afterwards attended him Deut. i. 38. and at his first entrance upon the Government God gave to him the same Divine Attestation that had before been given to Moses in their Passage through the Red-Sea And the Lord said unto Joshua This day will I begin to magnifie thee in the sight of all Israel that they may know that as I was with Moses so I will be with thee Jos iii. 7. And for a certain Demonstration that the living God was among them and would give them Victory over the Seven Nations and Possession of their Land the Priests did by God's Appointment bear the Ark before the People and as soon as their Feet were dipt in the brim of the water in the time of Harvest when the River Jordan is at the highest and overflows all its Banks the Waters divided themselves those above stood on one side in heaps and those below were cut off and sailed the Priests standing with the Ark in the midst of the River upon dry-ground till all the People were passed over and until every thing was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak unto the people according to all that Moses commanded Joshua Josh iv 10. Now it is an undoubted Tradition among the Jews (u) Lightsâ— Chorograph Centur. c. 48. p. 46. That the Tents of the Israelites in the Wilderness contained a Square of Twelve Miles and that the Host took up the same space whilst they passed Jordan However this is certain that they kept at the distance of about Two thousand Cubits from the Ark when it stood in the midst of Jordan Josh iii. 4. so that the Waters must be withdrawn for many Miles in the passage of the whole Army over the River if they passed it in a Regular March and in such Order of Battle as to be able to oppose the Enemy or if they marched in a narrower Body they must be so much the longer in their passage which way soever it were it was a very great and manifest Miracle The People being all gone over and every thing performed which God had commanded the Priests with the Ark came out of the channel of the River where they had all this while stood and as soon as their feet were lift up unto the dry land beyond the Waters which stood then on an heap and did not flow down as at other times they resumed their course and returned to their place and flowed over all the banks as they did before Josh iv 8. And as a Memorial of this Miracle to all Posterity Twelve Stones were set up in the midst of Jordan in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood ver 8 9. and Twelve Stones more were taken out of Jordan whilst it was dry by Twelve Men chosen out of the People one out of every Tribe and were pitched in Gilgal ver 20. Thus did the Lord magnifie Joshua in the sight of all Israel and they feared him as they feared Moses all the days of his life v. 14. Here was a Miracle wrought in the most remarkable manner which the whole People were Witnesses to and effectual care was taken to keep up the Remembrance of it The Waters of Jordan were cut off for the passage of the Children of Israel into Canaan as the Waters of the Red-Sea had been divided to procure their escape out of Aegypt and such an Experiment was not to have been made twice if it had not been a true Miracle They were no sooner come into the promised Land but all the Males were Circumcised that Rite having been omitted in the Wilderness and were thereby disabled for War which had been a strange Policy for the Invaders of a Country to wound themselves and render themselves unfit for fight as soon as they arrived in the Coasts of the Enemy if the Canaanites had not been restrained by a miraculous Awe and Power from setting upon them as the Sons of Jacob did upon the Shechemites Gen. xxxiv before they were recovered of their soreness after Circumcision The Walls of Jericho were thrown down only by marching round it seven Days and blowing with Trumpets and this was accompanied with a Prophecy That whosoever should attempt to re-build Jericho should lay the foundation thereof in his first-born and in his youngest son should he set up the gates of it Josh vi 26. which was fulfilled in the Reign of Ahab when Hiel the Beth-elite lost his eldest Son Abiram upon his laying the Foundation of it and his youngest Son Segub upon his setting up the Gates 1 King xvi 34. These Miracles and the standing still of the Sun and Moon whilst the Israelites pursued and vanquished their Enemies and the prodigious Hail-stones cast down from Heaven which slew more of them than the Sword could do and a continued course of Victories never interrupted but for Achan's Offence struck such a mighty terror into the Canaanites that some of them sought out ways to make their peace with the Israelites by submission and others fled into foreign Countries And to shew that they conquered by a Miraculous and Divine Power not by any carnal Force or Strength Joshua by God's Command destroyed the Horses and the Chariots that he took from the Enemy Josh xi 9. which had been a strange Action in Humane Policy but by such unlikely means he subdued one and thirty Kings of the Canaanites chap. xii and then divided the Land not yet conquered amongst the Tribes of Israel being as certain of it as if they had it already in possession chap. xiii 2 7. Joshua after so many Victories and so many Miracles when the Land of Canaan came to be divided among the Children of Israel took no more for his own Inheritance than they were willing to spare him after the Land had been divided among the Tribes ch xix 49. and at last as Moses had done he appeals to their own Experience and to their very Senses for the Truth of all the Wonders and Deliverances and the mighty Works which God had wrought amongst them chap. xxiv After the Death of Joshua God raised up Judges out of several Families and Tribes with an immediate and extraordintry Commission to govern and protect his People so that there could be no private Ends or politick Designs carry'd on under the pretence of a Divine Commission But upon their Disobedience and Idolatries they were from time to time punished with Slaughter and Captivity and upon their Repentance were as constantly delivered Judges being purposely raised up to be Conquerors and Deliverers and never failing of success But besides these who were impowered by God upon extraordinary Occasions they had other Judges or Chief Magistrates to administer Justice and to preside over the Publick Affairs for the welfare of the People such were Eli and Samuel Eli was a great Example how much Fondness and Natural Affection may prevail over good and wise Men but he was more afflicted to hear that
THE REASONABLENESS AND CERTAINTY OF THE Christian Religion BY ROBERT JENKIN Chaplain to the Right Honourable the EARL of EXETER and late Fellow of St. John's College in Cambridge The Second Edition Enlarged LONDON Printed for P. B. and R. Wellington at the Dolphin and Crown the West-end of St. Paul's Church-Yard 1700. TO The Right Honourable JOHN EARL of EXETER May it please Your Lordship THE general Decay and Contempt of the Christian Religion amongst us has made me think that I could not better employ the Leisure which by Your Lordship's Favour I enjoy than in using my best Endeavours to shew the Excellency and the Certainty of it And what I have done is here humbly presented to your Lordship as of Right and upon many Accounts it ought to be The Honour and the Satisfaction which I have often had to hear Your Lordship speak in the behalf of Religion and Virtue encourage me to hope that a Performance though but such as this upon that Subject may obtain your Acceptance And the Name only of a Person of your Lordship's Honour and Learning and Knowledge of the World may perhaps be of more advantage to the Cause I undertake than any thing I have been able to write Religion may seem by Descent and as it were by Inheritance to belong to Your Lordship's Care The Wisdom and Piety of Your Great Ancestor appear to distant Ages in the Reformation which through the Blessing of God was in so great a measure by His means establish'd in this Kingdom And I have with Joy often thought that I could observe the Spirit and Genius of my Lord Treasurer BVRGHLEY now exerting it self more than ever in your Noble Family From whence methinks we may presage Happiness to the Nation and may yet expect to see a true sense of Religion revive and may hope that even in our days Christianity amongst English-men shall be more than a Name which is every where spoken against An eminent Vertue is a Publick Good There is a powerful and commanding Force in Great Examples to countenance Vertue and discourage Vice and Profaneness to make Irreligion appear as it is base and contemptible in the World to degrade it and thrust it down among the lower and untaught part of Mankind Much is not to be expected from the Schools and from the Gown under such Contempt and Discouragement But the Great and the Honourable have it in their Power to do great things things worthy of Themselves and for the Advancement of God's Glory Persons of High Birth and both by Nature and Education fitted for the Highest Undertakings whose Vertues shall flourish with their Years and add New Lustre to their Hereditary Honours may yet regain a due Esteem to Religion and adorn the Gospel of Christ This is a proper Object for the Ambition of generous aspiring Minds to express their Gratitude to Him who has placed them so much above the rest of the World and when they find themselves happy now to disdain to aim at any thing less than Everlasting Happiness hereafter To be Miserable after Happiness is an Aggravation of Misery But to receive Eternal Blessings as the Fruits and Improvement of such as are Temporal is the Privilege of those whom God has been pleased to distinguish from others by his Mercies and who distinguish themselves by a regard to his Honour and Service All that know Burghley and who is there almost that doth not know it are surprised with Wonder and Delight to observe what Art can do and to behold the Splendor and the Magnificence of Foreign Countries in our own But the Glories and Rewards of Vertue shall continue when Burghley it self and the World shall be no more and will make Death but a Passage and an Advancement from one Palace from one Honour to another and a Removal only from the uncertain Riches and imperfect Felicities of this Life to the Mansions of Eternal Bliss in Heaven That these my Endeavours may prove but in any measure serviceable to the Ends of Religion and Virtue and thereby to the Glory and Happiness of your Honourable Family in this and a better World is My Lord the unfeigned Desire and Prayer of Your Lordship 's Most Humble and most Obedient Servant and Chaplain R. Jenkin THE PREFACE I Am sensible that the Publication of a Treatise of this nature will be liable to Exceptions from those for whose Vse and Benefit it is chiefly design'd who will be ready to lay hold of all Pretences to avoid the being convinc'd of what they have so little mind to believe They will be apt to say That if the Truth of Religion be so certain and so evident as it is maintain'd to be there could be little need of so many Discourses upon this Argument for it is no sign of Certainty when tho' such a number of Books are Publish'd of this kind that so many Men of Learning and Parts have written upon the Subject yet others it seems are not satisfy'd in their Performances but are continually offering something new upon it They will likewise object That many of the Professors and Ministers of Religion do not live as if they believ'd themselves at least not as if they were so very certain of what they teach and that if there were so great Certainty there never could be so many Vnbelievers but all who had heard of it must needs be convinc'd by such Evidence I shall therefore shew here That the Number of Books written on this Subject doth not prove the Vncertainty of Religion but rather the contrary and that the ill Lives of Men is no Argument against the Religion they profess And then I shall enquire how it comes to pass That a Religion which carries so plain and convincing Evidence along with it should yet by too many be disbeliev'd or disregarded 1. To the First Thing it might be sufficient to say That the Number of Writers is a great Confirmation of the Truth of our Religion since as many as have undertaken the Proof of it have always agreed in the main Evidence and differ only in Method or in the Management of particular Arguments And though all have not written with equal Strength and Clearness yet there is not I believe one Author but has brought sufficient Arguments to confute the Adversaries of Religion They are pleas'd indeed to think otherwise But they may at least take notice how obvious it is that if this Objection prove any thing it must prove That there is no such thing as Certainty in the World because there is no Art nor Science concerning which divers Treatises are not daily Publish'd But are therefore the Natures of Vertue and Vice uncertain Is it the less certain whether Justice Temperance and common Honesty be Vertues or whether Murther Adultery and Theft be Crimes because Laws are made and Sermons daily preach'd concerning these Things Or can any Man doubt That these Crimes often meet with severe Punishments even in this
to lose so many Talents and to want their help in the War and to venture the ravage that such an Army who looked upon themselves as affronted made in his Country upon the Prophets assuring him that God would give him the Victory if he would dismiss them but not otherwise and telling him The Lord is able to give thee much more than this and the Event proved the Truth of the Prediction 2 Chron. xxv The Children of Israel likewise at the word of Oded the Prophet sent back Two hundred thousand Persons of the Kingdom of Judah with great spoil which they had taken 2 Chron. xxviii So ready and so general a Compliance in such cases could arise from nothing but a certain Belief and Experience of the Truth of what the Prophets delivered but at other times they were despised and persecuted And the Truth of their Prophecies was not only attested by Miracles and justified by the Event and confessed by the Deference and Respect both of the Kings and People but it was asserted by their Sufferings and sealed by the Blood of the Prophets and was at last acknowledged by the Posterity of those who had slain them they being most forward and zealous to adorn the Tombs of the Prophets whom their Fore-fathers had killed and to die in vindication of those Prophecies for which they had been slain There was a constant succession of Prophets from the time of Moses till the return of the Jews from their Captivity in Babylon some prophesied for many Years Jeremiah for above One and forty Years Ezekâ—el about Twenty Years the least time assigned to Hosea's Prophesying is Forty three Years Amos prophesied about Six and twenty Years Micah about Fifty Isaiah Jonah and Daniel a much longer time so that they lived to see divers of their own Prophecies fulfilled and to have suffered as False Prophets if they had not come to pass And though many Prophecies were not to be fulfilled till long after the death of the Prophets who deliver'd them yet they wrought Miracles or they foretold some things which came to pass soon after according to their Predictions to give evidence to their Authority and confirm their Divine Miâ—â—ion The Prophets committed their Prophecies to writing and left them to Posterity Isa xxx 8. Per. xxx 2. xxxvi 32. Hab. ii 1 2. And the writing of the Histories of the Jews belong'd to the Prophets 1 Chron. xxix 29. 2 Chron. xii 15. xiii 22. xx 34. xxvi 22. xxxii 32. And both in their Prophetical and Historical Books they deal with the greatest plainness and sincerity they record the Idolatries of the Nation and foretell the Judgments of God which were to befall it upon that account and they leave to Posterity a Relation of the Miscarriages and Crimes of their best Princes David Solomon and others who were Types of the Messias and from whose Race they expected Him and looked upon the Glories of their several Reigns to be presages of His are yet described not only without flattery but without any reserve or extenuation They write as Men who had no regard to any thing but Truth and the Glory of God in telling it The Prophets were sometimes commanded to seal and shut up their Prophecies that the Originals might be preserved till the fulfilling of them and then compared with the Event Isai viii 16. Jer. xxxii 14. Dan. viii 26. xii 4. For when the Prophecies were not to be fulfill'd till many Years and in some cases not till several Ages afterwards it was requisite that the Original Writings should be kept with all care but when the time was so near at hand that the Prophecies must be in every one's memory or that the Originals could not be suspected or supposed to be lost there was not the same care required Rev. xxii 10. It seems to have been customary (y) 〈◊〉 Anâ—â—quit l. 11. c. 1. 〈◊〉 l. 6. c. 5 for the Prophers to put their Writings into the Tabernacle or lay them up before the Lord 1 Sam. x. 25. And there is a Tradition (z) Epiphan de Ponderib Measâ—â— c. 4. That all the Canonical Books as well as the Law were put into the side of the Ark. It is certain that the Books of the Law and the Writings of the ancient Prophets were carefully preserved during the Captivity and are frequently referr'd to and cited by the latter Prophets The Pentateuch has been already spoken of and this is as evident of the Books of the Prophets The Prophecy of Micah is quoted Jer. xxvi 18. a little before the Captivity and under it the Prophecy of Jeremiah is cited Dan. ix 2. and all the Prophets v. 6. and so the Prophets in general are mention'd Neh. ix 26 30. And Zechariah not only cites the former Prophets Zech. i. 4. but supposes their Writings well known to the People Should you not hear the words which the Lord hath cried by the former prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity chap. vii 7. The Prophet Amos is likewise cited Tob. ii 6. and Jonas and the Prophets in general chap. xiv 4 5 8. There can then be no reason to question but that Ezra Nehemiah Daniel Zechariah and the other Prophets in the time of the Captivity were very careful to keep the Books of the former Prophets for they frequently cite them and appeal to them and expected Deliverance out of their Captivity by the accomplishment of them And perhaps from the Originals themselves or however from Copies taken by Ezra the Scribe or by some of the latter Prophets or at least acknowledged for genuine and approved of by them the ancient Prophecies and other Inspired Writings were preserved and those of the latter Prophets were added to them and all together make up the Book of the Prophets mention'd Act. vii 42. which was read as well as the Law every Sabbath-day Act. xiii 27. The Books of Joshua Judges Samuel and Kings have the Title of the former Prophets in the Hebrew Bibles to distinguish them from the Books which they set out under the Title of the latter Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah c. The Books of Joshua and Judges have been already spoken of The Books of Samuel were written by Samuel Nathan and Gad 1 Chron. xxix 29. from whence we may conclude that the first Book of Samuel to the 25th Chapter was written by Samuel himself and the rest of that and the whole Second Book by Nathan and Gad but Samuel being a Person so much concerned in the former part of the History and having written so much of it out of respect to him the whole Two Books go under his Name though indeed the Jews anciently reckon'd both the Books of Samuel as one Book and Aquila as Theodorit has observed made no distinction between the First and Second Books of Samuel following the Hebrew Copies of his time and in our Hebrew Bibles though they are distinguished yet they are
as the Jews them selves ever understood it and what ever Testimony is produced from thence brings with it the Evidence of the whole And a like Evidence is again reflected upon the whole Old Testament by the Accomplishment of any part of it in the New and by the appeal which our Saviour and his Apostles constantly made to it CHAP. XII Of the Person of our Blessed Saviour THat in the reign of Tiberius there lived such a Person as Jesus Christ who suffered (a) Tacit. Annal. lib. 25. under Pontius Pilate is expresly written by Tacitns and that he cured Diseases and wrought other Miracles was never denied by the worst Enemies to the Christian name and Doctrine So that the substance of the History of the Life and Death of our Saviour is acknowledged by our very Adversaries and the Power by which he wrought his Miracles is the thing which was in dispute between them and the Primitive Christians And therefore I shall take the observations which I make concerning our Blessed Saviour from that account which the Evangelists give of him which is in great part confessed by the Jews and Heathens and which deserves at least the same credit that all other Histories do till it can be disproved and in the following Chapters I shall shew that it is infallibly true The Divine Nature of our B. Saviour is of another consideration we are in this place to consider him according to the Appearance he made in the World and this was such as shewed him to be void of all ambitious and aspiring thoughts and to be meek and humble and perfectly vertuous and holy his Miracles were wrought without vanity and ostentation and never out of Revenge or to shew his Power over his Enemies but always with a gracious and merciful design he avoided all opportunities of Popularity he would not intermeddle in private affairs when he was appealed to and made his escape when the people would have taken him by force to make him a King after they had seen the Miracle of the Loaves by which it appeared that he who was able to sustain so many thousands in the Wilderness might have raised and maintained what Army he pleased and might have made himself as great as he would notwithstanding any opposition He dealt freely and generously with his Disciples not deluding them with vain hopes nor promising them great Matters but checking their aspiring Thoughts and telling them truly and plainly that they were to expect nothing but miseries in this World from the Profession of his Doctrine he put it to their own choice whether they would take up their Cross and follow him and when he was betray'd by one of those very Disciples he uses no upbraiding or reproachful Language but bespeaks him with a Divine Patience and Meekness Noman ever suffer'd with so much injustice and cruelty nor ever any man with so great compassion and charity towards all his Enemies He lived a mean and despised Life and never was in such a condition as could tempt any man to flatter him or to conceal any fault if he had been guilty of any and he had always many Enemies who endeavoured to fasten the worst calumnies upon him but their malice tended only to render his Innocence the more manifest and illustrious The person who betray'd him and delivered him into the hands of his Enemies was one of the Twelve one of his own Disciples and Apostles whom he had sent out to gain Proselytes and had committed to him a Power of working Miracles and of doing whatsoever was requisite to gain Reception for his Religion in the World Judas was one of the Twelve who were nearest to him and were admitted to all the secrets of his Kingdom and were entrusted with the most hidden Mysteries and obscure Doctrines of his Religion whatsoever was spoken to others in Parables was explained afterwards to them in private nothing was with-held from them which it was convenient for them to be acquainted withal or which they were capable of knowing Nay Judas seems to have had a particular mark of Favour plac'd upon him in that he was the keeper of the Bag for it was an Office of some Trust and Confidence however it gave him an opportunity of knowing whether his Master had any such ambitious designs as he was accused of For if he had perverted the Nation and forbidden to give Tribute to Caesar and had endeavour'd to set himself up as King of the Jews which was the charge laid against him before Pilate such a Project could not have been carried on without amassing a great Treasure which therefore if any such thing had been in hand Judas had been best able to give an account of But when one who had constantly attended upon him and was so intimately acquainted with all the secrets of his Life and Doctrin had nothing to alledge against him after he had betray'd him what could make more for his Justification or be a clearer Demonstration of his Innocence When men are once prevail'd upon to turn Traytors they seldom do things by halves but if there be the least pretence or colour to be found they will be sure to lay hold of it to justify their villany And it is the most undeniable proof our Saviours's Innocence that Treachery it self could discover nothing to fasten upon him but tho' Judas had been suborned by the chief Priests to betray his Master for thirty pieces of Silver yet neither that nor a greater sum which we may be confident would not have been denied him could prevail with Judas himself to undertake to appear as a witness against him When one of his own Disciples was perswaded or rather had offer'd of his own accord to betray him it could not be imagin'd but that the Chief Priests would urge him to come in as a witness to the Accusations which they had framed against him this had been a much a more acceptable service to them than barely to deliver him up for what could have brought a greater disgrace upon his Person or more discredit upon his Religion than for one of his own Disciples to witness against him that the had committed things worthy of Death Men who were at such a loss for matter to charge Christ with and at last could not make their Witnesses agree together would never we may be sure have omitted such an opportunity as this of loading him with infamy and stifling his Doctrine in his death And he who was so ready and forward to betray his master wou'd never have stuck at accusing him if he had had any thing to say against him and no other reason can be given why he did not do it but that he was over-awed by that Innocence and Holiness which he knew to be in him and was seiz'd with that remorse of Conscience and terrour of Mind as not to be able to bear up under the guilt of what he had already done For Judas who had betrayed him when
to the computation of the Jews in the eight days which they reckoned for the circumcision of their Children and in their other accounts for they computed inclusively any part of the day in which the Child was born for the whole thus the a Annum ita diviserunt ut nonis modo diâ—bus urbanâ—s re usu parent reliquis vii ut rura colerent Vaâ—de Rust lib. ii Prait 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dionys Halicarn Antiqa Rom. lib. vii Romans computed their Nundinae and their Calends c. And the Olypmiads among the Greeks contained 5 years inclusively and thus we call that Tertian Ague which has but one days intermission But the Resurrection of Christ which was the Accomplishment of these Types and Prophecies being matter of fact must be proved as all other matters of fact are by Witnesses and the Apostles in a body offered themselves as Witnesses to testify this great Article of our Faith This Jesus hath God raised up whereof we all are Witnesses Act. ii 32. The thing therefore to be considered is whether they were effectually qualified to be Witnesses in this matter and to prove that they had all the qualifications which can be required in any Witness I shall shew 1. That they had certain knowledge of the thing which they were Witnesses of and could not be deceived themselves in it 2. That they would not deceive others having no temptation to it but acting against all the Interests and advantages of this world 3. That they alledge such circumstances as made it impossible for them to deceive those to whom they testified the Truth of Christ's Resurrection though they had had never so much mind to do it And when Men testify things which they have such means and opportunities of knowing as make it impossible for them to be mistaken in them when they can have no advantage but by telling the Truth and can expect nothing but sufferings from it in this Life when they produce such circumstances as put it out of their own power to deceive and such as those before whom they speak may know to be false if they be so this certainly is all that can be desired in any Witness I. The Apostles who were Witnesses of our Saviour's Resurrection could not be deceived themselves in it They were ever far from being credulous and easy of belief as they shewed upon all occasions and particularly they never could be brought to believe the Doctrine concerning the Resurrection of Christ till their own senses had convinced them but before they had wrong notions and apprehensions of it and either misunderstood and misapplied all that had been said to them about it or whatever they knew or believed concerning it before they had no expectations of it when he was once dead Our Saviour had in express terms foretold his Resurrection upon the third day several times Matt. xvi 21. xvii 23. xx 19. But his Disciples did not rightly apprehend or throughly consider what he said to them though he exprest himself in the plainest words For they were wholly taken up with great thoughts and expectations of an earthly Kingdom and of temporal Power and Honour at one time Peter took him and began to rebuke him saying Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee Matt. xvi 22. and at another time just before his passion our Saviour had no sooner done speaking to them of his Crucifixion and his rising again the third day but the two Sons of Zebedee Petitioned that one might sit on the right hand and the other on the left in his Kingdom and the rest of the Disciples were moved with indignation against them for preferring such a Request and it appears from our Saviour's discourse to them upon it that their minds were all bent upon the thoughts of temporal Glory and Dominion Matt. xx 20. And after our Saviour had told them that he must be put to death and rise again the third day St. Luke adds that they understood none of these things and this saying was hid from them neither knew they the things which were spoken Luke xviii 34. and we find the same expression before Luke ix 45. Even after our Saviour had eaten the Passover with them and instituted the Sacrament of his Body which was just then to be given up and to be Crucified and of his Blood which was to be shed for them they were still intent upon Temporal things and had expectations of being advanced to places of Authority and Preheminence And there was a â—iâ—fe amongst them which of them should be accounted the greatest Luke xxii 24. At his passion as one of them denied him thrice so all the rest forseek him and fled The Apostles and Evangelists write without any design or any end to serve but that of telling the truth and therefore they conceal nothing of their own failings and faults though they might prove never so disgraceful to them they acquaint us that they were ambitious and had a vain prospect of Temporal Grandeur that they were timorous and of little Faith till the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them which appears in nothing more than in this point of the Refurrection They were Men of no great natural Capacity or quick apprehension and they had sometimes found themselves mistaken in understanding that literally which was spoken to them in Parables and it is natural for Men to run from one extream to another and usual for ignorant and unlearned Men to imagine difficulties where there are none and this meeting with their wishes and longings after temporal Greatness made them take all that was said to them concerning the Passion and Resurrection of Christ in some such sense as might answer their hopes and desires of temporal Felicity but when his Crucifixion had undeceived them in this conceit they were in such confusion and consternation of mind as not to be able â—o recollect themselves or to promise themselves any thing by his Resurrection which they had no hopes or expectation of The Spirits of Men are commonly as low as their Education and their condition and station in the world is and are easily sunk and depressed much lower by any great and sudden calamity and Men who were born in so mean a condition and had entertained a conceit of great and vain hopes and then as unexpectedly fell from them must be so dejected at it that it is no wonder that they thought of nothing but their sorrows and had little heart to imagine any possibility of relief from the reviving of him whom they had seen in that infamous and cruel manner put to Death They were so possest with an opinion of a temporal Kingdom that when they had been convinced of the truth of his Resurrection and had afterwards conversed a long time with him they could not put it out of their minds Acts i. 6. and thetefore it is no strange thing that when they saw him Dead and in the Grave
the most implacable enemies of Christianity and brought Christians into contempt among the Heathen for nothing could make the Gospel of less account in their esteem than to deduce its Authority from the Books of the â—ews who soon after the Crucifixion of Christ became vile and contemptible in the eyes of all the World It can be no great wonder to see men drawn into those vices under the pretence of Religion which no Laws nor Punishments can restrain them from but for a Religion that forbids all vice under the severest penalties to prevail in a vicious world is truly miraculous Besides it is Death by the Law of Mahomet to contradict the Alcoran men are forbid all disputation and discourse about Religion they are charged to believe none but Mahometans and to look upon all others as unworthy of all manner of conversation So that the Sword in the hands of furious and ignorant Zealots is the only way by which that Religion was designed to be propagated But nothwithstanding all these compliances with the Lusts and Passions of men if we take in all Ages since the Incarnation of Christ the Christian Religion not to mention the Jewish has had a much larger propagation than ever Mahometanism has had and has at all times been taught in more parts of the world and even amongst Mahometans themselves And the Alcoran it self asserting the Divine Authority and Mission both of Moses and Christ serves in some measure to propagate the Faith of the Old and New Testament so far I mean as to give an advantage and opportunity for men to make enquiry into them and become acquainted with them CHAP. VII The want both of Prophecies and Miracles in the Mahometan Religion MAhometanism is grounded neither upon Prophecies nor Miracles Mahomet indeed calls himself Prophet very solemnly but we have but this one instance of his Prophetick Spirit (a) Alcoran c. 66. When the Prophet went to visit one of his Wives God revealed to him what she desired to say to him he approved one part and rejected the other when he told his Wife what was in her will to speak to him she demanded of him who had revealed it to him He that knoweth all things hath revealed it to me that ye may be converted your hearts are inclined to do what is forbidden if ye act any thing against the Prophet know that God is his Protector Here is not one circumstance to make the story credible Mahomet pretended to no Miracles but when he has raised that objection as he often doth that the world would not believe in him unless they saw some Miracle he answers (b) Meor c. 13. I am not sent but to Preach the Word of God Tho afterwards he mentions that ridiculous story of the Moons being divided in these words (c) Ib. c. 54. The Day of Judgment approacheth the Moon was divided into two parts nevertheless Infidels believe not Miracles when they see them they say that this is Magick they lye and follow but their Passion but all is written Here is no proof nor any pretence to it but only a confident assertion of a thing ridiculous And yet unless we will believe this Prophecy and this Miracle there is nothing in the whole Alcoran either of Miracle or Prophecy to give it any Authority except that must be accounted one which he so often boasts of viz. It s wonderful Doctrine and Eloquence for (d) Ib. c. x xi xvi he challenges all the world to produce any thing like it protesting (e) C. vii that he could neither write nor read and therefore must needs have it by Revelation And he introduceth God swearing to the Truth of it almost in every Chapter and this is all he offers in answer to the suspicions which he so frequently suggests men then had of his being an Impostor CHAP. VIII The Alcoran is false absurd and immoral I. THE Alcoran is false as when it makes (a) Ib. c. xix the Virgin Mary Sister to Aaron when it asserts that (b) Ib. c. iv Christ was not Crucified but one like him in Contradiction to the Testimony of Jews Christians and Heathens and that Christ (c) Ib. c. lxi Prophesied of him by Name without the least proof or ground for it but against all the evidence that can be to the contrary II. The Alcoran contains things absurd and ridiculous as in that story of the sleepers (d) C. xviii the Infidels say they were five and that their Dog was the sixth they sâ—eak by opinion but the true Believers affirm them to be seven and their Dog to be the eighth And (e) Ib. c. xxvii in the story of Solomon's Army composed of Men Devils and Birds of the Queen of the Pismires and Solomon's discourse with the Bird called the Whoop who brought him tydings of the Queen of Sheba III. The Doctrines of the Alcoran are impious and immoral Mahomet makes all the Angels worship Adam in several parts of his Alcoran and his sensual Paradice is well known and his allowance of many Wives but perhaps his injustice is not so generally taken notice of (f) Ib. c. iv xxiii in permitting the professors of his Religion to take away their Slaves Wives from them The Law of Mahomet proceeds from a savage and cruel spirit obliging those that embrace it to destroy all that are not of it however the Mahometans have not always acted according to the cruelty of their Religion humane Nature not being always able to act so much contrary to it self But this is Mahomet's Doctrine (g) Ib. c. iii. God loveth not the unjust he forgiveth sins to those that believe and extirpate Infidels (h) Ib. c. iv If they forsake it the Law of God pretended to be set down in the Alcoran kill them where you find them Be not negligent to pursue the Infidels And this the (i) Tavern Voyage de Ind. lib. iii. c. 24. Faquirs at their return from Mecha are very mindful of with a furious zeal killing all they can that they meet who are not Mahometans till they are killed themselves and then they are reputed Saints and Prayers are made at their Graves Such is the Alcoran as we now have it and yet it is not now as it was at first written by Mahomet (k) Sandys Trav. lib. i. p. 54. many alterations have been made in it by inserting some things and striking out others and taking some of the absurdities away Mahomet the Second particularly is said to have made great alterations and additions (l) Ricauts Hist of the Ottom Empire lib. ii c. 10. But the Persians the followers of Haly charge Abu-Beker Omar and Ozman whom the Turks follow with falsifying the Alcoran CHAP. IX Of Mahomet AFter this account of Mahomet's Alcoran there will be no need to say much of his Person the general Doctrines of the Alcoran shew him to have been lustful proud fierce and cruel
Persuasion doth not determine Right and Wrong True and False the remaining difficulty is how to distinguish them and that must be by the proper Evidence and the intrinsick Goodness of the Cause And our Evidence in behalf of our Religion is plain matter of Fact as the Death and Resurrection and Ascension of our Blessed Saviour and the Miracles wrought by him and his Apostles And if our Religion has sufficient Proof of what we assert in matter of Fact and other Religions have not sufficient Proof of that Authority to which they lay claim this must determine the Point though a Mahometan or Pagan should be as zealous for his Religion as a Christian can be It is commonly and truly said that it is not the Suffering but the Cause which makes the Martyr and if Men of False Religions have never so much Confidence of the Truth of them and have no Ground for it this can be no Argument against the Grounds and Proofs upon which the Evidence of the Christian Religion depends Other Religions may have their Zealots who offer themselves to die for them but the Christian Religion properly has the only Martyrs For Martyrs are Witnesses and no other Religion is capable of being attested in such a manner as the Christian Religion no other Religion was ever propagated by Witnesses who had seen and heard and been every way conversant in what they witnessed concerning the Principles of their Religion no Religion besides was ever preached by Men who after an unalterable Constancy under all kinds of Sufferings at last died for asserting it when they must of necessity have known whether it were true or false and therefore certainly knew it to be true or else they would never have suffered and died in that manner for it no other Religion was ever attosted from its first Propagation for several Hundreds of Years together by Men who had either seen the first Preachers themselves or had been acquainted with others who had seen them or had wrought Miracles and seen others work them no other Religion is contained in Books which were written at the first Propagation of it and dispers'd into all Countries in all Languages amongst all sorts of Men and especially amongst those who were most concerned and most able and desirous to disprove it if it had been false no Religion besides has by so weak and unlikely means prevailed over all the Power and Policy of the World none is in its Doctrin so agreeable to Reason and so worthy of God for its Author and none has been delivered down with so clear a continued and uninterrupted Testimony through all Ages and conveyed by a succession of Testimonies to this present Age And therefore no other Religion can have Martyrs who can die in confirmation of such a Testimony as this or who can be Martyrs and Witnesses to it by assuring the World at their Death that they have received the Religion thus testified and confirmed for which they die It is not the bare asserting a thing boldly and then dying for it which makes a Martyr but the Qualifications necessary in a Witness are necessary in him that is that he should have all Opportunities needful to know the Truth as well as no Temptation to speak the contrary Which Qualifications were evident in the Apostles and first Martyrs whose Testimony is that upon which the Proof of our Religion is founded and the Martyrdoms of latter Ages are additional Testimonies which without the former would be insignificant but supposing them are all the Testimony that can be given to any matter of Fact at this distance of Time and are as much beyond the Sufferings in behalf of any other Religion as the Evidence of the Christian Religion is beyond the Evidence for all others It is not merely Zeal though it proceed even to Death and Martyrdom upon which we build our Faith but the Reasons which Christians have for their Zeal Divers Nations have been as earnest Assertors of their Fabulous Antiquities as others can be of theirs which are known to be true but are these ever the less or those ever the more true upon that account We insist upon it that we have Books to shew and clear Evidence to produce for what we maintain and these have been examined by many Men in every Age and compared with what is to be alleged in behalf of contrary Religions and Men of the greatest Learning and Judgment and Prudence have chosen to die rather than to renounce this Religion for any other after the nicest and most impartial Examination they could make Whereas the Zealots and Martyrs for the Religions which are contrary to Christianity must be acknowledged to be Men that understand nothing of Antiquity but are ignorant of the History of their several Religions and take all upon uncertain Report and absurd Traditions without any Proof or Possibility of it and even against manifest Reason and the Evidence of undoubted History So plain is it that the Zeal and Confidence of Men of false Religions and their willingness to die for them can be no prejudice to the Authority and Certainty of the true Religion The Enthusiasms and vain Notions and Conceits of some Zealots can be no more a Prejudice to the Truth and Reality of our Religion than it is an Argument against the Truth and Certainty of Human Reason that there are so many Fools and Madmen in the World CHAP. XXXII That Differences in Matters of Religion are no Prejudice to the Truth and Authority of it THere is nothing which has proved a a greater Snare and Scandal to weak Minds nor which gives the Enemies of Religion greater Advantage as they think against it than the Dissentions amongst Christians and the different Sects and Parties into which they are divided This makes some willing to conclude that there is no certainty on any side when they see equal Zeal and equal Confidence in Men of all Persuasions that contend for their several Opinions But St. Paul writes to the Corinthians that there must be not only Divisions but Heresies also and not only that they must be but that they are not without their use and expediency in the Church They are so far from being any real Prejudice to the Truth and Certainty of Religion that they do indeed conduce to manifest the Excellency of it and the Sincerity of those that profess it For there must be also Heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you 1 Cor. xi 19. From whence I shall shew I. That Differences in matters of Religion must be among Christians unless God should miraculously and irresistibly interpose to prevent them II. That it is not necessary nor expedient that God should thus interpose III. That these Differences how great and how many soever they be even the worst of Schisms and Heresies are no prejudice to the Truth and Authority of Religion I. That Differences in matters of Religion must be among