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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2011 with funding from 
 
 Princeton Theological Seminary Library 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/animadversionsupOOflem 
 
3 
 
 ANIMADVERSIONS 
 
 UPON 
 
 Mr. Tho. Chubb 's 
 
 DISCOURSE on MIRACLES, 
 
 Confidered as Evidences to prove the divine 
 original of a Revelation. 
 
 Wherein is attempted to be fhewn, 
 
 That he has greatly miftaken the kind and degree of 
 evidence — that his hypothefis is not confiftent with 
 itfelf ; and fo unable to overthrow, or even weaken 
 the evidence given to the Chrijiian Revelation, by 
 miracles, if fo applied. 
 
 To which is addded. 
 
 An APPENDIX, containing Dr. T u r n b u l l's 
 Queries, which are humbly offered to the ferious confide- 
 ration of all who pretend to be F R e e-t h i n k e r s. 
 
 Is there no fuch thing as truth, hecaufe the quejiion has been. 
 
 put^ What is truth ? 
 Is there no fuch thing as right reafon, hecaufe men have 
 
 maintained infinite abfurdlties and contradiSiions about every 
 
 thing ? 
 Have not fome that pretend to be mathematicians difputed about 
 
 the firjl principles of geometry ? 
 Infhort^ what is there that minute philofophers have not held, 
 
 to the fubverfion of humzn knowledge, and deJlru6iion of 
 
 all fcience ? Dr. Sykes's Connexion, i^c. p. 285, 286. 
 
 • By CALEB FLEMING. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for J. N o on, at the WIAte-Hart netir Mercer's- 
 Chapel in Cheapfide ; J. B R A c k s T o N e, at the Globe 
 in Cornhill; and T. Sanders, in Little-Britain. 
 MDCCXLI. Pr. IS. 
 
^{2c^A4' Ua) o^^hX 2j- W>L^ ^'y-hJl <24 
 
T O 
 
 Mn T H O. C H U B B* 
 
 The INTRODUCTION. 
 
 S I R, 
 
 I Have with care attended to your Difcourfe on 
 Miracles^ and as far as I know myfelf, have 
 animadverted upon your hypothefis^ with that 
 impartial regard to Truth, which becomes a 
 lover of it. — You have well obferved, *' that contro- 
 *' verfies in matters of religion^ when managed with 
 *' that fairnefs and good humour as they ought, have 
 '* this advantage arifing from them, that they give 
 " occafion for men*s reafoning faculties to be exer- 
 *' cifed with much more care and attention than 
 " other wife they would be. Which fairnefs and 
 ^^ good humour in controverfy, greatly tends to check 
 " and reftrain the growth of bigotry and fuperfti- 
 " tion, which through men's inattention are apt to 
 ** prevail in the world." I likewife agree with you, 
 in thinking, " that the points controverted, are like- 
 " wife very often fet in a much clearer light by this 
 *' means, and the way to truth rendered more eafyy 
 " by a removal of thofe di_giiculties and ohje^ions 
 '* which are bars to men's receiving it.'* 
 
 Farther, I own myfelf of the number of thofe 
 who wifh " that all reftraints upon men's enquiries 
 " were removed, and that all men were at/»// liber- 
 
 B *' /v 
 
*' ty to offer their thoughts and their objections freely 
 *' upon every queftion with which religion is con- 
 " cerned ; this being moil /<«?> and equitable in itfelf, 
 "' and hkewife, the moft fure and certain way for a 
 " religion which is well-grounded^ to be generally 
 " received, and thereby, to be more thoroughly 
 «^ eftablifiied." 
 
 c.\ T.His part of your preface, Sir, I could not for- 
 bear tranfcribing, as it expreffes the fenfe I have of 
 religious liberty ; and am fully perfuaded, that fhould 
 we feparate this extent of freedom from our Idea of 
 religion, and the method of promoting and propa- 
 gating it, we muft have a very jejune and Jlarved 
 notion of it ! Religion being in its own nature a per- 
 fonal thing ; nor can bear any com-pulfion or rejlraint. 
 The underftanding muft have fufficient light for 
 convidtion •, the objed of knowledge muft appear fo 
 amiable and worthy of regard as to engage the affe- 
 ction and choice, otherwife, it is not religion but 
 fomething elfe. Befides^, as religion imports the fenfe 
 which the creature has of obligation to his Maimer ; 
 to recommend or attempt to promote it, by throw- 
 ing in temporary rewards or difcourageinents, is to di- 
 vert the mind from regarding that obligation in 
 which religion confifts j it does this, as it' is a ma- 
 king the creature^ and not the Creator, the ob- 
 jed of religious regard. t>tiv--i)r't<v ■ 
 
 But when we are pleading in behalf of Liberty^ 
 and Truth, it will be required of us, that we ufe 
 great care and be very circumfpeSi left we betray any 
 fort or degree of falfehood in our own words or 
 adlions. Whether you have not unhappily tranf- 
 greffcd the laws of Truth, in afferting, p, 5. of your 
 preface, that you have taken a view of the fubjeU con- 
 fidered fmply in itfelf, without any view or regard to 
 any particular revelation, or to any -particular miracle, 
 wrought, or fuppofed to be wrought, in favour of the 
 divinity of any revelation. — Whether there be not 
 fome excefs in this declaration, I Ihall appeal to your 
 
 own 
 
[3] 
 
 own breaft, by fetting before you fome paflages in 
 your Difcotirfe on Miracles. — Pray turn lo p, 15, 16, 
 17. and obferve how you have attempted to (liew we 
 cannot prove, that the raifing a dead ferfeH to life,- is 
 a 'rmrk above the natural ability or inherent power of 
 ajiy created being — you have done this, not barely by 
 afferting, that ajkilfulfurgeon or'fhyfician^ by a lime- 
 h interpofition has fometimes prevented death, by remO" 
 ving a diforder which other-wife would fpeedily and una- 
 voidably have ended in it — ^and that foinetimes, by a time- 
 ly afid proper application from a Jkilful perfdJt, life has 
 been reftored after a fhort ceffation \ but you have ad- 
 ded, an exprefs reference to the hijlory^'oftbe deliver- 
 ance of the children of Ifrael from Egyptian bondage \ 
 where we have an account, tJyat the magicians, by their 
 enchantments, that is,' (as it is com?nonly underjiood) by 
 a power derived Jrom evil fpirits, turned their dead 
 rods into ferpents, that is, ■ into living, aufive beings, 
 which ferpents are hiozjn and allowed to be. 
 
 From this you have reafoned, and have declared, 
 that if we admit, as^ true, what is recorded, as done, 
 by the magicians of Egypt, in turning dead fods int(y 
 ferpents, then the probabihty will be on the affirmative 
 fide of the queftion. 
 
 Now if this IVth Sefbion ftands for any thing, or 
 be allowed to be a part of the Difcourfe on Miracles, 
 then you have not taken a view of the fubje5f conftdered 
 ftmply in itfelf, without any view or regard to any par- 
 ticular revelation, or to any particular miracle wrought, 
 or fuppofed to be wrought, in favour of the divinity of 
 any revelation. 
 
 Perhaps it may be replied, that you have not 
 violated or broken your word ; forafmuch as the 
 magicians turning their dead rods into ferpents, was 
 neither a miracle, wrought, or fuppofed to be 
 wrought, in favour of the divinity of any revelation. 
 
 I GRANT if, and yet imagine, you have not ta- 
 ken a view of the fubjeft confidered fimply in itfelf; 
 but muft have recourfe to the credit of the Sacred 
 
 B 2 Hiftory, 
 
[4] 
 Hiftory, for fupporting your confequences, which 
 
 are drawn from the magicians turning their dead rods 
 into icrpents. 
 
 Again, be pleafed to turn to the narrative you 
 have taken out ot Lacy's book, entitled, yf Cry from 
 the deferty from p. 83 to 87 inclufive -, and obferve 
 what ufe you have made of it : — you muft own, that 
 you have oppofed the evidences of that pretended 
 Miracle to the evidences of Cbriji*s refur region •, and 
 muft be underftood, by any reader who would un- 
 derftand you, to prefer the teftimony given by Ca- 
 valiery Fage^ ■ and Marion^ * to Simon^ Andrew^ and 
 Philip, and ^h& circumftances attending thofe mi- 
 racles in the SevenneSy as rifing higher in their de- 
 mand of credit than thofe attending the hiftory of 
 Jefus ; inafmuch, as in the former cafe, the records 
 were made within four years after the fads were 
 tranfaded. — The fadb, i. e. the grand one mentioned 
 in Lacfs narrative, is of fuch a nature, p. ^^. as 
 feems to he above, and therefore not the produce of jug- 
 gle or SLEIGHT of hand. The miracle was perform- 
 ed before a great number of witnelTes, by computation 
 not lefs than one thoufand. Thefe witnejfes were per- 
 fons who fuffered perfecution for the fake of their reli- 
 gion ; perfons who were eminent for their great piety, 
 or, at leafl, for their being frequent in thofe exercijes 
 which are made the outward figns and tokens of it ; 
 perfons of reputed honefty and integrity, and who could 
 not pojfihly have any worldly advantages — who lived 
 under a Government that greatly oppofed that new 
 DISPENSATION they were believers in, and that 
 NEW MINISTRY they attended upon. — Again, its 
 
 * A*^ B. It is pity but Mr. Chubh had carefully examined into 
 the nature of this pre'^ended miracle, and fliewn the refemblnnce 
 it bore to any of thofe faid to be wrought by Jefus or his Apoftles. 
 It is pity but he had fhewn how this power of working miracles 
 continued among the French Prophets, fo called ; and how remark- 
 ably they rifqucd the truth of their revelations in the affair of 
 Emmes, who was to rife again from the dead, on fuch a day fore- 
 rold to their difciples. 
 
 being 
 
[5] 
 
 being feen by many, p. 90. done before many witnef- 
 feSf P- 9 1 • Thefe things compared with your intro- 
 ducing the particular fad of Chrift's refurredion, 
 though you have introduced it from a book called 
 The Trial of the Witnejfes^ yet the ufe you have made 
 of the fad and the evidences attending it, in compa- 
 rifon, or rather in contrafi, will lead any careful rea- 
 der to conclude, that you have not taken a view of 
 the fuhje^ conftdered fimply in it/elf, without any view 
 or regard to any particular revelation, or to any parti- 
 cular miracle, wrought, or Juppofed to he wrought, in\ 
 favour of the divinity of any revelation ; unlefs great 
 part of this Xlllth Section has nothing to do with 
 your Difcourfe on Miracles. 
 
 I N o w proceed to animadvert upon fome parts of 
 your argument. 
 
 S E C T. I. 
 
 Upon the definition given of a miracle, and miracle- 
 worker. 
 
 THERE are fome things under the head of 
 miracles, and under that of revelation, which 
 I apprehend are no way clear or conclufive. 
 
 I ow N with you, that a ?niracle exprejjes a fenftble 
 effe^ which is above the natural ability, or inherent 
 power of man to caufe or produce, p. 2. But that no 
 miracle can be an evidence of the Diviunv of a mah*s 
 mejfage, except the power exercifed in working the mira- 
 cle be revealed to^ and foretold by that man, that fuch 
 an effe^ will take place ; for otherwife, it would not 
 appear that the miracle was related to one man, or to 
 his meffage, more than to another ; and confequently, 
 not to any man ; arid therefore, it could not be an evi- 
 dence in the prefent cafe, p. 4. this I deny. For a 
 miracle may be appropriated to one man, in diftin- 
 ftion from any and every other perfon, though he 
 fliould not foretel that fuch an effedt would take 
 place : for injiance^ Ihould there be fuch an immedi- 
 ate 
 
[61 
 
 ate and evident conne6tion between the vifible aftion 
 of a perfon, and a miraculous efFedl, asthatofAfo- 
 fesh ft ri king a rock, and upon his doing fo, the wa- 
 ters gulhing out ; men would eafily appropriate the 
 miracle to Mofes, and not to any other man. Or 
 was there fo evident a connexion betv/een a man's 
 fpeaking a word, and the miraculous effeft, fuch^as 
 Jesus faying to the ftormy winds and raging vi2Lvk% 
 Be still ; and a calm inftantly fucceeds ! any per- 
 fon prefent would readily apply the miracle to Jefus, 
 though he had not foretold the miraculous efFed.— 
 Nay, to put the matter yet farther, Mr. Chuhb^s de- 
 finition is fo far from being juft concerning the crite- 
 rion of a miracle- worker, that there is no neceflity 
 that the miracle- worker Ihould fo much as either 
 fpeak or aft, in order to determine the miraculous 
 effeft appropriate to him ; for injiance, fhould Je- 
 fits be furrounded with a crowd of people, and a dif- 
 eafid woman Ihould privately touch his garment, 
 under a ftrong perfuafion of his divine miffion and 
 power, and fhould upon that touch inftantly find her- 
 felf in full fbrength and vigor of body ;■ would there 
 in this cafe be any difficulty in afcribing the miracu- 
 lous power of healing to Jefus. 
 
 Thus it is proved that Mr. ChuhFs account of 
 the necefTary criterion of a miracle-worker, viz. that 
 cf foretelling the miraculous effe^y is not necefTary to 
 diftinguilh him. 
 
 Nor can I by any means allow Mr. Chubh's far- 
 ther account of this fort of evidence *, for he fays, in 
 that fame place, as miracles are here confdered as evi- 
 dences of the DIVINITY of a revelation ; and as di- 
 vine revelations are delivered to the world by the mouthy 
 or pen of fome man 5 fo no miracle can he an evidence of 
 the dii^inily of a man's 7neJJage, except the power cxer- 
 cifed in working the miracle, be fubjed to the man's 
 will, as to the exercife of it •, or, at leajl, except it be 
 revealed to, and foretold by that vian^ that fuch an ef- 
 fect will take placCy &:c. 
 
 If 
 
[7] 
 
 If Mr. Chuhb means by the miraculous power being 
 fubje(5t to a man's will, as to the exercife of it, its 
 being y3 fubjedt to his will, that he can apply it or di- 
 rect the application of it either to atteft truth or falfe- 
 hood, or to procure the good or hurt of the creatures 
 around him, I then beg leave to differ from him ; 
 nor do I fee how Mr. Chubb^s definition can upon 
 his own fcheme be fupported. He owns p. 33. " that 
 " there is a natural and effential difference in things, 
 *' and that one thing or adlion is really better or pre- 
 *' ferahle to another in nature — that there is a rule 
 ** of adtion refulting from that difference, which «- 
 «' very moral agent ought in reafon to govern his 
 •' actions by ; and that God as the Governour of 
 ** the intelligent ^nd moral world makes the reafon 
 *• of things the rule and meafure jOf his adlions, in 
 *' all his dealings with his creatures, and this renders 
 ** him abfolutely and perfectly wife and good:" — 
 npw fhpuld we fuppofe that the power exercifed in 
 working miracle^ was fo fubjedt to a man's will, as 
 that he could diredt the application of it to a falfe as 
 well as to a true dodlrine, to an evil as well as to 2igood 
 purpofe *, fuch a power of working miracles could 
 not, ;n the nature of the thing, evidence the divi' 
 fiity of a man's meffage : becaufe we muft fuppofe, 
 that the Governor of the intelligent and moral 
 world makes the reafon of things the rule and meafure 
 of his adions, in all his dealings with his creatures, 
 and that he is abfolutely and perfe5ily wife and good. 
 So that the power of working miracles cannot be fub- 
 jedl to a man's will lo as to be diredted in the exercife 
 of it, either to atteft falfehood, or promote evil: it 
 cannot, if it remain an evidence of the divinity of a 
 man's meffage. 
 
 Perhaps Mr. Chuhb might have made a much 
 better definition of a mir.icle, had he attended to that 
 fame hiflory with care, from which he has his account 
 of the Magicians rods. The true miracle -worker there, 
 he would find to be initiated in this very principle, 
 > viz. 
 
[8] 
 
 viz. that the miraculous effe5i had nothing at all to do 
 with his natural capacities or his freedom of agency, 
 I would refer him to Exod. iv. i, 2, 3, 4. where he 
 will find " that Mofes is commanded to caft down 
 *' his rod, God caufeth it to become a ferpent. Mo" 
 •* fei was fo furprized that he fled from the face of 
 •' it : a plain proof that his free-agency had nothing 
 ** to do in it. Nay^ fo far was he from exerting a 
 •* miraculous power ad lihitum^ that he exerted no 
 *' miraculous power at all, except Mr. Chubb will fay 
 " that it is a miracle for a man to caft a rod or a 
 *' ftick out of his hand." — BeftdeSy 
 
 A N efFed wrought, that is above the natural a- 
 Mity and inherent fower of man, don't feem to be 
 reducible to that kind or degree of power and ca- 
 pacity which is requifite to his moral agency ; for- 
 afmuch, as it is above the natural ability and inherent 
 •power of man. This carries the idea of miraculous 
 power beyond the man's grafp ; and determines it to 
 be a foreign influence or force. The inherent -power 
 being too impotent and fcanty to wield and govern 
 the miraculous power, will determine the man who 
 is faid to work the miracle, to have neither freedom 
 of agency or of volition in the miraculous opera- 
 tion itfelf. 
 
 And yet, was it requifite, in order to a man's 
 being faid to work a miracle, that it may be made 
 known to him that fuch a quantity of extraordinary 
 power fliall be exerted •, which knowledge, is to be 
 fignified by hirn, in foretelling that fuch an effect will 
 take place ? — 
 
 Supposing this, fhould fuch a Man declare that 
 the quantity of power was his own, and that it was 
 abfolutely under his diredion, it would be no more 
 a proof of his mejfage being divine, than any ope- 
 ration within the compafs of his natural abilities and 
 inherent powers would be. The extraordinary effeft 
 produced, if in atteftation of a divine doctrine, or of 
 a revelation from God, muft have the proper marks 
 
 of 
 
®f Its being a divine power : or it will have nothing 
 in it, that is fuitable to the nature of fuch evidence. 
 Thus we find the Hijlorian recording the divine com- 
 miflion given to Mofes; and in that, informing him, 
 that the reafou or end of the miracles that fhould be 
 performed, was, that the Egyptians might k7iow that 
 J E H o V A H, or the King of Ifrael "was God. And the 
 Egyptians fhall know that I ^;w the Lord, lichen 
 J fir etch forth my hand upon Egypt. Indeed this re- 
 velation to Mofes would not have flood for any thing 
 if there had been no ftgns appointed to be ufed by 
 him, which might direft the Egyptians to confidef 
 the miracles wrought, as ftanding related to him, and 
 performed in confirmation of his meffage being from 
 God. He is therefore direfted to {d.y to A a r d n^^ 
 take thy rod and caft it before Pharaoh, and it 
 fhall hecome a ferpent. 
 
 , H E is ever to enforce his meffage, as a divine mefj- 
 fage — and thou fhalt fay unto him, i. e. to Pharaohy 
 the Lord God of the Hebrews hath fent me Uftto 
 thee. And in fupport of this, the idolatrous people 
 were to have miracles wrought, which iliould de- 
 monftrate the finger of God, or the power to be from 
 God. So evident, we are told it was, that the ma- 
 gicians themfelves acknowledged it. — Nor could Pha- 
 taoh and his Servants be under any temptation to 
 think that thefe miraculous elfefts were produced, at 
 the abfolute pleafure of Mofes, or of any being be- 
 low God. To convince them that they were the o- 
 perations of Jehovah, Mofes is commanded to ftretch 
 forth his hands towards heaven, and accordingly, 
 ftretches forth his hands toward heaven ; diredly and 
 openly addreffmg the fountain of all power. 
 
 S EC Tv 
 
[10] 
 
 SECT 11. 
 
 Farther thcughts upon the extent of humane ability : of 
 upon the criterion of a Miracle-worker. 
 
 IT is of little avail that we are fo follicitous a- 
 bout how far the natural abilities of man ex- 
 tends, which is the fubje6t of Mr. ChuWs lid Se^ 
 <5tion ; for, he fays, that this feems to be a difficulty 
 too great for humane underftanding to furmount, 
 p. II. 
 
 An D he tells us that fhould a man rife up and move 
 through the air^ to the height, and with the fwiftnefs 
 of an eagle 5 or if he JJoould command a mountain to 
 reinove out of its place, and to ft and in the mids of the 
 fea, and it fhould he removed accordingly, this would he 
 juft ground of prefuming that thofe effects exceeded the 
 hounds of humane power ; hecaufe as this is greatly fu^ 
 ferior to any power which has yet appeared to he in 
 ■man, fo from hence arifes a high degree of prohahility, 
 that it is above the natural ability of mankind ; and 
 there is no probability but only a bare pojfibility, if that^ 
 of the contrary, p. 12. 
 
 This extraordinary conceffon deferves fome notice. 
 It feems that for a man to move through the air to 
 the height and fwiftnefs of an eagle ; or to remove 
 a mountain, and place it in the midft of the fea, 
 at a word of command, is a juft ground for prC' 
 fuming that thofe effedls exceeded humane power ! — 
 If thefe be properly a juft ground of prefuming, 
 I wonder what would be requifite to carry it to 
 demonftration ! It is true, Mr. Chubb afterward fays, 
 that an high degree of probability, arifes from this 
 juft ground for prefu?ning -, nay, allows, there is no 
 probability, but only a bare poffibility, if that, of 
 its not exceeding the bounds of humane power. But 
 furely, unlefs Mr Chubb has formed the mofl ro- 
 mantic ideas of the extent of man's natural ability, 
 
 he 
 
[ " 1 
 
 he muft conclude fuch efFedls of power, certain 
 proof of its exceeding the limits of humane pow- 
 er. I am perfuaded that fhould any man tell 
 Mr. Chuhb that it came within the verge of his na- 
 tural ability and inherent power to remove a mole 
 hill or a lurf from one field to another, only by vir- 
 tue of fpeaking a word, or commanding it to re- 
 move -, he would look upon fuch a man v/ith con- 
 tempt ; and condemn him as a fool or a madtnan. 
 Nor do I know of any man of common fenfe, but 
 what would treat the pretenfion with ridicule. To de- 
 termine this, viz. whether the natural ability or capaci- 
 ty of man can extend to the removing of a mountain 
 and placing it in the midft of the fea, is not a diffi- 
 culty too great for humane underftanding to furmount ; 
 forafmuch, as it would be a mofi certain proof of a 
 fort of power not inherent in humane nature. 
 
 There are criteria enough of effeds wrought, 
 being above the compafs of humane power : fuch as 
 turning a dry Jlick, or a dead (or rather an inanimate) 
 rod into a living creature, in the form and figure of 
 a ferpent ; as was the cafe with Mofes and Aaron : 
 and the raifing a man from the dead : curing the 
 difeafed, the lame, the dumb, the deaf, and the 
 
 blind, with a word fpeaking which have been 
 
 done i nor is there any thing appears to the contra- 
 ry by this whole Difcourfe on Miracles, drawn up 
 with all the care and art of which this Gentleman 
 was mafter. 
 
 It may indeed be objefted, that, for any thing 
 which appears to the contrary, wicked men may have 
 been employed, as well as good men in working mi- 
 racles, as atteftations of the divinity of a miffion or 
 dodlrine. 
 
 It does not feem to me a clear point from 
 revelation that any wicked man, ever did work 
 a miracle during his prevailing regard to vice. 
 Men might be miracle-workers whilfl they retain a 
 moral temper and conduft, and afterwards turn 
 
 C 2 wicked -, 
 
[ 12] 
 
 wicked : but fo pure and holy was the fource or o- 
 rigin of miraculous power, that men by becoming 
 immoral, did quench the fpirit. So that integrity 
 and honefty of mind feem all along through the 
 New Tefia?nent Hiftory requifite both to the miracle- 
 worker, and to the perfons relieved by fuch extra- 
 ordinary exertion of power. From hence it appears 
 very improbable, that any real ?mracle fbould ever 
 Jiave been wrought, to delude and injure. 
 
 But fuppofmg they have been wrought by wick* 
 ed men, it does not, ahjlra^edly confidered, appear 
 inconfiftent with the nature of a real miracle ; the 
 effe^f produced being well adapted to the end it was 
 deligned to anfwer. As for injiance, fuppofing [as 
 Mr. Chuhb once fuppofed ; by St. James*Si account] 
 that Elias was a paj/ionate, angry man ; or let us 
 fuppofe him to have been a wicked man, it would 
 not have proved that the miracle wrought by him, 
 was not well adapted to decide the controverfy be- 
 tween him [confidered as comiflioned by Jehovah^ 
 the God of Ifrael] and the priefts of Baal. And 
 it was net only well adapted to prevent the people's 
 hciUing between tWQ opinions, fo oppofite, but we 
 find they were actually convinced by it. Befidesy 
 the n:ie0*age a man delivers, as from God, and at- 
 tefls by a miracle, is not the lefs a truth, for, or on 
 account of the man*s being a wicked man ; inafmuch, 
 g,s Mr. Chuhh will own, that a vicious invifihle Being 
 may aU contrary to his general character ; and do 
 good in fome injlances \ and that this is manife/lly the 
 cafe among fnen; p. 53. 
 
 If the perfon who wrought miracles had taught 
 this, viz. that he wrought thofe miracles in teftimo- 
 ny of his own divine original^ or that he in a moft 
 fwgular manner came from Qod, or was approved 
 and owned of God -, even fo approved and owned 
 of him, that he claimed the relation of a Son to him, 
 and called God his Father ; then it would be every 
 way re^uifu^ that his 'whole moral chara^fer Ihould 
 
 perfedly 
 
[ -3 ] 
 
 perfe<n:ly agree with the known perfecllons of God : 
 tor, if in any branch of moral truth or virtue he ap- 
 peared defe^ive, no expreffion of power would fuffi- 
 ciently prove his extraordinary miffion and claim. 
 
 In all other cafes, the working of miracles, or 
 the being able to fignify that fuch and fuch extraor- 
 dinary effedls fhould be produced, does not ftand 
 (Iridtly connected with the indefedlible 7?ioral charac- 
 ter of the perfon, who is thus recommending a doc- 
 trine, as divine. It will therefore be no matter of 
 wonder fhould we find in hijhry, the moft excellent 
 men [at the fame time they were commiffioned to 
 work miracles] declaring a pjjibiltty of their being 
 rejected of God ; of their finally failwg of the appro- 
 bation of the Great Judge ; and difcern them placing 
 the qualifications for happinefs, not in a miraculous 
 faith, that could remove mountains, or, in the moft 
 extenfive knowledge of the fecrets of nature, but in 
 moral temper and condu5f. 
 
 Had any, who have wrought real miracles, ever 
 pretended this to be a part of their virtue, or what 
 entered into their moral character, there would have 
 been room to have doubted of the divinity of their 
 pretenfions! but when this was fo far from being the 
 cafe, that none ever pretended to be the real efficient, 
 or to work in his own na?ne, but always to derive the 
 power from the Being to whom he was appealing, 
 and from whom he received his credentials ; no de- 
 ception, of any kind, could attend fuch miracles : 
 forafmuch, as both the miracle itfelf, and the truth 
 attefled by it, mufl be worthy of God, or could have 
 no claim to divinity. 
 
 SECT, 
 
[H] 
 
 SECT. III. 
 
 Of the capacity of invifible agents to work miracles ; in 
 which is Jhewn, that a real miracle cannot be wrought 
 in attefiation of falfehood. 
 
 GREAT pains has been taken by Mr. Chuhb to 
 fhew how many difficulties attend our judging of 
 miracles, as, in truth, attefting a divine revelation. 
 For, as to the degree and kind of power created beings 
 are capable of exercifing, we are in the dark, and mufi 
 leave this point under the fame uncertainty that we find 
 it. For as invifible agents are beings which we are 
 perfect ftrangers to, fo the kinds or degrees of power 
 which may arife from their natural conjlitutions, are 
 what we have no poffible way to dif cover : — and that it 
 is equally as eafy for God to communicate one kind or 
 degree of power as another, at leaji, for any thing we 
 know or can fhew to the contrary, p. 14. 
 
 There can be no more than me7'e fuppofition in 
 this, fince, in Mr. Chubb's Hid Section he aflerts, 
 that to know whether there are any other invifible agents 
 hut God, which can, or at leafi, which do, a5i upon 
 this globe, is a tafk exceeding difficult — that there is n* 
 argument to be drawn from the revelation in the prefent 
 argument — that it remains an undetermined point, nei- 
 ther the affirmative nor the negative fide to be taken — 
 But notwithftanding all this, mod part of what fol- 
 lows in his Difcourfe on Miracles has to do with the 
 operation of invifible agents, confidered as good or 
 bad I — It would take up too much room to mention 
 one half of fuch reafoning : and inafmuch, as the mojl 
 perplexing articles of the whole fcheme, feem to be 
 built on the hypothefis of invifible agents being able 
 to impofe upon man, and delude him : I ihould ima- 
 gine, that whoever attends to Seftion III. muft fee 
 that Mr. Chubb*s hypothefis has not the leaft founda- 
 tion : forafmuch as he excludes all argument drawn 
 
 from 
 
[ ^5] 
 
 from revelation, and declares the operation of invi- 
 fible agents upon this globe, to remain with him an 
 undetermined pointy neither the affirmative nor the ne- 
 gative fide to he taken. 
 
 Why fhould Mr. Chubb entertain the world with 
 chimeras and whims, fuch as, upon his own confefli- 
 on, are fo ; things about which he has no Ideas ; and 
 not only fo, but make thefe fi5lions to enter gravely 
 into the argument, and to ftand, as difficulties that 
 will embarrafs and leflen the degree of probability, in 
 the evidence of real miracles ? — Let any careful rea- 
 der, but attend to the repeated declarations Mr. 
 Chubb has made of our ignorance about angels, of 
 whom he fays, p. 47. we know nothing about them — 
 let him but ftrip off all the harangue, and then, if 
 he can, make any thing of what remains of this hy- 
 pothefis : — efpecially, when he adds to this, a farther 
 declaration of Mr. Chubh\ viz. that we are not only 
 in the dark, as to the operation of other invifiblc 
 agents, afting upon this our globe, but it is a 
 
 QUESTION WHETHER GoD HIMSELF DOES INTER- 
 POSE, ftnce prevalency of power cannot he a proof of its 
 being divine, p. 15. 
 
 If this be the true ftate of the cafe, all the que- 
 ftions put, I fhould think very trifling ; for example, 
 fuch as the following, viz. JVhether God will fuffer 
 invifible agents to exert their power for the delufion of 
 his creatures ? All invifible agents being at liberty to ex- 
 ert their power in ferving what purpofes they pleafe.—' 
 Upon the fuppofition that there are fuch invifible 
 agents, this will appear very improbable that they 
 fhould at all interpofe, it being a queflion whether 
 God himfelf does interpofe •, unlefs their concern and 
 influences may be fuppofed to be more extenfive than 
 God*s. — But upon the fuppofition that neither God 
 nor any other invifible agent does interpofe, as we 
 are entirely in the dark about both ; then the queflion 
 here put, is quite needlefs, — And upon this needlefs, 
 
 ufelefs. 
 
t »6 1 
 
 ufelefs, aerial foundation, the greateft part of Mr* 
 Cbubb*s hypothefis ftands. 
 
 It feems to be a general miftake, in this IPYitei^^ 
 that a real interpofal^ fuch as Ihould arife to the true 
 nature of a miracle, mull exprefs nothing hut power. 
 This feems to be the fentiment here, it being the rea- 
 fon affigned, why it is not lilcely God fliould himfelf 
 EVER interpofe, fmce prevalency of power cannot be ct 
 proof of its being divine. ' ^-' *;' 
 
 But, give me leave tO afk; whether a divine in- 
 terpofal may not exprefs fomething elfe befides pow-- 
 er ? may it not difcover wifdom alfo ? nay, compaffi- 
 on., and fatherly goodnefs ? — Mr. Chubb will own, that 
 God is the common parent of his creatures , and the na- 
 tural guardian of their happinefs., P- 3^- •^^'^ "^^Y "^^ 
 an extraordinary exertion of his power, bear the com- 
 plexion of a tender parent ? and being in.attefla- 
 tion of iome fcheme of favour to men, may it not al- 
 fo, have the marks of truth and veracity in it ; de- 
 tedling falfehood, difcovering deception, and refto- 
 ring to juft Sentiments and Ideas of his Once difputed 
 Sovereignty and Dominion ? If fo, then v/e have no 
 need to reft only upon prevalency of power for the 
 proof of any miracle's being from God ; but fuch 
 other features may be ftamped upon the miracle, aS 
 Ihew it to be genuinely divine. 
 
 B E s I D E Sy as God is the common parent of his crea- 
 tures^ and the natural guardian of their happinefs^ it is 
 no way improbable but that he may have {hewn 
 himfelf to be fo by extraordinary interpofals, at fuch 
 times, and in fuch circumftances, which would ren- 
 der fuch extraordinary interpofals capable of giving 
 the moft confpicuous difplay of his adorable charac- 
 ter ; and recommend his name to the reverence, fear^ 
 and truf of his creatures. — - 
 
 There is a mighty fine difl:in6lon made about 
 Truth, as oppofed to error, and to falfehood ; which 
 Truth oppofed to falfehood, only becomes good or evil by 
 the purpofes it is made to ferve, p. 58. 
 
 And 
 
[ 17] 
 
 And this is in order to fhew, that there may be 
 fome extraordinary cafes in which it may he jit for vir- 
 tuous inviftble agents, not to have a Jlri5f regard to 
 truth, p. 54. 
 
 But Ihould any virtuous man pretend to an exprefs 
 commiffion from God, or to an immediate revela- 
 tion, who at the fame time knew he had no fuch 
 thing, and Mr. Chuhh was capable of dilcovering the 
 fallacy of this prctenfion or claim, I am of opinion, 
 that whatever end the man might have in view, Mr. 
 Chubb would fcarce know how to form any confiflent 
 notion of the virtue of this impojlor, or imagine him 
 acceptable either to God^ or even to thofe men who 
 knew of the deception -, the end would be hard put 
 to it, to findify the means •■, or the man be able to 
 convince a reafonable Being, that he was a worthy 
 meffenger of the God of Truth. 
 
 A N D if we fuppofe a fuperior Being, to have a 
 proportionally laperior knowledge of the nature and 
 dignity of the divine rule and government, we fhall 
 be tempted to think, he muft much more abhor fo 
 daring an attempt, as to forge, as it were, the broad 
 SEAL of heaven, in order to promote the acknow- 
 ledged fovereignty of it. Would not this look like' 
 defe£f and weaknejs in the divine rule ? That the 
 kingdom of Truth, would need the fupports of falfe- 
 hood and impofture. 
 
 Mr. Chubb has exprefsly denied that we know 
 any thing about the power of invifible agents, and 
 yet he begins the wild chafe with introducing the rai- 
 fing of a dead perfon to life, as a work not above the 
 natural ability or inherent power of a created Being,' 
 p. IS, 16. 
 
 His argument is this, the animal life (as appears^ 
 to us) has a connection with, and dependence upon a 
 body ftly organized, and flored with juices, and thofe. 
 juices in a proper motion, &c. So that if fome of the 
 principal farts of the machine are thrown into any. 
 great diforder, or if the juices are let out, or fiag- 
 
 D na!e.i 
 
[ i8 ] 
 
 nate^ or the like, then a ceffation of life will enfue, ex- 
 cept fome fpeedy remedy he applied — p. 15. 
 
 I CONFESS I do not like the et coitera, placed at 
 the end of thofe few things on which the animal life 
 depends. I wilh he had mentioned all thofe things 
 which it appears to him to depend upon. He obli- 
 ges me to add, — It moil evidently depends upon the 
 animating fpirit or providence of God. — The humane 
 Family have generally acknowledged this, even fuch 
 as have had no exprefs revelation, have thought 
 themfelves, to be the offspring of God — which 
 contains in its idea, that in him we live., and move,, 
 and are. So that the fit organization of the body, 
 and its being duly ftored with Juices, and thofe juices 
 continuing in proper motion, depend on the invifible 
 hand of the Almighty Former : And who is it that 
 fliould have a right of continuing or difcontinuing 
 life, but the Author of it ? He, who gives the firft 
 moment to the blood and fluids, and has fo wonder- 
 fully contrived the almofl infinitely complex ma- 
 chine. 
 
 The power either of continuing or rejloring animal 
 life, cannot then be within the compafs of the natu- 
 ral ability or inherent power of any created Being : 
 uniefs, the obligations of dependence for life and. be- 
 ing can belong to any other but God. More efpeci- 
 ally, mud this be denied, fince fuch capacity is fup- 
 pbfed to be under the direction of a creature, as a 
 free agent ! [i. e. in the fcheme of Mr. Chubb'] ?i pre- 
 rogative manifeflly too high for the creature. — 
 
 However, this Gentleman produces fome inilan- 
 ces, in fupport of his argument. He fays, death has 
 been prevented by a Jkilful furgeon or phyfician interpo- 
 ftngt when death ctherzvife would fpeedily have enfued — 
 and in fome infiances., life has feemed, at leajly to have 
 been refiored, p. 16. 
 
 But what does this prove? only in the former 
 cafe, that God does not extraordinarily interpofe to 
 preferve lives, where the means of fuch prefervation 
 
 may 
 
[19] 
 
 may be had — and that in the latter cafe, there may 
 have been a difappearajice of all the fymptoms of 
 life, for a fliort feafon, and after that, a revival. 
 Had Mr. Chuhb faid that life had aElually been taken 
 away, and the perfon r<?^//y dead, and after this, re- 
 ft or ed to life by the phyficians or furgeons^ it had been 
 more to the purpofe. But for my part I never heard 
 of a fhyfidan or furgeon who when fully perfuaded that 
 a perfon was really dead, [if his characler was that 
 of a rational, judicious man] would pretend by 
 his art to recover life. Nor did any ever pretend to 
 underftand the firft principles of it ; much Jefs, how 
 to reinftate them. — 
 
 Had this ever been the cafe, fome good-natured 
 phyfician or other, would certainly have given a fpe- 
 cimen of his fkill, by preferving his own life in or- 
 der to have preferved the life of his friends, or have 
 taught mankind how to have banifhed mortality out 
 of the humane family. — 
 
 The inftance of the magicians by their enchant- 
 ments turning dead rods into ferpents, p. 17. will 
 not in the leaft perplex the doftrine of miracles. 
 Suppofing it was commonly underftood, that they deri- 
 ved this power from evil fpirits •, this does not arife 
 to any degree of evidence that they did fo. The 
 hiftorian fays no fuch thing : and if he had, that 
 would have proved nothing againft the dodtrine of 
 miracles, forafmuch as he reports them, not as real 
 miracles, but as deceptions. The Egyptian wife men 
 and the forcerers v/h:ch Pharaoh called, Amfworth 
 obferves, to have been fuch, as by changi7jg the form 
 of things into another hue., bewitch the fenfes and minds 
 of men •, * the Hebrew word ca/}japh fignifying, men 
 artful in deception. — Thefe "ii'ife men and forcerers did 
 fo with their enchan!?nents ; i. e. with their fecret 
 fleights Sindjiigglings, by fecret and clofe conveyance — 
 altering the medium of vifion \ difturbing the air, 
 gliftering like a flame of fire, or a fword, wherewith 
 
 * On Exod. vji. 1 1. 
 
 D 2 men's 
 
[20] 
 
 • men's tyes are dazzled. — So the Greek word fianunti.^ 
 rendered hewitched^* fignifies light falling with too 
 great a glare on the eyes ; which fhew the eyes to be 
 injured and not helped by the light. — And fo the word 
 forcery, has in the Greek, <p«|;/A«r-£i«, 7 which fignifies 
 the art of ■poifoning by deception. 
 
 Besides, the ftory of the Egyptian magicians exafl- 
 ly tallies with their names and character. For whether 
 they did thofe wonderful /c'«/i from the progrefs they 
 had made in the art of deceiving the eye, by juggle 
 or legerdemain •, or whether fome invifible evil beings 
 did affift them, it is apparent they performed no real 
 miracle. Their being fiid to do in like manner with 
 their enchantments, is only expreffive of their de- 
 ceiving the eyes of Pharaoh, and of his fervants. 
 Nor could they carry the mimickery in one fingle 
 article throughout. Inile.id of this, the hijhrian in- 
 forms us, that A A R on's rod, Jwallowed up their rods. 
 And when they had pretended to turn the water 
 into blood — and likewife brought frogs •, fo confci- 
 ous were they of their mimickery being all deception^ 
 that they could not engage to remove thefe plagues, 
 which they knew were in reality brought by Mofes 
 and Aarcn. But Pharaoh fupplicates the real miracle- 
 workers, to befeech the Lord, in whofe name, and 
 by whofe power, thefe effcots were produced, to re- 
 move them -, which he would not have done, had it 
 been in the power of his magicans. 
 
 The removal of them, by Mofes and Aaron, af- 
 ter thefe jugglers had been unable to do any thing to- 
 wards it, fee?ns to have put xhem fo much out of 
 countenance, that upon their attempting to ufe their 
 enchantments, in bringing lice ; they blundered in their 
 attempt, were confounded, and conflrained to own, 
 that the miracles wrought by Mofes and Aarcn were 
 real miracles. And left Pharaoh fhould have any the 
 Jeaft room to imagine his magicians were capable of 
 * G.il. jii. I. f Rev. xviii. 23. 
 
 doing 
 
[21] 
 
 doing any true miracle, they are fmitten with the 
 hoyl^ fo that they could not (land before Pharaoh. 
 
 Upon the whole, if thefe magicians did fo 
 CHANGE and DISPOSE the particles of matter 'which 
 cofjjlituted a dead rod, as that they becatne an orga- 
 nized bsdy, Jlored with juices^ in a proper fnotion, and 
 could do whatever was farther neceffary to render that 
 dead rod, ^ living, active being, p. ly. then 
 I infer, that there is a ftrong probability, that it was 
 within their inherent power, to rectify the diforders 
 occafioned by the boyl, and not to have lain any time 
 under that calamity. Efpecially, as it is mofi evident, 
 p. 24. that delufion does take place, fo it is alike evi- 
 dent that God muft permit and fuffer it, whilfl there 
 are fuch things as free creatures in being. But to pro- 
 ceed. 
 
 The raifing of a dead perfon to life, is an efFedt 
 plainly above the natural ability or inherent power of 
 any creature whatfoever : and muft be fo, if there be 
 ONE firfi caufe, the fountain of life and being i the 
 fovereign arbiter and difpofer of it. 
 
 It is no manner of objection to this, that men 
 have been empowered to raife the dead : forafmuch, 
 as all who have done fo, have ever applied to the 
 origin of power either immediately or mediately ; and 
 have ever confefTed the effe(5l to be the produce of 
 almighty power. Nor is it poffible, in the nature 
 of the thing, that this power by which the dead are 
 raifed, can be fo under the direftion of a man's will, 
 as to the exercife of it ; nay, or htfo in fubjeftion to 
 the will of any being whatfoever, as to be applied in 
 atteftation either of truth or falfehcod, or for the pro- 
 dudlion o^ good ov evil. To fuppofe this, would be 
 to fubjeft the Deity itfelf to the caprice and humour 
 of the creature ; and render the unchangeably wife 
 and good being, mutable and inconfiftcnt in his ope- 
 rations : A conclufion, which can by no means be 
 allowed by Mr. Chubb, who declares, that God, as 
 Governor of the intelligent and moral worlds makes the 
 
 rcafon 
 
[ 22 ] 
 
 reafon of things^ the rule and meafure of his anions, in 
 all his dealings with his creatures^ and this renders hi?n 
 abfolutely and perfeoily wife and good — It will therefore 
 follow, that though invifible agents, are beings which 
 we are perfect ftrangers to, and to the kinds and de- 
 grees of power, which may arife from their natural 
 conftitutions : yet, forafmuch as God, the Gover- 
 nor of the world of moral, intelligent beings, makes the 
 reafon of things, the rule and meafure of his anions in 
 his dealings with his creatures, we may hence be aflli- 
 red, that he neither has, nor can communcicate any 
 fuch kind or degree of power, as fhall confound and 
 deftroy the higheft evidences of his own fupremacy 
 and dominion •, and plainly contradidt the reafon of 
 things, in his dealings with his creatures. But, this 
 would manifeftly be the cafe, if either men or invi- 
 sible agents had fuch a kind or degree of power fubjeft 
 to their will, or which might be exerted either in tefti- 
 mony of truth or falfehood. And the inftances of 
 ■raifmg the dead, or of fo changing or difpofing the par- 
 ticles of matter, which conftitute a dead rod, as to be- 
 come an organized body, ftored with juices, in pro- 
 sper motion, and aftually transformed into a living 
 being ; are evident exprefTions of power that will not 
 eafily be diftinguilhed either in their kind or degree from 
 creative power. And if fo, then I may not owe my 
 being or life to an univerfal Parent, an increated Be- 
 ing ; but to a creaturely, limited Father, whofe 
 power of forming me was abfolutely under the dire- 
 ction of his own will ! and whether a virtuous or a vi- 
 cious being, I know not. So that on the hypothecs 
 of any creature's being able to raife the dead, i^c. by 
 a power fubjeft to his own will, we fhall be con- 
 founded in all our ideas of obligation and depend- 
 ence ; and may, as probably, oppofe the will of our 
 Former by piafuing truth, as by jwt pU7fuing it. I 
 conclude therefore from the known character Of the 
 Supreme Being, that he has imparted no fuch kind or 
 degree of power, as that exerted in raifing the dead, 
 
 which 
 
[ 23 ] 
 
 which can be fo under fubjedlion to the will of the 
 creature, as to be applied either in fupport of truths 
 or o^ falfehood: for then, he would not have made, 
 the reafon of things^ the rule and meafure of his 
 adions, in all his dealings with his creatures. 
 
 Notwithstanding this, I would obferve, 
 that men muft have been commiflioned to work mi- 
 racles, even that of raifing the dead, or elfe one third 
 part of Mr. Chubb*s True Gofpel of Jefus Chrijl^ will 
 be in great danger oF being loil, "viz. that of Chrift*s 
 afluring men that God has appointed a day in which 
 he will moft certainly judge the world, by him : * 
 by him who came to fave men* 5 fouls. -f by him 
 who is conftituted to be, not only the fole law- 
 giver, but alfo the fole judge of the behaviour of 
 his people. || This branch of Mr. Chuhh^s True Gof- 
 pel will ftand upon a very precarious foundation, 
 if men have not been able to raife the dead : foraf- 
 much as the genuitu Gofpel of Jefus Chrifl aflures 
 us, that this Jefus Chrifl commilTioned his difciples 
 to raife the dead : § and his Apoftles are empowered 
 after his refurrecftion, to do many miracles, and even to 
 raife the dead in his name, hereby attefting the truth 
 of his refurrediion, and divine million. ** And 
 this in confequence of all power being given him 
 by the Father, f f — Bat if his Apoftles did not 
 work miracles, and raife the dead, in virtue of the 
 commiffion received from him during his publick 
 miniftry : if they did not w-ork real mjiracles, and 
 adually raife to life the really dead, in confirmation 
 of the doftrine of his own refurredtion from the 
 dead : then, his alTuring men that God will certain' 
 ly judge the world by him, has no good foundation of 
 credit. But if we admit him to be conftituted, not 
 only the fole law-giver, but alfo the fole judge of 
 
 * True Gofpel, p. 40. t /■ » • II A 7- 
 
 § Matt. X. 8. ** Aft. iii. 15, 16. comp. Mar. xvi, 17." 
 
 f f Matt, zxviii. 1 8. 
 
 the 
 
[ 24 ] 
 the behaviour of men i then we muft allow he was 
 adually declared or determined to be the Son of God 
 with power, according to the Spirit of holinefs, by 
 the refurredion from the dead. 
 
 S E C T. IV. 
 
 Cod farther vindicated from fuffering fuch delufion. 
 — An attempt to Jlate witchcraft, magic and for- 
 cery in their true lights and to Jhew what is to he 
 underftood by them. 
 
 MR. Chuhh has another enquiry, and that is, 
 whether God will fuffer invifible agents to exert 
 fuch power as they have, when it is to he exercifed for 
 the delufion of his creatures ? And here, if we argue 
 by analogy, that is, if we infer from his condu5l in 
 one cafe, how he will a5i in another, then it is plain, 
 that God will fuffer invifible agents to exert their pow- 
 er in ferving what purpofes they pleafe. Men, we fee, 
 are at liberty, and do aflually delude one another, in 
 every kind of delufion, though it be in points of the ut- 
 moft importance, and for each other* s hurt, and fome- 
 times, when they have no other advantage from it, 
 but the bare pleafure of deluding ; and thus they deal 
 with the creatures below them -, and thus, in like manner, 
 thofe creatures deal with one another. From whence 
 arifes a ftrong probability that all invifible agents {if 
 there are any fuch) are at liberty to exert their pow- 
 er in ferving vi\\2it purpofes they pleafe, p. i8, 19. 
 
 It might perhaps be fufRcient to remark, that 
 we have no authentick account of any real miracle 
 having ever been wrought to atteft a falfehood. Thofe 
 writings which feem to claim a divine authority, 
 mention no fuch delufion having ever took place. 
 When the Egyptian conjurers would have aped the real 
 miracles of Mofes and Aaron, they difcovered what 
 they did to be only a deceptio vifus : and were foon 
 convidled of their wickednefs.— Nor could any of 
 
 the 
 
[-25 1 
 
 the exoycliii among the Jews perform any real mi- 
 racle, though they took upon them to call over them 
 which had evil fpirits (or great maladies) the name 
 of the Lord Jefus. And though feven fons of See- 
 vay a Jew, chief of the priefts did fo, yet they felc 
 the force of their own deception to their greatefl 
 danger and coft. * So that if we attend to thefe ac- 
 counts, and compare them with the reafon and nature 
 of things, we fhall be led to conclude, that it is no way 
 confiftent with the moral charadter of God as a wife 
 and good governor, that he fhould ever fuffer fucb 
 deception. I fhall advert to fome farther inftances. 
 
 The «?r7^a^W Jews exorcifts, mentioned, v. 13. 
 to have took upon them to call over them which 
 had evil fpirits the name of Jefus, the phrafe, took 
 upon them, has a word to anfwer it, (iTnyjicy^^xi) which 
 fignifies to move the hand artfull}\ to perform fur- 
 prizing things. — And the many faid to have ufed 
 curious arts, v. ig. has a word which fignifies fome- 
 tbing hefide the purpofe ; needlejs, or ufelefs things, 
 (B-i()«sf'/®-) So Scapula has obferved it to be ufed by 
 Arijlotle and Plutarch. 
 
 All pretenfions to work miracles at the time of 
 our Saviour and his Apoftles were dete5led and ex- 
 pofed. 
 
 The Jews did indeed charge our Lord with caft- 
 ing out devils by Beel-zehub or Baal-zehuh, the God 
 of flies. But fays the ivifdom of God, if I caft out 
 devils by that impotent Idol, by vohom do your Sons 
 cafi them out ? — It was contrary to reafon for any to 
 think, that Satan fhould caji out Satan, or be divided 
 againft himfelf in order to fupport his own King- 
 dom, — But it was evident from our Lord's anfwer, 
 that their Sons had no power of doing any real 
 miracle, which was difcoverable in the feven Sons of 
 Sceva, the Jew, above mentioned ; and in the ma- 
 ny exorcifts who brought their books to be burnt. 
 And likewife in the cafe of Simcn the forcerer, who 
 
 • Afts. xix. \%' 
 
 E hzvifched 
 
[ 26 ] 
 
 iewitched the people of Samaria^ * giving out that 
 he was Tome great one. To whom they all gave 
 heed from the lead unto the greateft, i^^ying^ this 
 man is the greai power of God. And to him, they 
 had regard, becaufe of long time he had bewitch- 
 ed them with forceries; which liime word, rende- 
 red bezvilched, f is applied to Si??wn himlelf, who 
 beholding the miracles and figns that were done (by 
 the Apoftles) was bewitched, v. i^, the very fame 
 word rendered wondered^ which before in the fame 
 context is twice rendered bewitched. So that the 
 word could not import any thing more than an a- 
 ftonillimcnt -, a being bewildered or carried beyond 
 the proper ufe of the faculties, a confternation ! 
 
 And no wonder St. Luke ufes the fame word to 
 exprefs the amazement of Simon upon his view of 
 real miracles, fince we find his head run giddy with 
 the glare of them, expefting to be empowered him- 
 felf to work them. A plain and flrong intimation 
 that his forceries were mere deceptions •, and that 
 the miracles, though real, had no better efFefl upon 
 him, fince he had the mod fordid and bafe views, 
 as appears by his offering money as a purchafe of 
 the /acred i?npart?nent . 
 
 Let us next turn to the Old Tcjlatnent. And, 
 
 The account given of the woman who had a fa- 
 miliar Spirit, or the witch of Endor ; will by no means 
 prove or difcover the capacity of any invifible agent, 
 to impofe upon, and throw in any unavoidable de 
 ception. She is fuppofed, by fome, to have had a 
 commerce with invifible, evil Spirits •, and that by 
 their inflrudtion, fhe could divine, or foretell future 
 events. But the narrative will inform us, that it 
 was no fuch thing. Nor was Ihe able to bring up 
 Sarnuel from the dead. 
 
 This will be a clear cafe, if the following things 
 be attended to. 
 
 • Aft. vHi. 9, and onward. f E|if«To 
 
 They 
 
[ 27 ] 
 
 They who make the fuppoficlon that a womin 
 coald be mijlrefs of an evil fpint^ and have it at her 
 command, always aJJow, chat a great degree of wick- 
 edneis, muft quahfy for fuch a familiarity. And ir 
 any fuch qualification could be attained this way, 
 Saul icems to have as large a claim to be majler 
 of fuch a fpirit) as this woman of Endor, to be a 7711- 
 flrefs of it. He fcemed fully difpofed for any mea- 
 ilires that might have rendered him as good a ivi- 
 zard, as Hie was a ivitch. But it was all de- 
 ception ; — indeed fhe appears to have had an art- 
 ful way of fpeaking, as if the voice came out of 
 the belly. Nor is this a thing imprafticable ; I, 
 myfelf, have known a young fellow, who (pretend- 
 ing nothing more than to gain a penny by his art,) 
 could fo throw the found of his voice, that it fhould 
 to the niceft ear, feem to rife from the ground, to 
 be rumbling under his hat, or to come from this 
 or the other diflant point : which art was probably 
 underflood by the Pytbonefs^ and improved by va- 
 rious incantations in the dark cell made ufe of-, — 
 a moft proper place to carry on the delufion. The 
 xixth Ifaiah 3. fpeaking of them that have fami- 
 miiiar Spirits ; the SeptuagiJit renders it, thofs fpeak- 
 ing^ (as- it were) out of the earth \ * which agrees 
 with the metaphorical account of the wretched con- 
 dition of Jerufalem, ch. xxix. 4. ylnd thou fJmlt b€ 
 brought dciVUy and fjalt fpeak out of the ground^ and 
 thy fpeech Jk-.ill be low out of the dujl^ and thy voice 
 fhall he as one that hath a familiar Spirit, out of tlx 
 ground, and thy fpeech fJjall whifper, or peep, or chirp 
 out of the dufl. A low and hafe origin, that, of tlie 
 familiar Spirit out of the ground — . 
 
 Agai.v, the ingenious author of a modern piece, 
 called the Life of David, has, I think, fufTiciently 
 cleared this Pythonefs from having had any hand in 
 raifmg Samuel-, whofe obfervations appear to be 
 grounded on the text, which Ihews, the terror Hic 
 
 * ¥iec^ T»4 <y< rm ;->;•; ^avo-juTXi. 
 
 E 2 was 
 
[ 28 ] 
 
 was in at feeing Samuel^ i Sam. xxviii. 12, i^. 
 —Nor could it be from any art of Saul\ i for 
 then, he had had no motive to have enquired after this 
 Pythonefs. Neither was was it the effeft of any 
 juggle or trick, no imaginary appearance occafioned 
 by the power of invifible, evil Spirits -, [they were 
 incapable of raifing Samuel^ but it was the effefl of 
 divine power, for v. 14. the text fays, and Saul 
 perceived that it was Samuel himfelf\ fo it may 
 and fhould be rendered. Upon which he flooped 
 with his face to the ground, and bozved Imnfelf-, 
 fays this writer, did obey fame. * 
 
 The denunciation fhews it could be no impoftor 
 who gave it. t See v. 16, 17, 18, 19. 
 
 So Manajfeh is charged with obferving times, 
 ufing enchantments, and witchcraft, and dealing 
 with a familiar Spirit, and with wizards, 2 Chron. 
 xxxiii. 6. the Scptuagint renders vjitcbcraft^ by a 
 word which fignifies the art of poifoning by deception : 
 and the familiar Spirit, by a word, which expreii- 
 ly fignifies, y^^<^^/;f^ out of the belly. 
 
 Whilst wickedly difpofed, he chofe to deal 
 in all manner of deceptions •, but when he confide- 
 red and came to himfelf, he knew that Jehovah was 
 God, V. 13. 
 
 S o, it does not appear that fuch delulions that are 
 in our World do ever take place, but as the mind is 
 indifpofed for Truth ; and that the rifing degrees of 
 vice, will of themfelves introduce the greateft dark- 
 nefs. For, as the imagination is furniflied with all its 
 images, from falfe perceptions, it is no wonder that 
 its fj^ions are admitted, as realities. 
 
 But it is faid, that the Jews had a law that de- 
 nounced death upon witchraft, Exod. xxii. iS. Deut. 
 xviii. 10. The learned Ainfworth obferves upon this 
 iaft place, " That thefe forcerers ox jugglers the He- 
 ** breivs feem to have diltinguifhed into two forts, 
 '' viz. fome that did hurt, others that did hold the 
 * fli.lor}' cf the Life of David, p. 2-9. f /. 283* 
 
 " eyes, 
 
[ 29 ] 
 
 *' eyes, that is, by jiJgg'ing and fleighus, beguiled 
 ** men's fcnfcs." 
 
 The reiV.hn of the law, I tliink, was very plain ; 
 Jor fucli either deluded people fo far, as to lead 
 them into Ibnie great vnmoralities •, or at leaft pre- 
 tended to wonderful power derived from falfe De- 
 vious or Gcds^ to the fubverfion of the firft ftatutc 
 hrjj of the Jewifh Theocracy. — And wherever 
 any make ufe of artftd deceptions in order to feducc 
 others from the paths of truth and virtue, fuch arc 
 jorcerers and witches^ and are unworthy a better cha- 
 rad:er. Or, if any pretend to derive extraordinary 
 or divine powers which they exert in atteftation of 
 falfehood, fuch may richly deferve to go under this 
 denomination •, as they fo openly infult the flrong 
 evidences, and maniteft dodirine of one fupreme, 
 all-perfeft Being. 
 
 The above Ainfworth obferves, that Mecafo-Jheph 
 (the witch) is to he ftoncd to deaths if he do the a?t 
 of witchcraft : but he that hotdeih the eyes^ and feem- 
 eth to do wlMt he doth not, is to he beaten. This he 
 cites from Maimony's traof of Idol. What there 
 was in this Rabbinical diftindion I pretend not to 
 underfland •, but this I think may fairly be con- 
 cluded from the whole, viz. that men v/ere ca- 
 pable of diftinguifhing between witchcraft., or any 
 a(5l of forcery, and real nature, or miracles •, other- 
 wife, there would have been nothing to have 
 grounded the law upon, that enadled the different 
 punifliments. 
 
 Nor would God have exprefsly punifhed witch- 
 craft with death, had not men been able to judge 
 clearly about the nature of it. PolTibly the art of 
 witchcraft, punifhable with death, was, their allu- 
 ring virgins to -projlitute their virtue, under pretence of 
 doing honour to fome idol. For, wherever we read 
 of men's having or attending to wizards, witches.^ 
 &c. there is always mention made of great immo- 
 ralities 
 
[ 30 ] 
 
 ralities and idolatries. So that the reafon of the 
 law is evident. 
 
 Nor only fo, but God is fo far from being charge- 
 able with permitting or faffering delufions from m- 
 vifible agents ; that he has exprclsly prohibited, and 
 made the crime capital for any vifible ones to ufe arts 
 in order to propagate vice and idolatry : and lias given 
 to all men a capacity, if they will ufe it, fufficiffnt to 
 guard againft deception : which Mr. ClnM owns, 
 ^.23. but then he fays, the generality of vien are fo 
 far from ufing^ and following their tmderjianding in this 
 particular, that, on the contrary, they are too apt to 
 follow every one, who takes upon him to guide them^ 
 and are very eafily mifed and deluded ; fo that the ho- 
 neft, plain, fimple part of mankind, are not an equal 
 match for the more fubtle and crafty. And it is in this 
 view that man is to be cotifidered. 
 
 I o w N, that the abufe of the underjlanding is a ve- 
 ry common vice j but then I fhould rather chufe with 
 the Spectator* to attribute this, to an affeolation 
 of wit and fenfe, as preferable to honejly and virtue ; 
 than to an affeflation of being prief -ridden. It is 
 true however, that there are many men too fubtle 
 and crafty, for the honeft, plain, and fimple part of 
 mankind. But then of what avail are thofe decep- 
 tions ? The honeft, the plain, and the fimple, re- 
 maining fo, are above a match for the fubtle and 
 crafty. Nor is it in the power of the fubtle and 
 crafty, to rob men that are plain and fiople, of 
 their honejly. For this would be to fuppofe the fub- 
 tle and crafty had a capacity of deftroying tht power 
 of moral o.gency ox freedom of volition in men: which, 
 I am of opinion, is not to be fuppofed. 
 
 Besides, in matters of moral good and evil, the 
 rule of adtion mufl be difcernible by every moral 
 agent, or his accountablcnefs cannot take place. So 
 that to fuppofe the crafty and fjbtle can fo erafe the 
 
 • Vol. I, N'. 6. 
 
 lirft 
 
[3' ] 
 
 nrfi: principles of moral good, out of the minds of 
 men, who are honeft, plain, and fimple, without 
 their being capable of preventing this erafement •, is 
 to fuppofe, that the honefi^ flain^ and fimple part of 
 mankind, may become diJJjoneJl^ and defigmng^ with- 
 out blame, and without becoming accountable. — But 
 if the crafty and fubde after all their cunning and de- 
 lufions may be fuppofed, according to the letter of 
 Mr. Chubb, to leave this part of mankind, honeft.^ 
 plain, and fimple ; I muft ftill fay, as I faid before, 
 they do not feem to be over- matched by the crafty 
 and fubtle. And then, though man be confidered in 
 this view, it will give us no dilagreeable Idea of 
 God's Government, who does not interpofe fo as to 
 hinder men from being crafty and fubde. 
 
 Mr. Chubb owns, />. 23. ibai if men would rightly 
 life and follow their underflandings, they would be 
 guarded and fecured from every delufwn, though hacked 
 with the power of an invifible agent, &c. 
 
 Which fully vindicates the divine Governor in 
 not interpofing ; all men having a fufficient fecurity 
 againft delufion, and muft of confequencc become 
 criminal if they are impofed upon. The revelation 
 itfelf, where given, does not hinder men from ahufa.g 
 and negle£Jing their underftanding ; fo that it is no 
 Impeachment of his wif(iom and goodnefs that the 
 revelation is not made univerfal, or that God does 
 not interpofe to hinder m«n from being too apt to fol- 
 low every one who takes upon him to guide them, or 
 that they are very eafily mifled and deluded. 
 
 On the other hand, this arifes from the freedom 
 with which man is inverted ; and no meafure of 
 providence has been ever intended to offer violence 
 to it. 
 
 Mr. Chubb may throw afide )\\% analogy-, foraf- 
 much as he will be able to find no ground of analo- 
 gy from the liberty men are at to delude one another. 
 They have no impartments of fuch extraordinary 
 power, nor of any fuch marks of truth attending 
 
 their 
 
[32] 
 
 their delufions, as render them too fpecious to be de- 
 teded. No man is void of a capacity of diftinguifli- 
 ing between truth or talfehood, fo hv as he is con- 
 cerned under the character of d moral ag;ent. Fo?' 
 man is a free being ivho has the ilircaion of bis cwii 
 aoiions ; and as he is endoived 'i^jith a di!}e'/'ni>:g and 
 reajoning Jactdt)\ ivhich ivhen ca-rcfullx rt/cd and attend- 
 ed to vjould in the general rightly di'rcol bis tinderfiatid- 
 ingy his affeBions^ and actions •, ( excepting in difficult 
 Old perplexed cnjes^ in ivhich be '■Ji^rAild be liable to err, 
 and confeq^iiently to act zvrong, and 'v.-bich ivrong beha- 
 viour his kind Creator would not unreafonably take ad- 
 vantage from ) fo this puts it in every man^s power and 
 leaves it in his choice to behave ivell, or ill •, to render 
 bimfelf pleafing or difpleafng to God \ and confequently,^ 
 to be the proper obje5l of divine favour^ or rcfent7nent.*' 
 How will Mr. Chubb argue from analogy^ that this 
 being the ftate of man, thofe delufions which obtain 
 in the world, are a reafon, why God fhould fuffer 
 jnvifible agents to exert their power, in ferving what 
 purpofes they pleafe ? 
 
 " The infers or animals, being many of them a 
 " prey to one another, p . 20." I humbly prefume 
 will not fupport the analogy, unlefs the fy and the 
 fpider mud be fuppofc-d in thefe regards to be moral 
 agents ; and that the iuperior flcill of tha fptder to the 
 Jly, difcovcred a want of goodnefs in the all-wife 
 Creator.- — The cafe of a tyrannical Governor is not a 
 proper inftance of God*s permitting aelufion to obtain 
 among men, nor will it fo much as deflroy the liberty 
 of the flave, confidered as a moral agent. He can 
 yet approve and condemn in his own mind what is 
 right and fit, and what is not fo. And even the fu- 
 perior craft of one man to another, does not feem to 
 oblige God to interpofe in the manner here contended 
 for. What if Mahomet \\x'\ power and craft to 
 fpread a deception in the world ? inafmuch as here 
 was no fupernatiiral poivcr or illumination imparted to 
 * See Mr. Chu.hh\ True Gofpel, f. 114. 
 
 carry 
 
[33 1 
 
 carry on the deception, and men had been forewarn- 
 ed, every where, by the Chriftian dodrine to beware 
 of all IMPOSTURES i and to examine and try the 
 fpirits, whether they are of God. f Since this was 
 the cafe, and men lay under no difadvantages fupe- 
 rior to the quantum of hght and power they were pof. 
 fefTed of, how does this fupport the argument from 
 analogy ? — Had God interpofed by marks of extra- 
 ■ordinary power, in order to prevent the fpread ot the 
 deception, this could not have afcertained the end ; 
 forafmuch, as men would yet be at liberty^ whiljl they 
 are agents to exercife their natural ability^ in ferving 
 *what purpofes they pleafe ; for take away that liberty y 
 and their agency ceafes, or is deftroyed, p. 29. And 
 this we are told was a truth at the fir fi propagation of 
 Chriftianity. Men attended or not to the miraculous 
 interpofals. Some faw the finger of God in them ; 
 ethers laughed at and ridiculed them. Nor is there 
 any ground for a comparifon between the fitnefs of 
 miracles in one cafe, as there is in the other. There is 
 not, forafmuch as force and violence was made ufe of 
 in order to propagate Mahometaniftn •, when no aid from 
 humane power was admitted to recommend Chrifti- 
 anity. The method of propagating the one had all 
 the marks of ijnpoflure in it, and therefore render ed 
 extraordinary interpofals quite unneceflary ; whereas 
 a great many external difadvantages attended the 
 other, and therefore fuch tokens of divine approba- 
 tion became a proper teftimony. 
 
 Perhaps Matt. xxiv. 24. may be objefted, as 
 intimating that falfe prophets may work miracles for 
 the fupporc of an impofiure : becaufe it fays, that 
 there fhail arife falfe Chrifts and falfe prophets., and 
 fhall pew great figns and wonders., infomuch that ( if 
 pojfiblc) they fjjall deceive the very ele^. 
 
 But to this I would reply, that the y/^/H and won^ 
 ders there mentioned, cannot by any means be re- 
 ferred to real miracles 5 but muft intend trick, and 
 •f John iv. I. 
 
[34] 
 
 juggle^ or mere deception : and fo belong to the na- 
 ture of thofe lying or deceptions miracles, figns, and 
 wonders, mentioned, 2 i'hejf. ii. 9. They indeed 
 artfully performed things which aftonifhed the peo- 
 ple, and fo made thefe the Jiandards * or figns of 
 their commiffion. — But chey had not the real power^ 
 (the ^M-xfMr,) which is mentioned, when the power it- 
 felf is related in conjunction with figns, and wonders, 
 and is diftingiiijhed from what it was defigned to wit- 
 nefs or teftify. See J^is ii. 22. when Peter thus 
 addrefies the Jews, Te men of Ifrael, hear thefe words j 
 Jefits of Nazareth a man approved^ or rather^ de- 
 monftrated of God, among you by miracles, (/uvuiAic-i) 
 and wonders, and fgns. 
 
 A N D fo the plea of fome who have wrought real 
 miracles in the name of Chrift, but who have after- 
 wards become apofates, thefe are reprefented making 
 their plea z^ftrong?iS poffible. Matt. vii. 22. — and in 
 thy name have done many wonderful works : {^twufijUi 
 fFc^.xi) i. e. many real miracles. 
 
 Now if xht falfe Chrifls, ^.ndifalfe Prophets could 
 have wrought real miracles, as figns or atteftations of 
 their divine mifllon, I do not fee what occafion there 
 was, for that expreflion, // poffible, -f which at the 
 fame time it denotes the height of the deception, it in* 
 timates a diflin£lion to be made by the careful exami- 
 rer •, or, that the deception was difcoverable; which 
 it could not be, if the miracles were real. 
 
 Nor is it any objedlion, that the word ufed to fig- 
 nify a banner, ffandard, or ftgn of a man's com- 
 fniffion., or of his family or nobility, is ufed to exprefs 
 the miracles which our Lord did : || forafmuch as 
 they were evidently intended to anfwer this very pur- 
 pofe. And he all along teaches men, that the power 
 itfelf was from God j fo manifeftly from him, that 
 he could fay, my Father worketh hitherto, and I work ; 
 i. e. the power is the very fame ; my miracles have 
 
 * X>i(j(jiM, vexillum, infigne nobilitatis. Hedericus de verb. 
 
 the 
 
[35] 
 the very complexion of all the known and allowed 
 operations of my Father. — 
 
 Mr. Chubb's fuppofttion of other invifible agcnf? 
 befides God which can, and do, at Icaft, p. 12. [J 
 luppofe he means, which do, or which can, at ieaft] 
 ad upon this globe, and his reafoning upon that fup- 
 pofition, cannot ftand for much, upon his own prin- 
 ciples, Se6l. in. forafmuch, as neither the negative 
 nor the affirmative fide of the queflion is to be taken for 
 granted in order to prove any point, becaufe nothing can 
 certainly be concluded fro?n either, feeing that would be 
 to draw certain conclufions from uncertain principleSy 
 p. 13. Befides, as we are in the dark, as to what 
 kind or degree of power they are capable of exercifmgy 
 Se<5b. IV. to reafon and argue upon thefe fubje<5ts, is 
 mere hypothefis. And fo I am of opinion Mr. Chubb 
 muft alio own that to be, viz. of vicious invifible 
 agents [allowing that there are fuch] exerting their 
 powers in order to recommend a fcheme of truth, as 
 divine-, which feems to be the argument of ^. 52, 
 53. compared. It is not enough to fay, they are not 
 neceffarily vitious. — And it is a romantic and wild 
 fuppofition, that fuch motives may intervene, as may 
 become a ground or reafon to them to do good in fome 
 injlances, and thereby a5l contrary to their general cha-> 
 rosier. Nor is^ there any thing analogous to this to be 
 found among wicked men, though Mr. Chubb fay^ 
 that there is. A fcheme of truth calculated to pro- 
 mote the welfare of mankind, is of too much impor- 
 tance, and muft be ^^tv, to be too extenfive in its ten- 
 dency and influence, to become the bleffing or good, 
 which an evil or vicious being would take pains to re- 
 commend •, or, exert his pov/ers and capacities in at- 
 tefting the divinity of. Forafmuch, as [upon the fup- 
 pofition of vitious invifible agents aCling upon this 
 our globe] we may be aflured, that they would ne- 
 ver employ themfelves in thus offering the greateft 
 violence to themfelves, unnaturally fubverting their 
 own dominion \ rmce, they mafi; know, that every 
 
 F 2 kingdom 
 
[ 36 ] 
 
 Jiingclom divided againft itfelf cannot fland. The fup- 
 pofitioii, that the moft benign and friendly exertions 
 of power in healings miraculoiifty healing the maladies 
 ano difeafes of men, were the effedls of viiious, invi- 
 fible agents, became the mouth of a malicious, wick- 
 ed, prejudiced Pharifee^ * much better than the pen 
 of the reputedly virtuous and moral Mr. Chuhh. — 
 
 And inafmurh as Mr. Chubh has profefiedly own- 
 ed the divinity of the true Gofpel of Jefus Chrift, I 
 am perfuaded that he has embraced it with a confi- 
 dence free from any jealoufy that he may poffibly 
 have been impofed upon by the decu-ptious attcftations 
 of evil ipiiits. He rnuft know, that the Chri ian 
 revelation. ^ is, in its fpirit and temper, in its whole 
 d:?f]gn and tendency, fo beneficial to mankind, that 
 to fuppofe any invifible agent concerned in recom- 
 mendii'g it, is eve' y way fufficient to fupport the mofi 
 amiable ideas of his virtue and friendfhip. — Or, in- 
 deed if Mr. Chiihb could fjppofe an evil invifible 
 agent, upon fome tranfient thought or fudden flight 
 of fancy difpoftd to do good, and to promote the 
 very reverje difpofition to his own, Mr. Chubb could 
 not fureiy imag'nc him any other than a convert to 
 virtue : efpecially, if he fhould continue for ten^ twen- 
 ty^ or thirty years carrying on the god-like defign : 
 and after the fpread of this revelnrion, fo attefted, he 
 or they concerned in fuch atteftations, fhould never 
 excYt ei^ual power for near 17:0 years, in order to 
 weaken its force, and to flicw it was deceptions ; 
 fomething only done out of humour and whim,, and 
 not from full^ fatisfaftion and an habitual love for 
 truth ! — 
 
 There is then no more danger of men being im- 
 pofed upon by the exertion of extraordinary power 
 trom vitious invifible agents, thereby recommending 
 a beneficial revelation to mankind, as p, ^2- would 
 infinuate, than there is of darkuefs becoming recon- 
 ciled to dwell with light.-^ 
 
 * Matt. xii. 24. 
 
 But 
 
[37] 
 
 But in this Difcourfe on Miracles^ written by Mr. 
 Chuho^ he has given us a fani'^le how men may de- 
 ceive and imj^ofe upon one another : For he has laid 
 down his oinn definitions^ without fupporting them ; 
 then he has made fuppofitions, for which, he ac- 
 knowledges, he has no manner of ground or founda- 
 tion ; and upon thefe he has fuper-induced arguments 
 pro and con^ with a manifeft defign of having them 
 applied to the Chrijiian revelation and miracles. And 
 in this flourifh, would fo deceive the eye, as to induce 
 us to think he was in earnefi favouring the world with 
 dating the doftrine of miracles. 
 
 SECT. V. 
 
 Miracles do not take away free agency.^ or offer any vi- 
 olence to the freedom of man : hut have a beneficial 
 tendency. 
 
 BUT in p. 24. we. are told, that for any to fay^ 
 it is morally U7ifi.t for God to fuffer his creatures 
 to delude or injure one another.^ is the fame as to fay., 
 that it is morally unfit for God to call free creatures in- 
 to being : Which is a conclufion drawn from this pro- 
 pofition, viz. Men will be at liberty whilfi they are 
 agents to exercife their natural abilities 'in ferving what 
 purpofes they pleafe. Take away that liberty., and their 
 agency ceafes, or is deftroyed. 
 
 It fhould be firft proved, that any real miracle 
 has ever been wrought by any creature, in qrder to 
 delude and injure other creatures, before any thing 
 need be faid to account for it — but that no miracle 
 wrought by God himfelf, either tor the fuccour or 
 pinifhment of a people, has any compulfive power or 
 force upon the will, to injure its freedom or deftroy 
 the felf- motive faculty, is evident in the cafe of 
 Pharaoh and his people, who continued to harden 
 their hearts, and refift the demands of Jehovah^ 
 though attefted with plagues, and then with deliver- 
 ances 
 
[38] 
 
 ances from them, upon their repentance. So that no 
 miracle can be fuppofed to be wrought, that can mi- 
 litate with God's bringing free agents into being. Inaf- 
 much then as free agency cannot be deftroyed by real 
 miracles, or the fupernatural efFeds of divine power ; 
 an appearance of power ^ a mere fhadow of it, cannot 
 pofllbly deftroy this freedom. So that in the nature 
 of things, creatures cannot fo delude or injure one 
 another. 
 
 Men have indeed been fuffered fo far to injure 
 one another by wounds^ bruifes^ &c. as to deprive of 
 the ufe of reafon, and fo have been fuffered to de- 
 ftroy the moral agency of fuch their fellow- creatures : 
 nay, to take away their very lives. But this has no- 
 thing to do with miracles, nor with the injury and 
 delufion arifing from them. And the reafon of fuch 
 permiffion will be well accounted for, when Mr. 
 Chubb* 2, True Gofpel has its full compafs, viz. when 
 the appointed time comes in which God will judge the 
 world in righteoufnefs by Jefus Chrift. 
 
 On the other hand, miracles have had the moft 
 BENEFICIAL effcds. Real miracles, have been thofc 
 grand events in the chronology or annals of the ages, 
 to which we owe the higheft difcoveries of a parti- 
 cular providence, or the certainty of the fpecial in- 
 terpofals of God in behalf of his creatures. 
 
 So the people of God, the children of Ifrael had 
 the dodlrine of a particular providence written as 
 W\%\i2t. fun-beam, in their deliverance out of Egypt, in 
 their being led through the wildernefs ; in their kt- 
 dement in Canaan -, and their fecurity there from their 
 iurrounding enemies. 
 
 To recover the effaced notions and ideas of pro- 
 vidence, the dominion of Jehovah was revived, in 
 the miracle of Elijah, at the remarkable contefl be- 
 tween him and the priefls of BaaL 
 
 And in that corrupt ftate of Judaifm, which 
 had obtained at the incarnation of the Word; 
 how manifefl yrere the proofs of God's providence 
 
 in 
 
r 39 J 
 
 in the miracles wrought by Jefus and his Apoftles ? 
 which miracles confirmed, [by giving /a??iples] that 
 very dodrine he taught, of God's extending his care 
 to every individual who relied on his care, in the way 
 of their duty. They, the difciples of JefLS, faw evi- 
 dently the much more, in their being -preferued and 
 •protecled when fent out to preach the Gofpel. They 
 found, that if God fo clothe the grafs of the field, he 
 did much more clothe them \ if God did notice the life 
 of a fparrow, he did much more notice their lives, 
 who were employed in fetting up the Kingdom of 
 his Son in the world. 
 
 To convince them of his fatherly care and pro- 
 tedtion, they are to make no provifion for their jour- 
 neying, neither folicite the favour of any man by 
 the way, huke x. 4. but to rely wholly on his fpe- 
 cial providence, who had aflured them of his friend- 
 ly regards. And could they hear him fay, Behold 
 I give unto you power to tread on ferpents and fcor- 
 pions, and over all the power of the enemy ; and no- 
 thing Jhall by any means, hurt you ! Could they hear 
 this, find it true, in fa<5l, and yet not be convin- 
 ced of God*s interpofing in the behalf of his crea- 
 tures ? — or can any read the account, attend to the 
 miracles, and not believe the doiftrine of providence 
 they are bought to confirm ? The very prayer our 
 Lord taught his difciples, and his reafoning from it, 
 Ihews, the compaffion of our heavenly Father to be 
 much more than that of earthly parents, who will in 
 confequence of humble and earneft fupplication give 
 good things, or the holy fpirit, to them that fuppli- 
 cate for them. 
 
 And all this, without offering the leaft violence 
 to the freedom of man. 
 
 SECT. 
 
[40 J 
 
 SECT VI. 
 
 Another view of Miracles as giving a fcnfible proof of 
 more than ^oii;er. 
 
 BUT it is yet faid. Miracles are diretft evi- 
 dences^ and give a ienfiblc froof^ not of the ve- 
 racity^ hut only of the power which attends the a^- 
 cr ; a?id therefore^ any other kind of evidence which 
 may be fuppofed to arife jrom them^ can he only by de- 
 du5lion^ as it is the rejult of juft reafoning upon the 
 cafe^ p. 8. 
 
 And Mr. Chubb has diftinguifhed evidence into 
 two kinds, viz. teftimony and dedutlion. By Tejli- 
 mony he means, " an intelhgent being affirming 
 *' or denying a propofition in debate, either by 
 *' fpeech, writing, or otherwife. And by De- 
 *' duulion is meant, when that which is brought 
 *' as evidence requires our comparing of ideas, and 
 *' from thence coUedling or deducing the truth or 
 '* falfenefs of the point in queftion." 
 
 Miracles have been faid, by others, as well 
 as Mr. Chubby to be only evidences of power. But 
 this proves nothing. They feem capable of both 
 the kinds of evidence, viz. teftifnony and deduction ; 
 and of giving a fenfible proof of goodftefs and vera- 
 city as well as power. What if an Egyptian King 
 difobey a meffage fent to him from God •, and the 
 firft fenfible proofs, fhould be only of power ? if 
 this King by deduction is brought fo far to his fen- 
 fes, as to be convinced that the effeds were wrought 
 by the Being faid to fend the meffage, and fhould 
 hereupon fupplicate a deliverance from thofe effedts 
 of power: And if the Meffengers fhould fay to this 
 King, the plagues brought upon thee fhall be re- 
 moved, at fuch a time, that thou mayeft know^ 
 that none is like unto the Lord our God?* Then^ 
 
 • Exod, viii. 8, lo. 
 
 the 
 
[4l] 
 
 the performance of this promife, by a miraculous 
 removal of the plagues, is as diredl an evidence of 
 veracity as it is of power, and as fenfible a proof 
 of goo'dnefs as it is of either. The King and all his 
 people can no fooner fee the miraculous difplay of 
 power in their reliefs but a joyous fenfation mult 
 arife from the kindnefs immediately felt in the in- 
 terpofal. And if an extraordinary prophet fhould 
 come among men, and declare that God had fent 
 him to be the light and the life of the world ; and 
 he fhould, as a teflimony :of the truth of wh.it he 
 faid, give fight to the blind, and raife the dead to 
 life again, would not this be 7nore than a fenfible 
 proof of power ? Here would, in thefe miracles, be 
 manifefl famples of the truth of the doclrine he 
 taught. * Should he declare that God had com- 
 mitted all judgment to him, and that the tim.e 
 is coming in which all that are in their graves 
 Ihall hear his voice and fhall cone forth, they that 
 have done good unto the refurredlion of life \ and 
 they that have done evil unto the refunedlion of 
 damnation : -—The dead a6lually hearing his voice in 
 fundry inllances, gives an irrefragable evidence of 
 truth as well as of power ; equally tends to conciliate 
 the minds of men ; the famples agreeing fo exacl- 
 ly with the doftrine of his being the refurre£lion 
 and the life. And when fuch a being has afferted, 
 that the end of his milTion was to reveal or declare 
 the Father to the children of men, nothing can be 
 more natural than to expeft moral perfections would 
 be difplayed by him in the ftrongeft light! and when 
 every extraordinary effe^ which he produced had 
 goodnefs^ tendernefs and compaffion exprefied in them, 
 (except only one or two that perhaps gave chiefly a 
 fenfible proof of judicial power) then there is not 
 only a fenfible proof of pov/er but alfo of goodnefs. 
 And if relieving men under iheir pains and maladies^ 
 was expreffive of compaffion, then that fame perfon, 
 
 * See more to this purpofe in Dr. Turneull on miracles. 
 
 G whofe 
 
[42] 
 
 whofe ^rue Go/pel Mr. Chuhh has aflerted, did by 
 his miraculous works give as dired: evidences of com- 
 pajjion, as he did of power. 
 
 I F the o?!e or two inftances referred to, as excep- 
 tions, fnould be carefully obferved, they perhaps will 
 be thought to be evidences of veracity as well as 
 power, and indicate the authority he was to be in- 
 vefted with, as file judge -, or that God will moft 
 certainly judge the world by him— or, that he will 
 approve or condemn, reward or punifh every man 
 us he has, or has not conformed his affeftions and 
 adions to that righteous law which is founded in the 
 reafon of things.* So that although this firi of 
 miracle comes not fo properly under that kifid of 
 evidence called tefti?7iony, yet it muft be allowed to 
 come under the head of dedu^ion : as in the known 
 cafes of the fig-tree, and the Gadarene^s fwtJie, to 
 which I now have a reference. 
 
 Nor do I fee, that Mr. Chubb has excluded this 
 fort of evidence from the head of tefiiinony, fince he 
 has defined teftimony to be ait intelligent being vouch- 
 ing for, or denying a propofition by fipeech, writing, 
 cr otherwifie. And if fo, then an intelligent being 
 may vouch for, or deny a propofition in debate, 
 by the exertion of power ; as was the cafe, when the 
 fire of the Lord fell and confumed the facrifice, 
 in the conteft between Elijah, and the prophets of 
 Baal.-f — Adlions have, no doubt, a voice ; and are 
 capable of indicating fomething elfe befides the quanti- 
 ty ofi power exprefled in them. Nay, they may give 
 in as plain teftimony, as fpeech, or writing can do : 
 for whether is it eafier to fay, thy fins are forgiven 
 thee, or to prove they are, by removing punifh- 
 ment or pain by an exertion of power ? 
 
 All ih\s IFr iter \\d.s faid about invifible agents, 
 their degree of capacity, their integrity, or the per- 
 miflion of God to exercife power for the delufion of 
 his creatures, feems to be only an ens imaginationis ; 
 
 * True Gofpel, /. 40. f i Kings xviii. 24, 28. compared. 
 
 for 
 
 J 
 
[ 43 ] 
 
 for neither the light of nature^ or any divine reve- 
 lation admitted of their ever being Ibfrered to ex- 
 prefs miraculous power in order to delude and de- 
 ceive mankind. There is no one cafe mentioned 
 where there was a pretence of dilputing the claims 
 of the Deity, that any thing of a real miracle was 
 ever wrought in the conteft, on the fide of faife- 
 hood, And for my part, I freely own 1 am per- 
 fliaded that none ever was wrought in the world. 
 This will therefore excufe m-e taking notice in my 
 next fc^iori, of what has been introduced under this 
 head, which according to Mr Chubb is all hypothefis ; 
 and of which he has fo fully cleared himfelf from 
 believing any thing. 
 
 SECT. VII. 
 
 The infrequency of ?niracles no proof againfi the doofrine 
 of them^ nor of a revelation attefed by theju. 
 
 ANOTHER difficulty about real miracles is 
 put, p. 16. and onward, from their not being 
 given fo frequently as occafions require. For if mi- 
 racles are at any time ufed to convince men of the di- 
 vine original of a revelation ; then^ when a number of 
 thef?i ^row fceptical and incredulous, as to the truth 
 of thoje fa^s, and confequently are doubtful with re- 
 gard to the divinity of that revelation ; when this is the 
 cafe^ then new miracles become as ufeful, and ferve 
 the flime purpofes as thofe before-, viz. to work the 
 convi(ftion of mankind. And it would be equally as 
 kind and good in God to give them in the latter, as 
 in the former cafe. But whereas he does not do it lin 
 the latter, this affords an argument againft his having 
 done it in the former. 
 
 Perhaps this reafoning may not be at all con- 
 clufive •, for if there were fuch reafons fubfifting an 
 the firft publication and fpread of a revelation ; 
 which afterwards ceafed to be re?.fons, then the in- 
 
 G 2 frequency 
 
[ 44 ] 
 
 frec[uency of miracles will be no argument againft 
 them. 
 
 And thus it appears with regard to the chrijlian 
 revelation^ as attefted by miracles. For Jefus taught 
 that he came fro?n God: that lohatever he fain the Fa- 
 ther do, thofe things he did likewije : that he came in 
 his Father's name. It therefore became him to 
 tefliiy to thefe things by exertions of fimilar pow- 
 er. For thefe dodtrines, mz. of his being fent of 
 God; that he came in his Father's name — and that he 
 had a glory with him before the world was; that he 
 had all judgment committed to him ; i^c. would 
 not have been fufRciently attended to by the Jews ; 
 no, nor proved, withoui; he had wrought fome won- 
 derful works among them, to which he might ap- 
 peal, Befides, their not having, during his public mi- 
 niftry and for years after, any records of his life and 
 doftrine, the miracles were a feries of atteftations 
 that became proper to employ their attention and 
 enquiry, as well as become a pirt of thofe records, 
 whenever they fhould be made. And in af- 
 much as he authorized his Apoflles to recommend 
 his religion, by v/orking miracles in his name, this 
 the perfon he pretended to be, both to Jeivs, 
 became ^continued teftimony in favour of his being 
 and others ; the capacity of working like-?niracles 
 remaining with his Apoflles after his afcenfion. 
 A circumftance peculiar to the firfl publication of 
 the Gofpel ; and which anfwered all the ends 
 that were requifite, till the facred Records were 
 com pleat. Nor does it appear that the power of 
 working mifacles v/as intended to laft longer •, be- 
 caufe none but the Apoflles v/ere capable of im- 
 parting the Charifmata. But then, the reafon of 
 miracles mufl ceafe, when the record and the a- 
 poftolic age was finiflicd. A feries of wonder- 
 ful exertions of power foi- thirty or more years ha- 
 ving been made after the afcenfion of Jefus, no- 
 thing 
 
['45 ] 
 thing more feemed requifite to confirm and eftabifli 
 the divinity of the revelation. 
 
 Wh E N therefore the Hiftory was compkated, and 
 the narratives of thefe miraculous exertions of power 
 entered into the record^ for the veracity of which, 
 there was an appeal to the exercife of this fame khid 
 of power for thirty years j the reafon, as I faid, for the 
 repetition of miracles apparently ccafed. If men will 
 not receive a doiflrine every way worthy of God, 
 which fairly addreflcs the underftanding, and with 
 the nobleft fimplicity recommends piety and virtue, 
 love of God and others : which gives the moft fib- 
 lime views of the moral charader and government of 
 God : if men will not attend to fuch a revelation, — 
 Ci'^s of po-wer, though the moil miraculous feem no 
 way calculated to convince and engage. For if men 
 will not believe in Chrijl and his ylpofiles^ I mean in 
 the writings of the Ntiv 'Teji anient^ neither v^ould 
 they believe, though cue rofe frorn the, dead. 
 
 Besides, they who wrought the miracles, were 
 the very perfons who received the dodrine from 
 God, and who were commiffioned to teach it to 
 mankind ; it therefore ai)pearcd in the moft unex- 
 ceptionable light, that fuch extraordinary cffeUs fliculd 
 be v>rrought by them, asyc-^/j of their million : which 
 reafon, has never rook place fince the Apoftles; and 
 as it has not, I think it no manner of proof, that 
 becaufe miracles have not been wrought fince thofe 
 fufficient reafons for them have ceafed, that therefore 
 they never were wrought, when the moft apt circum- 
 ftances and fubftantial reafons had adually a place. 
 We have now no m.en among us, who have any 
 claim to a divine miffion, as the Apoftles of our 
 Lord had : None, who have divine, apoftolical claims ; 
 and therefore no manner of occafion for any fuch cre- 
 dentials. But we have writings of the Evangelifts 
 and Apoftles, giving us a moft rational account of 
 the manner in which the Chriftian dodrine was firft 
 publifhed and propagated. And the miracles recorded 
 
 are 
 
[46] 
 
 are worthy the mofl: wife and ratmml of the humane 
 family -, leave no room to fuipedt delnfion and hn- 
 ■pofture \ are all fuited in their nature, as well as in 
 the manner and c'lrcumjiances in which they were 
 wrought, to point out the doctrine which they at> 
 tefted, to be from God. 
 
 To oh]eEt againfl the 7-eality of miracles, becaufe 
 of the infreqiiency of them, feems quite unnatural : 
 forafmuch, as xkit frequency of miracles would deftroy 
 the force and influence of them, upon the minds of 
 men. Befides^ the. fcepical and incredulous^ who refufe 
 to receive a doolrine that has all the internal marks of 
 its being from God, only becaufe they cannot account 
 for the way and manner wherein fuch miraculous im- 
 partments were made ; fuch, would retain iheLrfcep- 
 ticifm and incredulity^ were they to be favoured or 
 indulged with the obfervation of miracles ; becaufe, 
 their being prefent at the working of miracles, could 
 no more difcover to them the way and manner of the 
 operation, than reading the record ; nor perhaps any 
 thing near fo much : — the furprize and ajlomfjment, 
 rendering the mind lefs fit for a calm examination. — 
 
 So that all the danger is prevented, which Mr. 
 Chubb in />. 72, 73. has fuppofed to arife from the 
 imagination's being too flrongly affe6led. 
 
 The do6lrine of Chriltianity has nothing in it to 
 encourage enthufiafm^ or infpire men with pride and 
 'Vanity. There are no extraordinary impartments of 
 power promifed, none which have the leaft tendency 
 to intoxicate the minds of men, from any fpecial mark 
 of being heavenly meffengers : which indeed might 
 become the cafe, if miracles were to be wrought in 
 favour of every fceptic and unbeliever. 
 
 The ceafmg of miracles therefore upon the fi- 
 nifhing of the apoftolic age, difcovers wifdorn and 
 €are in preventing thofe objcftions, that a Jccptic or 
 unbeliever might make againfl: them. 
 
 Mr. Chubb, I hope, will not require th^ repetition 
 of miracles in order to convine n^n of the divine ori- 
 ginal 
 
[47] 
 
 ginal of a revelation ; fince he has reported this as part 
 of the true Gofpel^ viz. that Chrift was fent of God ; 
 that the great end and profeffed defign of his coming in- 
 to the world was to fave men* s fouls ; and that he gave 
 his life a ranfom for many -, that accordingly, he is ap- 
 pointed the fole judge of men ! Since Mr. Chubb has 
 owned thefe doftrines to be true^ he himfelf cannot 
 want the repetition of miracles to convince him of the 
 truth of them. And methinks if the miracles ought 
 to be repeated once or twice in every age, then the in- 
 carnation of the Word, his fufferings and death, his 
 refurre5fion and afcenfion, fhould likewife be as fre- 
 quently repeated ; forafmuch, as what renders the 
 one^ renders the other necelfary alfo, or requifite. 
 
 SECT. VIII. 
 
 An objeElion againfl the revelation, on account of the 
 time of its record, confidered. 
 
 AGAINST what I have now offered, we may 
 place Mr. Chubb*s reafoning, p. 80. and onward ; 
 where he fays. Facts may be entered upon record at the 
 time of performance, and thofe records may be made fo 
 public at the time and place of a^iion, as may not only 
 difpofe, but render it very eafy for inquifitive perfons 
 is)ho live upon the fpot, to exa?nine the cafe throughly, 
 by examining both the record, and the evidences of the 
 faols which are to fupport the credit of the record \ or 
 the fa5ls raay be entered upon record, ten, or twenty, 
 or thirty years after performance, and may be made 
 public in places far diftant frofn the place of a5fion, or 
 be kept as a facred treafure in the hands of believers, 
 ^he former of thefe very much flrengthens, and the 
 latter very much weakens, the credit cffuch records. 
 
 With regard to the Chriftian Revelation, what 
 I have already offered, may perhaps take off pretty 
 much of the force of this objeftion againfl the ftrength 
 of the evidence. It docs not appear at all rcquifitc 
 
 that 
 
i 4S ] 
 
 that a record fhould be made under the fpac€ of 
 twenty or thirty years, (/. e. fuppofing the Apofl.Ies 
 continue upon the fpot) forafmuch, as the fucceflive 
 train of miracles, all referring to the chara^er and 
 mifTion of Jefus, and wrought in lupport of the 
 doftrine, were a conllant evidence difficient to en- 
 gage inquificive perfons who lived upon the fpot to 
 examine. 
 
 Nay, if any credit is to be given to the accounts 
 of the antients, St. Matthew^ record or Gofpel was 
 v.'ritten within about eight years after the afcenfion, 
 upon his leaving Judea •, as iMr. Jones has obferved, 
 and to which I refer Mr. Chuhh.* — But upon the 
 fuppofition that the canon was not compleated, nor 
 fo much as a Gofpel among them for the fpace of ten^ 
 t'lventy, or thirty years, inafmuch as whilit the Apo- 
 flles lived, they were capable of working miracles, 
 the record was not fo requifite. Moreover, 
 
 Thes E expreflions of power, mufl ever be looked 
 upon as they really were, the exprefiions of divine 
 fower j and thereiore, would difcover •wifdo?n and 
 goodnefs likewife. So that the Apoftles, whilft 
 teaching the Chriftian do(5lrine, as a revelation from 
 God, difplayed all the evidences of the truth of it, 
 that could render any doftrine credible : inafmuch as 
 thofe extraordinary effects which they were continually 
 producing, ever afibrded tlie mcii confpicuous dif- 
 plays of Deity. 
 
 To infmuate that no record was entered till ten, 
 tiventy, or thirty years after performance ; and that 
 too not entered upon the fpot, but only in places far 
 diftant from the place of adion, is a groundlefs infi- 
 nuation, and not to be proved. For it is allowed 
 by good authorities that St. Matthew wrote his Gof- 
 pel, in the Jews language, before he hft Pakjlitie. 
 The learned Mr. Lar drier in his Credibility of 
 the Gofpel-Hiftory, P. II. B. i. p. 245. tells us from 
 Papias, that Matthew writ the divine oracles in the 
 
 * Jowf/s Canon, Vol. 111. Part IV. p. 15, 16, 17, compared. 
 
 Hebrew 
 
149 1 
 
 Hehre'x tongue^ and every one interpreted them as he 
 was able. And from Irenceus, p. 253- t.ha.t Mail bezv 
 then among the Jews^ writ a Go/pel in their language, 
 ivbile Peter and Paul were preaching the Go/pel at 
 Rome, and founding a church there. 
 
 There was all the opportunity given forexami- 
 nation, that any rational and inquifitive man could 
 defire. The Apoftles of Jefus, many of them, con- 
 tinuing on the fpot, where Jefus had performed all the 
 great tranfadtions they affert he did perform -, and 
 jnyriads of the Jews were convinced of the truth of 
 the dodtrine. 
 
 And that no pofTible cbjeflion might remain 
 againft the credibility of the Gofpel, the records are 
 made before the deflrudlion of the Jewifh city and 
 polity ; and the prophetic account of it delivered by 
 Jefus himfelf, as inferted in thofe records. Which 
 prophetic accounts, were not only delivered to the 
 inhabitants of Judea, but to the /Grangers fcattered 
 abroad. Too notorious were the intimations, not to 
 have fhocked the faith and refolution of the believers 
 [fuppofing tlie records to have been kept only by 
 them] if there had been ?iny fallacy or colhfion in th^ 
 narratives. Nor would they have thought the trea- 
 fure facred, had there been any known falfehoods irl 
 the records. 
 
 Upon the whole, there is no hidory in the world 
 can demand credit, that has b^en wrote before the 
 age we live in, and which relates to facts done in a 
 diftant part of the world, if the Gofpel has noi fuffi- 
 dent marks of credibility. No other hiftory can 
 boaft of being made up of fa^s, which every wif^ 
 and virtuous man. may fee himfelf interefled in, upon 
 the fuppofition of their being true. Every expreiTion 
 of power recorded in this facred hiftory, evinces the 
 divine minion o^ Jefus, v/hom Mr. Cbuhh owns to be 
 the fole judge of men. A confideration too extenfive 
 to exclude any man from finding iiimfelf greatly in- 
 terefted in thofe fads. — 
 . 1 ■ '- ■' H And 
 
[5°] 
 
 And as Mr. Chubb argues from analogy, about 
 delu/ions being permitted in the world, fo I am 
 tempted to think, that would he impartially attend 
 to the account, which [what we call] divine revelation 
 gives us of miracles, a great deal of his hypotbefis, 
 would be ftripped of what is formidable in it. 
 
 He would plainly perceive, that no real miracle 
 has ever been wrought to atteft a falfehood, either by 
 invifible agents, or by men. — That upon every pre- 
 tence of working fuch miracles the fallacy has been 
 detedled : witnefs, the Egyptian magicians ; the four 
 hundred and fifty prophets or priefts of Baal, who 
 mofi probably, had made ufe of great deceptions, in 
 order to keep up the reputation of their Idol ; and 
 had perfuaded the people to confent to fuch an extra- 
 ordinary or miraculous way of deciding the contro- 
 verfy ; which they furely would not have done, had 
 they not been fo far deluded as to imagine their God 
 Saal able to defend his own charafler. Nor furely, 
 would the priefts have took fo much pains to invoke 
 him from morning till noon, and to cut and mangle 
 their flelli in order to prevail with him, if they had 
 not been in earneft. 
 
 And finally, if the real miracles be carefully at- 
 tended to, as recorded in the Sacred Writings, we 
 Ihall find, a reafon afTignable for them, worthy of 
 the extraordinary interpofition. So it appears, in 
 the affair of Mofes and 2aron*s delivering the children 
 of Ifrael out of Egypt : they manifelliy afferting the 
 fupremacy of Jehovah, and denying the divinity of 
 the Gods of Egypt. — So, in the famous conteft be- 
 tween Elijah and the Priejls of Baal ; when the King 
 and People had degenerated from the true religion, 
 and introduced falfe Gods, contrary to the known 
 eftablifhed laws of their country — and likewife, there 
 appeared the highefl reafon for miracles, when the 
 "Word took on him the form of a fervant, and 
 taught, thai his mijfion was from Ced. 
 
 SECT. 
 
f 51] 
 
 S E C T. IX. 
 
 On the Revelation not being made umverfal. 
 
 BT a divine revelation we are not to under/land, 
 fiich public revelations, as imply a divine applica- 
 tion to the mind of »ach individual of our fpecies, by 
 which are revealed to each individual the truths intend- 
 ed to be made known. For though this may be called a 
 public revelation, as it is given u?iivcrfally to all, yet^ 
 flri^ly fpeaking, it would be a particular private reve- 
 lation, b^caufe it is given particularly to each individuals 
 And fuch a revelation, whether it be confidered as pub- 
 lic or private, is foreign to the prefent enquiry ; becaufe 
 the cafe of miracles, in our prefent view of them, would 
 not come into the queflion. — It is only upon a fuppofttion 
 that a revelation of which it is faid that it is divine 
 Jbould at any time be given or publijhed by the mouth or 
 pen of one man, to others, and for their ufe, and real 
 miracles Jhould be wrought by the reporter, and jhould 
 he appealed to by him as evidences of the divinity of 
 his mJ/Jion ; then, and in that cafe, the enquiry is, what 
 kind or degree of evidence arifes (not to the revealer, 
 but to others ) from thofe miracles, in favour of the di- 
 vinity of that revelation, p. 6, 7. 
 
 And Mr. Chubb, in oppofition to the argument 
 drawn [from the different capacities and different 
 degrees of happinefs creatures are formed for] in de- 
 fence of the revelation being made to fome, has this 
 remarkable paffage, p. 47. And as it was not for the 
 fake of variety that God made fo many different fpecies 
 of beings, but that a much greater good might be car- 
 ried on thereby -, fo if a more general good would be 
 carried on, by a revelation^s being given partially to 
 fome, than it would be by its being given generally to 
 all, if this were the cafe, then the cafes under conft de- 
 ration would bo parallel ; but this does not appear to be 
 tb€ cafe, and therefore, thofe cafes in point of argument 
 
 H 2 admit 
 
[ s^ ] 
 
 admii of no comparifon \ that Z5, there is the appear- 
 ance at leafi of great partiality^ and a defeat of benevo- 
 lence in one cafe ; whereas there is no fuch appearance 
 with refpe5i to the other. 
 
 What Mr. Cbubh means by faying, that it was 
 not for the- fake of variety that God made fo many dif- 
 ferent f pedes of beings ^ but that a much greater go&d 
 plight be carried on thereby -, I do not well underfland. 
 
 I T is certain that variety enters effcntiaily into the 
 ideas we have of beauty. For fays an excellent Mo- 
 raliji^'* " What we call beautiful in objeds feems to 
 " be in a compound ratio of uniformity and variety : 
 *' fo that where the uniformity of bodies is equal, 
 *' the beauty is as the variety ; and where the vari- 
 " ety is equal, the beauty is as the uniformity." 
 ,-- Bu T beftdes, " The variety that there is both in the 
 ;** material and immaterial produdlions of almighty 
 ." power, is the grand evidence ot the efficient caufe 
 ." being fovereignly free. For power operating by 
 ^' the fame neceffity with v/hich the Being itfelf 
 " does exift, muft be incapable of ading by dire- 
 " dion, or under the condud: of judgment and 
 ^' thought : becAufe it is necefiary in its action, and 
 " no thought can diverfify it unlefs there be freedom 
 *' in the agent, i. e. fome principle cA fv.fpending the 
 " degree of its exertion, or in other cafes, of extend- 
 ^' ing. it fo, that its effeds fhall be more or lefs ex- 
 '• cellent ; for higher and lower degrees of excellen- 
 " cy muft have their reafon, and that reafon muft 
 " immediately be in the different degrees of power ; 
 ?' for that alone being it which does aot externally^ 
 51 from hence muft be deduced the reafon of diverfi- 
 *' fied produdions. And at the fame time, the 
 *' different exercife of power being from the diffe- 
 " rent degrees of its exertion, thofe different degrees 
 5' imply, both wifJom and freedom, or felf-deter-r 
 " mination."t 
 
 * Hw-V^f/cw's Inquiry, t^c. d. 17. 
 
 I So the worthy Mr. Jacoh^BaU, a MS 
 
 What 
 
[53] 
 
 ■ Wh a t fliall we fay then to Mr. Cbuhh*s premi- 
 fes, viz. that it was not for the fake of variety, 
 that God made fo many different /pedes of beings ? — 
 May wc but fuppole the works of creation intended 
 to difplay the perfeftions of the great Former, then 
 variety being effential to beauty, muft enter into the 
 idea of the Creator ; fo that in fome fenfe it muft be 
 owned, that it was for the fake of variety. — Again^ 
 Without variety no evidence could have been given 
 of God*s being ^ f over eignly free agents without which 
 idea^ the fenfe of obligation would have been dark- 
 ned, if not wholly loft -, and beings produced, would 
 fiot have had fuch reafon of gratitude. For, // -ix'^j? 
 710 favour in God., if he could not hut thus caufe my ex- 
 iji'ing with fuch capacities., and under fuch advantage- 
 ous circumfiances : and therefore no thanks would he due 
 to him for that I am and have. Let Mr. Chuhh now* 
 ftiew, how this much greater good ftands oppofcd to 
 Variety. 
 
 Why the revelation given to fome and not to all, 
 rftay not agree with this procedure of the all- wife and 
 fovereignly free Being, I cannot difcern. There 
 feenis to be no more reafon to doubt of its being a 
 divine revelation, from its being made to fome and 
 not to all, than there is of the greater degrees of na- 
 tural abilities and capacities fome men enjoy than 
 others, not being from God.* Nor is it in Mi*. 
 Chubh*s power to prove, that the revelation being in' 
 the hands of only part of the humane family is not 
 as apt a means of producing a more general good, as 
 the extraordinary natural abihties and extraordinary- 
 natural light that fome men have enjoyed above the 
 reft of the humane family are to produce a more ge- 
 neral good. — Why fhould the latter promife' fairer for 
 promoting the end than the former .? The abufe and 
 perverfion of the light of nature has been as manifeft, 
 and as extenfive as the corruptions of the revelation. 
 And the revelation has all the marks of good-will to 
 * S^e the learned Dr. Sykes's Prin, and Conriex. p. 277. 
 
 men. 
 
[54] 
 men, when confidered in its true light, that any 
 CQuld ever pretend to difcover, in the moft eminent 
 difciples of the light of nature. So that for any 
 thing that appears to the contrary, the cafes under 
 confideration are parallel. There is not any thing 
 that will bear the name o^ partiality in God, either in 
 the one cafe, or in the other ; but he is manifefted 
 and declared under both views to be wife, and fove- 
 reignly free. Nor is there any, the leaft, impeach- 
 ment of his goodnefs ; for, the revelation, no more 
 than the light of nature, fuppofes God to be an hard 
 mafter : but on the contrary, with the greateft clear- 
 nels aflerts, that no man Jhall be called to an account 
 for more 'Talents than are vouchfafed him. 
 
 The charge againft the revelation, of having the 
 appearance, at leaft, of great partiality^ and a defe5f 
 of benevolence, is not to be fup ported. 
 
 That third part of the True Gofpel 'VfWizh Mr. 
 Chubb has acknowledged, viz. that of Chrijl*s being 
 appointed the file judge of men, feems to have a be- 
 nevolent afpedt on the humame family, as it de- 
 icribes or implies in it, a deliverance from the do- 
 minion of death ; and this, in purfuance of the divine 
 miffion of Jefus, of his refurredion from the dead, and 
 inveftiture with princely power and dominion. And 
 would the humane Mr. Chubb have us charge God 
 with great partiality and defe^ of benevolence, for 
 having made a revelation of this, to a part of the 
 humane family ? it being incapable of being made to 
 all ? [forafmuch as miracles would then be naturally 
 and neceffarily excluded according to Sed. III.] So that 
 mne muft have the notice of mercy made to them, 
 becaufe all could not; — but miracles being efTenti- 
 ally neceffary to evince Jefus to be appointed of 
 the Father, as file judge of men, therefore the re- 
 velation could only be made to a part of the humane 
 family. — To call this partiality, is unkind; and 
 does not at all fuit any juft idea of obligation. It 
 would fhew the eye of man to be evil, becaufe the 
 
 eye 
 
[ 55] 
 
 eye of heaven is good : and muft be owned to be, 
 no lefs, than a charging God foolijhly. — 
 
 Under Mr. C/&«^i>*s enquiries about tht diviniiy 
 of a revelation, he feems to have laid the ftrels of 
 the objedion on its being given only to fome, and. 
 not to all, in like circumftances. And he puts this 
 as the queftion, p. 6$. whether this fmgle circiim- 
 fiance againft the divinity of fuch a revelation., be of 
 lefs, or equal, or fuperior weight, than all other cir- 
 cumjiances which are offered in favour of that revela- 
 tion. For, fays he, the force of all that has been of- 
 fered on either fide of the prefent qitejlion terminates 
 in this, p. 66. 
 
 And p. 68. he fays, the point at lajl turns upon 
 this quefiion, viz. which of thofe two ways of giving 
 a revelation to the world would bell and moft effeftu- 
 ally anfwer the purpofe of fuch a revelation ? whether 
 by a divine application immediately to fome one or 
 more of our [pedes, and mediately by him, or them to 
 others, and hy them, to others, and fo on? and p. 6^, 
 but as this quejiion cannot well be anfwered, hecaufe 
 we are not very good judges in the prefent cafe -, fo it 
 may be urged that this takes off, or at leajl very much 
 weakens that obje^ion agai?i/i the divinity of a revela- 
 tion, which arifes from its not being given univerfally 
 to all. 
 
 I F we would have any room at all for miracles, 
 it is plain the revelation they are to atteft muft not 
 be made univerfal, i. e. by a divine application imme- 
 diately made to the mind of every individual of our 
 own fpecies ; forafmuch as this would render miracles 
 ufelefs. And if a revelation cannot be made to 
 fome one or more of our own fpecies, and mediately 
 by him or them to others, if it be inconfijient with the 
 perfections of God to make fuch a revelation, then 
 miracles themfelves cannot prove any fuch revelation 
 to be divine. — But, Mr. Chubb fays, that to fuppofe 
 God made fuch a revelation, is to fuppofe him a per- 
 fe<ft ftranger to ma?ikind, he well knowing how apt men 
 
 are 
 
[ 56 3 
 
 are to betray the trufi repofed in them, how liable to 
 corrupt zvhatever is -put into their hands^ to turn it to their 
 private advantage^ and Jo make it fubfervient to quite 
 contrary purpofes than what it was intended^ p. 62. the 
 quellion then is, whether it is likely thai fuch a wije 
 and good being as God /<?, /hould give a revelation^ and 
 intend zV for a general good to mankind^ and yet 
 Jhould give it in fuch a way^ as that it will be in the 
 power and at the pleafure of one or a few men to 
 prevent thoufands and milions of ethers from fharing 
 in the benefits of it i^p, 6^. 
 
 O N which I remark, it feem§ to be evident, that if 
 Jesus Christ or his Apoflles wrought any re-* 
 al miracles in atteftation of the do(5lrine they taught, 
 then the revelation was divine, and not univerfak 
 The reality of the miracles, fo applied, will prove 
 the divine mifiion of Jefus, and at the fame time 
 prove, upon Mr. Chubb's own fcheme, that the re-r 
 velation could not be made to all: forafmuch as 
 had all and every individual underftood by a divine 
 appl-ication immediately made to them, that Jefus 
 Chrijl or the Word becoming incarnate, ^c. was 
 the Sent of God, and appointed by him as fole 
 judge of m.en, then miracles would have been need- 
 lefs. But this Mr. Chubb owns, viz. that Jefus Chrift 
 is appointed the judge of men ; and therefore, as this 
 could only be known by an exprefs revelation, fo 
 the doftrine, in its own nature, demanded the tefti- 
 mony of miracles. And by thefe only, can that 
 third part of Mr. Chubb's True Gofpel be fupported* 
 
 By the 'way, Mr, Chubb cannot take it amifs, 
 fhould I a(k him, *' why he believes in Chrift at 
 *^ all ? what credentials he has to fupport his belief? 
 *' or, let me afk him whether a perfon whofe dodlrine 
 *' appears to be every way v/orthy of God, and who 
 *' affirms that he is fent from God^ whether fuch a 
 ** m.an is the more or the lefs to be credited for h^-* 
 *' ving his mifTion confirmed by fuch a6ls of power, 
 ♦' wifdom and goodnefs, which apparently daim 
 
 "no 
 
[ 57 ] 
 
 " no Other than the Supreme Being for their 
 ** author or origine ? " — 
 
 Again, the non-univerfality of the fpread of the 
 Chriftian Doftrine, ftands in full agreement with the 
 perfections of the Deity, and the make of man i foi 
 the very reafon that man's freedom of agency can 
 not receive any violence from the divine impart 
 ments, fo the revelation could not be made univer- 
 fal. 
 
 The reafon will be obvious when we confider, 
 that it was not any fort of men that were fit to be 
 entrufted with the Sacred Depofilum ; but they were 
 chofen men ; — Nor had Judas any fooner become a 
 flave to his covetoufnefs, but he became thereby in- 
 capable of attending the bufinefs of an Apoftle — 
 And when his place became vacant in the holy col= 
 lege, it was fupplied by their firft nominating two 
 men of the beft chara6ler, and then by prayer and 
 lots, referring it to the determination of that Being, 
 who knows the hearts of all men — So that as all men 
 were not fit for the impartment, it could not be 
 made to all. 
 
 A N objection would indeed lie againll the reve- 
 lation, if it was not worthy the reception of all 
 men, if it did not indifcriminately exprefs the good 
 will of the Deity. Nor can any one of the favours 
 of God be univerfally received, attended to, and 
 applied to its proper ufe, till all men become vir- 
 tuous ; till all are honeft ; till truth and goodnefs are 
 the objedls of univerfal eflreem. But will any man 
 from hence fay, that this and that advantage vouch- 
 fafed to mankind are not from God, come not dov/n 
 from the Father of lights, from whom every good 
 and perfed gift flows ? And if neither Mr. Chuhb 
 nor any other wife and fober man can deny but that 
 the Chriftian doctrine or True Gofpel of Jefus Chrift, 
 would be univerfally received, if all men were wife and 
 good ; or, that it is worthy the reception of all wife 
 and good men, then its want of being univerfally 
 
 I made. 
 
[ 58 J 
 
 made, is no manner of argument againft its divi- 
 nity—And what can that be lefs than of divine 
 original, even " the True Gofpel of Chrift which 
 *' provides no (uchfalvo's for finners as would afford 
 *' ground of hope and comfort for wicked men -, but 
 *' on the contrary, it requires and obliges men to be- 
 " come perfonally valuable in themfelves, to be- 
 *' come worthy of, and to be the proper objeds of 
 " divine regard ; and declares men's perfonal valu- 
 " ablenefs to be the only, and the fole ground of 
 " their acceptance with God.'** — Do not^then let us 
 imagine this Gofpel unworthy of a divine original. 
 
 Again, fhould we attend to the want of the 
 fpread of the Gofpel, the plaineft reafons may be 
 afligned : and yet, none owing to the revelation as 
 being unworthy the reception of mankind. 
 
 Mr. Chubb can account well for the fpread of 
 Mahomet anifm. " — This was owing, fays he^ to 
 " Chriftianity becoming corrupted in that grand 
 " principle of all true religion, whether natural or 
 *' revealed, viz. the unity of God-, and this not on- 
 " ly became a bar to men's receiving it, but it gave 
 '* occafion for that great defedion from it which 
 '' has fo far and fo long prevailed in the world, 
 " commonly called, Mahomet anifm ^"^ True Gofp]^ 
 p. 138. 
 
 And to a like fource may we attribute the low 
 reputation Chriftianity is in, at this day, in many 
 parts of the world : i. e. where it has been rcprefen- 
 ted in the Romiflj habit. Than which, it could not 
 have fuffered a greater tranfmutation. Who? I afk 
 who, that fincerely loves the truth, as it is in Jcfus, 
 could wiHi tiie fpread of Chriftianity in the drefs of 
 Popery ! better, ten thoufind times better, the dark- 
 nefs of Paganifm, than this monftrous produdtioni 
 which renders inhumane ^ti devilijh all that form 
 their temper and adlions upon its principles. This 
 has been the fertile Mother of all abfurd, and irra- 
 * True Gofpel/. 126., 
 
 tiona 1 5 
 
[59] 
 
 tiona], enthufiaftical and cruel principles ; maxims, 
 provoking to the infinite reason, difhonour- 
 able to Jesus, and a vile debafemenc of humane 
 nature. How long, O God, how long, fhall this 
 mother of harlok bewitch and infatuate the earth v,'ith 
 her forceries! 
 
 Again, let us but confider how it is that many of 
 thofe behave, who are privileged with this divine 
 revelation in its purity ! how impure, and unchari- 
 table their tempers! how intemperate, unrighteous, 
 and unchafte their a(5lions! — And then compare with 
 this the idea of the revelation, as a Talent or Prize 
 put into men*s hands! It will (hew how unwor- 
 thy men are of having the revelation made umverfal ! 
 Oh ! how great is the weight of guilt ? — It will be 
 more tolerable for heathen nations in the day of judg- 
 ment, than for thofe people who fo abufe and per- 
 vert this divine privilege. This is the very language 
 of the Revelation itfelf. And the threatnings of the 
 removal of this candleftick, were made good among 
 the Afiaiic Churches, as Mr. Chuhb has obferved 
 from the fpread of the Mahometan delufion. 
 
 Should any here object, that if the Talent is ca- 
 pable of fo much abufe as to aggravate the guilt and in- 
 hance the punifhment of men^ it would feem an aEl of 
 kindnefs not to put fiuh a Talent at all into the hands 
 of men : for, that the fpread of it, is, upon the whole f 
 rather a curfe than a bleffing to mankind? — 
 
 I SHOULD be inclined thus to anfwer them ; That 
 the objection would indeed be of force, v/as there 
 any thing in the revelation itfelf that had a malevolent 
 tendency, or if any hurtful confequences could be 
 fairly drawn from the principles which it recom- 
 mends. But when, on the contrary, it appears to 
 have the moft benign and friendly afpeft on fociety ; " 
 inculcating fentiments of obhgation, every way wor- 
 thy reafonable nature, and adapted to dignify and 
 exalt it ! principles well adapted to render its true 
 difciples the greateft bleffings to the world ! This will 
 
 I 2 raife 
 
[ 60 ] 
 
 rai(e our Ideas oF the Favour of God, in making 
 fuch a revelation •, and render it the matter of our 
 mod earneft defires, that it might be univerfally 
 known in the humane family. For, notwithftanding 
 men are capable of abufing and corrupting this pure 
 fcheme of truth and benevolence y yet thofe their abu- 
 fes do not at all alter the value of the revelation. 
 They depreciate it no more, than men's being ena- 
 bled by the light of the funx.0 commit thofe enormous 
 vices which they could not commit without it, does de- 
 preciate the bleffing which the fun is of to our world ; 
 or, than this proves the fun lefs a bleffing to mankind, 
 on account of the innumerable evils it affords men 
 light to introduce. Or again^ 
 
 Will any fay, that becaufe God*s tender mercies 
 are fo univerfally abufed by the children of men, that 
 therefore, it would have been better, upon the whole, 
 that they had not been over ail his works I — Since then 
 there is nothing in the nature of the revelation itfelf, 
 but what is worthy of all acceptation, every wife and 
 good man would wifh its fpread, though at the fame 
 time he may have the moft melancholy views of the 
 unworthy behaviour of thofe who already have it, in 
 its purity ! And forafmuch as it is calculated to blels 
 mankind, their perverting the defign of it, or neg- 
 lefting its intention, and fo inhancing their guilt, 
 will no v/ay depreciate the excellency of the talent. 
 
 We fhould, from the objedlion, be even unable to 
 vindicate God's wifdom and goodnejs in giving fuch a 
 creature as man a being ; who is endowed with rea- 
 fonable powers and faculties, capable either of great 
 inip7'ovement, or of inconceivably great perverfion and 
 ahufe •■, in the laft of which cafes, his obnoxioufnefs to 
 evil arifes in proportion. — 
 
 But on the other hand, as the heft things feem 
 capable of the greatejt abufe, fo the horrid corrup- 
 tions and depravations of pure Chriftianity can be no 
 arguments of its want of excellency. 
 
 Mr, 
 
[ 6i ] 
 
 M R . Chuhh has given us a very rational account of 
 the Gofpel*s not being tiniv erf ally received at its firft 
 publication.* I Ihall chule to tranfcribe one para- 
 graph from him. 
 
 "And furely if every reader would but confider 
 *' how many difficulties it had to encounter with, and 
 " how many kinds of oppofitioji were likely to be 
 *' made to it, he would not be furprized to find that 
 *' it made no greater progrefs than it did. For as 
 " the Gofpel of Chrill is an addrefs to men as free 
 *' beings, which have the diredion of their own 
 *' a6lions, and as fuch it muft be left to every man's 
 " choice^ whether he would hear^ or whether he 
 ** would forbear -, whether he would attend to it, or 
 " fet \\\sface againft it : fo confequently it could not 
 " be forced upon the world, but muft make its way 
 *' by mere dint of reafon and ftrength of argument. 
 " Indeed the miraculous power which attended the 
 *' Gofpel at its firft publication, was defigned to 
 *' alarm the world, and to call in men's ferious at- 
 " fention to v/hat was kindly offered to them, and to 
 " flamp a divine character upon it ; and upon ma- 
 " ny it had its intended effed. But then with mul- 
 " titudes of others the cafe was otherwife ; men 
 " found out ways to take off tht force of this alarm, 
 " by afcribing that power to other caufes^ and the 
 *' like ; fo that the generality of men were fo far 
 " from being brought over to the Gofpel of Chrift, 
 " that on the contrary, they made great oppofition to 
 " it — p. 122, 123." the grounds of which he after- 
 wards particularly confiders. 
 
 I T will then be proper to put this queftion. Whe- 
 ther a divine revelation could be made univerfal ? 
 And it is plain, from what Mr. Chubb has faid, from 
 the make of man, from the circumftancesof the world, 
 as well as from the nature of the thing, that a divine 
 revelation, attefted by miracles, could not he univerfal. 
 And not only fo, but the mifTion of Jefus, as a man 
 
 * Sec his True Gofpel, from />. 1.-2 to 139. 
 
 fent 
 
[62 ] 
 
 fent of God^ who taught the mofl excellent docflrlne, 
 and died in atteftation of it, in order to reform and 
 fave men's fouls, this does not feem to admit of be- 
 ing made univerfal, i. e. by a divine application made 
 immediately to the mind of every individual of our fpe- 
 cies. — But the credibility of the divine miffion of Je- 
 fus, appears to be the refult of confummate wifdom 
 and goodnefs^ Jkill and -prudence^ in which they have 
 feemed to abound. — Let then any man fhew, how the 
 divine defgnation of Jefus, to be the fole judge of 
 men, could have been better made known and at- 
 tefted than it is •,' and then, it will be time to fuffer 
 our uneafy fcruples to arife about the credibility of it, 
 but I think not before. 
 
 Hence we may reply to Mr. Chubb*s queftion 
 v/ith great clearnefs ; fince the want of the univerfality 
 attending the m.aking of a divine reveladon, is fo 
 far from lejQening the credibility of it, or being an 
 objection of lefs^ or ?«cr<f, or fiiperior weight to all 
 other circumftances in its favour -, that it is itfelf a 
 circumftance that muft unavoidably attend a divine 
 revelation. 
 
 And to aflert that miracles at fartheft arife to a 
 lovD degree of probability will appear a groundlefs af- 
 fertion, if we are allowed to argue from analogy^ as 
 Mr, Chubb has done, 
 
 God would not fend a perfon in his own name, 
 .as authorized by him to be the judge of quick and 
 dead, and not vouchfafe fuch teftimionials of power 
 and wifdom that would demonftrate his being in- 
 verted with fuch a commiiTion. To fuppofe this, 
 would be worfe than to fuppofe God to permit men 
 to deceive one another ; lor, it would prove him 
 defective either in wifdom or goodnefs, or both. — 
 But if God has imparted fo much power as was re- 
 quifite to fupport his miflTion and character, whom 
 he had thus authorized, then the miracles muft rile 
 above a low probability^ as being plenary teftimoni?s 
 or feals of his miflion. 
 
 Nor 
 
[ 63 ] 
 
 Nor fhould this be wondered at, arguing from 
 analogy ; forafmuch as the light of nature derives its 
 evidence, concerning God, from the operations of 
 his hands : And therefore lie is faid, not to leave bim- 
 fclf without witnefs, in that he does good, a?id gives men 
 rain from heaven, and fruitful feafons, filling their 
 hearts ivith food andgladnefs. — Men would not be able 
 to form any notions of God, but as they are led by 
 his works of creation and providence : it will there- 
 fore appear requifite, that mors particular, or eictra- 
 ordinary revelations of his will and purpofe, fliould 
 be attefted by external evidence, fuitable to the na- 
 ture and defign of fuch revelations. — And forafmuch 
 as this is reported to be the cafe, there is an high, if 
 not the higheft degree of probability, that fuch re- 
 velations are divine. 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 A S an Appendix to what I have offered, I would 
 -^ humbly recommend to the confideration of Mr. 
 Chubb, and of all thofe who may have any 'uague 
 or indeterminate Ideas of miracles, thofe ^eries which 
 are put by the ingenious Dr. Geo. Turn bull, in 
 bis Philofophical Enquiry concerning the Connexion, ^c, 
 which I beg leave to tranfcribe. 
 
 *' Query I. Whether famples of a certain pow- 
 er, do not prove that power : Or if any thing elfc 
 is neceffary to prove a certain power, befides famplea 
 of that power : famples analogous in kind, and pro- 
 portioned in quantity or moment ? 
 
 A N D in confequence of this. Whether famples of 
 a power to raife the dead, do not prove a power to 
 raife the dead ; and whether famples of a power to 
 
 deliver 
 
[64] 
 
 deliver from all kind of difeafes and infirmities, do 
 not prove a power to deliver from all kind of difea- 
 fes and infirmities ; and whether famples of power to 
 confer certain qualities and bleflings, do not prove 
 power to confer thefe qualities and bleflings ? 
 
 Query II. Whether the principal if not all the 
 doftrines of Ch r i s t, are not aflTertions of his ha- 
 ving power to raife the dead, and deliver from mi- 
 feries ; and confer bleflings •, to deliver from fuch 
 kind of miferies, and confer fuch kind of bleflings 
 as his works were proper and natural famples or ex- 
 cxperiments of? and what fample, or famples are 
 wanting to make the evidence of his having any pow- 
 er he claimed by his dodlrines, full and compleat ? 
 
 Q^u E R Y III. "Whether it is more natural and rea- 
 fonable to think, that God would controul the pow- 
 er of any being who pretended a mifiion from him, 
 which he had not ; and not futfer him to produce 
 all the extraordinary works he appealed to as figns 
 of the divine miflion and approbation ? Or that God 
 would let one appeal to him for his approbation ; 
 and give all the evidences and figns of it, to which 
 he appeals as proofs, without any check or controul •, 
 full famples of all the power and knowledge he pre- 
 tended to as a divine miflionary ? Which of thefe 
 two conclufions is mofl: confonant to our notions of 
 order and wife adminiftration -, our natural concep- 
 tions of God -, and to what we know of the divine 
 government of the natural or moral world ? 
 
 Query IV". Whether an uninteruupted courfe of 
 honefl:y, goodnefs, faithfulnefs, and benevolence, be 
 not fufficient to create truft ? and whether there was 
 any thing in the condudt of Jesus Christ, that 
 could beget diffidence and miftruft ; or any thing 
 wanting to put his honefly, fincerity, and good in- 
 tention beyond all. doubt.'' 
 
 Que r y 
 
[65] 
 
 Qu E R Y V. Which of the doflrines of our Sa- 
 viour has not a diredt tendency, and powerful in- 
 fluence, to excite and encourage to the pradice of 
 piety and virtue -, and what is wanting to render the 
 do(flrine of our Saviour, a compleat fyftem of 
 rehgion and morality, in point of precepts, motives, 
 or means : what in point of duty, that reafon does 
 not demonftrate to be a duty •, what in point of mo- 
 tive, that it is not in itfelf probable though not cer- 
 tain ; or what in refpefl of means that it is not fit 
 and proper in the nature of things, to improve and 
 promote virtue and goodnefs to the higheft degree of 
 perfe<rtion humane nature is capable of ? 
 
 Qu E R Y VI. Whether therefore abflradling from 
 the truth of Chriftianity, a better public doftrine 
 can be devifed ; whether mankind would live more 
 comfortably and virtuoufly without the belief of a 
 future (late of rewards and punifhments, and the o- 
 ther motives Chriftianity furnilheth to the praftice 
 of benevolence and righteoufnefs j and confequently, 
 whether it is a kind office to mankind to endeavour to 
 weaken that belief , or whether it is not the part of a 
 good member of fociety^ and an honeft man^ to confider 
 well before he ■publ'ifhes to the world his fingular notions^ 
 whether the promulgating them may not have a bad ef- 
 fect } contribute to leffen the regard to virtue^ or at leaf; 
 the refiraints from vice ? 
 
 Query VII. Whether the works which were 
 performed by Jesus Christ to evince the truth 
 of the doflrines he taught, are not a natural, proper, 
 and full proof of their truth in the ftrideft and moft 
 philofophical fenfe of a proof or evidence ; fince his 
 works bear the fame relation to his doftrines, as 
 figns or famples of their truth, that any experiments 
 in philofophy bear to the conclufions juftly inferred 
 from them 5 or in other words, fince, for inftance, 
 
 K they 
 
[66] 
 
 they are figns of their truth in the fame fenfe that ex- 
 periments or famples of gravity or elafticity, are 
 figns of the reality of thefe properties? 
 
 Qjj E R Y VIII. Whether that kind of proof or 
 evidence can be fiid to be above the reach of any 
 one, upon whch even the loweft and moft ignorant of 
 mankind daily reafon and aft in many inftances : and 
 whether all degrees of men do not reafon and afl eve- 
 ry day upon the evidence or proof, wl;iich figns and 
 famples afford of that quality, natural or moral, of 
 which they are figns and famples ? 
 
 The evidence therefore upon which the truth of 
 Chriflianity depends, is at the fame time a ftridWy 
 phiJofophical unexceptionable evidence, and an evi- 
 dence that is obvious to every capacity, nay, familiar 
 to every one," 
 
 The fubftantial ground on which thefe Queries 
 are put, and the excellent fenfe they contain, as de- 
 manding the regard of every honeft, accurate, and 
 impartial enquirer after truth, was the motive to my 
 tranfcribing them, and when they are foberly difcuf- 
 fed, and fairly fet afide as having no weight or im- 
 portance in them, it will be time enough for me to 
 withdraw my regard to the evidence of miracles. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
^^ 
 
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