124 ntonp oft t Oíóí le tttíbutto, Ch. VII. muft not tranfgrefs their order. Senfe is an incompe- tent judge of things about which Reafon is only con- verfant. It can only make a report of thole objects, which by their natural Charaderr are expofed to it And Reafon can only difcourfe of things within its Sphere; supernatural things which derive fromReve- lation, and are purely the Objeits of Faith, are not within its territories and jurifdic` ion. Thofe superla- tive Myfteries exceed all our intelle7ual Abilities. 'Tis true, the Underftanding is a rational Faculty, and every ad of it is really or in appearancegrounded on Reafon. But there is a wide difference between the proving a Doetrine by Reafon, and the givinga reafon why we believe the truthof it. For inftance, we cannot prove the Trinity by natural Reafon ; and the fübtilty of the Schoolmen, who affeec to give force reafonof all things, is here more prejudicial than ad- vantageous to the Truth For he that pretends to maintaina point by Reafon, and is unfuccefsful, cloth weaken the credit which the Authority of Revelation gives. And 'tis confiderable, that theScripture in de- livering fupernatural truths, produces God's Authori- ty as their only proof, without Wing any other way of arguing: But althoughwe cannot demonftrate thefe .Myfleries by Reafon, yet we may give a rational ac- count why we believe them. Is it not the higheft Reafon to believe the difcovery thatGod hathmade of Himfelf,: and his Decrees? For he perfe&ly knowshis own Nature and Will; and 'tis impoffible He fhould deceive us : This Natural Prin- ciple t,s theFoundation of Faith. When God (peaks, it becomes Man to hear with Silence and Submifí'ion. His nakedWord isas certainas a Demonftration. And is it not molt reafonable to believe, that the Deity cannot be fully underftooaby us? TheSun may more
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