in Contriving A1an's Redemption. for rheir Opinions, and pafilonare fo r the Interefl: of their Sefrs. Now the Gorpel w;ls ~ in fame ~hings contrary to all of them, fo that being imperious and impati ent of con- Chap. 2 1. rradWion, and touch'd in their tenderefl: parr, no wonder they wrre fo viol ent again([ ~ ir. They were unwilli ng ro receive a Doctrine that difcovered their Errors, and leift'ned rheir e(\-eern. Our Saviour a.sks the Jev,:s, How can ; e believ e whit:h receive Honour one from tmother, and fe~4. 11ot tbe Ho11011r which comes from God o11ly ? He propounds it as an impofll ble thing. The Gofpe l wou ld flrip them of all their pretended Excellencies, and dive(\: them of many vain Conceptions adorned wi th fo much Art, and comm~mded as its firfr Article, they fhould hllmbly refign their Underftandings to Divine Revelari¥ on; th is they \ook'd on as a Submiflion unworthy of their refined flrong Spirits. o. They had Satisfaction in their own imperfect Venues. Becaufe they did fame thi ngs ro recover rhe Humane Nature from irs degenerate State, they were more confirmed in their Infidelity than the grolfefl Idolaters, ond the mofl vicious Perfo ns. For the more probabl e Arguments they had to obtain Happinefs in their own way, the more obflinat<ly they refufed any other. They thought there was no need of Supernatural Revelation to direCt, nor of Supernatural Grace to affift: them; but without the lnrerceffion of a Saviour, and the Power of tbe Holy Spirit, they had felf- fuflici ency to obtain Perfeftion and Felicity. Like foolifh Chymi{ls that have melted away a great part of their Eftates in vain, and lin\e remaining to fllpport thei r wretched Li ves; vet in expeCl:ati - on of rh~ great Elixir, create in their Fancies trc:afures of Gold, and inrich them[elves. fi~t!~~~~~~~~~P~~~~.';~~ ~;nn;t t~e'i~ l/i'~~i~~~ s.r;;~it~h~n ::~~~i~r t~:~; ~e~~g;~·;!.~~ infulliciertt to fupport them under any prefling AllliCl:ion; yet they had vain hopes of obtaining perfect Tranquility and Content by them. Now the Gofpel commanding an intire renouncing of our [elves, to embrace the rote Goodnefs and Will of Cod, it was hard for thofe who were fo full of Pride and Vanity to relifh a Doctrine fo contrary to them. In truth, whatever the Philofophers pretended concerning th<" Incredibility, that the Son of God fhould fulfe r Death, yet it was not fo much the Crofs to whi ch Chrifl was nailed by his Enemies that made them reject the Gofpel (g,) as the other Crofs to which Jefus would faflen them, i. e. the flrict and holy Difcipline to which he commands them to fubmit. A Difcipline that condemns their vain boafling of Wifdom and Vertue, that mortifies fenfual Pleafures, t which many of the Philofophers indulged themfelves in, notwithflanding all their Difcourfes of the p1trgativc and iUuminative Life. And that this was the real Caufe of their rejecting a crucified Sa-o-iour is evident : For they knew that Sufferings of the worfr kind are notal· ways inf::unous, but mufl: be efl:eerned accord ing to the quality of theirCau[es and Ends. Thofe who for publick Good generouOy expofe rhemfe lves to difgrace and Mifery, are honoured for their heroiclz Courage as Patriots of the noble(\: ftrain. And 'tis not unufual for Perfons of extraordinary Wifdom and Verrue to fulfer in the World. Their Prefonce and Example upbraid the vicious, and wound their Spirits, as a great Ligh.t diflempered and fore Eyes. And fome of them acknowledged the Wifdom of Providence in permitti ng this for an excellenrend. that Vertue tried in the Fire might be more refplendent. • Plato an eminent Philofopher defCribes a Man truly jufl, by this proof of his • 0 ,. :~ 1.. Integrity, that he fhall fulfer the lofs of Eflate and Honour, be fcourged, rack'd, bound, "'""'@."" ; and have his Eyes pluck'd our, and after the enduring all Miferies, at !aft be crucified . ~~;. .... ,, ~~~ So~-·rates, fo admir'd by them, was fo difguis'd by the Malice of his Enemies, that he was !~'::i:~::_ cond:mnecl to die by Poifon: Yet this was fo far from obfcuring his Reputation, that his ~':"'.;..~~}.~ fuffenng Death_ was ef\eemed the mofl noble effell: of his Courage, arid the mofl excel· ;;J:O:.;:~.=· lent proof of hiS Venue. Why then !hould they make a contrary judgment of our Re· ~,,.,.,;!.. de_ef!ler's St1ffe~ ing; w~ofe Inn?c~nce was perfeCl:, and whore Patience was ro Holy and ~t." 2 ' de Rr 4 Dtvme, that m the m1dfl of H1s Torments he praye<l for his Murderers? No reafon can be jufHy alled~ed, but fame da rling Lufl fpiritual or fiefhly which they were refolved to cherifh. The Light that comes from above illuminates the Humble, and dazle< the P roud: The_ prefumption of.rheir own Knowledge, was the canfe of their p:od igious Stup1d1ty. Stmple Ignorance IS not fo dangerous as Error: a falfe Light that deceives and leads to Precipices is worfe than Darknefs. We find therefore that none were fiercer Enemies to the Gofpel than the Philofophers. The Sacred Story tells us, that when the Apoflle preach'd at Athen.r, that was as muc.h the. feat ?f Superfl ition as of Sciences :.the Epic11rwu and Stoicks though mofl oppo" fite m then PrmCip\es, yet confpired to encounter him; they enrertain1d him with fcorn, What wiU this Babler Joy? and his fuccefs but fmall there. He that fi(h"d with a Net in other pla~es, and. brought great numbers to Baptiim, did there only with an Angl"e, and caught
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