Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

written by our epifcopal divines, but those of Dr. JOHN EDWARDS of Cambridge; and who us'd to detest anti-trinitarian more than popish authors, as introducing not only equally dangerous errors in doctrine, but the ufe of reafon and private judgment, which utterly fubvert all church autority, the fole foundation of unity and uniformity in matters of religion.

But, it feems, curiofity, the effect of liberty, fenfe, and learning, begins to reach even the divines of Scotland; who of all protestant divines, are moft tenacious of their orthodoxy; and who are no lefs charm'd with the pure doctrine and holy difcipline receiv'd from their ancestors of the reformation, than we are with the beauty of holinefs in our Common-Prayer-Book, which was firft compos'd one hundred and feventy four years ago by the (a) aid of the Holy Ghoft, and has, fince that time, been (b) five times reform'd! and confequently, theology (than which nothing is more naturally changeable, and which neither art nor power, nor difcipline, could ever long fix or afcertain among Heathens, Jews, Chriftians, or Mahometans) may foon receive a new form

in

(a) A&t for establishing the Liturgy in the 2d of Edward the Sixth. 1548.

(b) Nichols's Preface to Commentary on the CommonPrayer.

in the kirk, as it daily does in all other

churches.

You'defire alfo fome account of Mr. WHI STON himself, and would know what fort of a man, or monster, he is, of whom you hear fo much, when you meet your brethren in presbyteries and fynods; who, upon mere reports, reprefent him under the various characters, of ignorant and learned, rich and poor, ferious and mad; heretick and atheist, churchman and papist, arian and focinian, and almoft every thing but cal vinift, presbyterian and atharafian.

To gratify, therefore, your curiofity in the best manner I am able, I fend you Mr: WHISTON'S book itfelf; together with some Confiderations on the fubject-matter of it, and fome remarks on his fcheme, project, or theory; which I clofe with an account of the gentleman himself.

[blocks in formation]

PART I

OF THE GROUNDS AND REASONS OF CHRISTIANITY.

I.

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

CH

HRISTIANITY is founded on Judaism, and the New Teftament on the Old; and Jesus is the perfon faid in the New Testament to be promis'd in the Old, under the character of the MESSIAS of the Jews, who, as fuch only, claims the obedience and fubmiffion 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 represent JESUS and his apostles, as (d) fulfilling, bytheir miffion, doctrines, and works, the

(c) John 5. 39(d) Matt. 5. 17.

pre

predictions of the prophets, the hiftorical parts of the Old Testament, and the Jewish law; which laft is exprefsly faid to (e) pr phecy of, or tipify, christianity.

II.

[ocr errors]

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

ST.

[ocr errors]

T. MATTHEW proves feveral parts of christianity from the Old Teftament either by fhewing them to be things foretold therein as to come to pafs under the gospeldifpenfation, or to be agreeable to, or found. on, the notions of the Old Teftament.

ed

Thus he proves (f) MARY's being with child by the Holy Ghoft, and the angel's telling her the hall bring forth a fon, and Shall call his name Jesus, and the other circumstances attending his miraculous birth; JESUS's (g) birth at Bethlehem; his (b) flight into Egypt; the (i) flaughter of the infants; (k) Jesus's dwelling at Nazareth; the (7) 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

B 3

bealing

[blocks in formation]

bealing the fick; his (0) eating with pub licans and finners; his (p) charging those he heal'd, that they should not make him known; his (q) Speaking in parables, that the Jews might not understand him; his (r) fending his difciples to fetch an afs and a colt; the (s) childrens crying in the temple; the (t) lawfulness of taking corn in the fields, when an hungred, on the fabbathday; the (u) refurrection of the dead; (2) 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 hanging himself.

Jesus himfelf is reprefented as proving the truth of christianity thus: he, (y) joining himfelf, after his refurrection, to two of his difciples, who knew him not; and finding out their mistakes about his person, 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; (z) ̊ said

(0) Matt. 9. 11--13. (9) lb. 13. 13. (t) lb. c. 12. ·54, 56.

15---22.

(r) Ib. 21. 2---7.
(u) lb. 22. 31, 32.
(x) Ib. 27. 5-10.
(z) v. 25--27.

unto

(p) Ib. 12. 16--21. (s) v. 15, 16. (w) Ib. 26. (y) Luke 24.

« ForrigeFortsæt »