who made a bad ufe of their free-will. This being a matter of great confequence to mankind, it behoves us to examine with attention, what is wrote on the subject by Mark, Luke, and John, before we determine which of the two cafes was the real one. Mark, ch. iv. v. II, 12.- And he (Jefus) faid unto them (his difciples) unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God; but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: that feeing they may fee, and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand: left at any time they fhould be converted, and their fins fhould be forgiven them.' Luke, ch. viii. v. 10. And he (Jefus) faid, unto you (his

disciples) it is given to know the mysteries of 'the kingdom of God: but to others in para

bles that feeing they might not fee, and hear'ing they might not understand.' Thus we find St. Matthew up to the 15th verfe aforefaid, St. Mark, and St. Luke, agree perfectly in their account of what Jesus said upon the fubject of parables; and all these make for the firft cafe. St. John fays not a word of any parable spoken by Jefus. But in his 12th chapter, after recording what Jefus had taught the people, he fays-as of himself These things fpake Jefus and departed, and did hide himself from them. But though he had done fo many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him that the saying

F 4

'faying of Efaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake-Lord who hath believed our · report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord 'been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Efaias faid again-He (God) hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts, that they should not fee with their eyes, nor underftand with their heart, and be converted, and I fhould heal them.' These things faid Efaias when he faw his (God's) glory, and spake of him. Thus what St. John fays is likewife ftrongly for the first case: therefore they could not believe. St. Paul is clearly for the first case, as it accords with his conftant doctrine of election and grace. Upon these he is very explicit in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th verfes of the 11th chapter in his epiftles to the Romans- Even fo

then at this prefent time alfo there is a rem

nant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no more of works; • otherwife grace is no more grace: but if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Ifrael hath not obtained that which he feeketh for; 'but the election hath obtained it, and the reft were 'blinded: according as it is written-God hath

given them the fpirit of flumber; eyes that < they should not fee, and ears that they should not hear,' unto this day. St. Paul however, at Rome, quoted this faying of Efaias in ano

ther

ther way to the Jews who refifted the evidences he then offered to them in favour of Christianity, (Vide Acts, ch. xxviii.) But in the 11th and 12th verses of the 2d chapter of his fecond epiftle to the Theffalonians, he fays (believe it who will) And for this caufe God fhall fend them ftrong delufion, that they fhould believe a lie, 'that they all might be damned, who believed

not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighte'oufnefs.' Thus every information I can obtain from the fcriptures, relative to this subject, enforces me to determine; that the first case is uniformly fupported, and the fecond cafe is merely a mifquotation of St. Matthew's. Unhappy fituation! wretched people! Jefus faid to them, ch. X. v. 32, 33. Whofoever fhall confefs me be'fore men, him will I confefs before my Father which is in Heaven. But whofoever fhall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my father which is in Heaven.' And foon after, ch. xi. v. 27, he tells them- No man 'knoweth the Son but the Father.' If this were fo; if they were to be punished for not doing, that which they had no power to do*: nay that which their God prevented them from doing,

St. John, in his 8th chapter, tells us that Jefus endeavouring to convert fome Jews, faid to them

ye not understand my fpeech?' Adding, as an his own question,

Why do

answer to

even because ye cannot hear my word.'

they

Chapter Verfe they might with reafon exclaim-Where is the mercy! Nay-Where is the equity of our God! And is he still the partial, the vindictive God of Ifrael! But rather than fuppofe this, I will fuppose the fcriptures are not genuine; or I must suppose the evangelifts, or even Jesus himself, were mifled by the rhapfody of Ifaiah, dictated by folly or knavery-faying, In the temple he faw the Lord of Hofts, and from him received this direction- Go tell this people; hear ye in

6

deed, but understand not; and fee ye indeed, but perceive not.' Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their

eyes: left they fee with their eyes, and hear with 'their ears, and understand with their heart, and

convert, and be healed.' Upon this fandy bottom, St. Paul erected the fuperftructure of predestination, election, and grace. To demolish them, the rain need not defcend, the floods come, or the winds beat; one breath of common fenfe turns up the foundation, and buries the trio in its ruins. In this age, the gloom of fuperftition is difpelled, and the minds of men are exercised with freedom. We perceive-not the God of Abraham, of Ifaac, and of Jacob only; not the God of Ifrael, partial, fanguinary, and revengeful; but the God of all mankind. Impartial, juft, and merciful to all his creatures. We will now refume St. Matthew's historyWhen Jefus had finished those parables, he departed

parted thence into his own country, where he Chapter Verfe taught the people in their fynagogue. But they,

On

knowing him to be the son of a carpenter, and
that his mother, and brethren, and fifters were with
them, were offended at his prefumption.
which account, it is faid. He did not many xiii.
'mighty works there becaufe of their unbelief.'
Vide Mark's account of this affair. If this was
not a second attempt at Nazareth, St. Luke
differs exceedingly from Matthew and Mark.
John is filent. St. Matthew
St. Matthew begins his 14th.
chapter with- At that time Herod the tetrarch xiv.
heard of the fame of Jefus, and faid unto his
'fervants. This is John the Baptift, he is rifen
from the dead, and therefore mighty works do
'fhew forth themfelves in him.' Is it likely that
Herod fhould exprefs himself in this manner?
Herod, who firft imprisoned John for his pre-
fumption, and afterwards gave his head for a
dance could he believe that mighty works were
done by him, or that he was rifen from the dead ?
Mark, as ufual, gives nearly the fame account,
with a few additions. But Luke, ch. ix. v. 7.
tells us Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all
that was done by him (Jesus) and he was per-
plexed because it was faid of fome that John
was risen from the dead: and of fome that
Elias had appeared and of others, that one of

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the