The reasonableness of believing without seeing a sermon preach'd before the King in St. James's Chappel, on Palm-Sunday, March 24, 1699/700 / by the Most Reverend Father in God, John Lord Archbishop of York. Sharp, John, 1645-1714. 1700 Approx. 39 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 18 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A59551 Wing S2979 ESTC R10684 13785819 ocm 13785819 101798 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A59551) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 101798) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 849:3) The reasonableness of believing without seeing a sermon preach'd before the King in St. James's Chappel, on Palm-Sunday, March 24, 1699/700 / by the Most Reverend Father in God, John Lord Archbishop of York. Sharp, John, 1645-1714. [4], 28 p. Printed for Walter Kettilby ... and William Rogers ..., London : 1700. "Publish'd by His Majesty's special command." Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Bible. -- N.T. -- John XX, 29 -- Sermons. Faith -- Sermons. Faith -- Early works to 1800. 2003-06 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-06 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-08 Emma (Leeson) Huber Sampled and proofread 2003-08 Emma (Leeson) Huber Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion The Reasonableness of Believing without Seeing . A SERMON Preach'd before the KING IN St. Iames's Chappel , On Palm-Sunday , MARCH 24. 1699 / 1700. By the Most Reverend Father in God , IOHN Lord Archbishop of YORK . Publish'd by His Majesty's Special Command . LONDON : Printed for Walter Kettilby , at the Bishop's Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard : And William Rogers , at the Sun against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet street . 1700. The Archbishop of YORK'S SERMON Before the KING , On Palm-Sunday , March 24. 1699 / 1700. St. JOHN XX. 29. — Blessed are they that have not seen , and yet have believed . THESE are our Saviour's Words to St. Thomas after his Resurrection . The occasion of them was this : The other Disciples had assured Thomas , That our Saviour was risen from the dead , and that he had in Person appeared to them . Thomas would not believe this upon their report , but required farther Evidence . Except ( saith he ) I shall see in his hands the print of the nails , and thrust my hand into his side , I will not believe . The next time that our Saviour appeared to them , Thomas was in the Company , and then he was pleased to give him such a Proof of his Resurrection as he himself had stood upon ; for he calls upon him , and bids him reach forth his finger , and behold his hands where the Print of the Nails was , and reach forth his hand , and thrust it into his side , and after this , not to be faithless , but believing . Hereupon Thomas owns himself fully convinced , and in token thereof , he answered and said unto him , My Lord , and my God. Then come in the Words of the Text : Iesus saith unto him , Thomas , Because thou hast seen me , thou hast believed : Blessed are they that have not seen , and yet have believed . In which Words , as our Saviour tacitly reproves Thomas for his Incredulity , in not believing a matter of Fact well attested , unless he himself saw it : So he lays down an universal Proposition for the Encouragement of all Mankind in future Ages of the world , to believe in him , though they had not seen him . Our Saviour knew very well , that this was to be the Case of far the greatest part that were to believe in him . For it was only to the men of that Age in which he lived , and of that Country where he conversed , to whom it was given to hear from his own mouth his Divine Doctrines , and to see with their eyes the Proofs that he gave of his Divine Mission , particularly that illustrious one of his Resurrection from the dead . But for all the succeeding Generations of men , they were to believe without seeing . Their Faith was not to be grounded on the Evidence of their own Senses , but on the Testimony of those that had had that Evidence . And therefore for the obliging and encouraging all Mankind , in the Ages to come , to Embrace his Religion upon such Motives and such Evidence as this , he pronounceth these words , Blessed are they that have not seen , and yet have believed . I doubt not but that all Christians are fully satisfied both of the Truth and Reason of this Proposition of our Saviour , and are convinced that they have Motives enow to oblige them to believe in him , and to own his Religion ; though they never saw , nor were capable of seeing the Original Proofs and Evidence he gave for the Truth of it . Indeed if it were otherwise , none of us at this day could be Christians upon rational Grounds . But this Doctrine will not pass among all men . On the contrary , By several , Their not Seeing , is made the great , if not the only pretence , for their not Believing . This being so ; I hope it will not be time mis-spent , if I endeavour to answer this Plea of theirs ; and I think I cannot to better purpose discourse upon this Text , than by doing so . The Case is this . Some there are among us that endeavour to run down all Reveal'd Religion . If you ask them whether then they are for any Religion at all ; They will tell you , Yes , they are for that which Natural Reason teacheth . We wish they were in good earnest when they say this . For then we should hope to be soon all of a mind . For we cannot doubt but that whosoever doth sincerely believe all that Natural Reason will teach him about Religion , and doth seriously endeavour to frame his Life accordingly ; such a one will not fail to embrace Christianity , whenever the Doctrines of our Saviour , and the Proofs he gave for the Truth of them , are fairly represented to him . But in truth , these mens loose way , both of discoursing , and of living , renders it suspicious , that their Profession of Natural Religion is not very sincere ; but only for the sheltering them from the Imputation of Atheism , and serving other secular ends . For such a Scheme of Natural Religion have they framed to themselves , as will not much trouble their Consciences , let them live how they will. But now the Christian Religion ( which is that they chiefly oppose under the name of Revealed Religion ) is a more Stubborn thing , and will not so easily be brought to Comply with their Humours and Inclinations . And That we fear , though they are loth to own it , is the secret reason of their Grudge against it . The Gospel of Christ doth not favour such sort of Principles as these men have taken up , nor such a kind of Life as they are engaged in ; But on the contrary , severely declares against them . And therefore some colourable Reason must be found out , for the setting aside the Authority of this Gospel , which is so contradictory to their Interests . But how is this to be come by ? To object against the Sufficiency of the Proof that our Saviour gave to the world of his being sent from God to teach this Religion to Mankind , That there is no colour for : For they are sensible that if his History , as it is related in the Gospel , be admitted to be a true History , so that one may depend upon the Matters of Fact there Recorded concerning him : If this , I say , be admitted , it cannot be denied but that our Saviour gave abundant Evidence , that he was what he pretended to be , the Son of God , and the great Prophet whom all men were to be obedient to , if they meant to be saved . Since therefore they cannot fasten upon this , they pitch upon another Method . They endeavour to run down all our Evidence for the Truth of Christ's Religion , by making a Difference between seeing our Saviour's Miracles , and reading them in a Book . They will allow , that if any man heard or saw Jesus Christ speaking those things , or doing those things , which are Recorded of him ; such a man would have sufficient Reason to induce him to be his Disciple : But they deny that they have any such Reason to be so , because they neither heard nor saw any of those things ; nor are they convinced that such things were ever done . They reproach us , that when they desire of us a Proof of the Christian Religion , all the Answer they can obtain of us is , that they must go to such a Book ( which we call the Bible ) and that will satisfy them . But why should they pin their Faith upon any Book in the world ? This is what they urge for their Infidelity . This now being the State of the Controversy between Us and several of the Unbelievers among us , you see it turns upon this single Point that is now before us ; namely , Whether a man that does not see , may not have sufficient Reason to believe at many hundred years distance ? Or more particularly thus ; Whether we in these days , who never saw our Saviour , nor his Miracles , ( particularly That of his Resurrection , with Reference to which these words were spoken ) have not abundant Reason to believe in him , upon the Testimony of those that did see all these things . We say we have . They say we have not . Here therefore we join Issue . Now for the making good our side of the Question , I proceed by these Steps . In the first place , We lay it down as a Principle , and I suppose every body will agree to it ; That if Iesus Christ and his Apostles , when they first Preached the Gospel , did give sufficient Proof and Evidence that what they Preached was from God : And likewise if both the Doctrine they Preached , and the Proof and Evidence they gave for it , be faithfully transmitted to us ; and with such Certainty likewise , that we cannot have any reasonable doubt that it is so transmitted : Then I say , we can have no reason in the earth to complain , that we want Evidence for the Truth of the Gospel . I do not say yet , that we have as strong Proof , as if we had seen or heard those things our selves : But I say we have sufficient Proof to convince any reasonable unbiassed man : This I presume no body will deny , and it is all that we ask at present . In the Second place ; I believe none will deny , that what was once really spoken , or what was once really done , may be truly and faithfully put into writing . And it is possible likewise that those Writings may come so well attested , to them that live many Ages after those things were spoken , or done , that none in any Age can reasonably doubt that they give a true and faithful account of the things therein reported to be done or taught . I say , I believe none will deny this ; for if it be not admitted , we can give no Credit to any History that was written ; nor consequently to any Matter of Fact that was done in former Ages . It therefore will , I hope , be granted , that both the Doctrines of our Saviour , and his Proofs of them , might in this way , if God so pleased , be so faithfully transmitted to Posterity , that future Ages might certainly come to the knowledge of them . In the Third place we say , That it is obvious to all Mankind , that if ever there was any Affair in the world , wherein the Providence of God was concerned , that there should be a faithful Conveyance of it made to all Generations to come , and carrying the Marks of its own Credibility ; this Affair of the Gospel of Christ was such a one . Because the Importance of it to all the Children of men was such , that their Salvation or Damnation to the end of the world , did depend upon the Belief of it , if the Author of this Gospel delivered a true Doctrine . And therefore we may certainly conclude , that if what Christ taught at the first , was from God ; God would take care that what he taught , together with sufficient Proof of the Truth of it , should be conveyed to all the Ages of the world . And if all this was to be contained in a Book ; we may likewise be assured , that Book should come to us , with such Evidence of its being true , that we could have no reasonable Suspicion concerning it . We are sure God's Providence hath taken care that Writings of an Ancienter Date than the Gospel , that are of infinitely less consequence to Mankind , should come down to us without any Suspicion of Imposture : And can it be imagined then , his Providence should be unconcerned , in preserving and bringing safe to our hands , the Records of a thing , by the Belief or Denial of which , the Eternal State of men in the other world is to be concluded ? In the Fourth place , having laid these Foundations , we advance a Step higher . It is certain , that there was a timely and a faithful Record of all the things that Iesus Christ taught in order to Salvation , and of all the Proofs he gave for the Truth and Divinity of his Doctrine : And this Record is contained in the Books of the New Testament . That this is true Matter of Fact , we have all the Proof that a thing of this Nature is capable of . These Books were written either by men that were Eye and Ear Witnesses of our Saviour's Miracles , and Doctrine , and Conversation : Or by such as Conversed with those that were . This appears not only from the Writings themselves , which carry in them all the Marks of their being written by Persons so qualified ; but also from the constant Tradition that hath in all Ages gone in the world , about the Authors of these Writings . And you may with as much , or more reason doubt , that those Writings among us , which go under the Name of Cicero , or Caesar , or Seneca ; or any other most unquestioned Author , were none of Theirs , but forged since their times ; than you can doubt that the Gospels of St. Matthew , Mark , and Iohn , and Luke's both Gospel and Acts of the Apostles , and St. Paul's Epistles , were not writ by those Authors , or in the Age they pretend to be . I say , there is a great deal more reason to doubt of that , than there is of this : Because we have not only all the Proofs of the Genuineness of those Writings , that can be given for any other Writings , which are the most unquestioned in the world ; but this over and above , which is compatible to none but these ; namely , That the Matter of these Writings is of such a Nature , that all Mankind were concerned to detect the Fraud and the Forgery of them , if there had been any : But yet they have always passed under the Names they bear at this day ; nay , and in every Age , from the first publishing of them , we have Authentick Authorities in a continued Succession to vouch for them . Well , but supposing these men to be the Authors of these Writings ; yet how can we depend upon the Truth of what they have Reported ? In answer to this , I say in the Fifth place ; Let any man read them , and then speak from his Conscience , Whether he does not think that these men were in good earnest , and did really write according to their own inward sense ? And yet the Matters they wrote were such , as it was not possible they could be deceived about them ; because they were all plain Matters of Fact ; things which their Eyes and Ears were witnesses of . But that is not all : They who lived in those days , and had full opportunities of examining the Truth of what they had written , gave Testimony to them ; since they built their Faith upon the Matters of Fact they had delivered . If therefore you suppose these Writers to be sincere honest men , it is certain that what they recorded concerning our Lord Jesus , and his Doctrines , and his Actions , must be true . On the other side , if you suppose them to have had Designs of imposing upon the world with a false Story ; you must at the same time suppose a great number of People ( of whom there is no ground for such a suspicion ) to be perfect Fools or Mad-men , who gave so much Credit to all that matter which they related concerning our Saviour , that they laid down their Lives to attest the Truth of it . I know nothing to be said against this , unless it be , That though they could not well be supposed to be mistaken in the Matters of Fact which they relate concerning our Saviour , yet they might in the Matter of his Doctrines . These they might misrepresent , and consequently their Writings ought not to be of that Authority with us , as that we should be bound to believe all that they say . But to this I give a very short Answer ; If we do admit them to be true Reporters of Matters of Fact , we must also of necessity admit them to be true Reporters , nay I say more , Infallible Reporters of our Saviour's Doctrine ; so as that their Declarations of it must for ever conclude all Christians . And the reason is this : The Authors of these Writings were either Apostles , or Apostolick Men , as has been said before ; and it is one of the matters of Fact reported in these Writings , that our Saviour did so assist these men with his Holy Spirit , that they were enabled faithfully and infallibly to Preach that Doctrine to others which he had delivered to them . Now if we be sure they were inspired in what they Preached ; we may be as much assured they were inspired in putting what they Preached into writing ; since it was the same Doctrine that they Preached and that they Wrote ; and especially since after it was written it was to remain to all succeeding Generations , and to be a Rule of mens Faith so long as the world should last . And further , we are sure that all the Christians of those days did look upon those Writings to have a stamp of divine Authority upon them , and distinguished them from all other human Compositions . And to Evidence this , they made these Writings to be the Standard of their Belief ; the Measure by which they tryed all Opinions and Doctrines in Religion : So that whatever was not found in these Scriptures , was not accounted as necessary to Salvation ; and whatever was found disagreeing from these Scriptures , was rejected as an Innovation , or an Error in Christianity . And of this we have sufficient Evidence from Antiquity . Well , but how shall we know whether these Scriptures be faithfully transmitted down to us ? How do we know but that they may have been corrupted since the time they were written , and made to speak different things now , from what they did at the first ? This is the last Question upon this Argument ; and in Answer to it , I say in the Sixth Place ; If the Providence of God , as I told you before , was ever concerned to preserve any Writings from being depraved or corrupted ; it was certainly more especially concerned to do it , as to the Writings we are now speaking of , they being of such vast Importance to all the Generations of Mankind . But I do not leave the matter so . There is Evidence of Fact as well as Reason to be offered in this Case . Let the Books of the New Testament , as we now have them , be tryed by the severest Rules of Criticism . Let the Copies both Ancient and Modern , which are extant of them , be compared . Let the several Versions of them likewise that were made in the earliest times be examined . Lastly ; Let all the Ecclesiastical Writers from the beginning of Christianity to this day , who have either commented upon them ; or proved any Doctrine from them ; or but occasionally quoted them in their Writings , be searched into : It will appear by all these ways of Tryal , that our Scriptures are the same at this day , that they were at the beginning , without any material difference . Indeed , considering the multitude of Copies that were taken of these Books , and the several Translations that were made of them into other Languages , even shortly after the time they were first published ; we cannot imagine it possible , that in After-ages , any thing could be foisted into them , to serve the Turn of any Party , but the Imposture would have been presently discovered . And accordingly we find , that when any Attempts of this kind have been made , there were not wanting those who took care to detect and expose them . I do not , when I say this , deny that there are many differences and various readings to be met with , in the ancient Copies of these Books , occasioned by the negligence or mistakes of Transcribers . Nay , and some few Passages may be wanting in some Copies that are found in others : But then I desire it may be observed that these differences are of such small moment , that it is of no Importance to the Christian Faith , which of the Readings be right , and which of them be wrong . For they all agree in all the Matters which concern either our Saviour's Doctrines , or his Precepts , or the Proofs he gave of his Divine Mission . And farther agreement than this I think none needs to desire . Indeed if slight and verbal differences in Copies be a good Argument against the Genuineness of a Writing ; we have no Genuine Writing of any ancient Author at this day . For the same thing has happened to all old Books whatsoever , that have been often transcribed : And to suppose , that it should be otherwise in the Books of the Scripture , is to suppose , that God ought in every age , as immediately and infallibly to guide the Pen of every Transcriber of them , as he did the Minds of their first Authors . To make now a little Reflection on what I have said about the Scriptures of the New Testament . It is urged by our Deists , as a very hard thing , That whereas , when the Gospel was first preached , men had opportunities of being convinced by their senses of the Truth of it ; ( or at least it is pretended they had such Opportunities ) we now are only referred to a Book that gives us an account of these matters : Why , I desire to know , what other way they would have had an account of them but by Books ? Would they have had our Saviour to come down from Heaven every Fifty or Threescore years , and to Preach the same Doctrine ; and Confirm it by the same Miracles to the men of that Generation , that he once did among the Iews ? Yet this it must be supposed necessary for him to do , if Men cannot otherwise be convinced of the Truth of his Religion , but by their Senses . Nay , that would not be enough : He must not only publish his Doctrine , and repeat his Miracles to every Age , but to every individual Man of every Age : Otherwise All Men had not opportunity of being convinced by their Senses , and consequently could not upon reasonable grounds believe in him . But if this Supposition be absurd , as it certainly is ; then we must be content ( and there is all the reason in the world we should be so ) with that sort of Evidence for the Truth of his Gospel , that other Matters of Fact , done at a great distance of time from us , are capable of : That is to say , Authentick Witnesses of them at the first ; and the Testimony of those Witnesses faithfully transmitted down to Posterity . And how any Testimony can be more faithfully transmitted , than by the way of Writing , let them shew us , if they can . And then , as for the Books or Writings that we refer you to in this Case , we ask no more for the gaining Credit to them , than only that it may be seriously considered , of what sort they are , and what Authority they carry along with them . We do not send you to Herodotus , and Pliny , or such like Writers ; who , though they were very good Authors , yet took a great deal of what they said , from uncertain Reports . Much less do we send you to a Golden Legend , or the Lives of the Saints , as they have been written of later days , by Men who took advantage of the Ignorance and Credulity of the Age they liv'd in , to obtrude what they pleased upon the World. But we send you to Authors who themselves knew , and were Witnesses of what they wrote . Who gave all possible proof of their Sincerity and Integrity , not only by publickly , in all places , asserting the Truth of what they had written , but some of them also sealing it with their Blood. Who were so assisted with the Divine Spirit , that they themselves wrought the same Miracles , for the confirmation of Christ's Doctrine , that they had recorded him to have done . And lastly , Who in all succeeding Ages were had in such veneration among Christians , that their Writings were esteemed the Platform and Standard of True Faith : And upon which they set so high a value , that they would keep them at the Peril of their Lives . And Instances we have of Multitudes , who rather chose Torments and Death , than they would deliver up their Bibles . Taking now all this together , can any thing like it be said for the Truth or the Authority of any other Book in the world ? But this is not all . I desire in the Seventh and last place , it may be considered ; That we do not send you to a bare Book for the Proof of the Christian Religion , how much soever that Book may have the Marks , not only of a True and Genuine , but also of a Divine History . But we insist upon a great many other things for the Proof of the Matters contained in that Book , besides the Authority of the Book it self . If indeed nothing had followed upon Christ's publishing his Gospel , and we had never heard more of it , or him , save what we might happen to meet with in those Old Writings ; I do not know how far their Evidence alone , now at the distance of near Seventeen hundred Years , would have prevailed with us to embrace his Religion : But now when we see and are convinced , that so many remarkable Effects ensued upon his Preaching in the world , and still continue visible at this day ; which yet cannot be ascribed to any other cause , than to the particular Power and Providence of God , which was concerned to justify our Saviour , and his Pretensions to the world : This is certainly a new Evidence , and a standing one , both for that Book which mentions all these things , and especially for that Cause it maintains . The Case of the Christian Religion is plainly this . Iesus Christ , a mean Person as to his outward Circumstances , sets up for a Preacher of a new Religion . And this , not in the times of Ignorance , and Barbarism ( when an Imposture might be supposed more easy to be carried on , and which Advantages Mahomet afterwards made use of ) but in the Reign of Augustus Caesar , when Learning , and Arts , and Sciences were in the most flourishing Condition , that ever they were known to be . He chuses a Company of very ordinary Unlettered Men , but very Honest Men , to be the Witnesses of his Conversation and Doctrine . And these he designs for the Spreaders of his Religion throughout the World. He neither makes use of Arts , nor Arms for the gaining Disciples to himself : only declares plainly , that he is the Person , whom God had long before promised to send , and whom he did now send , to publish Eternal Salvation to all that should believe in him . The Religion which he taught , and which all his Followers were to take upon them , was so far from gratifying Flesh and Blood , that it seemed much better contrived , as the World then stood , for the frighting men from it , than for the alluring Proselytes to it . For there was nothing in it that ministred to any sensual or worldly purposes ; nothing that tended to make a man either wise , or rich , or great , or happy , in the sense of this world ; but all the quite contrary . He that would be his Disciple , must quit all the popular Notions about Happiness . Instead of being thought wise , must submit to be counted a Fool for Christ's sake . Instead of getting Wealth , or Honour , or Preferment , must be prepared to part with all these things , if he was already possessed of them ; must deny himself , and all his Temporal Interests ; nay must forsake Father and Mother , and his own Life also , whenever he was called to it . The way to Heaven , as he taught it , was by Humility and Meekness , and Contempt of the World , and all the Glories of it ; by patient suffering Afflictions and Injuries , and an absolute Resignation of our selves to God , to do and suffer whatever was his Will. And he himself , as he lived thus , so did he thus go off the Stage ; being after Three Years preaching this sort of Doctrine , hanged up on a Cross , as an Impostor , and that by the Vote of his own Countrymen . Where now was the temptation to the generality of men , to own this Man as a Prophet sent from God to Mankind ? Why , in truth , by what I have yet represented , there was very little : Nay indeed , to any one that considers these beginnings of the Gospel , it will be matter of Astonishment that any more came of it , and that it did not presently dye with the Author of it . But here was the thing . Our Lord , in how poor a Condition soever he lived , yet he spake as never man spake . He so explained the Old Scriptures which foretold of him : He taught such Important Truths concerning another Life ; concerning the Nature and Providence of God , and his Mercy to lost Mankind , and the way in which he would be served , and in what sort of things it was , that true Religion did consist , that he pierced the very Souls of those that heard him . There was so much Evidence in the Truths themselves that he delivered , that no honest virtuously-disposed Minds could stand out against them , but must be convinced in their own Consciences , that this , of all that they had ever heard of , was a Religion worthiest to come from God , and most accommodated to the Spiritual Needs of men ; nay , and their Temporal ones too , supposing that all men would embrace it . And then the whole Tenor of his Life was suitable hereunto : For he appeared in all his Actions and Conversation , to be a Man of so much Candor and Goodness , and Clearness of Spirit ; so Humble , so Just , so Prudent , so Charitable , so Obliging to all Mankind ; so full of Piety and Devotion , and Resignation to God ; and lastly , so free from all suspicion that he carried on any selfish Designs ; that all these Heavenly Doctrines came better out of his Mouth , than if any other had delivered them . But that which crowned all was this ; that throughout the whole Stage of his Life there was a visible Evidence of a Divine Power and Presence going along with him , which shewed it self in a thousand Instances of the most glorious Miracles that ever were seen or heard of in the world , and that to the Amazement of the whole Country where he lived . In this manner , I say , did our Saviour lay the Foundation for a Belief of his Doctrine , to all succeeding Generations ; and a solid unshaken Foundation it was . But yet for all that , if the Power of God had stopped here , I do not know what Superstructure would ever have been made upon this Foundation . For so it was , that those very men , those honest plain-hearted men that he had taken into his Family , to be Witnesses of what he did and taught , with a design , as I told you , of sending them abroad to publish all those things throughout the World ; yet when he came to dye , such poor-spirited Creatures they proved , that every man of them forsook him . O sad Example of human Frailty and Inconstancy ! those men that had the greatest opportunities of knowing him and his Doctrine , and had professed the most firm Resolutions of adhering to him ; yet all forsook him in the hour of danger , and shifted for themselves . But God Almighty , tho he suffered good men to act as men , did not therefore lay aside that great Design he had set on foot by our Lord Jesus ; no , nor of accomplishing it by the Ministry of these very men . For he raised up his Son from the dead on the Third Day ( as our Saviour had before told them he would ) ; and this put new Life and Spirit into those Persons that had lately abandoned him . But that was not all . Our Saviour calls them all together after he was thus risen from the dead . He acquaints them with the Work that he had committed to them . He assures them that he will be with them , and those that should succeed them in that Ministry for ever . Not in Person , for he was to continue in Heaven to intercede for all Believers at the Right Hand of God ; but by the Virtue and Presence of the Holy Spirit , who was to be his Deputy and Vicegerent upon Earth . This Holy Spirit he would in a few days send down upon them , who should effectually furnish and endue them with all Powers , and Qualities , and Abilities , needful for the discharge of so great a Work , as the Conversion of the World to his Religion , was . And after he had told them these things , he visibly in their Presence ascended up into Heaven . Here now begins Christ's Kingdom . He had conquered Death before , and now he comes to conquer the Devil and the World. From henceforward you hear of no Fear , no Pusillanimity , no mean Behaviour in any of the Apostles . They then go and Preach to all the World that Gospel which their Master ordered them . No Danger frights them : No human Learning or Philosophy is able to stand before them . The greatest Obstacles , the greatest Terrors that come in their way , are so far from making them quit the Work they had begun ; that they rather prove Incentives to them to go on in it . They make it their business to gain Souls in every place to Jesus Christ : They run about the whole Roman Empire , and farther than ever that extended . They pretend to no Eloquence , no polite Learning , no Arts of Insinuation : But they preach a plain , honest , pious Doctrine ; but withal such a Doctrine , that as the Times then went , a man must expect to bid an everlasting Adieu to all the Wealth , and Pleasures , and Honours of this World , if he once embraced it . They declare to all people the Authority they had for the Preaching this Doctrine . They vouch our Lord Jesus Christ as the Author of it , who died for the bearing Testimony to it ; and rose again for its Confirmation ; and is now King of Heaven and Earth . And they shewed that they had an Authentick Commission from Heaven for the doing all this ; by speaking the Language of every Country where they came , without ever being taught it ; by curing all diseased people that were brought to them ; by dispossessing Devils ; by giving sight to the blind ; and making the lame to walk , and restoring dead Bodies to life . All these wonderful things they did all the World over . And what the Effects hereof were , was manifest every where , and continues manifest to this day . The Gospel spread like Lightning in all places : And whereever it came , Pagan Idolatry was confounded : Till at last the whole Roman Empire was converted to the Religion of Jesus Christ. Converted it was by men naked and unassisted ; without the least Encouragement at the first from the Secular Powers , nay , in contradiction to the severest Penalties that the Secular Powers could contrive or decree to hinder it . We grant indeed , that many thousands of brave men did lose their Lives in this Religious War between our Lord Jesus Christ and the Devil ( who was then the Prince of this World ) , and did patiently submit to Death , that they might assert the truth of our Saviour's Cause : But that was Christ's way of vanquishing the Devil : He did thus break the Serpent's head , while the Serpent bruised his heel : And he did at last by this way effectually break his Kingdom ; as is visible and notorious even from that time to this day . And now I Appeal to every one , Whether this , which is matter of Fact , and known to all men that look into the Histories of Time ; and of which we at this day see and enjoy the happy Effects , in having the Christian Religion , not only received among us , but made a part of our National Constitution : I say , whether this be not a convincing Proof , both of the Truth of our Religion , and likewise of those Scriptures from whence we fetch it . Had not the Christian Religion been true , how could these things have ever come to pass ? Seeing it is utterly unconceivable , that without a Divine Power they could be effected . And sure none can suppose that God would exert his Power for the confirming of a Falshood . And again ; had not our Scriptures been true likewise , or had they been the Fictions of any designing men ; how is it possible they should have given us an account of these things so long before they came to pass , and when there was so little appearance of their ever coming to pass ? And yet all that I have now mentioned is plainly there set down , as foretold by our Saviour , and his Apostles : And not only those things , but a great many other remarkable Events are there also foretold , which have since been exactly made good . I hope by what hath been said , it doth appear that we at this day have sufficient Arguments to oblige us to believe and adhere to the Religion of Jesus Christ , tho we never saw the Original Proofs he gave of it ; which was the Point I was to make good . For I think I have shewed , That if those Proofs were good and conclusive at the first , to them that saw them , and were Witnesses of them ; they are so to us now , who receive them upon their Testimony . And as for the difference that may be alledged in point of Evidence , between a man's seeing a thing , and receiving it upon the Report of others ; all that , I think , by the account I have given , is in a great measure out of doors as to this matter . For the Report upon which we receive the Gospel , being so Authentick , so unexceptionable , and likewise so confirmed by Matters of Fact still visible to us , it amounts to as strong a Proof , as if we had Evidence of Sense . And I do in my Conscience believe , that there is not a man in this Nation now stands out against the Religion of Jesus Christ , but who would have done so , if he had lived in the time of our Saviour , and heard him preach the Gospel . As for us who believe , let us persevere in our Faith without wavering . Our Faith is never the worse for not seeing . Blessed are they that have not seen , and yet have believed . And as for those that do not believe , their not seeing will be no excuse for them , if our Saviour may be Credited : For it was as well with respect to them that did not see , as to them that did , that he pronounced his Definitive Sentence , when he sent out his Apostles to Preach his Religion : Go ( saith he ) and preach the Gospel to every creature : He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned . God give us all Grace to consider the things that belong to our Everlasting Peace . That both all those who now oppose the Truth as it is in Christ Iesus , may be converted from the Error of their ways ; and that all those who do own and profess it , may adorn the Doctrine of God which he hath called them to , by a pure , holy , and unblameable Life ; to the Glory of God , and the Eternal Salvation of their Souls , in the Day of our Lord Jesus . To whom , &c. FINIS .