Prayer was heard and the People that stood by and heard it said that it thunder'd others said an Angel spake to him John 12. 28 29. Thus Christ was signally glorified by his Father and declared by him to be the Messias the Son of God by a Voice from Heaven attended with a kind of Thâ—nder To this we may annex God's speaking in a rushing mighty wind on the day of Pentecost Acts 2. 2. And Christ Jesus himself being in Heaven spake to Saul thence by a Voice saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9. 4. St. Iohn in the Apocalypse makes frequent mention of a Voice speaking to him and revealing great things to him where it is observable that Thunders and Voices go together chap. 4. 5. and 8. 5. Thus the New Testament as well as the Old had the benefit of that Divine Oracle which the Iews stiled the Daughter of a Voice i. e. a Voice from Heaven declaring the Will of God to Men. Afterwards we are told in Ecclesiastical History that those who were set on work by Iulian the Apostate to rebuild the Temple at Ierusalem were defeated by Thunder and a TERRIBLE VOICE that accompanied it from Heaven thereby bearing witness to the Cause of Christianity 2. The Iews had the Testimony of Angels and so have Christians to confirm this Oeconomy By these Heavenly Messengers Zacharias had notice given him of the approaching Birth of Iohn the Baptist and the Virgin Mary had tidings brought her of the miraculous Conception of the Holy Babe Jesus in her Womb and these were the Heralds that proclaimed the News of his Birth to the Shepherds One of this Celestial Order appeared to Ioseph and warn'd him to flie into Egypt with the Blessed Infant These glorious Spirits gave notice of Christ's Resurrection and when he ascended up to Heaven another of this Celestial Hierarchy address'd himself to the Apostles and assured them that in the like manner Jesus should come again to Judgment Another of these Ministring Spirits came to the devout Cornelius and bid him send for Peter that he might be the great and happy Instrument of converting him to the Christian Faith The Angel of God stood by St. Paul in the Night when he was on his dangerous Voyage and ascertain'd him of his safety Acts 27. 23. And sundry other instances there are of Angels making known the will of God unto Men in those early times of the Gospel and thereby attesting the Truth of Christianity 3. The Iews had the Mosaick Dispensation attested by Visions and we have the same way of Revelation to ascertain us of the Truth of Christianity Thus Zachariah saw a Vision in the Temple relating to the forerunner of Christ Luke 1. 22. The Apostles who were at our Saviour's Transfiguration had the same manner of discovery Mat. 17. 9. The Lord spake to Ananias in a Vision Acts 9. 10. You read of St. Peter's Vision whereby he was taught not to despise the Gentiles Acts 10. 10 c. A Vision appeared to Paul in the Night Acts 16. 9. And again the Lord incouraged him in a Vision Acts 18. 9. Of St. Stephen it is said that he looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the Glory of God the Divine Shekinah and Iesus standing at the right hand of God Acts 7. 55. And we read in the Book of the Revelation that St. Iohn had frequent Visions And hither may be refer'd those visible representations spoken of in the New Testament as the Holy Ghost's descending on Christ in the shape of a Dove after he was baptized The appearance of Cloven Tongues like as of fire over the Apostles heads The Light from Heaven which shone round about St. Paul at his Conversion All these appertain to the Shekinah the Glorious Presence and Lustre of theâ— Heavenly Majesty And hither may be refer'd the Radiant Presence of Christ the bright and glorious Manifestation of his Person which is often mention'd by the Evangelists Mat. 17. 2 5. Mark 9. 3. and Rev. 1. 16. He dwelt among us he was the true Shekinah and we behold his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten of the Father John 1. 14. 4. Dreams were another sort of divine Revelations among the Jews and these also were not wanting to confirm the Truth of Christianity For we read that Ioseph was warned once and again in a Dream concerning Mary whom he had espoâ—sed and concerning the blessed Babe Mat. 1. 20. chap. 2. 12 13 19. And Pilate's Wife suffer'd many things in a Dream because of Christ who was then standing at the Bar before her Husband Mat. 27. 19. But because these Operations on the Imagination by Dreams are more liable to mistakes than Visions and other kinds of Revelation we have but few Instances of this However we are not wholly destitute of this Testimony under the Gospel 5. There was among the Jews that which they signally call'd the Holy Spirit viz. when Men were wonderfully and extraordinarily stir'd up to deliver the Will of God to make some divine Discoveries to the World and to assert their holy Religion This was in Christ himself Luke 4. 1. Acts 1. 2. 10. 38. and in the Apostles Acts 2. 4. 5. 8. 6. 3 5. 7. 55. 11. 24. 19. 6. and in all the holy Men that were sent by him to preach the Gospel By this they were enabled to speak without any premeditation before Rulers and Kings Mark 13. 10 11. for our Saviour tells them it is not ye that speak but the Holy Ghost With this the Apostles were all fill'd when they met together on the Day of Pentecost and utter'd such divine and heavenly things By this Prophetick Afflation or Inspiration the Evangelists penn'd the Scriptures of the New Testament for tho these Writings may be said to be humane Testimony as they were writ by Men yet these Persons being inspired by the Holy Ghost and not speaking of themselves but by extraordinary Assistance their Writings and Testimony are Divine This is part of that more sure Word of Prophesy spoken of by St. Peter Ep. 2. ch 1. ver 19. which in the next Verse he calls the Prophesy of the Scripture By this Divine Inspiration the Prophets and Apostles saw and foretold what should come to pass afterwards By this inward Afflation the Apostles tho mean and illiterate Persons preached the Gospel with that Authority and Evidence which some of their most implacable Enemies were not able to resist These are the Divine Witnesses of the Truth of the Gospel-Dispensation and of the Christian Religion Yea even at this Day and to the Worlds end this last Testimony viz. of the Spirit is useful and necessary I do not mean any Miraculous gift of the Spirit but a special and peculiar assistance of it such as all regenerate Persons have experience of That we may be throughly certain that this or that was deliver'd by God that we may assuredly know that such things were of Divine
the Disciples for a time such Prejudices had they on their minds that they could not conceive the meaning of our Lord and they durst not ask him concerning those things It was not as yet reveal'd to them by what means the Messias was to deliver them they dreamt of an Earthly Kingdom as the blinded Iews at this day they promis'd themselves much temporal Prosperity and Grandeur in the World Neither could the Doctrine of Christ's Resurrection gain assent with them for we read that when he spake of it to the three Apostles before whom he was transfigured they questioned one with another what the rising from the dead should mean Mark 9. 10. And afterwards when he told the other Apostles as well as these that he should rise again the third day they understood not that saying Mark 9. 31 32. That our Saviour's Friends believ'd not his Resurrection appears from their dressing his dead Body with Aromatick Gums and Spices which were design'd to preserve it It had been vain to use these glutinous Gums and Persumes if they thought he was in a short time to rise again And when he was risen they would not believe it as appears too plainly from that Speech of Cleophas one of those whom Jesus talk'd with presently after his Resurrection tho then he pass'd incognito We trusted saith he that it had been He who should have redeemed Israel Luke 24. 21. Still he doubted tho he had heard of the Lord's Resurrection in saying we trusted he discover'd his distrust and impli'd that Iesus could not be the Messias who was to redeem Israel Tho the Apostles were certified of Christ's Resurrection by those that saw him yet their words seemed to them as idle Tales Luke 24. 11. and they would not be perswaded till they themselves saw Christ among them Nor did they know that he was to ascend for just before he left them they put this question to him Wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel Acts 1. 6. Wilt thou repair the Iewish State and recover its pristine Splendour yea raise it to a higher Dignity than ever it arrived to as we expect should be done by the Messias So likewise it might be proved that some of them were in an Error about the End of the World for they believed it would be about that time By these and other Instances their Ignorance and Mistake were apparently discovered they had very false apprehensions and conceptions of things and some of the chief Articles of the Christian Belief were not credited by them Here I might add that in our Blessed Saviour's time there was not such an effusion of the Holy Spirit as there was afterwards Iohn 7. 35. The Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Iesus was not yet glorified For this Reason several things were not disclosed to them but were reserved till a further communication of the Spirit for tho Christ had said All things which I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you yet he adds I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot hear them now Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth John 16. 12 13. As much as if he had said there is no new Truth or other Doctrine to be preach'd to you than what you have receiv'd from me already but the time is coming when there shall be a greater Manifestation of those things to you tho the Truths as to the main shall be the same yet your Understandings and Capacities shall be greater you shall then comprehend those matters which before you could not as the calling of the Gentiles the Spiritual Kingdom of the Messias c. And moreover the Holy Spirit shall increase your Love and Zeal to God and all Truth so that you shall be enabled not only to preach it to all Nations but undauntedly to suffer Persâ—cution and even to lay down your Lives in the defence of it By this it is evident that Christianity was revealed by degrees as well as the other former Dispensations of Religion Their knowledg in the Christian Institution was gradual they were not to know all together neither were their Zeal and Courage of the same proportion that they were afterwards Secondly in the Times and Ages immediately succeeding our Saviour's being upon Earth the Church was but yet in its Childhood and State of Infirmity It is true they were much increased and advanced in their knowledg of spiritual Truths this being the Accomplishment of our Saviour's Promise as well as Prediction that the Holy Spirit should guide them into all Truth By a more immediate and special Directioâ— of this Holy Guide the Evangelists and Apostles indited and pen'd the Books of the New Testament so that there are no Errors and Mistakes in them of any kind Therefore what a Learned Writer saith on 1 Cor. 15. 51. and 2 Pet. 3. 11. and other places in St. Paul's and St. Peter's Epistles viz. that these Apostles verily believ'd the day of Iudgment was at hand and consequently were under a mistake is not to be admitted is by no means to be credited for these Persons as well as the other Penmen of the New Testament being immediately inspired by that Infallible Guide and Director could not possibly commit any Errors in their Writings whatever their misapprehensions were at other times When therefore they use those Terms with respect to the last Day We and Ye as if they of that Age should survive to see that Day we must remember that they speak not of themselves particularly and definitively but of the whole successive Body of Christians in several Ages who will be expecting the last Day This is the meaning of those Expressions as is plain from their using them on other occasions We have no Reason then to think that the Apostles were deceiv'd about the Day of Judgment or any other matter that they writ of and deliver'd to the World Here is no weakness no defect as to any thing of this nature Nay there was a great Advance and Accession in respect of what there was before in the foregoing part of this Dispensation viz. in the time that our Saviour lived upon the Earth For the Doctrines of the Gospel of which I speak now were gradually deliver'd and consequently the Apostles attain'd now to more than was discover'd in Christ's time he having not thought fit then to communicate all in so evident and plain a manner as we find it was afterwards done Therefore that late Writer is under a great mistake who declares that the Apostles Epistles are only occasional and that we can find no necessary Points of Divinity deliver'd there which were not deliver'd before in the Gospels and Acts whereas the Truth is the Epistles contain the most perfect and complete Doctrines of the Gospel for by degrees the Evangelical Truth display'd it self All the necessary and fundamental Articles of Christianity are explain'd
as to the Knowledge of the Arts and Sciences but is still impregnating and is still teeming with them And shall we think that as to Religion only there is a Decay There is no Ground for such a Surmise Shall Divinity which is the great Art of Arts remain unimproved Shall we think that all Knowledge but that which is the best of all increases and prospers No we can prove the contrary and thence entertain Hopes of greater Increases yet to come The First Christians as hath been observed did not understand some Parts of their Religion and the Nature of it so well as they did afterwards or so well as it shall be understood They were not exact in Points but Lived better than now The Ancient Writers such as Clement of Alexandria Origen Athanasius Ierom Augustin Chrysostom Hilary Ambrose Theodoret Theophylact and the rest have done excellently towards the explaining of the Holy Scriptures but the Moderns especially since the Reformation have wonderfully added to them And yet the greatest Harvest of Truth is yet to come not for discovering any New Doctrines but for explaining the Old ones and penetrating further into difficult Places of Scripture Who sees not what a vast difference there is between these and the former Times in point of Divine Knowledge How little was there of it heretofore among those who ought to have had a large Stock of it I mean the Clergy whose Ignorance in the Holy Scriptures and in the Doctrines of Christian Theology was scandalous and even ridiculous Indeed some of them were versed in School-Divinity but this was for the most part so far from making them more knowing in the Useful and Practical Doctrines of Christianity that it rather darkned and confounded them In the former Days of Popery Hebrew and Greek the Languages in which the Bible was wrote were meer unintelligible Jargon to the Generality of Church-men And as for the People their Ignorance and Blindness were yet grosser and they were not suffered to make any Enquiry into Religion Then that Politick Maxim prevail'd Keep Men in Ignorance and thereby enslave them It was an unpardonable Crime for Men to think their own Thoughts much more to speak or write them Ramus having published some new Notions of Logick and particularly against Aristotle who was at that time in great Credit was murder'd among the Calvinists in the Parisian Massacre The poor Man was a Martyr for Logick it is no wonder then that so many were for Divinity There was no liberty for Scruples in those peremptory Times for the Roman Doctors cut out Mens Belief and then forced it upon them A strange kind of Casuists that solv'd all Controversies in Religion as Alexander did the Gordian-Knot by the Sword by meer Violence Thus Mens Souls and Bodies were injur'd the former were blinded the latter enslaved They might be truly said to be bound in Chains of Darkness But we by the Divine Blessing are free'd from that Ignorance and Bondage which we owe to the Reformation whereby that Darkness was dispell'd and that Vassallage removed And now we are no longer tied up in the dark we both see and walk and we daily make progress in Divine Learning An undeniable eviction of which are the Discourses and Writings of those of the Reformed Churches especially of Divines for from these we may gather the vast Improvements in Sacred Knowledge They generally argue with close Reason they talk great Sense they shew a deep Insight into the Inspired Writings they cloath their Matter with fit Words they use an intelligible and easy Method they are happy in applying of Divine Truths in brief their Notions are amended and all the important Doctrines of Christianity are more plainly and clearly delivered than before And the Peoples Knowledge is proportionable they hear with Judgment they discourse with Understanding they try the Spirits whether they be of God they are able to confute Gain-sayers In the Countries where Protestantism hath taken good Footing there is scarce any difference between the Clergy and Laity in the knowledge of the Chief and Practical Points of our most Holy Religion These are understood by the inferior and most ordinary People as well as by Gentlemen Mâ—rchants and Tradesmen yea the other Sex study read and discourse of them Thus humane Minds are enlightned and enfranchised The Elastick Power is restored to them they act without Restraint and fill the Earth with Knowledge and Truth Judge now whether the World grows old and decays and is sunk into a degenerate Posture Say rather that it is much amended and is like to be improved yet further in future Times For from what hath been already we may infer what shall be afterwards We see Divine Knowledge and Learning have been continually in the Increase allowing only for some Interruptions that were violent and lasted not long and yet we are sensible they are not come to the Full whence therefore we reasonably conclude that there are to be farther and greater Augmentations in succeeding Ages And where the Knowledge of Divine Things prevails there Religion will get sure Footing and Vertue and Piety will be powerfully advanced and the Church edified and inlarged These are the Grounds I lay of that Expectation which I have of a more compleat and improved State of the Christian Church here on Earth before the Conclusion of all Things But because our Thoughts and Reasonings concerning this matter may be shallow and vain or too daring and presumptuous I will build my Hopes and Belief of that more perfect State of Christianity on the Testimony of the Holy Scriptures I grant that some are too forward to press Texts to this purpose they are wont to alledge several Plâ—ces in the Old and New Testament which have nâ— relation to this Matter Especially those that 〈◊〉 for Christ's Personal Reign on Earth quote 〈◊〉 out of every Book of the Bible several Passages which they interpret in Favour of their Opinion Whereever they find the Word King or Kingdom if they respect the Messias and the Times of the Gospel they presently snatch at them and apply them this way in the mean time over-looking the Kingdom of Christ which hath been all this while under the Gospel and is spoken and prophesied of so often in the Sacred Writings But though they are to be blamed for this that they strive to make all Scriptures speak their Opinion and accordingly force them to do it yet it is most certain and undeniâ—â—le that this Future State which I am now speaking of is foretold in many Places of Scripture in plain and intelligible Terms and particularly in some of those Places where Christ is mentioned as a King and his Administration under the Gospel is called a Kingdom But first I will produce some other Texts where this New and Last Dispensation is spoken of It is probable that this is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 24. 3. thâ— Consummation or End of the Age i. e.
Salvation by their own perfect Obedience but by virtue of the perfect Righteousness of the Messias who was to come in the fulness of time It only seem'd good to the All-wise God to obscure and disguise this Covenant in part that they might be fitted for the insuing Dispensation of the Gospel and that this Dispensation might appear more bright and glorious Now it was that the Covenant of Grace most signally display'd it self By Christ's coming and by the preaching of the Gospel it was fully and amply manifested tho it had been in being ever since the Restauration of Adam Now at last the actual fulfilling of the Grand Promise of this Covenant viz. the Incarnation of Christ was accomplished He came on purpose to perfect that Covenant which had been made and renew'd before between God and Man Never till this time was there any compleat discovery of this blessed Agreement and Contract between God and us In the Writings of the New Testament alone we find this set forth Here is plainly discover'd the Mediator of this Covenant Iesus Christ the Righteous the Eternal and only begotten Son of God who vouchsafed to assume our Humane Nature to clothe himself with Flesh to converse in the World above thirty Years to instruct Mankind by his Heavenly Doctrine to confirm and establish us in it by his Divine Miracles to direct us to the practice of it by his Holy Life and Spotless Example and at length to die for us to satisfy for our Sins As the publick and most solemn Covenants which we read of in the Old Testament were made with killing and sacrificing and effusion of Blood by Divine Appointment without doubt So here the Blessed Messias who was to compleat the Covenant of Grace shed on the Cross his most precious Blood which therefore is call'd the Blood of the Covenant Again in the Scriptures of the New Testament are plainly and expresly set forth the Terms of the Covenant of Grace i. e. what God hath promised to do and what Obligations are upon us Here Christ and his Apostles and Evangelists proclaim Remission of Sins the peculiar Benefit and Privilege of the Covenant of Grace and Immortality and Eternal Life are brought to light by this Gospel and the performance of all the precious Promises which concern this Life and another is ascertainâ—d to us here And as it assureth us that God will fulfil his Promises so it urgeth upon us the performing of our Ingagements Christianity is an Obligatory Covenant and this Obligation is mutual God will discharge his part we must see that we perform the Conditions which are required on our side The Gospel acquainteth us that if our Peace and Reconciliation be not made it is our own fault wholly we will not leave our Sins and thereby we â—rustrate the Agreement and Contract of the Gospel This therefore calls upon us to undertake the Counter-part of the Covenant i. e. to be holy in all manner of Conversation to deny all Ungodliness and wordly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godlily in this present World to adorn the Gospel by a strict and circumspect walking and to bring forth much Fruit to the Glory of our Heavenly Father In the Evangelical Writings the Terms on our part which are Faith Repentance and Obâ—diâ—ncâ— are more distinctly set down than ever especially the Nature of Faith and the peculiar Virtue of it are explain'd in that manner which they were never before for that by Works and Faith we are saved but that by Faith alone we are justified is the Doctrine which St. Paul hath abundantly asserted proved and confirmed and it is establish'd by the other Apostles which shews the great discrimination between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace The Gospel tells us how we are to find real Advantage by this Covenant and Law of Grace it ascertains us that we can reap the Benefit of it only by Câ—nvâ—rsiâ—n and Râ—gâ—neration It is therefore urged and inculcated that we must be born again that we must be Nâ—â— Creatures that there must be a Renâ—vation of our Hearts and Lives Lastly Christianity informs us what are the Seals of this Covenant of Grace and accordingly let us know that by Baptism we are entred into Covenant with God and into the Church of Christ and that at the Lord's Supper we repeat and renew that Convenant Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant instituted this Federal Ordinance and this is that Holy Supper at which he gives us his Body to eat and his Blood to drink which he assures us is the Blood of the New Covenant which is shed for the Remission of Sins Mat. 26. 28. The sum then of what hath been said is That God pitied the Miâ—ery of Mankind and was pleased to make a Second Covenant with him and his Posterity after they had broke the First This Second Covenant tho it was made with Adam presently after his Fall yet it arrived not to its height and perfection till the coming of Christ and the preaching of the Gospâ—l Christianity is the Covenant or Law of Grace in the best Edition The Answer then to that Problem How the Old and the New Covenant differ is easily resolved from the Premises for if you understand as some do but how fitly you will judg from what I shall suggest by and by by the Old Covenant the Covenant of Works and by the New one the Covenant of Grace I have plainly and distinctly set down the Particulars wherein they differ Or if you mean by the Old Covenant the Mosaical and Legal Dispensation and by the New Covenant the Dispensation of the Gospel which both are but One Covenant I have given ample Satisfaction to the Question by shewing wherein these two differ and by letting you see that the Covenant of Grace began with Mankind soon after the Fall and afterward was continued in the Mosaick Dispensation and at last was compleated by Christ's coming And here further to illustrate the Point I will clear the Acception of these Terms the Old and the New Covenant which so frequently occur in Holy Writ and I will make it evident to you that in the whole Book of the Scripâ—ures the Old Covenant is never applied to the Covenant of Works but is a part or degree of the Covenant of Grace This then we are to know that the Covenant of Grace is twofold Obscure or Manifest The first was from Adam's Restauration to our Saviour's coming the second is ever since The former is called the Old Covenant the latter the New Covenant and yet they are but one Covenant This you will find to be the stile of Sacred Scripture if you consult those two famous places the one in the Old Testament and the other in the New which treat of the Old and New Covenant The former is Iew. 31. 31. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and with
Pagans had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men appointed on purpose for the carrying of their Ark. Every one was not permitted to be employ'd in that sacred work yea they chose persons of the highest Rank among them to execute this worthy Office Thus the bearing of the Ark among the Israelites was the work of those who were Consecrated to that Employment and were of the Levitical Race which was esteemed most Worthy and Noble 6. Both sorts of Arks agree in their Use and principal End which was to contain the sacred things belonging to God and Idols As the Pagans Ark held their magical Instruments Diabolical Utensils and prophane Knacks and Trumpery even so and just so God appointed his Ark to hold and preserve the Tables of the Law Is not this playing with Holy Things The very exposing these particulars is I think Confutation sufficient The Second Parallel is between the Egyptian Images and the Cherubims 1. Saith he those Images were held to be the most sacred things among that people so the Iews God's people knew nothing more Sacred and August than the Cherubinical Images 2. The Images of Egypt were generally made of Gold In imitation of which the Cherubims were of the same costly matter 3. The Egyptians all the time of their Worship cast their eyes on their Images In like manner the Iews look'd towards the Cherubins whenever they pray'd or sprinkled the Blood of the Sacrifices 4. The Egyptian Images were the Seat or Throne of their Gods from whence they gave Answers to those who came to inquire of them after which Example God placed his Royal Seat or Throne between the Cherubins and from thence he gave forth Answers to Moses whenever he came to consult upon great occasions 5. The Images of those Pagans were of a mixt shape and did not resemble any one Animal thus the Câ—erubim appointed by God were miscellaneous Images made up of the likeness of Man and Beasts 6. He adds that it was the Custom of the Egyptian Priests to bear their Images on their shoulders and to carry them about with great Pomp. The Iewish Priests were commanded by God to follow this Practice whence we read that they liâ—ted the Ark and Cherubim upon their shoulders and carried them in Procession among the people with great Ovations and signs of Rejoycing These are the Particulars which make up the two Parallâ—ls which if this Author had inverted i. e. had shew'd that the Pagans imitated God's Ark that their Images were an Aping of the Cherubim he had undertaken a laudable Work but the hath taken the quite contrary course and labours to perswade us that God was punctually observant of every little Idolatâ—ous Riâ—e of the Heathen Worshippers He makes the True God most diligently and precisely tread in the steps of the false Gods and Idols I appeal to the World whether this be Doctrine becoming a Christian Theologer And moreover I will appeal to any sober and considerate Man whether it be reconcileable to Sense Reason and Truth that God should make Laws exactly contrary to the Customs of the Chaldeans and Egyptiâ—â—s and other Pagan Nations which is freely acknowledged by this very Author shewing thereby that he hated the very Semblance of their Rites and that his Will was that his People should avoid the very Appearance of any such practices and yet that at the same time he should give them Laws exactly complying with the Customs and practices of those Genâ—iles Throughout his whole Second Book this Author endeavours to prove that the Mosaick Laws are diamâ—trically opposed to the Gentile Rites and that therefore God injoined those Laws because they were so directly contrary to the Pagan Rights and Usages Yet in his whole Third Book he labours to prove that the Iewish Rites were taken from the Gentile Idolaters He as well as Maimonides Scaliger Hottinger and others asserts that the Mosaick Institutions were a remedy against Zabiism i. e. they were given and injoyn'd to the Iews to keep them from Idolatry especially that practis'd by the Zabii that is the Chaldeans and Arabians yea and Egyptians whose Idolatrous practices were most known in Moses's time But you may wonder to find at the same time the great Asserter of this Notion endeavouring to convince his Readers in many places of his Writings that God in the instituting and framing of the Iewish Laws borrowed many things from those Zabii and designedly made his Laws in imitation of them What strange Notions are these God instituted divers Rites meâ—ely and purely in opposition to the Idolatrous Rites of the Heathens for he would have the Iews to be Antipodes to the Gentiles in their Worship Yet he appointed several other Rites and Observances and strictly commanded his people to use them for this reason because they were such Rites as were observed by the Heathen Idolaters The Iews were forbid to symbolize with the Pagans lest they should learn their Idolatry and yet they were commanded to practise sundry of their Rites that they might not relapse into Idolatry What must we believe that a great part of Moses's Laws were made on purpose to oppose the Rites of the Zabii and likewise that God takes these Heathens for his pattern and gives his people several Commandments merely to comply with their Usages Is it to be credited that God forbad and abhorred the Gentile practices and yet at the same time appointed his people several Rites which the Gentiles used yea because they were Gentile Rites and practis'd by the Idolatrous Nations as this Author expresly asserts He hath no where satisfied these Difficulties and reconciled these Absurdities and Contradictions which it was very necessary for him to have done in order to his gaining belief among Understanding Considerate perâ—â—ns But being warmed with this Notion he keeps on with full career and attempts to shew as he imagines that many Customs Prophane and Diabolical were taken into the Mâ—saick Laws by God he translating them from Satan's service to his own A great part of his Third Book is spent in this With those Old Rites the Devil had been served and now he pretends it is God's turn to be serv'd by them He labours to shew there that the most Holy and Tremendous things in our Religion are taken from the most prophane and impure practices of the worst of Heathens In short he maintains no other than this throughout his whole Third Book that God raked up all the Vain Ludâ—crous Superstitious Impure Obscene Irreligious Impious Prophane Idolatrous Execrable Magical Devillish Customs which had been first invented and afterwards constantly used by the most Barbarous Gentiles the Scum of the World the Dregs of Mankind and out of all these patch'd up a great part of the Religion which he appointed his own People If you can credit this and you must credit it if you assent to what that Author propounds there is nothing too hard for your Belief and Assent Nay he would make one of
them And these Envoys of Heaven were sent not only to God's own People but sometimes to others as the Ninivites Thus Revelation was made by Voice God spake himself or by others audibly and this was no uncommon way of divulging and discovering his Will Again God spake i. e. communicated himself heretofore not only by the sense of Hearing but by that of Seeing He was pleased to make known his Divine Pleasure by some visible Appearances which most vigorously struck on that Sense and gave more evident Testimony of the Will of Heaven Thus God discovered himself 1. by Angels Appearing for tho it was not the Appearing of these Messengers but their Speaking to persons which gave them the discovery of God's pleasure yet the former was no mean Confirmation of what was delivered because those Glorious Spiâ—â—ts could not appear to Mankind unless they were commission'd by God When he thought fit to send them then and not else they descended from Heaven and shew'd themselves to Men. 2. Writing was another manner of Visible Revelation Thus the Law was deliver'd to Moses and afterwards this way of Revelation grew frequent the Sacred History of Moses and other Histories and Prophecie being committed to Writing Thus the Antient Church before Christ's coming had the Written Word of the Holy Scriptures to inform them 3. God spake to the Sight by those Representations which in Holy Writ are so usually stiled Visions for these properly belong to the outward Sense of Seeing they are either Real Spectacles exposed to the eye as the Burning Bush which Moses saw Exod. 3. 2. and the Pillar of a Cloud which went before the Israelites in the day and the Pillar of Fire which conducted them in the night Exod. 13. 21. and the Cloud in the Temple 2 Chron. 5. 13 14. call'd the Glory of the Lord 2 Chron. 7. 1 2. And this Expression is used in other places of the Old Testament to signifie that Visible Glory and Majesty whereby he manifested himself to Mankind in those times Or else Visions in Holy Scripture are certain Images of things represented by God to the Eye as those Strange Appearances and Signs mention'd in the Books of Ieremiah Ezekiel and Daniel Whether these things may be said to be real Objects or whether they be mere Apparitions we need not as some solicitously inquire If they be Resemblances caused by God and there be such an Impression made on the Sense of Seeing that the Organ be affected as if there were such an Object before it it is sufficient to denominate it Vision But this is not to be doubted of that these external Representations and Figures pointed out Real things either present or to come From this sort of Manifestation call'd Vision the Prophets who were most conversant in this way of Revelation were stiled Seâ—rs 1 Sam. 9. 9 18. 2 Chron. 35. 15. Thus I have distinctly spoken of Voices and Visions but it must be observed also that these two are joyned together sometimes This you may see in some of the foregoing Instances and in others not named the Revelation by Voice was mixed with that by Vision so in the New Testament Saul saw a Light and heard a Voice But I am confined at present to the Old Testament for I speak now only of the variety of Revelations which were before the Gospel-Dicd\sspensation It is to be observed moreover that sometimes Vision and Voice were accompanied with an Extasy tho the persons were awake yet they were cast into a Trance Lastly under this head it is remarkable that all the outward and sensible ways of God's revealing himself especially those that are visible are call'd by the Jewish Masters the Shekinah i. e. the Divine Presence and Majesty whereby the doth as it were dwell and is constantly present with his Church for the word Shakan signifies to inhaâ—â—â—â— or dwell whereby he doth gloriously discover himself to his Servants With reference to this the Apostle saith to the Israelites pertaineth the Glory Rom. 9. 4. i. e. the Glorious Presence and Habitation of God with them not only by Angels but all those other ways before spoken of in which he appear'd and manifested himself in the times of the Law This St. Paul stiles the Glory because this Visible Appearing of God is so stiled as you have heard in the Old Testament and because the Seventy Interpreters whose way of speaking this Apostle is wont to imitate used the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to express the Glorious Presence of the Divine Majesty in any kind of Sensible and External manner 2. There are Inward as well as Outward Revelations These are made more immediately to the Soul as the other were to the Body First God spake or reveal'd himself to the Fancies of Men by Dreams He thought good to communicate his Will to persons by a powerful Influence on their Imaginations whilst they were asleep as well as by presenting things to their Senses when they were awake Thus God reveal'd himself to Abraham Abimelech Iacob Ioseph Pharaoh Solomon Nebuchadnezzar In their Dreams their Fancies were impress'd with such and such Representations they verily thought they beheld this or that Object as Iacob thought he saw a Ladder that reached from Heaven to Earth And because these Representations seem to be offer'd to the eye therefore they are sometimes call'd Visions in Scripture I saw a Dream saith Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4. 5. And so we read of a Dream of the night Vision Isai. 29. 7. But if you speak of Visions in the proper sense then it is certain Visions and Dreams are two distinct Species of Revelation and so I have made them having before spoken of Visions strictly so call'd But this is a thing not consider'd sometimes by Writers on this Subject and so they confound Visions and Dreams Secondly God speaks to the Soul not only by working on the Imagination in Sleep but by immediate Inspiring the minds of the Prophets when they are awake This way of revealing his Will to Men is call'd Inspiration and sometimes Illumination but there is a gradual difference between these the former being of a higher degree than the later and the later being as it were a Preparative to the former This Inspiration which is made by an inward Afflatus and Excitation of the Spirit is signally call'd the Holy Spirit by the Jewish Writers A man say they is said to have the Holy Spirit when being awake and having the full use of his Senses he speaks by the Incitement of the Spirit Thus the Prophets of old spake as they were stirr'd up by this Inward Afflation and Instinct The Jewish Doctors think that this degree of Divine Revelation is especially in the Psalms of David and the Proverbs of Solomon and the Book of Iob c. the Writers of which are termed by way of Excellency Chetubim Scriptores by the Hebrews and their Writings are distinguish'd from other Books of
you will be perswaded of this if you consider the several Arguments which Peretiâ—â— uses to prove that Mâ—lchisedech was not Shem and if you weigh the seven Reasons produced by Bochare to confirm the same Or without consulting of these you may be convinced by that one single Text of the Author to the Hebrews Chap. 7. ver 3. where you are told that this Melchisedech was without father without mother without descent i. e. whereas Moses in his Writings hath told the Genealogie and Pedâ—gree of all other Pious Worthies mentioned by him he saith nothing at all of this Person 's Birth or Stock Whence you may certainly gather that this Person was not Shem because we know his Genealogy his Father and Mother and Descent are expresly recorded Moreover Melchiseâ—ch was not Shem for Canaan where he was King sell to Cham not to Shem as all Historians assert This may suffice to confute those Iews and Christians who think 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 were the â—ame Nor 5ly was this Melchisedech as Monsieur Iâ—rieu fancies the other Son of Noah viz. Cham for who can upon deliberate thoughts believe that this cursed Person was the Priest of the most High God from whom Abraham so joyfully receiv'd the Priestly Benediction that he return'd it with the payment of his Tithes and much less can we believe that one of so ill a character as Cham was the Type of the Blessed Iesus 6ly There are some Arabian Writers as Elmacine and Patricides quoted by Hâ—ttinger who held that Melchisedech was the Son of Phâ—leg but this is exploded for a Fiction 7ly Some of the Jews of old as we are inform'd by that Antient Writer often mention'd on the present Account had a Conceit that this was one that was the Off-spring of a Harlet and therefore he is said to be withâ—â—â— father and without mother i. e. his Parents were so infamous that they were unworthy to be named in Scripture But such stuff as this is not worth mentioning In the last place therefore that which is unquestionanably true because attested by Sacred History is that this Melchisedech was really a King and a Priest in the Land of Canaan It is expresly said that he was King of Salem Gen. 14. 18. that is he was Ruler of that part of Canaan which was afterward called Ierusalem or else as some Learned Men have thought of that place on this side of Iordan and near to Sodom which had the name of Salem perhaps the same with Salim Joh. 3. 23. The Learned Iewish Historian plainly tells us that this Melchisedech was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Potentate of the people of Canaan And with him agree the Christian Fathers he was not only a Prince among the Canaanites but he was of their Stock and particularly of the Sidonians saith Epiphanins So Theodoret delivers it as a thing unquestionable that as he was a King in Palestine so he was of the Race of that Gentile People He was moreover a Priest of the most High God i. e. of 〈◊〉 the only True God Gen. 14. 18. And being such it is not to be question'd that in discharge of his Sacred Office he taught the people to worship and serve God aright So that if we consider this Person not only as a King but as a Priest we must grant that he had some influence on the place where he exercised these Offices and consequently he being a Good and Holy Man did by his Discipline and Example make others so Some of his People fear'd God as well as honour'd him and thus there might be a considerable number of 〈◊〉 that were Religious and Virtuous at that time and were true Worshippers of the Divine Majesty But not only in Palestine but Arabia and the adjacent parts there were those that feared God and were accepted of him Many of the Race of Abraham's Children not by Sarah but by Hagaâ— or by his second Wife Keturah were Heirs of the Covenant made with Abraham The Children of Ismael were circumcised and some of them may be thought to have attain'd to the Spiritual Circumcision 〈◊〉 Moses's Father-in-Law was a Religious Man tho he was a Kenite by Nation i. e. an Araâ—ian and tho he dwelt in Midian an Heathen Countrey He exercised his Priestly Function here and offer'd Sacrifice to the God of Israel Exod. 18. 12. And we cannot but think that those of that Countrey that join'd in Sacrifice and Worship with him had the knowledg of the same True God If we may give credit to the Hebrew Doctors whom Mr. Selden quotes Iethrâ— is expresly call'd a Prâ—selyte in the Gâ—mara and consequently he was a Worshipper of the True God And such might some others of that part of Arabia be it is likely they were Proselytes to the true Religion We may think as favourably of some of the Sabaans Inhabitants of part of Arabia the Desart of the Posterity of Keturah Job without doubt was a Gentile and for that reason Ioseph the Iew reckons not his Book in the Canon of Scripture because it belongs not to the Iewish Nation whose Antiquities he was writing And perhaps for that reason his Book is placed in the Bible after all the Iewish History But there is some dispute whether he was an Arabian properly so called or an Edâ—mite That he was the former is the more general belief but some think he was the same with Ioâ—aâ— King of the Idumeans of the Race of Esâ—u Gen. 36. 34. And some have thought he was that Iob who was the Son of Issachar Gen. 46. 13. and who was also called Iashab 1 Chron. 7. 1. But there is little or no ground for this His Countrey Vz. was so call'd say some from Vz. Nahor's First-born by Milcah Gen. 22. 21. Others think it had its name from Vz. of the Family of Eâ—sau Gen. 36. 28. 1. Chron. 1. 42. Others say from Vz of the House of Aram a Son of Shem Gen. 10. 23. As to the situation of the place Sir W. Raleigh is positive that it lay between Palestine and Coelâ— syria which he gathers from Ier. 25. 20. where those of the Land of Vz. are reckon'd among the Borderers on Iudaa So St. Ierom of old placed Vz in the confines of 〈◊〉 and Arabia and thence it is usually said to be in Arâ—bia I will not now enter into controversie about 〈◊〉 Countrey because 't is the same to my present purpose whether he was an Arabian or an Idumean If he was either of them it is certain he was a Gentile and yet which is the thing we are now concen'd in he was a Holy Man and a Right Worshipper His Character is briefly given him by him who wrote the Book He was saith he perfect and upright and one that feared God and eschewed evil Chap. 1. ver 1. And God himself gave him this high Encomium There was none like him i. e. for Goodness in the earth ver 8. Whence some
would gather that he lived not in the time of any of the Holy Patriarchs or of Moses for then it could not be said that he had not his fellow in the earth But this Inference is of no weight because it is most probable that this is spoken of that particular Countrey wherein Iob lived as the Earth is sometimes taken in that restrained sense in Scripture So that the meaning is there was no man like him in the Land of Uz for the Hebrew word Eretz is the same in both places He was the most eminent Saint in that Region of the World That which we observe at present is that he was so tho he was no Israelite tho he was not of the Holy Seed Notwithstanding this he was a Worshipper of the True God and a Righteous Person In Chap. 31. you may hear him making a solemn Protestation of his Integrity as to many grand things of Religion and particularly his abhorrence of Idolatry ver 26. Indeed the greatest part of the Book is a Testimony of his singular Faith Patience and Piety Whereupon St. Augustine saith thus of him I doubt not but it was particularly order'd by Divine Providence that we should learn from this one Person that even amongst other Nations there might be those who lived according to God and pleased him and belonged to the Spiritual Ierusalem Iob's Friends likewise may be reckoned among the Gentiles for Eliphaz the Temanite was of Esau's lineage Gen. 36. 11. and Bildad the Shuite was of the posterity of Shuah the Son of Abraham by Keturah Gen. 25. 2. and Elihu the Buzite was of Buz the Son of Nahor Gen. 22. 21. As Iob sacrificed for his Sons Chap. 1. ver 5. so Eliphaz did for himself and his two friends Iob 42. 8 to appease God's Wrath and all of them shew'd themselves Religious and Pious persons For tho they were faulty as to their misrepresentation of Iob sometimes yet they were in their designs upright and intended only to justifie God and to assert his Providence and to check Sin and Wickedness where they thought they espi'd them And it is not unreasonable to think that Iob and his Companions who were Persons of such eminent Goodness and moreover were Rich and Wealthy Men and of great Authority in the Land of Vz for as Iob himself was a Great Man a kind of King in that Countrey so his three friends were Men of Power and Eminency and are call'd Kings by the Author of the Book of Tobit used their Wealth and Authority for the promoting of Religion among the Inhabitants of that place and so it is probable that there were several that feared God there and consequently that the Church was not confined to one Nation but that God revealed himself in a saving manner to other Countreys Of this we have further proof for as there were these Religious People in Canaan and Arabia or Idumea so in other places some of those that were Vncircumcised were acquainted with the True Religion Abraham's Brother Nahor and his Family tho they dwelt in Mesâ—potamia an Heathenish Countrey and which Abraham left for that reason were not strangers to the True God and his Worship tho they mix'd it with some Superstition thus in Gen. 24. 31 50. the Language of Labaâ— and Bethuel shews that they had a good Sense of Religion and knew and worship'd Iehâ—vah If we pass to Egypt we shall find there that the Midwives that were Natives of that Countrey for such they are deservedly thought to be by the Learned Iewish Historian and Antiquary and tho they are call'd Hebrew Midwives ver 15. yet the Reason of that Denomination was because as it is explain'd in the next verse they did the Office of Midwives to the Hebrew Women and from several circumstances in that part of the Sacred History we may gather that they were of the Egyptian Nation and not Hebrews feared God Exod. 1. 17. and gave a remarkable Testimony of it and accordingly were rewarded by God for it ver 21. Hagar who was originally an Egyptian was honoured with Divine Apparitions and favoured by God in a particular manner Gen. 16. 10 11 13. And afterwards when the Iewish Nation and Church were set up by God other persons and people were not excluded from his Grace and Favour Ruth was a Moâ—bite of the Race of the Daughters of Lot but was converted to the Belief of the True God and her Virtue and Piety were so signal that the Holy Spirit hath recorded them in an intire Book Our Saviour takes notice that the Prophet Elias was sent to the Widow of Sarepâ—a who was a Gentile a Sidonian Luke 4. 26 but shew'd her self a very Good Religious Woman and believed in the God of the Patriarchs Naaman the Syrian was a Proselyte he sacrificed to the God of Israel alone and carried Earth with him out of Iudea to build an Altar a Kings 5. 15 17. and without doubt he propagated the true Religion and Knowledg of God in his own Countrey Ebedmelech an Ethiopian Chamberlain or some such like Great Officer to King Zedekiah was a Patron of the Prophet Ieremiah and a Man of singular Zeal and Piety and was therefore eminently favour'd of God Ier. 38. 7. 39. 16. It is not improbable that Hiram King of Tyre was a Prosolyte 1 Kings 5. 7. And such we have reason to think the Queen of Sheba was 1 Kings 10. 9. Nebuchadnezzar was of this sort and became a Convert as may be partly collected from Dan. 3. 28 29. Dan. 4. 34 c. And it may be Cyrus who is stiled by God his Anointed Isai. 45. 1. may be reckon'd in this number But tho there may be some doubt as to these latter yet it is certain that the rest and several others that might be named in Gentile Countreys were Proselytes to the true Faith In prosecution of which Subject it may be further observ'd that God sent Hebrew Prophets to the People of other Nations Isaiah Ieremiah and Ezekiest prophesied almost to all Nations Obadiah to the Idumeans and Ionas was dispatch'd to the people of Ninive the Metropolis of Assyria who believ'd and repented at Ionas's Preaching This shews that God was kind to Them as well as to the Iews and that they had the True God and his Will in some measure discover'd to them before otherwise they would not have been so capable of understanding the Divine Message when it came to them and of behaving themselves sutably to it For it is not to be question'd that the Ninivites Repentance was true it proceeding as some of the Antients of the Christian Church have observ'd from a true Faith Ion. 2. 5. Mat. 12. 41. Their Fasting and Humiliation were so eminent that the Abyssine Church keeps yearly a Fast of threeday in remembrance of it And I find it is the Comfortable Note of Rabbi Kimchi questioning why the Book of Ionas was rank'd among the Holy Scriptures it making no mention
we were not able to assign a particular Reason The Wisdom and Equity of God's dealingâ— are undeniable He must be leâ—t to dispense his Benefits when he pleaseth and most certainly that is the best time which he chooseth It is the Glory of God saith the Wife Man to conceal a thing to hide the Causes and Reasons of his Actions from Men especially of the particular circumstance of Time which is not of such Concern to us as the Things themselves Therefore we ought not to be very inquisitive and scrupulous but finally to resolve all into God's good Will and Pleasure Thus when the Primitive Christians were asked in a cavilling way by the Pagans why Christ came so late they ingenuously answer'd We deny not that we are ignorant of the Reason of it we cannot see and tell God's secret Will and how he orders his Affairs He alone knoweth What is to be done and How and at what Time And again thus In an Eternal and Infinite course of Ages where there is no beginning nor end nothing can be said to be soon or late And St. Augustin's Answer to those that ask'd why Christ came not before was this Because saith he the Fulness of Time was not yet come according to the appointment of Him by whom all Times are for it was best known to him when Christ ought to come And in another place he gives the like Reason why Christ came just at that time and no other The Lord saith he who disposes all things in Measure Number and Weight knoweth when he doth any thing It may suffice then to answer that so it pleased God whose Wisdom is infinite He hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his own times for so it should be rendred Tit. 1. 3. When these come he sets such and such a Dispensation on foot Tho this will not satisfie some yet it ought to pass for good Divinity with those that are wise to Sobriâ—â—y But yet tho we must not sawcily pry into the Secrets of Heaven we are permitted with modesty to enquire how far they may be discover'd to us Therefore to give satisfaction even to the Curious I will offer some Considerations wherein are contained the particular Reasons of the Datâ— of the Christian Oâ—conâ—my why Christ came not into the World till it was about four thousand Years old and why he came at that time rather than at another 1. You are to consider that tho Christ was not Born of the Virgin Mary till that very time yet he appeared long before to some of the Patriarchs and Saints under the Old Testament The Angel that appeared to Hagar was the Messiâ—â— the Son of God therefore Mâ—sâ—s calls him the Lâ—rd or Ieâ—ovab Gen. 16. 13. It was the Opinion of the Antient Fathâ—rs that this Second Person in the Glorious Trinity appear'd in human Shape to Abraham as he sat in the Plains of Mamre Gen. 18. 13 c. where he is stiled Iehovaâ— and afterwards the God of Bethel chap. 31. 21. And he appeared to Iacob in the Form of an Angel and wrestled with him he is call'd a Man in the entrance of the Story and God in the sequel of it and the Prophet Hosea speaking of him calls him God Chap. 12. 3. This is that Angel of the Covenant who appeared Num. 7. ultIreneus Tertullian St. Austin and most of the Antients hold that it was Christ who appear'd as an Armed Man and Captain of the Lord of Hosts to encourage Ioshua when he was to take Iericho Jos. 5. 13 14. And many of the Fathers were of opinion that Christ was the Conducter of the Israelites out of Egypt into the Land of Canaan who led them through the Wilderness of Arabia and descended on Mount Sinai and resided in the Tabernacle and the Temple And that of Daniel Chap. 3. 25. the Form of the fourth Person who was seen in the firy Furnace was like the Son of God is interpreted by some of the Eternal Son of God who used to visit the Patriarchs and now visibly bore the three Children company in the Flames And from several other places in the Old Testament it may be gather'd that Christ appear'd to the Holy Men in those days upon extraordinary occasions So then he appeared sooner than is imagined his Incarnation was not the first time of his Appearance in the World he actually manifested and shew'd himself before his Birth His early visiting of the Patriarchs and Prophets was a Forerunner of his more signal Appearing in the â—ulness of time when he took on him our humane Nature and convers'd with Mankind 2. If you consider that all the Benefits which accrued to Mankind by a Saviour were imparted even before Christ was made Flesh you will not think that his Appearance in the World was late He as you have heard was the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World The Covenant of Grace that he who repenteth and believeth shall be saved was made immediately after Man's Fall the Merit of the Messiâ—â— his Undertakings was valid from that very time and therefore the Promises of Mercy in Christ are contain'd tho obscurely in the Books of the Old Testament The Gospel is antient the Design of God in all Ages tended to the consummating of this which may take off our marvelling at its being no sooner It was in being long before as to the grand Efficacy and Virtue of it Have then this right Notion of the true Date of Christianity and you will not ask why Christ appeared not before 3. Perswade your selves of this that Christ would have actually appeared sooner and that in our Flesh if the World had been fit to receive him before God acteth according to the Nature of things according to the Capacities and Faculties of Mankind according to the Condition and Frame of Men. Hence his dealings with them are different and various his Administrations and Methods are not alike but they are always most sutable and agreeable to the present Circumstances When Solon was asked whether he had leâ—t the Athenians the best Laws he could he answer'd he had given them the best they were capable of This is more eminently true of the Laws and Institutions the Discoveries and Administrations which are from God the Great and Infalliable Lawgiver they are the most exactly fitted to the Capacities and Dispositions the Inclinations and Genius of the People who are to make use of them He prescribes Laws not according to what he is able to do but according to our Ability to hear and receive them Hence it is that tho True Religion be but One yet it hath had Different Discoveries and Maniâ—estations according to the Different States and Conditions of Men in the several Ages of the World This argues not any Changeableness in God but his great Wisdom and Care of his Church as a Prudent Master of a Family gives different Orders and Rules according to the diversity of
them in their own Land but they soon forgot his singular Kindness to them and this extraordinary Favour of God was not powerful enough with them to restrain them from the commission of the most abominable Sins and to cause them to have regard to that Holy Religion which strictly forbad all such practices In every Age they grew worse and worse and at last they arrived to the heighth of Impiety and their Sins seemed to be consummated In Iudaea the Seat of this once beloved People of God all Licentiousness Lewdness and Villany prevail'd The greatest Iews were Atheists and Epicures and not ashamed to profess themselves such as well as to live like Persons of that Character And the Talmud might well say When the Messias shall come wise Men shall be very rare in Israel but Impostors Inchanters and Magicians shall be many this Sign having been exactly verified before the Coming of Christ the design of whose being manifested was to destroy those works of the Devil The Disorders and Wickednesses of the Iewish Clergy were very remarkable before our Saviour's Coming The Antient Order of Priests being extinguished by Herod in their places were put none but obscure contemptible and unworthy Persons who made Religion a cloak for their Covertousness and devoted themselves wholly to Gain and Interest The Temple was turn'd into a place of Merchandize the High Priests Places were bought and a couple of that Order at a time were set up because they both had been Simoniacal which shews likewise that the Iewish Magistracy as well as the Ministry was corrupted There were great Corruptions among the Iewish Students and Doctors who neglecting the weighty things of the Law began to hunt after Niceties and Subtilties and strove to cherish Disputes and Controversies Hence were the Noted Schools of Hillel and Shammai which were divided into two formal Parties like Scotists and Thomists Of whose different and disagreeing Decisions concerning the Law of Moses the Mishnah pretends to give an account The Iews were divided into three Religious Sects especially the Essenes the Pharisees and the Sadduces These were unknown before the Babylonian Captivity but after that and the building of the Second Temple they sprang up both Names and Things but the two latter Sects began especially to appear and to be taken notice of about a hundred Years before Christ's Nativity either Sect endeavouring to bring their Kings as long as the Regal Power was in the Native Jews to their Opinion and accordingly great Factions arose by their Dissensions The Essenes among the Jews were a harmless sort of People they retired from the World leâ—t the publick and betook themselves to a Monastick Life daily Devotion and Hours of Prayer you may call them the Iewish Mâ—nks They came not to the Temple neither brought Sacrifices thither but pretended to use at home more Holy Ceremonies as Iâ—sâ—phus speaks They had no Wives counting the most peaceable way of Living to be alone They had no Servants thinking it to be a reproach and injury to our Common Nature to be in a servile Condition They were all Equal and mutually administred to one another This you will find in the Character which the foresaid Antiquâ—â—y if he be not mistaken concerning the Persons and Things gives of them They are not any where mentioned in the Writings of the Gospel because 1. They affected a private and recluse Life 2. They generally inhabited on the Coast of the Dead Sea remote from Ierusalem 3. They were no buâ—â—ling Zealots they made no noise in Religion 4. They were not forward in persecuting of Christ. For these Reasons they are not spoken of by any of the Evangelists But the Pharisees who were a busie Sect and lived in the heart of Iudea and were fierce Opposers of our Saviour's Doctrine are frequently mention'd in the Evangelical Writings Our Blessed Lord often encountred them and openly detected their 〈◊〉 Pride and Hypocrisie as also their fond Superstition in enjoining Fastings Washings and other Ceremonious Practices of their own invention These were the Men who wretchedly perverted the Law holding that it enjoyned only external Obedience and that by that outward Observance of the Law Men merited Remission of Sin and were just before God and Heirs of Eternal Life Their constant Custom was to corrupt the true meaning of the Decalogue by their false Interpretations and Comments as you may see in Christ's Sermon on the Mount where he explains the Moral Law and vindicates it from the corrupt Expositions which they had made of it whereby they had almost extinguished the true Sense of the Commandments They had taken away the key of Knowledg by depraving the true Doctrine which was contain'd in the Written Law and the Books of the Prophets and by adhering to that which they call'd the Oral Law the Constitutions Traditions and Expositions of the Rabbies and by making them the Rules of their Faith and Manners As to the more particular Opinions Notions and Practices of these Men we may satisfie our selves from the Account given of them by One who was of that Sect himself as he tells us in his Life The genuine Offspring of these Pharisees as Buxtâ—rf observes are now the Rabbanita Traditionary Iews or Talmudists who stick not to the pure Text of Scripture but are for New Explanations or Old Traditions The next Sect was the Sadducees who ran counter to the Pharisees and opposed all Traditions The Iews at this day who answer to these as before it was observed there is a sort among them that are the true Race of the Pharisees are the Karaeans the Scripturists who keep close to the written Letter and reject the whole Oral Law i. e. the Expositions and Glosses of the Rabbins They hold only what is expresly deliver'd in the Law and they are look'd on by the other Iews as Hereticks and Apostates But as to the Antient Sadducees of whom I am now speaking there were but few of this Sect saith the forecited Author but they were generally Persons of Wealth and Quality This was it which was faulty in them that they curtail'd the Holy Writings and rejected all the Books of the Prophets but Moses the only Canonical Scripture with them was the Pentateuch as Tertullian Origen Ierom and other Writers of good Account acquaint us Tho I find some Men of Note among the Moderns who endeavour to consute this and to prove that they received the whole Scripture but they are not very successful in this attempt Moreover they most impiously denied the Resurrection of the Dead and held that Mens Souls were mortal yea they generally denied the Existence of Spirits Mat. 22. 23. These Men won some People to them because they were contrary to the strict and superstitious Pharisee they took off the burdensom Rites and Ceremonies which the others laid on These two prevailing Sects the superstirious Pharisee and the prophane Sadducee differing so much from one
given belong to no mortal Man for he shall be called the mighty God the Everlasting Father and of the increase of his Government and Peace there shall be no end ver 7. which is parallel with the Words of the Angel concerning our Saviour Luke 1. 32 33. All thâ— Circumstances relating to the Birth of the Messias â—re particularly specified in the Writings of the Prophets as that his Ancestors should be of the Tribe of Iudah and the Family of David and consequently that he should be of that stock Mic. 5. 2. Isa. 11. 10. Ier. 23. 5. And 't is observable that the Targum on these three places understands them of the Messias Therefore when Christ asked the Scribes and Doctors of what lineage and race the Messias was to be They answer'd he was to be the Son of David Mat. 22. 42. It was a thing it seems well known Accordingly the Genealogy of both Ioseph and Mary is deduced by the Evangelists St. Matthew and St. Luke from Abraham along by David As to the Place of his Birth it was prophesied he should â—e born in Bethlehem Mic. 5. 2. Thou Bethlehem Ephratah tho thou be little among the Thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel Some obstinate Jews say Zorebabel is meant here but they are silenced by others more learned of that Nation who confess that he was not born at Bethlehem but Babylon Besides they contradict the Opinion of the Chaldee Paraphrast and of the Rabbins who generally by the Ruler in Israel here understand the Messias Wherefore the Jewish Doctors and Scribes being asked of Herod where the Messias was to be born said without hesitating in Bethlehem Iudah they having learnt this out of the Prophesy of Micah Again it is foretold in the Old Testament that he shall be born of a Virgin Isa. 7. 14. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his name Immanuel The Jews to evade this place say that the Hebrew word which we translate a Virgin signifies a Woman in general But those that are acquainted with that Language know that they shew themselves very perverse in this and that the Hebrew word Gnalmah properly signifies a Virgin i. e. a Maid not known by a Man For whereas there are three words in the Hebrew for a Maid or Virgin this only signifies a pure untouched Virgin nor is otherwise understood in any Text of Scripture where it is mentioned as it is to be found but in six places besides this of Isaiah Therefore the Septuagint who well understood the force and signification of the Hebrew word translated it by a Greek one which signifies a Virgin properly so call'd whereas they might have used other words And the Hebrew word is with a demonstrative Article before it which makes it emphatical and denotes some certain definite and peculiar thing or Person It is found but thrice in the Bible with this prepositive Article viz. in Gen. 24. 43. and in Exod. 2. 8. and in this place of Isaiah In the two first it points at particular Persons and signiâ—ies a pure Virgin not known by Man Why should we not think it doth so in the third Moreover 't is said The Lord shall give you a sign behold Here is then some strange and wonderful thing spoken of Therefore it cannot be meant of a Woman concâ—â—ving i. e. of a Woman that is no Virgin For as an antient Father observes what wonder had it been for a young Woman not a Virgin to conceive And indeed the Old Rabbins who believ'd the Messias was to be born of a Virgin have signalized this word in the Hebrew In the Cabala and Ionathan's Targum you will find that it is written with a Men Clausum in the middle to signify something extraordinary here meant to intimate that it was a Virgin shut up to denote the wonderful Mystery of the Virgin Mary's Conception If it be said what R. Kimchi and other Modern Jews suggest that this 7 th Chap. of Isaiah and this Verse more particularly refer to the Times of King Ahaz and so belong not to the Birth of Christ which was about 700 Years afterwards I answer by denying the Consequence For this Chapter and Text may have reference to King Ahaz's Days and likewise point at something done a long time after that The reason of this Assertion is because there is oftentimes a double Sense in Scripture Any one that is conversant in the holy Book is not ignorant of this and the Jews themselves acknowledg a literal and mystical Sense of Scripture So then these words a Virgin shall conceive were verified in the first and literal Sense in Isaiah's time a Virgin bringing forth a Child it may be in the presence of the King of Iudah to be a Sign and Assurance of the deliverance of Iudah from the Oppression of the Kings of Syria and Israel This Virgin it is likely was afterwards Isaiah's Wife and at that time betrothed or to be betrothed to him and is the same with the Prophetess spoken of in the 8 th Chapter Of this Child it is said Butter and Honey shall he eat that he may know how to refuse the Evil and chuse the Good For before the Child shall know to refuse the Evil and chuse the Good the Land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her Kings ver 15 16. That is this Child shall be nourish'd and brought up as Children are used to be Butter and Honey being the Food of these little ones to eat these is as much as to be used as a Child Whence the Antients gave these to Children at Baptism to taste of as Tertullian and Ierom testify this Child shall fare as other little ones are wont to do and we shall all of us in this Land live in Peace and Plenty and shall not be disturb'd by the Kings of Syria or Israel for before the Child shall know to refuse the Evil and chuse the Good in as short a time as this or any other Child shall be grown up they shall both of them forsake this Land which they now threaten and they shall die in their own Kingdoms This you shall see happen before the Child comes to Age or Years of Discretion that is meant by refusing the Evil and chusing the Good And accordingly it happen'd the two Kings Rezin and Pekah were destroy'd before that Child came to Years of knowledg 2 Kings 15. This is the simple and first Sense of the words But there is also another and mystical Sense or it may be called a secondary literal Sense of them and so they are meant of Christ and the Holy Ghost intended that this Prophesy should be applied to him But how could the Birth of Christ which was some Ages after be a Sign of that which was to happen then I
were to no purpose they were an Inticement rather than a Discouragement to Christianity and that when they come to take a view they should find the numbers of Christians increas'd by their murdering of them for the Seed of this wonderful Increase is the Blood of Christians And another very excellently saith the Blood of the slain Christians is but the watering of the new Plants i. e. the new Converts to Christianity are daily increased and thrive by the bloody Persecutions which are rais'd against them Out of the Ashes of the dead Martyrs spring up new Advocates for Christianity And those elegant Words of another Author are very remarkable who speaking of the Persecution under Dioclesian saith thus At that time the whole World almost was dyed with the sacred Blood of Martyrs for they strove who should run fastest to those glorious Prizes Martyrdom by glorious ways of dying was more greedily courted in those days than Bishopricks are now hunted after with wicked Ambition The World was never more exhausted by all its Wars nor did we Christians ever conquer with more Triumph than when we could not be conquer'd by ten years bloody Persecutions Here is to be discern'd the Power and Efficacy of Christianity and from thence we may infer the Truth of it For as One saith well there is not a more powerful and convincing Testimony in the World of the Truth of Religion than dying for it And this is the Testimony which is abundantly given to Christianity Thousands of Martyrs have confirmed the Truth of it with their Blood And that Blood was the Advancement of Christianity this thriv'd and prospered upon it and Proselites were continually gain'd to it by their observing the patient Sufferings of the Servants of Jesus Thus it was even in the very beginning great multitudes of People flock'd to the Baptismal Waters and entred themselves into Christianity because they beheld the undaunted Courage of the Professors of it even at their dying hour and were moved thence to imbrace the Faith which they saw them so zealously maintain even unto death These were the baptized for the dead whom St. Paul speaks of 1 Cor. 15. 29. as I have shew'd in another place where I have proved that the words are meant of the Baptism of Water and that the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translators render for is as much as because of or by reason of or for the sake of and consequently the genuine purport of the words is that several were converted to Christianity and were admitted into the Church by Baptism by reason of those Martyrs who died in defence of the Christian Cause They were so far from being discouraged that they were excited to Christianity by their beholding the deportment of the suffering Saints And thus it was afterwards the Blood of the Sufferers brought in great numbers of Converts to the Evangelical Faith and thereby the Cause of Iesus was mightily advanced They are remarkable words of one of the Antient Christians who was afterwards crowned with Martyrdom The Torments which the Pagans used faith he in hopes of preserving themselves and their Paganism entire were not only the cause of the destruction of Paganism but of the establishment of Christianity And in another place Do you not see saith he that the more numerous the Punishers are the more the number of others increases which appears to be a thing that is not a human Work but wholly from God and demonstrates his Power And certainly it is one of the greatest Proofs of the Verity of the Christian Religion and therefore is made use of by the generality of the Antient Fathers of the Church and particularly by St. Chrysostom in several places it is insisted upon and urged most pathetically that the Church was miraculously establish'd notwithstanding the universal Opposition it met with and that at last the Patience and Constancy of Christians made a final Conquest and gloriously triumphed over all Thus I have shew'd that the Vnlearned and Weak got the better of the Wise and Potent and we see the Truth of the Apostle's words God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the wise and weak things to confound the things that are mighty 1 Cor. 1. Christianity prevail'd against Policy and Power against the Wisdom of Statesmen against the Eloquence of Orators and the Sagacity of Philosophers against the Edicts of Princes the Decrees of Senates and the Forces of Emperors The more it was struck at the stronger it grew the more furiously it was opposed either by the inward Indisposition and Antipathy in Mens minds to receive it or by the outward Endeavours of the World to silence it the more did it prosper and flourish No Lawgivers could ever bring it to pass that other Nations should receive their Laws neither among Greeks nor Barbarians could this be done tho they endeavour'd what they could to effect it so Origen discourses in his Philocalia But the Laws of Christ were receiv'd by many Nations both Greeks 〈◊〉 Barbarians renounced their own Laws and 〈◊〉 and embraced the Institution and Discipline of our Blessed Saviour And altho the Sacred Script ures especially those of the New Testament which contain the Christian Laws were sought for by theâ— Emperors especially by Dioclesian as Eusebius who was an Eye-witness of it testifies and were brought into the Market-places and there committed to the Fire as Antioâ—â—us before labour'd to destroy the Writings of the Old Testament in the same manner and altho the Christians themselves were forced to deliver up their Bibles to be burnt yet these Hoâ—y Writings were not extinguish'd but were in many places preserved with great care and diligence and by the Providence of God kept out of the hands of those who design'd their utter extirpation Yea the more this Holy Book was hunted after by the Enemies of Christianity the more it was prized by the Christians the more its Divine Truths were admired loved and embraced And the more Christianity it self was depressed the higher it rose and lifted up its glorious Head above all its Persecutors In a word like some mighty River the more it was stopp'd in its course the higher it swelled and with its impetuous Waves carried all before it This wondrous prevalency of the Gospel against the Wit and Wisdom the Strength and Power of the World is a Divine Testimony of the Authority and Truth of Christianity and plainly shews that it is not the Device and Invention of Man but that it is from God and from him alone Fifthy Let me add the severe hand of God in remarkably markably punishing the Enemies of Christianity as another Divine Testimony to the Truth of it King Herod sirnaâ—ed the Great who sought for the young Child Iesus to dâ—stroy him and murder'd the Infants at Bethlehem for his sake felt a particular Judgment from Heaven upoâ— him for as Iosephus acquaints us he
were laid aside when the extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost ceased when immediate Inspirations were withdrawn and when Signs and Wonders and working of Miracles were out of use From the time of the cessation of these we are as I conceive to date the Youthful and Stronger State of Christianity Then it began to be entire when it was no longer blended with Judaism when there were no more Typical Ceremonies in the Christian Service In the place of the Extraordinary Gifts of Praying and Prophesying there succeed now in the Church those Religious Exercises of Praying and Preaching which tho they are never rightly performed without the help of the Spirit yet proceed not from immediate Illapses and Inspirations The Apostles and first Christians were extraordinarily taught of God but we must make use of the Means and Helps which are given us in order to attaining the Knowledg of Him and of our Duty We must arrive to this by God's Blessing on our Studies and Industry Knowledg is not purely infused now but the Spirit of God cooperates with our endeavours Scholarship was not necessary for the first founding the Gospel because the effusion of the Spirit was then extraordinary But when this ceas'd human Learning became necessary in those who are to instruct others and to confute Gainsayers Therefore in the Disputes between us and the Quakers and other Sects about these Matters we must urge this that there is now an Oeconomy different from that in the times of the Apostles When they talk of doing all by immediate Impulse of the Spirit and despise outward Means and Helps and cry that they are above Ordinances we must let them know that they are forgetful of the different Dispensations of times and thence proceeds their Error They do not observe that there are subordinate Oeconomies even in this one grand Oeconomy of Christianity and the want of seriously attending to this leads them into very extravagant Opinions and Practices When there were extraordinary Gifts in the Church a Fisherman any illiterate Person was as able as any one to preach For as in that time those were able to heal all Diseases who had never studied Physick so there were those that could speak to the People with all Tongues who had never been taught any For the speedier propagating of the Gospel some of the commonest Christians had Ability to do this But it is not so since those supernatural Gifts are ceas'd and now Learning is requisite in a Minister of the Gospel Schools and Universities Skill in Arts and Languages which can be gain'd only by Study are become necessary For as an antient Writer of the Church saith well After the Apostles time the Church began to be govern'd by another Order and Management of Divine Providence As for the Spirit of Prophecy we know it was an immediate extraordinary Gift whereby Persons were divinely enlightned themselves and had ability to reveal things in an extraordinary manner to others which was frequent among the Iews in the Old Testament but even that fail'd at last there was not a Prophet between Malachi and Iohn Baptist whence it was that the People ran out of all the Regions round about to see the Baptist a Prophet being a very rare Sight But Prophecy was restored by Christ and by his Apostles in a most eminent Degree afterwards yea Iustin Martyr who lived in the middle of the second Century tells us in his Apology for the Christians that the Gift of Prophecy was then in the Church but after that there is no mention of it because it ceas'd And so as for other immediate of extraordinary Revelations as Dreams and Visions and such like ways by which God used to communicate his Will unto Iews and Christians heretofore they are now laid aside or are very rare and unusual And the Reason is because Christianity is out of its Childhood it hath gather'd more Strength it is youthful and vigorous I know that others have different Notions of this matter The Learned Daille expresly saith Christianity was in its heighth and perfection in the time of the blessed Apostles tho so far as I can perceive he himself soon after partly retracts this Assertion It is generally thought and said that those extraordinary Endowments before named in the Christian Church are an Argument of its Manhood and Perfection and because those Gifts in the primitive Times were so great and venerable far exceeding what we have at this day they reckon all Christians since those times to be but puny Christians But I cannot give my suffrage to this yea I look upon it as a great mistake for if a Man rightly considers things he will find that these splendid Gifts were bestow'd on purpose for the propagating of the Gospel at that particular time and that the Weakness and Unsettledness of the Church were the only occasion of them Christianity wanted at its first Rise confirming and corroborating by such wonderful Methods and Expedients as these And therefore if we understand the true Nature of them we cannot but confess that they were Proofs and Evidences of the imperfect State of the Christian Church in those days Now those extraordinary Gifts are vanish'd the inspired Men are gone but the Holy Scriptures which were written by Divine Inspiration are left with us to be the great Standard of Truth and the Rule of our Actions God hath rais'd up eminent Men to open and explain that Holy Book and to instruct us in all the great and necessary Points of it We have now a more setled Knowledg of Religion and there is a greater Progress in Christianity The Oeconomy hath receiv'd some Alteration and we need not extraordinary Helps when God vouchsafeth us those that are ordinary And as for Miracles they are not of this part of the Christian Dispensation and therefore are not to be look'd for now Those mighty Wonders are for a sign not to them that believe but to them that believe not as the Apostle speaks 1. Cor. 14. 22. Therefore they were proper in the first Ages to convince the unbelieving World and for the propagating of Christianity But now they are become useless and more regular and ordinary Methods are used The Gospel being sufficiently promulged among us and the Authority of it being proved by those mighty Works which have been done we are not to expect any more of them Ordinary Means now serve us tho we have the Benefit likewise of those extraordinary ones which were before I do not say Miracles are so creased that there shall never be any wrought again for a Power of doing Miracles is indefinitely promised in Mark 16. 17. It may still remain so as to be exerted on occasion viz. when Heathens and Infidels are to be converted But that belongs not to this Part of the Evangelical Dispensation which I am now speaking of but to that more perfect one which is to succeed in erecting of which perhaps God may enable his Servants
the Fields of Marathon consisted of six hundred thousand But Xerxes's Army which he brought into Greece exceeded all that ever we read of for it consisted of two Millions of fighting Men. But Herodotus makes the number somewhat less Seventeen hundred thousand on Land and two hundred and fifty thousand at Sea And we read of very great numbers in the Ages afterwards Tamerlan the Scythian came with nine hundred some say with twelve hundred thousand Men into the Field against Bajazet the Grand Seignior who had five hundred thousand on his side and in this Battel the fortunate Tartar took not only Bajazet but slew two hundred thousand of his Soldiers But now there is no need of such vast numbers of Men as heretofore and the numbers of the slain are not as they used to be of old We have a more compendious and speedy a more thrifty and frugal way of killing our Enemies than by Bows and Arrows by Javelins Battel-axes and Speers The modern Mortar-pieces will end the Quarrel sooner than the Roman Battering Rams A Tempest of Bombs and Granadoes will dispatch the Business more easily than a Shower of Arrows A Broad Side will do quicker Execution on a Navy than Archimedes's Burning-Glasses did Yea we have now the advantage by our late Invention of Gunpowder either to beat down or blow up our Enemies Seeing then there will be in this World till it be better occasion of War and Controversies cannot be decided but by Blood it is well that there is now a way whereby Victory may be got with less expence of Time and Blood than formerly which is the Fruit of this Invention of Gun-powder and the Engines that convey and discharge it Which things if Wencestaus the German Emperâ—ur had foreseen he would not have caus'd the ingenious Inventer as it is said to be executed We might add here that the Military Art is inâ—initely improved as to Sieges Fortifications c. which are intirely the discovery of these latter times So was the Art of Printing of which I will speak next For I attend not to what some have suggested that this Art was known to the Chinois very near two thousand Years ago That which those People had attain'd to then tho it was of great use to them was inferiour to this Typographick Skill and is not to be the compared with it Germany and Holland in the former Mentz in the latter Harlem contend for the honour of this Invention Iohn Guttenberg of the first and one Koster of the second lay claim to it but the former generally carries it Or if this latter first invented it as some say he did about A. D. 1430 the other was the first that publish'd and practis'd it in the Year 1440. Others ascribe it to Iohn Faustus a Goldsmith in Mentz others to Iohn Mentell and others to Lawrence Ienson But Guttenberg is the most celebrated he was born in Stratsburg and was a Soldier by Profession and Employment yet it pleas'd God that this Martial Man was instrumental in discovering this peaceable Art and at that time when it was so seasonable for Learning then ran very low and was like to decay yet more and more All Books being in Manuscript and the Monks and Friars having the keeping and ordering of them what could be expected but that they should be corrupted and depraved as without doubt they had been in great measure already For before the Invention of Printing Books used to be transcribed and the Transcribers sometimes out of mere carelesness and negligence at other times out of Ignorance yea sometimes out of Wilfulness left out or added something to the Originals They writ not what they found but what they understood and whilst they undertook to mend other Men's Errors they shew'd their own And hence we have had innumerable Errors crept into the Writings of the Fathers especially since the Controversies were started relating to the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity or to the Points of Popery Those who Patronized Arianism corrupted several Passages in Books and those who excessively doted on the Roman Church and its Universal Bishop and the Doctrines and Ceremonies maintained by it did the same by altering mangling transposing inserting or leaving out some Things in the Copies they transcribed And if you consider the Variety of MSS. and how many Times during the Space of several Centuries of Years they were Copied out you must needs conclude that either by Design or Negligence many Errors and Corruptions crept into the Text and Books varied very much from what they were at first This was the necessary and unavoidable Effect of Transcribing of Authors and Copying out their MSS. which is now most happily taken away by the Press Now after a little Care taken at first in Correcting and Revising many Thousands of Copies are dispatched and sent into the Woâ—ld free from Mistakes and Corruptions and that in a lasser Time than One of those Copies could have been Transcribed The Seasonableness of this Noble Invention may be discovered from this That it was so unspeakably Serviceable to the bringing on the Refâ—rmation For by the Benefit of Printing the World was blessed with the excellent Labours of Learned and Pious Men who lived in that Time and thus by this means the Popish Ignorance was laid open the Errors and Impieties of the Church of Rome were expos'd to view and whereas before Learning was lock'd up in Cloysters now it spread it self over all Europe and the Truth of the Gospel was Propagated almost to a Miracle Of such great use was this Art which hath been Improv'd of late to a Wonder For the first Inventors are not the most exact they that come afterwards far excell them for so it is oftentimes they that are good at Inventing are not so happy in Improving as others Thus we see in the Country where Printing was first found out there is the worst Printing as well as the worst Paper But these Latter Times have extremely Cultivated both for which we have great reason at this day to Bless God In short Learning and Victory are now soon acquired since Printing and Guns have been found out That we may the better manage our Studies and all other Business and Affairs by Timing them rightly Clocks and Watches were invented For though Sun-dials and Hour-glasses whether made with running of Water or Sand were of great Antiquity yet these Automatous Organs or Horologies by Wheels were lately found out maugre the groundless fancy of those Painters who Picture St. Ierom who lived in the 4th Century with a Clock by him We are indebted to the excellent Mechanick Wit of the Germans for this useful Contrivance whereby the Time is so Artificially divided that we can know the just and precise Seasons of beginning or leaving off our Work of what Nature soever it is and the publick notice of the particular divisions of Time is imparted to the Eye-sight and at a greater distance communicated to
is likely Christ may appear in the Skies with an amazing Splendor and Glory to these gazing Spectators I conceive he may Personally Appear above though he will not Reign Personally on Earth After he hath shew'd himself he soon retreats and remains in Heaven till the Last and Final Day Mr. Mede who once thought that our Saviour would make a visible Appearance in the Clouds in order to the Jews Conversion afterwards retracted this Opinion as may be seen in one of his Letters because there is no good Foundation for it viz. in Mat 24. 30. which he had formerly quoted for that purpose But whether there is any Foundation for such an Apprehension in that Place of Daniel I leave to the Reader to judge I only offer'd it as probable but am perswaded that no Man can Absolutely determine any Thing in this Case and therefore he is very presumptuous that attempts it Chap. XXI Universal Righteousness is another Attendant of this Last Dispensation An Objection doubly answered It is not a Sinless State Greater Knowledge than ever shall be at that Time Religion shall then appear in its Native Purity The Influence of the Holy Spirit on Mens Lives shall be more effectual than formerly Jesus shall in a more eminent Manner be exalted Other Fruits of this happy Reign How these great Things shall be wrought Civil Magistrates shall be made use of Christ's Reign is not inconsistent with that of Kings and Princes Ecclesiastical and Spiritual Rulers shall be Instruments in this great Work All Persons are some Ways capable of promoting it Universal Peace is another Blessing that attends this Kingdom of Christ. On what account it must needs be so Scripture attests it An Objection obviated A Concurrence of all manner of Temporal Blessings in this happy State More especially Bodily Health and Long Life Also a vast Increase of the Poeple of that Time The Savage Brates shall become Tame and Gentle These Earthly Blessings are but Appendages of this Dispensation They are Inconsiderable in respect of the Divine Blessings which constitute this State The Author's Doubtings and Reluctancies He is not positive as to Particular Circumstances He cannot determine concerning the Fore-runners of this Revolution The Freedom which he uses in a Point that is highly Probable He follows not some late Writers in assigning the particular Time when the Millennary Reign shall commence The punctual Date is not to be known The Thing discoursed of is certain though the Time as to us is not so The Degeneracy of the present Times is no obstacle to this The Author leaves a Testimony of his Wishes and Desires HAving spoken of Three of the Grand Concomitants of the Reign of Christ I proceed now to the Fourth which is Vniversal Righteousness and Holiness You might have observed that in some of those Places of Scripture which I alledged to evince the Future calling of the Jews and Gentiles and you may observe in several others besides which speak of this happy Revolution and the consummation of the Messias's Kingdom that there is some mention all along made of the Holiness which shall abound in that Time This is reckon'd among the Blessings of Christ's Kingdom in several Places of the Prophetick Writings Thy People shall be all Righteous Isa. 60. 21. I will sprinkle clean Water upon you and ye shall be clean Ezek. 36. 25. I will save you from your Uncleanness ver 29. which is the same with cleansing them from their Iniquities ver 33. They shall not defile themselves any more with their detestable Things or any of their Transgressions Ezek. 37. 23. In those Days HOLINESS TO THE LORD must be engraved on the Bells of the Horses Zech. 14. 20. There shall be such a Catholick Reformation that every Thing even the meanest and commonest shall share in it We find it to be the Office of the Messias to bring in everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9. 24. not only that of his Own whereby we are to be justified but an Inherent one in our selves though produced by the Holy Spirit whereby we are sanctified If it be said that this and some of the other Texts refer to those Times which are past viz. when Christ came in the Flesh or when the Apostles made so many Converts to our Holy Religion or even to the present Times of the Gospel and therefore they have no respect to what is to come I answer That the Consequence is not valid for though these Prophecies were partly and initially fulfilled before yet it doth not follow thence that they shall not be Completely fulfilled hereafter I grant that they are in part come to pass for there never was more Holiness than since the Rise of the Gospel but I assert withal that the Full Accomplishment is yet behind for there shall be a larger Effusion of Holiness in the ensuing Dispensation Or the former Answer which I gave in the like Case may be Satisfactory here viz. that this kind of Prophetick Passages have a Double Meaning and therefore must have a Double Accomplishment Many of these Predictions which foretold what should be at Christ's first setting up the Kingdom of the Gospel do also foretel what shall happen at his Coming in the Millennium This is a safe way of interpreting those Place and giving an Account of those Prophecies yea this solves the Difficulties which occur in this Controversy This is no groundless Notion but built upon the Interpretation of Scripture dictated by the Holy Ghost himself as I have proved in another Discourse where I have shew'd that this is the peculiar Excellency of the Sacred Writings to have a First and a Second or if you will a Direct and a Collateral Meaning which we find in no other Books whatsoever that are Historical This is applicable here those Passages in the Prophets concerning an extraordinary Measure of Sanctity and Righteousness are to be understood not only of the Primitive Times of Christianity but more especially of those that shall be towards the latter end of the World viz. in the Blessed Reign of Christ. It is not to be doubted but that the Prophetick Words reach to these Two times so that they are fulfilled twice In the Sacred Writings not only different Persons and Things but different Times and Seasons are contain'd in the same Words And as this Holiness of the future State on Earth is foretold in the Holy Scriptures so it naturally follows from what hath been said before For when Babylon shall fall and the Mystery of Iniquity with it when those whose grand Design and Business it was to extirpate the Purity of Religion shall themselves be rooted out when both Iews and Gentiles shall universally abandon their evil Opinions and wicked Practices and jointly set themselves to the Study of God's Will and the observance of their Duty you cannot but think there will follow upon this an Universal Sanctity in the World I do not mean a Sinless State for this is so like
efficimur quoties metimur â— vobis Semen est sanguis Christianorum Apol. cap. 49. 6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodorâ—t de legib 7 Hac tempestate omnis fere sacro Martyrum cruore orbis infectus est quippe certatim gloriosa in certamina ruebatur multóque avidius tum Martyria gloriosis mortibus querebantur quà m nunc Episcopatus pravis ambitionibus appetuntur Nullis unquam bell's mundus magis exhaustus est neque majori unquam triumpho vicimus quà m cùm deceâ— annorum stragibus vinci non potuimus Sulpit. Sever. Sac. Hist. 1. 2. 8 Nullum est efficacius testimonium inter mortales quà m â—anguinis Erasin Meth. Theolog. 9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just. Mart. ad Orthodox 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad Diognet Epist. 2 Exposit Psal. 44. Contra Gentes Contra Judaeos Orat. de Babylâ Lib. quòd Christus sit Deus 2 Eccles. Hist. 1. 8. c. 2. 3 I Mac. I. 56. 5 Antiq. l. 17. c. 8. 6 Theodoret. lâ— 3. cap. 20. 7 Lib. 1. cap. 50. 8 Ad Scapusâ—â—â— cap. 3. 9 De Bello Jud. in Prolog Iewish 1 Greg. Naz. Orat. 4. cont Julianum Chrysostom Hom. 4. in Matth. Sozomen Eccl. Hist. l. 5. cap. 21. Theodor. lib. 3. cap. 17. 2 Lib. 23. 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dio Cass. Hist. Rom. l. 36. 4 Quà m chara Diis immortalibus gens esset docuit quòd est victa quòd elocata quòd serva Orat. pro Flac. 5 Haec ultima templi eversio c. Sacr. Hist. lib. 6 Luther Colloq Mensal 7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Max. Tyr. Diss. 3. 8 Semper adversus sua vitia facundi Non eloquimur magna sed vivimus Minut. Fel. 9 Rom. 13. 11. 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zosimus 2 2 Cor. 7. 1. 3 Da mihi Virum qui sit iracundus maledicus eâ—â—raenatus paucissimis Dei verbis tam placidum quà m ovem reddam Dâ— cupidum avarum c. Lactant. l. 3. c. 26. 4 Cujus omnis religio est sine scelere sine maculâ— vivere lib. 5. cap. 9. 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid. Pel. Epist. lib 4. 6 John 3. 19. 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Eph. 3. 15. 4 Instaurare 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylact. 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Foedus Testamentum 6 Testamentum est voluntatis nostrae justa sententia de eo quod quis post mortem suam 〈◊〉 vult F. l. 1. de Test. 7 Grotius Hammond Lightfoot 8 Gnolam habba in contradistinction to gnolam hazzeth 9 Non esse quod ultra credere debeamus Lib de Praescript adv Haâ—r cap. 8. 1 Christo servabatur omnia retro occulta nudare dubitata dirigere praelibata supplere praedicata repraesentare Tertul. de Carne Christi cap. 2. 2 H. Grotius in Annotat. in 〈◊〉 3 1 Cor. 6. 2 3. 15. 51 52. 4 The Reasonableness of Christianity c. 5 Dr. Spencer de Legib. Hebr. l. 2. c. 3. 6 Dr. Lightfoot Hor. Hebâ— 7 Con. Gangr Can. 2. Syn. Trull can 67. c. 8 Dialog cum Tryph. 9 Lib. 8. cont Celsum 1 Ad Uxorem I. 1. Apolog. cap. 9. 2 Tantùm ab humano sanguine cavemus ut nec edulium pâ—â—orum in cibis sanguinem noverimus 3 Eccl. Hist. l. 5. c. 1. 4 Christianus Becman in Exercitat 26. Curcellaeus in Diatrib de esu Sang. 5 In Acts 15. 20. 6 Cont. Faust. l. 32. c. 13. 7 Ut coelitus praâ—ceperat 8 Lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homil. 6. in 1 Cor. 2. Serm. 1. in Pentecost 9 De Ciâ— Dei l. 22. c. 8. 1 De verâ— relig cap. 25. 2 Coepit alio ordine providentiâ gubernari Ecclesia Ambros. 3 De usu Patr. l. 1. c. 1. 1 Crescat igitur oportet multum vehementerâ— proficiat â—am singulorum quam omnium tam unius hominis quà m totius Ecclesiae atatum ac seculorum gradibus intelligentia scientia â—apientia Vincent Livinens Commonitor 1. adv haeres 〈◊〉 28. 2 Cyril Alex. cont Julian l. 4. 3 Veniet autem tempus quo iâ—â—a quae nunc latent in lucem diesextrahat longioris â—vi diligentia veniet tempus quo posteri nostri tam apâ—rta nos nescisse mirentur Nat. Quaest. 4 2 Eâ—d 4. 10. 5 ver 17. 6 In Joma 7 Melior est racematio veterum vindemiâ— recentiorum Elegantior est Sermo familiaris Patrum quà m Lex â—iliorum Prisci fuerunt filii Regum nos sumus filii plebeiorum aut si presci fueruâ—t filii plebeiorum nos sumus planè instar asinorum Shab 8 Horat. l. 3. Ode 6. 9 Nat. Hist. l. 7. c. 16. 1 Nunc quaâ—i jam mundo senescente rerum ataque hominum decrementa sunt Noct. Att. l. 3. c. 10. 2 Illud primo loco scire debes senuisse jam mundum non illis viribus stare quibus priâ—s steterat nec vigore robore â—o pravalere quâ— antea praevalebat Epist. ad Demetrian 3 Sr. W. Raleigh's H. W. chap. 5. sect 8. 4 Prov. 8. 12. 5 Albert. Magn. Nich. Fuller Miscell l. 4. c. 19. 6 Of the Excellency and Perfection of the Holy Scriptures Chap. 4. p. 195. 7 Deatate Mundi 8 Plat. in Timaeo 9 See Isaac Voss. de Artib Sinarum 9 See Isaac Voss. de Artib Sinarum 1 Dr. Brown's Vulg. Err. Book 2. cap. 5. 2 Maffaei Hist. Indic l. 6. Vossius de Artib Sinar †Nat. Hist. l. 12. c. 8. * Nat. Hist. I. 19. c. 5. * Septingentos vivos exsâ—cuit ut naturam scrutaretur Tertulliâ—â— de Animâ— cap. 10. †J. Smith M. D. ‖ Isaac Vossiâ—s * Olim â—ides erat in vitâ magìs quà m in Articulorum professione Erasm. Epist. * Mat. 22. 44. Mark 12. 36. Luke 20. 43. Acts 2. 35. 〈◊〉 1. 13. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Mille annos post Râ—surrectionem in terreno regno Christi secundum carnales ventris libidinis voluptates futuros fabulantur â—c Cerinthiani Auguâ—tin de Hâ—â—res c. 8. De Civ Dei I. 20. c. 7. Epiphan Haeres 77. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 3. c. 22. †Lactant. Institut l. 7. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dialog cum Tryph. †Harm on Rev. 20. ‖ In Isai. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccles. Hist. l. 3. c. 33. †Eccles. Hist. l. 3. c. 36. * Acts 3. 21. †Book 3. p. 79. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 castra exercituâ— * Harmony on Acts 12. * Dr. Cressener †Dr. Burnet * St. Augustin contr Manich. l. 1. c. 24. Aquinas Sum. quaest 77. art 1. †Dr. More Mr. Cradock * Verse 8 9. †Chap 39. v. 27 28. * Ch. 40. 41 c. †The Style of Scripture Chap. 1. * Dr. Patrick Bishop of Ely Answer to the Touchstone p. 55. * 2. Rev. 16. †Colloq Mens cap. 23. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * In cap. 7. Esai v. 14 15. * Hilar. Comâ—ent in St. Matth. Can. 10. †Irenaeus Origen Justin Martyr Athanasius Augustin Jerâ—m Châ—yâ—ostom Ambrose Prosper ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contr. Cels. ‡ Orat. 4. adv â—udaâ—os * Dialog cum Tryph. * Grotius Hâ—mâ—ond Lighâ—â—oot c. * Spes Israelis * Jer. 30. 9. Ezek. 34. 24. Amoâ— 9. 11. Acts 15. 16. * Isai. 26. 19. Ezek. 37. 12 13. Dan. 12. 2 3. * Origen Jerom Athanasius Chrysostom c. †Beda Aquinas c. * In his Poem Entituled The Iews †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * W. A. Of the Nature and Order of Occurrences c. * Wâ—iston's New Tâ—â—ry of the Earth * 2 Tim. 4. 2 5. * Mr. Whiston * Acts 14. 22. Rom. 8. 17. 2 Tim. 2. 11. 3. 12. Heb. 12. 6 7 8. 1 Pet. 1. 7. Jam. 1. 12. †Nisi in hisce talibus liberiùs paulò sentiendi â—mò errandi venia concedatur ad profunda illa latentia veritatis adyta 〈◊〉 nunquam patefactum iri †Mons. Jurien †W. â— Of the â—tate of the Church in Future Ages c. 11. * Antiqu. l. â— c. 7. †Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 2â— * Mat. 24. 37. * Mat. 24. 12. * Book 3. Chap 5. †Dr. Cressen God's Judgments on the Rom. Church ‖ Dr. Burnet's Theor. Tellur l. 4. ‡ Lib 3. * Chap. 65. 18 19. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 3. 10. Plena varâ—etatibus Tremell
of Israel as all other Prophets do but being wholly directed against the Ninivites who were Heathens and Strangers to the Commonwealth of Israel This Book saith he was written to shew that God is merciful to those that repent of what Nation soever they be This Example makes it evident that the Gentiles were not wholly rejected altho as to the greatest part they were but that many of them were accepted of God Yea it seemeth to be plain from Mal. 1. 11. that the Getiles worshipp'd God no less than the Iews The words are in the present time in the Original and therefore ought to be so meant that some of the Gentiles in those days had the true Worship of God among them in one part or other of the whole World he was Adored and Served The History of the Iewish Nation and of God's care of them was the thing chiefly designed in the Old Testament and therefore it cannot be expected that it should treat of other Nations and give a particular account of what was done there But it makes mention as you have heard of some Holy Persons among them and without doubt there were many more tho not spoken of The Gentiles were not deserted of God but taken notice of by him and encouraged The Visible Church did not altogether consist of Abraham's Family and Kindred but many others that were not of that Stock were true Members of it Especially among the neighbouring Nations several were converted to God by the Preaching of the Israelitish Prophets and in part receiv'd the Iewish Religion and by the Iews were call'd Proselytes These properly belong to the Gentile Dispensation because they were first Gentiles but converted from their Gentilism to the Knowledg and Worship of the True God These Proselytes or Converts were of two sorts 1. The Proselytes of the Gate as the Iews stiled them because they lived within the Gates of Isreal and they held free Commerce and Trade within their Houses the same with the Strangers within their Gates Exod. 20. 10. Deat 14. 21. They were those Heathens that abandoned their Pagan Superstition and Idolatry and receiv'd the True Faith and acknowledg'd the True God but were left to their liberty as to Circumcision Therefore this Rank of Proselytes remain'd Uncircumcised neither did they observe the other Mosaick Laws and Rites but were only tied to the keeping of the Seven Precepts supposed to be given to Noab's Sons as Maimonides and other Learned Writers among the Iews inform us These tho they were no Idolaters yet because they were Uncircumcised were not permitted to worship in the same Court of the Temple with the Iews but in a distinct Place by themselves therefore call'd the Court of the Gentiles and tho they went to the Iewish Synagogues yet they had a distinct Apartment there There were many of these Proselytes among the Iews every where in their Cities Of these you read in the New Testament where they are call'd Devout or Pious or Religious Men or Worshippers for the Greek words signifie any of these I conceive the Roman Centurion of Capernaum who built the Jews a Synagogue Luke 7. 5. was one of these Cornelius a Captain of the Italian Band Acts 10. 2. was another Proselyte of this sort i. e. a Gentile Worshipper of the True God but not Circumcised or counted a Member of the Church of the Iews And such a one it is likely was the Ethiopian Eunuch mentioned in Acts 8. 27. who came to Jerusalem to worship And such was Lydia of Thyatira who worshipped God Acts 16. 14. And hither may be referr'd those devout men out of every Nation under Heaven Acts 2. 5. and thâ—se that feared God Acts 13. 16 26. These were Proselytes from among the Gentiles And these it is likely are meant by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 9. 29. 11. 10. for tho this be the name for the Grecizing Iews who read the Scriptures in the Septuagint's Version and pray'd and did other Religious Offices in Greek whereas others perform'd them in Hebrew yet here by Heltemists we are to understand those that were converted to the Jewish Religion from Gentilism But tho they had renounced the Heathen Worship yet they had not receiv'd all the Jewish Ceremonies and Laws 2. There were another sort of Prâ—selytes call'd the Prâ—selytes of Rightâ—eousness or of the Covenant These were of a far higher degree than the former for they were Gentiles converted wholly to Iudaism and were initiated into the Jewish Church by Baptism and Circumcision and were tied to keep all the Mosaick Law and worshipp'd in the same Court of the Temple with the Natural Jews and so became every way Iews unless in respect of their Birth and Nation These in the New Testament are simply and absolutely call'd Proselytes Thus Persons of other Nations besides that of the Jews imbraced the True Religion and Worship and were accepted of God and obtain'd his favour Here then is the Gentile Oeconomy Not but that the Nations were generally sorsaken of God and given up to Idolatry and all manner of Wickedness and Prophaneness which the Apostle took notice of when he said God in times past suffer'd all Nations to walk in their own ways All Nations i. e. all those Kingdoms which were erected after the Flood viz. the Assyrian or Babylonian Monarchy which began soon after the Flood under Nimrâ—d the Son of Cush the Sicyonian Kingdom and the Old Germans who began at the same time with the Assyrian Monarchy next the Egyptian Empire under Cham and his Successor Misraim or Osiria About the same time began the Argives Kingdom under Inachus their first King Then the Kingdoms of Bactria and Iudia another Grecian Kingdom viz. the Athenian about the middle of the Chaldean Empire then the Lacedemonian or Spartan Dinasty the Kingdom of Italy the Lydian Corinthian Tyrian Macedâ—nian Dynasties besides the Persian whose King upon the expiring of the Assâ—rian Empire became Head of the Second Monarchy which is the boundary of the Sacred History of the Old Testament These were all left by God to themselves and Idolatry prevail'd among them all they worshipp'd the Sun Moon and Stars yea all kinds of Beasts tho never so base and contemptible Nay Worshipping of Devils was a common practice with them Thus God suffer'd the greatest part of the World to walk in their own ways until the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Thus they were as the Apostle speaks of the Gentiles without God in the World till he came into it But yet even then when they were addicted to Idolatry which is also to be observed in this Oeconomy of the Nations God left not himself without witness Acts 14. 17. He led them to the knowledg of himself by the Book of Nature they had sufficient light of God and Religion i. e. to teach them some general Duties of Virtue and Goodness and to instruct them in the Nature and Attributes of God