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Authority at all. To fuch a Propofition we fhou'd affent, tho' it were affirm'd by the most fallible Man, nay, tho' it were affirm'd by the most notorious Liar; and confequently, our affenting to fuch a Propofition is no manner of Proof, that we acknowledge the infallible Veracity of God. This can only appear by our affenting to a Propofition, whofe Truth we do not perceive by any Evidence from the Nature of the Thing: For here we affent upon the fimple Authority of God's Affirmation, and our affent is an explicit Acknowledgment of his abfolute Veracity. If then it be reafonable to expect, in a Divine Revelation, that God fhou'd require our Acknowledgment of this Attribute efpecially (and without fuch Acknowledgement no Revelation wou'd be of any ufe) and if this Acknowledgement can appear only by our affenting, upon the Authority of God, to fuch Propofitions, as we cannot perceive the Truth of by any internal Evidence; it certainly cannot be incongruous to expect fuch Propofitions in a Divine Revelation: nay, much more incongruous wou'd it be, and a probable Objection against the Divinity of any Revelation, if we fhou'd not find fome Propofitions of this kind Gg 4 in

Law's Cafe of Reafon.

on or Ab

in it, because it is hardly conceivable, why God fhou'd make an external Revelation of thofe Things only, which, by a due Exercife of an Reafon, he has enabled us to find out.

Seeing it is fo far from being unreafonable then, that it is highly expedient, and in fome fort neceffary, that there fhou'd be fome Propofitions above the reach of human Understanding, in every Revelation, that comes from God; if we can but fhew, that in the Chriftian Syftem there are no Doctrines, but fuch as ftand clear of all Abfurdity and Contradiction, the more abftrufe and myfterious they are, the more they deserve our belief, for this very Reason, because, if what is reveal'd concerning God, were every way, eafy, and adapted to our Comprehenfion, it cou'd never reach, nor, with any fitnefs, reprefent that Nature, which we all allow to be incomprehenfible.

No Con- The Holy Scriptures, for inftance, tradicti- teach us, that, in the Divine Nature furdity in (which can be but one) there are three any Doc- diftinct Perfons, to whom we ascribe trines of the fame Attributes and Perfections, the tian Re- fame Worship and Adoration. This invelation, deed is a Doctrine above our Comprehenfion, as to the manner, how three

theChrif

d Young's Serm. Vol. I.

fhou'd

fhou'd be one, and one three ; but ftill we affirm, that there is no Contradiction in it, if we will but diftinguish between numbers, and the nature of Things. For three to be one indeed is a Contradiction in numbers, but whether an infinite Nature can communicate itself to three different Subfiftences, without fuch a Divifion, as is among created Beings, must not be determin'd by bare numbers, but by the abfolute Perfections of the Divine Nature, which must be own'd to be above our Comprehenfion. The Holy Scriptures teach us, that the Son of God was made Flesh, and dwelt amongst us, and that therefore our Redeemer was both God and Man in one Perfon. This, we own, is, in its Nature, one of the great Myfteries of Godliness, as St. Paul calls it; but then we must remember, that, in reality, it is not much more difficult than the union of the Soul and Body in all Mankind, which, however unaccountable it may be to our Reason and Imagination, is too certain in fact, to be called in Queftion. Once more, the Holy Scriptures teach us, that our Saviour Chrift, who was both God and Man in one Perfon, became the Redeemer of the World, by offering himself a Propitiation to God for Sinners. This,

Stillingfleet's Serm.

in

great

in many refpects, is a myftery too, and what we cou'd not have known, had it not been reveal'd to us; but now, that it is reveal'd, 'tis far from deferving the Imputation of being abfurd. That all Mankind are Sinners, and fallen from their primitive Integrity, not only the Scriptures, but the conftant Experience of our own irregular Appetites is but too convincing a Demonftration. Now fince this was our Condition, and God was minded to rescue us from it, but entirely at Liberty in what method to effect it; fince the Soul of our Saviour Christ was a free immaculate Being, that might voluntary fuffer for us, if he pleas'd, and, by the dignity of his Nature, inhance the value of his fufferings to the full pardon of our Sins, upon his Father's acceptance of a vicarious Sacrifice; there appears nothing in this Doctrine of Chrift's Satisfaction, (now that we have it fully reveal'd to us) but what correfponds with common Reason, and all judicial proceedings among Man

kind.

but a These are some of the principal Docdeal of trines, that we (as Chriftians) profefs; Majefty and being they are free, when rightly and Dignity in confidered, from all Appearance of Contradiction,

them.

• Whifton's Ellay's.

e

tradiction, we may appeal to the Judgment of any confiderate Perfon, whether it be not for the Dignity and Advantage of Religion, that fome Articles of it should exceed the largest humane Comprehenfion: whether we should entertain the fame aweful Impreffions of the Divine Majefty, if the Perfections of his Nature and Operations were only fuch, as we could fee to the end of: whether it does not raise the value of Man's Redemption, to have it brought about by Miracles of Mercy, not only without Example, but even beyond our present Understanding. Had all these Things been lefs, we fhould indeed have known them better; but then fo much as we abate of their Myfteriousness, to bring them down to our Capacity, fo much we impair their Dignity, and weaken the Power of them upon our Affections. It is therefore the very Commendation (as we said before) and Excellency of these Doctrines, that they are fo far above us; and we ought to efteem it an Inftance of the Divine Goodness, no less than Wisdom, so to have temper'd his Revelations, that we want no Knowledge, enough to engage our Piety and Holy Wonder, and yet have not fo much, as fhould deftroy our Hu

• Stanhope's Serm.

2

mility

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