SECT. V. Were publicly read and expounded in the re- ligious affemblies of the early Christians SECT. VIII. The four Gofpels, the Acts of the Apostles, thirteen Epistles of St. Paul, the first Epistle of John, and the first of Peter, were received without doubt by SECT. IX. Our prefent Gofpels were confidered by the SECT. XI. The above propofitions cannot be predicated of OF OF THE DIRECT HISTORICAL EVIDENCE OF CHRISTIANITY, AND WHEREIN IT IS DISTINGUISHED FROM THE EVIDENCE ALLEDGED FOR OTHER MIRACLES PROP. II. CHAP. I. P. 329 That there is NOT fatisfactory evidence, that persons pretending to be original witnesses of any other similar miracles, have acted in the fame manner, in atteftation of the accounts which they delivered, and folely in confequence of their belief of the truth of thofe accounts p. 330 CHA P. II. Confideration of fome specific inftances p. 369 Preparatory Confiderations. I DEEM DEEM it unneceffary to prove that mankind ftood in need of a revelation, because I have met with no ferious person who thinks that even under the Chriftian revelation we have too much light, or any degree of affurance which is fuperfluous. I defire moreover that in judging of Christianity it may be remembered, that the question lies between this religion and none: for if the Christian religion be not credible, no one, with whom we have to do, will fupport the pretenfions of any other, Suppose then the world we live in to have had a Creator; suppose it to appear from VOL. I. the predominant aim and tendency of the provisions and contrivances obfervable in the universe, that the Deity, when he formed it, confulted for the happiness of his sensitive creation; fuppofe the disposition which dictated this council to continue: fuppofe a part of the creation to have received faculties from their Maker, by which they are capable of rendering a moral obedience to his will, and of voluntarily pursuing any end for which he has defigned them; fuppose the Creator to intend for these his rational and accountable agents a second state of existence, in which their fituation will be regulated by their behaviour in the first state, by which fuppofition (and by no other) the objection to the Divine government in not putting a difference between the good and the bad, and the inconfiftency of this confufion with the care and benevolence discoverable in the works of the Deity is done away; fuppose it to be of the utmost importance to the fubjects of this difpenfation to know what is intended for them, that is, fuppofe the knowledge of it to be highly conducive to the hap happiness of the fpecies, a purpose which fo many provisions of nature are calculated to promote: Suppofe, nevertheless, almost the whole race, either by the imperfection of their faculties, the misfortune of their fituation, or by the lofs of fome prior revelation, to want this knowledge, and not to be likely without the aid of a new revelation to attain it; under these circumstances is it improbable that a revelation fhould be made? Is it incredible that God fhould interpofe for fuch a purpose? Suppose him to defign for mankind a future ftate, is it unlikely that he fhould acquaint them with it? Now in what way can a revelation be made but by miracles? In none which we are able to conceive. Confequently in whatever degree it is probable or not very improbable that a revelation fhould be communicated to mankind at all, in the fame degree is it probable or not very improbable that miracles should be wrought. Therefore when miracles are related to have been wrought in the promulgating of a revelation B 2 |