SERM. II Footing every where, not only in England, but in foreign Countries: Would the Magistracy, and those whofe Intereft was at Stake, remain unactive in fuch a critical Juncture, and fuffer the People to be fe duced by fuch over-bearing Pretenfions? No, certainly: They would fend, which might be easily done, to the Places where, the Perfons upon whom, and the Witneffes before whom, those astonishing Notices of divine Power were faid to be difplayed: They would take down, the Depofitions of creditable and fubftantial Witneffes in every Place, that the Dead were not raised, nor the Sick cured there, nor thoufands fed in a miraculous Manner, &c. They would circulate and disperse these Atteftations, and fend the Antidote, wherever the Infection was spread.

Now I afk, Did the Jewish and Pagan Magiftracy and Priesthood, upon the first Publication of the Facts, when the Gofpel began to spread, take thefe eafy Measures, which Common Senfe fuggefted, to fupprefs Christianity, and confront it's Evidence? If they did, then Chriftianity muft`have been ftifled and overlaid in it's Infancy, by the Weight of feveral Thousands of difinterested

terested Witneffes, giving it under their SERM. II. Hands, that no fuch glaring Actions were publickly done. This, I fay, must have been the Confequence, if the Facts had been false; especially when all the Engines of worldly Power were applied against it. If they did not take this eafy Method ; they virtually and implicitly owned the Truth of the Facts: They confeffed the World was not deceived; because, if it had been fo, they neither wanted Power nor Inclination to undeceive it.

But it is objected, that fuch Accounts were published, which the Christians, when they got the Power into their Hands, wifely took Care to fupprefs. To which I answer; When did the Chriftians get the Power into their Hands? Why, after Chriftianity had ftood the Shock, and outlived the Rage, of ten long Perfecutions. But this does not at all invalidate what I faid, viz. That Chriftianity must have been overlaid in it's Infancy, by the Weight of authentic Accounts, well-attefted against it's Truth: Whereas then it was too late; it had taken the deeper Root, by weathering out the Storm. Befides this is gratis dictum; there are no Traces left of any Books,

that

SERM. II. that ever denied the Facts; no Mention of them occurs any where. We have indeed fome Remains of Celfus, Hierocles, Por phyry, and Julian, declared Enemies to Christianity. But what they alledge does: not amount to a Denial of the Facts: So far are they from that, that they afcribe the Miracles of our Saviour to Magic, and the Jews in the Talmud, juft as their Forefathers do in the New Teftament, to a Correfpondence or Intercourfe with the Devil.

To account for the Rife and Propagation of Christianity, our Adverfaries have Recourfe to falfe Miracles, which they fay are very common among Chriftians. By Chriftians here they mean the Papifts: But if Popish Priests chufe to act their pretended Miracles in By-Places, in Cloysters, or at least only before Men of their own Perfuafion, where they have the Power in their Hands, to fence off an impartial Enquiry into them; and yet their pious Frauds have been generally detected: If, notwithstanding their confeffed Depth of Art and Fi. nesse to execute a well-concerted Project, they have never attempted to do a Wonder in the Eye of a Proteftant Nation, before

a great

a great Concourfe of Hereticks, as they SERM. II. call us; then I defire to know, how a Set of unpolished Men, unpractised in studied Wiles and mysterious Frauds, fhould audaciously and fuccessfully carry on a flagrant Cheat, in the Eye of Thousands of it's most inveterate Foes, the Priests and Rulers of the Jewish Nation, and indeed the Rulers and Priefts of every other Nation, who wanted neither Difcernment enough to unmask and expofe it, if it had been fuch, nor Power to crush and stifle it. This, I fay, was impoffible, if their Miracles had been Impostures, and therefore they were not fo. And fince the Discovery of Impoftures has ftaggered the Faith of fome weak Men, and made them look upon Chriftianity in the fame disadvantageous Light; I will venture to say, that the more numerous the Impostures are, which are difcovered; the more Chriftianity is confirmed thereby: Because it proves, that no Imposture can ftand the Teft of a fevere Examination, when Men of Power and Policy vigorously intereft themselves in the Detection of it, and are refolved to go to the Bottom of it. Impoftures need only to be held up to the Light, to be feen through; But Chriftianity, the

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more

SERM. II. more thoroughly it was canvassed, and the more vigorously it was opposed, the more it gained Footing in the World. There is then this Difference between an Impofture and a genuine Miracle. The former loves Obfcu rity; the latter is defirous to be fet in the Atrongest Point of View, and challenges the nearest Inspection, of the most penetrating Judge.

Befides, Tacitus, an Heathen Hiftorian, affures us, that in Nero's Reign, but thirty Years after our Saviour's Refurrection, there was (ingens Multitudo) a prodigious Multitude of Chriftians at Rome, above two thousand Miles from Jerufalem, that Nero inflicted upon them the most exquifite Punishments; and particularly, that they were burnt to give Light in the Streets, when Day-light failed.

What shall we say, as to that prodigious Multitude, who, in Nero's Reign, were faithful unto Death, unwearied by Toils, unfhaken by Mifery, and undifmayed by Terrors, even by Death the King of Terrors? They could not be mistaken; fince they who converfed with the Apostles, must know, whether they made good their Pretenfions to a miraculous Power, or not;

or,