4. The very foundation of all their objections and cavils against this truth, is destructive of as fundamental i:)rinci23les of reason as are in the world. They are all, at best, reduced to this: It cannot be thus in things finite; the same being cannot in one respect be one, in another three, and the like : and therefore it is so in things infinite. All these reasonings are built upon this supposition, that that which infinite can perfectly comprehend that Avhich is infinite, — an assertion absurd, foolish, and contradictory unto itself. Again ; it is the highest reason in things of pure revelation to captivate our understandings to the authority of the Revealer; which here is rejected. So that by a loud, specious, pretence of reason, these men, by a little captious sophistry, endeavour not only to countenance their unbelief, but to evert the greatest principles of reason itself.
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5. The objections these men principally insist upon, are merely against the explanations we use of this doctrine, — not against the primitive revelation of it, which is the principal object of our faith ; which, how preposterous and irrational a course of proceeding it is, hath been declared.
6. It is a rule among philosophers, that if a man, on just grounds and reasons, have embraced any opinion or persuasion, he is not to desert it merely because he cannot answer every objection against it. For if the objections wherewith we may be entangled be not of the same weight and importance with the reason on which we embraced the opinion, it is a madness to forego it on the account thereof And much more must this hold amongst the common sort of Christians, in things spiritual and divine. If they will let go and part with tlieir faith in any truth, because they are not able to answer distinctly some objections tliat may be made against it, they may quickly find themselves disputed into atheism.
7. There is so great an intimation made of such an expression and resemblance of a Trinity in unity in the very works of the creation, as learned men have manifested by various instances, that it is most unreasonable to suppose that to be contrary to reason which many objects of rational consideration do more or less present unto our minds.
8. To add no more considerations of this nature, let any of the adversaries produce any one argument or grounds of reason, or those pretended to be such, against that that hath been asserted, that hath not already been baffled a thousand times, and it shall receive an answei', or a public acknowledgment, that it is indissoluble.
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The next head of opposition made by the men of this conspiracy against this sacred truth, is against the head of all truth, the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Socinians, indeed, would willingly put a better face or colour upon their error about the person of Christ than it will bear or endure to lie on it. For in their catechism, unto this question, " Is the Lord Jesus Christ jno' us homo, a mere man?" they answer, " By no moans." " How then? hath he a divine nature also?" which is their next question. To this they say, " By no means; for this is contrary to right reason." How, then, will these pretended masters of reason reconcile these things ? for to us it seems, that if Christ have no other natui'e but that of man, he is as to his nature purus homo, a mere man, and no more. Why, they answer, that " he is not a mere man, because he was born of a virgin." Strange!
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that that should be an argument to prove him more than a man, which the Scripture, and all men in their right wits, grant to be an invincible reason to prove him to be a man, and, as he was bom of her, no more. Rom. i. 8, " Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh." Rom. ix. 5, " Whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came." Gal. iv. 4, " God sent forth his Son, made of a Vvoman, made under the law." But, say they, " He was endowed with the Spirit, ■wrought miracles, was raised from the dead, had all power given [him] in heaven and earth ; for by these degrees he became to be God." But all men see that the inquiry is about the nature of Christ, and this answer is about his state and condition. Now this changeth not his nature on the one hand, no more than his being- humbled, poor, and dying, did on the other. This is the right reason we have to deal withal in these men ! If a man should have inquired of some of them of old, whether Melchizedek were purus homo, a mere man, some of them would have said, " No, because he was the Holy Ghost;" some, " No, because he was the Son of God himself;" and some, " No, because he was an angel;" — for such foolish opinions have men fallen into. But how sottish soever their conceptions were, their answer to that inquiry would have been regular, because the question and answer respect the same subject in the same respect; but never any was so stupid as to answer, " He was not a mere man, (that is, by nature,) because he was a -priest of the high God," — which respects his office and condition. Yet, such is the pretence of these men about the person of Christ, to incrustate and give some colour iiuto their foul misbelief ; as supposing that it would be much to their disadvantage to own Christ only as a mere man, — though the most part of their disputes that they have troubled the Christian world withal have had no other design nor aim but to prove him so to be, and nothing else. I shall briefly, according to the method insisted on, first lay do^vn what is the du'ect revelation which is the object of our faith in this matter, then express the revelation itself in the Scripture testimonies wherein it is recorded; and having vindicated some one or other of them from their exceptions, manifest how the doctrine hereof is farther explained, unto the edification of them that believe.