Per

I am free to fay, it is not the Piety of any Jon, that gains my Affent to his Principles, if they are not to be fupported by Scripture, I shall always think myfelf, at full Liberty to reject them, how great an Opinion foever I may have of his religious Temper and Deportment. Thirdly, I can't but think, that any Man, who will allow himself, impartially to confider Mr. Baxter's Sentiments, and compare them with Arminian Principles, he will foon discover, that they naturally tend to Arminianifm. And what is melancholy to exprefs, the Fact is capable of full Proof, from many Churches, who have first fallen into Baxterianifm, and then funk into direct Arminianifm, which in Reality is at no great Remove from Socinianifm; fo that we have now, numerous Diffenters, whofe Belief can hardly be called by a better Name, and it may be expected, that in a little time, we shall have Numbers of Diffenters turn Deifts. I fear it; I wish my Fears may prove groundless. Another thing, I would obferve is, fome it is probable may not like this way of Writing, through a Sufpicion that Partiality is used in the Management of the Debate. I must confefs, that this is too often done in Di

alogues,

alogues, which has not a little prejudiced me against this Method of Writing. But I beg leave to fay, that I have not offered any thing, in a way of Argument on the Socinian, Arminian, or Baxterian Principles, but what has been said by the Parties themselves; and their Books are almost always referred to,and, I hope, the Reader will not fee Caufe to charge me with neglecting to express the strongest Things, which they have advanced in Favour of their Sentiments. This I am fure, I may fay, that to my Knowledge, I have not in a fingle Inftance, been guilty of fuch an Omiffion. If what is penn'd, may be useful to guard any against Soul-destroying Errors, or convince Gainfayers, or confirm, in the leaft Degree, the Faith of the Saints, I fhall rejoice: And defire, that God may have the Praife.

ERRAT A.

1.

AGE 194. Line 6. read doth not. p. 216. l. 31. r. it has been. p. 237. 1. 21. for propitious, r. reconciled. p. 247. 1. 12. r. imputed to us. p. 294. 1. 22. r. one another. P. 325. 23 and 24. for and Sin was the moving Cause of it, read, and Sin the meritorious Caufe of the Punish-ment decreed.

Some literal Escapes the Reader is defired to excufe, and mend with his Pen.

A

VINDICATION

OF

Some TRUTHS, of NATURAL and REVEALED RELIGION,

M

CHA P. I

Of Myfteries.

R. Fofter, in treating on the Subject of Myfteries, ftiffly maintains, that there are, properly fpeaking, no Myfteries in Religion. He feems to apprehend, that he has effectually fet afide every Article of the Chriftian Faith, which is of a mysterious Nature, Before I enter upon the. Confideration of what he advances on this Subject, I apprehend, it is neceffary to give the Reader a clear Account, of what is intended by a Mystery, when the Term is applied to the Principles of natural and revealed Religion: Or what it is we mean, when we say that those Principles are myfterious,

B

any

ab

1. By a Mystery we do not intend furd Doctrine; or any Principle which is contrary to Reason, and contradicts what we certainly know, by our Senfes, must be true. That fome nominal Chriftians, viz. the Papists, have advanced abfurd Principles, fuch as are repugnant to Reafon and Senfe, is well known; and that they impofe upon Men, the Belief of thofe Principles, under a Pretence of Mystery, is too notorious to admit of the leaft Doubt. The Doctrine of Tranfubftantiation, for Instance, is contrary to all Reafon and Senfe: It requires us to believe, that a Multitude of Miracles are wrought, without the least Appearance of any Change, in that, whereon, they are effected, as they are pleased to tell us. This Doctrine therefore, is no Mystery, but a manifest Abfurdity. 2. We do not mean by a Mystery, any thing unknown, as to its Being and Truth: Or we do not imagine, that fome particular Things are, of whofe Being and Truth we have no Evidence. Such an Imagination is exceeding weak; for that is no other than to believe, that a Thing is, without any Proof at all, of its Being or Truth. And, therefore, were we to believe the Being of that Thing, whether in Fact it is, or it is not, our Belief that it is, muft be entirely without Foundation; confequently, how much foever we might be perfuaded, that fuch a Thing is; at prefent, tho' that Thing may, really be, our Perfuafion that it is, can have nothing to fupport it. But, 3. What we mean

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by

by a Mystery is this: That the Nature of a Thing, which we have clear Evidence really is, either from Reafon or Revelation, is above our Comprehenfion. We cannot understand. how it is, tho' we moft certainly know that in Fact it is. Clear Ideas we may have of the Being, or Truth of a Thing, notwithstanding, we may be utterly unable to explain the Nature and Mode of it. This is what we intend by a Mystery, when we use the Word on religious Subjects.

And I dare venture to affert, that if Mr. Fofter, will not allow, that fome Things must be believed to be true, the Nature of which he cannot explain, he will be driven into direct Atheism,that he will unavoidably be compelled to renounce, not only revealed, but natural Religion alfo, and be obliged to embrace the most palpable Abfurdities. Men may flourish as much as they please, in arguing against Myfteries in Religion, and, by fo doing, they may perhaps obtain with fuperficial Thinkers the Character of ingenious Reafoners; but, if they are in earnest, I am confident, that they must embrace what is most evidently abfurd and irrational. There is no Medium, I am certain; we muft either believe what we cannot account for, or we must be perfuaded of that, which, if we will attend to the plaineft Dictates of our Reason, we shall clearly difcern cannot poffibly be true. The Reader will find, in confidering what Mr. Fofter delivers, that this is plain Truth, and B 2 that