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Sect.II. may be faid of Mysteries; but we fhall talk of that by and by.

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CHA P. IV.

Objections anfwer'd, drawn from the Pravity of Humane REA

SON.

28. T

Here remains one Objection yet, upon which fome lay a mighty Stress, tho it's like to do them little Service. Granting, fay they, the GOSPEL to be as reasonable as you pretend, yet corrupt and deprav'd Řeafon can neither difcern nor receive Divine Verities. Ay, but that proves not Divine Verities to be contrary to found Reafon. But they maintain that no Man's Reafon is found. Wherefore I hope so to state this Queftion, as to cut off all Occasion of Difpute from judicious and peaceable Men. Reafon taken for the Principle of Discourse in us, or more particularly for that Fasulty every one has of judging of his

Ideas

Ideas according to their Agreement or Ch. 4. Difagreement, and fo of loving what w feems good unto him, and hating what he thinks evil: Reafon, I fay, in this Senfe is whole and entire in every one whofe Organs are not accidentally indifpos'd. 'Tis from it that we are accounted Men; and we could neither inform others, nor receive Improvement our felves, any more than Brutes, without it.

29. But if by Reafon be understood a conftant right Use of these Faculties, viz. If a Man never judges but according to clear Perceptions, defires nothing but what is truly good for him, nor avoids but what is certainly evil: Then, I confefs, it is extreamly corrupt. We are too prone to frame wrong Conceptions, and as erroneous Judgments of things. We generally covet what flatters our Senfes, without diftinguishing noxious from innocent Pleafures; and our Hatred is as partial. We gratify our Bodies fo much as to meditate little, and think very grofly of fpiritual,or abftracted Matters. We are apt to indulge our inclinations, which we term to follow Nature: so 1Cor.2.14.

that

Sect.II. that the natural Man, that is, he that gives the fwing to his Appetites,counts Divine Things mere Folly, calls Religion a feverish Dream of fuperftitious Heads, or a politick Trick invented by States men to aw the credulous VulRom. 8. gar. For as they that walk after the Fleb mind the things thereof, so their carnal Wisdom is Enmity against God. Heb. 12.1.Sin eafily befets us. There is aLaw in our Rom. 7.23. Members or Body, warring against the Law of our Minds or Reafon. And when Ver. 21. we would do Good,Evil is prefent with us. If thus we become stupid and unfit for earthly Speculations, how fhall we believe Joh. 3 12.when we are told of Heavenly things?

5, 7.

30. But these Disorders are fo far from being Reason, that nothing can be more directly contrary to it. We lie under no neceffary Fate of finning. There is no Defect in our Underftandings but thofe of our own Creation, that is to fay, vicious Habits easily contracted, but difficultly reform'd. 'Tis juft with us as with the Drunkard,

whose

+ Fund's conftantly fignifies the animal,and never the natural State of Man. It should be in this Place tranflated sensual, as it is very rightly, Jam. 3.15. and Jude, v.19;

whose I cannot give over Drinking is a Ch. 4. deliberate I will not. For upon a Wager, or for a Reward, he can forbear his Cups a Day, a Month, a Year, according as the Confideration of the Value or Certainty of the expected Gain do's influence him. Let no Man Jam. 1.13, therefore fay when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for as God cannot be tempted to Evil, so neither tempteth he any Man: But every Man is tempted when he is drawn away, and entic'd of his own Luft.

14.

14.

31. Suppofing a natural Impotency to reafon well, we could no more be liable to Condemnation for not keeping the Commands of God, than those to whom the Gospel was never revealed for not believing on Chrift: For Rom. 10. how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? Were our reafoning Faculties imperfect, or we not capable to employ them rightly, there could be no Poffibility of our understanding one another in Millions of things, where the ftock of our Ideas fhould prove unavoidably unequal, or our Capacities

different.

Sect.II. different. But 'tis the Perfection of our Reafon and Liberty that makes us deferve Rewards and Punishments. We are perfwaded that all our Thoughts are entirely free, we can expend the Force of Words, compare Ideas, diftinguish clear from obfcure Conceptions, fufpend our Judgments about Uncertainties, and yield only to Evidence. In a word, the Deliberations we use about our Designs, and the choice to which we determine our felves at laft, do prove us the free Difpofers of all our Actions. Now what is found Reason except this be it? Doubtless it is. And no Evangelical, or other knowable Truth can prove infuperable, or monftrous to him that ufes it after this manner. But when we abuse it against it self, and enflave it to our debauch'd Imaginations, it is averse from all Good. We are fo habituated, I confefs, to precarious and hafty Conclufions, that without great Conftancy and Exercife we cannot recover our innate Freedom, nor Jer.13.23. do well, having accustom'd our felves fo much to Evil. But tho 'tis faid in Scripture, that we will neither know nor underftand; 'tis there also faid, that we

may

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