462 The Prejudicesagainft Chri/tianity conflder'd V®1. I. Sixthly, The Divifrons and Fa&ions that are among Chri(tians. Seventhly, The wicked Lives of the greateft part of the Profeffors of Chrifti- anity. In anfwer to all which, T do not propofe to fay all that may be faid, but as briefly as I can to offer fo much, as may, if not give full Satisfa&ion, yet be fuflï,áent to break the Force of them, and to free the Minds of Men from any great Perplexity about them. As to theFirfi, which relates to the Incarnation ofour Saviour; and theSecond to the Time of his Appearance; I know that thefe and molt of the reft I have men- tion'd, were urg'd by the Heathen againft Chriftianity : But they are nowmore eC pecially infifted upon bothby the fecret and open Enemies of our Religion. John r.14. The Obje&ions againft his Incarnation I have elfewhere conuider'd. And there- se' m. Ill. fore (hall proceed to the next, viz. Secondly, As to the Time of our Saviour's appearance, it is obje led, If he be the only way and Means of Salvation, why did he come no fooner into the World; but fuller Mankind fo long without any Hopes or Meansof being Saved? This was obje&ed by Porphyry of old, and (till flicks in the Minds of Men. To this I anfwer, a. It is not fit for Creatures to call their Creator to too ftri& an Account of his Allions. Goodnefs is free, and may A&when and how it pleafeth; and as God will have Mercy on whom he will have Mercy, fo he may haveMercy at what Time he pleafeth, and is not bound to give us an Account of his Matters. This is much like the Obje&ion of the Atheift againft the BeingofGod; That if there were fuch an Infinite and Eternal Being, he would furely have made the World fooner, and not have been without all Employment for fo long a duration: Such another Objeftion is this againft our Saviour, That if he had been the Son of God, he would have begun this great and merciful Work of the Redemption of Mankind fooner, and not have delay'd it fo long, and fuffer'd Mankind to peri(h för four Thoufand Years together. But it Teems in theone as well as the other, God took his own time, and he heft knew what time was fitteft. TheScripture tells us, That in the fulnefr of Time, God feet his Son : When things were ripe for it, and all things accomplifht that God thought requifite in order to it. In judgingof the A&ions of our Earthly Governours, thofe whoare at a diftance from theirCouncils, what Conje&ores fo- ever they may make of the Keafons of them, will neverthelefs, if they have that Refpell for their Wifdomwhich they ought, believe, that how ftrange foever Tome of their Allions may feem, yet theywere done upon good Reafon, and that they themfelves, if they knew the Secrets of their Counfels, mould think fo. Much more do we owe that Reverence to the Infinite Wifdomof God, to believe . that the Counfels of hisWill aregrounded upon very good Reafon, tho' we do not fee many Times what it is. 2. It is not true that the World was wholly deflituteof a way and Means of Salvation beforeour Saviour's coming. Before the Law of Mofes was given, Men were capable of being received to theMercy and Favour of God, upon their Obe- dience to the Law of Nature, and their fincere Repentance for the Violationof it, by virtue of the Lamb that was (lain from the Foundation of the World. Men were faved by Chrift bothbefore and under the Law, without any particular and exprefs Knowledgeofhim. There weregoodMen in other Nations, aswell as among the Jews, as fob, and hisFriends alto, feem tohave been. In all Ages of theWorld, and in everyNation, they that fearedGod,andwroughtRighteoufnefs were accepted of him. TheSacrificeof Chrift which is the Meritorious Caufe of theSalvation ofMankind, looksback as well as forward ; and God was reconcileable to Men, and their Sins were pardon'd, by Virtue of this great Propitiation that was to be made. In which Senfe perhapsit is, thatChrifl is faid to be the Lamb fain from the Foundation ofthe World, Heb. 9. 35, 26. theApoftle intimates to us,that ifthis Sacrifice whichwas offe- red in the laft Ages of theWorld, hadnotbeen available in formerAges,Chrifl muff have often fuffer'd fine the Foundationof the World : but nowbath he appeared once in the Conclufion of the Ages, to put away Sin by the Sacrifice of himfelf. 3. He did appear at that Time in which the World flood in need of him; when the whole World, both Jews and Gentiles, were funk into the greateft Deli ato
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