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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

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to be repeated and the Sacrifices are every where sold for which lately there was rarely found any buyers Hence it appears from whence so great a hatred of Heathens against Christians sprang to wit because they saw that utter destruction and ruine was seizing on their Idols and Paganish Worships by means of Christian Religion But Pliny was greatly frustrated in this that he hoped that Christian Religion could be stopped and extinguished by those punishments For how vain all endeavours of Tyrants and Enemies were in suppressing the Gospel and hindring its course experience it self is witness XX. Seeing therefore the Christians endured so many and so great things seeing they had so many obstacles and yet firmly adhered to Christ what other cause could there be thereof then the great and invincible power of Truth which the Apostles confirmed both by the example of their unblameable piety and cruel death and chiefly by miracles never before heard or seen But if any one shall obstinately deny that miracles accompanied the Church of Christ in its beginning he considers not that he asserts a far greater miracle then ever was to wit that so great a multitude of men and almost the whole world should be converted without miracles But there is no doubt but these Primitive Christians were diligent and industrious enough in examining those miracles and searching out the Truth of Christian Religion seeing therein not onely their eternal salvation but also their present life and all their fortunes were concerned Very wittily and truly saith Pliny Singuli decipere decipi possunt nemo omnes neminem omnes fefellerunt Every one may deceive and be deceived no man hath deceived all men nor have all men deceived any This Argument therefore is of so great moment that no man in his wits can gain-say it XXI The third way of proving the Divinity of Christ is taken hence That the History of the Resurrection and Glorification of Christ is contained in the sacred Books of the New Testament But that those Books are of Divine Authority is proved 1. Because they contain the most perfect way of worshipping God and living piously such as neither men nor Devil could devise not men as it appears from comparing the Precepts contained in this Book not the Devil because he being an enemy of all vertue cannot be the Author of so holy a Doctrine 2. Because there are extant in them many Predictions concerning things future which we see afterward really fulfilled and proved true by the event 1. Concerning the destruction of the City Jerusalem and the subversion of the Temple Mat. 24. Luke 19.43 44. 2. Concerning the Conversion of the Gentiles to Christ Mat. 21.23 c. Mat. 8.11 3. Concerning the great and sudden propagation of Christian Religion Mat. 13.31 32 33. John 12.32 4. Concerning its perpetual Duration Luke 1.33 Mat. 28.20 John 14.16 5. Concerning the most grievous persecutions of Christians Mat. 10.17 21 34. That I say nothing now of the Prediction of Christ concerning his own sufferings and Death as also his Resurrection after three dayes Mat. 16.21 Luke 18.31 32 33. which unless the event had confirmed his Disciples would at no hand have believed in him For by this so evidently false Prediction he had betrayed himself to be an Impostor and Lyar. 3. Because they were written by the Apostles or by the familiar Companions of the Apostles whom we have shewed a little before to have been Divine Men and such as neither could nor would lye XXII This one thing therefore remains now to be proved to wit that the Books of the New Covenant were written by the Apostles and those whose Names they bear But to prove that we need no other Argument then the Testimony and consent of the ancient Christians which were nearer the times of the Apostles All these whose writings we have acknowledge these Books for the genuine writings of the Apostles and Evangelists And it is certain they used the utmost diligence in searching out the Truth of this matter See the Epistles of Ignatius who flourished soon after the destruction of Jerusalem See Justin Martyr who lived about the hundred and fiftieth year of Christ Irenaeus about the two hundred and thirty Clemens Alexandrinus about the year two hundred and six Tertullian about the year two hundred and eight who also mentions That even the authentick writings of the Apostles were yet extant in some Churches in his time lib. de Praescrip cont Haeret. See Origen about the year two hundred and thirty Eusebius the Ecclesiastick Historian about the year three hundred who from the best Antiquities extracted especially the Truth of these Books differencing the genuine Apostolick writings from the spurious and counterfeit and again of the true and Canonical Books shewing which without any Controversie were alwayes in all Churches accounted for genuine and of which there was in the beginning some doubt but so as afterward the matter being better tried the doubt ceased Adde to this the great multitude of Ecclesiastical Doctors after the time of Constantine the Great and among them chiefly Jerome an exact Searcher of this matter But neither have the Jews in times past nor Pagans ever raised a Controversie with the Christians touching these Books as to say they were feigned by the Christians and falsly attributed to the Apostles nay farther Cyril testifies in the tenth Book he wrote against Julian That that Heathen Emperour and Apostate a most bitter Persecutor of Christians doth openly confess it That the writings of Matthew Mark Luke Peter Paul are the same that Christians read under those names We see then that this so unanimous and uniform consent concerning these Books had continued without interruption to this day that is for more then sixteen hundred years Behold into how various Sects Christians have for a long time been and are now divided how dispersed and different in Regions Tongues Wits Opinions and notwithstanding their so much disagreeing in many chief Points of Doctrine they all agree in this That they constantly and unanimously believe these writings to be Apostolical and of divine Authority why we should depart from so ancient and perpetual a consent there is no reason But without reason to doubt of or contradict a thing universally received is foolish By what other reason I pray doth it appear at this day that the works of Livie Tacitus Curtius Virgil are those which are ascribed to them but by the consent of all the Learned of which there is no cause to doubt and if any one doubt he may deservedly be counted a fool Neither yet was it ever enquired into the Books of those Authors with so great industry as into the Truth of the New Testament because that in the Books of the profane Authors men are little concerned but in this Book they believe their eternal felicity is placed Wherefore also it is to be reckoned that we have sufficiently proved the Authority of the Sacred Scriptures since we have proved they cannot be doubted of without folly If any desire more concerning this Subject let him read S. de Authoritate S. Scripturae Hugo Grotius of the Truth of Christian Religion Episcopius Institut Theolog. de Messia de libris Novi Testamenti But he that is not satisfied with these let him read Philip More of the Truth of Christian Religion Raimundus Sebundus Ludovicus Vives Savaenarola and many others who have more then sufficiently polished this Subject as well with Philosophical subtilty as great Learning and Eloquence FINIS Books newly printed for and are to be sold by William Crooke at the three Bibles on Fleet-Bridge 1665. CAlliopes Cabinet opened wherein Gentlemen may be informed how to adorn themselves for Funerals Feasting and other Heroick Meetings Also here Gentlemen may know their place and worth in Honour with all the Degrees of Honour c. By James Salter 1665. Sixty nine Aenigmatical Courtiers all exactly drawn to the life from several Persons Humours and Dispositions pleasant and full of delight By R. F. Esq The Compleat Vineyard or the best way for planting of Vines in England wherein are set forth the whole Circumstances necessary for planting a Vineyard By William Hughes 1665. Sir Thomas Herbert's Travels with many Additions newly Printed again 1665. Hugonis Grotii baptizatorum Puerorum Institutio alternis Interrogationibus Responsionibus Cui accesserunt Graeca ejusdem Metaphrasis A Christop Wase Reg. Col. Cant. Et Anglicana Versio a Fran. Goldsmith Armig. c. Item Catalogus omnium Operum Hugonis Grotii ad calcem adjectus est 1665. The Royal Stem being an Account of all the most considerable Passages by Land and Sea since William the Conquerour to this very Time with a Picture of King Charls the Second all in a Broad Sheet fit for Studies or Closets Now at the Press Solamen Aegrorum sive Ternarias Medicamentorum Chymicorum ad omnes ferimorbos curandum maxime deplorato grandes felicissime inventa Remedia Authore Everardo Maynwaringo Phil. Med. Doctore 80.
much the more perfect But in the mean time there is promised that which exceeds all earthly Goods even the highest and paternal favour of God offering pardon to them that repent of all their past sins and that they might not sin for time to come the gift of the Holy Spirit a necessary help to the performance of the duties of Piety and also a peculiar Guard of Angels But after Death there is promised a return to Life blessed Immortality a heavenly Kingdome in conjunction with a most pleasant Aspect of the supreme Deity and the fellowship of blessed Spirits The Precepts also are sutable to so sublime Promises There is nothing wanting in them to the highest sanctity forasmuch as Christian Piety consists not * in bodily washing but in true renovation of mind in subduing of the flesh and affections in an unconquerable patience under evils in a constant meekness in a perfect abstinence from hurting others in a chearfull readiness to help them in a continual celebration of the Name of God and studious exercise of fervent Prayer in a diligent regulating of all actions words and thoughts in a full faith and trust in God in a most ardent desire of celestial Immortality and serious meditation of divine things in a true contempt of the World its Riches Honours and Pleasures and if there be any thing else which Reason dictates to be joyned with Vertue V. Neither may any man say that the precepts of Vertue would have been more perfect if we had been injoyned perpetual abstinence from Marriage as also from Meat and Drink or if there had been no remission of sins no reward proposed to them that do well that so men might be drawn by the love of Vertue alone not hope of reward For who sees not that such things can have no place in men as are above their strength and nature It is therefore great imprudence to require of them so great perfection In which matter the Heathen Philososophers extreamly doted who dream'd of I know not what empty Notions of Vertue as if conversing in Plato's Commonwealth they had had a purpose to form the life of celestial Persons not the manners of mortal and frail men The perfection of precepts is to be accomodated to the model of the strength and nature of those to whom they are prescribed So sound Reason so Prudence injoynes For who would praise him that should impose on a Child of three years old a Burden that can scarce be born by a strong man of full age In this very thing therefore the high perfection and wisdome of Christian Religion is manifest that it delivers most divine precepts and prescribes a Doctrine of great piety as greater cannot agree to mortal men yet nevertheless it doth not onely not exceed humane strength but also is not hard to be performed as we shall shew by and by VI. We shall now speak of the qualities of Christian Religion which appertain to the perfection of its nature they are these 1. That it is universal not peculiar to one Nation only but common to all men of all Kindreds Nations Ages Conditions and Sexes 2. That it is spiritual both in its precepts and promises in those requiring internal purity of mind not external cleansing of the body and in these propounding not carnal but spiritual benefits 3. That it is easie because it invites men to piety by a most ample and inestimable reward for the greatness of the reward lessens and takes away all the difficulty of the labour Again because it many wayes assists humane imbecillity in the course of vertue by the holy Spirit inasmuch as thereby mens minds are confirmed in the Truth cleared in doubts encouraged in dangers and filled with a sure hope of eternal Life Thirdly because it prescribes nothing but what is exactly consonant to reason but those things are more easily done the equity whereof the Understanding sees and the reason of which we perceive then those things which why they are to be done we know not That is the part of ingenuous men or as I may so say of Sons who are not ignorant of what the Father doth This of Servants who are seriously treated and to whom is given no reason of designes but are led by the meer Authority of the Commander That makes that what is commanded be done willingly and cheerfully this unwillingly and by constraint VII Let us now come to the Adjuncts or Effects of Christian Religion and they are discerned in the altogether divine and wonderfull propagation of it in which these things following are to be noted 1. That many thousands of men of all sorts forsaking their Countrey-Religion to which they were accustomed from their youth embraced it in great numbers 2. That very suddenly that is in the space of thirty years or thereabouts as appears by Histories it spread it self far and near not onely in Judea and all Asia yea through the whole Roman Empire but beyond it also it sounded in the ears of Parthians and Indians 3. That it extirpated Paganisme so that the Religion of Christ increasing that came to nothing neither is there any memory of it now extant save in Books onely 4. That being not supported by Armes and worldly power it encreased so much and for near three hundred years before the Emperour Constantine induced it it was promoted by the means onely of private men 5. That by mean contemptible simple men and Idiots it was first delivered and divulged 6. That all the wise and mighty of this world were against it yet notwithstanding neither by the craft of the Jewes nor power of the Romane Caesars whereof ten are reckoned chief Persecutors of this Religion nor yet of other Heathens could it be suppressed 7. That innumerable companies of its Professors by no though never so cruel pains and torments no not by any the most ignominious death suffered themselves to be affrighted from it 8. That it has nothing in it gratefull to the flesh it looseth not the reins to licentiousness it opens not the way to pleasures nor honours it allures not men by the commodities of this life but rather deprives them of them least any should think that the so prosperous success of its propagation were to be ascribed to a Doctrine flattering and pleasing the lusts of men 9. That it hath continued now a thousand six hundred sixty years and upward without any interruption 10. That at this day it is so largely spread that it has filled almost the whole world for it possesseth not onely all Europe but also Macedonia Thracia and the Isles of the Aegean Sea are filled with it and both under the Turk and Tartar live Christians innumerable in Affrica also in the Kingdome of the Abissines Congo and Dangali also in Peruvia and New Spain in Goa and the Islands unto which the Dutch and Spaniards have Commerce touching which Geographers may be consulted Lastly They are not wanting in America as testifieth Acosta