Section

confounded the chronologift, had he supposed the Pentateuch wrote by different perfons in the different ages of it.

This will at the fame time, answer to the obXLII. jection made, against the Christan revelation, beAgain't ing put into the hands of men: unless God should, lation be. by a conftant and particular application of his ing liable power and providence, interpofe, and defend fuch to corrup- revelation, from all corruption, alteration, addi

the reve

tion.

tion, and diminution;-which would render it unnecessary for us to be upon the watch against fraud and impofition. Vol. II. p. 62, 63.

Befides, the propriety of the divine means, depofited in the hands of men, as free agents; there seems to have been a divine care taken to establish the great doctrines of Chriflianity, by making them fo univerfally known in the apoftolic age. Hence the numerous copies of the Gofpel-history, rendered it morally impoffible that any alteration, or corruptions could be introduced, without being eafily detected. And it appears to be an inconteftible fact, that among the various lections which the different idioms of languages have introduced, there are no material or important doctrines at all injured. And what obfcurities may have happened in fome verbal renderings; the current reafonings of the context, or fome parallel place will enable one to remove the obscurity. Which little difficulties, appear to me, fo far from being objections to the divinity of the Chriftian revelation, that they are in its favour: because fome caution and labour must be due, and will be employed by every honeft mind to obtain the sense of thofe writings, which have in them the doctrine of eternal life! The most abandoned infidel, will own, that truth lies not often upon the furface, but is like a fpring at the bottom of a deep well, which requires labour.

labour. And yet its great doctrines in the gofpel are all plain and practical, accommodated to the reafon and moral fenfe of mankind; fo that it is impoffible that any fuch corruption of them as would have an immoral tendency, can ever be allowed to be the genuine fenfe of any part of the New Teftament writings. Nor, will the numerous copies in the world, admit of attempt being fuccefsful. The Papifts are confcious of this, and therefore lock up the Scriptures from the laity.

any

Section XLIII.

vouchers

Indeed, we are told, that experience and fact have been vouchers in the cafe ;-for, fome who Experipreached Christianity were men of perverse minds, ence and and walked after their own lufts, 1 Tim. vi. 5. fact Some preached it for envy and ftrife, Phil. i. 15. against fome for filthy lucre, Tit. i. 11. fome allowed of the reveidolatry. Which gives the character of Christians in lation. general, viz. that all fought their own, and not the things of Jefus Chrift.-thus was the gospel of Chrift perverted and abused, even in the first age. Vol. II. p. 64, 65.

But how does this prove any adulteration, any corruption, any alteration in the gofpel-plan? They are no vouchers at all in the cafe, nor can be, unless it could be fhewn that thefe immoralities were then patronized by it, or that in the history we now have, any of them have the least connivance. The too general impurity and worldlinefs both of preachers and people, occafioned thefe complaints. But the cenfures that are paffed upon all abufes of the Chriftian doctrine, in the practices of the earliest Christians, are wholly in favour of Chriftianity, and afford the most important inftructions. All may know, by these remonftrances, who, among the clergy and laity do behave in the Chriftian character. The selfish, narrow, envious, worldly fpirit is

now

now as abhorrent in the eye of the Christian doce trine and scheme, as ever it was. But Chriftianity neither did in the apoftles days, nor can in any age prevent men, who profefs it, from making use thereof, to ferve the purposes of their lufts and paffions.

What therefore, would much better have anfwered the seeming defires and demands of Mr. Chubb, would have been, that God should have fo interpofed by his power and providence, as to have made all men at firft incapable of ufing the revelation to any other purposes, than those for which it was defigned. And the hiftory we have of the fuccefs of the gofpel, in the first ages of it, muft have been fuch as would have discovered an uniform, irresistible efficacy on the fpirits and actions of all its profeffors. But had this been the cafe for that age, and no more; would not Mr. Chubb have had reason to conclude, that Chriftianity, or the gospel-scheme now, could not be the fame it was then, becaufe of its having loft that original energy?

And will not experience and fact be equally as ftrong vouchers in the cafe, against the light of nature? why is the religion of nature so much perverted and abused? and what interpofitions of power and providence are further needful to fhew its divinity? experience and fact have never been any vouchers against the divinity of the Christian scheme; but on the contrary. For all men, who have fincerely practifed upon it, have been the most juft, equitable, and friendly; and that too upon the nobleft principles, and immortal motives: viz. an imitation of God, and Jefus; and the certain connection that there is between truth and life! or holiness and happinefs.

But

XLIV.

But to what purpose have we been defending Sec. St. Paul's conduct, as it is related in the hiftory The bifof the acts of the apoftles, if what is faid be true, tory of viz. that the history feems to have been the product the acts of the second century, in which, according to the feems the learned, fraud and impofition took place in great product of abundance. Vol. II. p. 216. Note.

There is one obfervation that feems to fet afide this conjecture, viz. no notice is taken in this hiftory of one fingle event, which would lead us to conclude, that the deftruction of Jerufalem, by Titus, had taken place. But according to the rules of juft criticifin, the age, or antiquity of an hiftory is to be eftimated from the known events, cuftoms and manners of the age and people, in which it is faid to have been written. Now, if the hiftory of the acts of the apostles had been written fo late as the fecond century, there muft certainly have been fome criteria of that century, that would have difcovered themselves. But Titus laid fiege to it in the year 70, before the paffover. A foldier fet fire to the temple, and burnt it the 10th of Auguft: and the upper city was carried by affault the 10th of September. It is therefore incredible, that fuch an event should have already happened, refpecting the fcenery of fo much action which is related in this hiftory of the apoftles, and yet, not one fingle circumstance in fupport of it! The fame obfervation will ferve to fupport the antiquity of the gofpels, and of the epiftles.

The perfect agreement of the facts, related in this hiftory, together with the promifes Chrift made, and his predictions of the treatment his apoftles would meet with, in the execution of their commiffion; do afford a convincing evidence of the truth and genuineness of this record. And altho' the scenery of its action does chiefly exhibit

T

the fecond

century.

exhibit the miniftrations of St. Paul, the great apostle of the Gentiles; yet, St. Peter's having the keys; i. e. his first opening the doctrine of the gofpel to Gentiles, is recorded. Neither is there the leaft partiality fhewn to Paul, in the narratives. The history carrieth him, a prisoner to Rome, the capital of the greatest empire in the known world; and fo confirms the reality of the Christian religion, as it can admit of no reafonable doubt. In this imperial city Paul dwelt for two whole years together, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching thofe things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

It is highly probable, that as St. Paul had friends in Cafar's houfhould. Phil. iv. 22. That they had obtained him this liberty. Here, is a feries of facts recorded of St. Paul, which had place in Rome. And as we have before fhewn, that the history must have been wrote in the first century, before the deftruction of Jerufalem: fo it amounts to a moral certainty, that the hiftory is genuine. For although, the perfecutions which afterwards follow, would forbid the Roman biftorians from taking notice of this licence given to St. Paul, and the fuccefs he had in his preaching at Rome; yet, the perfecutions themselves were reiterated, and repeated confirmations of the truth of this fact, viz. that many thousands of people had embraced the gofpel, within the Roman empire.

Befides, this very history is a record of the gofpel being preached, and churches planted by Paul, in the most famous cities of Greece. To which the epiftles written by him, and the apocalypfe by St. John, bear teftimony. The above conjecture is therefore without any foundation.

Yet