cogent Reasons to perswade us that they truly and faithfully delivered down to us those things This I will make good from the Consideration 1. Of the Persons that transmitted these things 2. Of the Evidence of the Cause First as to the Persons I will consider both their Lives and their Deaths Their Lives are sufficient proofs of their Integrity in delivering the Scriptures of the New Testament to us and of their confident belief of the Truth of all that is contain'd in them The Primitive Christians lived after another rate than we do now They did not wrangle and quarrel as we do they did not â—ight and devour one another as the manner of too many is of latter times but they were remarkable for their mutual Love and Concord for their Humility Meekness and Condescension to one another and they were admired for their Gravity Sobriety Self-denial and Patience they were eminent for their Piety towards God and their Innocent and Righteous dealing with all Men. The Ministers practised what they preached and the People were ambitious to imitate their Preachers and both were singularly Good and Virtuous This was it which gain'd so many Proselytes to Christianity in those first times this brought them to a perswasion of the Truth and Reality of Christ's Doctrine Therefore when Origen had excellently proved the Truth of Christianity to Alexander Severus that noble Emperor ingenuously confessed that he was more convinced of the Truth of that Religion by the humble and loving carriage of Christians than by all Origen's Arguments The exemplary and blameless Conversation of those Primitive Professors argued that the Doctrine and Principles of their Religion were real and certain For how can it enter into any sober Mans thoughts that such holy and upright Men true followers of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ would have constantly confessed and owned the Christian way unless they had been throughly convinced of the Truth of it and that it was the very same which was confess'd and acknowledg'd by the Apostles themselves These Holy and Godly Men made Conscience of a Lie and counted it a heinous Crime to falsify yea they esteem'd it no less than a damnable Sin to disbelieve or misreport those things concerning Christ and the Christian Doctrines They were really perswaded in their Minds that their Salvation lay at stake that their Eternal Welfare or Everlasting Ruin were concern'd in these things And can you imagin then that they would report them falsly and impose upon the World by delivering things which were counterfeit Again as the Lives so the Suffering and Death of the Saints in the Primitive Days and in the succeeding Ages are an undeniable Argument of the Truth of what was deliver'd to them and of what they conveyed to us They underwent the most exquisite Pains and Torments with ineffable Courage and Constancy and nothing could prevail with them to renounce the Christian Religion insomuch that when the Pagan Adversaries in those days would express any thing to be impossible they did it thus Ye may sooner make the Professors of Christ quit their Mastersâ— Doctrine This was a thing not to be effected for those Persons first of all forsook their worldly Goods and then parted with their Lives to hold fast their Religion This patient Suffering and undaunted Dying of so many thousands is an unquestionable Proof of the Truth of Christianity For those enlightned and sanctified Men would never lay down their Lives to maintain a Falshood and to perpetuate a Lie No they knew whom they believed in and for whom they suffer'd and that made them so couragious We may conclude then that the Christian Doctrine is confirm'd by the Blood of those Worthy Men those expiring Saints did testify the Truth of Christianity and therefore they are stiled Martyrs Secondly The Evidence of the Cause is an impregnable Argument of the Reality and Truth of these things which I am speaking of There is this following heap of Evidences 1. A great Presumption arising from just Causes and Circumstances yea and from a multiplicity of them which in all Courts of Judicature is of considerable weight and value with understanding Judges This first but lowest sort of Evidence the Christian Church since our Saviour hath not been destitute of for there were never higher Presumptions in any Cause under Heaven than there were in this But we need not mention this when we have 2. The Notoriety of the Facts i. e. when the things in trial are openly and commonly known when they are avouched by publick Fame and the universal Vogue of Men. And that this was the case of Christianity ever since Christ left the Earth cannot be denied by any Man of Modesty and Truth 3. The Succession of Christians and Churches in the World is a plain Proof that they verily believed those things which made them Christians and Churches Hereupon they deliver'd to us those Writings which they receiv'd from the Hands of the Evangelists and Apostles by their transmitting them to Posterity they shew that they believe them to be sacred and certain Verities 4. The Succession of Bishops and Pastors is an other Evidence for it was their Office to read publickly the Scriptures of the New Testament and to preach the Doctrines contain'd in them and consequently to own them to be Truth which is a good Motive to us to do the same 5. The frequent Disputes which Christians in all Ages have held with those who opposed the Scripture and Christianity are no mean Testimony in this Cause 6. To these may be added the famous Writings of the Christians in the several Centuries their Apologies Dialogues Sermons Homilies Orations Commentaries Histories All which proclaim their serious and firm Belief of what they have convey'd down to us 7. All Christian Churches have deliver'd to us certain Symbols or Articles of Belief which they reckon'd to be the Standards of Evangelical Faith and Truth 8. The Constant Communion of the Church and the publick Worship of God in the solemn Assemblies of Christians ever since the days of the Apostles the setting apart a Day for that Worship the reading of the Scriptures at such times the instructing the People out of them the celebrating the Lord's Supper the constant custom of openly rehearsing and proâ—essing the Christian Belief the Prayers and Praises offer'd to God in the name of Christ the yearly Commemoration of the Birth Death and Resurrection of our Saviour the Sacrament of Baptism which acknowledgeth the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost 9. The sundry Decrees and Canons of Synods and Councils held in the Christian Churches Lastly the many Laws and Edicts of Christian Emperours and Princes in defence and confirmation of our most holy Religion These and all the rest before-named are clear Proofs and Evidences that the Evangelical Writings which contain the Doctrine and Actions of our blessed Lord were rightly and truly convey'd to us and that we are in possession of the same Faith and
and Death St. Luke had St. Matthew and St. Mark 's Writings to direct him And he professes moreover chap. 1. 1 2. that he receiv'd all he writ from those very Persons who were Eye-witnesses Besides he was a constant Companion of St. Paul who had all those things revealed to him by God in Heaven which is as much as if he had seen and heard them As for the Acts of the Apostles St. Luke could not but give a full and perfect Account of the Actions related there because he was an inseparable Attendant and Associate of St. Paul about whom most of that Book is spent The Epistles contain chiefly holy Doctrines divine Counsels seasonable Reproofs and pathetick Exhortations but they are not wholly destitute of Matter of Fact They were writ either by those that were properly stiled Apostles as St. Peter St. Iames St. Iohn and St. Iude who therefore could not be ignorant of what they delivered concerning Christ and the things he did or they were writ by St. Paul who was an Apostle extraordinary immediately called and sent by God to preach the Gospel being first fully instructed in all Matters relating to Christ and it by divine Revelation It might be yet further made evident that the Writers of the New Testament had perfect knowledg of what they writ and that they were sufficient Witnesses of what they relate because the Matters of Fact were so frequent and so often repeated as also because they were done near them and not far off and so they could easily know the truth of them moreover because they were done publickly and in the open Light and not in a Corner because they were done before so many Witnesses before Apostles and Disciples and thousands of the People who were Spectators and Auditors of what happen'd I might add that the Evangelists publish'd the Stories of Christ and his Doings when thousands were alive who knew the Facts and might have oppugned them if they would but they did not Especially St. Matthew publish'd his History while yet the Persons lived on whom Christ's Miracles were wrought and innumerable others who were Witnesses thereof were then surviving Hence it appears that it was difficult for the Evangelical Writers to conspire and combine together in a Lie and to deceive the People if they had had a mind to it They might soon have been confuted if the things they attested had been false The Cheat was easily to be found out amongst so many Witnesses and in things so often acted and in the Face of the World Therefore it is morally impossible that there should be a Cheat and Delusion these things being thus 2. The Personal Qualities of the Evangelical Writers and other Christians who attested these things argue that they were credible Witnesses and that their Testimony was worthy of all acceptation This is clear from such Considerations as these viz. that most of them were simple and unlearned Men and so were not fit Persons to devise these things It is no ways probable that they could invent such high and mysterious matters yea indeed no humane Wit was able to do it This shews that they were not deceivers and that they did not voluntarily deliver a falshood Likewise it is to be remembred that they were no idle and loose Persons but were of an honest condition and way of Life they were poor Tradesmen and Fishermen that lived on their work and lawful callings and therefore it is altogether improbable that they were designing Men and that they made it their business to cheat and impose upon the World Again their Integrity Candor and Simplicity appeared most signally in their Writings seeing they relate their own failings and impartially set down the grossest miscarriages of their Brethren as Thomas's Infidelity Peter's denying of his Master the Apostles flying from Christ at his Passion and many other things which none but Honest Plain and True-hearted Men would have recorded and transmitted to Posterity Further what they did was not out of Ambition and Love of Honour for Pride self-seeking vain Glory over-valuing of Men crying up Paul and Apollos and Cephas were Vices and Practices which they both preach'd and writ against And to let you see that this was not counterfeit their Lives answer'd to what they professed in their Carriage and Behaviour none were more humble and self-denying which proves that they acted not out of Applause and Affectation of Honour from the People but were sincere and faithful in what they did Nor could they speak or act for Gain and Wordly Profit for they were Men that despised Riches as much as Honour They lived meanly and poorly and were beholden to the Charity of others for a subsistence Which shews that they had no design to enrich themselves and to grow great in the World They foresaw and knew and perswaded themselves of this before-hand that their Profession would expose them to the greatest Dangers and Hazards and that Bonds and Imprisonment and Death it self would attend them yet notwithstanding this they resolved to preach the Gospel and to follow their Master whatever befel them And lastly to give you an irrefragable Demonstration of their Integrity and Sincerity most of them laid down their Lives to testify and confirm what they had deliver'd they sealed the Gospel with their Blood they died for what they preach'd and writ This is a sign they were in earnest Thus if you consider the Personal Qualifications of the Apostles and Evangelists who were Witnesses of Christ's Actions you must necessarily grant that they were Persons to be believed that their Evidence is authentick and we have no reason to think they were deluded themselves or deluded us For the Proof of Fact consisteth chiefly in Witnesses who must be knowing and honest Men. This makes them to be credible Persons and such were the Relators of those things which concern our Saviour Wherefore to have them attested by a sufficient number of Persons of that Character is enough to assure the Truth of them We have no cause to dispute whether those things were so or no but on the contrary we have good Foundation for a firm Assent to them But tho the Disciples and Apostles did not cheat us yet perhaps we are deluded by thâ—se that came after them It may be they have not truly deliver'd things to us How can we depend on their Words Reports are oftentimes false There are untrue Representations of things which are very near to us much more may there be of Actions which are so far off and were so long ago How then shall we credit History and Tradition i. e. the Church's delivering these things to us I answer we may and we ought to believe the Persons who receiv'd these things from the Apostles viz. the pious Teachers Fathers and Bishops of the Primitive Church and the Godly and Faithful Christians of those days we ought I say to credit these as well as the Apostles themselves for we have the most
Christian Observances in the first Ages Tertullian who flourish'd in the beginning of the third Century frequently joins Christianity and Iudaism together and particularly in his Dialogue with Trypho the Iew he declares there is Salvation in both There were the Coelicolae mention'd in the Code those that worship'd God as he had commanded from Heaven i. e. according to the Precepts and Rites of the Mosaick Law and according to the Precepts of the Gospel for they held that Heaven i. e. God was the Author and Institutor of both and intended that both should be observed Thus the Mosaick Law and Ceremonies were a good while going off they gradually and gently vanish'd away for the Church was then but in its Childhood and was tenderly to be treated It is not to be denied that the Iewish Rites were nail'd with Christ to the Cross they died when he gave up the Ghost But tho they were dead and were of no efficacy yet Men were left free to use or not use them as they saw fit After their decease they were not presently buried but as one of the Fathers speaks were to have an honourable Interment In brief Iudaism staid some time with Christianity and then took its leave Here it must be observed in the next place that extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit were peculiar to this Period of the Christian Church which is a certain Argument of the weak State of it and that it had not outgrown its Childhood but that Knowledg and Faith were feeble in many and that Unbelief had wholly possessed others and there was need of some very great Power which was in those days exerted in a wonderful manner Among the extraordinary Endowments of the Holy Ghost which were then bestowed Prayer was one i. e. an infused and supernatural Gift of Prayer was given to the Apostles and primitive Christians which is call'd Praying with the Spirit 1 Cor. 14. 15. and those who were blessed with this singular Gratuity had Matter and Words dictated to them by a special Afflation or Inspiration from Heaven Prophesying was also after an extraordinary and supernatural manner as the fourteenth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians will inform us It was a Power to interpret and explain the darkest Scriptures to unriddle all sacred Mysteries to urge with great efficacy the Duties of Christianity on the Consciences of Men and sometimes to foretel Futurities of great Importance all which was effected by the immediate Influence of the Spirit This Gift expired soon after the second Century After which they tell us there is little or no mention of the Prophetick Spirit in the Christian Church To which perhaps that passage of the Apostle relates and is Prophetick even of the expiration of Prophecy 1 Cor. 13. 8. whether there be Prophecies they shall fail And as there were in the first Times inspired Prayers and Prophesyings so there were inspired Hymns which is call'd singing with the Spirit ver 15. But the working of strange and wonderful things above the Power of Nature which is most properly doing of Miracles was a great part of the Dispensation of those Days Not only the Apostles but their Followers in the Ages immediately succeeding were indued with this Power Hence Lucius King of this British Island hearing of strange things done by Christians in many places about the end of the second Century sent to Eleuâ—herius Bishop of Rome to receive the Christian Faith of him and was the first Christian King in the World From Iustin Marâ—yr Tertullian and Cyprian's Writings it is evident that Miracles were frequently wrought in the Church and these Persons appeal to them as things that were of common notice and could not be denied Gregory Bishop of Neocaesarea who lived in the third Century purchas'd the Title of Thaumatâ—rgâ—â— by the miraculous Acts which he did Even in the next Age Miracles were done by many as is testified by Ruffinus Theodoret and Sozomen From several passages in Chrysostom's Writings it may be gather'd that they ceas'd in his time more especially from his 32d Homily on St. Matthew where he replies to the Objections of the Pagans against the Christians viz. that they did not confirm their Doctrine by Miracles And so again in his 40 th Homily on the Acts he gives the Reason of the cessation of Miracles But tho he doth this he must be understood of the common and ordinary use of them for sometimes and rarely Miracles were wrought in that Age or else St. Augustin and other Fathers misrepresent those Times Particularly St. Augustin who lived in St. Chrysostom's time bears witness that Miracles were wrought at the Monuments of the Saints in those days But yet from this Father 's own words in another place we may gather that Miracles were then at an end in some parts of the Christian Church The short is this that for three or four hundred Years in one place or other Miracles were generally done in confirmation of the Christian Faith viz. as long as the Church was in her tender and childish Years And it may be observ'd further that there was a Power in the primitive Times bestow'd on the Church of punishing the Disobedient in a strange and dreadful manner viz. by inâ—â—icting suddeâ— Diseases nay Death it self sometimes upon Offenders as is evident in the Relation concerning Ananias and Saphira Acts 5. 1 c. And some such thing as this it is likely is meant by those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 done by the Apostâ—les Acts 2. 43. And indeed it was necessary that in those primitive Times they should have such a power of inflicting extraordinary Judgments on Criminals if you consider the state of things then for the Magistrates being at that time Heathens did not animadvert on those who offended against the Christian Laws on which account likewise the Condition of the Church was weak and low And it may be further observ'd that in order to this Gift or Ability of striking with bodily Maladies or Death those that were gross Offenders there was another Gift bestowed viz. Discerning of Spirits 1 Cor. 12. 10. by virtue of which the Apostles had an insight into the Secrets of Mens minds and could tell whether their hearts were right towards God Hereby it was that they could make a discrimination between true and counterfeit Professors of Christianity and thence accordingly receiv'd or rejected them and if they saw occasion punish'd the latter This was a requisite Gift in those days because it was suted to the nature of that Dispensation at that time wherein Christianity was not grown to any perfection and therefore there was need of these extraordinary Means to nourish and uphold it it wanted these adventitious Aids to support its weakness 2. The Christian Church proceeded from Childhood to Youth This is the Second subordinate Dispensation of the Gospel or the present Period we are now under This began when all the Legal Ceremonies and Jewish Observances
the most Solemn Offices of Christianity to be in pure Imitation of a Pagan Usage for he saith Christ in Celebrating the Holy Sacrament of his Supper refer'd to the Custom of the Barbarous Scythians and other Savage Nations who used to drink Blood at their making of Covenants and Bargains thence it is said This Cup is my Blood of the New Testament drink ye all of this This was the highest and most daring result of his â—ormer Notion But I hope the Learned Doctor before he left the World corrected his Error and entertain'd other thoughts of these things and therefore I will not press them any further especially because I discours'd of this matter somewhat freely when I made it my business to prove that many of the Pagan Rites and Customs in Religion as well as in Secular Affairs were borrow'd from the Iews and their Sacred Usages which is directly contrary to what this Author asserts viz. that the Rites and Ceremonies injoyn'd by God himself to the Iews were of Pagan Extraction I might here mention that some others have fallen into the same or the like Notion and have made use of it to ill purpose Our English Socinians approve of this Doctrine that God complied with the Idolatrous Nations in the Sacrifices and other Rites which he instituted And some of the Antienter Racovians run up higher and refer the method of Man's Redemption and Salvation to the Usages of the Pagan World Thus a noted Man among them tells us that God sent Christ into the World in compliance with a Custom that was very prevailing viz. that those who were eminent and celebrated for their Virtue and their serviceableness to Mankind were after their death Canonized as 't were and placed in Heaven as an inferiour kind of Deities and those that wanted their help used to implore it and make them their Mediators Even so God exalted Christ who had been an Excelleâ—t and Useful Person and made him a kind of God And as noted a person of our own seems to have imbibed the same Doctrine for he asserts that a greâ—â— part of the Iewish Religion which was instituted by God himself seems to have been a plain condescension to the general apprehension of Mankind i. e. the Heathen world as he explains himself afterwards concerning the way of appeasing the offended Deity by Sacrifices Nay he makes the Incarnation of Christ and his Suffering of death to be a condescension to the Pagans who he saith loved a visible Deity and had a great esteem of Sacrifices especially of human Sacrifices and used to Deiâ—y their Benefactors aâ—d Heroes That is very strange which he gives as Reason why Christ was incarnate that Men viz. the Gentiles who were much given to admire Mystâ—riâ—s in Religion might have one that is a Mystery indeed So that all was direct compliance with the Gentiles and according to this Writer the way of Salvation of Mankind is derived from the impious Customs of the Heathens But his more Particular words which are almost too harsh to be mention'd I shall have occasion shortly to represent to the Reader in a more proper place 4. The Ceremonial Law and other Mosaick Usages were prescribed the Iewish people because these were fit and proper for them at that time because they were most suitable to their present Geniuâ— and Disposition Thus the Apostle in Gal. 3. 24 c. very handsomely illustrates the nature of this part of the Legal Dispensation The Law was our Schoolmaster saith he Here is Moses with a Rod in his hand We were instituted and educated saith the Apostle under the Pedagâ—giâ— of the Law for being but in our minority we were not capable then of a higher Institution and Instruction But this fitted and prepared us by degrees for the reception of that other and this Schoolmaster of the Law serv'd as an usher to the Gospel But saith the Apostle in the next verse After that Faith i. e. the time of the Gospel is come wâ— are no longer under a Schoolmaster we are then no longer under the lash of the Law our state and condition do not require it And God is pleas'd to administer things wisely according to the condition and circumstances we are under And this Apostle by another fit Allusion in Gal. 4. 1 c. sets forth the nature of this Oeconomy which he had spoken of before The Heir as long as he is a child differeth nothing from a servant though he be Lord of all buâ— is under Tutâ—rs and Governors until the time appointed of the Father Even so we when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the world but when the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son c. In which words St. Paul compareth the Iudaical Law to a Tutor or Guardian under whom the Heir doth not enjoy that freedom of a Son which afterwards he is to come to This saith he was the case of the Iewish people they were but Minors and Pupils and so stood in need of a Tutor i. e. one that is appointed to take care and have the charge of those who by reason of their insufficient age and understanding cannot look to themselves The Ceremonial Law was the Iews Guardian whilst they were under age this sowr Governour and Overseer kept them in and curb'd them and on that account was very useful to them at that time But the Apostle seems here to recur to his former comparison of the Law to a Schoolmaster when he adds that the Iews as long as they were Children were in bondage under the Elements of the world The Iews were then got no further than their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their First Elements they were but conning their Alphabet Their Sacrifices and Circumcision were as it were so many plain Letters in Blood and there were other Fair and Legible Characters but there were few of the common Iews so good Proficients as to Spell out of them any thing of a future and higher Concernment These and their other Rudiments were sutable to the mean Capacity and Non-age of the Iewish Church when they were in this State such a low and mean Dispensation as this was good enough for them Diversity of Ages calls â—or diversity of Actions and Behaviour and consequently for diversity of Laws Parents rule Children after another manner than when they arrive to any ripeness of Years and are capable of Discourse So God ordereth his Church that is fit for it at one time which is not at another Israel was a Child Hos. 11. 1. that was the state of the Iews when they were call'd out of Egypt And the Apostle uses the same Expression as you have heard Now when the Iewish Church was in this lower Form the First Rudiments were most agreeable to that condition these Beginners were to be used to their Letters God dealt with that People according to their Weakness and Shallowness Wherefore we may
Israelites yet they were as good as taken in as to other Clauses of it and as to the Effence and Substance of it viz. the Spiritual Mercies couched in it Thus they were comprehended in the Covenant of Life and Salvation for all of what Nation soever were Partakers of the Benefits of it upon their believing and repenting Not only Iews but Gentiles were interested in it In the full Meal and Provision which God made for his own People the Israelites some Portions some Fragments fell besides the Table which others gather'd up This is God's Administration to the Gentiles and I make it a particular and distinct Dispensation tho I see those who reckon up the different Dispensations of Religion omit this The Reason I suppose is because this Gentile Dispensation is mixed with the rest of the Dispensations Because it was concurrent with the Patriachal and Mosaical Oeconomies and was not a thing by it self they took no notice of it But notwithstanding this it is a peculiar Dispensation and a very remarkable one too as the Premises may convince us And at last our Blessed Saviour perfected this Dispensation for a little before he left the World he enjoyn'd the Apostles to go and teach all Nations Mat. 28. 19. to Evangelize the Goyim the Nations for so the Iews call'd all People besides themselves to propagate Christianity throughout the whole World And accordingly we read that when the Apostles had continued some time at Ierusalem after Christ's Ascention only some of them now and then slepping abroad to confirm the neighbouring Churches that were lately planted they issued out with one consent into several Countries where by their Travels they spread the Gospel as effectually as David and Solomon did the Hebrew Tongue the one by his numerous Conquests the other by his prosperous Fleets and Commerces so that even in St. Paul's time the Gospel was Preached to every Creature under Heaven Col. 1. 23. Thus at length the Gentile Dispensation was swallow'd up of the Evangelical one which now I will particularly speak of CHAP. XI The Christian or Evangelical Oeconomy It agrees with the former Dispensations of Grace as to the Designation of the Messias As to the way of Salvation As to the Conditions and Qualifications of it This corroborated by the suffrage of the Antient Fathers It differs from the Mosaick Oeconomy or Law as to the Author in some respect As to the Actual Discovery of it As to the Clearness of it As to its Spirituality As to its Extent As to several Circumstances that relate to the Conditions of Salvation which are largely enumerated As to the Motives of Obedience The Doctrine of the Socinians viz. that there were no Promises of Eternal Life under the Old Testament confuted As to the Perfection of its Pattern As to its Helps and Assistances This Query Whether Christ added any new Laws to those which were before under the Old Testament resolved in several Particulars It is proved against the Socinians that Prayer was commanded under the Law How Love is call'd a New Commandment THe Christian or Evangelical Dispensation is next to be treated of God having at sundry times and in divers manners spoken in times past hath now in these last days spoken unto us by his Son Heb. l. 1 2. He was pleased to reserve the utmost Completion of all the Promisâ—s made to the Patriarchs and the Iews till this time Now by Christ's coming we have the perfect Accomplishment of them all Christianity comprehends all the other Dispensations and is the Upshot of them all This is called the Revelation of the Mystery which was kepe secret since the World began but now is made manifest Rom. 16. 26 27. and the Mystery of Christ which in other ages was not made known unto the Sons of Men but is now revealed unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit Eph. 3. 4 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly he that brings forth and distributes that which was before laid up This is agreeable to the Oeconomy which we are now to discourse of the great Things which were hidden and treasured up before are now brought forth and discovered and communicated to the World This is that Dispensation which brings Everlasting Righteousness with it this is the Highest and Noblest Exertment of the Covenant of Grace and all the Mercy and Pardon which former Generations found were on the sole account of this Period This Dispensation of the Messias is represented by Iohn Baptist and by Christ himself to be the most Glorious State that hath yet appeared in the World or that ever shall appear for Christianity as most perfect includes all the Laws before named and all the ways of Discovery that can be made 1. I will shew the particular Nature of this Dispensation and how it differs from the others 2. I will shew why this Evangelical Dispensation took not place in the World before 3. I must particularly and directly prove the Truth and Certainty of this Oeconomy and of the Christian Religion 4. I will discover to you the several Degrees of this Dispensation All which Particulars are of great use for the right understanding of this last Administration of Religion 1. I will display the particular Nature and Quality of this Oeconomy this new Oeconomy of the Gospel Here I will let you see 1. That as to the main it agrees with all the other Oeconomies of Grace viz. from the Restoration of Adam 2. That tho as to the main it agrees with all the foregoing Dispensations yet as to sundry particulars it differs from them First all the Dispensations agree in the main i. e. 1. The Divine Designation or Appointment of the Messias reach'd to them all This Lamb was slain from the foundation of the World Rev. 13. 8. His Sufferings and Death were decreed from all Ages Christ was crucified from the beginning even from Eternity For tho some interpret this place as if it alluded to the Murder of Abel the first holy Person that was slain and as if it took in the rest of the Martyrs in after Ages the Lamb here signifying the whole Succession of Saints who were innocent and spotless in their Lives and invincible in their Deaths and so Christ as well as others may be said to be slain from the foâ—ndation of the World because there was at First even at the Beginning of the World this Example of the Wicked's murdering the Just yet this must be look'd upon as a forced Interpretation of the words for in the stile of Scripture excepting those places where the Sense must needs be restrained and limited because of the subject matter from the foundation of the World is as much as from Eternity as is plain from Mat. 25. 34. Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World and from Ioh. 17. 24. Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the World for from the foundation or before the foundation are here
at all It is true there were not such plain and evident Discoveries to those Antients of a future endless Existence and consequently a Reward in anoâ—her World as there have been since the coming of the Messias It is granted that the Law dealt in temporal and secular things most of all but it doth not follow thence that the Iews had no higher Promises than those that were earthly and respected this Life only Yea this also must be further granted that tho Moses and Daniel and the Prophets and the most devout Persons among them were sensible of this yet it is likely many of the Iews look'd no further than the present Enjoyments of this Animal Life and indeed most of the Blessings we read of seem to hold forth nothing else But under the New Testament Eternal Life is openly and clearly offer'd and all Persons may be made apprehensive of it Hence it is that Christ is said to be the Mediator of a better Covenant which is establish'd on better Promises Heb. 8. 6. The Promises under the Gospel are better than those under the Law because they are clearer and plainer concerning an Immortal State hereafter Here is one great difference between the Evangelical and the Legal Dispensation the latter propounds future Punishments without end to terrify Ofâ—enders and endless Rewards to â—â—courage the Faithful but the former adds an Assurâ—â—â—â— of both these It makes it manifest evident and undeniable that there are such things it demonstrates to us that there are never-ceasing Torments for the Wicked and eternal Joys for the Righteous of which latter Christ hath assured us by his ascending into Heaven there to prepare perpetual Mansions of Glory for all his Followers He came from above and went thither again that we might have Life and that we might have it more abundantly John 1â—0 10. that we might be every way ascertain'd of an Immortal State of Glory and thereby be effectually moved and excited to Obedience Thirdly There is this Motive peculiar to the Dispensâ—tion of the Gospel viz the Love of God the Father who sent his Son and the Love of Christ who died for us God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son saith that blessed Disciple whom Jesus loved Iohn 3. 16. And again 1 Iohn 4. 9 10. In this was manifested the Love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World that we might live through him Herein is Love not that we first loved him but that he loved us first Now observe how he makes this a Motive to the Duty of Evangelical Love If God so loved us we ought to love one another ver 11. No former Dispensation affords this Motive Christ therefore might well say A New Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you John 13. 34. This is a new thing and is proper to Christianity only Here the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts Rom. 5. 5. Here the Love of Christ constraineth us 2 Cor. 5. 14. And then no Duty in Religion comes amiss to us then we act with vigour and chearfulness and exert our utmost Powers and that with ease and complacency This Principle of Love is contrary to the Spirit of Bondage which is most proper to the Occonomy of the Law to the breach of every part of which God hath annexed severe Curses to terrify Offenders and these generally were the most powerful Motives they had to make them obedient The promulgation of the Law was with great Terrors and Astonishment Mount Sinai was another AEtna it cast out Flames and Smoke and nothing was seen and heard but what was very frightful This well represented the terrible administration of the Law which breaths Severity and Rigour and is rightly call'd Esh dath a firy Law Deut. 33. 2. They were scar'd into their Duty for the most part But this servile Spirit this Principle of legal Fear is banish'd out of Christianity those that are effectually brought under this Dispensation act by a Principle of Love for the Spirit of the Gospel is free and ingenuous sweet and gentle and needs not to be push'd on by rigour and austerity God hath not given us the Spirit of Fear but of Love 2 Tim. 1. 7. Therefâ—re we may rightly conclude with St. Augustine that Fear and Love are the grand difference between the Law and the Gospel 8. As Christianity hath 〈◊〉 Motives as our Duty is fastned on us by new Obligations and those the greatest and noblest so we have the perfectesâ— Pâ—â—tern the Example of Christ Jesus our Blessed Lord. Enâ—ch Noah Abraham Moses Iob David and many others were worthy and eminent Examples of Virtue and Goodness in the former Dispensations But alas these were Men of like Failings and Infirmities with our selves and their Lives were not an exact Rule for us to walk by But the Blessed Iesuâ— the Founder of our Religion was without spot and blemish in his Life he neither spoke nor did any thing amiss he was every ways blameless and harmless pure and underâ—â—led He gave us a perfect Example of Piety and Devotion of Justice and Righteousness of Moderation and Sobriety of Mercy and Charity of Humility and Self-denial of Contentedness and Resignation of religious Zeal and Courage of all Virtues and Graces whatsoever which are to adorn the Life of a Christian. Our Saviour was sent on purpose to be a Guide a Pattern a Rule to the degenerate World that by the excellency and transcendency of his Example he might reduce Mankind to the ways of Religion and Righteousness that in him they might behold and admire the beauty of Goodness and the worth of Piety and Holiness and that by this means Christianity might be commended to the World and that Men might esteem and love it when it shineth forth so gloriously in this admirable and unparallel'd Example In this we have an advantage above those who lived beâ—ore our Saviour's time Therefore this may be reckon'd as one Difference between the Iewish and the Christian Church 9. We under the Gospel have greater Helps and Assistances toward the performing of our Duty than those who lived under other Dispensations had We have greater Light to direct us we have more effectual Means to make use of we have all the revealed Knowledg which they had and we have much more besides We have the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament to enlighten to inform to instruct us to check and reprove us to comâ—ort and support us We are bless'd with the Sacred Ordinances of Christ's own Institution the sole design of which was to convey Knowledg and Grace Strength and Establishment to our Souls God hath set in the Church some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the Vnity of the Faith and
Christian Religion So do Infernal Spirits P. 417. CHAP. XV. All the ways of Divine Revelation under the Mosaick Dispensation were made use of under the Christian one Voices The Testimony of Angels Visions Dreams The Holy Spirit The fulfiâ—ling of the Prophesies of the Old Testament is an irrefragable Argument of the Truth of the New Testament Prophesies concerning the Birth of our Saviour Isa. 7. 14. cleared from the Cavils of the Jewish Expositors It is shew'd how these Words may have reference to something in King Ahaz's days and yet belong to Christ's Birth Prophesies in the Old Testament that relate to Christ's Life and Actions Others that refer to his Sufferings and Death Some that foretel his Resurrection and Ascension Other more general Predictions concerning him Several prophetick Passages concerning the Branch proved to be spoken of Christ. The Hebrew Word for the Branch is refer'd to in the New Testament The two Zacharies agree The Iews Objection viz. that the Messias was to be another kind of Person than what Jesus of Nazareth was answered Another Objection viz. that the Messias was to bring universal Peace answer'd A third Objection of the Iews viz. that their Sins have hindred the Messias's coming at the promised time answer'd The Objection raised from 2 Sam. 7. 13. removed by clearing the sense of the Text. Other extravagant Fancies concerning the Messâ—as caus'd by their mistaking the Prophesies of the Old Testament concerning Christ's Coming The Conclusion that all the Prophesies concerning the Messias are fulfil'd in Jesus and consequently are a demonstration of the Truth of Christianity p. 457. CHAP. XVI The Miracles wrought by Christ. What those Baskets were which were fill'd with Fragments Christ not only fed but healed the Bodies of Men. He did other Miraculous Works The Apostles as well as our Saviour exerted many Miracles An Objection from 1 Tim. 5. 23. answer'd Five Properties of a true Miracle Counterfeit and lying Wonders The Miracles of Christ and his Apostles were accompanied with seven peculiar Circumstances which prove them to be from God What were the Ends and Designs tâ—ey propounded to thâ—mselves in working of Miracles An Objection from Mark 11. 14. answer'd Several Interpretations of 〈◊〉 Words the time of Figs was not yet Why Christ cursed the barren Fig-tree Another Objection from Mat. 8. 30. answer'd Two other Objections answer'd The Personal Qualities of the Apostles argue the Miracles which they wrought to be true and real A Reply to the several Cavils against the Miracles of our Saviour An account of the wonderful things done by some Pagans especially Vespasian and Apollonius Tyanaeus The Miracles which the Church of Rome pretends to are proved to be Counterfeit It is shew'd from Scripture the Confession of Jews and Pagans and the nature of the thing it self that Miracles are a Testimony of the Truth of Christianity Miracles were necessary for confirming of the Gospel on several Accounts p. 491. CHAP. XVII The wonderful prevailing and spreading of Christianity another proof of the Truth of it Some of the learnedst and wisest Jews converted to Christianity A Catalogue of knowing and learned Pagans in the five first Centuries that abandoned Gentilism and embraced the Christian Religion Remarkable Instances of the Power of the Christian Truth The virtue of the Gospel far exceeds that of Philosophy Examples of great and rich Men converted to the Christian Faith This prevail'd against the rage of the most powerful Persecutors The more the Gospel was oppress'd the more it flourish'd and prosper'd in all Nations Examples of God's remarkable Judgments on the Enemies of Christianity especially on the Nation of the Jews This latter insisted upon and shew'd to be an Argument of the Truth of Christianity Particular Inferences from this part of the Discourse viz. 1. Assent tâ— the Christian Religion 2. Assert and defend it More General Inferences from the whole Christian Dispenpensation are such as these 1. Admire the transcendent Excellency of it 2. Be thankful for it 3. Learn â—ence our great obligation to Holiness and strictness of Life This enlarg'd upon 4. If we live not sutably to this Dispensation our doom will be more intolerable than that of others under the foregoing Oeconomies It appears from the general behaviour of Men that this is not thought of 5. We are to look upon this as the last Dispensation This is the meaning of Eph. 1. 10. which words are fully expounded This is infer'd from the Gospel's being call'd the New Testament And from those Expressions the last times the last days Wherefore we must not expect any New Dispensation P. 534. CHAP. XVIII The several Ages of Christianity It was in its Infancy in our Saviour's time The Apostles knew little concerning his Sufferings and his Resurrection The effusion of the Holy Spirit was but mean in respect of what it was afterwards The Church was in its Childhood in the times immediately after our Saviour There are no Errors and Mistakes in the Writings of the New Testament Some necessary Points of Christianity deliver'd in the Apostolical Epistles that are not in the Gospels and Acts. Some relicks of Judaism remain'd in the Apostles times An Explication of the Decree of the Council at Jerusalem It is particularly proved that the Prohibition concerning the eating of Blood is not obligatory under the Gospel Yet in the first times of the Church many observed it The difference of Dispensations as to Abstinence from some sort of Food Judaism and Christianity were mingled together in the primitive Ages An enumeration of several Extraordinary Gifts that were in the Christian Church at first The Youth or riper Years of Christianity described The cessation of extraordinary Gifts argues the Progress and Growth of the Christian Church Miracles no part of this subordinate Dispensation The non-Appearance of Angels is a Proof of the Improvement of Christianity The usefulness and necessity of attending to the different Administrations of Religion especially the Christian p. 585. CHAP. XIX That Christianity shall arrive to Manhood or Full Age is proved by several Arguments 1. God's Method in the World 2. The low ebb of Christianity hitherto 3. The number of those that perish 4. The gradual Improvement of all Arts and Sciences The several Objections concerning the Decay and Senescency of the World made use of by Jewish Pagan and Christian Writers fully answer'd That the World decays not as to Learning and Arts is made good from the Improvements of Navigation the Inventions of Gun-powder and Guns of Printing of Clocks and Watches the preparing of Sugar the Advances in Anatomy and Physick Astronomy Arithmetick Chymistry Mechanicks the Stile of Writers It is congruous to the Divine Providence and Wisdom that Religion also should have its Improvements as well as Arts and Sciences and accordingly it hath been greatly advanc'd and increas'd by the Reformation From the Increase it hath had already we may gather that there will be farther Accessions afterwards The virile and complete
Religion which Christ himself founded and deliver'd to his Apostles and Disciples The Tradition of these things is true and certain and we may safely rely upon it For tho the Authority of divine Truth depends not wholly on the Testimony of the Church for then the Authority of the Scripture would not be Divine but Humane and consequently not the Word of God but of Man yet the Church doth yield its Testimony to the Scripture and that Testimony or Tradition is a good Ground of Belief For Tradition is one way of communicating Matters of Faith and Fact to us By it we have them transmitted to us but this is neither the grand Motive nor the Rule of our Faith yet it is the Medium or Channel to convey the Belief of such things to us and we are to use it and prize it as such and to thank God that we have this among other Means to establish us in the Truth of the Gospel Hitherto I have consider'd the Testimony of Friends I will shew you in the next place that even Strangers and Enemies viz. Iews and Heathens bear witness to the Truth of Christianity First as for the Iews if Christ had not been thought by them to have been some extraordinary Person yea to be of the Holy Ghost miraculously why did they not prosecute Mary for an Adulteress The Sin of Adultery was severely punish'd by their Law and it was a very reproachful Crime You may be sure they would have urged this hard to the disgracing of the Son through the Mother But tho Ioseph denied him to be his Son and consequently she fell under the Law yet you read no where that the Iews made use of this against her which sheweth their tacit approving of Christ and that his Birth was extraordinary and divine Suidas tells us that Christ was chosen one of the Priests of the Temple at Ierusalem upon the death of one of the two and twenty for his singular Piety and excellent Doctrine Iosephus his Testimony of Christ is well known and St. Iohn Baptist his forerunner is made mention of by most of the Hebrew Writers with exceeding Praise and Admiration of his Holiness But I will conâ—ine my self to those Instances which are recorded by the Evangelists St. Luke observes that when he taught in their Synagogues he was glorified of all Luke 4. 15. And in the following Verses he subjoins a particular Instance of his preaching in one of their Synagogues at Nazareth and then adds all bare him witness and wonder'd at the gracious Words which proceeded out of his Mouth ver 22. Even some of the Jewish People who believ'd not in Christ cried out he is a good Man John 7. 12. Others said of a truth this is the Prophet ver 40. And others this is the Christ ver 41. And the Jewish Officers who were sent by the High Priests to lay hands on him admired his wise Deportment and excellent Discourse and freely declared that never Man spake like this Man ver 46. No one ever spoke Matters of greater moment and concern and with that Simplicity and Plainness that Authority and Efficacy which he did When Herod harangued the People they cried out It is the Voice of God But it was only the flattering Voice of the Multitude which made his such Here it was otherwise it was the real Voice of the true God and his very Enemies attest the unparallel'd Efficacy of it Christ was confessed and owned by the Iews in a most signal manner when he rid into Ierusalem on an Ass and when they strewed the way with Palm-branches and when all the People applauded him and treated him as some great Conqueror or mighty Prince Mat. 21. 8 c. For they were wont to congratulate the coming of such Persons to a place after that manner So the valiant Simon was receiv'd after his Military Success 1 Mac. 13. 51. So the Old Grecians in their Olympick Games after Victory wore wreaths of Palms as a reward of Conquerors And sometimes they bore the Branches of Palm-Trees in their Hands as the Emblem of Victory because the Branches of this Tree grow streight and stately as the Hand extended and tho they be loaded with much weight yet they bear up against it and shoot upwards Hence it was that this Honour of bearing Palm-branches and sometimes Branches of other Trees besides the Palm was given to Princes in Triumphs Thus Heliodorus saith that Hydaspes the King sent before him Harbingers of his Victory shaking Boughs of Palm in token of it Hence he that was generally applauded and received publickly with the Acclamations of the People was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they did not only strow Boughs but Leaves and Flowers in his way which sort of Honour was stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nor were they contented with this sign of Favour but they used to affix on the Doors of great Men the Boughs of Palm especially which Honour Lucian takes notice of telling us that green Palm-branches were set up at the Doors of the Rhetoricians Many more Testimonies might be alledged to this purpose And I could add also that this bearing of Branches was used in the Worship of the Pagans it being a Testimony of Honour to their Gods How fitly then did it come to pass by the over-ruling Hand of Providence that the Messias who was truly God and King was receiv'd by the People with Palm-branches He came in this triumphant manner into Ierusalem and was saluted with Cries of Hosanna and with that Gratulatory Benediction Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord John 12. 13. to testify that his Kingdom was come that he was to be victorious over Death and Hell and that he was to be a mighty Saviour and Deliverer I will briefly add two or three other Testimonies of the Iews Caiphas the High-priest prophesied of Christ John 11. 50 51. One of the Thieves on the Cross if he were a Iew which some have question'd acknowledg'd Christ and cleared him This Man saith he hath done nothing amiss Luke 23. 41. And even Iudas who betrayed our Saviour confess'd his Innocency I have sinn'd in betraying innocent Blood Mat. 27. 4. Secondly Heathens bear witness to Christ and the Truth of the Christian Religion He was acknowledg'd and ador'd by the wise Men that came from the East Tho he was condemn'd by Pilate yet he was first acquitted by him he declaring that he found no fault in him at all John 18. 38. And his Wife sent to him when he was on the Bench to have nothing to do with that just Man Mat. 27. 19. When a Title was to be set over the Cross Pilate wrote Christ the King of the Iews and would not alter it tho he was told of it Iohn 19. 22. The Centurion who had at that time the Sheriffs place and was to see the Execution perform'd when he saw
are ready to imbrace any bold Impostor who will lay claim to the Title of Messiah And thus it will be as long as they mistake the Prophesies in the Old Testament concerning his coming and will not be perswaded that the time of it is past But shall we take the meaning of Scripture from Them from whom God hath taken away for so many Ages all Understanding and Knowledg Shall we give credit to them who are blinded and besotted and have abandoned their Reason who are most palpably erroneous in Chronology and History as the Learned Isaac Vossius hath shew'd and who in giving the Sense of Scripture are most apparently deluded No surely nor are we to mind what they say when they tell us that no Man ought to be so bold as to compute the time of the coming of the Messias We know the reason of this the Iews cannot indure now to have the Prophesies look'd into and the times of the Messias's arrival reckon'd up Since Christ is come they see that the Times spoken of by the Prophets concerning him are past and therefore they anatbematize all that undertake to compute them They wish that those who curiously enquire into them may perish But the Curse will rather light upon themselves because they wilfully discern not the Times We may then notwithstanding all the Objections Cavils Evasions and perverse Interpretations of the Iews hold fast our Proposition that all the Prophesies in the Old Testament concerning the Messias are really fulfilled Yea the Prophesy concerning the Iews not believing these Prophesies is accomplis'd for it was prophetically set down as one Mark of the Messias his coming that the Jewish Nation should refuse and reject him So that you see the Jews Incredulity and Obstinacy are one great Argument that Christ is the true Messias We have abundant reason then to acquiesce in the Spirit of Prophesy which is the Testimony of Iesus Rev. 19. 10. This bears witness to him and to the Truth and Certainty of Christianity This Spirit of Prophesy witnessed concerning Christ four Thousand Years before he came for so long it was from the first Promise in Gen. 3. 15. Many other things were foretold concerning him three Thousand Years before some two Thousand and some a Thousand before he was manifested in the Flesh. Now our Argument runs thus he that was so many Years before foretold to come as the Messias or Saviour is certainly the true Messias and Saviour But Iesus was so foretold therefore he was certainly the true Messias and Saviour The first Proposition is built on the Truth and Faithfulness of God and is granted us by the Iews themselves The second is that which we have been indeavouring to prove and I hope I have effectually done it for I have plainly demonstrated that it was Christ our Lord who was foretold so many Years before in the Old Testament and that it can be no other than him Therefore it cannot be question'd by any rational Person whether he was the true Messias who was to bring Salvation to Mankind Thus you see Christianity is founded on the Old Testament here it is prophesied that Christ should come in such a manner and the very manner we find particularly recorded in the New Testament Malachi and Matthew join hand in hand and so do the rest of the Prophets and Evangelists Therefore we imbrace Christianity The truth of it is proved from the Prophesies concerning the Messias If we believe these as we cannot but do because they are divine and from Heaven we must believe Christ is come for they are an absolute Demonstration of this grand Point that Jesus the Son of the Virgin Mary whom the Jews put to death at Ierusalem was the Son of God and the true Messias Whereupon it will irrefragably follow that the Faith and Doctrine which he introduced are from Heaven and that the Christian Oeconomy wants not divine Attestation CHAP. XVI The Miracles wrought by Christ. What those Baskets were which were fill'd with Fragments Christ not only fed but healed the Bodies of Men. He did other Miraculous Works The Apostles as well as our Saviour exerted many Miracles An Objection from 1 Tim. 5. 23. answer'd Five Properties of a true Miracle Counterfeit and lying Wonders The Miracles of Christ and his Apostles were accompanied with seven peculiar Circumstances which prove them to be from God What were the Ends and Designs they propounded to themselves in working of Miracles An Objection from Mark 11. 14. answer'd Several Interpretations of those Words the time of Figs was not yet Why Christ cursed the â—arren Fig-tree Another Objection from Mat. 8. 30. answer'd Two other Objections answer'd The Personal Qualities of the Apostles argue the Miracles which they wrought to be true and real A Reply to the several Cavils against the Miracles of our Saviour An account of the wonderful things done by some Pagans especially Vespasian and Apollonius Tyanaeus The Miracles which the Church of Rome pretends to are proved to be Counterfeit It is shew'd from Scripture the Confession of Jews and Pagans and thâ— nature of the thing it self that Miracles are a Testimony of the Truth of Christianity Miracles were necessary for confirming of the Gospel on several Accounts Thirdly MIracles are another Divine Testimony of the Truth of Christianity Here I will first set before you the particular Miracles of Christ and his Apostles Secondly I will prove that these were true Miracles Thirdly I will shew that these are an infallible Testimony of the Truth of Christianity 1. I will set before you the particular Miracles of Christ and his Apostles recorded in the New Testament Here I might mention his Conception which was by the Holy Ghost and by himself as he was God and his Birth which was of a Virgin both which are Miraculous and I might recount how he was usher'd into the World by a Miraculous Star But I will confine my self to those Miracles which he personally did in his Life at his Death and afterwards One of the first he exerted was at Galilee when he turned Water into Wine Iohn 2. 11. He that could fast forty Days and forty Nights in the Wilderness Mat. 4. 2. which is to be reckon'd as a Miracle also thought good to demonstrate his Divine Power at a Feast and to chear and refresh the Guests with no less than a Miracle Then but I shall not observe the exact Order of his Miracles we read that about Meat as well as Drink he exercised his Omnipotent Virtue for when the multitude which followed him wanted food he had compassion on them and satisfied four Thousand Men with seven Loaves and a few Fishes at which time seven Baskets of Fragments were left Mat. 15. 34. At another time he fed five Thousand besides Women and Children with five Loaves and two Fishes and after all twelve Baskets full remained of Fragments Mat. 14. 19 20. This was a most acceptable Miracle to those
they the Negative Paracelsus philosophically attributes this Resuscitation to the mixture of a certain heat in the corrupted dead Matter as Frogs saith he are generated of Slime by the heat of the Sun This is his Blasphemous Nonsense which all Men of sober Reason deride and unanimously acknowledg that the restoring of the dead to Life is an Act of Supernatural and Divine Power and that the Key of the Grave as the Jews say belongs to God only And now to approach towards our Saviours Death a little before which he repeated that Act which he had once before done i. â— the driving the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple which may be justly reckoned amongst his Miracles for he could not have expell'd so many Men out of that place which they had made the place of their Merchandize and Gain without an extraordinary and omnipotent Arm. And by the same Almighty Power he struck to the Ground those that came to apprehend him Afterwards when he was on the Cross he converted one of the Thieves even just before his leaving the World which was a Miracle and a great one At the same time he caused a miraculous Eclipsâ— for it must be reckon'd as such because it happen'd not after the natural and usual way which is by the Moons interposing between the Sun and the Earth which falls out only in the New Mâ—on whereas when Christ suffered it was Fâ—ll Moon viz. the 15 th Day of the Month Nisan the Passover-day And at his Death the Earth quaked the Veil of the Temple was rent asunder the Graves â—ere open'd and the dead arose which was the forerunner of our Saviour's Resurrection which followed soon after He that raised others raised himself from the dead the third Day which was a Confirmation of all his former Miracles And after he had visibly convers'd with his Disciples for a time he ascended up to Heaven and convey'd himself through all the Regions of the upper World even to the Mansions of Glory These were some of the Miracles of our Saviour But there were innumerable more which are not recorded which occasioned that great Hyperbole used in Iohn 21. ult Indeed Christ did so many and so great Miracles that the Unbelief and Obstinacy of the Iews notwithstanding all of them may seem to be as great a Wonder and Prodigy as any thing that happen'd Secondly the Apostles as well as our Saviour himself exerted many Miracles the holy Spirit being sent to them according to Christ's Promise to inable them to do them â—hey cured all manner of diseased Persons that were brought before them yea they could cure at a distance and by proxy By St. Peter's Shadow and St. Paul's Handkerchief a sanative Virtue was conveyed to the Sick and their Diseases departed from them Acts 15. 15. Acts 19. 12. This was a Gift which was equally wonderful and useful by virtue whereof Maladies were cured without any cost and the poor Patient needed not to fear a Relapse soon after from the sight of an Apothecary's Bill If it be objected that St. Paul left Trophimus at Miletum sick 2 Tim. 4. 20. and he cured not Timothy of his weak Stomach without drinking Wine 1 Tim. 5. 23. Therefore the Apostles had no absolute Gift of healing I answer 1. The Gift of healing was for the Confirmation of the Truth and for the Conversion of Heathens rather than for the recovering of Christians and therefore it is no wonder that they could not work this Miracle always and that some were heal'd not all 2. Miracles were not designed to make Men immortal on Earth Sicknesses and Diseases were not always to be cured for then none should die But it was sufficient that sometimes the Power of Healing was exerted that thereby it might be seen that the Apostles were inabled from Heaven and that a divine Power went along with them But it pleased God that at ordinary times Diseases should be cured by the use of Means and that an extraordinary Power should not be made use of 3. Those very Instances or any the like are a great Proof that God bore witness to the Apostles for hence it appeared that this Power was at Gods pleasure and disposal and not at their own they could not do what they pleased there was a certain Limitation which shews it was absolutely a divine and supernatural Power by which they healed Diseases Again another miraculâ—uâ— and extraordinary Gift confer'd on the Primitive Church to corroborate the Truth of Christianity and to convince the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles was speaking with diverse Tongues which was more especially serviceable to this end because hereby they could be understood by Persons of diverse Countries and Languages and so by this Means the Propagation of the Gospel was further'd Thus by the same way by which the building of the Tower of Bâ—bâ—l was hindred did the Apostles afterwards pull down the strong Holds of Satan and build up the Christian Church Of this extraordinary Gratuity the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 12. 10. To another saith he 〈◊〉 given diverse kinds of Tongues to another the interpretation of Tongues i. e. one had the Ability to speak strange Languages and another was enabled to interpret them and make them intelligible So that it seems these two Gifts did not always concur in the same Person at least at this time in the Câ—rintâ—ian Church But however they were both of them the effects of a supernatural Power And by this Miraculous way the Apostles frequently dispossessed Devils who in those days tormented the Bodies as well as Souls of Men. They had power also to raise the dead which was seen in St. Peter's raising of Dorcas Nay the Miracles which the Apostles did were greater than Christ's and so he himself had promised Iohn 14. 12. He that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also and greater Works then these shall he do The Apostles were able to speak strange Languages which they never learn'd a Miracuâ—ous Gift which our Saviour never exerted thâ— he could But this is the main Reason why the Wonders which the Apostles wrought are said to be greater than those of our Saviour because they were more large and extensive they were done in all parts of the World where the Apostles preach'd Besides the Fruit and Eâ—â—ect of them were greater their Converts were more numerous they won by them far greater Multitudes of Souls to the Christian Faith Thus you have a shoâ—t account of the various Miracles both of Christ and his Apostles 2. â— am to shew that these Miracles of our Saviour and his Apostles were really true and not counterfeit Miracles Here I have two things to do 1. To shew you what are true Miracles and how they differ from ralse ones 2. To prove that the Miracles of our Saviour and his Followers were such First Let us enquire into the true Nature of a Miracle These are the five grand Properties of it 1. It is
the winged Feet But the Reason assigned in the History why St. Paul was taken for Mercury is because he was so excellent a Speaker Barnabas said little or nothing and so pass'd with them for Grave Iupiter who had his Interpreter And this was St. Paul he was Mercurius a good Spokesman indeed one of an admirable Tongue that could perswade the Lame to walk and a Cripple to use his Feet However these ignorant Heathens were mistaken as to their making Gods of Men yet in the main they were in the right viz. that that miraculous Healing argued Divinity and that none could do such things but those who are authorized by Heaven And as this is the sense of Mankind so indeed it must be thus in the very nature of the thing it self for what is above created Power proceeds from God and what is from him is to some great end and purpose worthy of him thus Miracles exceeding the Power of Nature are the Attestation of God himself and are design'd to evidence that Truth and to authorize that Doctrine which is from God which are very great and excellent Ends and becoming the Author of them Accordingly the Miracles which Christ and his Apostles wrought were intended to confirm and establish the Gospel which they preach'd and to demonstrate to the World that that Gospel is true For God would not throw away Miracles much less would he use them to confirm a false Doctrine We may be assured of this that God's infinite Wisdom and Goodness would not give up the World to such an unavoidable Deceit as such a Multitude of Miracles would lead Men into if they were used to attest an Imposture to confirm a Lie If I cannot know the Messias to be sent of God when he raised the Dead wrought all other sorts of Miracles and rose himself from the Dead I have no possibility of knowing who speaks from God or whether I am deceived or no or whether there be any truth and reality in things or no. This then we may build upon there being Truth in the World Miracles undeniably point us to it for they being a Testimony from God they cannot attest Falshood but must necessarily direct us to and confirm us in that which is true Our Christianity being founded on Miracles cannot but be of divine Allowance it is impossible but that it should be from God Christ and the Apostles could not have had Power to work true Miracles if their Doctrine had not been true for God would not and cannot maintain a Lie by a Miracle for then he is no God We cannot then expect a more convincing Evidence of Divine Authority than this viz. that our Saviour spoke great and excellent things and that he wrought Miracles to confirm what he said What would you have more It was necessary that he should confirm the Truth of his Doctrine by his Miracles and now they are wrought there is a necessity in order to our being Christians that we heartily believe them I say Miracles were necessary for confirming the Gospel because the Gospel was look'd upon as a thing new and unheard of as you may remember the complaint of the Athenian Philosophers against St. Paul was that he delivered a New Doctrine and brought strange things to their Ears Acts 17. 19 20. They were long accustomed to other Notions and so there was a vast Prejudice on their Minds Wherefore Miracles were necessary to gain Credit to the Christian Faith and to bring them off effectually from their former Sentiments Again many things in the Gospel were above the flight of Humane Reason and on that account were not easily entertain'd which made it requisite that they should be declared to be true by extraordinary Signs and Wonders Likewise because the Persons who preach'd and profess'd the Christian Religion were poor inconsiderable Men it was necessary that they should bring Credentials from God to attest what they deliver'd When they shew'd this Seal this broad Seal of Heaven none could question their Commission Besides the World was then full of Idolatry and false Religions which could not be rooted out but by such a strange and unusual way as this viz. the working of Mighty Signs and Miracles even such as outvie the Power of Nature and the Pranks of Magicians Lastly the Mosaick Law and Oeconomy having been before establish'd by Miracles it was neeessary that the Evangelical Law and Dispensation should be attested in the like manner God himself had constituted several things before which now were taken away by Christ therefore he taking them away ought to shew his Authority which he did by working of uncontroulable Miracles And to shew that the Law was to give place to the Gospel he and his followers wrought far greater Miracles than any that were done before to attest the Mosaick Religion Therefore he told the Jews that he did among them the Works which none other Man did John 15. 24. And as they were greater so they were more in number than those of Moses and the Prophets which was also necessary to take away all scruple from Mens Minds and to beget in them a hearty and full Belief of Christ's Doctrine For this was the end of their being wrought viz. to confirm the Belief of the Gospel and to ascertain Men even us at this day that God himself bears witness to what Christ and his Apostles delivered The use of these Miracles I say extends to us and to all Ages of the Church tho we saw them not yet their Virtue comes down to us All the Miracles done by our Saviour and his Apostles are as forcible and convincing now as if they were done in our Days they are still and ever will be an infallible Proof Evidence and Demonstration of the Truth of Christianity To shut up this head if the Christian Religion be founded on the Mighty Miracles of our Lord and his Apostles the Scripture is true and our Religion is true but if these are not take notice to confound the Folly and Sottishness of such Supposers it is the greatest Miracle of all if I may so say that Christianity was receiv'd and believ'd without Miracles So much concerning the Divine Testimony of Miracles CHAP. XVII The wonderful prevailing and spreading of Christianity another proof of the Truth of it Some of the learnedest and wisest Jews converted to Christianity A Catalogue of knowing and learned Pagans in the five first Centuries that abandoned Gentilism and embraced the Christian Religion Remarkable Instances of the Power of the Christian Truth The virtue of the Gospel far exceeds that of Philosophy Examples of great and rich Men converted to the Christian Faith This prevail'd against the rage of the most powerful Persecutors The more the Gospel was oppress'd the more it flourish'd and prosper'd in all Nations Examples of God's remarkable Judgments on the Enemies of Christianity especially on the Nation of the Jews This latter insisted upon and shew'd to be an Argument of
and when there is a Contradiction involved in the Matter otherwise So here is a Moral Impossibility that it should be otherwise take all things together and it is not possible but that it should be thus and the contrary implies a Contradiction to Sense Reason and Scripture I should now proceed to the last Thing I propounded to speak of viz. the Degrees of the Evangelical Dispensation but this bâ—ing the Administration which is peculiarly ours and wherein we are most concerned I will before I go any further offer such Rational Deductions to you as this part of our Discourse naturally affordeth 1. Assent to the Christian Religion Which is a very Reasonable Inference for Assent or Belief naturally follows on the Clearness of Evidence and the more Clear and Demonstrative the Evidence is the Firmer and Stronger will the Belief be For as the Testimony is such must this needs be and therefore if the former be not only Human but Divine and consequently be Infallible the latter must be proportionable What is Divine saith an Excellent Writer doth by its Excellency conciliate Belief and by its Truth gain Authority For this Reason no Art or Science can pretend to that Certainty which is in Divinity Politicks are fallible Philosophy goes upon contrary Hypotheses Medicks guess rather than know the inward Causes and Springs of Diseases The Lawyer hath his Ieofail Law it self is very Uncertain and Arbitrary if you consider the infinite Disagreement of divers Nations even about the same thing Yea even Mathematicks if we may believe those that best understand them are mixt with Uncertainties and Falshoods there are Fallacies and Paralogisms in Geometry all is not plain downright Demonstration as appears from the Quarrels and Contests among Mathematicians themselves But Divinity is truly a Science and surpasseth all others because the Ground of it is supernatural Light and the very Testimony of God himself Particularly the Articles of Christianity are founded on Divine Revelation and therefore are unquestionable The Doctrine of the Gospel is built on this Rock this Stable and Impregnable Rock The Foundation of God standeth sure it continues the same and cannot be moved Christian Theology is founded on a sure Bottom Christ Iesus the Son of God and who is himself God having fixed it Heaven and Earth shall pass away but this Word shall not pass away With relation to this Mr. Boyle's Treatise of the Excellency of Theology compared with Natural Philosophy is well worth our perusal That admirable Person so well skill'd in the Study of Physiologie shews the Preeminence of the Study of Divinity above it on this account that Theological Truths are evidenced by Divine Testimony and therefore we may firmly acquiesce in them and require no further or greater Proof as indeed there can be no greater tho as I have shew'd they are not destitute of other Evidences The Evangelical Truths especially are the True Theologie That of Plato and Aristotle and other Philosophers to which they were pleased to vouchsafe This Name being but a sorry and ill contrived Rhapsodie therefore the Christian Church gave the Title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to St. Iohn because he above all the rest of the Evangelists so expresly â—â—clared the Divinity of the Son of God which is the Noblest and Sublimest Point of Christianity and is matter of pure Faith and Divine Revelation Be convinced then of the True Grounds of your Christian Belief of the solid Foundations and undeniable Evidences which Christianity is built upon Know this that God could not have done more for the begetting of a strong Faith and Assurance 2. Assert and defend maintain and hold fast your Religion and let nothing shake your Faith and Confidence Indeed it is a wonder that such strong Supporters of the Christian Religion should be struck at by any but so it is Hereticks Iews and Pagans of old and high-flown Enthusiasts Deists Atheists Lewd and Dissolute Christians of late have endeavour'd to shake these Foundations Be you therefore the more Zealous in the defence of Christianity knowing that it is no Shadow or Phantom it depends not on Imagination and Conceit but is certainly True beyond all the subtile evasions and subterfuges of Sophisters It is an Excellency in a Man's Life to be upon sure Grounds and consequently to know what to do You have this Advantage in the Christian Religion it being something which is certain and fixed and therefore this should make you constant in the Profession and Exercise of it this should make you steady in your Resolves and Actions Your Religion being so Firm and Certain you ought to stand to it and to suffer none to rob you of it but to part with all for it These are the two Particular Inferences from this last thing I have discoursed of viz. the Truth and Certainty of the Christian Religion There are more general Deductions to be made from the whole Dispensation and they are these 1. Let us take notice of and admire the transcendent Worth of the Christian Religion I have traced Religion through all its several Stages I have lâ—t you see the whole intire Progress of it and you cannot but observe that all the former Dispensations made way for this of Christianity It must then be a very admirable Thing to which all that went before in God's own Oeconomies was but a Prelude a Preface a Preparative All before were but rude Draughts and imperfect Models They were a Foil only to set this off they were but as the dusky Twi-light to the brighter Day All that went before was but Infancy and Childhood This is Manhood and full Age. This one Consideration is sufficient to convince us of the Greatness and Majesty of the Kingdom of Christ under the Gospel Tho the Law which immediately preceded it and was the choicest of all the former Dispensations had some Lustre in it yet in comparison of the Gospel it had none its Glory vanished as the Light of the Stars when the Sun appeareth They saw in a Glass darkly they had but short and dim Representations of things they had none of that Clearness and Certainty which we under the Gospel have attained to Notwithstanding what was said before that they had many Ways and Rules to judg of True Prophets by and to know them from False ones yet this must be added that it was very difficult Prophecy might be easily counterfeited Fancy and Imagination made strong Impressions and deceived many they frequently had delusive Dreams and Visions In most of the Differences between the True Prophetick Spirit and the Enthusiastick Impostures of Pseudo-Prophets as they are set down by the Iewish Writers I find little satisfaction nor can any one who looks for Rational and Solid Accounts But the Prophecies and Revelations under the Evangelical Dispensation are Satisfactory and Certain We have now a more sure Word of Prophecy The excellent Discoveries made to the World by the Sacred Oracles of the Gospel are
that they fancy a Supersedeas given to a strict and severe life by the merciful Appearing of the Messias they make bold to turn the Grace of God into wantonness and abound in all manner of Vice because the Divine Goodness and Favour have abounded towards Mankind It pleases them hugely that they are enfranchis'd from the Rigour and Severity of the Legal Dispensation and that now under the Gospel a Court of Chancery is erected and nothing but Equity and Mercy Clemency and Indulgence take place The bare Name of Christians is they think a sufficient Amulet against the Vengeance of Heaven and the Cross of Christ is a powerful Charm against Hell and the Devil O when shall these vile mistakes these wilful mis-interpretations of the Design of Christ's Coming and Appearing in the World be rooted out of Mens minds When will they understand themselves aright and be convinced of the heinousness of sinning against the Gospelâ— Dispensation Why do they not ponder those words of the Apostle which I before mention'd If every Transgression and Disobedience under the Law receiv'd a just recompence of Reward how shall we under the Gospel escape if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 2. 2 3. If God did so severely animadvert on those that disregarded the Mosaical Injunctions what severity will he shew towards them that live in the constant violation of the Evangelical Law They must needs be inexcusable that wilfully offend against this because it is a more excellent Institution than the other because by this we have a greater knowledg of God's Will and consequently greater Conviction of Sin because we have greater evidence of God's willingness to forgive our Transgressions through the Merits of the Messias upon our hearty Repentance because the equity and reasonableness of Evangelical Faith and Obedience are greater than those of any Duties under the Law Upon these and several other accounts the neglecting this so great Salvation is the greatest Sin except the unpardonable one that can be committed against God and consequently the heaviest Penalty attends it Heretofore it was said Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil of the Iew first Rom. 2. 9. but we may now say of the Christian first for he of all Persons under Heaven is the most grievous Criminal because there is this high Aggravation of his Guilt that he sins against the Evangelical Laws I wish the Christian World would attend to this and understand their true interest i. e. to be very exact and circumspect in their Lives for God expects we should live according to the Dispensation we are under according to the proportion of that Grace which is bestowed upon us We must remember that Christianity engages us not only to root out all false Notions but to banish all vicious and ungodly Practices and to live according to the admirable Rules of the Gospel Our Knowledg and Judgments should influence upon our Conversations and our Manners ought to be proportionable to our Light Otherwise it is certain our Knowledg will increase our Guilt and our abundant Light will thrust us into utter darkness 5. Be ascertain'd that this is Last Dispensation and expect no other God spake at divers times and in sundry manners he reveal'd himself by degrees and successively whereas now he hath discover'd to us all at once that is all that is substantial all that is essential to that Religion which he requires of us for otherwise as you shall hear afterwards this Oeconomy admits of considerable Digrees Since God hath spoken his Will by his Son since the Gospel is left on Record we must not look for any other Discovery of Divine Truth No more is to be revealed to the end of the World I mean as to any New Doctrine concerning the way of Salvation tho Revelations concerning some things which may be for the safety and welfare of the Church or of some choice Persons in it may perhaps be communicated by God on great occasions Besides I deny not that clearer Discoveries may be made of some Points afterwards the same Truths which we now have may be more illustrated but no New Doctrines no New Precepts are to be thought of We have so much of saving Truth discover'd as was intended should be sufficient for us till the Consummation of all things Now our Religion is fixed the Faith hath been once deliver'd to the Saints and it shall never be deliver'd again with Additions or Alterations God added to the Discoveries which he made to Adam and to Noah to the Patriarchs and to the Iews but now he hath done adding All our Duty is taught us All things that are to be believed or to be done by us are revealed by Christ and his Apostles You hear him thus declaring to his Disciples All things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you John 15. 15. The Apostle St. Peter peremptorily determines that there is not Salvation in any other for there is no other Name under Heaven given among Men whereby we must be saved Acts 4. 12. And the other great Apostle is as definitive when he thus pronounceth Tho an Angel from Heaven if you can suppose such a thing preach any other Gospel unto you than that we have preach'd unto you let him be accursed Gal. 1. 8. The same Apostle tells us that the Church is built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Eph. 2. 20. and the Foundation of a Building is not a thing to be removed Therefore he calls the Gospel the ministration which remaineth or endureth 2 Cor. 3. 11. This is the Everlasting Gospel Rev. 14. 6. because it is never to be alter'd never to be amended by a more complete Body of Laws So that the Everlasting Gospel answers to Everlasting Righteousness or the Righteousness of Ages Dan. 9. 24. which shall admit of no Change Religion was perfected and consummated by Christ he hath in the Gospel given us all that he ever intended to give This is the perfectest Rule this is the last System of Religion To this purpose the Apostle's words are remarkable in Eph. 1. 10. That in the Dispensâ—tâ—oâ— of the fulness of time i. e. in the Evangâ—lical 〈◊〉 he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in Heaven and on Earth even in him The Greek word which is here rendred to gather together in one is used sometimes in a militâ—ry Sense and signifies to gather dispersed Souldiers together into one Troop or Company This Sense of the word saith Grotius sutes best with this place He who is the Lord of Hosts rallied all dispersed Creatures in Heaven and Earth Angels and Men Jewâ— and Gentiles Bond and Free and united them in one even under Christ their Captain The whole Family in Heaven and Earth as the Apostle expreâ—â—eth it now meets together The whole World which is after the Hebrew manner expressed hâ—re by Heaven and Earth becomes one
concerning Christ and his Kingdom The Seal is set upon them there are no other Visions or Prophecies of this nature to be look'd for afterwards From all which it appears that the Evangelical Dispensation is the last of all We have now the perfectest Edition of God's Will and we must look after no other Thus Tertullian acquaints us that this was the great and prevailing Rule among the Christians No more is ever to be believed by us than what is now deliver'd to us by Christ and his Apostles We have all our Belief given us God's whole Will is set down You see how divine Providence hath as it were gone about in the several former Ages of the World it hath been all along upon the Reserve The times before Christ were more or less moving and growing on to Christianity they all the while look'd toward this and were Ushers to it to prepare the way But when our Saviour came he sell closely to the business without any further ambages he alone had the honour to lay open and revâ—al all those things which were before hidden to set those things streight which were before dubious to give us a full discovery of those things which we had but a taste of and to set before our eyes those Mysteries and Truths which were but told us before as that Faâ—her speaks Therefore they think not aright of the Gospel Dispensation who pretend to bring Tidings of a New Edition of Religion who talk of New Lights but despise Old Truths They are vain Men and intend nothing but Imposture who hoise up Sail for the Discovery of an unknown Continent some new Plantation in Religion We must expect no Columbus to discover new Worlds and Treasures to us of that kind Our Religion hath been profess'd in the World very near seventeen Centuries of Years and it is still the same and will never be superannuated and out of Date but will continue to the end of all things for it is the Top and Flower the Crown and Perfection of all Divine Institutions it is the most Consummate Administration of all that ever were in the World and for that Reason it is the Last Revelation that God will make to Mankind But altho this be the Last Dispensation yet there are great Varieties in it which brings me to the next thing I propounded CHAP. XVIII The several Ages of Christianity It was in its Infancy in our Saviour's time The Apostles knew little concerning his Sufferings and his Resurrection The effusion of the Holy Spirit was but mean in respect of what it was afterwards The Church was in its Childhood in the times immediately after our Saviour There are no Errors and Mistakes in the Writings of the New Testament Some necessary Points of Christianity deliver'd in the Apostolical Epistles that are not in the Gospels and Acts. Some relicks of Judaism remain'd in the Apostles times An Explication of the Decree of the Council at Jerusalem It is particularly proved that the Prohibition concerning the eating of Blood is not obligatory under the Gospel Yet in the first times of the Church many observed it The difference of Dispensations as to Abstinence from some sort of Food Judaism and Christianity were mingled together in the primitive Ages An enumeration of several Extraordinary Gifts that were in the Christian Church at first The Youth or riper Years of Christianity described The cessation of extraordinary Gifts argues the Progress and Growth of the Christian Church Miracles no part of this subordinate Dispensation The non-Appearance of Angels is a Proof of the Improvement of Christianity The usefulness and necessity of attending to the different Administrations of Religion especially the Christian. THe fourth and last thing I undertook was to shew you the several Degrees of this Evangelical Oeconomy This Gospel Period which began at Christ's Coming and continues to the end of the World hath four distinct Partitions which differ much from one another 1. The primitive Partition or Period which is past 2. The Period ensuing that which is now present And there are two Periods yet to come I might divide them according to the several Ages of Man for there are as of Man so of the Christian Religion four distinct Ages It had its Infancy and Childhood at Christ's first Coming and some years after its Youth since that to the present times It shall have its Manhood or full Strength which is to come in a short time we hope and there shall be the Old Age or Declension of Religion a little before the World's end I have not met with any Writers that have duly observ'd this Distinction in the Gospel Oeconomy the neglect of which hath caused several â—alse Notions about this Last Administration of Religion But the Inquisitive and thoughtful Reader will find that these things which I have suggested and shall now proceed to explain are absolutely necessary for the framing of a right Idea of the Evangelical Dispensation 1. I begin with the first and tender Years of Christianity in which are comprehended 1. The Time when our Saviour was on Earth 2. The Times which immediately succeeded that First it is evident that in the days of our Saviour the Christian Church was in her Infancy and Minority and that she was not grown up to a sufficient Knowledg and Understanding When Christ first preached concerning the Calling and Converting of the Gentiles Luke 13. 29. Mat. 22. 9 10. his Apostles and Disciples understood not his meaning They knew not that both Gentiles and Iews should be preach'd to under the Evangelical Dispensation and therefore afterwards St. Peter was convinced of it by no less than a particular Revelation Acts 10. 14. Even the Apostles were ignorant of the spiritual Kingdom of the Messias and look'd for an outwardly glorious and magnificent one When Christ told his Disciples as he was on his journey with them to to Ierusalem what grievous things he was to suffer they notwithstanding this Admonishment thought he was going thither to be made King and the Sons of Zebedee made their Suit to him by their Mother that they might have the first Place in the Kingdom which the other Apostles took ill Mat. 20. 20. Luke 19. 11. St. Peter the prime Apostle was ignorant of the Method of Man's Redemption by the Sufferings and Death of Christ which appears from this that he would fain have prevail'd with him to spare himself and not to suffer at Ierusalem Mat. 16. 22. And the rest of the Apostles were infected with the same common error and mistake They perswaded themselves that they should enjoy Halcyon Days and that their Master should be a very Great Earthly Prince You read therefore in Luke 18. 31. that when Christ spoke to them of his Passion they were at a loss they understood none of these things and this Saying was hid from them neither knew they the things which were spoken ver 34. In so great Darkness and Ignorance were
were laid aside when the extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost ceased when immediate Inspirations were withdrawn and when Signs and Wonders and working of Miracles were out of use From the time of the cessation of these we are as I conceive to date the Youthful and Stronger State of Christianity Then it began to be entire when it was no longer blended with Judaism when there were no more Typical Ceremonies in the Christian Service In the place of the Extraordinary Gifts of Praying and Prophesying there succeed now in the Church those Religious Exercises of Praying and Preaching which tho they are never rightly performed without the help of the Spirit yet proceed not from immediate Illapses and Inspirations The Apostles and first Christians were extraordinarily taught of God but we must make use of the Means and Helps which are given us in order to attaining the Knowledg of Him and of our Duty We must arrive to this by God's Blessing on our Studies and Industry Knowledg is not purely infused now but the Spirit of God cooperates with our endeavours Scholarship was not necessary for the first founding the Gospel because the effusion of the Spirit was then extraordinary But when this ceas'd human Learning became necessary in those who are to instruct others and to confute Gainsayers Therefore in the Disputes between us and the Quakers and other Sects about these Matters we must urge this that there is now an Oeconomy different from that in the times of the Apostles When they talk of doing all by immediate Impulse of the Spirit and despise outward Means and Helps and cry that they are above Ordinances we must let them know that they are forgetful of the different Dispensations of times and thence proceeds their Error They do not observe that there are subordinate Oeconomies even in this one grand Oeconomy of Christianity and the want of seriously attending to this leads them into very extravagant Opinions and Practices When there were extraordinary Gifts in the Church a Fisherman any illiterate Person was as able as any one to preach For as in that time those were able to heal all Diseases who had never studied Physick so there were those that could speak to the People with all Tongues who had never been taught any For the speedier propagating of the Gospel some of the commonest Christians had Ability to do this But it is not so since those supernatural Gifts are ceas'd and now Learning is requisite in a Minister of the Gospel Schools and Universities Skill in Arts and Languages which can be gain'd only by Study are become necessary For as an antient Writer of the Church saith well After the Apostles time the Church began to be govern'd by another Order and Management of Divine Providence As for the Spirit of Prophecy we know it was an immediate extraordinary Gift whereby Persons were divinely enlightned themselves and had ability to reveal things in an extraordinary manner to others which was frequent among the Iews in the Old Testament but even that fail'd at last there was not a Prophet between Malachi and Iohn Baptist whence it was that the People ran out of all the Regions round about to see the Baptist a Prophet being a very rare Sight But Prophecy was restored by Christ and by his Apostles in a most eminent Degree afterwards yea Iustin Martyr who lived in the middle of the second Century tells us in his Apology for the Christians that the Gift of Prophecy was then in the Church but after that there is no mention of it because it ceas'd And so as for other immediate of extraordinary Revelations as Dreams and Visions and such like ways by which God used to communicate his Will unto Iews and Christians heretofore they are now laid aside or are very rare and unusual And the Reason is because Christianity is out of its Childhood it hath gather'd more Strength it is youthful and vigorous I know that others have different Notions of this matter The Learned Daille expresly saith Christianity was in its heighth and perfection in the time of the blessed Apostles tho so far as I can perceive he himself soon after partly retracts this Assertion It is generally thought and said that those extraordinary Endowments before named in the Christian Church are an Argument of its Manhood and Perfection and because those Gifts in the primitive Times were so great and venerable far exceeding what we have at this day they reckon all Christians since those times to be but puny Christians But I cannot give my suffrage to this yea I look upon it as a great mistake for if a Man rightly considers things he will find that these splendid Gifts were bestow'd on purpose for the propagating of the Gospel at that particular time and that the Weakness and Unsettledness of the Church were the only occasion of them Christianity wanted at its first Rise confirming and corroborating by such wonderful Methods and Expedients as these And therefore if we understand the true Nature of them we cannot but confess that they were Proofs and Evidences of the imperfect State of the Christian Church in those days Now those extraordinary Gifts are vanish'd the inspired Men are gone but the Holy Scriptures which were written by Divine Inspiration are left with us to be the great Standard of Truth and the Rule of our Actions God hath rais'd up eminent Men to open and explain that Holy Book and to instruct us in all the great and necessary Points of it We have now a more setled Knowledg of Religion and there is a greater Progress in Christianity The Oeconomy hath receiv'd some Alteration and we need not extraordinary Helps when God vouchsafeth us those that are ordinary And as for Miracles they are not of this part of the Christian Dispensation and therefore are not to be look'd for now Those mighty Wonders are for a sign not to them that believe but to them that believe not as the Apostle speaks 1. Cor. 14. 22. Therefore they were proper in the first Ages to convince the unbelieving World and for the propagating of Christianity But now they are become useless and more regular and ordinary Methods are used The Gospel being sufficiently promulged among us and the Authority of it being proved by those mighty Works which have been done we are not to expect any more of them Ordinary Means now serve us tho we have the Benefit likewise of those extraordinary ones which were before I do not say Miracles are so creased that there shall never be any wrought again for a Power of doing Miracles is indefinitely promised in Mark 16. 17. It may still remain so as to be exerted on occasion viz. when Heathens and Infidels are to be converted But that belongs not to this Part of the Evangelical Dispensation which I am now speaking of but to that more perfect one which is to succeed in erecting of which perhaps God may enable his Servants
Signification they cannot but be interpreted of these last For if those Prophetick Passages before-mentioned and several others in the Writings of the Prophets be expounded only of the past or present Times of the Gospel it is certain that the Interpretation will not answer the Greatness and Heighth of the Words much less the Weight and Dignity of the matter spoken of If we attend to this we shall discern the full Design and Meaning of those notable Prophecies of the Old Testament we shall apprehend those many Glorious Things both with relation to Spiritual and Temporal Blessings which they foretel shall be in those last Days But I shall have occasion to alledge and particularly to consider those Prophetical Passages when I come to shew distinctly wherein this Dispensation consists and how it differs from all others The Places in the New Testament where this Kingdom of Christ is spoken of are not a Few But that we may not mistake it will be requisite to observe the different Significations of the Word Kingdom as it refers to the Times of the Gospel for we consider not the Word now as it is applied to the future State of Glory in the highest Heavens First By it is sometimes meant the Gospel-Dispensation in general the whole Time of Christ's Administration in his Church from first to last Thus the Angel's Words to the Virgin Mary are to be understood Luke 1. 33. He shall Reign over the House of Iacob i. e. his Church the true Israel of God for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end Christianity shall more or less flourish till the World hath its final Period and Consummation In this large and general Sense those Places are to be taken Mat. 4 2â— the Gospel of the Kingdom Luke 8. 1. the Glad-tidings of the Kingdom of God and many others especially the Parables where the Kingdom of Heaven is likened to several Things Secondly We are to understand by it that particular time of the Gospel-Dispensation which immediately succeeded our Saviours Resurrection as is evident from St. Iohn Baptist's Words The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Mat. 3. 2. and from the same Words used by our Saviour himself Mat. 4. 17. and afterwards by his Apostles Mat. 10. 7. For none of these Texts could be meant of the time of the Gospel when Christ was on Earth or before his Passion but of some other succeeding time otherwise it could not be said the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand but rather the Kingdom of Heaven is present or is already come Whence I infer that Christ may be said not to be in his Kingdom as it respects the Gospel he may be said not to Reign all the time betwixt his Nativity and his Resurrection that being the time of his Humiliation But as soon as he rose from the Dead having conquer'd Death and Satan then he set up his Spiritual Kingdom This is clear from Psal. 132. 11. compared with Acts 2. 30. Then he sat upon his Throne as the Apostle here applies it Wherefore he said to his Apostles when he was risen All Power us given unto me in Heaven and in Earth Mat. 28. 18. And those Words concerning Christ Sit thou on my Right-â—and till I make thy Enemies thy Footstool Psal. 101. 1. which are mention'd four or five times in the New Testament are spoken of his Resurrection and Ascension whereby he declared himself to be Head and Lord of his Church Some thus interpret what he saith in Luke 7. 28. He that is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he i. e. after I am Risen and Ascended the least Apostle or Preacher of the Gospel shall excell Iohn the Baptist for then a clearer Light will shine the Spirit will lead into all Truth Thus we may understand our Saviour when he saith I will not drink henceforth of the Fruit of this Vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom 〈…〉 which cannot be meant of the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 in Heaven because Christ will not 〈◊〉 drink Wine with them or at least in a proper 〈◊〉 it is not true But it seems more reasonable to take the Words as spoken concerning the time after Christ's Resurrection when he did Eat and Drink with his Disciples as is expresly Recorded This time is Signally and Eminently called the Kingdom of God or Christ because this Commenced immediately after he rose from the Dead and it is stiled the Kingdom of his Father because soon after his Resurrection follow'd his Ascension and Sitting at the Right-hand of the Father which were his solemn Inauguration and Enstallment This was the first Year of his Reign now he enter'd upon his Royal Offâ—ce having sent his Holy Spirit to rule in an extraordinary manner in the Church which he had not done before Thus you see the Date of Christ's Kingdom as it is more specially and particularly understood And moreover from all that hath been said under this Head the truth of what I before asserted is made apparent viz. That there are certain Steps and Degrees in the Evangelical Dispensation Thirdly The Vengeance of Heaven on the Iewish Nation in the Destruction and Devastation of their City is call'd Christ's Kingdom Mat. 16. 28. His Triumphing over those obstinate People whose Forefathers had been his Murderers was a considerable Instance of his Glorious Reign Thence it is that his destroying those his implacable Enemies is said to be his Coming in his Kingdom and it is call'd the Kingdom of God coming with Power Mark 9. 1. Fourthly Christ's Second Coming viz. at the Day of Judgment when he shall visibly and manifestly in the Face of all the World exercise his Regal Power is call'd his Kingdom thus it is said Christ shall Iudge the Quick and the Dead at his appearing and his Kingdom 2 Tim. 4. 1. Lastly By Christ's Kingdom is meant that peculiar and special time of his Reigning which is the present Subject of our Discourse when Christianity shall arrive at its height when the Church shall be in its Meridian That Petition in the Lord's Prayer Thy Kingdom come seems to be meant of this though not solely of it Then the Grace of God in the Gospel will shine forth in its greatest splendor and God's will shall be done then on Earth as it is in Heaven which may perhaps be one reason why these Petitions are joyn'd together It may be this is that Kingdom of God of which and the things appertaining to it our Saviour Discours'd to his Apostles before he left the World Acts 1. 3. But in the Book of the Revelation of St. Iohn there are many clear Passages which relate to this Perfect State of the Christian Church hereafter and 't is express'd by a Kingdom and by Christ's Reigning on the Earth This New Scene is mention'd after this manner in Rev. 5. 10. and again chap. 7. v. 15. and 17. and more plainly in chap. 12. v. 10. Now is
Incongruities he runs himself into to maintain his Assertion Whenas the very Character here given of the Man of Sin viz. that he sits in the Temple of God and exalts himself above all that is called God c. plainly shews to whom it belongs And that the Brightness of Christ's coming whereby this Son of Perdition shall be consumed is not meant of Christ's last Coming to Judgment but of his Coming to Reign upon Earth will appear from what I shall presently add St. Iohn who was honoured with abundant Discoveries from Heaven concerning the Things which were to come to pass afterwards in the Christian Church in a most graphical and lively Manner represents to us in Two whole Chapters the Eighteenth and Nineteenth of the Book of the Revelation the Fall of this Spiritual Baby lon and the Saints Rejoicing and Triumphing because of the Vengeance of God upon her And then immediately in the next Chapter he proceeds to speak of the Binding of Satan and the Reign of the Saints a Thousand Years In which Chapters though it is true the exact Order of the Time is not observed as in the Book of the Revelation is â—â—sual and therefore we must not always insist upon Prius Postâ—â—ius here yet this is plainly signified to us that there is a Connexion between these Two the Reign of Christ and the Fall of Babylon and that the one most certainly goes along with the other But exactly speaking the Overthrow of Babylon is part of Christ's Reigning or you may call it an Effect of it For when he Reigneth he will subdue and destroy this Greatest Enemy of his Kingdom If we enquire How he shall be destroy'd both St. Paul and St. Iohn will satisfy us The former tells us That he shall be consumed by the Spirit of God's Mouth 2 Thes. 2. 8. Which may signify some immediate way of God's blasting him God Himself shall fight against him with the Sword of his Mouth The Pope shall be destroyed saith Luther without Hands As he began so he shall end He set up at first not by Power and in the like manner he shall be cast down That Prophecy in 8. Dan. 25. concerning Antiochus He shall be broken without Hand shall be fulfilled of the Pope And again he saith When God speaketh but a Word and saith Rome be destroy'd Sir Pope come down from your Throne it shall be accomplished immediately The Phrase here used may denote the Easiness and Suddenness of the Fall of the Papal Antichrist It shall be as it were with a Word of God's Mouth Or the Spirit of God's Mouth may signify the Preaching of the Gospel This shall be made the great Instrument of Rome's Fall As the Prophet of old was said to sâ—ay the Wicked with the Words of his Mouth Hos. 6. 5. So shall the Evangelical Prophets the Ministers of Christ when they shall be effectually stir'd up for that purpose slay that wicked One and all his Adherents in the same manner they shall be so powerfully enabled to enlighten and instruct the World that it shall soon be convinced of the Damnable Errours and Impieties of the Roman Church it shall plainly see and discern the execrable Impostures of that Society of Men it shall be made evident from the Word of God That they are no other than the Synagogue of Satan Thus the Man of Sin shall be destroy'd by the Brightness of Christâ—s coming as the Apostle expresseth it in the same place by the Plain and Convictive Preaching of the Word which shall accompany that blessed State of the Church which is to come But Rome shall not Fall by God's Word only The ensuing Texts of Scripture will bring you to this Perswasion that her Downfal shall likewise be by humane Force and Power He that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword Rev. 13. 10. Give her Blood to drink Ch. 16. v. 6. They shall make the Whore desolate and naked and they shall Eat her Flesh and burn her with Fire Ch. 17. v. 16. All which signify the use of Violent Means And more fully yet in Ch. 18. v. 6 7 8. Reward her even â—s she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her Works in the Cup which she hath filled which was a Cup of Blood fill to her Double How much she hath glorified herself and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her for she saith in her Heart I sit a Queen and am no Widow and shall see no sorrow Therefore shall her Plagues come in one Day Death and Mourning and Famine and she shall be utterly burnt with Fire Perhaps this last Expression may intimate that the Papists shall fall out among themselves that they shall dissent from one another that they shall contribute towards their Ruin by their own intestine Quarrels and Combustions for these are signified by Fire not only in Luke 12. 49. but in several other Places But there must be some Fighting on both Sides Rome and its Opponents as I conceive This seems to me very plain out of Rev. 19. 19 20 21. where there are Two Armies and a formal pitch'd Battle and a Victory ensuing upon it To take it wholly in a Spiritual Sense is very harsh and disagreeable to what we meet with in this and other Chapters of this Book where there are several Passages which seem to inform us That this Bloody Antichrist shall Fall by the Hand and Force of Man as well as by the immediate Curse of God and the Preaching of the Gospel of which I spoke before We are told that Hannibal brake through the Alpes with Fire and Vinegar when he was on his march towards Rome It is probable that those Warriors and Champions whom God will stir up to make their way thither will use a resembling Method that they will ingage in very Hot and Sharp Service and with the utmost Force and Violence incounter all Impediments which stand in their way And as the Old Romans in great Streights of the Commonwealth created a Dictator an extempore Monarch and Governour so it may be the Person to do this great Thing shall be of that sort he shall be extraordinarily chosen out and set up by Providence on purpose for this emergent Business And who knows but that he may be a Dictator as it were from the Plough i. e. a Person taken from more Private and Low Employments to move and act in this High and Publick Sphere But I need not be Inquisitive and Solicitous about the Manner of Rome's Downfal since we have so good Assurance of the Thing itself and may acquiescâ— in that II. The Conversion or Fulness of the Gentiles is another Attendant of the Reign of Christ upon Earth This was intimated in that Promise of God to Abraham That he should be a Father of the Multitude of Nations 17. Gen. 4. for so it is in the Original Those Nations which proceeded from Abraham by Hagar and
questionless are to be understood of this Kingdom of the Messias which is yet to come The Close of the Prophecy plainly shews that it is meant of this for 't is said they shall no more be pulled up out of their Land which I have given them They have been pull'd up out of that Land that we are certain of and they are not yet return'd to it But when God shall bring them again to that Place they shall no more be pull'd up they shall remain there 'till the End of the World I will add that famous Prediction of the Prophet Zachariab Ch. 12. v. 10 c. I will pour upon the House of David and upon the Inhabitants of Terusalem the Spirit of Grace and of Supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn c. That this Chapter is spoken of the Tews is agreed upon by all and that this Portion of it is more especially so appears from that first thing which is said of them viz. that they shall look upon him whom they have pierced for it refers to the piercing of our Saviour's side with a Spear John 19. 37. where upon this Action this Scripture is said to be fulfill'd Upon this Account their looking upon Christ and mourning for him cannot be meant of what they did presently after their return from the Captivity in Babylon of which some imagine most of the Prophets speak for Christ was not then come and therefore they could not pierce him And besides this Zechary prophesied after the Captivity and the Restauration of the Iews and consequently could not speak of these as future things as here they shall look they shall mourn Nor can this Prophecy be understood as some conceive of the Conversion of the Iews in the Apostles Times when several of them imbrac'd the Christian Faith and particularly in one day there were added to the Church about three thousand Souls Acts. 241. some of whom had been Crucifiers of our Saviour v. 36. for this is far different from a National Mourning and Repentance which are here foretold Not only Ierusalem but the Land shall mourn v. 12. the whole People of the Jews Neither is this Prophecy to be interpreted concerning the Day of Judgement as several Expositors have thought telling us that then there shall be a General Mourning and Lamenting for the Crucifying of Christ when they shall look on him whom they have pierced But this Exposition cannot be admitted because these Words speak of the true and hearty Repentance and Conversion of the Iews which no considerate Man can expect shall be at the Last Day If they have not the Spirit of Grace and Supplications poured on them before it is too late then to have it Nor can the Iewish Families mourn apart at that time as is related here Therefore I conclude seeing none of the foresaid Interpretations are well grounded that the Words are to be understood of the Days of the Millennary Reign when there shall be a National and Universal Call of the Jews The whole Land i. e. all the People shall mourn and every Family apart to shew the Sincerity of the Mourning The Spirit of Grace and Supplication shall be bestow'd on these True Penitents they shall be effectually moved by the former to hate their past Enormities and by the latter to beg Pardon for them They shall in a sincere and saving manner bewail the execrable Wickedness of their Forefathers who put the Blessed Iesus to Death and as cordially grieve that they themselves cruciâ—ied him by their Sins This is looking on him whom they pierced Thus on all Accounts this Prophetick Passage is to be interpreted concerning that Last Conversion of the Jews which is one main Ingredient of the Messias's Kingdom toward the World's End when the whole Body of that People disperesed over the several parts of the Earth shall be brought home to the Flock of Christ. Thus it is apparent that this is one of the most considerable Texts in the Old Testament to this purpose I will now pass to the New Testament which chiefly recounts the wonderful Grace of God in the Conversion of Persons to Christianity in the Times of our Saviour and his Apostles and therefore speaks but little of this future Call of the Iews but two or three Places are very Remarkable which I will Produce The first is that of Luke 2. 30 31 c. where we read that Aged Simeon took the Child Iesus up in his Arms and blessed God that his Eyes had seen his Salvation viz. the Saviour whom God had sent into the World whom he had prepared before the Face of all People i. e. whom he had from Eternity decreed and appointed to make known in due time to all the Nations and People of the World And because Gentiles and Iews are a dichotomy of all the People of the World this Great Blessing is more particularly and distinctly expressed thus that he shall be a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of his People Israel Where we are assured that the Gentiles shall first share in this Blessing of the Messias and then the Iews which manifestly shews that this latter is to be understood of the General Conversion of the Iews for in our Saviour's Time the Iews were first call'd and then the Gentiles It shall be otherwise afterwards the way of Salvation and Happiness shall first be discovered to the Gentiles and then to the Iews But observe how differently this is express'd it is said Christ shall enlighten the former but he shall be the Glory of the latter It is a very high Word and lets us know how great how renown'd how glorious the State of the Jews shall be hereafter For this must necessarily be meant of their future Condition because they have never since these Words were spoken been a Glorious People yea they have been above Sixteen hundred years an inglorious base despised People Therefore there remains a Time when these Words of Simeon shall be fulfill'd viz. when the Gentiles are converted to the Faith then Christ shall be the Glory of his People Israel And it is probable that this is meant by those Words that follow Behold this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel that is the Jewish People shall be rejected but they shall afterwards be recovered and restored We have seen the first part of this Prophecy accomplished and at this very day the Truth of it is manifest the Jews are fallen they are cast off and cease to be a Church or Nation The second part of the Prophecy is yet to come when this People shall rise again and be receiv'd to Mercy and Favour The next Text is that which I had occasion to mention partly before but now I will set it down in full Luke 21. 24. where our Saviour after he had been discoursing of the several Fore-runners of those Judgments which were to befal the Iews
come the Kingdom of our God which is explained by the next Words The Power of his Christ his effectual Reigning whereby he shews his Power in the Church more than ever We have not yet seen the Consequences of the Seventh Angel's Sounding when it was proclaim'd with a loud Voice from Heaven The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall Reign for ever and ever Rev. 11. 15. which in v. 17. is call'd his taking to him his great Power and his Reigning Which gives us to understand that he doth not at first exert his great Power in the Evangelical Dispensation he doth not fully Reign but that he will afterwards and upon Earth This is taking to him his c. There is one Text more which I will add and I request the Reader to consider of it He i. e. Christ must Reign till he hath put all Enemies under his Feet 1 Cor. 15. 25. The Apostle had mention'd the Resurrection of the Saints at Christ's last coming v. 23. and thereupon adds in the next Verse then cometh or then is the end viz. of this World and Present State of things when he that is Christ shall have deliver'd up the Kingdom the Saints who are the chiefest part of his Kingdom to God even the Father when i. e. after he shall have put down all Rule and all Authority and Power which oppose him and his Kingdom For he must Reign i. e. in his Church till he hath put all Enemies under his Feet Now it is plain and undeniable that this time is not yet come therefore it shall be hereafter There must be a time here on Earth when Christ shall have put all his Enemies under his Feet when he shall Reign without opposition And this is the time I am speaking of viz. the Third Exertment of the Evangelical Dispensation But the most Signal Eminent and Renowned Place on which may be Founded and Built the Future Glorious State of the Christian Church on Earth is the 20th Chapter of the Revelation where is expresly foretold the Binding of Satan a Thousand Years and the Saints Living and Reigning with Christ a Thousand Years I know full well this Chapter hath been miserably perverted not only of late but at the first setting out of Christianity Some from this place asserted a Terrene Millennary Kingdom of Christ consisting chiefly in Corporal Pleasures and Carnal Delights as if they design'd to revive the Epicurean Happiness or to antedate the Mahometan Heaven Cerinthus is said to be the Author of this Opinion for being a Man addicted to Sensuality and Pleasure he founded an Happiness here on Earth of such a Nature viz. abounding with all Delights relating to Meats and Drinks Concupiscence and Effeminacy So saith an Antient Ecclesiastical Writer Dionysius of Alexandria 1. 2. de Promis And Eusebius saith the same Eccl. Hist. 1. 7. c. 19. But this savours too much of the Flesh besides that it contradicts our Saviour who said His Kingdom was not of this World John 18. 36. and consequently the Reigning of the Saints is not Worldly and Sensual but Spiritual and Heavenly And besides these Men held that this Reign of Christ here on Earth was to be after the Resurrection yea and after the last Iudgment which renders this Opinion yet more Improbable if not Absurd as if the Saints who had enjoy'd the Pleasures of Heaven would count it a Happiness to be entertain'd with those that are Sensual and Carnal There were Others of Old who had a more Tolerable Notion of the Millennary Reign for they placed it not in Sensual and Earthly Pleasures and mere outward Peace and Prosperity though they held it was not without these There Opinion in short was this that after Six Thousand Years in this World were compleated the Saints should all rise their Bodies should ascend out of their Graves or where ever else they were and their Souls should come down from Heaven and Christ also should descend from thence and keep a Jubile with them and Reign with great joy a Thousand Years here upon Earth and that all Kingdoms should be made subject to him and that the Righteous should be Bless'd with an abundance of the Good Things of this World but without any Intemperance Excess or Immoderation whatsoever This they call'd the First Resurrection from which all the Ungodly are excluded After this Seventh Millennary of Years is compleated all Men shall rise from the Dead which is the Second Resurrection This was the Sentiment of most of the Ancient Fathers yea of all Christians who were accounted Orthodox as Iustin Martyr acquaints us He and Irenaeus and Ierom and others tell us that this Doctrine came first from Papias Bishop of Hierapolis who pretended he had it from St. Iohn whose Scholar he was and from the Disciples of the Apostles with whom he was acquainted So that the Pedegree of the Millennary Opinion is this It was first broach'd by Cerinthus then reâ—ined by Papias and others and afterwards transmitted to the Latin and Greek Fathers Or if we will be more exact in the Lineage and Descent of it we must begin it higher and say that the Apostles set it on foot first for they dreamt of an Earthly Kingdom of Christ in this World as I have shewed before Or rather we may trace it up to the Iews before Christ the Millennium was borrowed from an Antient Tradition and Perswasion among that People that the Messias should Reign a Thousand Years on Earth in all Pomp and Grandure The Babylon Talmud in Sanhedrim in the Chapter Helek doth shew this to be the Opinion of the Hebrew Doctors about the Days of the Messias And Aruch mentions it as a thing of undeniable certainty and so speaks R. Eliâ—zer in Midrash Tillim The Days of the Messias are a Thousand Years So our Learned Lightfoot The Opinion of his Personal Reign in the affluence of all Sensual and Worldly Delights was an old Iewish Error saith St. Ierom once and again And several other Writers testifie that it was a received Notion among them That the Messias after Six Thousand Years of the World were expired should Reign in Person all the time of the next Millennary with his Elect on Earth in perfect Peace and Prosperity and hence the Christians converted from Iudaism borrow'd and retain'd this Notion And truly it was kept up a long time in the Church it was almost universally believ'd no less than the first Three Hundred Years after the Apostles At last the credit of Papias who was thought to be the first Broacher of this Doctrine was call'd in question Though he was a Man oâ— great Simplicity Honesty and Integrity yet he was one of small Judgment and mean Learning saith Eusebius And he adds in another place that this Papias spoke Strange and Fabulous things and did not understand the Apostles Arguings St. Ierom and St. Augustin
were the first Fathers that writ against this Millennary Reign and soon after this it was generally Condemn'd by the Fathers of the Roman and Greek Church and hath ever since been look'd upon as an Heterodox Opinion excepting that some Anabaptists have made bold to revive it If we consider things aright we shall see sufficient reason to condemn and explode this Doctrine for there are these two gross Errors in it 1. That Christ shall Personally Reign upon Earth 2. That the Saints shall come from Heaven and Reign with him First The Chiliasts are palpably mistaken in this that Christ shall come from Heaven and Personally Reign here and that before the General Resurrection and Day of Judgment as they also hold This is contrary to express Words of Scripture which saith concerning our Saviour That the Heaven must receive him until the times of the restitution of all things i. e. as I conceive till the finishing of those times of the restitution of all things which will be a little before the Day of Judgment We are assured that Christ from his Ascension to that time remains in Heaven From thence he shall come to Iudge the Quick and the Dead therefore he shall not come down on Earth before that time and consequently he will not Reign here in Person as those Milleâ—naries imagine It is incongruous and against reason that he should be said to come to Iudge the Men upon Earth and yet at the same time be on the Earth Nor is there any thing in this 20th Chapter of the Revelation which favours this Fancy of theirs Had a Personal Reign been intended here it would have been said that Christ shall Reign with the Saints a Thousand Years which Words might fairly intimate that Christ would descend from Heaven and come among them and Reign in the midst of them so long a time but instead of this it is only said that they shall Reign with him a Thousand Years Or suppose it were expresly said Christ shall Reign yet this doth not prove that he shall Reign in Person How often doth the coming of the Lord in Luke 12. and in other Places signifie Christ's Coming in way of Judgment and Vengeance not his Personal Coming Why then may not Christs Reigning be meant not of a Personal Reigning but of his Reigning in the Hearts and Lives of the Faithful He is with them Spiritually and they Reign with him after the same manner and no other Therefore the Inquisitive Mr. Mede who founds the Future Reign of Christ upon Earth on his Chapter in the Revelations saw no Ground here for his Visible and Corporal Reigning Whence he hath left us these Words The presence of Christ in his Kingdom shall no doubt be Glorious and Evident yet I dare not so much as imagine that it shall be a Visible Converse on Earth for the Kingdom of Christ ever hath been and shall be a Kingdom whose Throne and Kingly Residence is in Heaven I quote this Passage the rather because some have entertain'd another Opinion of this Learned Author Besides in this Chapter v. 8 12. we read that Gog and Magog intervene between the Thousand Years and the Day of Judgment Therefore the Personal Reign of Christ is not before that Day for the Heavens retain him till then Nor is it after that Day for Gog and Magog who come after the Millennium go before the Day of Judgment I conceive this is an Unanswerable Proof And as for the several Quotations of Scripture which they bring to assert the Personal Reign the Answer in brief is this that theywrest those Places which speak of Christ's First Coming and others which speak of his Last Coming to Iudgment and apply them to a Second Personal Coming of Christ before the General Resurrection and Day of Judgment From this perverting of those Texts they set up the Corporal Reign of our Saviour which they so much talk of Secondly That is another unpardonable Error that the Bodies of the deceased Saints shall be raised from below and their Souls be dismissed from above and that both shall be united here that they may Reign with Christ on Earth First this is against the constant Discovery which is made to us in Scripture that Heaven and signally the Highest Heavens are the Place of Glory and the Seat of Blessedness prepared for the departed Souls of the Faithful Those Regions above not this Earth below are the Receptacle of Glorified Spirits Yet these Men are pleased to alter the Constitution and Appointment of the All-wise God and to make the Earth the Habitation of Blessed Spirits and the Seat of Happiness This is to abrogate the Laws of God's Kingdom this is to anticipate the State of Glory this is to confound Heaven and Earth Again How absurd and ridiculous is it to assert that the departed Saints shall come to be subject after all the Joys and Ravishments of another World to Calamities and bodily Evils For Gog and Magog shall besiege them as they must needs grant from v. 9. of this Chapter Shall the Saints not only quit their heavenly Mansions and come down here on Earth but also turn Soldiers and put themselves into a Military Posture For you read there of the Camp of the Saints Shall immortal Saints fight after they have been in Heaven Yet the Chiliasts must hold this because they assert that the Reigning of the Saints a Thousand Years is meant here of their leaving of Heaven and coming down to Reign on Earth They pretend to prove this from several Passages in this Chapter as where it speaks of the Souls of them that were Beheaded and of their Living and Reigning and of the first and second Resurrection which argues say they that this Reigning is to be understood of the Saints that were before in Heaven and that there is one Resurrection a Thousand Years before the Last Judgment and another when that comes In the former the Saints rise to Reign and in the latter all other Men shall be raised But St. Iohn's Words in this Chapter signify nothing of this Nature as will appear from setting before the Reader the entire Text with a brief Comment upon it I saw the Souls of them that were Beheaded for the Witness of Iesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast nor his Image nor had received his Mark upon their Foreheads or in their Hands and they lived and Reigned with Christ a Thousand Years But the rest of the Dead lived not again until the Thousand Years were finished This is the first Resurrection Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no Power ver 4 5 6. It is generally agree'd that by the Souls of them that were Beheaded are meant the Persons that were Beheaded for that is the known way of speaking among the Hebrews whom St. Iohn who was one himself here imitates And by them