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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77348	Brevis demonstratio. The truth and excellency of Christian religion demonstrated against Jews, Mahometans, and heathens Publish'd at the desire of some learned men, and for the satisfaction of all rational persons in England.		1665 (1665)	Wing B4424; ESTC R170793	19,852	40

intrinsical honesty but such as are of a middle and indifferent nature and depend upon the meer will of the Commander such are all Ceremonial Laws but his Creatures cannot do so X. Hitherto we have shew'd out of the Mosaical and and Prophetick Books how imperfect the Jewish Religion is But you will acknowledge the same to be more imperfect and confess it to be no wayes agreeable to reason if you look into the Talmudick Books which are stuffed with vain Tradition and old Wives Fables and upon the various superstitions of the moderate Jews You shall find their God weeping for ruin'd Jerusalem and reading daily in the Law besides other most absurd things concerning Behemoth and Leviathan XI If the Jewish Religion which had God for its Author gives place to the Christian much more the Mahometan and Heathenish The Mahometan indeed is later then the Christian and it cannot deny that Christ the Author of it was a divine man Now that the Mahometan Religion is false appears chiefly from these reasons 1. Because it is contrary to the Christian Religion which we have shew'd to be true and given by God and hath taken away very many of its Laws for whatsoever is contrary to Truth is false 2. Because instead of Christs precepts it hath substituted baser Laws and it is far more imperfect then the Christian as well in its promises as precepts For it promises nothing but carnal things and hath recalled Circumcision which together with other Ceremonies had been abrogated by Christ But it is no wayes credible that God after so perfect a Religion as the Christian is would propose to the World a more imperfect one seeing it doth not become the most wise God to descend from high to low things but rather go on from imperfection to perfection 3. Because it has been established and propagated by Armes and carnal force and is even still preserved by the same 4. Because in matters of Faith it forbids inquiry after Truth and takes away all yea a modest liberty of disputing and also keeps the people from reading the Books which it accounts sacred whereby it makes it self forthwith suspected as if it were not good wares which is forbid to be view'd and searched 5. Because Mahomet the Author of it was a most profane man for he was a long time a Ravisher and alwayes given to Women Hence it is that in his Alcaron many obscene and foul things are read But that God by an unclean man would institute any holy Religion is by no means agreeable to reason XII The Heathen Religion remains which truly doth not deserve to be brought into comparison with the Christian so manifest is its falsity and turpitude even from these reasons 1. Because it had no promises nor precepts from God of which two things true Religion doth consist 2. Because it believed not one most High God but divided the Government of the World amongst many gods not subordinate one to another 3. Because it affirmed concerning its gods things most filthy and abhorrent from all honesty describing their Lusts Quarrels Thefts and I know not what wickednesses 4. Because it was not ashamed to worship things inanimate and Brutes far inferiour in dignity to men 5. Because it was burthened with Rites that were partly ridiculous and foolish partly obscene and impure partly horrid and cruel All which things every one doth easily perceive are contrary to sound reason But in Christian Religion you shall find no such thing which also by its coming in wholly blotted out and entinguished that Heathenish Religion as we have before hinted If any one would shew us beside this old one some other Paganish Religion in the World at this day its falsity also would forthwith appear if it were compared with the Christian For rectum est index sui obliqui Truth shews both it self and falshood XIII Thus we have demonstrated that Christian Religion considered both absolutely and in it self and also compared with all other Religions is most perfect Now if you demand how it came to pass that God did not presently in the first Ages of the World institute it among men there are more then one reason at hand 1. Because men were at the beginning not capable of so great perfection For mankind had after a sort its Infancy Childhood and Youth which needed as it were the first Elements of Religion that so it might by little and little be prepar'd for higher things and brought to perfection Neither in Arts did men forthwith come or were as it were at one leap brought to the highest perfection but humane industry did from rude beginnings as it were by steps ascend and aspire to it It became therefore a prudent Law-giver to accomodate himself to the capacity of those that were to be instructed and not so much to consider his own wisdome as the dulness of those that were to be taught So are Parents and Masters wont to proceed prudently in the instructing of their Children and Scholars Therefore it became also the most wise God in delivering precepts of Religion to proceed by little and little from the more imperfect ones to those that were more perfect 2. Because by this deferring of the perfect Religion unto more adult times God would excite in the minds of men a greater alacrity to entertain it For long fasting is the best Sauce for meat most sweet in it self and after long Storms and Tempests the smiling Calms is more gratefull God would therefore that men should first be throughly sensible of their most miserable condition without hope of immortality taste all the evils of mortality that afterward when the promise of eternal felicity had shined forth from Heaven all men every where might by so much the more eagerly flie together to so joyfull a message and should embrace it with both their Arms. Neither indeed do Mortals now behave themselves becoming enough so great a good What think you would have been done if presently from the beginning of the World the way to Heaven had lain open to mankind and so men might think that the right of the heavenly Inheritance was as it were a thing natural to them and offer'd as their due The Truth of the Christian Religion being demonstrated from its great perfection we shall now bring another Argument which even alone would be sufficient to prove the matter in hand yea which most evidently demonstrates not onely the Truth of Christian Religion but also both the Existence and Providence of God against impious Atheists So that all that hath hitherto been spoken may hence take very much strength and weight And it is drawn from History and Chronology for either no History is true and credit is to be denied to all things done whether written or spoken and the same are to be accounted meer Fables and Fictions or if this be absurd all must confess that that which is delivered in Historical Monuments touching Christian Religion revealed by God is

true for there can be no History shewn in which are to be found I will not say more but as many Arguments Testimonies and Marks of Truth which that it may appear there are two things in all to be proved by us 1. That sometimes there was in the world such an one as Christ Jesus who is said to be the Authour of this Religion 2. That this Jesus was a Divine Person and the true Messiah or Saviour of the world sent by God to institute this Religion When both these are proved there will remain no doubt not onely of Christian Religion that it is most true and to be received by all but also of God that he is and that he takes care of Mankind XV. The former can be proved without much ado yea it scarce needs proof For who can doubt that Christ was upon the earth when he seeth the Religion which has its name from him to be extant even at this very day for this is all one as if one should doubt whether Mahomet the Author of the Mahometan Religion which he knows to be extant was ever in being or when he hears Aristotle's Doctrine taught in the Schools whether Aristotle ever was or when he reads the Histories of what was done by the Romans Greeks and Macedonians should doubt whether there ever was either those Nations or the Writers of those things But if any be either so stupid or ignorant of those things that are done in the world he shall be convinced by the Testimony of the whole world For 1. Thousands of Christians are witnesses which we have shewed above to have filled almost all the corners of the Earth 2. The very bitterest enemies of Christian Religion are witnesses For both the Mahometans and all the Jews do testifie it among those in the Alcoran among these in the Thalmudick Books many things are read concerning Christ Lastly the most famous Writers of the Heathens have made mention of him among others Tacitus Suetonius Pliny junior Aelias Pampridius Aelias Spartianus Flavius Vepiscus Eutropius Ammianus Marcellinus the words of some of whom shall be produced afterward From the same doth appear both the place and time when and where he lived by whom he was put to death to wit in the Reign of Tiberius and by the Governour Pontius Pilate also that he rose up in Judea for Tacitus calls Judea the source of this evil meaning Christian Religion some of the ancient Christians in their time that is well nigh two Ages after the Birth of Christ testifie That the Acts of Pilate were extant and kept in the Roman Archives in which all things done in Judea by and with Christ were written to Tiberius the Emperour the Romane Senate by Pilate then President there And that these do not testifie this falsly appears from hence That writing Apologies for the Christistians to the Roman Caesars they so confidently appealed to those Acts and publick Records These are the words of Tertullian in his Apologetick Tiberius therefore in whose time the Chrian Name came into the world after he understood out of Syria Palestine that which there had manifested the Truth of his Christ Divinity proposed it to the Senate with the Prerogative of his Suffrage the Senate because they did not approve rejected it Caesar persisted in his opinion threatning danger to the Accusers of Christians Consult your Commentaries there ye shall find that Nero did first rage with the Imperial sword against this Sect then chiefly springing up at Rome It is most remarkable that in the same Apologetick he cites out of the same Acts of Pilate a Testimony concerning the darkness that miraculously happened about the Passion of Christ at Mid-day In the same moment saith he the Day was darkned even when the Sun was at the highest verily they also that knew not it had relation to Christ thought it was an Eclipse and yet ye have this disaster of the world recorded in your Archives Justin Martyr also in his Apology to Antoninus Plus writeth in these words That these things were so done ye may know out of the Acts that were written under Pilate And again And who hath done these things ye may know out of those Records that were written under Pilate With what face I pray could they so grosly lye before the Emperors How easily might they be detected and convicted of falshood How dear would this lye have cost them if either there were no such Acts or that those things they affirmed of Christ were not extant in them The same Authors that they might shew that Christ was born in the time of the general Tax under Augustus as it is set down in the Gospel according to Luke appealed to the Tax-rolls and referred the Gentiles to them in which the description of that Tax was as yet in that time extant and there was read the Name of Jesus born of Mary in Bethlehem For thus saith Tertullian lib. 6. against Marcion Lastly concerning the Tax or Enrolling of Augustus which the Roman Archives keep as a most faithfull witness of our Lords Nativity And afterward But it is also manifest that the Tax or Enrolling under Augustus was made at this time in Judea by Sentius Saturninus in which they might find out his Parentage And in the Book against the Jews For he was of the Countrey of Bethlehem and of the House of David as by the Romans Mary of whom is born Christ was reckoned in the Tax-rell Chrysostome later then Tertullian affirms That as yet in his time those Rolls and the Name of Jesus in them were extant There were also many of the Heathens who wrote against Christian Religion such were Celsus Porphyrius Julian but they by reason of the clear evidence of the thing did never deny but that there was such an one as Christ But in a matter most evident what needs much proof especially seeing that from the later particular which we have undertaken to prove the former also will be manifest and necessarily follow therefore omitting this we will now proceed with Gods assistance to the proof of that XVI As to the later then namely that Jesus was a Divine Person and sent from God that will without doubt be sufficiently proved when we shall have proved that this Jesus was famous for stupendious miracles led a most holy life and underwent most direfull torments and an ignominious death upon the Cross for the cause of his Religion and afterward the third day was raised by God from the dead and taken up into Heaven and from thence he shed forth upon the Disciples plentifully of the holy Spirit and sent them to teach all Nations his Doctrine XVII Now this is proved by three reasons The first is That there are undoubted witnesses of this matter and such whose Testimony cannot but be true but those witnesses are 1. As to his death and miracles the very mortal enemies of Christian Religion whose Testimony surely in this case is free from all