m

 
 DEMONSTRATION 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Truth and Divinity 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 
 
 I N 
 
 Several DISCOURSES,
 
 A 
 
 3. H T 1 6 
 
 H T 
 
 M I 

 
 A 
 
 DEMONSTRATION 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Truth and "Divinity 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 Chriftian Religion, 
 
 Asitispropos'd to usin the SCRIPTURES 
 of the NEW TESTAMENT. 
 
 Several DISCOURSES. 
 
 To which is annex'd 
 
 A DISCOURSE iri general, 
 To prove that Matters of F A i T H are 
 at leaft equally, if not more Dcmonftra- 
 ble, intheftri&eftSenfeof that WORD? 
 than thofe of REASON. 
 
 By ROBERT 
 
 Fellow vf CLARE HAJLL. 
 
 CAMBRIDGE: 
 
 Printed at the UNIVERSITY-PRESS, for Edmund 
 
 Jffirj, and Robert Chapman, Bookfellers in 
 
 Cambridge. MDCCXJ.
 
 I O 
 
 . 
 
 aaJTJTii-Hoa 9fh riKQ oj b'aoq 
 
 
 L*x:ar:s-zi rbirlw 
 
 cnr^H rii H a ^ U .O D 2 I Q A 
 
 lii H. T 1 A 'I 3o 8T. >T 
 
 .MO 8 A3 
 
 . I I / 
 
 
 I
 
 To the WORSHIPFULL 
 
 SJOHNS'BJRB, 
 
 Of Eroadlands in HampJ&ire, Baronet, 
 
 My mo ft Honoured^ A T R o N- 
 
 SIR, 
 
 I NEED not enlarge upon 
 the Excellency of Your 
 Character 5 fince it is fo 
 well known in the Place 
 where You live; and where 
 it is not known, I might pot 
 fibly lye under the Imputa- 
 tion (tho 5 I fhou'd fay no- 
 thing but truth) of making 
 only a Panegyrick : You will 
 therefore, 1 am certain, ex- 
 cufe me on this Head, and 
 think that the beft Defcrip- 
 tion of a Patron s Worth and 
 a Merit* 
 
 2007939
 
 Merit, is to be had from the 
 Nature of the Book addrefs'd 
 to Him. This is concerning 
 the Truth and Divinity of 
 our moll Holy Religion, and 
 is a Confeffion to the World, 
 whilft You permit this Ad- 
 drefs, notwithftanding the 
 meanefs of the Author, that 
 You have entertain'd a moft 
 affe&ionate Efteem and Ve- 
 neration for it, which is the 
 brighteft Ornament, and the 
 trueft Reputation that can ei- 
 ther belong to a Gentleman, 
 a good Man, or a iincere 
 
 ^ith all Duty and Reflect, 
 S I R, 
 Tour mofl OUigd 
 
 andHumlk Servant 
 
 ROBERT GREEN.
 
 PREFACE 
 
 . i . JA FTE R the commendable Per- 
 /-\ formances of the judicious 
 Bifhop of Exeter, upon the 
 Subject we have at frefent undertaken, 
 and the Elaborate Treatife of Grotius, 
 concerning the Truth of the Chrijlian Re- 
 ligion, it may perhaps feem to le a Pre- 
 fuwption to attempt any thing which flail 
 look like entering into the fame Argu- 
 ment, which they may pojjibly befupposd 
 to have exhaujted : But as we pay aU the 
 Deference to thofe Great Men that can 
 be imagirid, fo we mttH likewife infifl up- 
 on the Jame Privilege which they took, 
 of confidering things in that Way and Me- 
 thod, which appear d to them to be most 
 agreeable } to produce a rational Conviction 
 of the Truth theyproposd to prove. 
 
 . i. The Learned Bifiop alovementio* 
 
 ned has indeed taken abundance of pains to 
 
 Jhew- the Nect(/ity of djlanding Revela- 
 
 a z
 
 The PREFACE. 
 
 tton, and in other Points has argu' 
 a great deal of Clearnefs and Force$ but 
 I muff humbly beg Leave to fay y that as 
 to 'what rejfieffs the Proof and Evidence 
 of an Attual Revelation to Mankind, as 
 to what concerns a Vemonjlration of the 
 Truth and Divinity of the Eoly Scriptures, 
 his Arguments are laid too general, and 
 are not fo convincing', as if they had been 
 drawn out into the particular Proofs we 
 have of the Internal and External Evi- 
 dence, both Humane and Divine, of thefe 
 Sacred Writings, which <we have endea- 
 vour d to do. 
 
 . 3. If this Reverend Prelate has not 
 infifled upon the exaffeft way of Demon- 
 fir at ing we coud dejire, and which coud 
 not be expected in thofe narrow limits 
 that were prefcrib'd to his Admirable 
 Difcourfes : The other Eminent Perfon ve 
 have namd, has Jlitt lefs Jince we lay 
 it down for a certain Maxim, That Chri 
 jliavity is not fojufjy and directly provd 
 any other way, nor can be, as by an 
 immediate Vindication of thoje Holy 
 
 Oracles,
 
 The PREFACE. 
 Oracles, ly 'which it is tranfmitted to us. 
 
 . 4. for, bejides the Evidence we 
 have from Tejlimony for the Scriptures, 
 and the Chriftian Religion, there are on- 
 ly two others fretended to : Firft, The 
 Reafonablenefs of the Doflrmes it pro- 
 fofes 5 Secondly, Their Preference to 
 thofe of any other Religion. 
 
 . 5 . Firft, As to the DoHrines of Chri- 
 jlianity, and that Fundamental one of 
 the Exigence of a GOD, His being a 
 Spirit and Immaterial, His Icing Immor- 
 tal, all powerful, infnitely i^ife, andjuff, 
 and good, according to the fenfe <which 
 Chriftians have of Him, it will le 'very 
 hard, if not impojfible, to prove thefe and 
 the other Attributes, which accrue to Him 
 from the Scriptures, ly Natural Argu- 
 ments, and manifest and plain deductions 
 of Reafon, which may not be liable to a 
 Contradiction; all the Moral Duties aftd 
 Relations likewife which we owe to each 
 other, from what Religion inculcates to 
 us, will be f! ill more difficult to evince. 
 
 a 3 $.6.
 
 The PREFACE. 
 . 6 . For it is not) as is commonly pra- 
 Hicd by thefe Rationales, it is notfuffici- 
 entto the afcertainingofthe Chriftian Reli- 
 gionjo give its a general account of the Be- 
 ing of a Go D 3 andfome of His more de- 
 MonflrMe and apparent Attributes, as His 
 Immenfity,His Omnipotence, or His Infinite 
 Wifdom&c. nor yet is it enough for the ob- 
 taining that end,to explain to us the Reafon- 
 abhnefs of certain Duties, which are com- 
 mon to Heathenifm with Chrijlianity iff elf, 
 fnceunlefswe can deduce from Reafon that 
 Individual Almighty Being, with all His 
 federal Attributes and Perfections, which 
 are represented to us in Scripture, as that 
 unfytakaUe Love which He exprefsdto us 
 in our Redemption^ and unlefs we can alfo 
 from the fame Reafon deduce thofe 'very 
 Duties in their full latitude, as the f refer- 
 ringothers to ourfel^es^ndthe doing good 
 for the evil we recehe, which Chriflianr- 
 ty prefcrtbes $ fuch an Argument for the 
 Truth of the Chriftian Religion can he of no 
 forceorfignifcancej lecaufe if ly Reafon 
 we collect one kind of an Almighty Being, 
 
 and
 
 The PREFACE. 
 
 and one fort of Moral Duties, and by Re- 
 velation arefurnifid with another $ what 
 we infer or conclude from Reafon, will not 
 le a confirmation of, as it will have no con- 
 nection with that which we own to proceed 
 from Revelation. 
 
 . 7 . But farther, if we Jhoud grant 
 that Reafon coud demon/irate the fever al 
 Doffrmes ofChriflianity, it worid not from 
 thence follow, that the Chrijlian Religion 
 was either true, or of a divine Original, 
 it coud only prove it to he a Rational Sy- 
 flem ; whereas the evidencing what is a Ra- 
 tional Syftem of Religion, is not a Demon- 
 Jlration that fuch a Syftem is Divine, or 
 that in Faff it is the Chrijlian : that is, to 
 argue from the Reafonablenefs of a Do- 
 ftrine, to the Certainty of its being a Chri- 
 jlian one, is not ajttff way of concluding, 
 unlefs Chriftianity and Reafon are recipro- 
 cal Terms, and what fo ever is Reafonahle 
 is Chrijlian, and whatfoever is Chrijlian is 
 Reafonahle 5 which at leaft cannot he 
 known till we are certain what ChriJIiani- 
 ty in Faff is 5 and consequently to argue 
 a 4 from
 
 The PREFACE. 
 from the Rationalnefs of its Doctrines is up- 
 on the very fuppofition that the Truth of it 
 is already provd. 
 
 .8. If yet Reafon coud deduce all 
 th VoSrines of Christianity from it sown 
 Principles, it woud altogether le incapable 
 of folding the Myjleries of it, 'which there- 
 fore fame have leenfo hold to deny,lecaufe, 
 ifuppofe, they found it hnpoffille to le re- 
 ,concild rwithfuch kind of Demonftrations 5 
 which Demonjlrations yet we have e<vi- 
 dencd to le none at alL 
 
 . 5?. Secondly, As to the preference 
 of the Doctrines of Chriftianity to thofe of 
 any other Religion, whether Mahometan, 
 or Pagan, or the Jewifh, that may le a rea- 
 fon why we Jboud embrace one Religion 
 rather than the other, if they food upon an 
 equal Evidence ofleing only Human Injti- 
 tutions : But it is no Argument in Matter 
 of Facfj which of thefe Religions is true, 
 and which of them had the fulled and 
 cleareff Attejlations to their Divinity. 
 
 . i o. If it lefaid, The Reafonablenefs 
 of a Dottrine is one Attejlation, we mufl 
 
 then
 
 The PREFACE. 
 then inquire, and do defire to be inform' d y 
 what is meant Toy Reafon $ifby that is in- 
 tended what we can collet by the Force 
 and Power of our own Faculties) we fay, 
 that we cannot from thence infer the f eve- 
 ral Myfteries reveal' d to us in Scripture, 
 and consequently thofe Myfteries either 
 have no Att eft ation from Reafon, and yet 
 are Divine, andmufi beprovd another way 
 to befo, than from Reafon, or elfe there are 
 710 Myfteries at all : if there be no Myfte- 
 ries, that muff he pro&d from Reafon or 
 the Scriptures, but that there are no My- 
 fteries cannot be prov d from Reafon, be* 
 caufe they are in the former Argument fup- 
 pos'd not to come under its cognifance 5 if 
 from the Scriptiwes } andit is Matter of Faff 
 that there are none, then thofe Scriptures are 
 to be evidenc d not from Reafon, but from 
 Atteftation, fo that which wayfoever we 
 conjtder Chriftianityjt is plain thefole proof 
 oj it muft at length be refold into the Va- 
 lidity of the Teftimonietproducd for it. 
 
 . 1 1 . In fine, itfeems to be very abfurd 
 and unreafonable, where the Queftionis con- 
 
 cerning
 
 The PREFACE. 
 
 cerning tie truth of Matter of Faff Jo have 
 recourfe to the Reafon of that, the Faff of 
 which if only inquird,andto prefer our Spe- 
 culations about it, which may prove in att 
 probability to be wrong, before ajufl Exa- 
 mination into the Evidence concerning it, 
 in which it will not be fo likely for us to 
 le deceivd: thmfor inflance, if any one 
 Jhoudteli us, that there was a certain won- 
 derful piece of Mechamfm in the Indies, 
 which we never heard of before, contrivd 
 and adjujled in that manner, as to exhibit to 
 us all the Motions of the Spheres, the rife 
 and Jet ting of the Stars, and the Revoluti- 
 ons of the Planets, accordmg to their f eve- 
 ralperiodick Jimes, another fhou'd come and 
 tell us the fame thing, a third, a fourth, and 
 a hundred or a thoufandjhou d agree in the 
 fame (lory 5 I ask which woud be the motf 
 rational for us to do, to compare and com- 
 putethefeveralTeJiimonies we hffive to con- 
 vince us of this matter, or to go wifely about 
 to prove from Reafon and Speculation, how 
 fuch apiece of Clock-work might be Me- 
 chanically contrivdj Jhoudwe not rather 
 
 be
 
 The PREFACE. 
 
 be frit fur e that this was not an Impofi- 
 tion upon us ? And if it was certain Mat- 
 ter of Faff) Jhoudwe not rather conform 
 our Reafon and Senfe to it, than make it 
 fubmit to, and change in obedience to our 
 Fancies and Opinions ? 
 
 . i z. The cafe is the fame in Cbrifliani- 
 ty 5 it was a wonderful contrivance in Al- 
 mighty Goo 1 , for the Safoation and Redemp- 
 tion of Mankind, and it is confrmd to us by 
 an abundantTeflimonyJranfmitteddown to 
 us from the fir ft time of its beingpromulgd 
 to the World j and if in this prefent Age any 
 one doubt ed of it y which woud be the mo ft 
 rational way for him to be confined ? cer- 
 tainly (for the Inflance is exactly parallel) 
 not by reafoning upon this Miraculous Dif- 
 penfation of Almighty God, but by examin- 
 ing whether he has fujficient Evidence to 
 believe there ever wasfuch a Vifyenfation^ 
 and if there was y to make his Reafon be ra- 
 ther obedient to his Faith, tbanfubjeft his 
 Faith to his Reafon. 
 
 .13. We have Qoke more largely to 
 this, that we mayjhew upon what different 
 
 Pri*-
 
 The PREFACE: 
 
 Princifles the Truths of Religion, andthoft 
 of Reafon are founded, which yet in the 
 frefent Age have beenfo little diftinguifi d, 
 that Chrifli anity y forfome timejias fcarcely 
 been thought to have beenfufforted by any 
 other Patronage than that of the kind 
 Offices Reafon has been fleas d to do it$ 
 whereas it jlands frm ufon its own Evi~ 
 dencey and dos not need to defend ufon 
 thefleafure and cafrice of fo fickle and in- 
 conjlant an Advocate. aVi\ 
 
 ; 14. Afterwhatwehave faidy it is 
 fcarcely worth while to take notice of that 
 common fiece of Sofhiflrjy which isfo much 
 efyousdby the Rationalijls of the Age, that 
 Revelation coud not be demonftrated o- 
 therwife than ly Reafon 5 fince it is eafy 
 to know what we mean by that wordy and 
 which is more fully explain d in Difcourfe 
 the Tenth of this Book $ that is y what the 
 World now generally means by Rational, 
 is> the deducing of one Prof option jrom an- 
 other in Matters of Science and Speculati- 
 on, and the whole Province is committed to 
 the Mind of forming and abftratting its 
 
 No-
 
 The PREFACE. 
 
 Notions at pleafure t and difcourjingupon 
 tbem$ and where the Under [landing is thus 
 emplofdy we cannot but think it is more ca- 
 pable of being deceivd, by the plain In fian- 
 ces we foall give in Mathematicks and 
 Philofophy, than when it only conflders 
 Matters ofFaU,andtheTeJlimony we have 
 for 'em ^ which thd it may be caU'd Reafon, 
 yet is widely different from what is meant 
 and intended by the former. 
 
 .15. WcJbaUadd, that what we now 
 
 fropofe to the World is with a fine ere and 
 
 affectionate Dejign of vindicating Religion, 
 
 again ft the Atheifm of the Age ; and if we 
 
 have been guilty of any incidental Errorsjn 
 
 thefollowingDifcourfeSyWefljaUdeJire to be 
 
 inform d of them ; which upon thefrft con- 
 
 vittionjwe hereprofefs our f elves ready and 
 
 willingto retract. And here we cannot but 
 
 take notice of the Eminent and Learned Dr. 
 
 Jenkin, and Dr. Gaftrel, who have gone 
 
 much farther upon this Subject y than perhaps 
 
 anyPerfons before them, whofe Labours as 
 
 we very much value and ejieemfo wejhoud 
 
 find an extreme Satisfaction from our own, 
 
 $
 
 The PREFACE, 
 
 ifthisjhort Vindication of our mofj Bleffed 
 Religion might meet with their and all other 
 good Men's Approbation $ efye daily feeing 
 'what we have pro due din this Argument, 
 is not dejigrid tofuperfede, or to evacuate 
 what is writ by other Pens, but to add a 
 fre/b Weight and Moment to the Evidence 
 already alledgd,in the Defence of Jo Great 
 andfo Divine a Truth, as that of our Com- 
 mon Chrijltanity. 
 
 I Jh all only farther in tils Section defire 
 my Readers Leave, tofuljoyn, to the end 
 thefe Papers may not faff er by the meanefi 
 andunworthinefiof the Author, that they 
 lave loeen communicated to fome of my 
 Friends, who are capable of judging, and 
 who in the main incouraged the Publica* 
 tion of them. 
 
 . 1 6. To conclude, If what is here 
 offer d can he of any Service to the World, 
 or can do the lea ft good either in confirming 
 Men in their mofl Holy Faith, or reducing 
 them to it : I earneftlyrequeft in thefrft 
 place, my Reader will pay Ins pious Ac- 
 knorjledgmtnts to the Memory of the moH 
 
 Excel-
 
 The PREFACE. 
 
 Excellent Mr. Robert Green, formerly 
 Mercer in Tamworth, my Dearefl and 
 mojl Honoured Father y to whofe Affectio- 
 nate and Religious Education and Injlru- 
 ctions, which I recei<vdfrom Him, in the 
 Principles of our Divine Chrijlianity, next 
 to GoDV BleJ/ingandAffiJtanceythefeVif- 
 courfes are chiefly owing j a Perfon, who 
 for his exemplary and fngular Piety to- 
 wards GOD, hisjledfajl and unfiaken Ex- 
 pectations of the Happinefi of another 
 World, thro the Merits and Mediation of 
 our Lord^andhishumble and charitable Be- 
 haviour and Defortment towards allj who 
 for his Sobriety, Temperance andMeeknef, 
 and all the Ornaments of a truly Holy and 
 Chriflian Lifers by whatinjlanceswehave 
 feen of the lejl Men in the prefent Age, he 
 feems not to be imitated, by thofe whojhatt 
 fucceed him,fo we cannot but think he was 
 not to be paralleled by any that went before 
 him,fince the times of the Jpoflles, and the 
 <very frft Foundation of our R eligion itfelf$ 
 nor, however extraordinary, is this a Cha- 
 racter too great with thofe few who knew 
 
 him j
 
 The PREFACE. 
 
 htm i a nd whofe Name therefore ought to 
 be entitled to a jufl Mention in thefe Ta- 
 pers ; in which if there is any thing good 
 or truly valuable, I may in a Literalfenfe al- 
 moft fay, He being dead, yet fpeaketh. 
 
 / cannot but likewije here remember^with 
 the great eft Teftimony of Refpett andT>uty y 
 the Reverend Mr.] ohn Pretty Rettor of 
 Farley near \Vinchefter J my mofl Honou- 
 red Patron and Uncle - 3 by 'whofe Genero- 
 Jtty and Kindnefs, upon the *Death of my 
 Father <> 1 have formerly been ajjifted in 
 my Maintenance in this Univerfity , and 
 
 alt ho* he de fires out of his abundant ety 
 and Goodnefs 3 to be conceal W from the 
 "Public ky my extraordinary and excejjive 
 Obligations to him, will not Juffer me to 
 pafs over inflence a Name fo dear to me. 
 
 Thefe are they* to whom, if to any one 
 my Reader is oblig'd> and therefore he 
 will pardon me when I dejire his affe- 
 ctionate Remembrance of them, if the 
 leafl Benefit or Advantage jhoud accrue to 
 him from a Terujal of what is here writ, 
 having no 'Demands as to what concerns 
 my felf, unlefs thoje of his Ingenuity and 
 Candour.
 
 DEMONSTRATION 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Truth and Divinity 
 
 OF THE 
 
 CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 
 
 2. Tim. 3. 1 6, 17. 
 1 6* All Scripture Is given \>y Infyiration of 
 
 God, and is profitable for Doctrine y for 
 
 Reproof, for Correction, for InJlritEfioj? 
 
 in Right eoufnefs. 
 i 7. That the man of God may ie perfetf, 
 
 throughly furnijtidunto all good 'works. 
 
 DISCOURSE I. 
 
 , i. TTJTA v i N G a defigh in thefe Re- 
 I I ligious Excrciics, which the 
 Authority of our Pious Foun- 
 ders has prefcrib'd, to treat of the Holy 
 Scriptures^ and to go as far as we can in a 
 Plain and Natural Interpretation of them; 
 it feem'd very reafonablein the firft place 
 to fpeak of them at large, and to confidcr 
 A both
 
 z A Demonjkation of the Divinity 
 both the Authority, and the Nature and 
 Intention of 'em : upon which account 
 we have made choice of the Words of 
 the Blefled Apoftle St. Taut, All Scripture 
 is given by Infpiration of God j under 
 which Head we (ball examine into 
 
 fir fty The Authority of thefe Sacred 
 Writings, both in refpeft of their Truth 
 and Divinity. 
 
 2fy, The fame Apoftle tells us, That 
 they are profitable for c Doftrine- t for Re- 
 proof for Correflion^for Inftruflion in Righ- 
 teoufnefs - 3 where we ihall endeavour to 
 (hew the excellent Nature of the Do&rines 
 and Precepts contain'd in 'em. And 
 
 Laftfy* Explain the Defign and mean- 
 ing of 'em j namely, To make us better> 
 and more holy, to carry us on from a 
 Knowledge to a Performance of our Du- 
 ty, That the Man of God may be perfetf, 
 throughly fur niffid unto all good works. And 
 
 Firft t As to the Divine Authority of the 
 Holy Scriptures. 
 
 . 2. The Divine Authority of any 
 Writing mud: neceflarily depend upon 
 its own intrinfic Evidence, or elfe upon 
 fome External Teftimony. 
 
 There can be only thefe two ways for 
 the proving any Book, any written Tra- 
 dition
 
 of the Chriftian Religion, 3 
 
 dition really Divine, both which we have 
 in the fulleft manner that is poflible. 
 
 . 3. I fhall not here have recourfe to 
 that way of proof, which fome Men of 
 Controverfy have thought fit to make ufe 
 of 5 and that is, to evince the Truth of 
 the Miracles recorded in Scripture, and 
 to vindicate 'em from an Impofture, by 
 the Excellency of the Morals they were 
 wrought to confirm} fince altho' fuch a 
 Method of Arguing may be convincing 
 enough to fome, yet there are thofe who 
 will never be perfuaded,not\vithftanding 
 all the Diftinftions we can make to evade 
 the Objection, that if the Truth of Mi- 
 racles is to be demonftrated by the Mo- 
 rals they aflerr, there was any occafion 
 for Miracles at all. And indeed upon a 
 very plaufible, and I'm afraid a very good 
 Reafon-, becaufe, if the Morality of 
 any Dodrine is fufficient to make an ex- 
 traordinary Action or PerformanceDivine 
 or Miraculous, it will be likewife capable 
 of ftamping the fame Chara&er upon any 
 Extraordinary or Myfterious Dodlrine 
 too-, and by this means all Miracles will 
 be fet afide, as ufelcfsand infignificantto 
 tUe proving of thofe Myfteries, for which, 
 they fay, they were primarily defign'd, 
 and we mail be reduc'd to no other Re- 
 ligion, than what plain Nature diftates 
 A 2 to
 
 4 A Vemonjlration of the Divinity 
 to us. 1 mention this the rather, fince I 
 find it is chiefly the Moralifts and Soci~ 
 nians in 'Divinity who chufe to argue in 
 this wayj and that others, whonotwith- 
 ftanding they mean well, fubmit too eafl- 
 ly and tamely to their Opinions. 
 
 . 4. Befides, I wou'd ask, Whether 
 an Impoftor cannot lay down good Mo- 
 ral Rules for our Conduft? 'Tis evident 
 feveral Heathens, and ^Pythagoras in par- 
 ticular has done it in his e'-Tni ^um, whom 
 1 more efpecially name, upon the account 
 of ApoUonius Tyan#us> who was an Im- 
 poftor, and one of his Difciplesand Fol- 
 lowers 5 and confequently it is a Natural 
 Power and Faculty, which any one may 
 have, who do's but enjoy his Keafonj as 
 Mora/ity is indeed only feveral Deductions 
 from it. If therefore an Impoftor may 
 work Miracles,by the Power of the 'Devi/, 
 and may propoie to the World a Ratio- 
 nal and Pious Doftrine, by the force of his 
 own Mind, which isfuppos'd to be the cafe 
 of Ty an*e US) how can the Goodneis and 
 Reafonablenefs of any Dotnne be an Ar- 
 gument for the Divinity of any Aftion? 
 
 Which, after all we can fay, muft receive 
 its Denomination from its own Nature, 
 and from nothing elic, by what we can at 
 ptident apprehend.
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 5 
 
 J.5.I know our Blefled Saviour's Words 
 are produc'd on this occalion, and it is 
 alledg'd, that he appeals to his Do&rine 
 to juftify his Miracles 5 that he faySj A 
 Kingdom divided againft it felf cannot 
 ft and $ and if by Beelzebub he cafts out 
 *D evils y he asks, By whom their children 
 cafl 'em out? To all which the anfwer 
 is very obvious and plain, that he equally 
 infifts upon the 'Divinity of his Doctrine, 
 not the bare Morality of it, with that of 
 his Miracles; and if the Extraordinary 
 Wonders he wrought were not able to 
 convince 'em, it was very juft for 'em at 
 the lame time to confider, whether he did 
 not /peak as never any man yet f pake. 
 
 . 6. We fhall therefore proceed in a 
 different way from what others have 
 done, and endeavour to fhew, 
 
 Fir ft, The Divine Authority of the 
 Scriptures from External Teftimony, in- 
 dependent of, and feparate from their In- 
 ternal. And * 
 
 Secondly, From their Internal Teftimo- 
 ny, diftinft and abftracbed from the Ex- 
 ternal-, from the Majefty and Greatnefs 
 of the Doch'ines they comprehend* as 
 fuperior to any thing elfe, but the Divine 
 Charadler and Authority with which they 
 are inverted. 
 
 A We
 
 6 A Demonflration of the Divinity 
 
 We Ihall begin with the External Te- 
 ftimony, which confifts of two parts, 
 the Humane and Divine. 
 
 . 7. The Humane Teftimony, which 
 we have for the Truth of thefe Sacred 
 Oracles of our Religion, we mall firft 
 confider, and on which, at this diftanceof 
 Time, the Divine, I mean, the External, 
 muft of necefllty be founded 5 for it will 
 be impoffible for us to know there was 
 one Miracle wrought, one dead Perfon 
 rais'd to Life, unlefs from the Affurance 
 and Obfervations of thofe who were Eye- 
 witnefTes of it. Let us therefore enquire 
 what it is that is requifite to the mak- 
 ing any Humane Teftimony infallible, in 
 the prefent circumftances of time and 
 place fo remote from us, and then exa- 
 mine whether we have not all the De- 
 monftration that is poflible in our cafe, 
 for the certainty of thefe Holy Writings. 
 
 . 8. There is nothing therefore more 
 requir'd to make fuch an Evidence indif- 
 putable, than the Veracity of the Atte- 
 flers, and a continu'd fucceflion of 'em 
 from the earlieft Times, from the very 
 Times in which thefe Books were wrote: 
 If the Authority of 'em has been con- 
 ftantly maintained from their firft being 
 publifli'd, thro' all the Ages of the Church, 
 
 and
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 7 
 
 and by Men whofe Fidelity and Credit we 
 have no manner of Reaibn to (ufpeft* 
 there cannot be any thing more that 
 we wou'd defire for our Satisfaction in 
 this point. 
 
 . p. But before we enter upon this Ar- 
 gument) wefliall take the liberty to com- 
 plain of the Hardfhip that is put upon us, 
 by the Oppofers of our Religion, in re- 
 quiring a Proof of the Authenticknefs of 
 thofe Books, which Hand as clear from 
 any juft Reproach of their being falfi- 
 fy'd, as any other Book or Author what- 
 foevcr , whofe Reputation they are yet 
 willing to vindicate, and wou'd take it a- 
 mifs, if we fhou'd difpute it with 'em. 
 
 Let us inftance in Cicero, Salluft, Livy 
 or any of the Writers of the Age, in 
 which, or at no great diftance from it, 
 thefe Books were penn'd 5 is it not a little 
 monftrous that Men, who (hall read and 
 be converfant with thefc Authors, fhall 
 take them to be of undoubted Autho- 
 rity, and fully acquiefce in them , that 
 ihej fhou'd cavil a gain ft thefe Scriptun s 
 we defend, which in all Reafon and 
 Senfe have the fame right to be thought 
 Authentick and Genuine, which were 
 writ about the fame time , nnd whofe 
 Authors have nothing more lies agamlt 
 'em than the Writers we have men- 
 A 4 tiorTd,
 
 8 A Dentonftration of the Divinity 
 tion'ds excepting the Calumnies of their 
 Adverfaries. 
 
 . ic. And fince the whole Iflue of 
 this matter is in reality upon that foot, 
 give me Leave to put the Authors 
 we have nam'd in the fame Circumftan- 
 ces with the Holy Apodles and Evange- 
 lifts of our Lord, and enquire however 
 Authentick they are now acknowledg'd 
 to be by our Oppofers, whether they 
 wou'd not fall under the fame or a greater 
 necellity of a Vindication from them,which 
 they yet endeavour to oblige upon us in 
 re fpect of t h e Holj Scriptures. Had TuUy* 
 Livv or any of the Ancient Writers in 
 Rhetorick or Hiflory^ ft ruck at the Foun- 
 dations of a Worfhip and Superftition, 
 which had pofTefs'd all Mens Minds, by 
 \vhich thoufands and thofe of the fubtil- 
 eft and acuteft parts, and confequently 
 who wou'd be the fevered and word E- 
 nemics, were fupported and maintain'd, 
 on which the Roman*) that powerful Em- 
 pire, was in a manner eftablim'd, and with 
 which at lead it was ftriftly united and 
 interwoven , had any of 'em done this, 
 which the BleffedE e vangeliftsm<\Apoliles 
 actually did, fhou'd not we have had 
 their Writings and Works every where 
 decry'd, Exceptions rais'd againd 'em, 
 and a hundred Arguments contnv'd, anj 
 
 little
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 9 
 little Falfhoods invented to overturn and 
 fink the Credit and Reputation of 'em ? 
 'tis in fome fort neceffary to Human Na- 
 ture, and therefore we may conclude 
 they wou'd have met with fuch a Treat- 
 ment. 
 
 . n. But what fhall we fay, when 
 without any fuch Provocation there have 
 Wits ftarted up, who have in faft endea- 
 vour'd to prove 'em Spurious, and that 
 there is not one Genuine piece of Anti- 
 quity of all thofe fo much celebrated a- 
 mongft us, excepting Virgil and *Pliny<> 
 and 1 think, one or two more} when 
 Men of Learning and Sagacity can thus 
 wanton in Argument, and can take a 
 Pleafure in Criticizing away the Autho- 
 rity of a Writer, out of a meer Humor 
 of Dallying, what may we conceive they 
 wou'd not have done, had they been 
 whetted on by Refcntment ? Provocation 
 fliarpens the Understanding, and fupplies 
 it with abundance of Wit to Cavil and 
 Object, and it is hard to fay, whether, in 
 fuch Circumftances, the beft and moftap- 
 prov'd amongft the Greek and Roman 
 Authors, wou'd not have lain under other 
 Sufpicions of being forg'd, than at pre- 
 fent they do. 
 
 On the contrary, in thefe very Cir- 
 cumftanccs, the Holy Scriptures have flood 
 
 the
 
 i o A Demonjtration of the Divini ty 
 
 the Shock of innumerable Adverfaries, and 
 are ftill untainted in their Reputation, 
 amidft the unjuft Reproaches of Both 
 Jews and Heathens* who wou'd have 
 found their Account in it, if it had been 
 poflible for 'em, by any means, to have 
 invalidated their Teftimony, and explo- 
 ded 'em out of the World. 
 
 . n. We only mention this, to (hew 
 the Unreafonablenefs of this Requeft, 
 fince it, at the fame time all things con- 
 fider'd, obliges thofe who make it, to ju- 
 ftify and prove the Authority of any 
 Claffick Writer they can name, which 
 ev'ry body, as well as themfelves, owns 
 to be good and indifputable-, and yet 
 perhaps wou'd be difficult enough to e- 
 vince by Pofitive and Direft Arguments^ 
 and of which Demand therefore we 
 might very defervedly complain $ but 
 fince Complaints are of no ufe with 
 thofe, who, it is to be fear'd, are before- 
 hand prepar'd not to regard 'em, we (hall 
 proceed from feveral Particulars to evi- 
 dence the Truth and Authority of the 
 Books of Holy Scripture*, fo as we hope 
 there will be no room left in the leaft to 
 doubc of 'em. 
 
 . 13. And firft, the Human Teftimo- 
 ny that we have for 'em is altogether ir- 
 
 refiihble,
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 1 
 refiftible, down from the Council of La- 
 odicea, which was held about the Year 
 365 from our Lord's Incarnation, where- 
 in the Canon of Scripture was fully af- 
 ferted -, and from thence was read in all 
 Churches, cited on all occafions, andap- 
 peal'd to in all Controverfies of Faith 
 and Doftrine, to the prefent Time we 
 live in : 1 fpeak of the Canon of Scrip- 
 ture in General, for, as to the feveral 
 Books of which it is compos'd, fome of 
 which had a later Reception in the Church 
 of Chrifl than others; we (hall confider 
 them apart, when we come to fpeak more 
 diftincily to 'em -, but from the Council 
 of Laodicea y there is, I fay, fuch invin- 
 cible Evidence for their Authenticknefs, 
 by the multitude of Quotations from them 
 in all Eccle/iaftical Writers, down thro* 
 ev'ry Age from that Time, and 1 had al- 
 moft faid ev'ry part of an Age, that there 
 is not any Book extant which is capable 
 of fo entire a Proof of its not being fup- 
 pofititious, as the Holy Scriptures are ; and 
 this, fo far as this Council goes, the mod 
 Inveterate of our Enemies will not dif- 
 own. Other Authors, unlefs fuch as are 
 of the firft Clafs, (and they too in fome 
 meafure) depend upon a kind of Oral 
 Tradition for their Credit and Repute of 
 being Genuine -, nothing of which is want- 
 ing in our Cafe, whatever the Romamfts 
 
 may
 
 j z A Demonflration of the Divinity 
 may pretend. The Authority of the 
 Scriptures is fufficiently prov'd by the 
 Written Tradition of the Church , and ic 
 wou'd not be hard, however laborious ic 
 might be, to trace 'em up by it almofl 
 thro' every the minuted period of Time 
 to that Council. 
 
 . 1 4. If we go back 40 Years to the firft 
 Oecumenical Synod in 327, we have ex- 
 prefs Paflages cited out of thefe Sacred 
 Writings in the 2 d , 12 th and 17 th Canons, 
 the Scriptures are appeaPd to by Name, 
 and thofe Praftices condemn'd which were 
 contrary to them : from whence it is evi- 
 dent, there was then a Standard of Holy 
 JVrit fixt, which ferv'd as a Rule, by which 
 they might judge of the Rectitude or Pra- 
 vity of their Actions, and their Confor- 
 mity or Repugnance to the Religion they 
 own'd. But that this Rule was the fame 
 in the main Parts of it with that which 
 was afterwards defin'd by the fathers of 
 Laodicea-) any Rational Man muft con* 
 elude, unlefs he can aflign upon what ac- 
 count the firfl Epiftle to Timothy* which 
 is there quoted, (hou'd be more Genuine 
 than the reft. 
 
 . if. Befldes, in 354 Hilary of 'Sardi- 
 nia writ his Queftions upon the Old and 
 New Teftament) and his Commentaries on 
 St. Taul's Epiftles. In 344 yitellius an
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 3 
 African and a 'Donatifl, put out a Book 
 againft the Catholicks, as Traditors or 
 Betrayers of theHofy Scriptures, to the 
 Enemies of Chriftianity. About 3 34, Theo- 
 dorus Bifhop of Heraclea in Thrace, pub- 
 lifh'd his Commentaries on St. Matthew 
 and St. 70&W, and on St. 'FW/'s Epiftles. 
 About 325, the very Time of the Firft 
 General Council, James a Bifliop in Me- 
 fopotamia, and who was a ftrong Afler- 
 ter of the Faith in that Council, wrote 
 a Book to prove the Real Advent of our 
 Lord, from the fole Authority of the 
 Scriptures. 
 
 And laftly, Eufebius, at or before the 
 fame Council, writ his Eclogue upon the 
 whole Scriptures, his Commentaries upon 
 the firft Epiftle to the Corinthians, and 
 concerning the ^Difagreement of the Holy 
 Evangelifts - y than whom there is no one 
 who more diligently enquir'd into, or more 
 perfectly underftood the Antiquity and 
 Authentickncfs of the Sacred Writings. 
 
 . 1 6. It wou'd be endlefs to mention 
 the numerous Citations from them, by 
 $A.Atha*afius and the Fathers that writ 
 in thofe Times j it is fufficient for our 
 Purpofe, that by the Paflages we have 
 given in EccleJiaJiicalHiftory, feveral parts 
 of 'em were commented upon, that Per- 
 fons were accus'd for betraying of 'em , 
 
 thac
 
 T 4 A Demonjtration of the Divinity 
 that Books were wrote, and difputed up- 
 on their Authority} and that there was 
 not the Interval of above 10 Years,when 
 one or other of thefe were not done, from 
 the Council of Laodicea up to the Coun- 
 cil of Nice : Is it therefore imaginable, or 
 can any one reconcile it to his Senfe, that 
 the Decifions of the Fathers of the one, 
 was not agreeable to the Apprehenfions 
 and Thoughts of thofe of the other -, and 
 that the Canon of Laodicea was not in 
 the Principal and Eminent Books of it, 
 the fame with the Nicene, fince the Times 
 betwixt thofe two Councils give us a 
 great many particulars of the Canon of 
 Laodicea^ and fpeak of the Scriptures as 
 colle&ed into a Body , and which the 
 Council of Nice it felf does ? Either there- 
 fore the Council of Laodicea was before 
 that of Nice, or if it was after, as all the 
 World knows, it is evident the Canon 
 of the former muft depend upon the Au- 
 thority and Senfe of the latter. 
 
 . 17. But all this we have faid will a 
 fortiori be true, if we prove that the very 
 fame Canon of Scripture*, with that of 
 Laodicea> was decreed and eftabliih'd long 
 before the Council of Nice-, which is 
 manifeft from the 8> th Apoftolical Canon, 
 whofe Authority the late Learned Bifiop 
 as evinc'd beyond Exception. 
 Tluc
 
 of the Chriflian Religion. 1 1 
 
 That Canon cxprefly names the feveral 
 Books recited by the Council of Laodt- 
 cea, and differs in nothing as to the New 
 Teflament^ but in adding the Conflitutions 
 of Clemens* and his Atts of the Apoftles-> 
 which the other rejects > and in rejecting 
 the Epiftle of St. Jude<> which the other 
 receives. And in all probability by what 
 the fame Learned Perfon alledges. This 
 Canon was made a 100 Years at leaft 
 before the firft General Council. 
 
 . 1 8. If this however is not fufficient 
 Evidencej we have an undoubted Tefti- 
 mony from Origen^ who wrote about the 
 fame time* and who in a manner leems 
 to have been rais'djby the Wonderful Pro- 
 vidence of Almighty God* to be a Wit- 
 nefs of the Canon that was then univer- 
 fally receiv'd. Befides his Homilies up- 
 on the Old Teftamenty which we do not 
 confider at prefent. Antiquity has left us 
 either adtual Monuments or pofitive Re- 
 cords of his Comments upon the Four 
 Evange/tfts, upon the Afls of the Apoflles, 
 upon St. ^Paul's Epiflle to the Romans^ his 
 Firft to the Corinthians , upon his Epiftle 
 to the Galatians, to the Ephefians<> to the 
 ColoJJiansy his Fir ft to the Theffalonians, 
 upon his Epiftle to Titus* upon his fi- 
 piftle to the Hebrews, and a Promife of 
 his expounding the Revelations. 
 
 This
 
 1 6 A Vemonjlration of the Divinity 
 
 This great Man was born at Alexan- 
 dria in 186, and flourifh'd about 230; fo 
 that it is almoft impoffible that thefe 
 Books he employ'd (iich Induftry and 
 Pains upon, (hou'd not be at that Time 
 of the greateft Credit and Reputation 
 imaginable in the Chriftian Church^ that 
 they fliou'd not be fuch as were then ac- 
 counted of unexceptionable Authority. 
 
 . ip. Tis true, he does not Comment 
 upon all the Books which were embrac'd 
 by the Council of Laodicea, nor do's he 
 upon the Second Epiftle to the Corinthi* 
 artS) by what we know, nor upon the Se- 
 cond to the TheffalonianS) which no one 
 however will make any Objeftions againft, 
 as to their Authority, that will not dif- 
 own the Firft that were writ to thofe 
 Churches*, tho' it is not improbable 
 but he might have left Homilies upon 
 them too, notwithftanding they are loft 
 to us, becaufe not quoted by St. Jerome^ 
 as the other two are , or if not, it is 
 plain he did not leave Difcourfes and Ex- 
 planations upon all the Books he defign'd, 
 iince we have none upon the Revelations^ 
 which he promis'd in his Treatife upon 
 St. Matthew. In fine, it is certainly next 
 to a Demonftration that the whole Ca- 
 non of Laodicea , I (till mean in the Chief 
 parts of it, was as early as this Excellent 
 
 Man
 
 of tie Chriftian Religion. 1 7 
 
 Man, feeing he alone, as we are fully in- 
 form'd, went thro' fo much of it, and it 
 is not evident but he went thi"6' all. 
 
 . 20. Since therefore Origen was born 
 in i8f, and it is not conceivable that he 
 fhou'd fpend fo much time and labour 
 upon Books that were newly contriv'dj 
 and which had their Birth in or near his 
 own Age; what can we reafpnably con- 
 clude,unlefs that they dated their Autho- 
 rity from at leaft the Age before, which 
 will fall in with that of the Blefled Apo- 
 flles and Evangelifts themfelves? And 
 here we fliall at prefent finifh our Enqui- 
 ries, referving what remains from the 
 times of Origen , to thofe when thefe 
 Books were writ, for our following DiP 
 co uric. 
 
 B Dis-
 
 1 8 A Detnonflration of the Divinity 
 DISCOURSE II. 
 
 . i.TN our former Difcourfe, upon the 
 JL prefent Subjeft, we endeavour'd 
 to prove the Authority of the Holy Scrip- 
 tures from Humane Teftimony, upon 
 which, as we faid, the Divine, that was 
 External, did moft evidently depend j in 
 confequence of this we trac'd them up 
 from the Council of Laodicea (and from 
 thence the worft of our Adverfaries will 
 allow them to be Authentick) to the times 
 of Origen; and one wou'd think there 
 were no farther occafion to purfue the 
 Argument, fince the Books that were 
 Sacred, and efteem'd fo in his time, cou'd 
 not in all Humane Senfe have a later date 
 than the Age of the Apoftles. 
 
 . 2. Some, notwithstanding, who are 
 willing to put all on the foot of Reafon, 
 and who can eaiily imagine how Mofes 
 fhou'd come to know, without any par- 
 ticular Infpiration from Almighty God> 
 the Hiftory of the Antedelui)ian World, 
 from the hrft Creation, by a Tradition 
 from Adam to Methufelah, from Metbufe- 
 lah to Sem y from Sem to Abraham^ and 
 fo to Mofes, who lived at leaft 300 Years 
 
 after,
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. i ^ 
 
 after, will fcarcely grant us, that it was 
 pofllble for Qrigen to judge of what Writ- 
 ings were unqueftionable, by the fhort 
 Tradition only of a 100 Years: We (hall 
 go on therefore, and prove that from 
 Qrigen up to the Apoftles^ the Canon of 
 Laodtcea,was, in the principal parts of it, 
 receiv'd and entertain'd by the Church of 
 Chrift. 
 
 . 3. I am aware, however, that we 
 muft here proceed in a different Method 
 from that which we before propos'd, 
 which was, of mewing} that thefe Books 
 were generally embrac'd by the Comments 
 made in ev'ry Age upon 'em, of which 
 we find few more Antient than thofe we 
 have nam'd ; the Reafon of which is, that 
 Chriftianity from the times of the Apoftles> 
 to thofe of the Learned Perfon which we 
 have fo often mention'd, was engag'd with 
 t\\zjewijb and Heathen Controveriies 5 and 
 was therefore lefs at liberty to attend to its 
 own Genuine Produdions; the Writings 
 of the holy Apoflles and Evangelifts* the 
 firft Chnftians knew were fecure againft 
 all Allegations that cou'd beofter'd to dif- 
 prove them in thofe Times , wJben fuch 
 Objeftions might have been confuted at 
 pleafure-, and therefore we perceive the 
 Strain of the Authors we are now to con- 
 fider, is noc to vindicate the Scriptures* 
 B 2 which
 
 io A Demonjlration of the Divinity 
 which were acknowledged, or to explain 
 'em, fmce they were perfectly under- 
 ftood. 
 
 The Writers of that firft Age after the 
 Apoftles had nothing to do, but to fliew 
 cither the Reafonablcnefs of the Chriftian 
 'Doffrine, contain'd in the fe Sacred Repo- 
 Jitories of itj again ft the Heathens, or to 
 juftify the Explanations of the Old Te- 
 Jfament, which were brought in proof of 
 our Saviours being the MeJJiah , againft 
 the Jews, or elfe to confute the Heretics 
 which were form'd upon the Apoftolick 
 Writings j fo that inftead of Commenta- 
 ries upon, we muft have recourfe now on- 
 ly \Q Citations from them. 
 
 . 
 
 . 4. And firft, Clemens of Alexandria 
 particularly diftinguifhes betwixt the A- 
 pocryphalGofpelS) extant in his time, and 
 thofe that were handed, down by the 
 Church as A u then tick, namely, the four 
 which we now receive. He like wife makes 
 ufe of feveral Paflages out of 'em, and 
 out of the Atts of the Apoftles* the Epi- 
 flle to the Romans* both the Epiftles to 
 the Corinthians, the Epiille to the Ephe- 
 Jtansy that to the Thilippians, to the Co- 
 loffiansy the Firft to the The(falonians> the 
 Firft to Timothy, to Titus, to the He- 
 brews, the Firft Epiftle of St. Teter, the 
 Epiftleof Jude y and the Firft Epiftle of 
 
 St.
 
 of the Cririftian Religion. 1 1 
 
 St. John, as a lace Learned Writer has, 
 with a great deal of Pains and Induftry, 
 collected them into one view, which lay 
 fcattered up and down, and difpers'd in 
 the Works of that Author. This Perfon 
 was about 30 or 40 Years before Origen> 
 and flourifh'd in 
 
 . f . Ireneus* who was ftill earlier than 
 Clemens, by more than 20 Years, quotes 
 the fame Epiftles and Gofpels, which 
 Clemens afterwards did, and moreover the 
 Epiftle to the Galatians-) and the Second 
 to the Jheffalonians. He was the Difciple 
 ofTofycarp) whofe Charader he has taken 
 care to tranfmit to us, that he was not 
 only inftrufted in the Principles of Chri- 
 ftiantty by the Apoftles, and familiarly 
 conversed with thofe who had feen our 
 Blefled Lord, but that he was ordain'd 
 Bifhop of Smyrna by thorn: 'Tis there- 
 fore wholly incredible that Irenzus fhou'd 
 not be fully inform'd, by fo great a Ma- 
 fler, that the Books he gave fuch an am- 
 ple Teftimony to, were of undoubted Au- 
 thority : As to what refpe^s the Gofpels 
 in particular, he tells us, That our Saviour 
 gave the Afoftles a power to preach the 
 Go/pel, that they by the will and appoint - 
 went of God deliver d down in writing this 
 Gofpel, which was the Foundation and 
 pillar of Faithj that they were only four, 
 B 3 and
 
 ft A Demonfyation of the Divinity 
 and their number was as fix d and unalter- 
 able ay the four Cardinal 'Points of the 
 World-* kto-jje'ver Hereticks endeavoured to 
 encreafe 'em. Theophilus of Antioch alfo, 
 who was Contemporary with Iren^us* 
 writ certain Commentaries on the Four 
 Gofpels, from which St. Jerome tranfcri- 
 bed feveral Paflages into his own-, and in 
 his Confutation of the Herefy otHermoge- 
 nes, the fame Bilhop of Antioch makes ufe 
 of the Apocalypfe of St. John, to prove the 
 Erroneoufnefs of the Opinions he oppos'd. 
 
 . 6. We (hall not fpeak of the feveral 
 Forgeries of the Gofpels, the ASts, and 
 St. Haul's Epiftles, which were trumptup 
 in thofe times by Marcion, the Ebionites, 
 Patentings, the Simonians and others, 
 which are all, notwithstanding, very juft 
 and good Arguments for the truth of 
 that Canon which we defend, fince fo 
 many counterfeit ones fwarming every 
 where, leads us to a very rational Con- 
 clufion of the high Authority and Value 
 of the Original, from which they copy'd j 
 that of Marcion more efpecially, which 
 was diftinguifli'd into Gofpels and Epi- 
 Jlles-, anfwerable to that of the Orthodox 
 Chriftians* but Marcion is plac'd about 
 the Year 130 or 140, in the fame time 
 with Juft in Martyr* and twenty Years 
 higher than Irentus. 
 
 .j. And
 
 of tbc Chriftian Religion. i j 
 . 7. And fince we have men tioridjuftin 
 Afor//r 5 wecannot omit the witnefs he gives 
 likewife to the Canon of Scriptures the 
 Gofpels he terms ^brBjtw^icyev/Lutkt, the Com- 
 mentaries of our Blefied Lord's Life and 
 A-ftions, in oppofition to the unnatural 
 and imperfect Accounts of him, which 
 were receiv'd by fome j he alfo calls them 
 the Commentaries and Gofpels of the Apo- 
 flles (KctJ ro7j c*,eW *&^jcoA80jffa,V]F) and 
 ofthofe who attended upon them> fuitable 
 to the fenfe which the Primitive Church 
 had of 'era, that two of them were writ 
 by thofe Divinely- infpir'd Authors, St. 
 Matthew and St. John, and the other by 
 St. Mark and St. Luke , who were the 
 Companions of St. Teter and St. Taut* 
 and attended on them-, and that this was 
 Jujiin's meaning feems evident from Ter- 
 tullian, who writ about the time of Cle- 
 mens of Alexandria^ namely in this very 
 Century, and towards the end of it; 
 he exprefly fays, Conftituimus imprimis 
 Evangelicum inftrumentum Apoftolos Au- 
 thor es habere^ quibus hoc munus Evan- 
 gelii promulgandi ab ipfo 'Domino ft im- 
 pojltum^ which is agreeable to what Ire- 
 ntus before had faid . 5-. Apoflolis datum 
 fuiffe ab omnium ^Domino Evangelii pr<e- 
 dicandi pot eft at em^ ipfos per TDet volunta- 
 tem E-vangeliafcriptis tradidiffe: Tertul- 
 lian goes^onj Marcus quod edidit^ Tetri 
 B 4 affir*
 
 4 A Demonftration of the Divinity 
 affirmatur^cu jus interpret Marcus., & 
 'Digeftum Taulo adfcribere folent >, which 
 cxadly correfponds with the fenfe of Ju- 
 ftin: Juftin farther cites feveral places 
 but of the Gofpels> and tells us that fome 
 part or other of 'em was publickly read 
 every Week in the Churches of the Lhri- 
 fiians, together with the Writings of Mo- 
 fes and the Tropheis. 
 
 . 8. And if we had nothing of all this 
 from that famous Apologift, the Gofpels 
 are fufficiently prov'd from the 'Diatef- 
 faron of Tattan-> a Scholar of Juftin s^ 
 which was nothing elfe than a compen- 
 dious Hiftory of our Lord's Actions, com- 
 pil'd and digefted from the Four Evange- 
 lifts> tho' indeed with the omifllon of the 
 Genealogy of Chrifl^ which is charg'd upon 
 him, as done upon the account of his being 
 of the Patent inianlierefy 9 which deriv'd 
 our Saviour from certain i magi nary <^Eons 
 of its own Invention and Contriving. 'Tis 
 true, Juftin makes no mention of the Epi- 
 Jt/es, becaufe it is probable he had no occa- 
 ilon to do it j however he gives a ver,y flg- 
 nificant Charafter of the Authority of the 
 Revelations -, the Credit of which Book, 
 notwithftanding, wasconftantly acknow- 
 Jedg'd to be in no refpedt fuperiour 5 if we 
 faynomore } to that of the others of which 
 he js ftlent . 7rag J yjuur, fays Ije aji^ tt$ u CM
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. i 5 
 
 es T 
 
 tvofjiirA auTof 
 
 -.; can any one cherefore perfuade 
 himfelf, that Juftin fhou'd fpeak with 
 that Veneration and Efteem of the Reve- 
 lathns-> and not have at leaft the fame va- 
 lue for Writings, which always poflefs'd 
 both before and after his time an equal 
 Repute with chern in the Church of God. 
 
 . 9. And now we are at length come 
 to the Age of the Apoftles, where 'Poly- 
 carp in his Epiftle to the ThiUfpiaris> in the 
 Year 115 or n 6, cites certain places from, 
 the Atts> from the firft Epiftle of St. Teter y 
 and the firft Epiftle of St.John , and there- 
 fore we may juftlyprefume, if thofe were 
 accounted to be Authentick by him, the 
 Gofpels and St. "Pauls Epiftles were fo 
 too ; the former fince the Canon of the 
 Gofpels was precedent to that of the E- 
 piftles, and the latter ilnce St. "Peter him- 
 felf makes mention of 'em; nor indeed, 
 as it appears by an Eminent Perfon, whofe 
 Authority we may rely on,tho' he brings 
 no Inftances of it, are there Quotations 
 wanting from St. Taut's Fpiftles in the 
 Writings of this early as well as Bleffed 
 Martyr. 
 
 5-io. Laftly,tofumupall, the Scriptures 
 were originally divided into the Evange- 
 
 lick
 
 %6 A Dtmonfration of the Divinity 
 
 lick and Epiftolick or dpoftolick Canon j 
 the firft contain'd the Gofpels, and the 
 laft the Epiftles : as to the Gofpels all the 
 Hiftory and Tradition of the Church a- 
 gree, in fixing the Collection of 'em into 
 one Canon betwixt 90 and 100 by St 
 John, the fame Hiftory and Tradition 
 tell us, that the Gofpel of that Apoftle 
 was writ by him at the requeft of the 
 Afiatick Bimops, and was added as a Sup- 
 plement to the reft, in order to compleat 
 thsEvangelick Canon, which from thence 
 was univerfally receiv'd and publickly read 
 in all the Chnftian Aflfemblies. The Epi- 
 ftolick or Apoftolick Canon was not much 
 later, it was evidently before the Herefy 
 of Marc ion -> which had its rife in 127, 
 fince hedividcs his Books into the EuxyJeAiw 
 and 'AmsDAiJwV, or the Gofpel and Epiftles, 
 in imitation of the Canon which was then 
 acknowledg'd. 
 
 . ii. But that which fets the whole 
 Canon, both of the Epiftles and Gofpels* 
 as high as it is capable of being put, and 
 which carries it up to the very times of 
 the Apoftles within ten Years, is the Te- 
 flimony which we can never fufficiently 
 value of St. Ignatius, and which the In- 
 com parable Dr.Gr^ has produced to the 
 Learned World, out of theEpiftletjothe 
 Thiladetyhians, whofe words are
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 17 
 
 Eua.}^Ai<i> ccs avtpu I'WTX) xj 7015 
 
 in which paflages he 
 plainly fignifics, theGofpe/s, the Epiftles* 
 and the Old Tejttment, to be thole Books 
 which conftituted the whole Sacred Canon 
 in the Apoftolick times, and, which ano- 
 ther Great Perfon proves, was the Inten- 
 tion and Meaning of St. Ignatius-) from fe- 
 veral places which he alledges out of the 
 fame Author. 
 
 $.12. That thefe Epiftles are genuine 
 has been evidenc'd beyond contradition> 
 by the Famous Dr. Hammond agzin ft Blon- 
 del) and by the Celebrated Bifhop of 
 Chefler agatnft 'Dal/te, and all the Obje- 
 dtions of our Modern Sectaries ? as to what 
 concerns St. Ignatius him f elf, he futfer'd 
 Martyrdom under Trajan, about the Year 
 115 or 1 1 6, and writ his tpiftles as he 
 was pafllng thro* Smyrna and Troas to 
 Rome, in order to receive his glorious 
 Crown the End and Triumph of his Faith 5 
 and his mod holy Confellion, which he 
 feal'd and teftify'd with his Blood. 'Tis 
 reported of him, that he was the Young 
 Child which Jefus took up in his Arms, 
 and that from thence he deriv'd his Name 
 of S^cpo/)* j however tho' this is demon- 
 ftrated to be a Fable by the Learned 'Pear- 
 Jon, it is yet a confirmation ol the exceed- 
 
 ing
 
 z 8 A Demonftration of the Divinity 
 
 ing Primitivenefs of this Author, fince fuch 
 a Romance cou'd not, with any appear- 
 ance of truth, be contriv'd and forg'd con- 
 cerning him, if Antiquity had not known 
 him to have been contemporary with, 
 that is, to have liv'd in fome part of that 
 time in which our Elejfed Lord was upon 
 the Earth. Moreover it is agreed he was 
 advanc'd to the See of Anthch by St. Pe- 
 ter, that he maintain'd a particular fami- 
 liarity and intimacy with the Apoftles, and 
 receiv'd his Informations in the Chriftian 
 Religion from them. 
 
 . 13. If therefore the Gofpeh and E- 
 piflles were form'd into a Canon prefently 
 after a 100, it is altogether improbable; 
 and it will be the hardeft thing in the 
 world to believe, that the Books thcm- 
 felves were not writ the Age immediate- 
 ly preceeding,and by thofe Apoftles whofe 
 Names they are diftinguifli'd by 5 the 
 Firfl, to wit* that they had their Date in 
 the times of the Apoftles fs evident, and 
 as to the Laft> if Books cou'd be penn'd 
 whilft the Apoftles were living, and with 
 their Names affixtto'em when they were 
 not their own, if they cou'd be fent about 
 to all places, as it is plain they were from 
 the firft Epiftle to the Corinthians, ovV 
 jjom IBIS 'r7XAA<V'stf c^ Tntvlt, TCTT^J fo as 
 to impofe upon the whole community of 
 
 Chri-
 
 of the Chriftun Religion. i <> 
 Chriftians, when, notwithftanding, thefe 
 very Apoftles went about vifiting and 
 confirming the Churches,and confequent- 
 ly had continual opportunities of obvi^- 
 ting fuch Forgeries, if this cou'd be done, 
 then nothing appears to be impoflible not 
 to be done* for furely if there is any ab- 
 furdity, this is one, that for inftance the 
 Epiftles to the Corinthians, ( and the fame 
 may be faid of the reft,) fhou'd be received 
 by that and the other Chriftian Churches 
 for St. ?*#/'$, tho'they were none of his, 
 when notwithftanding he was either pre- 
 fent in Perfon to thefe Churches, or by 
 thofewhomhecommiflion'dtoinfpedlana 
 to take care of 'em > fince we muft fuppofe 
 in fuch a cafe, that either the Corinthi- 
 ans induftrioufly conceal'd thefe Epiftles 
 from him, which went under his Name, 
 (for which they cou'd have no reafon, 
 whether they believ'd them to be his or 
 not-,) or that St^aul was willing to fub- 
 fcribe to the Impofture, and fet his own 
 Seal upon a Book which he was con- 
 fcious to himfelf he never writ, which is 
 not at lead very natural for us to think 
 he wou'd. On the contrary, if it is really 
 impoflible that Books, which were written 
 in the times of the Apoftles, with their 
 Names prefixt to 'em, fhou'd be receiv'd 
 by the Chriftian Churches, if they were 
 not genuine, fince the Canon inention'd 
 
 by
 
 jo A Vemonftration of the Divinity 
 by St. Ignatius, as to what refpefts the 
 New Teftament) is already prov'd to have 
 been writ in the Age of the Apoftles, 
 tho' collected in his own $ and fince the 
 Books of that Canon are put out under 
 their Names, 'tis evident to a Demon- 
 ftration, that they muft be and were in- 
 dited by the Apoitles themfelves. 
 
 And thus we have gone thro' the firft 
 part of our Argument from Humane Te* 
 ftimony, which was to (hew a conftapt 
 Succemon of WitnefTes in all Ages of the 
 Church to thefe Sacred Writings, even 
 up to the Apoftles, and from thence to 
 evince, that they were the certain and un- 
 doubted Authors of thofe Books,of which 
 they have been hitherto reputed and 
 efteem'd to be. 
 
 . 14. And now let usmake a fhort Paufe, 
 and refleft on the good Providence of 
 God in preferving thefe Records, and 
 thefc faithful Monuments of the Truth 
 and Authenticknefs of the Scriptures, 
 had the A&s of the Council of Laodicea> 
 or the Works of Origen, or Clemens, or 
 Irenxus, or the Apojtolical Canons been 
 fatally loft to us, how had we in a great 
 meafure fail'd in convincing our Adver- 
 faries by this way of Proof, which per- 
 haps they wou'd chiefly require, that the 
 Scriptures were not iome 'Pious Frauds 
 
 of
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 3 f 
 
 of the Roman See, to fubdue us to its 
 Prefcriptions and Obedience, as every 
 thing now a days which carrys any ap- 
 pearance of Religion with it, is too fatal- 
 ly and cruelly branded with the odious 
 JSJames of ^Popery and Super ftition : I 
 tremble to think what the Barbarity and 
 Fury of one of thofe many Northern Na- 
 tions, which fell into the Roman Empire, 
 might have done in this particular, how 
 eafy had it been for one of 'em to have 
 fwept off at once, by a univerfal Deluge 
 of Paganifm and Ignorance, all the Hifto- 
 rys of former Times, and the bed and 
 molt valuable Memoirs of the Chriftian 
 Church? muft we therefore have disbe- 
 liev'd the Scriptures? We fhou'd yet 
 even then have had as much Evidence 
 for their being Genuine, as we have for 
 other Authors, whofe Credit was ne- 
 ver in any refpeft difputed by Wife or 
 Prudent Men: namely this, That they 
 were receiv'd down thro* all Ages, from 
 their firft being writ, for fuch as we now 
 acknowledge 'em, fmce there cou'd have 
 been no time aflign'd, without a manifell 
 abfurdity, when they were impos'd upon 
 the World, and the Cheat fbou'd not 
 have been immediately difcover'd. 
 
 . 15*. Our Adverfaries will, I prefume, 
 allow this impracticable in Learning, in 
 
 putting
 
 3 z A Vemonfiration of the Divinity 
 putting a falfe Roman Poet or Hiftorian 
 upon usj and there is altogether the fame 
 or more resfon to think, and believe ic 
 fo in Religion-, for we will only take one 
 Principle for granted. That there has been 
 a Body or Community of Chriftians ever 
 fince the firft Foundation of our Reli- 
 gion, in fome meafureanfwerableto what 
 there is now ; we will therefore fuppofe, 
 that down from the Apoftles to this time 
 we had receiv'd our Chriflianity by Tra- 
 dition only, that no Scriptures were tranA 
 mitted to us, and that there fliou'd now 
 come out feveral Epiftles and Gofpels^ un* 
 der the Apoftles Names, can we imagine 
 the World (unlefs there were fome innate 
 Characters of their Truth and Divinity* 
 which indeed thefe have, as we mail after* 
 wards mew) can we imagine the World 
 wou'd receive 'em for Authentick? And 
 what reafon is there for us to believe that 
 any other Community of Chriftians wou'd 
 do what we wou'd not, unlefs perhaps 
 that we reckon our felves wifer than all 
 thofe that have been before us, and take 
 a pride in valuing our own Cautioufnefs 
 and Sagacity, in preference to that of all 
 Mankind betides j which at leaft is not 
 the beft Mark of that wonderful Difcre- 
 tion and Prudence we wou'd feem to af- 
 fert to our (elves. All Ages as well as 
 Perfons> have laid fome Claim or other 
 
 to
 
 of ike Chriftian Religion. 3 3 
 
 to their being Wife ; and if the pre- 
 fent has the trueft Title to it, I am ape 
 to think it is upon no other account, than 
 becauie the preceding are gone, and are 
 not here to conteft it with 'em -, but if for- 
 mer Ages and Communities of Chriftians 
 had as good a fliare of Senfe, as the pre* 
 fent is fuppos'd to have, fince it is grant- 
 ed, we (houd not be fo grojly deluded, as 
 to receive Writings for genuine which were 
 never heard of before our own time > why 
 fhou'd wefurmife or conclude that others 
 wou'd, if thofe Writings were not fo? 
 
 . 1 6. However, we have no occafiort 
 for this Argument, which is the princi- 
 pal Bafis of the Authority of other Books, 
 (God be thank'd, and fuch is his good 
 Providence) it is not one nor the frequent 
 irruptions of feveral Barbarous Nations > 
 nor even of the Saracens themfelves, thofe 
 implacable Enemies of Chriftianity, which 
 have been able to defpoil us of fuch 
 mighty and invincible Teftimonies to the 
 Truth of the Scriptures j that if we can 
 perfuade our felves to wink againft the 
 Light and Force they carry with them, 
 we may refufe to fee, or perceive either in 
 the Beams of the Sun. 
 
 In fine, there is all the Evidence for 
 
 the Holy Scriptures, that ever was for 
 
 the Authority of a Book} and a great 
 
 C deal
 
 34 4L Demonjlration of the Divinity 
 deal more, fince there are more numerous 
 Quotations out of them, by which they 
 may be trac'd up to their firft Original, 
 than out of any other. 
 
 . 17. 'Tis true, as we come nearer to 
 the Time in which the Scriptures were 
 wrote, thefe Quotations are rarer, as 
 Streams grow lefs the higher they ap- 
 proach to their Fountains -, for it can't be 
 fuppos'd, that the Apoftles wou'd make 
 much ufe of each others Writings, who 
 were furnifh'd with Infpirations of their 
 own, or that thofe who immediately fuc- 
 ceeded them wou'd, who had been fully 
 inftrufted in the Lively Oracles of Goh 
 by the Apoftles in perfon, and by confe- 
 quence were in fome fort infpir'd by them, 
 and therefore had no occafion to have re- 
 courfe to their Writings for Doftrines, 
 which they had receiv'd from them by a 
 more immediate Infufion > and thus much 
 for the prefent, 
 
 . 1 8. We have hitherto fpoke con- 
 cerning the conftant Succeffion of Wit- 
 nefles to the SacredCanon, which we faid 
 was one requifite to make a Humane Te- 
 ftimony certain, the other was the Vera- 
 city of theAttefters 3 which we fhall next 
 confider. 
 
 Dis-
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 3 j 
 D i s c ou R s E III. 
 
 2 Tim. 3. i <>> 17. 
 
 $. i.TN thofe Difcourfes we have alrea- 
 J_ dy had upon the Truth of the 
 Holy Oracles of our Religion, we have 
 brought the Argument concerning the 
 Validity of the Scriptures thus far, name- 
 ly, we have prov'd a continued Series of 
 Atteftations to the Truth and Genuinefs 
 of them, which was the firft thing requi- 
 red to make any Humane Teftimony, in 
 fuch a cafe as this, which we at prefent 
 confider, certain and infallible: The fe- 
 cond is the veracity of the Atteftersj 
 Eufebius, Qrigen> Clemens-, Theophilus of 
 Antioch-) Irenes, Polycarp^ St. Ignatius, 
 and the reft, of whom we may prefumeto 
 fay, that they have at leaft an equal Claim 
 to a Reputation of Integrity with any 
 other Writers. 
 
 . 2. But farther, that they were Men 
 of undoubted Probity, is evident from 
 their being ready, fome of 'em, as St. Ig- 
 natius and 'Polycarpi to fuffer the laft ex- 
 tremities of Pain and Torture, and even 
 Death it felf, for the Faith which they 
 profefs'dj and others, as Eufebtifs, Cle- 
 mens, Origen and Iren^us, to undergo the 
 C 2 greateft
 
 3 6 A Vemonflration of tloe Divinity 
 grcateft Fatigues, and the fevered and 
 mod laborious Studies, that they might 
 be able to tranfmit a true Account of Chri- 
 ftianity to fucceeding Ages. This looks 
 like Perfons that were ferious and in Ear- 
 ned , and we have no reafon to imagine 
 they wou'd deceive and abufe us, fmce 
 that might have been done at a much 
 cheaper rate ; befides, Study on the one 
 hand, or on the other Afflictions and Ca- 
 lamities, and a profped of Death ap- 
 proaching, naturally induce a kind of 
 Auderity into our Minds, and forcibly 
 incline us neither to fpeak nor adl: any thing 
 but what is fincere, and agreeable to the 
 Rules of Truth and Sobriety, and will 
 fcarcely leave us at liberty to entertain the 
 very Thoughts of trifling, and impofmg 
 upon others 5 fo that if we confult the 
 natural Temper and Difpoflcion of Men, 
 which is always neceffary in certain dated 
 Circumdances,it is altogether improbable, 
 that thofe- who were in thefe, which we 
 have defcrib'd, and who are the AfTerters 
 of the Sacred Canon, mou'd be even fo 
 much as capable of an Impodure, not to 
 add their continual Mortifications and 
 Sclf-denials,and the Perfecutions to which 
 they were condandy fubjedl:, which wou d 
 certainly teach them other Leflbns, than 
 thofe of Intrigue and Infmcerity. It is 
 likewife remarkable, that the earhed Wri- 
 ters
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 3 7 
 
 ters of the Primitive Church, and thefirft 
 and mod ftrenuous Advocates of Lhriftia- 
 nity and theScriptures,were thofe who had 
 been train'd up in the Rudiments and Di- 
 fcipline of the Heathen Philofophy, as 
 ^Dionyfius of Athens^ Juftin Martyr, Theo- 
 philus of Anttoch) Tatian> Athenagoras, 
 and Origen, which as it did not uiually 
 prepare Men to receive and embrace either 
 Writings as Authentick, or Articles of 
 Faith as certain Truths, with too great a 
 Fondnefs and Credulity, fo it rendered 
 them lefs capableof impofing upon others, 
 what they had not the beft and moft pow- 
 erful Reafons imaginable to be convinc'd 
 of} I fay, lefs capable^ both in refpeft of 
 that Impartiality and integrity of Mind> 
 which Philofophy for the moft part intro- 
 duces, and that Accuracy and Exaftnefs 
 of Judgment which attends it. 
 
 . $. However, cou'd we fuppofe they 
 had admitted of an Intention to deliver 
 down to us a falfe Scripture, it wou'd have 
 been wholly im practicable here, unlefs 
 they had done it by an unanimous Con- 
 fentj and by proper Meafures concerted 
 amongft them ; which how they cou'd be 
 taken by thofe who liv'd in different Ages, 
 and at feveral Years diftance from each 
 other, will be hard to conceive: If there 
 were no fuch Meafures contnv'd or en- 
 C 3 ter'd
 
 3 8 A Dewonjtvaiion of the Divinity 
 ter'd into, then each fingle Witnefs to the 
 Sacred Canon, wou'd find himfelf under 
 a plain Neceflity of giving in a true and 
 impartial Teftimony to it, if he defign'd 
 any at all 5 fince otherwife he muft not 
 expeft it wou'd ftand long, which in all 
 probability wou'd have been contradicted 
 and refuted by the next; and it is Matter 
 of Far, that this was the cafe, that they 
 gave in an impartial Teftimony to the Sa- 
 cred Canon, fince they all agree in their 
 Evidence to thefe Writings * and feeing 
 fuch an Evidence cou'd not be form'd and 
 projected, and laid together before-hand, 
 where Perfons liv'd in diftant times and 
 places, that Harmony and Agreement 
 cou'd be nothing but the effet and refult 
 of Truth, which will be the fame in all 
 Ages and Climates, and which alone cou'd 
 unite Men remote and unacquainted, in 
 the Affirmation of the fame Thing. And 
 this is the fum of that External Proof 
 which Chriftianity and its Records afford 
 us, for the Holy Canon of the Evan- 
 gelifts and Apoftles, and indeed, to a truly 
 iincere and unprejudiced Mind, there can 
 be nothing fuller for our Conviction. 
 
 . 4. It has pleas'd Almighty God, not- 
 withftanding, to imprint fuch innate Cha- 
 radters of Integrity on thefe Writings, and 
 to fet fuch plain and diftinguifhing Marks 
 
 upon
 
 of tie Chriftian Religion. 3 <> 
 
 upon them of their being Genuine, that 
 we might very juftly col left the Validity 
 of them, from the feveral Paflages they 
 contain, which we call their InternalTe- 
 ftimony 5 and which added ftill to the Ex- 
 ternal* will fet the Evidence we have for 
 their Authority as high as it is poffible, 
 and I am apt to believe will make the 
 whole amount to no lefs than a Demon- 
 ftration. The Arguments taken, from the 
 Nature of any Writings, mud either con- 
 cern the Stile or Method, or the Matter 
 and Subjedr. of 'em-, and, God be prais'd, 
 there is not one of thefe which does not 
 furnifh us with fufficient Evidence for 
 the afTerting the Truth and Validity of 
 the Holy Scriptures. 
 
 . 5. The Firft Argument we (hall con* 
 fider, is drawn from the Stile and Expref- 
 fion of thefe Books, which is fuch as a- 
 bundantly mews the Innocence and Inte- 
 grity, with which they were wrote, and 
 that they were not Men of Artifice and 
 Defign who penn'd 'em , for if Truth is 
 to be meafur'd by the Plainnefs and Sim- 
 plicity of the Relations, there is no- 
 thing more Eminent and Confpicuous 
 than that in every part of thefe Writings, 
 fo that they feem to have an Eye to no- 
 thing but a Tunttual and Faithful Deli- 
 Hvery of Matter of Fact, and are alto- 
 C 4 gether
 
 40 A Demonjlration of the Divinity 
 
 gether unconcern'd in what drefs or fa- 
 fhion it is propos'd , this is obvious and 
 eafy for any one to obferve, who do's but 
 look into thefe Books, and will read 'era 
 with any fort of Care or Attention. 
 
 . 6. Thus in St. Matthew* Then cometh 
 Jefus from Galilee to Jordan unto John-> 
 to be baptized of him -, But John forbad 
 him^ faying^ 1 have need to be baptized of 
 thee, and come ft thou to me. And Jefus 
 anfwering^ faid unto him<> Suffer it to be 
 fo now-i for thus it beboveth us to fulfil 
 all right eoujnefs : Then he fuffer'd him. I 
 give this only as an Inftance of the Sin- 
 cerity and Plainnefs of the Holy Writers^ 
 tho* there are a Multitude of other Pla- 
 ces which confirm the fame Character, or 
 rather the whole Tenour of the Scriptures 
 are in the fame Strain, and (hew that they 
 were regardlefs of every thing, excepting 
 what was really faid or done, and to give 
 a true and fuccincl: Account of it, with- 
 out any labour'd Stile or premeditated 
 Expreflions : But where there is a Negli- 
 gence of the outward Drefs or Fafliion 
 in Writings, 'tis ftrongly to be prefum'd 
 there is fomethingmorefubftantial within 
 to make amends for that, which in com- 
 parifon is flighted and difregarded; and 
 confequently that the Evangeliftsand Apo- 
 Itles qf our Lord thought Truth fo Beauti- 
 ful
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 4 1 
 ful and Amiable in it felf, and encompafs'd 
 with fuch bright and mining Excellencies, 
 that it did not require any Finenefs of 
 Speech,or any Embelhfliments of Stile and 
 Eloquence to adorn and recommend it. 
 
 . 7. Secondly, The Second Argument 
 we (hall ufe to juftify the T> uth of thefe 
 Writings, is from the Inaccuratenefs of 
 the Narrations as to Time and Order, and 
 the feeming Con traditions in them: 
 St. Mat tew fays, An Angel from Heaven 
 roWd away the Stone from the Sepulchre* 
 fat upon it) and fpake to the Women that 
 came thither : St. Mark makes this Divine 
 Apparition to be, A young Man, clot ft d in 
 a long white garment , and flt ting within 
 the Sepulchre-^ whom the Women perceiv'd 
 at their firft entrance into it : St. Luke 
 defcnbes 'em to be two Men in Jhining 
 Garments-^ and which came and (food by 
 the Women* after they were come into the 
 Sepulchre i and began to be under fome 
 perplexity upon not finding the Body of 
 Our Lord* in the place where thev ex- 
 pefted it to have been. Laftly, St.j'ohns 
 Account is of Two Angels that fat within 
 the Sepulchre* and which were feen by Ma- 
 ry, not after her entrance into it, buiupon 
 her ftooping down* and looking in. Theie 
 various and differing Relations center in 
 this., That there was a wonderful Angelick 
 
 Appear-
 
 4 1 A Demottjlratum of tie Divinity 
 Appearance at the Refurreflion of Our 
 Lord, which by the fright thofe were in, 
 who faw the Vifion, cou'd not be fo per- 
 fedly defcrib'd to others -, and the difa- 
 greeing in the Circumftances of it, is a 
 Proof of the Sincerity of the Hiftorians , 
 for had they (we fpeak in general,) had 
 they all deliver'd the very fame things, 
 without any Variation, their Exadnefs 
 in ev'ry minute particular might have been 
 interpreted a Contrivance, and they wou'd 
 not have been without fufpicions of ha- 
 ving writ by Concert j but now that they 
 are Unanimous in the moft Material 
 Points of their Hiftory, and feemtoclafh 
 and interfere in ibme Incidents only, which 
 are not eflential to the Account': Their 
 departing from each other in thofe infc- 
 riour Matters, gives a mighty addition of 
 Evidence to thofe greater and more im- 
 portant in which they agree : For, I fay, 
 we fpcak in general, and what is (aid of 
 this Paflage in refped to the Refurredion, 
 is applicable to all others we find of the 
 like Nature, where there appears to be 
 any diflent as to Time or Place amongft 
 the Holy Writers* which are only Cir- 
 cumftances that are indifferent, and do 
 not enter into the Nature of the Adions 
 themfelves. For feeing the Defign of the 
 Scriptures was to inftrud us in the Do- 
 ctrines of Chriftianity, and to inform us 
 
 of
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 4 5 
 
 of the Wonders done by our Bleffed Lord* 
 it is not any ways neceflary for us to 
 know either the very point of Time or 
 the Critical Place, when and where the 
 one was deli ver'd, or the other perform'd, 
 fince there is no acceflion from thence to 
 their own proper Excellence and Divinity. 
 
 . 8. And confequently it is a vain and 
 unthrifty piece of Learning, to endeavour 
 to make the Hiftory of our Saviour's 
 Aftions nothing lefs than plain and direft 
 Annals -, 'tis on the contrary more agree- 
 able to fuppofe they were Occafional Me- 
 moirs^nt in feveral places, and with feve- 
 ral views , that the Holy Spirit of God 
 led the Blefled Evangelifts into all necef- 
 fary Truths, for the Propagation of the 
 Chnftian Faith and Religion; but that 
 for other Matters it pleas'd the ^Divine 
 Wtfdom-> that they fhou'd not be infallible, 
 that even thofe circumftantial Errors and 
 Miftakes might be an Advantage to the 
 real Truths, which they propounded to 
 the World; for let us confider what opi- 
 nion we fhou'd have probably had of the 
 Gofpels, if they had all of 'em been writ, 
 in the fame Order, and in the very fame 
 Words and ExprefTions; what fhou'd 
 any of us have concluded, unlcfs that they 
 tranfcrib'd from each other, and that the 
 Evidence of all of 'em together was no 
 
 more
 
 44 ^ Demenjhratian of the Divinity 
 more than that of one fingle Evangelift. 
 On the other hand, when we perceive 'em 
 to differ in their Expreilions, and not only 
 fo> but in other Matters likewife, which 
 are of as little Importance, we have all 
 the reafon in the world to believe that 
 thefe Gofpels were writ by Perfons who 
 did not confult or tranfcribe from each 
 other, and that they are true, as to what 
 concerns our Faith and Belief as Chri- 
 ftians upon that accountjfmceabft rafting 
 from their Expreffion and other foreign 
 Circumftances, which fignify nothing to 
 the Matter contain'd in them, and not- 
 withftanding they were apparently penn'd 
 by Men, who were not confcious to each 
 others Defigns, yet they very punftually 
 agree in the Salutary Dpdtrmes, and in 
 the Miraculous Aftions they propofe to 
 our Aflent. 
 
 . 9. Having confider'd the Stile and 
 Method of thefe Writings, and what Ar- 
 guments do naturally arife to us from them, 
 for their Truth and Sincerity, the next 
 we fhall examine, is the Subjeft Matter of 
 'em : And firft, if we give our felves leave 
 to obferve in reading of thefe Holy Writ- 
 ings, there are fome Paffages of Hiftory 
 exprefs'd in them fo very minute and [in- 
 gular^ and which are fo peculiarly adapted 
 to thofe Times, in which they are fup- 
 
 pos'd
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 4 5 
 
 pos'd to have been firft extant, that we 
 cannot but think they are fo many Evi- 
 dences of the Scriptures being writ in 
 them : As for inftance, the reafon of John 
 the Baptifis being beheaded upon Hero- 
 dias's Daughter dancing before Herod,znd 
 the Oath which that Prince made upon it, 
 the Reconciling of Herod and Pitate,upon 
 our Saviours being fent from the one to 
 the other, the Slaying of the Children in 
 Bethlehem^ &c. Which part of Hiftory 
 is juftify'd, by that Famous Saying of 
 Augitftus^ that he had rather be Herod's 
 Swine than his Son, who was fuppos'd to 
 have fallen in that Univerfal Maflacre: 
 As to the Epiftles, all the Hiftorical Paf- 
 fages contain'd in 'em do fo exactly agree 
 with the times, in which they are conceiv'd 
 to be wrote, and with the Atis of the Apo- 
 ftles-> that we need only to compare them 
 with each other,to evince that they muft re- 
 ceive their Birth and Origine from the 
 Hands and Age of the Apoftles. But this 
 will be more fully evident, when we come 
 to confider the feveral Epiftles themfelves. 
 
 . 10. In the mean time, the Places we 
 have recited out of the Gofpels are either 
 Hiftorical Matters entirely forg'd and 
 counterfeited, or elfe genuine Proofs of 
 the true Age and Authority of the Sacred 
 Writings j if the firft, it is contrary to 
 
 the
 
 4 6 A Demonjlratibn of the Divinity 
 the Plainnefs and Simplicity as well as 
 Sincerity of J em, which we have already 
 confirm'd-, ifthatnotwithftanding hasnoc 
 been done, the Teftimony of Auguftus* 
 in one particular at leaft, as is before al- 
 ledg'd, wants ftill to be confuted : And 
 Jaftly, if neither that is yet valid, thefe 
 muft be acknowledg'd to be Forgeries 
 without a Defign, and from which the Au- 
 thors cou'd not propofe any thing for the 
 Service of Religion or for their own ; and 
 therefore may be juftlyefteem'd, by thofe 
 who have allow'd themfelves to entertain 
 the worft Opinion of thefe Holy Writers^ 
 unfit and ridiculous to be invented by 
 them* if they are real Truths in Hiftory, 
 they feem to be of that nature fo unne- 
 ceflary to be known, and fo unlikely to 
 be preferv'd, that they cou'd fcarcely be 
 fuppos'd to be deriv'd from any other In- 
 formation , than that of the Times in 
 which they were tranfafted, and confe- 
 quently are a Demonftration that the 
 Scriptures were then produced to the 
 World. It were eafy to coileft feverai 
 other Paflages of the like kind, but as 
 before in the two laft Heads, we conten- 
 ted our felves to fingle out an Example 
 or two, to {hew the Meaning and Intent 
 of our Argument i fo in the prefent we 
 have follow'd the fame Method -, tho' to 
 give filch Arguments as thefe their full 
 
 force
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 47 
 force and moment, it wou'd be in, a man- 
 ner neceflary to tranfcribe the whole 
 Scriptures: However it will be fufficient 
 if we point at the chief Lineaments and 
 Characters, by which we may diftinguifh 
 them, to have a juft and perfect refem- 
 blance of the Times in which they are 
 prefum'd, and by all wife and underftand- 
 ing Men have been thought and confefs d 
 to be wrote. 
 
 J. n. idly^ We may argue for thefe 
 
 Holy Writings, from thofe private Re- 
 
 ferences we meet with to Perjons and 
 
 Things, which cannot be explain'd with- 
 
 out fixing 'em in the Age of the A poftles \ 
 
 but if any after Ages had cherifli'd a fancy 
 
 to impofe thefe Books upon us as Apo- 
 
 ilolical, when really they were not, is it 
 
 probable they wou'd have retted in fuch 
 
 fhort and blind Intimations, fo as we 
 
 fhou'd be oblig'd to find out by labour 
 
 and fearch, what they were defirous we 
 
 ftiou'd embrace as certain and undoubted, 
 
 without the leaft Difficulty or Scruple? 
 
 And here again we (hall only mention 
 
 fome few Inftances, tho' there are feveral 
 
 others of the fame import -, thus the Go- 
 
 fpel of St. John was defign'd againft the 
 
 Heretical Opinions of Ebion and Cerin- 
 
 thtts j the firft Epiftle to the Corinthians, 
 
 in part, feenas to be levell'd at the licen- 
 
 tious
 
 48 A Dewonjiration of the Divinity 
 tious Doftrines of the Nicolaitans ; the 
 lecond Epiftle to the Theffalonians , in 
 one Chapter of it, in all probability, has 
 fome refpeft to Claudius \ and the fecond 
 Epiftle to Timothy to Nero$ and in gene- 
 ral the whole Scriptures of the New Te- 
 ftament appear to take fuch a negligent 
 notice, if 1 may call it fo, of the Times 
 and the Tranfadrions in them, that we 
 cannot with any Senfe imagine it was ei- 
 ther affe&ed or contrived. 
 
 . 12. There is fomething in the Air 
 and Mien of Perfons, which as much di- 
 ftinguifhes them as any thing elfe what- 
 foever-, and fo it is in Writings, and in 
 particular with relation to the Scriptures, 
 where the Natural and Genuine way in 
 which they are writ, and as any one wou'd 
 have writ, if he had liv'd in thofe Times, 
 is as great a Proof that they were writ 
 in thofe Times, as can poflibly be had or 
 fuppos'd ; and confequently J erufalem&nd 
 the Polity of the Jews-> is reprefented in 
 the Gofpels as yet Handing; and the chief 
 Arguments we meet with in the Epiftles 
 are fuch,as ly againft Judaifm and thePbi- 
 lofophy of the Heathens* agreeable to what 
 we may juftly conceive were the firft Ene- 
 mies Chriftianity wou*d be to engage; and 
 all this is done in a manner that plainly 
 declares, the Writers were not Men who 
 
 had
 
 of tie Chriftian Religion. 457 
 
 had only a faint R el ifli of the Times there 
 defcrib'd, and had deriv'd fbme Notion of 
 them from dead Monuments, and flat Me- 
 morials concerning 'em 5 but fuch as were 
 form'd and moldedjas were train'd up and - 
 educated in them, and who deriv'd their 
 Sentiments from the Opinions of the Age* 
 
 without themfelves a-lmoft being aware of 
 
 
 
 . 13. MTfcgenerally receive their Tem- 
 per, and the Complexion of their Minds, 
 from the Converfation they keep, ana 
 the Principles they imbibe, which toge- 
 ther with their Natural Powers and Fa- 
 culties, is that which fets a Diftinftiori 
 upon them, by which they are differenc'd 
 from all others , and fo it is in Ages, which 
 are likewife diftinguifh'd by their Incli- 
 nations and Humours, and the various 
 Circumftances which (unround 'emj fo 
 that a Man , as it were, takes his Being and 
 Conftitution from the Age he lives in, 
 and his Thoughts are wholly turn'd ana 
 fram'd to the particular Occurrences of 
 it, and confequently it is as impoflible 
 for a Writer of one Age to put oh all the 
 Qualifications, and if 1 may (ay the Pecu- 
 larities, that are the effeft and refult of the 
 former-) as it is to place himfelf in thofe cer- 
 tain and diftinguifhing Circum (lances 
 which are the occafion of them -, or as ic 
 is for a Man who has been from his In- 
 D fancy
 
 fo A Demonflration of the Divinity 
 fancy leaven'd and charg'd with one kind 
 and fet of Thoughts) to fhift and change 
 'em as he pieafes for another : There is 
 fomething that is fingular in all Ages, 
 which cannot be tranfcrib'd into a fuc- 
 cecding, no more than one Perfon can 
 transform himfelf into any other Perfon, 
 who is as different from him as can be 
 well imagin'd j and thus it is in the prefent 
 cafe 5 fince the Apoftles write as Men 
 who had liv'd and convers'd in the Age, 
 in which Chriftianity was firft promulged 
 to the World,and not as thofe who had put 
 on the bare Semblance of fuch Authors, 
 and endeavour'd only to perfonate and re- 
 prefent them. 
 
 . 14. But this will farther appear, if 
 we confider under a third Head the Af- 
 feffions and Taffions with which the 
 Scriptures are wrote > and thefe are fo 
 evident in our Saviours Sermons to his 
 Difciples, in the zealous and moft perfua- 
 five Reafonings, and the pathetick Incite- 
 ments to Piety and Goodnefs, which are 
 to be found in the feveral Writings of 
 St. Paul, and the other dpoftles ; they 
 carry fuch a Force of Nature with them, 
 and are fo exaftly expreffive of thofe Re- 
 fentmcnrs, which the Apoftles might be 
 juftly and the trulieft fuppos'd to admit, 
 that if we can believe them to be any 
 
 thing
 
 of tie Chriftian Religion. 5 i 
 
 thing elfe than the Genuine Produftions 
 of the Apoftles-> and thofe who convers'd 
 \vith our Lord or his Difciples, we fliall go 
 a greater length, as to the point of being 
 Credulous, than we cou'd be cvcrfaid or 
 prov'd to do in the believing our Reli- 
 gion. For, if what we have before al- 
 ledg'd is true, that Men receive into their 
 Temper a particular kind of Tinfture from 
 tbe^faeihej live in, whichitisalmoftim- 
 poflible to derive into another-^ fo as to 
 make it appear the fame, it feems to be 
 more efpecially plain in refpeft to the 
 Paffions, fince they are fo exceeding de- 
 licate, and take fuch quick and fudden 
 turns, that they do not look to be capable 
 of being reprefented to the life out of the 
 Perfon that has 'em j all the Imitation in 
 the World can never fufficiently exprefs 
 that extreme Livelinefs and Force they 
 adt with, and thofe who have the beft Fa- 
 culty at doing it, and have made it the 
 Bufmefs and Employment of their Lives, 
 (I mean the Retainers to the Stage,} with 
 Reproach enough to themfelves to mi- 
 mickanddifTemble them, have always be- 
 tray'd a manifeft Affectation, or at the 
 beft an Artifice, not agreeable to the Plain- 
 nefs and the Sincerity of Nature : and 
 indeed for Men to put on thofe Affeftions 
 and Paflions which they really have not, 
 is like what we perceive in the other 
 D T. Force*
 
 5 1 A Vemonjlration of tloe Divinity 
 Forces of Nature that are borrow'd, (as 
 Light or Heat from the Sun y } which 
 as they are always more faint and languid, 
 fo they are diftinguifliable enough by that 
 very Infirmity from their true Source and 
 Original. 
 
 1 
 
 . i f. And now we have at length fi- 
 nifh'd our Argument from the Internal 
 Teftimony of the Scriptures, confider'd 
 as Humane-) which thefe Writings con- 
 tain for their being Genuine, excepting 
 one Branch of it, which being a diftinft 
 Subjeft, we (hall referve for another Dif- 
 courlej and that is, the Truth and Im- 
 partiality obfervable in the whole, and 
 this may be juftly reckon'd one Part of 
 the Internal Evidence for the Genuinefs 
 of the Scriptures -, fince if we prove them 
 to be true and impartial Writings, they 
 muft of confequence be Genuine ones, and 
 cannot be fuppos'd to have thofe Names 
 or Times forg'd which are imprefs'd or 
 flamp'd upon them j for which Reafon the 
 Integrity of thefe Authors has already 
 been prov'd, from the Plainefs and Sim- 
 plicity of the Stile in which they writ, and 
 from their Negligence and Unafte&eci- 
 nefs, as to the Time or Order of the 
 Tranfaftions they relate. It is notwith- 
 ftanding a ^Different Subjett* and upon 
 that account we ihall wave it for the pre- 
 
 fent>
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 5 3 
 
 fent 5 feeing, altho' we ftiou'd evidence the 
 Scriptures to be never fo Genuine, it wou'd 
 not from thence follow that the Hiftories 
 they give us were exactly true^ for albeit 
 it were granted, that St. Matthew, St. 
 Mark, St. Luke, and St. John, and fo of 
 the reft, were the undoubted Authors of 
 the Go/pels which are receiv'd, we cou'd 
 not from thence immediately conclude, 
 that thofe Evangelifts had dehver'd down 
 to us plain and indubitable Matter of 
 Fact, and that they had not impos'dupon 
 us Spurious Doctrines, and Miracles of 
 their own Inventing. 
 
 . 1 6. This therefore we (hall afterwards 
 confider, and at prefent only add, in ref- 
 pect of the Scriptures being writ in the 
 Times, of the Tranfadions of which they 
 give an Account, that even in Fact and 
 Experience, there is fo manifeft a Diffe- 
 rence betwixt Books that are written 
 by Men who have been prefent, and con- 
 cern'd in Matters they Comment upon, 
 and thofe who have not? that there can- 
 not be well a greater: thus if we com- 
 pare the Greek Rhetoricians, zs^Demetrius 
 or Ariftotle, with thofe of the Romans, 
 as the Author to Herennius and TuUy, 
 or the Orations of 'Demofthenes with thofe 
 of Ifocrates, or thofe of Cicero with the 
 Declamations of guintilian, the Hiftories 
 D 3 of
 
 54 A Demonftration of the Divinity 
 of Xenophon or Tbucydides with Herodo- 
 tus * or laftly the Famous Hi florian of our 
 own Age, with others who have treated 
 upon the fame Subject, we (hall evident- 
 ly find there is this (enfible diftinftion, 
 tpat there is a Life and Vigour of Ex- 
 preflion, a Strength and Sprightlinefs of 
 Thought, and a Majefty and Greatnefs 
 of Paffion and Senfe in the one, fuitable 
 to that Temper and Genius to which they 
 had been form'd, and as it were excitea 
 and inflam'd by their feveral Pleadings, 
 or the Actions in which they had been 
 engag'd $ whereas on the other hand we 
 meet with little or nothing of all this, and 
 are entertam'd only with dry and Philo- 
 fophick Rules, or elfe a fine Cadence or 
 Numeroufnefs of Periods from the Rhe- 
 ricians-, and from the Hiflorians-^ as Hero- 
 ^^withlongandemptyAccountSjWhich 
 have little more, many of them, than 
 their Antiquity, and the Smoothnefs and 
 Accuracy of the Stile in which they arc 
 delivered to recommend them-, and thus 
 it is in the Scriptures-, thofe holy Oracles 
 \vhichwedefend, they are not, as will be 
 evident to any one who reads them with 
 the lead attention, they are not jejune and 
 ftudied Memorials of things which had 
 been long before tranfaftcd, but fpeak the 
 Senfe of Men who had an intimate mare 
 and concern in what they tranfmit to us-, 
 
 and
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 5 5 
 
 and if we will not allow them that Chara- 
 dter, we may with as great juilice deny it 
 to the beft Hiftorians, of either the An- 
 cients or the Moderns, which is all the 
 Reputation} in relation to thefe Sacred 
 Writings, for which we at prefent contend. 
 
 DISCOURSE IV. 
 
 iTim. 3. i(J, 17. 
 
 . i-TT has been hitherto prov'd, in the 
 J_ prefent Subjet , that the Scrip- 
 tures were written in thofe Times, arid 
 by thofe Perfons which have been in the 
 feveral Ages of the Church unanimoufiy 
 attributed and affixt to themj and this 
 was done from the Multitude of Unex- 
 ceptionable Witnefles, produc'd in Atte- 
 ftation of their Validity, as well as from 
 their own Internal Evidence, of which 
 they were pregnant. 
 
 $.2. We are now to proceed, and fhew 
 the Veracity and Truth of the Holy Pen- 
 men of thefe Books, as before we endea- 
 vour'd to evince the Blefled A poftles and 
 Difciples of our Lord to be the Authors 
 of them. One part of this Argument is 
 already fpent on the Proof of their being 
 Genuine, which we (hail not repeat, only 
 D 4 men-
 
 5 6 A DemonJIration of the Divinity 
 
 mention the Heads, namely, the Simplicity 
 obfervable in the Stile of thefe Writings, 
 which do not feem to carry any Artifice or 
 the leaft fufpicion of a Defign in' them j and 
 their Negligence and Incurioufnefs> if I 
 may fay it, in refpeft of things that are 
 circumftantial, which fliews the Plainnefs 
 and Unaffeftednefs of their Relations , 
 whereas in thofe which are Material and 
 of any fignificancy and importance, and 
 which concern the real Truth of the Mat- 
 ters they relate, and the Chriftianity they 
 J5ropofe,we find an uncommon Agreement. 
 We are therefore only farther to be re- 
 minded, before we purliie our prefent Ar- 
 gument, that tho' what is alledg'd with- 
 out any other refpeV, than to confirm the 
 Authenticknefs of the Scriptures, is no 
 Proof of the Truth of 'em, yet, what is 
 brought in Vindication of their Sincerity, 
 is a certain and infallible Demonftfation 
 of 'their being writ by thofe Perfons, and 
 in the Times they fet forth and pretend. 
 
 . 3. Having premis'd this, we mall 
 now go on to evidence the Impartiality 
 that is apparent in the Holy Scriptures of 
 our Religion j and after the two Argu- 
 ments we have mention'd, let us in the 
 next place reflect upon the other, which 
 were offer'd to enforce and convince the 
 Genuinefs of 'emj and which/ if truly 
 
 con-
 
 of tie Chriftian Religion. 5 7 
 confider'd, do not reft there, but are like- 
 wife in fome meafure adapted to prove 
 the Truth and Integrity of the Writings 
 themfelves : For that St. P#uV$ Epiftles, 
 as we (hall afterwards demonftratej when 
 we come to explain them, fo exadly agree 
 'with the Hiftory of the Affs- 3 and that 
 there is fuch a perfeft Concord in the Evan- 
 gelifts that writ at different Times and 
 Places-, what are thefe but the exprefs 
 Marks and Characters of the utmoft 
 Truth and Sincerity, flnce when there is 
 a Confonance in Hiftorians of the fame 
 Age, and they write on the fame Subject, 
 confidently with each other, in the eflen- 
 tial parts of it, and yet were not made 
 acquainted with their mutual Defigns, 
 nothing but Truth cou'd lead 'em into 
 fuch a Harmony. 
 
 . 4. A fecond Commendation of the 
 the Sincerity of the Holy Scriptures, is, 
 that they do not conceal or diflemble, 
 even thofe Paflages in which the Enemies 
 of our BleJJed Lord are reprefented to 
 reproach his Perfon^ or derogate from hi 
 Religion -, as that He caft out 'Devi/s by 
 Beelzebub the Prince of them 5 that fome, 
 and thofe of his own Kindred** accus'd him 
 of Madnefs -, that he was charg'd with 
 eating and drinking* with being a glutton, 
 and ti wine- bibber-^ and a friend of Publi- 
 
 canet
 
 j 8 A Demonftration of the Divinity 
 
 canes and Sinners } and laftly, thatinftead 
 of rifing from the dead, his T>ifciples flole 
 him away, and then fpread about a Re- 
 port that he was rifen : as for the Afoftles 
 of our Lord) the Scriptures do not filence 
 their Infirmities; Judas betray'd his Ma- 
 iler, and Teter deny'd him ; the Sons of 
 Zebedee cou'd not diflemble their third 
 and ambitious Defires after Dominion, 
 nor St. Paul his Paffion againft 'Peter and 
 Barnabas. But certainly St. Luke, the firft 
 ChriftianHiflorian, and the reft of the E- 
 vange/ifts) wou'd have been very cautious 
 of inferting anything in their Commenta- 
 ries of the Life and A&ions of our Saviour 
 and his Apoftles-> which might look like a 
 Reflection, |if they had not preferr'd a true 
 and impartial Relation of Matters of Fadl, 
 to what might appear perhaps more plau- 
 iible and advantageous ; and this is the rea- 
 fon that they fairly and candidly tell us, 
 what was faid in thofe times againft our 
 Lord* which it had not been difficult for 
 them to have fupprefs'd. But they were 
 on the other hand fo fure of the many 
 Miracles he wrought, and the mighty Per- 
 formances he did, that they were not a- 
 fraid to tranfmit to Pofterity the worfl 
 Calumnies which the Malice of his Ene- 
 mies had contriv'd againft him, together 
 with that 'Divine Character of which they 
 were,fo thoroughly fatisfy'd and convinc'cf, 
 
 as
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 5 ? 
 as Wifdom isjuftify'd of all her Children } 
 fo that this open and unreferved way of 
 treating our Bleffed Saviour, in refpeft of 
 that Envy under which he lay with his 
 Adverfaries, and of recounting the Attual 
 Infirmities of his Apoftles, is grounded 
 upon a confidence of the truth of the 
 other parts of the Evangelick Hiftory, 
 which wou'd infinitely overballance any 
 prejudices which might arife from fuch 
 ho we ver ##//? afperfion son the one hand, 
 or fuch real failings on the other j for 
 had the Evangelifts been confcious to 
 themfelves of the Falfhood of what they 
 wrote in general, concerning our Saviours 
 Miracles and Refurredion, and yet were 
 defirous this Dodrine or Opinion (hou'd 
 obtain in the World, it is abfurd and un- 
 natural to think, or imagine they wou'd 
 not have taken all the care that cou'd be, 
 to fmother and ftifle any the leaft occa- 
 fion that might be given for an Objedion, 
 againft that which in its own Foundation 
 was falfe, and they knew to be fb-, but 
 when they were certain of the truth of 
 what they deliver'd, as to our Bleffed Sa- 
 viours Life and Miracles, and thofe of 
 his Apoftles, it was eafy for them to 
 contemn fuch fuggeftions, and to value 
 no trifles that cou'd be offer d in reproach 
 to the Divine Perfon, they had fo fami- 
 liarly convers'd with, or the Religion 
 
 which
 
 <r o A Demonjlration of the Divinity 
 which they had fo well chofen, and upon 
 fuchgaod and evident Reafons. 
 
 . 5-. Third!} ', Let us farther confider, 
 as was inftanc'd before, that there are feve- 
 ral places in Scripture, which do not pun- 
 dually agree in the Circumftances of the 
 Fa6l related-, and that there are others 
 which reprefent our Saviour many times 
 as fcarcely to be known by his own Fol- 
 lowers after his Refurreftion 5 fuch paf- 
 fages as thefe wou'd perhaps be apt to 
 make Men queftion whether the one was 
 true, and the other not an Impofture > on 
 the contrary, fince the fame Writers in the 
 firft cafe plainly aver the Fa6t it felf, and 
 in the laft aflure us, that our Saviour ap- 
 pear'd in a publick and open manner to 
 his Difciples, and that St. Thomas himfelf 
 was convinced, by feeling the very prints 
 and foot-fteps of his Wounds in his 
 Hands and Side-, their differing in the 
 more minute Circumftances, is an Argu- 
 ment of the Sincerity of that in which 
 they agree (but concerning this we have 
 already difcours'd) and their explain- 
 ing the Doubts and Scruples, which were 
 in thofe Times, of our Saviour's being the 
 MeJJiah) as it (hews the firft Chriftians 
 were not to be impos'd upon j and their 
 being afterwards fatisfy'd about them, 
 that they were fa an no other Motive 
 
 than
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 6 1 
 
 than real Truth and Conviction, b we 
 have the greater reafon to believe this from 
 the Affirmations of thofe Evangelifts and 
 Apoftles-> who we find are as ready to give 
 us an Account of the Stifpicions and Jealou- 
 fies of the Difciples,as to our Lord's Rifing, 
 and his being the fame, as of the full and: 
 entire Evidence, which they afterwards 
 had of his Appearing amongft them in 
 his own Mien and Perfon: for what can 
 be a greater Teft or Inftance of the Im- 
 partiality of an Hiftorian , than to en- 
 large upon fuch Paflages, wherein thofe 
 of his own perfuafion doubted of the 
 Truth of that Doftrine and Opinion, of 
 which he himfelf was perfectly fatisfy'd, 
 and in .which he was fully confirm'd? 
 
 . 6. Fourthly, We may alfb add that 
 the Scriptures are wrote with thofe Af- 
 fe&ions and Paffions, which do not only 
 prove the Genuinefs-> but the Truth of 
 them; when our Saviour laments over 
 Jerufalem, with that abundant Pathe- 
 ticknefs, upon the account of its Unbe- 
 lief-, when he prays for his Murderers, 
 and makes it one part of his Doctrine to 
 blefs our Perfecutors, and to do all the 
 good Offices for all the itt' y when St, *Paul 
 wiflies himfelf accurfed for his Brcthrens 
 fake, according 10 the Flejh , when in that 
 eminent Pa(!ageinthe./f#.r he fays, King 
 
 A grip-
 
 6 1 A Demonftration of the Divinity 
 
 Agrippa> believeft thou the Prophets* I 
 know that thou believe/I them, and be- 
 feeches God he might be not almoft, but 
 altogether fuch a one as himfelf, except- 
 ing thofe Bonds-, if there can be any 
 greater figns of Truth or Sincerity than 
 thefe, we muft form a new Notion of our 
 felves, and fuppofe that Men can be the 
 moft profligate of all Creatures alive, at 
 the fame time that we can't but own them 
 to be the beft in the Creation. For, is it 
 poffible for us, in any common fenfe, to 
 imagine that Men wou'd difregard them- 
 (elves at this exceffive rate, or that our 
 Lord himfelf ivou'd, and retain a Value 
 and Refpeft for all Mankind betides, up- 
 on any other Principle than of that Re- 
 ligion, which they knew to be true, and 
 upon the certainty of which they wou'd 
 forfeit their Lives, or any thing elfe, 
 which was the deareft to *em j as our Blef- 
 fed Saviour , and his Difciples and Apo- 
 ftles did 5 but this will come under ano- 
 ther Head, and therefore we mall at pre- 
 fenc fay, that we have mention'd only 
 fomc few Inftances of the Genuine Paf- 
 fion obfervable in the Sacred Writ- 
 ings, which if we read with attention, 
 there is nothing can give us fuch a lively 
 Idea of the moft affeHonate Truth and 
 Sincerity, as that which is imprefs'd from 
 them.
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 6 5 
 . 7. Fifthly, The particular References 
 which are made to the Times , and the 
 Circumftances of Matters as they then 
 flood, as it was a Proof of the Gcnuine/s 
 of thefe Writings, fo is it likewife of the 
 Truth of them -, becaufe there is a fort of 
 Unaffeftednefs and Integrity apparent in 
 the negligent way in which they are in- 
 timated: thus our Saviour fpeaking of 
 John the Baptifi's Preaching in the Wil- 
 dernefs, asks the Jewsy What they went 
 out for to fee-, he fuppofes John the Bap- 
 tijfs Preaching as a thing well known in 
 thofe Times, and the Jews coming to- 
 gether from all parts to hear him , this, 
 and other Paflages of the like kind, have 
 fuch Native Diftindions, fuch peculiar 
 Marks and Charafterifticks of Truth in 
 them, that there cannot be well greater * 
 for where things are in that manner fup- 
 pos'd and underftood, it is a Sign they 
 were fo generally rumor'd about, and ac- 
 knowledg'd, that it was unneflary to make 
 any exprefs mention of 'em : and this is 
 done, as if the Evangelift himfelf did not 
 apprehend theOmimon, it lying as a fix'd 
 and fettled Truth in his Mind to that de- 
 gree, that he feems to forget that, others 
 need to be acquainted with it. The fame 
 we find in the Perfon who had his Hand 
 withered , where the Sacred Writer re- 
 prefents the Jews putting this Queftion 
 
 to
 
 4 >A Vemonjtration of the Divinity 
 to our BlefTed Lord* whether it was law- 
 ful to heal on the Sabbath-day* that they 
 might accufe him ? in which account he 
 fuppofes our Saviours Power of Healing, 
 and the Envy of the Jews to Him, as 
 what was univerfally known, and of which 
 he was fo abfolutely perfuaded, that it 
 \vas either needlefs, or he had forgot to 
 premife itj it wou'd not be difficult to 
 produce a multitude of Examples to the 
 fame purpofe, but we (hall forbear to en- 
 large, and proceed to another Particular. 
 
 . 8. A Sixth Argument for the Veraci- 
 ty of the Holy Writings, is from the Com- 
 pletion of thofe trophecies which are 
 contain'd in them -, as our Saviours Fore- 
 telling the Deftrudion of Jerufalem and 
 the Temple, his promifing the Comforter 
 and the like, which were afterwards veri- 
 fy'd in the final ovethrow of the Jewijh 
 Tolity, and in the Effufion of the Holy 
 Ghofl upon the Apoftles and Primitive 
 Chnftians -, nor is it a lefs Confirmation 
 of their Truth, that they alfo juftify in 
 their Accounts the Prophetick Writings 
 of the Old Teftament concerning a future 
 MeJJlah -, fince, as has been fully demon- 
 flrated by the very Learned Huetius, it 
 may be plainly evinc'd that every pafTageal- 
 moft in our Saviour's Hiftory is diftint- 
 ly exprefs'd in thofe Sacred Predictions.
 
 df the CKiiftiari Religion. 6" 5 
 
 . p. Lafllyt The Temper and Genius 
 of the Do&rine, advanc'd in the Holy 
 Scriptures , is dife&ly oppofite to any 
 bafe or flnifter Defigns of Deceiving and 
 Impofing upon others -, but if the Scrip- 
 tures are not True, they fall under no bet- 
 ter a Charafter: We are forbid to ly, and 
 commanded to tell the truth our Com- 
 munication is to be yea-> yea y nay-> nay ; 
 that therefore the Scriptures (hou'd be 
 guilty of Lying, and Forgery in the very 
 Precept they give againft it, with the great* 
 eft Gravity and Serioufnefs, is fo unac- 
 countable and extravagant a piece of Dif* 
 fembling, that it fcarcely comes within a 
 poflibility of Humane Nature to receive it* 
 for who wou'd be extremely follicitous 
 for an)r Do&rine prevailing, and die in 
 its Defence, when he has been all the 
 while treating it with the utrrioft con- 
 tempt) in ading contrary to it? The A- 
 poftles and Difciples of our Lord main- 
 tain*d this Doftrine, that we fliou'd not 
 ly one to another , that Liars Jhoud not 
 inherit the Kingdom of God-> that the ^De- 
 vil is the Father of the m -, and, amongft 
 the other Doftrines of Chriftianity> were 
 ready to feal this with their Blood 3 and 
 yet it is imagin'd poflible for the Apoftles 
 and Difciples of our Lord^ in their *Pra- 
 ttices (if they impos'd upon us) to (light 
 and undervalue that on which in their 
 E
 
 6 6 A Demonfration of the Divinity 
 Trofeffion they fet fo high a price, as that 
 of their own Lives ; or which is all one, 
 that they had the greateft and the lea ft 
 efteem for the fame thing, at the fame time, 
 which feems to be little lefs than a Coh- 
 tradiftion. 
 
 - 
 
 . 10. Thus far we have endeavour'd 
 to fhew the Internal Evidence, which the 
 Holy Scriptures afford for their Veracity j 
 the next we (hall confider is their Exter- 
 nal-, and which is likewife divided into 
 feveral Particulars : TheFirft we (hall take 
 notice of) is the Incapacity of the Authors 
 of them to put a Fallacy upon the World j 
 is it likely thofe Perfons fliou'd form a 
 Defign of impofing upon all Mankind, 
 who were neither acquainted fo far with 
 Men or Humane Learning, as to be able 
 to judge of the Pafllons, which were the 
 moft prevalent in our Natures, or of the 
 proper Arts and Methods to excite them? 
 They were Men, if we except St. Taul, 
 and perhaps St. Luke, who had a narrow 
 and (tinted Education, who knew no more 
 than what belong'd to their own poor and 
 humble Employments, and may therefore 
 be defervedly thought to admit of no o- 
 ther intention in writing, than what was 
 perfectly fincere, than what was founded, 
 not on any fubtile or delicate Contrivance, 
 but on what they plainly faw, and were 
 Eye-witnefTes to. . 1 1 ,
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 6 7 
 
 $.11. Secondly, Befides this, had they 
 been capable of inventing a Scripture for 
 us, they mud have forefeen too fuch a 
 number of Difficulties againft the Impo- 
 fture fucceeding, that thofe who had the 
 Wit to contrive, wou'dhave alfo had the 
 Prudence not to divulge it : for let us grant 
 our Religion and the written Traditions 
 of it to have been falfe, and to have had 
 no Foundation of Truth in it, what a 
 mad and frantick Defign muft thefe Af- 
 ferters of Chriftianity be fuppos'd to en- 
 gage in ? A few Unlearned Filhermen, 
 without any other Reputation than what 
 their Manual Vocations, and their honeft 
 Induftry had procur'd them , are to fet 
 up upon a Stock of Credit fufficient to 
 convince the World of New and Unheard 
 of Doftrines, upon their bare Word and 
 A fieveration -, they were to bear down, not 
 only Heathens, but Jews, Men of their 
 own Nation, and to whom they appeal, 
 by plain dint of A durance, with a Story 
 of Miracle 5) and a RefurreEtiori) when 
 there was not one Syllable of Truth in the 
 wholes when there was not one Village, 
 not even Chorazin or Bethfaida in which 
 fome of his mighty Works were faid to be 
 done, or one fingle Perfon in Judea that 
 ever heard or knew of any fuch thing: 
 can we really believe fo Romantick a Pro- 
 jeft wou'd ever enter into the Thoughts 
 
 E 2 Of
 
 6% A Vemonftration of the Divinity 
 of any, who were not abfolutely depriv'd 
 of their Senfes, or if it did, that the 
 World wou'd not fhew an equal Defeat 
 in their Underftandings, to abet and en- 
 courage it? The truth is, thofe which 
 think the Apoftles and Difciples of our 
 Lord cou'd admit of ib wild an Extra- 
 vagance as this, may as well fuppofe that 
 they invented a Mejjiah too, and preach'd 
 jfejus in all the Cities of Judea y as a Man 
 who had conversed among them, who 
 was publickly condemn'd and crucify'd* 
 whereas there was not, nor ever had been, 
 fuch a Perfon in the World 5 and they 
 might with equal Reafon flatter them- 
 felves, that all Mankind was prepar'd to 
 believe them. 
 
 . 12. Thirdly-) If we confider the Per- 
 fecudons the Authors of thefe Books un- 
 derwent, and the Martyrdoms they joy- 
 fully embrac'd in defence of 'em, it will 
 be hard to conceive how it was poflible 
 for Men to be infpir'd with fo firm a Zeal, 
 unlefs upon the account of their own 
 real Convictions j nor can it be urg'd in 
 this place, that it is granted they might 
 have a full and certain Perfuafion of 
 thefe things, and yet from thence it is not 
 neceflary for us to infer, chat the Mat- 
 ters they deliver'd were true, flnce it is 
 not evident but they themfelves might 
 
 be
 
 of the Cliriftian Religion. 69 
 
 be impos'd upon 5 fuch an Objeftion as 
 this, we fay, cannot ftand here; becaufe 
 altho' in disputable Cafes, the Conviction 
 of the Mind is not always anfwerable to 
 the Truth and Reality of thofe things we 
 confider, yet in plain Inftances of Fat, 
 and in the obvious Occurrences of Life 
 it is; the paflages of our Saviours Hifto- 
 ry are concerning Tran factions, which 
 any one might eafily judge of-, for the 
 Queftion only Jyes in this ihort compafs, 
 Whether our Saviour did cure the Blind 
 and Lame, or not? Whether He did raife 
 the Dead, and perform thofe Miracles 
 which are recounted of Him, and at laft 
 rife Himfelf after his Crucifixion, and 
 publickly afcend into Heaven before his 
 Difciples, or no? Thofe who tell us of 
 thefe things, and profefs themfelves en- 
 tirely convinc'd of them, by fuch remark- 
 able Proofs of their Sincerity, as ftjffer- 
 ing the greateft AfHitions, undergoing 
 the fevereft Perfecutions, and dying for 
 them, cou'd not be deceiv'd in a noto- 
 riety of faft, they mull be certain whe- 
 ther thefe Matters were fo or not* and 
 it is therefore very evident in the prefent 
 Cafe, that either the Scriptures are infal- 
 libly true, or elfe that Men can be fup- 
 pos'd in great numbers to encounter Tor- 
 tures and Death, with all the Serenity and 
 Compofednefs in the World, in Aflertion
 
 yo A Demonjtration of the Divinity 
 of a Flagrant and BlafphemousFalmood, 
 and which they were confcious was one* 
 which wou'd (hew a Temper fo mon- 
 ftroufly incredible, that not any Myftery* 
 nor any Miracle, (whatever our Adverfa- 
 ries think of both\) cou'd poflibly exceed 
 the Incomprehenfiblenefs of it. 
 
 . ^.Fourthly, Let us joyn to this the 
 conftant Atteftation ofthcChurch to thefe 
 Writings , for if we can imagine that Men, 
 in thefe Times, cou'd be fo far milled by 
 Intereft or Affection, or an unaccountable 
 Zeal, to propofe to the World, under the 
 fevereft Persecution, what themfelvesdid 
 not believe-, is it pofTible or likely that 
 ev'ryoncelfe, who follow'd them, fhou'd 
 take up the fame Notions, except upon 
 good grounds,and upon impartially weigh- 
 ing and confidering the Merits of that 
 Religion and Caufe, in which they were 
 going to embark, and for which, in all 
 probability, they muft expect to fuffer, if 
 the Apoftles of our Lord had a defign to 
 impofeuponus; can we think that a whole 
 Age cou'd enter into the fame idle Pro- 
 ject , or if all that Age, that all the fuc- 
 ceeding ones wou'd ? 
 
 $.14. Moreover,the Miracles of our Blef- 
 fed Saviour, and the Acts of the Apoftles, 
 and the Writings of the Holy Pen-men, 
 
 and
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 7 1 
 
 and infpir'd Authors to the feverai 
 Churches were publick, were celebrated 
 and known in the firft Age; why was 
 there no one that ever oppos'd them? 
 That wou'dprovethe Miracles Impoftures, 
 or the Writings falfe? Why,atleaft,wou'd 
 not the following Age, if the former was 
 more pleas'd with the Novelty, or left 
 concern'd to confute it? Why, atlaft, and 
 near the conclufion of zoo Years from 
 Chriftianity, and from the(e Books being 
 firft publifh'd to the World, have we no 
 other Adverfaries than Celfus and Lucian, 
 both profeft Epicureans, the one endea- 
 vouring to argue, the other to laugh and 
 ridicule us out of our Religion ? Why 
 are we only ftill an Age after this at 
 length attack'd by Porphyry, that fubtile 
 and inveterate Enemy to Chriftianity, with 
 Arguments againft the Authority of the 
 Scriptures, the chief of which were found- 
 ed upon fome appearing Contrarieties and 
 Contradidtions in them, and which, it has 
 been already evidenc'd, are a Proof of their 
 Sincerity? When befides, as it is well 
 known > this Author took his Original 
 Prejudice againft the Religion, which he 
 once profefs'd, from certain Indignities 
 he receiv'd from thofe who were the Pro- 
 moters and Aflertors of it : Why laftly, in 
 the Times of 'Dioclefian, were the Ats 
 of 'Pilate contriv'd and invented, and or- 
 E der'd
 
 72. A Demonftration of the Divinity 
 
 der'd to be taught and commited to the 
 Memory in every School, after the Ge- 
 nuine ones had been embraced , and ac- 
 counted Authentick for near 300 Years? 
 What cou'd be the reafon of all this ? un- 
 lefs that the Evidences for the Holy Scrip- 
 tures, and the Chriftianity they affirm'cj, 
 were fo plain and indifputable, that they 
 cou'd not be contefted, whilft the Wit- 
 nefies of 'em were living and preient, 
 and were afterwards drawn into Contro- 
 verfy only by Men, whofe loofc and A- 
 thetftical Principles wou'd give them leave 
 to fay any thing, which their Wit or Parts 
 cou'd fuggeft, in oppofition to any Truth 
 whatfoever, efpecially where it interfer'd 
 with their particular Pleafure or Defigns 5 
 which feems to be the cafe of Celfus and 
 Lucian j or elfe by Men as 'Dtoclejian and 
 ^Porphyry, who had no other meafure of 
 Truth than their Refentment. 
 
 . if. Nor is it inconfiderable that 
 Chriftianity, or the Scriptures of it, were 
 never oppos'd, or endeavour'd to be re- 
 futed by the Heat hens, zs they were not at 
 fird by the Jews> till it was found their 
 own Keligion was at (take, and that the 
 Truth of the one began, I prefume, to 
 be injurious to, as it prcvail'd upon the 
 other. Neither can it be faid that this 
 univerlal Atteftation, which we now de- 
 fen d 3
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 73 
 
 fend, is of thofe who were prejudiced on 
 the fide of Chriftianity , for, by that way 
 of Reafoning, it will be impoflible for 
 any one to be an unexceptionable Wit- 
 nefs, in any cafe that fhou'd be offer'd, 
 fince the beft Men muft be of that fide 
 of the Truth or Merits of which they are 
 convinced ; and if they were fatisfy'd of 
 the Truth of Chriftianity ^ it was necefTa- 
 ry for 'em to come under that Denomi- 
 nation j whereas, on the other hand, the 
 Refentments and Atheifm of thofe, who 
 wrote againft it, feems to carry the face 
 of Infincerity and Prejudice with it. 
 
 . 1 6. Fifthly, We fhou'd now farther 
 produce the Testimonies we are furnim'd 
 with, for the Veracity of the Holy Writ- 
 ings, from both Jews and Heathens, or 
 thofe who difTented from the Orthodox 
 Faith, but thefe Arguments being of a 
 diftinft Nature, from what have been 
 already alledg'd, we mall omit them at 
 prefent, and only defire Men ferioufly to 
 confider, whether, if nothing more was 
 capable of being brought in vindication 
 of the Scriptures, there is not enough to 
 perfuade us of the Certainty and Truth 
 of them 5 for why, as before, I again 
 ask it, why muft we, we Chriftians, of all 
 Mankind, be oblig'd to harder Rules and 
 ftrifter Laws of Evidence and Demon- 
 
 ftration,
 
 7 4 ^ Demonjlration of the Divinity 
 
 ilration, in order to prove the Validity 
 of an Author, than all other Men are? 
 Much lefs than this wou'd have ferv'd in 
 the caufc of a Heathen Writer, and if it 
 is not fufficient in that of the Sacred, and 
 Traditional Books of our Religion, let 
 us beware, whilft we expect, in pretence, a 
 Conviction of our Understandings, we 
 do not in reallity appear to demand a co- 
 ver for our Prejudice and Incredulity. 
 
 . 17. 'Tis true, Thefe are Moral Ar- 
 guments for our Belief, but they are not 
 lefs certain upon that account, lince it is 
 as impoflible in Nature, for plain, fincere 
 and upright Perfons, to be the quite con- 
 trary, ill and defigning Men, as it is for 
 a Line or Angle to be different from it 
 felf. And that the Evangelists and Apo- 
 ftles of our Lord were fuch impartial and 
 undefigning Perfons, we have as many Ar- 
 guments to convince us, as we can have, 
 that there ever were, or ftill are, fuch Men 
 in the World : For God's fake therefore, 
 let us lay afide our unreafonable Cavils, 
 and Scruples again ft the Holy Oracles of 
 our Religion, let us firmly believe they 
 were penn'd with the utmoft Truth and 
 Sincerity, and if we come with thefe Minds 
 to the Study of 'em, we (hall find our pains 
 not miferaploy'd, nor our time unfrugally 
 or unprofitably fpent about them. 
 
 Dis-
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 7 5 
 D i s c ou R s E V. 
 
 i Tim. 3. 1 6) 17. 
 
 $. i.T T TE concluded, in our laft Dif- 
 V r courfe upon This SMeff, 
 with the Proof of the Veracity of the 
 Holy Scriptures, from the conltant At- 
 teftation of the Church to them ; we are 
 now to proceed and (hew the Evidences 
 we have for them, horn foreign Witnefles, 
 who either difiented from the Chriftian 
 Faith, or were not profefs'd Advocates 
 of it. 
 '.pfi ' : fi2 ".- 
 
 . 2. The firft we (hall mention, is Ab- 
 gartts, Prince of Edeffa, a City in Syria, 
 whofe Epiftle to our Lord is ftill extant j 
 the purport of which, after his Salutation 
 to the BlefTed Saviour of Mankind, is, 
 That he had heard of the miraculous Cures 
 he had perform d, 'without any AJJiflance 
 either of Herbs or Medicines , that he had 
 made the Blind to fee, the Lame to walk, 
 and cleansed the Lepers*, that he had caft 
 out 'Devils ; that he had healed thofe who 
 had lain under the preffure of a livgring 
 J/nefSj and that he had raisd the 'Dead i 
 that upon the Fame and Report of thefe 
 things, he coiid not but think Him to be 
 GOD, and fint from Heaven, or at leaftthe 
 
 Son
 
 7 6 A Dcmonjtration of the Divinity 
 
 Son of GOD, who wrought Juch ftupendous 
 Miracles $ wherefore he earneftly befeeches 
 him to come to him* and cure him of his 
 grievous Malady* with which he was then 
 detained-, that he had been inform d of the 
 ill treatment he met with from the Jews, 
 and therefore requeued of him that he woud 
 repair to Edefla, where he Jhou'd meet with 
 a different Reception. This Epiftle was 
 tranifcrib'd from the Ancient Monuments 
 and Records of that City> by Eufebius* 
 the moft diligent Inquirer into Antiquity 
 that the Church ever had , or the Hea- 
 thens cou'd pretend toj jE/^r^walfojthe 
 Famous ^Deacon of this very Edeffa*before 
 the times of St. Auguflin^ makes an ho- 
 nourable mention of the faid Epiftle* in 
 his Preface to his Syriack Teftament, ad- 
 drefs'd to the Edefjenes* Benedifta fit ve- 
 ftra Civitas, Blejfed(hys he) be the City in 
 which ye dwell* for Edefla is the City and 
 Mother of the Wife* which was openly blef- 
 fed from the Mouth of our Lord Chrift, by 
 his 'Difciples and our Apoftles-, for when 
 King Abgarus, who built this City, invi- 
 ted the Saviour of Mankind* our Lord 
 Chriftj who appeared a ftr anger upon Earth* 
 that he woud take up his rejidence with 
 him* he faid* I have heard of all the things 
 which have been done by thee* and the many 
 indignities which have been offered thee 
 from the Reprobate and Unbelieving Jews, 
 
 come
 
 of the Chriftian Rekgion. 7 7 
 come therefore hither, and dwell with us f 
 for I have this Jmall City under me, which 
 will be fufficient for thee and me: Whofe 
 Faith our Lord admiring* fent Meffengers 
 thither > and gave an everlafting Benedi- 
 ction to that City* firmans ipfius ftmda- 
 menta. Thefe Authorities were thought 
 fo good by the Learned Pearfon-> that he 
 did not in the leaft doubt of the Genui- 
 nefs of this Epiflle. 
 
 . 3.' Betides, it is agreed, that there 
 are no Marks of Spurioufnefs, no Chara- 
 cters of its being falfe in the whole} on 
 the other hand, that it is probable fuch 
 an Epiftle might be written to our Sa- 
 viour -, is gather'd from hence, that whilft 
 he continu'd at Capernaum , a Maritime 
 place, and whither Merchants and Tra- 
 ders reforted from all parts, healing all 
 manner of Difeafes 5 'tis faid his Fame was 
 fpread throughout all Syria : But Abgarus 
 was a Prince in Syria-* and wrote to our 
 Lord* upon that very account, that he 
 wou'd come and relieve him in a Diftem- 
 per under which he labour'd. 
 
 To which our Saviour gave this re- 
 markable Anfwer in writing, Bleffed art 
 thou> Abgarus, who when thou haft not 
 feen nte> jet haft believed in me j for it is 
 written of me-) That thofe who have feen 
 me> believe not in me > that thofe who have 
 
 not
 
 78 A Demonftration of the Divinity 
 notfeen me might believe and live ^ whereas 
 thou write ft to me, to come to thee ; I muft 
 perform thofe things h ere > for which 1 was 
 fent\ and then muft return to Him that 
 fent me: But after my Aj]umption-> I will 
 fend one ofmy^Difciples^ whojhalt heal thee 
 of the ^Diftemper with which thou art fo 
 much afflitted-iandjhallgive Life to thee and 
 thine: Which, as the Ecclefiaflical Wri- 
 ters aflure us, was afterwards done by 
 Thaddeus. This Epiftle feems to be writ 
 fo exactly with the Spirit and in the Stile 
 of our Bleffed Lord, as he is reprefented 
 by the Sacred Hiftorians, that we cannot 
 imagine it to be counterfeited with any 
 Pretence or Colour of Reafon. 
 
 iihi. / 1:;:-i rOjli-S.l .,rj-!*i !/ 
 
 $.4. Tis indeed objefted, againft both 
 thefe Epiftles, that the Evangelifls are li- 
 lent in the Matter, and take not the leaft 
 Notice of any fuch Letters being writ, or 
 any Embafly lent upon them, as is com- 
 monly faid and affirm'd: But bejides, that 
 the Gofpels are fo very fliort and compre- 
 henfive in their accounts> that we cannot 
 fuppofe they have deliver'd a hundreth 
 part of the Tranfadions of thofe Times* 
 for how is it poflible that all the Oc- 
 currences of three or four Years, from our 
 Saviour's beginning to appear in the 
 World, to his Paflion and Death, ftiou'd 
 be read in a few hours ? Befides this-> St. 
 
 John
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 7 p 
 John exprefly fays, That Jefus did many 
 other things, which if they were parti- 
 cularly fet down, the World wou'd not 
 contain the Books that might be writ ten. 
 
 
 
 . f. It is farther objefted, that in our 
 Saviour's Epiftle, there is a place cited 
 out of St.John'sGofpel, which was com- 
 pos'd by that Evangelift, long after our 
 Lord's being upon the Earth, and his A- 
 fcenfion from kj.to which it may be an- 
 fwer'd, that as to what refpets the Ex- 
 preflion of That thofe who have not feen 
 me might believe and live, we may more 
 reafonably conclude it wasborrow'd, and 
 deriv'd by the Evangelift into his Gojpel 
 from this Epiftle -, or at lead from our 
 Lord who wrote it, who frequently made 
 ufe of fuch Sentences, than that it was 
 tranfcrib'd from that Gofpel into this 
 Epiftle. 
 
 . 6. And as for its being faid there. 
 That it was written of him^ that thofe 
 who had feen belief d not in him, that thofe 
 who had not feen him might believe and 
 live $ however, fome havefal fly refer 'd it 
 to the Sixth Chapter of Ifaiah, which has 
 no manner of refpeft to our Saviour, or the 
 expetted Meffiah , as will be eafily ac- 
 knowledg'd by any one who reads over 
 that Chapter, it ieems to be plain our 
 
 Lord
 
 , o A Demonflration of the Divinity 
 Lord intended the f3 d , where there is a 
 particular Defcription of Htm , and in 
 which are thofe memorable Paflages, 
 That he had no Form nor Comelinefs, and 
 when we faw him y that there was no Beau- 
 ty that we jhoud defire him 3 that he was 
 defpisd and rejected of men-) a Man of for- 
 rows and acquainted with grief j that we 
 efteemd him fmitten, ftricken of Ged and 
 afflifled-, but he was wounded for our 
 tranfgrejjlons^ he was bruis'd for our ini- 
 quities, the chafttfement of our peace was 
 upon him* and with hisflripes we are heard. 
 
 . 7. This evidently has a relation to 
 the MeJJiah) and at the beginning of 
 this Chapter it is fa id, Who hath believed 
 our report > and to whom is the Arm of 
 the Lord reveal' d? or as the Hebrew 
 reads it, Gnal wi, i. e. Who hath belie- 
 ved our report) even to or before whom the 
 Arm of the Lord is > or has been revealed? 
 or according to our Saviours Interpreta- 
 tions thofewhohzdfeen him, believed not 
 in him, The Septuagint^ the Chaldee Pa- 
 raphraft, the Arabick and Syriack Verfi. 
 ons of this place, all tranflate Mi interro* 
 gatively, And to whom is the Arm of the 
 Lord revealed? The Comment at or 's, not 
 one excepted, likewife interpret it upon 
 that preemption ; whereas Mi in Hebrew 
 is not only us'd interrogatively, but In- 
 definitely
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 8 1 
 
 definitely and Relatively, as is evident 
 from the Sp 1 ' 1 Pfal. v. 47, Remember what 
 my time is 5 and EccleJ. 1.9. That which 
 has been is the fame which JhaU be : as alfo 
 TfaL 39. 6. And he knows not who Jhall 
 gather them-, and from feveral other 
 Texts of Scripture, which appears 
 to be a Confirmation of our Lord's 
 writing this Epiftle, who gave fo juft a 
 fenfe of a Trophecy^ which has been hither- 
 to miftaken by the moft Learned and Sa- 
 gacious. And in this fenfe it is plainly 
 connefted, with that which follows, For 
 he has no Form nor Comelinefs-> and when 
 we Jhalt fee him, there is no Beauty that 
 wejhou'd defire him-, which is a goodrea- 
 fon why thofe who faw him, or to whom 
 the Arm of the Lord was revealed, fhou'd 
 not believe in him- f and fince this was 
 foretold of him> it was alfo an Argument 
 that thofe who had not feen him, might be- 
 lieve and live >, feeing the Completion of 
 fo eminent a Prophecy might be a rational 
 Conviftion to them of his being the Mef- 
 fiahi defcrib'd in that Chapter. 
 
 . 8. A third Objeftion is, That lip 
 this Lfiflle had been Genuine, it wou'd 
 have been receiv'd into the number of the 
 Hagiographa or Sacred Writings -, ' th? Re- 
 ply to which is eafy, that the Ho lr Canon 
 was determin'd and fetledTong before this 
 F Epiftte
 
 8 z A Dcmonftration of the Divinity 
 
 Epiftte was drawn out from the Archives 
 of Edeffa-y and farther, that ev'ry thing 
 our Saviour did or faid, was not necefla- 
 ry to be inferted into the Writings of the 
 EvangeliftS) as is manifeft from St. John, 
 and therefore not every thing that was 
 writ by him ; there is a large and fufficient 
 Account of his Miracles and Doctrine in 
 tbofe infpir'd Authors, they have tranf- 
 mitted to us whatever is expedient to be 
 known, and our Duty to pra&ife; their 
 Books are form'd and made up, they are 
 modell'd and compos'd of what our Sa- 
 viour preach'd, and what he aded, and 
 consequently it is the fame as if our Lord 
 had writ htmfelf a Hiftory of his own 
 Life and Miracles : 'tis true, that which 
 came from fb Divine a Hand, ought to 
 be receiv'd and embrac'd with the higheft 
 efteemand Veneration,as this Epifllewzs in 
 fomeofthefirft Ages of Chriftianity, being 
 carry'd in Procemon, and laid up amongft 
 the Monuments of the Church, with the 
 greateft Pomp and Solemnity. 
 
 . p. The laft Exception againft this 
 Epiftle* is, that in the Publick Ads and Re- 
 cords of Edeffa^ the time of its being fent, 
 is plac'd in the 43^ Year of our Lord'sln- 
 carnation, which was feveral Years after 
 his Afcenflon, but the Excellent J^alefius 
 has prov'd from the moft accurate Copies 
 
 of
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 8 5 
 
 of Eufebius, and fixing exaftly the t^Era 
 of chat City, that the $o th Year of the E- 
 deffene Epoche, in which this Epiftle is 
 faid to be fent, do's not fall in with the 
 43 d of our Lord, but with that very Year 
 in which Chrift fuffer'd, and arofe from 
 the Dead} and in which it is moft likely 
 .dbgarus wrote to Him, namely, after His 
 Fame had been confirmed, and fully efta- 
 blilh'd by a Series of Wonders perform'd 
 by Him ; and is therefore inftead of an 
 Objection, a manifeft Argument for the 
 Genuinefs of thefe Epiftlcs, 
 
 If therefore thefe Epi files are true, 
 which we have competent Arguments to 
 think they are, and none to think they 
 are not-, what better Evidence can we de- 
 mand for the Veracity of the Scriptures, 
 and the more material pafTages they relate> 
 (on which our whole Religion depends) 
 the Miracles of our Lord* than this At- 
 teftation to them ? 
 
 . TO. The fecond Teftimony we (hall 
 produce, is that of ^Pilate in his Afts* 
 and the Relation he gave of what had 
 happen*d in Judca to Tiberius -, that Let- 
 ter which is now extant, and go's under 
 his Name, is to this effeft, That the 
 Jews out of Envy had delivered to him y 
 and afterward s crucify' d their Meffiah, the 
 Holy One) who was fent from GOD, who 
 E i had
 
 84 A DtttJonJlration of the Divinity 
 had operfd the Eyes of the Blind; had 
 cleans' d the Lepers ; curd thofe who had 
 the Palfy-y cajt out T> evils-, raisd the 
 'Dead; made the Winds obey him-, walKd 'up- 
 on the Sea jind did many oiher things > ^hich 
 he had not time to enumerate : W hecher or 
 no this Letter is that which Pi/ate wrote, 
 is not fo very certain, but that he did 
 write, and that the Emperour upon it 
 made a Report of thefe things to the Se- 
 nate, which they rejected, becaufe they 
 were not firft acquainted with them, is 
 witnefs'd by TertuUian, Eufebius* Orojius^ 
 and the earJiell Writers of the Chriftian 
 Church: and that there were publick 
 Minutes taken at Jerufalem of what was 
 done in relation to the condemning . of 
 pur Lord by Tilate, Juftin Martyr affirms 
 in his Apology to Antoninus Pius. 
 
 ;V,.ir;..;-jL . , . . 
 
 . ii. Nor is there any thing in this 
 
 Letter, which (hou'd hinder us from be- 
 lieving it to be that real and true Account 
 of our Lord, and his Crucifixion, which 
 it is evident was tranfmitted to Tiberius 
 from Judea-, it cannot indeed be deny'd 
 that it is directed to Claudius, which is 
 fo far from being an Objedlion, that it 
 ieems to confirm the Genuinefs of it* 
 ilnce Tiberius waj call'd by that Name 
 before he was ad vanc'd to the Empire; and 
 this appears to have been written to hin^as
 
 of the Ch riftian Religion. 8 5 
 
 a particular Friend, rather than as he was 
 Emperor 5 feeing it is not Claudia C<efari 
 falutem, but To Claudius only : and, it is 
 probable, the Senate upon that account 
 might take it amifs, that fuch Important 
 Tran factions were communicated to Tibe- 
 r/jjconfider d in a private capacity s when 
 they ought to have been imparted to the 
 Roman State in a more folemn and pub- 
 lick manner. However, if we will not 
 allow this Letter to be that which Pilate 
 writ to TiberiitS) it is in difpu table that 
 there were certain Acts or Records of Pi- 
 late, which were of great Authority a- 
 mongft Chriftians, and which therefore 
 gave a very Advantageous Character of 
 our Lord and his Actions ; becaufe we 
 find them forg'd by Hereticks to promote 
 their own Defigns, and by thofe inveterate 
 Enemies of Chnftianity, Maximinus and 
 'Dioclefian* to fink the Reputation of the 
 true. 
 
 $.12. Thirdly > Jofephus the great Jew- 
 ijh Hiftorian, is likewife an Eminent Wit- 
 nefs to the Veracity of thefe Holy Writ- 
 ings, who fays, In this time WJSJE s u s, 
 a Wife Man, if it is lawful to call him a 
 Ma7i' y for he was the Author of very won- 
 derful things, and an Inftrutter of thofe 
 who were ready to embrace Truth , and 
 bad fever &l 'Dtfciples and Followers, both 
 F 3 amongft
 
 8 6 A Dewonftration of the Divinity 
 amongft the Jews and Heathens : This 
 was the CHRIST) whaw y being accused by 
 the Chief Men of our Nation^ Pilate cru- 
 ciffd-, not with lianding which, thofe who 
 from the fir ft adhered to him> did not ceafe 
 to love and purfue him with the fame ar- 
 dent affection -> for he appear d unto them 
 alive the third day, as the infpird Tra- 
 phets had foretold this very thing concern- 
 ing him-, as well as many other Miracles 
 which he wrought > and to this prefent day 
 the Sef of Chriftians continues* which 
 have their 'Denomination from Him. This 
 is fo full and ample a Teftimony , from 
 a Jew, a Levite-, and one who liv'd not 
 many Years after our Lord's abode upon 
 the Earths in the times of the Apoftles, 
 and before the Deftruftion of Jerusalem , 
 that if it is Authentick, we have all the 
 Satisfaction we can defire, of the Impar- 
 tiallity and Sincerity of the Holy Evan- 
 gelifts. 
 
 . 13. 'Tis faid, I know, that this Paf- 
 fage is not to be met with in feveral of 
 the moft Ancient Copies of Jofephus, and 
 no wonder, fince the Enemies of Chriftia- 
 nity wou'd take care to invalidate, if pof- 
 fible, fo Notorious an Evidence againft 
 them ; thofe who took fuch pains to falfify 
 the A&s of Tilate, and to refcind the 
 |rue,who were fpirited with a kind of Rage 
 
 and
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 87 
 
 and Madnefs againft our Holy Religion ; 
 can we think they wou'd fufFer fuch a Te- 
 ftimony as this to avoid their Fury? No 
 doubt but they eras'ditout of all the Co- 
 pies that came to their Hands, and omit- 
 ted it in all they tranfcnb'd : But the Ad- 
 verfaries of our Faith were very early in 
 theperfecutingof it, and endeavoured be- 
 times to fupprefs what ever feem'd to fa- 
 vour and encourage it j that it is not fo 
 ftrange, if there are fome Copies of the 
 greateft Antiquity, which want this At- 
 teftation of Jojephus, as it is that there 
 are any found which have it-, and inftead 
 of wond'ring that this pafTage of Jofephus 
 is miffing in fome Copies, we may juftly 
 attribute even the prefervation of Abga- 
 rus's Teftimony to a Divine Providence, 
 which fcreen'd it in the Monuments of 
 Edeffa, a private City, from the Perfecu- 
 tion and Violence of the Antichriftian 
 World. 
 
 . 14 Secondly, Itislikewifeurg'd, that 
 fome of the Antients, who were the mod 
 inquifitive and induftnous that cou'd be, 
 in colleting the Arguments for Chriftia- 
 nity, make no mention of this place in 
 Jofephus; butfince there were very early 
 Manufcripts in which it did not appear, 
 it is not manifeft that thofe Writers might 
 not make ule of one of them, or at leaft 
 F 4 thofe
 
 88 A Vewonftration of the Divinity 
 
 thofe who deny the Genuinefs of this 
 Paflfage upon fuch grounds, mull affirm, 
 that it was impoflible for any thing to 
 efcape the Induftry of the firlt Chrittian 
 Writers, or that thofe who writ fo much, 
 and on fuch various Subjects, had alfo lea- 
 fure to examine critically into all the 
 Books that were ever publim'dj how eafy 
 is it for Men, of the fevered Application, 
 to overlook feveral things, which might 
 fall in well enough with their Arguments 
 can we therefore, from an Omiffion of that 
 Nature, more reafonably conclude there 
 cou'd no fuch thing be faid or produc'd, 
 than infer it was the Author's Fault, or 
 his Negligence, or his Multiplicity of 
 other Studies, that was the caufe he did 
 not produce it ? 
 
 . if. It is farther objected againft the 
 PafTage it felf, That o X&.&S BTCS ?y occurs 
 in it? an Appellation, which, it is not pro- 
 bable, a Jew wou'd give to our Saviour^ 
 This wast he Chrift: this Exception there- 
 fore is founded upon a falfe Interpretation 
 of the words , for it is not UTDS ?/ o Xexsw* 
 This was the Chrift or the real Meffiahy 
 l?ut o XexToV a-raj SK that is, Chrift > or He 
 to whom his Followers, who are call'd 
 Chriftians from him , have now every 
 where affix'd that Name, was this Terfon, 
 this JefuS) this Wife Man^ this Worker of 
 
 Mi-
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 89 
 Miracles, and Inftruffer of thofe who were 
 willing to embrace Truth. 
 
 . 16. Nor, by this Advantageous De- 
 fcription of our Lord, do'sjofrphus leem 
 to mean that his Religion was true, it is 
 only a general Character of his Integrity* 
 for he might not fo far acquiefce in the 
 Faith, which Chriftianity efpous'd, as to 
 think our Saviour was the Mefftah y and the 
 Redeemer of the World j and yet might 
 believe Him to be a more fincere and exa6t 
 Teacher of the Jewijh Doctrines than 
 any before Him ; namely, without the falfe 
 Glofles of the Scribes** or the vain and un- 
 warrantable Traditions of the Tharifees, 
 to which Senfe the Original directs us 5 
 fince it do's not fay he was a Teacher of 
 theTruth Emphatically, but of true things 
 T B ctA)j0)fj which do's notfuppofe him infal- 
 lible in all that he deliver'd, but that he 
 was, at leaft, a Perfon who {was not to be 
 byafs'd or prejudiced in hisjudgment, that 
 his InftruHons and Precepts were plain, 
 ingenuous, and honed $ and that he 
 explain'd his Thoughts and Apprehen- 
 fions of Matters, without any private Re- 
 ferves or Defigns. 
 
 . 17. In this Account, Jofephus far- 
 ther adds, that He appeafd to his ^Di- 
 friples on the third T>ay,znd ihzt the 'Pro- 
 phets
 
 > o A Demonjlratwn of the Divinity 
 
 phets had foretold that , and many other 
 Wonderful things of Him, which it is 
 natural and eafy for an Hiftorian to fay, 
 who has not entirely, perhaps upon fome 
 Temporal accounts, refign'd himfelf up to 
 fuch a Belief, if he liv'd in thofe Timer, 
 as our Author did, when the memory of 
 thefe things were frefh, when they were 
 in every one's Mouth , and the impref- 
 fions of them were lively and warm upon 
 Men's Minds } and which PafTages of our 
 Sa vzour's Life, if true, it is evident, as any 
 Jew might very juftly acknowledge, were 
 contain'dand foretold in the infpir'd Writ- 
 ings of the Prophets, 
 
 . 1 8. And indeed, notwithftanding this 
 Divine Charader, which is given by Jo- 
 fephus of our Lord^ there is fuch a Ne- 
 gligence in the other parts of it, which 
 looks as if it came from an impartial hand j 
 where he fays, he was a Wife Man, it is 
 true, and had thofe Principles of Integri- 
 ty and Juftice, that he muft be confefs'd 
 to be a good and very extraordinary Per- 
 fonj but for any thing elfe, he was un- 
 certain; this he knew, that he hadfeve- 
 ral Followers ', and that at the Time he 
 wrote, there were a Sett of Men, that 
 werecall'd Chriftians from Him: this has 
 as much of the Air and Spirit of one, who 
 took notice of the thing, as an Hiflori- 
 
 cal
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 9 1 
 cal Matter only, and which he touch'd 
 upon, as falling in with the Tranfaftions 
 he was then relating, without concerning 
 himfelf any farther about it, as we can 
 well fuppofe. 
 
 . 19. Laftlv, Thofe who are willing to 
 think this an Interpolation, contend, that 
 there is a perfeft Connedion betwixt that 
 which go's before it, and that which fol- 
 lows* that this is a plain Interruption of 
 the thread of the Hiftory, and therefore 
 is defervedly to be rejefted as falfe and 
 fpurious-, which if at prefent we grant j 
 was there never any Author who inferted 
 an Account that was foreign to his Ht- 
 ftory, into the Body of it, where the Oc- 
 currence was worthy a Remark, and of 
 importance, and it had been a fault to 
 omit it, and which happen'd in the time 
 of which he was treating? If there has 
 been fuch a Cafe, why may not that be 
 the prefent ? If not, it will be very un- 
 fortunate to them who deny it, that in 
 the very next words to thofe, which are 
 now contefted, there is fuch a Cafe. 
 
 For the Story of ^Paulina and the Priefts 
 of I/is, which is immediately confequent 
 upon the Defcription of our Lord, do's 
 entirely interrupt the courfe of the Jewijh 
 Memoirs, and is only uflier'd in, as havin 
 its date about the fame Time. Koj
 
 A Vemanjhatton of the Divinity 
 
 TOVS StsS, 3 'ZZ TO 
 
 TO of 'PQ[j.y -TT^Jetf ou%vvv Or*. 
 
 wlvj^oivutn, &c. About the fame 
 Time , he tells us, f#v x 1 ^/ another un- 
 happy thing, which troubled and perplexed 
 the Jews, **/ w^/? Jhameful and 'villanous 
 Practices were difcoverd at the Temple 
 of Ids in Rome : he adds, that he Jhall 
 frft fpeak of the abominable Attion of the 
 friefts ffflds, and then return to give an 
 account of that which was another embar- 
 rafment ofthe]wifa Affairs. Here it is 
 plain, that the matter of the Priefts of 
 Ifis at Rome, was no way connected either 
 with the Sedition of the Jews, upon !P/'- 
 late's defigning to make an Aquaduftj 
 which precedes the Character and De- 
 fcriptionof our Saviour', or with the yew 
 at Rome, who fee up for an Interpreter 
 of the Law, and by that means cheated 
 his Profelyte Fufaia, a Roman Matron, of 
 a confiderable fum of Money, under a Pre- 
 tence of fending it as an Offering to the 
 Temple j which was what gave fuch a per- 
 plexity ^to the Jews, as being the occafion 
 of their Difgrace and Baniftiment, and 
 which follows the Story of the Pried s of 
 I/is: If therefore here is a plain Account 
 inferted, which has no other Relation to 
 the foregoing and following parts of the 
 Hiftory, than that, of falling out about 
 
 the
 
 of the Chriilun Religion. p ^ 
 
 the fame Time > fupppfing there was 'no 
 Connexion betwixt the Chara&er of our 
 Lordt and that which go's before, orfuc-. 
 ceeds it; Why has it not as juft a Claim 
 to (land in the Hiftory of Jofepkus^ as a 
 Genuine part of it, as the Account of 
 Paulina and the Priefts of I/is> when, in. 
 the prefent Suppofition, they are equally 
 upon the fame bottom, and are intro- 
 duc'd with much the fame Reafon, name- 
 ly, their being Tranfaftions of thofe 
 Times, of which he then writ? 
 
 . 20. 2fyy If nothing, however, will 
 ferve in a Hiftory, unlefs things are link'd 
 together, by a certain kind of Connection 
 and Dependance upon one another, which 
 feems to be rather the property of Ar- 
 gumentthanHzjtory, we have alib that at 
 hand to juftify the Truth and Genuinefs 
 of this Paflage-, that it is joyn'd with 
 what go's before, is not only manifeft from 
 the x : &: T7oV TBX ^cW, about this Time* 
 which (tho'in Annals, and the Memorials 
 of things, it be the only Connexion requi- 
 fite) we (hall not now infill on , it is like- 
 wifeevidcnt from the Defign of this Chap- 
 ter, which recounts two Seditions of the 
 Jews before, and as Jofephus bad not 
 profcfs'd himfelf a Chnftian, it was na- 
 tural for him, when he confider'd the 
 iliocks and violest Concufllons in the
 
 5> 4 A Demonflration of the Divinity 
 
 Jewifh Polity, to be carry'd in his 
 Thoughts to that which gave it a great- 
 er difturbance, than any other Defection 
 or Revolt in it, the Rife and Progrefs of 
 Chriflianity j and which tho' he cou'd not 
 fully approve, the Faith and Integrity of 
 an Hiftorian, yet led him to give a juft 
 Character of its Author, and the Impor- 
 tant Reafons of the Se6t of Chriftians 
 prevailing, to the prejudice of his own 
 Religion! and that of his Country. 
 
 . 21. Tis like wife connefted with that 
 which follows in the Jewi/h Hiftory, 
 where he fays, r \jzw Tas aurss X& v ** s e*n- 
 ov IT Sww e9ogu&j T8$ 'le^fa?, there were 
 fome great mortifications to the Jcwijh 
 State he had already mentioned, the En- 
 croachments and Ufurpations of Pilate 
 upon their Religion and Liberties , and 
 the Seditions confequent upon them, af- 
 ter that, the Prolelytes Chriftianity and 
 its great Author had made from them* 
 and now e-rcgcir n Juvov) another fad calamity 
 fucceeded, like one Evil upon the neck 
 of another, the Banimment of the Jews* 
 and their total Expulfion from Rome-, fo 
 that there feems to be painted out to us 
 a Natural, as well as Gradual Series of 
 AfHi&ions falling upon the Jews> and fo 
 defignd and contriv'd by this Accurate 
 Hiftorian: F/r/?, An Infringement of 
 
 their
 
 of the Cbriftian Religion. 9 5 
 
 their Liberties, and a manifeft Affront and 
 Contempt offer'd to their Religion,by "Pi- 
 late > then a new Religion advanc'd in 
 oppofition to it, which feem'd to carry 
 feveral Characters of Divinity in it ; and 
 after all, to compleat their Misfortune, by 
 an unlucky Accident, and upon the ac- 
 count of three or four 111- men amongft 
 them, they were fall'n under the Difplea*- 
 fure of thcEtnperor, and that Power which 
 was only able to fupport them, by being 
 banifb'd out of Rome, and fent to ferve 
 in the Roman Armies. 
 
 .21. But, laftly, there is ftill farther a 
 Relation betwixt this Paffage concern- 
 ing our Lord-> and the Account of the 
 Priefts of I/zs> which immediately fol- 
 lows; for it is obfervable, that Jofephtts 
 introduces the Firft with w& rS-rot TO* 
 V > but the Second with f \_^ TS$ ccw- 
 v ** s > nothing therefore feems more 
 reafonable than to fuppofe, that the Hi- 
 ftorian meant by the fame time^ or the 
 O.UTBJ sggctas, that which he had particu- 
 larly fpecify'd before by the *& TSTOV r 
 X%'v v > and confequently that the Expref- 
 fion in the latter Account, is relative to, 
 and therefore a j unification of the former -, 
 let this, notwithstanding, be as it will, 
 there is fufficient reaibn to think, with- 
 out any fuch additional Proof, that this 
 
 Paf-
 
 $ 6 A Vemonflration of the Divinity 
 Pafiage of Jofephus is not forg'd, but 
 that it has all the Marks and Charafters 
 of its being as Genuine, as any other Place 
 in the fame Author. 
 
 $.22. Fourthly ', Our laft Argument for 
 the Veracity of the Holy Writings, is, 
 from the pretended Miracles of Simon 
 Magus and Apollonius Tyanxus ; that they 
 were not true ones is evident, the firit 
 from St. Ignatius, in his Epiftle to the 
 Trallians, who calls him the Firft-born of 
 Satan , and who therefore cou'd not be 
 fuppos'd to believe him any other than 
 an Jmpoftorj but St. Ignatius was un- 
 doubtedly a good Evidence in the cafe, 
 who liv'd in the fame Time, and fuffer'd 
 Martyrdom in this Faith and Belief, fince 
 he dy'd for the Teftimony of Chrifty 
 againft which Simon Magus wrote his 
 Contraditi or it. As to what concerns the 
 Miracles of Apollonms Tyan<eus, befides 
 the Faliity of *em, even according to the 
 reprefentation of Philoflratus, fuch as his 
 railing one from the Dead, whom that 
 Author is not certain was fo \ and his fore- 
 telling the Lightning falling upon Nero's 
 Table, in the Confulfhip of Telefinus -, 
 which from the Teftimony of Tacitus, 
 fell fix Years before this Famous Predi- 
 ction, by .which Accounts we may guefs 
 at the reftj bepdes this, I fay, it is ea-
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. <> 7 
 fy to imagine the meaning of all thefe 
 t iftions. 
 
 . 23. For had our EleffedLord never 
 appear'd in the World, and wrought thofe 
 Wonders', which drew fuch multitudes of 
 Jews and Heathens after Him, we may 
 rationally believe, there never wou'd have 
 been either of thefe two Deceivers : Simon 
 Magus, it is moft demonftrable, had a par ti- 
 cularEye to our Saviour* in affirming him- 
 felf to be God the Father in one place, 
 in another to be C^r//?,and in a third the 
 Holy Ghofl , and in order to juftify this 
 Charafter, pretended to work Miracles -, 
 Chrifttanity began now every where to be 
 propagated, by the Force of its Evidence, 
 and to bear down all Oppofition againft 
 it: This incens'd the Jews, no queltion, 
 and it was therefore high time for them, 
 and the Samaritans, one of whom Simon 
 Magus was> to joyn, if poflible, in over- 
 turning it-, not only by Perfecutions, but 
 by Abetting any Impoftor that fhou'd fee 
 up in Contradiction to the Chriftian Faith, 
 and upon this account it probably is, that 
 we find Cerinthusy a Difciple of Simon 
 Magus, fo ftrenuoufly vindicating the 
 Non-Admiilion of the Gentiles into the 
 Church, againft St. Peter, and the Circum- 
 cifion of the Je-^s againft Barnabas and 
 Paul. 
 
 G .24,
 
 5> 8 A Demonjlration of the Divinity 
 
 . 24. This is farther confirm'd from 
 Apollonius Tyanteus -, for when Chriftiam- 
 ty had not only fhook the Foundations of 
 Judaifm^ but was found to ftrike at the 
 very Heart of the Tagan Worfhip? when 
 the Great DIANA of the Ephefians was 
 in danger, and the Temples of the Hea- 
 then 'Deities feem'd to be in a tottering 
 State, and thofe who ferv'd in them likely 
 to lofe their Employment and Gain , then 
 it was thataPhilofopher, a 'Pythagorean** 
 was every where celebrated for a Miracu- 
 lous Perfon, who cou'd do more than 
 all the Predeceflbrs in his Set, or the 
 Founder of it, had ever done-, and the 
 Railing the Dead, and Working other 
 flrange matters, was a thing common and 
 eafy to him: Again, whereas the Wifeft 
 Men, that went before him, mt\\z ( Pytha- 
 gorick Principles, cou'd draw nothing 
 from 'em -, unlefs perhaps fome probable 
 Conje&ures, at the Reafons and Caufes 
 of things j he, it feems, faw and fpoke of 
 the Death ofDomitianatEp/jefus, at the 
 fame time that it happen'd in Rome -, and, 
 which is the moft wonderful of all, left 
 he fhou'd want any Qualification to make 
 him truly prodigious, he underllood the 
 Language of Birds. It is indeed too ma- 
 nifeit, from his being fo highly careiVd 
 by the Heathen Emperor, by the Conful 
 by the parallel drawn betwixt 
 
 him
 
 of the Cliriftian Religion. 9 9 
 him and our Saviour, and his being pre- 
 fer'd to him by Hierocles, and from the 
 other Circumltances, which are related 
 concerning him, that all this was nothing 
 more, than a Contrivance of the Trie/Is 
 and Philofophers, to oppofe Chriflianitv* 
 and the Divine Author of it. For I wou'd 
 fain ask, Suppofing our Saviour had not 
 been, whether ever we had heard of Ty- 
 an<eus? And the fame may be faid of 
 Vefpajiaris Miracles, and thofe others, 
 which were trumpt up in that Time, na- 
 mely, that they were the weak and laft Ef- 
 forts of Paganifm againft Chriftianity, 
 till it had recourfe to the more violent 
 Methods of Perfecution, and the moft 
 Unheard of Barbarities. 
 
 . 25-. This Conclufion then we may 
 fairly deduce from thefe two Impoftors, 
 That fince they pretended to work the 
 fame Miracles, which our Saviour did, 
 it is a Confeflion from them that He ei- 
 ther did, or appear'd to work thofe Mi- 
 racles, which they endeavour'd to copy 
 from Him ; and fince thefe Miracles, 
 which \vcrefalfe, have not prevaiFd upon 
 Mankind, tho' encourag'd and counte- 
 nanc'd by the 'Jr&ijh and Heathen World, 
 that our Saviours have, tho' aflerted and 
 maintained by fewer numbers, by weak 
 and defencelcfs Men, by his own Difci- 
 G 2 pies
 
 ioo A Vtmonjiration of the Divinity 
 pies and Apoftles only, is as great a Mo- 
 ral Argument as we can expert or defire 
 that they are true. 
 
 . 26. We (hall therefore now finifli 
 this great and important Subjeft, of the 
 Veracity of the Holy Writers, with our 
 moil devout Thanks to Almighty God, 
 for giving us fuch a full and compleat Evi- 
 dence of our Faith and Religion , and we 
 are to adore his good Providence, even 
 for the Enmity and Oppofition that 
 has been prabis'd agatnft it, by the word 
 of Men> by the Emifiaries and Fir ft -born 
 of Satan. It is not at all unlikely but in 
 thole early Times, when thefe Impojlors 
 and Hereticks every where in felted the 
 Church of Chrifl^ that good Men might 
 have feveral Doubts and Scruples upon 
 them 9 about the Methods which God 
 was pleas'dtomakeufeof, in Eftablifhing 
 his own Worfliipj it wou'd feemtothem 
 very ftrange and unaccountable, how Di(- 
 fentions from it, Perfections of it> and ap- 
 parent and open Contradictions to it* 
 ihou'd be a means offctl-ing it upon fure 
 and lading Foundations > but GOD'S 
 Ways are unfearchable to us , who have 
 only juft a prcfent profpeft of things - y 
 thofe Difficulties with which they wreft- 
 Jed, and the Divine intention of which 
 they cou'd not then folve, now that they 
 
 are
 
 of the Chriftian Religion, i o i 
 
 are furmounted, are powerful Arguments 
 for our convi&ion, and fuch which can't 
 but perpetuate the Faith in the ever Blef- 
 ied jfefhs-) and our mod Holy Religion to 
 all enfuing Ages. 
 
 D 1 S C OU R S E VI. 
 
 i Tim. 3. i <T 3 17. 
 
 . I./^AN we with plcafure enough, 
 V_^ for give me leave to begin this 
 farther Difcourfe upon fo Divine an Ar- 
 gument, with fomefortof Extafy, can we 
 with aj/?and becoming Satisfaction reflect 
 upon the ftrong and invincible Evidence, 
 which it has pleas'dy//w//2// God to afford 
 us for the Veracity and Truth of the Holy 
 Scriptures, thofe Writings, which of all 
 others do certainly propofetoiisthemoft 
 folid Foundations of Comfort and Joy, 
 namely, our own Immortality, and the 
 mod Blifsfulone that we can imagine, up- 
 on the ilender, or rather the happy Condi- 
 tions of our Piety and Obedience? And 
 which are fo well attcfted to us on all 
 hands, that no Hiftory whatfoever has 
 the like Marks and Chai afters of its (in- 
 cerity, comes (ounivcrfally acknowledg'd 
 by all Ages, has been tranfmitttd down 
 G 3 with
 
 j o z A Vemonftration of the Divinity 
 with fo many Eyes upon it, and with 
 fuch a Moral Impoflibility of its being 
 falfify'dj as the Sacred one which we de- 
 fend : and if Ib, how truly may we fay, 
 if we look on the Tenour and Import of 
 thefe WritingS5 that All Scripture is given 
 by Infpiration of God. 
 
 . i. 'Tis the general Opinion indeed, 
 that this refers to the Pen men of the 
 Old Teftament, but no Reafon has been 
 hitherto given, why it fliou'd not likewife 
 refpect fome part of the New -, & parti- 
 cularly fome, as there were fcveral in thofe 
 Times of the Evange lick Hiftories-, efpe- 
 cially fince this very Apoftle, as St. Igna- 
 tius after him, fpeaking of the Sacred Ca- 
 non, fo St.'Paulin like Terms, fays, We 
 are built upon the Trophets^nd Apoflles - 3 
 and that God had given fome Prophets, and 
 fome Evangelifts, andTeachers^for the per- 
 feffing of the Saint s, for the Edification 
 of the Body ofChri/l ; to which if we add, 
 that this Epiftle is by all confefs'd, to be 
 written after many others, which are re- 
 ceiv'd as Canonical by the Chriftian 
 Church, as well as three Gofpeh at leaft, 
 and that St. 'Peter, in his Catholick one, 
 mentions St. ?W's-, I fay, it is reafona- 
 ble to think, St. Taut had not only a re- 
 gard to the infpirations of the Prophets, 
 but of the Evangelifts and Apoftles alfo.
 
 of the Chriftian Religion, i o 3 
 
 I wou'd nor, however, be here miftaken, 
 we do nor> nor have not made choice of 
 thefe Words, ro prove from thence the 
 Sacredneis of the Holy Writings, we de- 
 pend upon a furer and more certain Te- , 
 jtimony , and as we have endeavour' d to 
 evince the Veracity -> we mall now proceed 
 to evidence the ^Divinity of them. 
 
 . 3. That the Scriptures, and the Do- 
 ctrine they contain, come from GODJ 
 that is, that the Chriftian Religion is no 
 Humane inftiturion, but had its Kile from 
 the Divine Author of AH Things, is ma- 
 nifeft on feveral Accounts. Fir/), Becaufe 
 the Scriptures themfelves affirm it, which 
 we have already (hewn to be true, be- 
 condly* Becaufe the Genius and Temper of 
 Chriftianity is fuch, that no other but an 
 Infinitely good and All-wife Heing cou'd 
 offer to us fuch Great and Noble Princi- 
 ples, as thofe which it injoyns. Thirdly, 
 Becaufe it was propagated and confirm'd 
 by thofe Miraculous Powers, which it was 
 impoflible for any one to have, unlefs by 
 an immediate Derivation from GOD Him- 
 ielf. And Laftly, it is evident from that 
 Wonderful Providence, which was ob- 
 fervablein the iurprizing Progrefs of the 
 Gofpel, without any Humane Means or 
 A (11 fiance that was in the lead equal 
 to the Effect which was produc'd, the 
 G 4. Con-
 
 i c 4 A Demonflration of the Divinity 
 Convention in a manner of the whole 
 World. 
 
 . 4. And Fir ft> The Scriptures are very 
 full and exprefs, in aflerting the 'Divinity 
 of that Doclrine, which they propound 
 to our Belief. The Chriftian Difpen&tion 
 is cali'd the Kingdom of Heaven, and the 
 Kingdom of God; Repent-) for the King- 
 dom of Heaven is at hand. And in ano- 
 ther place. But now is the Kingdom of 
 God come unto you. In the 8 Chapter of 
 St.John 40 Verfe, But noun you feek to kill 
 me-t a Man that hath told you the Truthy 
 which I have heard of God-, this did not 
 Abraham. And in the fi Verfe, Jefus 
 faid unto them, If God vjtre your Father, 
 ye woitd love me<> for I proceeded forth and 
 came from God. And in* the 46 and 47 
 Verfcs, If 1 fay the Truth, why do ye not 
 believe me ? He that is of God) heareth 
 God's Words -, ye therefore hear them not^ 
 becaufe ye are not of God. It wou'd be in- 
 finite to multiply all the Citations from 
 the Scriptures, which agree in the fame 
 Affirmations; fince therefore it has been 
 prov'd, that the Scriptures are True 
 Memorials of our Elejfed Lord's Life, 
 and the ^Difcipline He inftituted and 
 preach'd -, and fmce it is farther plain from 
 them, that what he Taught and Publifh'd 
 to the World was from GOD, it is a ne- 
 ceflary Confequence, that what they com- 
 prehend
 
 of the Chriftian Religion, i o 5 
 prebend is fo likewife j that the Contents 
 and Matter of them are of 'Divine In- 
 fpiration, and owe their Original to the 
 Sovereign Being of the Univerfe. 
 
 . f. And this we may fay, abftradhng 
 from the Jnfpirations of the Holy Eyan- 
 gelifts and Apoftles-, for tho' they fhou'd 
 be granted to write, without any parti- 
 cular Afliftances from the Spirit of GOD, 
 and fiiou'd beplac'd in the Rank of Com- 
 mon and Ordinary Hiftorians> this wou'd 
 not yet in the lead diminifh or derogate 
 from the Sacred Authority of the Scrip- 
 tures-, they Hill wou'd maintain the Vene- 
 rablenefs of their Charader, as coming 
 from GOD, tho' communicated and de- 
 liver'd to Men in a Humane way, and by 
 the fame Methods, as other Commenta- 
 ries and Writings of a Civil and Tempo- 
 ral Composition 5 which we the more wil- 
 lingly mention, to (hew, that there is no- 
 thing mo:e requifite to convince us of the 
 'Divinity of the Scriptures, than the bare 
 acknowledgment of the Truth of them 5 
 and thofe who deny the latter, muft at 
 the fame time renounce the Belief of a 
 Propofition, which as we have already 
 evinc'd, has as many Moral Arguments 
 for its certainty* as that there was ever 
 fuch a State as Athens or Sparta, or fuch 
 a War as the Teloponejian, or fuch an Hi- 
 ftorian as Tbuc)dides. . $.
 
 i o 6 A Demonftration of the Divinity 
 
 . 6. Nor yet, if that were neceflary, do 
 we want a fumcient and ample Convi&ion 
 of the Infpirations of the Blefled Pen- 
 men of thefe Books 5 St. Matthew fays, 
 in the laft Charge, which our Saviour 
 us'd to his Difciples, in which he gave it 
 in his Inftruftions to them, To teach all 
 Nat ions Jo obferve whatfoe-ver he had com- 
 manded them*, that he aflur'd them, he 
 wou'd be with them to the end of the 
 world. St. Mark tells us, that according- 
 ly theTtifciples went forth, and preach' d 
 every where-) the Lord working wit hthem y 
 T Kud/'s aiinpywl; which muft be by his 
 Spirit, and confirming the Word with Signs 
 following : St. Luke^ that he opened their 
 Under ft andingi that they might underftand 
 the Scriptures ; and gave them a Promife 
 of a Supernatural Affiftance from the Fa- 
 ther: St. John, as an earned of this, that 
 he breathed on them, and f aid unto them<> 
 Receive the Holy Ghofl. And in the AEts 
 we have a full and perfect account, of the 
 wonderful Accomplishment, of what had 
 been fo punctually foretold to them > and 
 There appear d unto them cloven Tongue 'j, 
 like as of fire > and it fat upon each ofthem> 
 and they were attfittd with the Holy Ghojt, 
 and began to {peak with other Tongues as 
 the Spirit gave them utterance. St. Paul 
 afliires us, he came not behind the other 
 Apoftles-y that \izjpake with more Tongues 
 
 than
 
 of the Chrifiinn Religion. 1 07 
 than they all j and that him (elf alfo had 
 the Spirit of God. So that there cannot be 
 any Scruple concerning the actual infpi- 
 rations of the Holy Apodlesj the only 
 difficulty is, what the Nature and Manner 
 of 'em was, how far they extended-* and in 
 what Senfe they ought to be apply'd to 
 the Holy Scriptures -, thefe are real Pro* 
 blems in Divinity, and deferve our great- 
 eft Caution, as well as our beft Attention 
 to explain. 
 
 $.7. As to the Nature and Manner of 
 thefe Infpirations, it is very probable they 
 were by a 'Divine afflatus*, fo it feems to 
 be dcfcrib'd in the Afls, and Suddenly 
 there came a found from Heaven^ as of a 
 rujhing mighty wind) and it flfd all the 
 Houfe where they were fitting. Nor is it 
 at all unbecoming the Majefty of GOD to 
 illuminate Mcns Minds, with the excellent 
 Truths of Christianity, by the fame Me- 
 thods j by which he firft brought Light 
 into the World, to produce a new Order 
 and Oeconomy in the Animal Creation, 
 by the like Meaiures which he took in 
 actuating and informing the Material; 
 For when the Earth was without form 
 and void-* and darknefs was upon the face 
 of the Tteep) the Spirit^ or as the Original 
 ilgnifiesj the Wind of God movd upon 
 the face of the Waters , and God faid, 
 
 Let
 
 i o 8 A Demonjlration of the Divinity 
 Let there he Light , and there was Light. 
 
 . 8< Thus we find in the 19 Chapter 
 of the Firft Book of Kings y that a great 
 and flrong Wind ufher'd in the preience 
 of GOD> when he fpake to Elijah, and 
 gave him that remarkable Commifllon of 
 appointing a King over his own People, 
 as well as a Gentile one, namely, Ha&ael 
 over Syria-, and Elijha to be a Prophet in 
 his room. It is therefore not abfurd to 
 fuppofe the great tmbaffy, on which the 
 Appftles of our Lord were to go, and by 
 which they were authoriz'd to make 
 Kings and Priefts unto GOD, both amongft 
 Jews and Gentiles, and to infhrute thofe 
 who fliou'd (ucceed them in that Office, 
 It isjuft to believe that fuch a Metfage, 
 as it did not fall (bort of Elijah's in the 
 Dignity and Importance of it; fo that it 
 wou'd be confirm'd and appropriated to 
 them in as folemn a manner, and by much 
 the fame Divine Procedure. 
 
 . 9. And that which dill makes this 
 die more conclufive, is, that the Heathen 
 Oracles^ if we may depend upon any Ac- 
 counts of 'em , from 'Diodorits and 'Plu- 
 tarch, were communicated to'the Tythiz 
 in the fame way ; from whence it is evi- 
 dent, that not only thofe 'Demons made 
 the Divine Infpiradons the Mesfure and 
 
 Pattern
 
 of the Chriftian Religion, i o <? 
 Pattern of their own, but that Mankind 
 h,is likewife thought an Afflatus the mod 
 Natural Medium, by which one Spirit has, 
 as it were, an Intercourfe and Correfpon- 
 dence with another. For bcfides, let us 
 reflct on thofe Means, which we our 
 felves make ufe of, to explain our own 
 Thoughts and Intentions to thofe Beings 
 which are diftinft from us, is it not done 
 by a particular Direction of the s_;Ether 9 
 from the Voice, or the more filent Im- 
 prefllons of the Hand, the Eye, or any 
 other Motion, by which we chufe to fig- 
 nify our Pleafure or Defigns? And may 
 we not, or rather muft we not imagine, 
 that an Infinite and All-powerful Being 
 can give fuch a certain Motion to the Air, 
 or thofe minute and fubtile Bodies which 
 furrouns us, as (hall infufeorinfpire into 
 us thofe Apprehenfions of things, which 
 he intends we fliou'd have, and upon ex- 
 traordinary occaflons, as this was one, 
 the Reformation of the whole World, he 
 is determin'd we lhall receive? 
 
 . 10. This do's not feem to contradifl 
 the mod Natural Notions which Thilo- 
 fophy has hitherto advanc'd , and there- 
 fore thofe who have a more fme,ular ref- 
 pet and efteem for that Science* may ve- 
 ry rationally acquicfce in the prdcnt Ac- 
 count which has been given j \ve wou'd 
 
 not,
 
 i r o A Demonftratlon of the Divinity 
 
 not, however, be yet thought to confine 
 the Aftionsof the Deity to our own Ex- 
 pliinati ons, God's ways are not as our ways* 
 and there may be other Methods tlian 
 \vhat finite Creatures can comprehend in 
 his Dealings with us ; let us therefore with 
 an humble Reverence own, that as it is 
 Matter of Fat there were Inspirations, 
 fo it is no more neceflary to give a Mecha- 
 nical account of 'em, in order to afcer- 
 tain their being at all, than it is requifite 
 to the Exiftence of a Plant or a Tree, to 
 give the juft and uncontefled Laws of its 
 vegetation, which the beft Inquirers into 
 Nature have not yet done. 
 
 $.11. The next thing to be examin'd 
 into, is, the Extent of the Divine Infpi- 
 rations, which in refpecl: of the Perfons 
 to whom they were imparted, were cer- 
 tain and univerfal, but in refpe& of the 
 Quality and Degree of 'em, limited and 
 various j as to the Quality of thefe Gifts, 
 To one was given the Word of Wtfdom* to 
 another the Word of Knowledge ', to another 
 Faithjo another the Gifts of Healing Jo an- 
 other the Working of Miracles, to another 
 Prophecy jo anotherT)ifceming of Spirits Jo 
 another divers kinds of Tongues* to another 
 the Interpretation of Tongues* and all thefe* 
 as the Apoftle fays, were wrought by the 
 j elf fame Spirit* dividing them to 'every 
 
 Man
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 1 1 
 
 Man federally * as he pleas d. What the 
 Nature of thefe particular Gifts were, 
 we (hall make it our Bufmefs to examine, 
 when we come to give an Expofition of 
 them ; and in general we may fay, that 
 they feem to be fuch, as were many of 
 them attainable, in fbme meafure, by our 
 own Natural Abilities, as that of Speaking 
 and Interpreting different Languages, that 
 of Wijdom and Knowledge -, *Difcerning of 
 Spirit s-t Healing 1)ifeafes y &c. This is 
 evident from St. 'Patt/, in his firft Epiftle 
 to the Corinthians , where fpcaking of 
 them, he fays, But covet earneftly the beft 
 Gifts-) and yet jhew I to you a more excel- 
 lent way : By which it is plain, that, in 
 fome degree, it was in their own Power 
 to determine themfelves to this or that 
 particular Acquifition. 
 
 . 12. But as their Application to one 
 kind of Perfe&ion in the Chriftian 
 Church, might be of fervice to the At- 
 tainment of it, yet that Knowledge of 
 Tongues > or of Men* or the ^Diftempers in- 
 cident to them, which they cou'd acquire 
 by the ufc of their Faculties, wasextrearn- 
 ly difproportion'd to that which their In- 
 f pirations gave 'em j that is, tho' the 'Pri- 
 mitive Chrtftians towards the latter end 
 of the Apoftolical Age, did probably make 
 ufe of Means to the obtaining ot thofe 
 
 Ends,
 
 1 1 2. A Vemonflration of the Divinity 
 Ends, or thofe Endowments, which might 
 promote Religion ; yet the Etfeds of their 
 Induftry and Zeal, fell infinitely fliort of 
 thofe which were produc'd from the In- 
 fluence of the Divine Afflatus. 
 
 . 13. And this (hews the Wifdom of 
 Almighty God, in his Infpirations of Men, 
 that they were, in many cafesjeft to the ufe 
 of their own Freedom, whit h he wou'd not 
 create to be annull'd, win 111 they were on- 
 ly aflifted by a Divine Energy, fo far as 
 to make the Faculties of their Under- 
 flanding more lively and vigorous, and 
 yet fubjedt and obedient to their Wills. 
 As for the Raijlng the ^Dead, and feveral 
 other Miracles, which were wrought by 
 the Firft Chnftians, and the Primary Ef- 
 fufions of the Holy Ghojl<> they were un- 
 deniable Inftances of a Supreme and So- 
 vereign Power, and cou'd have no fha- 
 dow of the leaft Humane concurrence in 
 them ; but afterwards it is not impoilible, 
 but there might be, which was agreeable 
 to the wife Difpofai of that Hoi} Spirit* 
 from whence all thefe Gifts were dcriv'd, 
 that as thofe Perfons which It infpir'd, 
 were left to their own Liberty, in choofing 
 that way in which they expeded the more 
 particular Aflillances'of the 'Deity, fo it 
 might appear 5 that thefe extraordinary 
 Operations, upon the Minds of the Di- 
 
 fciples,
 
 of tie Chriftian Religion. 1 1 $ 
 
 fciples, were product by an Almighty 
 Energy, the fame which enabled them 
 to caft out Devils, and to raife the Dead : 
 By which means GOD was pleas'd at once 
 to demonftrate, how defirous he was of 
 ading with us according to our Natures, 
 and how fuch a Condefcenfion, notwith- 
 /landing, was reconcileable and confident 
 with the Majefty and Dignity of his own. 
 
 . 14. From this Account, it is alfoeafy 
 to infer the difference in Quality and De- 
 gree of the Primitive Infpirations -, for 
 otherwife, flnce all were wrought by the 
 fame Spirit,ho\v (hou'd it come to pafs thac 
 one Chriftian exceeded another in the 
 fame kind of Excellencies 5 as St.Taut iri 
 the multitude of Tongues which he (pake.* 
 The reafon of which might, in all likeli- 
 hood, depend not only on the Will 
 and Pleafure of the Infpirer, who diftri- 
 buted his Spirit in what Proportion he 
 pleas'd, or found meet and neceflary for 
 the End he propos'd, the Propagation of 
 Religion ; but likewifeon the Capacity and 
 the peculiar Genius and Faculties of the 
 Infpir'd, and their various Applications to 
 the acquiring thofe Gifts, of which they 
 were ambitious > we yet propofe this with 
 that Diftruft, and that becoming Submif- 
 fion, which is due in fuch Pundual and 
 Critical cafes as thefe are. 
 
 H tf.Jf,
 
 ii4 A Demonftration of tie Divinity 
 
 . 15. Notwithftanding, however va- 
 rious and confin'd thefe Infpirations were 
 in refpeft of their Quality, it is plain 
 they were yet univerfal, in refpeb of 
 the Perfons, to whom they were com- 
 municated. Thus it is faid in the fe- 
 cond Chapter of the A5ls-> And there ap- 
 pear*d cloven Tongues as of 'foe, and it fat 
 upon each of 'em, and they were all fiWd 
 with the Holy Ghofl: So in Atts the io th , 
 Wlile Teter'yetfpake, the Holy Ghofl feU 
 on all them 'which heard the Word-, and 
 indeed in the very fir ft Rife and Begin- 
 nings of Chriftianity, when the World lay 
 in Heathenifm and Idolatry, the Defig- 
 nation of a Chriftian was a fort of Con- 
 fecrating of him to the Sacred Employ- 
 ment of being a Preacher of Righteoufnefs 
 to it -, and therefore it was requifite each 
 fingle Perfon fhou'd be endow'd with 
 thofe Preternatural Aids, which might 
 render him capable of difcharging fo So- 
 lemn a Function ; but as the Number of 
 Profeflbrs increas'd, and that in the A- 
 poftles Days, it is as evident that there 
 were Tresbyters appointed, and Men fet 
 ,apart, and Ordaind to minifter in Holy 
 Things, amongft Chriftians themfelves, 
 who were to bear the fame Character and 
 Relation to Chriftians, which the Ori- 
 ginal Converts to Chriftianity had done to 
 thelnfidel and Unbelieving World; which 
 
 is
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 1 5 
 
 is abundantly manifeft from the EpiflTes 
 to Timothy and Titus, and the $ t}l Chapter 
 of the firft Epijtle to the Corinthians. 
 
 . 16. The laft thing to be confider'd, 
 is> in what fenfe thefc Infpirations are to 
 be applf d to the Holy Scriptures: And 
 firftj we may fay, it is not neceflary for 
 us to believe thatev'ry word and fyllable 
 in them was dictated by the Spirit of 
 GOD; for if fo, every various Reading, 
 every Omifllon, or Interpolation wou'd 
 be an Exception againft their Divinity : 
 BefideSj there are feveral Citations from 
 the Trophets and the Old Teftament j but 
 to tranfcribe one Paflage of Scripture, and 
 infert it into another, do's not feem to 
 require a Supernatural Afliftance-, 1 do 
 not mean the Application of it to the 
 convincing from thence the important 
 Do&rines of Chrifcianity; for that fome- 
 times may, we fpeak only of the bare 
 Words %.'&& Syllables which are quoted and 
 tranfcrib'd. 
 
 . 17 Farther, hncz Almighty God had 
 already infpir'd the Evangelifts and Apo- 
 flics with the Knowledge of Tongues, in 
 had been fuperfluous and needlcfs to make 
 an immediate ImprefFion upon them of eve- 
 ry word they fliou'd write, and wou'd have 
 contradifted and fuperfeded the very In- 
 H i tcntion
 
 ii6 A Demonjfration of the Divinity 
 tention of his infpiring them with that 
 Knowledge j for to what end was it, unlefs 
 that they might be capable of propagating 
 the Chriftian Religion in the World, that 
 they were endu'd with a Power of fpeaking 
 or writing in different Languages? And 
 when they were fo far qualify 'd for their Of- 
 fice, of being the Promulgers of theGofpel 
 to all Nations, what occafion was there 
 for any frelh or additional Infpirationsof 
 Language and Stile, to make what they 
 preach'd intelligible to Mankind? And 
 therefore} tho' the Primitive Chriftians 
 arriv'd at that Perfection, which they had 
 in feveral Tongues, by the immediate In- 
 fluence of GOD himfelf j yet it is juftly 
 to be prefum'd , that the peculiar Me- 
 thodsofattaming them,did no more hinder 
 them from making the fame arbitrary ufe 
 of thofe which they underftood, than if 
 they had been acquir'd in the more com- 
 mon way of Study, and by a plain Dili- 
 gence and Induftryj and confequently, 
 tho' the Language in which they writ was 
 infpir'd, yet the particular choice of the 
 Words and Proprieties in it, were left to 
 the Difcretion of the Writer: and from 
 thence it is , that we find fuch a variety 
 and Diftinr.ion in the Phrafes and Ex- 
 prefllons of the Holy Pen-men, accord- 
 ing to their feveral Genius's and Com- 
 plexions, as betwixt thofe of St. Luke and 
 
 Sr.
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 1 7 
 
 St. John* and betwixt tbofe of St. *Paul 
 and St. James, and the reft, which cou'd 
 not be otherwife well accounted for. 
 
 . 1 8. And as the particular Stile, fo 
 the Method of thefe Writings, feems 
 to be refign'd to the Will and Pleafu/e, 
 or the Natural Faculties and Powers of 
 the Compilers of them 5 fince nothing 
 of this enter'd into the main Defign of 
 Religion, its general Reception by Man- 
 kind : for if Matters of Fa6r, and the Mi- 
 racles were true, which were deliver'd in 
 them, it was not of the lead importance 
 to recount them in the exaft order in 
 which they were done, it might beat the 
 liberty of the Evangelift, as his own Me- 
 mory or Abilities fuggefted, to give the 
 World a Relation of them. 
 
 . 19. But then this was necefiary in 
 thelnfpirationsof the Holy Writers, that 
 as they fhou'd be furmfli'd with Language 
 to exprefs their Knowledge, fo likewiie 
 that they fhou'd not want that Know- 
 ledge which they fhou'd exprefs, both of 
 the Efiential Doctrines and Myfteries of 
 Chriftianity , this Infpiration we may be 
 aflur'd they had in the higheft and utmoft 
 Perfetion, and thofe who had a Promiic 
 from our Bleffed Saviour, that they fhou'd 
 b: led into all Truth ^ by the Holy Spirit, 
 H 3 which
 
 j 1 8 A Demonjlr^tlon of the Divinity 
 
 which was to guide them, cou'd not be 
 capable of falling into the leaft Error, in 
 any of the Precepts which they propound- 
 ed for our Practice, or in any of the Ar- 
 ticles of Faith, which they oflfer'd to our 
 Belief-, or laftly, in any of the Actions 
 or Miracles of our Saviattr, which were 
 wrought to confirm us in the one, or in- 
 duce us to the other. 
 
 . 20. We fliou'd now proceed to the 
 fccond Argument for the 'Divinity of the 
 Scriptures, namely, from the Excellent 
 Temper and Doctrine they contain, which 
 is above any thing Humane Reafon cou'd 
 invent j and yet when known and confi- 
 der'd, the mod agreeable to it, but of this 
 in the following Difcourfe. Let us (till, 
 however, conclude with abundant thanks 
 to Almighty God for this Evidence, and 
 .pray, that as this ought to be convincing 
 -to us, fo he will pleaie of his infinite Grace 
 to make the fucceeding ones effectual to 
 that End. 
 
 Dis-
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 1 5? 
 DISCOURSE VII. 
 
 2. Tim. 3 . 16,17. 
 
 $.i.nr^HE fecond Argument we pro- 
 pos'd, to prove the 'Divinity of 
 the Holy Scriptures from, was after the 
 Afcertaining their Veracity^ and the In- 
 fpirations confequent upon the Acknow- 
 ledgment of it; the Genius and Temper of 
 the Dodrines they advance, which thd' 
 agreeable to Reafon, yet we faid were fuch 
 as no Humane Faculties cou'd arrive to. 
 
 $.1. It will perhaps be necefiary to ex- 
 plain what I mean by that Diftin&ion ; 
 which is onJy this, that as even in Natu- 
 ral Sciences, Men may be able to com- 
 prehend a Demonftration, which they had 
 neither the Application nor Sagacity to 
 find out, fo in Religion, there may be thofe 
 Proportions in it, whofe Truth when 
 difcover'd and reveal'd, may feem plain 
 and obvious to conceive-, and yet had we 
 been left to our felves, and to the pur- 
 fuitof our own unafiifted Reafonings, we 
 might poflibly have never attain'd : And 
 if we ferioufly refledr. upon the Precepts 
 of the Gofpel, we mail be oblig'd to con- 
 fefs very evident footfteps of a Reafon 
 fuperiour to any thing, which can be 
 H 4 call'd
 
 1 1, o A Demonftration of the Divinity 
 call'd Humane. That there is a great, and 
 Divine Senfe in them , beyond what we 
 can with juftice fuppofe, Man confider'd 
 in himfelfj was capable of fuggefting to the 
 World. We (hall inftance in two Particu- 
 lars only* tho' feveral others might be al- 
 ledg'd -, the one concerns our Faith, and 
 the other our Practice, and which make 
 up the Sum and Eflence of Chriftianity 
 as diftinguifh'd from all Religions Man- 
 kind has hitherto embrac'd. 
 
 . $. The firft, is the Satisfaction of 
 Chrift for the Sins of the whole World, 
 in the Redemption of it? by his Death and 
 Refurrection j and the fecond, that Uni- 
 verfalznd T>ifintercfted Love> even of our 
 Enemies, which is enjoyn'd us by it: Re- 
 ligion always affirm'd (under different De- 
 nominations indeed,) a Wife and Sove- 
 reign Difpofer of all thingSj and that this 
 Almighty Being was infinitely juft and 
 good , that he had an abhorrence and ne- 
 ceflTary deteftation of every thing that was 
 Evil, as contrary to the Purity and Per- 
 fection of his Nature-, this was eafy to 
 colleft from the Works of the Creation, 
 and the exact Order and Difpofition of 
 them , but here was a Difficulty to be 
 folv'd, which all the Wifdom of this 
 World cou'd not do : it was manifeft in 
 Experience, that the belt Men had very 
 
 great
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 1 1 
 great Failings and Infirmities, that they 
 were fubjeft to the Violences or the eafy 
 Impreflions of their Natures* what ex- 
 cellent Vertues they were endow'd with, 
 or even their Repentance, cou'd not make 
 amends for the Faults they committed, 
 fince it was impofTible the doing a plain 
 Duty at one time, which was requir'd from 
 us by the Law of Nature, fhou'd attone 
 for a- Duty, which we had tranfgrefs'd at 
 another,fuch aSatisfa&ion cou'd fignify no 
 more, than in our common Concerns, the 
 paying one Debt, wou'd be a difcharge for 
 a preceding. On the other hand, Almighty 
 God had created us, and fubmitted us to 
 thefe Conditions of our Being, and there- 
 fore it did not feem confident with his 
 Goodnefs to take a fevere notice of fuch 
 Crimes, which were in a great meafure 
 complexional, and yet it was unfuitable to 
 hisjuftice and his Holinefs, to connive at 
 and overlook them. 
 
 . 4. In order therefore to appeafe the 
 Divine Difpleafure,Sacrifices were thought 
 of, and other voluntary Performances 
 invented, by which it was hop'd the Deity 
 might be made propitious to us ; but >1as, 
 what cou'd all this avail ? If was notpojjtble 
 that the blood of Bulls and of Goatsjhou'd 
 take a~&ay Sins ; we offer' d no more to 
 Him, than what was already his own j For 
 
 all
 
 1 1 z A Demanjlration of the Divinity 
 all the Beafts of the Foreft were his 5 and 
 the Cattle upon a thoufand Hills, Nor 
 was there any Natural Efficacy in thefe 
 fort of Oblations, to purge or cleanfc us 
 from our Guilt* our Offences againft 
 GOD cou'd never be expiated by any Ex- 
 .ercifes of Cruelty upon our felves, or his 
 Creatures , this, mftead of wiping off our 
 former Debt to the Divine Juftice , was 
 the way to incur and contract a new. 
 
 . f. In fo dark a Maze and Perplexity 
 of things, what Human Reafon, what Wit 
 >or Contrivance or Sagacity of Man cou'd 
 .find a way to extricate the World ? That 
 Religion therefore) and thofe Scriptures, 
 ,which can give a Solution of fo mighry a 
 Difficulty, and which, when once duly 
 .confider'd, {hall be in every part agreea- 
 ble to the moft Natural Apprehenfions 
 we have of the DEITY-, we muft, we 
 cannot but confefs fuch a Syftem and Ad- 
 juftment, to be laid out and effected by 
 an All-wife Mind-, and what el(e, what 
 Jefs than this is the Myftery of our Re- 
 demption ? 
 
 .6. Mankind was continually offend- 
 ing againft the Laws of its Sovereign, to 
 have puniuYd thefe Tranfgreffions with 
 jieceflary and unavoidable Torments, had 
 been an Impeachment of the Divine 
 
 Good-
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 115 
 Goodnefs-, and to pafs them by, without 
 exprefling his Refentment of them, had 
 been an Argument of Negligence and Inju- 
 ilice: But in this merciful difpenfation of 
 fending his own SON into the \Vorld, to re- 
 deem us j we behold the Almighty Being 
 fhining in all his Majefty of Severity and 
 Compaflion, it creates fuch excellent and 
 becoming Notions of him, fo exalted and 
 fublime, that as they far exceed any which 
 Reafon only cou'd furnifti us with, fo 
 they feem to carry the Native Characters 
 of a Divine Impreflion in them : When 
 we fee the Blefled Son of G o D dying for 
 our Sins, and the Great and Sovereign 
 Lord of the Univerfe, condefcending to 
 make H i M a Sacrifice for us ; what ar- 
 dent AfTedhons, what humble Adorations, 
 what extatick Devotions do's it not in- 
 fpire ! How do we abhor, and with what 
 deteftation and regret do we look upon 
 thofe Vices and Crirges, which were the 
 occafion of fuch an~ undeferv'd conde- 
 fcenfion in Almighty God, and fuch an 
 humble Patience and Submiffion in our 
 Lord! 
 
 . 7. Again, when Almighty God dealt fo 
 feverely with his own Son for ourSins,^^ 
 Terrors and dreadful Apprehenfions do's 
 it raife in us of offending Him ! and really, 
 if we compare that pious and reverential 
 
 fenfe
 
 H4 A Demonjf ration of the Divinity 
 fenfe of a T)eity, which a good and truly 
 confederate Chrifttan has, and which the Pri- 
 mitive Ones rejoyc'd in, under the greateft 
 Sufferings and Perfecutions, and upon the 
 moft deliberate and cooleft confideration 
 of things,withthat which zbare Phtlofophy 
 imparts , the vaft difference betwixt them, 
 will give the one an Infinite Preference to 
 the other, and will make us conclude, if the 
 one is Rational, the other cannot be lefs 
 than 'Divine. 
 
 . 8. It is fomething like what we ex- 
 perience in Nature, this of the Author of 
 it; where all our abftrafted Reafonings 
 and Hypothefes about it are flat, and im- 
 print thofe Ideas of it in our Minds, which 
 are lifelefs and heavy, in refpeft of the 
 fenfible and feeling Reprefentations made 
 to us from an adual Contemplation of 
 the Divine Workmanlhip-, there is no ac- 
 count of Colours, or Heat, or Vegetation, 
 or any Affeftion of. Matter, which caufes 
 half thofe delightful and vigorous and 
 noble Senfations in us, as thofe which are 
 produc'd from our Perceptions of them, 
 and from Nafttre it felf, which is another 
 kind of Revelation of the ^Deity, and is 
 an Argument, that what proceeds from 
 GOD, may be in general thought to ftnke 
 us with a greater force and energy, than 
 any thing our Reafon can didate to us ; 
 andconfequent)y the Chriftian Religion, 
 
 whic!}
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 1 5 
 which gives us the mod ftrongandpathe- 
 tick Notions of this Sovereign Being<> is de- 
 fer vedly to be efteem'd a Divine Revelation 
 (as it imprefles the trueft and moft abfo- 
 lute fenfe) of him : for what can be more 
 agreeable, than to fuppofe a Mind in- 
 du'd with all imaginable Perfection, muft 
 be infinitely Merciful and Juft ? But 
 thefe Attributes no other Religion fo fully 
 aflerts as the Chriftian ; which is manifeit 
 from plain Matter of Faff, fince no Age 
 or Time had the like awful Fear and Re- 
 verence of the Deity on the one hand,or on 
 the other, entertain'd fuch an intenfe, fuch 
 an ardent and affedtionate Zeal for his Wor- 
 fhip and Service, as the 'Primitive ones of 
 the Gofpel did , and therefore, if we cou'd 
 prove no other way that Chriftianity gives 
 us the trued Apprehenfions of G o D, this 
 alone wou'd be a fufficient Conviction of it. 
 
 . 9. But as we before, fo we now con- 
 tend, that in Reafon and Speculation like- 
 wife, the Satisfaction of Chrift gives us 
 the cleared Notions of the moft KfTential 
 Properties of an Ail-wife and All-perfeb 
 Being, his Juftice and his Clemency : for 
 it is in vain for the Adverfaries of Chri- 
 ftianity, the Men of Reafon, or rather 
 the Pretenders to it, the Socinians, to tell 
 us, That it was either unjuft to make an 
 innocent Perfon fufter for the guilty, or 
 
 abfurd
 
 1 1 6 A Demonjtration of the Divinity 
 abfurdtQ fuppofe Almighty GWfhou'd con- 
 trive a Satisfaction to be made by Him- 
 felfj to his own Attributes. 
 
 . 10. The Fir ft is a Charge, that is 
 altogether unreafonable, fmce whatever 
 Sufferings our Saviour underwent, they 
 were voluntarily undertaken ; and where 
 there is no violence done to the Will, 
 there can no Jnjuftice enfue; or if they 
 had not been voluntary, it wou'd not have 
 been unjuft in GOD to infliftthem, feeing 
 what our Lord in his Humane Nature 
 bore with Patience and Magnanimity, was 
 infinitely rewarded, by its being united 
 to the Godhead, and the weight of thofe 
 Afflictions he felt for the Sins of Man- 
 kind, was light and incbnfiderable, com- 
 par'd with that wonderful and tranfcendent 
 Glory, to which he was adopted j or laftly, 
 had neither his Sufferings been voluntary > 
 nor yet rewarded \f inflided, there ftill had 
 beennoinjuftice in Almighty God, to de- 
 mand any Penalties he\vas pleas'd to lay up- 
 on that Humane Nature, which he had ai- 
 fum'd into his own j 'tis true, for one be- 
 ing to do a Violence or Injury to another, 
 is contrary to the Laws of Equity and 
 Reafon-, but when we confider the Hu- 
 mane Nature of our Lord., as joyn'd and 
 united to the Deity 3 what Pretence can 
 the Adverfaries of Chriftianity have to 
 
 pro-
 
 of tie Chriftian Religion. 1 1 7 
 prohibit Almighty God from aHng as arbi- 
 trarily and freely, in the Punishment or Ai> 
 flidion of it, which will not debar us from 
 the Freedom of Will, andufing any Pare 
 or Member which belongs to us at our own 
 pleafure? If the Socinians affirm) this is 
 all folv'd upon the Hypot he/is of an Union 
 of our Bleffed Saviour with the God- 
 head; we anfwer, That if they fay, I* 
 make an innocent Perfon fujfer is unjuft, 
 which is fo upon their Suppofition, and 
 we prove it is not fo upon ours^ we fliou'd 
 hope it might be an Argument to them, 1 
 to difclaim what they have fo fa-lily ef- 
 pous'd, or at lead not to prefs us with 
 Difficulties, which depend upon Princi- 
 ples we difown, and are properly of their 
 afluming, and for which therefore they, 
 not we, are accountable. 
 
 . ii. And this leads us to the Second 
 Objection, that it feems inconvenient and 
 difagreeable to after t, That Almighty God 
 fhou'd make a Satisfaction to, and from 
 Himfelf, for the Offences committed a- 
 
 ainft his own Laws-, in order to give a 
 olution of this Difficulty, we muft take 
 the fame Method as before, to (hew this 
 is no ways inconfiftent with the Ch rift tan 
 Faith, if it is with the Socinian* they 
 are to anfwer for Objections they raiie 
 againft themfelves; for, as we apprehend 
 
 it,
 
 j 1 8 A Demonjlration of tfie Divinity 
 it> we are not oblig'd to reconcile them 
 with a Dodlrine we cannot own: it will 
 be therefore juft to enquire and know, 
 what is meant by making a Satisfaction 
 to y and from Himfelf : Js Humane Nature 
 the Godhead? do's not all Mankind own 
 the difference ? do's it not acknowledge 
 an infinite difproportion betwixt the one 
 and the other ? how then, (for let us be 
 certain) how do's the "Deity affuming 
 Humane Nature to make fatisfa&ion to 
 the Deity^ infer 5 that the 'Deity without 
 fuch an Aflumption makes a fatisfadion 
 to it felfj but if the AfTumption of Hu- 
 mane Nature was necefTary and eflential 
 to this fatisfadion, and Humane Nature 
 is not the Godhead; the fatisfadion 
 which was made to the 'Divine Nature by, 
 and from the Humane was not made by, 
 and from the "Divine to its own. 
 
 . 12. 'Tis true, Almighty GWprepar'd 
 this Humane Nature of Chrift, and gave 
 and united it to his Son^ which was only 
 an Act of his own Soveraignty, as He 
 was Lord, and Creator, and Governour 
 of hisCreatures 5 and if the Adverfaries of 
 our Religion will refufe the Exercife of 
 fuch a Power to the Wife-difpofer of all 
 things, they may with an equal Modefly, 
 as they ftnke at his Authority, and the 
 high Prerogative He has over us 3 dethrone 
 
 Him
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 2, 9 
 
 Him like wife from his very Being j and, as 
 we before faid, deny us a Freedom and 
 Liberty of acting according to our own 
 Wills. 
 
 . 13. And now, where lies the Ab- 
 furdity ? The beftand moft innocent Men 
 had offended againft GOD, as our Firft 
 Parents had formerly done in Paradife, 
 the eternal Punifnment of any of thefe> 
 cou'd have only fatisfy'd for their own 
 Tranfgrefllons againft the Divine Law 5 
 and if it had not been contrary to the Ju- 
 ftice<> it wou'd fcarcely have been reconcile- 
 able with the Infinite Mercy and Love of 
 ourCreator.HadtheAngcls,oranyofthofe 
 fpotlefs Beings which are above us fufter- 
 ed, it wou'd have been unjuft, nor wou'd 
 the fame Nature have undergone the Pu- 
 mfhment which had committed the Crime. 
 Amidfl thefe hard and miferable Circum- 
 fhnces of Mankind, was contriv'd the 
 Great and Wonderful Myftery of our Re- 
 demption, by the Union of our Nature 
 with the Divine, the punifliment of which 
 was^///?, becaufe it was advanc'd to that 
 furprizingandaftonifliing State and Dig- 
 nity, which it had not otherwife merited, 
 in Compenfation for the Mighty and Ua- 
 ipeakable Sufferings it endur'd, it \vasfuf- 
 frivnt, becaufe it confided in the Humi- 
 Jiation and Death of one, who was exalted 
 I in
 
 1 5 o A Vemonjlration of the Divinity 
 in Honour and Greatnefs infinitely above 
 all the Sons of Adam, and therefore by 
 that near Relation which it had to the 
 Deity, equal to the whole colleftive Mafs 
 of Humane Nature, it was proper and ad- 
 apted to the Offence , becaufe we being 
 tne Criminals) that Perfon who was equi- 
 valent to us, bore the Iniquities of us all, 
 and pay'd the full Price of them : It was 
 laftly a Merciful and Gracious Difpenfa- 
 tion, in our being deliver'd from the Ven- 
 geance due to our Tranfgreffions and Sins. 
 
 . 14. This Account Chrtftianity gives 
 us of thofe Divine Attributes, t\\zjuftice 
 and Love of GOD to Mankind; and if 
 any Exceptions can be made againft it) (as 
 there is no Truth fo evident) which fome 
 Men will not difpute) we dare at lead af- 
 firm, that Natural Religion never pro-= 
 pos'd fo confident a Scheme for reconci- 
 ling the one with the other, as the pre- 
 fent we have mention'd 5 it wou'd be te- 
 dious to fet all the Arguments on both 
 hands in one View, we have only there- 
 fore in fliort endeavour'd to mew how 
 deficient Humane Reafon was in folving 
 this Difficulty, and how clearly Revela- 
 tion do's. 
 
 . if, Notwithftanding, left we fliou'd 
 be intangled and perplext in our Reafon- 
 
 ings,
 
 of the Chriffian Religion. 1 3 1 
 
 ings, which in fuch referv'd and abftrufe 
 Speculations coo often happens, it has 
 pleas'd G o D to give us Matter of Fat 
 for our Convibion> for let us argue, 
 and be as lavifh of our Subtleties and 
 DiftineHons as we are willing to be> this 
 yet, as we have already obferv'd, we cannot 
 with any Juftice difown> that the Primi- 
 tive Chriftians, of all that have fucceeded 
 them, had the trueft Sentiments of the 
 Juftice and Love of GOD to them, as is 
 evident from thofe Principles which gui- 
 ded their Lives and Actions 5 their extra- 
 ordinary and afte&ionate ZWand Devo- 
 tion to Almighty God, and their Fear of 
 offending him, which diffus'd it felf alfo 
 into their extreme Love, and that exat 
 Piety and Juftice they practic'd to one 
 another ; from whence it is plain, that the 
 Redemption of Mankind, which the Holy 
 Writers fo often mention, gave them at 
 leaft very ftrong Impreflionsof a Juftand 
 moft Gracious Being : Let us once there- 
 fore fee the fame Noble and Primitive 
 Spirit reviv'd, amongft the Modern Reafo- 
 ners in Chriftianity^ and it may go far to 
 make us believe, that as they feem to be 
 very follicitous about the Attributes of 
 GoD,in their Arguments concerning them, 
 fo they really have as true and as juft a 
 Senfe of them. 
 
 I 2 .16.
 
 t$i A Demonjlration of tie Divinity 
 
 . 1 6. But if the Chrijlian Doftrine af- 
 fords us the moft Rational Contempla-* 
 tion of the 'Divine Attributes, and the 
 Foundation of that Reafon is the Union-* 
 or Affumption of Humane Nature to the 
 Godbead> we appeal to the Senfe of Man- 
 kind, when we ask, Whether all the Great 
 Genius's that ever appeared in the World, 
 had they bent their Studies and Applica- 
 tions this way, cou'd have imagin'd, or 
 cou'd prefume to think of fuch an Expe- 
 dient, fo miraculous and amazing ? And 
 yet when found out, how do's every thing 
 feem to come forth, and difplay it felf in 
 a Natural Beauty and Order ! a perfeft 
 Harmony and Concord cements the Di- 
 vine Attributes of Juftice and Love* and 
 \ve are fuitably tranfported v/iththe moft 
 awful Reverence, and the moft humble 
 and devout Adorations: This, therefore, is 
 the firft Inftance of the divinity of the 
 Scriptures, that they propofe to us a Do- 
 clrine which is fuperiour to any Humane 
 Reafon, and yet agreeable to it, and 
 confequently muft owe its Original to a 
 ^Di-vine. 
 
 . 17. Thefecond Inftance refpefts our 
 Practice, and is that Univerfal 'and "Difinte- 
 refled Love even of our Enemies^ which 
 Chriftianity enjoyns us; Natural Religion^ 
 it is true, furniflies us with many very ex- 
 cellent
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 3 3 
 
 cellent Precepts, for our Regular Behavi- 
 our and Deportment) as thofe of Juftice 
 and Sobriety 5 of Temperance and Chafti- 
 ty, of Fortitude and prefence of Mind, 
 under any Affliction or Calamities which 
 mall befal us; all which, tho' they are really 
 to be efteem'd and valu'd as the Dilates of 
 a Rational Nature, yet feem to carry a fort 
 of Intereft and Selhfhnefs in them; both 
 as they contribute to our Health and 
 Eafe> and as they are punctual and juft 
 Decencies of Life, which procure to us a 
 due Regard and Obfervance from others. 
 
 . 1 8. But the Vertues of Chriflianity 
 and Religion are of another flrain , and 
 are deriv'd from the 'Pajjion and Suffer- 
 ings of our Lord for our Sins; that as our 
 Faith is diftinguifli'd from that of other 
 Religions, fo the Morals and 'Discipline 
 of it might be fo too: CHRIST humbled 
 Himfelft and became obedient to ^Death^ 
 even the *Death of the Crofs $ that he might 
 reconcile us to God, whilft we wer e yet [in- 
 ner s } and he hzsgwen us a New Command- 
 ment > that as Helov'd Us, We alfpjhou'd 
 love one another: From whence it is appa- 
 rent,that our Chriftian Profefllon was to be 
 the Foundation of our Chriftian Prah'ce; 
 and the Vertues we fhou'd be oblig'd more 
 particularly to purfue,were to beconfonant 
 to thofe our dying Saviour propos'd to our 
 I 3 ' imita.-
 
 1 3 4 -<4 Vemonflration of the Divinity 
 imitation, which were, in the fir ft place, an 
 univerfal Love to Mankind, not except- 
 ing even thofe which had offended us in 
 the higheit manner, which were enemies 
 to us, and contemners of our Faith and 
 Religion > and to this by a certain kind 
 of Connexion, as well as from their be- 
 ing more efpecially confpicuous, in that 
 wonderful A& of our Redemption, were 
 joyn'dtheutmoft Condefcenfion and Hu- 
 mility, the greaceft Meeknefs and Gentle- 
 nefs, the moft entire Patience and Sub- 
 miflion, and the moft compaflionate Zeal 
 and Concern for all others, with an ab- 
 folute Contempt and Difregard of our 
 felves $ this feems to be the very EfTence 
 and Spirit of our Holy Religion, as it was 
 the Example and Practice of the Divine 
 Author of itj in relation to our recipro- 
 cal Duties amongft one another. 
 
 . 19. Let us now be inform'd, what ////- 
 man Reafon cou'd have ever furnim'd us 
 with fuch Principles of Generoiity and 
 Xindnefs ? Self-defence^ or a Provifion for 
 our felves,is the eldeft Law of Nature 5 this 
 Doftrine yet teaches us fomething greater 
 than that, and commands us to prefer the 
 Interefts of others, before our own - 9 and 
 inftead of reckoning our felves the firft, 
 to place our felves the iaft in the Crea- 
 tion j to be humble and to felf-deny, and at 
 
 the
 
 of tie Cliriftian Religion. V 3 5 
 
 the fame time to procure all the Happinefs 
 and Satisfaction to others that can poflibly 
 lye in our power, every Man's particular 
 Temper and Complexion wou'd be too 
 indulgent to it felf, to advance fuch a Rea- 
 foning as this; we do not find any of the 
 mpft rational Heathens before the Times 
 of our BlefTed Lord, to have entertain'd 
 the leaf! Notion of fuch a Syftem of Mo- 
 rality; and thofe, I mean the Socinians 
 and 'Deifts , who tread in the fame de- 
 licate paths- of their own Senfe and Wif- 
 dom, have not out- gone them. 
 
 . 20. If yet the World wou'd con- 
 form to thefe Sacred Injunctions of our 
 Religion-) what cou'd be more condu- 
 cive to the Happinefs , and more per- 
 feCtive of the Reafon of Mankind ? For 
 by this means all the Miferies, unleft 
 thofe which our Natures and Confti- 
 tutions bring upon us , all the voluntary 
 Miferies which are indued amongft Men, 
 wou'd be effectually cafhier'd, and the Re- 
 proaches which ly upon our Underftand- 
 ings or Wills , wou'd find a Remedy in 
 our Candour and good Nature : Poverty 
 and Ignominy alfo> or Want and Mean- 
 nefs, are the other great Afflictions of 
 Humane Society, which of our own ac- 
 cords we introduce into itj none of the. 
 Vertues of Natural Religion can give us 
 14 a
 
 1 3 6 AD emonJJration of th e Divinity 
 
 a Cure for thcfe Evils: Sobriety> Tempe- 
 rance, Chaftity, Fortitude, ana the like, 
 only or chiefly refpedourfelvesj Juftice 
 may fecure us in our prefent circumftances, 
 but cannot relieve them; on the other 
 hand, the 'Divine Love and Munificence 
 which the Gofpel inculcates to us, the pre- 
 ferring others to our felves, the doinggood 
 to thofe that hate us^ and pray ing for thofe 
 that de f pit e fully ufe its, wou'd give thofe, 
 who are rich in this World, the advan- 
 tage of making others fo in preference to 
 themfelves, and thofe who are in the high- 
 eft Stations, the Noble and Exalted Plea- 
 fure of Condefcenfion, by which means 
 Poverty and Difgrace wou'd be banifli'd 
 out of the World. Thus our Blejfed 
 Lord did, who, IVhen he was rich^ he 
 became poor ) and when he was in the form of 
 God. and thought it no robbery to be equal to 
 him, took upon him the form of a fervant. 
 
 .H. Nor wou'd this Pradlice be more 
 conducing to our Happinefs^ than it wou'd 
 be a Commendation of our Reafon^ for 
 what is the Foundation of all Rational 
 Virtues, unlefs that they promote our 
 real Intereft and good, which this do's in 
 a very fingular manner : Befides which, 
 were that Chriftian Humility, thatMeek- 
 ncfs and Submifllon, which the Scriptures 
 require of us universally embraced; we 
 
 /hou'd
 
 of the Chriftian Religion, i 5 7 
 
 fhou'd endeavour to palliate the Vices and 
 Faults, the Miftakes and Errors of our 
 more enormous or our weaker Brethren, 
 which wou'd make our Natures appear 
 lefs irregular, and our reafonable Facul- 
 ties more amiable and beautiful, and more 
 becoming the Great and Wife Author of 
 'em. How happy wou'd this Temper 
 make us , how affe&ionate , how kind 
 and obliging to each other, this which 
 our Religion propounds to us ! Cove- 
 toufnefs and a felfiih Temper, that root of 
 all evil) Ambition, Pride, Malice, Re- 
 venge, all the ill Properties and Affections 
 of our Natures, wou'd be loft and vanifli 
 by the prevalence of fo Blefled a Prin- 
 ciple; this Earth wou'd be chang'd into 
 the delightful Seats of Happy Spirits, and 
 nothing but Immortality wou'd be want- 
 ing to make a Heaven here. All the In- 
 vention and Sagacity of Man cou'd ne- 
 ver have found out fo Noble and Divine 
 a Scheme, by which all Humane Actions 
 might be guided and adjufted, as that 
 which naturally refults from the *Death 
 and TaJJlon of our LORD, from the Cru- 
 cifixion of the SON of GOD, for the 
 $ins of the whole World 5 for fuch an 
 Example of Infinite Love and Humility, 
 of an unparallcPd Generofity and Good- 
 nefs, muft needs infufe fuch a Spirit into 
 the Chriftian Religion, and inflame the 
 
 Pro-
 
 1 3 S A Demonjlration of the Divinity 
 
 Profeflbrs of it with fuch fervent and un- 
 difiembled Affe&ionSj fuch pious and rap- 
 turous Thoughts, fuch an abfolute Con- 
 tempt of this World, as the wifeft and bed 
 yhilofophers cou'd never rife to, with the 
 flrifteft and the mod elevated ufe of their 
 Reafon. And this is the fecond Argu- 
 ment for the Divinity of the Scriptures, 
 as they offer to us a Syfteme of Morality, 
 didinftfrom, andfuperiour to any thing 
 that was ever before known to us, which 
 is highly agreeable to our Reafon, and yet 
 above it. 
 
 . 22. If therefore we now compare 
 thefe two Arguments together, which we 
 have feparately confider'd , it will be a 
 farther Demonftration to us of the Divi- 
 nity of the Holy Writings j fince we can- 
 not but acknowledge it to be worthy of 
 the Infinite Mind* to calculate and con- 
 cert the Method of our Redemption in fuch 
 wife, that it fhou'd at the fame time give us 
 true and regular Apprehenfions of his 
 Judice and Goodnefs, and infpire us 
 with better Rules and Standards of our 
 Actions, than any Reafon or 'Philofophy 
 had propos'd, or cou'd propofe to us j that 
 our Devotion to Almighty God, and our 
 Piety to one another might take like deps, 
 and make equal advances to their utmoft 
 and lad perfection j all which is done by the 
 
 Union
 
 of tie Chriftian Religion, i 3 9 
 Union of Humane Nature with the God- 
 head in our LORD? and his voluntary fub- 
 mitting with all Lowlinefs, and Patience 
 to the Death of a Malefactor , for the 
 Sins of Mankind : fo juft was it that fuch 
 a Religion as this fhou'd be uflier'd into 
 the World, with that Holy and Angelick 
 Anthem, Glory be to God on high) on Earth 
 Peace>> Good-will towards Men : for fure- 
 ly we may fay, the IVorJhip and Homage 
 of the Divine Being was never fo pathe- 
 tically taught, nor the good and kind Offi- 
 ces to one another fo ftrongly enforc'd, 
 nor cou'd be from any Reafon, or from 
 any Religion, as the Chriftian. 
 
 . 23. Let us then take care of falling 
 into that Error , which is too generally 
 propagated amongft us, and which I men- 
 tion'd in the beginning of thefe Difcourfes, 
 namely. That the Morality of the Chri- 
 ftian Doftrines, is a prooif of the 'Divi- 
 nity of our Lord's Miracles-, and they 
 confequently of the Truth of our Reli- 
 gion: No! there is no rcafon to have 
 recourfe to fuch Arguments, which if they 
 arenotcircular,yet,as we before prov'd,are 
 inconclufi vc.ThePeracitj of the Scriptures 
 has been already demonftrated j and if they 
 are true-) they are like wife 'Divine, the Do- 
 ftrines they contain are not as the ^Patrons 
 of Reafon wou'd make us imagine, good 
 
 whole-
 
 j 40 A Demonflration of the Divinity 
 wholefome Inftitutions only, for our Con* 
 duft and Acting, for our Wormipof the 
 Deity, and paying that Natural Homage, 
 which is due to Him ; but are in them- 
 felves fublime and great above the higheft 
 flretch of our Faculties to find out, and 
 yet when found out) extremely adapted to 
 them,and therefore owe their Original to a 
 Divine Information. Here then we (hall 
 reft , till we come to evidence the fame 
 Truth from a diftinft and independent Ar- 
 gument) < the Miracles wrought in confir- 
 mation of the Scriptures* by our Saviour 
 and his Afoftles* which we fliall do in 
 our following Difcourfe. 
 
 D I s C ou R s E VIII. 
 
 i Tim. 3. 1 6, 17, 
 
 /i.T?RoM the Tiotfrines which the 
 jfj Scriptures affirm, we mall pro- 
 ceed to the Miracles wrought in juftifi- 
 cation of them $ by which it will evident- 
 ly appear, that their Authority is unque- 
 Jtionably 'Divine, In treating upon this 
 Subject, there is one thing only necefTary 
 to be confider'd, namely, what the true 
 Account and Notion of Miracles is, and 
 whether there are any which do not come 
 
 origi*
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 4 1 
 
 originally, and by immediate Derivation, 
 from GOD Himielf. 
 
 .2. In anfwer to which, it is plain, 
 that that cannot, with the lead propriety 
 of Speech, be call'd a Miracle > which it 
 is within the reach and verge of Humane 
 power to effeft, and therefore, tho' feve- 
 ral things have been with great Artifice 
 contriv'd, to impofe upon the Credulity 
 of Men, which feem very admirable and 
 furprizing, none of thefe will fall under 
 that Denomination. Thus an Image, as 
 amongft the Romanifts, may be fo adju- 
 fted, by a particular Mechanifm or move- 
 ment of the parts, as to fhed Tears, to 
 fweat Blood, or the like ; but this is no 
 more than what may be done by a com- 
 mon Art or Skill. 
 
 .$. All the Queftionthat can ly here 
 therefore, is, how far it is poflible for 
 Humane Abilities to extend, and whe- 
 ther they cannot arrive at feveral things 
 which are fuppos'd Miraculous ; fince it is 
 plain, they produce to us thofe \vhichare 
 very ftrange, of which we can give no 
 account, and which in general may feem 
 as ftupendous and as im practicable, as any 
 thing elfe we can imagine: Numerous 
 Examples of this might be had, both frora 
 the Mathematicks and Philofbphy.
 
 142. A Demonftration of the Divinity 
 
 $.4. We may therefore in the prefent 
 cafe affirm, that tho' we can no the fo cer- 
 tain in drawing the exad lines, and fixing 
 the juft limits betwixt the Force of Hu- 
 mane Policy and Invention, and what is 
 fuperior to it-, vet we may eafily know 
 what is manifeftly and palpably above it j 
 fo for inftance, tho' it will be hard and 
 difficult for us to pronounce deciilvely 
 what are the realBou ndaries of Vertue and 
 Vice j that is, where the one ends, and the 
 other begins; yet this, notwithftanding, 
 is obvious, that evident and plain Vertues 
 are not the contrary Vices. And it is the 
 fame in the prefent Circumftance, we do 
 not fully know, in fome refpefts, the ur- 
 moft pitch of our Faculties, how far they 
 may go in finding out in Theory or Pra- 
 ctice, what is at prefent undifcover'd, and 
 appears unfurmountable to us-, we may be 
 however affur'd of this, that there are ieve- 
 ral Inftances in which the bed A bilities we 
 can make ufe of can never ferve us, fmce 
 all our Sagacity and Parts cannot cure a 
 Diftemper, by a word or zfai&W, or raife 
 the 'Dead when they are in their Graves, 
 without any more than the voice of bid- 
 ding them come forth y Men cou'd never 
 by any Art imaginable infpire an imme- 
 diate Knowledge of Languages-) or impart 
 a Power to others of healing all manner 
 of 'Difeafes, by a bare commimon only, or 
 
 change
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 4 3 
 change the Nature or Eflence of any thing 
 into the contrary, and turn Water into 
 Wine : Thefe are Attributes which do not 
 belong to Humane Nature, and what- 
 ever large Concefllons we make to it, are 
 infinitely above it j and we cannot there- 
 fore, with the leaft pretence of Reafon, 
 fuppofe that Men were capable of work- 
 ing the Miracles, which the Gofpels aflert, 
 and which are thofe we defend, but if we 
 may juftly conclude, that what Chriftians 
 properly call Miracles* are fuperior to any 
 Human Power, much more are they fo to 
 any flat ed or fxd Laws of Nature. 
 
 . f. The next Enquiry'is, Whether thefc 
 Miracles cou'd be wrought or produc'd 
 by any other Beings dutindt from us, ei- 
 ther good or bad Angels, without the In- 
 tervention of the Supreme Difpofer of all 
 things, and his particular Approbation 
 and Concurrence, which we mail endea- 
 vour to evidence they cou'd not be , and 
 upon this plain Account, becaufe Almigh- 
 ty God in his Intercourfes with Men wou'd 
 not, (nor is it rational to think that He 
 wou'd ;) He wou'd not allow without His 
 own Commiflion and Defignment, that 
 any Beings above us fhou'd aft under his 
 Name what he did not abfolutely ap- 
 prove, as they wou'd, if they were per- 
 mitted the liberty and power of Miracles, 
 
 to
 
 144 A Vemotiftration of the Divinity 
 to propagate a falfe perfuafion in the 
 World: We hive already fbewn, that 
 tho'itisnoteafy for us to determine what 
 is exactly plac'd within the extent of our 
 Own Faculties, or thofe of Nature, yet 
 it is not hard to know what is extreamly 
 above them, if therefore in what is above 
 them, it was in the power of Beings fu- 
 periour to us > to concern themfelves in 
 Humane Affairs, unlefs for good ends and 
 purpofes, which Almighty God forefaw> 
 and was defirous and provident of their 
 Being effected, it wou'd be confequent 
 that we fhou'd be abus'd into a Belief of 
 Doctrines and Works proceeding from 
 GOD, which really did not, without any 
 poflibility of avoiding it. But if we 
 acknowledge a Sovereign Being, that 
 is infinitely kind and beneficent to his 
 Creatures, as Natural Religion do's, and 
 at the fame time confefs that there were 
 Miracles in the Chriftian beyond the 
 force of Humane or dead Nature to 
 perform, which is certain from the E- 
 vangelick Hiftories , whofe Authority 
 -we have no reafon to difpute j it is a Dc- 
 rnonftration that Chriftianity , as it is 
 contain'd in the Scriptures is of a Divine 
 Original, and that no other but Almighty 
 God is the Author of it. 
 
 .*.
 
 oftbeChri&hn Religion. 145 
 
 . 6. This therefore which we have 
 proposed in grofs, will lead us to enlarge 
 on the two following Particulars, namely, 
 
 Fir ft 9 That GOD do's not permit ei- 
 ther good or evil Angels to interpofe in' 
 Humane Affairs, by workirig of Miracles, 
 properly fo call'd, without his immediate 
 Commidion and Inftructions, and by con- 
 fequence, where any thing is perform'd in 
 a Miraculous manner, above the fettled 
 Rules of Nature, or our own actings ; that 
 is, where an Effect is produc'd, which is 
 apparently difproportion'd to the Caufe, 
 we may reafonably conclude, it is done 
 by the particular Finger and Direction of 
 GOD, and byamanifeft appointment and 
 defignation of the Divine Will. 
 
 Secondly > That if fo, it is of no Impor- 
 tance to us to know ( which has been a 
 late Conteft amongft Divines ) Whether 
 Evil Spirits can naturally work Miracles, 
 or not? fince upon the fuppofition that 
 they can, the Truth of our Religion will 
 be fully aflerted; and if they cannot, it is 
 then plain, they are the Efforts and Acti- 
 ons of the Supreme Mind. 
 
 .7. InfpeakingtotheF/r/?, it will not 
 be amifs to diftinguifh Miracles into two 
 forts, both which are equally above any 
 powers of Nature, or any Humane force 
 to accomplifh -, that is to fay, firft thofe 
 K which
 
 1 4 6 A Vewonf ration of the Divinity 
 which are fupenor to our own Abilities, 
 and yet do not neceffarily conclude them 
 to be wrought by any other Beings, than 
 fuch as exceed us in fome definite Mea- 
 fures of Sagacity and Strength ; thus to 
 remove Mountains^ to make Iron Jwim, 
 without any apparent fupport of it, is 
 beyond our Faculties and Skill ; tho' at 
 the fame time, in the real Confhtutionof 
 Natural Beings, it is no way certain, be- 
 caufe it is not impoffible, but there are 
 Spirits more ftrong and a&ive than we 
 are, who may produce thefe, or fuch like 
 Effects: But then, what is the Defign of 
 them? not to propagate any new Reli- 
 gion, they are only to (hew us the Extent 
 of the Creation, that there are Spiritual 
 Subftances diftinft from us, and another 
 World befides our own , and therefore 
 fuch Occurrences are admirable and 
 flrange, and upon that account may 
 be call'd Miracles j yet in the ftrift fenfc 
 of them, they will not admit of fo Sa- 
 cred a Character; and if any of them 
 are made ufe of, to advance or confirm a 
 Religion to Mankind, we cannot but be 
 afTur'd, they are Authoriz'd by an Al- 
 mighty Being j if not, that they are only 
 the b tied of a Superior Nature to ours, 
 without any other Conclufion that can be 
 drawn from them. 
 
 .8.
 
 df the ChrifKan Religion. 1 4 7 
 
 . 8. The Second fort of Miracles are 
 thofe which Chriftianity propofes, and 
 may be properly and particularly term'd 
 fuch ; as the Raijing the Dead, \hzChang- 
 ing one Eflence into another, as Water 
 into Wine^ the Healing all kinds of Di- 
 eafes, apart from any external applica- 
 tions, and the Infpiration of Tongues, 
 thefe all concern the Nature and Being 
 of things, which Almighty God wou'd 
 not leave to the Caprice and Humour of 
 fubordinate Spirits to alter and diverfify 
 at pleafure, and by that means to break in 
 upon the Eftablifli'd and Fundamental 
 Laws of the Creation : His Prerogative, 
 we may juftly imagine , is too tender a 
 Point with Him (who is jealous of his 
 Honour, and is cautious how He gives 
 it to another} to fuflFer it to be infnng'd 
 by any, tho'the higheft and moft exalted 
 of his Creatures; as it wou'd (eem to be, 
 if either good or evil Spirits had the pow- 
 er of refunding or annulling any of thofe 
 fix'd Rules of exifting, which were in the 
 firft Formation of all things prefcrib'd 
 to Nature, and by which it was to be af- 
 terwards govern'd and directed. This 
 wou'd be to commit the Empire of the 
 Univerfe to Spirits independent of Al- 
 mighty God, and therefore 'tis abfurd to 
 fuppofe it.
 
 -^ Demonjlration of the Divinity 
 . 9. Befides, there is no Religion which 
 do's not acknowledge this World was 
 made and conftituted by GOD Himfelf> 
 or by an immediate Deputation from Him; 
 and the Creation of the World, as well 
 as the Government of it, has been al- 
 ways eftcem'd by the Wifeft Men, to ap- 
 pertain to the 'Deity } but to change the 
 Eflences of things, to make the Fire not 
 burn-t as in Mofes's Bujh y which amidft 
 the flame was unconfum'd-, to make a 
 dead Perfon live j to caufe that the Blind 
 fliou'd fee, and the Lame fliou'd walk; 
 by a Voice only, to produce a Knowledg 
 or Languages out of an Ignorance of 
 'em -, and the ftrength of Wine out of the 
 weaknefs of Water, by a Word or a Sign* 
 are manifeft Inftances of a Creating, and 
 confequently of an Almighty and Superin- 
 tending Power. 
 
 $. 10. Farther, fuppofing it did not 
 contradict two of the Attributes of GOD* 
 coniider'd as He is Creator and Gover- 
 nor of the World , that Spirits fliou'd 
 work thofe Miracles which the Scriptures 
 recount to us, it wou'd notwithftanding 
 be inconfiftent with His Goodnefs and 
 Veracity, to allow thofe Creatures, which 
 are above us, to interefl themfelves in 
 Humane Affairs, fo as to have the Li- 
 berty of promoting an Impofiure by fuch 
 
 flrange
 
 of the CJiir/tian Religion. 1 45? 
 
 ftrange and miraculous Performances, as 
 we have no way of diftinguifliing from 
 thofe which carry the moft evident tokens 
 of Divinity in them-, and therefore, if 
 Angels or Evil Spirits wrought the Mi- 
 racles of Chriftianiry, if wecou'd imagine 
 or believe fuch a thing, yet fmce we can- 
 not with any reafon think, that Almighty 
 God wou'd permit them to infult the Na- 
 tural and neceffary Weakness of our Fa- 
 culties and Underftandings, from that 
 Advantage they have over us; it wou'd 
 not from thence follow, but that our Re- 
 ligion was from G o D, and that it was ap- 
 pointed and determin'd by Him, that we 
 iliou'd receive and embrace it as his own. 
 
 J. ii. 'Tis objefted indeed from Mat- 
 ter of Faft, that Evil Spirits may of them- 
 felves work Miracles, as the Magicians 
 of Egypt by their Aillftance did, in op- 
 pofition to Alofesy the Heathen Oracles 
 in prejudice to the true Worfhip of One 
 GOD, and Simon Magus and Apollonius\ 
 in contradiction to Cbrijltanity \ and 
 therefore we cannot depend upon Mi- 
 racles only for the Confirmation of our 
 Religion, Without fome refpeft had to 
 the Doctrines they aflert. 
 
 . 12. If granting therefore this Con- 
 
 clufionisiuft, vet fince wehaveprov'd the 
 
 K 3 Do-
 
 150^ Demonftration of the Divinity 
 Do&rines of Chriftianity independant 
 from Miracles, to be derived from a Di- 
 vine Original, and that they are not on- 
 ly bare Moral Rules for our Conduct, it 
 wou'd iikewife follow, that thofe Miracles 
 we defend are fo too, feeing they were 
 wrought in Confirmation of fuch Do- 
 ctrines, which have evident Characters of 
 Divinity in them: But intending to make 
 a diftinct Argument for the 'Divinity of 
 the Scriptures and our Religion, from 
 their External Evidence 5 namely, Mi- 
 racles feparate and apart from the Inter- 
 nal, that is, the real and intrinfick Mat- 
 ter and Doctrines they comprehend , we 
 fhall confider whether what is objected 
 imports any Force againft what has been 
 already props'd on this Head. 
 
 $. 13. As to the Egyptian Magi, it is 
 certain by their Inchantments they 
 perform'd feveral Miracles, which were 
 wrought by Mofes, it is notwithstanding 
 as evident, that they were inferiour to 
 him in diverfe refpects : Fir/I, in his ha- 
 ving the Superiority over them in the 
 fame Miracles, which were joyntly per- 
 form'd by both j for they caft down eve- 
 ry man his rod, and they became Serpents, 
 but Aaron V RodfwaUf&'Juf theirs, Exod. 
 7. 12. and in their other Miracles we Iike- 
 wife find, that whatever the Magicians 
 
 ' did,
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 5 1 
 did, it was only in the power of Mofes 
 and Aaron to annul. Secondly, In per- 
 forming thofe Miracles, which the Magi- 
 cians cou'd not} thus Exod. 9. 18. And 
 the Magicians did fo with their Inchant- 
 wents to bring forth Lice* but they cou'd 
 not. Thirdly^ In inflidhng thofe plagues, 
 which the Magic ians t h em je foes cou'd not 
 avoid j as in Exod. 9. 1 1. And the Magi- 
 dans c oud not ft and before Moles, becaufe 
 of the Boil*) for the Boil was upon the 
 Magicians <> and upon all the Egyptians > 
 fo that this is fo far from being an Argu- 
 ment againft any thing we have faid, that 
 it is a Confirmation of it. 
 
 . 14. Had the Magicians perform'd 
 equal Miracles, or fuperiour to thofe of 
 MofeS) we had been uncertain from Faft, 
 (tho' our Reafon wou'd have recoil'd) 
 whether Almighty God had not given Evil 
 Spirits a power to impofe upon Mankind; 
 but where they cou'd only work fbme 
 certain Miracles, and cou'd not do others, 
 which in the Nature of 'em had nothing 
 more difficult than thofe they wrought; 
 what Inference can we draw from fuch an 
 Account, unlefs that Almighty God fee 
 very Arbitrary Bounds to their Power, 
 and that they did nothing without His 
 Approbation2Swt\\z$ ( PermiffiOTi, that He 
 was willing to iliew not only His Abfolute 
 K Domi- 

 
 i 5 i A Veinonjlration of the Divinity 
 Dominion and Prerogative over the Viiible 
 Creation, but over thole Spiritual Beings, 
 which were in a much higher Clafs than 
 our felyes,and which He commanded with 
 as fupreme a Sway, as the reft of His Crea- 
 tures ; that He was determin'd from this 
 Instance to give all Succeeding Ages an 
 aflurance, that whatever Apprehenfions 
 they might have of being deluded by 
 thole Beings which were above them, 
 jiotwithftanding all their Caution, they 
 might havean Aflurance from tbence,that 
 he wou'd nor differ them to be cheated 
 by any real Miracles from Evil Spirits, 
 into a Religion He did not defign them. 
 Thefe feem to be the Natural Confe- 
 quences deducible from thofe Miracles, 
 which were perform'd by the Egyptian 
 Magi '> and therefore, as we faid, are fo 
 evidently not a proof that Evil Spirits can 
 work Miracles,without a Delegated Power 
 from G o D, in confirmation of any Religi- 
 on, that they evince the contrary, viz. that 
 they cannot do it, without fuch a Divine 
 Power and Commiffion. 
 
 ;!t| ; .'Jv- 
 
 . i f. The Second ObjeGtion is founded 
 upon I know not what Miracles-, or Tre- 
 diftions at leaft, which are reported and 
 handed down to us, concerning the Hea- 
 then Oracles : But the Obfcurity and Am- 
 biguity of the latter, and th^Uncertainty 
 
 of
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 5 3 
 of the former^ make it rather credible, that 
 they were the Artifices or Contrivances 
 of the Priefts, to bring a Reputation to 
 the Shrines of their Deities, than that they 
 are Inftances of Faft, which deferve an 
 Anfwer; and we may more reafonably 
 think, that Almighty God was pleas'd to 
 fend a Lying Spirit into the mouths of their 
 Trophets* than believe that He endu'd 
 them with any fitch Tower or Knowledge* 
 as is pretended. 
 ' 
 
 . 1 6. If this is not a fufficient Reply, 
 and it (hall be flill urg'd, that thofe Mi- 
 racles are real , we lay yet, that in com- 
 parifon with the Chriflian, they were far 
 fhort of them, as thole of the Magicians 
 were, in refpeft of the Miracles wrought 
 by Mofes , and therefore when they are 
 confider'd together and compar'd, there 
 may be the fame Inferences drawn from 
 them, as are exprefs'd in . 14. and 
 that in the interval, till they cou'd be 
 compar'd 5 for wife and good Reafons, 
 GOD thought fit to wink at the times of 
 Ignorance^ as the Apoftle tells us. 
 
 $.17. Laftly>> Till thefe Miracles are 
 produc'd, which are prefum'd to have been 
 wrought by the Heathen Deities } it is not 
 evident that they do not fall under that 
 fort, which the Romanifls at prcfent lay 
 
 claim
 
 154^ Demonflration of the Divinity 
 claim to; as the Weeping or Sweating 
 of Images, (for we have likewife accounts 
 of that Nature from the Heathens} and 
 which we have faid may be done by an 
 Artificial Mechanifm and Contrivance, 
 or elfe, that they may not be refolv'd in- 
 to what we may eauly imagine Beings 
 fuperiour to our felves are capable of f 
 and which can only rationally give us thefe 
 Impreflions, that there are Spiritual Sub- 
 ftances diftinft from us, and which kind 
 of Miracles or Actions Almighty God 
 might juftly permit, to convince us of it. 
 Notwithstanding which, we cannot but 
 be apt to conclude, that mod of the Hea- 
 then Miracles were forg'd and impos'd 
 upon the World, out of particular Aims 
 and Defigns-, fince thofe of Simon Ma- 
 gus and ApoUoniust which is the third Ob- 
 jeHon we are to coniider, moft evident- 
 ly were, tho' they have a greater Repu- 
 tation for their Truth, than any others 
 that the Heathens can boaft of. 
 
 . 1 8. The Intention of thefe two Im- 
 poftors we have already explained , by 
 whom they were fet up, in oppofition to 
 our Religion, and their vain pretences 
 to rival its Miracles ; we (hall therefore 
 only add in refpeft of the Firft> that ac- 
 cording to the Hiftory which the Atts 
 of the I$oly Apoftles gives us of him, he 
 
 was
 
 of t\)e Chriftian Religion. 1 5 5 
 was fo far convinc'd of the Truth of the 
 Chriftian Miracles, and the Falfliood of 
 his own, that he believd and was bapti- 
 zed-, and wonder'd, beholding the Miracles 
 and Signs which were done, that when he 
 faw that thro laying on of the Apoftles 
 hands, the Hoi) Ghofl was given, he offered 
 them money paying, Give me alfo this Power* 
 that on whomfoever 1 lay Hands, he may 
 receive the Holy Ghofl > Atts 8. 13 18, 19. 
 From which paflage, it is eafy to collccl:, 
 that he was confcious to himielf of his 
 own Impoftures , and that they wou'd 
 not bear rhe Teft of true Miracles, when 
 compar'd with thofe of the Apoftles and 
 Difciples of our Lord. He is alfo faid 
 to have bewitch'd the People of Samaria 
 with his Sorceries, $tfttfcfNq at/raVj that 
 is, he had put them befides themfelves, 
 and amus'd and deceiv'd them out of their 
 Senfes by his Magick and Collufions. 
 
 . i p. As to what concerns Apollonius* 
 befides what has been ailed g'd again ft the 
 notorious Falfity, as well as Impoflibili- 
 ty, of what the Writer of his Life relates 
 of him , that Hiftory was writ 100 Years 
 after Afolloniuss Time, from the Com- 
 mentaries, or rather Fi&ionsj of one 2)^- 
 res 9 an obfcure and unknown Author, to 
 oblige an Emprefs* whofe Inclinations 
 led her to admire any Romance, by !P^/- 
 
 lojtratus)
 
 156 A Demonflratton of the Divinity 
 loftratuS) who wou'd be glad of an Op- 
 portunity to gratify fo Powerful a Prin- 
 cefsj and all this was probably done, not 
 without the Jnfligation of the Heathen 
 ^Prie/fs, who found their Religion in dan- 
 ger, and juft upon the Article of expi- 
 ring } and is fuch an Authority as this to 
 be regarded ? what Opinions or Notion^ 
 can we entertain of it, but fuch as muft 
 make us, if not abominate, yet defpife and 
 fcorn it ? 
 
 . 20. All that can be farther faid in 
 this Cafe, is, that it is plain, it has pleas'd 
 Almighty God to permit Men to be mifgui- 
 ded in Matters ot Religion, that the Hea- 
 th ens > that the followers of Simon Magus 
 and Apolloniu$ werej and fo it is evident 
 it muft be for the fame Reafon, that one 
 Perfon may deceive another in the com- 
 mon occurrences of Life. This, however, 
 is no Impeachment of the ^Divine Veraci- 
 ty -, becaulehe leaves every Man to judge 
 for himfelf, and if he is impos'd upon by 
 thefe Miracles, which it is in the power 
 of fuperior Spirits to perform, or by thole 
 which Humane Abilities may arrive to, 
 he is only to thank his own Rafhnefs in 
 believing, and if Men have been deluded 
 by thefe Impoftures, they only are blame- 
 able for it; but on the other hand, if the 
 Miracles which Chriftiamty propofes, are 
 
 true.
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 5 7 
 true, in the Accounts we have of 'em, as 
 has been prov'd; if they are not likewife 
 Divine, and deriv'd immediately from 
 GOD, our Error is invincible, becaufe we 
 cannot guard againft an Evidence, which 
 is above any Humane power to give us, 
 and has not been known in Fad-, and 
 cannot in Reafon refide in any Created 
 Being, without a particular Commiflion 
 and Delegation from GOD: And this in- 
 deed wou'd be an Impeachment of the 2)/- 
 'v'fne Veracity. 
 
 . 21. We ihall therefore now in the 
 loft place obferve, as we defign'd, that 
 whether Good or Evil Spirits can work 
 true Miracles or not, it is not material, 
 fince if they cannot', and true Miracles are 
 wrought, it is very neceflary for us to 
 acknowledge they mult be from GOD; 
 if they can* yet fince we have endeavour'd 
 to (hew it is no otherwife than by His 
 Concurrence and Defignation, by his own 
 Order and Appointment, we may as fully 
 depend upon what is meant and intended 
 by them, as if Almighty God Himfelf was 
 the Immediate Author of them. 
 
 .22. And what can be more reafon- 
 able for us to believe, than that GOD has 
 the Superintendance and the Abfolute 
 Command of thofc Beings which are 
 
 above-
 
 158 dDemonftrationoftheDivinity 
 above us, that He direfts and guides them 
 according to His own high Wifdom and 
 Pieafure, in limiting their Aftions to cer- 
 tain degrees of Power over us ; what is 
 more juft for us to think, than that He 
 do's not fuffer them to aft in the Impor- 
 tant Points of Religion with us, as they 
 pleafe-, 'tis very manifeft in the Chri- 
 ftian Difpenfation, that they are there re- 
 prefented to us as Miniftrmg Spirits only, 
 fubfervient to our Lord, that the bed and 
 greateft of them ftood as admiring fpefta- 
 tors of the wonderful Work of our Re- 
 demption, and were defirous to be inform- 
 ed of the Myfteries of it, and that the word 
 were obedient to his Commands,and hum- 
 bly implor'd, from poflefllngof Men, His 
 Permifllon to enter into a herd of Swine. 
 However, therefore, Heathenifm had ex- 
 alted thofe Evil Spirits, which they wor- 
 fhip'd by the pretended Miracles that were 
 wrought by them, fo as to make them ap- 
 proach very near the Deity it felf> we 
 find our Excellent Chriftianity gives us 
 another Defcription of them, they are ap- 
 parently under a Difcipline not unbecom- 
 ing the Great Ruler of the Univerfe, 
 and under thofe Laws and Reftraints, 
 which his Juftice, Veracity, and Good- 
 nefsto Mankind, as we have (hewn, wou'd 
 ncceflarily prefcribe from Him.
 
 of the Chriflun Religion. 1 5 9 
 
 DISCOURSE IX. 
 iT/wr. 5. i<>, 17. 
 
 5. i.T TA VINO gone thro* Three of 
 J7l our Arguments, to evince the 
 Divinity of the Chriftian Religion, as it 
 is propos d to us in the Holy Scriptures, 
 there remains one more, namely, from thac 
 Wonderful Providence, which was obfer- 
 vable in the furprizing Progrefs of the 
 Gofpel, without any Humane Means or 
 AiTiftance, that was in the lead equal to 
 the Effedb produc'd, the Converfion in a 
 manner of the whole World. 
 
 . 2. Tis fufficiently known, that Chri- 
 ftianity was fpread to the fartheft parts of 
 the World, even in the Apoftles Days 5 
 that the firft and principal Preachers of 
 it were not Men of Poiitenefs or Learn- 
 ing, and, in refpeft of Languages, only un~ 
 derftood their own Native Hebrew or 
 Syriacki that they were but a handful in 
 number, and made ufe of no other Me- 
 thods to convince their Adverfaries than 
 the giving a reafon of the hope that was 
 in them, with meeknefs and fear , they did 
 not embrace any violent means to afcer- 
 tain or eftablifh their Religion, but de- 
 pended on the good Providence of GOD, 
 
 to
 
 i o A Demonftration of the Divinity 
 to juftify their pious Endeavours of pro- 
 moting what they were fully aflur'd came 
 from, and was Authorized by Him. This 
 was all the Humane Afliftance given to- 
 wards infufmg new and unheard of Prin- 
 ciples into the World 5 and if Effefts are 
 anfwerable to their Caufes, (as all Man- 
 kind owns) that of Chriftiamty's fo uni- 
 verfally prevailing, had been impoflible, 
 from the weak and incompetent Meafures 
 we have mention'd, which were taken to 
 advance it. 
 
 . 3. For can we imagine a few Men, 
 without any Knowledge of Languages, 
 excepting their own , ihou'd underftand 
 all others befides their own , fo as to be 
 capable of preaching to all Nations of dif- 
 ferent Languages, the great Doftrines of 
 their Religion ? This in it felf is a Contra- 
 ction ; can we fuppofe a few Men, in 
 thefeCircumftanceslikewifeofllliterature 
 and Meannefs, able to ftetn the Torrent 
 of Greatnefs and Power, of the Learning 
 and Philofophy of thofe Times, that lay 
 hard againft them ? We do not find this 
 (not even) in the prefent Age, when Chri- 
 ftianity, tho' fupported by the Secular 
 Arm, is fcarcely furKcient to defend 
 it fclf againft the trifling Pretences to 
 Reafon, and the Mighty, and 1 may 
 fay, Wife claims to Philosophy? made by 
 
 its
 
 df the Chriftian Religion. 1 6 1 
 its Adverfaries, much lefs can we think 
 k was able to do it, when the Magistracy 
 and Authority of the World oppos'd it> 
 if it had not been aflerted by a mod ap- 
 parently Divine Power. 
 
 4. Ldftfy, Is it reafonable to believe, 
 that Meeknefs and Patience fhou'd be a 
 means to propagate a Doctrine, which is 
 the only Humane way to make it infulted? 
 Did Mahometifm fo prevail, that can boaft 
 of more Profelytes than any other Reli- 
 gion, befides the Chriftian? None of 
 thefe Caufes are any ways proportion'd 
 to the Effects we evidently perceive were 
 in reallity produc'd. 
 
 . f. If not, what account can be given 
 from this Humane way of procedure, to 
 folve thofe other infuperable Difficulties, 
 which wou'd ly againft it ? that is to fay, 
 the prejudice of Education, and more par- 
 ticularly the Strangenefs of the Chriftian 
 Doctrines, in Relation to its My ft cries, 
 and the Difagreeablenefs of them, in re- 
 fper, of our Practice , the firft feeming to 
 thwart and contradict our Reafon, and 
 the laft evidently oppoflng our Inclina- 
 tions 5 cou'd thefe alib be furmounted by 
 this gentle and pacifick Method of Pa- 
 tience and Submiflion, which in a manner 
 refign'd the firft Chriftians to the Caprice 
 L and
 
 i i A Vemonjtration of the Divinity 
 and Pleafure of that very World they were 
 to fubdue. 
 
 . 6. Let us now allow the utmoft to 
 what might be expefted from fuch Means, 
 what, I pray, wou'd at this prefent time 
 cnfue from the bed ufe of them ? They 
 might perhaps work upon a few eafy and 
 harmlefs People, as we find in experience 
 they now fometimes do , but have we any 
 one Inftance, except in Chriftianity,where 
 they have converted Nations, and made 
 the moft powerful Monarchies and Em- 
 pires truckle and fubmit to the Doftrines 
 they affirm'd ? Shou'd ten or twelve Per- 
 fons go now about to tell the World of 
 fome ftrange and wonderful Appearance, 
 that feem'd to be very difficult to appre- 
 hend , as that one certain Perfon was in 
 their view , and in lefs than a moment 
 transferred into another certain Perfon, 
 with all thelndividual diftinftions of Body 
 and Mind belonging to him,(and yet Chri- 
 ftianity gives us an account of flranger 
 things than this) (hou'd thefeMen folemn- 
 ly declare this upon their word and know- 
 ledge, and endeavour to make others be- 
 lieve it by patience and meeknefs, pra- 
 tic'd towards their Oppofers-, how many 
 do we think wou'd be prevail'd upon to 
 fide with and abet the Forgery ? Not per- 
 haps twenty Men of any common fenfc 
 
 thro'
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 163 
 
 thro' the whole Kingdom, if we can fup- 
 pofe that even one Proielyte wou'd be 
 madetofuch a Fiftion i but if a hundred or 
 a thoufand cou'd be Ib weak as to fall un- 
 der the Deluiion, what wou'd this be to- 
 wards the Conviction of an entire Na- 
 tion? If this cou'd be done, wou'd not 
 there be another Task as great behind; 
 wou'd France or Italy, wou'd Europe-, 
 Afia>> or the whole World immediately 
 follow the Example of fuch a Credulity ? 
 
 . 7. But why do we fpeak at large ? Is 
 there not matter of Faft before our Eyes 
 of a Pure and Holy Religion, 1 mean 
 that of the Reformation from the Church 
 of Rome, which for feveral Ages has been 
 ftruggling againft the grofs Errors and Su- 
 perftitions of a Topijh Enthufiafm > and 
 how much has it gain'd all this while ? 
 only a few Provinces of all the vaft Ex- 
 tent of the Roman Empire : It is yet the 
 fame Chriftianity, which was Taught in 
 the Firft Ages, has been endeavour'd to 
 be promoted by the fame Humane Me- 
 thods, namely, Patience and Submiflion, 
 and Juft and Rational Arguments; it has 
 had likewife the Glory and Advantage 
 of thoufands of Martyrs to die in its De- 
 fence-, and the worft Enemies it has had 
 to conquer, have neither been Jews nor 
 Heathens, but only Chriftians of another 
 Denomination. L 2 O'nf
 
 1 6 4 A Demonjlration of the Divinity 
 
 On the contrary, this fame Religion, 
 when its Humane Afllftances were equal, 
 and the Oppofitions to it greater, upon 
 its firft Rife, fpread and diffus'd it felf 
 to all parts, and, like a quick and fudden 
 Light from Heaven, reach'd from one end 
 of the Earth to the other ; of which it is 
 altogether impoflible to give any account, 
 if we do not allow Almighty God to have 
 interpos'd his particular Power, and by 
 Miracles and Infpirations to have given 
 that furprizing Progrefs to Chriftianity, 
 which, where the Humane Probabilities 
 have not been lefs, it has not fince expe- 
 rienc'd. 
 
 But, granting the Difciples of our Lord 
 to be furnifh'd with the Gifts of Tongues, 
 of Healing the Sick) and Raifing the 'Dead-* 
 all is explicable enough, and there is 
 no wonder-, there is nothing admirable 
 in the Converfion of fo many different 
 Nations to the Faith of our Saviour, by 
 the gentle ways of Humility and Mild- 
 nefs, and by a few Unlearned and Mean 
 Perfons ; this was a Caufe indeed able to 
 produce fo mighty an EfFeft, to which 
 the other was wholly difproportion'd. 
 
 $.8.1 know(for I {hall not diflembleany 
 Objection, which I'm aware of, that can 
 feeai to ly againft what we have faid) I 
 am fufficiently convinced, that the ftrange 
 
 Pro-
 
 of the Chirftian Religion. 1 6 5 
 
 Progrefs of Mahometifm will here be 
 thought ofjas what muft evidently weaken 
 the Force of the foregoing Argument, 
 which it is fo far from doing, that it a- 
 bundantJy confirms it; for as that is con- 
 fefs'd by all to be propagated by Arms, 
 and, as the Author of that Religion owns, 
 he was fent to reform the World by the 
 Sword, as he affirms, the Art and Difci- 
 pline of War was what he pretended to, 
 and nothing of Miracles. It is plain to a 
 Demonftration, that if we find the greateft 
 Violences us'd upon Mankind, had a Na- 
 tural, and indeed a neceflary Effect, to 
 determine Men in their Perfuafions, or at 
 leaft in their Acknowledgments of;a Reli- 
 gion proposed to them, the greateft Humi- 
 lity and Meeknefs cou'd not, unlefs it had 
 been enforc'd and fupported by a Miracu- 
 lous and more than Humane Power, 
 lie Tisw gninokp.8 : f 
 
 $. 9. Nor can it be here alledg'd, that 
 the Succefs of the Saracen Arms was in 
 it felf greater, or carry'd any thing in it 
 more Divine, than what is commonly 
 known to attend fuch Entbujtaftick Prin- 
 ciples; Predeftination and an Imaginary 
 Paradife, have not made Victories pecu- 
 liar only to Mahomet and his Followers ; 
 we have the fameHiftory from the Goths 
 and Odin's Palace, and the wonderful plea- 
 fure of drinking in the Sculs of their Ene- 
 It 3
 
 1 6 6 A Dtmonftration of the Divinity 
 
 mies; and yet what Divine Power will 
 any one call in to juftify the Effe&s of 
 fo palpable an Illufion? Alafs! thefe 
 things are only Natural, and bear the fame 
 face and appearances as if ten or twelve 
 thoufand mad Men fhou'd be let loofe 
 upon the World, with an unanimous De- 
 fign to be (as they already poffefs them- 
 feives with the Imagination that they are) 
 fuperior to Mankind -, and in fuch Cafes 
 what great Effects may not be produced, 
 even in a Natural way > when we fee any 
 one Perfon in the like Circumftances equal 
 fo the Force and Strength of feveral put 
 together, this is not unaccountable in Fat 
 or Reafon. But thefe were not the Me- 
 thods of Chriftianity, Submiflion and Pa- 
 tience, Kindnefs and Humility, a calm and 
 even Temper, a generous and noble Beha- 
 viour to its Ad verfaries, a fedate and Man- 
 ]y,a Solid and Judicious Reafoning were all 
 its Supports, excepting what was more 
 and greater the Providence of G o D, in 
 maintaining it, and his miraculous Atte- 
 fbtion to the Truth of it. 
 
 $.io.Wehavethereforenowfini{h'dour 
 Demon (Ira tion of the Truth and Divinity 
 of the Chriftian Religion, and the Scrip- 
 tures it propounds to our AfTenti the 
 chief of what we defign'd to infift upon 
 is confequently difcharg'd, and there is 
 
 little
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 167 
 
 little more remaining, unlefs that we fpeak 
 to thofe other two Particulars we mention- 
 ed in the Beginning of thefe Difcourfes; 
 the firft of which is, the Aptnefs of the Ho- 
 ly Writings, to furnifti us with the beft Di- 
 rections for our Faith and Pradiicej for 
 we are told, that as they are of Divine 
 Infpiration, fo likewife, that they are/r0- 
 f table for ^Dottrine, for Reproof* for Cor ~ 
 reElion-i for Inftruttion in Righteoufnefs : 
 For ^Doffrine , that is, for informing us 
 in the important and weighty Truths and 
 Myfteries of Religion ; for Correction, or 
 'Z3Js f**f0pfop0fej that is, for giving us 
 the beft Syftem of Morality, for Reproof, 
 namely, for convincing us of our Errors, 
 in relation to the Firft >, for Inftruffion y 
 or <zsc$ TiauJVavi in reforming and re- 
 prefling our Offences againft the Latter. 
 The Original is, x, co3>'c\iuo$ 
 
 tev, -3^0$ 
 
 futable to which I wou'd take the 
 liberty to make two Diftin&ions, in the 
 Senfe of thefe Words, which are gene- 
 rally refolv'd into four; fo that vzpo$ '&& 
 ^pv, fhou'd depend upon ^i^o-/^tA/a, and 
 ^os ttmAb*' upon gTTxyopSfticn?, and the Im- 
 port of 'em will be this, The Scriptures 
 are profitable for c Do5irme^ to the repro- 
 ving our Error?, ispl* ttefyv, and for a 
 right and due Notion of things, which in 
 the Original is ITCHS/^TO, to the Chaftife- 
 L
 
 1 6 8 A Vemonf ration of the Divinity 
 ment and Diiciplme of our Manners, ex- 
 preis'd there by TCO.(^{^ from which Ex- 
 planation will refult thefe two Heads. 
 
 . n. Fir/t, ThatChriftianity, and the 
 Scriptures which aflert it, are the beft and 
 trueft Meafure of our Faith and Belief? 
 and confequcnt upon that, the jufteft 
 Standard to exact our Opinions to> fo as 
 to preferve us againft our Errors, or re- 
 form us from them. 
 
 Second!? > That Chriftianity and the 
 Scriptures, in which it is contain'd, af- 
 ford us the Nobleft and Divined Rules 
 for our Conduct and Practice; and con- 
 fequent upon it, the fevereft Reproofs of 
 our Deviations from, or Tranfgreffions of 
 them. For when we fay, the Beft and 
 the Nobleft, the eeQ&ip; or profitable* 
 here mentioned, do's infer it ; if we com- 
 pare TnwQoi ^ >6g<77D 'Gr&x.oTiloy'Tts tis X,$w, 
 with oJ ^5 /tun of oTs e/uafi^, and that with 
 5ho7Tv&sw, which is immediately join'd 
 with it; the whole Connection of which 
 is, that there were evil men and deceivers^ 
 who only grew worfe : But do thoih fays S^:. 
 yaul( fpeaking to Timothy -^Q whom head- 
 drefs'd this Epiftle) do thou continue and 
 perjift in that i^hich thou haft learned^ in 
 that infpir'd and profitable, or beft Do- 
 ctrine for ev'ry good Man to believe or pra- 
 ctice j nor is it unfrequent with the Sacred 
 
 Pen-
 
 of the ChriftLin Religion. 169 
 Penmen to call that which is evil, only idle 
 and unprofitable j of which ieveral In- 
 ftances might be produc'd, and therefore 
 it is as reaTonable for us to conclude, the 
 <p6AijK" or profitable here, has a greater 
 and higher fenfe belonging to it, than 
 what is in our propriety of Language ge- 
 nerally acknowledg'd to be fignify'd by it; 
 as it is plain it haj from a bare Confide- 
 ration of the Intention and Meaning of the 
 Apoftle. 
 -,- 
 
 . 12. But to omit this, it is argu'd by 
 fome from this place, that the Scriptures 
 here taken notice of, refpeft no other than 
 thofe of the Old Teftament, and by con- 
 fequence Chriftianity is excluded from be- 
 ing any fliarer in the Encomiums given of 
 them ; the Reafon alledg'd is, becaufe St. 
 Taul in the I f th Verfe fays, that Timothy 
 from a Child had known the Scriptures* 
 which were able to make him wife unto 
 Salvation^ thro the Faith which was in 
 Chrift Jefus -, but Timothy was not mftru- 
 fted from a Child in the Chrittian Writ- 
 ings, and therefore the Apoftle refers to 
 the Jewiih. 
 
 . 13. Nothing can be more inconclu- 
 flve than fuch an Argument, fince it fup- 
 pofes the $ ie&i y?p}Mt'& to be the fame 
 with the Tracra, ye^^w, whereas it is more na- 
 tural
 
 1 7 o A Dcmonjlration of the Divinity 
 rural to think,that the Apoftle in 7nca y^- 
 <p, All Scripture^ do's not only compre- 
 hend the $ it&.y&fruoL'&jTke Holy Scrip- 
 tures* whidiTimothy had learn'd from his 
 Youth 5 but the o* ots g/.0g$ % i'Tnmfysy thofe 
 things which he hadlearrid,and with which 
 he was entrufted-> to wit 5 not barely what 
 he had perfonally told him, but the Go- 
 fpeh) which were already extant, and the 
 Epiftles he had writ, as well as this alfo, 
 which were all committed to him, being a 
 Bimop and Paftor of the Church, as a Sa- 
 cred Depofitunijand in which he therefore 
 enjoyn'd him to continue ftedfaft; fat All 
 Scripture^ Tram y$*.q>}\) as well the Holy 
 Scriptures, in which he had been educa- 
 ted from his Childhood, as thofe which 
 he had fince receiifdy all wzs given by In- 
 fpiration of God. 
 
 . 14. Befides, can we imagine that St. 
 Taul fhou'd fay, that the Old Teftament, 
 exclufive of the Gofpels&t leaft of the new, 
 was given by Infpiration<> that the Man of 
 God might be per/eft, throughly furntflfd 
 unto all good works z when in the eleventh 
 Chapter of the Epiftle to the Hebrews* at 
 the latter end of it, it is faid, And thefe 
 all having obtained a good report through 
 Faith) received not the Promt 'fe, God having 
 provided Jome better thing for us, that they 
 Without us might not be made perfect. For 
 
 how
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 171 
 how cou'd Men be perfeft, and throughly 
 furnifid unto all good works, by the Jew- 
 ijh Difpenfation , when they cou'd not 
 by that be ib without the Gofpel-> that 
 better thing-) which was provided for us 
 Chriftians. 
 
 . i f . Moreover, abftra&ing from this 
 place of the Epiftle to the Hebrews, how 
 cou'd either Perfection in general be ever 
 deriv'd from Judaifm only? lince, if it 
 cou'd, there had been no occafion for Chri- 
 ftianity; or how cou'd a Chriftian Bifhop 
 in particular (the Man of God, which is 
 here intended) be one, and fufficiently 
 qualify'd for all parts of his Office, by 
 being only acquainted with the Oecono- 
 my and Religion of the Jews ? unlefs a 
 High Prieft in one Cafe, was to all intents 
 and purpofes the fame with the Bifliop 
 or Paftor in the other. 
 
 -u" *! 
 
 . 1 6. To conclude, In the i$ th Verfe 
 of this Chapter, the [^ ^c^^tfe, or the 
 Holy Scriptures, which Timothy was edu- 
 cated in, are faid to be able to make him 
 wife unto Salvation, thro 1 Faith in Chrift 
 Jefus -, but KoLavt, y&ti, or All Scripture 
 in the 16 and 17 Verfes, will make him 
 perfect^ throughly furnijh'd unto all good 
 works* and by confequence will make him 
 wife unto Salvation alfoj therefore the
 
 1 7 1 A Demonjlration of the Divinity 
 
 wxffa /se^pai or a ^ Scripture*) muft like- 
 wife include the Chriftian Doftrine or not ; 
 if it do's not, it cou'd not make him per- 
 feff and throughly furniffid unto all good 
 works, that is, wife unto Salvation-, fee- 
 ing Faith in Chrift is required to that, 
 according to Verfe the 15 th ; if it do's, 
 either the Scriptures of the Old Tefta- 
 msnt are the Scriptures of the New, that 
 is, Judai/m isChriftianity-) which is impof- 
 jlble, fince the Jews profefs the one and 
 deny the other j or elfe the Scriptures of 
 both are joyn'd together in the 
 and are the fame with the ^t 
 or thejewifh Writings annext to 
 TK <v Xe^ Ir,o-$, which includes the Chri- 
 frian and is that for which we contend. 
 
 . 17. Let us therefore, after this long 
 Interruption, and after clearing the Diffi- 
 culties that feem to encounter the plain 
 and evident Defign of this place, upon 
 which we are now difcourfing, let us pro- 
 ceed to the firft Propofition we mention'd, 
 which was,thatChriftianity,and the Scrip- 
 tures that aflert it, are the beft and trueft 
 Mcafures of our Faith and Belief: For, 
 how is it poilible it fhou'd be otherwife, 
 lince we have already evinc'd them to be 
 Divine ? What comes from GOD muft fu- 
 rely deferve our higheft Efteem and Ve- 
 neration, and will be infinitely to be pre- 
 ferr'd before any Human Syftems, how 
 
 rationa^
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 7 5 
 rational foever they may appear : Reafon 
 is but a dim Light in comparifon with 
 Revelation j and like the Eye in refpet 
 of the Body, fo it, in refpeft of the 
 Mind, only or principally ferves us in the 
 grofs Occasions of Life, to judge what is 
 neceflary and convenient to be done, in 
 order to its fupport, it cannot reach far 
 into the Nature and Conditions of that 
 which we are to lead hereafter; this De- 
 fed Revelation abundantly fupplies, as it 
 furnifhes us with all thofe mighty Truths? 
 which concern the BlefTednefs of a future 
 State, and teaches us the way to obtain it. 
 
 ' . 1 8. Nor are the ^Deifts^ and the Men 
 of Science and Afteftation here alone ju- 
 ftly blameable, who fet up their admir'd 
 Talent of Argument and Syllogifm, in op- 
 pofltion to their Religion, which yet in 
 a thoufand Inftances often proves to be, 
 as the Apoftle (ays in a like cafe, falily fo 
 call'd ; we have alfo from hence good rea- 
 fon to condemn the Church of Rome, 
 who errs on another, tho' a better Ex- 
 treme, as Superftition is better than A- 
 theifm -, or to give them the mod favour- 
 able Names, as Chriftianity, tho' with 
 ibme additional Errors, is more to be va- 
 lued than plain Heathenifm: We have, I 
 fay, juft grounds to condemn that Church, 
 wliich makes its Traditions of an equal 
 
 Audio-
 
 174 A VemonJJration of the Divinity 
 Authority at leaft with the Holy Scrip- 
 tures , in afcertaining and determining 
 the Rule of our Faith in its full Extent. 
 
 . ip. I call the Church of Rome a Chri- 
 ftian one, whofe Errors are rather to be 
 pity'd and commiferated than infulted; 
 and we cannot but think, tho' its invete- 
 rate Perfecutions of us, and the Cruelties 
 it has been too fadly guilty of, in fup- 
 preffing, if poflible, the growing Refor- 
 mation, might (if any thing elfe) give us 
 not altogether unjuft Sufpicions of its be- 
 ing Antichriftian -> yet we cannot but be 
 perfuaded, that it is not altogether fo bad 
 as fome Men wou'd make it, who under 
 the Odium it has contrated by fuch un- 
 warrantable Methods, as well as by its 
 Errors, wou'd endeavour to baniih all Re- 
 ligion out of the World, by affixing the 
 Name of Topery and Super ft it ion to it> 
 we fhall therefore againft fuch Men be fo 
 bold as to affirm, that however the Re- 
 formation has fuffer'd from the Church 
 of Rome 9 it has that true Christianity as 
 to forgive the Injuries that have been done 
 it, and that it firmly believes, notwith- 
 ftanding the ill ufage it has met with from 
 her, and the Errors (he maintains, which 
 rather than reproach her with, we moft 
 compaflionately lament ; that me profef- 
 fes the Faith of Chrtftj that &e has been 
 
 a
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 7 j 
 
 a means of preferring it to us ; that tho* 
 her Foundations are charg'd with an un- 
 weildy bulk of Ceremonies and Superfti- 
 tious Rites, which might be omitted, or 
 of foul and palpable Miftakes, which 
 might be eaflly redrefs'd, the Foundations 
 themfelves are yet fafe and untouch'd; 
 that at the worft, (be is Chriftianity Un- 
 reform'd, which is much better than none; 
 as Epifcopacy, Presbytery, and the other 
 prefent Denominations of Chriftianity, 
 are no other than the Church of Rome y 
 unlefs in Reformation. 
 
 . 20. But fbme are fo mad, and fo ex- 
 ceedingly rage againft her, fpirited with a 
 furious and paflionate Zeal, for themfelves 
 and their own Atheifm, that they feem 
 to be very willing to prefer the Sacrifices 
 of the Heathens, or the Alcoran of Ma~ 
 hornet, or even Irreligion it felf (as one 
 modeftly fays) before her , but far be ic 
 from us to fubfcribe to the Opinions of 
 thefe Men : O my Soul) come not thou in- 
 to their fecret j unto their Affembly lee 
 not us be united. We freely own there is 
 more Senfe and more Religion in 'Popery* 
 let its Errors be as many as they pleaie, 
 than not only in Atheifm, but which is the' 
 fame, than in any pretended or vain Sy- 
 ftems of Reafon, which thefe Trirlers in 
 Philofophycanpropofe: for if the Church 
 
 of
 
 A Demonflration of the Divinity 
 of Rome embraces the Scriptures, and all 
 the Effentials of Chriftianity, and we 
 have prov'd them to come from G o D, 
 -whatever has been fuperadded cannot 
 thminifli, only invelop and obfcure this 
 Divine Religion. 
 
 $.21. And Pity it is but that Holy and 
 Apoftolical See,which once moneamongft 
 the Churches of G o D with an Eminent 
 Brightnefs and Purity, which was the 
 great Bulwark of our Religion, againft 
 the continual Shocks and Attempts of 
 Heathenifm and Idolatry 5 which by the 
 Piety and Illuftrioufnefs of its Examples, 
 and the Sincerity and Truth of its Do- 
 ctrines, gave, as we may juftly imagine, 
 a ftrong impreflion of the Valuablenefs 
 and Efteem of our Chriftianity, upon the 
 whole Roman Empire > Pity furely it is, 
 that fuch a See is not reftor'd to its Na- 
 tive Beauty and Perfections, that it do's 
 not wipe off the Stains and Blemifhes it 
 has gather'd, by an univerfal Reforma- 
 tion j and in particular, by making once 
 more the Holy Scriptures the Compleat 
 and Abfolute Rule of their Faith and 
 Pra&ice. This wou'd revive its Antieno 
 Glory, and make it a Terror to, as it is 
 at prefent the Scorn of the common Ad- 
 verfanes of Religion.
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 177 
 
 .21. Laftly, are not our Brethren of 
 the Reformation, who diflent from us, to 
 be juftly blam'd, who withdraw them- 
 felves from a Church, and from an Epi- 
 fcopacy, in general} which aflerts the Suf- 
 ficiency of the Scriptures, to diredl: us in 
 what we ought to believe; which makes 
 the Word of GOD, and thofe Divine 
 Books, whofe Authority we have endea- 
 vour'd toi prove, the Meafure and Stan- 
 dard of their Faith ? It is not to be doubt- 
 ed but there are fcveral Good and Excel- 
 lent Men amongft them, whofe Piety and 
 Morals, as well as Learning, we have great 
 reafon to efteem and value j and if our 
 Difference in Opinion disjoyns us, our 
 Chriftianity ought to produce fome kind 
 of Union, at leaft, in our Affeftions , but 
 they wou'd do well to confider, whether; 
 it is not a caufelefs Separation from us, 
 which they encourage ; we propofe the 
 Scriptitres for the Rule of our Faith, they 
 are read publickly in our Churches, and 
 we are defirous to appeal to them in all 
 our Doftrines, which are deliver'd from 
 the Pulpit , what manner of Objection carl 
 be againft fuch a fi'ncere and open Pro- 
 feflion of the Chriftian Religion? 
 
 $.23. On the other hand, in the A (Tern - 
 
 blies of our Brethren, who feparate from us, 
 
 the Scriptures are not alike publickly and 
 
 M con-
 
 178 A Vemonflration of the Divinity 
 conftantly inculcated, unlefs in Humane 
 Compofitions and Difcourfes upon them , 
 which, whilft they are made exclufive of 
 the Scriptures themfelvesj what is it but 
 preferring our own Commentaries to the 
 real Word of GOD 5 and if it is not lock- 
 ing them up in an Unknown Language, 
 it is at lead confining them to fpeak 
 in our own, and not permitting them 
 to explain themfelves in their Proper and 
 Genuine addrefs to our Thoughts and 
 Underftandings ; and if fuch a Practice 
 ihou'd univerfally obtain, what wou'd be- 
 come of thefe Holy Oracles of our Reli- 
 gion , when Men wou'd feldom or never 
 hear them in their purity, but fhap'd and 
 contrived into Doctrines, fuitable to the 
 Temper or Pleafure of the Expounder > 
 a way that wou'd not fall much fhort of 
 the Romaniftst iince this likewiie wou'd 
 oblige their Followers to judge of the 
 Senie and Meaning of the Scriptures by 
 a kind of Oral Tradition. 
 
 $.24. Such a Ufage as this, therefore, 
 we cannot but highly condemn, under the 
 fame Head> with that of the Church of 
 Rome i in which refpet our Brethren the 
 Diffenters do more efientially agree with 
 that Church, than we do in any Inftance 
 that can be nam'd, however warmly the 
 Charge qf popery has been purfu'd againft 
 
 US;
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 7 y 
 
 u$; but GOD forbid that we fhou'd al- 
 ledge this by way of Recriminating upon 
 them ; the extreme Charity of our Church 
 induces it to forgive thofe Indignities* 
 which have been offer'd it, inftead of re- 
 fencing them ; and we rather bring it as 
 a juft accufation of the Practice of our 
 DifTenting Brethren, in Vindication of 
 thefe Sacred Writings, than with any De- 
 fign of multiplying Charges againft them, 
 and likewife as an Argument to them to 
 think more candidly of the Primitive and 
 Apoftolical Difcipline, which we exercife 
 in our Publick Worfhip of GOD, and 
 with lefs partiallity and prejudice of that 
 which they have fo zealoufly, but with 
 lefs Reafon efpous'd. 
 
 . 2 f. The Second thing in relation to the 
 Scriptures was, that they afford us the no- 
 bleft and jufteft Rules for our Condut 
 and Praftice, and this alfo is evident from 
 their being Divine : Befides which, what 
 were all the Syftems of 'Et 'hicks before Chri- 
 ftianity appeared ? They were little more 
 than Collections of the feveral Topicks* 
 under the general Heads of Honefty or Ho- 
 nour, which was divided into what was 
 right, and what was commendable: the 
 firft of which contain'd the four Cardi- 
 nal Vertues, of Prudence, Juftice, For- 
 titude y and a Moderation of our Ap- 
 M j petites*
 
 180 ADemonflrationoftbeDivmiiy 
 petites j and the laft , all thofe things 
 which by Cuftom and Prefcription, or 
 any other way , had gain'd the Repute 
 and Applaufe of the Times: to make a 
 Comparifon betwixt which and the Chri- 
 flian Inftitution, we only need to take two 
 different Examples, of which the Age on 
 the one hand gives us too many Inftances. 
 Let us conceive an exaftly temperate and 
 fober Perfon, who is prudent, couragious 
 and juft, according to the Tenour of the 
 foremention'd Vertues, who complies in 
 other Refpefts with the humour and bent 
 of the Times, takes up their Fafhions, and 
 in all Cafes conforms himfelf to the Ca- 
 refles of thofc about him ; who will not 
 iuffer any Blemifh to taint or fully his 
 Reputation, but is ready to demand a full 
 Satisfaction for any Injuries that mall be 
 offer'd him in that kind, which is all com- 
 prehended under what they call Com- 
 mendable. This feems to be a true Re- 
 prefentation of what the World now-a- 
 days terms a Perfon of Honour, as it was 
 wnat the Heathens formerly meant by 
 Morality. 
 
 . 26. Let us now on the other hand 
 confider a temperate and fober Perfon, and 
 ftridt even to the praftifmg the utmoft 
 Aufterities and Mortifications, who de- 
 nies himfelf the innocent Freedoms of 
 
 Life,
 
 of the Chriftian Religion, i 8 1 
 
 Life, that he may do good to others, and 
 even relieves the Neceflities of his indi- 
 gent Brethren, by fparing fomething from 
 his own Enjoyments; who is likewiie pru- 
 dent, not for his own Intereft, but that 
 of his Fellow Creatures; who is juft, by 
 being more than that. Charitable and Mer- 
 ciful ; who is couragious and refolute, not 
 in vindicating his own Honour, which he 
 difregards, but that of Almighty God and 
 Religion ; not in revenging the Injuries 
 that mall be done him, but in forgiving 
 them, and fupporting with Firmnefs and 
 Conftancy any Afflictions which fliall be- 
 fal him in the Difcharge of his Duty , 
 who do's not make the Opinions or the 
 Applaufe of the Times the Meafure of 
 his Actions, but looks up to Heaven for 
 his Direftion ; who, in fhort, fpends his 
 Life betwixt his Charity and his Devo- 
 tions, the one prompting him to do all 
 the Good which lies in his Power, and 
 the other to proftrate himfelf before the 
 Author of his Being, in the feveral Du- 
 ties of his Religion , with the humbled 
 and profoundeft Adoration. This feems, 
 rho' an imperfeft, yet a Character ample 
 enough for us to diftinguifh a GoodChri* 
 fti&n^ from the foregoing Defcription of a 
 Moralift or a Heathen. 
 
 M 3 - *;
 
 1 8 i A Dcmonftration of the Divinity 
 
 . ?/. Let any one now judge, when 
 thefe Two are compar'd together, which 
 of them deferves our greateft Love and 
 Efteem ; whether the Perfon of Heroifm 
 and Morality, who in a great meafure 
 makes himfelf the Idol of his Devotion, 
 or the true humble and modeft Chrifti- 
 an ; who has nothing more intimate to 
 his Affections, than the Worfhip and 
 Service of Almighty God, and the real 
 (jood of Mankind j if the laft do's, what 
 can we conclude, but that the Chriftian 
 Ethicks are extremely fuperior to any Sy- 
 ftems of Reafon the Enemies of Reli- 
 gion can, or even to thofe wifer which the 
 Heathens have proposed. 
 
 . 28. And we may juftly call them Wi- 
 fer, iince they were form'd by Men, upon 
 a cool Senfe of things, and upon a deli- 
 berate and unprejudic'd ufe of their Rea- 
 fon, which tho' it cou'd not carry its De- 
 dudtions beyond its own Limits, or far- 
 ther than it felf extended; yet thofe Sy- 
 frems appear to be unpaffionate , and 
 without any other Defign, than to be as 
 good Concluiions as cou'd be made from 
 it. But the Adverfaries of Religion give 
 us new Schemes, as it is manifeft, not out 
 of any real love to Truth, tho' they often 
 profels it, but purely out of Envy to the 
 Authority of the Old, as might be evinc'd 
 
 from
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 8 3 
 
 from feveral places , which it were eafy 
 to cite out of thofe kind of Authors; 
 but where an inveterate Prejudice, where 
 a confirm'd and fettled Malice and Re- 
 fentment lies at the bottom of Men's 
 Writings, is there any juft Reafoning to 
 be expeded from fuch Syftems and Com- 
 pofitions? Pm afraid not, and we may 
 therefore defervedly prefer the Offices of 
 TuUy-> or the Ethicks of Ariftotle-> to any 
 fuch New and Upftart Pretences , which 
 in effeft and reallity have more folid Judg- 
 ment and Senfe in them : and if Chriftia- 
 nity and the Scriptures have prevail'd 
 againft thofe more Celebrated and Noble 
 Writers, we believe, and hope, the Pro- 
 vidence of GOD, and the Great and Su- 
 blime Doftrines of our Religion, will be 
 able to juftify them againfl: the weak Ef- 
 forts of a few impotent and defigning 
 Atheifts. 
 
 $.29. To fmifli thefe Difcourfes, which 
 we have had upon the prefent Subjeft; 
 the laft Particular mention'd in the Pri- 
 mary Divifion of our Argument, was the 
 Defign and Intention of thefe Writings, 
 That the Man of God might be p erf eft, 
 throughly furritjhd unto all good works : 'tis 
 true, what is here call'd the Man of God>> 
 by the fcope and drift of the Apoftlejfeems 
 more efpeciilly to refpeft Timothy him- 
 felf, and in him the Rulers of the Church } 
 M but
 
 1 8 4 A Dtmonflration of the Divinity 
 but we fhall take this Expreffion in a lar- 
 ger fenfe, to fignify every Chriftian in par- 
 ticular, as well as the Bifliops and the reft 
 of the Clergy j fince no one will fay, that 
 the Scriptures were only written for them , 
 if they were, they have from hence a good 
 Claim to keep them out of the hands of 
 the Laity, contrary to the receiv'd Do- 
 cTrrine of the Reformation -, if they were 
 not written for the Governours of the 
 Church only, then their Defign and In- 
 tention, that the Man of God might be 
 furnifhd to all good works* was not limited 
 neither, but muft neceffarily be fuppos'd 
 to extend to every private Profeflbr of 
 Chriftianity. 
 
 . 30. We have yet to do with a fort 
 of Men in this Age , who think them- 
 felves excus'd from any Duties of their 
 Religion, by putting the whole Practice 
 of it upon thofe who preach and incul- 
 cate it to the World , and fuitable to this* 
 how often do we hear Men of the vileft 
 and moft profligate Lives, who feem to 
 have no regard to any thing that is good 
 and vertuous, intemperately calling for 
 the Severe and Regular Conduct of the 
 Miniftry, as if the Scriptures, or the In- 
 junftions they give, did not appertain to 
 them? Whereas, if they believe thefe Di- 
 vine Oracles, and that their everlafting 
 
 Salva-
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 185 
 Salvation depends upon a due Obfer- 
 vance of them 5 what will it avail them, 
 that other Men, or that even the Afler- 
 tors and Preachers of the Gofpel are not 
 fb perfect as they wou'd defire ? Will it 
 fatisfy their own Obligations to the Pre- 
 cepts the Scriptures bind upon us ? Or are 
 they the better themfelves, becaufe others 
 are not fo good as they might be? 'Tisa 
 vain Affectation of Vertue and Religion, 
 and will not prove of any Service in the 
 end, at the Great Day of Accounts, (what- 
 ever Imprefllons it may make upon weak 
 Minds here) for us to imagine we are 
 really more confcientious and good in our 
 Aftions, by being able to calumniate and 
 difparage any Order of Men whatfoever, 
 much lefs the moft Sacred our Religion 
 owns 5 but how heavy will our ill Adi- 
 ons and Principles fall upon us, when to 
 palliate them, (and with no other Defign) 
 we traduce much better? 
 
 . 31. Again, If the Holy Scriptures 
 were intended for the Reformation of 
 ev'ry particular Perfon, thofe who are 
 the more immediate Difpenfers of 'em to 
 others, fhou'd take at leaft an equal, if 
 JX>t a greater care to exact their Lives 
 according to the Dodrines they prefcribe : 
 The Paftors of GOD'S Church (and the 
 Bifhops of it (till in a more tranfcendent 
 
 manner
 
 i S 6 A VcmonjJration of the Divinity 
 manner) are furely oblig'd to the higheft 
 Afts of Piety and Goodnefs, to propofe 
 nothing to themfelves but the Glory of 
 GOD, and the tendered regard to their 
 Fellow-Creatures j to deveft themfelves 
 of every thing that is felfifh, and only to 
 confult the true Genius and noble Spirit 
 of their moft Holy and Divine Religion } 
 this, if all of us wou'd endeavour to do, in 
 ourfeveral Capacities,!! is not to be doubt- 
 ed, but by the Blefling of GOD, it wou'd 
 rife to its Ancient Grandeur and Efteem ; 
 and as it put on its Primitive Purity, foit 
 wou'd hkewife fhine, with the fame Glo- 
 rious Luftre, to the confufion of its moft 
 inveterate Enemies and Oppofers. 
 
 Which that it may do, God Almighty 
 grant, for the fake of our ever BIcfled 
 Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST, to 
 whom with the Father, and the Holy 
 Ghoft, Three Perfons and One GOD, be 
 all Majefty and Dominion, Power and 
 Obedience, now and ever.
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 87 
 
 A DISCOURSE, 
 
 To prove that Matters of Faith are equal- 
 ly, if not more demonjlralle, than thofe 
 ofReafon. 
 
 HEB. n.Vcr.i. 
 
 Now Faith is thefubftance of things hoped 
 for, the Evidence of things notjeen. 
 
 . i.y^VNE wou'd be apt to admire, 
 \J confidering the feveral Hu- 
 mours and Fancies in the World, which 
 pafs for Senfe and good Argument, that 
 Men fliou'd be fo very ambitious to di- 
 ftinguifli themfelves from all other Orders 
 of Creatures by their Reafon y rather 
 than their Religion-, efpecially fince we 
 find fo many Beings, much inferiour to us> 
 endu'd with thofe Faculties, and perform- 
 ing thofe Aftions which do powerfully 
 perfuade us they have a Principle within 
 them, which makes very near approaches 
 tothe0f ; whereas they do not convince 
 usj by any thing we can obferve, that they 
 are at all concern'd , or in the leaft ac- 
 quainted with the other. 
 
 .2. And yet Men have carry 'd this 
 point fo high, and have feem'd to value 
 themfelves fo much upon this Diftinchon 
 of their being Rational, that they have 
 in a manner made ic their Flea to juftle 
 
 Reli-
 
 i S 8 A Demonjlratwn of the Divinity 
 Religion out of all its Pretenfions, and will 
 fcarcely allow it any right or privilege of 
 Jurifdidion in our Natures, they are fo 
 extravagantly pleas'd with their wonder- 
 ful knack of marfhalling of Propositions, 
 and ordering of Syllogtfms , that it is a 
 hard matter now-a-days to make 'em re- 
 lifh any thing elfe; every one almoft fets 
 up for a Man of Reafon and Science, 
 whereas few take care of, or feem to be any 
 ways concern'd for, their Faith and Reli- 
 gion* they are extremely cautious to avoid 
 the Imputation of Ignorance and folly j but 
 if they are too modeft to be proud of their 
 Vices, they are at lead much at eafe as to 
 their being profane and wicked j too many 
 think it no fcandal, and there are not thofe 
 wanting who efteem it matter of Glory. 
 
 .$. In fliort, Reafon has ufurp'd by 
 its Artifice and Cunning, and its fubtle 
 and plaufible Infinuations, an unwarrant- 
 able Power and Authority and (as Am- 
 bition never (lops at the moft tyrannical 
 and the moft unjuftifiable Actions, where 
 Empire is the Quarry in view) that it may 
 Lord it with a more Unlimited and Ar- 
 bitrary fway. Religion and Morality are 
 depos'dandfufpended from their govern- 
 ing Influence, are made to fubmit to the 
 pleafure of this new Pretender, and, we 
 have occafion tq feajj an A&ispafs'd with 
 
 fome
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 8 y 
 fome of its Votaries for the perpetual ba- 
 nifliment of 'em out of the World. 
 
 .4. To bring therefore what fuccours 
 we are able to Religion and Morality, in 
 fo fad an Exigence, and under fo injurious 
 a Treatment} to reftore them to their due 
 Prerogative and Efteem, and defend them 
 from the outrage and violence of fo bold 
 an Invaderj we (hall draw a parallel be- 
 twixt Faith t and what is generally call'd 
 Reafon : We fhall to that purpofe confi- 
 der the Nature and Meaning of both, \ve 
 (hall (hew the vaft preference there is of 
 one to the other, even in refpeft of cer- 
 tainty, and prove that we have Demon- 
 ftration for our Religion in the ftri&ell 
 Senfe, namely, that Faith is the Jubftance, 
 or as the Original fignifies, the affitrance 
 of things hoped for, and the Evidence of 
 things not feen. 
 
 . 5. But before we proceed any far- 
 ther, it will be neceflary to eftablifh a true 
 Notion of certainty, and what may pro- 
 perly be term'd Demonftration ; this, as 
 plain as it appears, has exercis'd two ve- 
 ry Celebrated Pens in a tedious Difpute 
 about it, and what we ought to under- 
 (land by itj whether the Perfonwhoop- 
 pos'd that Reverend Prelate, has fpent 
 more Wit or more Judgment upon his 
 
 Caufe,
 
 i po A Demon/ration of tie Divinity 
 Caufe, whether he has been more lavifli 
 of his Fancy or his Argument is not very 
 difficult to 'determine; for Perfonal Cer- 
 tainty which we diftinguifh from a real, 
 (name it as we pleafe) whatever diffe- 
 rence fome have thought fit to make be- 
 twixt it and Affurance, cannot be reafon- 
 ably different d from it, fince it is nothing 
 elfc but a Conviftion or Perfuafion of 
 the Mind, that a thing is what we ap- 
 prehend it to be; a Demonstration to us 
 is likewife fuch a Perfuafion ; and if Af- 
 furance can be any thing lefs, it wholly 
 proceeds from a Compliance in the Name, 
 and not in the Subjed,to be what we are 
 refolv'd to call it. 
 
 . 6. But if Men will not change, and 
 mint words at pleafure, and are only rea- 
 dy to fubmit to the Laws and Properties 
 of Speaking, they muft own that all thefe 
 fignify the fame Adi: of the Mind* nor 
 can the ways by which Certainty is con- 
 veigh'd, tho* very different, make any al- 
 teration in the Impreflion, either we muft 
 be convinc'd or not convinced, certain or 
 not certain ; and it is in vain to think of 
 trimming up a Middle Afient to the Mind, 
 and then name it Aflurance, which iTiali 
 not infer our Certainty, and yet fhall not 
 be a proof that we are uncertain ; this 
 is to fham and abufe us out of our Reli- 
 gion*
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 9 i 
 gion, by a wife Method indeed, and to 
 make us renounce the Certainty of our 
 Faith, by endeavouring to make us be- 
 lieve a Con tradition j that we may not 
 be certain of our Religion, and yet (hall 
 not be uncertain of it, or which is all one, 
 that we may be certain and uncertain of 
 any thing at the lame time; thefe Men 
 grant, that we may be aflur'd of our Re- 
 ligion, fo far as to exclude all Doubt con- 
 cerning it, and yet will not allow us to 
 be certain of it. Let the World judge, 
 whether this is not a nice and curious Di- 
 {Hnfhon, and to all appearance as much 
 withouta difference as perhaps the fubtileft 
 we mall meet with. 
 
 . 7. We are told indeed, that a Certain 
 Belief is impoffible-, it is by thole Per- 
 fons notwithstanding, who, it leems, can 
 very well underftand what the meaning is 
 of a probable A durance or Certainty ; and 
 why not a Certain Belief? Are we inca- 
 pable of being fure or certain of what we 
 give our compleat and unreferv'd Aflenc 
 and Credit to ? Did none of us ever meet 
 withaPerfon in the World, the Truth of 
 whole Affirmations we cou'd beas well fa- 
 tisfy 'd of, as that we heard them j to whom 
 we cou'd fay, we abfolutely and entirely bc- 
 liev'd him, that we had not the leaft doubt 
 concerning what he ailedg'd, and that we 
 
 cou'd
 
 1 9 2, A Demonjlration of the Divinity 
 cou'd flake our Lives, or any thing 
 upon the Aflurance and perfeft Convi- 
 cKon we had of his Fidelity, that we were 
 peremptory he did not deceive us, and we 
 cou'd no more dirtruft him than the poli- 
 tive and undoubted Informations of our 
 own Minds or our Senfes? 
 
 . 8. Thefe Men are much to be pity'd, 
 if it was never theit- good fortune to meet 
 with fuch a one* when, GOD be thank'd, 
 Mankind is not fo far funk in its Repu- 
 tation for Integrity, but we can firmly and 
 confidently believe one another in mod 
 things, which belong even to the ordina- 
 ry management and conduft of our Lives. 
 We can build Ships, and be at the Expence" 
 of their Freight, and hazard all we are 
 worth upon the Seas, in the belief that 
 there is fuch a Country as Spain or the 
 Indies, but will any one fay, this is not a 
 Certain Belief? That we are not as much 
 aflur'd of it, as if we were actually upon 
 the place j and that we run a venture af- 
 ter all our coft and preparation of ever 
 finding either, tho' we fhou'd make ufe of 
 as profperous a Voyage, as we cou'd de- 
 lire or wifh ? Are we not as certain, and 
 do's not the perfuaiion (lick as faft, and 
 Jy as deep in our Minds, that there are 
 fuch places as Tork or Edenburgh-> as if we 
 our felves had feen them ; as if any one 
 fhou'd propofe to us the moft infallible 
 
 Truth,
 
 of the Chriftiail Religion. 155 
 
 Truth} and the moft indifputabte Propo- 
 fition in the Mathematicks ? And yet this 
 Certainty is founded upon our Belief, 
 and our full acquiescence in the Veracity 
 of others. But to render this ftill clea- 
 rer, and to put it beyond all Contradi- 
 ction, we fliall confider the Nature of 
 Faith, and afterwards that of Reafoiiy and 
 prove that there is more certainty to be 
 expe&ed from the one than the other. 
 
 .9. Faith then is, as the Apoftle calls 
 it, the Evidence of things not few-, it is 
 not a Belief in that fenfe which fomc Men 
 apprehend , but in that which we have, 
 already explain'd; however, feeing they 
 have thought it worth their pains, inftead 
 of purfuing true Know ledge, which they 
 pretend to prefer, the Critick and Chi- 
 caning upon words, which they wou'd 
 feem to difregard, we fliall not call Faith 
 a Belief, but a'Perfetf Aflent of the Mind 
 to things which are not feen<> a full Aflu- 
 ranee and Conviftion which we have re- 
 ceiv'd, and an undoubted certainty which 
 we have of thofe things, which we were 
 never Eye-witneilfes of which we cannot 
 prove by Lines and Angles, and only de- 
 pend upon the Credit and Report of o- 
 thers, for our Information. That Men 
 do give fuch an Affcnt, that they actually 
 lye under fuch Convihons, we do ana 
 N muft
 
 1 5? 4 A Dtmonfration of the Divinity 
 muft take for granted j fince we will ap- 
 peal to any one , Whether he is not as 
 really aflur'd, and ascertain, that there 
 are other Men in the World befides thofe, 
 we will fuppofe, whom he now fees, who 
 live arid breath, and act as if they were 
 prefent to his Senfes ? Whether he is not 
 as much fatisfy'd and as infallibly con- 
 vinc'd, that there is fuch a place as Italy 
 % or Rome) as France or "Paris, as if he had 
 liv'd and receiv'd his Education there? 
 This therefore is the Evidence of things 
 not feen, and this is the Apoftle's Defini- 
 tion of Faith) which we fliall endeavour 
 to maintain. 
 
 . 10. As for Reafon, in oppofition to 
 Faith* it is the Evidence of things which 
 are feen-, it is the fame Aflent as to the 
 Mind with the other, but to that which 
 lies within every one's View, which his 
 Thoughts or his Senfes contemplate and 
 behold, and in which he thinks he can- 
 not poffibly be deceiv'd 5 if our Thoughts 
 are employ'd in the learch, and we reft 
 in the Notices they bring us, it goes by 
 the Name of Knowledge, if our Senfes, of 
 Perception} fo that in refpeft of the 1m- 
 preflions made upon our Minds, either 
 by Faith or by Reafon> it is manifeft 
 they are the fame, and only difagree 
 in the Methods and Ways of produ- 
 cing
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 <> 5 
 cing our Affent-> which we fhall now exa- 
 mine. 
 
 . II. The Firft, they will tell us, is 
 founded upon Probabilities, and the Se- 
 cond proceeds upon plain Arguments 
 and Demonftration j the Queftion is not, 
 therefore. Whether we are convinc'd 
 by either ; but whether we have reafon to 
 be fo, perfonal Certainty is the Refult of 
 bothj but a Man may be certain of a 
 thing for which he has no good grounds; 
 he may find his Aflent wholly determin'd 
 from very falfe and precarious, or from 
 weak and incompetent Motives* he may 
 be confident he fees and knows what per- 
 haps he really do's not: and therefore, it 
 will, in the Third place, be neceflary to 
 enquire, Whether the real Certainty of 
 Faith, or that of Reafon is preferable, up- 
 on the account of the Premifes from which 
 it is drawn , that is, whether the Mind 
 may more reafonably aflent to thofe mat- 
 ters which are well attefted, or to thole 
 which are recommended to us from our 
 own Knowledge or Perception , and from 
 thence we fhall learn, Whether Faith or 
 Reafon depends moft upon Probabilities, 
 and which of them puts in the better Title 
 to Evidence and Demonftration ; and 1 am 
 apt to think upon a view of the whole, it 
 will be granted, that it belongs to the for- 
 N 2 mer,
 
 i $6 A Vemonflration of the Divinity 
 nier, to the Religion we fcive embrac'd, 
 and the Faith and Certain Belief which 
 we profefs in it. 
 
 g. 12. All the Objection that I know 
 of, which lies againil our being certain 
 from the Teftimony of others, is, becaufe 
 there is a poflibility of our being deceiv'd, 
 either by the Miftake or the Difingenuity 
 of thofe who challenge our AfTent, or by 
 their want of Power and Capacity, or 
 of Will to inform us ; which is the fame 
 as to fay, becaufe Men may be deiigning> 
 ftr-jbeciufe they are fallible, therefore we 
 cannot in any cafe be fure that what they 
 affirm is true; if this then is fufficient to 
 dcftroy our Certainty from Faith, it will 
 equally hold againft that of our Senfes* 
 and our Reafo?i , for do they not impofe 
 upon [us in a. multitude of Inftance.s? do 
 hey not deceive our Caution, and baffle 
 our flrongeil' Guards and pur llricleft 
 Watches, and continually footh and flat- 
 ter us into Error, and cnfnare us into 
 fome falfe and undue conclufions or other, 
 in fpite of all our Care,and all our Diligence 
 and Pains to avoid J em ? 
 
 . 1 3. As to our Senfes in particular, 
 their Impodures are great and notorious.; 
 they are continually practicing upon our 
 Eafinefs, and take a pleasure, as ic were, 
 
 in
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 5*7 
 
 in playing upon and abufing us: if any 
 Man were to form his Judgment accord- 
 ing to what he fees, who wou'd think the 
 Sun ieveral Millions of Miles above us, 
 or that it was bigger than many of our 
 Earths put together -, were our Sight alone 
 to be advis'd with, it wou'd tell us the 
 quite contrary ; and had there not been 
 Methods found out to convince us what 
 illReafoners ourSenfes prove, we might, 
 upon their views, have been perhaps as 
 pofitive of their being in the Right, as we 
 now know they are in theWrong : and thus 
 it is in our Reafonings,or at leaft in thofe of 
 thePeribns who pretend moft to'em,in op- 
 pofitionto our Re/tgion>thcy judge accord- 
 ing to what they prefume they fee and 
 apprehend, they are clear and derermin'd 
 in their decifions, and will not allow it 
 is poflible for them to be miftakenj 
 whereas they do not confider that all this 
 Certainty, which they fo much cry up 
 and applaud, is only the Confequence of 
 their own Principles, which tho' they may 
 believe they fee and difcern never fo di- 
 ftin&ly , may after all appear to be the 
 Effects of too narrow a Si^ht, and too 
 crampt and contracted a Comprehenfion. 
 
 . 14.. This is plain in Facr, that the 
 
 greateit Wits and the molt indudrious 
 
 Inquirers into things, have been milled 
 
 N 3 into
 
 1 5> 8 A Dcmonflration of tie Divinity 
 into an Aflurance, which has afterwards 
 only given them the Shame of repenting 
 it: how many Books have been writ, 
 how many Difputes maintain'd, how ma- 
 ny Contefts rais'd and carry'd on, and 
 with what Heat and Vehemencej as well 
 as at other times, with what Calmnefs and 
 Sobriety ; and on both hands, with what 
 a Mien of Confidence and Satisfa&ion 
 that they are each in the right, f,ho' they 
 are as different in their Opinions, and as 
 widely diftant in their Pofitions and Af- 
 lertions, as they can well be ? 
 
 . i f. That this is fo, is more particu- 
 larly evident in the Controverfies, the fe- 
 veral c Doffrines and Hypothefes of Men, 
 who refign themfelves wholly to the weak 
 and glimmering Light of Reafon ,- who 
 make high claims to the Knowledge and 
 Science of Nature, and believe themfelves 
 the only underftanding Men in being, and 
 that the reft of Mankind are little better 
 than Fools or Ideots ; and yet I wou'd 
 be glad to be inform'd of any Arguments 
 almoft, which they have aflur'dtous, that 
 do not depend upon Surmifes or bare 
 Sufpicions, or difputable grounds, or plain 
 Falfhoodsj where is there now one Sage 
 Pofleflbr ^Theorems and Axioms amongft 
 them, who js not pofitive of a void fpace 
 in the Univerfe? And notwithftanding 
 
 this
 
 of tie Chirftian Religion. 1 5? p 
 this firm and invincible perfuafion which 
 they have, there is nothing more demon- 
 ftrable than that all their Arguments for 
 it, are only fo many Affirmations of what 
 was intended to be prov'd j and thefe yet 
 are the Men, who by the fame trifling 
 and ludicrous way, and with much jangle 
 and infignificant proofs, endeavour to per- 
 vert and ruin our Faith-, and after all this 
 huge pains and labour which they take, 
 they will find at the bottom, that their 
 beft Evidence againft Religion, is their 
 faying there is none. 
 
 . 16. But let us leave thefe Arguers 
 of an Hypothettck and fuppofing Head, 
 and carry our fearches even to that part 
 of Knowledge, which has all along had 
 the Character of Demonftrative, and we 
 fliall perceive, that there likewife fome- 
 thing elfe reigns than pure Conviction , 
 'tis true it is a retir'd Study, and skreen'd 
 by its obfcurity and Refervednefs from 
 common Eyes, and fo is not fo liable to 
 the Obfervation and Animadverfions of 
 others, nor fometimes of its own Pro- 
 feflbrs-, this indeed is fufficient to pal- 
 liate its Fallacies and Vices, to hide its 
 Failings and Imperfections, and to keep 
 them from being expos'd to publick con- 
 tempt and fcorn : but it is no more ex- 
 cus'd from Defects, for their not being 
 N 4. vul-
 
 2.00 A Bemonftration of the Divinity 
 vulgarly known, than a Man is without 
 Faults or Blemimes, who has the Art and 
 Skill to difiemble them. What are the Fa- 
 mous Difputes concerning {he Angle of 
 Contaft, the Diameters of certain Curve 
 Figures, the Doctrine of Fluxions? and the 
 Anthmetick of Infinites, with feveral 
 other points in that Science a the harlh- 
 nefs of whofe found will make me for- 
 bear to mention them? What are the 
 feveral fruitlefs Attempts upon fome Que- 
 iiions and Problems, which have been hi- 
 therto unrefolv'd and unanfwer'd -, in all 
 which cafes, the different par ties have a p- 
 peal'd to their Arguments for their Jufti- 
 ikation ? What are they, I fay, but unde- 
 niable Examples of the Falliblenefs even 
 of that which is pretended to be no lefs 
 than Mathematick and uncontroulable 
 Evidence? Not to fay (which we fhall 
 prove upon another occafion) that the 
 greateft part of that Knowledge refts as 
 much upon Authority, as perhaps it do's 
 on Reafon; and that it is rather fuited to 
 our ufe, than to the Truth and Reality 
 of things, and rather to our prefent, than 
 poffibly to our future, and our more fi- 
 nifli'd and more exact Conceptions. 
 
 $. 17. In concluilon, what we generally 
 call Certainty and Demonftration* is in 
 . terms nothing but Fancy and Opi- 
 nion,
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 
 nion, and to be convinc'd that a thing is 
 fuch, is not always a proof that it is fuch; 
 we may be certain of? being in the right, 
 even when we are in an Error, and doubt- 
 ful, tho' we have Truth on our lide j and 
 there is nothing more than Temper and 
 Complexion requir d, to make us fure on 
 the one hand, and unfatisfy'd on the 
 other j where there is a peculiar Boldnefs 
 and Forwardnefs infus'd into our Na- 
 tures, or a mixture of Credulity, and an 
 Aptnefs to believe, or an extreme Devo- 
 tion, and an unreafonable Deference to 
 the Sentiments and Authority of other 
 Men, or to our own Parts and underftand- 
 ings, we are likely enough to be carry'd 
 into a Confidence, that we have nothing 
 Jefs than Demonflration to fupport us; 
 when, perhaps, in the end it may be a 
 fond Conceit of our own cherfliing: on 
 the contrary, a Man that is naturally ti- 
 morous and modeft, whofe Inclination 
 and Genius leads him to Diftruft his beft 
 and his clofeft Reafonings , may fear the 
 worft, and be appreheniive of a Miftake, 
 even where his Arguments are conclufive, 
 and his Notions ibund and agreeable to 
 the unalterable and eflential Qualities of 
 things. 
 
 . 1 8. From whence it follows that Per- 
 fonal Certajnty is not always, and per- 
 haps
 
 i o i A Demonjlration of the Divinity 
 haps very feldom, the Meafure of Truth, 
 but of our own Apprehenfions > and when 
 fome call for it fo ftrenuoufly, in Matters of 
 Religion, it is not becaufe it is really want- 
 ing, but becaufe it is not fitted to their 
 Tafte and Relifh, to whom that feems 
 forcible and valid, which falls in with their 
 Intereft and Humour, not which agrees 
 with their true and unprejudic'd Reafon-, 
 whofe Faculties lye more in knowing what 
 pleafes and what obliges them, than in any 
 accurate and folid thinking, and whofe De- 
 monftrations or their Notices, are only the 
 Effecls of mere Whimfy and Imagina- 
 tion. 
 
 . 19. But if Certainty is many times an 
 Aflent of the Mind upon falfe Appear- 
 ances, it will be probably ask'd, Whe- 
 ther we can ever know what is true and 
 what is not, in matters of Argument and 
 Perfuafion-, fince our ftrongeil Convi- 
 ftions fometimes ferve only to put the 
 cheat upon and amufe us: to which we 
 anfwer, That it is one of the moft diffi- 
 cult things in the World to do it, but that 
 it is not impofTiblei that we may (leer as 
 prudently and as cautioufly as we are able 
 betwixt the Atheift or the c Deift< t which 
 are in truth the fame, who takes ev'ry 
 thing for good Senfe, which agrdes with 
 his own ConceitSj and the Sceptical Per- 
 
 fon
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 2,0 3 
 fon, who will not allow any thing to be 
 foj it is therefore, we affirm, the moft dif- 
 ficult thing in the World to arrive at the 
 knowledge of what is real Truth in our 
 Concluiions from Reafon. 
 
 . 20. For, Firft, it is evident we muft 
 be well aflur'd of the Grounds and Prin- 
 ciples upon which we proceed ; that is, 
 of the feveral Tingle Conceptions which 
 we make ufe of in any Demonftration, 
 that they are juft, and in all refpeds an- 
 fwerable and proportioned to the things 
 we intend to confider-, and in confe- 
 
 rjnce of this Rule, we muft be careful 
 t they are not Imprefllons either de- 
 riv'd from Authority, or produc'd by any 
 Chymerical Fancies, or palm'd upon us 
 by long Cuftom and Familiarity-, they 
 muft exactly, and to the utmoft Nicety, 
 and the fmalleft Diftinftion, correfpond 
 with the fubjeft of 'em > which cannot 
 many times be known that they do, un- 
 lefs where our Conceptions are abftrafted 
 from any thing foreign to 'em, and con- 
 fequently , are the Standard and Meafure 
 of themfelves ; that is, where the Mind 
 argues not upon things as they are, but as 
 they are conceiv'd; and \vhich is founded 
 upon this one plain Propofition, that what 
 we fee and apprehend, we do fee and ap- 
 prehend 5 fo that all the Arguments made 
 
 ufe
 
 2,0 4 ^ Demonjtratian of the Divinity 
 ufe of by Atheiftical Men againft Reli- 
 gion, are by this one Confideration only 
 cut off, till they can prove their Notions 
 abfolutely commenfurate to the real Ef- 
 fences or" Beings, which they have not 
 hitherto done-, and this is the Glory of 
 the Mathematicians^ and a Fairnefs and 
 Impartiality of Thought to be met with 
 folely amongft thofe Men of Demon- 
 it ration. 
 
 . 2T. But then, over and above., it is 
 Secondly requir'd, that we always keep our 
 firft Notions fteddy,that we do not change 
 nor alter them by any Carelefsnefs or Inad- 
 vertency in the progrefs of our ReafoningS; 
 that we maintain their Refpects and Relati- 
 ons firm and immutable, and guard againft 
 all their feveral Interferings } and this is fo 
 Lard a Province, that fe\v Men, even of the 
 beft Geometricians^ have been in all Cafes 
 fufficientforit 5 they have frequently loft 
 themfelves in the Perplexednefs and Ob- 
 fcurky, or in the Length and Prolixity of 
 their Demonftrations 5 and it is very often 
 that they make ufe of a Proposition as. 
 prov'd in general, which they haveevinc'd 
 pnly upon certain Suppofidons, and fo ma- 
 ny times apply it in other Demonftrations, 
 where, the Suppofitions are either very 
 Different, or directly contrary : And this is 
 4 FauU which runs thro* the greateil par? 
 
 of
 
 of the Chriftun Religion, 205 
 of chat Science, where it concerns the 
 moft intricate Queftions, which have been 
 accounted impoifible to be refolv d, and 
 which are renderd the more embarafs'd 
 by fuch a Procedure. 
 
 . it. And thus we fee how difficult it 
 is in fome Cafes, and how impoillble al- 
 moft in othersj to attain at any true and 
 infallible Inferences from Reafon-, we 
 muft be fure that we are wholly unpreju- 
 dic'dj either from our Complexions and 
 Natures, or our Educations-, we muft be 
 fatisfy'd that we have not too overween- 
 ing an Opinion of any Man's Authority* 
 or our own Parts and Sagacity; we muft 
 only carry our. Eye level at Truth > and 
 fuffer nothing to interrupt or divert that 
 Profpect-, we muft coniider withall that 
 Truth is only the Mcafure of it felf, and 
 not. our Certainty 5 and, therefore, where 
 we defign our Notions (hou'd ly parallel 
 with it, we muft confine them only to 
 what are ufually call'd Identical Propoli - 
 tions, and to the fevcral Relations and 
 Proportions of them j in the comparing 
 of which, we muft be well appriz'd of 
 our Abilities, and the Firmnefs of out 
 Thoughts, that they do not relent or re- 
 coirlj that they do not vary or change 
 fliape in the whole pr ocefs of our A rguings> 
 and whether our Adversaries in their Dii- 
 
 putcs
 
 i o 6 A Demonjlration of the Divinity 
 putes againft Religion have in any mea- 
 fureobferv'd thefe Laws, I leave all Man- 
 kind to judge, when we cannot fo much 
 as find them duly attended to, even in 
 Mathematick Demonftrations. 
 
 . 23. Let us now therefore examine, 
 whether we are not furnifli'd with as good 
 or atlearer Evidence for what we believe 
 upon the Report and Credit of fuch,\vhom 
 we have not any reafon to fufpeft they 
 wou'd deceive us -, and firft, we can be as 
 furethat thofe Adlions which we fee done, 
 we fee done, or that that Perfon or Place, 
 or Thing which we fee, we do fee, as we 
 can be of our own Thoughts, that what 
 we think or apprehend, we do think or 
 apprehend ; the Ground therefore of our 
 Faith is as pofitive and certain as that of 
 Mathematick* them (elves* fo that if we 
 can prove an Aftion, when it is well at- 
 tefted, is as demonftrative, as that which 
 we have been witnefTes of; it will be con- 
 fequent from thence that we have a great- 
 er Evidence for Religion, than for the 
 plaineft Proportion in Geometry-, fince 
 we can befurer of the Grounds and Prin- 
 ciples of a Science, than of any Dedu- 
 ctions or labour'd inferences from them 
 (which, as we have already (hewn, are ma- 
 ny times falfe, and never true, but under 
 a world of Cautions) and much more 
 
 there-
 
 of the Chriilian Religion. 107 
 therefore of our Religion-* than of the moft 
 forcible Arguments againft it. 
 
 . 24. There are then two Cafes, in 
 which we may be as certain from the Te- 
 ftimony of others as from our own Sight 
 and Perception ; namely, either when it is 
 deriv'd to us from thofe who are capable of 
 informing us, and can harbour no Defigns. 
 of abufing us; when the Reporters are 
 Men who make a Confcience of their Af- 
 firmations, and are altogether unpradtis'd 
 in the bafe Arts of impofing on others,- 
 who know not what it is to be guilty of 
 a Falfhood, and wou'd not diflemble the / 
 Truth from us upon any Confiderationsj 
 or elfe where the Informers are not always 
 the moft credible, yet the number of 'em 
 is fo great, and it comes fo univerfally 
 witnefs'd on all hands, that it were mad- 
 nefs to disbelieve it. 
 
 In the firft Cafe, it is no more than for 
 us to aflent to this Proportion, that he, 
 who will not deceive us, will not deceive 
 us j and in the fecond,whcre a Multitude 
 of Attefters of different Inclinations and 
 Opinions, and of different Aims and In- 
 terefts, agree in the Affirming any certain 
 *hing,that thing mud as neceflarily exift,ac- 
 cordingto their ApprehonilonSj as feveral 
 Lines of a different Inclination falling in- 
 to the lame Point mull fuppofe a Centre-, 
 
 but
 
 i c 8 A Demonjlfattm of the Divinity 
 but thofe Apprehenfions in Matters of 
 Fat muft be agreeable to the Matters of 
 Fat which are apprehended-, upon the 
 former Principle, which we mention'd, 
 That what we fee, we do fee; fo that 
 Faith, or Belief, in thefe Cafes, is as cer- 
 tain as the very Grounds of Mathematicks, 
 and therefore more certain than thofe 
 Demonftrations, which are deriv'd from 
 them, which are fomecirnes erroneous, and 
 do frequently lead us into fophiftical and 
 wrong Conclufions. 
 
 . if. And as the Principles of that 
 Science, befides their Self- evidence, re- 
 ceive an additional Proof from the Rules 
 which they furnifh us with for our Practice, 
 as Meafunng and Accounting j fo likewife 
 do thefe hold in the Events and Conver- 
 fation of the World j we find it plain in 
 Experience, that we may believe, on ei- 
 ther of thefe Conditions, with as much 
 Certainty, as we can perceive or fee: 
 Where we are fully inform'dof any one's 
 Probity, of his Integrity and Religion, 
 we can as fecurely trull him as our felves, 
 and in truth meet with no more Difap- 
 pointments from iuch a Faith, than from 
 the Conviftions of our Senfes. Again,/ 
 when there is the concurrent Report of 
 good Men, or of a multitude, even of ill 
 Men, do we not find things anfwerable 
 
 eo 1
 
 of tie Chriftian Religion. 09 
 
 to our Belief, whenever we are willing 
 to make the trial ? Did ever any one mifs 
 of feeing France or the Hague -, if what 
 he had been fo often told of, he was de- 
 firous to be convinc'd of by his own 
 Eyes? So that our Reafonings, upon Be- 
 lief) are as much confirm'd by what we 
 experience in Faft, as our Arguments in 
 Matkematicks are by what is confequent 
 in their Ufe and Practice. 
 
 $. 26. And under thefe Circumftances 
 is the Belief of our Religion-, for the Au- 
 thors of it, upon whofe Credit we de- 
 pend, cou'd not be fway'd by any In- 
 tereft, unlefs Reproaches and Perfecu- 
 tions, Difgrace and contumelious Ufage, 
 AfRiftions and Difficulties, and Hard- 
 fhips, Poverty and Labour, Hunger and 
 Thirftj Cold and Nakednefs, and encoun- 
 tering with innumerable Hazards and 
 Dangers, and at length the moft grievous 
 Tortures> even unto Death it felf, are real- 
 ly things defireable, and worth our Pur- 
 liiit and Ambition , and if Men will not 
 venture to fay, thefe might be fo many 
 Incitements to the Apoftles of our LORD, 
 to be the Promoters of an Impofturc, I 
 will venture to fay, they were fo many 
 Arguments why they fhou'd not enter 
 into fuch a Conceit of impofmgupon the 
 whole World j they were Men un- 
 doubtedly, and cou'd not, no more than 
 O others^
 
 2, i o A Demonftration of the Divinity 
 
 others, be in love with their Miferiesj and 
 make it their bufinefs to effect and contrive 
 their own Misfortunes. 
 
 . 27. Befides this, they were Men in 
 all refpedls of the mod exacl: Honefty, and 
 their Doftrine and Converfations turn'd 
 wholly upon Piety and Vertue; they laid 
 down their Lives in Confirmation of the 
 Truth, which they had deliver'dj and if, 
 after all this, fuch Men can be fuppos'd 
 to deceive us, without the greateft Abfur- 
 dity and Contradiction imaginable, I muft 
 take the freedoom to fuppofe there is no 
 fuch place as Spain or the Indies* in the 
 averring which truth, no one ever dy'd, 
 no one ever gave the like Proofs with the 
 firft Chriftians of their Candour and Cre- 
 dibility 5 for we have not only the Tefti- 
 mony of the Apoftles, but of all that Age 
 and ibme following, to the Truth of our 
 Chriftianityj which ftill retain'd the Spi- 
 rit, deriv'd to 'em from their Forefathers, 
 of fuffering any Calamities, or any Tor- 
 ments, or any Death, rather than deny the 
 Lord that bought them. 
 
 . 28. And laftly, if this is not fuffi- 
 cient, we have likewife the concurrent 
 Attentions of Perfons, whofe Inclina- 
 tions, and whofe Aims and Interefts, were 
 not only different, but contrary. The 
 Jewsi than whom no People were more 
 iuperititioufly fond of the Rites and Ce- 
 remonies
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 1 1 
 remonies of their Anceftors, no People 
 more zealous for their Worfhip, and more 
 obftinately addi&ed to their Law, and 
 the Religious Inftitutions', which they 
 receiv'd from their Progenitors, and the 
 great Founder of their Polity and Cover- 
 ment, tho* they perceiv'd Chriftianity 
 wou'd rife upon the Ruin and Deftru- 
 ftion of that, for which they had enter- 
 tain'd the profoundeft Veneration, which 
 they accounted the deareft and mod va- 
 luable Blefling they poflefs'd; tho' they 
 were aware how oppofite it might be to 
 their temporal Advantage, if it fliou'd pro- 
 voke the Romans to take away their <Place 
 and Nation : yet, notwithftandingall this, 
 many of the Priefts, and a great number 
 of the Laity, believ'd in this Religion, 
 profefs'd their Faith in our Saviour and his 
 Doftrine, and feal'd and confirm'd it with 
 their Blood j and thofe who did not fol- 
 low the fame Methods with their Coun- 
 trymen, cou'd not deny the Miracles that 
 were done by the Chriftiarls of thofe 
 Ages; St. Taut, who was a Perfecutorof 
 the Church; even to Rage and Madnefs, 
 at length became a Convert to the Faith 
 he had once deftroy'd ; and Jofephus-> one 
 of their own Hiftorians, a Levite, and 
 who flouri(\i'd not many Years after our 
 LORD'S Crucifixion, if that Paflage is 
 genuine, which there is no more reafon 
 O ? to
 
 1 1 1 A Demonflration of the Divinity 
 
 -to difpute than any other in the fame Au- 
 thor, gives a very full and fignificant En- 
 comium of our Saviour, and the wonderful 
 works he perform'd ; from which the faid 
 Hiftorian cou'd not but think he was fome- 
 thing more than Humane , as he himfelf 
 profefles. 
 
 . 29. The Heat hens , both Greek and 
 Barbarian* Islamites-) Armenians, Mejopo- 
 tamiansj\\ fell in w ith the fame Belief of the 
 BleiledJ ESUS and his Miraclesj and there- 
 fore it was d&tChriftianity almoft prevent- 
 ed the Apoftles Preaching it; for it was 
 in a manner impofllble, (hat they by their 
 own Affirmations fliou'd bring fo many 
 over to the Faith in fo fhort a time, had 
 there not been a general Rumour fpread 
 before of our LORD'S Aftions ; which it is 
 evident there was, if we may credit Eufe- 
 bius* who tells us of a Letter written by Ab- 
 garusKingofEdeffa to our Saviour* with 
 an Invitation to him to come and fhelter 
 Himfelf there, from the Malice and Per- 
 fecution of the Jews. And amongft the 
 Romans particularly, both the Magiftrates 
 and Philofophers, the greateft and mod 
 inveterate Enemies the Chriftians had, 
 acknowledged the Wonders perform'd by 
 Him; theFirft by propofingHefhou'dbe 
 enrolld amongft their Gods, which the Se- 
 nate refund only, becaufe the Motion was 
 tiot firft made by them > the Second, by fet- 
 
 ting
 
 of the Chriftian Religion, z 1 3 
 ting up ApoUomus Tyan<eus in oppoficioa 
 to Him. 
 
 . 30. The Vfilentinians made Him one 
 of their c/0j, or elfederiv'd Him in a di- 
 ret Line from them 5 and therefore, ac- 
 cording to their Doftrine, confefs'd Him 
 to be of Divine Original. The Ebionites 
 and CVr/'w/^/tfW-f never deny'd the Miracles 
 He wrought j and Simon Magus, that 
 great Impoftor, who pretended to be God, 
 wou'd at the fame time take upon him to 
 perfonate our Saviour. 
 
 . $ i. All the falfe Gofpels and fpu- 
 rious Writings, which then fwarm'd in 
 the World, were fo far from diminiihing 
 this Chara&er, that they rather endea- 
 vour'd to raife it ; and, as it is very com- 
 mon, when any Perfon has eftablim'd to 
 himfelf a Reputation for Great and Glo- 
 rious Achievements, whether a Hercules 
 or a nefeuS) to attribute thofe Aftions 
 to him which he never did ; fo it was not 
 to be expefted but that here likewife 
 Forgeries wou'd be vented to the World, 
 which yet do's not deftroy or make void 
 the Truth and Reality or thofe Aftions 
 and Miracles, which were confefs'd and 
 known , but builds and depends upon 
 them, but confirms and fuppofes them. 
 
 . $i. Here therefore is the Confeflion 
 
 of all forts of Men, driving at different 
 
 Ends, and purfuing contrary Interetfs; 
 
 O 3 and
 
 A Vemonftration of the Divinity 
 and now, whereas any one of thefe Con- 
 ditions,which we have nam'd,were enough 
 to make a thing credible, even to De- 
 mon ftration, we have every one of 'em , 
 we have the Probity of the Aflertors, the 
 Unprofitablenefs and Difadvantage of af- 
 firming fuch a Falmood, and not only 
 the general Concurrence of Perfons, whofe 
 Defigns were too different and difagree- 
 ing to be owing to any joynt or unani- 
 mous Concert, but whofe Prejudices and 
 violent Difpofitions,and private Referves, 
 wou'd have put another Biafs upon their 
 Acknowledgments, had not Truth and 
 Matter of Faft carry'd them to own what 
 was fo univerfally known and believ'd. 
 
 . 33. To conclude all, I will only put 
 this Cafe ^ fuppofe our Saviour had been 
 born in this Nation, and in the prefent 
 Age we live in, had Taught that Doftrine 
 which we preach, had wrought thofe Mi- 
 racles in confirmation of it, which we af- 
 firm, had given thofe Proofs of his Divine 
 Miffion, which we contend; what had 
 been the Confequences of it, but what 
 we are informed were, that fome wou'd 
 haven written a true account of his Life, 
 and others wou'd have forg'd one ; fome 
 wou'd have believ'd, others not-, ibme 
 wou'd have follow'd their Convictions, 
 and others their Interefts and their Pre- 
 judice? as to which, even in the greateft 
 
 Con-
 
 of the Chriftian Religion. 1 1 $ 
 Concerns of their Religion, we find Men 
 now-a-days neither freer, nor lefs obno- 
 xious than thofe Ancient Times, however 
 forward we are to condemn them ; fmcc 
 notwithftanding we have all thefe Evi- 
 dences for the Truth of our Holy Faith, 
 which are as great as ever the Jews had; 
 there are not thofe wanting amongft us> 
 who if it lay in their power, it is to be 
 fear'd, wou'd again crucify their Lord> ancj 
 put him to openjhame. 
 
 . 34. And now, after this Demonftra- 
 tion of our Religion , allow me to make 
 thefe Two fhort Reflexions. 
 
 Fir ft* Upon the Wifdom and Goodnefs 
 of GOD, who has provided for us a bet- 
 ter Evidence by our Faith of all the Do- 
 ftrines, which are reveal'd to us for our Af- 
 fent or Practice , than we cou'd poilibly 
 have had from our Reafon , as we have 
 endeavour'd to evince. 
 
 And Secondly, Upon thefofy and hu- 
 mouroufsnefs of thofe Men, who plead fo 
 inceflantly for Demonftration, which at 
 laft is no more than to be peeviflily addi- 
 cted to fome fet of Notions or other,which 
 they have form'd to themfel ves, and to re- 
 quire that nothing fliou'd be ftamp'd with 
 the Image or Refemblance of Reafon, but 
 what (hall be found agreeable to them, as 
 if their own Opinions were the Rule of 
 right thinking, and Knowledge and good 
 
 Senfe
 
 2 1 6 A Demonftration of the Divinity 
 
 Senfewereconfin'dtothemfelves,asiftheir 
 Heads were to be a pattern for every ones 
 elfe, and no one might depart from the 
 caft in which their own were molded. 
 
 Well then ! fhou'd Almighty God have 
 proposed our Religion to thefe Men, upon 
 rational grounds, and demonftrated eve- 
 ry part of it by juft and competent Argu- 
 ments,whatEfretsmay we conceive wou'd 
 have follow'd from it ? Wou'd they have 
 been better perfuaded of their Religion, or 
 wou'd it not rather have furnifli'd matter 
 of endlefs Cavil and Difpute ? And the 
 plained and moft evident Principles wou'd, 
 in all probability^ according as Men were 
 inclined to favour or difcourage them, have 
 met with their entertainment, and been 
 fuitably carefs'd or oppos'd. 
 
 We, therefore, who are educated in fo 
 Holy a Religion^ let us thank Almighty 
 God, for the abundant Evidence we have 
 of itj let not the Defertion of others from 
 their Faith > be any inducement to us to 
 relinquish it: God Almighty will judge 
 them for their Apoftacy; and as we need 
 not be afliam'd of our AfTurance concerning 
 things which we hope for, and do not yet 
 fee, fo He will alfo reward us for our Per- 
 feverance. 
 
 FINIS.
 
 ERRATA. 
 
 PRef. a, Read, Sufficiency of the Scripture Revelation. 
 . ij-.r. In this Subjeft. 
 
 Page 4 Line 4, dele who. p. 16 1. 3, i. thofc Books, p. 17 
 1.5, r. 1 86. p. 6 3 l.zj, r. unncceflary. p. 70 L 1 1, r. in thofc 
 times, p. 70 1. 23, r. to fuffer ; if the Apoftlcs of our Lord had 
 a defigo upon us, can. p. 109 1. 19, r. furround. p. 1 46 1. io,f. 
 tho* iuch occurrences, p. I f o 1. 1 2> r. Evidence, namely Mi- 
 racles, feparatc. p. 1 5 o 1. 1 8, r. propos'd. p. 1 70 1. f t r. ixwS- 
 fa. p. 1 7 7 1. 26, r. Objection can there be. p. 1 90 1. 1 9, r. Pro- 
 prieties, p.. 1 90 !. 17, r. A (lent of the Mind. p. 1 93 1. 1 8, r, which 
 they pretend, to prefer the Critique, and Chicaning.
 
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