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we know to have been originally, but fuch fects themselves.

Thus the miffion of MOSES to the Ifrae lites fuppos'd a (s) former revelation of God (who from the beginning feems to have been conftantly giving a fucceffion of difpenfations and revelations) to their ancestors: and (t) many of the religious precepts of MOSES were borrowed, or had an agreement with the religious rites of the heathens, with whom the Ifraelites had correfpondence, and particularly with the religious rites of the Egyptians, (who upon that account feem (u) confounded with the Ifraelites by fome pagans, as both their religious rites were equally, and at the fame time (w) prohibited by others;) to whofe religious rites the Ifraelites feem to have been (x) conformists during their abode in Egypt; not excepting (y) JOSEPH himfelf, who by his poft in the administration of the government, his match with the prince or prieft of On's daughter, made up by PHARAOH

him

(s) Exod. 3.

(t) Simon. Hift. Crit. du Vieux Teft. p. 50. Spencer de Legibus, &c. Stanhope's Differt. in Charron of Wif dom, Vol. 2. p. 93,97. Marfham Canon Chronicus,

&c. p. 181.

(u) Strabo, 1. 16, & 17.

(w) Taciti Annales, 1. 2. Sueton. in Tiber. (x) Jof. 24. 14. Amos 5.26. A&s 7.43.

(y) Gen. 41. 40, 45. Ib. 42. 15, 32. lb. 44. 5.

himfelf, his manner of fwearing, his eating with the Egyptians, his practise of heathen divination, and, above all, by his political conduct, feems to have been a most true member of, and convert to, the establish'd church of Egypt.

The miffion of ZOROASTER to the Perfians, fuppos'd the religion of the Magians; which (z) had been for many ages paft, the antient national religion of the Medes as well as Perfians.

The miffion of MAHOMET fuppos'd christianity, as that did judaism.

And the (a) Siamese and (b) Brachmans, both pretend, that they have had a fucceffion of incarnate Deities among them, who, at due distances of time, have brought new revelations from heaven, each fucceeding one depending on the former; and that religion is to be carry'd on in that way for

ever.

And if we confider the nature of things, we fhall find, that it must be (c) difficult, C 4

if

(z) Prideaux's Connect. Vol. 1. p. 214. Pocock, Spec. Hift. Arab. p. 147-149.

(a) Gervaife, Hift. de Siam, 3d. pt. c. 1. Tachard, Voyage de Siam, Vol. 1. p. 396, &c.

(b) Delon Des Dieux Orient, p. 1030. Philof Tranfac. Ann. 1700. p. 734, &c.

(c) Charron of Wisdom, 1. 2, c. 5.

if not impoffible, to introduce among men (who in all civiliz'd countries are bred up in the belief of fome reveal'd religion) a reveal'd religion wholly new, or fuch as has no reference to a preceding "one: for that would be to combat all men in too many refpects, and not to proceed on a fufficient number of principles neceffary to be affented to by thofe, on whom the first impreffions of a new religion are proposed to be made.

Perfect novelty (d) is a great and just exception to a religious inftitution; whereof religious fects of all kinds have been so sensible, that they have ever endeavour'd to give themfelves, in fome manner or other, the greatest antiquity they well could, and generally the utmost antiquity. Thus St. LuKE fays, that (e) God fpake of the Redeemer by the mouth of all his prophets, which have been fince the world began. St. PAUL defends himself and the christian religion from the charge of novelty, when he fays, (f) after the way, which call herefy, fo worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things that are written in the law and the prophets; declaring hereby, that christianity was fo far from being herefy, or a new opinion, that it was the doctrine

ye

(d) Defenfio S. Auguftini contra J. Phereponum. p. 185,

187.

(Luke 1. 70.

(f) Acts 24. 14.

And chri

doctrine of the Old Teftament. ftian (g) divines date the antiquity of chriftianity from the time of the fall of ADAM, afferting; that CHRIST was then promis'd in thefe words, (b) the feed of the woman Shall break the Serpent's head, which they fay contain (i) the gospel in miniature; and that, from that time, men have been fav'd by faith in the faid promife of CHRIST to come, who was (k) the Lamb Лlain from the foundation of the world; CHRIST'S (1) death looking backward as well as forwards.

And an eminent divine thinks he can with great probability fettle the precife time, when the chriftian covenant began. He fays, (m) 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 promis'd about three a-clock in the afternoon.

So that the truth of christianity depends, as it ought, on antient revelations, which

are

(g) Taylor's Prefervat. against Deism, p. 213, &c. Whitton's Sermons and Effays, P. 5978. Stillingfleet's Sermons, fol. p. 187.

(b) Gen. 3.15.

(i) Taylor, Ib. and Beveridge on the Articles of the Church of England, p. 138.

(k) Heb. 9. 24, 25, 26. Ib. 11. 7, 13.
(1) Tillotfon's Sermons, Vol. 5. p. 66,67.
(m) Lightfoot's Works, Vol. 2. p. 1324.

are contain❜d in the Old Teftament, and more particularly and immediately on the reqelations made to the Jews therein.

V.

That the chief proofs of christianity from the Old Teftament, are urged by the apoftles in the New Teftament.

HOW

OW christianity depends on those revelations, or what proofs are therein to be met withal in behalf of christianity, are the fubjects 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 history of the first preaching of the gospel, and were themselves, either apoftles of JESUS, or companions of the apostles.

VI.

That if those proofs are valid, chriftianity is invincibly establish'd on its true founda

tion.

TH

HOSE proofs have in fome measure been already produc'd by me. And

if they are valid proofs, then is christianity ftrongly and invincibly established on its true

founda

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