racles, and fo the Veracity and Power of him who gave him that Commiffion for the Evidence of thofe firft Things, and what had intervened, which was neceffay to be known in Writing to be permanent Evidence of thofe Actions of his then, and thofe before, to all Pofterity; and at the fame Time by Rules in Writing, Patterns, Models, &c. fubftituted, re-eftablished the temporary Atonement, a Sufpenfion for all who were in, or would come in, before the great Atonement fhould be made. As Writing fpread, this Evidence fpread, and the Knowledge of the first Things revived; fo that we find Scraps of it (even with fome early Mistakes, which are alfo in the latter Tranflations) in the Books of the Heathen Writers, which fome of our Divines, in Despight of the firft Revelation and Tradition, and the latter in Writing, labour hard to prove they had from the Light of Nature. And when the Jewish Race were in a Manner fallen away, Chrift by his Example, Miracles, Rules, and great Atonement, put Mankind apparently upon a better Foot than the firft Man, or the Race of those who perfevered, were put. But confidering all the Notions and Customs about the natural Powers and Wickedness which

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from Time to Time had prevailed, which Adam and many after him had not to ftruggle with, and all Things fairly stated, I think they have been upon the fame Foot in refpect of Equality, or Freedom of Choice. If we fuppofe the Method of Evidence and Tradition at firft was not fo clear as that of Writing, perhaps we may for the prefent fay, it may be true. But the Numbers of Tempters, their Examples and Force, the Neceffities of Men from their Numbers, the Shortness of their Lives, and the great Share of that fpent in foolish Cuftoms, fupplying Neceffities, &c. perhaps may ballance. If there be any fmall Difference in this, or between the Nature of Evidence, to those who faw it, or lived near the Time, and those at Distance: If in the firft the Difference of Experience be confidered, and in thofe after the Corruption preceding, and the Time before Evidence gets the better of Cuftom and Prejudice, and many other Things do not ballance it; no doubt the Ballance will be allowed. Indeed our lofing the Knowledge and Evidence of the Heavens, by the Mifconftruction of the Bible, and thence the Knowledge of them, and fo the Knowledge of the Effence, and of the Aleim, or

Trinity

Trinity (for all the Ideas of them, are there conveyed under the Ideas of the Names from whence they are taken, not only by the Prophets, but all Men) with studying Heathen Books, and introducing Heathen Terms of Nature, of occult Properties in Matter, &c. has put us almost into as bad a State as the latest Heathens. The Vulgar may plead this in Abatement; but what others will plead, I pretend not to know.

As there is, if we call the Parts of Man two, a third Species of created Beings of the fpiritual Kind, which was concerned in the fatal Part of the Tranfactions of Man in Paradife; it is neceffary to confider how the Cafe ftood between thofe Beings and God, and between them and Man. From Hints in Scripture, it appears, that they were Part of a Species of Beings of which those who stood, fince, from their Employment are called Angels; and those who fell, and tempted Man, are from thofe Actions called the evil Angels, the Oppofers, the Adverfaries: And it appears, that they in their firft State had greater Powers or Opportunities to know God, and other Things, than the imbodied Souls of Men, and perhaps long Experience; and there were no other Agents to tempt them,

them, the Evil muft arife in themselves, and they wanted not any Knowledge or Opportunity of Information, they were not limited to fuch a Degree as Man was, fo had no fuch Pretence of a Temptation arifing from a fuppofed Defect. The Scripture does not plainly express the Crime for which they were caft out, perhaps that Men might not have a Precedent for fuch a Crime; and it was not confiftent with the Scheme of the latter Jews, to let Chriftians know what Traditions there were of that Affair, but other Nations have. The Time of their committing this Crime, is not exactly fixed; fome make it upon the Publication of God's Pleasure to create this System and Man; fome make it after the Creation of Man, and of courfe before his Fall. Whatever the Attempt or Fact was, they in that Degree of Light must first imagine that they had fome incommunicable Powers in themselves, before they could have made any fuch Attempt, and even after, elfe they could not have perfifted till they were caft out from the Prefence of God. But for all this, it appears to me, by the Sentence pronounced upon them through their Agent, that they were not finally fentenced or excluded from the Benefit of

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Repentance, &c. till they had feduced Man; and then upon that Repetition they received an unalterable Doom.

We are to confider the State God, in refpect to thefe Adverfaries, put Man into at first, as if he had faid, (if it was before their Fall) before his Angels, (if it was after their Fall) before the Angels who ftood, and those who fell, as he did in the Cafe of the Trial of Job, where both are mentioned; I will create another Syftem, and another Race of Creatures, to be called Man, who shall have Powers and Opportunities vastly inferior to what you have, and only give him a fmall Degree of Inftruction and Information, compared with what you have bad; so not a Match for any of you who have fallen, or who shall fall: I fhall give him a Law (and if one may prefume to fay) without further Interpofition on either Side; be Shall perfevere in Love and Obedience to me, to reproach any of you, and be a Rule to judge and punish any of you by, who have fallen or fhall fall. And if any of you who bave fallen, or who shall fall, and perfift, and fo tempt and feduce Man, and be fhall repent, that will be a just Reafon to exclude you from Mercy, and admit him into new Terms. And if you

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