PROP. XX. THE EXCELLENCE OF THE DOCTRINE CONTAINED IN THE SCRIPTURES IS AN EVIDENCE OF THEIR DIVINE AUTHORITY. 2 THIS is an argument which has great force, independently of other confiderations. Thus let us fuppofe, that the author of the Gofpel which goes under St. Matthew's name, was not known; and that it was unfupported by the writers of the primitive times: yet fuch is the unaffected fimplicity of the narrations, the purity of the doctrines, and the fincere piety and goodness of the fentiments, that it carries its own authority with it. And the fame thing may be faid in general of all the books of the Old and New Teftaments fo that it feems evident to me, that, if there was no other book in the world befides the Bible, a man could not reasonably doubt of the truth of revealed religion. "The mouth fpeaks from "the abundance of the heart." Men's writings and difcourfes must receive a tincture from their real thoughts, defires, and defigns. It is impoffible to play the hypocrite in every word and expreffion. This is a matter of common daily obfervation, that cannot be called in queftion; and the more any one thinks upon it, or attends to what paffes in himself or others, to the hiftory of the human thoughts, words, and actions, and their neceffary mutual connexions, i. e. to the hiftory of affociation, the more clearly will he fee it. We may conclude, therefore, even if all other arguments were fet afide, that the authors of the books of the Old and New Teftaments, whoever they were, cannot have made a falfe claim to the divine authority. That But there is also another method of inferring the divine authority of the Scriptures, from the excellence of the doctrine contained therein; for the Scriptures contain doctrines concerning God, Providence, a future ftate, the duty of man, &c. far more pure and fublime than can any-ways be accounted for from the natural powers of men, fo circumftanced as the facred writers were. the reader may fee this in a clearer light, let him compare the feveral books of the Old and New Teftaments with the contemporary writers amongst the Greeks and Romans, who could not have less than the natural powers of the human mind; but might have, over and above, fome traditional hints derived ultimately from revelation. Let him confider whether it be poffible to fuppofe, that Jewish fhepherds, fishermen, &c. fhould, both before and after the rife of the Heathen philofophy, fo far exceed the men of the greatest abilites and accomplishments in other nations, by any other means than divine communications. Nay, we may fay, that no writers, from the invention of letters to the prefent times, are equal to the penmen of the Books of the Old and New Teftaments, in true excellence, utility, and dignity; which is furely fuch an internal criterion of their divine authority, as ought not to be refifted. refifted. And perhaps it never is refifted by any, who have duly con fidered these books, and formed their affections and actions according to the precepts therein delivered. An objection is fometimes made against the excellence of the doctrines of the Scriptures, by charging upon them erroneous doctrines, established by the authority of creeds, councils, and particular churches. But this is a manner of reasoning highly unreafonable. The unbeliever, who pays fo little regard to the opinions of others, as to reject what all churches receive, the divine miffion of Chrift, and the evidences for the truth of the Scriptures, ought not at other times to fuppofe the churches, much less any particular one, better able to judge of the doctrine; but fhould in the latter cafe, as well as the firft,..examine for himfelf; or, if he will take the doctrine upon trust, he ought much rather to take the evidence fo. 1 ་་་ . If it can be fhewn, either that the true doctrine of the Scriptures differs from that which is commonly received, or that reason teaches fomething different from what is commonly fuppofed, or laftly, that we are infufficient judges what are the real doctrines of Scripture, or reason, or both, and confequently that we ought to wait with patience for farther light; all objections of this kind fall to the ground. One may alfo add, that the fame arguments which prove a doctrine to be very abfurd, prove alfo, for the most part, that it is not the fense of the paffage; and that this is a method of reasoning always allowed in interpreting profane authors. PROP. XXI. THE MANY AND GREAT ADVANTAGES WHICH HAVE ACCRUED TO THE WORLD FROM THE PATRIARCHAL, JUDAICAL, AND CHRISTIAN REVELATIONS, PROVE THE DIVINE AUTHORITY OF THE SCRIPTURES. THESE advantages are of two forts, relating refpectively to the knowledge and practice of religion. I begin with the first. Now it is very evident, that the Chriftian Revelation has diffufed a much more pure and perfect knowledge of what is called natural religion, over a great part of the world, viz. wherever the profeffion either of Chriftianity or Mahometifm prevails. And the fame thing will appear, in refpect of the Judaical and Patriarchal revelations, to those who are acquainted with ancient hiftory. It will be found very difficult by fuch perfons to account even for the Pagan religion, without recurring to fuch Patriarchal communications with God as are mentioned in the Pentateuch, and to the more full revelations made to the Jews. So that one is led to believe, that all that is good in any Pagan or falfe religion is of divine original; all that is erroneous and corrupt, the offspring of the vanity, weakness, and wickedness of men; and that, properly speaking, we have no reafon from hiftory to fuppofe, that there ever was any fuch thing as mere natural religion, i. . any true religion, which men difcovered to to themselves by the mere light of nature. Thefe pofitions feem to follow from inquiries into the antiquities of the Heathen world, and of their religions. The Heathen religions all appear to be of a derivative nature; each circumftance in the inquiry confirms the fcriptural accounts of things, and fends us to the revelations exprefsly mentioned, or indirectly implied, in the Old Teftament, for the real original of the Pagan religions in their fimple ftate. This opinion receives great light and confirmation from Sir Ifaac Newton's Chronology. It appears alfo very probable to me, that a careful examination of the powers of human understanding would confirm the fame pofition; and that, admitting the novelty of the prefent world, there is no way of accounting for the rife and progrefs of religious knowledge, as it has taken place in fact, without having recourfe to divine revelation. If we admit the Patriarchal, Judaical, and Chriftian revelations, the progrefs of natural religion, and of all the falfe pretences to revelation, will fairly arife (at least appear poffible in all cafes, and probable in moft) from the circumftance of things, and the powers of human nature; and the foregoing doctrine of affociation will caft fome light upon the fubject. If we deny the truth of thefe revelations, and fuppofe the Scriptures to be falfe, we fhall caft utter confufion upon the inquiry, and human faculties will be found far unequal to to the task affigned to them. Secondly, If we confider the practice of true religion, the good effects of revelation are ftill more evident. Every man who believes must find himself either excited to good, or deterred from evil, in many instances, by that belief; notwithstanding that there may, be many other inftances, in which religious motives are too weak to reftrain violent and corrupt inclinations. The fame obfervations occur daily with regard to others, in various ways and degrees. And it is by no means conclufive against this obvious argument for the good effects of revelation upon the morals of mankind, to alledge that the world is not better now than before the coming of Chrift. This is a point which cannot be determined by any kind of eftimation, in our power to make; and, if it could, we do not know what circumftances would have made the world much worse than it is, had not Chriftianity interpofed. However, it does appear to me very probable, to fay the leaft, that Jews and Chriftians, notwithstanding all their vices and corruptions, have, upon the whole, been always better than Heathens and unbelievers. It feems to me alfo, that as the knowledge of true, pure, and perfect religion is advanced and diffufed more and more every day, fo the practice of it correfponds thereto : but then this, from the nature of the thing, is a fact of a lefs obvious kind; however, if it be true, it will become manifest in due time. Let us fuppofe a perfon to maintain that civil government, the arts of life, medicines, &c. have never been of use to mankind, becaufe it does not appear from any certain calculation, that the fum total of health and happiness is greater among the polite nations than among the barbarous ones. Would it not be thought thought a fufficient answer to this, to appeal to the obvious good effects of these things in innumerable inftances, without entering into a calculation impoffible to be made? However, it does here alfo appear, that, as far as we are able to judge, civilifed countries are, upon the whole, in a more happy state than barbarous ones, in all these respects. Now, as the divine original of revelation may be directly concluded from its being the fole fountain of all religious knowledge, if that can be proved; fo it will follow in an indirect way, if we fuppofe that revelation has only promoted the knowledge and practice of true religion. It is not likely that folly or deceit of any kind fhould be eminently ferviceable in the advancement of wisdom and virtue. Every tree muft produce its proper fruit. Enthusiasm and imposture cannot contribute to make man prudent, peaceable, and moderate, difinterefted and fincere. PROP. XXII. THE WONDERFUL NATURE, AND SUPERIOR EXCELLENCE, OF THE ATTEMPT MADE BY CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES, ARE EVIDENCES OF THEIR DININE AUTHORITY. THIS attempt was that of reforming all mankind, and making them happy in a future ftate. And, when we confider, firft the attempt itself, and then the affurance of success in it, which appears in all their words and actions, by ways both direct and indirect, there arifes from thence alone a ftrong presumption in their favour, as well as in favour of the authors of the books of the Old Teftament, who have concurred in the fame attempt, though lefs informed of the true nature and full extent of it. For ideas and purposes of this kind could fcarce enter into the hearts of weak and wicked men; much lefs could fuch perfons enter upon and profecute fo great an undertaking with fuch prudence, integrity, and conftancy, or form fuch right judgements both of the oppofition they fhould meet with, and of the prevalence of their own endeavours, and those of their fucceffors, over this oppofition. Nay, one may fay, that nothing lefs than fupernatural affiftance could qualify them for thefe purposes. No defign of this kind was ever formed, or thought of, till the coming of Chrift; and the pretences of enthufiafts and impoftors to the fame commiffion fince have all been copied from Chrift, as being neceffary to their fucceeding in any measure, fince his coming. If it be fupposed to be the true interpretation and meaning of the Scriptures, to publifh final redemption, converfion, and falvation to all mankind, even the moft wicked, in fome diftant future ftate, this will add great force to the prefent argument. PROP. PROP. XXIII. THE MANNER IN WHICH THE LOVE OF GOD, AND OF OUR NEIGHBOUR, IS TAUGHT AND INCULCATED IN THE SCRIPTURES, IS AN EVIDENCE OF THEIR DIVINE AUTHORITY. FOR it appears, that the Scriptures do virtually include, or even exprefsly affert, all that the modern philofophy has difcovered or verified concerning thefe important fubjects; which degree of illumination, as it can with no plaufibility be accounted for in illiterate men in the time of Auguftus from natural caufes, fo much less can it in the preceding times, from Chrift up to Mofes. This propofition is included in the 20th; however, the subject of it is of so much importance, as to deferve a separate place. Here then, firft, we may obferve, that Mofes commands the Ifraelites to love God with all the heart, and foul, and might; whereas they are to love their neighbours only as themselves. Now, though this infinite fuperiority of the love due to God over that due to our neighbour be perfectly agreeable to that infinite majefty and goodness of God, and nothingness of the creatures, which every new discovery in philofophy now opens to view; yet it was fo little known, many ages after Mofes, amongst the wifeft of the Greeks and Romans, that we cannot afcribe it to his mere natural fagacity. The natural equality of all men, and the felf-annihilation implied in the precept of loving all our brethren as well as ourselves, are also the genuine dictates of true philofophy. Secondly, in order to fhew the divine authority of the Scriptures, from the manner in which the love of God is taught in them, we muft confider not only the direct precepts concerning this love, but also all those concerning hope, truft, fear, thankfulness, delight, &c. for all these concur to inculcate and beget in us the love of God. The fame may be faid of all the fcriptural descriptions of God and his attributes, and of the addrefs of good men to him, which are there recorded. God is declared in the Scriptures to be light, love, goodnefs, the fource of all happiness and perfection, the father and protector of all, &c. And the eminent perfons who compofed the Pfalms, and other fuch-like addreffes to God, appear to have devoted themselves entirely to him. Now, when we reflect, that there is fcarce any thing of this kind in the writings of the philofophers who preceded Chrift, and nothing comparable to the Scripture expreffions, even in those who came after him; when we farther reflect, that the writings of the ableft and beft men of the prefent times contain nothing excellent of the devotional kind, but what may be found in the Scriptures, and even in the Old Teftament; there feems to be a neceffity for having recourfe to divine inspiration, as the original fource of this great degree of illumination in the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles. Thirdly, good perfons are, in the Scriptures, ftyled "Children "of God; members of Chrift; partakers of the divine nature; one VOL. V. F ‹‹ with |