ries without warrant from holy fcripture; although I confefs, this of the Trinity may have sometimes been explained by human invention, which might, perhaps, better have been fpared. As to the fecond, It will not be poffible to charge the Proteftant priesthood with propofing any temporal advantage to themselves, by broaching, or multiplying, or preaching of myfteries. Does this mystery of the Trinity, for instance, and the defcent of the Holy Ghoft, bring the leaft profit or power to the preachers? No; it is as great a mystery to themfelves, as it is to the meaneft of their hearers; and may be rather a cause of humiliation, by putting their understanding, in that point, upon a level with the moft ignorant of their flock. It is true, indeed, the Roman church hath very much enriched herself, by trading in myfteries, for which they have not the least authority from scripture, and which were fitted only to advance their own temporal wealth and grandeur; fuch as, tranfubftantiation, worshipping of images, indulgences for fins, purgatory, and maffes for the dead, with many more. But, it is the perpetual talent of those who have ill-will to our church, or a contempt for all religion, taken up by the wickedness of their lives, to charge us with the errors and corruptions of Popery, which all Proteftants have thrown off near two hundred years; whereas, those mysteries held by us, have no profpect of power, pomp, or wealth; but have been ever maintained by the univerfal body

of

of true believers, from the days of the apoftles, and will be fo to the refurrection; neither will the gates of hell prevail against them.

It may be thought, perhaps, a ftrange thing, that God should require us to believe mysteries, while the reason or manner of what we are to believe, is above our comprehenfion, and wholly 'concealed from us. Neither doth it appear, at first fight, that the believing, or not believing them, doth concern either the glory of God, or contribute to the goodness or wickednefs of our lives. But this is a great and dangerous miftake. We fee what a mighty weight is laid upon faith, both in the Old and New Teftament. In the former, we read, how the faith of Abraham is praised, who could believe, that God would raise from him a great nation, at the very fame time that he was commanded to facrifice his only fon, and despaired of any other iffue: and this was to him a great mystery. Our Saviour is perpetually preaching faith to his difciples, or reproaching them with the want of it; and St. Paul produceth numerous examples of the wonders done by faith. And all this is highly reasonable: for, faith is an entire dependence upon the truth, the power, the juftice, and the mercy of God; which dependence will certainly incline us to obey him in all things. So that the great excellency of faith confifts in the confequence it hath upon our actions: as, if we depend upon the truth and wifdom of a man, we fhall certainly be more difpof

ed to follow his advice. Therefore, let no man think, that he can lead as good a moral life without faith, as with it; for this reafon, because he who has no faith, cannot, by the ftrength of his own reafon or endeavours, fo eafily refift temptations, as the other, who depends upon God's affistance in the overcoming his frailties, and is fure to be rewarded for ever in heaven, for his victory over them. Faith, fays the apostle, is the evidence of things not feen. He means, that faith is a virtue, by which any thing commanded us by God to believe, appears evident and certain to us, although we do not fee, nor can conceive it; because, by faith, we entirely depend upon the truth and power of God.

It is an old and true diftinction, that things may be above our reason, without being contrary to it. Of this kind, are the power, the nature, and the univerfal prefence of God, with innumerable other points. How little do those who quarrel with myfteries, know of the commoneft actions of nature? The growth of an animal, of a plant, or of the fmalleft feed, is a mystery to the wifeft among men. If an ignorant perfon were told, that a loadstone would draw iron at a distance, he might fay, it was a thing contrary to his reason, and could not believe, before he saw it with his eyes.

The manner whereby the foul and body are united, and how they are diftinguished, is wholly unaccountable to us. We fee but one part,

and

and yet we know we confift of two: and this is a mystery we cannot comprehend, any more than that of the Trinity.

From what hath been said, it is manifeft, that God did never command us to believe, nor his minifters to preach, any doctrine which is contrary to the reafon he hath pleafed to endue us with; but, for his own wife ends, has thought fit to conceal from us the nature of the thing he commands; thereby to try our faith and obedience, and increase our dependence upon him.

It is highly probable, that, if God should please to reveal unto us this great mystery of the Trinity, or fome other myfteries in our holy religion, we should not be able to understand them, unlefs he would, at the fame time, think fit to beflow on us some new powers or faculties of the mind, which we want at prefent, and are referved till the day of refurrection to life eternal. For now, as the apoftle fays, que fee through a' glafs, darkly, but then face to face.

Thus, we fee, the matter is brought to this iffue; we must either believe what God directly commands us in holy fcripture, or we must wholly reject the fcripture, and the Chriftian religion, which we pretend to profefs. But this, I hope, is too desperate a step for any of us to make.

I have already obferved, that those who preach up the belief of the Trinity, or of any other myftery, cannot propose any temporal advantage to themselves by fo doing. But this is not the cafe

of those who oppofe thefe doctrines. Do they lead better moral lives than a good Chriftian? Are they more juft in their dealings? more chafte, or temperate, or charitable? Nothing at all of this; but, on the contrary, their intent is to overthrow all religion, that they may gratify their vices, without any reproach from the world, or their own conscience; and are zealous to bring over as many others as they can to their own opinions; becaufe, it is fome kind of imaginary comfort, to have a multitude on their fide.

There is no miracle mentioned in holy writ, which, if it were ftrictly examined, is not as much contrary to common reason, and as much a mystery, as this doctrine of the Trinity; and therefore, we may, with equal juftice, deny the truth of them all. For inftance, it is against the laws of nature, that a human body should be able to walk upon the water, as St. Peter is re*corded to have done; or that a dead carcafe fhould be raised from the grave after three days, when it began to corrupt; which those who understand anatomy, will pronounce to be impoffible, by the common rules of nature and reason. Yet, these miracles, and many others, are pofitively affirmed in the gofpel; and these we must believe, or give up our holy religion to Atheists and Infidels.

I shall now make a few inferences and obfervations upon what hath been faid.

Firft, It would be well, if people would not lay fo much weight on their own reafon, in mat

ters