24. We grant, nothing is more unreasonable, than to imagine that such mighty effects as these, can be wrought by that poor, empty, insignificant thing, which the world _calls_ faith, and you among them. But supposing there be such a faith on the earth, as that which the apostle speaks of, such an intercourse between God and the soul, what is too hard for such a faith? You yourselves may conceive, that _all things are possible to him that thus believeth_: to him that thus _walks with God_, that is now a citizen of heaven, an inhabitant of eternity. If therefore you will contend with _us_, you must change the ground of your attack. You must flatly deny there is any faith upon earth: but perhaps this you might think too large step. You cannot do this, without a secret condemnation in your own breast. O that you would at length cry to God for that heavenly gift! Whereby alone this truly reasonable religion, this beneficent love of God and man, can be planted in your heart.
25. If you say, “But those that profess this faith are the most unreasonable of all men;” I ask, “Who are those that profess this faith?” Perhaps you do not personally know such a man in the world. Who are they that so much as profess to have _this evidence_ of things not seen? That profess to _see him that is invisible_? To _hear the voice_ of God, and to have _his Spirit_ ever _witnessing with their spirits, that they are the children of_ God? I fear you will find few that even profess _this faith_, among the large numbers of those who are called believers.
*26. “However, there are enough that profess themselves Christians.” Yea, too many, God knoweth: too many that confute their vain professions, by the whole tenour of their lives. I will allow all you can say on this head, and perhaps more than all. ’Tis now some years since I was engaged unawares in a conversation with a strong reasoner, who at first urged the wickedness of the _American Indians_, as a bar to our hope of converting them to Christianity. But when I mentioned their temperance, justice, and veracity, (according to the accounts I had then received) it was asked, “Why, if those Heathens are such men as these, what will they gain by being made Christians? What would they gain by being _such Christians_ as we see every where round about us?” I could not deny, they would lose, not gain, by such a Christianity as this. Upon which she added, “Why, what else do you mean by Christianity?” My plain answer was, What do you apprehend to be more valuable than good sense, good nature, and good manners? All these are contained, and that in the highest degree, in what I mean by Christianity. Good sense, (so called) is but a poor, dim shadow of what Christians call faith. Good nature is only a faint, distant resemblance of Christian charity. And good manners, if of the most finished kind that nature assisted by art can attain to, is but a dead picture of that holiness of conversation, which is the image of God visibly expressed. All these put together by the art of God, I call Christianity. “Sir, if this be Christianity, (said my opponent in amaze) I never saw a christian in my life.”
27. Perhaps it is the same case with _you_. If so, I am grieved for you, and can only wish, ’till you do see a living proof of this, that you would not say, _you see a christian_. For this is scriptural christianity, and this alone. Whenever therefore you see an unreasonable man, you see one who perhaps calls himself by that name, but _is_ no more a _christian_ than he is an _angel_. So far as he departs from true, genuine reason, so far he departs from christianity. Do not say, this is only asserted, not proved. It is undeniably proved by the original charter of christianity. We appeal to this, to the written word. If any man’s temper, or words, or actions are contradictory to right reason; it is evident to a demonstration, they are contradictory to this. Produce any possible or conceivable instance, and you will find the fact is so. The lives therefore of those who are _called_ christians, is no just objection to christianity.