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resisted. And perhaps it never is resisted by any, who have duly con sidered these books, and formed their affections and actions according to the precepts therein delivered.

An objection is sometimes made against the excellence of the doctrines of the Scriptures, by charging upon them erroneous doctrines, established by the authority of creeds, councils, and particular churches. But this is a manner of reasoning highly unreafonable. The unbeliever, who pays so little regard to the opinions of others, as to reject what all churches receive, the divine mission of Chrift, and the evidences for the truth of the Scriptures, ought not at other times to suppose the churches, much less any particular one, better able to judge of the doctrine; but should in the latter cafe, as well as the first, examine for himself; or, if he will take the doctrine upon truft, he ought much rather to take the evidence fo.

If it can be shewn, either that the true doctrine of the Scriptures differs from that which is commonly received, or that reason teaches something different from what is commonly supposed, or lastly, that we are infufficient judges what are the real doctrines of Scripture, or reason, or both, and consequently that we ought to wait with patience for farther light; all objections of this kind fall to the ground. One may also add, that the fame arguments which prove a doctrine to be very absurd, prove also, for the most part, that it is not the sense of the passage; and that this is a method of reasoning always allowed in interpreting profane authors.

PROP. XXI.

THE MANY AND GREAT ADVANTAGES WHICH HAVE ACCRUED TO THE WORLD FROM THE PATRIARCHAL, JUDAICAL, AND CHRISTIAN REVELATIONS, PROVE THE DIVINE AUTHORITY OF THE SCRIPTURES.

THESE advantages are of two forts, relating respectively to the knowledge and practice of religion. I begin with the first.

Now it is very evident, that the Christian Revelation has diffused a much more pure and perfect knowledge of what is called natural seligion, over a great part of the world, viz. wherever the profeffion either of Christianity or Mahometism prevails. And the same thing will appear, in respect of the Judaical and Patriarchal revelations, to those who are acquainted with ancient history. It will be found very difficult by such persons to account even for the Pagan religion, without recurring to such Patriarchal communications with God as are mentioned in the Pentateuch, and to the more full revelations made to the Jews. So that one is led to believe, that all that is good in any Pagan or false religion is of divine original; all that is erroneous and corrupt, the offspring of the vanity, weakness, and wickedness of men; and that, properly speaking, we have no reafon from hiftory to suppose, that there ever was any fuch thing as mere natural religion, i. e. any true religion, which men discovered

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to themselves by the mere light of nature. These positions seem to follow from inquiries into the antiquities of the Heathen world, and of their religions. The Heathen religions all appear to be of a derivative nature; each circumstance in the inquiry confirms the fcriptural accounts of things, and sends us to the revelations expressly mentioned, or indirectly implied, in the Old Testament, for the real original of the Pagan religions in their fimple state. This opinion receives great light and confirmation from Sir Ifaac Newton's Chronology..

It appears also very probable to me, that a careful examination of the powers of human understanding would confirm the fame position; and that, admitting the novelty of the present world, there is no way of accounting for the rife and progress of religious knowledge, as it has taken place in fact, without having recourse to divine revelation. If we admit the Patriarchal, Judaical, and Christian revelations, the progress of natural religion, and of all the false pretences to revelation, will fairly arise (at least appear possible in all cases, and probable in moft) from the circumstance of things, and the powers of human nature; and the foregoing doctrine of association will cast some light upon the subject. If we deny the truth of these revelations, and suppose the Scriptures to be false, we shall cast utter confufion upon the inquiry, and human faculties will be found far unequal to to the task affigned to them.

Secondly, If we confider the practice of true religion, the good effects of revelation are still more evident. Every man who believes must find himself either excited to good, or deterred from evil, in many instances, by that belief; notwithstanding that there may be many other instances, in which religious motives are too weak to restrain violent and corrupt inclinations. The same observations occur daily with regard to others, in various ways and degrees. And it is by no means conclusive against this obvious argument for the good effects of revelation upon the morals of mankind, to alledge that the world is not better now than before the coming of Chrift. This is a point which cannot be determined by any kind of estimation, in our power to make; and, if it could, we do not know what circumstances would have made the world much worse than it is, had not Christianity interposed. However, it does appear to me very probable, to say the least, that Jews and Christians, notwithstanding their vices and corruptions, have, upon the whole, been always better than Heathens and unbelievers. It seems to me also, that as the knowledge of true, pure, and perfect religion is advanced and diffused more and more every day, so the practice of it corresponds thereto: but then this, from the nature of the thing, is a fact of a less obvious kind; however, if it be true, it will become manifeft in due time. Let us suppose a person to maintain that civil government, the arts of life, medicines, &c. have never been of use to mankind, because it does not appear from any certain calculation, that the sum total of health and happiness is greater among the polite nations than among the barbarous ones. Would it not be thought

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thought a fufficient answer to this, to appeal to the obvious good effects of these things in innumerable instances, without entering into a calculation impossible to be made? However, it does here alfo appear, that, as far as we are able to judge, civilised countries are, upon the whole, in a more happy state than barbarous ones, in all these respects.

Now, as the divine original of revelation may be directly concluded from its being the fole fountain of all religious knowledge, if that can be proved; so it will follow in an indirect way, if we suppose that revelation has only promoted the knowledge and practice of true religion. It is not likely that folly or deceit of any kind should be eminently serviceable in the advancement of wisdom and virtue. Every tree must produce its proper fruit. Enthusiasm and imposture cannot contribute to make man prudent, peaceable, and moderate, difinterested and fincere.

PROP. ΧΧΙΙ.

THE WONDERFUL NATURE, AND SUPERIOR EXCELLENCE, OF THE ATTEMPT MADE BY CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES, ARE EVIDENCES

OF THEIR DININE AUTHORITY.

THIS attempt was that of reforming all mankind, and making them happy in a future state. And, when we confider, first the attempt itself, and then the assurance of success in it, which appears in all their words and actions, by ways both direct and indirect, there arifes from thence alone a strong presumption in their favour, as well as in favour of the authors of the books of the Old Testament, who have concurred in the fame attempt, though less informed of the true nature and full extent of it. For ideas and purposes of this kind could searce enter into the hearts of weak and wicked men; much lefs could such perfons enter upon and prosecute so great an undertaking with such prudence, integrity, and conftancy, or form fuch right judgements both of the oppofition they should meet with, and of the prevalence of their own endeavours, and those of their fucceffors, over this opposition. Nay, one may say, that nothing lefs than supernatural assistance could qualify them for these purposes. No design of this kind was ever formed, or thought of, till the coming of Chrift; and the pretences of enthusiasts and impoftors to the same commission since have all been copied from Christ, as being necessary to their fucceeding in any measure, since his coming. If it be supposed to be the true interpretation and meaning of the Scriptures, to publish final redemption, converfion, and salvation to all mankind, even the most wicked, in some distant future state, this will add great force to the present argument.

PROP. PROP. XXIII.

THE MANNER IN WHICH THE LOVE OF GOD, AND OF OUR NEIGHBOUR, IS TAUGHT AND INCULCATED IN THE SCRIPTURES, IS AN EVIDENCE OF THEIR DIVINE AUTHORITY.

FOR it appears, that the Scriptures do virtually include, or even expressly affert, all that the modern philosophy has discovered or verified concerning these important subjects; which degree of illumination, as it can with no plausibility be accounted for in illiterate men in the time of Augustus from natural causes, so much less can it in the preceding times, from Christ up to Moses. This proposition is included in the 20th; however, the subject of it is of so much importance, as to deserve a separate place.

Here then, first, we may observe, that Mofes commands the Ifraelites to love God with all the heart, and foul, and might, whereas they are to love their neighbours only as themselves. Now, though this infinite superiority of the love due to God over that due to our neighbour be perfectly agreeable to that infinite majesty and goodness of God, and nothingness of the creatures, which every new discovery in philofophy now opens to view; yet it was so little known, many ages after Mofes, amongst the wifeft of the Greeks and Romans, that we cannot ascribe it to his mere natural sagacity. The natural equality of all men, and the self-annihilation implied in the precept of loving all our brethren as well as ourselves, are alfo the genuine dictates of true philosophy.

Secondly, in order to shew the divine authority of the Scriptures, from the manner in which the love of God is taught in them, we must confider not only the direct precepts concerning this love, but also all those concerning hope, truft, fear, thankfulness, delight, &c. for all these concur to inculcate and beget in us the love of God. The same may be faid of all the scriptural descriptions of God and his attributes, and of the address of good men to him, which are there recorded. God is declared in the Scriptures to be light, love, goodness, the source of all happiness and perfection, the father and protector of all, &c. And the eminent persons who composed the Psalms, and other fuch-like addresses to God, appear to have devoted themselves entirely to him. Now, when we reflect, that there is scarce any thing of this kind in the writings of the philosophers who preceded Chrift, and nothing comparable to the Scripture expreffions, even in those who came after him; when we farther reflect, that the writings of the ablest and best men of the present times contain nothing excellent of the devotional kind, but what may be found in the Scriptures, and even in the Old Testament; there seems to be a neceffity for having recourse to divine inspiration, as the original fource of this great degree of illumination in the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles.

Thirdly, good persons are, in the Scriptures, styled "Children " of God; members of Christ; partakers of the divine nature; one VOL. V.

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" with God and Christ, as Christ is with God; members of each " other; heirs of God, and coheirs with Christ; heirs of all things," &c. Expressions which have the strongest tendency to raise in us an unbounded love to God, and an equal one to our neighbour, and which include and convey the most exalted, and at the same time the most solid, conceptions of this great system of things. And if we suppose that these high titles and privileges are, according to the Scriptures to be hereafter extended to all mankind, the divine original of the Scriptures will receive a new accession of evidence on this account.

PROP. XXIV.

THE DOCTRINE OF THE NECESSARY SUBSERVIENCY OF PAIN TO PLEASURE, UNFOLDED IN THE SCRIPTURES, IS AN EVI

DENCE OF THEIR DIVINE AUTHORITY.

THE Scriptures give frequent and strong intimations, that the ultimate happiness which they promise, is not to be obtained in this our degenerate state, but by a previous passage through pain. "Bleffed

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are they that mourn. We must rejoice in tribulation. " palm-bearing multitude comes out of great tribulation. "Captain of our salvation," and therefore all his foldiers, "must be " made perfect through sufferings. Without shedding of blood, there " is no remission of fins. It is good for us to be afflicted, that we

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may learn to keep the commandments of God." The Jews must be captivated, and undergo the severest afflictions, before they can be made happy finally, as the people of God. "Man must eat his " bread in the sweat of his brow all his life, and return to dust at last; " and yet still the feed of the woman shall bruise the ferpent's head, " and gain readmission to the tree of life, whose leaves shall heal the " nations," &c. &c. Now there is a surprising correspondence between such expreffions as these, and many modern discoveries, which shew that pain is, in general, introductory and subservient to pleasure; and particularly, that such is the present frame of our natures, and conftitution of the external world, which affects our organs, that we cannot be delivered from the sensuality and selfishness that seize upon us at our first entrance into life, and advanced to spirituality and difinterestedness to the love of God and our neighbour, we cannot have our wills broken, and our faculties exalted and purified, so as to relish happiness wherever we see it, but by the perpetual correction and reformation of our judgements and defires from painful impressions and associations. And all philosophical inquiries of this kind seem to cast a peculiar light and evidence upon the Scripture-expressions before mentioned, and to make their accuracy, and congruity with experience and observation, be much more plainly feen and felt.

PROP.

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