in such an order of priesthood, &c.? Therefore, this book must be an arrant forgery; for it wants all those marks it gives of itself, as to its own continuance, and of those institutions it relates. No instance can be shown, since the world began, of any book so circumstantiated, that was a forgery, and passed as truth upon any people. I think it impossible; and therefore, that the four marks are still an invincible proof of the truth of that book, and those facts wherein all these marks do meet.

But, since I am come upon this subject again, I will endeavour to improve it, and give four other marks, some of which no fact, however true, ever had or can have, but the fact of Christ alone. Thus, while I support the fact of Moses, I set that of Christ above him, as the Lord is above the servant. And the Jews being herein principally concerned, I will consider their case likewise, as we go along; therefore I add this fifth mark as peculiar to our Bible, and to distinguish it from all other histories which relate facts formerly done.

V. That the book which relates the facts contains likewise the law of that people to whom it belongs, and be their statute-book by which their causes are determined. This will make it impossible for any to coin or forge such a book, so as to make it pass upon any people. For example; if I should forge a statute-book, for England, and publish it next term, could I make all the judges, lawyers, and people, believe that this was their true and only statute-book, by which their causes had been determined these many hundred years past? They must forget their old statute-book, and believe that this new book,

which they never saw or heard of before, was that same old book which has been pleaded in Westminster Hall for so many ages, which has been so often printed, and the originals of which are now kept in the Tower, to be consulted as there is occasion. D. I grant that to be impossible. But how do you apply it?

C. It is evident as to the books of Moses, which are not only a history of the Jews, but their very statute-book, wherein their municipal law, as well civil as ecclesiastical, was contained.

D. This is so, indeed, as to the books of Moses, to which they always appealed: "To the law and to the testimony." And they had no other statutebook. But this will not agree to your Gospel, which is no municipal law, nor any civil law at all, and no civil causes were tried by it.

C. The law was given to the Jews, as a distinct and separate people from all other nations upon the earth; and therefore was a municipal law, particularly for that nation only of the Jews. But Christianity was to extend to all the nations of the earth, and Christians were to be gathered out of all nations ; and therefore the Gospel could not be a municipal law, as to civil rights, to all nations, who had each their own municipal laws. This could not be without destroying all the municipal laws in the world, of every nation whatsoever; and then none could be a Christian, without, at the same time, becoming a rebel to the government where he lived. This would have been for Christ to have immediately set up for universal and temporal King of all the world, as the Jews expected of their Messiah, and therefore would

have made Christ a King.

But he instructed them

in the spiritual nature of his kingdom, that it was not "of this world," nor did respect their temporal or civil matters; which, therefore, he left in the same state he found them, and commanded their obedience to their civil governors, though heathen, not only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake. And as to the law of Moses, he left the Jews still under it as to their civil concerns, so far as the Romans, under whose subjection they then were, would permit them. As Pilate said to them, "Ye have a law; and judge ye him according to your law."

But the Gospel was given as the spiritual and ecclesiastical law to the church, whithersoever dispersed through all nations; for that did not interfere with their temporal laws, as to civil government. And in this the fifth mark is made stronger to the Gospel than even to the law; for it is easier to suppose that any forgery might creep into the municipal law of a particular nation, than that all the nations whither Christianity is spread should conspire in the corruption of the Gospel, which, to all Christians, is of infinitely greater concern than their temporal laws. And, without such a concert of all Christian nations and people supposed, no such forgery could pass undiscovered in the Gospel, which is spread as far as Christianity, and read daily in their public offices.

D. But I say it is discovered, as appears by the multitude of your various lections.

C. That cannot be called a forgery; it is nothing but such mistakes as may very easily happen, and are almost unavoidable, in so many copies as have been made of the Gospel, before printing was known.

And, considering the many translations of it into several languages, where the idioms are different, and phrases may be mistaken, together with the natural slips of amanuenses, it is much more wonderful that there are no more various lections, than that there are so many.

But in this appears the great providence of God, in the care the Christians took of this, that they have marked every the least various lection, even syllabical; and that, among all these, there is not found one which makes any alteration, either in the facts or in the doctrines. So that, instead of an objection, this becomes a strong confirmation of the truth and certainty of the Gospel, which stands thus perfectly clear of so much as any doubt concerning the facts or the doctrines therein related.

But I will now proceed to a stronger evidence than even this, and all that has been said before; which I have made the sixth mark, and that is the topic of prophecy.

VI. The great fact of Christ's coming into the world was prophesied of in the Old Testament from the beginning to the end, as it is said, Luke i. 70. "By all the holy prophets which have been since the world began."

This evidence no other fact ever had; for there was no prophecy of Moses, but Moses himself did prophesy of Christ, Deut. xviii. 15. (applied Acts iii. 22, 23, 24.) and sets down the several promises given of him. The first was to Adam, immediately after the fall, Gen. iii. 15. where he is called "the seed of the woman," but not of the man, because he was to have no man for his father, though he

had a woman to his mother.

And of none other

can this be said, nor that he should" bruise the serpent's head," that is, overcome the devil and all his power.

He was again promised to Abraham, as you may see, Gen. xii. 3. xviii. 18. See this applied, Gal.

iii. 16.

Jacob did expressly prophesy of him, with a mark of the time when he should come, and calls him Shiloh," or "He that was to be sent." Gen.

xlix. 10.

Balaam prophesied of him by the name of the Star of Jacob, and Sceptre of Israel, Numb. xxiv. 17. Daniel calls him the Messiah, the Prince; and tells the time of his coming and of his death, Dan. ix. 25, 26.

It was foretold that he should be born of a virgin, Isa. vii. 14. In the city of Bethlehem, Micah v. 2. Of the seed of Jesse, Isa. xi. 1, 10. His low estate and sufferings are particularly described, Psal. xxii. and Isa. liii. And his resurrection, Psal. xvi. 10. That he should sit upon the throne of David for ever, and be called "Wonderful," the "Mighty God," the " Prince of Peace," Isa. ix. 6, 7. "The Lord our Righteousness," Jer. xxxiii. 16. Jehovah Tsidkenu, (an incommunicable name given to none but the great God alone.) And Immanuel, that is, "God with us," Isa. vii. 14. And David, whose son he was, according to the flesh, called him his lord, Psal. cx. 1.

The cause of his sufferings is said to be for the sins of the people, and not for himself, Isa. liii. 4, 5, 6. Dan. ix. 26.