been raised against the religion of Christ, and which have been often answered; but only to fhew, in fome inftances, that the caufe of Christianity hath not been treated by its adversaries with that candour and fairness, which one would wish, and especially in a debate of fuch moment to the world. Let them argue with all the strength they can; but with ingenuousness of mind. A candid and impartial inquiry is all, that the friends of Chrif tianity can demand. And fuch an inquiry only will justify a man to God and his own confcience; and here the matter must rest. Howit may certainly be faid, not to be poffible, that a perfon, who attendeth to the many arguments, which have been offered in defence of Christianity, and the evidences of its divine authority, fhould come

ever,

at once to a thorough' conviction and full determination in his own mind, that it is all fiction and imposture, and fo fhould, without any remaining doubt or hefitation, reject it. Now, if there be remain ing doubt, which, in a matter of fuch moment, nuft be always attended with difquiet, this will put an honeft and candid perfon upon farther inquiry, and a more clofe attention to what hath been, faid for and against this religion. And for fuch a serious and impartial inquiry the best, and indeed an abfolutely neceffary, preparation is a freedom from all corrupt affection, which might biafs the understanding. Let the candid inquirer be, upon the ftricteft examination of himself, well affured, that the perfect purity of the Christian religion doth not raise any dislike of it in his mind ;

and

and that his becoming convinced of the truth and divine authority of it, would occafion no painful tumults within. This may be very justly infifted upon. For it is to be expected, that where any corrupt, affection hath at prefent the afcendant, it will, though perhaps in a great measure infenfibly to the perfon himself, in whom it prevaileth, greatly hurt the moral difcernment. And in fuch a cafe, in which a perfon, if he attendeth, will find himself in some pain, left the Christian, religion fhould prove true, he is not like to be fuccefsful in his inquiries. But where truth alone is honeftly fought after, and the mind without biafs lieth open to evidence, there the labours beftowed in the investigation of the truth are like to be happily rewarded by finding it.

It appeareth to be one part of the discipline intended for us in our prefent ftate, that we fhould by careful inquiry search after and find out truth. But in matters of the greateft moment to the right conduct of life, the neceffity of labouring and taking pains in this way doth not arife fo much from any intricacy in the fubjects of inquiry, as from prejudices and culpable biaffes upon the mind, which indeed it may require very great attention and application thoroughly to fubdue. But furely this is a business, in which we ought to apply ourselves with great earneftness; for if the light, which is in us, be darkness, how great is that darkness? And as our Creator did not intend, that we fhould be furnished with knowledge, even of that kind, which is neceffary for

↑ Matt. vi. 23.

our

our ferving most important purposes of life, without the labour of our own minds; fo he hath made it our duty to employ our powers with care and integrity in the pursuit of it; and to him we muft at laft anfwer for the part we act. If we search after truth with becoming diligence, under the influence of a fixed determination to embrace it, wherever we find fufficient evidence, this will be attended with the approbation of our confciences; this will give us confidence towards God. To apply this to the cafe of Christianity, and the evidences, by which the divine authority is to be fupported; every one seeth, that the truth in this cafe is not of fuch a nature, as is capable of demonftration, nor will admit of fuch an overbearing evidence, as some other things are capable of: but we infift upon it, that

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