X.

SER M. elevated of all fo called: who every Day finds within himself the Experiences of a Creature, capable of being deceived; and standing in need of all favourable Allowances, both from God, and his Fellow-Creatures. But,

II. Suppofing that We could be, not only morally certain, but infallibly fecure, that All the Points which We ourfelves embrace as Parts of Religion, were really True, and Irreprehenfible; the next thing to be confidered is, That it is naturally impoffible, by outward Evils, to force the Inward Affent of Others or to make their real Sentiments about those Points conformable to our own. For the Affent of the Mind to any thing as Truth, must be upon fuch Evidence, as makes it appear to be Truth. Now nothing External can make any Propofition appear True to a Man's Underftanding. Whatever doth that, must be of a kind, congenial to the Mind within: To which outward Force bears no Similitude, nor Relation. It is Reafon and Argument, either real, or fuppofed, that works within; and which alone muft do fo, till the Nature of Man, and of Truth, be totally altered.

If a Blind Man were put upon the Rack, day after day; and intenfe Torments applied to Him, for the great Crime of not feeing the

beautiful

beautiful Colours, which his Neighbours fee. s ER M. This might extort from him a Proteftation, that X. He doth fee them; nay, it might create in w Him fuch an Inclination to fee them, that He might fancy, He did fo: But it is plainly true, that it would not make Him really fee any thing like them. He would ftill be the fame Blind Man; uncapable of feeing, and unacquainted with Colours, till All Defects fhould be rectified, and All Things requifite to the Purpose of Sight, fhould be rightly difpofed.

Thus it is, in the greater Cafe before Us. All Men are pleafed to fuppofe, that They themfelves fee and perceive Truth, and that Others are blind, and stupid, just so far as They differ from Them. Be it fo. Let Us be wife and knowing; and let the Herd around us be all Blindness, and Ignorance. Muft it follow, therefore, that the Application of Outward Evils will work that Perfuafion in Others, which will make Them, altogether fuch as we are, in the Inward Sentiment? No. It may create a Wicked Prevarication, a falfe Proteftation, an impious Hypocrify; all ending in Irreligion and Atheism, which We muft in great Measure answer for: Or, It may go fo far, as to make Creatures, distracted with the Intensenefs of Pain, fancy at laft that They fee what Others fee, and believe what Others believe. But this can

X.

SER M. be no more than Imagination, or Fancy; because it is plain that the Medium made Ufe of, is not the proper Mean, or Inftrument, to convey a real Perfuafion. Force is not Evidence; Torment is not Argument. And therefore, whatever it may work, tho' bearing never fo much Refemblance to Perfuafion; yet it cannot be That it felf in Reality, because That can no more be the Effect of any thing merely external, than the Sight of a Blind Man can be reftored by tormenting him in an improper Place, and Manner.

This is fo plain, that Thofe who profess to argue for any fort of outward Penalties, or Inconveniences, upon Accounts merely Religious, if They ever touch this Argument, only alledge, that thofe outward Things duly applied, may make Perfons the more willingly attend to Argument and Reason: For fo Every thing is called by Men, which Themselves hold, or would appear to hold. appear to hold. And from this Conceffion it is plain, that it is the Evidence and Argument, which is the Mean of this fuppofed Conviction; and that even by Themselves nothing but this is fuppofed, or can be fuppofed, to work a real Change, in the Perfuafion, and inward Sentiments of any Man. And this being the only Glofs that can be put upon this Proceeding,

very

III. It

III. It is to be confidered that, fuppofing SER M. This were poffible; it is neither the Business, X. nor the Intereft of Truth, to be received, by

fuch Methods, or in fuch a Manner.

It is

much better, and more pleafing, in the Eyes of Almighty God; `if We can judge at all, either of his Nature, or of his Revelation by Jefus Chrift; That any Man, in the Uprightness and Sincerity of his Heart, fhould remain in an Error, than that He fhould embrace the Truth, fo induced, and fo perfuaded to it. It is the great Intereft of Truth, to be received upon fuch Motives, and Principles, as are manly and honeft; fuch as lay the Foundation deep within, and are directly oppofite and contradictory to Those by which alone Falfhood is, or can be, fupported.

But when a Man is worked upon, by Torments, or any fort of outward Inconveniences only, to wish, or incline, to see a Point to be True; and the Inclination carries Him to affent, as He thinks, to the fuppofed Arguments for it; He is not at all fure that He hath not parted with his Integrity, for a Speculation; that He hath not made Ship-wreck of his Confcience, for the fake of a fuppofed Faith: or, that He is not worthy of that Imputation of holding the Truth, in Unrighteousness. It is plain

X.

SER M. ly an Accidental thing to Him, if He should, by this Method, be brought to a Right Opinion in any thing. It is wrought by fuch Methods, as would as certainly have turned him from Truth to Error, as from Error to Truth. He doth not, therefore, reap the Honour of a fincere and hearty Lover of Truth; and perhaps lofes entirely the Reward of all his former Uprightnefs and Integrity. Almighty God gains no Servant, no faithful Dependent, in Him: nor doth the Man fecure to Himself any Share in the Favour and Love of God; as far as We know, either by Nature, or the Gofpel, the Will of our Heavenly Father.

And, as it is not at all the Intereft of Truth, to be accidentally received, juft in the fame manner, as Error it self might; fo, is it the greateft Indignity and Dishonour that can poffibly be offered to that fame Truth, for whofe Service, as it is pretended, this great Concern is fhewn. For what hath Truth to boast against it's Enemy, and it's Oppofite, but that the One ftands in need of nothing but Light and Evidence, to recommend it to Men's Minds; and that the Other cannot be fupported without the Paffions and Wrath of Man? This Boafting is entirely deftroyed, when the Methods of propagating and fupporting Truth and Falfhood, are made the fame. This puts them upon an

equal