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Show embraces the Chriltia11 Rel igion, and in the Sincerity and Honelly of his Heart defircs to believe and unde1 fi and it as it is in Scripture, without Parti al ity for or againlt any particular Doctrin es or Opinions pretended to be revealed in it, and who carnefrly !hives to his utrnofi Power to form his Mind, and regulate his Pratlice according to its Laws ; fuch a Perfon without doubt is n ot far fr om th e K ingdom of God. We find 111 Scnpture, that Faith or Belief is ge~ erally put ~or the whole of Religion; and very Julily: For 1t JS the Foundation upon which the whole mull -rell ; and wherever it polfdfes the Mind of a Perfon in its full Strengih and Evidence, it will influence and over-rule his whole Condutl, and affetl his whole CharaCler · and that the firm Belief of genuine Chri,llianity is the moll elfetlual Means that can be imagined for ennobling and perfetling the human Nature is undeniably pl ain from comparing the Cha~ raCier of the Bulk of Mankind in heathenilh Count ries, where the L ight of Chrillianity has not !hone, and m pop•ih, where it has been extinguifhed by Error and Superllition; with the '?haratler of the Bulk of the Chrillians of the fJTil Ages, who enjoyed it in its original Purity as they all !land together in Hillary. And tha~ the Lives and Charatlers of pretended Chriftians in fucceeding Times have come fo far fhor t of thofe of the primitive Ages, is owing alone to. tile Want of that firong and fieddy Belief of it in its ori gi nal Puri ty, which they had. For its natural Efl'etl and Tendency has ever been, and ever wtll be the fame. And wherever it is underfiood and embraced, as it was at fi rfi delivered by its divine Author, it will produce its. Effect. Elfetl. And wherever it is fairly propofed, undifguifed, and uninjured by the Inventions of Men; with all its E vidences, and all its Excellencies, let in a firong and proper L ight, it will not fai l to produce Convitlion in any teachable 3nu unprej udiced Mind. 1 will therefore here add the following Abridgement of fame of the moll: ll:rikin:r and convincing Proofs of the T ruth of Chrill:ianity, which, though fa r from complete or copious, as indeed the prefent is not a proper Opportunity for trea ting the Subjetl very largely, will yet (I am perfuaded) be fu ffic ient thoroughly to fa tisfy your own Mind , and likewife to enable you to give a rational Account of the G rounds of your Belief, to any one, who {hall quefiion it. In the fir ll Place, if it is plain from the Paffages here quoted from the New T ellamenP, th at J efus Chri!l declares himfel f to be the Saviour of the World, and the Meffen ger of God to Mankind, and if it can be !hewn, that he has brought irrefiftible Proofs of his Commillion, it is certainly the indifpulolble Duty of all Men, to whom thefe Proofs are propofed, to believe him, and to obey his L aws. Next, if it can be !hewn, That no Perfon ever gave fu ch great and fuch amiable Views of the Supreme Being, nor fuch conftll:ent Notions of fp iritual things and of Futurity, as he did k, 1 See Note ( b) page 39· k Mal/h. iv. 4i v. 3-1 2, 19, zo. 4~ · 48. vi. 6-9. '5· 18. z6. 3'• vii .I I.% t-z8. v iJj,1 1, X.15.28 - 33 · XI.ZZ. xii . Z)· 30 . 3z. 36. xiii. 37-51. xvi ii. 14 . 3S· xix. 14. xxii. 29-32. xxxiv. zg-36. xxv. 1-46. Lultl as |