State and their denial of all future punishments and from their false conceptions of the rise and fatality of Sin That these opinions are destructive to the service of a Deity and the concernments of Religion That they received opinions which destroyed morality This proved from their mistakes and errors 1. Touching the duties and concerns of love charity to their neighbour And secondly touching the laws of Chastity Justice and of truth Heathen Philosophy proved ineffectual not only to reforme the world but the Professors of it The wickedness of their lives The accounts and reasons of it Theresult of all in confirmation of the Christian Faith § 1. BUT that which is the Crown of all and indeed potissima demonstratio a most convincing evidence of the Assistance of the holy Spirit towards the propagation of the Gospel is the excellency of the Christian precepts and the subservience they bear not only to our future but to our present welfare § 2. IT were endless to insist upon the incredible Power of Christianity when cordially embraced to sheath the Sword beat it into plow-shares to still contentions and bind the hand to its good behaviour to prevent all waies of being cruel to our neighbours life or prejudicial to his estate and Fortunes or injurious to his name or honour by taking up or venting a reproach against him or by discovering those Errors and infirmities which Charity doth bind us to conceal It were infinite to recount those liberal provisions it hath made for Love and Charity pity and compassion and whatsoever may indear my Brother to me and draw forth all my powers to assist him It gives the truly generous and publick Spirit it commands every man to seek his Brothers weal and shew him all that kindness which he could expect or beg when under like necessity It bids us burn when others are afflicted and weep with those that weep That is it bids us be as forward to relieve them under all their pressures and afflictions as if their afflictions were our own Now what can further be required to our present happiness than the security of what a present we enjoy from any hand of violence and the assurance of our Brothers help towards the enjoyment of the thing we want Nor is it less conducive to the publick good Christianity gives such a relish of sublimer Bliss as disintangleth the more noble Soul from all the trivial concernes of earth It tells us that the freindship of this world is enmity to God that he who beares affection to these earthly things is but pretender to the love of heaven It inspires into us that contentmēt which allayes the hell torment of an inordinate still gaping appetite It transformes the man into humility and meekness and so prevents the tumult disturbance of the haughty Spirit It enforceth peace upon us by the strongest motives and threatneth an eternal flame to the Incendiary It moulds the Soul into a simple honest and sincere deportment and interdicts those flattering Addresses which belye the thoughts and Conscience of the Speaker and more then this it cannot do in order to our publick welfare since that can never suffer but from unjust and treacherous factious and turbulent proud worldly or rapacious Spirits § 3. CHRISTIANITY is a Religion highly perfective of humane nature and such as best comports with the concernments of our Souls and most advanceth its most noble faculties It gives the best discoveries of the Divine existence and of Providence and of that obedience and homage which we owe unto a Deity and of those attributes which are the only grounds and most prevailing motives to it viz. The Truth and Freedome the Justice Power Goodness the Wisdome Unity and Omnipresence of a Deity all which must be entirely owned as the foundations of reall Piety It presents us with such admirable discoveries of Wisdome Justice Goodness Mercy and Compassion in the contrivance and procurement of Pardon and Salvation to us by the death of Christ as Judaisme could never boast It holds forth the clearest light to guide our darke and purblind Reason into the paths of vertue and to secure us from the splitting rocks of Vice It gives the best and largest Comment upon those duties of the moral Law which are so imperfectly and so obscurely hinted by the light of nature and so much questioned and disputed by the Gentile World as wee shall see hereafter It discovers to us those impediments which would retard and clog us in the performance of our duty that so we may avoid them It makes the evil thought as guilty as the evil action and calls as much for purity of heart and freedome from every vile affection as from those actions that doe issue from them It setleth the floating soul on the firm Basis of divine veracity and for the Heathens faint surmises and the Jews darker shaddowes of good things to come it gives the Christians lively hopes and full assurances of Faith It tenders the holy Spirit as an earnest of our future bliss and assures us if we doe the will of heaven we shall know what is so In fine the knowledge of a future endless bliss and misery is the result of Gospel revelation which upon all these grounds doth best provide for the information of our understanding in what it is concern'd to know in order to our future happiness to wit the being of a God and our engagement to adore and serve him what will procure his Favour and will provoke his Indignation and what concernes we have sincerely to avoide the one and to pursue the other § 4. NEXT it presents the Will with the most soveraigne motives and engagements unto duty and bindes that on us with most powerful cords of Love and the amazing mercies of our God and Saviour The obligations of repeated vows and Covenants especially of those of Baptisme and the Sacred Eucharist the convictions of our conscience the laws and Sanctions of that Majesty who strikes an awe upon it and the example of our Saviours which doth at once prescribe to our obedience and provoke us to it It pains forth sin to us in its own dress attended with the dangers of present and a dreadful expectation of eternal miseries and those enhanced by all the aggravations which love and mercy conscience and duty the light of reason and religion the experience of our selves and others can afford it It presents Goodness to us in its fairest and most tempting aspects assures us that the ways of God are Good honourable safe and easie and full of comfort and present satisfaction to the Soul It courts the affections with the most admirable delights that heaven can tender it surrounds us with the pleasures of a virtuous life the joys of charity the comforts of an upright conscience the smiles of heaven and its concernment for the good man's welfare here and happiness hereafter such happiness as far exceeds what we are able
the rod and over-awed by terrors into base complyance as having not sufficient reason to defend their tenets or to oppose against the sense of present misery they being also Men of religious Education lives unblamable which bore the greatest 9 Kindness did the best Offices Occidunt eos quos ipsi fatentur imitatores esse justorum Lact. l. 5. c. 9. and shew'd the strongest bowels of compassion to their Persecutors and greatest freedome from revenge yea men which gave the best examples taught the best precepts which the world e're knew and all whose hopes designs interest depended only on a Future Life 5ly If we consider the 10 number of those Christian Sufferers so many that Sulpitius tells us l. 2. c. 46. the World was more exhausted by one Persecution then by the most bloudy Wars And 6ly the effect of those so bloudy Persecutions viz The 11 encrease of Proselytes the more effectuall Propagation of the Christian Faith the shame and the 12 Conviction of their Adversaries Conviction so great that on this very score they oft desisted from their intended executions And to conclude the manner of their Sufferings doth give us full assurance that the assistance of the Holy Ghost which Christ and his Apostles promised to true believers was accordingly vouchsafed to those Martyrs They having born the Greatest sufferings not only with undaunted Courage but with 13 Joy and Exultation and being as desirous to suffer for the name of Jesus as their Persecutors were to Torment them and finding oftentimes 14 a perfect freedome from all Sense of Paine under the most afflicting pressures Miraculous 15 Experience of Consolations under Sufferings of 16 deliverance from them and of an over-ruling 17 controuling and sometimes 18 vindictive power upon the instruments of their Sufferings Now 1 It seems impossible they could thus suffer without Divine assistance For 1 what could create a freedome from the sense of Pain under the Greatest Torments and most intolerable burthens unto flesh and blood What could inject so great a Terror into the fiercest of wild beasts as to muzzle their mouthes and stop their craving appetites and what could cause insensate creatures which by the Laws of Nature act to the utmost of their strength to loose their wonted Efficacies What should create such Joys and Exultations suggest such comforts and supports under the sharpest and most fiery Tryalls and continuall pressures the very thoughts of which afflictions have slain their hundreds and made them out of dread of others Fury become their own Tormentors What could embolden those who tremble at the Rod and are so scared by the threats and frowns of angry Parents Those who cry out and Skreek and Swoon at the approach of lesser Evills yea dread those Terrours which their own Phansies did create to despise the worst of Torments when they were placed before their eyes to bear up with more then humane Courage against inhumane Cruelties to endure them without a Sigh or Groan and by their patience to baffle and Torment their Persecutors That which doth cool the courage of the stoutest hearts how should so many Feeble Souls encounter And that at which the best of men do shrink and tremble which they do pray and strive against how could they who were held to be the filth and the ofscouring of the world despise and laugh at § 3. BUT 2ly T is more improbable they would undergo those fiery Trials without a full assurance of the Greatest blessings and rewards hereafter We see how few will quit their Pleasures and Enjoyments here though conscience speaks so loud and their duty is so oft inculcated to purchase all the Glories of another world Life is so sweet that most men do desire to preserve it though upon most dishonorable and unworthy terms And would then such a world of men in so many Nations and throughout so many Centuries of yeares without all hopes of future blessings but what deluded phansie could suggest doe what 's so highly inconsistent with the first principle of humane Nature the reason experience of all past ages and of all that were then to come In a word if they were Good men to be sure they would not ruine and destroy themselves if bad men it must be their concern to live and to enjoy the pleasures of this present world the future being either the matter of their dread or at least no matter of their hopes Nor can it reasonably be conceaved that Providence which hath so Great and tender a regard to the sincere and honest heart should let so many thousands of well meaning Souls perish by the delusions of ungrounded hopes and vain imaginations and not dart in one ray of light to guide them to the truth § 4. Object SHOULD any here object the 19 Spartan boyes who would not shrink at the severest whippings the 21 Roman Legions who went with Joy unto those places whence they expected never to return a 20 Polemo or a 22 Possidonius an 23 Anaxarchus Regulus or a Zeno the Quakers Anabaptists or such like hardy sects It may be sufficient Answer to remind them of the rareness of their sufferings or the condition of the Persons suffering in all which circumstances they are not to be compared with Christian Martyrs At least not any of them will be found to have shewn such Charity towards them that were the causes of their Sufferings experimented such Joys and consolations under sufferings such perfect freedome from all sense of pain such signal instances of an all ruling and sometimes Vindictive Power upon the instruments thereof as was vouchsafed to those Martyrs Adde to this that Philosophers stood bound in honour the thing they mostly thirsted after thus to doe and suffer Their Philosophy was but the doctrine of contempt of Death It was their dayly buisiness to commend it to their Scholars and hence so many of them did either a Menippus Laert. lib. 6. Ed. St. p. 162. Empedocles ib. p. 614. Ed. Steph. Hang or b Metrocles Laert. l. 6. p. 161. Ed. St. Zeno ib. p. 171. Choke or c Pythagoras Laert. l. 8. Ed. Steph. p. 592. Starve themselves when life became a burthen or a trouble to them and when necessity was lay'd upon them they suffer'd which the Greatest Valour Whereas the meaner sort of Christians could have but little sense of Honor their profession did forbid them to desire or to receive it and would be sure to expose them to the greatest infamy Agen the Spartan boy was taught by custome and Instructions Experience and Practice to endure his Stripes and frequent Meditation made the wise man valiant the Christian void of all those helps became a constant and undaunted sufferer and oftentimes the Christian and the Martyr did begin together As for the Anabaptist and the Quaker besides the lightness of their sufferings they bottom upon expectation of an exceeding weight of Glory whereas the Christian must suffer all those Miseries
ad credendum vehementer impellit Lact. p. 533. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ita Constantinus apud Euseb in vit Const l. 4. c. 12. vid. Tertull. ad Scap. 13 With Joy and Exultation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Dial. cum Tryph. p. 265. Cum omni saevitiâ vestra concertamus etiam ultrò erumpentes magisque damnati quam absoluti gaudemus Tertull. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eusebius Historiae Ecclesiasticae libro octavo cap. nono Great Courage in the midst of sufferings Solebant etenim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 8. c. 9. Nostri autem ut de viris taceam pueri mulierculae Tortores suos taciti vincunt exprimere illis gemitum nec ignis potest Lact. lib. 5. c. 13. vid. Orig. in Celsum l. 7. p. 357. p. 359. Minut. p. 41. 14 An Apathy under the severest torments Apostolus Johannes in oleum igneum demersus nihil passus est Tertull. de praescript c. 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ita Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 5. c. 1. de Blandian vid. eundem l. 8. c. 10. p. 338.339 15 Experience of Consolations vnder them For they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 8. c. 9. vide Historiam Theodori Sozom. Hist Eccl. l. 5. c. 20. Socr. l. 3. c. 19. Aug. de Civ Dei l. 18. c. 52. 16. Deliverance from their sufferings Under the 10th persecution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 9. c. 8. 17 His controuling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ita Euseb de feris quibus Christiani exponebantur Hist Eccl. l. 8. c. 7. 18 And vindictive power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Hist Eccl. lib. 8. p. 342. who instanceth in the death of the two persecuting Governors of Damascus and Caesarea Hist Eccl. l. 9. c. 6. Possumus exitus quorundam Praesidum tibi proponere qui in fine vitae suae recordati sunt deliquisse quod vexassent Christianos Vigellium Saturninum Claudium Herminianum Cecilium Capellam Tertull ad Scap. c. 3.5.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Julian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 57. Nazinaz de Maximino Unde vindice ultore Deo cogebatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 8. c. 16.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys or 2. in Babylam p. 462. de Juliano verba faciens 19 The Spartan Boys Spartae vero pueri ad aram sic verberibus accipiuntur ut multus è visceribus sanguis exeat nonnunquam etiam ut cum ibi essem audiebam ad necem Quorum non modo nemo exclamavit unquam sed ne ingemuit quidem Cie Tusc 2. p. 209. A. p. 212. 20 The Roman Legions Quas scribit in Originibus Cato Major in eum alacres profect as locum unde se nunquam redituras scirent Lud. Vives in August de C. D. l. 1. c. 12. 21 A Polemo De quo Laertius tradit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 4. p. 264. 22 Possidonius Solebat narrare Pompejus eum graviter de hoc ipso nihil esse bonum nisi quod honestum esset cubantem disputasse cumque quasi faces ei doloris admoverentur saepe dixisse nihil agis dolor quamvis sis molestus nunquam te esse confitebor malum Cic. Tusc 2. p. 215. B. 216. A. 23 Zeno Anaxarchus obversentur species honestae animo Zeno proponatur Eleates qui perpessus est omnia potius quam conscios delendae tyrannidis indicaret De Anaxarcho Democritio cogitetur qui cumtin manus Cyprii Nicocreontis Regis incidisset nullum genus supplicii deprecatus est neque recusavit Cic. Tusc 2. p. 213. 24 This consideration doth give the greatest strength unto the present argument 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in prima ad Cor. Ho. 4. p. 263 264. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. in Celsum p. 65. CHAP. VII SECT I. The Contents THat from the fulfilling of things future and contingent we may reasonably infer the Being of an over-ruling Providence which interests itself in their completion The truth of Christian Faith evinced 1. From those predictions which concern the Person Birth Life Actions and Passions of our Lord and Saviour The confirmation of this Argument 2ly From those miracles which his disciples wrought agreably to our Saviours promise prediction and commission for they healed the diseased and ejected Devils according as our Lord foretold § 1. TO strengthen what we offer from the predictions of our Lord in confirmation of the Christian Faith it will be needfull to premise That the punctuall fulfilling of predictions of things future and contingent especially when those predictions descend to many Circumstances and those such as are peculiar and unusuall and such as respect the unconstrain'd motions of the will I say this fulfilling of predictions gives just assurance to us that an all Wise and over-ruling Providence doth interest it selfe in their completion For 1. He only who at first made all things by his Power and by his Wisedome guides them to their respective ends He whose will pleasure doth give laws to all the motions of the Soul and limits to the powers of Inferior causes he only can foresee the issues and foretell those Circumstances which do entirely depend upon such causes Yea 2ly that mind which through its own inherent power is able to determine any matters of this nature must on the same grounds be acquainted with all future things though never so contingent in their immediate causes there being equall reason for them all For since things Future have at present no existence nor is there any reason if contingent whence it may be certainly concluded they rather are to be then not to be no mind can possibly foresee their futurition but that whose understanding is so perfect as to be able to extend it self to all things future as they in due time shall exist and whose commanding pleasure doth limit and determine or Guide and Manage their indifferences as seemeth most conducing to his Glory Whence God provokes the Heathen Deities Esa 41.23 to shew the things that are to come hereafter that so it may be known that they are Gods Cic. de div li. p. 82. and Heathens did conclude it certain si divinatio ergo Deus if there were divination there must be a Deity § 2. NOW that predictions of this nature have been made in confirmation of the Christian Faith will be abundantly evinced from those which more immediately concerne the person of our Saviour he being signally marked out unto us by such peculiar Circumstances of his Birth Life and Passion such singularities of his actions such proper Characters of his Person so certainly foretold in the Law and Prophets and therefore firmly credited by the Jew as must infallibly conclude them ridiculous and mad that should falsly pretend to them An Elias was to usher in his advent and to a Mal. 3.1.2.3 make ready a people prepared for the Lord by turning
Paul alone but others of the Apostles were eminent for working Wonders Now to imagine that what St Paul in these Epistles thus asserted was a lye is to conclude him not only a vile wicked Person but an unreflecting Idiot who in those Letters he endited to arm his Converts against false Disciples who sought to blast his Mission and Apostleship should go about to stablish and confirm it to them by what they could not choose but know to be a lye This is as if a Mountebank in commendation of his Balsomes should pretend that he had wrought great Cures upon many Persons present and before his Eyes who all were ready to attest that they were ignorant of any benefit received by him But now his Education at Gamaliels Feet his Apologies for himself and his Epistles to his Christian Converts his Disputations with the Jews and mighty Power to convince the Gentiles are Arguments sufficient that he was no Idiot nor could be guilty of so great a folly Now to conclude These Miracles thus done are a most pregnant confirmation of our Saviors Mission and of the Truth of Christian Doctrine For be it so that Providence could assist such vile Impostors as Christ and his Apostles are esteemed by Infidels to back and to confirm their Cheat with Miracles so great so many and of such long continuance the like to which were never done nor any thing that can deserve to be recorded with them and give in no immediate internal Evidence of the Imposture we must stand bound both by the Laws of God and Nature to believe and do as they require as having no sufficient reason to conclude their Message false but the most powerful Motives to believe it true ANNOTATIONS On the 8th Chapter SECT I. 1 SHem Hamphorash The Jews confess that Christ by virtue of this name did raise the dead and walk upon the Sea and cure the Lame and cleanse the Lepers vide Raymund Pug. fid 290. 2 The Jews expected miracles from their Messiah The Messiah shall be exalted more then Abraham more then Moses more then the ministring Angels Beresch Rabba sup Gen. 28.10 See Annot. in Chap. 7. Sect. 1. num 8. 2 To the arts of Magick Solent Judaei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. in Celsum Which also Celsus did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. adv Celsum p. 7. vide p. 30. vide Lactant. l. 4. c. 13. Euseb demonstr Evang. l. 3. c. 3.8 August de verbis Petri serm 9. 5 Hierocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apud Euseb contra Hieroclem p. 512. 6 Julian who tells us Christ did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apud Cyrill Alexandr l. 6. 7 Pilate gave such a large account That there were such acts of Pilate appears 1. From those false Acts the Heathens made containing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Hist Eccles l. 9. c. 5.7 2ly From the appeal of Hereticks to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiph. de Quartadecimanis That these acts were such as did confirme the Christian Faith is evident from those Passages of the Fathers which appeal unto them for this end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Apol. 2. p. 84. Ea omnia sc quae de Christi miraculis morte resurrectione ascensu in coelum enuntiant Evangelia Pilatus ipse pro suâ conscientiâ Christianus Caesari tunc Tiberio nuntiavit Tertull. Apol. c. 21. 8 Tiberius proposed him to the Senate Tiberius cujus tempore nomen Christianum in saeculum introivit annuntiata sibi ex Syriâ Palaestinâ quae veritatem illius divinitatis revelaverant retulit ad Senatum cum praerogativa suffragii sui Senatus quia non ipse probaverat respuit Caesar in sententia mansit comminatus periculum accusatoribus Christianorum Tertull. Apol. c. 5. 9 Others say he did his wonders by those arts which he had learned from the Aegyptians Magus fuit clandestinis artibus omnia illa perfecit Aegyptiorum ex adytis Angelorum potentium nomina remotas furatus est disciplinas Ethnicus apud Arnob. p. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. adv Celsum p. 30. 9 The Jew and Gentile though frequent and expert Magicians Of the Jews their Talmud tells us that the great Sanhedrim was skild in Magick tract Sanhed c. Dine Mammonoth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost contra Judaeos sermone 5. p. 360. 361. Et rursus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Cochum in duos tit Talm. p. 18. Joseph Antiq. Jud. l. 20. c. 6. Annot. in c. 1. n. 1. The Heathens Circa Deos ac Religiones negligentior quippe addictus Mathematicae persuasionisque plenus cuncta fato agi Sueton. de Tiberio c. 69. Quin facto per Magos sacro evocare Manes exorare tentavit Nero. Idem c. 34. vide Plin. l. 30. c. 11. 10 So notorious that Heathens have recorded them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phlegon l. 13. Olymp. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 African vide Euseb Chronicon ad An. 2040. Tertull. Apol. c. 21. Orig. tract 35. in Mat. p. 80. adv Cels 11 The Heathens tell us that Christs Disciples out did all others in the art of Jugling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habemus apud Julianum vide Cyril Alex. l. 3. p. 100. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. adv Celsum p. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hieroc de Apostolis apud Euseb contra Hier. p. 514. 12 And that they had receaved from our Saviour books and instructions in that art Celsus affirms he saw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud Orig p. 302. who thus replys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iulian. de Apostolis apud Cyrill Alex. l. 10. 13 They acknowledge that at their Sepulchers were wonders wrought Responde quomodo in vilissimo pulvere favillâ nescio quâ tanta sit signorum virtutumque praesentia nisi forte in morem Gentilium Impiorumque Porphyrii Eunomii has praestigias daemonum esse dicas Hieron adv Vigilant 14 And Christians confidently appeal'd unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Iulianum p. 36. 15 Cyrill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrill Alex. contra Iul. l. 6. p. 202. 16 August Etiam nunc fiunt miracula ejus nomine Et rursus Fiunt ergo etiam nunc multa miracula eodem Deo faciente per quos vult qui illa quae legimus fecit August de Civitate Dei l. 22. c. 8. vide Theodor de cur Gr. affecta Euseb contra Hieroc c. 1. p. 514. CHAP. VIII SECT II. The Contents PRoving the Truth of Christian Doctrine from the speedy Propagation of it through the World Arg. 3 by inconsiderable and unlearned men against those many prejudices which did attend it and many enemies which did oppose it The avowed Principles on which this Argument depends A further Confirmation of it by comparing its effects with those of Heathen Wisdome or Philosophy § 1. THIRDLY The Powerful Assistance of the Holy Spirit was manifested in the effectual and speedy Propagation
Oracle which would returne a plaine and undeceiving Answere I would enquire about those Great concerns of piety and justice in which the Gods have been so silent and obscure § 26. 3ly THAT they continûally did thwart 99 each other and what ws equity and goodness to the one was to the other highly culpable what seem'd the worst of follys unto some was to the others innocent what any 100 rightly did conceave they were not able to defend against their adversarys as having no foundations whereupon to buid Besides those sects 110 and tenets Authors and opiniosn which overthrew the pillars of true piety Justice and equity and introduced the greatest loosnes and corruption were as freely tought and had as full permission to be discoursed of and embraced by any s those of Plato and the Stoicks The Epicure Sceptick the Cynick Peripatetick had no restraints upon them but as great freedome to corrupt the people as others to instruct them nay t is observable that those vile opinions flourish'd 102 most and that the Abettors of them did 103 accord the best among themselves and had as great a stipend 104 from the Romaine Emperours as those of any other Sect. § 27. 4ly THAT they were destitute of motives and inducements from a superior interest which should enforce upon them those acts of equity justice We see amongst Christians self interest so strong worldly love so powerfull in those who most pretend to live above it and to be crucify'd unto it as that too oft it tempts them to act in opposition to all the Rules of charity and justice and if the light of Christian doctrine and all the motives of eternall bliss and misery are unsuccesfull no wonder that the light of nature should be so hence also it was that they 105 took up with carnal pleasures and held them the 106 chiefest good and many of them would pretend they knew no other and many made the pleasure of the mind to vail to them § 28. 5ly THE Philosophers were so taken up with contemplations as to neglect Morality Hence we are told that Socrates 107 first introduced it into familys and towns and countreys and made it matter of the Schools enquiry the issue of their disquisitions was too often this that there was 108 nothing just or unjust in it self 108 but as the Laws of Nations by their peculiar constitutions made it so Or that the truth in matters of this nature could be hardly found and therefore it was wisdome to embrace what they already found established § 29. 6ly THE examples and worship 109 of their deitys did give encouragement to the leudest actions for to be come the vilest miscreants was to be likest to those Heathen Deitys Hence Porphyry 110 complains of this as the matter of his Greatest trouble De Rep. l. 2. p. 249. and Plato took such care that what they had received from their Ancestors should not be taught the younger fry least they should say with him in the Comedian Terent. when when Guilty of Adultery and incest and such scarlet sins Quod fecit is qui templa caeli summa sonitu concutit Ego homuncio hoc non facerem § 30. AND now to give you the result of these particulars If it were so great a matter of admiration to Amelius that one of these Barbarians should have the same opinion and conception of the production of the world with Heraclitus if one sentence of our Saviour was thought so memorable by a Heathen 112 Emperour as to be writ in divers places of his Imperial Court is it not matter of the greatest wonder that those Barbarians should in all other tenets which concern our Faith and manners so much out strip the wisest of Philosophers and best of Moralists and with the Greatest perspicuity and most prevailing evidence deliver to the world what they in vain had studyed to discover or perswade them to and what they could not but acknowlegde to be worthy both of their approbation and imitation ANNOTATIONS On the 10th Chapter 1 THE common issew of their search was onely scepticisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socrates apud Plat. in Phaed. cum Zenone Archesilas sibi omne certamen instituit non pertinacia aut studio vincendi ut mihi quidem videtur sed earum rerum obscuritate quae ad confessionem ignorationis adduxerant Socratem velut jam ante Socratem Democritum Anaxagoram Empedoclem omnes poenè veteres Cicero Acad. quaest lib. 1. p. 57. de Socrate vide Diog. Laert. l. 2. p. 41. ed. n. Aristot Sophist Elench l. 2. c. 34. de Democrito Laert. l. 9. p. 957. de Protagora l. 9. p. 662. de Anaxarcho l. 9. p. 667. de Pyrrhone ibid. de Heraclito Stobaeum ser 19. de Xenophane Empedocle Platone l. 9. p. 255. ed. n. de seipso Cicero Non sumus ii quibus nihil verum esse videatur sed ii qui omnibus veris falsa quaedam adjuncta esse dicamus tanta similitudine ut in iis nulla insit certa judicandi assentiendi nota de nat Deorum l. 1. p. 4. vid. Acad. qu. l. 2. p. 9. A. B. p. 7. A. l. 1. p. 51. vide sextum Empir adv Mathematicos p. 146.153 Gatakerum in Anton. p. 199.200 Laert. l. 9. p. 677.678 2 Some of those Heathens plainly denyed the being of a God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch de Plac. Philosoph l. 1. c. 7. Diog. Laert. l. 2. p. 152. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philostrat de Magis Persicis 3 Many of them doubted and demurr'd upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Protag apud Laertium p. 250. vide Arnobium l. 2. p. 82. 4 When a cross act of Providence did tempt them to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch de Plac. Philos l. 1. c. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simpl. in Epictetum c. 38. p. 223. vide Ciceronem de Natura Deorum l. 3. p. 76. Caecilium apud Minutium p. 5. Ouzelium Notis in eundem p. 29. 5 Epicurus his axiome being this Quod aeternum beatumque est id nec habere ipsum negotii quicquam nec exhibere alteri Cic. de N. Deorum l. 1. p. 11. de divin l. 2. p. 130. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch de Plac. Philos l. 1 c. 7. p. 881. 6 By Aristotle and his party t' was confined to Heaven Aristoteles Dei providentiam usque ad Lunae regionem progredi censet infra verò neque providentiae scitis regi nec Angelorum ope consultisque sustentari nec vero Daemonum perspicientiam putat intervenire proptereaque tollit omnem providentiam negatque praenosci futura Chalcid in Tim. Plat. ed. Leyd p. 345. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret. de cur Gr. Affec p. 77. Plutarch de Plac. Philos l. 2. c. 3. vide Laert. l. 5. p. 321. 7 T was by the Platonist committed unto Demons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in Timaeo vide