killed in Syria, under two years of age, he had killed his own son, said, That it was better to be Herod's hog than his fon.

That Jefus Chrift was in Egypt, and that he returned from thence, is a fact with which the Jews to this day reproach our Saviour, as if he had learned there the fecret of working miracles.

That he confounded the Doctors at twelve years of age, is a fact of which the whole nation of the Jews were informed, because it happened at one of those three folemn feasts which brought up the whole nation to Jerufalem.

That Jefus Chrift was baptized by St. John, and that he received a moft glorious teftimony from him, is a fact of which all those Jews whom the miniftry of St. John had drawn to the river Jordan were wit-, neffes.

That Jefus Chrift chofe for his Apoftles men without learning, and of the meaneft of the people, that he lived with them three years and an half, preaching his doctrine, correcting the traditions of the Jews, working miracles, and foretelling things to come, are facts of which the whole people of the Jews were witneffes; and all the Romans that were in Judea were fully informed of them; yea, they were known to all the world. The Jews could not be ignorant of them, who came up to Jerufalem from all parts of the world, to celebrate ten folemn feafts according to the law, during the time in which these things were acting, and from thence carried the report of them into several parts of the world where they were difperfed.

It is evident alfo that Jefus Chrift laboured to perfuade men that he was the promised Meffiah: this was the most confiderable fact in the world to the Jews, and which had relation to the most important point of their religion, and touched them the neareft; a fact which happened at a time when all were in expectation of the Meffiah, as appears by the confultation of Herod, when the Jews, who were oppreffed by the Remans, did moft earneftly figh for his appearance; a fact confirmed by public oracles, and known to the whole nation, yea to the Heathens themselves, for near three hundred years.

That Jefus Chrift, notwithstanding all his miracles, was crucified at the pursuit of the Jews, and by the order of Pontius Pilate, is a fact of which the whole people of the Jews were witneffes, because it happened at the feast of the paffover, that is, at a folemnity where the whole nation of the Jews was affembled: it is a fact which no Heathens ever went about to deny; they reproached the Chriftians with it, who are fo little ashamed of it, that, according to the orders of the fame Jefus, they celebrate the memorial of it in the facrament of the eucharist.

That there was thick darkness over all the land at the crucifixion of Jefus Chrift from the third hour till the fixth, that is, from nine of the clock till twelve, according to our way of computing the time, was a fact of that nature, that the whole nation of the Jews might eafily have convinced the Apoftles of this impofture, if it had not been as confeffed a truth as the darkness in Egypt, before the departure of the Ifraelites. That Jefus Chrift was raised the third day, is a fact attefted by a great number of witneffes, the memorial whereof they celebrated every

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eighth day, as long as they lived, by a conftant law, becaufe they confidered this refurrection as the feal of those truths which Jefus Chrift had taught them it is a fact, the truth whereof they have maintained before magiftrates, before the people, in all parts of the world; it is a fact which they have publicly preached up, notwithstanding all prohibitions which have been made; in fhort, it is a fact which they have afferted in the midst of the most cruel torments, and even until death.

That Jefus Chrift fent down upon his Apoftles the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, is a fact of which all Jerufalem was a witness fifty days after the feast of the paffover, when Jefus Chrift was crucified; it is as remarkable a fact as ever happened: twelve fishermen of Galilee maintain, in the face of the whole Jewish nation, that the fame Jefus whom the whole nation had demanded to be crucified but fifty days before, and who did actually fuffer upon an infamous crofs, is rifen from the dead, and afcended into heaven, after he had eaten and drunk with them, and had appeared feveral times to them after his refurrection; and that he had given them the power of fpeaking all forts of languages, and of healing all manner of diseases.

That they spoke divers languages, is a fact most notorious, the truth whereof appeals from the converfion of the world, which wasf ound to be filled with their Difciples, but a few years after this fact was done.

That they had the power of healing all difeafes as well as their master, is a fact the truth whereof is eftablifhed upon indifputable teftimonies, infomuch as their fucceffors received the fame gift by the laying-on of their hands. Two hundred years after, Tertullian mentions this gift, as being at that time well known amongft Chriftians.

That the Apostles, after they were rejected by the Jews, preached the Gofpel to the Gentiles, who allo received it, is a fact of which there are fo many proofs in the world, that it cannot be called in queftion.

That the converted Jews ftrongly oppofed themfelves against the preaching of the Gofpel to the Gentiles, pretending, as the Jews now do, that the Meffiah with his gifts and graces was confined to their nation, is a fact fo well attefted, that it cannot be called in queftion, if we confider the firft difpute, which gave occafion to the first council of the Apoftles, and to the contefts of St. Paul with thofe of his own nation.

That fince that time the Apoftles and their Difciples have maintained by their writings and difputes, and finally by their martyrdom, that Jefus was the Meffiah; that they have conftantly flood to this claim, alledging the facts which the Gofpel propofes, and maintaining that the matters there related were exact accomplishments of the promises of God, and of the ancient prophecies: that all this is unquestionable, one needs only read their fermons and fpeeches fet down by St. Luke, and their epifiles; one needs only perufe the Heathen hiftory, and the works of thofe that fucceeded the Apoftles, who followed their footsteps in establishing the truth of the Chriftian religion.

That the Apostles difcharged their followers from the ceremonies which fejes preferib d, obliging them only to the effentials of morality; that they annulled the law which permitted divorces without fufficient faufe, and polygamy; thefe are things which none, who have read

their writings, or thofe of their firft Difciples, can in the leaft quef

tion.

Laftly, That they foretold many things, as well as their mafter; that they published their predictions, which they have extended to the end of the world, and the return of Jefus from heaven to judge the world; and that they have recorded the particulars of many confiderable events, obferved by the Chriftians, which have happened from time to time; these are facts as well known, and as incontestable as any thing can be in the world, of fuch a nature whole nations are witneffes of it. Differing fects, interpreters who have feveral opinions concerning these prophecies, the contests of the Jews, the oppofition of Atheifts, the cavils of Heretics, the cruelty of tyrants, all thefe concur to prove clearly that the Chriftians received thefe prophecies from the Apoftles, as well as the truth of them, fince even thefe oppofitions were foretold, as well as the perfecutions.

Thus I have given you a view of the greateft part of the most important articles which are contained in the Chriftian religion; and I think that they are fo folidly grounded upon proofs of fact, that I can affert with reafon, that no facts in the world can be produced, fo well establifhed as thefe are, which are the fundamentals of our religion.

What facts are there which are attefted by whole nations, as the miracles of Jefus Chrift were? What facts are there about which men were fo careful to inform themfelves, as when a man pretends to the title of the Meffiah? What thing can we fuppofe that requires a stronger conviction, because of the difficulties it involves, than that of the refurrection of Jefus Chrift? for thofe who were eye-witneffes of his crucifixion, that is, who had feen him punifhed by the magistrate, the horror of all his own people, and in all appearance forfaken of heaven.

To fpeak the truth, as there cannot be a greater inftance of fanatical folly, than to attribute to twelve poor fishermen, whose master was crucified at Jerufalem, by public order, and by an effect of the hatred of the whole nation-I fay, to attribute to them the defign of perfuading that people, and the Gentiles alfo, that this man was raifed again from the dead, that he rules in heaven, that he has bestowed upon them the miraculous gifts of fpeaking all forts of languages, and healing all manner of difeafes-if this Jefus had been never raifed from the dead, nor had bestowed fuch gifts upon them, the mind of man not being capable of fa great folly; fo we have all the reafon in the world to conclude, that fince they have attefted this fact, and confirmed it by all the proofs which might convince thofe who, though they were not prejudiced, yet were astonished at the difficulty of the things themfelves, fo nothing can be more certain than facts fo confirmed, as we pretend that these actually were,

CHA

CHA P. XVII.

That it cannot be queflioned, whether the Books of the NEW TESTAMENT were written by the Apoftles.

EFORE we alledge thofe arguments which will invincibly confirm the truth of the books of the New Teftament, I defire the reader to make these three or four reflexions, which feem to be very important to our prefent defign.

The firft is, That we can fcarcely conceive a more fimple and strong way of proving a fact, than what we find in the books here mentioned. The defign of the four Evangelifts, for instance, is to prove that Jefus, the fon of Mary, is the promifed Meffiah; and that, in his birth, his life, his doctrine, his death, and refurrection, we meet with all the characters which the Prophets attributed to the Meffiah. How do the Evangelifts execute this their defign? In the most proper way imaginable to convince others, and moft proportionable to their defign: they fimply relate the facts; and facts fo clear, that if we do not queftion the truth of them, we cannot doubt that Jefus is the Meffiah. They relate the most important of thefe facts, as things that happened in the face of the whole nation of the Jews, as I have thewed in the precedent chapter; they relate them as facts for the most part owned by the Jews, from which the malice of the Jews extorted other confequences: they give us an account of the judgment which the Jews made concerning the miracles that he wrought on the fabbath day, upon the Difciples gathering the ears of corn; of the answer which the Jews made to Pilate, We have no other king but Cæfar.

The fecond is, That the Apostles, fuppofing a general expectation of the Meffiah, when Jefus Chrift appeared, fhew that there was a very great knowledge of the prophecies that refpected the Meffiah, and a great impoffibility of applying those oracles to particular facts, if the truth of thofe facts had not been beyond conteft. Now we find very few oracles of which they did not make an application to the life and actions of our Saviour. We will fuppofe the Apoftles to have been men of great abilities, and who had long ftudied the books of the Prophets, that they might tear out fuch fmall paffages as they fancied might be applicable to Jefus Chrift: however, it cannot be denied, that it does not appear by their writings that they had fuch an exact knowledge of the prophecies; whence it might follow that they judged them to be applicable to Chrift, by comparing them with the facts which they relate. 2. That they had this knowledge in common with the reft of the Jews, who at this day apply the fame texts to the Meffiah, if they are not constrained by their clearness to wreft them fome other way.

The third reflexion is, That, in the relation of thefe facts, they give us all the marks of an extraordinary fincerity; they reprefent indeed whatsoever was for their mafter's glory, but they do as well relate thofe things which feem to be fhameful to his memory. They tell us of the Angels that affifted at his birth, and at his death; but tell us withal,

that

that he was tempted of the Devil, and in all appearance for faken by God at his death. They tell us, that the multitudes were refolved to take him by force, and make him their king, as acknowledging him for the Meffiah; and they tell us, that the fame multitude, fome time after, demanded him to be crucified.

The fourth is, That they reprefent very naturally all the judgments of the fynagogue again ft Jefus: they reprefent him as excommunicated and crucified by them; they defcribe the reports that were current among the Jews; that the difciples had taken away his body out of the fepulchre; that the foldiers had depofed the fame, in the forms of law, before Pilate. From all which it appears that they were faithful hiftorians, and not at all prepoffeffed; and that they ufed no invectives against the authors of these falfe reports, contenting themfelves to establish the truth of the matter, by specifying the places, the time, the witnefles, and other circumftances, which are proper to establish the truth of the facts they relate.

Thefe four reflexions being once fuppofed, I fay, it is impoffible to difpute the truth of thefe books, or to call their authority in queftion: to be convinced of which, one needs only confider thefe two things; the first is, that the Apoftles are the authors of the books which pafs under their names; the other is, that their faithfulness is not to be fufpected by us.

The former of thefe is fo univerfally received, that nothing will be certain in matters of this nature, if this be queftioned.

The four Evangelifts have published their writings in populous cities, where they have been conftantly read every Lord's day in Chriftian affemblies; as St. Justin Martyr affures us, in his apology, which was writ about the middle of the fecond century.

The Apostles writ their epiftles to numerous churches, to whom their hand, as well as the perfons by whom they fent them, were well known. Can we inftance in any writing in the world that hath been preferved with the like carefulness? Let the Jews tell us what they pleafe concerning the care and faithfulness of their ancestors to preferve the books of the Old Teftament, they can alledge nothing, but we can alledge the fame in favour of the books of the New Teftament. They tell us, that Mofes, under the penalty of a curfe, had forbid the adding any thing thereto; and do not we read the fame threatening in the last book of the New Teflament? The philofophers of each fect have nothing of this weight to alledge, as an argument that the books which they afcribe to their mafters are really theirs: we find only a few men in every age who made it their bufinefs to ftudy the books of the philofophers, phyficians, and lawyers; but, ever fince the Apoftles, there have been Christians who made it their bufinefs to perufe and preferve their writings, as confidering that they are the fountains of eternal life.

One may upon this occafion take notice of two things which deferve fome attention; the one is, That the defign of fome Heretics, as of Marcion, for instance, to corrupt the copies of the writings of the New Teftament, which were found in the hands of thofe of his fees a good argument to prove that they could not be corrupted. I all the world oppofed themfelves against this corruptio

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