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enemies have strenuously attacked it both with arguments and arms: Its ftanding the teft of inquiry, especially in its infancy, is a circumftance which does great honour to the gofpel. For the space of 300 years, when the Chriftian religion had no protection from the magiftrate, all men were at liberty, nay were encouraged to argue againft it with the greateft boldnefs. In later times, indeed, Infidels are not allowed this liberty in certain countries where Christianity prevails; but in others they may speak their mind freely, and have done it without the leaft disadvantage to our caufe. If the gospel-history were a forgery, and the Christian religion a delufion, how comes it that, in the course of so many ages of free debate, neither of them has been detected? Other falfe religions have made progrefs in the world, by favour of ignorance, by the force of novelty, by the countenance of civil authority, by the power of the fword, in fhort, by any lucky concurrence of circumtances you please to name but they have flourished only for a while. No fooner have the caufes ceafed by which they obtained, than they have vanifhed. The ravings of enthusiasm too have fuddenly intoxicated multitudes. But by raging and spreading, this fire hath always spent itself. Men have returned to a folid way of thinking, without any pains taken to convince them, and but the names of those fects fubfift at this day; whereas Christianity has continued for the space of feventeen hundred years, in fpite of all oppofition. Moreover, being at prefent the prevailing religion in many countries, it is as likely to continue now as ever. Wherefore the truth of the gofpel- hiftory is firmly fupported, as by many buttreffes, fo by the ftability and permanency of the Chriftian religion itself; and the rather that the founder of Chriftianity foretold exprefsly, that his religion and church would continue to the end of time. "Upon this rock will I build my church, and the "gates of hell fhall not prevail against it." See B. III. C. V. $2. fine. We therefore his difciples, who with joy have seen in part the wonderful accomplishment of our Mafter's prediction, are willing to rifk the whole caufe on this fingle event. And putting it on fuch a footing, the longer that Chriftianity continues in the world, though men are the farther removed from the age in which its miracles were wrought, yet the ftronger does the evidence of its divinity become.

Let us now join together the different particulars comprehended ander the converfion of the world.The Chriftian religion was introduced every where, in oppofition to the sword of the magiftrate, the craft of the priests, the pride of the philofophers, the paffions and prejudices of the people. What do you think was capable of furmounting all thefe difficulties, other than the power of truth and of miracles united?-This religion was not propagated in the dark, nor delivered out by parcels, according to the ufual method in which impoftures are made to fucceed; but was fully laid before men all at once, that they might judge of the whole under one view. Therefore mankind were not cheated into the belief of it,

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but received it upon proper examination and conviction. gofpel-history was firft preached and firft believed by multitudes in Judea, where Jefus exercised his miniftry, and where every individual had accefs to know whether the things told of him were real matters of fact. In this country, furely, his history never would have been received, unless it was true, and known to be fo by all men. Moreover, the hiftory of Jesus was preached and believed, in the moft noted countries and cities of the world, in the very age wherein he is faid to have lived. In that age certainly men, whofe faculties were improved by the most perfect ftate of focial life, were good judges of the evidence offered in fupport of the facts in the gofpel-hiftory: efpecially as it is well known, that the age wherein the apoftles went about preaching the hiftory of Jefus, was remarkable for thofe improvements whereby the human faculties are ftrengthened ; remarkable likewife for the communication which fubfifted between all countries; fo that wife men could not only judge of fuch extraordinary things as happened, but could impart to one another their fenfe of thofe matters. In fo enlightened an age, if the things told of the Lord Jesus had been false, they would inftantly have been difcerned to be fo. And the confutation of them would quickly have paffed from one country to another, to the utter confufion of the perfons who endeavoured to propagate the belief of them.-It is true, the generality of the first converts were men in the middle and lower ftations of life. But even thefe, in an age of fuch knowledge and intercourse, were fufficiently fecured against falfe pretenfions of any kind. Or if you fuppofe their minds not fufficiently tinctured with knowledge, you should confider, that in proportion to their ignorance their attachment to their firft religious notions would be strong; and that to bring perfons of this character and rank to change their principles, no arguments would be fufficient but evident miracles. Wherefore this clafs of men being converted in fuch numbers, and fo early, is an abfolute demonftration that many and great miracles were every where wrought by the first preachers of the gospel.-But there wanted not alfo among the first converts to Chriftianity, even in the earliest age, a number of men remarkable for their station, of fice, genius, education, and fortune, who were well qualified to judge of our religion. The converfion of fuch perfons adds great luftre to the triumphs of the gofpel. Its evidences approved themfelves, not only to the multitude, but to men of the most refined sense and of the greatest abilities. However, that which makes the foregoing circumftances of more weighty confideration is, that the profeffion of Chriftianity led all without exception to renounce the world, and expofed them to the moft terrible fufferings; fufferings, the bare mention of which is fhocking to human nature, and horrible. Who does not fee that fuch numbers of men, of different characters and ftations in every country, could not poffibly have been perfuaded, in thefe circumftances and at that time, to embrace the Chriftian religion, unless they had had the cleareft evidence given them of the

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truth of the gospel-history? namely, the agreeing attestations of a fufficient number of eye-witneffes, qualified to judge and report the matters which they teftified, and who at the fame time verified their atteftation, by performing in the prefence of the world miracles equal to, if not greater than thofe they afcribed to their mafter, particu Jarly by communicating to thofe who received their teftimony concerning him, the power of working the like miracles.-This conclufion is ftrengthened by the confideration of the character of the perfons who perfuaded mankind to change their belief. They were a handful of the meaneft of the people, from a nation defpifed on account of the ill-will which they bare towards the rest of mankind, Moreover, in all countries where they preached, they were abfolute ftrangers, of whofe veracity no one had any knowledge. (See the laft paragraph of the following fection). Yet these men, in a very fhort fpace, prevailed with thoufands every where to change their belief, and to reform their lives, however vicious they had been formerly. Does not every one fee, that, to make themselves understood in all countries, thefe ftrangers must have been endued by God with the gift of tongues; that, to procure themselves credit, they muft have wrought many evident miracles; and that, to make their fermons have the defired effect in reforming mankind, they must have been accompanied with the power and grace of God?-Laftly, the Chrif tian religion, thus introduced by the power of God and of truth, hath been fupported in the world by the fame powers, through a courfe of many ages, amidst the fhocks of arms and a thousand other accidents fufficient to have deftroyed it, if the divine protection had been wanting. Moreover, it will be continued in the world to the end of time; nay, and will prevail univerfally in fpite of all oppofition, to the utter deftruction of idol-worship and falfe religion of every kind. From all which, the conclufion is manifeft and certain; that fuch a great and lafting change in the opinions and practices of so many nations, as has been accomplished by the preaching of a few of the loweft of the people from Judea, could never have been effected, especially under perfecution, unless the Gospel which they preached had been verified to the conviction of all by great evident and numerous miracles.

SE C T. IV.

Of the arguments by which our adverfaries endeavour to elude the force of the proof refulting from the converfion of the world to Chriftianity.

I. IT is pretended, that neither the truth of the gospel-history in general, nor of the apoftles miracles in particular, is established by the converfion of the world to Chriftianity; becaufe this may have been effected, merely by the reasonablenefs of the Chriftian doctrines and precepts, approving themfelves fo fully to the judgement and confciences of all men, that they could not fail to be received every where.

1. To this I answer, that though the Chriftian religion be beyond comparison the beft fyftem of theology and morality that ever was proposed to the world, it cannot be refused that many of its doctrines and precepts are fuch as to the Heathens would appear mere foolishnefs. Of the doctrines the following may be mentioned as examples. The incarnation of the Son of God: his miraculous conception: his being conftituted judge of the quick and the dead: and his having a right to the fame honour with the Father: all which the Gentiles would look upon as downright abfurdities, confidering the meanness of his condition, the perfecutions which he underwent, and the ignominy of his death. And that they actually confidered them as abfurdities, is evident from Celfus's books, the greatest part of which was taken up in ridiculing the Chriftians, for pretending that the author of their religion is Ġod, and came down from heaven. Moreover, to the philofophers nothing could appear more ridiculous than the doctrine of falvation through a crucified Saviour, which yet the poftles preached with fuch earneftnefs and diligence, that it may be faid to have been their principal topic every where. Nor muft the refurrection of the body be omitted in mentioning the doctrines of Christianity, which to human wisdom would appear liable to manifold objections. Even the precepts of the gofpel were not altogether free from exception in the eyes of men devoted to pleasure, as the Gentiles generally were. In this number we may reckon the precepts concerning felf-denial, humility, forgiveness of injuries, abftinence from evil defires, and the like, fo often and fo earneftly inculcated in the gofpels. Moreover, the many prohibitions of fornication and drunkennefs, given by the Apoftles in their fermons and epiftles, would appear to the Heathens unreasonable severities; and the rather, that, instead of being reckoned vices, both the one and the other was authorised by the laws and cuftoms of many ftates, both made part of the worship of their gods, and both were patronized by the opinions and practices of the philofophers*. It is evident, therefore, that the doctrines and precepts juft now mentioned, inftead of conciliating faR 4

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• Thus Porphyry tells of Socrates, Ap. Cyrill. contr. Julian. lib. VI. p. 186. " he was moderate in venereal matters, yet without injury to any one. For he either made "ufe of his wife, or of common whores." As to what Lucian fo often affirms of Socrates in his Dialogues, that he was addicted to the vice common among the Greeks, the love of boys, I cannot tell whether it is to be believed.---What opinion Cicero and the reft had of fornication, may be learned from the following paffage of his oration, Pro M. Cælio, cap. "Si quis eft qui etiam meretriciis amoribus interdictum juventuti putet; eft ille qui“dem valde feverus, negare non poffum: fed abhorret non modo ab hujus feculi licentia, "verum etiam a majorum confuetudine, atque conceffis. Quando enim hoc non factum eft? “Quando reprehenfum? Quando non permiffum? Quando denique fuit, ut, quod licet, non "liceret?" On this head let us hear the philofophers alfo. Epictet. Enchir. c. 47. Пega αφροδίσια, εις δύναμιν προ γαμε καθαρεύνεον απολομένω δε, ως νομιμον εςί, μελα η πλεον.--Plato, De legib. lib. VI. Πίνειν δὲ εις μέθην, ετε αλλοθι που πρέπει, πλην έορταις τε τον είνον δουλα θες, εσίαις, ετε ασφαλές. 1bid. lib. 1, Μη θαυμαζε, ο ξενε, νομος εσθ' ἡμιν τα Valer. Maxim. lib. II. cap. 6. " Siccæ enim eft fanum Veneris, in quod fe matronæ con"ferebant: atque inde procedentes ad quæftum dotes, corporis injuria, contrahebant; bo"netto animorum tum inhonefto vinculo, conjugio juncture."---Juftin. lib. XXII. c. 3. Locrenfes voverant,ut die fefto Veneris virgines fuas proftituerent."

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vour to the Chriftian religion, muft, in the beginning at least, have greatly alienated the minds of the Gentiles from it.

2. Let it be granted, for argument's fake, that every doctrine and grecept of the gofpel was fuch as at firft fight would recommend it to mankind; it will not follow that, by the force of this circumstance alone, Chriftianity has made its way in the world. To begin with the Jews, they believed the divinity of their religion. They believed this upon the credit of miracles. To bring them off from a religion thus confirmed, to another which abrogated its inftitutions, and which quite unhinged the conftitution of their fate, would the mere reafonablenefs of doctrines and precepts alone fuffice, without any other proof? No. Both religions were on the fame footing in this refpect; and therefore the argument could not fo much as be offered to the Jews. Or, though the Chriftian religion had been greatly fuperior to the Jewish in its doctrines and precepts, it is well known that the ftubbornness of the Jews was not to be bended by fuch an argument. Nothing but figns and wonders would do with them, as one of the apoftles, who had often preached to them, exprefsly declares, 1 Cor. i. 22. It is plain, therefore, that if our Lord had not proved his miffion by inconteftable miracles, and if the apoftles had not proved the truth of their teftimony concerning his miracles, by working miracles themselves, and by communicating to their converts the power of miracles, they never would have profelyted fo much as one Jew to the Christian religion.—And as for the Gentiles, it is no less certain, that the reasonableness of the doctrines and precepts of the gofpel, fuppofing this to have been ever fo little fubject to doubt, would not alone have brought about a general converfion of the Heathens. Some few thinking men among them, who had leifure to confider the matter, might perhaps have embraced our faith on account of its excellency. But the bulk of the people, who in all countries and at all times are incapable of abftract reafoning, would ftill have remained attached to their ancient errors. Of this we have an unquestionable proof in the labours of the philofophers, who, if juft argumentation could have reformed the opinions and practices of mankind, would have been fufficient inftructors to the world in feveral effential points. Nevertheless it is certain, that notwithstanding they poffeffed the arts of reafoning and eloquence in the greateft perfection, and in their writings propofed many beautiful notions concerning the Supreme Being, and the worship that is due to him; yet none of them ever brought over any one nation or city, far lefs did they bring over many nations, to a compliance with their inftitutions. Their doctrines and precepts were relished only by a few. The bulk of the people, and even fome whole fects, continued in Polytheifm and idolatry. The worship of the gods confifted often of the most abominable impurities. Human facrifices were not uncommon. Many of the temples were places of avowed proftitution. (See the note, p. 247.) Fornication and drunkennefs were looked upon as innocent. In fhort, the laws and difcipline of all countries were

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