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only from the particular command here referred to, (which tho' it be not word for word taken out of the history, yet it is in its fenfe and meaning the fame as is therein contained); but alfo, from the other fayings and commands of Christ, which the apoftle in his writings takes notice of, they are mostly contained in, and taken from the gospel history. Thus in this very epiftle, chap. xi. ver. 23, 24, 25. For I have received of the Lord, that which alfo I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jefus the fame night in which he was betrayed took bread, &c. Here it is evident, that St. Paul did not receive the account he referred to, from the Lord by any prefent immediate infpiration, because he faith it was what he had delivered to them, viz. when he preached the gofpel at Corinth neither is it reasonable to fuppose that he received from the Lord this account, by any precedent immediate revelation, because it is most likely he received it but mediately from the Lord, and immediately from one more of the apoftles, whom he had converfed with, long before his preaching at Corinth. Befides, it is very likely that he had feen the account in the gofpel history itself, to which he adds a few words, viz. [this do ye, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me]; which more perfect account of the inftitution of the Lord's fupper, probably he had from one or more of the apostles, who were prefent at the inftitution: I fay, this is probably the state of the cafe, because it is

very unlikly that St. Paul fhould receive the account of the inftitution of the Lord's fupper by an immediate fpecial revelation, when he could very easily, and probably must have received the fame account without it. And therefore, as the particular advice and counfel which the apostle calls his own, and which he distinguishes from the commandments of the Lord, are not diftinguish'd from, and put in oppofition to the rest of his epistle, but only, are distinguished from, and are put in oppofition to fuch commands as Chrift had given in his life time; fo this does not fhew that the reft of the epiftle was wrote by infpiration, but the contrary.

Fithly, As St. Paul wrote his letters in his own name, fo he made his appeal to God, as a witness of the truth of what is contained. in them. Thus 2 Cor. i. 20. The God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who is bleffed for evermore, knoweth that 1 lye not. Gal. i. 20. Now the things which I write unto you, behold before God I lye not. Here we fee St. Paul makes his appeal to God, as a witness of the truth of what he wrote. But if he had written by divine infpiration as aforefaid, then there had been no room nor place for fuch an appeal. Thofe texts ferve to let us fee what was the fenfe of the apostles, and firft Chriftians in this point. For if they had thought that thofe epiftles were written by divine infpiration as aforefaid, then as those to whom they were directed could not question or doubt of the truth of what is contained

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in them, fo thofe that wrote them could have no occafion or place for fuch an appeal.

Sixthly, St. John tells the elect Lady, and his beloved Gaius in his epiftles to them, that he had many other things to write unto them, but he forbore, hoping that he should fhortly fee them, and fpeak with them face to face. Which plainly fhews that what he wrote, was the iffue and product of his own thoughts, and not what was revealed to, and impreffed upon his mind by God. Because it is very unreasonable to fuppofe, that St. John would take fuch a liberty, as to fupprefs and keep back from them any thing, which God had infpired him with to reveal to them. This is what covetous Balaam would not prefume to do. For though he loved the wages of unrighteousness, yet he told Balak that if he would give him his houfe full of filver and gold, he could not go beyond the commandment of the Lord to do lefs or more, but the word of which God did put in his mouth, that he would fpeak, as in Num. xxii. 18, 28. Chap. xxiii. 12, 26. Chap. xxiv. 13.

Seventhly, and lastly, St. Paul faith to the Corinthians, in his fecond epiftle, Chap. vii. 9. as follows. For tho' I made you forry with a letter, I do not repent [tho' I did repent] for I perceive that the fame epiftle made you forry, tho' it were but for a feafon, &c. Here it is evident, that as St. Paul had been afraid that what he had written in his former epistle

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would have had a bad effect upon the Corinthians, fo it is as evident, that he had repented of that performance. But could Paul have repented of writting that, which God had required him to write? no furely. Let the iffue and confequence of it be what it would, if he wrote what God dictated to, and imprefed upon his mind, there could be no room nor place for his repentance.

Thefe, Sir, are the grounds and reafons upon which my opinion in this point are built.

If it should be urged as above, allowing that the epiftles contained in the New Teftament were not written by divine infpiration, yet the cafe is much the fame with respect to those writings, becaufe God conferred infallibility or an unerring judgment in all things upon the apostles, and firft preachers of the gofpel.

I answer, What is here urged, is only prefumed, and wants proof. As our Saviour chofe, and fent his apoftles to preach the good news of peace and falvation to all nations, viz. that God was in, and by Jefus Chrift reconciling the world to himself: fo it is highly reafonable to fuppofe, that he well inftructed them in the chief or grand errand he fent them upon. Which errand confifted in preaching to the world, that Jefus is the Chrift, or the perfon whom God appointed to acquaint men with the true and only grounds of divine favour and difpleafure; and alfo to prepofe to

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the vicious part of mankind the terms and conditions, upon which alone he will be reconciled to them, viz. upon their repentance and reformation; and to affure them, that without fuch a change they will be the vessels of his wrath; and likewife to affure them, that God hath appointed a time, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that perfon, whom he hath ordained, viz. Jefus Chrift our Lord; and that God will then by him render to every man according to his works, whether good or evil. And as this was the errand upon which the apofties were fent, fo they kept ftrictly to it, by going up and down in the world, preaching the doctrine of repentance and remiffion of fins; assuring men that God would call them to an account in another world for their behaviour in this; and praying and befeeching them to be reconciled to God in the way, which was now kindly propofed to them; because there is no other name or way given amongst men, but this way, viz. by repentance and amendment of life, given and declared by Jefus Chrift, by which they can be faved. And whofoever is prevailed upon by thefe means to turn from the evil of his ways, and bring forth fruit meet for repentance, fuch an one believes in our Lord Jefus Chrift to life eternal, and by believing has life thro' his name. And as this was the grand errand, which the apoftles and firft preachers of the gofpel were

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