mind, and was fenfible of the end he proposed to serve. No one but will acknowledge, that there is a confiftent defign appearing in his conduct, as it is laid before us in the gospels, and a scheme formed, which he ftedfaftly prosecuted; and in the profecuting of it, fuffered unto death. And, if enthusiasm will not account for his appearance and conduct, much lefs, furely, will a formed defign to impofe on mankind account for it. It is utterly impoffible to bring the character of Chrift, as it is collected from the gofpels, and that of a deceiver, to confift together. He did not act like one, who intended to delude the ignorant and undiscerning into his fervice, that he might promote fome temporal intereft to himself, at their expence; for he was himself, from his firft public appearance,

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appearance, á conftant fufferer, and he was the firft martyr in this caufe. No appearance of corrupt defign in him, no felfish end to be ferved. On the contrary, all perfonal appearances of purity, goodness, and fimplicity of fpirit, with the greateft firmness in pursuing his defign to the laft. But I fhall not enter at prefent farther into this argument. I hope it will clearly appear, in the following difcourfes, that neither guileful cunning and art, nor enthusiasm, can account for the propagation of Christianity, and its establishment in the world. It may, however, be observed, that as the impoftor and enthusiast are almost oppofite characters, if the adverfaries of the Chriftian religion fhould be divided in their opinions between them, fome pronouncing, that religion a mere imposture, and

the

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the perfons, who invented and pagated it, deceivers of mankind; others afcribing the whole to enthufiafm; the patrons of these opposite hypotheses may be left to debate the matter between themselves. In the mean time, let it be confidered, that the world hath been long in poffeffion of Christianity; and that it prevailed at firft, without any aid from civil power, and notwithstanding cruel perfecution, is unquestionable. To what cause are we to afcribe this? To avoid entering into the inquiry, and totally to neglect any application to it, by which we might come to fatisfaction in our own minds, is very inexcufable. Nor can fuch a total neglect, and inattention, be juftified by the number of impoftors or enthusiasts in matters of religion, which have appeared in the world, and the de3 lufions

lufions they have attempted to put upon mankind. Many of these have perished soon after their appearance, and scarcely any traces of them are left, which fhould induce any inquiry concerning them. In other attempts, which had more lafting confequences, and concerning which fome moments and records are remaining, it is eafy, at this very day, to detect the impofture, or the power of enthusiasm, in them, and the methods, by which they prevailed. The cafe is certainly very different, with respect to Christianity. Inftead of a readiness and forwardnefs in those, who do not believe, to point out the evidence of imposture and delufion, hardly ever any ferious attempt of that kind hath been made. But the believer

is put upon the proof, of what may be called the negative, which, in ordinary

ordinary matters, is never required. All poffible hypotheses are made, at pleasure, to account for the characters and facts in the New Teftament, different from the one, which the believer hath fixed upon; and he must take it upon him to fhew, that none of these hypotheses, aided by all the advantages of human invention, can give as rational a folution of the appearances, as the one, upon which he infifteth. The very pretence to divine revelation is thought fufficient to beget the perfuafion, or, at least, suspicion of imposture or enthusiasm: and fo far it is natural it fhould be fo, while we are only told, in general, that fuch and fuch perfons have been commiffioned from God, to declare his will tò mankind, have been inftructed in it by revelation from him, and to have affumed a character quite out of the ordinary