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ftian Church, would you not acknowledge these prophecies to be of divine Original, and the Pope and Roman Papacy to be the Antichrift therein predicted? And would you not alfo live in certain expectation of all the other events, which are foretold as confequences of this revolution ?-You certainly would. And yet I must take the liberty to tell you, that there is a much brighter light fhines upon the prophecies concerning our bleffed Saviour, in their exact accomplishment, than this would prove, fhould all these circumftances concur, as is here fuppofed.

That the Lord may graciously grant both you and me a fincere faith in this bleffed Saviour, and prepare us both for the great events, that are haftening upon us, is the prayer of,

SIR,

Your, &c.

LETTER IV. Wherein is confidered the Certainty of thofe Facts, upon which the Evidence of Christianity depends.

SIR,

YOU miftake in fuppofing, that "my laft let mistake

You

"ter has fet the evidence of our Saviour's di"vine miffion, from the Old Teftament prophe"cies, in the strongeft light."-There might be much stronger light brought from the prophetic writings, in confirmation of this bleffed truth: And yet you must allow me the freedom to tell you, that my letter juftly demands of you a firmer affent, than you are pleased to exprefs, to that fundamental article of our faith and hope. It reprefents to your

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more than a strong probability, that Jefus Chrift "is the Son of God, and the Saviour of the "world."-Confider, I beseech you, whether it is poffible for any, or for all created intelligences, to forefee and fortel fuch future events as depend wholly upon the mere good pleasure of God: Such events as are altogether out of the way of God's ordinary difpenfations of Providence; and fuch events as had not the leaft probability, from the known laws of nature, to have ever come to pass; and then to over-rule the various revolutions of nature and providence in fuch a way, as is utterly inconfiftent with, and in many inftances altogether contrary to the known ftated methods of God's go. verning the world, in order that those predictions (even in every particular circumftance) fhould be exactly accomplished.-I intreat you, Sir, to confider the affair in this view, (for in this view it ought to be confidered), and then tell me, whether the evidence does not amount to more than a strong probability. And confider what evidence of this kind you yourself can poffibly imagine, that would bring your mind into a full acquiefcence in this truth, as certain and undoubted.

If there can be any reasonable doubt remaining, it must be for one of thefe following caufes: Either,

1. It must be fuppofed, that the Jewish Prophets had no fuch events in their eyes, that the quoted predictions had a reference to fomething elfe; or perhaps no reference to any thing at all, but were the cafual fallies of the feveral authors fruitful fancies or imaginations.

But then, if this be fuppofed, how comes it to pafs, that they are all fo exactly verified?-Certain it is, that the Jews fuppofed all these predictions to be divine infpirations, kept up ftated memorials of them, and longed for their accomplishment.

And

And it is equally certain, that at the very time when they ought to be expected, they were all fulfilled, in every circumftance. This is an affair that demands your attention. Here are predictions of moft wonderful amazing events; fuch as no appearances, that ever had been in the world, could any way lead the minds of the Prophets to think of, or imagine.-Thefe events were foretold as to time, place, and many other particular circumftances; fo that you fee a history of our Saviour's birth, life, death, refurrection, afcenfion, and future kingdom, could be made up out of thefe prophecies;-and, to crown the whole, they have all been exactly fulfilled. Now then, I have a right to demand, were thefe from heaven, or of men? Can the moft licentious imagination apprehend thefe very numerous and various predictions to be the effects of capricious fancies; and their fulfilment a matter of mere chance or casualty? Then may the Epicurean philofophy take place again; and the world, in all its glory, order and fymmetry, be reasonably believed to be the effect of a fortuitous concourse and jumble of atoms. I hope, this doubt is cleared out of your way, and. I know of but one more that can remain :: Which is,

2. That there never were any fuch predictions of these things in the Jewish Prophets. But that alli of them were written fince the events.

But then, you must fuppofe, that this was done by the Chriftians, without the privity of the Jews and others, who had these books in their hands; or that it was done by a joint confederacy of Chriftians. and Jews.-If the former, you must imagine, that the whole nation of the Jews, and all the other nations who had the Greek tranflation of the Jewish Bible in their hands, must be perfuaded to believe, that they always had, and always read thofe things:

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in their Bible, which were never there; or else all of them to a man must be prevailed upon, out of complaifance to their greatest adversaries, to interpolate their Bibles, by inferting these predictions; and not leave to posterity a single copy unadulterated, to difcover and correct the fraud.-But if you chufe the latter of thefe fuppofals, that thefe prophecies were added to the Jewish Bibles by a joint confederacy of Chriftians and Jews, you must imagine, that the whole Jewish nation, in all their moft diftant difperfions, united in a confederacy to furnish the world with armour against their own infidelity; and to represent themselves as the most unreasonable and wicked of all mankind.-Thefe abfurdities are (I am fure) too grofs for you to entertain; and yet I may venture to challenge you to think of any other way, in which it is poffible this could be done.

But you tell me, "It yet appears the greatest "difficulty to you, to come at any certainty of the "truth of those facts, upon which the evidence of "Christianity depends." And I readily acknowledge, that if these facts are not true, all our reafonings from prophecy, and miracles too, will come to nothing. It is therefore proper to confider this cafe more particularly. And in order that this may be brought into the clofeft view, and the conclufion neceffarily force itfelf upon our minds; let us confider what confequences must follow upon the fuppofal, that these facts are not true.-You can have no rational doubt of these things, but upon one of these fuppofitions: Either,

1. That the Apostles, and other reporters of thefe facts, did themfelves certainly know that their narratives of these miracles were all of them mere fictions and falfehoods; and that they never did in fact fee any fuch miraculous works performed

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by Jefus Chrift; they never did fee and converfe with him after his refurrection; and that they never had thofe miraculous gifts and powers them. felves; nor ever inftrumentally conveyed them to others.-Or,

2. That the reporters of these facts, and many thousands of others, had their fenfes and imaginations impofed upon; and were made to believe, that they did fee, hear, and feel, fuch miraculous operations, as were never performed.-Or else,

3. That this whole hiftory was an after-game, and a mere piece of forgery, obtruded upon the world after the facts were pretended to be done.

These are all the fuppofitions that can poffibly be made in this cafe. And I have already, in my fecond letter, offered you fome proof, that they are all of them unreafonable and abfurd.

However, for your fatisfaction, I will endeavour to fhew you, under each of thefe fuppofitions, fome of thofe abfurdities that will neceffarily fol low from them.

In the first place, if it be fuppofed, that the reporters of thefe facts did themfelves certainly know that they were falfe, then it will follow, that thoufands of others, before whom thofe miracles were faid to be done, did alfo certainly know that they were made fictions and fables. For they were as capable of certainty, whether they had feen those multitudes of plain, open, visible facts, which are reported, as the Apoftles were themfelves.

Upon this fuppofal, all Judea and Jerufalem muft certainly know, that they never faw any fuch defcent of the Holy Ghoft in cloven tongues upon the Apostles and company; and that they knew nothing of thofe gifts of languages, which were pretended. The feveral churches throughout the world, among whom the Apostles went, did cer

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