י,

11.

not how, infus'd into their Souls in Ch. 1. order to apprehend me and according to this Hypothefis, they could no more, without a Miracle, understand my Speech than the chirping of Birds; and if they knew not the Meaning of my 1Cor. 14. Voice, I should even to them be a Barbarian, notwithstanding Ispoke Mysteries Ver. 2. in the Spirit. But what do they mean by confifting with themselves, yet not with our common Notions? Four may be call'd Five in Heaven; but fo the Name only is chang'd, the Thing remains ftill the fame. And fince we cannot in this World know any thing but by our common Notions,how shall we be fure of this pretended Confistency between our present seeming Contradictions, and the Theology of the World to come? for as 'tis by Reafon we arrive at the Certainty of God's own Existence, fo we cannot otherwife difcern his Revelations but by their Conformity with our natural Notices of him, which is in so many words, to agree with our common Notions.

6. The next thing I fhall remark is, That thofe, who fick not to fay they could believe a downright Contradiction

to

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Sect.II. to Reafon,did they find it contain'd to the Scripture, do juftify all Abfurdities whatsoever; and, by oppofing one Light to another, undeniably make God the Author of all Incertitude. The very Suppofition, that Reason might authorize one thing, and the Spirit of God another, throws us into inevitable Stepticism; for we fhall be at a perpetual Uncertainty which to obey: Nay, we can never be sure which is which. For the Proof of the Di vinity of Scripture depending upon Reafon, if the clear Light of the one might be any way contradicted, how fhall we be convinc'd of the Infallibility of the other? Reason may err in this Point as well as in any thing else; and we have no particular Promise it fhall not, no more than the Papifts that their Senfes may not deceive them in every thing as well as in Tranfubftantia tion. Tofay it bears witness to it felf, is equally to establish the Alcoran or the Poran. And 'twere a notable Argument to tell a Heathen, that the Church has declar'd it, when all Societies will fay as much for themselves, if we take their word for it. Befides,

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It may be, he would ask whence the Ch. 1. Church had Authority to decide this Matter? And if it fhould be answer'd from the Scripture, a thousand to one but he would divert himself with this Circle. You must believe that the Scripture is Divine, because the Charch has fo determin'd it, and the Church has this deciding Authority from the Scripture. 'Tis doubted if this Power of the Church can be prov'd from the Paffages alledg'd to that purpose; but the Church it felf (a Party concern'd) affirms it. Hey-day! are not these eternal Rounds very exquifite Inventions to giddy and entangle the Unthinking and the Weak?

7. But if we believe the Scripture to be Divine, not upon its own bare Affertion, but from a real Teftimony confifting in the Evidence of the things contain❜d therein; from undoubted Effects, and not from Words and Letters; what is this but to prove it by Reason? It has in it felf, I grant, the brighteft Characters of Divinity: Bus 'tis Reason finds them out, examines them, and by its Principles approves and pronounces them fufficient; which order

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Sect.II. orderly begets in us an Acquiefcence of Faith or Perfwafion. Now if Particulars be thus feverely fifted; if not only the Doctrine of Chrift and his Apoftles be confider'd, but also their Lives, Predictions, Miracles, and Deaths; furely all this Labour would be in vain, might weupon any account difpenfe with Contradictions. O! bleffed and commodious Syftem, that dischargest at one ftroak thofe troublefome Remarks about Hiftory, Language, figurative and literal Senfes, Scope of the Writer, Circumftances, and other Helps of Interpretation! We judg of a Man's Wisdom and Learning by his Actions, and his Difcourses; but God, who we are affur'd Acts 14.17. has not left himself without a Witness, muft have no Privileges above the maddeft Enthufiaft, or the Devil himfelf, at this rate.

8. But a Veneration for the very Words of God will be pretended: This we are pleas'd with; for we know Numb.23. that God is not a Man that he should lie. But the Question is not about the Words, but their Senfe, which muft ever worthy of their Author, and there

19.

therefore according to the Genius of all Ch. 1. Speech, figuratively interpreted, when occafion requires it. Otherwife, under pretence of Faith in the Word of God, the highest Foliies and Blafphemies may be deduc'd from the Letter of Scripture; as, that God is fubject to Paffions, is the Author of Sin, that Chrift is a Rock, was actually guilty of and defil'd with our Tranfgreffions, that we are Worms or Sheep, and no Men. And if a Figure be admitted in thefe Paffages, why not, I pray, in all Expreffions of the like Nature, when there appears an equal Neceffity for it?

9. It may be demanded why I have fo long infifted upon this Article, fince that none exprefly makes Scripture and Reafon contradictory, was acknow→ ledg'd before? But in the fame place mention is made of fome who hold, that they may seem directly to clasb; and that tho we cannot reconcile them together, yet that we are bound to acquiefce in the Decifions of the former. A feeming Contradiction is to us as much as a real one; and our Refpect for the Scripture does not require us to ·D 2