QUESTION V. 4sß more orless divided the christian world and laid it bleeding with many wounds ? Thereare some difficult parts of our holy religion which have been so far explainedby the united labours and prayers of pious and learned men that controversies about them are well nigh ceased, and the disputes brought to anend. The humble believer has been enlightened and taught to understand the articles which he professes : 'I'he profane caviller and the subtile critic have been baffled by the mere force of argument set in a clear and easy light : and why may we not hope for the same success in this sacred article of the Trinity, by humble and laborious en- quiries into the word of God, with a dependence on the aids of the divine Spirit, who is promised to guide us unto all truth ? John xvi. 13. It must beacknowledged indeed, therehas no public-receiv- ed scheme been yet so successful to explain this doctrine but what has several difficulties attending it, and lias left too much room for the cavil of unbelievers. Nor have any of these schemes hitherto verymuch assisted the unlearned christian in the practice of his devotions, or blessed him with much clearer and juster ideas ofthe mater than his own reading of thebible had given him before. And it must be confessed also with sorrow and shame, that some writers have invented or enlarged special explications of the sacred doctrine with to great a neglect of scripture in their studies. They have affected to be wise in words without ideas. They have set forth their own learned explicationsof the doc- trine of the Trinity, in sounding scholastic phrases and hard words, with great assurance ; and have helped men to talk roundly on this sublime subject with a great exuberance and fluency of such language as has been established into orthodoxy. This sacred doctrine has been too often dressed up by authors in abundance of metaphysical phrases borrowed from the popish schools, but without any clearer conceptions of the truth than their primitive predecessors had attained, or than their meaner brethren possess without that learned language. But though nothing has hitherto seen done so effectually as one could wish, to remove all difficulty and confusion, yet he is a bold man that will venture to lay an everlasting bar upon our fervent prayers and humble study of the scripture, and upon all the labours and hopes of the present and future christian ages, merely because the ages past have not been favoured with those happy hints whereby to unfold these sacred mysteries, and to re- concile thedifficulties that attend them. SECT. Ill:" But after ail, whatsoever light or knowledge we may suppose ourselves to have attained in the explication of this sublime doctrine, we ought not to be over solicitous to prose.; Vet. vi. H u
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=