The ignorance of thofe barbarous people in the Indies, Tartary, and Africa, must be removed, by teaching them the firft principles, and making them apply the little fenfe they have left them of good and evil, right and wrong, to the fundamental maxims of religion.

Atheifts must be convinced by reflexions upon those principles which they admit, by fhewing that the truths which they reject are the natural confequences of thofe principles which they dare not difpute.

To convince the Heathen, who fuppofe many gods, we must examine their principles, and confute them; which is the eafieft thing in the world; the wifeft men having formerly acknowledged, as they also own to this very day, that there is but one God.

And indeed it seems, that the greateft part of philofophers did own a plurality of gods, only in compliance with the opinions of the people, which it was dangerous to contradict.

And as for the Jews, forafmuch as they agree with the Chriftians and Mahometans about the unity of God, we are only to prove to them the truth of that which is the very effence of the Chriftian Religion, in oppofition to their prejudices: one may prove this against the Jews without any trouble, because they are agreed in moft of thofe principles which the Chriftian Religion supposes. So likewife it is eafily established against the Mahometans, who grant the truth of Chriftian Religion in general, but pretend that it ought to give place to Mahometanijm, as the Law ought to give place to the Gofpel, preached by Jefus Chrift.

My defign is not to profecute every one of thefe ways in particular. There are books enough in the world which folidly prove the neceffity of Religion againft all forts of Atheists, as well those who are fo through ignorance, as thofe who profefs themselves fuch from love to libertinifm, and to pass for men of a mighty reach.

There are alfo feveral famous authors who have made it evident, that reafon alone is fufficient to overthrow all Pagan religions whatfoever. I am refolved to follow a more compendious and fure method, that is, to demonstrate the truth of the Christian Religion, confidered by itself.

In fhort, it is impoffible (confidering the oppofition there is between the Chriftian Religion and all the other religions in the world) but that, if the Chriftian Religion fhould be the true, all others must be false in thofe articles wherein they effentially differ from it.

And on the other hand, one cannot explain thofe arguments which clearly evince the truth of Chriftianity, without convicting all other religions of falsehood, because they are deftitute of those proofs which are peculiar to the Chriftian Religion.

I know wery well that there are feveral ways which lead to the end which I propofe. Men that think much, wish that a perfect conformity of the Chriftian Religion with the confcience of man might be demonftrated, from reflexions on the heart of man, and the dictates of it, which to them would be a convincing and demonftrative proof.

Others apply themselves to a fpeculative examination of the doctrines and proofs of the Chriftian Religion, to fhew their conformity with the notions of reafon. I will not deny but that both these employ themselves ufually in this fort of ftudy, and that truth finds a confiderable fupport from their meditations.

But

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 abstracted queftions, fuch as these 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 service 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 establish 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 Chriftian 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.

ATVSEVM
BRITAN
NICVM

REFLEXIONS

E are to confider three things in the Chriftian Religion; the Matters of Fact it propounds to us for true, the Promifes 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 rest 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, inftead 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, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, &c,

The

The Promises it vouchsafes, are the forgiveness of our fins, the refurrection of our bodies, and a state abfolutely happy for ever in heaven.

And lastly, the Worship of divine service it prescribes consists 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 Christian 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 fave men, and did actually redeem them in fending Jefus Chrift, who suffered death, and being raised the third day afcended into heaven, &c. I fay, it is impoffible to look upon thefe 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 thefe matters, without being fenfible of a strong 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 abi-i lity but when he comes further to believe, that God did not deftroy ther first man for his difobedience, but was graciously pleased to promise hibe 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 higheft 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 also redeemed by

him.

Reafon acknowledgeth, that if the truth of these things be once admitted, 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 those facts which the Christian 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 Chriftian Religion. And indeed thefe are the very matters of which Atheists and Libertines require a folid proof.

And it doth the more concern us to fatisfy their demands, forafmuch as the Jews, who are scattered throughout the whole world, do oppofe our affertion, that the promise of sending the Meffiah is already accomplifhed, though they agree upon the matter with us in all other articles. Moreover, the performing this task may very much contribute to the con

verfion

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.

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That the CHRISTIAN RELIGION is founded upon Proofs of Matter of nowy 9a) dulo motoFact w bo

NORASMUCH as, in order to establish the truth of the Christian Religion, we confine ourselves at prefent to thofe 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 past and done. Ouq or barnel

-If we were treating of the events of the time we live in, it might be justly required that we fhould produce eye-witneffes of them: but forafmuch as the queftion here is concerning matters long fince paft, it is natural for us to have recourfe to hiftory, which furnifheth us with the relations of those who were eye-witnefles 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 history 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, becaufe 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 fuch men as Cyrus and Alexander for fables, upon the pretence that none now alive did ever fee them, or because there are fcarce 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 historians 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