fon; being, both by the manner of it, and the affurance that accompanied it, fully satisfied that it was from God.

Secondly, I obferve from hence the great and neceffary use of reafon in matters of faith. For we fee here, that Abraham's reafon was a mighty strengthening and help to his faith. Here were two revelations made to Abraham, which feemed to clash with one another; and if Abraham's reason could not have reconciled the repugnancy of them, he could not poffibly have believed them both to be from God; because this natural notion or principle, That God cannot contradict himself, every man does first, and more firmly believe, than any revelation whatsoever.

Now, Abraham's reafon relieved him in this ftrait. So the text exprefsly tells us: He reafoned with himself, that God was able to raife him from the dead.

And this being admitted, the command of God concerning the flaying of Ifaac, was, very well confistent with his former promife, That in Ifaac his feed Jhould be called.

I know there hath a very rude clamour been raised by fome perfons, (but of more zeal, I think, than judg ment), against the use of reafon in matters of faith. But how very unreasonable this is, will appear to any one that will but have patience to confider thefe following particulars.

1. The nature of divine revelation; that it doth not endue men with new faculties, but propoundeth new objects to the faculties which they had before. Reafon is the faculty whereby revelation is to be difcerned; for when God reveals any thing to us, he reveals it to our understanding, and by that we are to judge of it. Therefore St. John cautions us, I John iv. 1. not to believe every fpirit; but to try the fpirits whether they are of God; because many falfe prophets are gone out into the world; that is, there are many that falfely pretend to infpiration: but how can these pretenders be tried, and difcerned from those that are truly infpired, but by ufing our reason in comparing the evidence for the one and the other?

2. This will farther appear, if we confider the nature

of

of faith. Faith (as we are now fpeaking of it) is an affent of the mind to fomething as revealed by God. Now, all affent must be grounded upon evidence; that is, no man can believe any thing, unless he have, or thinks he hath fome reafon to do fo. For to be confident of a thing without reafon, is not faith; but a prefumptuous perfuafion, and obftinacy of mind.

3. This will yet be more evident, if we confider the method that muft of neceffity be used to convince any man of the truth of religion. Suppofe we had to deal with one that is a ftranger and enemy to Chriftianity, what means are proper to be used to gain him over to it? The most natural method furely were this, to acquaint him with the holy fcriptures, which are the rule of our faith and practice. He would ask us, Why we believe "that book?" The proper anfwer would be, " Be"cause it is the word of God." This he could not but acknowledge to be a very good reafon, if it were true. But then he would ask, "Why we believed it to be the "word of God, rather than Mahomet's Alcoran, which pretends no less to be of divine infpiration ? "

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If any man now fhould anfwer, "That he could give no reafon, why he believed it to be the word of God; "only he believed it to be fo, and fo every man elfe "ought to do, without inquiring after any farther rea"fon; becaufe reason is to be laid afide in matters of "faith" would not the man prefently reply, "That "he had just as much reafon as this comes to, to be"lieve the Alcoran, or any thing elfe;" that is, none at all?

But certainly the better way would be, to fatisfy this man's reafon, by proper arguments, that the fcriptures are a divine revelation; and that no other book in the world can with equal reafon pretend to be fo. And if this be a good way, then we do and must call in the affiftance of reafon for the proof of our religion.

4. Let it be confidered farther, that the highest commendations that are given in fcripture to any one's faith, are given upon account of the reasonableness of it. Abraham's faith is famous, and made a pattern to all generations, becaufe he reafoned himself into it, notwithftanding the objections to the contrary: and he did not blindly

blindly break through thefe objections, and wink hard at them; but he looked them in the face, and gave himfelf reasonable fatisfaction concerning them.

The Centurion's faith is commended by our Saviour, Matth. viii. 9. because, when his fervant was fick, he did not defire him to come to his houfe, but to speak the word only, and his fervant should be healed: for he reafoned thus: I am a man under authority, having foldiers under me; and I fay to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my fervant, Do this, and he doth it. Now, if he that was himself under authority, could thus command thofe that were under him; much more could he that had a divine power and commiffion, do what he pleased by his word. And our Saviour is fo far from reprehending him, for reafoning himself into this belief, that he admires his faith fo much the more for the reasonableness of it, y 10. When Jefus beard this, he marvelled, and faid to them that followed him, Verily I fay unto you, I have not found fo great faith, no not in Ifrael.

In like manner, our Saviour commends the woman of Canaan's faith, because fhe inforced it fo reasonably, Matth. xv. 22. She fued him to help her daughter; but he answered her not a word: and when his difciples could not prevail with him to mind her, yet still she preffed him, faying, Lord, help me; and when he repulfed her with this fevere anfwer, It is not meet to take the childrens bread, and caft it to dogs, fhe made this quick and modest reply, Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table. She acknowledgeth her own unworthiness; but yet believes his goodness to be fuch, that he will not utterly reject those who humbly feek to him: upon which he gives her this teftimony, woman, great is thy faith!

The Apostles were divinely inspired; and yet the Bereans are commended, because they inquired and fatisfied themselves in the reasons of their belief, before they af sented to the doctrine which was delivered to them, even by teachers that certainly were infallible.

5. None are reproved in fcripture for their unbelief, but where fufficient reafon and evidence was offered to

them.

them. The Ifraelites were generally blamed for their infidelity, but then it was after fuch mighty wonders had been wrought for their conviction.

The Jews in our Saviour's time are not condemned fimply for their unbelief, but for not believing when there was fuch clear evidence offered to them. So our Saviour himself fays: If I had not done amongst them the works which no other man did, they had not had fin.

Thomas indeed is blamed for the perverfeness of his unbelief, because he would believe nothing but what he himself faw.

6. Laftly, To fhew this yet more plainly, let us confider the great inconvenience and abfurdity of declining the use of reason in matters of religion. There can be no greater prejudice to religion, than to decline this trial.

To fay, we have no reafon for our religion, is to fay, it is unreasonable. Indeed it is reafon enough for any article of our faith, that God hath revealed it; because this is one of the strongest and most cogent reafons for the belief of any thing. But when we fay, God hath revealed any thing, we must be ready to prove it, or elfe we fay nothing. If we turn off reafon here, we level the beft religion in the world with the wildeft and most abfurd enthufiafms.

And it does not alter the cafe much, to give reafon ill names, to call it blind, and carnal reafon. Our best reafon is but very fhort and imperfect: but, fince it is no better, we must make use of it as it is, and make the best of it.

Before I pafs from this argument, I cannot but obferve, that both the extremes of those who differ from our church are generally great declaimers against the ufe of reafon in matters of faith. If they find their account in it, it is well. For our parts, we apprehend no manner of inconvenience in having reafon on our fide; nor need we to defire a better evidence, that any man is in the wrong, than to hear him declare against reason, and thereby to acknowledge that reafon is against him. Men may vilify reafon as much as they pleafe; and though being reviled the reviles not again, yet, in a more still and gentle way, fhe commonly hath her full revenge upon all thofe that rail at her.

I have often wondered, that people can with patience endure to hear their teachers and guides talk against reafon; and not only fo, but they pay them the greater fubmiffion and veneration for it. One would think this but an odd way to gain authority over the minds of men: but some skilful and defigning men have found by experience, that it is a very good way to recommend them to the ignorant; as nurfes ufe to endear themselves to children, by perpetual noife and nonfenfe.

Thirdly, I obferve, that God obligeth no man to believe plain and evident contradictions as matters of faith. Abraham could not reasonably have believed this second revelation to have been from God, if he had not found fome way to reconcile it with the first. For though a man were never fo much difpofed to fubmit his reafon to divine revelation; yet it is not poffible for any man to believe God against God himself.

Some men feem to think, that they oblige God mightily by believing plain contradictions. But the matter is quite otherwife. He that made man a reasonable creature, cannot take it kindly from any man to debase his workmanship, by making himfelf unreafonable. And therefore, as no fervice or obedience, so no faith is acceptable unto God, but what is reasonable. If it be not fo, it may be confidence or presumption; but it is not faith. For he that can believe plain contradictions, may believe any thing, how abfurd foever; becaufe nothing can be more abfurd than the belief of a plain contradiction: and he that can believe any thing, believes nothing upon good grounds, because to him truth and falfhood are all one.

Fourthly, I obferve, that the great caufe of the defect of mens obedience is the weakness of their faith. Did we believe the commands of God in the gofpel, and his promifes and threatenings, as firmly as Abraham believed God in this cafe, what fhould we not be ready to do or fuffer in obedience to him?

If our faith were but as ftrong and vigorous as his was, the effects of it would be as great and confpicuous. Were we verily perfuaded, that all the precepts of our religion are the exprefs laws of God, and that all the promises, and threatenings of the gofpel will one day be

verified