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yield to Nature; and, if it be true, no Arguments can be fufficient.

And thus it appears, that the very Topic itself is excluded, from which the Deifts of the prefent Age fetch their main Support, and all the plaufible Arguments by which they labour to explode the Gofpel, and to render it useless and infignificant, and confequently vile and contemptible in the Opinion of the World.

Upon the fame Principle we may proceed to examine other general Objections made use of in oppofition to the Revelation of Chrift Jefus. The Gofpel is a Difpenfation of Providence in regard to Mankind, which the Reason of Man cannot fathom, nor his utmost Sagacity fearch into; which the Angels themselves defire to look into, and, after all their Inquiries, are content to reverence and adore at an awful Distance. Thefe Methods of Salvation are Matter of great Complaint with Unbelievers: They think it highly unreasonable, that God should propofe fuch Things as Objects of Faith; and from the Unreasonablenefs of the Impofition they argue, (which prefuppofed, they conclude not much amiss) that thefe Terms of Salwation were not of God's Contrivance, but are owing to the Guile and Deceit of cunning.

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cunning Impoftors, who took Pleasure in abusing Mankind.

us.

Tho' this Objection is levelled against the Christian Revelation particularly; yet it must conclude equally against Revelation in general, confidered as a Principle of Religion, if it makes any Addition to the Things to be done or believed beyond what Reason teaches The Question then will be, Whether it can be reasonable for God to propose any Articles of Faith, or any Conditions of Salvation, the Reason and Propriety of which does not appear to Man? And this is a Question of great Importance, it being confeffedly the Cafe of the Gospel.

In the Senfe of the Gofpel, whatever is the Effect of God's fecret Counfels, in order to the Redemption of the World, is a Mystery. That Men ought to obey God in Truth and Holiness, that they may obtain his Bleffing, -That Sinners ought to be punished, ➡are not, nor ever were, Myfteries; because these Things were fufficiently published to the World, when Men were endued with Reason. But all the Methods of Religion beyond these were, and still are, mysterious: The Intention of God to redeem the World from Sin by fending his own Son in the Likenefs of Man, is a Mystery unknown

unknown to former Ages; 'tis a Mystery ftill, inasmuch as we cannot penetrate into the Depths of this divine OEconomy, or account by the Principles of human Reason for every Step or Article of it. But let it be remembered, That not human Reason, but the Will of God, is the Rule and Measure of religious Obedience; and, if so, the Terms of religious Obedience must be tried by their Agreeablenefs to the Will of God, and not measured by the narrow Compafs of Man's Reason. If Reason can difcover, either by internal or external Signs, the Conditions of Salvation propofed to us to be the Will of God, the Work of Reason is over, and we are obliged to use the Means, which are prescribed by God, as we hope to obtain the End, which is the Gift of God: And, how little foever Reafon can penetrate into the Mysteries of God; yet, if it can discover them to be indeed the Mysteries of God, and by him proposed to us as necesfary to Salvation, it discovers plainly to us, that these Mysteries of God are the Words of eternal Life; which is all, I think, that a reasonable Man would defire to find in his Religion: For, fince all that he defires to obtain by his Religion is eternal Life, what

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more has he to look for in his Religion, than the Words, or Means, of eternal Life?

This is true, you'll fay, upon Suppofition of God's requiring the Belief of Mysteries or the Practice of any pofitive Duties from us; then it will be our Duty to hearken to his Voice, and entirely fubmit our Wills and Understandings to him: But how does this prove it reasonable for him fo to do, or remove the Prejudice that lies against the Gof pel, because of its mysterious Doctrines?

To come then to the Point: It will, I fuppofe, be eafily granted to be agreeable to the Wisdom and Goodness of God to reveal whatever is neceffary to be revealed in order to perfect the Salvation of Mankind; as, on the other Side, it must be allowed, that it is not confiftent with infinite Wisdom and Goodness to reveal Mysteries merely to puzzle the Minds of Men. These Allowances being made on each Side, the Question is reduced to this; Whether it can be ever neceffary to reveal Myfteries in order to perfect the Salvation of Mankind? Whenever it is neceffary, it must be reasonable, unless it be unreasonable for God to fave the World: And upon this Foot it will be found, That a Revelation cannot have the

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Words of eternal Life, without opening to us all neceffary Truths, how abftrufe and mysterious foever fome of them may be.

With respect to infinite Wisdom, there is no fuch Thing as Mystery in Nature: All Things are equally clear in the Understanding of the Deity; all Things lie naked before his Eye, having no Darkness, Obscurity, or Difficulty in them. A Mystery therefore is no real or pofitive Thing in Nature; nor is it any thing that is inherent or belonging to the Subjects of which it is predicated. When we fay this Thing or that Thing is a Mystery, according to the Form of our Speech, we feem to affirm fomething of this or that Thing; but, in truth, the Propofition is not affirmative with refpect to the Thing, but negative with respect to ourselves: For, when we say this Thing is a Mystery, of the Thing we say nothing, but of ourselves we fay, that we do not comprehend this Thing. With respect to our Understanding, there is no more. Difference between Truth that is, and Truth that is not mysterious, than, with respect to our Strength, there is between a Weight which we can lift, and a Weight which we cannot lift: For, as Defect of Strength in us makes fome Weights to be unmoveable, fo

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