The rectified Mind said they is the Man but the sensitive Appetite is the Beast This latter they declared to be the Principle which predominateth in all vicious Men and because they wholly â—ollow their Sense and are led merely by a corporeal Appetite they resemble Brutes Accordingly Epimenides calls the Crâ—tians evil Beasts as the Apostle takes notice and for the same reason all Persons that are given to Vice deserve that Denomination For their Portion like Nebuchadnezzar's is with the Beasts You cannot reckon them in the number of Men for tho they retain the human Shape yet they are really degenerated into the nature of Brutes Nay Man is become more irrational by far than the whole Herd of Brutes who by a natural Instinct or by some certain Laws of Motion following the Apprehensions of their Senses discern what is good or hurtful to them and not only so but imbrace the one and avoid the other Man alone once the excellentest Creature in the World but now depraved knows not his Happiness or despises it which in the sacred Stile is expressed after this manner The Ox knows his Owner and the Asâ— his Master's Crib but Israel doth not know my people do not consider Isa. 1. 3. These are the inword and spiritual Evils which are the effects of Adam's Degeneracy and they are usually called by Divines by the name of Spiritual Death for these also were part of that dreadful Threatning In the day thou â—atest thereof thou shalt surely die But there are not only temporal but eternal Evils which are the fruit of Man's Apostatizing Man by his Guilt and Pollution contracted by the Fall and since delighted in is liable to be excluded from Happiness in another Life and is obnoxious to eternal Punishment and Misery in the World to come for Sin of it self can never be expiated and therefore the Guilt of it must necessarily continue without any Period Accordingly we read that the Wages of Sin is Death Rom. 6. 23. i. e. eternal Death for it being oppos'd in that place to eternal Life it cannot signify less It appears then that the Sinner deserves to be â—ormented both in Body and Soul with endless and eternal pains which makes his Condition far worse than that of the Beasts who Perish and so are made uncapable of all future Sufferings This is that worst of Deaths which is another part of that direâ—ul Threatning denounced against Adam and which is the most grievous and terrible effect of his Disobedience and falling from God and from this as from the other Evils procured by Man's Apostacy there is no redemption on 〈◊〉 the merciful and meritorious Undertakings of the blessed Messias who was afterwards promised After all it might be observ'd that not only Adam and Eve were threatned to be punish'd for this Transgression but even the Serpent which the Devil made use of in order to it he was rendred the most cursed of all Creatures and condemn'd to grovel on his Belly and to feed on the Dust of the Earth Gen. 3. 14. Which was design'd to be a lasting as well as a visible Memorial of God's Displeasure against the first Sin in the World So we read afterwards that God spared not the brutâ— Beasts whom the Sinners of the old world had abused but destin'd them no less than the Offenders themselves to Destruction Gen. 6. 7. which gives us some account of the implacable Opposition of the Divine Nature to all Sin and even to all that are but instrumental and serviceable to it He that is of purer eyes than to behold Iniquity will not suffer it to go unpunish'd wherever he observes it And this might be added here that the foresaid Cursâ— on the Serpent hath reference also to the malicious Dâ—mon who actuated that Animal The doom of this impure Spirit is here included his being not able to raise up himself against the Servants of the most High so as to hurt them and his being 〈◊〉 to Hell and his being made for ever a cursâ—d Creature lâ—ath'd and abhor'd of God and Man are comprehended in this Execration Thus I have finish'd the second State of Man This I call a State as it respects Us but I call it a Dispensation as it hath respect unto God because it was his Will and Pleasure to suffer this to be Out of infinite Wisdom he permitted Man's Fall designing to make it subservient at last to the Good of Mankind and to his own Glory by inhansing his Mercy and Goodness in the 〈◊〉 and unexpected rescuing of Mankind from the Miseries which they had incur'd by this general Lapse I say general for as I asserted before concerning the first State that of Innocâ—ncy that it included all Men in it as well as our first Progenitors so I must declare the same concerning this second State and Dispensation It takes in not only Adam and Evâ— who indeed were the most conspâ—cuous Persons but all the succeeding Generations of Men and Women For by reason of our first Parents wilful sinning and transgressing the Divine Law all Persons are under the Displeasure of God the Penalty of his Law and the Power of Satan for they are all conceived in Sin and brought forth in Iniquity they are naturally averse to all Good and prone to all Evil and therefore a Condemnation is justly pass'd on them all Here I might copâ—ously treat of Original Sin and the fatal Influence of it but I intend not at present to enlarge on any main Article or Point of Divinity this Treatise being design'd only as an 〈◊〉 to so great a Performance This only in brief is to be remembred that Adam as a common Person sinn'd for himself and his whole Posterity In him all Mankind were created and in him they all â—ell and were corrupted Adam being the Father and Root of all Successions by his sinning involv'd himself and his Progâ—ny into a State of Guilt and Enmity against God This great Banker broke and with him all his Race were beggar'd and ruin'd His particular Fault became the Catholick Crime of all Persons descended from him even before they knew what was Good and Evil i. e. before they were born They were all accurs'd in him and rendred obnoxious to the Divine Wrath and no Creature was able to deliver them from it But God the merciful Creator and indulgent Father of Mankind was pleased to contrive their Deliverance Accordingly he made an early Discovery of his Grace and Love to our first Parents and to their Posterity which leads me to the next Dispensation CHAP. III. The Nature of the Third General Dispensation The first part of which is the Adamick State The early Promise concerning the Messias Gen. 3. 15. explain'd He was expected betimes The New Testament witnesses that he was to bruise the Serpent's Head Several positive Laws were under this Oeconomy That of Oblations and Sacrifices is especially consider'd Eucharistical Sacrifices were part of the Law of Nature Expiatory
the same Or suppose this Phrase from the foundation of the World doth not denote Eternity yet it is enough for our purpose that Christ the Lamb of God was slain from the beginning of the World for from thence we may gather that it was designed and appointed to reach to all following Generations 2. The way and method of Salvation was the same under all the Dispensations of Grace for Christ instructed his Church in all Ages the Gospel was preached to them aâ— well as to us Heb. 4. 2. All the Patriarchs and Prophets and Holy Men of past ages arrived at Heaven and Happiness by the Conduct of this great Guide Iesus Christ the same yesterday 〈…〉 day and for ever are words appliable to Christ nor only as he is King and Priest but also as he is Prophet and Teacher of his Church Which Sacred Office he hath faithfully performed in all Ages and there hath been no Time since the Church was founded but he hath been the Instructer of it The Covenant of Grace was made first of all with Adam in Paradise and God hath from Age to Age renewed that Covenant to his Church and the Grace of God in Christ was common to the Antient Patriarchs and Iews with us So that from the Fall of our first Parents to the end of the World the way of Expâ—ation and of obtaining Salvation hath been is and shall be the same viz. by Christ and by his Merits The Virtue of his Death altho he actually died long after commenced with the first Promise made to Adam The Socinians oppose this and generally hold that the Godly who lived before the time of the Messias were not saved by Him they assert that they knew nothing of it and that there were other means of being saved under the Old Testament than there are under the New But this is a Doctrine deservedly exploded by all Persons who are of the Orthodox Faith and who own the True Christian Religion They all agree that the same way of Salvation hath always prevailed that all who were saved under the Old Testament were saved by Virtue of Christ's Death and Satisfaction There was Justification under the Law tho not by it or by virtue of it Those that believed with their whole hearts on God and faithfully serv'd him were justified and obtain'd Remission of their Sins and Eternal Life by that Grace which was couched in the Law i. e. promis'd in the Messias and figured and represented by the obscure Types of the Law By virtue of the Grace to be exhibited by Christ even those who were before his arrival were saved This is the Doctrine which St. Peter preach'd Acts 15. 11. We believe that through the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ we shall be saved even as They i. e. the Fathers before Christ as is clear from the foregoing verse The Holy Men then were acquainted with the Substance of this Covenant viz. the Promise of Restoration by Christ and consequently the Old Testament Saints were saved by him Thus we are told by another inspired Author that by means of Christ's Death there was Redemption for the Transgressors that were under the first Testament Heb. 9. 15. For tho the Redemption of Mankind was not actually wrought by him till he died on the Cross yet the Virtue and Benefit of it were in all Ages as the Sun spreads its light and illuminates our Region before its glorious Body appeareth above the Horizon 3. As to the Conditions and Qualifications on our part all the Dispensations of Grace were the same All substantial Duties towards God and Man are the same now that they were then Even Faith in the Messias is as antient as that Promise on which it was first founded that the Blessâ—d Seed should break the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. They who lived before Christ's Incarnation conâ—ided in this Promised Deliverer by whose Merit they hoped to be reconciled to God Faith in Christ was a Duty under the Old Testament because there were Promises concerning the Messias then as is evident from Luke 1. 72. and what were these Promisessor but to be credited and relied upon Therefore it is recorded that Abraham Believed Rom. 4. 3. Gal. 3. 6. And our Saviour witnesseth that Abraham rejoiced to see his day and he saw it and was glad Joh. 8. 56. The Reason was because as the Apostle saith God preached the Gospel to Abraham Gal. 3. 8. and discovered the Messias to him The just lived by Faith in Habakkuk's time Hab. 2. 4. which by the Apostle is applied to the Evangelical Faith in Rom. 1. 17. Gal. 3. 11. Therefore when Socinus tells us that Faith in Christ was not comprehended in the Mosaick Covenant and when one of his Scholars confidently avers that it is a gross Error to think that the Fathers under the Old Testament believed in Christ to come and were justified by that Faith we know whence to confute these bold Men. That the Evangelical Righteousness and Justification were in the Old Testament is clear because the Apostle brings Examples of this free Justification out of the Old Testament Rom. 4. 3 6 c. That Salvation by Faith in Christ was no New thing is evident from other places as Acts 10. 43. To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins And Rom. 3. 21 22. The righteousness of God withâ—ut the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe Aâ—d St. Peter 1 Episâ— Chap. 2. ver 6. proves that Chrisâ— is the foundation whereupon all the Saints are built from Isa. 28. 16. Behold I lay in Sion a chief corner-stone elect precious and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded From all which it may be undeniably infeâ—'d that under the Law they believed in Christ for Justiâ—â—cation and that the Fathers before Christ were saved by Faith in him and in a word that all from the beginning of the World have been Justified and Saved the same way viz. for Christ's Merits and upon the Gospel-terms of Sincere Faith and Obedience and of persevering in the same unto the end Thus in respect of the Designation the Way and the Efficacy of Salvation the Evangelical Dispensation differs not from the preceding ones This the Antient Fathers speak of particularly they defend the Antiquity of Christianity and prove it to be as old as Moses yea as Adam Iustin Marâ—yr reckons Abraham and Elias but he goes too far when he reckons Heraclitus and Socrates among Christians in answer to that Objection that those were Christians only that lived within a hundred and fifty Years This Pious Father in another place argueth from the Antiquity of the Christian Religion and the Authors of it That Religion which hath the best Authors and is oldest is
answer the Sign doth not always go before the thing signified as you may satisfy your selves from perusing Exod. 3. 12. and 37. Isa. 30. 43. Ier. 9. 10. 51. 63 64. from which Instances it is undeniably plain that things to come are Signs and given as so to encourage Persons to something for the present It is not necessary then that this Sign should precede the deliverance from Rezin and Pekah It might come after it and so it did when a Virgin conceived and bore Christ. The Virgin then in Isaiah's time was a Type of the Virgin Mary and her Infant a Type of Christ born of the Virgin and her being delivered was a Sign and a Type of the spiritual Deliverance by Christ. The Lord shall give you a sign and behold a Virgin shall conceive c. as much as to say you think that God is not powerful enough to deliver you from these two Oppressors and Invaders Rezin and Pekah but you are deceiv'd for God will give to your Posterity a far greater Argument and Proof of his Power for he will bring it to pass by his miraculous and omnipotent Arm that the Messias shall be born of a Virgin and he shall be a Mighty Saviour and Deliverer he shall rescue you from worser Enemies than those Kings of Syria and Israel he shall save you from your Sins he shall deliver you from Satan from Death and Hell and Eternal Destruction Secondly what relateth to Christ's Life and Actions was foretold in the Scriptures of the Old Testament and exactly fulfill'd in the New as his flying into Egypt and his returning thence Isa. 16. 7. Hos. 11. 1. the Murder of the Infants in Bethlehem Ier. 31. 15. the presenting of him in the Temple Mal. 3. 1. his working of Miracles and particularly his healing of Diseases Isa. 35. 6. his Preaching and Doctrine Isa. 61. 1 2. compared with Luke 4. 21. his riding into Ierusalem on an Ass Zech. 9. 9. which place Rabbi Iosua and other Learned Iews interpret of the Messias Nay R. Solomâ—n confesses that it is impossible this Prophesy should be interpreted of any but him Thirdly the things relating to his Sufferings and Death were predicted by the Prophets of the Old Testament and are found accomplish'd in the Evangelical Writings as those Affronts and Abuses put upon our Saviour by the Iews Isa. 53. 3 c. his being betray'd by his Disciple and pretended Friend Psal. 41. 9. their selling him for thirty pieces of Silver Zech. 11. 12. the scoffing of him when he hung on the Cross Psal. 22. 8. Mat. 27. 43. the piercing of his Hands and Feet Zech. 12. 10. Mat. 27. 35. That of the Psalmist Psal. 22. 16. can be applied to none but Christ for in those Days in which David lived there was no such custom of Punishment wherein they pierced the Hands and Feet from whence David could borrow that Phrase And as for what Calvin saith that it is a Metaphorical Expression of David's Sufferings and Calamities it is not worth attending to For David here as in some other Psalms speaks in the Person of Christ and utters such things as agree not fully with his own particular Condition as when he addeth ver 18. They parted my Garments amongst them and upon my Vesture did they cast Lots Which is a prophetical account of that part of the History of Christ's Sufferings which is recorded by the Evangelists Luke 23. 34. Iohn 19. 24. This likewise Calvin saith is a Metaphor and only signifies that David was a prey to his Enemies and was despoil'd and robbed of all But this is the usual course of this Learned Writer as I have observ'd elsewhere All or most of the places in the Old Testament which are mystically meant of Christ and which were so understood by the antient Fathers of the Church are interpreted by him in a literal Sense only which is a great fault in this learned and worthy Reâ—ormer for in thus doing he extreamly favours the Iews in those Texts and is thereby a Patron of Iudaism Christ's thirsting and their giving him Gall and Vinegar were foretold Psal. 69. 21. and St. Iohn particularly takes notice of its being fulfilled Iohn 19. 30. his being crucified among Thieves was the accomplishment of what was said in Isa. 53. 12. and therefore is particularly taken notice of in Mark 15. 28. that his Legs should not be broken as those of the Malefactors that suffer'd with him was foretold in the Law of the Paschal Lamb Exod. 12. 46. and is accordingly applied in Iohn 19. 36. The whole 53 d Chapter of Isaiah is a Description of the Messias's sufferings which though the Jews usually interpret concerning the People of Israel afflicted with Captivity and then delivered yet any one may see that the expressions cannot agree in any tolerable way to the Jewish People and their Condition But they are most easily appliable to Christ and to none else and it is certain that the Antient Rabbins understood them of the Messias So all of them conclude that he was to be put to death from Dan. 9. 26. After the threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off but not for himself And that this and other Texts before named foretold Christs sufferings is taken notice of by himself Luk. 24. 26. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and again v. 46. Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer Briefly the Death and Passion of our Saviour were evidently predicted and as plainly accomplished according to that of St. Peter in his Sermon Acts 3. 8. Those things which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his Prophets that Christ should suffer he hath so fulfilled And concerning St. Paul we read that he said no other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come that Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead Acts 26. 22 23. Which is the next thing you are to take notice of Fourthly Then Christs Resurrection and the happy Consequences of it were long since foretold David speaketh concerning him thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption Psal. 16. 10. Acts 2. 25 27. The Apostle tells us that Christ not only Died and was Buried but also Rose again the third Day according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15. 4. i. e. according to this place of Scripture now mentioned and according to the History of Ionas his being three Nights and three Days in the Whales Belly which was a Type and Presignification of our Saviours lying in the Grave part of three Days The Ascending of Christ into Heaven was the consequent of his rising from the Dead and that also was foretold Ps. 68. 18. Thou hast ascâ—nded on high thoâ— hast led Captivity Captive c. which you will find applied to our Saviour in Eph. 4. 8. And so his sitting at the
Vessel whilst the Israelites were in the Wilderness and so was continued till Solomon's Temple was finished and then Fire came down again from Heaven and consumed the Sacrifices 2 Chron. 7. 1. This was preserv'd till the Babylonian Captivity and afterwards renewed 2 Macc. 1. 22. Here the Difference between the Patriarchal Sacrifices and the Mosaick ones might be taken notice of The Patriarchs had no other Expiatory Sacrifices but Holocausts or Burnt-Offerings as is clear from several places Besides there were Anniversary Monthly and Weekly Sacrifices among the Iews but we know not that there was any such thing before the Law And some other Differences the Reader may gather from the particulars aforesaid But the End and Design of these Sacrifices are chiefly to be inquired into where we shall also see a further Difference in some things between the Mosaical and Patriarchal Sacrifices Let us see to What Purpose all those Bloody Offerings were appointed let us acquaint our selves with the Design of Heaven in it First They were as the Fruits of the Earth intended as Acknowledgments that God was their Benefactor He gave these Animals as well as those Fruits and therefore it was fit to offer these as well as the others 2. If we speak concerning the Continual Morning and Evening Sacrifices it is certain they were Symbolical they were a Token of God's Presence among them They were instituted as a Testimony of This as you read in Exod. 29. 38 to the end They were a Sign that the Lord would be continually with them and be their God 3. The Mosaical Sacrifices were to testifie what the Iews deserved for their Sins viz. Death By these Bloody Oblations it was signified that the Life of Beasts should expiate for the Life of Men who had sinned and were become worse than Beasts Sheep and Oxen were substituted in the room of Offenders these sinned and those were slain Though this could not be evidently discover'd by Natural Light as hath been said yet now upon God's declaring in the Law the nature of these Sacrifices it appears that this was one design of them Those Legal Sacrifices were a kind of Confession of their Guilt By killing their Beasts they did as 't were acknowledg that themselves deserved to be used so 4. The Mosaical Sacrifices were Federal Rites and design'd to signify the Correspondence and Agreement between God and Man To which purpose you may observe that as part of the Shelamim the Peace-Offerings was burnt on the Altar so the remainder and greater part were eaten by the People that brought it to shew that it was truly a Sacrifice of Peace a Ceremony of Communion and Friendship with God a Token of Fellowship and Amity between God and Man As for the Holocaust that indeed was all of it burnt but there was a Meat-Offering and Drink-Offering annexed to it to denote Familiarity and Friendship to shew that they were Guests in God's House or rather that they were of his Family and were fed at his Table and eat of his Meat as the Sacrifices are call'd in Mal. 3. 10. and Houshold Provision Again the great Design of the Mosaick Sacrifices was to Expiate and Atone Not only Burnt-Offerings or Helocausts but all Free-will-Offerings were Expiatory notwithstanding what Crellius affirms viz. that they were Eucharistical and therefore were not Expiatory But we must know that That Epithet doth not respect the End which those Sacrifices were design'd for but the occasion of their Offering them As for the name of Peace-Offerings that was given to this sort of Sacrifices not only because they were offer'd in way of Return for their Peace i. e. as the Hebrew word denotes their Safety and Welfare which were vouchsafed to them but because the offering of them did also procure Peace with God and did assure them of the like Blessing for the future from the same Propitious Hand And therefore tho in another Dispensation I distinguish'd between Eucharistical and Expiatory Sacrifices yet there is no reason to do so here when I am speaking of the Mosaick Sacrifices all or most of which have on them the evident marks and tokens of Expiation They were appointed to propitiate and appeaâ—e God's Wrath and therefore might all of them be call'd Pacifick as well as some That these Peace-Offerings were Expiatory is proved from this that here was putting the Beast to Death here was Sprinkling the Blood here was the Consumption of some part of the Beast on the Altar as an Oblation to God which are the three Ingredients of an Expiatory Sacrifice But what was this Expiation which was made by the Mosaick Sacrifices I answer It was threesold 1. In respect of Corporal Punishment The Sanction of the whole Mosaick Law is express'd in Deut. 27. 26. Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Which Curse imports no less then Death it self besides all the miseries of this life But God was pleas'd to mitigate the rigour of this Sanction and whereas according to the strictness of the Law those who were found guilty of violating it were to Die this was not put in Execution but Beasts were appointed to suffer death for the Offenders and their death was accepted for the death of Sinners 2. These Sacrifices Expiated as to Legal and Bodily Impurities which separated them from publick Converse and Worship Such were Leprosy Touching the Dead c. Hence the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrâ—ws saith that they Sanctified to the purifying of the Flesh Heb. 9. 13. 3. These Sacrifices which is the most considerable thing of all Expiated for Moral Impurities viz. all sorts of Sins I know it is asserted by some Men of great Learning when they discourse of Sacrifices that the Mosaick Law gave no pardon to heâ—â—ous Sinners that great Offences were not expiated by Scarifices This is more especially held by 〈◊〉 who urges that the Sacrifices under the Law were available only for lesser Sins not for great ones And Volkelius and other profes'd Socinians insist upon the same thing and labour to prove that Sacrifices were offer'd only for expiating of Sins of Lgnorance Weakness and Error and that Death was the Penalty of all great and enormous Offences The same is defended by Smalcius as the Reader may find it in his Writing And we are told by one of our own Divines that the Jewish Religion allow'd of no Expiation but for legal Impurities and involuntary Transgressions such as proceeded from Ignorance and Inadvertency but not for Sins of Presumption and such as were committed with an high hand If Men sinned wilfully there was no Sacrifice appointed by the Law for such Sins And another of great repute in our Church agrees with him saying The greater Crimes under the Law were no otherwise to be expiated but by the Blood of the Offender himself whereas for lesser ones the Blood of Beast
and Death St. Luke had St. Matthew and St. Mark 's Writings to direct him And he professes moreover chap. 1. 1 2. that he receiv'd all he writ from those very Persons who were Eye-witnesses Besides he was a constant Companion of St. Paul who had all those things revealed to him by God in Heaven which is as much as if he had seen and heard them As for the Acts of the Apostles St. Luke could not but give a full and perfect Account of the Actions related there because he was an inseparable Attendant and Associate of St. Paul about whom most of that Book is spent The Epistles contain chiefly holy Doctrines divine Counsels seasonable Reproofs and pathetick Exhortations but they are not wholly destitute of Matter of Fact They were writ either by those that were properly stiled Apostles as St. Peter St. Iames St. Iohn and St. Iude who therefore could not be ignorant of what they delivered concerning Christ and the things he did or they were writ by St. Paul who was an Apostle extraordinary immediately called and sent by God to preach the Gospel being first fully instructed in all Matters relating to Christ and it by divine Revelation It might be yet further made evident that the Writers of the New Testament had perfect knowledg of what they writ and that they were sufficient Witnesses of what they relate because the Matters of Fact were so frequent and so often repeated as also because they were done near them and not far off and so they could easily know the truth of them moreover because they were done publickly and in the open Light and not in a Corner because they were done before so many Witnesses before Apostles and Disciples and thousands of the People who were Spectators and Auditors of what happen'd I might add that the Evangelists publish'd the Stories of Christ and his Doings when thousands were alive who knew the Facts and might have oppugned them if they would but they did not Especially St. Matthew publish'd his History while yet the Persons lived on whom Christ's Miracles were wrought and innumerable others who were Witnesses thereof were then surviving Hence it appears that it was difficult for the Evangelical Writers to conspire and combine together in a Lie and to deceive the People if they had had a mind to it They might soon have been confuted if the things they attested had been false The Cheat was easily to be found out amongst so many Witnesses and in things so often acted and in the Face of the World Therefore it is morally impossible that there should be a Cheat and Delusion these things being thus 2. The Personal Qualities of the Evangelical Writers and other Christians who attested these things argue that they were credible Witnesses and that their Testimony was worthy of all acceptation This is clear from such Considerations as these viz. that most of them were simple and unlearned Men and so were not fit Persons to devise these things It is no ways probable that they could invent such high and mysterious matters yea indeed no humane Wit was able to do it This shews that they were not deceivers and that they did not voluntarily deliver a falshood Likewise it is to be remembred that they were no idle and loose Persons but were of an honest condition and way of Life they were poor Tradesmen and Fishermen that lived on their work and lawful callings and therefore it is altogether improbable that they were designing Men and that they made it their business to cheat and impose upon the World Again their Integrity Candor and Simplicity appeared most signally in their Writings seeing they relate their own failings and impartially set down the grossest miscarriages of their Brethren as Thomas's Infidelity Peter's denying of his Master the Apostles flying from Christ at his Passion and many other things which none but Honest Plain and True-hearted Men would have recorded and transmitted to Posterity Further what they did was not out of Ambition and Love of Honour for Pride self-seeking vain Glory over-valuing of Men crying up Paul and Apollos and Cephas were Vices and Practices which they both preach'd and writ against And to let you see that this was not counterfeit their Lives answer'd to what they professed in their Carriage and Behaviour none were more humble and self-denying which proves that they acted not out of Applause and Affectation of Honour from the People but were sincere and faithful in what they did Nor could they speak or act for Gain and Wordly Profit for they were Men that despised Riches as much as Honour They lived meanly and poorly and were beholden to the Charity of others for a subsistence Which shews that they had no design to enrich themselves and to grow great in the World They foresaw and knew and perswaded themselves of this before-hand that their Profession would expose them to the greatest Dangers and Hazards and that Bonds and Imprisonment and Death it self would attend them yet notwithstanding this they resolved to preach the Gospel and to follow their Master whatever befel them And lastly to give you an irrefragable Demonstration of their Integrity and Sincerity most of them laid down their Lives to testify and confirm what they had deliver'd they sealed the Gospel with their Blood they died for what they preach'd and writ This is a sign they were in earnest Thus if you consider the Personal Qualifications of the Apostles and Evangelists who were Witnesses of Christ's Actions you must necessarily grant that they were Persons to be believed that their Evidence is authentick and we have no reason to think they were deluded themselves or deluded us For the Proof of Fact consisteth chiefly in Witnesses who must be knowing and honest Men. This makes them to be credible Persons and such were the Relators of those things which concern our Saviour Wherefore to have them attested by a sufficient number of Persons of that Character is enough to assure the Truth of them We have no cause to dispute whether those things were so or no but on the contrary we have good Foundation for a firm Assent to them But tho the Disciples and Apostles did not cheat us yet perhaps we are deluded by thâ—se that came after them It may be they have not truly deliver'd things to us How can we depend on their Words Reports are oftentimes false There are untrue Representations of things which are very near to us much more may there be of Actions which are so far off and were so long ago How then shall we credit History and Tradition i. e. the Church's delivering these things to us I answer we may and we ought to believe the Persons who receiv'd these things from the Apostles viz. the pious Teachers Fathers and Bishops of the Primitive Church and the Godly and Faithful Christians of those days we ought I say to credit these as well as the Apostles themselves for we have the most
cogent Reasons to perswade us that they truly and faithfully delivered down to us those things This I will make good from the Consideration 1. Of the Persons that transmitted these things 2. Of the Evidence of the Cause First as to the Persons I will consider both their Lives and their Deaths Their Lives are sufficient proofs of their Integrity in delivering the Scriptures of the New Testament to us and of their confident belief of the Truth of all that is contain'd in them The Primitive Christians lived after another rate than we do now They did not wrangle and quarrel as we do they did not â—ight and devour one another as the manner of too many is of latter times but they were remarkable for their mutual Love and Concord for their Humility Meekness and Condescension to one another and they were admired for their Gravity Sobriety Self-denial and Patience they were eminent for their Piety towards God and their Innocent and Righteous dealing with all Men. The Ministers practised what they preached and the People were ambitious to imitate their Preachers and both were singularly Good and Virtuous This was it which gain'd so many Proselytes to Christianity in those first times this brought them to a perswasion of the Truth and Reality of Christ's Doctrine Therefore when Origen had excellently proved the Truth of Christianity to Alexander Severus that noble Emperor ingenuously confessed that he was more convinced of the Truth of that Religion by the humble and loving carriage of Christians than by all Origen's Arguments The exemplary and blameless Conversation of those Primitive Professors argued that the Doctrine and Principles of their Religion were real and certain For how can it enter into any sober Mans thoughts that such holy and upright Men true followers of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ would have constantly confessed and owned the Christian way unless they had been throughly convinced of the Truth of it and that it was the very same which was confess'd and acknowledg'd by the Apostles themselves These Holy and Godly Men made Conscience of a Lie and counted it a heinous Crime to falsify yea they esteem'd it no less than a damnable Sin to disbelieve or misreport those things concerning Christ and the Christian Doctrines They were really perswaded in their Minds that their Salvation lay at stake that their Eternal Welfare or Everlasting Ruin were concern'd in these things And can you imagin then that they would report them falsly and impose upon the World by delivering things which were counterfeit Again as the Lives so the Suffering and Death of the Saints in the Primitive Days and in the succeeding Ages are an undeniable Argument of the Truth of what was deliver'd to them and of what they conveyed to us They underwent the most exquisite Pains and Torments with ineffable Courage and Constancy and nothing could prevail with them to renounce the Christian Religion insomuch that when the Pagan Adversaries in those days would express any thing to be impossible they did it thus Ye may sooner make the Professors of Christ quit their Mastersâ— Doctrine This was a thing not to be effected for those Persons first of all forsook their worldly Goods and then parted with their Lives to hold fast their Religion This patient Suffering and undaunted Dying of so many thousands is an unquestionable Proof of the Truth of Christianity For those enlightned and sanctified Men would never lay down their Lives to maintain a Falshood and to perpetuate a Lie No they knew whom they believed in and for whom they suffer'd and that made them so couragious We may conclude then that the Christian Doctrine is confirm'd by the Blood of those Worthy Men those expiring Saints did testify the Truth of Christianity and therefore they are stiled Martyrs Secondly The Evidence of the Cause is an impregnable Argument of the Reality and Truth of these things which I am speaking of There is this following heap of Evidences 1. A great Presumption arising from just Causes and Circumstances yea and from a multiplicity of them which in all Courts of Judicature is of considerable weight and value with understanding Judges This first but lowest sort of Evidence the Christian Church since our Saviour hath not been destitute of for there were never higher Presumptions in any Cause under Heaven than there were in this But we need not mention this when we have 2. The Notoriety of the Facts i. e. when the things in trial are openly and commonly known when they are avouched by publick Fame and the universal Vogue of Men. And that this was the case of Christianity ever since Christ left the Earth cannot be denied by any Man of Modesty and Truth 3. The Succession of Christians and Churches in the World is a plain Proof that they verily believed those things which made them Christians and Churches Hereupon they deliver'd to us those Writings which they receiv'd from the Hands of the Evangelists and Apostles by their transmitting them to Posterity they shew that they believe them to be sacred and certain Verities 4. The Succession of Bishops and Pastors is an other Evidence for it was their Office to read publickly the Scriptures of the New Testament and to preach the Doctrines contain'd in them and consequently to own them to be Truth which is a good Motive to us to do the same 5. The frequent Disputes which Christians in all Ages have held with those who opposed the Scripture and Christianity are no mean Testimony in this Cause 6. To these may be added the famous Writings of the Christians in the several Centuries their Apologies Dialogues Sermons Homilies Orations Commentaries Histories All which proclaim their serious and firm Belief of what they have convey'd down to us 7. All Christian Churches have deliver'd to us certain Symbols or Articles of Belief which they reckon'd to be the Standards of Evangelical Faith and Truth 8. The Constant Communion of the Church and the publick Worship of God in the solemn Assemblies of Christians ever since the days of the Apostles the setting apart a Day for that Worship the reading of the Scriptures at such times the instructing the People out of them the celebrating the Lord's Supper the constant custom of openly rehearsing and proâ—essing the Christian Belief the Prayers and Praises offer'd to God in the name of Christ the yearly Commemoration of the Birth Death and Resurrection of our Saviour the Sacrament of Baptism which acknowledgeth the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost 9. The sundry Decrees and Canons of Synods and Councils held in the Christian Churches Lastly the many Laws and Edicts of Christian Emperours and Princes in defence and confirmation of our most holy Religion These and all the rest before-named are clear Proofs and Evidences that the Evangelical Writings which contain the Doctrine and Actions of our blessed Lord were rightly and truly convey'd to us and that we are in possession of the same Faith and