nuine and true, muft not only forfake all finful pleafures, but expofe himself to various hardships and dangers, and even to death itself. They had indeed a future glory promised to them, with which the sufferings of the present time were not worthy to be compared. But then this glory, being future, must be fupported with the most incontestable evidences; elfe it could have no power against the oppofite mo tives; and both together must so rouse the mind, as to make men exert themselves to the uttermost, till they had received full fatisfaction. Besides which, it is to be observed, that even joy, and the greatness of an expectation, incline men to disbelieve, and to examine with a fcrupulous exactness, as well as fear and diflike.

As to those who did not receive the doctrines of the New Teftament, and the facts there related and implied, they would have fufficient motives to detect the forgery or falsehood, had there been any fuch. They were all condemned for their unbelief; many for their grofs vices; the jew for his darling partiality to his own nation, and ceremonial law; and the gentile for his idolatry and polytheism; and the most dreadful punishments threatened to all in a future ftate. Now these were important charges, and alarming confiderations, which, if they did not put men upon a fair examination, would, at least, make them defirous to find fault, to detect and expose, and, if they had discovered any fraud, to publish it with the utmoft

utmoft triumph. The books of the New Testament could not but be of so much importance to the unbelievers of the primitive times, as to excite them to vigilance and earnestness, in endeavouring to difcredit and deftroy them. All which is abundantly confirmed by the history of those times. And indeed cafes of the fame kind, though not of the fame degree, occur now to daily observation, which the reader will do well to call to mind. Thus it comes to pafs, on one hand, that frauds and impostures are crushed in the birth; and, on the other, that wicked men labour against the truth in the moft unreasonable and inconfiftent ways, and are led on from one degree of obftinacy, prevarication, and infatuation, to another, without limits.

It may be added here, that the perfons reproved and condemned in the gospel, in the Acts of the apoftles, by St. Paul in his epiftles, by St. Peter in his second epistle, by St. John and St. Jude in their epiftles, and by St. John in the Revelations, viz. the five churches, and the Nicolaitants, could not but endeavour to vindicate themselves. The books were all of a public nature, and these reproofs particularly so, as being intended to guard others.

I have now gone through the several parts of the fcripture, and fhewn briefly how the importance of each would be a fecurity against forgery and fiction in that part. I will now add fome general evidences to the fame purpose.

First,

Firft, then, It is certain, that both jews and chriftians have undergone the feverest persecutions and fufferings on account of their facred books, and yet never could be prevailed with to deliver them up.; which fhews that they thought them of the highest importance, moft genuine and true.

Secondly, The preservation of the law of Mofes, which is probably the first book that was ever written in any language, while fo many others more modern have been loft, fhews the great regard paid to it. The fame holds in a lefs degree of most of the other books of the Old Testament, fince most of them are ancienter than the oldest Greek historians. And as the records of all the neighbouring nations are loft; we must suppose those of the jews to have been preferved, from their importance, or fome other füch cause, as may be an equal evidence of their genuinenefs and truth.

Thirdly, The great importance of all the facred books appears from the many early tranflations and paraphrases of them. The fame translations and paraphrases must be an effectual means of fecuring their integrity and purity, if we could fuppofe any defign to corrupt them.

Fourthly, The hesitation and difficulty with which a few books of the New Teftament were received into the canon, fhew the great care and concern of the primitive chriftians about their canon, i. e. the high importance of the books received into it;

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and are therefore a ftrong evidence, firft, for the ge nuinenefs and truth of the books which were received without hesitation; and then for thefe others, fince they were received universally at last.

Fifthly, The great religious hatred and animofity which fubfifted between the jews and Samaritans, and between feveral of the ancient fects amongst the chriftians, fhew of what importance they all thought their facred books; and would make them watch over one another with a jealous eye.

THE LANGUAGE, STYLE, AND MANNER OF WRITING USED IN THE BOOKS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS, ARE ARGUMENTS OF THEIR GENUINENESS.

HERE I obferve, First, that the Hebrew language, in which the Old Teftament was written, being the language of an ancient people, and one that had little intercourfe with their neighbours, and whofe neighbours also spake a language that had great affinity with their own, would not change fo faft as modern languages have done, fince nations have been varioufly mixed with one another, and trade, arts, and sciences, greatly extended. Yet fome changes there must be in paffing from the time of Mofes to that of Malachi. Now, I apprehend, that the Biblical Hebrew correfponds to this criterion with fo múch exactness, that a confiderable argument may be deduced thence in favour of the genuineness of the books of the Old Teftament.

Secondly,

Secondly, The books of the Old Teftament have too confiderable a diversity of style to be the work either of one jew (for a jew he must be on account of the language), or of any fet of cotemporary jews. If therefore they be all forgeries, there must be a fucceffion of impoftors in different ages, who have concurred to impofe upon pofterity, which is inconceivable. To fuppofe part forged, and part genuine, is very harfh, neither would this fuppofition, if admitted, be fatisfactory.

Thirdly, The Hebrew language ceased to be spoken, as a living language, foon after the time of the Babylonish captivity: but it would be difficult or impoffible to forge any thing in it, after it was become a dead language. For there was no grammar made for the Hebrew till many ages after; and, as it is difficult to write in a dead language with exactnefs, even by the help of a grammar, so it seems impoffible without it. All the books of the Old Teftament must therefore be, nearly, as ancient as the Babylonish captivity; and, fince they could not all be written in the fame age, fome must be confiderably more ancient; which would bring us again to a fucceffion of confpiring impoftors.

Fourthly, This last remark may perhaps afford a new argument for the genuineness of the book of Daniel, if any were wanting. But indeed the Septuagint translation fhews both this, and all the other books of the Old Teftament to have been confidered