ion of the
New Testament, after what he conceived to be a sufficient
examination of its evidence for a divine origin. He had terminated
an examination of the controversy with the Deists to his own
satisfaction, i.e. he felt convinced that their objections were not
insurmountable, when he turned his attention to the consideration
of the ancient, and obscure controversy between the Christians and
the Jews. His curiosity was deeply interested to examine a subject
in truth so little known, and to ascertain the causes, and the
reasons, which had prevented a people more interested in the truth
of Christianity than any other from believing it: and he set down to
the subject without any suspicion, that the examination would not
terminate in convincing him still more in favour of what were then
his opinions. After a long, thorough, and startling examination of
their Books, together with all the answers to them he could obtain
from a Library amply furnished in this respect, he was finally very
reluctantly compelled to feel persuaded, by proofs he could neither
refute, nor evade, that how easily soever Christians might answer
the Deists, so called, the Jews were clearly too hard for them.
Because they set the Old and New Testament in opposition, and
reduce Christians to this fatal dilemma.--Either the Old Testament
contains a Revelation from God; or it does sot. If it does, then the
New Testament cannot be from God, because it is palpably, and
importantly repugnant to the Old Testament in doctrine, and some
other things. Now Jews, and Christians, each of them admit the
Old Testament as containing a divine Revelation; consequently the
Jews cannot, and Christians ought not to receive and allow any
thing as a Revelation from God which flatly contradicts a former
by them acknowledged Revelation: because it cannot be supposed
that God will contradict himself. On the other hand--if the Old
Testament be not from God, still the New Testament must go
down, because it asserts that the Old Testament is a revelation
from God, and builds upon it as a foundation. And if the
foundation fails, how can the house, stand? The Author pledges
himself to the Reader, to prove, that they establish this dilemma
completely. And he cannot help thinking, that there is reason to
believe, that if both sides of this strangely neglected controversy
had been made public in times past, and become known, that the
consequences would have been long ago fatal at leas