fact. (8) There may be facts in favour of which these four marks cannot be produced; but the argument of Leslie, and St. Real, is, that whatever has all these four marks cannot be false. (t)

For example, could Moses have persuaded six hundred thousand men that he had led them through the Red Sea in the manner related in Exodus, or have instituted the passover in commemoration of the destruction of the Egyptian first-born, if these circumstances had never occurred? Could he make the Israelites fancy that they were fed miraculously with manna forty years in the wilderness, or that, during all that period, their “ raiment waxed not old, neither did their feet swell,” (v) unless those things, however extraordinary, were facts? Here our four criteria apply. The first two secure from any cheat or imposture, at the time the facts oc

(s) These criteria were first proposed as decisive in favour of the Scripture Miracles about 1697, by Mr. Charles Leslie, in his admirable and unanswerable book, "A Short and Easy Method with the Deists" (from which I select the instances given in this section), and by the Abbé St. Real. It is of no consequence to the argument, to determine whether these authors invented it independently of each other, or borrowed it one from the other; but it is important to remark, on the authority of the late very able Mr. Jones, of Nayland, that Dr. Conyers Middleton, feeling how necessary it was to his principles that he should find some way of getting over Mr. Leslie's arguments, looked out assiduously, for twenty years together, to find some pretended fact to which these four criteria could be applied, but without success. Dr. Middleton died a Deist notwithstanding! Alas! is this the conduct of one who professed to yield to nothing but reason? or of one, who, through some strange fatality, "loved darkness rather than fight ?"

(t) The miracles of Scripture have two additional tests, upon which, however, no stress is laid in this argumentation. They have an important end, worthy of their author: and they are independent of second causes. (v) Deut. viii. 4. xxix. 5.

curred, and the last two preserve equally against any imposition in after ages; because the authors of the book in which these facts are related, speak of it as written at that time by the actors or eye-witnesses, and as commanded by God to be carefully kept and preserved to all generations, and read publicly to all the people at stated times.(w) And farther, the institutions appointed in this book were to be perpetually observed, from the day of each institution for ever among these people, in memory of the miraculous facts. Now, suppose this book to have been forged a hundred or a thousand years after the time of Moses; would not every one say when it first appeared, "We never heard "of this book before; we know of no such institutions, "as of a passover, or circumcision, or sabbaths, and "the many feasts and fasts therein appointed; we "know nothing of a tribe of Levi, or of a tabernacle "in which they were to serve in such an order of priest"hood: this book must be an arrant forgery, for it ❝is destitute of all those marks which it gives of it"self, as to its own continuance, and of those institu❝tions which it relates." No instance can be shown, since the world began, of any book so substantiated that was a forgery, and yet passed off, as exhibiting truth, upon any people.

Mr. Leslie, however, does not stop here, but adds a fifth mark as peculiar to our Bible, distinguishing it from all other histories, relating facts that formerly occurred this is, that the book, in which the facts are related, contains likewise the law of that people to (w) Deut. xxxi. 10, 11, 12. Josh. viii. 34, 35. Neh. viii.

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whom it belongs, and is their statute book by which their causes are determined. This will render it impossible for any one to coin or forge such a book, so as to make it pass as authentic among any people. If, for example, a person should forge a statute-book for England, and publish it next term, could he make all the judges, lawyers, and people believe that this was their genuine and only statute book by which their causes had been determined for centuries past? They must forget their old statute-book, and believe that this new book, which they never saw or heard of before, was the very book which had been referred to in the pleadings in Westminster-hall for so many ages, which had been so often printed, and of which the originals are now kept in the Tower, to be consulted, as there is occasion. Thus it is that the books of Moses contain, not only the history of the Jews, but also their municipal law, as well civil as ecclesiastical: and thus, also, it is with respect to the New Testament, which is the spiritual and ecclesiastical law to the Christian church in all nations; and which cannot, therefore, be corrupted, unless all persons in all nations whithersoever Christianity is spread, should conspire in the corruption of the Gospel.

Mr. Leslie selects some striking, though familiar, examples in illustration of his general argument; among others, he adverts to the Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, and compares it with the stones set up at Gilgal. Every one, as he observes, knows this Stonehenge, or has heard of it; and yet none know the reason why those great stones were set there, or by

whom, or in memory of what. Now, suppose a person should publish a book to-morrow, and therein affirm that these stones were set up by Hercules, Polyphemus, or Garagantua, in memory of such and such of their actions: if he merely make the affirmation, some few may perhaps give him credit. But if, for farther confirmation of his assertion, he should say in this book, that it was written at the time when such actions were performed, and by the very actors themselves, or by eye-witnesses: and that this book had been received as true, and quoted by authors of the greatest reputation in all ages since; moreover, that this book was well known in England, and enjoined by act of parliament to be taught our children; and that in consequence we did teach it our children, and had been taught it ourselves when we were children; it would seem impertinent to ask any Deist whether he thinks such a delusion could be passed upon the people of England.

Let us now compare this with the Stonehenge, as we may call it, or twelve great stones set up at Gilgal; and erected in order that when the children of the Israelites in after ages should inquire their meaning, it should be told them. (a) The occurrence, in commemoration of which these stones at Gilgal were set up, is as wonderful and miraculous as the passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea, and free from the puerile carpings which have been raised by unbelievers against that remarkable event. Notice of this miraculous passage over the Jordan at Gilgal was given to the people on the preceding day. (y) It took place at (y) Josh, iii, 5.

(x) Josh. iv. 6, 7.

noon-day, before the whole nation. And when the waters of the Jordan were divided, it was not at any low ebb, but at the time when that river overflowed its banks. (*) It was effected, too, not by winds, or in length of time, which winds would require to accomplish it; but all on a sudden, as soon as the "feet of "the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim "of the water, then the waters which came from above "stood, and rose up upon an heap: and they that 66 came down toward the sea of the plain, even the saltsea, failed, and were cut off; and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that "bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm

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on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan. And it came "to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the "covenant of the Lord were come up out of the midst “of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lift up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan re"turned into their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before. And the people came out of “Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho. "And those twelve stones, which the twelve men (from

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every tribe a man) took out of the midst of Jordan, "did Joshua pitch in Gilgal. And he spake unto the "children of Israel, saying, When your children shall "ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean "these stones? then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

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(z) Josh. iii. 15.