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it rcprefents. The truth of the propofition might alfo be 

 argued from the fubhinity and cxttUcnce of tlie doclrines 

 contained in the Sciiptures ; in no reipcft fuiting the lup- 

 pofed authors, or the ages in which they lived, their educa- 

 tion or occupation ; f.i that, if they were the real authors, 

 we are under the n;ccllity of admitting ihc I'lvine affillance. 

 The coiivcrfc of this propolition, viz. that theDivinc authority 

 of the Scriptures inters their gcnnineiief-, uill be rtaJily and 

 unirerfally acknowledged. AiiJ there are feveral evidences for 

 the Divine authority of the Scriptures, which are dirccl and 

 immediate, and prior to the coiifidcration both of tlicir ge- 

 nuinenefs, and of the truth of tlic facls contained in them. 

 Moreover, the truth of the principal fadls contained ia the 

 Scriptures proves their divine authority. Such is the frame 

 of the human mind, that the Scripture hillory, allowed to 

 be true, ir.ull convince us that Chrilt, the prophets, and the 

 apoftles, were endued with a power greater than iuiman, and 

 aftcd by the authority of a Being of the highcll wildom and 

 goodnefs. But if n.itural religion be previoufly elhibhihcd, 

 thi- truth of the principal facls of the Scriptures proves their 

 divine authority in a more eafy and more convincing man- 

 »cr : for the knowledge and power manifeiled by Chrift, the 

 prophets, and apoltle?, and alfo their good moral charac- 

 ter.-', ihew them to be in an eminent manner the children, fer- 

 vants, and meflengtrs cf him, who is previonily acknowledged 

 to be infiiiite in power, knowledge, and goodnefs ; and they 

 actually lay claim to a divine miffion, which claim cannot be 

 thought a falfe one, if we admit their credentials : or, in other 

 words, the truth of the principal fads mentioned in the Scrip- 

 tures proves the divin? miffion of Chrift, the prophets, and 

 apotlies, that is, the divine autiiority of the Scriptures. 



By fuch mode of reafoning it is (hewn, that the genuine- 

 nefs of the Scriptues, the truth of the principal facts con- 

 tained in them, and their divine authority, appear to be fo 

 conneitcd with each other, that any one being eftablifhed 

 upon independent principles, the other two may be interred 

 from it. On the fubject of the infpiration of tlie Scriptures j 

 lee Inspiration. 



Another argument in proof of the genuinenefs of the 

 books of the Old and New Teilamtnts, and of the truth of 

 the principal fatts contained in them, may be deduced from 

 the manner in which they have been tranfmitted down from 

 one age to another; refembling that,in which all other genuine 

 books and true hillories have been conveyed down to po!le- 

 rity. As the writings of the Greek and Roman writers were 

 elleemed by thefe nations to be tranfmitted to tliem by their 

 ancellors in a continued fucceffion, from the times when the 

 rcfpettive au'.hors lived, fo have the books of tlie Old 

 Tellament by the Jevvilh nation, and thofe of the New by 

 the Chrillians ; and it is an additional evidence in the lall 

 cafe, that the primitive Chrillians were not a difcinft nation, 

 but a great multitude of people difperfed through all the na- 

 tions ot the Roman empire, and even extending itfclf beyond 

 the bounds of that empire. As the Greeks and Romans 

 always believed the principal facts of their hilloiical books, 

 fo the Jews a:^d Chrillians did more, and never feem to have 

 doubted of the truth ot any part of theirs. In Ihort, what- 

 ever can be faid of tlie tradi'.ional authority due to the Greek 

 and Roman writers, fomething analogous to tliis: and for the 

 moll part of greater wci_.iht, rray be urged for .he Jcvvilh 

 and Chri'.lian. Now, as ail fobcr-mindtd pcrlons ad it, the 

 books ufually afcribed to the Greek and Roman hiilorians, 

 philiilophers, &c. to be genuine, av.d the principal tadts re- 

 lated or alluded to -n ihcrn to be true, and that one chief 

 evi.ierce tor this is the general traditionary one here recited; 

 they ought, therefore, to pay the fame regard to the books 

 of the Old and New TellamciUs, fince there arc tue lanjej 



or greater reafons for it. Befidcs, thefe tradition?ry evi- 

 dences are fufficient, and we thus obtain a re.d argument, as 

 well as one " ad hominem," for receiving books thus handed 

 down to us. For it is. not conceivabl , that whole nations 

 (hould either be impofed upon thcmfelvcs, or concur to de- 

 ceive others, by forgeries of books or of facts. Tlitfe books 

 and fads mull, therefore, in general, be genuine and true ; 

 and it is a Itrong additional evidence of this, that ail nations 

 mult be jealous of forgeries for the fame reafons that we are. 

 On the conclufivenclj of this argument, as it relates to mi- 

 racles ; fee Miracle. 



We may proceed to obfcrve further, tluit the great im-, 

 portance of the hillories, precepts, promifes, threatenings, 

 and prophecies contained in the Scriptures, are evidences 

 both of their genuinenefs, and of the truth of the principal 

 fads mentioned in them. The hillory of the creation, fall, 

 deluge, longevity of the patriarchs, dilpcrlion of mankind, 

 callin':;C t>f Abraham, dcfcent of Jacob with his family into 

 ligypt, and the precepts of abllaining from blued, and of 

 circumcilion, were of Inch concern, either to m.ankmd in 

 general, or to the Ifraelites in particular, and fome ot them 

 of fo extraordinary a nature, as that it ■.■ould not be a matter 

 of indifference to the people amongil whom the account 

 given of them in Geiitfis was firll publifhed, whether they 

 received them or not. On the luppofition that this accouut 

 was firll publilhed amongil the Ifraelites by Mofes, and then 

 confirmed by cle-ar, univerfal, uninterrupted tradition, it 

 will be eafy to conceive, how it (hould be handed dov.n from 

 age to age amongil the Jews, and received by them as in- 

 dubitable. But (uppofing the account to be falfe, or that 

 there were no fuch vefliges and evidences of thefe hillories 

 and precepts, it will be difficult to conceive how this could 

 have happened, let the time of publication be what it may. 

 If early, the people would rcjed at once the account for want 

 of a clear tradition ; if late, it would be natural to inquiie ho.v 

 the autlior was informed of things never ktiowa before -O 

 others.. If the account was delivered, as having been com- 

 muaicated to Mofes by divine revelation, which is not very 

 confident with the numerous references that occur in Genclis 

 to the exilling velligts of the things related, his fiditious 

 credentials would thus be tmbarrafled, and his coiitempora- 

 raries would be induced very particularly to examine them. 

 As to other cofmogonics and theogonies current among Pa- 

 gans, which are evident fidions ; they furnilh no juft ob- 

 jeftion againft the Mofaic hidory ; becaufe thev were gene- 

 rally reijardtd merely as amuling fidions ; and yet they con- 

 cealed in figures, or cxprciltd in plain words fome triithi:, 

 which agree with the book of Genefis, and afford a llrong 

 prcfumptive evidence in favour of this book. With refpeCt 

 to the law of Mofes, this w?s extremely burdenfome, ex- 

 penfive, and fevere, particularly in its reference to the crime 

 of idolatry, to which mankind were then extravagantly prone ; 

 and it was abfurd, according to human judgment, in the ic- 

 (lances of prohibiting their furnifhing thcmlelves with horfes 

 for war, and of commanding all the males of the whole na- 

 tion to appear at Jerufalem three times a year. Ncverthc- 

 lcf», it claims a divine authority, and appeals to fads of the 

 moll notorious kind, and to culloms and ceremonies of the 

 moll peculiar nature, as the wKmorials of thtle tads. Can 

 we then conceive, that any nation, with fuch motives to re- 

 jed, and fuch I'pportunities of.deteding, the forgery of the 

 books of Exodus, LtvJtvciJS, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, 

 fhould yet receive iheui, and fubmil to this heavy yoke ? 

 That the Jews did. fubmit to the law of MoUs in ihcfe cir- 

 cim.llarce.-., js evident from the books cf the Old and New 

 TtiUmentSj if wa allow them the leaft truth and genuine- 

 nefs, or CYtitliO.n profane writers ; and from the.pitfent ob- 

 2 fervauce 



