Ser. 118. because that which depended upon it was of far greater concerment to the world, and confequently mankind were more obliged to fearch more narrowly into it.

For our Saviour's life, and death, and refurrection, we have the teftimony of a great number of eyewitneffes, who have wrote the history of these things. And though they were truly extraordinary perfons, and gave teftimony to themfelves by miracles; yet at prefent I defire no more, but that they be looked upon, as knowing and honeft relators of what they heard and faw; and that the fame credit be gi ven to them which we give to Livy, and Arrian, and Q. Curtius, for plain events, and matters of fact.

But yet I must add withal, that befides the miracles which they wrought, they gave greater teftimony of their integrity, than any hiftorian in the world ever did. For they willingly fuffered the greateft perfecution and torment, yea and death itself, in confirmation of the truth of what they delivered. And for the propagating of the Chriftian religion through fo great a part of the world, it is evident by the effect beyond all denial.

So that for the matters of fact, upon which the truth of Christianity does depend, here is greater and more advantageous evidence of history, than for any other matter of equal antiquity whatsoever.

3. As to theffubftance of thefe matters of fact, we have the concurring teftimony of the greatest enemies of the Chriftian religion. That there were fuch perfons as our Saviour and his Apoftles, that they preached fuch a doctrine, that they wrought fuch miracles; for this we have the acknowledgment of the Jews, and the teftimony of the heathen Hiftorians, and particularly of Celfus, and Porphyry, and Julian, who were the particular and moft learned adverfaries of the Chriftian religion. So that as to the matters of fact, there is no objection against them, whatever use we may make of them, or whatever confequences we may draw from them. And I prefume it agreed by all objectors, that if these matters

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of fact be true, they are a fufficient foundation of the truth of our religion, and we are very unequal to our religion, if we make a doubt of these things, which the greatest enemies of Christianity never had the face to deny.

4. And befides all this, to recompence the difadvantage which we have of those who faw the miracles of our Saviour and his Apoftles, we have the teftimonium rei, the evidence of the effects of thefe things to confirm our belief of them; and this is an advantage which the first ages of Chriftianity could not have. We fee our Saviour's predictions of the fuccefs of his religion in the world, in the propagating and establishing of it, fully accomplished, notwithftanding the fierce oppofition and refiftance that was made against it by the greatest powers of the world. We fee the difperfion of the Jews in all nations, and the mifery and contempt which they every where fuffer; and that now, for above fixteen hundred years, they have continued a diftinct people, and a fpectacle of the divine juftice and feverity, for rejecting and crucifying the Son of God, and for a lafting and ftanding teftimony of the truth of our Saviour's prediction, and of the Chriftian religion.

So that though we live at this diftance from the first rife and beginning of Chriftianity; yet we have the relation of those things, which gave confirmation to it, conveyed down to us in as credible a manner as any ancient matter of fact ever was; and the effects of these things remaining to this day, do give testimony to the truth of it.

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Fourthly, It is objected, that the terms of Chriftianity feem very hard, and to lay too great restraints upon human nature. It commands us to mortify our lufts, and fubdue our paffions, and deny ungodliness, and to live foberly, and righteously, and godly in this prefent world: to be holy in all of converfation; to have refpect to whatever things are honeft and true, and juft, and virtuous, and of good report; and to deny ourselves; and to part with the dearest enjoyments of this life, yea and with life itself, for the fake of Chrift, and his gofpel. Now VOL. VI.

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thefe feem to be very hard terms; to forego all the prefent pleasures and enjoyments of this life, in hopes of a future happiness which we are lefs affured of. To this I answer,

1. That this is a greater objection against religion in general, than the Chriftian religion. For natural religion requires of us all the main duties that Chriftianity does, and gives us far lefs affurance of the reward of our obedience. Natural religion requires piety, and juftice, and charity, the due government of our appetites and paffions, as well as Chriftia→ nity does, but does not difcover to us the rewards of another world, by many degrees fo clearly, as our Lord and Saviour, who hath brought life and immor, tality to light by the gofpel; and by his refurrection from the dead, and afcenfion into heaven, hath gi ven us full affurance of another life after this, and of a glorious immortality. So that though we have not, nor can have the evidence of fenfe, for a future ftate, yet we have all the rational evidence for it, that can be wifhed or expected; and much more than men have for thofe adventures of their lives and fortunes, which they frequently make in the world, and think themselves reasonable in fo doing.

2. The restraints which Chriftianity lays upon men, are in the judgment of mankind fo far from being an objection against it, that they are highly to the commendation of it. Nay, it were the greatest objection that could be against our religion, if it did fet us at liberty from thofe reftraints. What can be more to the credit of any religion, than to command men to be juft, and charitable, and peaceable? and what more to the advantage of the profeffors of it? And on the contrary, what can reflect more upon any religion, than to indulge and allow men in any vice contrary to these? It fhews men are glad to make any thing an objection against Christianity, when they lay hold of that, which if it had been otherwife, they would have have made ten times more. clamour against it for the contrary.

3. As for most of these reftraints which Chritianity lays upon us, they are of that nature, fo much

39 much both for our private and publick advantage, that fetting afide all confiderations of religion, and of the rewards and punishments of another life, they are really good for us, and if God had not laid them upon us, we ought in reafon, in order to our temporal benefit and advantage, to have laid them upon ourselves. If there were no religion, I know men would not have fuch strong and forcible obligations to thefe duties: But yet I fay, though there were no religion, it were good for men, in order to temporal ends, to their health, and quiet, and reputation, and fafety; in a word, to the private and publick profperity of mankind, that men should be temperate, and chafte, and juft, and peaceable, and charitable, and kind, and obliging to one another, rather than the contrary. So that religion does not create thofe reftraints arbitrarily, but requires thofe things of us, which our reason, and a regard to our own advantage, which the neceffity and conveniency of the things themfelves, without any confideration of religion, would in moft cafes urge us to.

4. As to the cafe of perfecution for religion; befides that it does not now happen fo frequently as it did in the beginning of Chriftianity, nay, very feldom in comparison, if all things be confidered, it cannot be thought unreasonable, both because religion of. fers to us, in confideration of our prefent fufferings, a happiness unfpeakably greater than that which we forego for the fake of religion; and because when it happens, God does extraordinarily enable men to go through it with courage and comfort, as we fee in the examples of the primitive Chriftians, who in great numbers, of all tempers and ages, did voluntar rily choose to give up themselves to thefe fufferings, when there was no neceffity laid upon them, but fair terms of retreat were offered to them by their ene mies. It is one thing when a man fuffers by the law, and cannot help it; and another thing when men may avoid fuffering. In the former cafe, men fubmit to neceffity, and bear it as well as they can; in the latter cafe, if men fuffer, it is a fign they firmly believe the reward of it; and if they fuffer chear

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fully, and with joy, as most of the martyrs did, it is plain evidence that God affords them extraordinary fupport in their fufferings; and then the cafe is not very hard, when religion puts them upon nothing but what it gives them caufe, and enables them to rejoice in the doing of it.

Fifthly, It is objected, that the Christian religion is apt to difpirit men, and to break the courage and vigour of their minds, by the precepts of patience, and humility, and meeknefs, and forgiving injuries, and the like. This objection hath made a great noise in the world, and hath been urged by men of great reputation, and a deep infight into the tempers of men, and affairs of the world. It is faid to be par. ticularly infifted upon by Machiavel, and very likely it may, though I think that elsewhere he is pleafed to fpeak with terms of refpect, not only of religion in general, but likewife of the Chriftian religion; and (which feems very much to contradict the other) he fays in the first book of his difcourfes up. on Livy, (chap. 11.) that the greatnefs and fuccefs of Rome is chiefly to be afcribed to their piety and religion; and that Rome was more indebted to Numa Pompilius for fettling religion among them, than to Romulus the founder of their ftate; and the reafon he gives is much to our prefent purpofe; for, fays he, without religion there can be no military difcipline, religion being the foundation of good laws and good difcipline. And particularly he commends the Samnites, who betook themfelves to religion, as their laft and beft remedy to make men couragious, nothing being more apt to raise mens fpirits than religion.

But howfoever this objection be, I dare appeal both to reason and experience for the confutation of it.

1. To reason, and that as to these two things:

(1.) That the Chriftian religion is apt to plant in the minds of men principles of the greatest refolution and trueft courage. It teacheth men upon the best and moft rational grounds to defpife dangers, yea and death itself, the greatest and most formidable e