3. Providence soon determined this controversy, (which is the only thing that seemed a controversy between the Old Testament and the New,) by the destruction of Jerusalem, the desolations of the temple, the dissolution of the temple-service, and the total dispersion of all the remains of the Jewish nation; with a judicial defeat of all the attempts to incorporate it again, now for above 1600 years; and this, according to the express predictions of Christ, a little before his death. And, as Christ would not have the doctrine of his being the Messiah much insisted on, till the great conclusive proof of it was given by his resurrection from the dead; so the repeal of the ceremonial law, as to the Jews, was not much insisted on, but their keeping up the observation of it was connived at, till the great conclusive proof of its repeal was given, by the destruction of Jerusalem, which made the observation of it for ever impracticable. And the manifest tokens of divine wrath, which the Jews, considered as a people, even notwithstanding the prosperity of particular persons among them, continue under to this day, is a proof, not only of the truth of Christ's predictions concerning them, but that they lie under a greater guilt than that of idolatry, (for which they lay under a desolation of 70 years,) and that can be no other than crucifying Christ, and rejecting his gospel.
Thus evident it is, that in our expounding of the New Testament, we are not undoing what we did in expounding the Old; so far from it, that we may appeal to the law and the prophets for the confirmation of the great truth which the gospels are written to prove—That our Lord Jesus is the Messiah promised to the fathers, who should come, and we are to look for no other. For though his appearing did not answer the expectation of the carnal Jews, who looked for a Messiah in external pomp and power, yet it exactly answered all the types, prophecies, and promises of the Old Testament, which all had their accomplishment in him; and even his ignominious sufferings, which are the greatest stumbling-block to the Jews, were foretold concerning the Messiah; so that if he had not submitted to them, we had failed in our proof; so far it is from being weakened by them. Bishop Kidder's Demonstration of the Christian's Messiah, has abundantly made out this truth, and answered the cavils (for such they are, rather than arguments) of the Jews against it, above any in our language.
But we live in an age when christianity and the New Testament are more virulently and daringly attacked by some within their own bowels, than by those upon their borders. Never were Moses and his writings so arraigned and ridiculed by any Jews, or Mahomet and his Alcoran by any Mussulmen, as Christ and his gospel by men that are baptized and called Christians; and this, not under colour of any other divine revelation, but in contempt and defiance of all divine revelation; and not by way of complaint, that they meet with that which shocks their faith, and which, through their own weakness, they cannot get over, and therefore desire to be instructed in, and helped in the understanding of, and the reconciling of them to the truth which they have received; but by way of resolute opposition, as if they looked upon it as their enemy, and were resolved by all means possible to be the ruin of it; though they cannot say what evil it has done to the world, or to them. If the pretence of it has transported many in the church of Rome into such corruptions of worship and cruelties of government as are indeed the scandal of human nature, yet, instead of being thereby prejudiced against pure christianity, they should the rather appear more vigorously in defence of it, when they see so excellent an institution as that is in itself, so basely abused and misrepresented.
They pretend to a liberty of thought in their opposition to christianity, and would be distinguished by the name of Freethinkers. I will not here go about to produce the arguments which, to all that are not wilfully ignorant and prejudiced against the truth, are sufficient to prove the divine original and authority of the doctrine of Christ. The learned find much satisfaction in reading the apologies of the ancients for the christian religion, when it was struggling with the polytheism and idolatry of the Gentiles. Justin Martyr and Tertullian, Lactantius and Minutius Felix, wrote admirably in defence of christianity, when it was further sealed by the blood of the Martyrs.
But its patrons and advocates in the present day have another sort of enemies to deal with. The antiquity of the pagan theology, its universal prevalence, the edicts of princes, and the traditions and usages of the country, are not now objected to christianity; but I know not what imaginary freedom of thought, and an unheard of privilege of human nature, are assumed, not to be bound by any divine revelation whatsoever.
Now it is easy to make out,
1. That those who would be thought thus to maintain a liberty of thinking, as one of the privileges of human nature, and in defence of which they will take up arms against God himself, do not themselves think freely, nor give others leave to do so. In some of them, a resolute indulgence of themselves in those vicious courses which they know the gospel, if they admit it, will make very uneasy to them, and a secret enmity to a holy, heavenly mind and life, forbid them all free thought; for so strong a prejudice have their lusts and passions laid them under against the laws of Christ, that they find themselves under a necessity of opposing the truths of Christ, upon which these laws are founded. Perit judicium, quando res transit in affectum—The judgment is overcome, when the decision is referred to the affections. Right or wrong, Christ's bonds must be broken, and his cords cast from them; and therefore, how evident soever the premises be, the conclusion must be denied, if it tend to fasten these bands and cords upon them; and where is the freedom of thought then? While they promise themselves liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
In others of them, a reigning pride and affectation of singularity, and a spirit of contradiction, those lusts of the mind, which are as impetuous and imperious as any of the lusts of the flesh and of the world, forbid a freedom of thinking, and enslave the soul in all its inquiries after religion. Those can no more think freely, who resolve they will think by themselves, than those can, who resolve to think with their neighbours.
Nor will they give others liberty to think freely; for it is not by reason and argument that they go about to convince us, but by jest and banter, and exposing christianity and its serious professors to contempt. Now, considering how natural it is to most men to be jealous for their reputation, this is as great an imposition as can possibly be; and the unthinking are as much kept from freethinking by the fear of being ridiculed in the club of those who set up for oracles in reason, as by the fear of being cursed, excommunicated, and anathematized, by the counsel of those who set up for oracles in religion. And where is the freethinking then?
2. That those who will allow themselves a true liberty of thinking, and will think seriously, cannot but embrace all Christ's sayings as faithful, and well worthy of all acceptation. Let the corrupt bias of the
