Senni. XX. of the Gypel by the Apoflles.:_._ It was highly necelfary then, to introduce the Chriftian 'Religi ti `into the World, and to be a fenfrble Evidence to Men of the Divinity of that newMarine which was preached to them : but now that the Gofpel is generally entertained, there is not the fame Reafon why this Miraculous Power flrould fttll be continued. Acquifztofine, ceffant mediaadfinem, when the End is once obtained, the Means ceafe ; and the Wife God, who is never wanting in what is nece asy, does not ufe to be lavifh in that which isfuperfiuous. Now-that theChristian Religion hath got firm footing in the' World, God leaves it to be propagated and advanced, by its on rational Force, upon the Minds of Men : Now that the Prejudices of Education in a contrary Religion are removed, And the Powers of the World ate reconciled to Chriftianity i there is no need of fuch violent and extraordinary Means for the Continuance of it, now that it ftands upon equal Advantages with other-Religions ; God bath left it to be carried on, in more humane and ordinary ways, and fuch as are more level and accommodate to the Nature of Man. That Miracles are long since ceafed, is acknowledged by the Fathers, who lived an Age or two after the ceaung of them ; particularly by St. Chryfoflome, who gives the fame Reafon for it, which I have just now afhigned. But the Church of Rome would 1E11 bear us in hand, that this Miraculous Power does still continue in their Church, and, according to Bellarmine, muft always continue ; becaufe he makes it an infeparable Property and Mark ofthe True Church. But we pretend to no fuch Power, nor have we any Reafon fo to do ; becaufe all the Doctrinesof our Religion, are the Ancient Do&rines of Chriftianity, de- livered by our Saviour, and by his Apoftles published to the World ; and thefe are fufficiently confirmed already, by the Miracles which our Saviour and his Apoftles wrought in the Primitive Times of Chriftianity. But the Church of Rome bath great Occafion and Need of newMiracles, to confirm their new Dò- étrines ; and therefore, as they have Reafon, they ufually apply them to the Con- firmation of their newDoftrines ; fome to confirm Purgatory, and to give Coun- tenance to Indulgences; others to encourage the Worßüp ofthe Blélf'ed Virgin, and the Saints ; others to confirm that which all the Miracles in the World are not fufficient to confirm, I mean the Doftrine of Tranfubfantiation; which, becaufe it overthrows the Certainty ofSenfe, is in the Nature of it peculiarly incapable of being confirmed by a Miracle. III. And Lally, The Consideration of what has been Paid, does justly upbraid us, that this Religion, which was fo powerful at first, and bath fuch Charalter ofDivinity upon it, coming down to us confirmed by fo many Miracles, fhould yet have fo little Effeft upon molt of us who call our felves Chriftians. We have all the Advantages of the Chriftian Religion, having been educated and brought up in it ; and yet it hath lets Effeft upon us, than it had upon thofr whofe Minds were prejudiced, and whofe Manners were depraved, by the Prin- ciples of a Falfe Religion : For thefe who were reduced from Paganifm to Chri- ftianity, did on the fudden become better Men, and were more holy and virtuous in their Lives, than the greateft part of us, who have been inftrufted and trained up all our Lives in the Doftrine of Chriftianity. The true Reafon of which is, that many of us are Chri/lians upon the fame Account that they were at firft Heathens ; becaufe it was the Religion of their Country, and they were born andbred up in it : But Chriftianity was the Religion oftheir Choice, and there were no Motives to perfwade them to the Profelf on óf that Religion, but what were as powerful to oblige them to the Practice of it. Let us alfo be Chriftians, not only by Cullom, but by Choice ; and then we (hall live according to our Religion. He that takes up a Religion for any other Reafon than to obey and praftice it does not cboofe a Religion, but only counterfeitsthe Choke of it. We` have, bey yond Comparifon, the belt and most reafonable Religion in the World, a Religion that bath the greateft Evidence ofits Truth, that contains the belt Precepts, and gives men the greateft Affuranceof a futureHappinefs, and direfts them to the fureft Way of attaining it. Now the better our Religion is, the woofe are we, if we be not made good by it. The Philofophyof the Heathen, made force virtuous : and there Were
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