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applied, are inconfiftent and contradictory terms; the solution commonly given by a comparison to the emanation of light from the fun not being adequate to it, or juft; for light is a quality inherent in fire, and naturally emanating from it; whereas matter is not a quality inherent or emanating from the divine effence, but of a different fubftance and nature, and if not independent and felf-existing, must have been created by a mere act of divine will; and, if created, then not eternal, the idea of creation implying a time when the substance created did not exift. But if, to get rid of this difficulty, we have recourse, as many of the ancient philofophers had, to the independent existence of matter, then we muft admit two felf-exifting principles, which is quite inconfiftent with genuine Theifm, or natural reason. Nay, could that be admitted, it would not yet clear up the doubt, unless we suppose not only the eternal exiftence of matter, independent of God, but that it was from eternity in the order and beauty we fee it in now, without any agency of the divine power; otherwise the fame. difficulty will always occur, why it was not before put in that order and ftate of perfection; or how the goodness of God could fo long remain in a state of inaction, unexerted and unemployed. For were the time of fuch an exertion of it put

back ever fo far, if, inftead of five or fix thoufand years, we were to fuppofe millions of millions of ages to have paffed fince the world was reduced out of a chaos to a harmonious and regular form, ftill a whole eternity muft have preceded that date, during which the divine attributes did not exert themselves in that beneficient work, fo fuitable to them that the conjectures of human reason can find no caufe for its being delayed.

BUT because of these difficulties, or any other that may occur in the fyftem of Deifm, no wife man will deny the being of God, or his infinite wisdom, goodness, and power, which are proved by fuch evidence, as carries the cleareft and ftrongest conviction, and cannot be refufed without involving the mind in far greater difficulties, even in downright absurdities and impoffibilities. The only part, therefore, that can be taken, is to account in the best manner our weak reason is able to do, for fuch feeming objections; where that fails, to acknowledge its weakness, and acquiefce under the certainty, that our very imperfect knowledge or judgement cannot be the meafure of the Divine Wisdom, or the univerfal ftandard of truth. So likewife it is with refpect to the Chriftian Religion. Some difficulties occur in that revelation which human reafon can hardly

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clear; but as the truth of it ftands upon evidence fo ftrong and convincing, that it cannot be denied without much greater difficulties than those that attend the belief of it, as I have before endeavoured to prove, we ought not to reject it upon fuch objections, however mortifying they may be to our pride. That indeed would have all things made plain to us, but God has thought proper to proportion our knowledge to our wants, not our pride. All that concerns our duty is clear; and as to other points, either of natural or revealed religion, if he has left some obscurities in them, is that any reasonable cause of complaint? Not to rejoice in the benefit of what he has graciously allowed us to know, from a prefumptious difguft at our incapacity of knowing more, is as abfurd as it would be to refufe to walk, because we cannot fly.

FROM the arrogant ignorance of metaphyfical reafonings, aiming at matters above our knowledge, arose all the fpeculative impiety, and many of the worst fuperftitions of the old Heathen world, before the Gospel was preached to bring men back again to the primitive faith; and from the fame fource have fince flowed fome of the greatest corruptions of the evangelical truth, and the most inveterate prejudices against it: an effect juft as natural as for our eyes to grow weak, and

even blind, by being ftrained to look at objects too diftant, or not made for them to fee.

ARE then our intellectual faculties of no use in religion? Yes undoubtedly, of the moft neceffary use when rightly employed. The proper employment of them is to diftinguish its genuine do&rines from others eroneously or corruptly ascribed to it; to confider the importance and purport of them, with the connection they bear one to another; but first of all to examine with the stricteft attention the evidence by which religion is proved, internal as well as external. If the external evidence be convincingly ftrong, and there is no internal proof of its falfehood, but much to fupport and confirm its truth, then furely no difficulties ought to prevent our giving a full affent and belief to it. It is our duty indeed to endeavour to find the beft folutions we can to them; but where no fatisfactory ones are to be found, it is no lefs our duty to acquiefce with humility, and believe that to be right which we know is above us, and belonging to a wisdom fuperior to ours.

NOR let it be faid, that this will be an argument for the admitting all doctrines, however abfurd, that may have been grafted upon the Chriftian faith: thofe which can plainly be proved not to belong to it, fall not under the No. 8.

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reafoning I have laid down: (and certainly norte do belong to it which contradict either our clear, intutive knowledge, or the evident principles and dictates of reason.) I fpeak only of difficulties which attend the belief of the Gospel in some of its pure and effential doctrines, plainly and evidently delivered there, which being made known to us by a revelation fupported by proofs that our reafon ought to admit, and not being fuch things as it can certainly know to be falfe, muft be received by it as objects of faith, though they are fuch as it could not have difcovered by any natural means, and fuch as are difficult to be conceived, or fatisfactorily explained by its limited powers. If the glorious light of the Gospel be sometimes overcaft with clouds of doubt, fo is the light of our reafon too. But fhall we deprive ourselves of the advantage of either, because those clouds cannot perhaps be intirely removed while we remain in this mortal life? Shall we obftinately and frowardly faut our eyes against that day-fpring from on high that has vifited us, because we are not as yet able to bear the full blaze of his beams? Indeed, not even in heaven itself, not in the highest state of perfection to which a finite being can ever attain, will all the counfels of Providence, all the heights and depths of the infinite wifdom of God, be

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