to doubt their teftimony: and why fhould not the fame affurance ferve in Sermon greater matters; if an undoubted IV: affurance of a leffer benefit and advantage will make men venture as much. Why fhould any man defire greater affurance of any thing, than to have no just reafon to doubt of it; why more than so much as the thing is capable of? I cannot poffibly understand, why every man should not be contented with fufficient affurance, or for what reafon a man fhould defire more than enough; and why a man Thould not be fatisfied that a thing is fo, when he hath as great af furance of it, and as good evidence for it, as he could have, supposing it

were.

And for men to fay,Nothing less than infallible affurance can fatisfie a man's mind, that men will always doubt fo long as there is a poffibility of the contrary, and there will be a poffibility of the contrary, until we have infallible affurance, is as unreasonable as can be imagined. I ask any man, whether he be infallibly affured that there was fuch a man as William the Conquerour? or that there is fuch a Countrey as I

Spain?

Spain? If he fay he is, I ask, Where Volume is his infallible evidence for this? He XII. will cite feveral Hiftorians: but all

this is humane teftimony, and that is fallible. It seems then he is not infallibly certain there was fuch a man, or there is fuch a Countrey; and confequently there is a poffibility of the contrary. 'Tis granted there is: But is any fober man unfatisfied in his mind about these things? I would fain meet with the man, that will tell me in good earneft, that he hath reason to doubt, whether there was fuch a Man, or not; and whether there be fuch a place as Spain, or not? So that it is fond for any man to alledge a bare poffibility of the contrary, as a reasonable cause of doubting concerning any thing, for which we have as good evidence as the thing is capable of.

Upon thefe grounds we can easily refolve our Faith. We believe the Do&trine of Chriftian Religion, because it is revealed by God; we believe it to be revealed by God, becaufe it was confirmed by unquestionable Mira

cles;

cles; we believe fuch Miracles were wrought, because we have as great affurance of this, as any Matter of Fact, at fuch a distance from the time it was done, is capable of. Now if the Papifts fay, This doth at laft amount to no more than

moral affurance; I grant it doth not: but then I have proved this affurance to be as much as in reafon can be expected, and as much as is fufficient to the Nature and Ends of a Divine Faith, and that an infallible affurance is not agreeable to a human understanding; but an incommunicable attribute and prerogative of the Divine Nature, which whoever pretends to, he hath not the modefty of a Creature, but does by a facrilegious ambition attempt the Throne of God, and equal himself to the most High. And therefore it is no won der that the Popes of Rome, after they had once affumed to themfelves to be infallible, did prefently arrogate to themselves the titles of God, there being fuch ftrict connexion between the attribute of infal libility, and the Divine Nature, that I 2 who

Sermon

IV.

whoever challengeth the firft, may Volume with equal Reafon claim the o¡XII. ther.

I fhall only add this, that nothing hath been more pernicious to Christian Religion, than the vain pretence of men to greater affurance concerning things relating to it, than they can make good; the Mifchief of which is this; that when discerning and inquifitive men find that men pretend to greater Matters than they can prove, this makes them doubt of all they fay, and to call in queftion the Truth of Chriftianity it felf. Whereas if men would be contented to speak juftly of things, and pretend to no greater Affurance than they can bring Evidence for confiderate men would be apt to believe them. Every knowing Man being more ready to liften to a modeft Man, whofe confidence bears a proportion to the Reafons and Arguments he brings for what he fays, than to a confident Pretender, who calls every weak faying a Demonftration. And indeed fuch men are but justly dealt withal, fince the ex

pe

;

perience of the World hath fuffici- M ently taught us, that usually thofe Sermon IV. who fpeak modeftly of things are furnish'd with the beft Arguments for their Affertions; and that those who have made the strongest Pretences to Infallibility in any thing, have the weakeft reafons for what they have faid; of which this account may be given, that good Reafons and Arguments are requifite to beget in a man a rational affurance; but a ftrong conceit is fufficient to beget in men an opinion of Infallibility.

VI. What is the proper and genuin Effect of this Faith of a Divine Revelation? I Anfwer: A Compliance with the Design and Intention of it.

VII. In what refpect this may be called a Divine Faith? To this I Answer: Not only in refpect of the Object of it, and the Argument whereby it is wrought, and the Effect of it: but likewife in refpect of the Author and Efficient of it, which is the Divine Spirit. And here, if time would permit, I fhould fpeak