But how useful foever they may be, I have rather chofen to follow another course, as thinking it of more advantage, folidly to establish the facts which the Chriftian Religion propofeth; which appears to me to be more proper to perfuade all forts of readers, and better levelled to the ordinary capacity of those who newly enter upon the examination of

this truth.

And as the neceffity of revelation is generally owned by heathens, and by all other nations of the world, I thought it a thing altogether unneceffary to enter upon the examination of feveral abftracted queftions, fuch as thefe: whether there be any natural knowledge of God, whether men are naturally inclined to be religious, and the like. When I fhall have firmly proved, that God revealed himself, that he prescribed a fervice to the first men, who left the rules of it to all their pofterity, from whence all the religion that ever was, or is yet in the heathen world, was derived, I fhall have prevented many very unprofitable difputes, and which can only perplex the mind by their obfcurity.

I have therefore confined myself to certain confiderations, which do fo eftablish the truth of the books of the Old and New Teftament, as by their union they firmly prove the truth of the Chriftian Religion.

I hope that it will not be thought needful for me to demonftrate, that the Mahometan religion ought not to abolish the Chriftian, as the Chriftians pretend that the Christian Religion abrogated the ceremonial part of the Jewish worship.

As foon as an understanding Reader fhall make fome reflexions upon the nature of the arguments which demonftrate the truth of the Chriftian Religion, he may eafily perceive that God never framed the model of that religion which the Mahometans would obtrude upon us.

REFLEXIONS

REFLEXIONS

UPON THE

BOOKS OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE,

For the Establishing of the Truth

OF THE

CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

СНА Р. І.

Concerning the FUNDAMENTALS of the CHRISTIAN RELIGION

WE

E are to confider three things in the Chriftian Religion; the Matters of Fact it propounds to us for true, the Promises it affords us, and the Worship it commands.

The Matters of Fact it propounds to us as true, are-that God created the world; that he formed the firft man, from whom the reft of mankind have been propagated; that a while after this man was created, he violated the law God had given him; and that whereas he deserved to have perished for this his difobedience, God was pleased, instead thereof, to comfort him with the hopes of a Saviour which was to be born of the feed of his wife; that God hath actually fent this Saviour into the world, which comprehends the whole economy of Chrift, viz. his birth, life, preaching, miracles, death, refurrection, and afcenfion into heaven, &c.

The

The Promifes it vouchfafes, are the forgiveness of our fins, the refurrection of our bodies, and a ftate abfolutely happy for ever in heaven.

And laftly, the Worship of divine fervice it prefcribes confifts in obedience to the law of God, in prayer for the pardon of our fins, and his protection, and in a grateful acknowledgment of what we owe him for all his benefits towards us.

The first of these three parts of the Chriftian Religion, viz. the truth of the Matters of Fact it relates, may be faid to be the foundation of the other two, viz. the Promifes and commands.

It is impoffible to be perfuaded, that God hath created this world in which we live, and made mankind of one and the fame blood; that after the fall he promised to save men, and did actually redeem them in fending Jefus Chrift, who fuffered death, and being raised the third day afcended into heaven, &c. I fay, it is impoffible to look upon these facts as true without being affured that God will accomplish the promises he hath made to us.

And it is as evident that we cannot be convinced of the truth of these matters, without being fenfible of a ftrong obligation laid upon us to perform all the duties of the Chriftian religion.

As foon as a man reflects upon his being God's creature, he finds himself naturally obliged to obey God univerfally, according to his utmost ability: but when he comes further to believe, that God did not destroy the firit man for his difobedience, but was graciously pleased to promife him a Saviour for himself and all his pofterity; and when moreover he is affured, that God hath really fent this Saviour in the way and manner the Gospel relates to us; we cannot conceive but that he must find himself under the highest engagements imaginable of rendering to God a religious obedience, and believing his promifes.

But there is yet another obligation whereby man is bound to obey God, to pray to him, and to offer him all manner of religious worship God, by redeeming him, hath obtained a new claim to, and right over him; and a more indifpenfable obligation is laid upon man to fubmit himself to God, in all religious concerns, as being not only created but alfo redeemed by

him.

Reafon acknowledgeth, that if the truth of thefe things be once ad-. mitted, nothing can be more juft and natural than thofe confequences which the Chriftians thence infer.

All the difficulty therefore that occurs in this matter, confifts in the proof of thofe facts which the Chriftian religion propounds to us; that is to fay, in proving the creation of the world, the fall of man, the promise of a redeemer, his coming into the world, his miracles, death, refurrection, afcenfion into heaven, &c. which are the foundations of the Christian Religion. And indeed these are the very matters of which Atheists and Libertines require a folid proof.

And it doth the more concern us to fatisfy their demands, forasmuch as the Jews, who are fcattered throughout the whole world, do oppose our affertion, that the promife of fending the Meffiah is already accomplifhed, though they agree upon the matter with us in all other articles. Moreover, the performing this tafk may very much contribute to the con

verfion

1

verfion of a great number of bad Chriftians, whofe fall and continuance in vices and licentioufnefs is to be afcribed to their being fo weakly perfuaded of the truth of thefe Fundamentals, and that because they have never confidered of them with fufficient attention.

CHA P. II.

That the CHRISTIAN RELIGION is founded upon Proofs of Matter of

F

Fact.

ORASMUCH as, in order to establish the truth of the Chriftian Religion, we confine ourfelves at prefent to those Proofs which make out the Matters of Fact it propofes; omitting all other arguments which may evidence the truth of it, though poffibly no lefs convincing; it is obvious, that the proofs we are to produce in confirmation of them, must be such as are proper to evince the truth of things long fince paft and done.

5

If we were treating of the events of the time we live in, it might be justly required that we fhould produce eye-witnefles of them: but forafmuch as the question here is concerning matters long fince paft, it is natural for us to have recourfe to history, which furnifheth us with the relations of those who were eye-witnelles of the fame; this being the only way left us to confirm our belief of things at fo great a distance from us.

I am beholden to hiftory only for the knowledge I have of a Cyrus, an Alexander, or a Cæfar; and yet having read the account they give me of them, I find them matters I can no way rationally doubt of.

I acknowledge that the certainty we have of things long fince paft, is much inferior to that which we have of matters confirmed to us by eyewitneffes. Nevertheless, because it is evident that the events of ancient times cannot be confirmed but by proofs of this nature, it has never entered into the minds of any to account the existence of such men as Cyrus and Alexander for fables, upon the pretence that none now alive did ever fee them, or because there are scarce any traces left of those empires of which they were the founders.

Indeed the certainty we have of thefe things is fuch, as nothing can be fuperadded to it; for though it be founded on the authority of hiftorians who lived many ages ago, yet withal we are to confider that the matters related do not only carry the idea of probability and truth along with them, but that they are the very ground and foundation of all the hiftories of following ages; which cannot be queftioned, if we confider the connexion and dependence of the things related, according to the light of fenfe, and the equity of reason.

A Matter

A Matter of Fact then is accounted certain, when it is attefted by those who were eye-witneffes of it, when recorded by an hiftorian who lived amongst thofe who had perfect knowledge of it; when the matter is not gainfaid or contradicted by any; if we find it penned at a time when the things could not be related by any otherwife than indeed they were, without expofing themselves to public derifion; and laft of all, when the matter is found to be of that nature, as none could be ignorant of it, either because it was the intereft of every one to be informed of it, or because the thing was fo public that it could not be hid from any; or laftly, because of its natural connexion with all those other events which neceffarily depend on it.

To speak plain, it is very unjust to demand either more proofs, or fuch as are of another nature, for the confirmation of the truth of our religion, than are required to verify any other matters of fact. Why should not the teftimony of Noah's children be fufficient to conclude there was fuch a man as Methufalem, in cafe they affure us that they have seen him? Or why should not the teftimony of Methufalem be of credit enough to prove there was such a man as Adam, if he avers that he saw him, and converfed with him? Do we not every day give credit to the account which old men give us of their predeceffors, especially when we find that what they relate hath an exact reference and connexion with those things we are eye-witnesses of ?

But it is an eafy thing to make it appear, that the proofs which evidence the truth of the matters which our religion propofeth, are infinitely more ftrong and convincing.

All the circumftances we can imagine proper to evince the truth of any relation, do concur to place the matters recorded in holy Scripture beyond the reach of doubt or uncertainty.

We account the fingle teftimony of an hiftorian a fufficient proof that there was once a very famous temple at Delphos or Ephefus, notwithfanding that all the monuments remaining at this day to confirm his relation be very doubtful and defective. Whereas I fhall make it appear that an entire nation, yea, many nations, do atteft the truth of those matters which the Chriftian Religion propofes; and that all the actions, difcourfes, and whole feries of events thereto relating, do furnish us with an infinite number of characters which invincibly fignalize the truth of the holy Scriptures,

CHAP. III.