ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 421 



Yet the use of human reason in spiritual things is va 

 rious, and very extensive: for religion is justly called a 

 reasonable service. 8 The types and ceremonies of the old 

 law were rational and significative, differing widely from 

 the ceremonies of idolatry and magic: which are a kind 

 of deaf and dumb show, and generally uninstructive even 

 by innuendo. But the Christian faith, as in all things else, 

 excels in this, that it preserves the golden mean in the use 

 of reason, and dispute the child of reason, between the laws 

 of the heathens and of Mahomet, which go into extremes: 

 for the heathen religion had no constant belief or confes 

 sion, and the Mohammedan forbids all disputes in religion: 

 whence one appears with the face of manifold error, the other 

 as a crafty and subtile imposture ; while the sacred Christian 

 faith both receives and rejects the use of reason and dispute 

 under due limitation. 10 



The use of human reason in matters of religion is of two 

 kinds; the one consisting in the explanation of mysteries, 

 the other in the deductions from them. As to the explana 

 tion of mysteries, we find that God himself condescends to 

 the weakness of our capacity, and opens his mysteries, 

 so as they may be best understood by us; inoculating, as 

 it were, his revelations into the notions and comprehensions 

 of our reason, and accommodating his inspirations to the 

 opening of our understanding, as a key is fitted to open 

 the lock. Though, in this respect, we should not be want 

 ing to ourselves : for as God makes use of our reason in his 

 illuminations, so ought we likewise to exercise it every 

 way, in order to become more capable of receiving and 

 imbibing mysteries ; provided the mind be enlarged, accord 

 ing to its capacity, to the greatness of the mysteries, and 



8 St. Paul, Rom. xii. 1. 



9 This is erroneous. The Mohammedan religion, though not divided into 

 so many churches as the Christian, is, notwithstanding, disturbed by the cry 

 of conflicting parties under the generic titles of Sconces and Sheeahs ; the former 

 comprise the orthodox, the latter the heretics. It is needless to add that the 

 hatred of the rival sects is most cordial and intense. Ed. 



10 Hooker, Eccles. Polit. 



