upon

they profeffedly undertake to give an account of the Jeveral times, in which Chrift made a perfonal appearance after his refurrection. Can it then be reasonably fuppofed, that God would give feveral hiftories to the world one and the fame fubject; and yet would omit in every one of them to relate a fact, which was most pertinent and material to answer the grand purpose of thofe hiftories? No furely.

Fifthly, The doubtfulness and uncertainty of the hiftorians with refpect to fome facts, or the circumstances which attended them, plainly prove that thofe hiftories were not written by divine infpiration in the fense abovementioned. Thus at the marriage in Cana of Galilee, John ii. 6. it is faid, And there were fet there fix water-pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Upon which I obferve, that if this branch of hiftory had been the produce of divine infpiration, then we should have had an exact account, not only of the number of thofe veffels for purification, but also of the quantity, which each veffel contained. Whereas the hiftorian writing of, and from his own mind, and from a judgment formed upon what he faw, tho' he gives us the exact number of the veffels, because that came within his view ; yet the quantity, which each veffel contained, he could only guess at, and therefore gives a doubtful and uncertain account of it,

and

and fays that they contained two or three firkins apiece. Thus again, Acts i. 15, it is faid, the number of the names together (viz. the difciples which were met together) were about an hundred and twenty. Which is the fame. as to say that, though the hiftorian was uncertain as to the exact number of the difciples met together, yet he, or the perfon he had his information from, guess'd them to be about an hundred and twenty. Whereas, if this branch of the hiftory had been written by divine infpiration, there would have been no room for doubtfulness or uncertainty, nor any place for gueffing in the cafe. Becaufe, as God is moft certainly perfectly acquainted with the exact number, or quantity of every fubject, which he may at any time be fuppofed to treat of; fo he would have given not an uncertain, but a certain account of the number of the difciples, that were met together. From which, I think, it evidently appears, that thofe hiftories were not written by divine infpiration in the sense abovementioned.

Sixthly and lastly, This is what is frankly acknowledg'd by St. Luke, who not only declares that his writing his gofpel was an act of his own choice, as in chap. i. at ver. 3. (it feemed good to me alfo-to write unto thee, moft excellent Theophilus, &c.) but he also declares, who it was which furnished him with materials for this work, viz. not almighty God revealing to, and impreffing upon his mind B 2

the

the fubject matter contained in it, but it was thofe men who were eye witnesses, and minifiers or attendants on the Meliah, as at ver. 2. It was from those that he had received a large and full account of all things from the very first; take the whole account in the Evangelift's own words. Forafmuch as many have taken in hand to fet forth in order a declaration of those things which are most furely believed amongst us, (even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eye witnesses, and minifters of the word), it seemed good to me alfo, (having had perfect underStanding from the very first), to write unto thee in order (most excellent Theophilus), that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been inftructed. Here we fee, St. Luke declares for himself and others, that they wrote from the informations they had received, from thofe who were eye witnefes of the facts they related; and confequently they did not write by divine infpiration as aforefaid.

Thefe, Sir, are the grounds and reasons, upon which the abovementioned opinion is founded, with refpect to the historical parts of the New Teftament. The ufe that I shall make of it is to obferve, that we ought carefully to diftinguish betwixt what is strictly and properly the history of the New Teftament, and what is barely the judgment or opinion of the hiftorian: becaufe the truth of thofe are to be tried, and judged of by diffe

rent

rent evidences, and in different ways. The truth of the facts contained in the gospel history is to be tried, and judged of, by fuch evidences, and in fuch a way, as the truth of all other facts is to be tried, and judged of by, viz. we are to enquire whether the hiftorian wrote from his own knowledge, or whether he had his information from others; and if the latter, then whether thofe, he received his informations from, were under fuch circumftances, as qualified them to come at a right and true information of the facts they related; and likewife with refpect to both, we are to enquire whether they were perfons of fuch honesty and integrity, as would give a true and faithful account of what they faw and heard, or of what they were thus informed of, &c. But if the hiftorian gave his judgment or opinion concerning any part or parts of that hiftory, the truth of that opinion is not to be tried or judged of, in the fame way, by which we judge of the truth of the facts he related; but it is to be judged of in the fame way, in which we judge of the truth of other mens opinions, with refpect to the fame fubject, viz. we are to examine the principles, upon which fuch opinion is founded, and fee whether it is well grounded or not, in order to judge of the truth of it. For as the mind and pen of the hiftorian were not under a divine movement and direction, but he wrote from his own knowledge, or from the informations he received from others, and from his

own

own judgment, which judgment was fallible, and therefore not abfolutely to be rely'd upon: fo the truth of his opinions, in the present cafe, must be tried and judged of in the fame way, and by fuch evidences, as the opinions of all other men are tried and judged of by; viz. by examining the grounds and reafons, upon which they are founded.

And that I may be rightly and fully understood with refpect to the point in hand, I will give a cafe, viz. John xix. from ver. 32. to 37. Then came the foldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucify'd with him. But when they came to Jefus, and faw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs. But one of the foldiers with a fpear pierced his fide, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that faw it bare record, and his record is true, and he knoweth that he faith truth, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the fcriptures fhould be fulfilled, a bone of him shall not be broken. And again another fcripture faith, they fall look on him whom they have pierced. In this branch of hiftory, the hiftorian first gives a relation of certain facts, viz. that the foldiers brake the legs of the two thieves, who were crucify'd with Chrift; and that they did not break the legs of our Lord, but that one of the foldiers pierced his fide with a fpear, and forthwith came there out blood and water. The hiftorian having given a relation of these facts, proceeds then, fecondly,

to