On the Evidences of Chriftianity, the Preached at the Lady Moyer's Lecture, in the Cathedral of St. Paul, London, in the Years 1732 and 1733 SERMON I. On the Truth of Christianity. JOHN III. 2. ro ol Art & come from God: For no Man can do thefe HE Propofition contained in the SERM. I. Evidences of a divine Power. By a Mira cle, SERM. I. cle is meant an Effect evident to the Senfes, contrary to the fixed and established Courfe of Nature. Strange! that fhould difbelieve an Operation differe from the present Courfe of Nature; when Man himself, the firft Man, from whom all the reft defcended, could not have been brought into Being, but by an Act of Power! different from the Coursel of Natureītas it is now established. For fome first Man there must be: And, whoever he was, he must be brought upon the Theatre of Nature without Parents, without any fecond Caufes, by the immediate Power and Will of the first, or, in other Words, by an Operation, which, if it were not, ftrictly fpeaking, a Miracle; was, at least, equi valent to one. Nor is it at all improbable, that He, who called Man into Being, by a particular Dilplay of Power, diftinct from those general Laws, which obtain at prefent; would exert fome unusual and uncommon Acts of Power for (what was of greater Importance than his mere Being) his Well-Being, his eternal Well-Being.. 1. In the Profecution of this Subject, woud stongan anaiachand holds a Ist, I fhall attempt to shew, that feveral SERM. I. Miracles are decifive Proofs of a divine Power soul. Ildly, That we have fufficient Evidence, that fuch Miracles were wrought for the Confirmation of Religion. dw pl I, I shall attempt to shew, that several Miracles are decifive Proofs of a divine Powerisow aid. Cunased roviol What Powers evil Spirits may have, and what is the utmoft Extent of their Abilities; it is beyond the Extent of ours, in all Cafes, to determine: But that God would fuffer them to exert thofe Powers in working fuperior and uncontroled Miracles; this I cannot admit Because God is too good to permit fucha Snare to be faid for the Bulk of Mankind, who will be always governed more by what affects their Senfes, than by thofe Arguments, which address themselves coldly to their Understandings. Striking and pompous Miracles, though they enforced a Doctrine feemingly abfurd, would dazzle and overpower the Soul, and force an Admittance for it into the Mind: Whereas dry and abstracted SERM. I. abftracted Reafonings operate but flowly and languidly in Comparifon. He, who could raise the Dead, and fufpend the Laws of Nature, would convince the Ge nerality of Men much fooner, than if he brought feveral Demonftrations to support, what he advanced. I cannot then believe, that God would permit evil Beings to work confiderable Miracles, without afferting the Superiority of his Power; because this would una voidably mislead the Grofs of the Species into Error. I cannot likewife believe it, for another Reafon, because it would invalidate and weaken the strongest Proofs of his Providence. For either we must fay, that no finite Effects whatever bear the Imprefs of the Deity, and prove an infinite Being at the Helm, (which is to discard all the Arguments a pofteriori;) or fuch aftonishing Notices of Power, as our Saviour and Mofes, and others gave, bid as fair for the Proof of it, as any Phænomena. For why may we not as well believe, that finite Beings are empowered to make the Sun, or rather Planets, revolve in their Orbit, and go their everlasting Round; as that |