Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Iesus Christ i.e. the Meritorious Undertaking of the Son of God Christ Jesus the Blessed There is no Salvation but by a lively and effectual Faith in the Blood of this Lamb of God This is the same with the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Eph. ii 20. which St. Paul tells the Ephesians they are built upon viz. the Doctrin of the Redemption and Salvation by Christ delivered by these Inspired Men and which they received from Christ himself who in the same place is called the Chief Corner-stone This is the Great Fundamental Point of the Christian Institution this is the main Truth on which all Christianity is founded and therefore we must be very Faithful in the Asserting and Vindicating of this The whole Fabrick of our Religion sinks and that irrecoverably without this firm and steady Basis. And all the other Principles and Rudiments of Christianity which are also justly stiled the Foundation Heb. vi 1. are our proper Concern We are indispensably obliged to instruct our Charge in all those Divine Truths of the Gospel which the Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles furnish us with And having laid the Foundation with singular Care and Skill as knowing that it is this which Supports the Fabrick we must proceed to erect our Superstructure to build upwards as well as downwards And accordingly all the Holy Doctrines and Rules conducing to Christian Knowledge and Practice are to be produced and made use of We must remember the Apostle's Advice to build upon the Foundation nothing but Gold Silver and precious Stones 1 Cor. iii. 12. Such Sound and Orthodox Conclusions as are of real Worth and Value and not Wood Hay and Stubble i.e. unnecessary and useless Doctrins or Inferences muchless such as apparently Confront the Faith of the Gospel and Foster Lewd and Wicked Practices The Pope as Luther expresses it is for Building up the Church ex Accidentibus of Outward things of little value but we saith he Build it ex Substantia we urge those Doctrines which are Substantial we press those Practices which are of Moment which are Essential to Religion and have real Worth and Excellency in them Thus we should behave our selves remembring that the Superstructure ought to be suitable to the Foundation this being Solid and Substantial that must be so too Briefly this Excellent Metaphor of Edifying or Building which our Apostle seems much to delight in as we may gather from his frequent using of it imports no less than an Impartial delivering and teaching the whole Mystery of Godliness whether it consists in Fundamentals or in such Important and Necessary Matters as are to be grounded on them all that our Hearers are to know and all that they are to do the Whole Will of God and the Whole Duty of Man In a word to enlighten Mens Minds to reform their Lives to convert Sinners from the Errors of their Ways to confirm and strengthen Converts in the ways of Truth and Righteousness by any Holy Arts and Methods to further the real Good of Christ's Flock by any good Means to promote the Churches Welfare is to Build it up This is the Divine Architecture this is the Art of Spiritual Building So that if we hearken to this Proposal we shall assuredly advance the Good of the World and at the same time promote our own Bliss and Happiness In seeking the Churches Good we shall not fail of a Blessing and that Charity which raiseth our Hearts to endeavour the Welfare of the Church Militant will at last Exalt us to the Glories and Consummation of the Church Triumphant when they that be wise shall shine as the Brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to Righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever I proceed now to the next thing propounded viz. the Means in order to this Noble End which I have been speaking of and that is expressed in those words Seek that ye may excel Take care to fit your selves for this Grand Employment of building up the Church which is the House of God 1 Tim. iii. 15. 1 Pet. iv 17. Passionately desire and endeavour that you may be eminently and abundantly Capacitated for this mighty Work This is the Import of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used which signifies both to Excel and to Abound Be ambitious of the Choicest Gifts and strive to possess them in the highest degree We of the Sacred Function are not to content our selves with mean and low Attainments in Religion but to aspire to the Greatest and Noblest Improvements to a great Plenty and Abundance of Gifts and Graces as a Learned and Pious Father Paraphrases on this Place We must strive to be Masters of all those Excellent Qualifications which tend to Edification and to arrive to what Perfection we can in them In short seeing the Edifying of the Church is the proper Office of an Evangelical Minister he must make it his great Business to pursue this effectually and to Excel in it by such Means and Methods as these First Prayer Which seems to be here suggested in the word Seek This Excelling and this Edifying
properly Studying And certainly this is of singular Use we cannot more effectually fit our selves for our Great and Important Work that we are call'd to than by serious and sober Reflections on our Minds by Sifting and Examining our Notions and observing what Conformity they bear to our Unprejudiced Faculties by being intimately acquainted with our Thoughts and exercising our selves to a familiarity with Rational and Solid Principles and by causing them to bring their utmost Aids to Support and Maintain the Articles of Christianity Our Reading will be of little use without this for it is by Pondering on the things that we have Read and by Comparing them among themselves that we are able to digest our Notions and to arrive to the true Understanding of Matters propounded to us The Royal Psalmist's Experiment concerning himself is worthy of our Observation I have more understanding saith he than all my Teachers for thy Testimonies are my Meditation Psal. cxix 99. I find a mighty Increase and advance in Divine Knowledge because I use my self to a serious Contemplation on those Heavenly and Sublime Truths and thereby I am capable of penetrating into the profound Nature of them and to discern those wonderful things in them which are hid from others We may take notice that after many seasonable Instructions and Precepts given by St. Paul to Timothy his Faithful Assistant in the Work of the Gospel he adjoins this which is of as great use as any of the rest Meditate upon these things 1 Tim. iv 15. And so again after several Pious Admonitions and Exhortations he adds Consider what I say 2 Tim. ii 7. Which Advice reaches all of Timothy's Character and is as much as if he had said Revolve these things often in your Minds and let this Charge which I leave with you be continually in your Thoughts Accustom your selves to Thinking and know that it is the part of a Christian as well as of a Man but especially it is an indispensable Qualification in a Publick Instructer in one that is to Amend and Rectifie the Sentiments of Mankind If therefore we are desirous to attain to any Improvement and Excellency in our Ministry we must not herd with the Crowd but retire from it and hold converse with our own Minds and thereby Teach and Instruct our selves and so we shall be fit to do the same to others Which is the next thing I shall treat of Fourthly Another way whereby we are to Edify the Church and Excel in it is the Office of Preaching or as the Apostle stiles it Prophesying He gives this the Precedence to all the other Gifts which he mentions either in this or the Twelfth Chapter of this Epistle Covet earnestly spiritual Gifts but rather that ye may Prophesy This is that Endowment which according to him makes most for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry and for the Edifying of the Body of Christ. which Character shews it to be this Gift which I'm now to speak of This is a Complicate Office and contains many Excellent things in it as first the Informing of Mens Judgments and setting them into Right Apprehensions concerning things in Religion The Leading Requisite as I conceive in a Preacher is Orthodoxy He is to be one that owns those Principles and Articles of Faith which have been always profess'd by the Universal Church Let us not assume the Title of Protestants and yet reject some of the Great Heads of Divinity which are acknowledg'd by all Sober Persons of the Reformation Let us not say we are of the Church of England and yet deny some of the Chief Doctrines contain'd in her Articles Let us not profess our selves to be Ministers of the Word and yet renounce those Truths which are formally contain'd in it or are according to it For either Express words of Scripture or Natural and Plain Consequences from it are to be the Standards of that Doctrin which we deliver It is required of us not only to Establish Truth but to Detect and Confute Falshood and Heresy therein following the Example of those Great Men Irenaeus Epiphanius Augustin Theodoret. And truly this is become necessary in this Extravagant Age where so many Wild Notions are entertain'd and so many Old Errors revived The Christian Structure cannot but be expos'd to great Hazards and Dangers when its Foundations are Undermined by some and its Superstructure hath continual Batteries made against it by others In such Circumstances how Careful and Watchful should we be How Vigorously and Concernedly should we act Like those Builders at the Restauration of the Iews with a Trowel in one hand and a Sword in the other We must be in a Defensive and Offensive Posture at once securing and maintaining the Apostolical Faith and grappling with the Opposers of it at the same time But yet I must insert this Caution That we ought carefully to avoid all Unnecessary Disputes for nothing is more unbecoming a Preacher of the Gospel and nothing doth more hinder the Success of his Ministry Accordingly we may observe That the Doctrines which minister questions are opposed to Godly edifying â— Tim. l. 4. We shall effect but little in our Employment if we indulge Controversies and delight in Quarrels and promote Intricacies and Perplexities in Religion Our task is to avoid these with all care and to entertain our Hearers with the Necessary Doctrines of Christianity such as depend not on the fallible Deductions of Men but are fixed and unmoveable founded on the Holy Oracles and deliver'd by Christ Jesus and his Apostles Again a Minister and Guide of Souls is not only to rectifie Mens Judgments and to settle them in the Necessary Articles of Religion but further it is required of him that he take care of their Lives and Manners For though True Notions of Religion and Godliness are to lead the way yet to make a Man Absolute and Complete there must be Uprightness of Life Nay indeed unless this latter be look'd after the former will soon decay By Unholiness and Wickedness we see oftentimes that Men Hazard their Principles If the Practice be Debauch'd if the Life be Impure if the Manners be depraved there will be a Corruption in the Judgment Therefore we that are Dispensers of the Word ought to be as concern'd for Practical Religion as for Truth of Doctrin We ought not only to Instruct our Hearers in Right Principles but with all freedom to reprove their Sins and Vices and pathetically to Exhort and Perswade them to all Vertue and Goodness remembring always that a Holy and Exemplary Conversation is the True Edifying of the Church yea 't is the very Top-stone of the Building It is not meer Speculation or bare Discourse that will atchieve this great Work This is as if a Man should undertake to Build a House by Contriving it in his Head or by Talking of it It is the utmost Perfection of a Christian to Live according to his Excellent
Visible Face of it be never without the Vitals and Spirit of it Let Religion outwardly appear as comely and beautiful as the Rules of Christian Edification will allow but by no means let her exceed in Ornament and Bravery for she will soon vanish when she grows Pompous and runs into External Shew and Pageantry With Decency and Comeliness are generally coupled Vnity and Concord and these we are to be concern'd for likewise It is the Harmony and Uniformity of the Parts of a Building that makes it both Beautiful and Useful Without this it would not be a well-ordered Edifice but a confused Heap And 't is certain that by our love of Peace and Unity we shall successfully contribute towards the Building of the Church For there is History enough to convince us that the Antient Hereticks and Schismaticks betray'd the Faith when they destroy'd the Vnity of the Church At the same time that they made a Breach in her Walls they undermined her Foundations It behoves us of the Clergy then to maintain mutual Amity and Agreement both among our selves and others It is high time to banish all Dissention to put a Period to all our Animosities and Vain Janglings to doat no longer on Fruitless Disputes but to pursue the One thing Necessary and to imbrace our Religion with an Entire Affection and to commend it to the World by our Practising of it And so I pass to the last thing which I intended to Name Seek that ye may Excel in a Holy Life St. Paul in his Visitation Sermon to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus enjoins them to take heed to themselves as well as to all the Flock Acts xxviii 28. And he commands Timothy to be an Example of the Believers in Word in Conversation in Charity in Spirit in Faith in Purity 1 Tim. iv 12. And more briefly ver 16. Take heed unto thy self and to thy Doctrin i.e. to thy Life as well as to thy Preaching And he charges Titus That in all things he shew himself a Pattern of good Works Tit. ii 7. As there is a Special Designation to the Office of the Ministry so there must be a Special Holiness accompanying it There must be a Consecration of their Lives as well as of their Persons As their Function Exalts them above others in Dignity so they should surpass them in all Laudable Actions according to those words used by our Church in her Canons They must have always in mind that they ought to Excel others in Purity of Life and should be Examples to the People to live well and Christianly Let not that which was part of the Pharisees Character be fastned on them They say but do not they Preach well but Live not accordingly Let not that which the Apostle saith of Seducers and False Teachers be applied to them They profess that they know God but in works they deny him If they be Guilty of this latter they pull all down that they have Built they render all their Instructions Admonitions Reproofs and Exhortations ineffectual they obstruct the Truth in or by their Vnrighteousness for so Rom. i. 18. may be read according to the sense of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they hinder the Force and Vertue of the Truth on themselves and the Propagation of it to others by an Impious Life yea they take a course to Ruin Religion it self Thence it was the usual Speech and Maxim of the Learned and Pious Dr. Hammond The Exemplary Vertue of the Clergy must restore this Church It is that must commend us to the Hearts and Consciences of Men it is that must powerfully Influence upon them and teach them to be Religious in good Earnest A Minister cannot chuse a more efficacious way of prevailing with others to be God than by letting them see that he is so himself But on the contrary 't is no marvel that the Sheep wander if the Shepherd strays Every ones Eyes are upon their Guides all Men are looking up to these Stars these Torches of the World If they burn dim it will be observ'd and which is worse it will be Imitated It is observ'd by a Traveller of good Repute that Atheism thrives in Italy because they see so much of the Cheats and Juggles of many of the Priests and that Interest is all their Religion Wherefore let it be known by our Exemplary Lives that we are not enclined to gratifie Atheists and to promote Irreligion in the World Especially let it be seen that we act not out of Worldly Designs that we make not the Ministry a Secular Calling but that our Principles are Sincere and that we do all for the Glory of our Great Master In brief one of our Character should like Iohn the Baptist be a Burning and a Shining Light Burning in his own Breast with entire Flames of Goodness and Devotion with pure Intentions of Honouring God and Promoting Religion and Shining in his Life and Actions by an Uniform Practice of Piety by an Holiness that is conspicuous and resplendent Indeed some of us are apt to entertain this False Apprehension That the things before-mention'd viz. Right Opinions Preaching of True Doctrin Conformity to the Church's Order and Discipline are sufficient though they be abstracted from Holiness Thence some labour to be accounted Orthodox and yet mind not their Lives They teach others what they are to do but are regardless of their own Actions They are hot for Ceremonies but cool and indifferent in the Practice of Religion But nothing can be more unreasonable and absurd for the things before-named are in order to a Holy Life The proper tendency of the Articles of Faith is to Obedience The Exercise of Discipline and the keeping up of Decency and Order were originally designed to beget and nourish Religion and Vertue Let us therefore Correct our Conceptions concerning these Matters and perswade our selves that a Vitious Life is as contrary to God and Religion as Erroneous Doctrines that to break one of the Commandments is as bad or worse than to deny an Article of the Creed that Drunkenness Swearing Uncleanness are as black Crimes as Schism Yea let us be convinced that by Prophaness and Wickedness the Comliness of our Worship is rendred Deformed our most Decent Rites become Sordid our White Garments are Stain'd and Polluted Let us fix upon our Minds that of the Devout Abbot of Claraval What will our Canonical Ordination profit us if we live Vncanonically To be sound in the Faith to Preach it to others to be Peaceable and Orderly and to observe the Ecclesiastical Rules and Laws are of no worth and value if our Lives be Impure and Irregular Wherefore to sum up all in a few words let him that earnestly contends for the Faith for the Order and Discipline of the Antient Christians think himself obliged also to live the Life of a Primitive Saint You see your Calling Brethren you see what is your Office your Work your
Certainty of all the doctrines of the Gospel may be discover'd yea and demonstrated to the minds of those who are fitted and prepared for it but still the Efficacy of sundry Evangelical Truths is kept secret from some persons for a time and some of them are of that quality that they will ever surmount and baffle the utmost efforrs of our Intellectual Powers In another place Col. 2. 2. the Apostle mentions the mystery of God and of the Father or rather it should be rendred even of the Father and of Christ that is the Gospel or the Christian Religion wherein God the First Person in the Glorious Trinity is declar'd to be the Father of Christ and Christ the Second Person is declared to be the Eternal Son of God and God himself These and the like Fundamental Principles of Christianity are Dark and Mysterious and because of these Sublime Truths Christianity it self hath the name of Mystery given to it If there were no other place in the New Testament but this where the word mystery is found it could not create wonder that the Socinians even for the sake of this alone contend that Christianity is not simply and absolutely call'd a Mystery in Scripture for here the Godhead of Christ as well as of the Father is asserted for the word God is attributed to both Persons God even the Father and Christ being the same with God who is both Father and Christ and consequently if they deny Christ to be very God as they do they must deny the Father to be so too I proceed to another Text in the same Epistle Col. 4. 3. whence it is manifest that in the stile and idiom of the New Testament the Gospel or Christianity hath the name of a Mystery for the Apostle expresly calls it the mystery of Christ the same with the mystery of the Gospel in the place before mention'd and he requests the Prayers of the Colossians for him that God would open unto him a door of utterance to speak this Mystery of Christ i.e. freely and openly to preach the Gospel as appears further from what follows next for which I am in bonds that is a Sufferer a Prisoner for my preaching the Truâ—hs of the Gospel So that it is impoâ—sible whatever is suggested to the contrary to understand the word here any otherwise than of the doâ—trine of the Gospel as it was then preach'd by this Apostle this is Mysterious and Hidden and in many things Inexplicable So again in 1 Tim. 3. 9. by the mystery of the faith which the Ministers and Officers of the Church are exhorted to hold i.e. to defend and maintain must needs be meant the Evangelical Truths and Doctrines The holding the mystery of the faith is the same here with holding fast the form of sound words 2 Tim. 1. 13. that is the Articles of the Christian Faith the doctrines of the Gospel And lastly in that Text on which I found the present Discourse Religion is call'd the Mystery of Godliness for immediately after the Apostle had made mention of the Truth which is held forth as on a Pillar in the Christian Church he assigns some of the greatest and fairest branches of it and in order to that acquaints us that we may the better know the true nature of them that they are a Mystery and that not with relation to the ages and generations before the Gospel but to the present Mysteriousness of this Sacred Institution for by consulting the Context you will find that the words are spoken Absolutely and Entirely without any respect to the past times of the world under Iudaism or Gentilism They represent to us the condition of Christianity as it is at this day and as it is in it self consider'd And so this and all the other Texts that I last mention'd are a baffle to what some late Advocates of Socinianism pretend to prove viz. that in the New Testament the word Mystery is always used to signifie something that is intelligible and clear in it self and in its own nature but clouded with figurative and mystical words but never to denote a thing that is dark and unconceivable in it self The contrary is plain and evident from the fore-cited Texts and every unprejudiced man that duly scans them must needs acknowledge that Christianity is there call'd a Mystery not in regard of what it was but what it is It is true there are some other Texts in the New Testament where the word Mystery is mention'd but it hath there no relation at all to the present Matter viz. the Gospel or Christianity in it self consider'd Thus in Rom. 11. 25. the General and Final Conversion of the Iews in the last ages of the world is call'd a Mystery In 1 Cor. 13. 2. mysteries is a general word for all matters of knowledge that are abstruse and dark and it refers more particularly to the knowledge of future things for to know all mysteries seems to be explicatory of the foregoing phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have a gift of Prophesying that is foretelling and declaring things to come as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken in the preceding chapter v. 10. In 1 Cor. 14. 2. mysteries is a large and extensive term and used by the Apostle to signifie those divine doctrines which are mysterious and difficult but it is not particularly applied by him and therefore I have not made use of it In 1 Cor. 15. 51. it is restrain'd to a particular Truth which was unknown to the Corinthians at that time but St. Paul reveals it to them behold saith he I shew you a mystery viz. this that we shall not all sleep those that are alive at at Christ's Coming shall not die after the manner of all other men but we shall all be changed they shall undergo such an alteration that their corruptible state shall be chang'd into that which is incorruptible and immortal The Conjugal State is said to be a mystery â—ph 5. 32. because it shadows forth the Union of Christ and the Church as the Sacraments were stiled Mysteries by the Ancient Writers of the Church because they were a Representation of so great a thing as Christ's Body Mystery is applied in the Revelation chap. 1. v. 20. and chap. 17. v. 7. to particular Visions and Revelations which had a mystical and spiritual meaning in them In Rev. 10. 7. the mystery of God is said to be finish'd or fulfilled for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is meant of the Glorious and Flourishing state of the Christian Church in the last times of the world which hath been kept as a Mystery from the generality of men but when the Seventh Angel sounds his Trumpet then as we are there assur'd that Mystery shall actually be accomplish'd and fulfill'd But none of these Texts refer to our present Matter as any Understanding Reader may perceive only I thought fit to produce them that they might
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
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
thing shews their mistake and that they are on this side of that place for they betray the weakness and uncertainty of their Knowledge These persons indiscreetly antedate the Last day anticipate the Future World and confront the revealed Purpose of Heaven for it was not design'd by the Supreme Being that we should here below have a full insight into those Divine Recesses this is reserved for another State Thus much of the Reasons so far as we can apprehend why Christianity is a Mystery that is why some of the most weighty and momentous doctrines of it are in some part hid from all mens understandings What I have said administers to us this double Reflection 1. From the premises we may discover the vanity and falsity of the Socinian Notion that there are no Mysteries in the Christian Religion 2. We may gather what is our Proper Duty and Concern in the Case before us First I say this discovers and detects and at the same baffles the false apprehension of those men who cry down all Mysteries in Christianity and tell us that all is levell'd to the meanest capacities Notwithstanding those Remarkable Attestations to the Contrary Truth from the plain words of our Saviour and his Apostles yet they perversly oppose and deny it and magnifie Reason as the only Measure of Truth and Rule of Faith whatever their late Pretences are and nothing will serve them in Religion but Logick and downright Demonstration I have observ'd it in the Modern Writings of this sort of men and of one also that is a late Friend of theirs that they seldom or never finish a Discourse though it be about Religion without bringing in of Geometrical terms especially Angles and Triangles These Gentlemen under a pretext of Mathematicks would subvert Christianity and demonstrate us out of the Articles of our Faith and make a Triangle baffle the Trinity This is the grand Source of their present Delusion and of that disturbance which they make in the World viz. their labouring to exclude all Mysteries from Christianity It arises wholly from this that they will not give credit to any thing in Religion but what is entirely Clear and Evident and commensurate to exact Reason This is perfectly according to that Description which one of the Fathers of the Primitive Church gives of St. Paul's Natural man He is one saith he that attributes all to the Reasonings of his Soul and thinks not that he stands in need of help from Above neither will be receive any thing by Faith but counts all foolishness which cannot be made out by Demonstration And an Ancient Critick defines him thus He is one who turns all over to Humane Reason and admits not of the operation of the Spirit i. e. any thing that is Supernatural in Religion This is the brief but full Character of a Disciple of Socinus so far as we are concern'd in him upon the present occasion but certainly it ill becomes a Christian man for I have proved already that such a spirit and genius are against the plain determination of Christ and his Apostles against the very nature of the things themselves and unsuitable to the present state we are in Such a one forgets to distinguish between Philosophy and Christianity The Professors of the former act not amiss in squaring all their opinions and sentiments by Strict Reason but the Adherers to the latter who are eminently stiled Believers must yield their assent to things which they cannot by Reason comprehend Otherwise they confound the natures of things and take away the Distinction between Reason and Faith which is much more absurd and unaccountable than what Scenkius in his Medical Observations fancies that it is possible for a man to receive the Visible Species through his Nostrils or in plainer terms that a man may See with his Nose for here is only a substituting of one Bodily Sense for another but in the other case there is a mistaking of one Mental Operation for another viz. Reason for Faith This is the Absurdity of those of the Racovian way and we ought carefully to avoid it We are to believe Christianity to be a Reasonable Service as the Apostle deservedly stiles it but it may be truly said of those men that they make Christianity more reasonable than it is that is they make it submit wholly to Humane and Natural Reason and this is the ground of their exploding all Mysteries Secondly Seeing a great part of the Christian Religion is a Mystery and design'd to be such we are concern'd to Behave our selves accordingly that is never to be so bold and rash as to demand a Positive and Punctual Account of things of this high and abstruse nature It is required in a Good Grammarian said One who was as skilful in that Art as any man that he be ignorant of some things The same may be said of a Good Divine to be ignorant of some Mysteries and not to search too earnestly into them is a good qualification in one of that Profession and indeed in all persons that study Christianity This is a Learned kind of Ignorance and we are not to be ashamed of it It is not necessary we should have a clear understanding of Theological Secrets because the Holy Writ is silent about them but yet we ought to hold and believe the things themselves because the same Infallible Word asserts them Those that go any further shew indeed that they are very Prying and Inquisitive but let them beware of handling the Word of God deceitfully and making Truth uphold Falshood As that Egyptian in Plutarch answer'd the men who ask'd him What it was that he carried so close Covered Therefore it is cover'd said he that you should not know what it is and therefore your asking was in vain So it is here these Divine things are purposely hid from us and wrapt up in Obscurity that we may not with too eager a Curiosity search into them and busie our heads about them Let every one of us think that spoken to us which the Good Christian said to the Philosopher at the Council of Nice Ask not How Be not inquisitive concerning the Manner of Sacred and Heavenly things for this is hid from us A Learned and Pious Writer of the Primitive Church tells us That it is enough for us to know that in Christ's Person the Divine Nature was so joyn'd by an ineffable kind of Tye with the Humane Nature that the same Hypostasis contains in it two distinct Natures but how that Union is made it is not necessary to know nor is it fit to search only let us believe and hold what is written And the same Excellent Person in another place and indeed in several places of his Writings exceedingly blames the rashness and curiosity of those that prie into Divine Mysteries and dispute and wrangle and raise vain questions about them and ask why and how such things are It
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