Immagini della pagina
PDF
ePub

can it give any credit to it; but it will stand just in the same state of doubt and fufpicion that it did before. So that here is no proving of the Testimonials, and the Relation each by the other in a Circle. But yet if the relation, for which this evidence is alledged, be either manifeftly contradictory to itself, or to some plain and evident principle of truth, then it is beyond the poffibility of being proved by any evidence whatever, and fhews, that the teftimony brought to favour it, was either falfe or mistaken. This inftance is easily applied to the matter before us, and fhews, that the truth of the doctrine or revelation is not brought to prove the truth of the miracles, because the fame doctrine would be true in itself, though no miracles were wrought to confirm it to us: But Divine miracles were wrought to affure us, that this true doctrine was from God. And yet on the other hand, a doctrine evidently falfe cannot be proved true by any miracles, but destroys the Credit and Divinity of fuch miracles as are pretended to confirm it: Since nothing can prove a thing to be what it is not.

The whole is no more than this: If the miracles are Divine, the doctrine to which

they

they give testimony is Divine alfo: and therefore prove the Antecedent, and the Confequence will follow. But on the contrary, if the do&trine is fuppofed falfe, the miracles, that offer to prove it, cannot be true. And therefore to prevent this confequence, shew, that there is nothing to be objected to the truth of the doctrine. And this is no more arguing in a circle, than what is contained in every hypothetical Syllogifm.

1

And thus from the nature of human Teftimony and the evidence it gives to fuch Relations as are fupported by it, we may see the connection between Divine Teftimony, or Miracles, and Divine Revelation; only there is this advantagious difference on the fide of Divine Testimony, that it is a more certain proof of what it is intended for, than any Human Testimony can be, because it is infallible, and proves the truth of what it is rightly applied to, beyond all poffibility of doubting. And if we are led into any mistakes by it, the ground of them must be either in our misunderstanding of the doctrine, or mifapplying the evidence to fomething else than that for which it was firft intended: For if a doctrine be contradictory to the Divine nature, as no miracles can prove it true, so we may

depend

depend upon it, that no Divine miracles were ever wrought with an intent to prove it. Our natural notions of the truth of God will not allow us to have such an unworthy thought of him. And herein confifts that affurance which Divine Miracles give us, that the perfon imploy'd in working them has a Divine commiffion, or is entrusted with a declaration of the will of God. I now proceed in the next place to fhew,

V. What evidence we now have from the Miracles anciently wrought, that the Christian Doctrine, contained in Scripture, is truly a Divine Revelation, and to be always embraced as fuch. The former confideration went no farther, than to fhew in general, the fufficient force of Divine Miracles, to convince a reasonable man of the truth of that doctrine or Revelation, for which they are given in evidence; and therefore immediately, and in the first instance, can refpect only those who lived at the time when fuch Revelation was made, and fuch evidence given in confirmation of it, and both applied to their own fenses, so that they had the utmost opportunity poffible of enquiring into, and comparing every circumstance. But as for us, who live at this

distance

distance of time, and never had the happiness to hear those that had the original commiffion to declare this doctrine, nor to fee their credentials, the cafe is different. And therefore, fuppofing all the foregoing argument granted, yet fome will fay, what is that to us? or, how are we affected by it? Now to this I answer, in short, that we are just so far affected by it, as we can have any certainty of these two things:

1. That fuch miracles were really wrought And

2. That the doctrine contained in Scripture is the fame doctrine which was then revealed, and for which they were wrought.

And for both thefe we have as good evidence as the nature of the things is capable of, which is as much as any reasonable man can defire. Befides an inward and fupernatural Revelation from God to a man's own mind, of which none can be conscious, but the perfon himself to whom it is immediately made, there are but two poffible ways, whereby we can be affured of any matter of fact, as the thing now in queftion is. The first is the evidence of our own Senfes, and the second is a fufficient teftimony of credible witneffes. The first of these kinds of affurance no man

[blocks in formation]

can have for the thousandth part of thofe things which yet he moft firmly believes and acts upon, without any fcruple, in all the affairs of life; and it would be both unreafonable and endless to defire it. Thofe who lived in the time of our Saviour and his Apoftles, could not all of them have this kind of evidence, though great numbers had it. Much the greater part of the men of that generation must neceffarily depend upon the testimony of others, which is the fecond way of affurance. But now this being of divers kinds, and admitting of different degrees of credibility, according to the capacity, integrity, means of information, and the like different advantages, which those have who give teftimony; and their manner of delivering it being alfo of two kinds, by word of mouth, or in writing, we ought to confider, whether we have not, in all these respects, the very beft kind of teftimony that we can defire. Living evidence, of thofe who were eye and ear witneffes, can belong to none, but those who lived in the fame age when the things are fupposed to be done, or very near it. And therefore after ages cannot have this way. But then they may have what is equivalent to it; that is, they may have all the particulars con

« IndietroContinua »