4. And in the Second we fhall afcend from this, There are at prefent Chriftians in the World,to that firft Propofition, there is a God.

The first of these two Parts shall be divided into four Sections. First we fhallenquire whether the Perfwafion we have that there is a God, be a Prejudice we ought to fufpect, or fuch an Opinion as proceeds from the clear Perception of certain Truth. We fball trace out the Marks of a Deity, in Nature, in Society, and in the Heart of Man.. We fhall examine the most plaufible Diffi culties which may be objected against this grand Principle and by an exact Comparifon of the two different Opinions, we shall fhew that Atheism is an Extravagance, which Man is by no means capable of, without renouncing his Nature. This is the Subject of the firft Section.

After having proved the Existence of God, we fhall in the next Place prove the Idea of him: the Idea of God being proved, will serve us to prove the Neceffity of Reli gion in general. And this will lead us to the Principles of Natural Religion, the Truth and Divinity of which we shall endeavour to maintain. The Abuse of Natu ral Religion by Paganifm, which is the Corruption of it, will lead us to the neceffity of a Revelation to be fuperadded to the for mer, for the reftoring of Natural Religion. This is the matter of the fecond Section.

After

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From Afterwards we shall apply our felves to enquire into this new Revelation, fuperadded to that of Nature, the neceffity of which we are in fome measure convinced of already and finding in a little Corner of the World a Nation of wife Men, who have much finer Notions of a Deity, than the moft clear-fighted Philofophers, and who boast that they have been honoured with this Revelation we are in fearch of; we fhall examine the Character of these Men, which are the Jews; and then duly examining their Writings in which their Revela tion is contained, we fhall find that they are of a fingular and extraordinary Character, that they are free from the Paffions and Failings which appear in other Books; that they effectually reftore Natural Religion; that they alone conduct Men to their true and proper End; that they contain very exprefs Prophecies very clearly fulfilled, and which we cannot fufpect to have been compofed after the Event: That this Revela tion has been carefully preferved in faithful Monuments; that it is abfolutely impossible it should have been counterfeited, or ef fentially altered; which will give us an opportunity of confuting at large the Notions of Spinofa, Hobbs, &c. that the Mat. ters of Fact contained in the Writings of the Jews, cannot reasonably be called in queftion, and that the Truth of these Mata 3

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ters of Fact is an invincible Juftification of the Divinity of the Jewish Religion. This is the Subject treated of in the third Section.

And as Natural Religion has led us to the Jewish Religion, fo likewife the Jewish Re ligion leads us to the Chriftian Religion. The Writings of the Jews inform us, That God will make a new Covenant with Men; that this Covenant shall be establish'd upon better Promifes than the former; that it shall be imparted to all Men; and that the Nations fhall be called to the Knowledg of the true God, by the Miniftry of an holy Man, whofe Coming the Prophets have foretold, as also the Time of his Coming, his Birth, and the Place of it, his Tribe, Family, Life, Miniftry, his Actions, his Forerunner, his Difciples, his Doctrine, the Oppofition that fhall be made to his Doctrine; his Death, with the Kind and Circumftances of it; his Burial, Refurrection, Afcenfion into Heaven: fo that finding all thefe Circumstances in Jefus Christ, and not finding them in any but Jefus Christ, we cannot choose but look upon him as the Meffias, which the Prophets had foretold. This is what is contained in Section 4.

In the Second Part of this Work we con fider Religion under a different Face from what it had in the Firft. For in the First we established Christianity by Proofs bor rowed from Natural Religion, and from

the

the Jewish Religion; whereas in this we evince the Truth of it from its own proper Characters. But that the Incredulous may have no Pretence of diftrufting the Proofs we fhall alledg to this purpose, we will first of all doubt of every thing, and admit nothing for Truth, but fo far as it is evident. We fhall only take this for a known Truth, that there are at present Christians in the World, and that there have not always been fuch. We'll look back to the Ages before Conftantine: We'll inquire into the Martyrdom of the Chriftians of those times; from thence we'll pass to the Difciples and Succeffors of the Apostles. And here we shall take notice of two very important things, viz. That they fuffered Death in Defence of a Religion which is visibly founded upon Matters of Fact, and that these Matters of Fact were fuch as could not be unknown to them.

After

wards we shall make it appear, that whether the Books of the New Teftament be fuppofititious, or not, they contain certain Fundamental Matters of Fact which cannot be called in queftion, and that these Facts are fufficient to prove the Truth of the Chriftian Religion. We will firft confider the Apostles barely as fo many Witneffes; next we'll prove the Validity of their Teftimony from the Circumftances of their Lives, which cannot be

contested and by the Validity of their Testimony we'll establish the Divinity of the Christian Religion. This will be the Subject of the first section of the fecond Part.

After we have confidered the Apostles as Preachers, we fhall confider them again as Writers. We fhall examine into the Books of the New Testament, and prove, that they could neither be counterfeited nor altered; and that the Apostles could not write what was falfe. We fhall obferve that they had all the Marks and Characters that are most oppofite to those of Impoftors; that they had neither the Power nor the Will to deceive Mankind and further, that it is impoffible they fhould have conceived any fuch Defign. Afterwards we shall confider the Holiness and Miracles of Jefus Christ, the Holiness and Miracles of his Apofties, the Prophecies of the New Tefta ment, the extraordinary and miraculous Gifts fo common in the time of the Apostles, and which the Apostles fo often mention. From all which external, but undeniable Circum ftantes put together, we Thall prove that the Scripture was written by Men who had the Spirit of God; and confequently that the Truth of the Chriftian Religion cannot be queftioned. This is the Subject of the fecond and third Sections.

But as all this concerns only the Exter nals of Religion; fo in the remaining Part

of