expofe Christianity by Arguments and Mediums that militate against all Religion and all Certainty of Reason, if he thought he could attack Christianity with fuccefs any other way? And The fame Obfervation may be made with regard to what this Writer fo often repeats about moral Certainty and Evidence. When Men think they can fhew that any Teftimony or Evidence is not to be depended on, or that the Accounts of any past Facts are uncertain and to be fufpected, the Method that Common-Senfe directs to in fuch a Cafe, is not to inveigh against all Evidence and Teftimony whatsoever, and against all Records of past Facts, as if they were all abfolutely uncertain; but to produce Reasons to invalidate that particular Evidence and Testimony, and fhew why those particular Accounts are not to be depended on. this undoubtedly is the Method the Enemies of Christianity would take, if they thought they were able to invalidate the Evidence produced for the Gofpel-Records. But inftead of this, they ridiculously fly out into general Invectives against all human Teftimony and all moral Evidence. They harangue pathetically upon the Uncertainty of all paft Facts, and all Accounts that are tranfmitted to us through the hands of fallible Men; that is, all Records, Laws, and Accounts whatsoever of things which we ourselves did not fee. This difcovers a Consciousness, that the Evidence for the Facts and Records of Chriftianity is fo ftrong, that they are not able to fubvert it any other way, than by deftroying the Credit of all Teftimony, and all paft Facts and Records whatfoever. I fay, we must fuppofe fuppofe they are fenfible of this, or else we muf fuppose them to be the very worst Managers of a Cause, the most miferable Bunglers, of any that ever pretended to Reafon or Argument, which I believe they would be very loth to be thought to be. These are some of the general Reflections that occurred to me upon reading this Pamphlet. But before I proceed to a diftinct Confideration of it, it will not be improper to lay before you the Idea this Writer gives of the Nature of that Faith which the Gospel requires, and for which he pretends to be an Advocate, and of the Principle upon which it is founded, as far as I am capable of forming a Notion of it, by carefully comparing feveral Parts of his Book. And this will also furnish a farther Proof of this Gentleman's Candour and Sincerity. He represents a rational Faith, that is, as he himself explains it, an Affent to revealed Truths founded upon the Conviction of the Understanding, as a falfe and unwarrantable Notion *. And therefore fets himself to prove, that in the Gospel no Appeal to the Understanding was ever made or intended. He talks as if Infants were capable of Faith, before they are capable of exerting any one Act of Reason; and that the Infant's Belief anfwers as effectually all the Demands of the Gospel, as that of the firft Proficient, and highest Graduate in Divinity. And as he explains the first Beginning of Truth to be without Reason, or any Ufe of the Understanding, fo he reprefents the Perfe P. 7. verance + P. 35, &c. P. 9, 69, 114. verance in the Faith required in the Gospel, to be a blind and foolish Obftinacy to a prefent Notion, a difavowing all future Ufe of Reason for our Security. And fpeaking of the true and genuine Faith, which, faith he, I contend for, he declares, that that Perfon beft enjoys it, who never afked himSelf one fingle Question about it, and never dealt at all in the Evidence of Reafon. Agreeably to which, he represents that Zeal for the Faith, which the Gospel recommends, to be a blind irrational Heat, a potent Fire, a Zeal not according to Knowledge. And tho' he obferves, that we are ordered to be taught the Faith in our Childhood, yet he exprefly affirms, that Faith and Religion can never be a thing that is to be taught, and that it must needs be fomething that does not require Time to attain . Accordingly he speaks of Faith all along, as if it were a thing abfolutely completed at once, and which admits of no Degrees; and fets himfelf to fhew, that Chrift and his Apostles always required Perfons to believe in an Inftant, without allowing any time for Deliberation, or offering any Evidence to convince their Minds. The Conviction, as he expreffes it, was to precede the Evidence **. And left it should be alledged, that the Miracles wrought by Chrift, and by the Apostles in his Name, were Evidences of his Divine Miffion, he endeavours to fhew that Miracles could be no Proofs at all, nor were ever intended by our Saviour himself as fuch. And finally, he affirms, that the first Principle of Faith is really what Philofophers call arguing in a Circle, and begging the Question. P. 11. P. 29. P. 25. P. 17. P. 3742. †† P. 46–50. C Question. According to the Representation he here gives of the Faith which the Gospel requires, it is not to be wonder'd at, that he reprefents Perfons of the meanest Understandings to be best qualified for Faith, and claims Men of the brightest Intellectuals on the fide of Infidelity +. But this is not all: The Faith required in the Gofpel, according to this Writer's Representation of it, is not only a Perfuafion without any Conviction of the Understanding, or any rational Evidence to fupport it; but it is directly contrary to Reafon. He affirms, that there is an irreconcilable Repugnance in their Natures betwixt Reafon and Belief. And endeavours at large to fhew, that they are removed at the utmost distance from all poffibility of amicable Terms and Reconcilement; and, as he expreffes it in the Margin of Pag. 81. that Religion cannot admit the leaft Alliance with Reafoning. And accordingly he afferts, that there is no one Leon that the Holy Writings have taken more care to inculcate, than this of denying our Reason; that we are there ftrictly enjoined to captivate our Reason, i. e. as he explains it, to lay it under the most abfolute Restraint and Prohibition, not to permit it the leaft Opportunity or Freedom to exert itself, or interpofe on any occafion whatever || Such is the goodly Reprefentation this Gentleman is pleased to make of what he calls the genuine Faith of the Gospel. And at the fame time he frequently repeats it, that God requires this Faith of all Perfons under pain of Damnation : that is, he requires them all, on pain of Damnation, P. 78. 4 P. 72. ↑ P. 70, S6. P. 84. tion, to believe without Evidence or any Conviction of the Understanding, to believe in an Inftant, and every Moment of their Lives*, even before they are capable of Understanding, to believe without Reafon and against it. Agreeable to this Defcription of Faith, is the Account he gives of the Influence of the Holy Ghoft, which he makes to be the fole Principle of this Faith. He represents him, as working a full Perfuafion in the Soul, without any Conviction of the Understanding, and as engaging Men to believe at once, without knowing why they believe. That he irradiates the Souls of Believers at once with an irrefiftible Light from Heaven, that flashes Conviction in a moment; and that thus our Faith is completed in an Inftant, and the most perfect and finished Creed produced at once, without any tedious Progress in Deductions of our own. He calls this a fecret Whisper, Inspiration, and infufed Evidence. And that it is a conftant and particular Revelation imparted feparately and fupernaturally to every Individual |. And this he explains to be of fuch a nature, as to render all outward Inftructions entirely needlefs. That there is no occafion to apply to Libraries for farther Information; nor must we be left to take any the least part of our Inftructions from one another **. That in interpreting Scripture, there must not be any thing left to the Skill of the Workman . So that all Help of Commentators, Knowledge of Languages, &c. is to be difcarded. For the Holy Ghost abides for ever as an uncorrupted Commentator in our own Breafts. C 2 ** * P. 17. †P. 59. P. 58. P. 112. P. 60. tt P. 61. |