They learn from Christ's Person,1 but what, without the Gospel? No, by no means; without this, they cannot, pretend not to know, whether there be such a Person as Christ or no, or what are the Ends of his Incarnation, Life, Death and Resurrection: These depend upon God's appointment, and that is set forth in the Gospel: But having the Gospel as an outward Medium, they see Christ and many Mysteries in him, who is the Mirror of divine Perfections, and the great Illuminator by his Spirit. But, saith the Author, they (such is their intolerable presumption) shape Religion according to their Fancies, and stuff it with an infinite number of Orthodox Propositions; none of which are to be found in express Terms in Scripture, ⟨p. 102⟩but are pretended to be deduced from thence by such imaginary consequences, from some little hints of things; and is not this unpardonable in those men, who cry down Reason as a profane and carnal thing, and yet lay the Foundation of their Religion on some little shows and appearances of Reason? To which I answer, The harsh Censure of Eccius made Urban a German Divine cry out, O infaelicem Urbanum,2 si Eccii calculo caelum datur & negatur! Miserable were these Men, if they were to stand or fall by the Authors Judgment. These Men, as the Author tells us, pag. 98. abound with Scripture, stuff their Books with it, and talk of little else; yet, alas! they shape Religion according to their Fancies: If they urge express Scriptures, they consider only the sound of words. Pag. 2. If they urge Scripture-consequences, they stand upon little hints and appearances of things; Reason they cry down as a profane and carnal thing, and yet they found their Religion on little shows and appearances. Oh unhappy Men! But the best is, all this, to say no worse, is but mere Accusation; each of them can plead Not guilty to it, and say, as Urban to Eccius, Hominis judicium audio, Christi tribunal expecto: They are Men who ⟨p. 103⟩desire to set every thing in its due place, Fancy below Reason, and Reason below Scripture; upon which last, as the unerring Rule they stand, like the Karaei among the Jews, so precisely, that they are not willing to admit any thing in Matters of Religion which is not found there; according to that of Origen, Sicut aurum, quod fuerit extra Templum, non est sanctificatum, sic omnis sensus, qui extra Scripturam, non est sanctus.
They learn from Christ's Person,1 but what, without the Gospel? No, by no means; without this, they cannot, pretend not to know, whether there be such a Person as Christ or no, or what are the Ends of his Incarnation, Life, Death and Resurrection: These depend upon God's appointment, and that is set forth in the Gospel: But having the Gospel as an outward Medium, they see Christ and many Mysteries in him, who is the Mirrour of divine Perfections, and the great Illuminator by his Spirit. But, saith the Author, they (such is their intolerable presumption) shape Religion according to their Fancies, and stuff it with an infinite number of Orthodox Propositions; none of which are to be found in express Terms in Scripture, ⟨p. 102⟩but are pretended to be deduced from thence by such imaginary consequences, from some little hints of things; and is not this unpardonable in those men, who cry down Reason as a prophane and carnal thing, and yet lay the Foundation of their Religion on some little shews and appearances of Reason? To which I answer, The harsh Censure of Eccius made Ʋrban a German Divine cry out, O infaelicem Urbanum,2 si Eccii calculo caelum datur & negatur! Miserable were these Men, if they were to stand or fall by the Authors Judgment. These Men, as the Author tells us, pag. 98. abound with Scripture, stuff their Books with it, and talk of little else; yet, alas! they shape Religion according to their Fancies: If they urge express Scriptures, they consider only the sound of words. Pag. 2. If they urge Scripture-consequences, they stand upon little hints and appearances of things; Reason they cry down as a prophane and carnal thing, and yet they found their Religion on little shews and appearances. Oh unhappy Men! But the best is, all this, to say no worse, is but meer Accusation; each of them can plead Not guilty to it, and say, as Ʋrban to Eccius, Hominis judicium audio, Christi tribunal expecto: They are Men who ⟨p. 103⟩desire to set every thing in its due place, Fancy below Reason, and Reason below Scripture; upon which last, as the unerring Rule they stand, like the Karaei among the Jews, so precisely, that they are not willing to admit any thing in Matters of Religion which is not found there; according to that of Origen, Sicut aurum, quod fuerit extra Templum, non est sanctificatum, sic omnis sensus, qui extra Scripturam, non est sanctus.
- 1Answer.
- 2Melch. Adam in vit. Urb.
