fimilar method of accounting for the rest of his miracles.

After the Pharifees and rulers of the Jews had obferved how thoroughly exafperated Jefus was against them, how he expofed all their pride anď hypocrify, and how little difpofed he was to fhew them any favour, it is no wonder that they were determined to reject him in any character, thinking the Romans better mafters than fuch a Meffiah as he would be with refpect to them. Thus their fears and their intereft together would lead them to oppofe Jefus at all events, whether he was the Meffiah or not. The more reafonable and confiderate among them might, however, be fatisfied that God could not contradict himself, and that it was more probable that they had mifinterpreted the fcriptures, than that the undeniable miracles of Jefus were not proofs of an authority to which they ought to fubmit.

With the modern Jews it fhould be a fufficient anfwer to this objection, that their ancestors frequently oppofed Mofes and the prophets, even perfecuting and killing fome of them, notwithftanding their allowed character of meffengers from God.

To affift us to form a right judgment in this cafe, let us confider what would be the probable effect of preaching against popery, even with the power of working miracles, in Spain or Portugal,

for

for the space of a year and a few months, which appears to me to have been the period of Christ's. public miniftry. In thefe circumftances, I fhould think, that to expect the immediate reformation of the whole country, ftrongly prejudiced as the people are known to be, would be to expect more than a just knowledge of human nature, and of the history of mankind would warrant. How many

would there be who, not being in the way of the. preacher, and not feeing the miracles themfelves, would give no attention whatever to any reports concerning them; and who, being fatisfied within themselves that the reports could not poffibly be true, would obftinately persist in rejecting all evidence in their favour; and if thefe perfons, as would probably be the cafe, were men of rank, and distinguished for their knowledge, it could not but have great influence upon the common people..

Upon the whole, it will hardly be thought improbable, that after fuch a person had opposed the fuperftition of an ignorant and vicious people, and had laboured to throw down the falfe foundation of their hopes of future happiness, they would endeavour to do by him as the Jews did by Chrift. At moft, his fuccefs could not be fuppofed to be much greater in proportion.

As to the miracles of the apoftles, the fame motives, whatever they were, that led the Jews to oppose those of Chrift, would lead them to oppofe

theirs alfo; and the more, as they were now irritated by oppofition, though the power of truth would make its way by degrees.

It is evident, that many of the most intelligent of the Heathens, especially. Marcus Antoninus, would not give any proper attention to any accounts of miracles, fo many things of this kind having been reported, which, upon examination, appeared to be tricks or illufions; though, had these men been satisfied that the courfe of nature had really been controlled, it cannot be supposed but that they must have been convinced of the interpofition of the divine power and providence. Many of the Greeks and Romans, however, had a great opinion of the power of Magic, and, without confidering the nature and circumftances of the christian miracles, fuppofed them to have been performed by fome fuch means.

If we confider the ftate of the Gentile world, and of christianity in early times, we may very well account for the general rejection of it, without any impeachment of its truth.

The Gentiles in general could not reconcile the idea of the ignominious death of Chrift with the great power which his difciples afcribed to him. The more opulent and politer part of them were alfo difgufted, because the firft profelytes to chriftianity were generally of the lower fort, and many of them flaves, whom they held in extreme con

tempt,

tempt, and with whom they could not bear the thought of affociating. The Greek philofophers were exceedingly fond of their knowledge and eloquence, and difdained to receive inftruction from fuch illiterate perfons as the apoftles and the pri mitive chriftians in general were. They were alfo exceedingly offended at the spirit of christianity, as being at enmity with all other religions; they being of opinion that different modes of worship, and different religions, were even pleafing to the Gods.

The leading men in all the heathen states had a very high idea of the authority of the civil magiftrate, and had always confidered the business of religion as intirely fubject to his controul; and therefore thought that the mere obstinacy of the chriftians, in refusing to fubmit to the laws, was, of itself, deferving of capital punishment. In this manner Trajan reasons in his answer to Pliny. Many of the Gentiles confounded the christians with the fects among the Jews, whom they held in contempt; and, therefore, they would not fo much as give any attention to their preaching or miracles. The common people confidered all thofe who were enemies to their fuperftitions as atheists, and to this term the greatest odium was ever annexed; and there are feveral proofs of their regarding the Epicureans, and the christians in the fame light. Befides, Paganifm had the advantage, which is

common

common to every thing that has been long establifhed, the fanction of antiquity; whereas chriftianity was despised as a novel, and upftart thing.

We are not, however, to fuppofe that all the impreffion which the evidences of christianity made on the minds of men, is to be eftimated by the numbers of the declared converts to it, fince many both of Jews and Gentiles entertained a favourable opinion of the gofpel, but were unwilling to own it for fear of cenfure, ridicule, and perfecution, and hoped that God would overlook it, provided they did nothing in direct opposition to chriftianity, and did not themselves join in the persecution of chriftians.

It staggers fome perfons, that there fhould be fo many unbelievers in the prefent age; but those who know the world, and the circumftances in which infidelity gains ground, will fee nothing in it that is, in fact, unfavourable to the evidences of chriftianity. It would be unjust to unbelievers to rank them all in the fame clafs. I fhall, therefore, endeavour to point out the different fources of infide lity in the present age.

A great number of those who profess to reject christianity, are not only fuch perfons as have never confidered the fubject, or indeed have a fufficient stock of knowledge to examine it with proper attention, but they are also known to be, in general,