of a man's peculiarities, and to beware of haftily receiving his reports concerning fuch matters as, from his known prejudices, without any evidence, may have appeared to him certain and indubitable.

Having fo many teftimonies furnished even by the Heathens themselves, especially by fuch of them as lived in the age when Christianity commenced, it cannot be doubted that our religion is as ancient as we fuppofe; that it began in Judea, the country where our Lord preached, wrought miracles, was put to death, and rose again from the dead; that multitudes there believed on him foon after his refurrection; that from Judea the Chriftian faith quickly fpread itself into all the noted countries and cities of the Roman empire; that in these countries and cities numerous churches were early planted, more especially in Afia Minor, Greece, and Italy: in fhort, that the number of the difciples daily increafed every where, till at length the whole Roman empire became Chriftians.-It is equally certain, that from the very beginning the profeffion of Chriftianity expofed

to the fevereft perfecution, firft from the rabble, afterwards from the magistrates, who, it feems, found it neceffary to interpofe, in order to hinder the fpreading of the Chriftian faith: that Claudius, who fucceeded to the empire about feven years after our Lord's death, began the perfecution of the Chriftians, by banishing them from Rome and Italy; that Nero, about thirty years after Chrift's death, carried matters to a much greater length, putting vast multitudes of them to death, not in Rome only, but in the provinces; that the fucceeding emperors imitated his example, ifsuing edicts against the Chriftians in all parts of the empire, fo that they were exposed to every evil which human nature can fuftain. Finally, that in this ftate matters continued for the fpace of three hundred years, till Conftantine, after the defeat of his rival Licinius, declared himself of the Chriftian faith, and abrogated the laws of the former emperors against the difciples of Jefus. From thefe known and undoubted facts it follows, that the particulars told of the Founder of Christianity in the Gospels muft-be true, and that mankind had clear proofs laid before them of their truth; namely, the atteftations of many credible eye-witneffes, all concurring in the fame reports, and who verified their teftimony in that part which was moft, liable to exception, by performing miracles equal to those which they afcribed to their mafter, and by communicating to their converts the power of working miracles. The apoftolical converts exercifing this power, with the other gifts of the fpirit, openly, became in all countries unquestionable vouchers of the truth of the Gofpel-history, offering proofs thereof, which no reasonable perfon who attended to them could refift. Without fuch arguments as these, it is impoffible to conceive how a few ftrangers in the loweft ftations of life, coming from a far diftant defpifed nation, could have perfuaded multitudes of the Heathens every where to forfake the religions of their country, which were admirably adapted to gratify their fenfual inclinations, for the fake of another which brought along with it no temporal advantage whatever, but bound them up

from

(

from all the fenfual indulgences to which they had been accustomed, taught them to mortify their paffions, fet them at variance with their nearest relations, and expofed them to all manner of perfonal fufferings. Without the divine power going along with their fermons, it is ftill more impoffible to conceive how these men should have prevailed upon the Heathens in fuch numbers to reform their manners, after having long lived in habits of vice and fenfuality. The reasonableness of the Chriftian doctrines and precepts alone could never produce fuch astonishing effects. Many of thefe, inftead of appearing reasonable, were downright ftumbling-blocks both to Jews and Gentiles. Salvation through a crucified Saviour, the fundamental article of the Chriftian faith, was fuch to the philofophers or men of reason; and the mortification of their lufts and paffions would infallibly appear no other to men of pleasure. A vain opinion of miracles, performed by the preachers of the Gofpel, could as little convert and reform the world in the circumstances mentioned, if no miracles were really performed; because, however willing men may be, for the fake of amufement, to believe and repeat things marvellous, it never yet was found that any man, for the pleasure of believing and telling marvellous ftories, would part with his eftate, his liberty, his life. The very fuppofition of fuch madness is madness itfelf. In short, the world could not have been converted under perfecution, unless the Chriftian miracles, whereby the credibility of the Gospel-history was demonstrated, had been beheld in all countries; becaufe the performance of miracles in Afia could never have convinced mankind in Greece, or Italy, or Spain. Wherever the Gofpel was received, it made its way by force of the miracles which the Apoftles and their difciples performed in that very country, and by the influence of the fpirit of God accompanying their fermons. Withal, as the Withal, as the age in which the Apostles convinced mankind of the truth of the Gospel- hiftory, was remarkable for the height to which learning and the polite arts were carried, the faculties of men in that age must have been greatly improved by culture; wherefore, though in all countries the common people were first converted, they were well fecured from being impofed upon by falfe pretenfions of any kind, and could judge of the miracles which the Apoftles wrought in fupport of their teltimony concerning Jefus. But there were many likewife of better tation converted to Chriftianity, proconfuls, fenators, courtiers, magiftrates, philofophers, priefts, whofe education and character qualified them to examine with accuracy, and judge with certainty of the evidences of the Gofpel-history. I must therefore repeat it, that the converfion of fo many thoufands in Judea, where our Lord exercised his miniftry, and that immediately after his death, joined with the numerous early converfions of perfons of all ranks among the Heathens, is an argument for the truth of the Gospel-history from fact, which it is not poffible to gainfay: especially as both Jews and Gentiles were converted in an enlightened age, and by their converfion expofed themfelves to perfecution. And though in the writings

writings of fome of the Heathen philofophers, converted to Chriftianity, certain abfurd opinions, childifh reafonings, and marks of credulity, are found, thefe things do not in the leaft derogate from the teftimony which by their conversion they bare to the facts in the Gofpel-hiftory. The imperfections of which we fpeak flowed from the prejudices of their education, or from the fervency of their zeal for the Chriftian caufe; neither of which could have any place in the matter of their converfion. For it is certain, that when the philofophers renounced Gentilifm and embraced the Gospel, they acted in direct oppofition to every weight whereby men's judgments can be fwayed. If fo, nothing could determine thefe men but the fulleft, cleareft, and most undoubted evidence both of fense and reason. The converfion of the world, therefore, viewed in its various parts, exhibits a very grand and ftriking proof of the truth of the facts recorded in the Gofpel-history.

DIS

DISSERTATION

CONCERNING

THE M AN OF SIN.

IN

2 THESS. ii. I—12.

Na former differtation, the apoftafy of intelligent creatures from the kingdom of God was confidered, in the most general wiew of it. At prefent, we are to enquire after an apoftafy, which (though not fo general) is a moft fignal and remarkable one,

St. Paul planted the Chriftian church at Theffalonica. After he had left them, the Chriftians of that place fell into a mistake concerning the coming of the day of the Lord; imagining that the Apoftle thought it to be juft at hand. He fufpected the mistake to have arifen from fome perfons affirming that he had faid fo, mifinterpreting his former Epiftle, or forging an Epiftle under his name. To rectify that mistake, feems to have been his principal view in writing his Second Epiftle to them: in which he repeats what he had formerly taught them, concerning a grand apoftafy, which would, before that day, arife in the Chriftian church; and, therefore, that great day must be at fome confiderable distance.

That this day of Chrift cannot refer to his coming to the deftruction of Jerufalem and of the Jewish nation, will be plain and evident, if we examine into the rise and progrefs of this affair, as it now appears in thefe two epiftles. I Theff. iv. 13, &c. the Apoftle had admonished the Chriftians at Theffalonica, not to lament over their deceased friends as they had done, when they were Heathens. To prevent which, for the future, he puts them in mind of the Chriftian promife of a glorious refurrection to endless life and happiness. When that refurrection will be, he also informed them; viz. at the coming of the Lord Jefus Chrift. Then fuch of the Chriftians as fhall be found alive on this earth, fhall be transformed; the dead raifed; and the righteous admitted to complete and everlasting felicity. Having mentioned "that coming of the Lord," or "of the

day of the Lord," he goes on with his difcourfe, 1 Theff. v. 1. &c. affuring them, that it would come fuddenly and furprisingly. And, as the particular time is unknown, men ought always to be prepared. Now, if that day, " and the day (or coming) of the Lord," 1 Theff. iv. 13. &c. and v. 1, &c. ought to be understood of the day of judgment, that remarkable day, when Jefus Chrift fhall defcend from heaven, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet

of

of God; when the dead shall be raised, and the living transformed; I think it evident, that it ought to be fo underflood in this place. For, of the fame day, and of the fame "coming of the Lord," St.' Paul appears plainly to be fpeaking in both thefe Epiftles. And what may further confirm this is, that thefe phrafes "[that day, "the day, or the coming of the Lord,]" do, in other places of the New Teftament, generally fignify his coming to judge the world at the last day. [See on 2 Theff. ii. 2.] As, therefore, this is the ufual fignification of thefe phrafes in other places of the New Teftament, and the moft evident meaning of them in these two Epiftles to the Theffalonians, we have no occafion upon that account to look for "the man of fin," and "the "grand apoftafy," before the " deftruction of Jerufalem;" as they are obliged to do, who understand this "coming of the Lord" to refer to his coming to the deftruction of that city and the Jewish nation.

None of the feven following interpretations of this prophecy appear to me to be well-grounded.

I. Grotius would perfuade us, that Caius Caligula, the Roman emperor, was "the man of fin" here prophefied of.-Whereas, according to the best chronologers, this Epittle was written about twelve years after the death of that emperor. [See the history prefixed to this Epiftle.] This, therefore, could not be a prophecy of the folly and wickednefs of Caligula*.

II. Dr. Hammond would have Simon Magus and the Gnoftics to be here intended.-But Simon Magus had already fhewed himfelf to be an enemy to Chriftianity at Samaria; and, therefore, was not yet to be revealed. And, as to his conflict with St. Peter at Rome, and many of the doctor's ftories about the Gnoftics, they feem to be built upon too fandy a foundation to deferve much regard. Mr. Baxter, Dr. Whitby, Mr. Le Clerc, Dr. Wall, and Mr. John Alphonfus Turretin, have abundantly confuted that interpre

tation.

Grotius's introducing Simon Magus, ver. 8, 9. feems to be as groundless. For the Apoftle does For the Apoftle does there evidently continue to speak of the fame perfon which he had begun with, ver. 3, 4And, if the whole prophecy could not agree, either to Caligula, or to Simon Magus and his deluded followers, Grotius ought not, in his interpretation, to have referred any part of it to either of them.

III. Others take the unbelieving Jews, who perfecuted the Chrif tians, before the deftruction of Jerufalem, and made many of them apoftatize to Judaifm, to be " the man of fin," &c +.

Anfwer.] Though the unbelieving Jews perfecuted the Chriftians, yet they were not united under one fingle head or leader. They were never able to exalt themselves above all that is called a God, or

even

* See this interpretation of Grotius more largely confuted in Dr. H. More's "Mystery of "Iniquity," p. 445, &c. And by John Alphonfus Turretin, in his "Commen ary on this -".Epiftie." Bafil. 1739.

See Mr. La Roche's New Memoirs of Literature for September, 1726,