fuch a mutual influence. We believe that God will raise the dead; but how he will do it, that we understand not, neither can we at prefent comprehend. And many more like inftances might be named.

Theophilus replied, that the fame answer might be returned to this objection, as to the laft, viz. As far as we believe, fo far we must have ideas; and that, where our ideas end, there ends our affent, or faith. Unlesse we understand what is meant by these words [God created the world,] how could we talk, or think, about such a thing? Unleffe we had the ideas affixed to the words [body and spirit,] we could not talk of their union. And, if we have no meaning to fuch words, then to fay, they are united, would be to talk of the union of nothing with nothing. So likewise, we know what is meant by a man's being dead; and raised, or brought to life, again; otherwise we should mean nothing, when we fpeak of the refurrection from the dead. To believe that God made the world, is to believe a thing, that is both comprehenfible and highly reasonable. Who fhould make the world, but God? Such an extenfive and complicated, fuch a wife and glorious, production muft needs have been the effect of the most confummate wifdom, goodneffe and power; exerted immediately by the first cause and original author of all; or by fome being, that has derived his power from the first caufe. From the vifible creation, we are naturally

turally led up to the invifible cause and author of all; and here is nothing incomprehenfible in all this.-That God made the world, is one propofition. How he made it, would be another and a quite different propofition. The firft we believe and understand. The latter we know and understand nothing of. The last, therefore, is not the object of our knowlege, or of our faith, but of our ignorance. That the foul and body of man are united, in one propofition. How they are united, would be another, and a quite different propofition The first we understand and believe. The latter we know nothing of. This last therefore, again, is the object of our ignorance, not of our knowlege, or faith.

That men are to die, and that Jefus Chrift will raise them from the dead, or bring them to life again, are propofitions contained in Scripture; and they are both very plane and intelligible. How Jefus Chrift will raife the dead, is another and a quite different propofition, which God hath not feen fit to revele to us. We are not, therefore, required to know, or believe, any thing about it. The fact, in all these cafes, is one thing; the mode, or manner, is another and a quite diftinct thing. The former we understand and believe. The latter we neither understand,. nor believe; for we know nothing at all of it.

Pyrrho faid,-Theophilus, fuppofe that God should tell you, that a thing is fo and fo; will you not believe it, unleffe he acquaint

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with the mode or manner of it? How it is effected, or how it exifts? Or how it is reconcileable with all the other truths, you are acquainted with? Theophilus answered, as far as God reveles any thing, fo far he explanes (or discovers) it. And whatever God fais, I am very ready to affent to it; for that very reafon, that God hath faid it. Because whatever God fais, muft be true. But I muft understand what is faid, as well as be satisfied that the discovery came from God; before I can believe it as a divine revelation. If God reveles any thing with its mode and manner, and all its relations and circumftances; then I believe that, with its mode and manner, and all its relations and circumftances. If God reveles part of a thing; as far as God reveles it, fo far I believe it. Secret things belong to the Lord our God. They are his peculiar, and we have nothing to do with them. They cannot, therefore, be the objects of our knowlege, or of our faith.

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Whatever contradicts a known truth, or is irreconcileable with it, that cannot poffibly part of a divine revelation. As long as I think it inconfiftent with any known truth; fo long I must either reject it, or suppose that I have not yet the true meaning of the words, in which it is delivered. Where our ideas are clear, there our faith may be clear. Where our ideas are confufed or obfcure, there our faith muft neceffarily be confused

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or obfcure. Where our ideas are adæquate, there our faith may be adæquate. Where our ideas are short, or partial; there our faith must be partial, or extended only to part of a thing. But where we have no ideas at all, there we can have no faith at all.

Pyrrho fmiled and faid, Surely, Theophilus, you are a ftrange man; and I could hardly have believed it of you. What! will no objection stand before you? Nor any thing prove to you, that men may believe what they cannot understand? I have one objection more, which so modeft a man, as you are, will scarce know what to fay to. And that is, that fathers as well as moderns, doctors and bishops, philofophers and divines; eminently learned, great and good men, have contended for believing things, which we do not understand. And furely, fuch wife and good men could never all be mistaken; neither can it be fuppofed that they would have contended for this opinion, unleffe there had been truth and reafon in it.

You yourself have acknowleged that Tertullian faid of one article, "I believe it, be"cause it is impoffible." And that bishop Beveridge has affigned it as a reafon for his believing another article of faith, "That he "could not conceive, or understand it1."

See The Reasonableneffe of the Chriftian religion, &c.

p. 132, &c.

Theophilus obferved that, in mentioning fuch particulars, he had made his remarks upon them; which planely showed he greatly difapproved of fuch obnoxious expreffions. But Pyrrho faid that, to fhow those mentioned were not fingular, he could produce other celebrated perfons, to confirm their opinion.

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St, Auftin often cites what he had read "in the 70, and vulgar Latin, [If you do

not believe, you shall not understand,] to in"fer from it, that we must believe divine "truths, before we understand them. And "the croud of Popish writers follow him, "to authorize a blind and implicite faith."

Theophilus replied, "If St. Auftin had had "an exact tranflation of that pallage, he had only read, unleffe you believe, [viz. that the kingdoms of Affyria and Ifrael shall short"ly be destroyed,] you fhall not be eftablished "

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Pyrrho owned that those, he had already quoted, were, indeed, divines: And he ob ferved, that the author of Chriflianity as old as the Creation had infinuated that, it was "their interest to confound mens understand

ings, and to prevent all inquiry; and "therefore they have craftily invented the "notion of believing things above reason.” But

See an effay for a new tranflation of the Bible, P. 63.