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he moral World; not with refpect, to the natural, because fufpending fome one Law of Matter to ferve fome moral Purpose, is no Proof that the Counfel of God is changed with regard to the general Laws and Conftitution of Matter, not in the moral, because Miracles may, for any Thing that appears to the contrary, be useful to anfwer fome moral End, and to ferve the great Purposes of Providence, in fome Cafes and not in others.

This the Confiderer is not willing to allow; for if Miracles were ever neceffary, they must in his Judgment be always neceffary.

The Confiderer has fo good a Talent at Reafoning, that I cannot refufe him and the Reader the Juftice of producing his Argument, as he himself has ftated it. If Miracles were ever neceffary, whether the divine and human Nature, or the Nature of things be CHANGEABLE OR UNCHANGEABLE, must be always neceffary. For if God ever wrought Miracles to be the Proof of the Knowledge of his Will, he will always purfue the fame Methods, IF HE IS AN UNCHANGEABLE BEING. "That is to fay, "The Propofition is true, whether God be

changeable or not, for a Reafon which exprefsly fuppofes him to be unchangeable." The Confiderer has generally the Fortune to have his Positions and his Reasons hang very

First Edit. p. 96. Third Edit. p. 80.

3

ill

together,

together. But let us examine the latter Part of the Argument by itself, and see what there is in it. "God is an unchangeable Being: "Therefore, if he ever wrought Miracles as σε a Proof of his Will, he will always pursue "the fame Method." It is allowed that God is an unchangeable Being. It follows from thence that his Conduct will always be the fame, in the fame State of Things; if he works Miracles in one Cafe, he will do it again whenever the fame Cafe, with all its Circumftances, returns. But if he does it when the State of Mankind requires it, it does not follow that he will do it, when the State of Mankind does not require it. Let the Confiderer fhew that it cannot be expedient for Mankind at one time, and not at an other. Till he can prove this, he proves nothing. Let us try his Reasoning in a Cafe. Should the Subjects of fome great Prince rife in Arms against him, and should he quiet them by offering a general Pardon without punifhing their Crime; will it follow that he ought to pursue the fame Method in every Rebellion? And will it follow that his Counfels are mutable, if he does not? The Confiderer himself will not have the Folly to affert it. Lenity may be neceffary at one time, and Severity at another; and each of these Measures, tho' not only different but oppofite, may be the Effect of the fame Wisdom and Prudence. Y

common

But

But if God has wrought Wonders in one Generation and not another, it seems, he must be a partial Being The Confiderer does not know what he is about when he charges God with Partiality. According to his little View of Things, Providence may be accufed as partial in many other Inftances, and with more Appearance of Reason than in this. Why does he not complain that one Man has greater natural Endowments than another, that he is fuperior in Wealth, in Dignity, in Power, or whatever else is esteemed great and illuftrious? If that is to be looked on as Partiality, which the Confiderer judges to be fuch, I leave him to reflect where his Opinion will terminate. He fays, "That Miracles are equally neceffary to "all People, and therefore if God grants them "to one Generation and not another he is a

partial Being." If bold Affertions were to be admitted as Proofs, there is nothing which the Confiderer is not capable of proving. Let him prove (inftead of afferting) that Miracles are equally neceffary in all Ages, and then it will be time to talk with him. Here is a Maxim' which the Confiderer himself allows to be a just one, that Providence does nothing in vain. If then a Series of Wonders are wrought in one Age, why may not the Memory of them be duly preferved for the Benefit of fucceeding

C

First Edit. p. 98. Third Edit. p. 82.

Ages?

Ages? And if they are so preserved, would not repeating them in fucceeding Ages be unneceffary? When Error and Corruption have been once conquered, and the true Religion eftablished by the Help of Miracles; why are not fuch Miracles when recorded by proper Hands fufficient to support and preferve it? The Confiderer calls upon us to fhew, What lafting Monuments we have of them, by which they may be clearly evidenced, and may appear true against all Contradiction. He needs not go to the Place in which they were wrought, where only he thinks fuch Monuments are to be found e. They are much nearer home, than he is willing to believe; they are already in his own Hands, if he knew how to use them, and fet a just Value on them. The Gofpels are the Monuments, wherein thofe Miracles are recorded, and he must prove them to be all a Forgery, before he can with Reason complain for want of authentic Monuments; which he will find it no eafy Matter to do, against the Testimony of all Antiquity, of the Enemies of Christianity, as well as its Friends.

I have now gone through the material Things, and to my own Sorrow, many immaterial Things in the Confiderer's Book. When the Book first appeared, it seemed to require no Answer; and to those who can judge of the Weight of Arguments, it required none. But

Ib.

e

P. 92. Firft Edit. p. 76.

Third Edit.

when

when it came into the Hands of thofe who were not able to see how they were imposed on, the Cafe was altered. For their Sakes this Anfwer was prepared, and is now published. One Thing at least they may learn from these Papers, not to truft a Man, who abuses Religion out of Love to Truth, It is not Scripture he attacks, whatever he pretends; but Scripture distorted and perverted. Look over the pretended Answer to the Tryal; where is there an Argument of any Weight, that is built upon a true Representation of Scripture? I will not say that all his Mistakes of this Kind are wilful; many of them, I am afriad, are fo. But I judge him not.

FINIS

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