ry and Divine Prefence with him, it will require a very peculiar Faith and Courage, to keep up an Opinion in himself of his Divine Commiffion. The Prophets GOD hath reveal'd himself to, have not usually been left thus deftitute. What Extraordinary and Miraculous Works did Elijah and Elifha? And there is hardly a Prophet in the Old Teftament can be felected, in whom did not appear fomething Miraculous, who either did not work Miracles, or that was not accompanied with fome extraordinary Endowment; that did not foretel that which came to pass punctually; or the manner of whofe Revelations was not Miraculous, and carried with it clear Evidence of a Divine Authority and Original. As to the Infpiration that accompanied the Apoftles and firft Chriftians, it is needless to infift on it; it being fo apparent, that Miracles, among other things, fupported and attefted it to them. At the inftant of their Infpiration, when the Spirit firft defcended on. them, their being endow'd with various Languages, fuch as they never before learned or understood, nor could have, Naturally, was an undeniable Proof of fomething Supernatural that acted them.

B. You fay right. Had a Man fuch Gifts as the Apoftles, this would be a Proof indeed of his Infpiration. But befides what you mention, would not the Difcovery of fome Secret things, fuch as the Angel's reprehending Sarah's Laughing; whence probably Abraham firft apprehended the Perfons he had Entertain'd, no ordinary Guests, but either Prophets, (as the Woman of Samaria concluded our Saviour a Prophet from the Knowledge he had of her Life and Actions) would not fuch things as thefe be fuf

ficient

ficient Grounds of a Man's believing himfelf Supernaturally acted?

A. No queftion. The things which may be fufficient to fatisfie a Man, touching the Truth of a Revelation, may be very different and many, which I do not here undertake to enumerate; my chief End being to clear the Perfons to whom it is Recorded Divine Revelations have been made, from the Imputation of Giddy, Enthufiaftical and Diftemper'd Men, that thought themfelves Infpir'd or fent by GOD, meerly upon fome extravagant Motions or Impulfes of the Fancy, which would not by any means, endure the Examination of found Reafon. On the contrary, it is very clear, there is not a Perfon to be found in the Old or New Teftament, that there fuftains the Character of an Infpired Man or Prophet, that had not fufficient Proof given him of his being fuch; and the fame Proof given to any Man now, though never fo Wary and Judicious, if void of Prejudice and Vice, and qualified for Infpiration, would be abundantly fufficient to beget in him the fame Belief of his being Infpired, or Supernaturally acted on and directed, and engage him to affume the fame Character, and vindicate him too in making the fame Pretenfions to the World.

B. I remember you began this at firft from the Inftance of Mofes; pray would you make any farther Obfervation from that Prophet?

A. This I intend, as farther Proof and Illuftration of what we at firft afferted, That fomething Supernatural and Miraculous, in fome way or other muft appear to a Man, in order to raise in him, full Satisfaction, as to his Infpiration or Divine Miffion. We advance farther from this Inftance of Mofes, the fulfilling

of

of fome Event foretold, and not depending upon neceffary Caufes, is a ftronger Proof of a Divine Revelation, or Miffion, than what appears wonderful to the Senfes and Reafon of Men.

B. Indeed! I pray, your Reafons for that.

A. Is it not faid by GOD to Mofes, This Shall be a Token to thee, that I have fent thee, when thou haft brought forth the People out of Egypt, ye fhall Serve me on this Mountain?

B. True. But what then!

ture Event

Divine

A. It is not thus faid of the Miracles wrought the forebefore him, neither of those, that he himfeif telling wrought in Egypt, that they fhould be a Token fome fuunto him, that GOD had fent him; they were a more unindeed propofed as an immediate Token and exceptionProof to the Children of Ifrael, that GOD able Argu had fent him, and for very good Reafon, be- ment of a caufe they were immediately neceffary to give miffion Mofes Credit, and to dispose them to hear him, than Miand depart with him: Whereas, had he only racles. declared this Token, that upon their believing him, and departing with him, they fhould ferve GOD on fuch a Mountain, this had been highly Prepofterous, because the Teft would have been at fome distance of time, after they had joined with him, which would not have been fair, it fuppofing them obliged to believe. him, before any Proof had been given of his Divine Authority, or Rational Inducement af'forded of their Belief. If the Proof of a Man's Divine Authority or Miffion lies at fome diftance of time, the Matter will lie in fufpence, or indeed there will be no Proof at all given of it, until the thing comes to pafs. For nothing is more confident than a Demand or Expectation, that a People, or a fingle Man, fhould first believe another Divinely fent, and venture on

it, and proceed accordingly, and then afterwards receive Proof fufficient to convince him. But hereto Mofes's immediate Belief was neceffary; and to tell the Ifraelites they should See, or Pray, or do any thing on Horeb, as it would have been nothing to the purpose, fo it could have fignified nothing to them.

But although it fignified nothing to the If raelites, yet it fignified much to Mofes; and of this we have the greateft Security, because that muft be, without all Difpute, the greateft and trueft Teft, which GOD himfelf declares to be fo; and that must be a Token, which in its own Nature, can be moft fafely rely'd on, which GOD himself Teaches Men, moft efpecially, to rely on. This fhall be a Token, Jays GOD unto thee; even after all the Miracles wrought by him in Egypt, which I fay, feems to give the Preference to this, even beyond Miracles themselves.

B. I percieve, you would build fomething on this, I therefore advise you, to lay fure your Foundation; you erect, methinks, on unfafe Ground. A. Pray, explain your felf.

B. There is a flourishing Sect of Men, who have the Character of deep Reafoners, and do not a little value themfelves on it, that obftinately contend, that there is no fuch Perfection in GOD, as an Infallibility of foreknowledge, in respect to Events depending upon the Actions of free Agents; that thefe are not the Objects of the Divine Knowledge, no more than Contradictions are the Object of the Divine Power ; and as it is no ways derogatory to the Attribute of Omnipotency, to affert it incapable of doing Contradictions, fo it is no Prejudice to the Attribute of Omnifciency, to affert it incapable of infallibly foreknowing the Actions of free Agents;

Agents; because this is equally a Contradiction, that there fhould be a certain and infallible foreknowledge of Things, in their own Nature uncertain and contingent; or certainly and infallibly to know Things will come to pafs, which are confefs'd to be uncertain, whether they come to pafs or not. Does this found right?

or Events

A. There is fuch an Opinion, I confefs, That GOD which fully here to difcufs, would be too great can forea Digreffion. Yet feeing you have mention'd tel Actions it, I fhall Remark two or three Things on it. depending First, I think it is a Rule as univerfal as any, on free and as far as ever I obferved, is allow'd by all, Agents. that Reafon upon the Divine Attributes; that all Perfections, that do not involve in themfelves a Contradiction, are to be attributed to the Deity. As this is an allow'd Principle, upon which, all Men's Difcourfes turn in regard to the Divine Nature, fo it is grounded on clear and evident Reason.

"

Secondly, It remains therefore to be confider'd, whether this fort of Fore-knowledge, were it poffibly no Contradiction, would be a Perfection. And I cannot but imagine, every Man muft think it a great and Superlative Perfection. For Knowledge is a Perfection, and the greater degrees of Knowledge any Being poffeffes, the more perfect and excellent is its Knowledge. It amounts to this, whether a Being that poffeffes all poffible Knowledge, be not more perfect in Knowledge, than if fuppos'd falling fhort of fome Knowledge that is poffible. That Being furely is not on the highest Summit of Knowledge that wants fomething of it that may be conceived poffible to be had. We will therefore confider, whether this fort of Knowledge may be conceiv'd poffible, or whether it appears to us a Contradiction, For if it apH 2

pears

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