He having spoken of fome doctrines in the epiftles as erroneous, fays, I do not intend by this, to lead my readers into a neglect of the writings of the apostles; much less, with the laity of Art. VIII. the church of Rome, to lay them quite afide-Nor of his Apofles.

V. II.

P. 345. Again, As the writings of the Apoftles were occafional, fo they contain many excellent cautions, advices, and inftructions, which ferve for the rightly directing our affections and actions. Ib. P. 344.

And of Chrift, he writes thus, upon his lamentation over Jerufalem-This is the excellent Art. IX, and beautiful character which is given of our Lord Chrift's Jefus Chrift: and which no doubt, was uniform character and confiftent, thro' the whole course of his life and beauallowing for the frailties of nature he might have tiful. been liable to. Ib. p. 180.

excellent

acknow

From these paffages he would have us underftand, that he allows the probability of a fpecial providence; of a special revelation; of the truth of Chrift's divine miffion; and that miracles Article X. might be wrought by God in atteftation thereof. Miracles And tho' he has ufed much ridicule in treating farther on the miraculous conception of the virgin: yet,ledged. all his fpirit evaporates, by declaring, That God may, if he pleases, bring a man into being this way, that is, he may, if he pleafes, create, or otherwife produce, human feed in the womb of a woman, and make it answer the fame purpose, as if it had been introduced, by the operation of a man, in the ordinary courfe of generation. V. II. P. 278.

This is to allow the poffibility, or that it infers no abfurdity: for he fays, God may if be pleafes do this. And refpecting the phrafe begotten, applied to Jefus, as the fon of God, he

owns, that the word is figurative, as Chriftians are faid to be begotten thro' the gospel. Ibid.

Having admitted the probability of Chrift's miffion being divine, he thus expreffeth himself, Art. XI. I fay, the great question with us must needs be, A plain what was that message? and not, who, or what rule of was that meffenger? becaufe a messenger, conjudging of Chrift's fidered abstractedly from his message, is a mere character. fiction, is nothing: feeing the very character of a.

messenger, as well as the importance of that character, are merely relative, refulting wholly from the important message they stand related to. V. II. p. 55.

So that the New Teftament writings are a rule of judging, every way adequate to the capacity of all who are privileged with them; by which alone the characters of the feveral writers, and the importance of those characters may be determined. Neither can they oblige, as a rule of men's forming their judgments and practice, farther than the meffage they contain.

Thefe conceffions fhould have their weight; notwithstanding any raillery, either here or elfewhere, he may have beftowed upon the subject. It is an open declaration, that miracles recorded, and the doctrines revealed, are what imply no abfurdity.

1

Yet, he thinks it not likely that Jefus Chrift was fo produced, as above mentioned, and that no great or good purpose could be served by it. The opinion is not fingular, tho' it denies the authority of two evangelifts, and would throw afide a prophecy, which we are perfwaded did refer to the Meffiah, viz. that of a virgin, or.. maid, conceiving and bringing forth a fon. But Art. XII of this more hereafter.

The Pro- Mr. Chubb has alfo affirmed the probability of bability of a future ftate of retribution; for having confia future dered man as made free, and capable of being a friend or an enemy to the common good; he

flate of

retriba

tion.

fays,

fays, bence arifes a probability that there will be a future ftate of existence to men, in which state, God's favour and difpleafure will be properly and amply fhewn forth; .V. I. p. 381. And again, as I think, were I intrufted with the execution of civil justice, I ought, and should, reward thofe that have generously contributed to the public happiness, and punish those who have bafely and wickedly contributed to the public hurt, bad I a perfect knowledge of their cafes, and had I power fufficient for thefe purposes; fo, from hence I cannot but conclude, that God who is the most perfect intelligence, goodness, and boundless power, will much more do fo; and confequently there will be a future judgment and retribution. Ib. 397.

Art. XIII. This is a conclufion drawn with more affu- The cerrance, than a bare probability would} fupport: it tainty of it. is drawn from what he knew of himself; and in which he infers the certainty of a future judgment and retribution.

Yea, with regard to future punishments, he has thus expreffed himself: Upon the whole of this argument, I obferve, that as we have all the certainty the nature of the thing will admit, that the divine conduct, in all things, in all inftances and cafes, will be conformable to perfect reditude; fo we are thereby certain that the Deity will not punish needlefly, or without any juft Art. XIV. ground, nor will be extend it beyond it's proper bounds. Ib. 421.

Future punishments how con

If any regard is due to the moft fober decla- ducted. rations, that have in them the air of fincerity, we have Mr. Chubb's opinion in favour of the usefulness of prayer. He owns a special providence, and an express divine revelation.-That the Christian revelation is the most perfect of any traditionary one.That miracles are confiftent with the perfections of God, and probably were

at

1

Section I.

tion can

atteftations of the truth of Chrift's miffion.
He folemnly declares, that he has not written
out of difrefpect to the perfon and ministry of
Jefus Chrift; but that upon a dependance on
Jefus Chrift being the judge of quick and dead,
he has no difagreeable.apprehenfions.-Nor has
he any defign to lead his readers to a neglect of
the writings of the apoftles.-That as to Chrift's
character, it is excellent and beautiful.And
he has not only allowed the probability, but af-
firmed the certainty of a future ftate of retribu-
tion. And has likewife given his opinion as to
future punishments.

From thefe premifes, for any to fay, that Mr. Chubb did not profefs himfelf, or that he was not a Chriftian, would be an unjust conclufion. In the above portrait, as far as I know, I have fairly reprefented him in all the articles which I have cited.

CHA P. II.

Shews fome of the blemishes, and imperfections that are to be found in Mr. Chubb's postbumous-works.

TH

HIS is the more difficult and lefs pleafing part of the undertaking. Yet in it, I will not only endeavour to do his writings justice, but as far as the cause of truth admits, treat his er rors with candour.

Mr. C. has, without fcruple, given us very Revela- explicite accounts of his difbelief of any revelation; tho' he takes much pains to overthrow the have no credibility of one! e. g. I have already obferved, previous that divine revelation is above or out of the ordiground. nary course of nature, and as fuch, we can have no previous ground to prefume or expect that there is or will be any fuch thing; nor can we poffibly

be

be under any previous obligation with regard to its and therefore we cannot be obliged to feek after it. To this, I may add, that it feems a little prepofterous for a man to hunt after a guide to his judgment and behaviour, when the anthor of his being has placed one in his own breaft; especially if it be confidered, that the guide he has must be proper. and fufficient to answer the purpose aforefaid; becaufe, otherwife, the author of nature, who is the most perfect intelligence, and of the most boundless power, must have been greatly wanting to his own defign. Vol. II. p. 30.

I would firft obferve, that Mr. C. is able to remove all the mist he has raised, from a man's bunting after a guide to his judgment, and behaviour; becaufe not able to discover whether the New Testament, as we have it, or the Coran, as we have it, are genuine accounts of the Chriftian, or of the Mahometan revelations. He fhall himself clear up the cloudy heaven which his own imagination had created: for thefe are his very words refpecting Christ's divine miffion; I fay, the great question with us muft needs be, what was that message? and not who, or what was that messenger? because a meffenger, confidered abftratiealy from his message, is a mere fiction, is nothing; feeing the very character of a messenger, as well as the importance of that character, are merely relative, refulting wholly from the important meffage they stand related to. Vol. II. p. 55.

This will enable us to place the rule in fight of every man, even thofe of the lowest understanding; for the word is nigh them. They are under no obligations of hunting after a rule. The meffage is before their eyes, and they may judge of the meffenger, and the importance of his character by it, with as much eafe and certainty as F

if