If therefore men have been converted to christianity by the books of the New Testament, or by the writings of chriftians, they have been converted by the jewifh allegori cal method of arguing from the Old Tefta

ment.

Typical and allegorical reafoning was deem'd fo ftrong and useful by the most eminent of the primitive apologifts for chriftianity, towards the converfion of Pagans, that they ufe this following argument to them, which I fhall give you in the words of JUSTIN MARTYR, who urges it in its full ftrength; referring you farther to (2) TERTULLIAN, (x) MINUTIUS FELIX, and others. Says JusTIN to the pagans, (xx) The cross is the characteristick of CHRIST's power and government, and is vifible almoft in every thing we fee: for caft your eyes upon the world, and tell me, whether any thing is tranf acted, any commerce maintain'd without the resemblance of a crofs. Without this trophy of ours, you cannot go to feas for navigation depends upon fails, and they are made in the fashion of a crofs. There is neither ploughing, nor digging, nor any handicraft work perform'd, without inftruments

I 2

(w) Tertulliani Apol. c. 6.

(x) Reeves's Apol. Vol. 2. p. 144, &c.

() Ib. Vol. 1. p.97.

.

ftruments of this figure; nay a man is diftinguish'd from a beaft by the uprightnefs of his body, and the extenfion of his arms, and the prominency of the nose be breathes thro', which are all reprefenta tions of the cross, in allufion to which the prophet Speaks, (y) the breath of our noftrils Chrift the Lord. Moreover, your banners declare the power of this figure; and the trophies you use every where in your publick proceffions, are Symbols of power and dominion, altho' in your praEtice you have no regard to the reafon of the figure; and the images of your de parted Emperors you confecrate upon CROSSLIKE engines, and infcribe them Gods. Since therefore we invite you by reafon and the ceremony of the CROSS, fo much in vogue among you, we know we shall be blameless for the future, whether you embrace the chriftian faith or not, for we have done our beft (that is, we have argu'd typically and allegorically with you) to make you chriftians.

The fam'd IRENEUS proves; that there. cannot be more, nor fewer than (z) four gofpels; because there are four corners of the

(y) Lament.

(z) Irenæus, 1. 3. c. II. Vide Feuardentii Annot. in locum.

the world, and four principal winds, and from many other fuch topicks. And an eminent critick (a) obferves of all the primitive fathers, that they, omnia gentium facta, dicta, fcripta ita interpretabantur ut ea omnia propofito fuo accommodarent, aliquando contra gentium mentem.

But what seems furprizing, Mr. W. himfelf is not inferior to IRENEUS in typical argumentation; by arguing in the fame manner, and with the fame ftrength for the apoftolical conftitutions (which is with him the most facred book of the New Testament), as IRENEUS does for the four gofpels. Thefe (b) conftitutions, fays he, appear plainly to be genuine, and to be deriv'd by the apostles from our Saviour, because they have thofe diftinguishing characters belonging to divine appointments, which thofe parallel fettlements under the law of Moses, that were undoubtedly divine, exhibit to us. He mentions these following among others, as fome of the most obvious particulars.

མ

1. As the jewish laws, thofe in particular which typify'd the chriftian difpenfation, were given, as to place, on a mountain, Sinai; and as to time, in just forty

I 3

(a) Def. Heraldus in Tertullian. Apol. p. 77. (b) Whifton's Effay on the Apoftol. Conftit. p. 172.(~

forty days fpace: So were these CONSTI TUTIONS or chriftian laws given as to place, on a mountain, Sion; (for which imaginary place of the delivery of his ima ginary apoftolick conftitutions, he can have no (c) proof;) and as to time, in just forty days Space alfo, (for which imaginary term he has equal proofs) before our Lord's final afcenfion. And thefe circum→ fances are fo obfervable under the gospel, that memorials both of the place and time contimi'd many ages in the chriftian church (which memorials are likewife without proof); and by them the ancient types and prophefies were eminently fulfill'd, as 'tis eafy to obferce from what has been faid.

2. As the whole body of the laws of MOSES feem to have been divided into two main branches, the one fecret, but the other open and publish'd to the whole world, written for their daily ufe, and put into every body's bands, nay part of it at leaft written in pillars alfo (which first branch has no foundation in the bible, and is the mere invention of modern Jews, who, a great deal above a thousand years after Moses publif'd an oral Law, which they pretended had been fecretly given to MoSES at mount Sinai, at the fame time that

the

(c) See bis pretended Proofs, c. 1.

the written Law was given ;) So it was more certainly as to the laws of CHRIST. That part which is contain'd in the books of the New Teftament being in like manner open to all, and conftantly read in families and publick affemblies; but the other part, contain'd in thefe books, intrufted Lecretly with the governors of the church, as the proper rule of their publick courts, affemblies, and adminiftrations, as we bave already feen.

He has other fuch typical confiderations, which I omit, referring my reader to them. I fhall only obferve, upon thefe two cited, that Mr. W. by much out-typifies IRENEUS: for IRENEUS only makes things which are fuppos'd to have a real exiftence, and have a fimilitude in fome respect, to be type and antitype: But Mr. W. invents things first, and then invents type and anti-type.

If Mr. W. therefore will duely confider the conftant practife and great fuccefs of allegorical argumentation, and the mighty force of allegorical and typical arguments upon himself, he need not have recourse to the fuppofition of a loft Old Testament to avoid the allegorical hypothefis; nor need he be fo apprehensive of the (d) infults and 1 4

(d) Whitton's Boylean Left. p. 16, 20, 29. fay, &c. p. 92.

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Ib. Ef