hensions in religion, grow to think that every strong conceit which doth but come in suddenly, at reading, or hearing, or thinking on such a text, or in time of earnest prayer, especially if it deeply affect themselves, is certainly some suggestion or inspiration of God's Spirit. RICHARD BAXTER: Knowledge and Love Compared, vol. xv. page 158.

Those who are subject to the command of their own affections judge more according to the inclinations of them than to the dictates of right reason. He that espouses a party or interest, that loves an opinion, and desires it should be true, easily approves of whatsoever does but seem to make for it, and rejects, almost at all adventures, whatsoever appears against it. How does the hope and desire of honor or favor or fortune in the world carry men away to the vilest things for the prosecution of it! And so all the other passions of the mind, whether it be fear or pleasure, or whatever else be the affection that rules us they hinder the reason from judging aright, and weighing impartially what is delivered to us; and it is great odds but such an auditor receives or condemns the doctrine of Christ, not according as the authority of Holy Scripture and the evidence of right reason require he should, but as his own passions and inclinations prompt him to do! - ARCHBISHOP WAKE: Sermons and Discourses, pp. 17-19. To assign a feeling and a determination of will, as a satisfactory reason for embracing or rejecting this or that opinion or belief, is of ordinary occurrence, and sure to obtain the sympathy and the suffrages of the company. And yet to me this seems little less irrational than to apply the nose to a picture, and to decide on its genuineness by the sense of smell. S. T. COLERIDGE: Aids to Reflection; in Works,

vol. i. p. 119.

It is perfectly notorious that the great mass of those who adopt even the purest forms of faith adopt it without any rational examina tion of evidence, whether of natural or revealed truth. The appeal to natural impressions, however just in itself, throws no light whatever on the real question at issue, which concerns not what men are led to believe, but the rational evidence on which they believe it; not what are the natural impressions, but how and why they should be impressed. And this more especially with reference to the analysis of our own convictions, and the searching inquiry which we ought to make into the grounds of our own belief, with all the light and information we possess, in order that, on the most vitally important of all subjects, these convictions should be guarded by none but the most secure

arguments, and repose on none but the most unassailable foundations. But the majority of those who decry this kind of inquiry do so upon a more specific ground of faith. They, in fact, discard all idea of reasoning upon the subject. They look to a peculiar kind of impression upon the soul, neither to be reasoned upon nor resisted. In this their whole apprehension of the Deity is made to consist. Thus all philosophical proof is useless, and even dangerous; all exercise of the intellect on such a subject is at variance with the demands of a true faith. With those who entertain such persuasions, it is of course vain to dispute. Discarding reason, they are insensible to fallacies in argument. BADEN POWELL: Connection of Natural and Divine

Truth, pp. 222-3.

[1] It is quite certain that most men are disposed to believe or disbelieve according to their wishes. Even the wisest men are not exempt from this bias of the judgment, unless they are carefully on their guard against it; and the generality may be observed on many occasions mustering every argument they can think of to persuade themselves of the truth of what is agreeable, and raising every objection against any thing which they do not like to believe.

[2] There are persons who, in supposed compliance with the precept, “Lean not to thine own understanding," regard it as a duty to suppress all exercise of the intellectual powers, in every case where the feelings are at variance with the conclusions of reason. They deem it right to "consult the heart more than the head;" i. e. to surrender themselves, advisedly, to the bias of any prejudice that may chance to be present: thus, deliberately and on principle, burying in the earth the talent entrusted to them, and hiding under a bushel the candle that God has lighted up in the mind. . . . I am far from recommending presumptuous inquiries into things beyond the reach of our faculties, attempts to be "wise above what is written," or groundless confidence in the certainty of our conclusions. But we cannot even exercise the requisite humility in acquiescing in revealed doctrines, unless we employ our reason to ascertain what they are; and there is surely at least as much presumption in measuring every thing by our own feelings, passions, and prejudices, as by our own reasonings. ARCHBISHOP WHATELY.

That portion of Dr. WHATELY's remarks numbered [1] is taken from "Sermons on Various Subjects," p. 318; that which is numbered [2], from "6 Essays on the Difficulties in St. Paul's Writings," Essay I. § 3,

pp. 24-5.

§ 11. HINDRANCES IN GENERAL.

There is, in many minds, a native and almost invincible prepossession in favor of all that is accredited, or ancient, or associated with dignity and high station. It may be a physical propensity; it may be an intellectual weakness; it may be a moral sentiment, estimable and virtuous in its affinities, but in itself unintelligent, and liable to much perversion. There is in others a contempt of authority,

a fierce

independency of action, which may be equally injurious, when carried to excess. There is a constitutional churchmanship, and there is a constitutional sectarianism; and they are both equally contemptible and worthless. Our business is to preserve the habits of our mind, to the last practicable extent, free from the perversions of either class, and to follow truth alone wherever it may lead us; making candid allowance for the failings and errors of other men, but using the most vigorous exertions to surmount our own. -DR. ROBERT S. M'ALL : Discourses, vol. i. p. 253.

In some good men the imagination is so inordinately predominant, that they are so governed by taste and poetry as to be almost insensible to the force of logic. Others are so impelled by imaginative emotions, that they have no affinity for enlarged, calm, and comprehensive logical views. In others the association of ideas has imparted to every thing that has been, during their education, linked in with the system of the gospel, such an aspect of holiness, that even errors are invested with all the sacredness of the truths with which they have been associated. Not only the church of Rome, but all state churches and great denominational organizations, exert an influence upon the standing and means of support of all their members, so powerful that it tends to arrest or overrule the free action of the logical power, by an influence which is, in its essential nature, rather intimidating than illuminating or reasoning. In others, emotions of reverence and gratitude to great and good men of past ages, emotions in themselves very proper, are so inordinate as to render them incapable of admitting that any of their views can be erroneous. National prejudices, moreover, and denominational commitments, and the general state of society in any age, exert a great control over the action of the logical power. — DR. EDWARD BEECHER: Conflict of Ages, p. 200.

165

CHAPTER III.

REASON AND REVELATION THE ONLY LEGITIMATE
STANDARDS OF RELIGIOUS DOCTRINE.

SECT. I.

THE OBLIGATION TO USE THE INTELLECTUAL POWERS IN
MATTERS OF RELIGION.

All-sacred Reason! source and soul of all,
Demanding praise on earth, or earth above!

EDWARD YOUNG.

THIS pretence of a necessity of humbling the understanding is none of the meanest arts whereby some persons have invaded and have usurped a power over men's faith and consciences. He that submits his understanding to all that he knows God hath said, and is ready to submit to all that he hath said, if he but know it, denying his own affections and ends and interests and human persuasions, laying them all down at the foot of his great Master Jesus Christ, that man hath brought his understanding into subjection, and every proud thought into the obedience of Christ; and this is "the obedience of faith" which is the duty of a Christian. JEREMY TAYLOR: Liberty of· Prophesying, sect. ii. 13; in Whole Works, vol. vii. p. 468.

When we say God hath revealed any thing, we must be ready to prove it, or else we say nothing. If we turn off reason here, we level the best religion in the world with the wildest and most absurd enthusiasms. And it does not alter the case much to give reason ill names, to call it "blind and carnal reason." . . . For our parts, we apprehend no manner of inconvenience in having reason on our side; nor need we desire a better evidence that any man is in the wrong, than to hear him declare against reason, and thereby to acknowledge that reason is against him. Some men seem to think, that they oblige God mightily by believing plain contradictions; but the matter is quite otherwise. — ARCHBISHOP TILLOTSON: Sermon 56; in Works, vol. iv. pp. 300-1.

Is it not intolerable presumption for men to mould and shape religion according to their fancies and humors, and to stuff it with an infinite number of orthodox propositions, none of which are to be found in express terms in Scripture, but are only pretended to be deduced from thence by such imaginary consequences, from some little hints and appearances of things? Especially, is not this unpardonable in those men who cry down reason for such a profane and carnal thing as must not presume to intermeddle in holy matters, and yet lay down the foundation of their religion, and erect such glorious and magnificent fabrics, on nothing else but some little shows and appearances of reason? But the plain truth is this, when men argue from the nature of God and his works and providences, from the nature of mankind, and those eternal notions of good and evil, and the essential differences of things,

that is, when men argue from plain and undeniable principles, which have an immutable and unchangeable nature, and so can bear the stress and weight of a just consequence, this is carnal reason; but when they argue from fancies and imaginations, which have no stable nature, from some pretty allusions, and similitudes, and allegories, which have no certain shape nor form, but what every man's fancy gives them, this is sanctified and spiritual reason; but why I cannot imagine, unless that it so much resembles ghosts and shadows, which have nothing solid and substantial in them. - DR. WILLIAM SHERLOCK: Knowledge of Christ, chap. iii. sect. 3.

There are those who do not scruple to say, the more contradictions the better; the greater the struggle and opposition of reason, the greater is the triumph and merit of our faith. But there is no likelihood of suppressing any of our doubts or disputes in religion this way; for, besides the natural propension of the soul to the search of truth, and the strong and impatient desire we have to know as much as ever we can of what immediately concerns us, it is generally and very justly looked upon both as the privilege and duty of man to inquire̱ and examine before he believes or judges, and never to give up his assent to any thing but upon good and rational grounds. . . . It is well the difficulties of subduing the understanding are too great to be mastered ; for a slight reflection will serve to convince us, that the necessary consequences of a blind resignation of judgment would be far more fatal. to Christianity than all our present divisions. What blasphemies and contradictions may and have been imposed upon men's belief, under the venerable name of "mysteries " ? and how easy are villanous practices derived from an absurd faith? ...... Another condition necessary to