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SER M his will to us, human example and authority ceaseth, CXVII. and is of no force.

The last prejudice I fhall mention, which the Jews had against our SAVIOUR and his doctrine, was, that it did abolish and fuperfede their religion, as of no longer use and continuance, though it was plain it was inftituted by GoD.

This had been a very specious pretence indeed, had not this been part of their religion, and had not their own prophets foretold, that the MESSIAS fhould come and perfect what was wanting and defective in their inftitution. It is exprefly faid in their law," that GOD would raise unto them ano"ther prophet like to Mofes, and that they "fhould hear him," when he came. So that in truth it was the accomplishment of all those revelations which were made to the Jews, and did not reprove the jewish religion as falfe, but as imperfect: and did not contradict and overthrow, but " per"fect and fulfil the law and the prophets."

And thus I have gone over the chief exceptions and offences which the Jews took at our SAVIOUR and his doctrine; and I hope fufficiently fhewn the unreasonableness of them. proceed to what remains:

I have not now time to but by what hath been

faid, you may easily fee, upon what flight and unreasonable grounds men may be prejudiced against the best person and things, and yet be very confident all the while that they are in the right. For fo no doubt many of the Jews, who opposed our SAVIOUR and his doctrine, thought themselves to be. Therefore it concerns us to put on meekness, and humility, and modesly, that we may be able to judge impartially of things, and our minds may be preserved

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preferved free and indifferent to receive the truths of GOD, when they are offer'd to us: otherwife felfconceit and paflion will fo blind our minds, and bias our judgments, that we shall be unable to difcern, and unwilling to entertain the plaineft and moft evident truths. We fee here by the fad example of the Jews, that by giving way to paffion, and cherishing pride and felf-conceit, men may be fo deeply prejudiced against the truth, as to refift the cleareft light, and reject even falvation it self, when it is offer'd to them.

So that it is not in

vain, that the fcripture faith, "let every man be "fwift to hear, and flow to wrath; for the wrath " of man worketh not the righteoufnefs of GOD;" and exhorts us fo earneftly," to receive with "meeknefs the word of God, which is able to fave our fouls."

SERMON CXVIII.

The prejudices against christianity confider'd.

MATTH. xi. 6.

And bleffed is be whosoever shall not be offended in me.

I

Have from these words propounded to confider
two things.

SERM.
CXVIII.

The first

I. Those prejudices and objections which the world had against our SAVIOUR and his religion fermon on at their first appearance; as alfo to enquire into VOL. VII.

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thofe

this text,

SERM. thofe which men at this day do more efpecially infift CXVIII. upon, against the chriftian religion; and to fhew

the unreasonablenefs of them.

II. How happy a thing it is to efcape and overcome the common prejudices which men have against religion.

I have entred upon the firft of thefe, the prejudices which the world had againft our SAVIOUR and his religion. When this great teacher of mankind came from GOD, though he gave all imaginable teftimony and evidence that he was fent from heaven; yet the greatest part of the world, both Jews and Gentiles, were mightily offended at him, and deeply prejudiced against him and his doctrine; but not both upon the fame account.

I have already given you an account of the chief exceptions which the Jews made against our SAVIOUR and his doctrine, and have fhewn the unreafonableness of them.

I proceed now to confider the principal of thofe exceptions, which the Gentiles and heathen philofophers took at our SAVIOUR and his doctrine. I fhall mention thefe four.

Firit, that chriftianity was a great innovation, and contrary to the received inftitutions of the world. Secondly, they objected against the plainnefs and fimplicity of the doctrine.

Thirdly, that it wanted demonftration.

Fourthly, that the low and fuffering condition of Our SAVIOUR was unfuitable to one that pretended to be the Son of GOD, and to be appointed by him for a teacher and reformer of the world. These are the chief exceptions which the heathen, and efpecially their philofophers, took at our SAVIOUR and his doctrine.

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First,

CXVIII.

First, that the chriftian religion was a great in- SERM. novation, and contrary to the received inftitutions of the world; and confequently that it did condemn the religion which had been fo univerfally received and establish'd in the world by fo long a continuance of time. And no wonder if this made a great impreffion upon them, and raifed a mighty prejudice in the minds of men against the christian religion; no prejudices being fo ftrong as thofe that are fix'd in the minds of men by education: and of all the prejudices of education, none fo violent and hard to be removed, as thofe about religion, yea though they be never fo groundless and unreasonable. "Hath a nation changed their gods, "which yet are no gods ?" intimating to us, that men are very hardly brought off from that religion which they have been brought up in, how abfurd foever it be. When chriftianity was first propounded to the heathen world, had men been free and indifferent, and not prepoffefs'd with other apprehenfions of GOD and religion; it might then have been expected from them, that they should have entertain'd it with a readiness of mind proportionable to the reasonableness of it. But the cafe was quite otherwife, the world had for many ages been brought up to another way of worship and inur'd to rites and fuperftitions of a quite different nature. And this fways very much with men; fequimur majores noftros, qui fe iciter fequuti funt fuos; as one of the heathens faid in thofe days, we "follow our ancestors, who happily follow'd "theirs;" men are hardly brought to condemn thofe opinions and cuftoms in religion, which themfelves and their forefathers have always embraced

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and

SER M. and followed. And wife men especially are loth to CXVIII. admit fo great a change in a matter of so great concernment as religion is. So that this must be acknowledged to have been a confiderable prejudice against the chriftian religion at its first appearance. But yet upon a thorough examination, this will not be found fufficient in reason to withhold men from embracing chriftianity, if we confider these four things.

1. No prudent perfon thinks, that the example and cuftom of his forefathers obligeth him to that which is evil in itfelf, and pernicious to him that does it; and there is no evil, no danger equal to that of a falfe religion; for that tends to the ruin of mens fouls, and their undoing for ever. A man might better alledge the example of his forefathers to justify his errors and follies in any other kind, than in this, which is fo infinitely pernicious in the confequences of it.

2. In a great corruption and degeneracy, it is no fufficient reafon against a reformation, that it makes a change. When things are amifs, it is always fit to amend and reform them; and this cannot be done without a change. The wifeft among the heathens did acknowledge, that their religion was mixt with very great follies and fuperftitions, and that the lives and manners of men were extremely corrupt and degenerate; and they endeavour'd, as much as they could, and durft, to reform these things. And therefore there was no reason to oppofe an effectual reformation, for fear of a change; a change of things for the better, tho' it be usually hard to be effected, being always a thing to be defired and wished for.

3. The change which chriftianity defign'd, was the leaft liable to exception that could be, being no

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