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proper Motives

Obftinacy that Education introduces upon the Mind of a Mahometan, touching the Truth of his Religion; fo that the true Chriftian fhall have no more to fay for his Faith, than the Mahometan has for his? Or in other Words, Can you imagine, that Belief, which the Spirit of GOD works, to be as blind and irrational as That, that meer Education forms?

B. Truly I think not. For then little or no Advantage could be made appear to lie on the fide of Christianity; both Chriftian and Mahometan firmly believes, but I muft own the Queftion is, Which of them believes on the beft Grounds, or can fhew the beft Reasons for his Belief? And befides, the Apoftle (a) St. Peter directs Chriftians, to be always ready to give an answer, unto every one, that asketh them a reafon of the Hope that is in them, which makes for this Opinion, that a true Faith cannot well fubfift without proper Motives and Reasons.

A. We must likewife conceive it much more convince agreeable to the Nature of a Rational Creature, Men of for the Spirit to act on him by Reasons and of ReligiConfiderations, than without them. Education on, the Spi- determines the Affent without Reafon, the Spirit rit of God of GOD by proper Motives, Arguments or Reaacts by fons; if the Spirit of GOD acts not in the Vertue of thefe, what Advantage as a wife reafonable Revelation or Religion, before an irrational and abfurdone? Or why is the Chriftian Religion fo contriv'd and fet off by the Divine Wisdom, as to appear highly credible and reasonable to all Men that impartially confider it? What fignifies Examination of any Religion, if it be not to let Men into the Reasonablenefs of it, if this be not fuppofed to gain their Affent? Neither

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(4) 1 Pet. 3. 15

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can I fee, unless this be granted, what the Apoftles Preaching, or any other Mens fince, can fignify: For if the Faith that the Spirit of GOD produces, be not accompanied, or more properly built, upon the Motives and Confiderations that can be urg'd for it, what avails it? Or how is it to the purpofe of Converfion, to lay these things before Mens Minds? When the Apoftles went about perfwading Men every where to the Chriftian Faith; it must be furely in the Vertue of proper Confiderations and Ar-. guments to perfwade and convince them; which had been needlefs and ridiculous, if the Spirit of GOD had not made ufe of them to convince Men. Without thefe, it is downright Violence and Force, no Perfwafion nor Couviction. And I doubt not, but this is the great work of the Spirit, ftill to hold the Mind attentive, and give it clearer Views of the Reafons and Proofs of the Chriftian Faith, than Naturally and without this Affiftance, it could have had. So that to conclude, as it is every way odd and prepofterous to imagine the Spirit of GOD to work Faith in the Minds of Men, without their knowing any thing, why they believe; fo it is no less Idle to fuppofe, in this extraordinary Inspiration, that GOD fhould work on true Prophets, an obftinate Belief of their being poffefs'd of it, without affording fome Evidence or Token, that may yield Rational Satisfaction of it, to them that have it.

B. Although I like your Reafoning on this Head well, yet ftill my Objection remains in Force, and I cannot avoid demanding of you, what the Faith of the Common and Illiterate fort is, who believe firmly, and yet touching the Reasons of their Faith or Hope, fhall give you but a very poor and lame Account.

A. We too often fee, what this Faith of the Common and Illiterate fort is, a dead unactive Faith, that produces no Fruits, has no influence upon the Heart, Life, nor Practice; and without Uncharitableness, I prefume, we may fuppofe the Spirit of GOD to have concurr'd little toward this. Secondly, If you mean of fome ferious and good Chriftians, that profess to believe firmly the Truths of the Gospel, and are acted powerfully in the Vertue of this Belief, that order their Thoughts, and Words, and Actions, and live according to it. First, I fay the number of these Men are very few in Comparison And, Secondly, upon intimate Acquaintance and Converfation with them, you will not find them fo great Idiots as pou fuppofe. It is true, they may be deftitute of many Talents, that may recommend them to the good Opinion of the World; they may not have these notable Gifts of Speaking, and Difputing, nor delight in Contention, in expofing their Parts and Wisdom, as others may; true Humility and Modefty, and Diftruft of their own Understandings, may fecure them from all this, which is rather the effect of Pride, and Vanity of Temper, than of any true Vertue or Knowledge: Neither do I fuppofe that the Spirit of GOD teaches fuch Men, Logick, Rhetorick, or other Arts or Sciences, or to deliver themselves ftrictly Methodically, according to the Terms and Language of the Schools; and under a Senfe of thefe Defects, it may be very prudent and commendable in fuch Men to wave Difputations in Matters, where they are wholly ignorant; and wherein they will be moft inevitably involv'd, if they engage; and whereby both they and their Cause will be moft infallibly Judg'd and Condemn'd. How foon and eafily,may fuch a Man

as

as Duns Scotus baffle a Common Chriftian, in the plaineft and cleareft Arguments for the Truths of his Religion? And not only doth this hold in Matters of Religion, but even in the moft common and known Truths. The Man that heard the Philofopher difpute against Motion, if he had hearken'd and expected, till he could have folv'd the Difficulties brought against it, might have been argued out of his Senfe and Experience; and fo may common Men every day. To fay nothing of the Learned and Judicious, who may find Work enough to answer Questions upon plain and approved Truths. So that well may common Chriftians, unacquainted with Terms of Art and the Method and Rules of Difputation, be circumvented and intangled in Matters of Divinity. But hence will it not follow, that fuch may not have very clear and diftinct Views of fome Arguments for the Chriftian Faith, altho' they may not be enabled to Chicane endlefly, or at other times difpel the duft, that Sophiftry and Subtilty of Wit may raife, which more tends to puzzle and blind the Eyes of fuch as ufe it, than of their Adverfaries. For I take it, oftentimes, there is a fubtil and difputatious Humour in Men that more darkens their own fight, than that of others; and the Objections and Conceits it ftarts, are fo many Motes, according to our Saviour's Expreffion, that hinder their clear Difcernment of Objects; and they feem in the Cafe of fuch as look thro' a Cloudy Medium, whofe fight is much baffled, if not intirely loft, e're it reach the Mark, or at least it darts not to it, nor receives fo clear a View, as others of a more fingle -fight, that look in a directer Line, and encounter not fo many things by the way. Experience, as we faid, hath abundantly taught us this in all Ages

Ages; Men have difputed fo long for and againft, till they have difputed themselves out of common Senfe and Reafon; and their Learning and their Reading, inftead of affifting them, to receive brighter and more convincing Ideas of Things, in Religion especially, have quite oppreis'd and confounded their Judgments, and confequently render'd them more doubtful and fceptical in it; and after all, notwithstan ding their fubtil Heads, their voluminous and tedious Works, and Defences of the Chriftian Faith, it is not impoffible, but they may remain lefs convinc'd and wrought upon, than plain and common Chriftians, that are incapa+ ble of any fuch Performances, which are the plain Effects of Human Art and Induftry.

B. How fay you, may the good Christian, he that is infpired with the Spirit of GOD, be baffled by a little Logick or Sophistry? Did not a certain (a) Gentleman in a Meeting with fome Quakers, wherein they declin'd all Difputation with him, because they faid, He was a great Logician, receive great Applaufe by this Answer, What? is the Spirit of God afraid of a little Logick? Who judg'd not this a pertinent Reply?

A. If this had been fpoken to a common Chriftian, it had been by no means to the Purpofe, because he profeffes the Affiftance of the Spirit, only to the Understanding, and Belief, and Practifing of Reveal'd Doctrines and Duties. But Logick, &c. being not Reveal'd in Scripture, fuch a Man may be a very good Chriftian, and confequently have the Spirit, without understanding thofe Matters. But in one that profeffes Immediate and Extraordina-. (4) Mr. Keith's Brift. Journal.

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