Rowland Wingfield, Efq; of Oriel College Reverend Mr. John Woodrofe of Bath Bernard Whalley, Efq; of Norton, Leicestershire Mifs Cath. Whalley Reverend Mr Charles Withery Reverend Mr Wickham, Rector of Shipton Mallet Reverend Mr Willis, Rector of St. Chriftopher's, and Prebendary of St Paul's, London Plucknett Woodroff, Efq; Reverend Mr Warnford, Fellow of C. C. C. Oxon Mrs Wifeman of Eltham The Reverend Mr Willis, Rector of Hartley Mawdytt The Reverend Mr Winter, A. B. Mr Watmore of Portsmouth, Gent. Reverend Thomas Winchefter, D.D. Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxon The Reverend Mr Wearden, Lecturer of St. Philips, Bir`mingham The Reverend Mr Ward of Birmingham, 4 Sets The Reverend Mr Wilkinson, Mafter of the Free-school in Birmingham Mr Whitmarsh of Wilton, Surgeon Warden of Winchefter College (Dr Coxall) 5 Sets Honourable Mrs York Mr Yates of Catherine-hall, Cambridge Reverend Mr Yalden, Rector of Newton, Hants Reverend Mr John Young Allen Young, Efq; Jofeph Yates, Efq; Reverend Mr Yates of Queen's College, Oxon Reverend Dr Francis Yarborough, Principal of Brazen-Nofe College, Oxon Mrs Elizabeth Yard of Ottery, Devon Mr John Young of Cornhill, Woolen-draper SER Moral Certainty a fufficient Ground for the Belief of Christianity. Preached in Queen's College Chapel. 2 PETER I. 16. For we have not followed cunningly devifed Fables, when we made known unto you the Power and Coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift. W any There. 'Hoever attentively perufes the SERM. Í. Writings of the Evangelifts and Apostles, will scarce need other Proof to convince him, that they did not follow cunningly devifed Fables, or draw up an artificial Account of Things. are at least as strong Proofs for the Genuinenefs even of the controverted Books of Scripture, as there are for that of any uncontroverted Book in Pagan Antiquity.. But let us fuppofe it to be, what it is not, a Matter of Uncertainty, whether fuch a Record VOL. I. B SERM. I. Record of Christianity be His whofe Name it bears; ftill we must distinguish between the Author and the Authority of the Book. Whatever becomes of the Author, the Authority of the Book is unquestionably good; if it be fhewn, that it could not have been received from the first by a vaft Number of Perfons as a true Hiftory, but upon a Suppofition that it really was fo: it being an impracticable Thing to obtrude upon the World a Variety of recent Facts with the most memorable and glaring Circumstances, afferted to be done before the Chief Priests and Scribes, and the whole People of Ferufalem, as Spectators and Eye-witneffes. Whoever were the Authors of the Gospels, they certainly expected to be believed: But how could they have expected any fuch Thing in Cafe of an Impofture, when they refer exprefsly and by Name, to Time, Place, and Perfon; when they virtually appeal to the Senfes of that very Age and Nation for the Truth of their Relations? It is not the Intereft of an Impoftor to be particular, explicit, and circumftantial: He muft avoid, as a Rock upon which he must inevitably fplit, Dates of Time, the particular Place of Action, (efpecially if it be a public one; and near at Hand, where fuch SERM. I. a Miracle is pretended to be wrought) the Names, Number and Rank of the Spectators. His Art confifts in laying the Scene at a great Distance, in giving general, confused and undiftinguished Accounts of Things, and in skulking behind a thousand Evasions, those Holes which Creatures of Subtlety have fequeftered from the Light of the Sun; and to which they always retreat, when closely pursued. Whereas in the New Teftament there is that undiffembled Opennefs of Soul, that unaffected Frankness and unconstrained Freedom in relating Things with perfect Eafe and without any Effort; which could come from none but ingenuous Writers, and can, I think, be refifted by none but difingenuous Readers. Add to this, that whoever were the Authors, they were infpired. For one of the notorious Facts on which great Stress in many Places is laid, is, that the Holy Ghost was given by the laying on of the Apostles Hands; in Confequence of which the new Converts prophesied and fpoke with new Tongues. For the Truth of this St. Paul appeals to the Church of Corinth; and if it had not been true, he must have been look SERM. Ied upon by them as an abandoned Impoftor, charging them with the Abuse and Mifapplication of fpiritual and miraculous Gifts they never had. Whoever intends to deceive, muft be folicitous to fave the Appearances of Truth; which, upon a Suppofition of the Falfity of this Fact, St. Paul by no means did. For he lays down that as a known Truth, which those to whom he addreffed his Epiftle must know, from what paffed within them, to be egregiously falfe. Now if there was fuch a plentiful Effufion of the Holy Spirit even to those who did no diftinguished Service to the Church; we cannot rationally suppose it was denied to thofe, who made it their honeft Endeavour to perpetuate the Faith by their Writings. The Dew of Heaven; while it defcended on Places comparatively waste and barren, would not be with-held from a more kindly Soil, productive of the moft generous Fruits for the Service and Food of Man. In profecuting this Subject, I fhall shew, : Ist, How far and in what Degree an Affent to the Truth of Chriftianity is obligato ry |