and various instances these exceptions do but confirm the general truth that such there are I have said so much of them in two other Writings that I shall now say no more but this That those Judges ordinarily condemn them to die who themselves have been most incredulous of such things that so great numbers were condemned in Suffolk Norfolk and Essex about twenty years ago that left the business past all doubt to the Judges Auditors and Reverend Ministers yet living who were purposely sent with them for the fuller inquisition That the testimonies are so numerous and beyond exception recorded in the many Volumes written on this subject by the Malleus Maleficorum Bodin Remigius and other Judges who condemned them that I owe no man any further proof than to desire him to read the foresaid Writings wherein he shall find Men and Women Gentlemen Scholars Doctors of Divinity of several qualities and tempers all confessedly guilty and put to death for this odious sin And he shall find what compacts they made with the Devil promising him their Souls or their service and renouncing their Covenant with God All which doth more than intimate that men have Souls to save or lose and that there is an Enemy of Souls who is most sollicitous to destroy them or else to what end would all this be When people are in wrath and malice desirous of revenge or in great discontents or too eagerly desirous after overhasty knowledge in any needless speculation the Devil hath the advantage to appear to them and offer them his help and draw them into some contract with him implicit at least if not explicit I have my self been too incredulous of these things till cogent evidence constrained my belief Though it belong not to us to give account why Satan doth it or why upon no more or why God permitteth it yet that so it is in point of fact it cannot be rationally denyed And therefore we have so much sensible evidence that there is a happiness and misery after this life which the Devil believeth though Atheists do not 2. And though some are as incredulous of Apparitions yet evidence hath confuted all incredulity I could make mention of many but for the notoriety I will name but two which it is easie to be satisfied about The one is the Apparition in the shape of Collonel Bowen in Glamorganshire to his Wife and Family speaking walking before them laying hold on them hurting them in time of Prayer the man himself then living from his Wife in Ireland being one that from Sect to Sect had proceeded to Infidelity if not to Atheism and upon the hearing of it came over but durst not goe to the place The thing I have by me described largely and attested by learned godly Ministers that were at the place and is famous past contradiction 2. But to name no more he that will read a small Book called The Devil of Mascon written by Mr. Perreand and published by Dr. Peter Moulin will see an instance past all question The Devil did there for many months together at certain hours of the day hold discourse with the inhabitants and publikely disputed with a Papist that challenged him and when he had done turn'd him and cast him down so violently that he went home distracted He would sing and jest and talk familiarly with them as they do with one another He would answer them questions about things done at a distance and would carry things up and down before them and yet never seen in any shape All this was done in the house of the said Mr. Perreand a Reverend faithfull Minister of the Protestant Church in the hearing of persons of both Professions Papists and Protestants that ordinarily came in for above three months at Mascon a City of France And at last upon earnest Prayer it ceased Mr. Perreands piety and honesty was well known and attested to me by the Right Honourable the Earl of Orrery now Lord President of Munster in Ireland and attested to the World by his most learned worthy honourable Brother Mr. Robert Boyl in an Epistle before the Book neither of them persons apt to be over-credulous of such unusual things yet both fully satisfied of the truth of this story by Mr. Perreands own Narratives with whom they were very familiar See the other Testimonies cited in my Saints Rest Part 2. Q. But how doth this signifie that there is any future state for man Answ 1. Commonly these Apparitions do expresly referr to some sin or duty which are regardable in order to a further Life Sometimes they come to terrifie Murderers or other great Offenders and sometimes the Devil hath killed men outright which yet were no more painfull than another death if it fetcht not their souls into a greater misery sometimes they are used to tempt people to sin to witchcraft to revenge to idolatry and superstition to which use they are common among many of the Indians And all this intimateth some further hurt which sin doth men after this present life which they take not here for their pain but their pleasure 2. Many of these Apparitions say that they are the souls of such and such persons that have lived here If it be so then the question is granted And whether it be so I suppose is to us uncertain For why a condemned Soul may not appear as well as Satan notwithstanding that both of them are in that state of misery which is called Hell I yet could never hear any sure proof But because this is uncertain 3. At least it sheweth us that these evil Spirits are neer us and able to molest us and therefore are ordinarily restrained and that their natures are not as to any elevation so distant from ours but that a converse there may be and therefore that it is very probable that when the souls of the Wicked are separated from their bodies they shall be such as they or have more converse with them and that the good Spirits shall be the companions of the souls of men that here were not far unlike themselves When we perceive that we live among such invisible Spirits it is the easier to believe that we shall live with such of them hereafter as we are most like 3. I may adde to these the instance of satanical Possessions For though many diseases may have of themselves very terrible and strange effects yet that the Devil I mean some evil Spirit doth operate in many is past all contradiction some will speak Languages which they never learnt some will tell things done far off some will have force and actions which are beyond their proper natural ability Most great Physicians how incredulous soever have been forced to confess these things and abundance of them have written particular instances And the manner of their transportations their horrid blasphemies against God with other carriages do commonly intimate a life to come and a desire that Satan hath to
nor they could not come to be acquainted with Physical impossibilities are not the matter of crimes or of condemnation § 19. If any persons are brought by these means alone to repent unfeignedly of an ungodly uncharitable and intemperate life and to love God unfeignedly as their God above all and to live a holy obedient life God will not condemn such persons though they wanted supernatural Revelation of his will As I shewed before § 6. § 20. When sinners stand at many degrees distant from God and a holy life and mercy would draw them nearer him by degrees they that have help and mercy sufficient in suo genere to have drawn them nearer God and refused to obey it do forfeit the further helps of mercy and may justly perish and be forsaken by him though their help was not immediately sufficient to all the further degrees of duty which they were to do These things as clear in their proper light I stand not to prove because I would not be unnecessarily tedious to the Reader And so much of GODLINESS or Religion as revealed by Natural Light Obj. But all Heathens and Infidels find not all this in the Book of Nature which you say is there Answ I speak not of what men do see but what they may see if they will improve their Reason All this is undeniably legible in the Book of Nature but the infant the ideot the illiterate the scholar the smatterer the Doctor the considerate the inconsiderate the sensual the blinded and the willing diligent enquirer do not equally see and read that which is written in the same characters to all PART II. Of CHRISTIANITY and Supernatural Revelation CHAP. I. Of the great need of a clearer Light or fuller Revelation of the Will of God than all that hath been opened before WHILST I resolved upon a deep and faithful search into the grounds of all Religion and a review and trial of all that I had my self believed I thought meet first to pass by Persons and shut up my Books and with retired Reason to read the Book of Nature only and what I have there found I have justly told you in the former Part purposely omitting all that might be controverted by any considerable sober reason that I might neither stop my self nor my Reader in the way and that I might not deceive my self with plausible consequences of unsound or questionable antecedents nor discourage my Reader by the casting of some doubtful passages in his way which might tempt him to question all the rest For I know what a deal of handsome structure may fall through the falsness of some one of the supports which seemed to stand a great way out of sight And I have been wearied my self with subtil discourses of learned men who in a long series of Ergo's have thought that they have left all sure behind them when a few false suppositions were the life of all And I know that he who interposeth any doubtful things doth raise a diffidence in the Reader 's mind which maketh him suspect that the ground he standeth on is not firm and whether all that he readeth be not meer uncertain things Therefore leaving things controvertable for a fitter place and time I have thus far taken up so much as is plain and sure which I find of more importance and usefulness to my own information and confirmation than any of those controvertible points would be if I could never so certainly determine them And now having perused the Book of Nature I shall cast up the account and try what is yet wanting and look abroad into the opinions of others in the world and search whence that which is yet wanting may be most fully and safely and certainly supplied § 1. And first when I look throughout the world I find that though all the evidence aforesaid for the necessity of a holy virtuous life be unquestionable in naturâ rerum yet most of the world observe it not or discern but little of it nor much regard the light without or the secret witness of their consciences within Natural light or evidence is so unsuccessful in the world that it loudly telleth us something is yet wanting what ever it is We can discern what it is which is necessary to man's happiness but we can hardly discern whether de facto any considerable number at best do by the teaching of nature alone attain it When we enquire into the Writings of the best of the Philosophers we find so little evidence of real holiness that is of the foresaid Resignation Subjection and Love to God as God that it leaveth us much in doubt whether indeed they were holy themselves or not and whether they made the Knowledge Love Obedience and Praise of God the end and business of their lives However there is too great evidence that the world lieth in darkness and wickedness where there is no more than natural light § 2. I find therefore that the discovery of the will of God concerning our duty and our end called The Law of Nature is a matter of very great difficulty to them that have no supernatural light to help them Though all this is legible in Nature which I have thence transcribed yet if I had not had another Teacher I know not whether ever I should have found it there Nature is now a very hard book when I have learnt it by my Teachers help I can tell partly what is there but at the first perusal I could not understand it It requireth a great deal of time and study and help to understand that which when we do understand it is as plain to us as the high-way § 3. Thence it must needs follow that it will be but few that will attain to understand the necessary parts of the Law of Nature aright by that means alone and the multitude will be lest in darkness still The common people have not leisure for so deep and long a search into nature as a few Philosophers made nor are they disposed to it And though reason obligeth them in so necessary a case to break through all difficulties they have not so full use of their reason as to do it Obj. But as Christian Teachers do instruct the people in that which they cannot have leisure to search out themselves so why may not Philosophers who have leisure for the search in s truct the people quickly who have not leisure to find out the truth without instruction Answ Much might be done if all men did their best But 1. The difficulty is such that the learned themselves are lamentably imperfect and unsatisfi'd as I shall further shew 2. Though the vulgar cannot search out the truth without help yet is it necessary that by help they come to see with their own eyes and rest not in a humane belief alone especially when their Teachers are of so many minds that they know not which of them to believe To learn the truth
and blessedness of the Life to come that they say nothing of it that is ever likely to make any considerable number set their hearts on Heaven and to live a heavenly Life 9. They were so unacquainted with the nature and will of God that they taught and used such a manner of Worship as tended rather to delude and corrupt men than to sanctifie them 10. They medled so little with the inward sins and duties of the heart especially about the holy Love of God and their goodness was so much in outward acts and in meer respect to men that they were not like to sanctifie the Soul or make the Man good that his actions might be good but only to polish men for Civil Societies with the addition of a little Varnish of Superstition and Hypocrisie 11. Their very style is either suitable to dead speculation as a Lecture of Metaphysicks or sleight and dull and unlike to be effectual to convert and sanctifie mens Souls 12. Almost all is done in such a disputing sophistical way and clogg'd with so many obscurities uncertainties and self-contradictions and mixt in heaps of Physical and Logical Subtilties that they were unfit for the common peoples benefit and could tend but to the benefit of a few 13. Experience taught and still teacheth the World that Holy Souls and Lives that were sincerely set upon God and Heaven were strangers amongst the Disciples of the Philosophers and other Heathens Or if it be thought that there were some such among them certainly they were very few in comparison of true Christians and those few very dark and diseased and defective with us a Childe at ten years old will know more of God and shew more true piety than did any of their Philosophers with us poor women and labouring persons do live in that holiness and heavenliness of minde and conversation which the wisest of the Philosophers never did attain I spake of this before but here also thought meet to shew you the difference between the effect of Christs doctrine and the Philosophers 2. And that all this is justly to be imputed to Christ himself I shall now prove 1. He gave them a perfect pattern for his holy obedient heavenly Life in his own person and his conversation here on Earth 2. His Doctrine and Law requireth all this holiness which I described to you You finde the Prescript in his Word of which the holy Souls and Lives of men are but a transcript 3. All his Institutions and Ordinances are but means and helps to this 4. He hath made it the condition of mans Salvation to be thus holy in sincerity and to desire and seek after perfection in it He taketh no other for true Christians indeed nor will save any other at the last 5. All his comforting Promises of mercy and defence are made only to such 6. He hath made it the Office of his Ministers through the World to perswade and draw men to this Holiness And if you hear the Sermons and read the Books which any faithfull Minister of Christ doth preach or write you will soon see that this is the business of them all And you may soon perceive that these Ministers have another kinde of preaching and writing than the Philosophers had more clear more congruous more spiritual more powerfull and likely to win men to Holiness and Heavenliness When our Divines and their Philosophers are compared as to their promoting of true Holiness verily the latter seem to be but as Glow-worms and the former to be the Candles for the Family of God And yet I truly value the wisdom and virtue which I finde in a Plato a Seneca a Cicero an Antonine or any of them If you say our advantage is because coming after all we have the helps of all even of those Philosophers I answer mark in our Books and Sermons whether it be any thing but Christianity which we preach It is from Christ and Scripture that we fetch our Doctrine and not from the Philosophers we use their helps in Logick Physicks c. But that 's nothing to our Doctrine He that taught me to speak English did not teach me the Doctrine which I preach in English And he that teacheth me to use the Instruments of Logick doth not teach me the doctrine about which I use them And why did not those Philosophers by all their art attain to that skill in this Sacred work as the Ministers of Christ do when they had as much or more of the Arts than we I read indeed of many good Orations then used even in those of the Emperour Julian there is much good and in Antonine Arrian Epictetus Plutarch more And I read of much taking-Oratory of the Bonzii in Japan c. But compared to the endeavours of Christian Divines they are poor pedantick barren things and little sparks and the success of them is but answerable 7. Christ did before hand promise to send his Spirit into mens Souls to do all this work upon all his Chosen And as he promised just so he doth 8. And we finde by experience that it is the preaching of Christs doctrine by which the work is done It is by the reading of the sacred Scripture or hearing the Doctrine of it opened and applyed to us that Souls are thus changed as is before described And if it be by the medicines which he sendeth us himself by the hands of his own Servants that we are healed we need not doubt whether it be he that healed us His Doctrine doth it as the instrumental Cause for we finde it adapted thereunto and we finde nothing done upon us but by that Doctrine nor any remaining effect but what is the impression of it But his Spirit inwardly reneweth us as the Principal cause and worketh with and by the Word For we finde that the Word doth not work upon all nor upon all alike that are alike prepared But we easily perceive a voluntary distinguishing choice in the operation And we finde a power more than can be in the words alone in the effect upon our selves The heart is like the Wax and the Word like the Seal and the Spirit like the hand that strongly applyeth it We feel upon our hearts that though nothing is done without the Seal yet a greater force doth make the impression than the weight of the Seal alone could cause By this time it is evident that this work of Sanctification is the attestation of God by which he publickly owneth the Gospel and declareth to the World that Christ is the Saviour and his Word is true For 1. It is certain that this work of Renovation is the work of God For 1. It is his Image on the Soul It is the life of the Soul as flowing from his Holy Life wherein are contained the Trinity of Perfections It is the Power of the Soul by which it can overcome the Flesh the World and the Devil which without it none is able to do It is the
matter of fact indeed by common sense but their sufficiency and gifts by which they carried on their ministry were suddenly given them by the holy Ghost when Christ himself was ascended from them And Paul that had conferred with none of them yet preached the same Gospel being converted by a voice from heaven in the heat of his persecution 3. Their doctrine containeth so many and mysterious particulars that they could never have concorded in it all in their way 4. And their labours did so disperse them about the world that many new emergent cases must needs have cast them into several minds or ways if they had not agreed by the unity of that Spirit which was the common Teacher of them all § 25. 7. That the Disciples of Christ divulged his Miracles and Resurrection in the same Place and Age where the truth or falshood might soon have been search'd out and yet that the bitterest enemies either denied not or confuted not their report is apparent partly by their confessions and partly by the non-existence of any such confutations That the Disciples in that Age and Country did divulge these Miracles is denied by none for it was their employment and by it they gathered the several Churches and their writings not long after written declare it to this day That the enemies confuted not their report appeareth 1. not only in the Gospel-history which sheweth that they denyed not many of his Miracles but imputed them to conjuration and the power of Satan but also by the disputes and writings of the Jews in all Ages since which do go the same way 2. And if the enemies had been able to confute these Miracles no doubt but they would have done it having so much advantage wit and malice Object Perhaps they did and their writings never come to our knowledge Answ The unbelieving Jews were as careful to preserve their writings as any other men and they had better advantage to do it than the Christians had and therefore if there had been any such writings yea or verbal confutations the Jews of this age had been as like to have received them as all the other antient writings which they yet receive Josephus his testimony of Christ is commonly known and though some think it so full and plain that it is like to be inserted by some Christian yet they give no proof of their opinion and the credit of all copies justifieth the contrary except only that these words are like to have been thrust in This is Christ which some Annotator putting into the Margin might after be put into the Text. And that the Jews wanted not will or industry to confute the Christians appeareth by what Justin Martyr saith to Tryphon of their malice That they sent out into all parts of the world their choicest men to perswade the people against the Christians that they are Atheists and would abolish the Deity and that they were convict of gross impiety § 26. 8. The great diversity of believers and reporters of the Gospel Miracles doth the more fully evince that there was no conspiracy for deceit There were learned and unlearned Jews and Gentils rich and poor men and women some that followed Christ and some as Paul that perhaps never saw him and for all these to be at once inspired by the holy Ghost and thenceforth unanimously to accord and concur in the same doctrine and work doth shew a supernatural cause § 27. 9. There were dissentions upon many accidents and some of them to the utmost distance which would certainly have detected the fallacy if there had been any such in the matters of fact so easily detected 1. In Christ's own family there was a Judas who betrayed him for mony This Judas was one that had followed Christ and seen his Miracles and had been sent out to preach and wrought miracles himself If there had been any collusion in all this what likelier man was there in the world to have detected it yea and his conscience would never have accused but justified him he need not to have gone and hanged or precipitated himself and said I have sinned in betraying the innocent bloud The Pharisees who hired him to betray his Master might by mony and authority have easily procured him to have wrote against him and detected his fraud if he had been fraudulent it would have tended to Judas his justification and advancement But God is the great defender of truth 2. And there were many baptized persons who were long in good repute and communion with the Christians who fell off from them to several Sects and Heresies not denying the dignity and truth of Christ but superinducing into his doctrine many corrupting fancies of their own such as the Judâ—izâ—rs the Simonians the Nicolaitans the Ebonites the Cerinthians the Gnosticks the Valentinians Basilidians and many more And many of these were in the days of the Apostles and greatly troubled the Churches and hindred the Gospel insomuch as the Apostles rise up against them with more indignation than against the Infidels calling them dogs wolves evil workers deceivers bruit beasts made to be taken and destroyed c. They write largely against them they charge the Churches to avoid them and turn away from them and after a first and second admonition to reject them as men that are self-condemned c. And who knoweth not that among so many men thus excommunicated vilified and thereby irritated some of them would certainly have detected the deceit if they had known any deceit to have been in the reports of the afore-said Miracles Passion would not have been restrained among so many and such when they were thus provoked 3. And some in those times as well as in all following ages have forsaken the faith and apostatized to open infidelity and certainly their judgment their interest and their malice would have caused them to detect the fraud if they had known any in the matters of fact of these Miracles For it is not possible that all these causes should not bring forth this effect where there was no valuable impediment If you again say It may be they did detect such frauds by words or writings which come not to our knowledge I answer again 1. The Jews then that have in all ages disputed and written against Christianity would certainly have made use of some such testimony instead of charging all upon Magick and the power of the devil 2. And it is to me a full evidence that there were no such deniers of the Miracles of Christ when I find that the Apostles never wrote against any such nor contended with them nor were ever put to answer any of their writings or objections When all men will confess that their writings must needs be written according to the state and occasion of those times in which they wrote them and if then there had been any books or reasonings divulged against Christ's miracles they would either have wrote purposely against them
advantage of honour to his mercy and in the fullest demonstration of that love and goodness which may win our love And where will you find this done but in Jesus Christ alone 2. You must distinguish between Anger and Justice when God is said to be angry it meaneth no more but that he is displeased with sin and sinners and executeth his governing-justice on them 3. You must distinguish between sufferings in themselves considered and as in their signification and effects God loved not any mans pain and suffering and death as in it self considered and as evil to us no not of a sacrificed beast but he loveth the demonstration of his truth and justice and holiness and the vindication of his Laws from the contempt of sinners and the other good ends attained by this means and so as a means adapted to such ends he loveth the punishment of sin Object XV. It is a suspicious sign that he seeketh but to set up his name and get disciples that he maketh it so necessary to salvation to believe in him and not only to repent and turn to God Answ He maketh not believing in him necessary sub ratione finis as our holiness and love to God is but only sub ratione medii as a means to make us holy and work us up to the love of God He proclaimeth himself to be the Way the Truth and the Life by whom it is that we must come to the Father and that he will save to the uttermost all that come to God by him Heb. 7.25 Joh. 14.6 So that he commandeth Faith but as the bellows of Love to kindle in us the heavenly flames And I pray you how should he do this otherwise Can we learn of him if we take him for a deceiver Will we follow his example if we believe him not to be our pattern Will we obey him if we believe not that he is our Lord Will we be comforted by his gracious promises and covenant and come to God with ever the more boldness and hope of mercy if we believe not in his Sacrifice and Merits Shall we be comforted at death in hope that he will justifie us and receive our souls if we believe not that he liveth and will judge the world and is the Lord of life and glory Will you learn of Plato or Aristotle if you believe not that they are fit to be your Teachers Or will you take Physick of any Physician whom you trust not but take him for a deceiver Or will you go in the Vessel with a Pilot or serve in the Army under a Captain whom you cannot trust To believe in Christ which is made so necessary to our justification and salvation is not a dead opinion nor the joyning with a party that cryeth up his name But it is to become Christians indeed that is to take him unfeignedly for our Saviour and give up our selves to him by resolved consent or covenant to be saved by him from sin and punishment and reconciled to God and brought to perfect holiness and glory This is true justifying and saving faith And it is our own necessities that have made this faith so necessary as a means to our own salvation And shall we make it necessary for our selves and then quarrel with him for making it necessary in his Covenant Object XVI If Christ were the Son of God and his Apostles inspired by the holy Ghost and the Scriptures were God's Word they would excel all other men and writings in all true rational worth and excellency whereas Aristotle excelleth them in Logick and Philosophy and Cicero and Demosthenes in Oratory and Seneca in ingenious expressions of morality c. Answ You may as well argue that Aristotle was no wiser than a Minstrel because he could not fiddle so well nor than a Painter because he could not limn so well or than a harlot because he could not dress himself so neatly Means are to be estimated according to their fitness for their ends Christ himself excelled all mankind in all true perfections and yet it became him not to exercise all mens arts to shew that he excelleth them He came not into the world to teach men Architecture Navigation Medicine Astronomy Grammar Musick Logick Rhetorick c. and therefore shewed not his skill in these The world had sufficient helps and means for these in Nature It was to save men from sin and hell and bring them to pardon holiness and heaven that Christ was incarnate and that the Apostles were inspired and the Scriptures written and to be fitted to these ends is the excellency to be expected in them and in this they excell all persons and writings in the world As God doth not syllogize or know by our imperfect way of ratiocination but yet knoweth all things better than syllogizers do so Christ hath a more high and excellent kind of Logick and Oratory and a more apt and spiritual and powerful style than Aristotle Demosthenes Cicero or Seneca He shewed not that skill in methodical healing which Hippocrates and Galen shewed But he shewed more and better skill when he could heal with a word and raise the dead and had the power of life and death so did he bring more convincing evidence than Aristotle and perswaded more powerfully than Demosthenes or Cicero And though this kind of formal learning was below him and below the inspired messengers of his Gospel yet his inferiour servants an Aquinas a Scotus an Ockam a Scaliger a Ramus a Gassendus do match or excel the old Philosophers and abundance of Christians equalize or excel a Demosthenes or Cicero in the truest Oratory 2. His mercy had a general design for the salvation of all sorts and ranks of men and therefore was not to confine it self to a few trifling pedantick Logicians and Orators or those that had learned to speak in their new-made words and phrases but he must speak in the common Dialect of all those whom he would instruct and save As the Statutes of the land or the Books of Physick which are most excellent are written in a style which is fitted to the subject matter and to the Readers and not in Syllogisms or terms of Logick so was it more necessary that it should be with the doctrine of salvation The poor and unlearned were the greatest number of those that were to be converted and saved by the Gospel and still to use the holy Scriptures 3. There is greater exactness of true Logical method in some parts of the Scripture as e. g. in the Covenant of Faith the Lord's Prayer and the Decalogue than any is to be found in Aristotle or Cicero though men that understand them not do not observe it The particular Books of Scripture were written at several times and on several occasions and not as one methodical system though the Spirit that indited it hath made it indeed a methodical system agreeably to its design but if you saw the doctrines
them to perceive its holyness and worth Where it is indeed sincerely practised And is most dishonoured and misunderstood through the wickedness of Hypocrites who profess it As the Impress on the Wax doth make the Image more discernable than the Sculpture on the Seal but the Sculpture is true and perfect when many accidents may render the Impressed image imperfect and faulty So is it in this case To a diligent Enquirer Christianity is best known in its Principles delivered by Christ the Author of it and indeed is no otherwise perfectly known because it is no where else perfectly to be seen But yet it is much more visible and taking with unskilfull superficial Observers in the Professors Lives For they can discern the good or evil of an action who perceive not the nature of the Rule and Precepts The vital form in the Rose-tree is the most excellent part but the beauty and sweetness of the Rose is more easily discerned Effects are most sensible but causes are most excellent And yet in some respect the Practice of Religion is more excellent than the Precepts in as much as the Precepts are Means to Practice For the end is more excellent than the Means as such A poor man can easilyer perceive the worth of Charity in the person that cloatheth and feedeth and relieveth him than the worth of a treatise or sermon of Charity Subjects easily perceive the worth of a wise and holy and just and mercifull King or Magistrate in his actual Government who are not much taken with the Precepts which require yet more perfection And among all descriptions historical Narratives like Zenophons Cyrus do take most with them Doubtless if ever the Professors of Christianity should live according to their own Profession they would thereby overcome the opposition of the World and propagate their Religion with greatest success through all the Earth Because no man can well judge of the Truth of a doctrine till he first know what it is I think it here necessary to open the true nature of the Christian Religion and tell men truly what it is Partly because I perceive that abundance that profess it hypocritically by the meer power of Education Laws and Custom of their Countrey do not understand it and then are the easilyer tempted to neglect or contemn it or forsake it if strongly tempted to it even to forsake that which indeed they never truely received And because its possible some Aliens to Christianity may peruse these lines Otherwise were I to speak only to those that already understand it I might spare this description § 7. The CHRISTIAN RELIGION containeth two Parts 1. All Theological Verities which are of Natural Revelation 2. Much more which is supernaturally revealed The supernatural Revelation is said in it to be partly written by God partly delivered by Angels partly by inspired Prophets and Apostles and partly by Jesus Christ himself in person § 8. The supernatural Revelation reciteth most of the Natural because the searching of the great Book of Nature is a long and difficult work for the now-corrupted dark and slothfull minde of the common sort of men § 9. These supernatural Revelations are all contained 1. Most copiously in a Book called The Holy Bible or Canonical Scriptures 2. More summarily and contractedly in three Forms called The Belief The Lords Prayer and the Ten Commandements and most briefly and summarily in a Sacramental Covenant This last containeth all the Essential parts most briefly and the second somewhat fuller explaineth them and the first the holy Scriptures containeth also all the Integral parts or the whole frame § 10. Some of the present Professors of the Christian Religion do differ about the authority of some few Writings called Apocrypha whether they are to be numbred with the Canonical Books of God or not But those few containing in them no considerable points of doctrine different from the rest the controversie doth not very much concern the substance or doctrinal matter of their Religion § 11. The sacred Scriptures are written very much Historically the Doctrines being interspersed with the History § 12. This sacred Volume containeth two Parts The first called The Old Testament containing the History of the Creation and of the Deluge and of the Jewish Nation till after their Captivity As also their Law and Prophets The second called The New Testament containing the History of the Birth and Life and Death and Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ The sending of his Apostles the giving of the Holy Ghost the course of their Ministry and Miracles with the summ of the doctrine preached first by Christ and then by them and certain Epistles of theirs to divers Churches and persons more fully opening all that doctrine § 13. The summ of the History of the Old Testament is this That in the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth with all things in them Viz. That having first made the Intellectual superiour part of the World and the matter of the Elementary World in an unformed Mass he did the first day distinguish or form the active Element of Fire and caused it to give light The second day he separated the rarified Passive Element called Fire expanding it from the Earth upwards to be a separation and medium of action between the superiour and inferiour parts The third day he separated the rest of the Passive Element Earth and Water into their proper place and set their bounds and made individual Plants with their specifick forms and virtue of generation The fourth day he made the Sun Moon and Starrs for Luminaries to the Earth either then forming them or then appointing them to that Office but not revealing their other uses which are nothing to us The fifth day he made Fishes and Birds with the power of generation The sixth day he made the terrestrial Animals and Man with the like generative Power And the seventh day he appointed to be a Sabbath of Rest on which he would be solemnly worshipped by Mankinde as our CREATOR Having made one Man and one Woman in his own Image that is with Intellects Free-will and executive Power in wisdom holiness and aptitude to Obey him and with Dominion over the sensitive and vegetative and inanimate Creatures he placed them in a Garden of pleasure wherein were two Sacramental Trees one called The Tree of Life and the other the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil And besides the Law of Nature he tryed him only with this positive prohibition that he should not eat of the Tree of Knowledge Whereupon the Devil who before this was fallen from his first state of innocency and felicity took occasion to perswade the Woman that Gods Threatning was not true that he meant not as he spake that he knew Man was capable of greater Knowledge but envyed him that happiness and that the eating of that Fruit was not the way to death as God had threatned but to Knowledge and
they tell them of the doctrine of their leading Doctors that Kings excommunicate are no Kings but may be killed And of the many Rebellions which the Pope hath raised against Kings and Emperours And the Papists say that the Protestants are worse than they and that their Religion hath every where been introduced by rebellion or stablished by it and that the Bible which is your Religion hath caused most rebellions and therefore they dare not let the people read it And is this your holy doctrine Answ 1. That Christianity is incomparably more for Government and due subjection than Heathenism is past all doubt to those that are impartial Judges How few of all the Roman Heathen Emperours was there that died not by subjects hands Among the Athenians a King and a Tyrant were words too often of the same significant How hateful the name of a King was among the Romans is well known How few even of their most renowned Orators and Philosophers were not put to death upon accusation of resistance of some Prince Brutus Cicero Cato Seneca c. Cicero pro Milone can say Non se obstrinxit scelere siquis Tyrannum occidat quamvis familiarem which Brutus practised on Caesar Et Tuscul 5. Nulla nobis cum Tyrannis societas est neque est contra naturam spoliare eum quem honestum est necare Much more such dangerous doctrine hath Cicero Seneca Traged Hercul fur saith Victima haud ulla amplior potest magisque opima mactari Jovi Quam Rex iniquus But Christianity teacheth us subjection to bad Rulers and not only to the good The ordinary Writings of the Athenian and Roman learned men are so bitter against Kings and so much for the peoples power that it is meer impudency for men of their Religion to asperse Christianity as injurious to Kings How things were used to be carried at Rome you may perceive by these words of Lampridius who wondring that Heliogabalus was killed no sooner but permitted three years saith Mirum fortasse cuipiam videatur Constantine venerabilis quod haec clades quam retuli loco Principum fuerit quidem propè triennio ita ut nemo inventus fuerit qui istum à gubernaculis Romanae Majestatis abduceret cum Neroni Vitellio Caligulae coeterisque hujusmodi nunquam tyrannicida defuerit Hesichius in Arcesil saith Arcesilaus Regum neminem magnopere coluit Quamobrem legatione ad Antigonum fungens pro patria nihil obtinuit And Laert. maketh Solon resolve not to live in his own Country meerly because there was a Tyrant that is a King that had by a faction set up himself and yet ruled as he professed as righteously as a Senate And he saith of Thales that it was one of the rarities which he spake of Rempubl vidisse Tyrannum senem And of Chrysippus Quod videtur aspernator Regum immodice fuisse c. We do not deny but there are three sorts of Christians that are too much for the resisting and destroying of bad Governours and speak much as these Heathens did The one sort are some over-philosophical learned men who have more conversed with the antient Greeks and Romans than with Christian Writers Such was honest Petrarch who perilously saith Et sane si vel unum Patria civem bonum habeat malum Dominum diutius non habebit The second sort are the faction of the Pope who are led to it by meer interest their Religion and Clergy-interest both consist in an universal Kingdom or Government over Kings and all the Christian world it is no wonder therefore to find them industrious to subject all powers to themselves The third sort are here and there a few Enthusiasts or fanatical deluded persons who are like the turbulent Zealots among the Jews who occasioned the combustions and bloud-shed at Jerusalem about the time of its destruction who are but the ignoranter sort of Christians misled by pretences of zeal or inspiration for want of judgment stayedness and experience And this is vitium personae and is no disparagement to Christ As for any doctrines of rebellion or sedition or deposing and killing excommunicate Kings there is none more condemneth them than Christ It is not every proud or covetous person that maketh the name of Christianity or Church-government a cloak for his usurpation ambition or worldliness that we are pleading for A Roman Praefect was wont to say Make me the Bishop of Rome and I will be a Christian What if the match had been made and the Pagan had turned Christian in profession for that Bishoprick and had lived like a Pagan still and domineered according to his ambition would Christianity have been ever the worse for that Judge of Christ by his own Book and doctrine and not by the Council of Laterane nor by the books or doctrine or practice of any proud and worldly hypocrite who abuseth his Name to sin against him Christ never promised to make such Laws as no man could abuse or break Yet withall let me tell you that the splene and envy of factious persons doth usually cause them to belie each other and make each others doctrine as odious as they can and if wrangling boys fall out and call one another bastards it is no good proof that they are so indeed Object But those of you that do escape the doctrines of disloyalty are traitors against your Countries liberties and base-spirited men and flatterers of Princes and defenders of tyranny and oppression and all to beg their countenance for your Religion The Christian spirit is poor and private in comparison of the old Greek and Roman genius which would stand up against the proudest Tyrant Answ It seems Christianity is hot and cold as malice fancieth it Indeed the doctrine of it is so much for submission patience and peace as giveth more countenance to this accusation than the former but is guilty of neither of the crimes It is not flattering hypocrites that I am to defend let them bear their shame but it is the doctrine of Christ which is the thing in question Did Christ flatter Herod when he said Go tell that Fox Behold I cast out devils c Luk. 13.32 Did John Baptist flatter him when he lost his liberty and life for reprehending his filthy lust Did Christ flatter the Pharisees Matth. 23. Doth James flatter the rich and great Jam. 5.1 c. Go to now ye rich men weep and houl for the miseries that shall come upon you your riches are corrupted and your garments moth-eaten your gold and silver is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire ye have heaped treasure together for the last days Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter ye have condemned and killed the just and he doth not resist you And Jam. 2.6 Do not rich men oppress you and draw
vis veritatis quae contra hominum ingenia calliditatem sole tiam contraque fictas omnium insidâ—as facile se per se ipsam defendat Cicer pâ—o Caelâ— Even between the carnal hypocritical nominal Christian and the true Christian as Gal. 4.29 As then he that was born after the Flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now See her story in Fuller's Worthy's of England * Which Mr. Weld of New-England hath printed And upon Mr. Stubs his Extenuation in his Book for Sir Henry Vane against me in Letters since he hath fully confirmed The many Miracles mentioned by such credible persons as Augustine de Civit. Dei and other learned holy men deserve some credit sure Victor Uticensis telleth of many Confessors whose tongues were cut out by the Arrian Vandal Hunnerichus who spake freely without tongues And Aenaeas Gazaeus in a notable Treatise for the Immortality of the Soul saith the same and that he saw them himself and hath more such Wonders Ego novi multa bonorum virorum corpora quae etiam phalanges daemonum tantopere terretent quantopere ipsi vexabant hominem abs se captum atque obsessum itemque morbos innumeros quibus curandis ars medica non sufficeret ipsa facile curarent perpurgarent omninoque auferrent Id. ibid. page 411. B.P. Even Cicero speaking of some sacrilegious impious persons could observe Qui vero ex his omnium scelerum principes fuerunt praeter caeteros in omni Religione impii non solum vita cruciati vel cum cruciatu ut Lambinus atque dedecore verum etiam sepultura ac justis exequiis caruerunt Lib. 2. de leg p. 245. And to the objection that it oft falleth out otherwise and that the best suffer most he answereth Non recte existimamus quae poena sit divina opinionibus vulgi rapimur in errorem neâ—vera cernimus Morte aut dolore corporis aut luctu animi aut offenfione judicii hominum miserias ponderamus quae fateor humana esse multis bonis viris accidisse sceleris autem poena tristis praeter cos eventus qui sequuntur per se ipsa maxima est Videmus eos qui nisi odissent patriam nun quam inimici nobis fuissent ardentes cum cupiditate tum metu tum conscientia quid agâ—rent modo timentes vicissim contemnentes Religiones And he concludeth Duplicem poenam esse Divinam quod constaret ex vexandis vivorum animis eâ famâ mortuorum ut corum exitium judicio vivorum gaudio comprobetur Ibid. I desire the learned Reader to read the three Miracles which Aen. Gazaeus saith he saw with his own eyes in his Theophrast in Bib. Pat. Gr. To. 2. page 414 415. The first of an old man that raised one from the dead The second of a good man that when he was dying promised his Scholar that was blind that within seven days he should have his fight which accordingly came to pass The third of the Confessions before mentioned that by prayer could speak most articulately without tongues All these he professeth he saw with his own eyes And the rationality and piety of his writings maketh his testimony the more credible Lege Palladii Historiam Lausiac cap. 52. de Miraculo ab ipso viso Though I know that as Apparitions so Miracles are too oft counterfeit yet all that are recorded by the antient Doctors and Historians cannot be so thought especially when we have seen something like them Of the abundance of Witches at that time read Bishop Hall Sol. 15. p. 53 54. Read Edm. Bower of the Salisbury Witch Porphyry was so convinced of the truth of Daniel's Prophey that he is fain to say That it was written after the things were fulfilled saith Grot. Imòiâ— Petri miracula Phlegon Adriani Imperatoris libertus in Annalibus suis commemoravit inâ—uit Grotius de Verit. Rel. l. 3. Fuit vero prodigiorum apud sepulchra editorum tanta frequentia tot corum testes ut etiam Porphyrio ejus rei confessionem expresserit inquit Grot. l. 3. I know what a stir is made about Josephus testimony of Christ some accounting it currant and some as foisted in by some Christian but I doubt not to say that to those who well consider all the middle opinion of B. Usher will appear to be far the most probable viz. That the whole sentence is currant except those words This was Christ And that some Christian having wrote those words as expository in the margin of his book they afterward crept thence into the text Athenagoras tells M. Aurel. Antoninus the Emperour and L. Aur. Commodus to whom he wrote Nec dubito quin vos etiam doctissimi sapientissimi Principes historias scripta Moses Esaiae Hieremiae reliquorum Prophetarum aliqua ex parte cognoveritis Sed vobis relinquo qui libros novistis studiosius in illorum prophetias inquirere ac perpendere c. Apol. p. in B. p. 56 57. And it 's like that Antonine learned somewhat from the Scriptures as well as Severus if he so well knew them and thence received some of his wisdom and virtue Omnis credendi difficultas non temere ex futili nulliusque judidicii opinione nascitur sed ex valida causa verisimilitudine plurimum munita Tum enim incredulitas rationem justam habet quum ipsa res de qua non creditur quiddam incredibile continet Nam rebus quae dubitandi causam non habent non credere eorum est qui sano judicio in discutienda veritate minime utuntur Athenagor leg pag. 82. Si animus fit quinta illa non nominata magis quam intellecta natura multo integâ—iora puriora sunt ut à terra longissime se efferant Cicer. Tuscul Qu. l. 1. p. 223. Leg. Nazianz. Orat. 26. 32. Magni autem est ingenii revocare mentem a sensibus cogitationem a consuetudine abducere Cicero Tuscul Qu. l. 1. p. 222. See Part 1. Chap. 5. Pardon the Repetitions here for the reasons after-mentioned See before in the Marg. of Chap. 5. Part 1. the Collection of Christoph Simpson of Trinity in Unity in the Harmony of Musical Concordance in The Division-Violist pag. 17. Read Campanella's Metaphysicks and his Atheismus triumphatus of this Richardus in Opuscul ad S. Bernard de appropriatis personarum inquit Quod Potentia Sapientia Bonitas sunt notissima quid sint apud nos qui ex visibilibus invisibilia Dei per ea quae facta sunt intellecta conspicimus Et quoniam in Elementis plantis brutis reperitur Potentia sine sapientia in Homine in Angelo reperitur Potentia sed non sine sapientia Et in Lucifero reperitur Potentia Sapientia sine Bonitate Charitate seâ— Bona Voluntate Sed in Homine bono bonoque in Angelo non datur Bona Voluntas nisi adsit Posse Scire Igitur
or let fall some confutations of them in their Epistles to the Churches but there are no such things at all § 28. 10. Seeing it is so heinous a crime to divulge lies in multitudes of matters of fact to deceive the world into a blasphemy it is scarce possible that the consciences of so many persons of so much piety as their writings prove should never be touched with remorse for so great a villany either in life or at the hour of death and force some one of them to detect all the fraud if they had been guilty of it There is a natural conscience in the worst of men much more in the best which will at some time do its office and will constrain men to confess especially their heinous crimes and especially at the time of death when they see that their lies will serve their worldly interest no more and especially if they be men that indeed believe another life Now consider if the Apostles and Disciples had been deceivers how heinous a crime they had committed 1. To affirm a man to be God incarnate and to be the Saviour of the world on whom all men must trust their souls c. if he had been but a deceiver 2. To make such abundance of lies in open matters of fact 3. To frame hereupon a new Law to the world 4. To overthrow the Law of Moses which was there in force 5. To abuse the intellects of so many thousand persons with such untruths and to call the world to such a needless work as the Christian Religion would be if all this were false to put the world upon such tasks as forsaking all for Christ 6. To draw so many to lose their lives in martyrdom to attest a lie 7. To lose their own time and spend all their lives and labour upon so bad a work All these set together would prove them far worst than any thieves or murderers or traitors if they knew it to be a lie which they preached and attested There are now no men known on earth even in this age of villanies guilty of such a heinous crime as this And let any man that readeth the Apostles writings or considereth of their lives and deaths consider whether it be not next to an impossibility that so many and such persons should go on in such a way upon no greater motives of benefit than they expected nay through such labours reproach and sufferings and not one of them to the death be constrained by conscience to detect the fraud and undeceive the world § 29. 11. Lastly it is not possible that so many thousands of such persons as they presently converted should ever have been perswaded to believe their reports of these matters of fact in a time and place where it was so easie to disprove them if they had been false For 1. The understanding is not free as the will is but only participative in quantum à voluntate imperatur and a man cannot believe what he will nor deny belief to cogent evidence though against his will The Intellects acts as in themselves are necessitated and per modum naturae 2. And all these new converts had understandings which were naturally inclined to truth as truth and averse to falshood and they had all self-love and they all embraced now a doctrine which would expose them to suffering and calamity in the world And therefore both nature and interest obliged them to be at the labour of enquiring whether these things were so or not before they ran themselves into so great misery And the three thousand which Peter converted at his first Sermon must also take the shame of being murderers of their Saviour and for this they were pricked at the heart And Paul must be branded for a confessed persecutor and guilty of the bloud of Stephen And would so many men run themselves into all this for nothing to save the labour of an easie enquiry after some matters of publick fact How easily might they go and be satisfied whether Christ fed so many thousand twice miraculously and whether he healed such as he was said to heal who were then living and whether he raised Lazarus and others from death who were then living and whether the earth trembled and the vail of the Temple rent and the Sun was darkned at his death And whether the witnesses of his Resurrection were sufficient And if none of this had been true it would have turned them all from the belief of the Apostles to deride them Object Is not the unbelief of the most a greater reason against the Gospel than the belief of the smaller number is for it Answ No 1. Because it is a negative which they were for and many witnesses to a negative is not so good as a few to an affirmative 2. Most of them were kept from the very hearing of the Apostles which should inform them and excite them 3. Most men every where follow their Rulers and look to their worldly interest and never much mind or discuss such matters as tend to their salvation especially by the way of suffering and disgrace 4. We believe not that the unbelieving party did deny Christ's miracles but fathered them upon the devil therefore even their testimony is for Christ only they hired the Souldiers to say that Christ was stoln out of the Sepulchre while they slept of which they never brought any proof nor could possibly do it if asleep § 29. III. I have proved Christ's Miracles to be 1. Credible by the highest humane faith 2. Certain by natural evidence there being a natural impossibility that the testimonies should be false 3. I am next to prove that they are certain by supernatural evidence which is the same with natural evidence as in the effect but is called supernatural from the way of causing it § 30. The same works of the SPIRIT inherent concomitant and subsequent were the infallible proof of the truth of the Disciples testimony of Christ his Person Miracles and Doctrine § 31. I. They were persons of holy lives and holiness is the lively impress or constitution of their doctrine now visible in their writings What was before said of the Doctrine of Christ himself is true of theirs And as the Kings Coyn is known by his Image and Superscription or rather as an unimitable author is known by his Writings for matter method and style even so is Gods Spirit known in them and in their doctrine § 32. II. Their miraculous gifts and works were so evident and so many and uncontrolled as amount to an infallible proof that Gods are his Witness in the World and sheweth the most infallible proof of his assertions § 33. 1. Their gifts and miracles were many in kinde as their sudden illumination when the Spirit fell upon them and knowing that which they were ignorant of before Their prophesying and speaking in languages never before learn'd by them and interpreting such prophesies and languages their dispossessing