paffed sentence: tho' these hiftorians all agree in that crucified perfon's being raised from the dead, and miracles are wrought for fifty or fixty years after, in all parts of the world, in evidence of the truth of this fingle fact; yet, it looks much like a fraud, and the evidence was not wifely conducted! We must not therefore be furprized that he can reject the teftimony of fingle hiftorians about the tranflation of Enoch and Elijah. For more than this, being once perfuaded that there never could be any fuch thing as a miracle; and that this state may poffibly be the only ftate of man; it was quite natural for him to reject all reasoning and evidence about God's raifing up Chrift from the dead. These intervening ideas hindered his mind from feeing the force of evidence.

With Chriftians, these two events are credible : the one in the antediluvian age, the other toward the middle of the Jewish ftate. Of the former, let me use the words of a moft amiable man: As the death of the first parent must occafion melancholy thoughts in his furviving children; the tranflation of Enoch was proper to support them, Since thereby affurance was given to the pious of a future happy life: he walked with God, and was not, for God took him.-It could not but be looked upon as defigned for an encouragement and motive to piety and virtue. See Dr. Jer. Hunt's Essay for plaining the fcripture revelations.

The other inftance, viz. that of Elijah, was at a time when the Jew nation was become very wicked and idolatrous. And it feems that Elijah had been a moft remarkable prophet, and had wrought miracles in honour of the true God, against the falfe ones whom Ahab's priests worhipped. Again,

N

Again, What if Elijah's tranflation was recorded only by one hiftorian? this hiftorian fays, that there were fifty men of the fons of the prophets, who stood in fight over-against-who faw the afcent of Elijah: and were convinced that the fame Spirit that had been with Elijah, did now reft on Elifba, 2 K. ii. 7, 15, compared.-What of this? Mr. Chubb will tell us, that a multitude of Spectators of a fact, amounts to nothing at all without their teftimony, Vol. II. p. 203. So that this fifty fhould have figned the account, delivered by the hiftorian. But had they done it; there would have been witneffes yet wanting to have proved that these fifty, were boneft men, and true, who had figned the narrative. So that it would be endless labour to make an history credible, with a determined Sceptic. With reafonable men, it appears a ftrong evidence of the truth of a fact, that it is reported to have been done in the most public manner, before multitudes. And it is enough to determine the credibility of fuch facts, that we know they were fuch as implied no abfurdity, or contradiction: but, on the contrary, very great and good ends were defigned to be anfwered by them, every way worthy of God, and of the inftruments employed by him. Now, the translation of Elijah would ferve to the fame purpose, with that of Enoch's giving affurance to the pious, of a future happy life. And therefore as it does not stand in need of farther teftimony than the one hiftorian, there feems to be no danger in giving him credit.

After all, it is a question with me, whether Mr. Chubb did not think the apocryphal writings as authentic as the old teftament books. And if he did, he will be chargeable with inattention; because in the hiftory of the Maccabees, B. 1. c. ii. ver. 58, it is faid, that Elias, because be

was

was zealous and fervent in the laws, was taken up even into heaven. Unless he thought that the fame hiftorian, who wrote the fecond book of the Kings, wrote also the first book of the Maccabees.

But if the book of the Maccabees fhould be allowed to have been a very ancient Jewish history, written by another hand, and greatly approved of by that people; then one may reasonably conclude, that the fact of Elias's tranflation was generally believed amongst that people.

However, we Chriftians, have more than the teftimony of a fingle hiftorian; inafmuch as Mathew, Mark, and Luke have affured us, that Elias was with Mofes, at the transfiguration of our Lord.

Yet, with Mr. Chubb, our Lord's miracles should have been attested by the written teftimony of the multitudes, who faw them. Is not this a way to cancel all obligation to the credit due to any hiftory? It is to rob men of all the pleafure and profit, that letters, or writing affords, in giving the hiftory of facts. And in the next. age, Mr. Chubb's farewel may, with greater reafon, be called in queftion.

not an

future re

The great advantage of the Old Teftament. Sect. writings, as they bear teftimony to the New, is XXVII. that of prophecy. But this, Mr. Chubb endea- Prophecy vours to overthrow. He owns indeed, that God evidence does foreknow whatever is foreknowable in nature, of the Vol. II. p. 140. And he farther fays, Let it be truth of a admitted that the Deity does foreknow all events to come; as well those which refult from human agency, as thofe which refult from the conftitution of the natural world, and from a particular and fpecial application of God's power and providence in any time to come. That God can thereby foretell whatever he does foreknow, feems to be plain and

N 2

clear;

velation.

clear; and that God may foretell future events, when fome great and good end can be answered thereby, I can fee no reason from whence to conclude the contrary. But then, that God does foretel future events, by way of evidence, thereby to prove or make good the truth and divinity of revelations, or propofitions revealed; these points are not to be admitted without infpection, because they are not felf-evident propofitions, and therefore are to be enquired into, Vol. II. p. 141. And further, To foretel any uncertain event, which is the cafe of all prophecy, in our prefent view of it, in order to prove, or render certain any uncertain propofition, which is the cafe of all revelation, or revealed propofitions that stand in need of proof, fuch a conduct feems to be preposterous and unnatural, as the means is not adapted to answer the end to which it is directed; feeing the revealed propofition is not, nor cannot, in the least, be proved by it, but it remains equally as uncertain, after the foretelling fuch events, as before; and this feems to me to be the cafe of all prophecy, when offered in evidence, as aforefaid, ib. 143, 144.

From the above citations, it is allowed, that God may foretel future events, when fome great and good end may be answered thereby : but then, it is denied that they can be evidence in proof of the divinity of revelations, or propofitions revealed. But why fo? If those propofitions revealed are fitted to be of important fervice to mankind; then God may foretel events in evidence of their truth and divinity: otherwife he may not foretel future events, when fome great and good end may be answered thereby. And fuch prophecy will be a proof, that is neither prepofterous nor unnatural; because it will be a means well adapted to answer the end to which it is directed.

For

For example; Mr. Chubb owns it probable that there was fuch a person as Jefus Chrift, and that as it appears probable that Jefus Chrift was entrusted with a fuperiority of power to be adminiftred for the public good: fo from hence it becomes probable, that he was likewife entrusted with the adminiftration of fuperior knowledge, to answer the fame end, feeing be affumed fuch a character; I Jay, the former is a probable ground of the latter. From thefe premises, and this general view of the cafe, I think this conclufive follows, viz. it is probable Chrift's miffion was divine, Vol. II. p. 42, 43.

Hence I reafon thus, viz. that fince Mr. Chubb owns the probability of Chrift's divine miffion and character, this cannot be ranged under the head of an uncertain propofition. And if fo, then uncertainty cannot be the cafe of all revelation. But inafmuch as God may foretel future events, when fome great and good end may be anfwered thereby: and thefe propofitions, viz. that Chrift's miffion was divine; and his fuperior power and knowledge appear probably to have been administered for the public good; it will follow, that the foretelling events in proof of Chrift's miffion, was fo far from being prepofterous and unnatural, that they were every way fitted, as means can be to an end which they are defigned to answer. So that it was altogether worthy of God to foretel that he would fend one, or raife one up of the feed of Abraham, in whom all nations fhould be bleffed. And to declare by Ifaiah, that unto us a child is, or fhall be born; to us a fon is, or fhall be given, and the government fhall be on his fhoulders: and his name fhall be called wonderful, counsellor, the mighty God,, the father of the ages to come, the prince of peace. And by Daniel to mention the precife time, after threefcore and two weeks (of years) fhall Meffiab

be