AVING hitherto prepar'd the way to our great Defign, by fome fhort Difcourfes on fuch Heads, as feem'd fit to poffefs both Chriftians and Deifts, with a juft Senfe of the Importance of the Matter in Difpute: I fhall now proceed to fhew thefe Gentlemen, what Principle I intend to make ufe of, in order to evince to them, the unquestionable Certainty of the Refurrection of Jefus Christ.

And this Principle, in general is, The Evidence afforded for it, from whence the Truth of this Doctrine may be fairly and justly infer'd.

And therefore in the firft Place, I argue thus, That there is fuch an Evidence for the Refurrection of Jefus Chrift, as actually induces an Obligation on all Men (to whom that Evidence is fairly propos'd, and who are capable of arguing upon it, after a due and regular manner) to give their Affent to it as a certain Truth. Having laid down this Propofition, my next Step is to the Confideration of the infinite Perfections of the great Author and Governour of the Universe; which thefe Gentlemen (by their Principles) are no lefs forward to own and adore, than the Chriftians themfelves are.

And here I must advance this Propofition, That 'tis utterly impoffibie, that the Supreme Governour of the World (whofe juft and wife Providence prefides over all things, and more especially over the Affairs and Concerns of reafonable Beings) fhould ever countenance a notorious Falfhood, with

G 2

Such

fuch an Evidence, as fhould lay an indispensible Obligation on rational Creatures, to give their Affent to it, as a real Truth.

N

SECT. II.

WOW from both thefe together, we fhall be able to infer the main Conclufion, with all the Force and Perfpicuity that can be. For if there be fuch an Evidence, for the Refurrection of Jefus Chrift; and if the Perfections of God Almighty will not fuffer or allow, that a Delufion fhould be recommended to the World with fuch an Evidence: It will fairly follow, That this Doctrine of Chrift's Refurrection, is not a Delufion, but a certain Truth; or that it was undoubted Matter of Fact, that he did rife from the Dead. For if it had not been Matter of Fact, it had been impoffible, that a Being of infinite Truth, Justice and Goodnefs (fuch as the Deifts tell us they believe God to be) should ever have fuffer'd it to pass amongst Men, with fuch an Evidence, as by all the Laws of Human Nature, and the World wherein we live, fhould lay an indifpenfable Obligation on every capable Subject (to whom this Doctrine is reprefented, with its proper Evidences) to receive it as a certain Truth.

This is the Scheme I intend to proceed upon, and the Confequence of it will be this; That if I produce folid and truly rational Proof, for the Propofitions I have laid down, these Gentlemen will be oblig'd, either at ouce to throw off all Natural Religion, and rank them felves among thofe Unbelievers of the lowest Form, who deny the Being and Perfections of a God;

or

or elfe by granting thefe Propofitions, to grant the Conclufion likewife, and fo admitting the Truth of this Doctrine, give us an Occafion of rejoicing with them, upon the fcore of the happy Change of their Minds.

To fet this Argument therefore in a clear and convincing Light, thefe four things must be dif tinctly done.

First, To fhew what is meant by fuch an Evidence, as does infallibly oblige every capable Subject to whom it is justly and duly reprefented, to receive a thing as Truth and Matter of Fact, for the Proof of which, fuch Evidence is alledg'd.

Secondly, To demonftrate, that an Evidence fo qualify'd, as I shall now explain, and represented in fuch manner, and to fuch a Subject, as I have already fuppos'd; does actually oblige, to a full and firm Belief of a thing propos'd, as real Truth and Matter of Fact.

Thirdly, That 'tis impoffible the Divine Providence should ever countenance an Imposture (or which is the fame thing, permit or fuffer it to be countenanc'd) with an Evidence of fuch a Nature as this.

Fourthly, That there is actually fuch an Evidence for the Refurrection of Jefus Chrift, as does fully come up to all the Characters and Conditions of an Evidence, which directly obliges Human UnderStanding to yield its Affent. I fhall allot this Second Part of this Treatife, to the three first of thefe Heads; and bestow the third entirely, upon the fourth and last of them.

FOR

SECT. III.

OR the First, The Evidence I here intend, may be thus defcrib'd.

'Tis fuch, as being impartially weigh'd and confider'd, by the free Ufe of a Man's Reafon, in all the common and allow'd ways of ufing it; does not only more powerfully perfuade him to a Belief of the Thing propos'd, than any Objections to the contrary, when duly ftated and fet in a fair Light, can diffuade him from the Belief of that thing; but alfo fuch, which if a Man fhould difown and reject, he must neceffarily be forc'd upon fuch fort of Confequences, as the genuine and difinterested Senfe of Mankind would condemn as Abfurd and Wrong; and which even the Perfon himself concern'd (without making ufe of fome bad Arts, by which his Understanding may be fuppos'd to be manag'd, contrary to its native Tendency) would not be able to digeft, when he came to examine and reflect upon them, in a cool and well-difpos'd Temper. So that upon a juft and cautious ballancing of the Momenta on both fides, viz. The Force of the Evidence, and that of the Objections; a Man finds the former fufficient to furnish all thofe Reasons for the Affent of his Mind, that the Nature and Conditions of the Cafe propos'd will admit of; and that the latter are not fufficient to take off or invalidate ought of those Reasons: and that therefore, in a fair and regular way of Proceeding, without Sophiftry, Prejudice, or any unnatural ftraining for a Conclufion, he may proceed to conclude

matters

matters to be in reality, according as the Evidence propounded does reprefent them to be.

In a word, Whatsoever Evidence in any Cafe, affords all thofe Media, which are necessary to make a perfpicuous natural Conclufion, and to folve whatever Difficulties occur, upon fuch Principles as (in all refembling Cafes) Mankind univerfally agree, to argue themfelves into a juft Affurance and Satisfaction by: Such an Evidence, I fay, does actually oblige every Perfon, who is duly inform'd of the Nature of it, and is capable of arguing in a juft and regular manner thereupon; to affent to the thing propos'd, as real Truth and Matter of Fact.

SECT. IV.

S to the Evidence I have here defcrib'd, there are these things to be observ'd concerning it.

First, That this is not the Evidence which accompanies ftrict and perfect Demonftration; as Demonstration is understood by the Logicians or Mathe maticians. For tho all accurate Demonstration must necessarily have fuch Properties as thefe; yet every kind of Proof that has thefe Properties, is not accurate Demonftration: Because compleat Demonftration does in its own Nature, involve and require fome peculiar Conditions, which can by no means agree to fome other forts of Proof, which yet may come up to all thofe Conditions, that the Evidence I have defcrib'd does comprehend.