Operations publicly and unquestionably wrought, and wrought to give Credit to any Perfon or Doctrine declared to proceed from God, (if fuch Doctrine be not unreasonable in itself, nor the Miracles confronted and confuted by greater Miracles, or in other Words, if there be Nothing in the Matter of the Revelation, that is evidently contrary to the Principles of natural Religion, nor to any former Revelation, which hath already received a greater and more folemn Atteftation from Heaven,) do fully teftify what they are alledged to prove; and confequently that no Deduction of Reafon, nor Maxim of Philofophy is more certain, than that Jefus of Nazareth, who produced these Credentials, was what he claimed to be confidered, a Teacher sent from God.

But will Miracles prove him a Teacher from God, who publishes Doctrines unworthy of God? Or if the Doctrines are evidently reasonable and just in themselves, where is the Want, or what is the Service of this

super

fuperfluous Evidence, that proves what is already acknowledged, and gives Testimony, where the Reafon was before fufficiently clear and certain? This leads me

192-To enquire into the Ufe and Neceffity of this miraculous Evidence.

2

must be with regard to the moral Law, or -CHSHA the Law of Nature. This Law was doubtlefs prior to the Chriftian Revelation, or the Law of Mofes, taking it's Date from the Creation of Man, and being enacted in our very Nature, and therefore imagined by the Adverfaries of Revelation, as fufficiently certain, and wanting no new Enforcement

to aut

or Explanation. What Reason unenlightened and unaffifted could do in tracing and explaining this Law is a Thing of too extenfive Confideration for this Place, and difficult to pronounce upon. What it did effect is well known, and very E

far from prov

ing

ing a further Revelation to be ufelefs. It is certain in fact, that fome moral Truths were loft, and others depraved under the Conduct of this natural Guide; and that the Belief of the one true God, which lies at the Foundation of all genuine Theism and natural Religion, was almoft univerfally extinguished. Men had changed the Truth of God into a Lie, and worshiped and ferved the Creature more than the Creator. And this unnatural Worship produced it's ufual Offspring of unnatural and vile Affections. Such was the unhappy Fate of unaided human Reason, wilful enough, no doubt, to leave Men without Excufe, and yet weak enough to deserve the Compaffion and Support of the Father of Mercies, and to make a further Dispensation neceffary to guide Men into all moral Truth, and encourage and fupport them in the confcientious Practice of it. Far be it from any Preacher of Truth to vilify human Reason, which is the Candle of the Lord, and by which we are to be directed whereever it gives Light. But let me ask the greatest

greatest Idolizer of this natural Light, whether in fact Religion was at first reasoned out. The whole of History and Tradition makes for the other Side, that it came into the World by Revelation. If Reason ever manifested the whole Scheme of Virtue, where was this Scheme propofed? Which of all the antient Moralifts fhall we confult for this entire System of Duty? If the Law of Nature drawn out into all it's Branches of Obligation, and comprehending the whole Circle of moral Virtue, be a merely Utopian Fancy, that never exifted in fact, till taught and explained by Revelation; then as Revelation was neceffary, fo was the Evidence of Miracles to witness the Divinity of that Revelation.

Thus then Miracles have their Use with regard to the Law of Nature confidered even as a Matter of Speculation. But confidering natural Religion on the fide of Practice there is no Question to be made, whether the Teftimony of Miracles be not fignally useful. For fuppofe a Person to

teach natural Religion to a Nation, that had lived in Ignorance or Forgetfulness of it, and to declare himself commiffioned by God fo to do: Suppose him in proof of his Commiffion to foretel Things future, which no human Sagacity and Forefight could have gueffed at, to calm the Rage of Tempests with a Word, to feed great Multitudes with Bread from Heaven, to cure all Manner of Diseases, and to raise the dead, even himself, to Life again: Would not this give extraordinary and additional Credibility to his Teaching, and be an authoritative Publication, or new Proof of the Law of Nature? It would, as the aforefaid judicious Writer has observed, be a practical one of the strongest kind, perhaps, which human Creatures are capable of receiving. This wonderful Display of Power would be an immediate Testimony from Heaven, that Virtue is God's Law, and would impart new Force to that awful Expectation, which even Nature furnishes, that God will finally judge the World in Righteousness, and render to all according to their Works.

But