SERM. X, XI. to fatisfy themselves and others of the Truth of it) did fometimes express themfelves very doubtfully concerning it; and were never able to arrive at such a full Affurance, fuch clear and lively Apprehenfions of it, as innumerable Multitudes of Perfons high and low, learned and unlearned, have receiv'd from the Chriftian Religion. So that the Apoftle might with Reafon enough affirm, That Jefus Chrift brought Life and Immortality 2 Tim. to Light thro' the Gofpel. THUS much may fuffice to fhew what a Mystery is. Place fet my I fhall in the next felf to remove fome Mistakes concerning Myfteries; which I fhall do by fhewing what a Mystery is not. . AND First, a Mystery is not an Ab furdity Reason was implanted in Men by the God of Nature to enable them to find out Truth, and to diftinguish between It and Falfhood. And tho' we allow that Reafon compar'd to Revelation is but as a Candle in comparison of the Sun; yet it is the Candle of the Lord; and fo far as it directs us, it directs . i. 10. SÉRM. X, XI. Rom. i. 19. rects us Right. St. Paul pronounces the fore fore to oppose the Dictates of Revelation to the Dictates of Reafon, is to fet the Dictates of God himself at Variance with one another. And it is a very idle Queftion which fome may be ready to put to us, What if God fhould reveal fomething repugnant to Human Reason? Are we not bound to believe him? They may as well fay, What if God fhould contradict himself? What if God, who cannot lye, fhould fhew unto us a Lye? Afe we not bound to believe him? The Suppofition that God fhould do any fuch Thing, is highly impious, as well as abfurd. Do I then make the fhort-fighted and fallible Reafon of Men the adequate Measure of Truth? I anfwer, All Truth cannot be difcovered by Reason; but all Truth is agreeable to it. Many Things may be true which lie hid from it; but nothing can be true which contradicts it. I grant that the Truths which we know are but few in comparison of those which we are ignorant of. But then we are fire, that whatever clashes with any one of SERM. X, XI. SERM. X, XI. of thofe Truths which we know, is falfe; because all Truth is perfectly uniform and confiftent. I grant too, that Men are fallible, and are oftentimes actually deceiv'd in their Reafonings. But then that fome Principles and Conclufions of Reafon are certain (as certain as any thing can be) must be acknowledged by all those who are not refolved to reduce all Things to Uncertainty, and to overthrow all Religion both Natural and Revealed. From Principles of Reason we conclude that there is a God; and that he is True in all his Declarations. And whoever denies the Certainty of these Conclufions, does in effect deny the Certainty even of Reveal'd Religion, the Belief of which is founded upon them. Before a Man can give full Credit to a Divine Revelation, he must be affur'd that God is, and that he is True and cannot lye, nor fet his Seal to a Lye. For he who is not perfwaded that there is a God, cannot poffibly believe that. God hath made any Revelation; and he who does not believe that God is True, cannot cannot think himself oblig'd to believe any Revelation, tho' confeffedly made by God, and confirm'd by Miracles. But when a Man is perfwaded of both these Truths, his Reafon will neceffarily determine him to yield his Affent to every Thing revealed by God. So that Men affent to Divine Revelation, because it is agreeable to Reason fo to do; and therefore it is plain, that no Divine Revelation can contain any Thing disagreeable to Reason, fince it cannot be agreeable to Reafon to affent to any Thing difagreeable to Reason. IF the Chriftian Religion did indeed teach thofe abfurd Doctrines, which fome affirm that it doth teach; it would follow by unavoidable Confequence, that Christianity was an Impofture, and not a Divine Revelation. For from the Abfurdity of a Doctrine we draw a conclufive Argument against the Divinity of any Religion which afferts that Doctrine. When Chriftians difpute against Paganifin, they make it their Bufinefs to fhew the Abfurdity and Unreasonableness of SERM. X, XI. |