dertaken the laborious Task of Preaching the Gospel from generous and difinterested Motives, and who would not contribute to maintain a System of spiritual Tyranny for all the Gold of the Indies.

But supposing this was not the Case; are there none besides the Clergy, who have afferted, proved, and gloried in the Divine Authori

ty of the Bible? Yes: To the Confufion of Im: morality, Vice, and Infidelity, many are the. Champions of the Caufe of God and Truth, who have had no worldly Interest to advance thereby. What if a Bolingbrooke and a Hume were Infidels? Shall their Sophiftry and false Wit, overturn the eternal Truths of the Law and Gofpel? And what if the Bible is reviled by some amongst us, and neglected by others; Is it therefore falfe, and not worthy of our fe-. rious Regard and highest Estimation? It condemns their loose, licentious Principles; it condemns their diffolute, immoral Conduct; and therefore, at all Adventures, it muft, if poffible, be driven out of the World. "They love Darknefs rather than Light": Why? Because their

Deeds are evil”.

D 2

But

But notwithstanding all the Wit and Sophiftry fo plentifully made ufe of upon this Occafion; it will be found true at laft, when. Wit will not ftand for Reafon, nor Sophiftry for Argument, "That he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; he that believeth not fhall be damned".

We said there were many others befides the Clergy, who had aflerted, proved, and gloried in the Bible as the Word of GOD. Take the following Inftances:

Mr. Lock obferves, "That Morality becomes a Gentleman, not barely as a Man, but "in order to his Business as a Gentleman; and "the Morality of the Gospel of Christ, says he, "doth fo excel that of other Books, that to

give a Man a full Knowledge of true Mora

lity, he need read no other Book but the New "Teftament".

In another Place He has these remarkable "Words: "The Credit and Authority our Sa"viour and his Apoftles had over the Minds "of Men, by the Miracles they did, tempted "them not to mix any Conceits, any wrong

"Rules

"Rules, any Thing tending to their own ByInterest, or that of a Party, in their Morality. "No Tang of Prepoffeffion or Fancy; no Foot

fteps of Pride or Vanity; no Touch of Of " tentation or Ambition appears to have a "Hand in it. It is all pure, all fincere; Nothing too much, Nothing wanting; but fuch "a complete Rule of Life as the wifeft Men

must acknowledge, tends entirely to the Good "of Mankind; and that all would be happy, "if all would practice it”.

It is faid of the great Sir Isaac Newton, "That though he entered farther into the

.

Depths of Philofophy, than ever Mortal did "before him, yet he accounted the Scriptures " of GOD to be the most fublime Philosophy".

That great Scholar, Salmafius, after all his Study and Labor, went out of the World with this forrowful Reflection: "Oh! I have lost a "World of Time: Of Time the most precious

Thing in the World; whereof had I but one "Year longer, it should all be spent in David's "Pfalms, and Paul's Epiftles".

Shall we produce any more Teftimonies to the fame Purpose?

The

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The Honorable Robert Boyle, that Truly Chriftian Philosopher, ftiles the Bible, "That Match"lefs Book": And fays, "It needs but to be

fufficiently understood, to be highly venerat "ed; and that it is impoflible we can study it "too much, or esteem it too highly".

Take the Opinion of Mr. Selden likewife. He was one of the greatest Scholars of the Age in which he lived, and had made one of the moft valuable Collections of Books and Manufcripts in Europe; and yet he profeffed to Arch bifhop Ufher, a little before he died, "That

notwithstanding he had poffeffed himself of "fuch a vaft Treasure of Books and Manufcripts, yet he could reft his Soul on none "but the Scriptures".

Shall we then be ashamed of the Gospel of Chrift? Shall we be afraid openly to acknow ledge our Belief in, and Dependance upon, that gracious and glorious Scheme of Redemption and Salvation, which it exhibits? What though the Redeemer, in whom we make our Boaft, was the Son of a poor Virgin? What though a Stable was his Houfe and a Manger

his

his Cradle? What though he earned his Bread by the Sweat of his Brow, and had not where to lay his Head? What though he was difpifed and rejected of Men, a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with Grief? What though he was perfecuted, betrayed, condemned, and forsaken of all his Friends; and even of his GoD and FATHER too? What though he was fcourged, buffited, crowned with Thorns, and crucified as a Slave and a Malefactor? Yet notwithstanding all thefe ignominious Circumstances, fo invincible is the Evidence for the Divine Autho rity of his Doctrine and Miffion, That " we are not afhamed of the Gospel of Chrift. Yea, we glory in it, and count all Things but Lofs and Dung that we may win Christ, and be found in him, not having our own Righteoufnefs, which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Chrift, the Righteoufnefs which is of God by Faith":

He was born of a poor Virgin it is true: But then the GOD of Heaven was his Father and his Friend. A Stable was his Dwelling where Oxen fed on Hay: But to this he con

defcended