substitute in its place, as in their account, both more beautiful in the
eye, and more beneficial to the souls of men, wherein I intend to be
brief. I might comprehend the account to be given shortly, and give it
most exactly, yet truly in these few words. As the most undoubted
deviation from, and perfect opposition unto the whole contrivance of
salvation, and the conveyance of it into the souls of men, as revealed
in this gospel which brings life and immortality to light, that
fighters against the grace of God in its value and virtue can forge,
stretching their blind reason to the overthrow of true religion, and
ruin of the souls of men. For to this height these masters of reason
have, in their blind rage, risen up against the Lord and against his
anointed; this is the dreadful period of that path, wherein we are
persuaded to walk, yea hectored, if we would not forfeit the repute of
men by these grand sophies, who arrogate to themselves the name and
thing of knowledge, as if wisdom were to die with them. The deep
mysteries of salvation, which angels desire to look into, and only
satisfy themselves with admiration at, must appear as respondents at
their bar; and if they decline the judge and court, as incompetent, they
flee out and flout at subjecting this blind mole, man's reason, to the
revelation of faith in a mystery. The manifold wisdom of God, and the
manifold grace of God, must either condescend to their unfoldings, and
be content to speak in their dialect, or else these wits, these Athenian
dictators, will give the deep things of God, because beyond their
divings, the same entertainment which that great gospel preacher, Paul,
met with from men of the same mould, kidney, and complexion, because he
preached unto them Jesus, What would the babbler say, said they. The
Spirit of wisdom and revelation they know not, they have not, they
acknowledge not; nay, they despise him in his saving and
soul-ascertaining illuminations; and the workings of that mighty power
to them-ward who believe, is to the men of this new mould (because they