quired. He ventures the whole, however, into the hands of a candid few, with his humble prayer, that it may please the Lord the Spirit, to make it only as ufeful as he defires. And fhould it prove a bleffing to but one foul, though it exhibit unnumbered literary defects to a refined tafte, its value will, he prefumes, be more effectually ascertained than by the loud applaufe of the vulgar, or the fober encomiums of the judicious critic, if it deserved, in this view, the fpeculative notice of either. ན THE THE PRINCIPAL SUBJECTS CHRISTIANITY. CHAP. I. Q. 1. How does it appear that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were written by a Divine Inspiration, or are the infallible Word of God? A. 1. From their having been received and acknowledged as fuch by the church in all ages, from the beginning unto this day, and obferved accordingly as the only rule of faith and practice. 2. From the remarkable agreement which fubfifts in the feveral parts of the books in their relation of the fame facts; tho' many of the writers were feparate, and had no opportunity of copying from each other's account. Compare the four gofpels, and Pf. xxxiv. 20. with John xix. 33. Pf. xxii. 8, 16, 18. with Matt. xxvii. 35, 34. Acts x. 43. John v. 39, &c. The exceptions to this agreement, are comparatively few, and unimportant; such as may frequently occur Α in in hiftorians of the best credit, without weakening their authority; and fuch as might naturally be expected from the facred writers, when it is remembered, that their chief defign was to record the principal or leading interesting facts; and that the Spirit's plenary or perfect infpiration was neceffary only to this end. If however thefe trifling differences be allowed to weigh any thing, they rather make for, than against the authority of the fcriptures; fince by thefe. it is plain that the writers were men eminent for uprightness, integrity and fimplicity, and had no felfith ends of their own to anfwer; otherwife they would have been careful, no doubt, to have varied not a tittle in their accounts. 3. It appears the scriptures are the Word of God, from the purity of the doctrines and precepts they contain, and the tendency of the whole to promote the glory of God, and holiness, peace and happiness among men. Tit ii. 11, 12. Phil. iv. 8. 4. From the fimplicity, majefty, and fublimity of their ftile; and the effect, which, by the grace of God, they have had upon fome of the worst of difpofitions and characters, in changing and forming them heavenly and divine. 5. From many of the prophecies they contain having been exactly fulfilled, which, in a great variety of inftances, has been clearly evinced by different hiftorians, tho' many of them were delivered fome hundred years before the events happened. Such are the predictions concerning the defcendants of Ishmael, recorded in Gen. xvi. 12, &c. which is the account given of them to the present day. The Jews being captives in Babylon seventy years, and the taking of that city for their realeafe by the Medes and Perfians, with the manner in which, and the very name of the perfon by whom it was effected, were alfo long foretold before they happened; together with a description of the ruinous, defolate ftate of that city, at the very time, when it was the mistress of kingdoms, and the wonder of the world. Jer. xxv. 11, 12. li. Ifă. xlv. xiii. 19, 22. Dan. v. 25, 31. To thefe may be added the deftruction of Jerufalem, the capital of Judea, the glory and boast of the Jews, and the centre of their unity and worship, with the unparalleled miferies which attended it; and the final difperfion of that nation to all the quarters of the globe, who had been united in a body politic and ecclefiaftic about fifteen hundred years, and who who continue a diftinct people by them felves, to this day; unable. The reader who may wish for more fatisfaction on this fuctject than what a few brief anfwers can fupply, may be referred to Dr. Whitby, Prideaux, Newton, and others; where he may find many of the facts recorded in the Old and New Teftaments, quoted from various heathen authors; and fee the authority of the facred. fcriptures, and the truth of chriftianity established, by a careful examination of the evidences of both. But if a fmaller treatise would be more acceptable, he may find an excellent one at the end of Dr. Doddridge's fecond volume of fermons. A. 6. Argument for the infpiration and truth of the holy scriptures, may be taken from the ftriking correfpondence there is between human nature, as there described, and as it appears in the world more or lefs in all characters; corrupt and finful in its paffions, inclinations and purfuits; productive of nothing but evil, mischief, and deceit, and heir to numberlefs forrows, miferies and disappointments. Perhaps this may be accounted, after all, one of the best internal evidences of the truth and divinity of the facred Writings that can be adduced. The heart, fays one fcripture, is deceitful above all things, and defperately wicked; and the imaginations of the thoughts of the heart are only evil, and that continually, fays another, feveral thousand years ago. And what is all history, facred and profane, but a continued exhibition of the melancholy fact. A few characters excepted, which have been influenced by the grace of God. Nor can there be either truth or confiftency, in denying or difputing a revelation, the counter-part to which we bear about with us, and the truth of which, in this view, it is not in our power to conceal. To thefe atteftations to the truth of the holy fcriptures, may also be added several striking ones; which appear for their confirmation, lefs or more, every day, viz. 1. The indifference or oppofition which the faithful and clear preaching of the gofpel meets with from people of all ranks, especially the rich and learned. 2 Tim. iv. 3. Matt. x. 34, 35, 14, 4 1 Tim. 14, 16. Luke xxi. 5. vii. 30. 1 Cor. i. 18, 26, 27. 2. The relapfes and apoftacies of fome of its zealous profeffors and friends; by which that opposition is strengthened and confirmed. iv. 1. Matt. xxiv. 12. xviii. 7. Luke xvii. 1. 3. The general character of the people of the world; as lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; defpifers of thofe that are good; and having a form of a godliness but denying the power thereof. 2 Tim. A. 1-5. And 4. The difpofition and character of ungodly teachers; who, for their avariciousness and worldlymindedness are called greedy wolves, and greedy dogs, not sparing the flock, but looking every one for his gain from his own quarter. Acts xx. 29. Matt. vii. 15. Ifa. Ixi. 11. for their indolence in the work of God, fleepy dogs, ibid 10. for their ignorance in the things of his will, blind watchmen, ibid; and for their inaptitude and indifpofition to speak for the good of fouls and the honor of their great hepherd, dumb dogs that cannot bark, ibid. Who can deny the existence of these melancholy facts! and who can contradict the evidence they afford of the divinity and authority of that book, which has long foretold them? and from which not one of the odious characters it predicts and condemns has been fuffered to erase and obliterate them. Q2. But have the fcriptures come to us in the mannor in which they were penned, fo that the doctrines, precepts, &c. many be relied on as genuine and uncorrupt? A. Yes. For 1. The Jews, who kept the Old Teftament writings till after the death of Chrift, were remarkably careful of them, in fo much that they knew the number of words, and even of letters contained therein; and no doubt Chrift and the apostles would have pointed out any material mistakes, if any had crept in, or not have used them as authentic and divine. 2. Great numbers of copies, in different languages, both of the Old Teftament and New, were early difperfed far and wide; and no perfon could alter them all to his own mind, without calling them all in, which was impracticable, if not impoffible. 3. There is every reason to believe, the Divine Spirit, who first indited the fcriptures, by holy and chofen men, and the power |