ifts, or free-thinkers (as they love to be called), have fought against all Revealed Religion; and it is but too well known, how eafily weak and degenerate minds have been influenced, and impofed upon, by their sophistry.

Among the various methods that have been taken to weaken the credit of the holy Scriptures, I cannot but reckon that which Mr. Whifton has taken, to reconcile the difference which there is between St. Matthew and the other Evangelifts, in point of time, to be one. The third propofition of his Harmony is, that the former part of St. Matthew's Gofpel, in our prefent copies, is very much misplaced, contrary to the method and order, originally intended by the Evangelift. He accounts for this by fuppofing, that the feveral parts or periods of this former part of St. Matthew's Gospel, were written at first feparately, and upon feveral diftinct papers; which papers, or whatever they were written upon, were put together into their prefent order, by those who did not perfectly know the true series of the hiftory. These distinct pieces of paper must have been (according to this fuppofition) about twenty in number, of very unequal fizes, fome containing feveral chapters, others but a few verses, and others not above one or two lines. Such a propofition, and fuch confequences, muft needs tend to leffen the value and authority of this Gofpel, and make it lefs to be depended upon than any common profane history.

• Difcourfe of Free-Thinking, p. 85, 86, &c.

VOL. III.

L

Hence

Hence Spinoza and Father Simon (who have laboured above all men, to prove the uncertainty of the facred text) fuppofe feveral parts of the writings of the Old Teftament tranfpofed and difordered. The former tells us, "that if we will ob"ferve how little regard is had to the order of "time, in the five books of Mofes, we shall eafily perceive, that the feveral parts of it were con"fufedly fet together." The latter tells us,

66

"that

66 we are not to attribute to Mofes, the little order "which is to be found in some places of the Pen"tateuch it is (fays he) more probable, that, as "in those times the books were written on little "fcrolls or feparate fheets, that were fewed to"gether, the order of these sheets might be "changed"." Mr. Whifton in another book, (viz. His Accomplishment of Scripture Prophecies) is of the fame opinion concerning the books of the Old Teftament. "I muft (fays he) be fo free and fair to "confefs, I cannot every where look upon the pre"fent order, either of the hiftories or prophecies "of the Old Teftament, to have been the original

one, or that which was intended by the penmen "of them." How direct a tendency fuch an opinion as this has, to weaken the authority, and leffen the value, of these facred books, is but too evident. Mr. Whifton does himself call his propofition, a new and ftrange one, and is very careful to guard himself againft thofe cenfures and imputa

2

Tractat. Theolog. Polit. c. 9.

b Critic. Hiftor. of the Old. Test. B. 1. c. 5. P. 49.

с

Pag. 67.

tions, to which fo bold an affertion did expofe him. He eafily forefaw, that so severe an attack made upon one, and by confequence upon all the facred writers, muft needs meet with the warmeft refentment from every mind, that had just value for the infpired volume. After a clofe and impartial confideration of Mr. Whifton's propofition, I not only concluded it falfe, but very injurious to the honour of this Gofpel, and therefore refolved (according to my ability) to vindicate this part of the Gospel history from so great an injury. This is the defign of the following difcourfe. It were to be wifhed some more able perfon had undertaken this work fooner, when Mr. Whifton's book firft came out. But if his affertion be proved falfe, it is better now than not at all; Sat cito, fi fat bene.

I should do Mr. Whifton injuftice, if I did not here mention, that he has changed his opinion in respect of St. Matthew's Gofpel being originally written in Hebrew; but I muft defire the reader alfo to obferve, that the information Mr. Whiston was pleased to give me of this, was after I had wrote all I defigned on that head.

The reader will obferve that the Greek words in the following difcourfe are all printed without their ufual accents". I do not think it needful to make any long apology for this; only would obferve, that they are but a late appendage to the language, and not found in any manufcripts, which

[In this Edition the accents are preferved.]

L 2

are

are a thousand years old. The original defign of them was, to affift and direct in the pronunciation of the language; but it not being at all needful for us to pronounce it as the Grecians did, the accents are to us useless, and no more neceffary in Greek than Latin.

THE

THE

CONTENTS.

CHAP. I.

THE defign and principal authors of Gospel Harmonies. The defign of the following treatise.

CHA P. II.

Mr. Whifton's proof confidered. The question thereupon ftated. Mr. Whifton's first argument, viz. that St. Matthew defigned to obferve the order of time, anfwered. St. Luke's words, chap. i. 1. do not prove that either of the Gospels we now receive, were intended according to the order of time.

CHAP III.

The writers of the Gospel-history did not intend or obServe the order of time in their writings. This proved particularly of St. Luke, by feveral infiances. The phrafe, write in order, Luc. i. 1. difcuffed.