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"the armies of the living God: yet he approaches not, lile "Goliah, to call forth a Champion, but to insult and triumph "over his vanquished Enemies." *

Among other Objections which the Hiftorian of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire has urged against the truth of Christianity the learned Univerfity Preacher has, very properly, brought forward for public difcuffion, that which relates to the coming of Christ, as it certainly is, the most formidable and the most likely to make an impreflion upon the mind of the Reader of any that can be named, in the whole history of religious controverfy." In the primitive Church," fays the Hiftorian, "the influence of truth was very powerfully "ftrengthened by an opinion which, however it may deferve respect for it usefulness and antiquity, has not been found to be agreeable to experience. It was univerfally believed that the end of the world and the kingdom of heaven were at hand. The near approach of this wonderful event had "been predicted by the Apoftles; the tradition of it was "preferved by their earlieft difciples and those who understood, " in their literal fenfe, the difcourfes of Chrift himself were obliged to expect the fecond and glorious coming of the "Son of Man in the clouds, before that generation was totally

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extinguished, which had beheld his humble condition upon * Earth. Yet," he adds, "the revolution of seventeen "Centuries has inftructed us not to prefs too closely the "language of Prophecy and Revelation. But as long as, for

wife purposes, this error was permitted to fubfift in the Church, it was productive of the most falutary effects on "the faith and practice of Chriftians, who lived in the awful expectation of that moment when the globe itfelf and all the "various race of mankind fhould tremble at the appearance of "their divine Judge." +

What renders this Objection the more formidable is, that it really contains nothing more than is to be met with in the Writings of Chriftians themselves, and of those too, of na fmall eminence for their knowledge of the facred Writings.

The learned Univerfity Preacher appears to have reprefented their opinions with great fairnefs and impartiality, fo far as

* See Edwards's Sermon on the Jewish and Heathen Rejection of the Christian Miracles, p. 4.

+ See Gibbon's Hiftory of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. I. pages 470, 471.

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they relate to that part of the charge which afferts that the Apoftles predicted the near approach of the end of the world. "It may not," fays he," be thought wonderful that Baronius "and other Romanifts, to avoid the application of the Man "of Sin, fhould earnestly contend that the speedy appearance "of Chrift was expected by the Apoftles, (See Mede's Works, p. 665); but it is fomewhat remarkable that the Orthodox "Father of the celebrated Prelate who tranflated Isaiah, in a "treatise defigned to confute a fuppofed latitudinarian, should

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affent to the validity of our Hiftorian's Objection, by "confeffing, without referve, that the Apoftles were mistaken. "(See Lowth's Vindication, &c. p. 52.). Grotius infinuates," that for wife purpoles the pious deception was permitted to “take place;—(Gibbon, Vol. II. p. 301. See Grotius de Veritat. lib. ii. § 6. Cleric. ad 1 Theff. v. 10.) And an "..ingenious Profeffor of our own Univerfity does not appear extremely folicitous to relieve the Apostles from the accufation of Error. (See Dr. Watfon's Apology, p. 61.) But how far thefe conceffions may be founded on truth, 66 can be discovered only by an examination of those Paffages "which are usually brought forward in the difcuffion of this * fubject***

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In this examination, the learned University Preacher, with Dr. Watfon, is fo far from being folicitous to relieve the Apostles from the accufation of Error, that at the close of it he fays, "I have now completed the examination of those paffages, which I intended to notice; others might be "added equally clear and determinate; but these which I have "felected feem abundantly fufficient to establish the justness "of Mr. Locke's opinion, (vide ad. 11. Cor. v. 3.) † that "the Apoftles expected, in their own time, the end of the "world and the appearance of Chrift. It becomes, therefore, "the Antagonist of our Historian, moft earnestly to confider, "whether the real Interefts of Christianity would not be "more effentially promoted, by conceding the objection to his Adverfary, than by vainly attempting to remove it. We'

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* See the Predictions of the Apostles concerning the end of the World. A Sermon preached before the Univerfity of Cambridge May 23, 1790, by. Thomas Edwards, LL.D. pages 12, 13.

+ Mr. Locke's Note here referred to, is as follows: "That the Apoftle "looked on the coming of Chrift as not far off, appears by what he says,

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1 Theff. iv. 15. and v. 6. which Epiftle was written some years before this. See also to the same purpose, 1 Cor. i. 7. and vii. 29, 31. and x. 11. "Rom. xiii. 11, 12. Heb. x. 37.

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need not be apprehenfive that any injurious confequences will arife from the conceffion, for as our ingenious Profeffor very candidly acknowledges, (p. 64), the Apoftles might, furely, be proper witneffes of the life and refurrection of "Jefus, though they were ignorant of the precife time when "he would come to judge the world." And a very learned Writer, now living, fpeaking upon this fubject, in a private letter, fays, "I cannot help thinking that the primitive "Chriftians and, perhaps, even the Apoftles, did expect the "day of judgment to be near at hand. I think that fome of "St. Paul's expreffions will hardly admit of any other interpretation."

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The other part of the charge of the Hiftorian of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, viz. that "those who "understood, in their literal fenfe, the difcourfes of Chrift "himself, were obliged to expect the fecond and glorious

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coming of the Son of Man in the clouds before that generation was totally extinguished which had beheld his "humble condition upon Earth," is founded upon fuch paffages as the following, Matt. x. 23. Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Ifrael till the Son of Man be come.-xvi. 28.· There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. xxiv: 30. They shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven. Luke xxi. 31, 32. When ye see these things come to pass, know ve that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation fhall not pass away till all be fulfilled,

Upon this latter paffage, the learned Univerfity Preacher quotes Dr. Sykes, as very readily allowing that, by the kingdom of God, we are here to understand, its glorious ftate and perfection in a future world. And, he fays himself, that "

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other interpretation would, indeed, be utterly groundless; and that our Lord decifively foretells that the generation then exifting fhould not be totally extinguished till it had witneffed his fecond and glorious appearance in the clouds "of heaven." + Mr. Mede fays, "I utterly deny that to be "the kingdom, viz. which took place at Chrift's first coming, "our Saviour prophefies of, Luke xxi. 31. and answerably

in the other Gofpels:" And, in another place, he says that "the Church hath always grounded her faith of the fecond "coming of Chrift, upon those paffages in the Gofpels which

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See Edwards's Sermon on the Predictions of the Apostles, pages 35, 36.
Ibid. pages 19--33,

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fpeak of his coming in the clouds of heaven."* And, to mention no more, a Writer in the Theological Repofitory, whofe fignature is Idiota, fays, "We find it very evident "that our Lord is recorded by his Hiftorians, Matthew,

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Mark (xii. 30.), and Luke, to have declared, that his "Second coming was one of thofe events which would happen "during the lives of fome of his Contemporaries. We find "ourselves obliged to make this conceffion, and let Mr. "Gibbon make every advantage of it that he can." +

If this be an impartial view of the prefent ftate of the Controverly concerning the doctrine of the coming of Chrift, the observation of the learned Univerfity Preacher, already mentioned, cannot be very remote from the truth,—that the Hiftorian of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, "Proud and elated by the weakness of his adverfaries, insults "and triumphs over his vanquished Enemies." +

To a person who attends to the ftate of religious controverfy in the prefent age, it must be evident that the prefs teems with defences of Chriftianity; many of which do the highest credit to the learning, the abilities, and the piety which they difplay; but however meritorious and praife worthy, fuch exertions, in the Chriftian cause may be, they muft lofe much of their intended effect, in converting the Unbeliever, while fuch formidable objections to the truth of Chriftianity appear, by the confeffion of Chriftians themselves, to ftand in their full force. Nor will the Believer himself be able to pay any attention to these objections, and return, with full fatisfaction, to the perufal of the facred Writings, while any doubt remains upon his mind, of the true meaning of thofe paffages upon which the Hiftorian of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, has founded his Objections.

* See Mede's Works, Vol. II. p. 349, 306. Edit. 1650. + See the Theol. Repofit. Vol. VI. p. 162.

See Edwards's Sermon on the Jewish and Heathen rejection of the Chriftian Miracles, p. 4. "It is very remarkable that the Bishop of Landaff "has paffed over in filence, the objection of the Hiftorian of the Decline and "Fall of the Roman Empire, so far as it relates to our Lord, as if conscious "that it was not to be refuted. He, no doubt, must have perceived its "connection with the charge brought against the Apoftles, and therefore it "deserved his firft confideration; for it was natural for the Apoftles to have "taken their opinions from him; and while a suspicion remained that Chrift "taught such a doctrine, the attempt to exculpate the Apoftles from such a charge must inevitably be fruitless."

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To the Believer, therefore, as well as to the Infidel, this Controverfy is of the utmost importance, as the language upon which the Objections of the Hiftorian of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire are founded, particularly as it relates to our Lord himself, runs throughout the whole of the Gospel Hiftory; as it was evidently uttered with a defign to make a ftrong impreffion upon the minds of thofe to whom it was addreffed; and as it is utterly impoffible, otherwife, to understand, what is the great and leading object which it has in view; for as the learned Univerfity Preacher has, very properly, obferved, "the Objections of the Hiftorian of the Decline and Fall of "the Roman Empire are now levelled, not only against the "doctrines of particular fects, but againft the entire fabric of "Chriftianity itself ;--that the conteft does not lie between

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Paul and Apollos, or Apollos and Cephas; but between "Revelation and Reafon,-Faith and Infidelity, the pureft "Religion in the world, and no religion at all. The effential "Interefts therefore," as this Writer farther obferves, "of our Holy Religion-the credit and character of the Clerical profeffion, most importunately demand fuch a complete "refutation of our inveterate" (but, in this inftance, not uncandid) "Enemy, as may defeat his purposes, reprefs his "confidence, and filence his reproaches."*

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If the paffages upon which this charge is founded, be confidered in their connection, and with a view to the Gospel as an Hiftory, and, more particularly, as an Hiftory of the claims of Jefus to the character of the Meffiah, and to the fituation and circnmftances of things, when Jefus appeared in the world, this Champion of Infidelity-this formidable Adverfary-this inveterate Enemy, as the learned University Preacher has termed him t, will be defpoiled of all his armour in which he boasted,-the envenomed shafts of his farcaftic ridicule, deprived of their poifon, will fly harmless; and Chriftianity, far from being injured in the conteft, will gain a degree of luftre to its truth, which all, who are capable of judging of the nature of evidence, will be forced to acknowledge to be among the ftrongest recommendations of its Celestial Origin. Nor will it be among the leaft advantages attending this examination, that it will present to the Chriftian world a fpecimen of the only legitimate method of studying the + Ibid. pages 3, 4.

* See Edwards's Sermon on the Miracles, p. 4.

Gofpels,

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