More reasons for the Christian religion and no reason against it, or, A second…

This one consideration may show the unreasonableness of such conclusions; That all Systems Physical and Moral, have their great Essential or principal parts, and their smaller Integrals, and their Accidents, which are no proper parts. And the Great and Principal parts are few, plain, discernible and necessary to the being or the greatest Ends: The Integrals are numerous, small, hardly discernible, and necessary only to Perfection. The Accidents are some of them yet of a lower nature, less necessary, nnd less discernible. At the master trunks its easy to know which is a vein, and which an Artery, and which a Nerve, and what is their number: But when you go to their extremities, they will appear innumerable, small, and scarce discernible. I can know many grand trunks or boughs a tree hath, when I cannot know the number of the thousands of sprigs at the extremities, ⟨p. 45⟩nor just where the woody nature ceaseth, and the leaves or frutex doth begin. So I can easily know in the frame of Grace, that Faith, H••• and Love are the fruits of the Spirit, and so is every true part of Holiness. But to know of every particular thought whether it be the fruit of the Spirit, and a real part of holiness or not, is not so easy.

This one consideration may shew the unreasonableness of such conclusions; That all Systems Physical and Moral, have their great Essential or principal parts, and their smaller Integrals, and their Accidents, which are no proper parts. And the Great and Principal parts are few, plain, discernable and necessary to the being or the greatest Ends: The Integrals are numerous, small, hardly discernable, and necessary only to Perfection. The Accidents are some of them yet of a lower nature, lesse necessary, nnd less discernable. At the master trunks its easie to know which is a vein, and which an Artery, and which a Nerve, and what is their number: But when you go to their extremities, they will appear innumerable, small, and scarce discernable. I can know many grand trunks or boughs a tree hath, when I cannot know the number of the thousands of sprigs at the extreamities, ⟨p. 45⟩nor just where the woody nature ceaseth, and the leaves or frutex doth begin. So I can easily know in the frame of Grace, that Faith, H••• and Love are the fruits of the Spirit, and so is every true part of Holiness. But to know of every particular thought whether it be the fruit of the Spirit, and a real part of holiness or not, is not so easie.