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abominable falfhoods. As I know, on the one hand, that you cannot fwallow fuch grofs abfurdities as these ; fo I also know on the other hand, that you have no way to avoid them, upon the fuppofition before us.

It may be further obferved, that if the reporters of thefe miracles did themfelves know, that their narratives were fictitious and falfe, it will alfo follow, that the moft vile and wicked men that ever were in the world, and the most abandon'd to all sense of virtue and piety, did draw up the best system of practical religion, the moft worthy of God and man, that ever was known ; that they, contrary to their inward principles, fet the best examples, and walk'd according to the rules of this religion themselves; yea, without any known motive, fpent their whole lives in a continued course of the greatest toil, fatigue, and mifery, that ever men did, to promote this religion, to imprefs it upon the minds of others, and to teach them, according to it, to live in the love and fear of God. It will alfo follow, that these enemies of God and godlinefs (who were fo profane, as against their own light to propagate this impofture, in the name of God Almighty) did not only give up the hopes of future happiness, but all the comforts of this life alfo, in vindication of this known falfhood; that to this end they ventured upon every thing that is most terrible and affrightening to human nature, and even upon the most cruel and barbarous death, without the leaft poffible hopes of advantage, either in this world, or that to come. For they did know, and could not but know, that they were going themfelves, and leading their followers, upon the pikes of their numerous and potent adverfaries, without any profpect beyond the grave (upon the fuppofition before us) but of eternal damnation. And what still increases the abfurdity of this fuppofition, is, that not one of these ever retracted this known falfhood, even in the article of death; but boldly encountred the most fhameful and painful deaths their adverfaries could inflict, rather than confefs the truth. What, Sir, can you poffibly imagine of fuch conduct as this? That thefe men were not mad and diftracted, appears evidently by their works: which,

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though plain and familiar, were the most confiftent, divine, and rational, that ever appeared in the world. Here must therefore be a continued fcene of miracles, one way or other. It must at least be allowed miraculous, for fo many men knowingly and continually to act in direct oppofition to all their interefts, comforts, and hopes; and run counter to all the principles of humanity, to all the fprings of action, that were ever known. among men.

Let us now try the second supposal; and enquire whether it is poffible, that the reporters of thefe facts, and all other spectators of them, had their senses im pofed upon, by any legerdemain trick, juggle, or deceit? Whether, for inflance, the fenfes of the apoftles were impofed upon for fome years together, while there were daily miracles wrought by their mafter before their eyes? Whether the fenfes of whole multitudes were impofed upon, that they really thought they faw the fick healed, the dead raised, &c. and these things repeated again and again for a long tract of time, when there was indeed nothing at all in it? Whether the witneffes of our Lord's refurrection were impofed upon, when they fuppofed they faw him after his death, eat and drank and converfed familiarly with him for forty days together, and beheld him taken up to heaven before their eyes? And whether all the firft churches were impofed upon, when they imagin'd that they faw miracles repeatedly wrought among them; and had themselves miraculous gifts and powers? If these extravagant fuppofitions are allowed, of what fervice can our fenfes be to us; and how can we any way be certain of any thing whatfoever? We may as reasonably imagine, that our whole life has been one continued dream; and that in reality we never faw, heard, felt, thought, fpake, or acted any thing at all. Here likewise you must neceffarily allow a continued course of miracles, one way or other. At least it must be allowed miraculous, that fo great a part of the world fhould all lofe their fenfes together; and yet all of them imagine that they had all this time their fenfes in their full exercife.

Let us next confider, whether the laft of the suppofi.

tions, that the whole hiftory of the miracles wrought by our Lord Jefus Chrift and his apoflles, was an aftergame, a mere piece of forgery obtruded upon the world in fome diftant time after the facts were pretended to be done, will appear more reasonable, than the others already confidered.

I have fpoken fomething to this in my fecond letter, to which I refer you: and fhall now only add fome hints' further to illuftrate the cafe before us. If this laft cafe be fuppofed, the forgery must be palm'd upon the world, either before or after Chriftianity had generally obtain'd. If this falfe hiftory was thruft upon the world in fome diftant age after the facts were pretended to be done, before Chriftiarity had generally obtain'd, it will then follow, that all the hiftorians of thofe times (Chriftian, Jewish, and Pagan) have united in confederacy, to give us a falfe account of Chriftianity's immediately fucceed-" ing the crucifixion of Christ, not only in Judea, but in all parts of the Roman empire. That they do all agree in this report, is what you must acknowledge: but how they came to unite in relating fuch matters of fact, which they all (upon this fuppofition) must know to be falfe, is what no man can poffibly imagine. If this was done after Christianity had obtain❜d, it will follow, that a great part of the world renounced the religion in which they had been educated, for the defpifed doctrine of the cross, and for a life of continued contempt, mifery, and peril, without knowing the reason why; and altogether ignorant of the foundation upon which their new religi on was built. For, if they profeffed Chriftianity, before they knew the hiftory of Chrift's life, miracles, death, refurrection, afcenfion, and before they had heard of the apostles progrefs and miraculous works, with the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghoft, which accompanied their ministry; they then all agreed to facrifice their most valuable temporal interefts, and multitudes of them endured the most terrible deaths, in a caufe which they knew nothing about, and none of them knew any manner of reafon why they fhould do fo. That is, in plain English, a great part of the world run mad at once,

moft unaccountably; and from thefe madmen, Chriftianity is defcended down to the present time.

It may be further observed, that upon the fuppofition before us, it will follow, that in whatever diftant age. from thefe pretended facts, this hiftory was palm'd upon the world, all men at once must be perfuaded to believe for truth, what they knew to be falfe. Thefe histories declare, that they were written by the apostles and im-. mediate difciples of our Lord, that the authors of these hiftories did propagate the gospel through the world, did fend thefe writings to the churches, to be kept in their. hands, as the rule of their lives, and the directory of their: conduct; and that in fact, multitudes of the feveral na. tions were profelyted unto, and baptized into the faith of Chriftianity. Now, was it poffible, at any time whatfoever, after thofe pretended facts, that thefe, nations could be ignorant, whether thefe books and this religion. were handed down to them by their progenitors? Could: not every one of the nations, who are in thefe books faid to be converted to Chriflianity, at once conclude that they had never heard any thing of this nature be.. fore; and therefore, that thefe hiftories were all falte, and fpurious; and confequently not worthy of the leaft notice? Is it poflible, that the world fhould agree to venture both time and eternity upon fuch a known. falfhood? Could all the world at once be gulled by fuch glaring and open forgery and deceit? In a word, these books were many of them directed to large focieties of men, in different parts of the world, were early translated into divers languages, in which they are ftill extant, have been publickly kept and publickly read in the churches, have been appealed to by all parties and fects; and never called in queftion as a forgery, either by the friends or enemies of the Chriftian caufe. All these things put together, we have as much certainty, that thefe hiftories are not, cannot be forgery or impofture, as we can have of any thing whatsoever, not immediately open to our fenfes.

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Now, Sir, let us fum up this evidence; and fee what the conclufion must be.

All mankind muft own, that if the hiftory of these,

facts be true; if the Lord Jefus Chrift did perform for many aftonishing miracles for fo long a time together, in juftification of his divine million; if he did himfelf rife from the dead, commiffion his apoftles to their work, endow them with the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost, and empower them, by the impofition of their hands, to communicate the fame miraculous gifts to others; here was certainly the greateft interpofition of heaven in favour of the Chriftian inftitution, that can poffibly be imagined or conceived. The power and veracity of God himself were at ftake in this cafe: for they were both appealed to, in confirmation of the truth; and both in the most amazing manner difplayed, in anfwer to that appeal. All doubting in this cafe is therefore a calling in queftion the truth and faithfulness of God himfelf, as well as his power.

If this history be not true, then all the known laws of nature were changed: All the motives and incentives to human actions, that ever had obtained in the world, have been entirely inverted: the wickedeft men in the world have taken the greatest pains, and endured the greateft hardships and mifery, to invent, practice, and propa gate the most holy religion that ever was: and not only the apostles and firft preachers of the Gofpel, but whole nations of men, and all forts of men, Chriftian, Jew, and Pagan, where (no body can imagine how or why) confederated to propagate a known cheat, against their own honour, intereft and fafety: and multitudes of men, without any profpect of advantage here or hereafter,. were brought moft conftantly and tenaciously to profefs what they knew to be false, to exchange all the comforts and pleasures of life for fhame and contempt, for banishments, fcourgings, imprisonments, and death; in a word, voluntary to expofe themfelves to be hated both of God and man, and that without any known motive whatsoever. This must be allowed, or elie you must allow, that no man ever was, or ever can be certain of any thing; as is more particularly confidered above.

There now remains one of these three things a necef fary conclufion from what has been faid; either, (1.)) That thefe confequences may be justified; or, (2.) That

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