them in their own Land but they soon forgot his singular Kindness to them and this extraordinary Favour of God was not powerful enough with them to restrain them from the commission of the most abominable Sins and to cause them to have regard to that Holy Religion which strictly forbad all such practices In every Age they grew worse and worse and at last they arrived to the heighth of Impiety and their Sins seemed to be consummated In Iudaea the Seat of this once beloved People of God all Licentiousness Lewdness and Villany prevail'd The greatest Iews were Atheists and Epicures and not ashamed to profess themselves such as well as to live like Persons of that Character And the Talmud might well say When the Messias shall come wise Men shall be very rare in Israel but Impostors Inchanters and Magicians shall be many this Sign having been exactly verified before the Coming of Christ the design of whose being manifested was to destroy those works of the Devil The Disorders and Wickednesses of the Iewish Clergy were very remarkable before our Saviour's Coming The Antient Order of Priests being extinguished by Herod in their places were put none but obscure contemptible and unworthy Persons who made Religion a cloak for their Covertousness and devoted themselves wholly to Gain and Interest The Temple was turn'd into a place of Merchandize the High Priests Places were bought and a couple of that Order at a time were set up because they both had been Simoniacal which shews likewise that the Iewish Magistracy as well as the Ministry was corrupted There were great Corruptions among the Iewish Students and Doctors who neglecting the weighty things of the Law began to hunt after Niceties and Subtilties and strove to cherish Disputes and Controversies Hence were the Noted Schools of Hillel and Shammai which were divided into two formal Parties like Scotists and Thomists Of whose different and disagreeing Decisions concerning the Law of Moses the Mishnah pretends to give an account The Iews were divided into three Religious Sects especially the Essenes the Pharisees and the Sadduces These were unknown before the Babylonian Captivity but after that and the building of the Second Temple they sprang up both Names and Things but the two latter Sects began especially to appear and to be taken notice of about a hundred Years before Christ's Nativity either Sect endeavouring to bring their Kings as long as the Regal Power was in the Native Jews to their Opinion and accordingly great Factions arose by their Dissensions The Essenes among the Jews were a harmless sort of People they retired from the World leâ—t the publick and betook themselves to a Monastick Life daily Devotion and Hours of Prayer you may call them the Iewish Mâ—nks They came not to the Temple neither brought Sacrifices thither but pretended to use at home more Holy Ceremonies as Iâ—sâ—phus speaks They had no Wives counting the most peaceable way of Living to be alone They had no Servants thinking it to be a reproach and injury to our Common Nature to be in a servile Condition They were all Equal and mutually administred to one another This you will find in the Character which the foresaid Antiquâ—â—y if he be not mistaken concerning the Persons and Things gives of them They are not any where mentioned in the Writings of the Gospel because 1. They affected a private and recluse Life 2. They generally inhabited on the Coast of the Dead Sea remote from Ierusalem 3. They were no buâ—â—ling Zealots they made no noise in Religion 4. They were not forward in persecuting of Christ. For these Reasons they are not spoken of by any of the Evangelists But the Pharisees who were a busie Sect and lived in the heart of Iudea and were fierce Opposers of our Saviour's Doctrine are frequently mention'd in the Evangelical Writings Our Blessed Lord often encountred them and openly detected their 〈◊〉 Pride and Hypocrisie as also their fond Superstition in enjoining Fastings Washings and other Ceremonious Practices of their own invention These were the Men who wretchedly perverted the Law holding that it enjoyned only external Obedience and that by that outward Observance of the Law Men merited Remission of Sin and were just before God and Heirs of Eternal Life Their constant Custom was to corrupt the true meaning of the Decalogue by their false Interpretations and Comments as you may see in Christ's Sermon on the Mount where he explains the Moral Law and vindicates it from the corrupt Expositions which they had made of it whereby they had almost extinguished the true Sense of the Commandments They had taken away the key of Knowledg by depraving the true Doctrine which was contain'd in the Written Law and the Books of the Prophets and by adhering to that which they call'd the Oral Law the Constitutions Traditions and Expositions of the Rabbies and by making them the Rules of their Faith and Manners As to the more particular Opinions Notions and Practices of these Men we may satisfie our selves from the Account given of them by One who was of that Sect himself as he tells us in his Life The genuine Offspring of these Pharisees as Buxtâ—rf observes are now the Rabbanita Traditionary Iews or Talmudists who stick not to the pure Text of Scripture but are for New Explanations or Old Traditions The next Sect was the Sadducees who ran counter to the Pharisees and opposed all Traditions The Iews at this day who answer to these as before it was observed there is a sort among them that are the true Race of the Pharisees are the Karaeans the Scripturists who keep close to the written Letter and reject the whole Oral Law i. e. the Expositions and Glosses of the Rabbins They hold only what is expresly deliver'd in the Law and they are look'd on by the other Iews as Hereticks and Apostates But as to the Antient Sadducees of whom I am now speaking there were but few of this Sect saith the forecited Author but they were generally Persons of Wealth and Quality This was it which was faulty in them that they curtail'd the Holy Writings and rejected all the Books of the Prophets but Moses the only Canonical Scripture with them was the Pentateuch as Tertullian Origen Ierom and other Writers of good Account acquaint us Tho I find some Men of Note among the Moderns who endeavour to consute this and to prove that they received the whole Scripture but they are not very successful in this attempt Moreover they most impiously denied the Resurrection of the Dead and held that Mens Souls were mortal yea they generally denied the Existence of Spirits Mat. 22. 23. These Men won some People to them because they were contrary to the strict and superstitious Pharisee they took off the burdensom Rites and Ceremonies which the others laid on These two prevailing Sects the superstirious Pharisee and the prophane Sadducee differing so much from one
cogent Reasons to perswade us that they truly and faithfully delivered down to us those things This I will make good from the Consideration 1. Of the Persons that transmitted these things 2. Of the Evidence of the Cause First as to the Persons I will consider both their Lives and their Deaths Their Lives are sufficient proofs of their Integrity in delivering the Scriptures of the New Testament to us and of their confident belief of the Truth of all that is contain'd in them The Primitive Christians lived after another rate than we do now They did not wrangle and quarrel as we do they did not â—ight and devour one another as the manner of too many is of latter times but they were remarkable for their mutual Love and Concord for their Humility Meekness and Condescension to one another and they were admired for their Gravity Sobriety Self-denial and Patience they were eminent for their Piety towards God and their Innocent and Righteous dealing with all Men. The Ministers practised what they preached and the People were ambitious to imitate their Preachers and both were singularly Good and Virtuous This was it which gain'd so many Proselytes to Christianity in those first times this brought them to a perswasion of the Truth and Reality of Christ's Doctrine Therefore when Origen had excellently proved the Truth of Christianity to Alexander Severus that noble Emperor ingenuously confessed that he was more convinced of the Truth of that Religion by the humble and loving carriage of Christians than by all Origen's Arguments The exemplary and blameless Conversation of those Primitive Professors argued that the Doctrine and Principles of their Religion were real and certain For how can it enter into any sober Mans thoughts that such holy and upright Men true followers of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ would have constantly confessed and owned the Christian way unless they had been throughly convinced of the Truth of it and that it was the very same which was confess'd and acknowledg'd by the Apostles themselves These Holy and Godly Men made Conscience of a Lie and counted it a heinous Crime to falsify yea they esteem'd it no less than a damnable Sin to disbelieve or misreport those things concerning Christ and the Christian Doctrines They were really perswaded in their Minds that their Salvation lay at stake that their Eternal Welfare or Everlasting Ruin were concern'd in these things And can you imagin then that they would report them falsly and impose upon the World by delivering things which were counterfeit Again as the Lives so the Suffering and Death of the Saints in the Primitive Days and in the succeeding Ages are an undeniable Argument of the Truth of what was deliver'd to them and of what they conveyed to us They underwent the most exquisite Pains and Torments with ineffable Courage and Constancy and nothing could prevail with them to renounce the Christian Religion insomuch that when the Pagan Adversaries in those days would express any thing to be impossible they did it thus Ye may sooner make the Professors of Christ quit their Mastersâ— Doctrine This was a thing not to be effected for those Persons first of all forsook their worldly Goods and then parted with their Lives to hold fast their Religion This patient Suffering and undaunted Dying of so many thousands is an unquestionable Proof of the Truth of Christianity For those enlightned and sanctified Men would never lay down their Lives to maintain a Falshood and to perpetuate a Lie No they knew whom they believed in and for whom they suffer'd and that made them so couragious We may conclude then that the Christian Doctrine is confirm'd by the Blood of those Worthy Men those expiring Saints did testify the Truth of Christianity and therefore they are stiled Martyrs Secondly The Evidence of the Cause is an impregnable Argument of the Reality and Truth of these things which I am speaking of There is this following heap of Evidences 1. A great Presumption arising from just Causes and Circumstances yea and from a multiplicity of them which in all Courts of Judicature is of considerable weight and value with understanding Judges This first but lowest sort of Evidence the Christian Church since our Saviour hath not been destitute of for there were never higher Presumptions in any Cause under Heaven than there were in this But we need not mention this when we have 2. The Notoriety of the Facts i. e. when the things in trial are openly and commonly known when they are avouched by publick Fame and the universal Vogue of Men. And that this was the case of Christianity ever since Christ left the Earth cannot be denied by any Man of Modesty and Truth 3. The Succession of Christians and Churches in the World is a plain Proof that they verily believed those things which made them Christians and Churches Hereupon they deliver'd to us those Writings which they receiv'd from the Hands of the Evangelists and Apostles by their transmitting them to Posterity they shew that they believe them to be sacred and certain Verities 4. The Succession of Bishops and Pastors is an other Evidence for it was their Office to read publickly the Scriptures of the New Testament and to preach the Doctrines contain'd in them and consequently to own them to be Truth which is a good Motive to us to do the same 5. The frequent Disputes which Christians in all Ages have held with those who opposed the Scripture and Christianity are no mean Testimony in this Cause 6. To these may be added the famous Writings of the Christians in the several Centuries their Apologies Dialogues Sermons Homilies Orations Commentaries Histories All which proclaim their serious and firm Belief of what they have convey'd down to us 7. All Christian Churches have deliver'd to us certain Symbols or Articles of Belief which they reckon'd to be the Standards of Evangelical Faith and Truth 8. The Constant Communion of the Church and the publick Worship of God in the solemn Assemblies of Christians ever since the days of the Apostles the setting apart a Day for that Worship the reading of the Scriptures at such times the instructing the People out of them the celebrating the Lord's Supper the constant custom of openly rehearsing and proâ—essing the Christian Belief the Prayers and Praises offer'd to God in the name of Christ the yearly Commemoration of the Birth Death and Resurrection of our Saviour the Sacrament of Baptism which acknowledgeth the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost 9. The sundry Decrees and Canons of Synods and Councils held in the Christian Churches Lastly the many Laws and Edicts of Christian Emperours and Princes in defence and confirmation of our most holy Religion These and all the rest before-named are clear Proofs and Evidences that the Evangelical Writings which contain the Doctrine and Actions of our blessed Lord were rightly and truly convey'd to us and that we are in possession of the same Faith and
our extraction from him and consequently are descended from the Earth And here before we go any further we may observe that the â—olly of the Praeadamitick Opinion is detected The Sacred History of Moses assures us that Adam and Eve were the â—irst Persons that were created on the Earth and lest any should question it our Saviour hath confirmed it From the beginning of the Creation God made them Male and Female Mark 10. 6. For it is undeniable that he speaks this of Adam and Eve because in the next Verse he alledgeth what was said by God presently after the production of this latter Therefore shall a Man leave his Father and his Mother and cleave unto his Wife Gen. 2. 24. Whence it evidently appears that the Male and Female here spoken of are Adam and Eve and that these were made from the beginning of the Creation therefore there were no Men and Women before them This is clear from Gen. 3. 20. Adam called his Wife's name Eve because she was the Mother of all living This reason of her Name is assigned by Moses for when Adam gave her this Name she was not a Mother she was so call'd â—aith he because she was the Mother of all living she was the Person that was the Root and Source of all Men and Women that ever are in the World which plainly intimates that there was no other Woman that was such â— Mother She was constituted by God's appointment the only Mother of the living yea of all living of human kind that have been or shall be upon Earth And consequently there was no Race of Men or Women before her If there were no other Text to be alledged but this one it were sufficient to consute the vain Opinion of the Author of the Praeadamites who with a great deal of straining and forcing of Texts endeavours to prove that there was another Generation besides that of Adam and Eve He tells us there is a Creation of Man and Woman spoken of in the latter end of the first Chapter of Genesis and another Creation of the Holy Race of Mankind of which the first Man and Woman were Adam and Eve spoken of Chap. 2. v. 2 22. Whereas the plain obvious and true Account is that the first Narrative is general but the second is particular that is it gives a distinct and particular account of the formation of Man and Woman Notwithstanding this a late Writer hath revived the Notion of a double Creation and attempts to prove it as Dyrerius doth The most considerable Objection that this latter makeâ— is founded on those Passages which imply a great number of People in the World at that time whereas we read saith he of none descended from Adam and Eve but Cain and Abel and Seth about that time But who knows not that the Mosaick History is silent as to several things of the like nature yea of an higher iâ—portance It is not to be doubted that Adam and Eve had more Children than are expresly mention'd by Moses yea that they had a great many Children and Grand children If we consider this we shall discover the vanity of the Praeadamitical Conceit and answer the Cavils that are rais'd about it by the first Author of it Dyrerius who indeed at last was sensible of the folly of his Opinion and as we are told recanted it Besides to think there was any Man before Adam is groundless because he is expresly call'd twice by the Apostle the first Man 1 Cor. 15. 45 47. It is ridiculous then to imagine that he was not the first of his kind but that there were Men in the World long before him even some thousands of years before him This Text and the others before-mention'd must be removed out of the Bible before we can believe such a thing or that there are others of human Race besides those that descend from Adam as some Inhabitants in the Moon or other Orbs of Heaven as a late Writer and some others fancy The fond Conceit of the Praeadamites being justly rejected let us proceed As the forming of this most excellent Creature Man was the close of the Creation so it may be observed that this was peculiar to him to have a solemn Consultation and Decree about his making which was not about any other Creature God said Let us make Man Gen. 1. 26. Philo the Jew is of the opinion that Angels were Cooperators in framing Adam's Body and to them God spake when he said Let us make Man This Platonist derived this Notion from his Master who held that lesser and created Gods made Men and all other Animals by the command of the greatest and supreme Deity But others deservedly explode this Opinion and think that these words denote God the Father's conâ—erring with the two other Persons of the Sacred Trinity concerning the making of Man This is the general Sentiment of the antient Writers of the Church who usually alledg this place to prove the Doctrin of the Trinity And certainly it is a considerable place for that purpose But however abstracting from this this way of speaking may signify to us that the making of Man was an exâ—ellent and noble Work if it were said only after the manner of Men who hold a Conference and seriously consult and call in Assistance about a Matter which is of great moment and worth Thus God is represented speaking after the same guiâ—e to acquaint us what a worthy excellent and transcendent Work this was I take Seneca's words to be a good Comment on that place Be it known to you saiâ—h he that Man is not a Work huddled over in haste and done without forethinking and great consideration for Man is the greatest and most stupendous Work of God Man hath not only a Body in common with all inferior Animals but into his Body was inâ—used a Soul of a far more noble Nature and Make a rational Principle worthy of the name of a Soul Hereby he is enabled to act according to the designs of his Creation that is to contemplate the Works of God to admire his Perfections and to worship him to live as becomes one who received his excellent Being from him to converse with his fellow Creatures that are of his own Order to maintain mutual Love and Society and to serve God in Consort Man is a wonderful Creature and not undeservedly said to be a little World a World within himself and containing whatever is found in the greater In him is the spiritual and immaterial Nature of God the Reasonableness of Angels the sensitive Power of Brutes the vegetative Life of Plants and the Virtues of all the Elements In brief he is a compound of all And hence it is that the Life of Man is difficulter than that of others for other Creatures are ruled by one single Nature but Man is made up of divers Qualities But as it is more difficult so it is more excellent to be a
another both in Opinions and Manners caused great Feuds and Contentions and unspeakably hindred the Practice of Religion among that People To these famous Sects might be added the Herodians call'd the Leaven of Herod Mark 8. 15. by Christ they were of the Religion of the Sadducees and therefore on that account as Doctor Hammond observes may be said not to be a distinct Sect from them See Mat. 16. 6. 22. 16. Mark 8. 15. 12. 13. But they were singular in this that they were much devoted to Herod and his Government and consequently that of the Romans they were great upholders of Casar's Interest against the Pharisees and other Jews who look'd upon Casar as an Usurper Thus they were a different Sect or Faction Some thought and held that Herod was the promised Messias these were the Herodians according to Tertullian Chrysostom Epiphanius and other Fathers The Samaritans were another Sect among the Iews and had been a long time these had their Name from Samaria the chief City of the Kingdom of Israel which fell off from Rehoboam and took Ieroboam for their King When the Iews were carry'd captive into Assyria by Salmanasser a Colony of Assyrians was placed in this City who being molested by wild Beasts desired an Israelitish Priest to teach them the Religion of that Countrey where they were planted whereupon a Priest came and instructed them and they partly observed Moses's Law and partly follow'd their own Idolatry and Superstition From these came the Samaritans who were reckon'd as rank Schismaticks by the generality of the Iews Accordingly the Iews had no dealings with them Joh. 4. 9. but maintain'd an irreconcileable quarrel against them Several Reasons concurr'd to keep up this Feud and Antipathy 1. The Samaritans were of the Race of the Assyrians who carri'd the Iews captive 2. They oppos'd and obstructed the rebuilding of the Temple when the Iews undertook it after the return from the Captivity Ezr. 4. 4. 3. They possess'd a part of the Land which of Right belonged to the Jews 4. They receiv'd only the Pentateuch and rejected the other Books as Uncanonical for when the Iewish Priest mention'd before was sent to them the Cannon of the Bible consisted chiefly of Moses's Writings for all the Historical Books were not extant at that time and 't is certain none of the Prophets were 5. They sacrificed not in the Temple at Ierusalem but on Mount Gerizim where they had a king of a Temple peculiar to themselves and was to them as that at Ierusalem was to the Iews It was built at first for them by Sanballat two hundred Years after it was destroy'd by I. Hircanuâ— Herod when he rebuilt Samaria made a Temple in it but the Samaritans worship'd not in it but on Mount Gerizim 6. They were averse to many of the Mosaick Rites and Ceremonies and differ'd from them in several parts of Worship Some say they were inclined to Idolatry 7. They as well as the Sadducees held there was no Resurrection or Future Life which was directly contrary to the firm Belief and Perswasion of the Iewish Church For these Causes they were extremely hated by the Iews and were not admitted to Conversation or Worship with them Whence that common Saying He that eats Bread with the Samaritans is as if he eat Swines flesh And another in use among the Jews was this If a Samaritan pronounce a Blessing it is not lawful to say Amen after it They must neither eat nor pray with this People but look upon them as Accursed There were the Galilâ—ans Luke 13. 1. who were rather a State-Party or Faction than a Sect. Their Principle was not to submit to the Roman Government for they held it unlawful to obey a Magistrate that was a Pagan Some think they were the Followers of Iudas the Galilaean Acts 5. 37. Ioseph the Iew after he had reckon'd up other Divisions among the Iews mentions this and tells us that they were as to the main Pharisees but this they had peculiar to themselves that they most impetuously desired Liberty believing that God alone is to be esteem'd and call'd a Lord and Prince they underwent the most exquisite kinds of Punishments rather than they would recede from this Opinion and rather than they would give any mortal Man the Name of Lord. It may be observ'd that the Ringleader of this Party is call'd Simon by the foresaid Jewish Writer in his Book of the Iewish War as well as Iudas in his Book of Antiquities because perhaps he had both these Names Thus and much more was the Iewish Nation divided into Sects and Factions thus it was disorder'd and corrupted Their Priests and People their Church and State their Doctrine Discipline and Manners were all depraved Religion was decayed every where Vice and Wickedness were predominant in all places among them And this was but a Specimen of what was more Catholick and prevailing in the Empire at that time to which the Iews were Tributary for with the Empire came in all Vice and Debauchery nothing was approved of but Sensuality and Intemperance and all Exorbitancy and the Virtue Modesty and Sobriety of Antient Rome were laid aside When the World was thus out of Order and was like to be worse CHRIST the Redeemer arrived he came to bless us with greater Discoveries of God's Will to inform and amend the erring and sinful World to give Rules of exact Holiness and to commend Religion and Virtue by his own Example And besides the World was at that time engaged in Wars and Tumults and frequent Battels attended with confused noise and Garments roll'd in Blood nothing but Disorder Outrage and Slaughter insested the Earth and lo at such a time as this the Prince of Peace visited the World and brought with him Tranquillity and Repose and created a great Calm and Serenity in the World This shews how seasonable the Incarnation of Iesus was and why he came at that time and wherefore Christianity was introduced at that very Season and not before 8. and Lastly God hath always discover'd himself to be a God of Order and Method he proceeds by certain Steps and Degrees And this may satisfie us why the Christian Dispensation took not place till other Dispensations had gone before God erected not this huge Fabrick of the World in a moment but procâ—eded leisurely and by degrees The World began with a Chaos and Conâ—usion the Earth was at first a floating Bog it wâ—s without form and void but in six days time it grew to what it is So was it with Religion its first day was in Adam the second in Noah the third in Abraham the fourth in Moses the fifth in the Gentile Oeconomy and the sixth and last in the Messias thus it gradually clear'd up and had its Consummation in Christ. Observe as God in the Creation proceeded from things more imperfect to those that are perfecter Trees and Plants and all Vegetatives were created before
Loretto and by St. Iames at Compostella I could shew that the Miracles of the Papists are question'd by themselves their Truth is doubted of by Cajetan de Concept Virg. Espencaeus in 2. Tim. 4. and others of that Communion 9. We may with Reason suspect the Roman Miracles because our Religion was proved and confirmed by Miracles long before It is not requisite they should be repeated and reiterated afresh There is no more need of New Miracles than there is of New Revelations They were wrought to confirm the Truth which we hold at this day therefore since we have the same Truth that was confirmed by those Miracles of old what need is there of any farther Confirmation Lastly the Popish Miracles are no True Miracles because they are exerted to maintain a false Religion for such is that of the Church of Rome consisting of damnable Doctrines Superstition Idolatry and all manner of Ungodly Lewd and Prophane Practices We cannot think then that God will by Miracles attest and allow of such Abominations If then they still insist on the Miracles wrought by some of them among the Indians as they pretend I say this that if it can be proved they were done among those Infidels it was to confirm the Christian Religion not the Popish Thus you see that these Boasters of Miracles and who make them a Note of their Church are found to be but Pretenders and can lay no claim as they are of that Church to those Miracles which are Real Geâ—uine and True and which only are the certain Testimonies of the Truth of Christianity Which brings me to the 3 d and last thing I undertook viz. To evince that these Miracles are and ought to be look'd upon as an Infallible Testimony of the Truth of Christianity To these Christ himself appealed as a Proof of his Divinity and Messiahship Mat. 11. 4 5. To that Question Art thou he that should come or do we look for another the Answer was Go and shew those things which you hear and see the Blind receive their Sight the Lame walk C. So when the Iews were earnest with him to declare who he was If thou be the Christ say they tell us plainly Iesus â—nswer'd them The Works which I do in my Father's name they bear witness of me John 10. 24 25. These are a sufficient Attestation of my Divine Authority Therefore he saith in John 15. 24. If I had not done amongst them the Works which no other Man did they had not had Sin i. e. their Unbelief had been no Sin for if those Works were not a Proof of my Divine Commission they were not bound to believe me But on the contrary those miraculous Works being undeniable Evidences of his acting by a Power from Heaven it was a grievous and damning Sin to disbelieve him So the Apostles when their preaching the Gospel was opposed and contradicted thought they sufficiently disproved the Gainsayers by shewing that Iesus of Nazareth whom they preach'd was a Man approved or demonstrated of God among them by Miracles and Wonders and Signs which God did by him in the midst of them as they themselves also know Acts 2. 22. Christ's Miracles were a Demonstration of the Truth of his Doctrine and consequently of that of the Apostles because it was the same Thus St. Paul argues the Truth of Christianity from the miraculous Indowments and Gifts of the Apostles and declares to the Hebrews that it is extreme dangerous to neglect that Doctrine and that Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord himself and was afterwards confirmed unto them by them that heard him God also bearing them witness both with Signs and Wonders and with diverse Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost Heb. 2. 3 4. Here is the just Method of the Progress and Proof of the Gospel here is first the Author and Founder of it the Lord Christ Jesus who at the first began to speak and deliver it Secondly the Evidence of its delivery it was confirmed by them that heard it i. e. by the Apostles who were Ear-witnesses of this Divine Doctrine Thirdly the Truth and Certainty of the Apostles Testimony concerning Christ and his Doctrine God bore them witness with Signs and Wonders and with diverse Miracles which are as great a Confirmation of what they deliver'd as can possibly be desired Yea Miracles have been always accounted such even by those who were not very forward to imbrace our Saviour and his Doctrine The Common People when they had seen the Miracles that Iesus did could say this is of a Truth that Prophet that should come into the World John 6. 14. This was the reasoning of the Man that was born blind and was restored to his sight Since the World began was it not heard that any Man by his own Power opened the Eyes of one that was born blind If this Man were not of God were not assisted with an infinite Power he could do nothing of this nature Iohn 9. 32 33. And not only the simple and illiterate but the wise and learned argued after this manner Nicodemus a Ruler of the Jews came to Christ with this Acknowledgment we know that thou art a Teacher come from God for no Man can do these Miracles that thou doest except God be with him John 3. 2. Here he confesses it as a known Truth that Miracles are sufficient to attest a Person or Doctrine to be from God and consequently they are good Arguments of the Truth of what our Saviour taught and they prove him to be the Messias And the Chief Priests and Pharisees could say this Man doth many Miracles if we let him thus alone all will believe on him John 11. 47 48. This strongly implies that Miracles are able to create Belief and so unawares they acknowledg that the Miracles which Christ and the Apostles wrought are good evidence that their Doctrine was from God and that it was to be believed and imbraced The Iewish Rabbins in their Writings speak much of the Miracles the Messias shall do which is an Argument that those Men were really perswaded that Miracles are a Proof of a Divine Commission and that they are to seal the Truth of God This was the very Notion and Sense of the Pagan World as is plain from that Passage recorded in the Acts of the Apostles chap. 14. 8 11 12. When Paul cured a certain Man at Lystra impotent in his Feet being a Cripple from his Mothers Womb who never had walked the People of the place seeing this Miracle presently lifted up their Voices saying the Gods are come down to us in the likeness of Men. Their natural Reason dictated to them that this was done by Divine Power and could not be done otherwise The Workers of Miracles are by these poor Heathens reputed as Gods St. Paul was taken by them for Mercury he that could give motion and nimbleness to the Lame Man of Lystra was thought to be the God with
the Faith of Christ. So in the next Ages altho the Iews out of malice and hatred to Christianity as one tells them to their Faces sent out their Emissaries and those of no mean Abilities into all parts of the World to perswade People against that Religion and to make them believe that the Professors of it were guilty of Atheism and all Impiety yet this had but little effect upon them and several Men of good Understanding and Knowledg imbraced the Christian Faith and lived and died in it And as some of the learnedest Iews were converted by the preaching of the Gospel which they once counted foolishness so among the Gentiles some of the wisest Philosophers and wittiest Orators and skilfulest Artists for the Arts as well as Empire were at their heighth when the Gospel appeared when Christ came acknowledged the Truth of Christianity and heartily espoused it These Men who were of considerable Learning and Parts quitted their beloved Sentiments and Principles and freely imbraced the Evangelical Doctrine The early Trophies of the victorious Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ among the Learned Pagans were such as these Luke the Physician Zenas a Learned Advocate of the Civil Law for he was no Scribe or Doctor of the Iewish Law who in other places is indeed stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But as our own Learned Annotatour hath made it probable he was one that practis'd the Primitive Roman Law which prevail'd not only at Rome but in all places which were under the commands of the Emperour Likewise a vast number of Learned Men at Ephesus who were Professors of curious Arts but being converted forthwith committed their Books to the Flames altho they were valued to be worth fifty thousand pieces of Silver Dionysius the Arâ—opagite i. e. a Learned Philosopher and a celebrated Judg in the highest Court of Judicature at Athens was brought to the Profession of Christianity by St. Paul's preaching of the Gospel there and as Ecclesiastical Writers report was made the first Bishop of the Christian Church at Athens The famous Polycarp bid adieu to his Pagan Rites and resolutely admitted himself a Disciple under St. Iohn and afterwards was deservedly constituted Bishop of Smyrna With him I may rank Ignatius who abandon'd his former Perswasions and imbraced the Doctrine of the crucified Jesus and afterwards arrived to the Episcopal Chair at Antioch whose antient and godly Epistles are of great Note and Eminency in the Church and have been justly vindicated by one of our learned'st Prelates Some would rank here Clement the Roman who became a Convert to the Christian Faith and manfully undertook the Defence of Christianity and hath left us many noble Discoveries of Primitive Actions especially that rare piece of St. Peter's Life Who hath not heard of Irenaeus for now I will step into the second Century that most eminent and noted Enquirer after Truth who submitted at last to that of the Gospel and made it his particular Employment to rehearse and at the same time to confute the several Hereticks that confronted any Articles of the Christian Belief Aristides an eloquent Philosopher of Athens changed his Religion and presented an Apology for the Christians to the Emperour Adrian Athenagoras another excellent Athenian Philosopher and famous for all sorts of Heathen Learning must not be omitted here who bidding adieu to his former heathenish Life and Institution undauntedly maintain'd that of the Christians Theophilus of Aâ—tioch was another converted Philosopher and so was Tatianus who when he had abandon'd the Pagan Religion writ an excellent Orationagainst the Greeks wherein he apologizes for Christianity and confutes Heathenism tho he mingled some Errors with his Doctrine afterwards Pantanus who was afterwards Catechist at Alexandria was a Christian Convert from the Stoick Philosophy I must by no means forget Clement the great Philosopher of Alexandria who being converted to Christianity indeavour'd by his Writings to promote that Cause and accordingly put forth an exhortatory Oration to the Gentiles wherein he discovers the Folly and Falshood of Paganism and earnestly perswades them to imbrace Christianity And he writ a Body of Christian Ethicks in which he informs the Manners of a newly converted Christian and he adds another Treatise full of variety of Matter made out of diverse Authors sacred and profane wherein he supposes the Convert arrived to some Perfection and therefore lays him down greater and higher Rules With this worthy Convert I will rank Iustin who as he tells us himself had run through all the Families and Sects of Philosophy having been first a Stoick then a Disciple of the Peripateticks afterwards a Pythagorean and pitch'd at length upon Platonism and became a profess'd Assertour of it a long time But at last an antient Christianâ— man he saith met him as he was walking by the Sea-side and gave him some account of Christianity from which time he had a Fire kindled in his Breast he felt a Love of the Prophets and Apostles and Followers of Christ and seriously reflecting on that Mans discourse he found after all his tedious Searches and the long Risque of Philosophy which he had run that Christianity was the only safe and useful Philosophy Here he found Certainty and Profit which two things he never met with before Hereupon he was studious to advance the Christian Religion and to that end writ and Admonitory piece to the Greeks against Gentilism and two incomparable Apologies for Christianity with a Defence likewise of it against Iudaism in a Dialogue with one Trypho a Iew and at last suffer'd Death for the Christian Cause and thence justly purchas'd the Sirname of Martyr But I will pass to the third Century and there mention Cyprian who was converted from Paganism and afterwards was made Bishop of Carthage He became the most zealous Assertour of Christianity and in his Writings acquitted himself with so great a Courage as can never be express'd He manfully wielded his Pen against the Nâ—vatians and against Apostates from Christianity in time of Persecution he suffered much and at last was honoured with the Crown of Martyrdom I must add Tertullian a Native of Africa who of a Civil Lawyer commenced a solid Advocate and Maintainer of Christianity This is that Tertullianus according to some who is mentioned in the Digests and hath some Consulta of his set down there And indeed he that observes his stile shall find many Law-terms as his Prescriptions against Hereticks c. which are borrowed from the Civilians or old Roman Lawyers though I know the learned Grotius of the same faculty denieth it utterly But against Grotius I set Eusebius who tells us that Tertullian was most accurately skill'd in the Roman Laws and then it is no wonder that he uses several Forensick words and particularly Praescriptions which as we learn from Quintilian Vlpian and the Pandects were the Defendents Replies to the Plaintiffs Action Besides it might be
that they fancy a Supersedeas given to a strict and severe life by the merciful Appearing of the Messias they make bold to turn the Grace of God into wantonness and abound in all manner of Vice because the Divine Goodness and Favour have abounded towards Mankind It pleases them hugely that they are enfranchis'd from the Rigour and Severity of the Legal Dispensation and that now under the Gospel a Court of Chancery is erected and nothing but Equity and Mercy Clemency and Indulgence take place The bare Name of Christians is they think a sufficient Amulet against the Vengeance of Heaven and the Cross of Christ is a powerful Charm against Hell and the Devil O when shall these vile mistakes these wilful mis-interpretations of the Design of Christ's Coming and Appearing in the World be rooted out of Mens minds When will they understand themselves aright and be convinced of the heinousness of sinning against the Gospelâ— Dispensation Why do they not ponder those words of the Apostle which I before mention'd If every Transgression and Disobedience under the Law receiv'd a just recompence of Reward how shall we under the Gospel escape if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 2. 2 3. If God did so severely animadvert on those that disregarded the Mosaical Injunctions what severity will he shew towards them that live in the constant violation of the Evangelical Law They must needs be inexcusable that wilfully offend against this because it is a more excellent Institution than the other because by this we have a greater knowledg of God's Will and consequently greater Conviction of Sin because we have greater evidence of God's willingness to forgive our Transgressions through the Merits of the Messias upon our hearty Repentance because the equity and reasonableness of Evangelical Faith and Obedience are greater than those of any Duties under the Law Upon these and several other accounts the neglecting this so great Salvation is the greatest Sin except the unpardonable one that can be committed against God and consequently the heaviest Penalty attends it Heretofore it was said Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil of the Iew first Rom. 2. 9. but we may now say of the Christian first for he of all Persons under Heaven is the most grievous Criminal because there is this high Aggravation of his Guilt that he sins against the Evangelical Laws I wish the Christian World would attend to this and understand their true interest i. e. to be very exact and circumspect in their Lives for God expects we should live according to the Dispensation we are under according to the proportion of that Grace which is bestowed upon us We must remember that Christianity engages us not only to root out all false Notions but to banish all vicious and ungodly Practices and to live according to the admirable Rules of the Gospel Our Knowledg and Judgments should influence upon our Conversations and our Manners ought to be proportionable to our Light Otherwise it is certain our Knowledg will increase our Guilt and our abundant Light will thrust us into utter darkness 5. Be ascertain'd that this is Last Dispensation and expect no other God spake at divers times and in sundry manners he reveal'd himself by degrees and successively whereas now he hath discover'd to us all at once that is all that is substantial all that is essential to that Religion which he requires of us for otherwise as you shall hear afterwards this Oeconomy admits of considerable Digrees Since God hath spoken his Will by his Son since the Gospel is left on Record we must not look for any other Discovery of Divine Truth No more is to be revealed to the end of the World I mean as to any New Doctrine concerning the way of Salvation tho Revelations concerning some things which may be for the safety and welfare of the Church or of some choice Persons in it may perhaps be communicated by God on great occasions Besides I deny not that clearer Discoveries may be made of some Points afterwards the same Truths which we now have may be more illustrated but no New Doctrines no New Precepts are to be thought of We have so much of saving Truth discover'd as was intended should be sufficient for us till the Consummation of all things Now our Religion is fixed the Faith hath been once deliver'd to the Saints and it shall never be deliver'd again with Additions or Alterations God added to the Discoveries which he made to Adam and to Noah to the Patriarchs and to the Iews but now he hath done adding All our Duty is taught us All things that are to be believed or to be done by us are revealed by Christ and his Apostles You hear him thus declaring to his Disciples All things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you John 15. 15. The Apostle St. Peter peremptorily determines that there is not Salvation in any other for there is no other Name under Heaven given among Men whereby we must be saved Acts 4. 12. And the other great Apostle is as definitive when he thus pronounceth Tho an Angel from Heaven if you can suppose such a thing preach any other Gospel unto you than that we have preach'd unto you let him be accursed Gal. 1. 8. The same Apostle tells us that the Church is built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Eph. 2. 20. and the Foundation of a Building is not a thing to be removed Therefore he calls the Gospel the ministration which remaineth or endureth 2 Cor. 3. 11. This is the Everlasting Gospel Rev. 14. 6. because it is never to be alter'd never to be amended by a more complete Body of Laws So that the Everlasting Gospel answers to Everlasting Righteousness or the Righteousness of Ages Dan. 9. 24. which shall admit of no Change Religion was perfected and consummated by Christ he hath in the Gospel given us all that he ever intended to give This is the perfectest Rule this is the last System of Religion To this purpose the Apostle's words are remarkable in Eph. 1. 10. That in the Dispensâ—tâ—oâ— of the fulness of time i. e. in the Evangâ—lical 〈◊〉 he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in Heaven and on Earth even in him The Greek word which is here rendred to gather together in one is used sometimes in a militâ—ry Sense and signifies to gather dispersed Souldiers together into one Troop or Company This Sense of the word saith Grotius sutes best with this place He who is the Lord of Hosts rallied all dispersed Creatures in Heaven and Earth Angels and Men Jewâ— and Gentiles Bond and Free and united them in one even under Christ their Captain The whole Family in Heaven and Earth as the Apostle expreâ—â—eth it now meets together The whole World which is after the Hebrew manner expressed hâ—re by Heaven and Earth becomes one
the Fields of Marathon consisted of six hundred thousand But Xerxes's Army which he brought into Greece exceeded all that ever we read of for it consisted of two Millions of fighting Men. But Herodotus makes the number somewhat less Seventeen hundred thousand on Land and two hundred and fifty thousand at Sea And we read of very great numbers in the Ages afterwards Tamerlan the Scythian came with nine hundred some say with twelve hundred thousand Men into the Field against Bajazet the Grand Seignior who had five hundred thousand on his side and in this Battel the fortunate Tartar took not only Bajazet but slew two hundred thousand of his Soldiers But now there is no need of such vast numbers of Men as heretofore and the numbers of the slain are not as they used to be of old We have a more compendious and speedy a more thrifty and frugal way of killing our Enemies than by Bows and Arrows by Javelins Battel-axes and Speers The modern Mortar-pieces will end the Quarrel sooner than the Roman Battering Rams A Tempest of Bombs and Granadoes will dispatch the Business more easily than a Shower of Arrows A Broad Side will do quicker Execution on a Navy than Archimedes's Burning-Glasses did Yea we have now the advantage by our late Invention of Gunpowder either to beat down or blow up our Enemies Seeing then there will be in this World till it be better occasion of War and Controversies cannot be decided but by Blood it is well that there is now a way whereby Victory may be got with less expence of Time and Blood than formerly which is the Fruit of this Invention of Gun-powder and the Engines that convey and discharge it Which things if Wencestaus the German Emperâ—ur had foreseen he would not have caus'd the ingenious Inventer as it is said to be executed We might add here that the Military Art is inâ—initely improved as to Sieges Fortifications c. which are intirely the discovery of these latter times So was the Art of Printing of which I will speak next For I attend not to what some have suggested that this Art was known to the Chinois very near two thousand Years ago That which those People had attain'd to then tho it was of great use to them was inferiour to this Typographick Skill and is not to be the compared with it Germany and Holland in the former Mentz in the latter Harlem contend for the honour of this Invention Iohn Guttenberg of the first and one Koster of the second lay claim to it but the former generally carries it Or if this latter first invented it as some say he did about A. D. 1430 the other was the first that publish'd and practis'd it in the Year 1440. Others ascribe it to Iohn Faustus a Goldsmith in Mentz others to Iohn Mentell and others to Lawrence Ienson But Guttenberg is the most celebrated he was born in Stratsburg and was a Soldier by Profession and Employment yet it pleas'd God that this Martial Man was instrumental in discovering this peaceable Art and at that time when it was so seasonable for Learning then ran very low and was like to decay yet more and more All Books being in Manuscript and the Monks and Friars having the keeping and ordering of them what could be expected but that they should be corrupted and depraved as without doubt they had been in great measure already For before the Invention of Printing Books used to be transcribed and the Transcribers sometimes out of mere carelesness and negligence at other times out of Ignorance yea sometimes out of Wilfulness left out or added something to the Originals They writ not what they found but what they understood and whilst they undertook to mend other Men's Errors they shew'd their own And hence we have had innumerable Errors crept into the Writings of the Fathers especially since the Controversies were started relating to the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity or to the Points of Popery Those who Patronized Arianism corrupted several Passages in Books and those who excessively doted on the Roman Church and its Universal Bishop and the Doctrines and Ceremonies maintained by it did the same by altering mangling transposing inserting or leaving out some Things in the Copies they transcribed And if you consider the Variety of MSS. and how many Times during the Space of several Centuries of Years they were Copied out you must needs conclude that either by Design or Negligence many Errors and Corruptions crept into the Text and Books varied very much from what they were at first This was the necessary and unavoidable Effect of Transcribing of Authors and Copying out their MSS. which is now most happily taken away by the Press Now after a little Care taken at first in Correcting and Revising many Thousands of Copies are dispatched and sent into the Woâ—ld free from Mistakes and Corruptions and that in a lasser Time than One of those Copies could have been Transcribed The Seasonableness of this Noble Invention may be discovered from this That it was so unspeakably Serviceable to the bringing on the Refâ—rmation For by the Benefit of Printing the World was blessed with the excellent Labours of Learned and Pious Men who lived in that Time and thus by this means the Popish Ignorance was laid open the Errors and Impieties of the Church of Rome were expos'd to view and whereas before Learning was lock'd up in Cloysters now it spread it self over all Europe and the Truth of the Gospel was Propagated almost to a Miracle Of such great use was this Art which hath been Improv'd of late to a Wonder For the first Inventors are not the most exact they that come afterwards far excell them for so it is oftentimes they that are good at Inventing are not so happy in Improving as others Thus we see in the Country where Printing was first found out there is the worst Printing as well as the worst Paper But these Latter Times have extremely Cultivated both for which we have great reason at this day to Bless God In short Learning and Victory are now soon acquired since Printing and Guns have been found out That we may the better manage our Studies and all other Business and Affairs by Timing them rightly Clocks and Watches were invented For though Sun-dials and Hour-glasses whether made with running of Water or Sand were of great Antiquity yet these Automatous Organs or Horologies by Wheels were lately found out maugre the groundless fancy of those Painters who Picture St. Ierom who lived in the 4th Century with a Clock by him We are indebted to the excellent Mechanick Wit of the Germans for this useful Contrivance whereby the Time is so Artificially divided that we can know the just and precise Seasons of beginning or leaving off our Work of what Nature soever it is and the publick notice of the particular divisions of Time is imparted to the Eye-sight and at a greater distance communicated to
come the Kingdom of our God which is explained by the next Words The Power of his Christ his effectual Reigning whereby he shews his Power in the Church more than ever We have not yet seen the Consequences of the Seventh Angel's Sounding when it was proclaim'd with a loud Voice from Heaven The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall Reign for ever and ever Rev. 11. 15. which in v. 17. is call'd his taking to him his great Power and his Reigning Which gives us to understand that he doth not at first exert his great Power in the Evangelical Dispensation he doth not fully Reign but that he will afterwards and upon Earth This is taking to him his c. There is one Text more which I will add and I request the Reader to consider of it He i. e. Christ must Reign till he hath put all Enemies under his Feet 1 Cor. 15. 25. The Apostle had mention'd the Resurrection of the Saints at Christ's last coming v. 23. and thereupon adds in the next Verse then cometh or then is the end viz. of this World and Present State of things when he that is Christ shall have deliver'd up the Kingdom the Saints who are the chiefest part of his Kingdom to God even the Father when i. e. after he shall have put down all Rule and all Authority and Power which oppose him and his Kingdom For he must Reign i. e. in his Church till he hath put all Enemies under his Feet Now it is plain and undeniable that this time is not yet come therefore it shall be hereafter There must be a time here on Earth when Christ shall have put all his Enemies under his Feet when he shall Reign without opposition And this is the time I am speaking of viz. the Third Exertment of the Evangelical Dispensation But the most Signal Eminent and Renowned Place on which may be Founded and Built the Future Glorious State of the Christian Church on Earth is the 20th Chapter of the Revelation where is expresly foretold the Binding of Satan a Thousand Years and the Saints Living and Reigning with Christ a Thousand Years I know full well this Chapter hath been miserably perverted not only of late but at the first setting out of Christianity Some from this place asserted a Terrene Millennary Kingdom of Christ consisting chiefly in Corporal Pleasures and Carnal Delights as if they design'd to revive the Epicurean Happiness or to antedate the Mahometan Heaven Cerinthus is said to be the Author of this Opinion for being a Man addicted to Sensuality and Pleasure he founded an Happiness here on Earth of such a Nature viz. abounding with all Delights relating to Meats and Drinks Concupiscence and Effeminacy So saith an Antient Ecclesiastical Writer Dionysius of Alexandria 1. 2. de Promis And Eusebius saith the same Eccl. Hist. 1. 7. c. 19. But this savours too much of the Flesh besides that it contradicts our Saviour who said His Kingdom was not of this World John 18. 36. and consequently the Reigning of the Saints is not Worldly and Sensual but Spiritual and Heavenly And besides these Men held that this Reign of Christ here on Earth was to be after the Resurrection yea and after the last Iudgment which renders this Opinion yet more Improbable if not Absurd as if the Saints who had enjoy'd the Pleasures of Heaven would count it a Happiness to be entertain'd with those that are Sensual and Carnal There were Others of Old who had a more Tolerable Notion of the Millennary Reign for they placed it not in Sensual and Earthly Pleasures and mere outward Peace and Prosperity though they held it was not without these There Opinion in short was this that after Six Thousand Years in this World were compleated the Saints should all rise their Bodies should ascend out of their Graves or where ever else they were and their Souls should come down from Heaven and Christ also should descend from thence and keep a Jubile with them and Reign with great joy a Thousand Years here upon Earth and that all Kingdoms should be made subject to him and that the Righteous should be Bless'd with an abundance of the Good Things of this World but without any Intemperance Excess or Immoderation whatsoever This they call'd the First Resurrection from which all the Ungodly are excluded After this Seventh Millennary of Years is compleated all Men shall rise from the Dead which is the Second Resurrection This was the Sentiment of most of the Ancient Fathers yea of all Christians who were accounted Orthodox as Iustin Martyr acquaints us He and Irenaeus and Ierom and others tell us that this Doctrine came first from Papias Bishop of Hierapolis who pretended he had it from St. Iohn whose Scholar he was and from the Disciples of the Apostles with whom he was acquainted So that the Pedegree of the Millennary Opinion is this It was first broach'd by Cerinthus then reâ—ined by Papias and others and afterwards transmitted to the Latin and Greek Fathers Or if we will be more exact in the Lineage and Descent of it we must begin it higher and say that the Apostles set it on foot first for they dreamt of an Earthly Kingdom of Christ in this World as I have shewed before Or rather we may trace it up to the Iews before Christ the Millennium was borrowed from an Antient Tradition and Perswasion among that People that the Messias should Reign a Thousand Years on Earth in all Pomp and Grandure The Babylon Talmud in Sanhedrim in the Chapter Helek doth shew this to be the Opinion of the Hebrew Doctors about the Days of the Messias And Aruch mentions it as a thing of undeniable certainty and so speaks R. Eliâ—zer in Midrash Tillim The Days of the Messias are a Thousand Years So our Learned Lightfoot The Opinion of his Personal Reign in the affluence of all Sensual and Worldly Delights was an old Iewish Error saith St. Ierom once and again And several other Writers testifie that it was a received Notion among them That the Messias after Six Thousand Years of the World were expired should Reign in Person all the time of the next Millennary with his Elect on Earth in perfect Peace and Prosperity and hence the Christians converted from Iudaism borrow'd and retain'd this Notion And truly it was kept up a long time in the Church it was almost universally believ'd no less than the first Three Hundred Years after the Apostles At last the credit of Papias who was thought to be the first Broacher of this Doctrine was call'd in question Though he was a Man oâ— great Simplicity Honesty and Integrity yet he was one of small Judgment and mean Learning saith Eusebius And he adds in another place that this Papias spoke Strange and Fabulous things and did not understand the Apostles Arguings St. Ierom and St. Augustin
were the first Fathers that writ against this Millennary Reign and soon after this it was generally Condemn'd by the Fathers of the Roman and Greek Church and hath ever since been look'd upon as an Heterodox Opinion excepting that some Anabaptists have made bold to revive it If we consider things aright we shall see sufficient reason to condemn and explode this Doctrine for there are these two gross Errors in it 1. That Christ shall Personally Reign upon Earth 2. That the Saints shall come from Heaven and Reign with him First The Chiliasts are palpably mistaken in this that Christ shall come from Heaven and Personally Reign here and that before the General Resurrection and Day of Judgment as they also hold This is contrary to express Words of Scripture which saith concerning our Saviour That the Heaven must receive him until the times of the restitution of all things i. e. as I conceive till the finishing of those times of the restitution of all things which will be a little before the Day of Judgment We are assured that Christ from his Ascension to that time remains in Heaven From thence he shall come to Iudge the Quick and the Dead therefore he shall not come down on Earth before that time and consequently he will not Reign here in Person as those Milleâ—naries imagine It is incongruous and against reason that he should be said to come to Iudge the Men upon Earth and yet at the same time be on the Earth Nor is there any thing in this 20th Chapter of the Revelation which favours this Fancy of theirs Had a Personal Reign been intended here it would have been said that Christ shall Reign with the Saints a Thousand Years which Words might fairly intimate that Christ would descend from Heaven and come among them and Reign in the midst of them so long a time but instead of this it is only said that they shall Reign with him a Thousand Years Or suppose it were expresly said Christ shall Reign yet this doth not prove that he shall Reign in Person How often doth the coming of the Lord in Luke 12. and in other Places signifie Christ's Coming in way of Judgment and Vengeance not his Personal Coming Why then may not Christs Reigning be meant not of a Personal Reigning but of his Reigning in the Hearts and Lives of the Faithful He is with them Spiritually and they Reign with him after the same manner and no other Therefore the Inquisitive Mr. Mede who founds the Future Reign of Christ upon Earth on his Chapter in the Revelations saw no Ground here for his Visible and Corporal Reigning Whence he hath left us these Words The presence of Christ in his Kingdom shall no doubt be Glorious and Evident yet I dare not so much as imagine that it shall be a Visible Converse on Earth for the Kingdom of Christ ever hath been and shall be a Kingdom whose Throne and Kingly Residence is in Heaven I quote this Passage the rather because some have entertain'd another Opinion of this Learned Author Besides in this Chapter v. 8 12. we read that Gog and Magog intervene between the Thousand Years and the Day of Judgment Therefore the Personal Reign of Christ is not before that Day for the Heavens retain him till then Nor is it after that Day for Gog and Magog who come after the Millennium go before the Day of Judgment I conceive this is an Unanswerable Proof And as for the several Quotations of Scripture which they bring to assert the Personal Reign the Answer in brief is this that theywrest those Places which speak of Christ's First Coming and others which speak of his Last Coming to Iudgment and apply them to a Second Personal Coming of Christ before the General Resurrection and Day of Judgment From this perverting of those Texts they set up the Corporal Reign of our Saviour which they so much talk of Secondly That is another unpardonable Error that the Bodies of the deceased Saints shall be raised from below and their Souls be dismissed from above and that both shall be united here that they may Reign with Christ on Earth First this is against the constant Discovery which is made to us in Scripture that Heaven and signally the Highest Heavens are the Place of Glory and the Seat of Blessedness prepared for the departed Souls of the Faithful Those Regions above not this Earth below are the Receptacle of Glorified Spirits Yet these Men are pleased to alter the Constitution and Appointment of the All-wise God and to make the Earth the Habitation of Blessed Spirits and the Seat of Happiness This is to abrogate the Laws of God's Kingdom this is to anticipate the State of Glory this is to confound Heaven and Earth Again How absurd and ridiculous is it to assert that the departed Saints shall come to be subject after all the Joys and Ravishments of another World to Calamities and bodily Evils For Gog and Magog shall besiege them as they must needs grant from v. 9. of this Chapter Shall the Saints not only quit their heavenly Mansions and come down here on Earth but also turn Soldiers and put themselves into a Military Posture For you read there of the Camp of the Saints Shall immortal Saints fight after they have been in Heaven Yet the Chiliasts must hold this because they assert that the Reigning of the Saints a Thousand Years is meant here of their leaving of Heaven and coming down to Reign on Earth They pretend to prove this from several Passages in this Chapter as where it speaks of the Souls of them that were Beheaded and of their Living and Reigning and of the first and second Resurrection which argues say they that this Reigning is to be understood of the Saints that were before in Heaven and that there is one Resurrection a Thousand Years before the Last Judgment and another when that comes In the former the Saints rise to Reign and in the latter all other Men shall be raised But St. Iohn's Words in this Chapter signify nothing of this Nature as will appear from setting before the Reader the entire Text with a brief Comment upon it I saw the Souls of them that were Beheaded for the Witness of Iesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast nor his Image nor had received his Mark upon their Foreheads or in their Hands and they lived and Reigned with Christ a Thousand Years But the rest of the Dead lived not again until the Thousand Years were finished This is the first Resurrection Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no Power ver 4 5 6. It is generally agree'd that by the Souls of them that were Beheaded are meant the Persons that were Beheaded for that is the known way of speaking among the Hebrews whom St. Iohn who was one himself here imitates And by them
3. 1. to explain this Place in the Revelation for as Christ is said to be crucified among the Galatians i. e. they had been so clearly and fully taught and instructed in the Nature of Christ's Sufferings as if Christ himself had been crucified in their Sight So in a resembling sort the SAINTS are said to live again i. e. their holy Lives and Actions whence they are denominated Saints are as evidently and completely copied out in the Persons then upon a kind of a Resurrection On such the second Death bath no Power i. e. those who have the Honour to be reserved to that excellent State of the Church which is called Reigning with Christ being Holy and Righteous Persons they shall be rescued from the second Death which is no other than Everlasting Destruction For as there is a Twofold Resurrection as hath been said so in the same way of Allusion there is a Twofold Death a Death of Temporal and a Death of Eternal Destruction This latter is called the second Death because it comes after the other and is a great deal more terrible than it Therefore to be free'd from this is the greatest Mercy imaginable And this is that which all those who live under the Heighth of the Evangelical Dispensation shall be rescued from At the end of those Thousand Years when the Books shall be opened and the Dead shall be judged out of them they shall escape everlasting Death and Damnation and they shall pass from Earth to Heaven from the happy State of the Church here to endless Blessedness in the Mansions above The short then of all is this That the Living and Reigning of the Saints with Christ which is foretold in this Chapter is to be understood of the most Prosperous and Flourishing State of the Church of Christ here on Earth which is the Thing that I have undertaken to prove and illustrate Indeed it is not expresly said that this Reign shall be on Earth but we may most rationally infer as much from this Chapter The Angel who was to bind Satan came down from Heaven ver 1. therefore the Scene of these Things spoken of in this Chapter was to be here below Afterwards ver 3. it is said that Satan was shut up that he might deceive the Nations no more Now none can deny but that these Nations were on Earth And in ver 9. it is said of Gog and Magog That they went up on the Breadth of the Earth and compassed the Camp of the Saints about The Saints then are upon the Earth as well as Gog and Magog And this appears yet further from what follows in the same Verse Fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them Therefore neither they nor the Saints were then in Heaven but on Earth else the Fire could not be said to come down from Heaven upon the latter It is out of question then that this Reigning of the Saints with Christ is meant of that happy Administration of the Church here on Earth Though the common Doctrine of the Millennaries viz. of the Saints and Martyrs leaving Heaven and coming down to Reign on Earth and so likewise of the Personal Reign of Christ with them be a groundless Fancy and built neither on Reason nor Scripture yet I have in some good measure shew'd that Tâ—is which I am now speaking of is founded on Both. The former dictates to us that there shall be a more perfect State of Christianity than ever yet hath been and the latter in several Places speaks of this higher Degree of Christianity Though Christ will not come in Person yet he will come in the Spirit to renew his Church and to exalt it to a greater Measure of Holiness and Purity And there shall then be such a joyful blessed Season as never was before and never will be again upon Earth It remains now that I speak particularly and distinctly of the Duration of this Spiritual Reign It shall last a Thousand Years which some have thought is to be understood iâ—definitely As in Iob 9. 3. 33. 23. One of a Thousand is One of a great Many And in Psal. 50. 10. A Thousand Hills and Psal. 105. 8. A Thousand Generations is as much as very Many Hills and Generations so they think here a Finite Number is put for an Indefinite and accordingly the Reigning of the Saints a Thousand Years signifies no more than the long Time of the Churches Prosperity St. Augustin who takes the Thousand Years in this Indefinite manner holds that they began either at Christ's Birth or his Passion and last to the Worlds end or till a little before it when Antichrist is to come and appear in the World Others say they commence at Christ's Death and that as the Saints are said to Reign so the Devil is bound a Thousand Years i. e. all the Time from Christ's Passion to the Consummation of all Things excepting only that little Time when he is Loosed But these are very extravagant Assertions and no considerate Men have undertaken to make them good Why therefore should I undertake to confute them I will only say this to baffle their Notion who take these Thousand Years Indefinitely that first it is expresâ—y asserted in this Chapter that the Godly shall Reign a Thousand Years and that Satan shall be bound just so many Years which indeed are but the same Time Again The Thousand Years are repeated no less than Six-times by St. Iohn here which clearly makes against and Indefinite and Uncertain Number Unless a Certain Determinate Portion of Years were here meant this Definite and Precise Number would not have been reiterated so often For this reason both the Ancient and Modern Expositors of this Chapter universally agree that the Thousand Years here are to be taken in the most obvious and Proper Sence viz. for that Particular Determinate Number But then there is a great Disagreement about the Beginning and Ending of these Thousand Years thus precisely taken Some say they began at Christ's Nativity and lasted till Pope Silvester the Second which was about a Thousand Years after for Idolatry and all Superstitious Rights in the Church broke out and manifestly appeared under him first of all So our Wickliff and Bilney and Aretius a Foreigner thought But others as Bede Primasius Pererius fix the Date at Christ's Passion Others hold the Thousand Years began at the Preaching of the Gospel or about the Destruction of Ierusalem and ended when Popery first began Eminently to prevail which was they say about the Year of Christ 1073. when Hildebrand i. e. Gregory the Seventh invaded the Chair then Satan also was loosed This is Dr. Lightfoot's Opinion as it was also of our Broughton and Vsher and of Pareus and Iunius abroad But surely it is harsh to say that the Devil was bound all the time of the Ten Persecutions when he had Power given him to stir up those Bloody Emperours and Tyrants to commit such Outrages against the
perhaps may be the Meaning of 1 Cor. 6. 2. Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the World I offer it to be considered whether we may not interpret it thus Do you not know that there shall be a time when there shall be a Christian Magistracy in the World and that especially when Christianity is coming to its Height there shall be such Godly Rulers and Iudges as shall reform all Things that are amiss in the World And this great Sway and Authority shall make way even for their judging of Angels Afterwards v. 3. I am far from abetting in this Discourse the wild Fancy of those Enthusiastick Spirits who make the Reign of Christ on Earth inconsistent with that of Kings and Princes who at the same time that they set up King Iesus pull down all others Their Fifth-Monarchy brooks no Crowned Heads But they forget that in the same Place where the Evangelical Prophet saith Behold a King shall Reign in Righteousness meaning Christ and this Kingdom which I am now discoursing of he adds And Princes shall rule in iudgment Isa. 32. 1. Though it is said the Scepter shall depart from Iudah when Shiloh first comes yet neither then nor afterwards is it to be taken out of the Hands of Christian Princes Their Monarchy and Christ's Kingdom are not incompatible Yea I am so far from giving any Allowance to this sort of Men that I confidently aver Christ's Kingdom whereof I am speaking shall be set up and maintain'd by the Kings and Rulers of the Earth Christianity shall arrive to that excellent Pitch by the Assistance of the Civil Magistrate by the Incouragement which shall be given to it by the Secular Powers There is Ground for what I say for we are expresly told that those who formerly gave their Kingdom to the Beast shall afterwards hate the Whore and shall make her desolate c. Rev. 17. 16 17. These great Things shall be effected by Monarchs Princes and States entirely devoting themselves to the publick Good and Welfare and to the Glory of Him who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords The Builders of that Ierusalem shall hold the Trowel with one Hand and the Sword in the other They shall at the same time Rear this happy Structure and severely Punish those who endeavour to hinder them till at last by sharply Animadverting on all Wickednesses and Enormities these be driven out of the World and Universal Piety and Righteousness come in their room Again This great Work shall be promoted and advanced by the help of Spiritual Pastors and Teachers whose Care and Faithfulness whose Courage and Zeal are as requisite in this present Affair as that of the Civil Magistrate The Rulers and Guides of the Church shall then shew themselves true Lovers of Souls by not refusing any Labour of Love for their Peoples Good they shall preach the Word be instant in Season out of Season reprove rebuke exhort with all Long-suffering and Doctrine they shall Watch in all Things do the Work of true Evangelizers make full proof of their Ministry They shall discharge their Holy Function with all Mildness and Clemency with all Tenderness and Compassion and yet with all Fervency and Vigour They shall let all Men see that they make the Honour of God and the Saving of Mens Souls the Grand Design of their Ministry And it is not without great reason that I mention both these great Orders of Men Magistrates and Ministers for it is absolutely requisite that they go hand in hand towards the accomplishing that Great Work which I am discoursing of Moses and Aaron must befriend each other Zerubbabel and Ioshua must join in building the Temple The great Hinderance of the Improvement and Increase of Christianity hath been the disunion of these Two The Temporal Rulers and Spiritual Overseers have not concurr'd in the promoting the same Religious Designs The Secular and Ecclesiastical Powers have frequently been divided among themselves and thereby have retarded and impeded the Common Good But it shall not be so in those happy Times there shall be no disagreement between Ecclesiastical the State and Church no opposition between the State and Civil Laws The Spiritual and Secular Officers shall be so far from being an Impediment to one another in their particular Charges that they shall make it their Business to promote the respective Cause and Interest of each other If Phocas and Boniface held together and thereby wrought such horrid Mischiefs in the World it is certain we may experience as great and notable Effects of a contrary Nature from the unanimous Concurrence of pious Governours in the Church and Commonwealth When they mutually advise and consult with one another and act jointly for the Advancement of Religion and Godliness as in the Times of Constantine the Great Theodosius Valentinian Gratian when they strive with great Ambition and no other Ambition who shall be most serviceable and beneficial to the Christian Community this will be found to be the true Method for the propagating and establishing of Religion in the World And seeing Religion is the only unshaken and lasting Basis of Kingdoms it is the Concern of thâ—se Two Ranks of Persons to agree to advance this above all Things whatsoever They are to remember that even Civil Politicks are best guided by this Conduct and that if a Nation or Council exclude this in any of their Laws and Constitutions they can't be said to be Wise and Politick For what is disagreeable to Religion is unsafe dangerous and extremely Impolitick To be short all lies in Rulers both of Church and State both Spiritual and Civil These as I apprehend will be the special Instruments which God will imploy to work that happy and wonderful Change When God pleaseth to send such Princes and Leaders as Zerobbabel such Priests as Ioshua such Teachers and Scribes as Ezra the Building of the House of God will soon be finished Such Great and Noble Spirits being sâ—t on work will easily bring it to perfection The Gospel will be completely established Christianity will be universally propagated and Evangelical Righteousness will prevail every where in the World Yea All of us are capable of promoting this great Work more or less and therefore we ought to make it our Concern Our earnest and constant Prayer should be that this Kingdom may come and prevail and prosper that Antichristianism wheresoever it is and under what Shape and Guise soever it appears may be demolished and destroyed that the Infidelity of Iews and Pagans may have a period that Vice and Immorality Irreligion and Prophaneness may be trod down and that the Contrary may be set up and advanced in all the Regions of the World And we are obliged to set forward this blessed Design not only by our Devotions but our Endeavours and to hasten the actual Prevailing of it in our Lives and Practices that Iesus may be seen to Reign among Men and that Christianity may be
Religion which Christ himself founded and deliver'd to his Apostles and Disciples The Tradition of these things is true and certain and we may safely rely upon it For tho the Authority of divine Truth depends not wholly on the Testimony of the Church for then the Authority of the Scripture would not be Divine but Humane and consequently not the Word of God but of Man yet the Church doth yield its Testimony to the Scripture and that Testimony or Tradition is a good Ground of Belief For Tradition is one way of communicating Matters of Faith and Fact to us By it we have them transmitted to us but this is neither the grand Motive nor the Rule of our Faith yet it is the Medium or Channel to convey the Belief of such things to us and we are to use it and prize it as such and to thank God that we have this among other Means to establish us in the Truth of the Gospel Hitherto I have consider'd the Testimony of Friends I will shew you in the next place that even Strangers and Enemies viz. Iews and Heathens bear witness to the Truth of Christianity First as for the Iews if Christ had not been thought by them to have been some extraordinary Person yea to be of the Holy Ghost miraculously why did they not prosecute Mary for an Adulteress The Sin of Adultery was severely punish'd by their Law and it was a very reproachful Crime You may be sure they would have urged this hard to the disgracing of the Son through the Mother But tho Ioseph denied him to be his Son and consequently she fell under the Law yet you read no where that the Iews made use of this against her which sheweth their tacit approving of Christ and that his Birth was extraordinary and divine Suidas tells us that Christ was chosen one of the Priests of the Temple at Ierusalem upon the death of one of the two and twenty for his singular Piety and excellent Doctrine Iosephus his Testimony of Christ is well known and St. Iohn Baptist his forerunner is made mention of by most of the Hebrew Writers with exceeding Praise and Admiration of his Holiness But I will conâ—ine my self to those Instances which are recorded by the Evangelists St. Luke observes that when he taught in their Synagogues he was glorified of all Luke 4. 15. And in the following Verses he subjoins a particular Instance of his preaching in one of their Synagogues at Nazareth and then adds all bare him witness and wonder'd at the gracious Words which proceeded out of his Mouth ver 22. Even some of the Jewish People who believ'd not in Christ cried out he is a good Man John 7. 12. Others said of a truth this is the Prophet ver 40. And others this is the Christ ver 41. And the Jewish Officers who were sent by the High Priests to lay hands on him admired his wise Deportment and excellent Discourse and freely declared that never Man spake like this Man ver 46. No one ever spoke Matters of greater moment and concern and with that Simplicity and Plainness that Authority and Efficacy which he did When Herod harangued the People they cried out It is the Voice of God But it was only the flattering Voice of the Multitude which made his such Here it was otherwise it was the real Voice of the true God and his very Enemies attest the unparallel'd Efficacy of it Christ was confessed and owned by the Iews in a most signal manner when he rid into Ierusalem on an Ass and when they strewed the way with Palm-branches and when all the People applauded him and treated him as some great Conqueror or mighty Prince Mat. 21. 8 c. For they were wont to congratulate the coming of such Persons to a place after that manner So the valiant Simon was receiv'd after his Military Success 1 Mac. 13. 51. So the Old Grecians in their Olympick Games after Victory wore wreaths of Palms as a reward of Conquerors And sometimes they bore the Branches of Palm-Trees in their Hands as the Emblem of Victory because the Branches of this Tree grow streight and stately as the Hand extended and tho they be loaded with much weight yet they bear up against it and shoot upwards Hence it was that this Honour of bearing Palm-branches and sometimes Branches of other Trees besides the Palm was given to Princes in Triumphs Thus Heliodorus saith that Hydaspes the King sent before him Harbingers of his Victory shaking Boughs of Palm in token of it Hence he that was generally applauded and received publickly with the Acclamations of the People was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they did not only strow Boughs but Leaves and Flowers in his way which sort of Honour was stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nor were they contented with this sign of Favour but they used to affix on the Doors of great Men the Boughs of Palm especially which Honour Lucian takes notice of telling us that green Palm-branches were set up at the Doors of the Rhetoricians Many more Testimonies might be alledged to this purpose And I could add also that this bearing of Branches was used in the Worship of the Pagans it being a Testimony of Honour to their Gods How fitly then did it come to pass by the over-ruling Hand of Providence that the Messias who was truly God and King was receiv'd by the People with Palm-branches He came in this triumphant manner into Ierusalem and was saluted with Cries of Hosanna and with that Gratulatory Benediction Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord John 12. 13. to testify that his Kingdom was come that he was to be victorious over Death and Hell and that he was to be a mighty Saviour and Deliverer I will briefly add two or three other Testimonies of the Iews Caiphas the High-priest prophesied of Christ John 11. 50 51. One of the Thieves on the Cross if he were a Iew which some have question'd acknowledg'd Christ and cleared him This Man saith he hath done nothing amiss Luke 23. 41. And even Iudas who betrayed our Saviour confess'd his Innocency I have sinn'd in betraying innocent Blood Mat. 27. 4. Secondly Heathens bear witness to Christ and the Truth of the Christian Religion He was acknowledg'd and ador'd by the wise Men that came from the East Tho he was condemn'd by Pilate yet he was first acquitted by him he declaring that he found no fault in him at all John 18. 38. And his Wife sent to him when he was on the Bench to have nothing to do with that just Man Mat. 27. 19. When a Title was to be set over the Cross Pilate wrote Christ the King of the Iews and would not alter it tho he was told of it Iohn 19. 22. The Centurion who had at that time the Sheriffs place and was to see the Execution perform'd when he saw