*

scure for me, but I see clearly that I ought to believe it. I do not see what I believe, but I know that God has revealed it; and this alone is a sufficient reason for me to believe it as firmly as if I saw it; for I am convinced that the word of God has more weight of itself alone, than all demonstrations taken together. Accordingly, when I renounce my reason, in order to believe the mysteries of religion, I renounce it because reason commands me to do so. I make use of my reason, to examine the proofs of revelation: I discuss the facts, and compare them one with another; I ponder and appreciate the evidences; I carry every where the flambeau of the severest criticism; and when, from this investigation, it irrefragably results, that God has actually revealed to the world the mysteries of the Christian religion, I unhesitatingly determine to believe them; for it is assuredly the duty of man to listen, when God speaks; to believe, when God reveals; to adore and obey when God commands. Is it possible to proceed

"The more I endeavour to contemplate the infinite essence of God," says one of the brightest geniuses of the past age, "the less I conceive it: but it exists, that suffices me. The less I conceive it, the more I adore it. I humble myself, and say to him: Being of Beings! I am, because thou art. To meditate thee, is to remount to my source. The most worthy use of my reason, is to annihilate myself before thee. My mind is delighted, and my weakness charmed, when I feel myself overwhelmed by thy greatness." Pens. Maxim. Esp. de J. J. Rousseau.

"I shall therefore say to the haughty philosopher," says a judicious writer of the last century, "Do not rail against those mysteries, which reason cannot possibly fathom; attach yourself to the examination of those truths which may be easily approached, and which you may, as it were, touch and handle, and which answer for all the rest. These truths are striking and sensible facts, in which religion has, as it were, intrenched herself entirely, in order to strike equally the learned and the unlearned. These facts are given over to your curiosity, to your severest scrutiny. These are the foundations of your religion; dig, then, around them; try to shake them; go down with the flambeau of philosophy till you reach that very antique stone which has been so repeatedly rejected by unbelievers, and which has crushed them all. But when, after having come to a certain depth, you shall have reached the hand of the Most High, who since the commencement of the world sustains this grand and majestic edifice; an edifice strengthened and consolidated by the very storms and torrents of years-stop, and dig not down to the very abyss of hell. Philosophy cannot guide you further without leading you astray; you

more wisely? I follow the voice of my reason, as far as it can guide me, and when I leave it, it is by its advice that I do so, and in order to place myself in the hands of a guide infinitely more sure, and who cannot lead me astray. Reason, after having conducted me, according to the above procedure, to the very sanctuary of Religion, struck with religious awe, seems to hold forth to me this exalted language: I have hitherto guided thee, but henceforth thou shall be guided by a surer and a higher authority: it is no longer a dim ray, but the sun itself, in all its splendour, that will direct thy steps: It is no longer man, but God himself: no longer reason, but the uncreated wisdom, that will dictate to thee its oracles. My last advice is, Believe and adore.

SECTION V.

XIX. It is most worthy of God's infinite wisdom and goodness, to reveal mysteries to men.

The Unitarian opens another battery-why, says he, should God oblige men to believe impenetrable mysteries, and bring their reason into such hard captivity? What use is there in believing mysteries?

I answer, in the first place, that God was not bound to call our Unitarian friend to his council, nor to take his advice on the laws which he was to give him; that he, himself, knows the reason why he would bring his reason under the yoke of faith, and that it ought to suffice him that he knows it; that he is his creature, and not his judge; that he ought to adore the conduct which he holds in his regard, and not rashly scrutinize it that all that he commands, ought to appear wise to him, for the sole reason, that it is he who commands it, since he is wisdom itself, and that, if he does not obey him but because that which he commands, appears to him wise,

enter upon the unfathomable abyss of eternity; Philosophy must bere veil her eyes as well as the vulgar, and entrust man with confidence to the hands of faith." P. Guenard, Discours sur l'esprit Philosophique, Courronne a L'acca, Franc. en 1775.

then he sets himself above his Creator, and he obeys, in reality, not his God, but himself.

XX. I answer, in the second place, that it was for his glory that God would have men believe impenetrable mysteries; for it became the infinite greatness of God, to prescribe to men what they were to believe, as well as what they were to practice, and to hold his sway over their reason, as well as their will. In fulfilling, notwithstanding, the repugnances of their heart, and the revolts of their senses, the precepts which God has given them for the rule of their actions, they honour God as the Supreme Sanctity in believing, notwithstanding, the oppositions of their reason the mysteries which God has revealed to them, they honour him as the Sovereign Truth: thus, in the Christian religion, the whole man is, as it were, immolated to God: he immolates his understanding by faith, his heart by love, his will by the acceptation of the divine precepts, his body by the practice of all kinds of good works. The clear result of all this, is, that a religion which holds out to the belief of men incomprehensible mysteries, is more worthy of God than a religion that would propose no such mysteries, and that, of course, the former religion is more perfect, and has a character of Divinity more than the latter, whence, in the ultimate analysis, it follows, that the incomprehensibility of mysteries, so far from being a reason to reject the Christian religion, is, on the contrary, a reason the more to receive it. God is incomprehensible, not only in his own nature, but also in all his works: a religion, therefore, that emanates from God, and is, of course, the most noble work of God, must needs be marked by the first and most illustrious attribute of the Deity. Mysteries, therefore, far from being a solid objection to a religion, are rather one of the most striking characteristics of the true religion: A religion that consecrates but one half of man to God, is not worthy of God, since it is the office of religion to consecrate the whole man, with all his powers, to the service of his creator. Now, a religion devested of mysteries, consecrates but half the man to the honour and glory of God, viz. the will, whilst it leaves the

most noble part of man, namely, his understanding, free and independent for how can the understanding of man pay its tribute of honour to God, as the eternal truth, unless it be by captivating itself to the obedience of faith?

XXI. Thirdly. Since God deigned to make himself known to men, mysteries became unavoidable, it being altogether impossible for God to reveal to men his essence, his designs, the plan of his providence, the economy of his works, &c. without revealing to them things incomprehensible, and, of course, mysteries. We are much better entitled to ask of what use would religion itself be, without these august objects of faith? It would soon be reduced to what it was in the hands of the ancient philosophers, a code of paradoxes, and problematic questions. It is by mysteries that God has fixed the faith of his people, and sheltered it from the attempts of a restless and ever-varying philosophy. When Jesus Christ appeared on earth, Philosophy, by its interminable disputes, had shaken every truth, and spared neither dogma, nor morality, whilst it called in question the most evident principles. Mysteries were necessary to impose silence on that proud and restless reason, and to make it submit to the yoke of faith.

XXII. Fourthly. The whole system of the Christian dispensation being grounded on mysteries, it is obvious, that these are as essential to the edifice of religion, as the foundations are to any superstructure. Take away, for example, the dogma of Original Sin, and of the blessed Trinity, and the whole edifice of religion will instantly tumble to the ground for if there is no Original Sin, there is, manifestly, no need of the mystery of the Incarnation, and, by denying these, you must necessarily deny those that essentially depend on them-I mean the mystery of the Redemption, the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ into Heaven, and, if there is no Trinity, it is as impossible to conceive those mysteries, as it is to conceive the coming of the Holy Ghost. He, therefore, that de. clares against mysteries, by a necessary consequence, overturns, at once, the whole august and magnificent structure of Religion

SECTION VI.

XXIII. Mysteries, far from being dry and useless speculations, are, on the contrary, the very basis of, and the strongest incitement to, the observance of Christian Morality.

But, continues the Unitarian, must it not be confessed on all hands, that "revelation is expressly intended for our instruction, edification, rule of life, and means of happiness ?""* What then have mysteries, those barren, metaphysical, and unintelligible notions to do with a religion, which ought to be essentially practical?

Such is the idea, the Unitarian has formed of the mysteries of religion, in general, nor ought we to be surprized at this; since, on the contrary, it would rather appear strange that men who have accustomed themselves to view religion more as a human, than a divine institution, and who are determined to disbelieve, whatever soars above the reach of their understanding, should possibly perceive in mysteries any thing else but dry and empty speculations. But characters of this description are not competent judges to decide on a subject like this. Let us rather listen to the Fathers of the Church, to the Saints of God in past ages, and to the true faithful, who, with a lively faith, contemplate the said mysteries, and let us see whether they appeared to them as barren and uninstructive as they do, to the Unitarian.

And, to begin with the ineffable mystery of the adorable Trinity, what a source of Heavenly joy opens to the faithful, in beholding in his God and Sovereign Good, that ineffable and eternal union, love, and joy, that exists between the three divine persons, equal and consubstantial to each other! What a noble, what a perfect pattern discovers itself in the same union, of that tender and constant love, which ought to unite all the children of men into one and the same family-a pattern proposed by Jesus Christ himself for our imitation. John, xvii. v. 11. “That they all may be one, as thou, Father in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us."

No. I.

Miscellany. Abstract of Unitarian belief.
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