The Harmony of the Divine .Attributes ~ became more foolilh: By all their Difputes againft the appearing Abfurdities of the ChriChap. 7· ftian Religion, they were brought into a more learned Darknefs ~ 3- The Prejudice w hich arofe from fenfual Lufts hindered the Belief of the Gofel. As the wnal Underftanding rebels againft the Sublimity of its DoEtrine, fo the carnal Appettte againfl the Pumy at its Precepts. And accordmg to the Difpofittons of Men from whence they aEt, fuch Li ght they cefire to direEt them in aEting. The Gofpel is a Myjlery of Godbnefj, and thofe who are under the Love of Sin, chcn01 an affected Ignorance, lclt the Li(\llt lhould inflame Confcience, by reprefent ing to them the deadly Guilt that cleaves to Sm, and thereby mal.;e it uneafy. This account our Saviour gives of the Infidelity of the World, John P9· That Mm lo'Ve Darkneji •·other than Light, becaufi their Deeds are evi~. And that this was the real Caufe whatever ~vas pretcnd~d, is clear, in that the Gentt!es, who oppofed Chrift, ad_orcd thofe impure Deities, whofe m~amous Lufi-s were acknowledged ~y them. And .wtth what colour then caul~ they rcJefl: our Redeemer becaufc Cructfied? As if V1ce were not more incompatible with the Deity, t han Sufferings. Now, though Reafon,. enOav'd by Prejudice,. and corrupted by Paffion, defpifcs the Gofpc~; yet when 'tis enhghtned by Faith, it d1fcovers fuch a wife Oeconomy in it, that, \\l·erc It not true, it would tranfcend the mofl noble created. Mind to invent it: 'Tis fa much abO \' C our mofi: excellent Thoughts, that no human Underfianding would ever attempt to feign it, with conl1dence of perfuading the World into a Belief of it. How is it poffible that it fbould be contrived by natural Reafon, ftncc no Man can believe ic linccrely when 'tis rcrea\'d, without a fupernatural F~ith? To confirm our Belief of thefc great an? raving My~tcries' I will flleW how JUft it is, that the Underfranding fhould reftgn tt fclf to D ivme Revelation, which hath made them knO\'i'n. In order to this, we mufl: confider, 1. There are fome DoEtrines in the Gofpel, the Underftanding could not difcover - but when they are reveal'd, it hath a clear Apprehenfion of them upon a rational ac: count, and fees the Chara[/eos of Truth vifibly ftampt on their Forehead. As the Doarine of Sat isfact ion to Divine .Juftice, that Pardon might be difpens'd to repenting Sinners. For our natural Conception of God includes his infinite Purity and Juftice; And when the Defign of the Gofpel is made known, whereby he bath provided abundantly for the Honour of thofe Attt·,butes, fo that He cloth the greateft Good without encouraging the leaft Evil, Reafon acquiefces and acknowledges. T his I fought, but could not find. Now altho' the primary Obligation, to believe fueh Doannes, anfeth from Revelation, yet being ratifiec\ by Reafon, they are embraced with more Clearnefs by the Mind. 2. There are fome Doerrines, which, as Reafon, by its Light, could not difcover; fo when they arc made lmown , it cannot comprehend, but they are by a dear and neceifary Connexion joyn'd with the other that Reafon approves. As the MyHery of the Trinity, and the Incarnation of the Son of God, wh1eh are the Foundat1ons ot the whole Work of our Redemption.The Nature of Go.d is rer.u&nan.t to P!tJra!iry,thcre can be but one E(Jence; and the Nature of Satisfaction reqmres a d,ftmct1on of Perfons : for he that fulfers as guilt y, muft be diftinguiMd from the Per!on of the Judge that exaCts Satisfaction; and no meer Creature is able, by h is obedient Suffcrings, to repa ir the Honour of God: [o rhat a LJ ivine Pcrfon a[uming the Na ture of Man, was alone capable to make that Satisfaction, which the Gofpel propounds, and Reafon confents to. Now accord ing to the di- !tinCtion of Capacities in the Trinity, the Father requir'd an honourable Reparation for the llrcach of the l.J ivine Law, and the Son bore the Punin1mem in the Suffcnngs of the h uman Nature; that is peculiarly his own. Bcfides, 'tis clear, that the DoCtrine of the 'J.Yinity, that is of three g lorious Relations in rh~ Godhead, .and of the I ncarnati?n) are mail: ~r~~~~'lc~~~~~~~~ a~'i:l:e~l~~~1t~e ~;~~fi ~~~~leb~l~~~;cle~~.~\~~:~1i'vi1~~t ~!~~n~;~r';;~}i~l~:ir0~~~~ ~amry, fo they coma in fuch autbenttck Marks of thetr D1vmtty, that nghr Rcafon cannot re- )CCt them. j. Whereas there arc three Principles by which we apprehend things, Senfe, Reajon and Fauh, thctC L1ghrs h~ve their different ObJeCts that ~nu fl not be confounded.. Sen[t is con~ fin'd to things maten.1.l; Heafon confiders things abftrac1ed hom matter; F.Juh regards the MJfilries revealed from Heaven: And thefe mull not tranfgrefs the ir order. Sen/e is an Incompetent Judge .of thing~ about which Reafon isonlyconvcrfant. It. can only make a report of thofe ObJects, wh!l:!l ,b.Y their natural Cb.1.raaers arc cxpofed to tt. And Re.zfo;, can only difcourfc of thmgs wt.tbm its S~here; Supernatural things \~hich deri\·.e ~r0~1 Re~ i~~~~co~·;,;~t~~~/)~~\re~·\~c5 ~~~:~sa~f ~~~~t;;t~;i~JJ,~.~~':~~;i:~i~:~ Tcrmories and JU<"!I{\:crioa. 'ris
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