A serious proposal to the Ladies, for the advancement of their true and greatest interest (In Two Parts)Astell, Mary
Religion
A serious proposal to the Ladies, for the advancement of their true and greatest interest (In Two Parts)
Astell, Mary
Feminism -- Great Britain -- History -- 18th century -- Sources; Women's rights -- Great Britain -- History -- 18th century -- Sources
To give an instance of this in a point of great consequence, and of
late very much controverted tho to little purpose, because we take
a wrong method, and wou’d make that the Object of Science which is
properly the Object of Faith, the Doctrin of the Trinity. Revelation
which is but an exaltation and improvement of Reason has told us, That
the Father is GOD, the Son is GOD, and the Holy Ghost is GOD, and our
Idea of the Godhead of any one of these Persons, is as clear as our
Idea of any of the other. Both Reason and Revelation assure us that
GOD is One Simple Essence, Undivided, and Infinite in all Perfection,
this is the Natural Idea which we have of GOD. How then can the Father
be GOD, the Son GOD, and the Holy Ghost GOD, when yet there is but
One GOD? That these two Propositions are true we are certain, both
because GOD who cannot lie has Reveal’d ’em, and because we have as
clear an Idea of ’em as it is possible a Finite Mind shou’d have of
an Infinite Nature. But we cannot find out how this should be, by the
bare Comparison of these two Ideas without the help of a third by which
to compare them. This GOD has not thought fit to impart to us, the
Prospect it wou’d have given us wou’d have been too dazling, too bright
for Mortality to bear, and we ought to acquiesce in the Divine Will. So
then, we are well assur’d that these two Propositions are true, _There
is but one GOD_; And, _There are three Persons in the Godhead_: but we
know not the _Manner_ how these things are. Nor can our acquiescence be
thought Unreasonable, nor the Doctrin we subscribe to be run down as
absurd and contradictory by every little warm Disputer and Pretender
to Reason, whose Life is perhaps a continual contradiction to it, and
he knows little of it besides the Name. For we ought not to think it
strange that GOD has folded up his own Nature, not in Darkness, but
in an adorable and inaccessible Light, since his Wisdom sees it fit
to keep us ignorant of our own. We know and feel the Union between
our Soul and Body, but who amongst us sees so clearly, as to find out
with Certitude and Exactness, the secret ties which unite two such
different Substances, or how they are able to act upon each other? We
are conscious of our own Liberty, who ever denies it denies that he
is capable of Rewards and Punishments, degrades his Nature and makes
himself but a more curious piece of Mechanism; and none but Atheists
will call in question the Providence of GOD, or deny that he Governs
_All_, even the most Free of all his Creatures. But who can reconcile
me these? Or adjust the limits between GOD’s Prescience and Mans
Free-will? Our Understandings are sufficiently illuminated to lead us
to the Fountain of Life and Light, we do or may know enough to fill
our Souls with the noblest Conceptions, the humblest Adoration, and
the intirest Love of the Author of our Being, and what can we desire
farther? If we make so ill a Use of that Knowledge which we have, as
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