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ordinary course of nature. But, certainly, upon the hypothesis of a revelation, if the thing be once allowed to be poffible, after we have acquainted ourselves with the character and circumstances of the perfon pretending to this revelation, and with his actions, and the evidences arifing from them, if there be nothing in the hiftory and circumstances, to create and fupport an opinion of imposture or enthufiaftic delufion, the nature of fair argumentation requireth, that the character be admitted to be what it pretendeth to be, till fomething is fhewn, which giveth juft fufpicion of the fraud or wild enthufiafm. However, fuch is the fingular nature and ftate of the evidence of the truth of Christianity, and so perfectly different from the foundation,

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upon which all other pretences to revelation have been built, and the manner in which they have been fupported and conducted, that unlefs it is fet afide upon this fole confideration, that the character of a perfon commiffioned from God to inftruct mankind is fo much out of nature, that no evidence whatsoever can make it credible, the advocate for Christianity hath nothing to apprehend; and is ready to fhew, that the characters principally interested in this matter, and whose story is so particularly told and made known to the world, can neither be refolved into impofture or enthufiasm; but must, of neceffity, be admitted to be in reality what they profeffed to be. And it may be very fairly demanded of the adverfaries to Chriftianity, that they fhould fhew fuch an extraordinary C

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interpofition, as that of a revelation from God, to be impoffible, and on that account abfolutely incredible; or to fhew, that, granting it poffible, the evidences, by which Christianity is proved to be of divine authority, are not fufficient to beget a rational perfuafion of it; or if they do neither of thefe, to acknowledge, that Jefus Chrift was in truth fent of God.

As for the third hypothefis mentioned, namely, that though Chriftianity cannot be accounted for on the foot of mere imposture or mere enthufiafm, yet there might have been a mixture of both, and that they were combined in the cause, which produced this amazing effect: this will not, furely, be infifted on, as of any weight. There may be fome kinds of enthusiasm, which will bear an alliance with imposture, and

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minister to the purposes of it; and imposture may likewise give aid to enthusiasm : but in the present cafe, certainly, the fimplicity of the Christian spirit must be supposed to to be at enmity with all imposture; and, on the other hand, it doth not appear, that imposture would serve its selfish and corrupt ends by Chriftianity. However, if our Saviour and his apostles are fully vindicated from the imputation of imposture, and it is apparent likewise they were not enthusiasts, it is in vain to speak of a mixture of character in them. Upon the whole, it is wonderful, that any person, who hath attended to these things, fhould express himself, as if he could, without all difficulty, pronounce the religion of Chrift to be mere delufion. The candour of fuch, one can hardly avoid calling in question.

Farther, have not the friends of Christianity reason to complain of the answers given by fome of the writers against it to the great arguments, on which believers rely, as very much wanting in openness and ingenuousness of heart, as well as good fenfe? For instance, it hath been over and over faid, "That miracles can prove nothing but the existence of a power, by which they are worked; that there is no connexion between a miracle and the truth of a propofition; and that no 'doctrine is to be proved otherwife than by reason and argument. And with refpect to prophecy, it hath been infifted upon, "that nothing can fatisfy an attentive impartial inquirer, but that he feeth the prophecy fulfilled in the event predicted. That when the event doth not come to pass, according to the