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that ADAM was created on the fixth Day at nine in the Morning; that he fell about Noon, That being the Time of eating; and that CHRIST was promifed about three o' Clock in the Afternoon.

So that the Truth of Chriftianity depends, as it ought, on ancient Revelations, which are contain❜d in the Old Testament, and more particularly and immediately on the Revelations made to the Jews therein.

V.

That the chief Proofs of Christianity from the Old Teftament, are urged by the Apostles in the New Testament.

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OW Christianity depends on thofe Revelations, or what Proofs are therein to be met withal in Behalf of Christianity, are the Subjects of almost all the numerous Books written by Divines and other Apologifts for Christianity; but the Chief and Principal of thofe Proofs, may be juftly fuppofed to be urged in the New Teftament by the Authors thereof; who relate the Hiftory of the first Preaching of the Gofpel, and were themselves, either Apostles of JESUS or Companions of the Apostles.

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VI.

That if thofe Proofs are valid, Chriftianity is invincibly establish'd on its true Foundation.

TH

HOSE PROOFS have in fome Measure been already produced by me. And if they are valid Proofs, then is Christianity ftrongly and invincibly establish'd on its true Foundations. It is establish'd on its true Foundations; because JESUS and his Apostles grounded Chriftianity on those Proofs; and it is ftrongly and invincibly establish'd on thofe Foundations; becaufe a Proof drawn from an infpired Book, is perfectly conclufive; and Prophecies, delivered in an infpired Book, are, when fulfill'd, fuch as may be juftly deem'd (n) fure and demonftrative Proofs; and which (0) PETER prefers as an Argument to the miraculous Atteftation, whereof he himself and two other Apoftles were Witneffes, given by God himself to the Miffion of JESUS CHRIST. His Argument feems as follows. Laying this Foundation, that Pro"phecy proceeds from the Holy Ghost, it is a ftronger Argument, than a Miracle, which depends upon external Evidence and Te«ftimony.

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Befides, according to our (p) Saviour, Mos Es and the Prophets are, not only without farther

(0) 2 Pet. 1. 19.

(n) Origen contr. Celf. p. 34. See Whitby in locum. Whiffon's Lect. p. 4. (p) Luke 16. 31. Matt. 24. 23, 44. Mark 13. 21, 22.

Miracles,

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Miracles, but tho' Miracles fhould be wrought in Oppofition to them, a fufficient Foundation of Faith.

In Building thus on Prophecy, as a Principle; JESUS and his Apostles had the Concurrence of all Sects of Religion among the Pagans; who (9) univerfally built their Religions on Divination; and alfo made a great Part of their Religion to lye in the Practice of that Art. They learnt that Art in Schools, or under Discipline, as the Jews did (r) Prophecying in the Schools and Colleges of the Prophets; where the learned DODWEL fays, the Candidates for Prophecy were taught the Rules of Divination practifed by the Pagans, who were skill'd therein, and in Poffeffion of the Art long before them. Befides, this miraculous Gift of Prophecy, among the Jews, was not occafional, but a common Matter of Fact, and a standing Proof of the divine Authority of Judaism. For, fuitably to the Words of MOSES, (s) A Prophet will the Lord God raise up unto thee like unto me; to him shall ye bearben; (which imply an (t) Establishment of an Order and Succeffion of Prophets in Analogy to the Heathen Diviners) there were great (u) Numbers of Prophets among them; who not only in the most important Affairs of Government, but in the Discovery

(r) Bull's Sermons,

(4) Cicero de Divinatione. P. 419. Wheatley's Schools of the Prophets. Dodwel's Letters of Advice, &c. p. 214, &c. (s) Deut. 18. 15, 18. (t) Dodwel, Ib. Stilling fleet's Orig. facræ. 1. 2. c. 4. n. 1. (u) Ib. n. 2. Burnet. Archæol, p. 43, 44•.

of

of (w) loft Goods, and in telling Fortunes, fhew'd their divine Inspiration; and who were paid for it by thofe, who confulted them, either in Victuals or Money, or Prefents. Whereby the meaneft Perfon in Judaa had the Opportunity of having this Miracle wrought for him, whenever he had Occafion, which therefore we may eafily judge must have been a common indifputed Matter of Fact; for the frequent Wants of the People must have made them often attend the Prophets, as the Livelihood the Prophets got by it must have caufed them to have made conftant Use of their divine Faculty.

It may also be juftly fuppofed, that the divine Power of interpreting Dreams, (which was a prophetick Science pretended to in all Nations) prevalent among the Jews, gave daily Occafion to Numbers of People to have their Dreams interpreted, which were usually thought to fignify fome Good or Evil that was to befal them, and were commonly interpreted in Relation to Things to come.

Laftly, Prophefies fulfill'd feem the most proper of all Arguments to evince the Truth of a Revelation, which is defign'd to be univerfally promulgated to Men. For a Man, for Example, who has the Old Testament put into his Hands, which contains Prophefies, and the New Testament, which contains their Completions, and is once fatisfy'd, as he may

(w) 1 Sam. 9. 6, 20. 1 King. 14, 2, 3. 1 Sam. 9. 7, 8.

2. King 8. 8, 10.

be

be with the greatest Ease, that the Old Testament exifted before the New, may have a compleat, internal, divine Demonftration of the Truth of Chriftianity, without long and laborious Inquiries. Whereas, Arguments of another Nature, fuch, for Inftance, as relate to the Authority and Genuinness of Books, and the Perfons and Characters of Authors and Witneffes, require more Application and Understanding than falls to the Share of the Bulk of Mankind; or else are very precarious in themfelves, as we may judge by the Representation of the State of primitive Antiquity given us by our most learned Divines. The pious and learned Bishop Fell fays, (x) Tanta fuit primis fæculis, fingendi licentia, tam prona in credendo facilitas, ut rerum geftarum fides graviter exinde laboraverit; nec orbis tantum terrarum, fed & Dei ecclefia de temporibus fuis mythicis merito queratur. Bishop STILLINGFLEET fays, (y) that Antiquity is moft defective, where it is most useful, namely in the Time immediately after the Apostles. And Dr. HICKES fays, (x) that there were in the Apoftles Times as many, and as great Herefies, and Schifms, as perhaps have been fince in any Age of the Church. So that fetting afide the before-mention'd internal Proofs from Prophecy, (which are apoftolical Proofs, and fufficient of themselves) Christianity should seem, by this

(x) Fell, in Præmiffa Monit. Confeff. fuppof. Cypriani. (y) Stilling fleet's Irenicum. p. 296.

(z) Hickes's Apol. Vind. of the Church of England. p. 124.

Representation

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