of what he taught. He says-" The prejudices " of the Jews in favour of their religion were very

great: which I do not at all wonder at, as they " had the same external evidence of the truth of their "religion, which Chrift gave of bis: for the Mi

racles of Mofes, their great Law-giver, must claim " with them at least, an equal regard with Those "of JESUS CHRIST *."-How shall we reconcile this Author with himself, or fuch peculiar and manifest contradictions with that morality he profefses to regard?

As to the truth or falsehood of the Author's afsertion of what he finds with regard to the Character JESUS himself affumed, That will appear abundantly evident from the following particulars.

JESUS affirmed,

1. That God had sent him: John xvii. 3, 8, 18, 21. iv. 43. XX. 21. And expressly, that be was NOT come of himself: chap. vii. 28, 29.

-V111. 42.

2.-That he came from the Father, and went to him: John xvi. 16, 28.

3.-That what he did was a work given him by God to do: John xvii. 4, 8. iv. 34. 4.-That he had received every thing he declared IMMEDIATELY from God himself: John viii. 40. 5.-JESUS claimed, and made use of a peculiar intercourse with God: Matth. xi. 25-27. Luke x. 21. John xi. 41, 42.-xii. 27, 28. xvii. throughout.

6.-Afferted himself to be a greater personage than a Prophet: Matth. xii. 39-41.

7.-Styled himself the Resurrection and the Life: John xi. 25.

8. Declared that whosoever believed on bim should not die: John, xi. 25, 26-ii. 18-V. 24.

:

9.-Styled himself, the Lord: Luke xix. 31: ro.-Styled himself the only begotten Son of God; John iii. 16-18.-ix. 35-37.-Matth. xxvii. 43

1.-Asserted that be existed before the world: John viii. 56-58. and had glory with the Father before the world was: John xvii. 5, 24.

12.-Assumed, and accepted of, the Character of the Son of God; and of the CHRIST, OF MESSIAH; as prophecied of in all the writings of the Old Testament; who should come into the world : Matth. xvi. 16, 17, 18, 20-xxvi. 63, 64.-Luke χχίν. 25-27, 44-47: John iv. 25, 26-v. 39, 46-x. 24, 25-xi. 27-vi. 68-70. Matth. xiv. 33.-Mark ix. 41.

13.-Affumed the power of working MIRACLES: John xi. 4, 11, 14, 40, 43. 14.-Afferted that he worked MIRACLES; and that his Miracles were the proper evidence on which they ought to believe, that He had an immediate Commission from God: John v. 36-vi. 26-10. 37, 38-xiv. 10-XV. 24.-Luke viii. 46Matth. xvi. 9, 10-xi. 4, 5, 20-24.

15.- Styled the Power by which he performed his miracles the Holy Ghost: Matth. xii. 31, 32. 16.-Conferred the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles : John xx. 22, 23.

17.-Affumed a power of enabling his Disciples to work MIRACLES: Matth. x. 5, 8. Luke ix. 1 -Χ. 9, 17-20.

18. Claimed a power to forgive Sins, or declare whose fins were forgiven: Matth. ix. 2, 6.Mark ii. 5, 10.-Luke v. 20, 24.

19.-Affumed the knowledge that the faithful Difciples would inherit eternal life: Luke x. 20. and that He had power to give them eternal life: John xvii. 2.

20

:

20.-Laid claim to other Divine Knowledge:
Matth. xiii. 17. Luke x. 24-xxiv. 1-41.
John i. 48, 50-iv. 18-ix. 3-xiii. 21, 26, 38.
-xvi. 4.-Matth. 24. throughout.
21.-Foretold his own death, and his Refurrection
on the third day: Matth. xvi. 21-xvii. 22,23-
xx. 18, 19. And that afterwards he would go
before his Disciples into Galilee: Matth. xxvi.

32.

22.-Affumed a power of sending to the Disciples,
as a Comforter from the Father, THE HOLY GHOST;
who should communicate to them Divine Knowledge:
John xiv. 16, 17, 26-xv. 26-xvi. 7, 13, 14.
23.Declared that He is to be the Judge of the
World: John v. 22, 25, 27-29.
24.-Afferted, that all Power was given him in Hea-
ven and in Earth: Matth. xxviii. 18. John
iii. 35 xvii. 2.- Luke x. 22.
25.-Afferted, that by the immediate Authority of
God, he had Power to lay down his Life, and Power
to take it again: John x. 15, 17, 18: compared
with xv. 12, 13.

!

26.-Afferted, That as God had Life in himself, so God had given to Him to have Life in himself: John ν. 26.

27.-Afferted, That he was able to have delivered himself from the Jews, by the extraordinary Interpofition of God; but that be forbore to do it, that the Scriptures relating to the MESSIAH might be fulfilled. Matth. xxvi. 53, 54.

28.-Afferted, That he underwent all he fuffered on This very Account: Luke xxiv. 2527,44-46.

29.-Afferted, That he should go to God to prepare a place for the Apostles: John xiv. 2, 3. 30. And that he should enter into his GLORY: Luke xxiv. 46.

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31.

31.-Afferted, That AFTER HIS DEATH he would do any thing that his Disciples should ask in his Name: John xiv. 13, 14-xvi. 23, 24.

32. Promised the Twelve, that They should be endued with miraculous powers from on high, to qualify them for preaching his Gospel, foon after his Afcension: Luke xxiv. 49. Acts i. 4, 5. Which Promise he accordingly fulfilled,

Acts ii.

After this bare recital of so many distinct af fertions of our Lord, with regard to his own true Character, Authority, and Office; in the leaft of which he lays claim to the dignity of an immediate and special Messenger from God, in the praper sense of the words, and entirely distinct from that of the Author; and by all of which taken together, he affumed a Divine Character, high beyond our conceptions; particularly that of the promised Meffiah; and of having all Power given bim in Heaven and in Earth; and appealed directly to the Miracles he performed, for an indisputable proof of the truth of all his pretenfions; - After perusing these particulars, what can we think of the modesty, the ingenuousness, of the morality, of the Author, who has not scrupled to affert That he does not find that CHRIST himself laid claim to any higher character, than that of a mere Man; who could in no other sense be stiled a messenger from God, than because he had voluntarily chosen to preach true morality, which was certainly the will of God; and that he does not find, that CHRIST ever pretended to produce any immediate commission from God? But above all, what must we think of the Author's fincerity, and reverence for the Supreme Being, when he has not scrupled to make this affertion; which is perhaps one of the most shameless falsehoods that ever man uttered; and yet hath dared to make

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the following appeal to the Searcher of all Hearts: "The eternal God, whom I humbly adore, " knows that I have employed the faculties he " hath given me, in an honest and impartial en"quiry after truth; the truth as it is in Him ‡."

SECT. VII.

The Author's Objections against MIRACLES confidered.

W

E have seen the Author attempting to perfuade us, if we would take his word upon the point, that the New Testament does not represent JESUS as appealing to any evidence of his having an immediate Commission from God. But this bare affertion being likely to have but little weight, as no assertion can be more notorioufly false; he has thought fit to support it, by throwing out a remark upon Miracles in general; intended to prevent us from paying regard to any such pretensions, wherever they may be found.

"We find, says he, that all religions pretend "to the feal of Heaven, the certain criterion of " a religion's coming from God, and that all " others are false and counterfeit; and, what is " worthy of remark, the principal and diftinguishing characteristics of divinity, in almost

See P. 365 Should the Author be driven to allege, that JESUS never did in fact make the several supernatural claims and declarations here attributed to him, he will expose amself to the utmost contempt:- By asserting first, That JESUS laid claim to no higher character than that of a mere uninspired preacher of morality, in order to prove that these declarations are falsely attributed to him; - And then contending that these declarations are falfely attributed to him, in order to prove that he laid claim to no higher character, than that of a mere uninspired preacher of morality.

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