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not admit of proof; fo neither, I think, can certainty be obtained with regard to the affirmative. For, as to the evidence that arifes from apparitions, refurrections, and cther like facts, to prove the existence of the human mind, after the diffolution of, and confequently after it's feparation from the body; thefe, I think, do not give certain proof, in the prefent cafe, because the facts themselves are liable to be difputed. And, as to the philofophical arguments and reafonings that are offered on both sides of this question, they are too abftrufe and fubtile for me to understand; and, therefore, I cannot form any judgment about them, nor draw any conclusion from them. And, tho' we cannot come to ftrict certainty, in the prefent cafe (as, I think, we cannot;) yet, furely, our judgments and subsequent behaviour ought to be determined and directed by the greater degree of probability, as well in this, as in any other cafe. I am sensible, it is maintained by fome, that divine revelation affords a proper ground of certainty, with refpect to men's future existence; whereas, I think, it does not. For, as we cannot, in the nature of the thing, come to a certainty, with regard to the divine origiY 4

nal

nal of any external revelation; fo, from hence it seems to follow, that no revelation can be a proper ground of certainty, with respect to the truth of any propofition that is grounded upon it, because that would be drawing a certain conclufion from an uncertain principle, which is abfurd. And,

HERE, perhaps, it may be expected that I should take notice of what may be urged from St. Paul, concerning the doctrine of futurity, viz. that as the Apoftle observed, 2 Timothy i. 10. That life and immortality were brought to light by the gospel: fo he, in 1 Corinthians xv. feems to confider Chrift as being raised from the dead on purpose clearly to evince both the poffibility and certainty of a future refurrection to life eternal; and therefore, if the refurrection of Chrift be fo well attefted, as to lay a proper foundation of credit, with regard to that fact, then, that fact becomes a just foundation for credit, with regard to the doctrine of futurity; that is, it becomes a juft and proper foundation for us to ground the belief of futurity upon. With respect to what is here urged, I obferve, that when St. Paul faid, that life and immortality were brought to light by the gospel, he poffibly might

mean

mean no more, than that the true way to a happy immortality was plainly pointed out by the gospel; and this assertion of St. Paul the gospel, furely, will justify. If it fhould be infifted on, that St. Paul meant the doctrine of futurity, and that it was discovered or made known by the gofpel; then, the affertion does not come with a very good grace from that Apoftle; because he not only knew that there were a confiderable number of people among the Jews, viz. the Pharifees, of which fect himself and family were a part, who believed and zealously maintained the doctrine of futurity, as appears from Acts xxiii. 6, 7, 8. but he also represents a refurrection to a future life to be what the body of the Jewish nation had hope in, as a promife of God that had been made to their fathers. For, as St. Paul reprefented his belief in, and his adberence to the doctrine of the refurrection, to be the ground of the charge laid against him

* When St. Paul returned to Jerufalem, after having preached the gofpel to the Gentiles, (according to the Christian hiftorian Acts xxi.) he went to St. James, when the elders were prefent, and acquainted them of the great fuccefs of his ministry among the Gentiles. And James, and the elders alfo, informed St. Paul that many thoufand Jews were believers in Chrift, which believers

were

him by the Jews; fo, he confidered that doctrine as a jewish doctrine, or as what had been conftantly believed in, and hoped for by that 'people. Thus, St. Paul told the

Jews

were all zealous of the law; and as they had heard that St. Paul had taught all the Jews, which were among the Gentiles, to forfake Mofes, faying, that they ought not to circumcife their children, nor walk after the cuftoms; fo, of courfe, they would come together for fatisfaction. However, to avoid the present difficulty, St. James and the elders propofed to St. Paul a way to deceive those Jews, which Paul approved, as appears from his compliance with it; viz. they had four men, who had a vow on them, whom they advised St. Paul to take and purify himself with them, and be at charges with them, and have their heads, that thereby all might know, from St. Paul's conformity to the law, in thefe inftances, that what had been faid of him was false; and that he walked orderly, and kept the law, verfe 26. But then, though St. Paul went into the temple to answer the purpose aforefaid; yet, it had another great and unexpected effect, and became the occafion of those troubles that afterwards befel him. For, when the feven days for purification were almost ended, the Jews which were of Afia, when they faw Paul in the temple, and having before feen Trophimus an Ephefian with him in the city, whom they thought Paul had brought with him into the temple, they ftirred up all the people, and laid hands upon Paul, crying out [men of Ifrael, help; this is the man that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and farther, hath brought Greeks alfo into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place] verfes 27,

28.

This is the charge of the Jews against St. Paul, in which there is not a tittle concerning his having taught the doctrine of the refurrection, as he afterwards pretended the cafe to be. In like manner, and agreeable to the above charge, Tertullus the orator pleaded againft

St.

Jews at Rome, Acts xxviii. 20. for the hope of Ifrael he was bound with the chain they faw upon him. And thus, he told King Agrippa, Acts xxvi. that the Jews knew,

St. Paul, in the following words, [we have found this man a peftilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ring-leader of the fect of the Nazarenes; who also have gone about to prophane the temple, whom we took, and would have judged according to our law] Acts xxiv. 5, 6. To which accufation the Jews affented, saying, that these things were fo, verfe 9. In this accufation we have not a word of St. Paul's preaching the doctrine of the refurrection, nor, indeed, does it appear that there was, or could be any place for it; feeing the preaching that doctrine could not be deemed criminal by the Jews; but it seems to have been forced into the cafe, by St. Paul, to answer a prefent purpose to himself. For when the chief captain had brought forth Paul before the council, in order to know what the Jews had to charge him with, and Paul perceiving that the audience were partly Sadduces and partly Pharifees, he (to gain a party to himfelf) craftily cryed out [men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the fon of a Pharifec, of the hope and refurrection of the dead I am called in queftion] Ats xxiii. 6. This ftratagem answered the purpofe, for by it the multitude became divided, and St. Paul drew off a great party to his fide. And, though it does not appear that St. Paul's preaching the doctrine of the refurrection was ever laid to his charge, nor is it at all likely to have been the cafe ; yet, we find he stood to it, and reprefented it to be the ground of thofe troubles that befel him; probably the better to conceal the true caufe of his misfortunes, and which, poffibly, he might be ashamed of, viz. his acting the deceitful part before-mentioned, by going into the temple, and performing according to the law, with the view and intent of impofing upon, and deceiving the judaifing Chriftians thereby.

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