SERM. there is nothing too hard for thee. The creation of the XII. world is fuch an experiment of God's power and good

Ifa. xlviii.

13. xl. 26.

nefs, as may fupport our faith in all encounters; fo that we should not think any thing fo difficult, but that God is able; nor fo high, but that God is willing to perform it for us, if it make toward our real good.

5. Finally, This confideration miniftereth a general incitement unto all obedience; which from God's production of all things doth appear, upon feveral accounts, due and reasonable: all other things do conftantly obey the law imposed on them, infift in the course defined to them; and fhall we only be disobedient and refractory, irregular and exorbitant? fhall all the hofts of heaven most readily and punctually obey God's fummons? fhall the pillars of heaven tremble, and be aftonished at his reproof? fhall the fea with its proud waves be curbed and confined by his decree? fhall fire and hail, fnow and vapour, and Pf. xlviii. 8. ftormy winds, (fuch rude and boisterous things,) fulfil his word? as they are all faid to do; and fhall we be unruly and rebellious? we, who are placed in the top of nature, for whom all nature was made, to whom all nature ferves; fhall we only, of all things in nature, tranfgrefs against the Author and Governor of nature?

Job ix. 5.

xxvi. 11.

xxxviii. 1. Jer. v. 21.

But I leave the farther improvement of this grand point to your meditation, concluding with the exhortation of Rev. xiv. 7. that angel in the Apocalypfe: Fear God, and give glory to

him; worship him that made heaven and earth, and the fea, and the fountains of water: even to him be all obedience, and adoration, and praise for ever and ever. Amen.

And in Jefus Chrift, &c.

SERMON XIII.

OF THE TRUTH AND DIVINITY OF THE

CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

EPH. i. 13.

In whom ye alfo (trusted), having heard the word of truth, the gospel of your falvation.

THAT our religion in grofs is true and agreeable to rea- SERM. fon, is a ground upon which the truth of its fingle doc- XIII. trines and articles of faith doth lean; it is therefore requifite that it first be well fupported, or that we be thoroughly affured thereof. Being therefore engaged at other times to difcourfe upon the particular points of Christian doctrine, which suppose this general one; I shall take occafion collaterally in these exercises to infift upon this fubject; fuppofing in thofe, what in these we shall endeavour to prove; fo both avoiding there fuch grand digreffions, or the treating upon matters not directly incident; and supplying here what seems neceffary or useful there to the confirmation of our faith.

Now in the words I did now read, St. Paul ftyles the Chriftian doctrine (and in many other places of Scripture it is alfo fo called) the word of truth, (that is, a moft true doctrine,) and the gospel of our falvation, (that is, a mef

SERM. fage brought from heaven by our Saviour and his ApoXIII. ftles; in which the ways and means of attaining falva

Μὴ ἐξέταζε,

Gov. Orig. i.

tion, (that is, of that beft happiness which we are capable of,) the overtures thereof from God, and the conditions in order thereto required from us, are declared.) And that we have reason to entertain it as fuch, I shall immediately addrefs myself to fhew.

It was anciently objected by Celfus and other adversaàries of our religion, that Chriftianity did exact from men pag. 8, 9. nv xai äñoyov nisı, a bare groundless faith; did impofe Orig. vi. pag. 282. vóμes άvanodáxтes, laws uncapable of proof, (that is, as to Hire the goodness and reasonableness of them;) did inculcate λεις ἢ ἄπιθι. this rule, μὴ ἐξέταζε, ἀλλὰ μόνον πίςευε, Do not examine or difcufs, but only believe; that it debarred inquiries and debates about truth, flighted the ufe and improvement of reason, rejected human learning and wisdom, enjoining men to swallow its dictates, without chewing, or any previous examination concerning the reafon and truth of them.

The ground of this accufation was furely a great mistake, arifing from their not diftinguishing that belief, whereby we embrace Christianity itself in grofs, from that belief, whereby in confequence to the former we affent to the particular doctrines thereof: especially to fuch as concern matters fupernatural, or exceeding the reach of our natural understanding to penetrate or comprehend. For as to the first kind, that belief whereby we embrace Christianity itself, as true in the grofs; I say, it is nowife required upon fuch terms; our religion doth not obtrude itfelf upon men in the dark, it doth not bid men to put Vid. Orig. out their eyes, or to fhut them close; no, nor even to in Celf. lib. wink, and then to receive it: it rather obliges them to O rara - open their eyes wide, to go into the clearest light; with σεύσας ἐκ ά- their best senses to view it thoroughly, before they emays, à brace it. It requires not, yea it refufes, ordinarily, wangogía, fudden and precipitate affent; admitting no man (capable xágua of judging and choosing for himself) to the participation &c. Conft. thereof, or acknowledging him to be a believer indeed; Apoft. viii. till (after a competent time and means of inftruction)

iii.pag. 142.

ταῦτα

κρίσει καὶ

ληφεν ἐκ θεῶ,

1.

&c. Lac

&c.

he declares himself to understand it well, and heartily to SERM. approve it. Never any religion was fo little liable to that XIII. cenfure; none ever fo freely expofed itself to a fair trial at the bar of reason; none ever so earnestly invited men to confider and weigh its pretences; yea, provoked them, for its fake and their own, (at the peril of their fouls, and as they tendered their own beft good and fafety,) to an εὐγνώμων, ἐξέτασις, an equal and difcreet examination thereof. Other religions have for their juftification infifted upon Hæ funt rethe examples of ancestors, the prefcriptions and cuftoms ligiones, of times, their large extent and prevalence among mul- tant. ii. 6. titudes of people, their establishment by civil laws, and (Pag. 171.) countenance of fecular powers, (arguments wholly extrinfecal and of small validity,) declining all other test or trial of reason: yea, it is remarkable how Celfus, and others Orig. v. who made the forefaid objection, did contradict and con- pag. 248, fute themselves, affirming men ought without fcruple to conform in opinion and practice to the religion prescribed by the laws of their country, be they what they will, never fo abfurd or dinhonefta. Δε φυλάσσειν τὰ εἰς κοινὸν κεκυpauéva, (things established by common authority must be obferved :) And, τὰ παρ' ἑκάςοις ὀρθῶς ἂν πράττοιτο ταύτῃ δρώμενα, ὅπῃ ἐκείνοις φίλον, (things are every where rightly done, being done according to the fashion of each place.) Such were the rules and maxims thofe men urged. And this was indeed exacting irrational belief; a ftifling men's reafon, and muzzling their judgments; this was a method enforcing men blindly to yield confent to errors and inconfiftencies innumerable. But the teachers and maintainers of Christianity proceeded otherwife; confiding in the pure merit of their cause, they warned men to lay afide all prejudices; to use their best understandings; in a

• Quæ omnia fapiens servabit tanquam legibus juffa, non tanquam Diis grata. Sen. apud Aug. de Civ. Dei, vi. 10.

Omnem iftam ignobilem Deorum turbam, quam longo ævo longa fuperftitio congeffit fic (inquit) adorabimus, ut meminerimus cultum ejus magis ad morem, quam ad rem pertinere. Id. 16.

--Colebat quod reprehendebat, agebat quod arguebat, quod culpabat adora bat. Aug. ib. de Seneca.

SERM. cafe of fuch moment, to apply themselves to an industrious XIII. and impartial fearch of the truth: let one for the rest Lact. ii. 7. fpeak their fenfe: Oportet in ea re maxime, in qua vitæ ra

tio verfatur, fibi quemque confidere, fuoque judicio ac propriis fenfibus niti ad inveftigandam et perpendendam veritatem, quam credentem alienis erroribus decipi tanquam ipfum rationis expertem : dedit omnibus Deus pro virili portione fapientiam, ut et inaudita inveftigare possent, et audita perpendere: We ought efpecially, fays he, every one of us in that matter, which chiefly concerns our manner of life, to confide in ourselves; and rather with our own judgment and our proper fenfes firive to find out and judge of the truth, than believing other men's errors to be deceived, like things void of reafon : God hath given all men a competent Share of wisdom, that they might both fearch out things not told them, and weigh what they hear. So especially just and candid was Chriftianity in its first offering itself to the minds of men. It propounds indeed and preffes, as evident in itself, the worth and confequence of the matter; but refers the decifion on either part (fo far as concerns every particular man) to the verdict of that reafon and confcience, with which to fuch purposes God hath indued every man. And that it can proceed no otherwife appears "Es farther, from the nature of that faith it requires: it comρετική μετ' 6- mends faith as a great virtue, and therefore supposes it y, is both voluntary and reasonable; it promises ample rewards 5. Clem. thereto, and fo implies it a work not of neceffity or chance, but of care and induftry; it declares infidelity to be very blameable, and threatens severe punishment thereto; why? because it fignifies irrational negligence or perverfenefs.

συγκατάθε

σις.

Alex.

In fine, Christianity doth not inveigle any man by fleight, nor compel him by force, (being indeed commonly deftitute of thofe advantages; nor being able to use them, if it would,) but fairly by reason perfuades him to embrace it; it doth not therefore fhun examination, nor disclaim the judgment of reafon; but earnestly seeks and procures the one, cheerfully and confidently appeals to 1 Theff. v. the other. Examine all things; hold fast that which is