Human Reason Objections Refuted – Trinity, etc

“Objections have likewise been raised to the divine authority of this religion from the incredulity of some of its doctrines, particularly of those concerning the Trinity, and atonement for sin by the sufferings and death of Christ; the one contradicting all the principles of human reason, and the other all our ideas of divine justice. To these objections i shall only say, that no arguments founded on principles, which we cannot comprehend, can possibly disprove a proposition already proved on principles which we do understand; and that therefore on this subject they ought not to be attended to: That three Beings should be one Being, is a proposition which certainly contradicts reason, that is, OUR reason, that it cannot be true;

for there are many propositions which contradict our reason, and yet are demonstrably true: one is the very first principle of all religion, the being of God; for that any thing should exist without a cuase, or that any thing should be the cause of its own existence, are propositions equally contradictory to our reason; yet one of them mujst be true, or nothing could ever have existed.

In like manner, the over-ruling grace of the Creator, and the free-will of His creatures, his certain foreknowledge of future events, and the undertain contingency of these events, are to our apprehensions absolute contradictions to each other, ad yet the truth of every one of these is demonstrable from Scripture, reason and experience.

All these difficulties arise from our imagining, that the mode of existence of all Beings must be familiar to our own; that is, that they must exist in time, anmd space, and hence proceeds our embarrassment on this subject. We know that no two Beings, with whose mode of existence we are acquainted, can exist in the same point of time in the same point of space, and that therefore they cannot be one. But how far Beings whose mode of existence bears no relation to time and space, may be united, we cannot comprehend, and therefore the possibility of such an union we cannot possibly deny. “

“A View of the Internal Evidence of the Christian Religion” by Soame Jenyns, 1776

Martin Chemnitz on justification in James 2

Chemnitz is the author of a massive tome, dissecting and responding to the Council of Trent. James 2 was used by Rome to rebut the Reformers doctrine of “Sola Fide” – justification by (on the basis of) faith alone.

“The testimonies of Scripture are clear, that the renewal of the new man, as also the mortificaiton of the old, is not perfect and complete in this life but that it grows and is increased day by day until it is perfected in the next life, when this corruptible will have put on incorruption. Profitable also and necessry in the church are exhortations that the regenerate should not neglect, extinguish, or cast away the gifts of the Spirit which they have received but that they stir them up with true and earnest exercises, calling on the help of the Holy Spirit, that He may give an increase of faith, hope, love, and of the other spiritual gifts; for what the punishment of spiritual negligence is the parable of the talents shows. There is also no doubt that faith is effectual through love, that it is the mother of good works, and that good works please God through faith for the sake of Christ. And in this sense the statement in James 2:21-24 can be understood and accepted appropriately and rightly, that through the numerous good works that followed Abraham is declared to have been truly justified by faith, and it is shown that faith is not empty and dead, but true and living.

It is clear that Jame is disputing about the demonstrations or manifestation of faith against the idle opinion of an empty faith and justification, for he says: ‘If a man says he has faith, let him show his faith by his works.’ And he takes the example of Abraham, which the angel himself interprets of the proof or manifestation, when he says: ‘Now I know that you fear the Lord.’ James, therefore, is speaking of this, that the obedience and good works of Abraham declared and furnished proof that he had truly been justified by faith. For to James ‘to be justified’ means to be declared righteous through external testimonies.”

Some commentators would put it this way – Abraham was justified as to his claim to having a genuine faith. As in verse `16 – If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” If one does nothing to help a person with their need, then the nice sounding, well-wishing words are really just empty. Your actions don’t back up your sentiment, and you are not justified in your claim to care.

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – Ephesians 2:8,9 — SAVED (past tense) by grace through faith — made a new creation in Christ — good works naturally follow. Works are the fruit of salvation, not the root.

Sola Fide! Sola Gratia! Soli deo Gloria!

Judging Biblical Revelation by Human Reason

The author gives some examples of phenomena in nature – things we know are real, but do not understand the hows or whys , etc.

“That all these things are so, we have visible and indisputable demonstration; but how they can be so, is to us as incomprehensible, as the most abstruse mysteries of Revelation can possibly be. In short, we see so small a part of the great Whole, we know so little of the relation which the present life bears to pre-existent and future states; we can conceive so little of the nature of God, and his attributes, or mode of existence; we can comprehend so little of the material, and so much less of the moral plan on which the universe is constituted, or on what principle it proceeds, that if a revelation from such a Being, on such subjects, was in every part familiar to our understandings, and consonant to our reason; we should have great cause to suspect its divine authority, and therefore, had this revelation been less incomprehensible, it would certainly have been more incredible.”

Soame Jennings – “A View of the Evidence of the Christian Religion” 1776