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other comporuion^ of any language. This may be denomi- 

 nated fimplicity of d. fign. The fubj^-a of the narrative fo 

 enTri.ffcs t^'.e alttntion of the writer, that he difappears, as 

 it were, from the view of the reader; He introducee nothing 

 as from himfelf ; no opinions of his own, no remarks, cen- 

 jr t\urcs, doubts, or inferences; no reafoning about the canfe 

 or the effcas of what is related. He never ir.tetriipls liis 

 reader with the difplay, either of his talents or his paffions : 

 he makes no digrefiious ; he draws no charaClers ; he fup- 

 pliis us merely with naked fads, from which we are left to 

 colka the charaaer. We oblerve no attempt to Ibine by 

 means of the exprcflion, compofition, or fentiments. Plain- 

 nefs of language is an.. , — eferred, becaufe it is the moft 

 nnlnral, the nioft obvious, anu i!;e bcft adapted to all capa- 

 cities. In this lalt fort of fingnlarity, fur which Xcnophon 

 among the Greeks, ai.d Cxfar among the Latins, have been 

 recommended, our Lord's biographers particularly excel. 

 With refpea to the firil fpecies of fimplicity, or that of 

 flruanrc, the difference of the genius of the Greek languag.; 

 from that of the Hebrew mull, without doubt, occafion lome 

 dilTerence in the manner of Matthew, Mark, Lake, and 

 John, from that of Mofts; but the identity of idiom Hill 

 occafions a ftrong refemblance between them. If Genefis, 

 therefore, may he jullly faid to pofTefs lhej!rjl rank for fim- 

 plicity of compofition in the fentences, the Gofpcls are cer- 

 tainly entitled lolhcJlccntJ; and John and MattI.ew have it 

 in a higher degree than Mark and Luke. As to the L-cond 

 fpecies, or fimplicity of fentiment, the change of times, 

 which is very great, as well as the difference of fiibjeas, 

 would receffarily confer the full degree of it upon the former. 

 But in fimplicity of objca or dcfign, the cvangelilh, of all 

 writers, facred and prophane, appear the foreri:olL Their 

 manner is indeed, in fome refpeas, peculiar and unrivalled. 

 If we divert our attention from the hiftorical, or narra- 

 tive parts of the Bible, to the writings of the poets and 

 irophets, we Ihall difcover the animated, elegant, and 

 ubhme intermi.ted, as the fubj<as fuggeft, and the occafions 

 require, with the fimple and perfpicuous. But for other 

 particulars, in reference to this fubjea, fee Style and Tes- 

 tament. See alfo the titles of the feveral books of the 

 Bible, for the dilb'iiguifhing charaaer of their writers. 



Having confidered the appellations by which the Bible is 

 diftiiiguifhed, the books of which it confiils, the time, and 

 manner in which they were coUeaed, their refpeaive authors, 

 and the language and ftyle in which they were written, it 

 may not be improper to fubjoin a few obfervalions on the 

 genuinenefs and authenticity of the Scriptures, on their high 

 original a: d divine authority, and on their great importance 

 and utility. 



It fhi uld here be confidered, that the genuinenefs of the 

 Scriptures proves the truth of the principal faas contained 

 in them ; to which puipofe we may obferve, that it is very 

 rare to meet with any genuine writings of the hiftorical kind, 

 in which the principal faas are not true, unlcfs it be in in- 

 ftances wbere both the motives which engaged the author to 

 faififv, and the eircumftances which gave fome plaufibility 

 to the fiaion, are apparent ; neither of which can be allcdged 

 in the prefent cafe with any colour of reafon. As this is rare 

 in genera), it is more rare, whenthe writer treats of things 

 that happened in his own time, and under his own cogni- 

 zance and direction, and communicates his hiftory to perfons 

 under the fame circumrtanccs ; all which may be faid iif the 

 wnttrs of the Scripture hillory. Befides, the great impor- 

 tance of the faas mentioned in the Scriptures makes it more 

 improbable, that the ftveral authors (hould either have at- 

 tempted to falfify, or have fucceedcd in fuch an attempt. 

 This is aik argument for the truth of the fads, which proves 



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the genuinenefs of the books at the fame time. However, 

 the truth of the faas is inferred more direaly from their im- 

 portance, if the genuinenefs of the Scriptures be previoufly 

 allowed. The fame obfervation may be applied to the great 

 number of particular circumftances of time, place, perfons, 

 &c. mcntii-ned in the ScriptBies, and to the harmony of 

 the books with themfelves, and with each other. Thefe are 

 arguments both for the genuinenefs of the books, and truth 

 of the faas dilfinaly confidered, and alfo arguments for de- 

 ducing the truth from the genuinenefs. Moreover, if the 

 books of the Old and New Tcftaments were written by the 

 perfons to whom they have been afcribed, i. e. if they be ge- 

 nuine, the moral charaaers of thefe writers afford the ilrongeft 

 affurance, that the faa.s aiTerted by them are true. The 

 fufferings which feveral of the writers underwent both in life 

 and ill death, in atteltalion of the faas delivered by them, 

 furnifh a particular argument in favour of thefe faas. 

 Again, the arguments here alledged for proving the truth of 

 the Scripture hillory from the genuinenefs of the books, are 

 as conclufive in refpsa of tlie miraculouj faas, as of the com- 

 mon ones. It may alfo be oblerved, that if we allow the 

 genuinenefs of the books to be a fufScient evidence of the 

 common faas which they record, the miraculous faas mult 

 alfo be allowed, from their clofe conneaiou with the others. 

 It is neceffary to admit both or neither. We cannot con- 

 ceive, that Mofes fhould have delivered the Ifraelitea from 

 their flavery in Egypt, or conduaed them through tha 

 wildernefs for forty years, at all, in fuch manner as the 

 common hillory reprefents, unlefs we fuppofe the miraculous 

 faas intermixed with it to be true alfo. In like manner, the 

 fame of Chrill's miracles, the multitudes which followed him, 

 the adherence of his difciples, thejealoufy and hatred of the 

 chief priefts, fcribes and pharifees, with many other faas 

 of a common nature, are impoOible to be accounted for, un- 

 lefs we allow, that he did really work miracles. And the 

 fame obfervations hold, in geneial, of the other parts of the 

 Scripture hillory. We might urge a particular argument 

 in favour of the miraculous part of the Scripture hillory, 

 that may be deduced from the reluaance of mankind to re- 

 ceive miraculous fads ; which would put the writers and 

 readers very much upon their guard, and would operate as a 

 flroiig check upon the publication ol a miraculous hillory at 

 or near the time when the miracles were faid to be performed; 

 and thus it would ferve as a llrong confinnation of fuch an 

 hillory, if its genuinenels be previonfiy granted. The con- 

 verle of the propofition, now ilated and explained, is alfo 

 true : i.e. if the principal faas mentioned in the Scnptures 

 be true, they mull be genuine writing?. 



In connettion with the preceding propifition we may obr 

 ferve, that the genuinenefs of the Scriptures proves their 

 divine authority. Porphyry in etfea acknowledges the trutU 

 of this propofition, in its reference to the book of Daniel* 

 by being unable to devife a method of invalidating its divine 

 authority implied in the accomplifhmcnt of the projjhecies 

 which it contains, without affertmg, that tliey were written 

 after the event, or that they were forgeries. Many of the 

 other books of the O. and N. Teltamcnts have ut quelHon- 

 ahle evidences of the divine foreknowledge, it tliey be alyV 

 lowed genuine : fuch are thofe fupphed by- Mofes's pro- 

 pliccy concerning the captivity of the Iraelitcs, or of a Hate 

 not yet ereaed ; Ifaiah's concerning Cyrus; Jereniiah's con- 

 cerning the duration ef the Babylonilh captivits ; Cliriil's 

 concerning the deltruaion of Jtruialcm, and the captivity 

 that wa; to toUow ; St. John's concerning the great corrup- 

 tion of the ChriiHan church ; and Daniel's co::ceining the 

 fourth empire in its dechnCon ; which latl was extant in the 

 time of Porphyry, at leaft, that is, .Wiojf'i th? evtuts which 



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