established fuperftition, would praise his virtue; and perhaps, be forwardeft to extol his fentences and works, in oppofition to our facred religion. But this is hard, that even heathen religion, and Paganifm can be more mildly treated, and caufe less averfion than chriftianity. To fuch men as thefe, I can fay nothing further. But if they who are thus fet against chriftianity, cannot be won over, by any thing that they may find here; yet we may affure ourselves, at leaft, of this good effect from hence, that the excellent fpirit which is fhewn here, and that vein of goodness and humanity, which appears throughout thefe difcourfes, will make fuch as are already chriftians, to prize and value christianity the more: and, the fairness, ingenuity and impartiality, which they may learn from hence, will be a fecurity to them against the contrary temper of those o ther irreconcileable enemies to our holy faith. DIS 13 DISCOURSE L. The Glorious EVIDENCE, and Power of DIVINE Truth. B JOHN vii. 46. Never man fpake like this man. Ecause there are amongst us, those who are bold to call into question Deity, those who dispute against the main and principal matters of chriftian faith, under pretence of reafon (the excellency of God's creation: by which I will be concluded,) therefore, I make choice of these words to deal with them with their own inftrument: and if for our religion, if for our chriftianity, we cannot produce greater reason, than they have against them, let them both fall to the ground. Never any man fpake as our Lord and Saviour. You may confider thefe words as they refer, either. I. To the fpeakers: or II. To the matter they do contain. I. f to the speakers, then the fpeakers of these words may be confidered either as friends, as enemies, or as ftrangers. For fince they are not particularly named, they must fall under one of these three. 1. If you will have them friends, then friends you. know speak in love and good-will, and out of know ledge ledge and experience; and good-will and experience are probable reporters. For good-will makes candid interpretation and beft conftruction; and all mens words and phrafes are to be taken in good meaning, if they are not apparently otherwife ; it is represented as the greateft cruelty, to make a man an offender for a word, Ifa. xxix. 21. Then for experience, this is one of the three great principles of knowledge. The three great principles of knowledge are reafon, fcripture and general and univerfal experience; now our rule is in point of experience, to believe every man in his faculty and profeffion. Dry reafon is oftentimes doubted of; but when in conjunction with experience, we then think we have double affurance. 2. But then fecondly, if you look upon them as enemies. If an enemy fpeak well of any body, you will easily imagine the greater reason to believe it : whence it is faid, if I have not a friend, pray God fend me an enemy, that I may be fure to hear of my faults. Friends often palliate and flatter, where enemies abate nothing of what is true, it is an obfervation of wife Solomon's; that every one flatters himself more or lefs in his own caufe, but he that is on the other fide coming to reply doth search him out, Prov. xviii. 17. It all proves, that upon hearing the first party declare and fhew, the hearer thinks himself fure of the right of the cafe, but. when the other comes to declare, the former fhews and appearances vanish whence the rule is, whofoever doth determine any thing before he hears a 'full declaration on both fides, he is not a man of juftice; juftice; he himself is an unjust arbitrator, tho' he happen to do right. 3. But thirdly, I take these reporters in the text to be neither friends nor enemies, but ftrangers; and that they found beyond what they thought or imagined, and so are overpowered and convinced; for they were officers under authority, who are not wont to distinguish of causes, but know only to execute and obey. Now these men, they meet with what they looked not for; and fall down under the evidence and worth of truth, Acts viii. 13. Numb. xxiv. 23. And fo break out into this expreffion and acknowledgment, neither confidering their own intereft, in the difpleafing those that fent them, nor compliance with their fuperiors will, v. 48. 49. Then here is the notion: among other excellencies. of divine truth this is none of the fmalleft weight, that when it is declared it doth recommend itself to, and fatisfies the mind of man concerning it's reality and usefulness. Men are wanting to themselves, that they do not fee with their own eyes; that they do not make a particular search; that they do not examine; that they do not confider; or, in a word, that they do not use the judgment of difcerning. For we that are of the reformed religion, who deny the infallible vifible judge, we do allow to every christian a private judgment of discerning; not only as his privilege that God hath granted him, but as his charge. Where people are of no education, have no liberty or advantage in respect of leisure, or other opportunities; we do advise them to use modesty and humility, and to be rather learners, than than forward to teach. For it is good counfel, and it is that which is done in all other affairs: whofoever he be that hath not the opportunity to acquaint himself with the mystery; it is fafer for him to make use of other expedients than for him to be peremptory in a resolution. But this for certain, men are wanting to themselves if they do not fee with their own eyes, if they do not fearch and use a judgment of difcerning. For men attain to no fettled ftate in religion, no height or excellency of spirit, who do not make a difcernment by their judgments. But they run away with presumptions, fuppofitions; with conceited imaginations, with received dictates, are light of faith, credulous, do comply with others in fenfe, in judgment, in practice : and it is their neceflity fo to do; if they will not make matters of knowledge their bufinefs, there cannot be receiving of truth in the love of it, and consequently in the certain obedience of it, where there is not receiving of truth, in the particular judgment of the certain verity of it, and the sense of the goodnefs of it. This advantage truth hath. The naked discovery of truth is enough on truth's part, if there be not an indifpofition in the receiver: truth hath fo much of felf evidence, fo much of clearnefs, it is fo fatisfactory to the reafon of an ingenuous mind, that it will prevail and overpower men, unless there be an indifpofition in the receiver that gives an incapacity. The like with this you have in Matth. xxvii. 54. when they heard and faw what fell out; they faid, verily it is the fon of God. I look at these words as the effect of that majefty, fovereignty, and authority |