Serm. CLXXX. The Evidences of the Truth, &c. 12,5 compare it with the unqueftionable Revelation of God in the HolyScriptures, the greaterReafon we fhall fee to adhere to ir. The Doétrines of our Religion are of God, plainly contained in his Word, and fuch as areworthy of him, and likely to proceed from hint, and tend to the Good and Happinefs of Mankind,to make Men really better, and to qualifie them for that Happinefs which God hath pro - mi(ed to holy Souls. The DoRrines of our Religion are free from the Sufpicions of a worldly Intereft and Defign. But if we confider the DoRrines and Innova- tions of that Church which pretends to be the only Chriflian Catholick Society in the World, we (hall find that they areof another Ramp, and of a quite contrary tendency, that they favour fo rankly of a worldly Intereft, that any impartial Man would at firft fight judge them to be the Contrivances of Worldly, Cove- tous, and Ambitious Men, and that they did not look like Divine Truths, and Doárines that are of God, but that they are of the World, and therefore they that propagate them, and would (educe Men to them, (peak from the ÍYrld and the World heareth them. SERMON CL XX. The Evidences of the Truth of the Chriflian Religi. on ; with the Caufe, and the Danger of Infidelity, ,,COR. IV. 3,4. Tut if our Gofpel be hid, it is hid to them that are loft : In whom the God The Firf of this World bath blinded the Minds of them which believe not, left these; Tesá light of the glorious Gofpel of Chrifl, who is the Image of God, fhould Thine unto them. IShall explain thefe words, and then proceed to handle many things contained in them. If our Gofpel be hid, or veiled; for by this Metaphor theApoffle alludes to what he had faid in the latter part of the foregoing Chapter, concerning the Vail which was upon Mofes 1,kr face, and upon the hearts of the Jews, fo that they could not fee to the end of that Difpenfation. There was a great deal of obfcurity in that Ad- minifiration : but the Vail is done away in aril'. The Gofpel is a clear Revelation, and (efficiently confpicuous in it fell: and now if it be hid from any, the fault is not in the obfcurity of the Objetl, but in the blindness of mens Minds. If our Gofpel be hid, it is hid to them that are loft.; To them that deferve to pe- rifh, becaufe they will not fee. In whom the God of this World bath blinded the Minds of them that believe not. Some of the Fathers, as St. Aug. and St. Chryfofl. and feveral of the Greek Scholi ails, read thefe words otherwifc ; In whom God bath blinded the eyes of the Men of this World who believe not ; and fo refer this Blindnefs to God's Permifon ; in which fnfe he is laid elfewhere in Scripture, to harden Mons Hearts. The reafon why they chufe this reading of the words rather than the other, was in oppofition to the Marcionites and Maaiehees ; the former of which Seas made ufe of this Text to countenance their opinion Of Two Gods ; the one of the Old Tefiamenr, whom they call'd the 3ufl God; the other of the New, whom they Riled the good God; the former of there, fly they, made the World, and is therefore here call'd the God of this World. The Manichees made ufe of this Text to prove that the Devil, whom they made the principle of all Evil and Imperfeítion, was the Ma- ker of this World, and is therefore call'd the God ofit But
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