Neither was it because of his extraordinary Piety For Moses called the meekest of Men was without doubt in that equal to him 'T was then because of the advantage he enjoyed both in Seeing and Hearing the Messias But how comes our Saviour to add that the least in the Kingdom of Heaven was greater than him Must we understand by the Kingdom of Heaven that Kingdom of which John himself said the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Was it not rather because John saw none of all the Wonders of that Kingdom which the least of Christ's Disciples had seen Which indeed was the reason that our Saviour told them Blessed are your Eyes for they see and your Ears for they hear For verily I say unto you that many Prophets and righteous Men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them Matth. 13. 16 17. Now all this evidently supposes the Miracles of Christ and all the other marvellous Events which serve for a Confirmation of our holy Religion What he also said himself concerning Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is altogether strange and very surprising Nay the very name he gave to that sin implies something in itself Singular and Extraordinary For no body before him ever expressed himself after this manner Men were not ignorant that sinning against God was a very great Crime but they had no Knowledge of the sin against the Holy Ghost much less were they satisfied if there was any harm in Blaspheming against him This unusual Language necessarily proceeded from a new Revelation and from new and different objects not seen or heard of before For the Jews knew not what the Holy Ghost was if we take that word in the Sense of the Evangelists Nay there were some of them who tho converted to the Gopsel of Christ yet still were ignorant of the true meaning of that Expression In the mean while if we will but consult the Writings of the New Testament and therein the Gospels the Acts of the Holy Apostles and the Epistles of those great and extraordinary Men they will presently inform us that by the Holy Ghost must be understood in most of those places the extraordinary and miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit imparted to the Men of those days and that to Blaspheme against him is downright Blasphemy against that Divine and Glorious Principle of all things which was the cause of all the Perfections and Miracles of Christ and gave such Power unto Men. So that there is first in that Text such an obscurity as proves that the Evangelists could not have thought of inventing it had not Christ himself really utter'd these very words and secondly it undeniably supposes the miraculous matters of fact the Pharisees were wont to ascribe to the Power of Belzebub wherein indeed Chiefly consisted the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost In like manner this Text Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit John 3. 5. implies a very puzling Difficulty because it was not usual formerly for Men to express themselves after this manner It is a very difficult matter indeed to understand the true meaning of that Text but it is yet far more difficult to invent it and all the Doctors in the World might put their Heads together and yet never be able to invent the like Text. Above all it was not natural for the Jews to invent any such thing because they had no such objects amongst them as could fill up their Minds with any such Ideas When we suppose the Baptism of the Holy Spirit confer'd upon Christ's Disciples we may then easily comprehend the true meaning of that mysterious but very remarkable Expression We might also add to this Text that other which mentions the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and of fire In like manner it pleased God in his Wisdom that they who related to us the History of Christ's Resurrection should tell us also some things which we cannot at first view easily comprehend tho they have a true and reasonable meaning on purpose to make us understand that as it was impossible those obscure and difficult sayings ascribed to him by them should come of themselves into their thoughts had not he really spoke them so consequently it can never be supposed that those Men should have forg'd the History of Christ's Resurrection or their Discourses with him after he was risen from the Dead as for instance these Words which he spake to Mary touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father John 20. 17. We could make almost an infinite number of such Remarks as these which tho' they cannot come up to an evident Demonstration yet are very proper to make us sensible of the Truth of those matters of fact we are now speaking of The Sincerity of the Disciples will further appear by the great number of Circumstances with which their Narrative is fill'd some whereof are so singular that they can't easily enter into any Man's Mind and others so unbecoming their Master or dâ—â—â—dvantageous to themselves that there is not the least Probability they could have any Desire to forge them others are so inseparably united with those Events which must necessarily have been well known that they durst not so much as think of forging them against the publick Knowledge every body must have had of them as we have already proved at large But lastly 't is not our present Design to insist purely upon probable Reasons tho' never so probable and sufficient of themselves to form a true and perfect Demonstration when joyned together I therefore proceed to that which is in itself wholly Demonstrative Now the whole Demonstration of the Truth of Christian Religion depends upon this Argument namely that the Apostles and Disciples of Christ sincerely believed his Miracles Resurrection Ascension and the Effusion of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost whence it follows that all those matters of fact are most certainly true We have already given an invincible proof of the Consequence of this Argument by shewing that it was impossible the Disciples should have been imposed upon in all these matters of fact that tho' they might have been deceived in the Miracles of Christ yet they could not be imposed upon in his Resurrection that tho' they should have been imposed upon in his Resurrection yet they could not be deceived in his Ascension and that tho' they should have been deceived in his Ascension yet they could not be so too in the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost which are matters of fact that they knew by inward sense and continual Experience I prove also the Principle of this Argument viz. that the Disciples of Christ sincerely believed all those matters of fact by the same Gradation I say then that the Disciples could not impose upon Men as to the Miracles of Christ not only because they asserted them at the Expence of their own
to him about eating he answered that his meat was to do the will of his Father And when he sat on the side of the Well he spoke of his divine Grace as of a Well of Water springing up into everlasting Life Who is not filled with admiration when he considers these things Vers 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth This was telling Men in short what they should have known and what all till then were wholly ignorant of This was what is most conformable to a reasonable nature and the Principles of natural Revelation what distinguished true Religion from Superstition what the wisest among the Heathens had not been able to discover at a time when reasoning and speculation were at the height at least what they had but a very faint Knowledge of what the Prophets themselves had spoke of but obscurely and what the Jews who in the days of our Saviour minded nothing in Religion but the External Corporeal part of it were wholly ignorant of What manner of Man then was he who alone had so much Wisdom Chap. V. 25. Verily Verily I say unto you the hour is coming and now is when the Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live He that could raise the Dead to Life again might well speak after this manner But such Expressions would have been extravagant in any other but him Vers 36. But I have greater witness than that of John for the works which the Father has given me to finish the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me Those works must have been very extraordinary indeed since he preferred the witness they bore of him before that of John the Baptist For were it otherwise he would have exposed himself to the scorn of those that heard him Vers 44. How can ye believe which receive Honour one of another and seek not the Honour that cometh from God only He that designs to deceive others does not express himself after this manner Christ should rather have made use of the vanity and weakness of Men which is nicely to be touched and delicately to be wrought upon in such cases Chap. VI. 14 15. Then those Men when they had seen the Miracle that Jesus did said this is of a Truth that Prophet that should come into the World When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a King he departed again into a mountain himself alone 'T was not out of any weakness or fear that Christ refused to put himself at the Head of those that would have made him King He that foretold his sufferings and established a memorial of them nay he who assembled together a Company of distressed Wretches whom he vouchsafed to lead about would not surely have been afraid os the fortune of War since he might have been followed by an innumerable company of People who would have daily increased being deluded by the common Opinion of those days that he was to be a great King What then deterred him from it Only his Humility Vers 35. I am the Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that cometh to me shall never thirst Did ever any man use an expression like this How can a Man be the Bread of Life And what can be the meaning of this expression Was going to Christ enough to satisfy hunger and thirst No one but an Enthusiast or one that was really come down from Heaven to instruct Mankind could have expressed himself thus But who is he that shall dare to Blaspheme against the Wisdom of that Divine Person Vers 63. The Flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life This Comment excellently justifies the Wisdom of that wonderful Teacher and clearly shews us what we should think of those seeming Paradoxes he advanced in the foregoing Verses so contrary to all our former Ideas and Prejudices Chap. VII 17. If any Man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self This is the best and surest Rule whereby we may judge of Christ and his Gospel And therefore for a Man to be perswaded of the Doctrine of Christ it is first requisite that his Heart be rightly disposed rather than his understanding fully enlightned Men at Christs coming into the World were wholly ignorant of this great and noble Truth They made a Science of Religion which none could understand but the learned And the Reason of Man which would know every thing but scarce knows any thing perfectly proudly assumed to itself the priviledge of judging in matters of Salvation But were that a certain Rule to go by the proud would be the greatest Favourites of God and the more Men strove out of vanity or ambition to become learned the clearer insight they would have into Revelation That indeed would be proper to make a considerable progress in humane Sciences but the Science of Salvation is not to be acquired but by Holiness and Humility For Virtue is a practical Habit. The more Simple and Ignorant we are the more our Eyes will be open The better we live the less scruples we shall entertain The more we love God the more sensible we shall grow of his admirable Precepts What great Wisdom then does this Maxim contain which Men in past Ages were wholly ignorant of and which the present Age scarce yet understands Vers 37 38 39. In the last Day that great Day of the Feast Jesus stood and cried saying If any Man thirst let him come unto me and drink He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of living Water But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive For the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified How could the Evangelist have made Christ utter such words as these and a little after added this Annotation concerning the Effusion of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost had he really seen nothing happen that was like it Who sees not plainly that the Parenthesis supposes that Event to be well known since it informs us of the Reason of it Vers 40 41. Many of the People therefore when they heard this said of a Truth this is the Prophet Others said this is the Christ But some said shall Christ come out of Galilee All these Disputes and little Contests manifestly shew the great impression the Doctrine and Miracles of Christ had already made upon Peoples minds Besides they are of such a Nature as not easily to be thought of by a Person who could invent Lies Chap. VIII 7. 10 11 So when they continued asking him he lift up himself and said unto them he that is without sin among you let him first cast a Stone
down from the Cross and we will believe in him Nay it is all one as if a Man should say If there be a God why does he not shew and manifest himself after a sensible manner by speaking to men immediately from the highest Heavens and then they would all be forced in spite of themselves to acknowledge him But God does not desire us to acknowledge him against our own Inclinations and consequently he is not obliged to manifest himself as we in our extravagant Desires would have him but as it seemeth best to his infinite Wisdom Had Christ or his Apostles raised all the Dead they found to Life again we should then contrary to the Design of the Almighty have had no other Faith but what depended entirely upon our Senses It is enongh that they healed almost an infinite number of Sick People and raised not only one but several Dead Men to Life So much indeed was absolutely necessary to confirm the Truth of their Calling Because they were not only to make Men believe in a crucified Saviour and adore him as the Son of God but also to oblige them for the Confirmation of their Faith to undergo Martyrdom More than this would have been but superfluous because they were not obliged to alter the Oeconomy of Faith but only to perfect it not to make Men believe against their own Inclinations but conformably to the Lights of their own Understanding But tho' I should grant all these Difficulties to be greater than they really are yet we ought to regulate our speculative Opinions by some Arguments drawn from matters of fact and not on the contrary regulate the Arguments drawn from matters of fact by any speculative Opinions And this is such a general Maxim that it holds good in all respects Many Difficulties arose at first about the Belief of the Antipodes Some pretended that such an Opinion was contrary to Reason others affirmed it could never be reconciled to the Principles of Religion And both Parties raised several notable Objections against it But as soon as the thing was evidently proved from undeniable matter of fact all their Objections and Difficulties were turned into Ridicule Some Philosophers have pretended to prove by Arguments that Motion is impossible But since we have daily Experience that there is such a thing as Motion we let these Philosophers talk on and chuse rather to believe our own Senses And I dare affirm without begging any Excuse for the Boldness of my Assertion that there never were nor never will be any matters of fact against which we might not raise several plausible Objections and considerable Difficulties that are meerly speculative Some are daily raised against the Flux and Reflux of the Sea against the Attraction of the Loadstone with Iron the Source or Head of the River Nile against Comets and Meteors nay even against the peopling of the World and the Propagation of Mankind We readily grant the Incredulous that several considerable Difficulties may be raised against the Mysteries of Religion as we see there are no less considerable ones daily raised even against the Mysteries and secret Operations of Nature But I still affirm that we must renounce the Evidence of Sense if we prefer any Difficulties of meer Speculation before those Arguments which are taken from undeniable matters of fact Tho' we should argue only upon the Nature of Things and the Principles of Natural Religion it would appear if we compare the Obscurities which cause those Difficulties with the Evidences which clear them that the latter would gain more upon our Belief than the former and this Truth we think we have sufficiently proved in our first Part of this Work But tho' we should meet with nothing else but Difficulties in those natural Principles without any Lights at all to clear them yet ought we to banish all Scruples and Doubts that arise meerly from Speculation the better to embrace the Opinion which proceeds from the Arguments drawn from undeniable matters of fact unless we have a mind to be guilty of an Absurdity not to be met with which is wholly contrary to common sense and Reason But having thus evinced the Truth of the Essentials of our Religion namely those matters of fact contained in the Writings of the Apostles it remains only that we make Men further sensible of them by laying down a few short Remarks which we shall make on several places of the New Testament whose whole Purport shall be either to perswade us that the Apostles did really teach all these matters of fact or assure us that they sincerely believed the things which they declared or else to make it appear that they could not have been imposed upon in those matters of fact For from those three principles is formed the Demonstration of the Truth of the Christian Religion SOME REFLEXIONS ON THE Gospel according to S. Matthew CHapt II. 1. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea behold there came Wisemen c. Those Wise-men were of all Nations the first that came to pay their Homage to Jesus Christ The Priests and Elders amongst the Jews being consulted concerning the Birth of the Messias freely owned he was to be born in Bethlehem and were quite of another Opinion than the Modern Jews who pervert the Meaning of the Prophecy of Micah Chap. 5. As to what concerns us we affirm that the History of the coming of the Wise-men could not be falsely invented I. Because it agrees admirably with the Prophecy of Balaam Numb 24. 17. where he Cries out I shall sâ—e him but not now I shall behold him but not nigh There shall come a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel A Star of the Wise-men indeed and a Scepter of Jesus Christ II. The Evangelist could not have made the whole City of Jerusalem believe that they were troubled and astonisht at the Coming of those Wise-men and much less perswaded the Inhabitants against their own publick Knowledge that Herod had so barbaroufly shed so much Innocent Blood III. Herod must necessarily have been told that the Christ or Messias was to be born in Bethlehem because thither he sent directly the Ministers of his execrable fury IV. And lastly Joseph fled into Egypt and was afraid to return again into Judea when he heard that Archelaus Reigned in the room of his Father Herod A Circumstance that wonderfully agrees with all the rest Chapt. III. 1. In those days came John the Baptist In this Chapter John foretells the Destruction of the Jews in these Words O generation of Vipers who has warned you to fly from the wrath to come and now also the ax is laid to the root of the Tree therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire c. He foretells also the Effusion of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles in these words I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that
matters of fact as had they been real they must have seen them with their own Eyes Chap. V. 15. Insomuch that they brought forth the Sick into the Streets and laid them on Beds and Couches that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them Behold the completion of that Prophesy of Christ who foretold that his Disciples should do far greater works than himself Vers 32. And we are his witnesses of those things and so is also the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey Christ daily convinced the Unbelievers by the Testimony of his Works and his Disciples convinced them by the Gifts of the Holy Ghost imparted to them Is there then any Dream or Euthusiasm any Illusion or Distraction of mind any mutual erroneous Compact in all this or rather do we not here visibly perceive the Wisdom Truth and Power of God in this occasion Chap. VII 51. Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in Heart and Ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye Which of the prophets have not your Fathers persecuted All Deceivers and Impostors use quite another method to flatter those they design to draw over to their side Vers 59 60. And they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice Lord lay not this sin to their charge Stephen died praying to God for his Enemies in imitation of Christ But he was not seiz'd with Sorrow Anguish or Fear he cried not out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Could not he that represented the Servant so Couragious have given us an excellent Description of the constancy of the Master but that he had proposed to himself to write nothing but the Truth Chap. VIII 14 15 16. They sent unto them Peter and John who when they were come down prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost for as yet he was fallen upon none of them only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus By these words it is plain that every body might indifferently receive the Holy Ghost but the Apostles alone could impart it to others A distinction that is very remarkable But it appears yet farther that the Gifts of the Holy Ghost were so notable and visible that whosoever had received them could not but presently be sensible of it And tho this Discourse of St. Luke might be wholly invented yet it may well be supposed that it was invented upon some probable Grounds and Reasons and there can be no other for it but this that in this time the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost were imparted to the faithful for otherwise to talk thus would be very impertinent and extravagant Vers 20. But Peter said unto him thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with Money How comes Peter to deal so nicely and delicately were he an Impostor indeed as well as Simon Magus Vers 22 23. Repent therefore of this thy Wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity How different are these expressions from those of a Man whose Conscience accuses him of Imposture and Infidelity Chap. IX 7 8 9. And the Men which journeyed with him stood speechless hearing a voice but seeing no Man But they led him by the hand and brought him unto Damascus And he was there three days without sight and neither Eat nor Drank Had St. Luke designed to impose upon our belief in this rehearsal he would have managed it with more Judgment For what necessity was there of his relating how that St. Paul had Company with him when the Light of God shone round about him What made him quote the place the occasion and the Witnesses of whom the Synagogue might have easily known the whole Truth How could he make them believe that the Men which accompanied Saul led him by the hand to Damascus and that he continued there three days and three nights deprived of his sight Vers 16. For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my names sake c. The whole Life of S. Paul was an exact accomplishment of this Prophecy Vers 31. Then had the Churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria and were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the Comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied How strange and surprising was the progress of the Gospel which founded so many Churches almost every where in so small a time Vers 34 35. And Peter said unto him Eneas Jesus Christ make thee whole arise c. And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him and turned to the Lord. Doubtless those Men here mentioned knew well enough whether there was any such Miracle performed And those Churches which consisted altogether of Proselytes who must necessarily have been Spectators of that Miracle could not be imposed upon in this respect Vers 41 42. And he gave her his hand and lift her up and when he had called the Saints and Widows presented her alive And it was known throughout all Joppa and many believed in the Lord. This was a Miracle notorious enough and there were Witnesses sufficient to contradict and convince the Author of this Book supposing this Miracle had been only a framed Story and a Sham upon Men's belief Chap. X. 45 46 47. And they of the Circumcision which believed were astonished as many as came with Peter because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the Gift of the Holy Ghost For they heard them speak with Tongues and magnifie God Then answered Peter can any one forbid Water that these should not be baptized which have received the Gift of the Holy Ghost as well as we What was the meaning of that astonishment in those of the Circumcision T was because they had not seen till then that the Holy Ghost was imparted to the Gentiles The very mixture of such Circumstances as these is often of it self sufficient to convince us of the Truth of any narration Chap. XI 18. When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto Life This indeed was the Language of the Holy Ghost the perfect stile of God And the very expression of the heavenly Jerusalem Chap. XII 18 19. Now as soon as it was day there was no small stir among the Soldiers what was become of Peter And when Herod had sought for him and found him not he examined the keepers and commanded that they should be put to Death A circumstance that can't be forged and which excellently confirms the relation of Peter 's miraculous Deliverance Chap. XIII 3. And when they had fasted and prayed they laid hands on them This Historian who
that was divided into the Porch the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies is answerable the World the Church and the Heavens the eternal Sanctuary of God To the Levites all the Faithful without Exception that are designed to serve God to the White Cloathings of the Ministers of the Tabernacle the Innocence and Holyness of all those who design to approach unto him to the Purity of the Body the Purity both of the Heart and Conscience to the Blood of Goats and of Lambs which was a Confirmation of the Old Covenant the Blood of Jesus Christ which confirms the New Testament to the Entrance of the High Priest into the Holy of Holies wearing the Names of the Twelve Tribes written upon his Breast and presenting to God the Blood that was shed in the Porch corresponds the Ascention of Christ into Heaven where he continually presents us to God his Father and intercedes for us by virtue of that Blood which he shed for the Expiation of our Sins to the purifying Waters which washed away all the Pollutions of the Body the Waters of Grace which sanctify the Spirit To Mount Sinai Mount Zion to the sound of the Trumpet of Rams Horns the Voice of the Gospel to Moses himself the Mediatour of the Law Jesus Christ the Mediatour of the New Covenant The different state and condition of the Church is is also further represented to us by the various condition of the People of Israel Our spiritual Bondage is marked out by their temporal Slavery our Deliverances by their Deliverances our Enemies by their Enemies and so just and reasonable is the Conformity there is betwixt those Images and their Original that the Holy Scripture often makes little distinction betwixt them and intermixes in one and the same Chapter that which concerns the temporal State of the Israelites and that which concerns the Spiritual condition of the Faithful as also the Events that attended the Jewish Oeconomy and the Wonders of the New Covenant These things are worth our Observation and he that does not duly consider them will never be able to understand any thing in the Prophecies contained in the Books of the Old Testament Lastly The Wisdom of God was resolved we should not want a competent number of Types that might sufficiently represent to us the Excellence Offices and Ministry of our Mediatour Thus Isaac conceived in the Womb of a barren Woman the Delight of his Father the Foundation of all the Promises of God offered up for a Sacrifice upon a Mount by the very hand of his Father rising as it were from the Dead by being delivered from the Knife he had already lifted up against him and having afterwards a Seed as numerous as the Stars of Heaven and the Sand of the Sea this Isaac I say was a lively Image of Jesus Christ who was conceived in the Virgins Womb the Darling of his Father in whom he was well-pleased the Foundation of all his Promises the Source of his Blessings dying upon Mount Calvary rising again in a wonderful manner after his Death and seeing his Seed after him when he had made his Soul an Offering for Sin Thus again Joseph sold by his Brethren betrayed out of Envy accused tho' Innocent condemned because he would not submit to the immodest Desires of a lascivious Woman delivered out of Prison appearing before Pharaoh cloathed in Garments suitable to that Honour and then sitting at his Right Hand was a wonderful Representation of Jesus Christ betrayed out of Envy sold by the Jews themselves who were his Brethren condemned for refusing to comply with the Synagogue cast down into the Darkness of Death endued with heavenly Gifts raised again to Heaven and sitting at length at the Right Hand of God Moses defigned to be the Mediatour of the Legal Covenant rescued at his Nativity from a Deluge of Blood exposed to the River-side and as it were given up to a sure and infallible Death but afterwards delivered by a kind of Miracle from the Fury of the Waters and also delivering not long after his own Nation himself by a lucky Turn when he seemed to be cast away was an exact Representation of Jesus Christ who came into the World to be the Mediatour of the New Covenant was delivered at his Birth from the Murder of Herod and saved Men after his having suffered Death Jonas who was cast into the Sea to appease the Tempest and swallowed by a Whale which three Days after cast him again on the Shore sufficiently gives us to understand who it was that calm'd by his Death that Storm our Sins had raised that went down into the Grave and afterwards rose again the third Day Lastly David being raised from the State of a Shepherd to that of a Monarch was an excellent Type of Christ who after his Humiliation inherited a Name that is above every Name And as for those Prophecies which have described to us by such notable Epochaes and signal Characters both the Person Coming and the Time of the Coming of the Messias we have already very largely spoke of them so that what we have said in that respect is more than sufficient to make us admire the exact Proportion there is betwixt the first and second Covenant as well as betwixt the Jewish and Christian Religion Moses Illustrates Christ as we have proved in our first Part of this Treatise and Christ again Illustrates Moses as appears plainly by the Comparison we just now made of them XI Portraiture of the Christian Religion as it is considered in the Proportion it bears to natural Religion WE have already described the Christian Religion as it is thus considered in having fully proved in several places of this Work that it takes away the Corruption which had disordered Nature that it subverts Paganism which was the Corruption of natural Religion that 't is the perfect Restauration of the latter that it reestablishes the Principles of Justice and Equity which God had imprinted in our Hearts that it produces the most perfect Union of Society by Love and Charity that Humility Temperance Wisdom and all other kind of Virtues which support natural Religion derive the Force of their Motives from the Christian Religion they alone being equivalent to all sensible Objects and lastly that it makes us answer the End of our Creation 'T is a wonderful Comfort and Satisfaction to our Minds and at the same time exalts our Nature to reflect that the End for which Man was designed is the same with that of Christian Religion and the End of Christian Religion the same with the true End of Man's Creation Every thing that goes to the Constitution of Man's Nature does in a manner seek after God The infinite Curiosity of our Minds incessantly thirsting after the Knowledge of New Objects seeks after that Deity which the Christian Religion discovers to us because that Deity contains all things in the Excellence of its own Nature The greedy and hasty Desires of our