possible to name Than th' universal whence at first things came Whose Pow'r we 're sure can no defici'ence know But that his Will 's deficient who can show That 't is the pleasure of the Deity Souls should in total Abolition lie XXIII Many Reasons make for it Nay th' Arguments o'th'other side are clear That Man o're his own Actions pow'r does bear And all the an'imal World his beck obeys That he his Mind to God's own Throne can raise And for his sake contemn all outward things That in his Soul a grateful thirst there springs Of an immortal State above the Earth And he diverts himself with solid Mirth While a good Consci'ence does supply the Feast With which he in each Circumstance is blest This comforts him to bear the heavi'est stroke Nor can the anchor of his hope be broke But then if he a wicked Life has led What gastly Horrors all his Thoughts o're-spread Death is the King of Terrors truly found And the last Judgment inwardly does wound Under the force of which great Tyrants groan And hardly dare they trust themselves alone Examples are too numerous to give Of those who under these Tormentors live XXIV Whence it follows that the end of Man should be Happness after this Life But if such be the nature of the Mind That of it's failing we no cause can find And God has pleas'd to give us many signs That when the Body moulders that still shines What nobler end can mortal Man propound Than that with Happ'iness this may be crown'd Hence Plata and the Pythagoreans taught Man should to imitate his God be brought What that Felicity and how attain'd May in some part by humane thought be gain'd But what God has discover'd in his Word XXV Which to obtain Men must search for the true Religion Must most of Truth and Certainty afford Which since the Christian Doctrine does hold forth Let us examine what belief 't is worth LIB II. THou blessed Jesus I. To prove the Truth of Christian Religion who in Heav'n dost reign Assist my Thoughts while in an humble strain The Truth and Certainty I represent Of that Religion for which thou wast sent That while Tiber'ius did the Empire sway II. Here is shewn that Jesus liv'd Jesus of Naz'areth did in Judah stay Not Christians only constantly profess Jewish and Pagan Authors do no less Sueton'ius Pliny Tac'itus have his Fame And numbers after them repeat the same And that this Jesus Pilate crucify'd Howe're reproachful Christians ne're deny'd Nay this the Jews ne're scruple to declare Tho great on that account their Suff'rings are Where e're disperst they among Christians live And Proofs beyond desire the Pagans give Who Pilate's Acts have down to us convey'd In whose Memorials this as chief is laid Julian and others who the most oppose That rule of life which blessed Jesus shows Concerning this did ne're one Question move This the most disagreeing People prove The Proofs so full no History has more III. Nevertheless was after his Death worshipp'd by Men of the greatest Wisdom Yet him most distant Realms as God adore And this appears not in our Age alone But we may trace it back unto his own And when at Rome fierce Nero did preside Many for that Profession bravely dy'd As Tacitus and sev'ral others tell IV. And of these Worsh'ppers many did excel In Judgment and improvements of the Mind Not here to name whom of the Jews we find Such Serg'ius was who did in Cyprus rule And Dionysius Head of a fam'd School That glorious ancient Martyr Polycarp Justin and Irenaeus Writers sharp Wise Athenagoras at Athens bred And Origin whose Learning far has spread With Alexandrian Clement many more Unto this suffering Lord like Rev'rence bore What with such thinking Men as these could sway Most of them bred in quite another way On such an Object of their Faith to call Of which there could be no other cause than that he wrought Miracles Where neither Honour could or Gain befal Were it not this that having us'd the care In things which of the chiefest moment are Fit for the wise trying the constant fame Which did his supernat'ral Works proclaim They found them such beyond the least dispute As did all vain Philosophy confute Diseases quitting the long ravag'd Field When nothing in all Nature help could yeild Sight giv'n to him who ne're could use an Eye That questionless miraclous supply Of thousands with created Loaves of Bread Repeated and thro' distant Regions spread And Life call'd back again after 't was fled Not here the numerous instances to name V. Which Miracles cannot be ascribed to Natural or Diabolical Efficacy but proceeded meerly from God Which had obtain'd such an unblemisht Fame That Celsus and ev'n Julian them confess And the learn'd Jewish Talmudists no less These they ne're scruple Prodigies to call And therein own them supernatural Long fixt Diseases yeilding at command Of the least motion of the Lip or Hand Argue a Pow'r which Nature must obey But if in this such Efficacy lay It no less strange appears that of all those Who Christ and his Religion did oppose None should the mighty Secret yet disclose And hence we with just reas'ning may collect That of Imposture none can these suspect Since they were publick and expos'd to sight Of Men who ' gainst Convicti'on us'd to fight And Men well conversant in ev'ry Art That nat'ral Wit or Study could impart And the like things repeated as was need Shew'd that these Works did not from chance proceed Besides th' effects were such as long did last When things by accident are quickly past These things with due Consideration weigh'd ' Gainst which the Jews have no Objections made Their Force from something more than humane had Which either a good Spirit was or bad The bad would never these great Truths attest By which their Empire here is so deprest And which prohibit their beloved Feast Deeds and Desires obscene Experience shows That Daemons all their Pomp and Worship lose Magick and all their other Arts held vain Where e're Christ'anity does footing gain Porphiry owns Christ's Advent did impair The Forces of those Princes of the Air. Who can think Evil Spirits so unwise Where there no Honour Advantage lies But great Disgrace and Detriment t' ensue Yet the same Acti'ons still they should pursue Less is it to be thought it should agree With the known Wisdom of the Deity And that extensive Goodness all Men see To suffer Men guilty of nothing ill Devoted absolutely to his Will Such as all grant the Prim'tive Christ'ians were To be trapan'd into a fatal Snare Men in their Lives unblam'd and suff'ring pain That they a faultless Conscience might maintain But if you say these Deeds must be assign'd Unto some good but secundary Mind Therein that they the Godhead pleas'd you own For all good Spirits look at that alone Not here those
his Grave Mahomet Author of far spreading Rites As is confest by his own Proselites Dissolv'd in Luxury and Lust did live Nor left he the least earnest to believe That the Rewards he promis'd shall be found Perpetua'l Feasts and Lusts for ever crown'd When his own Body ne're had Life again And does intomb'd at Mecha still remain Moses who had the Jews divinely taught Tho a brave Man yet was not free from fault When God would send him to th' Egypti'an Land He did too long the Embassy withstand And when God promis'd Water from the Rock He thought 't was his Credulity to mock And he himself scarce any thing enjoy'd Of all that has his Foll'owers Faith employ'd In desert places with their Factions tir'd Himself debarr'd entring the Land desir'd That Christ was sinless his Disciples taught Nor was one Proof against it ever brought He was th' Example to the Rules he gave And executed all that God would have Patient of Injuries and Torments too As on the Cross he did most fully shew A lover of Mankind and ev'n of those Who to that cruel Death did him expose Ev'n for those Miscre'ants he to God did pray Nor did he to his Foll'wers Promise pay In which himself had not first led the way As is not only said but clearly prov'd His Visit after being from Life remov'd How many were there that at large declar'd Who him had touch'd as well as seen and heard The Twelve were Witnesses when he did rise And was receiv'd within the joyful Skies Where as appears a Pow'r supream he gain'd From which they whom he left behind obtain'd Not only Tongues which they were never taught But Pow'r for other things which Nature never wrought All which he promis'd when he left this Life And which should silence ev'ry doubtful Strife Whether he will or 's able to make good What he has promis'd for our Spirit'ual Food And hence we gather his Religion's best That he perform'd himself what e're he prest And was of his own Promises possest If then we view his Doctrine i th' effects From the wonderful Propagation of this Religion They 're such that either God his World neglects Or we must think the Doctrine from above Nothing more worthy of God's care does prove Than that what 's best should be the farthest spred And this of Christ's Religion may be said 'T is taught thro' Europe and ev'n farthest North All Asia with its Islands know its worth Egyptians Ethiopians Africans Are joyn'd in this with the Americans Nor has 't been only late but long ago As Hist'ries of successive Ages show The Books of Christians Acts of Synods too Among Barbarians a Tradition's known Of Miracles by some Apostles shown The Lives and Journeys are with them exprest Of Thomas Andrew and some of the rest Clement Tertullian and others note That Britains Germans places most remote Did in their time Christianity imbrace What other Worship e're reach'd such a space If you say th' Ethnick's rival in this Fame It is not one Religion but one Name Nor ever all of them worship'd the same Some Stars the Elements some did adore Some Ani'mals some what no subsistence bore Nor did they the same Law or Master own The Jews a scatter'd People were but one Nor has their Law been much observ'd to spred Since Christ his beams of Truth divine did shed Many the Rules of Mahomet obey Yet Christians live among them of that way And often are more numerous than they When in some places where they Christ receive Not one Mahometan is known to live Considering the weakness and simplicity of them who first taught this Religion Men readily enough Examples take From Kings and others who great Figures make Especially if Law and Force they add Hence their encrease th'Ethnick and Turkish had But they who Christ's Religion first profest Nothing of Empire or of Wealth possest As humble in their Fortunes as in Mind Foll'wing mean Trades to which they 'd been design'd Yet in the space of thirty Years scarce more They this disperst the Roman Empire o're And to the Parthians this and Indians bore And for three Ages only private hands Did carry on the preaching Christ's Commands Without external Promises or Threats Nay ev'n against th' Authority of States Yet before Constantine in Christ believ'd Thro' most o' th' Roman World he was receiv'd Who with the Grecians preach'd up Moral rules For other Arts were famous in the Schools Plato for th' Art of measuring the Earth Peripateticks how the growth and birth Of Animals and Plants did Lectures read And with what subtilties Disputes proceed The Stoicks in their labour'd Logicks shew The Pythagori'ans th' art of Numbers knew Plato and Zenophon could charm the Sense So Theophrastus with their Eloquence But they who first the Christi'an Doctrine taught By no such art upon their Hearers wrought Their Speech was simple without any snare They only did in downright terms declare What their great Master gave them in command And how the Threats and Promises did stand This progress ne're had been from that alone But Mir'cles or God's Blessing we must own Or both to carry it so strangely on This may be added here XIX And the very great Impediments which might withdraw Men from embracing or detain them from professing it concerning those Who first with Christianity did close They were not in all other Rites untaught So with more ease to that Religion brought Much less were they brought up in any way Which might dispose them Christ for Lord t' obey While Turks and Pagans and the stubborn Jews Had something prev'ous helping them to chuse The last their Circumcision had before And learnt only one Deity t' adore Which made them ready Moses to receive While they who in Christ Jesus did believe Had many Obstacles which would withdraw Custom a second Nature humane Law Parents Authority all urg'd t' have kept The way in which their grave Fore-Fathers slept Being Jews or Heathens bred so to remain Add to all this the certainty of Pain Which they by that Professi'on were to gain Pain which by Nature all Men would refuse Nor readily would what procures it chuse The Christians long debarr'd from Honours were Mulcts Confiscations Exiles hard to bear Were to be ' counted their appointed share These things were light into the Ballance cast With Tortures but too exquisite to last Cruel as witty Malice could invent And Life was often in the Conflict spent As the Histor'ians of those times have wrote So many Deaths no Famime Plague or War has brought Nor were they with the common Deaths to strive But put into consuming Flames alive Or look'd for Crucifixion and the like Reading or thoughts of which with Horror strike Thro'out the Roman Empire these did last Till their Religion Constantine embrac'd Without them but short intervals were past Elsewhere they did continue longer still Yet all the blood they did so freely spill
the Jews for what bore Daniel's name Did not oracular Predictions shew What Mexico should feel and rich Peru Which the relentless Spaniards should subdue To this those many Dreams we may refer Which to Events full Correspondence bear Events which they who dream't could ne're foreknow From any thing observable below These to ascribe unto some casual hit Or nat'ral cause can't thinking Men befit Of these Tertulli'an writing of the Soul Brings many Instances beyound controul Of Sp'irits assuming vehicles of Air Which Men not only did discern but hear Authors by no means credulous declare Such Spectres in America have been In Mexico and Sina often seen And those fire Ord'eals with old Germans known As in their Histories and Laws are known Prove an Almighty Power the just does own If less exertions of the Power Divine XVII The Objection that Miracles are not now seen answered For Miracles and Prophecies now shine The force of what is prov'd it can't impair Since 't is enough that once such things there were If they have been less frequent than before God in great Wisdom these his Works forbore Nor is it fit to violate the Laws Printed on Nature but for weighty cause As when the Jews in a small Corner clos'd Were to maintain a Worship all expos'd Or that the Truths in Christian Doctrine found Were to enlighten all the World around Such times are well becoming God to show That Nature 's but his Hand-maid here below XVIII And Wickedness obtains such licence Some question whether Providence presides Seeing how Sin flows in with mighty Tides As if 't would deluge all the World again Which Providence if any should restrain But th'answer's easy since Man's Will is free And God alone good by necessity To bridle and keep in our Sins by force Were to make Man no better than an Horse Bate that of freedom we are not bereft No proper means are unattempted left A Law is made our wild Desires to chain And none for want of Knowledg can complain Inward and outward Admonition's joyn'd And Threats and Promises to bend the Mind That very Wickedness that 's suffer'd here Has limits set by God's o're-ruling Care In vain it strives to swell beyond its bound To force th'enclosures of the sacred Ground His Church hem'd in with the tempestuous deep His Pow'r does from an Inundation keep Civil Societies his Influ'ence share Else the mad Multitude no Laws would bear And ev'n that Mischief which does license get Has some good end by his appointment set To punish or correct those Souls that stray Out of the Paths of Vertue 's narrow way Or else a glori'ous is Specimen to give How nobly the Adult in Vertue strive ' Gainst those Temptations which in Crouds arrive While Pati'ence does its perfect work maintain And constancy unto the last remain And they whose Punishment has been delay'd For this forbearance have large int'rest pay'd Thus they who disobey'd th' Almighty's Will Against their own his purposes fulfil If Wickedness unpunish'd long appear XIX That the Just are often opprest The weak still suffer'd Violence to bear In sorrow long to draw their hated Breath And die at last an ignominious Death As if their Innocence had no regard Man is not therefore from God's Care debarr'd For no Man knows how God exerts his Pow'r In inward Blessings th' ill can ne're devour Besides before was prov'd an Aid Divine Wherefore we with the wise in the belief should joyn That since God knows our Acti'ons and is just XX. This Argument is retorted to prove that Souls survive the Bodies Yet sometimes seems to authorize distrust A future Judgment needs must be behind Where Sinners their due Punishment may find And all egreg'ious Vertue here unblest Exalted to a state above the rest May meet full Recompence for all its Pain For this we must believe that Souls remain XXI Which is confirmed by Tradition When loosned from the Body's cumbrous Chain And this belief so general is known That we it's rise must from first Parents own This Homer sings in Verses ever new And this the Gauls as well as Grecians knew Their learned Druids this most fully taught And this the Brachmans with the Indians thought Aegyptian Thracian German Sages all Upon this Truth with one consent do fall For proof we might unquestion'd Authors call In Strabo Plutarch and Laertius see How the Aegyptians Indians too agree In the expecting of the Day of Doom After this Life is to its period come Histaspes and the ancient Sybills spake What Conflagrati'ons shall the World o're-take Ovid and Lucan both this thought pursue This at Siam the savage Ind'ians knew Of this Astronomers a Proof have found In that the Sun draws nigher to the ground Parts farthest off at first discov'ry prove That we can no where from these Truths remove Canaries yield this Fruit the Western Shoar Largely enriches with this Golden Oar. XXII Nothing in Reason against it Nor can one Argument in Nature found This old Tradition so extensive wound For if we any thing observe to fail 'T is either that what 's mighti'er does prevail In its own Nature contrary to that As Cold does through the force of Heat abate Or the removing that in which it stands As when a Glass is fallen from our hands And into several little peices broke The form is perisht which at first it took Or else 't was from deficience in the cause As Light does vanish when the Sun withdraws But none of these can of the Soul be said For nothing contrary to that was made In this does its peculiar b'eing delight Things to each other the most opposite At once it 's intellectu'al Pow'r receives This for the first The second who believes For on what Subject can the Soul depend If we for this the Body should commend How happens it that when the Body 's tyr'd The Soul to farther Action still is fir'd Without least lascitude from thence acquir'd An Object also that too much excels All the weak forces of the Body quels And thus the feeble Organs of our sight Cannot endure the Sun's prevailing Light The nobler Objects entertain the Mind Its force is stronger Pleasure more refin'd As when its Thoughts from matter it abstracts And about lofty Universals acts The Body's forces cannot but embrace Things which are circumscrib'd by time and place For that 's the Body's Nature while the Mind To what 's eternal and immense is joyn'd Since then the Body don't its Acti'ons give It 's Essence how can it from thence receive The Natures of the things we ne're discern We can but by their Operations learn Nor more to this can we ascribe the way Mention'd the last as reason of decay For no efficient cause we can invent Which failing all the reasoning Pow'r is spent For this the Parents you can ne're assign For then their Deaths would cut off all their Line No other cause 't is
of the Truths he taught These Arguments do from the Fact arise VIII That the Christian Religion excels all others Let 's come to what within the Doctrine lies He who believes that God did all things make And care of his own Workmanship does take And thinks withal how great is Humane Mind Unto what noble purposes design'd To be acquir'd by freedom of the Will In chusing either Moral Good or Ill To close with the Rewards which so invite Or take the Penalties in endless Night Can't think all Worship should aside be laid Or that refuse which Jesus does perswade Not only this the Evidence of Fact Intrinsick Motives strongly this exact For no Religion ever yet arose Which did so excellent Rewards propose Or such a perfect Rule of Life did lay Or went on in so wonderful a way IX For the Excellency of the Reward propounded Here to begin with the Reward the end Which in their Act'ions Men do first intend Tho in the execution last 't is seen Those Institut'ions Moses did bring in If we the Letter of the Law regard Beyond this Life did promise no Reward Rich Soil a plentiful encrease of Store Conquest o're all that Arms against them bore A vigorous old Age and prospect clear Of Issue long the taintless Name to bear Were all that did without thick Clouds appear From which the Wise alone themselves had wrought Through a long chain of recollective thought Hence Moses tho the Sadduces receiv'd They nothing of a future state believ'd The wisest Grecians who their Learning drew From all Caldaeans or Aegyptians knew Conceiv'd some hopes of Life when this were out Yet still 't was mingled with o're-shad'wing doubt In the Socratick Writings thus 't is found Nor do the Latins less with doubts abound Of Tully this and Sen'ca may be said When to the Truth their Arguments have led They seem'd afraid with their own thoughts to close Which on so fallible a ground arose That 't would with Beasts as well as Men agree The consequence of which when some did see A Transmigration they of Souls did feign From Men to Beasts from Beasts to Men again Nothing like Proof did e're this recommend Yet it be'ng evident Man has some end Some thought that Vertue was its own reward In Instances most perilous and hard That that alone gives pleasure to the full The Wise be'ing happy in the burning Bull But most Men saw thro this so thin pretence A form of words against apparent sense As if the height of happiness could lye In dangers Nature robb'd of all supply Faintings and dissolutions at the last After a life in wasting torments past Others who law the vanity of this In gratifying Sense plac'd all their bliss But this the nature of Mankind deprest And humbled Man to the degree of Beast Extinguishing those gen'rous inbred Seeds Which carry him erect to noble Deeds In such incertainties Men groapt about Till Christ in Charity remov'd the doubt The perfect knowledg of Man's end he taught Life without death or pain and happy beyond thought And this not only for that part of Man For which some Ages a Conjecture ran If not Tradit'ion that it should remain After the be'ng unloos'ned from its Chain But that God would our Bodies spiritu'alize That they may to a joynt Communion rise And this with mighty Equity since they As they the Sacti'ons of God's Laws obey Are often forc'd to bear with dol'rous Pain And Death at last for all their Labour gain Wherefore some Compensation should remain Nor are the promiss'd Joys so grosly low As were the chiefest some dull Jews did know Perpetu'al Feasts or that the more refin'd Restless Society with Woman-kind That powerful Lure sly Mahomet design'd These are peculiar to a Mortal State To cherish Life or else to propagate Vigour in Bodies never to abate Beauty beyond what in the Stars does shine Knowledg of God and Providence Divine A mind with steady light without one cloud Of baleful Error or reserve to shroud Perfect tranquillity of settled wills While God himself the Soul with Raptures fills Th' extatick Soul wholly imployd in Praise And admiration which no time decays This is the happiness which Christ declares Which he much undervalues that compares X. Answer to the objection That Bodies once dissolved cannot be restored Some urge a difficulty yet unsolv'd How Bodies should after their being dissolv'd Have all their scatt'red Particles agen And make the self-same individual Men. But by their search Philosophers can tell That what ere changes have in things befel The matter of them still continues fit Of sev'ral different Species to admit How far soever they may be disjoind Th' Almighty can their Receptacles find And into the same mass together bind Things of like kind the Chymists can unite Of him who made the World shall we deny 't If into Nature's common works we look We find where things have diff'rent species took To the first form they oft again return As we by sev'ral sorts of Seeds discern Nor yet a Knot more difficult t' unty In human Bodies eat by Beasts does lie And they again for Men becoming food This may concerning them be understood Of what we eat 't is but a little part Which Nature to our Substance does convert Most Excrement or such accession proves As Phlegm or Choler which with ease removes Diseases inward Heat and outward Air Much ev'n of that which nourishes impair Which being so what should our God impede Who of mute Creatures still preserves the breed Of human Bodies so much care to take That what of theirs does food for others make No more of added substance should produce Than Poison or the Med'cines which we use And this the rather since we plainly see Man's Flesh by Nature don't for Food agree But yet for once let us admit it were And part of th'last must to the first repair To constitute the Man which was before Yet this Objection does not press the more For the same Person it may well be thought Tho back to th' first some Particles are brought No less Mutati'ons ev'n in Life are wrought In Worms we may discover little Flies In Plants and Wine a secret Virtue lies Which the same substance after waste supplies Of the like kind we might name many more And shall we think the God whom we adore Can't make a Body tho dissolv'd the same Men we are are sure for Learning great in Fame Not only this as possible receiv'd But that 't would be in future times believ'd This did Caldaean Zoroaster own And scarce one Stoick was against it known Peripatetick Theopompus too In his Researches did this thought pursue XI The singular Sanctity of the Rules concerning God's Worship The second Proof that Christ's Religion's best Is in the holy Rules it gives exprest All others that have been or can be fram'd Compar'd with this deserve to be disclaim'd Both for the Worship of
But if of these Heav'n were the proper Mint As heav'nly Bodies God did so imprint That they compel the Act we seem to chuse Of causing Moral Ill 't would God accuse Who must be thought in full perfection good Besides his hate to Ill is understood By his known Law which does from that disswade But if he it inevitable made By an effective Pow'r himself Instill'd 'T would shew as if things contrary he will'd That the same thing should and should not be done While by his impulse into Sin we run Some with more probability declare That Stars first influence the ambi'ent Air Our Bodies this and qualities conveys Which in our Minds such kind of Passi'ons raise That these often entice the yeilding Will And their Commands it often does fulfil Suppose that this were granted ne're so clear 'T would nothing make to help the questi'on here For Christ's Religion doth withdraw the Mind From things to which the Body is inclin'd How the could bodily Affecti'ons move The Christian way of Worship to approve And how could Stars to cause its rise be thought When they only by those Affecti'ons wrought Whatever Laws to Men the Stars would give The wise and good exempted from them live Wisest Astrologers do this confess And wise were they who first did Christ profess But if in Learning any force we see From the Contagi'on of the Flesh to free Such among Christians have been ever known Who in this Praise to flourish all must own Besides the learned in the Syd'ral Arts Own the Effects reach but to certain parts And those Effects but temporary are When this Religion yet has lasted fair One thousand and six hundred Years and more It 's Praises eccho'd forth from Shoar to Shoar In distant Regions stretch'd out ne're so far Whatever the Positi'on of the ruling Star XII 'T is shewn that the chief Principles of the Christian Religion are approv'd by wise Pagans and if there be any thing in it hard to be believed things of the like kind are found among the Pagans This to Christian'ty may Trophies raise That every part shines with such piercing Rays Does with so fair a Countenance delight That it convinces with its Native Light So that enough we among Pagans find Out of whose Sayings in one System joy'nd All our Religious Truths we might descry As that Religion don't in Rituals lie But th'Efficacy in the Mind to place Adultery to lie in wish't embrace Not to repay the Wrongs which we receive One Wife one Husband should together live The Bond perpetual which does them unite That this Man's Office which should most delight To do to Men what good is in his pow'r Chiefly where sharp necessities devour From Oaths as much as may be to forbear To be content for Clothing and for Fare With what the needs of Nature do require But where Christian'ty still rises higher And diffidence with wonder seems to strike We with the wisest Pagans find the like What of the Souls immortal State they hold And Life returning unto Bodies cold We shew'd before Plato of Caldees taught Of the Divin'ity this distinction thought The Father and the filial Mind from whom He held the Universe at first to come He adds a Mind which over-spreads the whole Nor does sly Julian their Belief controul Who think the Humane Nature with Divine Might to compose a single Person joyn Such he believ'd that A soulapius was Whom he would have from Heav'n in dircetly pass To teach Mankind the helpful Art of Cures Who sees not what offence Christ's Cross procures Yet Heathens in their Gods the like things brook Some we find Servants others Thunder-struck Some into pieces cut Wounds others took Their wisest held a good Man's Joys the most When him his Honesty the dearest cost Plato as if what was to come he found Says If we a true Pattern would propound It must be one whose Vertue is despoil'd Of all those Ornaments with which it smil'd He must be wicked thought expos'd to scorn A shameful Death must after all be born Patience exemplify'd unto the height Must by such Instances as these incite LIB V. I. A Refutation of Judaism beginning with an address to the Jews THat glim'ring Light saluting by degrees As from a dismal Cave himself one frees Points out their State who quitting th' Ethnick way After the Jewish Rites their Worship pay That part of Truth that noble entrance made Makes me in friendly manner Jews perswade What 's offer'd to receive with equal Ears We cannot but confess that it appears That they from those Religious Men descend To whom th' Almighty Embassies did send By Prophets and his Min'istring Spir'its above From out of them did the Messias move And they who first preach'd up the Christian Law Theirs is the Stock whence Nourishment we draw Being ingrafted there that they preserve Those Oracles of God which we observe With the like Veneration as do they And with St. Paul most zealously we pray That God would suffer soon that day to dawn When from before their Eyes the Clouds withdrawn They may discern with us the Law fulfill'd And as into their Prophets was instill'd That we who long no sacred Cov'enant knew May lovingly embrace th'enlightned Jew And hand in hand that only God adore Whom Abr'am Isaac Jacob serv'd before First we desire them that they would admit II. 'T is shewn that the Jews ought to allow of Jesus his Miracles as sufficiently pro'vd What pleading for themselves they urge as fit If to them any Pagan Questi'on move How Miracles by Moses wrought they prove They say no more but that so constant Fame Of their own People did his Works proclaim As needs must come from those who saw the same So that Elisha multiply'd the Oil And purg'd th' Assy'rian from his leprous Soil That with new Life a Young Man did arise After his weeping Mother clos'd his Eyes And several other things of the like kind Among the Jews firmly believ'd we find As From good Witnesses to them consign'd But that Elijah sprang up to the Skies They trust Elisha thought t've seen him rise Twelve Witnesses whose Lives none could reprove Attest t' have seen our Sav'our hence remove As he ascended to his Throne above A greater Cloud of Witnesses maintain That after Death they saw him live again Which if considered manifestly shew That what he taught on Earth must needs be true Nor can one Argument be urg'd by Jews But what we equally at least may use But to omit Authorities to press The Jews and their learn'd Talmudists confess That our Messias things prodigious wrought And this might against them enough be thought Nor can God authorize a Doctrine more Than shewing Miracles upon that score III. An Answer to the Objection that these Miracles were wrought by the help of Daemons Some to the Pow'r of Daemons this impute Which Calumny we did before refute Shewing that where Christ's Doctrine did