Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/379

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the Royal Society.
353

What then can hinder him from loving and admiring this Saviour, whose Design is so comfortable to his own, but his Ability so much greater? What Jealousy can he have of an Imposture in this Messias? Who though his Doctrine was so pure and venerable, though his Life was so blameless, though he had the Power of Heaven and Earth in his Hands, though he knew the Thoughts of Men, and might have touched and mov'd them as he pleas'd; did yet not rely on his Doctrine, on his Life, on the irresistible Assistance of Angels, or on his own Divinity alone; but stoop'd to convince Men by their Senses, and by the very same Course by which they receive all their Natural Knowledge.

§. XVIII. Experiments will not overthrow the Doctrine of the Primitive Church.The last Doctrinal Part of our Religion I shall mention, consists of those Doctrines which have been long since deduced by Consequences from the Scripture, and are now settled in the Body of that Divinity, which was deliver'd down to us by the Primitive Church, and which the generality of Christendom embraces. It may here be suggested, that the sensible Knowledge of Things may in time abolish most of these, by insinuating into Mens Minds that they cannot stand before the Impartiality of Philosophical Inquisitions. But this Surmise has no manner of Foundation. These Superstructures are of two Sorts: Either those of which a Man may have a clear Apprehension in his Thoughts, upon a rational Account, and which are intelligible to any ordinary Reader; or else such as exceed the common Measures of our Reason and Senses. There will be no Fear that an Experimenter should reject the first, seeing they may be conceiv'd by the meanest Capacity, and have that Stamp upon
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