284 Ofthe Gift of Tongues, &c. Vol. II. own, that it muff in all Likelihood haveaveryflow Progrefs, and at laft fall to the Ground, forWant of proper and effeEtúal Means to carry it on. For tho' the Moralityof the ChriftianReligion beadmirable, and veryapt to recommend it felt to the unbyafs'd and impartial Reafon of Mankind (if any fuck Thing were any see se,- where to be found); yet *theDeath of the Son of God is f,cb aStumbling - block, o °ehie;ut. as is very hard for HumaneReafon to get over. Of which theJelìéits in Chinawere fo fenfible, that, according to their ufual Sincerity, theythought bet} to conceal that moft effential Partof the Chriftian Do&rine, which relatesto theDeath and Suffer- ings of our Saviour. So I am fureSt. Pad took itto be, when he tells theCorinthians; that Hedetermined toknownothingamong them fave JefurChrift, andhintcrucified. This it feems he looked upon as the molt materi al and valuable Part of the ChriftianReli- gion, and of greateft Confequence to be known by us. But the jefirits it feems thought otherwife, and therefore concealed it from their Converts : For which molt fhameful and unchriftian Pra&ice, feveral of them were very lately under Profecution at Rome. see the Betides all this, * the Matters of Fa& uponwhich the Truth of Chriftianitydoes from o f neceffarily depend, as the Birth, and Life, and Miracles, and Death, and Refur- °j. re&ion of our Bleffd Saviour, and his vifible Afcenfìon intoHeaven : I fay, thefe Matters of Fa&, tho' we have 'amolt credible Hiftory and Relationof thembrought down to us, do not carry fo ftrong and fenfiblea Conviétion in them, to thofe who never heard of them before, as tobe able to conquer and bear down a violent Pre- judice : Nor is it in Reafon to be expe&ed, that thefe Things fhould eafily be admitted by thofe, who are utter Strangers to our Hiftory of former Times, and confequently not fit to judge of what Value they are. I fpeak not this to difcourage any from ufing their heft Endeavours to propagate our Religion among Infidels, where the Providence of God opens a Door, and gives any Opportunity for it. Among the many bad Things that havebeen done in the Church of Rome, there is oneThing very much to their Honour, that they have been at very great Charge and Pains in their Miffions for the ConverGonof Infidel Nations, efpecially in the Eaftern Parts of the World, to that which they account the true ChriftianReligion. And if the Matter had been as honeftly managed, as I hope it was plou(ly intended, and their Charity andZeal had been equally warm for the Converfion of the Northern Infidels; where there is no- thing to be met with but Froft and Cold, as it bath been for - theConverfion of thofe Parts of the World where Gold and Spices abound, it had deferved great Praife, notwithftanding their Miftakes in Religion, and the great Mixture of Errors and Corruptions in it. And it is no fmall Reproach to the Proteftant Religion, that there bath not ap- peared an equal Zeal among us for this Purpofe; and that to our unwearied En- deavours to promote the Intereft of Trade in Foreign Parts, there bath not been joined a like Zeal and Induftry for the Propagating of the Chriftian Religion; which might furely beattempted, with more than ordinary Advantage, inthofe Places where we have fo free a Commerce. See the It is not good for Men to be confident, where they are not certain; but * it 1°""'iud Items to me not improbable, if the Converfion of Infidels to Chriftianity were Df °rof" fincerely and vigoroufly attempted by Men of honeft Minds, who would make it their Bufinefs to inftru& thofe who are Strangers to our Religion in the pure Do&rine of Chriftianity, free fromall Humane Mixtures and Corruptions : It feems to me in this Cafe not at all improbable, that God would extraordinarily countenancefnch an Attempt, by all fitting Affìftance, as he did the firft Publi- cation of the Gofpel : For as the Wifdom of God is not wont to that which is fuperfluous, fo neither is it wanting in that which is neceflary. And fromwhat bath been faid upon this Argument, the Neceflity feems to be much the fame that it was at firft. I would not be miftaken in what I have Paid about this Matter : I do not deli- ver it as pofitive, but only as probable Divinity; no-wife contrary to Scripture, and very agreeable to Reafon. Thus much may fuffice to have fpoken concerning this miraculous Gift of Tongues, conferred upon the Apoftles at the Time of Pentecofi. SERMON 4
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=