of Omnipotency Is it impossible for God who made all things out of nothing to make a Woman conceive without a Man The Jews themselves believe That God made Adam out of the Earth Eve out of Adams side the Jews themselves tell us that Aarons Rod blossomed without root and is this at all more a wonder then any of these let any indifferent person judge But however our modern Jews interpret it the Ancients did it by Virgin as Justin Martyr answers Tryphou the Jew Dial. cum Try Jud. p. 243. and as their own Nation in the Septuagint Translation renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which can signifie nothing else and the holy Rabbi Hakadoth tells us the Messias mother must be a Virgin and her name Mary as he gathered out of the Cabalists 3 Quest in Esay 9. Secondly To this first exception the Jews add two or three more which I repeat that I may make the way clear before me The first is How the birth of our Saviour by a Virgin which was to come so many ages after could be a sign to Ahaz and the house of Israel for his delivery Unto which is answered first that not only the exhibiting of a sign but the promising of a sign to come hereafter is sufficient God had often promised a Messias but how he should be born was not yet foretold Now the foretelling of that may be a sign Besides another and a more apparent promise of the Messias coming though many ages to follow might evidently teach them that God who would so wonderfully then save his people would not suffer them to be ruined by their enemies Now of this we have some examples I will name but one or two Samuel gave Saul a sign of his being Anointed King that it was from God because when he was gone from him at Rachels Sepulchre 1 Sam. 10.1 2 3 he should find men that would tell him his fathers Asses were found And so the sign that God gave Eli of the destruction of his Family was 1 Sam. 2.34 that his two Sons Hophni and Phineas should both die in a day The Jews second exception is because our Saviours Name was not Emanuel To this is answered 'T is not necessary his Name should be Emanuel since his nature was so since he was God with us as his name signifies And that names often shew the nature we have a most remarkable example in the same Prophet of the Messias also in his ninth chapter ver 6. he tells us His Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace which Title will appear to every eye a description of the nature not of the name of the Messias The last exception is concerning the words following this Prophesie which are Butter and Milk shall be eat and how they are verified in our Saviour in which there is no repugnancy but that he should be educated as other Children are and that before the Child should know either good or evil the enemies of Judaea shall be destroyed 3. That our Saviour was born of a Virgin Against the Jews I have this to say That we have the same and as great Authority nay greater then they have to prove the Miracles of Moses or any of the Prophets For what Authority besides the Books of Scripture and the constant attestation of their own Nation in several Ages can the Jews produce And have not we much more That our Saviour should be born of a Virgin I have shewed you was prophesied That he was born of a Virgin we have the four Evangelists to attest it and in answer to the constant Tradition of their single Nation for their Miracles we have the constant witness of all Christians not only of one but of every Nation nay of the convicted Jews The first publishers of Christianity were Jews and they witnessed this so that we have part of their Nation divided against themselves And that the Christians always believed this the Articles of their Creed will inform us Now if the Jews think it reasonable we should believe the Miracles of their Prophets have they not the same or greater reason to believe this miraculous Birth of our Saviour But to this let me adde Secondly If the Virgin Mary was not a Virgin when she brought forth our Saviour why was she not punished for an Adulteress For Joseph we know denied Jesus to be his Son the Law commanded an Adulteress to be put to death the Jews wanted not malice to have prosecuted her nor had she been guilty will to have punished her If in this particular there had been the least of fault in this blessed Virgin the Pharisees had had too great an advantage to have let it slip Joseph might easily have been the Plaintiff the Pharisees her Enemies the Judges and yet we see her untouched because immaculate and without spot Now is not this a more then probable Argument to convince a man of this truth If we consider the fury and malice the Jews prosecuted our Saviour with the hatred they bore the Apostles the persecutions they raised against all Christians can we rationally suppose this blessed Virgin the Mother of our Jesus should pass without their notice had they not been assured of the truth of her Virginity and believed their further enquiries would have advanced the Christians Faith and abolished theirs But in the third place let me adde what Suidas tells me of the great Secret Theodosius the Jew told Philip a Christian Merchant concerning our Saviour which being too large here to repeat I shall contract the sum of it into as few words as I can In the time of the Emperour Jnstinian there was one Theodosius a chief man amongst the Jews that was intimate with Philip a Christian Merchant This intimacie being great between them Philip attempted out of the love he bare him to convert him to Christianity which Theodesius seeing and perceiving this attempt proceeded meerly out of the affection he bore to him told him plainly that it was vain-glory and ambition were the only cause kept him a Jew that he was a chief man amongst his people when amongst Christians he should be inconsiderable but yet withal he told him that out of gratitude to him he would reveal a Secret of his Nation which would be very advantagious to the Christian Religion In the Temple of Hierusalem saith he there were 22 Ordinary Priests out of which number when any died the remainder proceeded to the Election of another One of the number dying the Survivours according to their custome proceeded to an Election and divers being named and either for their manners or abilities not approved of at last one of the youngest amongst them having liberty to speak proposed Jesus the Son of Joseph the Carpenter who was inferiour to none but in age nay excelled them all Against our Saviour there was only this Objection that he was not of the Tribe of Levi Joseph being
under two years old Cum audissent inter eos quos in Syria Herodes Rex Judaeorum inter binatum jussit interfici filium quoque ejus occisum ait Melius est Herodis porcum esse quam filium Saturnal lib. 4.2 whom Herod the King of the Jews had commanded to be killed in Syria his own son was slain also said It is better to be Herod 's hog than his son In which speech the Emperour had reference to the Jews abstaining from swines flesh which to Herod would have been a great crime though this murder seem none at all if by that means his usurped Dominion may be better secured So much for the first 2. For the voice before a multitude which audibly declared him we find three times to have been done The first was at his Baptism where before John Baptist and those that came to be baptised of him the heavens were opened the Spirit of God descended like a Dove and light on him and a voyce from Heaven said This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased The second was at his Transfiguration where before three sober men a sufficient number to assert any truth Peter James and John a voice out of the cloud gave testimony that Jesus was the Son of God in whom he was well pleased and that it was so we have St. Peter in his second Epistle assuring us The third was a little before his death our Saviour praying that God would glorifie his Name in the presence of a multitude a voyce came down from Heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorifie it Jo. 12.28 Now though we cannot produce any authority from Heathens to confirm the truth of this voice yet the circumstances in the Story evince it to be true for this was not done in a corner John Baptist and his three Disciples did not only hear it at two several times but a multitude at another and that in a publick place when our Saviour rode in Triumph into Hierusalem and this multitude consisted partly of his Enemies the Jews for we find for all this they believed him not and partly of other Nations ver 34. for there were then Greeks that desired to see him v. 20 21. So that had this been false it had been obvious to the confutation of every person and the Pharisees would never have suffered so great a Miracle in the confirmation of our Saviours Mission to have passed uncontradicted if so many witnesses that asserted it had not put it beyond any denial This voice now which we find attesting our Saviour doth also give witness to his Apostles when on a sudden there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and filled all the house where they were sitting And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sate upon each of them Act. 2.13 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with their tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance And this Miracle was so evident that never any attempted to deny it For besides that it happened at so publick a time as Pentecost when the City was filled with people of every Nation to witness it the nature of the Miracle it self the enabling of rude and ignorant men to speak the Language of every Nation carried along with it its own confutation had not the truth of it been evident to as many Nations as at that time resorted to Hierusalem To this of all the Apostles let me adde the miraculous Call of S. Paul who by an audible voice from Heaven was turned from a Persecuter to a Preacher of the Gospel Acts 8.4 5 6. Acts 16.12 13 14 15 16. The whole story we have recorded by Saint Luke and asserted by Saint Paul in his Apology for himself before King Agrippa If we examine the Circumstances of it we shall find 't was not done privately but must necessarily be publickly known The party converted was the greatest Enemy the Gospel had 't was he that consented to St. Stephen's death The place of his conversion was when he came near Damascus with Authority from the High Priests to bring all Christians bound to Hierusalem The manner of his Conversion was he fell to the earth being so amazed with the light that shined about him and more terrified with the voice that asked him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Adde to this this was not done alone for the men that were with him heard the voice and not they only must be witnesses of it but he must be led blind to Damascus that Ananias who by his prayers recovered him and the whole City of Damascus that saw him might know the truth of it I might to these adde those several fallings of the Holy Ghost upon Believers which 't is probable fell by some way of visible appearance as that upon Cornelius by S. Peters preaching Acts 10.44 Acts 19.6 upon the Christians at Corinth by S. Paul but I hope I need not urge them having sufficiently proved this Assertion from the Witness of God 2. The second Argument that asserts Christ to be this Law-giver and confirms the Christian Faith is The miraculous power in our Saviour of doing Miracles and by him given to Christians together with the success following the destruction of Idolatry and sudden Conquest of the World For the better clearing this 't is necessary to take this Argument apieces and to handle each branch apart The whole is the Doctrine of Miracles which I look upon as one of the most convincing Arguments against Atheisme or Heathenisme or any other Religion whatsoever and this I shall do by proving 1. The truth of several remarkable Predictions our Saviour foretold 2. The wonderful Miracles which he did whilest he lived happened at his death and were effected at his Resurrection 3. The miraculous power that he gave the Apostles of doing Miracles which continued in the Church till the world became Christian and some time after 4. The destruction of Idolatry and Conquest of the world to the name of a crucified Saviour by such weak and ignorant persons as the Apostles were All which are reduced under the head of Miracles some of each of which I shall prove from the confession of the Enemies of Christianity Jews or Heathens which is the greatest testimony matter of fact is capable of I shall begin with the 1. First The truth of several remarkable praedictions our Saviour foretold I will begin with that concerning his own sufferings You shall find Mat. 16. after S. Peters confession of our Saviours being the Messias and our Saviours gracious promise to the Church that the Gates of Hell should not prevail over it that he falls directly to tell them what must befall him v. 21. From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his Disciples how that he must go into Hierusalem and suffer many things of the Elders and chief Priests and Scribes and
of April 'T is probable I know that either they saw not these Acts or if they did 't was some spurious Copy as many think however 't is to me a sufficient proof there were such Acts since so early in the Church I find both Christians and Haeritiques appealing to them Origen also in his seventh Book against Celsus cites us a Confession of his That our Saviour after his death was seen although he endeavours to make it signifie no more than an ordinary apparition or indeed not so much His words are these After this Celsus maliciously speaks concerning the voluntary appearing of the Gods in humane shapes spoken of before that any person shall not see them once passing by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 7. pag. 355. Edit Cant. as they did this deceiver of them but ever conversing with them that desire it From these words may be collected that our Saviour did appear was known to Celsus and that it could not be a Phantasme Origen sufficiently may convince us when he demands this question How can a Phantasme only named chase away a Divel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. and effect these operations which are no ways to be contemned And this certainly is a most excellent and absolute answer For how is it possible for that which is nothing or at the most appears but to be something to do these strange and wonderful effects that the only appearance of a man for no more doth Celsus allow Christ to be should give that power to his Disciples to overcome and destroy those whom Celsus acknowledgeth real Divels only by naming the Name of Jesus I must not give over this subject till to what is already said I add this That the Jews themselves acknowledg that Christ did these Miracles when they say he did them not by his own power but by Magick Art either that which he learnt in Aegypt and brought thence or by Schem Hamphorasch Hoorn li. 3. c. 1. the power of the four-lettered name known to himself I more wonder they should so ingenuously confess these Miracles to be done then that they should suppose our Saviour did them by Magick Art or by their Kabala because I find them a very mysterious people and such as fancy great things may be done that way Manasse Ben Israel in his Book of the Creation saith That there are found many which in their adjurations call upon Devils Multi sanè reperiuntur qui daemones istos adjurationibus sais advocant Necromantiâs operâ mira admodum multa patrant Quin libris quibusdam Cabalistarum quales sunt Perske Ehaloth Raziel aliorum recensentur corum nomina exorcismi incantationes Prob. 22. de Creat and by the help of Necromancy do great things And that in some books of the Cabalists as in Perske Ehaloth Raziel and others their names exorcismes and incantations are repeated But more particularly he saith of the Kabala Sublimia per ea Mysteria inveniuntur In Exodum that by it sublime Mysteries are found out besides they make the knowledge of the Kabala and Magical Art one of the gifts the Sanhedrim was endued withal This being now laid down we may easily see how fond this calumny against Christs Miracles was They were done by Magick which he learnt in Aegypt when our Saviour was carried thither an Infant and staid not long there but till the death of Herod which happened too quick for his age or abilities to comprehend that Art And if by the Kabala he had done them why did not the Sanhedrim who were so well versed in that mysterious knowledge do the same things themselves which he did or else detect the way how he did them Arnobius shall conclude this Subject for me Therefore were those things which were done the deceits of the Devils Ergóne illa quae gesta sunt Daemonum fuere praestigiae Magicarum Artium ludi Potestis aliquem nobis designare monstrare ex omnibus illis Magis qui unquam fuere per saecula consimile aliquid Christo millesima ex parte qui fecerit qui sine vi Carminum sine herbarum graminum succis sine ulla aliqua observatione sollicita sacrorum libaminum temporum Non enim urgemus quaerimus quae sese spondeant facere vel in quibus generibus actuum soleat omnis illorum doctrina experientia contineri Advers Gentes lib. 1. p. 25. and the sports of Magick Arts Can ye design to us any one or shew us out of all those Magicians who ever were who did in the thousand part do any thing like Christ who without any force of verses without any juyces of herbs and grasses without any sollicitory observation of sacred Rites Offerings Times did these things We neither urge nor seek what they promise to do or in what kind of Acts all their Learning and Experience used to be contained And a little after he concludes But it is evident that Christ did all these things without any help of outward things Atqui constitit Christum sine ullis adminiculis Rerum sine ullius Ratus observatione vel lege omnia illa nominis sui possibilitate fecisse Ibid. without the observation or rule of any Rite and only did it by the Omnipotency of his Name I will shut up all this with that excellent saying of this fore-mentioned Authour Arnobius in another place which is a farther confirmation of the truth of our Saviours Miracles Neither was there any thing saith he done by him miraculously Neque est ab illo gestum per admirationem stupentibus cunotis quod non omne donaverit faciendum parvulis illis rusticis corum subjecerit potestati Advers Gentes lib. 1. pag. 30. to the admiration of all all which he did not give to be done to these little and rustick persons and subjected to their power Which directly brings me to the proving my third Position 3. The miraculous power he gave his Apostles of doing Miracles which continued in the Church till the world became Christian and some time after For the better handling whereof I shall shew you fitst That this gift of Miracles did continue in the Church for the first 300 years from the Authorities of the most eminent Fathers of that Age and from S. Augustine that they were in his time when the world was Christian Secondly I shall shew you from the confessions of Heathens That the Emperour Antoninus Army was miraculously delivered which by the Emperours Letter is attributed to the Christians prayers and of the Talmudists that the Christians had the power of Miracles Of each in their order 1. First That this gift of Miracles did continue in the Church c. I shall not in setting down these Authorities place them under any certain head of Miracles but give you them according to the Age the Author lived in my intent being to finish one Author before I begin another And because
in quo probatur or should grieve to suffer in what it is tryed This I have begun with as a Preface to my Discourse that the World might see 't is not Christianity 't is not Religion doth countenance such actions but that the Devil who when he pleaseth can transform himself into an Angel of light doth endeavour to introduce Atheisme by infatuating his Vassals to abuse Religion to use that as a Cloak and so he hopes when the vizard is off and these Hypocrites appear in their colours the Religion they profess will vanish with the Professors This being premised I hope I need not justifie my self in endeavouring to maintain so great a Truth which I think in no time needs more to be studied then now when the open Adversaries of Christianity do not only encrease in their number but in their confidence and the iniquity of our times permits men not only to maintain in Discourse what formerly they durst scarce think but also publickly to vent Atheistical Principles in Print as no Christian ear can suffer Christianity is a Doctrine will no way please our Atheists who are so far from denying themselves that they only count them wise men whose business is to please and enjoy themselves 'T is no wonder these men are loth to believe a God when they wish there were none 'T is an excellent saying of Minutius Felix which I have often thought on I am not ignorant saith he that there are many who out of the conscientiousness of their deserts Nec ignoro plerosque ex conscientia meritorum se post mortem nihil esse magis optare quà m credere Mallent enim penitùs extingui quà m ad Judicia reparari do rather wish then believe they shall be nothing after their death for they had rather be extinguished then be repaired to Judgment To these men I shall only say what Arnobius hath put in my mouth almost upon the like occasion Sed ipse quae pollicetur non probat Ita est Nulla enim ut dixi futurorum potest esse comprobatio Cùm ergo haec sit conditio futurorum ut teneri comprehendi nullius possunt Anticipationis attactu Nonne purior ratio est ex duobus incertis in ambigua expectatione pendentibus id potius credere quod aliquas spes ferat quà m omnino quod nullas In illo enim periculi nihil est si quod dicitur imminere cassum fiat vacuum in hoc damnum est maximum id est salutis amissio si cum tempus advenerit apperiatur non fuisse mendacium Arnob. lib. 2. p. 44. But Christ say the Heathens doth not prove there shall be that future existence which he promiseth Be it so For as I have said there can be no proof of future things When therefore this is the condition of all future things that they cannot be reached or comprehended with any reach of Anticipation Is not that reason best of two uncertainties that depend upon ambiguous expectation to believe that rather which carries some hope in it then that at all which carries none For in this there is no danger if that which is said to hang over us be empty and vain but in that there is the greatest damage that is the loss of Salvation if when the time comes that be found no lye I shall principally direct my Discourse against this sort of men who I cannot properly call Atheists because they acknowledge a God but yet tell us he regards not these petty inconsiderable actions of men as the Poet speaks of Jupiter That he is not at leisure to be present at these trifling affairs Non vacat exiguis rebus adesse Jovi Ovid. And truly it would be well for men of these Principles that their position was true for then they might hope that God in another world would not take account of those actions which he considers not here Against these men I say I will direct my Discourse and the best way in mine opinion to convince them of the truth of Christian Religion is to press those Arguments against them which were the first Motives to move the Roman world to believe a Crucified Saviour For if the Romanes were rational wise and understanding men and neither in parts nor understanding at all inferiour to the most intelligent amongst us the same reasons that had strength enough in them to convince them must have strength enough in them to convince us Now the first Motive that moved them to consider the Doctrine of Christianity were those extraordinary Miracles that Christ the Apostles and Christians did for a very long time amongst them which being obvious to sense the most obstinate Heathen could not deny and being above the power of man the most willful amongst them could not but acknowledge to be done by the finger of God This of Miracles is that I shall most particularly insist upon but my intentions are before I come to prove these Miracles to treat of those several other Arguments which are used by Christians to confirm their Faith And though to a considerate person there is none of them but carries weight enough in them to assure him both of the truth and excellency of Christianity Yet to the most obstinate Rationalist if I may so call him that Argument which carries along with it Omnipotency that never goes without Gods Seal attesting it must force him to believe what perhaps he is most loth to do The Method I shall follow is this First I shall shew you that both the Jews and Gentiles expected such a Prince to arise out of Judaea and the Jews generally about Christs coming Secondly That the Jews that now expect him confess the time they expected him to be past Thirdly That there was one Jesus that did come whom both he and we say was that Prince Fourthly That this Jesus that did come did come about the time the Jews expected him and did answer all the Prophesies concerning the Messias Fifthly I shall prove that the Religion delivered by this Jesus is where it is not above reason most reasonable and upon the Principles of Reason ought to be admitted Where it is above the reach of Reason and depends upon the Authority of the Lawgiver is confirmed by Miracles which carrying Omnipotency and Gods Seal perpetually annexed unto them need not desire but command admittance I shall begin with the first Thesis 1. to shew that about that time of our blessed Saviours Incarnation not only the Jews did expect their Messias but the Heathens did dread some King to be born in Judaea who should rule the World And though perhaps both of them looked for a Temporal Prince yet 't is considerable that though they were mistaken in the manner how yet they were not in the thing that such a Prince should arise in Judaea For the Jews first Had we no other Testimonies then that S. John gives us of the woman of Samaria