anathematised all such as will not affirm a [6] Contradiction. CXLVI. And I cannot help faying, it is fomething odd to have these two Creeds established in the fame Church, in one of which those are declared to be accurfed, who deny the Son to be of the fame Ufia, or Hypoftafis, with the Father; and in the other, it is declared, they cannot be faved who do not affert, that [7] there is one Hypoftafis of the Father, and another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghoft. CXLVII. But, in order to obviate all thefe Objections, it is thought fufficient by fome, to fay, that there are many Powers in the divine Nature, which human Beings are not capable of comprehending. Nay, fo far are we Mortals from being able to comprehend the Divine Nature, that we know very little of the Things which are on Earth; that there is not one of all the various Things which furround us, that does not contain fomething in its Frame and Conftitution, which is be [6] For the τὰς ἐκ ἦν, ει was not, &c. ὅτε ο Affertions of the Arians were role, [7] Ath anafian Creed. yond yond the Abilities of the most fubtile Philofopher to explain. CXLVIII. Be it fo. Let us then ac knowledge the narrow Limits of the human Understanding; which, I think, nobody, who looks within himself, can be without fenfibly seeing and feeling: But then let us not turn fuch violent Sceptics, as to affert, that, because we do not know every thing, therefore we know nothing; that because we cannot fee by Night as well as by Day, therefore we must not believe our own Eyes, even when the Sun fhines directly over our Heads. CXLIX. I shall therefore take it for granted, that there are fome Truths in Nature, that are level to our Understandings, and that we may pronounce with fome Degree of Certainty, for Example, that two and two make four; and that it is a Contradiction in Terms to say, that the fame individual Sub-, ftance, whether spiritual or corporeal, can be, and not be, at the fame Time, and in the fame Place. Now, if the Knowledge of these Propofitions is within the Reach of our Understanding, then we may fafely affirm, if the Father and Son are confubftantial, that is, if the Subftance of the Father be the fame undivided Şubftance with the Son; and that the Substance of the Son did enter into the Womb of the Virgin Mary, and became incarnate; that then it will follow, of Confequence, that the Subftance of the Father did enter into the Virgin's Womb, and was incarnate alfo. Since otherwife, one and the fame individual Subftance may be, and not be, at the fame Time, and in the fame Place. CL. Again, if this Propofition be taken for granted, which may be found totidem Verbis, in the Athanafian Creed, that as the reasonable Soul and Flesh is one Man, fo God and Man is one Chrift; and if this other Propofition be allowed, which may be found as explicitly in the Scriptures, that this one [8] Chrift fuffered for the Sins of Mankind; then it must follow, of Confequence, that Chrift fuffered in his Godhead, as well as his Humanity; fince otherwife, it would have been the Man Jefus, and not Jefus the Meffiab, or Chrift, that suffered for the Sins of Men. [8] Heb. ix 28. 1 Pet. ii. 21. iii. 18. CLI. Now as the Confideration of thefe Things is, fo far at leaft, within the Reach of our Capacities, if we suppose the Premifes aforementioned to be true, which the Confubftantialifts will hardly deny, the Conclufions, which they will not allow, are, nevertheless, as demonftrably true, as any Propofition in the Mathematics, CLII. But let us go a little further, and fuppofe, for the prefent, that thefe Things were above our Comprehenfion; and then I should be glad to be informed of tlie Nuafumo why thofe very Perfons who roar fo loud against the vain Attempts of Men, in fcrutinizing the Things which belong unto Heaven, should take upon them to explain those Doctrines, which they themselves declare to be above the Reach of human Understandings. CLIII. When the Papifts want to perfuade Men out of their Senses, and to prevail upon Proteftants to acknowledge the abfurd Doctrine of Tranfubftantiation, they are very ample and florid in their Declamations upon the Immensity and Incomprehenfibleness of God and his Attributes; and upon the Mi 'nuteness nuteness and Infufficiency of human Abilities; and are always fetting forth, in the strongest Terms, how little we know, and how much we are ignorant. And therefore, say they, fince our Saviour hath faid, This is my Body, and this is my Blood, we ought to believe it to be fo, though we could not comprehend the Manner how. CLIV. All which would be undoubtedly right, and true, if they were to go no further. But if what they fay be true, about the Weakness of human Understandings, now came they to have Abilities for explaining thofe Mysteries, which the rest of Mankind are so unequal to the Inquiry into? Why do they pretend to fay, that this Mystery confifts in a Transubstantiation of the Elements, when there is no fuch Word in the Scriptures ? CLV. And fince it must be undoubtedly acknowledged, that the Belief in any Myftery can be no further required as neceffary to Salvation, than in proportion as that Myftery is revealed; if this be a Mystery, furely they ought to leave it as they found it, and not prefume to explain that which they declare to be inexplicable. |