The exact Accomplishment of exprefs and unquestionable Prophecies, concerning the most remarkable Events of the World, is a folemn Appeal to all reasonable Nature, whether that Revelation be not truly Divine, which contains fuch plain and wonderful Predictions.

Lastly, The Miracles wrought by Chrift Fefus and his Apoftles, in Confirmation of this Faith and Doctrine, are fuch Proofs of the near Concern which Heaven had therein; that he who confiders them, and at the fame time calls Christianity an Imposture, must either take pains to avoid knowing the Finger of God, when he fees it, or else do infinitely worse, by afcribing the manifeft Effects thereof to mean Artifice, or Diabolical Power.

From these Topicks, the Truth of Christianity has been so substantially argu'd, and fo clearly prov'd; that by all the Rules of right Reafon in ufe amongst Mankind, 'tis render'd plainly abfurd and irrational to reject it. One need not wish to see an Adverfary reduc'd to worfe Extremi. ties, than one of these Arguments well-manag'd and prefs'd home, would reduce him to; provided he were kept from Excursions, and oblig'd to return no Answers but what were directly to the Purpose.

Owever, waving all thefe, as being more

H commonly and largely handled already, I

shall at prefent make choice of another Argument, to establish the Divine Authority of the Chriftian Religion, (one which will, with fome particular Advan

B 2

Advantages, anfwer the Defign I propose to my felf in making use of it) and that is, The Refurrection of Jefus Chrift, the Author of this Religion in the World.

This is the great Doctrine of Chriftianity, which ferves as a Foundation to all the reft; and from which alone, indeed, the Truth of all the rest may be infer❜d.

If this Article be taken from a Chriftian, he will find no difficulty in parting with any other you fhall ask of him: Of fo great Importance is it to his present Comfort and Satisfaction, and to his future Happiness, both in Soul and Body.

I am very fenfible how ridiculous a Topick this is, in the Opinions of thofe Gentlemen (the Deifts) with whom I am now concern'd. Tho few Articles of the Chriftian Faith meet with any fuch Treatment from them, as may be call'd civil; yet This is treated with a particular Severity: And whatever 'fcapes them, this is fure to have no Quarter, in their free Difcourfes and Converfations about Religion. My Bufinefs here being to argue with them, and not to make Reflections on their Conduct; I fhall content my felf with only obferving two Things.

First, That befides the poffible Danger of taking fuch Liberties with a Doctrine of fuch grand Confequence to them, as well as to us; befides the Indifcretion and Ill-breeding of expofing, in Terms fo very malignant and invidious (as they do fometimes) That which the Country they live in, owns as a Fundamental Article of its "Faith, and which many Men, of no lefs Wisdom and Sagacity than these Gentlemen, do lay the whole Strefs of their Salva

tion upon: Befides all this (I fay) there is a Point of Honour to be confider'd, which one would think, fhould bear fome fway, and prevail with them to take thofe Mcafures, which Prudence, and a Senfe of Decency cannot. For thefe Gentlemen would do well to remember, that as free as they are of their Satyr and Invectives, they have hitherto been extremely fparing of their Arguments. It is with fo much caution that they conceal, and keep all kinds of reasoning to themselves, that nothing fhort of Chriftian Charity (which always thinks the best) can poffibly be genteel and good-natur'd enough,. to pay them the Compliment of believing, they have Arguments as well as Raillery, to affault Christianity withal. Now, I fay, 'tis ungenerous to play upon a Subject with Wit (as fome People very guiltily call it) when it demands a fair Trial by Reafon and Argument. It looks but poorly for Men to ftand at a diftance, pelting Religion with little Jefts and Reflections; when they have liberty to come up as clofe as they please, and end the Dispute in a more honou rable way.

For where Men difcover Spleen and hearty Concern in oppofing a Caufe, thofe that ftand by, will naturally conclude (fince they fee them in earneft) that they exert their best Strength, and do as much Mischief as they can.

But then another Confideration, which I think very much leffens the Honour of this way of proceeding, is, That all the Wit that ferves to expofe Religion, is fo fcandaloufly cheap, and costs a Man fo very little. I don't fay, but it may poffibly coft the Authors of it dearer hereafter; but what I intend is, that it is not a very chargeable thing at prefent, fince a little of B 3

it,

it, with fuch good and frugal Management as they commonly bestow on it, will go a great

way.

For let these Gentlemen but confider, That as Mens vicious Lives do too commonly make it their Intereft and Concern, that the Chriftian Religion fhould be a Cheat; fo they are extremely ready and willing to believe it is really fo: And when once a Subject is nicely futed to Peoples Humours and Inclinations, there needs not abundance of Wit to make a Difcourfe of it very palatable, and bring the Speaker off with Reputation and Applaufe. The Mirth and Pleafure of the unthinking Part of Mankind (which is by far the greatest Part) is almost as blind and mechanical, as the very Motion of a Piece of Clockwork. They are ftir'd and delighted; tho they fcarce know with what, or for what Caufe, or to what End and Purpofe. But if you ftrike them, they move as other Matter does; and that too, as long as the Impulfe lafts. Efpecially if the String of Religion be touch'd fomething roughly, by the hand of an Enemy; wicked Nature, or Prejudice (like a Chord in Unifone) prefently dances to the Motion, and returns the fame Sound. Men, whofe Understandings are otherwife dull enough, can feel, by a fort of fympathetick Pleasure, when Chrif tianity is infulted and abus'd; and perceive a rude Jeft pafs'd upon the Preachers of the Gospel, tho they don't know Satyr from Complement, upon another occafion. And fo great is the Power of Prejudice and Averfion, even in fome who are masters of more Reafon and Sagacity than the common Sort, that manifeft Sophiftry frequently goes down with them for Demonftration; and the most infipid Things (when level'd

at

at Religion) pafs for Beauties and delicate Turns of Thought.

Now thefe are but poor Triumphs; becaufe 'tis not to the Reafon and Understanding of Mankind, but to their Paffions and Appetites (which are pre-ingag'd against Religion) that all this Talk is addrefs'd. Reafon is a nice and fcrupulous Thing, and will be pleas'd with no thing but what is folid and juft; but Paffion and Prejudice fwallow every thing that is offer'd, and you can't avoid gratifying them, provided you confult their Bent and Tendency, and do but fall in with them in the Way that they go, But then, as there is fome Satisfaction and Glory, in pleafing the noble rational part of a Man; fo methinks to footh and flatter the brutal Part, fhould be fcorn'd and defpis'd. A Man that confiders things well, would much fooner take it as a heinous Affront, to be charg'd with faying fuch fine things as these are; than think it a Credit to him, for other People to fay, that he was the Author of them. However, as the Cafe ftands, 'tis no great wonder that fo many who fet up against Christianity, get the Reputation of being Wits. The Price of the Character is not fo dear, but we may fuppofe multitudes able enough to lay it down. Yet it would mortify a thoughtful Man to confider, that he fhould be beholden to the Vices and Follies of Mankind for a Reputation, and not to Judgment and fober Senfe: And that better Judges would very much question his Understanding, upon the fcore of those very things which procure him the Name of a Wit, amongst People who either can't contradict him, or are fo devoted to him by a blind implicit Faith, that they could vouch for the Truth