The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Introduction
• Advertisement
• The Divine Feudal Law Represented
• §1.
• §2.
• §3
• §4
• §5
• §6
• §7
• §8
• §9
• §10
• §11
• §12
• §13
• §14.
• §15
• §16
• §17
• §18
• §19
• §20
• §21
• §22
• §23
• §24.
• §25
• §26
• §27
• §28
• §29
• §30
• §31
• §32
• §33
• §34
• §35
• §36
• §37
• §38
• §39.
• §40
• §41
• §42
• §43
• §44
• §45
• §46
• §47
• §48
• §49
• §50
• §51
• §52
• §53
• §54
• §55
• §56
• §57
• §58
• §59
• §60
• §61
• §62
• §63
• §64
• §65
• §66
• §67
• §68
• §69
• §70
• §71
• §72
• §73
• §74
• §75
• §76
• §77
• §78
• §79
• §80
• §81
• §82
• §83
• §84
• §85
• §86
• §87
• §88
• §89
• §90
• §91
• §92
• §93
• §94

§19

There are no good Reasons to call in Question the Divine Revelations.That Revelation concerning Divine Worship came with such Indications of its solidity and certainty to those whom it was immediately made to, as left them no Suspicion, or so much as a probable Fear, that they were deceiv’d. And among those to whom it was brought by Tradition from Hand to Hand in the first Ages of the World, and to whom it has been afterwards deliver’d by Writing, besides the Nature of the Things therein contain’d, and many other Marks of Truth attending it, there is this moreover that may justly give it due Credit: That altho’ the Revelations were not all at once made to one particular Man, but they were given to several Men, and not at the same time, nor in the same place, and were given by Parts, yet there is such a Harmony and Uniformity among them, as that it is impossible so many Persons, in so distant Times and Places, should Conspire in a Fiction; it is impossible also to find such a Harmony and Agreement among the Imaginations which proceed from Melancholy, since that is wont to offer to the Fancy a Thousand disagreeing and incoherent Forms of Things. And it may be added, that in those Revelations there are many Predictions made of Things long before they came to pass in the Event, and while there was as yet no appearing Disposition towards them to give Ground for conjecture that such Things might come to pass, and which yet did so exactly according to the Prediction. Which are Things that can certainly be referr’d to no other Cause but that which has the Government of the Universe, and to whose Knowledge all Things past, present, and future, are expos’d. See Isa. 41:22, 23, 26. and 42:9. and 44:7, 28. and 45:1. and 46:10. But to the End and Design of such Revelation it is necessary that it be so clear, as that the Will of God, as far as is sufficient to that end, may be plainly and manifestly known by it; and so that it do manifestly represent this so far as may suffice to teach Men what that Worship is which will be approv’d of God. The Treasury of these Revelations is the Holy Scriptures, about the Divine Original of which, and their Authority, and other Attributes, there is no Controversie between the Protestants; excepting that which relates to the unequal Efficacy of Scripture upon the Minds of Men, upon Supposition of an absolute Decree, which those call’d the Reform’d have rais’d.