Divines Though the Dr most likely will not allow me so favourable à Censure The Dr's way or mode in writing whilst Substance failes cannot but be worthless unsavory and distastful Peruse him Reader page after page you will find the man all along in à peevish Humour when you see his Book brim full of tare biting Ironies Drolleries Comical Expressions impertinent Demands Idle Stories c. As if the disgorging à little Gall were enough to bring into Contempt the Clearest Miracles God ever wrought Had he had but common Prudence He might well have thought that for one Petit private man hid in à corner of the world pertly to rise up against all ancient Fathers Doctors and Divines without Manifest Proofs reduced to sound Principles would never take But appear to every Iudicious Reader as it is an unluckly Management of an ill cause Herein without all doubt Passion blinded the man And I am sure left him no clear Ey-Sight when he too boldly tell 's us above That be relies on our own Writers in this Controversy and thinks himselfe not mistaken I say once more the Pretence is most false having not so much as one Catholick Author that opposes approved Miracles But suppose one or two could be racked to his Sence hitherto I neuer met with any might not the Dr haue called to mind his own Apology made in behalfe of Mr Thorndick Who as Zealously clear's the Catholick Church from Idolatry as the Dr fondly laies that foul Aspersion on Her If we should grant They are the Dr's words in his General Preface That He Mr Thorndick held some things singular in this matter what is that to the constant Opinion of our Church So say I should we grant which I shall neuer yeild that some one or other Catholick Author were singular in this matter now debated what 's that to the contrary Iudgement of all other Writers and the Sentiment of à whole Church besides But now when the Dr has none that sides with him His only course will be to sit down silent and talk no more of our Writers By what is hitherto said T' is hard methinks to conceive what moved the Dr to quarrel with our Miracles Has God angred the man in Showing so many clear Legible Characters Written by his own powerful hand intending thereby to make his Church glorious I say many For there is no Kingdom Saith S. Chrysostom no Country no common wealth no famous City in the world where innumerable have not either seen or heard of Miracles attested by most faithful Witnesses and upon that Account haue rendred humble thanks to God for so signal Testimonies of his favours It may bee the Dr thinks that those who have Written of Miracles are but à few only Vulgar and ignorant It is à Cavil Many stout Champions inferiour to none in knowledge have defended them These are our Combatants and Conquerours in this Controversy But perhaps these learned only recount some Trivial matters or as the Dr speak's à few extraordinary Things Quite contrary They mention most Signal Works great Wonders as raysing the Dead restoring sight to the blind and curing incurable Infirmities clear effects of God only Omnipotent But stay have not our Learned Writers willing to wave pains slightly passed over such Matters of Fact No. Never any were or can be more accurate in laying forth the Substance and all Circumstances relating to Miracles than S. Irenaeus S. Hierom S. Augustine S. Gregory Thaumaturgus and S. Bernard These Admirable Saints to omit latter Authors have either wrought great Miracles or Written of them with so much care and diligent Study That one with halfe an Ey may perceive As They themselves never doubted of what they wrote so they purposely strove to fix à firm Belief of them in the minds of others Hence S. Augustine cited afterward Lib. 22. de Civit. Cap. 8. assures us He vvrote the Miracles there specifyed for this End that they might be publickly read before the People and knovvn to all For saith the Saint Such was my express will Because when we saw the Signs and Miracles wrought frequently in our time like those which God anciently evidenced to the world I endeavovred that their memory should not perish If therefore Miracles have been frequent If knovvn the vvhole vvorld over If seen and attested by Many Ey-Witnesses if legible Characters Written by God's own hand if great and prodigious If finally wrought for this End that their Memory might be preserved and known to all VVhat could induce our unadvised Dr most rashly to publish his lame and imperfect Enquiry against Miracles This to me appear's à Paradox or rather à Riddle which no Oedipus can solve Had not this man shown Spight enough in his former Treatises vvhere he set's that Vile and Infamous Mark of Idolatry upon our Ancient Church though She drevv vvhole Nations from Idolatry to the Christian Faith But thanks be to God He has not as I hear gained three Iudicious men of his ovvn Profession to believe him Had He not spit out Venome enough in stiling the most Learned vvith in this great Moral Body Rebel teachers and Sowers of Divisions Had he not in some Frolick gnash't his teeth enough in his more than bold presumptious railing at the Saints in Heaven How could à renowned S. Benet S. Dominick or S. Francis fall under his lash and raise up so much unruly Passion in à Dr Could he not he have left these happie Souls in their eternal Rest free from his Scratches Taunts aend bitter Obloquies Without doubt he look't on them as some of old did on the wild beasts in Theaters publickly exposed to be bated and furiously encountred Yet to make the burthen of his sins more heavy he sports himselfe with all that can be serious Do but mention the Sanctity and Austerity of thousands yet living in the Church all with him is thought Hypocrisy Speak of our Catholick Doctrin taught his Progenitors for à thousand years and more it Led them forsooth into so many abominable Errours that 't is hard to say whether they are saved or damned Bring to light the clearest Miracles God ever wrought what are they Nothing but painted Strawes and Counterfeit Trances And thus he add's Sin to Sin without remorse or check of Conscience upheld by no other Principles than Drollery vain Florishes lowd untruths and Calumnies Dr Iohn Avila à man of great learning and à renowned Preacher hearing soon after the death of à Priest of one sole neglect and t' was that but once only he had offered up in his whole life time the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass spake these few but weighty words Multum defert ad Iudicem This man upon that Account carries much with him to be answered for before his Iudge VVhat was this little small Omission compared with Dr Stillingfleet's enormous Commissions Dovvn Cries He vvith their Sacrifice avvay vvith their Mass all is Superstition and the highest Idolatry He
the Coffin hoping to find the naked bones only When Behold contrary to all expectation not only the whole Body but his Priestly Habit likewise were then as fresh and free from corruption as when first laid in the Coffin and moreover saith my Author sent forth à most fragrant and delight some Odour Could Lime give this good Saviour The Body again placed in the same Chest and transported to Malaca was received with all Veneration of the People when another Miracle happened S. Xaverius his Body Miraculously preserved in corrupt For upon its entring the City à violent Plague which had Cruelly raged there before wholly ceased and gave great comfort to the afflicted Inhabitants Had Lime such vertue in it Some Months the Holy Body remained at Malaca and thence carried to Goa by Gods special favour did strange Wonders in that Navigation The Vessel wherein it lay Twice in great danger of Shipwrack by running upon Quick sands caused both Mariners and Passengers to implore No vertue in Limes to work these Miracles the Saints Assistance which was no sooner ask't than obtained in so much that presently freed from all danger they sail'd on joyfully to Goa The Lime I think did not this Miracle You may read in Acosta Cited with what great Celebrity and Pomp the Body was received at Goa where it remained to that day without the least Sign of Putrifaction To God's glory and the Saints honour be it Tell me Reader will the Dr yeild assent to this short Relation made by the same Author that recount's the Miraculous Incorruption of the Body If he doth he grants Miracles If not I said right he is forced to quit Authority and run to his old Plea à want forsooth of sufficient VVitnesses that is There are sufficient when he likes when not there are none 19. Hitherto I have born much with Mr Dr Still page 617. Dr but am now almost at an End of Patience in the perusal of his uncivil and rude Calumnies First he tell 's us that the Relation of S. Xaverius his Miracles comes from the Jesuits in the East Indies as if forsooth none had attested them but Jesuits A vast untruth when King John of Portugal as you have heard caused them to be examined by several great Prelates VVere all these Iesuits Did the deputed Cardinals at Rome who ordered another new strict Trial commit the charge to Jesuits only No. Did his Holinesse when he published his Iesuits not the only Informers of the Saints Miracles Apostolical Letters and declared that the matters of Fact plain Miracles had been attested upon undoubted certainty rely wholly on the Jesuits information Evidently no. What then shall we say of this Dr But that without regard to Truth and honesty he cares not what he Writes Yet worse followes Jesuits Saith he are men that think it lawful to Lye for à good cause as no doubt the Honour of the Society is such with them And how can we vvith any tolerable Discretion rely upon their vvord Answer Dr I call you to account before God and the world I here accuse you of à Malicious Detraction Speak out if you Iesuits Calumniated by the Dr. can poduce me but one Jesuit that ever wrote or taught it is lawful to Lye in any occasion either for à good or bad cause and I will will proclaime you Victor In case you shift This one Spiteful Calumny contrary to Evident Truth Showes the Dr cares not what He Writes off this just Challenge the Reader shall Judge whether you or Jesuits deserve the foul Imputation of Lyars 20. Your Errour Sr lies here And proceed's from malice ignorance or both in not distinguishing between à Lye alwaies sinful and the ambiguous use of words in certain Cases of danger and other vveightr Concerns whereof I treated largely in my Book against Dr Taylor This ambiguous use of words yea and some kind of mental Restriction also most grave and learned Divines no Jesuits t' is well known A discovery of Dr Taylors untruths c. 26. p. 184. printed anno 1665 maintain as Lavvful which is as remote from à Lye as your Calumny Dr imposed on Jesuits is from Truth though never to be made use of say Divines but when Necessity and just reason requires And this both you Sr and Dr Taylor vvith his Excellent use of Confession in England must acknowledge as is proved in the Discovery now cited I say vvhen Necessity and just reason requires For example if à Judge ask à Priest whether à Paenitent confessed such à Sin truly confessed and be further urged to Answer directly Yea or No If he saies Yea he betrayes the Penitent and sacrilegiously breaks the Seal of Confession If No in your Divinity he tell 's à Lye Learned Divines deliver contrary Doctrin and Therefore find out à way not to Lye on the one Side and on the other to keep the Seal of Confession sase and inviolable If à Confessor saies S Austin lib uno de mendacio ad consent c. 13. post medium nothing in such an Exigency S. Austin rightly observes in à like case of Danger the Secret is too openly discovered By all now said you see that to use mental Restriction in Contracts Leagues Promises Vovves or Oaths justly tendered is impious Yea and à horrid Sin in those who attest Miracles in publick Tribunals before Popes and Princes known false and forged or never to have been as the Informers declare 21. One word more Suppose which is utterly false that the relation of S. Xaverius his Miracles had come only from Jesuits à long time Missioners among those Barbarians can any one without shame or the deepest Malice Imaginable Perswade himselfe That men who went upon à most generous Design left Country Relations Friends and whatever is dear to Nature That ran to the furthest Parts of the world where they knew they should endure Hardship misery contempt neglect imprisonment And besides live in continual danger of dying upon Gibbets as many did And all this to reduce Souls to Christ can any man I say of Common sence perswade The Dr's Calumny cast on Iesuits highly Improbable himselfe as our unconscionable Dr doth That such laborious Missioners after so many Heroical Acts performed would down right Damn their ovvn Souls tell Lowd and abominable lyes Feign Miracles which they knew were never wrought just matter of Damnation And avouch these now supposed fourbs as real Truths before Kings Princes the Court of Rome and the vvhole vvorld I say the Imputation is so extravagant the Calumny so horrid that no mans head would once have harboured it but only Dr Stillingfleet's Had the Dr said S. Xaverius was never in the Indies King John of Portugal never made Enquiry after his Miracles The Catholick King of Spain never promoted the Saints Canonization the Apostolical letters cited above were all feigned c. He had Methinks gone every whit as wisely to Work as now
far greater 6. I say therefore the Miracles of Christ our Lord of the Apostles and all those certainly wrought amongst God's People or in the Now true Miracles are distinguished from false wonders Church These I alwaies joyn together are easily distinguished from the slight Signs of Heathens and Hereticks First by their Strength or powerful virtue manifest to all unbyassed Judgements 2. By their vast Number and incomparable Greatness 3. By the Quality of the Persons that did them 4. By the End for which they were wrought All and every one of these distinctive Marks the Signal great Miracles wrought by Christ the Apostles and in the Church ever had and will have And I chiefly speak here of great Miracles 7. Call now to mind all the Wonders done or thought to be done by Heathens lay by them the Donatist's Dreams and Visions suspected saith S. Augustin of fraud even Aug. de unit Eccl. cap. 19. by the most prudent and Judicious Grant which many think false that the Novatians had some slender Miracles among them Summe up I say These and many more like Greater Miracles wrought by two Saints than by All Heathens and Hereticks them what have we but the lowest sort of wonders Imaginable for none surmount's the Power of good or Evil Spirits I dare boldly avouch that only two blessed men S. Thomas Cantilupe and S. Francis Xaverius have by Gods assistance wrought not only more but far greater Miracles than all the Heathens and Hereticks that lived since the creation of the world were all true that 's Written of them whereas God knowes more than the halfe is false 8. Look on the Condition of Persons among Heathens and Hereticks that pretend to Wonders you find them all suspected and of little Credit Infidels knew not Christ and Hereticks like shamelesse Fugitives deserted his Church If Therefore such wicked men do any thing like à Miracle it is done as S. Austin prudently Observes per Signa publicae Iustitiae Lib. 83. Quest 78. 79. that is illegally or by no Lawful but à usurped Power as wrought by them So naughty Souldiers do saith the Saint when Contrary to Military Discipline they extort from honest men what is Publickly forbidden On the other Side the Just endued with supernatural Faith work Miracles by lawful Commission which God's Divine Justice approves because as those others were out of Christ's Church so these are professed members of it See S. Petra Sancta volum 1 prologom p. 27. Austins Quotations further enlarged by Petra Sancta and Judge whether God's Servants that truly doe Miracles are not very differently qualifyed from others cast out of the house of God 9. The end of Miracles ever intended for the Good of others is chiefly to strengthen Faith and encrease Charity whence it is that S. Gregory the Great writing to S. Augustin S Greg. lib 9. Epist 58. our Apostle of England gives this prudent Admonition For as much as concern's the working of Miracles know that whatever gift you have received in this kind it is freely bestowed on you for the Good and Saluation of those souls committed For what End Miracles are wrought to your Charge To this end all our Saviours Miracles and those likewise wrought in the Church were ever and are still chiefly directed Contrarywise Those supposed Wonders done by Heathens were most for à Show only or Ostentation without benefit to soul or Body for what good could the walking of dull Images up and down or the cutting of à wherstone in two produce in any Neither can Miracles as done by Hereticks if yet ever wrought avail one Whit for the encrease of Faith or Charity for how can men that have made Shipwrack of Faith and torn Charity in pieces by Separating themselves from Christ and his Church help to perfect these Virtues in others I say as done by Hereticks for if any good ensues when so wrought That ' meerly Accidental and cannot be ascribed to the Hereticks Faith or any Merit in them 10. Now we Argue further and show by the real Effects which true Miracles have wrought John 15. v. 2. 4. their worth and visible Difference from those other dispirited dead Signs done by Heathens and Hereticks For the Readers better Satisfaction I here make use of our Saviours Powerful Argument against the Iewes whom he told If he had not done greater works among them than any other they had been without sin excusable but now having seen his Miracles and after all to hate Miracles proved by real effects him and his Father no Excuse could be made Pray Ponder seriously The Iewes had once great Miracles among them wrought by Moses and the Prophets yet our Saviour plainly Assert's he had then done greater and these words I conceive were spoken before the Miracles shown at his sacred Passion and Resurrection Is it true had he then done greater than Moses and the Prophets Far greater Therefore were they by much did they Surpasse in true weight and value all the pretended Wonders of Heathens then living or that afterwards should appear in the world This our Saviour Assert's or nothing 11. Some Iew or Infidel may reply Christ said here much of his Miracles but how prove we that he spake Truth I answer we prove this manifestly by Arguing from known Effects to the cause that is we evince the Cause Christ's Miracles I mean to be more vigorous Strong and attractive than all others by those real Admirable effects palpable to all Eyes which ensued upon their being wrought by the Son of God Cast therefore your Eyes upon the known Conversions made by Christ and his Ministers the blessed Apostles look also What these admirable effects are upon the large encrease and strange Growth of the Militant Church during the first Age of Christianity call to mind the Ruin and destruction of Idols Signal Effects of the primitive Miracles and you will find by these and the like innumerable Wonders that the Miracles then done never exhibited to be gazed on had Influence upon all Could ever yet Heathen or Heretick show you the like Miraculous Works following the Wonders they boast of 12. Hence we proceed to Miracles wrought in the Catholick Church and show also by many real Effects their Worth to be far above all the pretended Wonders done by Infidels and Hereticks Tell me did ever any of these or all together show you by Virtue of their Signs such à united Society of men in one Faith as our Church showes Did ever any fast Effects real and palpable prove the Churches Miracles pray and curb their Passions like those in this Christian Society Did ever any show the like Contempt of the world their whole life long as thousands and thousands have done amongst us No God knowes so many noble Heroick Actions fruits of Divine Grace and known Miracles Grace working inwardly Miracles more outwardly were never seen or heard of with the like
avail to corroborate the Faith of Believers now The Churches Approbation impaires not in the least the Doctrin of the Church where they are wrought But of this more afterwards You will Say again if Miracles wrought in the Church make her Doctrin credible S. Austin did not well in omitting to plead by Miracles I answered the Saint proceeded most wisely in taking his recourse to Scripture For had he insisted upon Miracles not owned by those Hereticks The whole Contest would have been whether such as Optatus and S. Ambrose attested had been true or no which would have caused an endless Dispute and Therefore he falls upon an undoubted Principle The Testimonies of the Law and Prophets owned by the Donatists and upon that Ground strongly refutes them leaving Miracles to their own weight and Efficacy The Dr having very lamely cited this passage out of S. Augustine vainly Triumph's and thinks that never two more plainly contradicted each other in this Point than S. Austin and E. W. who saith he appeal's to Miracles for à Proof of the Catholick and infallible Church and such as are equal to those of Christ and his Apostles Of this Equality I have treated already and told Mr Dr wherein Church Miracles The Dr's vain brag as raising the dead curing the blind and healing the infirm are equal and how they differ from the like wonders done by Christ and his Apostles As for your Triumph Mr Dr before the least Shadow of Victory all I say is if it comfort your heart hold on Till you have better perused S. Austin and these my short Notes upon his Doctrin That done you will I am sure have little heart to brag the second time 10. The following Quotations our Dr gathers out of S. Austin are either not found at all in the Passages he cites or so wholly impertinent that I verily believe he never read S. Austin or set them down at random to the great vexation of à Reader For who would not be vexed to se an Author magnificently cited in different Characters and when he turn's to the Dr Still page 582. place pointed at find's nothing like it Thus the Dr Quotes S. Augustine to this purpose Viz. That Miracles are no Proof of the true Church for S Aug. trac 14. in Joan. cap. 3. though Pontius and Donatus might do vvonders and see visions yet Christ has forevvarned us not to be deceived by Miracles First there are no such words in this place or any thing like that Sence 2. Were the sence found els where you have thus much only Asserted and it is very true False Miracles are no Proof of the true Church 11. The Dr ' s next Quotation is nothing De verbis Dom. serm 18. to his purpose Briefly S. Augustine in that place compares the Miraculous cures wrought by our Saviour on Souls now with those which he anciently did upon Bodies here on earth and calls these the lesser cures grounding his Discourse upon this Principle As the Soul is more excellent than the Body so à cure wrought in that nobler part of man is greater than Miracles done upon à Body which our Lord did to draw men to Faith Now saith the Saint when Faith is spread all the world over He work 's those greater wonders in Souls And for Spiritual Cures esteemed greater than Corporal that cause shewed those lesser done on Bodies Now he open's not the Eyes of the blind yet open's the blind hearts of men by the Preaching of his Doctrin Novv he raises not dead Bodies yet brings à foul that vvas dead to life again Novv the deaf hear not yet the hearts of many shut to his sacred vvord are so opened that they Believe and live in obedience to his Lavves before neglective of that duty Thus S. Austin whose main Drift is not to deny Miraculous cures wrought upon the infirm for these he evidently own 's above but to give Preheminence to our Saviours own proper Spiritual cures dayly wrought in the Church of God by Divine Grace and the preaching of his word which the Saint deservedly esteem's greater wonders 12. To the End you may see this was the S Aug. l. 22 de Civit. c. 8. only thing S. Augustine aimed at Turn once more to his eight Chapter where you read of the dead raised to life of the blind restored to their sight and of desperate diseases perfectly cured You read moreover of one Martialis à Prime grave man most averse from Christian Religion Martialis cured in soul and body who by the earnest prayers of his Pious Sonin-Law made at S. Stephen's Altar from whence He took some Flowers and in the night time laid at his Fathers head With the successe he wished The very next morning He was found à Paenitent Convertite called for à Priest and was reconciled having ever afterwards S. Stephen's words in his mouth to his last breath Lord JESUS receive my soul Thus you see that both corporal and spiritual cures were wrought in those Dayes 13. The last Testimony our Dr Quotes out Quaest ex novo Testam c. 63. of S. Augustine may passe for one of the most famous or infamous rather That ever man cited You have the place pointed at in the margent where the Saint is supposed to Assert and he speaks fully to this Purpose saith the Dr that Signs and Miracles vvere vvrought by the Apostles to bring men from Insidelity to Faith c. No harme hitherto then followes this Addition for the Dr's purpose Amongst Believers Signs and Miracles are not necessary but a firm hope If this Author speak of an absolute Necessity it might be answered All latter Miracles are not so necessary though God of his great mercy hath pleased to show them for other Reasons and à main one is to distinguish the true Church from all Heretical Conventicles Yet I have not said all Know Reader 1 These Questions out of the old and nevv Testament full of grosse Errours are not S. Augustin's but the work of some Heretick as Bellarmin observes Perhaps of one Hilary à Roman Bellar. de Script Eccl. verbo Aug. Bell. verbo Ambrosins Deacon who wrote many Books and propagated the Luciferian Schism See Bellarmin cited Hence it is that these Questions in the Lovain Edition of S. Austin printed in à different Character are there also taxed of many grosse Errours the like you may se in Frobens The Dr's quotation not found at all Edition Yet here is not all Worse followes And t' is my greatest Exception against the Dr. Reader I have perused that 63. Chapter as the Dr Entitles it others call it the 63. Question which is very short and do assure you there is not so much as one word or syllable like that which the Dr imposes upon this Author Is this fair Dealing think ye 14. From these Testimonies of S. Augustin Dr Still page 584. saith our Dr laid together we observe
Miracles to have been the greatest Miracle of all Thus S. Augustin Argues and 't is à convincing Dilemma 16. You Ask next what were the stronge Arguments of Christian Religion before it was Propagated Those seemed convincing or not if not convincing it was Propagated by weak and unconcluding Arguments and we are not bound to believe it If convincing we know them or if we know them not how can we Judge they were convincing I Answer this whole discourse built upon two false Suppositions fall's to nothing One is that Miracles either seen or heard of preceded not the first conversions of Christians The other That there were some other rational Arguments as strong and convincing for Christian Religion before its Propagation as Miracles were 17. I say contrary and prove that Miracles preceded all great conversions made to true Christian Miracles were ever previous to all great conversions Religion Those Signal Wonders wrought by our Saviour sensible and visible as rational Arguments first induced the blessed Apostles and some few more to believe in him T is true Christ's Holy life and amiable conversation had great Influence upon minds to say nothing now of the attraction of Divine Grace working inwardly But the Lustre of his glorious Miracles Gods own powerful Language made the deepest Impression on men who were first led on by reason And therefore could not but Discover à mighty weight and efficacy in this one Motive of our Christian Faith Now if we speak of that ample and large Propagation which ensued upon the Apostles Preaching in several parts of the world or of those â— other great Conversions wrought by the Catholick Church in after Ages none can deny but that most Signal glorious Miracles not done to be gazed on ever preceded as à chief Cause and effected that great Work of God among most Barbarous Nations Finally that no other convincing rational Arguments greater or comparable with Miracles can be produced as previous to its Miraculous Propagation appear's by your silence Mr Burnet you alledge none neither are there any alledgeable of so great poise as Miracles were 18. You Say 4. There was good reason to believe the Gospel when our Saviour wrought his Miracles in the Sight of the Iewes and this great Argument the Apostles urged but that reason remain's yet good and still proves it true whether the world had embraced it or not I Answer the reasons were then good because Miraâ—les rationally prove à Doctrin good when an Infallible Oracle tells us what its meaning is the Apostles in those Dayes were living infallible Oracles and could not only ascertain every one of the Gospels Divine inspiration but also when Difficulties arose among the faithful declare its genuine Sence But now yee Protestants Say matters are much changed for there is no certain Oracle no Church taught by the Holy Ghost that can Infallibly avouch these Writings were from God that such and such in the more difficult Passages is their true Sence and meaning So that every man left to his private Judgement may draw what Religion he pleases out of Scripture And this we se done before our eyes by men called Christians yet differ in the Fundamentals of Christian Faith 19. Upon this ground your Question next proposed signifies little What say you if the Gentils had rejected the Testimony of the Apostles as the Iewes did Had we not been bound to believe the Gospel if those sacred Writings had been with à most religious care conveyed down to us Sr Methinks you goe too farr in your Supposition Saying if the world had not embraced the Gospel and both Iewes and Gentils rejected it we are yet bound to believe it Why so I beseech you Upon what Principle are we If all had rejected the Gospel how are we obliged to receive it obliged to admit à Gospel which the whole world all Iewes and Gentils rejected S. Austin you know teaches and I am wholly of his Judgement That he would not believe the Gospel unlesse moved thereunto by the Authority of the Catholick Church which Church I am sure embraces à great part of the world And had in it many who once were Iewes and Gentils Hence you see Sr it is very hard to Suppose the Gospel universally set at naught and that à strict obligation lies on us to receive it But let this passe 20. Suppose we receive the bare Word of the Gospel what Sence shall we make of it in à hundred abstruse Passages what Religion shall we suck out of it Arianism or Pelagianism Nestorianism or worse It is impossible to clear this Difficulty without recourse to an Infallible living Oracle upon whose Judgement all in this present State must rely or can believe nothing You put much force in those who carefully conveyed the Gospel The false Conveyers of the Gospel not found in the Principles of Protestants down to us Very good could such men be found But here we are at à stand The blessed Apostles who lived not alwaies left those Writings in the hands of the Church But this Church saies Dr Still above à thousand years since altered Christ's revealed Doctrin changed the Apostolical Faith and became as Idolatrous as Those who worshiped the Sun or à Red cloath All others out of this Church named Christians were known condemned Hereticks Were all this true no more would I take the Gospel from this supposed Idolatrous Church or these false condemned Hereticks than believe the word of à known Perjured Person or credit one esteemed à common Lyar. And thus in the Principles of Protestants the careful conveyance of the Gospel failing all Faith in Scripture fail's with it But enough of this Digression VVe return to Dr Stillingfleet CHAP. XV. How Miracles are to be examined Christ wrought not his Miracles by natural Magick or Necromancie by stronge Imagination or the different Aspects of Stars VVhatever rational Argument proves Christ to have wrought true Miracles by Divine Virtue as forcibly proves Church Miracles to proceed from the very same cause Though Divels may work some strange wonders they cannot raise the Dead or cure desperate Infirmities Of the Aegyptian Magicians Feates A word of the witch at Endorâ— Other matters handled 1. DR Still thinks it very reasonable for page 668. and 669. us he means Protestants after so many forewarnings in Scripture of false Wonders to Examin all pretences of Miracles by trying whether they can be distinguished from deceiptful appearances which may be wrought by à Povver lesse than Divine Answ I think it also Very reasonable and wish Mr Dr that you who yet never went about to examin one Miracle would undergoe the pains you hold so reasonable Take courage therefore examin with greatest rigour either all or some of those you have in the 3. Chap. above And if you find à flaw in any shame me boldly But I tell you before hand you will have à hard Task For no sooner shall you discredit those by