; their original Relater; but in Religious Matters, our Corruptions interpofe much more powerfully to cloud thofe Circumftances which appear any ways obfcure to suppress or vary thofe Doctrines, which are at all diftaftful; and to add or enlarge upon those which are more agreeable. As Revelation must in this Case pass thro' numberless different Channels; and as those Channels are all of them impure, it will receive a different Tincture of Corruption from them all; fo that instead of bringing Truth to us, this Conveyance will itself be found an inexhaustible Source of Error. A WRITTEN Revelation therefore can alone answer the Ends of any Revelation at all; because this alone is an univerfal, permanent, and certain Means of receiving Divine Inftruction. It is universal, because hereby the Notices of God's Will may be moft readily and fully promulged; it is permanent, because it cannot be obliterated or varied by the Artifice of wicked Men; it is certain, because any Collufion might more eafily be discovered in this Way Writings we may view or re view view at pleasure; we may take them in all Lights; compare them together in every Particular; confider their Natures, their Proofs, their Tendency more frequently and minutely, and in every Circumstance we may examine them with the utmost accuracy; and whatever will bear this Scrutiny muft needs be infallibly certain. Now from the extream Neceflity there is of fuch a Revelation as this, and from God's known Goodness, to furnish out to all his Creatures whatever is needful to their Happiness, we might abfolutely infer, that there actually is fuch a Revelation; but the only Ufe we need make of thefe Premiffes is to declare, that it is at least highly reasonable to believe there may be fuch an one; and to engage thofe, if any fuch there be, who are not yet perfwaded of this Truth, to defire that it may be fo; and to look out after it with Diligence and Impartiality, if haply they may find it. For fhall the Almighty be less gracious and indulgent in the moft important Points relating to our Happiness, than those which are inferior and fubordinate? nate? Shall He give us Eyes to fee, and Ears to hear, and Hands to handle earthly Objects; and fhall He not much rather give us fufficient and fuitable Notices with respect to Heavenly Objects? Shall He give us Understandings to distinguish, and Wills to choose, and Affections to purfuc the Things which relate to our present Intereft; and fhall He with-hold from us the neceffary Means of knowing and purfuing the Things which belong to our eternal Welfare? Shall Mankind be the only Species here below, which is created with a Capacity of worshipping God; and Thall the proper Methods, whereby the Almighty should be worship'd, be hidden from their Eyes? Shall God prepare infinite Bleffings for those who do his Will; and fhall He declare his Will to them in fuch faint and imperfect Characters, as to render it almoft as uncertain and defective as tho' no Declaration at all was made? What is this other than to leave the Affairs of Man's Salvation entirely at random; and to make our Arrival at Heaven as great a Contingency, as the Uncertainty of Men's Humours, and the Hazards Hazards of worldly Temptations can posfibly produce? It is unworthy, it is profane, to conceive of the Almighty in this manner: He hath certainly, He must have given an exprefs Revelation of his Will to Mankind, and that a written one; becaufe otherwife He would not feem to have confider'd the Circumftances of weak and corrupted Men; and to approve himself our gracious Rewarder. To proceed now in our Argument. The Writings, which we call the Scriptures, offer themselves to us under this Character: They are proposed to us, as the Words of the Text exprefs, for Writings given by Infpiration of God; or, as St. Peter faith, they are declared to be what holy Men fpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost; and how far they come up to this Character, it is our Business now to enquire. THE Notion we have of Divine Infpiration is this, That it hath pleased the Almighty, by the extraordinary Operations of the Holy Spirit, to apply fo fully and intimately to the Souls of fome Men, as to give them an infallible Affurance of whatever He thinks fit to reveal, and to enable enable them to convey an infallible Affurance of it to others. This is certainly what God may do, and may do under whatever Circumftances He pleases: He may give them a Mouth and a Pen as well as Wisdom; fo that when they declare thofe Divine Revelations, they may speak and write the Language of Divinity itself: Or He may only heighten their Natural Abilities, fo that they may speak and write in their own Style; yet fo, that infallible Truths alone fhall come from them ; and that Truth cloath'd in fuch Language as is not unbecoming the Excellency and Importance of it: He may give them likewise his Spirit when, and in what meafure, He pleases: He may speak by them to Mankind at fundry times and divers manners; may communicate with them more frequently, or more fparingly; more intimately, or more remotely; more minutely, or more generally; and under thefe, or any of these Circumftances, theirRevelations will nevertheless be Divine; and the Doctrines they declare, infallibly the Word of God. Now that the Holy Scriptures were thus Di vinely |