i 8 The Excellency of Abraham'sFaith and Obedience. Vol, T. 2. This will farther appear, ifwe confider the nature of Faith. Faith (as we are now fpeaking of it) is an affent of the Mind to fomething as revealed by God: Now all affent muff begrounded upon Evidence, that is, no Man canbelieve any thing, unlefs he have, or thinks he bath {lime Reafon to do fo. For to be confi- dent ofa thing without Reafon, is not Faith ; but a préfumptuous Perfwafion, and obffinacy ofMind. 3. This will yet be more evident, if we confider the Method,that muff of ne- ceffity be ufed to convince any Man of the truth of Religion. Suppofe we had to deal with one that is a Stranger, and Enemy to Chriftianity, what means are pro- per .to be ufed to gain him over to it ? The molt natural Method furely were this,to acquai nt him with the Holy Scriptures, which are the Rule of our Faith and Pra&ice. He would ask us, Why we believe that Book ? The proper anfwer would be, Becaufe it is the Word of God; this he could not but acknowledge to be a very good Reafon, if it were true : Butthen he would ask, Why we believed it to he the WordofGod, rather than Mahomet's Aiehoran, whichpretends nco icy to be of Divine Infpiration ? Ifany Man now lhould anfwer, that he couldgive no reafon whyhe believed it to be the Word ofGod, only he believed it to befo, and fo every Man elfe ought to do without enquiring after anyfurther reafon, becaufe Reafon is tobe laid afide inmat- tees ofFaith ; would not the Man prefently reply, that he had:tuft as much reafon as this comes to, to believe the Alchoran, or any thing elfe ; that is noneat all ? But certainly the better way would be, to fatisfie this Man's Reafon, by proper Arguments, that the Scriptures are a Divine Revelation, and that no other Book in the World can with equal Reafon pretend to be fo : And if this be a good way, then we do and inuft call in the Aflìffance of Reafun for the Proof of our Religion. 4. Let it be confidered farther, that the higheft Commendations that are given in Scripture to any one's Faith, are given upon account of the reafonablenefs of it Abraham's Faith is famous, and made a Pattern to all Generations, becaufe he rea- foned himfelf into it, notwithftanding the Obje&ions to the contrary ; and he did not blindly break through thefe Obje&ions, and wink hard at them ; but he look- ed them in the Face; and gave himfelf rea fonable fatisfa&ion concerning them. The Centurion's Faith is commended by our Saviour, Match. 8. 9. becaufe when his Servant was fick, he did not defire him- to come to his Houfe, but to fpeak the word only, and his Servant fhouldbe healed : For he reafoned thus, I am a Man under authority, having Soldiers under me; and Ifay to thisMan go, and he goeth ; and to anothercome, andhe cometh; and to my Servant do this, and he cloth it. Now ifhe that was himfelf under Authority, could thus command thole that were under him; much more couldhe that had a Divine Power and Commifli- on, do what he pleafed by his Word. And our Saviour is fo far from repre- hending him for reafoning himfelf into this belief; that he admires his Faith fo much the more for the reafonablenefs of it, v. so. When 7efus heard this, he marvelled, and faid to them that followed him, Verily, I fay unto you, I have not found fo great Faith, no not in Ifrael. In like manner our Saviour commends the Woman of Canaan's Faith, becaufe the enforced it fo reafonably. Matthew 15. 22. She fiied' him to help her Daughter; but he anfwered her not a word; and when his Difciples could not prevail with him to mind her, yet ffiil the preffed him, Paying, Lordhelp me ; and when he repulfed her with this fevere Anfwer, It is not meet to take the Children bread and call it to Dogs ; file made this quick_ and modeft reply, Truth Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Mailers Table. She acknow- ledgeth her own unworthinefs; but yet believes his goodnefs to be fuch, that he will not utterly rejeft thofe who humbly feek to him; upon which he gives her this Teflimony, 0Woman, great is thy Faith ! The Apoftles weredivinely infpired; and yet the Bereans are commended, be- caufe they inquired and fatisfied themfelves in the reafons of their belief, before they affented to theDo&tine which was delivered to them, even byTeachers that certainly were infallible. g. None
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