Page images
PDF
EPUB

Son in our nature, to declare his will to us, and to be a pattern and example of holinefs and virtue. For our affiftance, 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 fhort fum and abridgment of the Chriftian 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 reafon of their education in a contrary religion, was ftrong and violent, was pleafed to give fuch evidence of the truth of Christianity, as was of proportionable ftrength and force to remove and conquer this prejudice. He was pleafed 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 themfelves; therefore he enabled those who were the witneffes of these things to the world, to work as great miracles as he had done. And when they faw thofe who gave teftimony to our Saviour's miracles, do as great and ftrange things themselves, as they teftified of him, there was no reafon any longer to doubt of the truth of their teftimony. So that though the prejudice of the Heathen against Christianity was very great, yet the evidence which God gave to it was ftrong enough to remove it. The doctrine of Chriftianity was fuch as might have recommended itself to impartial men, by its own reasonablenefs: But meeting with violent prejudices in those to whom it was offered, God was pleafed to give fuch a confirmation to it, as was sufficient to bear down thofe prejudices.

Secondly, Another objection against Christianity, was the plainnefs and fimplicity of the doctrine. They expected fome deep fpeculations in natural or moral Philofophy; they made full account, a teacher fent from heaven would have inftructed them in the profoundest points, and difcourfed 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 fophifters, and able to bear down all oppofition and contradiction: But instead of this they are told a plain ftory of the life and miracles of Jefus Chrift, and of his dying upon the cross, and rifing 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 fo far from being any real objection against the Chriftian 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 fimple and unaffected manner; and the lefs art and eloquence is ufed in the telling of a story, the more likely it is to gain belief. And as for our Saviour's precepts, how plain foever they might be, I am fure they are a collection of the moft 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 fo plain and ufeful a doctrine as this? The language of law is not wont to be fine and perfuafive, but fhort, and plain, and full of authority. Thus it is among men : And furely it is much fitter for God to speak thus to men, than for men tọ one another.

Thirdly, It is objected, That the doctrine of our Saviour and his Apoftles wanted demonftration; they feemed to impofe 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 gofpel to the world, they did not proceed in the way of the heathen Orators and Philofophers, 1 Cor. ii. 4. My speech, and my preaching was not in the enticing words of man's wisdom: but in demonftration of the Spirit, and of power; that is,

C 2

they

they did not go in the way of human eloquence, and demonftration: but yet their doctrine did not want its evidence and demonftration, though of another kind. They did not go about to bewitch men by eloquence, nor to entangle their minds by fubtle reafonings, the force of which very few are capable of: But they offered to men a fenfible proof and demonftration of the truth of what they delivered, in those ftrange and miraculous operations, to which they were enabled by the Holy Ghoft. And this was a fenfible evidence, even to the meaneft capacity, of a divine affiftance going along with them, and giving teftimony to them. I appeal to any man, whether the refurrection of Jefus Chrift from the dead, and his afcending into heaven, be not a clearer demonftration of another life after this, and more level to the capacities of all mankind, than the finest and fubtileft arguments that can be drawn from the immaterial nature of the foul, its power of reflexion upon itfelf, and independency upon the body as to fome of its operations; which yet are fome 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 Chrift cruci fied, to the Jews a fumbling-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 fhall now fpeak but very briefly

to it.

Befides thofe excellent reafons and ends which the fcripture 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 fuffering himself

himfelf, he might learn to commiferate us; that by death he might deftroy him that had the power of death, that is the Devil, and might deliver those who through fear of death were all their lives fubject to bondage; I fay, befides thefe, it was of great ufe that he fhould live in fo mean and afflicted a condition, to confront the pride and vanity, and fantaftry of the world; and to convince men of thefe two great truths, That God may love thofe whom he afflicts; and, that men may be innocent, and virtuous, and contented in the midst of poverty, and reproach, and fuffering. Had our bleffed Saviour been a great temporal Prince, his influence and example might poffibly have made more hypocrites and fervile converts; but would not have perfuaded men one jot more to be inwardly good and virtuous. The great arguments which muft do that, must be fetched, not from the pomp and profperity of this world, but from the eternal happiness and mifery of the other. Befides, had he appeared in any great power and fplendor, the Chriftian religion could not have been fo clearly acquitted from the fufpicion of a worldly intereft and defign, which would have been a far greater objection against it, than this which I am now fpeaking to.

Add to all this, that the wifeft of the heathen Philofophers did teach, that worldly greatnefs and power are not to be admired, but defpifed by a truly wife man; that men may be virtuous and good, and dearly beloved of God, and yet be liable to great miferies, and fufferings; and that whoever fuffers unjustly, and bears it patiently, gives the greatest teftimony to goodnefs, and does moft effectually recommend virtue to the world; that a good man, under the hardest circumstances of mifery, and reproach, and fuffering, is the fittest perfon of all other to be the Minifter, and Apoftle, and Preacher of God to mankind: And furely they who fay fuch 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 promifed immortality to others, could not fave himself

C 3

from

from death and fuffering: confidering that he who was put to death, refcued himself from the power of the grave; it is fo far from being ridiculous, that nothing can be more reasonable than to rely upon him for our hopes of immortality, who by rifing from the grave, and conquering death, gave a plain demonftration 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 confider 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 fufficient 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 affurance.

Fourthly, That the terms of it feem very hard, and to lay too great reftraints upon human nature. Fifthly, That it is apt to difpirit men, and to break the vigour and courage of their minds.

Sixthly, The divifions and factions that are among Chriftians.

of

Seventhly, The wicked lives of the greateft part the profeffors of Chriftianity. In anfwer to all which I do not propofe to fay all that may be faid, but as briefly as I can, to offer fo 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 firft, which relates to the incarnation of our Saviour; and the fecond, to the time of his appearance, I know that thefe and most of the rest I have mentioned, were urged by the Heathen against Christianity; but they are now more efpecially in

« PreviousContinue »