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A VIEW

OF THE

EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY.

IN THREE PARTS.

HONOURABLE AND RIGHT REVEREND

JAMES YORK, D. D.

LORD BISHOP OF ELY.

MY LORD,

WHEN, five years ago, an important station in the University of Cambridge awaited your Lordship's disposal, you were pleased to offer it to me. The circumstances under which this offer was made, demand a public acknowledgment. I had never seen your Lordship; I possessed no connexion which could possibly recommend me to your favour; I was known to you, only by my endeavours, in common with many others, to discharge my duty as a tutor in the University; and by some very imperfect, but certainly well-intended, and, as you thought, useful publications since. In an age by no means wanting in examples of honourable patronage, although this deserve not to be mentioned in respect of the object of your Lordship's choice, it is inferior to none in the purity and disinterestedness of the motives which suggested it.

How the following work may be received, I pretend not to foretell. My first prayer concerning it is, that it may do good to any my second hope, that it may assist, what it hath always been my earnest wish to promote, the religious part of an academical education. If in this latter view it might seem, in any degree, to excuse your Lordship's judgment of its author, I shall be gratified by the reflection, that, to a kindness flowing from public principles, I have made the best public return in my

power.

In the mean time, and in every event, I rejoice in the opportunity here afforded me, of testifying the sense I entertain of your Lordship's conduct, and of a notice which I regard as the most flattering distinction of my life. I am,

MY LORD,

With sentiments of gratitude and respect,

Your Lordship's faithful

And most obliged servant,

WILLIAM PALEY

VIEW

OF THE

EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY.

PREPARATORY CONSIDERATIONS.

1 DEEM it unnecessary to prove that mankind stood in need of a revelation, because I have met with no serious person who thinks that, even under the Christian revelation, we have too much light, or any degree of assurance which is superfluous. I desire moreover, that, in judging of Christianity, it may be remembered, that the question lies between this religion and none: for, if the Christian religion be not credible, no one, with whom we have to do, will support the pretensions of any other.

Suppose, then, the world we live in to have had a Creator; suppose it to appear, from the predominant aim and tendency of the provisions and contrivances observable in the universe, that the Deity, when he formed it, consulted for the happiness of his sensitive creation; suppose the disposition which dictated this counsel to continue; suppose a part of the creation to have received faculties from their Maker, by which they are capable of rendering a moral obedience to his will, and of voluntarily pursuing any end for which he has designed them; suppose the Creator to intend for these, his rational and accountable agents, a second state of existence, in which their situation will be regulated by their behaviour in the first state, by which supposition (and by

no other) the objection to the divine governinent in not putting a difference between the good and the bad, and the inconsistency of this confusion with the care and benevolence discoverable in the works of the Deity, is done away; suppose it to be of the utmost impor tance to the subjects of this dispensation to know what is intended for them; that is, suppose the knowledge of it to be highly conducive to the happiness of the species, a purpose which so many provisions of nature are calculated to promote: Suppose, nevertheless, almost the whole race, either by the imperfection of their faculties, the misfortune of their situation, or by the loss of some prior revelation, to want this knowledge, and not to be likely, without the aid of a new revelation, to attain it: Under these circumstances, is it improbable that a revelation should be made? is it incredible that God should interpose for such a purpose? Suppose him to design for mankind a future state; is it unlikely that he should acquaint him with it?

Now in what way can a revelation be made, but by miracles? In none which we are able to conceive. Consequently, in whatever degree it is probable, or not very improbable. that a revelation should be communicated to mankind at all; in the same degree is it pro

bable, or not very improbable, that miracles Now there appears a small ambiguity in the should be wrought. Therefore, when miracles term "experience," and in the phrases, “conare related to have been wrought in the pro- trary to experience," or 66 contradicting expemulgating of a revelation manifestly wanted, rience," which it may be necessary to remove and, if true, of inestimable value, the impro- in the first place. Strictly speaking, the narbability which arises from the miraculous na-rative of a fact is then only contrary to expeture of the things related, is not greater than rience, when the fact is related to have existthe original improbability that such a revela-ed at a time and place, at which time and place tion should be imparted by God. we being present, did not perceive it to exist:

I wish it, however, to be correctly under- as if it should be asserted, that in a particular stood, in what manner, and to what extent, room, and at a particular hour of a certain this argument is alleged. We do not assume day, a man was raised from the dead, in which the attributes of the Deity, or the existence of room, and at the time specified, we being prea future state, in order to prove the reality of sent and looking on, perceived no such event miracles. That reality always must be proved to have taken place. Here the assertion is by evidence. We assert only, that in mira- contrary to experience properly so called: and cles adduced in support of revelation, there is this is a contrariety which no evidence can surnot any such antecedent improbability as no tes mount. It matters nothing, whether the fact be timony can surmount. And for the purpose of a miraculous nature or not. But although this of maintaining this assertion, we contend, that be the experience, and the contrariety, which the incredibility of miracles related to have Archbishop Tillotson alleged in the quotation been wrought in attestation of a message from with which Mr. Hume opens his Essay, it is God, conveying intelligence of a future state certainly not that experience, nor that conof rewards and punishments, and teaching trariety, which Mr. Hume himself intended mankind how to prepare themselves for that to object. And, short of this, I know no instate, is not in itself greater than the event, telligible signification which can be affixed to call it either probable or improbable, of the two the term "contrary to experience," but one, following propositions being true: namely, viz. that of not having ourselves experienced first, that a future state of existence should be any thing similar to the thing related, or such destined by God for his human creation; and, things not being generally experienced by secondly, that, being so destined, he should others. I say "not generally :" for to state acquaint them with it. It is not necessary for concerning the fact in question, that no such our purpose, that these propositions be capa-thing was ever experienced, or that universa ble of proof, or even that, by arguments drawn experience is against it, is to assume the subfrom the light of nature, they can be made out ject of the controversy.

to be probable; it is enough that we are able Now the improbability which arises from to say concerning them, that they are not so the want (for this properly is a want, not a violently improbable, so contradictory to what contradiction) of experience, is only equal to we already believe of the divine power and the probability there is, that, if the thing were character, that either the propositions them- true, we should experience things similar to it, selves, or facts strictly connected with the pro- or that such things would be generally experi positions (and therefore no further improbable enced. Suppose it then to be true that mirathan they are improbable,) ought to be reject- cles were wrought on the first promulgation ed at first sight, and to be rejected by what- of Christianity, when nothing but miracles ever strength or complication of evidence they could decide its authority, is it certain that 'be attested. such miracles would be repeated so often, and This is the prejudication we would resist. in so many places, as to become objects of geFor to this length does a modern objection to neral experience? Is it a probability approach. miracles go, viz. that no human testimony can ing to certainty? is it a probability of any in any case render them credible. I think the great strength or force? is it such as no evireflection above stated, that, if there be a re-dence can encounter? And yet this probabivelation, there must be miracles, and that un- lity is the exact converse, and therefore the der the circumstances in which the human exact measure, of the improbability which aris species are placed, a revelation is not improba- es from the want of experience, and which ble, or not improbable in any great degree, to Mr. Hume represents as invincible by human be a fair answer to the whole objection. testimony.

But since it is an objection which stands in It is not like alleging a new law of nature, the very threshold of our argument, and if ad- or a new experiment in natural philosophy; mitted, is a bar te every proof, and to all fu- because, when these are related, it is expected ture reasoning upon the subject, it may be ne- that, under the same circumstances, the same cessary, before we proceed further, to examine effect will follow universally; and in proporthe principle upon which it professes to be tion as this expectation is justly entertained, founded; which principle is concisely this, the want of a corresponding experience negaThat it is contrary to experience that a mira- tives the history. But to expect concerning a cle should be true, but not contrary to experi- miracle, that it should succeed upon a repetience that testimony should be false. tion, is to expect that which would make it

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