r 744 t 71e Power of God. Vol. I. And thus they reproachChrillianity,-to defend Popery; and if they cannot perfuade Men to be Papifls, do what they can to make them Atheifts, or at leaft, to hin- der them from being Chrillians : but there is not fo much malice in tiais Objeéti- on, but there is as little ftrength. Is it any contradi &ion, that the fame thing fhould be three and one infeveral refpetls ? which is all that the Scripture teach- eth concerning the Trinity . but if Men will undertake to explain this more par- ticularly than God thought fit to do, and do it in fuch a manner as that they can- not free themfelves from contradiction, let them look to it , the Chrifian Reli- gion is not at all concerned in this, farther than to cenfure fuch Men's boldnefs and curiofity. But againft this exemption of things that imply a contradidtion from the com- pars and extent of the Divine Power, there are two Objeétions which are more confiderable, and deferve to be taken notice of. I. We grant God's foreknowledge of future Events, which feem to us to be impoflible to be fore-known ; now why may we not as well grant that God can do things which feem to us impoffible to be done by any Power, as fore-know things which it is impoffible for any underuianding to know ? For why fhouldwe pretend to know the utmoft of what infinite Power can do, any more than the utmoff of what infinite Underílanding can know? Anf I know no reafon but that the Argument fhould be granted, if there were an equal neceflity of granting the poflibility of thofe things, which feerh to us im- poffible to be done, that there is of granting the poffìbility of fore-knowing fu- ture contingencies, tho' they feem to us impoffîble to be known. We muft grant the poffibility of fore knowing future contingencies, becaufe the Scripture which we believe to be a Divine Revelation, exprefly tells us, that God doth fore -know them, and gives us Inflances of it in feveral Prophecies and Predi&ions. Now if any Man can fhew me as exprefs Texts which fay, that God can make a Body to be in two places at once, I would believe it, tho' I do not fee how it is poflì- ble ; becaufe it is reafonable I fhould believe that infinite Power can do many things, the poflïbility of which my finite Underftanding cannot reach. Now whereas the Papifis fay, the Scripture hath Paid that from which this neceffarily follows, viz. This is my body ; this is not enough, unlefs they could either prove, that it is necefrary to underfand all Texts of Scripture in a rigorous and ftridt propriety of the Letter, without admitting of any trope or figure in the words ; which they do not pretend : or elfe Brew a clear reafon, why this fhould be un- derffood fo, more than a thoufand others ; which they have not done, and I think never can do. But if it be farther argued ; If we grant in one cafe, that thole things which feem to be contradiE.tions to us may be poffìble, why not in all cafes ? Unlefs we had Tome certain way of difi:inguifhing between feeming contradi &ions and real ones. And if we grant all contradidtions poffible, then there is no reafon to ex- empt there from the extent of the Divine Power; but we may fafely fay, that the Divine Power can make a thing to be, and not to be at the fame time. To this -I anfwer, r. I do not grant, that any thing that feems to me tobe a contradiétion, ought to be granted by me to be poBìble, unlefs I have higher affurance and greater reafon to believe it to be polfible, than I have to believe it to be a contradidtion ; for Example, Suppofe it were clearly revealed in Scripture, that two Bodies may be in the fame place at the fame time ( which is not, nor any thing like it) then having a revelation for this, and no revelation that it is not a contradidtion, I have higher affurance and greater reafon to believe it poffible, than that it is a con- tradriion; and confequently I have reafon to believe it is no contradi&ion, and that .from thence it would not follow, that the fame thing may be, and not be at the tame time : but tiro' in cafe of Divine Revelation. I may believe that tobe no contradiction, which teems to me to be a contradiCion ; yet I am not without great nece.lity and clear evidence, to offer violence to Reafon, and affront the faculty of Underfianding which God bath endowed me withal, by entertaining any tiring which fee= to me to be a contradiCion ; which the Papifis do in the Bufi-
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