1. SER M. or their Lufts, or their Humours, to receive it. Not that it divefted any of the Magiftrates of this World of their lawful Authority; or diffolved the Obligation of Obedience in their Subjects. Not that it concerned it felf with the Rights and Privileges of Kingdoms, and Civil Societies; or brake in upon the Government, or Discipline, of Nations. Not that it tended in its Nature to render Society disagreeable: to make Men ill-natured, or morofe, or uncharitable, or unjust, or cruel, or hypocritical; or recommended any thing to Mankind contrary to the Peace and Quiet of the State. Nothing of this could be laid to its Charge by its greatest Adverfaries. But the truth of the Cafe was this. They hated and derided it, because, if it had univerfally taken place, the Follies and Superstions of their received Forms of Worship must have vanished; and the whole Fabric of their Forefathers Religion been fhaken, and ruined. Let a Form of Worship be never fo tedious with pompous Ceremonies; never fo full of Fopperies, and ridiculous Circumstances; never fo unworthy of reasonable Creatures to offer, or of God to receive; yet there is I know not what Fondness for it, riveted in the Minds and Affections of Men, if it defcended down to them from their Forefathers, and can but plead Age and Prescription. 2 But But perhaps Christianity, with the Evidence & E R M. that at first accompanied it, might have got I. over this Difficulty; and have born down this blind and fenfeless Veneration of Antiquity. But this was not all it had to encounter. It opposed the Paffions, and Lufts, and prefent worldly Interefts of Men. The Jews law, it condemned and oppofed that Course of Senfuality and Covetoufnefs they were generally engaged in; and that it put an End to their Hopes of Temporal Profperity, and Fleshly Pleasure, and Triumphs over their Enemies, under the Reign of their Mefiah. The great Men of the World found it most oppofite to the main Design of their Lives; and irreconcileable with that Ambition, and Pride, and infatiable Love of Riches and Grandeur, which they had entertained, and could not part with. A very fmall Part of the World, as things went then, found any the leaft Comfort or Satisfaction in any of its Propofals. Thefe were the Reasons why both Jews and Gentiles made it their Business to crush it in its Infancy; and to persecute, even to "Death, the firft Preachers and Profeffors of it: because they carried fuch Evidence along with them, in the Miracles they every where wrought, that they judged it must presently gain ground, if not thus heartily, and inhumanly refifted. This is a plain Account SERM. how it came to pass, that the Chriftian ReligiI. on was at firft the Occafion of much Difturb ance, and of bitter Perfecutions, in the World: And whether this proceeded from any thing blameable in it felf, or from the unreasonable Prejudices, and deep-rooted Vices, of the Unbelieving World, may be left to any one of Common Sense to judge. SERMON which the Chriftian Religion hath been made the Occafion. SERMON II. Preached at St. Swithin's Church, in 1702. St. MATTHEW X. 34. Think not that I am come to fend peace on earth: Or, as it is in St. LU K E, Chap. xii. 51. Suppose ye that I am come togive peace on earth? H AVING from thefe Words, firft, made SE RM. fome Obfervations upon the Matter of Fact, (here predicted by our Lord,) that Christianity hath been made the Occafion of many bitter Perfecutions, fatal Divifions, and Hatreds, in the World: and having, in the Second Place, vindicated Christianity it felf from the Guilt and Blame of it; I propofed, Thirdly, To confider whence this Unhappiness hath truly proceded; and where the Guilt of it is juftly to be fixed. The first Obfervation was, that the bitter Perfecutions, and Animosi II. SERM. ties, occafioned at its firft Appearance, proII. ceeded entirely from the unreasonable Prejudices, and Lufts, and Paffions, of the Unbelieving World. Let us now turn our Thoughts from the Unbelieving to the Believing World; from the Men that perfecuted Christianity, to the Men that have embraced, and do profefs it. And, as we have before obferved how much Hatred and Divifion, how many Barbarities and Perfecutions, amongft Chriftians themfelves, have taken their Rife from Religion, and been founded on a Sacred Principle: fo let us now confider whence this Unhappiness, amongst the Difciples of the fame Maiter, hath proceded, and from what Root it hath fprung. 2. Secondly, therefore, It is very plain that much of this Unhappiness hath proceded from the Projects, and Designs; the Ambition, or Pride, or Covetoufnefs, of the wicked part of the Chriftian World. Chriftianity never pretended to reform thofe, that are refolved to be Wicked: and no wonder that fuch as these (who have no Confcience, and no Principles of Religion,) when they have any of their own Contrivances to bring to effect, make ufe of the propereft Means to accomplish them. They know that there is no better, nor more moving, Pretenfe, than the Care of Religion, and |