?*f£b'-m XT'*' S± c^- a» a S3 Q3> <£^> u^* 5 ^ AT PRINCETON, N. .J. SAMUEL AGNEW, OF PHILADELPHIA. PA. ss* Vet. a^rciX £ as well as Clergy, by their Wri- tings ; All, by their Prayers, and * Who will rife up with me againft the Wicked ? Or who will take my Part againft the evil Doers? Pfal. xciv. 1 6. their Preface. viii their Lives: Shaming^ and con- founding our common Adverfariesy by the Firft, and the Laft ; and drawing down the Divine Blejfing upon Usy and Themfehes> by all Three. E R R A T A Errata. PAge 21. line 15. after Holy Gh oft read, being in fame fenfe diftinfi, are yet the one, &c. p. 24. 1. 22. r. ftronger. p 31. 1. 17. dele, has denfd that it/oftgnifies; "and for making r. makes. lb. 1. 18. zfarjebwab r. /pedal- fy. p. 51. Marg. at bott. after 118. r. and Dr. Knight's 6tb Sermon throughout, p. 58. Marg. bott. after Chap. V. r. See al/o Dr. Waterland'j zd Def. p. 1 64, 1 65. p. 61 . 1. 1 . r. divide, p. 72. 1. 2. r. Strictures, p. 73. l.i. Marg. bott. r. 5 E*77?e4*7e- P. 74- *• *• after J u fi in deIe M Ib ' L 9- after God make (?) p. 86. 1. 16. dele thro' whom, and. lb. 1. 22. f. andr. with. p. 87. 1. 2. Marg. bottom r. Defence. p. 92. 1. 8. r. Identical. 1. 16. r. Identity, p. 101 . 1. 9. r. fignifies. p. 108. 1. 15. r. fuperinduced. p. 1 19.I. 2. after Fa/iftt dele [.] p. 1 21 . 1. 28. f. xi< r. ii. p. 1 25. 1. 1 6. after the main Drift and Subjtance of the Doftrine. As it is partly myfterious, fo it is partly intelli- gible : To fet out the Bounds of which Two, is one Part of my Undertaking. The Trinity is as intelligible as * Omniprefence, Eternity, God's Simplicity, Self-exijlence, &c. and the Three and One much more eafy to be reconciled than "f* Fore-know- ledge in God, and Free-agency in Men. The mod learned and knowing will never be able to comprehend the Myjlery ; but even the unlearned, and the common People are capable of apprehending enough to yield a rational Ajfent to the Article. * See Dr. Waterland'* lit Def. Query zi. and his zi Def. p. 427, tffc. f SseDr. Wcitsvlanzs td Def. p* 425. B4 In § The T)oB,rme In difcourfing upon which, I fhali, I. State the Doctrine, confider the Terms of it, and (hew what we are to believe concerning it. II. Prove it, from Scripture, and Anti- quity, III. Anfwer the Objections urged a- gainft it; and againft the Creeds , Expli- cations, and Definitions of the Churchy up- on it. * IV. Shew the Abfurdity, and Impiety, of the contrary Schemes. V. Add fome promifcuous Confiderati- ons, chiefly in point of Hifiory and mat- ter of Fac~t; which, tho' they do not fo properly come under any of the foregoing Heads, yet greatly tend to firengthen and confirm them all. VI. Laftly, Conclude with fomc Obfer- vations or Refieclions upon the Whole, re- lating both to our Faith , and Praclice. I. In the firft place then, I am to fiat* the Doctrine, confider the T«?r/tf5 of it, and {hew what we are to believe concer- ning it. And of the Trinity. g And here we muft premifeThis one Obfervarion, which will contribute to the clearing of what follows; viz. that in •thofe Words \yohat we are to believe] we include bothScripfure and the Authority of the Church. We are to believe whatever is delivered in Scripture, or can be proved fro??i it; and to acquiefce in the Explica- tions and Definitions of the Church up- on it : Provided thofe Explications and Definitions be not contrary to Script*, re; of which every particular Chrurim is to judge, according to the beft of his ownUnderftanding,andthe beft Helps he can procure. The Authority of the Church in thefe Matters, and its Conii- ftency with every private Perfon's think- ing for himfelf, and believing and acting according to the beft of his own judg- ment, are Points which have been elie- where particularly confider'd : At pre- fent I take That for granted, as I may fairly do; and the Way being cleared by this Obfervation, I proceed thus. There is one only God; and the Fa- ther, Son, and Holy Ghoft, are That one God. So much as this is exprefiy decla- red in Scripture, or may be plainly pro- ved from it ; and all thofe 'Terms are ufed in Scripture, But becaufe in v y of the Godhead we have three Ideas > Fa- ther lo The DoSlrine ther, Son, and Holy Ghofl: ; and they arc not, and cannot be, three Gods -, hence it comes to pafs that we naturally feek for another Term. The Word Perfon there- fore has been made choice of; and we fay that in the Unity of the Godhead there are three Pe'rfons. This Word (to put it at the loweft) might ferve very well, tho' we had not a clear Idea annex'd to Hcb. i; 2. it. It is a Scripture-Term; (the exprefs Image of his Perfon :) and diftinct perfo- nal Characters, as we ordinarily ufe' That Word in common Difcourfe, are apply 'd to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, di- ftinctly confider'd. Nor is it any reafona- ble Objection, that we have not a clear and adequate Conception of Perfon -, fup- poling the Fact to be true : For, (as I haVe elfewhere obferv'd, and (hall now a little more particularly confider it) " That Doctrine which has been advan- a ced by Some, that we cannot rationally a affent to any thing, unlefs our Ideas are " perfectly clear, adequate, and diftinct, a is a mod falfe Affertion ; as appears by a Experience to all who reflect upon the ic Workings and Operations of their own H Minds: Which will inform them, that " they very frequently yield an Affent, a and that a moil reafonable one too, e- ©-, the Word, \ , St. John means the fame here as he does in the firfl: Chapter of his Gofpel, will, I prefume, be granted ; and what That is we (hall fee in due time and Place. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft then are One; and what can be plainer? h turn They are One-, i. e. one Effence or Sub* ftance. Like That of our Bleffed Saviour, I and the Father are one, h isy-iv. No, fay joh.x.30. f ome Objectors, the Meaning is no more than that the Three here mentioned are One mrfejlimony. But iji. This is gratis di&um -> faid without Proof; and all Expreffions are to be taken in their literal and mofl: obvious Senfe, unlefs good Reafon be (hewn for the Contrary. To fay That is the of the Trinity. 22 the Cafe here, becaufe the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft cannot be one in Ef- fence or Subftance, is to fuppofe the Thing in queftion. True it is, they are named as witnefling, or bearing Testimo- ny ; vm. to this Truth, that J ejus is the Son of God. Yet furely it is very good Senfe to fay, that being one in EfTence, they muft needs be one in Teftimony: But if the latter be all that is intended ; how comes the Expreffion to be alter'd in the very next Verfe, the Spirit, the Wa- ter^ and theBlood, and thefe three^ not h $* 3- of the Holy Ghoft ye have not received our Baptifm, which is adminifter'd in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft. For I fuppofe no body will fay that the Apoftles baptized in the Name of the Holy Ghoft only : Or if they will be fo idle, 'tis an Objection which will do no Service to thdfe who make it -J-. idly. The Apoftolical Forms of Bene- diction, and Salutation, are another Proof. St. Paul concludes his fecond Epiftle to the Corinthians in thefe Words : The Grace of our Lord J ejus Chri/i, and the. Love of God, and the. Communion of the Holy Ghojl be with you all. Amen. The Perfons indeed are not here mentioned in their ufual f See this Argument from the Form of Baptifm, and the Senfe of Antiquity upon it, largely and fully repre- sented in Dr. Waterland's 8th Sermon throughout. and 26 The Doftrine and natural Order ; the Son being men- tioned firft. But this is fo far from be- ing an Objection againft our Do&rine, that it is a Confirmation of it: Since it fhews the Perfons, as God, to be coequal ; fo that the Order of them may, in f peak- ing, without Abfurdity or Impiety, be reverfed. Nor is the Father ( I acknow- ledge) here exprejjed, but he is plainly underfiood: Becaufe the Son and Holy Ghoft are mentioned as Perfons diftindt from a Third, who is God, who there- fore muft be the Father ; who in many places of Scripture is fometimes ftiled the Father, fometimes God the Father, and fometimes God abfolutely 5 and that too not only when He is nam'd by himfelf, but fometimes, as in this place, when He is mentioned jointly with one or both of the other two Perfons. The Reafon of which latter (for as to the former, the - Son, when named by himfelf, is fome- times called God abfolutely) is evidently this, That the Father is the Firft in the Deity. And yet it appears from this PaiTage that the other two are God : Be- caufe they are thus join'd with the Fa- ther, or with God abfolutely ; and the Apoftle could not, without the greateft Impiety, blefs in the Name of any Perfon w T ho is not God. Again 5 4 of the Trinity. «j Laftly; St. John in the Book of the Revelation, addreffes himfelf to the feven Churches in thefe Words : Grace he unto You, and Peace, from Him which was, and which is, and which is to come, and from the feven Spirits which are before his "Throne, and from J ejus Chrift. From R ev .i. 4,5. whom can we wifh Grace, and Peace, but from God ? By Him which was, and is, and is to come muft be underftood ei- ther the Father, or God abfolutely : Je- fus Chrift is exprefly and diftinctly men- tioned : And by the feven Spirits muft be meant either Angels, or the Holy Ghoft. Not the former ; becaufe then, here a- gain, the Apoftle would blefs in the Name of Creatures. It remains there- fore that it is a myftical Expreffion to denote the Holy Ghoft ; a Thing not ta be wonder'd at in a Book which is all o- ver Myfterious. It cannot therefore de- note a Multiplicity of Perfons but of Gifts, Graces, or Operations in the fame Perfon : And if it be aik'd why the Num- ber Seven fhould be fpecify'd rather than any other ; the Anfwer is, That This Number had a myftical Signification a- mong the Jews, and is elfewhere fo u- fed in This very Book. Nor can it with any Colour of Reafon be objected, that Others may as well call our three Perfons fo a 8 The 'Dotfrine fo many diftindl Attributes, or Operations of the fame Perfon, or God, as We fay that thefe (even Spirits are only fo many Opera- tions of the fame Spirit : Becaufe there is a manifeft Difference between the two Cafes. The three Perfons are diftin- guifhed by three different Names, Fa- ther, Son, and Holy Ghoft $ and by dif- ferent perfonal Characters : Which can- not be faid of the prefent Inftance ; nor any thing like it. Thus then I have confidered fome Texts. of Scripture, which relate to the three Perfons in conjunction. Our Ad- verfaries perhaps will here tell us, they acknowledge that the Son and Holy Ghoft are to be invok'd and ador'd, and therefore that we may blefs in Their Names; nay that in a certain Senfe they are truly God (Gods they fhould fay, if they would fpeak out, and fpeak clearly) and confequently that the greateft Part of what I have faid is nothing to the Purpofe. But what do they mean by their certain Senfe? Are the Son and Holy Ghoft God in the higheft, ftricl:- eft, and moft proper Senfe, in the fame Senfe as the Father is fo ? If They are ; We have what we wanted, and the Dif- puteisover. If any Thing lefs be meant; I infift, that from the Text£ which I have of the Trinity. ao have produced I have (hewn a great deal more: and that Thefe Men either contradict themfelves, or are grofs Idola- ters. '1 he Proof of which belongs to a- nother Place; and in That it mall be ful- ly proved. It was however very requi- fite to ?nention it in This-, in order to clear the Way, and prevent Wrangling : And it is to be apply 'd to what follows, as well as to what has been already dif- courfed. Proceed we then, in the next place, to confider fomeTexts of Scripture which relate to the Son and Holy Ghoft diftinctly, and prove Each of them to be very God. And firft as to the Son, I do not pretend to produce all the Texts from which his Divinity may be demon ftr a ted ; To do That, with proper Obfervations upon them, would be the Work of a large Volume. However -, I fhall mention more than enough to convince all, but fuch'as are refolved not to be convinced. The fame Characters and Names, im- porting Godhead in the highejl and ftriSt- eft Senfe, which are apply'd to the Fa- ther, are apply'd to the Son-, even the Title Jehovah not excepted. For He who is fliled Holy, Holy, Holy, the Lord 1 ^ vi - 3 [Jehovah] cfHoJls, whofe Glory jilleth the whole Earth, is thePerfon jfefus Chrijl; as f .. St. John azures us : 'Thefe things faidlfaizs^ ' when 2o The 'Dodirine when he faw his Glory, and /pake of him : The Word His neceflarily referring to our Saviour; as appears from the Con- text : No Perfon,. but He, being there fpoken of. That He is ftiled Jehovah is farther evident from the following Texts of the Old and New Teftament compa- pfal. io2. re d with each other * Of old .Thou [ Je- 25. hovah] haft laid the Foundations of the Heb. 18. Earth, But unto the Son he faith, Thou io- Lord in the Beginning haft laid the Zech 12 Foundations of the Earth. They fh a 11 look 10. on me [ Jehovah fpeaking by the Pro- phet ] whom they have pierced. Another Joh.19.37. Scripture faith, They Jhall look on him [ Jefus Chrift ] whom they have pierced. Ifa. 40. 3. The Voice of him that crieth in the Wil- demefs, prepare ye the Way of the Lord Jehovah] their God. The Voice of him that crieth in the Wildernefs; prepare ye the Way of the Lord , fay Matt. 3.3. three of the four Evangelifts, apply- Marki.3. i n pr i t to our Saviour. To omit feveral e3 ' 4 ' other Proofs of the fame Thing. Now Jehovah is a Word of abfolute Signifi- cation, and is the incommunicable Name of the one true God: According to its known Etymology, it fignifies Being; Being itfelf, Necejj'ary Exiftence. Be the * Dr. Water land's id Def. p. 58, £9, &c. Name of the Trinity. ^ Name fometimes appellative, or always proper ', about which we need not difpute ; It is the fame with That awful, and ado- rable 1 Am. Exod.m. 14. Where, by the way, the Perfon who fpeaks to Mojes, and calls Himfelf I am that I am, or 5 tfy He that is, as the Septuagint render it, is the very Perfon of whom we are fpeak- ing, the A'oyQ-, the Word, the Eternal Son of God : as we mail fee hereafter* That the Import of the Word Jehovah is fuch as I laid is plain from Scripture, and was ever agreed among all Criticks, Jews and Chriftians, ancient and mo- dern : Only a late Writer, to evade fo clear an Argument for our Saviours Divinity, h ao"donyd ' thai^t^ferfj^ mfees, makijg lA the Name Jehovah [to *mply, giving Be- ing to ( i. e. ) performing his Promifes. For the Confutation of which ftrange Notion, I refer to One * who has fuffi- ciently confuted it. I only cbferve two Things, ift. That the Objection is full as ftrong againfl the Divinity of the Fa- ther as of the Son : Concerning which more immediately, idly. 1 hat the fame Men, rather than acknowledge their Sa- viour to be God, have laboured to di- * Dr. Water land's ift Dcf. p. 61, fcfV. See al Co 2d Def. p. 175. upon the Word Jehovah ftinguifh gi The Dottrinc ftinguifh away the Meaning of the Word GOD itfelf. God * in Scripture, fay they, is always a relative Word of Office, So that it feems we rauft not think (as it has been vulgarly and erroneoufly ima- gined) that the Word God in thofe fa- cred Writings denotes EJJbice, Nature, or Sub/lance, but Office only, Dominion, or Authority. This like wife affects the Fa- ther, as much as the Son : And I fay no more of it; but for its Confutation, (which perhaps does it more Honour than it deferves) refer to -f* the learned Author jufl now cited. Our next Argument is from Rev. i. 8. i" am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning \-* and the Ending, ffaitfa- ike~Lozd, .which .is, which was, and wWfd ^t to come, the Al- mighty. Befides. the ^Senfe of the Word 'Jehovah above mentioned, included in 'J hat Claufe which is, which was, and which is to come: Here are afcribed to the Son two glorious Attributes of the God- head-, Eternity and- Omnipotence. That to be the Beginning and the Ending, and fuch like Phrafes, imply Eternity in the higheft Senfe, or as it belongs to God, * Dr. Clarke's Reply to Nc/J'tn, p. 250. Scrip. Do&r. p. 296. Iff alibi. f Dr. Watcrland's ift Def. p. 48, l2C 2d Def p. 40, 210, bV, Serm, p, 198, &c, " appears of the Trinity. 22 u appears * from Ifa. xliii. 10. compared Ci with Ifa, xliv. 6. In the latter the M Words are ; i" a?n the Firfl, and I am then hath he all the Attributes and Perfections belonging to the Father; the fame Power, the fame Honour, and Glory, the fame Nature, Subfance, and Godhead. Agreeably to our Bleffed Lord's Account of hirnfelf in other Places of This Gofpel. Particularly where he fays, Whatfoever things He (the Father) doth, thefe doth the Son likewife. I and my Father are One. He that hath feen me hath feen the Fa- joh.5.19. joh.ic.3 Joh. 14. 9, 10. * See Dr. Waterlanfr* Serm. p. 1 86, &c. t P* 195* I 9 6 - then of the Trinity. ± 3 11 ther. 1 am in the Father, and the Fa- u ther in Me. Glorifv me with thine own n , _ r u Self, with the Glory which I had with ' iC thee before the World was. All mine Verfe I0 " are thine, and thine are mine, and I " am gloriffd in them. Thefe are very '* high and frrong Expreffions, confirm- eft Senfe; the Argument urged by our Saviour and his Apoftle will be incon- clufive and vain ; 'and God, by Thus gi- ving of the Trinity. co ving and fending his Son, fhew'd more Love to Him, than to the World. For, it feems, He who is called Chrift is by the mere Will and Good Pleafure of God fo highly favoured; that after a fliort O- bedience, and fhort Sufferings, here upon Earth, from a mere Man, according to the Socinians, from a Creature, accor- ding to the Arians, Pie is made a God, re- ceives Divine Honours, not only from Men, but from the Angels, and Archan- gels, and has univerfal Empire and Do- minion over all other Creatures. Who fees not, I fay, that according to This Account, God's Love was fhewn to Him, more than to the World; and confequent- ly that our Saviour's, and his Apoftle's Argument, is irrational and inconclulive ? To which we may very w r ell add, that for the fame Reafon, his own Love to Mankind, in coming into the World, and doing and fuffering what he did (which is fo highly magnify'd, and extoll'd in the Holy Scriptures) does not appear to be very extraordinary ; if either the So- cinian, or Arian Hypothec's be true. Be- caufe, upon either of Thofe Suppofitions, he himfelf was the greateft Gainer ima- ginable, by fo coming, doing, and fuffer- ing. Whereas, upon our Principle, and That only, his Love to Mankind was in- deed tranfcendent and amazing : As it is E 3 every 54 The c Doclrine every where in Scripture reprefented to be* 2dly. That his being the only-begotten Son of God proves him to be God, ap- pears from the very Force and Import of the Word only-begotten. For He alone is inch, who is fplely, fingly the Son of his Father, has no Co-partner in the Sonfhip, no Brother, in That Sort or Kind of Fi- liation; and moreover, who is a Son by . Nature, not by Adoption, of the Sub- fiance, not by the Choice of his 'Father. That This is the true Meaning of only- begotten, is plain of itfelf, and muft be acknowledged by every body. But now Chrift cannot be fuch in any other re- fped, than That of divine eternal Gene- ration from his Father: As He is Man, That Title cannot belong to him. Which will appear from the Confideration of the four feveral Ways by which Chrift, as Man, is faid to be eminently the Son of God : And it will appear, that by Them He is not the only begotten ; either not begotten, or not only - 9 or neither the one nor the other. ijl. He is eminently the Son of God, as He was concerned by the Holy Gko/i. But the firft Man, Adam, was form'd by the immediate Power of God, without a Father, or Mother either. And is therefore exprefly called the Son of God, Luke iii. 38. zdly. of the Trinity. r<- idly. He is the Son of God with refpecfc to his extraordinary Mifjion and Office. But in this regard, he is neither Begotten, nor Only. He is a Son by Grace, not by Nature ; and has as many Brothers, as there were Prophets fent with any fpe- cial MerTage or Mandate. He is not on- ly Son, %dly. upon the Account of his RefurrecJion from the Dead. For all Good Men who rife from the Dead are by Himfelf ftiled So?is of God, as being Sons of the Rejlit region, Luke xx. 36. Nor /\.thly, and laflly, upon the Account of his being made fole Lord and Heir of all things, Heb. i. 2, &c. He could not in this refpect be called the Son of God at all -, much lefs, the only, the only-be- gotten Son. For an Heir (as every body knows) is not neceffarily the Son of Him whofe Heir He is. Thefe four are the only imaginable Refpects (and our Adverfaries themfelves do not pretend to affign any more) in which our Saviour, as to his human Na- ture, is, or can be, called the Son of God. But we have iliewn, that not one of them, nor all of them put together, can make him the only -begotten Son of God. Con- cerning the two laft of which Refpefe, we muft further take Notice, that in Thofe Places of Scripture in which the E 4 Word 56 The lioBrine Word only -begotten is apply'd to him, God the Father is faid to have fent his only-begotten Son into the World, and to have given him to Men. Therefore he was the only-begotten Son, when he firft came into this World j confequently did not become fo, by being raifed from the Dead, and conftituted Heir and Lord of all things. Befides which, we muft here recollect in our Thoughts what I obferv'd before I came to confider Thefe four Kinds of Filiation ; viz. That his being the only-, begotten Son of God proves him to be no Creature, tho' ever fo excellent. Becaufe, iji. his being- fent, and coming into the World, under 'That 'Title, is fet forth in Scripture as an Argument, both of his own, and God the Father's, tranfcendent Love to Mankind : Which it was not, if he were dTzvCreature ; becaufe He would then have teen Himfelf a very great Gainer by it. 2dly. Becaufe no Son can properly be onli- begotten, or indeed begotten at all ; unlefs he be a Son by Nature, and of the fame Subftance with his Father. If then they fay Our Saviour is not properly Son, but figuratively, or noniinally -, I anfwer, ifl. 'Tis unaccountable, that fo emphatical a Word as only-begotten fhould be added in That Sejife \ when the Word Son, without it. of the Trinity. ty it, would have done altogether as well, or rather much better, zdly. The Con- trary appears from the foregoing Argu- ment ; For by That it is proved, that our Saviour, as only-begotten Son, . is not a Creature y and confequently is God- To confirm This our Senfe of the Words only-begotten Son, as apply'd to our Saviour in the highefl Signification by the Sacred Writers; we have the Judg- ment and Interpretation of the primitive Church. For the three firft Centuries (and concerning the following Ages, the Cafe is fo plain as to admit of no Doubt, nor will cur Adverfaries themfelves deny it) I fay, for the three firft Centuries, The Title of only -beget ten, or only Son of God, as apply'd to our Saviour, was by the conftant and perpetual Ufe of it by • the Catholick Doctors, determined to fig- nine his divine and eternal Generation from God the. Father. That of rfertnl- lian is in Subftance common to- them all, and with one Voice affirmed by them. " He is Fir/}- born, as begotten before all w Things j and only as alone begotten by " God, truly, and properly." For they all acknowledge no other only-begotten Son of God, but Him, who is fo from the . . very Subftance of the Father : as the ex- ^'eWent Bp: Btf/^has. fully ^prpyed; ^fem j wliofe 5 The c Bo£fome whofe learned Writings, the greater! Part of what I have faid upon this Argument * is taken. From what has been difcourfed upon it, Two very material Obfervations may be made : iji- That great is the Ignorance or Prevarication of Thofe who raife fuch a Clamour againft the Nicene and Atha- nqfian Creeds, as adding needlefs Ar- ticles; and tell us, that v/e ought to be content with the Brevity, Plainnefs, and Simplicity of That which goes under the Name of the Apoftles : In which (as They would have it believed) the Divinity of our Bleffed Saviour is not arTerted. For befides that, i/?. The Creed which is called the Apoftles, but rather ought to be called the Roman, tho' perfectly agree- able to their Doctrine, was not dictated, or compofed by Them; but, in the Form and Method in which we now have it, was not completed till after the fourth Century, t and fo is not fo* old as the iW- cene Creed, by about ioo Years at leaft : idly. The Roman Church very well might, and actually did, make, ufe of a fhorter Creed, . than the Eajiem Churches ; be- caufe They were infefted with a great * Sec it dtfeuflod very largely and particularly in his M ^Jiidi^wn Eidrfiic, &V. Chap. V. 44* *45^>* &*€&-&* c a jj^fr+t ^/m *6A •■ f&$+ Variety of the Trinity. tn Variety of Herefies, which the Other, in thofe early Times, was not: ydly. In the Creed which obtained in the mod ancient Ea/iem Churches, before the Council of Nice, That fupereminent Kind of • Filia- tion, which w r e have fhewn to belong to our Saviour, was declared in plain and exprefs Terms : I fay, befides all This, we have proved, ^thly* That even in the A- pojlles Creed (as it is called) the fame Kind of Filiation, i. f.the Divinity of our Saviour, is really profeffed; becaufe, by being the only-begotten Son of God (as He is in That Creed declared to be) He is Himfelf God. I fay, He is in That Creed declared to be the only-begotten : For 'tis Movsys^.s'm the ancienreftGravJCo- py : But however; he is,as we have fhewn, called only-begotten in Scripture; and therefore the Latin Church, no doubt, by Unicus meant the very fame Thing. Accordingly our Church, in the Office for Baptifm, and That for the Vifrtation of the Sick, truly and rightly renders it only-begotten* 2dly. From what has been difcourfed, we mav obferve, that the Article of our Saviour's Divinity is of fo vaji Impor- tance-, that the Faith of a Chriftian, and Chriflianity itfelf, cannot ■fubfift without it. That Jefus is the Cbrijl, That Jefus is o The Dodrine is the only-begotten Son of God, and that jt is neceffary to Salvation to believe Both;. all Seels and Parties, who can in any tolerable Senfe be called Chriftian, do exprefly acknowledge, and zealoufly contend : But we have fhewn that He can be neither, if He be not God ; God in the higheft and ftricteft Senfe, and of the fame Effence and Subflance with his Father- What then are we to think, and fay of Thofe Men ; who pretend to be the true Difciples of Jefus, and yet deny This Article ? From hence again it will follow, by neceffary Confequence, that it is our indifpenfable Duty to preachy and inculcate This fundamental Article -, efpe- cially when it is openly impugn'd and deny'd. As to the Holy Ghoft; that he like- wife is God, may be clearly and fully proved from Scripture : tho' it is not fo direftly and exprefly ajjerted as the Divi- nity of the Son. Contrary to the Do- ctrine of the Socznzans, who affirm him to be no more than an Operation, or a Quality^ He is a Per/on ; Becaufe perfo- nal Characters, both active and paffive a are in the Holy Scriptures afcribed to him : In that he is faid to comfort, (a) (a) John 14. 16, 26, &?V. to of the Trinity. gj to fearch, (b) to d&de, (c) to /peak, (d) to be grieved, (e) to have defpight done to him, (f) and the like. And becaufe his Adverfaries endeavour to invalidate This Reafoning, by ebje&ing, that Chara&ers of Perfonality are, in other Places of Scripture, given to Things which are conferTedly no Perfons; as to Charity, when it is faid to Juffer long, and be kind> &c. which are all to be underftood not of Charity, but of the Charitable Man \ as Thofe Expreffions above mentioned are to be underftood (fay They) not of the Holy Spirit, but of God acting by his* Holy Spirit: I obferve, waving other Anfwers which might very well be gi- ven, that there are perfonal Characters of the Holy Ghoft mentioned in the New Teftament, which are contradijlinguiflded to Thofe of God the Father, and there- * fore can in no Senfe be afcribed to Him. The Holy Ghoft is faid to /peak not of himfelf John xvi. 13. But the Father does, and fpeaks every thing of himfelf. The Holy Ghoft is faid to be fent by the Father, John xiv. 26. And to make In- tercefjion to him, Rom. viii. 26. Unlefs therefore the Father can be fent by Him- (b) 1 Cor. 2. 10. (c) 1 Cor. 12. II. (J) 1 Tim. 4. i. (e) Eph. 4. 30. (f) Heb. 10. 29. felf, (yl The < Do£lrine felf, and make Inte^beffion to Himfelf, his perfonal Attributes are clearly diftinc~t from thofe of the Holy Ghoft. Who, in the next place, is not only a Perfon, but a Divine one. Blafphemy may be committed againft him, and That Blaf- phemy is unpardonable, (a) His inhabiting our Bodies makes them temples, (c) By His Operation, our Saviour, as to his Humanity, was conceived in the blcfled Virgin; and therefore called the Son of God. (d) St. Peter, charging Ananias with Lying to the Holy Ghoft, fays, thou haft not lied unto Men, but unto God. (e) He is the immediate Author and Worker of Miracles, (f) The Conduder of Chrift in his human Capacity on Earth, (g) He is the great Comforter of Chrift ians in their Troubles, (h) To refill Him is the fame ^s to rejifi God. (i) He is in God, and knows the Mind of God, as perfectly as a Man knows his own Mind -, and that in refpect of all things, even the deep things of God. (k) He is join'd with God the Father, and the Son, in the fame • (a) Matth. 12: 31. (f) 1 Cor. 6. 19. (d) Luke 1.35. {e) Ads 5. 4: (/) Afts 2.4. 1 Cor. 2. A' 5- Cg 1 ) Matth. 4. 1 . 12.18. John 1. 32. Afts 1. 2. (/;) Joh. 14, fgcxPajftM. ' (/) Acts 7. 51. (£) 1 Cor. 2. 10, ii 5 Re- of the Trinity. £? Religious Oaths.* in the fame common Ope- rations, -f In a Word, he is the Lord, (or Jehovah :) J And Lord of Ilojis. \\ Whatever Evafions and Cavils have been, or can be, made againft thefe Arguments for the Divinity of the Holy Spirit, are, and mud be, of the fame Stamp with Thofe made againft the Arguments for the Divinity of the Son: And we need fay no more of them. Thus is the great Doctrine of my Text dire5fly proved and demonflrated from the New Teftament : And would be ftrength- ened and confirmed (did it want any Con- firmation) by many PafTages even in the Old. Some have been mentioned alrea- dy, as having an Afpect to Both : And a few more (hall be now added ; together with two or three for a Sample, which are fetch'd from the Old Teitament on- ly. Thofe Words; Let u~ make Man /^Gen.1.26. our own Image, after our own Likenefs, ** are underftood even by Jewi/h Do&ors, as implying a Plurality; " and of Fa- a ther, Son, and Holy Ghoft (or at leaft " of Father and Son) by the whole Stream * Rom. 9. 1. f 1 Cor. 12. 5, 6, 7, &c. J Comp, Exod. 34. 34. with 2Cor. 3. 17. || Comp. Ifo. 6. 9, with Ads 28. 25, 26. ** See Dr. Knight's Serm. p; 5, fcfr. Dr. Water land's Serm* p. 69. of 6it The DoErinc 11 of Chriftian Writers, down from the u Times of the Apoftles." Arid the fame may be faid of Gen. iii- 22. T'he Lord God faid, behold the Man is become as one of U S, ts> know good, and evil* That This relates to God, not to Angels, as the Jews would have it, will appear, if & ~j~ W e reflect on the Words which the " Serpent fpoke to deceive Eve. Gen. '• iii. 5. God doth know, fays he, that in u the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes u fhall be opened, and ye Jhall he as Gods ; w rather God, the one God, knowing g • d u and evil : For the Word Elohini is *' fo ufed from the Beginning of Genefis " to this very Place, for the one God : c - And the Defign of the Tempter was ^ v - 4C Author to the Hebrews, as joint Proof " together with the former, that the u Son of God is fuperior to the Angels." The Son of God therefore is the Perfon fpoken of in the Pfalm. And what is there further faid of him, and to him? Enough to mew, that u || He is the Lord Jeho- * Dr. Waterlanch> Serm. p. 7c, 71. f See the Au- thors quoted ibid. J Dr. Knighf* Serm. p. 51. i! P- ?£• F « vah, 6& I he JjQCtnne €C vah, the one fupreme, and neceflary " Being, whom the Jews worfhipped. cc Hear my Prayer, O .Lord, and let my c4 Cry come unto thee* V„ i. He is repre- u lented as the Saviour and Reftorer of l i the y&vz/h Church, or the Church U- a nlverfal, in the time of its Diftrels, a V. 13, 19, 20, 2 t. As He, to whom the Ci Gentiles mould be converted ; as the a God whom their Kings mould reverence 6£ and fear ? V- 15-" Again, * Pfal Ixviii. 18. Thou haft a- fcended on high, thou haft led Captivity captive^ &c. This is fpoken of the Son of • God, as St. Paul allures us, Ephef iv. 8. Wherefore he faith, when HE afcended^ &c„ Of Him therefore it is laid in This Pfalm ; Let God arife % and let his Enemies he /battered, &c V. ■ 1. O God, when thou wentejl forth before thy People, &c- the Earth ftjook, and the Heavens dropped, &c. V. 7, &c. 'The Chariots of God are twenty thoufand 9 even thoufands of Jhtgels, &c. V. 1 8. With many other Expreffions, re- preienting the Glory, and Majefty of the moft high God, in as ftrong Terms as can well be imagined. m See Dr. Knight at Urge, p. 3S ? &fc. Laftly, of the Trinity. &y Laftly, and to omit * many other Paf- fages which might be urged to the fame Purpofe, Who is 'This (fays the Evan- gelical Prophet Ifaiah, Chap, lxiii. i,&c.) that cometh from Edom, with dfd Gar- ments from Bozrah ? This that is glorious in his Apparel, travelling in the greatnefs of his Strength ? I that fpeak in Right e- cufnefs, mighty to five. Wherefore art thou red in thine Apparel^ Mine own Arm brought Salvation imto me.*- That This is to be underftood of the Meffiah, All acknowledge, And " the Perfon tc here fpoken of, is evidently defcribed, ; quoniam & capit e- tfm. Lib. 4. Cap. 8. J De Idolorum Vanitate. p. 170. Deus cum homine miicetur, hie Dcus nofter, hie Chriflus eft. Dio-r of the Trinity. n? % Dionyfius of Rome, after having re- jected the feveral falfe Doctrines concer- ning the Trinity, has thefe remarkable Words eftablifhing the true. " There- " for it concerns us by all means not to u divide the venerable Divine Monad (or " Unity) into three Deities^ nor to lef- " fen the fuperlative Majefty, and Great- H nefs of our Lord, by making him a ''' Creature, but to believe in God the " Father Almighty, and in Jefus Chrift 44 his Son, and in the Holy Ghoft. li So mall the Divine 'Trinity, as alfo the u Sacred Doctrine of the Unity be pre- " ferved." To the fame Purpofe, his Namefake, and Contemporary, Dionyfius of Alexandria difcourfes at large/f* Thus likewife Tertullian; " A Trinity of < 4 one Divinity j Father, Son, and Holy ci Gho(t." + But the particular Teftimonies are in- numerable : And as they cannot in This fummary View be fo much as hinted at, I can only refer to the above mentioned learned Writers, who have produced them at large, with proper, and unan- fwerable Obfervations upon them. All * Dr. WaterhrJ's 2d Def. p. 114. Bull, T)d. Fid. Nic. $. 2. Cap. 11. t See Bull, ubi fupra. J See Dr. Waicrland^ 2d Dsf. p. 204. ■ 7 6 The Doctrine I ihall here add, and that too very brief- ly, fhall be a few general Arguments^ plainly {hewing what was the Senfe of thefe primitive Fathers upon the Sub- ject we are now confidering. Firft then,* According to the whole Stream and Current of their Writings, it was their conftantDo&rine, that the Son of God was before the Virgin Mary, and before the World itfelf ; that He made the World ; that it was He, who, as it were by way of Preludium to his Incar- nation, appeared to Abraham, and Mojes, and Jacob, &c. that it was He who con- ducted the Children of Jfrael through the Wildernefs, and whom they '] here tempted, and provoked. And for fuch their Opinion, there is fufficient Ground in Scripture. For they drank (fays St. Paul) of That Spiritual Rock which fol- lowed them, or (as it mould be rather j Cor: render'd) accompany' d them : And That 1 °* 5 " Rock was Chrijl. And more plainly, V. 9. Neither let us tempt Chrijl ; as fome of them qlfo tempted, and were dejlroyed of Ser- pents. And this, by the way, fuggefts a- nother Argument from Scripture, prov- ing him to be in the higheft ^enfe very * Hull, Def. Fid. Nic. $. 1. C>p. i, 2. of the Trinity. nn (Tod. For was it He that appeared to Mofes in a Flame of Fire in the Bujh ? What is faid of him ? See Exod. iii. 4, 5, 6. God called unto him out of the midjl of the Bufi, and faid, -Draw not nigh hi- ther, put off thy /hoes from thy Feet: for the place where thou (landefl is holy ground: Moreover he faid ; I am the God of thy Father, the God of Abraham, the God of Ifaac, and the God of Jacob. And,V. 14. God faid unto Mo/es, I AM THAT I AM. This fure is the true, the only, the moil high God ; or no Words are capable of ex- pressing him to us. The Opinion of the ancient Jews themfelves, * (as appears from Phi/o particularly) is here very re- markable, to the fame Purpofe ; that it was the a&>©-, the Firft-begotten Son of God, who prefided over the Jewijh Nation in the Wildernefs, and by whom God governs and directs the World. Secondly, Another Argument nearly a- kin to the former, is This. "-(-It is well u known that Thefe ancient Writers e- " ver lookM upon the Son as the God 0/ a the Jews, the God 0/ Abraham, I/aac y ayidjacob- Many particular Tefticnonies " might be produced: But we infift at * Bull, D. N.F. p. 12, 13. t Dr. Waterland, p. 28, &Y. " prefeat 73 The c Doclrine iC prefent upon a more general Proof ** drawn from their citing Texts out of 14 the Old Teftament, in which the God " of the Jews is certainly fpoken of ; and ci applying them to the Perfon of Chrift. *•* Thefe feveral Texts the Antenicene 3H° Guard. of the Trinity. 8 1 ** Guard. They had a pious Defign in c * adapting their Comparifons to the very '' meaneft Capacities. The Refemblances C4 we fpeak of * were intended to repre- u fent the Con/ubfantiality, or Coeternity " or Both, (all of them, by the way, in- plying a Subordination.) ** The Compa- ** rifons of Fountain and Stream, Root w and Branch, Body and Effluvia, Light u and Light, Fire and i%v, ©V, ferved " more particularly to fignify the Co?i- ic fubjlantiality. Thofe of Mind and u 'Thought, Light and Splendor, were more u particularly calculated to denote Coe- Ci ternity, abstracting from the Confide* ic ration of Con/ubjiantiality." And per- haps That of the Sun and his Rays was defigned to infinuate Both. " "f* Laftly, The Care they took left a- u ny one mould imagine there was any " Divifwn [or Abfcifjwi\ of the Father's " Subftance, and their inculcating that the " Son [by his temporary Generation, when 11 he was fent forth to create the World] Cc was prolatus, non feparatus, brought " forth, not feparated from the Father " demonftrate their Meaning to be, that " here was no Production of a new Sub- tc ftance, but an Emanation, Manifefta_ * Dr. JVaterlana^ 2d Dc\. p. ^13, 3.4. f -lit Dcf". ubi jupra, G tio?i 3 82. The. 7)o£trine a ti) ItiftS Xp»'0"TS, /vCsQ' !S S'o^ct tZ 02w, ^ TLccT^i, id ctyiox IIi>zvuclti. f Glorificantes Dominum noftrum Jefum Chriftum ; per quern, & cum quo, Patri gloria, & potentia, cum Sp'ritu Sanclo, in fancla Eeclefia, in fecuh feculorum. Amen- Aft. Marty. S. Ignqt. lub fincm. Jges. of the Trinity. gy 'Ages. Amen* Which Paflages alone (If there were no more) would be fufficient to rebuke the ftrange Confidence of one of the Arian Writers in Thefe Times ; who fome Years fince, in a contemptuous Let- ter to the Right Reverend the Bifhop of This Diocefs, took upon him to aflert, that there were no Doxologies in the iirft Ages of the Church, but fuch as He, and his Party now make ufe of/f- Thus then we have demonftrated both from Scripture and Antiquity, that the Son and Holy Ghoit are God. As for the perfonal Diftinftion between them \ That has been flatcd, and is now to be briefly proved. Whatever Attributes, or Opera- tions belong to God abfolutely confidered 9 are common to all the three Perfons. Some Characters are more efpecially, and particularly apply'd to This, or That Per- fon ; yet not fo as to exclude the other Two. Thus Creation, Redemption, and SancJification, in a wide Serif e, belong to the Godhead abfolutely, and yet more e- fpecially, Creation to the Father, Redemp- * Seethe Seafonable Review cfMr. Whiiton'j Account ef primitive Doxologies, and the Defence of it. See al- io, upon the Head of Doxologies, Dr. Waterland\ ifc Def. p. 336. and 410. And Remarks on Dr. Clarke^ Expofition of the Catechiiin, from p. 6. to p. 22. G 4 tion 88 The DuStrine tion to the So??, and SanBification to the . HolyGloJl. So much as This it is fuffi- cient to me??tio?i -, but that the three Per- fons are in Scripture diftmguifhed by peribnal Characters, is now to be proved. Some of Thefe Characters are only di- ffract, but not i?ico???mu??i cable -, as Thofe of Creation, Redemption, and Sanctifica- tion, above mentioned. Some are not on- ly diftinB, but incommunicable : The Fa- ther cannot be the Son, nor the Son the Father -, Neither of Them can be the Ho- ly Ghojl, nor the Holy Ghojl either of Them. And that they are per/on ally di- Jlingiiifhed, appears from That very D.i- Jlintlion of Names and Relatio??s given them in the Holy Scriptures. And more- over from hence, that * the Third Per- fon, in the Shape of a Dove, lighted upon the Second, who was thereupon declared by the Firjl to be his beloved Son. It like wife appears from Thofe Words of joh.14.26. ou r Bleffed Saviour -, The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghojl, whom the Father will fend in my Na???e, He fall teach you all Things. I omit many other Texts which fpeak to the fame Purpofe; becaufe Thefe are fufficient. And £hall now briefly prove what was before ajj'erted con- * M-tch. iii. 16, 17. cemin of the Trinity. g^ cerning the Holy Ghoft's proceeding both from the Father, and the Son. It is not indeed exprefly affirmed in Scripture, that the Holy Ghoft proceeds from the Son (as it is that • he proceeds from the Father) but it is manifestly im- ply'd, in that He is filled the Spirit of the Son, as well as of the Father* More- over, the Holy Ghoft: is fent by the Son, as well as by the Father. When the Com- Joh.15.26. forter is come, whom I will fend unto™ Tou. i\nd even when he is fent by the Joh. 14.26, Father, it is in the Name of the Son-, as we before obferved. For this Doctrine of the three real, di- Jlincl Perfbns in the Deity, the Senfe of primitive Antiquity is plain, and exprefs.-f* This appears (to omit many other Autho- ritys, particularly That of Dionyjius a- bove cited) from c fcrtullian's Writings a- gainft Praxeas, &c. whofe Pretentions were generally defpifed. Noetus, a Re- viver of the fame Herefy, which con- founds the Perfbns, went away with the Character of a weak and raiii Man, and was condemned by the Chriftian Church. And that Sabellius is by Epiphanius and St.AuJlin reckon'd in the Lift: of Here- * Gal 4. 6. Rom. S. 9. 1 Pet. 1. 11. Phil. 1/19. f See pr. Watcrkndh ift Def. p. 333, 334. ticks, 9o The %)o$rine ticks, and was always by the Church e- fteemed one of the worfl: of Hereticks, no body wants to be informed- Having thus, under my fecond gene- ral Head, proved both from Scripture and Antiquity, that the Son and Holy Ghoft are very God ; and that the three Perfons are in Scripture diftinguifhed from each other, by diftind: perfonal Characters; and confequently, that as they are all the One God, fo they are really three diftindl Perfons; which is the Doftrine of the Church upon This Article: I proceed now in the Third Place, III. To anfwer the Objections urged a- gainft it; and againft the Creeds, Expli- cations^ and Definitions of the Church up- on it. Thefe Objections, in a large fenfe, in- clude the Arguments alledged by our Adverfaries in maintenance of their own Opinion ; and their Anfwer s to Ours. It will be proper to invert the Order in which I have named them, and to be- ' gin with the latter. And thefe relate to Reafon, Scripture, and Antiquity. As to Reafon; They objed: that our Dodlrine implies a Contradiction. This I have obviated, and already anfwered, as of the Trinity. o ! as it was requifite to do, in ftating this Point, under my firft General Head ; to which I refer. Part of the Doctrine, if they pleafe, is above our Reafon ; but None of it contrary to it. But This, if I forget not, they tell us, ia the 2d Place, is a Diftin&ion without a Difference; at leaft without any material one, as to any ufe we can make of it. Whatever, fay they, is above Reafon, is either contrary to it, or at leaft, we can no more yield a rational Affent to the one than to the o- ther : In the latter Cafe, we mould af- fent to what we know to be falfe-, in the former, we mould affent to we know not what. In fhortlthey are againft all My- fieries in Religion : And will have it, that whatever is Myjlerious is Abfurd. This likewife may in a great meafure be anfwered by what I have offered under my firft Plead, concerning adequate, and inadequate Ideas, and the Words Per/on and Subjlance. For the reft, a fufficient Anfwer has been often given to This Objection ; it having been (hewn ifl* That there is fomething myfterious, or above our Reafon, in all things. And zdly. That the Nature of God in particular (whether there be a Trinity, or not) will always, and neceffarily muft, be above our Comprehenfion, Yet they fay, and will y% The Dodrine will have it, that the Doctrine of the Trinity is a ContradiBion. They fay This indeed, repeat it over and over; and feem refolved to injift upon it. But do they prove it? Yes; If Thefe, and fuch like, Expreffiqns * may pafs for Argu- ments. u Three intelligent Agents in *• one individual identical Subftance, is infifting, without Proof (unlefs an ever- la/ling Repetition of the fa me Phrafes and ExpreJ/ions may be called Proof) that the Senfe they put upon the Words is the true I a one-, 1 1 6 The TtocHrinc one j whereas, on the other hand, we 1 prove that it cannot be the true one : We cannot fo underftand them, without ma- king the Scriptures (to fay nothing of the Fathers) dire&ly contradict them/elves. The Father alone undoubtedly is unorigi- nated; the Son is from him, and therefore fubordinate to him: cc There is a Diffe- 4t rence of Order, or Manner, which yet " makes no Difference of Power, or God- u bead; So that This is mere trifling; cc unlefs They could prove that the Unity 0(Hrine nies, and retire in a Dull: of Words. We ♦ fay That This Miniftry, and Subjection is partly in the human Nature ; partly Per- gonal and Oeconomical only ; and that it is no more a Difproof of the Son's real Di- vinity, than the other Subordination which we have above confider'd. Let them {hew the contrary, if they are able. They al- ledge farther, that He is faid both in Scripture, and by the Fathers, to be ap- pointed^ made, or conjiituted Heir, Lord Ruler, Sec. But This again is purely Peen toThefe Men's Purpofe in this Ar- gument: The reft is vain, and imper- tinent. II. De£ p. 40. To of the Trinity. ill To what is urged in the laft Place, concerning the Honours conferred, We an- i wer ; * l4 That all the Powers^ Glories, u Honours, given to the Son were nothing a but fo many Declarations, Indications, " or Manifejlations of the Dignity and <; Divinity ofhisPerfon; which Dignity 4< and Divinity had been celebrated in F Heaven before, and were now to be re- u cogniz'd after his Incarnation, and Hu- u miliation. " But how can the Divine Nature, 11 fay they, be Heir of any Thing? " A?iJw. I hope the Son may, without *' Offence, be faid to be Heir to all his That 11 a The Doctrine That * " One who is in a proper Senfe ic God cannot be properly exalted. Hence Cc it is, that as many of the Ancients as " have underftood This Text of a proper ^ Exaltation, have interpreted it of the ic Human only, not the Divine Nature " of Chrift. So that here again the Arians but he was not obliged to fay Jo at that Time. He had afferted it before * See This further urg'd and improved, from p. 1 77. to 1 8 1 . in of the Trinity. 125 in This very Debate, by faying, I and my Father are One. But here, to put it at the loweft, He may wave That Anfwer, (which the perverfe Unbelief of the Jews might very well incline him to do) and fpeak directly to their laft Words: and fo even upon the Suppofition that he was not really God, he may fhew them that he fhould not have fpoken Blafphemy by ap- plying That Title to Himfelf. As if he mould have faid, " Suppofing, tho' not " granting, that lam not really God; it €i does not follow that I fpeak Blafphemy u by calling my felf fo : Becaufe, you know, " Perfons acting by the Authority of God, li as I do have his Name in Scripture ap- " ply'd to them." But This, I fay, is putting at the low- eft : And therefore I anfwer, idly. That He docs not deny his aflerting himfelf to be God,, upon a Suppofal of which the Jews had accufed him of Blafphemy: Which he certainly ought exprefly to have done, if he had not been fo. Nay idly. In This objected Text, and the Verfes following, He injijls upon, and /wu^f his former A/Tertion. And fo This very Paflage in which our Adverfaries place their great Confidence, is fo far from helping their Caufe, that it makes directly againft it. The former Part of it is only an Argu- ment 1^6 The DoiHrine ment a minor i ad ?najus. If thofe Others are called Gods, how much more ought I to be called God ? For the Strefs of his Reafoning turns not upon his being barely fanBiffd, but partly upon his being fan- clify'd by the Father -, (it being very re- markable that He fays not fan&ify'd by God, as Others might fay, but by the Fa- ther, intimating his Divine Filiation) partly upon his being fent by him into the World, implying, that He was in Heaven before. But if This be not full to the Point; what follows, I am fure, is fo. He argues from his Divine Power mani- • fefted in his Works ; and from hence proves the very Aflertion, upon which the Jews were going to ftone him for fuppofed Blafphemy, viz. 'That he and his Father are One: If I do ?iot the Works of my Father^ believe me not. But if I do, tho* ye believe not me, believe the Works; That ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. And fo it is plain that the Jews underftood him, as perflating in his fuppofed Blafphe- my: For it immediately follows, There- fore They fought again to take him, i. e. in order to ftone him, which was the Pu- nifhment for Blafphemy; plainly referring to f. 30, 31. / and my Father are One. Then the Jews took tip Stones again to f one him, of the Trinity. 127 him, i. e. As they had done before, Chap, viii. v. 59. upon his faying, Before Abra- ham was, I am. I have infifted the lon- ger upon This Objection ; becaufe I have no where feen it fully clear'd by any Englijlo Writer.* The next Place is That of John xvii. 11. in which our Saviour praying to the Father in Behalf of his Difciples, expref- fes himfelf thus ; Holy Father keep thro* thine own Name them whom thou hajl given me, that they may be one, as we are. And afterwards, v. 22- That they may be one, even as we are one. So that it looks as if God and Chrift were no otherwife one, than as two or more Men may be, i. e. only in a figurative Senfe. And then (which is an Objection fomewhat different from the former, tho' nearly related to it) v. 21. he fays, That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee ; that they alfo may be ONE IN US. Which feems to prove that Chrift is no otherwife one with God, than as his Difciples, or any other Men, are capable of being. But there are a thoufand other Places of Scripture in which it is impofiible that * I fay Englijb Writer. For it is fully clear'd by a Latin one, viz. the excellent Bifhop Bull, Judic. Ecclcf. p. 59, 40, 41. From which what I have laid is moftly taken, and to which I refer the learned Reader. the II 8 The Dottfine the Words fliould be taken in their lite- ral Rigour ; efpecially in Comparifons and Allufions. For there is no Neceffity that this mould be understood as a Parallel; when a Simile will folve the whole Mat- ter- There is, fuppofing our Doctrine of Chrift's Divinity to be true, no more real Difficulty in Thefe Texts, than in ano- ther, which at firft Sight appears to be . , more plain. Be ye therefore perfect, as u j. your Father which is in Heaven is per feci. This, ftrictly fpeaking, is impoflible ; but the Meaning is (as all acknowledge) that we mould come as near it,* as we can. And the fame is to be faid of the Places we are now confidering : That They may be one as we are-, and that they may be One in us ; i< e. that they may have fuch an Union among themfelves, and with us, fo far as the Nature of Things will per- mit. The next Argument I mall mention, by which they endeavour to prove Their own Doctrine, and to overthrow Ours, and which indeed feems to be the beft they have, is taken from Col. i. 15. in which our Saviour is ftiled the firjl-born of every Creature. This, I fay, feems to be the beft Argument they have: And yet it is often, and very properly too, ur- ged on our Side ; Nay I hope to mew, that of the Trinity. i^a that, taking it in its full Scope, and in Conjunction with the Context, it is an ir- refragable Proof of the Doctrine I am de- fending. The Ufe 'They make of it isf This; and at fifft View, I confefs, they feem to have Realbn. Chrift is the firfl- bom of every Creature : And can any thing be the firft-born of Creatures, but a Crea- ture ? Is not the eldeft Son of the Num- ber, and of the fame Nature, with the reft of the Brethren ? I anfwer, iji. That in the Original -t^utMk®- ZtU p* for ^mf©-.^ Or it may be in- terpreted by an Ellipfs, very frequent in all Writings, efpecially the infpired ones; the Prepofition both Thefe Titles, and the Rights an- nexed to them, being confequent of Pri- mogeniture- Thus then we ijee that This PaiTage may, at leaft, be accounted for, according to our Doctrine ; nay that (ac- cording to thefe Expofitions, which are far from being forced, or (trained, like the Socinian and Art an Expofitions) it is a Confirmation and Proof of our Doctrine. 'Reconcileahle with it, at leaft, it nrufl be ; unlefi we make the Apoflle contradict himfelf in the fame Breath. For the ve- ry next Words are Thofe which I before cited as a direct Proof of our Saviour's Divinity; and which it is requifite here to repeat- The next Words I fay, are Thefe ; £he Meaning of which no Body of Senfe ana of the Trinity. and Honefty can difpute, they are fo very plain, and exprefs. Nay farther, They are join'd to this controverted Text by the illative Particle/ir; which mews that the former Part is to be taken in the fame Senfe with the latter. The whole Paifage runs Thus. Who (the Son, mention'd in the fame Sentence) is the Image of the in- vijible God, the Firjl-born of every Crea- tare. For by Flim were all Things crea- ted that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth, vijible, and invijible ; whether They be Thrones, or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers : all Things were created by him, and for him. And he is before all Things, and by him all Things confji. If This, taken all together, bean Argument againjl our Saviour's Divinity ; nay if it be not a direct Proof of it ; we muft neceflarily de- termine that it is impollible to underftand any Words whatfoe ver. If fome of Thefe are doubtful \ the reft (which are far the greateft Part) are plain enough. And can a Creature create all Creatures ? Ought not therefore the difficult Expreffions of the PafTage to be explained by the eafy, rather than the eafy by the difficult? We may here obferve, that our Lord Is fet forth not only as the efficient, but as the final Caufe of all Things. All Things were created BT him, and FOR him. K 2 Surely 131 1%1 The doctrine Surely nothing greater can be faid. And This alone, if there were no more, would be fufficient to obviate the Cavils of Thofe > who, becaufe in a Text, or two, God is faid to have made the World by his Son, will needs have it that the latter was made Ufe of only as an Injlrumeni in the Work of Creation. Not to infill upon the Jlrange Abfurdity of the Notion ; as if a Creature could be an hifirument in Creating, or any Thing but God could be employ 'din That Work: The Diftindi- cn of our Adverfaries, u * Between H «*& " T «, and Jx^tluTK per quern, and ex quo y u and the like, can be of very little Ser- u vice to their Caufe. The Prepofition * c 5° The Do&rine much his, That would with 'them be no Argument for its Authority. It is called by his Name, becaufe it contains a Sum- mary of his Doctrine, and has been re- ceived in the Weftern Church for many Centuries; tho' when, and by whom it was compiled, is neither certain, nor ma- terial. Not but that a late moft learned Author * has, with wonderful Sagacity, made it plain, almoft to a Demonftration, when, and by whom, it was compiled; and that it is much more ancient than fome pofitive Writers have in their dog- matical Way } and without knowing any thing of the Matter, been pleafed to de- termine. However That be, it is an ex- cellent Account of our Faith ; plainly to be proved from Scripture; a judicious Form of found Words, and in any wife to be held f aft as fuch. And to fay it abounds with hard unintelligible Terms, is a moft injurious Untruth. Any common fincere Chriftian, who is not ignorant in the Language of his Country, may, at leaft by the Afliftance of an Inftru&er, un- derftand every Word in it. Let the fhort and plain Account which I have gi- ven of This Doclrine -j- be re-confidered, * Dr. Waterland's Critic. Hift. of the Atbanafian 9reed. f Under the firft Head. of the Trinity. 151 and compared with This Creed: And what I have now afferted both as to the Truth, and Tntelligiblenefs of it, will be fufficiently proved. I will juft mention Thofe PaiTages which relate to our pre- fent Subjetf:; and to the Article of our Saviour's Incarnation, which is fo nearly ally'd to it. " And the Catholick Faith " is this ; That we worfhip one God in c ^ Trinity, and Trinity in Unity." I e. One God in a Trinity of Perfons, or (which is the fame thing) in three Perfons; and the three Perfons in the Unity, or One-nefs of the Godhead. Which amounts to no more than This; that the One God is three Perfons, and the three Perfons one God. Now I have (hewn from Rea- Jbn that This may be fo; becaufe there is no Contradiction in the Terms: And from Revelation, that it certainly is fo; becaufe it is plainly revealed in Scripture- " Nei- " ther confounding the Perfons, nor di- M viding the Subftance." I e. Maintaining the Diftinaion between the Perfons, as fuch, on the one Hand ; fince, as we have feen, they are clearly diftinguifhed in Scripture by their perfonal Charaders: Nor conceiving the Subftancc of God to be divided on the other Hand ; which is contrary both to Scripture, and R ea £ on - v For there is one Perfon of the Father, L ^ " another 152 The T^Q&rine a another of the Son, and another of the " Holy Ghoft." This is too plain to re- quire any Explication. " But the God- c head of the Father, of the Son, and of cc the Holy Ghoft is all one ; the Glory i. e. faith he, H Deum eximiiim fecerit^ hath made him fcfa 1 Part U. p. 75 . (*) P. 74, 75. Q) Part IV. p. 69. & paffim. (c) P. 22. (d) P, 63, 64, &fr. l$alure x of the Trinity. 185 Nature, and Attributes of God; They teach us that He * is not infinite in his Eflence, but confined to the Heavens: That he is f* not omnifcient, but limited in his Knowledge: Particularly that he is igno- rant of future Events, or of Things not yet come to pafs : So there is an End of all Prophefy, and confequently both of the Old and New Tefiament. They moreover teach us that % God is mutable, or fubject to change; That He has the jj fame Paf- Jionsas we have ; and laftly that he § is ma- terial, or made up of bodily Parts. Po« iitions as abfurd, as they are impious ; and as contrary to Reafon as they are to Re- ligion. And Thefe are the Pofitions main- tained by the fame Perfons y who affirm Chrifi to be by Nature a mere Man, and the Holy Ghojl to be a mere Quality. The Truth is, their Scheme of Theology is not fo properly a Herefy in Chriftianity ; as a New Religion apoftatiz'dyh?/// it, and fet up in Oppofition to it. They retain the Name of Chrifi indeed, and call them- felves Chriftians; and for That very Rea- fon are the more dangerous Enemies to Chriftianity. * Part I. p, 12. t P. 16, 17, 18, &V. J P. 26, 27. H P. 51, to <9. § P* ^4» 65, fcfV. Then i^o The ^Dofirine Then for the Arians ; there never was a;ny Thing more infamous, than their Shufflings and Prevarication^ their Fraud and Deceit. This was moft notorious in the Founder of their Sed\ Ariia himfelf ; and has been fufficiently imitated by his Followers. The Subterfuges, and Evafi- ons of That Arch-Heretick, and his im- mediate Followers, have been hinted at before. And it is well known what an * Attempt has lately been made to recon- cile the Doclrine of our Churchy with its dircB Contrary, and to diftinguifh away the Senfe of the plaineft Words, not only in the Scriptures, but in the Articles, Creeds, and Liturgy of our Church, which are explanatory of Thofe Scrip- tures. An Attempt it is indeed as extras vagant, as it is fraudulent. If any Thing is to be made out of any Thing at This Rate, and a Dodlrine to be countenanced by Tejlimonies, which are directly levelled againji it ; Farewel all human Reafoning : Either Contradictions may be true; or Words are of no Ufe to exprefs our Mean- ing. But we have a more flagrant Ex- ample yet to come. I faid before under my third general Head, that one of * Clarke's Scripture-Do&rine. their of the Trinity. iy\ their * modern Writers has prefented us with a New Gofpel ; the Apofiolical Con- jlitutiom by Name. And it is fuch a New Gofpel, as (if true) muft effectually de- ftroy the old one. For they are in many Inftances utterly inconfiftent with each other. As the New one moreover abounds with Falfhoods, and Abfurdities in Point of Reafon. Not but that its Inconfiften- cy with the New Teftament commonly received is fufficient to prove it fpurious ; fince the Divine Authority of the lafl> mentioned is acknowledged on all Hands, even by our Adverfaries themfelves. But This by the Way. What I would now remark goes further ; and is at once fuch an Example of Confidence and Impofture, as was fcarce ever heard of before. This new difcover'd Gofpel, falfe and fpurious as it is, yet contains many Truths , and many Things which This Writer would fain have otherwife. What then does He? Why he corrects and alters pure- ly by his own Authority ; and falfifys even a falfe Book; Particularly in many Doxo~ fogies^ in which Glory is jointly afcribed to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, He alters the Form, and makes it run Thus^ m - 1 ■■ ■ ! ■— ■ ■ ■ ■ ■■ 111 m I ■ WWKMplW! * Whifion. < c Glory jtajS The c Do£irine " Glory be to the Father, with the Son, in u [inftead of W] the Holy Ghoft." But Thefe Practices are (as to the Main) true Copies from their heretical Predecef- fors. To recount the moft ungodly, An- tichriftian Behaviour of whom, would be the Work of a large Volume. Such as their recurring to Force and Power, in- ftead of Argument; their negotiating with Princes and Statesmen; and acting like Heathen Politicians, not like fincere Chri- Jlians. It is mocking even to name the impious and abominable Practices of the Arian Bifhops, when That Faction was countenanced by the fecular Power : es- pecially of Thofe Prodigys in Wicked- nefs, Enfebius o{Nicomedia > and George of Alexandria. How was That excellent Father, and Saint, the great Athanafms * calumniated, and perfecuted by them ! . Banifhed, and hunted from Place to Place ! Accufed of the moft horrid Crimes, Treafon, Prophanation, Murder, Magick, and what not ? All the Accufations being difproved by fuch clear, and unconteftable Evidence, that even Their Malice and Power only made his Innocence and Vir- tue (hine the brighter ; particularly as to * See Caois Life of Him. the of the Trinity. \a^ the Charge of Murder, the Perfon, upon whom it was pretended to have been com- mitted, being produced alive in open Court. It were endlefs to recite their Abominations at large : I fhall therefore mention but one Inftance more, which indeed virtually includes all the reft : And That is PerJeaitioUi moft ftr icily, and properly focal led ; Perfecution * of Thou- sands evenuntoDeath: In Maintenance and Defence of their Herefy, Chriftian Blood was fpilt like Water by Arians, Heathens ; and yewsf a&ing in Conjunction: Nay great Numbers of all Ages, and both Sexes, were by them maffacred and butcher'd, even in the Churches, in Divine Service, and before the Altars. When thefe Here- ticks by the Weaknefs, or Wickednefs, or Bothy of fome Emperor s i and EmpreJJes, had in Effect got the fecular Power into their own Hands; the Arian Perfecution againft the Orthodox^ was as bloody as the Heathen Perfecutions had been againft Chriftians. Here we may obferve, by the Way, that the truly Chriftian Church has been perfecuted on all Hands ; by Heathens, Arians, Papifts, Prelbyterians, and Independents. But whom did fhe * See Cave's Life of Athanafiui, O ever 1^4 The DoRrine ever perfecute? And yet how often lias fhe had it in her Power ? Her Fault, when- ever ihe is in Power, is Excefs of Mode- ration. And yet how is fhe calumniated, as being of a perfecuting Spirit ! All the Perfecution that (he ever exercifed was endeavouring to fecure herfelf from being perfecuted, and to preferve the Peace and Quiet of her Members. But to return. The Behaviour of our Adverfaries in the Management of This Controverfy, is another Fact not unworthy of our Ob- fervation. As to the Sociniam -, a late moft Reverend Prelate, who, I verily believe, did not defer ve all the Cenfures which have been pafs'd upon him, by fome great, and good Men, feems however to have given too much Occaiion for them, while he delivers his Judgment concerning thofe Men in the following Character of them. 4i * And yet (fays he) to do Right to < c the Writers on that Side, I mull: own " that generally they are a Pattern of the " fair Way of difputing, and of debating : Matters of Religion without Heat, and unfeemly Reflections upon their Ad- verfaries ; in the Number of whom I cc did not expect that the Primitive Fa- * Archbiihop Ttitctjbr? s Works, Folio Edition, p. 521. thers and Teiiv- " per enough to defend it*" O z The log The 'Dofirine The Wit, Subtilty, and Learning of fome of them (for it is not true of them all) I am very ready to acknowledge; and only wifli they had made a better Ufe of their Talents. Yet at the fame Time I muft obferve, that, notwithftanding thofe Talents, even the beftofthem (as I have fhewn) reafon not clofely, and clearly, but mod loofely, confufedly, ir- rationally, and abfurdly ; and abound with grofs and palpable Contradictions. And whatever the Per Jim may be, the things are mod ridiculoufly contemptible, as well as abominably profane. But as to their jfe> Reafoning, their Civility, their Cool- nefs, and Temper; This great Man's Judgment concerning them is, with hum- ble Submiffion, an Inftance of falfe Mo- deration ; and has a Tendency to very mifchievous Confequences. With regard to the Fairnefs, as well as Clearnefs> and Strength of their arguing, I have given many Inftances ; and do aver that the Je- fuits themfelves are not more abandon 'd Sophifters, more foul Reafoners, or more perverfe Wrefters of Scripture 3 than the Adverfaries of the Trinity, generally fpeaking, whether Socinia?is 7 or Arians. Then for their Civility, Coolnefs, Gravi- ty, and Temper, let Thefe few Speci- mens pafs for a Sample, among very many of the Trinity. 197 many others. They fay, that our believing and adhering to the Doctrines we defend, proceeds from * Ignorance, Stupidity, In- fatuation, and a Kind of Witchcraft, in fome ; and from the Love of the World, temporal Intereft, and the Fear of lofing Preferments in others: Thus leaving us the Option between Fool, and Knave ; or rather making us a Mixture compounded of Both. They tell us, -j- that the Noti- on of original Sin (upon which the whole Scheme of the Chriftian Religion is foun- ded) is an old Wife's Tale j that $ the Account of our Saviour's eternal Gene- ration is a mere Romance, the Contri- vance of fome idle trifling Perfons, who had nothing elfe to do, but to invent fuch abfurd incredible Notions: That the Words || Trinity, Incarnation, Sacrament, which are introduced into our Religion, are a barbarous and unknown Language, Metaphyfical Gibberifhj with feveral other vile and fcurrilous Expreffions, (a) too low and vulgar to be decently mention'd in This Place. That the (b) modern Chriftianity (ib they are pleafed to call our Religion, as we profeis, and explain * Dr. Edwards's Prcferv. Pare III. p. 13. to p. 27. t P. 22. J Part I. p. 63. . j! Part III, p. 12. (a) See them ubi fupra. {/)) HJ, 03 10 fog The < Do3rine it) is no better than a Sort of Heathenifm, or Paganifm -, nay that the Devil's Oracle? are to be prefer'd before it. Laftly, (for I (hall mention no more, and am indeed almoft aiham' d to have mention'd fo much) the Blefled Trinity is by fome of them ftiied * triceps Cerberus , and Monjlriim c Triforme, which I will not tranflate. You fee the Civility, and Temper, the Cool- nefs, and Gravity of thefe clear, and clofe Reafoners. Were our Doctrine of the Trinity really falfe ; yet fince it relates to a moft facred Subject, the Nature and Eflence of the God who made us, certain- ly their making fuch a horrid Compan- ion as That I hinted at, is fuch an In- ftanee not only of Rudenefs towards Men, but of Profanenefs towards God, as is enough to make the Ears of any Chriftian tingle, or rather to chill his Blood with Horror. But fuppofing That Doctrine to be true, as it moft certainly is, and as I hope I have fully, tho' briefly,proved it to be ; what Name is to be given to Thefe Wretches, who dare utter fuch execrable Blafphemies ? Hear O Heavens, and give Ear Earth ! Be fjionifo'd at \this y and be horribly afraid! And how juftly may our excellent, and Pref. tp fart I. p. 6. and Parr III. p. 21, 22. (M of the Trinity. loo (as we will, in great Contempt of their profane Scoffs, ftill continue to call her) our truly Orthodox Church, apply to Them what God by his Prophet apply'd to Sen- nacherib King of Ajjyria ! "The Virgin, the Daughter of Zion hath defpifed thee, and laugtid thee to Scorn : 'The Daughter of Jerufalem bath fliaken her Head at thee. Whom haft thou reproached, and BLAS- PHEMED; and againft whom haft thou exalted thy Voice y and lifted up thine Eyes on high? Even againft the HOLT ONE OF ISRAEL! Ifai. xxxvii. 22, 23. To enlarge farther upon the rude, ipfolent, and contemptuous Behaviour both of Socinians and Arians in This Controverfy, would be a Task as fuper- fluous, as it would be naufeous. Yet They, let them do, or fay what they will, muji be the moderate Men: And We, on- ly for {hewing a true Chriftian Zeal for the Honour of God, and our Redeemer,, for neceflarily expofing the Principles, Reafonings, and Practices of our Adver- faries, and applying to them the Names which we prove they deferve, and which it is neceftary to give them, in order to prevent the Mijchief they intend, mufl be hot, and furious. And yet We are vaftly fhe Majority ; and Ours are the eflablifh'd O 4 Doctrines oo The DoBrine Doctrines of the whole Chriftian World. For which Reafon, even fuppofing us to be really in the Wrong, thefe Men, one would think, fhould in common Decency and Modefty, behave themfelves towards Us, and pur Doctrines, with fome Re- ferve, not to fay with fome Refpeff. But it long has been, is, and it feems is Hill like to be ? our Fate, to be infulted upon all Accounts, and by all Pcrfons who think fit tp abuje us ; and at the fame Time to be accufed of infulting others - y when irj. Truth we are but with too much Modera- tion defending our/elves. Thus have I briefly reprefented the Doffrines of the Socinians, the Practices of the Arians, and the Behaviour of Both, in the Management of this Controverjy, Which laft indeed may be referred to their Practices : But I rather Ufe That Word in another Senfe, as relating to Faffs of a different Nature. Two Things more in Point of Hiftory remain to be confidered ? pr rather mentioned. The Firfl: I mean is the Pedigree, or Lineage of both thefe Herejies; which may eafily be traced up to their Fountain- head: And let them Both enjoy the Ho- nour of their true Original. The Socini- ans had theirs from Photinus, as he had it from Paulus Samofatenus. The Herefy \i\ of the Trinity. 20I of Arius indeed is different in fome Re- fpecls ; but They agree in This, that they deny the Son, or the Second Perfon, to be the fame one God with the Father. Car- pocrates, Ebion- 7 Cerinthus, and many more, maintain'd this Herefy, before any of Thole above-mentioned. And to what Sect did Thefe belong ? Why to the moft wild, enthufiaftical, filthy, leud, and in all Refpects diabolical Sect of the QnoJHchi who were the Difciples of Simon Magus. Therefore to trace the Pedigree of thefe Herefies upwards to their Original ; They pafs through Socinus, Photinus, and Arius to Paulus Samofatenus, from Him to Ebio?i y Ceri?ithus y Carpocrates^ &c. and fo on to Simon the Sorcerer; That firft Broacher, and renown'd Father of He- refy. The next and laft Fact upon which I would remark, (and it is indeed truly re- markable) is the miferable Death of Arius: Which was fo very particular, and extra- ordinary, that we may without Breach of Charity affirm (nay we cannot without almoft renouncing our Reafon think other- wife) that the immediate Hand, andjuft Judgment of God were vifible in it; and that the God to whom Vengeance, and the Vindication of true Religion belong, did by the Death of the Heretick declare his 9QT The c Do$rine his Abhorrence of the Herefy. It was in the Height of his Profperity and Great- nefs; He was by the Emperor's Com- mand to be reftored to Communion the very next Day : When the good old ve- nerable Prelate Alexander Bifhop of Con* Jlantinople, having abfolutely refufed to obey That Command, fhut himfelf into the Church the Night before, and profv trate at the Altar implored Almighty God to interpofe, and take the Matter into his own Hand. The next Morning the Arch- Heretick going to the Church, attended by his Followers in great Pomp and TrU umph, was, upon a Neceffity of Nature, forced to turn afide out pf the Way ; when He met with the Fate of the Traitor jfudas : For he burfi a/under, and all his Bowels gujhed out. Nor is it to be won- der'd, that He who denfd our Saviour as to his Divine Nature, ihould not feel a kfs heavy Punifhment, than He who be* trafd Him in his Human. VI. I proceed now, in the fixth, and lafl Place, to make a few fhort Obferva- tions, or Reflections upon the Whole, with regard both to our Faith and Prac- tice. i. Firft then it follows from what has been difcourfed, that we ought to be zea- Jous and refolute in contending for this Faith of the Trinity. Iqi Faith once delivered to the Saints ; and con- stantly to maintain and defend it againft: ell Oppofers, be they never fo numerous, great, and powerful. I have fhewn that it is not an indifferent Matter, but of the utmoft Moment and Importance ; That it is not purely fpeculative, but in a very great Meafure practical. And I now add, that without This Faith there can be no true Chriftian Practice. Our Adverfaries are always valuing themfelves upon their high Encomiums of Morality, or a good Life ; as if no Body had any Regard to it, but T'hey. Among their many and grofs Fallacies, This is none of the leaft con- fiderable. They inculcate Chriftian Prac- tice, while they deny the Chriftian Faith : i. e. they would fecure the Superstructure, by undermining, or digging up, the Foun- dation. It appears from the whole Te- nor of the New Teftament, that a right Faith is as neceflary to Salvation as a right Practice; nay that without the former there cannot be the latter : Or (if you will take it otherwife) in a wide Senfe, Practice includes Faith It further appears from the fame Scriptures, that the heft of our Morality is unavailable without the Merits of Chrijl : That 1 hpfe Merits cannot of Right be apply 9 d to us, unlefs we have true Faith in him; and That wc cannot 204 The c DoBrinc cannot have true Faith in him, unlefs we believe him to be God. . 2, As upon the Propagation of Thefe, and fuch like Corruptions, we ought to be rationally, and religioujly concerned on the one Hand; fo we ought not to be over anxious, and Jbllicitous^ much lefs dejedled, on the other. What Right have We to be exempted from the Troubles and Confufions caufed by Herefies, any more than the earlier, and better Ages of Chriftianity ? They are indeed very trouble- fomCj and grievous to all good Chrijlians : But as they are ?iot of God, but fet up in Oppofition to his revealed Word; they will certainly come to nought. And after all, the Perfons who revive, and ajfert them, would not make half the Figure they do, (tho' even That, I think, is not very great) were it not for their Confidence, and Clamour, and oppofing what is efiabli- Jloed: Which to undifcerning Eyes and Ears always makes any Serf, or Faction of Men feem much more numerous and considerable, than it really is. The Doc- trine of the Trinity has been more or lefs oppofed almoft ever fince the Gofpel was published: Notwithftanding which, it has ftill flood its Ground ; been generally received by the whole Chriftian World in a Manner; and will undoubtedly be fq to the World's End, We of the Trinity. 20$ We of Thefe Times indeed have our Patience exercifed, not only with Herefy^ but with downright Infidelity, and a De- nial of all revealed Religion: Which fhews the Truth of what I hinted at in another Part of This Difcourfe, concer- ning the clofe Conneftion between the Doftrine of the Trinity, and Chrijlianity itfelf. Between Forty and Fifty Years fince, Socinianifm was the fafhionable He- terodoxy: For about thefe laft Twenty Years, it has been Arianifm; accompa- ny'd, and not a little countenanced, by what they call Free-thinking-, and by E- rajlianifm, or a Principle deftructive of all Sacred Orders, and Church Government. Of late, an Attempt has been made to deftroy the Credit of the Gofpel, from a pretended falfe Application of the Old Tefiament Prophefies by Chrijl, and his A- poflles, in the New. The next Step has oeen to deny the Truth and Reality of our Saviour's Miracles-, and his very Per- fin has, upon That Occafion, been plen- tifully ridiculed, and blafphemed. With- in Thefe few Weeks we have been pre- fented with a long, pompous, elaborate Syjlem of Infidelity-, and in a little Time, with the Addition of another Volume, it is to be complete in all its Parts. God, we are told, can add nothing to the Law ao6 The fiofirine of Nature ; all the pofitive Inftitutibns of our Religion, as Prieflhood, the Sacra- ments y and fuch like, are mere Nullities : So Chriflianity, as contained in the Wr&* tings of the Evangelifts, and Apoftlesy is to be aboliihed as a ground lefs Superflition. Upon This Occafion the Scriptures both of the Old and New Teflament have been arraign 'd and condemn' & j many particular 'Texts fingled out to be calumniated, and burlefqued-y and the Whole, with the ut- moft Malice, reprefented to the People, as the Object of their Hatred and Con- tempt. Thefe Men do not (like Thofe mention'd under the foregoing Particular) recommend fo much as Morality with Chriflian added to it. 'Tis Pagan Mora- lity % if any, which they would be thought to plead for: And it would be better if they lived even according to That, and were not as profligate in Practice, as they are in Principles. I cannot fee what we are to expect from them after This, but downright Atheifm; and that by the Gra- dation aforefaidj from a Denial of the three Perjbns, they at laft advance to a Denial of the one God. The Lord of his infinite Mercy put a Stop to Thefe Over- flowings ofUngodlinefs ; and let Thofe who will read Thefe wretched Writings be juft to our Religion and Them/elves, and read of the Trinity. 20/ read the Anfwers to them like wife. How- ever, let us not be anxious ovef-much, even upon This melancholy Profpedt; but do our Duty, and be of good Courage; knowing that we have Reafon, and Scrip- ture, and Truth, and God on our Side j and tru fling the Events of Things to Him who alone has the Difpofal of them. 3. My next Obfervation is nearly re- lated to the foregoing, and it is This: That we fhould be infinitely careful that from Thefe Herefies, and Controveffies in our Religion, we draw not wrong Con- fequences to the Prejudice of it. This is of fo vafi Importance ; that it can fcarce be too often inculcated. How comes it (may any one fay) that at this Time of Day there are fuch Difputes in Chrijlia- nity, about the prime Article of Religion in general, the God we are to worjhip? So there are Difputes whether there be any Chriftianity at all ; nay whether there be any God: But I hope This alone, if there be no other Reafon, will not be allowed to be an Argume?it againft either. Then it is a great Inftance of God's Wifdom and Providence, that he often draws Good out of Evil-, and turns even the Sins of Men, which they voluntarily commit, to the Praife and Glory of Himfelf againji 'whom they are committed. Thefe Here* lies, 2o8 The 'Dottrine fies, as I above noted, took their Rife almoft with Chriftianity itfelf, and the Wheat and the Tares fprang up together. No Temptation therefore has happen d to us in This Refpect, but what is, and has been, common to Men, to Chrijlian Men in all Ages. Nay Thefe Corruptions are fo far from being Arguments againjl our Religion; that they are a Confirmation of it; fince our Saviour and his Apoftles propkejyd that Thus it would be : So that if there were not fome falje Dodtrines a- mong Chriftians, Chriftianity itfelf would not be true. And the fame, in This Refpect, may be faid of Infidels^ as of Hereticks, Now the Spirit fpeaketh ex- prejly, (fays St. Paul, i Tim. iv. i.) that in the latter Times fome Jhall de- part from the faith; givi?ig Heed to fc- ducing Spirits, and Doclrines of Devils: To omit many other Places of Scripture, which fpeak to the fame Purpofe. There is another excellent Ufe made of them by the Providence of God ; as the fame Apoftle afliires us, i Cor. ii. 19. For there mujl be alfo Herefies among you-, that they which are approved 7nay be made manifejl among you, Befides, were Thefe Corruptions more numerous than they are, it is both endlefs and abfurd to argue from Fa£l to Reafon \ from the various ; Species of the Trinity. 209 Species of Falfehood againft the Being o( Truth. 4. Lajlly, When it was faid above, that a right Faith is as neceffary to Sal- vation as moral Virtue-, it was fuppofed that the latter is neceflary : And therefore we muft beware of imagining, that our Orthodoxy in the one will excufe us from prattifing the other. It has been faid by a great Man * that the greatejl Herefy in the World is a wicked Life : And tho' per- haps He did not coniider that, ftriftly Jpeaking, and as the Words are commonly ufed, 2l wicked Life is no Herefy at all; and if they are taken in a loofer, and lefs proper Signification, Herefy itfelf is one Part of a wicked Life, and that one of the worjl too -, this however is moft cer- tain, that a right Belief and a right Pra- ctice muft go in Conjunction, and neither of the tv/o will fuperfede our Obligation to the other. As therefore we are found in our holy Faith 5 let us bring forth the genuine Fruits of it in all holy Converfa- tion and Godlinefs -, and adorn That Do- Brine by our Lives, which we fo fully vindicate by our Arguments. * TillotfonV Serm. />. 402. p ft i i o The DoStrine> &c. To the moji Holy, and undivided Tri^ nity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghojl, "Three Perjbns, and One God, be afcribed (as is mojl due) by Men, and Angels, all Honour i and Glory, Adoration, and Praife, Mighty Majejly, and Dominion, henceforth, and for evermqre. Amen. Discourses 4.* A A J? S ^ «& ^ -^ * ^ «£ & >% •% & A •$• ■% DISCOURSES UPON THE PARABLE O F Dives and Lazarus. ¥$^^$ l W§9'$$Wf r f9'¥¥l l ! $ P 2 Luke xvi. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. 7X#* w^i rf certain rich man, which was cloathed in purple, and fine linen, and fared fumptuoujly every day. And there was a certain bigger named La- zarus, which was laid at his gate full of lores ' And defiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich mans table : moreover the dogs came and licked his fores. And it came to pafs that the begger died, and was carried by the angels into Abra- ham^ bofom: the rich man alfo died and was buried ; And in hell he lift up his eyes } being in tor^ ments - HIS Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus being a very remarkable, important, and upon all accounts, mod excellent Portion of holy Scripture; I (hall, by the Bleffing of God, go through with it, in feveral Difcourfes. J fay a Parable ; for fuch it plainly }% P 3 not 214 735* Parable of not a Narrative of a real Fact, as Some imagine : It is evidently a Figurative, or Allegorical Scheme ; as will appear, when we come, in the Sequel, to explain fuch Claufes and Expreffions, as need Expli- cation. But tho* it be a Fiction, as to Fact, and the particular Circumftances; yet it is a great Truth as to Doctrine, and the main Subftance : ■ A Fable indeed, but grounded upon a moft true Propor- tion, viz. That there is a State of Hap- pinefs and Mifery after Death. This Pa- rable muft needs be of the utmoft Mo- ment; becaufe it feems to fet Heaven and Hell before our Eyes, making them, as it were, vifible and prefent to us. All Vice and Wickednefs being founded up- on a falfe Judgment concerning Prefent and Future as compar'd with each other; there would be fcarce any fuch thing as Vice and Wickednefs, did we look upon what is future, as if it were prefent : which we may do, if we pleafe ; or elfe the Faculty of Thinking was given us to little Purpofe: And not only our kea- fbn, bpt Experience allures us that we may. Were the Bleflednefs of Saints and Angels actually in our Sight ; and the unquenchable Fire burning before us; He would be more than a Madman, who ihould commit Sin ; and very few fuch Inftances Dives and Lazarus, c^rc. 215 Inftances would be found in the World. Now what comes neareft to their being actually prefent, is having them repre- fented to our Thoughts, as if they were. And fure there never was more Neceflity of it, than Now, when there are fo many Dives s, and fo few Lazarus s ; fo few of the Latter, I mean, in Piety, tho' more than enough in Poverty : When all manner of Corruption, and Vice, Immorality, and Profanenefe, Lewdnefs, and Debauchery, Fraud, and Injuftice, Perfidy, and Falfe- hood, reign openly, and publickly, to fuch a prodigious Degree, and are arri- ved at fuch a Pitch of bare-faced I m- pudence, among Perfons of all For- tunes and Conditions, rich, poor, and middle ; threatning the utter Extirpation not only of Chriftian Piety, but even of Heathen Vertue, and Natural Modefly; Men declaring their Si?ts as Sodom, .g/^-ifc.iij. 9, rying in their Shame, and being not only Workers^ but ProfefTors of Iniquity. It is therefore Now, if Ever, neceffary to re- vive the Ideas of Heaven and Hell ; left they fhould be quite loft, and extinguifh'ci among us. But many of Thofe I juft now hinted at, have, I know, a very (hort Anfwer to all This : They deny that there is any Heaven, or Hell ; or any Truth in the Chriftian Religion. They P 4 do 2i 6 The Parable of do indeed ; and I am very fenfible of it: Nor is it at all Arrange that fuch Abo- minations in Practice and Behaviour mould produce fuch monftrous Opinions in Reafoning and Speculation. But why do I call them Opinions ? They are ra- ther Declarations than Opinions: For Thefe Men, while they explode our Re- ligion, do not believe what They them- felves affirm : Nor is it poffible that any thinking Man ihould, as I will mew here-' after. However, as Thofe Perfons are in Scripture, and the Writings of Divines, and in Common Difcourfe, ftiled Unbe- lievers, who fpeak and acl: as if they were fo, whether they really are, or not ; I am very fenfible, I fay, that Thefe mi- serable Men to Immorality add Infideli- ty, and to Infidelity Blafphemy: The mod impious Principles are daily propa- gated ; our Saviour's Authority is fet at nought -, his Miracles turn'd into ridi- cule ; and even his Per/on treated with Scorn, and Contempt. How long This will hold-, how long God will forbear to vijit for thefe things even in This World, He only knows: In all probability it will not be very long ; unlefs an extraordi- nary Reformation interpofe, of which there is but little Appearance, at prefent. Be That as it will , I am not bound to Dives and Lazarus, &c. 217 prove from This Portion of Scripture, and at this time of day, that there is a Future State, and that Chrijlianity is true\ but may fairly take all That for grant- ed : it having been already demonflra- ted a thoufand times over. However, and tho* it is more than I am oblig'd to; Enough will be faid in fome of Thefe Difcourfes, to prove even That. Not that I exped: to convince Thofe who are refolv'd not to be convinced: But the Wavering may be fettled, and the Well- difpofed may be confirm'd. As for Thofe Others 5 whatever we fay, or do, they will, I doubt not, continue to contradict and blajpheme ; and fturdily infift upon their Infidelity. They will ; and who can help it ? May God give them Grace to repent 5 if they have not fin'd themfelves beyond the pojjibility of it, as it is greatly to be feared they have. One thing I ad- mire they do not confider \ becaufe it is fo obvious in itfelf y of fuch vajl Import tance to them, and has been fo often prefid upon them. They jay that tliere is no Future Punifliment ; and fome of them, perhaps, that there is no God. But do they prove it ? No ; They do not fo much as pretend to That: All they aim at is to raife fome wrangling Obje- ctions againft Chriftianity, to make Jefts inftead 2 1 8 The Parable of inftead of Arguments ; to laugh, cavil, and blafpheme. They do not fo much as pretend therefore to prove their Ne- gative ; We, on the contrary, pretend at leaft to prove our Affirmative. Nay, we fay, we have over and over actually proved it to a Demonftration ; referring to the Books, in which it is done; which are publick, and common, and are, or may be, in every body's hands. If Thefe People will not read Them, nor bear Us; whofe Fault is That ? At leaft, and to put it at the very lowed, for any thing we know, there may be a Hell. If in Fa£t there be not j we who believe there is, are never the worfe for That Belief: If the Contrary fhould happen to be the Cafe ; They who deny it, are undone for ever. But what if Thefe things are not only pojjible, but probable, not only probable, but abfolutely certain ; As we have provd and demonjlrated they are ? Why then Thefe Wits, Thefe Free- Thinkers, Thefe renown'd Strong Rea- Jbners, and Philofophers, are no better nor worfe than Jlark mad: Indeed they are fo, even upon the other Suppolitions, that a future Punifhment is no more than probable, nay barely pojjible. But Dives and Lazarus, &c. 219 But to come more directly to the Sub- . jedt before us. It may be laid that the Connexion of this Parable with our Sa- viour's foregoing Difcourfe, is very ob- fcure ; or rather that here is no Conne- xion at all. The Law, and the Prophets were until John ; fince that time the King- dom of God is preactid And it is ea- jier for heaven, and earth to pafs, than for one tittle of the law to fail. Who- foever putteth away his wife y and marrieth another, committeth adultery There was a certain rich man y which was clothed in purple, &c. But befides that in fome Manufcripts of good Authority, are thefe Words; He also spake This Pa- rable: There was a certain rich man y &c. which falve the Abruptnefs of the Tranfition ; We muft pay very little De- ference to Divine Writings, as fuch, if we require the fame Exadlnefs of Stile, Form, and Method in Them, as in hu- man ones. 'Tis certain, that in many Places the infpired Penmen relate our Saviour's Actions, and Speeches, in an unconnected manner, without obferving the Order of Time, and other fuch like Circumftances : The Holy Ghoft is not, and ought not to be, ty'd up to fuch Niceties. Not but that after all, the Coherence of the Difcourfe in This place is, 2 20 The Parable of is, if we duly attend to it, very difcer- nible. The Parable of the unjuji Stew- ard^ with the Application of it, from the Beginning of the Chapter to the 14th Verfe, is defign'd to warn againft Covet- oufnefs, and recommend Charity to the Poor. Then after Thofe Words, Te can- not ferve God and Mammon \ it follows. And the Pharifees alfo who were [rich, for fo they were, and] covetous heard all thefe things \ and they derided him. And he faid unto them y ye are they which ju- Jlify yourfehes before men ; but God know- eth your hearts ; for that which is highly ejleemd among men is abomination in the fight of God. As if he fhould have faid j " You value your felves extremely upon " your outward legal Ceremonies, and " Obfervances, without true Piety, nay " join'd with Covetoufnefs, Extortion and " Pride ; and upon your Traditions, which " are contrary to Scripture. But thp' all " Thefe make a great Shew before Men ; tl yet God regards them with a quite " different Eye. Your Traditions are de- " teftable -, and even your Mofaic Rites " are juft now going to be aboliuYd. " And the Religion which I introduce, " requires a far greater Degree of inward Piety, Holinefs, and Charity, than you are willing to admit." Then Verfe 16, The 11 Dives and Lazarus, &c. 221 The Law, and the Prophets were until John ; Jince that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man preJJ'eth into it : i. e. This New Difpenfation, meaning the Gofpel, juft before hinted at, which requires greater Perfection, not only than the Pharifees admitted, but even than the Law required, began, or commen- ced, with the Preaching of John the Bap- tiji. Agreeably to Mark 1. 1, 2, 3, &c. The Beginning of the Gofpel of Jefus Chrifl — As it is written — Behold I fend my Meffenger, &c. John did baptize in the WildernefSy and preachy &c. Our Lord proceeds Verfe 17. And it is eafier for Heaven and Earth to pafs, than for one Tittle of the Law to fail: i.e. He by his Gofpel, of which he is fpeaking, did not dejlroy the Law, but fulfil and perfect it, as He {hews at large, Matth. v. And in the next Words, Verfe 18, Whofoever put- teth away his Wife, &c. He gives one Inftance in particular of what he had before affirm'd in general ; namely, That the Gofpel requires greater Perfedlion than the Law. Then ftill purfuing his main Argument, The Guilt and Punish- ment of Thofe who make an ill Ufe of Riches, and are uncharitable to the Poor ; (Thofe other Claufes being incidental, and coming in only by the Bye) He adds, There 222 *fhe Parable of There *w as a certain rich man^ &c. and fo on with This Parable to the End of the Chapter. Confidering that our Saviour had taken notice of the greater Obliga- tions laid upon Men under the Gofpel, than under the Law 5 it is to be obferv'd that He here argues a fortiori^ as we ipeak: The Rich man in This Parable* who is fuppofed to have been a Jew, vio- lated only the Law of Mofes - y for even That commands its Profeflbrs to relieve the Poor. (Deut. xv. 7.) What then muft become of fuch Rich men among Chri- ftians ? From hence too we may obferve, that the Immortality of the Soul, and a State of Happinefs and Mifery after Death, were Points not unknown among the Jews-, As Some have erroneoufly thought they were* If they had been ; This fictitious Narrative of our Saviour's would have been incongruous, and im- proper. And it were eafy to prove This by other Arguments: But I wave it at prefent ; and only obferve, that from fo much of the Parable as I have now read, we naturally confider I. The different Characters of the Per- fons here mentioned ; the one Rich, and Wicked 1 the other Poor, and Vertuous, II. The Dives and Lazarus, &c. 223 II. The common Fate, which They un- derwent in "This World : They Both died. III. The direft contrary Fates of them in the next World : The One went to Abrahams Bofom ; the Other to Hell. Under Each of Thefe Heads, I fliall explain fuch Difficulties ; raife fuch Do- Brines ; make fuch Reflections ; and prove fuch Points ; as fliall naturally occur : And our Meditations upon which may be of Ufe to us, as to Faith y or Practice, or Both. I. Firfl: then we confider the different Characters of the Perfons here mention- ed ; the one Rich and Wicked, the other Poor and Vertuous. That the Former was a bad, and the Latter a good Man, appears from their different Portions in the other World \ not from their different Fortunes in This. For it is no Crime to be rich, nor Vertue to be /M?r. Many in- deed there have been, who have owed all their Wealth to their Wickednejs ; who being totally Worthlefs, in all refpeds but That of Money, have rais'd them- felves 224 The Parable of felves from Nothing to immenfe For- tunes, by Fraud, and Robbery, either Publick, or Private, or Both. On the other Hand, the Poverty of very great Numbers is owing to their Vices; to their Idlenefs, Pride, Extravagance, and Debauchery. But I fay, it is in itfelf no Crime to be Rich, nor Vertue to be Poor $ as Some y who are not Rich, feem to ima- gine. Neither is it a Crime, in the next Place, for a Perfon of Fortune and polity, to eat, drink, and drefs, with fomewhat of Splendor and Expence. And therefore from This Part of Dives's Character, that he was clothed in purple and fine li- nen, and fared fumptuoufiy every day, from This Part of his Character fepa- ratelv confider'd, it cannot be inferred that he was a wicked Man. But taking This in Conjunction with the Reft of the Narration, we may reafonably fuppofe that he was proud, luxurious, and intem- perate both in eating and drinking. It is true, many rich Men go to Hell not for wearing too fine Linen, and Purple, and faring too fumptuoufiy, but for the con- trary Extreme; not for Luxury, but Covetoujnefs: And Thefe Laft-mentioned are as unlikely to relieve a Lazarus, as the Former; nay more. But however, Pride, of the Trinity. 22$ Pride, and Voluptuoufnefs feem to have been the Vices of the Perfon defcribed in my Text. And no Age had ever more Reafon to reflect upon them, than the prefent, which is fo extremely guilty of them : Extravagance and Prodigality in Meat, Drink, Diverfions, Cloaths, and all manner of outward Show, reigning to a prodigious Degree; not only among the Rich commonly fo called, but among all Degrees of Perfons who are capable of being extravagant. How few are there who have Wifdom, and Vertue enough not to live above them/elves, and be at more Expence than they are able to bear ! Does not our Pride increafe in Propor- tion to our Poverty? And the Genera- lity grow prouder and prouder, as they grow poorer and poorer? An Evil This which has a very ominous Afpect upon the Nation, however little it is regarded ; and that not only with refpect to private Perfons, but to the Publick. Luxury in a Kingdom, or State, was never, by Wife Men, look'd upon as a good Symptom ; even tho* ThatKingdom, or State, abound- ed in Wealth and Power. How much lefs, when the Cafe (as Here) happens to be quite otherwife ! Hie vivimus am- bitiofa pauper t ate omnes — Within our own Memory, the Memory of Perfons not Q^ very ± 2 6 The Do&rme y &c. very old, the Genius of the Englifi Na- tion feems to be quite changd; and not at all for the better. We feem to have loft (if I may fo fpeak) the Vertue even of our Vices : There was formerly fomething manly, brave, and noble in them : But now by the Importation ofexotick Follies, Fop- peries, and Debaucheries, without difcar- ding any of our own native Growth, (which God knows are fufficiently nume- rous) and, by a ridiculous Mixture, blend- ing and jumbling Thofe Others with them, we are become not only more wicked than we were ; but defpisd, which Before we were not. May God give us Grace ferioufly to confider Thefe Things e'er it be too late ; that we may recover our ancient Vertue, and difcard both our ancient, and modern Vices. But to return. Whether the Rich Man in This Pa- . rable were luxurious, and intemperate, of not ; it is plain he was uncharitable. The Beggar lay at his gate, dejiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from his table ; that is, only defiring it, but not obtaining it. He was in fuch a Condition, that the dogs licked his fores : And the cruel Dives fuffer'd him to perifli ; without be- ftowing upon him Thofe fuperfluous bro- ken Morfels, which his Servants, and perhaps his Dogs, could not, or would not, Dives and Lazarus, Wc. 227 not, eat. For that he gave him nothing, is plainly imply'd, tho' not expreffed. Are there no fuch Rich Men in Thefe Days ? None, who regard the Poor as if they were not of the fame Species with Themfelves ? Defpifing them, as the vi- left of Creatures ; and fuffering them to perijh, out of mere Contempt, and becaufe they do not think them worth their no- tice? For This their Cruelty proceeds from their Pride: They fpurn at, and tread upon, a Wretch fo much beneath them, as they would upon a Worm, or any other Reptile. There let him lie, and rot, has been often the horrid Language of fuch a one, being told of fome miie- rable Pauper ftarving in a Gaol ; into which too perhaps He himfelf had thrown him. How will the Remembrance of a Cruelty like This embitter the Mifery of fuch a Dives ; when he finds Himfelf caft into the Prifon of Hell, where he will lie to Eternity, without rotting, or confuming! But here we muft further obferve, that all the Wicked are not among the Rich ; The Poor perhaps are as Wicked a's They: More fo, for any thing we know; tho 7 Thefe Latter are apt to be very cenforious upon their Betters, and partial in favour of Themfelves. When Q_2 our 228 The Parable of our BlefTed Saviour fays, it is eajier for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle, than for a rich man to enter into the King- dom of God -, befides that the Expreffion, as every body knows, is proverbial, and highly hyperbolical, importing only a great Difficulty not an abfolute Impof- Ability -, his Meaning is not that it is comparatively fo very much harder for a rich man to be faved, or to go to heaven, than for a poor man, in the or- dinary State of the Church ; Both of them being fuppofed to have been born Members of it, and bred Chriflians. But by the Kingdom of God, or of Heaven, in That place, as well as in many others, is to be under flood, the Chrijlian Church ; and by entering into it, being converted to Chriftianity. Now at the Time when Thofe Words were fpoken, it was cer- tainly more difficult for a rich man to forfake all, and follow our Saviour, than for a poor man to follow him who had nothing to forfake. But I fay, in the or- dinary Courfe of Things it may well ad- mit of a Doubt, whether Wealth, or Po- verty, -has the greateft Temptations : And for my Part, I am apt to believe that, in Proportion to their Numbers refpe- ftively, there are in facl as few good Chri* Dives and Lazarus, &c. 229 Ghriftians among the Poor, as among the Rich ; perhaps fewer. There are however Temptations adapt- ed to all Fortunes, States, and Conditions of Life. And as it is difficult, if not impoffible, fo it is not materia], to know which of the Extremes has the moil. The Middle has certainly the feweft; : tho' all (God knows) more than enough. Wife therefore was That Prayer of Agur , Prov.xxx. 8, 9. Give me neither Poverty \ nor Riches ; feed me with Food convenient forme. Left I be full, and deny thee, and fay who is the Lord ? Or left I be poor, ; andfteal, and take thy 7iame in vain. But before we go any further, it will be proper to ftate what we mean by a ; rich man. By fuch a one I do not un- derftand (as the World now-a-days ge- nerally does) only a Perfon of vaft Sub- fiance ; but one who lives well, and com- fortably, according to his Birth and Sta- tion, and has a great deal to fpare. On the contrary, Nobody ought to be deem'd Poor, who has the Necejfaries and Con- veniencies of Life. Such a one is in the Middle Condition, not in Poverty. I know it will be asked, What are the Conveniencies of Life ? Since One may think fo much convenient, Another fo much \ and Who {hall be Judge ? And O 3 what 230 The Parable of what Right has One man to judge for Another ? I anfwer ; If it be not eafy to determine exactly how much is enough to denominate a Man rich, or in the Middle Condition ; yet any body may fee that This or That Man has a great deal too much, or at leaft Juperfiuous ; a great deal which contributes not to his Hap-* pinefs, but rather to his Mifery. Who- ever has enough to live very eafily, and handfomely, as the Men of the World themfelves fpeak, and in the ufual Senfe of That Word, according to his 'Quality, Education, and Rank in Life, and is en- abled to make the like Provifion for his Family, is as rich as He need be : All be- yond This, fo far as it is fuppos'd to be an Advantage, or a Blejjing, is a mere Chimera, or groundlefs Notion, exifting no where, but in the Fancies, and Ima- ginations 0$ Men; unlefs the Perfon pof- fefs'd of it has the Heart, and the Grace (as Few have) to give it to his Friends, the Poor, or the Publick: Then indeed it is a Bleffingj and a very great one ; The Man is rich in the beft Senfe, rich towards God, as our BleiTed Saviour fpeaks ; and it is a Heaven upon Earth to be fo. But alas ! how Few have any Experience, or Relim of That divine Pleafure, the Pleafuie of doing Good, and making others Dives and Lazarus, &c. 231 others happy! How many are there on the other fide who have the narroweft Spirits in the moft ample Fortunes ! All their Cares, Defigns, and Thoughts cen- ter in T'hemfe/ves. They make no ufe of their Wealth, unlefs it be to roll in it, and add to it. They are enormoufly rich already j are refolved to be every day richer, and richer ; and have not the leaji Concern for any body, or any thing elie. And this brings me to be more particu- lar upon the melancholy Subject before hinted at, the many and grievous Sins, of which Thofe to whom God has given the Things of This World in great A- bundance are too commonly, and fadly guilty. Upon Thefe Occafions God forbid we fhould aggravate Matters, or reprefent them worfe than they really are ; much more that we fhould ufe any Acrimony of Expreflion. My Obfervatitms lhall be general ; and I leave every one concern- ed to apply them to Himfelf. I envy not the Rich: Were I of That Tem- per, as I hope I am Not ; God knows, I think they are rather to be pity'd, than envy'd. I think neverthelefs that they are to be honour* dby us even upon the account of their being rich men, or as fuch ; and fhould be treated by us with refpecl:, even Qjj. while 232 "the Parable of while we are crying aloud to put them in mind of their Sins, and warn them of their Banger; which our indifpenfable Duty obliges us to do. I have all ima- ginable good Will to them, and am aim- ing at Nothing but the Salvation of their Souls. I am likewife far from reflecting upon all the great and wealthy ; being very fenfible that there are among the No- bility and Gentry, and Others of large Fortunes, Perfons eminent for Piety and Vertue : May God of his Mercy increafe their Number. But then it is as certain that, upon the Whole, Vice reigns to a mighty degree among the Wealthy and Powerful : Too many of them acting as if they thought their being Wealthy and Powerful gave them a Difpenfation to be Wicked. One would think they ima- gine that they are too rich and great to go to Hell ; and that their Rank and Quality will be refpectfully regarded even by the tremendous Judge of Heaven and Earth. For do not too many of Thefe great Ones live, as if they thought themfelves fent into the World, like the huge Le- viathan into the Ocean, only to play, or take their pajiime therein ? As if their Riches, and Honour, and Power, were not Talents committed to them by God, of Dives and Lazarus, &*c. 233 of which they are no more than Stew- ards, and concerning their Management of which a ftri<3 Account will be de- manded of them ? By minding nothing, but either wearing purple, and fine linen, and faring fumptuoujly every day, that is by Luxury, Voluptuoufnefs, and Pride; or by faving, hoarding, and amaffing Wealth, that is by Covetoufnefs, and dif- honeft Parfimony ; in Both Inftances by doing Good to None, but much Injury to Many, that is by Uncharitablenefs, In- justice, Extortion, Tyranny, andOppref- lion ; They live as if the World were made for None but Them/elves, and They were to live in it for ever ; as if they had no Account to give of their Stewardship, when they fid all be no longer Stewards. Do Thefe to whom God has been fo exceed- ingly bountiful, make him any fuitable Returns by praifing, and adoring him, in private, in their Families, and in the great Congregation ? Or do they not on the contrary {hew an abfolute Negledt, or rather Contempt of all Religion ? Do they not totally difregard his Worfhip, and his Altar -, and treat his Minifters with Contumely and Scorn ? Even among Thofe who do in fome Sort attend his Service ; how few attend it as they fhould do ? If they are at Church once a Week, I mean 234 e ^ 3e Parable of I mean on Sunday Mornings ; they feem to think they have done fome great thing ; but the Afternoon-Service they wholly negleft. Now I am upon This, I cannot for- bear mentioning another fhameful Cor- ruption, of whicn the Wealthy and Great efpecially (tho* not They only) are extremely guilty ; I mean Travel- ling on Sundays. Sunday is with Them the chief Travelling - Day of all the Week. Inftead of preparing themfelves to go to Church, they are preparing their Chan to go a Journey- Becaufe upon That Day belike they are moil at leifure, and have nothing elfe to do. If they will go on This Practice, they muft, and we cannot help it ; tho' (if I miftake not) it is contrary to the Law of the Land, as well as to the Law of God : But know They, that how high foever they may carry it in This World, for all thefe, and fuch like things , God will bring them into judgment. Since I have mention'd the Law of the Land -, a natural Queftion occurs. Is the Duty of Magijlrates, and Perfons in Authority, ftridUy perform'd by all of them ? Is it duly confider'd that the befi haws in the World fignify nothing, if they are not executed ? Are not fome of them Dives and Lazarus, &c. 235 them notorioufly broken by Thofe very Perfons Them/elves who Jlmild, but Jo not, put them in execution upon Others ? I mean Thofe Laws particularly, which re- late to Morality and Religion. Can it be faid that the Love of our Country, or what goes by the Name of a publick Spi- rit '; prevails as it ought to do ; unlefs a publick Spirit can be proved and mani- fefted by publick Corruption f And has not This Lajl-mentioned a moft malignant Influence upon the Morals of the whole Nation ? Then again what (hall we fay to the Swearing, Curfing, exceflive Drinking, exceffive Gaming (even upon Sundays) open avowed Fornication, and Adultery, of Some ; or to the Infidelity, Atheifm, and Blafphemy, of Others ? Even publick Diver/ions are become Nuifances and Grie- vances, to All who have any Senfe of Vertue and Goodnefs. Befides That de- teftable Pradtife of Mafquerading, which indeed is the moft deteftable of all ; we have for fome Years laft paft, had fuch profane, and immoral, as well as fenfelefs T'rafo, for publick Entertainment, as was furely never heard of in any Age, or Country before. And with what Gree- dinefs it has been /wallowed, Every body knows. It has been faid, and I believe very 236 The Parable of very truly, that the Genius of a Nation appears in nothing more, than in its Di- verjions. If fo ; how is Ours degenera- ted in its Tafte, and Judgment, as well as in its Morals ! Before we difmifs This melancholy, and to Me, I am lure, very difagreeable Subjedt ; I cannot but remark upon one very ill Cuftom more ; It is the plain Cafe of not paying ones Debts. For in- ferior Perfons not to do This, is fcanda- lous, and ruins their Reputation. But as for the Great and the Mighty ; Some of Them are above it. And the more able They are to pay, the lefs difgraceful it is not to pay. Some Debts indeed they will difcharge; Thofe which are contracted by their Gaming, or other Vices : Thefe are Debts of Honour : But fuch as are due to honeft induftrious Tradefmen, and Ar- tificers (without whofe Afliftance, for all their Greatnefs, thefe Great Ones could not live) they either difcharge not at all, or not 'till they are forced by Law : That is to fay, They pay not their Creditors, till they have firft ruind them. To what a Pitch of Wickednefs is the World ad- vanced ; when Greatnefs, which was ever reckon'd to be an Aggravation of Vice, and to render it more confpicuous, is now conceived to /hadow, and conceal it, if not Dives and Lazarus, &c. 237 not to cancel, and abolifti it! The Truth is, and it muft be confefs'd, there are great Men that do a thoufand little things, which a little Man would /corn : Such is the ungenerous, illiberal, mean, and bafe Behaviour of Some of the Rich ; that did we not fee it, we could not believe it poffible* In fhort, conlidering the Luxury of Some, the Covetoufnefs of Others; the Vices of Irreligion, Profanenefs, Debau- chery, Uncharitablenefs, Injuftice, Cruel- ty, and Oppreffion, common to Both ; we have, upon the Whole, but an un- comfortable Profpett before us. Thus then there are many Rich, who are wicked like Dives ; but are there ma- ny Poor who are good like Lazarus ? I fear, Not : The higher Sort are bad, and perhaps the Inferior are worfe. Thefe Laft-mention'd, having receiv'd little, are apt to think they are accountable for no- thing. The Falfehood and dangerous Confequence of which Notion I have (hewn in another Difcourfe; and fhall therefore fay no more of it in This. They are likewife prone to imagine that becaufe they are Poor, at leaft in low Circumftances, they are therefore vertu- ousj that becaufe they are Sufferers in a narrow Fortune, they are therefore God's beft 238 'The Parable of beft Children, and mod faithful Servants : Not confidering that the greateft Part of their Sufferings is owing to Themfelves, to their Follies, and Vices, to their Im- patience, Difcontent, Envy, and the like. It is no lefs notorious that Drunkennefs, Lewdnefs of all Kinds, Swearing, Curfing, Profaning the Lord's Day, and a total Neglect of all Religion, are Vices of the Poor as well as of the Rich : befides Ly- ing, and Stealing, infolent Behaviour to their Betters, and Difobedience to Thofe who have Authority over them, which are more peculiar to the vulgar Sort. And do They, being thus wicked, think of going with Lazarus into Abraham's Bofom, only becaufe they are poor ■, as He was? If they do ; they will find them- felves fatally miftaken : God requires of all from the higheft, to the loweft, that they fhould do their Duties in their fe- veral Stations : And he will no more re- fpect the Perfon of a poor Man as fuch, than of a rich Man as fuch. Thofe of the middle Rank and For- tune (for They likewife, tho' not men- tion'd in my Text, are Here to be taken notice of; fince They likewife go either to Heaven, or to Hell :) are, generally fpeaking, the beft Livers ; being, as I faid, fubjecl to the feweft Temptations. And yet Dives and Lazarus, &c. 239 yet they may, and multitudes of them a&ually do, fhare the Vices of the Rich, and Great on the one hand ; of the Poor, and Inferior Sort on the other. Efpe- cially of the Firft ; whom they love to imitate in their Sins, as they defire to equal them in their State and Condition. A great Number of the Vices I mention- ed above, as chargeable upon Thofe of the upper Rank, may with the fame truth be charg'd upon a great Number of the Middle ; as Luxury on the one fide, Co- vetoufnefs on the other ; Injuftice, Un- charitablenefs, Pride, Profanenefs, Intem- perance, and Debauchery. Farther; the Rich may lye, and fteal too, be difcon- tented, impatient, &c. as well as the Poor ; The Poor may be proud, &c. as well as the Rich : And very often the Cafe is adtually fo in both Inftances. For after all, we cannot exaffly fort and di- ftinguifh the Vices of Men, according to their Fortunes : Only This we fay, that fome are peculiar to the Rich, and the Mid- dle Rank, as Luxury, and Extortion, the Poor not being capable of committing them : And fome Conditions are more ex- pos'd to fome certain Temptations, than Others. The practical Obfervation I would make upon the Whole is This : That the Temptations, be they what they will, 24° %%' e Parable of will, do not excufe the Sins we commit in confequence of them ; as multitudes are apt to flatter themfelves : And all in their feveral Conditions are not only obli- ged to avoid the feveral Vices above fpe- cify'd, but duly and confcientioufly to pradtife the contrary Vertues. Thus the Poor are obliged not only not to murmur, but to be patient, contented, and thank- ful : The Rich not only to do no Injury, but to do much Goodj not only to be ftriftly juft, but to be very charitable : And fo in all the other Particulars. Having thus confidered the different Characters of the Perfons in the Parable, the One Rich and Wicked, the Other Poor, and Pious ; I proceed now to con- fider, in the Second place : II. The Common Fate which they un- derwent in T'his World ; They Both died. It may perhaps be objected that I ex- prefs my felf improperly, when I fay they died in This World ; fince Death itfelf is going out of this World, A good Ufe may be made of This. The Moment before we are dead, we are in T'his World ; The Mo- ment after, we are in the Next : And the intermediate Space is fo very fhort, that we are at a Lofs to determine in which World we ought to fix it. I was aware of the Expref- Dives and Lazarns, &c. 241 Exprefhon 5 and let not a Critical, but a Practical U& be made of it. Since I have named the Word Critical, I con- fider that Thofe who are addi&ed to be fo, may poflibly fay that we are now up- on the dulleft Subject in the World, Mors ■ omnibus communis; We muji all die. It may be fo : But it is a very important Subject ; and as common and dull as it is-, I heartily wifh it were better. I mean more practically ', confider'd than it feems to be. But before I come to be more particular upon it, I take notice of the learned Grotius's Words upon the Place. " It is not ill obferv'd by the Ancients, " fays He, that the Goodnefs of God is intimated in This, that Lazarus died firft, and the Rich man laft : The For- mer having a fpeedy Releafe from his Miferies, the Latter a longer time al- " low'd him for Repentance/' Tho' I think there is not much in the Obfer- vation ; lince we are not told what Age they were of, fo that the Former might die Old, and the Latter Young : And be- fides, tho' Lazarus is mention 7 d firfi^ (as One of them muji be, even fuppofing them to have Both died the fame Mo- ment) they actually did die much about the fame Time for any thing that ap- pears to the contrary : Yet we may ob- R {&VQ 2 4 2 The Parable of ferve from it, how extremely and defpe- rately wicked Thofe old rich men are, who firengihen themfelves in their Riches, and Wickednefs, after God has given them an umifual Length of Time to repent in. Who at the Age of Four/core are drunk every day of their lives, talk leudly, and profanely, fwear, curfe, and blafpheme, heap Wealth upon Wealth, do Good to None, hut defraud, and opprefs Many: As if they were to live Here for ever j when (to fpeak in their own Worldly, money-getting Language) their Lives are not worth a quarter of a Year's purchafe. The Lord of his Mercy touch the Hearts of Thefe miferable Dives 's ; if it be not too late : If fuch zxzfaved, it muft needs be as out of the Fire ; when they are juft ready to drop into Hell, and the bot- ■tomlefs Gulf opens wide its Jaws to re- ceive them. But to proceed. . "The rich man alfo died : «m\fttiLvz $ x) • ^rx»V/0-. That Particle ^ alfo, is em- phatical. He as well as the Other ; im- plying that his Riches could not exempt him from Death, the common Lot of all Men. For now IJhould have lien fill (fays fob) and been quiet, viz. in Death, of which he is fpeaking : With Ki?tgs and Counfllors of the Earth — Or with Prin- ces that had Gold, who filled their Houfes with Dives and Lazarus, &c. 243 with Silver. — There the wicked ceajcfrorn troubling^ and there the weary be at ref. — . The fmall and great are there, and the Ser- vant is free from his Ma/ler. Chap. iij. Ver. 13, &c. And yet how many are there who being men in honour ', and ha- ving no Under Jlanding, (as the Pfalmift fpeaks) that is, no true Wifdom, think, or live as if they thought, that their Houfes JJ:all continue for ever, and They in them, and their Dwelling-places to all Generations, Pfal. xlix. 11. As if Riches could fave from Death ; and to be Weal- thy were the fame thing as to be Im- mortal. Since then the Rich muft die as well as Others, and altogether as foon ; one may well wonder Men fhould be fo ve- ry folicitous as they generally are about being Rich. The Anfwer, I fuppofe, will be ; it is that they may die rich, as they fpeak, or worth (as the Phrafe likewife is) jo many thoufands. Die rich ! Was there ever fo fenfelefs a Notion! One would think the very putting together the Ideas of Death and Riches fliould be fufficient to fhew the Abfurdity of This Humour. It is here farther to be remarked, by the way, that Dives is faid to have been buryd; The fame is not faid of the Beg- R % gar. 244 € ^ >e Parable of far. Not but that Thofe who furvived im muft be fuppos'd, for their own fakes, to have fo far buryd him, as to have laid him in the Ground ; but no more: Whereas the Other was buryd with Fu- neral-Solemnity, and Pomp. Upon Thofe Words [he was buryd] Grot i us has the following Glofs. " Nor was This Cir- " cumftance added in vain ; For it is " imply 'd that This was the laft Honour " his fo great Riches afforded him." The laft Advantage he reap'd from them was This ; They Bury'd him. A fuf- ficient Mortification, one would think, upon all the Grandeur, and Glory of the World ! Thus it is at beft ; and with re- gard to the beft of Men. But how much more with regard to a Perfon ; of whom it is more than probable that, when he is dead, after Thofe Words He was bu- ry'd, it may with truth be farther faid, and in Hell he lift up his Eyes ! Of which in its proper place. At prefent, We are meditating upon the common Fate of all Mankind, Death. O Death ! (fays the wife Son of SirachJ how bitter is the Remembrance of thee to a man that liveth at rejl in his poff'eJJtons y unto the man that hath nothing to vex him 9 and that hath profperity in all things O Death ! acceptable is thy fentence unto the Dives and Lazarus, &c» 245 the needy, and unto him whofe flrength fail- eth and that is vexed with all things, &c. Ecclus xli. 1, 2. We have here the very different Views in which Death is ordinarily reprefented to a Fortunate, and Unfortunate Perfon as to thi§ World. But the Obfervation does not hold univer- fally. Some of the moft Fortunate, be- ing Good, are willing to die ; And Some of the mod Unfortunate, being Wicked, are as unwilling; notwithstanding all the Miferies they labour under. However, die we mujl -, all of us. And is This, as plain, and obvious, and dull as it is, enough confider'd by all of us ? Death being fo common; one would think it fhould be fufficiently thought of. And yet it is not fufficiently thought of, for That very Reafon, among others, be- cauje it is fo common. Is This a right Turn of Mind ? In the prefent Inftance, no lefs than in Another of a different Nature, Familiarity breeds Contempt ; at leaft NegleEl, Let any man, who has lived any confiderable time, (between for- ty and fifty Years fuppofe) ask himfelf, Where are fuch, or fuch, intimate Friends, and other Acquaintance of his ? Are they not dead? Nay, out of very many how few are now living ? Is not He as mor- tal as They were ? And every moment; R 3 as 246 T^he Parable of as likely to die ? Are not Bells for the Dead continually founding in our Ears ? And Graves continually open'd before our Eyes ? And does every particular Per- fon ferioufly coniider how foon the Bell may toll, and the Grave be open'd for Himfelf? Yes; it may be anfwer'd : Who almoft does Not ? Is any thing more common in the Mouths of Men upon Thefe Occa lions, than We mujl All fol- low ; My turn may be the next ; and the like ? Alas ! Thele are generally mere Words of conrfe : By ferioufly considering, I mean pr attic ally confidpriiagi Are they the better for Thefc Reflections ? Art their Lives amended by them ? And do they SO number their days, as to apply their Hearts unto Wifdom, that is to God and Religion ? It is well if they do ; but I cannot tell how to reconcile That with the prevailing Wickednefs of the Times we live in. III. From the common Fate of the Beg- gar ^ and the Rich man in 'This World, [They Both died,] we pafs on to their ve- ry different ones in the Next : The Firft went to Abraham's Bofom ; the Other to Hell, An amazing Change in the Con- ditions of them Both ! The One, who juft before was in Want of all Necefla- rieSj Dives and Lazarus, &c. 247 ries, laid upon the ground, cover'd over with Ulcers, defpis'd by the vileft of Men, and more abject than the Dogs that licked him, is now attended by Thofe illuftrious Beings, the bleffed Angels, the meaneft of whom is more glorious than all the Grandees of the Earth; is by Them convey 'd into a State of incon- ceivable Blifs and Joy ; which, tho' in itfelf at prefent fo exceeding great, is only preparatory to the Perfection of Happinefs in the Higheft Heavens. The Other from all the Affluence, Pleafure, and Grandeur of This World, is plun- ged in a moment into a State of ex- treme Anguifh, Horror, and Defpair; with the fure and fearful Expectation of perfect, and eternal Mifery after the Day of Judgment. I have purpofely fo exprefs'd my felf, as to fuppofe the One did not go to the Place of his full Reward, nor the Other to That of his full Punifhment : Becaufe it is moft evident from the Holy Scrip- tures that there is a Middle State both of Happinefs and Mifery, between the Death of every particular Perfon, and the. final Consummation of all things. The Word Hades, which is here render- ed Hell, does not mean the Place in which the Damned will everlaftingly be R 4 puniflv- 248 "The Parable of punifhed. As apply'd to the Body, k fignifies the Grave ; as apply'd to the Soul, it fignifies the intermediate Sepa- rate State of departed Spirit s, both good and bad. Lazarus went to Hades, as well as Dives ; tho* the One was in Hap- pinefs there, the other in Mifery. If it be objected that the Hades, or Hell to which the Latter went, is by Him called this place of Torment, ver. 28. And that He fays more exprefsly, and particular- ly, J am tormented in this flame, ver. 24. The Anfwer is ; To the firft : We grant, and fuppofe him to be in exquifite Tor- ture; from the Punifhment he already endures, and from the dreadful, and cer- tain Expectation of far greater, which he knows will hereafter, and to all Eter- nity be inflicted upon him. To the fe- cond ; Thofe Words in this fame ', muft be metaphorical They cannot be under^ flood litter ally -, becaufe his Soul is fepa- rated from his Body : And a mere Spirit cannot be fenfible of Pain from Fire, or from any other corporeal Infliction. It is faid that He lift up his Eyes in this Hades, or Hell : And yet we all know an unimbody'd Spirit has no Eyes to lift up. Thus bodily Parts are allegorically afcri- bed to other Spirits ; to Angels, and to God himfelf, Thefe Expreffions there- for§ Dives and Lazarus, &c. 249 fore mufl be taken figuratively : And by the jlame he mentions mufl: be underftood the Vexation, the Rage, the Horror of Confcience, which torments, and (as it were) burns the Soul, as Fire does the Body. To account for This Way of Speaking, Grotius gives us feveral Quo- tations from ancient Writers : But I mall not give a Recital of them here. That there is fuch a Middle State, as I fuppofe (not to infift upon the conftant Opinion both of the ancient Jews, and the primitive Fathers of the Chriftian Church) is evidently to be proved by the cleareft Deductions from holy Scripture: As learned Divines have fhewn ; One efpecially *. I {hall only mention two Ar- guments for it ; which I wonder he has omitted, ift, Even the Devils, Thole Apoftate fallen Angels, are not yet in* their final State ; but with Trembling and Horror expecl: their laji Doom at the Day of Judgment. And the Angels which kept not their fir jl Eft ate, but left their own 'Habitation, he hath referved in ever/ajling Chains, under darknefs, unto the Judgment of the great day, Jude vi. Parallel to which, and almoft in the fame Words, * " ' ^»»— — — — — — — — — — — —1 1 1 * #;jbop BullV Sermons, Vol. I. is 250 'The Parable of is That of St. Peter. 2 Epift. ij. 4. How ftrongly may we reafon from hence, that We Men, who have Bodies, as well as Souls, mail not 'till then come to the Confummation of our Happinefs, and Mifery ; when our Bodies (hall be raifed, and reunited to our Souls; the World {hall be deftroy'd by Fire ; and We both in Body, and Soul appear before the dread- ful Tribunal. Which fuggefts the 2d Argument, and it is This. That the Day of Judgment itfelf is an abfurd Notion ; if we have the Fulnefs of our Reward, and Punifhment, before That Day comes. For to what End or Purpofe are we fo Jblemnly, and publickly judged; if we have all our Reward, and Punifhment alrea- dy ? 'Then therefore, and not 'till then, the Books will be opend : He who, we believe, /ball come to be our Judge, will then Jit upon the Throne of his Glory, with his holy A?tgcls , The awful Sentence will then be pronounced on the one hand, and on the other. Come ye Miffed of my Father; inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World. Andy depart from me, ye curfed, into everlajling Fire prepared for the Devil, and his Angels. And then, Thefe Jhall go away into ever- la/ling punijhment ; but the Righteous into life eternal Matth. xxv. 34, 41, 46. Im- mediately Dives and Lazarus, <§rc. 25 mediately after Death therefore neither the Righteous, nor the Wicked go to their final State: But the Former into the Manfion, or rather Condition, of feparate Spirits , which to Them is happy, and is in Scripture called by the Name of Pa- radife, [to day Jhalt thou be with me in Pa- radife, fays our Saviour, Luke xxiij. 43.] agreeably to the common Opinion and Language of the yews : The Wicked go to their own place , the State of departed Spirits like wife, which to Them is refe- rable; and for which there is in Scrip- ture no diftinct Name, as there is for the other. But Both are included in the ge- neral Word Hades, which, as I faid, fometimes fignifies the Grave, fometimes the State of Souls, both good, and bad, between Death, and the Refurreclion. And had it not been in Englifh generally render'd Hell (as, I think, in the Trans- lation of the Bible it always is) a great deal of Trouble, Confulion, Error, and falfe Doctrine had been prevented. So that the Words Heaven, and Hell, as in- telligent Perfons now ufe them, have one fignification, as apply 'd to departed Souls in their prefent Condition, importing a State of very great, tho' not perfect Hap- pinefs, and Mifery: And quite another, as apply 'd to them after the Refurre- ction ;• 252 ^The Parable of ftion; importing on the one hand the Beatific Vifion of God in the higheft Heavens to all Eternity; on the other, final Damnation in Hell, vulgarly fo cal- led, or eternal Torments in the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimjlone for ever. This Dodtrine of the Middle State, which We fpeak of, gives no Counte- nance to a Popim Purgatory, as Some imagine : but on the contrary is directly inconfiftent with it. According to This Notion of Ours, grounded upon the plaineft Scripture, All who are finally fa- ved go immediately to a Place of Hap- pinefs ; whereas Purgatory, to which, if we believe the Papifts, many thoufands go who yet are finally faved, is a Place of exquifite Mifery and Torment, equal to That of Hell itfelf in every thing but Duration. If they fay we grant Dives was in a middle State, and That of Tor- ment; which is Purgation : I anfwer ift, They beg the Queftem There may be a middle State of Mifery; and yet no Purgatory. 2dly, He furely was too wicked to go Thither, and be faved at laft, even after having endured the Tor- ments of That Place. 3dly, If the Hades he was in was Purgatory ; 'tis much he did not intreat Abraham and Lazarus, to pray Dives and Lazarus, &*c. 253 pray for him, beftow fome of their fn- pernumerary Merits upon him, and make ufe of their Intereft in other Saints to do the like \ that he might be delivered from the Pains of That dolorous Pri- fon. This Dodlrine of Ours is upon an- other Account utterly irreconcileable with Popery. Which teaches (in order to eftablifh the Idolatrous Invocation of Saints) that Thofe of the Faithful, who either never went to Purgatory at all, or are by the Indulgences of the Church deliver'd from it, go diretlly to the Highejl Heaven, and fee God face to face. Where- as we teach that the greateft Saints, Abraham, and Mofes, and the Prophets, the blefled Apoftles, and the blefled Vir- gin Mary her felf, are not yet in the higheft Heaven, nor will be fo 'till after the Day of Judgment. The Beggar then was carry 'd to Pa- radife ; and, in That Blifsiul Region, to Abrahams Bofom. Poor Lazarus to the Bofom of rich Abraham. Happy are Thofe, and to the fame happy Manfion they go, w r ho are good and vertuous ; whether they be poor, or rich, or neither. And miferable are Thofe, and to the fame miferable Manfion they go, who are vi- cious 254 ^e Parable of cious and wicked ; whether they be rich, or poor, or neither. Abraham is here named ; becaufe he is the Father of the Faithful in general, and of the Jewi/h Nation, to which La- zarus belong'd, in particular. But what is the Meaning of That Expreffion, Abra- ham's Bofom ? It is a Jewi/h Phrafe, or Manner of Speaking. The Anciejtts (fays Grotius) generally thought that Abraham's Bofom fignifies the Region allotted to pi- ous Souls, which the Hebrews call Eden, i. e. Paradife , the Greeks, the Elyjian Fields y and That Word Bofom is ufed, as when we fay the Bofom of the Earth, or of the Sea. But This cannot be ; be- caufe then, it fhould not be the Bofom of Abraham, but of Paradife. Thofe there- fore are certainly in the right, who take it not for the Region, or Manfion itfelf, but for the higheft, and mojl honourable Place in it ; which muft be near fo illu- flrious and eminent a Saint, as Abraham. It is a Phrafe taken either ifl, From little Children, whom their Parents fondly love, and hug, and carry in their Bofoms, or rather zdlv, From the Cuftom andMan- ner of fitting at Table. To be carrfd to Abraham^ Bofom,, is to be admitted toft down with Abraham, #?^/Ifaac, and Ja- cob, in the Kingdom Heaven > as our Sa- viour Dives and Lazarus, &c. 255 viour himfelf elfewhere expreffes it, Matth y viij. 1 1. Where, according to the then receiv'd ufage, he reprefents the Joys of the other World under the Image of a Feeft or Banquet. Now at Ban- quets it was ufual for thofe who were the moft favour'd and honour'd by the Mafter of the Feaft to lean upon his Bo- fom y as St. John (for inftance) did upon our Saviour's. So the Son of God Him- felf is faid to be in the Bofom of his Fa- ther; Joh. i. 18. an Expreffion plainly equivalent to That of fitting at his right . Hand y which is more frequently ufed. Here therefore it is (hewn that Lazarus was not only a good, but an emine?it and excellent Man in the Eye of God; how- ever contemptible he might be in the E- fteem of Men. But, as I faid in the Jntrodu&ion to my Difcourfe, there are many in Thefe times, who will tell us we have all this while been upon a wrong Bottom ; ta- king That for granted which They de- ny, and We ought to prove, viz. That there is a future State, or any fuch Thing as Reward and Punifhment after Death : . Some of them perhaps will add, or any fuch Being as a God. It is a Hardfhip upon us (as I obferved) that we mould at this time of day, and ajmqft upon every occa- 256 The Parable of occajion, be put upon the Proof of Thefe Points. But fince it is fo ; I will even here (tho* by the Laws of Reafoning I ' am not oblig'd to it) give fome Hints of Arguments upon Thefe Subjects. I fay Hints, for I pretend to no more , having already referred to a multitude of un- anfwerable Treatifes in which thefe Mat- ters are difcuffed at large. The Being of a God is, I think, ex- prefsly deny'd by very few of our mo- dern Infidels: They are for Deifm, ra- ther than Atheifm. However, a Word or two (hall be faid even upon That. To omit all fpeculative Arguments, and even Thofe plain ones which are drawn from the Univerfal Confent of Mankind, Pro- phefies, and the Fulfilling of them, un- doubted Miracles, and the like; That urged by St. Paid is fufficient to convince every Man who makes a right Ufe of his Reafon. The invifble things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly feen y being underjlood by the things that are made y even his eternal Power and Godhead, Rom. i. 20. So that they [who deny, or are ig- norant of, his Being] are without excufe. A Man but of common Senfe, and much more a Philofopher, who confiders the Heavens, the Sun by Day, the Moon and Stars by Night, Land, and Sea, Beafts, Birds, Dives and Lazarus, &c. 257 Birds, Fifties, Infects, and Reptiles; the Trees, Flowers, and Herbs of the Field ; the wonderful Order, Regularity, and Beauty of the whole Fabrick, with the Fitnefs of all its Parts, to perform their feveral Offices ; fuch a one, I fay, who confiders all Thefe things, and yet fays there is no God^ is not Miftaken, but a Liar : He knows the Contrary ; and fpeaks again ft the Con virion of his own Rea- fon. To affirm that all This Harmony and Symmetry came by Chance 5 or that all Thefe manifeft EfTe&s of the greateft Wifdorn were from Eternity, without any Caufe, any intelligent Being to pro- duce them ; is as flat Nonfenfe as either the Folly, or Wit of Man can invent : To talk at this rate is altogether as fot- tiffi, and mad, as to fay that fuch a Watcri, or Clock, had no Maker; fuch a Book, no Writer ; fuch a Houfe, no Builder. Nay Thefe Miferable men who fay there is no God, have even in themfehes, as all other men have, fufficient Evidence to prove there is one. I mean the curious and wonderful Texture of human Bodies, which is enough to make any rational Creature ftand amaz'd at the Wifdom that eontriv'd it ; as alfo the excellent Nature of human Soul, thofe Faculties of Think- ing, Judging* and Underftanding, which S by ig8 The Parable of by Experience we find in Ourfelves, and cannot conceive whence they fhould be derived, but from a Being who has them all in the utmoft Perfe&ion. But ftill Thele Philofophers cannot form an ade- quate Idea of, or cannot comprehend, an infinite, eternal, felf-exiftent Being. What then ? There is one for all That, What do they comprehend ? Nothing ; hot the loweft Being in nature. And yet fure there is jome Being. That there is, and muft be an eternal felf-exiftent one, or there could" never have been any at all, is as Uriel: Demonftratiori as any in Mathematicks. For if there be not a Being which had no Beginning; there was a Time (if we may fo fpeak without impropriety) when there was Nothing : And if fo ; when Something began to be^ it was either made without a Maker, which is a Contradiction : Or it made it- felf : And if fo, it muft both Be, and not Be at the fame time ; be y as a Maker ; not be^ as to be made : Which again is directly contradictory, and impofli- ble. There is a God then : And that This God will judge the World, and render to Every man according to his Works, is the next Point to be made out. Now This may be proved ijl> By the fame j Sort Dives and Lazarus, &*c. 259 Soft of Arguments which are common- ly and very pertinently alledged (tho' I have, above, omitted them) to prove the Being of God himfelf: I mean our Na- tural inbred Notions, and the Univerfal Confent of Mankind. The real Exiftence of Moral Good, and Evil, and the eflen- tial Difference between them, can be de- ny'd by None but Thofe who have aban- don'd human Reafon, or never had the Ufe of it. Who but a mere Savage can be ignorant, or who but a Slave to Pre- judice and Infidelity will deny, that Cha- rity, Juftice, the Worfhip of God, and the like, are abfolutely Good, and that Theft, Murder, all Sorts of Injuftice, and Violence, Impiety and Blafphemy are ab- folutely Evil? This Senfe of Things is Univerfal : And whatfoever is Univerfal muft be Natural ; and whatfoever is Na- tural muft come from the Author of Nature. If God has either imprefs'd any Notions upon our Minds, or given us a Faculty by which we Naturally judge This, or That ; Thofe Notions, or That Judgment, muft be true ; Otherwife, He> would be the Author of Falfehood; which is impoffible. Well then ; what is moral Good ? Is it not a Conformity to the Divine Law either Natural, or Writ- ten, or Both ; and is not That fomething S 2 which 60 "The Parable of which in its own Nature deferves Re- ward ? What is moral Evil ? Is it not the Violation of fuch a Law ; and is not That fomething which in its own Nature deferves Punifhment ? The Ideas of Reward and PuniQiment neceflarily ac- company Thofe of Moral Good and Evil ; and we cannot even in Thought fe pa rate them. And This is the Ground and Reafon of That active Faculty in us calFd Confcience ; which is itfelf an- other Argument for the Truth of what we are proving. Upon the doing of any moral Good, or abstaining from any mo- ral Evil, our Confcience applauds us ; Upon the doing of any moral Evil, or omitting any moral Good when it is in our Power to do it, our Confcience accufes, judges, and condemns us. And fince This is univerfal, and confequently natu- ral, and confequently again from God ; what is it but a manifeft Anticipation of a future Judgment ? I fay future, or in another World; for our Confcience thus applauds, or condemns us, when we have nothing to hope or fear from This : the Action being fecret, and known to None but God, and Ourfelves. It will be faid perhaps that all This proceeds only from Fear, or the Prejudice of Edu- cation. But for the firft; what caufes This Dives and Lazarus, &c> 261 This Fear ? It mull: be the Reality of its Ob j eft j not the Craft of Priejis and P0- Iitidam y as it is foolilhly pretended : Since This Sentiment is Univerfal ; and by confequence Natural, as I faid ; and by Confequence again well grounded : Other- wife the Author of Nature, the God of ' Truth, muft have interwoven an Error and Delufion into our Conftitution. The fame may in effect be faid of the pre- tended Prejudice of Education. Why do Parents educate their Children in This Perfuafion ? Becaufe they have it Them- felves, no doubt : And how did they come by it ? 'Tis univerfal, and therefore natural, &c. as Before. 2dfyy A prefent Providence in This World proves a future Judgment in the Next. For " if (as a learned * Divine " remarks) there be a Providence in This w World, and it be true that God ob- " ferves how men carry themfelves to- " wards him ; it muft fpeak his Intention " to reward and punifh in proportion to 8 fuch Obfervation." [He fhould have ad- ded, hereafter ; fince He does not do it here ; of which in its proper place.] " for other- " wife That Providence would be fruit- * Dr, Goodman, Winter- Evening Conference. S 3 "lefs 262 "The Parable of " lefs, and to no purpofe. It would be a that not only our Souls, and the Angels, but God himfelf were material, if fo wild a Suppofition be not improper to be even mention d : Still we find by Experience, (and That cannot de- . ceive ■ us) that our Souls are thinking Be- ings, whether they be immaterial, or not. And let any one of thefe thinking Be- ings ask itfelf thefe plain Queftions. Whe- ther the boundlefs Range of Thought, by which it can in a moment travel thro' the Univerfe, and join together the paft, the prefent, and the future, do not argue in itfelf a wonderful and amazing Excellence, quite diflm£t from, and fu- perior to, all other fublunary Things ? It is evidently not only diftincl from, but in fome refpe&s contrary to, the Body it inhabits : Becaufe it contradicts, con- trouls, over-rules its Appetites ; and cor- rects the Errors, and Mifreprefentations of its Senfes. Let it then ask itfelf, Whe- ther it is to be conceiv'd in common Reafon, that fuch a noble Subftance as This, be it corporeal, or fpiritual, nay, if Dives and Lazarus, &*c. 267 if you pleafe, we will difcard the Word Soul, and call it a thinking Body ; put it how you will, I fay, Is it to be conceiv'd that fuch a noble Subftance as This can either by its own Nature, or by the Will and Power of any other Being, lofe ei- ther its Exiftence, or its thinking Faculty, in the Compafs of a very few Years ? For the longeft Life of Man amounts to no more. Is it imaginable that it mould be almoft infinitely fuperior to all vifible Things upon the account of this fame thinking Faculty, and yet upon the level with them, nay vaftly inferior to many of them, in point of Duration ? Is not the Contrary, to put it at the loweft, highly probable ? Nay, confidering the Wifdom of God (for that there is one we have pro- ved) is it not little lefs than certain ? For how is it confiftent with infinite Wifdom, or indeed with any Wifdom, to make fo excellent a Creature for fo fhort a time? Then the Being of God is fuf- ficiently demonftrated : And the Con- tinuance of the Soul after Death, which even from Reafon has appear'd highly probable, is by the Scriptures, which we can demcnftrate to be the Word of God, made infallibly certain : And not only its continued Exiftence, but its Immor- tality, or eternal Duration. Imagine then (if 268 7%e Parable of (if fuch a thing can be imagin'd) that there were no Spirits at all ; ftill there is a Being of infinite Duration, Power, Majefty, Wifdom, Holinefs, and Juftice, who will render to every man according to his Works ; And our Souls, whether material, or immaterial, are immortal, and capable of eternal Rewards and Pu- nishments ; which will by That infinite Being be conferred, or inflidted upon them. All This is fufficient for the ne- ceffary Purpofes of Religion -, tho' a Be- lief that there are Spirits is very condu- cive to it. Suppofing then there were nothing in Being, but the beloved Mat- ter and Motion of Thefe Epicureans: There is however fome Matter and Motion in which they are nearly concern d ; which can think, which is immortal, which is capable of being eternally happy, or mi- Jerable ; and in fadt moft certainly will be fo : And it will be no Comfort to any one of Them, when he finds himfelf in Hell, to refledl that his whole Compofi- tion is Corporeal; and that it is nothing but Matter in Motion, which is infinitely miferable. Tho' Matter did a&ually think, as it certainly does not ; Tho' by the Power of God it might be made to think, as (without a Change of its Na- ture) I am fetisfy'd it cannot $ ftill Man thinks: Dives and Lazarus, &c. 269 thinks: And from thence probably at lead argues that He was made for a much longer time than This fhort Life ; and the Scriptures infallibly aflure him that he was fo. Thus we fee, and I think it is of great Importance to fhew, how abfurdly, and defperately the Enemies of Religion argue, even upon the moft un- reafonable of their own Suppofitions. This then is the real Truth of the Cafe : And would to God it were weigh'd, and reflected upon, as it ought to be. O that they were wife, that they underjlood this y that they would conjider their latter End I Deut. xxxij. 29. Were the four laft Things, as they are commonly cal- led, Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell, duly ponder'd, and revolv'd in our Thoughts ; not only Thofe great and enormous Crimes which I have above complain'd of, as reigning, fome among One Sort of Men, fome among Another, fome among All, but Sins of a lefs mag- nitude likewife, in fhort the whole Body of Sin would be utterly deftroy'd. Per- fons of all Ranks and Conditions would not only be lefs wicked, but very good : Vertue, and Religion, Piety, and Devo- tion, in private, in Families, in the great Congregation, would flour ifh, and tri- umph. Our Churches would be croud- ed, 270 7 he Parable of ed, both Mornings, and Afternoons, up- on Sundays : And be much more fre- quented than they are upon Holidays, . and even upon ordinary Days of the Week. Men of confiderable Fortunes would not think they did fome great thing, if they now and then gave a fmall piece of Money to fome pious, or cha> ritable Ufe ; but would be very liberal (which they might well be, without at all ftraitning themfelves) in doing good, and communicating to the Poor, the Church, and her Minifters ; knowing that with fuch Sacrifices God is pleafed, and thinking That beft beftow'd which is laid out upon their Souls. Craftinefi, Falfehood, and Treachery would be no more ; and a cunning Man (which, as the Words are now ufed, is but another Name for a Knave) would no longer pafs for a wife Man. In fhort ; did we all fear God as we ought to do, we mould of courfe keep his Commandments : Which is plain of itfelf, and we need fay no more of it. But There is the Mifery : Men do not generally fear God as they ought. They do perhaps believe thefe things of which we have been difcourfing, I mean the Immortality of the Soul, and a future Judgment 5 but they do not throughly be- lieve Dives and Lazarus, &Pc. 271 Jieve them; they are habitually convin- ced of their Truth, but do not enough attend to them, and actually reflect upon them. Did they Jlrifily, and properly Consider their latter End ; all would be well. But can it be conceived that, living as"they generally do, they ferioufly and fufficiently think with themfelves, what Eternity is 3 an Eternity of Blifs on the one hand, and of Woe on the other? Do they confider what it is to be as wretch- ed as they are capable of being, and that forever f Forever ! Will not That Word wake them ? To be tormented with un- fpeakable Anguifh both of Body and Soul; and never to be releas'd from it ? Do they confider what it is to be in fuch a State as This; and are they not ftruck with Horror at the Profpedt ? And then has not every lingle Perfon by himfelf This Reflection, What if I fiould be in fuch a State ? Dreadful Thought ! What if you mould indeed ?' And there- fore the very next Queftion mould be ; What is the prefent State of your Soul ? Are you in the Habit of any one known, and wilful Sin ; as Luft, Drunkennefs, Covetoufnefs, immoderate Love of the World, Uncharitablenefs, Injuftice, Pro- fanenefs, and a Neglect of Religious Ex- ercifes, Difcontent, Impatience. Indulg- ing 272 The Parable of ing your outrageous Paffions, or peevifli* perverfe, proud Humours, and the like ? Are you, I fay, in a Habit, and under the Dominion of any one known, wilful Sin? If you are; can you continue a moment without repenting, and reform- ing ? Confider again the abovemention'd State of infinite Mifery ; Is it not Mad- nefs to be even in a PoJJibility of falling into it ? Were it a thoufand Chances to one that you fhould not ; it would be prodigious Folly to run fuch a Rifque even as That, when it is in your Power to avoid it. But to be not only in a PoJJi-* bility y but in a Probability, z high, a very high Probability of falling into it, when it is in one's own Power not to be (b —>• — Defperate Madnefs! Aftonifhing, un- accountable Infatuation ! And yet in fuch a Condition as This, it is to be fear'd (fear'd, did I fay ? 'tis too evidently cer- tain) are vaft Numbers of Thofe who are baptiz'd Chriftians. For if you are in a . Habit of any one known wilful Sin (I can fcarce repeat it too often) you are in an unregenerate State : And if you die in it, are irrecoverably loft, everlaflingly mi- ferable. If you die in it : And how do you know how foon you may die? You cannot fecure to yourfelf a moment mores You may poffibly die, this day, this hour ; Dives and Lazarus, ®c. 273 hour ; very probably in a few Years ; moft certainly in a very fhort time : And how then can you with patience think df continuing in a finful State any lon- ger ? Let our immortal Part then be our chief Care : For what is a Man profited, if he jhall gain the whole Worlds and lofe his own Soul ? or what Jhall a Man give in exchange for his Soul? Matth. xvi. 26. Our Lives, at the longeft, are fo fhort, and the World at beft fo wretchedly vain ; that, confider'd barely as it is in itfelf, it deferves very little of our Care and Concern. But if compar'd with Eternity, an Eternity of Happi- nefs and Mifery; how inconfiderable a Figure does it make ! Or rather how does it fhrink, and vanifli into nothing ! And yet were we to judge by the Actions of moft Men, we muft conclude that we are to live here forever : That Here is the Fulnefs, the Perfection of our Hap- pinefss and that we have Nothing either to hope for, or be afraid of, any where clfe. Do not too many even of Thofe who pafs for fiber ^ good Sort of People, as they are called, regard This World too much, and the Next too little ? Are they not fo anxious and folicitous about their Farms in the Country, and their T Mer- 3 74 The Parable of Merchandifes in Towns and Cities, as not to leave Room enough in their Thoughts for God, and Religion ? Which they would infallibly do ; did they confider thefe things of which we have been fpeaking, as they deferve to be confider 'd. Let thefe Sayings, therefore, Dearly Beloved in the Lord, fink into your Ears, as our Bleffed Saviour fpeaks ; and not only into your Ears, but into your Hearts: Let them fettle, and dwell there ; and bring forth Fruit in your Lives and Conver- fations. Difcourfes of This Kind are al- ways apt to affed: the Hearers for the prefent : And indeed it cannot well be otherwife: Confidering our Defire of Happinefs, they cannot fail of affe&ing us in fome meafure, while they are a- dtually founding in our Ears. But how Many are there, who, notwithftanding This, are but little, if at all, the better for them ! Thefe things are true, fay they, and truly urg'd : So they go away, forget all, and think no more of it. The Cares of this World, and the Deceitfulnefs of Riches choak the Word, and make it be- come altogether unfruitful. Erai of Thofe who remember, and refleft, Some are prone to flatter themfelves with This Thought, that God is infinitely merciful. He is indeed $ and 'tis well for Us mife- rable Dives and Lazarus, &c. 275 rable Sinners that He is : Otherwife we fhould have no Hope. He is fo merci- ful -, that even Sins of the deepeft Dye, ou/moft horrid Provocations, with all the moft aggravating and inflaming Cir- cumftances (praifed be That infinite Mercy for it) are certainly pardon'd, if fincerely repented of, and effectually re- formed. But then He is infinitely jufl too; And infinite Juftice muft, in the Nature of Things, take hold of Thofe who in the Nature of Things are not capable Objects even of infinite Mercy. It is Thus that Thofe feemingly contra- dictory Attributes, infinite Juftice, and infinite Mercy, are reconciled. Infinite Mercy itfelf cannot be extended to Thofe, who in the eternal Reafons and Nature of Things are not capable of it : And fuch are all obftinate and impenitent Sinners. God, who is all Perfection, can no more work Contradictions by his Mer- cy, than by his Power commonly fo calVd : And a Contradiction it is, that Thofe fhould be pardon'd who are in themfelves unpardonable. They are moreover apt to flatter their poor Souls, that the Torments of Hell will not be eternal ; tho' God has affured us they will. Concerning which I fhall fay no- thins at prefent (tho' I could fay much) [ T a but 2y6 "The Parable of but i/?, That Thofe Torments (fof that there will bcfome, I have fully pro- ved) may be very dreadful, tho* not eter- nal. It would be inconceivably mifera- ble to burn in a fiery Furnace, tho' but for a thoufand Years, tho' but for one Year, tho' but for one Day. 2dly y Since God in Scripture, which pray remember I will in due time demonftrate to be his Word, declares that they will be eternal, (and He, we may be fure, beft knows what is confident with his infinite Ju- ftice, Mercy, and the reft of his glorious Attributes) we had much better fuppofe them to be fo Here, than feel them to be fo Hereafter. <~ LUKE Luke xvj. 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. — Andfeeth Abraham afar of, and La- zarus in his Bofom* And he cried* and /aid \ Father Abraham have mercy on me ; and fend Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue -, for 1 am tormented in this flame. But Abraham faid, Son remember that thou in thy life-time receivedfl thy good things, and likewife Lazarus evil things ; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And befides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, fo that they which would pafs from hence to you can- not, neither can they pafs to us, that would come from thence. Then he J aid, I pray thee therefore, leather, that thou wouldefl fend him to my Fa- ther s houfe:. For I have five Brethren -, that he may te- ftify unto them, lejl they alfo come into this place of 'Torment, T 3 THE ±yS The Parable of HE firft, and laft. Parts of This Parable being the two moft remarkable, as yielding us the moft important Do- dtrines with regard both to our Faith, and Praftife ; and This fe- cond, or middle, Part being the leaft con- fiderable, as relating chiefly to certain Circumftantial Matters of lefs Confe- quence ; I mail not enlarge fo much up- on This, as I have upon the Firft, and (hall upon the Laft. However even This is of too great Confequence to be wholly pretermitted ; and may, in one fhort Dif- courfe at leaft, very well employ our Me- ditations. The Words juft now read con- tain the following Particulars. I. The ObjeSi prefented to the Sight of the Rich man in Hell ; He feeth Abraham afar ofif\ and Lazarus in his Bojom. „ II. His humble Petition or Requefi, con- fequent of it ; He cried^ and /aid, Father Abraham, have mercy on me y and fend Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water y and cool my tongue 5 for J am tormented in this flame, m. Dives and Lazarus, &c. 279 III. The Anfver to That Requeft, con- lifting of two Parts ; the one (hew- ing the Unreafonablenefs of it in it- felf ; the other, the ImpoJJibility of its being granted by Thofe to whom it is addrefled : The Former in This Claufe, Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedjt thy good things, and likewife Lazarus evil things -, but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented: The Latter in This, Be- tween us and you there is a great gulf fixed ; jo that they which would pafs from hence to you cannot, neither can they pafs to us that would com.e from thence. IV. The Rich man's Reply to Abra- ham-, I pray thee therefore Father, that thou wouldejl fend him to my Father's houfe ; for I have five Bre- thren ; that he may tejiify unto them, lejl they aljb come into this place of Torment. In the Difcuffion of which four Heads, I (hall (according to the Method purfu- ed in my foregoing Difcourfes upon This Parable) explain fuch Difficulties, and T 4 make 280 Tloe Parable of make fuch Obfervations as (hall natural- ly occur, and fhall feem material. I. Firft thentheRich man, lifting up his eyes in Hell, and being in Torments, feeth Abraham afar off] and Lazarus in his Bo- fom. How did he know them ? may per- haps be a Queftion asked by Some : A- braham he had never feen before ; and even Lazarus furely muft be quite alter'd from what he was in This World. They may as well ask how could Jie fee fo far, as from Hell to Heaven 5 with other Queries of equal Weight. I have alrea- dy obferv'd that the Narrative is fi&iti- ous, or allegorical ; and This Circum- stance, among many more, is a Proof of its being fo. Here, however, it may not be amifs juft to take notice of a Queftion much agitated by certain curious Enqui- rers; Whether Relations, Friends, and other Acquaintance, {hall know one an~ Other in the next World, either in the in- termediate State, or in That after the Refurredtion, or Both. Some think This Knowledge would greatly increafe the Happinefs of the Bleffed; Some that it would diminish it, becaufe if a Man would rejoice to meet one of his Friends in Heaven, he would as much grieve to inifs another There. To all which, and much Dives and Lazarus, &c. 281 much more that might be faid on ei- ther fide, the true Anfwer is, that the Queftion is matter of mere vain Curio- Jity ; and, if carry *d far, or much infill- ed upon, not only vain, buijinful. It is intruding into thofe things, which we have not feen, or prying into the Secrets of the other World ; an idle, proud, and pre- fumptuous Curiofity. 2/ doth not yet ap- pear what we Jhall be, as to the parties lar Circumftances, and Modifications of our Being: In general we know This, and That Knowledge is fufficient for us at prefent ; That, whether we know one another, or not, in the next Life, we (hall either be compleatly happy in Heaven, or compleatly miferable in Hell. But to proceed. How ought fuch an Image as This to ftrike, and affed: our Minds! A loft, undone Reprobate, look- ing up out of the Depth, Darknefs, and Flames of Hell, to the Light, Glories, and Joys of Heaven ! For Something ana- lagous to This there mud: be even in the intermediate State ; and much more after the Day of Judgment. Particularly,how will the Rich, and Mighty, the Tyrants of the Earth, gnafh their Teeth in That dreadful Dungeon, to fee from Thence, the Poor, the Defpis'd, the Perfecuted of the World, fliine, and triumph in the higheft Hea- vens! 282 The Parable of vcns! They groaning for Anguijh, at the Trofpeft, or Thought of fuch a one 5 Jkall fay within them/elves, This is he whom we had fometimes in derifion, and a proverb of reproach. We fools accounted his Life mad- ?iefs, and his End to be without honour. How is he numbered among the children of God, and his hot is among the Saints ! We wea- ried our f elves in the way of wickednefs and defiruBion What hath pride pro- fited us ? or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us? &c. Wifd. v. 3, 4. O confider this, ye that forget God in the midft of your Wealth, Profperity, and Pride ; confider this, and ferioufly lay it to heart, before it is too late; left he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver ■, Pfal. 1. 22. For as the pooreft and moft abject fincere Servants of God jfhall (hine like the Stars forever and ever ; fo Tophet (an eternal Tophet y of which the Temporary one was but a Type) is ordained of old, yea for the King it is pre- pared, that is for the greateft of Men, if they are wicked ; he hath made it deep and large y the pile thereof is fire, and much wood y the breath of the Lord like a fir earn of brimfione doth kindle it. Ifa. xxx. 33. I pafs on now to the fecond Point, viz. H. The Dives and Lazarus, &*c. 283 II. The Rich man's humble Requeft or Petition, in thefe Words; Father Abra- ham, have mercy on me, and fend Laza- rus that he may dip the tip of his finger in "water, and cool my 'tongue 5 for I am tormented in this flame, I have alrea- dy, in a former Difcourfe, had occafion to take notice, that Thofe Words, this flame, my tongue, and the reft of the fame kind, cannot be taken litterally, but muft be allegorical -, and have alfo fhewn what is in truth, and reafon to be underftood by them. Here again obferve the fud- den and wonderful. Change. The great Dives is become a Beggar, and that to a Beggar, the very Same that was laid at his gate, the poor defpifed Lazarus. Let the Grandees of the World think well upon This alfo. Nay, fo low is he fal- len ; that, confidering how ill he had ufed him, he dares not follicit him di- rectly ; but makes Inter eft, as it were, to Abraham, that he would defire him, or lay his Commands upon him. And to do what? Tc. 285 I begin with the Firft of Thefe. Thy good things. The Pronoun is emphatical and remarkable : /. e. fuch things as he made his chief, nay his only Good-, Thofe in which he put his truft, and placed his happinefs. It is not faid in the oppofite part of the Sentence, and likewife Laza- rus his evil things : For Nobody would de-fire Poverty and Affliction ; ar leaft for its own fake. But I fay the Addition of That Word, as referred to the Rich man, imports that he put his Confidence and Happinefs in his Wealth, worldly Plea- fures, and Honours : And befides ; we are affured from Reafon and the Nature of Things, that This is the true Mean- ing of the Paflage. Dives could not be tormented merely for having been rich ; for a Man may certainly have the Blef- fings of This Life, and of the Next too j Nay, his making a right Ufe of the for- mer entitles him to the enjoyment of the latter. The Senfe therefore is, as if A- braham mould have faid; You made Worldly Affluence and Greatnefs your fupreme Good ; and you had it ; you have had your Portion therefore, and upon That Account have no Reafon to com- plain. And befides ; Your fo mifplacing your Happinefs, which was highly cri- minal, and for which, according to the Nature 2 86 7 he Parable of , Nature of Things, as well as by the juft Judgment of God, you are neceflarily excluded from Heaven; befides This, I fay, you made an ill Ufe of your Wealth, by Pride ; by looking upon yourfelf, as the Proprietor, not the Steward of it; by Luxury, and Senfuality ; by Unchari- tablenefs, and Cruelty to the Poor. For all which you are now punifhed; and eternal Reafon and Juftice require that you mould be fo. And likewife Lazarus evil things-, but now he is comforted. He is not comforted and rewarded, merely for having been afflicted; but for having born his Affli- ctions patiently, and having been good and vertuous in all other Refpe&s. For as a Man (which I juft now obferved) may have the Bleffings of both Worlds; fo he may have the Miferies of Both: Whe- ther we mail be happy, or unhappy in the next Life, depending upon our Behavi- our, not upon our Foi'time, in This. Which I mention ; becaufe fome People feem to think that they are certainly good Chri- ftians, becaufe they are great Sufferers. Whereas the Queftion in Religion with refpe6l to Suffering, is not fo much what we fuffer, as for what, and how wefufFer. Many make themfelves miferable wholly by their Vices, or more miferable than they Dives and Lazarus, &>c. 287 they need be by the one Vice of Impa- tience; and upon That Account fancy themfelves God's beft Children; mifap- plying to themfelves That of the Pfal- mift, it is good for me that I have been in trouble : When in truth, and confidering their Behaviour, if finally perfifted in, it had rather been good for them, if they had never been born. But having touched upon This before, in my fecond Difcourfe upon This Parable, I pafs it over here ; and proceed to the other Part of Abra- hams Anfwer. And befides all This, between us and you there is a great Gulf &c. A Chafm, or empty Space, fay Some; & Chaos, or rude indigefted Heap, fay Others : It matters not which ; tho' the Word x«*t / - A in the Original feems plainly enough to deter- mine it to the Firft. Here again curious Enquiries are vain and prefumptuous ; and This again is manifeftly a figurative or allegorical Scheme of Speech. For Spirits cannot be hinder'd from paffing to and fro, either by the Interpofition of Bodies, or by a Vacuity, or Space empty of all Bodies. The Senfe is no more than This, that by the Will and Defig- nation of Almighty God, the Manfions, or rather perhaps the States, of the Righte- ous and the Wicked, during the Interval between 288 The Parable of between Death and the Refurrection, are fepamted and disjoined \ fo that they can have no Intercourfe, or Communication with each other. This, I fay, is all the Meaning of the PafTage, as I conceive. For fome Expofitors tell us, that it im- plys the Immutability of both Thofe States ; and teaches us that the Condition both of good and bad men, in the other World, is unchangeable or irreverfible. Which undoubtedly is true Doctrine; but how it is inferred from This Portion of Scripture, I do not apprehend. For all Communication between them may be entirely cut off, while they are in Thofe States; and yet, notwithstanding That, thofe States themfelves may be al- tered ; tho' it is evident from other pla- ces of Scripture that they never will be. IV. The fourth and laft Point is Di- ves's Reply to Abraham. I pray thee there- fore Father •, that thou ivouldefi fend him to my Father's Houfe ; for I have five Bre- thren^ that he may tefiify unto them, left they alfo come into this place of 'Torment. How could This reprobate Spirit be fup- pofed to have any Concern for his Bre- thren ? For is there any Charity, or even natural Affection, in Hell ? Not in Hell ftridly Dives and Lazarus, &c% 289 ftridtly fpeaking, or in the Place of the Damn'd after the Day of Judgment. But in Hades, or the Middle State, which (as I have (hewn) is the Hell here fpokefi of, perhaps there may. For as they have not There the Fullnefs of their Punifh- ment ; fo it may be they are not There fully, and completely wicked : but may have fome fmall Remains of merely hu- mane Goodnefs ; at leaft for a little time, or immediately after the Separation of the Soul from the Body* Or peradven- ture he did not make That Requeft for their fakes, but his Own. They might be wicked by his Example; and fo he might think, and very reafonably too, that his Torments would be increafed by Theirs. Let Thofe tremble at This, who have drawn Others into Sin; or are in danger of doing fo, by their Ex- ample in Practife, by their Difcourfe, but above all by their Writings: Writings tending to the Encouragement either of Lewdnefs and Immorality, Profanenefs, Herefy, or Infidelity ; or even contain- ing any thing that may give juft and rea- fonable Caufe of Scandal, or Offence. It may be faid of a Sinner, as well as of a Saint, that He being dead yet fpeaketb. Let them retract and recant fuch their Writings in their Life-time ; and pub- U lickly 290 The Parable of lickly ask Pardon of God, and his Church. When they are out of the World, no- thing is to be done ; nor can they, like other Vipers, yield Antidotes, after they are dead, to difpel their own Poifon. And moft jufi it is that Thofe, above all Men, fhould be punifh'd with the Devil and his Angels; who have find like the Devil, by bringing Others, as well as Themfelves, into That Pkce of Torment. ♦. Luke Luke xvj. 29, 30, 31. Abraham faith unto him, 'they have Mo- fes, and the Prophet s% let them hear them. And he /aid, Nay Father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the Dead, they will repent. And he faid unto him, if they hear not Mofes and the Prophets -, neither will they be perfuaded, tho one rofe from the Dead. E arc now come to the laft and moft remarkable Part of This Parable : To the Rich man' s fecond Requeft, viz. That concerning his five Brethren, taken notice of in the Clofe of my laft Difcourfe, Abraham anfwers, that they have fuffi- cient Means for their Repentance and Re- formation, in the ordinary way, u e. in the Books of Mofes, and the Prophets, The Other, infilling upon his Requeft, U 2 replys, 292 'Fhe Parable of feplys, by telling him that Thofe ordi- nary Means have hitherto proved inef- fectual, and are like to do fo ftill ; but that if extraordinary ones are afforded them, fuch as a Meflenger fent to them from the Dead, he is fure their Re- pentance will be the Confequence of it. Abraham rejoins 5 That if the {landing Re- velation in Thofe infpired Writings will not convince and reclaim them, no- thing will -, No, not an Exprefs difpatch'd to them from the other World, and ac- quainting them with the Rewards and Punifhments of it. I (hall, by way of Accommodation, apply This to our pre- fent Circumftances : Obferving in a Word, that to Mofes and the Prophets we muft now add Chriji and his Apoftles; and that by this Addition the Argument holds more flrongly \ the New T'eji anient being fuperior to the Old. I need not infift upon the Sufficiency of our Religion with refpedt to the Precepts of Piety and Mo- rality contained in it : That, I apprehend, is deny'd by Few or None of our Adver- faries themfelves ; They think it rather redundant than deficient^ in Matters of Praclice, as well as Faith. And as for Motives to Obedience ; None certainly can be more cogent, than the Reward of everlafting Happinefs, and the Punish- ment Dives and Lazarus, &*c. 293 ment of everlaftiqg Mifery. Not but that we of courfe, and by neceffary con- fequence, (hew the Sufficiency of the Pre- cepts, and of the Motives, and the Truth of every thing elfe in our holy Religion ; if we prove the whole Syflem to be Divine : Which I undertake to do in the follow- ing Difcourfes. But I fay what I (hall direBly infift upon, will be only the Evi- dence of the Chriftian Religion. Our In- fidels object, that it is not enough for them to have the Writings of the Infpi- red Penmen, as we are pleafed to call them : They ought to have Miracles, and be Eye-Witnefles, as Others are pretend- ed to have been j or at leaft to have Proof (if That be poffible) equivalent to fuch ocular Demonftration. A new Re- velation indeed is not, I think, demanded; as Some by Miftake have ftated it: but full unqueftionable Proof that Thisjland- ing Revelation, as we call it, which we pow have, and declare to be Divine, is really fuch. Take it which way you will, it matters very little : Becaufe if we fatisfy the Latter Demand, we by confe- quence fhew the Unreafonablenefs of the Former. For if the prefent Revelation (which, if true, is granted to be fuffi- cient) be fufficiently proved to be true ; it follows that there is no Occafion for U 3 any 2Q4 ^k Parable of any other Revelation, and confequently that 'tis unreafonable to require one. I fhall therefore {hew, I. That We have now full, fufficient, abundant Evidence, to prove the Truth, and Divine Authority of the Chriftian Religion. 'They have Mo- fes, and the Prophets, Chrift and his Apoftles ; let them bear Them. II. That it is irrational and abfurd, perverfe, and unjuft, to demand frefli Miracles. III. That if they were granted ; Thofe who demand them would not be convinced by them. Nay Father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the Dead, they will repent. Ajid he faid unto him, if they hear not Mofes and the Prophets, [we add, Chrift and his Apoftles] neither will they be perfuaded, thd one rofe from the dead. I. Firft then We have full, fufficient, far more than fufficient Evidence, to prove the Truth, and Divine Authority of the Chriftian Religion. This will be made out j if we fhew Dives and Lazarus, &c. 295 1/?, That the Books of the Old and New Tejlament are certainly genuine, or written by Thofe whofe Names -they bear. 2dly, That the Fafts recorded by Thofe Authors, in Thofe Writings, are undoubt- edly true. For from henoe it will folr low, %dty 9 That Thofe Writings are from God, or given by Divine Infpiration. The Truth of which Confequence frjall be fhewn in its proper place. \ft then. The Books of the Old and New Tejlament are certainly genuine, or written by Thofe whofe Names they bear. It may here be objedted in the Entrance, that fome of Thefe Books have rio Au- thors Names affixed to them ; and fo This Propofition cannot affedl tfhem. Be it fo: We will therefore at prefent, and for Brevity's fake, fet afide Thofe Books ; and fuppofe there were none f*ch in Being, For it is not my Bufinefs here to prove the Truth of the Canon of Scripture, as now fettled : which has been done by feveral learned Men. Our prefent Ar- gument requires no more, than that we mew Thofe Divine Writings (as we efteem them) which have the Names of certain Authors affix'd to them to be really pen'd U 4 by 296 The Parable of by thofe Authors. And here again that we may avoid all unneceffary Difputes, and fay nothing but what is directly to our prefent purpofe ; fince it is objected that fome of the fmaller Epiftles in the New Teflament were for fome time doubt- ed of in the Church itfelf (tho' That Ob- jection likewife has been abundantly an- fwer'd) we will wave Them too, as if they were out of the Queftion now be- fore us. Nay to fhorten Matters yet more, and add greater Strength and Clearnefs to the Argument; we will in This, and the two other Propolitions, confine our Difcourfe only to the Wri- tings of Mofes and the Prophets in the Old 'Tejiament, and to the Four Gofpels, and the Acts of the Apoftles in the New ; efpecially confidering that Thofe Wri- tings include every thing that is necef- fary both in Point of Fact and Doctrine, We come then to the Point itfelf; which will not require many more Words than we have employed in clearing the Way to it. For here we are to prove — - What ? That Thofe Books are really Theirs, whofe Names they bear. 'Tis fo plain of itfelf; that we are at a lofs to prove it by any thing plainer. Why fhould we doubt whether the Books of lojes, and the Prophets, of St. Mat- thew^ Dives and Lazarus, &c. 297 thew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John, were written by them ? Did they not own them as Theirs ?■ They did ; and all thp World knows it, as much as it knows any thing of This nature, which yet was never doubted of. They were publifhed by their feveral Authors themfelves; who lived feveral Years after the Publication of them. Publifh'd, I fay, by Them as Theirs j and receiv'd as fuch by every body elfe. And is not This Proof enough ? Nobody queftions the Authenticalnefs of innumerable other Books, bearing the Names of Heathen Philofophers, Poets, and Hiftorians, both Greek and Roman; tho' they liv'd at a greater Diftance of Time from our Age, than Thofe of whom we are now fpeaking. Not one of our Deifts has objected againft any of Thefe ; and They would laugh at Us (and that very juftly) if We fhould. Why muft the Scriptures alone be fubject to all thefe Cavils ? when there is at leaft as much Evidence fbr the Genuinels of Them, as of any other ancient Wri- tings whatfoever. Nay indeed a great deal more. For the Matter of them be- ing of infinite Importance (which can be faid of no other Book) it infinitely concern'd Mankind, when they were firft publifh'd to be throughly fatisfy'd of their 398 57& Parable of their Truth and Authority. The ymf were fcrupulous, even to Superftition, con- cerning every Circumftance of Their Sa- cred Writings. And it is not to be ima- ging that Thofe of the New Tejlament would have been receiv'd at firft, when the whole World, in a manner, was ftrongly prejudiced againft them ; could they have difcover'd any fort of Impo- fture relating to them. And for the fame re;afon we may be fure they were very inquifitive and cautious ; and would have difcover'd fuch an Impofture, had there been any. Inftead of which ; both Jews and Gentiles,- even the Emperor 'Julian^ an Apoftate from Chriftianity, and as fuch a mofl malicious Enemy to it, ac- knowledge Thofe Writings to be ge- nuine. They endeavour 'd, tho' with bad Succefs, to anfwer, and confute them ; but never deny'd them. They were in truth never queftion'd by any body, 'till within thefe two or three laft Ages j by Papifts on the one Hand, and by our mo- dern Infidels on the other. And what have they to fay in juftification of This wicked and ridiculous Scepticifm ; con- trary to common Honefty, and the com- mon Senfe of Mankind ? Why, They cannot be Jure that Thefe Books were written by fuch, or fuchPerfonsj becaufe they Dives and Lazarus, &c. 299 they did not fee Thofe Perfons write them : That is, becaufe They who live in This Age did not live 1700, 2000, 3000 Years ago, and fee every thing that was then done. Did they ftand by and fee Herodotus, and Livy write their Hifto- ries; Homer, and Virgil their Poems ; Ari- jlotle, Cicero, and Plutarch, their feverai Works afcribed to them ? Or fuppofe any Book to be firft publifhed now, in our own times, as there are many (more, God knows, than are good) and its Author, whofe Name it carries, to be now living, and well known ; It would furely be very difficult for thefe Wits x.ofee every Book written that is written. But will they not allow any thing to be true, unlefs they fee it ? What then becomes of the common Faith of Mankind ; and, if This Humour prevails, of Mankind itfelf? Concerning which, more under the next Propofition. The Summe of the whole Matter is This ; and let all Perfons of real Reafon ferioufly confider it. Thefe Men will not admit the few Books of the Scriptures to be genuine; tho' the Subjedl of them is of the laft Importance to them and all mankind, and tho' they are much better proved to be genuine than any ancient Writings in the World : At the fame time the very fame Men, with- out goo The Parable of out tfie leaft Scruple or Hesitation, ac- knowledge ten thoufand other Books to be genuine; tho' they have no manner of Concern in them, and not a quarter fo much Evidence for the Genuinenefs of them. Whether This be Wit, or Mad- ?iefs, let any one in his Senfes judge. And fo I pafs on to the fecond Propofi- tion; which is, idly, That the Fadts recorded by Thofe Authors in Thofe Writings are undoubt- edly true. Here we are to confider This Hiftory as an ordinary common Hiftory, not as an infpired one 5 for to fay it is in- fpired, or even true, becaufe itfelf fays fo, would be abfurd. Not but that even Here, while we fhew it to be true, the Nature of the Proof is fuch ; that we of courfe and unavoidably do much more, and fhew it to be divine. For ^hus we proceed. Confidering it only as if it were a common Hiftory, like That of Salujl, Jojepbus, EufebitiSy or any Author, whe- ther Heathen, Jew, or Chriftian, and putting it upon the fame foot with Their Relations or Narratives ; we by the Cre- dibility of the Witnefles, the Nature of Things, and collateral Evidence from other Hiftories, and Records, prove the Fads related in it to be undoubtedly true ; nay prove to a Demonftration that it is impof- Dives and Lazarus, &*c. 301 impoffible they mould be otherwife. Now a very great Number of Thefe Facts are Miracles, or wonderful Works wrought by the Power of God ; which, with the Help of a little Deduction, {hew the Hi- Jlory, as well as the Dofirines, of the Scriptures to be of divine Authority. But This, tho' it was proper to premife it here> belongs more directly to our Third Propofition: Let us proceed at prefent with the immediate Subject of This Se- cond. I fay then the Matters of Fact ref- lated in the Old and New T^ejlament are certainly true. They are delivered down to us in an ancient, well known, authen- tick Hiftory. And why is not This Proof enough ? Why mould any one doubt of Thefe things, more than of innumerable other Hiftorical Facts concerning which he makes no Doubt at all ? The Reality of Thefe was not queftion'd, when they were Jirjl publijh'd; why mould it be queftion'd Now f Have. they been difprti- ved? If they havej Let the Difproof ap- pear and I am anfwer'd. But Nothing of That has been fo much as attempted ; unlefs Laughing, and Wrangling, may be called Arguing -, and Sufpicions, and pre- carious Affertions, pafs for Evidence. Or will They come on again with the before egplflded Abfurdityj and fay they will allow 302 7 he Parable of allow nothing to be true, but what they fee ? If That be reafonable ; there's an End of all Hiftory, as well as This, of .all Human Faith, and in effeft of the World itfelf. But they cannot fay That y becaufe they receive other Hiftories as undoubtedly true. Why then not This ? Unlefs they have feme Evidence to inva- lidate it : And if they have, as I faid Be- fore, let us heaf it ; for I am fure we have not heard it yet. The Writers of it were in all refpe&s Perfons fit to be credited : They had the Gift of common Reafon at leaft ; They appear to have been plain downright honeft Men ; tho* if they had not been fo, they could get nothing by impofing a Falfehood of this nature upon the World. They were Impartial, and Difinterefted ; becaufe they record their own Follies, Faulty and grie- vous Sins, The publick Tranfactions tliey relate {hall be confidered prefently : And of thofe which were private they were diemfelves Eye and Ear-witnejes, as They n?ll us ; And as for their Veracity, fome- thing has been juft now faid of it, and mare ihall be faid hereafter. Thus much, one would think, fhould fet them upon a Level at leaft with other Hiftorians, whom yet Everybody believes. Nay That Mark of Impartiality, Regiftring their own Dives and Lazarus, &c. 303 own Faults in the manner they do, will fet them above any other Hiftorian this day in the World. But 1 go a great deal farther ; and add that we have infinitely more Evidence for the Truth of thefe Fadts, than of any other recorded in Hiftory. They are, they mnjl be true ; and 'tis impojjible they fhould be falfe. If Mojes's Law, for inftance, was not undeniably proved to be fome- thing more than humane, if it was not proved to be divine, as it pretends to be; 'tis altogether unimaginable that the whole People of the Jews would have receiv'd it as fuch, or indeed have re- ceiv'd it at all, conlidering how extreme- ly burthenfome it was by its innumera- ble laborious Rites, and Ceremonies ; par- ticularly the painful and bloody Sacra- ment of Circumcifion* Neither can That People be fuppofed to have made their Laws themfelves, or to have receiv'd them from any Legiflator but God, for another Reafon ; becaufe fome of Thofe Laws could not fubfift, or be put in exe- cution, without continual jlanding Mira- cles. Witnefs That about the Sabbati- cal, i. e> every feventh Year ; in which their Land was to lie untilled, and they were to have no Harveft or Vintage. In order to the keeping of which, it was promi- 304 The Parable of promifed, as indeed it was necefiary, that in one Year, the Sixth, the Earth mould produce thrice as much as ufual, or Pro- vifion for three Years. Levit. xxv. 21. If This Promife was not perform d-y it follows firft, that they could not have executed the Law if they would : fecondly, they muft have known it to btfalfe^ and there- fore would have rejected it as fuch. It was perform d therefore : And if it was , here was 1/?, the Fulfilling of a PropbeJy> as well as of a Promife : zdly y A conti- nued Jlanding Miracle. Then again, thrice every Year all the Males were to appear before the Lord in the Place he mould chufe ; confequently to leave their Coun- try unguarded and defencelefs : Which, being thus naked and abandon'd, might become an eafy Prey to the many and powerful Enemies with which they were on every fide furrounded. But Thofe Enemies were by another fanding Mira- cle hindred from invading them at thofe Times; when they could not but know the Condition the Country was in. For I will caji out the Nations before thee, fays God, neither Jhall any man defire thy land, when thou jhalt appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the Tear. Exod. xxxiv. 24. As to the Fulfilling or not Fulfilling of Tkis Promife \ the Argument is the fame as Dives and Lazarus, &*c> 305 as in the other Inftance ; and I need not repeat it. The Prieft's being exempt from the Infe&ion of Leprofy, when by vertue of his Office he continually converfed with Thofe who had That contagious Diftemper, was at leaft an extraordinary Providence: And the Water of Jealoufy was another {landing Miracle. Is it to be conceived that in Thefe plain Matters of Senfe, done in their own Times, and be- fore their own Eyes, continually, and fof many Ages together, a whole Nation could be deluded, or miftaken ? Which fuggefts another Confideration. Far the greateft Number of the Fads related in the CWand New T'ejlament were fublick ; and Multitudes were Witnefles to them. Such were moft of the Miracles wrought by Mofes and the Prophets, by Chrift and his Apoftles. Mofes appeals to the whole Jewifo Nation ; putting them in mind of what they themfelves had feen : The Paffage through the red Sea; the Miracles in the Wildernefs, the Deftru- dtion of Corah, and his Company. And know you this day y fays he ; for Ifpeak not with your Children which have not biown t mid which have not feen — But your Eyes have feen all the great ABs of the Lord which he did. Deut. xi. 2-7. And could he hope to perfuadeyi many hundred thou- X [and 3o6 "The Parable of fand men out of their Senfes, and make them believe That to be true which they knew to be falfe ? If it be faid that the Writings afcribed to him were forged fince his Death ; We reply. This cannot be for the two Reafons juft now mention- ed : Becaufe the Law could not fubfift without continual {landing Miracles, of fuch a nature, that no Mortal could coun- terfeit them : And becaufe It was extreme- ly grievous and burthenfome ; fo that if any body had been able, nobody can be fuppos'd willhig to have forged it. But befides; the whole Jewijh Conftitution both in Church and State was founded upon the Law: And This Conftitution, as every body grants, was begun, and eftablilh'd by Mofes. The Law there- fore could not be invented after his Time : And as to theHiftories of the Miracles in- terfpers'd up and down, and interwoven with it ; had they been in any After-Age added to the Law, which was conftantly read both in publick, and private, with a diligence and induflry, an accuracy and exadnefs, beyond all Example, (Deut. xi. 1 8. &c.) the whole Nation muft imme- diately hzvefeen and known the fpurious Additions, and confequently could never have been deceivd by them. Or rather, confidering it was from the Beginning fo Dives and Lazarus, &*c. 307 £o conflantly read, and minutely jcarid ; it is impojjible that fuch Interpolations could ever have been made at all: Unlefs we will fuppofe the whole Nation to have confpir'd in a ridiculous unprofitable Fraud 9 nay a Fraud extremely troublefome, and grievous to them ; which is equally im- poffible. Add to This, that there were feveral Fejiivals in memory of particular Faffs, as the PafTover, the Feaft of Taberna- cles, &c. one of them, (the Paffover) al- ways from the very Beginning, obferved among the Jews in obedience to the Laiv, and affirm'd in it by Mofes who gave it, to be coeval with Himfelf : They could not therefore be invented in After-times: And were moreover in all Ages fo many (landing, or (as it were) living and vifible Evidences, confirming the Genuinefs of the Law, and the Truth of the Facts recorded in it. There were alfo Jlanding Monuments, as the Ark, Aaron s Rod that budded, the Pot of Manna, the brazen Serpent, actually in Being for many Ages, and affirmed like wife in the Law to be of equal Antiquity with Mofes the Giver of it. In like manner, mofl of the Trans- ections related by the Evangelijls were pub- lick, done in the Sight of Multitudes, X 2 and jo 8 *fbe T arable of and known to all the World. The Mi^ racles wrought by our Saviour and his Apoftles were often wrought before many hundred, fometimes many thou- fand Spectators : Particularly, four thou- fand at one time, and five thoufand at another, were fed with Food created upon the Spot. To which we may add that other Hi/iorians, hoih Jews, and Gen- tiles, take notice of feveral Things and Perfons mention'd in the New Tejl anient *, as John the Baptijl, and JeJ'us Chrijl, the Latter's Suffering under Pontius Pilate, the prodigious Spreading of Chriftianity foon after its Appearance in the World, &c. That They mould fay no more of Thefe Matters (for That, I think, has been made an Objection) is very account- able, fuppofing them to' be true ; Nay, it would have been ftrange, if they had faid much. ift, Becaufe it was not to their Purpofe. The Hiftories they wrote were upon other Subjects ; the Affairs of Rome, the Lives of fuch or fuch Emperors, the Antiquities and Wars of the Jews, and the like. 2dly, Becaufe they ha;ed Chri- ftianity, and defpifed its Profeflbrs; and confequently 'twas not Their Bufinefs to promote the Honour of Either. 'Tis enough that they have faid Jbmething of thefe Matters; and not one Word to dif- frove Dives and Lazarus, &c. 309 prove them: Had they been particular in relating them ; Thofe Parts of their Wri- tings would have been fufpected as fpu- rious, and foifted in by Chriftians: As That famous Paffage in Jofephus concer- ning our Saviour's Perfon, Miracles, and Death, adtually is fo fufpecled for This very Reafon ; And That perhaps is the beft Objection our Adverfaries have to al- ledge againft it. By the way, it is very unreafonable that both the Fullnefs and the Smallnefs of thefe collateral Teftimo^- nies from Jewifh and Heathen Hiftorians mould be urged as Arguments againft us : As on the one hand it is objedted that the aforefaid Paffage in Jofephus concerning our Saviour is too full, and particular to be really His ; and on the other, that the . Murder of the Innocents by Herod can- not be true, becaufe the' fame Jofephus fays nothing about it. But tho' we have not much particular corroborating Evidence from the Hijlo- ries of the Heathen ; yet we have a great deal from much better Authorities of theirs : I mean their publick Acls, and Records. According to the Cuftom of Procurators, or Governors of Provinces ; Pontius Pilate fent an Account of the Mi- racles, Death, and Refurrection of our Saviour to Tiberius ; upon which, That X 3 En> 310 T'he Parable of Emperor propofed in the Senate to have him taken into the Number of the Gods. And This was inrolled in their publick Records; which are appealed to by Jujlin Martyr, and Tertidlian, in their Apologies to the Emperors themfelves. Thefe Wri- ters lived in the next Age to That of our Saviour : And can we fuppofe they would have been fo mad as to appeal to fuch Records, had there been none in Be- ing ? But farther ; the Facts related by the Evangelifts, had they been falfe, muft by the whole World, in a manner, have been Immediately difprov'd. For when their Books were firft publifti'd, Thoufands were living who muft have known that fuch Things were never done. To give an Inftance or two out of a multitude. St. Matthew tranfmits to Pofterity the Maffacre of the Infants by Herod. Had This been falfe ; the whole Jewifh Na- tion muft have known it to be fo. For the Hiftory was publifh'd in a few Years, fifteen at fanheft, after the Thing is faid to have been done. The Circumftances of our Saviour's Death are thus fet down by the fame Evangelift. Now from the fixth hour there was Darknefs over all the La?id unto the ninth hour, Matth. xxvii. 45. Afterwards - 9 J ejus, when he had cried again Dives and Lazarus, &c. 3 x x again 'with a laud voice, yielded up the ghoft. And behold the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bot- tom ; and the earth did quake, a?id the rocks . rent, and the graves were opend, a?id many bodies of Saints which Jlept, arofe, and came into the holy city after his refurreclion, and appeared unto many, Ver. 50. & feq. Now fuppofe a man in our Time mould write a Book, telling us that in the Year 1716 fuch a Perfon, naming his Name, was put to death upon Tower-hill as a Crimi- nal, fome thinking him to be guilty, others to be innocent : And that at the time of his Execution the Sun was pre- ternaturally eclips'd for three hours to- gether ; that there was a prodigious Earthquake ; that the Dome, or Cupola, of St. Paul's Church was fplit from Top to Bottom ; and that the Tombs in Weji- minjler-Abby were open'd. Is there, I ask, one fingle Man, or Woman now living in London, or JVeJlminJier, in the whole Kingdom, or in all Europe, that would believe one Word of This ? Is there one fingle Perfon that would receive fuch a Hiftory as true ; and be brought over to a new Religion (directly contrary to his Own) which fuch an Hiftorian (hould endeavour to introduce by vertue of fuch Facts fo related ? The fmallefl: Degree of X 4 com- 312 The Parable of common Reafon will make the Applica- tion ; and I need fay no more of it. The fame St. Matthew tells us that the Field purchase! with Judas' s thirty Pieces of Silver, had, from That Purchafe, a new Name given it : It was call'd, fays he, the Field of Blood unto this Day, meaning the Time of his writing his Hiftory. It was called fo unto this Day, i. e. it was then named, and Jlill co?ttinues to be called fo. Now This is is an Appeal to the common publick Voice and Language of the People. If it had not been fo , would not all the Jewifh Nation have exploded it as a moil notorious, impudent, ridi- culous Lye ? And therefore can any bo- dy be fuppos'd to have told fuch a Lye ? Once more ; The Gift of Tongues con- ferred on the Apoftles was one of the mofl illuftrious Miracles that ever was wrought. If This had been falfe, as it is recorded by St. Luke in the Adts ; it muft have been known to be fo not on- ly by the Jews, but by all Nations under Heaven, fome of which were then at- fembled at Jerufalem. The whole World therefore could have difproved thefe things, if they had not been true : And confidering they were related in order to eftablifli a new Religion, fubveriive of all Religions then in Being 5 all the World was Dives and Lazarus, &c. 313 was not only inclined by Prejudice, but obliged in' Intereft, Honour, Conference, common Honefty, and common Senfe, to have difprov'd them. And yet, when they were frefh in Memory, Multitudes were by the Evidence of them converted to That new Religion : Nor were they de- ny 'd by Any, not even by Thofe who flill continued in their former Perfuafion, and refufed to be converted. Nothing can be pretended to invalidate Thefe Ar- guments ; but the old, precarious, un- prov'd, fufficiently difprov'd Affert ion, that the Books bearing the Names of the Evan- gelifts are not really Theirs, nor were fo much as written in their time, but forged long fince : Of which Enough has been faid already ; and I will fay no more of it. A further Proof that Thefe Facts are true is This : Thofe who related them fealed their Teftimony with their Blood. And This Argument again is greatly con- firm'd by Another ; I mean the fpeedy and . wonderful Growth of Chriftknity. Which was prefently embraced by Multitudes both of Jews and Gentiles^ the Learned, Wife, Great, and Noble, as well as the inferior Sort ; tho' it was fupported by no human Force, Art, or Policy, but with- out the Affiftance of any of Thefe, made its 314 ¥7> e Parable of its way in oppofltion to all of them ; tho' it contradicted the mod inveterate Prejudices, and darling Vices of Mankind, enjoining what was moft diftaftful and grievous to Flefli and Blood ; obliging its Converts to renounce the Enjoyments of This World ; expofing them to Poverty and Contempt, Torments, and Death. The Gofpel could never have been Thus propagated 5 unlefs the Apoftles and Evan^ gelifts, the firft Teachers, and Writers of it, had given the World unqueftionable Evidence that they were fent from God, as they profeffed they were. We have therefore much more Proof for the Truth of This Hiftory, than of any other in the World. For Nobody ever worked Miracles, and fuffer'd Death, to teftify that Alexander the Great, for example, deftroy'd. the Perfian Monarchy; that J 'nit us Ccefar conquer 'd Pompey, and was Himfelf at laft flain in the Senate ; yet thefe things are queftiond by Nobody : WhyfhouldThofebe queftion'd of which we have been Ipeaking; when for the Truth of Them there is the fame Evi- dence as for the Truth of Thofe others, and a thoufand times more ? Another Part of which is the Fulfilling of Prophcfies. To pafs over Thofe of the Old Teftament, (as That concerning Cyrus prophe- Dives and Lazarus, &c. 315 prophefy'd of by Name above two hun- dred Years before he was born, and ma- ny more) and even far the greateft Num- ber of Thofe contain'd in the New ; That predicting the Deftruction of the City and Temple of Jerufalem would alone be fufficient, if there were no other. In our BlefTed Saviour's Time there was no Appearance of That Deftruclion : Nor could it have happen'd (as is plain from Jqfepbus) but by a Blindnefe, and Obfti- nacy of the Jews, tranfcending all Exam- ple; which can be deem'd nothing lefs than a Judicial Infatuation. Their brave and pious Enemy, the Roman General Titus, labour'd to fave them with as much follicitude, as if his own Intereft had been concern'd in their Prefervation. He was particularly careful to preferve That Wonder of the World, the glorious Temple; and gave out his Commands ac- • cordingly. Notwithstanding which, a common Soldier, as it were by a divine Impulfe, (they are Jofephuss own Words) being lifted up by another Soldier, hurl'd a Firebrand into one of the Windows; which confum'd to Afhes the moft beau- tiful, and magnificent Structure in the Univerfe. Compare This and the other Particulars of That War and Defolation with our Saviour's 'Prediction ; and the Hiftories 3 1 6 7%e Parable of Hiftories of Jojephus a Jew, and Taci- tus a Heathen, will look like a Comment upon the Prophefy of Chrift. And as fome [pake of the temple ', how it was a- dorned with goodly Stones, and Gifts ; he faid, As for thefe things ye behold, the days will come, in the which there Jhall not be left one Stone upon another, that jliall not be thrown down, Luke xxi. 5, 6, How This was verify'd we have feen. To omit many other Circumftances in this Prophefy exactly anfwer'd by the Event (for I have not Time to infift upon thefe things) it is faid Verfe 1 1, And great Earthquakes foall be in divers Places, and Famines, and Pejiilences. That there were fuch we are allured by Dion Cafjius, an- other Heathen Hiftorian. And fearful Sights, and great Signs pall there be Jrom Heaven. The amazing Prodigies which preceded the Deftruction of Jerufalem, are recorded both by Jojephus, and Ta- citus. Our Blefled Saviour proceeds Vei\ 20. And when ye fh all fee Jerufalem com- pafsd with Armies ; then know that the Deflation thereof is nigh. This needs no Comment : That the Roman Armies en- compafs'd it, and that its Deftruction immediately follow'd, all the World knows. To go on therefore, Ver. 24. And they Jh all fall by thd edge of the Sword, and Dives and Lazarus, &c. 317 and Jhall be led away Captive into all Na- tions; and Jerufalem Jhall be trodden down of the Gentiles. Eleven hundred thoufand Perfons (as the fewijlo Hiftorian informs us) perifhed in That famous Siege; be- sides almoft one hundred thoufand more, that were made Slaves ; a thing not to be parallel'd in any other Hiftory. The jfews were, as we all know they ftill continue to be, difpers'd over the face of the Earth ; and their City was effectually trodden down by the Gentiles ; that is by the Romans. Ver. 33. Verily I fay unto you, this generation Jhall not pafs away, 'till all be fulfilled. Here is a particular Spe- cification of the Time : It fhould be, when Some who liv'd in our Saviour's Time fliould be ftill living. Accordingly it happen'd within thirty eight Years; at which time not only Some, but Multi- tudes, muft in the Courfe of Nature be living, who were living when our Savi- our fpoke Thofe Words. Parallel to This Place is That of Matth. xvi. 28. Verily I fay unto you, there are fome [landing here, who Jhall not tajle of Death till they fee the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom. His Coming in Judgment to Jerufalem in particular being one of his Advents ; as his Coming in Judgment to the World in general at the laft Day will be an- other , 3 1 8 . 7he Parable of other. The Prophefy concludes thus, Ver. 33. Heaven and Earth Jhall pafs away 5 but my Words Jhall not pafs away, They have not pafs'd away indeed ; They have been punctually fulfilled. And the dueConfiderationof them, compared with the Event which they predicted, is enough not only to convert the mod harden'd Infidel > were fuch a thing pof- fible ; but to draw Tears from the Eyes, and almoft Blood from the Hearts of all that read them. Which fuggefls to our Thoughts another remarkable, and moft moving Prediction of the fame thing. And when he was come near, he beheld the City, and wept over it , Jaying if thou hadft known, even thou in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace ; but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days Jhall come upon thee, that thine enemies Ji hall cajl a Trench about thee, and compaj's thee round, and keep thee in on every fide ; and fbdll lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee 5 and they Jhall not leave in thee one Jl one upon another, becaufe thou knewefl ?iot the time of thy vijitation. Luke xix. 41, 42, 43, 44. In the man- ner we have fcen was This Scripture ful- filled. Thus was That miferable People confum'd, after they had fiWd up the mea^- fore of their Iniquities by crucifying the Lord Dives and Lazarus, &c. 319 Lord of Life; who (according to the Scriptures likewife) rofe from the dead, and afterwards came to vifit them in the above-defcrib'd dreadful manner; to the utter Ruin, and Excifion of their State and Nation. I fay their State and Nation ; for tho' they are ftill in Beings yet they are no Nation. And This is another Evidence of what we are proving. The aftonifh- ing Difperfion of the Jews is at once a Completion of Prophefies; and alfo a vifible Infli&ion of divine Vengeance : That Difperfion being altogether unac- countable upon any other Principle; fince they are a People very numerous, and im- menfely rich, yet could never fettle as a political Body in any Part of the World ; but are mixd with, yet plainly diflin- guifli'd from, all other Nations, and fcat- ter'd over the face of the whole Earth, wandring about, as it were, with a Mark fet upon them; a Thing of which there neither is, nor ever was, any other In- ftance. So that the Jews, tho* Enemies to Chriftianity, are Themfelves at this day a vifible {landing Proof of the Truth of it. The Apoftate Emperor Julian, out of Spight to Chriftianity, and hoping to dis- prove the Fulfilling of our Saviour's Pre- diction, would needs re-eftabliih the Jews ; and, 320 The Parable of and, in order to it, rebuild the Temple at Jerufalem. But he found himfelf dis- appointed in his Aim, by Earthquakes, and Balls of Fire burfting out of the Foundation, deftroying the Works, and confuming the Workmen. This is atteft- ed not only by Chriftian Hiftorians, but by an eminent Heathen one ; who lived at the time, and gives a very particular Account of it. Thus then I have made good my Firft Proportion, That the Books of the Old and New Teftament are really written by Thofe whofe Names they bear ; and my fecond, That the Fadts recorded by Thofe Authors in Thofe Writings are undoubt- edly true. From whence \t follows in the Third place, 3. That Thofe Writings are from God, or given by divine Infpiration, This Proposition, I fay, follows from the other Two ; and the Truth of the Confequence ' is now to be made out. The Writings are genuine : And the Authors of them were fent by God ; becaufe they wrought Miracles, and taught no Dodlrine but fuch as Perfons commiflion'd by God might teach. Againft This I know of but two things that can be obje&ed, 1/?. Some of Thofe Writers (as Mark and Luke) were not Apoftles ; and work'd no Miracles Dives and Lazarus, Sfa 321 Miracles that we know of. zdly, It does not appear that the Apoftles themfelves work'd Miracles, but only from That Hiftory called the Afis of the Apoftles ; which was written by St. Luke, who (as before ob- jected) did no Miracles that we know of. I anfwer to the Firft : Mark, and Luke, were Attendants upon, and inftrudted by, the Apoftles Peter 9 and Paul, who work'd Miracles. Nay they Themfelves muft be fuppofed to have done fo: Otherwife they could not have fucoefsfully preach'd the Gofpel ; as We are from other Hi- ftories affured they did. Befides; the Gofpels of St. Matthew, and St. John, who were Themfelves Apoftles, contain the Subftance both of the Fadts and Dodtrines upon which the Chriftian Religion is founded. To the Second I anfwer ; St. Luke (asjuft now obferved) attended up- on St. Paul: And befides, if his Hiftory had not been true, it could have been difprov'd at, and about, the Time when it was written. Particularly, if the Apo- ftles in their feveral Travels did not (hew that they had the Gift of Tongues by fpeaking the Languages of all Countries to which they came ; That Part of his Hiftory would have been proved to be falfe. Y The 3 22 "The F y arable of The Argument then ftands thus. The gentiine Writings of Thofe who were lent by God, and of Thofe who wrote by Their Information and Direction con- cerning Matters of the higheft Impor- tance, and introducing a new Religion into the World, muft be true, and of di- vine Authority. Becaufe other wife God would concur in a Falfchood of the great- er! Confequence ; at leaft fufFer fuch a one to be impofed upon Mankind in his Name. But the Apoftles were fent by God, as appears from their Miracles (which we have proved to be true, fup- pofing their Hiftory to be no more than a common one) and from their teaching no Doctrine but what is worthy of God: And their Writings are certainly genuine : Thefore thofe Writings are not only true, but of Divine Authority. The Objections againft Miracles drawn from Men's being ignorant how far na* tural Powers extend, and confequently from their being unable to diftinguifh true Miracles from falje, are vain, and groundlefs. For iji. If we know not how much a Creature can do, we may know how much he cannot do : A Creature cannot create, for inftance 5 as in the Cafe of our Saviour's feeding the five thou- fand. And I think it will be allowed by All Dives and Lazartis, &c. 323 All that a Creature cannot raife the dead\ nor in a moment enable Perfons of them- felves perfectly illiterate to /peak all the Languages of the Earth. 2dly, All Men are Judges of Works tranfcending the or- dinary Courfe of Nature, whether wrought by a Creature, or no. And if fuch are wrought in Confirmation of a »^ze; 22?//- |70« pretended to come from God-, and no greater are wrought to over-rule, and controul them, in Difproof of That Reli- gion ; the faid Religion fo attefted, and containing nothing contrary to Reafon, natural Religion, or a preceding Revela- tion, mujl come from God. For other- wife (as we hinted Before) He would at leaft fuffer, or permit, 2. preternatural Power to be exerted in his Name, in or- der to impofe a Falfehood, and make Men believe That to be His which really is not: Which is inconfiftent not only with his Mercy, and Goodnefs, but with his 'Truth and Jujlice. idly, If a Man cannot Him" felf be affured that he is infpired, ovfent by God (for Objections have been made about That too) and like wife gwzfujji- cient Proof to the World that he is fo; it will follow that it is not in the Power of God to communicate his Will to Man- kind : Which is a grofs and palpable Ab- furdity, Y 2 From 324 7^? Parable of From the three Propofitions laid down, and now, I hope, fully proved; it is abundantly manifeft that we have at This day fufficient, more than jufficient, Evi- dence to prove the Truth and 'Divine Au- thority of the Chrijlian Religion : Which was my Firft general Head. I proceed now to the Second ; II. That it is irrational, and abfurd, perverje, and unjii/l, to demand frejh Mi- racks. This appears even from what has been proved under the foregoing Head. For if we have already Evidence enough (as it has been fhewn we have) it is plain- ly unreafonable to demand more. To which I here add, that our not being Eye-witneffes is no rational Objection: iince there is Certainty in Faith, even human Faith, as well as in Science. We no more doubt of a thoufand things which we only hear, or read of, than we do of what wejee, or can demon/irate by our Reafon. We are as fure that there are now innumerable Places in the World which we never faw, as we are that We ourfelves are in Being : We no more queftion the Truth of innumerable Fafts which we only read of in Hiftory, tho* done thoufands of Years ago, than of what we fee tranfa&ed in our own times. The Dives and Lazarus, d?c. 325 The Miracles therefore already wrought being tranfmitted to us by unqueftionable Hiftory; with fuch Circumftances too, that in the nature of things 'tis impoffi- ble the Fads fhould be falfe; the Evi- dence of them to Us is the fame in Ef- fec7, tho* not in Kind y as if we had (cm them with our own Eyes. Why then fhould we demand new ones ? Which leads us to the next Confideration. Faith, even human Faith, being as rational an Aflent as any belonging to the Under- ftanding ; and all Mankind proceeding upon it in thoufands of Inftances with- out the leaft Scruple, or Hefitation ; there is all the Reafon in the World that we fhould proceed upon it in His of which we are now fpeaking, as well as in any other. By confequence it would be in- conjijlent with the Wijdom of God to Jet afide This fo rational an Affent in This Jingle Injlance : Which he mufl do ; if working continual Miracles he fhould force our Afent^ as it were, by thrufiing fenfible Evidence upon us. Nor is it any Anfwer to alledge that Borne (as We pretend at leaft) have had fuch Evidence; and why not We y as well as They ? Becaufe it was neceflary that Miracles fhould be wrought and witnefled to byfomeF$rfon$', Otherwife there could Y 3 have 326 The P arable of have been no Proof at all of That di- vine Authority ; nor any Foundation for That Faith of which we have all this while been fpeaking. But to proceed. The Unreafonablenefs of This De- mand will farther appear ; if we confider that tho' we do not now fee Miracles, as Thofe did who lived in the firft Ages, yet we have much Evidence for the Truth of our Religion which They bad Not. As the wonderful Propagation of Chriftia- nity, the Fulfilling of Prophefies, efpe- cially That concerning the City and Tem- ple of Jerufakm, together with the won- derful Difperfion, and yet (no lefs won- derful) Prefervation of the Jews, before mentioned. To which we may add the Silencing of the Heathen Oracles in the firft Ages of Chriftianity ; and the Effi- cacy of it in in Heathen Countries at this Day -, the Devil there having no Power to torment Chriftians, as He does his miferable Vaflals the Natives, by the Con- fefiipn, and to the Admiration of Thofe Natives Themfelves : As we are affured by Perfons who have travelled into Thofe Countries. A Proposition was advanced not many Years fince, that the Evidence of Chri- ftianity muft in Tracft of Time gradually decreafe $ and by confequence muft in a certain Dives and Lazarus, IHjfc* 327 certain Number of Years be quite worn out. To prove This, the Author went Mathematically to work : and was fuffi- ciently anfwer'd in his own way. How exact foever his Calculation might be ; all was wrong, becaufe he proceeded up- on a wrong Principle. Had there been no Evidence but That of Miracles wrought at fuch a certain Tune ; and That trans- mitted downwards to Succeeding Genera- tions only by Word of Mouth (which his Argument fuppofed, or elfe it was built upon nothing) his Demonftration might have been true, and juft. But the Cafe is quite otherwife ; and fo his whole Pro- cefs falls to the Ground. The Miracles wrought were committed to Writing ; which Writings inftead oftojing, hzsgaind Authority \ in Trakl of Time, by a great deal of new adventitious Evidence. Like Rivers, which widen as they run, by the Acceffion of Streams, and Brooks, running into them. Have We then, it will be faid, more Evidence for the Truth of Chriftianity, than They had, who Jaw the Miracles ? I have not yet affirm'd That. All I have hitherto faid is, that We have a great deal which They had Not : And the Af- fertion is moil true. However, I now anfwer to the Queftion directly: Yes; Y 4 We 328 7%e Parable of We have more Evidence than They had in one Senfe, tho' not in another. Ours, I confefs, does not at firjl, or all at once y ftrike fo Jlrongly, and forcibly, as Theirs did: What we/^, or feel, what ftrikcs the Senjhy and the Fancy, or Imagina- tion, as well as the Judgment, makes, it muft be acknowledged, a more imme- diate, fpeedy, and lively impreflion, than what we prove, and make out by Dedu- ctions of Reafon, tho* never fo clear and unconteftable. In This refpeft, I grant, we have riot more Evidence than They had ; no nor Jo much. But then take it in another Senfe, viz. with regard to the Compajs and Extent of the Evidence; and We have more, much more, than they had who were Eye-Witneffes of the Mi- racles. The Attejlation of Miracles We have, as well as They ; tho' in a different Maimer : They by their own Senfes, We by Tejlimony from them. And there is one very material Circumftance in our Favour, even under the Head of Mira- cles. They Jaw only fome of them ; one Man Thefe, another Thofe, at different Times, and Places : We have an Account of them all 1 And being put together they add great Strength to one another. Put bejides Miracles, we have many more infallible Proofs, which They, moft of then} Dives and Lazarus, &c. 329 them at leaft, neither had, nor could have ; they being of fuch a nature, that Nothing but Time could (hew them. What Thofe are, I have more than once faid; and will not here repeat it. But after all, it may be alledg'd, (and I confefs our Thoughts are continually apt to be running this way) that Seeing is Believing ; There is no Satisfaction like it : And I myfelf have granted that what ftrikes upon our Senfes, affefts us more ftrongly than what we have only upon Re- port, and Teftimony, or prove by Dedu- ctions from Reafon. And therefore fome Perfons at leaft, (many, we may well fup- pofe) would probably be convinced by the Sight of Miracles, who are not fo by the bare Hijlory of them. As to the Probability, or Improbability of This, with regard to different Perfons differently in- clined and difpofed ; That will be confi- dered under the Third and Laft general Head, to which it more properly belongs. At prefent, admitting what is here faid to be true ; yet I anfwer ijl. (As above) We have now Evidence enough, and more than enough ; and therefore have no Rea- fon to demand more, idly, The Fre- quency of Miracles would deftroy the very Nature of them, and make them no Mi- racles at all. idly, It is inconfiftent both with 330 The Parable of with the Wifdom, and Majejly of God, to be every day putting the Frame of Nature out of Order; for the Conviction of Thofe who have fufficient Means of Convidtion already ; and that too not only from other Arguments, but from Miracles themfelves^ tho' they did not fee them. To demand frefh Miracles therefore is unreafonable and abfurd, perverfe, and unjuft; in the Nature of Things, and with refpeft to the Evidence itfelf. But it is moreover unreafonable in another Senfe> and upon another Account - y i. e. foolifli, and imprudent with refpedt to Ourfelves, and our own Interejl. It is more vertu* ous, and praife-worthy, more honourable, and deferves greater Reward, to believe Upon the Proofs we now have, than up- on Thofe (could we have them, as it is not fit we fhould) which are thus imper- tinently and prefumptuoufly demanded. Thomas (fays our Bleffed Saviour) becaufe thou hajl feen me, thou hafi believed-, Blef- fed are Thofe who have not feen, and yet have believed. Joh. xx. 29. That Maxim juft now mentioned, Seeing is Believing, however currently it paffes in the World, is, ftridlly fpeaking, not true, nor good Senfe. What we fee we do not properly believe, but know : Faith, or Belief, be- ing an Affent upon the Testimony of Others. Dives a?id Lazarus, &*c. 331 Others. Did not They then believe y who Jaw the Miracles ? Yes ; They believed tfhofe who wrought the Miracles : But they did not believe the Miracles them- felves; for they Jaw them. 'Tis more Faith therefore, and better Faith, to be- lieve T'hofe who wrought Miracles, with- out feeing them wrought : Becaufe we make more Ufe of our Reafon, than Thofe who faw them ; Ours is a more cool, Je- date, and deliberate Affent, than Theirs. Theirs indeed was rational; and I have fhewn that Ours is fo too from the Suf- ficiency of the Evidence. But then I fay, that for the Reafons before affign'd our Faith is more laudable, glorious, a?id ho- nourable ; as the Church of England upon another Occafion emphatically fpeaks. I know it has been fa id by Some, that the Faith of the firft Converts to Chri- ftianity, both from Judaifm and Ge?2ti- lijm, was better than Ours; or elfe that it was fit they fhould have, and they accord- ingly had, better Evidence than we Now have ; becaufe of the Prejudices under which they laboured, being born and bred up under the Influence of a Religion which Chriftianity came to deftroy. But becaufe the Infidels among Us, tho' born and bred Chriftians, are as much preju- diced againft our Religion, as any Jew or 332 The Parable of or Gentile could be ; I have chofen to wave That Confideration : Defiring, in This part of the Argument, to be un- derflood chiefly of Perfons now living, Thofe of our Time, who are prejudiced againftChriftianity: Whofe Faith (would they conquer thofe Prejudices) would be fuch as I have reprefented it. Not but thac, in the main, it holds true of All. For fince no Man ought by the Prejudice of Education to take his Religion upon Truft, but to enquire into the Grounds and Reafons of it, as far as his Abilities will permit, and to fupply his Want of Abilities by the Inftru&ion of Others ; the Faith of every Chriftian, living at this Diftance of Time from the firft Promulgation of the Gofpel, is for the Reafons before affign'd the more com- mendable. And in This Senfe, I luppofe, the Words of our Saviour to St. Thomas ought to be underftood. There is no Reafon therefore, at this time of day, to demand freih Miracles. Or if they ftiould be granted - y yet III. Thofe who demand them would not be convinced by them. Which was my Third and Laft general Head. This may feem a ftrange Aflertion : and ma- ny of you, I doubt not, have all along thought Dives and Lazarus, &c. 333 thought it fo. What? You will fay: Does it follow that becaufe a Man yields not his Affent upon the Report of Mira- cles, therefore he would not upon the Sight of them? Nay is it not more likely that he would, than that he would not ? How then comes This Propofition to be fo pofitively laid down ; If they believe not Mofes and the Prophets, neither will they be perfuaded thti one rofe from the dead? But notwithftanding This Appearance of Difficulties at firft fight ; I hope to fhew that it is a moft rational Propofition, en- tirely agreeable to the Nature of Things, to Reafon, and Experience. In order to which we muft here in the Entrance ob- ferve, that Aphorifms or Maxims of This Kind are not only in holy Scripture, but in all Writings, often laid down indefi- nitely, without Reftri&ion or Limitation ; which yet they may admit of in certain Cafes and Circumftances. If Some would certainly not be Thus perfuaded, and Others probably would not, tho* Some perhaps would; That is enough to warrant the Propofition exprefs'd in thefe indefinite Terms. Thofe Words probably, and per- haps, cannot indeed take place as to God; tho* they may, and do, as to Us. He certainly knows who would, and who would not, be thus convinced * and that without anv 334 *$k& Parable of any Force upon Either. Nay we Otir- felves can very well form an Idea of a Perfon, upon whom no Arguments or Evi- dence will prevail. If a Man be through- ly and to the lajl degree prejudiced ; no- thing will convince him> or rather make him own that he is convinced, tho' he really is. For This latter is often the Cafe ; and it is the worft Sort of Infide- lity. It is not in the Power of Men, or Angels, of Mathematical Demonftration, or fenfible Evidence, to fatisfy Thofe who are refolved not to be fatisfy'd. For either they will not attend to the Evi- dence, nor fee it, tho' it be even forced and thruft upon them; or will deny that they fee it, when they really do. It is a common Expreffion among us ; Such a thing is as clear as the Sun at Noon- day : But even the Sun at Noon- day is not feen by Thofe who Jhut their Eyes: Or if with their Eyes open they fhould infift upon it that the Sun does not Jhine, or at leaft that they do not fee it ; who would argue with them, or en- deavour to perfuade them ? There is no End of Cavilling; and Such as are fodif- pofed may ftart numberlefs Objections not only againft an Apparition of a Spi- rit, but againft the Sight of a Man rai- fed from the Dead, or any other Miracle wrought Dives and Lazarus, &*c. 335 wrought before their own Eyes. In (hort, Men incurably prejudiced will not believe upon any Evidence whatfoever. Seeing^ ... they will not fee ; and hearing they will not 13. underjland : As our BlerTed Saviour fpeaks. I have above obferved, and here appeal to all Mankind for the Truth of it, that there is Certainty in Faith, even human Faith, as well as in Science. And if Men who are, or pretend to be, extraordinary Wits, and deep Philofophers, reject all the Evidence which I have (hewn to be more than fufficient to prove the Truth of Chriftianity ; wantonly, and prefump- tuoufly demanding new Miracles for their Conviction : That very Demand (hews them to be, in all probability at leaft, in- capable of any Conviction. They fay, we may now be deceived by the Hiftory of Miracles : And I anfwer, fo we might, had we feen them, if God would have permitted it: But That would have been inconfiftent w T ith his Goodneft and Ju- ftice -, And fo it is, that he (hould fuffer us to be deceiv'd by the Evidence, as we now have it. 1 fay the Objection would have been as ftrong in That Cafe, as it is in This ; fince we can no more find any Deceit in the Account given of the Mi- racles, than we could have done, had we been Eye-Witnejfes of them : And the com- 336 T*he Parable of man Faith of Mankind is a Principle we proceed upon in fome Cafes, with as lit- tle Doubt as we do upon the AfTurance of ourSenfes in Others. To This we may add that Thofe who lived in the Days of Chrift and his Apo- ftles, when the Miracles were wrought (one of which by the Way was That of one fent to them from the Dead, and a La- zarus too > not as an Apparition, but, which is much more convincing, rejlored to Life, and raifed from the Grave, Job. xi.) I fay Thofe who lived when thefe Mira- cles were wrought, and own'd the Truth of the Fadts, were not all converted : Some believed, and Others believed not. And Thofe who were converted, were fo not becaufe of the Miracles only -, but alfo becaufe they were ordained to eternal Life, as St.L#&fpeaks^?.fxiij. 40. that is, by a duffile, and teachable Temper ft- ted and difpofed for the Reception of the Gofpel. Let the real Caufes of Infidelity, fuch as Luft, Pride, Perverfenefs, the Pre- pofleffion of former Opinions, and other Prejudices, be removed from the Will ; and the Proofs we now have will foon fatisfy the Under/landing. If thofe Pre- judices are not removed, even the Sight of Miracles will not convince: As ap- pears Dives and Lazarus, &c. 337 pears from the Cafe of the obftinate Jews, juffc now mentioned. • Be it fo then, you will fay, as to Per- fons thus incorrigibly obftinate ; but not- withftanding That, Thofe who are lefi prejudiced would probably believe upon the Sight of Miracles, tho' they do not upon the bare Hiftory or Relation of them. I anfwer ; Perhaps they would, and perhaps too they would not. The Grace of God (without which we can do no good thing) might be juftly deny'cf. them : And we have Reafon to think it would; fmce they have rejected thofe fufficient Means of Conviction which he has already afforded them. It may poA fibly be infilled farther yet ; that Many may be, and actually are, too lazy, or, ignorant, or Both, to go through the ope-, rofe Deductions of Reafon alledg'd to prove the Truth of our Religion ; who would yet be convinced by the Sight of Miracles. To which the Anfwer is in effect the fame as Before : God only knows whether they would, or no. But fuppofe they would: They have no Rea- fon to expect fuch Evidence, fmce they have more than enough already -, as I have often faid, and it is of fuch mo- ment, that it can fcarce be too often re- peated. • But befides ; their Lazinefs is Z certainly 338 "The Parable of certainly their own Fault ; and fo is their Ignorance too in a Chriftian Country, efpecially in fuch a Chriftian Country as Ours. And 'tis falfe to fay that the Proofs of Chriftianity, as we now have them, are operofe, or difficult. They are drawn from plain Matters of Fact; and any Perfon, by the Ufe of common Senfe, and common Diligence, may as eafily appre- hend them, as he does the ordinary Bu- finefs and Affairs of common Life. What Reafon then has fuch a one to expedl God's Grace for his Conviction, tho' a Miracle (hould be wrought before his Eyes; fince he makes no Ufe of Thofe obvious Means of his Conviction, which are already fo plentifully afforded him ? I have now gone through the three ge- neral Heads I propofed to confider; and fo have finished the Task 1 undercook. For what remains ; 1 fhall briefly take notice of the principal Objections which are made by the Infidels againft any Part of the Argument, and which have not been yet mentioned : And then, withfome promifcuous Obfervations and Reflections, conclude Thefe Difcourfes. w. I faid in one of them, that we have abundant Evidence to prove the Truth of the Fads contain'd in the Old and New c TeJlament ; and the ancient Enemies of our Dives and Lazarus, &c. 339 our Religion did not fo much as pretend to difprove them. To This our modern ones object, that there might be many ancient Books written in Diiproof of Chri- ftianity; which are now loft by the Inju- ry of Time, or (which is more likely) fupprefs'd and deftroy'd by the Fraud and Power of the Chriftians. To which it is anfwer'd. 1/?, This is a mere precarious Saying. If May-be's and PoJJibilities are of force, there is no Certainty in (almoft) any thing : And This Way of Reafoning will hold as ftrongly againft all the Hi- ftories in the World, as againft That of the Scriptures. We here obferve, in Pal- ling, that our Adverfaries have little or nothing to alledge againft the higheji Mo- ral Certainty of the Thing, but that it may be otherwife : Which is to the laft degree abfurd, and ridiculous. Would This be allowed in other Cafes ? It may be there was no fuch Man as William the Conqueror ; and it may be all the Laws of England are forged. But would any one argue with fuch an Objector ; or think him worth the Anfwering ? zdly\ We have proved that if the Facts of the Old and New T^ejl anient had been falfe, they muft have been known to be fo, at the Times when they were publifhed; and confequently the Jewifh and Chri- Z 2 ftiai| 34-0 "The Parable of ftian Religion could have been embraced by no one Perfon in his Wits, much lefs by fuch vaft Numbers. Thofe Fads were true therefore : And whatfoever iv as true could not be made falfe by any Books; whether loft, or now extant, ^dly, Thefe fuppoied Books muft be written either before the Roman Emperors became Chriftian 5 or afterwards. If Before j The Chriftians were in a State of Perfe- ction, and had neither Authority, nor Power, to fupprefs, or deftroy them. If Afterwards ; How could any Writer dis- prove a multitude of publick Facts faid to be done three hundred Years before his time, and 'till then believ'd by all Mankind? There could be no way to difprove them, but {hewing them to be in the nature of things inconfiftent, or impojjlble : And That- (if it could ever have been done) may as well be done Now - y by the Infidels of the Age in which we live. Accordingly, That has been attempt- ed ; and I think was never attempted, "till within this Year, or two, nor any where but in our own Nation 5 greatly to the Honour of our Nation, no doubt. A moft extraordinary Piece has lately ap- pear'd, refolving our Saviour's Miracles (from the falfely alledged Authority of the Dives and Lazarus, &c. 341 the Fathers) into mere Allegory and Al- lufion , and treating the Fads themfelves, as the moft incredible and monftrous Things that ever were invented. This is a home-ftroke indeed ; The Axe laid to the Root of Chrijlianity dire&ly. No pious Chriftian certainly can look upon fiich execrable Stuff without Horror ; nor fuffer his Eyes (unlefs in order to prevent the Mifchief it may occafion) to be pol- luted with the Perufal of it. If Others will read This, and fuch like Books , we hope they will be fo juft to our Reli- gion, and Themfelves, as to read the Anjwers likewife. And if Scurrility, Buf- foonery, Impudence, and Blafphemy, muft pafs for Wit y we defire at lead that no one of them may pafs for Argument. . By the fame Methods which This wretch- ed Writer makes ufe of, to ridicule and expofe our Saviour's Miracles, one may ri- dicule and expofe any flrange and wonder- ful Fadts in any other Hiftory ; as there are many fuch, which yet are univerfally believ'd. Suppofe we could not account for every particular Circumjiance } as we can account for the greateft Number, per- haps for every one of them ; That would be no Argument againft us : The Things might be true, notwithstanding. And I have fufficiently (hewn by the gene- Z 3 ral 342 77: e Parable of ral Proofs, that all Thofe are fo, of which we are now fpeaking. If indeed it can be Ihewn that any of them is plainly inconffent, or impojjible; I acknow- . ledge it cannot be true : For a manifejl Contradiction in the ftature of things mull be more than a Ballance for any external Evidence whatfoever. But That has not been proved yet ; and I am well allured never will be. Tho' the Mention of This properly fell in my way, as belonging to our prefent Subjedt ; yet it is not my Bu- finefs here to anfwer the Cavils of This* miferable Man : That will foon be per^ form'd by other Hands; which will un- doubtedly do his Reafo?iings furficient Ju- Jlice, and Him perhaps too much Ho- nour. But befides the pretended Inconliften- cies in the Account of Miracles, our Ad- versaries alledge other Inconfflencies of Scripture, both in FaBs and Doctrines ; as the 'different Genealogies of our Sa- viour in St. Matthew, and St. Luke ; and others. They likevvife object againft ma- ny things, as unintelligible, trifling, low, and mean, and altogether unworthy of divine Infpiration. That there are Dif- ficulties in the Sacred Writings I readily grant : That 'tis fit there fhould be, nay that 'tis in the nature of Things neceffa- Dives and Lazarus, &c. 343 ry, and could not be otherwife, I have formerly fnewn : For the reft, an An- fwer to Thefe Exceptions muft be fetch'd from the learned Commentators upon the Bible. If thefe Objedors will not read them, but go on cavilling, without feek- ing Satisfaction ; it is their own Fault, and we cannot help it. Be That as it will ; the Divine Authority of the Bible in general being fully prov'd : We ought not to argue Thus, Such a thing, con- tain'd in Scripture, is irrational, there- fore it did not come from God -, but Thus, It did come from God, and therefore it is not irrational. To give a Hint or two more of the ftrong Reafonings againft Chriftianity and the holy Scriptures. Some Books have been fpurious ; and why not Thefe ? An- fwer. Thofe have been provd to be fpu- rious; and Thefe have been prov'd to to be genuine. " There have been ma- " ny Impoftures, pious Frauds, and falfe « Miracles." What then ? Does it fol- low that there were never any true ones ? Is a Counterfeit an Argument againft the real Exiftence of the Original ? One would think it fhould be rather a Proof of it. But what they feem to place their great Strength in, is running divifions up- on the Word Prejudice ; the Prejudice of Z 4 Educa- 344 %% e Parable of Education, and Cuftom, Fear, and Su- perflation. What if there be much Prejudice? 'Tis to be hoped there' is fome Truth for all That ; many Truths in the World : And if We have proved to a Demonftration, as I think we have, that the Chriftian Religion is one of them ; what lignifies all This Noife a- bout Prejudice ? But what I would here , obferve is This ; that there are not up- on the face of the . Earth greater Slaves to Prejudice than "Them/elves. It appears from the whole Tenour of their Wri- tings and Proceedings, that fome Men are as much prejudiced againjl their Education, as Others are by it. The Truth of This may be collected from what I have faid in feveral Parts of Thefe Difcourfes. Thefe Men will not believe Chriftianity upon the highefi Evi- dence ; yet, thro' the force of Prejudice, they reject it upon m Evidence : So that a jufter Obfervation was never made than This, that of all credulous Per- ibns, none is more credulous than an In- JideL The Evidence for Chriftianity has, I hope, appeared to be fuch ; that nothing but the moft inveterate Prejudice can re- ject it: There is Room indeed left for Wrangling; and fo (as I have fhewn) there • Dives and Lazarus, &*c. 345 there ever was, and muft ; let the Evi- dence be what it will. God does not force our Aflent, which in truth implys an Inconfiftency in its very Nature ; but leaves us to believe like rational Crea- tures. If we will not ; I know of None that can be Lofers by it, but Our felves. Tho' our Infidels zxzfo flout, and rejblute y and Jland fo peremptorily upon their Points, infilling upon fuch or fuch particular Proofs by them dive£t\yjpecifyd, and pre- jcribed to the Almighty, and declaring they will be fatisfy'd with no others; that one would imagine God muft needs be a great Gainer, and highly obliged to them for their Belief and Obedience. A Folly, and Infatuation, which I have not time to enlarge upon, and which indeed no Words can well exprefs; but what has been juft ' hinted may fuggejl a great deal to the Thoughts of all intelligent and con- fdering Perfons. May God of his infi- nite Mercy give us All Grace to make a right Ufe of what has been offer'd upon This important Subjedt. May We who believe add to our Faith the Practife of all Chriftian Vertues ; without which our Faith will be vain. And may Thofe who do not believe fee and for fake the Error of their Ways, their Obflinacy, and In- fidelity, before it be too late 5 before the Arreft 34 6 Jer. xiij. 16. "The Parable of, &c. Arreft of Death over-take them, and their Feet Jlumble upon the dark Mountains ; left, to their eternal Confufion, xhoyfind That J ejus to be a tremendous InjiiSer of Vengeance in the Next World, whom they have rejected as their Saviour and Redeemer in This. FINIS. BOOKS Written by the Reve- vcrend Dr. Trap p. A Preservative againft Unset- tled Notions, and Want of Principles in Religion. In feveral Dif- courfes upon Select Subjects ; relating to Diverfity of Opinions, the Difficulties of the Scriptures, Myfteries, Private Judg- ment, Prejudice, Freethinking, Sincerity, Ecclefiaftical Authority, Faith, Practice, and Church-Difcipline, Fallacious Rea- fonings, Popular Errors, and the En- croachment of Herefy and Infidelity. In Two Volumes, Octavo. 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