I. OF THB USE OF REASON IN MATTERS OF

RELIGION.
Be not backward, or afraid, my brethren, to make use of your reason in matters of religion, or where the Scriptures are concerned. They both of them proceed from the same God and Father of us all, who is the giver of every good and every perfect gift. They cannot, therefore, be contrary to one another,
but
in Matters of Religion. 5
but must mutually illustrate and enforce one An- other. Besides, how can we distinguish one scheme of religion from another, so as to give the prefe- rence to that which is the most deserving of it, but by the help of our reason and understanding ? What would you yourselves say to a Mahometan, whom you would persuade to abandon the impos- ture of Mahomet, and embrace Christianity, but bid him use his reason ; and judge, by the help of it* of the manifest difference between the two re- ligions, and the great superiority of yours to his ? Does not God himself appeal to the reason of man, when he condescends to ask us, " whether hie ways be not equal ?" E?ek. xviii. 29. Does not the apostle exhort us that " in understanding we be men V 1 Cor. xiv. SO. Are we not expressly commanded to " prove all things, and then hold fast that which is good ?" lThess. v. 21. Also, when we are commanded to "search the Scriptures," John v. 39* more must be meant than merely read* ing them, or receiving implicitly the interpretations of others. Searching must imply an earnest en- deavour to find out for ourselves, and to under- stand, the truths contained in the Scriptures ; and what faculty can we employ for this purpose, but that which is commonly called reason, whereby we are capable of thinking, reflecting, comparing, end judging of things ?
Distrust,
6 Of the Use of Reason in Matters qf Religion,
Diatru&t, therefore, all those who decry human reason, qnd >vho require ypu to abandon it, where-* ever religion is concerned. When once they have gained this point with you, they can lead you whi- ther they please, and impose upon you every absur- dity which their sinister views may make it expe- dient for them that you should embrace. A Po«r pish p est would require nothing more than this> i*> «T.-LC v ? u believe the doctrine of transuhstan- tiation. and that a man is infallible ; «m tC fiCr= suade you to commit the most flagrant wickedness, as a means of doing God service. For the first of these articles they do not fail to urge the words of Scripture, which expressly say, concerning the bread that is used in the Lord's Supper, that it " iaf the body of Christ," Matt. xxvi. 6. and there is no possibility of replying to them, but by appeal- ing to reason, as the necessary and proper judge of the sense of Scripture. The Papist, therefore, a3 might well be expected, is forward, on all occa- sions, to vilify human reason, and to require men to abandon it 3 but true Protestants will not part with it. , It is by the help of reason, in conjunc- tion with the Scriptures, that we guard our- selves against the gross delusions of the Papists, who, after relinquishing reason, have been made to believe a lie : and bv the diligent and continued use of th? same power, let us endeavour to combat
every
Of the Pow* of Man to do the Will of God. 7
every remaining error, aftd trace oat and reform every corruption of Christianity, till we bold ' the pure truth as it is in Jesus, and obey it in the love thereof.
Do not think that, by recommending the use of reason, I am about to decry the Scriptures. My appeal shall be to both, upon every subject oa which J address you ; and I think you cannot but see that the plainest and most obvious sense of the Scriptures is in favour of those doctrines which are most agreeable to reason. A good man will rejoice to see them thus go hand in hand, mutually illus- trating and enforcing one another.