not Authentick as truly I cannot say much for them I will produce those that are so in all Mens Judgments You may observe that those Writers who have undertaken to compile all the laudable things and Manners of divers Nations and have even prais'd the Brachmans and Gymnosophists and ransack'd the most remote parts of the World for things excellent and observeable yet have said nothing of the Essenes who far out-did all of them and were in the face of the World most eminent and conspicuous Neither Strabo nor Tacitus nor Iustin nor Aristaeas who have particularly spoken of the Iews say any thing of these Nay Iosephus a Iew and who in his two Books against Apion hath heaped up all that is Great and Noble of that Nation hath nothing there though as you shall hear anon he hath something in his other Writings of this famous Sect of Philosophers among them shall we therefore be quarrelsome and deny there were Essenes before or in Christ's time Again I could observe to you that the Romans are not so much as mentioned either by Herodotus or Thucydides or any other Greek Writers of that time though they were in the same quarter of the World and growing great and formidable It is somewhat strange but is very true and is taken notice of by Iosephus against Apion though this Author as you have heard was himself desective in the like case Suetonius writ the Lives of the first twelve Roman Emperors yet if you compare his Relations with the things set down in others you will find that he hath pass'd by many considerable things he hath omitted sundry matters which were very obvious Let us apply this to our present purpose What if none of the Heathen Historians who have related the Roman Acts had spoken of that famous Census or Tax in Augustus's time What though the Eclipse at Christ's Passion had not been taken notice of by Historians though both this and the other are recorded yet it would not have followed thence that there were no such things for you see 't is not unusual with Historians to pass by some Persons and Things which are very remarkable and worth recording If then some matters spoken of by the Evangelists be not mentioned in other Histories we cannot with any Reason thence conclude that the Evangelists recorded that which is false No such thing can be inferr'd for even among Pagan Writers there are many peculiar historical Paâ—sages mentioned by some of them which none else speak of Tacitus and Valerius Maximus and others have Narrations which are not to be found in any others and yet they are not suspected of falshood Why then may we not credit those things which the New Testament Records although no Gentâ—le Historians say a word of them Nay we have observed this before of the Evangelical Historians themselves that they do not all Record the same things Though all of them mention some Passages yet there are others which are spoken of only by one or two of the Evangelists and there are some Things or Persons which none of them make mention of and yet they are as remarkable as some of those which they have committed to Writing Thus the Gospels speak of the Pharisees and Sadducees yea of the Galileans and Herodians and yet say not a word of the Essenes who were a considerable Sect as was noted before We are not to be troubled then that some things occur in the New Testament which are not to be met with in very approved Authors No History Sacred or Prophane relates every thing The Evangelists themselves pretend not to this you must not expect all Christ's doings in their Writings for one of them who wrote last of all closeth his Gospel thus There are many other things which Jesus did the which if they should be written every one I suppose that even the World it self could not contain the Books that should be written 3. We are to know this that both Jewish and Pagan Historians concealed or misrepresented some things which relate to Christianity and that willfully and out of design I begin with the first sort of Historians and offer this Instance we read in Philo and Iosephus the Character of the Essenes whom I mention'd before viz. that they were the most Devout Men of all the Jewith Nation that they were a retired People and given to Husbandry that they were famed for their mutual Love to one another and that as an effect of this they had all things in common like those Primitive Christians spoken of in the Acts or like the Colidei or Culdees among the Scots in the first Ages that though they were the devoâ—â—est Worshippers among the Iews yet they offered no Sacrifices but composed their minds wholly to 2 severe Sanctity that they were celebrated for their great Austerity of Life for their Temperance Chastity and Self-denial that their bare Word was of more force with them than an Oath and that they avoided all Swearing counting it far worse than Perjury that they were generous Despisers of all those things which affright and trouble others and that they vanquish'd all Torments and Persecutions with Forâ—itude and Steadiness of mind And as for Death if it was to be undergone with honour and repute they judged it â—o be better than Immortality This is the true but admirable Character of that People and both these Authors tell us that they were Iews It is true there were such People as Iewish Esseâ—es and Iosephus neckons them as one of the three Sects of Philosophers among the Iews But it is probable that this excellent Character or all of it at least belongs not to These but to the Christians of Alexandria at that time Philo then in his Treatise of a Comtemplative Life where he pretends to describe the Essenes wriâ—eth in praise of these Iewish Christians who were under the Tuition and Conduct of St. Mark Bishop of Alexandria for this Evangelist Preaching the Gospel in Egypt setled a Church here This was the Opinion of that Learned Father St. Ierom That Church saith he did at that time Judaize and therefore Philo the Iew thought it to be for the praise of his Nation to describe their excellent Order Life and Institution For this Reason this Author is numbred by that Father among the Ecclesiastical Writers namely because he hath left an Encomium of these Christians who lived thus religiously under St. Mark the Evangelist Eusebius is of the same Judgment and saith what Philo writes of the Essenes is to be understood of those Primitive Christians who were disciplin'd under St. Mark Epiphanius and Chrysosâ—om were of this Perswasion and so were some others of the Fathers Baronius holds they were old Christian Monks and a great number of Protestant Writers agree in this that they were devout Christians bred up as Disciples under that holy Man This is the more credible because it is said of them that they used no
Acts and Works of Holiness Wherefore he offers several Plain Marks and Tokens whereby they may certainly know whether they be Real Christians truly Religious and the Children of God The Sum of all he propounds is this that if they love God and their Brethren and demonstrate this Love by the proper and geâ—â—ine Fruits of it then they may conclude they are Christians indeed otherwise they are mere strangers to Christianty and to all Religion they deceive themselves and there is no Truth in them This the Beloved Disciple and Divine Amorist inculâ—ates with that Spirit Warmth and Earnestness which so Weighty a Subject deserves His second Epistle is written to the Elect Lady and her Children that is saith St. Ierom to some Eminent Select Church in Asia and to all the Christians belonging to it for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Athenians and Curia with the Romans are of the same Import with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Assembly Perhaps Ephesus is meant saith a Learned Man which was the Metropolis of Asia and so may more signally be call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But it is the general Opinion of the Antients and Moderns that a person not a Church 〈◊〉 meant here and that St. Iohn the Evangelist not another Presbyter of that Name as St. Ierom thinks writes to a Vertuous Lady who was an 〈◊〉 Servant of Christ a very Godly and Religions Woman or it may be her Proper Name was Elect as a Learned Critick hath conjectured Which may seem the more probable because the word hath no Article prefix'd to it It was usual with our Saviour himself as the Evangelical Writings inform us to make his Applications to those of this Sex to cherish and commend their Vertues It is particularly recorded that of the Chief Women afterwards call'd Honourable Women not a few were St. Paul's Proselytes And to descend lower we read that St. Ierom took great Pains in instructing the Roman Ladies and in commending and incouraging their Study of the Holy Scriptures Yea many of his Writings were directed and dedicated to Noble Women Widows and Virgins as Paula Eustochium Salvina Celantia and several others that were Roman Ladies and of noble Extraction Such is our Elect here who is the only Person of that Sex to whom an Inspired Epistle is written She is commended for her vertuous bringing up her Children she is exhorted to abide in the Doctrine of Christ to perservere in the Truth and to be careful to avoid all Delusions of False Teachers But chiefly the Apostle beseecheth this Noble Matron to practise the great and indispensable Commandment of Christian Love and Charity His third Epistle was writ to Gaius a Converted Iew or Gentile as others think because he hath a Roman Name a Man of a fair Estate and who had been very bountiful and hospitable to the Saints The Design of the Epistle is to own and commend his Hospitality especially his seasonable Beneâ—icence and Charity to Strangers to those that were Exiles for the Cause of Christianity and to stir him up to continue in the Exercise of the same Charity and Liberality to the distressed Brethren Demetrius is propounded as an eminent Example of this for which and all other Vertues he had the good Report of all Men yea and of the Truth it self that is as he was spoken well of by every one so he really deserv'd it On the other side he complains of the Uncharitable Insolent and Ambitious Diotrephes a Prating Opposer not only of him and his Doctrine but of all the true Servants of Iesus The General Epistle of Iude or Iudas as we render it in Iohn 14. 22. it being the same Name with that of the Traitor for it is no unusual thing for good and bad Men to have the same Names as in the Old Testament Eliab Iehu Hananiah c. in the New Testament Simon Iohn Ananias are Instances of this This Epistle I say of this Good Apostle with a Bad Man's Name was written to all Christian Churches or at least to all the Iewish Christians Dispersed the same to whom St. Iames and St. Peter wrote wherein he exhorts them to contend for the Faith against those Dreaming Hereticks and Seducers that were at that time crept into the Church whose Erroneous Tenents and Ungodly Practices he here particularly deciphers and from the Examples of God's Vengeance on other Great Offenders infers the Certainty of these Mens Ruine In short this Epistle hath all the Marks of a true Apostolick Spirit and is of the same Argument with the second Epistle of St. Peter and is a kind of Epitome of it and therefore I need not be very Particular in rehearsing the Contents The last Book of the New Testament is the Revelation of St. John the Divine which Epithet is signally given to him here because of the Divinity and Sublimity of his Raptures because he of all the Apostles had the greatest Communications of Divine Mysteries It may be referr'd either to the Historical Books or to the Epistles to the former because it is a Prophetick History of the State of the Church from the Apostles times to the end of the World to the latter because it is in the Form of an Epistle after the three first Verses by way of Preface viz. to the Seven Churches of Asia at first planted by and now under the Government of St. Iohn and as it begins so it ends after the usual way of concluding Epistles The Grace of our Lord Iesus â—brist be with you all Amm. Concerning the precise time when St. Iohn receiv'd and when he wrote this Revelation there is some Dispute but the most probable if not the most generally received Opinion is that he being â—â—nish'd into Patmos an Isle in the Archipelago situated about forty Miles from the Continent of Asia by Domitian under whom was the Second persecution this Revelation was deliver'd to him about the middle of the Emperor's Reign but at several times and that he committed it to Writing about the latter end of it As to the Visions themselves I will not here particularly inâ—ist upon any of them only in general it is commonly said and believed that the Vision of the Seals sets forth the State of the Church under the Heathen Persecâ—tions from Nero to the end of Dioclesian's Persecâ—tion the Vision of the Trumpets which follows that shews the Calamity of the Church by Herâ—sies Schisms and Persecutions afterwards in the times succeeding the Pagan Roman Emperors viz. under Papacy And then the Vials tell what Vengeance befals the Papal Antichrist and all the Churches Enemies So that the Seals Trumpets and Vials give an Account of the three Grand Periods of the Church There is great Probability of this but I must add and I will offer it to the Reader as a thing necessary to be taken notice of in order to the right understanding of this Book that the Order of Time and History is
Books with us We need not stay to attend here to what a late Learned Writer before named hath with much Confidence but slender Reason suggested viz. that the Bible of the Old Testament is an Abbreviated Collection from Antient Records which were much more large He confesseth that the Canon of Scripture is taken out of Authentick Registeries but the Authors who collected it added and diminished as they pleased especially he asserts this concerning the Historical Books that they are Abridgments of larger Records and Summaries of other larger Acts kept in the Jewish Archives and these publick Scribes who writ them out took the liberty to alter Words as they saw occasion So that in short according to this Critick here are only some broken Pieces and Scraps taken out of the first Authentick Writings A bold and daring Assertion and founded on no other Bottom than F. Simon 's Brain Who would expect this from one that is a Man of great Sense and Reason one that is a great Master of Critical Learning and hath presented the World with very choice Remarks on the History of the Bible for truly I am not of his Opinion who saith he sees not any thing in this Author's Writings buâ— what is common It is to be lamented that a Person otherwise so Judicious and Observing hath given himself up here to his own Fancy and Conceit He invents a new Office of publick Registers that were Divinely inspired he makes Notaries and Prophets the same He gives no Proof and Demonstration of that Adding and Diminishing which the Scribes he talks of made he hatâ— not one tolerable Argument to evince any of thâ— Books of Scripture to be Fragments of greater ones Indeed I should mightily have wondred that so Ingenious so Sagacious so Learned a Man haâ— broach'd such groundless Notions if I did noâ— consider that this subtile Romanist designs hereâ—â— as most of that Church generally do to depreciaâ—â—â— the Bible and to represent it as a Book of Fragments and Shreds that so when our Esteem 〈◊〉 the Authority of Scripture is weakned yea taken away we may wholly rest upon Tradition anâ— found our Religion as well as the Scriptures 〈◊〉 that alone This is that which he drives at in 〈◊〉 Critical History both of the Old and New Testamenâ— But all sober and considerate Persons will bewarâ— of him when they discover this Design Theâ— will easily see through his plausible Stories foâ—â— Surmises bold Conjectures and seeming Argâ—mentations and they will have the greater Reverence for the Bible because he and others havâ— attacked it with so much Contempt and Rudenesâ— and purposely bring its Authority into question that they may set up something else above 〈◊〉 Notwithstanding then the Cavils and Objection of designing Men we have reason to believe anâ— avouch the Authority of the Old Testament and to be thorowly perswaded that the Books are entirely transmitted to us without any Corruption and are the same that ever they were without and Diminution or Addition We have them as they were written by the first Authors we have them entire and perfect and not as some fondly suggest contracted abbreviated curtail'd Unto the Iews the antient People of God were committed his Oracles as the Apostle speaks and they shewed themselves conscientious and diligent Conservators of them The Jewish Nation saith St. Augustin have been as 't were the Chest-keepers for the Christians they have faithfully preserv'd that Sacred Depositum for them they have safely kept that Ark wherein the Law and the Prophets were Lock'd up God would have the Jews to be Librarii Christianorum saith Drusius Keepers of those Sacred Volumes for us Christians and it is certain they kept them with great Care the like whereof is not to be found to have been taken in preserving any other sort of Writings under Heaven And seeing they have so carefully handed the Old Testament down to us we are concern'd to receive it with a proportionable Thankfulness and to reckon this their Delivering of those Writings down to us as no mean Argument of their Truth and Certainty Secondly The Authority of the New Testament is confirmed by External Testimony or Tradition no less than that of the Old Testament We have the Authentick Suffrage of the Primitive Church the Unanimous Consent of the Christians of the first Ages that this Book is of Divine Inspiration and that it is Pure and Uncorrupted Some of the Fathers and first Writers give us a Catalogue of the Books of the New Testament and they are the very same with those which we have at this day Athanasius particularly enumerating those Books sets down all those which we now embrace as Canonical and no others And many of the Fathers of the first Ages after Christ as Irenaeus Iustin Martyr Clemens Alexandrinus Origen Tertullian c. quote the Places in the New Testament as they are now If it be objected that in the Fathers sometimes the Text of Scripture is not exactly what we find it and read it at this day This must be remembred that they sometimes quoted the Meaning not the very Words At other times their Memories fail'd them as to the Words and thence they chang'd them into others and instead of those in the Text used some that were like them So when they were in haste and not at leisure to consult the Text they made use of such Words and Expressions as they thought came nearest to it Heinsius shews this in a vast many places Sometimes they contract the Word of the Text and give only the brief Sense of it at other times they enlarge it and present us with a Comment upon it yea sometimes as they see occasion and as their Matter leads them to it they invert the Words and misplace the Parts of the Text. But no Man ought hence to infer that the Scriptures of the New Testament then and now are not the same And as for the Number of the Sacred Writers and their Books it hatâ— been always the same i. e. the same Catalogue and Canon have been generally acknowledged and received by the Christian Church It is true some Particular Books have been questioned but by a few only and for a time but the Church was at last fully satisfied about them the Generality oâ— Christians agreed to own all those Books which are now owned by us All the Eastern Churches held the Epistle to the Hebrews to be Canonical though the Latins it is granted were not so unanimous This Epistle and that of St. Iames the second Epistle of St. Peter the second and third of St. Iohn and the Epistle of St. Iude and the Apocalypse were questioned in the first Century saith Eusebius but he acquaints us withal that they were afterwards by general Consent received into the Canon of Holy Scripture for the Doubts were resolved upon mature Deliberation So that the questioning of those Books is now a Conâ—â—rmation of the Truth and Authority of
Sacrifices this plainly shews they were no Iews as to their Religion although Philo and Iosephus were willing to represent them as such in honour of their Nation they being so much admired for the Piety and Inâ—egrity of their Conversations And the rest of the Character is a plain Description of the Primitive Christians as they are represented in the History of the Gospel i. e. as having for a time all things Common as being Exemplary for their brotherly Love as Persons of singular Moderation and Self-denial as those who were bid not to Swear at all as those who underwent the severest Persecutions with an undaunted Courage and Fortitude and resisted even unto Blood and loved not their Lives unto the Death Now the Jewish Writers for Politick Ends would not give this Account of them as Christians but as Iews that the Credit of it might not redound to Christianity but to their Own Religion and way of Worship Then for Pagan Historians they also out of Design omit some things and insert others that are very false Thus as Budaeus hath well observ'd Pliny the Natural Historian could not be ignorant of the Eclipse at Christ's Passion it being recorded in the Roman Archives and he being a diligent Searcher in those Acts but he would not insert that into his Writings which he knew Princes were desirous should be conceal'd for the Doctrin and Religion of Iesus were to be as little plausible as could be among proud and voluptuous Men whom the Christian Religion so much abhors and condemns To have mention'd that Prodigy might exalt that Religion too much and the Eclipse might make it shine the brighter and be more admired and reverenc'd by the World For this Reason it is probable the Heathen Writers neglected to record this so prodigious an Accident it making for a new Religion contrary to their own I will give you another notable Instance which is this when M. Aurelius Antoninus's Army was in great streights and wanted Water they were suddenly and unexpectly supplied with Rain but at the same time their Enemies against whom they fought were over-whelm'd with Hail and Thunder Dion Iulius Capitolinus Claudian Lampridius report this thing but say it was from the Emperor 's own Prayers to Iupiter and from the Inchantments of the Iewish Magicians But the plain truth is that the Christian Soldiers by their Prayers procured this extraordinary and unexpected Rain for the relief of their Thirst and brought down Thunder and Storms upon their Enemies The relating of this would have been too great an Honour to the Christians and to their Religion and the Master of it wherefore the Pagan Historians out of Policy would not ascribe this Wonder to the Prayers of the Christians but to those of the Emperor and tell us the very words he used But they have not wholly concealed the Truth for as you have heard they impute this wonderful Accident partly to the Inchantments of the Iewish Magicians We know how common a thing it is with the Pagan Writers to mistake Iews for Christians and so the Iewish Magicians here are no other than the Christians in that Army who because they brought to pass such a wonderful and astonishing Thing are said to be Inchanters and Magicians These religious pious Christians were employ'd in the Expedition against the Germans and Sarmatians and when the Army was ready to perish with Thirst obtained and fetch'd down by their effectual Prayers great showers of Rain for themselves and destructive Thunder and Lightning on their Enemies Camp and thereby procured a Victory over them whence the Emperor got the Names of Germanicus and Sarmaâ—icus This is alledged and made use of in the Cause of Christianity by Apollinaris in his Apology to the Emperor as Eusebius restiâ—ies And this is mentioned by Tertullian as a thing every where known in his Apology to the Senate and he tells them there that the Emperor 's own Letter to them not long before sent to them out of Germany acknowledged the same viz that God wrought a Miracle for the sake of the Christians who were in his Army and he owed the Victory wholly to their pious Addresses to Heaven This Father would never have said this to the Romans if there had been any possibiliâ—y of conâ—uting it yea if it had not been a thing certainly known by them This Story of the Thundering Legion you have also at large in Eusebius who assures us that this Name was given them for this very reason because by their ardent Prayers they procured Thunder to fright and disperse their Enemies and Rain to refresh themselves And if what some have endeavour'd to prove were true viz. that this was the name of a Legion in Augustuâ—'s time and was named so from the Tunderbolt which it carried in the Shield yet I do not â—ee any reason to disbelieve this ancient Author for why may not a Name be given on different accounts Why may it not be call'd the Thundering Legion for this reason which he mentions as well as for that which others Assign I don't perceive that these are inconsistent Eusebius goes on and adds that the Emperor hereupon recall'd his Edicts against the Christians and by a new Decree appointed a severe Punishment to be inflicted on the Accusers of them The Gentile Historians say nothing of this and will not let us know that that miraculous Event was by means of the Christians A Victory gain'd by the Prayers of Christians would sound ill This would have been too signal a Testimony of the Truth and Prevalency of Christianity therefore it is suppressed For the same reason you may reckon Christ's Mriacles are omitted in Pagan Historians if you suppose they came to their Ears It is their cunning to write nothing of these for hereby they would at the same time commend Christianity and disparage their own Way Besides some of them were affraid to own the miraculous Acts of Christ and his Followers for they saw that this sort of Men were persecuted and put to death so that they dared not relate the Wonders they did lest they should be suspected to favour Christianity and by that means become liable to Capital Punishment Or if they fear'd not this yet they were affraid to displease the great ones as I said before If they knew any thing would be ungrateful and unacceptable to their Masters they pass'd it by Thus when it was given out by the Sibylline Oracle in the Year before our Saviour was born that Nature did then bring forth a King to the World the Roman Senate thereupon ordered that no Child born that Year should be brought up as appears in Suetonius Which was sufficient to give check to the Roman Historians and so 't is not to be wondred as the Learned Vossius observes that the killing of the Children of Bethlehem by Herod's command is not mention'd by any but the Evangelists he might have said unless by
Macrobius that act of his being somewhat a-kin to the Edict of the Roman Senate 4. I adjoin this that the Christian Religion and the Professors of it were generally look'd upon by Prophane Writers as very contemptible so that some of these scorn'd to record those things which had any relation to them Hence it is that Christ's Miracles and other things appertaining to Christianity are not so much as mention'd They would not vouchsafe to record such mean sorry things and which indeed some of them took for Fables and mere Falsities On this account likewise it cannot be expected that the Roman History should at any time particularize the Christian Affairs unless when War and Tumults suppos'd by them to be caused by the Christians invited those Writers to it Then the Roman Glory is concern'd to let the Conquest be told and to have an Account given of the Particulars But other Things relating to Christianity are deemed low and mean and are passed over in filence as not of any Concern and Moment The Pagan Historians do purposely omit the Acts of the Christians because they think them not worth the reciting 5. To speak more plainly Prejudice Hatred and Malice may be assign'd also as the Causes why some of the most remarkable Passages in the Evangelical History are not mention'd by Pagan or Jewish Writers It is no wonder that Valerius Maximus who hath made a Collection of the memorable Acts and Sayings of other Nations as well as Rome and dedicated them to Tiberius yet hath not a word of Jewish Acts much less hath inserted any Christian ones His Aversness to the Christian Religion may solve this very well unless you will say that Christianity was but just risen at that time when he wrote and the materials of History concerning it were not yet brought to him But this cannot be said of Tacitus who lived in the next Age and who was a great Hater of the Christians and was very severe upon them in his Writings on which account he cannot be thought to have related things impartially concerning them Suetonius was bitter against them and who then can look for any â—air Account from him The same may be said of Lucian and Pliny who though they deliver some Truths and not inconsiderable ones concerning the Christians yet their Aversness to them and their Religion which by the latter of them is call'd Pervicacia inflexibilis obstinatio would not permit them to speak what they knew of them Plutarch of all that lived and writ about that time was the civilest to the Christian Religion he no where jeers or slanders it or makes any Reflections upon it which made Theodâ—â—â—t think he was almost a Christian and had a favour for their Religion But the rest some of whom I have named before hated the Christians yea their very name was odious to them hence when they speak of Christians or Christianity they mingle Calumniâ—s and Lies with what they say Christians with them pass for fond and superstitious People nay for flagitious and profligate nay sometimes for Diabolical Impostors and Wizards and the most execrable sort of Persons under heaven I might here mention Zosimus a fierce Pagan and therefore shews it in his History when he speaks of the Christians Being a great Hater of these Persons he doth upon all occasions speak ill of them and particularly of Constantine the Great because he was the first Emperor that threw off Heatheanism and imbraced Christianity He tells us that he Murder'd his Empress his Son and other near Relations and that he was smitten with Leprosie for these unnatural and horrid Crimes in brief he relates the Particulars of this great Man's Life contrary to all ancient Historians that have written concerning him The ground of which was no other than this that he had entertain'd a particular Grudge and Prejudiâ—e against the Emperor and bore a hatred to Christianity it self so that whatever he wrote concerning them â—avor'd of ill will and malice It is not then to be marvell'd at that such Men mis-represent many Passages which relate to the Professors of Christianity and faâ—siâ—ie all reports concerning them They can by no means speak well of a People that they hate A Religion that they so abhor can have no Persons Good of it they think You must not expect they will relate Truths which they have a dislike of This is one reason why Pagans are defâ—ctive in their Historical Narrations why many things spoken of by the Evangelists are not mention'd by them or are vilely mis-represented This is the cause why so few of Christ's Actions and the Affairs of Christians are taken notice of and why thosâ— that are are so miserably perverted Prejudice and Envy Splâ—en and Malice are the Source of this Miscarriage 6. I add this that many pieces of History are lost as hath been acknowledged and complain'd of by the Learned whence it is that many Occurrences which we meet with in the History of the Gospel are not to be found in the Writings of the Pagans We have but a few of these left us in comparison of their number at first and those that we have are but Relicks of those Histories before written Particularly the Stupendous Acts of our Saviour and the Monuments of the bravest and noblest things done in that Age wherein He was born are now missing All Dio's History from the Consulships of Antistius and Balbus unto the Consulships of Messala and Cinna that is for the space of Ten Years Five Years before Christ's Birth and Five after it is quite lost and so is Livy's History of that time In vain therefore doth any Man think to find the remarkable Passages referring to Christ's Birth in these Writers much more vain is it to look for these things in those Writers whose Histories are altogether missing at this day Thus to instance only in the Universal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which makes the greatest noise with the Objectors that without doubt was set down by some Roman Historians but their Writings either by Negligence or by Fire or by the Invasion of the Barbarous Nations into Italy or by age and length of time are lost It is clear that some did make mention of it otherwise whence had Suidas all that which he relates of the Twenty Persons that were sent to make the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God perhaps would in his Providence approve the loss of these that holy History might be partly imbraced by Faith and not owe its Authority wholly to Human Testimony But such as is remaining I have produced and that is enough to satisfie any sober any confiderate Person Lastly I remark this in the close of all that there are two of the most celebrated Roman Historians from whom we can expect nothing that hath Relation to Christ's Birth or any great Occurrence that happened about that time For Livy wrote but to Augustus's beginning which was before Christ and for that
its original Purity But here it is objected That the Hebrew Copies of the Bible might easily be corrupted and altered because they had no Points or Vowels at first This could not but make the Reading very uncertain and doubtful and almost arbitrary especially in some Places whence it is easy to imagine how great Alterations and consequently great Corruptions might creep into the Text. In answer to this you must know that those only who are against the Purity of the Hebrew Bible as Morinus Vossius Simon c. hold that the Points were of late Invention And this they have pick'd up out of Elias Levita who lived about a hundred Years ago and was of opinion that the Vowels were invented by the Jewish and Masoretick Doctors of Tiberias a famous School for the Hebrew Tongue So that it was about â—ive hundred Years after Christ when the Hebrew Points were found out and the Rabbins and Masorites of Tiberias were the first Authors of them This is the Judgment of Elias the Levite and he is the only Iew of this Opinion Nor is he followed by any Christians but those who have a design to vilify the Hebrew Bible and to prefer and magnify the LXX or some other Translation Of this sort are the Writers before mentioned who largely inveigh against the Authority of the Hebrew Edition And to promote a Disesteem of it one of them tells us that the Masorites of Tiberias who as he saith were the first Inventers of the Hebrew Vowels Points and Tittles borrowed them from the Turks the Bible according to him had these from the Alcoran And another tells us that if Moses were alive he would not know one Apex in the Jewish Books for they have their Letters from the Chaldees and their Points from the Mâ—â—soreths Nay he ventures to say that if Kiâ—â— David were alive again and heard his Psalâ—â— read or sung in the Jews Synagogues he woulâ— ask what Tongue they used for the right Souâ—â— and Pronunciation of the Hebrew is quite loâ— and no Man understands it unless it be thâ—â— Writer himself All this is Romance and sâ—â— on foot only to disparage the Bible and to makâ— us believe that the Old Testament is not the same that it was To which end also the Hebrew Points or Vowels are condemned for their Novelty and are said to be invented by the Talmudick Doctoâ— and Masorites Whereas there is mention made in several Jewish Writers of the Points and Vowels long before the Doctors of Tiberias which is said to be about the Year of our Lord 500. And from what we have observ'd already concerning the Masoretick Notes on the Bible it is easy to prove that the Hebrew Vowels were before that time for if the Masorites criticized on the Vowels as well as the other Letters and Accents aâ— was said before then 't is not probable in the least that they invented them We find that they take notice of the Irregularity of these Points in several places whereas if they had made them themselves they would have been all regular It is Nonsense to think that they that made the one viz. the Critical Notes made the other namely the Vowels and Points Hear likewise what the Learned Pocock saith It is an Argument that the Vowels were antienter than the Masoretick Notes in regard that they seem thereby to be governed in judging of the Consonants And in some other place in his Commentary he delivers his Judgment that the Vowels were not invented by the Masorites but were long before them yea were of the same Antiquity with the Letters or Consonants It is well known that all the Jews but him before named hold the Antiquity of the Hebrew Points yea some of them carry them back as far as Adam and vouch they were found out by him Other Learned Men among them assert that these Vowels were given at the time of the delivering the Law on Mount Sinai then it was that God writ the Decalogue with Points and gave it to the Jews by the hands of Moses And as to the rest of the Writings and the whole Body of the Old Testament the common Opinion of the Jews is that Ezra was the Author of the Vowels which are annexed to them and that he and the great Synagogue of which he was President first invented them after the Captivity Thus whether they commenced from Adam or from Moses or Ezra they all agree in this that they were very antient and in a manner coeval with the Letters and Words and consequently that they are part of the Text and of Divine Authority This being so old and so recent an Opinion it hath gain'd the Suffrage of the wisest and learnedst Christians in the World You may particularly find it maintained in the Writings of Munster Pagninus Buxtorf Vsher Cappellus Broughton Lightfoot Walton all of them singularly well skill'd in Jewish Antiquity and therefore fit Judges in this Cause They have proved by undeniable Arguments that the Hebrew Bible had Vowels or Pricks from the beginning and that it was never without them The Opinion then which the Objectors have espoused is justly to be exploded It is against the unanimous Testimony of the Jewish Church thâ— the Points are but Mens Invention It is unsaâ—â— and dangerous to assert that these Vowels werâ— added since the first writing of the Old Testament for the Certainty of the Truth of thosâ— Writings and consequently of the Writings oâ— the New Testament wherein those are so ofteâ— alledged is shaken hereby For no Man of Sensâ— can believe that the right reading of the Text could continue some thousands of Years witâ—oâ—â— the Points this is an incredible Fiction And then it is as impossible that the genuine Sense oâ— Scripture which depends on the Words as theâ—â— upon the Vowels as well as the Consonants could have been preserved unless the Bible had beeâ— Pointed Whence it was said in the Jewish Taâ—mud that Letters without Points are like a Body without a Soul Hence was that Saying Hâ—â— that reads without Points is like a Man that rides without a Bridle We therefore firmly maintain and that with the approbation of Antiquity that the Words of the Hebrew Text had Points added to them at the beginning and that these Points which we now have are the same with them To this purpose we here appeal to the Testimony of the Jews who will bear witness that the Books of the Old Testament which we now receive answer exactly to the Pointed Text which they havâ— received and always did Nay we may end the Controversy without an Appeal for our own Eyes and Ears will satisfy us If we compare our English or Latin or other Bibles with the Hebrew one which is used among the Jews and is daily put forth by the present Rabbies in the several parts of the World we shall find that they agree and we shall be convinced that they own the same
notice of this particular Reproach of the Christians for you must know to a Heathen a Iew and a Christian were the same for the first Christians being Jews by Birth the same Calumny was fix'd on both that they adored the Head of that most vile Beast Which also Petronius Arbiter testifies in those words Iudâ—â—us licèt porcinum numen adoret Et coeli sumâ—ias advocet auriculas From the first Verse it appears that the Gentiles thought the Jews worshipp'd Swine perhaps because they abstain'd from eating their Flesh for among the Gentiles what they did not eat was generally worshipp'd And in the next Verse there is is a mistake of coeli for cilli i. e. asini as some Criticks have well observ'd for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Dorick word for an Ass so that as before the Poet chargeth the Jews with worshipping of Swine so here he alludes to that flying Story among the Pagans that that Nation reverenced an Ass's Head for auriculae is put here for caput which could not stand in the Verse the prominent and most conspicuous Parts of the Head are put for the Head it self And if they worshipp'd the Ears because a part of the Head then they paid the same Honour to the Cheeks to the Jaws and to the Jaw-bone which is a more solid Part. None of the Authors of the foregoing Opinions have attended to this that it was the Head of an Ass not an Ass in general that was said to be worshipp'd by the Jews and thence arose their Mistakes Let it 〈◊〉 be noted therefore that this was the scurrilous Reflection of the Pagans on the Jews that they gave Religious Honour to the Head of an Ass and let it be observed at the same time that it was an Ass's Head which Samson found and so bravely managed though it was one particular Part of it viz. the Iaw-bone with which he did execution on his Enemies Wherefore I offer it as a probable Assertion that the Report concerning the Jewish People reverencing of an Ass's Head took its rise from that prodigious Exploit of Samson that strange Execution which he did with the Iaw-bone of an Ass. This gave occasion to the Israelites to extol and magnify that marvellous Weapon and at the same time the Providence of God in administring such an unexpected Engine to him and enabling him to do such great things with it The neighbouring Gentiles soon heard of this and spread abroad this Rumour that the Hebrews celebrated and worshipp'd the Ass's Head or Jaw and it is likely they thought they really did so because they themselves used to make any thing the Object of their Adoration or because an Ass 〈◊〉 a contemptible Creature they said this as a 〈◊〉 to the Jews And then if you remember the 〈◊〉 son which is assigned by the foresaid Histori◠〈◊〉 why they worshipp'd an Ass you will be furthâ— confirmed in this Notion which I now tendâ— The Reason as you have heard was because tâ— Creature as they said was instrumental in 〈◊〉 out a Fountain of Water whereby they allâ—yâ— their Thirst in the Desart They worshipp'd an 〈◊〉 saith Plutarch because it directed them to a Spâ— of Water Which excellently agrees with 〈◊〉 the Inspired History tells us that there was a 〈◊〉 Place in the Iaw whence Water came forth 〈◊〉 therewith Samson quenched his Thirst. This 〈◊〉 the Pagan Story parallel with this in the Book 〈◊〉 Iudges from whence it is most probable they 〈◊〉 borrowed it And whereas 't is said by some 〈◊〉 the forecited Authors that this was done in tâ—â— Wilderness they may be well excused herein 〈◊〉 it is only a mistake of the Place Yet by the by 〈◊〉 is a Pagan Confirmation that the Israelites 〈◊〉 once in the Wilderness according as the Scripture relateth yea and what Tacitus adds further coâ—cerning the Jews at that time viz. their want of Water in the Wilderness one of the most remark-able things that happened to that People in their Travels is yet a greater Proof and Confirmatioâ— of the Reality of the Sacred History I could add that this happened not long after this People had been come out of the Wilderness and so theâ— was no great mis-timing of the Story Thâ— whereas 't is said by the Historian last named 〈◊〉 thâ— Jâ—ws dedicated this Animal to their Temple 〈◊〉 is added perhaps of his own Head which is 〈◊〉 â—â—common Practice among the Gentiles as well Historians as Poets when they are relating tâ—ings concerning those whom they have no Kindâ—â—ss for This is the best Account I am able to give of this Gentile Tradition which was of so antient â— Date for I question not but that the Jewish Writer was overseen when he saith Appion the Grammarian of Alexandria was the first that raised this Lie And Monsieur Bochart talks as vainly when he tells us that Appion had the occasion of this Fable from the mistake of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pi jao the Mouth or Word of the Lord for 〈◊〉 asinus in the Egyptian Tongue for Appion forsooth was an Egyptian and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was antiently read Iao. Supposing this latter to be true yet â—e could not learn hence that an Ass's Head was placed in the Jewish Temple and afterward reâ—oved by Antiochus Wherefore I see no Dependance or Connection between these things and consequently this great Critick's Notion may be look'd upon as groundless as any one that is conversant in that ingenious Man's Writings knows there are many such The short is we must take this old Obloquy against the Jews as it is represented by the Pagan Writers with whom we have to do at present with its proper Circumstances and if we do so I conceive we cannot refer it to any Passage in the Old Testament so pertinently as to this which I have propounded If I am not mistaken this antient Calumny is derived from that part of the History of Samson which I have mentioned which shews the Antiquity and Authority of the Sacred Writings and that the scrâ—â—pture-History is the Ground of the most of the â—â—â—bulous Passages and Reports in the Writings of 〈◊〉 Heathens I could mention here also that the Jews weâ— accused of Pagan Writers to have worshipp'd 〈◊〉 Clouds and the Heavens Nil praeter Nubes Coeli numen adorant Which the Satyrist speaks of the Jews Aâ— Strabo reports the same Some have thougâ—â— that the Coelicolae the Heaven-worshippers meâ—tioned in that Title of the Codex De Iudaeis 〈◊〉 Coelicolis hath relation to this Mattâ—r but I thinâ— it is evident from the Title it self that the Ieâ— and Coelicolae were not the same but two different sort of People else it would not have been Of the Iews and Coelicolae but of the Iews or Coelicolae Moreover he that looks into the Tâ—eodosian Code from whence Iustinian took this will be convinced that the Jews are not meant
Prophetesses for such they suppos'd them to be to assert the Writings of the New Testament It may be said that it doth not absolutely and necâ—ssarily follow that because the Fathers used the Sibylls Verses to confute the Pagans therefore they were true for they might suppose them to be such though they did not expresly declare it In answer to which I return that it cannot but be granted that there is a great probability of these Sibylline Writings being true because they are quoted by the Fathers For 1. Many of these knowing Persons use their Testimony If one or two only did so we could make no conclusion from thence but since it is certain that great numbers of them not only those before named but others expresly appeal'd to those Books we cannot with any Reason slight their Allegations 2. If these Books were quoted by the Fathers but seldom and rarely there would not be so great a Motive to attend to them but seeing we find them not only once or twice but very often made use of by them it argues that they deliberately did it and it invites us to give the greater attention and credit to them 3. They quote them not as on Supposition only but as True and Genuine and such as may and ought to be depended on 4. The Fathers were Persons that were Competent Judges in this Case Many of them were Men of Sagacity and of a Critical Genius and were not easily to be imposed upon They had also time and leisure to examine these Writings and to enquire whether they were forged or no and we are sure it was their Concern to do it for their Religion depended much upon it Wherefore those who blast the Authority of the Fathers in this point have little reason to do so They were no credulous Fools and such who took up any thing on trust they were able to discern these Writings to be Counterfeit if they had been such as well as any other Persons But notwithstanding this there have been of old and are of late several Men that reject the Sibylls Writings as Spurious and Counterfeit And who should forge them but Christians Here then I am obliged to answer that Cavil that the Writings which go under the name of the Sibylls were â—orged by Christian Hereticks This it seems was an old Objection for Origen acquaints us that it was made by the Arch Pagan Celsus And Lactantius after him saith that this Objection was renewed against the Sibylls Books by some other Pagan Adversaries viz. that they were forged by some Christians themselves Behold also the Moderns concurâ—ing with the Pagans to defame the Sibylls Scaliger is very warm against them and holds that the Fathers were much deceived about them Isaac Casaubon against Baronius endeavors to prove the credit of the Sibylls to be suspected Becman is against the authority of these Writings and saith they are Supposititious David Blondel uses all ways to prove them to be Forgeries and Impostures and he holds they were the Fictions of some busie Christians who had the boldness to impose upon the World by these Cheats and Romances As many of the ancient Christians and Fathers saith he received counterfeit Gospels Acts and Epistles so they were cheated and abused by â—hese spurious Pieces of the Sibylls The Learned Dallé is of the same Opinion and tells us that the Predictions concerning our Saviour and his Kingdom were put out under the names of the Sibylls â—y some Châ—istians who were fallen into Hereâ—â—e They had a mind to use a kind of pious Fraud â—o establish some part of Religion they thought it to cheat the World for their good and so they â—â—blish'd these Writings under the names of those â—rophetesses The Learned Dr. Cave who is â—ot wont to doat on these Moderns follows them 〈◊〉 this Opinion very closely and leaves the anciâ—nt Fathers of the Church for their sake He peâ—emptorily tells us that the Sibylls Verses were made â—nd feign'd on purpose by the Châ—istians to upâ—old their Religion and Faith and they are daâ—â—d by him from the Year 130 in Adrian's Reign 〈◊〉 is the first flight of them he saith But all â—â—is is Suspition and Prejudice and bold Affirmaâ—â—ves but no proof which will evidently appear 〈◊〉 you consider besides what hath been said alreaâ—y these following things 1. Some of the Siâ—â—lls Verses were extant before Christ's coming into the World as is conâ—essed by ancient Christians â—nd Pagans and by all the Learned Antiquaries The Acrosticks which are concerning the Last Judgment and the Consummation of the World of which I spoke before which consist of so many Verses as there are Letters in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first Verse beginning with Ι the second with Η c. these I say are mentioned by Tully in his Second Book of Divination and are in an other place inserted into his Works as Eusebius testifies in the Life of Constantine and saith they are translated into Latin Verse by him where he adds that this is not a Poem of a mad and frentick Person for the Composure and Contrivance of the Verse argues the contrary and shews attention of Mind Skill and Diligence These Sibylline Verses the Initial Letters of which point at our Lord Christ are mentioned not only by Tully but by Varro who also lived before our Saviour's time If then they were extant and famous before Christ's Birth it is impossible they could be invented by the Christians Whence it is plain that all the Writings of the Sibylls were not obtruded by Christians unless you will say there were any such before Christ. Again Virgil's Fourth Eclogue is not denied to be the same now that it was at first and yet there he Comments on the Cumaean Sibyll's Oracle which is a clear Prediction of Christ. Accordingly in Constantine's Oration part of this Poem is applied to Christ and look'd on as a Prophesie of him although the Poet makes use of it in a way of Panegyrick to the Emperor Augustus and to Asinius Pollio his good Patron yea he ridiculously applies it to Pollio's Son who was born that Year He understands those words borrow'd from the Sibylls Oracle Iam redit Virgo concerning Astraea but the sense was much higher there being a reference in those words to the Sign mentioned by the Evangelical Prophet A Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son Isai. 7. 14. Of that golden Age which was to come he saith Incipient magni procedere menses What Magnitude is in Bodies that Diuturnity or Length is in Time and so here is intimated the duration of Christ's Reign Whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and shall stand for ever Dan. 2. 44. 7. 27. Or those Days and Months shall be Great because they are the Lord's to whom whatever appertaineth is Great whence every thing that is in its kind the greatest is called God's Several other things in that Eclogue are transcribed out of
that Sibyll's Verses and were meant of Christ's Coming and the happy state of the World which should accompany it which are frequently spoken of in the Old-Testament whence the Sibyll borrow'd these Prophesies No Man can have the face to say that These made use of here by the Roman Poet were obtruded on the World by Christians seeing Christianity it self had its rise afterwards I might go on still and shew that the Sibylls Oracles or some of them at least were mentioned by Authors before our Saviour's time as by Plato in his Phaedrus by Aristotle who particularly names the Cuman Sibyll by Chrysippus who makes mention of her of Delphos by Diodorus the Sicilian Historian and Pausanias who speak of the same Dionysius Halicarnass takes notice of another and Eratosthenes hath written of the Samian Sibyll and Euripides quotes her of Lybia Thus we are assured from the Testimony of these Writers who lived before Christ's Nativity that there were such Persons among the Heathens noted for their Enthusiastick and Prophetick Genius as they suppos'd Now what Man in his Wits dares say that the Christians forg'd the Verses of these Sibylls when there were no Chrstians at that time 2. Let it be considered how signally it was ordered by God's Providence that some of these Books of the Sibylls should be evidenced to be true and genuine Beâ—ore Christ's Coming the Verses of these Poetick Women were enquir'd into by the Gentiles they were searched and compared with other Copies and the Spurious ones were rejected and the rest kept and safely laid up so that the Christians might alledge them as they did without suspition of Imposture These Books were first offer'd to Tarquin King of the Romans at that time who bought some of them and deposited them in the Capitol and appointed Officers on purpose to take care of them as is related by several credible Writers In that place the Books continued till the Capitol was burnt which was about fourscore Years before Christ's Birth And after it was rebuilt Messengers were dispatched by the Senate into Asia and Greece to search for these Sibylls Verses and accordingly a thousand of were brought and laid up in the new Capitol Others afterwards that were carefully collected were placed in golden Boxes in the Temple of Apollo and when ever there was any great Affair on foot these Oracles were consulted as appears from several good Historians Both Tacitus and Suetonius testifie that when these Writings had been sought out and fetch'd to Rome they were by Augustus's command diligently examined and reviewed by the Senate and by the Quindecemviri that the true Copies might be known from the False Wherefore there is not the least colour of Reason to think that these Books which were thus searched into and examined so strictly were Counterfeit much less is there any possibility that these ancient Writings could be Figments of the Christiâ—ns for they could not feign them before they were in being 3. Nor is there any ground to think that the Volume of the Sibylls Verses now extant as to the main is not the same with that which was before our Saviour's days or that Heretical Christians corrupted it and added to it For first if they did so why is it not shew'd what Heresie what â—alse Doctrin they upheld and maintain'd by these Additions and Supplements of theirs I see nothing of this made out by our Adversaries Again If these Writings had been the forgeries of Christians the Heathens would have certainly at one time or other laid open this Cheat and let the World know there were no such Verses But none of them ever pretended to do any thing of this nature wherefore no Man of consistent Thoughts can imagine that these Writings were the meer Invention of some Christians Nay I could add from good Authors that not only Heathens but Iews made frequent use of these Celebrated Books and several of them were brought to embrace the Christian Faith by reading the Contents of them and truly when they saw many things fulfill'd which are here spoken of and fore told it could not but induce them to think well of Christianity Whence it is plain that they had no suspition of these Writings they had no such apprehension as some since have formed viz. that they were a Cheat and that some Christians were the Authors of it And then as for using of Pious Frauds to vouch Christianity there is as little ground for that for seeing they had such a Cloud of Witnesses of all sorts to attest the Truth of the Christian Religion it was altogether superfluous and unnecessary to counterfeit any Or if we should suppose any such thing and grant that some ill-minded Christians inserted some things of their own into the Sibylls Writings yet it doth not follow thence that all is Spurious and Counterfeit I know some condemn all and others allow every thing that goes under the name of the Sibylls Oracles But I know no cause for either but the usual one namely that Writers must run directly counter to one an other This is their practise generally but it is no good one and I have no Inclination to follow it I take an other way the middle one I do not think that all the Verses that bear their names are theirs and genuine and I am far from thinking that all are Counterfeit What if we grant that some things in the Collection of the Sibylls Wâ—itings as in many others are altâ—ed and super-added Can we conclude from thence that every thing in them is changed and corrupted No surely There were Counterfeit Gospels written but these do not prejudice the others which are True So there are many Pieces go under the names of the Fathers which are Spurious but we do not reject the rest of their Works because of them Thus perhaps it may be here some Christians might add a few things they might insert some Verses that mention those individual Acts and particular Works of our Saviour with some Circumstances which are no where mentioned in the Prophesies of the Old Testament This perhaps they might do I cannot wholly deny it but this is no Argument that the main of these Books was not composed before Christ's time and is Genuine and Authentick Nay we are certain that the date of them was long before I hope I have sufficiently demonstrated that Therefore let us not condemn the whole for the sake of a small part We are certain that many things quoted out of them by the Fathers and which are the clearest Attestations of the Sacred Truths of the Bible are not Supposititious and Forged We are certain that some of their Writings were extant before there were any Christians to corrupt and adulterate them and many of the particular Passages quoted by the Fathers in these Writings are now to be found and are the very same that they were then and consequently they are now as good a
Testimony of the Truth of Christianity as they were at that time But it is also Objected that the Number of the Sibylline Books is unknown and we can neither tell how many the Sibylls or their Writings were and as for their Quality and Condition of Life these are uncertainly delivered Nor do we well know their Names as appears from this that Cumaea in Virgil is put for Cumana and other Mistakes there are It is true the Opinions were various concerning these things their Names and Verses are often confounded and it is hard to distinguish them from one another This is granted and even by those who have with great Eagerness maintain'd the Credit and Authority of the Sibylls they acknowledge that it is much controverted What and how many these Prophetick Persons were and in what Times they lived and in what Countries they weâ—e bred Some say there was only One they think it was with thâ— Sibylls as with thâ— Iupiters and Hercules's and other Gods who were many and yet but One. Boisardus is perswadâ—d that the same Sibyll travelled into divers Countries and took her Name from the different places she leâ—t her Verses in And so a latâ— Author tells us there was but one Sibyll There were two of these Prophetesses saith Martianus Capella three saith Pliny four saith Aelian seven saith Salmasiâ—s Lactamius out of Varro that great Roman Antiquary concludes them to be Ten and names them thus The Delphick who was the Eldâ—st the Erythraean the Samian the Cumane the Cumaean the Hellespontiack or Trojan the Lesbick or Iabyck the â—hrygian the Tiburtine the Persian or Chaldaean Others add two more viz. Epiroâ—iâ—k and Egyptian and make them a compleat Douzen Thus the Reckoning is not alike but this is no Argument against what we have asserted It is not material how many the Sibylls or their Writings were it is frivolous to insist upon this They might all of them been put into one if Authors pleas'd or they might divide them into more as the way at some Coffee Houses now is to deal out Pamphlets Wherefore there is no reason to reject them on this account seeing we have proved that their Books were they more or fewer are owned as to the main by the Fathers and Primitive Christians to be true and seeing they were frequently made use of by them as sufficient Witnesses to the Truth of a great part of the Christian Religion And as for those Moderns who have rejected these Witnesses we may with reference to them take up that Lamentation of a late Learned Writer who himself is partly guilty of the Fault he complains of Verily the Christian Religion hath no Enemies more set against it than Christians themselves for you may observe that there is searcely any Prophecy or Testimony to be found concerning Christ among the Ancients which many even of the most Learned Men have not endeavoured to weaken yea utterly to destroy and annull This is a very deplorable Thing but it were easie to prove it most true in several Instances You will meet with some of them in the following part of this Discourse and more particularly in the Testimony concerning Christ which Iosephus gives But this which is now before us is as Signal a one as any that can be named for the Sibylls Verses are very express Attestations conceâ—ning our Saviour and his Great Undertakings Yet how strangely do Christian Men endeavor to enfeeble yea to baffle and subvert these Testimonials concerning our Lord They tell us they are the Forgeries of Iews and the Impostures of Heretical Christians and all manner of Objections they invent against them yea a late Writer pronounces these Sibylls to be mad and frentick People and so there is no heed to be given to what they say When it hath pleased God to afford us such a remarkable Confirmation of our Religion from the Mouths of Pagans is it not unpardonable Ingratitude thus to vilisie and reject it Is it not an Argument of a vile and perverse Spirit to use all means and those very shameful ones too to disprove that plain Evidence which these Sibylls bring and to shut their Ears to that repeated Testimony which they give to Christianity and the Blessed Author of it In short the Pagans had their Temples and Priests and Sacrifices and Oblations and Prayers and they had also their Scriptures i. e. the Sibylls Books In these was discovered the Council of God for the Sibylls according to the import of their Name were Interpreters of God's will to the Heathens In these were expresly fore-told the Birth of the Holy Jesus and many other remarkable things relating to Him By these Oracles the Gentiles were pre-admonished of Christ's Coming it seemed good to God to prepare them for the Gospel by these Forerunners and Messengers as he did the Iews by their extraordinary Prophets And they are usefull to Us as well as to the Gentiles we may be fortified in the Belief of our holy Religion by what they delivered They give a plain and clear suffrage for Christianity and the Founder of it The ancient Christians thought their Writings to be Authentick Records though now some are pleased to slight and vilifie them They look'd upon them as good Evidences of the Christian Faith and of the New-Testament which containeth it and there is still the same Reason that we should esteem them as such especially since the Objections to prove the falsity of these Books are very mean and weak Therefore to conclude till they can produce better Reasons against these Testimonials I think we may safely and reasonably make use of them CHAP. XI It is proved from particular unquestionable Testimonies of professed Enemies of Christ that there was a Person of such a Name and that all the great and eminent Circumstances of his Birth Life and Death are really true As to his Birth they attest the particular time of it the general Tax or Enrolling the wonderful Star the Murthering of the Infants of Bethlehem Then as to his Life and Actions Abgarus's Letter to our Saviour and our Saviour's Answer to it are proved to be an Authentick Evidence What the Emperor Augustus did in relation to Christ is considerâ—d The Defection of the Sun 's Light and the Earth-quake at our Saviour's Passion are not wholly pass'd over in silence by Heathen Writers HAving thus premised those Particulars which are of a middle kind between the former part of the Discourse and this I will now wholly insist on such things as are more Appropriated to the Subject I am Treating of This then I will prove from Witnessâ—s who are professed Enemies of Christ i. e. Pagans and Iews that there was a Peâ—son of such a Name and that all the great and â—minent Circumstances of this Persons Birth Life and Death are really true First The Pagan Historians pâ—esent us with his Name Tacitus telling how the Christians suffered for the firing of
Rome which Nero laid to their Charge saith the Emperor inflicted the most exquisite Punishments on those Peâ—sons who being detestable for their Villanies were commonly called Christians from the Author of that Name Christ. Here this Historian expresly sets down the Name that these Persons were known by and His Name fâ—om whom they took it This was Christ though as we leaâ—n from Lactantius this Name was sometimes a little altered for by changing of a Letter they pronounc'd it Chrest Thus we read in Suetonius that Claudius banished the Iews from Rome because they were always raising Tumults by the Instigation of one Chrestus The Learned Usher indeed is of Opinion that here is not meant Christ our Lord but some other whose true and right name was Chrestus But with Honor first paid to that great and justly admired Antiquary it is more likely that Christ our Saviour is here meant because Lactantius as you have heard tells us he was called Chrestus and because it is clear from Tertullian that the Christians were called Chrestiani and so Iustin Martyr informs us that the Christians were call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea he seems to say that the Gentiles did not give them a wrong Name when they call'd them so for they were truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very Good-natur'd Sweet and Benign Persons But questionless it was a mistake in the Pagans and the Historian above-mentioned was guilty of it Some think he mistook not only our Lord's Name but the time of this Fact which he mentions imagining that Christ lived in the Reign of Claudius but this was too gross an oveâ— sight for so knowing an Historian especially he living so near our Saviour's Time But to understand this Author aâ—ight we must know that it was common with the Pagan Writers to confound the Names of the Iews and the Christians and to say that of one which appertain'd to the other nor is it a Wonder that Christians for a time were called Iews because the first Christians were of the Iewish Nation Accordingly by the Iews here who he saith were expell'd out of Rome are meant Christians who were lookt upon by the Gentiles as Seditious and Tumultuous Persons because their Master and Founder was reckoned such a one And so when this Writer saith they raised Tumults impulsore Chresto the meaning is they were set on by His Example He though dead had a great Influence upon them and stirred them up to do what they did Or if you will understand Iews here in the strictest Sense viz. such as profess Iudaism then it may refer to Theudas's Insurrection who though he was an Egyptian as some gather from Acts 21. 38. yet he headed the Mutinous Iews which gave just occasion to the Emperor to banish all of that Nation and Religion from Rome And because as I have said the name of Iews and Christians was promiscuous among the Gentiles thence Chrestus i. e. Christ is said to be their Ringleader and Impulsor Pliny the Younger mentions the Christians and Christ by name for he tells the Emperor that some that were brought before him upon Suspition of being Christians were found to be Persons of another Perswasion for upon his Sollicitation they refused not to Curse Christ. This was the Appellation he was known by to the Gentile Historians and this is the very Title which the New-Testament so often giveth him Thus far then the Pagans bear witness to the Gospel But from the Name I pass to the Person and his Actions and most of the great and notable Circumstances which accompanied his Birth Life and Death First we will speak of those four remarkable things which attended his Birth namely the Particular Time of it the General Tax the Wonderful Star and the Murdering of the Infants of Bethlehem First Those known Adversaries of Christianity the Iews and Gentiles testifie that Christ was to come at that very Time when he came It was the universally receiv'd Tradition of Elias that after four Thousand Years the Messias should be born for though that Celebrated Saying or Prophecy in the Talmud of Two thousand Years before the Law and two Thousand after it be not exactly true for there were about Two Thousand five Hundred Years from the Creation to the Law and from the giving of the Law to Christ there were not above Sixteen or Seventeen Hundred Years yet the Prophecy may be made use of to convince the Iews that the Messias is come and it is a plain Indication of the Time when he was expected by them even that Time when he blesâ—ed the World with his Presence on Earth Hence it is that when Christ was brought to Ierusalem to be offered in the Temple as soon as Simeon beheld him he forthwith acknowledged him and cried out Mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation This is that Simeon to whom the Iewish Doctors had reference when they said The Disciples of Hillel shall not fail till the Messias cometh for this Simeon called the Iust was one of the chief of those Disciples Rabbi Hakiba the Wisest of all the Talmudical Doctors interprets those words of Haggai The Desire of all Nations shall come of the Messias and it is confessed by all the Learned Iews that he was ardently desired and expected not only by that People but by all Nations just at that time when our Saviour came for this was the Great Lord of the World who was then lookt for by the Gentiles out of the East this was that Universal Monarch who was expected to rise out of Iury of whom I spoke before This was no other than the Messias the Christ whom all the World longed for at that time by a geneâ—al Consent and that was the fulness of Time spoken of by the Apostle that blessed Time when the Son of God was born of a Woman So that the holy Records of the Gospel and those of Pagans agree in this Another Ciâ—cumstance of Christ's Birth which the New Testament takes notice of is the Tax that was made by the appointment of the Emperor Augustus and this also is recorded by the Gentile Writers which is a Confirmation of the Truth of the Evangelical History It came to pass in those days saith St. Luke that there went out a Decree from Caesar Augustus that all the World should 〈◊〉 Taxed or Enrolled as the Greek Word properly denoteth This was no Mony-Tax but only a setting down or Enrolling of every Person according to his Quality Age and Station in the Place where he was It was a taking in Writing the Names of every individual Man it was a numbring the People and Registring the true value of their Estates Incomes and Revenues and way of getting their Livelihood A late Writer 〈◊〉 of Opinion that the design of this Census was to know the number of Soldiers and what â—ighting Men Iudaea afforded whence it is saith he that Prophane Writers say not any
and this Abgarus among the Ecclesiastical Writers of the First Age and farther professeth that upon a diligent enquiry into these Letters he cannot discern any flaw or falshood in them he cannot find any appearance of Fraud and Imposture he sees nothing unworthy of our Blessed Lord in the stile or contexture of that Epistle which is attributed to him Yea next to the Bible he thinks these are the most remarkable and venerable piece of Antiquity that respects Christianity As to those Objections which are started against the Authority of these Epistles by a Learned Divine of the Sorbon it must be said that they are unworthy of him for they are very frivolous and groundless and he might have used the same Arguments â—gainst many parts of the Evangelical History and the passages that occur there But suppose after all that these Epistles were not really written by Christ and by Abgarus yet notwithstanding this they are no mean Testimony for us If we should only grant that Eusebius â—ound them among the Records of Edessa this is â—ery considerable Though I think there is good Evidence of the Truth of these Writings yet I am not mightily concern'd whether these Writings were real or feigned that is whether Abgarus did send such a Letter to Christ and whether our Saâ—â—our return'd an Answer to it This is sufficient that Eusebius who translated them out of Syriack â—nto Greek was welâ— satisfied that there were such Records at that time in Edessa Whether they were Spurious or not is not so material for whether they were such or not they give a Testimony of the Person whom we speak of they certifie â—s of this Truth that such a one really was at that time when these Records bear date For suppose the People of Edessa forged them as being ambitious to retain the Memory of their Prince and to celebrate it by this particular Memorial inserted into their Records yet this makes not a little for our purpose for though we should grant the Letters to be Supposititious as some Learned Men have concluded them to be yet the Registring of such may be true though they â—eigned these in a poletick Remembrance of one whose Name they intended to transmit to Posterity yet the Recording of them is thus far an Attestation given to Christ that hereby his Person and Worth were acknowledg'd by these Edessens so long ago But I pass this by I could relate here what was done by Pagans in Testimony of their acknowledging and approving of Christ. Thus the Emperor Augustus refused the Title of Lord saith Dio and it is not improbable that he did it on our Saviour's Account Some indeed tell us that it was upon another occasion viz. when at a Play Dominus aequus bonus was pronounced and thereupon the People as if the words were said of Augustus with great signs of Joy shewed their Approbation of them the Emperor labour'd by signs to stifle their Flattery and the day after put forth an Edict forbidding any to call him Lord. Such a thing as this might happen and yet the first and truest Motive to his refusing that Title might be with reference to our Lord Christ who was born not long before The reason to believe it is this that this Emperor was much changed after Christ's Birth and after the Fame of him was spread abroad he became a great favourer of the Iews and their Religion as Philo the Iew acquaints us in the Account which he gives of his Embassy to Caius in behalf of his Country-men of Alexandria He there relateth several particular kindnesses which he shew'd to the Iewish Nation and all grant that Philo is a very credible Author in this case And though Suetonius gives an Instance of his Aversion to the Iews and to Ierusalem it self yet it is likely this was before the other and so it inhanseth the Emperor's after-Esteem and Favour for that Nation and People If you thus consider that he was now much altered it is not hard to believe that his putting out the foresaid Edict was done in honour to Christ He would not be called Lord after our Saviour was come into the World who was Lord of Lords and King of Kings And this may appear to be the more probable if that be true which is farther related of Augustus that about the close of his Reign he inquired at Apollo's Oracle who was to adminster the Affairs of the Empire after him and received this Answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Hebrew Babe a God himself and King Of blessed Subjects bids me quit this place And trudge again to Hell wherefore great Sir From these our Altars silently be gone Whereupon the Emperor left off Sacrificing and returning to Rome built in the Capitol an Altar with this Inscription Ara Primogeniti Dei But because no very ancient Historian reports this and those that do are thought to be sometimes fabulous therefore I offer it not as if I much relied upon it Nor do I on that other passage in Suidas viz. that one Theodosius a Iew ascertain'd a Christian whom he discours'd with that Christ was chosen one of the Priests of the Temple upon the death of another and that they writ him down as the Custom was to Register the Names of those that were elected Priests and to assign also their Parents Names The Son of God and of the Virgin Mary The Book wherein this was recorded was kept in the Temple till the Destruction of Ierusalem and it was well known to the Priests and Rulers of the People This is a remarkable Testimony but because it wants evident Authority I will not insist on it That which I have said already may suffice towards the proving what I undertook that Christ's Life is attested even by Pagan Witnesses Thirdly his Death with some of the most considerable attendants of it is related by Persons of the same Character Thus the great Roman Historian expresly voucheth this Article of our chri-Chri-Christian Belief that Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate and that in the Reign of Tiberius Lucian who was famed for his Taunts and Scoffs at the Christians calls their Great Master and Founder The Man that was fastned to a Gibbet and hung up upon it in Palestine And this is confess'd by Iews as well as Pagans the particular manner of his Suffering namely on the Cross is acknowledg'd by the Talmudick Writers very often and by the Iews in Contempt and Scorn our Saviour is blasphemously call'd Talui suspensus He that was hang'd The Eclipse at Christ's Passion mentioned by the Evangelists and that as an Universal One is left upon Record also by Heathens Dionysius an Athenian by Birth before he was converted to the Faith when he was a Student in Egypt was an Eye-witness of this miraculous Eclipse which he gives an Account of in an Epistle that he
mention'd by Three of the Evangelists the Iewish Historian expresly testifieth and he is as good a Witness as we can desire in this Affair CHAP. XII After particular Testimonies now more general ones are produced as that of Pontius Pilate in his Letters to Tiberius The respect which this Emperor and others bore to Christ. Josephus's famous Testimony concerning him as also concerning others mention'd in the New-Testament Attestations of Pagans concerning St. Paul St. Peter and the Truth of some Passages in the Acts. All Christ's Predictions about the Destruction of Jerusalem confirmed by Heathens and Jews What Pliny and Trajan relate of the Christians Mahomet bears Witness to Christ. THus you have particular Testimonies as to those Three great Things our Saviour's Birth Life and Death Now in the next place I have general Testimonies to produce There are some Pagan and Iewish Witnesses that confirm all these yea and more than what hath been hitherto testified namely Christ's Resurrection As other Governors and Deputies of Provinces used to send an Account to the Emperors and Senate of the most remarkable Things that happened in their Provinces so Pontius Pilate Procurator of Iudea did the like and his Relation is the more valuable because it is the Testimony of a Person who Condemn'd our Saviour to death His Letter or Letters rather there being two of them to the Emperor Tiberius soon after Christ's Death give an Account of his Life Miracles Crucifixion and rising to life again And as Publick Acts were wont to be transmitted and reserved in the Imperial Archives so these were kept there whence the Christian Fathers had them Hegesippus an ancient Champion of the Christian Cause made use of them against the Pagans as we are informed from Eusebius Iustin Martyr tells the Roman Emperors that as for the Death and Sufferings of Christ they were to be seen in the Acts of or under Pontius Pilate and refers them to those as satisfactory and undeniable Tertullian with great boldness alledgeth the same Records as a sufficient Confirmation of the History of Christ in his Apology c. 5. 21. Whereupon one of the Learned'st Men of our Age concludes that this ancient Father found this among the Acts of the Roman Senate where all things of this nature were set down It is not to be questioned saith he that Pontius Pilate sent this Account to Tiberius if we consider that this was the constant practise of all the Governors and Deputies of Provinces to transmit the Relation of every remarkable Occurrence to the Emperors by whom they were placed in those Stations for this purpose viz. to inform them concerning the Affairs of those particular Places Now the Crucifying of our Saviour and his Rising again were certainly very considerable and remarkable Passages and therefore 't is not to be doubted that Pilate as Procurator of Iudea sent the Emperor a Relation of them On which account this Judicious Writer asserts the Authority of these Letters and there are other Arguments which he useth to enforce the Truth of them which are worth the consulting Thus it plainly appears from the fore-mention'd Fathers that there were such Letters from Pilate to Tiberius and that there was such an Account of our Saviour extant at that time otherwise they would not have made their Appeals to them in their Apologies otherwise they would not have call'd upon the Emperors to consult their own Records which testified of Christ and his Actions Wherefore I look upon Du Pin's Judgment as flat here who saith That though this Relation cannot be absolutely charged with falshood yet it is to be reckoned as doubtful Tertullian adds and from him Eusebius that Tiberius would have put Christ into the number of the Gods upon Pilate's Writing such strange things to him concerning Him he refer'd the Matter to the Senate desiring them to rank Him among those that were Worship'd and Deified but the Senate refused it because they themselves did not first order and approve of it for it was an old Roman Law that no God should be set up by the Emperor unless first approved of by the Senate for this reason only they rejected Christ from being admitted among the Gods However the Emperor still retain'd the same Reverence and Esteem of Christ as a most Divine Person and in Honour to him favoured the Christians and by Edict ordered that none should accuse and disturb them meerly for their Religion and the name of Christians annexing a severe Penalty on such as dared to transgress this Edict Nay Tertullian and other Fathers assure us that he had so great a Reverence for Christ that he intended to erect a Temple to him This was from that Information which Pilate sent him concerning our Saviour I might mention the Kindnesses which other Emperors had for Christ as no contemptible Testimony to that purpose which I design this Discourse for Lampridius reports that Alexander Severus Worshipped our Lord and had his Picture in great Veneration and that he had thoughts of erecting a Temple to him and taking him into the number of the Gods Which Adrian likewise he saith intended to have done but was hindred from it by being told that all would turn Christians and the Temples Consecrated to the other Gods would be forsaken These are ample Attestations of Pagans concerning Christ and which is greater they are their Approbations of him Next I produce the Testimony of a Famous Iew whom I have so often made mention of who forty or fifty Years after some of the Evangelical Writings gave an account of the Iews Affairs and of Christ and of many things relating to Him Among other Passages he hath this memorable one At this time saith he there was one Jesus a Wise Man if I may call him a Man for he did most wonderful Works and was a Teacher of thâ—se who received the Truth with delight He brought many to his Perswasion both of the Jews and Gentiles This was Christ who though he was by the Instigation of some of the Chief of our Nation and by Pilate ' s Doom hung on the Cross yet those who loved him at first did not cease to do so for he came to Life again the third day and appeared to them the Divine Prophets having fore-told these and infinite other Wonders of him and to this day remains that sort of Men who have from Him the name of Christians Both Eusebius and St. Ierom alledge this Famous Testimony of Iosephus concerning Christ as an undeniable Confirmation of the Christian Religion And the latter of these Writers places this Iew among the Ecclesiastical Writers of the Church because he speaks of our Saviour with this great respect A late Writer hath a great many idle foolish Cavils against this so notable a Memorial of Iosephus concerning our blessed Lord. He thinks it strange that Iustin Martyr Tertullian and Clemens Alexandrinus writing against the Iews make no
that they might obtain by it the love and grace of God And in other places the Miracles of our Saviour are owned and confess'd to be true Thus even this Great Impostor and Enemy to Christianity bears Witness to the Blessed Iesus Thus the Alcoran acknowledgeth the Gospel to be Divine and True CHAP. XIII The Testimonies before-mention'd briefly summed up An Objection viz. That some remarkable Passages relating to the History of Christ in the New-Testament are not so much as mention'd by either Jewish or Gentile Historians fully answered by considering that I. A great part of our Saviour's Life was spent in privacy 2. No Historians either Jews or Heathens take notice of all Occurrences 3. They wilfully conceal or mis-represent some things out of Design This shew'd in several Particulars 4. Pagan Historians out of mere Contempt omit many things which the Gospel Records 5. Yea sometimes out of mere Hatred and Spight 6. Some Pieces of Pagan History are lost 7. Some of these that are extant are defective THese are the Testimonies of professed Adversaries to Christianity whereby the History of Christ and his Followers is abundantly confirmed Even those who are averse to the Gospel attest and sometimes approve of the chief things related in those holy Writings Among the Iews we have Philo an excellent Platonist of Alexandria who flouâ—ish'd soon after Christ and lived in the times of the Apostles We have Iosephus a Jewish Historâ—an some say a Priest who writ about forty Years after and had great opportunities of acquainting himself with the Christian as well as the Jewish Affairs We have the Talmudick Doctors and Writers some of which lived near those Times and give their suffrage most freely to the matters of Fact recorded in the Gospel Among Pagans we have their Emperors Augustus Tiberius Caius Caligula Trajan Adrian Alexander Severus we have their Deputies and Officers Lentulus Pilate Pliny we have their noted Historians Philosophers and Learned Writers as the aforesaid Pliny the Proconsul in Asia in his Epistles his Uncle of the same name who flourish'd in Vespasian's time in his natural History Cornelius Tacitus a famous Roman Orator and Historian in his Books of History and Annals Plutarch a Priest of Apollo Pythius loved by Trajan and made Consul by him in several of his Teatises Lucian in his Dialogues all which four flourish'd in the Emperor Trajan's time Suetonius in his Caesars Dion Cassius in his Roman History the former of which lived in Adrian's time whose Secretary he was the latter in Alexander Severus's towards the middle of the Third Century We have besides all these those four sworn Enemies of Christianity Iulian Celsus Porphyrius Hierocles whose Writings attest the Truth of many things which the New-Testament speaks of We have Macrobius if we may reckon him an Heathen Author in his Saturnalia and Lampridius in his Lives of the Emperors We have their Women also the Sibylls whose Testimony concerning Christ is not contemptible Lastly as we have the joint assent of Iews and Gentiles so of Mâ—â—omet himself in the Azoara's of his Law which give suffrage to the Evangelical Writings Thus we have all the Witnesses that can be dâ—sired and expected and we have all the Evidence and Proof that can be had These things need not to have been insisted on or so much as mention'd if some Ill-minded Men who pretend to knowledge in History had not question'd several Relations in the New-Testament because they say they are not to be found in the History either of Pagans or Iews To obviate the Cavils of these Men I designedly undertook to shew you the Concurrence of Scripture and Heathen Authors to discover the Harmony between the History of the Gospel and the Accounts which are given us in Jewish Story In these you may meet with the most considerable Passages which you read in the Books of the New-Testament viz. The Tax in Augustus's time the appearing of the Star Herod's putting to death the young Children at Bethlehem the Account of our Saviour's Persons Life Actions c. all which have been particularly insisted upon I have shew'd you that all these memorable things are related by the Enemies of Christianity as well as by the Evangelists and Apostles themselves who had so great love of it But here it may be Objected thus granting that these remarkable Passages related in the New-Testament are mentioned in Pagan and Jewish Historians yet others as remarkable are not Now if there were such things and if they were publickly known What was the reason they were not recorded by those who made it their business to transmit such Occurrences to Posterity Why do not the Pagan Historians of that Age mention Christ's and the Apostles Miracles and all the great and notable things mention'd in the New-Testament This very thing disparageth the Evangelical Records and causeth us to suspect that they are fabulous for if they were not other Historians yea all the Historians of those Times would make mention of them as well as the Evangelists do I will stifle this cavelling Objection by offering these following things to your Consideration which will fully satisfie you that there is no ground at all for this which they alledge I. This is to be considered that from the time soon after Christ's Nativity till the Eighth Year of his Age there could be no History expected concerning him for he was all that time in Egypt therefore you have not one word of him for all that space of time in the four Evangelists And if these say nothing of him there is no reason to expect that other Historians should When he returned into Iudea he lived retired from that time till he was Thirty Years old only it is said that he went to Ierusalem with his Parents and disputed in the Temple with the Doctors and then presently he came home to Nazareth and there lived obscurely Here was no matter for History thus far And afterwards he was but three Years and a half employed in Action so that 't is no wonder the Pagan and Jewish Writers could afford to say but little of our Saviouâ— and his Doings there being so great a part of his Life spent in privacy 2. You must remember this that there are many considerable Things and Persons besides those we have been speaking of which some chief Historians among the Iews and Heathens take no notice of therefore you are not to marvel that some of those things before mentioned are not spoken of by them That Obscurity of the Sun at Iulius Caesar's death which lasted a whole Year is not recorded by any but Ovid Virgil and Pliny yet ten Historians or more in the after Age wrote Caesar's Life and gave an Account of his fatal End and of several things that followed The like Prodigy Cedâ—enus reports to have happened in Iustinian's time but there were almost twenty considerable Writers from Iustinian's time till Cedâ—enus that mention no such thing Or if these Examples be
Church-Discipline Ministers Maintenance Spiritual Gifts especially the Gift of Prophesying Some particular Cases concerning which are resolved with great Plainness and Dexterity and may be serviceable to determine our Judgments in all Cases of the like Nature He also admirably descants on the Nature and Necessity of Charity and he by multiplied Arguments asserts the Doctrine of the Resurrection When the Corinthians had received this First Epistle and as soon as the Apostle was informed by Titus what Reformation it had wrought in them he writ a Second to them in Defence of his Ministry and Apostleship against some that labour'd to bring him into Contempt among them He threatens Offenders he encourages the Obedient he animates the Faint-hearted he confounds his Antagonists and that by a new way of Argument viz. by boasting of his Sufferings and giving a full Inventory of them He displays his Calamities he blazons his Crosses and Victories and Triumphs do not more elevate others than these do him He excellently discovers the hypocritical Pretences of False Prophets he vindicates his own Person and Authority he answers the Calumnies and Aspersions of Erroneous Teachers he clears himself from the Imputation of Levity Pride Vain-Glory Severity and other things laid to his Charge He asserts the Truth of his Doctrine and the Laudableness of his Actions and exhorts to all Holiness and Righteousness of Life But the greatest Part of this Epistle is Apologetical whence we learn that it is not unseemly or unchristian to enlarge on one's own Actions and Sufferings when there is a necessary Occasion The Epistle to the Galatians i. e. the Christian Brethren in Galatia a Region in the Lesser Asia call'd also Gallo-Graecia because it was of old inhabited by Gauls and Greeks is directed against the False Apostles among them who mingled the Law with the Gospel Legal Works with Faith and made the former necessary to Justification Whereupon he again asserts the Doctrine of Justification by Faith so that this Part of the Epistle is a brief Summary of the Epistle to the Romans He proves that these Gentile Converts need not become Proselytes of the Iews nor observe the Law of Circumcision or any other Mosaick Rite But he tells them the right Use of Circumcision and of the Law and bids them stand fast in the Evangelical Liberty and be careful that they do not abuse it but walk in Love and Meekness Humility Modesty and Charity which are the Great and Noble Vertues that are to shine in the Lives of Christians It is easily observable that the Apostle is more Warm and Vehement in this Epistle than in any of his others the Reason of which is because he saw his Galatians so greatly endanger'd by their listning to the perverse Reasonings of the Gnosticks as some think or other Iudaizing Teachers that were crept in among them and were perswading them to imbrace another Gospel to diâ—own and reject the Principles which he had taught them and to come off from Christianity to Iudaism This kindles a holy Indignation in his Breast and makes him with an unwonted Keenness and Severity cry out against them and complain of their gross Folly yea their wilful suffering themselves to be bewitched and infatuated by those Impostors His Epistle to the Ephesians i. e. the faithful Christians of Ephesus the Head-City of Asia the Less which was written from Rome when he was a Prisoner there divinely sets forth the Great and Astonishing Mystery of our Redemption and Reconciliation the Freeness and Riches of Grace in Christ Jesus the Admirable Benefits and Privileges of the Gospel the Marvelous Dispensation of God to the Gentiles in revealing Christ to them the Excellency and Dignity of his Apostolick Charge He adds most Pathetick Exhortations to Constancy in the Faith notwithstanding the Calumnies of False Teachers and the Peril of the Cross. He propounds the most Cogent Motives to Love and Unity he urgeth the conscientious Performance of all the Duties of Religion and gives Particular Rules and Precepts for the discharging of every Christian Office so admirable so Entire so Comprehensive is this Part of the Apostle's Writings The Epistle to the Philippians i. e. the Christians of Philippi a City of Macedonia and a Roman Colony was writ also when the Apostle was imprisoned at Rome and in it he thanks them for their Liberality towards him in his Bonds and for their sending Epaphroditus their Minister with a Supply of Money to him This Epistle is chiefly writ to them in return to this seasonable Kindness of theirs and as that to the Galatians was the Sharpest so this is the Smoothest and Sweetest the most Endearing and Pathetick of all St. Paul's Epistles and is fullest of Paternal Affection He here likewise takes notice of and extols their Proficiency in the Gospel and then labours to confirm them in it he exhorts them to Increase and Persevere in the Christian Faith to bear their Persecutions with Patience and Constancy of Mind to be Humble and Peaceable and to be Loving to one another He cautions them against Seducers and False Teachers who bad them rely on the Righteâ—â—sness of the Law and on the contrary assures them that their only Trust and Dependance ought to be on the Righteousness which is of God by Faith in Christ Iesus He earnestly beseecheth them to be Exemplary in their Conversations and to live in the Practice of all Christian Duties He lovingly and passionately Salutes them and Prays for them he is every where Obliging and Affectionate in sum the whole Epistle is written with a Pen dipp'd in Oil. In the Epistle to the Colossians i. e. the People of Colosse a City in Phrygia not far from Laodieea and Hierapolis in the Proconsular Asia who were converted by the Preaching of Epaphras whom St. Paul had sent to them but now is his Fellow-Prisoner at Rome the chief Design of the Apostle is to Reduce those that were led away by False Teachers whether Iews or Philosophers The former introduced the Mosaick Ceremonies and Observations the latter brought in Unsound Notions and Speculations and both of them perverted the Simplicity and Purity of the Gospel Wherefore the Apostle endeavours to establish them in the true Evangelical Doctrine in opposition to Iudaism and the Vain Deceits of Philosophy He is earnest with them to adhere only to Christianity and to persevere in the Practice of all those Excellent Precepts that belong to it And accordingly first he mentions some General and then some Particular Graces and Duties This Epistle is of the same Tenour Subject and even the same Expression generally with that to the Ephesians for the Apostle about the same time that he wrote to the Ephesians did so likewise to the Colossians whilest the very same things were still fresh in his Memory whence it is that he uses the same Words often to both The first Epistle to the Thessalonians or rather the Thessalonicians for they were Inhabitants of Thessalonica the chief