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liver the prophecy in fuch a way, and with fuch plainnefs, as would best and most effectu

ally obtain the ends proposed to be answered thereby; whereas the very reverse to this feems to be the prefent cafe. For, as Sir Ifaac Newton alone, through his fuperior abilities and application, has difcovered the meaning of the prophecies, from the events only; fo, if he had not examined the subject, or if he had not published his fentiments upon it to the world, then the true fenfe of the prophecy (fuppofing Sir Ifaac's fenfe to be the true fenfe) might have been for ever unknown to mankind. And tho' it may be moft evident, that Sir Ifaac Newton's greatly Superior abilities better qualified him to dif cover and afcertain the true ftate of the natural world; yet, that he was thereby better qualified to difcover and afcertain the true fenfe and meaning of dark and ambiguous prophecies, may not, perhaps, be quite fo apparent.

BUT farther, admitting, for argument's fake, that the prophecies which are appealed to, as evidences in the present cafe, are true prophecies, and that the fenfe put upon them by Sir Ifaac Newton, or any other interpreter of prophecy, is the true fenfe, and that M 3

the

thelevents have fully anfwered the predictions; then there are two points which the case requires to be confidered, viz. what it is that conftitutes the chriftian revelation properly fo called, which these prophecies bear witnefs to? And, when that point is fairly and fully fettled; then, how do those prophecies prove that revelation to be divine? The firft point to be confidered is, what is the Chriftian revelation? This queftion, furely, muft be fairly and fully answered, and the point fettled to fatisfaction; elfe all that is urged from prophecy with regard to it, ftands for nought. It must be particularly specified and afcertained what is the Chriftian revelation, becaufe without this it is, as it were, arguing without a fubject; feeing it is not determined by those prophecies what that subject is, nor, indeed, whether there be any fuch thing. And therefore, Sir Ifaac Newton's valuable discovery of the laws of gravitation, may, perhaps, be equally as useful to Chriflianity, as his discovery of the sense of prophecies, whilft it remains indeterminate what is the Chriftian revelation. And if the books of the New Testament be confidered as, and called the Chriftian revelation, which these prophecies do not fhew them to

be;

be ; then, the question is, how do those prophecies fhew and prove the books of the New Teftament to be a divine revelation ? Do thofe prophecies prove that the several books of the New Teftament were written by the perfons refpectively whofe names they bear that the Deity dictated to, and impressed upon the minds of the writers the Subject matter contained in them, effectually reftraining each one from mixing his own conceptions with what was thus dictated to him? that those books have been faithfully tranfmitted, from their refpective original copies, down to this time, without any corruption, alteration, addition or diminution; and that they have been justly rendered into our language? I fay, do the prophecies referred to prove these points? furely, not any of them; and yet the cafe feems to require the proof of them all, in order to give proper proof that those books, which are put into our hands, commonly called the New Teftament, are a divine revelation. And, fuppofing there are a feries of events that are relative to the Chriftian fect, which are foretold in the aforefaid prophecies; and that Sir Ifaac Newton has plainly fhewed this to be the cafe; then the question is, what does this prove?

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prove? does it prove that there is fuch a thing as a Chriftian revelation? that the New Teftament is that revelation? and that it is a divine revelation? I fay, do the prophecies referred to prove each and every of these points? furely not. Suppofe, upon enquiry, it were to appear, that there are, in these prophecies, fome events foretold that are relative to the Mahometan fect; then the queftion would be, what would thefe prophecies prove with regard to that feet? would they prove that the Mahometans have a revelation? that the Coran is that revelation? and that it is

divine? furely not. If a thing or fact appears to be the fubject of prophecy, then the queftion is, whether any thing more is proved by fuch prophecy, than that fuch thing or fact was foreknown and foretold, whatever it may be relative to? and if the prophecies under confideration do neither fhew what is the Chriftian revelation, nor prove what may otherwise be fhewn to be fo to be a divine revelation, which, furely, they do not; then, I think, their evidence is scarce worth contending for. But farther, if the Deity was pleafed to give a prophetic hiftory relating to the Chriftian religion and the Chriftian church, in which

are

and

are foretold many great events that are past, many others that are yet to come; is it not strange, yea exceeding firange,that no account fhould be given, no notice taken of that great event, that great defection from Christianity and from the Cbriftian church, that took place in, and by Mahomet and his followers? which I do not apprehend that there has. A defection so great (if I maybe allowed to exprefs it in the prophetic language) that in it not only a third, but, perhaps, two third parts of the stars of heaven fell to the earth; a defection that has continued for twelve bundred years paft, and is likely to continue as long as Chriftianity itself; a defection that as much affects the Chriftian religion and the Chriftian church, is as remarkable in itself, as well known to the world, and which, furely, must have been equally foreknown to the Deity, as any of thofe other great events that are set forth to be the fubjects of prophecy. I fay, that an affair of fuch moment should be, as it were, forgot by the Deity; fhould not be foretold, nor pointed out by fome emblem, fame enigma or riddle, is what, furely, may justly be wondered at.

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