The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural…

And here I must observe how oft I have noted the great mercy of God, to abundance of poor people, whose reasoning faculty would have failed them in temptations to Atheism and Infidelity, if they had not had a stronger hold than that, and their Faith had not been radicated in the Will by Love: I have known a great number of women who never read a Treatise that pleaded the Cause of the Christian Religion, nor were able to answer a crafty Infidel, that yet in the very decaying time of Nature, at fourscore years of age and upward, have lived in that sense of the Love of God, and in such Love to him and to their Saviour, as that they have longed to die, and be with Christ, and lived in all humility, charity, and piety, such blameless, exemplary, heavenly Lives, in the joyful expectation of their Change, as hath showed the firmness of their Faith; and the Love and Experience which was in them, would have rejected a temptation to Atheism and Unbelief, more effectually than the strongest Reason alone could ever do. Yet none have cause to reproach such, and say, Their Wills lead their Understandings, and they customarily and obstinately believe they know not why: for they have known sufficient reason to believe, and their understandings have been illuminated to see the truth of true Religion; and it was this knowledge of Faith which bred their Love and Experience: but when that is done, as Love is the more noble and perfect operation of the Soul (having the most excellent object) so it will act more powerfully and prevailingly, and hath the strongest hold: Nor are all they without Light and Reason for their belief, who cannot form it into arguments, and answer all that is said against it.

And here I must observe how oft I have noted the great mercy of God, to abundance of poor people, whose reasoning faculty would have failed them in temptations to Atheism and Infidelity, if they had not had a stronger hold than that, and their Faith had not been radicated in the Will by Love: I have known a great number of women who never read a Treatise that pleaded the Cause of the Christian Religion, nor were able to answer a crafty Infidel, that yet in the very decaying time of Nature, at fourscore years of age and upward, have lived in that sense of the Love of God, and in such Love to him and to their Saviour, as that they have longed to die, and be with Christ, and lived in all humility, charity, and piety, such blameless, exemplary, heavenly Lives, in the joyfull expectation of their Change, as hath shewed the firmness of their Faith; and the Love and Experience which was in them, would have rejected a temptation to Atheism and Unbelief, more effectually than the strongest Reason alone could ever do. Yet none have cause to reproach such, and say, Their Wills lead their Ʋnderstandings, and they customarily and obstinately believe they know not why: for they have known sufficient reason to believe, and their understandings have been illuminated to see the truth of true Religion; and it was this knowledge of Faith which bred their Love and Experience: but when that is done, as Love is the more noble and perfect operation of the Soul (having the most excellent object) so it will act more powerfully and prevailingly, and hath the strongest hold: Nor are all they without Light and Reason for their belief, who cannot form it into arguments, and answer all that is said against it.