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Now I defire to obferve, in the first place, that thefe philofophers objected to the refur rection from the common topics just men tioned because they were the strongest that occurred to them; and because when they objected to the refurrection of the body, they most unquestionably meant to object to the refurrection ITSELF. In the next place, I would remark, that if by the CHRISTIANS, who endeavoured to answer the objections of hea→ thens, and by the WRITERS of that time, we are to understand only a few PRIVATE PERSONS who maintained an extraordinary opi nion; if Athenagoras, and Theophilus, and Tertullian did no more than defend their own perfonal tenets; it is paffing ftrange these fame heathen philofophers should set their wits against them at all; and stranger still, that the whole body of Chriftians had not joined the outcry in their own vindication, and in public difavowal of an enthufiaftic and ridiculous principle. Nay this is not all. The doctrine of the refurrection of the body, if it was a mere private or personal opinion, was in fact contrary to the Gospel of Chrift,

and

and the fenfe of the Church; and therefore must have been regarded as a most gross, if not dangerous herefy. But as it most undoubtedly was never represented so to be, we are to conclude, I prefume, that it was true and catholic doctrine, notwithstanding its non-appearance in any Creed, in the early ages, and though the acknowlegement of it was not a qualification for Baptism. We therefore infift, that whenever it became an article of a baptismal Greed, it was inferted with the most admiffible pretenfions,

It is, farther, very obfervable, that the doctrine of the refurrection of the body is most expreffly taught in many places of the Koran of Mahomet. Let us turn to a few. "Man 'faith, fays Mahomet, after I have been dead, “ shall I really be brought forth alive from the "grave? Doth not man remember that we "created him heretofore when he was nothing? "The unbelievers, fay, when we and our fa"thers fhall have been reduced to dust, shall we "be taken from the grave? Man faith, who fhall reftore bones to life when they are rotten? An

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fwer, he shall restore them to life, who produced

"them

"them the first time." (kk) The whole system of Mahometifm is, you well know, a fuperftructure raised upon the foundations of Judaifm and Chriftianity. The grand aim of the impoftor feems to have been to concentre both in one faith; with which view, and that no romantic one, he in part adopted, and partly rejected the refpective theories. In order to ingratiate himself with the Jews, he afferted, as we have feen, even to an extremity of zeal, the unity of the Godhead; and at the fame time not to put the Chrif tians out of all temper, as he frequently takes occasion to speak respectfully of Jesus Chrift, fo he declares probably in the most explicit terins for the great article we have been difcuffing. (W) We may therefore fairly conclude from this circumftance only, that the doctrine of the refurrection of the body was not the fentiment of a few individuals, but the profeffion of the univerfal Church at the beginning of the feventh century. And after all, fuppofing it to be questionable whether this were really the plan of Mahomet, the least that can be inferred from the

perfpicuity

perfpicuity with which the doctrine of the refurrection is taught and enforced in the Koran, is that he conceived it to be fufficiently reconcileable with the common reason and apprehenfion of mankind; at the same time that, from this among other particulars, we must fee, and muft defire its adverfaries to take notice, that it is not a doctrine peculiar to Chriftianity.

To come now to the conclufion of the whole matter. If these things are fo, if the great doctrines we have been handling are defenfible upon found principles, and have a moft firm foundation in Scripture, and in primitive authority, abundant reason have we to hold fast the profeffion of our faith without wavering; in nothing difmayed by adverfaries who trifle with us upon the most ferious fubjects; who render the word of God of none effect, by perverfe interpretation; who cannot, or will not fee the plain sense of the plainest expreffions; who will not acknowlege Jefus Chrift to be the Creator of the world though all things were made by him;

or

or that he made fatisfaction for fin, though he was facrificed for us, and gave his life a ranfom for all. I know not any thing that can equal this stubbornnefs and flowness of heart except the infolence of fuch as gravely tell us, we must not hope to propagate the Gofpel among Jews, Mahometans, or heathens, while the ftrange doctrines contained in our Creeds are retained in the Church. Is not this to all intents and purposes saying, we must not hope to eradicate infidelity till we have renounced the capital articles of our belief; or, in other words, muft not expect to make converts to Chriftianity, till we ceafe to be Chriftians? And indeed fo inconfiderable are the impediments to a fpiritual coalition between the followers of Socinus and the disciples of Mahomet, that, according to information given us by writers of credit, terms of union and amity were actually proposed by the former to the latter in the last century.* That men should admit the mysterious truths of holy Writ upon rational grounds, or that they should reject them upon what they call rational grounds,

* See Mr. Jones's Introduc. Difc. p. 4. Note.

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