Senn. CLAM. Of the Chriflian Faith, &c. qm mation of it. And fo we may look upon there two Verrès as a conclufion of the whole Hiftory of the Gofpel writ by the four Evangelirls: For as for the Chap- ter following, it feems not tobe written by St. john himfelf, but by the Church, probably as Grotiw conje&ures by the Church of Ephefus, where he had refided% and whom he had acquainted with the particulars which are there fet down ; the principal of which is, the Predi&ion of our Saviour concerning his long Life, for the fake of which the reft of the story feems to be brought in 5 which parti- cular was not fit to be recorded till after his Death 5 I fay, it teems probable that Sr. yohn ended his Gofpel here, and that the lait Chapter was added by others, as the laft Chapter of the Pentateuchwas added by force other after the deathof Males; and the tail Chapter of yofhua after his death. And this feems very e- úident from the a.4rh. of the Chapter; where, after a relation of our Saviour's Pradi&ion, concerning the Difciple whom 5efur loved, 'cis added, this is the Df, ciple which teftifieth theft things, and wrote theft, things, (that is the fore- going Hiftory of the Gofpel) andwe know that his Teftimony is true 5 Which feems plainly to be fpoken by Come other Perfons : for it were improper for him to fay this of himfelf, ri'e know that his teflimony is true. So that here feems to be the end of the Hiftory of Christ which St. John wrote 5 and thefe two Verles feem to be the conclufion of the whole Gofpel written by the four Evangelirls 5 and 'then the fence of them will be this; Many other figns truly did Jefue in the pretence of his Difciples, which are not written in this Book 5 that is, The Difciples were Witnef3esof many other -Miracles which Christ wrought, which they did not think neceffary to fet down in this Book, that is, in this Hiftory of Chrift written by the four Evangelirls: But theft`are writ- ten that ye might believe that lefua is the.Chrift, the Son of God, and that belie- ving, ye might have life through his Name; that is, thefe things which are recor- ded in this Hiftory, this account 'which is here given of the Life and Actions and Do&rine and Miracles of Christ, is fufficient to bring men to the Faith of the Gofpel, to fatisfie men that -Chrifl was the McJas, the Son of God, and con- fequently that his Doarine is true. And that this conclufion doth refer to the whole Hifiory of the Gofpel writ ten :by the four Evangeli(ls, I am induced to believe upon thefe-two accounts. rì Becaufe -St. yobn's Gofpel doth not feem to be intended for a Hiftory. of theLife and Actions of Christ; but an Appendix to the Hiftory which had been written before by the other Evangelifts, and to fupply only what they had o- mitted. Therefore you shall find that he gives no account of the Genealogy or Birth of our Saviour, nor of his Sermon upon the Mount, which did con tain the fern of his Do&rine, nor of any of his Miracles or his other Difcourfes which are related by the other Evangelirls; nor Both he relate any more of the Hiftory of his Life, than was just neceffary to bring in, and connect thofe things which he thought fit to fuperadd to the former Hiftory. So that confi- deriitg how defe&ive this Gofpel, taken by it felf, is in the moll effential parts of the Hillory of the Life, and Dodrine, and A&ions of Chrift, no Man can think that St. yohn did intend this for a full and fufficient account of the Life and Do&rine and Miracles of Christ 5 or that upon this imperfect relation, in which he had knowingly omitted many of the moll material and confiderable things belonging to the Hiftory of Chrift, he could expe& that men should receive full fatisfaction concerning him. Therefore I think it is highly reaffirm. ble, and almoft neceffary to conclude, that when he fays, Theft things are writ- ten, that you might believe that 5tefua'is the Chrifl, the Son of Gods, he does not folely refer to the Gofpel which was, written by himfelf : but to the whole HIP tory of the Gofpel, which was put together into one Book or Volume, which was compleated by this Appendix. z. Another reafon I have for this, which doth much ftrengthen this conjec`lure, is what i find in Eafebiva, in the IS. Chapter of the third Book of his Hiftory, where he tells us to this purpofe, " That St. john, who lived the last of the Apofles, did revife what they had written of the Hiftory .of Chrift, and added his Gofpel as an Appendix to the refl. J
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