The ufual Objections against Revelation, founded in Ignorance.

In two Sermons preached before the University of Oxford.

I COR. I. 25.

The Foolishness of God is wiser than Men; and the Weakness of God is stronger than Men:

T was no unusual Thing among the SERM.III.
Ancients, as might be fhewn by In-

I'

stances brought from approved Authors,

to call Things, not as they were in themfelves, but as they appeared, or were esteemed to be by others. Agreeably to this Cuftom St. Paul, in the 28th Verse of this Chapter, calls Things accounted as nothing, Things that are not. And here he styles That Foolishness and Weakness, which was deemed to be fo by the Greeks, though it was far otherwife in Reality.

VOL. I.

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The

SERM.III.

The Deifts have never offered any rational Scheme, or tolerable Hypothefis, to account for all the ftrong Marks of Credibility and Appearances of Truth and Divinity in Christianity, fuppofing nothing more than human concerned in the Publication and Propagation of it; any more than the Atheists have advanced any plaufible Scheme to folve all the Appearances of Goodness, Wisdom, and Defign in the Creation, without fuppofing an infinitely wife and good God the Author and Preferver of it. What the Deifts object to Christianity, is just what the Atheists do in Regard to the Creation; inftead of producing any confiftent Theory to take off thefe Appearances of its Divinity, they endeavour to balance them by counter Appearances; Appearances of fomething wrong, irregular, or amifs in the Contexture of it. They tell us, it contains feveral Things which could not have been in it, if it had come from God. It will not be improper therefore,

It, To fhew, that it is owing to Ignorance, that feveral Things in Revelation feem liable to the Charge of Foolishness.

Idly, To advance a Step farther, and SERM.III. prove, that God has ftamped the brightest Characters of Divinity on those Parts of Revelation, which are thought most exceptionable.

IIIdly, That fuppofing, but not granting, there were fome Inconfiftences in little incidental Matters, and Points of no Confequence; Chriftianity nevertheless would stand upon a firm Bafis, as long as the principal Evidences for it remain unfhaken, and the weightier Matters are worthy of God.

Ift, Then I am to fhew, that it is owing to Ignorance, &c.

It has been Matter of Surprize to some, that Infidelity fhould fpread, even among Men, who are fenfible and knowing in all other Refpects. The Age has been complimented as a difcerning and inquifitive Age; and fo it may be; but certainly, generally speaking, it is not inquifitive into fcriptural Learning, whatever it may be into other Branches of Literature. This feems a Province too much neglected, in Proportion as other Regions of Science have been cultivated. Yet without a fufficient Fur

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SERM.III. Furniture of this Kind, a Perfon of very

good Senfe is by no Means qualified to fit
in Judgment upon the Bible. The Truth

of the Matter is, Men must either be con-
tent to rest in Generals, I mean, the Evi-
dences of Revelation, and the Reasonable-
nefs of it, as to the main Subftance and
Defign of it; as the midling Part of Man-
kind most commonly do: Or, if they will
enter into Particulars, they fhould do, what
too many of them do not, enter into them
thoroughly with all proper Helps, and fift
Things to the Bottom with an Attention
proportioned to the Importance of the Sub-
ject. I will not deny, that fome Men of
Abilities may have done this, and
yet con-
tinue Infidels still: But this I will venture
to fay, there are not more Men of this
Stamp, than there were in the last Age
of those, who, though incredulous in every
other Refpect, were firm Believers in judi-
cial Aftrology: They are not more in
Number, than there are Searchers after the
Philofopher's Stone, and perpetual Motion.
If the Light of the Gofpel be loft to any
one, after due Care and Application, it is
loft commonly upon dark, unhappy, and
involved Souls; which fmother the Evi-

dences,

dences, that fupport, enliven, and invigo- SERM.III. rate every good Christian. I would not, however, país too general and undistinguishing a Cenfure; great Allowances are to be made in many Cafes, and especially for thofe, who have been early tinctured with Infidelity, through the Default of = their Education. Poisonous Notions may be inftilled, or get Admittance into the I ductile and tender Mind, as little Infects do into Amber, before it has that Firmness, Solidity, and Confiftency, which is neceffary to hinder them from infinuating themselves: And, like them too, when they have got into it, they cannot, without much Difficulty, be removed. The Mind hardens and retains them after, as fo many Proofs, that it was once weak, unstable, and unrefifting as Water.

Let us suppose a Perfon of fine Natural Parts, not a little improved by polite Reading, by an enlarged Converfation, and by his great Knowledge of the World. But then it is of the World, as it is at prefent; for he may know no more of it as paft long ago, than he does of that which is to come. How easily may he, notwithstanding his Abilities, be tempted to Infide

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lity;