The Use of Reason in Matters of Religion Author:Thomas Randolph Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: [ M] of fufficicnt Capacity, but to their finful Luk j and Paflions. —Tbis is the Condemnation (faith our Bleffed Saviour) that Light is com into the World, a... more »nd A$en loid Darknefs rather than Light, becaufe their Deeds "were evil. — b If our Goffel be hid (faith St. Paul) it it bid to them that are lojl, in ihotn the God qf this World hath blinded the Minds of them which believe not, left the Light of the glpriovs Gojpel of Chriji Jhould Jhine unto them. And as the Heathen had no other Rule hut Reafon whereby to judge of the Truth of a Revelation, fo I apprehend that we Cbrjiuzns alfo muft by our Reafon fatisfy ourfelves of the Truth of the Religion, which we profefs. The firft Point in Religion is the Exiftence of God, and his Attributes, bis eternal Power And Godhead. Thefe, as the Apoille here teaches us, and as our own Reafon informs us, are cleanly feen, and underjlood, from the Creation of the World. Thefe are prior io Order, and Courfe of Proof, to any Revelation of God's Will: and on thefe, as has been already fhewn, all Proofs of a Revelation miul ultimately reft. But, as I faid before, we do not proceed here, as in Matters of Science. We do not make Ufe of our Reafin, t Jb. iii. T$. b 2 Or. iv. 3, 4. as a Principle, whereby we may difcover, or prove, the Truth of the Dodtrines reveal'd ; but as an Inftrument, whereby we may judge of the Authenticity of the Revelation. Nor do we prove the Truth of Cbriftianity by phi- lofophical Arguments, but by the Power of God, by the Evidence of Miracles and Prophecy. But then this Evidence muft be tried at the Bar of Reafon. By Reafon muft we dif- tinguifh true Miracles from falfe Pretenfions to Miracles, Dodtrjnes worthy of God from fuch as are utterly unworthy of him : and the Force of the Argument drawn from Miracles ...« less