Page:A Compendium of the Chief Doctrines of the True Christian Religion.djvu/189

Rh doth not read it under his influence, readeth it under the influence of his own understanding, which is like a bird of night in relation to things that are in spiritual light, as are all the essentials of the church. When therefore a man, under the influence of his own understanding, readeth those passages in the word which relate to the trinity, and thence conceiveth, that notwithstanding there are three, yet still those three are one, this appeareth to him like one of those dark answers that were wont to be given by the oracles of old, which because he doth not understand, he mumbles it in his mouth, instead of placing it directly before his eyes; for if he should take such a direct view of it, it would be like a riddle, which the more he desires to unfold, so much the more it would puzzle and confuse him, till at last he would begin to think of it without understanding, which is the same thing as to pretend to see without an eye. In short, to read the word under the influence of our own understanding only, which is the case with all those who do not acknowledge the Lord to be the God of heaven and earth, and in consequeuce of such acknowledgment approach, and worship him alone, may be likened unto a common pastime amongst children, when they tie a handkerchief before their eyes, and attempt to walk in a straight line, and even fancy that, they do walk straight, and yet, notwithstanding, decline gradually either to the right, or left, and at length bend into a direction opposite to that in which they set out, till they stumble upon some stone, or other in the way, and fall to the ground. Such persons also may be compared with mariners sailing without a compass, the consequence of which is, that they let the vessel drive upon rocks and sands, and are shipwrecked. They are also like a man walking over a wide plain in the dark, who seeth a scorpion, and