order to give them information concerning various truths, of the greatest moment to them, and to reclaim them from vice and wickedness; and that many perfons have wrought inconteftible miracles in proof of their having received a commiffion from God for this purpose.

In the history of the Jewish religion we are informed, that the divine being made choice of one particular nation, the pofterity of Abraham, by Ifaac and Jacob, as the principal medium of his communications to mankind; making efpecial provifion against their falling into idolatry, and making their temporal profperity manifeftly to depend upon their adherence to his worship.

In the hiftory of the christian religion, we are informed that, after many predictions, which did, in fact, raise the expectation of the Jewish people, and, in some measure, alfo, that of the rest of mankind, concerning a very extraordinary perfon, who fhould be in a more eminent manner distinguished by God, for the benefit of men,

Jefus

Jefus Chrift (whose character and history ftrictly correfponded to those prophetic descriptions) was born in Judea; that he received from God a power of working miracles, in a more illuftrious manner than any other prophet who had gone before him; that he inculcated the great duties of natural religion in their full extent, with the exprefs promise of a refurrection from the dead, and an everlasting life of happiness, to all who should believe and obey his doctrine; and that, after living an irreproachable and most useful life (being a perfect pattern of the moft genuine piety and benevolence, and of a proper moderation without austerity, with respect to all the things of this life) he was put to death by the Jews and Romans; but that he rose again from the dead on the third day, as he himself had foretold that he fhould; and that he afcended to heaven in a vifible manner.

We are alfo informed, in the fame history, that after the refurrection and afcenfion of Jefus Chrift, perfons appointed by him, with the title of apofties, and many others

of

of his difciples, had the power of working miracles in his name; that, at the risk of every thing that was valuable to them in this life, and of life itfelf, they preached the gofpel; publishing in all places the history of Jefus Chrift (the fame that is contained in the books called gofpels) as what they could atteft upon their own knowledge; particularly reciting his doctrines, precepts, and promifes; and affuring all men, that he would come again, with a commiffion from God to judge the whole race of mankind, according to their works; when he would moft amply reward all the virtuous and good, efpecially thofe who had been fufferers in the cause of righteousness and truth, and that he would inflict an adequate punishment on all the wicked.

Lastly, if thefe hiftories be true, a very great number both of Jews and Gentiles were, in confequence of this preaching of the gofpel, converted to the belief of christianity, many of them fuffered long and fevere perfecution on this account, and even courageoufly died martyrs to their faith, and chrif

tianity

tianity kept continually gaining ground in the world, as Jefus Chrift had foretold.

This is a general idea of what is contained in the Jewish and chriftian revelations, all the particulars being found in the bible, which is a collection of fuch books as contain the most authentic account of thofe revelations; being written, as is pretended, by men who themselves had received communications from God, and who were witneffes of the most important of thofe tranfactions of which they give an account.

Now, before we examine the evidence on which our belief of the particulars which I have now recited refts, it is proper to confider how far the account is in itself credible; by which I now mean, whether it be capable of being proved at all; and, if it be, what kind of evidence is neccfiary to procure to it the affent of reafonable and thinking men.

That fuch a revelation, and miracles in proof of it, are pofible, cannot, I think, be difruted,

difputed, fince the fame being who made the world, must neceffarily have it in his power to interpofe in the government of it; and not only to reverfe the laws of it, but even to deftroy it, if he should think proper, The only question, therefore, is whether there could be a fufficient reafon for fuch an interpofition as has been defcribed. But fince goodness has been fhewn to be the characteristic of the divine being, fuch a revelation muft, a priori, appear credible, in proportion to its being useful and feafonable. If the state of things before revelation was fuch as made it highly expedient, at that particular juncture, in exact proportion to that expediency, it might even have been expected; and it would have been expened with abfolute certainty, by any being who was a proper judge of the real value and feafonablenefs of it.

Now that fuch a revelation was in fact highly expedient, has been fufficiently fhewn already, in the view which has been given of the ftate of the heathen world antecedent to it; for without it mankind were

actually