latter denoting what he is by office, the Saviour of the world, and the Jewish Meffiah.

§1. The Probability of the natural Character of the Author of Chriftianity is argued,-from its being excellently adapted to the ends of his coming, and from its perfect confiftency throughout. In this part of the Doctor's work it is our misfortune to be obliged to obferve again, that he evidently pays a greater regard to human Greeds and Confeffions, than to the written word of the New Teftament: a plain, fimple, and undisguised account of which, will ever be found to be the only folid foundation on which to make a good apology for the Chriftian faith. But we proceed.

2. Confiders the Probability of the Character of Jefus, as the Saviour of the world, who is reprefented in the Gofpels as doing every thing neceflary for the falvation of mankind. I. As a Preacher of righteoufnefs, he taught mankind in a manner becoming the Son of God. The principles which animated him, were fuch as might be expected from the Son of God, namely, a fupreme regard to the glory and authority of his Father, and the tendereft love to mankind. The fubjects of his teaching were not calculated to gratify the curiofity and vanity of the human mind, but had an immediate relation to the falvation of men. He adapted the method and ftile of his difcourses to the common people. He difcovered the greatest prudence, and, at the fame time, the greatest faithfulness and courage, in all his difcourfes. He taught with dignity and authority, foftened with the greateft mildnefs and gentleness. 2. The character of the Author of Chriftianity, as Saviour, is probable; because he is reprefented as bringing mankind to the knowlege and practice of virtue, by his example, as well as his teaching. In illuftration of this it is obferved, That the importance of all the virtues, is moft clearly and affectingly demonftrated, by the care with which Jefus practifed them all. That the beauty of the feveral virtues fhines in his example with fuch luftre, as cannot fail to excite the emulation of mankind. And that having lived in humble life, and under affliction, his example is fuited to the condition of the generality of mankind, and therefore muft greatly tend to their edification and confolation.-3. Our Author affirms, that there is a peculiar propriety in the character of the Author of Christianity, as Saviour, that he is reprefented as dying for the fins of men, in order to render it confiftent with the character of God, as Governor of the world, and with the ends of his government, to receive Penitents into his favour.'We do not remember, that this particular view of the end of the death of Chrift, is once mentioned in any of the writings of the New Teftament;

and

and the great fault we have to find with the Doctor, is, that he does not endeavour to state what he apprehends, the true Scripture account to be; without which, all reasonings upon an hypothefis, will be little to the purpofe.-4. Chrift's character, as Saviour, is fhewn to be proper, because he is introduced in the Gospels, as proving his miffion from God, by many great and evident miracles.

§3. The Evangelifts have attributed the character of Jewish Meffiah to Jefus with great propriety; not only becaufe Jefus himself, the Evangelifts, and the people, have often applied to him the prophecies of the Jewish Scriptures relative to Meffiah; but because the Jewish and Chriftian revelations are connected together, as parts of one grand fcheme, of which Chriftianity is the completion; a scheme which has been carrying on from the beginning of the world, and to which all the manifeftations which God hath made of himself to mankind, and even many of the revolutions which have happened in the political ftate of the world, have been fubfervient: by which connection, the evidences of the Jewish and Chriftian revelations, mutually support and heighten each other.'-A method of argument this, of very great importance, obvious to the common understandings of mankind, and vaftly more fatisfactory than the evidences deduced from the accomplishment of ancient prophecies, with refpect to the plaineft of which, there are many difficulties, which in these ages fo distant from the times referred to, are not eafily removed. Unity of defign is what all men of common fense are, in fome measure, judges of: the application of ancient prophecies, hath proved a work rather too difficult for men of the most extenfive learning and erudition.

$4. The Author next, by illuftrating the Propriety, endeavours to fhew the Probability of the character of John Baptift, as the forerunner of Jefus. He also fhews the probability of the illiterate character which the Apoftles bear in the Gofpels; by obferving, not only that it is uniformly fupported, but that perfons of this character were the fittest inftruments for converting the world, inasmuch as their natural inability to produce fo grand an effect, demonftrates that the power, whereby they did convert the world, was from God. He intimates, that if the Gospel had been preached by men of rank and diftinction, among either Jews or Gentiles, it would, in a variety of refpects, have detracted from its credibility. Laftly, The probability of the character which Chrift's enemies bear in the Gospels, is illuftrated by the circumstances of the cafe, and by appealing to the accounts which contemporary Authors have given of them. We are now got to Chap. III. The defign of which is, to

fhew

few that there are no improbable fentiments in the Gospels. 1. Is to fhew, that the fentiments in the Gofpels, which are properly the Evangelifts' own, are worthy of their characters as Miffionaries from Heaven.

$2. The fentiments which are put into the mouth of Jefus, are all worthy of his high character as the Son of God. They are neither contradictory nor abfurd. None of the doctrines taught in the Gofpels, have a pernicious tendency: neither have they any obfcurity in them, but what neceffarily arifes from their being written in a foreign dead language. In fhewing that the Gospel doctrines have not a pernicious tendency, he inftances particularly in the doctrines which affert the corruption of human nature, man's inability to do good, eternal punishments, and others. Some, perhaps, will be apt to dispute the point with him, whether thefe be Gofpel doctrines or not; particularly the laft mentioned; and urge its pernicious tendency, as a prefumptive argument that it is not a Scripture doctrine. For a larger account of this fubject, we must refer our Readers to the work itfelf, who will fee, that the Author hath treated it with a good degree of candour, but not with that critical fkill which is, in many inftances, neceffary to ascertain the true and determined fenfe of Scripture.

The precepts of the Gofpel are fhewed to be worthy of the Son of God, to whom they are afcribed. They are expreffed in an accurate and determinate manner. None of them are ún: cafonable or unneceflary. (Here the precepts requiring faith as the condition of men's falvation, and the prohibition of polygamy and divorce, are examined.) None of the Gospel precepts are hurtful to fociety: neither are any of them impoffible. -In the laft part of this chapter, our Author hath fhewn the reafon, why Jefus hath not particularly recommended the love of our country, and private friendship. What he has faid upon this fubject, is fenfible and pertinent: our Readers will, perhaps, be pleafed with a fhort extract here.

To judge properly, fays he, of this matter, we should re member, that there are certain virtues which the generality, by their natural temper, by the circumftances in which they are placed, by their education, and by the force of example, are fo difpofed to practife, that they are in greater danger of exceeding, than of being defective in them. Of this kind are the affections which men bear to their relations, private friendships, attachments to the focieties of which they are members, and the love of our country; understanding by the latter, an inclination to promote the wealth, power, and grandeur of our country, Thefe affections, under proper regulations, are, no doubt, commendable:

mendable; nevertheless, moft people being apt to indulge fuch a partiality towards their friends, brethren, and country, as oft-times prompts them to tranfgrefs the limits of justice, it becomes a matter of great delicacy, to give precepts concerning the virtues in queftion. The truth is, it is fafer, in many cafes, to abftain altogether from recommending them, left under the colour of things fo fpecious, men fhould take occafion to gratify a variety of evil paffions. If I be not mistaken, the perfons who first received our Lord's inftructions, come within this latter defcription. With the Romans, the love of their country was the chief virtue. Under it they indulged an infatiable and cruel ambition, which made them enemies to all mankind. The Jews likewife carried the love of their nation fo high, that they hated all the reft of mankind, and would not do them the leaft good office. It must therefore be acknowleged, to be agreeable to the wifdom of the Founder of Christianity, that he forbare particularly to recommend thefe virtues. At the fame time, every one must be fenfible, that he fufficiently fecured their reputation, and obligation, by enforc ing the general principles of fortitude and charity, on which they are founded: withal, by fhewing, in his cwn conduct, a ftriking example of virtuous friendship, under prudent regulations, and of the warmest regard even to the temporal interefts of his country, he hath fufficiently invited his followers to the practice of these virtues.'

Chap. IV. Confiders the probability of the actions recorded in the Gofpels.- -§ 1. The ordinary actions afcribed to Jefus are illuftrated; fuch as his behaviour to his parents; his purging the Temple; his chufing Judas for an Apoftle; his denouncing woes against the Pharifees; his riding into Jerusalem on an afs; and his agony in the garden. His making Judas an Apoftle, is a fhining inftance of wisdom; it was defigned to be a demonftration of our Lord's innocence. A man of profligate difpofitions, who, he forefaw, and early foretold, would betray him, Jefus chufes into the college of Apoftles; appointed him one of his conftant attendants; makes him the witnefs of his most secret actions; and admits him into all the secrets of his fellowship. Who does not in this fee, that Jefus was not afraid of the eyes of his enemies; that his miracles were no juggling tricks, performed by compact with his Difciples; and that he was not carrying on a plot to deceive the world? The choice of Judas, therefore, inftead of being an inftance of imprudence, was a mark of profound wisdom.'

Miracles are fhewed to be things poffible in themfelves, and capable of proof, even upon the principles of belief established by infidels. The only definition which our Author ufest

of

of a miracle, is a deviation from, or alteration of the established courfe of Nature. We are fo little acquainted with the established courfe of Nature, and have fo confined a knowlege of her laws, that there are a thousand inftances in which it would be impoffible for us to fay what the course of Nature is it follows, that in the present limited state of knowlege, upon this definition, men are very inadequate judges, what is, and what is not a miracle. Our Author has likewife attempted to answer Mr. Hume's objection to miracles, which he hath not done in that full and fatisfactory manner which might have been expected; efpecially if he had confulted an excellent little pamphlet, written fome years ago, upon this fubject, by the very ingenious Dr. Adams.

3. The particular miracles recorded, are fhewn to be liable to no juft objections; particularly the curfing the fig-tree, the cafting out of devils, the deftruction of the herd of fwine, the turning water into wine at the marriage in Cana, and the refurrection of Lazarus.

§4. The actions afcribed to the Apostles in the Gospels, are examined, and more especially the treachery of Judas, which, instead of derogating from the innocence of Jefus, furnishes a very strong proof of it. This concludes the fourth chapter.

Chap. V. Our Author examines the compofition of the Gofpels as books of hiftory. Here he obferves, that all the marks of credibility, whereby true relations are diftinguished from falfe, do fubfift in an eminent degree in the Gofpels. Particularly § 1. In the course of the narration a variety of circumftances occur which prove the integrity of the Evangelifts. They shew great exactness in marking the times, places, and circumftances of the transactions which they have recorded; and the names of the perfons concerned in them. They tell many particulars, which they must have been fenfible the world would think dishonourable both to them and their Mafter. They appear alfo to have been remarkably free from paffion, prejudice, and every prepoffeffion which could lead them to mifreprefent the facts they have recorded.

§ 2. It is obferved, that the Gospels are written with that affrance which became eye-witneffes; with that modely which is the companion of truth; and with that fimplicity which was natural to illiterate Writers, and which best expreffes the dignity and importance of the fubjects treated of.

$3. Shews that the Gofpels agree with each other in all material points. This first book the Author concludes with a recapitulation, the latter part of which we shall tranferibe, as the clofe of this long article.

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