ed himself to be the Prince who was to work their deliverance. But so far it seems is this from being the case, that the charge upon Jesus is, that he took the contrary part, and set up in opposition to all the popular notions and prejudices of his country; that he interpreted the prophecies to another sense and meaning than his countrymen did; and, by his expositions, took away all hopes of their ever seeing the victorious Deliverer so much wanted and expected.

I know not how to bring the gentleman's premises and his conclusion to any agreement; they seem to be at a great variance at present. If it be the likeliest method for an impostor to succeed, to build on the popular opinions, prejudices and prophecies of the people; then surely an impostor cannot possibly take a worse method than to set up in opposition to all the prejudices and prophecies of the country. Where was the art and cunning then of taking this method? Could any thing be expected from it but hatred, contempt, and persecution? And did Christ in fact meet with any other treatment from the Jews? And yet when he found, as the gentleman allows he did, that he must perish in this attempt, did he change his note? Did he come about, and drop any intimations agreeable to the notions of the people? It is not pretended. This, which in any other case which ever happened, would be taken to be a plain mark of great honesty, or great stupidity, or of both, is, in the present case, art, policy, and contrivance.

But it seems Jesus dared not set up to be the victorious Prince expected, for victories are not to be counterfeited. I hope it was no crime in him, that he did not assume this false character, and try to abuse the credulity of the people: If he had done so, it certainly would have been a crime; and therefore in this point, at least, he is innocent. I do not suppose the gentleman imagines, that the Jews were well founded in their expectation of a temporal prince; and therefore when Christ opposed this conceit at the manifest hazard of his life, as he certainly had truth on his side, so the presumption is, that it was for the sake of truth, that he exposed himself.

No; he wanted, we are told, the common and necessary foundation for a new revelation, the authority of an old one, to build on. Very well: I will not inquire how common or how necessary this foundation is to a new revelation; for, be that case as it will, it is evident that, in the method Christ took, he had not, nor could have, the supposed advantage of such foundation. For why is this foundation necessary ? A friend of the gentleman's shall tell you. "Because it must be difficult, if not impossible, to introduce among men (who in all civilized countries are bred up in the belief of some revealed religion) a revealed religion wholly new, or such as has no reference to a preceding one; for that would be to combat all men on too many re

*Discourse of the Grounds, p. 24.

spects, and not to proceed on a sufficient number of principles necessary to be assented to by those on whom the first impressions of a new religion are proposed to be made." You see now the reason of the necessity of this foundation; it is, that the new teacher may have the advantage of old popular opinions, and fix himself upon the prejudices of the people. Had Christ any such advantages? or did he seek any such? The people expected a victorious Prince; he told them they were mistaken: they held as sacred the traditions of the elders; he told them those traditions made the law of God of none effect: they valued themselves for being the peculiar people of God; he told them that people from all quarters of the world should be the people of God, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom: they thought God could be worshipped only at Jerusalem; he told them God might and should be worshipped every where: they were superstitious in observance of the Sabbath; he, according to their reckoning, broke it frequently in a word, their washings of hands and pots, their superstitious distinctions of meats, their prayers in public, their villanies in secret, were all reproved, exposed, and condemned by him; and the cry ran strongly against him, that he came to destroy the law and the prophets. And now, sir, what advantage had Christ of your common and necessary foundation? What sufficient number of principles owned by the people did he build on? If he adhered to the old revelation in

the true sense, or (which is sufficient to the present argument) in a sense not received by the people, it was, in truth, the greatest difficulty he had to struggle with; and therefore what could tempt him, but purely a regard to truth, to take upon himself so many difficulties, which might have been avoided could he have been but silent as to the old revelation, and left the people to their imaginations?

To carry on this plot, we are told, that the next thing which Jesus did, was, to make choice of proper persons to be his disciples: the gentleman has given us their character; but, as I suppose, he has more employment for them before he has done, I desire to defer the consideration of their abilities and conduct till I hear what work he has for them to do; I would only observe, that thus far this plot differs from all that ever I heard of: Impostors generally take advantage of the prejudices of the people, generally too they make choice of cunning, dexterous fellows to manage under them; but in this case Jesus opposed all the notions of the people, and made choice of simpletons, it seems, to conduct his contrivances.

But what design, what real end, was carrying on all this while? Why, the gentleman tells us, that the very thing disclaimed, the temporal kingdom, was the real thing aimed at under this disguise: he told the people there was no foundation to expect a temporal deliverer, warned them against all who should set up those pretensions; he declared there

was no ground from the ancient prophecies to expect such a prince, and yet by these very means he was working his way to an opportunity of declaring himself to be the very Prince the people wanted. We are still upon the marvellous; every step opens new wonders. I blame not the gentleman; for what but this can be imagined to give any account of these measures imputed to Christ? Be this never so unlikely, yet this is the only thing that can be said. Had Christ been charged with enthusiasm, it would not have been necessary to assign a reason for his conduct; madness is unaccountable; Ratione modoque tractari non vult. But when design, cunning, and fraud, are made the charge, and carried to such an height, as to suppose him to be a party to the contrivance of a sham resurrection for himself, it is necessary to say to what end this cunning tended; it was, we are told, to a kingdom; and indeed the temptation was little enough, considering that the chief conductor of the plot was to be crucified for his pains. But were the means made use of at all probable to attain the end? Yes, says the gentleman, that cannot be disputed; for they had really this effect, the people would have made him king. Very well: Why was he not king then? Why, it happened, unluckily, that he would not accept the offer, but withdrew himself from the multitude, and lay concealed till they were dispersed. It will be said, perhaps, that Jesus was a better judge of affairs than the people, and saw that it was not