form'd, is as certain, as the self-evident Principles upon which it proceeds, though it be fo far removed from them, that every one cannot difcern the Connexion. Demonftrations may be far from being easy and obvious, but are oftentimes, we know, very difficult and intricate, which yet, when they are once made out, are as certain as Senfe it felf. The Blef fing is pronounced to him, who believes not upon lefs Evidence, but upon that which at first seems to be lefs, which is lefs obfervable, and lefs obvious to our Confideration, but not lefs certain, when it is duly confider'd. For which Reafon our Saviour, after he had wrought many Miracles, that were effectually attefted by fufficient Witneffes, required Faith in those who came to be heal'd of him, because the Testimony of others was the means, which in Ages to come, was to be the Motive of Faith in Chriftians, and he thereby fignified to us, that there may be as good Grounds for Faith upon the Report of others, as we could have from our own Senfes, and generally thofe who came in Unbelief, went away no better fatisfied.. Wherefore it is faid, that in his own Country, becaufe of their Unbelief, he could do no mighty work, Save that he laid his hands upon a few fick folk, and healed them, Mark vi. 5. He could not do his mighty Works, because they would be ineffectual, and would be loft upon them, and he could do nothing infignificant or in vain: If they would reject what had been fo fully witneffed to them, they would not believe, whatever Miracles they should fee him do. Luke x. 23. the Difciples are pronounced bleffed, because they had feen the Miracles of our Saviour, and heard his Dotrine. Which is very well confiftent with the Blessedness here ascribed to those, who had believed what they had never feen. The Disciples were bleffed, in those Means and Opportunities granted them, beyond what others enjoyed: Thofe, who had not the fame Evidence, were bleffed, in that they, by the Grace

of

of God overcame thofe Difficulties which stood in the way; and had the fame Faith with them, whơ had not the fame Temptations to Incredulity. For he is faid to be a happy Man, who obtains his End without Difficulties to encounter, before he can arrive at it; and he likewife is accounted remarkably happy, who overcomes all oppofition to gain his End. And those in the middle State, who find fome difficulties, but not fo much confiderable, are fuch, as in refpect of both the other, are esteemed lefs happy in the manner and means of obtaining it, tho' the event be the fame, and they attain the enjoyment of the fame End.

Our Saviour cannot be fuppofed in either of these places to speak of the final State of Bleffedness in Heaven, and to determine at one time that they fhall there enjoy more happiness, who have fen, and to declare at another, that they fhall be more happy, who have not seen. For how can it be confiftent, that Men fhould be peculiarly entitled to the Bleffednefs of Heaven upon fo oppofite Terms, fome for having feen, and others for not having feen? But our Lord fpeaks of the Blessedness of the means of Salvation, with refpect to the greater or lefs difficulty, which accompanies them. The words are spoken of the time prefent: Bleffed are the eyes, that fee the things which ye fee; and Blessed are they, that have not feen, and yet have believed. And no Man can conceive, that all, who had believed upon the Report of others, fhould upon this account and confideration be advanced to greater degrees of Bleffedness in Heaven, than St. Thomas, and the reft of the Apoftles. But our Saviour gives St. Thomas a gentle Reproof for his Incredulity, by telling him, that fince he did not believe, till he had been compelled to it by the utmost conviction, that any Man can receive from his own Senfes in any cafe; It was a very happy and blessed E e

thing

thing for the generality of Chriftians, that they were not fo difficult and flow of Belief, but could believe without the fame Means which had been afforded him, but was not vouchfafed to them. If all Men were as diffident as he had been, how few would be faved? But it was happy for other Chriftians, that in this they were not like him.

་

It is very remarkable, that amidst all his Miracles, our Saviour directs his Followers to Mofes and the Prophets, and appeals to the Scriptures for the Authority of his very Miracles, and that even after his Refurrection, he inftru&s his Difciples, who faw and difcours'd with him, out of the Scriptures, to confirm them in the Truth of it, Luke xxiv. 26, 27. He requires the Jews to give no greater Credit to his own Miracles, than that which he implies, they already gave to the Writings of Mofes, fo as firmly and ftedfaftly to believe that he came from God. And we having all the Helps and Advantages which the Jews had to create in them a Belief of the Scriptures of the Old Teftament, and many more and greater Motives (if it be poffible) to believe thofe of the New, must therefore have fufficient means to excite in us that Faith which our Saviour required of those who faw his Works, and heard his Doctrine; which certainly was a Divine Faith, and all the Faith, which if it be accompanied with fincere and impartial Obedience, is required in order to Salvation.

Upon the whole Matter, I conclude, that the Truth of the Chriftian Religion is evident even to a Demonftration: for it is as demonftrable that there is a God, as it is that I my self am, or that there is any thing elfe in the World; because nothing could be made without a Maker, or created without a Creator; and it is as demonftrable, that this God being the Author of all the Perfections in Men, muft himself be infinitely Perfect; that he is infinitely Wife, and Juft, and

Holy,

Holy, and Good; and that according to these Attributes he could not fuffer a falfe Religion to be impofed upon the World in his own Name, with fuch manifeft Tokens of Credibility, that no Man can poffibly difprove it, but every one is oblig'd ta believe it.

FINIS

Grays-Inn Gate, in Holbourn:

F Truft in God; or, a Difcourfe concerning the Duty of

ther with an Exhortation to Patient Suffering for Righteoufnefs. The Secoud Edition. By Nath. Spinckes, M. A. a Presbyter of the Church of England.

Several Letters which paffed between Dr. George Hickes; and a Popish Priest, upon Occafion of a young Gentlewoman's Departing from the Church of England, to that of Rome, &c. The

Second Edition.

A Second Collection of Controverfial Letters, relating to the Church of England, and the Church of Rome, as they paffed between an Honourable Lady, and Dr. George Hickes; to which is added a Letter written by a Gentlewoman of Quality to a Romish Prieft, upon her return from the Church of Rome, to the Church of England, &c.

Twenty Two Select Colloquies out of Erafmus Roterodamus, Fleafantly reprefenting feveral Superftitious Levities that were crept into the Church of Rome in his days. By Sir Roger L'Eftrange, Knight; to which are added Seven more Dialogues, with the Life of the Author. By Mr. Thomas Brown.

Two Treatifes, one of the Chriftian Priesthood, the other of the Dignity of the Episcopal Order. Firft written, and afterwards publifh'd, to obviate the Erroneous Opinions, Fallacious Reasonings, and Bold and False Afferions, in a late Book, Entituled, The Rights of the Chriftian Church; with a Large Prefatory Difcourfe in Answer to the faid Book. All written by George Hickes, D. D. The Third Edition, in 2 Volumes.

The Spirit of Enthusiasm Exorcifed, in a Serinon Preach'd before the University of Oxford, &c. The Fourth Edition. much Enlarg'd, by George Hickes, D. D. With Two Difcourfes, occafion'd by the new Prophets Pretenfions to Inspiration and Miracles: The firft the Hiftory of Montanifm. By a Lay Gentleman; The other, The new Pretenders to Prophecy Examin'd. By N. Spinckes. a Presbyter of the Church of England.

A New Inftitute of the Imperial or Civil Law. with Notes, fhewing in fome Principal Cafes amongst other Obfervations, How the Canon Law, the Laws of England, and the Laws and Customs of other Nations differ from it. In Four Books, compos'd for the Ufe of fome Perfons of Quality. The Second Edition corrected, with Additions. By Thomas Wood, Dr. of Laws, c. To which is added as an Introduction, A Treatise of the firft Principles of Laws in General, of their Nature and Defign; and of the Interpretation of them.