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Teftament; which is a Book that undoubtedly exifted before the Times of JESUS, and cannot have been alter'd fince his Times in his Favour, no more than to his Prejudice.

IV. His whole Book may be conceived a Reflection on, or Argument against, the Dif courfe. Upon which therefore I will make an Obfervation or two here, referving the full Confideration of his Book to another Occafion.

The first Part of his Book, attempting a Proof of the Refurrection of JESUS, is nothing to the Difcourfe; nor is it argumentative to Deifts, who juftly want more, and other Proof, than the mere producing Witnefes from the New Teftament; the Authority whereof they admit not; to fay nothing of his Choice, and managing of his Witnesses after fuch a Manner, as tends to difcredit, rather than prove the Refurrection of JESUS.

The fecond Part of his Book, which is both against the Difcourfe, and against the Deifts, wherein he attempts to fhew, that the Refurrection of Chrift (as before proved by him) is a fufficient Demonftration of the Truth of Christianity, is Weakness itself. For in the first Place, he has not proved to the Deifts the Truth of the Refurrection in a Way proper for them. In the next Place, if he had proved it in a proper Way, That is, had made it out by all the proper Topicks to be very probably true, (for That is all the Matter will admit of, and what is only required to be done in Matters of Fact ;) yet That would

not

not be fufficient to prove the Truth of Chrif tianity, which is a Religion confifting of many Particulars, and all built on the Books of the Old and New Teftament. The An

tiquity, Authority, and Infpiration of thofe Books are therefore to be proved; in doing which, their Morality is to be clear'd; their Doctrines fhewn to be not inconfiftent with Reafon; the Dependency of the New on the Old Teftament manifefted, and in particular the fundamental Article of Chriftianity, that JESUS of Nazareth is the Meffias, (or Perfon foretold in the Old Teftament) is the Perfon there foretold; the Harmony of all their Parts with one another defended; and all fhewn to tend to the Glory of God, and Good of Men. For if thefe Things cannot be made out; or if any Objections upon these Heads cannot be anfwer'd; here is not only Want of Proof for fome effential Parts of Christianity, but Objections ftarted, which not only destroy that Confistency and Reasonableness, which are neceffary Characters of a Religion that comes from God, but, as not being to be anfwer'd, are Demonftrations of the Falfhood of what can only be grounded on Probability.

V. I will conclude this Preface with obferving; that as the Affair of the Old Teftament Prophecy is abfolutely neceffary to be made out in a Demonftration of the Truth of Chrif tianity, (the firft and fundamental Question in Christianity being, whether JESUS of Nazareth be the Meffias, That is, be the Perfon foretold in the Old Teftament,) and confequently Mr. GREEN'S Demonftration defective

for

for Want of making out, from the Old Teftament, that Jefus is the Perfon there foretold; fo it is the moft proper Topick, and most plain Matter, whereon to put the Cause of Christianity, and the propereft Test of its Truth. The Miracles reported in the New Teftament to have been wrought; the Gifts of the Spirit faid to be pour'd out on the Faithful; and all other Parts of the Evidence for Christianity; are incapable of being confider'd in that just and certain Light, (on Account of the imperfect Knowledge of Things come down to us,) as is the Matter of Prophefy; which is moft eafy to receive Satisfaction about, by feeing whether the Meffias be prophefy'd of in the Old Teftament, a Book certainly extant before the Times of JESUS, and appeal'd to by JESUS and his Apostles in numerous Places. In a Word, the Prophefies of the Old Testament, if fulfill'd in the New, are not only Miracles, but fuch Miracles as are capable of the fulleft Proof; and if the Events faid in the New Teftament to be foretold in the Old be not foretold, the fuppofed Miracles, of Prophefies accomplish'd, will receive the fulleft Confutation. I must own therefore, that Mr. GREEN, and others, who pretend to give a Demonftration of Christianity, independent on Prophesy, feem to me implicitly to give up Chriftianity, by waving a Point fo abfolutely neceffary to its Proof, and to be no real Friends of Truth, by thus declining the eafieft, moft certain and beft Way of Trial, whether Chriftianity be true or false.

A LET

A

LETTER

To the AUTHOR of a

DISCOURSE, &c.

SIR,

anfwer.

HERE fend you my Animadverfions on the Letters, which Mr. GREEN has addrefs'd to you, and which, I prefume, you will never But yet, it feems proper, that Something fhould be faid to them, and that another should defend you against one, who, in some Places, has affaulted you in a most immoral Manner. For tho' you may forgive him for thofe perfonal Attacks, and charitably judge his Conduct to flow from his Education, and Sort of Religion, and not from any particular Enmity to you, and forbear all Refentment in your own Cafe; yet his Behaviour ought not to pafs unresented by others, if they would shew a just Concern for the most effential Part of

Religion,

Religion, Morality, and the Branches thereof, which are of the most universal Extent, Humanity and Charity, or even for the fpeculative Doctrines of Religion, which are then most likely to be fet in the beft Light, when the Controvertifts keep their Temper, and do not give Vent to any malicious Infinuations, which muft neceffarily be impertinent to the Argument.

I.

His first Letter is grounded on a Mistake, which runs through it; wherein he reprefents you as maintaining, that the (a) Apostles prove the Facts of the New Testament by Paffages or Prophefies taken out of the Old, and not by Testimony.

This Matter, which he charges on you, is fuch an Abfurdity in its felf, and fo clearly excluded by your own exprefs Words from being your Sentiments or Defign, and is a Mifreprefentation of fuch a Nature, that I may justly expect to be condemn'd for entring the Lifts of Controverfy with one, who was capable of it.

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Your exprefs Words are, (b) St. MA TTHEW proves feveral Parts of Christianity "from the Old Teftament, either by fhewing them to be Things foretold, as to come

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to pass under the Gospel Difpenfation, or to

(a) Green's Letters, p. 11, 12.

(b) Difcourfe, p. 5:

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