Chriftian Religion proved by Reafon. Now what more is requifite to afford us fatisfaCl:ion that JESUS CHRIST came from ~ God, and revealed his Will in order to our. Happinefs? Can it be re?fonabl~ expe{led Chap. 5· that · newMiracles lliould be wrought to fattsfie everyScepnck that IS fhll unfattsfied? In- ~ deed the Fountain of them is not dned up, the Power of God is not weaken'd, nor his Mercy leflen'd, but in extraordinary Cafes, when the <?ofpel is firfr Pre_ach'd _to i N~- tion, it may be expeCled that to convert them from Genttltfm to the Chn{han Fatth he wdl make himfelf known not only by Word, but Power, m Supernatural Operations. But the vein of Miracles is not frill current in the Church, there being fufficient Motives of Belief for the conviCtion of all that are not obftinate , wicl10ut the performing new. Mufr d1e Son of God prefent him[elf to all Men in a vifible Glory? Or mufr his Divine Father give another Majef\ick Tef\imony from Heaven concerning him?_ If we have not fuch fenfible Evidence, we have as fure: The accompilnm1ent of Scnpture PropheCies is a permanent Miracle, a more certain proof to us than that Oracular Revelation. For God fpake but once in that Voice, but he fpeaks by the Prophets to the end of Time. That was more af\omllimg, but lets_mf\ruCl:1ve to us thau PropheCies, that are continually unfolded and verified by Events. Before I finilli this Argument, I will briefly confider what is <;>bjeCled againfr fomeDofrrinesof the Gofpel, viz. Tl?e Trtmty, the OJVme In<_:arnatiOn, the Mean State and Sufferingsof theSonofGod m the World. Thefe Pomts have been oppofed by the 1enu, and other Infidels, as meer lmpoflibilities, direCtly contrary to theReafon of Mank.md. To this I anfwer; We muft diftinguilli between what is incomprehenGble to Humane ~~d~~R~n~n~0:h:~~; r~f~lj;':,n~~di~e ~~;~~n ,~~~~~i~gsp;;8~~~R~~~~~£b:;~~t ,f,~~f~~~~ cannot be. Natural Light may not be able to difcovcr the being of fame things, and the manner of their exiO:ence, which really ate. But what it fees to involve a COI). tradiClion, is abfolutely impoflible. Now there is no Point in the whole complexion of the Chriftian Faith d1at is repugnant to Reafon. The unity and fupream equality of the Three Perfons in the Godhead rranfcends our Conception, but Reafon cannot prove it to be impoflible. For the E{fence of God is not of the fame condition with created Subftances; fo that although in the whole compafs of the Creatures there is no like infiance, but one Nature is always joyn'd with one SubGftence, yet it does not follow that the Divine Nature may not Subfift in Three Perlons. All the difficulty that is pretended to be invincible is this; That the manner of it IS incomprehenfible. And 'tis necdfarily fo; for 'tis impo!lible that what is Infinite lliould be comprehended by a Finite Mind. The Incarnation of the Son of God, wherein the Effence of Chrijlidl!ity conGfrs, is not contrary to Reafon. Indeed 'tis impoflible that the Divine Nature lliould be fubflantially chang'd into the Humane Nature, and God cea[e to be God in becoming Man, but the Union of the Deity to the Humane Nature is not impoflible. For what repugnance is there, either in refpeLl: of God or the Creature? Is it impoilible that the Sup, am Aug. Ep;r;, ,, ~~~~~~st~~~~fo~~b~~i~~~;:d:~~~~~~~~~e~~~~;~~;b~~~~~R ~.~~,~~·~~,~~::a~;:~~ ~;:i:ZE~,. Myfrery; but the DivineOmnipotence JS not to be limi ted by ~nr narrow thonghts. 'T IS mof1: ':·•mur mwJ/1reafonable ro believe that God can do what we cannor dJ fcover how it js performed. },;':~;,:n:;l[:: 11 Seneca pmdenrly obferves that extraordinary EffeCts in NaiUre are nnaccountable to h1u, .tora ratio us,. as tO their immediate proper Caufes, whiHl: we only confider the u[ual Principles by {.~·::~~ f,,L~~~:: whtch it Works. - Nay, in the mofi: common Works of Nature how many things are IIR!"auq_hi~ .. fo perceptible to ~enfe that none. is fo fi:upid as to deny them, yet imperceptible to }o~::7;~fi ~; Reafon as to the manner of the1r produChon? Who underfi:ands the admirable con- quian:Jtlddm . i~;~~~~1a~~ i~~' aan~;~~~~~~:~t~r~~~~~;~~~~~a! 0;h~0 Jr\~~:o~!r~~~'fo~~~~d a/~ ;~~7f~I£: ~;!~~.~~~~~~h'c~~~o~1~~i~~~~~~~~fn~~f~n~i;~~%ir/~h~r ~:~;~ a~~.:'~~;r~~~i, ~1;; {:;";}~fi_ greateft attention, cannot d1fcern the manner of this Natural Union when the thing is '"it.Na~ur. above all doubt, can mere be any pretence to disbelieve Supernatural Myfteries becaufe Q.uzr,, hb. 6 ' we are not able to comprehend how they are effeCted? . 3· There being infallible proofs that Jefus Chrifr was fent from God to make known l11s Compa flionate Co~nfel s for the Salvation of Man , the confequence is clear and neceffary, that the DoCtrmes of his Gofpel are to be receiv'd, though never fo incomprehenlib.le to the Natural Underftanding. There is no Demonftration more fure than the PrinCtple. ofFatth; God has declar'd fo, therefore 'tis true. 'Tis injurious to his Honour to reqmre anyotherproofof his Word than his Word. 'Tis incomparably more certain M 2 that
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