The certainty of the Christian revelation, and the necessity of believing it, established in opposition to all the cavils and insinuations of such as pretend to allow natural religion, and reject the Gospel / by Francis Gastrell ...

But, if notwithstanding this wonder∣ful Power and Appearance of Divine Aid, they were Persons of a contra∣ry Character, and otherwise assisted; then is it utterly inconceivable they should be so much concerned to invent and propagate, and so earnest to persuade all People to believe what only made for the Honour of another, at the same time they knew it to be false; when they might better have served their own ends, whatever they were, in concealing it from the World, if it had been true. For, whatever farther Designs they had, 'tis certain they intended to have their own Miracles believed in order to compass them; and they could not possibly hope to make People believe they work'd M••∣racles openly and publickly in their pre∣sence,

by vouching some done by ano∣ther, which they themselves only were Witnesses of: The difficulty of believing these was likelier to lessen than increase the Credibility of their own, the uncon∣tested certainty of which, was the chief Thing that made the other believed.

This is sufficient to establish the private Miracles of Christ.

Whatever Miracles are Recorded as done by the first Apostles and Disciples of Christ, or any other Christian Believers af∣terwards privately in the presence of a few; the Characters and publick Miracles of the Persons that did them, are, to those who were not Witnesses of them, a sufficient Warrant for the Truth of their Relation, or of any other Account not contradicted by them: And those few, who were Witnesses, had a more Sensible Conviction themselves, and were a fur∣ther security for the Truth of the Re∣lation of them to others.

What hath been said of the Miracles, will hold in like manner of the Prophe∣cies Recorded in the New Testament; only there is one Thing to be observed, which is peculiar to Prophecies, and which makes

the proof of them somewhat different from that of Miracles; though, I think, in no respect less, but in some instances rather greater.

This peculiar Character of Prophecies is, that every Prophecy consists of two Parts; a Prediction and an Accomplishment, which are commonly at some distance from one another; from whence it hap∣pens, that the same Persons who are Wit∣nesses of the one, may not be so of the other, which seems to take off some∣thing from the Credibility of the whole Fact, that often depending upon the Agreement of several Persons, who were at different times Witnesses to several parts of it: But then, on the other hand, if we consider the Prediction only, as well Attested and Recorded in Writing before the appointed time of its Accomplish∣ment, a Prophecy will have this advantage of a Miracle, that more People may have read the Prediction in Writing than can possibly be Witnesses of a Miracle at the time when 'tis done, and consequently, there may be often-times more Witnesses of the Accomplishment of a Prophecy than of the Performance of a Miracle; forasmuch as things Prophesied of are

commonly Events of such a nature as have a more fixt and continued Existence, and a much wider compass of Appearance than Mi∣racles have: And besides this, for a Per∣son acquainted with the Prediction, to be satisfied of the Accomplishment, 'tis sufficient to know such an Event is any ways come to pass, without knowing any thing of the Power by which it was done, or perceiving any thing extraordi∣nary or unusual in the manner of its hap∣pening.

Thus for Example, the Destruction of Jerusalem, and Extirpation of the Jewish Na∣tion, were Events of a wider and more lasting Congizance than Healing a Sick, or Raising a Dead Man; and a Person who knew the former were foretold by read∣ing the Prediction in Writing, might be more easily and certainly satisfied of the truth of their Accomplishment, than one who was not an actual Spectator of the other Facts, could be of the truth of them: For to be assured that that Pre∣diction was fulfilled, and that therefore it was a true Prophecy 'twas enough to know that Jerusalem was Destroyed, and the Jewish People driven out of their Country, whatever way this came a∣bout;

but to know that such a Man was Well, or such another Alive, or that the one had been Sick, and the other to all appearance Dead, is not sufficient to con∣vince a Man of the truth of the Miracle in either case; and a Person who did not see the Manner and Circumstances in which each of these Facts was done, can receive no assurance of them afterwards, but from the Testimony of others; be∣cause there are no visible Remains and Footsteps of the Miracle left after the Action is over; whereas, in the other In∣stance of Prophecy, the Event is constantly the same it was at first, and equally con∣vincing at all times to every one that will take the pains to satisfie himself.

And further, if a considerable time intervene between the Prediction and the Accomplishment, and the Record of the Prediction was very publick before the thing happen'd, the Persons who live af∣ter the Accomplishment, and so were im∣mediate Witnesses of neither part of the Prophecy, may be more easily and fully satisfied of the truth of a particular Pro∣phecy, than of a particular Miracle, they were not Witnesses of themselves; be∣cause both the Prediction and the Accom∣plishment

being Common Facts, considered in themselves, without any relation to one another, are less liable to suspicion than unusual Events of a more surprising Nature, and the truth of the latter Fact being often certainly cognizable at any time of inquiry, there is so much time supposed between this Accomplishment and the former Prediction, that 'tis easie to find out whether that really happened out be∣fore this, which is all that is required for the truth of the whole Prophecy; the ex∣traordinary nature of which arises from the comparison of both together in order to know the reason of their Connexion, and not from any thing in the Facts them∣selves severally considered, as it does in Miracles, where the Facts themselves are wonderful, without any consideration of the Causes or Occasions of them.

Thus are the first Christian Miracles and Prophecies related and attested: These are the Grounds and Reasons upon which they were believed; and this is the summ of all the Evidence that is brought for them; which is capable of being illustra∣ted and confirm'd by a vast variety of particular Observations; but my intended

Method not allowing me to make such Inlargments, I shall conclude the Proof I was upon with this General Reflexion.

From the account that is given in the New Testament of the Miracles and Pro∣phecies there Recorded, and of the man∣ner of Preaching the Gospel, and Conver∣ting People to the Christian Religion, it plain∣ly appears that the first and principal Motive upon which any Persons believed in Christ, and imbraced the Doctrine taught by him and his Apostles, was some Miracle they themselves were actual Wit∣nesses of; for Miracles were then so common every where, that there was hardly any Christian, even among the Gentile Con∣verts, for above Threescore Years after the Promulgation of the Gospel by Christ, but was himself a Witness of some Mi∣racle wrought by others: So that, tho' they might be further confirm'd in the belief of what was taught them by the Characters of Christ and his Apostles; the Testimony of Jewish Christians, who, upon the several Persecutions in Jerusalem and all Judea, were scattered and dispersed a∣mong the Gentiles of all Nations; and the Accomplishment of Prophecies written in the Books of the Old and New Testa∣ment,

which they knew to have been written before the Events happen'd; yet the first and chief ground of their assent to the Miracles and Doctrines of the Gospel was some Miraculous Power they had themselves been Witnesses of.

When therefore we consider the vast number of Converts that were made to Christianity in the first Age of the Go∣spel, and consequently the vast Multi∣tude of seeming Miracles that must have been continually wrought for their Con∣version in all Places, together with the steady and invincible Perseverance of Christians in the Faith, notwithstanding all the variety of Sufferings they indured for believing, 'tis impossible to imagine there should be a whole Age of Delusion and Deceit; that there should be such a long continued train and series of meer empty Appearances, without any reality un∣der them; which produced such real Ef∣fects, as remain till this Day; and Effects of such an extraordinory nature, as in a very short time gave a new turn to the whole Scheme of Affairs in the most con∣siderable part of the World.

Since therefore all the common Matters of Fact mentioned in the History of the

Gospel, as we find it delivered in the New Testament, are true, as I have shewed be∣fore; and consequently, that among the rest, that the Miracles Recorded in the New Testament were believed, according to the relation there given of them; it ne∣cessarily follows from hence, that there were such Facts as those, in appearance at least, otherwise there could have been no ground for believing them in that manner as 'tis said they were believed; and if there were all those appearances of something done, I shall take it for granted, for the reason just before given, that there were so many true real Facts.

And if the Miracles are allowed to be real, the Prophecies must be so too, as be∣ing freer from all suspicion of wrong ap∣pearance.

3. The next step I am to make in the proof of the Christian History, is to shew, that what is said in the New Testament con∣cerning Divine Assistance and Revelation, is true.

Now 'tis frequently and positively as∣serted there, not only that such and such Signs and Wonders were wrought; such

Prophecies uttered and fulfilled; and such Doctrines preach'd; but that all these things were performed by the immediate Power and Authority of God: This is e∣very where acknowledg'd and insisted upon by Christ and his Apostles, and all that were concerned in the Work and Mi∣nistry of the Gospel. What they constant∣ly affirm of themselves is, that they were sent from God; that they were authorized and ordained by God to Preach the Gospel; that they were doing the Work of the Lord; that the Doctrine they taught and preached came from God; that they had it by Revela∣tion; that God shewed them things to come; that they spake by the Spirit of God; that the Power they had was from God; and that God was with them, continually assisting them and revealing himself to them.

Whether the Matters of Fact were really so as they affirmed, we have no other ways of knowing but these two, their own Testimony, and the nature of the things said and done by them.

As to the Testimony of those who declare all these wonderful things of themselves; their Condition, Character and Sufferings have been considered already, and found to be such as are a sufficient warrant to

secure us from any fear or suspicion of their designing to impose upon us: But be∣cause they do not require us to believe their own Witness, but bid us examine their Works, and inquire of their Doctrine, in order to know whether they were of God or not, we will take the Method they have prescri∣bed us; though I cannot but observe by the way, that the Appeal they make, and the Directions they give, for a care∣ful examination of their Pretences, is a very good Argument of their Sincerity, and full assurance of the truth of what they pretended to.

But, waving all Observations of this kind, I will confine my self to the conside∣ration of the nature of the things said and done by Christ and his Disciples; and shew that they were such as neither they themselves who said and did them, nor those that saw and heard them, nor any body else that is any other way convinced of the truth of the Appearances, could be deceived in thinking they proceeded wholly from God.

The Matters to be inquired into, fall under one of these Three Heads, viz. Mi∣racles, Prophecies, and Doctrines; concern∣ing which we will inquire first whether

the Persons themselves, who appeared to be the immediate Authors of them, might not be infallibly satisfied, that, whatever of this kind they did or said was from God alone, and not at all from their own Power or Skill.

This is certainly and undeniably possible, that God may, if he so please, reveal and discover something to a Man, which he did not know before, and something, which, without such discovery he could not have known at all, or not at that time when he first perceived himself to know it. He that made us and gave us the capacity of Perception and Under∣standing, may as easily, when and how∣soever he thinks fit, put into our Minds such thoughts as our own Labour and In∣dustry had not yet, or could not have supplied us with. There needs no fur∣ther proof of this to him that believes a God.

And, if God can reveal any thing to Man, 'tis likewise as certain that that Man to whom such discovery is made, may be undeceivably convinced that the Revelation came from God. The same God, who gave him the faculty of difcerning be∣twixt Truth and Falshood in his acquired

knowledge, can enable him to distinguish as certainly betwixt his own Attainments and Divine Communications: He may judge that such a thing was revealed to him by God, with the same Satisfaction and Acquies∣cence of Mind, and with the same im∣possibility of entertaining a doubt, not∣withstanding all his efforts and endea∣vours to distrust himself, as he judges any other Proposition is true in which the connexion of the simplest and most known Ideas is irresistibly perceived.

Evidence of Perception is the only Standard of Truth in all Cases: And though several Men may have been deceived in thinking some things were revealed to them by God which were not so revealed; this is no more an Argument that a Man cannot be certain of any Revelation, than 'tis an Argument for Ʋniversal Scepticism that some Men have been mistaken in what they thought self-evident Propositions and Demonstrations.

But not to enter further into that dis∣pute, which I shall have occasion to con∣sider in another place; besides the cer∣tainty that a Man may have that God has revealed himself to him, from immediate consciousness, his Faith may be confirm'd,

if any degrees of Evidence can be sup∣posed wanting, by External Signs and Characters. God may, if he please, give a Man such a strong conviction of his Power to do such and such wonderful things, that he may be intirely satisfied, without so much as a desire to make any tryal of his Talent; and he may like∣wise manifest himself to him in such a manner as leaves some room for Doubts, but such as must needs yeild to further Proofs ordained by God for the removal of them.

Thus, for Instance, a Man that is strongly perswaded God has given him a Power of performing such and such ex∣traordinary things, but has some little distrust of himself lest he should mistake the Delusions of his own Fancy for the Re∣velations of God, when, upon trial, he finds that such things are really perform'd by his Hands, all his doubts vanish, and he is throughly confirm'd that both his Power and former Perswasion were from God.

This in general must be granted, that a Man may take such a certain estimate of his own Capacities, Powers and Attainments, that he may be infallibly sure that he

could not do or know such a thing of himself without some other Assistance; that he did not know such a thing before such a time; that he did not know it then by the help of his Antecedent Knowledge; and that he did not do such a thing by any Power or Force of his own, or by any Skill or Knowledge of the manner how it was done.

That I cannot now Cure the Sick, nor Raise the Dead, nor Speak the Syriack and Arabick Tongues, nor tell when the Jews shall be settled in their own Country again, I am as sure, as 'tis possible for me to be, that I can think, or speak, or move: And if I should hereafter Cure the Sick, or Raise the Dead by the word of my Mouth, if I should speak the Sy∣riack and Arabick Languages, with∣out reading any Books writ in those Tongues, or hearing them spoke, or should foretel the exact time of the Restoration of the Jews, I should then be also fully satis∣fied and assured that I did not perform such Works, as curing the Sick, and raising the Dead by any Power or Skill of my own; that I did not understand such Languages, or know any thing of such an Event before I spoke the one and fore∣told

the other; and that all the know∣ledge I had acquired before that time, was not sufficient to make me understand those Languages, and that Event, with∣out some further and more extraordinary Assistance, exceeding all my Power and Knowledge. If I am capable of know∣ing any thing at all of my self, I cannot be mistaken in these things; and the same Experience every other Man is alike ca∣pable of.

But supposing Christ (whom I consider now only as a Man) and his Apostles and Disciples, were all severally satisfied, by a certain consciousness of their own Power and Knowledge, that the Miracles they performed exceeded their Humane Power, and the Prophecies and Doctrines they de∣livered could not be the Results and Pro∣ducts of their antecedent Knowledge, how could they be assured that God was the sole Author of them all, and not some other Being of Superiour Order to Men? Why the very same way they were convinced that they themselves were not.

God who made them after such a man∣ner that they could by immediate consci∣ousness perceive that such a thing did not proceed from themselves, could enable

them in like manner to judge that such a thing did proceed from God only, and not from any other Being.

'Tis true indeed there may be, and we have several reasons to believe there are other Beings, besides God, of a Superiour Nature to Man; who 'tis probable may, and do, by some invisible unperceivable way act upon the Mind of Man, as we are sure Men act upon one another by the means of External sensible Signs; but, if God so please, we may distinguish as truly and certainly betwixt the Revelations of God and the Suggestions of other Spirits, as we can betwixt the thoughts arising within us from our selves, and those raised in us by other Men upon occasion of External Signs. And though some may have mistaken the Suggestions of other Spirits for the Voice of God, there is no more reason from hence for those who have had true Revelations to doubt of the certainty of them, than there is for me to distrust the evidence of my own Perceptions, when I judge such Ideas were occasioned in me by the real Voice and Presence of other Men, because some have imagined they heard such and such Words spoke by such Persons, when these Ideas came from

their own Minds only, without any Ex∣ternal Occasions to execute them.

From all which it necessarily follows, that Christ and his Apostles might be infalli∣bly convinced that the Signs and Wonders they wrought were done by the Power of God; that the knowledge of future Events was communicated to them by God; and that the Doctrines they preached were de∣livered to them by God: All this, I say, they might be infallibly convinced of by an immediate Consciousness, not only of their own Disability to do and say such things of themselves, without the assistance of some higher Power; but of God's express Reve∣lation of himself to them in all these In∣stances.

Which sort of Evidence and Satisfacti∣on, though it reaches no further than the Persons themselves who pretend to have re∣ceived any Revelation from God, yet is it of great use for the Conviction of others, by making way for such Proofs as are proper to that end, and which will not have any Force at all without it.

For, except it be supposed that Divine Revelation is possible, and that the Person to whom the Revelation is made may be certain of it, 'tis in vain to perswade

any Man that he is obliged to believe and do such and such things, because they were revealed by God: For, if Revela∣tion be impossible, 'tis plainly absurd to make that a foundation either of Faith or Obedience; and, if Revelation be possible; but no Man can be certain when any thing is revealed to him, and when not; there can be no Arguments found to convince another of the truth of a Reve∣lation, which the Person that pretends to it cannot be satisfied of himself.

But, both these things being proved, we are in the next place to examine how other People can be satisfied that God revealed himself to Christ and his Apostles.

Now 'tis plain by the Account before given, that they themselves might be intire∣ly satisfied by the immediate assurance of their own Minds, that God had given them a Power of saying and doing such things, and had made such things actually pre∣sent to their Minds as could proceed from him only, and from no other Being: But, except they communicated what was given and revealed to them by External Signs, 'tis very plain that the Revelation could not be known to, or concern any

other but themselves; and therefore the only way that others have of knowing the truth of the Christian Revelation, is from the External Signs and Appearances by which it was communicated to them from those who first received it; which, as has been before observed, may be considered under the style of Miracles, Prophecies, and Doctrines: So that, if it can be proved that the Miracles, Prophe∣cies, and Doctrines, Recorded in the New Testament, did proceed from God, this is sufficient to convince us that God has spoken to us by Christ and his Apostles; and that we are obliged to believe and obey the Christian Religion, as delivered to us by Divine Revelation and Autho∣rity.

The proof I shall give of this great and concerning Point, shall consist of these three parts.

First, I will indeavour to shew, that Christ and his Apostles, considered as meer Men, unassisted by any higher Power, could not be the Authors of the Miracles, Prophecies, and Doctrines Recorded in the New Testament.

Secondly, I will make it appear, not only that God might be the Author of them, but that they have such certain Marks and Characters of Divinity upon them, that we cannot be mistaken in attributing them to God.

Thirdly, I will prove that 'tis very im∣proper and absurd to ascribe these things to Evil Spirits.

First, Then I am to shew, that Christ and his Apostles, could not by any Humane Skill or Power be the Authors of those wonderful things said and done by their Ministry.

'Tis said of Christ, that he spake as ne∣ver Man spake; and he says of himself, that he did those things among the Jews that Man never did; which he uses as an Ar∣gument to prove their unbelief in him in∣excusable: The plain meaning of both which Phrases here is, not only that no Man could of himself speak like Christ, or perform such things as he did, but that no Man had ever spake like him, or done what he did, however assisted by any other Power. This appears from several other

Passages in the New Testament, and parti∣cularly from Christ's own Argument a∣gainst the Jews: For he knew that they believed in Moses and the Prophets, and were perswaded of the truth of all the Miracles Recorded in the Old Testament; and there∣fore he did not think it sufficient for them to believe in him for the sake of his Works, though he had done what no Man, without Divine Assistance, was able to do, if he had not also done greater things than Moses, or any other Person Divinely assisted, had done before. So much was necessary to convince the Jews, and supersede a former Revelation; but for the truth of Revelation in general, both Christ and his Apostles seem to make this the only Test, that what they said and did exceeded the Power and Wisdom of Men; from whence they immediately concluded that therefore it was from God. If this then be the Standard we are to judge of Revelation by, 'twill be easily made out that neither the Miracles, Pro∣phecies, nor Doctrines of the New Testament, could be from Men, and therefore that they came from God who assisted and revealed himself to those Men that appeared to be the Authors of them.

It has been observed already that a Man may take such a certain estimate of his own Capacities and Powers, and of his Present stock of Knowledge, as to be infallibly sure that he cannot do or know such and such things, either at all, or not after such a manner. And, if we know any thing certain of the nature of Man in general, we may confidently affirm that we are made and fashioned with such re∣semblance to one another, that, notwith∣standing the great variety and dispropor∣tion of Faculties and Attainments ob∣servable among us, a Man may be able, by what he knows of himself, so far to determine the Limits of Humane Force and Skill, as to be firmly assured such and such things cannot possibly lye with∣in the reach and comprehension of meer Man, unassisted by any other Being.

Thus for Example, to use the former Instances, we are fully and intirely assured that no Man whatsoever, barely by his own Power, without the Assistance or Application of any other Being, can Cure the Sick, or Raise the Dead, or Speak a Language he knew nothing of just be∣fore he spake it, or foretell such Events as that of the Restoration of the Jews.

We may likewise be as fully sure that Persons of such an Education and Course of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 could not possibly, of themselves, by the force of their own Capacities and Acquisitions, conceive, speak, write or do such and such things, in such a parti∣cular way and manner as we can suppose, or may actually find.

Whoever therefore believes the Mira∣cles, Prophe••••s and Doctrines of Christ, and his Apostles, according to the History given of them in the New Testament, must have this assurance, that if these Matters of Fact were so as they are there delivered, 'tis impossible that those Men should be the Authors of them, as I shall shew more particularly by considering them apart.

To begin with Prophecies, which have been always reckoned the most unexcep∣tionable Testimonies of an Intelligence ex∣ceeding Humane Knowledge: If the Books of the Old Testament were writ long before Christ came into the World; and all those Passages out of them, which we find applied to Christ, and the Dispensa∣tion of the Gospel in the New Testament, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a designed relation to those Events they are there applied to; 'tis impossible

to imagine that either the Prediction or Accomplishment of them was the effect of meer Humane Knowledge and Power.

Such a multitude and variety of surpriz∣ing Events, never before heard of in the World, that had no manner of perceivable connexion with the state of things when they were foretold, nor indeed at any other time before they happened, could not, by any force of Humane Wisdom, be so particularly and circumstantially fore∣known.

Neither can it be supposed that Christ made all those Relations in the Old Testament pass for Prophecies by an Arbitrary Ap∣plication of them to such Events, as were in his own Power to bring about in such a manner, as he thought would bear the nearest resemblance to those accounts of things he found already written; for 'twas manifestly impossible for Christ to order and contrive the time, place and manner of his Birth, and all the other Circumstances which attended his com∣ing into the World; and yet these things are as particularly and remarkably expres∣sed in the Writings of the Old Testament, as any other matters whatsoever applied by Christ to himself; and as certainly

believed by the Jews to belong to the Mes∣siah, before the Pretensions of Jesus Christ were heard of, as any other Prophecies that were ever thought by them to con∣cern him.

If the Prophecies cited out of the Scrip∣tures of the Jews relating to the Death, Resurrection and Ascention of Christ, the Mission of the Holy Spirit, Propagation of the Gospel, Rejection of the Jews, and Destruction of Jerusalem, and the success and continuance of the Christian Religion among the Gentiles were allowed by the Jews of that time to belong to the Messiah, when Christ applied them to himself, then are they certain Arguments of a know∣ledge in the Prophets who uttered them exceeding all Humane Sagacity and Fore∣sight: But if none of the Jews under∣stood them in that sence, or would grant the Passages referred to, to be Prophetical of any thing, then must the Application of them to such and such future Events by Christ be reckoned as new distinct Pro∣phecies, uttered first by himself, and so they will be equal proofs of an extraordi∣nary and more than Humane Knowledge in Christ; because the Events foretold were such as 'twas plainly impossible for

Man to foresee or accomplish by his own Power.

For, not to mention the vast unlikeli∣hood there was, according to all Humane Measures of Judging, that Jerusalem should be utterly destroyed, and the whole Nation of the Jews rooted out, so soon after the time it was foretold this should happen, and in that very manner in which the whole Fact stood described; not to insist upon all the amazing Difficul∣ties that might be urged against the suc∣cess of the Gospel, which render'd it, in all Humane Appearance, a thing impractica∣ble that Christian Religion should so migh∣tily and suddenly prevail and spread by such means and instruments as is foretold it should be propagated by: Waving, I say, all Reflexions of this nature that might be made, which are a great many, this must certainly be granted, that 'twas utterly impossible for Christ by any Hu∣mane Skill or Wisdom to know that he should rise again, and ascend into Hea∣ven, and that afterwards his Apostles should receive such Knowledge, Courage and Power, as to Preach his Gospel bold∣ly, indure Afflictions patiently, confirm their Doctrine by many Signs and Won∣ders,

and Convert great Multitudes to the Christian Faith. And if it was impossible for him of himself to know all these things, it must be accounted much more impossible for him to effect and accom∣plish them by his own Power.

But, if it be said that all these great and wonderful Events were really fore∣told in the Old Testament, though so darkly and obscurely exprest, that no Man, be∣fore Christ, understood the method and way of applying them right, whence had he the Art and Skill of Interpretation? This is as great a Mark and Character of an extraordinary and more than Humane Wisdom, as Prophesying it self would be: But then, besides this wonderful Skill of Interpreting, he must be allowed the Ta∣lent of Prophesying too, by reason of several new Circumstances and Particulars rela∣ting to those great Events, which are plainly and expresly mentioned by Christ, and cannot be deduced from any Passages of the Old Testament; as will easily ap∣pear upon a Comparison of the several Predictions of Christ, and the ancient Pro∣phecies of the same Events referred to by him: Which Particulars foretold by Christ himself, and others afterwards by

some of his Disciples and Believers are most of them such as could not be foreseen by any Labour, Art, or Force of Humane Understanding; because they are such Mat∣ters of Fact as before they did actually happen, no Man, without an over-ruling Conviction could possibly perswade him∣self to believe would ever happen at all, much less to expect that others should believe they would upon his Testi∣mony.

From hence it evidently appears that most of the Prophecies Recorded in the Old and New Testament relating to Christ, and his Gospel must be the results of some Higher Knowledge than that of Man, because they are such as cannot possibly be accounted meer lucky Conjectures, nor skilful Prognosticks grounded upon the ne∣cessary connexion and dependance of Na∣tural Causes and Effects; which are all the ways of foretelling things that Men are capable of.

'Tis true indeed some general common Events, may sometimes by a luckly turn of imagination be foretold; such as Life or Death, Peace or War, Prosperity or Adver∣sity, and the like; and therefore had Christ spake no other Prophecies but such as these

that Peter should be Crucified, and John should out live the rest of the Apostles; there might have been some ground to think them casual conjectural Predictions; though a great many true Predictions even of this nature, without one mistaken guess, could not with any colour of reason or probabili∣ty have been attributed to chance.

Several other Events likewise there are, which by a skill in this or that part of Knowledge, and by an immediate infor∣mation concerning several antecedent Circumstances may be foretold: Thus does an Astronomer foretel an Eclipse, a Physician the Death of some particular Person, a Politician a National Calamity or Advantage; and thus does a Wise Man understand how such a Person, whose Temper and Principles he is well acquain∣ted with, will behave himself upon such an occasion; and many other the like In∣stances might be given. But the Prophe∣cies of Christ and other Ancient Prophets before him concerning the whole Dispen∣sation of the Gospel could not possibly be meer Guesses and Conjectures; because the things foretold were, most of them, such as the Persons who foretold them had ne∣ver seen or heard of any Instances of be∣fore,

and so could have nothing to lead or determine their thoughts that way: And if the Ideas of such Facts could be supposed to have entered their Minds, they could not have positively and confidently affirmed that those Facts would really happen, with∣out thinking it probable that they might so happen; and 'tis impossible that any Men in their senses should look upon such Events as probable, which they had had no manner of experience of before, with∣out a deep insight into the nature and reasons of things, by which they were enabled to see such a train and connexion of Causes as would very likely produce such Effects.

But this cannot be pretended in the case before us, for several reasons.

For first of all our Knowledge of Na∣ture and the Causes of things, is so very scanty and imperfect, that hardly any thing was ever foreknown by Man with∣out an antecedent experience of some∣thing of the same kind or nature that had already happen'd: Some Eclipses were observed before any were foretold, such a complexion of Symptoms had actually proved fatal before it was known to be a certain cause or sign of approaching

Death, and the like will hold in all other Instances of Humane Prediction, by virtue of any natural or acquired Knowledge.

Besides, in none of these cases can any particular Event be foreseen by the most certain comprehension of all the Causes producing it, without a true and particu∣lar information concerning the punctual and determinate Existence of those Causes, and all the Circumstances requisite to make their Influence effectual. If a Man be never so well acquainted with the Motions and Revolutions of the Hea∣venly Bodies, he cannot tell that an E∣clipse will happen at such a time without knowing the particular position of the Bodies contributing to an Eclipse at that time; nor can a Physician, by all his skill in the frame and structure of Humane Bo∣dies foretel that such a particular Man, whose Constitution and Circumstances of Health he knows nothing of, shall at such a determinate time dye or recover of such a Disease.

But, supposing a Man knew the whole Oeconomy of the Corporeal World, was acquainted with all the Laws of Motion, and saw the necessary dependance of all the Parts of Matter upon one another, he

could not be enabled from hence to foretel such things which depended upon the free Resolutions and Determinations of Intellectual Beings; nor is it possible for us, by what we know of the Temper and Dispositions of all the Persons we converse with, to foretel what Men will Live, and what particular Actions will be done by them at a great distance from us. The connexion of all Humane Actions is nor discoverable from the clearest view we can have of Humane Nature, and all the Principles and Motives Men act upon.

Now for all these reasons, 'tis impossible that those great and wonderful Events foretold by Christ and the Ancient Prophets, which we find mentioned in the New Testament, could be foretold by any Hu∣mane Skill or Learning, the same way that we have seen other natural Truths Pre∣dicted.

For several of them, 'tis plain, were such as the Prophets had never seen or heard of any Instances of before: As for Example, that a Person should come down from Heaven to save Mankind from their Sins; that a Virgin should conceive & bear a Son, &c. And indeed all those Facts we call ••••∣raculous, may be referred to this Head; 〈◊〉〈◊〉

tho' some of the same, or alike kind were known to have happen'd before, yet the Prophets, who knew and believed them, look'd upon them as exceeding all Humane Power and Cognizance, and therefore could not foresee the like by any ordina∣ry Natural way of Knowledge, because they had never had any Experience of such things happening according to the ordina∣ry course of Things.

Several of the Matters prophesied of, if they had depended upon certain necessary Causes, and that dependance had been very well known to the Prophets, yet they could not have been foretold by them, for want of knowing some parti∣cular Circumstances, which must concurr to their Existence: Thus, for instance, supposing a Man was able, by his extra∣ordinary Skill in Nature, to explain how a Virgin might conceive, or the Dead rise, the Lame be made to walk, and the Sick be cured; he could not by the means of this Know∣lede, foretell that, at such a certain time hereafter, such Facts as these should hap∣pen, because he could not understand whe ther the State and Disposition of Things, at that time, would certainly be such that those Facts must ensue.

But these Reasons chiefly concern corpo∣real Agents: Whereas, besides the diffi∣culties arising from hence, all the Prophe∣cies we are concerned to defend could not be fulfilled, without the concurrence of an infinite variety of Humane Actions, which were not the Results of irresistible Motives when they were done; nor was the Ap∣plication of any Motives for the doing of them, nor even the Existence of the Per∣sons that did them, necessary.

That such a Person as Christ should at such a Time and Place be Born, depended upon Ten Thousand Millions of the most contingent Determinations Humane Na∣ture was ever sensible of; which must all happen in sucha manner, betwixt the time of the Prophesy and the Completion, or else the Event had never been: And the like might be shewn in all the other Christian Facts, and Events, prophesied of.

All which is abundantly sufficient to prove, that the Prophecies mentioned in the New Testament, were not conceived and uttered by meer Men, without the assi∣stance of some other Being, of greater Knowledge and Wisdom.

And the same likewise may easily be made out of the Miracles there Recorded; that they were such Works as Man alone, by his own Power could not perform.

For some of them were such, that the Persons who did them had never seen or heard of before; as casting out of Devils, speaking unknown Tongues, &c. How came it then into their Minds to think of them? And when they did think of them, how had they the Confidence to believe they could do them, and venture upon a try∣al?

Most of those they had heard of before, were by them themselves believed to sur∣pass Humane Skill, and to have been done by a Higher Power; and therefore they could have no Inducement, or Incourage∣ment from thence, to try their own Abili∣ties upon them; nay, further, any indea∣vours of this kind were utterly incon∣sistent with such a Belief as is here sup∣posed.

The Skill or Art of doing any of them, in a natural way, was never pretended to before, and was never known to any other Persons; Whence therefore had these Men their great unheard of Skill? Raising the

Dead, Curing all manner of Diseases, and several other things Recorded to have been done by Christ and his Apostles, have always been lookt upon as impossible to be effected by any Humane Art, or Appli∣cation of the Powers and Vertues of Bo∣dies to one another: And, not to men∣tion those other Miracles of Christ, and his Apostles, which seem more above Hu∣mane Power, it cannot be supposed, but among those vast promiscuous Mul∣titudes of Blind, Lame, Sick and Maimed, that were cured by them, there must have been some, such as were then, and always before, and would be now, accounted Incurable by the help of any known Re∣medies.

But, allowing that the secret force of Nature is very great; that the Powers of Natural Bodies, and their Operations up∣on one another, are very strange and won∣derful; and that we cannot conclude such or such Effects are impossible, because we have never seen the like before; that there may be Medicines proportioned to every Disease; and that there may be an Uni∣versal Remedy for all found out, as seve∣ral Learned Men have imagined: Allow∣ing, I say, all this; and supposing fur∣ther,

that Christ and his Disciples were ac∣quainted with all these mighty Secrets; yet, if the History of the Gospel be true, as we have proved before it is; the won∣derful Cures they did, could not be brought about in a natural way, such as is here intimated; because 'tis plain, by the account we have of these Matters, that they never made use of any manner of Applications of other Bodies to the Per∣sons Cured by them; (excepting one in the case of a Blind Man) and, if they had, whatever the Medicines were which they used, no body could have been Cured by them, in the manner Persons are said to be Cured in the New Testament.

The first is plain from all the several Relations there given of the Cures that were done; it being every where almost positively affirmed that Persons were Cured by Christ and his Disciples immediatly; most of them upon their speaking the Word, without any kind of operation or pro∣cess, some of them by a Touch of their Gar∣ment, and some by their Shadow passing over them. And however ignorant we may be in the Nature of Bodies, we com∣prehend the whole Force and Power, and all the possible Vertues of a Word, a

Tonch of a Garment, and a Humane Sha∣dow.

But, if the most powerful Medicines the World affords had been applied, 'tis demonstrable from the Nature and Laws of Motion, and the constant Manner of O∣peration, observed in all other Natural Works, that the Cures performed by Christ and his Disciples, could not have been wrought in an instant, nor in any short time without such violent Agitations in the Bodies Cured as would have ap∣peared in strange External Marks; which must have been taken notice of by all the Beholders, and consequently some of them would have been mentioned in the Accounts that were written of the Facts; whereas we find no such things in all the History of the New Testament; unless perhaps one Case of a Blind Man be thought an Objection to what is here ad∣vanced: But this Instance, which is made use of by some to prove that this, and all other Miracles were brought about the same way, by the Application of proper means, is a very good Argument to the contrary; for besides, that the means here used had no particular fitness in them for the End designed above any other what∣soever,

this was the slowest Cure we read of, and took up the longest time in doing.

And, if these Observations hold true, as to the Cures wrought by Christ and his Disciples, they are of much greater weight, with respect to several other of the Mi∣racles done by them. If the Sick could not be Cured by a Word's speaking with∣out the use of Remedies, How could the Dead be Raised without any other Application? If no Application could Cure the Sick in an instant, what Force or Power of Natural Bodies could Raise the Dead immediately? And to what secret Workings of Nature can we ascribe the power of speaking several Langua∣ges, which the Speakers were utterly ig∣norant o••, immediately before they spoke them.

Neither is it to any purpose to urge, that the Relation of all these Miracles in the New Testament is impersect, and seve∣ral Circumstances omitted; which, if they had been Recorded, would have enabled us to explain how the Facts might have been brought to pass in a Natural, ordenary Way: For, if that Ac∣count we have of them, or those Circum∣stances

that are mentioned are true, 'tis impossible, by the addition of any other Circumstances whatsoever, to make the Events appear such as might be compas∣sed by Human Power.

If several Persons, who were unknown to Christ, and whose Constitution and Case he had no antecedent knowledge of, were Cured by him, immediately upon his first view of them, as soon as he had spoke the Word, as 'tis plain they were from a∣bundance of Instances in the Gospel's; if Lazarus came out of the Grave imme∣diately upon Christ's calling of him; if the Centurion's Servant was healed the self same hour Christ spoke that it should be done, without his going to the House where he lay; and if the Apostles were enabled to speak several Languages, which, the Day before they spoke them they knew nothing of; which things are all positively asserted in the New Testa∣ment, let us imagine what other Circum∣stances we please, and suppose Christ and his Apostles, indued with all the Know∣ledge and Power that any Man ever was, or could be Master of, 'tis impossible to give such an account of these Matters, consistent with that Relation we have of

them in the New Testament, as can satisfie any Man they were Effected by Humane Skill and Power; as does evidently appear from the Reflections before laid down.

But, if it be further Objected, not∣withstanding the Evidence before given, which plainly proves the contrary, that all these things we call Miracles would have happen'd according to the Esta∣blish'd Course of Nature, at the time, and in the manner they did happen, whether Christ and his Apostles had used such pre∣vious Signs as made them appear to be the Authors of them or not; and so all the Facts are to be ascribed to other natu∣ral Causes, tho' they could not be Effected by Man; if this, I say, should be urged, and the supposition allowed, then must all the Miracles, with respect to the pre∣tended Authors of them, be resolved in∣to Prophecies, and that will amount to the same thing: For the foretelling all those wonderful Events Recorded in the New Testament, as done by Christ and his Disciples, will plainly appear, by what has been already said upon the Subject of Prophecies, to be as much above the Power and Skill of Man as the doing of them would be.

The vast number of Miracles done, the multitude of Persons concern'd in them, the publick Manner of doing them, and the Times and Places in which they were done, take off all imaginable suspi∣cion of Confederacy, if the Natures of the Facts would have admitted it, as 'tis cer∣tain they would not; and therefore I shall not suppose that Objection, and no∣thing more can possibly be urged.

And as the Miracles and Prophecies, which concern the Christian Dispensation, did certainly proceed from some Higher Power and Knowledge than that of Men; so likewise did the Gospel it self; by which I mean that whole Scheme of Doctrine de∣livered by Christ and his Apostles, as we find it contained in the Books of the New Testament.

'Tis allowed on all Hands, that there never was so Just and Noble a Draught of Morality as the Christian; so full and consistent a Scheme of Humane Duty; laid down in so plain and simple a Manner, without any Art or Ostentation; and press'd upon Mankind with so much Earnestness and Authority; without any visible Interest or Advantage of the

Preachers and Writers; and without any Worldly Dignity or Title that made them Superiour to the lowest of those they Preach'd and Writ to.

It must be likewise confessed that the Grounds and Reasons upon which the Pra∣ctise of this Morality is inforced, by the Preachers of it, are very New and Surpri∣zing; that the things they require Men to believe, in order to render their Practice of the Duties injoyned them effectual, are very shocking and repugnant to the common Opinions and Prejudices of Mankind, but especially those of that time in which they were first Published; and that the very Language and Forms of Expression, in which the great Articles of the Christian Faith are delivered in the Scriptures, are very different from what∣ever we find used upon any other Occa∣sion.

Now, these Things being granted, I cannot possibly conceive how any Man should at once invent such a System of Morality as the Christian, so very different from all others known before, and so con∣trary to all the Passions and reputed In∣terests of Men; nor how he should take upon him to injoyn several Duties as ne∣cessary,

whichnone of the Learned in these Matters had judg'd so before; as bearing and forgiving Injuries, doing Good for Evil, and the like; should possitively affirm some Things as certain, which were doubted of till then, as the Resurrection of the Body, and a future state of Happiness and Misery, &c. should command every thing he said to be believed, or done, un∣der the severest Penalties imaginable; and all this barely upon his own Word and Authority, without consulting any other Principles, or Rules of Action, which had before obtained, or giving any Reasons to prove his own, were better, and there∣fore ought to be submitted to.

But, if any Man can be supposed to have invented all the Christian Morality himself; what force of Imagination, what turn or agitation of Thoughts, could have helpt him to conceive that Set of Notions which make up the whole Chri∣stian Faith, in the way and manner they are joyned together in the New Testament? If they had entered into his Mind, what Reason or Motives could he have to be∣lieve them? And, had he believed them himself, how could he expect to make others assent to the truth of them? How

could he imagine that these Opinions would recommend his Morality to the World? Why should he think himself obliged to propagate them; to insist up∣on them as necessary; to make the dan∣ger of disbelieving them as great, as ne∣glecting the Duties of his Morality; and yet give no other Reason to the World for what he said, but his bare Say∣ing it?

Besides, were all these Christian Do∣ctrines, relating both to Faith and Pra∣ctice, found out by meer Humane Sagacity; 'tis extreamly difficult to imagine, that neither the Contrivers, nor Publishers of them, should any where in their Preach∣ing or Writing, arrogate any Thing to themselves upon this account; but should constantly renounce the Honour of the Discovery, and never betray any design of procuring to themselves Esteem, or any other Advantage of Life whatsoever, for obliging Mankind with so beneficial a Scheme of Things as the Gospel propo∣ses.

And, to carry this Point yet farther; If it be so very hard to imagine how any Person whatsoever should frame such No∣tions and Opinions to themselves, and af∣terwards

act upon such Motives, and ob∣serve such a Conduct in the Publication of them; 'tis much more inconceivable how ignorant and unlearned Men, of very low Education, and constantly imployed in mean Affairs, should do all this: And 'tis particularly unaccountable how Jews should give such a Character and Repre∣sentation of their Messiah, and his Office and Business in the World, so directly contrary to all the Opinions and Expecta∣tions of that whole People; and upon that account so very unlikely to be entertain∣ed or credited.

'Tis moreover impossible to conceive how so many Men, as were concern'd in the Preaching and Propagating Christiani∣ty in several parts of the World, at the same time, should, before any thing was committed to Writing, all agree upon the same Set of Doctrines, use the same open, sincere, unartful Method of delivering them, and the same bold, authoritative way of inforcing them; and should all shew the same Courage and Resolution in maintaining the Truth of what they Preach'd, and in bearing all manner of Losses and Af∣flictions for the sake of that Testimony: This, I say, is not to be conceived or

accounted for, if they were not assisted by continual Revelations, and constant sup∣plies of Spiritual Strength and Force, which proceeded from some more powerful and knowing Being than Man.

That they were all firmly persuaded they were thus assisted, is the least that can possibly be supposed; and how the inven∣tion of the whole Christian Scheme, and the conduct of those that Publish'd and Preach'd it to the World, and Suffered for it, can be ascribed to Resvery and Enthusiasm (which must be the Case, if that Persuasion was ill grounded) is much more unintelligible; since, as has been proved before, these Effects are such as exceed the most im∣proved Force, and most accomplish'd Wis∣dom of Man.

'Tis certain then, from all that has been said, that the Miracles, Prophecies and Do∣ctrines, contained in the New Testament could not be the Work and Contrivance of meer Man.

In the next place therefore, I am to prove that God was the Author of them all.

That God might, if he pleased, Reveal such Things to Men, by secret Impression

upon their Minds, as they did not know before, and could not have found out of themselves, has been proved already; and therefore all the Prophecies mention∣ed in the New Testament; all the Doctrines which peculiarly concern Christianity; the consciousness that Christ and his Apostles had, that they could do such Miracles as are Recorded of them; or a firm Persuasion that they would be done, upon their use of such external Signs; and several of the Miracles themselves, such as telling the private Thoughts and Actions of Men, speaking strange Languages, and the like, may all be accounted for this way.

And whoever believes a God, must like∣wise grant, that 'twas possible for him to effect all the other Miracles, either by an ori∣ginal Designation of such a chain and con∣nexion of Events, or by an immediate in∣terposition of his Power.

That it was not only possible, but very likely and probable, that God should reveal himself to Mankind in this manner, ap∣pears from the common Opinion of Men in all Ages, that he had revealed something to the World, and their common Expecta∣tion that he would manifest his Will to them in further Discoveries.

In all the Accounts of past Things we have left us, we find that every where what was Great or Good, was always ascribed to some Divine Power. Not to mention the Jews, whose Opinions in this respect, are sufficiently known and al∣lowed; if any thing useful or beneficial to Mankind, was invented among the Heathens, the Gods had the Praise and Honour of the Discovery; if by Dreams or waking Suggestions, Men were put in mind of procuring themselves some Ad∣vantage, or avoiding some Evil, the Gods were thank'd for it; many also were the absurd and the superstitious Opini∣ons of the People, concerning the way and manner of the Gods discovering Things to them, by the means of exter∣nal Signs; but this they were all most constantly and unanimously satisfied of, That their Religion came immediately from Heaven; and what we call Prophe∣cies and Miracles were always esteemed proper Marks and Characters of Divine Power; especially if they any ways con∣tributed to the happiness and welfare of Mankind.

This has been the constant Faith of the World at all Times; and so far as it con∣cerns

Divine Revelation in general, and the ways of conveying and confirming it by inward impressions upon the Mind, and by Prophecies and Miracles, I think, is very well grounded. For, first, That there has been such a Thing as Revelation in the World; and that there have been true Prophecies uttered, and true Miracles wrought to confirm it, seems to me very plain. For, not to insist upon that com∣mon, but very true Observation, that all Pretences of this nature must be founded upon Realities, and that therefore it cannot be conceived how Revelations, Prophecies or Miracles should ever have been pretended to or believed, if there never had been any true ones of each kind; omitting, I say, this Reflection, it appears very un∣accountable to me, upon a supposition that there never was any Revelation, how there could be any such Thing as Religi∣on, Civil Government, or Learning in the World.

Learning certainly depends upon Go∣vernment: When Men are not united to∣gether in Society, and live securely un∣der good Laws and Defences, no Im∣provements of Knowledge are to be ex∣pected; and I do not see how such a Union

should be made without a good share of Religious Notions; nor how a loose divided Herd of Men, such as we must now sup∣pose, living in a State of Want and Ig∣norance, who are wholly imployed in providing themselves Necessaries, and securing what they have from others, and consequently who have but few Ideas, and no leisure or curiosity to get more; how, I say, such Men as these should be furnished with any Notions of Religion, or how they should be able to form a Re∣gular Government and Constitution with∣out, I cannot possibly imagine.

The present State of the Americans is an instance which confirms me in the Opinion I have laid down; for, I cannot help believing, that if this People should always continue divided from the rest of the World, and have no Commerce with other Men, nor any Revelation from God, they would constantly, as long as the World should indure, remain in the same stupid ignorant Condition we now find them in; or, if possible, worse, with∣out any further improvement in Reli∣gion, Policy or Learning.

This seems to me much more probable than that any Polite, Learned, and well-govern'd

Nation, which once lived un∣der the Advantages of Wise Laws and a Rational Religion, should in some few Ages become as Rude, Barbarous, and Ignorant as the present Americans; and yet this has been almost the Fate of ma∣ny a Countrey, and would have been quite, if they had been deprived of the Assistance of better, and more inlightened Neighbours, as the poor Americans were.

And in general, from many Observa∣tions 'tis evident, That Men are naturally so apt to degenerate, and fall into a State of Ignorance, Confusion, and Wildness, even till they become like the Beasts that perish, that all remains of natural Religion, seem purely owing to Tradition, and not to Study and Search; and if so, that Tradition must have had its Original from Revelation, the former set of Men being as unlikely to find out and culti∣vate Religion of themselves, as the pre∣sent.

So much is visibly owing to Revelation, That, had it not been for the Jewish and Christian Pretences, there had hardly been now any such Thing as Religion in the World, if we may judge what would have been in other Places, by what we

find actually is in those Countries where the Jewish and Christian Revelation were ever heard of, or are now forgot. Nay, those obscure Notices of Religion we find among the Ancient and Modern Pa∣gans, are, most of them, plainly derived from something contained in the Scrip∣tures of the Old and New Testament.

And, as from these Observations con∣cerning the general Opinion of Mankind about Revelation, and the different State and Condition of Humane Affairs where Revelation is supposed, and where none is pretended to, it appears very proba∣ble, that there has been such a thing in the World; so likewise does it seem very a∣greeable to the best and purest Notions our most improved Reason is now able to form concerning God, and our selves, and the Obligations we owe to him that God should reveal himself to us.

We cannot but think, however we came first by these Opinions, that 'tis highly suitable to the Nature of God, to give Men true Notions concerning himself; to acquaint them how and in what man∣ner they ought to Obey and Worship him; and to direct them in the Know∣ledge, and assist them in the Attainment of their Happiness.

We are very sensible of our own Ig∣norance, Misery, and Impotence: We cannot by any Arguments of Reason find out how, or when we were made; what should be the occasion of that con∣trariety of Principles and Inclinations we experience within us; why we should act contrary to what we our selves think our selves obliged to act, and be more disposed so to act, than otherwise; why we should be determined to pursue Hap∣ness, and yet be Miserable; why the injoy∣ment of several Pleasures we are inclined to, should be often attended with grea∣ter degrees of Pain; and acting as our Reason approves and prescribes, should be oftentimes as prejudicial to our present Happiness; why we should look upon it as our Duty to serve God, and yet in se∣veral Instances, indure more Trouble and Misery upon that account, than those who live in defiance of Religion; these are Things our Reason is puzled to ex∣plain to us: And, if there should be a future State after this Life, as we have very good grounds to believe there is, how can we be sure our Religion or Pie∣ty was acceptable to God? And, sup∣posing our service was proper so far as it

went, what assurance can we have, that the many constant violations of our Du∣ty which our own Consciences accuse us of, may not render our small Ser∣vice ineffectual? Besides, the Bounds and Limits of our Conduct and Behaviour, with regard to our selves, and one ano∣ther, must be very uncertain and preca∣rious, when we have no other Guide but our unassisted Reason; and no Man is obliged to submit to any other Judg∣ment but his own; for in this Case, e∣very Man, according to the difference of his Passions, Prejudices and Interests, must have a different Standard to regu∣late his Actions by.

These are Things we are all sensible of now, and which, without allowing Revelation, we are not able to account for, or satisfie our selves about, notwith∣standing all the improvements of Ratio∣nal Knowledge we at present enjoy: And the expediency of being rightly in∣form'd in all these Matters, is esteemed so great, that 'tis urg'd by some, as an Argument against the Truth of the Jewish and Christian Revelation, that they have not been Universal enough; it being look'd upon by the Objectors, as a Thing

inconsistent with the Goodness of God, to suffer so great a part of the World, in all Ages, to live in a State of gross Igno∣rance, Barbarity and Disorder, as An∣cient History and Modern Experience in∣form us of.

Since therefore we cannot but be sa∣tisfied from Reflections upon our own Nature improved, and from Observa∣tions upon the wretched State of a large part of Mankind who live in Ignorance, that the Difficulties which concern the Knowledge of Religion, are very great, that the Effects and Consequences of the want of Religion, are very Dismal and Calami∣tous; and that Men in such a State of Igno∣rance, as we find some whole Countries are, would very probably, never, by a∣ny force of their own Faculties, with∣out foreign Helps and Assistances, reach to that Knowledge of Natural Religion, that some Nations of the present Age are arrived to, which is manifestly owing to those Books they have among them, and which they look upon as communicated to them from God: Since we are fur∣ther convinced, that Persons in such a State of Ignorance, as we now suppose, if they should be allowed to make some

advances in the Knowledge of Natural Religion, could not, by meer Rea∣son, without Revelation, proceed so far, as upon good grounds, to be fully assur∣ed of the Truth and Obligation of what they knew, and the Advantages or Dan∣gers that attended their Performance, or Transgression of the Rules they laid down; that they would never be able to explain any of the Difficulties before mentioned; and that, in a short Time, by the over-ruling prevalence of present Pleasures and Passions, working diffe∣rently in different Men, they would re∣lapse into their former State again: Up∣on all these Accounts, it seems very expedient, that God should give Men a true and perfect Scheme of Religion, agree∣able to the Reason, and fitted to all the Wants and Exigencies of Mankind.

However, I dare not venture to ar∣gue that, because it appears so very expe∣dient for us, and so suitable to the Na∣ture of God, that there should be some Revelation made to the World; there∣fore God has actually done it, because I cannot comprehend all the particular Reasons and Ends of God's acting with regard to Men here; nor what allowance

he will be pleased to make in his Future Judgment upon them, in order to an o∣ther State: But, if there be a Revelation pretended to, and I find, upon a strict Examination of it, that it has all the Marks and Characters of such a Revela∣tion, as our Reason tells us Men wanted, and was very proper and becoming God to give, and such a one, as has been proved before, Man himself could not be the Author of, I must be convinced from hence that it came from God. And such a Revelation as this is the Christian.

There we find a very just and rational Account of the Nature and Attributes of God, of the Original Formation of the World, and particularly the Creation of Man, the change and alteration of his first Condition, and the unhappy Con∣sequences of it; from thence we are ena∣bled to explain these contrary Tenden∣cies and Principles of Action we experi∣ence in our selves, that unequal Compo∣sition of Perfections and Weaknesses, Capacities and Wants we are sensible of, the Ignorance of which makes Man the most unaccountable part of the whole Universe; There we are acquainted with the most proper suitable way of Worship∣ping

and Serving God; There we have the truest draught of Morality, the best and most exalted Scheme of all the Du∣ties which concern the Government of our selves, and our Behaviour to one ano∣ther; By this Revelation we are assured, that the observance of Religious Duties in such a manner will be acceptable to God; all our Doubts about the Imper∣fections of our Obedience are removed, and our Consciences intirely satisfied, a way being there shewed us how our Piety and Vertue may be rendred well pleasing to God, notwithstanding the many fail∣ings they are accompanied with, the Wisdom and Kindness of which Expe∣dient we cannot but acknowledge and admire; The same Revelation does like∣wise fix and ascertain our Belief of a Fu∣ture State, and proposes such Rewards and Punishments in another World as are proper and sufficient Motives to deter∣mine us to the Practice of Religion in this, and gives us a satisfactory Explica∣tion of all the present Inequalities of Providence in the conduct of Humane Affairs.

This is certainly a very rational Scheme of things, and very agreeable to all the

Notions our Souls are able to frame of God; and therefore since it could not proceed from Man, as has already been shewn, we must ascribe it to God.

But moreover, besides the nature of the Things revealed, the Ways and Methods made use of to Communicate them to the World, and to Establish and Propagate the Belief of them among Men, are In∣fallible Marks that the Revelation came from God. His Power and Wisdom are as Legible in this whole Dispensation, as in the Frame and Structure of the U∣niverse, as will easily appear from a short view of the Progress and Conduct of this great Work of the Salvation of Man.

For, except the Hand of the Lord was in it, how came the Jews to have better and juster Notions of God, the Original of the World, and the Nature of Man than any other Nation under Heaven, when they had no manner of Learning among them, no gradual Improvements in Knowledge as we find other Countries had? How came the whole People to have these No∣tions as well as the chief and most know∣ing among them? In all the Periods of

Learning among the Egyptians, Chaldeans, Greeks and Romans, the People were gene∣rally Idolaters, and the Priests and Philo∣sophers durst not propagate better Notions of God when they had found them out, tho' even their best had a ridiculous mix∣ture of Fable and Superstition in them, How then came the People of the Jews to remain intirely free from Idolatry for so many Years, ever since they became a Nation? Or, if we believe their own Story, and they were as inclinable to Worship Idols, and imbrace absurd Opi∣nions of God and Religion as any other Nation, How came they to recover them∣selves again, and preserve the true Wor∣ship of God among them? And how at last, when they were so wedded to the external form and manner of Worshipping the true God as to place all their Religion in it, to the neglect of Moral Duties, at a time when there was no other sort of Learning among them, how I say, came a perfecter Scheme of Morality and Religion to proceed from thence than from any other Quarter of the World; and such a Scheme as no body that professed it durst think of altering, adding to, or dimi∣nishing, when no such respect was paid

to any Philosophers Scheme by his own Sect or Party? To whom can we ascribe such a wonderful Preservation of true Religion but to God, who was able to bring Strength out of Weakness, and even of Stones to raise up Children unto A∣braham.

If afterwards we consider by what parti∣cular Hands this perfecter Scheme of Re∣ligion was delivered to Mankind, and in what manner it was first Published and Preached to the World, here the Finger of God will plainly appear also. For all the Instruments and Ministers of this great Work were Persons of a low Rank and mean Occupations, Ignorant and Unlearned, and of no Reputation in the World, and their Preaching was plain and simple, without the enticing Words of Man's Eloquence; and yet, where-ever they came the Gospel prevailed, many were daily ad∣ded to the Church, and, in a little time, they drew the whole World after them; this they did notwithstanding all the Opposi∣tion that was made to them, by the Rea∣sonings and Disputings of the Learned, and by the Force and Authority of Ma∣gistrates and Men in Power; notwith∣standing the Doctrine they Preached was

everywhere spoken against, and the Preachers and Believers of it were everywhere Per∣secuted and Afflicted with all the variety of Sufferings their Enemies could invent: And when we perceive it so ordered that the Foolish things of the World should Con∣found the Wise, that the Weak and Base things of the World, and things which are despised, should Confound the things which are Mighty and in great Esteem, we cannot but ac∣knowledge that God hath chosen them, and what is thus wonderful in our Eyes is the Lord's doing. Thus it became God Al∣mighty to humble Men, and shew his Power in a way directly contrary to all the measures they would have imagined proper.

Was it not likewise every way worthy of God, and agreeable both to the Wisdom and Goodness of his Designs in giving Mankind a more perfect Model of Reli∣gion than they were hitherto acquainted with, that he should convince them of the Beauty and Reasonableness, and in∣courage them to the Practice of it, by ex∣emplifying the whole Scheme in the Lives of the first Publishers and Preachers of this Religion? And where were such perfect Characters of Men ever heard of before,

as those of Christ and his Apostles, and most of the first Christian Believers? What could more demonstrate the Force and Influence of the Christian Religion, and recommend it more Effectually to the World than this? As therefore the Know∣ledge of a true and reasonable Service of God must be referred to him, so must likewise the power to will and to do, according to all those Rules and Measures he has been pleased to prescribe us.

But further, when such Doctrines as those of the Gospel which were Preached, Be∣lieved, and Propagated in such a manner, and recommended by Persons of such Cha∣racters, as is before specified, are con∣firm'd by so many Prophecies and Miracles, and those of such kinds as we find menti∣oned in the New Testament; it must be likewise allowed that God was the Author of all these Signs and Wonders. For, if it be possible, and sometimes expedient, for God to reveal something to Mankind, as has been already shewn, more infallible Tokens and Indications of himself he cannot give us, than such Prophecies, and such Miracles as those Recorded in the New Testament; no greater Instances of Know∣ledge

and Power, besides what appear in the Making and Governing the World, are conceivable by us; and what better deserved such an extraordinary and imme∣diate Manifestation of these Attributes of God then the Gospel? To what nobler Ends could God imploy his Power than for the confirming and promoting the be∣lief of such a just, reasonable, and bene∣ficial Scheme of things as the Christian Religion?

But besides, these Prophecies and Mira∣cles were not only certain Indications of Divine Revelation and Assistance in them∣selves, and more undoubtedly so to us, for being made use of to confirm a Do∣ctrine which deserved such Attestation; but they were also the properest and most suitable means that could be chosen for Establishing the belief of the Gospel, to which they were designed, and conse∣quently must be imployed by God to that End: For, what was more becom∣ing the Divine Wisdom, and what could be more effectual to convince Men of the truth of such future things as are Promised and Threatened in the Christian Religi∣on, than by the Completion of Prophecies, spoken of at several distant Periods of

time before the Events happen'd, to give them a sensible proof, that all things were manifest and open to the Eyes of God, and that a Thousand Years was to him but as One Day? And that the strangeness of the Christian Events relating to a Future State, upon the prospect of which the whole Religion is founded, might not shock the Faith of Mankind, what wiser and more convincing Method could be taken, than by various Instances of things actually done in their Presence, of as strange and surprizing a Nature as those foretold, and some of them of the very same kind, as the Resurrection of the Dead, Ascension into Heaven, &c. How, I say, could Men be better satisfied, than by such present Experience of the Divine Power that no∣thing was impossible to God; and that there might be such things in a Future State, which Eye had not yet seen, nor Ear heard, nor had entered into the Heart of Man to conceive?

Thus have I proved in short, that the Prophecies, Miracles and Doctrines contain∣ed in the New Testament, and consequent∣ly the whole Christian Religion, which were before shewn to exceed all Humane Reach

and Capacity, did certainly proceed from God.

After which proof the third thing pro∣posed will be very easily made out, viz. that 'tis very improper and absurd to as∣cribe these things to Evil Spirits.

All that we know of Good or Evil Spi∣rits, without Revelation, is that there have been some Men unaccountably assisted by some invisible Power, to say and do certain things which they knew they could not have said or done without such Assistance; that, if what was said or done this way was serious and concerning, and seem'd to contribute any thing to the Good of Men, it was reckoned to pro∣ceed from a Good Spirit appointed by the Supreme God for that End; if the things said or done were Trifling or Hurtful they were thought to come from Evil Spirits permitted by the Supreme God to Amuse or Punish Men; and that Sacri∣fices and other Religious Rites were per∣formed by the Persons particularly con∣cern'd to express their Thanks to the One, or to appease the Other, these Good and Evil Spirits being esteemed as Gods of a Lower Order, who had different Offices assign'd them by the Supreme.

In the Scriptures of the Old and New Testa∣ment, we have a more particular account of Good and Evil Spirits, the first occasion of their Distinction, and their different Of∣fices and Imployments as such; and there we find that what was said or done by Angels, or Good Spirits, was by the express Order and Command of God, and is At∣tributed to him in the same manner, as if it had proceeded immediately from him∣self; and what was said or done by Devils or Evil Spirits, was by the Permission of God for the Trial or Punishment of Men.

The Power God suffered Evil Spirits to Exercise, and the Signs and Wonders he permitted them to do, in order to tempt Men from the Belief or Practice of those things he had injoined and com∣manded them, were so easily distinguish∣able from the positive express Manifestations of Divine Power, that any Man was justly to be Condemn'd for being deceived by them: For besides that Miracles done by the help of Evil Spirits, were, * 1.1 as a Judicious Author well observes, always foretold, or outdone, or both, and consequently could never be of force e∣nough to invalidate a Divine Revelation:

Besides this, I say, the Works of the Devil, and the Doctrines of Devils, are so contra∣ry to the Reason and truest Interests of Mankind, and so easily known to be so, especially when compared with the Do∣ctrine of God and the Fruits of it, that no Miracles or Signs whatsoever can be sufficient to establish their Credit.

And therefore 'tis very absurd, and contrary to all that the Scriptures inform us of concerning Devils or Evil Spirits, to suppose that they should imploy all their Power and Cunning to promote a pure and holy Service of One God, and to destroy all the Pretences of Superstition and Idolatry: 'Tis contrary to all the Po∣licy of the Kingdom of Darkness, as our Saviour argues, that it should be divided against it self, and that some Evil Spirits should disturb and oppose the rest, when they are all carrying on the same Work.

But neither Jews, Christians, or Heathens, ever entertained any such Notions of De∣vils or Evil Spirits, as to make them the Authors of any thing that recommended and establish'd what they call'd Vertue in the World, or contributed to the Peace, Welfare, or Happiness of Mankind.

'Tis manifest then that such a Scheme, as we have seen the Christian Religion is, could not be Contrived, and Propagated through the World in such a manner by Evil Spirits; neither was it possible that the first Preachers and Professors of this Religion should derive their extraordi∣nary Characters from the Possession and Influence of Devils. These are such No∣torious Truths, that there is no need of further Inlargments upon this Head.

Thus have I finished what I undertook under my Second General, and by a full and direct Proof made it very Evident that all the principal Matters of Fact related in the New Testament are true.

III. I shall strengthen and confirm the same Truth by shewing the improbability and absurdity of a contrary Supposition, and the weakness of all the Difficulties and Ob∣jections rais'd against the Scriptures, and the Matters contained in them; which is the third thing I proposed to make good, in order to my main Design, which is to establish a firm Belief of the Christian

Religion, and all the Obligations of it.

It has been sufficiently proved already, that if all the common Matters of Fact re∣lated in the New Testament, or only the principal of them, such as have been before mentioned are true, in the Manner and Circumstances there set down, it neces∣sarily follows from hence that the Miracles and Prophecies there Recorded must be true also; and if the Miracles and Pro∣phecies are true, they must certainly be the Effects of Divine Assistance and Reve∣lation; and consequently, the Doctrines delivered by Persons so assisted must come from God: This, I say, has been fully made out beyond all possibility of a a reasonable Contradiction, and every thing that could be supposed, all the diffe∣rent Accounts that could be given of these Matters, in order to invalidate the strength of the Inferences drawn from them, have been shewn to be false and groundless.

The next Pretence which the Enemies of Revealed Religion make use of in the behalf of Infidelity, is that the whole Bo∣dy of the Scriptures of the New Testament are Forged and Suppositious, that all the principal Matters of Fact there Recorded,

with all the Strange and New Doctrines built upon them, were purely the Inventions of Men; and that the Books were given out by the Contrivers of them, as containing the Revelations of God, in order to Establish their Credit and Authority in the World. This is the worst that the utmost Ma∣lice of Scoffers and Unbelievers can sug∣gest, but the Folly and unpresidented Absurdity of this Plea will easily appear upon a slight Examination of it.

For first, 'Tis very manifest from what has been said already, that it has been a constant and universal Tradition, in this part of the World, that most of the Books of the New Testament were written by those very Persons, whom we that are now called Christians pretend they were Written by, and that all of them were writ about the same time we now believe and affirm they were, and therefore there is the same reason to believe these Books to be true and genuine as any other of the same Standing and Antiquity, and, if we consider the importance of the Books, much greater.

In the next place 'tis certain, that in all the Accounts we have left us of the Hi∣story of Christianity, it no where appears that any of the Ancient Adversaries of this Religion, either Jews or Heathens, Prophane or Revolting Christians, ever Ob∣jected to the true Christian Believers, that the Books in which they pretended their Religion was contained were Forg'd and Supposititious, and consequently that their Faith was Vain and Ill-grounded: And if those who lived at and near the first rise of Christianity never made use of this Objection against it then, what strength can it have now, when urged by those who cannot well be more industri∣ous Enemies of the Christian Religion, than their Unbelieving Predecessors were, and cannot possibly at this distance make out such a discovery as they pretend to, could we suppose the thing true and ne∣ver detected before, by such as sought all occasions to lessen the Credit, and stop the growth of Christianity in every Age; which to me seems utterly inconceiva∣ble.

I am likewise perswaded that no meer Man, by the strength of his own unassisted Ca∣pacities,

could have framed and contrived such a Book as the New Testament is. I cannot possibly prevail upon my self to believe that such Facts as are there Re∣corded, such a Contexture of History, such a Scheme of Doctrines, such Characters of Men, and such a manner of Writing as we find throughout that Book, could be al∣together the Issue and Result of Humane Sagacity alone.

But supposing it to be possible, that all these things might have enter'd into a Man's Mind; supposing likewise that notwithstanding the present appearance of Ʋniversal uncontradicted Tradition to the contrary, a Book now believed to be true, might some time or other have been in∣vented without any ground for such a Work in the reality of things; allowing, I say, the possibility of these things, 'tis still upon many other Accounts manifest∣ly absurd to imagine that the Writings of the New Testament, were the Work and Contrivance of Men, without a sufficient Foundation of true real Facts to support them.

This will more paticularly appear from these two Considerations.

1. That there is no End or Design ima∣ginable sufficient to have determined the supposed Author of the New Testament to undertake such a Work.

2. That if the Principal Matters of Fact contained in the New Testament, both Common and Extraordinary, had not been true, 'twould have been utterly impossible that the Christian Religion should ever have been believed and propagated in the World, in the manner we find it is at present.

First then I am to prove that there is no End or Design imaginable sufficient to have determined the supposed Author of the New Testament to undertake such a Work.

All the Ends we can imagine the Au∣thor of this Extraordinary Performance acted upon, must be either the Good of Mankind, his own particular Interest, or Reputation in the World, or purely the pleasure of deceiving, but none of these could have Influence enough to produce such a Work, and therefore we must ac∣count for its Original some other way.

For first, it cannot be supposed that some Vertuous Good Man, who endeavour∣ed, as far as he was able, to live up to those Rules we find delivered in the New Testament, should, out of pure Zeal for the Welfare and Interest of Mankind, Pub∣lish such a Scheme of Living, as is there laid down, under the grossest form of Im∣posture imaginable; it could never enter into the thoughts of such a Man as this, to recommend Simplicity, Truth and Inte∣grity by the most solemn variety of Lyes and Falshoods that ever were invented: He that was concern'd to establish a Form of sound Words, who represents all man∣ner of Lying, Deceit and Dissimulation as utterly inconsistent with that Model of Religion he was setting up, and who strictly forbids all Men to do Evil that Good might come of it; a Person, I say, of this Character, who was in earnest, and throughly perswaded of the truth of the Principles he recommended, cannot be imagined to have acted directly contrary to them himself, in order to have them Believed and Observed by others.

'Tis true indeed Fables and Parables have been often made use of as very

proper and easie means of conveying good Instructions to Mankind; but the History of the New Testament is too Parti∣cular and Circumstantial to be reckoned an Allegory, and therefore there is no occa∣sion to prove it none; so that if the Princi∣pal Matters of Fact Recorded in the New Testament are not true, according to the first obvious literal meaning of them, the whole Relation must be a downright For∣gery, and consequently could not be the Work of an Honest Man invented by him merely for the good of Mankind.

The possibility of which Supposition can no ways be accounted for by the many Forged and Supposititious Writings, Published by some of the first Christians, in favour of that Religion; for, consi∣dering only those which made for the Christian Religion in General, and may seem to have been contrived purely for the Propagation of it among such whose Con∣dition was lookt upon as very Miserable, by reason of their Ignorance or Disbelief of Christianity; whatever of this Nature was Forged by any Christians was not really done upon any good Motive, but proceed∣ed from too passionate a Concern for the Party they were of, and the Opinions

they had undertook to defend: When the Enemies of their Religion stood out against all the true rational Proofs urged for it, an eager desire of convincing those they Disputed with, and doing Honour to their own Cause and Management of it, put them upon inventing such things as by the Temper or Concessions of their Adversaries were likelier to prevail with them. This I take to be the true Spring and Cause of most of those False and Spurious Writings which were designed for the advantage of the Christian Cause in General, the Forgeries that were contri∣ved for the defence of some Particular Doctrine proceeding most commonly from a worse Original. But 'tis very evident, that the first Invention and Publication of the whole Christian Scheme could not be owing to the Influence of any such Prin∣ciple or Motive as is before mentioned; and if it had, the Inventer and Publisher could not have been a Good Man, that was so Influenced, nor such a good Man as we suppose acted upon a pure disinter∣ested Principle of Love to Mankind.

And if it should be further Objected, that 'tis very probable some honest well-meaning Christians were guilty of the like indirect

Practices, as well as others, and that Purely out of Love and Compassion to Mankind for no other End and Design, but to bring over as many as they could to the belief of that Religion which they were per∣swaded would make them happy; the Answer to this is very ready and obvious, viz. That these were very plain simple Men, as manifestly appears by those Circumstances whereby their Forgeries were discovered; their great Zeal for the Salvation of their Brethren was without Knowledge, and they were ignorant of the Nature and Power of that Religion they sought to Propagate, as imagining such well-intended Frauds allowable. But the Author of the New Testament, if the Work was wholly Humane, was certainly a wise knowing Man, his Forgery; if it was one, was so well laid and contrived, that no body has been yet able to find it out; and he cannot be thought to have been so ignorant of the Religion he made him∣self, as to believe that to be lawful which he had expressly forbid; and therefore we may certainly conclude, that if the Scriptures of the New Testament were Forged, the Author of them was an Ill Man who acted upon some Private Mo∣tive,

and not out of a true generous Con∣cern for the good of Mankind.

But what Principle or Motive can we imagine strong enough to have disposed an ill Man to frame such a Work? Not any Profit, Interest or Advantage that could accrue to him from it. He could not but foresee, that to impose a New Re∣ligion upon the World, to change the Ancient Laws and Customs of Nations, to Condemn and Expose to Contempt, what the Wisest and most Powerful part of Mankind had in Veneration, to disturb Men in the Possession of Advan∣tageous Errors and Prejudices, and to put a Restraint upon their most agreeable Passions and Inclinations: This, I say, he must needs foresee, would be an at∣tempt too difficult to be manag'd with∣out the most violent Opposition ima∣ginable, and too great to be effected in his Days. 'Twas hardly possible, I think, for a Man of Common Sense, to perswade himself such a design as this should succeed at all; but much more inconceivable, that he should imagine Things should be carried on so smoothly and easily, that he should live to enjoy

the Fruits of his Labour; and a future Re∣ward in another Life, could have no ante∣cedent Influence upon him, who is sup∣posed to Invent the Notion, or at least, to inforce it upon others, without having any good Reason to believe it himself.

And as it must be acknowledged, 'twas very easie to foresee the many Troubles and Difficulties that would at∣tend the Establishment of Christianity; so 'tis plain, that the Author of the New Testament, whoever he was, understood very well, what the Natural Consequen∣ces of such an Attempt were, as appears by the large Representation he makes of the manifold Sufferings and Afflictions which befel all the first Publishers and Preachers of the Christian Religion, and those who embrac'd the Doctrines they taught.

It must be likewise confessed, That if any of those mentioned in the New Testa∣ment, as concern'd in Publishing or Preach∣ing what is there call'd the Gospel, did really Suffer such things as are there Writ∣ten of them, for endeavouring to per∣suade people to believe such Wonderful Facts and Doctrines as we now find Recorded in that Book, which some of them had before invented, and afterwards

caused to be written, together with the Account of their own Sufferings: If this, I say, be supposed, then it must be grant∣ed, That the Event was every way an∣swerable to the Prospect which we have seen the Author of the Christian Scheme must have had before him when he was upon that Design; and which soever of these Persons we ascribe the Work to, we must be convinced, that he did, by no means, consult his own Interest in it.

But if some unknown Person was the Author of the New Testament, and the whole History of it is pure Fiction, as must be allowed in the Supposition we are at present concerned to disprove, then is it utterly impossible to find out what Advantage he could propose to himself by a Performance of this Nature. I can∣not conceive, for the Reasons before gi∣ven, that he should design any Interest of his own at all in it; and his being un∣known, is no small Argument that the Advantages gained, whatever they were, were too inconsiderable a Recompence for such a noble, well-invented Scheme, as he has given us in the Scriptures of the New Testament.

'Twas not then for any Private Inte∣rest or Advantage assignable by us, That any Person, who thought fit to conceal himself, could frame and contrive the New Testament; and much less can it be supposed, that a desire of Reputation put him upon such a Work, since he has ta∣ken such effectual care to suppress his own Name, and attribute the Glory of his Invention to another.

Nothing therefore remains, but that we say 'twas purely the pleasure of deceiv∣ing, which occasioned the writing that Book: But this is as unlikely and insuf∣ficient a Cause of such an Effect, as any of the other before mentioned: For the secret Pleasure of deceiving, without the Reputation which is wont to attend an art∣ful Deceiver, could never work so strong∣ly, as to produce any thing of that excel∣lent Skill and Contrivance in the making, and of such mighty tendency in the Consequences of it as the Christian Religion is.

Besides, when a Man acts for no other End, but to deceive, his De∣signs can never be such as serve for the procuring and promoting the benefit of Mankind. The pleasure that an ill Man

takes in deceiving, is always a malicious pleasure, which is raised and heightned by the prospect either of the Folly or Misery of the deceived. Had such an Impostor as this, contrived the Christian Religion, he would never have taken the pains to oblige the World with such a Rational Scheme of Life, as was never before exhibited, and could never since be mended; he would rather have chose to triumph over the Ignorance and Creduli∣ty of Mankind by giving them false and pernicious Rules of Action, as well as mon∣strous and improbable Articles of Belief; but those who considering the Christian Facts and Doctrines as meer Imposture, talk of them under that Style, are forced to allow, that the Christian Morality, whe∣ther it be of Humane Invention, or Divine Revelation, is certainly the most perfect accomplish'd Piece that was ever declared to Mankind.

There is no other Motive imagin∣able the Author of the New Testa∣ment, if it be all a Forgery, could have acted upon; and the insufficiency of those alledged, has been already shewn, and might be further made to appear, if

there were occasion for such an inlarge∣ment; But the absurdity and impossibi∣lity of the supposed Forgery, appearing more plainly from the following Head, I shall add but one Argument more for the Confirmation of what I have said ve∣ry briefly upon this.

Now the Argument I shall insist upon, is this; That 'tis utterly inconceivable, that the supposed Author and Contriver of that Book, could have imagined that such a Scheme of Things, as we there find delivered, should ever come to be believed and established in the World; and without such a Thought and Per∣swasion of this in the Author, we can ne∣ver account for either the first Contri∣vance or Publication of it. Whatever it was that determined him to frame the Christian Scheme; whatever End he pro∣posed to himself from his Labour and Skill in making it, he must certainly de∣sign that the whole Fiction should be believed by those it was communicated to; otherwise it was impossible for him to compass the End he aimed at: If there∣fore 'tis certain, That the first Author and Publisher of the Christian Religion did de∣sign and intend to have it believed;

and if he was a Wise, Understanding Man, of great Reach and Sagacity, as the Enemies of his Religion allow, and is very evident from that Rational Draught of Morality the World is obliged to him for; then does it plainly follow, That Christianity is no Imposture, and that the Books of the New Testament are not Forged and Invented.

For how was't possible for a Wise Man to think, that such a Multitude of strange, unheard of Facts as are Recorded in the New Testament, and made the Foundation of the Christian Religion, should be believed without any manner of Proof, or Evidence, of the Truth of them? But if he did not distrust the cre∣dibility of the Facts themselves, what could induce him to give such a particular circumstantial Relation of them, as sub∣mitted them to every Bodies Enquiry and Examination, and made the disco∣very of their Falshood easie and obvious? How could he perswade himself, that such New and Difficult Doctrines should be entertained, which no former Notions of Learning or Religion, prepared Men to receive, and which no Discovery or Revelation could make them fully com∣prehend?

And how was it possible for him to imagine, That such Doctrines and Facts as these, should set off and recom∣mend his Morality to the World, which considered by it self, is granted to be un∣exceptionable?

Had the principal Aim and Design of this supposed Impostor, been to establish the Christian Morality, he would rather have Published it alone, in the Name of some admired Prince or Philosopher; or have pretended, by some secret way of con∣veyance, to have received it from Hea∣ven. This, any Man of common Sense, would have judged a likelier Method of getting it believed, than the mixing and blending so many strange Facts and Do∣ctrines amongst it, and laying the whole Work upon such a Foundation as he knew had no manner of Support from Reality.

And, on the other side, had it been his chief Intention to abuse the Credulity of Mankind, by making them believe so ma∣ny strange and unaccountable Lyes, as are contained in the History and peculiar Doctrines of Christianity, if they are all False, he would have taken care to have made his Morality more easie and palata∣ble,

and more suited to the common Pre∣judices and Inclinations of the generality of Mankind, that so the other parts of the Scheme might have been taken down readily, and without Examination, for the sake of this.

But taking the Christian Religion altoge∣ther, as we now find it, 'tis not to be imagined, that a Wise Man should be∣lieve he was able to bring People over to imbrace it, supposing it purely an In∣vention of his own, which he knew had no Foundation in true Facts: And there∣fore there could be no End or Motive suf∣ficient to Influence him to contrive what he could not believe would ever be re∣ceived so far, as to answer any End proposed.

But, supposing it possible that there should have been some Man, who was Wise enough to invent the whole Christian Scheme, as we now find it in the Scriptures of the New Testament, and who was at the same time so absurdly foolish, as to think it would be believed so far, as to recompence him for the pains of making, and the hazard of Publishing it: Sup∣posing, I say, all this, which to me is perfectly unconceivable, yet the Books of

the New Testament could not be forged: Because,

2. If the Principal Matters of Fact con∣tained in the New Testament, both Com∣mon and Extraordinary, had not been true, 'twould have been utterly impossible, that the Christian Religion should ever have been believed and propagated in the World, in the manner we find it is at present; which I shall endeavour to prove in the following Method.

That the Christian Religion, such as we find delivered in the Books of the New Testament, is at present own'd and profess'd in a great part of the World; and that, where-ever this Religion is profess'd, those Books are appeal'd to as the Rule and Standard of it, as to every thing therein contained, are Truths I shall take for granted.

It is likewise as evident, that there was a Time when there were no such Books, or Religion known or heard of.

The inquiry then will be when, and how, the Christian Religion came to be Esta∣blish'd in the World? In answer to which, it must be allowed, that either the Books of the New Testament were written

first, and the Christian Religion Propagated from them; or the Doctrines therein con∣tained, were spread first by Preaching and Conversation, and afterwards com∣mitted to Writing: But which soever of these Suppositions we take, the Publica∣tion of the Christian History, and the Doctrines built upon it, cannot possibly be placed above the Times mentioned in the New Testament; because there are abun∣dance of Names, and other Circumstances allowed to be true, which could not be known before without a Spirit of Pro∣phecy, which Imposture has nothing to do with.

In the Account the New Testament gives of this Matter, the first Scene of the Im∣posture, if the Christian Religion be ac∣counted such, is laid at Jerusalem, in the time of Tiberius Cesar, and consequently the Period fix'd upon for first acquaint∣ing the World with what is pretended to have happen'd then at Jerusalem must be at, or near that time, or at some distance since. Let us consider this great Event in all these different Periods, and see what the Success will be.

In the first place then, let us suppose the Christian Religion Invented and Published

at Jerusalem in the Reign of Tiberius Cesar: 'Tis plain the way of Propagating the belief of it must have been by Writing or Preaching; if the Work was begun by Writing, it must be by some of the Go∣spels, none of the other Books of the New Testament can be pretended to be then Written without Prophecy: But whe∣ther it were by one or more of the Go∣spels, or by Preaching the things contain∣ed in them, 'twas absolutely impossible such a Scheme of Falshood should be belie∣ved by those who by an Infallible Consci∣ousness must know it to be so; or be spread, propagated and defended by those who did not believe it themselves, in places where every body was as capable and certain a Judge of the Cheat as they.

Was not there such a Man as Christ? Did he not, in all appearance maintain such a Character? Did he not pretend to such Discoveries, and Wonderful Works, and did he not really Suffer such things upon account of his Pretences, as we find Re∣corded in those Books call'd the Gospels? All this must be granted in the present Supposition, which fixes the real Publi∣cation of that Religion, we now profess, at the same date we find mentioned in the

New Testament: And if it be allowed that these Facts were true, then does it certain∣ly follow that all the Pretences of Christ were real, for otherwise they could never have been believed, as has been sufficiently proved already, and will more fully appear under another Head, where I shall shew the necessary Connexion betwixt the truth of the Common and the Extraordinary Facts mentioned in the New Testament. But if these Common Matters of Fact just now instanced in were false as well as the other, then must the whole Story be much more Ridiculous and Incredible.

If the Forgery be dated about Forty Years lower at some time near the De∣struction of Jerusalem, then must we take in the Acts of the Apostles and the other Books of the New Testament into our Ac∣count, which will render the difficulty of believing the Christian Religion much greater: For here we have abundance of New Matters of Fact to believe as strange as those in the Gospels, and as easie to be known and disproved, but vastly more Nu∣merous, and more Publick, to the truth of which a great many more Cities and Na∣tions are brought in as Witnesses, all which are supposed false and consequently

could never obtain Credit in the World at that time.

If the Christian Religion was not heard of any where, till some time after the De∣struction of Jerusalem, how could it possibly be then believed, when its chief Pretence was, that it had been Published, Believed, and Establisted in many places long before, which was palpably and notoriously false? Now that this must be the Pretence upon which the Christian Religion was first Founded, whatever Period we suppose, this Event happen'd in after the De∣struction of Jerusalem, is very plain from the Nature of the Religion its self, and the Manner of its Publication, which are intirely built upon Matters of Fact; so that if the History of Christianity, or the Principal Matters of Fact contained in the New Testa∣ment are false, the whole Religion must fall: And the Nature of those Facts 'tis built up∣on is such, that 'tis imposible for any body to believe them at any distance from the time in which they are affirmed to hap∣pen, if they were then first invented, when he is required to believe them.

For, let us fix the Period when we will, how can we imagine that the History con∣tained in the Books of the New Testamen

should be believed by those who are sup∣posed to live after the Times of all the Transactions therein mention'd, and yet who had never before heard or read of any of them? Can it possibly be thought, that any People would change their Laws and Religion upon such a Story as this, without enquiring into the truth of it? And how could they be satisfied upon en∣quiry when the supposition of an Im∣posture makes all other Information, but that of the Publishers utterly impossible? And what reason could there be to believe him, who gives only a positive bare Rela∣tion of Matter of Fact, done before his time, which he delivers without any pretence to Revelation himself, and with∣out any Authority but his own to con∣firm the truth of what he endeavours to impose upon the World? Would not these have been every Man's Questions? Why was not the Religion now offered to us imbraced when it was first prescrib∣ed to Mankind, with all those wonderful Evidences of its Divine Original we are told of? Why were not those strange Facts believed by those that were the immediate Witnesses of them? If they were, and if the Christian Religion

spread and increased upon the Credit of them (as is affirmed, and if the Miracles were true, must needs be allow'd) How came it to pass that neither We nor our Forefathers ever heard of these things, and that we have no History or Monu∣ments of them remaining? How should such a New Religion as this, Establish'd upon the evidence of Sense, and Propa∣gated by vast Multitudes of Professors, be quite lost and worn out of the memory of Men already? How came you that Publish it to be the only Person that could recover the Knowledge of it? What reason have you now to believe what has been laid aside by those, who, by being nearer the Original, were better Judges of the truth of it? And what Authori∣ty have you to receive it, and enjoyn Mankind the belief of it? These were Questions which an Impostor could never give any Answer to; and without satis∣faction in these Matters, so great and wise a part of Mankind as are now, and were formerly throughly perswaded of the truth of the Christian Religion could not voluntarily lay aside all their ancient Prejudices and Ingagements, and imbrace a New Religion, with all the dangerous

Consequences that they knew must at∣tend such a change.

It is therefore manifestly absurd, to suppose there ever were any Men Foolish and Impudent enough to Publish a false History of Matters of Fact, pretended to be done just before the Publication, and in the very Place where the Scene is laid, within the immediate Cogni∣zance of all the People to whom the Relation is directed; and if there were any such Pretenders, 'tis impossible to think there should be any People so Stu∣pid, as to believe they themselves saw and heard such Things as were never said or done among them, and this pure∣ly upon the Information of others, with∣out which they had remained intirely ig∣norant of them; from whence it necessarily follows, that the Christian Scheme could not be Published at the Time 'tis dated at, if it were meer Forgery and Invention.

It is likewise very ridiculous and irra∣tional to imagine, that a long series of Publick Notorious Facts, said to be done in the presence of great Multitudes of all sorts of Persons in different Coun∣tries and Nations; the Consequences of which, are pretended to be very great

and concerning to all Mankind; and which, by the Credit they had obtain∣ed, and the Opposition that had been made to them, had occasioned mighty Changes and Alterations in the World: 'Tis very absurd, I say, to maintain that such Facts as these, which never happen'd at all, should at any distance, from the Time in which they are pretended to have happen'd, ever come to be gene∣nerally believed, in, or near those Places they are appropriated to, barely upon the Authority of their Publication; when those that were supposed to believe them, can have no other Reason for their Faith but this, That some body had the confidence to Publish a strange, un∣heard of Story: And if there be any absurdity in this supposition, 'tis impossi∣ble the Christian Religion should have been first Promulg'd any time after the Period assign'd for its Publication in the New Testament; because it was impossible it should ever have been believed, as it now is, if it had.

A great deal more might be said to prove the Christian Religion no Imposture, and to expose the gross absurdity of such a Supposition; but I do not think it ne∣cessary

to inlarge upon this Point, both because I have, in a great measure, pre∣vented my self in the direct Proofs I have before given of the Truth of the Christian Religion; which, with a different manner of Application, would serve the same purpose here; and because this is thought, by the Enemies of Christianity themselves, too weak a Post to defend, and is rarely insisted upon by them, any further than as Trick, Cheat, and Imposture are odious discre∣diting Names, which serve to blacken the Cause they want Arguments to over∣throw.

The chief strength of Modern Infidelity, or, as its Favourers and Professors de∣light to call it, Deism, consists in a great many loose Objections, levelled against something or other in the Scriptures, without any certain aim, without any rela∣tion to a Scheme or Hypothesis to account for all standing Appearances, and without any regular Deduction of Consequences from what is Objected, or Answer to contrary Proofs.

But, before I enter upon a particular Examination of these Objections, it is to

be observed, that they are directed in∣differently against any part of the Scri∣ptures of the Old or New Testament; and therefore I shall think my self obliged to consider them only so far as they are made use of, or intended to lessen the certainty of Divine Revelation in General, or of the truth either of the Jewish or Christian Religion, both which we pre∣tend, and undertake to maintain, did come from God.

I have not indeed given a particular Proof of the Jewish Revelation, because it is supposed in the Christian, and con∣firmed by it; and therefore what proves the Latter must establish the Former: But if any Man will take a short view of the Jewish Revelation, as we find it de∣livered in the Books of the Old Testament, and impartially consider the Nature, Vari∣ety and Number of the Facts there Re∣corded; the Relation and Connexion they have to one another; the Time and Man∣ner in which they were Recorded; the Ways and Methods of preserving the me∣mory of them; together with the Cha∣racters and Circumstances of all the Persons concern'd in them; He will never be a∣ble to doubt but the Principal Matters of

Fact mentioned in the Old Testament were true; it being impossible to conceive they should have been Forged, either altogether or separately, since they are the Foundati∣ons of all the Jewish Religion and Policy, and are of such a nature that we cannot suppose any time when the Forgery should begin without a discovery of it; which would appear more evidently if we applied all the Characters of Truth and Divinity, remarkable in the Christian Revelation to the Jewish; but such a Re∣petition being altogether unnecessary in its self, and without the bounds of my Pre∣sent Subject, I shall immediately pro∣ceed to examine the Deist's Objections to Scripture and Revelation.

Now the summ of what they have to say, which has not been already particu∣larly considered, tends to shew that the Miracles and Prophecies mentioned in the Scriptures (allowing the Accounts there given of the Facts to be true) are no Proofs of a Divine Revelation; and that there are a great many such Faults obser∣vable in the other parts of Scripture as prove the whole to be a pure Humane Composure.

What they object against Miracles be∣ing used as an Argument to prove a Doctrine Revealed from God is, that it De∣rogates from the Nature and Perfection of God to work Miracles; and that the Re∣gular Frame of the World, with a constant unalterable Connexion of Causes and Effects in it, gives us a truer and juster Idea of God, and is a better Argument of his Being, than any Extraordinary Interposi∣tion of Providence, which alters and per∣verts the course of Nature: To which I answer.

First, That I cannot see how it Derogates from God, to suppose his immediate Inter∣position in some Cases, or how his working of Miracles is a perverting of the Course of Nature, any more than it Derogates from the Soul, or the Soul perverts the Course of Nature, when by a Thought it changes or stops the Motion of the Animal Spirits, which according to their usual course would have moved other∣wise: When the Soul exercises this Power over the Body, the Sinews and Bones continue as they were, and so do the bulk and principal parts of Nature for all Miracles. God does not order Men to be born of Beasts, nor change Beasts

into Men, nor create New Suns, nor annihilate any Systems of Matter to work Miracles; but by a Thought he separates or unites the insensible parts of Matter, he stops, retards, or quickens their Motion, or alters their Figures: This is God's common Method of work∣ing Miracles.

But, in the next place, what if we should say that God did every thing by an imme∣diate Will? What if we affirm'd that he often Created some Beings and Destroyed others, that he changed the Laws of Motion, and suspended the Effects of it? None of these ways of acting can Dero∣gate from God, forasmuch as they can∣not be proved, either to imply a Contra∣diction in themselves, to be inconsistent with the Happiniss of God, or to be repugnant to the Goodness or Justice of his Dealings with his Intelligent Creatures. These are the true and only Measures of all the other Notions we frame of the Perfections of the Divine Nature: And therefore when we say God cannot act contrary to Nature, we must mean it in one of these Senses, either that he cannot act what is a Con∣tradiction in it self, or what is contrary to his own Nature, or to the Nature he has

given his Intelligent Creatures: But when any Changes or Alterations in Material Beings, consistent with the fore-mention'd Principles are said to be contrary to Nature, that is only a popular Expression which signifies that the course of things is diffe∣rent from what it constantly appeared to us before: but no colour of reason can possibly be given either from the Proper∣ties of Body, or the Constancy of Appearance, why such a change should not be made by God.

That Miracles are not, in their own Nature, a better proof of the Being of God, than the standing Frame and regular Order and Disposition of things is certain; but if the generality of Men are apt to forget God, notwithstanding they are sur∣rounded with so many visible Evidences of his Being, Why is it not agreeable to the Wisdom and Goodness of God to raise and excite their Attention by new and surprizing Manifestations of his Power; the impression of which would be much livelier and stronger than those they re∣ceived from a constant Repetition of the same appearances? But 'tis not to prove a God or Providence, or the first General Principles of Natural Religion, that Miracles

are urged; these things are all so plain and easie, without such a confirmation, that they are altogether without excuse who do not believe them or act contrary to their belief; but when Men are lost and gone out of the way, and are become altoge∣ther Corrupt; when through Blindness and Ignorance they know not how to serve God aright, and when those who use their en∣deavours to do it can have no assurance of being accepted; if in compassion to this sad and distressed Estate of Mankind God is pleased to reveal himself to them, and acquaint them with a true and cer∣tain way to Happiness, which they were not able to find out of themselves, what Perfections of God is it contrary to to make such a discovery to his Creatures? And how could he take a more effectual way to convince them of the truth of the Revelation than by Miracles, which are real Effects of Divine Power, and which Men are readily disposed to acknowledge as Infallible Signs and Indications of it? If these were the Works of God, and might certainly be known to be so, as has al∣ready been proved in the former part of this Discourse, then were they very fit and proper Proofs that the Doctrine they

were intended to comfirm came from God, though they were not brought about by an immediate Interposition, but were part of the General Scheme of Nature. And therefore, though it should be allowed to be a Derogation to God to make him the Author of those Works we call Mi∣racles, by a present and immediate exercise of his Power; yet it can be no diminution to any of his Perfections to affirm, that ori∣ginally at the beginning of the World, he ordered such Effects to proceed from the General Laws of Nature, at such a time, that they might be for Signs and Tokens to Mankind, that the Revelation which should then be given them came from him.

Another Objection made to the Argu∣ment of Miracles is, that Miracles have been wrought by other Men, as well as Moses and Christ, and as great as those that were Recorded of them; from whence it is inferred, that the Doctrines they taught are never the truer for their Working Miracles: To which I An∣swer, that the Matter of Fact is none of it sufficiently attested; a great deal or it manifestly false; and were it all true,

the Inference drawn from it does not hold.

To make good this Charge, I shall instance in the Miracles attributed to Ves∣pasian and Apollonius Tyanaeus, which have been particularly made use of by the Ene∣mies of our Religion to lessen the Credit and Authority of it.

Of Vespasian it is Recorded, That he once cured two Blind Men; but the strange and wonderful Works of Apol∣lonius, fill a Book writ on purpose to give an account of them. Now as to Vespasian's Cure of the Blind, 'tis but one single Miracle, and therefore is very un∣justly compared with that Multitude of mighty Works that were wrought by the Hands of Christ; neither is it so well attested, but Reasons may be given why it should be false, notwithstanding the reality of all the appearing Circum∣stances of it: Several Inducements might be alledged, that very probably disposed this Emperor to pretend to such a Mi∣racle; 'tis very easie to conceive how his Design might be brought about in the Presence of a great many People without their discovering the Cheat; and, should any have found it out, 'tis

very obvious to imagine why they did not Publish it: But nothing of all this would hold when applied to Christ, had he pretended to no more than the Cure of two Blind Men: A Man of his Cha∣racter and Condition in the World, could not promise himself any Honour, Re∣spect, or Advantage from such a Pre∣tence; and should he have made this use of it, he would very probably have raised the Envy of all the People of the same Rank, and the Jealousie of his Superiors; upon these, and other Motives, as well as Natural Curiosity, a great many would have been very Industrious and Inquisi∣tive in searching into the Truth of the Fact; and whom can we imagine so far concern'd for such a Pretender, as to be privy or assisting to his Cheat at the first, or to conceal his shame after they had found it out: But, supposing an Account could be given in one or two Instances, how 'twas possible for Christ to pretend to such Works as were never done; there are abundance still remaining upon Re∣cord, that are manifestly incapable of such a Solution; which puts an unan∣swerable difference betwixt the Miracles of Christ, and the Pretences of other Men.

As to the Story of Apollonius, the whole Credit of it depends upon the Testimony of one single Author, who lived too long after him to be a competent Witness of the Truth of what he Relates, and was too Credulous and Partial to be believed if he had lived at the same time with him. The strange unusual Things Related to have been done by this Apollonius, bear no Proportion to the Miracles of Christ, either as to the Number of the Facts and Persons concern'd in them; the Wonder∣ful and Extraordinary Nature of them, the beneficial Design of them, or the pub∣lick and hazardous Manner in which they were done; and a great many of these have been proved to be false upon exa∣mination, from the manifest inconsisten∣cies and contradictions in the Relation of them.

But supposing the Miracles attributed to Vespasian and Apollonius were true in Fact, what Reasons can we alledge, ei∣ther from the Characters of the pretended Authors, the Ends and Designs they acted upon, the Consequences and Effects of the Pretences, or from any other Circumstan∣ces of their Story, that the strange Things

Recorded of them, were not done by the Ministry of Evil Spirits?

Let us suppose farther, That the Facts were not only real, but true and proper Miracles, performed by the express and immediate Assistance of God; What can be inferred from thence? Not that the Hea∣then Religion was true; because these Miracles were not design'd or intended for a Confirmation of it: Not that the Christian Religion was purely Humane; because the whole End of Christ's work∣ing Miracles was to prove that his Do∣ctrine came from God. There may be se∣veral Reasons given why it may please God sometimes to work Miracles indiffe∣rently by the Hands of good or ill Men, Men of a true or false Religion; but it cannot possibly be supposed of God, that he should imploy Good Men, or concur with the Wicked, in working Miracles, in order to their deceiving Mankind, and establishing a Lye by such Evidence as cannot be disproved; and no Instance can be given where any one true Miracle was wrought by a Person that made use of it to prove any other Doctrine by, than what we have delivered in the Scriptures. By a true Miracle I mean such as is as well

attested to have been done as those Re∣corded in the Scriptures, and can no more be accounted for, without the Power of God, than they can; many of which I will allow to have been done upon other occa∣sions, without any Application of them to the advantage of the Religion of those that performed them.

'Tis true indeed many Signs and Won∣ders may have been wrought for the Confirmation of false Doctrines, and may have deceived many whom Simpli∣city and Bigotry to the Cause they made for disposed to entertain them; but we have no Records of any such ill-intended Miracles left, which by the Nature, Cir∣cumstances, Effects, or Attestation of them, can dispose a rational Man to ascribe them to God. And, whatever Pretences of this kind there may have been, 'tis a very good Argument that the World can distinguish betwixt the wonderful Works of God, and the little Feats of Men and Evil Spirits; That there are now no Opinions or Doctrines whatsoever re∣maining, besides what are contained in the Jewish and Christian Revelations; nor any particular Explications of, or De∣ductions from them, which were at first

Believed and Propagated upon the Strength and Authority of strange and won∣derful Facts publickly and really done for that end.

The next Intimation made use of to overthrow the Truth of the Scripture-Revelation concerns the Prophecies which make a great part of it: And this, as well as the first Objection against Miracles, is wholly new, the Invention of these lat∣ter Days, wherein the Improvements of rational Knowledge have forced the Patrons of Irreligion upon new Absurdi∣ties. Now the Argument, as far as 'tis capable of being expressed in such a form, is this, That the Prophecies of the Old Testament, upon which the Christian Reli∣gion is principally built, proceeded from Impressions made upon the Imaginations of the Prophets; which Impressions were always agreeable to their several Tempers, Complexions and Opinions; from whence it must be inferr'd that such Visionary Scenes, and Figurative Expressions as these Prophecies are delivered in, could be attributed to God only in a popular way, as all other extraordinary and unusual E∣vents were, and therefore cannot be

made use of to prove a Divine Revelation, because they proceeded wholly from Na∣tural Causes though unknown to us.

But, whatever of this nature is ad∣vanced by Spinoza, or whatever Infe∣rences are drawn from it by others, who apply it further than he durst openly assert, nothing can be concluded from his Account of Prophecy to the Prejudice of the Scripture-Revelation; were all his Observations upon this Subject true, as 'tis manifest to any one that reads the Bible, they are not. For supposing all he says upon this Head were true, viz. That the Prophets were Persons of livelier Ima∣ginations than others, (as 'tis plain of some of them that they were not) That the Angry, Chearful or Melancholy Prophet always Prophesied things suitable to his particular Temper (as there are several In∣stances to be given to the contrary) and that the Jews had a pious way of Attri∣buting every thing strange or unusual to God, &c. What if all these things were so as Spinoza observes? The Knowledge which these Angry, Chearful, &c. Prophets, of lively Imaginations had of Future Things must be allowed to come from God, in a different manner from that whereby they

received all their other Knowledge, as Spinoza himself plainly owns; and if it be so, 'tis a very good Argument that the Doctrines Preached by those Prophets were delivered to them by God also, in the same way that their Prophecies were; which is sufficient to inforce the Obligation of them upon us, whatever Natural Causes God was pleased to make use of in the Revelation; and that is all we contend for, or are concern'd to maintain.

This is all that either the Ancient or Modern Enemies of the Christian Religion had, or can have to object to the Miracles and Prophecies Recorded in the Bible; ex∣cepting what has been already Answered in the direct proof that was given of the Truth of them.

The other parts of Scripture are charged with almost all the Faults which any Hu∣mane Writing is capable of, viz.

Contradictions to Reason and Philo∣sophy.

Contradictions of one part to another.

Mistakes as to the Authors of the Books, Connexion of the Parts, Chrono∣logy, Geography, &c.

Ridiculous and Improbable Stories.

Absurd and Irrational Laws and In∣junctions.

Trifling and Impertinent Reasons and Arguments.

Low and Unartful Language.

The Injustice of which Objections I shall shew very briefly, as sying very open and obvious.

As to Contradictions to Reason and Philo∣sophy pretended to be in the Scriptures, no body has been acute enough yet, or sufficiently instructed in the true System of things to make good this Charge. We have lived to see several New Schemes, Hy∣potheses and Theories of the World Con∣futed and Exploded; but the Plainest, Simplest, and most Demonstrative Account of Nature that is now extant, is found to be the most agreeable to Scripture, and answers all the Ancient Blasphemies against Pro∣vidence which were grounded upon false Hypotheses then in Reputation.

But, after all, the Scriptures were not written to teach us Philosophy: If this had been the Design of them, no doubt but we had had a truer Scheme of Knowledge than any Philosopher has been yet able to give us; but then 'tis certain we should have

had much less Religion, if that and our Philosophy had been revealed to us together.

Had the Language of Scripture been every where adapted to the true Nature of Things, 'tis hard to conceive how it should ever have come to be believed. For, sup∣posing these Notions to be true; That the Earth moves; That the Sun is a Hundred thousand times bigger than the Earth; That the Moon and the other Planets are inhabited; That Beasts are senseless Machines, and meer Clock-work, and the like: And supposing all the popular Expressions of Scripture con∣cerning such Matters were changed, and suited to these Notions, would not all the Learned part of Mankind, who lived before these new Discoveries in Nature were made, have been apt to reject the whole Revelation as absurd, and unphi∣losophical? But if some of the Learned had been so sensible of their Ignorance of Nature and the Power of God, as to make all the Prejudices of their Reason, Submit to their Faith, 'tis hardly possible to imagine how the People should ever have been induced to believe such Opi∣nions as shock those Common Natural No∣tions they have of Things, which come to them without teaching, and Opinions

that will always seem to contradict their Senses. The greatest Evidence of Mira∣cles would not be sufficient to convince the People of the Truth of such Notions as those before-mention'd; for though strange and wonderful Things which they actually and certainly perceive come to pass, may satisfie them, that as strange Things as these may happen hereafter; yet even such Signs and Wonders as these which they see, can hardly be supposed to con∣vince them, that there are at present other strange Things which they do not see, and which they believe their Senses as ca∣pable Judges of, as of those which they do see.

But whether the Scriptures were be∣lieved in this Case by few or more, those who had not been disposed to like them, would have had greater, and more unan∣swerable Objections to make to them from Reason and Philosophy, than our present Unbelievers have: How could a faithful Christian who lived before Copernicus and Des Cartes have defended the Philosophy of the Scriptures against such as rejected the forementioned Notions, and exposed them as ridiculous and absurd? The bare Authority of the Revelation without the

Assistance of all our Modern Experiments and Observations, would have been less effectual to convince Gainsayers then, than it is now; because the Opinions contrary to the Doctrines of Scripture then would have been more easie and popular, than those contained in Scripture; and therefore if the Scripture Notions were not true, no Reason could be given why they should be there: For it could not then be said, as it is very justly and properly now in seve∣ral Cases, that the Expressions of Scripture were suited to the common Notions of the People who were to read them: from whence it follows, that the appearing Fals∣hood of the Opinions above-mentioned, if they had been found in Scripture, would have been a more puzling Objection to the Christians of former Times, than the allowed Falshood of the Common Vulgar Notions of Philosophy, which the Scrip∣tures are at present charg'd with, can be to us.

And what we suppose of the Times be∣fore Copernicus, would hold good of the present upon the like Tryal: For it is not to be contested, but there are a great many other true Notions in Philosophy hitherto unknown to us, which upon the

first discovery, would appear as shocking, and contrary to all our former Know∣ledge, as the Motion of the Earth, the Planetary Worlds, &c. did to our Prede∣cessors; and were these delivered in our Bibles, as we have supposed the other to be, they would furnish as much matter of Cavil to our Modern, and all succeeding Scepticks, as those would have done to the Philosophers of former Ages, till further Experience had reconciled them to their Reason; which could never be expected in all Points: For, had every Thing the Scripture has occasion to mention, been expressed according to the true Philosophy of it, the whole Race of Mankind could never make Experiments and Observations enough to satisfie themselves of the Truth of all the Scripture-Notions, without the Authority of the Revelation, as long as the World indures.

But beside this general Defence of the Philosophy of Scripture, it may be said, that several seeming Contradictions to Reason, which the Enemies of our Religion have laid a great stress upon, have been prov∣ed to be true and consistent by Learned Men, and some of them that were capa∣ble of it, Mathema••ically demonstrated? As

particularly the Capacity of Noah's Ark.

The same Thing may be answered to the next Objections made to Scripture, viz. That several Places which seem'd to con∣tradict one another, have been plainly re∣conciled, and several things which have been look'd upon as Mistakes, as to the Au∣thors of the Books, Connexion of the Parts, Chronology, Geography, &c. have been clearly proved to be none, by those who have par∣ticularly undertook the Examination of these Difficulties: And as to those Places which do not admit of such a Solution, all the Faults and Defects they are charged with, are wholly owing to the Tradition and way of Conveyance which was purely Humane, and were not in the Original Revelation which we say was Divine, and have proved to be so by many incontesta∣ble Evidences.

Allowing therefore, that the Text of the Scriptures, like that of other Books, hath received some alterations by Time and variety of Copies; That some of the Rolls or Sheets of the Old Testament have been misplaced; that some Things have been inserted afterwards; Words and Sentences have been left out, Letters have been changed, and other Mistakes

have been made by Transcribers: That some of the Books, or some parts of them are ascribed to wrong Authors; and that it has been much controverted, whether some of them should be admitted into the Canon: Should we, I say, allow all this, I do not see what use could be made of it, to the prejudice either of the Truth or Divinity of the Jewish and Christian Re∣velations. For variety of Copies from whence all the alterations of the Text pro∣ceed, are a very great Argument of the Sincerity and Importance of the Original, as being the best Preservative against all Corruption in the Substance and principal parts of it: And the Controverted Books only shew what care and faithful Exami∣nation there was of every Book, before it was admitted into the Canon.

But, to give all the force and weight to these Objections which they can possi∣bly have; should we reject all Controverted Books and Passages whatsoever, and should we establish any Reading we please where there is variety, only letting the authentick, undoubted Places be the Rule of Exposition to the doubtful (than which nothing can be more reasonable) in this Case I dare affirm, that not one Article of Faith or

Rule of Practice, or any of the principal Facts our Religion is built upon, would be cut off, but might be as evidently proved from what remains uncontested as from the whole. It does not therefore follow from those Changes and Alterations that have crept into the Scriptures since they were deposited in the hands of Men to keep, or the Contests they have had a∣bout the Authority of some parts of them, that what remains unaltered and uncon∣tested, is not true and of Divine Original; because God has no where promised to exempt the Books, in which his Revela∣tions to Man are preserved, from the ac∣cidents common to other Books.

Nay further, should we allow what some have the confidence to assert, That the Sacred Writers themselves were liable to the same Mistakes as other Men are, in the Relation of Matters of Fact from 〈◊〉〈◊〉 own Memories, or the Information of credible Witnesses; it cannot be concluded from hence, that any of the principal Facts which make a necessary part of our Reli∣gion are false: Because these were all so very extraordinary and notorious, and so impossible to be believed, or pass'd by with∣out Censure and Contradiction, if they

could have been denied, that had the Authors of the Books of Scripture had no peculiar Assistance from God in the Composure of them, we can have no manner of Reason to disbelieve or question the Truth of any Thing of the Substance and principal Parts either of the History or Doctrine there deli∣vered: For supposing those we call the Sa∣cred Writers were not Divinely inspired (as we believe they were;) yet were they capable, and faithful Witnesses of what they writ; and did not this appear to us from their Way and Manner of Writing, and from the Testimony of others concerning them, yet are the Accounts they give us of such a Nature, and Writ at such Times, that 'tis impossible they should ever have been be∣lieved, if they had not been true; from whence it follows, That the History of the Scriptures must be true, and the Doctrines they contain, given by Divine Inspiration, though the Persons that Recorded the wonderful Works and Revelations of God were not Divinely assisted in the same man∣ner in the Writing, as they themselves, or others they write of, were in the first Preaching and Publishing the Will of God.

As to the remaining Objections to Scripture, viz. Ridiculous and Improbable Stories, absurd Laws and Injunctions, Im∣pertinent Reasons and Arguments, low and unartful Expressions: All those will admit of one common Answer, and are easily and justly accountable for, from our Ig∣norance of the Language in which the Scriptures, and especially those of the Old Testament were writ. Ancient Customs and Ʋsages in speaking and acting, and the Temper and Circumstances of the People where the Things were said and done.

The Wisdom of all Laws and Institutions, is to be judg'd of by the Temper and Circumstances of the Persons for whom they were made, particularly at the Time when they were made.

The Eloquence and Propriety at all Dis∣courses, and the Force and Weight of Argu∣ments depend likewise upon the Cha∣racter of the Persons the Discourses were directed to, or intended for; and their peculiar Disposition and Circumstances at such and such Times.

Ridiculous and absurd are arbitrary and relative Terms, and vary according to the different Notions of the Persons that use

them, there being several Things, which to some appear absurd and ludicrous, which considered by others in different Circum∣stances, appear proper and grave.

From these Considerations, might all the particular Things objected under the forementioned Heads be answered, as a great many of them have been already, were we throughly instructed in those Matters which are absolutely necessary, in order to make any Judgment upon the Things in question, which at this distance from the first delivery of them, is in se∣veral Cases impossible.

But in defect of such Information as is necessary to give a clear and particular Ac∣count of all the Passages of Scripture excepted against by Prophane and Cavil∣ling Men, 'tis sufficient to say in general what has been before unanswerably proved, that all the principal Matters of Fact Recorded in the Holy Writings, upon which the Certainty of the Revelation, and the Obligations of the Religion therein con∣tained, are founded, are beyond all ex∣ception true; for the Authority of these, will bear down and over-rule all other seeming difficulties that occur in Scripture, which are not manifestly inconsistent with

the first Principles of our Knowledge up∣on which all our Faith as well as Reason is grounded.

There are several Relations of Things, in the most approved Books, which I should not believe so readily if they were not supported by the Authority of the rest: But when I have unquestionable proof of the Veracity and Wisdom of the Writer in some things, I can easily believe other things which he says must be true and wise though they seem to me foolish and untrue. And therefore when I am certainly convinced, 'tis God that speaks, by Infallible Signs, and a great part of the Discourse appears to me worthy of God, I cannot doubt but all the rest must proceed from God, and be worthy of him, though it would not appear so without this support. Had the Bible came down to us with all the exceptionable Stories and Expressions put together, without the other parts of it, I could not have perceived it belonged to God, without many wonderful Signs to confirm it, and I should have been very distrustful of the Signs; but when I am throughly convinced of the Authority of a Testimony nothing but a downright Contra∣diction would shock my Belief. Did Twelve Men of known Integrity to me,

affirm they heard an Ass or Serpent Speak, or any such thing as is Recorded in Scri∣ture, I should believe them without any manner of Scruple or Hesitation; and ac∣cording to the Nature and Importance of what was said I should judge it proceeded either from the secret force of Nature, or from Evil Spirits, or from God.

If therefore we are satisfied by unde∣niable Arguments, that the Substance and Principal parts of the Scripture-History are true, and consequently that the Bible is the Word of God; it necessarily follows, that all the questionable Places of it are capable of such a Solution as is very consistent with the Wisdom and Designs of God, and with all the Principles of our Reason, though we should not be able to give it: And indeed such Answers have been already made to several things which seemed most liable to Exception, that 'tis very easie to conceive how those that are yet unanswered might be Solved, were we furnished with all the Know∣ledge requisite for such a Performance: But it has not pleased God to give us such Light, and it does not seem Repugnant to any thing in the Divine Nature to deny it us; and therefore the Difficulties of Scri∣pture,

as well as those of Natural Provi∣dence, may be a proper Exercise of our Faith, but are a very unjust and unwar∣rantable ground of Infidelity; since in both he has vouchsased us such plain and certain Manifestations of himself, as can∣not be darkned by all that infinite abyss of Knowledge which is veiled and con∣cealed from us.

I shall not therefore concern my self any further, to give a particular Answer to the many minute Objections that are made to Scripture; because if the Authority of the Holy Writings depended upon the Force or Invalidity of these Objections, in order to prove the Truth of those Writ∣ings, every one of them must be distinct∣ly and satisfactorily Answered; and that is plainly impossible, by reason that they cannot all receive their proper Solutions without a through insight into the whole compass of Humane Knowledge, which no Man, or Generation of Men, is capable of; and without such a Penetration into the Ways and Designs of God as is not attain∣able but by Revelation.

But if it be urged that there are some particular Objections which do of themselves, without the assistance of any other Argu∣ments,

overthrow the Credit and Au∣thority of the Scriptures, these having been never yet alledged, 'tis time enough to give an Answer to them when the whole Cause is put upon that Issue.

But, besides all this, a particular Answer to all or any Objections is a needless trouble, because the proof that has been given of the Christian Revelation is suffi∣cient to Establish the Authority of it, not∣withstanding any Objection that can be made to the Books of Scripture; which I shall endeavour more fully to make out under the next General Head of Dis∣course.

IV. Forurthly then I shall shew the Sufficiency of such a Proof as has before been given by Matters of Fact, to induce us to believe the Christian Religion, and render us inexcusable if we do not.

Now the Matters of Fact I have under∣took to prove, lying out of the reach of our own present Perceptions and Memories, and being not Communicated to us by Immediate Revelation from God, we can be informed and assured of the truth of them

no other way than by Humane Testimony; the Connexion of present Appearances with former; and from the Nature of things either in General, or the Particular Facts in Question. If therefore it can be shewn that those Matters of Fact which make up the Christian History, and upon which the Christian Religion is Founded, are as well attested as any other distant Facts whatsoever; that there is as necessary a Connexion betwixt them and the present state of things in the World, as betwixt the present and any former Appearances; and that we have as much assurance both from the Nature of things in General, and these in Particular, that they are true, as we can have that any thing else is so at a distance from us: If, I say, it can be shewn that the Proof before given an∣swers all these Characters, then does it evidently follow, that there is as much reason to believe the Christian Religion, as there can possibly be to be believe any Matters of Fact out of the Notice and Ob∣servation of the Living; and that there are some such Matters of Fact as these, which deserve our assent to them, as well as any Truths concerning the real Nature of things, cannot be questioned.

1. First, Then as to Humane Testimony; What true Matters of Fact are there now believed in the World which are better attested than the Christian are? There is no History of former Times, now extant, confirm'd by such a Cloud of Witnesses, and there never were any Witnesses of such unquestionable Cha∣racters.

We have a great many Authors now extant, who had themselves a Principal Concern in the Transactions they write of; They were all Persons of great Probity and Integrity, of a disinteressed, undesign∣ing Simplicity of Manners, Men with∣out Guile, and without Deceit; They were bred up in a different Religion from that they Recommended in their Writings; They were very much Preju∣diced against the Pretences of their Master who came to instruct them in it; They were slow to believe the Account he gave of Himself and the Gospel he Preached; and the Meanness and Poverty of his Condition while he Lived, the Scandal of his Death, and the many Afflictions and Dangers his Disciples and Followers were exposed to after his

Death, were very great Discouragements from imbracing his Doctrine.

The History these Persons acquaint us with, consists of such a multiplicity of Publick Notorious Facts, so easie to be known, so curious to be enquired into, and of such vast Consequence and Im∣portance for all Persons to be rightly imform'd in, that every body might have disproved them if they had been False, and every body that did not believe them would have thought himself con∣cern'd to have done it if he could.

After these first Christian Writers, we have a large Succession of other Authors, who Lived at different Times, during the space of Three Hundred Years, and in several distant Countries and Nations throughout the Roman Empire, who do una∣nimously acquaint us, that Copies of those first Writers were carefully preserved in every Place; and who confirm their Characters, and the Truth of their Rela∣tion; which they assure us were every where believed so firmly and heartily, that vast Multitudes of People, in all Places, forsook the Religion they had been bred up in, laid aside the old Laws

and Customs they had lived by, restrain∣ed the Inclinations, and denied the Ap∣petites they had indulged, and conquered inveterate Prejudices and Aversions, in order to comply with the Doctrine and Institution of Christ, according as it was delivered in the Scriptures of the New Testament.

And in the same manner we are in∣formed, that during these Three Hun∣dred Years, all sorts of Christians were exposed to great Troubles, Losses and Sufferings, upon account of their Profes∣sion; and that abundance of them indured various Tortures, and suffered Death and Reproach, for not renouncing their Faith; of which number were most of the Wri∣ters of those Times, of whose Sincerity, Piety, and Diligent Enquiry into the Truth of the Christian History and Reve∣lation, we have ample Testimonies re∣maining: Several of them were likewise very Learned Men, of great Fame and Reputation for Philosophy, and who would not yeild to the Simplicity of the Gospel till over-ruled and bore down by the Irresistible Authority of Matters of Fact well proved and attested. All of them writ at such Times, and in such Places,

when and where every body that read what they had writ, was as capable of imforming himself of the Truth and In∣tegrity of the Christian Tradition as the Authors themselves were, there being a great many other Writers cited by them, and divers other Monuments and Records appealed to, which were then extant and publickly known.

It is moreover very remarkable, That, during this forementioned Term of 300 Years, while Christianity was new, and under Persecution, neither the Jews nor Heathens, those industrious Enemies and Opposers of the Gospel, who were every where mixt with the Christians, and were continually Disputing with them: This, I say, is a further confirmation of the Truth of the Christian Religion, that not one of all its Ancient Enemies, either Jew or Heathen, should ever deny or call in question the great and wonderful Facts 'twas built upon; but that several of them should corroborate the Christian Accounts by many Circumstances men∣tion'd in their own Writings, as 'tis ma∣nifest they have done.

Thus stands the first and earliest Proof of the Christian Religion from Humane

Testimony; which is further confirmed by an innumerable and continually increa∣sing Company of Writers, and the Con∣stancy and Ʋniversality of Belief ever since, which, by reason of some Opposition or other, has been, in every Age almost examined over again, and stood the Test of the most Malicious Examination.

2. In the next place then, without con∣sidering these Humane Authorities in parti∣cular, let us examine what Connexion there is betwixt the present State of Christianity in the World, and the Ancient History of it.

That the Christian Religion is now own'd and professed in a great many Countries; that, where-ever the Christian Religion is believed, there the Scriptures of the New Testament are acknowledged also as the Rule and Standard of it; and that all the wonderful Facts therein Recorded, are believed by Christians to have really happen'd at the Times and Places there mentioned, are Matters of Fact which every Body may, by his own Observa∣tion, find to be true, and I shall here take for granted.

This therefore being the present State of Things in the World, it necessarily follows from hence, That the Christian Religion had a Beginning: There was a Time when the Christian Religion was no where practised, nor any of those Facts, Recorded in the New Testament, believed. How then came it to pass, That any Body should Contrive and Publish such a Scheme as this? And how came any Body to believe it when Published, if it had not been true?

'Tis plain that the first Contrivers, Publishers, and Believers of the Christian Religion, whoever they were, must have been either Persons of no Religion at all before, or of a different one from the Christian; they must have been either Good Men or Ill Men, such as lived up to the Rules and Principles of the Christian Religion, or contrary to them: But which∣soever of these Characters we suppose belong'd to the first Christians, I cannot possibly account for the Present State of Christianity, if the Principal Facts related in the New Testament were not true.

I cannot conceive that an Atheist, or a Wicked Man, that was bred up in different Notions of Religion, and whose Practice

was contrary to the Christian Rules of Life, could invent such a Scheme as contra∣dicted and condemned all his former Opinions and Practices, or would have been at the pains to do it if he could. And I can as little imagine that there was any Person before the appearance of Christia∣nity in the World, who could, by the strength of his own Capacities, without any Divine Assistance, find out such a noble Plan and Model of Humane Life as that contained in the New Testament, and by the extraordinary force and good∣ness of his own Disposition, live up to it himself before he recommended it to o∣thers; and as impossible is it to suppose that such a good Man as this should throw off those contrary Sentiments and Im∣pressions of Religion he had been brought up in, for being False and Ineffectual for the promoting a good Life; and at the same time forge a Set of the most unac∣countable Lyes that were ever known, and make use of this Imposture to inforce the Belief and Practice of his new Prin∣ciples, which are plainly and directly in∣consistent with such Methods.

But could we suppose any Person ca∣pable of framing such a Scheme as the

〈…〉〈…〉, without the help of Re∣velation for the Doctrines of it, or true History for the Facts 'tis built upon; What End or Motive could be imagined suffi∣cient to determine him to do it? He could not propose any Profit or Advantage to himself from a Work which he knew would render all the Promoters of it liable to Reproaches, Troubles and Afflictions, and every thing that was hard and grievous in Life: For this, whoever Published the Christian Religion first, assures us was to be the Lot and Portion of those that imbraced it: This is one of the Prin∣cipal Doctrines of the Gospel; where we are commanded to quit all we Possess; to renounce all the Pleasures and Enjoy∣ments of the World; to expect Tribula∣tion and Anguish, Ignominy and Death, and to suffer all manner of Persecution gladly for the sake of the Christian Pro∣fession. How could a Man that made this a part of his Religion, and had foresight enough to know he should have occasion to practice it himself, think of advancing his Interest in the World by such an In∣vention.

And how can we imagine any uncer∣tain, doubtful Prospect of Future Re∣putation

after Death should be strong enough to bear him up against all the sure and sensible Discouragements he was to meet with while he Lived?

As this cannot well be imagined, so neither is it probable to believe, that the meer pleasure of deceiving should put a Man upon the contrivance of such a Scheme as was very unlikely to take, very hazardous to the Impostor, and very beneficial to all that were de∣ceived.

It is moreover very unconceivable how any Man should think of advancing the present Interest and Welfare of Mankind by perswading them to believe all the Wonderful Facts and Extraordinary Doctrines of the Christian Religion, which have no manner of relation to it; and how he should come to be so mightily for their Happiness in a Future State, which he had no certainty of from Reve∣lation: Neither is there any reason to be given why he should imagine the belief of those Facts and Doctrines neces∣sary to their Happiness in a Future State, if he had been sure there was one; nor why he should pitch upon the grossest Forgeries imaginable, in order to pro∣mote

the practice of such Vertues among Men as are directly opposite to the means he used for this end.

We cannot therefore account for the contrivance of the Christian Religion from any End or Motive that was likely to put a Man upon such a Work, because it is very manifest from the whole Tenour of this Religion, that the Au∣thor of it, if it had been an Imposture, could not have promised himself any kind of advantage from his Underta∣king.

And upon further Enquiry and Exa∣mination, it will appear, That if any Man had been wise enough to invent such a Religion, and foolish enough to have had some certain aim and prospect in effecting it, his Success could never have been answerable to his Expectation. For how could such a Religion as the Christian, have ever obtained so general a Credit in the World, as we find it now has, if it had been purely Humane Invention? The Morality of it is so Pure and Holy, so contrary to all the prevailing Inclina∣tions and Interests of Mankind in this Life, that we find it the hardest thing in

the World, by continual Care and In∣struction, to bring Men to submit to it, who have been accustomed by Education to be∣lieve it Revealed by God, and Established up∣on the Conditions of Eternal Happiness and Misery in another World, who are con∣firm'd in that belief by the concurrent Faith of all they know and converse with, and who are left without a possibility of dis∣proving the Truth of the pretended Reve∣tion, if it had been at first an Imposture: How then can we imagine that the Christian Laws and Rules of Life should have been so easily received at their first Publication, so widely Propagated after∣wards, and so absolutely and intirely sub∣mitted to, that they should become the standing unalterable Laws of so many different Countries and Nations as do now profess the Christian Faith; How, I say, could this have ever happen'd, if the first Set of Persons that imbraced this Morality had not been fully convinced that it had been expresly revealed by God, and injoyned Mankind under the Sancti∣on of Eternal Rewards and Punishments? And how could any Man be perswaded of this without believing those wonderful Facts, upon the Credit of which the Truth

of the whole Revelation is Founded? But if we suppose the first Christians that ever were, believed all those Matters of Fact, how can this be supposed of them except they were true? How can we possibly imagine that the Principal Matters of Fact related in the New Testament, which are now a necessary part of the Faith of all Christians should be believed by those in whose times the Scheme is laid, in contra∣diction to all their Senses, or first obtain Credit among those who lived afterwards, without any proof of their being done or believed before? And if we suppose the Christian Morality Entertained and Esta∣blished in the World, without the pre∣sent History we have of it, the Forgery of that afterwards would have been wholly unnecessary, and the difficulty of getting such a Forgery believed, much greater.

From hence then it plainly follows that there could never have been such a state of things in the World as we now perceive, if all the Principal Parts and Substance of the Christian History, as it is at present gene∣rally believed, were not true, and had some time or other really happen'd out ac∣cording to the Relation we find given of them.

This does likewise further appear from the way and manner in which those Books that contain this History are Written; where we find so many extraordinary Marks and Characters of the Simplicity, Integrity, and undesigning Humility of the Writers, their hearty Belief of what they wrote themselves, and their great Zeal and Concern for the Good of Man∣kind, as plainly shew them to have been Influenced not only by the force of well-attested Truth, but by some extraordinary and more than Humane Impressions.

3. These are in short the Reasons we have to believe the Truth of the Christian Religion: The Validity and Force of which I shall endeavour to make out more fully under the Third Head; where I am to shew the Sufficiency of the Proof that has been given of the Christian Matters of Fact from the Nature of Things, upon which the certainty of all Matters of Fact, as well as other Truths, is ultimately found∣ed.

Now the chief and immediate Reason of believing most Facts, being taken from the Nature of Man, and there being nothing we are so well acquainted with

as the common Original, Capacities and Powers, Inclinations and Aversions of Man∣kind, and consequently their Ends and Motives of acting, it will be easie to shew from hence, that the proof of the Christian Religion before given, is not only sufficient to determine our assent to it, but does in Evidence, and Multiplicity of Conviction, far exceed the Proof any other Matters of Fact are capable of.

In the first place then, let us consider why we believe any Matter of Fact, which never fell within our own particular and immediate Cognizance? Why do we so firmly believe the Story of Julius Cesar, and William the Conqueror, that there is such a place as Italy or China, &c? Now the reason of this, upon examining our selves, we shall find to be, because a great many Men have acquainted us that there were for∣merly such Persons who did such and such Things; and that there are now such Places in the World, &c. which Men were competent Judges of what they tell us, had sufficient Opportunities of knowing the Truth themselves, no Motives conceivable that could dispose them to lye to others, and are contradicted by no body of equal Autho∣rity with them; these are all the grounds of

Credibility, upon which Matters of Fact are generally believed; and no further Characters of Truth are required by one that is satisfied of these. But we have all these Reasons to believe the Common Mat∣ters of Fact related in the New Testament, in the fullest Force and Extent of them, and several other besides, as the Incapa∣city of the Witnesses to deceive, if they had been disposed to do it, the greater Motives they had not to say what they did, than to say it if it had been false, and the grea∣ter Motives other Persons had to contradict them if they could have been disproved. Let us examine all these Characters of Truth, and see how far the Proof of the Chri∣stian History exceeds that of other Matters of Fact; and how far the supposed Fals∣hood of it, notwithstanding these Cha∣racters, is consistent with that certain Knowledge we have of Humane Nature.

As to the first Character required for the Proof of Matters of Fact, the Num∣ber of the Witnesses; there never was cer∣tainly so vast a Multitude of Persons, all unanimously agreeing to assert the Truth of so great a variety of Matters of Fact, as there is in the Case before us; because the Progress of Christianity was so swift,

that we cannot suppose more Persons could have been acquainted with the History and Doctrines of it in so short a time; and there never was such industrious Care ta∣ken to propagate the Belief of any other Facts and Opinions that we ever read of.

It is likewise as certain, that the whole Multitude of the first Publishers, and Pro∣fessors of Christianity were as competent Judges of the Matters they bear witness of, as 'tis possible for any Man to be of any thing else whatsoever. We will on∣ly suppose now, that Christ and his Apo∣stles and Disciples, pretended to such Things as are Recorded of them in the Scriptures, and consequently to believe their own Pretences; and that all others who pro∣fess'd the Gospel of Christ, did declare their Belief of all those Things which are related as said or done by Christ and his Apostles: And surely a Man may infallibly know his own Thoughts and Imaginations; he can tell whether he believes such or such a Thing or no, or at least he can be certain that he thinks or fancies he believes it; and, if there be any Intercourse or Com∣munication betwixt Men, one Man may know that another pretends to believe or

do a Thing, whether he really believes or does it or no. If a Multitude of Men can be deceived in such Judgments as these concerning themselves and one another, 'tis evident that there is no such thing as Knowledge at all.

If therefore it must be allowed, that a vast Multitude of Persons did pretend to believe all those things that they are said to believe in the New Testament, it necessari∣ly follows from hence, that they did really and truly believe them, or else they pretended to believe what they certainly knew to be false. But that they did not pretend to believe what they knew to be false will evidently appear from these further Reflections upon Humane Nature.

First, then 'tis certain that every Man must act for some End or Motive, and here is no End or Motive conceivable that could determine any of the first Pub∣lishers or Professors of Christianity, to pre∣tend to believe those Facts which they knew to be false. All the Ends and Mo∣tives we can imagine any Man to act up∣on in such a Case, we have reckoned up before; and we find, that if we put our selves into the same Circumstances with those first Witnesses of Christianity, it would

have been impossible for us to have been influenced by any of them to make the same pretences, being infallibly assured at the same time, that they were utterly false and groundless; from whence we conclude, that neither did they, since all Men are so made and contrived, as to be determined by the same general Motives, though, according to the difference of the Objects that affect them, and the difference of the Imaginations of those that are af∣fected, the Influence may be stronger up∣on some than others.

If we consider the Power and Force of Truth in general, the natural Ease and Pleasure that accompanies Sincerity, and the Difficulty and Reluctance with which Men practise known Deceit and Falshood; we cannot but infer from hence, that it very rarely happens, that any Men come to find a pleasure in Lying, purely for de∣ceiving sake, without any further End or Prospect; and all Observations upon the History of Mankind confirm this Con∣clusion; and therefore we judge it con∣trary to the Nature of Man to suppose there was a whole Age of such Deceivers as these, who pretended to believe a great number of unprofitable Lyes, which were

to bring them in no other Pleasure or Sa∣tisfaction than what every one found in deceiving others. But 'tis plain, that if Christianty was an Imposture, this must be supposed: For none of the first Christians ever pretended to any other Pleasures or Advantages of Life: They made it part of their Religion to renounce them all; and the World was not so kind as to force them to accept what they had voluntarily abandoned.

And if it be contrary to Humane Nature in General, to imagine that a vast Multi∣tude of People of different Tempers and Incli∣nations, should all conspire together to pretend a Belief of what they knew to be false, without any further prospect of Pleasure and Advantage, than what immediately resulted from such Preten∣ces; much more repugnant is it when we consider the Characters of these Pre∣tenders; the greatest part of which were Persons of such steady integrity before, that Lying must have offered the greatest violence imaginable to their Conscien∣ces.

But further, supposing the first Christi∣ans had some Motives sufficient to deter∣mine them all to agree in the same false

Pretences, notwithstanding that great contrariety of Interests such a Multitude is commonly govern'd by; whatever Ad∣vantages they proposed to themselves, they found such mighty disappointments every where in their Hopes, and indured such unspeakable Troubles and Afflicti∣ons for the sake of their Profession, that they had stronger Motives for their disco∣vering and relinquishing the Cheat they had maintained, than they could have at first to begin it; and therefore, if none of them were induced to confess their Pretences false, in such occasions where other Men have been often temp∣ted, or forced to disown the Truth, we must infer from hence, that they did really believe all they pretended to, or they were not like other Men, but of a strange Nature, different from whatever we have known or heard of.

This must be likewise said too of all the other People of that Age when Chri∣stianity was first Published, who refused to believe the Christian Pretences: For how otherwise can we account for their not contradicting and disproving them when they had all those Motives and Reasons for discovering the Imposture, which were

manifestly wanting for the Invention and Propagation of it.

From all which, I think we may with confidence conclude, that the first Authors, Publishers, and Professors of Christianity, did really believe all they declared and asserted: From whence it immediately and necessa∣rily follows, that all the Common Matters of Fact which they believed to be true, were actually true, they having the same Evi∣dence of Sense for them, as we have now, or any other Generation of Men ever had, for whatever fell under the Cogni∣zance of their Senses; so that if they were deceived, we must call in question all our own Sensations, which are the Foundations of all our other Knowledge. And the same Evidence that they had for these Common Matters of Fact, they had also for all the Extraordinary Facts men∣tion'd in the Christian History, so far as concerns the Things done, and the Pre∣tences of the Authors; and as to the Power by which they were done, I am as sure they exceed all Humane Strength and Skill, as I am sure any thing else does. And then, according to the best and truest Notions we are able to frame of the Di∣vine Nature, we cannot but judge they

were very proper Marks and Indica∣tions of his Power, manifest Tokens of his Goodness to Men, and so suited and adapted to their Capacities, that we can∣not frame or imagine a way whereby God could have more effectually revealed himself to us, if he ever designed to reveal himself to us at all; and it ap∣pears very agreeable both to his Wisdom and Goodness, that he should make such a Revelation as the Christian Religion is to us, as has been shown more at large be∣fore.

If therefore there was an Age when the several Persons mention'd in the New Testament did pretend to do what is there Recorded of them, and all the principal Matters of Fact which make up the Chri∣stian History were believed far and wide, according to the Relation there given, 'tis inconsistent with all the Principles of Humane Nature, and repugnant to the Nature of God, that they should be false, as far as we are able, by all the Know∣ledge we have of the Nature of God and Man to judge.

That there was such an Age as this, we have the constant, universal, and uninter∣rupted Testimony of all the succeeding Ages;

and when a great many different Coun∣tries and Nations do all Unanimously a∣gree to assert, that their Immediate Fore∣fathers did receive such a Religion, con∣sisting of a great variety of Facts and Doctrines; and all these being contained in certain Books, and Copies of those Books being dispersed throughout these several Countries, the Faith is every where the same: In such a case as this, it is not to be doubted, but so far as the succeeding Generation of Men agree in their Testimony concerning the Faith of their immediate Predecessors, so far they were of the same Faith with them. If this be not allowed, 'tis impossible to know any thing beyond our own Time, and no Humane Testimony is to be admit∣ted upon any occasion, a greater and more unsuspected Testimony then this being utterly inconceivable: But, if such E∣vidence as this be certain and unquestion∣able, as indeed it is, then is the present universal belief of the Scriptures of the New Testament an undeniable Argument that there was a time when the Principal Mat∣ters of Fact there Recorded were pretended to be done, and were believed by vast Multitudes of those who lived at that

time, to be really done in the way and manner in which they are now related to have happen'd; and if they were then believed, they must be true for the Reasons before given.

Thus far the Sufficiency of the positive and direct part of the proof of the Chri∣stian Religion is manifested from the Na∣ture of Things: And in the same manner it will appear, that what has been before offered to shew the absurdity of supposing the Christian Religion an Imposture, is suf∣ficient to determine any Man to believe it.

For if we throughly and impartially consider the whole Christian Scheme, as de∣livered in the Writings of the New Testa∣ment, which we have before laid together in a short Draught and Representation of the Principal Parts and Characters of it; and if at the same time we take a just view of Humane Nature, we shall find it utterly impossible that such a Scheme as this should ever have been contrived or believed without any Extraordinary Inter∣position of Divine Providence.

All the Notions we have of the Powers and Capacities of the Soul of Man, will

not enable us to conceive how such a Set of Thoughts as compose the Christian Scheme, could be brought together by the meer unassisted Force and Agitation of the Soul, whatever Internal Springs we imagine that Force derived from.

But when we consider further, that if there had been any Man capable of such an Invention, there was no End or Motive sufficient to determine him to undertake it, and Conduct and Support him in the Management of the whole Work, we must conclude that it was not of Humane Composition. And this we are assured of, because there are but such and such Ends that Mankind can act upon, and none of these could have any influence in the Contrivance of the Christian Religion in the manner we find it delivered to us in the New Testament; for it is so Framed and Contrived in all its Parts and Circum∣stances, that 'twas impossible for any one that could be the Author of it, not to perceive that all the Ways and Methods he took of Establishing his Invention would most certainly and effectually de∣feat the End he aimed at, whatever we suppose that to be; and no Man could make use of such means for the obtaining

an End which he knew would destroy it.

But besides the difficulties of the In∣vention, which cannot be accounted for by all the knowledge we have of the Nature of Man, the Propagation of the Christian Religion does plainly surmount all Humane Art and Power. For supposing the first Christians never so well inclined to believe Christianity when it was proposed to them, 'tis impossible for Men to be∣live what they will. The Evidence of some things is so great, that we cannot resist; and, on the contrary, there are some things of such a Nature, that no Byass or Prejudice whatsoever is strong enough to make us believe them without their pro∣per Evidence; and such are all the Prin∣cipal parts of the Christian History, as ap∣pears from the Reflections before made upon them. But if we consider the first Christians, as being all strongly disposed to reject the Christian Religion before they imbraced it, as 'tis certain they were, whoever we suppose them to be, then was their difficulty of believing much greater: From whence it is necessarily inferr'd that if the Principal Matters of Fact contained in the Christian History had

not been proved to be true, when they were first Published, they could never have been believed; and if they could not have been truly and really believed, 'twas full as impossible that great Multitudes of People should pretend to believe them when they did not; because all the Rea∣sons and Motives that can be supposed for such Pretences, could have no more In∣fluence in the first Profession then they had in the Invention of Christianity, and there they had none at all, as we have shewn before.

Thus does it plainly appear from the whole Frame and Texture of the Christian Religion, the Nature of the Facts and Doctrines contained in it, and the manner in which it is delivered to the World, compared with the Nature of Man, that the Christian Religion, as we now find it contained in the Scriptures of the New Testament, was Discovered, Published, and Propagated in the way and manner there Recorded: From whence I shall infer, that it certainly came from God, for the Reasons given in the former part of this Discourse, concerning the Nature of God, and Evil Spirits, which I shall not repeat here; because if the first Point be granted,

this Inference, I believe, will not be dis∣puted by any Man.

Now that the Arguments here taken from the Nature of Man have all the force and weight that is laid upon them, I shall further endeavour to make good, by shewing that we have as much reason to conclude that these are Just and True, as we have that any other Arguments drawn from the Nature of Things are Valid: In order to which end I shall take the liberty to go over the chief Proofs of the Christian Religion again, and con∣sider them with this particular View.

Let us then examine what ground we proceed upon in our reasoning upon other Matters, and how we arrive at any cer∣tainty concerning them. How come we to affirm that a Body of such a Density and Bulk is of such a Weight; that a Body of such a Weight, has such a force in Projection; that such a particular Body, in such and such Circumstances, will certainly pro∣duce such Effects; that 'tis impossible that such a Body should exceed such limits in its Motion, and the like? Now the only reason we have to conclude such Proposi∣tions

concerning Bodies to be true, upon which all the fine Mathematical Demonstra∣tions in Natural Philosophy, and all the useful Inventions in Mechanicks are grounded, is this, That all the Observations and Experi∣ments that have ever been made upon these things do assure us, that they have always been after this manner; and the like will hold in our Reasonings from Humane Nature.

I can no more believe the whole Christian Scheme an Imposture of mere Humane Con∣trivance, than I can believe that all the Materials which composed the City of Rome met together, and put themselves into that Form: For as I cannot see what should give those Materials a deter∣minate Motion towards the building that City, no more can I comprehend what should influence or determine a Man to Frame and Contrive such a History and Religion as the Christian. And, as 'tis im∣possible to believe that, if all the Ma∣terials necessary for the Building of Rome had, by some extraordinary Motion, been carried to that Place, they would have fashioned themselves and fell into that exact Form we find that City built in; so likewise is it equally impossible to con∣ceive, that if there was any End or Motive

in Nature sufficient to determine a Man to invent such a Religion as the Christian, he should have made and contrived it, in all its Parts and Circumstances, just such as it is delivered to us in the Scriptures, and that so contrived it should have been Entertained, Propagated, and Fixt in the World upon lasting Foundations.

Now the reason why I conclude both these things equally impossible is, because there never was any thing like either of these Events ever known to have hap∣pen'd in the World, and because upon the utmost stretch of Thought, ground∣ed upon the most intimate Knowledge we can have of the Nature of the Things concern'd, and the greatest compass of Ob∣servation that can be made upon the course of things in the World, it cannot be con∣ceived or imagined that such Events as these should ever happen.

That there never was an Instance of any thing like the Christian Scheme, which was proved or allowed by any body in the World to be an Imposture, I shall take for granted, since none of the Enemies of Christianity have ever produced one.

As for Mahometism, which some have had the impudence to compare with

Christianity; so far as both they and we allow it to be an Imposture, it can have no manner of place here as a Parallel In∣stance. For it is on all hands granted that there was such a Man as Mahomet, who lived at the Time and Place 'tis pretend∣ed by his Followers he did; 'tis granted likewise that he wrote the Alcoran, and pretended to the things there Recorded of him; and that his Religion prevailed, and was Propagated in the way and manner there related and described by him: But, in the present supposition of the whole Christian Scheme's being an Im∣posture, it must be affirmed that call the Scriptures of the New Testament, and the whole History therein contained, are meer Forgery and Invention, without any Foun∣dation of Truth in the Common Matters of Fact there Recorded, which makes the case of Christianity, in all the important variety of Circumstances and Events possible, unlike that of Mahometism.

And as no Instance of such an Imposture, as is here pretended, can be given out of the History of former times, so likewise is it utterly impossible to imagine that such an Instance as this could ever happen at all.

To give our selves a fuller and more sensible Conviction of this, let us take as exact and extensive a view as we can of the State of the World, just before we af∣firm that Christianity was discovered, or at the latest Period of Time mentioned in the New Testament; Let us consider the General Temper, Inclinations, Opinions, and Interests of the Jews at that time, together with the highest Improvements in Learning and Religion then amongst them; Let us make the same Reflections upon the Roman State and Government, and the Principal Nations and Countries within that Empire: Then let us care∣fully weigh and examine the Christian History and Religion contained in the Scri∣ptures of the New Testament; let us repre∣sent to our selves, in one continued Pro∣spect, all the Principal Facts there Record∣ed, drawn forth in all their variety of Circumstances, the whole System of Doctrines and Rules, in their just Depen∣dance and Connexion, the Characters of the Persons concerned in the Publishing and Establishing them, together with the way and manner in which all these things are Written; and when we have done this, let us truly and impartially ask our

selves whether we can possibly conceive how any Person could at that time Invent and Publish that whole Scheme of Things at Jerusalem, Rome, or any other part of the Roman Empire, without any ground of truth to build upon; and, supposing it Published, how it could be Believed so firmly, and Propagated so far and wide, that it should be fixt and continue in all this part of the World to this day, with∣out any Footsteps or Motives remaining whereby we might be able to detect the Imposture. This, I say, appears to me as hard to conceive, as that Rome should build it self; and I am verily perswaded would appear so to any one else, that had as fully and impartially considered the Matter as I have endeavoured to do.

If we date the Imposture later, the same difficulty will attend the Invention and Propagation of it, and we shall be further puzled to account for all the Signs and Monuments of Christianity, which will ap∣pear to have been before the Period assign∣ed for its Original, wheresoever we place it.

But if we deal as fairly by Christianity as we do by Mahometism, and allow the Common Matters of Fact Recorded of it

to be true; if we grant that there was such a Man as Christ, who lived at the Time and Place 'tis affirmed by Christians he did; that he and his Disciples pretend∣ed to what is Recorded in the Scriptures of the New Testament of them; that those Books were written by the Persons whose Names they bear; and that the Christian Religion spread and prevail'd over the World in the way and manner, and by the means of those Pretences we have there an account of: Granting, I say, all these things, as by the general acknow∣ledgement of all sorts of Persons, and the impossibility of their being false just before proved, they must be granted: From hence it necessarily follows that all the other Extraordinary Facts are true, and con∣sequently that the Christian Religion came from God, and lays a necessary Obligation upon Mankind to believe it, and con∣form themselves to it.

This is certain in the same way of Reasoning we used before, because there never was an Instance, and it cannot be conceived there ever should be one, where such Marks and Indications of Truth, as accompany these things, should all be∣long to an Imposture.

Upon this account therefore it is that we affirm all these things to be impossi∣ble; viz.

That Persons of such Characters, as Christ and his Disciples were represented to be, should invent and contrive the Christian Doctrine and Institution, or per∣form those things that are Recorded of them, meerly by their own Skill and Power.

That Christ and his Disciples should pre∣tend to have done such Extraordinary Facts as are attributed to them in the New Testament, if they were not the true and immediate Instruments by whom they were done.

That such Multitudes of Persons as we there Read of, should believe these Facts, and imbrace Christianity upon the Credit of them if they were not true, or should pretend to believe them if they were not really perswaded of their truth.

And if all the Principal Facts, both Common and Extraordinary, were certain∣ly true, as far as the Persons concerned in bearing Testimony to them were ca∣pable of perceiving their Truth; It is likewise impossible but the whole Christian Religion, and all the Conduct and Ma∣nagement

in the Discovery and Propaga∣tion of it must come from God.

All these Propositions we are firmly as∣sured of upon this ground, viz. because, if we suppose the contrary of any thing here alledged, no Parallel Instance can be given to prove the truth of what we sup∣pose; and if we represent any of these Cases to our selves fairly in all its Cir∣cumstances, we cannot possibly conceive it should ever happen.

'Tis true indeed there have been Per∣sons of low Fortunes and mean Imploy∣ments in the World, who have, by the meer force of their Natural Genius, spoke Wisely, and acted Gallantly, upon some Occasions; but 'twas never known, and 'tis impossible to conceive, that Persons of no Learning or Education, who knew nothing beyond the mean Affairs of their own Village, and never Converst with any of higher Improvements than them∣selves; it is impossible, I say, to imagine that such Persons as these should be able, by the meer strength of their Natural Parts, to Compose such Poems as Virgil's, and such Orations as Tully's, and should likewise at the same time exceed all o∣thers in the Skill of Explaining hard Au∣thors,

and in the Knowledge of Physick: But 'tis much harder to conceive, that Christ and his Disciples, being Persons of such Education and Character, as they are represented to us to be, could, by their own unasisted Capacities, Compose the Christian Religion, Interpret Ancient Prophe∣cies, Foretel Future Events, Cure all manner of Sick and Maimed, and perform all those other Mighty Works that are Recorded of them.

We have heard of several Persons who have pretended to Revelations, to Prophe∣cies, to Miracles, and to all of them falsly, without any ground for their pretences; but there never were any who pretended to such Revelations, such Prophecies, and such Miracles, as we find in the Scriptures of the New Testament, so many, and so publick, so far exceeding all the con∣ceivable Power of Art and Confedera∣cy, so liable to discovery and contra∣diction, if they were false; so hazardous to the Undertakers, and so beneficial to the World, in such a continued Series, all of them concurrent to the same End, and accompanied with such other Circum∣stances as these are related to be. Who∣ever will be at the pains to consider all

this wonderful Scheme of Things toge∣ther, will find it impossible to contrive such another, though he has the Advan∣tage of a Model before him, which the Author of this had not; and, supposing he had succeeded in such a Contrivance, he would find it impossible to prevail upon himself to pretend to act it over; there be∣ing no Motives conceivable which bear any manner of Proportion to the plain and certain discouragements he must fore∣see, supposing he knew all his Pretences to be false, as in the present Case must be supposed: And the same will hold with respect to the first Professors of Chri∣stianity: 'Twould be equally impossible for them to pretend to believe all these Things, if they were not really and ful∣ly persuaded of the Truth of them.

Lying and Deceiving are a pleasure to some Men, and the more notorious and gross the Deceit is, the greater is the Satisfaction: But then 'tis certain likewise, that there are very few of such a temper, as to be pleased with Lying and Forgery, without any other design or pro∣spect; but that there should be a large Succession, and continual increase of such Men in divers Countries and Nations,

is much more difficult to conceive, than that there should be an Age of Crookedness, and Deformity, when, in a considerable part of the World, the generality of Peo∣ple of all sorts, had, of a sudden, by some strange unknown Influence, some parts of their Bodies distorted; and the Calamity was continually propagated all the time by an unusual sort of Infe∣ction.

But if this were allowed; if all the first Christians were granted to be pure Decei∣vers; 'twould be exceedingly more diffi∣cult to imagine, that the pleasure of Deceiving was so strong, as to be able to support such vast Multitudes of Persons under all the other Losses and Sufferings Humane Nature is capable of. 'Tis possi∣ble indeed, for Men to suffer all manner of Affliction, and even to die Martyrs for the falsest and most absurd Religion that can be devised; and frequent In∣stances may be given of such as have done so; but then 'tis certain also, that they truly and firmly believed what they Suf∣fered for. There never was, nor ever can be such an extravagant Army of Martyrs and Confessors, as did, or will renounce all the Comforts and Satisfactions of Life, in∣dure

Grief and Pain chearfully, and be ready, upon all occasions, to lay down their Lives for the Profession of such Matters of Fact, as they are all infalli∣bly convinced are false, and which, they are sure all their Persecutors have the same Reason to know are false that they have: To affirm or imagine that any Men can act upon such disproportionate Motives as such Men must be supposed to act upon, is full as absurd and ridicu∣lous, as to suppose that the Sea may be restrained with Bars, and that the Hills and Mountains are lighter than the Dust of the Balance.

But if it be granted, as we have shewn it must, that all those who pre∣tended to say and do such strange Things as are related of them in the New Testa∣ment, and those who pretended to be per∣suaded of the Truth of what was said and done, did all really and truly believe what they pretended to; then is it impos∣sible to conceive, that the Things thus believed to be true, should notwithstand∣ing be false. There are, it is confessed, no Opinions so extravagant and absurd, but a great many Persons may be throughly persuaded of the Truth of

them; but there never was an Instance of such Stupidity or Enthusiasm yet, where such Facts as those related in the New Testament, were by great Multitudes be∣lieved to have happen'd within their own immediate Cognizance, when no such Things did really and truly happen at all: And 'tis impossible to conceive there ever should be such an Instance as this in the World, without a through change of Humane Nature, and all the Powers and Faculties of it: And we have no more reason to think it was so in the Case before us, than we have to believe that there was a Time when the Earth and all the Bodies belonging to it, did exist in the same State of outward ap∣pearance we now perceive them without Motion, Figure, or Extension.

And, if all the Principal Matters of Fact, both Common and Extraordinary, were really true, or did really and cer∣tainly happen, so far as Humane Percep∣tions are to be relied on; it cannot be doubted but God was the Author of the whole Christian Scheme, because we have no Example of any such Scheme as this, that was ever made by any other Power but the Divine. We cannot, by the utmost

Knowledge we have of all the Powers that be, conceive that any Power less than the Divine, could produce such an Effect; or that any other, besides such as were Commission'd by him would have produced it if they could. By what we know of the Nature of God, the Work appears very worthy of him, and very agreeable to all his Attributes; and we cannot possibly imagine what more proper and effectual ways God could have taken to manifest himself to us, if he was pleased to vouchsafe us that Fa∣vour.

These are the Reasons upon which we conclude that the Christian Religion came from God, supposing all the Facts before∣mentioned to be true, as I think they have been proved to be; which Proof being allowed, we have as much Rea∣son to believe that the Christian Religion proceeded from God, as that the World was Created by him.

Thus does it plainly appear from the Nature of Things, that the Proofs before given of the Christian Religion, severally examined, were all very well founded. And now, if we take a just view of them, and consider them all together, we

shall be obliged to make the following Conclusions.

1. That there never was any Thing discovered, or so much as suspected to be an Imposture, that had so many Marks and Characters of Truth upon it, as the Christian Religion has.

2. That there never were any true Mat∣ters of Fact so well attested, or that were capable of such a Proof, as the Christian Facts are: There being no Ancient Facts which have so many sensible Monuments and Effects of them left, and in the Proof of which, Mankind was so nearly and necessarily concern'd.

3. That it is impossible to conceive, or frame any Notion how, or in what man∣ner the Christian Religion might possibly have been an Imposture, notwithstanding all the present appearances of its being true.

And, if all these Conclusions are right, as I am throughly and irresistibly con∣vinced they are; and, I think, have pro∣ved them so to be; there can be no room left to disbelieve the Christian Religion, without distrusting all our Knowledge, and renouncing all pretences to Reasoning.

But, supposing these Conclusions were not any of them fully proved, and it could be shewn, That something else, which had once all the appearance of Truth that the Christian Religion now has, had afterwards been detected to be false; that some other Ancient Matters of Fact are as well attested and proved to be true, as the Christian seem to be; and that 'tis possible to imagine, which way the Christian Religion might come to ob∣tain its present Credit in the World, not∣withstanding it was at first an Imposture, none of which I am sure can be proved: Yet, even in this Case, the Proof that has now been given of the Christian Religion, is sufficient to build our Faith upon; be∣cause the most that can be inferr'd from all these Arguments, is only this, That there is a bare possibility in the Nature of Things, that the Christian Religion may be false: But he that from hence should con∣clude, that it was really so, without any other Reasons to support his Opinion, and in opposition to all that multiplicity of Proof that has been offered for the Truth of it, must not pretend Reason, but only Resolution for his Infidelity.

Such therefore is the Sufficiency of the Proof before given, whatever be the Na∣ture or Kind of it; or however it may be thought to differ from, or fall short of the Demonstration used in other Matters, that we are utterly inexcusable, if we do not believe the Christian Religion upon it, and God may justly Condemn us for our disbelief, and that upon these two ac∣counts:

1. Because we believe other Matters of Fact upon less Evidence; and,

2. Because we are obliged to believe such Facts as have these appearances of Truth, which the Christian Religion has, though they should really be false.

1. That we believe Matters of Fact upon less Evidence than the Christian Re∣ligion is received upon, is manifest, by what has been before proved, that no Matters of Fact have or are capable of so great; and therefore, to confirm this Point, I shall only bring that one Instance of Mahometism.

Now 'tis certain that those who look upon the Christian Religion as an Imposture

do at the same time profess to believe all the principal Parts of the History of Ma∣homet: Such as his Pretences to Revela∣tion, his Writing the Alcoran, and his Propagating the Belief of the things contained in it, in the way and manner therein mentioned: These, I say, they do not in the least question, notwith∣standing that the Mahometan Religion pretends to a Divine Original as well as the Christian, and is in like manner ad∣drest to Mankind under the Promises and Threatnings of Future Happiness and Misery; though it is withal a very absurd Composition in it self, and of very per∣nicious Consequence to the World to be Believed and Established. It is there∣fore very unreasonable for Men that be∣lieve these things, to deny the Common History of Christianity; such as the Pre∣tences of Christ and his Disciples to Reve∣lations, Prophecies, and Miracles, the Writing of the Scriptures of the New Testament by those whose Names they bear, or at least by some of Christ's im∣mediate Disciples; and the Propagation of the Christian Religion according to the Times, Places, Ways and Methods Re∣corded in those Books: 'Tis very un∣reasonable,

I say, for Men who believe the History of Mahometism, to question the truth of these things; because they are attested by a much greater variety of Books and other Monuments, and a greater multiplicity of the Copies of the Scriptures; all which Testimonies we are sure, by a numerous succession of others, were extant nearer the date of the several Facts attested, and in an Age of Learning, among People of much higher Improve∣ments than the first Mahometans were; and moreover because it is certain that the Pretences of Christ were more difficult to be Feigned by himself, or Forged by others afterwards; that the Promises and Threatnings of the Gospel are of more Concern and Importance to be enquired into; and the Establishment of Christi∣anity, whether true or false in its Original, would so certainly contribute to the Hap∣piness of Mankind, that 'tis one very good Argument of its being true, that it is impossible to make and contrive any other Scheme every way so suitable and agreeable to the truest Interests of Humane Nature.

From whence I conclude, that we can∣not question the Truth of the History

of Christianity so far as concerns the Com∣mon Matters of Fact, without distrusting all the Knowledge we have of every Thing that happen'd at any distance from us: And if the Common Matters of Fact are true, all the other are plainly demon∣strable from them; as far as we have any certain Knowledge of the Natures of Things; as has already been proved: We are therefore obliged either to believe the Christian Religion, or to renounce our belief of all other Facts whatsoever; be∣cause whatever of this kind we believe besides, we believe upon less Evidence.

2. But Secondly, Whatever degree of Evidence other Matters of Fact may be supposed to have, we are absolutely ob∣liged to believe the Christian Religion up∣on that Evidence that is brought for it, because we are obliged to believe such Facts as have those appearances of Truth the Christian Religion has, though they should be really false.

We are to judge of Things by the Fa∣culties God has given us, according to those grounds and measures of Truth he has suited and proportion'd to them: and therefore, when we have the greatest

assurance of a Thing that we are capable of according to the present frame our Na∣ture, and the State of Things in the World, it would be highly unreasonable in us to deny it whatever it was, barely upon a Suspicion it might be false, though it should afterwards really prove to be so; but, if what we had this apparent Proof of, was a Matter of concern and importance to us, upon the Belief or Disbelief of which, our utmost Happiness or Misery seemed to depend, and we should prefer a meer Suspicion to all the appearing Marks and Characters of Truth, God might as justly punish us for disbelieving a real Error upon such grounds, as for rejecting the Truth. It is not whether our Opinions are true or false, but whether we have judg'd well or ill, that we are accountable for; neither in Matters of meer Speculation is it of much concern whether we judge well or ill, because it is of no great moment whether we judge at all; but it is not indifferent to us whether we will be happy or no; Happiness is, and must be, the end of all our Thoughts, and the governing Principle of our Lives; upon this Account it is, as we have seen in a

former Discourse, that we are necessarily concerned to know, whether there be a God, or no; whether he requires any thing of us, if there is; and whether he has appointed any Future State of Life for us. And these things our Reason has assured us are true, and fit to be believed, not∣withstanding any Suspicions we may have to the contrary, because we venture all our Happiness by disbelieving them: And upon the same Score it is, that the Christian Religion challenges our Assent to it; because, if all the fore-mentioned Principles be true, we venture our Happi∣ness as much in denying it. For, if this does not contain the Will of God, it is impossi∣ble to know what is required of us; be∣cause we can never give so strong, and certain a Proof of what our Particular Duty to God is without Divine Revelation, as we can that the Christian Revelation is true. We are therefore in as high a man∣ner obliged to believe Christianity as Natu∣ral Religion; because the Proofs of that are very near, if not quite as strong, as those that are brought for the other, and our Happiness is more certainly ventured here than there, for this reason; that, if

the First General Principles of Religion should be false, he that denies them will suffer nothing for his denial; but, if those be true, and the Christian Religion should be false, he that rejects that, runs as great a hazard as if it had been true; be∣cause God will certainly Judge him ac∣cording to the Evidence, and not accord∣ing to the Reality of things: And there∣fore he that believes in God is obliged to believe in Christ also; since 'tis certain that the Christian Religion has a great many Extraordinary Marks and Characters of Truth to recommend it, and is pressed upon our Belief under the Considerations of Eternal Happiness and Misery, and we have nothing to oppose to all the appearing Evidence it is built upon, but barely a Suspicion, that notwithstanding what appears to us, it may possibly be false.

The two first of these Assertions are manifest; and the Truth of the latter will be very visible to any one, that will give himself the trouble of considering all the Objections that have ever been made to the Christian Revelation; which taken altogether, will not so much as make out the meer possibility of the Christian Schemes

being false; but amount to no more than this, that something else, like something contained in the History of Christianity, has been proved to be false, therefore the Christian Religion is an Imposture.

For all that has ever been urged against the Truth of the Christian Religion is, in short, but this; that Histories have been false; Prophecies and Miracles have been counterfeit; there have been false Pretences to Revelation; Books have been forged; strange Things have been said and done by Men, and stranger by Evil Spirits: But it can no more be inferr'd from hence, that the Christian History and Revelation, and all the Christian Prophecies and Mira∣cles are false, and the Scriptures of the New Testament are forged; than it can be con∣cluded that all Men are mad or asleep, be∣cause there have been several in these Conditions that have thought themselves awake and in their Senses; or that all the Arguments and Proofs made use of in Mathematical Knowledge are false, be∣cause some pretended Demonstrations have been Undemonstrated and Confuted: And yet this is the utmost defence that Infidelity can make for it self, as has before

been more particularly shewn. Where∣fore they are utterly inexcusable, who∣ever they are, who believe there is a God, and that he is a Rewarder of all those that diligently seek him; and yet reject so plain and evident a Revelation of himself as the Christian Religion is.

But there are very few, I believe, of this Character to be found in the Christian World: 'Tis more reasonable to think, that those among us, who will not have the Son of God to Reign over them, have as little regard for the Father that sent him; and that if they will not hear Moses and the Prophets, nor be perswaded by one that rose from the Dead, neither will they un∣derstand the Eternal Power and Godhead by the things that are made. And if this be the Case of our Modern Deists and Ʋnbe∣lievers; if their Minds are Blinded, and their foolish Hearts Darkned to such a de∣gree that they cannot perceive God in any of the other ways he has took of Revealing himself to them, we must leave them to be convinced by the last Revela∣tion that will be made of the Righteous Judgment of God, when they shall be forced to Believe and Tremble.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pascal.