' See vol. ii. 349. The works of this Socinian author form one volume in the *' Bibliotheea Fratrum Polouorum."— Ed. 2 See vol. ii. 392.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 49
in sacris monumentis scriptum extaret, non idcirco tamen ita prorsus rem se habere crederem, ut vos opinamini; cum enim id omnino fieri non possit, non secus atque in multis aliis Scripturse Testimoniis, una cum casteris omnibus facio ; aliqua, quae minus incommoda vide- retur, interpretatione adhibitti, eum sensum ex ejusmodi verbis elice- rem qui sibi constaret;" — " For my part, if this (doctrine) were extant and written in the holy Scripture, not once, but often, yet would I not therefore believe it to be so as you do ; for whereas it can by no means be so (whatever the Scripture saith), I would, as I do with others in other places, make use of some less incommodious interpre- tation, whereby I would draw a sense out of the words that should be consistent with itself." And how he would do this he declares a little before : " Sacra verba in alium sensum, quaiii verba sonant, per inusitatos etiam tropos quandoque explicantur." He would explain the words into another sense than what they sound or propose, by unusual tropes. And, indeed, such uncouth tropes doth he apply, as so many engines and machines, to pervert all the divine testimonies concerning our redemption, reconciliation, and justification by the blood of Christ.
Having therefore fixed this as their rule, constantly to prefer their o-svn reason above the express words of the Scripture, which must, therefore, by one means or other, be so perverted or wrested as to be made compliant therewith, it is endless to trace them in their multi- plied objections against the holy mysteries, all resolved into this one principle, that their reason cannot comprehend them, nor doth ap- prove of them. And if any man would have an especial instance of the serpentine wits of men winding themselves from under the power of conviction by the spiritual light of truth, or at least endeavouring so to do, let him read the comments of the Jewish rabbins on Isaiah, chap, liii., and of the Socinians on the beginning of the Gospel of John.
2. The second branch of this repugnancy springeth from the want of a due comprehension of that harmony which is in the mystery of grace, and between all the parts of it. This comprehension is the principal ejBfect of that wisdom which believers are taught by the Holy Ghost. For our understanding of the wisdom of God in a mystery is neither an art nor a science, whether purely speculative or more practical, but a spiritual wisdom. And this spiritual wisdom is such as understands and apprehends things, not so much, or not only in the notion of them, as in their power, reality, and efficacy, towards their proper ends. And, therefore, although it may be very few, unless they be learned, judicious, and diligent in the use of means of all sorts, do attain unto it clearly and distinctly in the doctrinal notions of it; yet are all true believers, yea, the meanest
VOL. V. 4
50 ON JUSTIFICATION.
of them, directed and enabled by the Holy Spirit, as unto their own practice and duty, to act suitably unto a comprehension of this har- mony, according to the promise that " they shall be all taught of God/' Hence, those things which appear unto others contradictory and inconsistent one with another, so as that they are forced to offer violence unto the Scripture and their own experience in the rejec- tion of the one or the other of them, are reconciled in their minds and made mutually useful or helpful unto one another, in the whole course of their obedience. But these things must be farther spoken unto.
Such an harmony as that intended there is in the whole mystery of God. For it is the most curious effect and product of divine wisdom; and it is no impeachment of the truth of it, that it is not discernible by human reason. A full comprehension of it no creature can in this world arise unto. Only, in the contemplation of faith, we may arrive unto such an understanding admiration of it as shall enable us to give glory unto God, and to make use of all the parts of it in practice as we have occasion. Concerning it the holy man mentioned before cried out,''n avi^i^vidffrov drj/^iovpyiag- — "0 unsearch- able contrivance and operation!" And so is it expressed by the apostle, as that which hath an unfathomable depth of wisdom in it, "^n. ftddog TXovrou, etc. ; — " 0 the depth of the riches both of the wis- dom and knowledge of God ! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" Rom. xi. 83-36. See to the same purpose, Eph. iii. 8-10.
There is an harmony, a suitableness of one thing unto another, in all the works of creation. Yet we see that it is not perfectly nor absolutely discoverable unto the wisest and most diligent of men. How far are they from an agreement about the order and motions of the heavenly bodies, of the sympathies and qualities of sundry things here below, in the relation of causality and efficiency between one thing and another ! The new discoveries made concerning any of them, do only evidence how far men are from a just and perfect comprehension of them. Yet such a universal harmony there is in all the parts of nature and its operations, that nothing in its proper station and operation is destructively contradictory either to the whole or any part of it, but every thing contributes unto the preser- vation and use of the universe. But although this harmony be not absolutely comprehensible by any, yet do all living creatures, who follow the conduct or instinct of nature, make use of it, and live upon it ; and without it neither their being could be preserved, nor their operations continued.