ry upon us, fuppofing a Sufficiency of Evi- SERM. I. dence for it.

IIdly, That there is fuch a Sufficiency of Evidence for it, that we cannot, confiftently with Reason, refuse to be determined by it.

IIIdly, I fhall conclude with a fhort Reflection on the Importance of Christianity, and our Infenfibility of it's juft Value.

Christianity ftands upon the very fame Footing as Morality does, in Point of Obligation. For we refolve the Obligation of Morality, or trace it up to it's FountainHead, after the following Manner.

Virtue is neceffarily productive of the Happiness of Mankind; and Vice of Mifery and Confufion.A Being of infinite Benevolence must will whatever is neceffarily productive of general Happiness.--Every Creature is obliged to conform himself to the Will of his Creator.

To apply this to Chriftianity. One cannot confiftently disbelieve Christianity, without disbelieving every thing else, that has only the fame Degree of Evidence.-One cannot disbelieve every Thing else that has the fame Degree of Evidence, without

B 3

pro

SERM. I. proceeding upon a Principle, that is, in it's

genuine Tendency, deftructive of univerfal
Happiness, and defeats the very End of our
focial Nature.-One cannot therefore dif-
believe Christianity without counteracting
the great Will, and fovereign Pleasure of
him, who made us focial Beings, and wills
the Happiness of all his Creatures.-The
Confequence of which is, that the Belief
of Christianity is as obligatory, terminating
ultimately in the Will of the Deity, as is
the Practice of Morality; and stands upon
the very fame Foundation.
fame Foundation. The End of
Society cannot be attained, if there be no-
thing to be believed, or depended upon be-
tween Man and Man; or, if there be no
fatisfactory Grounds why a Thing is to be
depended upon; or, if we be not obliged
to pay any Regard to them. For which
Reafon, Deifm, if it could be confiftent
with itself, in the laft Refort must lead
to and terminate in Atheism. For there
could be no Providence, if the World were
all Chaos and Confufion. Now the World
must be all Chaos and Confufion, (there
being nothing left for us to depend upon in
our Intercourse with one another,) upon a
Suppofition that Moral Evidence, however

per

perfect in it's Kind, does but lead us into SERM. I. Error. For if there be fuch a Thing as Providence, all the Administrations of it from the Beginning have proceeded, and the Course of the World has been ordered, upon a Suppofition that there is such a Thing as Sincerity and a Regard for Truth prevailing among Mankind; and that there are certain Marks to diftinguish, in many Cafes, Honefty from Impofture. But the Scheme of the Deifts (as they set aside the Testimony of the Apoftles and primitive Martyrs, who have as fair Pretenfions to Honesty, as any other Perfons) must proceed upon a contrary Suppofition; that the World is one wide Scene of Villainy and. Confufion; that we may weary ourselves in the Search of a Man of Senfe that is not a Deceiver; and a Man of Honefty that is not a Dupe. The Wheels of Government must be interrupted and ftand ftill, if fuch Evidences, as Christianity is attended with, be exploded as fallacious and uncertain. No proper Measures can be taken, upon this Suppofition, to prevent a Rebellion, to crush it in it's Infancy, or to make a Head against it, when become formidable. must not believe any Thing that we hear, how

B 4

We

SERM. I. however concerning it may be to ourselves, and however well attefted by Perfons fuperior to any finister Designs; and thus Wifdom would be quite fhut out at one great Entrance. We cannot depreciate Moral Certainty without ftriking at the Belief of an over-ruling Providence. For there can be no Providence, unless there be an orderly Course of Things and fome regular Plan which takes place. One would not chufe to live in a World where there was no Order, no Principle of mutual Trust and focial Union, no Dependence of one Perfon upon another. One would not chuse to fit out a Play, where the Drama was ill conducted; where every Thing was dif jointed, without any Unity of Design, or Connection of one Thing with another. The Truth is, Men cannot, were they never fo much inclined to it in all Cafes, act up to that Principle, by Virtue of which fome reject Chriftianity. They cannot, without always putting a Force upon NaNow Nature has a Kind of Elafticity and Spring, by which it recovers itself, when it is violently preffed and a Force put upon it. If Matter of Fact, Senfe and Experience were not too hard for all the inge

ture.

nious and fubtle Reafonings, which Men of SERM. I. Leisure and Parts may invent against almost any Thing whatever, we should be in perpetual Danger of running into univerfal Scepticism.

By acting then upon fuch Grounds and Principles, as those whereon Christianity is founded, we act agreeably to the Laws of Nature; our focial Nature; and confequently express our Duty to the Author of our Nature and it's Laws: in other Words, we act religiously, virtuously, and rationally. If Mankind be rational Beings, the Welfare of Mankind must be the Welfare of a rational Nature; and therefore the Laws which advance it must be founded in Reason; nor can their Authority be refifted by any Thing but what is at the fame Time oppofite to Reafon, and therefore to Truth: Confequently, the Denial of Moral Evidence as well as of Immorality, must be contrary to Truth and Reafon; because the Denial in both Cafes would be fubverfive of human Happiness and ruinous in its Confequences.

Nay if fome Perfons of the first Distinction in the Philofophical World reafon justly; the Evidence of the Truth of our Senfes is

placed