You defire alfo fome Account of Mr. WHISTON himself, and would know what Sort of a Man, or Monster, he is, of whom you hear fo much, when you meet your Brethren in Presbyteries and Synods; who, upon mere Reports, represent him under the various Characters, of Ignorant and Learned, Rich and Poor, Serious and Mad, Heretick and Atheist, Churchman and Papift, Arian and Socinian, and almost every Thing but Calvinist, Presbyterian, and Athanafian.

To gratify, therefore, your Curiofity in the best Manner I am able, I send you Mr.WHISTON's Book itself; together with fome Confiderations on the fubject Matter of it, and fome Remarks on his Scheme, Project, or Theory; which I close with an Account of the Gentleman himself.

PART I

OF THE GROUNDS AND REASONS OF CHRISTIANITY,

That Chriftianity is founded on Judaism, or the New Teftament on the Old.

HRISTIANITY is founded on Judaifm, and the New Teftament on the Old; and JESUS is the Person faid in the New Teftament to be promised in the Old, under the Character of the MESSIAS of the Jews, who, as fuch only, claims the Obedience and Submiffion of the World. Accordingly, it is the Defign of the Authors of the New, to prove all the Parts of Christianity from the Old Teftament, which is faid to contain (c) the Words of Eternal Life; and to reprefent JESUS and his Apoftles, as (d) fulfilling, by their Miffion, Doctrines, and Works, the Predictions of the Prophets, the hiftorical Parts of the Old Testament, and the Jewish Law; which laft is exprefly faid to (e) prophecy of, or tipify, Christianity.

(c) John 5. 39.

(d) Matt. 5. 17.

(e) Ib. 11. 13.
II. That

II.

That the Apoftles ground and prove Christianity from the Old Teftament.

ST

T. MATTHEW proves feveral Parts of Chriftianity from the Old Teftament; either by fhewing them to be Things foretold therein as to come to pass under the Gofpel-* Difpenfation, or to be agreeable to, or founded on, the Notions of the Old Testament.

Thus he proves (f) MARY'S being with Child by the Holy Ghoft, and the Angel's telling her the fhall bring forth a Son, and shall call his Name JESUS, and the other Circumstances attending his miraculous Birth; JESUS'S (g) Birth at Bethlem; his (b) Flight into Egypt; the (i) Slaughter of the Infants; (k) JESUS'S dwelling at Nazareth; the (1) Preaching of JOHN the Baptift; JESUS's (m) leaving Nazareth and dwelling at Capernaum, in the Borders of Zabulon and Napthali; his (n) cafting out Devils, and healing the Sick; his (0) eating with Publicans and Sinners; his (p) charging those he heal'd, that they should not make him known; his (q) fpeaking in Parables, that the Jews might not understand him; his (r) sending his Difciples to fetch an Afs and a Colt the (s) Childrens crying in the Temple;

(f). Matt. 1. 18, 23. (g) Ib. 2. 5, 6. (i) v. 17, 18. (k) v. 23. (7) Ib. 3. (n) Ib. 8. 16, 17. (0) Ib. 9, 11-13. 16 21. (2) Ib. 13. 13.

.

(b) v. 15. (m) Ib. 4. 13. (#) Ib. 12.

(r) Ib. 21. 27.

the

the (t) Lawfulness of taking Corn in the Fields, when an hungred, on the Sabbath-Day; the (u) Refurrection of the Dead; (w) JESUS'S being betray'd by JUDAS, and his Apprehenfion; and (x) JUDAS's returning back the thirty Pieces, (the Reward he had for betraying JESUS) and the Priest's buying the Potter's Field with them, and his banging himself.

JESUS himself is reprefented as proving the Truth of Christianity thus. He, (y) joining himself, after his Refurrection, to two of his Difciples, who knew him not; and finding out their Mistakes about his Perfon, whom they now took not to be the MESSIAS, because he had been condemn'd to Death, and crucify'd; and obferving their Disbelief of his Refurrection, which had been reported to them by certain Women of their Acquaintance, upon the Credit of Angels; (x) faid unto them, O Fools, and flow of Heart, to believe all that the Prophets have spoken! Ought not CHRIST to have fuffer'd thefe Things, and to enter into his Glory? And beginning at Moses, and all the Prophets, he expounded unto them, in all the Scriptures, the Things concerning himself.

FABRICIUS fays, Hic (a) fermo ejus a multis non immerito anxie defideratus, & a LUCA fortaffe auditus, nufquam extat.

() Matt. c. 12.

54, 56.

(*) Ib. 22. 31, 32. (w) Ib. z6.

(x) Ib. 27.5-10. (y) Luke 24.15. -22. (a) Fabricii Codex Apocryphus,

(2) v.25-27. Nov. Telt. p. 322.

But

But our Learned (aa) Mede has endeavour'd to fupply this Lofs, by pointing out thofe very Scriptures, which our Saviour expounded to his Difciples.

Again, he difcourfed to all his Disciples, putting them in Mind, that, before his Death, he told them, that (b) all Things must be fulfill'd, which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Pfalms concern ing him; adding, thus it is written, and thus it behoveth CHRIST to fuffer, and to rife from the Dead the third Day; and that Repentance and Remiffion of Sins fhould be preach'd in his Name among all Nations, beginning at Jerufalem.

When the People of feveral Nations were (c) amazed at the Apoftles fpeaking in their feveral Tongues; and when many mock'd the Apoftles, faying, they were full of new Wine; St. PETER makes a Speech in publick, wherein, after faying, they were not drunken, becaufe it was but the third Hour of the Day, he endea vours to fhew them that This was spoken of by the Prophet JoEL; and he concludes with proving the Refurrection of JE S Us from the Pfalms.

St. PETER and St. JOHN tell the People af fembled at the Temple, that (d) God had fhew'd, by the Mouth of all his Prophets, that CHRIST fhould fuffer; and alfo that JESUS fhould come again.

(aa) Mede's 13th Difc.

(c) Acts 2. 12-16.

(b) Luke 24. 44, 46, 47. (d) Ib. 3. 18, 20— 24.