ly uninviting to human nature, as governed by those propensities and inclinations, which are felt and acknowledged in every age, and in every climate.

It is impossible to conceive a religion more repugnant than the christian to the prejudices and expectations of both Jews and Gentiles; of the Jews, who, misled by the figurative language of prophecy, which they interpreted under the influence of carnal affections, looked for a temporal Messiah, who would subdue their enemies and put them in possession of wealth and dominion; of the Greeks, who sought after wisdom, and despised every doctrine, which was not agreeable to the tenets of their philosophy, and adorned with the beauties of eloquence. Was it probable, that men would renounce opinions and practices, rendered venerable by the sanction of their ancestors for many ages; and abandon the religions, to which they had been inspired with an early attachment, at the call of a few unknown and unlettered persons, who published doctrines so abhorrent to all their ideas, and void of apparent credibility? Was it probable, that they would embrace a religion, which held out no prospect of worldly advantage; but, on the contrary, while it required from them the practice of the most painful duties, taught them to reckon upon the scorn and ill usage of the world as their present reward? Their conversion was so highly improbable, that a man of prudence and sagacity would have thought himself fully warranted to predict complete disappointment, as the issue of the labours of the apostles. Yet we know, that their endeavours to turn the world to the faith, were crowned with the most astonishing success. Myriads of

Jews and Gentiles, notwithstanding the scandal of his cross, acknowledged the divinity and messiahship of Jesus; and became his disciples at the risk of every thing, which is accounted dear and valuable among men.

How, then, shall we account for so singular an event? Either we must suppose that mankind, in that age, were not governed by the same motives, which are observed to influence them in every other age; or we must conclude, that the apostles exhibited such evidence of the truth of the gospel, as perfectly satisfied them, and triumphed over their prejudices. And what else could that evidence be, but the miracles recorded in the New Testament? The first preachers of christianity could not demonstrate its truth, by the principles of reason; and its intrinsic excellence was not of a kind to be perceiv ed and relished, at least in the first instance, by those whom they addressed. Some proof of easy apprehension, some evidence which would strike the dullest, and convince the most prejudiced, was requisite; and of these qualiti., the evidence of miracles is eminently possessed. If the miracles be denied, their success is altogether inexplicable, and as Chrysostom says, "If without miracles they persuaded the world, this is the greatest miracle of all." The denial of the miracles is the more unreasonable, because, while a certain effect is allowed to have been produced, the only cause which could satisfactorily account for it, is not admitted.

I beg the reader to bestow a little attention on this matter. By a miracle, I mean a work, which no man could perform, unless God were with him; a work superior, or contrary to the laws of nature,

which God, or some being commissioned by him, performs, when certain words are spoken, or some sign is given by the person, whose character and doctrine the miracle is meant to attest. I acknowledge, that we ought not rashly to believe, that miracles have been wrought, because such events are out of the ordinary course of nature, and abstractly considered, therefore, are improbable ; and because the most fatal consequences might flow from admitting, without sufficient evidence, that a person is a messenger from God. But such circumstances may accompany the report of a miracle, as shall render it absolutely unreasonable not to believe it. If, for example, it be said to have produced a change in human affairs, which change we find to have actually taken place; and if the change be of such a nature, that no other cause was sufficient to effect it, the truth of the miracle can no more be called in question, than the state of things founded upon it. Now this is exactly the case of the miracles of the apostles. The most astonishing revolution in the history of mankind, is said to have been accomplished by them, or by their doctrine, as attested and confirmed by them; the fact itself is indisputable; and the supposition of their miracles is the only theory which will account for it, in a satisfactory manner. All the other causes, to which the progress of christianity hath been ascribed, are manifestly inadequate. Should their miracles appear improbable, when viewed by themselves, they are probable, and even highly credible, when considered in connection with their success; or rather we may pronounce them to be certain. In the language of philosophy, they are the only principle, which is

sufficient to explain the phenomenon. In fact we are reduced to this alternative, either to believe that the greatest revolution in the world was effected without any adequate cause; or to admit their miracles, which afford a simple and satisfactory explanation of it.

If then the apostles, as the case obliges us to grant, were endowed with a power of performing miraculous works, God testified his approbation of them in their public capacity. Miracles were the seals of heaven appended to their commission; tokens, that they were its friends and favourites; signs, which not only awakened the attention, but proved that they were supernaturally assisted. It follows, that their doctrine was from God; for nothing can be more certain, than that he would not have given them a power to control the laws of nature; or to speak more conformably to truth, that he would not himself have controlled the laws of nature at their command, that they might successfully propagate lies in his name. God would not have given the visions of their brain the highest attestation which he can give to his own oracles. What they spoke, therefore, God spoke by them, as what is said by an ambassador, in conformity to his instructions, is understood to be said by the king his master. But if the doctrine which they preached was divine, their writings are of equal authority, not only because they contain a summary of the doctrine, but because the same miracles, which attested their sermons, attested likewise their gospels and epistles. Their miracles attested all their instructions, whether verbal or written. They proved their authority in general, to make a revelation to mankind and

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consequently proved, that in whatever form, or by whatever means, they made it, by the tongue or by the pen, by spoken or by written discourses, they were alike entitled to credit.

It would discover caprice and childishness to draw a line of distinction between their discourses and their writings; and to say that the former were inspired, but that the latter were the productions of their unassisted faculties. We must either deny, or admit the inspiration of both. It is evidently absurd to suppose, that God gave them his commission, when they were to preach, but withdrew it, when they were to write for the benefit of all succeeding generations; or that he enabled them to work miracles to convince us that they were his messengers, and yet did not guide them by his Spirit, in committing their message to writing. Surely, if it was of importance, that the apostles should be preserved from all error in preaching the gospel, it was of more importance, that they should be under infallible direction in framing those books, from which men, in all ages and countries, would draw their notions of the christian religion. An error in one of their discourses might have misled a few hundreds or thousands, and could have been retracted on another occasion; but an error in their books would have been productive of the most pernicious consequences to the end of the world, and could not have been corrected without a new revelation. Besides, as no man can assign a reason, why the attestation of their divine commission by miracles should be supposed to have terminated, when they ceased to speak and began to write, so no man in his senses, will entertain an idea of rev