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times by the church of Rome, maintain that the use and intent of miracles was for the introduction and establishment of Christianity; and when that work was effected then miracles ceased, and will never more be restored to the Chriftian church; and upon this principle they condemn all pretenfions to miraculous power fince that time as delufion or impofition, whatever atteftation may be pretended to be given to it. But then, this is a bare prefumption, without any argument or evidence to fupport it. For if the original use and intention of miraculous power was to work conviction in unbelievers, then, whilft there are any unbelievers, the ufe and intention of miraculous power will remain; and confequently, the conftant ufe of it may more naturally be expected. And if an argument may be drawn from the known moral perfections of the Deity, which in fome cafes is admitted; then I obferve, that if the ufe and intent of miraculous power is to work conviction in unbelievers, and if unbelief takes place now as heretofore, then it feems to follow that miracles will take place now as heretofore; because God is the fame kind being now as heretofore, and is not a whit altered; but miracles do not take place now to work the conviction of unbelievers, therefore they did not take place

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heretofore to answer that purpose. To say that God is not in justice obliged to be continually working miracles for the conviction of unbelievers, how true foever it may be,is not to the purpose; because the argument is not drawn from the justice, but from the goodness of God; the question is not what God, in ftrict justice, is obliged to do for his diftreffed and wretched creatures, which men in a state of unbelief are fuppofed to be; but what his kindness and goodness will difpofe him to do for their relief, as well at one time or place, as at another, seeing difference of time or place makes no alteration in him. And as fome of the miracles pretended to be wrought in the church of Rome have been proved cheats, and others have the marks of incredibility upon them, though not proved to be impofitions; fo this has led fome men, perhaps, not altogether unnaturally to conclude, that all pretenfions of this kind in the church of Rome have been cheats, though fome of these have been attefted by men of honesty and integrity as aforefaid. But then, this feems to weaken the evidence arifing from miracles in general, and renders the facts themselves to be very doubtful and uncertain. For if bonefty and integrity in a voucher of the church of

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Rome, are not proper marks of a true testimony, nor a proper fecurity againft impofition in that church; then honefty and integrity in a voucher are not proper marks of a true teftimony, nor a proper fecurity against imposition in any other church, or cafe of like kind. If an honeft upright man in the church of Rome may act otherwise than an honeft upright man, (admitting fuch a way of speaking;) then why may not an honest upright man, upon the fame grounds, act otherwife than an honeft upright man, in any other church, or cafe? and confequently, how will the miracles wrought by Jefus Chrift and his apoftles be proved to be otherwife than impofitions? fuppofing them to have been much better attefted than at present they appear to be. If it should be faid, that an honest upright man in the church of Rome might from a religious principle a&t otherwife than an honeft upright man (tho' it would not be otherwife in his eftimation) when by fo doing he can be ferviceable to the church or caufe of God, which with him are the fame thing, as he may conceive, in fuch a case, the means will be fan&tifica by the end it is fubfervient to, and fo may give a falfe teftimony for the benefit of the church,

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church, without any conscioufnfs of guilt, though he would not do it in any other cafe. The answer is, that this may be the cafe of the members of any other church, as well as thofe of the church of Rome; an honest upright man may act otherwife than an honest upright man, (admitting fuch impropriety of language) upon the grounds before-mentioned, viz. when the caufe of God and of that religious fyftem he has imbibed (which with him is the fame thing) can be ferved thereby; and this is not altogether unlikely to be the cafe among all religious profeffers, the finews of truth feem fometimes to be very much ftrained, in order to ferve the religious cause in which men are engaged. If it fhould be faid, that the church of Rome affumes a power of granting indulgencies and pardons, which other churches do not pretend to; and the members of the church of Rome being under the influence of thefe pretenfions, it is easy to conceive that among them an honeft upright man may act otherwife than an honest upright man, may give a falfe teftimony, when God's, that is, the church's caufe, can be ferved thereby, he judging himself to be in a very fafe state,

as not being exposed to danger therefrom ; whereas other religious profeffors, were they to act fuch a part, they would have nothing to justify their conduct, nothing to be a foundation of safety to themselves, but must stand condemned in their own minds. Anfw. If a member of the church of Rome knowingly and wittingly acts otherwise than an honeft upright man, because he confiders himself to be out of danger, and as running no rifque thereby; fuch a one has no title to the character of an honest upright man, but the reverse, and therefore, fuch a one is quite out of the question. If an honeft upright man in the church of Rome exceeds the bounds of truth, to ferve God's caufe; he does not do this under the confideration of it's being dishonest and bad practice, but, on the contrary, he confiders fuch practice, in the cafe under confideration, to be honest and good; and therefore, does not stand in need either of indulgence or pardon upon it's account, or for it's fake. And if an honest upright Papift may exceed the bounds of truth, upon the grounds before mentioned, and yet retain the character of an honest upright man; then why may not an honeft upright Proteftant exceed the

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