PART II. SERMON XVI. 21 principles ofreason and argument. The first sort óf reproaches are those which are cast upon the doctrines of the gospel, and I hope I have rolled them away. I repeat no more of these things, but proceed to the next sort of occasions of shame, and ,;These are such as are sup- posed to arise from the professors of this gospel ; and I shall endeavour to spew you also how they may be answered. They are chiefly these four. I. Some will say, " The professors of this gospel in the beginning were the weak, and foolish, and mean things of this world ; but it was despised by the wise, it was scorned by the great and honourable, and persecuted by the mighty. Why should a Paul, a pharisee, a doctor of the law, become a fol- lower of a carpenter's Son, and associate with a parcel of fishermen ? This is a scandal, and foolish indeed. Who among Mepharisees or rulers have believed on him; John vii. 48." This was the stumbling-block of the gospel in that age, and it is the stumbling-block at which many persons take offence in our agetoo. as It is the unthinking multitude, say they, the mere mob of mankind, that are led away with the noise of strange things and the gospel. And it is only those who have no relishofgood sense that can dispense with mysteries. The poorer and weaker sort of men and women flock after your powerful preachers of the gospel, but wise men despise it." I amvery glad, my friends, if inyour conversationyoumeetwith no such persons that ridicule the gospel at this rate. But thereare many in our age and nation arrived at this height ofpride and contemptof the gospel. - This objection mayhave more answers than one given to it ; asfirst, it is a matter of unjust reproach, and it is false in fact ; for all the professors of this gospel are not weak and unlearned. Therehave been in the very beginning of christianity some wise, some great persons, that have given testimony to this gospel by their believing it. St. Paul was a man of no weak reason, no mean understanding, no small learning, and yet he believes this gospel, and professeshe is not ashamed of it. And there havebeen in most ages of the church some instan- ces of the power and success of this gospel in converting philoso- phers and senators and princes. The learned, the ingenious, and the noble amongst mankind have sometimes given up their names to Christ, have yielded their assent to his doctrines, and con- formed their hearts and lives to the rules of his gospel. Men of wit and reason have been converted to the faith, andthen have exerted their peculiar talents in the defence of christianity, and they have convinced the worldthat they had neitherleft theirrea- a3
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