Suppofing it had pleased the Deity, be- SERM.III. fore Glaffes were invented, or Experiments made, to have given us a Syftem of Natural Philofophy, together with that of Religion, containing all the modern Discoveries; what an ample Field of Ridicule would have been opened to little Wits? That Three Divine Perfons, however diflinct, fhould be fo united, as no other PerJons are, or can be; and therefore should be, not fo many Beings as Perfons, but one Being only, would have afforded but little Matter of Raillery: But that Millions of Animalcules, which have Parts correfpondent to Creatures of much larger Dimensions, fhould fubfift together in one little Drop of Water, would have appeared as ridiculous an Abfurdity, as that of ten thousand Spirits being at once upon a minute, and barely visible Point of Matter. That Balaam's Afs should speak, would have supplied them, comparatively, with no great Fund of Pleasantry; fince a Caufe is affigned more than equal to the Effect, and there was an End worthy of that Caufe; viz. to let the Prophet know, in Conformity to the Custom of that Age (which was, not only to notify one's Meaning in meer Words, SERM.III. but to exemplify it by fome striking Instance or Matter of Fact) that his Intention to speak otherwise than God directed, would be of no Avail. For He, who could actuate the Tongue of the dumb Animal, and make it utter what articulate Sounds he pleased, could alfo over-rule the Madnefs of the Prophet, and deprive him of any Power of going beyond the Word of the Lord, or faying more or less than he should order him. But that the Body of Light fhould travel one hundred and fourscore thousands of Miles in the Second of a Minute, as modern Philofophers affert, would have appeared to them an abfolute Contradiction; as it supposed, they would say, the fame Body to be in feveral Places of a prodigious Distance almost at the fame Instant. How would they have been aftonished to bear, what yet has been demonftrated *, ten thousand two hundred and fifty fix Mountains (every one of which is equal to the highest Mountain in the Earth) do not contain fo many Grains of Sand, as one Grain of fuch Sand does Particles of the Blood or Juices of certain Animalcules: or, *See Keillii Introductio ad Phyficam, Pag. 52. 56. that that that the smallest Portion of Matter that can SERM.III. be affigned might diffuse itself over the amplest Extent of Space, and fill it so, that there should be no Vacancy left but what was less than any given Quantity? The Stoicks and Epicureans would not have diverted themselves with the Apostle, for bringing ftrange Things to their Ears, when he told them of the Refurrection. All their Merriment would have been exhaufted upon much ftranger, if he had laid open to them the Secrets of Nature, — the feemingly Magical Operations of the Loadftone; that all the effential Parts of an Animal, however large, are at first folded up in a little Speck scarce difcernible, and that it's Growth is nothing but the Unfolding and Expanfion of those Parts which were contracted before; The Art of restoring a Body to it's former State, when it has been altered by Calcination or Diffolution; acts through a vaft where it is not; that the Sun intermediate Void, Light are reflected from a Surface which they never touched, &c. One would go upon very fure Grounds, before one pronounces peremptorily, fuch Things are abfurd, G 4 SERM.IV. furd, contradictory, and cannot poffibly be in a Divine Revelation: Experience teaching us, that feveral Things in the World actually do exist in such a Manner, as we, antecedently to Experience, fhould have judged impoffible in the Nature of the Thing. What is there, for Inftance, incredible in our Saviour's Miraculous Birth? Suppofing us ignorant of the natural Method of Generation, we should think it as furprizing and incredible to the full, that a Child should be produced jointly by a Male and a Female, as that it should be produced by a Female only: Nor can this be more inconceivable than the Formation of the First Man without any Parents at all. Thus far I have gone, intending, at another Opportunity, to profecute this Subject much farther; as being fenfible, the great Secret of spreading Infidelity confifts in unsettling Men's Minds, by raifing Doubts and Cavils about the Style and inward Contents of Revelation. These are the Intricacies with which they befet the Thorns and Briars, of which unless the Ground be effectually cleared, whatever good Seed or Principles may be fown in it, they will fpring up with them, choak, or render them unfruitful. SER us; The usual Objections against Revelation, founded in Ignorance. In Two Sermons preached before the Univerfity of Oxford. I COR. I. 25. The Foolishness of God is wifer than Men; and the Weakness of God is ftronger than Men. H AVING in a former Difcourfe SERM.IV. shewn, It, That it is owing to Ignorance, that several Things in Revelation feem liable to the Charge of Foolishness; I now proceed, IIdly, To prove, that God hath stamped the brightest Characters of Divinity on some Parts of Revelation, which are thought most exceptionable. The |