by requiring nothing in general to be believed, CHAP. that is contrary to Reafon, nor any thing with VIII. explicit Particularity, that is above the Apprehenfion of it.

THE true Medium therefore is, to give to Faith the Things that are Faith's; in first bringing the Discovery of those heavenly divine Truths, which were above the Capacity of human Underftanding to have found out, or have any manner of explicit Knowledge of, without the Affiftance of Revelation. And to give to Reason the Things that are Reafon's; in allowing it the Right of its Province and the Ufes of its Function, in modeftly enquiring, and usefully finding out the true Meaning of thofe reveal'd Truths.

MR. Le Clerc has fhewn, That the Defect of Reafoning is one of the Causes of INFIDELITY*. It certainly was the Caufe of the Unbelief of our firft Parents, and their Credulity of the Devil, the firft Inlet of Sin; and ever fince, all over the World, departing from Faith in the God of Truth, the Creator of the World, has been Man's Departure from his own Happiness. And as the Scope of God and his Truth is to bring us to Happiness, by true Reafoning and an honeft Heart; the Defect of it, in believing a Lye for the fake of countenancing beloved Unrighteoufnefs, may defervedly be branded with Obftinacy, Credulity, and Bigottry in Falfhood and Sin. Archbishop Tillot. Serm. Heb. xi. 18, 19. has finely fhewn that the Excellency of Abraham's Faith, (the great Pattern of all Faith) was wholly owing to the strongest and jufteft Reasoning that ever could be, in the Case.

* Treatife of Incredulity, pag. 63.

For

CHAP. For that to be fure was folid and unftagger'd XVIII Reafoning in him, which was fo ready and able

to reconcile two Revelations from God, which feemed to clash with one another. To which may be added the Centurion's Faith, the Greatnefs of which exceeding all in Ifrael, was owing to the Greatness of his Reasoning. And indeed all true and strong Faith is true and ftrong Reafoning upon the Evidences of it: And the honeft Heart that is a Friend and Improver of Reason from the Relation and Connection of Things, as the Author of Nature has fram'd, and Revelation difcover'd them, is the true Friend of Faith; whilft Enthufiafm, Sophistry, and Ridicule are the greatest Enemies to Reason, betray their own Defects, and every Cause they undertake; and as long as they continue Adverfaries to Reason, can have no true Friendship for Faith.

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BUT fuch wretched Sophiftry is the Author of Christianity as old, &c. guilty of, to the total Subverfion of Faith, Senfe, and Confcience, where he afferts, "Indeed it's an odd Jumble to prove the Truth of a Book by the Truth of "the Doctrine it contains, and at the fame time "conclude thofe Doctrines to be true, because "contain❜d in that Book: And yet that is a who contends for

Jumble every one makes, "Mens being abfolutely govern'd both by Rea"fon, and Authority *." By Authority he means Revelation, as he expreffes himself a little above: "Now we Chriftians have two fupreme, independent Rules, Reafon and Revelation; "and both require an abfolute Obedience." For, is it not a great Fallacy to make those two * Pag. 164.

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Rules

Rules both fupreme, and independent of one an- CHAP. other, when they are actually fubordinate and XVIII. dependent on each other, and accord in perfect Harmony and Friendship, in recommending one and the fame End to all Men, who have Knowledge of the Revelation, and will truly pursue that End. What one calls the Happiness of Man, the other ftiles the Salvation of the Soul, both meaning the fame Thing. Reafon is fubordinate and dependent upon Revelation, in one Senfe, and ought to be very thankful for discovering fuch glorious Doctrines, fuch heavenly and effectual Means for that End, which were above its Sphere ever to have found out, unaffifted by the other. And Revelation is fubordinate and dependent upon Reafon in another Sense, by appealing to its Search and Inquiry into the Meaning of its Truths, and the Ends and Ufes of its Doctrines.

I BEFORE join'd Iffue with our Author upon his own Criterion, the internal Evidence, Fitness, and Goodness of the peculiar Doctrines or Pofitives of Chriftianity, upon which as a Deift he puts the whole Strefs of his Cause, exclufive and in derifion of the Evidence of Miracles, viz. Whether those Doctrines are worthy to have God for their Author, and are defign'd for the Good of Men. When I treated of the Sacraments, and the Mediator, I appealed to Reafon for the Wif dom and Goodness of those Inftitutions, in both Refpects; and proved him a most unreasonable Writer in accusing God and Revelation of Arbitrariness, and that his Mifrepresentations proceeded from his Ignorance, or Wickedness, or both. Where he turns Sceptick as to the external Evidence attefting the Conveyance of the Revelation,

CHA P. velation, I fhall answer him hereafter as a Sceptick. XVIII. But here he acts the Deift in rejecting Revelation, as an Authority incompatible with Reason...

Now what is the Authority of Revelation, but an Authority of Truth, Love, and Goodness, recommending itself to our Reafon and Choice, from the God who created us for Happiness; who, being ftill defirous of it, when the Means fail'd through the Perverseness of Man, supplied fuch from Heaven, as fhould be effectual even to a greater Happiness, and put him in a new and better State of Probation than before, and again propound that to his Choice; to fome People and Nations more explicitly than others? It does not offer to command Men for commanding fake, or to lead them blindfold, but by the evident Profpect of their own Happiness, and the Dread they ought to have of their own Mifery; these two, the most fovereign and controuling Instincts of human Nature, are laid open before them, under the appointed Captain of Salvation; therefore fo called because he leads all the Means, and is the Author and Finisher of that Faith which is the Means. When Reason, seeing abundant Evidence that it comes from God, and that fuch an immense Love and Goodness can have no other Author, fubmits accordingly to its own Interest and Benefit, is not the Authority, in that Cafe, of Reason's own chufing and impofing? How then is fuch an Authority inconfiftent with Reafon, when it is the highest Reason in the World to be govern'd by it abfolutely, and without Referve? And when the Rule of Reason and the Rule of Revelation are both obey'd, they both become coordinate to the fame End, and Guide to the fame Place. So perfectly well may a Man be abfolutely

abfolutely govern'd both by Reason, and by fuchCHA P. an Authority, at the fame Time.

AND as it makes frequent mention of God and his Attributes, it would be a juft Objection, if every thing of fuch a Being was made level to human Comprehenfion (could that be done) any farther than was useful to our prefent State, which might easily be done, and is done. Therein if there are fome Truths neceffary to the Salvation of the Believer, which unaffifted Reafon could have discover'd, a Sufpicion might arife of all being an human Invention; but as the heavenly Sublimity of its Love and Benefits furpaffes all its Invention, has not Reason the firmer Ground to believe it came from thence, feeing the Contrivance, and Discovery fo well agree with every Perfection that rules there?

He fays it is an "odd Jumble, to prove the "Truth of a Book by the Truth of the Doc"trines it contains; and at the fame Time to "conclude thefe Doctrines to be true, because "contain❜d in that Book." But the Jumble lay in his own Brains, that could put fuch a Fallacy upon himself, or offer it to others. He might know what every body acknowledges, that the Proof of the Truth of the Book does not wholly depend upon the internal Evidence of the Truth of the Doctrine contain'd; but external Evidence of other Truths concur, and are expected by every Inquirer, to co-atteft, and complete the Proof of the Truth of the Book. A curious Searcher will not be contented with one, without the other; the former ferves to fatisfy, that there is no Objection from the Falfhood or Unreafonableness of the Contents, to proceed to a furVOL. II.

P

ther

XVIII.