Malice; and an Error is prodigiously heightned, by being accompany'd with fuch Circumftances as thefe. But on the other hand, if we fuppofe the Chriftians to be deluded in this grand Point, there's nothing of this black and heinous Nature in their 'Mistake. It confifts in a wrongplac'd Zeal and Devotion, but 'tis infinitely remote from all evil Affections. Such Aggravations as Infult and Defiance of Heaven, are utterly incompatible with it. If the Doctrine of Chrift's Refurrection be falfe, the Chriftians have paid Divine Honours where they were not due; and if the Doctrine of Chrift's Refurrection be true, have not these Gentlemen refus'd to pay them where they were due? If the former be Idolatry, what fort of Name must we give the latter? Is it lefs than Sacrilege to rob God of his Honour? Is it fhort of Blafphemy, to make his Son and Meffenger an Impoftor? Now fuppose these Charges on each fide to ballance one another; yet there are difmal Circumstances on the part of the Deifts, which will infallibly turn the Scale. Let mistaken Blafphemy be oppos'd to mistaken Idolatry; yet the endlefs Catalogue of Outrages and Affronts, which comes in with the former, and is impoffible in the latter Cafe, does, I think, make the scores very far from being equal on both fides. In short, their Sin is of a terrible Complexion, and fearfully aggravated; which can never be faid with any Truth of the Crime which they object to the Chriftians.

And therefore they must pardon us, if we infift upon it; That for this very Reason, the Confequences of their Deception, muft needs be incomparably more dangerous and fatal, than thofe of ours.

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BESIDE all ESIDE all this, 'tis to be confider'd too, That the Chriftians (upon the Hypothefis that they are deceiv'd) have never made any Advantage by their Miftake, with respect to the prefent World; but instead of gaining more Pleasure and Liberty, have expos'd themselves to incomparably greater Sufferings, and endur'd more ungrateful Confinements than any other fort of Men. But Matters are quite otherwise with the Deifts; for they make their Belief that the Gospel is an Imposture, turn to a very good Account, and ferve them to many useful Purposes in the prefent Life: And this makes their Cafe much lefs compaffionable, if the Gospel should prove to be a Divine Revelation, than that of the Chriftians, if it should be an Impofture. For thofe that have been miferable under a Mistake, are vaftly greater Objects of Pity, than those who have made ufe of that Error, to enjoy a World of Pleasures, which without it they could never have done.

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UT to conclude, the great Point that should employ our beft Thoughts and Cares on both fides, is, Who have the most folid and rational Grounds to fupport the Belief they adhere to; whether they who take this Doctrine for a Delufion,

or we who receive it as a Divine Truth? For this Rule must be laid down as a thing of the utmost

utmost Confequence both to them and to us, viz. that by the eternal Laws of Justice and right Reason, which the Author of all things (who is abfolute effential Reason and Justice) will obferve in dealing with all his Creatures, the Punishments inflicted on Men, for their bad Conduct in the Matters of their Salvation, will be proportion'd to their want of Care and Diligence to inform themselves aright, and to argue rationally upon those Informations. And therefore, that thofe Perfons are certain to fare. the worst, who have examin'd things the leaft, made the least obvious and natural Deductions from them; and who have gone the farthest out of the way, of all the Methods of Reasoning univerfally receiv'd amongst Mankind; either to believe what they ought not to have believ'd, or to make themselves Unbelievers, in a Cafe where their Faith was requir'd.

From whence we'll draw this Coroll. That if the Christians have a more fair and rational Plea to make at last, before the Divine Tribunal, for their Belief of the Refurrection of Christ (Suppofing it to be a Fiction) than the Deifts can make for their Infidelity, (fuppofing the Resurrection to be a real Truth) Then thefe Gentlemen will be more fadly expos'd if the Refurrection of Christ be a Truth, than the Chriftians can be if it prove to be otherwife.

Therefore, what remains for them to do, is, to enquire with all poffible Care, into the Grounds of their Denial of this fo important a Point, the Refurrection of Fefus Chrift: And, comparing thofe Reasons with the others, upon which the Chriftians are perfuaded to believe it, to fee whether they don't deviate vaftly more, from all the Methods of Reafoning univerfally ap prov❜d

prov'd and establish'd among Men, by their Denial, than the Chriftians do by their Affent: For if they do, their Danger is as much greater, as the Irrationality of their Proceeding is more. And if the Chriftians in believing this Doctrine, àre found to argue upon thofe fure Principles, which the unprejudic'd Reason of Mankind, and the Laws of the World we live in, do both confpire to juftify; then fince thofe Gentlemen cannot poffibly proceed upon the fame Principles, to disbelieve it, 'tis plain, that they are most defperately expos'd, as long as they continue in their Unbelief. Let them therefore bring this matter that I propose to a fair Trial, and do it with infinitely more Zeal and Application, than they would fearch after any Truth in Philofophy, from the Discovery of which, they could expect the greatest Glory, and the Applaufe of all the learned World. And I hope the following Difcourfe may be of fome ufe, to help them to make this great Experiment without Prejudice; and as becomes Men, who have only Truth in view, and believe it is a Matter of fome Importance, to find it out in the prefent Cafe.

The End of the First Part.

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Part the Second,

Containing the General Principles, on which the Doctrine of Chrift's Refurrection is eftablish'd.

CONTENT S.

The Nature of an Evidence, which is Obligatory to Human Understanding, stated and demonftrated.

Concerning Moral Evidence and Certainty.

The Differences between this and Mathematical Certainty.

The Obligatory Nature of Moral Proofs.

The abfurd and intolerable Confequences, that follow upon the taking away, or difowning fuch Evi

dence.

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