when no one was acquainted with the laws of magnetism; these fuspend in many inftances the laws of gravity; nor can I fee, upon the principle in queftion, how the reft of mankind could have credited the testimony of their firft difcoverer; and yet to have rejected it, would have been to reject the truth. But that a piece of iron should ascend gradually from the earth, and fly at laft with an increafing rapidity through the air; and attaching itself to another piece of iron, or to a particular species of iron ore, fhould remain fufpended in oppofition to the action of it's gravity, is confonant to the laws of nature. I grant it; but there

was a time, when it was contrary,

I

I fay not to the laws of nature, but to the uniform experience of all preceding ages and countries; and at that particular point of time, the teftimony of an individual, or of a dozen individuals, who should have reported themselves eye witneffes of such a fact, ought, according to your argumentation, to have been received as fabulous. And what are thofe laws of nature, which, you think, can never be suspended? are they not different to different men, according to the diversities of their comprehenfion and knowledge? and if any one of them, (that, for inftance, which rules the operations of magnetifm or electricity,) fhould have been known to you or to me alone, whilft

whilst all the rest of the world were unacquainted with it; the effects of it would have been new, and unheard of in the annals, and contrary to the experience of mankind; and therefore ought not, in your opinion, to have been believed. Nor do I understand, what difference, as to credibility, there could be, between the effects of fuch an unknown law of nature and a miracle; for it is a matter of no moment, in that view, whether the suspension of the known laws of nature be effected, that is, whether a miracle be performed, by the mediation of other laws that are unknown, or by the miniftry of a perfon divinely commiffioned; fince it is impoffible for us to be

cer

certain, that it is contradictory to the constitution of the universe, that the laws of nature, which appear to us general, fhould not be fufpended, and their action overruled by others, ftill more general, though less known; that is, that miracles fhould not be performed before fuch a Being as Man, at those times, in those places, and under thofe circumftances, which God, in his univer fal providence, had preordained.

I am, &c.

LET

LETTER FOURTH.

SIR,

I

Readily acknowledge the uti lity of your fourth cause, "the virtues of the first Christians," as greatly conducing to the spreading their religion; but then you feem to quite mar the compliment you pay them, by representing their virtues, as proceeding either from their repentance for having been the most abandoned finners, or from the laudable defire of fupG porting