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 J-Jzeo /optica. / ySe:r?2 7>?a.^y 
 
 C^tisix. 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 OF THK 
 
 Theological Seminary, 
 
 PRINCETON, N. J. 
 Case, « C*^: Division 
 
 Shelf, D ^7„Z .?* cti#n 
 
 No,..., 
 
 Book, 
 
 > 
 
DISCOURSES 
 
 TRUTH 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Chriftian Religion. 
 
 LONDON; 
 
 Printed for John Wiuston, in Fleet-Street 
 MDCC XLVt 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 HERE is afyflem re- 
 lating to religion and to 
 the Jlate of things 'which 
 is certainly true y whether 
 <we believe it or no. It greatly con- 
 cerns as to have right ?70tions about 
 z>, and to provide^ as far as we can> 
 for our future well-beings if this life 
 fkould be the pajfage to another. 
 
 J. 
 
 ^o fhew that there is fufficient evi- 
 dence of the truth of Chriflianity^ to 
 illuftrate fome parts of it, and to de- 
 fend it againftfame obje&ions T is the 
 
[ iv ] 
 
 tlefign of the following Difcourfes^ to 
 which before I difmifs the Reader ', 1 
 beg leave to detaitt him a few mi- 
 nuteS) whilfl I make ait apology for 
 this undertaking againfl an obvious 
 objeElion. 
 
 Ma?ty are the booh already ex- 
 tant upon the fubjeft ; Fabricius has 
 reckon d up fome hundreds ', a?td doubt- 
 lefs fever al treatifes might be added 
 which have efcaped even his diligence. 
 What occafion is there for any more y 
 in a country which has produced fo 
 many excellent writers in the caufe, 
 ai^.d where learned perfons are co??ti~ 
 nually appointed to difcourfe pro- 
 fefTedly upon it ? 
 
 As to the number of treatifes, it 
 may be replied^ that fome of them are 
 
 grown 
 
( v ) 
 
 grown very fcarce, and others are 
 fallen into oblivion, for which rea- 
 fon an Author may be permitted to 
 flep in and take a place made va- 
 cant by one who is now * gone to 
 reft. And though it be preemp- 
 tion to think of equalling the great 
 men who have laboured before us y 
 and whofe reputation is eftabli/Fd % 
 yet Jince there are many who had ra- 
 ther perufe a \ new book than a good 
 book, their humour fhould not be to- 
 tally dtfregarded. 
 
 The fame truths may be placed in 
 various views ; a7td amongft men 
 whofe tafle and fa?2cy differ fo wide- 
 ly ', an argument /ball feem perfua- 
 ftve y and a remark pertinent to one y 
 
 * Nunc placida compoflus pace quiefclt. 
 
 Homer. OdyfT. A. 351. 
 
 a which 
 
( vi ) 
 
 which by another is flighted and re- 
 je&ed. It feems therefore convenient 
 that fever al perfons fhould try their 
 skill y and propofe their thoughts upon 
 a matter of fuch importance, fince 
 every one may reafonably hope to gain 
 over, or confirm, or fecure fome 
 reader of a correfponding turn of 
 mind. Even the weakejl contriver 
 of a foolifld and forlorn fyflem mufl 
 be very unlucky, if he finds not a 
 few approvers and followers : he 
 pojfejfes at leaf a quality fomewhat 
 like eleElricity, which attraSis chaff 
 and ft raws \ a?td what the old Greek 
 Poet obferved in his days is as trub 
 now , 
 
 £1 jf cuei jou opoicv ecyei vzos 00$ j^y ouoiov 
 
 Some overruling Pow'r 
 
 Ever delights to couple like to like. 
 
 The under Jiandings of men are as 
 
 the chords of mufical inflruments ; 
 
 yoheit 
 
( vii ) 
 when a firing founds^ the firings 
 which are unifons to if, if within 
 proper difia?ice ) will vibrate. 
 
 None the?t ought to be difcouraged, 
 though his abilities be no ?nore than 
 com7no?t^ from appeari?ig in defence 
 of truths i*a which all are int ere fled. 
 Invention, Wit, Sagacity, Eloquence, 
 when they offer their fervice on this 
 occafio7t^ merit a hind reception. Be- 
 hind thefe follows modefi and flow- 
 paced Induftry, willing to take the 
 lowefi place^ and yet Jo me times more 
 tifeful than fame of the former ^ and 
 verifying the proverb^ Ciaudus via- 
 tor omnia refert certiora, A lame 
 traveller brings the bed intelligence. 
 
 If amidfi fame imperfe£?ions y at 
 argument^ which is not new, be fet 
 in a new light } if an pbj&Slion be r. 
 a 2 mcUea> 
 
( viii ) 
 
 moved \ if a fentiment be fo ex preyed 
 as to leave a good effeFi upon the 
 mind, if an ingenious, or ufeful, or 
 remarkable pajfage, not cummonly 
 known, be produced from an ancient 
 Writer ', if fomewhat be fuggefled 
 worthy of confederation, and the 
 Reader be put upon thinking, and 
 the Author perform the humble of- 
 fice of an Index which points tut the 
 roads to the pajfenger, the work 
 ought not to be treated with con- 
 tempt. 
 
 Shall I add yet farther, that fuch 
 perfons deferve fomething beyond a 
 bare per mi/Jion to utter their thoughts? 
 When the intention feems upright, 
 and the end propofed is to make 
 men better and wifer, what is not 
 ill executed jhould be received with 
 approbation, with good 'words and 
 
 good 
 
( i* ) 
 
 good wijhes, and fmall faults and 
 inadvertencies fhould be candidly ex- 
 cufed. Much more than this it may 
 ie vanity or folly to expeSl. 
 
 And here I thought to have con- 
 cluded ; but thefe words of Grotius 
 come fo often into my mind> that I 
 cannot forbear to quote them. Lap- 
 fum Origenem in quibufdam rebus 
 negari non poteft. Quale mihi ne- 
 quid eveniat, Deum fupplex precor, 
 foleoque fcriptis meis hanc addere 
 cautionem, ut fi quid ibi fit alie- 
 num dogma [a veritate et facris 
 Liter is] id pro non fcripto ha- 
 beatur. 
 
 In this 1 would willingly joyn 
 with Grotius. Whofoever is in the 
 difpoftion which he defcribes y takes 
 the bejl way to fecure himfelf from 
 
 dangerous 
 
( x ) 
 
 ngerous errors ; and if he has 
 any wrong notions ^ there is reafon 
 to hope that they proceed not from 
 a bad mind) but are only the Iffues 
 of unfortunate Inquiry. 
 
 John Jortin. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 THE prejudices of the Jews and Gen- 
 tiles. Page i. 
 
 II. 
 
 The propagation of the GofpeL P. 82, 
 
 III. 
 
 The kingdom ofChriJi. P f in. 
 
 IV. 
 
 The fitnefs of the time when Chrift came into 
 the world. P. 149. 
 
 V. 
 
 The tejlimony of John the Baptiji. P. 166. 
 
 VI. 
 
 T'he Scriptures of the New Tejl anient. P. 191, 
 
 VII. 
 
 The Gojpel, as it is grace and truth. P. 221, 
 
Of the Prejudices of the Jews and 
 
 Gentiles, 
 
 WHEN we read over the hiftory 
 of Chrifly and confider the va- 
 riety of beneficial miracles which 
 he wrought, and his mild and inoffenfive 
 behaviour, it muft at firft light feem very 
 ftrange that the Jews mould reject him 
 and put him to death ; that they, who had 
 fo long expected and fo greatly defired the 
 coming of the Mejfias,- mould perfecute and 
 kill him when he appeared amongft them, 
 and fo well confirmed his right to the cha- 
 racter which he affumed. 
 
 When we confider farther how the 
 Apoftles afterwards confirmed the truth of 
 his refurrection, how many miracles they 
 wrought, teaching the fame holy doctrines 
 as their Matter had taught, and imitating 
 his good example, and how innocent and 
 virtuous the behaviour of the firft Chriftians 
 was, it feems alfo ftrange that the Jewi/h 
 nation fhould not have vielded to fuch Evi- 
 dence, 
 
 B And 
 
( 2) 
 
 And though the Apoftles had great Suc- 
 cefs in the heathen world, and brought 
 over multitudes to the faith, yet it appears 
 unaccountable that more of the Gentiles 
 were not moved to receive the Gofpel by 
 the miracles which they wrought in its be- 
 half, and that few of the rich, of the great, 
 and of the learned were at firft converted. 
 
 We are inclined to think that if we had 
 lived in thofe days, and feen what the Jews 
 and Gentiles then faw, we mould readily 
 have embraced the Gofpel, and that if any 
 perfon in our fight mould heal all diftem- 
 pers, and remove all infirmities, and raife 
 the dead, we mould fubmit to any thing 
 that he commanded, and receive any thing 
 that he taught, unlefs it were plainly ab- 
 furd and contrary to common fenfe. They 
 who reject* the Gofpel, object to the mi- 
 racles recorded in it, that the bulk of the 
 Jewim nation was not converted by them, 
 and that in the Pagan world the poorer and 
 meaner fort of the people were chiefly the 
 firft profelytes to the Chriftian religion, 
 and the learned and powerful for the moil 
 
 * See Limborch Collat. cum Judao, p. 63. where the 
 Jew ufes this kind of argument. 
 
 part 
 
( 3 ) 
 
 part flood out ; till at length the Romari 
 Emperors became Chriftians, and what by- 
 force, what by example, brought their 
 opinion into fafhion, and eftablifhed it in 
 the world. 
 
 But whofoever (hall well confider the 
 many caufes concurring to keep the Jews 
 and Gentiles from embracing the Gofpel, 
 will ceafe to judge it ftrange that fo 
 many of them perfevered in their un- 
 belief. 
 
 One great and general caufe to which 
 the infidelity of the Jews mould be afcribed, 
 is their wickednefs 3 and that certainly is a 
 caufe fufficient to produce fuch an effect. 
 If a man is vitious, he is difpofed to reje<ft 
 evident truths, and to embrace ridiculous 
 opinions* That vice weakens the under- 
 standing, infatuates the judgment, and hin- 
 ders it from difcerning between truth and 
 falfehood, efpecially in matters of mora- 
 lity and religion, is affirmed conflantly in 
 Scripture, is highly agreeable to reafon, and 
 perpetually teftified by experience. That 
 the Jews were then very wicked is plain 
 from feveral paflages of the New Teflament, 
 B 2 and 
 
U) 
 
 and * Jofephus informs us of enormous vfl- 
 lanies pra&ifed by many of them, of which 
 no Pagan nation was perhaps ever guilty. 
 
 Suppofe a man fenfual and debauched, 
 proud and conceited, uncharitable and ma- 
 licious, unjuft and worldly-minded, fup- 
 pofe him not to have been educated in 
 grofs ignorance of his duty, but to have 
 had fufficient opportunities of acquiring 
 fome degrees of facred knowledge, and by 
 
 * Fid. B. J. iv. v. vi. pajjtm. 
 
 KctQiwTov fj.lv hv iTTt^nveu Inv f 7rA££\'op.tdLV 2v]ov> CtW 
 
 TovSivctt, /xtfjs yzvzcLv i% aiavos yiyovivou k&mas ywi* 
 lJ.eS]i£$.v. v. x. 5. 
 
 dlfJLeu f P<y//6W*»y C^.^vv'ovlcoy \t) 1U aXi\v)ex%c, » xojrt- 
 ToQnvcu cur i/V) yajT\xa\oe, » kaI&kKv&mcu Inv w'o\iv, n 
 *Jk< Ik 2o/o/kiwik (JiJA\etCeiv aityvvis. nokv yap 1u? 
 
 Idjjrct waMflttp heyxt yiviw ofltali&y. v. xiii. 6. Ed. 
 Haver c. 
 
 To gi<ve a particular account of all their iniquities, would 
 he endlefs ; thus much, in general, it may fujjice to fay, that 
 there never was a city which fujfered fuch miferies, nor a 
 race of men from the beginning of the world who fo abounded 
 in wickednefs. 
 
 I verily believe that if the Romans had delayed to dejlroy 
 thefe wicked wretches, the city would either have beenfwal- 
 Iowed up by the earth, or over<ivhelmed by the waters, or 
 firuck with fre from heaven as another Sodom ; for it pro' 
 duced a far more impious generation than thofe who fujfered 
 fuch puniihrnent. 
 
 his 
 
( 5 ) 
 
 his evil difpofition to have been led either 
 to difbelieve plain truths, or to continue in 
 fin againft the dictates of his own confci- 
 ence, or to find out fome ways of reconci- 
 ling his religion with his vices ; fuppofe 
 fuch a one has the Gofpel preach'd to him 
 by an Apoftle, and confirmed by figns and 
 wonders, there is no reafon to conclude 
 that he will receive it, that he will fubmit 
 to a religion which is attended with many 
 temporal inconveniences, and which upon 
 all accounts he defpifes and hates, that he 
 will alter his whole courfe of life, and be- 
 come a poor and perfecuted difciple of 
 Chrift, and enter into his Church. 
 
 I know, it may be faid that amongft the 
 firft Chriftians there were* feveral who had 
 led bad lives before $ but there are many 
 
 degrees 
 
 * *H//rtV <N, fays Ortgen, &\ic x.ctjavofio'cu r\y.£v \vyvu- 
 y.ovco< 7o ti>§&i<jy.& > irK&wM 2X°y- iV v&pffsiia'&i 7«* »& 
 
 laui7rt?-pi^av]cL$. acu yci$ •7rz<pvKct<rtv oi 7« apbirjova. ixv*- 
 "ois ffvvtyvanolet, \vy}ynv<n dhM *vcu la) KY\$va3ov.*va. 
 Tiei Tiis vro 7« ®s« 1*if xpeirloffiv dp.oi£iis t V7oi//o7«£?y 
 irvyKdLTttli'd-i&cu lots hiyo pivot <; t nta.^ 7»V wairv ftoy^dn- 
 f#£ GlCta>KQ\&s.——-——~If any one nxiill candidly conjider u; 
 Chriftians y nue can f reduce hint mere ivho have been converted 
 frcm a life not the <worft, than from a very wicked courfe. 
 B3 Fir 
 
( 6) 
 
 degrees in wickednefs, and there is no rea- 
 fon to fuppofe that thefe finners were for 
 the moft part of the worn; fort ; and though 
 fome perfons who have been very wicked 
 may become very good, and fuch were 
 found amongft the firft Chriftians, yet 
 where the exceptions are few, the general 
 obfervation is not affected by them ; for 
 thus much is certain, that an honeft mind 
 is a great help to understand the truth, that 
 the practice of Morality leads to the practice 
 of Chriftianity, and that, fince converfion 
 is brought about by fteps, and revealed re- 
 ligion is, founded on natural religion, he 
 who is moved to embrace the Gofpel mull 
 be firft fenfible of the difference between 
 good and evil, truth and falfehood, virtue 
 and vice, muft love the one and abhor the 
 other, muft repent of his former tranfgref- 
 fions and receive the facred knowledge, 
 which is offered to him, with gratitude 
 and a firm refolution of performing his duty. 
 He therefore who can call evil good, and 
 
 For they, tvhofe conference /peaks favourably in their behalf, 
 are difpofed to <vjifo that our dodrine concerning the future re- 
 nvardi cf gocdr.efs may be true ; and fo are more ready to affent 
 i$ the Gofpel than prof igate men, Contr. Celf. iii. p. 150. 
 
 good 
 
( 7) 
 
 good evil, who is totally corrupted in heart 
 and underftanding, is removed . at an infi- 
 nite diftance from God and righteoufnefs, 
 has no ears to hear, and no eyes to fee, not 
 even to fee miracles, fo as to be inftructed 
 and amended by them. 
 
 To this general caufe the unbelief of the 
 Jews may be afcribed, as alfo to feveral 
 prejudices which they had againft the perfon 
 of Chrift, and the doctrines of the Gofpel. 
 
 The Jews were offended at Chrift, be- 
 caufe he was not received and followed by 
 thofe of the moft learning and authority 
 amongft them. Have any of the rulers, or 
 of the Pharifees believed on him ? 
 
 We may then fuppofe that a Jew who 
 rejected the Gofpel would have argued 
 thus : It becomes a private man not to lean 
 too much to his own underflanding, but to 
 fuppofe that they who have ftudied the laws 
 of God more than himfelf, and are ap- 
 pointed of God to be his inftructors, are 
 better judges in religious controverfies than 
 he can poflibly be. Our fpiritual guides are 
 all of opinion that Jefus is not the Meflias. 
 It is therefore the moft modeft, rational, 
 and fafe way for me, who have not their 
 B 4 leifure, 
 
( 8) 
 
 leifure, learning and abilities, to fubmit and 
 truft to their decifions. 
 
 Here is a prejudice founded upon the 
 doctrine that private perfons, efpecially 
 they who are ignorant and illiterate, fhould 
 follow the judgment of the Church, of 
 their guides and teachers. This doctrine 
 has fomething plaufible in it, and under 
 certain limitations and reflridtions may be 
 admitted. 
 
 The vulgar ought indeed to pay a great 
 regard to their teachers, and are often under 
 a neceffity of admitting many things upon 
 their authority ; but then we muft exxept 
 things plain* in their own nature, in a 
 a word, every thing in which the reafon 
 of one man is as good a judge as the reafon 
 of another, in which a man knows that he 
 wants no guide, and therefore mould fub- 
 mit to none. 
 
 This is the cafe before us. Every Jew 
 in Jerufalem was as competent a judge of a 
 miracle as the high prieft, and if he faw 
 Chrift raife a man from the dead, and per- 
 form a variety pf wonderful works, might 
 
 * See Whitby Serm- on Joh. viii. 37. in his Comment. 
 ypl. 1. 
 
 conclude 
 
(9 ) 
 
 conclude with full affurance, and without 
 any danger of miftaking, that God would 
 never fuffer a deceiver to do fuch works in 
 his name, who taught nothing contrary to 
 common fenfe. 
 
 In fuch a cafe as this, a Jew who fub- 
 mitted to the authority of the Scribes and 
 Pharifees, of the chief priefts and rulers, 
 againft plain evidence, abfolutely renounced 
 all ufe of reafon, after which it would have 
 been ridiculous in him to talk of the rea-? 
 fonablenefs of following his guides, the 
 reafonablenefs of rejecting private judg- 
 ment; for what had fuch a one to do with 
 reafon ? 
 
 The Jews were offended at Chrift, be- 
 caufe he was not a temporal prince and a 
 conqueror. They were all perfuaded that 
 the Meffias fhould be a great king, under 
 whom they fhould rule over the Gentiles^ 
 and live in wealth and pleafure. 
 
 When therefore they found that Chrift 
 was poor and defpifed, and died an igno- 
 minious death, and that his kingdom, as 
 his Apoftles taught, was a fpiritual king- 
 dom eftablifhed in the hearts of men, a 
 kingdom not of this world, the crofs of 
 
 Chrift 
 
Chrift proved a ftumbling-block to then), 
 and they were difpleafed with a doctrine 
 that fuited neither with their prejudices nor 
 with their inclinations. 
 
 They had indeed feveral arguments to 
 offer in behalf of this prejudice, which, 
 though they are weak if they be compared 
 with the fuperior evidences of the truth of 
 the Gofpel, yet have a plaufible appearance 
 when they are confidered by themfelves, 
 and therefore deferve to be anfwered. 
 
 i . In the firft place, as their Law con- 
 tained feveral promifes to the obedient, and 
 thofe promifes were temporal, it was not 
 to be thought ftrange that the Jews mould 
 have accounted profperity a mark of God's 
 favour, and adverfity of his difpleafure. 
 This laid a foundation for a prejudice 
 againft Chrift and his Apoftles. 
 
 2. Almoft all the great and good men 
 recorded in the Scriptures, whom God had 
 raifed up from time to time to be their 
 princes and leaders, were miraculoufly 
 bleffed with fuccefs in their undertakings. 
 The Jews therefore expected that the Mef- 
 fias, when he appeared, mould furpafs 
 Mofes and JoJlma y and Dcwid y and the 
 
 Maccabees y 
 
( N ) 
 
 Maccabees, and other of their victorious 
 kings and leaders, they expected that he 
 fhould as much furpafs them in fplendor 
 and felicity, as in dignity and authority. 
 
 3. To confirm them in this expectation, 
 there were feveral prophefies applied by all 
 the Jews to the Mejjias, which reprefent 
 him as a powerful prince, who fhould fave 
 and protect his people and overcome his 
 enemies, and which fpeak in magnificent 
 terms of the peace and profperity of his 
 happy reign. 
 
 But it is eafy to fhew that thefe objects 
 ons againft our Saviour were not fufficient 
 to excufe their unbelief. 
 
 For, though the Law promifed tempo- 
 ral bleffings to the good, yet the Jews 
 knew by long experience that thofe pro- 
 mifes had not been fulfilled at all times, 
 and to all perfons. Extraordinary interpo- 
 fitions in behalf of the righteous were 
 grown lefs frequent, and proportionably to 
 this decreafe the intimations of a future 
 ftate had been more numerous and evident. 
 The Jews therefore had no reafon to judge 
 of the characters and merits of men by their 
 ftation and circumftances in this life, or to 
 
 imagine 
 
( 12 ) 
 
 imagine that fortunate and virtuous were the 
 fame thing. 
 
 They might have found examples of 
 good men who had undergone much trou- 
 ble, and had received here below no reward 
 of their obedience. 
 
 They might have learned from the Pro- 
 phets that the Meffias % to whom fo much 
 power and profperity and fplendor was 
 promifed, was alfo to be a man* of forrows, 
 and acquainted with grief, and that his 
 foul was to be an offering for fin ; and they 
 might have feen, in the fufferings of Chrift, 
 and in his refurredtion, the accomplishment 
 of thefe feemingly irreconcileable predic- 
 tions. 
 
 Laftly s if fome particular prophefies con- 
 cerning the reign of the Meffias appeared 
 to them unfulfilled, they ought not upon 
 that account to have rejected Chrift : They 
 mould have refted fatisfied with the various 
 proofs which he gave them of his divine 
 power, and have concluded, either that 
 they did not underftand the true fenfe of 
 
 * Some of them feem to have known and believed it. 
 See Whitby on Epbef. i. 4. 
 
 thofe 
 
( H ) 
 
 thofe prophefies, or that the time of their 
 completion was not yet come. 
 
 They were offended at him, becaufe, as 
 they faid, he profaned the fabbath-day, 
 that is, did not obferve it according to 
 their fuperftitious manner. 
 
 But Chrift, as the great Prophet, and a 
 worker of miracles, according to the ex- 
 ample of other prophets, and according to 
 the deciiions of the Jews themfelves, had 
 a power of fetting afide the ceremonial reft 
 of the Sabbath, or any other ritual law. 
 Thus Jojhua commanded that the ark of 
 God fhould be carried round Jericho, the 
 armed men going before and after it, {even 
 days together, one of which muft have 
 been a Sabbath ; thus Elijah and Elifia 
 touched and handled dead bodies, to reftore 
 them to life, and did not account them- 
 felves legally unclean ; thus Samuel and 
 Elijah offered facrifices, though neither of 
 them were priefts, and in places where, as 
 fome think, facrifices could not be offered 
 according to the law. In a word, it * ap- 
 pears 
 
 "* See Le Clerc on I Sam. vii. 17. Grotius on Luke \u. 14. 
 It is certain that the Sabbatic years and the Jubilees were 
 greatly neglected by the Jews, as probably were m?ny 
 
 other 
 
( 14 ) 
 
 pears that many ceremonial laws were at 
 certain times generally difufed, and unob- 
 ferved by very good men. 
 
 They were offended, fome of them at 
 leaft, becaufe he did not live in a way more 
 auftere, and in their opinion more becoming 
 the dignity which he affumed, becaufe he 
 condefcended to converfe with people of 
 bad reputation, with Publicans and fin- 
 ners. 
 
 Some were offended at him, becaufe, 
 faid they,* we know whence he is, but 
 when Chrifl cometh, no man knoweth 
 whence he is. 
 
 Some were offended, becaufe he was not 
 of Bethlehem, where it was foretold that the 
 Meffias fhould be born. A little enquiry 
 would have fet them right, if they had 
 taken any pains to find out the truth. 
 
 They were offended at him, becaufe he 
 had dwelt in Galilee, out of which place 
 
 other ceremonial laws. Yet we learn from Jofephus i. 
 p. 657, and 741. Ed. Haverc. that in the Days of Herod 
 the Great, and fome time at leaft, before, the Sabbatic 
 years were obferved. See Prideaux in the Pre/, to his 
 Connitf. who has not taken notice of this. 
 * See the Comment, on Job. vii. 27. 
 
 no 
 
 
( i5 ) 
 
 no prophet could ever arife, as they foolifh- 
 ly fuppofed. 
 
 Chrift had dwelt at Nazareth till he en- 
 tered into his office -> his relations dwelt 
 there ; the inhabitants of that place were 
 acquainted with his perfon, and remem- 
 bered his education ; they knew that he 
 had no opportunity of acquiring the learn- 
 ing which could qualify him to be a 
 teacher. When they heard the force and 
 the wifdom with which he fpake, and 
 were informed of his mighty works, and 
 faw fome of them, they were aftonifhed, 
 and yet they could not pay him a due ref- 
 pedt -, they * flighted him, becaufe they 
 knew him, and the poverty of his family, 
 and the obfcurity in which he had lived 
 amongft them, and having long view'd 
 him as their equal, they could not fubmit 
 to mew him the veneration due to a pro- 
 phet. It is very likely that fome envy was 
 mixed with their prejudice, Whence, faid 
 
 * So the JEgyptians at firft defpifed their king Amafis t 
 on account of his extraction and former condition ; 7* f-W 
 J7) TTpura. Kaflcvvovjolov ''Afj.a.'riv ' 'AiyvTrfioi, kcu h x<Pi[/in 
 //o'/fM yAyikus riyoy, ci\z cT« ftiuojnv'Jo-n'eJiv iovjct, xj qihU$ 
 £k ZTitpavios. Herodot. ii. 172, p, 155. 
 
 they, 
 
( i6 ) 
 
 they, hath this man this wifdom> and thefe 
 mighty works ? Whence could he have his 
 power of working miracles unlefs from 
 God ? and whence could he have his wif- 
 dom, unlefs from him alfo ? They, of all 
 people, mould have been the readieft to 
 believe in him, becaufe knowing well that 
 he had been deprived of the ordinary means 
 of receiving inftrudlion, and of acquiring 
 the knowledge which appeared in all that 
 he fpake, they had a clear evidence that it 
 muft have been a fupernatural gift. 
 
 They were offended at him, becaufe in 
 his difcourfes to them he fometimes gave 
 them hints that he was a much greater per- 
 fon than they imagined, upon which they 
 called him a blafohemer, who made him- 
 felf God, and equal with God, that is, who 
 affumed to himfelf divine honours and more 
 refped: than was due to a prophet ; for the 
 Jews * had no notion that their Meffias 
 mould be any" thing more than mere man. 
 
 The Jews, as appears from Juftin's Dia- 
 logue with Trypho y objected to the Chrifti- 
 ans, that they worshipped more Gods than 
 
 * Sec Whitb. on Rem. ix. 5. 
 
 one* 
 
( i7 ) 
 
 one, and afcribed divine perfections to 
 Chrift. 
 
 To this * Juflin, and other Chriftians, an- 
 fwered, that frequent mention is made in 
 the Old Teftament of a perfon, who is 
 -f called God, and is God, and yet is dif- 
 tinguifhed from the God and Father of all. 
 
 Befides ; $ Philo, and feveral of their 
 own writers taught fomething fo like the 
 Chriflian doctrine concerning the Son and 
 the Spirit of God, that the Jews, if they 
 condemned the Gofpel upon that account, 
 condemned themfelves. 
 
 We read in the Scriptures that God is no 
 object of our fenfes, that he has no body or 
 form, that he is the invifible God, whom 
 no man hath feen or can fee. And in many 
 of the manifestations which God made of 
 himfelf, nothing appeared, except a glori- 
 ous light, a cloud and fire, or elfe only a 
 voice was heard. But in other places it is 
 faid that God himfelf appeared. To re- 
 
 * See the Index to 7birlb?s Jufiin, Cbriftus. 
 
 f QiU KcLhe.Tcu, KcuOibs i$7 x) %scu. Jujtin.Tp.26t. 
 
 % See Grotius de Ver. R. C. v. 2 1 . Vitringa on Ifai. 
 vol. ii. p. 458. not. LeC/erc on Job. i, Fabric, de Ver. 
 R. C. p. 132. 
 
 C concile 
 
( i» ) 
 
 concile which, the ancient Chriflian writers 
 generally agree, and their confent ought not 
 to be flighted, that the * perfon who ap- 
 peared at different times to Adam, to Abra- 
 ham, to Mofes, to the elders of Ifrael, to 
 the Patriarchs and Prophets, and to other 
 good men, who would not tell his name to 
 Jacob and to Manoah, when they afked 
 him who he was, who is called both God 
 and the Angel of God, that this perfon was 
 the Word of God, the Son of God, who 
 was in the form of God, who was the via- 
 ble image of the invifible God, reprefenting 
 the majefty of his Father, and acting in his 
 name. 
 
 * See Bull, Defenf. Fid. Nic. Clarke Repl. to Nelf. 
 p. 161. and Serm. 5. vol. 1. Whitby on Job. i. 1 Cor. x. 9. 
 Pbilipp.ii. 6. ColoJT.i. 15. Vitringa on Ifai. "briii. g, 10. 
 p. 249. and on Zecb.i. 11, 12, p. 131. concerning the 
 Angel who intercedes with God for the Jews. 
 
 Some /ink that where the Angel of the Lord is men- 
 tioned, no other is meant than one of thofe minifying fpi- 
 rits, who Co me times reprefented the perfon of God, acted 
 in his fiead and fpake in his name; and then, fay they, 
 whatever honour and adoration might be feemingly paid to 
 him, was ~c:Aiy paid to God, to whom it was defigned, and 
 whom the Angel perfonated. See Le Clerc in Indice ad Pen- 
 tat. Angel us. And the Commentators on Heb. ii. 2, 
 and 5. 
 
 The 
 
■( *9 ) 
 
 The Angel who appeared to * Manoah^ 
 (Judg. xiii. 1 8.) faid to him, Why afkeft 
 thou after my name, feeing it is fecret, or 
 wonderful? If we compare this with Ifaiah 
 ix. 6. it is there faid of the Meffiah, his 
 namefhall be called, Wonderful. If we com- 
 pare it with Revel, xix. 12. it is there faid 
 of Chriftj He had a name written which 
 none knew but he himfelf 
 
 Concerning this Angel *j- Ifaiah thus 
 fpeaks, celebrating God's loving-kindnefs to 
 the children of Ifrael in ancient times : The 
 Angel of God's prefence faved them - y in his 
 love and in his pity he redeemed them, and he 
 bare them and carried them all the days of 
 eld. 
 
 Thefe great things are here afcribed to 
 the Angel of God's prefence, or, of his 
 face ; which if we compare with the hiftory 
 of thofe tranfadlions, as related by Mofes, 
 we find that God Almighty manifefted him- 
 felf to Mofes by an Angel. The Angel of the 
 Lord appeared to him in the buflj, a?tdfaid, 
 1 am the God of Abraham, Ifaac a?td Jacob - y 
 
 * See Vitringa on If at. ix. 5, 6. 
 •f lxiii. 9. Where fee Vitringa, 
 
 C 2 and 
 
( 20 ) 
 
 and afterwards, / am that I am, I am the 
 Lord Jehovah. We find that this Angel 
 went before his people in a cloud : and 
 afterwards, reprefenting the perfon of al- 
 mighty God, and fpeaking in his name, he 
 fays, Behold, 1 fend my Angel before thee — 
 beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke 
 him not : for he will not pardon your tranf- 
 greffions ; for my name is in him. 
 
 Concerning this Angel Jacob thus fpeaks, 
 when he blefies the children of Jofeph: 
 The God who fed me all my life long unto this 
 day, the Angel which redeemed me from all 
 evil, blefs the lads. And Mofes bleffing the 
 pofterity of Jofeph, prays that they may en- 
 joy the favour of him > of the Angel, who 
 dwelt in the bufh. 
 
 Concerning this Angel Zechariah thus 
 fpeaks, xii. 8. In that day fhall the Lord 
 defend the inhabitants of Jerufalem, and he 
 that is feeble among them at that day fhall he 
 as David; and the Houfe of David jt hall be 
 as God, as the Angel of the Lord before 
 them. The fentence rifes in fuch a manner, 
 ' that it cannot be fuppofed to fink at laft - y 
 whence it is reafonable to conclude that the 
 
 fame 
 
( Zl ) 
 
 fame perfon is here called God, and the 
 Angel of the Lord. 
 
 Laftly, Concerning the fame Angel Afc- 
 lachi fays, The Lord whom ye feek Jhall fud- 
 denly come to his temple •, even the Angela or 
 meifenger, of the covenant. 
 
 This mighty Angel, the faviour, re- 
 deemer, interceffor, and protestor, feems 
 to be no common or created Angel, but 
 that Angel in whom the name of God was, 
 and by whom God fpeaks to mankind, and 
 who on that account is called the Word of 
 God, who was in the beginning with God, 
 and who was God, by whom all things 
 were created, and who afterwards became 
 man and dwelt with us. 
 
 The Jews had many prejudices againft 
 the perfon of Chrift ; they had as many, or 
 rather more, againft his doftrine. 
 
 The religion of the Gofpel is fpiritual : 
 the religion of the Jews, as they made it, 
 was carnal. The Gofpel places morality 
 above rites and ceremonies : the Jews pre- 
 ferred, in their practice at leaft, the ritual 
 law to the moral. 
 
 The Gofpel reprefents the law of cere- 
 monies as a temporary institution, which 
 C 3 drew 
 
( 22 ) 
 
 drew towards its end after the coming of 
 John the Baptiji : the Jews thought that 
 the whole Law was everlafting, and of- 
 perpetual obigation. They believed that 
 they could perform as much of it as would 
 be fufficient to fecure the favour of God ; 
 they therefore rejeded new dodtrines and 
 means of falvation as falfe, or ufelefs and 
 unneceffary. 
 
 Of all their miftakes and prejudices, their 
 too great zeal for the Law feems to have 
 been the moft excufable. It arofe partly 
 from a high veneration for commandments, 
 which were undoubtedly of divine appoint- 
 ment, and a good man might have fallen 
 into it. Therefore the Apoftles ufed great 
 lenity and condefcenfion towards the Jews 
 in this particular, and fuffered them to ob- 
 ferve the ritual law along with the Gofpel, 
 which they did for a confiderable time, 
 till, Jerufalem being destroyed, no fmall 
 part of the ceremonial law became imprac- 
 ticable, and by flow * degrees the whole 
 fell into difufe. 
 
 * Sulpitius Severus, L. ii. Eufebius E. H. iv. 6. Origen 
 fontr Qlf. ii. p. 56. 
 
 The 
 
( 2 3 ) 
 
 The Jews accounted Mofes to have been 
 the greateft of all the prophets : the Gofpel 
 taught them that 'John the Baptiji was a 
 prophet greater than all who had been be- 
 fore him, yet in every refpect infinitely in- 
 ferior to Chriit, and not equal to the leaft 
 ofChrifVs difciples in dignity of office. 
 
 The Jews not only avoided, as much as 
 they could, all intercourfe with the Gentiles, 
 which indeed their own Law required of 
 them in many cafes, but had them gene- 
 rally in abomination, not for their vices, 
 but becaufe they obferved not the law of 
 Mofes : the Gofpel commanded them to 
 love all men, though they were not Jews 
 either by birth or by religion, and not to 
 fhun them as unfit for converfation, unlefs 
 they were fcandalous by impiety or immo- 
 rality. 
 
 The Gofpel condemned, not only evil 
 actions, but evil inclinations and thoughts : 
 the *Jews y if we may judge of them by the 
 
 fentiments 
 
 * Jofephus fays that Antiochus Epiphanes, as he was dy- 
 ing, confeffed that he fuffered for the injuries which he had 
 done to the Jews. Then he adds, I wonder how Polybius 
 could fay that Antiochus perifhed, becaufe he had purpofe<J 
 C 4 to 
 
( 2 4 ) 
 
 fentiments of fome of their own writers, 
 were of opinion that there was no harm in 
 bad defigns, unlefs they were put in exe- 
 cution. 
 
 The 
 
 to plunder the temple of Diana in Perjia ; for to intend the 
 thing only, and not to perform it, is not worthy of punifn- 
 ment: a>r* Qavpet^eiv UokvCioy lov Miyako'roh'nM, %{, 
 uy&Qot £v dvfif, d7ro§a.vtiV kiyti lev ^Avl'ioyov, €xKu§iv\cL 
 lb 7»f ^v Tlfyfcus *Apii!J.!£o$ he)y avkTuau. lb ya% [Mi/Art 
 
 *j:ritrculd hyov Cxkiv3ctu.ivov y kk, trtfy pesetas et^toy. 
 
 Ant. xii. 9. 
 
 See Selden deSyvedr. ii. 13. §. 7. Hammond on Rom. vii. 7. 
 Greevius on Cicero de Oflic. i. 4. and Grctius on Exod. xx. 
 ! 7. who obferves that the wifer Pagans had much better 
 notions. The ftory of G/aucus is remarkable, who being 
 eiteemed a man of fingular probity, and having a large fum 
 of money deposited in his hands, and an opportunity of 
 keeping it from the owners, if he would forfvvear himfelf, 
 confulted the Oracle at Delphi what he ihould do ; \wetf»- 
 loov\a <N avlov lb yjHTYietov « a pup la. yj^uctjet kmazjou, n 
 TLv3tin uzjzqyjlculcloSzl o1<ti 'iinar 
 
 ThavvJ 9 ETtKV<Pt&ti, lb uh clvTulcl wl^iov sto, 
 "OfKCt) l'lK.n(Tcu i kcu ypyipetjct hmasatd-eu' 
 ''OfJLVV i r 7Tei§hcL\h$ yz kcu 'ivo^'itov y.iv&i cLv^gy,. 
 'Aa\* o$k\s to-U 6?/? dveipvpos, tl«P iiri Vrt?,S£* 
 s Ou<Pi 'TTQcPiS ' KgpihtvU eTi p{]l$yj]cu, BffOtfS waretv 
 
 'S.viJ.ud^as chic* yzviiiv, y.aj. o}kov air a-vlar 
 "AvcP&s ^ ivGfKx yivin pzlWi^iv dy.&icv. 
 Tavra, amura's Tkavkos evyyvcSy.nvlcv Ozov Ta^irizjo 
 titflqi i%eiv lav tvi$kv\w' » <fs Tlvdin fp», To ir&qyQvvau /» 
 Gi«, Kcu lb rrowGcu, \<rw JvvclJou. Taavkos \j.\v <Svt f/.t-> 
 IcLTiy.^auzvot 7«V Mikncixs J<hV«?, d-zofifoi trpldi %${]- 
 (/,&t &*< - '< • ThavK* vvv tuli etiroyovov £r/ *fiv 9 3V |r/« 
 
( 2 5 ) 
 
 The Gofpel required purity of heart : the 
 Jews had flight notions of this duty, and 
 placed purity in bodily and ritual purifica- 
 tions. 
 
 The 
 
 When he had propofed his queftion, the Prieftefs 0/"Apollo 
 anfvjered thus : 
 
 If prefent profit claim thy chief regard, 
 Be bold, and fwear, and take the obvious prize. 
 Juil dealing cannot fave thee from the grave. 
 But the oath's Guardian has a namelefs Son, 
 Who fwift and ftrong, though without hand or foot, 
 Purfues, o'ertakes, and feizes, and deftroys 
 The whole devoted race ; whilit honeft men 
 Leave lailing bleffings to their children's children. 
 Glaucus hearing this, intreated the god to forgive him 
 cwhat he had /aid. The Prieftefs rep If d ; To tempt the god, 
 and to commit the aclion, is all one. Glaucus however fen t 
 to recall his Milefian guefts, and deliver d them the money*-— 
 At prefent there remains no houfe or progeny of Glaucus, hut 
 it is rooted out from Sparta. Herodot. vi. p. 359. Ed. Gron. 
 See the fame ftory related by Juvenal .km. 199. 
 
 Compare the words of the Oracle, concerning the Son of 
 the Deity who prefides over oaths, with Zechar. v. 1 .— — 
 I looked, and behold, a flying roll. — Then f aid he unto me, 
 This is the curfe that goeth forth over the face of the vjhole 
 earth, — and it /hall enter into the houfe of the thief, and into 
 the houfe of him that fweareth falfly by my name : and it 
 fhall remain in the midft of his houfe ; and fall confume it, 
 with the timber thereof, and the ft ones thereof The iikenefs 
 between thefe two places is obferved by Grotius> 
 
 he 
 
( 26 ) 
 
 The Gofpel promifed eternal happinefs 
 to thofe who would lead religious lives, and 
 to impenitent finners denounced the moft 
 dreadful punifhments : the Jews thought 
 that no Ifraelite fhould be deprived of fu- 
 ture happinefs, whatfoever his faults had 
 been,* unlefs he were guilty of apoftacy, 
 
 idolatry, 
 
 The lafl verfe of the Oracle is to be found in Hrfiod 
 "Ep^. 285. and the fenfe, tho' not the words, of the fore- 
 going lines, 282, &c. 
 
 Maimonides indeed, and fome others, learn'd to talk in a 
 better manner on this fubjec"t, and more conformably to 
 Chriftian morality. See Huet. Alnet. Quaeft. p. 343. 
 
 * t T'J0X<Lu£cLxO'nH OTi 'TTAvTU^^Oli «T0 Imj ff t 7TQ£cr.$']l\$ 
 
 K&la ?&$y.cl']k *AC^J.y. atr/, kclv a^ct^Jeo^ot Lei &cu z-ttisqi 
 
 exijlimantes eis omnlno qui ex faiu, fecundum carncm, Abra- 
 h ami flinty quamvis peccatoribus, et infidelibus, et erga Deum 
 immorigeris, regnum aternum datum iri. Jufiin M. Dial, 
 p. 433. Ed. Thirl. 
 
 The School of Ellas ufed to fay, that <whofbe<ver learned 
 the 'Traditions of the Mifnah might be ajfured he fhould ha-ve 
 eternal life. See Grotius on Mat. x. 28. xiv. 2. James ii. 
 14. Whitb. on A&s i. 25. Rom. ii. 13. James ii. II. and 
 p. 466, 467. vol. 2. of 6th Edit. 
 
 Perhaps they did not carry this notion fo far as to affirm 
 that their wicked country-men fhould receive no correction 
 in a future ftate, but probably they thought that God, who 
 in their opinion was a refpe&er of perfons, wo aid be gra- 
 cious to thefe unworthy children of Abraham, that their pu- 
 nifhment mould laft a certain time, and that then they 
 
 fhould 
 
( 2 7 ) 
 
 idolatry, and a few other crimes which 
 they fpecified. 
 
 The Gofpel gave the Jews no hopes that 
 they mould fubdue their enemies, and be- 
 come a free and independent nation : the 
 Jews were very * factious and feditious, 
 and had an intemperate love of liberty, at 
 
 a time 
 
 mould enter into a ftate of happinefs, which favour fhould 
 not be extended to the Gentiles* for whom God had no re- 
 gard. See Le Clerc. Quseft. Hieron. p. 287. Whith. on 
 Adsxi. 18. xv. 1. Rom. ii. 15. 1 Cor. i. 28. 2C0r.x1.2o 
 Huet. Alnet. Quasft. p. 297. Windet. de Vita fundt ftatu. 
 p. 70. 4to. Ed. Sale's notes on the Coran. p. 11. 
 
 Many Mohammedan doctors are much in the fame way 
 of thinking, and teach that believers mall all enter into a 
 ftate of happinefs after the refurreclion, fome immediately, 
 others after certain punifhments, but that infidels fhall be 
 consigned over to eternal mifery. See Reland. de Relig, 
 Mohammed, and Sale's Coran, prelim, difc. p. 92. 
 
 * Their turbulent temper may be known from the Jus 
 Zelotarum, or privilege, under the pretence of zeal, to dif- 
 patch an offender without the tedious formality of a trial ; 
 concerning which licencioufnefs Phi to fays, inj udicioufly 
 enough, De Monarch. I. p. 81 8. Ed. Paris 1640. Kcu 
 \7riT(\&jp&cfj <N k&Kqv aTatn 1ol< ?nhov %j(xffiv apslnc, 
 Ik yjne)$ upcfjr^T^HV dvwTrzfiWaf 7&$ rt^aelt^y pm* £$ 
 JiK&sKZWi priT 9 &s Gxtevjneioy, phr* fwoKas It' ctfXW 
 eyovrcts, c?AA<* tcj / 7Tct^ci^cii>']i yno~oirov\\^ ffdvei kcu <piko- 
 Bko) Kctla.^n£at tt(>)$ rat rm d<n£av a.ra.£$,i%Ti£$ koKo.- 
 fas, vopicctvlas ai/Jaf vtto t* acufi to. ircLvl& yiyivq&cu, 
 Cjtevjdf, fiKarctf, ?e$l*y*s> lzHM9ttKr#Si KtCjuyofHf, 
 
( 23 ) 
 
 ci time and in circum fiances when it was not 
 to be obtained. 
 
 The Gofpel called the Jews to fufferings 
 and perfecution, and had at that time a 
 very unpromifing afpecl as to this world. 
 A converted Jew could exped: nothing be- 
 sides ill ufage from his country-men, who 
 
 Cot (rvvbfa toAa« Tr^guycovi^covlcu o&ioTiflof. 
 
 This alfo is right, that all who have a zeal for virtue are 
 ah'o<wed to execute rigorous funijhment without delay, neither 
 carrying the offender to the courts of judicature, nor to any 
 magifrate, but indulging that ardour which the hatred of ini- 
 quity and the love of God excites, to the end that the impious 
 may never efcape vengeance, and accounting tbe7nj~elves, by the 
 exigence of the time, to be made all things, fenators, judges, 
 generals, ajfemblies, accufers, nuitnejfes, laws and people, 
 that fo nothing may hinder them from exerting themfelves 
 boldly and jointly for right eoufnefs. 
 
 The love of God and of virtue raid of truth is no fuch 
 turbulent and boifterous paffiori, and pious zeal may be 
 active and yet not pernicious, and fliine without burning. 
 Intemperate Zeal is like Sirius in Homer : 
 
 N&\j.ireJTc£\o<; filvoy* sr/\ kakcv £i ts an u a, 1 it vyjcu, 
 
 JLsU TS <pi$ei <7TQKKqV ^V^ijdv cPttAOf07 C^flolffl- 
 
 II. x. 30. 
 
 Ille quidem clard, fedfavd luce corufcat, 
 Et morbos eeftufque adferi mcrtalibus agris. 
 I?ious Zeal is like the gentle Flame in Virgil : 
 £cce levis fubiio de vert ice vfus Iuli 
 jfundcre lumen apex, taciuquc innoxia mollis 
 hambere jlamma ccmas, el circum tempora pafci. JEn. ii. 
 
 were 
 
( 2 9 ) 
 
 were very zealous for their religion ; and 
 if he were the only one of his family who 
 received Chriftianity, he might be fure that 
 his word enemies would be his neareft rela- 
 tions, and his moft inveterate foes thofe of 
 his own houfhold. It required no fmall 
 virtue and refolution to offer up fuch a 
 facrifice to God, to forfake houfe and land, 
 friends and kindred, father and mother, 
 wife and children, for the fake of Chrift. 
 
 The Jews were accuftomed to * indulge 
 themfelves without reftraint in thofe things 
 which the Law allowed for the hardnefs 
 of their hearts : here the Gofpel interpofed 
 with ftridt prohibitions, reprefenting the 
 cuftom of divorce and of marrying again, 
 as it was practifed by them, as no better 
 than adultery. The Apofties themfelves 
 thought this, when they firft heard it, to 
 be a hard precept ; and indeed, -j- in all 
 parts of the world where thefe praclifes 
 have been eftablifhed, nothing has flopped 
 the progrefs of Chriftianity more than the 
 
 * See Whitby on John viii. 7. 
 
 f See Bayle Did. MahoMEtGaladin. & Parrba- 
 jiana, ch. 7. 
 
 prohibition 
 
( 30 ) 
 
 prohibition of * polygamy and divorce, and 
 many, who elfe feemed difpofed to receive 
 the Gofpel, have rejected it upon this only 
 account. 
 
 Laftly, the Jews thought that the Chri- 
 ftian -j- morality was in general too ftridt and 
 fevere, and that no man could poffibly prac- 
 tife it. 
 
 The chief priefts, Scribes and Pharifees, 
 befides all thefe prejudices already men* 
 tioned, had particular motives to rejedl the 
 Gofpel. 
 
 They hated Chrift, becaufe he had re- 
 proved and openly expofed their pride, 
 their hypocrify, their uncharitablenefs, their 
 
 * Chrift and the Apoftles have not perhaps directly, 
 and in fo many words, prohibited polygamy ; but from the 
 reafoning of Chrift againft divorce, Chriftians have juftly 
 concluded polygamy to be unlawful. Of the evils arifmg 
 from both, fee Le Clerc Hift. Ecclef. Proleg. p. 113. 161. 
 
 -J- Trypho fays to Juftin, uucou sN k&c r<x \v T& Xiyoyk- 
 vcd \vetyyi\ia Tct^.yyiKfxoLJa, &ajj[jLa.ra. xtcos kcu i^kyethtL 
 i , 7rlra.ucu trAcu, cos C r 7rQKctfj.Ca.veiV \j.r\J\ivcL £Lvct&cu (pvKoL^cu 
 civja.. Vejira Jane qu& in evange/io, quod dicitut\ Junt pns- 
 cepta tarn magna et admiranda ejfe no-vimus, ut fufpicio nojira. 
 Jit a nemine ea fervari poffe. 
 
 So alfo fays Orobius in his difpute with Limborch. 
 
 See Tillotjon Vol. 1. Serm. 28. The Jews taught that a 
 careful obfervance of fome laws would excufe the violation 
 of the reft. See Whitby on James ii. 11. 
 
 covetoufnefs, 
 
( 3i ) 
 
 covetoufnefs, their zeal for traditions ; and 
 their hatred againft him difpofed them to 
 think ill of him, and to do him all ill 
 offices. We need not wonder when we 
 find them upon all occafions oppofing and 
 calumniating him, if we confider that they 
 were a wicked fet of men, and that he had 
 publickly and frequently reproved them. 
 They were highly incenfed againft him, 
 and in the judgment which they made of 
 him, they were directed by their paffions, 
 not by their reafon. 
 
 Nor did- anger and refentment only fur- 
 nifh them with prejudices againft Chrift, 
 but felf-intereft alio and worldly policy. 
 The people, who had ktn the miracles of 
 Chrift, particularly that miracle by which 
 he had fed a great multitude, had at one 
 time, as St. John relates, a defign to make 
 him their king, concluding reafonably 
 enough that under fuch a leader they 
 fhould be victorious. Therefore Chrift, if 
 he had been a deceiver, and had enter- 
 tained ambitious defigns, might eafily have 
 made himfelf a prince, and might have in- 
 cited the people to fhake off the Roman 
 yoke, which was grievous to them. 
 
 The 
 
( 32) 
 
 The chief priefts and principal perfons 
 amongft the Jews thought, that if Chrift 
 fhould make fuch an attempt they fhould 
 be ruined, whatfoever the confequence of 
 it were. If the Jews under his conduit 
 fhould endeavour to recover their liberties, 
 and fail in it, they knew that the nation 
 would be feverely punifhed by the Romans. 
 Nor was their profpecT: lefs bad, if Chrift 
 fhould deliver the people from their fub- 
 jection to a foreign power, and rule over 
 them himfelf j for though they hated the 
 Romans, yet doubtlefs they thought that 
 Chrift would be a worfe ruler for them 
 than any Roman governor. They knew 
 that he had a bad opinion of them, and 
 that he had expofed their vices, and there- 
 fore they concluded that the eftabliihment 
 of his authority w T ould be the ruin of theirs. 
 Thus were they incited not only by refent- 
 ment, but, as they fancied, by intereft, to 
 deny that Chrift was the Mffias, to oppofe 
 him, and to deftroy him ; for, fince they 
 were perfuaded that the Meffias fhould be a 
 temporal king, they could not acknow- 
 ledge Chrift to be the Meffias, unlefs at the 
 
 fame 
 
( 33 ) 
 
 fame time they owned him to be their 
 king. 
 
 They fucceeded in their endeavours, they 
 ftirred up the people, they intimidated the 
 governor, they prevailed to have Chrifi 
 crucified, and by his death they thought 
 themfelves at laft fecure from all thefe 
 evils. But he arofe again, and his difciples 
 appeared openly in Jerufalem, working mi- 
 racles, and teaching that Jefas was the 
 MeJJias. One would at firft think that no 
 man could withfcand fuch evidence ; but 
 we mall not fo much wonder at their ob- 
 ftinacy, if we obferve that their fears, and, 
 as they thought, their interefts led them 
 again to oppofe the truth. 
 
 They confidered that they were the per- 
 fons who had reprefented Chrift as a mad- 
 man, an import or, a magician, a violator 
 of the law, who had inftigated the people 
 and who had perfuaded Pilate to crucify 
 him • they heard that the Apoitles wrought 
 miracles in the name of Chrifi, and they 
 concluded that if the Apoitles were per- 
 mitted to proceed in this manner, they 
 would convert a great part of the Jews, and 
 they feared that if the dodxines taught by 
 D Chrift's 
 
( 34 ) 
 
 ChrifVs difciples mould be received, they 
 who had been his implacable enemies, 
 ihould be accounted not only ignorant and 
 blind guides, but difhoneft men, that they 
 ihould not only lofe their credit and autho- 
 rity, but be expofed to the refentment of 
 the incenfed multitude ; and therefore they 
 thought that the beft way to fecure them- 
 felves was to deter and hinder the Apoftles 
 from appearing any more in public, and 
 from preaching the Gofpel. And when 
 the difciples continued to perform the func- 
 tions of their miniftry, the high prieft aiked 
 them, faying, Did we not flraightly com- 
 mand you that you Jljould not teach in this 
 name? And behold, ye have filled Jerufalem 
 with your doclrine, and intend to bring this 
 man's blood upon us. 
 
 Miracles were wrought to convince 
 them ; but when a man is violently bent 
 to believe or difbelieve, he is more than 
 half perfuaded that things are as he defires. 
 They haftily concluded that thofe miracles 
 were either delufions and impoflures, or 
 wonderful works performed by the aid of 
 evil fpirits. 
 
 From 
 
( 35 ) 
 
 From thefe ill difpofitions proceeded 
 fuitable effects ; for they perfecuted the 
 firfl Chriftians, they accufed them to the 
 Roman magistrates of fedition, they beat 
 them in their fynagogues, they imprifoned 
 them, they banifhed them, they put many 
 of them to death, and ftrove to the utmoii 
 of their power to deftroy this riling feci:. 
 Some * ancient writers allure us, that the 
 Jews took the pains to fend perfons from 
 Jerufalem into all countries, to accufe the 
 Chriftians of atheifm and other crimes, and 
 to make them as odious as they poffibly 
 could. 
 
 From the account which we have given 
 of the obftinacy of the Jews, and of the 
 caufes whence it arofe, it appears that their 
 unbelief is no objection to the truth of the 
 Gofpel. The modern Jews therefore reafon 
 weakly when they fay, that their anceftors 
 would not, and could not have rejected 
 Chrift, if the miracles related in the Gofpel 
 had been really wrought, Againft this ar- 
 gument we may alfo obferve, that it can da 
 no fervice to a Jew, becaufe it would prove 
 
 * Jujlin M. and Eufehius. See Juftin p. 171. and 
 Thuihyh Notes, and Tabricius de Ver. R. C. p. 665. 
 
 P % too 
 
( 36) 
 
 too much. It would prove that Mofes 
 wrought no miracles, fince the whole peo- 
 ple of Ifrael often rebelled againft him : it 
 would prove that many of the prophets re- 
 corded in the Old Teftament were falfe 
 prophets, becaufe they were perfecuted by 
 the Jews. The Jews are not able to give 
 any reafon * why they acknowledge the 
 Law of Mofes to be a divine revelation, 
 which will not directly and more ftrongly 
 eftablifh the truth and authority of the 
 Gofpel. 
 
 The Gentiles had many prejudices in 
 common with the Jews, and fome peculiar 
 to themfelves. 
 
 The caufes of unbelief which were com- 
 mon to them with the Jews were, a great 
 
 * This argument is'ufed by Origin contr. Cclf, I. p. 32. 
 and frequently through the whole treatife. Orobdus, being 
 prefs'd with it by Limborcb, was forced to make two auk- 
 ward jeonceflions ; firft, that a Jew could not prove his reli- 
 gion to a Deift ; and fecondly, that it became every Chri- 
 .flian and Jew to continue in the religion in which he had 
 been educated, becaufe each had arguments to urge which 
 the other could not confute. See Litnborch\ Collat. & Le 
 Clerc Bibl. Choif. xxiv. p. 359. The heretic Apelles faid 
 much the fame thing, namely, y.yj f&y thus \Z{\ci?nv tov 
 Aoyoi; c?'AA.' iKKGy m KirrinvvA £ta[Ayeif Eufebius 
 £. H. v. 13. 
 
 corrup- 
 
(37 ) 
 
 corruption of manners, the prejudice of edu- 
 cation, the purity of the precepts of the 
 Gofpel fo oppofite to their vitious inclina- 
 tions, the temporal inconveniences which 
 attended the profeffion of Chriftianity, and 
 the temporal advantages which might be 
 fecured or obtained by rejecting or oppofing 
 it, the poor appearance which Chrift had 
 made in the world, and his ignominious 
 death, which they could not reconcile with 
 the divine power afcribed to him by his 
 difciples ; thefe things produced in the 
 greater part of the Jews an averfion to the 
 Gofpel, and they had the fame erTeft on the 
 unconverted Gentiles. 
 
 The Ge?i tiles ought not to have flighted and 
 rejected the Gofpel upon account of the low 
 cftate and fufferings of Chrift and his Apo- 
 ftles. Their own reafon, and fome of their 
 mod approved writers might have taught 
 them not to value perfons according to their 
 greatnefs and riches, nor to meafure the fa- 
 vour of God by temporal happinefs, but to 
 love and honour opprefs'd innocence. 
 
 They might have remembred that the 
 beft man and the wifeft philofopher record- 
 ed 
 D 5 
 
( 38 ) 
 
 ed in their hiitories, lived all his days in 
 * poverty, was expofed to flander and calum- 
 ny, and at laft was accufed by falfe witneffes, 
 and condemned to die by unjuft judges. 
 
 They knew that Virtue often obtains not 
 the efteem and refpedt which it deferves, that 
 it often lies concealed from the world, or, 
 being placed id view, is yet not obferved,* 
 and that pofterity frequently does juftice to 
 the characters *f : of illuftrious perfons whofe 
 good qualities have been overlooked by thofe 
 amongft whom they dwelt. 
 
 They knew that Virtue, though it be fo 
 amiable in itfelf, has a luftre offenfive to the 
 vitious, that therefore Pride, and Ignorance, 
 andEnvy, and Malice, andCenforioufnefs will 
 join to obfcure and mifreprefent it, will en- 
 
 * \yu> [jXv c}y.cu, tpa o Safy^cLTVi^, el ctyct^ coVi{]v c,7n- 
 1vyo:(j.t, tvp&ii' kv [Aotcrvvln oiaiA zsu Id %v\&i£&v\tL wow 
 pa.S'ias wivfe ij.vcls. I believe \ /aid Socrates, that, if I 
 Jhculd meet nvitl? a good f pur chafer, ?ny ejfccls, houfe and ail 
 would eajtly fetch me fixteen pounds. Xenoph. Oeconom. I. 3. 
 
 Socrates, amicis aud'tentibus: Emijfem, inquit, pallium, fi 
 miimmos habercm, &c. Seneca de Benef. VII. 24. 
 
 In Plato's Apol. Socrat. he fays that he is in extreme po- 
 verty, h trivia, pvetz ety-ti 
 
 f Quamdiu Catonem civitas Ignoravit? refpuit, necinteL 
 fexit, nifi cum perdidit. Seneca. 
 
 deavour 
 
( 39 ) 
 
 deavour to make it contemptible, and to 
 bring it to a level with themfelves. 
 
 They knew that he belt deferved the 
 name of a wife and good man who lived up 
 to the rules of morality which he had pre- 
 fcribed to others ; and they ought to have 
 admired a man who at the fame time that 
 he recommended to his followers humility, 
 patience and refignation to the will of God 
 under the fevereft trials, forgivenefs of inju- 
 ries, and univerfal love and charity, practifed 
 thefe duties himfelf in their full extent, and 
 was a perfect example of all that he taught. 
 
 The Gentiles could not conceive how one 
 who feemed hated and forfaken of God 
 mould reftore men to the favour of God, 
 and how his fufferings could be ferviceable 
 to that end. 
 
 It is reafonable that the Divine mercy 
 mould conftantly difplay itfelf in all cafes 
 which lie within the reach of compaffion. 
 Such was the cafe of us men, who though 
 finful, yet are w r eak and frail beings, though 
 offenders, yet corrigible and capable of a- 
 mendment, 
 
 But it is alfo reafonable that God mould 
 be difpleafed at the rebellion and tranfgreffi- 
 
 D 4 ons 
 
(4o ) 
 
 ons of his creatures, that he Ihould mew his 
 difapprobation of iniquity, and lb grant his 
 pardon, as at the fame time to vindicate the 
 honour of his government and of his laws* 
 Now this he has accomplished in a moil: il- 
 luftrious manner in the death of his Son, 
 thereby (hewing his hatred to fin in keeping 
 finners at a diftance, and refufmg to hear 
 them in their own name, and in beftowing 
 his favours only through' the mediation of 
 one, who fuffered for their offences, androfe 
 again for their j unification . 
 
 It is farther reaibnable that even this In- 
 terceffor fhould not interpofe in our behalf, 
 if w r e prefer vice to virtue, and therefore the 
 Gofpel has taught us that ChrinYs death mall 
 be no attonement for us, nor his refurredlion 
 of any benefit to us, unlefs we ufe our heft 
 endeavours to die to fin and to live to God. 
 
 An example of goodnefs fet before us for 
 our imitation, encouragement to praclife the 
 virtues which are moil confpicuous in ad- 
 verfity, which at the fame time adorn it and 
 foften its harm nature, reliance upon him 
 who underwent ib much for our fake, hope 
 that he will be a merciful judge, motives 
 from gratitude to love him more than our 
 
 fins 
 
( 4i ) 
 
 fins who loved us more than his own life, 
 the fears of departing hence confiderably af- 
 fuaged, thefe are benefits ariling from the 
 fufferings of our Matter, and ufeful purpofes 
 which feem to be better anfwered by this 
 method of our redemption, than they would 
 have been if Chrift had defcended from 
 heaven to proclaim forgivenefs of fins upon 
 repentance, and to teach men their duty, and 
 then had left the world without undergoing 
 the evils to which he fubmitted. 
 
 The Gentiles thought it ftrange to afcribe 
 fuch power and authority to a crucified man. 
 
 But, the greateft power which any perfon 
 can fliew, confifts unqueftionably in per- 
 forming things which no other can do, un- 
 lefs God aflift him in an extraordinary man- 
 ner. To deftroy the peace of mankind, and 
 carry ruin and defolation through populous 
 countries, is no more than what human 
 ftrength and human policy can aceomplifh. 
 Many have done this who have not poflefs'd 
 one commendable quality. To be ho- 
 noured, admired, trufted, reverenced, and 
 beloved, thefe are advantages which may be 
 obtained without any fuper natural aid. But 5 
 as the Tfahnijl obferves, no man by the 
 
 multi- 
 
(4i ) 
 multitude of his riches, or the eminence of 
 his ftation, can deliver his brother, or him- 
 felf from death, or make agreement unto 
 God for him. For it coft more to redeem 
 their fouls, fo that he muft let that alone for 
 ever. Therefore he who can heal all fick- 
 neffes and difeafes by fpeaking a word, who 
 can reftore the dead to life, who can confer 
 the fame power upon others, who can de- 
 liver himfelf from the grave, is as much fu- 
 perior to the rich, the rulers, and the heroes 
 of this world, as the heavens are above the 
 earth. 
 
 If he had appeared in power and fplendor, 
 if he had fubdued vice by force of arms, and 
 eftabliihed his kingdom upon earth, and 
 ruled over the willing nations, giving them 
 juft and holy laws, and taking innocence 
 and virtue under his protection, fuchan en. 
 terprize, fo accomplifhed, had indeed been 
 great and glorious; but as in this cafe the 
 means would have been proportionate to the 
 end, it would have been nothing when 
 compared with the deliverance which he 
 wrought, and the victories which he gained, 
 not by human means, nor by worldly wif- 
 dom, but by a moll wonderful and unparal- 
 
 lel'd 
 
( 43 ) 
 
 lel'd method, by fubmitting to poverty and 
 contempt, by avoiding honours, by fuffer- 
 ing indignities, by dying upon the crofs, by 
 fending out a few ignorant and obfcure men, 
 who with no other arms than patience and 
 meeknefs, and with no other art than fpeak- 
 ing the truth, though oppofed by the learned 
 and the mighty, introduced a religion which 
 fpread itfelf through the world. 
 
 The national religion of the Heathen, 
 and their idolatrous worfhip, as eftablifhed 
 by their laws and cuftoms, and received by 
 the vulgar, was fo ftrange, abfurd and in- 
 confiftent, befides its variety in different 
 countries, that it is not eafy to give an ac- 
 count of it. But briefly, and in general, it 
 feems to have been founded on thefe fuppo- 
 fitions: 
 
 That there were many Gods, one of whom 
 was fuperior to the reft; 
 
 That they were all concerned in the go- 
 vernment of the world, and could do go©d 
 or hurt to men, as they were difpofed ; 
 
 That they were far fuperior to men in 
 power and knowledge, as alfo that they 
 were immortal, but that elfe * they had like 
 
 * The inferior deities. 
 
 paffions 
 
( 44 ) 
 
 paffions with men, were capricious, revenge- 
 ful, and eafily provoked ; 
 
 That they only expedted to have magnifi- 
 cent temples built for them, adorned with 
 rich gifts, ftatues eredted and facrifices of- 
 fered to them, hymns fung in their praife, 
 perfons dedicated to their fervice, feafts and 
 folemnities kept in honour of them, that 
 whofoever paid them fuch outward refpedt 
 was religious, fo that religion and virtue 
 were two things. Add to this * that fome 
 folemn rites confifted in cruel, impure or 
 indecent actions. 
 
 The Gentiles, though they had for the 
 moft part mean and falfe notions of religion, 
 were more wicked than ignorant. We need 
 not appeal to the teftimony of the firft Chri- 
 ftians and to the Epiftles of St. Paul for the 
 truth of this : The Heathen writers, their 
 poets, philoibphers, and hiftorians have left 
 fad defcriptiqns or fcandalous proofs of the 
 extreme corruption of the age in which they 
 lived. Such a degeneracy amongft the Gen- 
 tiles w r ould probably produce in them an 
 
 * Jufiiu xxi. 3. Eufebius de Vit. Conft. III. 55, 58. 
 Orat. de Laud. Conft. 9. 13, Socrates Hill. Eccl. III. 2* 
 Le Clerc on Exod. xxxiv. 15. Whitby on Ephef. v. 4. 
 
 averfion 
 
( 45 ) 
 
 averfion to a pure and holy religion, and to 
 the difagrceable truths which oppofed their 
 favourite inclinations, and a diflike to thofe 
 troublefome reformers who undertook to 
 mew them the neceffity of breaking off their 
 bad courfes. 
 
 The philofophers and other learned Pa- 
 gans fcorned, no lefs than the Jewijb 
 teachers, to be inftru&ed by poor and ob- 
 fcure and illiterate men ; and as the Jews 
 objected that none of their rulers believed in 
 Chrift, fo the Gentiles obferved with great 
 contempt, that the firft profelytes to Chri- 
 stianity were chiefly of the lower fort. 
 
 The philofophers and the more learned 
 amongft the Gentiles might be ranked under 
 three forts : 
 
 Such as wormipped one fupreme God, 
 and many inferior who under him governed 
 the world ; 
 
 Such as thought that there was no know- 
 ledge and certainty; 
 
 Such as believed no God, or no provi- 
 dence. 
 
 Their pride and high opinion of them- 
 felves would not fuffer them to condcfcend 
 io be taught by men of no reading and learn- 
 ing, 
 
( 46 ) 
 
 ing, and their firm adherence to their feve- 
 ral fedts, for which they were remarkable* 
 made them obftinate in refitting the beft ar- 
 guments. There were in particular two or 
 three notions much prevailing amongft them* 
 which increafed their prejudices againft the 
 Gofpel : 
 
 Firft, that the learned might think as 
 they would, and difpute as much as they 
 thought fit, but that they ought to conform 
 to the religion of their country, and keep it 
 up, as it was delivered to them by their an- 
 ceftors $ 
 
 Secondly, that * God did not require that 
 all nations fhould be of the fame religion, 
 but was well pleafed with the variety of wor- 
 ship whfch obtained in different places, ac- 
 cording to the different notions which men 
 had of the divine nature ; 
 
 Thirdly, -f- which feems to be a confequence 
 of the two opinions before mentioned, that 
 
 religion 
 
 * Vid. Socratcm Bifi. Eccl IV. 32. Themifr, Orat. 7. 
 adValent. Symmach. apud Prudent. II. 773. 
 
 j Seneca fays, concerning the religion of his country : 
 Shirt omnia fat: ens fervabit, tanqUam legibus juffa, non tan- 
 
 quam Oils grata. And Omntmifiam ignobilem deorwri 
 
 turban, 
 
( 47 ) 
 religion or piety towards the Gods, as it is 
 diftinguifhed from morality, was a thing of 
 fmall moment in itfelf, and to be obferved 
 for reafons of ftate and for political pur- 
 
 pofes. 
 
 They had no notion of refilling to com- 
 ply with eflablifhed rites under pretence of 
 confcience. They accounted Chriftians * 
 inexcufably obftinate and perverfe when they 
 would not facrifice to idols, and no better 
 than fools and madmen, when they would 
 fuffer death rather than fubmit to the com- 
 mand of the Magiftrate. 
 
 Thefe were the perfons who defpifed and 
 ridiculed the firft Chriftians, who refilled 
 the Gofpel during its progrefs, who wrote 
 againft it, and were the laft defenders of 
 
 turbam, quam longo a<vo, longa fuperfiitio congcjfit, fie ado- 
 rabimus, ut meminerimus cultum ejus magis ad tnorem y quam ad 
 rem pert in ere. Apud Jugufiin. de Civ. ITei. VI. io. 
 
 Hortabaris me] ut — « opiniones, quas a majoribus accepi- 
 mus de Diis immortalibus, facra, caremonias, religionefque 
 defenaerem . Ego <vero eas defendant femper, femperque defen- 
 di ; nee me ex ed opinione> quam a majoribus accept de cultu 
 Deorum immorta/iu/n, ullius unquam oratio ant dccli aut in- 
 dofti movebit, &c. Cotta, apud Gear. De Nat. Deor, III. 2. 
 
 * A'eque enim dubitabam, qualecunque efftt quad fateren- 
 tur, pervicaciam certe et tnflexibilem obfttnationem debere pu- 
 niri, PI in. Epijt. x, 97. 
 
 Paganifin 
 
(48 ) 
 
 Paganifm, when under the Chriftian Em- 
 perors it was in a very declining condition. 
 
 In the heathen world were alfo many 
 thoufands who lived by the fuperftition of 
 mankind, and who therefore would eagerly 
 oppofe a new doctrine, which if it prevailed, 
 would put an end to their gain % and though, 
 being illiterate, they could not write and 
 difpute for Paganifm, as the philofophers 
 did, yet they could lie * in behalf of it, and 
 denounce the wrath of the Gods, and ftir 
 up the populace againft the Chriftians. 
 
 And accordingly, from time to time, -j- co- 
 racles were given out, either real or pre- 
 tended, either by evil fpirits, or by evil 
 men, complaining of the Chriftians, as of 
 enemies to the Gods, and exciting the Gen- 
 tiles againft them. 
 
 But the moft dangerous enemies to Chri- 
 ftianity were Magiftrates, Princes, Roman 
 
 * Harufpices has f abides, conjeclores, arioli, <vates, et 
 nunquam non <vani concinna~cere fmnatici ; qui ne fuse artcs in* 
 tereant, ac ne Jiipes exiguas confultoribus excutiant jam raris, 
 Ji quando mo s veils rem -venire in invidiam compter erunt , ne- 
 gitguniur Dii, clamitant, &c Arnobius, L. I. p. 13. 
 
 f Lamprid. Alex and. 43. p. 993. in Hift. Aug. Script. 
 Eufeb. Vit. Conft. II; 5 c. 51. Sozomen* V. 19. Chryfoft. 
 BomiL de Baby Id. 
 
 Empe- 
 
( 49 ) 
 
 Emperors. When thefe were fuperftitious* 
 Or capricious and cruel, or when they thought 
 it prudent to oppofe any change in religion 
 left it (hould hurt the ftate, the Chriftians 
 were expofed to the fury of mercilefs ty-* 
 rants. Of thefe Emperors forhe were re- 
 markable for all wickednefsj they had a 
 will to do any mifchief, and nothing to hin- 
 der them from doing as they would. They 
 aflumed to themfelves divine honours, and 
 hated every thing that looked like goodnefs, 
 courage and liberty. Under fome of thefe 
 Emperors the Chriftians were treated with 
 great inhumanity and cruelty - y and, which 
 feems ftrange, they met with ill ufage under 
 * fome who had feveral good qualities, and 
 from whom better things might have been 
 expe&ed -, but the reafons for it feeni to have 
 been partly thefe : 
 
 i. Thofe Emperors who had many vh> 
 tues, yet had their prejudices, -j- or their 
 
 fuper- 
 
 * Trajan, T. Antoninus, M. Aurelius. 
 
 f The Emperor M. Aurelius was prejudiced againft the 
 Chriftians, and in his own Book xi. 3. has cenfured very 
 unreafonably, what he ought to have approved, their rea* 
 dinefs and resolution to die for their religion, 
 
 £ Mud 
 
( So ) 
 
 fuperftition, and Chriftianity had been mif- 
 reprefented to them $ nor are any perfons 
 more liable than princes to receive bad im- 
 preffions and falfe accounts, and to have the 
 truth concealed from them. 
 
 2. By the -f- ancient Roman laws it was 
 not permitted to introduce any new religion 
 
 without 
 
 Aliud erat quod maxhne gentiles in Chrifiianos commovebat 
 quod hi fci licet pro bono Reipublicteftatu, aut Imperatorum, <vel 
 patriae falnte offerri facrijicia improbarent, iifque nee adej/e, 
 nee etiam Jive per publicos, five per privates Imperatorum ge- 
 nios jurare acquiefcerent. Ad hac, Cbrifiiani a fejlis folem- 
 xibus, ludis public: 's, aliifque ejufmodi fpeclaculis qua? pro vie- 
 toriis adverfus hojles fart is, aut Imperatorum natalities fieri 
 <onfueverant , fefe abhorrere tefiabantur. Hinc mi rum non efi, 
 fi Imperatores, etiam qui religiofiores et mitijjimi babiti funt, 
 Chrijiianos penitus extirpare conati fuerint, quos nempe non 
 religioni folitm fua/, fed etiam propria faluti adverfari exifii- 
 mabant. Ruinart. Prof, in Acl. Martyr, 
 
 -j- Tertullian and Eufebius fay that the Romans had an an- 
 cient law, which forbad the worihipof new Deities without 
 the permiffion of the Senate ; ne quis Deus confecraretur, nifi 
 41 Senatu probatus. Apolog. rttXcu* vo^ kik(^\\)ko\©- , (j.n 
 
 foyiAAli o~vyKK{)% Eccl. H. II, 2. 
 
 Julius Paulusj who lived in the time of the emperor A- 
 lexander S events, has preferved to us an ancient law relating 
 to this fubjecl: : Qui novas, et ufu vel ratione incognitas reli- 
 giones inducunt, ex quibus animi hominum moveantur, honefii- 
 eres deportantur, humiliores capite puniuntur. Sentent. Re- 
 ceptar. L. V. Tit. 21. 
 
 Under 
 
( 5* ) 
 
 without the leave of the Magistrate, much 
 lefs a religion which directly tended to over- 
 turn all the eftablifh'd rites and ceremonies* 
 
 3. The 
 
 Under the fame Title, he has another law agaihft (both- 
 fayers and pretenders to infpiration^ who are ordered to be 
 beaten, baniihed, &c. ne humana credulitate publici mores ad 
 fpem allcujus rei corrumperentur, njel certe ex eo populares ani- 
 mi turbarentur. 
 
 In the Acts of the Apoftles xvi. 21. fome of the inhabitants 
 of Phillppi bring this accufation againft Paul and Silas: 
 Thefe men teach cuftoms <vohich are not lawful for us to receive 
 neither to obferve, being Romans. Where fee Grotius. 
 
 Cicero de Leg. XI. 8. Separatim nemo habejjit Deos ; ne<ve 
 novos, fed ne advenas, nifi publke adfcltos, privatim eclunto. 
 [In the fame book facra notlurna are accounted unlawful 
 without particular leave.] 
 
 Plato has the fame law. 'Ic^ [Att£z &<; \v \£i&is otnieuc 
 Ittjnd-a. Sveiv eP' ol&v cm vzv 19 Itvi, t&s la, tPtiy.oeidL {\e» 
 BJ&av' &c. Sacella nemo in private, domo habeat. Cum <vero 
 animum qv.is ad facrificandum induxerit, ad public a facrlfca- 
 turus accedat. &c. and the tranfgreffors of this law are to be 
 punilhed. De Leg. X. 
 
 Porphyry fays of Ammonias, who, as he pretends, left 
 Chriftianity for Paganifm, T£*V Inv &&)£ vo[j.\s<; <7roKi\&cLV 
 p(]z$dh{]o, ad <vi<vcndi rationem legibus confentientem deficit, 
 whereas Origen (fays he) lived Xetri&vcSf *} rra^vo^a^. 
 Eufeb. E. H. VI. 19. This was the common language of 
 the Pagans. 
 
 If Ulpiaifs Treatife on the duty of Procbnfuls were extant, 
 we mould know what Edicts had been publibed againft 
 Chriftians by the Emperors, down to the time of Alexander 
 Severus. Domitius [UlpianusJ de officio Pro con falls Libra 
 VIL Refer ipta principum nefarla collegia, ut doccret quibns 
 E a fanit 
 
( 52) 
 
 3". The people and * the Governors of 
 provinces fometimes perfecuted the Chrifti- 
 
 ans 
 
 ptenis adfici oporteret eos, qui fe cultores Dei confiterentur. 
 Laftantius Injl. Div. V. 1 1 . 
 
 Pliny, in his memorable Epiftle to Trajan X. 97. enquires 
 of him how he mould proceed againft the Chriftians. 
 
 Trajan, in his Refcript, fo far fpared the Chriftians, that 
 he forbad them to be fought after, or to be condemned upon 
 the evidence of namelefs informations. But, if a profecutor 
 appeared, he ordered them to be put to death, unlefs they 
 recanted. Plin. Ep. X. 98. 
 
 However, as Vlinfs Letter to Trajan did not fet the 
 Chriftians in a bad light, fo the Emperor's reply was in fome 
 meafure favourable to them. He feemed willing to connive 
 at them, and not to ufe them rigoroufly. 
 
 Afterwards Adrian gave a Refcript to Minucius Fundanus, 
 [to be found in Eufeb. IV. 9. and at the end of Juftin > s firft 
 Apol.] which it obfcure. It does not manifeftly exempt 
 Chriftians from punifhment ; and yet it feems in fome de- 
 gree to favour them, and might have been fo interpreted by 
 a judge who was difpofed to put the mildeft conftruttion 
 upon it. The Chriftians often appealed to it. 
 
 * See Eufebius E.H. VI. 41. IX. 6. where it isfaid that 
 Peter of Alexandria u.§(jiu$ *tco ^ dhhycx;, a$ civ Met^ifxi- 
 vv r J£jTa^ > dLv\©- i Ihv KS<p&Knv d.7ro\i^.v{\cu' which Valefius 
 tran dates, fubito et abfque ulla probabili caujfd, utpote Maxi- 
 mino jubente, capite truncatur. I think it (hould be, quafi 
 jufftffet Max: minus. The edi&s againft Chriftians were then 
 repealed, and Maximinus at that time rather fecretly encou- 
 raged than openly commanded thofe cruelties. 
 
 Melito, bifhop of Sardes, in the apology which he dedi- 
 cated to the Emperor M. Aurelius, fays ; to yd? *<Pl td,. 
 woli yivoptvov, vvv fsmiltu 71 rur GsmCwy yw®-, kcuvo7< 
 
(53 ) 
 
 ans without any particular leave or order 
 from the Emperor. 
 
 4. The 
 
 iketvvoyAVov <PoyfjLet<ri KctTaVv 'Ariar 01 y&f aveu£&< cv- 
 Koipewjeu ty 1m ahho]exm \eysau-> %v In 1m fia\ajy^t£\w^ 
 %yjiv\is a?o${jLiiv, <pa.vz$£s AwrsuW/, pvkJw ^ i&Qtiui- 
 
 kcuos y6 (Zct<rthiv$ Jit etV eWix.at (Zx\iu<rcu}o irtdiroli' ^ 
 «//.£? »</'e<y* <p\z?tJLzv%']Qi&T>i Qavdflx 71 yi&K.I&vlitv ft <roi 
 (jibvw w&sqfc&yLtv f'fAGiv, 'ivet alvjot tt&Ii&v kmyvxs 7*V 
 7»* 1etctu]m tptkoveatiag \%yarra.$, fuLalcos aelveieti et a^toi 
 Qa.va.lx $ ViAoeietSy » c^Tseict? x) hw/itu doiv el ft ^ 
 "TTfit^ct cr« /y.w to» » /3a A j? iu7w ^ to kcupov t*1o fi&l&yyL(t 9 
 pnfl k*7* jZaqCcLiav nfWei Totepim, nokv y.&kXov 
 ftoy.iBti an, "jt/w mei'iftiv tipa* h lotavjyi fnptofei As«- 
 Ka.aict. Pious men are now persecuted and har raffed through 
 all Afia £y »*w decrees, which was never done before : for 
 impudent fycophants, andfuch as covet the pofejfions of others, 
 taking occafion from the edifts, rob without fear or Jbame, 
 and ceafe not to plunder thofe who in nothing have §f ended. 
 —And if thefe things are done by your order, it is enough, all 
 is well, for ajuji Prince can never decree any thing that is 
 unjujf, and we Jh all take a pleafure in fubmitting to your will, 
 and account it an honour to die at your command. Only this fa- 
 vour we beg of you, that you would firft inform your felf 
 concerning men who are objiinate and inflexible, [in a good 
 caufe, as they think, in a bad one, as their enemies pre- 
 tend] and then judge, as your own equity Jhall direfl, whether 
 they deferve punifoment and death, or impunity and quiet. But 
 if this refolution and this new decree, not ft to be enabled 
 againjl barbarians and enemies, proceeds not from you, much 
 more may we entreat you that you would not give us up unpro- 
 tected to this public k injury arid popular devajiation. v. E fi- 
 fth. E. H. IV. 26. 
 
 E 3 The 
 
( 54 ) 
 
 4- The Emperors difliked the frequent *af- 
 fcmblzes and clandestine meetings of Chri^- 
 
 ftians 
 
 The place deferves to be produced, were it only to {hew 
 the politeaefs of the old Chriftian Apologift. In the Interr 
 pretation of (piAOi'trOCicti I have followed Valefius, to whom 
 I refer the reader. 
 
 * Ah nullo genere nan a que fumntum fericulum eft, Ji ccetus 
 et concilia, et fecretas confultationcs effe jinas. M. Porcius 
 Cato, apud Li-v. XXXIV. 2. At Crotona, trcccnti ex jti- 
 muiibus cum — feparatam a ceteris civibus ruitettn exercerent, 
 qnaji cast urn clandejii.: t CO rurationis habercni, civitatemin 
 fe convert erunt. Sec. Juitm. XX. 4, 
 
 Maecenas is faid by Dio Co/ftps, LII. p. 561. Ed. Steph. 
 to have given this advice to Augufius ; to uh 6bo:-, Tef/lm 
 <jrxtfa$ d-j\U 7= e'lCx Ketja, r \cL 7rajeia, ^ r * ? AKhm lipav 
 
 KcL(^i s /^W (JLOl'OV 7C0V BitoV ivr/.CL, cUA' oft KCUVetliPCt fcU(J.Q- 
 
 VI A cl^OlZTCl (lV%i9-$igfVTi$ 7T0\K^ CLV CfTT &$*<T IV dhhOTtMO- 
 
 fji&iv' hzk, Tarss x) (fvvunqvhu 3 :t) trvsweic, fflcuejuu vi 
 yiyvovjcu, uiri^ ffc/ra ucia^ict cvuzkoei' Worjhip the 
 deity your felf, by all means, according to the cuflcm of the 
 country, and compel others to do the fame ; and abhor and pu- 
 nifb all thofc "who would make any innovation: in religion, not 
 
 only for the fake of the gods, but became fiich perfons, fuh- 
 
 fiituting ne*iv deities, prevail upon many to ohfer-ve 'foreign 
 laws and institutions ; and hence arife con/piracies, confedera- 
 cies and fraternities, which ore not at all expedient in a mo- 
 ■ by. 
 Pliny tells Trajan that he had forbidden fuch focieties, and 
 
 the Chriftians had obeyed his order quod ipfumfa- 
 
 e peft cdiiium meum, quo, fecundiim rnandaia tua 3 
 
 Magi 
 
( 55 ) 
 
 ftians, as giving an opportunity to cabals 
 and confpiracies. 
 
 ti Chriftians were fometimes perfecuted 
 in a manner which (upon the Pagan fuppo- 
 fition that they offended againft the laws 
 and deferved to die for it) muft be acknow- 
 ledged not to have been the moft violent 
 and bloody ; for it appears evidently in Ec- 
 clefialtical Hiftory, and in the Acts of the 
 
 Magi auclores fuere Trajano ut hasterias, id eft, fodalitates 
 fi-ve collegia omnia, <vetaret, ut <videre eft apud Plinium, ex- 
 ceptis quas religionis nomine, Paganica fcilicet co'ibant, 
 L. I. §. Sed religionis, C. de Collegiis. Cum <vero homines 
 fiaturd ament fodalitates , faclum inde ut nemo effet in Imperio 
 Romano qui non in fodalitatem deorum alicui dicatam nomen 
 daret, &c. Grotius ad Apoc. XIII. 16. See alfo Columbus on 
 the writer de Mortih. Perfcc. c. 34. 
 
 Se-verus gave a refcript ordering information to be made 
 to the Prefect of Rome againft thofe who mould hold unlaw- 
 ful afTemblies ; which probably afFedted the Chriftians, as 
 Baronius obferves 204. $. 12. 
 
 Celfus objects thefe clandeftine meetings to the Chriftians. 
 See Origen contr. Celf. p. 4. 
 
 Tertullian fays very well Apol. 39. Bac coitio Chriftiano- 
 rum merito fane illicita, Ji illicitis par, merito damnanda, fi 
 quis de ed queritur eo titulo quo de faclionibus querela ejl. In 
 cujus perniciem aliquando con<venimus? Hoc fumus congregati, 
 quod et difperji : hoc univerfi, quod et Jtnguli ; neminem laden- 
 tes, neminem contr ijlantes. Cum probi, cum boni co'eunt, cunt 
 fiiy cum cajli cangregantur ; non ejl faftio dianda,fed Curia. 
 
 E 4 Martyrs, 
 
( 56) 
 
 Martyrs, that fometimes * a few perfons 
 only were feized and put to death, to inti~ 
 midate the reft and to give a check to their 
 increafe, and that the Chriftians vifited them 
 in prifon, and attended them, when they 
 buffered, in great numbers. 
 
 Amongst the bad difpofitions which 
 keep men in error and ignorance, there was 
 one which was more eminently peculiar to 
 the Gentiles than to the Jews, namely a 
 great carelefsnefs and indifference about all 
 religion in general. 
 
 Men of rank and fortunes, of wit and a- 
 bilities, are often found even in Chriftian 
 countries to be furprifingly ignorant of reli- 
 gion and of every thing that relates to it. 
 Such were many of the Heathen; their 
 thoughts were all fixed upon other things, 
 upon reputation and vain-glory, upon wealth 
 and power, upon luxury and pleafure, upon 
 bufinefs or learning. They thought, and 
 they had reafon to think, that the religion 
 of their country was fable and forgery, and 
 
 * Arrius Antoninus in Afia cum perfequeretur inftanter, 
 orr.nes illius civitatis Chriftiani ante tribunalia ejus fe manu 
 facia obtukrunt ; cum ille paucis duci julfis, xeliquis ait, 
 
 Vertullian ad Scapulam cap. ult, 
 
 a heap 
 
( 57) 
 
 a heap of inconfiftent lies, which inclined 
 them to fuppofe that other religions were no 
 better, and deferved not to be examined. 
 Hence it came to pafs that even when the 
 Apoftles preached the Gofpel, and wrought 
 miracles in confirmation of a dodlrine every 
 way worthy of God, many Ge?ttiles knew 
 little or nothing of it, and would not take 
 the leaft pains to inform themfelves about 
 it. This appears plainly from ancient hi- 
 ftory. 
 
 About the time of the Apoftles, and a 
 little after, flourifhed * fome learned men 
 in the heathen world whofe works are ftill 
 extant. Thefe men muft have known that 
 there was a religion called the Chriftian re- 
 ligion ; but their filence about it, or the very 
 little that they fay of the Chriftians, or the 
 falfe account which they give of them, af- 
 fords reafon to fufpedt that they never de- 
 fired to be informed concerning Chriftiani- 
 ty, and that they underftood nothing of it. 
 
 We read in the ASts of the Apoftles, that 
 Gallio, when the Jews brought St. Paul be- 
 fore him, would not give them a hearing. 
 
 * See Le Clerc de V Incredulite. Par. I. ch. 5. whence 
 this remark is borrowed. 
 
 He 
 
( 5» ) 
 
 He thought it unreafonable that Paul 
 fhould be punifhed by him becaufe he dif- 
 fered from his countrymen in matters of re- 
 ligion; and he thought right: but whether 
 the doftrine taught by St. Paul were true or 
 falfe, that he never confidered for his own 
 information, and therein he was very care- 
 lefs and negligent. 
 
 When St. Paul pleaded his caufe before 
 Fejlus, his difcourfe was altogether to the 
 purpofe ; but becaufe it turned upon a reli- 
 gious fubje&, it prefently tired the judge ; 
 he would hear no more about it, and he told 
 St. Paul that much ftudy and learning had 
 made him mad. 
 
 When St. Paul preached to the Atheni- 
 am, he gained few profelytes. His auditors 
 were men of learning and underftanding ; 
 but they had more pride than knowledge, 
 and more vanity than good fenfe, and there- 
 fore they left him, and negle&ed the op- 
 portunity of receiving further information 
 and inftruftion. 
 
 Another prejudice which the Gentiles en- 
 tertained againft the Gofpel, arofe from the 
 mean or bad opinion which many of them 
 
 had 
 
( 59 ) 
 
 had of the Jews. For * a confiderable time 
 they made little diftinttion between Jews 
 and Cbrijiians, accounting Chriftianity to be 
 only a particular fort of Judaifm. 
 
 The Gentiles -f- called the Chriftians athe- 
 ifts, becaufe they taught that the Gods of 
 the nations were either nothing at all, or 
 dead men, or Daemons, becaufe they wor- 
 fhipped a fpiritual Deity in a fpiritual man- 
 ner, and had no temples and no images. 
 
 When the Gofpel began to fpread in the 
 world, the tares, as Chrift foretold, fprang 
 up along with the good feed, feveral here- 
 
 * When therefore Ner-va forbad to accufe any perfon of 
 Judaifm, it is probable that Chriftians came in for a fhare of 
 the benefit. Dio LXVIII. p. 769. Fabric. Luc. E<vang. 
 p. 222. The Chriftian religion in its beginning was perfe- 
 cted more by the Jews than by the Romans. The Romans 
 had granted the Jews liberty of confcience, and of obfer- 
 ving their own laws, not only in Jud<sa, but in other Coun- 
 tries where they were fettled, as appears in many places of 
 Jofephus, as Ant. XVI. 10. XIV. 7. and in Philo. Indeed 
 in the time of Ti-berius, laws were made and executed to 
 check Jewijh and JEgyptian fuperftitions. Tacitus Ann. 
 II. 85. Suetonius Tiber. 36. Seneca Epift. 108. Jofephus 
 Ant. XVIII. 4. The Jews, probably, fuffered little from 
 thefe Edicls, and infinuated themfelves again into the Empe- 
 ror's favour. The like may be faid of the Edicl of Claudius, 
 mentioned Ads xviii. 2. See Grotius on Rom. xvi. 3. 18. 
 and Pre/, to Galat. and Whitby on Galat. vi. 12. 
 f Juftin M. and other Apologifts. 
 
 tics 
 
(6o) 
 
 tics arofe, who both taught falfe and wicked 
 doftrines, and led very vitious lives. The 
 ancient * Christians complain frequently that 
 
 the 
 
 * Juflin. M. See Tillemont, Carpocratiens, Hift 
 Eccl. Tom. II. Irenjeus I. 24. Edit. Oxon. obferves that 
 the Carpocratians brought difgrace on the Chriflian name by 
 pretending to affume it, though they had nothing common 
 with Chriftians either in opinions, or in morals, or in way 
 of life ; and then adds thefe words : Sed <vitam quidem luxu- 
 riofam, fententiam aiitem impiam ad velamen malitiee ipforum 
 nomine ahntwniur. 
 
 The paflbge is corrupted. Grabe gives it up, as a .place 
 which he could not correct, and two emendations of it are 
 propofed, one by Maffuet, the editor of ' Irenaus, the other 
 by he Clercy Bibl. Choi/., xxv. 237, which I mall not 
 tranfcribe, becaufe I think that they give us the fenfe in- 
 deed, but not the words. The likelier! way to difcover 
 where the fault lies, is, from this old Latin verfion to guefs 
 at the Greek, which feems to have been thus ; 'AhKa tIv 
 pih Ciov affvlot, rh <Pi yvafMV a<rzC£{, vys (or gfe) \nrtv.k- 
 Av//ft* tm y.etitieti dvjZv, ovoy.etjt k&t ct^fcovTcu. That is, 
 literally ; fed <vitam quidem luxuriofi, fententiam autem impii, 
 ed *velamen malitits ipforum, nomine abutuntur. But they y 
 luxurious in their lives, and impious in their doflrines, make a 
 bad ufe of the name [of Chriftians] for a cloke of their 
 nvickednefs. 
 
 Irenaus alludes to Pet. I. II. 16. yu els iTDtahuyua, 
 %yj>v\u iw Kd.x.ia,$ rhv sAsu9seietr 
 
 Somebody who thought that the fubftantives and adjec- 
 tives ought to have agreed, changed luxuriofi and impii into 
 luxuriofam and impiam. 
 
 So II. 37. ' enunci are profunda et incredihilia myfteria 
 
 prurientibus aures. Irenaus wrote, MvQo(j.ivoif 7tw duofo, 
 
 from 
 
( 61 ) 
 
 the Gentiles would not * diftinguifh between 
 the heretics and the true difciples of Chrift, 
 and that they laid the crimes of thefe falfe 
 
 brethren 
 
 from Tim. II, IV. 3. as others have obferved. Prurientibus 
 aures is the fame conltru&ion as <vitam luxuriofi, which 
 greatly confirms my conjecture. 
 
 The old tranflation which we have of Irenaus is clofe and 
 impolite, and for that reafon may often difcover to us tkc 
 original ; as might eafily be (hewed in a multitude of places. 
 * Hence we may fee why St Paul fays to Titus ; A man 
 that is an heretic ', after the jirfl and fecond admonition rejefi ; 
 knowing that he that is Juch is fubverted, and finneth > being 
 condemned of him/elf. For by the account which ancient 
 Christians have given us of ancient heretics, we find that 
 they were turbulent factious men, who wanted to make 
 themfeves heads of parties, or to fow diflention amongft 
 Chriilians, that in effect they denied the authority of Mofes, 
 of the prophets, and of the Apoftles, and that they blaf- 
 phemed the Creator of the world, that their morals were as 
 bad as their belief, and that they furpaffed the Pagans in 
 wickednek. Such men could feign themfelves ChrifHans 
 only for bad purpofes, and it was fit that they mould be re- 
 jected from Chriftian focieties, efpecially after they had been 
 admonifhed once and again. Self-condemned they were, ei- 
 ther, firil, becaufe they muft have known in their own 
 hearts that they had not the fame belief with thofe to whom 
 they had joined themfelves; or, fecondly, becaufe perhaps, 
 when they had been formerly admonifhed, * they had owned 
 themfelves inexcufable, and had promifed a better behavi- 
 our. Thus the heretic Cerdo acknowledged his fault once 
 and again, and was pardoned and received, till at lafl for 
 repeated offences he either was abiblutely rejected by the 
 Church, or left it of his own accord. See En/thins Eccl. H. 
 
 IV. n. 
 
( 62 ) 
 
 brethren to the charge of Chriftianity, That 
 the lingular innocence and piety of the 
 Chriftians did not fecure them from malici- 
 ous and falfe accufations, appears by the firft 
 Epiftle of St. Peter, in which he obferves, 
 that the Gentiles fpake againft them as * evil 
 doers. 
 
 IV. ii. and Valejtus there, and Tillemont. H. E. Tom. IL 
 Marcionites. Art. 6. 
 
 If Tertullian be not miftaken, Marcion and Valentinus 
 were excommunicated twice at leaft, femel et iterum, and 
 Marcion repented at laft, and would have been received into 
 the Church, but morte prarventus eft. Tertullian de Pra- 
 fcript. See Tillemont, Marcionites, and Bayle's Diet, under 
 that word. See alfo Tillemont, E.H. Tom. IV. Sabelliens. 
 
 There feems to be no fmall difference between the here- 
 tics of whom St. Paul fpeaks, and thofe who, though they 
 fall into errors, yet defire to know and to believe whatfoever 
 Chrift and his Apoftles have taught, and to do what they 
 require, and often are not feduced from the right way by 
 any apparent motives of vice or intereft. 
 
 The Manichaans were far enough from being heretics of 
 the better fort. You may fee an account of them in TiUe- 
 mont H. E. Tom. IV. and the recantation of a Manich&an, 
 before he could be admitted into the Church, in Cotelerius 
 Patr. Apoft. Vol. I. p. 543. Ed. Ckr. Yet Auguftin, ad. 
 drefTmg himfelf to them, treats them with great lenity and 
 companion, contr. Ep. Manich. cap. 1 1 . Tom. VIII. Ed. 
 Ben. col. 151. He had been one of them himfelf, and 
 knew how hard it was to fhake off inveterate errors and pre- 
 judices: 
 
 Non ignara m&U miferis fuccurrere difco. 
 * See Whitby on Cor. i. v. 1. 
 
 Becaufe 
 
(6 3 ) 
 
 Becaufe the Chriftians aflembled together 
 frequently, and that fecretly and in the 
 night, in time of perfecution, the Paga?is 
 took occafion to forge a * bafe calumny, and 
 to affirm that they met in that manner to 
 commit the moft execrable crimes. This 
 ftory, though no proof of it was ever pro- 
 duced, found credit amongft fome, which 
 indeed is the lefs wonderful, becaufe wicked 
 -f men are ufually inclined to think others 
 as bad as themfelves, and the Ge?ttiles knew 
 very well that in fome of their own religious 
 affemblies held in the night-time all works 
 of darknefs had been committed. 
 
 But the blamelefs lives, and the fhining 
 virtues, and the patient fufferings of the 
 Chriftians diffipated by degrees thefe idle re- 
 ports, and thofe Jews and Gentiles who had 
 any candour and ingenuity, thought them 
 to be % fpightful and ridiculous. 
 
 * Juftin & the Apologifts. See Mimic. Tel ix. & Dcwies. 
 
 f Ex nonnidlis comperi, perfuafijpmum habuijje eum (Nero- 
 nem) neminem hcminem -pudicum, aui ulld corporis parte purum 
 ejfe : <verum plerofque dijjlmulare cvitium, et calliditate obte- 
 gere. Sueton. Neron. 29. 
 
 % See Juftin. Dial. p. 155. 
 
 The 
 
(6 4 ) 
 
 The * novelty of the Chriftian religion, 
 and the antiquity of Paganifm was another 
 prejudice of the Gentiles. Where was your 
 religion a few years ago ? faid the Romans. 
 We follow our anceftors, as they, with 
 good fuccefs, followed theirs. We have 
 experienced the profitablenefs of our facred 
 rites and ceremonies ; the Gods whom we 
 ferve have protected and rewarded us, and 
 railed our nation from fmall beginnings to a 
 ftate of great wealth and power. . This loofe 
 and popular argument they urged very 
 gravely, as if it had been a fufficient defence 
 of their foolifh fuperftitions. 
 
 The plainnefs of the Gofpel, and the 
 artlefs fimplicity with which the Apoftles 
 and firft teachers of it difcourfed, was mat- 
 ter of offence to the Gentiles, and truth ap- 
 peared foolifhnefs to them, becaufe it was 
 unadorned. They required a better choice 
 of words, a more elegant manner of expref- 
 fion, more vivacity and fancy, more method 
 
 * In oppofition to this, Eufebius undertakes to prove that 
 Chriftianity, in a certain fenfe, is as old as mankind. E. H. 
 J. 4. The Emperor Conflantine fays the fame, which per- 
 haps he had learned from Eufebius. See Eu/eb. vit. Con- 
 ftant. II. 57, Juftin M. had laid the feme, A$qL I. 69. 
 
 and 
 
( 65 ) 
 
 3nd regularity, and more of the art of rea~ 
 ibning. Philofophy and oratory, of which 
 they were fo fond, had fpoiled them, Phi- 
 lofophy made them vain and conceited, and 
 taught them to defend filly notions with 
 captious and deceitful reafonings - y and what 
 was called eloquence at * that time, though 
 much ftudied and efteemed, had degenera- 
 ted, a bad tafte beginning to prevail, which 
 made them defpife the unaffected ftyle of the 
 New Teftament, 
 
 They complained of the Gofpel, that -f it 
 treated men like children, and required an 
 unreafonable condefcenfion and fubmiffion 
 from them, commanding them to believe 
 every thing without examination. and upon 
 the bare authority of "Chrift and his Apoftles, 
 and not proving its affertions by an argumen- 
 tative method. 
 
 The truths relating to faith and practice^ 
 propounded to us in the Gofpel, are indeed 
 
 * The time of Nero. 
 
 t Origen contra Celf. I., p. 8. et VJ. Credo quia impof- 
 ftbile eft, is often mentioned as a felly of zeal in fome old 
 Chriftian writer. Take it as it ftands in Terhdlian % Cruci* 
 Jixus eft Dei Filius : Non pudet, quia -pudendum eft. Et mar- 
 i uus eft Dei Filius : prorfus credibile eft, quia ineptum eft. Et 
 fepultus refurrexh : cerium eft, quia impoftibile eft, De Came 
 Chrifti. 
 
 F ufually 
 
( 66 ) 
 
 ufually affirmed, and not proved according 
 to the rules of reafoning. But every ftudi- 
 ous perfon knows that argumentative proofs 
 of thefe things are fometimes intricate, ob- 
 fcure, and above the reach of the bulk of 
 mankind, and that * they may be oppofed 
 by ingenious men with fubtle objections 
 which may perplex a perfon of an ordinary 
 capacity. Therefore we may fuppofe that 
 one fentfrom God to reform and inftrud the 
 world will have recourfe to fome plain and 
 fatisfadtory way of eftablifhing his authority, 
 which muft be by working miracles, or by 
 fulfilling ancient prophecies, or by foretell- 
 ing future events, and that when he has thus 
 prepared men to obey him and truft in him, 
 he will command as a Law-giver, rather 
 than reafon as a philofopher. 
 
 The end of religious teaching is to make 
 men wife to falvation, and if nothing be 
 wanting to accomplish this end, there is 
 no reafon to complain that the -j- ftyle is 
 
 * Argument a a Pbilofophis producuntur fpeciofa in utram- 
 que partem ; nee omnium eft de eorum <vi dijudicare. Grot, ad 
 Hebr. XL 3. 
 
 \ See Le Clerc on Cvr. 2 xi. 6. and Hammond and L« 
 Clerc on Galat, xi. 6. 
 
 rude 
 
( 67 ) 
 
 rude and homely, or that the common ways 
 of arguing are not obferved. He who un- 
 dertakes to inftrudt others, and has no au- 
 thority befides that which he can obtain by 
 raifing in them a good opinion of his wif- 
 dom and abilities, fhould omit none of thofe 
 arts of perfuafion which ingenious and learn- 
 ed men have cultivated, that he may fet 
 truth in the faireft light : but he who comes 
 from God, and to whom God bears tefti- 
 mony, has no occafion for thefe methods of 
 gaining credit. He ought to be heard with 
 reverence and fubmiffion, though as St. Paul 
 fays, his bodily prefence be weak, and his 
 fpeech contemptible. His very imperfecti- 
 ons are in one refpecft a recommendation to 
 him, as they tend to prove that his docftrines 
 are not of his own invention. 
 
 Befides, the fimplicity of the Gofpel fuits 
 with the fubjedt, which is for the moft part 
 either an hiftorical narration, or a colle&ion 
 of precepts. Even in * human lawsftudied 
 
 eloquence 
 
 * Qua quidem tradita funt breviter, ac nude ; nee enim de- 
 cebat aliter : ut cum Deus ad ho?ninem /oqueretur, argumentis 
 ajfereret fuas 'voces, tanquam Jides ei non haheretur : Sed, ut 
 oportuit, eft locutus y quafi rerum omnium maximus judex ; cu~ 
 
 F 2 j** 
 
(68 ) 
 
 eloquence is out of place. When God 
 fpeaks and commands, perfpicuity and bre- 
 vity are the moft proper ornaments. 
 
 Yet we need not acknowledge that the 
 Scriptures are void of thofe graces which are 
 efteemed in human compofitions *. There 
 is in them beauty and fublimity where the 
 fubjed: requires or admits it; though it 
 feems often rather owing to the things of 
 which they treat, than to the choice and 
 difpofition of words. 
 
 When the Chriftians appealed to the mi- 
 racles by which the Gofpel was fupported, 
 
 jus efi non argumentari, fed pronunciare verum* La&an- 
 tius III. i . 
 
 Simplex et nuda Veritas efi luculentior, quia fatzs ornata 
 per fe efi : adeoque ornamentis extrinfecus additis fucata cor- 
 rumpitur : mendacium verb fpecie placet aliend. Idem. 
 
 Non probo, quod Platonis legibns adjecla principia funt. 
 Legem eni?n hrevem effe opertet, quo facilius ab imperitis tenc- 
 atur, velut emiffa divinitus <vox fit. Jubeat, non dijputet. 
 Nihil vidclicr mihi frigidius, nihil inept ius quam lex cum pro- 
 lovo, Mone y die quid me velis feciffe : non difco, fed parea- 
 Seneca Epift. 94- 
 
 y& coprrif vnv^yiv Breves autem et compendiofi fuere 
 
 [Q\ix\^\\ fermonesy non enim fophifia erat — Juftin M. Apol. I. 
 * Grotius fays that St. Paul in his Epiftle to the Ephe- 
 fiansy rerum fublimitatem adaquat verbis fublimioribus quam. 
 ulla unquam habuit lingua humana. 
 
 the 
 
(6 9 ) 
 
 the Gentiles replied that thofe miracles were 
 wrought by * magic. 
 
 This f was certainly a foolifh prejudice 
 and a weak objection. If the Gentiles meant 
 that the miracles were not real, but only il- 
 lusions and falfe appearances, this was con- 
 futed by the teftimony of thoufands who had 
 feen thofe wonderful works, and by the na- 
 ture of many of thofe works, which was 
 fuch that there could be no deceit in them. 
 Or if they meant that there were certain 
 wicked arts and charms by which bad men 
 could compel the Gods to obey them and to 
 affift them in performing fupernatural things, 
 this is a notion J which was only fit for po- 
 etry. Or laftly, if they meant that the mi- 
 racles were wrought by the interpolation of 
 inferior or evil powers, and not by the af- 
 fiflance of the fupreme God, the anfwer to 
 their objection is this: The Chriftian reli- 
 gion is founded upon natural religion, and 
 
 * Celfus, in Origen, p. 7. and many others. 
 
 4 Many Pagans were of opinion that the boafted arts of 
 Magic were folly and deceit. See Plin. XXX. 2. Sueton. 
 Nero. 51. 
 
 % See Broukhus. onTibull. I. II. 43. and Grotius de 
 fer. R. C IV. 8. 
 
 F 3 fup« 
 
( ?o ) 
 
 fuppofes that there is a God, and that he is 
 moft wife, moft powerful, and * moft. good, 
 Chrift and the Apoftles appealed to the God 
 
 and 
 
 * All religion,, natural or revealed, and all our better 
 hopes are founded upon the fuppofition that God is good ; 
 and as this is of all truths the moft important, fo there are 
 many clear and ftrong proofs of it. I Ihall only mention one 
 or two. 
 
 i . To fuppofe that God is not good, is to fuppofe him 
 weaker, and more imperfect, and worfe than the worft of 
 liis creatures. 
 
 In men, every evil a&ion may be afcribed to the tempta- 
 tion of prefent profit or pleafure, to a power which the mind 
 has of fixing its thoughts entirely upon the object which it 
 defires, and of overlooking the ill confequences arifing from 
 it, and in fome meafure to error and miftake. Thus en- 
 ticed and deluded a finner acts, never chufing evil for its own 
 fake. But God, if he were an evil being, would be difpo- 
 fed to evil neither by miftake, nor temptation, nor paflion, 
 nor advantage, and would chufe evil purely as evil. 
 
 2. It is the obfervation of a celebrated philofopher, that 
 TaV ii otx.£ov i$yov dyetTA uctWov n dycLirmBetvi av vto 
 tx ipyz, i^vx^y^ ^^* & c « Arlfiot.Eth'c, Nicom. IX, that 
 the Artift loves the work of his hands better than his work 
 would love him, if it were endued with fenfe and reafon ; 
 and that the perfon who confers a great benefit upon ano- 
 ther, loves him whom he obliges better than the obliged 
 perfon loves him. To which we may add that parents ge- 
 nerally love their children more than they are beloved by 
 them. And yet in all thefe inftances, gratitude, one would 
 think, mould make the love of the inferior to be the 
 ftrongeft ; but experience fhews that it has not this effect. 
 Thefe obfervations may be reduced to a general truth, that 
 
 love 
 
( 7* ) 
 and Father of the univerfe, to the firft Caufe 
 of all things, they declared themfelves to be 
 his minifters, appointed by him to reform 
 mankind, they declared that all other reli- 
 gions were falfe, and that all the Gods of 
 the Gentiles were no gods, they declared 
 that they were fent to extirpate idolatry, 
 and to overturn the dominion of evil fpirits; 
 and in atteftation to this they wrought mira- 
 cles. Here was a folemn appeal to the Al- 
 mighty, and a public challenge to all other 
 deities, and to evil Daemons; it is not there- 
 fore * reafonable to fuppofe either that God 
 would permit* men to abufe his name and 
 authority for bad purpofes and give fuch 
 power to impoftors, or that the Gods of the 
 Gentiles and evil fpirits would not exert their 
 utmoft power againft their profefTed and 
 open enemies, and hinder them from work- 
 ing miracles, if they were able -j-. 
 
 The 
 
 love defcends more than it afcends ; and we may be per- 
 mitted, I think, to apply this to God and our felves, and to 
 fay that our great and good Creator and Benefactor loves us 
 far better than the molt dutiful of us love him, 
 
 * This will likewife anfvver the obje&ion of the Jews, 
 that Chrift wrought miracles by the afliftance of the Devil. 
 
 •f- It has been objected to miracles in general, that God, 
 
 who is moil wife and unchangeable, cannot alter that 
 
 F 4 courfe 
 
( **■) 
 
 The Chriftian religion required an opea 
 profeffion before men, which feemed alio 
 
 unrea- 
 
 courfe of nature which with perfect wifdom he has efta- 
 
 bliflied. 
 
 i . It would be proper to know what notions the objectors 
 have of the Deity. If by the word God they mean the god 
 of "Strato or of Spinoza, 'tis very true that fuch a God can- 
 rot alter any thing. 
 
 2. When a miracle is wrought, the courfe of nature is 
 altered, but the will and purpofe of God is not altered, who 
 could not eftablilh a courfe which he fhould not be able to 
 change, and who, when he eftablifhed it, knew what 
 changes he would at certain times make in it. 
 
 Though miracles feem to be the beft credentials which a 
 perfon can produce, it is poflible that by being frequently re* 
 peated they may lofe fome of their effect on feme tempers, 
 and make a fainter imprefTion upon them. May we fuppofe 
 this to have been the cafe of fome carfclefs and negligent 
 men who faw the miracles of Chrift and of his Apoftles ? 
 
 Chrift often appeals to his miracles as to a 'direct and fuf- 
 ficient proof of his authority ; and his Apoftles fpeak the 
 fame language. The Pagans, when they were afterward s 
 prefs'd with this argument, to elude the force of it, ufed to 
 fay that Chrift and his difciples wrought miracles by magic 
 art. Some of the Fathers, as Juftin Apol. I. p. 48.. and 
 Iren&us II. 57. thought that the beft way of removing this 
 objection was to appeal to the prophefies, and to fay, that 
 fince the miracles of Chrift had been foretold, they muft 
 been true miracles, performed by the divine amftance, 
 and not illufions or tricks of magic. Others, as Tertullian, 
 in a certain place, and La&antius V. 3. went fo far as to 
 own that the miracles of Chrift would not have been proved' 
 to be true miracles, nor diftinguifhed from magical ope- 
 
 , unlefs they had been foretold by the prophets. 
 * ArnobiuSi 
 
( 73 ) 
 
 unreafonable to the learned Pagans, who, 
 as we obferved before, were generally of 
 
 opinion 
 
 Armlius, in his firlt Book, has reafoned better on this 
 fubjeft, though reafoning was not his talent, and his judg- 
 ment was not equal to his learning and vivacity. Origen 
 prudently infills upon miracles as proving the truth of Chri- 
 flianity no fefs than prophecy. Contra Celf. p. 5. 
 
 The Gentiles alfo oppofed miracles to miracles, and the 
 Fathers would not undertake to affirm that fuch a thing 
 could not poffibly be. When the Pagans faid that fome by 
 imploring the aid of their Gods had been cured of difeafes, 
 the Chriitians replied that it might be true, for that their 
 Gods were Devils, who, irrepentes corporibus occu/te, ut 
 fpiritus tenues y morbos fingunt , itrrent mentes, membra diftor- 
 quent, ut ad cultumfui cogant, ut nidore altarium <vel boftiis 
 pecudum faginati, remijjis, qu& conjirinxerant, curajfe vide- 
 antur. Minucius Feli$. p. 137. 
 
 The miracles afcrifed^ to Chrift and his ApofHes recom- 
 mend themfelves to our belief on the following accounts. 
 
 They were wrought by perfons who folemnly appealed to 
 God, and who declared that they would perform 
 them. 
 They were wrought in a public manner. 
 Before enemies and unbelievers. 
 In a learned age and civilized countries. 
 Not with any air of pride, vanity, and oftentation. 
 Not for the fake of lucre, or for worldly advantage. 
 In confirmation of precepts and doctrines good and ufeful 
 to mankind. 
 
 At a time when men wanted neither power nor inclina- 
 tion to expofe them if they were impoftures, and were in 
 no danger of being called Atheifts and Heretics, and of 
 being infulted by the populace, and perfecuted by the civil 
 Magiftrate for ridiculing them. 
 
 They 
 
( 74) 
 
 opinion that if a man led a virtuous life, it 
 mattered not much what religion he pro- 
 fefTed, that the fupreme Being chofe to be 
 worfhipped in various ways, according to 
 the various notions which different people 
 entertained of him, and that every orie was 
 obliged for the fake of public peace to 
 conform to the religion eftablifhed in his 
 country. 
 
 I mall not treat this opinion with con- 
 tempt : it is perhaps the moft * fpecious 
 thing that the Gentiles had to fay for them- 
 
 felves. 
 
 They were various and numerous. 
 
 Of a permanent nature, and might be reviewed and re- 
 examined. 
 
 Had nothing fantaftical and cruel in them, but were ads 
 of kindnefs and beneficence. 
 
 They had ceafed for a long time before Chrift appeared, 
 and therefore would raife the attention of men. 
 
 They converted multitudes to the faith. 
 
 Were attefted by proper witneffes. 
 
 Foretold by the prophets, and fuch as the Jews expected 
 from the Meflias. See Grot, de Ver. R. C. IV. 17. 
 
 Acknowledged by adverfaries. See Grot, de Ver. II. 5* 
 III. 7. and Le C/erc's notes, III. 14. Cudnvorth Intell- 
 Sytt. p. 271. Huet. Dem. Ev. Prop. III. 6, 8. Bayle 
 Diet. Hierocles. Bifhop Chandler Def. of Chriilian. p. 429. 
 
 * Marcilius Ficinus, in Ms Treatife of the Chriftian Reli- 
 gion, has in fome meafure adopted the fentiment. He con- 
 tends, ch. 4. that all religions, how differing foever, are fo 
 
 far 
 
( 75 ) 
 
 felves. Let it be granted that a Tagan was 
 not obliged to enquire diligently after all the 
 religious notions and the various modes of 
 worfhip which obtained up and down in the 
 habitable world, nor to fpend his time in 
 examining what the philofophers had to 
 urge for their feveral tenets, that it was 
 enough for him to practife thofe virtues 
 which had the general approbation, and to 
 honour the Deity, more patriot if we fhould 
 make even thefe large conceffions, yet when 
 a Religion, fair and amiable, juft and holy, 
 and attefted by miracles, condefcended to 
 vifit him and to come to feek him ; to re- 
 fufe her a hearing and to reject her with 
 fcorn was an immoral behaviour, fhewed a 
 contempt of truth and of the Deity, and 
 was a fcandalous indolence in a man, who 
 probably would not have refufed toil of bo- 
 dy and attention of mind, if pleafure, or 
 profit, or praife had called him to it. 
 
 To profefs doctrines which we believe to 
 be falfe, for worldly advantage, for the fake 
 of quiet, for political reafons, and out of 
 
 far good as they teach men to honour the Deity ; and he 
 adds, for fit an et <varietas hujufmodi, or din an te Deo, decor em 
 quendam parit in uni^verfo mirabiiem. 
 
 fubmiffion 
 
(76 ) 
 
 fubmiffion to the civil Magiftrate, is a vitious 
 excefs which nothing can juftify. Not to 
 be content with the liberty of following our 
 own fentiments, but rudely to attack what 
 is accounted true and facred in the nation 
 where we live, is an extreme on the other 
 fide. The dictates of prudence and of good 
 manners, and the reverence due to civil fo- 
 ciety, are things which ought to be careful- 
 ly confidered by thofe whofe inquiries have 
 laid them afide from the religious opinions 
 commonly received. 
 
 Laftly, the Gentiles difliked Chriftianity, 
 becaufe it was, in their way of thinking, an 
 unfociable and domineering religion*, which 
 rejected all Gods, except one, and con- 
 demned all other religions as impious and 
 deteftable. 
 
 Such were the prejudices of the Jews 
 and Gentiles, which made fo many of them 
 unwilling and unfit to receive the Chrifrian 
 religion. But there is reafon to think that 
 
 * When Dionyjius Alex, was brought before JEmilian, 
 and exhorted by him to adore the Gods, he replied, that 
 Chriftians vvorfhipped one God, maker of all things. Why, 
 fo you may, faid uEmilian, you may worfhip your own 
 God as much as you will, if you will but worfhip our Gods 
 alfo. Eufcb. E.H. VII. n. 
 
 the 
 
( 77 ) 
 
 the number of unbelievers, amongft thofc 
 to whom the Gofpel was firft preached, was 
 not altogether fo great, as is commonly ima- 
 gined *. Befides thofe who profeffed Chri- 
 ftianity, and thofe who rejected and oppo- 
 fed it, there were in all probability multi- 
 tudes between both, neither perfedt Chrifti- 
 ans, nor yet unbelievers ; they had a favou- 
 rable opinion of the Gofpel, but worldly 
 confiderations made them unwillinp* to own 
 it. There were many circumftances which 
 inclined them to think that Christianity was 
 a divine revelation, but there were many 
 inconveniences which attended the open 
 profeffion of it -, and they could not find in 
 themfelves courage enough to bear them, to 
 difoblige their friends and family, to ruin 
 their fortunes, to lofe their reputation, their 
 liberty, and their life, for the fake of this 
 new religion. Therefore they were willing 
 to hope that if they endeavoured to obferve 
 the great precepts of morality, which Chrift 
 had reprefented as the principal part, the 
 fum and fubftance of religion, if they 
 
 * See Epiphanius Uteres. 30. c. 9. p. 133. ani Petav. 
 Not. p. 58. where fome ftrange things are related, the 
 truth of which I would neither affirm nor deny. 
 
 thought 
 
( 7§ ) 
 
 thought honourably of the Gofpel, if they 
 never fpake againft it, if they offered no in- 
 jury to the Chriftians, if they did them all 
 the fervices that they could fafely perform, 
 they were willing to hope that God would 
 accept this, and that he would excufe and 
 forgive the reft. 
 
 The account which we have of thofe 
 times is very fhort ; but enough is faid in 
 the New Teftament to fhew that this fup- 
 pofition is not groundlefs, and that many 
 thought and acted in this manner ; for we 
 are there told that feveral believed in Chrift, 
 but durft not own it, fome becaufe they 
 loved the praife of men, others becaufe they 
 feared the Jews> becaufe they would not be 
 put out of the fynagogue, others becaufe 
 they would not part with their poffeflions. 
 Jofeph of Arimathea is faid to have been fe- 
 cretly his difciple *, Nicodemus feems to 
 have had the fame difpofition ; and after- 
 wards Gamaliel, and other Pharifees who 
 oppofed the perfecution and the punifhment 
 of the Apoflles, were probably not a little 
 
 * Tillemont, Hiji. Eccl. Tom. II. has collected many 
 things concerning Nicodemus and Gamaliel, principally from 
 Lucian de In^ventiom S. Stepbam. 
 
 inclined 
 
( 79 ) 
 
 inclined to Chriftianity. Thus it was then, 
 and thus it has been ever fince. Truth has 
 had concealed and timorous friends, who 
 keeping their fentiments to themfelves, or 
 difclofing them only to a few, complied 
 with eftablifhed errors and fuperftitions, 
 which they difliked and defpifed. They 
 who are at all acquainted with hiftory know 
 that a * great number of fuch examples 
 might be produced. 
 
 The oppofition which the Gofpel expe- 
 rienced from the Jews and Gentiles arofe 
 principally from their vices. To this caufe 
 the fcriptures afcribe their unbelief, and ob- 
 ferve that truth is hidden from thofe who 
 love darknefs rather than light, whofe deeds 
 are evil, who hate to be reformed, whofe 
 minds are carnal and cannot be fubjedt to 
 the law of God, and who have pleafure in 
 unrighteoufnefs. Of fuch perfons it is faid, 
 that none of them fliall underftand. 
 
 * Erafmus Ipift. 583. fays, Quid ego potuijjem opitulari 
 Lutbero, ft me periculi comitemfecijjem, niji ut pro uno pcrirent 
 duo ? - Multa quidcm pr declare et docuit et manuit, atque 
 
 utinam fua bona malis intoleralilibus non <viticjfet ! Quod ft 
 omnia pie fcripjtffet, non tamen erat animus ob weritatem ca- 
 pite peri cli tart. Non omnes admartyrium fat is habent robcris. 
 V ere or neji quid in cider it tumultm, Pet rum Jim tmitaturus. 
 
 a Virtue 
 
(8o) 
 
 Virtue and goodnefs are the health of the 
 foul, and vice is a difeafe in it. A fickly 
 and infirm body cannot undergo hard toil, 
 nor can a mind vexed and difcompofed with 
 irregular appetites attend to the fearch after 
 truth, wanting that evennefs of temper and 
 that vigour which are neceffary in fuch en- 
 quiries. 
 
 The entire oppofition between the prin- 
 ciples of religion and the inclinations of a 
 vitious mind, makes a bad man an improper 
 judge of morality. 
 
 A man feldom judges right in a caufe be- 
 tween himfelf and his enemy; prejudice and 
 paffion incline him to give an unfair fen- 
 tence. In fuch a fituation is the finner when 
 he fits down to examine the truth of reli- 
 gion; for if religion be indeed what it is 
 commonly fuppofed to be, he is a rebel to 
 God and to reafon, a mere fool, and yet not 
 excufable upon that account, becaufe his 
 folly is not a natural, but an acquired infir- 
 mity. And what can fuch a one do? He 
 muft hate the glafs that fets his deformity 
 before him, he muft turn away his eyes and 
 his thoughts from divine truths, and con- 
 found the differences between right and 
 
 wrong, 
 
pi ) 
 
 wrong, that he may find fome plea for his 
 conduct. 
 
 Since God is the Father of all* fince his 
 mercy is over all his works, fince he puts it 
 in the power of every perfon to perform all 
 that he requires from Him, and fince men 
 are expofed to many temptations, it is rea* 
 fonable to think that from this fupreme Be- 
 ing, from this eternal fountain of truth and 
 of all good gifts there iffues a light which 
 lighteth every one that cometh into the 
 world, and that whofoever hath a love of 
 things good and praife-worthy, and a defire 
 of afting a virtuous and rational part in his 
 ftation; has alfo a blefiing from God, and a 
 fecret influence upon his heart and under- 
 ftanding to guide and improve him. 
 
 This blefiing, as it is given to the good, 
 fo it is witholden from the wicked. The 
 mind that delights in unrighteoufnefs and 
 prefers it to the divine favour, is left to itfelf, 
 to its injudicious choice, and to the fatal 
 confequences of that choice. God with- 
 draws himfelf from it, and all is darknefs 
 and diforder, 
 
 G II. tte 
 
( 32 ) 
 
 IL 
 
 *The propagation of the GofpeL 
 
 TH E fwift and fuceefsful progrefs of 
 the Gpfpel, which preached by a 
 few inconfiderable perfons overcame a violent 
 opposition, and in a fhort time fpread itfelf 
 through the world, is commonly and juftly 
 fuppofed to afford convincing proofs of the 
 truth of the Chriftian religion 5 and on that 
 account deferves to be ferioufly and carefully 
 examined. 
 
 1. The converfion of the Gentiles is a 
 proof of the truth of our religion, if it be 
 considered as the completion of feveral pro- 
 phefies. 
 
 There are paflages in the Old Teftament 
 applied by Chriftians to our Lord and to his 
 religion, which muft be ■ confefled to have 
 in them fome obicurity, and to be attended 
 with fome difficulty ; but there are others 
 clear and exprefs : and of this kind are the 
 
 predictions * 
 
( §3 ) 
 
 predictions % concerning the calling of die 
 Gentiles. 
 
 There are *j- many places .in the Old Te- 
 itament which declare that in due time there 
 Should be a coiiverfion of the Pagan world, 
 all nations fliould turn to the Lord, and 
 worfhip him, and his narrie'fhould be great 
 amongft the Gentiles^ that true, religion 
 taught at Jerufalem fhould prevail over ido- 
 latry, that God fhould fend forth his Law 
 thence, and rule over the converted nations, 
 guiding and inftrucHng them by his holy 
 word, (hewing them their former errors, 
 and teaching them to lead a new life, and 
 that they who fhould fubmit to thefe divine 
 precepts, fhould alfo lay afide their mutual 
 animofities,' J their hatred and malice, and 
 
 * It may be objected ; if the calling of the Gentiles was 
 fo clearly foretold, how could it be laid in the New Tefta- 
 ment to have been a myftery, a myftery to men and 
 Angels ? 
 
 That multitudes of Gentile; fhould one day forfake Idola- 
 try, and be concerted to the worihip of God, this could 
 fcarce be unknown, after the prophets had laid lb much 
 rbout it ; but that the Gentries fhould become God's people 
 without being made profeiy tes to Judai/m, and that the ce- 
 remonial law fuould be antiquated, this was not {o clearly 
 declared as to be underflood before the event explained it. 
 
 f They are collected in Fabric. Luc, Evang. p. 7. or 
 Hiifh Bern Ev, Prop. IX, cap. 148. 
 
 G 2 fhould 
 
( 8 4 ) 
 
 fhould be remarkable for charity and uni- 
 verfal love. 
 
 Thus fpeak the prophets concerning this 
 great and happy change, and from the man- 
 ner in which they fpeak we may obferve 
 that this reformation of the Gentiles fhould 
 extend itfelf very far, that many nations 
 were to leave their idolatrous rites, and to 
 ferve the true God ; for nothing lefs can 
 well be underftood by thefe expreffions - y All 
 the ends of the earth, and, the Gentiles from 
 the rifing of the fun to his going down. 
 
 We may obferve that therefore thefe pro- 
 phecies cannot be fuppofed to have been 
 fulfilled before the preaching of the GofpeL 
 Many Gentiles from time to time became 
 profelytes to the JewiJJo Religion, but the 
 number of thole profelytes was not conside- 
 rable enough to deferve to be defcribed in 
 fuch a manner 5 nor were * whole nations 
 converted to the worfhip of the true God. 
 
 * Unlefs, perhaps, the Samaritans, and the Idiunaans. 
 The Uumaam embraced Judaifm, being compelled to it by 
 Hyrcanus. Jofeph. Antiq. XIII. 9. after which they were 
 incorporated into the Jrwijh nation, and ceafed to be a di- 
 £in& people. 
 
 Our 
 
(«5 ) 
 
 Our Lord came into the world, declared 
 himfelf to be the perfon foretold by the pro- 
 phets who fhould work this great change, 
 and in whom the Gentiles fhould truft, and 
 lent forth his difciples to make converts in 
 all nations, promifing them fuccefs through 
 his afiiftance. 
 
 Thus we fee the prophets and our Lord 
 affirming, that idolatry fhould decline, and 
 true religion be eftablifhed in its room ; we 
 fee Christianity propagated by the Apoftles 
 through the earth, and prevailing over hea- 
 then fuperftition wherefoever it appeared; 
 we fee alfo that this was an event which lay 
 out of the reach of human forefigbt. The 
 prophets had no reafon from the appearance 
 of things to believe that fuch a thing fhould 
 come to pafs. The worfhip of God was 
 then confined in a manner to the Jews ; the 
 Jews were in danger of being fome time or 
 other fubdued by more powerful nations, of 
 being led away into captivity or deftroyed; 
 they had little intercourfe with other people, 
 and were hated or defpifed by many of the 
 Gentiles ; they often fell into the errors and 
 vices of their neighbours. Upon all thefe 
 accounts it feemed more probable that the 
 G 3 time 
 
 v 
 
( 86 ) 
 
 time might come when the Jews ihould be 
 cut off, or become idolaters, than that the 
 Heathen mould be converted by their means. 
 And when our Lord faid that the converfion 
 of the Gentiles was at hand, idolatry was as 
 flour idling as it had been in the time of the 
 Prophets, fuperftition in many places as pre- 
 vailing, irreligion as general, and vice, at 
 leaft, as triumphant as ever; the Romans > 
 v/hofe dominion was then very extenfive, 
 had no high opinion of the Jews-, yet Chrifh 
 declares that his Apoftles, though feemingly 
 unequal to the undertaking, ihould fucceed 
 in it, and reform the corrupted world. The 
 converfion therefore of the Gentiles, confi- 
 dered as an event which could not be fore- 
 feen by men, which always appeared im- 
 probable, and which was * foretold by the 
 
 * Rutilius, who lived when, to his forrow, thefe declara- 
 tions were fulfilled, fays ; 
 
 Atque utinam nunfuam 'Judteajubada fuiffet 
 
 Pompeii hellis, imperioque Titi. 
 Latins excite pejlis ccntagia ferpunt, 
 
 Viclorefque Juos natio <vicla premit. Itiner. 395. 
 
 Seneca had faid the fame of the yenus ; viSi <vi&Qribus 
 fcges dederunt y apud Juguft. De Civ. Dei. VI. 11. But 
 Rutilius by his^-.-fj means the Chrift&jis, whom he durft not 
 puenly abufe. 
 
 prophets 
 
( 8? ) 
 
 prophets and by Jefus Chrift, is a juft proof 
 that Chriftianity is a divine revelation, and 
 that the Spirit of God, who fo long before 
 declared its fwift and extenfive progrefs, af- 
 filed in its eftablifhment. 
 
 2. The propagation of Chriftianity is a 
 proof of its truth, becaufe it could never 
 have made its way in the world * without 
 the affiftance of miracles. 
 
 Not many years after Chrift's death we 
 we find great numbers of Chriftians amongft 
 the Jews, and Gentiles. We cannot ac- 
 count for their converfion merely from the 
 love of novelty, from fuperftition and en- 
 thufiafm, from the promifes and threats 
 contained in the Gofpel, from the purity of 
 its morality, from the good lives and pati- 
 ent fufferings of the difciples of Chrift. We 
 muft of neceffity fuppofe that miracles were 
 wrought to convince them ; and that, for 
 the following reafons. 
 
 The Apoftles, when they began to preach 
 the Gofpel f , declared that Jefus Chrift had 
 done many mighty works, and was rifen 
 
 * Origen ufes this argument Contr. Celf. p. 30, 
 f Mohammed, prudently enough, always profefled that 
 he had no power to work miracles. 
 
 G 4 from 
 
( 88 ) 
 
 from the dead, and had fent them to con- 
 yert the world, and had given them a power 
 to work miracles in proof of their miffion. 
 
 By declaring this they were under a ne- 
 ccflity of working miracles, or of lofing cre- 
 dit amongft all men. If they wrought no 
 miracles, they confuted themfelves, and 
 could never have made any confiderable 
 number of difciples. Since therefore it ap- 
 pears that they pretended to have received 
 the holy Spirit, to fpeak languages which 
 they had never learned, to perform many 
 miraculous works, and to confer the fame 
 gifts upon believers, and fince they prevail- 
 ed on multitudes of all nations, ranks, ages, 
 and employments to forfake the religions in 
 which they were educated, and to embrace 
 Chriftianity, the converfion of fo many pro- 
 felytes is a proof that the Apoftles were in- 
 deed endued with power from on high. 
 
 St. Paul planted and preached the Gofpel 
 at Corinth, no obfcure place in fome remote 
 corner of the'world, buta city great and popu- 
 lous, fiouriihing in trade, wealth, and learn- 
 ing, filled with orators and philofophers, 
 advantagcoufly fituated in Greece, and called 
 the light and pride and glory of Greece. , 
 
 To 
 
( 8 9 ) 
 
 To thefe Corinthians he writes two epL 
 files ; in the firft he blames them for fame 
 faults which they had committed, amongft 
 which this is particularly mentioned, that 
 they had not always made the beft and moft 
 difcreet ufe of fpiritual and miraculous gifts - 7 
 he gives them fome directions how to exer- 
 cife thefe gifts, and he tells them that cha- 
 rity, that is, the love of our fellow-creatures, 
 and a ftudy to promote peace, happinefs, 
 and virtue amongft men, is a more excellent 
 thing than any miraculous power whatfo- 
 ever, which, by the way, is not the lan- 
 guage of an enthufiaft. 
 
 In his next Epiftle he commends the re- 
 fpedt and obedience which they had paid to 
 him -, and to convince fome of them ftill 
 farther that he deferved fuch regard, he re- 
 minds them of the miracles which he had 
 wrought amongft them ; I ought to have 
 been cotnmended of you • for in nothing am I 
 behind the very chief ejl Apoflles, though 1 be 
 nothings Truly the figns of an Apojlle were 
 wrought among you in all patience *, in figns y 
 and wonders and mighty deeds. 
 
 Now, if the Corinthians had really no fuch 
 preternatural gifts, and if St. Paul had ne- 
 ver 
 
( 9o ) 
 
 yer wrought any miracles amongft them, it 
 is impoffible to think that they would have 
 retained any regard to him and to his doc- 
 trine, If we think fo, we muft fuppofe 
 them to have been perfons who lived in a 
 polite country and had not the fenfe of la- 
 vages, men who had nothing of men 
 befides the outward fhape and refem- 
 blance, men of a different kind from any 
 that the world ever faw before or firtce ; for 
 the mod enthufiaftic feci: would forfake their 
 founder and teacher, if he fhould write 
 them long and grave epiftles full of matters 
 of fact which they all knew to be falfe, ap- 
 pealing to miracles which he had never 
 wrought, aud directing them to a difcreet 
 ufe of powers which themfelves never had. 
 
 3. To eftablifh a new religion even a- 
 mongft a few people, or in one fingle na- 
 tion, is a thing in itfelf exceedingly diffi- 
 cult. To reform fome corruptions which 
 may have fpread in a religion, or to make 
 new regulations in it, is not perhaps fo hard, 
 when the main and principal parts of that 
 religion are preferved entire and unfhaken -> 
 and yet even this very often cannot be ac- 
 complished without an extraordinary con<- 
 
 currence 
 
( 9i ) 
 
 currence of circumftances, and may beat- 
 tempted a thoufand times without fuccefs : 
 But to introduce a new faith, a new way of 
 thinking and acting, and to perfuade many 
 nations to quit the religion in which their 
 anceftors had lived and died, which had 
 been delivered down to them from time im- 
 memorial, to make them forfake and defpife 
 the Deities which they had been accuftomed 
 to reverence and worfhip, this is a work of 
 ftill greater difficulty. The prejudices of 
 education and the ftubbornefs of fuperftition 
 feem almoft invincible ; and therefore the 
 prophet Jeremiah^ when he upbraids the 
 people for * neglecting their own religion, 
 and embracing the idolatrous worfhip of 
 their neighbours, obferves that their beha- 
 viour in this was not only bafe and ftupid, 
 and ungrateful, but new and unparallePd. 
 Hath any nation changed their Gods, 'which 
 
 * I fay, neglecting, rather than forfaking and rejecling. 
 For the people of lfrael and Judah, even in their woril and 
 mofl idolatrous times did never abfolutely and totally re- 
 nounce the true God ; they worshipped falfe Gods with and 
 befides him. But God who would not fufFer the honour 
 due to him alone to be thus given to others, nor bear a ri- 
 val, often refents and reprefents it as no better than apofta- 
 iy. See the Commentators on Ails viii. 42. 
 
 yet 
 
( 92 ) 
 
 yet are no Gods ? but my people have changed 
 their glory for that which doth not profit. 
 
 But befides the refiftance which fuperfti- 
 tion and the prejudices of education would 
 form, worldly policy could not fail to dis- 
 countenance fuch an attempt. Changes in 
 religion very often produce changes in the 
 State, and according to the maxims of go- 
 vernment, all Princes and Magiftrates look 
 with an evil eye upon teachers of new doc- 
 trines, as upon Seditious and dangerous per- 
 fons. 
 
 4. It cannot be denied to be a very ftrange 
 and furprifing thing that perfons whofe cir- 
 cumftances and natural abilities were low 
 and mean, mould have fucceeded in fo great 
 an undertaking. 
 
 It might juftly be expected of one who 
 mould perform fuch a thing, that he mould 
 be a victorious and virtuous prince, who 
 mould make himfelf both reverenced and 
 beloved, or a philofopher remarkable for 
 wifdom and eloquence, skilled in all the 
 arts of perfuaiion, and formed by nature to 
 infmuate himfelf into the favour of men. 
 But when perfons of mean extraction, of 
 no human learning, poor, obfcure and 
 
 friendleis 
 
t 93 ) 
 
 friendlefs fet about it, nothing can follow 
 but fcorn and difappointment, unlefs the 
 Divine affiftance be added, which can give 
 ftrength * to weaknefs and wifdom to ig- 
 norance, and aceomplifh its purpofe by 
 the moft unpromiiing means. 
 
 5. If thefe perfons are not only of mean 
 rank and abilities, but expofed to flander 
 and calumny, and greatly hated by the 
 world, there is ftill lefs profpecl of fuccefs. 
 Whofoever would command the attention, 
 the fefpecl and obedience of men, mufl 
 ftand fair in their opinion, as one who is 
 difinterefted and who feeks their good. He 
 who, though undefervedly, has loft his re- 
 putation, has loft many opportunities of do- 
 ing fervice to mankind: what comes from 
 him, though commendable and profitable in 
 itfelf, is often fufpected, flighted, and ill 
 received. I have already fhewed the great 
 hatred which the generality of the Jews and 
 
 * Minim eft quam parum acuti ejjint Apojl alarum nonnulli y 
 fed data opera, tales a Chriflo ek&os fulfje n)erifemiU eft ; ne 
 dum putabat fc i;itel!igere quis effet, qnid-je moliretur, quid- 
 piam ingenio fuo freti, quod Evangelic nacerci, aggrederen- 
 tur ; neve poffent dagmatum, qua nurniaban&r, invent ores 
 haberi. Clericus ad Joan. XIV. 7. Vide etiam Valejium ad 
 C'inJla?it,Orai.\Vi Evffb'o, cap. II, p. 6?". 
 
 Gentiks 
 
( 94 ) 
 
 Gentiles bare towards the firft Chriftians, ami 
 the caufes and effects of that hatred. There- 
 fore the progrefs of the Gofpel in fpight of 
 all the lies which had been told concerning 
 it, of all the malice and oppofition which 
 its profeffors underwent, can only be afcri- 
 bed to the prevailing force of truth and in- 
 nocence, and to the protection of the Al- 
 mighty. 
 
 6. The eftablifhment of Chriftianity in 
 fo many nations, and amongft perfons of 
 all ranks and conditions is an argument in 
 favour of it. Never was there a religion 
 which in this refpect can be compared with 
 it ; for it united the "Jews and Gentiles, that 
 is, perfons in many refpecrs the rrioft oppo- 
 lite, it brought over rich and poor, learned 
 and unlearned, it fpread through barbarous 
 and lavage nations, and through the moll 
 polite and wife people, and made its pro- 
 grefs far and wide. 
 
 The Apoftles began with the Jews, and 
 though they could not fucceed fo well as to 
 reform the whole nation, though the bulk 
 of them remained incorrigible till deilruction 
 overtook them, yet the harveft was by no 
 means contemptible. Twenty years were 
 
 not 
 
( 95 ) 
 
 not paflfed from Chrift's refurrecYion, when 
 St. Paul coming to Jerufalem, was told by 
 the Difciples, Acls xxi, 20. Thou feejt, 
 Brother, how many * thousands of 'Jews there 
 are which believe. So mightily did the 
 word of God prevail, even in the capital 
 city of that difobedient people. In other 
 nations the fuccefs was greater, and in lefs 
 than forty years after Chrift, an innumera- 
 ble multitude of believers were found in 
 moft parts of the know r n world. 
 
 A religion which can thus recommend it- 
 felf to all tempers and meet with fo wide an 
 approbation, muft in all probability be found- 
 ed on truth, and agreeable to the dictates of 
 reafon. 
 
 7. To convert nations to a ftrift religion 
 from religions which give great indulgences, 
 and are more fuitable to depraved inclina- 
 tions, is a difficult thing. This was the 
 cafe in the propagation of the Gofpel ; for 
 the Greek and Roman Gentiles were not very 
 rigid in their practical notions of morality, 
 and accounted many things to be either 
 harmlefs, or fmall faults, which the Gofpel 
 
 * vrha'ai [wejdft?, bow many myriads, ten thottfandi s that 
 is. hoi>j gnat a number, 
 
 abfolutelv 
 
( 96 ) 
 
 abfolutely condemned - y and the Jews by 
 their own interpretations had made their re- 
 ligion compilable and accommodated to their 
 paflions. Now when perfons have been 
 thus educated, and taught to account them- 
 felves virtuous and pious at a cheap rate, and 
 without labour and pains, when they think 
 that they can fecure to themfelves God's 
 favour here and hereafter, and yet purfue 
 their pleafures with little reftraint, they are 
 extremely indifpofed towards a religion 
 which requires quite another ftridtnefs in 
 thought, word, and deed. It appears to 
 them a fevere, morofe, and melancholy fy- 
 ftem, a cruel tyranny, and a heavy burden, 
 and there muft be bright and overbearing 
 evidence to work a thorough reformation in 
 
 them. 
 
 8. The conyerfion of* very vitious perfons 
 from fin to righteoufnefs is flill more diffi- 
 cult, as experience and reafon will teach, 
 and is juftly compared in Scripture to a re- 
 furreftion from the dead, and t© changes 
 ordinarily or naturally impoffible. Though 
 Chriftianity made its principal progrefs ' a- 
 
 * Orige.n urges this argument Contr, Celf. p. 21. and 
 other places. 
 
 in 
 
 mongft 
 
( 97 ) 
 
 mongft weil-difpofed minds, yet feveral 
 were won over to it, who had been remark- 
 ably wicked before; and this is a proof that 
 there mud have been very plain and ftrong 
 indications of its truth which could overbear 
 all the obftinate oppofition of habitual vice. 
 
 9. The conversion of multitudes to a 
 * fuffering ftate, and to a religion fo little 
 favourable as it was at that time even to our 
 innocent inclinations, is another argument 
 in behalf of the Gofpel. We all naturally 
 love friends, relations, reputation, liberty, 
 eafe and quiet, food and raiment, and life. 
 It is reafonable to fuppofe that a man will 
 not part with all thefe upon no evidence 
 that God requires it, and no fecurity that he 
 will reward it. 
 
 The converfion of fo many, who laid 
 down their lives for Chrift, in whatfoever 
 way we confider it, abounds with proofs of 
 the truth of the Gofpel. The courage and 
 conftancy -f-, with which the firft Christians 
 
 * Nidlo modo fieri pot eft, ut quifquam tanti esftimet a?quita~ 
 tem et ftdcm, ut ejus confervandi cauftfd nullum fupfllcium re- 
 cufet, nift iis rebus affenfus ft 1 , qua? falfa ejfte non poftunt. 
 Cicero Acad. Quarft. II. 8. 
 
 f In this, fays Cbryfcftom, the Chriftians far furpafled the 
 holy perfons recorded in the Old Teftament, none of whom 
 is faid to have rejoyced in fuffering for righteoufnefs fake. 
 
 H under-- 
 
( 98 ) 
 
 underwent all that human nature fhuns and 
 fears, is aftonifhing. Even women and 
 young people fuffered with unfhaken refolu- 
 tion tortures which we cannot read without 
 horror. It is very reafonable to fuppofe that 
 God and his good Spirit enabled them to 
 bear in this manner what they bear for his 
 fake. 
 
 The Chriftian Church was fometimes ex- 
 pofed to perfecutions which naturally and in 
 the ordinary courfe of things muft have put 
 an end to a falfe religion. I know it has 
 been often faid that perfecution is not the 
 way to deftroy but rather to animate and 
 enlarge a feci:. Ill ufage makes men hate 
 dodlrines which tyrannical oppreffors would 
 force upon them, and fonder of their own 
 opinions than they were before; ill ufage 
 often gives them a religious turn of mind, 
 weans them from a love of the world, and 
 teaches them to place their hopes and confi- 
 dence in God ; and therefore the conftancy 
 with which a perfon endures furTerings for 
 his religious fentiments is not a certain proof 
 that his notions are well-grounded. All 
 this will hold true concerning that lefs vio- 
 lent kind of perfecution which extends only 
 
 to 
 
( 99 ) 
 
 to banifhment, imprifonment, fines, and tlie 
 like. But when it proceeds fo far as to take 
 away life in a cruel manner, bare obftinacy 
 of temper will feldom hold out; a rational 
 conviction and a divine affirmance feem ne- 
 ceffary to fupport perfons under fo fevere a 
 trial. 
 
 It has been alfo faid that almoft all fects 
 have their martyrs j and true it is that men 
 may naffer, and have fuffered for falfe opi- 
 nions *, But the cafe of the fir ft Chriftians 
 is very different. They fuffered in behalf 
 of fads* They gave their teftimony to figns 
 and wonders which they had beheld with 
 their own eyes, and on which their faith 
 was founded; in this they perfifted, and 
 for this they died. But no man, not even 
 an enthufiaft, will lay down his life in con- 
 firmation of facts which he knows to be 
 falfe. 
 
 I have endeavoured to fhew that from the 
 propagation of the Gofpel the truth of it 
 
 * Uc pro concept a opinio ne mortem qui 's fubeat fieri pot eft, 
 quanqitam et hoc rai nth eft ; at us quis idem faciat fro tejH" 
 monio rei quam fdlfam ejfe no<vit, et unde nihil aut ipfi dut 
 aliis boni fperan pejfit, omnibus fani judicii heminibus incredi- 
 hiU<vidstur.' Grotius ac! Matt, xxviii. 13. 
 
 H 2 may 
 
( IO ° ) 
 
 may be proved, as it was foretold by the 
 Prophets, as it abfolutely required the affi- 
 ftance of miracles, as it forced its way 
 through the greateft difficulties and oppofi- 
 tion, and as it was conducted and accom- 
 pliihed by perfons naturally unqualified for 
 the undertaking. 
 
 In this we may fee one difference between 
 the methods of human wifdom and of Di- 
 vine wifdom. Human wifdom fpares no 
 pains and induftry in feeking out and ap- 
 plying helps and inftruments proper in the 
 ordinary courfe of things to bring about its 
 defigns ' y but Divine wifdom often chufes 
 means in all appearance unfuitable, and 
 yet in reality the moft effectual , which 
 conduct of Providence St. Paul thus 
 defcribes : God hath chofen the foolijh things 
 of the world to confound the wife, and God 
 hath chofen the weak things of the world to 
 confound the things that are mighty , and bafe 
 things of the world, and things which are de- 
 fpifed hath God chofen, yea and things which 
 are not, to bring to nought things that are : 
 that no flefi fhould glory in his prefence. 
 
 This great event our Lord probably had 
 in view when he faid to his Difciples; He 
 
 that 
 
( m ) 
 
 that believeth on me> the works that Ido,fJ:alI 
 he do alfa> and greater works than thefe fkall 
 he do ; becaufe 1 go unto my Father. We 
 cannot name any miracle wrought by any 
 Apoftle which in any fenfe can be laid to 
 furpafs the miracles wrought by Chrifr, ex- 
 cept the conversion of the Gentile world, 
 which, when we confider the difficulties 
 attending it, and the oppofition made to it, 
 and the wonderful works wrought to accom- 
 plifh it, and the happy effects and confe- 
 quences of it, may well be confidered as a 
 more illuftrious evidence of God's power, 
 wifdom, and goodnefs, than even our Sa- 
 viour's miracles of cafting out devils, heal- 
 ing the lick, and railing the dead. 
 
 I have taken notice of the caufes, which 
 in the ordinary courfe of things mould have 
 flopped the progrefs of Chriftianity. If 
 every thing had been againft it, and no- 
 thing for it, it muft have perifhed at its 
 birth. Let us therefore confider, on the 
 other hand, what there was to help its pro- 
 grefs, and to recommend it to mankind; 
 and here we fhall nnd at the fame time new 
 proofs of its divine original, fince every 
 H 3 thing 
 
-( 102 ) 
 thing that contributed to its eftablifhment, 
 is a teftimony of its excellence. 
 
 i. Firft then the prophefies concerning 
 the calling of the Gentiles, and the * mira- 
 cles wrought by the Chriftians, were a fuf- 
 ficient recommendation of the Gofpel to all 
 ferious, inquifitive, and ingenuous minds. 
 But thefe evidences have been already confi- 
 dered. 
 
 2. Another thing which might reconcile 
 the learned Gentiles to Chriftianity was a re- 
 femblance and conformity, greater or lefs, 
 between the theological doctrines of revealed 
 religion, and the -f opinions of fome or 
 other of the wifer Gentiles in various ages 
 
 and 
 
 * We have Origen*s teftimony, that many, befides St. 
 Paul and Cornelius, were called to Chriftianity in a miracu- 
 lous manner. Contr. Celf. p. 35. And Grotius quotes it, 
 and approves it on Luke xiv. 23. Tertullian De Anim. 47. 
 fays the fame ; as alfo En/chius, Jerom, and Sozomen. See 
 JEufebius VI. 5. 
 
 j Namely, one fupreme God. 
 
 The Platonic Trinity, of which the firft is tb l Ec, T 'Ayct- 
 thy One, moft Simple, and abfolutely Good and Perfect ; 
 the next N2V or Aby@- t Wifdom, Reafon, the Word, 
 who is the fnyLi^yof, the maker of all ; thirdly ^vyji, 
 the univerfal Soul or Spirit, pervading all things. 
 
 Seneca $ words, though they feem only to exprefs fo many 
 names, or ways of confidering God, are Angular and re- . 
 
 rkable 
 
( io 3 ) 
 and places, amongft whom are found evi- 
 dent traces of the doctrines of one God and 
 Father of all, of a Mediator, of the original 
 beauty and perfection of the creation, of the 
 fall of men and Angels, of a reftitution to a 
 happier ftate, of the conflagration of the 
 world, of the fouls immortality, of future 
 rewards and punifhments. 
 
 markable. Quifquis format or univerf fuit, Jive ille Deus 
 
 eft potens omnium, Jive incorporalis Ratio, ingentiwn operum 
 artifex, Jive divinus Spiritus, per omnia, maxima, minima, 
 <vquali intentione dijjufus.> Indeed he adds, Jive Fatum, 
 
 &c. Confol. ad Helv. 8. 
 
 The dodtrine of a Mediator, fon of the Deity, one or 
 more, who conveyed bleffings from God to men, and re- 
 commended men to the favour of God. 
 
 The dodlrine of an evil Daemon, who though very power- 
 ful, was inferior to the good Deity, and mould be abolifhed 
 by him. 
 
 The doctrine of three ftates of the world, that all was 
 created fair and good in its kind, that there has been a fall 
 and depravation of this original goodnefs, and that there 
 fhall be a reftitution of things to their ancient beauty and 
 perfection. 
 
 Proofs of thefe tenets may be found in Cudworth Intel/. 
 Syft. Hyde Relig. Vet. Perf. Ramfay's Dijfert. fubjoined to 
 the Travels of Cyrus. Vitringa in IJai. 45. p. 496. Jof. 
 Mede, B. III. Ch. III. p. 626. and Comment, in Apocal. 
 p. 475. Prideaux Lett, to the Deifts. Seel. 7. Fabricius De 
 Ver. Ret. Chriji. C. VIII. p. 312. Huet. Alnet, $uaft. 
 p. 290, &c. not to mention many others. 
 
 Ha ?. Chri- 
 
( IC 4 ) 
 
 3. Chriftianity had likewife this advan- 
 tage, that its precepts were for the moft part 
 agreeable to the doctrines which fome of the 
 beft Tagan authors had delivered. 
 
 The Gentiles') though in their fearches 
 after wifdom and knowledge they had fallen 
 into many errors, yet had likewife difco- 
 vered many excellent truths; and if a judi- 
 cious collection * had been made of the ufe- 
 ful doctrines which fome or other of them 
 
 in 
 
 * The conformity of Philofophy and Chriftianity in many 
 things has been fhewed by feveral of the ancient Father^ 
 particularly by Clemens Aiexandrinus, and by Eufehius in 
 Frcep. Evang. I mall only quote La&antius; Docemus 4wl- 
 iam feci am fni Jfe tarn de-viam, nee philofophorum quenquam tarn 
 inanem, qui non viderct aliquid ex <vcro.- - Quodji extitiffet y 
 aliquis, qui <veritatem fparfam per fingulos, per fetlafque diffu- 
 Ja?n colligeret in unum, ac redigeret in corpus, is profeclo non 
 dijj'entiret a nobis. Inft. VII. 7. See Grotius de Ver. C. R. IV. 
 12. The Philosophers all prepared the way, though undefign- 
 edly, for the Gofpel, by expofmg and overturning the po- 
 pular and fabulous religions. Epicureifm itlelf, though of 
 all fchemes the remoteft from Chriftianity, yet in fome 
 things agreed with it, as ; 
 
 1 . In recommending temperance and fobriety. See Lu- 
 cretius 11. 14. &c. Juvenal ; 
 
 Quantum, Epicure, tibi par-vis fujfecit in hortis. 
 Seneca does juflice to Epicurus on this head many 
 times. 
 
 2. In fappofmg that this world would one day perifh. 
 
 Liter et. II. 1 144. 
 
 3. In 
 
( io 5 ) 
 
 in various times and places had taught, a 
 fyftem of morality might have been drawn 
 up which would bear no fmall refemblance 
 to the dictates of the Gofpel. And this 
 doubtlefs was a great advantage to Chriftia- 
 nity, that the New Teftament alone fliould 
 contain in it every valuable truth which dif- 
 
 3. In defpifmg and expofing the poetical, popular, and 
 civil religion of the Gentiles, The impoftor Alexander ■, fays 
 Lucian, was upon good terms with the Platonics, Stoics, 
 and Pythagoreans, but mortally hated the Epicureans and 
 Chriftians, and therefore gave out that Pontes fwarmed with 
 atheifts and Chriftians, and that the people ought to drive 
 them away with Hones, if they expected to have the God 
 propitious. And when he celebrated initiations of his own 
 contrivance, on the fir fi day of the ceremonies, proclamation nvas 
 made: If any Atheift , Chrifian, or Epicurean, comes to pry 
 into the facred rites, let him be gone, But ye nvho believe the 
 God., approach, and be initiated, and happinefs attend you I 
 Then they cleared the place ; and he began, faying, Out n.vith 
 the Chrijlians ; to tuhich all the multitude answered, Out 
 (with the Epicureans. ^ of y.iv 7» ir&T't, tt 'fft\l'M H w 
 1oia,v\i\' el Its tfOs©-, n TCetrt&vbf, « 'Evrtiiipei®-, »*** 
 KetT<t0'KO7r@- tuv l^yicov, eiuy'zTco- ol J^s irir&voyltt 76> 
 Qza>, lihd&atFAv tux? 7 ? ^yct^. ETt' fvduf h o?yj 
 \&%hetirtt kyiyvzjo' x) uXv ny£flo l t hiycov, E?& XC*- 
 rtvtvfe; to eP* tAh8o? cLttav h f T$<pQiy t y£lo t ' J 'E^co Esr/jufgatrf. 
 Lucian Alex. 
 
 The reafons for which this Juggler turned out the Epicu- 
 reans and Chriftians are plain enough : but Dodnvell fuppo- 
 fes that Alexander was afraid left the Chriftians mould 
 break the fpell, and drive away the evil (pint. Difs. 
 Qypr. XI. 30. 
 
 ferent 
 
( io6 ) 
 
 ferent pcrfons at different times by a fober 
 ufe of reafon had difcovered, without the 
 errors which they had blended with thofe 
 truths. 
 
 4.. At the time when * theGofpel was firft 
 preached, there was a great number of Gen- 
 tileSy who were profelytes to the jewijh Re- 
 ligion fo far, that they worfhipped the one 
 God of Ijrael, and renounced the follies and 
 vices o Paganifm* Moft of thefe perfons 
 were well-difpofed to receive the Gofpel, 
 and were converted by the Apoftles. They 
 of whom our Saviour fays, that the Phari- 
 fees made them twofold more the children 
 of hell than themfelves, feem to have been 
 the other fort of profelytes, who received 
 circumcifion and the whole law of Mofes. 
 
 5. x^nother caufe of the progrefs of Chri- 
 ftianity was the importance of the truths 
 contained in the Gofpel. The Apoftles, 
 ; -n they had prepared men to believe and 
 obey them, by giving fufficient proofs of 
 their million, propofed to them the Chri- 
 ftian religion as the only way by which they 
 could hope to avoid extreme mifery in the 
 world to come, and to obtain everlafting 
 
 * See Mede B. I. Di/t 
 
 happinefs, 
 
( io 7 ) 
 
 bappinefs. A day of judgment, when every 
 one mould receive according to his works, 
 a refurredtion to eternal life or condemnation, 
 were the motives by which they preffed re- 
 pentance and obedience. 
 
 6. Another thing which contributed to 
 the propagation of the Gofpel was the amia- 
 ble character of the Apoftles and of the 
 Chriftians of that age. The difciples of the 
 Lord were examples of fervent zeal for the 
 welfare of mankind, of an inoffenfive beha- 
 viour, of difintereftednefs and felf-denial, of 
 indefatigable induftry, of the moft extenfive 
 charity, of patience and courage and con- 
 stancy, and of a regular pradice of all that 
 they taught. The firft Chriftians * refem- 
 bled their teachers in thefe good qualities, 
 and it was no fmall advantage to them in 
 their apologies for themfelves and for their 
 religion to be able to appeal boldly to their 
 innocence and integrity. 
 
 That we may have a right fenfe of this, 
 we mould confider what it was to be a 
 
 * 
 
 However we fhould not carry the notion of the fandhty 
 of the old Chriftians too high ; that they had their defefts 
 appears plainly from the Epiftles of the Apoftles and of Cle- 
 mens Romanus* 
 
 Chriflian 
 
( io8 ) 
 
 Chriftian in thofe days, left we be deceived 
 by the vulgar ufe of the word, and by the 
 notion which we at prefent entertain about 
 it. 
 
 To be a good Chriftian at that time was 
 to be an example of well-tried virtue, of 
 true wifdom, and of confummate fortitudes 
 for he furely deferves the name of a great 
 and a good man, who ferves God, and is a 
 friend to mankind, and receives the moft 
 ungrateful returns from the world, and en- 
 dures them with a calm and compofedmind,* 
 who dares look fcorn and infamy and death 
 in the face, who can ftand forth unmoved 
 and patiently bear to be derided as a fool and 
 an ideot, to be pointed out for a madman 
 and an enthunaft, to be reviled as an athe- 
 ift and an enemy to all righteoufnefs, to be 
 punifhed as a robber and a murderer. He 
 who can pafs through thefe trials is a con- 
 queror indeed, and what the world calls 
 courage, fcarce deferves that name when 
 compared to this behaviour. 
 
 * Quem neque pauperis s, neque mors, neque vinculo, terrent ; 
 Rcfponfare cupidinibus. contemner e honor es. 
 fortify Sec. Herat. 
 
 This 
 
( log ) 
 
 This conftant and pious greatnefs of foul 
 under the mod afflicting circumftances was 
 one of the means * by which Chriftianity was 
 propagated. The example of a perfon who 
 is humble and refolute in adverfity, who 
 places his whole faith in God, when God 
 feems to forfake him 5 this example preaches 
 the Gofpel more effectually than the molt 
 ingenious and learned difcourfe, and inclines 
 others to think and to fay, furely that faith 
 muft be rational and well-grounded which 
 produces fuch noble effects, and that reli- 
 gion muff have God for its author which 
 can fupport the mind ' under all difficulties 
 and preffures. 
 
 7. Laftly, the Gofpel prefented to men a 
 difpenfation of fuch awful and impartial ju- 
 ftice fo admirably tempered with goodnefs, 
 clemency and forbearance, that it appeared 
 highly worthy of him from whom it pro- 
 ceeded, and as fuitable to thofe to whom it 
 was offered. It required a regular and uni- 
 verfal regard to all righteoufhefs, but it 
 
 * Duris ut ilex ton fa bipennihus, 
 Nigr& ferae i frondis in Algido, 
 
 Per damna, per c<edes ab ipfo 
 
 Pucit oJ>es animum<iue ferro. Horat. 
 
 offered 
 
( "O ) 
 
 offered an affiftance which fhould add 
 ilrength to human weaknefs : it gave no 
 hopes to ftubborn and habitual offenders ; 
 but it left room for repentance and amend- 
 ment, and excluded none who by a change 
 from vice to goodnefs would make them- 
 felves objects of the Divine mercy* 
 
 III. The 
 
Ill 
 
 III. 
 
 The kingdom of Chrijl. 
 
 AMongft the offices which our Saviour 
 fuftained, the office of King is firft in 
 dignity. Under this character he is defcri- 
 bed by the Angel who was fent to his mo- 
 ther 5 under this character he is foretold by 
 the prophets. 
 
 The firft prediction of Chrift's regal office 
 is the promife which God made to David, 
 that his houfe, and his throne, his feed and 
 his kingdom mould be eftabliihed for ever, 
 as the days of heaven, as long as the fun 
 and moon mould continue ; of which pro- 
 mife mention is often made in the hiftorical 
 books of the Old Teftament and in the 
 Pfalms. Hence the Jews concluded that 
 from David mould arife the Meflias. 
 
 The Prophets frequently fpeak of this 
 promiled perfon.^ as of a king, and David * 
 
 * Pfalm ii. xlv. ex. 
 
 often 
 
( "2 ) 
 
 often defcribes the child who mould defcendl 
 from him, as a great and mighty Prince. 
 I propofe to confider, 
 
 I. When our Lord's kingdom began : 
 
 II. What are the particular characters of 
 his kingdom, which mould diftinguifh it 
 from all other empires. 
 
 I. There is a kingdom which our Lord had 
 from the beginning, as he was the Word of 
 God, and the Son of God, and the perfon 
 by whom God made all things. But the 
 kingdom of which we are now fpeaking, is 
 that kingdom which he was to receive 
 when he became man, and which was fore- 
 told by the prophets, and concerning which 
 the Angel thus fpeaks in St. Luke's Gof- 
 pel - y He flail be greats and Jhall be called 
 the Son of the Highe/l, and the Lord God flail 
 give unto him the throne of his father David, 
 and he pall reign over the houfe of Jacob for 
 ever^ and of his ki?igdom there fliall be no 
 end. And the time when it began is to be 
 firft confidered. 
 
 The kingdom of Chrift is commonly ac- 
 counted to have begun when he afcended 
 
 into 
 
( "3 ) 
 
 into heaven, and fent down the holy Ghoft. 
 Neverthelefs our Lord may be truly faid to 
 have been born a king, and his kingdom 
 may commence with his nativity, though he 
 did not exert many acts of royal authority,, 
 or fuffer his reign to be manifeft before his 
 afcenfion. 
 
 For foon after his birth the Wife men 
 were guided by a heavenly light, and came 
 and offered him prefents, and paid him that 
 worfhip which ufed to be paid to Eafterii 
 kings, and acknowledged him as the great 
 king who was to arife In Judcea, 
 
 After this he continued in obfeurity till 
 he entered into his miniftry, during which 
 he gave forhe intimations of his royal dig- 
 nity, and permitted himfelf to be acknow« 
 ledged as a king, but fparingly and fecretly 3 
 that he might not offend the civil magi- 
 ftrate; for, 
 
 Firft, he took upon him the name of 
 Meffias or Cbrijl, and fuffered it to be given 
 to him. Now Meffias, or Chrift, in the 
 opinion of all the Jews, w r as the name of 
 that great king foretold by the prophets | 
 and confequently all who believed him to be 
 the Meffias owned him for their king. Na- 
 t ihanaei 
 
( "4 ) 
 
 thanael fays to him ; Thou art the Son of 
 God y thou art the king of Ifrael: and Chrift 
 accepts the acknowledgment. Afterwards, 
 when he was entering into Jervfalem, all his 
 difciples praifed God, and faid -, Bleffed be 
 the king that comet h in the name of the Lord* 
 At which the Pharifees were offended, and 
 faid to .him; Mafter, rebuke thy difciples. 
 But he anfwered: If thefe fhould hold their 
 peace, thejlones would immediately cry out. 
 
 Secondly, he fuffered himfelf to be called, 
 the Lord, which implies as much. 
 
 Thirdly, it is the office of a king to give 
 laws, and this office he executed. 
 
 Fourthly, when Pilate asked him whe- 
 ther he was a king, Chrift owned to him 
 that he * was; but to fatisfy him, he told 
 him farther, that his kingdom was not like 
 the kingdoms of this world, and was not 
 oppofite to the Roman, or to any other hu- 
 
 , * Cum njero 'J ejus hie regem \ fe fat eat ur, negari mi hi <vide- 
 tur non pofte regnum ejus aliquo modo inchoatum ejfe cum <veri- 
 tatem ccepit do cere : nam it a ipfe apud Joan?iem regnum inter- 
 pretative Neque obftat quod pajjim regni ejus initium duci vi- 
 detur ab e^vecHone in caelum : id enim de plena regni pojfejjiom 
 intelligendiim eft. « » Certe pot eft as remit tend: peccc.tr., 
 
 quam jfefus vitam mortalem agens exercuit, ad regnum ferti- 
 nebat y ut et Uberrima ilia miracidorum pro arbitrio difpenando* 
 rum potcftas. Grotius ad Mat. xxvii. u. 
 
 man 
 
( "5 ) 
 
 man government. This is that good con- 
 feffion which, as St. Paul obferves, he wit* 
 nefled before Pontius Pilate. 
 
 Thus didChrift's kingdom begin with his 
 birth, but whilft he dwelt here below it 
 was fmall and obfcure, and efcaped the no- 
 tice of the world. His fubjecls were few, 
 weak in faith, and not confirmed in their 
 obedience, and they forfook him and hid 
 themfelves when he was in danger. His 
 kingdom was like a grain of muftard feed ; 
 but ftill it was a kingdom. And therefore, 
 being asked by the Pharifees when the 
 kingdom of God fliould come, he anfwer- 
 ed • The kingdom of God conteth not with ob- 
 fervation, neither fa all they fay, Lo here, or y 
 Lo there, for the kingdom of God is within 
 you. Which is as if he had faid ; My king- 
 dom does not make its firft appearance, and 
 is not ufhered in with royal pomp and fplen- 
 dor, like the Affyrian, /Egyptian, Babylo- 
 Ionian, Grecian, or Roman. It comes fi- 
 lently and fteals upon the world unobferved; 
 for indeed it is already begun, and you know 
 it not. 
 
 Hitherto we have ken our Saviour's king- - 
 dom in its infancy ; but as foon as he was 
 I z rifen 
 
( "M 
 
 rifen from the dead, and at his afcenfion, it 
 began to be very vifible and remarkable* 
 Then as the lightning which fhineth from 
 one fide of heaven to the other, fo was the 
 Son of man in that day. His glory and his 
 Gofpel were propagated through the world 
 with amazing irrefiflible fwiftnefs. And 
 therefore the Apcftles reprefent him as then 
 inverted with royal power, and beginning 
 his reign, becaufe it then began to be con- 
 fpicuous. Thus St. Peter tells the Jews 
 that God had raifed up Jefus from the dead 
 to fet him on the throne of his father David, 
 that he had fet him at his own right hand 
 and made him Lord of all, and Chrift, or 
 Meffias, or the anointed king of Ifrael, that 
 he had exalted him to his right hand to be 
 a Prince and a Saviour. And our Lord fays 
 of himfelf, after his refurredtion, that all 
 power was given to him in heaven and in 
 earth. In the Revelation he is called, King 
 of kings, and Lord of lords. This royal dig- 
 nity, this high exaltation, this name above 
 every name, to which Angels and men 
 fhould bow, is reprefented by St. Paul as a 
 reward which God conferred upon Chrift 
 for his humiliation and fufterings. If we 
 
 there- 
 
( "7 ) 
 
 therefore confider Chrift as man, it was a 
 new dignity which he had not before his 
 afcenfion, or rather, which he had in a 
 more imperfect degree ; but as he was the 
 eternal Son of God, he had, as he fays of 
 himfelf, * glory with the Father before the 
 world was. 
 
 II. The fecond thing which I propofed, 
 was to examine what are the particular cha- 
 racters ofChrift's kingdom which diftinguifh 
 it from all other kingdoms, or, which a- 
 mounts to the fame, the peculiar characters 
 of Chrift, as he is a king. 
 
 i. Chrift was not a temporal prince 5 his 
 kingdom was not of this world -, it differed in 
 many refpects from earthly kingdoms. Itwas 
 not eftablifhed like them either by human po- 
 licy, or by human force, but by a few poor,ob- 
 fcure, helplefs, illiterate perfons. It experien- 
 ced fuch an oppoiition as would infallibly de- 
 ftroy any earthly dominion : Kings flood up 
 and rulers took counfel together againft it, 
 
 *Joh. xvii. 5. Glorify thou me, &c. that is, fays Theofby- 
 
 2>yw TTO.& crot \yu Aby@- which is preferable to the 
 interpretation given by Grotius. But Grotius fpeaks other- 
 wife in his Ordhi. Holland. Piet. prope init. 
 
 I 3 and 
 
(ii8) 
 
 and the wife and the learned joined with 
 them, and for three hundred years, from 
 time to time all kind of fubtilty and violence 
 and inhumanity was employed to overturn 
 it -, but the more it was perfecuted, the 
 more it flourished, and at laft prevailed over 
 all its enemies. 
 
 It was a kingdom erected in the hearts 
 and over the confidences of men. It was a 
 kingdom which confided of fubjecls who 
 entered into it and continued in it voluntari- 
 ly, and were neither encouraged nor kept 
 in awe by thofe methods which are moll 
 effectual in civil fociety. Temporal recom- 
 penfes and temporal chaftifements were fpa- 
 ringlv adminifter'd in it. At its firft efta- 
 blifhment and for a confiderable time after, 
 the lofs of friends and of fortunes and of 
 life was the prefent profpect for thofe who 
 mould enter into it, and the recompenfe was 
 eternal happinefs after death. 
 
 2. Chrift's kingdom was to extend itfelf 
 over all nations, and to differ in this from 
 human empires which h^d indeed been 
 called univerfai monarchies, and whole 
 kings and emperors had ftiled themfelves 
 Lords of the world, but had no juft preten- 
 
 fions 
 
( "9 ) 
 
 fions to fuch titles. Chrift declares that all 
 power was given to him in heaven and 
 earth, that all things were delivered to him 
 of his Father ; and St. Paul, that at his 
 name all mould bow in heaven and earth. 
 His kingdom then is univerfal, and all crea- 
 tures are, or ought to be his fubjects, all 
 the inhabitants of heaven, and all mankind. 
 Therefore they who ferve and obey him are 
 to be confidered as his dutiful fubjects, they 
 to whom he is preached, and who reject his 
 Gofpel, are his rebellious fubjects, they 
 who receive his religion but live not accord- 
 ing to it, are his difobedient and fmful fub- 
 jects, and they who never had opportuni- 
 ties of hearing and learning it are to be con- 
 fidered as his ignorant fubjects, who know 
 not their true Lord and mailer ; for he has 
 a right to rule over them all, and in that 
 fenfe is univerfal King. 
 
 But the number of thofe who mould .pro- 
 fefs themfelves to be, and who mould in- 
 deed be his fervants, is reprefented by the 
 Prophets as exceeding great. 
 
 All nations, fay the Prophets, and many 
 people Jhall go and Jay, Let us go up to the 
 mountain of the Lord, to the houfe of the God 
 
 I 4 tf 
 
( 120 ) 
 
 f Jacob, and he will teach us his ways and 
 we will walk in his paths.— -There fiall be 
 
 a root ofjeffe, to it jhallthe Gentiles feek. 
 
 All the ends of the world fall remember and 
 turn unto the Lord, and the kindreds of the 
 nations [ball worfloip before thee. — All nations 
 whom thou haft made (hall come and worjhip 
 before thee, Lord, and fall glorify thy 
 name.— Behold my fervant — in whom my foul 
 delight eth — he Jhall bring forth judgment to 
 the Gentiles.* 1 will give thee for a cove- 
 nant to the people, for a light to the Gentiles. 
 It is a light thing that thou (Imildfl be my fer- 
 vant to raife up the tribes of Jacob, and to 
 reft ore the preserved of Ifrael : I will alfo give 
 thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou 
 mavjl be my falvation unto the ends of the 
 ear th. — ■ — The earth fall befall of the know- 
 ledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the Sea. 
 
 * From the rifmg of the fun even unto the 
 
 going down of the fame my name fall be great 
 among the Gentiles, and in every place' incenfe 
 fall be offered unto my name, and a pure of- 
 fering; jor my name fall be great among the 
 Heathen, faith the Lord of hofts. — I faw y 
 fays Daniel, and behold one like the fon of 
 man, — and there was given unto him dominion 
 
 afid 
 
( «I ) 
 
 and glory > and a kingdom, that all people, 
 nations, and languages Jlmddferve him : his 
 dominion is an ever la/ling dominioit which Jhall 
 not pafs away , and his kingdom that which 
 Jloall ?ict be deflroyed. 
 
 Thus it was foretold of Chrifl, in gene- 
 ral, that he fhould rule over all things - y in 
 particular, that he fhould have the throne 
 of David, and rule over the houfe of ' "Jacob, 
 
 3. Chrift is called a righteous branch, and 
 the Lord our righteoufnejs ; he is alfo called 
 the Prince of peace. His kingdom was to 
 be a kingdom of righteoufnefs ; piety and 
 virtue were to flourifh in his dominions; 
 his kingdom was to be a kingdom of peace, 
 as it fhould be eftablifhed without war and 
 bloodfhed, and as his fubjecls fhould be 
 quiet and peaceable. If at ah fays of the con- 
 verted multitudes; they fhall beat their 
 fwords into plow-Jhares, and their fpears into 
 pruning-hooks : nation Jhall riot lift up fword 
 againjl nation, neither fiall they learn war 
 any more. 
 
 And again, defcribing the amazing change 
 that mould be wrought in favage and cruel 
 nations, he compares them to the wildefl 
 and fiercer!: beafts putting off their nature 
 
 and 
 
( 122 ) 
 
 and becoming tame and gentle. The wolf 
 Jhall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard 
 Jhall lie down with the kid-, and the calf and 
 the young lien, and the failing together, and 
 a little child fid all feed them ; and the cow and 
 the bear fall feed, their young ones fall lie 
 down together, and the lion fall eat flraw 
 like the ox ; and the fucking child fall play on 
 the hole of the afp. — They fall not hurt nor 
 defiroy in all my holy mountain. 
 
 Concerning the completion of thefe pro- 
 phefics there arifes a difficulty, when we 
 compare the predictions with the event The 
 obje&ions I (hall endeavour to ftate fairly, 
 though in few words, and then proceed to 
 the anfwer, to the folution of them. 
 
 The Prophets, as we have feen, defcribe 
 the kingdom of Chrift, firft as extending in 
 fome fenfe over all people, and fpreading 
 itfelf through the earth; fecondly, as com- 
 prehending in it the Jewifi nation ; and 
 thirdly as a kingdom of concord and righte- 
 oufneis. But, firft, there have always been, 
 and there are now many great nations who 
 make no part of the kingdom of Chrift; 
 fecondly, the Jews continue in their unbe- 
 lief, and our Lord has no fubje&s amongft 
 
 them 5 
 
( I2 3 ) 
 them; thirdly, there have been continual 
 wars, perfections, religious controversies, 
 and wickednefs in the Chriftian world. 
 
 To all which it may be anfwered ; 
 
 It is reafonable to fuppofe that the holy 
 Spirit of God, who infpired the Prophets, 
 gave them a view of the kingdom of Chrift, 
 in general, from its eftablifhment to the end 
 of the world ; and that they were led to re- 
 prefent it in their prophefies as it fhould be 
 in its full luflre, in its higher! degree of 
 beauty and perfection ; it is no lefs reafona- 
 ble to fuppofe that the time is not yet arrived 
 when his kingdom fhall be in its moil glo- 
 rious ftate. It is therefore not to be ac- 
 counted ftrange if the prefent condition of 
 Chriftianity falls fhort of thofe great and 
 magnificent reprefentations contained in the 
 prophefies, 
 
 Bat though thefe predictions have not yet 
 received their entire completion, yet a great 
 part of them has been remarkably and illu- 
 ftrioufly fulfilled. 
 
 Thus, though all nations of the earth 
 have not embraced the Gofpe!, which event 
 fome prophefies, interpreted literally, pro- 
 mife and declare, yet its progrefs has been 
 
 as 
 
( I2 4 ) 
 
 as wide as its beginnings were fmall, 
 fo that according to the common way of 
 fpeaking, we may juftly fay that its found 
 has gone out to the ends of the world, and 
 that it has over fp read the earth. 
 
 The firft partial accomplishment of the 
 prophefies concerning the propagation of 
 theGofpel began in the days of the Apoftles, 
 when multitudes of Jews and Gentiles were 
 converted in Judaa and its neighbourhood, 
 in Greece, in the lefTer Afia, in Italy, when 
 amongft them there were fome who had 
 Ken enemies to Chrift and to his church, 
 and fome of eminent rank and abilites, when 
 thefe perfons laying afide their mutual ha- 
 tred and contempt, their fuperftitions and 
 idolatries, their vices and debaucheries, lived 
 in peace and friendship, and were illuftrious 
 examples of piety and virtue. 
 
 Chriftianity, thus eftablifhed, continu- 
 ally increafed, and multitudes of believers 
 were added amongft the /Egyptians, Aflyri- 
 ans, Arabians, Greeks, Italians, Spaniards, 
 Gauls, and other people. 
 
 The fecond accomplishment began in the 
 days of Co?ifiantine, when the Roman Em- 
 perors 
 
I 125 ) 
 
 perors became Chriftian, and the empire by 
 degrees followed their example. 
 
 The third began fome time after, when 
 many nations which were ignorant, • barba- 
 rous and fierce, and might well be defcribed 
 by the Prophets as lions, bears, and wolves, 
 received the Gofpel, fome fooner and fome 
 later, * as the Goths, the Vandals, the Ger- 
 mans, the Englifo, the Scots, the Saxons, 
 the Bohemians, the Hungarians, the Poles, 
 the Mufcovites, and many other people. 
 
 Secondly ; the objection that our Saviour 
 fliould have at prefent no fubjedts amongft 
 the Jews, may perhaps be thus removed. 
 By the miniftry of the Apoftles a great 
 multitude of Jews were converted to the 
 faith, not only at Jerufalem and in Palce- 
 Jline, but in all thofe various and remote 
 regions where the twelve tribes were fcat- 
 tered abroad. Thefe Jews retained a great 
 regard for the Law, and obferved it along 
 with the Gofpel for a confiderable time 5 but 
 after the deftrudtion of Jerufalem, and the 
 calamities which befel the nation, firft un- 
 
 * Tranci, Germain t Alemanni, Saxones, Vandalt, Hun- 
 gari, Bohtemi, Poloni, Gotbi, Angli, Frifu, longobardi, 
 Bulgari, Mofci, &c. 
 
 der 
 
( I26 ) 
 
 der Vefpafian, and afterwards under Adrian 
 thefe Jewi/Ij Chriftians, partly through dif- 
 ufe of the ceremonial Law, and partly 
 through marriages with Chriftians of Gen- 
 tile extraction, may be fuppofed to have 
 been fo mixed with them, that they loft all 
 national diftindion ; which to them was in- 
 deed no lofs at all, but a defirable thing. 
 Their pofterity therefore are now * fubjecls 
 to Chrift, though under the common deno- 
 mination of Chriftians. 
 
 Thirdly, as to the wars and vices of 
 Chriftians, thefe anfwers may be made. 
 
 It is extremely evident that the precepts 
 of Chriftianity are calculated to promote 
 peace and virtue. Therefore, according to 
 the common ftyle of Scripture, the Gofpel 
 may be faid to have brought peace and vir- 
 tue, -f becaufe it has brought every thing 
 that is neceffary to produce it. 
 
 * Grot! 'us on Rev. xi. 15. obferves that Chrift may be 
 faid to rule over the Jezvs for ever, becaufe femper erit in 
 Judged Chriftiana religio. ^uod <verum fuit primum fub Pa- 
 ganis Jmperatoribus, multb magis fub Chrijiianis, fed et fub 
 Sarracenis et Turcis in hunc diem. I take the folution 
 which I have propofed to be more probable. 
 
 f Vid. Grot, de Jure B. I. II. § 8. 
 
 The 
 
( *2 7 ) 
 
 The ftyle of the prophets is poetical, 
 lively, and lofty ; and therefore their mag- 
 nificent defcriptions of the happinefs and 
 piety which mould adorn the reign of the 
 Meffias may be reftrained and underftood in 
 a fenfe fomewhat lower than the words ufu- 
 ally import. 
 
 The doctrines of the Gofpel have un- 
 doubtedly produced at all times good effects 
 in the minds of many Chriftians: they are 
 peaceable and charitable, and ready to mew 
 kindnefs to all men, in their private capaci- 
 ties, as far as the laws and public interefts 
 of their refpective kingdoms and focieties 
 permit. 
 
 Chriftianity has made a happy alteration 
 in thofe nations who have embraced it, nor 
 have they that fiercenefs and barbarity which 
 they had when they were Pagan. 
 
 The * benefits which Chriftianity has 
 brought to thofe nations which have received 
 it, are in many refpects greater than we 
 ufually imagine. 
 
 In the Gentile world men were loofe and 
 unfettled in their principles ; hence it came 
 to pafs that impurities of all forts were fcarce 
 
 * Eufebius Trap. Evang, I. 4. 
 
 reckoned 
 
( ***) 
 
 reckoned faults amongft them, that they 
 made no fcruple of * expofing infants, that 
 they were cruel and inhuman towards 
 -}• flaves and prifoners, and that they had 
 public fhews, in which men were obliged 
 
 * See Gerard. Noodt Julius Paulus, five de Partus Ex- 
 pofitione y Sec. 
 
 f The Romans, who kept a multitude of flaves, often 
 neglected them moll inhumanly when they were fick, turned 
 them out of doors, and fent them to the Ifland in the Tiber, 
 where they left them to be cured by the God AEfculapius 
 who had a temple there. The Emperor Claudius decreed 
 that the (laves thus turned out mould have their liberty if 
 they recovered. And becaufe fome mailers were fo cruel 
 that they killed them when they were fick, he ordered that 
 they who did fo mould be punilhed as murderers. Sueton. 
 Claud. 25. Dio LX. p. 685. Adrian wifely took away the 
 power of life and death, which mailers exercifed over them. 
 Adr. in Hift. Aug. Script, c. 18. p. 169. 
 
 The condition of Haves has ever been deplorable, and 
 far worfe than of the beafts. See how it is defcribed by 
 Pignorius defervis. Cato the elder, fo much celebrated by 
 the Romans, was a bad mailer to his flaves, and is juflly 
 cenfured on that account by Plutarch, in Fit. Caton. By 
 the Roman laws a flave could not bear tellimony without 
 undergoing the rack. By the fame laws, if a man were 
 killed in his own houfe, all his domeftic flaves were to be 
 put to death, though their innocence were ever fo evident. 
 Tacitus Annal. XIV. 42. 
 
 Ser-vi funt ? imo homines. Ser<vi fiint ? imo contubemales. 
 Servi Junt ? imo humiles amici. Servi funt ? imo confer *?//, ft 
 coqitaveris tantundem in utrofque liccrt Fortune, &c. Seneca 
 Epift, 47- See the reft. 
 
( lag ) 
 
 to fight with wild beafts, and to murder 
 each other for the entertainment of the af- 
 fembly. The Romans were exceffively fond 
 of this abominable diverfion, and fcarce can 
 any writer amongfl them be found who has 
 declared a difapprobation of it, except Se-* 
 7ieca * the philofopher. 
 
 Christianity has in no fmall meafure re- 
 moved thefe enormitieso 
 
 Chrifti- 
 
 * Cafu in tneridianum fpeSlaculum incidi, lufus expeclans 
 et aliquid laxamenti, quo homimtm oculi ab humano cruore ac- 
 quiefcant. Contra eft. Quicquid ante pugnatum eft, mifericcr- 
 c.ia fuit. Nunc omijjis nu'gis, mera homicidia funt ; nihil 
 
 habent quo tegantur Sed latrocinium fecit aliquis : quid 
 
 ergo meruit? ut fufpendatur. Occidit hominem'. Qui occidit t 
 ille meruit ut hoc pateretur : tu quid meruifti mifer, ut hoc 
 fpefies ? Seneca, Epift. 7. 
 
 Homo, facra res, homo, jam per lufum et jo cum occidit ur : 
 et quern eriidiri ad accipienda inferendaque 'vulnera nefas erat, 
 is jam nudus inermifque producitur, fat if que Jpeclaculi in ho- 
 mine mors eft. Idsm Epift. 95. 
 
 There were fome in the time of Cicero, and probably 
 they were Greeks, not Romans, who condemned this barba- 
 rity, amongil whom I wifh I could place Cicero himfelf : he 
 fays, Crudele gladiatorhm fpeclaculuni et inhumanUm nonnuUii 
 >videri folet : et hand fcio an it a fit, ut nunc fit : cum <vero 
 fontes ferro detmgnabant, auribus fortajfe multte, oculis qui- 
 dem nulla poterat efj'e fortior contra dolorem et mortem difci- 
 plina. Tufc. Difp. II. 16. 
 
 The Emperor Marcus Aurelius, fays Dio, fo much drf- 
 liked blood-med and flaughter, that he ordered the Gladi- 
 
 K aters 
 
(■""SO 
 
 Chriftianity has abolifhed polygamy, and 
 in a great degree * flavery, and thereby has 
 made the condition of millions far more eafy 
 than it would elfe have been. 
 
 It has -j- had fome influence upon the 
 civil laws J of nations, and made them 
 
 in 
 
 ators at Rome to fight with foils, or blunted weapons j 
 McI^kQ- yz unv T\co 77 qovois vk tyaji^v, are £ r*s pen- 
 P-cLyus cv7m 'P«y//>i focTTSf d§\\{]cL{ dutv^uvus ktt^t. ^ctyoyui,- 
 
 To thefe we may add the Greek philofopher De/nonax f 
 who, when the Athenians were deliberating whether they 
 fhould have Gladiators as well as the Corinthians, advifed 
 them not to vote for it, till they had pulled down the Altar 
 of Mercy. 
 
 AcijcLs-iUjcL&yj Qietv lAovo^dyjdv, vr&czhQcop &{ duT*f, Mil 
 r x£"1-£9 v > *$** toZta, ci 'ASweuot, 4»P'0's<3-s, ta fo* 7* 
 'EAes tov $co{aov K&Qihtfls. Lucian Demon. 
 
 It was a long time before Chriftianity could get the bet j 
 ter of this cuftom. Confiantine made a law againft it, but 
 it crept in again, and Honorius abolifhed it A. D. 403. 
 
 * The Gofpel has not faid indeed that it is unlawful to 
 have flaves, but by its mild genius and temper it feems by 
 degrees to have expell'd this tyranny from Chriftian king- 
 doms. 
 
 f Leges Romanae duriores erant, quam lenitas Chriftiana 
 patiatur. Grottos de Jure B. I. II. § X. 4. ubi vide notas. 
 
 X Thus, Confiantine abolifhed the cruel puniihment" of 
 crucifixion and of breaking the legs, and of marking th$ 
 face with a hot iron. 
 
( '3* ) 
 
 in feveral refpefts more gentle and mer- 
 ciful. 
 
 It 
 
 He forbad to feize upon men's fervants and cattle for the 
 payment of taxes,, and to put fuch debtors in common jayls, 
 or to beat them. 
 
 He ordered that prifoners jhould be well ufed and conve- 
 niently lodged, and made laws in favour of flaves, and a- 
 gainft exceffive ufury. 
 
 Valentinia?t I. made laws to releafe prifoners, not guilty 
 of capital crimes, at E after i and other Emperors did the 
 fame afterwards. 
 
 He ordered phyficians to be appointed, with falaries, who" 
 mould take care of the poor at Rome. 
 
 Gratian made a law, that thofe women, whofe birth and 
 condition obliged them to appear upon the ftage, mould not 
 be compelled to it, if they were Chriftians. 
 
 Alfo that perfcns condemned to die mould have thirty 
 days refpit. Tbeodoftus confirmed this law. 
 
 Theodoftits I. made laws in favour of the fortunes arid fa- 
 milies of condemned perfons, and of thofe who had found 
 a treafure. 
 
 Forbad that girls mould be brought up minftrels, tibi- 
 cince. 
 
 Made a law concerning wills, which greatly favoured the 
 natural heirs againft his own intereft. 
 
 Made a law, that if any perfon, forgetting all md- 
 deity and decency, mould revile the Emperor, and cen- 
 fure his conduct, he mould not be called to account for 
 it, nor fuffer the punifnment which ufed to be inflicted on 
 fuch offenders. 
 
 Made a law againft ah infamous way of punifhing women 
 convifted of adultery, who had been compelled t© be com- 
 mon proftitutes, if Socrates be not miftaken, Hift. EccL V. 
 i>8. See the place, Bat I agree with Fdleftus; who fays, 
 K 2 Vi* 
 
( 132 ) 
 
 It has been the caufe of many * public 
 charities, and has provided for the educa- 
 tion of the ignorant, and for the relief of 
 the fick and needy. 
 
 It has given men a clearer knowledge of 
 God and of morality and of a future ftate. 
 Hence it comes to pafs that the far greater 
 part of Chriftians, when they do amifs, fin 
 againft eonfcience, and feel many reftraints 
 and checks, by which they are at leaft kept 
 from fome crimes which they elfe would 
 have committed, and incited to do fomc 
 good actions which they would not have 
 performed. 
 
 Vix crediderim Romanos ea poena ajfecijfe mulicres adulte- 
 ras, &c. 
 
 Ordered that all who in their infancy had been fold for 
 flaves fhould be fet at liberty, many of whom belonged to 
 the Emperor. 
 
 Honorius made a very merciful law iirfavour of piifoners. 
 
 Thefe laws may be feen in the Tbeodojian Code. 
 
 * I find in profane hiflory fomething like charity-fchoolf, 
 or a provifion made for poor children by Emperors or other 
 perfons of diftinction, or by the public ; by Nerva, [dure/. 
 Viaor~\. by Trajan, [Plin. Paneg Dio LXVIII. 771. J by 
 Adrian, [Spartian. in Hift. Aug.~\ by T. Antoninus, [Capi- 
 ta/in. in Hift. Aug.'] by Pliny the younger, perhaps, [Epift, 
 I. 8. VII. 18.] Conftantine, who was a very generous 
 prince, did as much, and more. Cod. Tbeodof, L. II. t. 27. 
 1. fc 
 
 Several 
 
( *33 ) 
 
 Several of thefe benefits are more evi- 
 dently vifible in fome Chriftian * countries* 
 than in others, but they are to be found in 
 fome meafure in all nations where the Gof- 
 pel is received. 
 
 The Gofpel for feveral ages after its eila- 
 blifhment was of fome -f benefit even to 
 thofe who received it not -, for the Tagan 
 philofophers J and learned men in thofe 
 times were improved in their notions of mo- 
 rality and religion ; for which we can ac- 
 count no way fo probably as from their in- 
 tercourfe and converfation and debates with 
 Chriftians. 
 
 The Gofpel has likewife been in fome 
 meafure ferviceable to thofe great and po- 
 pulous nations who are Mohammedans -, for 
 their religion, falfe and foolifh as it is, § bor r 
 
 rows 
 
 * The Church of Chrirc here upon earth, in a true fenfe, 
 is the whole number of ail thofe in all places, who believe 
 in Chrift, and endeavour to know his will and obey his 
 laws. Every perfon who is in fuch a difpofition of mind, 
 is a member of the univerfal Church, and as fuch, a 
 Chriftian. 
 
 f Whitb. on i Cor. xv. 44. 
 
 J See the Difc. on the Gofpel as it is grace and truth. 
 
 § Juftice requires of us to give every one his due, and 
 ziwv divrilct, to commend what is commendable, wherefo- 
 
 K 3 ever 
 
(134) 
 
 rows feveral things from Jitdaiftn and C8ri- 
 ftianity; it teaches the belief of one God 
 maker of heaven and earth, and of a provi- 
 dence, and of a future ftate. Therefore it 
 is better than Epicurean notions of the mor- 
 tality of the foul, and of a God who takes 
 no care of the world, it is better than Pagan 
 
 ever we find it. It mould be acknowledged that the falfe 
 Prophet, in his Coran, requires the belief of one God, 
 trull in him, frequent prayer and failing, alms-giving even 
 to Grangers, keeping of covenants, juftice in dealings, pa- 
 tience in adverfity, to honour father and mother, and to 
 maintain them if they are old and poor ; that he forbids ufu- 
 ry, bearing falfe witnefs, profane fwearing by the name of 
 God, and the murdering of infants which had been com- 
 mon in Arabia. 
 
 ■ But Mohammedifm is a religion destitute of all proper 
 evidence, and liable to infuperable objections. 
 ' Moha?nmed has fufficiently confuted himfelf by ftriking out 
 fome paftages of the Coran, upon fecond thoughts, and 
 when his exigences required it, faying, In the name of God, 
 hubatever <verfe *we Jhall abrogate, Sec. ch. II. p. 14. and 
 ch. XVI. p. 223. Sa/e'sEdit. 
 
 The 23d chapter (hews him to be an impoftor. 
 
 Hh invention was very poor and narrow. If the repeti« 
 tions were blotted out, not more than a fourth part of his 
 book would be left. 
 
 • In fome paflages of the Coran he denies a poffibility of 
 falvation to thofe who rejeft it; in other places he is 
 thought by fome to have left room for virtuous men who 
 believed a God and a future Mate. See ch. II. p. 8. and 
 Qtes i and Fabriciu's Luc, Evang. p. 491. 
 
 idolatry. 
 
( *35 ) 
 
 idolatry, than the worfhip of Daemons, of 
 falfe Gods, of flocks and Hones. 
 
 4. It is prophefied of Chrift that he 
 fhould be a conqueror, a profperous and 
 vi&orious king, who fhould fubdue all his 
 enemies. To him, as he is a king, belongs 
 the right of judging and punifhing thofe who 
 rebel againft him, and refufe to fubmit to 
 him. Kings in ancient times were alfo 
 judges, and in Scripture are called judges of 
 the earth. And of the Meffias it is laid, 
 that he fhould judge with righteoufnefs, that 
 he fhould fmite the earth with the rod of 
 his mouth, and flay the wicked, that his 
 enemies mould lick the duft, that he fhould 
 break in pieces the oppreflbr, that kings 
 fhould periih, if he was angry with them, 
 and that he fhould fmite in funder their 
 heads over divers countries ; and many like 
 a&s of power are afcribed to him. In the 
 New Teftament alfo our Saviour, under 
 fome parables, reprefents himfelf as a king, 
 who mould deftroy his enemies, and de- 
 clares that all judgment is committed to him 
 by his Father. 
 
 Many of thefe a£ts of segal authority have^ 
 had their fignal completion; for, 
 
 K 4 Firi\ 
 
( n6 ) 
 
 Firft; Chrifb punifhed Judaea wifli utter 
 defolation. His rebellious fubjedts there, 
 who would not that he fhould reign over 
 them, were given up to a reprobate mind, 
 to blindnefs and madnefs, and by their own 
 outrageous iniquity, by civil difcord, by fa- 
 mine, by war w r i'th the Romans, fuffered 
 
 * calamities not to be equalled in the -f* hiflo- 
 ry of any other people - y their city and tem- 
 ple were deftroyed, and thofe of them who 
 furvived were fcattered into all lands. 
 
 After this, the Jews of Libya, JEgypt y 
 Cyprus 7 and Mefopotamia rebelled, and flew 
 an innumerable multitude of people, for 
 which they were feverely punifhed by 
 "Trajan, 
 
 After this, when % the Jews began to 
 gather and to fettle once again in Jerufalem, 
 they drew upon themfelves the arms of tha 
 
 • Before this, in the time of Caius, a /laughter was made 
 of the y&tvs in JEgyft, Mefopotamia, Babylon, Syria, and 
 Seleucia, which was, . fays Jofepbus, (p'ovQ- toAw, jy orro- 
 <rQ- «'jc WofHUiv©- Teplz&v* a greater definition than 
 any that was ever before recorded of them. Ant. XVIII. 9. 
 
 f Thefe calamities were not confined to PaUjiine, but 
 reached them in all places where they dwelt, as in Mgyft* 
 Syria, &c. 
 
 * ± Eufihim E. H. IV. 2. 6. & Falafiusi & Fabric. Luc. 
 pv.lr.g. p. 124, &c. 
 
 Emperor; 
 
( %7 ) 
 
 Emperor Adrian, and, if we may believe 
 * their own writers, they fuffered calami- 
 ties not lefs fevere and extenfive than the 
 Former. 
 
 In the time of Conftantius they -f rebelled 
 again, and Gallus flew many thoufands of 
 them, not fparing even the children, and 
 burnt DJoctefarea, Tiberias, Diofpolis, and 
 other towns of the Jews. 
 
 After this the Emperor Julian, in hatred 
 to the Chriftian religion, would have fettled 
 them in Jerufalem, and reftored to them 
 their temple $ but all his attempts were fru- 
 strated in a miraculous manner by Divine 
 Providence. 
 
 After this, in later times, Chriftian princes 
 entertained a defign to deliver the holy land 
 from the infidels, and many attempts of 
 that kind were made, which God would 
 not fuffer to profper ; but Judcea lies to this 
 day barren, uncultivated, thinly inhabited, 
 a memorable and dreadful example of Divine 
 juftice, 
 
 Secondly, it has been a common opinion 
 that our Saviour punifhed the Roman Em- 
 
 * Buxtorf'm vocrbus Bitter, Barchoziba, 
 f Hieron. in Chron. ann. 355. Socrat. Hift. Eccl. II. 33. 
 Sozm.IV> 7. 
 
 pire 
 
( 138 ) 
 
 pire, that great adverfary and oppreffor of 
 Chriftianity, that cruel perfecutor of his 
 Church , that empire of Satan. Thus much 
 is certain, that moft of the perfecuting Em- 
 perors were cut off one after another in a 
 * very remarkable manner, and that the 
 Empire was vifited with plague and famine, 
 with civil wars, with inundations of favage 
 and barbarous people, Perfians, Goths y Ger 
 mans, Scythians, &c. till all Italy and -j- Rome 
 itfelf fell into their hands and was plundered 
 by them. 
 
 * See Grotius Append, de Antlchr. p. 499. and the writer 
 de Mortih. Per ft cut. 
 
 ■f Hbwever it muft be confeiTed that Rome at that time 
 was Chriftha, and under Christian Emperors. Jcf. Mede 
 has taken notice of this, and fays ; Although the Roman Em- 
 perors were no-iv he come Chrifiians, yet nxculd not Gcd forget 
 their former (laughters of his j"er<vants, hut require their blood 
 at the hand of Vat empire, p. 910. Nee eft, fays Grotius, 
 quod qui fquam oppopat tunc Rom fin: fuijfe Chriftianam. Contra 
 enim --oerum eft, etiam poftquam Jmperatores faili erant Chri- 
 Biani, Ratiue manfifie idololatriam turn in Senatu, turn in 
 plebe. ad Apocal. sJ\ll. 16. See alio Hammond there, and 
 Grotius Append, ds Antickr. p. 501. 
 
 Add to thefe the following obfervation ; Scribere enim dif- 
 
 pofui - « quomodo et per quos Chrifti Ecclefa nata fit et a- 
 
 dulta, perfecutionibus cre r Jcrit, - et poftquam ad Chriftianos 
 
 principes <venerit, potentid quidem et di'jitiis major, virtuti- 
 bus minor facia fit . Hieronymus in <vitd S. Malcbi. 
 
 Thefe 
 
( *39 ) 
 
 Thefe a&s of regal authority Chrift has 
 executed. Some remain, which in their 
 due feafon will be accomplifhed ; for it is 
 generally fuppofed that the prophets fpeak 
 of a time when the yews mall be converted, 
 and the fulnefs of the Gentiles mall flow into 
 the Church, and the kingdoms of the world 
 fhall be the kingdoms of Chrift, when the 
 Gofpel mall be farther fpread, and better 
 underftood, and more religioufly obferved 
 than it is at prefent. And without quefti- 
 on, thefe great events will be attended with 
 as great and confpicuous a6ls of Chrift's 
 royal power and majefty. 
 
 But the moft illuftrious ad: of royal au- 
 thority which Chrift will exercife, will be 
 at the end of all things, when he will judge 
 the world in the trueft and largeft fenfe, 
 when this finful earth, the feat of folly and 
 iniquity, ihall be fet on fire and confume 
 away before his prefence, when he will pafs 
 fentence on the evil Angels, when he will 
 raife up the dead, and diftribute rewards 
 and punifhments to all, proportionably to 
 their behaviour in the days of their morta- 
 lity. 
 
 Thus 
 
( 14° ) 
 
 Thus are we come to the moft glorious 
 part of Chrift's reign, and alfo to the con- 
 clufion of it. It is faid, by the Angel, that 
 he fhould reign for ever, and of his king- 
 dom there fhould be no end ; and the An- 
 gel's words are taken from lfaiab, who pro- 
 phefyiag of the Meffias, fays; Of the in* 
 creafe of his government and peace there ji hall 
 be 7io end, upon the throne of David ^ and upon 
 bis kingdom, to order it, and to ejlablijh it 
 with judgment and with jujiice, from hence- 
 forth even for ever. Daniel fpeaks in the 
 fame manner.; His dominion is an ever la/ling 
 dominion, which Jhall not pafs away, and his 
 kingdom that which /hall not be deftroyed. 
 And again : The God oj * heaven jhall fet up a 
 kingdom which fo all never be de/iroyed 9 and it 
 jhall /land for ever. In this alfo Chrift's 
 kingdom was to differ from all other king- 
 doms, from all the preceding human mo- 
 narchies, which when they had arrived to 
 their full ftrength and glory, had the fame 
 fate which attends human bodies, and either 
 were quickly deftroyed by violent caufes, or 
 infenfibly decay ed and moulder'd away, fo that 
 no tokens of them w r ould have remained, if 
 Hiftory had not written their epitaph, and 
 
 told 
 
( i4i ) 
 
 told us where they lay, and what they had 
 been. 
 
 Not fuch was to be the fate of Chrift's 
 kingdom, to which the prophets, with one 
 voice, have promifed an eternal duration. 
 
 Yet St. Paul in his firft Epiftle to the 
 Corinthians, fays that Chrift's kingdom mail 
 have an end. To reconcile which with the 
 prophefies, we muft obferve that the ex- 
 preffions, * everlafling, for ever, and with- 
 out end, are ufed by facred, as well as pro- 
 phane authors, in different fenfes, accord- 
 ing to the fubjecT: to which they are applied. 
 When therefore it is faid that Chrift mall 
 reign for ever, -f- the meaning feems to be 
 that he mall reign as long as the world 
 lafts ; when it is faid that of his kingdom 
 there (hall be no end, the meaning is that it 
 mall not pafs away like other kingdoms, 
 
 * See Vitringa in 1/ai. Vol. II. p. 220. Grottus de Ver. 
 
 R. C. V. 7. Blackball S>2lCx. Oafs. p. 149. Clarke Serm. 
 
 IV. Vol. I. The comparative degree d&aiwnhsgpf is ufed 
 
 by Plato in his Phado, and Sympof. 
 
 \ In like manner it is faid of Chrift, that he is a Prieft 
 
 for ever and bath an unchangeable prieftbood, Hebr. vii. 
 that is, he is a prieft, as long as the office can fubfift, as 
 long as there are men for whom he may intercede, and 
 whom he may reconcile to God, as long as the world en- 
 dures, 
 
 and 
 
( 142 J 
 
 and that there fliall be no end. of it, till the 
 confummation of all things. 
 
 Then cometh the end, fays St. Paul, when 
 Chrift Jhall have delivered up the kingdom to 
 God even the Father , when he Jhall have put 
 down all rule, and all authority and power * 
 for he tnuft reign till he hath put all enemies 
 under his feet. The loft enemy which Jhall be 
 dejlroyed is death. And when all things Jhall 
 be fubdued unto him, then Jhall the Son alfo 
 himfelf be JubjeB unto him that put all things 
 tinder him, that God may be all in all. 
 
 Chrift will then have no more enemies to 
 fubdue, when death fhall be deftroyed, and 
 fin fhall receive its due correction : he will 
 have no more occafion to protect and to re- 
 Ward his fervants, when he has raifed them 
 up to eternal life, and given them feats in 
 his kingdom of heaven.. * Thefe acts there- 
 fore of regal authority he can exercife no 
 
 longer. 
 
 But fince Chrift is to all his faithful fer- 
 vants, not only a creator, but a guide and a 
 teacher, a faviour and a mediator, a king 
 and a judge, the benefits received from thefe 
 relations which Chrift bears to them are of an 
 
 See Whitby on II. Tim. iv. x. 
 
 endlef? 
 
( U3 ) 
 
 endlefs nature 5 and an eternal obligation 
 will He upon them to offer up to him the 
 juft returns of love and gratitude, of reve- 
 rence and adoration, through all ages ; ac- 
 cording to thofe forms of thankfgiving in 
 the Revelation. Bleffing and honour and glory 
 and power be unto him that fitteth upon the 
 throne ', and unto the Lamb, for ever a?idever. 
 
 Unto him that loved us and wajhed us from 
 
 our fins in his own blood, and hath made us 
 kings and priejls unto God and his Father, to 
 him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. 
 Amen, 
 
 We are taught to pray daily that 
 the kingdom of God, or of Chrifl may 
 come ; in which words we pray that the 
 Goipel of Chrift may flourim more and 
 more, and that the number of his fervants 
 may increafe continually. Bat to pray for 
 this is not enough ; we cannot indeed pray 
 for it with any fmcerity, unlefs we ufe our 
 beft endeavours to accomplifh thefe pious 
 
 wimes. 
 
 Setting afide the injudicious, inhuman, 
 and infamous methods, by which too many 
 have pretended to do God fervice, we (hall 
 find that there remain only the following 
 
 ways 
 
( 144 ) 
 ways by which we may promote the en- 
 largement of our Lord's kingdom; and they 
 are ways in which every Chriftian, more or 
 lefs, is capable of performing his part. 
 
 Firft, an endeavour to understand the 
 Gofpel, that we may be able to teach thofe 
 who are committed to our care and placed 
 under our authority > to remove the doubts 
 of the unftable ; to difpel the errors of the 
 miftaken ; and to anfwer the obje<ftions of 
 adverfaries. 
 
 Secondly, a readinefs to countenance and 
 affift any attempt which is made to propa- 
 gate the Gofpel, or to inftrucft the young, 
 the poor, and the ignorant, when we have 
 reafon to hope that they fliall be inftrudted 
 in the religion of Chrift, not in fanaticifm 
 and enthufiafm. 
 
 Thirdly, a difpofition to think and fpeak 
 favourably of thofe who believe in the fame 
 Lord and Mafter with us, though their be- 
 lief be not exactly conformable to ours, efpe- 
 cially when they think and fpeak favourably 
 of us. 
 
 Fourthly, rational notions of the Gofpel, 
 which will teach us to reprefent it as a reli- 
 gion 
 
( 145 ) 
 
 gion in which all things * neceffary to be 
 believed or done are delivered with fufficient 
 clearnefs, as a religion which confifts prin- 
 cipally in purity of heart, in morality^ in 
 goodnefs, in righteoufnefs, in the love of 
 God and of mankind, as a religion in which 
 charity takes the upper hand of faith, and 
 hope and knowledge, and is the moft ex- 
 cellent of all accomplishments. 
 
 Laftly, a life conformable to the religion 
 which we profefs, which would do more to- 
 wards recommending our Chriftian faith to 
 the bulk of mankind, than all that we can 
 
 * Ti*fl&ty JmyKcux cTJtAif Chryfoft. Horn. 36. in I. ad 
 Cor. 
 
 Non muhum tibi nocebit tranfiflc quae nee licet fcire, 
 nee prodeft. Involuta Veritas in alto latet. "Necdema- 
 lignitate Naturae queri pofTumus : quia nullius rei difficilis 
 ihventio eft, nifi cujus hie unus invents fructus eft, invenifle. 
 Quicquid nos meliores beatofque fafturum eft, aut in aperto, 
 awt in proximo poiait. Seneca de Benef. VII. 1 . 
 
 Ne curiofus quaere cauffas omnium, 
 Quaecunque libris vis Propjjetarum indidit 
 Afflata coelo, plena veraci L>eo r 
 Nee operta facri fupparo filentii 
 Irrumpere aude, fed prudenter pra^eri* 
 Nefcire vclle, quae Magifter optimus 
 Docere non vult, erudita infeitia eft. 
 Jof. Scaliger. 
 
 See Whitby on J£ts viii. zn Tit. i. 2-' 
 
 L % 
 
( 146 ) 
 
 fay in behalf of it. The want of this has 
 been an impediment to the progrefs of 
 Chriftianity, a fcandal and a ftumbling- 
 block in the way of unbelievers. 
 
 They objeft to us that fince we fay and 
 do not, either our religion is impracticable, 
 or we believe nothing of it, and by our be- 
 haviour acknowledge it to be falfe. 
 
 To which we might make more than one 
 reply; 
 
 We might fay that the heart and the un- 
 derftanding of man are frequently at vari- 
 ance, that he often a<5ts contrary to his 
 judgment and confcience $ and therefore it 
 muft not be haftily concluded that he re- 
 jects the dodtrines which he does not prac- 
 tife. 
 
 We might fay that every age which has 
 pafs'd fince our Saviour's time, efpecially 
 the earlieft ages of the Church, has afforded 
 eminent examples of Chriftian piety. 
 
 We might fay that religion is what it is 
 in itfelf ; muft fland, if it ftands, by its own 
 intrinfic merit, and by the evidence which 
 accompanies itj that its truth and value is no 
 more leffened by the ill ufe which men 
 
 make 
 
f *47 ) 
 
 make of it, than the fun ceafes to (tiincs 
 when we fhut our eyes to his beams. 
 
 We might fay that Chriftianity, though 
 it has not all the happy effects which were 
 to be wifhed, yet prevents and reftrains ma- 
 ny evils, and is the caufe of much good in 
 the world, as we have already fhewed in fe- 
 feveral inftances. 
 
 But the beft anfwer of all would be to for- 
 fake our fins and amend our ways ; and then 
 our good actions would fpeak for us, and 
 wipe off this imputation caft upon our faith 
 and our religion. 
 
 It was a Angular honour and advantage to 
 the caufe of Chriftianity that its * ancient 
 Writers, in their apologies for it, could ad- 
 drefs themfelves to the Romans in fuch 
 words as thefe -, We are grown fo many in 
 number, that if we were only to withdraw 
 our felves from your dominions, we fhould 
 ruin you, you could not fuhfift without us. 
 Yet is our innocence as remarkable as our 
 increafe. Your jayls fwarm with criminals 
 of your own religion : but you fhall not find 
 there one Chriftian, unlefs he be there be* 
 
 * Tertullian, Minucius Felix, &c\ 
 
 L 2 caufe 
 
( 148 ) 
 
 caufe he is Chriftian, and purely on account 
 of his faith. 
 
 Every one who believes theGofpel, fhould 
 confider himfelf as a fubjeft of Chrift's 
 kingdom, and remember that he is not ad- 
 mitted into it to provide only for his own 
 future welfare, and to negledt the intereft of 
 the fociety to which he belongs. He mould 
 account it his duty, his honour, and his 
 happinefs, to increafe the number of his 
 fellow-fubje&s ; and to this purpofe he mould 
 be ready to employ his reputation ^ his learn- 
 ing, his abilities, his authority, and his for- 
 tunes. To turn men from fin to righteouf- 
 nefs, and to enlarge the kingdom of God 
 upon earth, is an office of fuch dignity and 
 importance, that our Lord defcended from 
 heaven to execute it; and blefled is that 
 fervant, whom, when he cometh, he mall 
 find to be, or to have been fo occupied. 
 
 IV, 
 
( 149 ) 
 
 IV. 
 
 The Jitnefs of the time when Chrijl 
 ca,7ne into the world. 
 
 THERE are many prophefies in the 
 Old Teftament relating to the Mef- 
 lias, fome of which point out a certain time 
 in which he fhould appear. 
 
 It was foretold by * Haggai and by Ma- 
 lachi that he fhould come whilft the temple 
 flood. It was foretold by Daniel that the 
 kingdom of the Meffias fhould be fet up in 
 the time of the fourth kingdom, whigh was 
 
 * ii. 9. 
 
 It may be objedled that Chrift came not whilft the fecond 
 temple itood, but after the third temple had been built by 
 Herod, and that confequently the prophecy of Haggai was 
 not accomplished in him. But the Jews always accounted 
 Herod's temple as the fecond temple, and always called it fo j 
 and what Herod did, might well be deemed rather a repair- 
 ing and improving of the fecond temple, than the building 
 of a third, becaufe the daily facrifiee and the fervice of the 
 temple never ceafed during the work, nor was it taken down 
 all at once. See the Commentators on Jofephus Ant. XV. 11. 
 Sett. 2. 3. and Grotius on Matt. xxiv. 1. and on Ma; 
 mcb. 'in. 1. and Le Qlerc Hift. Eccl. p. 197. 
 
 L 3 the 
 
( *5° ) 
 
 the Roman Empire, and that he fhould ap-? 
 pear about four hundred and ninety years 
 after the rebuilding o£Jerufalem> 
 
 Thefe prophefies were accomplished in 
 our Saviour, who honoured the temple with 
 his prefence, after whofe death and accord- 
 ing to whofe prediction that temple was en- 
 tirely deftroyed, the Jewijh Government 
 was diffolved, and a difperfion of that peo^ 
 pie enfued which ftill continues. 
 
 At the time of his appearance there was a 
 general expectation amongfl: the Jews of a 
 Meffias. In the New Teftament mention is 
 rnade of perfons who waited for the confo- 
 Jation of Ifrael> who looked for redemption 
 in Jeriifakm, who thought that the king- 
 dom of God , or of the Meffias, fhould 
 immediately appear. We find that it was 
 the judgment of the learned alfo, of the 
 chief priefts and fcribes. When John the 
 Baptift entered into his miniftry, the Jews 
 fent priefts and Levites to ask him whether 
 he were the Chrift. 
 
 Herod was alarmed * at the coming of 
 the wife men, he enquired of the learned 
 
 Jews 
 
 * St. Matthew fays that at the birth of Jefus, Keroditv?.- 
 troubkd, i]aeJ-X^> and all Jem/ahm with him, ij. 3. To 
 
 which 
 
( *5* ) 
 
 Jews where Chrift fhould be born, and 
 hearing that it fhould be at Bethlehem, he 
 deftroyed all the male children there under 
 
 which the Author of the Scheme of Lit. Proph. objects ; How 
 could all ferufalem be troubled to hear their MeJJiah, or deli- 
 verer was born ; when the Jews at all times hoped and de- 
 fired to fee him? Sec. p. 35. 
 
 Herod and his friends, and all the irreligious Jews, when 
 they heard that the Mefiias was come, ^d^yfrmav, were 
 moved, with grief and fear. The reft of the Jews, who 
 wi(hed for the Meffias, l']a.^^»ffctv, were moved with an 
 anxiety made up of hopes, and fears, and uncertainty, and 
 expectation. All therefore were put into a commotion, and 
 Jiad their apprehenfions and uneafmefs, but in fome they 
 were mixed with hope and joy, 
 
 Phsedo, in the Dialogue of Plato which bears his name, 
 thus defcribes the painful pleafure which he felt whilft he 
 
 was converfing with Socrates for the laft time cX\ % 
 
 arzyycoi c/.tott'ov It y.ot t«9©- 7rct$y, kcu Its dvQiii n^ea 
 aTrolz 7nc n,Povn$ <rvyx.ix,e$.y.'%vn o//» ^ th$ Ai/th?, kv$u- 
 yxiAvoi oil dv\iK& laelvQ- £//«AAs IiM'jtclv. )y ircttlis 01 
 
 Tra&vlss %}Mv It urn <Pizk&[jliQ&, ^ avtoc 'iyayi 
 
 €T6TCLpctyU7IV> ^ °i ahhoi' Sed affeclus quidam plane 
 mirus, atque infolita voluptatis Jimul et doloris permixtio me 
 invaferat confiderantem illi paullo pofi moriendum effe. Et 
 quicumque aderamus fimiliter ferme affecli eratnus, ■ » 
 
 atque ipfe alii que pert ur bat i eramus. 
 
 Fix fum apud me, ita animus commotust metu, 
 Spc, gaudio, mirando hoc tanto tarn repentino bono. 
 
 Terent. Andr. V. 4. 
 *— animo fpem titrbidus baufit inanem. 
 
 Virgil JEn*. X. 648. 
 
 £, 4 Eiuz ! 
 
( r 5 2 ) 
 
 a certain age, hoping to cut off the Meffias. 
 He is charged by * fome, but it feems to 
 be a miftake, with burning the genealogies 
 of all the jfew[/h families, that the lineage 
 of David, from whom the Meffias was to 
 fpring, might be unknown ; and it has been 
 faid that he undertook to rebuild the tem- 
 ple, becaufe it was thought that the Meffias 
 would perform that work. 
 
 A great number of impoftors, falfe Chrifts 
 and falfe prophets, taking advantage of this 
 prevailing opinion, endeavoured to impofe 
 upon the Jews. Many, of thefe deceivers 
 appeared from the days of Herod, the great 
 to the definition oijeriifalem. 
 
 Amongft *f the Romans alfo, and in the 
 -Eaftern parts of the world there was an 
 opinion that fome extraordinary perfon 
 mould arife and rule the earth, which 
 
 Euae ! recenti mens trepidat metu> 
 Plenoque Baccbi peRore turbidum 
 Latatur. 
 
 Horat. Carm. II. 19. 
 Spejque, cudaxque una met us, et f duct a fallens. 
 
 Statius Tkeb. VI. 395. 
 &c. &c. &c. 
 * EufektHs E. H, 1.7. 
 1 yofepbus Bell. Jud. VI. 5. Tacitus. Suetonius. 
 
 earthy 
 
( 153 ) 
 
 rnuft have come in all probability from the 
 yews. 
 
 The Samaritans hated the Jews (o much 
 that they cannot well be thought to have 
 borrowed the hopes of a Meffias from that 
 nation. That they entertained fuch hopes 
 we read in the New Teftament; which 
 is alfo confirmed by the attempts of Sir 
 mon Magus , and other Samaritan im* 
 poftors. 
 
 Concerning the fitnefs of the time when 
 Chrift came into the world, the holy Scrip- 
 tures fay little ; and we can only offer con- 
 jectures, which ought to have no more of 
 authority than they are found upon exami- 
 nation to have of probability. 
 
 i , Our Lord came when men had been 
 prepared by a long feries of prophefies to 
 expeft and receive him. 
 
 The promifes of a Meffias were at firft 
 more obfcure, and as the time of his coming 
 drew near, more plain; and during the long 
 interval between Adam and Malachi, diffe- 
 rent predictions concerning the perfon and 
 the offices and the fufferings and the pros- 
 perity of the Meffias were delivered, which 
 
 contained 
 
( *54 ) 
 
 contained many things feemingly irrecon^ 
 cileable, and yet accomplifhed in Chrifl. 
 
 As the knowledge of thefe predictions 
 was in a manner confined to the Jewijh 
 nation, it plea fed God to make their reli- 
 gion * more known when the time of 
 ChrifVs appearing drew near. Before his 
 coming the Old Teftament was tranflated 
 into the Greek language, a language -j- then, 
 and long afterwards, the moft univerfally 
 underftood, whereby the J Gentiles had ac- 
 
 cefs 
 
 * Eufebius endeavours to prove that the Gentiles were in- 
 debted to the Jews on many accounts, Eccl. Hift. I. 2. & 
 Prap. E<u. 
 
 ■f It is certain that the Romans took pains to propagate 
 their language, and to eftablifh its fuperior dignity, of which 
 good proofs are collected by Bayle, Difiion. Claude, 
 p. 897. But in the time of Chrifl: and his Apoftles, Greek 
 was really the univerfal language. The New Teftament is a 
 proof it, if proof were wanting ; and this is one reafon, 
 amongft others, which may be given why St. Matthew pro- 
 bably wrote his Gofpel in Greek. The Epiftle to the He- 
 brews was compofed in Greek, though it was written to 
 Jews dwelling in Judaa and Pal^fine. Gneca ieguntur in 
 omnibus fere gentibus : Latina fuis finibus, exiguis fane, con- 
 tinentur. Cicero Orat. pro Arch. Quamdiu Jieterit aut La- 
 tina: Ungues potentia, aut Graca: gratia. Seneca Conf. ad 
 Pofyb. 21. 
 
 % But it mufl be owned that the Scriptures, even after 
 ibis tranflation, were little known to many ©f the Genm 
 
 tilts 
 
( *#S ) 
 
 cefs to facred hiftory and to the prophetic 
 writings ; and it appears from the books of 
 the New Teftament, and from other wri<- 
 ters, that many profelytes had learned of the 
 "Jews to worfhip one God and to obey the 
 moral parts of the Law of Mofes, and that 
 ftich perfons were to be found in moft nati- 
 ons of the known world. 
 
 2. Chrift came when the Jews wanted 
 the Meflias as an inftrudlor. 
 
 The Jews, who from the time of Mofes 
 to Malachi were feldom without a prophet, 
 had none, as far as we can find, from the 
 days of Malachi to the coming of our Savir- 
 our. The prophets ufed to be fent to them 
 to reprove them for their faults, to require 
 from them an obfervance of the laws of Ma- 
 fes y and to foretel the Meffias : but the wri-, 
 tings of the prophets were in their hands, 
 and conftantly read , and ferved for thefe 
 purpofes as much as any new meflenger 
 could have ferved, unlefs he had been one 
 of fuperior authority to his predecefTors. The 
 
 tiles for a confiderable time. Greek and Roman hiftorians, 
 as Diodorus Siculus, Trogus Pompeius who is abridged by 
 Jujiin, Strabo, Tacitus, and others Teem to have been igno- 
 rant of Je<wijh Antiquities. 
 
 Jews 
 
( 156 ) 
 
 Jews wanted no * new prophefies concern** 
 ing the Meflias; they faw him promifed, as 
 they thought, clearly in many places of the 
 facred Books. There was as little occafion 
 for one who mould prefs upon them an ad- 
 herence to the ritual Law ; they obferved it 
 carefully, or rather fuperftitioufly : but of 
 two things they particularly flood in need, 
 firft, of inftru&ion in the true nature of the 
 ceremonial law; fecondly, of receiving fuller 
 affurances of a future ftate. The ceremonial 
 law was given to the Jews, partly in conde- 
 fcenfion to their temper and capacities, and 
 partly to keep them feparated from the vices 
 and idolatries of the Heathen. But their 
 wrong opinions of it were attended with bad 
 conferences: they efteemed it at too high 
 a rate; they defpifed the Gentiles, and 
 thought them excluded, in a great meafure, 
 from the favour of God, not fo much for 
 their vices, as becaufe they were legally 
 impure, and obferved not the Mofaic rites; 
 and confequently they entertained unfuitable 
 notions of God and of morality. But the 
 time was now approaching when their cere- 
 monial law would be almoft impracticable, 
 
 f See Lc Clerc de r Incred. P. II. c. 7. 
 
 when 
 
( i57 ) 
 
 when the Romans would deprive them of 
 thofe fmall remains of liberty which they 
 pofleffed, would deftroy their temple, drive 
 them out of their land, and difperfe them 
 into all nations. It was therefore neceflary 
 that they fhould be taught that their cere- 
 monies were no longer of importance, that 
 Go&was no refpedter of perfons, and that 
 all good men were his children, that a Jew 
 might perform his duty in another country 
 as well as in Judcea, that he might converfe 
 indifferently and freely with all the fober and 
 virtuous, that he ought to think himfelf a 
 citizen of the world, account every man his 
 * neighbour, and love him as fuch. 
 
 The doctrine of a future ftate had not 
 been delivered in a full, clear, and fatisfa&o- 
 ry manner in the Law or in the prophets. 
 The Sadducees rejected it, fuppofing it not to 
 
 * The doclrine of univerfal love and charity was very ne- 
 ceflary to be inculcated to Jews and Gentiles. Many Pa- 
 gans of great renown had carried the love of their country 
 to a vitious excefs, and had not fcrupled to injure and op- 
 prefs other nations that they might advance the power and 
 glory of their own. The Romans had not been free from 
 this fault ; the Lacedemonians had been fcandaloufly guilty 
 of it. See flutarco in AgefiL et Alcibiad. Ibucydides L. V- 
 and Grotiui de Jure B, Proleg. 3. -2 3. 24, 
 
 be 
 
( 158 ) 
 
 be contained in the facred books $ and the 
 Pharifees and * EJ/enes who admitted it* 
 founded their belief upon confequences 
 drawn from fome expreffions in Scripture* 
 upon tradition, and upon fuch arguments as 
 their reafon fuggefted, and had mixed toge- 
 ther fome true and fome falfe notions about 
 it. The exprefs promifes made in the law 
 to the righteous were of temporal good 
 things, and thefe promifes began to be lefs 
 and lefs fulfilled, to the difappointment of 
 many pious perfons who knew not hoW ta> 
 reconcile thefe ways of providence with the 
 holy Scriptures. It was therefore expedient 
 that they mould be taught by the Meffias, 
 that as the. Jewijh commonwealth with its 
 political and ceremonial laws would foon 
 ceafe, God interpofed no longer in their be- 
 half, but invited the Jews and the reft of 
 mankind to a more fublime and fpiritual re- 
 ligion, and would beftow upon his fervants 
 a recompenfe infinitely furpaffing all that this 
 unhappy world can beftow. 
 
 3. About the time of Chrift's coming, re- 
 ligion and morality were univerfally cor- 
 
 * EJfenes & Tberapeut* ; men who feem to have been but 
 one remove from thofe, who, by the Roman laws, were ad 
 agnatos et gentiles deducendi. 
 
 rupted 
 
( »59 ) 
 
 rupted and greatly wanted reformation.' 
 The Jewi/h Church was overrun with error 
 and fuperftition : the precepts of God, and 
 the rules of equity and common fenfe gave 
 place to dodlrines of men, to traditions con- 
 trary to them both. The moft conllderable 
 and the moft learned were thofe who were 
 the moft depraved in their opinions, and in 
 their pradtice, and they who fhould have 
 taught the truth to others were blind guides 
 deluding thofe who relied upon them. 
 
 We may judge of the ftate of the Gentile 
 world at that time by the ftate of that confi- 
 derable part of it which belonged to the 
 Roman Empire. Public fpirit, a love of 
 their country, difintereftednefs, frugality, 
 ibbriety, a defire of reputation, and a con- 
 tempt of wealth had contributed to make 
 the Romans great ■, but their fucceffes proved 
 their undoing, and their national good qua- 
 lities forfook them : their power ftill conti- 
 nued, nor could it be foon deftroyed, but 
 the remains of virtue and their liberty fell 
 together: they learned the vices of thofe 
 whom they had conquered, and taught 
 them theirs in exchange. Such was the 
 condition of the Gentile world when our 
 
 Lord 
 
( i6o j 
 
 Lord fent forth his Apoftles to inftrudt and 
 reform them. 
 
 4. Though the Heathen were then great- 
 ly corrupted in their lives, yet knowledge 
 was confiderably increafed, and upon this 
 account it was a proper feafon for our Lord 
 to appear. Truth and learning are friends ; 
 error and impofture flourifh under the pro- 
 tection of Ignorance. When the Gofpel 
 was offered to mankind, the teachers of it 
 had adverfaries who wanted neither inclina- 
 tion nor abilities to oppofe it. To make its 
 way at fuch a time, and to bring over not 
 only the lower fort of people, but alfo fome 
 of the learned who turned its own weapons 
 againft Pagamfm, this was an honour to the 
 Chriftian religion, and one proof of its 
 truth. 
 
 5. At the time when our Lord came, the 
 infufficiency of the Jewijh religion, of natu- 
 ral religion, of ancient tradition, and of 
 philofophy fully appeared. 
 
 The Jewi/h * religion was never defigned 
 to be univerfal or perpetual ; it had alfo 
 
 * Eufebius obferves 071 Mve'ws vlpot p'ovy *I«f/«W 
 fiW Demonjlr. Ev. I 1. 
 
 other 
 
( 161 ) 
 
 Other defeats which appeared the plainer 
 when it was compared with the Chriftiari 
 
 religion. 
 
 The author of the Epirtle to the Hebrews 
 fhews at large that the Chriftkn inftitution 
 ought to take place of the Mofaic, upon ac«> 
 count of the comparative weaknefs and un^ 
 profitablenefs of the firft covenant. 
 
 The infufficiency of the Jewijb revelation 
 appeared alfo in fome meafure from that 
 general corruption which had overrun it, of 
 which mention has been already made. 
 
 Concerning the infufficieney of natural re- 
 ligion we may obferve, that finee natural re- 
 ligion Gonfifts of thofe duties which human 
 reafon can difcover, reafon and natural reli- 
 gion may here be confidered as one and the 
 fame thing. There have been many dis- 
 putes about the fufficiency or infufficieney of 
 human reafon. Human reafon feems to 
 have its fufficiency in one fenfe, and its in- 
 fufficieney in another, The fufficiency of 
 human reafon is this, that every man may 
 find out as much as God requires from him* 
 Men according to the place and age in which 
 they live, the opportunities and the natural 
 abilities conferred upon them, muft differ 
 M extremely 
 
( ifi* ) 
 
 extremely in knowledge ; but every one 
 may know all that God expeds of him, 
 which is, that he fhould adt according to his 
 knowledge, and that he fhould know con- 
 cerning his duty what he can learn by in- 
 forming himfelf to the beft of his power. 
 
 The infufficiency of human reafon or na- 
 tural religion conlifted in this : Religion was 
 fo corrupted by fables and forgeries, and fo 
 obfeured by the doubts and difputes of the 
 learned, that it lay buried under falfhood 
 and uncertainty, and was not to be retrieved 
 without great difficulty. 
 
 And, if we may judge of the powers of 
 reafon by the difcoveries of this kind which 
 reafon has ever made, we fhall find that 
 though feveral perfons determined juftly on 
 feveral moral fubjedts, yet there was not one 
 of them who did not fall into fome miflakes 
 in matters of morality and of religion. 
 
 Concerning the infufficiency of tradition, 
 we may obferve that religion, as it flood in 
 the heathen world, was not barely the refult 
 of reafoning; but that a corfiderable part of 
 it was made up of truths received by tradi- 
 tion from the remoteft antiquity. Before 
 learning flourifhed, before the arts of difpu- 
 
 ting 
 
( *t>3 ) 
 
 ting were cultivated, the general opiniori 
 was that one God and Father of all had 
 formed the univerfe, and that the foul fub- 
 Med after it had left the body, and was 
 happy or unhappy according to its pafi be- 
 haviour. Thefe notions were fo early that 
 the origin of them could never be difcover- 
 ed. But as the Gentiles were at a lofs to 
 know whence thefe traditions arofe, fo nei- 
 ther did they receive them pure and un- 
 mixed* nor could they reftore them to their 
 natural fimplicity ; by length of time they 
 were debafed, darkned with lies and fables,; 
 and therefore grew infufficient for religious 
 purpofes* and became weak incitements to 
 virtue. 
 
 When natural religion and tradition were 
 thus corrupted, there remained only one 
 human method of retrieving them, and that 
 ivas philofophy. This method had been 
 tried, and was found deficient. 
 
 For the philofophers themfelves were not 
 free from grofs miftakes, from many defe&s 
 both in principles * and practice, Befides 3 
 
 the 
 
 * Grotim on Rom. i. 32= mentions the pernicious do&rines 
 
 4f fome philofophers. Some of them had loofe notions 
 
 M i concerning 
 
( i64) 
 
 the corruption was too general to be cured 
 by philofophy which was not calculated for 
 the benefit of the common people, nor '* un- 
 derftood by them. Add to this, that thofe 
 learned moralifts ufed to recommend virtue 
 from its natural beauty and decency, -j- and 
 to infift chiefly on this motive, which 
 though it may weigh much with fome well 
 difpofed minds, yet muft have little influ- 
 ence upon the bulk of mankind, who will 
 not be moved, unlefs their fears or their 
 hopes be ftrongly affedled. 
 
 The philofophers by their endlefs J dis- 
 putes and diviflons darkned many truths, 
 
 concerning the lawfulnefs of lying, and of fornication. 
 Whitby on Ephef. iv. 25. v. 6. Thejf. i. iv. 5. Grotius on 
 Afts xv. 20. As to practice, fee what Cicero (ays of them, 
 Tufc. Difp. II. 4. and the writer of the Clement. Homil. V. 
 iS. and Grotius de Ver. R. C. II. 18. and Whitby on 
 Thef i. ii. 9. 
 
 * Horace tells us that his father ufed to fay to him ; 
 — — — Sapiens vitatu quidque petitu 
 Sit melius, caujfas reddet tibi : mifatis eji, ft 
 Traditum ab antiquis morem ferware, tuamque 
 Dum eujiodis eges, «vitamfamamque tueri 
 Incolumem pojjim. Serm. I. 4. 
 The reafonings of the Philofophers were jargon to this 
 plain honeft man ; but he thought right to follow whatfo- 
 ever things were of good report. 
 
 f See Mi/cell Obferv. Vol. I. p. 33. 
 J Nimium altercanda 'Veritas amittitur 
 
 In Publii Syri Ssntent. 
 
 and 
 
(i*5 ) 
 
 and taught nothing fo effectually as doubt 
 and fufpence. Inftead of oppofing the vul- 
 gar fuperftitions, they often complied with 
 them, and outwardly conformed to the efta- 
 blifhed religions. Thefe and other difad- 
 vantages under which philofophy laboured, 
 fhew that it had little effedt towards a re- 
 formation of fentiments and manners. 
 What it could do, it had done before the 
 coming of Chrift. It had been tried, and 
 it had been found inefficient. 
 
 6. Laftly, when our Lord came, * the 
 moft civilized and the moft populous parts 
 of Europe and Ajia were under one govern- 
 ment, and ruled by common laws which in 
 the main were juft and good, the times were 
 more quiet and happy than they had been, 
 commerce flouriflied, and travelling was 
 made eafy and fafe ; and this ftate of things 
 contributed much to the fpeedy propagation 
 of the Gofpel. 
 
 * 'AviJ&te $ b> reus nui&t aV)s ftKeuoffuvn, x} vh^- 
 0©- &$vm yiyovev, d&duivov attq Ttfc yiv'wivs avVt 
 
 h & yivifleu *\Zv 'Papcttuv Cct<rth'icf fy pri, ft* V «*&' 
 qo/th 7«v TTohh&v ficurtheitov apHtlov 1®v \Mv **efc * A ~ 
 hnhct, y^cthiTtoJi^v yiviflcu 701s throsohots t« *lw* ra 
 wm&i %m% ny<r'<i\<x£iv dvjoif. Origen. contr. Cels. II. p. 79 
 
 M 3 V. The 
 
( i66) 
 
 V. 
 e fbe teftimony of John the Baptift. 
 
 OUR Saviour in his difcourfes with 
 the Jews and with his difciples made 
 ufe of four proofs, to {hew that he was fent 
 from God. 
 
 ' The firft, upon which he plainly lays 
 the greateft ftrefs, was taken from the mi- 
 racles which he wrought. The works which 
 I do bear witnefs of me, that the Father hath 
 fent me. If I had not done among them the 
 works which no other mem did, they had not 
 bad fin. 
 
 The fecond was taken from the prophe- 
 fies which were fulfilled in him. * If ye 
 had believed Mofes, ye would have believed 
 
 * Our Saviour and his Apoftles often aflure us that all the 
 prophets, whofe writings are contained in the Old Tefta- 
 ment, have fpoken of the coming of the MefTias ; and upon 
 this, though not upon this either fingly or chiefly, is founded 
 ;he truth of our religion ; for it ftands in need of no proofs 
 of. its divinity from the Old Teflament^ which feems to re- 
 ceive 
 
( i6 7 ) 
 
 me, for he wrote of me. Search the Scrip- 
 tures '-'for they teflify of me. 
 
 The 
 
 ceive more confirmation from the Gofpel, than the Gofpel 
 receives thence, * 
 
 The prophefies in general were fo delivered that they 
 mould not be underftood till the event explained them, for 
 which many reafons might be affigned. Hence it comes to 
 pafs that after they have been all fulfilled in Chrift, and by 
 being compared together have given much light and ftrength 
 to each other, ftill many of them, confidered by themfelves, 
 are not fo irrefiftibly evident as to force an aflent from flub- 
 born minds, and room is left for contradiction, doubt or 
 cavil. Some of them are more obfcure and ambiguous,, 
 fome more full and clear. It is reafonable to fuppofe that 
 as the time of Chrift's coming drew nearer, the predictions 
 concerning him mould be more diftincl and plain ; and fo 
 indeed they are. 
 
 Qrotius allows that there are texts in the Prophets who 
 lived after the captivity, which relate directly and folely to 
 Jefus Chrift. His acknowledgment of this is of the more 
 weight, becaufe he cannot be charged with wrefting the 
 Scriptures to that purpofe, and has been blamed for ex- 
 plaining away fome prophefies which Chriftians apply to 
 Chrift. Chriftus, fays he, ut jam appropinquans, apertius a 
 Prophet is indicatus efl. Hebr. viii. 8. 
 
 That Chrift was foretold by the prophets, may be mewed, 
 I think, without an accurate difcuflion of fmgle texts. 
 
 There are it may be a hundred different pafTages in the 
 Old Teftament relating to fome perfon, whofoever he be, 
 one or more, and to certain confiderable changes which 
 fhould happen in the world. Chriftians fay that they relate 
 to Chrift, and fome of them are produced in thefe Dif- 
 Sourfes. He who would fee more, may confult Fabriciu s 
 
 M 4 *> e 
 
( i68 ) 
 
 The third was his foreknowledge of fu-? 
 ture events. Now I tell you before it come y 
 that when it is come to pafs, ye may believe 
 that I am he. 
 
 The fourth was the teftimony pi 'John the 
 Baptift, concerning which our Saviour thus 
 reafons with the Jews : If I bear witnefs of 
 my felf if I produce no proof of my divine 
 miffion befides a bare affirmation of it, my 
 witnefs is not true> and I deferve to be re- 
 jected. 
 
 There is another that beareth witnefs of 
 me, namely John the Baptift , and that he 
 
 De Ver. Chr. Rel. p. 569. & Huet Dem. Ev. Prop. VIL 
 Hifiory, facred and profane, ancient and modern, will 
 furnifh us with a variety of herpes, kings, warriors, 
 philofophers, and illuftrious perfons. If we endeavour to 
 apply thefe paffages in the Old Teftament to any one of 
 thefe great men, for example, to Judas Maccab&uj, 
 to Confucius, to Socrates, to Scion, to Numa, to Sci- 
 fio Africanus, to Augufius Cafar, &c. we immediately fee 
 that it is a vain attempt, that three fourths of them are no 
 ways fuitable to his character and his deeds, and that it is 
 cafy to felect many fmgle ones amongft them which cannot 
 poffibly be adapted to him. If we apply them to Chrift 
 a«d to. the religion eftablimed by him, a furprifing corre- 
 spondence immediately appears. 
 
 To afcribe thefe coincidences to chance, it is to give a 
 very poor and unfatisfa&ory account of them. He who 
 can believe that chance produced them 3 ought net to object 
 credulity to Chriftians, 
 
 teftified 
 
( i6 9 ) 
 
 teftified of me ye know ; for, Ye fent unto 
 John, and he bare witnefs of the truth. But 
 1 receive not tefiimony from man, I ftand in 
 no need of the witnefs of John, or of any 
 other man. 
 
 I put you in mind of it, becaufe, He was 
 a burning and a Jhining light, and ye were 
 willing for a feafon to rejoyce in his light. 
 You ufed to acknowledge him to be a pro- 
 phet and a righteous man $ and therefore I 
 infift upon his tefiimony, hoping that it 
 may have fome good efFedt upon you. 
 
 But I have greater witnefs than that of 
 John, for the works which the Father hath 
 given me to finifh, the fame works that I do, 
 bear witnefs of me, that the Father hath fent 
 me. 
 
 This proof taken from the teftimony of 
 John, though our Lord fpeaks, in a manner, 
 Slightingly of it, when he compares it to 
 the proof drawn from his own miracles, yet 
 was an argument of particular force to the 
 Jews, and could not fail to convince or to 
 confound them : for as we read in another 
 place, they durft not openly fpeak againft 
 John, becaufe the people generally had him 
 in efteem, and thought him a prophet. A 
 
 proof 
 
t( *7° ) 
 
 proof therefore from his teftimony would 
 either remove their doubts, or reduce them 
 to filence. 
 
 But that the argument, confidered in it 
 felf, is fatisfaftory, I fhall endeavour to fhew 
 in the fo lowing manner. 
 
 I. I will lay before you the teftimony 
 which John bare of Jefus Chrift. 
 
 II. I will give you fome account of the 
 life and charafter of John. 
 
 III. I will thence fhew that he is an un- 
 exceptionable witnefs, 
 
 IV. I will endeavour to remove an ob- 
 jection which may be made to his teftimony. 
 
 I. I will lay before you the teftimony 
 which John bare of Jefus Chrift. 
 
 When John baptized the people, he ex- 
 horted them at the fame time to believe in 
 one who Ihould come after him, whofe 
 fervant or difciple he was not worthy to be; 
 he told them that this perfon fhould baptize 
 them with the holy Ghoft and with fire j 
 which prediction was firft accomplished at 
 Fentecoft, when Chrift fent the holy Ghoft 
 on his difciples. 
 
 When 
 
( J 7* ) 
 
 When Jefus came to be baptized, John 
 fenew him, and declined to perform that 
 office, alledging that it became not fo con- 
 fiderable a perfon to receive baptifm from 
 him. After Chrift was baptized, the holy 
 Ghoft defcended upon him, and God by ai 
 voice from heaven declared him to be his 
 beloved Son. This John faw and teftified, 
 and added that God had revealed to him 
 that this was he who fhould baptize with 
 the holy Ghoft. 
 
 When the priefts and Levites came to ask 
 John who he was, he declared that he was 
 not the Meffias, but his forerunner, and the 
 perfon foretold by Ifaias ; and he told them 
 that the Meffias was at hand, and would 
 foon manifeft himfelf. 
 
 After this John took all opportunities of 
 making Jefus known to his own difciples 
 and to the Jews. He calls him the Lamb of 
 God who taketh away the Jim of the world: 
 He' fays of him \ This is he of whom Ifpake y 
 He that cometh after me is preferred before 
 me> for he was before me ; that is, though 
 he was born after me, and enters into his 
 office after me, yet he is before me both in 
 dignity and time. 
 
 After- 
 
( i7 2 ) 
 
 Afterwards, when Jefus was baptizing 
 the Jews by his difciples, and many reforted 
 to him, the difciples of John, jealous of 
 the honour of their mailer, complained to 
 him that Jefus drew away the people to 
 himfelf, and took upon him the office of 
 baptizing them. Upon this John with great 
 fincerity and modefty declared how much 
 he was inferior to Chrift: He reminded 
 them how often he had faid that he was not 
 the Meffias, but his forerunner, he told them 
 that his office would foon expire, and that 
 Chrift, who then began to appear, mould 
 ebfeure his glory, which was to him a caufe 
 of joy, not of envy ; he told them that 
 Chrift was the beloved Son of God, fent by 
 him and receiving from him the holy Spirit 
 without meafure, to refide upon him at all 
 times, and to direct him in all things, that 
 therefore whofoever believed on him fhould 
 have everlafting life, and whofoever rejected 
 him mould not fee life, but the wrath of 
 God would abide upon him. 
 
 Thus is John the Baptift a witnefs of 
 Chrift, of his office and dignity ; he calls 
 Chrift the Son of God, and the redeemer of 
 the world, he affirms that he had a being 
 
 before 
 
( *73 ) 
 
 before he appeared on the earth, that he 
 came from God to teach men the way to 
 obtain eternal life ; he afferts that he faw the 
 Spirit defcend upon him, and heard the 
 voice from heaven which declared him the 
 Son of God. He fays that God, who had 
 fent him to baptize, had revealed to him 
 that Jefus was the Meffias, having told him 
 by what figns he might diftinguifh and 
 know him. 
 
 II. To fliew what opinion we ought to 
 entertain of John, I proceed, in the fecond 
 place, to give fome account of his life and 
 character. 
 
 The circumftances attending his birth are 
 related at large by St. Luke. I mall not re- 
 cite them at prefent, but only obferve that 
 from them it manifeftly appears that he was 
 defigned by Providence for great purpofes. 
 All men, as we are told, were aftonifhed at 
 thofe things, and great expectations were 
 raifed concerning a child fo favoured of 
 
 heaven. 
 
 One reafon why his birth was accompa- 
 nied with many extraordinary events, feems 
 
 to have been this, 
 
 Our 
 
( 174 ) 
 
 Our Lord has given an illuftrious teftl- 
 mony'to his merit, He fays that he was a 
 burning and a fhining light, that he was a 
 prophet, and more than a prophet, that 
 amongfl: thofe who were born of women 
 there had not arifen a greater than he. Yet, 
 great as he was, in this he was inferior to 
 many of the prophets, and to the difciples 
 of Chrift, that he wrought no miracles. 
 This power was withholden from him, that 
 the difference between the Meffias and his 
 forerunner might manifeftly appear, and 
 Chrift alone might poffefs that honour. 
 
 But that the Jews might not be tempted 
 to entertain any prejudice againft him, and 
 to think him an inconfiderable perfon, be- 
 caufe he wrought no miracles, other Angu- 
 lar marks of divine favour were beftowed 
 upon him : his coming was foretold by the 
 ancient prophets, and declared by an An- 
 gel, at a time when his parents were flricken 
 in years ; and other miraculous circumftan- 
 ees concurred to recommend him to the 
 efteem of the people. 
 
 He dwelt in the hill-country of Judaea, 
 in a place remote from the refort and the 
 corruption of the world* till he appeared in 
 
 his 
 
( 175 ) 
 
 fiis miniftry, and came near Jordan and Je- 
 rufalem, preaching the approach of the 
 Meffias. His life was auftere and mortified, 
 as his drefs and food fhewfcd y he came nei- 
 ther eating nor drinking, as Jefus faid of 
 him, tipon which account fome of the Pha- 
 rifees, whom no behaviour could pleafe, faid 
 that he had a devil. He flattered not the 
 yews, he fpake to them as one having au- 
 thority, he rebuked them for their faults 5 
 he exhorted them to the exercife of piety 
 towards God, of juftice and mercy in their 
 dealings with each other. * Great multi- 
 tudes came to him, confeffed their fins, and 
 
 received 
 
 * Though the fuccefs of the miniftry of John had beea 
 lefs than it was, yet might he not improperly be faid to turn 
 the hearts, &c. and qrttvrtL d7rQKa,Qtg-av 9 as he did all that 
 was necefiary for it. Verbs active fometimes fignify a de- 
 fign and endeavour to perform a thing, whether it be ac- 
 complifhed or not. See Le Clerc and Whitby on Mark ix- 
 oiz, 13. and Grotius on Thejf. II II. 4. 
 
 Non Ji trecenis, quotquot eunt dies, 
 Amice, places illacrimabilem 
 
 Plutona tauris. Horace Carm. II. 14* 
 
 That is placare tentes. 
 Ta/ibus jEneas ardent em et torn} a tuentem 
 htnibat diflii animum, /acrimafque ciebat. 
 
 Virgil fan. VI, 467. 
 
 That 
 
( i 7 6) 
 
 received baptifm of him as a fign of their re* 
 pentance; and fueh was the opinion which 
 they had of him upon account of his fan&i^ 
 ty and felf-denial, that* though he wrought 
 no miracles, they believed and acknowledged 
 him to be a prophet, and thought that pof- 
 fibly he might be the Meflias. 
 
 There were fome of the Jews who joined 
 themfelves to him, and became his difci- 
 ples. We find them mention'd in the New 
 Teftament, their frequent fafts, thejealoufy 
 which they had of Chrift, and their feafs 
 that hefhould leflen the reputation of their 
 
 mafter. 
 
 The virtue of John, too great for the age 
 in which he lived, and the efteem which the 
 people had for him, were the occafion of his 
 death. Herod \ whom he had reproved, 
 being offended at the freedom which he*had 
 taken, and probably fufpefting him on ac- 
 count of his popularity, had thoughts o£ 
 
 That is, lenire tentabat \ for his endeavour was vain. By 
 the way, torva tuentem lenibat animum is a flrange exprefiton. 
 Perhaps it fhould be animam y the fhade or ghoft of Dido. 
 
 E| 7^ <7"5 TOP flKVJOV ctVTlK ivQdcPt 
 
 Kfelvot <7TdL£crsa<, Tojirif nvvQctvoi' av «* 
 n«1j7f a Kctivav, h Tivo? ay ivQias ; 
 E* 7/* Ql kI&VOI, if any one jkould attempt to kill you. 
 Sopfocfts Oed, Col. 1 047. 
 
 killing 
 
( 177 ) 
 Rilling him •' but at the fame time he feared 
 that the people would refent itj and ftill re- 
 tained fome remains of refpecl for hirri," 
 Whilft he was thus in fufpenfe, Kaviiig pro* 
 mifed the daughter of Herodias to give her 
 any thing that flie could ask, at her requen: 
 he beheaded him. Thus the Baptifi: having 
 performed his office, died foon after Chrift 
 had begun his miniffry, God took him 
 then to himfelf, as an * ancient Chriftiari 
 writer has obferved, that the people might 
 no longer be divided between him andChrifl 5 
 but might the more readily follow the Mef- 
 Has. 
 
 The reputation of this prophet ended not 
 vrith his life ; the people continued to ho^ 
 nour his memory, in fo much that when 
 Herod had loft an army by a great overthrow^ 
 the jfews y as -f yofephzs informs us, faid 
 that it was a divine judgment, and a juft pu« 
 nifhment inflifled upon him for putting 
 yohn to death. 
 
 ^Ixdvvx Ix^is-m* y it i£cu, »rs iroffay t* tajiks* ^nv fii* 
 SiGiv bm tov X$icq</ [j{}z\Q&i' 3 )y y.HKiji tcu$ itio. du~ 
 Q?Yi$xv tavrxi ep^i&im yt*y.eur Cbryfeft. in Joan* 
 Horn. XXVIII* 
 
 f Antia. XVIII. 7. 
 
 H in i 
 
( i7» ) 
 
 III. I proceed to fhew, thirdly* diat the 
 teftimony of John the Baptift ought to be 
 received. 
 
 He affirms that he knew Jefus to be the 
 Meffias, and this knowledge he acquires 
 not by any obfervations which he had made 
 upon the life and behaviour of Chrift, nor 
 from comparing his actions with the pro- 
 phefies relating to the Meffias -, for at the 
 time that he firft gave his teftimony, Chrift 
 had not difcovered his divine miflion, and 
 was juft entering into his office ; nor does it- 
 appear that Chrift had declared any thing of 
 it to him, or any way endeavoured to per- 
 fuade him that he Was the Meffias. He is 
 not guided by conjectures, but by fure and 
 convincing evidence, by immediate divine 
 revelation, and by a voice from heaven de- 
 claring Chrift to be the Son of God. He 
 allures us that God who had feparated him 
 from his mother's womb for his own fervice, 
 and who had fent him to go before the 
 Meffias and prepare his way, had alfo difco- 
 vered to him that Chrift was that perfon. 
 
 His record therefore depends upon his 
 veracity, and his veracity appears unquefti- 
 onable. Many cjrcumftances concur to add 
 
 weight 
 
( ±79 ) 
 
 weight and authority to his teftimony, and 
 to remove all fufpicion of enthufiafm and im« 
 pofture. 
 
 For, from the obfervations which have 
 been already made on John the Baptift, on 
 the teftimony which he gave, and on the 
 manner in which he gave it, from thefe we 
 may difcover the character of a great and a 
 good man. We fee ifi him aufterity of life, 
 felf denial, contempt of the pleafures and 
 vanities of the world, an adfcive yet difcreet 
 zeal, a courage and conftancy arifing from 
 true piety, and a fincere modefty and hu- 
 mility. He flattered not the Pharifees and 
 Sadducees who came to his baptifm, but told 
 them that they were great finners ; he aflii- 
 med no honours which belonged not to him; 
 he faid lefs of himfelf than he might have 
 faid with truth, when the Jews fent meffen- 
 gers to ask him whether he were the Meffi- 
 as, or fome prophet. His difciples were 
 probably good men, but they had an im- 
 prudent regard for him, and for their own 
 credit, as they were his followers, and 
 therefore they feared that Chrifr. would draw 
 all men after him 3 and leflen the reputation 
 of their mafter j bi*t he was not to be moved 
 
 N % by 
 
( i8o } 
 
 by fuch improper motives, nor did he ce'afe 
 to bear teftimony to Chrift, and to acknow- 
 ledge his own inferiority. He was appoint- 
 ed of God to exhort and reprove with all 
 authority 5 and this office he performed to- 
 wards Hercd, though he could not be igno- 
 rant of the danger to which he expofed him- 
 felf in telling difagreeable truths to a- wicked 
 prince. By his blamelefs and upright beha- 
 viour he gained the refpedt and efteem of 
 the yews, bad as they were ; and after his 
 death, the hiftorian before named, who 
 feems to have had no temptation to be par- 
 tial to his memory, did juftice to his cha- 
 racter, and recorded his virtues, and the 
 impreffion which they made on the minds 
 of the people. 
 
 He was a man who pracTifed the aufleri- 
 ties of a mortified life, who rejected even 
 innocent pleafures, and appeared feverely 
 virtuous, who exhorted all men to righte^ 
 oufnefs, and lived fbitably to his own doc- 
 trines. He could not aft this part with a 
 view to any worldly profit, and to- enrich 
 h-imfclf: he fought no fuch advantages > and 
 if he had fought them, he would never have 
 obtained them by fuch methods, by pre- 
 tending. 
 
(i8i ) 
 
 •tending to flight them, by dwelling In the 
 wildernefs, and by exhorting men to virtues, 
 of which if he had not fet them an example, 
 he would have been greatly defpifed. No- 
 thing therefore can be thought to have in- 
 fluenced him unlefs religion^ or vanity and 
 the love of fame. If he was guided by am- 
 bition, he had reafon to be fatisfled with his 
 fuccefs : all Jerufalem was moved at his 
 preaching, and the people reforted to him, 
 receiving his inftrucUons and his baptifm, 
 and confeffing their fins. They had fo 
 great an opinion of him, that they thought 
 him certainly one fent from God; perhaps 
 one of the old prophets returned into the 
 world, perhaps the Meffias himfelf. What 
 ufe did he make of this favourable difpofi- 
 tion of the people ? He fpake of himfelf with 
 much lowlinefs and modefty, and exhorted 
 them to acknowledge Chrift as the Meffias. 
 If he had been a proud and ambitious man, 
 he would not have fet Jefus above himfelf] 
 he would at leaft have been filent, and have 
 left the Jews to judge for themfelves. 
 
 We may then affirm that he was, what 
 he feemed to be, a good man, and a lover 
 of truth -, and that he would not have de« 
 
 N 3 ceiyei 
 
( 182 ) 
 
 ceived the people in any cafe, above all, not 
 in a cafe fo important. He decided a que- 
 ft ion not of fmall confequence, but con- 
 cerning the Meffias, whom the prophets 
 had foretold, whofe coming was then ex- 
 pected, to whom the nation was bound to 
 pay obedience, who mould in fome fenfe be 
 a ruler, and a deliverer, and the founder of 
 an everlafting kingdom. If we fuppofe him 
 capable of deceiving the Jews in this affair, 
 we muft fuppofe him wicked to the highefl 
 degree, one who feared not God, nor re- 
 garded man ; who endeavoured to lead into 
 a fatal error his own nation by which he 
 was honoured and refpected. But it is un- 
 reasonable to fuppofe him guilty of fo foul a 
 crime. 
 
 We may alfo conclude that he would not 
 have born teftimony to one whom he did 
 not well know to be the Meffias, becaufe 
 common prudence would have kept him 
 from throwing away i"o foolifhly his good 
 name and reputation. The character of the 
 Meffias could not be long perfonated by the 
 moft artful impoftor. He w T as to be a 
 teacher of truth and righteoufnefs, in him 
 the prophefies were to be accompliflied, by 
 
 him 
 
( i»3 ) 
 
 him many miracles were to be performed. 
 If therefore John had diredted the Jews to a 
 falfe Meftias, to one in whom none of thefe 
 characters appeared, his fraud or his error 
 would have been difcovered, he would have 
 expofed himielf to the punifhment which 
 a falfe prophet deferved, at leaft he would 
 have loft the efteem and favour ©f the Jews, 
 and the fair and unblemifhed reputation 
 which till then he had preferved, and been 
 the objedt of their contempt and hatred. 
 Nothing can make us fufpecl that he would 
 have afted a part fo inconfiftent and extra- 
 vagant, or hinder us from believing that he 
 fpake as he was directed by the Spirit of 
 God. 
 
 Nor is it lefs evident that he adted on this 
 occafion by no motives of interefl or partia- 
 lity. It was of no advantage to him : on 
 the contrary, he faw, what his difciples 
 faw, that if Chrift were acknowledged to be 
 the Meffias, he would be no longer follow- 
 ed and admired. Nor can we fuppofe him 
 partial out of friendfhip ; for there appears 
 not to have been any intimacy between him 
 and Chrift. We may obferve that John was 
 a perfon of eminent virtue, that he had born 
 N 4 witnefs 
 
( i84) 
 
 svitnefs to Chrift, that he was related to 
 him, and that upon all thefe accounts he 
 feemed to deferve diftinguifhing marks of 
 his favour. Yet Chrift, as far as we can 
 learn from the Evangelifts, feldom con- 
 verfed with him; the reafon of which pro- 
 bably was, that the teftimony of John might 
 appear of the more weight, when none 
 could fufped him prejudiced for his friend 
 and his relation. 
 
 But dill it may be alledged againft his te- 
 ftimony, that he was an enthufiaft. Some 
 of the Jews in the days of our Saviour faid 
 that John the Baptift had loft his fenfes, be- 
 caufe they had nothing elfe to fay againft 
 him. The' accufation is groundlefs; bis 
 tiifcourfes and his reputation fufficiently con- 
 fute it ; his prophetic character proves it to 
 be falie. He foretold the appearing of the 
 Mefilas, the calamities which fhould befall 
 ihe unconverted Jews* thp death of Chrift 3 
 and the defcent of the holy Ghoft. Enthu- 
 j'iafm may make a man fancy extraordinary 
 communications with the deity, and it may 
 Jgad him to aufterities and felf-denial ; but 
 k will net enable him to declare future 
 £ vents. 
 
( 1*5 ) 
 
 IV. I fhall, in the laft place, endeavour 
 to remove an objection which may be offered 
 agairlft the teftimony of John. 
 
 It is related in the New Teftament that 
 John, when he was in prifon, hearing of 
 the miracles of Chrift, fent two of his difci- 
 ples to him, faying, Art thou he that Jhoitld 
 come y or look we for another ? Hence it may 
 be obje&ed that fince John at the. latter end 
 of his life * doubted whether Jefus were the 
 Meffias, the force of the teftimony which 
 he bare before is greatly weakned, and he 
 may be fuppofed to have changed his opi- 
 nion, and, as far as we find, to have died 
 uncertain what to think upon this affair. 
 
 In anfwer to this objection I would ob- 
 serve ; 
 
 Firft, that the Evangelifts, who have re- 
 corded the teftimony which John bare of 
 Jefus Chrift, have alfo preferved the doubt- 
 ful meffage which he fent to our Lord, and 
 which may feem to leffen the ftrength of his 
 former teftimony. This is one inftance 3 
 
 * Tertullian thinks that John really doubted, Aiven. 
 Marc ion. IV. 1 8. De Prefer. Hczret. 8. and Le Gere in- 
 clines to the fame opinion, 
 
 amongft 
 
( l8 6 } 
 
 amongft many more, of their fincerity in r e* 
 prefenting the truth without difguife. 
 
 Secondly -, John the Baptift at the begins 
 ning of his miniftry, declared that Chrift 
 was the Meffias, and afterwards, when he 
 w^s in prifon he heard of the miraculous 
 works done by Chrift, which tended to 
 confirm him in his firft opinion. If at that 
 time he began to grow doubtful,, the only 
 imaginable caufe of his doubts muft have 
 been this, that Chrift appeared not as a tem- 
 poral prince, to free him from his bonds 
 and the Jews from their fervitude. Since 
 then his doubts, if he had any, muft have 
 arifen from his wrong apprehenlions of the 
 nature of Chrift's kingdom, and of the hap- 
 pinefs which the fervants of the Meflias 
 fhould enjoy, they will never invalidate the 
 teftimony which he had fo often born to 
 Chrift, and the rev.elation made to him, 
 upon which his teftimony was founded. 
 
 Thirdly; the words of Joh?t the Baptift a 
 taken in their obvious fenfe, imply a doubt 
 whether Chrift were the Meffias - y but almoft 
 all expofitors agree in thinking that he had 
 no doubts about it, and that he fent not this 
 mefiage for his own information, becaufe 
 
 Joh?t 3 
 
( i»7 ) 
 
 John, as himfelf afferts, knew Chrift to be 
 the Meffias by divine revelation, and becaufe 
 he heard that Chrift manifefted his power by 
 miracles, and had fulfilled that part of his 
 character. They endeavour therefore to 
 affign fome other reafon why he propofed 
 this queftion to Chrift. 
 
 The moft common opinion is, that he 
 propofed it for the information of his difci- 
 ples, hoping that Chrift would fatisfy them 
 by his anfwer, and perhaps by working mi- 
 racles before them, and that they would at 
 laft lay afide their prejudices and join them- 
 felves to Chrift. 
 
 But there is another opinion, lefs followed 
 indeed, and yet more probable, which is, 
 that as the Jews in general, and the difciples 
 of Chrift, fo alfo John and his difciples ex- 
 pected a temporal reign of the Meffias, and 
 that they wondered why Jefus, who at that 
 time wrought many miracles, did not deli- 
 ver John out of the hands of his enemies. 
 
 He of all perfons feemed moft to deferve 
 fuch favour and protection. He was fepa- 
 rated from his mother's womb, and ap- 
 pointed by divine providence to be the fore- 
 runner of the Meffias, to be the laft and 
 
 the 
 
( 1 88 ) 
 
 the moft honoured of all the prophets who 
 came before Chrift ; he was fent'to bear te- 
 stimony to him, and to prepare the world 
 to receive him ; and this office he had faith- 
 fully fulfilled ; he was related to Chrift, and 
 in virtue had no fuperior amongft the Jews : 
 he was now in bonds for the fake of righte- 
 oufnefs, and his life depended upon the 
 will of a wicked prince who was exafperated 
 againft him. Being in thefe circumftances 
 and hearing of Chrift 5 s miracles, he fends 
 two difciples to him, and bids them fay z 
 Art thou he that jhould come, or look we for 
 another? In which words we may fuppofe 
 that he indirectly befought his affiftance; as 
 if he had faid : 
 
 If thou art the Meffias, why am I con- 
 fined in prifon ? why may I not enjoy with 
 thy difciples the pleafure of feeing him, 
 whofe coming I proclaimed, appear in his 
 glory ? It will caft fome reproach upon thee, 
 if thy forerunner be left to perifh. The 
 miferable find daily relief from thy miracles 5 
 add one in favour of me, and deliver me, 
 for thou canft not want power. 
 
 It is true that John was filled with the 
 • Gfaoft, and had better notions of Chrift 
 
 thai} 
 
( *8 9 > 
 
 fcn pdrhaps any of Chrift's difciples 6nt€f^ 
 tained before the reiurredion of their ma- 
 iler. This we may conclude from the 
 things which he fpake of Chrift's power and 
 dignity, and of the end for which he came 
 into the world. He calk him the Lamb of 
 God that taketh away the fms of the world, 
 which might incline us to imagine that he 
 knew Chrift mould fuffer and be a facrifice 
 for fin. But it is not improbable that tho' 
 by revelation he knew in general that Chrift 
 would fave from their fins thofe who fhould 
 believe in him, yet he knew not how he 
 would effect it ; that the particulars con- 
 cerning the fufferings and death of Chrift 
 were not difcovered to him, and that both 
 he and the prophets before him might fore- 
 tell things of the Meffias which they did not 
 fully under ftand. 
 
 Laftly; there remains another folution of 
 this difficulty to which fome may perhaps 
 give the preference. 
 
 Johriy for the reafons already mentioned, 
 could not well doubt whether the perfon, 
 whom he had baptized and to whom he had 
 born teftimonv, were the Meflias ; but be- 
 iag' in prifon, and hearing the fame of 
 
 Chrift's 
 
( i 9 o ) 
 
 thrift's miracles, he wanted to be fatisfiei 
 of two things, whether Jefus were that very 
 perfon whom he had baptized and pro- 
 claimed, and whether the rumour concern- 
 ing his miracles were true. He fends there- 
 fore his difciples, and bids them ask Chrift 
 if he were the expected Meffias, and bring 
 him an account of all that parted upon that 
 occafion, that by Chrift's anfwer and their 
 report, he might form a furer judgment. 
 
 But, whether John had or had not any 
 doubts at the time when he lent the mef* 
 fage, thus much is highly probable; that 
 after the return of his difciples, he and they 
 were fully fatisfied, firft, becaufe Chrift's 
 anfwer and miracles were fufficient to con- 
 vince any wife and good man, and fecond- 
 ly, becaufe St. Matthew relates that when 
 John was beheaded, his difciples came and 
 took up the body and buried it, and went and 
 told Jefus ; which was plainly an act of re- 
 fpect and kindnefs, and the behaviour of 
 men who entertained an honourable opinion 
 ofChrift. 
 
 VI. The 
 
( *9* ) 
 
 VI. 
 
 The Scriptures of the New TeftamenL 
 
 TH E following obfervations relate to 
 the truth, the importance, and the 
 authority of the Scriptures of the New Te - 
 ftament. 
 
 I. The books of the New Teftament 
 were written by thofe to whom they are 
 afcribed, that is, * by Apoftles, or by be- 
 lievers 
 
 ypf/<pth o>7s hiyoij-ivQ- YlotyJiv, )y » ctVoKtfAu^'? rU7?s* 
 
 f'ohuv at hiyoyX^au fi£m%ai* Pro fpurMs habendi feint 
 etiam Adas Pauli, et fiber Pafioris tltulo infcriptus, et Re<ve - 
 lutio Petri : Barnabtf item EpiftoIa t et qu& dicioitnr Ivfiitu- 
 tiones Apofiolorum. Eufebius E. H. III. 25. Where Eufe- 
 bins by the word viSon cannot pofiibly mean lefs than that 
 thefe books were of ambiguous and contefted authority. See 
 Valefius. 
 
 The Epiftle of Barnabas is extant, and is fufftciently 
 illuilrated by learned men. Perufe him. ; — — fcjhall [peak 
 for himfelf. 
 
( 192 ) 
 
 Kevers who lived and converfed with the 
 ApoftleSr Of this we have as clear proof 
 
 as 
 
 In the Apostolical Constitutions we find the 
 following paffage, VI. 24. It has pleafed God that the law 
 of righteoufiefs Jhould not only be publijhed by us, [the Apr- 
 illesj but that it Jhould be tnade confpicuous and illujirious by 
 the Romans j for they alfo believing in the Lord have for Jake 71 
 their idolatry and iniquity, and flew favour to the righteous, 
 and punijb the wicked ; but they have the Jews^r tributaries, 
 andfujfer them not to exercife their own laws and ordinances. 
 Ou (J.ovov eTs Tik ftKouofv'vns v'a[m JV iiucov k7ri<PeiKVv£rcu 
 CxAzJau, clAka. t£ Jia 'VuyLcZtuv <cv£l)U)<riv avjbv <pauv<c£cu 
 x} KcLywrw v^ ya,? >y Itoi mrivo'cLvIss cm rov Kvezov, 
 q 'TrohvBdcti dirbsma&v xj d^udttf xj t*s aytiJ&s dbrofi- 
 yovjcu, y^ T«V <piuh)ii y.o\d^aaiy 'lx^dcxs cT£ C'7ro$o$x$ 
 %y*<n, xj rots ieT/o/; <PiKffjay.a.<7iv ax \Zg.i n.iyjp\&eu* I 
 leave it to others to fettle the time when this was written. 
 
 Concerning the Shepherd of Hermas, it is obferva- 
 ble that the perfons who acl: in it are molt of them allegori- 
 cal perfons and ideal beings, fuch as appear in the Table of 
 Cebes, and in the Hercules of Prodicus Ceus, An ancient 
 Lady converfes with him, and tells him that iht is the 
 Church c'f God. Afterwards feveral virgins come and dif- 
 courfe with him, and when he wants to know who they 
 are, he is told by the Shepherd- Angel, that they are Faith, 
 Abjlinence, Patience, Chajiity, Concord, See. 
 
 There is a great conformity between Hermas and the au- 
 thor of the fecond book of Apocryphal Efdras ; for a Woman 
 converfes with Efdras, who, as trie Angel tells him, was 
 Sion, or the Jewijh Church ; and as in the fame book the 
 Woman vanifhes away, and in her place appears a City ; fo 
 in Hermas the Church is reprefented to him under the image 
 of a Tower. 
 
 The 
 
( 193 ) 
 
 as the nature of the thing can admit^ or any 
 reafonable perfon can defire, namely ths 
 
 tefti- 
 
 The Prophets fome times beheld, but it was in tranfient 
 Vifion, fuch kind of perfons. Zechariah faw Wickednefs iri 
 the fhape of a woman, ch. v. and St. John viewed Death 
 and Hades Rev. vi. 18. and the Church appearing as a wo- 
 man, Rev. xii. i. and Babylon as a harlot, Rev. xvii. 3. 
 
 It is related in Cyprian, Epift. 39. Edit. Oxon. that the 
 Church appeared in a vifion, or dream, in vifione per noclem, 
 to Celerinus, and commanded him to receive the office of 
 Reader, which he in humility had declined. Add to this 
 that St. John, in his fecond Epift. calls the Church the Eke? 
 Lady by a profopopaeia, as fome interpreters think ; but the 
 contrary opinion is more probable. 
 
 Afterwards III. 9. Hernias tells us that the Church which 
 appeared to him was the Son of God. The Apoftles repre- 
 fent Chrift as the head > the bridegroom, the husband of the 
 Church. 
 
 Hernias feems to have had fome literature, for though 
 his fubjeft did not lead him t© {hew any learning, he acci- 
 dentally difcovers a little of it. He makes the Angel fay, 
 ocrov ill cu dvjeov, co< vtWy (pfZVZS mfiBovjeu. Patr. Jpoft. 
 Ed. Cler. p. 80. The Angel alludes plainly to Homer, II. 
 
 r. 108. 
 
 Again, p. 99. he makes him fay j Vide ftillicidium, quod 
 cavat lapidem. So. Lucretius I. 
 
 Stillicidi cafus lapidem cavat. 
 But this thought is indeed very trite and obvious. 
 In the parable of the Elm and the Vine, p. 104. the kxi~ 
 jel fays; Vitis h#c, nifi Upplicita fuerit ulmo, non pot eft 
 
 O multufH 
 
( *94 ) 
 
 teftimony of all antiquity, of all the Chri- 
 
 ftian writers who lived in or near thofe 
 
 times. 
 
 II. The 
 
 tiultum fru3um facere. Jacens enim in terra, &c. which B 
 very like the fpeech of Vertumnus in 0<vid, Met. XIV. 
 Ulmus erat contra /patio/a tumentibus uvis : 
 f$uamficia po/iquam pariter cum vite probavit ; 
 At fi jiaret, ait Calebs fine palmite truncus, 
 Nil prater frondes, quare peteretur, haberet. 
 Htec quoque, qua junBa vitis requiefcit in ulmo, 
 Si non nupta foret, terra addinata jaceret. 
 
 The firft Epijlle of Clemens is in the main a good 
 piece, and not unworthy of an Apoftolical Father, though 
 it has a few fmall fpots, and poflibly, as Ednv. Bernard and 
 fome others think, a few interpolations. 
 
 The fame may be faid of the fecond Epijlle of Clemens, if 
 it be his. There is indeed a quotation at the end of it from 
 the Go [pel according to the JEgyptians, which might as well 
 have been omitted, and which perhaps was added by ano- 
 ther hand. 
 
 This Epiflle begins thus ; 'A<Pi\<pol,vTa$ JVi »«& o&vhv 
 wzd Ih0"8, us Tzei ®&, us met nexTv^uvluv ^ vul?uv ^ I 
 
 veiv fip&s y.iH& wed dvT* y y.tx.& >y i\'7ri£oy.sv ha.C£v: 
 Fratres, ita /entire nos oportet de jfe/u Chri/lo, tanquam de 
 Deo, tanquam de judice <vi<vorum et mortuorum ; nee decet nos 
 bumilia f entire de Jalute no/lrd : dum enim humiliter fentimus 
 de illo, parva etiam accepturos nos fperamus. I quote thii 
 place, becaufe it wants emendation, and fhould be corrected, 
 
 thus ; a <f e* upas fJLin^ <?&V&v <rzd t? dpwy 1? 
 
 TVS <rcd}neici< yy.uv nee decet nos humilia /entire de auctore 
 falutis no/lra. This not only makes better fenfe, and agrees 
 better with mid c£vt* which follows it, but alludes to th« 
 
 Mpt/tU 
 
( *95 ) 
 
 II. The main parts of the Chri&an reli* 
 gion, enough, I mean, to eftablifh the truth 
 of it, may be found in almoft each fingle 
 book or treatife contained in the New Te- 
 ftament. 
 
 Take any of the Gofpels, or the Ads of 
 the ApoftleSj or the * Revelation, or any 
 
 of 
 
 Epijlle to the Hebrews, of which Clemens is obferved to 
 make frequent ufe in his uncontefted Epiftle. Hebr.'n. io# 
 Toy cLfxyybv tw? ccSJtieias avrav. 
 
 The writer of this Epiftle feems, in the place which I 
 have quoted, to have had in view the Ebionites, Tr\cdyjo<; in 
 < ]&'7nHVt0$ to. TieX rk Xe*r£ £oZd?Qv]<t<;. Xirlv [xlv $ avjoif 
 ^ Koivov nyxvlo, K&id v^iLoirhv »0*s clvtq p'ovov a.vfyoo7rov 
 S , £<PtH.cuct)(/,bvov — qui bumiliter admodum et abjecle de Cbri~ 
 fto fentirent. Eum enim Jimplicem ac <vulgarem, nee aliud 
 quam bominem ejje cenfebant, qui profeclu <virtutis juftus fattus 
 fuijfet. Eufeb. E. H. III. 27. 
 
 Clemens, in his firft Epiftle, VI. p. 151. Fair. Apoft. 
 fays ; ZhA©- >y %ui <7r6hei$ piycLKcts nctris-^iv, #} gQpjj 
 (jLiydKA e£5ppi£W«j', alluding, perhaps, to Horace : 
 
 Ira c Tbyefien exitio gra<vi 
 Stra<vere, et altis urbibus ultima 
 Stetere caujja cur perirent 
 Fundi tus . 
 
 The fpurious books under the names of Apoftles are not 
 altogether ufelefs. They fhew that the Forgers in thofe 
 days were men of poor abilities, and by their deformity 
 they ferve to fet off the writings of the Apoftles. 
 
 * Dionyjtus Alcxandrinus held the Revelation to be a fa- 
 cred book, but was of opinion that it was not written by 
 
 O z the 
 
{ 196 ) 
 
 of the Epiftles, two or three excepted, and, 
 if they be allowed to be genuine, and to 
 
 give 
 
 the Apoflle St. John, and that the language and manner of 
 competition {hewed it to be of another perfon. His reafons 
 may be feen in Eufehiui E. H. VII. 25. It muft be owned 
 that there is a difference of ftyle between the Revelation and 
 the Go/pel, of which I could give proofs, if it were need- 
 ful ; but the fubject is alfo different. II ne faut pas s'etonner 
 que I' air de V Apocalypfe foit different de celui qu'on remarque 
 dans les av.tr es ecrits de S. Jean, parceque la matiere en eft 
 extremement differente. Pour la iangue, outre les autres rai- 
 fons qu'on en pourroit rendre, ne peut on pas dire qu* eft ant vr 
 legue a Patmos, il rfa<voit pas aupres de lui les mefmes per- 
 fonnes quil a<voit a Epbefe pour fe faire aider dans le cboix des 
 termes et dcs exprejjions ? Et peuteftre mefme que la chaleur de 
 r Efprit de Dieu le preffoit d' ecrire promtement ce qu'il avoit 
 rvii, fans fonger a une purete et a une elegance qui n'eft rien 
 au tout devant Dieu. Tillemont Mem. Eccl. T. J. S. Jean. 
 Not. 9. lillemont's conjecture is founded on a fuppofition 
 which feveral perfons will not admit, namely, that St. John 
 wrote his Revelation at Patmos. 
 
 They who think, with Sir Ifaac Newton, that St. John 
 wrote the Revelation long before the Gofpel, may fuppofe 
 that the Apoflle, when he compofed the Gofpel, had im- 
 proved his ftyle by converfmg with the Greeks of dfta 
 Minor. 
 
 But, befides ancient teftimony, there is alfo internal rea- 
 fon to conclude that the Gofpel, and the Revelation are the 
 work of the fame author : 
 
 Thus; John alone calls Chrift hoy©-, the Word, in the 
 beginning of the Gofpel, and in Revel, xix. 1 3 . 
 
 John alone records that the Baptrft called Chrift the 
 Lamb of God, alone applies to him tfie direction concerning 
 
 the 
 
1 19? ) 
 
 give a true account of the things which they 
 relate, the Chriftian religion muft be * ac- 
 knowledged to be fully confirmed. 
 
 III. The 
 
 the Pafchal lamb, a bone of him Jball not be broken , alone 
 defcribes him as the Lamb. Revel, v. 6. 
 
 John makes great ufe of the words, \'oy®-, $£$ dhnQi- 
 vov, aKnQtrict, pciflvf, «6Am0/j/o?, [jLct{}u?v, £»«, ayajni, 
 OtyctTrco, in thofe writings which are afcribed to him. 
 
 John alone quotes, They /hall look on him whom they 
 pierced, in the Gofp. xix. 37. and Revel, i. 7. 
 
 John alone relates that a foldier pierced the fide of Chrift, 
 and that blood and water came forth, xix. 34. and alludes 
 to it, Epift. I. v. 6. as fome Commentators fuppofe. 
 
 Rev. xxi. 27. . Keu « ph eiffihQq &f etvjh tt£v kqivqV 
 *} noizv €<Pz\vyy.a> «— 
 
 Kotvov & no&v are neuters put for mafculines, as in the 
 Gofp. vi. 37. km J x i<Pco<ri pot Tletjiif, t^V \[J& tt£rf. 
 Grotius. 
 
 Rev. xxii. 14. %<rcu n l^xeta. Gtujcov cm tS ^vhov tw£ 
 £<yw?. — Uzitffi*, jus, as in the Gofp. 1. 12. 2<Pcokzv avjol.s 
 \^7ictv']iKVct 0£i yzviaQcu' Grot. 
 
 Rev. xxii. 2. Irjsuflsp ^ IvjivQiv. The fame expreffion 
 is found in the Gofp. xix. 18. Some MSS. have in the Rev. 
 iSjivdw 39 &K*iQw, but it feems to be an alteration quite 
 unneceffary. Ariftot. quoted in Conjlant. Lexic. hQzv #J 
 hQzv t«£ akcIvQyk. Herodotus II. 176. [aIv hQzv, <P' h" 
 Qzv 78 (Asyctfv, Sophocles Ajac. 731. ■ ovh£i<tiv 
 
 v H£2W<roj/ hQzv kavOsv. Nothing is more common than 
 hQa ^ hQ*. Hinc et hinc is found in Virgil and other 
 poets, and often in Seneca's Tragedies. 
 
 * In fcripturi Novi Teftamenti, imo in folis libris Lucae 
 
 et Joannis ea continentur, quje cuivis Chrilliano, cognitu, 
 
 iperatu, fa&u funt neceffaria ; quia hoc fibi fuilfe propofi- 
 
 3 turn, 
 
( 198 ) 
 
 III. The books of the New Teftament 
 havedefcended to us uncorruptedin anything 
 material. This appears evidently from the 
 quotations which have been made out of 
 them by Chriftian writers in all ages, from 
 the high efteem and veneration in which 
 they have ever been held, from the multi- 
 tude of copies and early tranflations, which 
 left no room to fraud or inattention to do 
 them any important injury, and from the 
 various readings themfelves, which, for the 
 moil part, are of fmall confequence. 
 
 IV, The truth of the things contained in 
 thefe books depends upon the integrity of 
 the Apoftles, who did and endured £o much 
 for the fake of the Gofpel. The good cha- 
 racter of the Apoftles is confirmed by the 
 teftimony of thofe many thoufands who were 
 converted by them ; and the innocence and 
 patience and great fufferings of thefe primi- 
 tive Chriftians may be confirmed by the te- 
 ftimony of Pagan authors, and cannot with 
 any fhew of reafon be denied. 
 
 turn, alter in praefatione, alter in coHclufione opens profi- 
 tentur. Sed praeter haec multa funt fcitu utilia, multa ad 
 regimen Ecclefiae etiam nece/Taria. Groiius Annot. ad Conf. 
 Cafs. p. 628, 
 
 V. There 
 
( 199 ) 
 
 V. There never was a book which a- 
 bounded more with internal proofs of the 
 truth of its contents than the New Tefta- 
 ment. A fpirit of piety, charity, and difin- 
 tereftednefs appears through the whole. The 
 Evangelifts, when they relate the fame 
 things, differ or feem to differ in fmall cir- 
 cumftances -, they ingenuoufly confefs the 
 misbehaviour of the ApofHes upon fome 
 occafions ; they have fometimes recorded * 
 what the fmall eft degree of craft and diffi- 
 mulation would have taught them to fup « 
 prefs ; they enter into a large and accurate 
 detail of places, times, perfons, and events, 
 in which if they had mixed fraud and 
 falfhood, it might eafily have been de- 
 tected. 
 
 Of all the proofs which the New Tefta- 
 ment carries in it felf of its truth, there are 
 few ftronger than thofe which may be taken 
 from the difcourfes of Jefus Chrift. 
 
 Eminent men are obferved to have ufu- 
 ally a ftyle of their own. Whofoever ex- 
 
 * A flatuary works upon marble, an hiftorian upon 
 fads : both cut them to their fancy, and pare off all thas 
 will not ferve for their purpofe. The Writers of the Nevf 
 Teftament ftand remarkably clear from this imputation. 
 
 O4 amines 
 
( 200 } 
 
 amines the difcourfes of our Lord with at- 
 tention, may find in them a certain character 
 and way of fpeaking peculiar to him. This 
 manner, by which he may be diftinguifhed, 
 confifts in * railing matter of inftru&ion and 
 moral reflection from the things which were 
 at hand, which prefented themfelves to 
 him and to his audience. 
 
 Hence it is that his fermons to the people, 
 and his converfation with his difciples allude 
 perpetually to the time of the year, or to the 
 place where he was, or to the objedls fur- 
 rounding him, or to the occupation and cir- 
 cumftances of thofe to whom he addrefled 
 himfelf, or to the ftate of public affairs. Of 
 this feveral examples might be produced. I 
 fhall lay before you thofe which may be ta- 
 ken out of his fermon upon the mount. 
 
 In the fpring, our Saviour went into the 
 fields, and fat down on a mountain, and 
 made that difcourfe which is recorded in St. 
 Matthew, and which is full of obfervations 
 arifing from the things which offered them- 
 felves to his fight : for, 
 
 * In fpeaking pro re nata* 
 
 When 
 
( 201 ) 
 When he exhorted his difciples to truft 
 in God, he bade them * behold the fowls of 
 the air, which were then flying about them, 
 and were fed by Divine providence, though 
 they did not fow, nor reap, nor gather into 
 barns y he bade them take notice -f of the lilies 
 of the field, which were then blown, and 
 were fo beautifully clothed by the fame 
 power, and yet toiled not, like the hus- 
 bandmen, who were then at work. 
 
 Being in a place whence they had a wide 
 profpecl: of a cultivated land, he bade them 
 obferve how God caufed the fun to fliine and 
 the rain to defcend upon the fields and gar- 
 dens even of the wicked and ungrateful, 
 and he continued to convey his doctrine to 
 them under rural images, fpeaking of good 
 trees and corrupt trees, of knowing men by 
 their fruits, of wolves in fheeps clothing, of 
 grapes not growing upon thorns, nor figs on 
 thiflles, of the folly of carting pretious things 
 to dogs and fwine, of J good meafure prefs'd 
 down, and fhaken together and running 
 over. 
 
 •J- Solomon, fays he, « wzeizftdhijo &$ iv TitTCOV* 
 J M^tt* vii, I. and Luke vi. 38. 
 
 Speaking 
 
( 202 ) 
 
 Speaking at the fame time to people, ma- 
 ny of whom were fifhermen, and lived much 
 upon fifh, he fays, What man of you will 
 give his fon aferpent, if he ask ajijh ? There- 
 fore, when he faid in the fame difcourfe to 
 his difciples, Te are the light of the worlds a 
 city that is fet on a hill cannot be hid; it is 
 probable that he * pointed to a city within 
 their view fituated upon the brow of a hill : 
 And when he called them the fait of the 
 earthy he alluded perhaps to the husband- 
 men who were manuring -f the ground ; 
 and when he compared every perfon who 
 obferved his precepts to a man who built a 
 houfe upon a rock, which flood firm, and 
 
 every 
 
 * A few points towards the north appears that which they 
 call the mount of the Beatitudes, a/mall rifing, from which 
 4ur blejjed Saviour delivered his Sermon. Not far from this 
 little hill is the city Saphet, fuppofed to be the ant lent Bethulia- 
 It Jlands upon a very eminent a?id confpicuous mountain, and is 
 feenfar and near. May we not fuppofe that Chrijl alludes to 
 this city in thofe words ; A city fet on a hill, tsV. Maun- 
 irelts Journey to Jerufalem. 
 
 Jerufalem, Nazareth, &c. flood upon hills. 
 
 f With dung, or with afhes, which abound with falts, or 
 with which perhaps fait was mixed. Sale confperfajierilefcunt, 
 fays Grotius, unde loca devota et humanis ademta ufibus 
 fale confpergi folebant. Too much fait may render the 
 $arth unfruitful : but a little of it has a contrary effe& ; and 
 
 I am 
 
( 20 3 ) 
 
 every one who flighted his words to a man 
 who built a houfe upon the fand, which 
 was thrown down by the winds and floods $ 
 when he ufed this companion, 'tis not im- 
 probable that he had before his eyes houfes 
 ftanding upon high ground, and houfes in 
 the valley in a ruinous condition, which had 
 teen deftroyed by inundations, * 
 
 From 
 
 I am told that fait is often ufed in manuring. Virgil 
 Georg. I. 193. 
 
 Semina widi equidem multos medicare ferentes, 
 Et nitro prius, et nigra perfundere amurca, 
 Grandior ut fcetv.s filiqids fallacibus efjet. 
 * Going from Bethany to ferufalem, with his difciples f 
 as they pafled over a mountain, he faid, If ye Jh all fay to 
 this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou caft into the fea 
 it Jhall be done, Matt. xxi. z I . In Luke xix. 1 2. he fpake a 
 parable concerning a nobleman, who went into a far coun- 
 try to receive a kingdom, alluding to that which had hap- 
 pened to Archelaus ; Chrifus hanc fuam parabolam de- 
 fumfit ex more regum ejus a<vi, qui benefcio Imperatorum reg- 
 it ab ant, potius quamjure natalitium, quale s ab Her ode Magna 
 in Judad fueran't. Non potcrant diadema fumere, nifi juffu 
 eorum qui Roma rerum potiebaniur. Herodes ille lotiginquum 
 iter fufcepit, ut regnum Judaa ab Antonio impetraret, nee 
 frujira ; Ivit enim ex Jud&a Rom am, ut docet Jofephus Ant. 
 Jud. XIV. 25, 26, atque inde, t»v &ct<riA&av cra(y.\ctCcay, 
 aceepto regno, in Judteam rediit. lterum iter fufcepit, ut fibi 
 a C&fare regnum confirmaretur, ut ide?n Hijioricus docet 
 Xy, io» Idem fuccefores ejus facer e coaclifunt, qnod ab eo- 
 
( 204 ) 
 From thefe obfervations concerning the 
 ftyle and genius of our Saviour's dif- 
 courfes, the following ufes may be made. 
 
 We 
 
 dem fcriptore difcere eft XVII. 1 3. Contra hofce legationes 
 inter dum a fudms Romam mifftc, ut ne regnum illis conferre- 
 tur, aut etiam auferretur. Sic Archelaum accufarunt Judsei 
 apud Ca far em, Romte, per legates. Hinc intelligimus ratio- 
 item, ob quam ita parabola consepta eft. Archelaus, exempli 
 caufa, erat homo kuyiVtit, natus quippe ab Herode. Idem 
 abiit in regionem longinquam (in Italiam) accipere jibi regnum 
 (Judaeae) et re<verti (in Judaeam.) Gives <vero, qui eum ode- 
 rant ', miferunt legationem poft ilium, dicentes (apud Caefarem) 
 nolumus hunc regnare fuper nos ; quod nan potuerunt tamen 
 impetrare. ltaque rediit, accepto regno i kBva.^'/jctv fra.gy.KcL- 
 fitov, ut loquitur Jofephus. Deinde $e inimicis, qui noluerant 
 euw regnare fuper fe, graven* ultionemfumfit. Clericus. 
 
 When he fays, Luke xxii. 25. The kings of the Gentiles 
 exercife lord/hip over them, and they that exercife authority 
 upon them are called benefaclors, he alludes to the vanity of 
 fome wicked~Frinces in thofe times, who deferved the title of 
 Robbers much better than of Benefactors. Hsee fuit inanis 
 gloria frincipum illius avi, ut lv£qy{]cuV *vel benefattorttm 
 cognomen ambirent, eo ipfo tempore, quo tyrannic e populos re- 
 gebant ; populique proinde adulationis cauffd titulum hunc in 
 eos conferebant, aut ut k-vis benefcii gratiam refer rent, 
 principes idea urbibus cougiaria dividebant, aut eas ^edificiis 
 puhlicis ornabant, aliaque fimilia faciebant ; nee tantum in 
 regno fuo, fed etiam apud vicinos. Ita fe gefferat Herodes 
 Magnus, non tantum in Judged et <vicinid, fed etiam in me- 
 dia Gracia, ut Athenis, Lacedamone, Olympic, aliifque in 
 fippfJis, ut docet Jofephus. Bell. Jud. I. 16. Exftat etiam- 
 rum Athenis — — inferiptio bafi ftatua, ut <videtur, in- 
 fculpta in honoxcm Berenice regina, de qua A&. xxv. in qua 
 
 cam 
 
( 205 ) 
 
 We may conclude that the writers of the 
 Gofpels have given us always the fubftance, 
 
 often 
 
 earn vacant Athenienfes 3 h\ia.v Bsf5j/«;twj/ Ca.<ri\i<raa,v (jlz- 
 ydhm 'hhh 'A^eb-Ta Ca<nkico<; Qvyajifjz, ^ pzylhuv 
 GcLffihiw \vi$yt7cov r rn<; Tohzax; lx,yovoy. Cernitur idem 
 titulus in minimis antiquis in multos principes collatus.—* 
 Clericus. 
 
 When the woman of Samaria, Job. iv. wondered that he 
 mould ask water of her, he took occafien to reprefent his 
 dodtrine under the image of living water, or water which 
 flows from a fpring. 
 
 When he was by the fea-fhore, Mat, xiii. he fpake three 
 parables to the people concerning a fower, becaufe it was 
 then probably feed time, as others have obferved. 
 
 At the time of the Paflbver, alluding to it, he fays, 
 Joh.v. 24. He that hear eth ?ny word, (XijeLCiCnKiy, is paJJ'ed 
 from death unto life. Grot. 
 
 Sir Ifaac Newton, Obfer-vat. on the Prophefes p. 148. fays: 
 Cbrif and bis forerunner John, in their parabolical dif cow 
 fes, were wont to allude to things prefent. ^he old prophets, 
 when they would dcfcribe things emphatically, did not only 
 draw parables from things which offered tbemf elves, as from 
 the rent of a garment, 1 Sam. xv. from the Jabbatic year, 
 Ifai. xxxvii. from the <vcffels of a potter, Jer. xviii. hut alfj, 
 <wben fuch objects were wanting, they fupplied them by their" 
 own actions, as by rending a garment, 1 Kings xi. by Jhoot- 
 ing, 2 Kings xiii. by making bare their body, Ifai. xx. by im~ 
 pojing Jignificant names to their fons, Ifai. viii. Hof. i. 
 by hiding a girdle in the hanks of Euphrates, Jer. xiii. by 
 breaking a potter s <veffel, Jer. xix. by putting on fetters and 
 yokes, Jer. xxvii. by binding a book to a ft one and cafing them 
 both into Euphrates, Jer. li. by befieging a painted city, 
 Jizech. iv. by dividing their hair into three parts, Ezech. v. 
 by making a chain, Ezech. vii. by carrying out boujbold 'fluff 
 
 like 
 
( 206 ) 
 
 often the words of our Lord's fermonsj 
 
 They 
 
 like a captive and trembling, Ezech* xii. By fuch kind of 
 types the prophets loved to /peak. And Chrijl being endued 
 with a nobler prophetic fpirit than the reft, excelled alfa in 
 this kind of/peaking, yet fo as not to /peak by his own afiions, 
 that was lefs grave* and decent, but to turn into parables fuch 
 things as offered them/elves. On occafion of the harvef ap- 
 proaching, he admonijhes his difciples once and again of tht 
 fpi ritual harvefi, John iv. 35. Mat. ix. 37. Seeing the li- 
 lies of the f eld, he admo7iiJhes his difciples about gay clothing, 
 Mat. vi. 28. In allujion to the prefent feafon of fruits, hi 
 admonijhes his difciples about knowing men by their fruits, 
 Mat. vii. 16. In the time of the paffover, when trees put 
 forth leaves, he bids his difciples learn a parable from the fig- 
 tree : When its branch is yet tender and putt eth forth leaves > 
 ye know that fummer is nigh, &c. Mat. xxiv. 32. Luke 
 xxi. 29. 'The fame day, alluding to both the feafon of tht 
 year and to his pajfton, which was to be two days after, he 
 formed a parable of the time of the fruits approaching, and 
 the murdering of the heir, Mat. xxi. 33. Alluding at the 
 fame ti?ne, both to the money -changers whom he had newly 
 driven out 0/ the temple, and to his pajjion at hand, he tnade 
 it parable of a nobleman going into a far country to receive 
 a kingdom and return, and delivering his goods to his fer- 
 vants, and at his return condetnning thefiothfulfervant, be- 
 caufe he put not his money to the exchangers, Mat. xxv. 1 4* 
 Luke xix. 1 2. Being near the temple, where fheep were 
 kept in folds to be fold for the facrifices, he [pake many things 
 parabolicallyofjheep, of the Jbepherd, and of the door of tht 
 fjeepfold ; and difcovers that he alluded to the Jbeepfolds 
 which were to be hired in the market-place, by fpeaking of 
 fuch folds as a thief could not enter by the door, nor the 
 /bepherd himfelf open, but a porter opened to the Jbepherd, 
 John x. x. 3. Bting in the mount of Olives, Mat. xxvi. 30. 
 
 John 
 
( *°7 ) 
 
 They did not invent difcourfes, and afcribe 
 
 them 
 
 John xiv. 31. a place Jo fertile that it could not want vines, 
 
 he /pake many, things myjlically of the husbandman, and of the 
 
 wine and its branches, John x v. Meeting a hlind man, he 
 
 admonijhed of fpiritual blindnefs, John ix. 39. At the fight 
 
 of little children he defcribed once and again the innocence of 
 
 the elecl, Mat. xviii. 2. xix, 13. Knowing that Lazarus 
 
 was dead and Jhould be raifed again, he difcourfed of the re~ 
 
 furreclion and life eternal, John xi. 25, 26. Hearing of 
 
 thejlaughter offome whom Pilate hud fain, he admonijhed of 
 
 eternal death, Lukexiii. 1. To his fjhermen he /pake of 
 
 fijhers of men, Pvlat. iv. lo. and compofed another parable 
 
 about fjhes, Mat. xiii. 47. Being by the temple, he fpake of 
 
 the temple of his body, John ii. 19. At fupper he fpake a pa* 
 
 ruble about the myjiical fupper to come in the kingdom of heaven, 
 
 Luke xiv. On occafan of temporal food, he admonijhed hit 
 
 difciples of fpiritual food, and of eating his fiejh and drinking 
 
 his blood myftically, John vi. 27, 53. When his difciplet 
 
 wanted bread, he bad them beware of the leaven of the Phari- 
 
 fees, Mat. xvi. 6. Being defired to eat, he anfwered that be 
 
 bad other meat, John iv. 31. In the great day of the feaft of 
 
 tabernacles, when the Jews, as their cvjiom was, brought a 
 
 great quantity of waters from the river Siloah into the temple, 
 
 Chriji food and cried, faying, If any man thirfl, let hint 
 
 come to me^ and drink. He that believeth in me, out of his 
 
 belly Jhall J!qw rivers of living water, John vii. 37. (So 
 
 alfo Grotius) The next day, in allufion to the fervants who 
 
 by reafon of the fabbatical year were nevjly Jet free, he faid ; 
 
 If ye continue in my word, the truth foall make you free : 
 
 Which the Jews underftanding literally with refpeel to the 
 
 frefent manumijfion of fervants, anjwered, We be Abraham'/ 
 
 feed, and were never in bondage to any mar. : how fayeft thou, 
 
 ye Jhall be made free ? John viii. In the laji pajfover, 
 
 *Qhen Herod led bis army through Judea againf Aretas king of 
 
 Arabia, 
 
( 208 ) 
 them to * him. If they had followed this 
 method, they would probably have made 
 for him difcourfes exhorting to virtue and 
 difluading from vice in general terms 5 it 
 would not have entered into their thoughts 
 to have crouded together fo many allufions 
 to time and place, and to other little occur- 
 rences, which nothing, befides the prefence 
 of the objects, could fuggeft. 
 
 We may alfo plainly fee in the difcourfes 
 of Jefus Chrift his great defign, which was 
 to inftrudt. Therefore he conveys know- 
 ledge in a familiar way, he adapts his lan- 
 guage to his hearers, he fpeaks to their eyes, 
 and to their ears, he chufes images and 
 comparifons which would ftrike them moft 
 
 Arabia, becaufe Aretas was the aggrejfor and the Jironger in 
 military forces, as appeared by the event ; Chrift alluding to 
 that ft ate of things , compofed the parable of a weaker king, 
 leading his army againft a fironger who made war upon him, 
 Luke xiv. 3 1 . And I douht not but divers other parables 
 were formed upon federal occafions, the hiftory of which we 
 have not. 
 
 * As Plato, who is juftly fuppofed to have often given his 
 own thoughts and words to his matter Socrates ; and as 
 Greek and Latin Hiftorians never ("erupted to do, who intro- 
 duce the great men, of whom they write, making long ha- 
 rangues, of which they never uttered one word. 
 
 powers 
 
( s°9 ) 
 
 powerfully and make a lading impreffiori 
 upon their minds. 
 
 The words of Jefus Chrift being thus 
 fuppofed to be genuine, we may from them 
 not unreafonably conclude that he was a 
 prophet fent from God for the benefit of 
 mankind. 
 
 In his difcourfes appear a profound vene^ 
 ration of almighty God, an earnefl defire of 
 promoting his honour, noble and juft fenti- 
 ments of his power, wifdom, goodnefs, ju~ 
 ftice and providence, and a fubmiffive re- 
 Agnation to his will under great affli&ions. 
 
 From them may be gathered a fyftem of 
 moil pure and ftrift morality, the obfer- 
 vance of which, as our Lord declares, would 
 cxpofe his followers to many inconveniences 
 and much ill ufage, and fhould not be fully 
 recompenfed before the next ftate. 
 
 In them is feen his prudence and wifdom 
 in expoling fuperftition and hypocrify, in 
 inducing men to repentance fometimes by 
 amiable reprefentations of God's mercy, 
 fometimes by awful declarations of his ju- 
 ftice, and in (hunning oflentation and ap- 
 plaufe. 
 
 P In 
 
( 210 ) 
 
 In them appears charity, condefcenfion, 
 affability, love and pity to mankind. 
 
 From his difcourfes we may conclude that 
 his * behaviour was fuitable to them ; for if 
 his deeds had contradicted his words, he 
 would have been defpifed, and could have 
 made no difciples. 
 
 From his difcourfes therefore and his be- 
 haviour, as they are recorded in the Gof- 
 pels, we may conclude that he was, as he 
 declared himfelf to be, the Son of God. If 
 we fhould fuppofe him to have been an im- 
 poftor and a falfe prophet, a character would 
 arife full of fuch contradiction and incon- 
 fiftency, of fuch prudence and folly, of fuch 
 knowledge and ignorance, of fuch goodnefs 
 and wickednefs, as never appeared in the 
 world before or fince. 
 
 Another proof which the writings of the 
 New Teftament afford of their own autho- 
 
 * It was well obferved by Origen, that amongft the many 
 flanders which had been forged and uttered againft Jefus by 
 Jews and Gentiles, none had dared to accufe him of having 
 offended in the flighteft degree againft purity and chaftity, 
 and that Spite and Calumny itfelf had fpared that part of 
 his character. % ^r\Si ol (xveiA Kttjiiyo^ffAvlif, x} 4 iy «^ 
 ojo. Ts£« aujv hty**l*S> fif'Jvnylcu KajenKeiv, as kav to x 
 IvftOV AK0Ka.<T\AS KtLV W Qhiyov ytVf *[****• Contr. Celj. 
 Ill p. » 3 2. 
 
 rity 
 
(211 ) 
 
 rity arifes from the prophefies contained in 
 them. We find there predictions of the 
 deftru&ion of jerufalem, and of the conver- 
 fion of the Gentiles by the fpeedy and exten- 
 five propagation of the Gofpel. 
 
 VI. If we fliould fuppofe that the writers 
 of the New Teftament had no extraordinary 
 affiftance from God in compofing their 
 books and epiftles, the prophetic parts ex- 
 cepted, the truth of the Chriftian religion in 
 general might ftill be proved ; there would 
 ftill be fufficient evidence that Chrift came 
 from God to teach men to live foberly, 
 righteoufly, and pioufly, that he wrought 
 miracles, that he died and rofe again, that 
 his Apoftles received fupernatural powers by 
 which they were enabled to propagate the 
 Gofpel. 
 
 The writers of the New Teftamcnt were 
 Apoftles, or companions of the Apoftles, 
 who had converfed with Chrift, who fpent 
 their time in converting men to the Chri- 
 ftian religion and in prefidmg over the 
 Church, who preached a more perfedt mo- 
 rality than had been taught before, who 
 lived fuitably to their own dodlrines, and 
 
 P 2 many 
 
(212 ) 
 
 many of whom laid down their lives in te- 
 ftimony of the truth. Confequently we may 
 efteem them honeft men and faithful hifto- 
 rians. But fince an honeft man may poffi* 
 bly miftake, not indeed in facts which he 
 affirms to be true upon his own knowledge, 
 but in inferences from thofe facts, in pre- 
 cepts and doctrines, or in delivering the fen- 
 timents of others, if we can fay no more in 
 behalf of the writers of the New Teftament, 
 their authority will be only human. There 
 feems wanting fomething more than a good 
 life and a mind purified from paffion and pre- 
 judice to qualify them to be the firft teachers 
 of a new revelation, namely a Divine af- 
 liftance which we call infpiration. 
 
 How far, and in what degree the Apoftles 
 were infpired, is not eafy to determine, nor 
 confequently neceffary to be known. Thus 
 much we may affirm, that they were * af- 
 fifted of God to give us a faithful account 
 of the things which we ought to be- 
 
 * Spiritus fanttus Apoflolos et Evangeliftas confirmavit in 
 do&rina Evangelica : in casteris rebus, ut hominibus, reli- 
 quit quae funt hominum, Gr otitis ad Aft. vii. 3. 
 
 lieve, 
 
( 2i3 ) 
 
 lieve, and to perform, that we may obtaia 
 eternal life. * 
 
 For (i.) The Apoftles had a promife of 
 divine affiftance upon certain occafions. 
 When they deliver you up, fays Chrift, take 
 no thought how or what ye Jhallfpeak, for it 
 is not ye that fpeak, but the Spirit of your 
 
 * The divine Providence has not judged it proper to con- 
 duct us to eternal life by operating irrefiftibly upon our 
 heart, or by offering invincible evidence to our understand- 
 ing, or by fecuring us from all miftake, or by delivering us 
 from all doubt. The firft teachers of Chriftianity were not 
 appointed to publifh an edition or tranflation of the Old 
 Teftament which mould correct every little tranfpofition, cifr. 
 which had entered into it, nor to explain every prophefy 
 and folve every difficulty contained in it, nor to give a cata- 
 logue of all the facred books extant in their time, nor to 
 explain fome things which themfelves have delivered ob- 
 fcurely and in part, nor to write books in which there mould 
 be nothing hard to be underftood and of uncertain fignificr- 
 tion. The divine Wifdom has not judged it neceffary to 
 preferve the copies of the New Teftament from the errors 
 of tranferibers or tranflators, or to raife up a fucceffion of 
 prophets to determine the controverfies arifmg in the Church. 
 But the great truths of natural and revealed religion, and 
 the great duties of life, and the divine power, wifdom and 
 gcodnefs of Jefus Chriit, and the miraculous and prophet c 
 teftimony of the holy Ghoft, and the facred authority cf 
 the Apoftles, are clearly taught in the Scriptures, and fuj - 
 ported with an evidence fufficient to fatisfy a rational en- 
 quirer. For thofe whom this evidence will not move, God 
 has provided no remedv. 
 
 P 3 Father 
 
( 2I 4 ) 
 
 Father ivhicb fpeaketh in you. Whence we 
 may reafon thus ; If the Apoftles were to 
 receive from the holy Ghoft a skill to fpeak 
 what was proper when they appeared in 
 public to defend Chriftianity, we may fup- 
 pofe that they were guided by the fame Spi- 
 rit in their writings -, becaufe this was of 
 greater importance, and more worthy of the 
 Divine interpofition. By fpeaking juflly 
 they might confute fome adverfaries, pre- 
 ferve themfelves and their religion from the 
 contempt of their hearers, and convert and 
 confirm that part of the affembly which had 
 good difpofitions; whereas their writings 
 were defigned for the fervice not of four or 
 five hundred men, but of all ages and na- 
 tions. 
 
 (2.) Our Saviour promifed his Apoftles 
 that the holy Ghoft fhould continually abide 
 with them, that he fhould lead them into 
 all truth, and that in particular he fhould 
 bring to their remembrance whatfoever 
 Chrift had faid unto them ; which will ap- 
 pear to have been neceflary, if we confider 
 that the Gofpels confift in a great meafure 
 of the difcourfes of Chrift, that Chrift con- 
 vened with them at leaft for three years, 
 
 that 
 
( 2I 5 ) 
 
 that they had at that time very imperfed no- 
 tions of the religion which he came to 
 teach, and of the office to which they mould 
 be appointed ; and that in all probability 
 they had not * colle&ed materials for the 
 Gofpels, or fet down his difcourfes, whilft 
 he was with them. 
 
 (3.) Our Lord told his difciples that they 
 were not then difpofed to receive and un- 
 derftand fome truths which the holy Ghoft 
 mould afterwards reveal to them ; and the 
 Apoftles have taught us fome things which 
 are not to be found in the Gofpels, or are 
 not clearly delivered there, as, the delign 
 and the abolifhment of the Ceremonial law, 
 certain relative duties, and fome particulars 
 concerning the worfhip of God and the re- 
 gulation of Chriftian focieties or Churches. 
 
 It is therefore a vain diftindtion which 
 fome have attempted to make between the 
 precepts or dodrines of Chrift and thofe of 
 the Apoftles, as if lefs regard were to be 
 paid to the latter than to the former. Our 
 Saviour feems plainly to equal the Apoftles 
 to himfelf, as teachers, commands all men 
 
 * When Chrift, after his refurre&ion, fent forth his A- 
 poftles, he gave them no command to write. 
 
 ?4 to 
 
( 2l6 
 
 to receive them, to hear them, and to pay 
 the fame deference to them as to him. 
 
 (4.) Laftly, the Apoftles * upon feveral 
 occasions affirm that they had an extraordi-* 
 nary guidance of the holy Spirit • they de- 
 clare that they had received their doctrines, 
 not from men, but from Jefus Chrift, and 
 that every one who pretended to infpiration 
 muft acknowledge this, or ought to pafs for 
 an impoftor, if he owned it not. They 
 fay that they had the mind of Chrift ; they 
 call their doctrine the word of God and of 
 Chrift, the commandment of God and of 
 the Lord, the wifdom of God, the wifdom 
 which God had revealed to them by his 
 Spirit, and words which the holy Ghoft had 
 taught them, the teftimony of God, the 
 Gofpel of God by which men fhould be 
 judged : they affert that they are of God, 
 that he who knoweth God heareth them, 
 and that he who heareth them not is not of 
 God. 
 
 VII. It cannot be denied that the 
 Scriptures are often obfcure and diffi- 
 
 * Rom. ii. 16. Cor. I. ii. 7. 10. 12, 13. xiv. 37. Ephef. 
 jii. 3. 5. TheJJ. I. ii. 13. iv. 15. < JcL I. iv. 6. &c. 
 See Whitby Ger„ Pref. Vol. I. 
 
 cult, 
 
( 217 ) 
 cult, as for example, where the fubjeft is 
 prophefy or controverfy, where words and 
 phrafes are ufed which are not to be found 
 in other authors, and are now become of 
 uncertain fignification, and where doftrines 
 are revealed not fully, but in part. Befides 
 the obfcurity arifing from the fubjedt and 
 the flyle, the Scriptures have other difficul- 
 ties common to all books which are very 
 ancient and written in dead languages. 
 
 But many parts of the Scriptures are clear, 
 and particularly thofe which relate to * mo- 
 rality, to practical religion. 
 
 When we fay that the Scriptures are clear 
 in many places, the meaning is that they 
 will be clear to thofe who take the proper 
 methods to underftand them, and feek in- 
 ftru&ion, and pray to God for direction and 
 afliftance, and are defirous to obey and 
 pleafe him. 
 
 Perfons of difpofitions equally good, will 
 underftand more or lefs of the Scriptures ac^ 
 
 * In iis quae unicuique necefTaria funt creditu, fperatu, 
 fa£tu, valde eft perfpicua Scriptura. In casteris quanta opus 
 fit cognitione linguarum, collatione verfionum, quanto la- 
 bore, experti funt veteres, et nunc experiuntur qui in eo 
 fiefudant. Grotius Annot. ad Confult. CaiTand. 
 
 fording 
 
( 218 ) _ 
 
 cording to their feveral capacities and * op- 
 portunities ; and that degree of knowledge, 
 which in the poor and illiterate were highly 
 commendable, would be grofs and vitious 
 ignorance in thofe of higher rank, of more 
 leifure, learning, and abilities. 
 
 The ignorance of fome people in matters 
 of religion is aftoniming, and the only plau*- 
 fible excufe for it, namely want of capacity 
 or want of -j- leifure, is often Shamefully 
 groundlefs : for the knowledge required of 
 every perfon cannot be greater than his abi- 
 lities, and the J abilities of many perfons 
 are greater than they think. The under- 
 standing mull be exercifed before its Strength 
 
 * They who fay that human learning is of no ufe in reli- 
 gion, are no more to be difputed with than the honeft man 
 m Horace, 
 
 £hu fe credebat miros audlre tragaedos, 
 In njacuo Itetm feffor plaufor.que theatro. 
 
 Sola Scripturarum ars eft, fays Jerome, quam fibi omnes 
 pafiim vendicant ; hanc garrula anus, hanc delirus fenex, 
 hanc fophifta verbofus, hanc univerfi prasfumunt, lacerant, 
 docent antequam difcant. 
 
 \ Virorum nugae, negotia vocantur. Auguftin Confefs. 
 
 I. 9. 
 
 % See Locke Conducl of the Under/}. $ 4. 
 
 can 
 
( 219 ) 
 
 can be known, and by exercife it may be 
 improved beyond imagination - y and as to 
 leifure, * there are few even of thofe who 
 are engaged in a laborious way of life, who 
 have not many hours which are a burden to 
 them, or are confumed in a manner that 
 hurts their fouls and their bodies. 
 
 Common people are not to be encouraged 
 to fpend that time in religious exercifes 
 which is due to the care of their families, 
 nor to make piety a cloke for lazinefs, nor 
 to be contentious about things which they 
 underftand not ; but if they would beftow 
 a feventh part of their time and of their in- 
 duftry in the improvement of their hearts 
 and minds and in religious meditations, they 
 would find their advantage in it many ways; 
 they would probably avoid feveral fins 
 which ruin them even in this world, they 
 would be more honeft, more fober, more 
 civil, and more induftrious, and confe- 
 
 * Much bufinefs is no excufe for neglecting him in whom 
 we live and move and have our being. Every Chriftian 
 mould be able to apply to himfelf in a religious fenfe the 
 words of Julius Co. far in Lucan : 
 
 •■•■ 7nedia inter fnslia femper 
 Stellarum ccelique plagis, fuperifque vacavi. 
 
 quently 
 
( 220 ) 
 
 quently meet with more encouragement and 
 kindnefs from their fuperiors, they would 
 find more divine affiftance, more comfort, 
 more peace of mind, and refignation in all 
 eircumftances, and they would not be, what 
 feveral of them now are, guilty of fo many 
 faults, and expofed to fo many evils, that it 
 is hard to fay whether they are more wicked 
 or more miferable. 
 
 VII. 
 
( 221 ) 
 
 VII. 
 
 The Gofpel conjidered as it is grace 
 and truth. 
 
 ST. John tells us that grace and truth 
 came by Jefus Chrift, that he brought 
 them into the world, and that they are con- 
 tained in the revelation of God's will of 
 which he was the author. 
 
 I. The Gofpel is frequently called grace ; 
 and this word has feveral meanings, all of 
 which may be applied to the Gofpel. 
 
 I. The word grace, in its moft obvious 
 acceptation, means, favour, favour flowing 
 from mercy and beneficence, to which the 
 perfon who receives it can make no claim, 
 as of right. In this fenfe the Gofpel is moft 
 particularly and emphatically grace in all 
 and every part of it, it is a gift of God which 
 we could not in any manner be faid to de- 
 fer ve, 
 
 2, The 
 
 
( 222 ) 
 
 2. The Gofpel is grace as it promifes to 
 * repenting finners not only an exemption 
 fmm punifhment, but a refurreftion to eter- 
 nal happinefs; and our Saviour fhewed fo 
 much tendernefs and lenity, and gave fo 
 much encouragement to all in whom 
 he difcovered difpofitions towards amend- 
 ment, that he drew upon himfelf from 
 the cenforious Jews the opprobrious name 
 of the friend of finners and of -f Pub- 
 licans, a name which he was very willing 
 to accept, declaring that he came into the 
 world for the fake of fuch perfons, and that 
 
 * It was an unreafonable obje&ion made to Chriftianity 
 by Julian in his Co-far s, and by Celfus in Qrig. III. p. 147. 
 that by offering pardon to repenting finners it favoured im- 
 morality, and fet open the kingdom of heaven to vice and 
 folly. ZoJimusW. p. 61. infmuates the fame thing, and 
 fays that Conftantine had recourfe to Chriftianity after the 
 Pagan priefls had told him that their religion afforded no 
 purgation for fuch heinous crimes as he had committed. See 
 fbikleuth. Lipfenf. P. II. p. 20. 
 
 \ TIovtis TiAcuW vrdvTU &<rh ctf7ra.yt{. 
 Quot publicani, tot raptores. 
 
 The Emperor Vefpafiarf* father was a remarkable excep- 
 tion to this proverb, who was at the fame time a Publican 
 and a man of honour, and of whom Suetonius relates, 
 public am quadragefima in /I fid egit. Manebantque imagi- 
 nes a civitatibus ei pofita- cum hoc titulo, Kx,h£{ liKaftl- 
 *W]/. Vefyas. cap. I, 
 
 the 
 
( 22 3 ) 
 the bufmefs of his life was to feek and favC 
 
 them. 
 
 Repentance is indeed a duty of natural re-^ 
 ligion, and reafon gives us hopes that it may 
 be advantageous to us. 
 
 For as it is certain that fin is evil and de- 
 teftable, and difpleafing to God, it is no 
 lefs evident that to confefs and diflike and 
 condemn our faults, to avoid them for the 
 future, to amend whatfoever is blameable 
 in our conduct, to pradtife the duties which 
 we have negledted, are aftions good in. 
 themfelves and acceptable to God, and 
 therefore cannot be unprofitable to us. 
 
 Befides, we find our felves * able to 
 change, as from better to worfe, fo from 
 worfe to better. Now certainly it is not to 
 
 no 
 
 * This freedom neither excludes the Divine afliftance, 
 nor renders it unneceflary : Man unqueftionably receives all 
 his powers from his Maker, and continually ftands in need 
 of his aid, for the performance of his duty. 
 
 If we can neither think nor aft otherwife than we do, 
 or rather, if we cannot acl, in a true fenfe, but are actua- 
 ted by fomething external, we mull be juft what we are, 
 and power and choice belong not to us. Let us be con- 
 cerned about nothing, if our concern fignifks nothing; fo 
 advifes the Poet and Fataliit ; 
 
 Solvite, 
 
( 224 ) 
 no purpofe that we enjoy this powen It 
 feems therefore probable that God, who 
 has made us beings capable of amendment, 
 will fhew fome favour to us if for the time 
 to come we carefully endeavour to deferve 
 it. 
 
 To this may be added the confederation 
 of the great goodnefs of God. We account 
 it commendable in men to forgive offences 
 when the offender owns his fault, and of- 
 fers fuch reparation as he is able to make, 
 and changes his behaviour. But God muft 
 furpafs us in goodnefs no lefs than in all 
 other perfections. 
 
 Solvite, mortales, animos, curafque levate, 
 Totquc fupervacuis <vitam deplete querelis. 
 Tata regunt orbem, certd jiant omnia lege. 
 
 Manilius IV. 13. 
 
 But the advice feems to come with an ill grace from a 
 Fatalift, and men might return the Poet this anfwer upon 
 his own principles ; 
 
 Define nos monitis, Fates, illudere want's ; 
 Hoc quoque fatale eft, trifles effundere quejlus 
 Incafsum, et curis nil projicientibus angz. 
 
 Homo, as Grotius well obferves, folus ad imaginem Dei 
 conditus dicitur, hoc eft, mente libereque arbitrio prseditus, 
 quod fundamentum eft dominationis ipfius in caeteras creatu- 
 ras, Non poteft enim rerum aliarum effe dominus, qui fua- 
 rum actionum dominus non fit. De Satis/ail, 
 
 The 
 
( 22 5 ) 
 
 The fame favourable conclufions mayalfe 
 be drawn from the weaknefs of human na-i 
 t'ire, which though it be no excufe for 
 ftubborn difobedience, yet feems to render 
 the penitent proper objects of Divine mercy* 
 If man were not a creature expofed to many 
 violent temptations, frail, and eafily fedu- 
 ced, certainly fome would be found of un- 
 fpotted innocence and integrity. But it is 
 evident that the very beft offend in many 
 things. We muft therefore conclude, either 
 that God requires unfinning obedience, and 
 will fpare none of the iv.ce of mankind* 
 which cannot be fuppofed> or that he will 
 not be extreme to mark what is done amifs; 
 
 Laftly, the end and delign of punifhment 
 is to be confidered. To punifh for revenge, 
 and only that the offender may become mi- 
 ferable, is a conduct unworthy of a good 
 and wife being. Punifhment fhould be in- 
 flicted either for the profit and amendment 
 of the offender, or for the good of the whole, 
 or for both. But if God fhould punifh 
 repenting finners very rigoroufly, and never 
 pardon them, nothing ufeful could arife 
 from their fufferings j not their own amend* 
 inent, nor the improvement of their fellow- 
 
 Q^ creatures^ 
 
( 226 ) 
 
 creatures, who could only be terrified a-ndl 
 driven to defpair by fueb examples. 
 . Thefe feem to be the fuggeftions of hu- 
 man reafon left to itfelf, eoncerning the 
 profitablenefs of repentance and reformation. 
 But the utmofl: that a man can conclude 
 without the affiftanee of revelation, is, that 
 it fhall be much better for him in a future 
 ftate, if he amends his life, than if he con- 
 tinues wicked. Thus far reafon goes, and 
 no farther. 
 
 But though repentance be, as we have 
 obferved, a part of natural religion, yet 
 k feems to have been little pra&ifed by 
 many of the Gentiles. * Amendment of life 
 is a comely and commendable thing, and the 
 
 Pagan* 
 
 * Refer a?mtr illuc, unde nan decuit priics 
 Abire : <vet nunc cajia repetatur fides* 
 Nam /era nunquam eft adbdnos mores <via» 
 £>uem pasnitet peccaffe, pane eji innocent. 
 
 Seneca Agamem?:* 
 
 Ay^/©-- l$Z$ ylyvoiTovinV) w&Ayopvw i!jirct3at 
 
 tidLtri Tolt *'ffi$z<ri toJttuv rav a\r£v ds t*V iva-iC&s. 
 
 Sermo — recle fequitur, qui impiis Omnibus pradicet, ut a Jui: 
 moribus ad pietatemfe/e cowvertant. Plato, de Leg. X. 
 
 When a man has taken ill courfes, fays Cebes, he becomes 
 tniferable for the remaining part of his life, unlefs Repetttaati 
 interpofes, by whofe friendly affiftanee he is faved, and 
 mads happy, tqv Kilttqv Chv Kctlets'^i^ei \v faery kakz- 
 
( **7 ) 
 
 Pagans certainly approved it; but that" part 
 of repentance which is a religious forro w, an 
 acknowledgment of paft offences to God our 
 maker and governor^ and prayers to him to 
 forgive them, the Gentiles feem in a great 
 meafure to have overlooked, both in the 
 Courfe of their life$ and at the * clofe of 
 it, 
 
 The 
 
 cToi/AOKIet, $V [AH MiJdiyQIcL dvT$ £ro ?nc 7VX*U GVV&V- 
 
 &Tcu t ^ fjLttKaetos j£ ivfcupuv yiyvi]cu — TabuL Cebet: 
 
 That fome Pagans had and have fome notions of the ef- 
 ficacy of repentance fee in Huet, Alnet, Quseft. II. 20. 
 J). 275. III. 14. 369, 370. 
 
 * The [Chriftian] do&rtne of repentance Nature never 
 taught in her fchool, neither *vas it ewer found in the Booh 
 Of the learned, &c. John Hales Serm. ok St. Peter *s fall. 
 
 The lady in the ifland Cea, of whom VaL Maximus 
 tells a remarkable ftory, recommended her felf before flie 
 drank poifon to the favour of Mercury ; but we find not that 
 flie made any acknowledgment of fins, or asked forgivenefe 
 Of the Gods s Turn defujis Mercurio delibamentis, et invocato 
 numine ejus, ut fe placido itinere in meliorem fedis infer n* de* 
 duceret partem, cupido haitflu mortifsram traxit potionem. 
 II. VI. 8. 
 
 That this recommendatory prayer to" Mercury was not un- 
 common, we may conjecture from Sophocles, who makel 
 Ajax fay, before he falls on his Sword, 838. 
 
 — KdKcd fau* 
 
( 228 ) 
 
 The Law of Mofes appointed expiations 
 
 and facrifices for fome offences ; and for 
 
 fome offences it appointed none. 
 
 The 
 
 In his Oedipus Colon. 1 552. the Chorus prays to 
 the infernal Gods, that they would grant that unhappy 
 prince an eafy death and a quiet paffage to their de- 
 minions : 
 
 E} Qipif eri y.01 7<*f a$ctvti Qzlv 
 
 *!LvvvyJav aWf, &c. 
 
 Socrates, holding the cup in his hand, faid this how- 
 ever is la-zvful and right , to pray to the Gods that my de- 
 parting from this Jiate to another, may be happy. So I pray, 
 
 d£~d fo be it. — aAA.' ivyz&ai y'% tx 7o*V flsoT* fcjsr* 
 
 7 s '4 /if 1 * 7" v V-£\o' iM(Tlv 7" v zvdWfPe k)teio-c ivjvyji y$' 
 viZcu' %, «Tj; •£ iyco ii)yjt[ieu 7s, yy ykvofjo 1dvTi>>. Plato, 
 Phced. 66. 
 
 Thefe prayers were calPd Igtjiiftil \vyju 3 as Mr. Forjler 
 has obferved in his note on this paffage. 
 
 Peregrinus, eiTiV, Acurxoves uvflfaoi >y Tctl^cyoi, «P£J<*e3* 
 fii ivy.zv&s. lavja. httuv iirhftiGiv hi 7^ to?- dixit ; O 
 materni at que paterni D&mones, fufctptte me propitii, Qui* 
 bus didis in ignem infiliit. Lucian, de Mart. Per. 
 
 From a furvey of the devotions of the Gentiles it will 
 appear that, fome inftances excepted, there was nothing 
 fpirituai in their prayers, no thankfgiving, no requeft far 
 divine aflulance in the performance of their duty, no pious 
 forrow and acknowledgment of their offences. 
 
 After the propagation of the Chriftian religion, we fiiltl 
 forms of adoration in fome Pagan Writers, which are more 
 rational and fpirituai than the old Hymns and prayers of 
 their anceflors ; and we may reafonably fuppofe that thefe im- 
 provements arofe from the Gofpel. See Prod. Hymn, ad 
 
 Solenu 
 
( 229 ) 
 
 The Prophets exhorted finners in gene- 
 ral to return to God, and declared, that a 
 broken and contrite heart God would nqt 
 reject and defpife, even where no facriflces 
 had been appointed, or would be accepted 
 by him ? But that repentance fhall open a 
 way for us to eternal life, is clearly taught 
 only in the Gofpel. 
 
 Solem, et ad Mufas ; Jamhlich. de Myft. ^gypt. §. £. 
 c. 26 ; Simplic. in Epiclet . ad fin. to whom I wifh I could 
 add Maximus Tyrius. It is pity that he, who on other ac- 
 counts deferves commendation, mould have taught that 
 prayer to God was fuperfluous, Difc. 30. See alfo Jwve* 
 nal, x. 346. and the Commentators. 
 
 Seneca fays, Primus eft deorum cultus, deos credere : deinde 
 redder e Mis majeftatem fuam, redder e bonitatem. — — Vis deos 
 propitiare ? bonus efto. Satis illos coluit quifquis imitatus 
 eft. Epift. 95. p. 470. But that he did not think prayer 
 to be ufelefs and unneceffary, as fome may fancy from thefe 
 words, will appear from the following places. Nos quoque 
 exiftimamus vota proficere, falvS nji et poteftate fatorum-. 
 £>u<edam enim a Diis immortalibus ita fufpenfa relifia funt, 
 ut in bonum vertant, Ji admotte Diis pieces fuerint, Ji <vota 
 fujcepta. Nat. Quaeft. 11. $J. Jtaque non dat Deus bene- 
 Jicia, — non exaudit precantium voces et undique fublatis in 
 Ccelum manibus <vota facientium frfcuata ac publica. QioJ 
 profeclo non fieret, nee in hunc furorem omnes mortales con* 
 fenjij/ent ailoquendi fur da numina et inejficaces Deos> niji nojjeni 
 Mo rum beneficia nunc ultro obi at a ^ nunc orantibus data. De 
 
 feenjef. IV. 4. 
 
 Q 3 3= T fc* 
 
( 230 ) 
 
 3, The Gofpel is grace , as it promifes 
 u?, if we humbly and fincerely defire it, 
 the Divine affiftance, which fhall comfort 
 us in afflictions, and fupport us under 
 temptations, and enable us to work out 
 our falvation, and to pafs fafely through 
 this ftate of trial to a ftate of happinefs. 
 
 4. The Gofpel may be called grace with 
 refpecl: to the manner in which it was re- 
 vealed. The Law, which was a feverer 
 inftitution, was delivered with an awful pomp 
 and majefty, that might ftrike a terror in- 
 to the people, and work powerfully upon 
 their fears, and extort obedience from them 
 by the dread of punifhment. But the Gof- 
 pel, the covenant of peace, made its ap- 
 pearance with mildnefs and condefcenfion. 
 It was introduced by the Son of God 
 converfing familiarly with men, teaching 
 them by his doctrine and example, willing 
 with great patience to bear with their im- 
 perfections and weakness, and to guide 
 them gently to virtue and knowledge by 
 plain and repeated inflructions. 
 
 5. The Gofpel is grace, as it contains 
 Righteous and equitable laws. The duties 
 Rewards God., which it requires of us, are 
 
 a rea- 
 
( 231 ) 
 
 a reafonable fervice which we are bound in 
 gratitude to perform. Our duty to our 
 neighbour, as it is there laid down, pro- 
 motes the happinefs of mankind, renders 
 us ufeful in every ftation, raifes us up 
 friends, and makes us pafs our days with 
 tranquillity and reputation. The duty 
 which it teaches us to our felves tends to 
 moderate our unruly paffions and fubdue 
 thofe worft enemies to our repofe, to pre- 
 fcrve our' mind quiet, and our underftandr 
 ing clear, and capable of exerting its natu- 
 ral powers. Thefe duties it fo enjoins and 
 explains, that if any Chriftian be ignorant 
 of them, it muft be by his own wilful and 
 great negligence. To thefe it adds baptifm 
 and the fupper of the Lord, of which the 
 firft is performed once, and never afterwards 
 repeated, and the fecond, as to the fre- 
 quency of receiving it, is fo far left to our 
 own difcretion, that it can never interfere 
 with any moral duty, or hinder us from 
 performing any thing that is truly profitable 
 and commendable. Whatfoever was bur- 
 denfome in the Law of Mofes was taken 
 away by the Gofpel, which is called the 
 
 law of liberty, as it removed that yoke f r ?\m 
 Q_4 rh) 
 
( ?32 ) 
 the jews, and impofed it not upon the 
 Gentiles. The ceremonial ordinances are a- 
 bolifhed, and in their ftead a plain and fpi- 
 fitual worfhip of God takes place. 
 
 6. The Gofpel is grace, as it is a gift 
 ottered to all, an invitation from which 
 none are excluded. It dees not, like the 
 Law of MofeSy diftinguifh one nation from 
 another $ it is a religion confined in none of 
 its rites to particular places and people, but 
 fitted for univerfal ufe. 
 
 It is true indeed, that many nations have 
 been and are ignorant of it, and that it has 
 not been publifhed to the whole world. 
 God has not thought proper to acquaint 
 us with the reafons why he permits this*, 
 but we may be certain that, though we 
 cannot fea'rch out all the w T ays of God, 
 yet perfect wifdom does nothing unfit, and 
 perfect gcodnefs nothing unmerciful. We 
 know, and this knowledge is fufficient, 
 that Qod is reprefented in Scripture, as the 
 common Father of Mankind, who is good 
 So all his creatures, and incapable of pre- 
 
 * Chriftiariity is to be accounted as a favour ; and for fa- 
 vours it is not neceffary t©' afiign any reafon, befides the 
 will cf the fupreme Donour. 
 
 judice 
 
( ?33 ) 
 
 j.adice and partiality, and not willing that 
 any fhould perifh; that every one fhall be 
 accepted according to what he hath, and 
 not according to what he hath not ; that to 
 every one is given a light to guide him, 
 and a law, either written or unwritten, 
 either revelation or reafon, by which he 
 ihall be judged. 
 
 7. Grace in fome places of the New 
 Teftament means thofe extraordinary pow- 
 ers which the holy Ghoft conferred upon 
 the Apoftles and firft believers, by which 
 they were enabled to convert Jews and 
 Gentiles, and to inftruft Chriftians, and to 
 give a fuflicient teftimony to thg truth of 
 the Gofpel. 
 
 8. Laftly, Grace fometimes means good- 
 nefs or moral virtue. In this fenfe the 
 Gofpel is grace, as it fets morality in a clear 
 light, and enforces the practice of it by the 
 belt and moft erfe&ual motives ; as it pro- 
 duced, when it was firft preached a won- 
 derful and happy change in the behaviour 
 of thofe who received it, and as it con- 
 tinues frill to make Chriftians, if not fo 
 good as they ought to be, yet far better 
 than they would have been without it. 
 
 It 
 
( 234 ) 
 
 It will look like diffimulation and infin- 
 ccrity to pafs by an argument fo often urged 
 againft the Gofpel, as it is grace, namely 
 the doctrine of future punifliments contained 
 in it. 
 
 At this fad thought, fay they, all thefe 
 fair and pleafmg ideas of heavenly grace 
 and overflowing benevolence feem to droop 
 and fade away, and the foul, rather than 
 to be expofed to the bare poffibility of un- 
 dergoing fuch evils, would willingly f take 
 refuge in a filent everlafting infenfibility, 
 would have chofen not to have been at all 
 if fuch a choice could be fuppofed poffi- 
 ble, rather than to have been called forth 
 into being on fuch dangerous terms. 
 
 That God is good, feems to be a fuf- 
 ficient anfwer. At prefent, objedtions muft 
 be impertinent, and folutions imperfeft. 
 Let us wait till the righteous Judge ap- 
 pears, and then thefe and many other diffi- 
 culties will be removed. In the mean time 
 we may reft fatisfied with this, that fin 
 
 f Did I requefl thee, Maker, from my clay 
 To mould me man, did I follicit thee 
 From darknefs to promote me ? — Lc. 
 — — Him after all difputes 
 Jerc'd I abfolve. 
 
 Milton Par. Loft. X. 
 
 mail 
 
( 235 ) 
 fliall neither enjoy an impunity jrreconcile- 
 able with God's juftice and majefty, nor 
 endure fufferings inconfiftent with his mer- 
 cy and clemency. 
 
 It is, I think, generally fuppofed, that 
 there will be a great variety of punifh- 
 nients. To be deprived of fome good 
 which by a proper conduct might have been 
 fecured and obtained, if it be attended with 
 diflatisfaction or regret, is certainly a pu- 
 nifhment ; and if it always lafts, an eternal 
 punifhment. He who is in this condition, 
 has loft his rank, and is placed far beneath 
 many of thofe who were once his equals, 
 without a * poffibility of retrieving the 
 lofs. 
 
 No lefs various may be the recompenfes. 
 The inexhauftible Fountain of good has 
 more than one blejjing. He has gifts of a 
 lower fort for thofe who are not worthy to 
 jit down on the right or on the left hand of 
 his Son. In his houfe are many -f manjiom, 
 
 fruftra fe&abere canthum, 
 
 Cum rota poflerior curras, et in axe fecundo. 
 
 Perfius, V. 7i f 
 f Multa in thefauris Patris eft habitatio, Chrifte, 
 Difparibus difcreta locis, non pofco beata 
 In regione domum, &c. 
 
 Prudent la; Hamartig. 952. 
 
 in 
 
( 2 3 6 ) 
 
 m his wide-extended kingdom there may 
 be habitations, remote perhaps from his 
 throne, yet not beyond his favourable in- 
 fluences, fituated within the realms of light, 
 and appointed for beings of moderate im- 
 provements, but of good inclinations, who 
 fhall be permitted jtp adore him at a § dis- 
 tance. 
 
 II. We have confidered the Gofpel as it 
 is grace ; let us now, fecondly take a view 
 of it as it is truth. 
 
 The Gofpel is frequently called the truth. 
 
 I. It is fo called in oppofition to the 
 * falfehood of Paganifin, which had over^ 
 fpread the world. The ignorance of the 
 Pagans and the errors into which their 
 vices had led them are reprefented in the 
 NewTeftament by the ftrongeft expreffions. 
 It is there laid that they knew not God, 
 that they did not like to^etain him in their 
 knowledge, and that they were without 
 God in the world. The meaning of which 
 feems not to be that the Gentiles were all 
 
 «- with whom would I 
 
 Gladly behold though but his utmoft skirts 
 Of glory, and far off his (leps adore. 
 * Falfe Gods are called lies in Scripture. Crotlus on 
 Zom.l. 2* 
 
 atheiliSj 
 
( ni ) 
 
 Stheifts, and" abfolutely and wholly ignd-* 
 rant of God, but that they glorified him 
 not as God -, for as in the language of the 
 Scriptures, to know God is to obey him - y 
 fo not to know him, is not to honour 
 him, and all wicked men are called un- 
 believers and men who know not God. 
 The Gentiles had not indeed quite loft all 
 notions of the excellence and perfections of 
 the Divine nature > they generally acknow- 
 ledged one fupreme God, and forne thought 
 him to be as good and as wife as he was 
 powerful ; but * with him they adored 
 inferior § Deities. To thefe many Gentiles 
 
 afcribed 
 
 * Some philofophers, at laft, in their refinements upon 
 religion, reprefented the fupreme God as above all ado- 
 ration, and not to be worfhipped, like inferior deities, by 
 prayers and praifes, but only by a filent fort of contem- 
 plation. Conftat ex L. 4. Cyrilli contra Julianum, Porphy- 
 rium exiftimajfe folos deos mundanos colendos effe, nan autem 
 SupremuM ilium, Fuit et hac plurimonmi ex fchold Platonic a 
 opinio. Gale ad Jathblicb. More to the fome purpofe may 
 be (een in Fabricius de Ver. Rel. Chrift. c. 8. p. 315. 
 
 § Thofe Pagans, who were not atheifts or fceptics, feem 
 generally to have been polytheilb, that is, to have acknow- 
 ledged cne fupreme and many inferior Gods. 
 
 The ancient Chine fe are to be excepted, if we may give 
 credit to Lo&is he Comte, who in his relation of China fays, 
 that for the fpace of near two thoufand years they preferved 
 the knowledge of the true God, and that they were not 
 
 corrupted 
 
( 238 ) 
 
 afcribed milch weaknefs and wickedneft, 
 
 and 
 
 corrupted with idolatry till eight hundred years before 
 Chrift. Other Writers there are, who fay that the old re* 
 ligion of G&/*« was indeed free from grofs idolatry, front 
 the worfhip of images and of dead men ; but that it ap- 
 pointed the worfhip of Daemons, or inferior deities, who 
 were to be adored befides the fupreme God. See Fabria 
 Luc. Evang. cap. 39. and Bayle Di&. ZOROASTRE, 
 p. 2930. not. 
 
 Concerning the ancient Perfians, fee Hyde, Rel. Vet. Perf. 
 2nd Fabricius, Bibliogr. Antiq. p. 30, 31, and Cudwrth. 
 
 The Arabians before Mohammed are faid to have ac- 
 knowledged only one God ; but befides him they worship- 
 ped inferior deities, Angels, Saints, &c. as mediators and 
 intercefTors. See Prideaux Life of Mahom. and Sale's Co- 
 ran. Prelim. Difc. p. 14. &c 
 
 Cudworth obferves, that from the words of Onatus the 
 Pythagorean in Stobaeus, it plainly appears that in his time 
 there were fome who acknowledged one only God, denying alt 
 thofe other Gods then commonly worflipped. And indeed Anax- 
 
 agoras feems to have been fuch a one- • and fome fuch there 
 
 were alfo amongjl the ancierit ./Egyptians. — Moreover 
 
 Proclus upon Plato's Timasus tells us, that there has been al- 
 ways lefs doubt and controverfy in the world concerning the 
 tone God, than concerning the many Gods. Intell. Syft. p. 233. 
 
 Anaxagoras held matter to be felf-exiftent ; and Gerard 
 Voflius was miftaken in thinking that this philofopher be- 
 lieved the world to have been created, becaufe N«V effe 
 dixit principium mundi. Thef. Theol. Difp. 1. p. 5. NSV, 
 according to Anaxagoras, was only d$yr\ Kivfoius, the hrft 
 mover, the caufe of motion, and the former of all things. 
 
 Lucian defcribing and deriding the various opinions of the 
 philofophers concerning the Gods and the world, fpeaks of 
 ibme perfons who maintained the unity of God. His words 
 are remarkable : £ 01 y.\y 7*s (*h&*$ fardy\du §u i tottJffdf- 
 
 lit, 
 
( 239 ) 
 
 and worfhipped them in a way not # uft- 
 iuitable to their fuppofed nature. They 
 
 7«f, Ipj (Aoi'to 7»f 7«J' o\eov d°x^ v arh't^ow are tififiA ^J 
 
 rrahtv k'Tr^^iKivoy.ivoii tfoKK-U 7s at/JaV tfViaoir*;', ;£ 
 £llKoy.iVQt t 7oV p«> fyvtttffflov Qzov WiKeCtosy, 7*7* cTe 7« 
 fiu]z£cfi y xj 7?* 7* B'S//or 7w Biojnlcf. Icaromen. 
 . Now if we confider how hard it is to produce P*£/w* 
 philofophers, who taught the unity of God in fo very ex^ 
 prefs a manner as is here reprefented by Lucian, we mall be 
 inclined to think, that he had other perfons in view. Some 
 fays he, make a fad fcareity of Gods, expelling them all 
 but one, and giving him the whole power and manage- 
 ment ; others are more bountiful, and divide the divinity 
 into a fail, a fecond, and a third God. I think the words 
 will bear this fenfe ; and, if fo, Lucian might perhaps in- 
 tend to feoff at the Jews and the Christians. 
 
 The more refined kind of polytheifm feems to have been 
 the do&rine of one God and Father of all, who governed 
 the world and admininred human affairs by the interpola- 
 tion and offices of beings inferior to himfelf and fuperior to 
 us, in a loofer fenfe called Gods, who were of a middle na- 
 ture between God and men, who prefided over this lower 
 world, and who, as mediators, conveyed bleffings from 
 God to us, and offer*d up our adorations and thankfgivings 
 to him. Notions like thefe had been adopted by fome 
 Jews, and by fome of the firft Gentile converts to Chrifti* 
 anity St. Paul therefore exhorts the Colojpans to place 
 their faith and truft, not in Angels, but in Chrift, as in 
 him by whom alone we have accefs to the Father, u. 18. 
 where fee the Commentators, and Whitby >, p. 466. Vol. II, 
 and on Hebr, 1. 10. 
 
 * See Jupn M. Apol. II. p. 128. and Dr. Thirties note?, 
 aad Grctizts de Satisfa&. c. to. 
 
 worfBipped 
 
(Urn) 
 
 worfhipped God in his works, in all things; 
 and deified the feveral parts of nature, they 
 worfhipped him under emblems, fymbols, 
 fenfible reprefentations and images. They 
 deified dead, and fometimes living perfons, 
 the former often out of injudicious gratitude,, 
 the latter ufually out of fordid flattery. 
 Amongft the lower fort fuperftition pre- 
 vailed, amongft the better, uncertainty * 
 and doubt. And thus not making a 
 proper ufe of their reafon, they were ig- 
 norant, or not fufficiently perfuaded of thofe 
 religious truths upon the knowledge and 
 affurance of which our happinefs even in 
 this life in a great meafure depends $ for if 
 we take away the firm belief of a merciful 
 creator and preferver of the world, whofe 
 providence extends it felf over all, and 
 whofe goodnefs protects and will reward 
 thofe who ferve him and truft in him ; a 
 man can enjoy no rational peace of mind, 
 no true and well-grounded and lafting fa* 
 tisfa&ion. He cannot fupport himfelf in 
 
 * Ibant obfcuri fdla fub no£le per umbram. 
 Quale per incertam lunam fub luce maligna 
 Eft iter in filvis ; ubi caelum condidit umbra 
 Jupiter, et rebus nox abftulit atra cclorem. 
 
 Virgil. 
 
 the 
 
( 2 4 i ) 
 
 the troubles infeparable from life. Scarce 
 can he rejoice even in the days of profpe- 
 rity, which, he knows, muft be of no 
 long continuance. 
 
 If it were true that there is no God, and 
 we could be certain of it, it would be a 
 truth which a rational being could not for- 
 bear to mourn all the days of his life. Man 
 would then be expofed, friendlefs and fa^ 
 therlefs, to every kind of evil, under the 
 dominion of blind Chance or unrelenting 
 Neceffity ; nor could he be fure that death 
 would put an end to him and to his fuf- 
 ferings, and that he fhould not be drawn 
 by a fatal Chain of things from this bad 
 Hate to a worfe. But all that we fee with-^ 
 out us, and all that pafles within us, tells 
 us in the filent language of nature, that 
 there is an Author and Governor of the 
 liniverfe. 
 
 The Gofpel gives us a juil and amiable 
 defcription of him. It teaches us that there 
 is a God in whom we may confide, and 
 whom, if we love virtue, we fhall cer- 
 tainly love ? to whom we may * addrefs 
 R our 
 
 * The duty of man is threefold ; to God, to his fellow- 
 cr^atures, to himfelf. The Gentiles had juiler notions of 
 
 the 
 
( 242 ) 
 
 our felves for the relief of our wants, and 
 the pardon of our offences. It teaches us 
 that God is not fuch a Being as fome of 
 the Gentiles efteemed him to be, not a 
 being offended eafily and without caufe, 
 and pacified by frivolous ceremonies, not a 
 being enflaved to neceffity and fate, not a 
 being who takes no notice of the world, 
 and cares not whether men be virtuous or 
 wicked, nor one who regards only great 
 things, and cannot or will not infpedt all ; 
 but fuch a being in every refpeft as a good 
 man would with him to be, and infinitely 
 more perfect than the wifeft man can con- 
 ceive him to be. 
 
 The Gofpel teaches us to be fenfible of 
 our wants and imperfe&ions, and depen- 
 dence upon God, and thereby * greatly 
 
 furpaffes 
 
 the duty of man to mankind and to himfejf, than they had 
 Concerning his duty to God. Cicero, I think, paffes over 
 this important part of morality in his Books of Offices, only 
 juil touching upon it, II. 3. deos placatos pietas ejficiet et 
 fantiitas. 
 
 * See the Commentators on Horace, Epift. I. xviii. 111. 
 
 Sed fatls eft orare Jovem, qu<£ ponit et aufert : 
 
 Dct vitam. del opes : aquum mi animum ipfe parabo. 
 
 Better is the following obfervation of Cicero : Mu/tos—ef 
 aoftra ci-vitas et Qracia iulitjingulares vires ; quorum neminem, 
 
 nifi 
 
( 243 ) 
 
 furpafles Pagan philofophy in enforcing J 
 humility. 
 
 nlji juvante Deo, talem fuijffe credcndum eft. — Nemo igitUr tni* 
 tnavnus fine aliquo ajftatu divino unquam fuit. De Nat. 
 Deor. 1 1 . 66. And of Maximus Tyrlus, who fuppofes 
 that virtuous minds have %vvct,yuvtriiv Qiov ^ o~vK7.{)ir\o^. % 
 Difs. xxii. and of Seneca, who fay?, Bonus <vir fine Deo 
 nemo eft. An pot eft aliquis fnpra fortunam, nlji ab illo ad* 
 J ictus, exfurgere ? ille dat confilia magnified et erecla. In 
 unoquoque <virorum bonorum, Quis Deus incertum eftl habitat 
 Deus. Epift. XLI. 
 
 * The word bumifitas is ufed by Latin writers in a bad 
 fenfe j but that this virtue was not quite unknown to them, 
 and to other Gentiles, may be proved thus : They ackow- 
 ledged that pride or felf-ccnceit was a vice ; they itiufl: 
 therefore have perceived that there was a virtue contrary to 
 it, and that it confifted in thinking foberly of bur felvefc, 
 and as we ought to think, and in acting fuitably to fuch 
 thoughts, and as they fometimes ufe ykytt, (p^gvelv, C*\.y\K& 
 $£)v£i>, in a bad ferife, they muft have allowed it to be 
 commendable y.'{\eict ^ dv$°MToi<; \o~& o^fv&.v. They had 
 aifo a name for this virtue : the Romans called it modeftia, 
 moderatio. Barrow) fays in one of his Difcourfes, that the 
 word candor anfwers nearly to humility. If he had thought 
 at that time ofmodeftia, he would haVe preferr'd it to can- 
 dor. The word demijjiis is aifo found in Latin authors to 
 denote a good difpofition ; it anfwers to Tcnr&vos, and it 
 means humble, modeft, meek. Plato de Leg. IV. p. 715^ 6, 
 recommends humility towards God : (jAv £yi Oil?, afx/iv 
 *]i ^ 1«A€i/]ii!', iy yXvdL 1w oifj&p Airt£\\Gov zx m '> sweety 
 *7r<i0yAve< Kcijd q-j(riv 4rzetirotevo[AiPo$. fco «T* «£ei Ev/i7r{\aLz 
 &\m '{vv d-7roKei7Tou.il soy ft Srf's vb{A* 1* >■*■&£}$' hi (J&V 
 kv^cu i Uovno'&iV yiKKwy^ i%J>p.ZP0S? £uvivz]eu TSLlTiWQs 
 [jjJ] Kix.oQ-y.yiu.iyoi. <Pz ft; £5ae?0<& vto yaycLKAvyjiti 
 g- - - ■ •' ■ - - - ■ — Deus omnium rerum et principium et medium ktjfoOtri 
 R 2 i$ 
 
( 244 ) 
 
 The Gofpel has taught us more than we 
 could elfe have difcovered J concerning 
 our ftate hereafter. 
 
 It is true that reafon furniihes us with 
 very probable arguments for the fouls im- 
 mortality, and that many in all ages have 
 
 in fe habensy reel am <viam pcragit, explicans <vimjuam at que 
 potentiam per banc univerji naturam, perque omnes illius par- 
 tes circumquaque permanans. Hunc fequitur juftitia, eorum 
 qui a dlvind lege dejiciunt ultrix atque <vindcx, cut quidem 
 jujiitia is modeilo et compojito ammo adhteret qui felix eji 
 futurus, ejufque duclum et aufpicium cot:ftanier perfequitur* 
 
 Qui autem fuperbid elatus eft It is certain that IcLTtiVOf 
 
 has a good fenfe here. See alfo Origen contr. Celf. VI. p. 
 285. where this paffage is quoted. 
 
 As they are in an error who fay that humility was ab- 
 folutely unknown to the Pagans 5 lb thofe learned men feem 
 no lefs miftaken, who will needs have it that this virtue is 
 very frequently mentioned by the philofophers. When you 
 expect proofs of their affertion, they give you paffages 
 which recommend patience under injuries and calamities, a 
 contempt of honours and power, of glory and popular ap- 
 plaufe, of cenfure and reproach ; and at the head of the 
 humble and meek they place the ragged regiment of the 
 Cynics, many of whom were not lefs proud than poor. 
 See Huet. Aln. Quaeft. 1 1 1 . 8. 
 
 % See Whitby on Tim. II. I. 10. and Le Clerc Prolego 
 Hift. Eccl. Seel. I. and II. Varro commemorare Deos 
 ccepit, — oftendens in omnibus, quod fit cujufque munus, 
 ct propter quid cuique debeat fupplicari. In qua univerfa 
 diligentia, nullos demonftravit vel denominavit Deos, a 
 quibus vita sterna pofcenda fit. Auguft. de Civ. Dei. 
 VI. 9. 
 
 believed 
 
( 2 45 ) 
 
 believed it j neverthelefs it is true alfo that 
 the Gofpel has given us a clearer know- 
 ledge of our future condition. 
 
 For, ( 1 . ) the beft arguments which rea- 
 fon fuggefts for the immortality of the foul 
 are founded upon right notions of God and 
 of morality ; but before the Gofpel was 
 revealed, the common people amongfl the 
 Gentiles had low and imperfect notions of 
 thefe important truths, and confequently 
 they were not perfuaded upon good grounds 
 of their future exiftence. 
 
 (2.) Though the belief of a ftate after 
 this was much receiv'd amongft men, yet 
 was it entertained by the vulgar rather as 
 an ancient and long-eftablifh'd opinion, 
 than as a truth founded upon juft reafoning. 
 Their anceftors had believed a life to come, 
 and they retained the notions which had 
 been delivered down to them by tradition ; 
 but they could not trace this tradition up 
 to its rife, nor fix it upon an authority 
 which might be trufted. 
 
 (3.) They who argued juftly enough to 
 
 conclude from the nature of God and of 
 
 man, that it was reafonable to believe the 
 
 immortality of the foul, and to hope that 
 
 R 1 a future 
 
( 2 4 6 ) 
 
 a future ftate of happinefs mould be the 
 reward of a well-fpent life, yet could not 
 hence fairly draw any conclufions to their 
 own full fatisfaction - y for they mull: have 
 been fenfible that they had not lived up to 
 the laws of nature and the dictates of their 
 own reafon, and that they had offended 
 the author of their being in many inftances. 
 It is true, they might have recourfe to re- 
 pentance and amendment, but how far this 
 would avail they could not certainly know. 
 What could they hope more than to be 
 removed after death into fome other world, 
 fome other ftate perhaps not much better 
 than this ? 
 
 (4.) Many * w T ho believed the immor- 
 tality of fouls, believed alfo a continual and 
 fucceffive removal of fouls from one body 
 to another, and no fixed ftate of permanent 
 happinefs. After death they were to dwell 
 in fpme other body, and to continue 
 thus changing their abodes, as they fup- 
 pofed that they had already done in ages 
 paft. And as in this life they had no me- 
 mory of their former condition, fo the me- 
 mory of their prefent ftate was to be loft 
 
 * See G.cfjusan Jifhef. xi. 12, 
 
 in 
 
( 2 +7 ) 
 
 m the next. Thus their remembrance at 
 * leaft, which feems to be no fmall part of 
 one's felf, was to perifli by death. 
 
 (5.) Some, who in words acknowledged 
 the immortality of he Soul, feem in reality 
 to have taken it away, by imagining that 
 the foul was a part of the Soul of the world, 
 of the Deity, and that J upon its feparation 
 from the body it was reunited to it 
 
 (6.) Some endeavoured to prove the 
 fouls immortality by arguments which prov- 
 ed too much, which mewed, if they {hew- 
 ed any thing, that the foul was from eter- 
 nity ; whence difagreeable confequences feem 
 to flow. 
 
 (7.) Some fuppofed that the foul mould 
 outlive the body, and receive a reward of 
 virtue, but they thought that it was ma- 
 terial and fubjecl: to dirTolution, and that a 
 time mud come when it mould perifh. 
 
 * That confciottfnefs is requiilte in perform! identity, was 
 the opinion cf Lucretius III. 859, and of Tertullian De 
 
 Refurr. Carnis. Neque tneniem, neque memoriam\ neque 
 
 confcientiam hcminis hodierni erediblle eft aholeri, iz c. Si 
 
 non memincrim me ejfe qui merui, quomodo gldriatn Deo dicam ? 
 &c. 
 
 Juftin Martyr, or the o!d man who inftru&s him, %s 
 much the fame. Dial. p. 147, 
 
 J See Virgil Georg. IV. 221, 
 
 R 4 (8.) May 
 
( 2 4 8 ) 
 
 (S.) Many had fo far debafed their un- 
 demanding as to perfuade themfelvcs that 
 death was a diflblution of the whole man, 
 and that there was nothing to * hope or 
 fear beyond this life. 
 
 Some we find entertaining <f faint hopes 
 mixed with jj many doubts, others fancy- 
 ing: 
 
 * ' mortem cunBa mortalium mala diffol<vere ; ul- 
 
 tra ve que cur a, neque gaudio lecum ejje. Caefar^«</Salluft. 
 B. C. 50. ubi vide V/aJfe. 
 
 •f Hence thofe common forms of fpeaking ; Si tamen e 
 nobis a liquid rejlai ; Si quid h abet fenf us umbra ; &c. 
 
 || Seneca on this fubject is aAAoT^V*AA<j?, wavering and 
 inconftant in his fentiments. What Homer fays of one of 
 his heroes, might be applied to him ^ 
 
 II. E. 85. 
 
 fwoabat de at emit ate antptarum quarere, imo mehercule 
 credere. Credcbam enim facile opinionibus magnorum <virorum t 
 rem grat'JJi?r.am promitteniium magis quam frobantium. Epift* 
 Cii. p. 503. 
 
 Ke fays indeed, Dies ifte, quern tanquam extremum refar- 
 ptidas, aterni natalis eft. Epift. cu. and elfewhere. 
 Animus erternitatis fua memor, in omne, quod fuit, futurian- 
 que eft, omnibus feeculis <vadit. And, Animus facer et teter- 
 r.us eft. Confol. ad Kelv. II. And, Ipfe quidem at emus* 
 weliorifque nunc ft at us eft, Sec. Ad Marc. 24. 
 
 But moil of thefe paflages are taken from his Confolations, 
 where it behoved him to fpeak magnificently of the fu- 
 ture ftate of the foul, that he might afiuage the grief of 
 
 thofe 
 
( 2+9 ) 
 lag that they mould be removed from one 
 body to another, and be perpetual wande- 
 rers, others looking upon the grave § p 
 upon their eternal habitation, and fadiy 
 
 thofe whom he exhorted to bear patiently the death or the 
 abfence of their dearefc friendo. In other places he talks in 
 another manner. 
 
 Befides., the word aternus in Seneca often means diutitr* 
 tius . Confol. ad Marc. Nos qnoque felices anima et aterna 
 Jbrtita, cum Deo vifugt cot ifia meliri, labeniibus cuncli^ et 
 ipji par-va ruina ingenth accej/zo, in antiqua ehmenta <vsr- 
 temur. Nat. Quaeft. VII. Non exijiinw Cqmeten fubitaneum 
 ignem, fed inter aterna opera natura. Nat, Quasi!. II. ic. 
 he calls the ftars aternos ignes. And again Na*. Qg**ft' 
 VII. 23. See alfo ch. 25 and 37. And in T&yeftes 
 
 835. 
 
 Non aterna facis exoriu 
 Dux ajfrorum fecula dueens 
 Dabit ajiatis brumaque not as. ■ ■ » 
 Ibit in unum congejia Jin urn 
 Turba Deornm. 
 
 Whence it appears, that Seneca calls eternal whatfoever 
 he thought woujd laft ufque ad itcrvfUiTtVi till the Stoical 
 conflagration, and would not perifh before the end of the 
 world . 
 
 This is no very uncommon ufe of the word atemus, which 
 has alfo the comparative aternior. See Fabers Thejaurus. 
 
 On the contrary, longaikis fometimes fignifies immortal, 
 as Ser'vius thinks, on Virgil ' JEn. VJ. 764. and the Scholiafi 
 interprets ^.ctK^coicoVj aQdvctjoi; in Sophocles Antig. 999. 
 
 j' It is caird DOMUS iETERNA in many Infcriptions. 
 
 Cruter, p. DCCLX. 5. DCCXC. 5, DCCCCIII- 6. DCCCpXIlI, 
 
 6, &c. 
 
 com- 
 
( 250 ) 
 
 * complaining that the fun and ftars could 
 fet and rife again, but that man when his 
 day was fet, mud lie down in darknefs 
 and fleep a perpetual fleep. 
 
 2. The 
 
 * Soles occidere et redire pofTunt : 
 Nobis, quum femel occidit brevis lux, 
 Nox eft perpetua una dormienda. 
 
 Catullus V. 
 
 *Ai ai, *]cu y.A\ar/jw yXv krrcLv Kctja k£tov "qWvJoj, 
 
 ''Tszgyv av fecofit, xj «V 'zjos aAAo <pvov\r 
 ''Ay.pzs <P* 01 pcyaAot ^ Keltic?* » ffo$oi divfyic, 
 
 *EV<P&{M{ lZ [J-AKCL UCtK&V etjl^OVA VUyfljoV V7TVQV. 
 
 Mofchus Epitaph. Bion, 
 
 Alafs ! the tendsr herbs, and flow ry tribes, 
 Though cruflyd by Winter s unrelenting hand, 
 Revive and rife vohen Vernal Zephyrs call. 
 But nve, the brave, the mighty, and the voife, 
 Bloom, fiourijh , fade , and fall, — and ihenfucceeds 
 A long long, filent, dark, oblivious fleep ; 
 A fleep, vchich no propitious Povfr difpells, 
 Nor changing feafons, nor revolving years a 
 
 In Seneca's Troades, the Chorus fays, 271. 
 
 Verum efi ? an timidos fabula dscipit 
 Umbras cor paribus vivere conditzs ? Sec. 
 Toft mortem nihil eft, itfaque mors nihil, &C. 
 
 Where the Poet, to introduce this fafhionable Epicurean 
 clcclrine, makes his Chorus fpeak inconMently and out 
 of character 5 inconfiitently, as may be feen vers. 158. 
 
 Felix. 
 
( 25i ) 
 
 2. The Gofpel is truth, as it is the ac~ 
 complifhment of the propheiies of future 
 favours made under the Law. Chrifl was 
 the prince of peace, the light of the Gen-? 
 tiles, the deliverer of the captives, the 
 preacher of glad tidings, the founder of an 
 everlafting kingdom in a more exalted 
 fenfe than was commonly imagined by the 
 Jews before his coming. 
 
 3. Laftly. In the Law was contained an 
 image and reprefentation of good things to 
 come : in the Gofpel thofe good things are 
 brought to light. The Gofpel then is truth 
 in oppofition to the Jewifo difpenfation, as 
 it is the fubftance and reality of all thofe 
 things which are figured by the Law 5 or 
 as they were mere fhadows compared to 
 that folid and fubftantial truth which Chrifl 
 has difcovered to us. 
 
 Felix Priamus, —- mine TLl\fii 
 
 Nemoris tut is err at hi umbris, &C. 
 
 and out of chara&er, becaufe in the heroic ages, in the 
 time of the Trojan war, the exiftence of the foul after 
 -death was generally believed, according to Homer. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
ERRATA. 
 
 PAGE 22. I.4. read obligation, p. 25. note. 1. 3. 
 r. he. p. 51. note. 1. 27. r. publifhed. p. 52. note. 
 1. 16. r. which is. p. 76. 1. 11. r. led. p. 88.1. 14. 
 r. fmce. p. 98. 1. 7. r. bare, p. 99. note. 1. 2. r. atut. p. 
 105. note. 1. 15. r. 7Tf»TM. p. 138. note, laft L r. Malcht. 
 p. 164. note. 1. 14.1". thought it right, p. 196. note. 1. 16. 
 r. dutout.j>. 203. note, lait 1. r. quod. 
 
 PAGE 53. Note. 1. 21. andwejkall take a pleafure—+ 
 to Hie at your command, xj H{JLeit rifiac qfrypsv 7* loinrn 
 %&vdL7x to yiyLt. I have underflood 7o/«t» 9a y&TK to be, 
 a death infli&ed by the Emperor, after he had himfelf taken 
 cognifance of the caufe. Some perhaps may think that it 
 means, a death which a Chriftian fufFers, not for evil doing, 
 but for confcience fake. It may be tranflated, and <we 
 ihearfully bear fuch a death, as an honour and a reward, 
 and the reader may put his own interpretation upon it, 
 


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