(1.) The author from whom it was derived: a robber, one drenched in sensuality, and therefore utterly unqualified to be the revealer of the will of the holy God to men.

(2.) The quality of its doctrines: some are ridiculous and extravagant above the vanity of a feverish dream: some are pernicious, flattering both the lower appetites the concupiscible, by losing its natural restraints from exorbitant fleshly pleasuresthe irascible, by commending the violent oppression of others for the advancement of religion.

(3.) The means by which it had its rise and was propagated: it sprang from imposture; Mahomet erected an oracle in his own fancy, and pretended that the Holy Ghost descended there to give his inspirations. Thus he seduced at first: but having got a strong party, force succeeded deceit. The sword cut its way through many countries. And is it strange that the people so fiercely taught should follow the religion of the cruel conqueror? Thus it was planted, thus it increased, and is still maintained by the same causes.

(4.) The quality of those who received it. They were barbarous nations, and absolutely forbidden to make an inquiry into the matters of religion. And how easy is it to make an impression on the rude lump of the multitude? What wonder is it that pleasant follies should usurp the belief of the ignorant vulgar?

(5.) It promises in the future life a paradise, most unworthy the glorious rewarder, God, and the excellence of man. This is so evident, that Avicen, a Saracen philosopher, and Mahometan in profession,

speaks with abhorrence of those dreggy low delights, and, on the contrary, asserts, that the height of happiness is in the perfections of the soul united to God; and thus virtually condemns their faith, as repugnant to the dictates of clear religion.

CHAPTER II.

The Christian Religion considered.

I WILL now consider the Christian Religion directly in itself. It has this noble prerogative above the rest, that the more one searches into it, the more its divinity appears. Whereas other religions may please a superficial eye, but cannot endure a serious trial. Some things are to be premised.

1. I shall suppose it as a principle above all doubt, there was such a person as Jesus Christ, who conversed in the world, consigned the Christian doctrine to the apostles, and by them it is conveyed to us in the New Testament. For in asserting it, we have the uniform deposition of all that profess this religion, from its rise till the present age, in all parts of the world. Though of different opinions in other things, yet they agree in this, that Jesus Christ was their founder. Now, who can better know the Author of an institution, ecclesiastical or secular, than those who were admitted into its beginning, and those who have succeeded in that order from age to age, without interruption? Besides, we have the consenting and constant testimony of Jews and Heathens, the

obstinate opposers of the Christian religion, that its name as well as original was derived from Christ.

We

e may with more reason suspect, there were never such philosophers as Plato and Aristotle, or that the books, which, from their times, by universal persevering fame, have been attributed to them, were made by others, and put forth under false titles, than to question what is so generally received concerning the author of the Gospel. It is the perfection of folly and madness to oppose such evidence.

2. It is equally certain, that the books of the New Testament are transmitted to us in their original purity, without any material alteration. For it is incredible that the societies of Christians should neglect the preserving uncorrupt and entire, those writings which they esteemed a most sacred treasure, on which they built their hopes of eternal blessedness. It cannot be supposed they would transmit them to their children, whose salvation must have been dearer to them than the world, otherwise than they received them. This were to charge them with the most supine carelessness, and unnatural cruelty. Besides, the great number of copies dispersed through all places, and translated into many languages, and read in all Christian assemblies, make the attempt to falsify them in things of moment to be morally impossible. This will be more clear, if we consider, that among Christians there have been so many persons wise and good, of excellent learning and virtue, and of divers countries, that by their office, were established the depositaries of those present writings. And is there any colourable pretence to imagine, that they should suffer any notable

vance and compliance with ignorant idolaters, that they held the "truth in unrighteousness; and when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, but changed the glory of his incorruptible nature, into an image made like to corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." This was the state of the Pagan world till the Gospel appeared, and directed the natural religious inclination of mankind into its proper channel to the only true God.

2. The religion of the Jews is next to be considered. This the Christians acknowledge with them, was divine in its authority, doctrine, moral part, worship, and promises. God himself was the author, and confirmed it by many illustrious miracles. It is delivered in the most ancient, authentic, and venerable writings in the world. It instructs us concerning the nature of God, his works of creation and providence, and the judgment to come. It commands the love of God, to serve him only, and the love of our neighbour as ourselves. The cere

monial part was a full conviction of the guilt of sin, a visible discovery of the rights of eternal justice, and a powerful means to humble men before the infinite and offended majesty of the Creator. It It propounds temporal rewards, as the marks of God's favour suitable to the church then in its minority, but under that veil the most excellent and eternal rewards. This religion, in its ceremonial external part, was to continue till the coming of the Messiah, and then to be abolished. To make this evident, I shall thus proceed:

(1.) That the ceremonial part contained nothing

that was morally and unchangeably good, for then it had been obligatory to all nations from the beginning; whereas it was prescribed only to the Jews, and after a long space of time, wherein many holy men, though ignorant of that part of the law, yet received a divine testimony, that they pleased God.

(2.) It was of impossible performance to all other nations; as appears by the precepts concerning sacrifices that were to be offered only in Jerusalem, and by the Levitical priests, and their solemn festivals so many times in the year. Now the worship of God being an essential duty of the reasonable creature, it is absurd to imagine that it necessarily consists in such things that cannot be done by all men.

(3.) God himself often declared, that the rituals of the law were of no price with him, absolutely considered. Isa. i. Psal. 1.

(4.) They were enjoined the Jews for peculiar reasons; principally, that by those imperfect rudiments they might be prepared for the times of reformation. God had drawn, in the legal ministration, numberless images of the Messiah; their temple and high-priest, their ark and offerings, with all their ceremonial service, did signally point to him. And this is an infallible evidence, that a mind superior to Moses', designed all that work with a final respect to Christ, that the Jewish nation, having the idea of him always present, might not mistake him when he should appear. And that heavy yoke of ceremonies, with the spirit of servile fear that attended it, was to excite in them earnest longings after the Messiah, the Desire of all nations, that with unspeakable joy they might receive him at his coming.