PRE FACE

то

THE FIRST EDITION IN MDCCXXXVIII.

T

HE following fheets make the firft volume of a work, defigned to prove the DIVINE ORIGIN OF THE JEWISH RELIGION. As the author was neither indebted, nor engaged to the Public, he hath done his Readers no injury in not giving them more; and had they not had this, neither he nor they, perhaps, had esteemed themselves lofers. For writing for no Party, it is likely he will please none; and begging no Protection, it is more likely he will find none: and he must have more of the confidence of a modern Writer than falls to his fhare, to think of making much way with the feeble effort of his own reafon.

Writers, indeed, have been oft betrayed into strange abfurd conclufions, from I can't tell what obfolete claim, which LETTERS have to the patronage of the GREAT: a relation, if indeed there ever were any, long fince worn out and forgotten; the Great now seeming reasonably well convinced, that it had never any better foundation than the rhetorical importunity of Beggars.

But however this claim of Patronage may be understood, there is another of a more important nature; which is the Patronage of RELIGION. The Author begs leave to affure Those who have no time to spare from their attention on the Public, that the Protection

of Religion is indifpenfably neceffary to all Governments; and for his warrant he offers them the following volume; which endeavours to fhew the neceffity of RELIGION in general, and of the doctrine of a FUTURE STATE in particular, to civil Society, from the nature of things and the univerfal confent of Mankind. The proving this, I make no queftion, many Politicians will esteem fufficient: But those who are folicitous to have Religion TRUE as well as USEFUL, the author will endeavour to fatisfy in the following volumes.

7

THE

THE

DIVINE LEGATION

OF

MOSE S

DEMONSTRATE D.

BOOK I.

SECT. I.

TH

HE Writers, in defence of revealed Religion, diftinguish their arguments into two forts: the one they call the INTERNAL, and the other the EXTERNAL Evidence. Of these, the first is, in its nature, more fimple and perfect; and even capable of demonftration: while the other, made up of very diffimilar materials, and borrowing aid from without, must needs have some parts of unequal ftrength with the reft; and, confequently, lie open to the attacks of a willing adverfary. Befides, the internal evidence is, by its nature, perpetuated; and so fitted for all ages and occafo fions: while the external, by length of time, weakens and decays. For the nature and genius of the religion defended affording the proofs of the first kind, thefe materials of defence are infeparable from its existence; and so throughout all ages the fame. But Time

may,

may, and doth, efface memorials independent of that existence; out of which the external evidence is compofed: which evidence must therefore become more and more imperfect, without being affected by that whimsical and partial calculation, to which a certain Scotchman* would subject it +. Nay, of fuch use is the internal evidence, that, even the very best of the external cannot fupport itself without it: for when (for instance) the supernatural facts done by the founders of our holy faith, are unquestionably verified by human testimony, the evidence of their divinity will not follow till the nature of that doctrine be examined, for whofe establishment they were performed. Indeed, in the inftance here given, they must be inforced in conjunction before any conclufion can be drawn for the truth of the Revelation in question. But were there no other benefit arifing from the cultivation of the internal evidence than the gaining, by it, a more perfect knowledge of God's word; this, sure, would be enough to engage us in a vigorous profecution of it. That this is one of its fruits I need not tell fuch as are acquainted with its nature. And it is not without occafion I take notice of this advantage for who, in this long controverfy between us and the Deists, hath not applied to certain advocates of Revelation, what was formerly faid of Arnobius and Lactantius, that they undertook the defence of Chriftianity before they underflood it ? A misfortune which

* Craig, Theologie Chrift. Principia Mathematica, London, 1699, 4to.

This gradual weakening of the external evidence hath in fact actually happened; and was occafioned by the lofs of feveral ancient teftimonies, both Pagan and Christian, for the truth of Revelation; which learned men, on feveral occafions, have frequently lamented. This is the only way, I fuppofe, the external evidence can weaken.-As it is of the nature of true Religion to suffer by time, so it is of the nature of the falfe to gain by it. "L'Antiquité convient à la Religion (fays the learned Prefident de Montefquieu) parce que fouvent nous croyons plus les chofes à mesure qu'elles font plus reculées ; car nous n'avons pas dans la tête des idées acceffoires tirées de ces temps-la, qui puis. "fent les contradire." L'Esprit des Loix, lib. xxvi. c. 2. For whatever Religion, thus circumstanced, the Writer had then in his thoughts, he must needs suppose it to be a falfe one; it being nonfenfe to fuppofe the true should ever be attended with any external evidence which argued it of falsehood.

ઠંડ

probably,

probably, the more careful study of the internal evidence would have prevented; becaufe no one, well verfed in that, could have continued ignorant of fo important a principle, as that THE DOC

TRINE OF REDEMPTION IS OF THE VERY ESSENCE OF CHRISTIANI

TY. Notwithstanding thefe fuperior advantages, it hath fo happened, that the internal evidence hath been hitherto used as an introduction only to the external: and while by the latter, men have proved our Religion actually divine, they have gone no further with the former, than to fhew it worthy indeed of such original.

What may have occafioned this neglect, is not fo easy to say. Perhaps it was because Writers have, in general, imagined that the difficulties of profecuting the internal method to effect, are not fo easily furmounted as thofe which attend the other; as fuppofing that the Writer on the external evidence hath only need of the usual provision of church-history, common diligence, and judgement, to become master of his fubject; while the reafoner on the internal proof, muft, besides these, have a thorough knowledge of human Nature, civil Policy, the univerfal history of Mankind, an exact idea of the Mofaic and Chriftian Dispensations cleared from the froth and grounds of school-fubtilties, and church-systems; and, above all, fhould be bleffed with a certain fagacity, to investigate the relations of human actions, through all the combinations of natural, civil, and moral complexities. What may suggest this conclufion is, their reflecting, that, in the external evidence, each circumstance, that makes for the truth of revealed Religion, is seen to do fo, as foon as known: fo that the chief labour, here, is to fearch and pick out fuch, and to place them in their proper light and fituation; but that, in profecuting the internal evidence, the cafe is widely different: a circumstance in the frame and compofition of this Religion, which perhaps, fome time or other, may be discovered to be a Demonstration of its divinity, fhall be fo far from being generally thought affiftant in its proof, that it shall be esteemed, by moft, à prejudice against it: of which, I fuppofe, the fubject of the following discourse will afford a remarkable example. And