" method to be the only proper one, "s for the advantage of their cause, " which had been the enemy and o destroyer of it: then, it was the autority of christians, which, by “ degrees, not only laid waste che " honor of christianity, but well 4 nigh extinguish'd it from amongst "men. It was autority, which * brought in all that merciless heap * of useless and burchensome foppe“ ries; prayers in an unknown " congue; prayers to multitudes of " beings; and the whole load of " absurdities and depravations of the " religion, under which the christi“ an people were in captivity, till " they became gross and weighty “ enough at last, to break the props that supported them. It was auto“ rity, which would have prevented “ all reformation, where it is; and “ which has put a barrier against it, “ where-ever it is not. It was bes“ man autority in religion, which a** lone set up itself against the begin “ nings * nings of this Church of England "itlelf; and which alone now con tests with it the foundation upon which it ftands. This autority: “ was at first exercis'd in little by " those, who were so far from pre“ tending to such enormities, as it * afterwards arriv'd at, that they « would have detested and abhorr'd " the thought of them. And to it “ will be, for ever, and every where. " The calling in the, Assistance of “ mere autority, even against errors, " or trifles in religious matters, ar“ first, will by insenlible degrees come “ to the very same issue, that it has “ been ever hitherto seen to end in. o And how, indeed, can it be exs pected, that the same thing, which “ has in all ages, and in all coun“ tries, been hurtful to truth and “ true religion, among men, should " in any age, or in any country, be“ come a friend and guardian of " them ; unless it can be shewn that “ the nature of mere autority, or the “ na 6 nature of man, or both, are intire." “ ly alter'd from what they have « hitherto been. For it is not in " religion, as it is in the civil con«. cerns of human life. The end of “ human society is answer'd by out“ ward behaviour, and actions; which " therefore, ought to be restrain'd and govern'd by civil autority. But " the end of religion, and of the chri"stian religion, in particular, is de“stroy'd, just in proportion to the influence of great names; and to " the effect of worldly motives, and “ mere autority of men, separated " from the arguments of reason, and " the motives and maxims of the “ gospel itself." THE CONTENTS Of the Grounds and Reasons of Christianity. į I. That Christianity is founded on Judaism, or the New Testament on the old 4 II. That the Apostles ground and prove Chris I ftianity from the Old Testament s III. That the Old Testament is the Canon IV. That it is a common and necessary me. thod for new Revelations to be built and grounded on precedent Revelations 20 V. That the chief Proofs of Christianity from the Old Testament are urg'd by the VI. That if those Proofs are valid, Chri- Stianity is invincibly efablish'd on its true foundation in : id. VII. That if those Proofs are invalid, then VIII. That those Proofs are Typical or AL IX. The nature of Typical or Allegorical X. The nature of Allegorical Reasoning fur. ther. Mewn by application of it to several .: particular instances cited from the Old and urg'd in the New Testament ...6i XI. An Answer to an Objection, that, the TAllegorical Reasonings of the Apostles were not design'd for absolute proofs of Chriftianity, but for proofs ĄD HOMINEM, FART |