STUDY VII. 77 



tain illuftrious Authors have ftated thefe fuper- 

 natural proofs of a Divine Juflice, in a very ftrik- 

 ing light. I fliall fatisfy myfelf with adducing a 

 few more, flill more affeding, from their corre- 

 fpondence to Nature, and to the neceffities of 

 Mankind. 



The morality of the Gofpel has been challenged, 

 becaufe Jesus Christ, in the country of the Ga- 

 darenes, permitted a legion of demons to take pof- 

 feffion of a herd of two thoufand fwine, which 

 were thereby precipitated into the Sea, and chok- 

 ed. "Why," aik the objeétors, " ruin the pro- 

 '" prietors of thofe animals ?" Jesus Christ afled 

 in this as a Legiilator. The perfons to whom the 

 fwine belonged were Jews ; they tranfgreffed, 

 therefore, the Law which declares thofe animals 

 unclean. But here again ftarts up a new objeftion, 

 levelled at Mofes. *' Why are thofe animals pro- 

 *' nounced unclean ?" Becaufe, in the Climate of 

 Judea, they are fubjeâ: to the leprofy. But here 

 is a freOi triumph for our Wits. *' The Law of 

 *' Mofes," fay they," was, then, relative to Cli- 

 " mate j it could be at moft, of confequence, a 

 *' mere political conftitution." To this I anfwer, 

 that if I found in either the Old Teftament, or 

 the New, any ufage whatever which was not rela- 

 tive to the Laws of Nature, I fliould be ftill more 

 aftoniflied. It is the character of a Religion di- 

 vinely 



