Rowland Wingfield, Efq; of Oriel College
Mrs Ward of Aynhoe, Northamptonshire
Reverend Mr. Robert Worgan

Mrs Ann Walton of Bath

Reverend Mr. John Woodrofe of Bath
Rev. Mr Whalley

Bernard Whalley, Efq; of Norton, Leicestershire
Mrs Whalley of Norton

Mifs Cath. Whalley

Reverend Mr Charles Withery

Reverend Mr Wickham, Rector of Shipton Mallet

Mr John Wiltshire of Bath

Reverend Mr Willis, Rector of St. Chriftopher's, and Prebendary of St Paul's, London

Plucknett Woodroff, Efq;

Reverend Mr Warnford, Fellow of C. C. C. Oxon
Reverend Mr Winder, Curate of Crayford

Mrs Wifeman of Eltham

The Reverend Mr Willis, Rector of Hartley Mawdytt

The Reverend Mr Winter, A. B.

Mr Watmore of Portsmouth, Gent.

Reverend Thomas Winchefter, D.D. Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxon

The Reverend Mr Wearden, Lecturer of St. Philips, Birmingham

The Reverend Mr Ward of Birmingham, 4 Sets

The Reverend Mr Wilkinson, Mafter of the Free-school in Birmingham

Mr Whitmarsh of Wilton, Surgeon

Warden of Winchefter College (Dr Coxall) 5 Sets

Honourable Mrs York

College.

Mr Yates of Catherine-hall, Cambridge

Reverend Mr Yalden, Rector of Newton, Hants

Reverend Mr John Young

Allen Young, Efq;

Jofeph Yates, Efq;

Reverend Mr Yates of Queen's College, Oxon

Reverend Dr Francis Yarborough, Principal of Brazen-Nofe

College, Oxon

Mrs Elizabeth Yard of Ottery, Devon

Mr John Young of Cornhill, Woolen-draper

SER

Moral Certainty a fufficient Ground for the Belief of Chriftianity.

Preached in Queen's College Chapel.

0000000000000000:000000000000000

2 PETER I. 16.

For we have not followed cunningly devised Fables, when we made known unto you the Power and Coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift.

W

Hoever attentively perufes the SERM. Í. Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles, will scarce need any Other Proof to convince him, that they did not follow cunningly devifed Fables, or draw up an artificial Account of Things.

There

are at least as strong Proofs for the Genuinenefs even of the controverted Books of Scripture, as there are for that of any uncontroverted Book in Pagan Antiquity.. But let us fuppofe it to be, what it is not, a Matter of Uncertainty, whether such a Record VOL. I.

B

SERM. I. Record of Christianity be His whofe Name it bears; still we must distinguish between the Author and the Authority of the Book. Whatever becomes of the Author, the Authority of the Book is unquestionably good; if it be fhewn, that it could not have been received from the first by a vaft Number of Persons as a true Hiftory, but upon a Supposition that it really was fo: it being an impracticable Thing to obtrude upon the World a Variety of recent Facts with the most memorable and glaring Circumstances, afferted to be done before the Chief Priests and Scribes, and the whole People of Ferufalem, as Spectators and Eye-witneffes. Whoever were the Authors of the Gospels, they certainly expected to be believed: But how could they have expected any fuch Thing in Cafe of an Impofture, when they refer exprefsly and by Name, to Time, Place, and Perfon; when they virtually appeal to the Senfes of that very Age and Nation for the Truth of their Relations? It is not the Intereft of an Impoftor to be particular, explicit, and circumftantial: He muft avoid, as a Rock upon which he muft inevitably fplit, Dates of Time, the particular Place of Action, (especially if it be a

public one; and near at Hand, where fuch SERM. I.
a Miracle is pretended to be wrought) the
Names, Number and Rank of the Spectators.
His Art confifts in laying the Scene at a
great Distance, in giving general, confused
and undiftinguished Accounts of Things,
and in skulking behind a thousand Evafions,
those Holes which Creatures of Subtlety
have fequestered from the Light of the Sun;
and to which they always retreat, when
closely pursued. Whereas in the New
Teftament there is that undiffembled Open-
nefs of Soul, that unaffected Frankness and
unconstrained Freedom in relating Things
with perfect Eafe and without any Effort;
which could come from none but ingenuous
Writers, and can, I think, be refifted by
none but difingenuous Readers.

Add to this, that whoever were the Au-
thors, they were infpired. For one of the
notorious Facts on which great Stress in
many Places is laid, is, that the Holy Ghost
was given by the laying on of the Apostles
Hands; in Confequence of which the new
Converts prophefied and spoke with new
Tongues. For the Truth of this St. Paul
appeals to the Church of Corinth; and if it
had not been true, he must have been look-

William Scroggs, Efq; of Chute
Reverend Mr George Snell

Reverend Mr Thomas Snell, Vicar of Bampton.
George Scullard of the Inner Temple, Efq;

Reverend Mr Sandiford, Lecturer of St. Bartholomew
Mr. Michael Spateman

John Starke, Efq; of Ewell in Surry

Reverend Mr Swyndfen, M. A.

Mr Thomas Sherwood of Cheapfide
Mr Smalley of Leicester

Mifs Anna Maria Schutz, 2 Sets

Dr Sandys

Reverend Mr Sely Rector of Bighton, Hants
John Swan, M. D. of Newcastle, Staffordshire

James Stonehoufe, M. D. Phyfician to the County Infirmary at Northampton

Mr Neale Stonehoufe of Northampton

Rev. Mr Spateman, Re&tor of Whilton, Northamptonshire Reverend Mr Say, Rector of Eaft Hatley, Cambridgeshire Reverend Mr Smith, Fellow of Caius College, Cambridge The Reverend Mr Stebbing, Prefident of Catharine-hall, Cambridge

Edmund Squire of Widdington-hall, Efq;

Mrs Stratford

Mr South

Mrs South

Henry Stratford, Efq;

Reverend Mr Peter Shuter

Thomas Sharp, A. B. Trinity College, Cambridge

Mr Thomas Smith of Briftol

Mr William Stephens of Bristol, Linnen-draper
Mr Thomas Seymour of Bristol, Woolen-draper
Reverend Mr Seward of Eyam, Derbyshire

Mrs Ann Smith of Henbury, Glocestershire

Reverend Mr Seyer, Mafter of the Grammar-fchool, Bristol Reverend Mr Shute, Vicar of Olveston, Glocestershire

Mr Simpfon of Bristol, Apothecary

John Sampson of Henbury, Glocefterfhire, Efq;

Mr Slade, Baker in Bristol

Mr Stokes of Bristol

Reverend Mr Smith, Rector of Christ Church, Bristol
Mr Smith of Bristol

Reverend Mr Stables of Stanton Drew, Somerfetfhire

Mr George Smith of Bristol, Apothecary

Mr