57 8 The Evidences of the Truth Vol.I1. nay, fo far were they from that, that theyrun themfelves hereby upon the greateft hazards and difadvantages ; and which is the higheft Evidence that this World can give of anyMan's fincerity, they ventur'd their lives for this Teltimony,, and fealed it with their Blood. For though Martyrdombe no fufficient Argument of the Truth of that for which a Man lays down his life, yet it is a very good Ar- gumentof a Man's fincerity; it fignifies that a Man is in earneft, and believes himfelf; and if the thing be not true, yet that he thinks it to be fo, otherwife he would not die for it: So that if we have no reafon to doubt of the Knowledge' of thofe,Witneffes (as certainly we have no reafon, the things which they tefti- . fled being plain matters, what they faw and heard, in which every Man knows whether he fpeaks true or not; I fay, if we have no reafon to doubt of their Knowledge,) we cannot queftion their Integrity and Sincerity, having the higheft Evidence of that, which this World can afford: for there cannot be a better Ar- gument ofthe Integrity of Witneffes, than to lay down their lives for their Te- ftimony. II. If the Apoftles were credible Witneffes, then was their Teftimony fufficient to perfuade belief. For what greater Evidence can any Man have of any thing which himfelf has not feen, than to receive it from credible Eye.witneffes, that is, from fuch Perfons as we have all the reafon in the world to judge worthy of credit.: This Evidence Men are contented to accept in other Cafes, as fufficient to induce belief : and if we will not accept it in matters of Religion, we are very partial and unjuft. We find that upon the Evidence of credible Witneffes Men generally proceed with good affurance in humane Affairs; the chief temporal In- terefts of Men, of their Eftates, and Reputation, and Lives are determined upon no better Evidence than this. Now if in matters of Religion we will rejeft the Evidence which fhall be fufficient to fway our affent in other things, it is a plain fign that we have lefs mind to Religion than to other things ; that we have fome intereft or pique againft it; otherwife we would not refufe to yield an equal Af- fent, where the Evidence is equal. This Reafon tells us; and our Saviour in effeft fays the fame thing, when he chargeth thofe who rejected this Evidence of credible Witneffes with the fin of Unbelief. Mark r6. 14. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven, as they fatè at meat, and upbraided themwith their unbelief and hardnefs ofheart , becaufe they believed not themwhich had feen bim after he was rifen. But now if the Tefti- rnony of credible Witneffes be not a fufficient ground of Faith, it could have been no fin in the Difciples, not to believe thofe who had feen Chrift rifen from the dead. Secondly, Thofe who received the Doftrine of Chrift from the Apoftles, liad not only the Teltimony of credibleWitneffes, but they had this Teftimony con- finned by Miracles. Becaufe the Apoftles were to go abroad into the World , and topreach to 'many who never faw nor knew them before, and confequently had no reafon at firft to believe their Teftimony, till they were fatisfied of the value of the Witneffes; and this would require long time, and frequent Conver- fation, fo that the Gofpel mutt have made but a very flow progrefs at this rate; and becaufe they were like to meet with great Oppofition from the Powers and Wits of the World, from the Prejudices of Education, and from the Lulls nd Interefts of Men; therefore for the fpeedier andmore effeftual propagation of the Gofpel, God was pleafed to confirm this Teftimony byMiracles, to endue thofe who were to preach the Gofpel to the World, with miraculous Powers and Gifts, of fpeaking all Languages, and healing Difeafes, and cafting out Devils, of fore- telling things to come , and raifing the dead, that being accompanied with thefe vifible and fenfible Signs of the Divine Prefence and Power , their Teltimony might more eafily be believed. And that this was the End of thofe miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghoít, the Scripture frequently tells us. Hence it is that our Saviour forbad them to preach the Gofpel abroad, till they were furnifh'd with this Power, Luke 24. 49. But tarry ye in the City of' Jerufalem, until ye be indeed with power from on high. And Nis r. 8, 9 our Saviour tells the Apoftles before his Afcenfion, But ye(hall 5 receive
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