Council of Nice one of the most remarkable Events that ever happen'd in the World 3. The calling of this Council does plainly inferr that Constantine look'd upon the whole Roman Empire to have been at that time generally Christian The Persons summon'd the Places from whence they came the occasion of their Meeting do all prove this For the Persons of which the Council was compos'd were most of them Governors and Teachers of large Churches and Congregations they came out of all the greater and lesser Provinces and from the most Populous and Considerable Towns under the Roman Government and the reason of their coming was to give their Opinion concerning a particular Doctrine which did suppose an antecedent Belief of the whole Christian Scheme 4. The whole behaviour of this Council of Bishops while they sat together and the business they did there is a certain proof not only that they were Christians and that the Christian Religion was publickly and generally profest in the Places from whence they came but that they all agreed in some common Faith and that the Christian Religion profess'd in the several Places from whence they came was every where the same without any other variation than what was grounded upon the different Conception of some Articles by particular Persons which were allowed by all alike in some general Terms or different application of some general Rules about such Matters as Christians were by the whole tenour of their Religion left at liberty so to apply 5. The reason of this general Agreement of all Christians separated so far from one another in place and never before this time united under one common Head or Governor was as we find by what pass'd in this Council a firm and constant Belief that such and such Books which they all had amongst them were written by the immediate Followers and Disciples of Christ and contained a true Account of his Life and Doctrine and a full Scheme of their Religion What ever was in any of these Books they lookt upon as Obligatory and such they esteemed the Authority of these Writings That they were not upon any Account in the least Passage of them to receive any Addition Diminution or Alteration whatsoever In the Decision of the present Controversy before them these were appeal'd to on both Sides and the Authority of them allowed by all and the particular Canons they made were founded upon the general Rules and Orders of Discipline laid down in these Scriptures 6. As we find by what was done in this Council concerning the Matter of Faith they came to settle That all the Bishops there assembled were acquainted with several of the same Books of Scripture which we now have under the Name of the New Testament and that they were perswaded they were delivered down to them from the Apostles as a Rule of their Faith So by several of the Canons they made we are assur'd That in all the several Places from whence they were assembled the Customs of Baptism and the Communion were universally and constantly used That the First Day of the Week was observed as a Day set a-part for Religious Services which were chiefly Prayers and Reading the Scriptures That there were a great many Men in a particular Way and Manner appointed for the Performance of Religious Offices in the Name and Presence of the People And that some of these did in a more eminent Degree preside over all other both Religious Officers and common Christians in such a District under the Title and Style of Bishops Now the Truth of this Relation concerning the Council of Nice and the State of the Christian Religion at that Time being supposed in the next Place I shall undertake to prove That the Christians we find in Nero's Time were of the same Faith and Religion with those that lived under the Reign of Constantine and consequently That all the principal Matters of Fact now recorded in the New Testament were generally believed at and immediately after the Times in which they are said to happen and so continually down to the Council of Nice This I shall endeavour to make out First From the constant Tradition of such a Belief together with many sensible and infallible Effects of it From the Neronian Persecution to the Council of Nice is about 260 Years which is so short a Period That 't is hardly possible to imagine the Tradition of so important a Fact as the general Profession of the Christian Religion in any considerable Country or Nation should in the main Branches and Substance of it be defective or corrupted within that Time though there were no other remaining Monuments of it but what were obvious to every Man 's own Observation at the Meeting of this Famous Council And therefore since the Christians of this latter Period did look upon it as a certain Truth delivered down to them That the Christians who lived in Nero's Time professed the same Faith they did as 't is plain from the Account before given of their Religion they must we may very well conclude That the Matter of Fact was really so without further Proof But to remove all Doubts and Objections so general a Conclusion as this may be apt to create the Truth and Credibility of the Tradition shall be more clearly made out in the following Manner Several of those who were present at the Council of Nice might of their own certain knowledge be fully satisfied That for Fifty Year backward the Christian Religion had been the same it was then in the Countries from whence they came That all this Time they had had the same Scriptures among them That these Scriptures had constantly been read both in publick and private and as far as fell within humane Cognizance as constantly and in the same manner believed and esteemed as they appeared then to be That the Ceremonies of Baptizing and Communicating had been always universally used at such Times and upon such and such Occasions That these and several other Religious Performances as Reading the Scriptures Prayers Exhortations c. had been constantly practised in publick when Christians were assembled together That Meetings or Assemblies for these Purposes were very frequent That besides other occasional Times they always observed the First Day of the Week as a Portion of Time which they thought themselves obliged to set a-part for the Performance of Religious Duties and especially in Publick That there were a constant Succession of Men by certain Ceremonies peculiarly appropriated to the Discharge of some Religious Offices which they did not think it Lawful for others not so distinguished to be concern'd in That it was the particular Business of these Men to teach and instruct the rest in the Knowledge of the Christian Religion and exhort them to a steady and exact Submission to the Rules of it That there were some of these styled Bishops who were by some different Marks of Distinction known from the rest of their Brethren and presided
of the New Testament were acknowledg'd by the greatest part of the Nicene Fathers and most of them by all 'T is plain from all the publick Decisions and Orders of the Council That they are grounded upon some or other of the Books of Scripture now in our Hands if they may be supposed to have been written before that Time And that they were Eusebius one of the Bishops of this Council is a sufficient Witness who in a History he has left us gives us an Account of the Time when they were all writ and the Authors they were writ by which is another very good Argument That most of the Nicene Bishops had the same Bible For Eusebius being not only present amongst and conversing with several of them but having a great Share in the Management of the Controversy they came to decide and being of a doubtful Faith in the main Point determined by them or as some suspect a Favourer of the Side condemned must have had occasion either in publick Debate or private Conversation to have cited most of the Books he acknowledg'd for Scripture and had any doubt arisen concerning the Authority of them such a considerable and important Controversy as would have sprung from thence would have produced a Determination of the Council upon it or to be sure have been as much taken Notice of and as faithfully Recorded as any Thing else that was done there Besides 't is plain from the History we have of this Council by Cotemporaries and others of the Age immediately following That some Scriptures were appeal'd to their Authority acknowledg'd Forms of Expression drawn from thence a Difficulty made of departing from Scripture-Terms till other equivalent Expressions were found necessary to distinguish those who believ'd Scripture in a right Sence from those who interpreted it wrong And therefore if Eusebius or Athanasius who were present at the Council or any other Writer cotemporary or near in Time to it says any Thing of this Nature he must be judg'd to mean That the same Scriptures were acknowledg'd by the Nicene Council which he himself owns So that if Eusebius or Athanasius own'd all the Books of the New Testament which we do 't is manifest That when he talks of the Scriptures in the Account he gives of the Nicene Council he must mean the same that he does when he mentions them upon any other Occasion And the like will hold of other Writers But further to put this Matter past all doubt 't is certain That the Canon of Scripture was some time or other afterwards fixed as we find it now with all the same Books in the New Testament that we have at present The Occasion of making such a Canon was because it was doubted of some of the Books Whether they were the genuine Works of those whose Names they bore and if they were not Whether they were of equal Authority with the rest Now the way that was taken to remove all Objections and fix the Authority of those Scriptures which were to be the unalterable Standard of the Christian Religion was by examining the general Tradition of all the different Churches where Christianity was professed upon which Examination when it was certainly known That such and such Books which were doubted of by some because they had been but lately received among the Christians of those Provinces and Churches to which they belong'd had been constantly acknowledg'd under the same Style and Character with the rest by the Generality of the other Churches of Christians these were likewise as universally receiv'd as the other and their Authority in the same manner allow'd The Consent of so many different Churches in the same Opinion concerning certain Books and agreeably to their Opinion in the same careful Preservation of them unalter'd most of which Churches had continued separate and independent one of another ever since the Date they ascribed to those Writings and several of them at such a Distance as to have had no communication with one another since that Time such a Consent I say as this whensoever the Canon of Scripture was first determined in a general Meeting was thought sufficient to establish the Authority of any Book that was doubted of and accordingly the whole Canon we now have was afterwards universally acknowledg'd Since therefore we find That all the Scriptures of the New Testament were universally received some time after the Nicene Council and since the Establishment of the Canon and universal Submission to it were founded upon a general Tradition so faithfully preserved in the far greatest part of Christian Churches that all other Christians were fully satisfied of it From hence it follows That the greatest part of the Nicene Bishops must own the same Scriptures we do now because the greatest part of the Churches from whence they came did But not to insist upon this we will consider only those Scriptures which were never doubted of by any Christians and consequently must have been received by the whole Council of Nice These were according to Eusebius who in his History gives us a Catalogue of them the Four Gospels Acts of the Apostles the Thirteen Epistles of St. Paul which have his Name to them the First Epistle of Peter and the First Epistle of John And Eusebius could not say this had he known of any of his Fellow-Bishops of the Council who denied either the Authority or general Reception of any of these Books Supposing therefore That these were the only Scriptures acknowledg'd by all the Nicene Bishops then what was said before concerning several Religious Customs and Practices there mention'd will hold in like manner of those Books of Scripture and such or such a particular Bishop that was present at this Council might himself by a short easy and unquestionable way of conveyance be assured That for 150 Years last past the same Scriptures had been acknowledg'd as well as the same Religious Customs practised in that Church and Province from whence he came and consequently That the main Scheme of Christian Doctrine and the publick Profession of it had been all that Time the same Now if we apply the foregoing Observations to all the several Bishops of this Council and suppose them all satisfied of the constant Tradition of the same Scriptures Customs as are before specified in the several Churches and Provinces from whence they came as the History of these Times relates the Matter of Fact to have been then is the unanimous consent of all these Bishops an infallible Argument of the truth of what they testifie And if there had not been such a constant Tradition in any of these Churches or Provinces as we suppose then the Original Introduction or Intermission of any of those Scriptures or Customs within the same compass of Time would have been in the same Way and Manner and with the same Certainty known to the Bishops of those Churches and Provinces where such Introduction or Intermission happen'd and what was first introduced
over all Christians both Clergy and Laity in such a District governing and directing them all in Religious Affairs and exercising certain Spiritual Powers of an extraordinary future Influence in order to the preserving and inforcing the Belief and Practice of the Christian Religion Such Customs and Actions as these in all which every Bishop must himself have bore a Share must needs be infallibly known to those Bishops assembled at Nice who were of Age enough to remember for so long together as Fifty Years which may easily be supposed of several of them And it may with as much reason be allowed That these very Bishops might have Fifty Years before their Meeting at Nice convers'd with those who could have as distinctly remembred what was done for Fifty Years further backward as they could remember what had happen'd since the Time we supposed they convers'd with them from whom they might have been certainly inform'd That all the foremention'd Matters of Fact had continued the same for Fifty Years before they could have an immediate Knowledge of them themselves And moreover those who gave them this Information could have assured them That they never saw or heard of any Body that lived since their Time who knew it otherwise and this with the same Allowance as in the former Case will carry the Thing Fifty Years higher still And so far I think however uncertain Tradition is justly accounted in the Conveyance of Doctrines and Opinions the Tradition of such notorious Matters of Fact as these so easily observed so constantly present so general and so concerning may be fully relied upon To make this plainer by a like Instance in our Country just about 150 Years ago Edward the Sixth is reported to have been King of England and the same History which tells us so which I will suppose to be but just now written acquaints us That in his Time the Christian Religion was generally professed through all this Nation and much after the same manner it is now But particularly that the same Scriptures were acknowledg'd and the same Religious Customs and Vsages obtained which are before mention'd in the other Case viz. Baptism and Communion Observation of the Lord's Day Ministration of Priests Government of Bishops c. just as they are at this present The Truth of all which we might be very well assured of if there were no History or other Monuments of what was done in the Reign of King Edward the Sixth extant down from his Time to this because by the former Supposition there have been a great many Persons who during the Course of their Lives computed at no uncommon length might have convers'd with those who liv'd in King Edward the Sixth's Time and also with those who are now Living and at such Ages of their several Lives in which they may well be suppos'd capable of remembring and judging of what they saw and heard From which intermediate Persons so many as are now Living and convers'd with them which I believe are a great many may have had sueh certain Information of the state of Religion in this Nation during the Reign of that King that they cannot possibly call in question And if all these agree in their several Reports without concerting with one another the Evidence of the same Matters of Fact they thus agree in will be as strong with respect to us who enquire these Things of them and much stronger than to any of them themselves in particular who have not made the same Observations concerning the Agreement of others before them 'T would be no unreasonable Supposition to imagine That there are some now Living who have immediately convers'd with those who lived in Edward the Sixth's Time but these are so few and of so unusual an Age that I shall not insist upon a Proof that might be made that way But the other Case I have mention'd is easy and common and lies open to every Body without a particular Computation of Time Upon which I shall further observe That those whose Testimony is allow'd sufficient for the Form and Kind of Religion professed in England under Edward the Sixth are so far as that Period reaches as good and capable Witnesses of the Condition of its Being with respect either to its Original then or any considerable Alterations or Intermissions in it at any time since Whether the Christian Religion was first introduced into this Country by Edward the Sixth or any Body else in his Time all the Inhabitants of it having immediately before been Jews Heathens or Mahometans or whether it had been receiv'd and professed here before he came to the Throne must have been equally known and in like manner conveyed down by those from whom we derive the other Matters of Fact with which this is supposed cotemporary And if any considerable Changes in the main Branches or general and publick Vsages of it such as are before instanced in or any Intermissions either of the whole Profession or of some of those publick Customs and Manners of Worship or Discipline should have happen'd at any Time since these being more remarkable Facts than the uninterrupted Continuance of the same state and form of Religion and falling later than the first Date of what we allow to be distinctly known and remembred must be granted to be as easily and surely delivered down to us as those Things which are acknowledg'd to fall earlier and yet came safe to our Hands Now to apply all this to the former Case These Bishops in the Council of Nice who came from such or such a particular Province of the Roman Empire might be as fully assured That the Christian Religion was professed 150 Years before in that Province in the same Manner founded upon the same Scriptures and attended with the same Customs as it was at the Time of their assembling at Nice as we of this Country can be assur'd That our Religion Scriptures and Religious Customs are the same now that they were in the Reign of Edward the Sixth King of England What particular Christian Customs I mean in both Instances has been sufficiently expressed already but what those Scriptures were which I suppose the Nicene Bishops unanimously acknowledg'd for the Word of God and Rule of their Faith and believed to have been written by the First Apostles and Disciples of Christ and consequently to have been the same 150 Years before they met in Council as they were then has not yet been declared and by what was done in the Council does not certainly appear But I think there is no manner of Reason to doubt but they were the very same which now go under the Name of the New Testament For whether the Council of Laodicea which was the first that made any Canon concerning the Books of Scripture was before this Council of Nice as some imagine or about Forty Years after as others more probably conclude we have Arguments and Authorities enough to convince us That all the Books
Tradition Another Set of Testimonies which Eusebius furnishes us with in behalf of the Christian Tradition are Relicks Buildings and other such like Monuments several of which were remaining in his Time and seen by him himself such were Christian Burying-Places and Sepulchres with the Names of Christians upon them particularly those of Peter and Paul Statues and Pictures particularly the Statue of the Woman cured by Christ of the Bloody Flux Pictures of Christ Peter and Paul in colours These were all seen by Eusebius himself as was likewise the Episcopal Chair of James at Jerusalem several Christian Libraries and several Christian Temples before they were pull'd down and destroyed by the Order of Dieclesian These and many other such like Monuments remaining in Eusebius's Time whether all the Particular Traditional Reports concerning them were true or false might easily be perceived upon view or divers other ways be known to be Ancient and whatever Age they were of they must be good proofs of the Belief of the Men of those Times and consequently of the truth of Christianity so far as we are now concern'd to prove it But the Tradition of Christianity from its first Original down to the Council of Nice with all the principal Matters of Fact upon which it is built is further and more especially secured to us and the truth of all the foregoing Testimonies confirm'd by Books and written Records vast Numbers of which of different Kinds and different Ages written by several Men of different Countries Characters Designs and Religious Persuasions were extant in Eusebius's Time a great many of which were generally known multitudes of Copies of them being dispersed throughout the World and several of these Writings were carefully preserved in particular places and either never communicated further by any Transcripts or Copies to remaining there to be seen in their Primitive State after Transcription Now all these Writings of what kind soever they are whose Authority is made use of for the establishing the Christian Faith I shall rank under certain distinct Heads in order to shew what sense and weight they have in the proof of what they are brought to maintain The several Books and Writings then to be considered are Copies of the Holy Scriptures viz. of the Books of the Old and New Testament Publick Acts and Records belonging properly to Societies and not to particular Authors Genuine Writings of profess'd Christians who by reason of their common Agreement in some certain Doctrines of Christianity are Styl'd Orthodox Books writ by Hereticks who were Men of particular Opinions different from those commonly received by other Christians Jewish and Pagan Books containing such Things as have Relation to Christianity Forged and Supposititious Writings of uncertain Authors which do some way or other concern the Christian Religion As to Copies of the Scriptures found in the hands of Christians in Eusebius's Time I have these Things to observe that they were then multiplyed to so great a Variety that hardly a Christian Family was without some of the Books That they were Translated into several different Languages That in those Countries where the Translations were of common use a great many Copies in the Original Language were preserv'd That in most of the great Cities and Episcopal Churches there was a Copy in the Original Language more ancient than the rest from whence the other Copies were taken and Translations made That such Copies as these might not only by Tradition but by several intrinsick Marks be known to be ancient and their Age pretty nearly determined That upon comparison there was a very great Agreement betwixt these ancient Copies preserved in several very distant and remote Churches That such care had been taken in Transcribing and Translating from them that the differences found between any Copies either of the Originals or Translations were very inconsiderable That all Christians thought themselves concern'd to preserve the Jewish Canon of Scripture as well as the New Testament and therefore Copies of the Old Testament in the Original Tongue and Translations of it into several Vulgar Languages were multiplied carefully Transcribed and kept together with those of the New That upon a diligent search into the Matter it was found that besides those Copies of the greatest part of the Books of the New Testament which were alike to be met with in all Christian Churches there were others received in some Churches and by a constant Tradition then vouch'd to be as early and of as great Authority as the rest From all which I think I may safely inferr That the Writings of the New Testament were as early as they are pretended to be and that the Christian Religion had its Original in Judea at the time assigned it which being less than 300 Years before Eusebius and the Books of the New Testament which give an account of the Christian Religion and plainly suppose an antecedent Propagation and Establishment of it in a great part of the World being writ some time after the first Publication Eusebius or any other Person of his Age who throughly examined the Matter concerning the Copies of the Scriptures then received must needs be satisfied from this Consideration only that the Books of the New Testament had as early a Publication in the World as is now ascribed to them and consequently that the Christian Faith was somewhat earlier and the same then as it is in these Books represented to have been This will further be made out from the next sort of Writings to be considered viz. Publick Acts and Records belonging properly to Societies and not to particular Authors such were Catalogues of Bishops Decrees of Synods Letters from Churches and Societies of Men general Records of remarkable Matters particular Acts and Monuments of Martyrs Psalms Hymns Creeds and Forms of Prayer The most famous Churches especially those constituted by Apostles kept the Succession of their Bishops with great care laid up in their Archives recording their Names and days of their Death in a pair of writing Tables This Eusebius tells us was the Custom of the Primitive Christians and these Tables he assures us he diligently examined and he was very exact in the Account he took of them as particularly appears from what he says concerning the Church of Jerusalem viz. That he found from Old Records fifteen Bishops with their Names who had succeeded in that Church from the Apostles to the Siege of the Jews in Adrian 's Time but could not find preserved in Writing the space of Time each Bishop spent in his Presidency over that See The like diligence and exactness are observable in the Account he gives of the Succession of Bishops in several other Churches most of their Names being set down and the times of their several Succession Presidency and Death punctually determined and Reasons given why he could not speak with the same certainty of the rest omitted There were likewise extant in his Time a great many Canons and Decrees made by several Councils and
to convince them that there are at present other strange Things which they do not see and which they believe their Senses as capable Judges of as of those which they do see But whether the Scriptures were believed in this Case by few or more those who had not been disposed to like them would have had greater and more unanswerable Objections to make to them from Reason and Philosophy than our present Unbelievers have How could a faithful Christian who lived before Copernicus and Des Cartes have defended the Philosophy of the Scriptures against such as rejected the forementioned Notions and exposed them as ridiculous and absurd The bare Authority of the Revelation without the Assistance of all our Modern Experiments and Observations would have been less effectual to convince Gainsayers then than it is now because the Opinions contrary to the Doctrines of Scripture then would have been more easie and popular than those contained in Scripture and therefore if the Scripture Notions were not true no Reason could be given why they should be there For it could not then be said as it is very justly and properly now in several Cases that the Expressions of Scripture were suited to the common Notions of the People who were to read them from whence it follows that the appearing Falshood of the Opinions above-mentioned if they had been found in Scripture would have been a more puzling Objection to the Christians of former Times than the allowed Falshood of the Common Vulgar Notions of Philosophy which the Scriptures are at present charg'd with can be to us And what we suppose of the Times before Copernicus would hold good of the present upon the like Tryal For it is not to be contested but there are a great many other true Notions in Philosophy hitherto unknown to us which upon the first discovery would appear as shocking and contrary to all our former Knowledge as the Motion of the Earth the Planetary Worlds c. did to our Predecessors and were these delivered in our Bibles as we have supposed the other to be they would furnish as much matter of Cavil to our Modern and all succeeding Scepticks as those would have done to the Philosophers of former Ages till further Experience had reconciled them to their Reason which could never be expected in all Points For had every Thing the Scripture has occasion to mention been expressed according to the true Philosophy of it the whole Race of Mankind could never make Experiments and Observations enough to satisfie themselves of the Truth of all the Scripture-Notions without the Authority of the Revelation as long as the World indures But beside this general Defence of the Philosophy of Scripture it may be said that several seeming Contradictions to Reason which the Enemies of our Religion have laid a great stress upon have been proved to be true and consistent by Learned Men and some of them that were capable of it Mathemaâ—ically demonstrated As particularly the Capacity of Noah's Ark. The same Thing may be answered to the next Objections made to Scripture viz. That several Places which seem'd to contradict one another have been plainly reconciled and several things which have been look'd upon as Mistakes as to the Authors of the Books Connexion of the Parts Chronology Geography c. have been clearly proved to be none by those who have particularly undertook the Examination of these Difficulties And as to those Places which do not admit of such a Solution all the Faults and Defects they are charged with are wholly owing to the Tradition and way of Conveyance which was purely Humane and were not in the Original Revelation which we say was Divine and have proved to be so by many incontestable Evidences Allowing therefore that the Text of the Scriptures like that of other Books hath received some alterations by Time and variety of Copies That some of the Rolls or Sheets of the Old Testament have been misplaced that some Things have been inserted afterwards Words and Sentences have been left out Letters have been changed and other Mistakes have been made by Transcribers That some of the Books or some parts of them are ascribed to wrong Authors and that it has been much controverted whether some of them should be admitted into the Canon Should we I say allow all this I do not see what use could be made of it to the prejudice either of the Truth or Divinity of the Jewish and Christian Revelations For variety of Copies from whence all the alterations of the Text proceed are a very great Argument of the Sincerity and Importance of the Original as being the best Preservative against all Corruption in the Substance and principal parts of it And the Controverted Books only shew what care and faithful Examination there was of every Book before it was admitted into the Canon But to give all the force and weight to these Objections which they can possibly have should we reject all Controverted Books and Passages whatsoever and should we establish any Reading we please where there is variety only letting the authentick undoubted Places be the Rule of Exposition to the doubtful than which nothing can be more reasonable in this Case I dare affirm that not one Article of Faith or Rule of Practice or any of the principal Facts our Religion is built upon would be cut off but might be as evidently proved from what remains uncontested as from the whole It does not therefore follow from those Changes and Alterations that have crept into the Scriptures since they were deposited in the hands of Men to keep or the Contests they have had about the Authority of some parts of them that what remains unaltered and uncontested is not true and of Divine Original because God has no where promised to exempt the Books in which his Revelations to Man are preserved from the accidents common to other Books Nay further should we allow what some have the confidence to assert That the Sacred Writers themselves were liable to the same Mistakes as other Men are in the Relation of Matters of Fact from 〈◊〉 own Memories or the Information of credible Witnesses it cannot be concluded from hence that any of the principal Facts which make a necessary part of our Religion are false Because these were all so very extraordinary and notorious and so impossible to be believed or pass'd by without Censure and Contradiction if they could have been denied that had the Authors of the Books of Scripture had no peculiar Assistance from God in the Composure of them we can have no manner of Reason to disbelieve or question the Truth of any Thing of the Substance and principal Parts either of the History or Doctrine there delivered For supposing those we call the Sacred Writers were not Divinely inspired as we believe they were yet were they capable and faithful Witnesses of what they writ and did not this appear to us from their Way and Manner of Writing
was with much enquiry and examination Established This every one made it his business to be well assur'd of and a free disquisition concerning the truth of some or other of the Books of Scripture is every where to be found among the Antient Writers Then as to the Persecutions they were so many they continued so long together were so widely spread were attended with so vast a number of very new and remarkalbe Facts and so many of the Writers lived in the heat of them and had so large a share and concern in them themselves that 't is impossible that the accounts they give of them should not be most of them at least very true The Fourth Observation I have to make upon the Historical part of the first Christian Writers is that there are so many Notes of time to be found in them such a particular Designation of Places and Persons and such a mixture of Jewish and Heathen Affairs with the Christian History as rendred any Errours or Mistakes so liable to a discovery at those times when the several Books that treat of these Matters were first Published to the World that by not being confuted they are as to the main substance of what they declare irrefragably confirm'd The other Writings of OrthodoxChristians of the first Ages which do not concern the History of Christianity are either Vindications and Defences of the Christian Religion against all the Objections and Calumnies raised by any of the Enemies of it or Explications of the Christian Doctrine Government and Discipline or Exhortations and Directions to Practise or Animadversions and Reproofs for Errours and Offences All which are written under the form of Orations or Apologies Letters Disputations Comments c. Now it 's plain from all these Writings that the several Authors of them were throughly convinced of the Truth of the Christian Religion This appears from the Zeal and Warmth with which many of them writ upon several occasions to one another and to Hereticks the readiness they testifie to quit all they have and to lay down their Lives rather than do any thing contrary to their Profession the concern they express for the continuance of their Fellow-Christians in the same Faith and the Conversion of others to Christianity the Boldness and Courage they shew to Persons of Power and Authority when the truth of their Religion or their own Innocence is call'd in question and from many other unquestionable marks of Honesty Sincerity and a through Perswasion visible almost in every Page 'T is manifest likewise that all these Authors believed the Scriptures of the New Testament and Founded their Religion upon them Several of them have writ Comments upon them all quote them and confirm the Doctrines they deliver and the Rules and Directions they give from them and all their Writings plainly declare they were very well vers'd in them and influenced by the same Spirit that governs there and distinguishes those Writings from any other and when ever any Controversy happen'd in matters of Christian Faith or Practiced the Appeal is constantly made to these Scriptures Several other Remarks and Observations might be drawn from the Writings of those Christians call'd Orthodox but these are sufficient for what I design to prove by them and so I pass on to consider what we have written by Heretieks Jews and Heathens with relation to Christianity A great many things were written by Persons of these several Denominations in the Three first Ages of the Christian Aera but very little of them that expressly concerns Christianity remains now and a great many of these Writings were lost in Eusebius's Time so that almost all we know of them is contained in the Orthodox Writers In many of which there are several considerable Fragments yet to be found and accounts of what is lost From all which we may collect that none of the Enemies of the Christian Religion neither Hereticks Jews nor Heathens did at any time offer to disprove or contradict those Christian Facts I have been now Establishing but did in several respects strengthen and confirm the truth of them We find by the Orthodox Writers that there were in the most Primitive Times and continually in all the after-Periods of Christianity a great many Hereticks of very different Characters and Opinions who troubled the Peace of the Church and endeavoured to corrupt the Christian Doctrine and Tradition Their Writings are full of the strange Opinions of Hereticks they are oftentimes very large in giving a History of the Men their vicious Lives and wicked Designs and in confuting their Absurd and for the most part Blasphemous Doctrines From hence we find that several of these Hereticks in order to justifie their Errors made use of all the Arts and Shifts they could and some denied one Book of Scripture and some another some took upon them to reform the Scriptures and added what they thought serv'd their turn or took away what they did not like Others made new Scriptures and put them out in the Names of the Apostles but none of them denied the principal matters of Fact contained in the New Testament neither Miraculous nor Common though their Character oftentimes allow'd and their Cause requir'd such a denial if the Evidence of those Facts had not appear'd to them so strong as to render all contradiction Vain and Ineffectual The Jews who writ against the Christian Religion allow'd most of the principal matters of Fact Recorded of Christ in the New Testament even his Miracles as well as the Common History of his Life and when they deny the Reality they grant the Pretence are wholly concern'd to shew that Christ was not the Messias promised them notwithstanding his extraordinary Character because as they thought several of the Prophecies in the Old Testament which were agreed on all hands to relate to the Messias could not be apply'd to Christ In this consisted wholly the Controversie betwixt them and the Christians and therefore are the Jews of these times censur'd by the Christian Writers as corrupting the Old Testament in such Passages of it as seem'd to them to make most for the Christian Religion Particularly Justin in his Dialogue with a Jew endeavors to evince That several Testimonies of the Prophets which he quoted was cut out of the Bible by the Jews which charge whether true or false proves thus much that the Jews had no other way of resisting the Evidence of the Christian Religion but by denying or in some manner evading the Arguments drawn from the Prophecies of the Old Testament Here they placed the chief strength of their Cause and not in the Confutation of the Christian History the greatest part of which is plainly granted in the Arguments they make use of to overthrow the Faith built upon it and the Inferences drawn from it Particularly Josephus does comfirm the truth of several of the Facts related in the New Testament and such as necessarily determine the Oririginal of Christianity The like
and from the Testimony of others concerning them yet are the Accounts they give us of such a Nature and Writ at such Times that 't is impossible they should ever have been believed if they had not been true from whence it follows That the History of the Scriptures must be true and the Doctrines they contain given by Divine Inspiration though the Persons that Recorded the wonderful Works and Revelations of God were not Divinely assisted in the same manner in the Writing as they themselves or others they write of were in the first Preaching and Publishing the Will of God As to the remaining Objections to Scripture viz. Ridiculous and Improbable Stories absurd Laws and Injunctions Impertinent Reasons and Arguments low and unartful Expressions All those will admit of one common Answer and are easily and justly accountable for from our Ignorance of the Language in which the Scriptures and especially those of the Old Testament were writ Ancient Customs and Vsages in speaking and acting and the Temper and Circumstances of the People where the Things were said and done The Wisdom of all Laws and Institutions is to be judg'd of by the Temper and Circumstances of the Persons for whom they were made particularly at the Time when they were made The Eloquence and Propriety at all Discourses and the Force and Weight of Arguments depend likewise upon the Character of the Persons the Discourses were directed to or intended for and their peculiar Disposition and Circumstances at such and such Times Ridiculous and absurd are arbitrary and relative Terms and vary according to the different Notions of the Persons that use them there being several Things which to some appear absurd and ludicrous which considered by others in different Circumstances appear proper and grave From these Considerations might all the particular Things objected under the forementioned Heads be answered as a great many of them have been already were we throughly instructed in those Matters which are absolutely necessary in order to make any Judgment upon the Things in question which at this distance from the first delivery of them is in several Cases impossible But in defect of such Information as is necessary to give a clear and particular Account of all the Passages of Scripture excepted against by Prophane and Cavilling Men 't is sufficient to say in general what has been before unanswerably proved that all the principal Matters of Fact Recorded in the Holy Writings upon which the Certainty of the Revelation and the Obligations of the Religion therein contained are founded are beyond all exception true for the Authority of these will bear down and over-rule all other seeming difficulties that occur in Scripture which are not manifestly inconsistent with the first Principles of our Knowledge upon which all our Faith as well as Reason is grounded There are several Relations of Things in the most approved Books which I should not believe so readily if they were not supported by the Authority of the rest But when I have unquestionable proof of the Veracity and Wisdom of the Writer in some things I can easily believe other things which he says must be true and wise though they seem to me foolish and untrue And therefore when I am certainly convinced 't is God that speaks by Infallible Signs and a great part of the Discourse appears to me worthy of God I cannot doubt but all the rest must proceed from God and be worthy of him though it would not appear so without this support Had the Bible came down to us with all the exceptionable Stories and Expressions put together without the other parts of it I could not have perceived it belonged to God without many wonderful Signs to confirm it and I should have been very distrustful of the Signs but when I am throughly convinced of the Authority of a Testimony nothing but a downright Contradiction would shock my Belief Did Twelve Men of known Integrity to me affirm they heard an Ass or Serpent Speak or any such thing as is Recorded in Scriture I should believe them without any manner of Scruple or Hesitation and according to the Nature and Importance of what was said I should judge it proceeded either from the secret force of Nature or from Evil Spirits or from God If therefore we are satisfied by undeniable Arguments that the Substance and Principal parts of the Scripture-History are true and consequently that the Bible is the Word of God it necessarily follows that all the questionable Places of it are capable of such a Solution as is very consistent with the Wisdom and Designs of God and with all the Principles of our Reason though we should not be able to give it And indeed such Answers have been already made to several things which seemed most liable to Exception that 't is very easie to conceive how those that are yet unanswered might be Solved were we furnished with all the Knowledge requisite for such a Performance But it has not pleased God to give us such Light and it does not seem Repugnant to any thing in the Divine Nature to deny it us and therefore the Difficulties of Scripture as well as those of Natural Providence may be a proper Exercise of our Faith but are a very unjust and unwarrantable ground of Infidelity since in both he has vouchsased us such plain and certain Manifestations of himself as cannot be darkned by all that infinite abyss of Knowledge which is veiled and concealed from us I shall not therefore concern my self any further to give a particular Answer to the many minute Objections that are made to Scripture because if the Authority of the Holy Writings depended upon the Force or Invalidity of these Objections in order to prove the Truth of those Writings every one of them must be distinctly and satisfactorily Answered and that is plainly impossible by reason that they cannot all receive their proper Solutions without a through insight into the whole compass of Humane Knowledge which no Man or Generation of Men is capable of and without such a Penetration into the Ways and Designs of God as is not attainable but by Revelation But if it be urged that there are some particular Objections which do of themselves without the assistance of any other Arguments overthrow the Credit and Authority of the Scriptures these having been never yet alledged 't is time enough to give an Answer to them when the whole Cause is put upon that Issue But besides all this a particular Answer to all or any Objections is a needless trouble because the proof that has been given of the Christian Revelation is sufficient to Establish the Authority of it notwithstanding any Objection that can be made to the Books of Scripture which I shall endeavour more fully to make out under the next General Head of Discourse IV. Forurthly then I shall shew the Sufficiency of such a Proof as has before been given by Matters of Fact to induce us to
And now if we take a just view of them and consider them all together we shall be obliged to make the following Conclusions 1. That there never was any Thing discovered or so much as suspected to be an Imposture that had so many Marks and Characters of Truth upon it as the Christian Religion has 2. That there never were any true Matters of Fact so well attested or that were capable of such a Proof as the Christian Facts are There being no Ancient Facts which have so many sensible Monuments and Effects of them left and in the Proof of which Mankind was so nearly and necessarily concern'd 3. That it is impossible to conceive or frame any Notion how or in what manner the Christian Religion might possibly have been an Imposture notwithstanding all the present appearances of its being true And if all these Conclusions are right as I am throughly and irresistibly convinced they are and I think have proved them so to be there can be no room left to disbelieve the Christian Religion without distrusting all our Knowledge and renouncing all pretences to Reasoning But supposing these Conclusions were not any of them fully proved and it could be shewn That something else which had once all the appearance of Truth that the Christian Religion now has had afterwards been detected to be false that some other Ancient Matters of Fact are as well attested and proved to be true as the Christian seem to be and that 't is possible to imagine which way the Christian Religion might come to obtain its present Credit in the World notwithstanding it was at first an Imposture none of which I am sure can be proved Yet even in this Case the Proof that has now been given of the Christian Religion is sufficient to build our Faith upon because the most that can be inferr'd from all these Arguments is only this That there is a bare possibility in the Nature of Things that the Christian Religion may be false But he that from hence should conclude that it was really so without any other Reasons to support his Opinion and in opposition to all that multiplicity of Proof that has been offered for the Truth of it must not pretend Reason but only Resolution for his Infidelity Such therefore is the Sufficiency of the Proof before given whatever be the Nature or Kind of it or however it may be thought to differ from or fall short of the Demonstration used in other Matters that we are utterly inexcusable if we do not believe the Christian Religion upon it and God may justly Condemn us for our disbelief and that upon these two accounts 1. Because we believe other Matters of Fact upon less Evidence and 2. Because we are obliged to believe such Facts as have these appearances of Truth which the Christian Religion has though they should really be false 1. That we believe Matters of Fact upon less Evidence than the Christian Religion is received upon is manifest by what has been before proved that no Matters of Fact have or are capable of so great and therefore to confirm this Point I shall only bring that one Instance of Mahometism Now 't is certain that those who look upon the Christian Religion as an Imposture do at the same time profess to believe all the principal Parts of the History of Mahomet Such as his Pretences to Revelation his Writing the Alcoran and his Propagating the Belief of the things contained in it in the way and manner therein mentioned These I say they do not in the least question notwithstanding that the Mahometan Religion pretends to a Divine Original as well as the Christian and is in like manner addrest to Mankind under the Promises and Threatnings of Future Happiness and Misery though it is withal a very absurd Composition in it self and of very pernicious Consequence to the World to be Believed and Established It is therefore very unreasonable for Men that believe these things to deny the Common History of Christianity such as the Pretences of Christ and his Disciples to Revelations Prophecies and Miracles the Writing of the Scriptures of the New Testament by those whose Names they bear or at least by some of Christ's immediate Disciples and the Propagation of the Christian Religion according to the Times Places Ways and Methods Recorded in those Books 'T is very unreasonable I say for Men who believe the History of Mahometism to question the truth of these things because they are attested by a much greater variety of Books and other Monuments and a greater multiplicity of the Copies of the Scriptures all which Testimonies we are sure by a numerous succession of others were extant nearer the date of the several Facts attested and in an Age of Learning among People of much higher Improvements than the first Mahometans were and moreover because it is certain that the Pretences of Christ were more difficult to be Feigned by himself or Forged by others afterwards that the Promises and Threatnings of the Gospel are of more Concern and Importance to be enquired into and the Establishment of Christianity whether true or false in its Original would so certainly contribute to the Happiness of Mankind that 't is one very good Argument of its being true that it is impossible to make and contrive any other Scheme every way so suitable and agreeable to the truest Interests of Humane Nature From whence I conclude that we cannot question the Truth of the History of Christianity so far as concerns the Common Matters of Fact without distrusting all the Knowledge we have of every Thing that happen'd at any distance from us And if the Common Matters of Fact are true all the other are plainly demonstrable from them as far as we have any certain Knowledge of the Natures of Things as has already been proved We are therefore obliged either to believe the Christian Religion or to renounce our belief of all other Facts whatsoever because whatever of this kind we believe besides we believe upon less Evidence 2. But Secondly Whatever degree of Evidence other Matters of Fact may be supposed to have we are absolutely obliged to believe the Christian Religion upon that Evidence that is brought for it because we are obliged to believe such Facts as have those appearances of Truth the Christian Religion has though they should be really false We are to judge of Things by the Faculties God has given us according to those grounds and measures of Truth he has suited and proportion'd to them and therefore when we have the greatest assurance of a Thing that we are capable of according to the present frame our Nature and the State of Things in the World it would be highly unreasonable in us to deny it whatever it was barely upon a Suspicion it might be false though it should afterwards really prove to be so but if what we had this apparent Proof of was a Matter of concern and importance to us upon the
Belief or Disbelief of which our utmost Happiness or Misery seemed to depend and we should prefer a meer Suspicion to all the appearing Marks and Characters of Truth God might as justly punish us for disbelieving a real Error upon such grounds as for rejecting the Truth It is not whether our Opinions are true or false but whether we have judg'd well or ill that we are accountable for neither in Matters of meer Speculation is it of much concern whether we judge well or ill because it is of no great moment whether we judge at all but it is not indifferent to us whether we will be happy or no Happiness is and must be the end of all our Thoughts and the governing Principle of our Lives upon this Account it is as we have seen in a former Discourse that we are necessarily concerned to know whether there be a God or no whether he requires any thing of us if there is and whether he has appointed any Future State of Life for us And these things our Reason has assured us are true and fit to be believed notwithstanding any Suspicions we may have to the contrary because we venture all our Happiness by disbelieving them And upon the same Score it is that the Christian Religion challenges our Assent to it because if all the fore-mentioned Principles be true we venture our Happiness as much in denying it For if this does not contain the Will of God it is impossible to know what is required of us because we can never give so strong and certain a Proof of what our Particular Duty to God is without Divine Revelation as we can that the Christian Revelation is true We are therefore in as high a manner obliged to believe Christianity as Natural Religion because the Proofs of that are very near if not quite as strong as those that are brought for the other and our Happiness is more certainly ventured here than there for this reason that if the First General Principles of Religion should be false he that denies them will suffer nothing for his denial but if those be true and the Christian Religion should be false he that rejects that runs as great a hazard as if it had been true because God will certainly Judge him according to the Evidence and not according to the Reality of things And therefore he that believes in God is obliged to believe in Christ also since 't is certain that the Christian Religion has a great many Extraordinary Marks and Characters of Truth to recommend it and is pressed upon our Belief under the Considerations of Eternal Happiness and Misery and we have nothing to oppose to all the appearing Evidence it is built upon but barely a Suspicion that notwithstanding what appears to us it may possibly be false The two first of these Assertions are manifest and the Truth of the latter will be very visible to any one that will give himself the trouble of considering all the Objections that have ever been made to the Christian Revelation which taken altogether will not so much as make out the meer possibility of the Christian Schemes being false but amount to no more than this that something else like something contained in the History of Christianity has been proved to be false therefore the Christian Religion is an Imposture For all that has ever been urged against the Truth of the Christian Religion is in short but this that Histories have been false Prophecies and Miracles have been counterfeit there have been false Pretences to Revelation Books have been forged strange Things have been said and done by Men and stranger by Evil Spirits But it can no more be inferr'd from hence that the Christian History and Revelation and all the Christian Prophecies and Miracles are false and the Scriptures of the New Testament are forged than it can be concluded that all Men are mad or asleep because there have been several in these Conditions that have thought themselves awake and in their Senses or that all the Arguments and Proofs made use of in Mathematical Knowledge are false because some pretended Demonstrations have been Undemonstrated and Confuted And yet this is the utmost defence that Infidelity can make for it self as has before been more particularly shewn Wherefore they are utterly inexcusable whoever they are who believe there is a God and that he is a Rewarder of all those that diligently seek him and yet reject so plain and evident a Revelation of himself as the Christian Religion is But there are very few I believe of this Character to be found in the Christian World 'T is more reasonable to think that those among us who will not have the Son of God to Reign over them have as little regard for the Father that sent him and that if they will not hear Moses and the Prophets nor be perswaded by one that rose from the Dead neither will they understand the Eternal Power and Godhead by the things that are made And if this be the Case of our Modern Deists and Vnbelievers if their Minds are Blinded and their foolish Hearts Darkned to such a degree that they cannot perceive God in any of the other ways he has took of Revealing himself to them we must leave them to be convinced by the last Revelation that will be made of the Righteous Judgment of God when they shall be forced to Believe and Tremble FINIS BOOKS Printed for Tho. Bennet Folio THuidides Greek and Latin Collated with five entire Mannscript Copies and all the Editions Extant Also Illustrated with Maps large Annotations and Indexes by J. Hudson M. A. and Fellow of Vniversity Coll. Oxon. To which is added an exact Chronology by the Learned Hen. Dodwell never before Published Printed at the Theater Oxon. Octavo and Twelves Sermons and Discourses upon several Occasions by Dr. Stradling Dean of Chichester Together with an Account of the Author by James Harrington Esq Sermons and Discourses upon several Occasions by Dr. Meggot Dean of Chichester The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius Antonius the Roman Emperor Translated out of Greek into English by Dr. Causabon with Notes To this Edition is added the Life of the Emperor with an Account of Stoick Philosophy as also Remarks on the Meditations All newly written by Monsieur and Madam Dacier The Inspiration of the New Testament Asserted and Explained in Answer to the Six Letters of Inspiration from Holland c. by Mr. L. Moth. THE CERTAINTY and NECESSITY OF Religion in General c. The Contents INtroduction shewing the design of the Discourse and the Method in which it is Prosecuted Page 1. An account of the Nature of Man so far as concerns Religion p. 9. Of the Nature of God p. 16. Of the Relation there is betwixt God and Man p. 18. A direct proof of the Being of God p. 19. Considered as Possible p. 20. Considered as Probable p. 26. Considered as Certain p. 40. The certainty of God's Existence proved
Indirectly and Negatively by shewing that none of those Suppositions which exclude the Being of God can be true p. 57. Matter alone considered at rest could not be Eternal and in time produce the Present Frame of the World p. 59. 'T is impossible to account for the Production of the World by the Atheist's Hypothesis of moving Atoms p. 61. 'T is absurd to suppose that the World has Existed Eternally under the same Form we now behold it without a God p. 64. The Eternal Coexistence of Matter and Mind improbable p. 71. Supposing it probable neither Matter alone nor Matter and Motion nor the present Constitution of things could have been Eternal Independently of God p. 77. The Original of all things from God further evinced from General Reflections p. 81. A positive and direct Proof of Religion drawn from the Nature of God and Man and the Relations there are betwixt them p. 91. Of the Nature and Ground of Obligation together with the Right and Power of Obliging Ib. That Man is obliged to order his Life according to the Will of God is proved p. 102. From the Natural Judgments we make concerning our Actions p. 105. From the End and Design of God in making us which appears by several Tokens and Indications p. 117. in the Frame and Disposition of our Mind p. 118. and in the Oeconomy and Constitution of Humane Society p. 125. From the Nature of Religion it self a regular practice of which conduces to the greatest Happiness we are capable of in this Life p. 129. And from the certainty of a Future State which is proved p. 137. From the defect of a General and Regular Practice of Religion here p. 138. And from the General Wants Necessities and Imperfections of our present Nature p. 141. From all which Considerations it appears that 't is more for our Happiness to live Religiously then otherwise and therefore we are obliged to live so p. 146. The Certainty and Necessity of Religion further shewn from the pernicious effects of all kind of Irreligion with respect to the Happiness of Mankind p. 149. The absurdity and folly of all the Grounds and Pretences of Irreligion and whatever is alledged in defence of it p. 181. Irreligion not capable of any direct proof p. 183. The usual Ways and Methods of defending it Improper and Insufficient p. 187. Ridiculing Religion proves nothing against it Ib. Requiring a more certain and Mathematical proof of it unreasonable p. 188. Schemes and Hypotheses to account for the present state of things without God and Religion absurd and inconsistent p. 192. The chief and most common Objections against Religion answered viz. p. 200. Mysteries seeming Inconsistencies and Absurdities in Scripture p. 201. Extravagant Notions and Pernicious Doctrines maintained under the name of Religion p. 202. Variety of Opinions among the Professors of the same Religion p. 204. Foolish and Ridiculous Arguments urged in defence of it p. 205. Scandalous Lives of great pretenders to Piety and Virtue p. 206. Religion the effect of Fear and Education p. 209. Religion a politick Contrivance p. 211. The absurdity and folly of Irreligious Principles and Practices demonstrated from General Reflections upon the different Grounds and Foundations Religion and Irreligion stand upon and the different Conduct of those that act under the Influence of the one and the other p. 213. Irreligion further exposed from the causes and Reasons that induce Men to take up Atheistical and Prophane Opinions p. 227. The chief Causes of Atheism shewn to be these two The Fear of an after reckoning for a wicked Life and the Vanity of appearing greater and wiser than other Men. p. 230. The Doctrines of Irreligion the sole result of Prejudice and not deliberate reasoning more plainly made out p. 239. From the Character and Capacities of the Atheists Ib. From the manner and process of their Infidelity p. 242. And from the Confession of several Atheists themselves p. 246. An account of the Notions of Atheism and Deism and how they are to be distinguished p. 249. THE CERTAINTY Of the Christian Revelation And the Necessity of Believing it c. The Contents THe Connexion of this Discourse with the former Page 1. The Method laid down for the Establishing the Certainty of the Christian Revelation p. 3. An Abstract or Summary of the Christian Scheme as it is delivered in the Books of the New Testament p. 8. The General Subject of the several Books or Volumes of the New Testament p. 9. The Character of Jesus Christ p. 19. A short Account of his Doctrine or Gospel p. 31. The Character of those that believed in him and that assisted him in the Publishing and Propagating his Gospel p. 42. The Character of those that Persecuted Him and his Disciples and opposed the Establishment of his Religion p. 50. The way and manner in which the Books of the New Testament are writ with all the important Circumstances which refer to the form and composition of those Writings p. 51. All the Principal Matters of Fact related in the New Testament shewn to be true by a plain direct proof according to this distinction of them premised viz Common Matters of Fact Miracles and Prophecies Divine Assistance and Revelation p. 59. The Common Historical Facts mentioned in the New Testament proved to be true in the following manner p. 60. The Original of Christianity rightly assigned in the New Testament p. 61. A Survey of the Christian Religion in the time of Constantine p. 70. The Christian Faith the same in the time of Constantine as it was at and immediately after the first Publication of the Gospel p. 74. This Proposition made out from the constant Tradition of such a Belief together with many sensible Infallible Effects of it p. 75. And from many other extrinsick Signs and Monuments remaining at the Meeting of the Council of Nice under Constantine p. 105. Such as were several Customs and Vsages p. 107. Relicks Buildings and other the like Monnments p. 108. Books and Written Records of several kinds viz. p. 109. Copies of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament p. 110. Publick Acts and Records belonging to Societies p. 113. Genuine Writings of Orthodox Christians p. 119. Books Written by Hereticks p. 132. Jewish and Pagan Books p. 133. Forged and Suppositious Writings of uncertain Authors p. 137. The Miracles and Prophecies Recorded in the New Testament shewn to be true Facts according to the Relation there given of them p. 140. An Account by way of Introduction of what is meant by Miracles and Prophecies in this place p. 141. And what kind of Evidence these Facts are capable of p. 143. The Miracles considered by themselves according to the different Periods in which they were done and the different Persons they were done by p. 144. The Prophecies considered apart according to the same distinction of Times and Persons p. 158. The Truth of these Extraordinary Facts call'd Miracles and Prophecies and the Reasonableness of those
Grounds upon which the first Christians believed them evinced from General Reflections upon the Scripture-account of them p. 161. What is said in the New Testament concerning Divin Assistance and Revelation proved to be true p. 183. The Miracles Prophecies and Doctrines Recorded in the New Testament which are all the Matters to be inquired into under this Head did certainly proceed from God p. 185. The Person themselves who appeared to be the immediate Authors of them might be infallibly satisfied that whatever of this kind they said or did was from God p. 186. Others may be likewise convinced of the same Truth by a certain proof of the following Points viz. p. 194. That the Miracles Prophecies and Doctrines contained in the New Testament could not be the Work and Contrivance of meer Men. p. 195. That God was the Author of them all p. 222. And that 't is absurd to ascribe these things to Evil Spirits p. 242. The Truth of the Christian Revelation delivered in the Books of the New Testament proved indirectly by shewing the absurdity of a contrary Supposition and the Weakness of all the Objections raised against Scripture and Revelation in General p. 245. The Scriptures of the New Testament could not possibly be Forged and Invented p. 250. Because there is no end or design imaginable sufficient to have determined the supposed Author of this Work to have undertaken it And because further if the principal Matters of Fact both Common and Extraordinary had not been true it would have been utterly impossible that the Christian Religion should ever have been Believed and Propagated in the World p. 264. The principal Objections against Revelation and the Scriptures answered viz. p. 272. That the Miracles and Prophecies mentioned in Scripture are no Proofs of a Divine Revelation p. 276. And that there are such Faults observable in the other parts of Scripture as shew the whole to be a pure Humane Composure p. 288. The sufficiency of the proof before given of the Christian Revelation fully and undeniably made out p. 303. From Humane Testimony p. 305. From the Connexion of present Appearances with former p. 309. And from the Nature of Things in General and the particular Facts in Question p 317. The Arguments taken from the Nature of things further made good by shewing that they are as just and concluding in the case of the Christian Religion as any other Arguments drawn from the Nature of things are p. 332. The sufficiency of the Proof before given is such that God may justly condemn us for not believing the Christian Religion upon it p. 349. Because we believe other Matters of Fact upon less Evidence and Ib. Because we are obliged to believe such Facts have those appearances of Truth which the Christian Religion has though they should really be false p. 352. FINIS BOOKS Printed for Tho. Bennet THE Lives of all the Princes of Orange from William the Great Founder of the Common-wealth of the United Provinces to which is added the Life of his present Majesty King William III. from his Birth to his Landing in England By Mr. Tho. Brown Together with all the Princes Heads taken from the Original Draughts by Mr. Robert White A Voyage to the World of Des Certes Translated from the French by T. Taylor M. A. of Magd. Coll. Oxon. Thirty Six Sermons upon several Occasions in Three Vol. by Robert South D. D. The second Edition The Certainty and Necessity of Religion in general or the first Ground and Principles of Humane Duty Establish'd In Eight Sermons Preached at St. Martins in the Fields at the Lectures for the Year 1697. Founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle Esq By F. Gastrel B. D. and Student of Christ Church Coll. Oxon.
heal'd all manner of Infirmities by his miraculous Power and when his Disciples brought him Meat he refused it saying he had Meat to eat which they knew not of and that his Meat was to do the Will of him that sent him He lived in extream Poverty and Want He had not where to lay his Head and was destitute not only of the good things of this World but of all the lesser Conveniences of this Life And yet we see when he sent for an Ass and Fole to ride into Jerusalem with the Owners let them go and when he ordered to have such a room prepared for him to eat his last Supper in 't was presently got ready for him and both upon the bare Saying of his Disciples that the Master had need of them His Meekness Lowliness and Humility are very conspicuous throughout his whole Conduct and Behaviour and in several particular Instances as his conversing freely with Persons of the meanest Rank chusing such to be his constant Companions and most intimate Friends declaring that he came to minister to others and not to be ministred to ordering those he cured not to publish what he had done for them refusing to be King when the People would have made him so washing his Apostles Feet c. Notwithstanding which in many other Instances he discovers himself in very signal Characters of Greatness Majesty and Power For not to mention what we have before rank'd under the Stile of Miracles and Prophecies he taught as one having Authority so that not only the People but their Rulers and Teachers were astonished at his Doctrine he reproved the Scribes and Pharisees with Boldness he enter'd into Jerusalem with all the highest Solemnities of Triumph and drove out of the Temple all those that prophaned that Holy House by applying it to common Uses he spake the Word and whoever he call'd immediately left all they had and followed him he took upon him to forgive Sins and he gave his Disciples the same Power as likewise a Power against unclean Spirits to cast them out and to heal all manner of Sickness and all manner of Diseases to tread on Serpents and Scorpions and over all the Power of the Enemy so that nothing should by any means hurt them Besides all which and many other Marks of Greatness Power and Authority that appeared in the Actions of Christ the things which he declares of himself and which are attributed to him by his Disciples give us a much higher Idea of him He says of himself that he is greater than the Prophet Jonah and Solomon he proves that David call'd him his Lord he affirms that before Abraham was he is that Abraham rejoiced to see his day that he is the Christ the Messiah expected and prophesied of the Son of God the Way the Truth and the Life that all things are delivered to him of the Father who was Lord of Heaven and Earth and that all things which the Father hath are his that he and the Father are one that he is in the Father and the Father in him that he came forth from his Father when he came into the World that he is the Bread of Life that came down from Heaven that this Bread is his Flesh which he will give for the Life of the World that he has overcome the World that no Man took his Life from him but that he laid it down of himself and had Power to take it again and that when he leaves the World he goes to his Father He owns that he is a King but that his Kingdom was not of this World He tells us that all Power is given to him both in Heaven and in Earth that hereafter he should be seen sitting at the Right Hand of the Power of God and that he will come in his Glory and all the Holy Angels with him to judge the World that then he shall sit upon the Throne of his Glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations and receive their Sentence from him according to their Works He assures his Twelve Apostles that he will send the Comforter to them who shall teach them all things and guide them into all truth and show them things to come that he himself will be with them always unto the end of the World that whatsoever they shall ask the Father in his Name that he will do that he will prepare a place for them in his Fathers House and that when he comes to judge the World they shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel To all those that labour and are heavy laden he promises that they shall find rest to those that sell what they have and follow him that they shall have Treasure in Heaven to those that love him that they shall be loved of his Father and that his Father and he will come and make their abode with them Whosoever drinketh of the water that he shall give him he says shall never thirst but that water shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life and whoso eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood hath eternal life and he will raise him up at the last day He tells one of the Thieves upon the Cross That he should be with him that day in Paradise and in general to all those that believe in him and obey his Word and Commandments he gives assurance of Salvation and Eternal Happiness in another World besides many other occasional Blessings and Assistances in this and those that will not believe in him and obey his Gospel he threatens with Eternal Punishment in another life and with many Troubles and Calamities while they continue here Agreeable to which Declarations made by himself are the Language and Practice of his Disciples to him and of him in his Life time and after his Death They call him Lord and God Preach Baptize and Bless in his Name and attribute a great many glorious things to him which are in other places in the same Manner and Expression attributed to the One Only Supream God They Worship him when alive with all the external signs of Divine Adoration and Pray to him after his Death and expect all manner of Grace Assistance and Spiritual strength from him here and an Eternal Reward of their Labours Sufferings and Obedience from him hereafter And as these are all Evident Marks and Tokens of an amazing Greatness and Power in Jesus Christ so are all his Sermons and Discourses his manner of Preaching and Conversing and the whole Scheme both of his Life and Doctrine manifest proofs of an extraordinary kind of Wisdom It does not appear from the History of the Gospel or any other parts of the New Testament that Christ had read any other Book but the Old Testament or that he had had the advantage of being instructed in the meaning and sense of that by any Master or Teacher whatsoever yet we find him Teaching Reasoning Answering Questions that were put
to him and Expounding the Scriptures of the Old Testament in such a manner that all that heard him were astonished at his Vnderstanding his Doctrine and Answers His usual way of Teaching the People that believed on him and reproving the Scribes and Pharisees and others that were unbelievers and sought occasion to find fault with what he said was by Parables which were such familiar Resemblances of or Allusions to the common and most observ'd accidents of Life as were more easily apprehended by ordinary Capacities better attended to and remembred and not so liable to Censure and Misinterpretation as plain and proper expressions of the same Truths that were delivered this way would have been But sometimes he both taught and reproved openly without any disguise or reserve and some of his Parables were such as were not understood even by his Disciples till he was pleased in private to shew them the meaning of them and acquaint them with the reason of this part of his Conduct His Answers to those that accused him of any crime as of eating with Sinners breaking of the Sabbath Blasphemy and the like or that sought to entrap him in his Discourse and to find matter of Accusation against him were very surprizing and unexpected and such as always silenced and disappointed his Enemies His Exposition of some parts of the Scriptures of the Old Testament and the Inferences he draws from them seem'd wholly new to all the Jewish Teachers and Expositors that heard him and yet we do not read that they confuted or so much as opposed either his Comments or his Arguments And in fine his whole Behavior and Conversation were so carefully and wisely ordered that though he was constantly watch'd and observ'd by cunning and malicious Men of different Opinions Designs and Interests yet no Man was ever able to convince him either of Sin or Ignorance as is manifest from the Answers he gave to those who Censured or Despised him or thought to puzzle him by difficult Questions and from the whole Process against him when he was condemn'd to die Thus lived Jesus Christ a perfect Pattern and Example of the Religion he established in all Holiness and unblameableness of Conversation shewing in all the Actions of his Life recorded of him an entire Submission and Resignation to the Will of God and exceeding great Charity and Compassion towards Men. And the same reason for which he came into the World and was obedient to the Law of Moses for which he published his Gospel and upon that account endured the Contradiction and Persecution of Sinners was that also which made him lay down his Life and submit to all the Indignities and Torments that accompanied it the only Cause Motive and End of all these Actions and Sufferings of Christ was the love of Mankind As he came into the World to save Sinners so he gave his Life a ransom for many To free Men from Eternal Misery render them capable of Eternal Happiness and to direct and assist them in the way of Salvation was his sole Work and Design These are the largest and most remarkable lines in the Character of Jesus Christ the first Author of that Religion we profess and defend In the next place I shall endeavour to give a short draught or representation of his Doctrine or Gospel or as we now call it The Christian Religion so far as it is plainly delivered in the Writings of the New Testament But all Religion as every one know consisting of Faith and Practice things to be believed and things to be done in consequence of such Belief I shall first consider the Christian Faith and afterwards what concerns the Practice of a Christian The sum of the Christian Faith is to believe in One God such as he is in the New Testament set forth to us and in Jesus Christ his only begotten Son our Lord according to the History and Character before given or whatever else the Scriptures say of him and by Faith in him accompany'd with a Sincere Vniversal and Persevering endeavour of Obedience to the Rules and Laws prescribed by him and a hearty Repentance for the Sins and Frailties we do at any time fall into to expect eternal inexpressible Happiness or in case of Infidelity or Disobedience attended with Impenitency to be assured of suffering Eternal inexpressible Misery in another Life The particular Doctrines which give us an account of these things more at large may be considered under these three Heads God Christ and Man The God proposed in the New Testament to be believed in is represented as a Spirit Invisible Incorruptible Eternal that is that was and is to come Almighty that knoweth all things and yet whose Judgments are unsearchable and his ways past finding out Creator of the World and all things therein who upholdeth all things by his Power in whom we live and move and have our being of whom and through whom and to whom are all things Most Holy Just Righteous and Perfect who is to be worshiped in Spirit and in Truth and with purity of Heart no respecter of Persons of great goodness and forbearance and yet who will render to every Man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Immortality Eternal Life but to them that do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath of whom it is further said That he is the Father the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father a Title he is frequently and peculiarly distinguished by all over the New Testament That he sent his Son into the World to die for us and by him reconciled us to himself That the Sins of Ignorance he winked at but that now at the appointed time when Christ came into the World he calleth all Men every where to repent That at sundry times and in divers manners he spake in times past by the Prophets but in these last days hath spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he hath made the World that he foreknew predestinated and Elected some in Christ and adopted them for Sons to be Heirs of Salvation and to obtain a Heavenly Inheritance all which are said to be Sanctified by the Spirit of God who is often called the Holy Ghost or Spirit and the Spirit of Christ and of the Son in several places of Scripture is joined together with the Father and the Son and frequently talk'd of as a Person acting after such and such a manner as God is in other places represented to do and many of the same Titles Characters and Attributes are ascribed to him as are ascribed to the One Only Supreme God The principal things that are taught us in the writings of the New Testament concerning Christ besides what we have already mentioned in his History and Character are That he came into the World took upon him the nature of Man was obedient to the Law