Son in our nature, to declare his will to us, and to be a pattern and example of holiness and virtue. For our assistance, he hath promised the aids of his Holy Spirit; and for our encouragement, he offers to us pardon of fin in the blood of his Son, and eternal life and happiness in another world. This is a short fum and abridgment of the Christian religion, and there is nothing of all this that can reasonably be excepted against. 4. God, confidering the prejudice of the Heathen against Christianity, by reason of their education in a contrary religion, was strong and violent, was pleased to give such evidence of the truth of Chriftianity, as was of proportionable strength and force to remove and conquer this prejudice. He was pleased to give teftimony to the first founder of this religion by mighty miracles, and particularly by his refurrection from the dead: But because the report of these things was only brought to the heathen world, and they had not feen the things themselves; therefore he enabled those who were the witnesses of these things to the world, to work as great miracles as he had done. And when they saw those who gave testimony to our Saviour's miracles, do as great and strange things themselves, as they teftified of him, there was no reason any longer to doubt of the truth of their testimony. So that though the prejudice of the Heathen against Christianity was very great, yet the evidence which God gave to it was strong enough to remove it. The doctrine of Christianity was such as might have recommended itself to impartial men, by its own reasonableness: But meeting with violent prejudices in those to whom it was offered, God was pleased to give fuch a confirmation to it, as was fufficient to bear down those prejudices. Secondly, Another objection against Christianity, was the plainness and fimplicity of the doctrine. They expected some deep speculations in natural or moral Philofophy; they made full account, a teacher fent from heaven would have instructed them in the profoundest points, and discoursed to them about the first principles of things, and the nature of the foul, and and the chief end of man, with a fubtilty and eloquence infinitely beyond that of their greatest sophifters, and able to bear down all opposition and contradiction: But instead of this they are told a plain story of the life and miracles of Jesus Christ, and of his dying upon the cross, and rising from the dead, and afcending into heaven; and a few plain precepts of life; and all this delivered without any ornaments of art, or infinuation of eloquence, to gain the favour and applause of those to whom they related these things. But now, this truly confidered is so far from being any real objection against the Christian doctrine, that it is one of the greatest commendations that can be given of it: For matter of fact ought to be related in the most plain and simple and unaffected manner; and the less art and eloquence is used in the telling of a story, the more likely it is to gain belief. And as for our Saviour's precepts, how plain soever they might be, I am sure they are a collection of the most excellent and reasonable rules of a good life, and the freest from all vanity and folly, that are to be met with in any book in the world. And can any thing be more worthy of God, and more likely to proceed from him, than so plain and useful a doctrine as this? The language of law is not wont to be fine and perfuafive, but short, and plain, and full of authority. Thus it is among men: And surely it is much fitter for God to speak thus to men, than for men to one another. Thirdly, It is objected, That the doctrine of our Saviour and his Apostles wanted demonstration; they seemed to impose too much upon the understandings of men, and to deliver things too magisterially, not demonftrating things from intrinsical arguments, but requiring belief and affent without proof. This the Apostle St. Paul readily acknowledgeth, that in preaching the gospel to the world, they did not proceed in the way of the heathen Orators and Philosophers, 1 Cor. ii. 4. My speech, and my preaching was not in the enticing words of man's wisdom : but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power; that is, they C2 they did not go in the way of human eloquence, and demonstration: but yet their doctrine did not want its evidence and demonstration, though of another kind. They did not go about to bewitch men by eloquence, nor to entangle their minds by subtle reasonings, the force of which very few are capable of : But they offered to men a sensible proof and demonstration of the truth of what they delivered, in those strange and miraculous operations, to which they were enabled by the Holy Ghost. And this was a sensible evidence, even to the meanest capacity, of a divine assistance going along with them, and giving testimony to them. I appeal to any man, whether the refurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and his ascending into heaven, be not a clearer demonstration of another life after this, and more level to the capacities of all mankind, than the finest and fubtilest arguments that can be drawn from the immaterial nature of the soul, its power of reflexion upon itself, and independency upon the body as to some of its operations; which yet are some of the chiefest arguments that philofophy affords, to prove the immortality of our fouls. Fourthly, The Heathen objected, that the low and mean condition of our Saviour was unfuitable to one that pretended to be the Son of God, and to be appointed by God to be a teacher and reformer of the world. This to the heathen Philofophers did not only appear unreasonable, but even ridiculous. So St. Paul tells us, 1 Cor. i. 23. We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness: to think that a man who appeared in fuch mean circumstances, should be fit to reform the world; and one who himself was put to death, should be relied upon for life and immortality. This objection I have heretofore confidered at large; and therefore shall now speak but very briefly to it. Besides those excellent reasons and ends which the scripture affigns of our Saviour's humiliation : as that he might be a teacher and example to us; that he might make expiation for our fins; that by suffering himfelf himself, he might learn to commiferate us; that by death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the Devil, and might deliver those who througb fear of death were all their lives subject to bondage; I say, besides these, it was of great use that he should live in so mean and afflicted a condition, to confront the pride and vanity, and fantastry of the world; and to convince men of these two great truths, That God may love those whom he afflicts; and, that men may be innocent, and virtuous, and contented in the midst of poverty, and reproach, and fuffering. Had our blessed Saviour been a great temporal Prince, his influence and example might possibly have made more hypocrites and servile converts; but would not have perfuaded men one jot more to be inwardly good and virtuous. The great arguments which must do that, must be fetched, not from the pomp and prosperity of this world, but from the eternal happiness and mifery of the other. Besides, had he appeared in any great power and splendor, the Christian religion could not have been so clearly acquitted from the suspicion of a worldly interest and defign, which would have been a far greater objection against it, than this which I am now speaking to. Add to all this, that the wisest of the heathen Philosophers did teach, that worldly greatness and power are not to be admired, but despised by a truly wife man; that men may be virtuous and good, and dearly beloved of God, and yet be liable to great miseries, and fufferings; and that whoever suffers unjustly, and bears it patiently, gives the greatest testimony to goodness, and does most effectually recommend virtue to the world; that a good man, under the hardest circumstances of mifery, and reproach, and fuffering, is the fittest person of all other to be the Minister, and Apostle, and Preacher of God to mankind: And furely they who say such things (which the Heathen have done) had no reason to object to our blessed Saviour his low and fuffering condition. As to that part of the objection, that he who promised immortality to others, could not fave himself from C3 from death and suffering: confidering that he who was put to death, rescued himself from the power of the grave; it is so far from being ridiculous, that nothing can be more reasonable than to rely upon him for our hopes of immortality, who by rising from the grave, and conquering death, gave a plain demonstration that he was able to make good what he promised. I have done with the exceptions which were made against our Saviour and his doctrine at their first appearance in the world. I proceed in the II. Place, to consider the prejudices and objections which men at this day do more particularly infift upon, against our Saviour and his religion: And they are many. First, Some that relate to the incarnation of our Saviour. Secondly, To the time of his appearance. Thirdly, That we have not now sufficient evidence of the truth of Christianity, the main arguments for it relying upon matters of fact, of which, at this distance, we have not, nor can be expected to have, fufficient afsurance. Fourthly, That the terms of it feem very hard, and to lay too great restraints upon human nature. Fifthly, That it is apt to difpirit men, and to break the vigour and courage of their minds. Sixthly, The divisions and factions that are among Chriftians, Seventhly, The wicked lives of the greatest part of the profeffors of Chriftianity. In answer to all which I do not propose to say all that may be faid, but as briefly as I can, to offer so much, as may, if not give full fatisfaction, yet be fufficient to break the force of them, and to free the minds of men from any great perplexity about them. As to the first, which relates to the incarnation of our Saviour; and the second, to the time of his appearance, I know that these and most of the rest I have mentioned, were urged by the Heathen against Christianity, but they are now more especially in |