fhould vouchfafe to give himfelf a facrifice for the fins of men; he that duly confiders, how it is no diminution to the glory and greatnefs of the Creator of all things, to infpect, govern, and direct every thing by his all-wife Providence through the whole creation, to take care even of the meaneft of his creatures, fo that not a fparrow falls to the ground or a hair of our head perifhes without his knowledge; and to obferve exactly every particle even of inanimate matter in the univerfe; he (I fay) who duly confiders this cannot with reafon think it any real difparagement to the Son of God (though it was indeed a moft wonderful and amazing inftance of humility and condefcenfion), that he fhould concern himself fo far for finful men, as to appear in their nature to reveal the will of God more clearly to them, to give himself a facrifice and expiation for their fins, and to bring them to repentance and eternal life. The greatest enemies and deriders of Chriftianity have afferted things far more. incredible to have been done upon far lefs occafions: witness what Julian the apoftate * thought fit to believe concerning fculapius's coming down from heaven, and converfing upon earth in a visible form, only to teach men the art of healing difeafes. And modern unbelievers, who feem willing in the contrary extreme to deny God's having any regard, or taking any care in any respect, for the welfare and happiness of his creatures, are forced, if they will go about to give any account or explication of things, to invent much more incredible hypothefes, difhonourable to God, and utterly inconfiftent with his divine attributes. Indeed, if we will confider things impartially, fo far is it from being truly any diminution of the greatnefs and glory of God, to fend his Son into the world for the redemption and falvation of mankind, that, on the contrary, it is a means of bringing the very greatest honour to the laws and government of God that can be imagined. For what can be imagined more honourable, and worthy of the fupreme Lord and Governor of all things, than to fhew forth his mercy and goodnefs, in forgiving the fins of frail and fallible creatures, and fuffèring himself to be reconciled to them upon their true repentance; and yet at the fame time to caufe fuch an expiation to be made for fin, by the fufferings and death of his own Son in their nature, as might be an abundant evidence of his irreconcileable hatred again.ft fin, a just vindication of the authority and dignity of his laws, and a fufficient and effectual warning to deter men from fin, to create in them the greatest dread and deteftation of it, and for ever to terrify them from venturing upon wilful tranfgreffion and difobedience? It is true, no man can take upon him certainly to fay, but God, by his abfolute fovereignty and authority, might, if he had fo pleafed, have pardoned fin upon repentance, without any facrifice or expiation at all. But this method of doing it by the death of Chrift is more wise and fit, and evidently more proper and effectual to difcountenance and prevent prefumption, to difcourage men from repeating their Ὁ γὰρ Ζεὺς ἐξ ἑαυτῷ τὸν ̓Ασκλήπιον ἐγέννησεν εἰς δὲ τὴν γῆν διὰ τὴν ἡλία γενίκα ζωῆς ἐνέφηνεν Στες ἐπὶ γῆς ἐξ ὀρινα ποιησώμενος πρόοδον, ἐνοειδῶς μὲν περὶ τὴν Ἐπίδαυρον ἐφάνη, Julian.

Q4

tranfgreffions,

tranfgreffions, to give them a deep fenfe of the heinous nature of fin, and to convince them of the excellency and importance of the laws of God, and the indifpenfable neceffity of paying obedience to them; forafmuch as it fhews us, that at the fame time that God was willing to fave the finner, yet, left encouragement fhould be given to fin by letting it go unpunished, he did not think fit to forgive the tranfgreffions of men without great fufferings in our nature, and to do away the guilt of our fins but upon fuch difficult terms as the death of his own Son. So that, in this difpenfation, juftice and mercy and truth are met together, and rigtheoufnefs and peace have kiffed each other. And by how much the greater the dignity of the perion was, who gave himfelf thus a facrifice for the fins of men; of fo much the greater weight and force is this argument to deter men for the future from fin, and to convince them of the neceffity of obedience. Wherefore, fo far is it from being true, that the confideration of the dignity of the perfon fuffering is a real objection against the credibility of the doctrine; that, on the contrary, that very confideration contains the higheft vindication imaginable of the greatnefs, and head, and authority of the laws of God, and, at the same time, the reste poffible inftance or expreffion of his nirey and compaflion towards me, agreeable to our natural potions of his divine attributes. And then, as to the laft part of this difficulty, viz. how it can be confiftent with reafon to fuppofe God condeicending to do fo very great things for fuch mean and weak creatures as men are, who, in all appearance, fecm to be but a very imall, low, and inconfiderable part of the creation; foralinuch as the whole earth itfelf is but a little foot that bears no proportion at all to the univerfe, and, in ali probability of reafon, the large and numberlefs orbs of heaven cannot but be fuppofed to be filled with beings more capable than we to thew forth the praife and glory of their almighty Creator, and more worthy to be the objects of his earc and love to this part of the difficulty, I fay, the answer is very eafy that the mercy and love of the infinitely good God is extended equally over all his works; that, let the univerfe be fuppofed as large, and the rational creatures, with which it is furnifhed, as inany and excellent as any one can imagine; yet mankind is plainly the chief, indeed the only inhabitant, for whofe fake it is evident this our globe of earth was formed into a habitable world, and this our earth is, as far as we have any means of judging, as confiderable and worthy of the divine care as most other parts of the fyftem; and this our fyftem, as confiderable as any other fingle fyftem in the univerfe: and, finally, that, in like manner as the fame divine Providence, which prefides over the whole creation, does particularly govern and direct every thing in this our lower world, as well as in every other particular part of the univerfe; fo there is no real difficulty to right reafon, in conceiving that the fame divine Logos, the word or meffenger of the Father, who in various difpenfations, according to the particular needs and exigences of manLind, has made various manifeftations of God, and discoveries of

the

the divine will to us here upon earth, may alfo, for aught we know, have to other beings, in other parts of the univerfe, according to their feveral capacities or wants, made different manifeftations of God, and difcoveries of his will, in ways of which we can know nothing, and in which we have no concern; there being nothing in this at all contrary to the nature of God, or the condition of things.

OF THE OBJECTION DRAWN FROM THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION NOT BEING IN FACT UNIVERSAL.

Fifthly, and laftly; if any one thinks it unreafonable to be be lieved, that God fhould fend his fon into the world for the redemption of mankind; and yet that this appearance of the Son of God upon earth fhould not be till the latter ages of the world, and after he has appeared, yet his appearance not be made known equally to all nations: fuch a one * muft likewife for the fame reason affirm, that it is unreasonable to believe the neceflity and obligations even of natural religion itself, because it is plain all men are not furnished equally with the fame capacities and opportunities of understanding thofe obligations; and confequently no Deift can, confiftently with his own principles, make this objection against the truth of Christianity. He must likewife for the fame reafon affirm, that God is obliged in all other refpects alfo to make all his creaturese qual; to make men, angels; to endue all men with the fame faculties and capacities as any; at leaft, to make all men capable of the very fame kind, and the fame degree of happiness, and to afford to all of them all the very fame means or opportunities of obtaining it in a word, he muft affert, that Infinite Wifdom cannot reafonably be fuppofed to have a right of making variety of creatures in very various circumftances; which is an affertion palpably most abfurd, in experience falfe, and a very unjust diminution of God's fovereignty in the world. But befides; though the redemption purchafed by the Son of God is not indeed actually made known unto all men; yet as no man ever denied, but that the benefit of the death of Chrift extended backwards to those who lived before his appearance in the world, fo no man can prove, but that the fame benefit may likewife extend itself forwards to those who never heard of his appearance, though they lived after it. 11. OF THE OTHER PARTICULARS OF SCRIPTURE-HISTORY CONTAINED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.

That the hiftory of the life of Chrift, contained in the New Teftament, is a true relation of matters of fact (not to infist here on the teftimony of his difciples and followers, which fhall be confidered hereafter in its proper place), will to a rational inquirer appear very credible from hence; that very many particulars of that history are confirmed by concurrent teftimonies of profane and unqueftionably unprejudiced authors. That, before the coming of our Saviour, there was a general expectation spread over all the Eaftern nations, that out of Judæa fhould arise a perfon, who should be

See above, p. 212,

governor

governor of the world, is exprefsly affirmed by the Roman hiftorians Suetonius and Tacitus +. That there lived in Judæa, at the time which the gospel relates, fuch a perfon as Jefus of Nazareth, is acknowledged by all authors, both Jewish and Pagan, who have written fince that time. The ftar that appeared at his birth, and the journey of the Chaldean wife men, is mentioned by Chalcidius ‡ the Platonift. Herod's caufing all the children in Bethlehem under two years old to be flain, and a reflexion made upon him on that occafion by the emperor Auguftus, is related by Macrobius §. Many of the miracles that Jefus worked in his life-time are, as to matters of fact (particularly his healing the lame and the blind, and cafting out devils), exprefsly owned by the most implacable enemies of Christianity, by Celfus and Julian, and the authors of the Jewith Talmud. And how the power of the Heathen gods ceased after the coming of Chrift is acknowledged by Porphyry **, who attributes it to their being angry at the fetting up of the Christian religion, which he styles impious and profane. Many particulars of the collateral hiftory, concerning John Baptift, and Herod, and Pilate (not to mention the famous teftimony concerning Jefus himfelf, because it is by fome fufpected not to be genuine, notwithstanding it is found in all the ancient copies), are largely recorded by Jofephus. The crucifixion of Chrift under Pontius Pilate is related by Tacitus ++; and diverse of the most remarkable circumftances attending it, fuch as the earthquake and miraculous darknefs, were recorded in the ‡‡ public Roman regifters, commonly appealed to by the first Chriftian writers as what could not be denied by the adverfaries themfelves, and are in a very particular manner attested by Phlegon §§. Then, as to the refurrection and afcenfion of Chrift, thefe depend on the general proofs of the credibility of his difciples teftimony, and other following evidences; which will be confidered hereafter in their proper place.

12. OF THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT, AND CHRIST THE JUDGE. That God has appointed a day, wherein he will judge the world in righteousness, by that person whom he has ordained, in order to

**Percrebuerat Oriente toto vetus & conftans opinio, effe in fatis, ut Judæa profecti "rerum potirentur." Sueton.

+"Pluribus perfuafio inerat, antiquis facerdotum libris contineri, eo ipfo tempore fore, "ut valefceret Oriens, profectique Judæa rerum potirentur." Tacit. lib. XXI.

See the place cited by Grotius, de Veritate Chriftianæ Religionis, lib. III. c. 14. 40 "Cum audiffet [Auguftus] inter pueros quos in Syria Herodes rex Judæorum intra bimatum juffit interfici, filium quoque ejus occifum; ait, Melius eft Herodis porcum effe 66 quam filium." Macrob. lib. II. cap. 4. [A teftimony fo very remarkable and pertinent, that it is range how Grotius could omit to mention it in the place now cited.] See the places cited by Grotius, de Veritate Chrift. Rel. lib. II. cap. 5.

**Ibid.

++"Tiberio imperitante, per procuratorem Pontium Pilatum, fupplicio affectus erat." Lib. XV.

‡‡ "Eum mundi cafum relatum in arcanis veftris habetis." Tertullian. Apol. §§ περὶ δὲ τῆς ἐπὶ Τιβερίν καίσαρος ἐκλείψεως, ὅ βασιλεύονΘ. καὶ ὁ Ἰητῶς ἔοικεν ἐςαυρώσθαι περὶ των μεγάλων τότε γενομένων σεισμῶν τῆς γῆς, ἀνέγραψε καὶ Φλέγων. Origen. adverl. Celt. lib. II.

Τετάρῳ δ' ἔτει τῆς διακ πιος, ὁ μέρες Ὀλυμπιάδος ἐγένετο ἐκλειψις ἡλία, μεγίςη τῶν ἐγνωρισμένων πρότερον καὶ αὐξ ὥρᾳ ἕκτῃ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐγένετο, ώςε καὶ ἀσέρας ἐν ἐς τὴν φαρίναι· καὶ σεισμός, δε Ihlegon.

reward

reward every man according to his works, is a doctrine perfectly agreeable to right reafon, and to our natural notions of the attributes of God; as may appear more particularly from what has been before said concerning the neceffity and certainly of another life after this, and is evident from the opinion of all the wiser heathens concerning this matter. Nor may it perhaps be altogether imper tinent to obferve here, that the poets both Greek and Latin have unanimously agreed in this one particular circumftance, that men after death fhould not have judgement paffed upon them immediately by God himself, but by just men appointed for that purpose.

13. OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY.

That, in order to this final judgement, not only the foul fhall furvive the diffolution of the body, but the body itself alfo fhall be raifed again; this doctrine, though not indeed discoverable with any kind of certainty by the bare light of nature; because the belief of the foul's immortality (for aught that appears to reafon alone) is fufficient to answer all the purposes of a future ftate, as far as is difcoverable merely by the light of nature; yet this doctrine (I fay) of the refurrection of the body, when made known by revelation, evidently contains nothing in it in the leaft contrary to right reafon. For, what reasonable man can deny, but that it is plainly altogether as easy for God to raise the body again after death, as to create and form it at first? Some of the Stoical philofophers feem to have thought it not only poffible, but even probable; and many of the Jews, who had no exprefs revelation concerning it, did yet believe it upon an ancient tradition; as appears from all their writings, and particularly from the tranflation of the laft verfe of the book of Job, which according to the Seventy runs thus: "So Job "died, being old and full of days; but it is written that he fhall "rife again with those whom the Lord raifes up." The only real difficulty in this doctrine feems to arife upon putting the fuppofition of the body's being turned into the nourishment, and becoming part of the fubftance of another; fo as that the fame parts may equally belong to two bodies, to both of which it fhall nevertheless be abfolutely impoffible that the fame parts fhould be reftored. But this objection, as great and principal a difficulty as it is, is really but a great trifle. For there does not at all appear any abfolute neceffity, that, to constitute the fame body, there must be an exact reftitution of all and only the fame parts. And if there was any fuch neceffity; yet even ftill, without making that hard fuppofition (which Grotius and others have done), that God by a miraculous providence always interpofes to prevent the parts of one human body from incorporating with and becoming the nourishment of another (for I cannot fee any fufficient ground to deny, but that it may be poffible in nature, for barbarous Cannibals, if any fuch there

* Δῆλον ὡς ἐδὲν ἀδύνατον καὶ ἡμῖς μετὰ τὸ τελευτῆσαι, πάλιν περιόδων τινῶν εἰλυμένων χρόνων, εἰς ὃ τῶν ἴσμεν ἀποκαλατήσεσθαι σχήμα. Chryfippus cirat, a Lactant. lib. VII.

† Γίγνεται δὲ αὐτὸν τὸ ὅλιν ἀναζήσεσθαι, μεθ' ὧν ὁ Κύριον ἀνίσησι. Job xiii. ult. De Veritate Rel, Chr. lib. II. c. 10.

be,