I say this for the sake of some Christians, who think it no prejudice to the truth of the Holy Bible, but rather an advantage, as rendering it more easy to be believed, if they can solve, whatever seems miraculous in it, by the power of second causes; and so make all, as they speak, natural and easy. Wherein, if they could prevail, the natural and easy result would be, not to believe one word in all those sacred oracles. For, if things be not, as they are told in any relation, that relation must be false; and, if false in part, we cannot trust to it, either in whole or in part.

Here are to be excepted mistranslations and errors, either in copy or in press. But, where there is no room for supposing these, as where all copies agree; there we must either receive all, or reject all. I mean any book, that pretends to be written from the mouth of God. For in common histories we may believe part, and reject part, as we see cause.

But to return. The passage of the Israelites over Jordan, in memory of which those stones at Gilgal were set up, is free from all those little carpings before mentioned, that are made as to the passage through the Red Sea. For notice was given to the Israelites the day before of this great miracle to be done. It was done at noon day before the whole nation; and, when the waters of Jordan were divided, it was not at any low ebb, but at the time, when that river overflowed all his banks; and it was done, not by winds, or in length of time, which

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winds must take to do it; but all on a sudden, as soon as the "feet of the priests, that "bare the ark, were dipped in the brim of the "water, then the waters, which came down "from above, stood and arose up upon an heap,

very far from the city Adam, that is beside "Zaretan; and those, that came down to"ward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, "failed, and were cut off; and the people "passed over right against Jericho. The priests "stood in the midst of Jordan, till all the ar"mies of Israel had passed over. And it

came to pass, when the priests, that bare the "ark of the covenant of the Lord, were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles "of the priests' feet were lift upon the dry "land, that the waters of Jordan returned

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unto their place, and flowed over all his "banks, as they did before. And the people

came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of "the first month, and encamped in Gilgal on "the east border of Jericho; and those twelve

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stones, which they took out of Jordan, did "Joshua pitch in Gilgal. And he spake unto the "children of Israel, saying, when your children "shall ask their fathers in time to come, say

ing, what mean these stones? Then shall ye let "your children know, saying, Israel came over "this Jordan on dry land. For the LORD your "GOD dried up the waters of Jordan from " before you, until ye were passed over; as the "LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we

*were gone over. That all the people of the "earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty; that ye might fear the LORD GOD for ever."

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If the passage over the Red Sea had been only taking the advantage of a springtide; how would this teach all the people of the earth, that the hand of the LORD was mighty? How would a thing, no more remarkable, have been taken notice of through all the world?

How would it have taught Israel to fear the LORD, when they must know that, notwithstanding all these great words, there was so little in it? How could they have believed, or received a book, as truth, which they knew told the matter so far otherwise from what it was?

But this passage over Jordan, which is here compared to that of the Red Sea, is free from all those cavils, that are made as to that of the Red Sea and is a farther attestation to it, being said to be done in the same manner, as was that of the Red Sea.

Now to form our argument, let us suppose that there never was any such thing, as that passage over Jordan; that these stones at Gilgal were set up on some other occasion, in some after age; and that some designing man invented this book of Joshua, and said that it was written by Joshua at that time, and gave this stonage at Gilgal for a testimony of the truth of it. Would not every body say to him, "we "know the stonage at Gilgal, but we never "heard before of this reason for it; nor "of this book of Joshua ? Where has it

"been all this while? Where and how came you, after so many ages, to find it? Beside, "this book tells us that this passage over Jor"dan was ordained to be taught our children "from age to age; and therefore that they "were always to be instructed in the meaning "of that stonage at Gilgal, as a memorial of it. "But we were never taught it, when we were "children; nor did ever teach our children any "such thing. It is not likely that could have "been forgotten, while so remarkable a stondid continue, which was set up for that,

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" and no other end."

If for the reasons, before given, no such imposition could be put upon us as to the stonage in Salisbury plain; how much less could it be to the stonage at Gilgal?

And, if where we know not the reason of a bare naked monument, such a sham reason cannot be imposed; how much more impossible is it to impose upon us in actions and observances, which we celebrate in memory of particular passages? How impossible to make us forget those passages, which we daily commemorate; and to persuade us, that, we had always kept such institutions in memory of what we never heard of before; that is, that we knew it, before we knew it!

And, if we find it thus impossible for an imposition to be put upon us, even in some things, which have not all the four marks, before mentioned; how much more impossible is it, that any deceit should be in that thing, where all the four marks do meet!

This has been showed, in the first place, as to the matters of fact of Moses.

2. Therefore I come now (secondly) to show that, as in the matters of fact of MOSES, SO likewise all these four marks do meet in the matters of fact, which are recorded in the Gospel of our blessed SAVIOUR; and my work herein will be the shorter, because all, that is said before of MOSES and his books, is every way as applicable to CHRIST and his Gospel. His works and miracles are there said to be done publicly in the face of the world, as he argued to his accusers," I spake openly to the world ❝and in secret have I said nothing." It is told, that three thousand at one time, and that above five thousand at another time were converted, upon conviction of what themselves had seen, what had been done publicly before their eyes, wherein it was impossible to have imposed upon them.

Therefore here were the two first

of the rules before mentioned..

Then for the two second; Baptism and the Lord's Supper were instituted, as perpetual memorials of these things; and they were not instituted in after ages, but at the very time, when these things were said to be done; and have been observed without interruption in all ages through the whole Christian world from that time to this. And CHRIST himself did ordain apostles and other ministers of his Gospel, to preach, and to administer these sacraments; and to govern his church; and that always, even unto the end of the world. Ac