the flesh is brought under captivity to the mind of the spirit (the
sensous understanding to the reason) are supernatural, I not only freely
grant, but fervently contend. But why the very perfection of reason,
namely, those ideas or truth-powers, in which both the spiritual light
and the spiritual life are co-inherent and one, should be called
super-rational, I do not see. For reason is practical as well as
theoretical; or even though I should exclude the practical reason, and
confine the term reason to the highest intellective power,--still I
should think it more correct to describe the mysteries of faith as
'plusquam rationalia' than super-rational. But the assertions that
provoke the remark arose for the greater part, and still arise, out of
the confounding of the reason with the understanding. In Hooker, and the
great divines of his age, it was merely an occasional carelessness in
the use of the terms that reason is ever put where they meant the
understanding; for, from other parts of their writings, it is evident
that they knew and asserted the distinction, nay, the diversity of the
things themselves; to wit, that there was in man another and higher
light than that of the faculty judging according to sense, that is our
understandings. But, alas! since the Revolution, it has ceased to be a
mere error of language, and in too many it now amounts to a denial of
reason!


B. ii. c. v.3. p.379.

To urge any thing as part of that supernatural and celestially
revealed truth which God hath taught, and not to shew it in Scripture;
this did the ancient Fathers evermore think unlawful, impious,
execrable.