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fource have fince flowed fome of the greatest corruptions of the Evangelical truth, and the most inveterate prejudices against it: an effect just 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 ufe in religion? Yes, undoubtedly, of the moft neceffary ufe, when rightly employed. The proper employment of them is to diftinguish its genuine doctrines from others erroneously or corruptly afcribed to it; to confider the importance and purport of them, with the connection they beas to one another; but first of all to examine with the ftricteft 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 falfhood, but much to support 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 best solutions

we can to them; but where no fatisfactory ones are to be found, it is no less our duty to acquiefce with humility, and believe that to be right which we know is above us, and belonging to a wifdom 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. Those which can plainly be proved not to belong to it, fall not under the reasoning I have laid down (and certainly none do belong to it which - contradict either our clear, intuitive knowledge, or the evident principles and dictates of reafon). I fpeak only of difficulties which attend the belief of the Gofpel in fome 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 false, must 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 con

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ceived,

ceived, or fatisfactorily explained, by its limited powers. If the glorious light of the Gofpel be fometimes overcaft with clouds of doubt, fo is the light of our reason too. But shall we deprive ourselves of the advantage of either, because thofe clouds cannot perhaps be entirely removed while we remain in this mortal life? Shall we obftinately and frowardly fhut our eyes against that daySpring 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 counsels of Providence, all the height and the depth of the infinite wifdom of God, be ever difclofed or underftood. Faith even then will be neceffary; and there will be myfteries which cannot be penetrated by the most exalted archangel, and truths which cannot be known by him otherwife than from Revelation, or believed upon any other ground of affent than a submiffive confidence in the Divine wisdom. What, then, fhall man prefume that his weak and

narrow

narrow understanding is fufficient to guide him into all truth, without any need of Revelation or Faith? Shall he complain that the ways of God are not like his ways, and paft his finding out? True philofophy, as well as true Chriftianity, would teach us a wifer and modefter part. It would teach us to be content within those bounds which God has affigned to us, cafting down ima ginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience

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A

SHORT AND EASY METHOD

WITH THE

DEIST S;

Wherein the CERTAINTY of the

CHRISTIAN RELIGION IS DEMONSTRATED by INFALLIBLE PROOF, from FOUR RULES, which are incompatible to any IMPOSTURE that ever yet has been, or can poffibly be.

IN A LETTER TO A FRIEND.

By the late

REV. CHARLES LESLIE, M. A. With a LETTER from the AUTHOR to a DEIST, upon his Conversion by reading his Book. To which is prefixed

A PREFACE

By the Rev. W. JONES, M. A. Author of The Catholic Doctrine of the Trinity, &c.

A NEW EDITION,

Published by Defire of The SocIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE.

Printed for F. and C. RIVINGTON, Bookfellers to The Society for promoting Chriftian Knowledge, No. 62, St. Paul's Church-Yard.

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