ples, and converfed fo familiarly with them, that they could not poffibly be mistaken in the Truth and Reality of his Perfon: Since they, in their Testimony of this, could have no Bribe upon their Affections, nor any Temptation of temporal Advantage to pervert them; but, on the contrary, a fure Profpect of the bittereft Perfecutions, which they, notwithstanding, underwent with great Chearfulness, and feal'd, at length, the Truth of their Teftimony with their Blood, which no Impoftor was ever known to do: And, laftly, fince in Confirmation of the Truth of their Teftimony, God was pleased to accompany them with Signs and mighty Wonders, the Power of working Miracles, and the Gifts of his bleffed Spirit: 'tis plain, that, in the whole Transaction, the Witneffes of our Saviour's Refurrection can

be liable to no Sufpicion. They could have no hand in ftealing away their Master's Body: They could have no room to be deceiv'd themfelves, in what they fo frequently faw and felt; nor could they have any Provocation to deceive others, inan Affair, where they were fure to get nothing, but Danger and Distress: Confequently, we have all the affurance, which any mat er of Fact, at this diftance of Time, Dd 3

is

is capable of, that the Hiftory of our Saviour's Life and Actions, his Doctrine and Miracles, and especially this great and momentous One, his Refurrection from the Dead, as related by the Evangelifts, is literally true; and that all the Abfurdities and Incredibilities, which fome pretend to spy in it, are nothing, can be nothing, but the pure Fruits of a Mind deeply tinctur'd with the Gall of Bitterness and Infidelity.

SECT. XXIII.

The Infufficiency of Reason, and Neceffity of Revelation.

The Ob- " jection.

B

UT let the Evidences of Chriftianity be what they will, the "Prophefies never fo punctually ful"fill'd, and the Miracles never fo faithfully attefted; yet, after all, of what "fervice can these Things be, unless

66

we cou'd perceive fome Neceffity for "the Divine Interpofition in this Re"fpect? For, fince it is manifeft, that "God, from the Beginning, gave Man"kind fome kind of Religion, i. e. fome "Rule and Law for the Conduct of "their Lives, this Religion must ne" ceffarily Vid. Chriftianity as O'd as the Creation, Paffim.

"ceffarily be abfolutely perfect, because "nothing, but what is abfolutely Per"fect, can come from a Being of in"finite Wisdom and Perfection. And "if this Religion be abfolutely per"fect, it can admit of no Alteration, “ nor is it capable of Addition or De"minution, but is Immutable, as the "Author of it. And if God has given "Mankind fuch a Law as this, he muft "have likewise given them fufficient "Means of knowing it, otherwise he "wou'd have defeated his own Intent " in giving it; because a Law, as far as "it is unintelligible, ceafes to be a Law: " and therefore, as he was minded that "all Men fhou'd come to the Knowledge

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of the Truth, he must at all Times "have given all Men fufficient Means of "knowing it. Now the Religion, which "God has given us from the Beginning, "is the Religion of Nature, which con"fifts in obferving those Things which "our Reason, by confidering the Nature " of God and Man, and the Relation "( we ftand in to him, and to one an"other, demonftrates to be our Dûty. "Now if Religion confifts in the Prac"tice of fuch Duties, as refult from our "feveral Relations; as God is unchange"able, and human Nature continues "the fame, our Duty to God and Man Dd 4

«muft,

"muft, from the Beginning of the "World to the End, be always the "fame, and can never be chang'd in "whole or in part: So that no Per"fon, how much foever he pretends to 66 come from God, can teach us any "other Religion, or give us any other "Precepts, but what are founded in the "Reafon of Things, and in this our Re"lation to God and Man. And as this "Religion is perfect, and ftands in need " of no Addition; fo the only Means of "knowing it is the due Ufe of those "Faculties, by which we are diftin"guifh'd from Brutes. For if God "will judge Mankind as they are ac"countable, i. e. as they are rational "Creatures, the Judgment muft hold 66 an exact Proportion to the Use, they "make of their Reafon; because it "would be in vain to use it, if the due "ufe of it would not justify them be"fore God. As God therefore defign'd "that all Mankind fhould, at all times, "know what he Wills them to know, "believe, profefs, and practice, and has "given them no other Means to this "purpose, but the use of their Reason ;

as much as the Eye in the Inftrument "of Sight, and Ear of hearing, Reason, "human Reafon, I fay, must be the

means of our knowing the Will of

“God,

"God, and, of its felf fufficient to pro❝duce that Effect. In fhort is, human "Reason, or natural Light is theonly

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means of knowing all that God re"quires of us: All that God requires of us arifes from the fitness of Things,' "and the Relations we ftand into God "and one another: And this is fo fuf"ficient, fo full, and plain a Rule and "Guide in all religious Duties; that no "external Divine Revelation can add

any thing to it, or require us to be"lieve, any Doctrine, or Practice any "Duty, which was not as fully known "before. For if God be not an arbitrary "Being, but acts according to the Rea❝fon and Nature of Things, he can re"quire nothing of us by Revelation, that 66 was not requir'd before, nor can the "Perfon avoid the Imputation of grofs

Superftition, who admits any Doctrines (6 or Inftitutions, as matters of Religi

on, that are not manifest from the "Reason of the Thing, or plainly re"quir'd by the Light of Nature. And "therefore (to conclude) fince the Re"ligion of Nature is in itself abfolutely "perfect, and our Reason abundantly "fufficient to inftruct us in all the Du"ties of it; as God can do nothing in "vain, nor exercife his Power, in an "extraordinary Manner, on Occafions

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