others out of the captivity of the Kingdome of darkness and Tyranny of Devil 5. Wherefore if any man start up and pretend an Equality with Christ he is ipso facto convinced of ignorance in the Mystery of Godliness and deprehended to be an Impostour and a Lyar or he is haply a Beast and an Epicure denying the Immortality of the Soul and thereupon building all his slights and contempts of the Personal knowledge of our Saviour he deeming him as all men else wholly Mortal and therefore utterly to have perished above sixteen hundred years agoe CHAP. VI. 1. An objection against Christ's Soveraignty over Men and Angels from the meanness of the rank of Humane Spirits in comparison of the Angelical Orders 2. An Answer to the objection so far as it concerns the fallen Angels 3. A further inforcement of the Objection concerning the unfallen Angels with an Answer thereto 4. A further Answer from the incapacitie of an Angels being a Sacrifice for the Sins of the World 5. And of being a fit Example of life to men in the flesh 6. That the capacities of Christ were so universal that he was the fittest to be made the Head or Soveraign over all the Intellectual Orders 7. Christ's Intercession his fitness for that Office 8. What things in the Pagan Religion are rectified and compleated in the Birth Passion Ascension and Intercession of Christ. 1. BUT it may be further objected That although it be very Reasonable that the Angels and the Spirits of men whether in the body or out of the body be reduced under some Political form of Government yet it seems very incongruous and disproportionable that some one of the lowest rank of all the Orders of Rational Creatures should be made the Soveraign over all over Angels and Archangels and all Principalities and Powers whatsoever whether in Heaven or in Earth 2. But to this I answer That though the Superiour Orders of Intellectual Beings may have far more strength and natural Understanding in them then Man yet the Humanity of Christ may not be inferiour to them in Humility and an holy adhesion to God in Self-resignation and Faith in him who is the Root of all things in Love also and dear Compassion over the whole Creation and in a word in whatever appertains to the Divine life But as for the lapsed Angels let them be otherwise as cunning and knowing in all Arts and Subtilties of Nature let them be as powerfull as Gigantick as they will even to the overturning mountains and striking down steeples at a blow yet Christ has infinitely the preeminence of them in those Divine accomplishments I have recited nay he has a Principle beyond them removed above their Sphere as man has a Principle beyond Beasts And therefore it is no more wonder that God has constituted him Lord over these rebellious Titans then that Man is made superiour to Lions Elephants Whales and other mighty and monstrous Creatures 3. But you 'l say Though it seem just that the usurped Empire of the Devil be taken from him and given to Christ yet there is no reason that the unfallen Angels should be brought under his sceptre they being naturally of an higher order then himself and having forfeited nothing by rebellion or disobedience to God And therefore it had been more Reasonable for God to have united himself Hypostatically as they call it with some Angel then with Humane nature But what art thou O man that pretendest to be so wise as to give laws to God may not he dispose of his own and of himself as he pleases Besides there being so great a Revolt in the Angelical Orders who tempted also Mankind into their lapse the pretermission of them all in the conferring of so great an Honour as was conferred upon Christ was but a just check and slight cast upon all their Orders at once the Angelical bloud as I may so say being tainted with Treason Again the revolt and rebellion of the Apostate Angels being nothing else but a wilde and boundless giving themselves up to the pleasures and suggestions of the Animal life and Christianity as I have already defined it nothing else but a Triumph of the Divine life over the Animal this Triumph Scorn and Insultation over the Animal life is more exactly pursued by how much in every place those things that seem of most value to it are left out as slighted and disregarded and the whole Mystery of the Recovery of the lapsed Creation to God performed by him who undertook it without the false pomp of those needless circumtances of highness of Order Nobleness of Birth worldly Authority Strength and Beauty of body Subtilty of Wit Knowledge of Nature Plausibility of Eloquence or whatsoever else seems precious to the mere Natural or Animal Spirit So that upon this very account the Angels were to be excluded from this function 4. But fourthly and lastly If any Angel would have been competitour with our Saviour in this Honour that question put to Zebedee's Children might well have dash'd him out of countenance in his competition You know not what you ask can you drink of the cup that I am to drink of and be baptized with the Baptisme that I am to be baptized with that is Can you undergoe that shamefull and scornfull death of the Cross Certainly an Angel cannot For if he could be born into the World in Humane flesh and suffer those agonies the Soul of the Messias did this Angel were no Angel but an Humane Soul But perhaps you 'l replie that though an Angel cannot suffer death in an Humane body yet he is so capable of torment and punishment that he may be made an Expiation for the Sinnes of the World But I demand how we that are so much concerned in it shall know of that suffering For the Transactions of men are a spectacle to the Angels but the Transactions of Angels are not discerned by men by reason of the Tenuity of their Vehicles But this suffering Angel would have appeared on purpose Yet how unsatisfactory and phantastical would this have been conceived in comparison of the real and assured Passion of our Saviour Christ. 5. Besides If an Angel had undertaken this office he could not have been so fit an Example of life to us as Christ who was a man subject to the same infirmities with our selves and who really felt what belong'd to the imbecillity of our natures For the Passions of his Minde were no more abated nor destroyed by his union with the Deity then the Passibility of Matter is by being united with a Soul Wherefore Christ wading thus faithfully without sin or blame throughout all the incumbrances of the Flesh which are greater then those that the Angelical Orders are liable unto is a very concerning spectacle of both Men and Angels But what an Angel could do would but very little concern us men 6. Wherefore he who was of so universal a capacity as to be an
and is on the right hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him There is a further enumeration of the Angelical classes Colos. 1. where the Apostle speaking of this high exaltation of the Person of Christ he intimates not only the Subjection of the Orders of Angels to him but their Reconciliation to God by him and as some would have it a fuller Confirmation of them in his favour vers 15. Who is the Image of the invisible God the First-born of every Creature For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him and he is before all things and by him all things consist And he is the Head of the body the Church He is the Beginning the First-born from the dead that in all things he might have the preeminence For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell And making peace through the bloud of his Crosse to reconcile all things by him unto himself whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven So mighty and wonderfull was the result of the Humiliation of our Saviour and so clear and warrantable an Object is he of Divine Adoration 3. Thus is the Divine Life Triumphant in the Person of Christ the Head of his Church But another main design of the Gospel is That the Divine Life may be advanced in us that is that Faith in God through Christ that Humility Love and Purity may have their due growth in us here that thereby we may be fitted to receive that immortal Crown of Glory which he will bestow upon all true believers at the last day when he shall carry his whole Church with songs of Joy and Triumph into his celestial Kingdome That this is the main purpose of the Gospell I have already sufficiently proved and therefore need adde nothing in this place 4. The fourth and last Rule or Measure of Opinions is The Recommendableness of our Religion to those which are without that is to say We must have a special care of affixing thereto any of our own Inventions or Interpretations of Scripture for Christian Truths which may seem uncouth and irrational to strangers and such as are as yet disengaged For though those that by reason of their education have had full acquaintance with Christianity will adhere to their Religion though it may be corrupted with many false glosses and fond opinions of men as indispensably obtruded as the undoubted Scripture it self yet strangers that are free and unaccustomed to them will not fail to boggle at them and being offered to them also with equal Authority with the very Word of God they will be necessitated to fly back and to relinquish the Holy Truth by reason of the indissoluble intertexture of the gross falshoods they find interwoven with it A thing that is seriously to be considered by all those that bear any love to the Gospel and desire that it may be propagated and promoted in the World For certainly it was intended for a more general good and larger diffusion then has been hitherto by reason of its having fallen into faithless and treacherous hands who make it only an instrument of gaining wealth and power to themselves and of riding the people and not of gaining souls to God CHAP. IV. 1. The general use of the foregoing Rules 2. A special use of them in favour of one anothers persons in matters of opinion 3. The examination of Election and Reprobation according to these Rules And how well they agree with that Branch of the Divine Life which we call Humility 4. The disagreement of absolute Reprobation with the first Rule 5. As also with the third 6 And with the second and fourth 1. THese are the four main Rules which I conceive very usefull to examine either other mens Opinions or our own And if the heat of our spirits or the confidence of others would urge upon us pretended Truths for to admit of open falsities or forgeries for what advantage soever is intolerable that are not subservient to these designs above named we may well look upon them as idle curiosities and if they pretend also to Revelation or Inspiration that it is nothing but Madness and fanatick Delusion But if they do not only not promote but countermine those designs above mentioned they are to be looked upon then not as frivolous but dangerous and impious and so to be declined by all means possible And lastly though they appear such as may contribute something to those designs if followed and embraced yet I must adde also this caution that they are not to be forc'd so as that unless a man will profess them he must be accounted no good Christian. For they coming from a fallible and doubtfull hand they ought not in reason to infringe that undoubted right of Christian liberty the Scripture alone being full enough to perfect a Christian both in life and doctrine 2. There is also a further use to be made of these Rules in favour of one anothers persons though of different Opinions that is by taking notice what good they drive at as well as what evil they tend to which makes much for peace and brotherly kindness and may blunt the edge of eager and bitter zeal that makes the over-fervid Zelot think that he that is of a contrary opinion to him intends nothing but mischief by his opposite doctrine In examining therefore every Opinion we are to observe what design of the Gospel it agrees with as well as what it crosses And that the Use of our Rules may the better appear I shall now shew the practice of them by trying some few Opinions of no small note by this Touchstone For it were an endless business to examine all and needless because by these examples he that lists may examine the rest indeed any that either has been or ever will offer it self to the World in matters of Religion 3. The first that occurrs is such an Election and Reprobation that wholly excludes Free will The Controversie is so well known that I need not state it Applying this doctrine to the four Rules I have set down I find in the Third that it has some compliance with that choice branch of the Divine Life namely Humility and a submission of a mans self and all the World to the will of God It is the Lord let him doe what he pleases And that therefore a serious and humble Soul being much taken up and transported with this consideration may think of nothing else but take this Doctrine to be very Truth nay live and die in it and go to heaven when he has done Whence it were a piece of Satanical Fury to persecute any such Opinionist and want of Charity these living as well as other Christians not to bear as good affection to them as to
utmost of that Light which was in those two grand Boasters which compar'd with that in Christ bears not so much proportion as the flame of a stinking Lamp to the glorious lustre of the Sun Insomuch that if they had not been both by themselves and others either equalized to or preferred before our Saviour I should not so much as have vouchsafed to have made any Comparison betwixt them or ever to have mentioned them in my Writings CHAP. IX 1. Mahomet far more orthodox in the main points of Religion then the above-named Impostours 2. The high pitch this pretended Prophet sets himself at His journey to Heaven being waited upon by the Angel Gabriel His Beast Alborach and of his being called to by two Women by the way with the Angels interpretation thereof 3. His arrival at the Temple at Jerusalem and the reverence done to him there by all the Prophets and holy Messengers of God that ever had been in the world 4. The crafty political meaning of the Vision hitherto 5. Mahomet bearing himself upon the Angel Gabriel's hand climbes up to Heaven on a Ladder of Divine light His passing through Seven Heavens and his commending of himself to Christ in the Seventh 6. His salutation of his Creatour with the stupendious circumstances thereof 7. Five special favours he received from God at that congress 8. Of the natural wilyness in Enthusiasts and of their subtile pride where they would seem most humble The strange advantage of Enthusiasme with the rude multitude 9. And the wonderfull success thereof in Mahomet Other Enthusiasts as proud as Mahomet but not so successfull and why 1. THE Third pretended Prophet and Head of the Nations is Mahomet who though he haply be not so moralized a man or at least not so cautious as these Two we last spoke of but more openly entangled in the pleasures of the Flesh if he be not belied then these two Sadducees were and more able to enjoy himself in those pleasures yet be it luck or choice or mere policy he seems more orthodox in the grand points of Religion then they he holding not only the Existence of a God and of Angels and Spirits but also the Immortality of the Soul and a solemn Judgment to come wherein every man shall receive according to what he has done in the flesh whether it be good or evil 2. The Success of this pretender has been so wonderfully great in the world that I think it not amiss to make somewhat a longer stay upon him then upon the two former We shall therefore take notice what pitch he sets himself at and after endeavour to level him and reduce him to his due place If we will then believe his own testimony we shall find him so much favoured by God and the Heavenly Powers as to be carried up into the highest Heavens at least by Vision But he tells the story of himself as if it was a real transaction viz. That once about midnight the Angel Gabriel knocked at his door and told him that he should travail up to Heaven for God Almighty would speak with him That the Angel brought along with him a milkùwhite Beast called Alborach something bigger then an Ass but less then a Mule which the Angel bad Mahomet get upon but the Beast kicking and refusing his Rider the Angel asked him why he did so for he never did nor ever could receive upon his back a better man then Mahomet But Alborach answered he would not admit him unless he would promise to procure him an entrance into Paradise which Mahomet promising he got up and the Angel led the Beast by the rains of the bridle till they were come to Ierusalem Now as they were in their way upon their journey Mahomet heard the voice of a certain woman crying to him aloud Mahomet Mahomet but the Angel forbad him to answer and when they had gone further another woman called him after the same manner but the Angel commanded him to hold his peace And that afterward he asked the Angel what these women were to which the Angel replied that the First was the Promulgatress of the Iewish the Second of the Christian law and that if he had answered to the first woman all the Mauri had become Iews if to the second Christians 3. When they had come to the gate of the Temple at Ierusalem that Mahomet lighted off from his beast Alborach and that he and the Angel went into the Temple where all the Prophets and Messengers of God that ever came into the world met him and saluted him saying Ioy to the Messenger and honourable Prophet of God Afterwards waiting on him in great pomp to the Chappell Mihrab with much reverence they desired him that he would pray for them all which when he had done they besought him also that he would be mindfull of them when he came into the presence of God This done they all went away and Mahomet and the Angel were left alone in the Temple 4. By which crafty figment Mahomet assuredly meant nothing else but a justification of himself for beginning a Third Sect distinct from the Religions of Iews and Christians and the recommendation of himself to the World as the greatest Prophet that ever yet appeared on earth But we are not come to the height of the Vision yet 5. The Angel and Mahomet afterwards coming out of the Temple found a Ladder made of Divine light which reached from Earth to Heaven whereby they both Mahomet bearing himself upon the Angels hand ascended up thither passing through seven Heavens The first of pure Silver where Adam was the second of Gold where Noah the third of a certain precious Gemme wherein was Abraham the fourth of Smaragdus wherein Ioseph the fifth of Adamant wherein Moses the sixth of Carbuncle wherein Iohn the Baptist was found and the seventh of Celestial light wherein was Iesus Christ. All these venerable personages welcomed Mahomet with loving salutations and kind embraces and commended themselves to him but in the seventh Heaven Mahomet seems to commend himself to Christ. The infinite numbers monstrous figures and immense bignesse of Angels that he sets off his Vision by for the greater astonishment of his Followers I thought good to omit as being too vile and tedious and he is not got to his journies end yet 6. The Angel Gabriel takes leave of him in this seventh heaven telling him he may goe no further with him but that God alone now must be his guide Mahomet therefore holding on his journie was carried on the tops of incredible heights and sublimities wading through much water and deep snow insomuch that he had been quite spent had not a voice refreshed him saying Mahomet come hither and salute thy Creatour He following therefore the sound of this voice saw so great a Light that he was almost blinded therewith For the Face of God was cover'd with veiles of Celestial light seventy miles thick to which he approached within the space
Locusts did that plagued the literal Aegypt 2. And then hugely numerous as the companies of Locusts use to be 3. And also making their stay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which you may turn menses quinos by fives of moneths Which is an allusion to the usual continuance of Locusts Plin. 11.29 and answers in the Prophetical sense to the five months of years that is a hundred and fifty years that these Locusts infested Italy and to the twice one hundred and fifty years that the Saracenical kingdome continued So properly are fives of months applicable to them 4. As also the golden crowns to the multitude of their conquests they having subdued Palestine Syria both the Armenias the lesser Asia Persia India Aegypt Numidia Portugal and Spain within the space of fourscore years 5. The Arabians whence the Saracens were tied up their hair with an head-tire like women 6. The sound of the wings of these Locusts which was as the sound of Chariots and of many horses running to battel is too big an expression for the faction of the Zelots but fitly signifies the mighty and swift victories of the Saracens 7. As also their poisonous Scorpion-tails doe the venome of the old Serpent under the false Religion of Mahometisme For all those powers that are not under the Kingdome of Light are part of the powers of the Prince of the dark Kingdome the Devil 8. As is here intimated very clearly the King over them being the Angel of the bottomeless pit though they pretend to be such zealous worshippers of that One true God that made Heaven and Earth Their pretence to which seems to be perstringed in the very name of their Prince Abaddon alluding to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Mr. Mede would have it That allusion of Grotius in Apollyon to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is more express but not better to our purpose then his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to Chrysippus being from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore signifying Unus as Adad also does the God of the Assyrians Which name is not so concealed in Abaddon but that by cutting it into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and taking away the insignificant termination and letting loose the two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 held so hard together by the dagesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immediately shews himself to make good the Paronomasia Which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore must be the Assyrians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Philo Byblius calls him and he might with Homer as well have stiled him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he being the same with Apollo Iupiter whose titles in Orpheus his Hymns are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew signifies as well Soveraignty as Paternity as appears in that regal title Abimelek Wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the supreme Adad the Father and Soveraign over all and the Paronomasia so palpable in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Abaddon that they have in a manner the very same sound Whence it is manifest that it is not for nothing the Prophet has pitched upon this name Abaddon rather then others which were more ordinary and signifie a Destroyer as well as this and why he would interpret it rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely to point at the Saracens hypocritical ostentation of Monotheisme or worshipping one God which they doe mainly in envy and opposition to the Christians profession of the Trinity while themselves in the mean time are under the Destroyer and are still as truly Pagans as the Assyrians and Greeks that worshipped Adad and Apollo The Sixth Trumpet Vision is the Euphratean Horsmen which Grotius applieth to the Roman army that besieged Ierusalem which he is content to be nominated Euphratean because some of the Romane forces namely those of Syria were quartered near Euphrates But why should the whole Roman army be denominated from hence And then the four Angels how can they fitly be referred to Vespasian Titus Mucianus and Tiberius Alexander being these Four were not of an equal rank and power coordinate and but one was the chief commander of the army And that several others might have as well been put in as some of these Four may appear from what himself writes on verse 16. Besides he gives no account of the time namely a day a month and a year nor of their numerosity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that of Horse He interprets also their breast-plates of Fire and of Iacinth and Brimstone of the colours of their Horsemens coats as if they were made of thread of either colour de feu violet-colour or a pale sulphurate colour which is too mean a business to be taken notice of in so sacred a Prophecy The applying of the Falaricae to the fire smoak and sulphur coming out of the Horses mouths is ingenious if considered alone We shall compare it with Mr. Mede's anon But the Foot-man that the Romans sometimes placed behind a Horse-man for readiness especially considering he rid not with his face backward nor slipt off over the horse tail but lighted on one side very hardly makes out the similitude of an Amphisbaena not to add that the Amphisbaena it self in his sense is but a Fiction His interpretation also of worshipping the Daemonia and Idols of silver and gold to a mystical sense is more faint and dilute then the literal meaning But in every one of these particulars Mr. Mede's interpretation has a fitness unexceptionable He referring the Four Angels at the river Euphrates to the four Sultanies of the Turkish dominion Bagdad Caesarea Aleppo Damascus planted on this side and that side Euphrates He calculating the time of a day month and year i. e. 396 years from the inauguration of Togrulbec the Prince of the Turks to the taking Constantinople which is just 396 years He applying those myriads of myriads of Horse to the known numerositie of the Turkish armies who being Persians by their long abode in that country are called Persae in the Greek History so that the Foot are in this allusion Horsemen too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying Eques as well as Persia. Which allusion to names is used also by Daniel in making the he-Goat stand for the Kings of the Aegeades that is of the Macedonians Their Breast-plates of Fire Iacinth and Sulphur he interprets of that aspect they seem to have by discharging their carbines or pistols in fight which makes all their breasts for a time seem fiery then of a blew Iacinth colour by the smoak and the most lasting object of sense is the stinking of the Sulphur Which representation is to be understood of them
Peace and Concord no not in Christendome it self neither in the Church nor State nor is Idolatry extirpated nor the Israelites replanted and setled in their own land all which things notwithstanding are foretold to come to pass in the dayes of the Messiah Whence say they it is plain he is not yet come But I briefly answer 1. That the Prophetical Promises of the coming of the Messiah were absolute as I have already noted the Extent of the Effect of his coming conditional men being free Agents and not fatal Actors in all things as the Iews themselves cannot deny 2. That the nature of the Gospel tends altogether to the accomplishing of those Promises of universal Peace and Righteousness and did begin fair in the first times of the Church as much as respects the Church it self 3. That whatever Relapse or Stop there has been things are not so hopeless but in time they may be amended and that they in those days when they are true Converts to Christ may if they will then desire it return to their own Land But after this serious conversion and real renovation of their Spirits into a true Christian state I cannot believe they will continue so childish as to value such things but will find themselves in the Spiritual Canaan already and on their march to that Ierusalem which is above the Mother of us all and that it will not be in the power of any but themselves to turn them out of the way 2. The other Objection or rather Evasion of that wholesome use that may be made of the Truth of the History of Christ is from that sort of Atheists that love to be thought Aristoteleans For there are two chief kinds of Atheisme Epicurean and Aristotelean The former denies all Incorporeal substance whatsoever and all Apparitions Miracles and Prophecies that imply the same Who are sufficiently confuted already by this undeniable declaration we have made The other are not against all Substances Incorporeal nor against Prophecies Apparitions and Miracles though of the highest nature insomuch that they will allow the History of Christ his Resurrection and Appearance after death the Prophecies concerning him and what not But they have forsooth this witty Subterfuge to save themselves from receiving any good therefrom in imagining that there is no such Particular Providence as we would inferre from hence because all this may be done by the Influence of the Celestial Bodies actuated by the Intelligences appertaining to each Sphere and deriving in a natural way from him that sits on the highest of the Orbs such influences as according to certain Periodical courses of Nature will produce new Law-givers induing them with a power of working Miracles assisting them by Apparitions and Visions of Angels making them seem to be where they are not and appear after they cease to be namely after their death when in the mean-time there be neither Angels nor Souls separate but all these things are the transient Effects of the power of the Heavens and Configuration of the Celestial bodies which slacks by degrees and so the Influence of the Starres failing one Religion decaies and another gets up Thus Iudaisme has given place to Christianity and Christianity in a great part of the World to Mahometisme being Establishments resulting from the mutable course of Nature not by the immediate finger of God who keeps his throne in the Eighth sphere and intermeddles not with humane Affairs in any particular way but onely aloof off hands down by the help and mediation of the Celestial Intelligences and power of the Starres some general casts of Providence upon the Generations of the Earth 3. A goodly speculation indeed and well befitting such two witty Fools in Philosophy as Pomponatius and Vaninus the latter of which seems not to give himself up to this fine figment altogether fully and conformably to the ancient doctrine of Aristotle but having a great pique against Incorporeal Beings is desirous to lessen their number as much as he can and seems pleased that he has found out That one only Soul of the Heavens will serve as effectually to do all these things as the Aristotelean Intelligences and therefore ever anon doubts of those and establisheth this as the onely Intellectual or Immaterial Principle and highest Deity but such as acts no otherwise then in a natural way by Periodical Influences of the Heavenly Bodies Where you may observe the craft and subtility of the man what a care he has of his own safety and how he has imprisoned the Divinity in those upper rooms for fear of the worst that he may be as far out of his reach as the Earth is from the Moon So cautious a counseller in these matters is an evil and degenerate Conscience 4. This is the chiefest Arcanum that the Amphitheatrum and famed Dialogues of this stupendious Wit will afford who was so tickled and transported with a conceit of his own parts that in that latter Book he cannot refrain from writing down himself a very Good for wisdome and knowledge Whenas assuredly there was never any mans Pride and Conceitedness exceeded the proportion of his wit and parts so much as his For there is nothing considerable in him but what that odd and crooked Writer Hieronymus Cardanus had though more modestly vented to the world before onely Vaninus added thereto a more express tail of bold Impiety and Prophaneness 5. I have elsewhere intimated how the attributing such noble Events to the Power of the Starres is nothing but a rotten relick of the ancient Pagan Superstition and have in my Book Of the Immortality of the Soul plainly enough demonstrated that there is no such inherent Divinity in the Celestial Bodies as that ancient Superstition has avouched or modern Philosophasters would imagine And I shall here evidently prove against this great Pretender That his removal of the Deity at that distance from the Earth is impossible For there are scarce any now that have the face to profess themselves Philosophers but do as readily acknowledge the Motion of the Earth as they do the reality of the Antipodes or the Circulation of the Bloud I would aske then Vaninus but this one question Whether he will not admit that the Sun is in that Heaven where he imagins his Anima coeliâ— and whether this Heaven be not spred far beyond the Sun and be not also the Residence of this celestial Goddess of his There is none will stick to answer for him that it is doubtlesly so Wherefore I shall forthwith inferre that let his unskilful phansy conceit us at this moment in as low a part of the Universe as he will within the space of six months we shall be as far above or beyond the Sun as we are beneath him now and yet then phansy our selves as much beneath him as before Which plainly implies that our Earth and Moon swim in the liquid Heavens which being every where this Deity of Vaninus must be every
AN EXPLANATION OF The grand Mystery OF GODLINESS OR A True and Faithfull Representation OF THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL Of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST the Onely Begotten Son of GOD and Sovereign over Men and Angels By H. More D. D. 1 Tim. 3.16 And without controversie great is the Mystery of godliness God was manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into glory Acts 1.10 11. And while they looked stedfastly toward Heaven as he went up behold two when stood by them in white apparell Which also said Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into Heaven this same Iesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven Gal. 1.8 Though an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel then this let him be accursed LONDON Printed by I. Flesher for W. Morden Bookseller in Cambridge 1660. To the READER READER 1. IF thine own Curiosity has given thee the trouble of perusing what I have wrote hitherto that thou maiest not suspect thy task will prove endless give me leave to informe thee that there is no small hopes that this Discourse may prove the last from my hand that shall exercise thy patience In which if thou wilt not believe me on my bare word the better to ease thee of thy fears I shall back it with some reason I must indeed confess That free Speculation and that easie springing up of coherent Thoughts and Conceptions within is a Pleasure to me far above any thing I ever received from external Sense and that lazy activity of Mind in compounding and dissevering of Notions and Ideas in the silent observation of their natural connexions and disagreements as a Holy-day and Sabbath of rest to the Soul But the labour of deriving of these senses of the Mind with their due advantages and circumstances to the Understanding of another and to find out Words which will prove fâ—â—thful witnesses of the peculiarities of my Thoughts this verily is to me a toil and a burden unsupportable besides the very writing of them a trouble so tedious that if any one knew with what impatience and vexatiousness I pen down my Conceptions they might be very well assured that I am not onely free from but incapable of the common disease of this Scripturient Age. 2. No smal Engines therefore could ever move so heavy and sluggish a Soul as mine to so ungratefull a piece of drudgery as thou thy self maiest collect from my very Writings themselves the subjects of them being matters of the highest consequence that the Mind of man can entertain her self withall The writing whereof was in a manner a necessary result of my natural Constitution which freeing me from all the servitude of those petty designs of Ambition Covetousness and the pleasing entanglements of the Body I might either lie fixt for ever in an unactive idleness or else be moved by none but very great Objects Amongst which the least was the Contemplation of this Outward world whose several powers and properties touching variously upon my tender senses made to me such enravishing musick and snatcht away my Soul into so great admiration love and desire of a nearer acquaintance with that Principle from which all these things did flow that the pleasure and joy that frequently accrued to me from hence is plainly unutterable though I have attempted to leave some marks and traces thereof in my Philosophical Poems 3. But being well advised both by the Dictates of my own Conscience and clear information of those Holy Oracles which we all deservedly reverence That God reserves his choicest secrets for the purest minds and that it is uncleanness of Spirit not distance of place that dissevers us from the Deity I was fully convinced that true Holiness was the onely safe Entrance into Divine knowledge and having an unshaken belief of the Existence of God and of his Will that we should be holy even as he is holy there was nothing that is truly sinful that could appear to me assisted by such a power to be unconquerable Which therefore urged me seriously to set my self to the task Of the Experiences and Events of which Enterprize my Second and Third Canto of the Life of the Soul is a real and faithful Record 4. My enjoyments then increasing with my Victories and Innocency and Simplicity filling my mind with ineffable delight in God and his Creation I found my self as loath to die that is to think my Soul mortal as I was when I was a child to be called in to go to bed in Summer evenings there being still light enough as I thought to enjoy my play Which solicitude put me upon my first search into the Nature of the Soul which I pursued chiefly by the guidance of the School of Plato whose Philosophy to this very day I look upon to be more then Humane in the chief strokes thereof But launching out so very early into so deep a Theory I think it not amiss to advertise the Reader that he would do well where he finds a difference in my discoveries to interpret and also rectifie if need be my First thoughts by my Second my Philosophick Poems and whatever is writ in that Volume by my later and better concocted Prose These were the first Essaies of my Youth and how great and serious the Objects of my Mind were therein thou canst easily judge 5. And after this where I seem most light and trivial and play the sportful Satyrist against Enthusiastick Philosophy my design even then was as seasonable serious and of as grand importance as I could possibly undertake which I have more then sufficiently demonstrated in those Writings themselves And though some over-subject to the Fanatick disease have looked upon that unexpected sally of mine as a very extravagant exploit yet I did easily bear with their ignorance deeming it in my silent thoughts in some sort parallel to that of the peevish Hebrew who reproached Moses for slaying of the Egyptian not knowing that it was a preludious act to his delivering of his whole nation from the bondage of Aegypt 6. And I hope I may speak it without vanity that what is discovered concerning Enthusiasme in my Enthusiasmus Triumphatus together with that which is comprehended in this present Volume will contribute no small share to a rightful and justifiable subduing of so dangerous a distemper and to the slaying or at least fettering that wild Beast that the Devil himself rides upon when he warres against the Lamb whose Throne I have seen shaken with the pushings of this monsters horns for these many years together though never clearer then now of late And I dare pronounce with a loud voice aforehand That if ever Christianity be exterminated it will be by Enthusiasme Of so great consequence is it rightly to oppose so deadly an evil Which
highly and most truly magnified and glorified and not in the dark and unintelligible exercise of an irresistible Power By which no other acts of Devotion can be stirred up in us then Fear and Stupour such as seizes upon poor astonished cattel in stormes and lightnings or mighty land-flouds that carry them they know not whether I have styled it also A true and faithful Representation of the Everlasting Gospel c. True as intermingling no humane inventions no◠deductions therewith but contenting my self with what is expresly declared in the Scripture The Truth of which things I think I have demonstrated beyond all exception in the Third part of my Discourse I add also Faithful I having wrote impartially setting down nothing out of any Passion Interest or Side-taking nor out of the spirit of opposition or vain-glory but speaking the Truth freely without any respect to persons or factions not minding either to sooth the one or displease the other but delivering my message so as one that is sensible he must give account thereof within a small space of time before them in the other World And as I profess my self that I have done all things herein with a faithful heart so I doubt not but the Effect will witness for me that what I profess is true For whereas some in an Hypocritical flattery of the External Person of Christ shuffle out all obligation to the Divine Life that Mystical Christ within us and pervert the grace of God in the Gospel to loosness and Libertinisme and others on the contrary whether out of the power of Melancholy that calls the thoughts inward or the scandal they take from abuse of the personal Offices of our Blessed Saviour they seeing the generality of Christians make the external frame of Religion but a palliation for sin or whether from the obscurity of some Articles of the Christian Faith have become plainly Infidels and misbelievers of the whole History of Christ and will have nothing to do with his Person but look upon the Mystery of Christianity as a thing wholy within us and that has no other object then what is either acting or acted in our selves I have with all earnestness of endeavour and with undeniable clearness of Testimony from Reason and Scripture demonstrated the Truth and Necessity of both Christ within and Christ without and have plainly set out the wonderful Wisdome and Goodness of God in contriving so powerful a means as the very exteriour Oeconomy of Christianity is for the renewing of our natures into the glorious image of his Son who is the Life of God and the Soul 's sure pledge of an happy Immortality Besides that there is no Article of the Christian Faith nor any particular Miracle hapning to or done by our Saviour or to be done by him mentioned in the Gospels or any where else in the New Testament but I have given so solid and rational an account thereof that I am confident that no man that has the use of his Understanding shall be able ever to pretend any Reason against Christian Religion such as it is exhibited in the Holy Writings themselves And what is if this be not to set out a Faithful Representation of the Gospel Which I have not rashly termed The Everlasting Gospel of our Lord and Saviour c. being warranted thereto by that of Daniel who styles Christian Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Everlasting Righteousness or The Everlasting Religion as Grotius has well interpreted it Which Religion is denoted by the suffering of the Messias and began from thence and is to remain till he return again visibly in the Clouds of Heaven and put a period to this Stage of things I was also thereunto provoked in way of express opposition to that bold Enthusiast of whom I have spoken so much in the ensuing Treatise who seems to endeavour to superannuate Christianity as it is founded upon the Person of our ever-Blessed Saviour the crucified Jesus and to introduce another Evangelie as he calls it which he pretends to be the Everlasting Gospel and fancies himself that flying Angel in the midst of heaven that is the preacher of it to every nation and kindred and tongue and people 10. As for my Discourse it self I having adventured there to determine none of the more nice and intricate Opinions of Theology but kept my self within the bounds of the confessed Truth of our Religion I hope very few things will occurre that shall not be found inoffensive and perspicuously consonant to Scripture That which I imagine most lyable to censure is that in some matters I may seem over-copious in others too scant As for example my Description of the Animal Life my Display of Paganisme and my Parallelisme betwixt our Saviour and Apollonius may haply seem to some set down over-largely and luxuriantly But truly I thought I could not be too punctuall in describing the Animal life it being so serviceable for our better understanding the Divine whose nature and properties by how much more clearly and distinctly any one conceives and withall has a savoury and experimental rellish thereof with the greater satisfaction shall he peruse what I have writ and understand the Reasonableness and be assured of the Truth and Solidity of the Christian Religion For the Divine Life is in a manner the deepest bottome of this whole Mystery of Godliness we treat of Moreover The more perfect understanding of the nature of the Animal life makes us the abler to judge of the sundry Superstitions of Paganisme wherein though by their subtil Apologies they could clear themselves from Atheisme and the worser sort of Idolatry and could make it good that it was One Eternal Deity be he never so Philosophically defined that was the Chief and Ultimate Object of their Worship yet it is hereby apparent that the best of them exceeds not the Animal bounds forasmuch as they worshipped God in these rude Religions onely out of the sense of the gratifications of the Animal life And if I have more copiously set down how foully and sordidly they have done it my pains therein I hope may be interpreted to very good purpose it being manifest thereby how just a victory Christianity had over Paganisme 11. And for that continued Parallel I have made betwixt the Life of Christ and Apollonius besides the pleasure the Peruser may take in receiving an account of the character and actions of so noble a person as that Pagan was whom his fellow-Heathens did either equalize to or else prefer before our ever-Blessed Saviour and who was not a mere Enthusiastick whifler with a raised style and a canting eloquence but was exemplarily just chaste and generous and did such Miracles as nothing but Magick and the assistance of some of the invisible Powers he was in league with could bring to pass I say beside the pleasure there will accrue to him also the advantage of a more clear and distinct knowledge of the right
and what he utters concerning the Spirit chap. 16.14 He shall glorifie me for he shall receive of mine and shew it unto you Wherefore I say the Fathers being every way so fairly invited to bring the Platonick Notion of the Trinity into the Church assuredly if themselves had been Platonists and had fetched the Mystery from that School they would not have failed to have done it 7. Secondly Admit that the ancient Fathers were Platonists and brought the Mystery of the Trinity into the Church of the Christians it does not straight follow That it is therefore a Pagan or Heathenish Mystery Pythagoras and Plato having not received it from Pagans or Heathens but from the learned of the Iews as sundry Authors assert the Iews themselves in long succession having received it as a Divine Tradition and such is Platonisme acknowledged to be by Iamblichus who sayes it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And assuredly if there had not been some very great reason for it men so wise and profoundly knowing as Pythagoras Plato Plotinus and others would never have made so much adoe about it 8. Thirdly and lastly I say it is not only impious but vain and foolish to asperse that Mystery with the reproch of Paganisme that is so plainly to them that be not prejudiced set down and held forth in the Holy Scripture For the very Forme of Baptisme prescribed by our Saviour evidently enough denotes Three Divine Hypostases Of the Father there is no question Concerning the Divinity of the Sonne we shall speak more fully in the Second point we proposed That the Holy Ghost is not a mere Power Property or Attribute of God but an Hypostasis one free enough from being swai'd by Tradition or Authority of any Church and as himself conceits a very close and safe adherer to Scripture does grosly enough acknowledge while he makes it some created Angel that bears the sacred Title of the Holy Ghost and undergoes those Divine functions that are attributed to him But we need not maintain Truth by any mans Error it being sufficiently able to support it self and therefore we will make use of no advantage but what Scripture it self offers us And this Forme of Baptisme affords us something to the evincing that the Holy Ghost is not an Attribute but an Hypostasis For sith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to give up a mans self to the Discipline Government and Authority of this or that Person it is the most natural sense to conceive that all Three mentioned in the Forme are Persons we being so well assured that two of them are But there are other passages of Scripture that will make the point more clear Rom. 15.13 The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost Now if the Holy Ghost were but a Power not a Person what a ridiculous Tautology would it be for the sense would be through the power of the holy power Again John 16.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are very ill Syntax were it not that there is a Personality in the Holy Spirit which by what follows is most undeniably evident For he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak To receive of one and communicate to others by way of hearing and speaking what can that belong to but a Person or Hypostasis To this you may adde also Mark 13.11 Whatsoever shall be given you in that hour that speak ye for it is not you that speak but the Holy Ghost Now that this Hypostasis is not a created Angel amongst other Reasons the Conception of Christ may well argue it being more congruous That that spirit that moved upon the waters and created the world should form that holy Foetus in the womb of the Virgin then that any created Angel should apply himself to that work for he had not then been the Son of God but of an Angel as in reference to his birth in time 9. Besides this one Individual Spirit in Scripture in represented as every where ready to sanctify to regenerate to distribute various gifts and graces to the Church to have spoke by the mouth of the Prophets to be a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a discerner of the thoughts of the heart Baptisme also and Benedictions are imparted in his name he is also called to witness which is a piece of Divine worship all which seems more naturally to be understood of him whom we properly call the Spirit of God then of any particular created Angel whatsoever 10. We shall onely adde one place more which will put all out of doubt to them that do not doubt of the Text it self 1 John 5.7 There are three witnesses in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are One What can be writ more plain for the proof of the Triunity of the Godhead But for those that suspect the Clause to be supposititious I shall not trouble my self to confute them that task being performed so solidly and judiciously by a late Interpreter that nothing but Prejudice and Wilfulness can make a man depart unsatisfied with so clear a demonstration Wherefore secure of this Point Concerning the Trinity we go on to the next concerning The Divinity of Christ. CHAP. V. 1. That the natural sense of the First of S. Iohn does evidently witness the Divinity of Christ. 2. A more particular urging of the circumstances of that Chapter 3. That S. Iohn used the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Iewish or Cabbalistical notion 4. The Trinity and the Divinity of Christ argued from Divine worship due to him and from his being a Sacrifice for sin 5. That to deny the Trinity and Divinity of Christ or to make the Union of our selves with the Godhead of the same nature with that of Christ's subverts Christianity 6. The uselesness and sauciness of the pretended Deification of Enthusiasts and how destructive it is of Christian Religion 7. The Providence of God in preparing of the Nations by Platonisme for the easier reception of Christianity 1. THat Christ is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a mere Creature but a divine Hypostasis or truly really and Physically not Allegorically and Morally joyn'd with that Divine Hypostasis which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if men would not bring their own sturdy preconceptions but listen to the easy and natural aire of the Text the Beginning of S. Iohns Gospel would put out of all controversy For I 'le appeal to any supposing the Union of Christ's Humanity with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be true in what fitter more significant or better-becoming way could it be expressed then already it is in the Beginning of that Gospel Wherefore to interpret it in any other sense is to delude themselves and to abuse the Scripture through the prepossessions of their
of thy years are many The Author of the Book of Wisdome who though he be not Canonical yet is acknowledged a very venerable Writer speaks out plainly concerning the Soul of Solomon chap. 8. v. 19 20. For I was a witty childe and had a good Spirit Yea rather being good I came into a body undefiled 3. Besides they might have alledged how inconsistent the daily Creation of Souls is with God's resting on the Seventh day as having then finished the whole work of his Creation 4. Moreover their inclination to think that in sundry of those Apparitions of Angels to the ancient Patriarchs it was Christ himself that appeared would further have enticed them to retain this Doctrine of Preexistence of Souls that that opinion of Christ's appearing then might be more entire and determinate as it would be also in those that hold Melchisedec that blessed Abraham to have been Christ which opinion Cunaeus looks upon as true nor can Calvin look upon it as strange if he do but hold to his own words in his readings upon Daniel In eo nihil est absurdi quòd Christus aliquam speciem humanae naturae exhiberet antequam manifestatus esset in carne And that the Angel that led the Israelites into the land of Canaan was Christ seems plainly asserted 1 Cor. chap. 10. v. 9. Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them tempted him and perished by Serpents But Christ is a complexion of the Humane nature with the Divine Consider also Hebr. 11.26 which seems to implie that the Soul of the Messias was a Patron and Protector of the Holy seed betimes and had a special relation to the Iews above any other Nation And therefore when he came into the world i. e. was born brought up and conversed among the Jews he might the more properly be said to come to his own though his own knew him not John 1.11 And verily that the Soul of the Messiah was in Being before he took upon him our flesh the most easie and natural meaning of 1 Joh. 4.2 seems also to import 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here S. Iohn seems to cabbalize as in several places of the Apocalypse that is to speak in the language of the Learned of the Jews For the genuine sense is He that confesses that Iesus is the Messiah come into the flesh or into a Terrestrial Body is of God Which implies that he was before he came into it Which is the doctrine of the Jews and expressed so exactly according to their sense that themselves could not have uttered it more naturally and significantly and therefore might they say it is unnatural and violent to put any other meaning upon it 5. Again He being happily before the Generation of men and the peopling of the earth the Messiah Elect as I may so speak united also with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and resplendent with Celestial glory and beauty amongst the Angels in Heaven this Hypothesis will give a very easie and natural sense to sundry places of the New Testament that otherwise seem very obscure As that of Philipp 2.6 7 8. For it has racked many mens minds to conceive how an Exinanition of himself can belong to the Eternal and Immutable God by becoming man which the Text seems to point at But it may very properly belong to the Soul of the Messiah who was yet truly God by a Physical union with the Godhead So likewise John 17.4 5. I have glorified thee upon earth for which purpose I was sent down thither And now Father bring me up back again to thy self that I may again enjoy that Glory which I had with thee in the Heavens before the world and Generations of men were This is the easie meaning of those two Verses For that this is to be understood of the Humanity of Christ Grotius is so confident that he is fain to turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I was to have or which I was designed to have before the world was But this present gloss needs no such distortion or force done to words but is very natural and genuine 6. Again John 6.38 I came down from Heaven not to doe mine own will but the will of him that sent me and chap. 3.31 He that comes from Heaven is above all and yet clearer chap. 16.28 I came forth from the Father and am come into the world again I leave the world and go to the Father But clearest of all chap. 3.13 where speaking of his Ascension and that was Local he mentions also his Descension which it is most natural to understand in the same sense No man hath ascended up to Heaven but he that came down from Heaven even the Son of man who is in Heaven i. e. whose mind and conversation is there though his Personal and visible presence be here on earth as Grotius also interpreteth these last words To all which you may adde John 6.26 What if you shall see the Son of man ascend where he was before 7. These Scriptures which we have cited bear so strong towards a Local descending from as well as ascending up to Heaven that some have thought that Christ was besides his Ascension after his Resurrection bodily taken up into Heaven and that he there received instructions from God and was then sent down to publish the Gospel But certainly so notable a Transaction of Christ then in the flesh would never have been omitted by the other three Evangelists nor so slightly and obscurely intimated by this 8. But this Evangelist flying higher then to be kept within the compass of the time since his Incarnation it had been very easie for the Fathers to have pleaded for the Preexistence and Descent of the Soul of the Messiah from Heaven into an Earthly Body from those passages of Scripture which we have quoted And to make all sure they might have further alledged for this opinion of the Soul's Preexistence that it was at least unreproved if not approved of by our Saviour himself as appears out of John 9. where he being asked by his Disciples whether it was the blind mans own fault or his parents that he was born blind which question plainly implies a Preexistence before this life he seems to admit it is certain he does not reprehend the Hypothesis No more then he does Mark 8.27 28. or Matthew 16.14 where his Disciples telling him that some took him for Elias others for Ieremias or for some one of the old Prophets or other he there again admits or not gainsaies the opinion of the Jews concerning the Preexistence or Transmigration of Souls as Grotius himself acknowledges that of Ieremie to be referred ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but passes to a questioning of them whom they thought him to be 9. I conclude therefore there being such plausible pretensions to prove the Preexistence of Souls not only out of Reason but Scripture it self if the Fathers had been imbued with that Heathenish and Pagan opinion as our
were not asleep at so concerning a Sermon 6. Again 2 Cor. 5. v. 8. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord. Here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plainly intimates a going out of this Mortal Body not a change of it into an Immortal one therefore we may safely conclude that this courage and willingness of the Apostle to die implies an enjoyment of the presence of Christ after death before the general Resurrection Else why should he rather desire to die then to live but that he expects that Faith should be presently perfected by Sight as he insinuates in the foregoing verse But assuredly better is that enjoyment which is onely by Faith then to have no enjoyment at all as it must be if the Soul cannot operate out of this Body 7. A like Proof to this and further Confirmation of the Truth is that of Philipp 1.21 22 23 24. where the Apostle again professing his courage and forwardness to magnifie Christ in his body whether by life or by death uses the like Argument as before For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain But if I live in the flesh it will be worth my labour yet what I should chuse I wote not For I am in a strife betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needfull for you 8. The genuine sense of which Place is questionless this That while he lived his life was like Christ's upon Earth innocent but encumbred with much hardship and affliction bearing about in his body the marks of the Lord Jesus but if he died he should then once for all seal to the Truth of his Martyrdome and not onely scape all future troubles which yet the love of Christ his Assistance and Hope of Reward did ever sustain him in but which was his great gain and advantage arrive to an higher fruition of him after whom he had so longing a desire But if to be with Christ were to sleep in his bosome and not so much as to be sensible he is there it were impossible the Apostles affections should be carried so strongly to that state or his judgement should determine it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so exceedingly much better especially his stay in the flesh being so necessary to the Philippians and the rest of the Church and what he suffered and might further suffer in his life no less a Testimony to the Truth then Death it self 9. Fourthly Those phrases of S. Peter 2 Pet. 1.13 Yea I think it meet so long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up and put you in remembrance Knowing that I must shortly put off this Tabernacle c. And so vers 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all likelyhood alludes to the same as if his Soul went out of the Body as out of a Tabernacle All these Phrases I say seem to me manifestly to indicate that there is no such necessary Union betwixt the Soul and the Body but she may act as freely out of it as in it as men are nothing the more dull sleepy or senseless by putting off their cloaths and going out of the house but rather more awakened active and sensible 10. Fifthly Hebr. 12. There God is called the Father of Spirits the Corrector and Chastiser of our Souls in contradistinction to our Flesh or Bodies and then vers 22. lifting us up quite above the consideration of our Corporeal condition he brings us to the Mystical mount Sion the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the Universal assembly and Church of the first-born which are inrolled in heaven and to God the Iudge of all and to the Spirits of just men made perfect Now I demand what Perfection can be in the Spirits of these just men to be overwhelmed in a senseless Sleep or what a disproportionable and unsutable representation is it of this throng Theatre in Heaven made up of Saints and Angels that so great a part of them as the Souls of the Holy men deceased should be found drooping or quite drown'd in an unactive Lethargie Certainly as it is incongruous in it self so it is altogether inconsistent with the magnificency of the representation which this Author intends in this place 11. Sixthly Matth. 10.28 The life of the Soul separate from the Body is there plainly asserted by our Saviour Fear not them that kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him who is able to destroy both Body and Soul in Hell i. e. able if he will to destroy the life both of Body and Soul in Hell-fire according to the conceit of those whose opinions I have recited in my Treatise Of the Immortality of the Soul Book 3. chap. 18. or else miserably to punish or afflict both Body and Soul in Hell the torments whereof are worse then Death it self For as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and perire signifie to be excessively miserable so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and perdere may very well signifie to make excessively miserable But now for the former part of the verse but are not able to kill the Soul it is evident that they were able if the Soul could not live separate from the Body For killing of the Body what is it but depriving it of life wherefore if the Soul by the death of the Body be also deprived of life it is manifest that she can be killed which is contrary to our Saviour's Assertion CHAP. X. 1. A pregnant Argument from the State of the Soul of Christ and of the Thief after death 2. Grotius his explication of Christ's promise to the Thief 3. The meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. How Christ with the Thief could be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in Paradise at once 5. That the Parables of Dives and Lazarus and of the unjust Steward implie That the Soul hath life and sense immediately after death 1. WE have yet one more notable Testimony against our Adversaries Our Saviour Christ's Soul and the Thief 's upon the Cross did subsist and live immediately upon the death of the Body as appears from Luke 23.42 43. And he said unto Iesus Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdome And Iesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise As if he should thus answer Thou indeed beggest of me that I would be mindfull of thee when I come into my Kingdome but I will not deferre thee so long onely distrust not the unexpected riches of my goodness to thee For verily I say unto thee That this very day shalt thou be with me in Paradise And there is no evasion from this Interpretation the Syriack as Grotius noteth interpointing betwixt I say unto thee and Today and all the Greek copies as Beza affirmes joyning
World who have ever and anon had new Instances of Apparitions and Communications with evil Spirits and fresh occasions of executing the Laws they had made against Witches and wicked Magicians 4. I should now pass to the second head I propounded could I abstain from touching a little upon the circumstances of the Birth of that famous Corrival of our Saviour Apollonius Tyaneus whose story writ by Philostratus though I look upon it as a mixt business partly true and partly false yet be it what it will be seeing it is intended for the highest Example of Perfection and that the Heathen did equalize him with Christ you shall see how ranck his whole History smells of the Animal Life and how hard a thing it is either in actions or writings to counterfeit that which is truly holy and divine For which end I shall make a brief Parallelisme of the Histories of them both in the chief matters of either that the Gravitie and Divinitie of the one and the Ridiculousness and Carnality of the other may the better be discerned 5. As in this very First point is plain and manifest which is dispatched in a word For in that Philostratus writes how Apollonius was of an ancient and illustrious Pedigree of rich Parents and descended from the founders of the City Tyana where he was born is not this that which is as sweet as honey to the Natural man and such as an holy and divine Soul would set no esteem upon Like to this is his Mother's being waited upon by her Maidens into a Meadow being directed thereto by a Vision where while her servants were straying up and down making of posies and chaplets of flowers O what fine soft pompous doing is here and her self disporting her self in the grass she at last falls into a slumber the Swans in the mean time rangeing themselves in a row round about her dancing and clapping their wings and singing with such shrill and sweet accents that they filled the neighbouring places with their pleasant melody they being as it were inspired and transported with joy by the gentle breathings of the fresh and cool Zephyrus whereupon the Lady awaking is instantly delivered of a fair Child who after his Fathers name was called Apollonius 6. The amenity of the story how gratefull and agreeable it is to flesh and bloud But how ridiculous is that dance and rountlelay of the musical Swans compared with that Heavenly Melody of the holy Angels at the Nativity of Christ For that if it could be true is but a ludicrous prodigie and presignification that Apollonius would prove a very odde fellow and of an extraordinary strein and serves only for the magnifying of his person But this is a grave and weighty indication of the Goodness of God and the Love of his holy Angels to men and a prediction of that peace and grace which should be administred unto them through Jesus Christ that was then born Behold said the chief Angel whose glorious presence surrounded the shepheards with light Behold said he I bring you good tidings of Great joy which shall be unto all people For unto you is born this day a Saviour which is Christ the Lord whereupon there was suddenly with this Angel a multitude of the heavenly Hoast praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men CHAP. III. 1. That whatever miraculously either happened to or was done by our Saviour till his Passion cannot seem impossible to him that holds there is a God and ministration of Angels 2. Of the descending of the Holy Ghost and the Voice from Heaven at his Baptisme 3. Why Christ exposed himself to all manner of hardship and Temptations 4. And particularly why he was tempted of the Devil with an answer to an Objection touching the Devil's boldness in daring to tempt the Son of God 5. How he could be said to shew him all the Kingdoms of the Earth 6. The reason of his fourty daies fast 7. And of his Transfiguration upon the Mount The three first reasons 8. The meaning of Moses and Elias his receding and Christ's being left alone 9. The last reason of his Transfiguration That it was for the Confirmation of his Resurrection and the Immortality of the Soul 10. Testimonies from Heaven of the Eminency of Christs person 1. WE have done with the Birth of Christ we proceed now to his Life wherein we shall consider only those things that extraordinarily happened to him or were miraculously done by him till the time of his Passion wherein nothing will be found impossible to them that acknowledge the Existence of God the active malice of Devils and the Ministery of Angels But that which I intend mainly to insinuate is the comeliness and sutableness of all things to so Holy and Divine a person which that it may the better appear I shall after shew the difference of this true example of solid Perfection Christ and that false pattern of feigned holiness in that Impostour Apollonius whom the later Heathen did so highly adore 2. The chief things that happened in an extraordinary way to Christ before his Passion are these Three 1. The descending of the Holy Ghost upon him in the shape of a Dove at his being baptized and the emission of a Voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased 2. The Temptation of the Devil upon his fasting and 3. His Transfiguration upon the Mount Concerning the First there is great reason for that Miracle For God having a design to set on foot the Divine life in the World by his Son Iesus Christ why should he not countenance the Beginning of his Ministery by some notable sign by which men might take notice that he was the Messias sent of God And Iohn the Baptist confesses himself assur'd thereof by this Indication And being there was to be some extraordinary appearance what could be more fit then this of a Dove a known embleme of Meekness and Innocency inseparable branches of the Divine life and Spirit and at what better time then when Iesus gave so great a Specimen of his Meekness and Humility as to condescend to be wash'd as if he had been polluted when he was more pure then light or snow and to be in the form of a disciple to Iohn when he was able to teach him and all the world the Mysteries of God Which may be noted to the eternal shame of our conceited Enthusiasts who phansying they have got something extraordinary within contemn and scorn the laudable Institutions of the Church which is an infallible argument of their Pride as this of our Saviour's Humility But while he humbled himself thus God did as highly advance him adding to this silent show an articulate voice from Heaven the better to assure the by-standers that he was the Messias the Son of God 3. As for his being tempted of the Devil it has the same meaning that the
false argues the exquisite Perfection of the Life of Christ and the Transcendency of that Divine Spirit in him that no Pagan could reach by either Imagination or Action 3. The Spirit of Christ how contemptible to the mere Natural man and how deare and precious in the eyes of God 4. How the several Humiliations of Christ were compensated by God with both sutable and miraculous Priviledges and Exaltations 5. His deepest Humiliation namely his Suffering the death of the Cross compensated with the highest Exaltation 1. WHerefore we shall find the Life of our Saviour quite contrary to his there being nothing recorded in him that is plausible to flesh and bloud no splendour of Parentage no streams of Eloquence no favour of Potentates no affectation of any Peculiarity to himself in any thing but being every where reproached and despised he ceased not to do good without any mans applause And whereas the very Spirit and life of all Apollonius his Actions is a gallant sense of Glory which the Devil befool'd him by so that which perpetually breath'd in the Actions of our Saviour was a passive loving profound Spirit of Humility which is the most certain character of the Divine life of any thing that is 2. So that let the History of Apollonius be wholy true or partly false or wholy false it is all one to me For if it be True this grand example of Divine vertue as he is pretended falls infinitely short of the truth of the Divine life manifested in Christ there being indeed nothing found in Apollonius that is truely Divine But if it be a Figment in whole or in part how transcendent then is that Divine worth in Christ and how lovely and illustrious is the Beauty of his Image that the pens and pencils of the most learned and accomplish'd Pagans cannot draw one line thereof nor give one touch or stroke near his resemblance 3. And indeed how should it ever come into the minde of a mere natural man to think of an humble passive Soul-melting self-afflicting and self-resigning Divinity lodging in any Person or if it did that there was any such great price upon that Spirit more then on that which seems to the world more gallant and generous But certainly this is more precious in the eyes of God then all things in the world beside and whatsoever injury is done to this it is like the touching of the Apple of his own eye And so tender was he over our Saviour in whom this was so transcendently found that he ever compensated his Sufferings with a proportionable Triumph and his willing Submissions and Debasements of himself with an answerable Exaltation 4. And therefore his humble Birth he honoured with the Musick of a Quire of Angels from Heaven and the Homage of the Wise men from the East who brought presents to him as to a new-born King So his long Fasting in the Desart was compensated by the power not onely of curing diseases but of turning water into wine and of miraculously feeding of multitudes in the wilderness As also his refusing of all the pomp and glory of the World which was shewn him from the top of a mountain by the Transfiguration of his person on the top of mount Tabor into so great a glory as all the speciosities of the world could not equalize his face shining as the Sun and his garments being bright as the Light And lastly his being carried from place to place by the hand of Satan as an innocent Lamb in the Talons of an Eagle this Temptation also was amply recompensed by having a palpable power over the Kingdome of Satan and dispossessing Daemoniacks and putting to flight many thousands of Devils at once as you heard concerning him whose name was Legion 5. But the emergency of the greatest Honour that accrew'd to him was from the deepest Sufferings even from his bitter Passion on the Cross Which was fully remunerated by so glorious a Resurrection and Ascension by his Session at the right hand of God and his Exaltation above all principalities and powers whether in Heaven or Earth he being made Head and Soveraign over Men and Angels and indued with a power of crowning all believers with a glorious Immortality at the last day Of all which we shall speak in order shewing the Fitness and Reasonableness of every thing in its place CHAP. XIII 1. The ineffable power of the Passion of Christ and other endearing applications of him for winning the World off from the Prince of Darkness 2. Of his preceding Sufferings and of his Crucifixion 3. How necessary it was that Christ should be so passive and sensible of pain in his suffering on the Cross against the blasphemy of certain bold Enthusiasts 4. Their ignorance in the Divine life and how it alone was to triumph in the Person of Christ unassisted by the advantages of the Animal or Natural 5. That if Christ had died boldly and with little sense of pain both the Solemnity and Usefulness of his Passion had been lost 6. That the strange Accidents that attended his Crucifixion were Prefigurations of the future Effects of his Passion upon the Spirits of men in the World 7. Which yet hinders not but that they may have other significations 8. The third and last Reason of the Tragical unsupportableness of the Passion of Christ in that he bore the sins of the whole World 9. The Leguleious cavils of some conceited Sophists that pretend That it is unjust with God to punish the Innocent in stead of the Guilty 10. The false Ground of all their frivolous subtilties 1. FIrst therefore as concerning his Passion I say it is an enravishing consideration to take notice how this humble Candidate for so great an Empire as I have described applies himself to his design giving an infallible proof not onely of his Power that he is able to protect but of his dear affection and entire Love to his people in that he can undergo so horrid agonies in their behalf and being to win the Kingdomes of the Earth out of the possession of the Devil how he uses no other Engine then the displaying of his own Nature and the endearing Loveliness and Benignity of his own Spirit to shame and confound the ugliness and detestableness of his usurping Competitor Wherefore he did not onely tread counter to the wayes of Satan in Humility and Purity and continual Beneficency in his life-time but further to shew the vast Disparity or Discrepancy betwixt that old Tyrant and this gracious Prince that is so succeed whenas the Devil as you have already heard inflicted unsupportable penances upon his abused Vassals ingaging them to cut and slash their own flesh and frantickly to dismember themselves to whip themselves with knotted cords or stinging nettles to wound themselves with sharp flints to fast macerate themselves so as to pine away in desarts or break their necks down some steep rock or precipice as Acosta reports of them Christ
Magician and Impostour who though he did very strange things whilst he lived yet if he were once judicially tried condemned and put to death they did not make any question but that it would be with him as with other Malefactours the trouble of him would end with his life as is usually observed in matters of this kind otherwise it would be a great flaw in Providence and the generations of men would not be able to subsist for the insolencies of Witches and Sorcerers But God thus extraordinarily and miraculously interposing his power in raising Iesus from the dead gave the most certain and most confounding Testimony against the malicious cruelty of the Jewes if we may call that Malice which the love and Candour of Christ in the midst of his bitter sufferings named only Ignorance that possibly could be given For their judicial proceedings are hereby not only in an extraordinary way made suspicable and taxed of injustice but by such a miraculous means that it is manifest that none other but God himself is their Accuser as well as the Acquitter of the innocent whom they put to death and did so throughly martyr that none but the hand of God could recover him to life The same therefore of so notable an Accident the chief of the Jews very well knowing and that it would if believed demonstrate that all he did or said before in his life-time was right and from an undeniable principle that the people might not receive him for their Messias now whom three daies agoe they had crucified hired the Souldiers that watched his Monument to tell abroad that his Disciples stole him away by night while they were asleep 2. But here haply some may demand how it came to pass that these chief Priests and Rulers being so punctually informed by the Souldiers which watched the sepulchre of Christ that he was risen from the dead were not converted to the Faith themselves and convinced that Iesus was indeed the expected Messias But we may very well conceive that what might prove very effectual to move others to believe in Christ might yet take no hold upon them Partly because they were further engaged in this bloudy and direfull Tragedy then others were and having a deeper sense of honour and repute with the people then of the favour of God and love to the Truth they might in a desperate and obdurate condition venture as the saying is over shoes over boots being more willing to expose themselves to any thing then to that shame and reproach that would attend the acknowledgment of so hainous an errour And then partly because though this Accident may seem very strange yet they might conceit that it was not above the power of Evil Spirits to perform who might change themselves into the lustre of Angels of light and therefore that it was but a greater temptation upon them to try their faithfulness and obedience to the Law of Moses For what would not they think rather then find themselves guilty of so grand ignorance as not to know the promised Messias when he came into the World and of so gross a crime as to be murderers of him that from Heaven was declared the Son of God 3. But out of this Solution you 'l say arises as great a Difficultie as the former viz. How we can be ascertained that Christ is really raised from the dead Because some delusive Spirits might open his Sepulchre and carry him away and afterward appear in his shape making use of his Body to shew to Thomas or changing their own vehicles into the likeness of flesh and bones so that no man's sense may discover any difference But to this many things may be answered and 4. First That that which may be an Exception or Evasion in any case is of consequence in no case For what does there at any time really happen but Evil Spirits have a power to imitate so near that our Senses may well be deceived Secondly Though they have this power in themselves yet I deny that they can exert it when and so far as they please and therefore God would not permit them to add so irresistible credit to the whole Ministry of Christ by this last Miracle if Christ had not really been the Messias but he being the Messias it was no delusion of theirs but a real transaction by that hand that is Omnipotent 5. Thirdly Every thing was exactly as if he had risen from the dead the Watch saw the Earth-quake and the stone rolled from the door of the Sepulchre by an Angel from Heaven Peter look'd in and beheld the linen cloaths lying by themselves the Body of Christ was missing there He appeared to his Disciples elsewhere he discoursed with them eat drunk with them they felt his flesh and put their very fingers into his wounds What greater demonstration then this could there be that he was really risen from the dead And therefore by men indifferent it must needs be acknowledged to be so though there be a possibility of being otherwise 6. Fourthly Those Miraculous things either happening to him or done by him while he was alive they being so real as they were must needs beget Faith in the unprejudic'd that this Accident was real also For is it so strange a thing that that Divine power should raise Christ from the dead that enabled him to raise Lazarus out of the Grave when he had been four daies buried to say nothing of his other Miracles and those evident Testimonies from Heaven that he was the Son of God For though there was some room left for the shuffles and subterfuges of the blinded Jews yet to those that are free and piously disposed the Resurrection of Christ compared with what either supernaturally was done by him or happened to him in his Life and at his Passion they do so binde and strengthen one another that there is no place left for misbelief 7. Fifthly Besides the Testimony of the Angels that told Mary Magdalen Ioanna and others that Christ was risen and that they did fondly to seek the living amongst the dead our Saviour's owne Prophesie concerning his rising the third day could not but make the thing undoubtedly sure to his Disciples and all such as were concerned in it and had believed on him before whereby they became zealous assertors and witnessers of it to the World 8. Sixthly and lastly All these things happening thus extraordinarily and supernaturally to a person that professed himself the Messias at that very time that the Jewish Prophesies foretold the Messias would come it is an unanswerable Demonstration that this was he and that therefore all things that he did spoke or happened unto him were no vain Illusion but Reality and Truth 9. Neither does his appearing and disappearing at pleasure and coming in to his Disciples when the doors were shut at all weaken the truth of his Resurrection and vital actuating that very Body that lay in the grave For he gave
no not the fear of death or torment could hinder them from being open witnesses to the World of all those things which they had seen and most certainly knew concerning the crucified Iesus the Son of God and Saviour of Mankind 3. We have seen in general how requisite this Supernatural assistance was to the Apostles We shall now take notice in particular how congruous at least decorous the First appearance thereof was at the day of Pentecost The Apostles together with other Disciples being met in an upper room at Ierusalem and being all of one mind and of one faith and expectation of the promise of the Spirit at the above-named day of Pentecost of a suddain there came upon them a sound from Heaven as of a mighty rushing winde which filled the house where they were sitting and there appeared unto them cloven Tongues like as of Fire which sate upon each of them and they all filled with the Holy Ghost began to speak with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance 4. Supposing a God a Providence and the Ministry of Angels and Spirits there is not a jot of this impossible or incredible But we shall also take notice of the Congruity of circumstances which are either for an handsome Symbolical sense or else for a more indispensable convenience as I conceive the Day to be and their assembling thus together on this day of Pentecost in one place For their seeing what happened thus miraculously to every one of them is a stronger confirmation of all their faiths and they are the more sufficient witnesses to all the World of what thus miraculously befell them And the Day of Pentecost was the most convenient time for this to happen because of the greater concurse of people on that day 5. But it does not exclude that more Mystical and Symbolical sense of S. Austine's That as the written Law was given to the Iews on the fiftieth day after the Passeover so the Law of the Spirit which was to be written in mens hearts was thus wonderfully begun here on the same day by the preaching of the Apostles on whom the Spirit descended in such an extraordinary manner Nor does that other sense concerning the Unity of place exclude that Moral intimation of Grotius Deus dona sua promisit unitati That also of their being seated in an upper room must signifie Morally or nothing considerable for else the more removed from the Earth the never nearer to God especially within the smell of the Atmosphere Which Philosophick contemplation Apollonius pursues with a great deal of pomp and gravity indoctrinating Damis while they were travailing on mount Caucasus which the neighbour Inhabitants look'd upon as the holy Mansion of the Gods as other hills also are call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from that opinion that a man is never the nearer the knowledge of Religion and Vertue if he were mounted upon the highest Athos Olympus or all the Caucasus's in the World unless he contemplate religious and Divine matters not so much in a pure and subtile Air as from an undeprav'd and sincere Spirit 6. But that which is of the greatest significancy is the mighty rushing Wind and the fiery cloven Tongues The former whereof is an Emblem of the External violence which God would doe to the World in the introducing of the acknowledgment of his Son into it For without doubt those wonderfull Miracles that were done by the Apostles beat so strongly upon the outward Senses of men that they were after a manner forcibly driven to acknowledge that the hand of God was with them and that the doctrine which they taught was true The knowledge whereof at last with the fame of their Miracles filled the whole World as that Sound from Heaven and mighty rushing Wind filled the whole house where they sate I am sure the chief Priests complained betimes that the Apostles had filled all Ierusalem with their doctrines 7. The latter viz. the Fiery cloven Tongues the fieriness of them intimates the searching penetrating melting and purifying power of the Spirit as their being cloven or divided the effect of the living word which accompanied their preaching which we may better call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the Stoicks their meager Reason For this is that which is sharper then any two-edged sword dividing the very joints and marrow and piercing to the inmost penetrals of the heart as may be observed at the preaching of Peter's Sermon Or not to be altogether so Mystical or Spiritual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these divided or cloven tongues may be only an external symbol of that inward power given them to speak and understand several Tongues though they were never taught them Which was a gift of very sober and necessary use as all the Miracles are that were done either by Christ or his Apostles they being to preach to men of several Nations then sojourning at Ierusalem and afterwards to travail into several Countries to convert men to the Faith 8. This is a solid account of all the Circumstances of that great Miracle done partly upon and partly by the Apostles after Christ's Ascension into Heaven Which Divine power ever after assisted them in all their travails and labours in the Gospel as you may see in the Acts. Where you shall find them not only endued with this miraculous power themselves but by prayer and imposition of hands conferring it upon others for the benefit of the Church where you shall see them healing the sick making the lame to walk raising the dead casting out devils and doing over again all the most considerable Miracles of our Saviour and some which he never did as the speaking with tongues and healing by the mere shadow of their bodies which seems more wonderfull then by the touching of the hem of Christ's garment To which you may adde what strangely happened to them as upon their praiers and devotions how the house shaked under them as in an Earthquake through the sensible presence of the Divine power attending them Their being transported through the Air by the hand of an Angel from one place to another Their being visited by Angels in prison who opened the prison doors and made the fetters fall off from their bodies of their own accord The transfiguration of their countenances into an Angelical glory and the appearance of Christ from Heaven to them in a splendour more bright and radiant then the Sun at mid-day as it happened to Paul as he was travailing to Damascus The Credibility of which things as also of the Resurrection and Miracles of Christ the Success it self does plainly argue 9. For it seems utterly impossible that Christ a man cut short of all accomplishments that are plausible to flesh and bloud being neither arm'd by the power of Eloquence the knowledge of Philosophy the authority and honour of the World nor the advantages of Birth or Fortune but on
that acclamation of the Angels who were the Spectators of this Cacomagical Funambulo and beheld him out of the windows of Heaven while he tumbled down to the ground But what a petty and ludicrous business is this in respect of that Effect comprized in the Sixth seal which is both the issue of this battel and the mark the Archer on the white horse aimed at by all the labours and patience of his Saints That of the Temple of God or the inward Court of the Temple Grotius expounds only to this sense That it is thus measured to signifie that Adrian should not build upon it though he did upon the ground about it and called the city Aelia after his own name But he brings no express proof that the inward court was not built upon nor if it were not was it a thing worth Divine Prophecie taking notice of nor is there any likelihood that Providence regarded the place so which God had utterly rejected and hindred the rebuilding of it by fire breaking from the foundation Certainly so Divine a Prophecie as this of the Apocalypse looks not at such petty matters as these Besides the Angel's bidding Iohn measure not only the Temple and Altar but also the men that worshipped therein plainly intimates that there was another kind of meaning in the thing then Grotius sought after but is certainly that which Mr. Mede has found namely that this inward Court that is measured signifies the pure Christian Church before it was adulterated by a kind of Christian-paganisme Which condition also of the Church has a plain cognation with other things Synchronal as their resolute opposing the Dragon and being so serious in their Religion that they preferred it before their own lives 5. We proceed now to the Trumpets That Vision of the First Trumpet Hail and Fire mingled with bloud Grotius quite out of the road of Prophetick exposition interprets to a moral sense of hardness of heart and bloudy anger which he applies to the Iews Whenas Hail-stones and Fire are symbols of hostile vengeance executed upon others not of anger burning and consuming in ones self and therefore these Hail-stones and Fire are said to doe execution upon the trees and grass Wherefore Mr. Mede does more fitly applie it to the infestation of the Roman Empire from the year 395. to 406. partly by Alaricus and the Goths and partly by the Barbarous nations under Radagaisus and partly by the Vandals and Alani These are the Northern storms of Hailstones with bloud and fire that fell upon the Empire The Vision of the Second Trumpet namely the burning Mountain cast into the Sea Grotius expounds of the tower Antonia whose fall notwithstanding was not accompanied with burning and therefore he rather understands it of the sallying of the wrathfull souldiers out of the tower upon the people of Ierusalem Which is but a petty matter in comparison of Alaricus his taking and firing of Rome upon which followed a continual spoil of the Empire till it was dilacerated into Ten kingdomes which is Mr. Mede's exposition of this Vision But the other is unsutable to that expression especially and the third part of the ships perished Which intimates that the Sea signifies here far larger then the inhabitants of one City or a croud of people in one street thereof To say nothing how this book of Prophecies that characterizes things so often by numbers understands here as elsewhere by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Romane Empire The Third Trumpet Vision is the great Star falling into the third part of the Rivers burning like a lamp the Comet Lampadias suppose properly so called This Grotius applies to that Aegyptian Impostour mentioned in the Acts and in Iosephus But beside that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the third part here again characterizes the Roman Empire this Star is too big in my judgment for that Aegyptian Vagabond and easily-defeated Deceiver Mr. Mede's interpretation is much more accommodate who applies it to the extinction of the Western Caesareate which was grown very low and obscure in those inconsiderable Emperours Avitus Majoranus Severus Anthemius Olybrius Glycerius Nepos the immediate predecessors of Augustulus but fell quite and was extinct in this Prince of sorrow bitterness and sad misfortunes whom Odoacer king of the Heruli pulled out of his throne Anno 476. The Fourth Trumpet Vision an Eclipse of the third part of the Sun and Moon and Stars proceeds further concerning Rome and signifies that that light she shone with under the Ostrogoth kings should be extinct that she should be despoiled of Regal Majesty yea of Consulship and Authority of the Senate Which ill fate is very properly prefigured by the obscuration of Sun Moon and Stars as Mr. Mede has undeniably made good and accordingly applied the History Grotius interprets it only of the taking of certain Towns in Galilee and other places by Vespasian and the slaughter of the Iews Which is a very laxe and dilute interpretation in comparison of Mr. Mede's The Fifth Trumpet Vision is the key-bearer of the bottomless pit and the Locusts Which Grotius referrs to Eleazar the son of Ananias though he confesses the time does not agree and to the faction of the Zelots Whom he cannot fancy to be those Scorpion-tail'd Locusts but in their general account of being Robbers and Devourers and the leisurely doing their mischief the poison of the Scorpion being three daies a killing But it does not appear that that evil of the Zelots may be accounted leisurely in any such special manner the plague of them not lasting longer then such like barbarous tyrannizing of masterless souldiers uses to doe and it is but five moneths according to Grotius his account but he does not so much as go about to prove his account by History Besides how can golden crowns belong to these Zelots For Grotius his expounding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implied that they were the boasting of crowns and victory not real crowns is very groundless and confutable out of his own exposition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which he acknowledges real mulierosity and voracity in these Zelots That concerning the Sting in their Scorpion-tails Introibant ut defensores exibant raptores is indeed witty but not solid For if you will have their form to figure their behaviour they went in Robbers as well as went out For the fore-parts of these Scorpiolocustae represent Robbery more perfectly then the hinder-parts Mr. Mede's application of this Vision to Mahomet and the Saracens is in every respect admirably natural and punctual The mischief therefore of the Fifth Trumpet is that false Light or Pseudo-prophet Mahomet sent down upon earth by the vengeance of God whose doctrine is the fume of the bottomless pit and his followers the Saracens the Locusts here spoke of As 1. coming out of Arabia as the Aegyptian
be better For this Article of Infidelity among the rest keeps the Witnesses still dead in all the senses above-named Wherefore let every man reform himself and exhort and encourage his neighbour and witness the good witness of the power of God to the conquering and subduing of all manner of Sin For these times come not on by Rapine and Violence but by the increase of Righteousness upon Earth For the real and speedy advancement whereof there is nothing more effectual then the belief That God will now in these last times of all give more then ordinary assistance to them that will be faithfull in his Covenant and that the work of Righteousness will goe on with much more ease then heretofore and with infinitely better success Wherefore it is good striking while the Iron is hot and making use of this Day of Salvation lest such Prophecies of grace being conditionall it may fare with us as it did with the Israelites whose carkasses fell in the wilderness in a tedious delay and a long leading them about who otherwise had in their own persons entred the promised Land So I do not see that it is impossible or improbable but this Prophecie of the Churches change into so excellent a state may be foreslacked by the ill management and faithlesness of them from whom God more peculiarly expects that they should be industrious Labourers in this white Harvest of Apostolick Purity and Sanctity they having now for some time separated from the great Babylon to build those that are lesser and more tolerable but yet not to be tolerated for ever it being more then high time they should clear up into an holy City of God Otherwise I do not see but the success is likely to answer the endeavours of them that are chiefly concerned And the variety of numbring the period of time by Daies Months and Semi-Times seems to threaten some such matter And therefore according to that laxer computation by Months and Semi-Times there may lie hid a reserve of delay for thirty nay an hundred or two hundred years longer then God otherwise intended to commence this glorious Dispensation But the certainty of the Events of other Prophecies that precede in order if this Promise be not conditional to both Jew and Christian is a Demonstration that it will not fail to take effect This is the faithfullest Account that I can give of the affairs of Christendome from the pouring out of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles till Christ's coming again in the Spirit to renew his lapsed Church into true Holiness and Righteousness in the rising of the Witnesses and the reigning of the Saints upon Earth a thousand years The close of which will be The Day of Iudgment properly so called which after this long but not impertinent Digression if it be a Digression we shall now take into consideration BOOK VI. CHAP. I. 1. Three chief things considerable in Christ's Return to Iudgment viz. The Visibility of his Person The Resurrection of the Dead and the Conflagration of the World 2. Places of Scripture to prove the Visibility of his Person 3. That there will be then a Resurrection of the dead not in a Moral but a Natural sense demonstrated from undeniable places of Scripture 4. Proofs out of Scripture for the Conflagration of the world as out of Peter the 3 Chap. of his second Epistle 5. An Interpretation of the 12 and 13 verses 6. A Demonstration that the Apostle there describes the Conflagration of the World 7. A Confutation of their opinion that would interpret the Apostle's description of the burning of Jerusalem 8. That the coming of Christ so often mentioned in these two Epistles of Peter is to be understood of his Last coming to Iudgment 9 10. Further confirmation of the said Assertion 11. Other places pointed at for the proving of the Conflagration 1. IN the Return of Christ to Judgment these Three things are to be considered as very nearly annected and comprehended in it The Visibility of his Person and pomp of his coming The Resurrection of the Dead and Conflagration of the World But because all these things are doubted by some that do not profess themselves Anti-Scripturists I shall first produce such places of Scripture as do plainly assert these Points and then in the next place shew how Reasonable the Assertion is 2. The Visible or personal Return of Christ to Iudgment though it may be proved from many places yet I shall content my self with a few And I must confess I look upon the 24 of Matth. from the 30 to the 32 verse where the Son of Man is said to come in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory and to send out his Angels with a mighty sound of a Trumpet to be a pregnant Testimony thereof But the 29 verse to be a description of the state of the World especially of the Roman Empire till the appearance of the sign of the Son of Man But whether this sign of the Son of Man be the same with the Son of Man coming in the clouds or some sign in the Heavens to be given long before his coming for the Conversion of the Jews I take not upon me to decide But from the 32 to the 36 verse I think there our Saviour may reassume his first Subject the Destruction of Ierusalem and therefore being within the view of the Temple and of the City he uses the pronoun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these things in his prophecie of them But in the 36 verse pursuing his prediction of the end of the World he saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but concerning THAT day and so he gives wholesome precepts of watchfulness to his Church to the end of this Chapter Which sense is very agreeable to the following Chapter which most easily and naturally is wholy to be understood of the last Judgment But from the 31 verse of that Chapter to the end even they that would wind the former part of the Chapter to another sense acknowledg it to be understood of the last Day And there the Visible Pomp of Christ coming to judge the World is plainly set down viz. his sitting upon a throne with his holy Angels about him To these you may add the Testimonie of the two men clothed in white shining raiments that told the Disciples as they were gazing up into Heaven after Christ as he ascended that he should come down again in the same manner as they had seen him goe into Heaven As also that of S. Paul to the Thessalonians For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall we be ever with the Lord. These places are so plain concerning the Visible Appearance of Christ's
we needed to charge this Prophecie with though it be probable enough it is contained in it There are sundry other places that serve for the proof of this seventh Character but because it is sufficiently enough demonstrated already and little or no controversie made of it I pass to the eighth 7. Which is the Messiah his abolishing the Superstition of the Gentiles that is such worship as they had no divine warrant for they being so grosly mistaken in the Object This is so plainly included in the two last Characters that I need add no other proof But if there were need that in the 2 and 110 Psalms might further confirme it Where he is constituted a new King and Priest and therefore implies new Religion and Laws and such as the heathen were ignorant of before but such as they must obey upon pain of high displeasure 8. The last Character is the long Duration of the Messiah's Kingdome Psalm 89. v. 35. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lye unto David His seed shall endure for ever and his throne as the Sun before me It shall be established for ever as the moon and as a faithful witness in heaven Also Psalm 45. v. 6. Thy throne ô God is for ever and ever the sceptre of thy Kingdome is a right sceptre c. Which Prophecie makes good the former and shews how it is to be fulfilled in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Messiah See also Psalm 72. which the Hebrew Rabbins do acknowledge to be understood of the Messiah Also Daniel 2.44 and 7.27 This Character is so clear that I need not insist any longer upon it 9. These are the main Marks and Characters of the Person of the Messiah by which we may infallibly find out who he is And who indeed can he be according to these Characters but Iesus whom we Christians worship For what competitor for the Messiahship but he was being a Iew rejected by the Iews and crucified Who is it that arose from the dead and ascended into Heaven but he Who ever delivered so pure Doctrine to purge the World from wickedness and to enlighten the Nations as he It is he therefore whom the Nations waited for and have received It is he for whose sake they parted with their old vain and impure Superstitions by whose Doctrine they are brought to the knowledge of the Eternal God And lastly it is he whom for his bitter sufferings God has exalted above Angels and Archangels and all the host of Heaven and has set him at his own right hand to be a Priest and King over his Church for ever CHAP. IX 1. The peculiar Use of Arguments drawn from the Prophecies of the Old Testament for the convincing the Atheist and Melancholist 2. An Application of the Prophecies to the known Events for the conviction of the Truth of our Religion 3. That there is no likelihood at all but that the Priesthood of Christ will last as long as the Generations of men upon Earth 4. The Conclusion of what has been urged hitherto 5. That Christ was no fictitious Person proved out of the History of Heathen Writers as out of Plinie 6. And Tacitus 7. As also Lucian 8. And Suetonius 9. That the Testimony out of Josephus is supposititious and the reasons why he was silent concerning Christ. 10. Julian's purpose of rebuilding the Temple at Jerusalem with the strange success thereof out of Ammianus Marcellinus 1. WE have now made a very considerable Progress in the proof of the Reality of Christian Religion That it is more then a mere Idea Let us here make a stand and breath a while and contemplate with our selves the peculiar Use and advantage of this present Argument for the stopping the mouths as well of the bold Atheist as the suspicious Melancholist For indeed it is too true and every good man could wish it were not so that the latter Ages of the Church have not dealt faithfully with the World but beyond the bounds of all modesty and conscience obtruded upon the people fond Legends and forged Miracles as if they were given up into their hands onely to be imposed upon and abused Which consideration does cast some men into an unchangeable misbelief of the whole business of Christianity and makes them look upon it all as a mere Fiction and Fable For they measure the Genius of the Primitive Church by what they see practised before their eyes now-adayes and look upon the whole Tribe of the Priests as Impostors Which censure though it be most unjust yet it will be very hard to convince these Censurers but that it is very true unless by some such Argument as now lies before us viz. That the ancient Prophecies in the Old Testament could not be forged by the Christian Priests and that the Jews would not forge them against themselves Nay they that know any thing of the Jews will acknowledge them so religiously addicted to the Letter of these holy Writings that knowingly and wittingly they durst not alter a tittle Wherefore all those Prophecies we have alledged are real and we have made good they clearly foretel That the Messiah should come many hundred years ago therefore it is plain he is come 2. I therefore demand of either the Prophane or Melancholick who is this Messiah if Iesus be not he Nay I appeal to them if the very Characters of his Person be not certainly to be known by their own Senses agreeably to the Prediction of those infallible Oracles The Prophecies have said He should be rejected of his own Ask the Iews they will acknowledge they have rejected him The Prophecies foretold he should be cut off be killed by them Ask the Iews they will not deny but that they did condemn him to death but deservedly as they contend for their own excuse The Prophecies foretold his Doctrine should enlighten the Gentiles Ask thine own eyes if the Gentiles be not turned from their vain unwarrantable Superstitions to the knowledge of that one God that made heaven and earth and of Iesus Christ whom he hath sent The Prophecies prefigured his rising from the dead and his ascending up into Heaven and ask thine own Conscience if thou dost not believe that this was alwaies the belief of the Christians and consult with thine own Reason if it had been possible that the Death of Christ could have drawn all the World after him if it had not been seconded with his Resurrection Certainly those that believed on him before had deserted him after his death if he had not risen from the dead but of that more fully hereafter Lastly the Prophecies foretold that the Messiah should be worshipped as a divine Person and receive divine Honour and that God would make him a King and Priest for ever Ask thine own senses if thou dost not find it so How many thousand Temples are there consecrated to his name in how many Nations and Kingdomes of the earth is he
where though his degenerate Spirit was afraid of so holy a Neighbourhood nor could abide the belief of so present a Numen Thus has the Annual Course of the Earth dashed off all that Superstitious power and sanctity that ancient Paganisme has given and the Aristotelean Atheist would now give to the Sun Planets and Starres and we are forced even by the light of Nature and humane Reason to acknowledge the true Principle from whence all miraculous things come that is a God every where present in whom we live and move and have our being 6. Besides this suppose that all Prodigies Apparitions and Prophecies were from the intermediate Influence of the celestial Bodies these Intelligences or that Anima Coeli working thereby upon the persons of men to inspire them and turning the Aire into representations and visions to converse with them This covering is too scant to hide the folly of this sorry Sophist his Supposition plainly ruining it self For he does acknowledge that those Inspirations and Prophecies are true that are thus derived from those â—idereal Powers But it is evident that those that have been the most illustrious Prophets have had converse with Angels and talked with them and have so recorded the matter to the World As for example the Prophet Daniel who discoursed with the Angel Gabriel Christ also discoursed with Moses and Elias on Mount Tabor and Moses with the Angel of God on Mount Sinai Besides Christ who was so highly inspired and assisted from Heaven has over and over again pronounced a future Happiness after this life All which allowing them for a while to be the dictates or representations of the Astral Influences I demand of Vaninus how he comes to be wiser then those that were so miraculously assisted That these Visions of Angels should not be so as they that saw them have related That Moses and Elias should not be the Spirits of Moses and Elias but onely transient Figurations of the Aire raised by the Influence of the Heavens Moreover I would ask of him if he think that that Heavenly assistance that can according to his own acknowledgement inform men of things to come at a thousand years distance for such was the prediction of the death of Iulius Caesar in the Senate though a matter very contingent cannot certainly inform them whom it pleases so wonderfully to assist whether the Souls of men be mortal or immortal which is far more cognoscible to those aethereal Powers then the other Wherefore this wretched Figment of his to excuse himself from the acknowledgement of the Existence of Angels or Daemons and the Subsistence of the Soul after death from which he so much abhors will stand him in no stead but argues him more intoxicated whifling and giddy in admitting the truth of such Narrations and yet denying the genuine consequences of them then they that give no credence to the Narrations themselves 7. That which was objected of Christianity justling out Iudaisme and of Mahometisme in a great part of the World justling out Christianity is partly false and partly nothing to the purpose That Christianity has properly justled out Iudaisme is very false For Iudaisme has rather been ripened into the perfection of Christianity then been stifled and sufflaminated by any Counter-blast of those sidereal Influences he dreams of For we see how things have gone on in one continued design from Abraham to Christ as the Prophecies and the Predictions in Scripture plainly testifie God promised to Abraham that in his seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed Iacob foretells on his death-bed that the Jewish Polity and Religion should not fail till the Messiah a Iew and Son of Abraham was come to whom the gathering of the Gentiles should be and so in other Prophecies which we have already recited and applied From whence it is manifest that it is the hand and counsel of God who is constant to himself and whose Wisdome and Providence reaches from end to end that has begun and carried on this matter according to his own will and purpose and not any Bustles or Counter-blasts of various Aspects of the Heavenly bodies that do and undo according to the diversities and contrarieties of their Schematisms and Configurations 8. Nor could any thing but Levity of minde and Vain-glory induce Cardan to pretend the calculating of our Saviours Nativity whenas the year of his Birth is so uncertain amongst the most accurate Chronologers and Astrology it self a thing wholly groundlesse and frivolous as I shall demonstrate anon Nor is it any specimen of his Wit but of his grosse Impiety so boldly to equalize the rise of Mahometisme to that of Iudaisme and Christianity as if Moses Christ and Mahomet were all Astrall Law-givers alike assisted and inspired from the influence of the Stars A conceit that Vaninus is so transported with that he cannot tell what ground to stand upon when he cites the passage out of Cardan he is so tickled with Joy But that this exultation of his is very childish and groundlesse appears both in that he falsly attributes Prophecies Divine Laws and Miracles to the influence of the Stars a superstitious errour that arises only out of the ignorance of the right Systeme of the World and then again if it were true that he imagines Mahomet who was a mere crafty Politician and did neither Miracles nor could prophesie to be a Law-giver set up by the miraculous Power of the Heavens such as enables Divine Law-givers and Prophets to do reall Miracles To which you may adde the ridiculous obstinacy of this perverse Sophist who the more we give him of what he contends for viz. that Mahomet also is a Star-inspired Prophet that is to say illuminated from the Anima coeli which according to his opinion is the highest and most infallible principle of miracles and divine wisedom the more ample testimony we have against his own folly that so peremptorily denies the existence of Daemons and Subsistence of the Soul after Death Which are openly avouched by this third Witnesse of his own introducing and therefore he abhorring so from such Truths as are certainly dictated from the Celestiall Bodies did not excesse of Pride and Conceitednesse blinde his judgement and make him senseless he could not but have found himself stung with that lash of the Satyrist O curvae in terris animae coelestium inanes But I have even tired my self with running the Wilde-goose chase after these fickle and fugitive Wits whose carelesse flirts and subsultorious fancies are as numerous as slight and weak against the firm and immovable foundations of solid Reason and Religion 9. I should now pass to the Fourth Part of my Discourse did not the reflexion upon the insufferable impudence of Cardan in pretending to cast our Saviours Nativity and that villainous insulting of Vaninus thereupon as if all Religion was but an Influence of Nature and transent blast of the Starres invite me nay indeed provoke me
rightly either Morall or Divine only tumbling out a Rhapsody of swelling words distorted Allegories and slight allusions to the History of Scripture intermingling them or strinkling them ever and anon with the specious name of Love though there be no motive nor reason that urges the thing it self all the while would give out himself such a Master of this Mystery as that Christianity must be super-annuated and all the devotionall Homage due to our Saviour laid aside all his Offices silenced his Passion slighted nay derided his visible Return to Judgement anticipated and eluded his Resurrection and Ascension misbelieved and the promise of Eternal Life swallowed up in the present glorious enjoyments and enrichments of them that will give up their soundness of judgement and reason to be led about with the May-games and Morrice-dances of that sweet Sect that have usurped to themselves the Title of the Family of Love Whenas the Authour of this Faction as I am well enough informed was more likely to prove a Pimp or second Sardanapalus then a true Instructor of the World in so holy a Mystery being infamous for having suspected Females in his House and living splendidly and deliciously above his rank noted for his crimson-Satten doublet and other correspondent habiliments as also for his large Looking-glass wherein he often contemplated his whole begodded Humanity and composing his long beard and stroaking down his Satten sides might strut in admiration of himself that he found the World so favourable to his false Impostures and lastly ridiculous for his women-Scribes and other such like soft doings not to say impure and obscene All which to any man that has but a moderate nasuteness cannot but import that in the title of this Sect that call themselves the Family of Love there must be signified no other love then that which is merely Natural or Animal though the Preacher of this Love-mystery bears himself so aloft and is so high upon the wing that he cannot phansie himself any thing lesse then that Apocalypticall Angel flying in the midst of Heaven and preaching the everlasting Gospel to the Inhabitants of the World And truly this Gospel of Henry of Amsterdam is likely to be as lasting as the generations of men and I may adde as universall as both Men and Brutes 3. Hear O Heavens and hearken O Earth while I pleade the cause of the just one and despised against the rebellious Hypocrites Thus saith the Lord God Behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tried stone a precious corner-stone a sure foundation and he that believes thereon shall not be ashamed Iudgement also will I lay to the line and righteousness to the plummet and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lyes and the waters shall overflow their hiding-places That this corner-stone and sure foundation is Christ that suffered at Ierusalem we are infallibly informed by those that were truly inspired the blessed Apostles That the refuge of lyes and hiding-place is most naturally applicable to this skulking Family is apparent in that the summe of their Religion is nothing but a bundle of lying Allegories and Canting Terms whereby they deal falsly with men and under the pretence of fine Mystical speeches would thrust out of the World the choicest and most beneficiall Truth that ever was imparted to the Sons of men I mean the Truth of the Gospel in the plain simplicity thereof whereby we are so clearly taught what we are to be to do and to expect And the Storm that shall overtake them and the Deluge that shall fall in upon them in their hidden dwellings shall be those Torrents of Reason and that irresistible conviction from the sincere and true-hearted followers of Christ. Tell me therefore O ye conceitedly-inspired whose phancies have blown you above Gospel-dispensations why do you run into the errour of the Jews and refuse this precious corner-stone this sure foundation and build upon disunited Sand and rotten Quagmires that will bear no weight Why do you lay aside Christ in the truth of his History the most palpable pledge of Divine Providence of God's Reconciliation to men and of future Happiness that ever was exhibited to the World and chuse for your Guide a mere Allegorical Whisler an Idol-Puppet dressed up in words and phrases filched out of the Scripture but perverting and eluding the main scope and most usefull meaning thereof Why have ye forsaken the only-begotten Sonne of God and given your selves up to the deceivable conduct of a mere carnall man and wholy destitute not only of true faith in God and Christ but of all substantial Knowledge and Reason Why are you so rash and giddy as to believe one that only testifies of himself and is so impudent a Plagiary as to offer you no wares but such as he has stolne from you if you pretend to be of the Christian Church and those so poisoned and adulterated that you cannot receive them without the danger of being struck into a misbelief of the truth of Christs Gospel and of revolting from him to whom so many illustrious Prophecies of old so many Miracles done by himself to whom his wonderfull Resurrection from the dead and audible voices from Heaven while he was living gave ample testimony that he was indeed the true Son of God 4. What indearing evidence or argument has this Mercer of Amsterdam given you of true compassion and love to mankinde that you should vaunt him so transcendent a Mystagogus in so divine a Mystery that you equalize him to nay exalt him above Christ and his Apostles Did he not live a lazy easie soft life as other rich Shop-keepers do whenas not only our Saviour himself but also his Apostles lived an hard Asketick life full of dangers and afflictions also from without Let S. Paul speak for the rest for they were in a manner all of them in the same case and might justly expostulate with these high fanatick Pretenders in the same words Are they Ministers of Christ I speak like a fool I am more in labours more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths often Of the Iews received I fourty stripes save one thrice was I beaten with rods once was I stoned thrice I suffered shipwrack a night and a day have I been in the Deep in Iourneyings often in perils of water in perils of Robbers in perils by mine own Countreymen in perils by the Heathen in perils in the City in perils in the wildernesse in perils at the sea in perils among false brethren in wearinesse and painfulnesse in watchings often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakednesse c. To all which you may adde very despightfull and torturous deaths which most of them underwent at last and all this out of a faithfull love to their Lord and Master Jesus Christ and a dear regard to the good and Salvation of mankinde But what was it wherewith this H. N.
proofs thereof out of the Prophets 4. As also out of the Gospel 5. And other places of the New Testament 6. The strong Armature of a Christian Souldier 7. His earnest endeavour after Perfection 1. WHerefore having sufficiently cleansed and oyled the first Wheel of this mighty Engine we are shewing the Usefulnesse of we proceed now to the second where if we do not use our diligence also this Machina will not prove effectual for the purpose it was designed viz. for the destroying of the works of the devil Of whose stratagems and devices we being not ignorant we will declare unto you what is most seasonable in this place namely That where he cannot corrupt our minds with this dangerous Errour of the sufficiency of an unsanctified and an unsanctifying Faith he will in the second place endeavour to perswade us that a small measure of Holinesse will serve our turn considering the Passion of Christ is of so great price in the eyes of his Father who accepts of his death for an atonement for our sins and that by his bloud we are reconciled to God and therefore any remisse desire any lazy inclination to obedience will be enough the Passion of Christ and the Imputation of his Righteousnesse will make out the rest 2. But that this is really the suggestion of the Devil not the meaning of the Gospel I shall make evident from many Testimonies of Scripture I might say that many of those we have already alledged do clearly demonstrate the same For what means that of Iohn where he declares That he that is born of God cannot sin because the seed of God remains in him What that of Paul where he saith That Christ came to redeem us from all iniquity and purchase to himself a Church without spot and wrinkle a Church holy and without blemish What means our Saviour Christ's setting the Rule of Righteousnesse at that exquisite pitch of perfection accounting tacit assents to lust no lesse then adultery rash and causlesse anger a degree of murder who has not only condemned retaliation but has commanded us to do good for evil I say what is the sense of all this but that we Christians are called to a higher degree of perfection in life and sanctity then ever any Masters of Morality and Religion in the world hitherto put men upon And therefore the dispensation of Christianity is so far from allowing men in any immoral vices or defects that it does not only cleanse from these but lifts us up a degree higher and never leaves till it has restored our Souls into a condition plainly Divine 3. That this is the state that every Christian is called to and ought to be unsatisfied unlesse his conscience tell him he is aiming at and growing in some measure towards it both the Propheticall descriptions of the Kingdom of the Messiah upon earth and several other Testimonies in the Gospel and Writings of the Apostles do still more fully witnesse For besides those places that describe the Reign of the Messiah from the abundance of Peace and Righteousnesse which should overspread the Nations as the waters cover the Sea there are other particular passages that do prefigure a very great measure of Holinesse that the Church of Christ should be conspicuous by with clearer knowledge and greater activity to walk in the wayes of God And I do not doubt but that which was fulfilled in a corporeal sense in Christs time had also a more spirituall and more permanent meaning namely that of Esay chap. 35.5 6. where the eyes of the blinde are said to be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped the lame to leap as an hart and the tongue of the dumb to sing Which lively does set out the condition of the true Christian believer while he makes his faithfull progress in Christianity going on from strength to strength till he appear before God in Sion Add to this Zech. 12. For that it is mystically applicable to our present purpose appears from v. 10. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced but what we were going to recite was v. 8. In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Ierusalem and he that is feeble among them shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them As our Saviour saith of John the Baptist That the least in the Kingdome of Heaven is greater then he I shall close the Prophetick predictions with that of Malachi chap. 3. speaking of the Angel of the Covenant viz. Christ and that dispensation he was to set afoot in the world Behold he shall come saith the Lord of hoasts But who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a refiners fire and like fullers sope And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness 4. The very same thing which John the Baptist witnesses of Christ Matth. 3. v. 11. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier then I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the Holy ghost and with fire Whose fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into the garner but he will burn up the chaffe with unquenchable fire To which you may add v. 10. And now is the axe laid to the root of the trees Therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire Like that Matth. 15. v. 13. Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Which Scriptures do plainly declare to us That the design of Christ's coming was to consume utterly and to tear up by the very roots all errour and wickedness out of the hearts of them that would receive him 5. And this were sufficient to discover what a high degree of Holiness is expected of him that will be in good earnest a Christian. But I will not omit other places that sound to the same purpose 1 Peter 1.13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind be sober and of a perfect hope in the grace that is brought to you through the revelation of Iesus Christ as obedient children not fashioning your selves according to former lusts in your ignorance But as he that has called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of Conversation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in your whole conversation in every thing you doe Because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy The same which our Saviour exhorts to in his Sermon on the Mount Be ye perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect Paul also to the Ephesians ch 6. v. 10. Finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in
the Earth and Air when once that Final Vengeance has seised upon the Wicked 5. This is the sad Evening-close of that terrible Day of the Lord and the Morning-Appearance thereof will not be much more chearful to either the Hypocrite or Prophane person For the hopes of the Hypocrite cannot but fail and his heart sink like a stone while he sees the righteous Judge that tries the heart and reins coming in the clouds of Heaven to execute vengeance on the wicked and to deliver the godly from that imminent fate that attends the Earth And the proud scoffing Epicurean that laugh'd at Religion as a piece of weakness and foolery and impudently denied there was either God or Providence in the world he will then to his utter shame and confusion acknowledge his own Philosophy which he thought such an high piece of wit before the most unhappy Folly and Madnesse he could have light upon For he shall be confuted to his very outward Senses when he shall see Christ himself appear with all his Heavenly Host attending him when he shall hear the sound of the Trump and see forthwith the whole Air filled with his glittering Legions consisting of Saints and Angels For the Trump shall sound saith the Apostle and then those that have already departed this life shall immediatly appear in their celestial Harness in their glorified bodies For those that are alive shall not prevent those that are dead but rather the contrary For those that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him and harness them with the bright Armour of Life and Immortality whereby they become part of that glorious Angelical Host wherewith our dread Soveraign and blessed Saviour Jesus Christ will face the Earth a while to the exceeding great astonishment and terrour os the wicked World 6. Out of which by the Ministry of his Angelical Troops will he gather his Saints that are found alive in the flesh from all the corners of the Earth as the Angels plucked Lot out of Sodom when the City was to be destroyed with Fire and Brimstone from Heaven a Type questionless of this Final Judgement And whether it be by the quick descent of fiery Chariots like that of Elias who was safely thereby conveighed to Heaven and about a thousand years after conversed with our Saviour on the Mount or bright shining clouds glistering with the glory and lustre of their celestial guides be made foot-stools for them to get up on for there is no fear that the weight of their Bodies should break through their Earth and Flesh being of a sudden changed into pure Aether or whatever other pomp and solemnity there may be in their transportation from the rest of the World unto that glorious Company that strikes all mens eyes with amazement while they look up into the sky This visible Selection of the Good from the Bad must needs fill the hearts of the Wicked with unspeakable Dread and Horrour And that partly by reason of the present wonders of this unexpected supernatural Visitation which thus suddenly has surprised them through unbelief and partly from the sad presage of what will follow even that horrid and dismal Tempest which we have already described that endless Night of Thunders and Lightnings and Earthquakes of roarings and howlings and utter confusion and destruction for ever 7. Which direful vengeance having once entred upon that execrable crue forsaken of God and given up to the merciless Rage of the incensed Elements the victorious Church of Christ retreats with the rest of the Angelical Hosts marching up the Ethereal Regions in goodly Order and lovely Equipage filling as they go along the re-echoing sky with Songs of Joy and Triumph For this is the greatest day of Solemnity the highest Festival that can be celebrated in the Heavens whose Inhabitants if they rejoice at the conversion of one sinner what Joy and Rejoicing must they express at the complete Redemption of the whole Church when Jesus Christ the Prince of our Salvation who is able to save to the utmost has perfectly redeemed us body and soul and leading Captivity captive rescuing us from the power of Hell Death and the Devil does resettle us again in our own Land and reestablish us into the ancient Liberties of the Sons of God making us fellow-citizens with the pure and unpolluted Angels and free Partakers of all the Rights and Immunities of the celestial Kingdom even of that Kingdom where there is Order and Government without Envy and Oppression Devotion without Superstition Beauty without Blemish Love without Lust Sweetness without Satiety where there is outward Splendidness without Pride Musick without Harshness Friendship without Designe Wisedom without Wrinkles and Wit without Vain-glory where there is Kindnesse without Craft Activity without Weariness Health without Sickness and Pleasure without Pain and lastly where there is the Vision of God the Society of Christ the Familiarity of Angels and Communion of Saints where there is Love and Joy and Peace and Life for evermore Upon the consideration of which ineffable Happiness what inference can be more genuine then what S. Paul has made already on the same Subject Wherefore my beloved Brethren be stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. CHAP. XIX 1. That there can be no Religion more powerful for the promoting of the Divine Life then Christianity is 2. The external Triumph of the Divine Life in the person of Christ how throughly warranted and how fully performed 3. The Religious Splendour of Christendom 4. The Spirit of Religion stifled with the load of Formalities 5. The satisfaction that the faithfully-devoted Servants of Christ have from that Divine homage done to his Person though by the wicked 1. I Have now sufficiently exposed to your view the Nature and Use of this seven-fold Engine these Seven Powers of the Gospel how potent they are to beat down every strong hold of sin and to raise up the Divine Life and Spirit of Righteousness in us That they have done so little execution in Christendom hitherto that disquisition I shall deferre till its due place In the mean time I appeal to all the World if there can be invented a Religion more powerful for this purpose then the Christian Religion is 2. But for the external Triumphs of the Divine Life in reference to the Person of Christ the Usefulness of our Religion in that point is demonstrable not only from the Frame thereof in it self but from the long and constant Effects it has had in the Christian World For as for the Frame of our Religion we have therein a full warrant to do the highest Divine homage to Christ that we can express He being so clearly therein declared The true Son of God not only by several Testimonies from Heaven but also by that supernatural manner of his generation in the womb of the Virgin by the overshadowing of the Holy
Angels of light and fit to enter into the presence of God if they be but neatly elegantly trimm'd up in these fine ornaments of Orthodoxality â—esotted fools blinde and carnal that think to recommend themselves to the Majesty of Heaven by being array'd in these motly coats this strip'd stuff of their own spinning While they thus affect the favour oâ— God by opinionative Knowledge how do they betray their gross Ignorance For how can that which is more pleasing to the natural man nay I may say to the Devil himself then to a regenerate Soul how can that render any one acceptable to God And yet in all the Divisions of the Churches they lay the greatest stress upon this bear the greatest zeal toward it recommend it the most vehemently to the people who following the example of their Pastours if they be but busie hot in these rending points they think themselves fully possest of the life of Christ and that they are very choicely religious though in the mean time Charity to their neighbour be cold they have attain'd to no measure of true Righteousness and Holiness Herein chiefly lies the mystery of Hypocrisy in all the Churches of Christendome counting all pious that are but zealous for the waies and opinions of their Sect and those that are not for it be they never so unblameable and cordial Christians they are either hated as Hereticks or at best pitied for poor Moralists mere Natural Men. 5. These are the most general and very potent Impediments for the hindring the Gospel of taking that effect which it would otherwise have in the Christian World and for making most of the professours of Christianity Hypocrites that is such as make a great show of Godliness but deny the power thereof which should mainly appear in our duty to our Neighbour and in a sober and just conversation doing all things as in the sight of God Now this Hypocrisy in Professours begets Prophaneness Atheisme and Unbelief in such persons as naturally have not so strong propension to matters of Religion that is to say that have not so superstitious a Complexion as to be tied to Religion upon any termes in any dress and from any kinde of Recommenders of it For their natural Nasuteness suggests that if there be any Religion at all most certainly it is not to be divided from sound Morality to which truly both the Prophets Apostles and Precepts of Christ do plentifully witness But they observing that they that make the greatest noise about Religion and are the most zealous therein do neglect the Laws of Honesty and common Humanity that they can easily invade other mens rights that they can juggle dissemble and lie for advantage that they are proud and conceited and love the applause of the People that they are envious fierce and implacable that they are unclean and sensual that they are merciless and cruel and care not to have Kingdomes to flow in bloud for the maintaining of their Tyranny over the consciences of poor deluded Souls when yet the contest is nothing but about hay and stubble the combustible superstructures of Humane Invention of which every vainglorious Superstitionist that would make a show in the flesh has cast on his handfull if not his arm-full for the hiding and smothering of the indispensable Truths of the Gospel and to put men into perplexities and labours for that which is not bread to rack their heads with Nonsense Contradictions and Impossibilities to weary out their bodies with the thankless toyle of endless and needless Ceremonies and to carry out their heart to toyes and trifles and so make them neglect the holy and weighty commands of our Saviour which are intelligible to all men and in some measure approved by all such as are To deal as we would be dealt with To love our neighbours as our selves and the like I say those that are not of so religious a Complexion naturally but have wit and sagacity enough to smell out the Corruptions and discern the Incoherences of the Actions of Professors making observation of these things are by this Scandal exceedingly tempted and very hardly escape the being quite overcome by so perverse a Scene of pretended Piety to think that the whole Business of Religion is nothing but Humour and Madness or at the best but a Plot to enrich the Priest and keep the People in awe 6. This is one great Scandal and effectual counterplot against the power of the Gospel the Vilifying and despising of Moral honesty by those that are great Zelots and high Pretenders to Religion This does advance Atheisme and Prophaneness very much But there is another Miscarriage which I have hinted at already as Epidemical and Universal and at least as effectual to this evil purpose as the former There is scarce any Church in Christendome at this day that does not obtrude not only Falshoods but such Falshoods that will appear to any free spirit pure Contradictions and Impossibilities and that with the same Gravity Authority and Importunity that they doe the holy Oracles of God Now the consequence of this must needs be fad For what knowing and consciencious man but will be driven off if he cannot profess the truth without open asserting of a gross lie If he sees good wine poured out of one bottle but rank poison out of another into the same cup who can perswade him to drink thereof This is a heavy sight to the truly-Religious but the joy and triumph of the Prophane who willingly take this advantage against the whole Mystery of Piety as if there were no truth at all in it because that so gross Falshoods are urg'd upon them with the same Indispensableness with the same Solemness Devoutness as those things that were it not for the serious Impudence of the Priest in other open falsities might pass with them for true But they being not at leisure to perpend things to the bottom but it may be not altogether indisposed to believe a faithfull report from an honest man they finding the Relater foully tripping in some things that he so earnestly urges discredit the whole Narration and so become perfect Atheists and Unbelievers though for their own security they juggle with the Juglers that is comply and doe outward reverence and devotion though they cannot but laugh in their sleeves at either the Ignorance or cunning Deceitfulness of their Ghostly Leaders 7. And that I may not seem to slander the state of Christendome I mean of the whole visible Church in what Nation soever under Heaven if we may believe Historians there is none neither Greek nor Roman neither Lutheran nor Calvinist but will be found guilty of this fault I shall particularize in some one thing in all The Greek as well as the Roman hold Transsubstantiation the Lutheran Consubstantiation things that have no ground in Scripture and are a palpable contradiction to Reason And yet not more contradictious then Absolute Reprobation according as our rigid
Reprobationers have defined it namely That God has irresistibly decreed from all Eternity to bring into Being innumerable Myriads of Souls of men exceeding far the number of them that shall be saved who as without their own consent they were thus thrust into the World so let them doe what they will are certainly determined to unspeakable torment so soon as they go out of it and at the last day shall be adjudged to an higher degree of misery so great and so exceeding that all the racks and tortures that the Wit or Cruelty of the most enraged Tyrants could ever invent or execute would be ease and pleasure in Comparison of it and that these Pangs and Torments shall remain fresh upon them for ever and ever 8. This is the Representation of that sour Dogma Which to Reason is as contradictious as if one should name a square Circle or black Light and as harsh and horrid to the eares of the truly-Regenerate into the nature of God who is Love it self as the highest blasphemie that can be uttered Nor is the nature of those that are irreligious enough so much estranged from the Knowledge of God but that they think if there be any at all he cannot be such a one that laid such dark plots from all eternity for the everlasting misery of his poor impotent and unresisting Creature that never did any thing but what the Divine Decrees determined he should doe and therefore was alwaies the Almighties obedient servant For which at last he must be condemned to eternall punishment by him whom he did ever obey The serious and imperious obtrusion of such a dismal Conceit as this for one of the greatest Arcanums of Religion will make the free Spirit and over-inclinable to Prophaneness confidently to conclude That the whole frame of Religion is nothing but a mere Scar-crow to affright Fools and that there is no Hell at all since such Innocent Persons and constant Obeyers of the Divine Decrees must be the Inhabiters ot it CHAP. III. 1. The true Measure of Opinions to be taken from the designe of the Gospel which in general is The setting out the exceeding great Mercy and Goodness of God towards mankinde 2. And then Secondly The Triumph of the Divine Life in the Person of Christ in the warrantableness of doing Divine Honour to him 3. Thirdly The advancement of the Divine Life in his members upon Earth 4. The Fourth and last Rule to try Opinions by The Recommendableness of our Religion to Strangers or those those that are without 1. I Might adde several other Opinions in several parts of Christendome that tend very much to the defeating and eluding the serious End and purpose of Religion but before I go any further I shall set down the main designes of the Gospel of Christ that we may have a more plain and sure Rule and Measure to try all Opinions by The designe therefore of the Gospel in general is the magnifying of the Goodness and Loving-kindness of God that he has afforded mankinde so glorious a light to walk by so effectual means to redeem them from the love of the perishing vanities of this present world and to recall them back again to himself and to the participation of the ineffable joyes pleasures of his celestial Kingdom For God so loved the World that he gave his only-begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life For God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World but that the World through him should be saved And Titus 3. For we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another But after that the Kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared Not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour To which sense also the Apostle speaks Ephes. chap. 2. And you who were dead in trespasses and sins Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the Aire the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of our fleshly minde and were by nature the children of wrath even as others But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ by grace ye are saved and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Iesus That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Iesus Christ. To which lastly you may adde Tit. 2.11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world c. These Scriptures give plain testimony of this more general designe of the Gospel 2. The next designe is an external exaltation of the Divine Life that did so mightily and conspicuously appear in the Person of our Saviour Christ as I have already abundantly declared How the mystery of Christianity comprehends in it chiefly this designe of exalting into Triumph the Divine Life above the Animal and Natural and that either externally in the religious worship we do our Saviour and is done even by Hypocrites and wicked Persons or else internally in the advancing of true Faith and Holiness in his living members and sincere followers of his doctrine Philip. 2. Let the same minde be in you which was in Christ Iesus Who being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God But emptied himself and took upon him the forme of a servant and was made in likeness of men And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to the death even the death of the Cross. Wherefore hath God also exalted him and given him a name above every name That at the name of Iesus every knee should bow of things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under the Earth and that every tongue should confess that Iesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father And Hebr. 1. Thy throne O God is for ever and ever the Scepter of righteousness is the Scepter of thy Kingdom Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity therefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oile of gladness above thy fellows that is to say hath exalted thee to this due honour and rule having put all things under his feet Angels themselves not excepted as S. Peter tells us 1 Epist. 3.22 Who is gâ—ne into Heaven
impossible 2. The former not at all incredible 3. Franciscus Picus his opinion of the Heroes feigned so by the Poets as begot of the Gods that they were really begotten of some impure Daemons with Josephus his suffrage to the same purpose 4. The Possibility of the thing further illustrated from the impregnation of Mares merely by the Wind asserted by several Authors 5. The application of the History and a further confirmation from the manner of Conception out of Dr. Harvey 6. Examples of men famed for this kind of miraculous Birth of the Heroes on this side the tempus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 94 CHAP. XIX 1. That out of the Principles we have laid down and the History of the Religions of the Nations we have produced it is easie to give a Reasonable account of all matters concerning our Saviour from his Birth to his Visible return to Iudgement 2. That Christianity is the Summe and Perfection of whatever things were laudable or passable in any Religion that has been in the world 3. The Assertion made good by the enumeration of certain Particulars 4. That our Religion seems to be more chiefly directed to the Nations then the Iews themselves 5. An Enumeration of the main Heads in the History of Christ that he intends to give account of 97 BOOK IV. CHAP. I. THat Christ's being born of a Virgin is no Impossible thing 2. And not only so but also Reasonable in reference to the Heroes of the Pagans 3. And that this outward birth might be an emblem of his Eternal Sonship 4. Thirdly in relation to the Sanctity of his own person and for the recommendation of Continence and Chastity to the world 5. And lastly for the completion of certain prophecies in the Scriptures that pointed at the Messias 99 CHAP. II. 1. That as the Virginity of Christ's Mother recommended Purity so her Meanness recommends Humility to the world as also other Circumstances of Christ's Birth 2. Of the Salutation of the Angel Gabriel and of the Magi. 3. That the History of their Visit helps on also belief and that it is not Reason but Sottishness that excepts against the ministery of Angels 4. His design of continuing a Parallel betwixt the life of Christ and of Apollonius Tyaneus 5. The Pedigree and Birth of Apollonius how ranck they smell of the Animal life 6. The Song of the Angels and the dance of the musical Swans at Apollonius's birth compared 101 CHAP. III. 1. That whatever miraculously either happened to or was done by our Saviour till his Passion cannot seem impossible to him that holds there is a God and ministration of Angels 2. Of the descending of the Holy Ghost and the Voice from Heaven at his Baptisme 3. Why Christ exposed himself to all manner of hardship and Temptations 4. And particularly why he was tempted of the Devil with an answer to an Objection touching the Devil's boldness in daring to tempt the Son of God 5. How he could be said to shew him all the Kingdoms of the Earth 6. The reason of his fourty daies fast 7. And of his Transfiguration upon the Mount The three first reasons 8. The meaning of Moses and Elias his receding and Christ's being left alone 9. The last reason of his Transfiguration That it was for the Confirmation of his Resurrection and the Immortality of the Soul 10. Testimonies from Heaven of the Eminency of Christs person 103 CHAP. IV. 1. What miraculous accidents in Apollonius his life may seem parallel to these of Christs His superstitious fasting from flesh and abstinence from wine out of a thirst after the glory of foretelling things to come 2. Apollonius a Master of Iudiciary Astrology and of his seven Rings with the names of the seven Planets 3. Miraculous Testimonies given to the eminency of Apollonius his Person by Aesculapius and Trophonius how weak and obscure 4. The Brachmans high Encomium of him with an acknowledgment done to him by a fawning Lion The ridiculous Folly of all these Testimonies 107 CHAP. V. 1. Three general Observables in Christs Miracles 2. Why he several times charged silence upon those he wrought his Miracles upon 3. Why Christ was never frustrated in attempting any Miracle 4. The vanity of the Atheists that impute his Miracles to the power of Imagination 5. Of the delusive and evanid viands of Witches and Magicians 108 CHAP. VI. 1. Of Christs dispossessing of Devils 2. An account of there being more Daemoniacks then ordinary in our Saviours time As first from a possible want of care or skill how to order their Mad-men or Lunaticks 3. The second from the power of the Devil being greater before the coming of Christ then after 4. That not only Excommunication but Apostasy from Christ may subject a man to the Tyranny of Satan as may seem to have fallen out in several of the more desperate Sects of this Age. 5. An enumeration of sundry Daemoniacal symptoms amongst them 6. More of the same nature 7. Their profane and antick imitations of the most solemn passages in the History of Christ. 8. A further solution of the present difficulties from the premised considerations 9. A third and fourth Answer from the fame of their cure and the conflex of these Daemoniacks into one Country 10. A fifth from the ambiguity of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 11. The sixth and last Answer That it is not at all absurd to admit there was a greater number of real Daemoniacks in Christs time then at other times from the useful end of their then abounding 110 CHAP. VII 1. That the History of the Daemoniack whose name was Legion has no incongruity in it 2. That they were a Regiment of the Dark Kingdome that haunted most the Country of the Gadarens and that whether we conceive their Chieftain alone or many of his army to possess the man there is no absurdity therein 3. How it came to pass so many Devils should clatter about one forty person 4. The Reason of Christs demanding of the Daemoniacks name and the great use of recording this History 5. The numerosity of the Devils discovered by their possession of the Swine 6. Several other Reasons why Christ permitted them to enter into the Gadarens heards 7. That Christ offended against the laws of neither Compassion nor Iustice in this permission 114 CHAP. VIII 1. Of Christ's turning water into wine 2. The Miraculous draught of Fish 3. His whipping the Money-changers out of the Temple 4. His walking on the Sea and rebuking the Winde 5. His cursing the Fig-tree 6. The meaning of that Miracle 7. The reason why he expressed his meaning so aenigmatically 8. That both the Prophets and Christ himself as in the Ceremonies he used in curing the man that was born blind spoke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Typical Actions 9. The things that were typified in those ceremonies Christ used in healing the blinde as in his tempering Clay and Spittle 10. A further
Celestial Vehicle 4. The activity of the separate Soul upon the Vehicle argued from her moving of the Spirits in the Body and that no advantage accrews therefrom to the wicked after death 141 CHAP. IV. 1. Christ's Session at the Right hand of God interpreted either figuratively or properly 2. That the proper sense implies no humane shape in the Deity 3. That though God be Infinite and every where yet there may be a Special presence of him in Heaven 4. And that Christ may be conceived to sit at the Right hand of that Presence or Divine Shechina 143 CHAP. V. 1. The Apotheosis of Christ or his Receiving of Divine Honour freed from all suspicion of Idolatry forasmuch as Christ is God properly so called by his Real and Physicall union with God 2. The Real and Physical union of the Soul of Christ with God being possible sundry Reasons alledged to prove that God did actually bring it to pass 3. The vain Evasions of superficial Allegorists noted 4. Their ignorance evinced and the Apotheosis of Christ confirmed from the Immortality of the Soul and the political Government of the other World 5. That he that equalizes himself to Christ is ipso facto discovered an Impostour and Lier 144 CHAP. VI. 1. An Objection against Christ's Soveraignty over Men and Angels from the meanness of the rank of Humane Spirits in comparison of the Angelical Orders 2. An Answer to the Objection so far as it concerns the fallen Angels 3. A further inforcement of the Objection concerning the unfallen Angels with an Answer thereto 4. A further Answer from the incapacitie of an Angels being a Sacrifice for the Sins of the World 5. And of being a fit Example of life to men in the flesh 6. That the capacities of Christ were so universal that he was the fittest to be made the Head or Soveraign over all the Intellectuall Orders 7. Christ's Intercession his fitness for that Office 8. What things in the Pagan Religion are rectified and compleated in the Birth Passion Ascension and Inercession of Christ. 146 CHAP. VII 1. That there is nothing in the History of Apollonius that can properly answer to Christs Resurrection from the dead 2. And that his passage out of this life must go for his Ascension concerning which reports are various but in general that it was likely he died not in his bed 3. His reception at the Temple of Diana Dictynna in Crete and of his being called up into Heaven by a Quire of Virgins singing in the Aire 4. The uncertainty of the manner of Apollonius his leaving the World argued out of Philostratus his own Confession 5. That if that at the Temple of Diana Dictynna was true yet it is no demonstration of any great worth in his Person 6. That the Secrecy of his departure out of this world might beget a suspicion in his admirers that he went Body and Soul into Heaven 7. Of a Statue of Apollonius that spake and of his dictating verses to a young Philosopher at Tyana concerning the Immortality of the Soul 8. Of his Ghost appearing to Aurelian the Emperour 9. Of Christ's appearing to Stephen at his martyrdome and to Saul when he was going to Damascus 149 CHAP. VIII 1. The use of this parallel hitherto of Christ and Apollonius 2. Mahomet David George H. Nicolas high-pretending Prophets brought upon the stage and the Author's Apology for so doing 3. That a misbelief of the History of Christ and a dexterity in a moral Mythology thereof are the greatest excellencies in David George and H. Nicolas 4. That if they believed there were any Miracles ever in the world they ought to have given their reasons why they believe not those that are recorded of Christ and to have undeceiv'd the world by doing Miracles themselves to ratifie their doctrine 5. If they believed there never were nor ever will be any Miracles they do plainly betray themselves to be mere Atheists or Epicures 6. The wicked plot of Satan in this Sect in clothing their style with Scripture-language though they were worse Infidels then the very Heathen 7. That the gross Infidelity of these two Impostours would make a man suspect them rather to have been crafty prophane Cheats then honest through-crackt Enthusiasts 8. That where Faith is extinct all the rapturous Exhortations to Vertue are justly suspected to proceed rather from Complexion then any Divine principle 152 CHAP. IX 1. Mahomet far more orthodox in the main points of Religion then the above named Impostours 2. The high pitch this pretended Prophet sets himself at His journey to Heaven being waited upon by the Angel Gabriel His Beast Alborach and of his being called to by two Women by the way with the Angels interpretation thereof 3. His arrival at the Temple at Jerusalem and the reverence done to him there by all the Prophets and holy Messengers of God that ever had been in the world 4. The crafty political meaning of the Vision hitherto 5. Mahomet bearing himself upon the Angel Gabriel's hand climbes up to Heaven on a Ladder of Divine light His passing through seven Heavens and his commâ—nding of himself to Christ in the Seventh 6. His salutation of his Creatour with the stupendious circumstances thereof 7. Five special favours he received from God at that congress 8. Of the natural wilyness in Enthusiasts and of their subtile pride where they would seem most humble The strange advantage of Enthusiasme with the rude Multitude 9. And the wonderfull success thereof in Mahomet Other Enthusiasts as proud as Mohamet but not so successful and why 155 CHAP. X. 1. That Mahomet was no true Prophet discovered from his cruel and bloudy Precepts 2. From his insatiable Lust. 3. From his wildeness of Phansy and Ignorance in things What may possibly be the meaning of the black speck taken out of his Heart by the Angel Gabriel 4. His pretence to Miracles as his being overshadowed with a cloud when he drove his Masters Mules 5. A stock of a Tree cleaving it self to give way to the stumbling Prophet The cluttering of Trees together to keep off the Sun from him as also his dividing of the Moon 6. The matters hitherto recited concerning Mahomet taken out of Johannes Andreas the Son of Abdalla a Mahometane Priest a grave person and serious Christian. 158 CHAP. XI 1. Three main Consequences of Christ's Apotheosis 2. Of the Mission of the Holy Ghost and the Apostles power of doing Miracles 3. The manner of the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them at the day of Pentecost 4. The substantial Reasonableness of the circumstances of this Miracle 5. The Symbolical meaning of them 6. What was meant by the rushing winde that filled the whole house 7. What by the fiery cloven tongues 8. A recital of several other Miracles done by or happening to the Apostles 9. The Congruity and Coherence of the whole History of the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles argued from the Success 161 CHAP. XII 1.