Serm. CXCI. the Chriflian Revelation: óos When the Apoftles wrought Miracles, it is faid, that the HighPrieft and they that were with himwere filled with indignation. And when St. Stephen preached to them, it is faid, Theygnafhed on himwith their teeth. And St.Paulacknowledgeth of himfelf, while he oppofed the truth of Chriftianity, hewas mad againit all that were of that way. VIII. And Iaftly, to mention no more, Infidelityand oppofition to the Truth is ufually attended with bloody and inhuman perfecution i a certain argument of a weak caufe; and which wants better means of convi&ion. Thus the Jews treated our Saviour ; when they could not deal with him by reafon, they perfecuted him and fought to kill him, .7ohn 5.16. AndChap. 8.59. When our Saviour had anfwe- red all their obje&ions, and they had nothing to reply upon him , They took up hones to call at him; a fign their reafons were fpent, and that their argumentswere at an end. Thus Infidelity and Error betrays its own weaknefs, and want of rea- fon on its fide, by making ufe of fuclr brutifh and unreafonable weapons in its own defence. Our bleffed Saviour and his Apoftles never thought of propagating their Religion by thefe inhuman and barbarous ways. Thefe methods aré proper to the deftroyer; but notto theLambofGod, and Saviour of men. The Son ofMan. came not to defiroy mens lives, but to fave them; to do good to the Bodies and to the Souls of men ; and not to deftroy their Bodies, no not in order to the laving of their Souls. All the means that he or his Apoftles ufed, were teaching and perfuading, and that with great meeknefs: Learn of me, for I ammeek, faith our Lord : and the Apoftles every where command the Teachers of thisReligion, . to Then' all gentlenefs to all men, and in meeknefs to infiruft thofe that oppofe themfelves¡ if Godperadventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth. They did not ga about.to convert men by armed force, and ways ofviolence and cruelty. It is a fign that reafon runs very lowwith that Religion, which bath no better Argument's to perfuade men to it, than Dragoons, and the Galles ; thefe are carnal, and therefore not ChrJlian weapons. So St. Paul tells us, The weapons of our warfare are not carnal; and yet they weremighty tkroughGod, tofubdue a great part of the World to the belief and obedience of the Chriftian Religion. Thus I have done with the fourth particular in the Text the unreafonablenefs of Infide- lity, and oppofition to the Truth. The two retraining ones I (hall difpatch in a few words. Fifthly therefore, I obferv'd the true reafon and account of mens oppofition to the truth, and reje&ion of it; Men loved darknefs rather than light, becaufe their deeds were evil. And indeeddarknefs is more fuitable to a wicked and vicious life, be- caufe the deformity of it is not fo eafily difcovered as in the light; this makes the evil of mens a&ions more manifeft, and their faults more inexcufable. Men may pretend other reafons for their Infidelity and oppofition of the Truth, and may feem to argue againft the principles of Religion in good earneft, and againft thereafona- blenefs and truth of Chriftianity, from a real contraryperfuafion: but no man that loath thefe things fairly propofed to him, and with all theadvantages they are capa- ble of, and bath the patience to confider the true nature and deign of theChrifti anDolrine, but muff acknowledge it, not only to be the molt reafonable, but the molt divine, molt likely to come from -God, and to make men like to God, of any Religion that ever yet appeared in the world. If any man rejel it, it is not becaufe he bath good and fufficient reafons againft it; but becaufehe is fway'd by force un- reafonable prejudice or paffion, or byafl'ed by force luft or intereft, which he is ftrongly addi&ed to, and loath to part with, and yet hemuff part with it, if he en- tertain this Religion, and fubmit himfelf to the terms and rules of it. This is that which commonly lies at the bottom of Infidelity, and is the true reafon of their oppofition to the Truth, that their deeds are evil. And it is natural for eve- ry man to defend himfelf, and juftifie his doings as well as he can ; and if Religi- on be clearly againft him, to fet himfelf with all the defuite and malice he can a- gainft Religion, and to hate, and with all his might to oppofe that which contra- di&s thatcourfe whichhe is in love with, and is refolved to continue in : for as our Saviour reafons in a like cafe, No man can ferve two mafiers ; but either he will bate:the one, and love the other or he will cleave to the one, and quit the other. Men
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