proof to us than that Oracular Revelation For God spake but once in that Voice but he speaks by the Prophets to the end of Time That was more astonishing but less instructive to us than Prophecies that are continually unfolded and verified by Events Before I finish this Argument I will briefly consider what is objected against some Doctrines of the Gospel viz. The Trinity the Divine Incarnation the Mean state and Sufferings of the Son of God in the World These Points have been opposed by the Jews and other Infidels as mere Impossibilities directly contrary to the Reason of Mankind To this I answer We must distinguish between what is incomprehensible to Humane Reason and what is repugnant to it between the things which Reason cannot perfectly understand how they can be and the things which it perfectly understands that they cannot be Natural Light may not be able to discover the being of some things and the manner of their existence which really are But what it sees to involve a contradiction is absolutely impossible Now there is no Point in the whole complexion of the Christian Faith that is repugnant to Reason The unity and supreme equality of the Three Persons in the Godhead transcends our conception but Reason cannot prove it to be impossible For the Essence of God is not of the same condition with created Substances so that although in the whole compass of the Creatures there is no like instance but one Nature is always joyn'd with one Subsistence yet it does not follow that the Divine Nature may not subsist in Three Persons All the difficulty that is pretended to be invincible is this That the manner of it is incomprehensible And 't is necessarily so for 't is impossible that what is Infinite should be comprehended by a finite mind The Incarnation of the Son of God wherein the Essence of Christianity consists is not contrary to Reason Indeed 't is impossible that the Divine Nature should be substantially chang'd into the humane Nature and God cease to be God in becoming Man but the Union of the Deity to the humane Nature is not impossible For what repugnance is there either in respect of God or the Creature Is it impossible that the Supreme Goodness should communicate it self in the strictest degree of union to the Reasonable Creature or is the Reasonable Creature incapable to receive the highest Favour This is a great Mystery but the Divine Omnipotence is not to be limited by our narrow thoughts 'T is most reasonable to believe that God can do what we cannot discover how it is performed Seneca prudently observes that extraordinary effects in Nature are unaccountable to us as to their immediate proper Causes whilst we only consider the usual Principles by which it works Nay in the most common works of Nature how many things are so perceptible to Sense that none is so stupid as to deny them yet imperceptible to Reason as to the manner of their production Who understands the admirable conjunction of the Soul and Body in Man how two Metals of so precious and so base alloy Gold and Lead a Spirit and Matter the one celestial the other earthly should so strictly combine and notwithstanding such diversity in their natures and properties imbrace with such concord in their inclinations Now if the sharpest Eye fixt with the greatest attention cannot discern the manner of this Natural Union when the thing is above all doubt can there be any pretence to disbelieve Supernatural Mysteries because we are not able to comprehend how they are effected 3. There being infallible proofs that Jesus Christ was sent from God to make known his compassionate Counsels for the Salvation of Man the consequence is clear and necessary that the Doctrines of his Gospel are to be receiv'd though never so incomprehensible to the natural understanding There is no Demonstration more sure than the Principle of Faith God has declar'd so therefore 't is true 'T is injurious to his Honour to require any other proof of his Word than his Word 'T is incomparably more certain that God cannot deceive us than that our Understandings are not deceived Now what is the main subject of the Gospel It instructs us that the Word was God and the Word was made Flesh. Can there be a more plain Declaration who Jesus Christ is that we may conceive aright of his Natures his Virtues his Prerogatives and Merits It is not possible without violence to interpret the words otherwise than they plainly signifie that a Divine Being assum'd the Humane Nature and was God-Man This was also declar'd by Jesus Christ. For when the Jews supposing him to be a meer Man taxt him for the violation of the Sabbath in his doing a miraculous Cure on that day he replied to their exception My Father works hitherto and I work that is as God is not subject to the Law of the Sabbath but uninterruptedly does the Works of his merciful Providence so I his Son work in all times without limitation This expression the Jews truly understood to import no less than an equality with God a Son being of the same Nature with his Father and therefore charg'd him with Blasphemy Our Saviour allows their Interpretation but vindicates it from Impiety by a further declaring his Cōmunion with God in his Will and Power that he perform'd Divine Works that he might receive the same Divine Honour as the Father had And shall we not believe this Testimony that Jesus Christ gives of himself Did not the WORD understand the meaning of his own Expressions could Truth deceive was it possible for Wisdom to speak improperly Was Power defective and unable to declare what it would have us to understand How unreasonable is it then to object how can this be What pride is it to rebel against the Divine Revelation what obstinacy to remain unsatisfied unless we discover how terms so distant in themselves the highest Being GOD and the lowest in the Sphere of Rational Beings Man should be so strictly united How they should be so intimately joyn'd without confusion of Natures in one Person that 't is truly said God was humbled to the form of a Servant and Man is rais'd to the right-hand of God Here 't is our duty to subject our noblest faculty the Understanding to Divine Revelation In the Doctrines of Faith as well as in the disposures of Providence 't is sufficient to check presumptuous Curiosity that God is the Author I shall add one Consideration more If Jesus Christ was not what he declar'd himself to be the Son of God he was a most Impious Man For 't is Impiety in the supreme degree for any in the pure order of Creatures to assume Divine Honour But the quality of his Doctrine and sanctity of his Life infinitly clear him from such a vile Charge For is it conceivable that a Person guilty of the highest even Sacrilegious Pride should be an Instructer of the most
and honoured by Men proportionably to the Cures that were received from him How much more when done by an undoubted Miracle Of this the People the numerous spectators were so convinc'd that they said When Christ cometh the expected Deliverer will he do more Miracles than these which this Man has done The Pharisees themselves could not deny the Effects but would not acknowledg the true Cause Envy was more powerful in their breasts than the clearest Evidence Therefore to invalidate his Authority they ascrib'd some of his wonderful works to the Prince of Devils But this pretence was so void of all Reason and full of impiety that nothing but inveterate malice could suggest it For would the Devil destroy his own Kingdom is he such a lover of Holiness as to authorise the most perfect Master of it by a compliance with his Will Those proud Spirits are servile only in appearance and when they suffer themselves to be commanded by Men 't is always with design to establish and increase their own Dominion Therefore the most famous Sorcerers observe some Rites by the Devil's prescription and in the using of them acknowledg his power But our Saviour had a soveraign Empire over them and ejected them not only from the Bodies but from the Souls of Men subduing by his holy Doctrine the power of Sin wherein the Kingdom of Satan consists From hence he argues If I by the finger of God cast out Devils then is the Kingdom of God come unto you And hence it was that he charges them with self-condemning obstinancy For if the Gentiles were inexcusable for not acknowledging and honouring God so clearly manifested in the Works of Nature The Jews were as inexcusable for rejecting Jesus Christ so powerfully declared to be the Son of God by supernatural Operations Add further that in his lowest state when he seemd to be utterly forsaken of God yet then his Innocency and the Divinity of his Person were miraculously testified For at his Death even insensible Nature as if it had been capable of Knowledg and Affection was in the most astonishing disorder as resenting the Passion of its Lord. The Sun was eclips'd in a time and place against all possibility of Nature For the Moon was then in opposition to it and in its Full and in an instant past a half Circle of the Heavens to interpose between the body of the Sun and the Earth that the Air at noon day was darkn'd as at midnight This compell'd the Roman Centurion to acknowledg that he that suffer'd was the Son of God And his Resurrection from the Grave was a visible Argument to confirm his Doctrine for that God would not exert his extraordinary power to confirm a false Doctrine in a matter of infinite moment that so nearly concerns his own Glory and the Salvation of Men there is sufficient assurance from his Wisdom Truth Goodness Was there ever any Prince that would permit an Usurper in his own Presence to make use of his Royal Seal to authorise by Commission his Subjects to rebel against him And would God have suffered a Deceiver to work Miracles and thereby obtain Divine Honour from Men the incommunicable Right of the Deity Nay it had not been a bare permission but a positive Act of God himself it being impossible that any other should do them Or would God who is the prime Verity work Miracles to give credit to a Lye and violate the Honour of his Eternal most perfect Veracity Or is it consistent with his Infinite Goodness to make a Delusion so strong that the most sincere would be in great danger to be overcome by it Therefore the Apostle urges it as an uncontroulable Argument of our Saviour's Divine Mission Ye Men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a Man approved of God among you by Miracles and Wonders and Signs which God did by him in the midst of you as you your selves also know These were proofs of the greatest vigour to induce the World to believe that he came from God to make known his Counsel for the recovery of lost undone Mankind 'T is said by Libertines that the Heathens tell miraculous stories to confirm their Religion that their Hero's descended in a right line from some Deity and not to instance in many particulars they boasted of Apollonius Tyanaeus as one that vied with Christ himself in wonderful works But this Objection is easily refuted for if Paganism had a miraculous Power attending it why did it not make use of it to discredit that Power that authoris'd Christianity in the time it made fierce War against it If equal to it in Divine Power and incomparably superiour in humane aids how came it to pass that the weaker prov'd victorious and the stronger was put to flight 'T is evident therefore the pretended Miracles of Paganism were works of the Devil not to be compar'd with what was done by an Almighty Hand If it be again objected That the relation of the Miracles as perform'd by Jesus Christ is from his Disciples who favoured his Person and Cause and therefore may be justly suspected I answer The vanity of the Pretence is apparent for if they had artificially fram'd a Narrative of extraordinary things as done by him in that time wherein they wrote and in the view of many how easy had it been to expose them to the just scorn and hatred of all for their notorious falshood and infatuated Impudence but they were never accus'd of this Nay such was the number clearness and greatness of his Miracles that the uncontrouled fame of them forc'd his Enemies in after-Ages to acknowledg their truth The Jews in their Talmud confess he did Wonders but give such a ridiculous Account of the Means by which they were done as betrays the weakness of their Reason and the strength of their Malice against him And his Apostles with their Successors in preaching the Gospel wrought Miracles so frequently in the face of many Nations that those who were most obstinately averse from submitting to it could not deny what was visible to thousands and that Miraculous Power they always ascribed to the Name of CHRIST So that there is no colour for jealousy as if his Miracles recorded in the Gospel were not true But because the Resurrection of Christ is the great Principle upon which all Christian hopes depend I will shew that we have all the rational assurance of it that it is capable of This being a matter of fact done many Ages past is to be proved by Testimony And first 't is worthy of Observation that the Providence of God is concern'd to authorize this manner of proof that is absolutely necessary for the preserving humane Societies 'T is of little importance whether the truth of things be discovered in speculative Sciences or the appearance of it deceive the Inquirer 'T is no wrong to the Commonwealth that an Astronomer mistakes in his dimensions of the magnitude of the Sun for his
errour does not lessen its benign influences still it shines and causes the Spring and Autumn 'T is of little importance that a Philosopher is deceiv'd in his search after the principles of mixt bodies for notwithstanding his mistake Animals still live and move and perform all the Functions sutable to their Nature But in Judgments that respect matters of Fact if the Truth cannot be known by testimonys the civil felicity cannot long subsist For the unjust distribution of Rewards and Punishments is necessarily ruinous to the Being of the State And is it credible the Divine Providence that reaches to the smallest parts of the World in such an admirable manner should leave the conduct of humane affairs even of the greatest moment to a deceitful Light And that after the most diligent search and caution has been used the result should be only wavering Conjectures This imagination is extreamly injurious to his Wisdom and Goodness In particular if we consider the Number and the Quality of the Witnesses of Christ's Resurrection and the Circumstances of their Testimony we shall have so clear conviction of its truth as may induce us most firmly to believe it I do not now speak of a Divine Faith that supernatural Light that makes us acquiesce in things because God has reveal'd them but of a rational humane Faith grounded on just and powerful motives which is preparatory for the Divine 1. The Law admits two Witnesses as a competent number in Causes of greatest moment Of this there were many The approved Integrity of a Witness gives weight to his Testimony as on the contrary a known Lyar forfeits his Credit so entirely that he is not believed when he speaks true When Demades the Orator addrest himself to the Athenians I call all the Gods and Goddesses to witness the truth of what I shall say The Athenians often abused by his impudent Lyes presently interrupted him And we call all the Gods and Goddesses to witness we will not believe you The bare word of an Honest Man in an important matter perswades more than the most exquisite Oaths and far-fetch'd Imprecations by which a Lyar would give credit to his Imposture Now we have strong proof of the Integrity of the Apostles If an inflexible Fidelity and constant Truth were qualities so remarkable in the Community of the Primitive Christians that the Pagan Judges themselves were constrained to acknowledg it certainly they were found more eminently in those by whose Doctrine and Example they form'd themselves And as it is impossible to possess this Vertue so strictly united to Justice in an excellent degree without having all the others so 't is evident they were adorn'd with all moral Vertues For their lives were above the least reproach and charge of their implacable enemies so that they were fain to make express Laws against their Profession to render them guilty in Appearance Besides the circumstances of their Testimony make it very valuable 1. 'T was not built on the report of others Mere hear-say is very deceitful and often like a Contagion passes from Ear to Ear and blasts the Reputation of the Innocent with easy and credulous persons But a Testimony from sight makes impression on the belief of wise considering Men. Now we have undoubted Assurance of Christ's Resurrection from the clear and concurrent deposition of their Senses What we have heard and what we have seen with our eyes and what we have handled of the Word of Life saith the Apostle St. John 2. The uniformity of their Testimony renders it convincing If any material contradiction be between Witnesses 't is an infallible mark of their Forgery But the Apostles agreed not only in the substance but in the particularity of the Fact In vain Porphiry and Julian rack'd their Wits to find some contrariety in their Relations An impartial Inquirer must acknowledge all their Objections to be mere Cavils and effects of Malice 3. There were no motives to corrupt them For the humane will is naturally moved either by attraction of some Good or aversion from some Evil. A Fiction is not maintain'd for pure love of it self but with respect to either of those objects whether real or in appearance The Roman Histories report that Julius Proculus solemnly swore that he saw Romulus ascend to Heaven but the motive of his Imposture is visible for it was to prevent a great disorder among the People But 't is very evident that nothing desirable in the World had the least influence upon the Apostles Nay on the contrary whatever was terrible to Nature discourag'd them They suffer'd all temporal evils even Death it self for this Testimony And this last proof confirms all the others They are called Martyrs by way of excellency who have seal'd the Truth with their Blood Now what can be added to give us full and entire Faith in their Testimony In great and difficult Cases suspected Persons are put to Torture for the discovery of Truth The Apostles were tryed by the sharpest Sufferings yet declar'd the Resurrection of their Divine Master with unfainting perseverance What shadow of doubt can remain after such clear evidence of their sincerity Let sober Reason judge whether the matter is capable of proof more strong and convincing If it be said they were deceived with an Illusion either being distemper'd or in a dream both the pretences are most absur'd and incredible For the operations of the External Senses may be infallibly discern'd by their proper caracters from those of the Imaginations Indeed if the mind be in disorder either from some more fixed and tenacious cause or from sleep the influences of Reason are suspended or only some faint rays appear and are suddenly extingush'd so that it can make no true judgment of things In this state the Imagination draws all the vigour of the Soul to it self and the Phantasms are made so bright by the heat of the Spirits in the brain that those painted Scenes seem to be as real as the substantial objects we see hear and touch But sound Reason can reflect upon it self and extend its veiw to the operations of all the other faculties and observe the just and certain difference between Chimaeras in the imagination and things really existant It comprehends distinctly and with assurance that it is not disturb'd and that the Internal and External Senses are dispos'd for their regular operations It considers that the Pageants of Fancy moving in a dream vanish in a moment upon waking But real effects perceiv'd by the Senses in their full exercise are more constant and durable One may be wounded in a dream yet feel not loss of blood or strength when he is awake But the wounds received in a Combat are sometimes rebellious against the most potent remedies Now to apply this to the present subject Is it in the least degree probable that a vain shadow in a dream should make an indelible impression on the memories of the Apostles and their waking thoughts should
the spectators of his Death All that see me laugh me to scorn they shoot out the lip they shake the head saying He trusted in the Lord that he would deliver him let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him His words spoken in the heighth of his distress My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The Prophet Isaiah represents the Ignominy and Torments of his Passion I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair I hid not my face from shame and spitting and by the eyes of his mind saw him crucified between two Thieves He was named with Transgressors and as present at his most affectionate dying prayer for his enemies Father forgive them they know not what they do observe that he made intercession for Transgressors Thus as several Painters that would draw divers Copies from the same excellent Original are intent to view its various Aspects some directly some on this and the other side so the Prophets as if they had been the Spectators of his cruel Sufferings copied from the life every one that part that the Holy Spirit assigned to them Now how was it possible if not instructed by Omniscience that being so distant in time and place and so long before the Accomplishment they should concur in such an exact description of what should befal the Messiah Men are not Prophets by the light of Reason as Nature is not subjected to their power to work Miracles neither is Futurity open to their view to compose an History of things to come The Death of Christ depended on several Causes Men Devils and God himself concurr'd for divers Ends in the same Event The two prime Conspirators against his Life Lucifer and Caiphas were moved both from Reasons of State to secure their own The Devil to maintain his cruel Empire which for so many Ages he had usurp'd in the World For our Saviour having with Authority cast out Legions of his ministring Spirits from those who were miserably possest by them he was in fear of losing his Power Besides he foresaw that if Christ were the Son of God the killing of him would bring such a crimson guilt upon the Jews that no less punishment than their Rejection would follow And so God should lose his peculiar People Caiaphas excited the Council to devote him as a Sacrifice to preserve their Nation from ruine for their safety depending on their homage to the Romans to prevent the jealousies that might arise by the fame of his mighty Works and by the Peoples attendance on him that were fed by his Miracles they concluded on it as a necessary expedient that Christ should dy and all suspicions be removed with him Thus Men and Devils were the instruments but God appointed that great Event The storm fell from Heaven upon Him for our Sins 'T is therefore expresly said He was delivered by the determinate Counsel and foreknowledge of God who over-ruled the train of disorders the work of their cruel malice for contrary ends than were design'd by them For the Devils were cast out of their Kingdom the Jews depriv'd of their Liberty and the Kingdom of Christ establish'd for ever Now who could read in the Mind of God his free Decrees even the Angels of Light that always see his face cannot without a revelation of them None but the Spirit that searches the deep things of God could make the discovery And who could foresee that the Messiah so often promised to the Jews so impatiently expected and ardently desir'd should be so fiercely rejected by them that his Death should be the effect as of his own love so of their hatred None but God to whom all the periods of time are equally present and who is more intimate with the Counsels and Passions of Men than their own Souls are could predict it He communicated some rays of his Prescience to holy Men who foretold that obscurest Contingency From hence it follows that the clear Testimonies of the Prophets exactly fulfill'd in Jesus Christ are an unanswerable demonstration that He was the expected Deliverer to restore the World 2. The universal and irreparable Destruction of the State of the Jews foretold as the just punishment of their rejecting the Messiah is another illustrious proof of the Divinity of his Person and Doctrine To represent all the Characters of that Vengeance as they are set down by Josephus an Eye-Witness and Historian of it would lengthen this Discourse beyond the limits intended It is sufficient to observe 1. That all the severe Scourges of God met in a direful conjunction against them The most affrighting Prodigies were his forerunners A flaming-Sword brandish'd in the Heavens and Monsters born on the Earth And War Famine Pestilence and Fire were his Attendants Those who escap't the Sword were consum'd by Famine and those who were preserved from cruel War and Famine were swept away by the Pestilence or devour'd by the merciless Flames Wherever they turn'd their eyes Death in terrible shapes appear'd 2. All these Judgments were inflicted at once upon them in the heaviest degrees The Sword never made a greater destruction of Men than in Jerusalem here were Rivers of Blood there Mountains of Carcasses In some places nothing but silence and horrour amongst the dead in others the crys and groans of the dying Innumerable were massacred by the rage of Sedition amongst themselves And when the mild Conquerour would have spared them yet by an unparallel'd fierceness they would rather perish in an obstinate resistance The Famine was so extreme as compell'd even tender Mothers to eat the flesh of their miserable Children The Fire consum'd the City from one end to the other without leaving any part entire The Temple the Sanctuary of Religion and Image of Heaven where God so long had dwelt had been serv'd and prais'd and rendred his Oracles was not exempted from the fury of the Fire 3. Their Calamity was extreme and irreparable The first Desolation by the Chaldeans so compassionately recorded by Jeremiah was not comparable in the degrees and continuance to this second by the Romans of which CHRIST himself was the Chief Mourner and made lamentation Then they were transported together and not to a very rigorous nor perpetual servitude in Babylon After seventy years they recover'd their Liberty and were restored to their Native Land But in the last the Captives were dispers'd among divers People a sad Prognostick that they should never be joyned again in one Society The Ruines of the Nation were so great that the pieces of it are scatter'd all over the World Where ever a Jew is found there is a stone of ruin'd Jerusalem never to be rebuilt In short that wretched Nation is rent into innumerable parts and expos'd to the contempt and hatred of all As the Body of a Traitor is quarter'd and the parts hung up in several places of publick view to signify the horrour of his Crimes in the severity of his