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PREFACE

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READER

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FTER I had refolv'd upon this Undertaking, and thrown the Materials. of which it was to confift, into fome Order and Method; the next thing was to confider, in what fort of Form and Drefs, it would be most advantageous to prefent it to the World: Whether I Should proceed all along in fo very ftrict, and abstracted a Way, as to fay nothing, but what should be either Lemma, Propofition, Scholium or Corollary; or elfe should take the agreeable Liberty, of mixing the Declamatory, with the strict way of Reasoning, in fuch Parts of the Difcourfe, where it should be to fome good and ufeful Purpose, so to do.

And I quickly concluded, that the latter Method would be the most Useful and Advantageous in a Defign of this Nature. For as all those who are Judges of found Argument and Reafon would as easily find it out, and trace it through all the Parts of a Dif

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courfe compos'd after this manner, as if all was put into the feverest and most rigorous Mathematical Form, that could be; fo the doing of it that way, would infallibly have given it fuch a frightful and forbidding Look, that my main End and Scope in the Publication of it, muft neceffarily have been loft, with refpect to the greatest Part of our Readers. The Defign I propos'd to my felf, was to examine, and enquire into the Truth of this very important Doctrine (the Resurrection of Jefus Chrift) in a strict and accurate Way; aud at the fame time, to render that Enquiry truly useful to all Perfons whatsoever. And this End I could never havé obtain'd, had I tied my felf up, to the ftrict Form of Propofition, Lemma, &c. in every particular Thing I had occafion to fay. For as the Nature and Ufe of thofe Things, are known but to very few People, comparatively Speaking; So when a Man is wholly confin'd to them, there's many an Opportunity loft, of urging and preffing an Argument home, and making fuch Applica tions of it, as tend much more to the enforcing it on the Mind, than the bare propofing of it in a Theorematical Way, ever will or can do.

Every Judicious and Intelligent Perfon knows, that ftrict Reasoning it felf, and the ftrict Form of Reafoning, are two very different Things. They do by no means neceffarily fuppofe, or infer one another. Strict Reafoning may as well be without the Form, as the Form is often without the juft Confequence and Connection of Parts, which alone makes it ftrict Reafoning. A Declamatory Difcourfe may be fo fet together, that by a mere Change of the Dress, it shall become a rigorous Demonftration. As on the other band, the latter, taken out of the Severities of its own proper Form, may be made to appear with all the foft and pleafant Airs of a Declamation, and yet at the fame time preferve the Chain of folid Argument and Truth, ftrict and entire.

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In the following Difcourfe, I have made it my Bufinefs, to examine that great and fundamental Article of the Chriftian Faith, which is the Subject of it; with the fame Impartiality and Care, that I would have done, had I not believ'd it at all; but been only an indifferent and unconcern'd Perfon, neither prejudic'd on one fide in favour of it, nor on the other, with wrong Notions and Diflike. Upon this fcore, I have not any where fcrupled, to make what Conceffions appear'd to me to be intrinsically Fuft and Reasonable, and agreeable to Truth and Matter of Fact. I have no where industriously stifl'd or fupprefs'd any Objections of the adverfe Party, which I was confcious of, and really believ'd to deferve Notice. And as I have not conceal'd any Part of their Strength, to make them appear weaker than they are; fo neither have I reprefented any Part of their Strength to a Difadvantage, or fet their Reasonings in a falfe Light, with a defign to make them appear worfe Reafoners than they are. I have made use of no arbitrary precarious Hypothefes, to build or establish any Conclufions upon; but on the other hand, have ftudiously avoided arguing upon any fuch Topicks as are really doubtful and questionable, and endeavour'd all along to keep clofely to thefe two, as my MAIN FOUNDATIONS, viz. PLAIN MATTER OF FACT, AND THE LAWS AND CONSTITUTION OF HUMAN NATURE. And whatever Confequences I have drawn, either against the Deifts, or in favour of the Chriftians, I have drawn them only there, where according to the best of my Judgment, the Eternal Laws of Nature and Reafon oblig'd me fo to do; and that without any forcing or training of things, beyond thofe Bounds, to which the Genuine Scope and Extent of the Principles I argue from, would allow me to carry them.

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And for the Proof of this fair and equal Management, I appeal to the Book it felf. They that will take the Pains to examine that, with unprejudic'd Judgment and Care, I am fure will acquit me; and they that will not do fo, cannot condemn me, without fixing a Reproach upon themselves. I have no more any fort of Motives to byafs me to misrepresent, and Jet Things in a wrong Light; than I have Intereft to keep me from owning of Truth, when 'tis evidently made out to me. And therefore, I defire no better Quarter than this, that the Book be read, and maturely confider'd: Nor am I under Apprehenfions of any thing fo much, as I am of Ignorance, and rafh and hafty Judging.

In the mean time, I'll offer a few things, to the Confideration of thofe Perfons, who being Unbelievers of the Doctrine here afferted, may probably read this Difcourfe with Prejudices, and perhaps with a Defign of quarrelling and contending.

I defire them therefore to take notice, in the first Place, that towards the clofe of Part III. after I have fumm'd up all the Evidence, and concluded from thence, the certain Truth of the Fact of our Saviour's Refurrection; I have likewife enumerated all the poffible just ways, by which they can proceed to attack the Argument, in order to fhew that it does not conclude rightly and truly: by which means, I have both shorten'd their Labour, in giving them a general View of all the Methods of oppofing me (that fo they may chufe which they think the most effectual) and also shewn how ready and willing I am to bring this Point to an Iffue with them, in a rational and fober way, if they think fit fo to do.

Another thing is, I must defire, they will always remember to distinguish between the Argument it felf, and any Mode or Circumstance, of what kind or nature foever it be, which has not a direct and

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neceffary Dependance upon, or which does not properly and immediately influence the Conclufion. The fecond and third Parts of the Book, are but one entire Chain of Reasoning; the Former being only the General Premifes, which the Latter concludes from. If they can find any defect or flaw in the Reafoning, that will make the Conclufion to be unjust and wrong; then they gain their Point: if not, as I never lov'd difputing upon trifling and frivolous Matters, fo they who have Time and Temper for fuch mean Exercises, fhall, for me, engage in them by themselves.

Again, I expect likewife, that whatever they have to propofe at any Time, be propos'd in an accurate, diftinct and methodical way; that they offer no precarious-Surmifes and Conjectures, no mere Criticifms, no Similies or Illuftrations, instead of plain downright Argument: but that they oblige themselves to the business of Reasoning, and not of making flourifhes; and that when they have once fix'd upon a Point, they be fure to run it to a head, and not leave it ingloriously, for a Subject of future Animadverfions.

I won't fo much as offer at an Apology, for a Book of this kind; confidering the prefent state of Things in the Chriftian World. What is talk'd of more, and believ'd lefs, than the Doctrine here propos'd? We call fefus Chrift Lord and Saviour, we repeat the Articles of the Creed, and bow at his Name, with an hundred more fuch like Inftances of outfide Reverence and Devotion; when at the fame time there are Multitudes amongst us that are so far from either adoring his Perfon, or believing his Gofpel, that 'tis a· question whether the worst Enemies he has in the World, can outdo us in heinous Contempt of both. The Profeffion of Christianity, is for the most part nothing but mere Pageantry; and People take it upon them

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