Extract from the laft Will and Testament of the late Reverend JOHN BAMPTON, Canon of Salisbury.

"I give and bequeath my Lands

"and Eftates to the Chancellor, Mafters, "and Scholars of the University of Oxford "for ever, to have and to hold all and fin"gular the faid Lands or Eftates upon truft, "and to the intents and purposes herein after " mentioned; that is to fay, I will and ap"point, that the Vice-Chancellor of the

University of Oxford for the time being "fhall take and receive all the rents, iffues, "and profits thereof, and (after all taxes, "reparations, and neceffary deductions made) "that he pay all the remainder to the en"dowment of eight Divinity Lecture Ser"mons, to be established for ever in the faid

University, and to be performed in the "manner following:

"I direct and appoint, that, upon the first Tuesday in Eafter Term, a Lecturer be yearly chofen by the Heads of Colleges only, and by no others, in the room adjoining to the Printing-Houfe, between

"the hours of ten in the morning and two "in the afternoon, to preach eight Divinity "Lecture Sermons, the year following, at "St. Mary's in Oxford, between the com"mencement of the last month in Lent "Term, and the end of the third week in "Act Term.

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"Also I direct and appoint, that the eight Divinity Lecture Sermons fhall be preach"ed upon either of the following fubjects to confirm and establish the Christian "Faith, and to confute all heretics and fchif"matics-upon the divine authority of the Holy Scriptures upon the authority of "the writings of the primitive Fathers, as "to the faith and practice of the primitive "Church upon the Divinity of our Lord "and Saviour Jefus Chrift-upon the Divinity of the Holy Ghost-upon the Articles "of the Chriftian Faith, as comprehended "in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds.

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"Also I direct, that thirty copies of the eight Divinity Lecture Sermons shall be always printed, within two months after they are preached, and one copy shall be

given to the Chancellor of the University, "and one copy to the Head of every College,

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"lege, and one copy to the Mayor of the City of Oxford, and one copy to be put "into the Bodleian Library; and the ex

pence of printing them fhall be paid out "of the revenue of the Lands or Eftates given for establishing the Divinity Lecture Sermons; and the Preacher shall not be paid, nor be entitled to the revenue, before they are printed.

"Also I direct and appoint, that no per"fon fhall be qualified to preach the Di

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vinity Lecture Sermons, unless he hath "taken the Degree of Master of Arts at "leaft, in one of the two Univerfities of "Oxford or Cambridge; and that the same "person shall never preach the Divinity "Lecture Sermons twice."

DISCOURSE

DISCOURSE I.

JOHN XVIII. 38.

Pilate faith unto him, What is Truth?

HIS queftion, of all by far the most important, was put to our bleffed Saviour by the Roman Governour, perhaps carelefly, perhaps contemptuously, but certainly without the least wish for information. In much the fame fpirit of fcorn, or with fimilar indifference, the fame queftion is every day in the mouths, fometimes of sceptics and fooffers, and fometimes of men of a more ferious caft, who affect to be perfuaded that we cannot, and, it may be, defire not to give them fatisfaction. Unhappily, the Chriftian world is divided and fubdivided almoft infi