terly destroys the fufpicion we might entertain, that they were all forg'd or invented.

In the mean time I cannot confider all thefe matters of fact, nor unite them together, and observe the proportion they have one with another, without prefently believing the Truth of that Religion which they fo plainly Prove and Establish.

CHAP. XI.

Wherein we fball examin the matters contained in the Epiftles of the Apostles.

"Ho' the Ancients had not unanimously received the Epistles of St. Paul, tho' Clemens, Polycarp, and Barnabas, had made no mention of the fecond Epistle of St. Peter; yet it would be fufficient to obferve that they were written to fome Churches, that is, to whole Societies, who for a long while preferved the Originals of them, to assure us that they were not forg'd.

'Tis then our concern to fee whether we can find therein any Characters of the Divinity of our Religion. We cannot Read St. Paul's Epiftles without obferving therein I. The Piety and Charity of that Apostle. II. His Impartiality and Contempt of the advantages of the World. III. His Courage in enduring afflictions, which instead of difheartning, rather overjoy'd him. IV. A continual repetitions of the Testimony which the Apostles bore of the Truth of the Refurrection of the Lord. V. Such things which manifeftly denote that St. Paul had received the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghoft. and that those that then believed very frequently received them.

The

The Piety of that Apostle fo variously discovers it felf in his Writings, that we cannot think it diffembled without offering Violence to our Underftanding. For tho'a man fhould constrain himself upon fome occafions, yet is it poffible he fhould after the very fame manner during a great part of his life, in all his Actions, in all his Words, in his manner of telling of things, which oftener discovers the bottom of the heart, than the things he speaks of. I know very well Hypocrify covers it felf with the external shew of Vertue: but really there is yet fomething which I can't exprefs, a fimple and natural air in true vertue, which is not to be met with in Hypocrify or rather Hypocrify is neither fo fubtle,nor clear fighted, but that it discovers it self on one fide or other, nay often it lets drop a wordwhich unmafques it to the eye of the World.

However I am willing the Epiftles of St. Paul fhould be strictly examin'd, to fee whether any thing but what is very natural and fincere can be found in them. Could there proceed from the Malice and Perfidiousness of a man, who had fo lately accufed his Nation of a Crime he knew to be utterly false, so many Exhortations to fear God, fo ftrong, fo moving in themselves and fo often repeated, that they wholly take up the Writings of this Apostle? Could his humility proceed from thence, whereby he refers every thing to God as to the Center of all good things? fo fincerely telling us, What haft thon that thou didst not receive? And if thou didst receive it, why doft thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it ? I Cor. 4. 7. We are yours, you are Chrifts, and Chrift is God's, 1 Cor. 3. 23. Could his hatred too for vice arife from thence, which upon all occasions he testifys and expresses after fo ftrong and lively a man

ner?

His Charity appears no less in his passionate concern for the fanctification of his Brethren. All his Epistles are a continued ferious of tender or moving Exhortations, or rather ardent requests he makes them to love one another. He defires they fhould live foberly, justly, and religiously. He addreffes himself both to Servants and Masters, to Poor and Rich, to Parents and Children, to Young men and Old men. Having no prejudice nor hatred for any one, he pours out himself in thanksgivings and bleffings for all men, he speaks to them after a very tender and moving manner. He calls them his little Children, his Beloved, his Bowels, bis Glory, and his Crown. And what was his defign in all this? only to infpire them with the love of God, and their Neighbour.

How does he extol the excellence of Charity. Tho' I fpeak, fays he, with the tongues of men, and of Angels, and have no Charity, I am become as founding brafs or tinkling Cymbal; and tho' I beftow all my Goods to feed the Poor, and tho' I give my body to be burned, and have not Charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity fuffereth long, and is kind; Charity envieth not; Chariy vaunteth not it felf, is not puffed up, does not behave it felf unfeemly, feeketh not her own, is not easily provok ed, thinketh no Evil, rejoyceth not in Iniquity, but rejoyceth in the Truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things. 1 Cor. 13. I, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Such is the Idea St. Paul had of Charity, in which appears the force of Reason and of true Vertue,without the fantastical weakness of fuperftition: he prefers Charity to miraculous gifts, and therein appears the fpirit of true Religion.

This confideration of the Character and Vertue of this Apostle is fo much the more confiderable, that it forces us in despight of our felves, to affert one of these two things; either that St. Paul was a wicked

man,

man, and a notorious Impoftor; or else that he had heard the voice of Jefus Chrict in the way to Da mafcus, that he had received the Holy Ghost, and was truely the Apostle of Chrift. So that whofoever proves that St. Paul was no wicked perfon, does even thereby prove the Divinity of Chriftian Religion.

I defire therefore the Reader throughly to confi der the ftyle of his Epiftles, and examine them from the beginning to the end, to discover the true Genius and Character of them.

What is it this Apoftle defires of God? that those whom he speaks to might live good lives, and that God might be glorified by their works. What does he complain of? Vice. What is it he chiefly praifes? Vertue. By what motive does he act, or fpeak as he does? By quite another motive than that of felf intereft.

St. Luke had already told us in the Book of Acts, that he work'd for his Living, and that his Employment was to make Tents. Whereupon we fhall make these two obfervations. I. That St. Paul having been a Pharifee, bred up at the feet of Gamaliel, would have thought it beneath him to follow so vile a profeffion, had he been worldly minded or ambitious. Secondly, that this Apoftle refolved to work with his own hands for his Living, in a time which other people would have greedily embraced to acquire wealth. For what could have been refufed to thofe men, who opened to mankind the direct way way to Heaven, and gave them certain hopes of Eternal Salvation? For it cannot be denied but that was the opinion of the Primitive Chriftians with regard to the Apostles.

But if St. Luke should be thought to have imposed upon us in the Relation of this Matter, 'tis but hearing what St. Paul himself fays of it, who cer

tainly would not have undertook to perfwade those people of it against their own proper knowledge. Behold,fays he to the Corinthians, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I feek not yours, but you: For the Children ought not to lay up for the Parents, but the Parents for the Children, 2 Cor. 12. 14. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you, &c. and then, have I caught you with guile? And in another place, Have I committed an offence in abafing my self that you might be exalted, becaufe I have preached to you the Gospel of God freely?

2 Cor. 11.7.

St. Paul would never have spoken to them after this manner, had he preach'd only out of felf intereft, according to the Cuftom of those who carrying a worldly mind along with them into the Sanctuary, are meer huchsters of Religion, and make a Trade of the most facred and fublime Mysteries of Chriftianity.

But fuppofing St. Paul acted not by a principle of felf intereft, which is generaly the center of other mens Actions, who will affure us that he owed not his Virtues to Pride, which is another nice kind of Intereft, to which fome men direct all their Actions ?

I am very well perfwaded that men may out of a capricious fancy afcribe the best Actions to Pride,and give the name of Hypocrify to the most fincere Vertue. For what can put a stop to the continual rovings of a Soul, that endeavours only to raise doubts and fcruples? But then I also affirm that there are fuch visible marks in the conduct and actions of St. Paul, as manifestly evince in fpight of Incredulity, that his Vertue was folid, and his felf denial fincere. But this I hope will more plainly appear by the following reflexions.

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