An End of Doctrinal Controversies, Chapter 5
CHAP. 5. Is any point of Faith above Reason, or contrary to it?
§. 1. I Have answered this at large in Method. Theol. It is a confused and ill-worded Question.
Distinguish, 1. between Faith taken objectively, and Faith subjectively as an Act, or Quality.
2. Between that which is required of all men to be believed, and that which is required but of some.
3. Between Reason in Faculty, and Reason in Act and Habit.
4. Between Reason advanced by improvement, and Reason unimproved and buried in Ignorance.
5. Between Reason that hath only the Revelation of common Nature, and Reason that hath supernatural Revelation.
§. 2. I. It being only objective Faith that is meant in the Question; that is no Object of Faith which for want of Revelation, a man is not bound to believe. There are Millions of Things above our Reason, which are no Objects of our Faith. And more may be the Object of one Man's Faith, than of anothers that had it no way revealed to him.
§. 3. II. Almost all the matter of Faith is above the Reason of ignorant Sots that never improved their Reason, or studied the Evidences of Truth: It is above their Reason, as dispositive and active, though not above the possibility of their Faculties being better cultivated and disposed hereafter.
§. 4. III. The Doctrine of Faith is not only above, but centrary to the false reasoning of ignorant deceived Fools; for so is the very Being of God, and such are many that boast of Reason.
§. 5. IV. The Gospel of Christ, and many points of Faith are above his Reason that hath only such natural Light as the Creation can give him, without any Gospel supernatural Revelation. Who can know in India that never heard of Christ, that he was incarnate, and rose from the dead, and ascended, &c.?
§. 6. V. Nothing that God commandeth us to believe, is either contrary to, or above Reason (that is the reasoning Intellect) informed by Evangelical Revelation or Notice, and honestly and soundly qualified to judge otherwise, as Law, Physick, Astronomy, so Divinity is above the Reason of the unqualified.
§. 7. This is apparent, 1. Because we have …o Faith in us, but what is an act of Reason and …tional Will; and therefore that cannot be said … be above Reason, which is it self essentially …n Act of Reason. By what Faculty do we be…eve, but by the rational Intellect and Will? …nd this Intellect hath but two sorts of Acts, …. Immediate Self-perceptions, which some call In…uitions, and some, Eminent Internal Sensation. …. Abstrative Knowledge by Reasoning. And …he first way we perceive nothing but our own …cts: Therefore it must be the latter, or not at all.
§. 8. 2. We have reason to know that God …annot lye; and reason to know by certain Proof …hat Scripture is his Word; and reason to know …hat that Word expresseth. Therefore we have …eason to believe that it is true, and consequently …o trust it.
§. 9. 3. If we tell Infidels that we have no Reason our selves for our Faith, nor any Reason …o give them why they should believe Christ more …han Mahomet, and the Scripture more than the Alcor…n, this preaching is not the way to con…ince the World, nor did such Preaching gather …he Churches.
§. 10. When the Apostles added Miracles to …heir Testimony of Christ's Resurrection, what was it for, but to convince Mens Reason, that what God so attesteth by unimitable VVorks, must needs be true: It is by reason (abused) that Men talk against reason.
§. 11. Those knowing Divines that tell the Socinians, That the Matters of Faith are above Reason, can reasonably mean no more, but that meer Reason by natural Light, could not have known them without Gospel supernatural Revelation.
§. 12. This Reason is unanswerable.
That is certainly true which God obligeth a… men of Reason, to whom it is revealed, to believe.
But God obligeth all Men of Reason, to who… it is revealed, to believe the Life to come, and that Christ is the Son of God, and his VVor… true.
Therefore it is true.
The Major is proved by the very Being an… Perfection of God; to say that God bindeth the World to believe a Lye, and so is the great Lyer and Deceiver, is to describe him like Satan, and to deny him to be God.
The Minor is proved; God bindeth us to believe that which being of greatest everlasting Consequence, is attested by the former Prophecies, the Essential Impressions of God, the multitude of uncontrolled Miracles, and the continued success of sanctifying Souls, and making the greatest amendment of the world, when we have no Disproof of it; and to trust our Souls and Hopes on this, when we have such sealed Promises, and no other sufficient Hopes.
But such is the Gospel of Christ, and the Life to come—Ergo we are Sound as reasonable, by God to believe it.
In this Belief and Hope I am writing this, under the sentence of Death, in expectation of my approaching Change.☞ These five preceding Chapters were, on Emergent Occasions, written about Twenty years after the rest of the …ook (save one Chapter, Chap. 5)