fufficiently exposes it. Upon this principle, the faith that is founded upon the fingle testimony of one man is more valuable, than the faith that is founded upon the united teftimonies of twelve men, fuppofing them to be all perfons of equal credit; and it is more valuable for this reafon, viz. because, in the former cafe, the evidence upon which faith is founded is eleven times weaker than in the latter, as one is eleven times less than twelve. The value of faith may likewise be greatly heightened, by the circumftances that attend the cafe. If the teftimony of twelve men is directly contrary to the teftimony of one man, and if it appears that the twelve were better qualified to know the truth of the cafe referred to, than that fingle evidence, and likewife were known to be perfons of greater veracity, and so were more likely to testify the truth of what they knew concerning it; these circumstances greatly weaken the credit of that fingle evidence, and confequently, they greatly heighten the value of that faith that is grounded on his teftimony. But, furely, nothing can be more prepofterous than to suppose, that the faith founded on the teftimony of one man is in nature more meritorious, than the faith that is founded

on

on the testimonies of twelve men, in oppofition to that fingle evidence, which twelve witneffes are better qualified to know the truth of the cafe, and are more likely to relate the truth of what they know; or to fuppofe the faith that is founded upon the teftimony of another man, who is capable of deceiving, as well as being deceived, is more valuable, than to affent upon the evidence that arises from what we ourselves have feen and heard. And yet, this must be the cafe, if the valuableness of faith arifes from the weakness of the evidence upon which it is grounded. St. Thomas believed the refurrection of Christ, upon the evidence that arofe from his own fenfes; another man believed the fame fact, upon St. Thomas's teftimony; now, as the ground of affent to St. Thomas was most certainly Stronger, than the ground of affent to the other, as a man comes nearer to certainty by what he sees and hears himself, than by what is told him by another man; so affent in St. Thomas, furely, was rather more proper, and therefore, rather more valuable, than affent in the other perfon, if there be any disparity in the cafe, whatever may have been faid to the contrary; at least, it appears so to me. If St. Thomas withheld his affent to

the

the fact beforementioned, when proper evidence had been presented to him, and if his diffent fprang from any unreasonable prejudice, any great impropriety in his conduct and refolutions, in this he may have been greatly blameable; but then, I think, his faith did not become less valuable when he did believe, by the evidence being ftronger than that evidence was which had been offered to him before, and which had been, perhaps, through his inattention, or otherwife, infufficient for his conviction. Surely, according to the principle before laid down, the excellency of chriftianity must confift in the reverfing of nature; tho', I think, Chrift did not intend to fet forth, that faith founded upon weak evidence is more worthy, more valuable, than faith that is founded upon evidence that is stronger; but only that other believers would share in the advantages, that are fuppofed to follow believing, as well as St. Thomas, notwithstanding their faith was not founded on fenfible evidence, as his was. Thomas, because thou haft feen me, thou haft believed; but then, tho' the favour of feeing my perfon, fince I arofe from the dead, as thou haft done, has been vouchfafed but to a few; yet, nevertheless, others who answer

the

the purpose of believing will not fail of sharing in the bleffedness, that attends it, as well as thee, notwithstanding they have not been convinced, upon fuch fenfible evidence, as thou hast been. Thomas, because thou haft feen me, thou haft believed; bleffed [alfo] are they who have not seen, and yet have believed. As the above paraphrafe is confonant to truth; so, I think it justly expreffes the fenfe of the text.

SINCE my putting together the foregoing reflections, the reverend and ingenious Mr. Foster has published * his fentiments, touching the morality of faith; and has attempted to fhew, that faith, founded on fenfible evidence, is lefs valuable or moral, than faith founded on other evidence; but then, he does not ground this disparity upon the strength and weakness of the evidence, but upon other circumstances, which he fuppofes peculiar to each cafe; viz. that faith in the former, or when grounded on fenfible evidence, is in a manner forced, and involuntary, and thereby is more cafy and cheap to the believer; whereas, faith in the latter cafe requires more pains to be taken, more ingenuity, more care and application to procure it. Upon which, I obferve, that in fome inftances the cafe may

* See Mr. Fofter's Sermons, Vol. III. Sermon ix.

be

be as it is represented, and in other inftances it may be the reverfe. Suppofe a friend of mine, upon whofe teftimony I have just ground to rely, was lately come from London, and he voluntarily informed me, (without any application of mine to procure the information) that the pillar, lately standing near London-Bridge, commonly called the Monument, was fallen down; in this inftance, faith, founded on the testimony of my friend, would be in a manner forced and involuntary, and would be much more eafy and cheap to me, than faith founded on fenfible evidence, because that would require my taking the care and pains of a journey to London, to inspect the place, in order to procure it. But, admitting the case were always, as is reprefented above, then, in this view of it, the worth and morality that attends it, is not fo much relative to faith, as to that rectitude of action, by which a man discharges his mind of all partiality and prejudice, and examines carefully, and candidly, all the evidence that falls within his notice, both for, and against, the question in debate; this rectitude of action being plainly diftinct from, and previous to faith, and is equally valuable, whether it be productive of faith, or of it's contrary, viz.

infidelity