A collection of essays and tracts in theology - The Preterist Archive

14 FUNDAMENTALS IN RELIGION.
have a knowledge of the laws of that kingdom or
state for ; every one knows, that ignorance of the
law is no excuse. But now, how much more necessary
is it for us to know, as well as we are able, the
Lord of the universe, and the laws that are given us
Dy him ? And if it be necessary to know him, who
is Lord of all, then it cannot but be displeasing to him,
for us to entertain dishonourable notions of him, or
to charge him with the most detestable crimes, to
place him upon a level with the meanest of creatures,
and to pay him a worship that consists of wickedness
or cruelty. Neither is it to be thought, that in doing
thus, we can possibly be innocent; and free from
blame. And since all this might be said, though we
had no revelation, how much more are these things
necessary to be known, now we have one, wherein
God has manifested the certain knowledge of himself,
and appointed certain worship to be paid to
him ?
But on the other hand, that all truths of religion
are fundamental, and necessary to be known,
is so
absurd an imagination, that no man who seriously
considers, can admit of it ;
for who can suppose, that
God does necessarily require all truths of religion,
without exception,
to be known of every individual
man ;
and consequently that all these truths are
equally to be esteemed and regarded by
us ? Who
can imagine, that all truths, which depend upon
chronology, geography, criticism ;
that all
proper