considered the nature of death, which is not absolutely ceasing to exist, but ceasing to exist in the former manner; he would, as a naturalist, have seen, that except seeds die, they are not quickened. "Unless "they die they abide alone," as our Lord also says; who is thus involved with the apostle in our author's preremptory charge. The seed, before it grows, ceases as much to be a grain of corn, as a man at death ceases to be a living man; and is as absolutely irrecoverable to its former mode of existence by any human power: yet it springs up into a new life, incomprehensibly, by the power of God, as men will rise at the last day. So that the illustration is sufficiently just and clear; even though ingenuity could find out some shades of difference, with which men in general are wholly unacquainted.

The rest of the epistolary writings are passed over by our author, with the same kind of neglect as he showed to the minor prophets; except that he insinuates they were forged, and pretends that they are of no consequence in the argument; which will be considered in another place.

6

I suppose, his wit, in saying, 'the whore of Baby⚫lon has been the common whore of all the priests; and each has aceused the other of keeping the strumpet, is intended as his confutation of the Apocalypse; for, this sally and an assertion, that it ⚫ is a book of riddles, which requires a revelation to explain it,' is all that he advances concerning this part of Scripture. Yet the numerous predictions it contains, and the undeniable accomplishments which many of them have already received, amount to a

complete moral demonstration that it is the work of God.

Having gone through Mr. P.'s objections to the New Testament; I must declare my complete assurance, that, after all his most confident declamations about contradictions, lies, and impostures, he has not substantiated one single charge. And it would be easy to retort upon him: for the instances of disingenuity, misrepresentation, wilful calumny, or astonishing ignorance of the subject, which might be produced, were that necessary, are exceedingly numerous. And thus I leave the matter to the judgment of the candid and impartial reader.

I shall now proceed in a second Part, to call the reader's attention to several important subjects, which are not peculiar to any part of Scripture, but relate in some measure to the whole of the sacred oracles. In doing this, I mean both to exhibit the great outlines of that positive proof on which I believe the divine inspiration of the Scriptures; and the real nature and tendency of the religion contained in them.

37 *

BOOK II.

CHAPTER I.

REVELATION.

"REVELATION, when applied to religion, means something communicated immediately from God to man*. By this definition Mr. P. begs the question: for if revelation means an immediate communication from God to man; then indeed nothing communicated from God to us, by the intervention of other men, whether speaking or writing, can be properly so called. The definition may, however, be admitted, in respect of the original source whence all revelation is derived but if it pleased God, immediately to communicate to one man, what he meant him to declare to others in his name, and to authenticate by proper credentials; the real, or generally received, sense of the word revelation will be preserved, though it be communicated from one man to another, over the whole earth, and to the last ages. The doctrine or * P. i. p. 5, 6.

precept came originally from God, by immediate communication, and was no human discovery or imposition.

Mr. P. allows that God has the power to make such a communication, if he pleases; but thinks it improbable he ever should*: and he is confident that God cannot enable the man, who first receives this communication, to authenticate it to any other person, so as to render belief of it a duty! This is a very extraordinary assertion! I am able to send a message or a letter by a servant, or in some other way; and to give full assurance to a person at a distance, that it comes from me. I can make my will, and so attest it, that, after my death, all parties concerned shall be entirely satisfied it was my act and deed and yet the omnipotent and eternal God cannot send a message or make known his will, by the intervention of any servant or messenger! Is this reason, or absurd and daring presumption? To support such a system, it was necessary to assert that miracles are impossible, and prophecies, impostures and lies; and then to affirm, that we can have no proof but hearsay of any supposed revelation! On this ground Mr. P. may stand; provided he can demonstrate his principles: but if they be merely assumed and false, it must sink under him. For if a man comes with the rod of Moses in his hand, as well as with "Thus saith the LORD" in his mouth; the miracles which he performs are the seal of his mission, and his testimony can no longer be called hearsay and assertion.

P. ii. p. 95, 96.

Mr. P. ventures on another definition of revelation} and says, 'It is communication of something which ⚫ the person did not know before*.' If so, then every accession to our knowledge, however obtained, might be called a revelation: which surely will not help us to affix right ideas to words. From this vague proposition, our author infers that all the historical and * anecdotal part of the Bible is not within the com • pass of the word revelation, and therefore, is not the "word of God.' But surely God may reveal past events of which no other information could be obtained. "By faith," and consequently by revelation, "we understand that the worlds were framed by the "word of Godt." Whatever traditionary information Moses might receive, concerning the creation, the fall, the deluge, and other events preceding his own time; he might be immediately instructed, and guided by an infallible superintending inspiration in recording them. This was needful to enable him entirely to distinguish between truth and error in tradition; to know such things as had not been retained in the memory of mankind; and to form a history fully adequate to the ends proposed. In like manner, a similar superintending influence would be requisite, to preserve the sacred historians from fall ing into error or misrepresentations, through forgetfulness or prejudice, even in respect of those facts of which they had personal knowledge; and it would be still more necessary, when their information was received from others, either by word or writing. So that the idea of revelation, in its more general mean