add fome Hints further to illuftrate the Cafe before us. If this laft Cafe be fuppofed, the Forgery must be palm'd upon the World, either before or after Chriftianity had generally obtained. If this falfe Hiftory was thrust upon the World in fome distant Age, after the Facts were pretended to be done, before Chriftianity had generally obtained, it will then follow, that all the Hiftorians of those Times (Chriflian, Jewish, and Pagan) have united in Confederacy, to give us a falfe Account of Chriftianity's immediately fucceeding the Crucifixion of Chrift, not only in Judea, but in all Parts of the Roman Empire. That they do all agree in this Report is what you must acknowledge; but how they came to unite in relating fuch Matters of Fact, which they all (upon this Suppofition) must know to be falle, is what no Man can poffibly imagine.If this was done after Chriftianity had obtained, it will fol ow, that a great Part of the World renounced the Religion in which they had been educated; for they defpifed the Doctrine of the Cross, and for a Life of continued Contempt, Mifery and Peril, without knowing the Reason why, and altogether ignorant of the Foundation upon which their new Religion was built. For, if they profeffed Christianity, before they knew the History of Chrift's Life, Miracles, Death, Refurrection, Afcenfion, and before they had heard of the Apostles Progrefs and miraculous Works, with the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghoft which accompanied their Miniftry, they then all agreed to facrifice their most valuable temporal Interefts, and Multitudes of them endured the most terrible Deaths, in a Cause which they knew nothing about, and none of them knew any Manner of Reason why they fhould do fo. That is, in plain English, a great Part of the World run mad at once moft unaccountably a F countably; and from thefe Madmen Christianity is defcended down to the present Time. It may be further obferved, that upon the Suppofition before us it will alfo follow, that in whatever diftant Age from these pretended Facts, this Hiftory was palm'd upon the World, all Men at once must be perfuaded to believe for Truth what they knew to be false.-Thefe Hiftories declare, that they were written by the Apostles and immediate Difciples of our Lord; that the Authors of thefe Hiftories did propagate the Gospel through the World, did fend these Writings to the Churches, to be kept in their Hands, as the Rule of their Lives, and the Directory of their Conduct; and that, in Fact, Multitudes of the feveral Nations were profelyted unto, and baptized into the Faith of Christianity. Now, was it poffible, at any Time whatsoever, after thofe pretended Facts, that these Nations could be ignorant, whether thefe Books, and this Religion, were handed down to them by their Progenitors? Could not every one of the Nations who are, in these Books, said to be converted to Christianity, at once conclude that they had never heard any Thing of this Nature before; and therefore that thefe Hiftories were all falfe and fpurious, and confequently not worthy of the least Notice? Is it poffible, that the World should agree to venture both Time and Eternity upon fuch a known Falfhood? Could all the World at once be gulled by fuch glaring and open Forgery and Deceit ?--In a Word, these Books were many of them directed to large Societies of Men, in different Parts of the World; were early tranflated into divers Languages, in which they are still extant; have been publicly kept and publicly read in the Churches; have been appealed to by all Parties and Sects, and never called in Question as a Forge ry, - ry, either by the Friends or Enemies of the Chriftian Caufe. All thefe Things put together, we have as much Certainty, that these Histories are not, cannot be Forgery or Impofture, as we can have of any Thing whatfoever not immediately open to our Senfes. Now, Sir, let us fum up this Evidence, and fee what the Conclufion must be. All Mankind muft own, that if the Hiftory of thefe Facts be true; if the Lord Jefus Chrift did perform fo many aftonishing Miracles for fo long a Time together, in Juftification of his divine Milfion; if he did himself rife from the Dead, commiffion his Apoftles to their Work, endow them with the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghoft, and empower them, by the Impofition of their Hands, to communicate the fame miraculous Gifts to others; here was certainly the greatest Interpofition of Heaven, in favour of the Chriftian Inftitution, that can poffibly be imagined or conceived.-The Power and Veracity of God himself were at Stake in this Caufe: For they were both appealed to in Confirmation of the Truth, and both in the most amazing Manner difplayed in Answer to that Appeal. All doubting in this Cafe is therefore a calling in Question the Truth and Faithfulness of God himself, as well as his Power. If this History be not true, then all the known Laws of Nature were changed: All the Motives and Incentives to human Actions, that ever had obtained in the World, have been intirely inverted: The wickedeft Men in the World have taken the greatest Pains, and endured the greatest Hardship and Mifery, to invent, practife, and propagate the moft holy Religion that ever was: And not only the Apostles and firft Preachers of the Gospel, but whole Nations of Men, and all Sorts of Men, Chri Stian, Jew, and Pagan, were (no body can imagine how or why) confederated to propagate a known Cheat against their own Honour, Intereft and Safety; and Multitudes of Men, without any Prospect of Advantage here or hereafter, were brought, most conftantly and tenaciously, to profefs what they knew to be falfe, to exchange all the Comforts and Pleasures of Life for Shame and Contempt, for Banishments, Scourgings, Imprisonments and Death; in a Word, voluntarily to expofe themselves to be hated both of God and Man, and that without any known Motive whatfoever.-This must be allowed, or else you must allow, that no Man ever was, or ever can be certain of any Thing, as is more particularly confidered above. There now remains one of thefe three Things, a neceffary Conclufion from what has been faid; either, (1) That thefe Confequences may be juftified; or, (2) That they are not regularly deduced from the Premifes; or, (3) That the Chriftian Religion is true, and of divine Authority.--I am perfuaded you'll not affume either of the two former, of thefe Conclufions; the latter therefore forces itself upon you. That the Lord may direct you in the Way of Truth, and Path of Life, is the Prayer of, LETTER V. Wherein fome of the internal Evidences of Chriftianity are confidered. SIR, Ccording to the Direction given in your laft, fwer, fwer, and, laying afide all Referves, shall prefume on your Candor. 66 You can't fee (you tell me) how thefe Argu"ments of mine, for the Truth of Chriftianity, "can't admit of a rational and confiftent Anfwer." How then can you be but " almost perfuaded to be a Chriftian?" How can you want fome gene❝ral and easy Directions how to get rid of those "Doubts which still hang upon your Mind, from "the various Difficulties which are continually "cafting themselves in your Way?" Do you deal thus with yourself in other Cafes of infinitely less Importance? Do you harass your Mind with Doubts about other Things which are clearly evident to you, only because you meet with fome Difficulties which you cannot readily folve?-This were the Way to downright Scepticifm in every Thing which falls under your Confideration, whether natural or moral: And at this Rate you may call into Question your own Being, and all your rational Powers, as well as every Thing you fee, hear, or feel. For I dare fay, there are difficulties enough in any or all of thefe, to puzzle the most fagacious Philofopher that ever breathed, and to nonplus the Inquiries of all the Men in theWorld. The Question before you is, Whether the Facts, upon which the Evidence of Chriftianity depends are clearly proved, and neceffarily true? If fo. there certainly must be some Way to folve all thofe Difficulties, whether you have found out the Method to do it or not. You should likewife confider, that it is of no Importance to the Safety of your Soul, whether you are or are not capable to obviate all the Objections which fall in your Way but it is of eternal Importance, that you build on a fure Foundation, and that you believe in the only be gotten Son of God.-This then fhould be your Me F 3 the |