our Consciences which he hath vindicated into liberty by delivering us from the bondage of corruption If then any pretend a power of obtruding new articles on our Belief or obligations on our Consciences these must be confessed to be injurious to the Dignity wherewith Christ is vested What shall then be said of him who pretends an authority of dspensing with and dissolving the obligation of Oaths of dissolving the Wedlock-bond of allowing Marriage in the forbidden degrees And as for their additions to the Laws of Christ they are innumerable And here what I mentioned last calls me to mind of a pretty device to multiply the forbidden degrees of Marriage yea and add the degrees of spiritual Kindred that is of kindred with our God-fathers or God-mothers in Baptism which is done upon no other design but to draw in more to the Treasure of the Church by frequent Dispenses If I should here reckon up all the additions which by the Authority of that Church are made to the Laws of Christ I should resume all that I have hitherto alledged they being visible additions to the Doctrine and Rules of the Gospel and imposed with such unmerciful cruelty that an Anathema is the mildest of the spiritual Censures they thunder against such as comply not with their tyranny and a faggot would be its civil Sanction were the secular Powers at their devotion I do not deny but there is an Authority both in the Civil and Ecclesiastick Powers of enjoyning things indifferent but no Authority beside Christs can reach the Conscience Besides if these indifferent things swell so in their number be vain pompous and useless and be imposed without all regard to the tender scruples of weak Consciences they become tyrannical and such as do so impose them discover their affecting a tyrannical and lordly dominion over Consciences and that they prefer their own Devices to the simpler Methods of Christ and the plainer and easier Rules of his Gospel But one instance of their abrogating the Laws of Christ is more signal in their violating the Sacrament of the Lords Supper wherein though he instituted it under both kinds and did so distribute it with the express command that all should drink of it yet they presumed notwithstanding of that and though the Primitive Church distributed it in both kinds which is confessed in their Canon to snatch the Cup from the Laity and engâ—…oss it to the Clergy Now it is to be considered that the value of thâ—… Sacramental Actions flowing only from their Institution the first Appointment should be most religiously observed in them Besides the universal extent of Christs word drink ye all of it which was not used in the distribution of the Bread hath a particular mystery in it to guard against the foreseen corruption of that part of it and the reason given in the distribution of the Cup shews it must reach to all that need the Blood of Christ for the remission of sins which not being restrained to the Priests shews that the Cup without a direct opposition to the Mind and Command of Christ ought not to be taken from the People and any that will read the goodly reasons given for this Sacriledge wil see what a low account they have of the Commands of Christ when upon such trifling pretences they will violate them And with how much cruelty they backed this invasion of Christs Authority the History will declare they beginning it with a perfidious burning of two witnesses who opposed it at Constance And occasioning so much War and Blood-shed against those who adhered to the rule of the Gospel in this matter and refused to stoop to their Tyranny But I advance to another invasion of Christs regal authority commited by him who pretends to be the Universal Bishop of the Church and to have authority over all Church-men whom he makes swear obedience to him and looks on them but as his Delegates It was unluckily done of Gregory the great to be so severe on this head as to condemn the title of Universal Bishop as Antichristian But little dream'd he in how few years his Successour would aspire to that height of ambition Now by this pretence all these Officers whom Christ hath appointed to Rule and Feed his Church are turned out of their authority and made subject to him And with how much pride he treads on his Fellow-Bishops the Histories of many ages do declare It is true at first as being Bishop of the Imperial City the Bishops of Rome were highly esteemed but Pride and Ambition began soon to leaven them yet they were for the first four ages looked upon by the other Bishops but as their Fellow-Bishops and by the Decrees oâ—… two General Councils the Bishops of Constantinople were in all things except the precedency make equal to them And by the Decree of the Council of Nice other Metropolitans are levelled with them And here I must tell of a shameful forgery of three Bishops of Rome who one after another would have obtruded on the African Churches a Decree allowing of appeals from them to the Roman See as if it had been made at Nice which they of Africk rejected and upon tryal found it to be none of the appointments at Nice but a Decree of the Council of Sardice But by degrees the Bishops of that City got up to the height they are now at and not content with their usurping over their Brethren and Fellow-Church-men their next attempt was upon Princes who deriving their authrity from Iesus Christ the King of Kings by whom Kings do reign it was an invasion of his power to attempt against his Vice-Gerents on Earth But the Popes made no bones of this for being now held Christs Vicars on earth with other blasphemous titles as Vice-God yea and Lord God they thought their power was limited as long as Kings and Emperours were not even in temporals subject to them And therefore from the days of Pope Gregory the 7th they pretended to a power of deposing Princes disposing of their Dominions to others and dispensing with the Oaths of fidelity their Subjects had sworn to them and it was easie for them to make Crowns change their Masters as they pleased For there were always other ambitious Princes ready for their own ends to invade the Dominions of these deposed Kings upon the Popes warrant and the generality of the People were so possessed with the Popes power of releasing souls from Purgatory and from the punishments due to sin that they were easily prevailed upon to follow his thundersâ—… And by that time the Popes had swarmâ—… of Emissaries of the begging Orders who under shews of austere Piety gained much reverence and esteem in the World and so got all subjected to the Papal Tyranny Now should I instance this in particulars I should transgress the limits of a short Discourse by a long History but the lives of Gregory the 7th Alexander the third Boniface the 8thâ—…nd Iulius the second to
thing of the love of God he is by their Doctrine and Conduct qualified for receiving worthily were his heart never so much united to sin or averse from all Devotion or application to Divine matters And what complaints shall be here made of these who teach that the sure way of gaining the favour of God which they phrase by the keyes of Paradise is to say the Ave to bid the blessed Virgin good-morrow every day or to send our Angel Guardian to salute her or finally to wear a Meddal or Rosary in devotion to her though from the first time we begin to wear it we never again think of her Doth not all this look like a conspiracy against the power of Godliness But shall we next consider the Moral Law which though Christ said hâ—… came not to dissolve but to fulfil Mat 5. 17. Yet they have found out distictions and Doctrines to destroy it It true what may be said here cannot directly as to every particular be chargâ—… on the Roman Church since it hath â—… been decreed by Pope or Council bâ—… when prophane Casuists have printâ—… Doctrines which tend to the subvâ—…sion of the most common principles virtue and morality and these are licâ—…sed according to the rule of that Churcâ—… And for as publick as they are and for â—… the censures and complaints others haâ—… passed upon them yet they continâ—… without any censure from the chair Rome it is a shrewd presumption that thâ—… are not unwelcome to that See Thouâ—… for good manners sake they have givâ—… them no other owning but a connivanâ—… joyned with an extraordinary cherishiâ—… of that School which vents them Two general Doctrines they have which at two stroaks dissolve all tâ—… bonds of Virtue The one is 〈◊〉 Doctrine if probability the other good intention By the first they teach â—…hat if any approved Doctor of the Church have held an opinion about any â—…ractical thing as probable any Christian â—…ay with a safe conscience follow it were it never so much condemned by others and did it appear with the blackâ—…st visage And by this it is that scarce â—…here is a sin which may not be safely â—…azarded on since there have been of â—…he approved Doctors of that Church who have made a shift by distinctions â—…o represent the worst actions not only â—…s probable but as really good The next Doctrine is of good intention whereâ—…y they teach a man to commit the grossest â—…egerdemain with God and his own conscience maginable by which he may act any sin he will provided he intend not that but some â—…ther good design or motive And any that will read the Provincial Letters or the Mystery of Iesuitism and compare â—…heir Citations with the Authors whence they take them will soon be saâ—…isfied of the truth of this We have already seen how that Church violates the two first Commandments by her Idolatry Whereby in opposition to the first she worships Saints and Angels with those acts and expressions of adoration only due to God The second is also palpably violated by their Image-worship and adoring God under sensible and external representations The third is made void by the Popes pretending to dispence with Oaths and to annual their obligation as also by their Doctrines of equivocation and mental reservations in all Oaths both assertory and promissory besides the impious Doctrines of some Casuists that justifie the prophaning of Gods Sacred Name iâ—… rash and common swearing Their contempt of the fourth Precept is not denied it being usually among them a day of mercating dancing and foolish jollity Many among them teaching that to hear Mass that day doth fully answer the obligation for its observance Their contempt of the fifth follows upon the Doctrine of the Popes power of deposing Princes and freeing the Subjects from their obligation to them by which they are taught to rebel and rest the Ordinance of God Besides their Caâ—…uists allow it as lawful to desire the Parents â—…eath provided it be not out of malice to him â—…ut out of a desire of good to themselves That they may enjoy their inheritance or be â—…id of their trouble Yea some of their â—…mpious Casuists say that Children may lawfully intend the killing of their Parents and may disown them and Marry without their consent For the sixth Command their Casuists do generally allow to kill in defence of Honour Life or Goods even though the hazard of losing them be not near and evident but afar off and uncertain And they teach that a man is not bound to stay till another smite him but if he threaten him or if he offend with his words or if one know that he hath a design upon his Honour Life or Goods he may with a good Conscience prevent and kill him And this they extend to all sorts of persons both Secular and Religious allowing it to Sons against their Fathers And they leave it free to them to execute this by whatever means they judge most proper whether by force or supprize or by the service of others if they dare not attempt to kill by their own hands which they stretch to the case of one who knows another guilty of a crime and intends to pursue him for it and they allow the guilty person if he know no other way of escape to kill him who intends his accusation that he may thereby preserve his life in order to which they also allow it lawful to kill the witnesses that may prove the crime As for the seventh Command modesty cannot name their polluted Doctrines about it They barred the Clergy the lawful use of Marriage but did allow them Concubinate and the publick licenses given to base houses in the Popes dominions prove that See a Mother of Fornications even in the letter the Religious Houses being likewise full of Irreligious intanglements into a course of life which many times they are not able to bear but being restrained from the honourable Ordinance of God many of these houses have proved either nests of filthiness or of secret impurities which it seems by the rules of confession and the questions their Confessours puts to them are known to abound among them And any that have read these will confess that it defiles a chast mind to read them but what must it be to ask them especially at those of a different Sex Shall I also here mention the frequent dispensing with Marriages within degrees forbidden and their as frequent dissolving of that sacred knot though as if they had resolved on a contradiction to all the rules of the Gospel they refuse to dissolve the bond on the account of adultery which Christ hath made the only ground than can justifie the dissolution of it But shall I add to this the base impieties of which not only these of purple and scarlet Livery among them have been notoriously guilty but even the villanies of some that have worn the Triple Crown As I should grow too tedious so I must
any attempt upon that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free he changeth the authority of the Church into a tyrannical Yoke much more if all the new articles of belief and rules for practice be imposed under the severest certificats But here we are to consider that all these things which that Church hath imposed on all of her Communion for which we withdrew from her are additions to our faith for in this we mainly differ from that Church that whatever we acknowledge they acknowledge likewise but with a great many additions we believe the Scriptures are a rule for Christians and they believe the same but they add traditions and the authority of the Church to the Scriptures We believe that God is to be worshipped spiritually they believe the same but add that he may be worshipped by Images and sensible Figures We believe Christ to be the Mediator betwixt God and Man they believe the same but add to this the intercession of Saints We hold that God and Christ are to be worshipped they hold the same but add Saints and Angels to our worship We believe Heaven and Hell to be the several States of the future life they believe the same but add Purgatory betwixt them to the day of Judgment We believe Baptism and the Lords Supper to be the Sacraments of the new Covenant they believe the same but add five more We believe Christ is spiritually and really present in the Lords Supper this they believe but add the unconceivable Tenent of his corporal presence In a word it might be instanced in many other particulars how they have driven us from their Communion by their additions to the truth and sincerity of the Gospel which they have adulterated by their Inventions and not only have they imposed all these things but thundered out Anathema's on all that question them and have so wreathed all their fopperies with that main and fundamental article of their belief of the infallibility of their Church that it is impossible to hope for their recovery till they renounce that Principle which is so dear to them For if their Church be infallible then in no matter of faith or practice can she decree amiss and therefore the lawfulness and sanctity of all her decrees must be maintained with an equal vigor and zeal for if in one of them she step aside her infallibility is for ever gone And by this we may see to how little purpose it is to treat of accomodating matters with that Church since there is no possibility of our union with them without we turn over entirely to them since they cannot part with one of their errors without they first renounce that which is the dearest of them all to wit the unerring authority of their Church How cruel then is that Church which addeth the severe sanction of an Anathema to all her decrees even about the most trifling matters and about things that are by their Confession of their own natures indifferent And a consectary to this is that cruel opinion they hold that none can be saved out of their Communion pretending there is no Salvation without the true Church which they restrict to these who are under the obedience of the Roman Bishop and this is what they usually frighten all with But it is to be considered what the true notion of the Church is that so we may see through this frightful Vizar The Church then is a Society of Christians united in the same faith for worshipping of God jointly And another definition of a Church cannot be proved from Scripture for the Church being called the Body of Christ its union with him as its head is held forth by the Apostle in these words Col. 2. 19. The head Christ from whom the whole body by joints and bonds having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God From which words we see what constitutes a man a member of the true Church which is first his union to Christ as his head together with a dependance on him for growth and nutriture and next his being knit to all others who are thus united to Christ which is first the inward union of divine Charity by which he loves all who cleave to Christ as their head and next his associating himself with them in outward visible acts of worship which every Christian is bound to do with all that worship God in Spirit and truth But if a Society of Christians do visibly swerve from Christ in many great and signal contradictions to the honour due to his Person and to the obedience due to his Laws and do grossly adulterate the worship so that communion cannot be had with that Church without departing from the head Christ then it can be no departing from the Church to adhere to Christ and his true worship and to separate from the corruptions are brought in upon the Christian religion If then it appear that the Church of Rome hath departed from the truth and simplicity of the Gospel in so many great and main points these who attempted the reforming her to her first purity and finding that not to be hoped for did unite among themselves for serving and worshiping God aright cannot be charged with separation from the true Church But by that cruel Tenent of theirs they breed up all their Children in the greatest uncharitableness imaginable condemning all who cannot believe all their strange Doctrines or concur in their unhallowed worship Thus they are the Schismatiques who have departed from the true Church and who force from their Communion all who adhere to it but this cruelty rests not in uncharitable censures but hath extended it self to as much bloody and barbarous rage as ever sprung from Hell for all the cruelty of the heathen Persecuters cannot match the practices of that Whore that hath been so often drunk with the blood of the Saints and of the Martyrs of Iesus What enraged cruelty appeared against the poor Waldenses for the separating from their Corruption how many of all Sexes and Ages were cruelly butchered down by the procurement of the Rulers of that Church and because the Albigenses lived under the protection of Princes that favoured them how did the Popes depose their Princes and instigate other ambitious invaders to seize on their dominions which to effectuate a Croissade was proclaimed that had been formerly practised against the Enemies of the Christian Faith and heaven was promised to such as went against these poor innocents whereupon they were killed by thousands without all mercy Never was there any who had the zeal or honesty in these dark ages to witness against the apostacy of the Church but the Pope and Clergy used all means to get his zeal rewarded with a faggot And when the time of reformation came with what rage and spite did the Pope by his Letters and Legates instigate all the Princes of Europe to cruelty against them but as these things were not done in corners so
on earth to see his miracles and hear his doctrin the same is also to bâ—… said of the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles Now to bar the Vulgar from this is to hinder them to hear and see Christ and his Apostles as if that were a Priviledge restricted to Church-men What shall be then said of these who call the Scriptures a Nose of Wax the Sourse of all Heresies a Book written not on Design but upon particular Emergents and do assert its incompleatness unless made up by the Traditions of the Church Is not this to add to the Words of that Book and to accuse the faithful Witness of unfaithfulness But worse than all this is held by these who will have all the Authority of the Scriptures to depend on the Church which must be believed in the first place But here a great difference is to be made betwixt the testimony of a Witness and the authority of a Iudge the former is not denied to the Church and so the Iews had the Oracles of God committed to them but that doth not prove the Authority of their Sanhedrim infallible or superiour to Scripture and in this case more cannot be ascribed to the Christian Church than was proper to the Jewish in our Saviours time But further if the Scripture be to be believed on the testimony of the Church then upon what account is the Church first believed It cannot be said because of any testimony in Scripture for if it give authority to the Scriptures it cannot receive its authority from their testimony How then shall it be proved that the Church must be believed or must it be taken from their own word and yet no other reason can be given to prove the Church infallible For to say that they have continued in a Succession of Bishops from the Apostles days concludes nothing unless it be first proved that the Doctrine of the Apostles was of God otherwise the Mahometan Religion is as much to be believed since for many Ages a Succession of Priests have believed it Further the Greek Churches drive up the Series of their Bishops to the Apostles days as well as the Roman why then should not their Authority be likewise acknowledged infallible In fine must the Vulgar go and examine the Successions of the Bishops and judge about all the dubious Elections whether the Conveyance have been interrupted or not Certainly were this to be done it were an impossible Atchievement and harder than the study of the Originals of both Testaments Therefore the Vulgar must simply believe the Authority of the Church on her own testimony which is the most absurd thing imaginable and this to every individual will resolve into the testimony of their Priest Behold then a goodly Foundation for building our Faith upon Christ Prophetick Office is also invaded by the pretence of the Churches Infallibility in expounding Scriptures for if this be granted the whole Authority will be devolved on the Church for by this Doctrine she may teach what she will and were the Scripture evidence never so full to the contrary yet whatever wrested Exposition she offer though visibly contrary to the plain meaning of the words must be believed But with whom this Power and Authority is lodged is not agreed to among themselves some yielding it to the High Priest of the Church when in his Chair others to the great Sanhedrim of Christendom in a General Council others to both jointly but all this is asserted without proof for that of Christs of telling the Church Mat. 18. 17. so often repeated by them is meant of particular offences and so is restricted to the case of differences among Brethren and relates not to points of Doctrine Besides the Context of these Words doth clearly shew them applicable to every Parochiaâ—… Church and yet their Infallibility cannot be asserted So it is clear that Christ doth only speak of a jurisdiction for quieting of differences among the Brethren That of the gates of Hell their not prevailing against the Church Mat. 16. 18. proves not the pretence of Infallibility And indeed the Translation of that place deserves Amendment and instead of hell that Word is tâ—… be rendred grave so that the meaning of the Phrase is Death which is the mouth and gate through which we pass â—…nto the Grave and is so used by Greek Writers shall never prevail against the Church that is the Church shall never die Neither will that of the Spirit of truth leading out into all truth Joh. 16. 13. advance the Cause a whit since that promise relates to all Believers and it is a part of the happiness of the new Dispensation that all in it shall be taught of God And the promise of founding the Church on St. Peter Matth. 16. saith as â—…ittle for suppose the Rock on whom the Church were to be built were St. Peter himself which I shall not much contravert that is not peculiar unto him since we are all built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and on the twelve foundations of the new Ierusalem are written the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb but what will that prove for a series of the Bishops of Rome And finally for the keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 16. 19. their being given to St. Peter that saith no more but that he was to open the Gospel which is usually called the Kingdom of God or of Heaven in the New Testament Now the use of keys being to open the door this was peculiar St. Peters honour who did first publish the Gospel both to Jews and Gentiles and in particular did first receive the Gentiles into the new Dispensation But this hath no relation to the Bishops of Rome nor to the pretended infallibility of that See That which hath the fairest appearance of reason is that if there be no absolute unerring Court on earth for deciding of controversies there shall be no end of them but every private man may upon the pretence of some ill understood place of Scripture break the unity of the Church and so the peace of the Church is in hazard of being irrecoverably lost But how specious soever this may appear it hath no weight in it For it is certain that vice as well as errour is destructive of Religion and it will be no â—…mputation on our Religion that the one be no more guarded against than the other is if then there be no authority for repressing Vice but the outward discipline of the Church it is not incongruous there be no other authority for â—…uppressing of errour but that same of the Discipline of the Church It is certainly a peece of humility for a man to suspect his own thoughts when they lye â—…ross to the Sentiments of the guides and â—…eaders of the Church But withal a man ought to be in all he does fully perwaded in his own mind and we are commanded to try the spirits and not to believe very spirit 1
the Chalice from the People who in reason should be imagined so tenacious of so great a priviledge that no consideration should have obliged them to part with it and yet we know nor do they deny how it was wrung from them about 250 years ago What may seem less credible then for the People to consent to have their worship in an unknown Tongue and yet we know that all once worshipped in their Mother Tongue but that after by the overthrow of the Roman Empire the Latine Tongue decayed the barbarous worship was obtruded on the World And what piece of worship is both more visible and more contrary to the clearest evidence of Scriptures especially to the commandments in which the people were always instructed then the worshipping of Images And though we know well enough that for the first seven Centuries the Christian World abhorred them yet within a hundredth years after that we find a great part of it bewitched with them And what can be thought more uneasie for the World to have received then the Popes absolute authority over all the Churches and States of the World One should think that though Religion and Reason had lien out of the way yet Interest and Ambition had withstood this yet we see clearly by what steps they crept up from being Bishops of the Imperial City in an equality of power with their neighbouring Bishops into that culminating hight to which they have now mounted In a word we refuse not to appeal to the first four Ages of the Church in these matters that we quarrel the Roman Church for We deny not but humane infirmity begun soon to appear in the Church and a care to gain on the Heathens made them quickly fall upon some rites and use some terms which after-ages corrupted But the ruin of Religion was when the Roman Empire being overturned by the incursion of the Northern Nations in the beginning of the fifth Century both piety and Religion being laid to sleep instead of the Primitive simplicity of the faith and worship of the Christians they turned all their zeal to the adorning of the outwards of Religion hence the corruptions of the Church took their rise But I had almost forgot to name some Revelations which that Church pretends to even for some of her most doubtful opinions which are the visions and extraordinary Inspirations of some of their Saints from which they vouch a divine confirmation to their Doctrines I confess there is a great deal of extraordinary Visions Rapts and Extasies to be met with among the lives of their Saints and I fear a great deal more then truth for really whoso will but read these writings he must confess they are so far from being probable or well contrived that they speak out their forgery Alas whereas St. Paul being put to Glory of Visions and Revelations was to run back fourteen years for one Their Saints are found in them every day Are they not very credible Stories they tell of Christs appearing to some of their She-Saints and kissing them giving them Rings being married to them and celebrating nuptial rites making them drink out of his side and leaving on them the prints of his wounds with many other such like apparitions of the Virgin and other Saints which were either forgeries dreams or the effects of melancholy or histerical distempers and yet these extravagant fables are given out to the people as sacred pieces of Divine Revelations But the inspiration of the holy Writers on which we found our Faith was proved by their miracles which they wrought publickly in the sight of many and in the presence of their adversaries many of whom were convinced by them and it is certain that whosoever offers any thing to anothers belief pretending he comes to him in the Name of God must have some evident proof of his Divine Mission since none are bound to believe him barely on his own Testimony Otherwise there should be no end of Impostures if every pretender to Divine Inspiration were to be believed without proof Now the way it must be proved is by some evidence of Gods extraordinary assisting such a person which appeared alwayes either in Prophesies or Miracles but chiefly in miracles under the New Testament and therefore both Christ and his Apostles appeal to the mighty works they wrought as the great confirmation of their Doctrine If then there be new Doctrines brought into the Church they must have the like confirmation otherwise they are not to be believed But here those of that Church think they triumph For miracles they have in abundance not a Relique they have but hath wrought mighty wonders nor a Countrey-Saint but the Curat of the place can gravely tell a great many deeds of his puissance nor want the Images their marvellous atchievments but wondrously wondrous are the feats the Hosty hath performed Here I am upon a sad Subject of that trade of lies and fictions wherewith the Merchants of that Babylon have so long traffiqued of which the sincerer among themselves are ashamed How ridiculous are many of their miraculous narrations Was it a worthy piece of the Angelical Ministration for Angels to go trotting over Sea and Land with a load of Timber and Stones of the Virgins house till at length they set it down at Loretto that great devotions might be shown to it It is a goodly story for to tell of a Saint that walked so far after his head was cut off with it in his arms resting in some places to draw breath yet he will pass for an Infidel that should doubt of this at St. Denis-Church Who can look on the lives of the late Saints of that Church without nausea Gregories Dialogues begun this trade which indeed hath thriven well since The miracles of the Christian faith were grave and solemn actions but what ridiculous scenical stories not to say blasphemous ones meet us about the miracles of their Saints He that would know this may read the Lives of St. Francis and St. Dominic St. Bridgit and the two St. Catherines and he will be satisfied to a surfeit The Miracles also of Christ and his Apostles were acted publickly in the view of all but most of these narrations of their Wonders were transacted in corners none being witnesses but persons concerned to own the cheat And the Doctrine of Equivocating was a good cordial for the ease of their Consciences though they swore what they knew false according to the natural sense of the words which they uttered Thus we have many fables of Christs appearing in the Hosty sometimes as a child and sometimes as crucified when but a very few of the whole company present were honoured with that amazing sight Further the Miracles of the Christian Faith were written in the times in which they were acted that so enquiries might have been made into their falshood and the powers that then governed being enemies to the Faith it was safe for its opposers to have proved