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If then St. Paul and the church of Corinth were " not deceived, in afcribing to themselves this mira"culous power, but really had it, there is the "strongest reason to think that neither were they " deceived in the other powers to which they pre"tended; as the fame Spirit which gave them that, " equally could, and probably would, give them the " others, to serve the fame holy ends for which that " was given; and by consequence St. Paul was no " enthusiast in what he wrote on that head to the " Corinthians, nor in other similar instances, when " he ascribes to himself, or the churches which he

founded, any fupernatural graces or gifts. Indeed they who would impute to imagination, effects " such as those which St. Paul imputes to the power of God attending his mission, must ascribe " to imagination the fame omnipotence which he "afcribes to God."

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SECTION II.

The arguments from PROPHECY adduced by the apostles could not derive their weight from the influence of enthusiasm-proved in this section, fo far as relates to the prophecies of the old testament, which the apostles afferted were accomplished in the person of our Saviour.

IF from miracles, we pass to the other mode by which the first preachers of Christianity convinced their difciples, even the argument from prophecyit will, I trust, appear that this was equally incapa(ble of deriving its efficacy from any enthusiastic de. lufion.

This argument, as used by the apostles, almost entirely confisted in appeals to the Jewish scriptures, in which the apostles contended were clear prophecies, fulfilled by the life and fufferings of their Lord, who, according to them, united in himself all the characters by which the promised Meffiah was to be diftinguished.

It would be inconsistent with the subject of this essay, to enter into a detail of the arguments employed to prove this conclufion; but without any fuch. detail it is, I think, obvious that this was a species. of

argument which could not derive either its origin or fuccess from the influence of fanaticifm.

The prophecies to which the first preachers of Christianity appealed, not only existed, at the latest, two hundred and fifty years before their asserted accomplishment, but existed in the hands of their inveterate enemies, the Jewish scribes, priests, and Pharifees. Over these records they had no power; they could not themselves believe, nor make their hearers believe, that these prophecies existed, if they did not exist, nor could they alter the smallest item to adapt them to the events, by which it was afferted they were fulfilled.

And as the prophecies were in no degree in their power, so neither was it possible for them to direct the correfpondent events; for these had all taken place before the apostles began to preach the refurrection of their divine Master; and they had many of them been brought about by the agency of his enemies, who had been the authors of his fufferings and death, which the apostles steadily maintained were plain accomplishments of acknowledged prophecies. -Still further, these transactions were of so public a nature, they had it as little in their power to mifreprésent, as originally to direct them.

But what is most important of all, the apostles could find no pre-disposition in any Jewish mind to admit the coincidence of the prophecy and the event, instantaneously, and embrace it enthusiastically, because such an accomplishment was totally the reverse of that which Jewish minds had long expected and ardently wished. The interpretation which the apostles gave the prophecies, and the facts to which they applied them, were such as shocked the national prejudices and the religious bigotry of their countrymen.

The Jews expected a temporal and triumphant Meffiah, who was to appear fuddenly in the temple, in the splendor of divine Majesty, and to live for ever. The apostles offered to their acceptance a peafant, the reputed fon of a carpenter, who lived a life of poverty, who had perished on the cross, and declared, as the event proved, that his kingdom was not of this world. The Jews expected that this Meffiah would extend and perpetuate the rites and ceremonies of the mosaic law. -The apostles contended that he had weakened or annulled its obligation, and substituted in its room, a religion abolishing these rites and ceremonies. The Jews confined to themselves the title and privileges of the chofen people of God. The apostles

apostles contended, that now the period was arrived, foretold by the prophets, when God should be

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fought of them that asked not for him, when he " should be found of them that fought him not; " that he should say, behold me, behold me, unto a " nation that was not called by his name." When that was become true which was prophefied of Ifrael,

" I have spread out my hands all day unto a re" bellious people, which walked in a way that was " not good;" when their should be " no difference " between the Jew and the Greek; for the fame " Lord over all, is rich unto all that call upon him; " and whosoever shall call upon the name of the " Lord, should be faved."

Now, without entering into any minute proofs to shew the Jews were wrong, and the apostles right, in this interpretation of the prophecies, it seems to be clear beyond all reasonable doubt, that this mode of interpretation could not have been originally adopted by the apostles, or received by the converts merely from the force of enthusiasm.

Reason and experience prove, that those doctrines which fanatics embrace, are generally such as have been grounded on some pre-conceived religious opinions, fuch as have been long the subject of attention,