SERM. Cæfar. So that if we do not afford equal belief to CXVIII. them, it is a fign that we have fome prejudice or

interest against the one, more than against the other, though the evidence for both be equal. Nay, I go farther, that the evidence for these things which are the foundation of christianity, is fo much the greater, because that which depended upon it, was of far greater concernment 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 eye-witneffes, who have wrote the history of these things. And though they were truly extraordinary perfons, and gave teftimony to themselves 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 given to them, which we give to Livy, and Arian, 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 tefti mony of their integrity, than any hiftorian in the world ever did. For they willingly fuffer'd the greatest perfecution and torment, yea and death itself, in confirmation of the truth of what they deliver'd. And for the propagating of the christian 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 hiftory, than for other matter of equal antiquity whatsoever.

any

1

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3. As to the fubftance of these matters of fact, SERM we have the concurring teftimony of the greatest enemies of the christian religion. That there were fuch perfons as our SAVIOUR and his apostles, 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 adversaries of the christian 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 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 recompenfe the disadvantage 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 these things to confirm our belief of them; and this is an advantage which the firft ages of christianity. could not have. We fee our SAVIOUR'S predictions of the fuccefs of his religion in the world, in the pagating and establishing of it fully accomplish'd, notwithstanding 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 distinct people,

M 2

pro

and

SER M. and a spectacle of the divine juftice and feverity, for CXVIII. rejecting and crucifying the Son of GOD, and for à

lafting and ftanding teftimony of the truth of our SAVIOUR'S prediction, and of the chriftian religion.

J

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

Fourthly, it is objected, that the terms of chriftianity feem very hard, and to lay too great reftraints upon human nature. It commands us to mortify our lufts, and fubdue our paffions, and "deny ungodlinefs, and to live foberly, and righteously, and godly in this prefent world: to be holy in all man"ner of converfation; to have refpect to whatever

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things are honeft, and true, and juft, and virtu"ous, and of good report; and to deny ourselves;" and to part with the deareft enjoyments of this life, "yea, and with life itself, for the fake of CHRIST,

and his gofpel." Now these seem 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 affur'd of.

To this I anfwer,

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

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our appetites and paffions, as well as chriftianity SERM⋅
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 im-

mortality to light by the gofpel," and by his refurrection from the dead, and afcenfion into heaven, hath given 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 fenie, for a future ftate, yet we have all the rational evidence for it, that can be wifh'd or expected; and much more than men have for thofe adventures of their lives and fortunes, which they frequently make in this 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 those 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 thefe? it fhews men are glad to make any thing an objection against chriftianity when they lay hold of that, which if it had been otherwife, they would have made ten times more clamour against it for the contrary.

3. As for moft of those reftraints which chriftianity lays upon us, they are of that nature, fo much both for our private and publick advantage, that fet

CXVIII.

SERM ting 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 reason, 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 chaste, and juft, and peaceable, and charitable, and kind, and obliging to one another, rather than the contrary. So that religion does not create those restraints arbitrarily, but requires those things of us, which our reason, and a regard to our advantage, which the neceffity and conveniency of the things themselves, 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 christianity, nay very feldom in comparison, if all things be confider'd, it cannot be thought unreasonable, both because religion offers to us, in confideration of our present 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 christians, who in great numbers of all tempers and ages, did voluntarily choose to give up themselves to thefe fufferings, when there was no neceffity laid upon them,