DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY treasure %oom Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Duke University Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/historycharacterOOanne THE HISTORY AND CHARACTER o P St. P A U L, examined : In a Letter to THEOPHlLUSy a Chriftian Friend. Occafioned by Obfervations on the Converfion and Apoftlefhip of St. Paul : in a Letter to Gilbert West, Efqj With a PREFACE by way of POSTSCRIPT. It is not good to have refpe5l of perfons in judgment, Prov. xxiv. 23. Antehac non foleo multum trihucre fabulis^ qua vulga feruntur ; fed pofthac multb minus tribuam : fufpi- cor enim ah hominibus credulis multa pro veris prodita Uteris. Erafmus. Z. iV D o ;v: Printed for and fold by F.Page, near St, Paul's, [Price Two Shillings.] [iiil The Hiftorians Account of P A U L. Ads ix. N D ^aul yet _ ^ breathing out tTireatenings and flaughter ag.iir.ft the diiciplcs of the Lord, went unto the high piiell. 2. And defired of him letters to Damaf- cus to the rynagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or wo- men, he might bring them bcund unto Je- Tufalcm. 3. And as he jour- nitd he came neir Da- najcus, and fuddrnly there lliincd round about him a light from heaven. PAUL'/ Acccunt he- forc the Roman chief Caj)iain and tfx Pt3- fle at Jerufalem. Adls xxii. 3. T am verily a man X which am ajc'v.-, born in 'farfu!, ia Ci- /ififi, yet brought I'P in tills City, at the Feet of Gamuliel, and taught according to the perfid Manner of the Law of the Fa- thers, and was zealous towards God, as ye all are at this day. 4. And I pcrfecuted this way unto che death, binding and de- livering into prifons both men and women. 5. As alio the high prieft doth beat me witnefs, and all the eltate of the elders : from whom alio I le- ccived letters unto the brethren, and went to Damafcus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jent/U- lim, tor to be puniihed. 6. And it came to pafs, that as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damafcus, about noon fuddenJy there flione from iiea- ven a great light round about rie. A 2 P A U LV Account he- fore Agrippa Fellui and principal Mat at Cclarea. Ads xxvi. 9. Y veriiy thouj»lit X with my felf, that I ought to do many things contrary to the n?.me of fe/ks of Nuzctret^. 10. Wliich thing I alfo did mjerujal.m \ and many of the faints did I Ihutupin prilbn, having receiv'd autho- rity from the chief priefi i and when they v.ere put to death, I gave my vcioe agalnlt them. n. And I puniihed them ott in every fyna- gogue, ar.d compelled them to blafpheme, and b-ing exceedingly mad againft them, I perfecuted them evsn unto llrange cities. 12. Whereupon as I went to Damafcus with authority and coinmilT.on from the chief priclls. 13.* At mid-day, O king, I faw in the wa/ a liglit from heaven, above the brightnefs of the fun, fliining round about ?«t they were wrote a long time after ' the apoftlcs by certain obfcure perjons^ who, ' left no credit fhould be given to the ftories they * told, of what they could not know, prefixed to * their writings the names of the apoftles, which * are fo full of mijlnkes^ of conlradi^ory relations * and opinions that they are neither coherent with ' themft^Ives nor confiftcnt with one another *.' And a little after heaccufeshis adverfaries whom foiver had made orthodox t\\us^ ' Many things were * foifted by your anceftors into the fcriptures of ' our Lord, which tho' marked with his name, ' agree not with his taith. And no wonder fincc * we have frequently proved thi^fe things were nehher ' written by himfeJf, nor his apoftles ; but fe- * veral matters after their deceafe were picked * up from ftories and flying reports, by I know * not what fet of half Jews, and thefe not agree- * ing among themfclves, who neverthelefs pub- * lifhing them under the names of the apoftks of ' our Lord, or of thofe that fucceeded them, * have feigned their own lies and errors to be * written according to them,* -|- Celfus exclaims againft the too great liberty which the chriftians 'took * Aug'jflin cnntra Fauft. 1. 32, 33. •j- Origen conira Cclfus, 1. 2. [7] took, as if they were drunk of altering their Orioinal gofpel feveral times, that fo they might retrad and deny thofe matters which had been urged againft them. VI. Ofthefrthers of the church. All the authority we can have of the authenticity of the chriftian traditions is from the fathers; and of their underftanding it is certain, they judged of what was right or wrong, as it fuited with, or was oppofite to their party j * each efpoufing thofc * fcriptures as canonical in which their peculiar * tenets v;cre to be found ; the reft they termed ' apocryphal, or deutro canonical.* As for the teilimony of the fathers, ' all know who are ever ' fo little acquainted with their writings that they ' are not to be credited in the relation, fcarce of * any one fingle matter of faiV, for the many ' negligencies, impertinencies and falflioods that ' are found in them ; eat up as they were with the ' grofleft fupcrftitions'. PapiaSy the tutor of Irenxus was (as Eufehius (aysj a man of iveak jiidg- mci:i 2i.x\di% fabulous author^ and one who led many into error, and particularly his pupil Iren.eus afimple and credulous t^afi, who is the firft ecclfiajiical 'writer of note. No wonder the followers of an er- roneous guide are led into errors. To be particular about the fathers, their am- bition, infolence, avarice, ignorance, faid dijpofid to deceive others^ then tlie relation de- ferves no credit. And fuch a fet oi men I take the fathers, or heads of parties to have been, al- moft to a man, during the four firft centuries, and fome time after, injudicious in all they relate, taken up with every idle rtporr, unfaitliful, igno- rant of true religion, bigots, knavilli in all fa- vourite points of divinity, filly reafoners, be- trayers of true chriftianity, Plaronills. Thi> all men fee, or may fee, if they vvill acquaint thcm- felvcs with their writings j and that inftead of eftablifliing holy fcripture with their teflimonies, they have rendered it the mod prcc:irious thing in the world.* Therefore the truth of facied writings muft be fouL^ht for by their own inuffjal cjidc'/we, C Vil. [ ■= ] VII. Of the authenticit'j of the cbri/lian tradlliotJ, and of Kohin^on Crufoe. They that can tak-^ for grantetl that the books of the New Teftament muft needs have been ge- nuine and could not poflibly be corrupted, may as well take for granted, that IranfubHantiation and forgivenefs offtns b-j apriejl, mufb have been a doc- trine originaily from heaven, and could not poflibly otherwife be received in the church •, becaufe we cannot fix the precife time, and manner, when, where, and how the impofitions begun, and were carried on. The church who has a piercing eye to her own advantage, taking what care {he could to conceal thofe things. Before printing was found out and praftifed, it was much more eafy to impofe on the world than now ; notwithftanding which, many new falfhoods are invented, and pafs for truth, at leaft with a party *, for there is a willingnefs in partial men to believe whatever tends to promote their fe(5t or fadion (a). 'Tis (a) The holy Roman church knew that when her holy fc- crets came to be public, they would be defpifed as not able to Hand a rational fcrntiny. And therefore tho' fhe could not • prevent what has happened, flie ever has, and yet does take all polTible care, how, where, when, and to whom the privilege of reading the fcriptures is allowed, for nothing vexes the old lady more than that her fecret debaucheries be publickly talked of by thofe that have examined her fafts; for by her lies and im- pofitions (he has debauched the common fenfe of mankind. She never permitted the fcriptures to be read in the common tongue, by perfons of common underftanding, but only by fuch faithful fons a;-- llie can confide in, fuch as are fit to carry on her cheat, or by fome devout religious perfons, with reverence, fecrecy and filence, fuch as, if I may be allowed to fpeak in the maho- metan phrafe, have had their fenfes raviflicd away by the Holy Ghoil ; or in St. Pnufs, by fuch as know not whether tliey are in the body natural, or out of it, but know them- fdves to be ia the body fpiritual ; that is, in the body of the church. [" ] 'Tis confefled by Mr. Bodivelly that the books of the New Teftament did not fublicUy exift 'tlli at leaft one hundred "jears after Chrift. And if they had no public exiftence *till then, how can it be proved they had any frivnte one before. And afterwards they were to be found only in the hands of ecclcfiaftics, 'till the third or fourth century, men who were more fubtil than fimple ; more romantic inventors than righteous enquirers; and they thit were fimple, were more credulous than wife. Here was time enough for the work of fraud and impofture. And when chriftianscame to be inverted with power by Coji/iantifje, they eftabliflied what they thought fit. What authority have we, Theophilus, for the truth of the fcriptures, but the fcriptures them- felves ? Can any hiftory prove itfelf .? Were not the chriftian writers in the early ages of chriftianity notorious for lies and forgeries } for fathering fpu- rious pieces on Jefus Chrifl and his apojlks^ and fucceflbrs ? Have not later chriftians thrown out a multitude of books for apocryphal, which the earlier chriftians believed and read in their churches .' There is a fine catalogue of them in Toiand*s Am-jn- tor. Among the books anciently received by chriftians, fome are as foolifh as others arc ro- mantic, VIZ. Ibe Pajlor ^/ Hermas, the gofpel of the infancj of Jefus^ The gofpel of Nicodemus, to ^ 2 which church, fuch as have exprefs licence to read the fcriptures by their pricfts and confeflors, that are humble enough to be Ihipid, devout dunghil fouls that picfume not to be wife above what is permitted ; never prefuming to contend, controul, or talk of their own fenfe of fcripturc, orhaveany, having laid it all down at the threfliold of the holy church. The fcripture bting as St, Jmhrofc calls it liber fucerdoialis, the book of pricUs. It is the church's tree of knowledge, that is by a RoiKi/7}\Ti\.crd\dJ\Qr\ not to be toached in common, on paiu'of d«ath and damnation. [ 12 1 which mny he added, the unintelligible Revelations of fome fainf^, particularly that fathered on St. J — the D may be compared for truth, but not for v'ir, witli Von i^ixotte de la Mancha or Don ^.ei'edo*^ vifioJis of hell. If behevcrs in the infancy of chriilianity believed fuch romance, what reafon have -w^ to believe them^ if reafon fhould gui Je us ? ii reafon is 7wt to be our guide, how came we to be wifer than they ? or how can we know in what refpcds they were right, when they vere wrong in fo many ? If fuch authority is wanting to the ^ofpels them- felves, as ought to be given to cftablifti their vc- raciry iinqaeftionable, as certainly it is j I cannot fee how St. Pane's epijlles can be more authentic than thrff^ unlefs the fcwant is above his hrd: therefore the chriftian tradition is the Icaft ot all hiitcriesto be regarded forgenumeand uncorrupted truth. It is no wonder if this honourable author, who is an elegant writer and fubti] reafoner, but zfuper- j^a'/j/enquirer, could glofs over St. Paul m fo {hining a manner, who was fo fam'd an apoftle, that the reft are confefled to be all blockheads and fools to him. Tiie men I contend with are men of parts and learning, 1 fcorn to attack a fool ; but it is not my learning or parts that gives me the vidory, but the truth appears fo evidently on my fide, that it requires littie of either in me to difplay and vindi- cate it. 'Tis no wonder if thefe gentlemen can de- fend what cufiom has cftablifned, when even I taught by them, and therefore a novice to thefe mafters of art, can give fuch reafons to prove Robinfon Crufo, a true h':f,ory^ as they themfelves, by their own arguments might not be able to dif- prove, it they did not know it to be ctherwife. The [ >3 ] The reafons that may be given to render Rohin- fon Crufo a true hiftory are thcte, the icritc'r appears to be neither an impojior nor an cnthiifiojl from any pnrt of the ftory \ and to have had no delign to per- vert the rcafon of mankind, or impofeon men's un- derftnndings ; or to fropngcite a nci/jreligicji in the world, in order to make himfe'.f bead of a fe£i. It contains no contradiciioiis or abfurdities \ nothing iwpcjp.hle^ improbable or romantic : when, where, by whom, or in what language it was fird written, is better known than the books of the New Tefta- ment. Tlie genuinencfs and authority of it was nev'er qucflioned, nor denied. No book was ever wrote to d:fprcve it, the* this hiftory came forth at a time when every thing that has but the ieaft ap- pearance cf falfhood is oppofed. It did not firft: appear fcarce and hard to be found, nor Deep an age or two in hugger-mugger \ nor come forth by degrees in a few written copies, but feveral hun- dreds of printed copies were brought forth at once from the original. It contains nothing but what tends to the benefit of virtue and religion •, and the reality of the hiflory is believed by many, Lallly, if any party of men could find their account in efpoufing it as truth and ixt\, it may grow into au» thority /ao or three hundred years hence. 1 hiis by a fuperficial knowledge of things, and taking thein upon trull, what may not be plaudble and credible to thofe that are more inclined to believe than ex» amine ? VIII, 'That the intrirf,c nature of ckrijlicn Ziri- tings hftjheiv iheir originaJ. If there be no rule in the na:urL- of the thing, for judging what writings ought to be received or re- jeded, then an implicit fa'uh in the authority cf tra- uttton. T '4] Jiiion, is the rule and foundation of the chriftlan religion. And fince there is fcarce a darker in the world, how does the gcnuinenefs and authenticity of thofe writings appear ? Therefore proving fa.6ts by the book, which muft be taken for granted to be true, do not pnave the truth of thofe fads, no more than they prove the truth of the doctrines therein contained, if there are circumftances of fufpicioii in one, or reafon is againft the other, however the one may be fet forth, or the other defended. I have fhewn, Tbecphilus, that there have been thofe who certainly were more capable of knowing the original of thefe books, than any man now can be who have accufed the whole o{ faljificaticn-, tho* we have been robbed of their proofs, they have leftusjuft fufpicions for doubting. And if the whole be fufpedled, how can it prove the truth of its parts? or if fome parts are proved erroneous, what depen- dence can be on the refl ? No doubt but if the whole be true, every part is j but that being the point in queftion cannot be its own proof 1 make no doubt of proving part to be wrong, li incojijijlenciei, con- traditions and abfurdities can prove it ; which will be fufticient to demonftrate that it is not to be all taken for granted ; and that therefore all reafoning from fuch falfe foundation, muft be falfe of confe- quence. I think it is our dtifj to fearch after, dif- cover and receive the truth ; unlefs it be our duty not to fee incopjifiencies^ contradil^ions and abfur- dities^ when they appear before us. We cannot give equal credit to writings abounding with thefc, xvhen we know them ; as to what is void of fuch confufion We may be deceived for want of knowledge -, but when the nature of things are known, we no longer hefitate about them. The under (landing of man is the candle of the Lord in him, and we are commanded not to bide or f mother it, but t «s ] but to let it appear that all who approach thereto may fee the H^bt, that it mny Jhi fie kfore men to the glory of God *. We have hitherto been examining into the opinions of others, and the foundation of their opinions, but it we look carefully into the nature of the foundation itfelf, we fhall be able to form a true judgment by infallible rules, not de- pending on unct;rtain tradition from others^ but oa certain Icnowlecigeof our own. A man tells me a ftory, of the truth of which I am wholly ignorant, one part of it is found by ex- amination not true ; it may then be a queftion if any part is true, efpecially that which cannot be examined, nor produce any proof ; at leaft it may be impoiiialc to diftinguifh the truth of fads from falftiood, if artfully told, and mixed. En- quiry is commendable among wife men : for 'tis a mark of foil, to fuffer onefeif to be deceived, and a mark of wifdom to find out deceit. Thofe that had the telling their own flories as they pleafcd to their own advantage, arc not to be implicitly be- lieved by lovers of truth ; efpecially when the ftory- tellers by their pretenfions to truth, require an im- plicit faith. Thefe generally mix fome true hiftory with their mendacia facra i the one is told with feeming fimplicity, and the other is tindlured with holinefs to make the whole go down together, with- out feparating the mixture and examining the com- pound. The accounts in which errors appear, are not tobecreditedas human teftimony, much lefsas divine. Therefore I pafs on from examining the whole in the grofs, or oiie authority by another, to look into its own inirinjic truth and harmony^ maugre all authority but tliat of realbn and the nature of things, which are eternal and invincihlt- •, and 1 doubt not but undeniably to prove, a> the ivif Cdfiis did, that • Mat. V. 14, ij 16, _ [ >6 ] that the ohriftian traditions deftroy their own au- thority. ' Before I defcend to particulars, I ihall lay before you, Tbeopbit'us, the whole fcope and drift of the authors dcfign ; which after quotations from ibe A£ls of the apojiles concerning the manner of St. Paul's converfion, and others from the epijlles^ he lays down in one paragraph the following plan of his argument. IX. The obfervator'*s plan and argument Jhewn. St. Paulas, advocate fays, ' Now it muft of ne- * ceffity be, that the perfon attefting thefe things of * himfelf, and of whom they are related in fo au- * thentic a manner, either was an impojlor, whofaid ' what he knew to be falfe, with an intent to deceive, ' or he was an enthufiajl^ who by the force of ati * overhcatrd imagination impofed on himfelf, or * he was dt'ceived by tht fraud of others; and all ' that he faid mull be imputed to the power of that ' deceit ; or what he declared to be the caufe of his * converfion, and to have happened in confequence ' of it, did all really happen ; and therefore the ' chriftian religion is a divine revelation.* Itfliould have been added, or we are deceived by fome unknoivn ivriter concerning St. Paul, and by €Di(iles afribcd to k'nn lihich he never wrote : This objection was fufiocted in its birth, which (liould hdvc been principally anfwered -, but the im- pofiibiliiy of doing it, made it neceH'^-.y to be taken for granted -, tl.at the authenticity cf St. Paul'j wr/- tings cannot be dcubtedwithut overnrn-^ng all rules by which th<.' authority and gcnuinenefs oj other writings can be proved and confirmed. But I have made the contrary evidently appear ; an J this might pafs alone for a fuf- ficient anfwer to the book. Hjwsver, to do it )nvincibh\ I fiiall fnew, that fuppofing all thefe writings gemiiiie, thev do not carry in them fuf. f 17 ] fufficient evidence of truth to confirm this honoura- ble author's reafoning, but themfelves bewray that caufe he has fo well defended, and by impartial fcrutiny, the d'efence will difappear, like imaginary caftles in the air. He attempts to prove that * St. Paul could not * be an impojtor^ becaufe as he argues, he was dif- * interefted re fp .idling wealth, reputation and power, * that he refigned for the fake of chriftianity his ' fortune, credit and religion ; that he had ac- ' quired the contempt and vengeance of the more ' wealthy, powerful and reputable party, by de- * ferting them •, that the morals he taught all tended ' to peace and obedience •, that what he did was * not to gratify a;iy irregular pafllon •, that the con- ' fequence of embracing chriftianity was the fufflr- * ing perfecution ; that the glory he fought could * not be that ofbein^ the author of the chriftian re- *■ ligion 1 that he had no confederacy with the * apoftlcs, none with the men that journied with ' him, none with Ananias. That he encountered ' the policy and power of the magiftrate, the intereft--, * credit, and craft ofpriefts, the prejudice and paf- ' (ions of the people, the wifdom and pride of the ' philofophers > that he was no enthufiafi:, becaufe ** not inclined to melancholly^ nor creduli/y^ nor va- *- nity or felf-cojueit^ nor was be ig?icrani or im- * pofed on, and miracles attended his converfion and *» miffion.* therefore the author concludes thu^, ' I {hall then take it for granted thai he was not * deceived by the fraud of others, and that what he •• faid of himfelf cannot be imputed to the power * of that deceit no more than to wilful impoftusvf ' or enthufiafm : and then it follows, that what he ' related to be the caufe of his converfion, aiid to D have » Obf. p. 98. • have happened in confequencc of it, did all really ' happen ; and therefore the chriftian religion is a ' divine revelation.' Though the Gentleman takes the 'whole for granted, and fo argues from every particular as true ; yet I perfuade myfeif he muft have found it very difficult to have worked up every thing in Sr. Paulas favour as he has done j for he muft n^eds know that Pcul was noi aliz-ays pun^ual to truth. When 1 have delivered my thoughts on this fubjed:, I will make no conclufion that our great apoftle of the Gentiles was either an cnthi'.fiaji or an impoftor } but fhall leave you, fheophilusy to make what conclufions you pleafe, who have often drawn more juft confequences from what I have faid, than I cared to mention. Refulgent truth carries its own conviftion with it. For my part, I fhould not have fcrutinized his chara6ter if it had not been reprefented with a falfe glare; nor have thought him an impoftor if the contrary had not been en- deavoured to be proved : for it is feldom things are queftioned 'till examined. X. Some flighty confiderations^ and of St. FauVs flight into heaven. You know. Sir, my natural temper, which I muft be indulged in. You have often compared me to a man who being about to leap, frisks it a Jittle beforehand, to try the pliablenefs of his joints, and the elafticity of his nerves, which however difpleafing it was to you at firft, is now a matter of diverfion, and fbmething of this feems to me as ne- cefTary in dry reafoning, as the entertainments at a play between the ads. This Gentleman little thinks he is perverting the words of Chrift, and overturning the foundation of the [ 19 ] the church while he endeavours to defini both » tor Chrift faid unto Sr. Veter^ * upon thee will 1 build my church ; but this author builds it on St. Vaul \ Now fince the old foundation is forfaken, we are to examine the ftre ngth and fecurity of the new. For now good chriftians bei-jg reduced by the perfecu- tions of reafon, are willing to lay hold on any thing to fave their rich church and their poor fouls, in equal danger ; for if they fall upon the rock of rea- fon, their hold is broken.^ and if this rock fall on the church // will grind it to powder. But now their hold being broken, and the old foundations fhaken ; (for if they were not, what need they feefc a new ;) they ftick to the fkirts of St. Faul^ and in his fanduary they feek refuge from threatening death, and their expelled dlfTolution. Since then the church Is brought to hang on this fingle thread, it is no hard matter to cut it in two, were It lawful to be done: but this thread of fate by the lawof cuftom will preferve it \ for the fame arguments that would prove a man noii' living to be an impoftor or an enthufiaft, cannot prove a man that lived 1700 years ago and upwards to hi one ; and the arguments that would be formidable when applied to lyhitfield^ Pf^tjiley, or any other perfon among us, lofe all their force when applied to the apoftle Paul ; otherwife it would not be impofiible to prove the latter perfon belonged to one of the former orders. I do not doubt but Mr. fVhitfeld's moral cha- racter is as good as St. Paul's, w :\o ;.>j\cr perfe- Guted the church, or withftood the bhliop of it to his face •, yet I do not think his, or 11:; v other man's moral character, in this age, Vr-ouid i.ive him from being nominated in the lift of impojiors, or D 2 enlhiifiajls, * Mat xvi. |8. [ 20 ] tnthuftajls^ if he (liould write, or fay, that * he knew a man in Chr'ifi tha'. jome time ago was ccught up into the third heaven^ and heard unutterable words, fueh as are not lawful for any man to utter. If they €ouId not be uttered what need has he to plead the unlawfuhiefs of doing it ? there is no fear of his breakinp; the law by doing what he could not do. But why did they in heaven, in St. Paui*s hearing, fpeak that which was not lawful for him to utter on earth ? and what could they talk there which is unlawful to utter here ? 'Tis ftrange, and cer- tainly needlefs, that any law fhould be made on earth to cut off news from heaven ; or an inter- courfe from thence ! I fancy it to be fomething like -the voice that fpoke to Paul going to Damafcus^ which, though 'cis faid the men that journied with him heard, they were by them unfpeakable words ; becaufe *tis faid they beard them not. Do angels never blufli at tallving before men what is noi lawful for a man to utter ? li they never blufh at v/hdt they fay, I think this faint fhould at what he faid. Should a modern fn'nt make the foregoing declaration, and. at the fame time confefs this- fame perfon to be himftlf\ and own that where he then was, he could not tell •, whether a great way off from him- felf or befide himfelf, what fliculd we think of him ? and that \ lejl he fhould be exalted above meajure, through the abundance of revelations, there was given unto him a thorn in the flejlj, the meffenger of fatan to buffet him, le\i he fhould be exalted above meafure. Which brought him down from his ele- vated flate with his legs prone to the ground. For this thing J he befoupbt tie lord thrice, that it might depart from him. Wonderful things are fpoken of the heavenJy powers! What more wonderful . than that * 2 Cor. xil 4. \ lb ver. 7. \ lb. v. 8. that heaven made him haughty but it was the devil that humbled him. If fuch a man was among us, Ihould we not fay he was an enthnftaji^ if he faid as lie meant, or an impoftor if he did not. For a man to pretend to lofe himfelf in heaven and find him- felf with the devil, to be loft in revelations and found in the myftery of darkncfs ; this we (hould fay was an evident mark of enthufiafm, or there are no marks of it in the world. But if he pre- tended this to exalt his fpirilual authority y we fhould think him an impoftor. His being accounted a faint y{0\x\d not be able to favehim from this fen - tence. I fay thus it would be, if fuch a man was among us new ; but if this be applied to any holy perfon that once belonged to the holy land, the cenfure would certainly be condemned. Therefore if this be referred to any primitive faint there, it quite alters the cafe. So one man raifes himfeifto dignity by the fame way others are raifed to dif- grace pendent on the tripple tree. 'Tis well there- fore our arguments in this age and country cannot reach St. Paul\ he is three fiories higher than man's reafon can afcend, and mounted fo tar out of fisht of it, that only Satan himfelf, or his meflenger, could find him out. The mefienger's mafter found cut PauVs mafter in the wildernefs, and now Satan\ fervant found out Chriji*s fervanr, and brought him out of a wildernefs, in which he had left himfelf. U the fame battering rams of reafon could fhake the ■fortrefs of Sr. Paul^ as would bring to the earth -and ftiatter in pieces the caftles in the air erected and elevated by a modern fainty 1 need not proceed on any other particulars to anfwer ni.y honaurable friend ; but according to my promife, Ti;£ophiiusy I make no application, being unwilling ro ftioot the game, v;hen all the plcafuje lies in hunting. XI. [22] XI. Of the hkjed zeal of St. Paul*; curfing fpirit. What is gofpel-zeal in St. Paul, would be an cnthufiaftic fkih m z modern faint y if that holy apo- ftle had not happily led and fandified the way, as he has done, which the church has paved. What he has faid, and through vehemence repeated, fhews us beyond a1lcontradi6lion of any diflenting teacher, that this man who * was not a whit behind the chiefeji npojiley and yet the chief of finners f , (the chiefeft fignal of humility in himfclf, and greateft of all complements to his brethren) who was fo greatly dignified with fuch diftinguifhing virtues, who was highly in the favour of heaven to be fo txahed and mighty in the power of Chriji ; I fay it fhews by his flaming zeal, that this high and mighty faint was a high chtirchmany or a Dutchman i for high and mighty he was in the fpirit, however low and mean he was in his perfon, or poor and diftrefled in Jiate, To the Gaiatians he writes thus, ^ I marvel that you are fo foon removed from him that called you into the grace of Chriji^ unto another gofpel ! which is not another I but there are fame that trouble you, and would pervert the Gofpel of Chriji. But though wf, cr an angel from heaven preach any other gofpel unto jou than that which we have preached unto you ^ let bim be ac cur fed. As we faid before, fo fay I now again. If any man preach any other gofpel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accurfed (a). To be fure this expreflion was infpired by heaven, for • 2 Cor. xi. 5. + 1 Tim. 1*. 15. t ^^1- '• ^> 7. 8, 9- (a) St. Jerome irom this place endeavours to prove that the zeal of churchmen ought to be /'> great towards all heretics and their doftrines, that they flaou!:! tnaihcmstize them, let them be ever fo dear to them. In which cafe, fays our holy doftor, I wouW not fpare my own parents. [23 1 for heaven is in the expreflion. He was warm, true > but then it was true warmth, that is, he was hot i but then he was no Laodicean, a generation of men that were neither cold nor hot, mild, mode- rate men fit to htfpued out of the mouth of Chrift, which is his church. He breathed fire, true; but then it was the nature of the gofpd fo to do. It came * to fend fire on the earth, and it was already kindled •, and the zeahf the Lord's houfe, the Lord Jefui^s boufi eat him up. He curfed the angel that Ihould dare to preach a gofpel doftrine different from what he had preached \ but then it was on Chriji*s and the gofpePs account, "f If a man come unto Cbrijl and hate not father and vwther, wife^ brethren, fifters, friends, and his own life for Cbrtji*s fake and the gofpel* s, be cannot be his difciple. And furely there is not an angel in heaven fo nearly re- lated to us as thefe are, or as our felves are related to our own lives. Now this having been proved to be a true gofpel- fpirit, cannot be the fpirit of enthufiafm. To think otherwife, is not to have an evangelic tafte. And it is a (hrewd fign of an infidel age of a wicked and adulterous generation, t9 believe an angel from heaven, rather than a minijlcr of the gofpel! and indeed if fuch an one has the power of t remitting and retaining to men their fins, who of the congregation dare disbelieve his parfon for his foul ? for he that has courage enough to curfe an angel from heaven for contradiding him, would thunder upon a poor foul that was under his fpiritual authority the terrible wrath of an angry God, and the eternal torments of relentlefs ven- geance. Indeed I cannot help thinking however this (t^n- tence may be condemned by infidels, or may be lampooned • Luke xii. 4,9. -f Jb. x\\\ 26. + John xx. 25. [ H ] lampooned by the uniighteous, it was an evident demon ftratioii that bilhop Paul was a very good bigh-churchtHin ; this being an excellent fubjed for an argument again ft toleration : for this great apo-^ ftle would not tolerate an angel from heaven that preached another gofpel than he preached, or give another fenfc to his gofpel than himfelf gave, for he owns, ijt was not another gofpel that he was fo much concerned about, but a different explanation that perverted his meaning or preaching, which obliged him to unlheath the apoftolical fword of the fpirit. Therefore no toleration ought to be allowed dijfenters^ if we follow the blefTed example of this great apoftle, though their minifters {hould t)e angeUfrom heaven. Ah ! Thesphilus, how many- good churchmen and others that have a zeal for the gofpel mourn inwardly thefe wicked, free- thinking days, and pant after fuch gofpel times, when the devils fcoured off wherever its minifters came i and all that were enemies to their blefled power, were curfed devils, and when angels themfelves, fhould they dare to be difobedicnt to them, were threatened with church anathema's. We have been fhewn already that Paul was no cnthufiaft by this cxpteffion, but an orthodox, gofpel-faint i and in like manner it can be no proof of impofture •, for the di5iion or maledi(5l:!on of the fpeech fhewed the fervour aud fmcerity of his' heart. And why fhould not a bifiiop's ma'edidion as much dreaded as his benedidion is defired ? St. Paul was determined never to alter his opinion, right or wroDg, nor to fuffer any others to altei* - the principles he had taught them, as much as la)rf in his power ; and that they fhould be CursM if they did : which is a true high church fpirit. And as I think it will be granted, that no man would be [25] be fool enough to utter fuch an expreffion without the utmoft fincerity, it ar^^ues undeniably that it was not the fpeech of an impoltor (unlefs it was an en- thufjaftical one.j Indeed if a modern faint, or me- thodic, fliould bid his hearers, or readers, curfe the angel that contradids his preachments, we fhould think the cool air was beft for him, opening a vein, an emetic of hellebore, (having his head, fpring- water and a cooling regimen might be of fervice ; but 'tis my opinion that he ought by no means to be forbid preaching ex tempore, but rather be excited to that exercife *till he is faint with fweat, for it prodigioufly helps thofe fiery fpirits to evapo- rate. Wliat he writes to the Rotnans is ufliered in with a vefy folemn affirmation, and not without reafon, for it needs it. As when I was young, the ftories of fpirits and witches, which I heard, were gene- rally introduced with atteftations of the truth left they fhould be difbelieved ; for no man would be fuch a fool alone as to believe what no body elfe does, nor Vv'illing to aflert what no body is willing to believe. I fay the truth in CbriJ} ^(Ca.ys thisapcftie) *I lie not, my confcience bearing ?ne witnefi in the Holy Gbojijhat I have great heavinefs andcGntinual forrow of heart ; for 1 could wi/h myjtlfaccurftd from Chri^i^ for my brethren my kinfmen according to the jiefh. We feldom hear a man fay, he does not lie, unlt-f^: he is very apt to lie ; and then generally he lies moft : and he that will lie ferioufly and ftrenuoufly, will fwear to it, when he thinks he cannot be be- lieved v/ithout. And becaufe the Holy Ghoft is the fpiritof truth, he has been called upon to wit- nefs the greatoft lies in the world. To be aaurjed from Cbriji is to be one of thofe to whom Chrr/} E fhall * Rom. ix. I. 2, 3, [ 26] fhall fay, * Go yf :ur]'ed into everlajlin^ fire prepared for the devil iind Ins angels. Could Pad wifh to be damned that his brethren might be fayed ? If he wasfinccrc, it could be only ro b'J dsimried for a lit- tle while, that is to p;o to a gentle purgatory •, other- wife fuch ati exprc^lTion fecms to fuit the pen of one who thinks to he accurj'ed from Chrijl^ is a very light matter. Whether this be the lign of im- pofture in a profeflcd believer, do you, Theophiluj^ judge. But if I am able to underftand it in any other fenfe at al!, I think, for the falvation of the Jews, he wifhes the fame fentence on himfelf which he pronounces as penance againft the fornicator -f ; to deliver fuch an one to Sal an for the dejlru^ion cf the fiefh^ that the fpirit may be faved in the day of the Lord Jefus. This is a kind offpirilual amputation^ to damn the flefh to (ave the fpirit ; or to fave half, and damn half ; when the whole cannot be faved, to fave a remnant. And to be furc '//'j better to go into heaven halt^ or maimed ; limping, or fquinting, than to have the whole body cafi into hell- fire. No dojbt but it mud be a mortification to fuch a perfon in heaven to fee other people have fkfh upon their bones there, but Satan has devoured his, and left him a walking fl^eleton ! fuch a one I fancy muft make but an odd figure, in heaven. If St. Paul may be believed that he had great heavinefs and continual for rozv of hearty then it has no meaning any more than that it is the effe(5t or proof of a very melancholly difpofition j and this is one of thofe foils, as my honourable author' fays, enthufiafm fprouts from. But the principal fource of enthu- fiafm I attribute to the irregular circulation of the animal fluids, now rapid, now languid •, the ebbs and fioods of joy and forrow ; and an unequal tide of * Mat, XXV. 41. t I Cor. v. 1 2, 3, 4. f 27] of the pafllons, which fometiimes roll with a rapid torrent, and fometim-s feem tn Stagnate. When fuch a mind has religion for its chief objeft, it pro- duces enthufiafm. XII. T/je character of St, Paul by his Writings. That my adverfaries miy have nothing to reply, I agree to reafon with mem on their own founda- tion. Indulge me therefore with the fame freedom in doing it, 'Thco:b:lus^ as yourfelf would take, if •jour foul was in wy foul*s ftead, and was condu(5ted by the fame reafon. You, Sir, to whom I have oft expofed the naked fcntiments of my heart, wilJ pardon the wcaknefs that may attend the heft in- tended and well meant performance of a friend, that has no definjn to deceive^ nor to be deceived. Let Sr. Paulas charader be wrought up with ever fo much facred art, it is unluckily the only caufe of cxpofmg it the more ; not that his charadlcr would fignify any thing, but as the illuflration of truth it- felf is made to ftand or fall with it. Certainly St, Paul^ if we are to believe the wri- tings which are received for his, and the hiftory of him, was as ftrange a heterogeneous mixture of ftuff, as odd a compound of flefh and fpirit^ as e'er was jumbled together in human chaos. There were two men^ in this one man Pauly the old man, and the new man ; the man of rightcoufnefs, and the man of fin -, he had two bodies^ a natural body and a fpiritual body, the body of fin and death, and the body of life and righteoufuefs ; he had in him- falf two laws that governed him ; the law of fin, and the law of rightcoufnefs; the law of the mind, and the law of the flefn. Thefe two perfons, the carnal perfon and the fpiritual perfon compounded, made a third perfon, the human, or the human £ 2 perfon [28 ] perron was fomethlng elfe diftinift froni both ; like the alchemiilsy^.'V, Ju/pbur, and mercury, of which they fay, all bodies are compounded and reduceable to ; the fpiritual perfon danced him up into the th:rd heavens, the carnal and fenfua! perfon brought him down to the devil, who buffeted him, and pricked him with a thorn. Never was poor wretch fo tofTcd in a blanket as this poor faint was between thefe two •, and each of thefe three perfons could talk by himfelf. The carnal perfon fays, [a) In r/ie, that is, in 7n\ f^jh divelleib no ?cod thing. And {h) I ain carnal fold under Jin. Thf human perfon (ays {c) If I do the thrngs I wcu'd not^ it is no ffure I that do it, hut fin that dwelletb in me. And (^) Now I fpeak not the Lord again, (e) Say I thefe things as a man, and faith not the law the fame alfo ? The fpiritual perfon fays, (f) I live, yet not I, but it is Chrifi that tiveth in me, and the life that I now live in the fieflj, I live by the faith of the Son of Cod: and again, (g) For me to live is Chrifi, and to die is gam. (b) The fpirit of Chrifi hath made me free from the body of fin and deaib. Now, (/) fm predominates and he groans under bondage, anon grace is more abounding than fii), and he triumphs in freedom. Ik) At this time be keeps bis bod^^ in fubjetlion left he be caft away. At another time (/) he is pcrfuaded that no power can feparate him from I be love of God which is in Chrifhjcfus. Now {m) be witbffands Peter and the other apoftles to thefacc^ for temporizing •, at other times, in) be is all things t§ all men, that by all nuans be might gain fome. He (a) Rom. vii. 18. C^^) Vv.vtr. 14. (--; lb. vcr. ro. (d) iCor. vii. 12. (e) 'Cor. ix. 8. (f) G^Xv.. zo^ (g) PhiU i. 21. (b) kom. viji. 2. (i) ^oim vii, 24, (h) I Cor. ix.Z7. ,'■/; Rom. viii. 35, 36,37, 38, 29. {ry:) Gal. ii, I r, ir, 13, 14, 15. (n) i Cor. ix. 19, co »2. [ 29] He declares to the Galatians (o) that // they are clrcumcifed Chriji Jhall profit them nothing ; he tells the Romans (/>;, circumdfion verily profitetb if thou keep the law. He informs the Coriufhians, (q) that circumcifion is nothings and uncircumcifion is uothing. Jiift now {r) he wilhes himfclf accurfed from Chriji for h'n brethren //j*? doers of the law fioall be juflified j and by and by declares (/) by the deeds of the law fJjall no flefh be juflified ; and therefore con- cludes a man is jujiified b\ faith, without the deeds of the (o) Gal. V. 2. , (p) Rom. i; 2;. (q) i Cor. vii. 19. (r) Roii). ix. 3. (s) lb. xi. 20, ('/) lb xi. 26. (^t'^Ib. 32. (x) \T'\m.\\'. \o. (y)KQm.\\ J- (x ) 1 itus ii. II. (a) \ Tim. ii 4. ( b) Rom. ii. 6 (c) Eph-f.i.9. {a) Phil.ii 12. 13 Rcm.ii. i . (fj Num. IJl. 20, 28. [3°] the law : and then asks the queftion, as if he knew not what as had faid, (e) Do we then thro* faitb make void the law ? Yes fure. And ytt ne fays. Cod forbid, '^ea we eftablijh the law. How can that be? ctrtainiy the law is made void, with refped "to jujlifcatiofj, and not eftablifhed . But fuch is his reafuning, which is contrary to reafon. I believe this may be found to be a general rule, and a true teft of enthufiafm. Jn enthufiaft cannot reafon well ; and he thai reafons well cannot he an entbuftaji. I do not add, upon right principles, becaufe that depends upon knowledge. It would be too tedious here to recount the variety of temper and of art that abounds, in all his epiftles, equal to the variety of matters contained therein •, of complaining and boafting, threatening and foothing, infulting and coaxing, triumphifig and begging, jeering and irony, his ex- altations and dejedions ; always contented and ever craving ; now the higheft faint, and anon the greatell finner. His dodlrine and praftice was like his temper ; he was dl things to all men, that fcarce any man knew what to make of him ; and fo diver- fified are the modes of his expreflion, that fometimes no man can be certain what he means, or drives at. Certainly Theophilus he was the oddeft apoftle of them all ; l?eing born out of due time, and fo made in a very odd manner. XIII. Whether falling from grace or predejiination was St. Paul*j docirine. (/) The Gentleman*s citing i Cor. ix. 27. / hep under m^j body and bring it into fubje5lion, lefl by ttny means when I have preached to others, I m-sfelf (Ijould be cafi away j and his arguing rationally thereon (f ) Rom. iii. ;i. (/) This which the Gentleman has thrown into a note, I have mad.^ oblervations uii in the text. [31 ] thereon againft all other do6trines that contradict it, as not being taught by St. Paul^ is no argument that St. Paul rcafoned in the fame manner ; or could reafon fo well. Unlefs this reafoning can blot out every fcntence of Paufs writing that mili- tates therewith, it is of no force. This faint had too much heat to reafon coolly, and too 'great a croud of tumultuous ideas to range them in good difcipline, as the incoherence of his writings, fud- den change of fubje<5ts, and darknefs ofexpreflion fbew. He was too full of allufom, types and fi- gures to confider rightly of realities. El i m as^ s rta.- foning fet him a raving (g) ; objedions to his doc- trines fets him upon exclamation, and calling names (b). Ask him why God is reprefented as finding fault, if nothing refifted his will, and there was no fault but what was of his own making? and he anfwers foreign to the matter, who art thou O ! man that repliefi againii God? When he treats of the refur- region, (/') ask with what bodies men arife f And he cries, thou fool that which thou fowejt is not quickened except it die. But this is anfwering like a.fooly for if the feeds that are fowa die ; they are never quickened, or bring forth. To exalt folly above wifdom, {k) he brings in the fodifbnejs of God : and argues moft fooliftily (/}, that becaufe the world by wijdom knew not God, therefore God had chofen the foolifh thiup of the world to confound and deftroy the wifdom of the wife^ and bring to nothing the under- ftanc^ing of the prudent. If man's wifdom is too fhort to know Goa, can folly reach him ! If wif- dom is an attribute of Deity, can he defpife his own attributed ? or docs he love wifdom in himfelf, and (g) A«^s xiii. lo. (h) Rom. ix. ig, 20. (/) I Cor. XV. 3 J, 36. [k) ^ Cor. 1, 25. (ij lb. vcr. J 9, 2\, 27. [in and folly in man ? Idle and prepofterous ! What- ever St. Paul meant, one would think he wanted "wifdom by this expreffion, or defpifed it to pleafe foolf. That St. Paul's keeping under his hody^ andbringbig itiutojuhjeolion^ lefi when he had preached iht go/pel of falvation to others^ himfelf Jhould be caft away ; does mihtate againft the doftrine of abfolute pre- dejtination 'y there is no queftion, if taken in the common and obvious fenfe : Yet whether this may not be explained in favour of that dodirine, is a qiieftion ; and whether it is capable of blotting out all other expreffions which infinuate that doc- trine is another queftion ; but whether he never contradicted himfelf is no queftion at all. Firft, As before St. Paul di"ops this expref- fion he fhews, that he was made all things to all men^ fcr the gojpel's fake ; therefore (m) he became weak to thofe that are weak^ to gain the weak^ that the weak brother might not perifh, through his acting according to knowledge (as in the cafe of eating meats offered to idols) fo this may be linderftood to be fpoken to thofe weak believers, that were to be fed with milk and not with ftrong meat; as children are deceived to make them take their necefTary phyfic. If tJiis be expedient, fome- times for the bodies health, why not for fick fouls. He told them there was the prize of fal- vation to be run for, and he gives this ftart, to (tt them all a runnings and this fpur to excite them to continue the race. But did keeptngunder his body pre- vent him from being a cajl-away ? certainly not at all, unlefo it was the body of [fin. Will ftarving the body, or mortifying it, nourifh and fandtify the foul, prepoftrous fuperftition ! He intimates that h • («?) I Cor. i. 32, [33] he was not at an uncertainty about the matter ; for the foregoing words, to thefe under examination are, / therefore fo run not as uncertainly, fo fight I not as one that beats the air i but I keep under my body and bring it into fubjc^iion^ lejl that by any means "juhen I have preached the gcjpel to others^ I myfelf Jhould (feem to you to) be a cafi-awa-j. It fich ekings out of fcnfe, and fometimes takings aivay^ and alttrations, are not allowed, neither the precepts nor princ:ples in the fcrlptures will fuit any one f.d of believers in the world that ever werr, or wiil be, without evident inconfiftences and absurdities, and fometimes downright contradictions •, but with t lefe he'ps, it will fuic them all, and lerve any chnftian ic^ whatever. idly^ Whether this text is capable of blotting out ail the ninth chapter to the Rowans, and all other expreflions which maniftftly favour St, Paui*s doc- trine of predeftination, is another queftion. For 'tis impoflible that thofe whom God purpofes to fave by his grace can fall away or fail of falvation, if (b) men are not jufiified by the law of works, but by the law of faith ; if (t) God imrutes righteouf- nefs without works ; if {d) the purpofe of Cod accord" ing to eleCiion flands, not of worksy but of him that calleth ', if () God bath iho en the J aims in Lhrijt before the foundat en of the wor id to be holy, and preaejtinaie '' them to the adoption of chitaren \ if the^ have redemption and for gi- enef if fins through iht' blood of Cbriji according .'o the riches of his grace 3 if God predefinates and works all things according to the jurf^ofe f his own will, and (q) juftrfies freely h\ his gra e hrough the redemption thct is in Jefus Cbrifi, and fuch like. What need a beJicvfr then to fear b ing a caft-away, any more than th.it God's purpo'e and pover can be defeated ? And if tiiefe fentence- do not (hcw the meaning of St. Paul in the fenfe they are here dehvcred, it i fo very like itj if he be to be underftond hy his wcrds, that ncthing C3n be more fo. If it be an error, 'tis evi- 'dent!y St. Paul leads thcfc that follow him into itj and is as evidently the confequence of following principles (i) Phil, ii 13. (k) Rom. ix. 16. (I) Col, i. 13. (m) Rom. viii. 28, 29. (nj lb. ver. 33. (0) IbiJ. ix. 18. (f) Ephef. i. 4, 5, 7, 1 1. (q) Rom. iii 24, 25. [35] principles for truth upon truft, or authority in the room of reafon. XIV. Of Saul* J Diftnterejiednefs and fecret Call to Chriftiamty, Our honourable autbcr feems to believe that Saul In turning Chriftian was difinrerefted, and had no worldly views. But he and I don't fee tr.ings in the fame light. He confiders him as a gentleman and a fcholar as himfe.F is, ind that he dcm^-an'd himfelf to keep company with fifhermen, A fcho- lar he might be to the other difciplts indeed, but I confider him as he was, a perfon brought up to labour. He was by occupa iun a tent maker, a proper perfon to be employed by poor fiihcrn^en : for who fo fit to live in tents, as thofe that caunot afford to build or hire houfes ? it does not appear that Saul was a man of wealth, or that he had i^ny fortune to truft to, but that of his head and hands. His inftrudlor in J^nvifh Learning was Gamaliel', but Saul was not Gamaliel. His mafter brought honour to him •, I don*t read he brought any honour to his matter. He was brought up to la't our, bat labour was not what he cared for •, he had a work- ing head, not a working hand. Therefore 'tis likely in order to live an eafier life than that of tent-making, he hired himfelt to the high prieft to be an informer againft the Chrlili.ins. At length confidtring what a hazard he run in profecuting them 1 tor they were not Quakers, as Malcbus's ear was a proof, and the revenge taken 3.2a.] IxJ'u- das 'by God knows who) might l)e a vvarning to him, that one time or another he might be paid for his pains j fo that probaDly he ra.ght not run greater hazards if he became ot the party he pro- jfecuted ; and in being one, what advantages he F 2 mi^rht [36] might expefl among them, his learning, art and endeavour employed in their favour, might make him the head of their party, their high prieft ; the meancft of whom got fomcthing out oF the public ftock for labouring in the word and do(5lrine, and the apoftles made a living of ir, for they could not afrer their making a bank, leane the word of God to ferve tables^ confequently not to ferve fifli for tables as formerly. The believers brought all their money ^ and laid it down at the apojlles feet^ and re- ceived out of the common Stock according to the difcretion of them and the church ; whereby they were now become a fociety that took care of their poor and their priefts, and Peter could procure an cngel to free himfelf from prifon upon occafion, confequently Paul might get a good hving among them, with refpedt and authority ; for he was not Void of ambition whatever his advocates may think, as will plainly appear : and *iis better to an am- bitious mind, to be a King among beggars, than a beggar among kings. Whether f .me of thofe that had the difcerning of fpirits among the difciples did not fee through him? whether rhe call to his converfion was from w thout^ or within ? whether the apoftles that had power to work mincles, did nothing towards his converfion ? are fecrcts unrevealed in the myfteries of providence, where we muft leave them, and judge of Paul by the information we have of the Pauhtej. If the call was wholly from withiny the great diffijulty to him was to be a free and accepted Mafon in the fociety at firft. To fay it mi^ht have been done better any other way, if it had been in the choice of men, is pretending to jwdge better of things at a diftance than near. All the circumftances and motives are not made known td [27] to US, and is therefore judging in the dark. Could man chufe a better way for hiinfelf than heafcrlbes to the Loj'd ? Therefore I judge in that cafe, the method which was pradlifed was the bell. There is no doubt at all but the converfion of one adverfary to the faith by virtue of a miracle, whether it was real or pretended, if it was fo neatly pei form*d, as not to be feen through by the vu;<^ar, was a pow- erful argument to them, and the b^ft that could be to fupport their faith in miracles, and the faith of doc- trines founded thereon, and bring thcin over to it. And I am apt to think the chriftian priefts then, as well as now, would be very glad ro buy a miracle at almoft any pric;i out of the public ftock, to triumph over unbelievers. We fee in ourdays bribes will work miracles in th^Jlale^ and why n tin the church? He who was fo full of himfvlf could fee no rea- fon to doubt of the acceptance of his labours in their fervice, aficr they had accepted him, if he determined to be a preacher, and to continue among them. His having been their perfecutor, when once he was rcceiv^-d, would redound to their credit, and among them to his advantage ; befides, by having been of the perftcuting fi le he c -old fathom the power of the Jew rulers, and the dif- pofition of the Roman governors. Saul knew the difciples made great pret^nfions to miracles, vlfions, and revilations i therefore that was the bed door to get in at, which way would add to the credit of thofe things, beft pleafe the difciples, and befl: filence his adverfiri s , therefore he was by this means the more ea .^eriy received and regarded, and he could not aiter\^a'ds recede therefrom withowt being nutoiious for impofture, and abhorred hy all parties \ this he muii needs forefee, and therefore knew the miracjlous con- verlion boing declared, and himfclf baptizea, the Chriitians [ sn Chriftians might afliirc themfelves of the reality of his intentions. XV. Of the Morality of St. Paul and other be- lieving Saints. The morality or immorality of a man's condu6t proves nothing with regard to the truth or falfhood of his do(5liines. Thofe that have been the authors and promoters of the moft falfe religions, have taught and praftifed morality as much as others. "Whatever religion does not maintain that, cannot "be maintained. No hodv would chufe Chriftianity for the morals of the Chriftians. Moral virtue merely, feldom or ever produced perftcutions : for who 'will harm y^'U if ycu be folloivers of that which is good ? faid Paul himfllf. It is notions and fadions different from the elUblifhment, that thofe in authority will not bear, which raifes pcrfecutions or oppofition ; not mere perfonal private morality. Tht /aims called all their fufferings afflidlions if by the courfc of nature ; perfccutions, if from men ; though the one was the common cafualties of life, and the other what their own indifcreet zeal brought on themfelves. Sufferings are common to man, but if a faint fufFers, thcugh perhaps juftly or foolifhly, he diflurbs all heaven and earth as much as he can with his prayers, cries, and clamours •, he calls down vengeance from above. How lo'-g, Lordy how long will thou not avenge the blood of thy faints ! He conftrues all accidents that befal his adverfaries to be the jtifi judgments of God: and thinks it a righteous thing with God to render tribulation to thofe that trou- ble them. They think, it righteous to return double punifJjment in vengeance for what they have re- ceived. In the cup floe hath filed to you., fill to her double^ is the precept pleaded. No revenge is too great f39l great for a faint ; therefore to {atisfy their impla- cable temper, eternal burnings, and everlafting tor- ments have been invented. If the Jews were per- fuaded to turn Cbrijiians for the fake of the moral dodrines of Chriftianity, they were much in the wrong of it, for the moral precepts of the law are better than the precepts of the gofpel: therefore the gofpel was not advanced merely tlr the fake of its moral dodrines. Whatever Jew profefTcs the gofpel with an entire coiividion of its being a divme reve- lation as taught by Paul^ muft give up the law of Mofes as fuch, iinltfs he can believe that God can contradi6t himfelf, by altering and annulling his Jaws, like man. For how can one divine revelation fet afide another, when the firft was declar'd to be an everlafting law ond an everlajiing Priejihood ? but t he ^o/Z'f/ according to the author to xh^ Hebrews^ changes both. If Paul by his do6lrine and condud; fhewed fuch a zeal as made his followers of all men ihemofi mifcrahle, if he was without an entire con- vidlion that this latter revelation was divine, * jnujl have been mad^ and worfe than mad^ the moft hard- ned villain that ever breathed: and if the confe- quence to be drawn from this is, that therefore he aded with judgment and honcfty, and that there- fore the Chrillian religion is pure, and founded on right principles, I leave you, Theophilus^ or the author himfelf to judge, whether this is not build- ing the truth of the Chriftian religion on the honefty or truth of a man that no man knows any thing of? • Obf. p. 32. XVI. [40] XVI. Of Saul'i Love to the Priefihood^ and D if- agreement with Priejis. Saul feems to have had in him the natural fpirit of a ruft ; tor becaufe he was not qualified to facri- fice be-jfts to maintain the priefthood, he had a prieftly zeal to lacrifice men and women for its fup- porf. He could not be a pricft among the Jews, as not being of the tribe of Levi i and yet the defirc of prieflho(.d feems Urongly to have run in his mind, though the incapacity of becoming one run in his blood, not being capable of exercifing that funftion which was by A'Ojes's law an hereditary qualifica- tion. If he would have married the high prieft's daughter, he ctrtainly would have been as near re- lated to the priefthood as he could. It looks as though he endeavoured to curry favour with the high prieift, that he procured warrants from him to perfecute the prieft*s adverfarits. A man of his extraordinary p.ffions muft have loved very fiercely, if he loved rea'ly ; and if difappointed with any manner of contempt by the danjfci*s father, as dif- daining to marry her to a tent- maker, muft have been ftung with very keen refentmenr ; and the more fo, fince he endeavoured to make himfelf worthy of her by his fervicc to oblige the high prieft, and exalt the honour of priefthood, by hum- bling and harralllng its enemies ; or rather thofe they were enemies to, thm thofe that were enemies to them. Befides, there is a ftrong probability that he was difappointed in love, in that he never mar- ried aftervvards ; or clfc he was no man ; becaufe he taught for dodrine, that it lias good for a man not to touch a ivoman. His turbulent temper appears always to have car- ried him to extremes, therefore it was, that he fet alJ [41 J all places in an uproar wherever he came ; and acfied with as much madncfs againll the priefts as he had adled for them. With what contempt does he treat the high prieft when he was to plead his caufe be- fore him ? (though indeed he dcferved it,) yet fcarce any man but himlelf would have faid, God (hall Jimte thee^ thcu whited wail. When h^ was reproved for rcuiling God^s Iv^h prjejl^ as he is called, he endeavoured to excufe himielf by faying, ■what I believe was filfe, / vjijl not, brethren^ that he ivas the h gh friiifi. If upon dilguft to the priefts, he had a mind to oppofe them, what way could he more effeiflually take to do them a difplcalure than erpoufng t.hs caufe of Chrirtianity ? Not that Chriftianity is de- ftrudiive to priefthood, but that fort of priefthcod was deftrudive to the other. Or how is it impro- bable at lead that he might not be treated in ilich manner by the high prieit, as he thought his merit deferved ; (for priefts are a lofty fort of gentry) which his high fpirit not deigning to bear, and ftifling his refentment then, might, by his rumina- ting on, kindle it the hotter. And when his fpirit took a different turn from one thing to another, he valued himfelf as much afterwards for fuffering the perfecution he could not avoid, (for he endeavoured to avoid all he could) as he hsd done before for be- ing a perfecutor : for we fee in many places he makes a merit of it, and never fails to mention it to the Chriilians, becaufc in both cafes, or on each fide, he cxpcdled the applaufe that faiinM Jais am- bition. XVII. Of Si. Paul* J Icve cf power ajjd authority. Superiority and love of power was no fmall in- gredient in the compoiitioa of Paulas temper, he G '^lids [ 42 1 affe(5ls humility to raife himfelf, and boafts of his fufferings to exalt himCe'f. When he would have the Coriiithian^ honour him as their fpiritual father, he fets forth their reverential duty, and his merits to that dignity. * Let a uanjo account of us^ as of the minijlers of Chrift, and fteivar-ds of the myfteries of God. This dignity was enhanced by fufterings i / think, fays he, that God hath fet forth us the apoflles lajl, as it were appointed to death ; for ive are made a fpe^acle to the zvorJd^ to angels, and to men. We bear the burden and heat of the day. And tauntingly upbraids thofe that thought well of themfelves, and had too mean an opinion of their teachers, who merited honour by tticir fufferings and labours, {b) We are fools for Chrjji^sfake, but ye are wife in Chriji -, we are weak, but ye are ftrong ; ye are honourable, but we are dejpijed. Even to this ■prefent hour we both hunger, and thirft, and are na- ked, and buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place. How fhould they, when they lived by rambling, and fared as travellers do ? [c) And labour, working with our hands, (when they could not avoid it, or thought it proper to do fo.) Beijjg reviled, we blefs ; being pcrfecuted, we fi/ffer it ; bei7ig defamed, we in- treat, (Wonderfully pious!) We are made as the filth of the world, and the off-fcouring of all things unto this da^. None complain more of being meanly ufed, than thofe that are moft proud. And when religion is in the cafe, pride lurks under great pre- tenfions to humility. Profellion is the mafk of re- ligion. Great profeflion of piety and humility oft fnew a want of it. I call to mind I have fome- where read of Diogenes when he went to vifit Plato, treading on his carpet, faid, 1 trample on the pride of •iCor. iv. I. WV. 9. WV. 12,13. [43 ] of Plato. With ^ eater pride^ '^iogenes, anfwered P Into. St. Paul proceeds, j write not thefe things to jhame )0U, but as my beloved jOns I warn you. For though you have ten thoufand in . ru5lors in Cbrift^ yet have ye not many fathers ; for in Cbrift J ejus I have beg tten you through the gof/>el. Yet we are com- manded to call no man father upon earth but God * ia fpi'itiu'l matters. I fuppole, however, he fets up himrelf as a leading father. Wherefore (to apply) / befcech you be ye followers of me. 'I'lus is a ftride to reverence. Look on me as your fj:iritual father, and do as I teach ou. For this caufe I fent unto •^ou^ Timotheus, who is my well beloved fon and faith- ful in the Lord., who fljall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in drift, as I teach every where in ever\ church. Timotheus^ an eafy pliable creature, ■who would do any thing that his father Paul de- fired, even to the fuftering himfelf to be circum- cifed to pleafe him. My v/ays, and as I teach, and •f 7?iy gofpe/, feem pkinly to denote he t.iught fome- what peculiar to himfelf. Obferve next the difplay of his humility. Now fome are puffed up as though I would not come to you ; but I will come to you ^oort'.y if the Lord will., and will know, not the fpeech of them that are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. What will you ? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love, and in the fpirit of meeknefs ? If the word of reafon and the power of arbitrary authority are intended by thefe words to be fet in competition, the fofteft explana- tion of mine would be thought too fevere. There- fore, Tfjeophilus, I leave you to e:^plain it for your felf. At another time, when he would exalt himfelf to the loftieft apftollcal feat, he does it by fhewing G 2 how * Mat. xxiii. 9. f Rom. xvi. 25. [ 44 ] how he merited it by fitting in the lozveft. The pride of his humility is glaring. When he fays, / (a I fuptofe I was not a whit behind the very chiefejt of the apoftlcs. For though I he rude in fpeech^ yet not in knozv'edge, Confeqi ently, the conceit of his own knotvledge had rendered him a litile unpoiite. After bouncing, and boafting, and pleading his will and plcafure to boaft, he funis up his fufFerings as what gave him that right. Tiie reafon of doing this ap- pear-j foi n after; it was becaufe he wanted praife. lb) For I ought (fays he) to have been commmded of you : for in nothing am I behind the very chufeft of iheapoflles^ though 1 h' njthin^. A very prettv compliment on them, that he himfelf was as good as the bcft ; and the heft was good for nothing. So ir we may join parrs that are diftin^fV, he humbly fuppofes to the Corinthians^ he was not behind the very chiefeft of the apOjtles ; but in writing to the Epheftans^ he calls himfelf kfs than the lea ft cf all faints. There is many a true zvord Jpoh injeft -, but by this it appears that Paul was no iaint. neither were any of the apoftles. Whp,t think you, TheophiluSy is this fpiritual pride, or fandified humility ? Over the Corinthians how does he flourifh the paftoral rod of his apoftolical authoriry ? (c) I call God for a record upon my foul, that to fpare you I cams Jtot unto Corinth. This I think is as good as fwear- ing, that he came among them to brandifh his power, and expeds them to regard it. For this end alfo did I writ; that J might know the proof of you, whether you he obedient in all things. Elfev/here he tells them, {d) 1 told you before, and foretell you as if I was prefent with you the fecond time ; and being abfent now I write to them which heretofore have finned, and (a) 2 Cor. xi. 5. (h) lb. xii, ii. (c) lb. i. 23. yl) lb. xiii. 2. [+s ] and to all other ^ (finned or not finned) that if I come avain I will not /pare •, and a little after, Thenfore I write thefe things being abfent, left being prejent I Jhould ufe fharpnefi^ according to the power which the Lord hath given me. One would imatrine by fuch lan- guage (V was already cloathed with the purple and the m'lire. With what authority he writes to them concern- ing their going to law ? * Dare any of you having d matter againft another go to law before the unj ft., and not before the faints? And with wliat a blaft of wi:id docs he fvvell their vaniry as well as his own ? "Do \e not know that the faints fhall judge the world? And if the world fhall be judged b^ you, are ye unworthy to judge the fmallcft matters ? Kfwiv ye not that we flj all judge an;^els { how much more things that pertain to this life? Pretty fellows indeed to judge angels! when they never could agree together in their judg- ment of what was right or wrong -, but were ever dividinfT and fubdividing into feds, fchifms, here- fies, and fadlions. XVIII. Of St. Paul'j condu^ in propagathig the Gofpel. When St. Paul's temper was turned againft th^ Jewifh priefts, the perfecutioNS of the Jews on one fide, from whom he could never again hope for fa- vour, with the afFedions, honours, and advantage of the Chriftians on the other, kept him fteady to that party, over whom he prefided as fupreme in ftll churches of his own planting among the Gen- tiles ; where he generally brought his fpiritual wares to a good temporal market •, and ufed all arts to bring them in : for this reafon he became all things to all men t i and preached his gofpel /m-^/^/v where he • I Ccr. vl. I, 2. \ lb. ix. 22. [46] I'c had acce fs, to thrfe that were of reputation (a)^ hjl hejhculdrun in vain ; and being indeed crafty (b)^ he caught them with guile. He had always his wilkfcr babcs (f), and meat for Jlrong men^ cooked up according to every one's palate, and found his account in it. Peter went To far as to eat with the believing Gentiles who were profelytes of the gate, not for fetting afide the Mofaic law -, but Faul was the firft that maintained there was no occafion for the believing Gentiles to be circumcife'd, and keep the law far [66] for this, which alone makes them to differ, we fhould fee no difference between faints and finners ; and might imagine thatthofc faints who walli their robes in blood, are bloody faints ; not underftand- ing how red blood wafhes white : This is a myttery to crimfon finners. But the fins of faints crfate in them humility, which is the firft mark of faving grace: fo the Lord lets his beloved fall, to make thena fenfible he does not hold them : therefore the lies of believers are juftified, b-at the truths of un- believers are condemned. 'Tis certain one would more foftly pafs over the failings of the faints, or believers, as well as they would conceal their own knowing human nature, but that the believers fo wickedly defend the greatefl vices of biblical faints, when plaftered over with a pretence of fan«ftity, or commifTion from God -, and fo unmer- cifully condemn them for infidels who contend for truth only, and reprefent them as contenders for vice and immorality. Since therefore thefe nar- row-foul*d monopolizers of righteoufnefs, will lye^ it becomes thofe that love truth to fpeak it, which it is plain the greateft believers have the leaft re- gard to. Lies have been always pra6\ifed for the fake of chrlfHanity and the good of the church : whetheF it be agreeable to the revealed will of the gofpel, or not. And truth has been always per- fecuted where faith has been propagated, and efta- blifhed with rigor. Faith is always taken on truft-, truth is found by diflruil and enquiry. I do not call Paul a deceiver, but to be believed he fometimes folemnly afHrms he does not lye\ which thing alone is fufficient to difpofe one to fear he was addidled to lying and deceit. It is certain he did not always fpeak truth, but fometimes en- deavoured to deceive others ; therefore if the chri- ftiaa [ 67 ] (lian religion ftands on this bottom, it ftands on a very deceitful one. For before the chief captain, chief priefts, and council at Jerufakni^ when Paul was to plead for himfelf, * and perceived that one part of the multitude were Sadducees^ and the otherPharifees^ he cried out in the council, men and brethren^ I am a Phcirifee, the Jon of a Pharifee^ cf the hope and refurre5lion of the dead 1 am called in quefiion. Though this was a crafty ftratagem to deliver himfelf from the high prieft*s examination, and fo it did ; yet he aflerted two falfhoods, firji, that he was a Pharifee ; and fecondly^ that for the hope of the refurre^fion he was tailed in quefiion : which fliews he did not fo much regard the clearing of truth, as the clearing of him- felf. But it may be, the pale-faced h:gh-priefiy who looked like the image of death, m-ght terrify him •, and by the hurly burly at court he might be hurried out of his fenfes, and forget himfelf and the matter of his accufation -, and that he had owned that he was a chriftian to the mukitude but the day before. Did thofe Jews that knew Paul (think you I'heophilus) believe this was the con- dud: of an enthuliaft, or an impoftor ? Now let fome modern faint, or believer daub over the fins of the antient faints, and palliate or juftify thofe vices in them, or in themfelves, that they righ- teoufly condemn in others, according to their wonted and abundant grace, and gracious par- tiality. XXIX. Of FsLuVs working a miracle at Ljy^rij and the Lyftrans treatment of him. Though the foregoing accounts (hew that Paul fometimes affirmed what was not true, and that K 2 with • Afts xxiii. 6. [ 68 ] with a defign to deceive others^ and mud have done {(f in his e/travagant flights aforenv.ntioncd, un- lefs he was himfelf deceived, or befide himrelf; yet I do not fay he was an impoflor. Bat it is very much to be feared, the Jconiums thought him fuch a Lyftra *, or their conduct is not to be ac- counted for ; firft to efteem him as a god for working a miracle; and not ]ong after, to ftone him, and leave him for dead. There was a cripple whom Faul perceived had faith to he healed^ that is, he was in the fecret. If he had not been in the fecret of faitii he could not have been cured. What is this but i an apt difpojition in the perjon on u-hom the miracle is wrought^ as the Gentleman calls it; though he layr, 1| no fuch difpofitiGm were to be found in the Gentiles^ and as at Lyftra the hea- thens were not led into the fecret of the ' means of working miracles^ they imputed it to their gods. Here we find that fuch a difpofition was found among t\^t Gentiles •, and as we are told, God does not fave us whether we will or no -, fo "this fhe^vs that God does not work miracles on us, whether we will or no. We muft come into the difp ration or fecret of the means to have them wrought. This almoft leads us into the fecret of the means of working miracles^ which they that are not] led into, may impute to their gods. Thofe that wrought miracles as they could not always work them, nor upon all occafions, fo they were forced to work them when they could, when a proper opportunity offered, or not at all. This ieems to have been the cafe at Lyftra, otherwife the people fhould have been firfl informed by wif- dom, before they had been amufed by flrange power, that they might have known the end and defign of the * Actsxiv, 8, ifjc. f Obf. p. 57. || lb. p. 59. [ 69 ] the miracle ; they fhould firft have delivered their gofpei-meflage, opened people's underftandings, let them know from what God they came, and upon what errand, that the God yf^/^i had defired the honour of their worfhip, and to that end was wil- ling to oblige them by doing fome fingular favour to difplay his power, that they were required to pull down their old gods and put up a new one, or whatever their meflage was ; and then produced their credentials in confirmation of it. But not doing this, Paul and Barnabas confirmed the peo- ple in their old idolatry. I fuppofe the cripple had not patience to wait, and they feared if they did not cure him quickly, he would cure himfelf; the confequence of which might be the crippling them, if the means of working the miracle had been expoftd. They not rightly preparing the people for the end of the miraclt, the people had no notion of the coming of any new god •, or that any fuch had been horn lately j therefore they thought their old gods were come again to pay them a vifir, and hoped by their readinefs to honour them, they would do more m.iracles among them. When they faw the cripple leap up and walk, at the command of Paul j the-j lift up their voices faying the goh are come dovDn in the Jikenefs ef men, Th^y took. Barnabas to be Jupitert being, I fiip- pofe, the more perfonable man, and Paul to be Alercury, being the beft prater, and the priejis of Jupiter hroagh: exen and garlands^ and would have done facrijice unto them, and fcarce could they re- frain the people from doing it, by declaring they were not gods. The very next thing we read is, t\\2X. there came thither certain Jews f/om A ntioch^ fifiii Icomum^ who perfuaded the people, and having Jloned Paul, drew him out of the city, fnpprftng he had [7°] had been dead. Hoivbeit, as the difciples flood round about him., he rofe up^ and came into the city, and the next day he departed -with Barnabas to Derbe. Here was a miracle performed in vain, by not going the right way to work. 'Tis cafier to make a mob ftare and gape, admire and adore, than un- derftand. P^w/ had power to work a miracle, to make a cripple dance, but not to preferve him felt from being ftoned. So devout a people could ne- ver have been perfuaded by the Jews from other parts to ftone one whom they took to be a god, and would have worfhipped, for miraculoufly heal- ing a cripple j unlefs thefe Jews perfuaded them it was the work of impojlure. When there is reafon to fufpedl falfe dealing in pretenfions to miracles, the honour men had for the pretender is turned into contempt ; and the more devotioh their credulity raifed, the greater they think is their difgrace for their folly •, and confequently the greater will their refentment be to the impoftor that occafioned it. The next day, inftead of ftayingto work any more miracles there, he and Barnabas thought it bed, as bruifed as he was, to march oft. XXX. Of Paul*j eontefi with Elymas, and making him blind. In the ifle of Paphos they found one Barjefus with the deputy of the country, a Jew, whom they call z falfe prophet and d-forcerer^ who a little after is called Elymas, and faid to be z.forcerer only by the interpretation of his name, v/ho endeavoured to prevent the deputy from becoming a chriflian convert. For this reafon, to prove that reproach andflander is common to faints, Paul fixing his eyes on him, that is plucking up a bold aflurance, and flaring him out of countenance, faid, full of all [7'] .«// fuhtilt'j and all mi f chief, thou child cf the devil y thou enemy of all righteoiifnefs^ wilt thou not ceafe to pervert the right ways of the Lord ? And fo, that he might fee they were the right ways of the Lord, he made him blind : for a feafon it is faid, but how long that feafon lafted is not faid ; fo a man may be made blind by throwing fand or duft in his eyes. In what manner it was done, or if true, I knovvnot; but if Elymas reafoned well, why did Paul rave? if he reafoned ill, why did he make his body blind, inftead of enlightening his underftanding ? why did he take away his fight to make him fee tht; tiurh ? Elymas could not be full of n// mifchief, for Paul was full of fome, in making him blind ; which if true, I believe was done by fome other power tham that of words : for I cannot think the wife God lent his power to Paul to execute as his pafTions pleafed. Elymas might by fome accident lofe his fight for fome time, and thofe that were willing to make a miracle of it, afcribed it to Paul's doing ; but he darkened his eyes inftead of illui-ninating his mind, as this ftory tells us. And indeed Paul could work any miracle but that. Is this turning men from darknefs to light? Is it not pliin that Elymas was too hard for Paul'm argument, that he ftt him a raving, not a reafoning, Buc reafoning was not Paul*s talent, he was too hor to reafoii coolly, and had too many tlarts and emotions to proceed regularly -, he appears for the moft part to be plunged in too much puzzle and obfcvn-ity, to judge deliberately, and deliver himfelf clearly. XXXI. Of Paul*j expulfion at Antioch and Iconium, and his falling out with Barnabas What h the reafon that at Antioch^ the place of their flourifhing moft, * the devout and honourable women • Al^s xiii. 50. [ 72 ] women, and the chief men of the city were againfl thefc holy men, Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coajls. This was not done by ruffians, and a rafcaily mob ; nor could thefe prevail on perfons of fuch chara6ler to do it. All the reafon given for it is, that the Jews ftirred them up to it. This duft is caft in our eyes, to prevent our feeing the truth. I imagine that Barnabas got little credit by being Paul's companion, and fometimes fuf- fered on his account. It could not be the preach- ing of morality that ftirred all places up againft him, wherever he went, and fo often obligM him to fhift quarters. It was not morality that brought him fo often into the pickle of perfecution •, for neither the precepts of the gofpel nor the pradice of chriftians have any thing fuper- excellent in them. In mofl: places that Paul went to, difturbances rofe about him, as if his turbulent fpirit, which he had before his converfionjftill remained j for the people feemed principally to aim at getting rid of him, and hav- ing fo done were contented. If fignsand wonders were done by Paul and Bar- nabas at Iconium^ as we read, how came there to be * an ajfault made both of the Gentiles and alfo of the Jews voith their rulers to ufe them defpitefully, and to f tone them \ which to avoid, they fled to Lyjira^ and Derbe. Their power of working miracles never flood them in any {lead for their defence when they wanted it moft, fo gypfies pretend to teli ftrangers their fortune, but know not their own. They were always fafeft when they run for it, and chofe rather to truft to a natural conveyance of their per- fons, than to a fuper-natural power for their pre- fervation. By what they knew they had done, they knew what they had to do •, and generally made off in time. At * Aftsxiv. 5, 6. [73] At Antiochy Paul and Barnabas who had long traded apoftolicalJy in partnerihip, notwith Handing they were poiTefled of the peaceable fpirit of the Holy Ghoft, fell into fuch bitter contention, that Paul parted from Barnabas^ who had brought him into favour with the apoftles, atid credit with the chriftians, and fet up for himfelf. The occafiou was frivolous enough whether they fhou!d take John Mark, or Silas to wait on them -, this fhcws us of what furious bitter fpirits the propagators of chriftianity were, that the moft trifling differences rent them into nreconcileable fchifms. But Paul, who would give place to no man, took St las, and left Barfiabas to take Alark ; of whom we hear no more. The v/riter being Silas, or one of Paut*s party, who after this, and not before, when he writes of Pau Und himfelf, writes in the firft perfoti plural, wg, and he's quiet enough ; [78] enough ; for to be fure the devil is not without paflion, being contrary to God who has none. When the fom of God met together in old time, * Sa- tan came alfo among them^ and he will be among the faints, let them do what they will, and that they know •, for his pride fometimes induces him to keep good company. If they would let him quite alone, foas to regard him no more than if he was not, he would not be ; but would certainly die of a confumption, as the witches have done, fince an- nulling theadl of parliament againft witchcraft *, for he is never more alive, than when he is moil op- pofed. XXXV. Of Paul'; expufion from Theflalonica an^ Berea, and quitting hlh.zviZ. Reports fled from town to town after Taul and his attendants wherever they came ; fo that they could not abide long in a place. They pafled thro' '\ Amphipolis 2Lnd JpcIIonia^und came to Thefjdonicai there in a fhort time al' the city was fet in an uproar, Jafon^s houfe was aflaulted, where the faints lodg'd, and the Taints were fought for. the people and the rulers were troubled, and having taken fecurity of Jafon, &c. they let them go. And the brethren immediately fcnt away Paul and Silas by night. Why, what was the accufarion ? What I why they had turned the world upfide down wherever they went, by faying there ivas another king, one Jefus, ■whom they knew not ling of, nor believed, or feared, that's all the reaion the hiftory gives. From Theffalonica, they go to Berea-, they had not been long there before Satan heard of them, and found them out •, the Jews of Theffalonica fol- lowed them, and ftirred up the people to drive then) * Job. i.6. t Aasxvii. i. [ 79 ] them away. The faints were innocent, for here's nothing laid to their charge. *Tbcn immediately the brethren fent away Paul to go as it 'were by fea^ but Silas and Timotheus abode there ftill. Paul was the principal perfon whom uproar followed. 'Paul was conduced to Athens, there he (an un- known man j begun to talk of an unknown God, and while he fpoke philofophically thev gave atten- tion, but when he dropt the phiiofopher, the phi- lofophers dropt him, as foon as he begun to tell them what unknown God he meant, the man God Chrift Jefus, they called him a fetter forth of ftrange gods ; they burlefqued his dodrine and called him a babler, as if he prated more than reafoned ; * tis no wonder if he a defpifer of wifdom, attempting to philofophize, could not hold it, that not being his talent, he could not reconcile their philofophy (of which he had fome fmattering) with the un- known God he held forth to them •, they were too inquifitive, a difpofition always dellrudtive to faith : fo he left them, to feek a people more prone to believe, and of lefs curious enquiry -, for there he made no great hand of it, that was no place for him to ftay in. XXXVI. Of Paul's working at his trade, his bu- milfiy and di/intcrefleduefs. From * Aihen., our travelling apoftle goes to Corinthy where tailing in with br-ithren of the fame trade, he fo far n-ortified himfelf ?s'to work with them, of wh.ich humility he boafts not a little in an epiftle to thofe people -, wherein ha rells them, that t tbofe who preach the gofpel ought to liv:' of the gofpe] ; but, fays he, I have ufed none of thcfc things, neither have I written thefe things, that it fjould be • Adls xvui. f I Cor. ix. 14, 15. [ ^^ ] he fi done unto me ; for it were better for me to die^ than that any man Jljculd make my glorying void. IF he could not live without glorying or boailing, where was the wonderful humility of his working, when he did it on purpofe to boaft of. At another time he fays, * IV hat is it wherein ye were inferior toother churches^ except it be^ that 1 my f elf was not burdenfome to you ? forgive me this wrong. Taunting humility ! Behold the third time I am ready to come to yoUy and I will not be burdenfome to you •, for Ifeek ftot yours but you. He knew if the latter be found, the former follows. Tho' he boafted of working, which by the way is a fign he work'd but feldom, yet he did not live altogether by his work. He jnfultsthem on this head, -f Have I committed an cffence in debafing mjfelf that you might be exalted ; hecaufe I have preached to you the gofpelof God freely ? J robbed other churches taking wages of them to do you fervice -, and when I was prcjent with you and wanted-, I was chargeable to no man ; for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Ma- cedonia fupplied •, and in all things I have kept my fe if from being burdenfo'ne to you^ and [o will I keep my f elf. As the truth of Chrifl is in me^ no man fhall fiop me of this boafiing in the regions ^ Achaia. This fhews how much it was his humility that made him work, and not his proud ftomach to boaft of it af- terwards •, and that there was no policy in it, but all was fimple honefty, as he feems willing to have it underftood. || I did not burden you, but being crafty^ I caught you with guile : meaning ironically with hone'ft labour and inoffenfive fimplicity. Not- withftanding all his boafted labour, his work did not maintain him, for upbraiding them with neg- le(5t • zCor.xii. 13. t ^o- ^'- 7> ^> 9- ,. U ^^' ver. 16 [8, ] led he fays, * 1 am glad of the coming (j/Sreplianiis £}nd Fortunatus, and Achaicus, for that zvhich was lacking on your fart i they have fupplied. If he had no piy at Corinth^ no priell can plead aright to it better than he does j and 'tis Hkely he wrought at his trade that he might do it the more freely, that they might make him the larger piirfe next time. He is an admirable ajid an artful beggar^ as may be (q^xx in the viii. and ix. chapters of his fecond epiftle to the Corinthians j to which I refer you, Theophiltis, at your leifnre, and to Philippians iv. lo. to the end. To the Ro- mans he writes, -f // hath pleafed them of Mace- donia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor faints that are at Jerufalem ; and that it was their duty fo to do. // halh pkajed them verily^ and their debtors they are^ for if the Gentiles have heen made partakers of their fpiri!un! things^ their duty IS alfo to minifter to them in carnal things. He recommends to the Corinthians \\ alfo the example of the Macedonians ; others he direifls, % Let him that is taught in the word communicate to hifn that teaches in all good things. ** If we have fcuun :into youfpiritUiil thi?igs^ is it a great matter tf we fjall reap your carnal things ? as they that mi7iijter amut holy things live t hereby yfo they that preach the gofpeh fhouhl live ofthegofpel. Such like do6lrines nnd pre- cepts he delivers, whereby 'tis evident, that if he was not paid for his fpiritual wares, he reckoned them in his debt-, and that he did not take up preaching to labour at his trade, butexpeded to live by preaching, and found it no doubt a more profitable occupatioa than tent-making,- and more fit for his arrogant M and * 1 Cor. xvi 17. f Rom. xv. 26, 27. I! 2 Co:. viii. 9. + Gal. vi. 6. *• iC^r.LV, ii, 13. 14. [ 82 ] and rambling dlfpofition. And it feems to me he had fome crumbs of comfort from them before he fent his fuond epijiky what elfe mean -thcfe words ? * Tou affo helping together by prayer for ust that the gift bejiowed upon us b^j the means of many perfons^ thanks may be given by many on our behalf. He laboured alfo at ^heffalonica^ where he ftald but three weeks, to teach them what they ought to do for him. f I'our felves know how you ought to follow us, for we behaved not diforderly among you, neither did we eat any man's bread for nought^ but wrought with labour and travel night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you. Not be- caufe we have not power ^ but to make ourfelves an example unto you to follow us, &c. But if he did work among them, he fcems not to have fent Timotheus of a fool's errand ; for it does not feem that he came back empty handed. || H^hen I could no longer forbear [Paul tells them) I fent to know your faith^ left by fome means the tempter have tempted you^ and our labour be in vain. But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, &c. we were comforted^ &c. and he had fupplies fent him while he was there from Philippi, for he tells them that in Thcflalo- nica you fent once and again to my neceffity. So that if he found occafion to boaft, he could find little occafion to grumble ; for though the workman is worthy of his hire, if he labours honeftly and does his work well, yet it feems in this cafe thai thofe who never hired him, paid him wages j or his cafe had been a poor cafe. XXXVII. • 2 Cor. i. I r. I 2 Thcf. Hi. 7, 8, 9, 10. it I Thef.iii, 5, 6, 7. I S3] XXXVII. Of the miracles Paul wrought at Corinth- As to miracles St. Paul tells the * Corinthians concerning himfelf, truly theftgns of an apofile were wrought among you in all patience, in Jigns and wonders^ and mighty deeds ; but thefe were per- formed in them, not without them, for he threatens, + ^ / come again I will not fpare^fmce ye feek a proof of Chrift fpeaking in me, which to you-ward ts not weak, but is mighty in you. If the miracles done by him were outward, vifible, or known ; why did fome of them feek a proof of his miflion ? what other proof would or could they have ? and why does he write thus, but to chide them out of coun- tenance in doing it? If they fought a proof, what figns and wonders had he done ? Was not this re- primand to make them aiharaed of demanding fuch proofs as could not be given ? Surely it was a proof of his power to do wonders, if many of them be- lieved without any proof! towards fuch, his power was not weak, but mighty in them; and that to them was proof enough. We read not of any miracle he did at Corinth, by his hiftorian, Acts xviii. tho* he flaid there a year and fix months, and longer, only that he had an encouraging vi/ion m the night. If there had been any greater miraclij done worth notice, I fiippofe it would have been taken notice of, but when the hiftorian works no miracles, the epiftolary writer does ; what is wanting in deeds, is made up in words. Perhaps had he wrought any miracles there, he had not ftaid fo long, for miracles never anfwered their end, nor were ever attended with reafonabie fuccefs. If ever God wrought any miracles to mend mankind, he hasts much reafon to repent his mending works, as ever he did his creating works' 1| in making man. M 2 XXXVIII. • 2 Cor. xii. 12. f lb. xiii. 2, 5. ]| Geii.vi. 6. [84] XXXV TIT. Of the Holy Ghofi. Let me, Tbeophilus, juft ftep aftde to pay my fC- fpeds to the Holy Gholl, and I (hall come to miracles again by and by. AtEphefus, Paul found certain difci- ples that had not yet found the Holy Ghoft, they -were fo wholly unacquainted with him, that they had not heard whether fuch a Being had exiftence, they con-efled thry knew not ivhether there was any Holy Ghofi ; bat Paul had him in his hands, therefore, ■when he laid his hands on thefe ghoftlefs believers, they were cledrified by the holy fire, or the Holy Ghoft dropt into their heads, and fat upon their tongues, fo that ihey fpake with to'igues and prothe- fied ; that is, they fpake the myfteries of the fpirit, for the tongue of the Holy Ghoft is prophecy. They had, befides their own tongue or dialecft, which was common, and intelligible, this, which was uncommon to thofe that fpoke, and unintelli- gible to thofe that heard j fo they fpake with to7igues and prophefied. The Holy Ghoft was according to the new ma- manifeftation of it, a lodily being {a) which could appear in one or many difl:indt bodies, at one and the fame tim^. At Pentecoji it came like the rujh- ing of a mighty wind^ and appeared on the head of each (peaker like a f.ery eleven tongue. I wonder thefe ignonuit believers had never heard of it j it is a (a) It is the Spirit cf a body no dcubt, according to tlie Jicman cJtrgy ; lor they tell Uf, that ivkoenjer are fent by the ihurcl, are fer.t by the Hol^ Chif-. Annot. op the New Tefta- mcntot Iihi:mes,f. ii6. So that the Holy Gholl: is nothing but the Spirit ot \\6\y mother church ; and therefore, p 158, 1 ke fpiritual man is he that judgeth and difcerneth by the Ipi- rit of ths churt-h, the truth of fuch things as the carnal maa cannot attain i:rito : and the carnal, or fenfual man, \h he that jiieafureth heavenly myfteries by natural reafon, human pru- ctr.ce, and external feufe. [ 85 ] fign that this wind made no great ruJIAng without doors, a.id though it blows where it hfts, it did not hft to blow ill every ones ears ; believers who were the next door neighbours to them that had the fpirir, knew nothing of it ; It defcended in a bodily (hape like a dove on the head of Jefus when he was baptiz'd, which none but John the baptiftfaw, though many people came tohisbaptifm. There is not a word of the Holy Ghoft in all the Old Teftament: there is mention made of the Holy Spirit,asanature,orquali{:y,butnotoftheHolyGhoft', as abodily thing. The firft account we have of it was when the angel Gabriel came a courting of Mary by proxy for the Holy Ghoft, he tells her * the holy Ghofi Iffjould come upon her and over -Piadow her\ therifcrs the holy thing that Jhould be horn of her jhould be called the Son of God, and therefore that which was faid to be ccnceived in her luas of the Holy Ghofi. And fince the Holy Ghoft made fo free with man's nature, J think we may make a little free with his; for if a king fo far demeans himfelf to go a begging, fure a beggar may then converfe freely with a king : cxcufe therefore, Theophilus my freedom with this human Holy Ghoft. It was a new thing never made common 'till Jefus was glorified, and fent by him on the apoftles as his deputy ; and though more dreadful judgments are denounced againft; thofe that fpeak lightly of it, than thofe that bkif- pheme God himfelf, yet I find no where in fcrip- ture that this Holy Ghoft is a God ; if any, it is an inferior deity, a kind of divine Mercury, I fup- pofe fubftituted by chriftians inftead of the heathen one ; for when they threw the Pagan gods out of heaven and made devils of them all, they filled up the vacant feats in heaven with gods of their own mailing : • Luke i. 13. [26] making : And this, for aught I know, itlay be the true meaning of Lucifer^ Satan, or the Dragon and his angels warring in heaven, and being in heavenly battle vanquished, and thrown over the battlements into the bottomlefs pit. If fo, what Chrifl fays, 1 faw Satan fall like lightening frcm-hea- renmu^ mean that he faw it in the fpirit of pro- phecy ; and it mud be in this fenfe only that the gofpel has conquered Satan and routed the devil and his angels ; and their falling from heaven then, means from the places of worfhip, and the vene- ration paid them by men ; and being caft; into hell, is into contempt and obfcurity. But as for the other fort of devil, Jjn, orthodox chriftianity has ufed it with great compaffion, as a tender mother, not overlaid and ftifled it, like a negligent and care- lefs nurfe. Thefe two fifters fm and folly never had a better friend in the world than faith ; and therefore their children are the chofen ; for Chrifi came into the wcrld to fave finners^ of whom, fays our bouncing apoftle, T am chief And he fays, God hath chofen the fcolijh things of this world, &rc. of ■whom believers are the chief; \or b-j the foolifhnefs cf preaching, 'tis faid, he faves them that believe. You may think, 'Theophilus, I have loft fight of the HolyGhoft, becaufe I am entertaining myfelf with Faith, but I cannot look upon the child with- 6ut having the parent in my eye. This bodily Holy Ghoil is faid to dwell in Jefus more eminently than in any other perfon, and therefore it is called the fpirit of Chrift, and is faid to dwell alfo in ,thofe that are Chcift's, and fo Chrift is faid to dwell Sn them ; which feems to be the unravelling the fpiritual myftery of chriftianity. But this dwelling is only by faith, r.nd is only known by faith ; there- fore thofe that have not tliis faith, know not whe- ther I [ 8/ ] ther there is any Holy Ghoft, and take it to be only chimera. For my own part Idori*t knowif there be any Holf Ghoft, or what is meant by it, and imagine now I never had it, though once I thought I had been plunged in it, and not merely fprinkled ; if ever I was baptized with this holy water, it has been long ago all dried up; but if ever I drank of it, I have it ftill, be- caufe I never thirft for it \ for it is faid he thai drinketh of this water /hall never thirft \ but thofc that fancy they every how and then drink of it, are always as thirfty as if they drank of the fak fea : therefore 'tis a riddle to me what this foun- tain of living water is j for they that have faiti cannot want it, and they that have no faith never defire any. You fee believers did not know theii- want of the Holy Ghoft 'till it was put into their heads. Since the Holy Ghoft is by free gift, and can- not be bought or fold ; for when Simon Magus would have bought fome of it, Peter faid to him, thy money ferijh with thee, becaufe thou thinkejl the gift of God can be bought with money. And yet fpiritual merchandize has been in the church ! Now, 'TheophiluSy mcthinks I fee the reafon wh-j^ and the time when the Ploly Ghoft and the power of working miracles forfook the church j it was as foon as the church was guilty of fpiritual traffic and fimony^ and that's almoft as foon as it was a church » St. Paul thought it reafonabie to take carnal things for fpiritual ; bartering goods for goods is to th« fame cffeft as felling for ready money. I own that where there is not payment in money, barter feems fair ; unlefs it be fairer to fell faith upon credit, and fo barter faith for faith, v/hich hasa juil femblance of value for value. But there is another way the Holv [88] Holy Ghoft may be left, and that is when a ntaa or church is fo profane as to barter h away for rea- fon and common fenfe. Then, O ! then, go faith and the Holy Ghoft together! This is felling ones birth-right for a mefs of carnal pottage ! Thefe are fpiritual Edomita ! But the refigning all human qualifications at the footftool of faith and the Holy Ghoft, to defire to hww nothing but Chrifl^ and him cntcifieriy with this humble apoftle, is to be a fpi- ritual Ifraelite ; but I am of a more afpiring mind, defiring to know Chrift, and him glorified ; for if he is only to be known crucified, not rifen again, and afcendcd into glory, your faith is vaiitt Theo- philus, and you are yet in your fins. XXXIX. Of Paul'j miraculous handkerchiefs and aprons. *\Ve are told that at Ephefus^ fpecial miracles were wrought by the hands (?/Paul ; which is not to be wondered at, as he had got the Holy Ghoft in his hands •, and that/rever it is no doubt as true as the reft of the ftory. They are called exorcifts \ if fo, they were very young unfkilful praditioners in the art ; and therefore I fuppofe them to be boys at play, being all brothers ; and that they were going to aft a comedy in order to bur- kfqueSt. Paul, which turned out an unexpedted fort of a tragedy to them, but a chriftian farce. The boys perhaps found a boor to begin to pra<51ice on, that had odd fit?, whom they expedcd fomc g'dirie with. I find the man would not be made their laughing ftock, he handled them roughly, and tore all the cloaths off their backs ; but I fuppofe they did not all fi-ay to be ftript ; I warrant you there "was a little {kirmifh for fome time ; kv&n to one is odds, and kvcii is a hcly number too; I wifh we had more particulars pf it. Thus it turns out, fup- pofing the devil had no hand in it ; but now put the cs/e headed a parr, let*s fee how it will coYne forth fhen r The ignorant poor rogues did not call over the evil fpirits perhaps by their proper names, iior had Jed thtm into the fecrct cf their deftgn, and fae- * A£ls xix. 13, 14, 15, il». [91] befidss the evil fpirlts knew by their manner o/ad- drcfs, thefe were not the right folk that bt!o/)ged to Pdul d,ui\Jffiis: We adjure y on ^^z.-^ they, byjefus whom Paul preacheth, the devil knew by that, they were no preachers of J.?,/«;, and confequently might be impoftors jand (o rouzing up his brimilone courage, he prov'd them to be. He anfwers, J ejus I knozv, and Paul I know. Mow came this evil fpirit fo well ac- quainted with thofe good perfons? IVhat communicn has light with darknefs ; or he that believes with an infidel '^ or the faints v/ith Satan ? But who are ye ? It is ftrange too the devil knew not his own folk, and fhould tare his own people in pieces ! This is Satan divided againft Satan, the devil grown mad ! the old man pulling down his own houfe on his own head ! if the evil fpirit had not got into afturdy raw-bon'd fellow, he could never hjve p!ay*dhis part fo well. Thefe ignorant bunglers had not led the evil fpirit into the fecret of their defign, tlierefore 4:he devil had a mind to fpoil the fport of thofe that were not rightly initiated. 'Twas enough to frartlc the devil to come upon him all at once, without any fuitable warning, We adjure you by yefus whom Paul preachdh. Nam.-s enough to frighten the devil I and but that he fmelt a rat, or rather the rat devil fmeit a trapj and therefore for the preservation of his own liberty, he had a nund toxontefl the point and put his power to the proof. The devil was difpofed to have a trial of ikill for it, or as it were a trial at: law, and the devil defendant won the caufe, nonfuited the pliintiff's party, made them pay cofts, and kept pofT-ffion of the pre- mifes. Thefe young attorneys in the fpiritual court attempted to plead the plaint. ft's caufe without fee, but Satan knew fuch pran to be glorious in it- feif, worthy of God, entirely true, perfcdly plain and eafy to be underftood, intriuiically pure, juft, confii.ent and harmonious, that the doArines and precepts it contains, all naturally teijd to make men wifer, bet:er, happier ; itfee.ns to want the proofs of a divine original : and if it has not done fo, it feems to have been given in vain ; and fo not th« revelation of perfedl wifdom. And if proper proofs are wanting of its being fo, all that enquire and judge for themfelves, and that are capable of judg- ing of the leafon and fitnefs of things, will conclude it to be no extraordinary light; and that nothing more i^ neceflary to diredl the faith and pradlice of men than adhering in judgment to reafon cnly^ freed from all enthufiafm and impofture, and in pradice to virtue alone^ freed from al| fuper ftition. In- In all countries and among all religions, there will be always fome enquirers, free-thinkers, phi- lofophers and deifts, but credulity and enthufiafm are fuch ftrong ingredients in the compofition of human nature, that they will never be atl fuch. Ra- tional principles fuit reafonable men only. The majority of every nation will always be of that church which is propagated by education, and efta- bliflied by law and cuftom : therefore the craftsmen need be in no fear of their great Diana. Any re- ligion, in any country that teaches good morals, if pradifed with a good heart, will make a good man ; which neither cnthufiaftic faith, nor fuperftitious worfhip among them all will do ; and there is little faith or worfhip in the world, to which en- thufiafm and fuperftition are not joined : therefore thofe chriftians of the moft moral and rational par- ties among us, are as fit, by their rationality, (not by their revelation,) to dircft men in their duty and behaviour as any other that I know of in the world, with this difference, that while we enjoy the greateft freedom in the world, our conftitution is in thaC refpeft the beft in the world. And all reafonable men agree that Virtue is of the utmoft benefit to mankind, and that the right underftanding of it is the path to peace, freedom, and happinefs. THE [ «02 ] THE PREFACE, By Way or POSTSCRIPT. READER, THIS epiftle to thee follows in natural or- der, being almoft always written iaft, tho* (landing firft ; I write as thou readeft, for my own fatisfaftion, to find out what is faultlefs, or to find fault ; to inform, and to be informed ; for the rocks that others have fpliton, are theland- jpnarks wc ought to beware of. To know if a man be truly wife, we fhould enquire what follies he has been guilty of 5 or if honeft, what knavery ; or if holy, examine his condudt *, this is more or lefs needful, as it is of more or lefs confequence. The more any thing is expofcd, it will be examined the more. This is theprefent cafe refpe<5ling St. Paul ; the honourable author of The obfervations on bis tonverfton and apoftlefiiip^ has elevated his charader, and made the fuperftrudure of chriftianity depend up^ it, -and has indeed acquired by it as much glory [ 103 ] glory as the nature of the fubjetSb permits, nor do I envy his fame. But unlefs things as they are re- prefented, are to be implicitly received, it can be no error to examine into errors for the truth's fake ; and fince the weapons of our warfare are not carnal hut fpiritual^ let who will attack me with my own weapons, I beg no quarter ; for begging quarter is craving indulgence in error, which let the ftrongeft reafons detc«5l and dcftroy. The ftrength that is not tried is not known. Let men rouze themfelves, and not imagine that fecurity lies in in- dolence. I thought myfelf well -acquainted with the apoftle Paul before this examination, but muft own, I was not half fo well as fince •, for in examining the hiftory of him, more light fprung up than I expedled. The fruits of my labour. Reader^ are prefented to thy view, with fcripture uncorrupted by explanation in the front, that at one view the whole account of St. Paul*s converfion may be ktn, to fave thy trouble in often feeking the text in different places. I have only tranfpofed one vcrfe, as you will fee was neceflary to do, and that it has not altered the fenfc. Ifchriftianity isnot efleatially enthufiafm, where- in does the eflence of chrilVianity confift ? Or wherein is the diftin<5lion between that, and the reli- gion of nature? If chriftianity be only natural religion, why does it not naturally appear to be fo ; and why do chriftians contend with thofe that would have it fo ? But if chriftianity has not its foundation in na- ture, is it not enthuiiafm ? For what is enthufiafm but the belief and praiflice of fuch things as are fu- pernatural ? and what are things fupernatural but fuch as are not in nature, or do not fpring from nature, nor are taught by reafon ; If chriftianity be purely natural and rational, what need had man to be [ ^h] be taught it by fupernatural means; for nature is un- changeable, and at all times manifeft to thofe that have induftry enough to feek what (he infornis, courage fufficient to call in queftion popular errors» and natural abilities to diftinguifh the true light of nature from ungrounded hypothefes, gilded de- ceit and falfe pretenfions. Thefe things were never paft feeing by fome in every age and place, tho' leldom fafe to difcover. To free men therefore from the danger of fpeaking truth, is to be a greater redeemer than divulging truth to men. If chri- ftianity teaches to believe and act things contrary to nature, is it not enthufiafm ? The bafis of the chriftian religion confifts in believing Chrift rofe from the dead ; (for ifChriJi is not rifen^ your faith is vain.) Is not to believe him riien from the dead, to believe an adlion that is contrary to nature? Is not the Trinity a dodrine contrary to reafon and nature ? And to believe that any man who was ever born, y/zsthe only begotten fon of God, by his fpirit's overfhadowing a woman ; that God can be man, or man God, that all power is committed to J e fits Chrift, in heaven and tn earth •, (for *tis contrary to reafon and nature, to believe that the Father hath divefted himfelf of all power, and given it to the Son ; or that the Father and the Son are one.) What is it lefs to believe that the facrifice of Chrift fhould atone for the fins of men ^ that *tis impofiible for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven, there- fore to get there they muft part with all they have; that it is advifeable men fhould make themfelvcs eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's fake ; that "we {hould hate our neareft and deareft relations and friends and our own lives for Chrift*s fake and the gofpel*s ; that we fhould love our enemies ; that we fhould depend on God, and take no thought for [ '05 ] for the morrow ; and fuch like, which feem to me to be the diftinguiihing efTentLiis of chriftianity, and infeparable from enthufiafm, becaufe the be- lief and pra6lice of fuch things are contrary to rea- fon and nature. If thefe are not the laws of chri- ftianity, nor enthufiafm, I wilh they were better diftingulfhed. The reflexions I have caft on faith, is to be un* dcrftood of traditionary^ unexamined, fuperPiitiou?, enthufiaftical and erroneous faith, fubftltuted for righteoufnefs ; not of that faith in God, which is produdrive of good works, of the faith which works by love. All the faith in God that is ne- ceffary, is to have that faith in God which is ne- cefTary for our obedience, and all the obedience re- quired of us, is to love God and our neighbour; for in this is comprehended the whole law of God ; and to love God is to love thofe properties or at- tributes we believe to be in God, or to love the laws of God, that is, fuch laws as tend to the good of man, which are fit for man to believe and pra(5lice,^v2;.the belief of things naturally reafonable, and the requirings of a reafonable nature. This is true faith and obedience : for we know nothing of God, but by faith, the knowledge of God being a philofophical and fpeculative confideration j there- fore every man is to believe for himfelf, according to the light and judgment God has given him: for an adequate notion of God is infcrutable to all mortals. In things concerning only God and man, man is accountable only to God. tVbat haft thou t$ do to judge of another'' sfervant ? to his own majler he ftandeth or falleth. And as for things concerning man and man, this rule is given us, Whatfoever ye would that men fhould do to you^ do ye evenfo to thifftf for this is the law and the prophets^ Mat. ii. 1 2. P That [ io6 ] That is, this is all that God by revelation require? : this is the fura and fubftance of all religion. This comprehends all the Law of God by his prophets ; this anfvver.^ all their ends and aims, but they that iiave other ends have intcrmixt other thirgs with it, and made it miraculous and myfterious, that they might amufe and deceive. By what has been faid it appears, that true re- ligion is not built upon fables, nor upon Pad or Peier, nor on what this or that man fays or pre- tends ; but on the nature and ne.cefllty of things, on obedience to God, according to men*s faith in him as their reafon diredls them ; and in obedience to man, as the law of man, and in man, diredls to man's reafonable obedience, in things not ap- pertaining to God ; thus every man will ferve God in fincerity, and man with honefly, and religion will not be a cloak for knavery and inhumanity. 'Tis not what Pe:er or what Paid fays, or what is faid of them, that affe(5ls the foundation of true religion ; but *tis what the nature of things require or forbid, that are juftly commanded or prohibited. "Whatever may be proved true concerning St. Paul^ does not at all concern the truth of religion, whe- ther he was a wife man or an enthufiaft, an honefi: man or an impoftor ; but the religion of him that flands on St. Paul muft fall with him. Divinity, Jaw, and phyfic, arc only rightly founded on the nature, regfon and circumftances of things, all be- ^des is enthufiafm, tyranny and impofture. If I have uttered the plain truth, pardon me ; if not, make mc to know my error, and I am, reader, l^'our mojlhumhle Servant, M. P. The CONTENTS. S&6t. I. r I ^ O Theophilus, of friendfhip, and of J_ examination. page i II. On the introduAory part of the obfervations on St. Paul. 2 III. The A^s and P^ul*s Epijiles anciently rcje<5led.;^-. . IV. Of the credibility of the heretics and orthodox.-^ V. The teftimony of ancient Chriflians concerning St. Paul and the Scriptures. 5 VI. Of the fathers of the Church. ^ 7 VII. Of the authenticity of the Chrlftian tradition, 2lX\6. oi Robinfon Crufoe. 10 VIII. The intrinfic nature of Chriftian writings beft (hew their original. 13 IX. The obfervators plan and argument (hewn. 16 X. Some flighty con(iderations, and of St. Paul's flight into Heaven. iS XI. Of the blefTed zeal of St. Pnu?s curfing fplrit.22 XII. The charadler of St. Paul by his writings. 27 XUI. Whether falling from grace, or predeftination, was St. Paulas dodrine. 30 XIV. Of SauVs difintereftednefs, and fecret call to Chriftianity. 35 XV. Of the morality of St. Paul, and other be- lieving Saints. 3.8 XVI. Of Sau?5 love to the priefthood, and difa- greement with priefts. 40 XVII. Of St. Paul*s love of power and authority.4t XVIII. Of St. Paulas condudl in propagating the gofpel. 45 XIX. Of dreams, vilrons, and infpirations. 48 XX. Of the Voice that fpoke to Saul, which was heard, and not heard. 52 XXI. How the men that journied with Saul (tood ftill, and fell down. 53 XXII. How the light (hone round about Saul only, and the men alfo. 54 XXIII. The CONTENTS. XXIII. How the words which the vifion fpake, are reported different at different times. c^^ XXIV. That neither Saul nor his Company were on horfeback. r^6 XXV. Of Said'^s praclifing fevere penance. ib. XXVI. Of the blundering miracles or miraculous blunders perform'd at Saul^s, converfion. 58 XXVII. Of P^^/'s being guilty of perjury. 61 XX VIII. Of faints who were by praftice finners, and Paul one of them. 63 XXIX. Of Paul's working a miracle at Lyftra, and the Lyjlrans treatment of him. 6j XXX. Of Paulas conteft with ElimaSy and making him blind. 70 XXXI. OfPaul*s expulfion at Antioch and Iconium, and his falling out with Barnabas. 71 XXXII. Of Paul's circumcifing Timothy. 74 XXXIII. Of P^z//»s fpirit, vifion, and devil. y^ XXXIV. Of Paul's delivering the fortune-telling maid of the devil. 76 XXXV. Of Paul's expulfion from Thejalonka and Berea, and quitting Athens. 78 XXXVI. Of Paul's working at his trade, his hu- mility, and difintereflednefs. 79 XXXVIJ. Of the miracles Paul wrought at Corinth. XXXVIII. Of the Holy Ghoft. 84 XXXIX. Of P^«/'s miraculous handkerchiefs and aprons. 88 XL. Of certain quack conjurers and the devil. 89 XL I. Of miracles afcrib'd to Paul which were none, and of his peregrination to Rome, 93 XLII. Recapitulatory confiderations. ^5 XLIII. Of Reafon and Revelation, 99 The PRjyACE by way of Postcript. 102