A SERMON Preached before the Right Honourable THE Lord Mayor, THE aldermans, AND Governors of the several Hospitals of the City of LONDON.  
At St. Bridget's Church On Easter-Monday, 1700.  
By the Right Reverend Father in God WILLIAM, Lord Bishop of OXFORD.  
LONDON, Printed by Tho. Warren, for Thomas Bennet, at the Half-Moon in St. Paul's Churchyard, 1700.   
JOHN xv. 22. If I had not come, and spoken unto them, they had not had Sin; but now have they no Cloak for their Sin. JOHN xv. 23. He that hateth me, hateth my Father also. JOHN xv. 24. If I had not done among them the Works which none other Man did, they had not had Sin; but now have they both seen, and hated both me, and my Father. 
THE Church's Observation of Easter, at this time calls for a Discourse upon our Lord's Resurrection: Respect to the particular Occasion of the meeting of this Honourable Assembly, would direct me to the subject of Charity.  
I am sorry to add, that the bold and daring attempts, that are at this Day made upon our Religion in general, necessarily require something to be said upon so Public an Occasion, in Vindication of it.  
I hope I may in some measure Answer all these Obligations, by attempting to prove the truth of our Religion; as from other Miracles wrought for the Confirmation of it, so chief from our Saviour's Resurrection; by which he was declared to be the Son of God with Power, and by endeavouring in my Application to persuade you to Evidence to yourselves and the World the sincerity of your Faith in this Religion, by a Practice conformable to the Holy Laws of it, and particularly to that, which in the Extent wherein it is enjoined us by our Religion is peculiar to it; that of Charity: There is so close a Connection, betwixt the Christian Religion and Charity, that he, that asserts the Christian Religion, is one of the best Advocates for Charity; and he that truly practices Charity, one of the best Pleaders for the Christian Religion.  
In the Verses of my Text, and those immediately preceding, our Lord is arming his Apostles against two great discouragements they were like to meet with in the discharge of their Office, viz. A violent Persecution of their Persons, and a mighty Opposition to their Doctrine.  
Of both these he tells them, he had had his share, and considering the Relation they stood in to him, that they were his Servants, and he their Lord, they could not think it strange if they should not be better treated than he had been: These things therefore they ought to expect and prepare for, and for their support under them he adds, All these things will they do unto you for my Names sake, all the Persecutions, Reproaches and Despiteful usage, that shall befall you, will be upon my score, who surely have deserved from you, and am able abundantly to make up to you, whatever you can suffer upon my account: And for the Opposition which Wicked Men will make to the Doctrines you are to Preach, let not that affright you, for I having so plainly proposed it to the World, as a Doctrine that came from God, and so evidently demonstrated it to be so, that they cannot Plead ignorance or want of Conviction; their Infidelity who shall oppose it, will be without excuse, and their rejecting of it, interpreted by God, to be a Malicious resisting and Contemning of me, and him too. If I had not come, etc.  
What our Lord supposed would be the condition of his Religion, and the Preachers of it then, is too plainly the case of both at this time.  
'Tis pretty hard that after near 1700 Years Prescription, the Title of the Christian Religion to Truth should be called into Question: But so it is, Arguments are urged for Natural Religion, in Opposition to any Revealed one, the rise and progress of the Christian in particular, is ascribed to Policy and Design in some, and to Credulity, and a disposition to hearken to any Impostor in others: the Holy Author of it is treated with those Insolences and Blasphemies, which it could not but be as uneasy to you to hear, as to me to repeat them: To give only one instance, his riding into Jerusalem, is impiously represented under the light Expression of making his Cavalcade upon his Asinego. 
Orac. of Reas. P. 165.   
And these horrible Blasphemies, have been not only once impudently Printed and Published to the World, under the Pompous Titles of Oracles of Reason in the Life time of the Author; but since the death of that unhappy Man, Reprinted with other of his Wretched Works, and an Epistle before them, placing the Author in Heaven, and giving his Works the Characters of sacred Monuments; Truths of too great importance to be slightly runover, of too great Beauty not to hold our Eyes sometime on them. And these by the way are some of the Excellent fruits of that Liberty of the Press, for which that Author was so Zealous an Advocate. 
Just Vindication of Learning, and the Liberty of the Press.   
After this Treatment of our Lord, no usage of us his Ministers can be surprising, if they have called the Master of the House Belzebub, what must they of the Household expect? We cannot wonder at their charging us with Hypocrisy and Deceit, Self-Interest, and Worldly Designs, and what not.  
Nay so far as all these reproaches affect us only, we can, I hope, not only patiently endure, but even rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Christ, to bear his reproach, and to fill up what is behind of his Sufferings: And in Obedience to his Command, and Conformity to his example, forgive and pray for those that thus Despitefully use us, Father forgive them, I wish we could add, They know not what they do.  
But, so far as these contumelies affect our Master and his Religion, and they are wounded through us, as most certainly an affront offered to an Ambassador as such, does not rest in him, but reaches the Prince that gave him his Character, and as certainly they that are endeavouring to bring a contempt upon the Priest's Office, and render it useless, are aiming at our Religion; for if they can destroy the Priesthood (as some speak their intentions pretty plainly) the Discipline and Ordinances of Christ cannot be administered, and if our Public Ordinances were once laid aside, 'twould not be possible long to keep up a Face of Religion; upon these views we may be allowed to be Jealous of the Honour of our Master and his Institutions, and shall not surely be thought to carry our Resentments too far, by making that return to their Insolences and Blasphemies, which the Archangel made to one of old, famous for his Oracles, the Lord Rebuke them, and by opposing to their impotent attempts to render our Religion suspected, those irrafragable Arguments for the Truth of it, which must prevail wherever Reason is permitted to be judge.  
So far am I from affronting Reason, 
Preface to Orac. Reas.  that Sovereign Guide, as 'tis called, or from infringing its liberty of directing, even in the choice of a Religion, that I do very freely acknowledge, that a Religion, which cannot be Reasonably accounted for, is not fit for a Rational Creature to own, nor worth his keeping.  
I speak of a Religion in gross; a Man ought to know upon what grounds he takes it up before he professes one, and to be able to give better Reasons for it, than because it is the Religion of the Country wherein he lives, or that wherein he was educated.  
He that embraces a Religion without any, or any good Reason, is likely enough to part with it upon as easy Terms.  
He that owns one merely because it is professed in the Country wherein he lives, must change one as often as he does the other.  
He that Pleads Education, urges an Argument common to all Religions, and since all cannot be true, an Argument, that may be equally used for all must needs be Bad.  
A Man should therefore well examine the force of those Motives that are offered to him, to persuade him to be of this or that Religion, and not give himself 〈◊〉 to any, but that which is proved to be the true one, by such Arguments, as agree to that and to no other, and such as will be of weight with him in all times and places, and sufficient to prevail with a prudent and considering Man, to adventure so great a stake thereupon, as the Everlasting condition of his Immortal Soul, and such Arguments for the Christian Religion has our Saviour furnished us with, in the Words of my Text.  
If, says he, I had not come and spoke unto them, (i. e.) If I had not come according to the Ancient Predictions, and appeared publicly in the World as a Prophet sent by God, and Preached a Doctrine as from him, so Pure and Holy, that it plainly carried his Image and Superscription upon it, They had not had Sin, (i. e.) they might have had the Plea of Ignorance, but, now they have no Cloak for their Sin, i. e. no pretence, no colour of an excuse to cover their incredulity. And,  
If I had not done among them the Works which none other Man did, i. e. if I had not justified my Mission, Authority and Doctrine to be from God, by Working such Miracles for the proof of them, which no Man could do without a Divine assistance, their rejecting of me, and my Doctrine might have been more Pardonable, But now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father's, (i. e.) they have seen him, his Power in those Works which I have wrought in his Name, and their rejecting my Doctrine for the confirmation whereof he so plainly appeared, is a Malicious opposing not of me only, but of the Father himself.  
So that from hence I might take occasion to insist upon two Arguments for the proof of the Christian Religion; one taken from those internal Marks of Divinity which appear in it, the Holiness and Purity of what our Saviour spoke or taught, the other from those External evidences which we have of its Truth in the Miraculous Works, which were wrought for the attestation of it.  
But the first of these, though it be an excellent and forcible Argument for our Religion, with , Pious, and well disposed Minds, yet it will hardly have its due weight with such Adversaries as we have to deal with, nay, in truth, it is rather, I fear, the true ground of their opposition to it, for to apply, what one of their great Masters has said of Reason to Religion, if Religion be against a Man, a Man will be against Religion.  
I shall therefore at this time confine myself to the second Argument, which is taken from those Works, which were wrought for the proof of our Religion, and particularly that signal one, the raising of the Holy Author of it from the Dead.  
In order to the more regular proceeding; I must state the Question with the Deist, and lay down some demands so reasonable, that he shall be ashamed to deny them.  
The dispute is not between Natural and Revealed Religion, for both one and the other are from God, who cannot differ from himself, but the question is between us, and the Deists, as they call themselves, whether God has left Men as to the way of Worshipping and Serving him, to the light of Nature only, to those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, those common Notices of Good and Evil, which are naturally implanted in their Hearts, or whether he has made any farther discovery of his Will by the Ministry of any that he has sent into the World for that end, and particularly by Jesus Christ.  
I assert the latter part of the Question, and to make way for my Argument, lay down.  
First, That God can, if he Pleases, make known or discover a Religion to Men by an External Revelation.  
Natural Religion and Revealed Religion are not so properly opposed, but that Natural Religion is a Revealed Religion, but it is Revealed by an Internal way of Proposal, whereas that which we especially mean by Revealed Religion is discovered by an External way of Proposal: Now they that contend that God has discovered a Religion by an Internal way of Proposal, cannot deny but that he may, if he will, discover one by an External way, by raising up and impowering fit instruments for that Purpose; one of these does no more imply a Contradiction than the other, nor is more repugnant to any of the Divine perfections, and God can do whatever implies not a Contradiction.  
Secondly, That, if it appear that such Testimony has been given to an External Revelation, as none but God could give, such Works wrought and appealed to for the proof of the Truth and Divinity thereof, which could not be effected without a Divine Assistance; This is an undeniable evidence that God has made such a Revelation: For if God has put forth his Power to attest that a Revelation came from him, either what is so attested is true, or God, who is essential Truth, has given his Testimony and Seal to a lie.  
Thirdly, That those who have the clearest and best evidence, that such Divine Testimony has been given to the Truth, and Divinity of an External Revelation, that a thing of that Nature is capable of, and such as supposing it true, they could not have had better, have all the reason that can be to submit to it, and if they do not, have no Cloak for their Sin, no Plea for their Infidelity, for they resist the utmost Conviction that can be had.  
These things being premised, I will go on in this Method.  
1. I will show that those Works which we say were wrought for the proof of the Christian Religion, especially the resurrection of Christ from the Dead, were such as could not have been effected by any Power less than Divine.  
2. I will prove that we have the best evidence, that such Works were wrought for that purpose, that the matter is capable of, and such as we could not have had better, supposing it true.  
3. I will inquire what Cloak the Unbeliever has for his Sin, what Plea he can offer, what excuse he can pretend for his infidelity. And,  
4. I shall conclude with some practical Application with regard to the particular occasion of our meeting  
1. The Works, which we say were wrought for the proof of the Christian Religion, were such as no Person, unassisted with a Divine Power, could have done: They were, commanding the Winds and Seas, stilling Tempests, casting out Devils, cleansing Lepers, healing the most inveterate Diseases, restoring the Deaf to their Hearing, and giving Sight and use of Limbs, to those who were born Blind and Lame, etc. and all these were done in so many Moment's, without the Application of any, or any competent means for the effecting of them, by a bare Touch, or but Speaking a Word, and yet the effects were real and lasting, the Blind, Deaf, and Lame, immediately Seeing, Hearing, Walking, and continuing so to do.  
Now by what Power, less than Divine, could these things have been done?  
As for Nature, if these things are within the compass of her Working, not beyond the Laws prescribed her, but such as might be done by some secret and unknown Power in her, 'Tis very strange that she never exerted that Power before nor since: But I shall only ask how the Author, and first Planters of the Christian Religion, came to be upon the secret, at that time privy to that design of hers, of putting herself forth in such an extraordinary manner then, that they could exactly know the minute when, the object about which, and the instance wherein she would exercise that Power, which till that time had lain Dormant in her, and that so certainly, that they could confidently appeal thereto for the Truth of what they taught, and let the Credit of their Doctrine depend thereupon? Men that have Curiously enquired into Nature, may from Observations which they have made upon their own or others Experience, that such and such things have happened upon such and such Conjunctures, when they see the like Conjunctures, foretell, that probably the same effects will follow: But if Men shall certainly foreknow that strange things beyond the Ordinary course of Nature will happen at such a time, which never happened before, and of which therefore they could have no Experience to ground an Observation upon; if the Work itself were not above Nature, yet the foreknowledge of it must be Supernatural and from God alone. And the Revealing of things of this kind to a Person, whereby he is enabled to appeal to them for the truth of what he Teaches, will as effectually bring in God for a Voucher of his Doctrine, as if the Works themselves had been done by his immediate Assistance.  
But whatever may be pretended of others, some at least of those Works, which we say were wrought by the Author for the Proof of our Religion, are such as are confessedly beyond the Power of Nature, or any Created Being.  
And those are, his raising of several, and Himself at the last, from the Dead: Those that deny all Miracles, own that these would be Miracles, if they ever were or should be done.  
These things then being granted to be beyond the reach of any Power less than Infinite, the Evidence of Fact that they have been done, and that for the attestation of the truth of the Christian Religion, shall be made out in my next.  
2. Proposition, and that by the best proof a thing of this Nature is capable of: I say, the best proof it is capable of, for all things are not capable of Mathematical, or Metaphysical Evidence: Matters of Fact which happened before our time or in distant places from us, are capable of no other than that which we call Moral proof; but if they are proved by the best Evidence of that sort, they are as well proved in their kind, as Propositions in either of those Sciences which are Demonstrated.  
Now as to the Moral Evidence, that the above mentioned Facts were done for the proof of the Christian Religion, we have them recorded in a Venerable History, against which none of those Objections can be Justly made, which can render the Authority of any History suspected.  
For if there be reason to suspect the truth of any History, it must be upon the account of either the Book or the Author.  
If upon the account of the Book, it is either because the Book is in the whole Spurious, not written by the pretended Author, but the Work of some later Impostor; or else because it is faulty in part, having been Interpolated or Corrupted.  
If upon the account of the Author, it must be because he had not either sufficient Opportunity of knowing himself the matters he relates, or honesty enough to relate truly what he did know: Either he was imposed upon, believing those things to fall out which did not, or else he had a design to impose upon others.  
But where none of these things can be reasonably suspected, where we have good grounds to believe a Book to be genuine, entire and pure, and the Author both knowing and honest, well acquainted himself with what he relates, and without any design to lead others into Error; in such a case there can be no cause, nor pretence of a cause, to doubt of the truth of a History.  
Now that the Books wherein these Miracles are recorded, the Books of the New Testament are genuine, we have certain information from the very Men, 
Clem. Roman. Ignat. Polycarp.  that knew and conversed with the Writers of them. Those that lived in the time of the Authors, and conversed with them, had certainly opportunities of knowing whether the Books were genuine or not, and it mightily concerned them to inquire nicely, and be well satisfied that they were so; and no doubt they were upon inquiry so satisfied, when they asserted the truth of them, with the utmost hazard of what was dearest to them in this World, and ventured likewise thereupon their Eternal Salvation in the next: We find these Books transmitted as Authentic to the next Generation, and received as such by them, 

Justin M. Ir●n●…us, and the Apologists.  
Tertull.   nay, the very Originals appealed to, as remaining at the end of the Second Age.  
Of the truth of these Books they were so unquestionably satisfied in the next, that rather than deliver up these Books to their Persecutors, they chose to give up themselves to the severest Torments and Deaths.  
And from thence we have an uninterrupted Tradition of the truth, and genuiness of them continued down to our times.  
And as they are genuine, so that they are pure and uncorrupted, the early dispersing them into distant places, and translating them into several Languages, will not suffer any one to doubt: For since in all the Copies and Translations now Extant, there is such a perfect agreement in the main, that they hardly differ in any thing of great Moment, how can it be imagined, that so many Men of different Countries and Tongues, living remotely, and having little Commerce with each other, should all conspire together to falsify their Copies, to put such a cheat upon themselves and their Posterity, as to interpolate those Books, which they believed and asserted to be Divine, and contain the Words of Eternal Life, and transmit them so corrupted to Ages to come?  
For the Writers of these Books, that they could not but know, whether the matters which they related were true or false, is certain from the Facts themselves, which being Matters of Sense, they were very Competent Judges of them, and which they do not relate as done in Ages past and places remote, which they do not take upon trust, nor tell upon hearsay, but as done in their own time and fight.  
If therefore they have related that which is false, they must have done it knowing and designedly.  
But that they should feign what they wrote, designing to abuse the World, cannot be suspected by any that consider, that they were honest and harmless Men, of unblameable Conversations, that they were mean illiterate Persons, hardly capable of inventing to coherent a Story: That there was no advantage they could propose to themselves from it, but contrariwise they exposed themselves by it to ignominy and contempt, to Poverty and spoiling of their Goods, to Imprisonment, Tortures and Death.  
But let it be supposed, that they had Wickedness and Malice enough to design to abuse the World, and an interest to serve by so doing, and withal Wit and Skill enough to contrive such a plausible Fable; yet how could they ever hope to make it pass upon the World, when they wrote in the very place that was the Scene of all those strange Works which they reported, and addressed themselves to the very Men before whom they were done, and that whilst they were fresh in their Memories, appealing to them for the truth of them?  
Certainly if these things were Fictions, to go about to impose them in such a manner upon Men, must argue those that attempted it to be plainly Distracted and out of their Wits, either they had too little Sense to invent these Stories, or too much to hope to make them believe them to whom they related them: For Men cannot be deceived in Matters concerning which appeal is made to their Senses: Strange Stories of things pretended to be done in times of Old, or Foreign Countries, may though false, when confidently reported, pass upon easy People, but no Credulity can be so great as to be persuaded by any Confidence, or Impudence rather, that Matters of Face which were not done at all, were done in ones Presence and Sight.  
If then what these Men relate were false, since those to whom they directed their reports could not but know they were so as well as themselves, sure no folly ever equalled that of the Relators, except haply that of those that could believe them: And yet we find many thousands believing these Relations, reverencing the Authors of them, embracing the Religion they Preached, and for the proof of which those Miracles were done and related; and for the sake thereof, forsaking the Gods they had Worshipped, renouncing the Religion they had been Educated in, sacrificing their Lusts and Vices, and not counting their Lives dear to them: So that either there were such Miracles wrought as these Persons related, or this at least must be one, that those relations should obtain so much Credit in the World.  
Having thus asserted the Authority of the History, I beg leave to consider a little more particularly some of the Facts recorded in it.  
In this Book than we meet with a long train of Miracles, Works beyond the Power of Nature or any Created Being, wrought by a Person, that professes himself sent by God to Reveal his Mind and Will to the World, to which Miracles he constantly appeals for the Proof of his Mission and Doctrine. Believe me for the Works sake, I have greater testimony than that of John, the Works that I do in my Father's name bear Witness of me, and if I by the Finger of God cast out Devils, no doubt the Kingdom of God is come unto you.  
But in a more especial manner his Resurrection is asserted as the most Demonstrative proof of his being sent by God.  
To raise the Dead is an uncontroverted Prerogative of the Deity, and certainly and distinctly to foretell future Contingencies is so too: Now in the Gospel we read that when the Jews came to Christ, twice desiring a sign of him, that he would show his Credentials, make some proof of his Commission and Authority, he tells them once, Destroy this Temple, (speaking of the Temple of his Body) and in three Days I will raise it up. And another time, no other sign shall be given but the sign of the Prophet Ionas. For as Ionas was three Days and Nights in the Belly of the Whale, so the San of Man shall be three Days and Nights in the Heart of the Earth.  
Now here he lays the Credit and Authority of all that he asserted concerning himself, or taught them, upon the falling out of a thing future, and that a thing impossible to Nature or any Created Being; upon his rising from the Dead the third Day after they should Kill him: And as he foretold, it fell out, after they that had crucified him, were satisfied that he was Dead, had laid him in a New Tomb, and to prevent any attempts to steal away his Body, had Sealed the Sepulchre, and set a strong Watch to guard it; the third Day the Sepulchre was found empty, the Linen  that his Body was wrapped in lying there, but his Body was gone.  
Their pretence that after all the precaution they had used, his Disciples came by Night and stole him away while the Watchmen slept, is too idle, and Contradictory to need a Confutation. What hopes could the poor scattered Disciples have to succeed in such an attempt, and what end could they propose to serve if they should succeed? What motive could prevail with them? Love to their Dead Master, and a design to get reputation to his Religion could never do it: For either they had some Expectation that he should rise from the Dead, grounded upon the Scripture-Type, and Predictions, concerning the Messiah, and the Applications which Jesus had made of them to himself, or they had no such Expectations: If they had no such Expectations, if as the Evangelists tell us, they knew not the Scriptures, that he was to rise from the Dead, if they were so far from expecting any such thing, that when he was risen, the Words of those that reported it, seemed to them as idle Tales, and they were not without great difficulty persuaded to believe it, why then should they attempt to steal him away, and make the World believe he was Risen?  
But if they did expect his rising again, observing what the Scriptures had foreshewn of the Resurrection of the Messiah, and what he had promised for himself, as the great proof of his Authority and Religion, that in three Days he would raise again the Temple of his Body; Then, if after three Days he was not risen, what should move them to try with so much hazard to themselves, to make Men believe he was risen? Whereas, if he had failed them in this, they had all the reason in the World to look upon him as an Impostor, and themselves as Cheated by him, who had avouched himself to be the Messiah, and yet had not Answered the Characters given by the Prophets of the Messiah, who had made himself the Antitype of Ionas, who lay three Days and Nights in the Whale's Belly, and declared that in conformity to the Type, he would lie three Days and Nights in the Belly of the Earth, and rise again the third, and yet was so far from making this good, that after many three days, he still lay Captivated under the Power of Death: When they were once convinced of this, it had been surely the greatest madness in the World for them to expose themselves to Dangers and Miseries, to attest so monstrous a lie, either for the sake of such a deceiver, or of a Religion which such an Impostor was the Author of.  
But I need not insist upon this, for the Sepulchre was not only found empty, but he frequently appeared and showed himself alive to several the very Day of his Resurrection, that it might appear, that the Circumstance of time, which he foretold, was fulfiled; And when his Disciples upon his first appearance among them, (he showed himself three several times to them when they were Assembled together) were affrighted, supposing they had seen a Spirit, without any real Body, he calls for Meat and eats before them, he appeals to their Senses, bids them Handle him and Feel that he had a true Body consisting of Flesh and Bone, and to convince them that 'twas the same Body that suffered, he shows them the Prints of the Nails in his Hands and Feet, and afterwards made Thomas, who it seems was resolved to submit to no less Conviction, to thrust his hands into the Wound made by the Spear in his Side; and to support the Testimony which these should give of his Resurrection, and to put it beyond all Contradiction, he appeared to more than Five hundred at once, and last of all to St. Paul, who appealed to the greatest part of that Five hundred as then living, for the proof of this, 1 Cor. 15. So that this matter as it is laid in these Books, is so attested, that no one former thing in the whole World ever had that evidence of Fact.  
The sum of what I have said is this,  
The evidence of these Facts is so strong, that whoever can disbelieve them, can never believe any thing that happened before his own time or out of his own sight: The Facts are such, that whoever believes they were done, cannot disbelieve that Doctrine for the proof of which they were done, without believing that God who can no more deceive than be deceived, has misled Men into the belief of a falsehood, in a matter, wherein it is of the greatest consequence to them not to be mistaken, by the greatest and most irresistible External Evidence that can be had of the Truth of any thing: And consequently those to whom these Facts are thus made out, can have no good reason to deny or suspend their Assents to that Religion, for the confirmation whereof these Works were wrought. What cloak they have for their Infidelity, what pretences they would cover it with, we shall see in the third and next particular. And here  
First, 'Tis said that the Christian Religion has not been generally Revealed, and therefore cannot be necessary to future Happiness; because if it were, those who could not know it, are out of a Possibility of a future State of Blessedness, which seems Inconsistent with God's Infinite goodness, who provides for all his Creatures, the means of attaining that Happiness, whereof their Natures are capable. Orac. of Reas. p. 198, etc.  
The force of which objection depends upon a false supposition; they take it for granted that we teach that those who could not have any knowledge of the Christian Religion are out of a capacity of being saved: Thus they would have it believed that we say, because otherwise they have no ground for this Argument: But for our parts, we deny that our Church teaches any such Doctrine.  
We do not determine Peremptorily of the Eternal State of the Heathens: we do not pretend to Judge those that are without, to their own Master they stand or fall.  
We say indeed Infidelity is a damning Sin, but we mean not a Negative, but a Privative Infidelity, a want of Faith in a subject capable of it.  
We say there is no Salvation but through the Merits of Jesus Christ; but say not whether or how far God may extend the benefit of those Merits, to such as live according to the best light they have, and whose unhappiness, and not fault it is, that they want the light of Revelation.  
To be sure they shall not be Judged by, or Condemned for not obeying, the Revealed Law, which being not made known could not be a Rule to them, but shall be tried by the Law written in their Hearts: So St. Paul expressly says, Rom. 2.14. The Gentiles having not the Law, are a Law to themselves, which show the Work of the Law written in their Hearts; their Conscience also bearing witness, and their Thoughts the mean while accusing, or else excusing one another, in the Day when God shall Judge the secrets of Men by Jesus Christ, according to my Gospel.  
But if we are so Charitable to the Gentiles, why should not we Judge as favourably of our Modern Deists?  
Their cases are widely different. The former never heard of Christ or his Religion: These have heard of, and yet oppose and revile both. And our Saviour has plainly determined in favour of the former, rather than these, in my Text, If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had Sin; but now they have no Cloak for their Sin.  
Secondly, It may be objected against the Authority of the Scriptures, that there have several Books gone abroad in the World under the Names of the Sacred Writers, which are discovered to be Forgerles.  
But surely 'tis no new discovery that there have been such Books, or that they are Forgeries. The cheats have been long since detected, and the Books rejected by the Christians. But what can be inferred from hence? Any thing to the prejudice of the Books which the Christians own? Not in reason: For if another man should write a Book in the name of a celebrated Author, or under the Title which his Works bear, and that Book should afterwards appear to be Spurious, 'twould be very hard that this should affect the credit of that Author's genuine Works.  
I think the consequence turns the other way; and the Books falsely ascribed to the Apostles, the counterfeit Gospels and Epistles, prove that there were such Men as the Apostles, that they were Authors, that there were true Gospels and Epistles; for if there had never been such Men, if they had not written, if there had been no true Gospels and Epistles; we should never have heard of Spurious Works under their Names, there would have been no such counterfeit Gospels and Epistles.  
Thirdly, It may be said farther to the prejudice of our Books, that some of those which we do now receive, were for some time Questioned by Christians.  
But those Questioned Books contained nothing different from what was contained in those that were never doubted of.  
And what can be the just inference from hence; but that Christians were not easy credulous Persons in these matters, but examined the Books well, and would be thoroughly convinced of the truth of them before they would receive them?  
But to silence this Cavil, a Person whose Authority I suppose will pass with our Deists, who was one of the violentest Enemies to Christianity, and Master of more Wit than his modern Followers, Julian the Apostate Emperor I mean, owns those Books to be the Writings of the Evangelists, and of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, which the Christians read under their names. Cyril. Contr. Julian. p. 327.  
Fourthly, It may be objected against the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles, that the World has been much abused with accounts of false Miracles: Nay, that Christians, they that pretend to be the only Society of Christians, have received many Miracles as strange for quality as those of Christ's, and with equal Faith; some of which they themselves have since owned to be false; and from hence it may be argued to the prejudice of Christ's Miracles, that if the Credulity of some later Ages has been thus imposed upon, by cunning and designing Men, why may not the same or like Artifices have prevailed in the first Christian times?  
But this Objection will be easily answered by observing these differences between the Miracles of our Saviour, and the pretended one's of the Church of Rome.  
The Romish Miracles have either no Witnesses, or such as are made choice of for their known weakness or partiality; none of them was ever attested by any Authors of known repute; whereas those of Christ were wrought in the face of the World, and that a Knowing and Learned World, that resisted the Conviction to the utmost, but were forced by the Power of it to submit; And of this we have such assurance that no matter of Fact was ever so attested to succeeding Ages.  
Again, the Romish Miracles were not done as signs to those that believe not, but to those that already believed; not before Sceptical Infidels or obstinate Heretics, but before Proselytes already made and prepared for the strong delusion; that had put out their own Eyes, and renounced their own reason and senses, and resigned themselves entirely to be governed by those of their designing Leaders; and such indeed might very easily be imposed upon.  
But the case was very different with our Saviour's Miracles, where Men came with their Eyes as wide open as prejudice and interest could make them, to examine Facts which they would not have had to be true, and yet could not withstand the Evidence, but were forced to acknowledge the truth of them: and many of them that came with these prejudices were nevertheless by the Conviction of these Miracles brought over from a Religion they had sucked in with their Milk, that was supported by the suffrages of the Wise, and the Power and Countenance of the Great, to a New Religion, laughed at by the one, and Persecuted by the other.  
This was truly the case of the Christian Religion at its first coming into the World: it appeared with all the disadvantages imaginable, was proposed by the meanest and most contemptible Instruments, was opposed and ridiculed by the Learned of the Age, was threatened and most severely persecuted by the Emperors and Potentates.  
And what Allurements did this Religion offer to draw Men through all these difficulties to it?  
Was there Honour or Reputation to be got by owning it? No alas! Our Saviour told his Disciples, ye shall be hated of all Men for my Name sake: They were called a Sect, that is every where spoke against: They were counted as the Dung and offscouring of the World.  
Did it propose Riches or Wealth? No, Blessed are the Poor, but woe unto you Rich; sell what thou hast and give alms: and how hardly shall a Rich man enter into the Kingdom of Heaven?  
Did it offer ease and Pleasures? No, In the World ye shall have Tribulation: ye shall be persecuted and driven from this City to that, brought and accused before Kings and Governors: And whoever kills you, will think he does God service, Alas! this Religion laid no other Baits to allure Men to it, if it were not true, but Persecution, Poverty, Imprisonment and Death.  
The conditions of Discipleship proposed by our Lord are, If any Man will be my Disciple, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me: He must hate his dear Relations, his dear Possessions, and his dearer Life too.  
Now certainly here was nothing in all this, that could Prepossess Men in favour of this Religion; or dispose them to be easily wrought upon by the methods used for its Propagation, without a just enquiry into the truth and validity of them, that could make men despise all the difficulties that opposed them, and willingly run through all the dangers that threatened them, into it, without being fully satisfied that God did really bear witness to it by signs and wonders and mighty works.  
In short, when the Christian Religion first appeared in the World, the Teachers of it used none of those methods of Policy, Force or Flattery, which Impostors make use of, to inveigle or affright men into it; rather all things conspired to discourage and affright them from it: The only Motive was this, that it was the way now proposed by God, to attain Eternal Life; and the great Evidences and Demonstrations of this were the Miracles wrought and appealed to by the Author and first Planters of it, which were openly done in the face of the Sun, and sight of Men who had liberty to examine them as nicely as they pleased: And it cannot be doubted by any one that considers their prejudice of Education in a former Religion more agreeable to Flesh and Blood, the Severities of this new one, and the Dangers from without which attended the embracers of it; but that, as these things made them very curious inquirers into the Truth of it; so that Truth was very apparent, when so many thousands of all Ages, Sexes and Conditions, ran through Fire and Sword, & Deaths of all kinds, into this New Religion.  
How speedy and vast a Progress it made in the times of the Apostles, their Acts, and Epistles to the several Church; founded by them, will inform us: and profane Authors, Tacitus, Suetonius, and the younger Pliny tell us, how considerable a Figure the Christians made in the World, within less than half a Century of the Apostles times: But by the end of the next Age they were spread all over the Roman Empire, as Tertullian in his Apology directed to the Roman Magistrates tells them. And though this mighty Progress of it Only made the Enemies thereof complain, that the City of Rome was environed on all sides with the Enemies of the Gods, that the Christians were spread all over the Empire, that the Provinces were full of them, and that there were Persons among them of the greatest Quality and Dignity; yet they ought, as that farther remarks, to have made this Inference from it, for undoubtedly it is a just one; that a Religion which, notwithstanding all those disadvantages above mentioned, drew all the Roman World after it, must needs have something in it Excellent and Divine.  
Fifthly, After all that is said, the Deist still thinks himself very prudent and cautious; that he is on the safer side; and if he errs, he errs not like a Fool, but secundum verbum, after enquiry; and if he be sincere in his principles, he can when dying appeal to God, Te deus bone, quaesivi per omnia. Orac. of Reas. P. 92.  
I suppose it will be allowed me, that they who have the greatest Evidence that they are in the right, and run the least risk if they should be mistaken, act upon the most rational and prudent grounds, and are on the safer side. Let us then join issue here.  
The Evidence we have for our Religion is this. We say God himself has given Testimony to it, and we are sure that his Testimony is true. That God has given Testimony to it, by Miracles wrought for the confirmation of it, we prove by the best Evidence a matter of this Nature is capable of; We produce a whole Cloud of Witnesses, who relate these Facts upon their knowledge, who could have no interest to serve by prevaricating, who ventured their All upon the truth of them, who sealed their Testimony with their Blood. And this is conveyed down to us in such a manner, that if it be false, it is not possible for us to be sure that any thing, which we did not see is true; & also supported with variety of Collateral Proofs, Records and Writings of the Enemies as well as Friends of the Christian Religion; so that to disbelieve them is not Scepticism but Madness.  
Now what proof does or can the Deist urge against us? Why, he must protest against a matter of Fact, he must suppose all our Scriptures, and all the Ancient Father's writings wherein they are quoted, to be Forgeries, and those of Jews and Heathens who have wrote against them to be so too: Or else that all these have been corrupted by the unanimous consent of all Christians among whom they were dispersed over the World; who all agreed to deliver in their Books, not any denying so to do, or owning or complaining of it; and received them again so interpolated; and yet still ventured their Salvation upon the truth of them: Or he must suppose that a great number of honest and undesigning Men would not only lie for lying sake, but rather than not impose it upon the World, would die Martyrs to a lie, and that multitudes of Persons of all Conditions swallowed these lies, either without Examination, tho' they were matters of the highest Importance to them, or else after that upon Examination they had found them to be so: And yet so obstinately believed them, that they staked Body and Soul, quitted their Estates, Liberties, Lives, all their enjoyments in this World, and ventured upon them all their hopes in the next: So that I think the matter is pretty clear on the Christians side as to point of Evidence.  
As to Danger, if the Christian runs any hazard, it must be, because his Religion is deficient in something necessary to be believed or practised in order to Salvation, or it imposes some things upon his belief or practice inconsistent with it.  
As to the former I do assert that there are no Doctrines in Natural Religion relating to Faith or Practice, to God, our Neighbour, or ourselves, to the duties we own to each, or the obligations we lie under to discharge those duties, but what are more clearly explained, the duties enjoined in a more extensive meaning, and enforced by more Powerful sanctions in the Christian, than in the Natural Religion.  
As to the other, the Articles of Faith and positive Institutions peculiar to Christianity, I do affirm, that we are not obliged to believe any thing, that is unworthy of God, repugnant to any principle of right Reason, or that can have any ill influence upon our lives: nor are we obliged to do any thing that tends to the dishonour of God, to the withdrawing of our service from him, or making us slack in the performance of our duty to him: But contrariwise, the Doctrines and Institutions of the Christian Religion are all, as I could show, if I had time, calculated for the uniting of our Souls to God, the exciting of our fear and reverence, the inflaming of our Love, the stricter tying us to, and quick'ning us in our obedience to him. And certainly Doctrines and Practices not only so innocent, but of so good a tendency, especially when we have such Grounds to believe them proposed and commanded by God, as a prudent and considering Man will judge Rational, will, although we could be supposed to be out in this belief, yet be looked upon as at least very pardonable errors by our gracious God.  
But if the Deist be mistaken, and that Religion which he rejects, and is the object of his laughter and scorn, should prove True at last, what a miserable condition must he be in?  
I grant a Religion's condemning all those that do not comply with it, is no sure Argument of the truth of it: but the Truth of it being supposed, it is a very good proof of the Danger they are in that reject it.  
Now the Proposals of the Gospel are set forth as the utmost effects and struggle of the Divine Compassion, the last tenders of Mercy to Mankind: We are there told, that for those, who neglect that great Salvation there is no escape, nothing remains more but a fearful expectation of fiery indignation: The tenor of it is, he that believes shall be saved, but he that believes not shall be damned: nay it declares that the Judgement of those who refuse it, after it has been proposed to them, shall be heavier than if there had never been any such offer made to them.  
And what has the Infidel to Plead, by which he can hope to mitigate his Crime or his Punishment? Why, only that he had not other or more Evidence for the truth of the Gospel's Revelations than the matter would bear: that God did not use such irresistible means for his Conviction, as are not consistent with the Liberty of a free Agent, and would have made his Faith to have been no Virtue. And what then can he expect, but that since he would not be convinced by the great Moral Evidence that was tendered to him of the truth of the Doctrines of the Gospel, he should feel a sensible and experimental conviction, of the truth and reality of the Threats of it?  
Fourthly, It now only remains that I shut up all with one Word of Practical application: If he that does not believe the Gospel has no cloak for his Infidelity, what cloak can we, that do believe it, but not obey it, have for our disobedience? What does it profit if a Man say he has Faith, and has not Works, will Faith save him? a dead Faith without any Vital acts flowing from it? No, our Master has told us, 'tis to no purpose to call him Lord, Lord, to give up our names to him and profess ourselves his Disciples, unless we do the things which he commands us. And this command we have very particularly in charge from him, that he that loves God loves his Brother also. Vain is that Faith that doth not work by love, and false that pretended love to God, that is not attended with a love to our Brother.  
The Christian institution is singular in the injunction of Charity. No other institution ever understood it in so comprehensive a meaning, both as to the objects and exercise of it; ever commanded it so strictly, persuaded so Pathetically, or proposed such glorious rewards to it.  
The objects of Christian Charity are as large as all Mankind, not only Relations and Friends but Strangers and Enemies.  
The Exercise of it is to reach as far as our brethren's wants and our own Abilities will go, even to the laying down of our lives upon some Occasions for them.  
The Commands that enjoin it are most frequent and emphatical in this Chapter; verse 12. This is my Commandment, says our Lord, that ye love one another, and v. 17. These things I command you that ye love one another: and in 13 cap. v. 34. A new commandment give I unto you; and that such as shall be the distinguishing Badge of your Profession, by which all Men shall know that you are my Disciples; that you have love one to another.  
The Considerations by which this is pressed upon us are most moving: viz. the Infinite love of Christ to us, who will look upon the kindness we show to our poor Brethren as done to himself; the near Relation we stand in to one another, not only as being made of one Flesh, but as having been Baptised into one Body, and so more strictly allied as being members of the same mystical Body, which ought to have the same Sympathy and Fellow feeling with one another as the members of the Body Natural have; The excellency of this Grace, in that 'tis preferable to Faith and Hope, the very bond of perfectness, the fulfilling of the Law, and that it shall cover a multitude of Sins.  
Lastly, The Eternal Glories of Heaven are promised to the due performance of it, St. Matt. 25. where our Saviour and Judge describes the procedure of the last Judgement, as if the only thing he should then come to inquire into were our Obedience or Disobedience to this Royal Law.  
In short, Charity is so Essential to Christianity, that an irrational Man is not a greater Contradiction than an uncharitable Christian.  
The first Christians were so sensible of this, that they would scarce call aught of the things they possessed their own: They thought their Poor Brethren had as good a Title to what they could spare, as they themselves had to the rest of their Estates; and they so ordered matters, that those who had a great deal, and those who had nothing, were like the Israelites that gathered much or little Manna, the former had nothing over, and the latter had no lack.  
Indeed there never was any Society of Christians that did not think they ought to distinguish themselves from Persons of any other Denomination by abounding in this Grace. Even the worst Society, that of Rome, is not deficient in the exercise of it towards the Bodies of those of their own Communion, tho' 'tis to be feared the merit of that Charity will be overbalanced by their want of it towards both the Bodies and Souls of those that differ from them.  
But I need not take occasion by the forwardness of Papists, to prove the sincerity of your Love; since we have in this City so many Noble instances of Public Charities, since the Reformation, to provoke your Emulation: Some of which when I reflect upon, methinks I see some faint resemblances, such as Poor imperfect Creatures can make, of the Lord himself going about doing good.  
See him expressing his tenderness to little Children, in that Pious care that is taken of Poor Orphans in the Hospital that bears his Name.  
See him restoring use of Limbs to the Lame, sight to the Blind, healing the maimed, and curing all manner of Diseases, in that variety of Charitable Cures, that are performed in the Hospitals of St. Bartholomew and St. Thomas.  
See him making a Whip of small Cords, and scourging the transgressors, in those Just Corrections that are exercised upon the vicious in Bridewell.  
See him restoring the Lunatics to their right Minds, in those excellent methods that are used with Poor distracted Wretches in Bethlem.  
But I shall possess you with a Juster notion of these Great Charities by reading to you.  
The true report, etc.  
You see here at once, both noble examples of Charity to excite your imitation, and very worthy and pressing occasions for the exercise of it.  
Will you Pardon me if I mention one other kind of Charity, the bare naming of which, will I think, be sufficient to recommend it to the encouragement of all well-disposed Persons; I mean building Work-Houses, and providing a stock to set the Poor to Work?  
I mention this with the more assurance because I find it is a way you are going into, and have already made some progress in it: And were it carried on with unanimity and resolution to bring it to perfection, and managed (as I am confident it will be in this City) with Care and Prudence, and a single Eye to the public good, 'twould certainly turn to a very excellent account.  
'Twould not only be a great Charity to the Poor, to their Souls as well as Bodies, to keep them from Begging and Thieving, and put them in an honest way of getting their living; but to employ those that are now the burdens and pests of the Kingdom in Working up our Manufactures, would be a Public Benefaction.  
And now my Brethren, since Charity is so Special and Eminent a Duty of that Religion which our Lord taught and confirmed to us; since all his true Followers have ever looked upon and practised it as the distinguishing Character of their Profession; let us, having such glorious Patterns before our Eyes to encourage us, and such and so many Opportunities now put into our Hands of exercising this Grace, make use of these Opportunities, and therein follow those excellent Patterns. Without this, I am sure, how firmly soever we may believe our Religion ourselves, and however strongly we may argue for it with others, 'tis not possible we should offer any thing successfully to the satisfaction of our Consciences or Conviction of other men's: As to ourselves if we do believe our Religion, we must believe what it tells us; that all the greatest Qualifications and Performances without this signify nothing, that even our Faith is dead and our Hope presumption: And as to others, 'tis in vain to think to persuade them to embrace a Religion by any thing we can say, when they must judge by which what we do, that we ourselves despise and believe it not worth observing.  
If we would prevail with others to believe the Truth of our Religion, we must first convince them that we believe it ourselves. But if we can live in the open neglect of, indeed defiance to its Precepts, especially such an Eminent one as this, let us talk as long as we will for it, men can never believe we are in earnest.  
If any one Duty be more frequently and forcibly enjoined in our Religion than another, 'tis this of Charity; which when it proceeds from a right principle, and is directed to a right end, is the Glory as well as Duty of a Christian: but if a man, however otherwise endowed, cannot show out of a good Coniversation his Works with meekness of Wisdom, that Wisdom, that is full of Mercy and good Fruits, all his Boasting and Glorying upon other accounts, is but a lying against the truth.  
We live in an Age wherein our Religion is not only undermined by those that are Working in the Dark, but more publicly assaulted by open and avowed Enemies. The Weapons wherewith we are to encounter them are not Carnal. That which is more immediately our Post, who are the Ministers of Christ, is to Writ, Preach, and Argue for holy Religion: that which is Yours in common with us, is to Live for it. And did we all but live with that strictness of Piety, and Purity, which it enjoins, and we profess; practising whatever things are honest, chaste, lovely, and of good report; above all putting on Charity, putting on as the elect of God, bowels of mercies and kindness; we might yet hope to see it flourish in spite of all the Power and Malice of its Enemies.  
That which very much contributed to the speedy and wide spreading of the Christian Religion at first, notwithstanding the mighty opposition that was made to it, was the Exemplary behaviour of the Professors of it, and in particular that shining Charity which they were so eminent for.  
And this will ever be a most certain method to secure and propagate our Religion, it will procure the Blessing and Protection of God, it will be a means of convincing men of the reality of our Faith in the rewards of another Life, when they see us for the sake of them, so willingly part with the good things of this. It must have a ●●ry Natural tendency to dispose those that partake of our C●arity to receive impressions from our Exhortations; and it must give all that hear of it an amiable Idea of our Religion, when they find that the employment of a Christian is like that of our great Master. Our good Works so shining forth, with a bright and pure Flame, must induce not only those that feel the warmth of it, but those also, that see the Light, to join with us in Glorifying our Father which is in Heaven.  
To whom, etc.  
FINIS.   

SERMONS by the Lord Bishop of Oxford, and Printed for Tho. Bennet.  
A Sermon Preached at the Cathedral Church of Worcester, upon a Fastday. Published at the request of the Mayor and Aldermen of that City.  
A Sermon Preached before the Late Queen at Whitehall. Published by Her Majesty's Command.  
The unreasonableness and Mischief of Atheism. A Sermon Preached before the Late Queen at Whitehall. Published by her Majesty's Special Command.  
The foolish Abuse and wise Use of Riches. A Sermon Preached at the Parish-Church of Bromesgrove, in Worcestershire. Upon Occasion of a Charity given to that Place, by Sir Tho. Cooks of Bentley, Knight and Barr.  
A Sermon Preached at the Cathedral Church of Worcester, upon a Thanksgiving-Day. Published at the Request of the Mayor and Aldermen of that City.  
The Spirit of Popery tried whether it be of God. A Sermon Preached before the King at Whitehall, upon the 5th of November, 1699. Published by His Majesty's Special Command.