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impose upon us in actions and observances, ch we celebrate in memory of particular ages? How impossible to make us forget e passages, which we daily commemorate; to persuade us, that we had always kept ■ institutions in memory of what we never rd of before; that is, that we knew it, bewe knew it!

nd, if we find it thus impossible for an imtion to be put upon us, even in some things, ch have not all the four marks, before mened; how much more impossible is it, that deceit should be in that thing, where all Four marks do meet!

This has been showed, in the first place, as he matters of fact of MOSES.

- Therefore I come now (secondly) to v that, as in the matters of fact of MOSES, kewise all these four marks do meet in the ers of fact, which are recorded in the Gosof our blessed SAVIOUR; and my work hereill be the shorter, because all, that is said re of Moses and his books, is every way as licable to CHRIST and his Gospel. His works miracles are there said to be done publicthe face of the world, as he argued to accusers, "I spake openly to the world in secret have I said nothing." It is told,

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that three thousand at one time, and that above five thousand at another time were converted, upon conviction of what themselves had seen, what had been done publicly before their eyes, wherein it was impossible to have imposed upon them. Therefore here were the two first of the rules before mentioned.

Then for the two second; Baptism and the Lord's Supper were instituted, as perpetual memorials of these things; and they were not instituted in after ages, but at the very time, when these things were said to be done; and have been observed without interruption in all ages through the whole Christian world from that time to this. And CHRIST himself did ordain apostles and other ministers of his Gospel, to preach, and to administer these sacraments ; and to govern his church; and that always, even unto the end of the world. Accordingly they have continued by regular succession to this day; and, no doubt, ever will, while the earth shall last. So that the Christian clergy are as notorious a matter of fact, as the tribe of Levi among the Jews. And the Gospel is as much a law to Christians, as the book of MOSES to the Jews; and it being part of the matters of fact, related in the Gospel, that such an order of men were appointed by CHRIST, and to con

selves, as legendary fables, and, as such, are rejected by the wise and learned among them; as the legends of saints are in the church of Rome. See Dr. Prideaux's Life of Mahomet, page 34.

But, in the next place, those, which are told of him, do all want the two first rules before mentioned. For his pretended converse with the moon; his mersa, or night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, and thence to Heaven, &c. were not performed before any body. We have only his own word for them; and they are as groundless, as the delusions of Fox or Muggleton among ourselves.

The same is to be said (in the second place) of the fables of the Heathen gods, of Mercury's stealing sheep, Jupiter's turning himself into a bull, and the like; beside the folly and unworthiness of such senseless pretended miracles. Moreover the wise among the heathen did reckon no otherwise of these, than as fables, which had a mythology, or mystical meaning in them, of which several of them have given us the rationale or explication; and it is plain enough, that Ovid meant no other by all his metamorphoses.

It is true, the heathen deities had their priests; they had likewise their feasts, games,

other public institutions in memory of m. But all these want the fourth mark, that such priesthood and institutions comnced from the time, when such things, as y commemorate, were said to be done; erwise they cannot secure after ages from Dosture, by detecting it at the time, when t invented, as hath been argued before. the Bacchanalia, and other heathen feasts rë instituted many ages after, what was re'ted of these gods, was said to be done; and refore can be no proof of them. And the ests of Bacchus, Apollo, &c. were not orned by these supposed gods; but were apnted by others, in after ages, only in honor them. Therefore these orders of priests are evidence of the facts, which are reported their gods.

V. Now, to apply what has been said; you y challenge all the Deists in the world to -w any action, that is fabulous, which has all four rules or marks before mentioned. , it is impossible; and (to resume a little, at was said before) the histories of Exodus I the Gospel never could have been receivif they had not been true; because the inution of the priesthood of Levi and of RIST; of the Sabbath, of the Passover, of

Circumcision, Supper, &c. a all the way terruption. persuade m ed or bapti their childr

sacraments. certain ord of these th they had g seen the de ing these law, or th The tr and the upon me public in of mank it imposs stories in tion of 1 possible of man were s V. J wants

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