full of ftrange and abfurd ftories, that one could hardly think it poffible for men of sense to tell them, with so grave and serious an air, as they do; unless it were to ferve fo malicious a purpose.

Now what fay the Chriftian Apologists to all this? o Why first they deny, that there was any competent evidence to prove those ftrange pretended facts; as there was for the Miracles of Chrift and his Apostles, which were attested at the time they were done, by fuch witnesses as, with the utmost constancy even unto death, affirmed them upon their own knowledge. And then in the next place, fuppofing fome of them to have been true, they were very abfurd and ridiculous; and if there was any thing more than the jugglings of crafty men in them, it was fit to be afcribed only to lying and wicked Spirits. Befides, they tended to no manner of good purpose, such as reforming the minds and manners of men, or reclaiming them from their Idolatry, to a more rational worship of the Supreme God, but the quite contrary. Nor did they pretend to be defigned for any fuch good

H h

• of this fee Origen's 3d Book against Celfus, and Eufebius against Hierocles.

good ufe by the Providence of God; nor were any of their Authors foretold by antient Prophets, as Jefus, and the Design of his coming into the World, was long before he came: Neither laftly, had they any fuch effect as followed from the Miracles and Doctrine of Jefus, by which such vast numbers in all places were brought to embrace a new and holy institution, and to adhere to it, forsaking their former wicked and fuperftitious Customs, not withstanding all human oppofition made to the contrary. For these reasons, and also because they faw fome vifible powers exercised in the Name of Jefus, they justly thought his Doctrine to be the Doctrine of God, and his Miracles Divine works; but the others to be delufion. But then,

2. That the opposers of Chriftianity might seem to have something among them, like that

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• Τί μη βελομθύη ή πρόνοια τὰ περὶ τ 'Αργείαν του άδοξα ἐπραγματεύεται καὶ τὶ ὠφελῆσαι τῷ ο ανθρώπων πύει, τὰ τελι καῦτα (ὡς οἴει) ἐπεδείκνυτο, ἐκ ἔχεις λέγειν· ἡμᾶς 5, ἐπαν τὰ περὶ δ Ιησε διηγώμεθα, ὦ * τυχᾶσαν φέρε μου απολογίαν περί Σ' ταῦτα γεγονέναι, τὸ ὶ Θεὸν βεβολήας ήσαν ο Ιησε ὡς ζωτήριον τοῖς ἀνθρώποις λόγον βεβαιόμθμον με τοῖς Σπις όλοις ὡαπερεὶ θεμελίοις το καταβαλλομθύης οικοδομής ξ χρισιανισμό, ἐπιδιδόντα 3 καὶ καὶ τὰς ἑξῆς χρόνες, ἐν οἷς ἐκ ὀλίγαι θεραπείας τῷ Ἰησὲ ὀνόματι, καὶ ἄλλαί τινες ἐπιβάνεται ἐκ σύκα]αφρόνησε 727. Orig. contra Celf. lit.3. pag. 127.

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that power of the Spirit of God, whereof they faw fome vifible effects among believers, many of the Philofophers themselves of that time, and fome of Julian's great friends and acquaintance afterwards, betook themselves to the most Diabolical Superftition, Charming, Necromancy, Invocation of Dæmons; pretending to Divinations, Ecftafies, Inspirations, Nocturnal Visions and frequent converfings with their Gods and departed Heroes. Thefe wicked and Enthufiaftical practices they called Theurgical, as if there had been fomething Divine in them. And by this method they hoped to keep the old Gentile Idolatry in fome credit; as whoever will take the pains to read and confider the lives of thofe Philofophers, written by Eunapius their great admirer, will eafily fee. But this pretence to fomething Supernatural, though it might for a time impose upon the ignorant and supersti- tious part of the Gentiles, could not bear up against the light of the Gofpel. Nor could fuch works of the Devil endure the fight of the meanest Christian alive; nay, they complained, that the very Bodies of fome of them, when dead, hindred all the Influence of their Gods from fhewing itself. However, both thefe Methods of oppofing Chriftianity plain

ly fhew, that the facts upon which it was founded were undeniable; and that they had nothing better to fay against them, when they took fuch courses to defend their own Superftition, as the more ancient Philofophers of reputation (fuch as Anaxagoras, Socrates, Plato, Xenophon or Ariftotle) would have been ashamed of.

Thus the wonderful manner in which Christianity was so speedily propagated, and the effects which for a long time followed it, are a standing argument of its truth and divinity, and give a more than human teftimony to the Revelation contained in holy Scripture.

If it should be alledged, that the great progrefs and large extent of Mahometanism is an objection to this way of arguing, fince we do not allow that to have any thing divine in it: The anfwer, I think, is very obvious, That it is not the extent of worldly domi-' nion, or the mere number of outward profeffors, upon which we lay the ftrefs of this argument, but that inward converfion of the minds of men, which attended the Christian Doctrine, not only without, but contrary to, all human Power and Policy. Mahomet did not pretend to prove his Doctrine by Miracles, nor to reform the lives of men by it, but.

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to form a worldly dominion upon the corruptions both of Judaism and Christianity: Out of which he framed a doctrine to draw in both; of which he did not offer to convince men otherwise, than by worldly motives and the power of the fword. And 'tis no wonder that nominal Chriftians, and others, who had no real inward Religion,, fhould come apace into fuch a doctrine as gratified their lufts, when it had once gotten an establishment. But did ever any of Mahomet's Difciples make fuch numbers of Converts out of the bounds of their own dominions, or where they and their profeffion were continually perfecuted? So that if we confider the different manner and means of propagating Chriftianity, and the doctrine of Mahomet, it will plainly fhew their different original. And as to the intrinfick excellence of the feveral doctrines, they will bear no comparison.

I fhall now briefly add the fecond thing which I proposed in the beginning of this dif course; namely,

II. The fucceffive accomplishment of Prophefies delivered by Chrift and his Apostles.

I shall not here mention the prophecies of Hh 3 the