404 The Second Sara. o this 7ext.. Vol.'. SERMON LVIII. The Danger of all known Sin, both from the Light of Nature and Revelation. ROM. I. Ió, 19. For the wrath ofGod is revealed from Heaven again// allun.. godlineff and unrighteoufnefs ofAlen, who hold the truth in unrighteoufnefs ; becaufe that which may be known of God is manifefl in them, for God bath fhewed it unto them. Have handled Four of the Obfervations which I rais'd from there Words, and (hall nowproceed to the other Two that remain. Fifih Obfervation, That the Natural Knowledge which Men have of God, it they live contrary to it, isafufficient evidence oftheir holding the truth ofGodin unrighteaufnefs. For the Reafon why the Apoftle chargeth them with this, is, Be- caufe thatwhich may be knownof Godis manifef, in that God hathjhewed it unto them. There is a Natural Knowledge of God, and of the Duty we owe to him, which the Apoftle calls 73 cçh 'r ®s, that of God which is obvious to be !Hawn by the light of Nature, and is as much as is abfolutely neceffary for us to know. There is fomething of God that is incomprehenfible, and beyond the reach of our Underfiandings ; but his Being and Effential Perfeílions may beknown, which hecalls his Eternal Power and Godhead ; thefe he tells us areclearly feen, beingun- derfload by the things which are made ; that is, the Creation of the World is a plain demonftration to Men, of the Being and Power of God ; and if fo, then God is naturally known to Men; the contrary whereof Socinus pofitively maintains, tho' therein he be forfaken by molt of his Followers; an Opinion, in my Judg- ment, very unworthy of one, who, not without Reafon, was efteemed fo great a Matter of Reafon ; and (tho' I believe he did not fee it) undermining the firongeft and fureft Foundation of all Religion, which, when the Natural No- tions of God are once taken away, will certainly want its belt fupporr. Betides that by denying any Natural Knowledge of God, and his Effential Perfeftions, he freely gives away one of the molt plauflblegrounds of oppofing the Doe-trine of the Trinity. But becaufe this is a Matter of great Confequence, and he was a great Man, and is not to be confuted by contempt, but by better Reafon, if it can be found ; I will Confider his Reafons for this Opinion, and return a parti- cular Anfwer to them. Fir.ft, He fays thatif the Knowledge of God wereNatural, it would not be ofFaith; but the Apottle fays, that we mull believe that he is. The force of which Argument, if it have any, lies in this, that the Objet of Faith is Divine Revelation, and therefore we cannot be faid to believe what we Naturally know. The Schoolmen indeed fay fo ; but the Scripture ufeth the word Faith more largely, for a realperfwafion of any thing, whethergrounded upon Senfe, or Reafoti, or Divine Revelation. Andour Saviour's Speech to Thomas, becaufe thou hafi feen, thou haft believed, does fufciently intimate, that a Man may believe what he fees ; and if fo, what fhould hinder, but that a Man be faid to believe what he Naturally knows g that is, be really perfwaded that there is a God from Natu- ral Light ? Secondly,
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