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(4.) DE. By the Account you have given, there is but one Religion in the World, nor ever was. For the Jewish was but Chriftianity in Type, though in time greatly corrupted: And the Heathen was a greater Corruption, and founded the Fables of their Gods upon the Facts of Scripture: And the Mahometan, you fay, is but a Herely of Chriftianity. So that all is Chriftianity ftill.

CHR. It is true, God gave but one Revelation to the World, which was that of Chrift: And as that was corrupted, new Revelations were pretended. But God has guarded his Revelations with fuch Evidences, as it was not in the Power of Men or Devils to counterfeit, or contrive any-thing like them. Some bear Refemblance in one or two Features, in the first two or three Evidences that I have produced; but as none reach the fourth, fo they are all quite deftitute of the leaft Pretence to the remaining four. So that when you look upon the Face of divine Revelation, and take it all together, it is impoffible to mistake it for any of those Delusions which the Devil has fet up in Imitation of it. And they are

made to confirm it, because all the Refemblance they have to Truth, is that wherein they are any-ways like it; but, when compared with it, they fhew as an ill drawn Picture, half Man, half Beaft, in Prefence of the beautiful Original.

(5.) De. It is ftrange, that, if the Cafe be thus plain as you have made it, the whole World is not immediately convinced.

CHR. If the Seed be never fo good, yet if it be fown upon Stones, or among Thorns, it will bring forth nothing. There are Hearts of Stone; and others fo filled with the Love of Riches, with the Cares and PleaJures of this Life, that they will not fee: They have not a Mind to know any-thing which they think would disturb them in their Enjoyments, or leffen their Opinion of them; for that would be taking away fo much of their Pleafure. Therefore it is no eafy Matter to perfuade Men to place their Happiness in future Expectations, which is the Import of the Goffel. And in pref

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ing this, and bidding the Worldly-minded abandon their beloved Vices, and telling the fatal Confequences of them, we muft expect to meet not only with their Scorn and Contempt, but their utmoft Rage and Impatience, to get rid of us, as fo many Enemies of their Lufts and Pleafures. This is the Cross which our Saviour prepared all his Difciples to bear; who were to fight against Flef and Blood, and all the Allurements of the World. And it is a greater Miracle that they have had fo many Followers in this, than that they have gained to themfelves fo many Enemies. The World is a ftrong Man ; and till a stronger than he comes (that is, the full Perfuafion of the Future State), he will keep Poffeffion. And this is the Victory that overcometh the World, even our Faith. But we are told alfo, that this Faith is the Gift of God. For all the Evidence in the World will not reach the Heart, unless it be prepared (like the good Ground) to receive the Doctrine that is taught. Till then, Prejudice will create Obfiinacy, which will barden the Heart like a Rock; and cry, Non perfuadebis, tiamfi perfuaferis! I will not be perfuaded, tho' I should be perfuaded!

You must confider under this Head too, the many that have not yet heard of the Gospel: And of those that have, the far greater Number who have not the Capacity or Opportunity to examine all the Evidences of Chriftianity, but take Things upon Truft, juft as they are taught. And how many others are careless, and will not be at the Pains, though they want not Capacity, to inquire into the Truth? All thefe Claffes will include the greatest Part of Mankind. The ignorant, the careless, the vicious, and fo the obftinate, the ambitious, and the covetous, whofe Minds the God of this World hath blinded.

But yet, in the midst of all this Darknefs, God hath not left himself without Witness; which will be apparent to every diligent and fober Enquirer, that is willing and prepared to receive the Truth.

(6.) Good SIR, let me ask you, though you are of no Religion, as you fay, but what you call Natural,

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yet would you not think me very brutal, if I fhould deny that ever there was fuch a Man as Alexander, or Cafar, or that they did fuch Things? If I fhould deny all Hiftory! or that Homer, or Virgil, Demofthenes, or Cicero, ever wrote fuch Books; would you not think me perfectly obftinate, seized with a Spirit of Contradiction, and not fit for human Converfation?

And yet these Things are of no Confequence to me. It is not a Farthing as to my Intereft, whether they are true or falfe.

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Will you then think yourself a reasonable Man, if, in Matters of the greatest Importance, even your eternal State, you will not believe thofe Facts which have a thousand times more certain and indisputable Evidence? Were there any Prophecies of Cæfar or Pompey? Were there any Types of them, or public Inftitutions, appointed by a Law, to prefigure the great Things that they fhould do? Any Perfons who went before them, to bear a Refemblance of thefe Things, and bid us expect that great Event? Was there a general Expectation in the World of their Coming, before or at the Time when they came? And of what Confequence was their Coming, to the World, or to After-Ages? No more than a Robbery committed a thoufand Years ago!

Were the Greek and Roman Hiftories written by the Perfons who did the Facts, or by Eye-Witnesses? And, for the greater Certainty, were thofe Hiftories made the ftanding Law of the Country? Or were they any more than our Holinfhead and Stow, &c.?

Muft we believe thefe, on Pain of not being thought reasonable Men? And are we then unreasonable and credulous, if we believe the Facts of the Holy Bible? which was the standing Law of the People to whom it was given, and wrote, or dictated, by thofe who did the Facts, with publick Inftitutions appointed by them, as a perpetual Law to all their Generations; and which, if the Facts had been falfe, could never have paffed at the Time when the Facts were faid to be done; nor for the fame Reafon, if that Book had been wrote afterwards; because these Infiitutions (as Circumcifion, the Paffover, Baptifm,

Baptifm, &c.) were as notorious Facts as any; and that Book, faying they commenced from the Time that the Facts were done, must be found to be falfe, whenever it was trumpt up in After-Ages, by fuch Inftitutions being then known. Not like the Feafts Games, &c. in Memory of the Heathen Gods, which were appointed long after those Facts which were faid to be done: And the like Inftitutions may be appointed To-morrow, in Memory of any Falfhood faid to be done a thousand Years ago; and fo is no Proof at all. And though a Legend or Book of Stories of Things faid to be done many Years past may be palmed upon People, yet a Book of Statutes cannot, by which their Causes are tried every Day.

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Are there fuch Prophecies extant in any profane Hiftofo long before the Facts there recorded, as there are in the Holy Scriptures of the Coming of the Mafiah? Were there any Types or Forerunners of the Heathen Gods, or of Mahomet?

Is there the like Evidence of the Truth and Sincerity of the Greek and Roman Historians, as of the Penmen of the Holy Scriptures?

Would thefe Hiftorians have given their Lives for the Truth of all they wrote ?

Did they tell fuch Facts only, wherein it was impoffible for themselves to be impofed upon, or that they should impofe upon others? Nothing but what themselves had feen and heard, and they alfo to whom they spoke ?

Did they expect nothing but Perfecution and Death for what they related? And were they bidden to bear it patiently without Refiftance? Was this the Cafe of the Difciples of Mahomet, who were required to fight and conquer with the Sword?

Did any Religion ever overcome by Suffering, but the Chriftian only?

And did any exhibit the future State, and preach the Contempt of this World, like the Christian?

DE. That's the Reafon it has prevailed fo little. And yet, confidering this, it is ftrange it has prevailed fo much.

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(7.) But there is one thing yet behind, wherein I would be glad to have your Opinion, because I find your Divines differ about it: And that is, How we shall know to distinguish betwixt true and falfe Miracles.

And this is neceffary to the Subject we are upon. For the Force of the Facts you allege ends all in this, That fuch miraculous Facts are a fufficient Atteftation of fuch Perfons being fent of God; and, confequently, that we are to believe the Doctrine which they taught.

You know we Deifts deny any fuch Thing as Miracles, but reduce all to Nature: Yet, I confefs, if I had seen fuch Miracles as are recorded of Mofes and of Chrift, it would have convinced me. And for the Truth of them, we must refer to the Evidences you have given. But, in the mean time, if there is no Rule whereby to diftinguish betwixt true and false Miracles, there is an End of all the Pains you have taken. For if the Devil can work fuch Things as appear Miracles to me, I am as much perfuaded as if they were true Miracles, and wrought by God. And fo Men may be deceived in trufting to Miracles.

The common Notion of a Miracle is what exceeds the Power of Nature. To which we fay, That we know not the utmost of the Power of Nature, and confequently cannot tell what exceeds it. Nor do you pretend to know the utmost of the Power of Spirits, whether good or evil; and how then can you tell what exceeds their Power?

I doubt not but you would have thought those to be true Miracles which the Magicians are faid to have wrought in Egypt; but that Mofes is faid to have wrought Miracles that were fuperior to them.

CHR. Therefore if two Powers contend for the Superiority, as here God and the Devil did, the best Iffue can be is to fee them wrestle together, and then we fhall foon know which is ftrongest. This was the Cafe of Mofes and the Magicians, of Chrift and the Devil. There was a Struggle, and Satan was plainly overcome.

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