SERM. I. placed upon no better Foundation, than that of the Truth of Christianity. For they argue thus; there being no ftrict Demonftration that Bodies exift, or that there is a material World, the only Argument that feems to have the Force of one, is this; it is evident God cannot deceive us by Appearances instead of Realities; it is evident he does delude us every Moment, if there be no Bodies; it is evident therefore there must be Bodies. Whatever Weight this Kind of arguing may have, it is fully as conclufive in Favour of Moral Evidence, and confequently, of what is founded upon Moral Evidence, the Truth of Chriftianity. It admits of no Difpute, that we are obliged to be determined by the Laws of our Nature, which are in the laft Refort the Laws of God; and that the Deity has laid us under a Neceffity of clofing with moral Proofs. Now the Deity can no more lay us under a moral Neceffity of fubmitting to an unavoidable Delufion in Affairs of a moral Nature, than he can fubject us to a perpetual Deception, as to the Reports of the Senses. Therefore Moral Evidence, when compleat in its Kind, can no more delude us, than the Perception of the Senses

can

can be altogether delufory. Nay Evidence SERM. I.
of this Nature, though not fo, ftriking,
feems fometimes equivalent to that of fenfe,
and is productive of as undoubted an Af
furance. But this brings me to fhew

IIdly, That there is fuch a Sufficiency of Evidence for Chriftianity, that we cannot, confiftently with Reafon, refuse to be determined by it.

There are as ftrong proofs, that Jefus and his Apostles wrought Miracles, as that fuch Men ever existed. And the only Reafon, why few or none dispute their Exiftence, whereas feveral deny the Reality of their Miracles, is; that their Existence confidered apart from Circumftances relative to us, is an uninteresting Point; and, nothing depending upon it, Reason is left in it's full Freedom to determine as it fees evidence. But the Miracles being wrought to establish a Religion, by which we are to be faved or condemned; the Paffions immediately take the alarm, and are up in Arms as against an Enemy that is come to disturb their Repofe, and reduce their exorbitant Power. For the Refiftance to Truth bears generally an exact Proportion to it's Weight or Moment,

It

SERM. I. It is idle for the Deifts to run out in

It

to long Declamations against Historical E-
vidence; that it is in many Cafes preca-
rious and uncertain; that Hiftorians give
different, and fometimes contradictory Re-
ports of the very fame Action. This is
only to empty their Quiver in the Air
without aiming at a certain Mark.
is to discharge their Artillery against Hi-
storical Evidence at large, without level-
ling it against the particular Point in De-
bate the Question not being, whether
Hiftorical Evidence may not be sometimes
uncertain and inconclufive? But whether
any Evidence can be fo, that is so circum-
stanced as that for Chriftianity is? Where,
if there had been any Imposture, it was
utterly impoffible but that the Imposture
must have been discovered and the World
undeceived. Thousands could not have
been converted to Chriftianity, and have
died for it, unless it had carried the strong-
eft Conviction with it. For Men will not
embrace a new Inftitution, fubverfive of
every other, in Oppofition to their former
Prejudices and worldly Interefts, without
very forcible Proofs. Miraculous Facts
faid to be done in the Eye of the World

for

for a Course of Years, before a great Num- SERM. I. ber of Witneffes, before Enemies as well as Friends (not to confirm an established Religion, but to build a new one upon the Ruins of the former) could not have been believed to be true, if they were not fo, by those, who lived at that Juncture; and in those public Places where they pretended to work them; fuch as Jerufalem, Ephefus, Antioch, Corinth, &c. For a Set of Men to endeavour to deceive the World in fuch an aftonishing Manner, would have been looked upon as an audacious and unparellelled Attempt to impofe upon the Senfes of Mankind; and Chriftianity in that Cafe would have been like the Grafs growing upon the Houfe-Top; by lying fo open and exposed, and wanting a fufficient Depth of Soil, it would have withered away of itself, and prevented the Violence of any hoftile Hand.

But fuppofe, through fome unaccountable Enthusiasm or Madness which then feized and poffeffed the Minds of the People, it had spread far and near; yet in this Cafe the Jewish Rulers and Magiftrates could never have stood by unconcerned, as idle Spectators. They were highly inter• efted

I

SERM. Iefted to detect the Falfhood, and to do themselves Justice, as being charged with the Murder of an innocent Perfon. They were obliged in Duty to their Law, in Charity to their own Nation and the World, to fupprefs, as far as they could, the Belief of the Resurrection, and the subsequent Miracles wrought in Confirmation of it. By their Authority they could, and by their Inclination they would have exploded the Impofture: they would have invalidated all the Teftimonies relating to these false Facts, if false they had been, by producing strong Counter-Evidence.

The Apostles on the other Hand, fuppofing the Truth of the Resurrection, had all the Reasons that worldly Prudence could fuggest to have concealed it; fince they could not but forefee, that to maintain it would draw upon them a Train of fatal Confequences. But fuppofing the Falfhood of it, all the Motives both of this World and the next confpired against their Propagation of it. They could not think that the Chiefs of the Jewish State would let them publish every where throughout the World, that they had fhed innocent Blood, the Blood of the Prince of Life, whom

God