accomplishment of these Predictions for the primitive Seducers were men of so profligate a Conscience and lewd an Addiction as that they served not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own Belly though they professed friendship yet they were enemies to the cross of Christ their God was their Belly their Glory was in their shame and they did mind earthly things Whereby it is plain they were as it was foretold they would be viz. Men of corrupt minds and destitute of the Truth supposing that Gain is Godliness And this their perverse Supposition did doubtless dispose them to make merchandise of other Christians insomuch that they sought not them but theirs not their spiritual Good and Welfare but their worldly Wealth and temporal Interests that so they might make advantage to themselves thereby This was their design In order hereunto they seem wisely to have considered that their Power being only perswasive not coercive it would be their best way to adapt a Religion to the Humours and Vices of men accordingly we find that the contemplative and studious they allured with great swelling Words of Vanity about no man knows what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Ages which they divided into an Ogdoad a Decad and a Dodecad wherein there were as the Apostle saith Fables and endless Genealogies which minister questions rather than godly edifying which is in Faith the Fiction of which Fables and Genealogies they stole out of Antiphanes his Theogony So likewise they did divers of their Precepts out of heathen Philosophy for their practical Divinity consisted in the Rudiments of the World the Commandments and Doctrines of men touch not 〈◊〉 not handle not Tertullian therefore saith of the Hereticks that they had brought forth a Stoical Platoniâ—al and Dialectical Christianity Herewith they entertained the studious but they being but few in number in comparison with the more ignorant and vicious they found it expedient to allow of the Vices as well as the Learning of the Gentiles and accordingly so they did for they held the use of all Lust indifferent and herein their Practice was agreeable to their Opinion for it is a Shame even to speak of those things which were done of them in secret and so infectiously wicked it seems they were as that they perswaded others to be as bad as themselves thence it was that the Ephesians were in some danger of being deceived with vain Words into an Opinion that Fornication and all Uncleanness Avarice and Filthiness obscene and foolish talking and jesting were things lawful or at most but venial Sins Yet for all this to allure the minds of the rigorous and austere they pretended to great Mortification and Severity of living other Christians indulged themselves the use of Marriage and all manner of Meats without distinction but these were more mortifyed than so they did forbid to marry and commanded to abstain from meats The Appetites of the Flesh were so hateful and impure in their Sight as that they thought marriage and the better â—orts of meats too great an Indulgence to them yâ—a such was their zeal against them as that some of them said marriage was of the Devil and many of them abstained from all living Creatures and by this pretence of perfect continence they seduced many And no wonder since they were such mortiâ—ied men who would not take them for Saints with these baits did these cunning Anglers fish for Christians from among the Gentiles almost of all Sorts and all Inclinations The Jewish Christians who were yet Zealous of the Law they enticed by asserting a necessity of Circumcision and keeping their Law For they taught the Brethren and said except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses and keep the Law ye cannot be saved By this part of their Doctrine they did conciliate the obstinate Jews and insinuate themselves into those that believed who partly for fear of Prosecution from their unbelieving Countrymen and partly out of Love to their old Religion were very apt to swallow their Poyson whereunto also they added several Ingredients of most damnable Heresie For even in St. John's time many deceivers were entered into the World who confessed not that Jesus Christ was come in the Flesh But because others thought he was they made an high Profession of him that by the sweetness of his Name they might reach out this their bitter poyson unto them Which Poyson they sweetened with Pretences it was very wholesome and useful to purge the Soul from the dreggs of Ignorance and Error to enlighten the Mind and inform the Understanding for their profane and vain Bablings they had the Confidence to call Science and to make Profession of it and from a pretended excellency of Knowledge they laid peculiar claim to the Title of Gnosticks knowing men as if none no not St. Paul or St. Peter or any other of the Apostles could plead an â—quality to the greatness of their Knowledg for they boasted that they knew more than all men else And Knowledge we know is a thing so inviting as that it hath no Enemies but the Ignorant and scarce any so sottish as not to desire it insomuch that it was a Temptation even to Eve in Innocence when doubtless her Knowledge was compleatly suted to her Innocence yet even then â—he judged the forbidden Fruit desireable because it would make one Wise We 'tis true have lost her Innocence but not the Desire after Knowledge no marvel then if with this pretence they allured many Especially considering that though their Wisdom was Earthly Sensual devilish yet they pretended it was from above it came not of Blood or of the Will of the Flesh or of the Will of Man but of God For as the Devil in tempting our blessed Saviour hid his Lies under Texts of Holy Scripture so saith Irenaeus do all Hereticks what though as Polycarp observed they wrested the Word of God according to their own Lusts yâ—t it appeared thereby they fathered their Lies upon the God of Truth from whom also as they pretended their Fables sometimes descended by Tradition and sometimes by Revelation When they were urged and baffled out of the Holy Scriptures they fell foul upon them and accused them of such depravations insufficiences varieties and obscurities as that the Truth could not therein be found by any that knew not Tradition and by Tradition they understood not as others did that which every where always and by all Christians is believed but a more secret delivery of Truth down from one to another not by Writing but by word of mouth Thus it seems they pretended to have received their Doctrine not from the Apostles but from the mouth of Christ himself and therefore in the Church of Corinth they were neither for Paul nor Apollo no nor yet for Cephas but for Christ as if Christ had transmitted such Doctrine to them as he withheld
Argument into this form and the strength of it will be evident Those whom God employes to prophesie are Fellow servants But you and your brethren the Apostles as well as I God employes to prophesie therefore we are Fellow-servants St. John could make a doubt of nothing in this Argument but the Assumption whether he and the rest of the Apostles were sent to prophesie Yes sayes the Angel that you are for the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy Hereby to me it seems apparent that the Testimony of Jesus here signifies that which the Apostles gave unto him and would you know why this is called the Testimony of Jesus not of the Apostleâ— concerning him then observe that this Testimony of Jesus may be considered two wayes viz. Strictly or Largely if abstractly or strictly in it self then it is little or nothing else but the Record they gave of Christ or the Doctrine they taught concerning him and this is said to be the Testimony of Jesus because he is the principal thing it treats of but if it be considered largely it comprehends not only the Doctrine of the Apostles concerning Christ but also the Strength Power and Authority whereby they taught it Thus considered it is the Testimony of Jesus not only because they gave it to him but also because they received it from him For he gave them not only Command to bear this witness of him i. e. to go into all the World and to preach the Gospel to every creature but also Strength and Power so to do for he first opened their Vnderstandings that they should understand the Scriptures and afterwards he eâ—dued them with Power from on high by sending the Promise of the Father i. e. the Spirit upon them to lead them into all Truth and enable them to speak it to all Nations whatsoever and this was done so effâ—ctually as that men of every Nation under Heaven heard them speak in their own Language and this surely in it self considered was no small matter of Testimony to our Jesus The Apostles we know were ignorant and unlearned men that understood but little of Scripture less of Foreign Languages yet hereby on a sudden they were enabled exquisitely to understand the one and to speak the other of all sorts and doth it not surpass the Power of Nature to make so stupendious a change as this was What Creatures can make Men Wise Holy and Learned in an instant It is a work of Wonder that falls within the compass of little less than Omnipotent Power and Wisdom Surely therefore the Author of it was God and if so then Jesus to whom the Apostles were thereby enabled to give Testimony was at least a Man approved of him On that account therefore their Doctrine or rather their Preaching or Promulgation of the Gospel by it may well be called the Testimony of Jesus And this Testimony of Jesus my Text tells us is the Spirit of Prophecy The truth and Essence of Prophecy saith Maimonides is nothing else but an Influence from God by the Mediation of the active Intellect operating first upon the Rational afterwards on the Imaginable Faculty This Definition is thought somewhat too scanty and obscure to express the nature of Prophecy in its full Latitude it is therefore conceived that by a little alteration of its Definition by another Rabbi we may have a more adequate and clear conception of its nature viz. that it is an Influence from God upon the Rational Faculty either by the Mediation of the Fancy or otherwise and by this Influence whether by the Ministry of an Angel or otherwise a man attains to such knowledge as by his Natural Abilities would be unattainable In these Definitions of Prophecy we have nothing at present to observe but that wherein they both do agree namely the general Nature of it which they make to consist in Influence from God Prophecy is not an Ignis fatuus of a disturbed Fancy but an Impression of Divine Light thence perhaps it was that in old time the Prophets were called Seers not because or at least not so Properly because of their Fore-sight of things Future as of their Visions those Images or Appearances of things as Visible which by Divine Influence were represented on the stage of their Fancy to the sight of their Understandings And afterwards the Prophets were called Men of God because God was pleased immediately to reveal himself unto them and so the word rendred Prophet denotes one that receives what he saith from God It seems then that all Prophecy truly so called hath its descent from Above it is not of any Private interpretation or rather of a mans own starting or suggestion for it comes not by the Will of Man but Holy Men of God did thereby speak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost We Christians therefore believe the Holy Ghost spake by the Prophets and that Prophecy is a Gift of the Spirit For which cause no doubt it was that Justin Martyr intitles him the Spirit of Prophecy But when we consider that the Spirit of Prophecy as in my Text is affirmed of the Testimony of Jesus it seems most probable that it therein signifies not his Person but his Gift not his Essence or Subsistence but an Effect produced by him which is here called by his Name Thus the Spirit of a sound Mind the Spirit of Wisdom and Meckness the Spirit of Knowledge the Spirit of Grace and the Spirit of Prayer signifie Effects Works or Gifts which the Spirit of God produceth in the Souls of Men. So here in my Text the Spirit of Prophecy by an ordinary Metonymy of the Cause for the Effect is put for the Gift or Ability to prophesie which the Holy Ghost wrought in some of Gods Ministers This Gift the Angel had when he spake to St. John and so saith he had St. John too and the rest of the Apostles in their Testimony of Jesus i. e. in the Record they gave of Christ or in the promulgation of the Doctrine they taught concerning him from whence it apparently follows that the Angel here speaking and they were Fellow-servants But it is not this their Association with Angels which I now intend to discourse of but the Reason and Cause of it viz. their Gift of Prophecy It is we see here avouched by an Angel that the Apostles in the Promulgation of the Gospel were indued with the Gift of Prophecy or in short that they were Prophets and if they in their Testimony of Jesus were Prophets much more was He himself by whose Spirit they gave it to him a Prophet all then that remains for me to do will be to prove that Christ and his Apostles were Prophets Hereof methinks none can doubt but those that are slow of heart to believe the Holy Scriptures for therein we first find it fore-told to the Jews that God would raise them up a Prophet from among their Brethren like unto
Moses which Promise Petrus Galatinus proves the ancient Jews themselves understood to speak of the Mâ—ssiah and in the Acts of the Apostles St. Peter affirms that our Jesus is that Prophet And Christ himself gave such evidence of it as that his Disciples thought him a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people i. e. that God did demonstrate and the People did confess that he was a great Prophet and that they did so is manifest for the Jews themselves whose hearts were not subdued to his Doctrine did yet believe that of a truth he was that Prophet that should come into the world The Samaritan woman also perceived that he was a Prophet and the men of Samaria believed and knew as much namely that indeed he was the Christ the Saviour of the World a part of whose Office as they thought was to tell them all things and so to be a Prophet And then for the Apostles we do not only read that God by his Spirit revealed things unto them but moreover we find it recorded that he did it in this manner Our blessed Lord Jesus Christ promised his Disciples to send them a Comforter and that when He the Spirit of Truth should come he would guide them into all Truth which it seems fell out accordingly for when the day of Pentecost was fully come the Aposâ—les were all with one accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty Wind and it filled all the House where they were sitting and there appeared to them cloven Tongues like as of Fire and it sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance Nor did they then receive only the Gift of Tongues but that also of Prophecy For the promise of God by the Prophet Joel that He would pour out his Spirit upon all Flesh and that their Sons and Daughters should Prophesie c. The Importance of which Promise is that in the days a little before the Destruction of the Jewish Nation there should be so great and unusual an effusion of his Spirit upon Pâ—rsons of all sorts as that those who were not brought up in the Schools of Prophets should yet be indued with the Spirit or Gift of Prophecy This Prediction of Joel was fulfilled in the Apostles by the most auspicious Descent of the Holy Ghost upon them for St. Peter affirms this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel It seems then the Mystery of Christ which in other Ages was not made known unto the Sons of men as now it is was revealed unto his Holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit It is therefore manifest there can be no doubt made of our Assertion if the Holy Scripture be thought sufficient to prove it On this account I suppose it is that among those who believe the Scripture it seems an Hypothesis rather taken for granted than otherwise proved by any But because our Age is inquisitive and somewhat too apt to derogate from the Authority of the sacred Pandects because also since those parts thereof which make mention of Christ and his Apostles did drop from Their Mouths and Pens to alledge Texts from thence is but to produce their own Testimony concerning themselves and therefore whatever Truth there may be there certainly is but little Force in that way of arguing unless it be to those that already are well perswaded of their Authority For these Reasons I shall at present ascribe no more Authority to the Holy Scripture than is usually given to other Writings far inferiour and argue only from Reason and Testimony that cannot be suspected of Partiality by the help thereof together with Gods blessing I doubt not to prove these five Particulars 1. That the Notion of a Prophet is very agreeable to Reason 2. That there were Prophets among the Jews 3. That for the Tryal of Pretenders to the Gift of Prophecy they had certain Rules Notes and Signs whereby to judg of them 4. that if Christ and his Apostles be tryed thereby it will be found that they were Prophets 5. That this way of proving they were so is very sufficient and rational CHAP. II. Of the Notion of a Prophet and that there were Prophets among the Jews THE Notion of a Prophet may certainly best be learned from the Nature of Prophecy before defined from which Definitions of Prophecy we may gather this of a Prophet viz. that He is a person who by the Influence of God upon his Rational Faculty doth attain to such knowledge as by his Natural Abilities would in one respect or other be unattainable In which Description it concerns us at present to observe only that it is not Prediction but Influence from God which constitutes a Prophet at least such an one as we are now speaking of And that this is no new Notion adapted to our present Undertaking is evident enough by the words of a late Author whose Principles are thought most unluckily of any to undermine such Foundations as we are now laying yet he expresseth himself in these words Although there be many significations in Scripture of the word Prophet yet is that the most frequent in which it is taken for him to whom God speaketh immediately that which the Prophet is to say from him to some other man or to the People Gods speaking to men immediately he himself saith is to be interpreted that way whatsoever it be I suppose he means without the Ministry of man by which God makes them to understand his Will Hereby 't is evident that in his Judgment as well as ours a Prophet was a Person on whose Understanding God had immediate Influence how else is it possible he should make him immediately to understand his Will and sure it cannot seem strange to any that there have or might have been such men in the World the Power and Wisdom of God together with the Capacities of Mens Souls are enough to remove all suspition of Its impossibility He that made the Mind shall not He be able to teach men knowledge and he that was made on purpose to know God and give him the Glory of his Handy-work shall not he be thought capable of learning from such a Teacher There is therefore no show of Reason to doubt the Possibility of Prophecy especially considering that all sorts of men how wide soever their differences are in other matters do yet agree in this viz. that there are or have been such Prophets in the World This is so manifest and vulgarly known to be the Belief of Christians Jews and Turks as that among all that have heard of Christ Moses or Mahomet all necessity of proving it is perfectly fore-stalled and that the Heathens also were of the same opinion is evident by what they have reported of some of their Law-givers viz.
from others or at least such Doctrines as were but obscurely revealed to others by Holy Scriptures were plainly made known to them by Tradition But besides the Holy Scriptures and Tradition they or at least some of them pretended Revelation in behalf of their idle Fables as Irenaeus makes evident by the example of one Marcus and other Gnosticks who as they gave out did not only prophesie themselves but had power to communicate the gift thereof to others and accordingly as they boasted and their Disciples believed so they did to divers especially of the weaker Sex and by this pretence they deceived and drew many after them and no wonder if they did so for all men took Prophets to be holy Men of God who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and who so profligate from all Religion as to think that they were such and yet refuse to be led by or partake of their Spirit by this pretence therefore how false and fabulous soever their Doctrine was the foundation of Faith in it and of Obedience to it was laid in the Consciences of men and this Foundation is of all others the most firm and immoveable able to bear whatever superstructure shall be laid upon it yea also and to beat off whatever assaults shall be made against it as appears by the improbability of some Doctrines and severity of some Orders still received and defended because at first founded on the credit of pretended Visions and Revelations all the difficulty was in the choice of the ground wherein to lay this Foundation the minds of men that were of sharp deep and strong Discourse were not apt to receive it but men of shallow apprehensions and weak intellectuals were fittest and most prepared for it this those builders of Babel the primitive Seducers seem wisely to have considered for S. Peter insinuates they were unstable Souls whom they beguiled and S. Paul more expresly saith they were the Simple whose hearts they deceived they crept into houses and led captive silly women laden with sins and led away with divers lusts thus those in the Apostles dayes and Irenaeus tells us of others who a little after them were most busie with women especially those that were of greatest Quality and most famous for worldly Grandieur and Riches these they most frequently sought to impose upon and allure by flatteries But lest their deceiveableness of unrighteousness viz. their Artifices of deceit should not be sufficient to secure the Foundation they came also as it was foretold they would with the working of Satan with all Power and Signes and lying Wonders for we read of Simon the Samaritan the Founder of Heresies and Father of Hereticks that he used Sorcery and bewitched the People of Samaria giving out that he himself was some great one to whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest saying this man is the great Power of God Yet as great as he was he at length was in some measure subdued by a greater Power than his for he believed and was baptized yet his heart not being right in the Sight of God but supposing the Apostles to be greater Magicians than himself he greedily contended against them that he might seem more glorious than they to this end he desisted not from the study of Magick but made such farther progress in it as that he provoked many to amazement by it for Claudius Caesar erected a Statue in Honour of him for it After him the Carpocratians were much addicted to Magick and Inchantments that they might entice others to love them yea and they drew Devils to their assistance that by many Delusions it might be in their Power to be Lord and Master of whom they pleased Thus also it is reported of the before mentioned Marcus that he was a very great Proficient in Magical Imposture whereby he deceived many both Men and Women the like might I observe concerning others but this may suffice to shew that in this respect as well as others the primitive Seducers did exactly fulfill the Prophecies that went before of them and from thence it is easie to inferr that they who uttered them viz. Christ and his Apostles were Prophets because the only ordinary and certain Mark of a Prophetick Spirit viz. Predictions exactly accomplish'd is manifestly found in them But forasmuch as the Predictions of Christ and his Apostles concerning Seducers are of use not only to confirm the Faith but also to direct the Judgment in the choice of what Teachers men ought to follow and adhere to it would not be unuseful for us to make Trial of our Modern Teachers thereby which if we should do impartially I doubt not but we should find that the Copy which was set by the false Teachers in the Apostles times is too fairly transcribed by too many especially the Papists in ours and consequently we need not search the Records of Antiquity our own age will afford us too sure and sad accomplishment of these Predictions the demonstration hereof I did once intend but finding I should thereby grasp at matter more sit for a Volume than a Section I shall not so far digress but proceed to speak Sect. 6. Concerning the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles And here my business will be to prove that they really wrought many and great Miracles The Truth and certainty of which Proposition because Miracles were matters of Fact is most properly demonstrable only by Testimony yet Reason methinks proves it probable or somewhat more for granted it is on all sides that our Blessed Saviour himself in regard of his Manhood was but mean in the World his Parents were no Persons of Honour and he himself had but a mean Reception at his Birth nor was he by the Jews much set by in his Life He grew up as a root out of a dry Ground they thought there was no Form Comeliness or Beauty in him that they should desire him They would see no such blossomes in his Youth as promised any extraordinary Fruit in his riper age wherein also he was despised and rejected of men a man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief a Rock of Offence and Stone of Stumbling set at naught by the Master-Builders of Israel rejected by the chief of his own Nation pursued by his Enemies betrayed by one of his pretended Friends denyed by another and suspected by all pursued and apprehended bound and buffetted arraigned and spit on condemned and crucified by his own Country-men as one of the worst of Malefactors was this mans Name like to become great in Israel and famous among the Gentiles yet this was he that sent forth his Apostles and who were They why men as mean as himself persons of obscure Parentage of no Reputation for Wealth or Wisdom Honour or Authority in their own Country yea so far from it as that the chief of them was a Fisherman and others as rude and illiterate as the meanest
THE Spirit of Prophecy A TREATISE To prove by the wayes formerly in use among the Jews in the Tryal of Pretenders to a Prophetick Spirit That Christ and his Apostles were Prophetâ— Together with the DIVINE AUTHORITY OF Christian Religion And the HOLY SCRIPTURES The Insufficiency of HUMANE REASON And the Reasonableness of the Christian Faith Hope and Practice deduced therefrom and asserted against Mr. HOBBS and the Treatise of HVMANE REASON By W. H. LONDON Printed for W. Crook at the Green Dragon without Temple-Bar MDCLXXIX TO THE Right Reverend Father in God PETER Lord Bishop of ELY My Lord WHen the Gospel was first promulgated by the Preaching of Christ and his Apostles the Scribes and Pharisees among the Jews the Philosophers and Disputers of this World among the Gentiles i. e. the Wits of that Age were some of the most eminent Opposers and Rejecters of it the one required a Sign the other sought after Wisdom the one would have Signs and Miâ—â—â—les wrought at their Demand the other would have Philosophical Reasons drawn from Natural Causes to make them believe and for lack of these as it seems they pretended Christ crucified was to the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness and that for the same Reasons such as they are he seemâ— to be so still to some of the Wits of these Times I am assured by the Wâ—itings of such Persons as want neither opportunities of Converse with Men nor ability to understand their Principles and Pretences Some there are that have heard and perhaps have read a little of the things called Miracles and Demonstrations and for want of these they seem to despise and contemn the Gospel But the tâ—uth is could these Brisk and Airy these Talkative and Dogmatical men obtain leave of themselves to be sâ—â—ious so long as to consider the nature of the Gospel and the Demonstration of the Spirit they might perhaps find themselves somewhat like those in the Primitive times who professing themselves to be Wise became Fools Nor have they any reason to look on this as a reproachful Suggestion foâ— since Life and Immortality are brought to light by the Gospel upon either of these Pretences and they can have no better to reject it is but to play the fool very wisely and to run mad with a reason for it and that not only because the Gospel acquaints us with matters of the highest and best importance that can be unto us but also because which of these wayes soever they chuse to palliate their Infidelity it will at length lead them to deplorable absurdity For the Semeiotical or Jewish Postulatum is a very manifâ—st and malepeâ—t piece of Folly not only because the Gospel was at first abundantly confiâ—med by Miracles uncontâ—ollably attested but also because if that were constituted the way of demonstrating the truth of Divine Revelation it would lead men to the impudence of prescribing to the Most High and setting bounds to the Almighty of expecting alterations in the course of Nature and of having Preachers like Juglers to shew tricks at the demand of every petulant Requirer Instances hereof we have divers in the Holy Scripture but few I think so pâ—egnant as that of the Pharisees seeking of Christ a Sign from Heaven tempting him They had no mind to be his Disciples but to make tryal of his Skill and ability and therefore they demand a Sign and that presently upon the spot and this Sign must be not that which he had given them but the day before by feeding four thousand with seven Loaves and a few small Fishes this did not please their Pallats but they must have a Sign of their own chusing and that not from the Earth the Wind or the Sea but from Heaven from thence it must come in all haste to satisfie their wanton Curiosity And was not this to expect that the Powers of Heaven and Earth should dance attendance on them at their senseless and impudent demand It is plain then that Insolence and Impiety Folly and asinine Stupidity are the Brood that this Postulatum brings forth And if this be the way of proving the Gospel to be of God how shall future Ages be secured against it Are men more wise and modest now than they were then I doubt it because there are some even in our Nation that are fallen into such as this Absurdity Whence else is it that they require a Miracle to prove that Miracles have been done but would they stand a little and consider whither they are going they might perhaps perceive that he who put them into this way hath no extraordinary Wit as is pretended And they that think to excuse their Infidelity or Neutrality by the Grecanick Postulatum seem not to me to be much wiser because they hanker after such Proof as the nature of the thing will not admit and reject that that is most pâ—oper for the Gospel we know contains matters of Faith and these matters of Faith especially those of them that are most excepted against are contained either in Historical Narrations or Doctrinal Propositions the former having received their Being from Free Agents not from Causes Necessary or of their own nature determined to the doing of that that is be Believed cannot admit of strict and rigorous Demonstration but are capable of proof only by Testimony and this we have for matters meerly Historical in the Gospel as fully as for any other of the same or as I think of a far lesser distance for not only all Christians of the remotest Regions but Jews and Pagans Heathens and Infidels of all sorts have received them for true and confirmed them unto us This is all the Proof we either have or can reasonably desire of these things because their nature will admit of no other And if they are not much less are the Doctrinal Propositions containing meer matters of Divine Faith capable of Demonstration because they are a Mystery concerning God his Nature Essence or Operations and one would think that men of Wit and Parts should not betray so much Folly Ignorance and want of Learning as to expect Philosophical Demonstration for things of that nature for such Demonstration must be either à priori or à posteriori à priori it cannot be because that supposes causes precedent to the First viz. God himself and so implies a Contradiction Nor can it be à posteriori because the Gospel is the mystery which hath been hid from Ages and from Generations if it be not whence was it that all the Learned as well as the Vulgar among the Jews and Gentiles were ignorant of it till Christ and his Apostles made it manifâ—st it seems therefore the Faith of the Gospel is a sort of Supernatural Doctrine which cannot possibly be demonstrated by the Light of Nature and for that reason were there no other it is unreasonable to demand it and sensless to reject the Gospel for lack of it such Doctrine
far apart as that not only the Eâ—pressions which dropt from my Pen but sometimes also the very Argument of Discourse was utterly fled my Memory I cannot therefore but suspect there may be some ungrateful but I hope not nauseous repetitions in it and the truth is my design not being auram captare but if not to convince Gainsayers whereof I fear this Age hath more than some former have had yet to make the weak stedfast in Faith and joyful through Hope rooted in Charity and resolute in Obedience I was not very sollicitous to avoid them but my chief care was to speak as clearly and to argue as strongly as I could and if by so doing I have done any thing that may be not injurious but serviceable to the truth of the Gospel as it was received in the Primitive Church and that I have much reason to believe was as it still is in ours if I say I have cast but two mites into this Corban I trust that God and all good men will accept of it and therefore I think I need no Apology at least shall make none for writing this Treatise THE CONTENTS Chap. I. IT is certain the Mind doth assent and that to Testimony the Testimony of Jesus what why so called the Nature of Prophecy what the Spirit of Prophecy what that Christ and his Apostles were Prophets proved by Scripture the method of proving it otherwise proposed Chap. II. Of the Notion of a Prophet and that there were Prophets among the Jews The Notion of a Prophet deduced from the Definition of Prophecy assented to by Mr. Hobbs it is agreeable to Reason and all mâ—n receive it that Moses was a Prophet proved by the Testimony of Heathens He promised in his Law that there should be Prophets among the Jews proved by Deut. 18. 15. the certainty that there were so thence deduced Chap. III. The Tryal of Prophets among the Jews Of the Conditions on which men were admitted to a Tryal Sect. 1 These transcribâ—d out of Maimonides the first of them impertinent to our purpose the second excepted against the original of Oral Tradition the Improbability of it the Falshood of it Concerning Alterations to be made in the written Law of Moses it was not Immutable an Objection out of Maimonides another Objection Moses himself and the Prophets taught that it should be changed an Objection The Antecedents or Concomitants of a Prophetick Spirit Sect. 2 These reduced to six Heads the Jews Maxim That Prophecy resteth on none but the Wise the Strong and the Rich we Christians may well except against it is not Vniversally true by their own Concessions yet may it be admitted on two conditions the Prophets Wisdom consisted not in Humane Learning acquired by Study but in Prudence and Knowledge supernatural their Strength consisted in Courage or Fortitude and their Riches in Contentment and all Probity of Manners Of Prophetick Predictions Sect. 3 The Warrant the Jews had thereby to make tryal of mens Pretences to the Spirit of Prophecy the difficulty thereof from Jer. 18. 7 c. how unfolded the Jews sense of Jer. 23 28. the vanity of Astrology Of Miracles Sect. 4 The Jews were not to expect them from all the Prophets that Moses and other of the Prophets wrought Miracles to confirm their Prophecies is both denied and granted by Maimonides proved by Scripture Chap. IV. The Application of the foregoing Discourse to Christ and his Apostles Sect. 1 That they ought not to have been denied a fair Tryal the Jews only were obliged to observe the Letter of the Law of Moses yet Christ and his Apostles as to the design and meaning of it did most excellently establish it among the Gentiles demonstrated out of Maimonides and Abravanels account of it compared with Christian Doctrine they themselves conformed to the Letter of the Law of Moses and taught the Jews so to do Of their Wisdom Sect. 2 That Christ and his Apostles were men of excellent Intellectuals Supernatural Knowledge was more especially enquired after by the Jews in the Tryal of Prophets that Christ and his Apostles had such Knowledge in respect of the manner of it and also in respect of its degree or measure Christian Theology more excellent than that of the Jews and that in a threefold reference viz. 1 to Faith the object whereof is more clearly revealed by Chriâ—tianity than it was by Judaisme 2 to Hope 3 to Practice the burdensomness of the Jewish Religion the Excellency of the Moral Law which was fulfilled by Christ an Objection from the Impossibility of kâ—eping that Law so filled up proposed the mitigation of the Law by the Gospel in four particulars the motives we have to obey the Gospel the assistance it gives us in well-doing from all which the Excellency of Christianity to Judaisme is concluded much more doth it excell the Philosophy of the Gentiles and that in respect 1 of the General Nature 2 of the Object 3 of ehe End and Scope of Wisdom from all which the transcendent Wisdom of Christ and his Apostles is demonstrated Of their Fortitude Sect. 3 The great degeneracy â—f the Jews their preposterous Zeal for their Religion their Malice against all that observed not their Traditions Christ detected the shortness and vanity thereof the horridness of the Gentiles condition the Fortitude of the Apostles thence deduced Of the Prophetick Riches of Christ and his Apostles Sect. 4 That they were Rich proved by the designed End of their Doctrine by their deportment among men distinctly of our Saviour of the Apostles from the multitude of their Followers and from the silence of their Adversaries Of the Predictions of Christ and his Apostles Sect. 5 The Destruction of Jerusalem the Predictions of its fore-runners and of its approach and consummation all exactly accomplished the calling of the Gentiles foretold accomplished Errors and Divisions among Christians foretold and apparently accomplished yea the Means and manner of their Production viz. the Addiction and Designs the Artifices and Cunning of Seducers together with the nature of their Doctrine and speciousness of their Pretences all foretold and fulfilled proved at large Of the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles Sect. 6 That they really wrought many and great Miracles proved 1 by Reason 2 by Tradition of the Church the great Credibility of this Tradition 3 by the testimony of Adversaries of all sorts an Objection the Answer they were not done by Inchantment proved 1 by Reason 2 by the continuance of Miracles in the Church for several Ages attested by the Fathers the evident certainty both that Christ and his Apostles wrought Miracles and that not by Inchantment thence deduced an Objection out of Hobbs against the Credibility of Miracles Ans 1 that Miracles have been done may be believed upon testimony 2 it is needless to demand the doing of Miracles to prove that there have been some done 3 it is wicked and absurd so to do the Tradition of the Church
as convincing as the sight of our own Eyes Chap. V. The strength and force of the preceding Arguments 1 They remove all suspition that Christ and his Apostles were not Prophets for thereby it appears 1 that they pretended to the Spirit of Prophecy 2 that they therein were not deceived 3 they had no design to deceive others 2 they give positive evidence that they were Prophets 1 from their Fortitude 2 from their Wisdom 3 from their Predictions 4 from their Miracles here to shew the force of this Argument it is observed 1 that Christ and his Apostles wrought their Miracles on purpose to confirm their Doctrine 2 Miracles were alwayes lookâ—d on as demonstrative proofs of Divine Authority in them that did them 3 the Reasons for which the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles deserve to be so accounted 1 from their Nature 2 from their Number 3 from their Greatness 4 from their Goodness thereby they conferred on men 1 the goods of Fortune 2 of the Body 3 of the Soul Chap. VI. Some use that may be made of this Doctrine Of the Divine Authority of Christian Religion Sect. 1 This deduced therefrom the Leviathan denies it the first reason of this opinion answered the second reason answered The Divine Authority of Holy Scripture Sect. 2 Uncontrouled Tradition proves that the Books of the N. Testament were written by those men whose Names they bear and since they were Prophets the Old Testament also must needs be the word of Prophecy a Doubt about the Gospels of St. Mark and St. Luke and the Acts these Books had the approbation of the Apostles an Objection out of the Leviathan Object 2. Object 3. The Insufficiency of Humane Reason Sect. 3 The Treatise thereof ascribes as much thereunto as Pelagius did to free will it evacuates the necessity of our Saviours and his Apostles Prophetick Office the impiety of it Reason it self condemns it an Objection out of that Treatise The Reasonableness of the Christian Faith Sect. 4 The certainty of the word of Prophecy greater than that of a Voice from Heaven the Mysteries of Christianity do not make it incredible but are apt to strengthen our Faith The Reasonableness of Christian Hope Sect. 5 The nature of the Promises an Objection drawn from Experience another from the supposed impossibility of a General Resurrection The Reasonableness of Obedience Sect. 6 All acknowledge an obligation to obey God whence doth this obligation arise 1 not from our weakness 2 not from Gods sole irresistable Power the nature of Divine Sovereignty Gods right of it a view of our state by Nature the way that God hath chosen for our Redemption Christ conquered the Devil at all those weapons whereby he overcame our first Parents and their Posterity we are therefore his by right of Conquest Christ made satisfaction for us Christ now in Heaven is able to succour us when we are tempted a Question another Question the nature of an Obligation which is two-fold the Redemption of Christ obligeth us by both to keep his Commandments 1 by that of Authority 2 by that ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Nature of it the Reasons of it 1 the benefit we receive by Redemption 2 the satisfactoriness of it to our Reason 3 the incomparable incouragement that it gives us to keep the Commandments the Conclusion REV. 19. 10. The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy CHAP. I. THat We have a power of Assenting is so manifest as that Scepticism it self cannot doubt it for that it is very apparently built on Assent to this Proposition There is nothing certain Who can be of that Perswasion without Assent It seems therefore certain that the Mind assents and this it doth to Testimony as well as Reason for the latter cannot be at least improved without the former because there is no Reasoning without Words and Words without Testimony signifie nothing Were it not for Testimony the wisest of Words and the most inarticulate of Sounds would be to us equally significant so that not only Religion but also all Arts and Sciences are beholding to Testimony they are if not founded on it yet unattainable without it It seems therefore those who â—raduce our Religion as fond Credulity because it depends on Testimony are therein very disingenuously Partial and irrational especially considering The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophâ—cy Which Words are an intire Proposition not so difficult but that it may be understood nor yet so plain but that both the Subject and the Predicate will need some Explication In order whereunto it will not be amiss to observe that in all probability the Testimony of Jesus is either that which he himself gave or else that which his Witnesses did bear of him of the former St. John speaks in his Gospel of the latter in his Revelations here in my Text which to me seems evident by the Scope and Design of the whole Verse the drift whereof is to prove that the Angel whose words they are to St. John was Fellow-servant with him and the rest of the Apostles St. John fell at the Angel's feet to Worship him but the Angel said unto him See thou do it not of which Prohibition he gives this reason because saith he I am thy fellow-servant and of thy Brethren that have the testimony of Jesus And who were they that had the testimony of Jesus Surely they were those whom Jesus himself had chosen to be his Witnesses viz. the Apostles Of these men then the Angel was Fellow-servant to prove that he was so he alledgeth my Text For the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy Which words can be no way Argumentative unless the Testimony of Jesus be understood to signifie not that which Jesus himself gave but that which his Apostles did give of him but being thus taken they import a two-fold Argument viz. ad hominem and ad rem St. John we know was as all the other Apostles a Jew by birth one of that Nation wherein it was a received opinion that there were ten degrees or Orders of Angels the lowest whereof were called Ischim by the Intervention and Ministry of this sort of Angels they say whether truly or falsly I affirm not that Prophecies were communicated unto Men. These Angels as we are told were chiefly employed to Prophesie and when the Spirit of Prophecy rested on any here on Earth his Soul was â—ixt with and advanced to this Order of Angels in Heaven and was enrolled among them If then this were a Vulgar opinion of the Jews at the time of St. John s Revelations it is apparent enough that my Text contains an Argument ad hominem But the truth is the force of the Angels Argument doth not lye so much in St. John's opinion as in his own employment at that time which was to prophesie concerning things pertaining to the Church of Christ as appears by the preceding Verses let 's then but cast the
hath forbidden to make Addition to or Diminution from saying Thou shalt neither add unto it nor diminish from it and therefore our Ancestouâ—s with whom be Peace have said from that time it is not granted to a Prophet to change any thing When therefore we know him the Prophet in that which he claims to himself to lye against God and to feign that of Him which He never said unto him we are necessitated to kill him according to what the Holy Scripture deâ—larâ—th while it saith The Prophet that shall have added c. even that Prophet shall dye The second sort of Prophets in the Name of the Lord was When one invites men to Worship God and incites them to keep his Commandment and declares they should observe the Law and that without Addition or Diminution as the last of them hath said Remember the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statutes and Judgments promising good to him that shall keep and threatning punishment to him that shall break this Law as Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel and the rest of them did in the mean time commanding and forbidding things different from those of the Law As for Example sake if he should say Drive out now that Country or this Faction as Samuel of old commanded Saul that he should destroy Amalek or if he prohibits the putting one to death as Eliâ—ha forbad Jehoram to vanquish the host of Hazael which had entred Samaria as 't is known and as Isaiah forbad water to be conveyed within the Walls and as Jâ—remiah forbad the Israelites tp go out of Jerusalem and other such like things When therefore a Prophet doth claim to himself the Gift of Prophâ—cy so as that he neither ascribes it to any Idol nor addeth to or diminisheth ought from the Law but walks in othâ—r wayes in that manner we have explained then our next work is to try him Thus far Mâ—imenides concerning those conditions on which Pretenders to Prophecy were to be admitted to a Tryal and thereby we see that according to him admitted they were not but on these two conditions 1 that they prophesied in the Name of the Lord this we have already granted 2 that they make no alteration either in the written Law of Moses or in the Explication of it received by Tradition This Rule how confidently soever it be given yet must not be received without Exceptions For first The Explication of the Law therein mentioned certainly had no such Authority as is thereby pretended and to the end we may the more fully see what that was together with the improbability of it I shall shew you the pretended Original of this Explication as it is recorded by our Author who would have us to know That all the Prophets of the Law which came from God to Moses came to him together with their Inteâ—pretation First God spake the Text unto him and then the Explication or Interpretation of it and what the Authentick Text it self comprehended and the manner of teaching them to Israel was such as I am now about to describe unto thee Moses being gone into his Tent the first that came unto him was Aaron to whom he told the Text which was given him from God and taught him the Interpretation of it Afterwards he having placed himself at the right hand of Moses Eleazar and Ithamar his Sons came in to whom also Moses told the same he had told to Aaron they then rose and went one to the left hand of Moses our Master the other to the right hand of Aaron afterwards the seventy Elders came in whom also Moses taught in the same manner that he had taught Aaron and his Sons after them a promiscuous Assembly of the People viz. Every one that sought the Lord came in to him also he repeated the same till they all had heard it from him And now Aaron had heard the Text four times from Moses his Sons twice the Elders twice the rest of the Assembly once Then Moses went out from them and the Text which Aaron had heard four times from Moses he repeated to all that were present so that now his Sons as well as himself had heard it four times thrice from Moses and once from him and then he himself also withdrew and Eleazâ—r and Ithamar repeated the same Text which they had so heard to the whole Assembly and they rose up from teaching and by these means the seventy Elders also had now heard the Text four times twice from Moses once from Aaron and once from his Sons then they also repeated it once to the People and so all heard it four times firâ—t from Moses secondly from Aaron thirdly from his Sons and fourthly from the seventy Elders who then departing some taught some and some others that which they had received from Gods messenger The Text they writ in Volumes then the chief of the people dispersed themselves throughout all Israel to teach and instruct them until they remembered the Text and could read it in writing afterwards they taught them also the Interpretation of the Text it sâ—lf which came from God which Interpretation contained the universal sense and meaning of it The Text they committed to writing but the tradition to memory And had they not all good memories to retain so much yes surely For Moses they say brought no lâ—ss then 613 Precepts together with their Interpretations from mount Sinai of necâ—ssity we know the Comment must be larger than the Text and was it not a wonder that he at once and they at four times hearing should be able to repeat it yet if you will believe him they did it so exactly as that neither the Text nor its Interpretation lost any thing of their Perfection or Authority for not the Text only but the Interpretation too had the Nature of a Law and thus as our Author informs as say the wise men the Law that is written and the Law that is delivered by word of mouth It seems then that they just as the Papists do now did receive and venerate the Holy Scripture and tradition with equal affection of Piâ—ty and Reverence But was not this tradition more liable to the Corruptions of men and the Injuries of Time than the Text was yes surely for Maimonides himself insinuates that even in the dayes of Joshua there was some small dissension about it but that being appeased by the consent of the greater part he commended it to the Elders that overlived him and they to the Prophets and the Prophets delivered it one to another till at length it came to the great Synagogue at which time there was such a stirr as that that Council was fain to make Decrees and Constitutions about it nor was it then safe And therefore Rabbenu Hakkadosh about 18 generations afterwards gathered together the Sentences and Sayings thereof aâ—d composed the Mishna which Contains the Explication of all
sin but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father So convincing did he account his Miracles as that he imputes their unbeliâ—f to Malice and enmity against God and himself all which or any thing whereof he could not have done unless he had wrought his Miracles to consirm his Doctrine or attest his Mission from God to teach it To this End also 't is evident the Miracles of the Apostles were designed for they went forth and Preached every where the Lord working with them and consirming the word with sâ—gns following It is the dictate of Nature as well as of Scripture that God cannot lie or avouch a Falâ—hood therefore surely the word of his Grace is Truth for we find that he gave Testimony to it and this he did by granting signs and wonders to be done by the hands of the Apostles The salvation the Gospel proposeth first began to be spoken of by the Lord and was consirmed unto the first Christians by them that heard him i. e. By the Apostles but lest their Testimony should be suspected God did bear them witnâ—ss with signs and wonders and with divers Miracles Hereby then it is manifest not only that their Doctrine was true but also that the Wisdome of Providence did design the Miracles of the Apostles to the confirmation of it and so doubtless did they themselves for their Embassie to the Jews and Gentiles being somewhat like that of Moses unto Pharaoh viz. unlikely to be believed among them they found it expedient to have some Letters of Credence from the King of Heaven and hereupon they prayed God to stretch forth his hand to heal and to grant that signs and wonders might be done by the Name of his holy child Jesus and this they desired to the end that with all boldness they might speak his word and having obtained their request by the grant of signs and wonders to be done by their hands They speak boldly in the Lord. Neither the malice of the unbelieving Jews nor the ill affected minds of the seduced Gentiles could deterr them from speaking Boldly the truth as it is in Jesus it seems then the Testimony of God to that word by the Miracles of their Works was the Ground of their confidence in preaching the Gospel but this it could never have been without their intendment thereof to the confirmation of their Doctrine for without this they could neither pretend nor indeed believe their Miracles were the Testimony of God to the word of his Grace how could they look on them as such unless that they also themselves did use and intend them to this end Manifest therefore I take it to be that they wrought them on purpose to confirm their Doctrine or demonstrate their Mission from God to teach it and much Reason there was for their doing them to this end For 2. Miracles were always looked on as indisputable or demonstrative Proofs of Divine Power or Authority in them that did them To deny this is little less than to charge God foolishly for He indued Moses with power of doing Miracles to the End that the Israelites might believe that the Lord God of their Fathers had appeared unto him a charge also he had to do all his wonders before Pharaoh and although his heart was hardened yet being done in the siglit of the people they believed and bowed their heads and worshipped and after them it seems the Magicians were almost of the same perswasion for they sayed unto Pharaoh this is the finger of God by this their grant of the Premises they drew on themselves a necessity of confessing the conclusion for if the Miracles of Moses were done by the finger of God then had God appeared unto him or sent him Thus almost in the Morning of the world we find both the Children of Israel and the Wisest of the Egyptians confessing the force of Miracles to induce belief and that not as a probable argument but Demonstrative such as rather Commands Assent than Begs it for when Elijah sojourned with the Widow of Zarephath by his raising her Son to life She knew that He was a man of God and that the word of the Lord in his mouth was Truth And when the Prophets of Jericho saw that Elisha divided the waters of Jordan with Elijahs Mantle they said the Spirit of Eiljah doth rest on Elisha hereof it seems they were thereby so convinced as that though they themselves were Prophets partakers in some measure of the same Spirit yet they met him and bowed themselves to the ground before him as to the Father of the Prophets and the chief of Their Order and not only they who had their Education in the Schools of the Prophets and therefore perhaps are thought Apt to have ascribed somewhat too much to Their Miracles but also Naaman a Syrian an Alien from the Common-wealth of Israel being at the appointment of the same Prophet Miraculously Cured of His Leprosie was so convinced of the True God as that He returned to the man of God and said Behold now I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel His mind was cleansed from the grosness of Idolatry as wâ—ll as his Body from the Loathsomness of his Leprosie But to draw our Discourse a little nearer the business in hand we may observe in the New Testament that among the Jews many that Adhered not to Christ did yet believe that He came from God when they saw His Miracles Thus when He was in Jerusalem at the Passeover many believed in his Name when the saw the miracles which he did These many believers surely were not Disciples for Jesus did not commit Himself unto them or intrust Himself with Them as well affected to him because He knew all men and what was in them He searched their hearts and dived into the hidden secrets of their Souls and by so doing He found that though these mens Understandings were convinced by His Miracles yet their Wills were not subdued to His Doctrine and after them many of the people believed on him and said When Christ cometh will be do more Miracles than these which this man hath done To them it seemed Improbable that when their expected Messias should come he either would or could do more or greater Miracles than our Jesus did considering therefore his Works and his saying they peremptorily concluded that of a truth this is the Prophet viz. Foretold by Moses Deut. 18. 15. And believed by them to be different from the Messias but otherâ— said this is the Christ but when the Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him they and the Chief Priests sent Officers to take him But the Officers being astâ—nished at his Doctrine returned without him whereupon they Expostulate with them and in a Scornful manner askt him have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on
from Advice or Counsel consists in Obligation for the Latter doth only direct to the doing of what is thought fit to be done but the Former doth moreover oblige and bind them to whom it is given to the doing of it thus also doth the Gospel and that very severely to them to whom it is Preached for the Author and Finisher of our Faith in it viz. Christ Jesus our Lord is He of whom Moses said unto the Fathers a Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me Him shall you â—ear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you and it shall come to pass that every Soul which will not â—ear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people We ought therefore to give the more earnest heed to the things that we have heard lâ—â—t at any time â—e should let them slip for if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and dâ—sobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Obliged then it seems we are by the Gospel much more severely than the Jews were by the Law because the Gospel first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and with divers Miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own So that this its Obligation is primarily derived not from the Laws of Civil Soveraigns in favour of it but from the Lords speaking it its Authority therefore is Divine Sect. 2. So also is that of the Holy Scriptures That those Books of the New Testament which bear the Apostles Names did drop from their pens we have as great assurance as any can be given of a matter of that Nature Affirmative Demonstration that Homer wrote the Poems Plato or Aâ—istotle Cicero or Plutarch the Books that are Extant under their Names is impossible uncontrolled Tradition is all the Proof whereof this matter is capable and this we have in behalf of those Books that bear the Apostles Names as fully as of any other whatsoever The Sceptical Hereticks in Tertulliâ—ns time who it seems made a Question of it he therefore thus bespeaks Go to now thou that wouldest exercise thy Curiosity in matters of thy Salvation betake thy self to the Apostolick Churches where thou mayest find the very Chairs of the Apostles yet abiding in their proper places wherein also their very Authentick Epistles as it were Sounding each ones voice and representing his face are still recited If Achaia be nighest thee thou hast Corinth if Macedonia be not far from the thou hast the Philippian and Thessalonians If thou canst go into Asia there thou hast Ephesus But if thou art neer Italy thou hast Rome From these and other Apoâ—â—olical Churches Copies of the Apostles writings were undoubtedly dispersed among the Primitive Christians who received and delivered them as theirs and this their Tradition hath run throughout all Ages down to ours and that without any contradiction for those that either in the Primitive or Latter times have thought fit to oppose Christianity yet did it not under the pretence that these Books were Spurious neither â—ews nor Heathens ever had the confidence to make that objection but rather they have yeilded their suffrages to the Testimony of the Church that they were written by the Apostles it is true indeed that some few particular and private persons have both of late and heretofore either out of their Error rejected or out of their Curiosity more than befitted them debated the Canonical Authority of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews the Epistle of St. James the second Epistle of St. Peter the second and third of St. John the Epistle of St. Jude and the Apocalyps beside some other lesser parts of the Gospel yet can it never be shewed that any entire Church nor that any National or Provincial Council nor that any multitude of men in their Confessions or Catechisms or other such publick writings have rejected them or made any doubt at all of them so that the Scruples that some few have raised about them should no more weaken the Credit of such an universal Tradition than the Opinion of Atheists overthrows the Faith of all the World besides for very evident it is that such Conjectures are at best but Negative probabilities against the Affirmative deposition of all the Christian World beside and forasmuch as Negatives especially in such competition prove nâ—thing were they imbraced by Ten Thousand times more than they are or ever were they would not amount to a Proof against and therefore â—ught not in Reason to derogate from the Credibility of the Churches Tradition that they were written by those Apostles concerning these therefore and those other Books of the New Testament which bear the Names of Apostles we have no Reason to doubt and that they wrote them in prosecution of their Apostolick Office the Books themselves declare And for this cause since the Apoâ—â—les were Prophets concerning them it must be concluded that they are given by inspiration of God and if these be so then so also are the Books of the Old Testament because they are therein said expresly to be so and impossible it is for Scripture given by Divine Inspiration to testify a Falshood and indeed had not the Scriptures of the Old Testament been so expresly called the word of Prophecy and said to have been given by Inspiration of God as we find they are in the New yet because the Aposâ—les in their writings found their Disputations upon them and prove their Doctrines by them as the word and Truth of God from whence there lies no Appeal it would be very Evident that they ascribed Divine Authority to them and this their Testimony being given by the Spirit of Prophecy is beyond the reach of a Doubt about the Truth of it All the doubt therefore that can be raised will be about those Books of the New Testament which the Apostles themselves did not write viz. the Gospels of St. Mark and St. Luke together with His History of their Acts But for the removal hereof from all besides Scepticks it may methinks suffice that these Books also had the approbation of the Aposâ—les For the Gospels of these Evangelists do not only agree with the other two but they themselves after the death and Resurrection of our Blessed Saviour conversed with and adhered to the Apostles and forasmuch as they were eminent fellow-Labourers with the Apostles it is not to be doubted but they received the Holy Ghost perhaps at the day of Pentâ—cost as well as others After which time we know that the Apostles dispersed themselves into their respective Provinces and certain it is by all Antiquity that St. Mark did accompany St. Peter and St. Luke St. Paul in almost all his Travels it is therefore very unlikely that