wealth, power, and glory, a story most ridiculously extra- SERM. vagant, that fo pitiful and wretched a perfon, as Jefus XXIX. feemed in the eye of the world to have been, fhould in this miraculous way be declared the Son of God and Lord of all things, author of life and falvation to all men, fovereign object of all worship and obedience: fuch a ftory therefore it was not likely that any men in their fenses should confpire to forge, fhould offer to obtrude on the world, fo uncapable of it, so averse from embracing it; and being fuch, it were strange that by a general repulse it should not presently be stifled and quellede.

11. One would indeed think that this report, had it been falfe, might eafily have been difproved and quashed: they who were mightily concerned, and as eagerly dis- Acts v. 28. pofed to confute it, wanted no means of doing it: they were not surprised in the matter; but were forewarned of it, and did forebode it coming; they were not drowsy or neglectful, but very apprehenfive, careful and cautious in preventing it, that it should not be produced, or, being so, that it might be defeated; for to this purpose they Matt.xxvii. caused the fepulchre of our Lord to be fealed up, and 64. guarded by foldiers; that being masters of his body, they might by exhibiting it difprove any report that should be made about his refurrection: they had full opportunity of examining the matter to the bottom; it being fresh, and presently divulged after its being reported done; they having also all the power and authority on their fide, in furtherance of the difcuffion of the bufinefs: we may accordingly suppose them very zealous, diligent, and active in thoroughly fifting it, and striving to detect the falfehood therein they did fo certainly; and thereto they Acts iv. 17, added strict prohibitions, fierce menaces, and bloody per- 18. v. 28.

* Εἰ γὰρ ες τῶν πραγμάτων ἐκβεβηκότων ὅμως εἰσί τινες μετὰ τοσαῦτα τεκμήρια, κ τῆς οἰκουμένης, ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἁπάσης τὴν μαρτυρίαν, οἱ διαπιστοῦσι τοῖς γεγενημένοις, καὶ πολλοὶ οὕτως ἀβασανίστως καὶ ἀνεξετάστως, τις ἂν παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν μήτε πράγ ματα θεασάμενος, μήτε μαρτυρίας ἀξιοπίστους τούτων ἔχων ταύτην ἂν τὴν πίστιν idižaro Juxỹ; Chryf. tom. v. Or. 64.

Τίς οὕτως ἐμεμήνει τῶν ταῦτα ἀκουόντων ὡς ψιλοῖς ῥήματι πιστεῦσαι περὶ πραγ μάτων τοιούτων ; Ibid.

21.

SERM. fecutions toward the fuppreffion thereof; yet could they XXIX. not by all their industry confute it, nor by all their fury quell it: Why? because it was not confutable; because truth, profecuted with vigorous integrity and constancy, or rather supported by divine protection and bleffing, is invincible. Put cafe there were now the like fact by so many people reported done within these two months, wherein the Church and State were in like manner exceedingly concerned, and fhould therefore employ all their power and care to discover the truth, one would think it impoffible, that, were it an imposture, it should escape detection, and being foon, with the general fatisfaction of men, quite blown away and exploded: this is the fate of all falfehood, ftanding merely upon its own legs, and not propped by worldly power; but truth, as in the present case, is able to fubfift by its own ftrength, especially heaven being concerned to aid itf.

12. As also this teftimony had no power to sustain it, fo it used no fleight to convey itself into the perfuafions of men; it did not creep in dark corners, it did not grow by 1 Theff. v. clandeftine whispers; it craved no blind faith of men: but with a barefaced confidence it openly proclaimed itself, appealing to the common fenfe of men, and provoking the world to examine it; daring all adverfaries here to confront it, defying all the powers beneath to withstand it; claiming only the patronage of heaven to maintain it.

13. Farthermore, the thing itself, had it been counterfeit, was in all probability apt to fall of itself; the witnesses clashing together, or relenting for their crime. That adActs v. 38. vice of Gamaliel had much reafon in it; Refrain, faid he, from thofe men, and let them alone; for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought; xarAXUDÝσETAI, it will of itself be diffolved or destroyed: for how indeed could it be, that among fo many confederates in a juggle, not one, either checked by conscience, or daunted by hazards, or wearied and worn out by fufferings, should

* Οὐδεμιᾶς γὰρ δεῖται βοηθείας ἡ τῆς ἀληθείας ἰσχὺς, ἀλλὰ κἂν μυρίους ἔχῃ τοὺς σβεννύντας αὐτὴν, οὐ μόνον ἐκ ἀφανίζεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ δὲ αὐτῶν τῶν ἐπηρεάζειν ἐπιχει ρούντων φαιδροτέρα καὶ ὑψηλοτέρα ἄνεισι, &c. Chryf. tom. v. Or. 64.

flinch and fall off, fo as to detect the plot, difavow his SERM. fault, and retire from perfecution, but that each one XXIX. fhould perfist steadfast in so high a strain of vile diffimulation? If one had fallen off, he had certainly spoiled all the plot, opened all men's eyes, and prevented the faith of any one person to the story: and what cement could firmly combine fuch a pack of men to God, and to all the world, that they should continue invincibly ftiff in their faith to one another, and conftantly true to so vain a defign, good to no man, worst to themselves? that, I fay, twelve fuch perfons, every one for a long time, during their whole life, fhould perfevere immoveable in fo extravagant a refolution of lying, fo as by no regrets or diffatisfactions from within, no threats, no perils, no troubles or pains from without, to be ever driven out of it, but fhould die with it in their mouths, yea, rejoice and glory in dying for it; fhould dying carry it into the presence of God, and dare with it to appear at his judgment, is exceedingly ftrange and incredible: it must therefore furely be truth alone that could fet them on this defign, and could uphold them steady in it; so unanimous a confent, fo clear a confidence, fo firm a refolution, fo infuperable a conftancy and patience, nothing but a sense of truth could inspire men with, nothing but a perfectly good conscience could fuftain. Poffible it is, that in matters of fpeculation and fubtilty men upon flender grounds may be peremptorily opinionative, and desperately pertinacious; (this experience fheweth:) but in a matter of this nature, (a matter of plain fact and gross sense,) none can well be imagined (none especially fo qualified, in fuch circumftances, to fuch purposes can be imagined) to be fo wretchedly ftupid, or desperately obftinate.

5.

14. He then who doubts of the fincerity of these wit- Aug. de neffes, or rejects their teftimony as incredible, must instead Civ.D.xxii. of it admit of divers stranger incredibilities; refufing his faith to one fact, devious from the natural course of things, but very feafible to God; he must thence allow it to many others, repugnant to the nature of man, and to the courfe of human things; performed without God, yea

SERM. against him. Is it credible, that persons otherwise through XXIX. all their lives ftrictly blameless and rigidly virtuous,

(even in the more heavenly parts of goodness, in humanity, meekness, peaceableness, humility, and patience,) fhould, against cleareft dictates of confcience, peremptorily and perseveringly commit fo palpable villany, as to broach and propagate fuch an imposture; that they, all whose demeanours and difcourfes evidently did tend to the advancement of God's glory, and promoting goodness, should fo in their hearts utterly defy God and deteft goodness; or that perfons in a strain incomparably folemn and serious should so plainly teach, so strongly press, fo otherwise uniformly practise highest good-will and beneficence toward all men, while they were with all their mind and might striving to gull and abuse men? Is it conceivable, that men, otherwife in all their actions fo wife and well advised, (able to manage and to perform fo great matters,) fhould fo zealously drive on a most vain and fenfeless project, with more unwearied industry labouring to maintain and disperse a lie, than any men befide did ever ftrive in behalf of truth? Is it not marvellous, that men in all refpects fo impotent, without any arms or aids, fhould adventure on fo high an enterprise, should with so happy fuccefs achieve it; that naked weakness fhould boldly affault, and thoroughly overpower, the greatest might; pure fimplicity fhould conteft with and baffle sharpest wit, fubtleft policy, and deepest learning; that rude speech (void of strength or ornament) should effectually perfuade an uncouth and unpleasant tale, against all the finest and strongest rhetoric in the world? Is it not strange, that a crew of vile and base persons should fo infeparably be linked together with no other hands, than deceit and difhonefty; no truth, no virtue, no common interest helping to combine or contain them together? Is it to be believed, that men of fense should gratis, for no confiderable end or advantage, voluntarily embrace and patiently endure all that is distasteful to human nature, freely expofing themselves, they knew not why, only for the fake of a story, to the fury of earth and

flames of hell; eagerly facrificing their fortunes, credits, SERM. lives, and fouls themselves, to the ghost of a forlorn XXIX. wretch and infamous caitiff? is it not, in fine, prodigious, that fo implaufible a falsehood upon all greatest disadvantages fhould encounter, vanquish, and triumph over truth? These are incredibilities indeed, able to choke any man's faith: yet he that rejects this testimony must swallow and digest them, together with others like them of as hard concoction.

V. 12. xiv.

15. To these things we may add, that God himself did fignally countenance and ratify this teftimony; not only by conferring on the avowers thereof extraordinary graces, (invincible courage, irrefiftible wisdom, indefatigable industry, inflexible conftancy and patience; admirable felf-denial, meekness, charity, temperance, and all virtues in an eminent degree,) not only farther by a wonderful fuccefs and bleffing beftowed upon their endeavours; but by enduing them with fupernatural gifts, and enabling them to perform miraculous works openly and frequently; So that by the hands of the Apofiles many A&ts ii. 43. wonders and figns were done among the people, the Lord 3. xix. 11. giving teftimony unto the word of his grace, and granting figns and wonders to be done by their hands; fo that with A&ts iv. 33. great power gave the Apoftles witness of the refurrection of the Lord Jefus, and great grace was upon them all; (that is, there was a great appearance of the divine favour toward them, and of the divine operation in and by them.) Yielding which kind of atteftation was the ancient and ufual method of God in authorizing his meffengers, and approving the declaration of his mind by them, (the feal, as it were, put to the letters credential from heaven;) nor could God afford more convincing figns than these of his approbation to any perfon or defign: that God did thus ouvexprupsi atteft, as the Apostle to the Hebrews fpeak-Heb. ii. 4. eth, together with thefe witneffes, if the apoftolical history (bearing in it all the characters of a fimple, faithful, and upright narration) did not relate; yet the effect of this testimony, so speedily and eafily prevailing every where, would render it highly probable, fince in likelihood, no