་ dangerous errors; and if he bas any wrong notions, there is reafon to hope that they proceed not from a bad mind, but are only the Iffues of unfortunate Inquiry. JOHN JORTIN. P ERRATA. AGE 56. note. line 16. read σwrneías. p. 68. note. 1. 11. r. elegantiam. p. 124. 1. 12. r. hearts. p. 147. 1. 13. r. confpicuous. p. 175. not. 1. 1. r. négaus. ADDENDA. Page 51. 1. 17. for all wickedness. * fome were remarkable * Dedimus profecto grande patientiæ documentum, et ficut vetus ætas vidit quid ultimum în libertate effet, ita nos quid in fervitute, ademto per inquifitiones et loquendi audiendique commercio. Memoriam quoque ipfam cum voce perdidiffemus, fi tam in noftrâ poteftate effet oblivifci quam tacere. Tacitus Vit. Jul. Agric. z. P. 57. not. 1. 11. add: The civility and decency of Athenagoras is no less remarkable in his Apology. P. 83. not. laft 1. add: Father Paul, being asked by a friend how he could hold communion with the church of Rome, reply'd: Deus non dedit mihi spiritum Lutheri. See Burnet's Life of Bedell, p. 16. The Prejudices of the Jews and W GENTILES. JEWS HEN we read over the history of Chrift, and confider the variety of beneficial miracles which he wrought, and his mild and inoffenfive behaviour, it must at first fight seem very ftrange that the Jews fhould reject him and put him to death; that they, who had so long expected and fo greatly defired the coming of the Meffias, fhould perfecute and kill him when he appeared amongst them, and fo well confirmed his right to the character which he affumed. When we confider farther how the Apostles afterwards confirmed the truth of his refurrection, how many miracles they wrought, teaching the fame holy doctrines as their Master had taught, and imitating his good example, and how innocent and virtuous the behaviour of the firft Chriftians was, it seems alfo ftrange that the Jewish nation should not have yielded to fuch evidence, B And And though the Apoftles had great fuccefs in the heathen world, and brought over multitudes to the faith, yet it appears unaccountable that more of the Gentiles were not moved to receive the Gospel by the miracles which they wrought in its behalf, and that few of the rich, of the great, and of the learned were at first converted. We are inclined to think that if we had lived in those days, and feen what the Jews and Gentiles then faw, we should readily have embraced the Gofpel, and that if any perfon in our fight should heal all diftempers, and remove all infirmities, and raise the dead, we should fubmit to any thing that he commanded, and receive any thing that he taught, unless it were plainly abfurd and contrary to common fenfe. They who reject the Gospel, object to the miracles recorded in it, that the bulk of the Jewish nation was not converted by them, and that in the Pagan world the poorer and meaner fort of the people were chiefly the first profelytes to the Chriftian religion, and the learned and powerful for the most *See Limborch Collat. cum Judæo, p. 63. where the Jew ufes this kind of argument. part |