The Truth of the Christian Religion

PREFACE

CHRISTIAN READER.

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^^^Se general acceptation this piece of GrotiuS has met with in the world eaconraged this transla- tion of it, together with the notes, which, heiog a collection of ancient testimoniex, npon whose autho- rity and truth the genuineness of the books of holy Scripture depends, are very useful in order to the convincing any one of the truth of the Cliristian re- ligion. These notes are for the most part Grotiiis's own, except some few of mr. Le Clerc's, which I have, therefore, translated also, because I have followed his edition, as the most correct.

The design of the book is to shew the reasonable- ness of believing and embracing the Christian Reli- (;ioa above any other; which our author does, by ajingbeforeusali the evidence that can be brought, both internal and external, and declaring the suf- ficiency of it; by enumerating all the marks of ge- nuineness in any books, and applying them to the sacred writings; and by making appear the defi- ciency of all other institutions of religion, whether Pagan, Jewish, or Mahometan. So that the sub- ■tance of the whole is briefly this : That as certain as is the truth of natural principles, and that the

I mind can judge of what is agreeable to them; as certain as is the evidence of men's bodily senses, in the most plain and obvious matters of fact ; and as cartainly as men's integrity and sincerity may be ttwovered, and their accounts delivered down to

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posterity faithfully; so certain are we of ihe trutb of the Christian religion; and that, if it be not true, there is no sach thing as true religion in the world; neither was there ever, or can there ever be, any revelation proved to be from heaven.

This is the anthnr's design, to prove the troth of the Christian religion in general, against Atheists,. Deists, Jews, or Mahometans ; and he does not enter into any of the disputes which Christians hav^ among themselves, bnt con6neB himself wholly tO. the other. Now, as the state of Christianity at pre^ sent is, were a heathen or Mahometan convinced of the truth of the Christian religion in general, he' would yet be exceedingly at a loss to know whal^ society of Christians to join himself with ; so miser^. ably divided are they amongst themselves, and ae-J parated into so many seels and parties, which differ almost as widely from each other as heathens from' Christians, and who are so zealous and contentioui for their own particular opinions, and bear so muoV hatred and ill-will towards those that differ front? them, that there is very little of the trne spirit of charity, which is the bond of peace, to be found amongst any of them: this is a very great scandal to the professons of Christianity, and has been ex- ceedingly disserviceable to the Christian religion; insomuch that great numbers have been hindered from embracing the gospel, and many tempted to cast it off, because they saw the professors of it in general agree so little amongst themselves : this con- sideration induced mr. Le Clerc to add a seventh book to those of Grotius; wherein he treats of this matter, and shews what it becomes every honest man to do in such a case; and I have translated it for the same reason. All that I shall here add, shall be only briefiv to inquire into the cause of so much division in the church of Christ, and to shew what J

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•eems to me the ODly remedy to heal it. First, to «xamine into the cause why the cbarch of Christ is (o much divided : A man needs bat a little knowledge «f the state of the Christian church, to see that there is Just reason fur the same complaint St.Paal made in the primitive times of the church of Co- rinth : that some were for Paul, some for Apollos, and some for Cephas; so very early did the spirit of faction creep into the church of God, and disturb the peace of it, by setting its members at variance with each other, who aught to have been all of the same common tUth into which they were baptized ; and I wish it could not be said that the same spirit has too much remained amongst Christians ever since. It is evident tliat tlie foundation of the divi- sioDS in the church of Corinth was their forsaking their common Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, into whose name alone they were baptized, and uniting themselves, some under one eminent apostle or teacher, and some under another, by whom they had been instructed in the doctrine of Christ, whereby they were distinguished into diiTerent sects, under their several denominations: this St. Paul complains of as a thing in itself very bad, and of pernicious consequence; for hereby the body of Christ, tliat is, the Christian church, the doctrine of which is one and the same at all times and in all places, is rent and divided into several parts, that clash and inter- fere with each otlier ; which is the only method, if permitted to have its natural efTect, that can over- throw and destroy it. And from the same cause have arisen all the divisions that are or have been in the church ever since. Had Christians been con- tented to own bat one Lord, even Jesus Christ, and made the doctrine delivered by him tlie sole rale of ftitb, wtthont any fictions or inventions of men, it I impossible but that the church of Christ

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mast have been one universal, regular, iinifona 1 thing', and not such a mixture and confusion as V8 I now behold it. …