sense in many places 't is hoped a little regard to the connection or manner of the Expressions may rectify them PAge 7. line 12. for maintain read obtain P. 15. l. 1. f. Catallus r. Catullus P. 33. l. 13. f. Reins r. Veins P. 56. l. 12. f. sty'd r. styl'd P. 75. l. 7. f. Sov'raig r. Sov'raign P. 79. l. 5. f. compare r. compares P. 83. l. 28. f. conque'sts r. conquests P. 98. l. 8. f. di r. do ib. l. 14. r. Holocausts ib. l. 24. f. pleas'd r. pleass P. 99. l. 25. f. whem r. whom P. 105. in Marg. f. at an P. 106. l. 4. f. should r. would P. 117. l. 6. f. dissawde r. disswade P. 120. l. 12. f. stranger r. stronger P. 122. f. to r. t' P. 145. l. 2. f. Depository r. Repository P. 162. l. 17. f. Eclogues r. Expressions GROTIUS his Arguments for the Truth of Christian Religion rendred into plain English Verse THings visible declare a God unseen I. That there is a God Some things 't is obvious did in time begin And these could never their own Beings cause Nothing we 're sure could act before it was It 's rise from something else it then must draw Which holds as well in what we never saw From which things subject to our Senses came Till that we find which always was the same And this is God whatever be the Name A Being necessary to exist For else the World must have beginning mist This also the consent of Nations proves Where e're Barbarity Reason removes What only from Opinion rose we see Men often change nor in the same agree This Notion always in all places found Did even Aristotle's Doubts confound Some cause is needful then to be assign'd Which may extend alike to all Mankind And this God's Revelation must be thought Or a Tradition from first Parents taught If it's the first you grant the thing is sought But if the last in what 's of so much weight Why should first Parents propagate a Cheat If wheresoe're Humanity is known They the Idea of a Godhead own In places late found out and long ago Not only with the dull but witty too These would unmask it if it were design Nor could the others lay a Plot so fine If some in sev'ral Ages have appear'd Who seem'd as if no Godhead they rever'd 'T is an Objection nothing to be fear'd For few they 've been their Arguments but vain Such as a Proselyte could rarely gain 'T was not from Reason common to Mankind But some Disease or Folly of the Mind An affectation something new to show Like him that Blackness would ascribe to Snow Or no right Judgment could by such be past Be'ng like the Sick whose Mouths are out of taste And this the rather is to be believ'd Because from all th' Accounts we have receiv'd We find the best of Men were always those Who with the notion of a God did close That a dissent from what so long obtain'd Only with Minds deprav'd its credit gain'd Whose vic'ious Int'rests cann't a Godhead bear To pass right Judgment on their Actions here Ev'n hence is seen that whatsoer'e they fain Whether succession in an endless chain Or the wild Atoms undirected dance Or whatsoever Scheme they please t' advance The Difficulties all recur or more Than lay against what was receiv'd before Some seem to disbelieve a Deitie Because they cann't his Sacred Presence see But these if they can any thing descry Must ev'n the being of their Souls deny Which ne're were subject yet to mortal eye Nor ought ' gainst this Idea more to strive Because their shallow reas'nings cann't arrive To understand the Nature which they find For it belongs to the inferior kind Not fully to conceive of what 's above Beasts of Man's nature cann't fit Judges prove Less how the few first gave the many Law And by what methods kept the Rout in awe How Men could trace the flights o' th' starry host And round the dang'rous Deep in safety coast These things above their reach must be confest And Man as he excels the down-lookt Beast Should think that he who made him to excel Does in a distance far above him dwell And that there is an Excellence unknown Because it is superiour to his own Having thus found a Deity above II. That there is but one God Let 's try how we his Attributes can prove One Proof concerning them in this does lie That what he is is by necessity And this clearly infers the Unity For if we this extend to more than one We unto numbers infinite must run What does exist by necessary Law That Force must into act'ual being draw And this to single things must be apply'd But when we speak of gen'rals 't is deny'd Multiplications too of things we know From a fecundity of Causes flow And as the numbers of the Causes were So are th' effects more numerous or rare But nothing caus'd the Deity to be In diffe'rent things we differences see Th' Essence not Difference is needful here Nor does one sign of many Gods appear The Universe a single World is found One radiant Sun enlightens all around In ev'ry Man only one living Soul Is all in ev'ry part and in the whole Were there besides more than one Deity In Pow'r and Will all absolutely free How if th' Almighty Powers should disagree Should one be opposite to th 'others Will Each could not then its purposes fulfil But this is far below a Pow'r Divine III. That all Perfection is in God Next full Perfection in this God does shine Which cannot but from hence be understood That whatsoe're in things we find of good Or a beginning had or else had none What ne're began belongs to God alone That which began being from something drew And since from nothing nothing ever grew It follows what Perfections e're are seen In the Effects have in the Causes been And all must be from the first Cause deriv'd Which of Perfection ne're can be depriv'd What always was can no dependance bear Nor can an outward Cause its force impair Ne're from its self a diminution came For all things at their own Perfection aim IV. That God's Perfection is infinite To these Perfections of the Deity We cannot but ascribe Infinity For all the limits we in things explore Are that no Cause communicated more Or else the Subject could not hold the store But God could nothing take from any cause Since as we 've shew'd he necessar'ily was What acts more perfect is V. That God is eternal omnipotent omniscient and absolutely good than that which can't And things endu'd with Life than those which want What understands than that which nothing knows And what is good than what does that oppose These then we attribute to the most High Nor can the manner infinite deny His Life his Pow'r his Knowledg without end Nor does his Goodness one exception blend On what 's already
Since part of what he writes the Author plainly was So since the Authors of the Books we cite Liv'd in the very times of which they write And as they add themselves partakers were Of Gifts which fell to an Apostle's share It is enough our full belief to gain If any say these qualities they feign And to some Books fictiti'ous names did give They urge what none that think can e're believe As if who preach up Truth and Piety Should venture without any cause to lie Which not all good Men only would refuse But to forbid by Law the Romans chuse The Books which the new Cov'nant then V. That the Pen-men wrote the Truth because they had knowledg of the things which they wrote declare Were doubtless wrote by them whose Names they bear Or such at least as they themselves profess And what there is like reason to confess The things of which they wrote the Authors knew Nor could desire to mix what was untrue For Falshood we no other grounds receive Than Ign'rance or intention to deceive Matthew John Peter Jude were known of those Whom Christ t'attest his words and Actions chose And therefore needs must know the things they tell And this to James may be apply'd as well Be'ing an Apostle or to Christ of kin And Bishop of Jerusalem had bin Advanc'd by the Apostles to that See St. Paul from Error must have been as free When what he learn'd from Christ he did declare Being rapt above the Regions of the Air To him or Luke who always clos'd his side For what Christ did Faith ought not be deny'd That Luke did know 't is easy to suppose What of our Saviour's Life and Death he shows Being born hard by and having travell'd o're The places Christ had visited before And had Eye-witnesses of what he writes Often consulted as himself recites Many with whom he Friendship did contract Besides Apostles could attest the Fact Some whose Diseases at Christ's word had fled Who saw him living after being dead If Tac'itus and Suetoni'us are believ'd In things which happ'ned long before they liv'd Because they 're diligent Enquirers thought Rather should one esteem what Luke has wrote Of Mark a constant Fame is known to pass That he Companion to St. Peter was And what he wrote should have the like esteem As if St. Peter dictated to him And farther hardly any thing is there But what th'Apostles Writings do declare Nor could the Writer of the things (a) Apocal. reveal'd When God large folds of Providence unseal'd Have been impos'd upon in what he saw Or he who wrote (b) Author to the Hebrews to them o' th' Jewish Law In what he says from th' holy Spirit came Or the Apostles witnessing the same That they to cheat with Lies could not design VI. And because they would not lie Mention'd before we always should subjoin When we would reinforce that Law divine Which from our preaching King at first was spred With his return to life from being dead Who Witnesses of ill intent'ion blame The grounds of such their ill intent'ion name Here can be none If any say they feign That they the cause they manag'd might maintain For such a cause why should they so contend Which no advantage here could recommend Nor did they any dangers thereby shun For that alone they did all hazards run And as to wordly Goods were quite undone No Man can therefore think they chose this cause But in obedience to God's holy Laws Which would not have encourag'd Falsities Chiefly in that wherein Salvation lies So ill a charge these things with strength oppose The pious Doctrines which they did propose Their Lives unspotted and so free from blame That their worst foes their Ign'rance only name No proper Parent of invented tale To shew their faithfulness this should not fail That their own faults they leave upon record That all forsook and Peter thrice deni'd their Lord. But God himself did witness to them bear VIII A Confirmation of the Fidelity of the Authors from the Miracles they wrought Whilst he by Wonders did their Truth declare On which since they and all Men of their way Such mighty stress with such assurance lay And to the Publick Scrutiny advance The Times and Places ev'ry Circumstance The Magistrates concern'd did they so please The truth or falshood might have learnt wth ease This too th'assisting of Heav'n do's shew That many spake the Tongues they never knew And Pains fled suddenly in publick view Nor were they terrifi'd from what they prest To think the ruling Jews were foes profest Nor were the Romans less enclin'd to close With what might them for Novelties expose Nay Jews and Pagans of the Times most nigh That these had Wonders wrought durst not deny St. Peter's Mir'cles Phlegon does report An Annalist o' th' Emp'rour Adrian's Court And Christians pleading before any State Urge all these facts as being past debate That at the Tombs of Martyrs there remain'd A wondrous Pow'r they publickly maintain'd And that throughout some Ages it did last Which if untrue they might with shame be cast When they were put to justify their Cause Before Dispensers of the Civil Laws So frequent were the Prodigies there wrought Of them such uncontested Proofs were brought As even Porphiry himself confest With what 's already said we well might rest Yet there 's an heap of Arguments behind Which may commend those Books to 'a serious mind VIII The Truth of the Writings comfirm'd in that they contain many things which the Event has prov'd to be reveal'd from Heaven In them are many things plainly fore-shown Which no Man could by nat'ral skil have known Th' event declaring them for God alone As the (a) Mat. 13.33 c. John 12.32 large sudden-spreading of that way And that (b) Luke 1.33 Mat. 28.20 John 14.16 no Age should see its pow'r decay That it should (c) Mat. 21.43 c. be rejected by the Jews While Gentiles far remote obedience chuse That 't would the hatred of the (d) Mat. 10.17 Jews procure What Cru'lties for Christ's Name Men should endure The (e) Mat. 10.21.39 23.24 siege and dismal ruin to invade That (f) Mat. 23.37 38. Luk. 21.20 24. City where the Jews their Worship paid That there the Temple should be left forlorn With the (g) Mat. 23.35 c. Calamities still to be born Add here if God regard our mortal state Chiefly in what t' his Worship does relate He cannot suffer Errors to abound Where nothing but his Honour Men propound But for the sacred Books this proof supplys IX As also from the care becoming God in preventing supposititious Books That of all Christian Sects did e're arise Scarce any has been found that these denys Some the whole Volume for authentick take And they who doubts concerning any make Others receive which do with them agree When yet we such warm differences see That
Speech Joshu'ah's Command for taking Jerico They urge as what does such Commission show But that in the Messiah's promiss'd Reign There should no differences of days remain Some from that passage in Isaiah hold Issa 66.23 Where 't is concerning that blest time foretold ' That God's true Worship should be constant known ' From Sabbath unto Sabbath and from Moon to Moon Let 's come to Circumcision long in use XI And outward Circumcision Before that Law which Moses gave the Jews To Abram and his Seed this was enjoyn'd Yet this th'incepti'on of that Law we find Thus God to Abraham ' You and your Seed ' Vnto the Land of Cana'an shall succeed ' That Land where now a Pilgrim's Life you lead ' See that my Cov'nant you observe with care ' This is the Cov'nant I with you declare ' You and the Males which from your Loins descend ' Shall all be circumcis'd unto the end Before we shew'd that i'th'old Cov'nants room A new one common unto all should come And this distinctive mark then needs must cease Besides some Myst'ry in this Rite one sees And this their Prophets shew when they impart Precepts for Circumcisi'on of the Heart Which is in all our Saviour's Rules descry'd Besides the Promises to that apply'd Must needs be thought intended to relate Unto the prospect of a better State Eternal Life which Jesus shews us clear Till when it did only in Types appear That Promise top which did to Abram fall That many Nations him should Father call Seems to describe that happy time design'd When all the World should in one Faith be joyn'd Which to express the Gospel-state we find No wonder that the Shadows flee away At the desir'd approach of perfect Day That to this sign God did not stint his Grace Appears in that his Favour did imbrace Abram and many who before him liv'd Before this Mark was in their Flesh receiv'd And while the Jews through the parch'd Desart came It was omitted without any blame XII And yet Jesus and his Apostles tolerated these Much they to Christ and his Apostles owe Who their discharge from this encumbrance show And this evinc'd by Gifts and Deeds so high As nothing short of Moses we descry Yet they who taught the Rule which we admire Did not their owning this great Boon require But in such things indulg'd them their own way So they on others did not th' Imposition lay This shews they without cause from Christ withdraw Upon pretence of their old Ritu'al Law The almost sole Objection they have brought Against the Miracles our Saviour wrought Being thus remov'd let 's other Mediums chuse Proper for the Conviction of the Jews In this Profession Jews and we unite XIII A Proof against the Jews from their confessing that at eximious Messias was promis'd That Men endu'd with the Prophetick Light Did the clear notice of One promis'd bring From whom much greater good to them should spring Then e're before from Heav'n did Men befal HIM the Messias all agree to call We that he has been here already say They yet expect him in a future day Let 's search those Books fairly this Doubt to end Which for Divine both sides alike commend (a) Ezek. 14.14 28.3 Ezekiel shews Daniel to be believ'd XIV 'T is shewn that he is already come from the presignification of the time He would not cheat nor could hav ' bin deceiv'd In what from Gabr'el he affirms receiv'd He (b) Dan. 9.25 from the Angel's dictating declares That there should not elapse five hundred years After the Edict publish'd to restore That City where the Jews all met t' adore But the Messias should on Earth be seen When now above two thousand there have been And yet the Jews expect him still to come Nor can they name another in his room To whom this circumstance of Time agrees And this their Rabby Nehumias sees Who fifty years e're the Messias's Reign Say's more than fifty years can't now to that remain Another Note we touch'd upon before Of having Pow'r from God all Nations o're When the Seleucan with the Lagian Line Ptolemy the Son of Lagus Should all Authority of Force resign The last in Cleopatra did expire Little before the World did Christ admire Dan. 9. In Daniel a third Note deserves regard Where from Prophetick Spirit 't is declar'd That after the Messias here injoy'd Jerusalem should wholly be destroy'd And this Josephus to his Age applies Haggai 2.2 A Passage of like sense in Haggai lies Zerubbabel Their Governour with the High-Priest we find After a great dejection shew'n of mind Seeing the Temple then but lately rais'd If with the first compar'd not to be prais'd Had hence their drooping hearts with spir'ts supply'd Such honour this shall crown as was the first deny'd Of Size Materials Art or Ornament 'T is plain by Story the could not be meant Besides the greatest Hebrew Rabbies hold The later was infer'our to the old Both for the Majesty and Light Divine Effusion too which with the first did shine Wherein the last should yet the first exceed We may of Sacred Revelation read Where God declares his Peace with That should rest By which his Grace and Favour is exprest Mal. 3.1 This we in Malachy at large may find ' Who comes to seal my Cov'nant with Mankind ' I send before The way he shall prepare ' And in the Temple suddenly appear ' Whom you expect to come your Hearts delight Under the second Temple he did write 'T is clear then while the second Temple stood The Jews were to expect this promis'd Good Which from Zerubb'bel to Vespasian's understood For 't was not wholly from its Ruine rais'd While Herod they who valu'd Grandeur prais'd By sev'ral parts they did compleat the pile Which the same Temple we may justly stile 'T is plain they then did for Messiah look From whence some blindly Herod for him took Some others some Judas the Gaulonite When Jesus liv'd who needs must be the right Some Jews perceiving how these Motives press XV. With an Answer to what is said of his coming being delay'd for the Sins of the People That the appointed time is past confess But think their Sins of it th'occasi'on were To wave how positive their Prophets are Without Condition tacitely imply'd How could the Advent be for these deny'd When Dani'el from a sacred impulse spake That Ruine should for these Jerusalem o're-take Soon after the Messiah's peaceful Reign Besides another cause of 's Advent's plain To be the Healing a corrupted Age And Men t' a better Rule of Life t' engage While for the past he did God's Wrath asswage In Zach'ry see a sacred Promise lie Zach. 12.10 13.1 That God with Grace would David's House supply From thence an open Fountain should appear Which from their Sins Jerusalem should clear The Jews besides a strong Traditi'on own That