the Deity And every Office which in Life does lie The Cruelty of the old Pagan Rites Is fully seen in what their Porph'ry writes And where e're late discov'ries any find They ' ppear to be unworthy of Mankind In almost ev'ry place a Notion ran That God's were pacify'd by Blood of Man Nor Grecian Learning nor the Roman Law Did it's Authority from this withdraw The bloody Bacchanali'ans this may prove And the warm Sacrifice to Lati'al Jove Their Cere'al Mysteries most sacred held With all sorts of Obscenities were fill'd As was most visible to ev'ry sight When their Arcana were expos'd to Light Clement of Alexandr'ia this does blame With other Authors of undoubted Fame Grave Cato was asham'd of those lew'd Plays With which they kept their Consecrated Days But the Religion of the Jews indeed Allow'd no wicked or dishonest Deed Yet loads of Ceremonies it enjoyn'd That People to Idolatry inclin'd By no means tending to improve the Mind Meerely their own Will-worship to restrain Hence were the Beasts in Sacrifices slain Their painful circumcising the Foreskin And counting Work on the seventh day a Sin With the prohibiting some sorts of Meat When cunning Mahomet set up his Cheat This was a Pattern unto his design A Law he added to abstain from Wine But that Religion which to Christ we owe Does how we should the Godhead worship show That we must offer to the purest Mind What is as much as may be of the kind And Works good in themselves whence he requires Not Circumcision of the Flesh but of Desires Our Hands from ev'ry Work not to withdraw But what is contr'ary to th'justest Law Not for our Sins with Blood of Beasts t' atone But if the Truth require to yeild our own To think our God himself has Debtor made For whatsoe're to help the poor is paid Not to abstain from certain kinds of Meat But with fit Moderati'on any eat Such as we find unto our Health is due Sometimes with Fasts the Body to subdue That it may be more subject to the Mind To the pursuit of things sublime enclin'd But the chief Proof of our Religion 's shown To lie in pious Trust of God alone Thro' which devoted wholly to his Will We wait when he 'l his purposes fulfil With certain Faith a pledg of future things Whence lively Hope with solid Pleasure springs With an exalted Love sincerely true Not only of our God but Neighbour too Hence we obey not out of servile fear But that we him may please whom we revere Looking that as his Sons he 'l us regard And with Paternal Blessings at the last reward We 're farther taught unto our God to pray Not for that Wealth which must in time decay Honours or other things too often found To Men's chief Infelicity t' abound In the first place God's Glory to desire But of these perishing things what Nature does require However trusting Providence Divine To which we should wholly our selves resign But then to think no Labour is too great In foll'wing what tends to th' immortal State Pardon of Sins and God's assisting Grace That thro' all hazards we may Truth embrace This Worship Christ in his Religi'on taught Than which none can of God be worthier thought XII Concerning those Offices of Humanity which we owe our Neighbour tho he has injur'd us And suitable to this you that will find Which with relati'on unto Man's enjoy'd Mahomet's way brought forth and spread by Arms Breaths nothing else but terrible Alarms So the Laconic which the Greeks commend And th' Oracle approv'd to this does tend Which Aristotle both observes and blaims Yet War against Barbari'ans just proclaims As if 't were nat'ral when o'th'other side By Nature we to Friendship 's Laws are ty'd What more unequal than when Skin for Skin Is pay'd where ever civil Rule has bin When Slaughter takes whole bleeding Nations in Such Acts as glor'ious Men are proud to own And hence their Heads triumphant Lawrels crown War oft unjust procur'd the mighty Name To Rome that City flatter'd so by Fame What but their Glory and unweildy Might Made them ' gainst Cyprus and Sardin'ia fight In gen'ral as the best Historians write No Nati'ons look'd on robbing as a fault When from beyond their Confines Spoils were brought That to revenge a Wrong a Vertue was Did with the Stagyrist and Tully pass The Gladiators mutilating Fights The Pagans us'd in publick for Delights And their own Children Men did oft expose That Discipline with which the Jews do close Better and much more holy does appear Yet even that with many things does bear Or rather grants which give their Passions force As using ' gainst sev'n Cities no remorse With which their licence howe're not content They think 't of all who differ from them meant And hence they hate all Men of other ways The Jew now curses Christ'ians when he prays Their Law allow'd to make Returns of Pain An Hom'cide might b'a private hand be slain When to the dead th' Avenger was of kin But such return Christ's Law has made a Sin Nor should we in our Actions imitate What shewn in others we most justy hate In the first place to help the good w' are taught And like our God to benefit the naught God who has giv'n in common to Mankind The Sun the starry Host Air Shours and Wind. Nothing does more the care of Laws befit XIII Of the Conjunction of Man and Woman Than th' union which does the two Sexes knit No wonder that the Pagans this did slight Since of th' Adulteries and Rapes they Write In which the Gods they worship'd did delight Nay by th' example of the Gods they prove That Male with Male may do the Act of Love For this cause with the Gods have been eroll'd Antin'ous latest Ganymed of old This with Mahometans is usu'al known Sineses others too for lawful own Grec'ian Philosophers much Art do use Under an honest name that Vice t' excuse And these whole Cities render'd common stews While they Community of Women prais'd When yet indulgent Nature seems t' have rais'd A conjugal Affection ev'n with Brutes How much more equal is' t t' avoid Disputes That the more holy Creature Man proceed From an united Love and unmixt Seed Lest all Paternal Care and Filial Love But empty useless names on Earth should prove The Jewish Law to check Uncleanness strives But yet too plainly yeilds one many Wives And for small causes gives the Husband leave To be divorc'd from one he did receive This at this day Mahometans maintain Among the Greeks and Latines did so reign That the Lacon'ians would let out their Wives And this reproach ev'n Cato's Fame survives But by that perfect Law Christ did perswade The Ax unto the very Root is laid Who does a Woman's Chastity invade Or but commits with a lascivious Eye Can by no means the Imputation fly Before the great Discerner of the Mind Who as 't was
the Jews for what bore Daniel's name Did not oracular Predictions shew What Mexico should feel and rich Peru Which the relentless Spaniards should subdue To this those many Dreams we may refer Which to Events full Correspondence bear Events which they who dream't could ne're foreknow From any thing observable below These to ascribe unto some casual hit Or nat'ral cause can't thinking Men befit Of these Tertulli'an writing of the Soul Brings many Instances beyound controul Of Sp'irits assuming vehicles of Air Which Men not only did discern but hear Authors by no means credulous declare Such Spectres in America have been In Mexico and Sina often seen And those fire Ord'eals with old Germans known As in their Histories and Laws are known Prove an Almighty Power the just does own If less exertions of the Power Divine XVII The Objection that Miracles are not now seen answered For Miracles and Prophecies now shine The force of what is prov'd it can't impair Since 't is enough that once such things there were If they have been less frequent than before God in great Wisdom these his Works forbore Nor is it fit to violate the Laws Printed on Nature but for weighty cause As when the Jews in a small Corner clos'd Were to maintain a Worship all expos'd Or that the Truths in Christian Doctrine found Were to enlighten all the World around Such times are well becoming God to show That Nature 's but his Hand-maid here below XVIII And Wickedness obtains such licence Some question whether Providence presides Seeing how Sin flows in with mighty Tides As if 't would deluge all the World again Which Providence if any should restrain But th'answer's easy since Man's Will is free And God alone good by necessity To bridle and keep in our Sins by force Were to make Man no better than an Horse Bate that of freedom we are not bereft No proper means are unattempted left A Law is made our wild Desires to chain And none for want of Knowledg can complain Inward and outward Admonition's joyn'd And Threats and Promises to bend the Mind That very Wickedness that 's suffer'd here Has limits set by God's o're-ruling Care In vain it strives to swell beyond its bound To force th'enclosures of the sacred Ground His Church hem'd in with the tempestuous deep His Pow'r does from an Inundation keep Civil Societies his Influ'ence share Else the mad Multitude no Laws would bear And ev'n that Mischief which does license get Has some good end by his appointment set To punish or correct those Souls that stray Out of the Paths of Vertue 's narrow way Or else a glori'ous is Specimen to give How nobly the Adult in Vertue strive ' Gainst those Temptations which in Crouds arrive While Pati'ence does its perfect work maintain And constancy unto the last remain And they whose Punishment has been delay'd For this forbearance have large int'rest pay'd Thus they who disobey'd th' Almighty's Will Against their own his purposes fulfil If Wickedness unpunish'd long appear XIX That the Just are often opprest The weak still suffer'd Violence to bear In sorrow long to draw their hated Breath And die at last an ignominious Death As if their Innocence had no regard Man is not therefore from God's Care debarr'd For no Man knows how God exerts his Pow'r In inward Blessings th' ill can ne're devour Besides before was prov'd an Aid Divine Wherefore we with the wise in the belief should joyn That since God knows our Acti'ons and is just XX. This Argument is retorted to prove that Souls survive the Bodies Yet sometimes seems to authorize distrust A future Judgment needs must be behind Where Sinners their due Punishment may find And all egreg'ious Vertue here unblest Exalted to a state above the rest May meet full Recompence for all its Pain For this we must believe that Souls remain XXI Which is confirmed by Tradition When loosned from the Body's cumbrous Chain And this belief so general is known That we it's rise must from first Parents own This Homer sings in Verses ever new And this the Gauls as well as Grecians knew Their learned Druids this most fully taught And this the Brachmans with the Indians thought Aegyptian Thracian German Sages all Upon this Truth with one consent do fall For proof we might unquestion'd Authors call In Strabo Plutarch and Laertius see How the Aegyptians Indians too agree In the expecting of the Day of Doom After this Life is to its period come Histaspes and the ancient Sybills spake What Conflagrati'ons shall the World o're-take Ovid and Lucan both this thought pursue This at Siam the savage Ind'ians knew Of this Astronomers a Proof have found In that the Sun draws nigher to the ground Parts farthest off at first discov'ry prove That we can no where from these Truths remove Canaries yield this Fruit the Western Shoar Largely enriches with this Golden Oar. XXII Nothing in Reason against it Nor can one Argument in Nature found This old Tradition so extensive wound For if we any thing observe to fail 'T is either that what 's mighti'er does prevail In its own Nature contrary to that As Cold does through the force of Heat abate Or the removing that in which it stands As when a Glass is fallen from our hands And into several little peices broke The form is perisht which at first it took Or else 't was from deficience in the cause As Light does vanish when the Sun withdraws But none of these can of the Soul be said For nothing contrary to that was made In this does its peculiar b'eing delight Things to each other the most opposite At once it 's intellectu'al Pow'r receives This for the first The second who believes For on what Subject can the Soul depend If we for this the Body should commend How happens it that when the Body 's tyr'd The Soul to farther Action still is fir'd Without least lascitude from thence acquir'd An Object also that too much excels All the weak forces of the Body quels And thus the feeble Organs of our sight Cannot endure the Sun's prevailing Light The nobler Objects entertain the Mind Its force is stronger Pleasure more refin'd As when its Thoughts from matter it abstracts And about lofty Universals acts The Body's forces cannot but embrace Things which are circumscrib'd by time and place For that 's the Body's Nature while the Mind To what 's eternal and immense is joyn'd Since then the Body don't its Acti'ons give It 's Essence how can it from thence receive The Natures of the things we ne're discern We can but by their Operations learn Nor more to this can we ascribe the way Mention'd the last as reason of decay For no efficient cause we can invent Which failing all the reasoning Pow'r is spent For this the Parents you can ne're assign For then their Deaths would cut off all their Line No other cause 't is
wondrous Works of Christ to name Which no less Author than a God proclaim As with new Life informing Breathless Clay And who besides can of th' Amighty say He does or suffers Wonders without cause For no wise Maker of well-founded Laws Would without weighty Reason make them vain But then who can another Reason feign Than what our Saviour did himself declare That God thereby did Testimony bear Unto those sacred Doctrines which he taught By those that saw them what else could be thought They being such as we observ'd before As 't were a scandal to the God w'adore And impious to believe he would impose On Men so perfectly resign'd as those This was the cause why many of the Jews Who Moses for their constant Guide did chuse About that time when Jesus here did move Receiv'd him as a Master from above Such were the Nazarens and Ebio'nites Zealous Asserters of the Jewish Rites Christ's Miracles like Confirmation have VI. Christ's Resurrection prov'd by credible Testimonies From his return to Life out of the Grave This has not only been for Truth receiv'd But a chief Article to be believ'd By all who e're Christ'anity profest But it for certain needs must be confest All could not this matter of Faith have thought Unless the Men who first Christ's Doctrine taught Had full perswasi'on in their Hearers wrought But evidently this could ne're have been Without asserting what themselves had seen None moderately wise would e're have chose A Faith which to such Dangers did expose Unless they had affirm'd it's Truth who saw This great Foundation of the Christian Law But that it always was affirm'd is shown By other Writings fully as their own And as in Books as clearly 't is reveal'd They to five hundred Witnesses appeal'd Who saw our Saviour come to Life again But how durst any so appeal that feign And who could on such Multitudes prevail To cheat the World with a fictitious Tale Nay were the Twelve all who had this maintain'd They were enow full Credit to have gain'd For no Man would for nothing be a Knave Honours 't is sure thereby they could not have For those were at the absolute dispose Of Jews and Heathens who did them oppose Nor could they have by this encreast their store Thro' it they lost what they had gain'd before Nor could one benefit of Life invite To cheat the World with any cunning slight Their very preaching as full well they knew To Labours Hunger Thirst and Prisons drew Then Fame with their own Sect could never tempt Plain Men from all degrees of Pride exempt So many Inconveniencies to bear For the thin diet of that pop'ular Air Nor could they hope that Doctrine would succeed With Nature still intent upon it's need When all Authority on Earth oppos'd But as they with God's sacred Promise clos'd This may be added that whatever Fame They might propound by preaching up Christ's Name They had no expectation it could last For so with Clouds God's Purpose was o'recast They thought the World did to it's Period hast Which is in theirs and other Writings plain The sole Objection which can yet remain Is that they ly'd for their Religion's sake Which no Man that had duly weigh'd would make For either their Religion true they thought Or what they knew to be a Falshood taught But had they not believ'd it to be best They would not have forsaken all the rest Among which Safety lay and Honour too Nor had profest it barely as 't was true Unless they that Profession needful knew For nothing else could free them from the Guilt Of all the Blood through that Professi'on spilt But if they that believ'd not true alone But best and necess'ry for them to own After the Founders Death to be receiv'd This could not have obtain'd had he deceiv'd Declaring his own rising from the Dead No Men whose Understandings were not fled Finding their Expectations frustrate there Would to that Faith still holy Rev'rence bear Then all Religions chiefly Christ's deny To blemish sacred things with any Lie Religion therefore such an one besure Could never this officious Lie procure The Men besides were such as their worst Foes For nothing but simplicity expose Nor had such Wit enough so well to feign And who would do it for the sake of pain Which that Profession certainly would gain I'th'utmost Tortures Malice could invent Many for this out of the World were sent How much soever some might chuse to bear For an Opinion which they valu'd dear Who can imagine Men with Sense indu'd Not one alone but a great multitude Should make themselves subject to certain Woe For what themselves had known to be untrue But then their Lives and Writings which they left Shew that they were not of their Wits bereft What may confirm the Evidence of those Who the first Witnesses for Christ arose Serves for St. Paul as much who did declare That rapt above the Regions of the Air Whether with strengthned Rays of mortal sight Or meerly by an intellectu'al Light The Soul being sep'rate from the Body's Chain He saw where Christ does with his Father reign All that the Jews could teach he had acquir'd Nor greater honour need to have desir'd Than what he might expect in his old way When on the other side for this he lay Expos'd to th' utmost hatred of his Friends Nature depriv'd of all its darling ends Travels and Labours all his worldly Meed And a reproachful death was to succeed VII Answer to the Objection that Christ's Resurrection seems impossible VVho can assent to proofs so clear delay Unless that 't is impossible he say That is a contradiction does imply Which we of this may with good grounds deny At the same time to be alive and dead VVere contradicti'ous but when life is fled Back by the Pow'r that gave it to be brought Can never sure impossible be thought As Plato writes to Eris this befell Heracl'des this does of a VVoman tell Of one Herodotus does this relate And this says Plutarch was anothers fate VVhich shews that VVise-men thought that it might be If that 't was possible we then agree For Christ to breath again with living breath After its be'ng extinguisht once in death And that 't was so in fact 's so fully prov'd That his Resurrection evinces the Truth of his Doctrine That it the Jewish Rabbi Becai mov'd But as his Followers and others shew He held forth to the World a Doctrine new This must by needful Consequence be true Since he maintain'd 't was by divine Command For with God's Justice it can no way stand Or Goodness either to exalt so high One who in so momentous things would lie Had he been such an one who would believe That he the certain notice should receive Both when and how he should from Life retire And have his Reins new fill'd with active Fire Himself declaring that all this was wrought For Confirmat'ion
The Church but with more living seed did fill And thus the more was scatterd more did spring If other Rites into the Scales we bring The Greeks and other Heathens us'd the most Of their admir'd Philosophers to boast Bate Socrates Gymnosophists a few Scarce others dying for their way can shew And who that thinks can well deny of these That in their Death 's the hope of praise did please They thought it glor'ous to survive in Fame And have Posterity their Deaths proclaim While many suff'ring for the Christi'an Name Were Men in Fortunes and Ambition low That such Men were their Neighbours scarce did know Women and tender Virgins gentle Youths With their last Blood bore witness to these Truths Who can believe of these a vain desire Or hope of lasting Fame to this should fire Besides our Martyrologies contain But a small part of those who thus were slain And rarely can the Jews a Martyr boast Beyond Antiochus his time at most Since Christ's Religion is for this the best Is it not to be chose before the rest When the vast Multitudes we duly weigh Who did their Lives for this Religion pay Each Sex each sort of Men in ev'ry Age We needs must think some pow'rful cause t' engage And what to so great constancy could move But Truth and th' holy Spirit from above If by the Arguments already brought In some Conviction is not wholly wrought Let them consider Proofs in sev'ral ways As is the nature of the thing one weighs One sort does with the Mathematicks suit Another when in Physicks we dispute One when for Action we would Counsel take Diff'rent when Fact does th' only question make And this is always yeilded by the Wise When no exception ' gainst the Witness lies And if we will not this for Proof admit We all the use of History must quit The most approved Med'cines we must loose That Piety too which does its self diffuse Where ever Parents are and Children known For want of Evidence must needs be gone It is the pleasure of the Pow'r most high The things wherein he 'd have our Faith to lie That our Obedience it's Reward may gain Should not appear so evidently plain As things which Sense or Demonstrati'on shew Yet as much Light should carry as is due For raising a most firm belief in those Who will not pertinaci'ously oppose Hence we the Gospel as a Touch-stone find To try and prove which is the upright Mind For since so many good so many wise Embrac'd so highly penal Verities It shews that other's Incredulitie Never from a defect of Proofs can be But that they would not have that pass for true Which their Affecti'ons did so much eschew That it was hard with a regardless Eye To suffer all that glitters here to lie Which needs must be if they for truth would hold All that has been concerning Jesus told And therefore would obey the Rules he gave An Evidence for this herein we have These many Histories for true receive Which they on bare Authority believe Of which no Foot-steps at this day are known As for the History of Christ are shown This in the Jews Confessi'ons we many trace And the Assemblies which these Truths embrace Of which some cause we cannot but assign Nor can't be any thing below divine No humane force could it so long maintain And such remote and spreading Conquests gain This could proceed from Miracles alone But if we are resolv'd them to disown That without them it should such force acquire Is what we ought much rather to admire LIB III. I. For the Authority of the Books of the New Covenant HE whom these Arguments or others move As true and best Christianity t' approve Would he the knowledg of it's Precepts gain Must search those sacred Scriptures which obtain The name of Testament or Cov'nant new Where we the whole of this Relig'ion view For this we should not scruple to receive What Christi'ans always hold that they believe To Men of ev'ry Sect we Credit pay As to the Books they shew us of their way And thus the Alcoran is justly thought To shew what Doctrines Mahomet has taught Since then the Truth of Christ's Religion 's known And that lies in the Books the Christi'ans own If any a more special Proof require We them t' admit this equal Rule desire That they who any Writing will oppose With which for sev'ral Ages Men did close Are bound those Arguments first to maintain Which may impeach the Credit that did gain Till which of full Authority it must remain The Books in which no Christians disagree II. That the Books which have any Authors Names to them were writ by them whose Names are prefixt To which some certain Names affixt we see To have been wrote by those whose Names they bear The Writers of succeeding times declare Thus Justin Irenaeus Clement shew With other Men of Ages that ensue That all the sacred Books were titled true Add farther as Tertullian does declare Some of th'Orig'inals in his time were fair And ev'ry Christian Church the same did own Ev'n before Councils to unite them known Nor did the Jews or Pagans ever doubt But they were theirs whose Names they bear about Julian confest in terms by no means dark That Peter Paul with Matthew Luke and Mark Were Authors of those Books which bear their Names Thus he but his own want of Wit proclaims Who doubts of what both Greeks and Romans thought T' have been by Homer or grave Virgil wrote More on that Evidence should we rely Which almost ev'ry Nation does supply III. The doubt remov'd from Books anciently doubted of Yet does the Volume now in use contain Books which at first did not like Credit gain Thus 't was with one which we St. Peter's call The same did those of James and Jude befal And thus with two which the like late consent From John the Elder sty'd supposes sent Th' Apocalyps as doubtful has been thought And the Epistle to the Hebrews wrote Howe'r that many Churches them receiv'd And sacred their Authority believ'd Appears in that Christi'ans who first did write Them as of such Authority do cite Which may in reason well be thought to shew Of some nothing at first some Churches knew Howe're the Truth being set in a clear light They did with others in their use unite Nor was there any cause in these to cheat For without them the System were compleat The self-same Doctrine they do but repeat IV. The Authority of such Books as have no Title prov'd from the quality of the Writers Nor should th'Epistle to the Hebrews wrote Or two reputed Johns be spurious thought Or the Apocalyps of doubtful Fame 'Twixt John th'Apostle and one of his Name The quality of Books is most esteem'd Some Histories have been authentick deem'd Whose Authors never did themselves declare Thus the Account o' th' Alexandrian War Does with a gen'ral Reputati'on pass
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