30 A View of tbe DEisricAL Writers. Let. 2.

and to all his worldly expectations, connections, and intereſts. To which it may be added, that he gave the higheſt poſſible proof of his own ſincere belief of the fact as he has related it, by his inviolable adherence to that religion, to which he was by this extraordinary means converted; though he expoſed him- ſelf by it to the bittereſt perſecutions, and to the greateſt and moſt various labours and fufferings that any one man ever en- dured; and which he bore with an invincible conſtancy, and even with a divine exultation and joy, ſupported by the teſti- mony of a good conſcience, and the hope of a glorious reward in the heavenly world.

Upon the whole, let us put the ſuppoſition that Lord Herbert, in the account he hath given of what happened to him, has had the ſtricteſt regard to truth, which for my part I have no doubt of; and that the account St. Paul hath given of the extraordi- nary appearance to him from heaven is alſo true; there is this vaſt difference between the caſes; that granting all that hap- pened to Lord Herbert to have been as he relates it, there is nothing in it but what may be accounted for in ſome ſuch manner as that mentioned above, without ſuppoſing any thing ſupernatural in the caſe; but granting the truth of the relation which St. Paul gives of the divine appearance to him, with the effects that followed upon it, there is no poſſibility of account- ing for it in a natural way, or indeed in any other manner, than by owning an extraordinary and ſupernatural interpoſition. Though therefore the former, granting it to be true, can by no means be depended upon as a certain mark of the approbation of beaven given to Lord Herbert's book; yet the latter, ſup- poſing it in like manner true, affordeth a convincing proof of an extraordinary atteſtation given from heaven to the divine miſſion and glory of a crucified Jefus, and to the truth and divine original of the Chriſtian revelation.

I may perhaps be thought to have expatiated too much in my reflections on this occaſion. But I hope I fhall be excuſed, when jt is conſidered, that the incident is of ſo uncommon a nature; that it relateth to a perſon of Lord Herbert's character and eminency; and that the account of it is extracted from memo- rials written by himſelf.

Iihall make no farther remarks on the anonymous letter than to obſerve, that the writer of it makes mention of the anſwers to Lord Herbert, publiſhed by Mr. Baxter and Mr. Halyburton. He alſo takes notice of the Weehfy Miſcellany, as having lately appeared againſt him. Thé two former I have

taken