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SERM.IV. and certainly it was no very material Point, that the Prophets and Apoftles should be fecured from Miftakes that were not material; no more than it was fo, that Providence should fuperintend all fucceeding Tranfcribers, and preferve them from fuch Errata, as do not in the leaft defeat the original Intention of Revelation, or affect one effential Point. The grand Point is, whether we have fatisfactory Evidence that Christianity is a Revelation from God con→ taining every thing neceffary to fecure his Favour and our Happiness; not, whether it be a Revelation given us exactly in the fame Way and Manner that we may imagine it should have been, and with that Degree of Clearnefs, Fulnefs and Freedom from every Stumbling-block as we might have expected: For it has been proved*, that God does not, in the Course of his Providence, difpenfe other Bleffings to us in the fame Way and Manner as we, previously to Experience, should have expected.

The Question therefore between the Deifts and us being not, whether the Infpiration of the Scriptures be universal as to ni 2diocreal here

See Bishop BUTLER'S Analogy, Part II, Ch. 3.

every Thing however inconfiderable; but, SERM.IV. whether it be fo fufficient as to take in all Points that have a Relation to Faith and Practice; fo fufficient, that we may abfolutely depend upon it in every interesting Concern: to fet Christianity afide, it must not only be proved that the infpired Writers have erred in Points of no Confequence, and upon which nothing depends: (for this would only prove that God left them to themselves in those Cafes, and did not interpofe where there was no Occafion for him to interpofe.) It must be demonstrated that they have erred in the weightier Points, which make Revelation à Matter worthy to be received of all Men; or in the main Subftance of fome Fact, upon which the Truth of Revelation depends. Unless they can do this, they will only, like the Serpent, bite the Heel, or give a Wound (far from being incurable) to Religion in it's lower or lefs noble Parts; without bruifing it's Head or hurting it in the capital, vital and conftituent Parts.

But we will fuppofe their Charges of an higher Nature; Charges of Repugnances to Reason, Abfurdities and Impoffibilities in Matters of Moment. Now the Queftion

is,

SERM. IV. is, whether these Abfurdities which they object, relate to Things of whofe Nature we are fully apprized. We are fully apprized of the Nature of moral Evidence, it being that, upon which we do and must act in the daily Course of Life: and we cannot reject, what has fo high a Degree of it as Chriftianity hath, without embracing Abfurdities Abfurdities as to a Point with the Nature of which we are fully acquainted, and therefore, we may be fure Abfurdities really fuch. We cannot, for Instance, reject divine Faith without cancelling all human, and breaking the Chain which con nects Man to Man: a monftrous Abfurdity most certainly, and big with fatal Confequences. But if the Abfurdities charged upon Christianity relate to Points of which we are not thoroughly apprized; Nothing is more common, than in fuch Points to imagine Abfurdities where there are none, and therefore they may be imaginary, not real Impoffibilities. Thus an ignorant American would think it abfolutely impoffible that our Thoughts might, without any oral Meffage, be conveyed from our Country to his. The Reason is, he wants an Idea,' the Idea of Letters or Characters; which,

as

as foon as he hath acquired, the feeming SERM.IV. Impoffibility vanifheth. And how many Ideas may we want, as to Things above. our Ken, or imperfectly revealed; which, fuppofing we were Masters of them, would clear up every feeming Repugnancy to Reafon? Thus again a Perfon unacquainted with Painting would deem it impoffible, that an even Canvafs fhould exhibit what is uneven, the human Body with all it's Prominences and Depreffions. A Stranger to Mathematics would think it a gross Absurdity to affert, that two Lines fhould be ever approaching one another, without a Poffibility of meeting. That there are Quantities infinitely small, fome of which are infinitely greater than others; that there is a Series of them, each infinitely less than the preceding, and infinitely more confiderable than the following, approaching nearer and nearer, in an endless Progreffion to Nothing, which yet they never arrive at : These are Truths which would be looked upon by Men unskilled in Algebraic Calculations, as the Reveries of a distempered Mind, but are thought, by the great Mafters of Science, to be Proofs of the Extent

of

SERM.IV. of human Understanding, and the utmost Efforts of our Abilities.

What then? Would you have us to admit any Thing that contradicts any clear Principle or evident Conclufion of Reason? No, I would have you act agreeably to the clear Dictates of Reafon; it being a clear Dictate of Reason, that partial and imperfect Views may, and often do, occafion an Appearance of Wrongness and Abfurdity, which a full comprehenfive Knowledge of the whole Cafe entirely removes. Thefe Appearances of Abfurdities are but Shadows, which are owing to a Privation of Light, or that the Light does not diffuse itself over the whole Body of Truth, which has to us it's dark as well as bright Side, We should remember that we know many Things but in Part; that the most extenfive Understanding hath it's Boundaries 3 and that, when it is arrived at it's full Height, the Man cannot, however much Thought he may take, add one Cubit to the Stature or Size of it: that though we may shorten the Line of our Knowledge, as we may do that of our Lives, by our own Default, we cannot extend it beyond the Period