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no more twain, but one Flefh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not Man put afunder. We fee how readily and clearly our Saviour folves this controverted Point on the Authority of this Account of Mofes. For fince this was the first human Relation that ever fubfifted, and fince it was cemented in the closest Manner imaginable, and by the Hand of God himself, it ought to be preferved the laft, and maintained in Preference to all other interfering Relations. From the Beginning of the Creation, God made them Male and Female. For this Cause, that it was the first Relation, fhall a Man leave his Father and Mother, poftponing thofe Relations which are of a later Commencement, and cleave unto his Wife, and they twain shall be one Flesh. What therefore God hath joined together let not Man put afunder. Let no human Authority prefume to refcind those Ties which God himfelf hath connected. But had Dr. M. been of Council for the Pharifees, how foon would he have obviated our Saviour's Argument! "The Principles, fays "He, you argue from are imaginary: They were "not joined together by God's creating Hand, but by the Invention of Mofes."

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I fhall produce yet one Clafs more of ScripQuotations in Support of the Authority of this Hiftory. Nevertheless Death reigned from Adam to Mofes, even over them that had not finned after the Similitude of Adam's Tranfgreffion, who is the Figure of him that was to come. But not as the Of

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fence, fo alfo is the Free Gift. For if through the Offence of one, many be dead; much more the Grace of God, and the Gift by Grace, which is by one Man, Jefus Chrift, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that finned, fo is the Gift: For the Fudgment was by one to Condemnation; but the Free Gift is of many Offences unto fuftification. For if by one Man's Offence Death reigned by one, much more they which receive Abundance of Grace, and of the Gift of Righteoufnefs, fhall reign in Life by one Jefus Chrift. Therefore as by the Offence of one, Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation: Even fo by the Righteousness of one, the Free Gift came upon all Men unto Juftification of Life. For as by one Mans Difobedience many were made Sinners: So by the Obedience of one, fhall many be made righteous. Again. But now is Chrift rifen from the dead and become the Firft-Fruits of them that flept. For fince by Man came Death, by Man came alfo the Refurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even fo in Chrift fhall all be made alive. b Here is a large Comparison made between the Lofs and Hurt Mankind sustained by the Fall of Adam, and the Benefits they received by the voluntary Sacrifice of Christ. That both these are vifionary I hope will not be afferted. Shall we then say that the Comparison is made between a Truth and a Fiction? That cannot be. Because it is faid that as in Adam all die, even fo, in the fame Manner, and no otherwise, fhall all be made alive by Chrift. If therefore it be b 1 Cor. 15, 20, 21, 22.

a Rom.

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5. 14 &c.

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only a Fable which makes Adam the Caufe of our Death, in the fame Manner muft it be a Fable that Chrift fhall be the Author of our Life. Or if we have full Affurance of the Reality of our expected living in Chrift, then we must also admit the Reality of our pretended dying in Adam. For we may reafon è Converfo that as in Chrift all fhall be made alive, even fo in Adam did all die. The affign'd Caufe of the Damage, and Reparation, of our Nature, are spoken of with the fame Degree of Certainty: And therefore the Accounts we have of the Author and Production of our promised Happiness, and our experienced Mifery, (both which the Apostle suppofes Us to be acquainted with) must demand an equal Degree of Credit. For the Apostles Argument will not allow Us to hold the one for a Fiction, and the other for a Truth. As then we value the Foundation of the glorious Hopes of a Refurrection and an Immortality, let us not destroy the Foundation on which the supposed Depravation of our Nature is maintained. For We fhall all be made alive in Chrift no otherwife than as We all died in Adam.

UPON the Whole. There is Nothing incredible in the Facts or Matter of this Relation, and therefore it is no Apologue.

THE Authority of the Writer is unquestioned, and is great enough to establish a Belief of any credible Facts: The Defign of the Author, which was the Inftruction of the World in feveral moral and religious Duties, and in the Truth of fe

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veral Facts from whence thofe Duties are derived, could not have been answered by a Fable: Through the whole of the Account are interfperfed feveral evident Characteristics of true Hiftory: And lastly, for its being a true History there are the Suffrages of many facred Interpreters, infpired by the fame Holy Spirit which prefided in its Compofition: And Therefore it is no Fable.

WHENCE we arrive at the last Conclufion, for the fake of which chiefly the whole Argument was undertaken, that the Foundation of the First Prophecy is yet fecure: And therefore, notwithstanding any Thing here objected, that it may ftill be esteemed a Part of that Chain of Prophecies extended through all Antiquity, in which the Revelation of the promised Redeemer was gradually unfolded.

I have all along avoided giving any Explanation of my own of the feveral Particulars of this History which have come under Confideration, both because several good and convenient Explanations of the whole have been already given, by many eminent Authors, and also because my prefent Design did not carry me any further, than barely to free it from the Objections that had been revived against it. My Attempt was not to procure any new Light, but to reftore the old: and to recover that which, by the Interpofition of an envious Cloud, had been intercepted.

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III. A brief State of the Question, whether Prophecies or Miracles afford ftronger Evidence for the Truth of Christianity.

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HY is this made a Question by. the Enemies of Christianity? They who will not allow that it is fupported by any Strength of Evidence at all, why do they go about to compare the Strength of two diftinct Kinds of it's Êvidence, and, denying that there are any Proofs for its Truth, why do they difpute by what Means its Truth may be most effectually proved? Or why, again, is it debated amongst the Friends of Chriftianity? If they are fatisfied in the whole of its Evidence, and feel that its united Force is strong enough to overthrow all Opposition, and to work a full Conviction in every unprejudiced Mind, this is all that the Service of Christianity demands; and it can be but an unprofitable Curiosity at best that can engage them to spend their Leifure in enquiring into the feparate and diftinct Forces of its feveral Parts. If feveral Witneffes had given in their Evidence in fome depending Cause, and the Jury were of Opinion

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