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in Judea.

sand men.

The murder of John the Baptist. Jesus feedeth five thou-
Walketh on the sea. Goeth up to the third passover.

Condemns the Jewish traditions. Declares hself to be the Messiah; and rebukes Peter. His transfiguration on mouut Tabor.

CHAP. V.

Page 356

Christ cures the possessed lunatic. Foretels his death, and recommends humility and, forgiveness. Pays tribute. Preacheth boldly at Jerusalem. Pardons the adulteress. Stateth the true notion of a neighbor. Entertained by Martha and Mary at Bethany. Condemns covetousness

and sedition. Cures the crooked woman, and the man born blind. Asseits his own divinity. Cures a dropsical man. Shews the bad consequence of uncharitableness. States the case of divorces. Recommends humility when addressing God. Shews the danger of riches. C HOA P. VI.

871

Jesus cures two blind men. Dines with Zaccheus the publican. Raiseth Lazarus from the dead. The Sanhedrim resolve to kill Jesus and LaZarus. Jesus rideth in triumph into Jerusalem. Hosana explained. Jesus prophesieth the destruction of Jerusalem; driveth the usurers and hucksters out of the temple; preacheth in the temple; curseth the barren fig-tree; driveth the traders a second time out of the temple; and refuseth to give the Pharisees an account of his authority. The Pharisees question concerning tribute to Cæsar; and Christ's answer. Sadducees question concerning marriages in a future state; and Christ's answer. Jesus shews which is the greatest commandment. Returns a third time to Jerusalem. Reproves the Pharisees in the temple, and The signs preceding this destruction, and CHAP.

fortelleth its destruction. how fulfilled.

VII.

The

289

Peter and John prepare the passover. Judas withdraws to the rulers of the Jews to betray Jesus. Jesus instituteth the Lord's supper, and discourseth to his disciples concerning his approaching death. Retires to Gethsamene, and sweats blood; is betrayed, seized, bound and led to the high-priest, &c. is brought before Pontius Pilate and Herod, who bear witness to his innocence; is condemned to die, and is crucified between two thieves. Prodigies attending his crucifixion. 407

CHAP. VIII.

The burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. An angel appears to the good woman at the sepulchre. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalen; to the two disciples in the way to Emmaus; to all the apostles except Thomas; to Thomas also. Jesus promiseth to send on them the Holy Ghost. How Christ continues with his church to the end of the world. How long he continued on earth after his resurrection. The ascension of Jesus Christ.

CHAP. IX.

424

The apostles retire to an upper room, and chuse Matthias in the place of Judas to be an apostle. The descent of the Holy Ghost. How the Holy Ghost operated on the disciples of Christ. The disciples speak strange languages, and work miracles: Are persecuted by the Jewish rulers; imprisoned and whipped. The apostles ordain seven deacons. The martyrdom of Stephen, and life of St. Paul.

.432

INTRODUCTION

TO THE

HOLY BIBLE EXPLAINED

BY

QUESTION AND ANSWER.

Tutor.

you past your time since we parted?

WHERE have

Scholar.

I have rambled through the town, and spent my evenings amongst a set of gentlemen, that have talked me almost out of my reason; and yet declare that they are the great asserters of reason.

pray, have you no better grounds and motives upon which you propose to take up this resolution?

S. They are gentlemen of fortune, and reputed to be of sound morals and learning.

T. 'Tis an illusion no less absurd than common, to believe that truth is the acquisition of men of fortune or probity, and of those confident

T. Pray can you recollect any par- pretenders to literature, that know

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any thing more than ourselves. In an enquiry after truth, no authority should be given to qualities that contribute nothing to the discovery of it. Regard should be had to age, learning, study, experience, exactness, diligence, and judgment, as these best qualify men for the search of, and so are most likely to find out truth; but yet these are to be weighed with care, and afterwards comparison to be made between them and the contrary reasons; for from each of these in particular nothing

T. It is true, children are never expected to commence expositors in their tender years: But is that any reason now when you are grown to maturity, and capable of receiv. ing strong impressions, that you should be deaf to your parents,

certain can be concluded; since false opinions have been approved by persons eminent for a great share of the above mentioned qualities. But pray how long have you known them, that you entertain so good an opinion of them? S. My acquaintance with them is friends, guardians, and the repeated very short.

T. And pray: Have not you heard gentlemen of as good fortune, moFals, and learning, and your acquaintance, from the time you can remember, discourse of, and teach you the very contrary truths; that God has graciously revealed his will to mankind in the scriptures or writ. ings of the Old and New Testament; and that the common pretence to free-thinking, is the high way to free living, and departing from the means of salvation? How then can you think to risque the ruin of your soul, by preferring their strange doctrine to the soundness of your own eḍucation?

S. I must confess upon reflection, my resolution appears somewhat too sudden, and inconsiderate, yet it is not altogether blameable. I highly reverence my learned and virtuous instructors: But I cannot say they shewed so much diligence to prepare me against the opposers of revelation, as these gentlemen exert their talents to gain a prosylite Nor, though I was at school made to read my Bible twice over, did my teacher seem to extend his care any further, than to form my voice, and compleat me in a proper articulate method of reading; so for any knowledge I have attained of the scriptures thereby, I might as well have read the history of Tom Thumb.

that

advice of your public and private teachers and tutors, and take up and follow after the condemned and dangerous inventions of a few, strange, and it may be illiterate, or at least designing men; whose only pleasure is to draw others into the same condemnation with themselves? But however, not to judge of things from men, (though it is indeed too common to think the worse of any opinion, because of those who profess it) it doth not follow that Deism is true, because its professors are moral men; or that revealed religion and christianity are false, because some christians are a scandal to their holy profession. And what is material to observe to you is, that the want of settled principles must cause you to live at random; and that principles adopted, merely because they are the opin the standard of your practice and ions in vogue, is making the world persuasions. Weak and superficial principles, grounded on passion, or uncertainty, can only support you in the practice of indifferent duties and actions: for talking and disput ing indeed any kind of principles will serve; but for living and dying, they must be of the firmest and most

certain sort, such as admit of no suspicion of mistake, or of any manner of uncertainty. Will you hear me?

S. Yes; and from my opinion of

your integrity and ability prefer your advice and instruction to any other.

T. I will then undertake to undeceive you, provided you be candid and explicit in relating their objections, which seem to have swayed with you so much, against revelation. What were they?

S. They complimented me with the stile of a promising youth; and finding me quite unprepared to reason with them from the scriptures, they denied their authority and divinity; and endeavored to persuade me that the light of reason is our perfect and unerring guide, and that the law of nature is the only rule and measure of our whole duty to God and man.

T. I will shew you the fallacy and falshood of this assertion. The faculty of reason is, no doubt, essen. tial to men, and is our distinguish ing privilege and ornament above the brute creation, Yet there can be as little doubt but it varies much in different persons, according to the different measure of understand ing they may be said to bring with them into the world, and their different education and advantages of knowledge; and, at the very best, is inferior to what it may be supposed to have been at the creation. As it is dependent on a body and subservient to the senses, these set limits to it which it cannot pass; and the force of outward impressions, the false report of the senses, and the depravity of the will infiuence and disorder it. In most things, there is a mixture of error and of truth, which owe their rise to the want or perversion of human under

B

If the rule then

standing, and it requires a larger extent of knowledge, and happier discernment, than falls to most men's shares, to be able to separate and distinguish them. which should direct man be itself perverted, there is no measure left to adjust his conduct; no clue to conduct him safely through the ma zes of error, and the delusions of judgment; nor criterion to distinguish the truth if he should arrive at it. And there are many things which it is impossible we should understand, being ignorant of the principles which lead to the truth, or because they are above the reach of our capacities and understandings. With how little propriety and justice then can it be asserted, that reason is the standard of truth; is of itself able to carry human nature to its highest perfection; is able to see and comprehend all things, with their several relations, fitnesses, and obligations; is the only perfect rule and measure of duty and of knowledge; and that every man need on ly to search his own heart for what is agrecable to himself, and that to pursue is the whole of what is required of him, and will be his virtue and his happiness? But it is not the imperfection only, but the depravity also of human reason, that disqualifies it from being alone a safe, perfect and sufficient guide, and rule of duty. All the extravagancies of the imagination, all the absurdities and contradictions in human life and human actions, the wrong as well as right opinions and sentiments which men casually a dopt, the mutability of our tempers, and corruption of our hearts flow all from the same spring of action in

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