SECT. VII.

They appeal to notorious proofs.

HAD they not been convinced of the truth of what they relate, but impoftors, they would by no means have appealed to fuch proofs as depend only on the organs of fenfe, and which might have been eafily examined by any, even the most fimple perfon. In order to prove the truth of their history and doctrine, they do not appeal, like Mahomet, to fecret vifions of fpirits, nocturnal journies to heaven, or things which, as he pretended, took place in fecret. They appeal to Mirales which they had performed in the presence of their auditors, and in the midst of large communities. My preaching among you confifted not in the fubtile difcourfes of fophiftry, but in proofs of the miraculous power of the

Holy

Holy Ghoft

God has evinced that this doctrine came from Him, through miracles and through a variety of miraculous gifts.—And yet more-They affert that they had even imparted to their hearers the power of working miracles; that only by laying their hands on them they had enabled them to fpeak fluently foreign languages which they had never learned, to heal the fick by a mere word, and even to prophefy. I, who have given you the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghoft, and wrought miracles among you, have I preached to you the law of Mofes, or the doctrine of faith* ?-To one of you is given the gift of languages, to another the gift of healing ficknesses, to a third yet other miraculous powers'.'

h.1 Cor. ii. 4, 5.

i Heb. ii. 3, 4. See alfo 2 Cor. xii. 12. Galat. iii. §. I Theff. i. s.

k Galat. iii. 5.

1 Cor. xii. xiii.

-St

St. Paul appeals in the prefence of large communities, at Corinth, a town of confiderable confequence, and much frequented; in Galatia; and before Jewish converts, who were by no means well difpofed towards him; before communitie in which were his most bitter enemies, who had actually formed themselves into a party against him; in Epiftles, wherein he gives them sharp reproofs,-appeals to miracles which he had performed before them; and to miraculous gifts, which he had imparted, and which continued to exift among them. Still more than all this, he himself announces, in his firft Epiftle to the Corinthians, a new miracle which he would perform, in proof of his divine miffion, on an incestuous perfon, though at a distance, by inflicting on him a fevere difeafe"Now, in these cafes, deceit or fanati

1 Cor. v. 3-5+

For;

cifm is abfolutely impoffible. notwithstanding thefe circumftances, it would have been certainly impoffible for the Apostle ever to have perfuaded the Corinthians, Galatians, and Hebrews that they could fpeak foreign languages, with which they in fact had no acquaintance; that they could heal the fick, whom they in fact could not heal; or that the inceftuous perfon was fallen into a fevere illness, when they knew him to be perfectly wella St. Paul and the other writers of the New Testament, muft have been abfolutely out of their fenfes if they had fpoken in this manner without foun dation and truth. And fuppofing that' they had done fo, like the modern pretenders to infpiration, who in London promised to raise the dead to life; then the fame effects would have followed in the former cafe, which happened in the latter. They would have been confidered as vifionaries and madmen,

Z

madmen, their religion as abfurdity and impofture. Now as this did not happen, but on the contrary their perfons and religion found fuch credit and extensive reception, this fact is thereforé a perfectly convincing and incontrovertible proof,-I might juftly affert, of the hiftorical certainty of their miracles, and of the divinity of their religion; but here I content myfelf with faying-of the entire credibility of thefe

men.

SECT. VIII.

They had nothing to expect but temporal difadvantages.

AND what was there which could have inftigated them to forge these circumftances, and to propagate them with fuch perfeverance?-What had they to expect from their evidence? A miferable life; bitter railleries and fcorn

2