d by
the rising of the Sun of righteousness. We are called then to receive this
truth,--That God is one, truly one, and yet there are three in this one,
the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This, I say, you must believe, because
the wisdom of God saith it, though you know not how it is, or how it can
be. Though it seem a contradiction in reason, a trinity in unity, yet you
must lead your reason captive to the obedience of faith, and silence it
with this one answer, The Lord hath said it. If thou go on to dispute, and
to inquire, "How can these things be?" thou art escaped from under the
power of faith, and art fled into the tents of human wisdom, where thou
mayest learn atheism, but no religion, for "the world by wisdom knew not
God," 1 Cor. i. 21. And certainly, whoever he be that will not quiet his
conscience, upon the bare word of truth in this particular, but will call
in the help of reason and disputation, how to understand and maintain it,
I think he shall be further from the true knowledge of God and
satisfaction of mind than before. There is no way here, but to flee into
Paul's sanctuary, "Who art thou, O man, that disputest?" Whenever thou
thinkest within thyself? How may this be, how can one be three, and three
one? then withal let this of Paul sound in thine ears, "Who art thou, O
man, who disputest?" Think that _thou_ art man, think that _he_ is God!
Believing ignorance is much better than rash and presumptuous knowledge.
Ask not a reason of these things, but rather adore and tremble at the
mystery and majesty of them. Christianity is "foolishness" to the world
upon this account, because it is an implicit faith so to speak, given to
God. But there is no fear of being deceived,--though he lead the blind by
a way thou knowest not, yet he cannot lead thee wrong. This holy
simplicity in believing every word of God, and trusting without more
trying by disputation, is the very character of Christianity, and it will
be found only true wisdom. For if any will become wise, he must be a fool
in men's account. That he may be wise, he must quit his reason to learn
true religion, which indeed is a more excellent and divine reason, neither
is it contrary to it, though it be high above it.

In this place of Moses, you have the unity of God asserted, "The Lord thy
God is one Lord," and it is indeed engraven on the very hearts of men by
nature, that God is one. For all may know that the common notion and
apprehension of God is,