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" be fatisfied of its being an Inftitution "of divine Appointment? The only "Proofs, that you have to offer us, are "the Completion of Prophefies, and the Gift of working Miracles; but Mira"cles alone are far from being a valid "Proof: They may be done by Cheats " and Impoftors, by a diabolical as "well as divine Power. a For as,

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66 Egypt, Jannes and Jambres were "raifed up by Satan to contend with Mofes in working Miracles, fo, in the "primitive Times of Chriftianity, fe"veral Conjurers and Magicians were "raised up by him, and withal em"power'd to work Signs and Wonders " in the Air; to speak diverfe Lan

guages; to foretel Plagues and "Storms; to make Fire come down " from Heaven; to vomit Flames; to "walk and fly in the Air, and caft out "Devils. And all thefe Things they "did, to confront the Miracles, and in"validate the Authority of the Apo"ftles,. and to confirm this Doctrine, "which is a plain Contradiction of the "Gofpel, viz. That Jefus was not the "Chrift. But even, fuppofing the Mi"racles true, yet, if they stand alone, " and without the fupport of Prophe

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Vid. The Scheme of Literal Prophefy confidered.

«fy, b they can never render a Foun“dation valid, which is in it self inva"lid; can never make a false Inference

t true; can never mark out a Meffias, « or Jefus for the Meffias, if both be "not mark'd out in the Old Teftament. "With good Reafon therefore might "St. Peter give the Preference to Pro"phefy, even before the miraculous "Atteftation, which he, and two other "Apostles had, of the Miffion of Jefus ; "when we find Jefus himself fuppofing

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Prophefies of more weight than Mira"cles wrought in our Sight, even than "raifing the Dead; and all the other "Apoftles, in their Writings and Dif"courses perpetually arguing from the "Completion of the Prophefies, both "against Jews and Profelytes: As well "they might; because Prophefies, de"liver'd in an infpir'd Book, are, when "fulfill'd, fuch, as may juftly be "deem'd fure and demonstrative Proofs. "But now much Care and Caution is to "be us'd in our examining into these "Matters: For if the Proofs for Chrifti"anity from the Old Testament be not "valid; if the Arguments, founded on "these Books, be not conclufive; if "the Prophefies, cited from thence, be 66 not

• The Grounds and Reasons of the Christian Religion. 2 Pet. i. 18, 19. Luke xvi. 31.

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ἐσ not actually fulfill'd, than has Chriftiσε anity no juft Foundation. And yet, << to look into the Writings of the Pro"phets, and observe in what manner "they are applied by the Apostles and "Evangelifts, one must needs conclude, "that they can no othewife be under"ftood than in typical, myftical, and "allegorical Senfe, which, according

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to fcholaftick Rules, is no Proof at "all; that the Paffages, taken out of "the Old, and urg'd in the New Testá

ment, being either not found in the "Old Teftament, or not urg'd in the "New, according to their literal and "obvious Sense, carry no Conviction "along with them; and confequently, "that the Argument from Prophecy for "the Truths of Chriftianity (tho' cer"tainly the best, that Believers have

to produce) is abfurd and ridiculous, "and the Religion built thereon a mere Jeft and Delufion.

Now in order to ftate the Difference ed, by between Miracles and Prophefies as they fhewing that true affect the Proof of Christianity, we must Miracles obferve, that a true Miracle is properdone by ly fuch an Operation, as exceeds the God only. ordinary courfe of Things, and is repugnant to the known Laws of Nature, either as to its fubject Matter, or the

Manner

Manner of its Performance. For though we readily acknowledge that there are Beings in the Spiritual World, which are able to perform Things far exceeding the power of Men, and therefore apt to beget Wonder and Amazement in us, (of which Nature were all the Pranks, recorded of Conjurers and Magicians, in the early Ages of Chriftianity,) yet, that any created Beings, and confequently Agents of a limited Power, are capable of working fuch Miracles, as our Saviour did; are capable of controlling the courfe of Nature, of fupplying Mens natural Defects, of giving Sight to the Blind, Speech to the Dumb, and Life to the Dead (which are Miracles relating to the fubject Matter) or of doing any of those Things in an Inftant, by a Touch, by a Word, at a Distance, and without any kind of outward Means (which are Miracles regarding the Manner of their Performance) is a Thing impoffible; unlefs we can suppose that limited, inferior, and created Beings, have an equal Power of creating, controlling, and reftoring, with Almighty God: Which is Contradiction enough in all Conscience.

It was upon this Perfuafion therefore, or Perviz. That true Miracles are the fole Ope- fons fent by him. rations of God, that the World has all

along

along agreed to acknowledge and ac cept of Miracles, as an authentick and indifputable Teftimony, that the Perfons, entrufted with fuch Power, were certainly fent and commiffioned by God. To this purpose we find Pharaoh's Magicians confeffing, that the Miracles which Mofes and Aaron exhibited, were the Finger of God; and, in the Controverfy between Elijah and the Priests of Baal, it was readily accepted, as a fair Propofal, that he, who anfwered by Fire from Heaven, fhould be unanimoufly ferved, and worshipped as God. The lefs Reafon, have we then to wonder, that we hear a learned Ruler of the Jews accofting our Lord in these Words, & Rabbi, we know that thou art a Teacher fent from God, for no Man can do thofe Miracles, that thou doft, except God be with him; or that a mean Man, who had been born Blind, fhould confront the whole Affembly of the Pharifees with this one Argument, h Since the World began, was it not heard that any Man opened the Eyes of one, that was born Blind; if this Man were not of God, he could do nothing; or that our bleffed Saviour hin.felf fhould fo

frequently appeal to the Miracles he

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wrought,

Exod. viii. 19. 1 Kings xviii. 24, &c. John iii. 2. John ix. 32, 33.

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