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SERM.

with their Character, were intelligent fober Men, of great Temper and ModeIII, IV ration, meek, gentle, peaceable, patient

of Contradiction and of Injuries, circumfpect in their Behaviour, and studying to give no juft Caufe of Offence. And as the Courfe of their Miniftry lafted many Years, they had during that Seafon many Intervals of Sedatenefs, many Opportunities for cool Reflection and Confideration. They were indeed true to the Truft repos'd in them, and continued to the end to promote the Cause they had efpous'd. But then they juftified their Conduct by very weighty Reafons; and Perfeverance grounded on Reason is not Obftinacy but Conftancy. Obftinacy be ing an Affection not founded on Truth and Reason, which are the only steady and invariable Principles of Action, will not operate uniformly and alike in a multitude of different Perfons, nor yet in the fame Perfons at all Times; it will generally, in fome fooner, in others later, either yield to advantageous Offers, or be conquer'd by a long Series of grievous

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grievous Sufferings, if it appears that no Relief from them can be obtain'd but by Compliance. But the Apoftles unani moufly ftood to their Teftimony to the laft; nor could any of them either by fair Means, or by the fevereft, be ever brought to revoke it, or to abate of their Zeal for the Publication of it. It is well known of how great Force the Allurements, and Terrors of the World are to incline Men to do what is wrong and fcandalous. It is therefore altogether incredible, it may juftly be efteem'd a moral' Impoffibility, that neither nor both of thefe fhould be able to prevail on fome few of many, on one at least out of a large Body of Men to do what is right and commendable, fuch as the Detection of a Falfhood, and the expofing a Cheat must be confefs'd to be. Now the Apoftles, whose proper Employment it was to notify to the World the Refurrection of their Mafter, were in number no fewer than Twelve, and they were felected to this Office out of more than Five Hundred, who profefs'd themselves

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SERM.

III,IV.

to have been Eye-witneffes of Chrift's SERM. Refurrection as well as they. If the Story III, IV of the Resurrection had been a meer In

vention, it must have been very dangerous to have trufted fo numerous a Com→ pany with the Secret. The admitting fo into the Plot was the ready Way to betray and defeat it," as any one will " acknowledge who reflects how irrefo

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lute and variable many Tempers are, "and that thefe Men would be inceffantly "plied with Perfuafions and Promises, "with Threats and Punishments by the "Chief Priests, and other principal Per"fons of the Jewish Nation, who would "leave no stone unturn'd to prove Jefus "a falfe Prophet, and the Rumour of "his Refurrection a Fable." There could be no Security, because there was no probability, that among fo many none fhould ever alter their Refolution thro' Levity and Inconftancy of Mind; none should at any time be influenced by Remorfe of Confcience; none fhould be moved by private Diffentions among themselves, or by Hopes, or by Fear,

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or by Sufferings, I do not fay now to commit any Wickedness, but to act honeftly, to confefs the Truth, and put Liars to Shame. And yet the Enemies of Chriftianity never pretended that any one of fo great a Number of Witnesses did ever go back from what he had afferted, or that any of them ever offered to discover a Plot, to report Jefus rifen when he was not rifen, tho' Intereft as well as Duty oblig'd them all, and the most violent and inhuman Methods were us'd with many of them to compel them to fuch a Discovery. But they did all of them persevere to the end in maintaining their Teftimony, to the Prejudice of their Interefts, with patient enduring of Shame and Perfecutions, and if Need requir'd at the Expence of Life it felf. Not Obftinacy, but Confcience and full Conviction of Truth could produce fo regular and uniform an Effect in fo many different Perfons, in the most difficult Circumftances, and under the strongest Temptations to act otherwife for a long

SERM.

III,IV.

Time together, without one Exception SERM. to the contrary. III, IV.

IT has been objected that Criminals do fometimes perfift in denying the Facts which have been fully prov'd upon them, and dye testifying their Innocence with their last Breath; and yet are not therefore believ'd innocent. But tho' Criminals do fometimes dye testifying their Innocence, yet they do not dye for the fake of that Teftimony, but for Crimes plainly proved upon them. They do not fuffer willingly; they cannot efcape Death by confeffing the Truth; but they apprehend that confeffing the Truth would inevitably bring upon them the. Execution of the Sentence; and for this Reason they deny it in Hopes of faving their Life by that Denial.

BUT the Apostles not only died teftifying the Refurrection of Jefus, but they died for the Sake of that Teftimony. They alfo died moft willingly. They could have avoided Suffering by forbearing to give their Teftimony; or by re

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