course whereof saith Boord was so Stupendious and above all reason And the cure so evident that it cannot but be attributed to the virtue of those Holy words which the Priest did speak over that Daemoniack Thus our professed Adversaries 3. Is it true that the Miracles of Christ and the Apostles plain Objects of Sense were first proved by the Testimony of those that beheld them and that those who saw them distinct Ey-witnesses at different times cannot be imagined willingly to have conspired in à Forgery or basely given out Lazarus for à dead man raised to life that was not dead Is it also true that the Evangelists who afterwards registred these seen Wonders had they told so many horrid Lyes in matters of Fact open and publick where fiction has not easily place would not only have prejudiced their own cause but also been lyable to Publick infamy and the disgraceful Clamours of Iewes and Gentils If these Truths be undeniable we have the like rational Evidence for Miracles wrought in the Roman Catholick Church Reader consider An application of the third Proof things seriously Was not that Miracle wrought by the Reliques of S. Gervasius and Protasius in Milan witnesse S. Ambrose an Object of S. Ambros Epist 85. Sense and seen by many Were those stupendious wonders effected by the glorious Martyr S. Stephen whereof S. Austin speak's largely S. August lib. 22. Civit cap. 8. done in the dark without the Attestation of innumerable that saw them Was not S. Bernard's Miracle after his blessing certain loaves of bread whereof we shall speak presently so memorable and manifest to Sense that whole Multitudes having eaten of the bread finding themselves cured ran forthwith to the Saint and with all submission praysing God owned the Favour John Clements cure at Montagu the young youths restored Leg at Zaragosa and the Miraculous cure of F. Mastrilli at Naples were all Sensible and visible Works of à Divine power Say now I beseech you to goe on with the Parallel can any Imagin that either those who saw or wrote these Miracles damnedly conspired among them selves to delude the world with open Lies It is impossible because Spectators or writers of such matters lived far more distant for time and place from each other than the Apostles that registred our Saviours wonders If therefore those blessed men cannot be supposed wickedly to have feigned Christ's raising Lazarus to life or cleansing the Lepers it is more impossible to conceive that S. Austin for example perswaded those who lived many Ages after with S. Bernard to tell à forged Story of his miraculous Loaves Did those think you who saw the youth 's restored leg at Zaragosa suborne the Ey-witnesses of John Clements cure at Montagu to feign that matter of Fact which happened many years before the Miracle at Zaragosa It is Folly to Judge so 4. O but say Sectaries we doubt much whether the supposed Ey-witnesses of Latter Miracles and the Writers of them spake truth in what Those first are said to have seen That is They 'l doubt whether any saw the Miracles recounted by S. Austin and S. Ambrose and Question as much these Saints Sincerity in writing them And cannot á Iew or Heathen move all these doubts Concerning to Eywitnesses of our Saviours Miracles and the Evangelists Sincerity that wrote them Yea every whit as wisely Reader in this place we only compare the humane Testimony of those who saw Christ's Miracles before Scripture registred them with the humane Testimony of latter witnesses that visibly beheld the Miracle at Milan at Montagu or Naples and say no more rational exception can be made against the latter Ey-witnesses than the first Now because in discoursing with the Adversaries of Christ and his Church it were folly to suppose the Gospel God's Divine Word we clearly evince by reason that the Book at least deserves as great Credit upon No exception can be made against those who write of approved Miracles humane Faith as any other true plain History And then tell Sectaries that they in reason can-no more except against the approved Writers of our Church Miracles S. Austin for example or S. Ambrose than à Iew or Heathen against the Evangelists that wrote Christs Miracles and hence you have the Primitive Miracles and those in the Church prove alike Lastly would not the Evangelists now supposed to write candidly their Story without any fraudulent Combination have justly exposed them selves to publick Infamy in setting down matters of Fact had they singly considered recorded things newer Seen or heard No lesse publick Infamy Censure and Clamours those would have justly Incurred in relating Church Miracles had they brought to light strange Wonders never known in the world Would publick Clamours think ye or Censures have spared S. Austin or those that recorded John Clement's Cure if forged and feigned Stories No certainly men both wise and prudent would have excepted against them as Impostures had not Evidence cleared their Truth 5. Is it true that the Miracles of Christ first seen by Ey-witnesses and afterwards recorded raised them to à Publick Fame the whole world over which hitherto continues in force by à never interrupted Tradition The like publick Fame say I first grounded on Sense and hitherto continued by Tradition we have for Miracles wrought in the Church Speaking of Fame alone or of à humane universal Report these The fourth Proofe above applyed to the Churches Miracles Miracles are as certain as that the Historry of the Gospel recorded by the four Evangelists is Gods word or written by Divine Inspiration Sectaries it is true are found that Question the Truth of some Church Miracles none for ought I know unlesse Dr Stillingfleet denies all and no few Desertors of the Church Question also whether many Parts and Passages in the new Testament are God Sacred Word But the great Fame of clear Miracles and the new Testaments Divinity is even upon the Churches humane Authority upheld as indubitable by all called Catholicks and therefore very universal yea answerable to the Fame of Apostolical Wonders 6. Is it true that Positive proofs alledged for this Affirmative Christ truely wrought Miracles quite discountenance and bear down the contrary Negative barely vented without any appearance of proof Christ never wrought any The Principle is undoubted and clearly evinces that God has wrought many true Miracles by the Professed members of the Catholick Church Our Positive proofs you shall have afterwards more fully and the contradiction of those who deny Miracles demonstrated an improbable Attempt yea void of Sence and ridiculous In this place we only Argue as we did above and show the cause Miracles I mean by the real Effects which followed in the Conversion of Nations far more numerous after the Apostles dayes and all those wrought by The fift Proof applyed to our Churches Miracles the Roman Catholick Church than before Such remarkable Works of God over Italy Germany France Spain
were set down in my former Treatises These he shamefully waves or lightly skip's over Thinking it advantage enough to treat matters which no man gave him Occasion to handle And therefore fill's page after page with à long List of other Wonders which he would fain blow away with the breath of à few Jeers for he refutes none by Authority and reason I say Contrary could he do so though he never hit's on this solid way he proves nothing against the certain Miracles wrought by Saints in our Church unlesse this weightlesse Consequence be look't on as conclusive Some Miracles recounted by Private men seem doubtful or disputable Ergo all other Though manifest upon humane Faith deserve the like Censure and are to be vapour'd against as unvaluable Is this Procedure tolerable or any thing like fair Play Judge Reader 20. Now because our Dr who flurt's at every one seem's lesse satisfyed with the Collections of Saints Lives and their Miracles set forth at Antwerp and published as he Saith with much Ostentation c. Those two worthy Writers Godefridus Henschenius and Daniel Papebrochius yet living Petition Mr Dr rigidly to examen what ever he deem's amisse in the three Tomes of April already printed And if after an attentive Inspection any one particular appear's to him erronious false or improbable Their earnest desire I say is that it be plainly represented in Latin This done they engage if à full Satisfactory Answer be not returned to acknowledge their Mistakes The Challenge here made is modest will our Dr accept of it Will he decline hereafter meer empty words that signify nothing He is apt to think there is much amisse à great deal of Infidelity though as yet he never had the Grace or face to tell us where or in what particular This much Amisse lies CHAP. IX VVhether impartial Authors in former Ages ever taught that Miracles ceased in the Church S. Chrisostom most plain for latter Miracles VVhether there be no comparison between our Saviour's Miracles and those wrought in Latter times Of Dr Stillingfleet's frivolous Distinction between Signs and Miracles 1. MR Dr to make his Assertion good of page 568. Miracles ceasing in the Church produces in the first place the Authority of S. Chrysostom whereat every Reader may justly wonder seing it is more than evident that the Saint upon Several occasions so stifly defend's what Catholicks now hold that he cannot by Violence be wrested to à contrary Sence A few clear Testimonies only shall be sufficient to allege all he hath upon this Subject would be both tedious and needless 2. The Saint pondering those words of the Psalm Memoriam fecit c. Saith God never ceased to work Miracles For this is to make à memory of himselfe He never intermitted never desisted in every Chrys in Psal 100. in Edit Paâ—is 1588. Generation to show Miracles and by admirable things to stir up and encourage the duller sort of People For those who are endowed with á noble mind and given to the Study of Philosophy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stand in no need Miracles never ceased in the Church of such Signs or Miracles because it is Said Blessed are they who have not seen yet believed Now Seing God hath not only care of such but of duller Capacities also his Goodness surceased not to work Miracles frequently in every Age. Then S. Chrysostom set's down the Miracles wrought by Divine power while the Iewes were Captives in Egipt at their leaving Egypt in the Desart also in Palestine and Babylon Next he enumerat's the Miracles done after our Saviours comming and Such saith he are wrought among us this present Day Finally he add's If you will hear of those Wonders done in our Age the Translation of S. Babylas Holy Body to the Temple of Daphnis when the Divel was manifestly silenced conquered confounded and the worst of wicked men Julian the Apostata Miraculously strucken dead This Translation I say of that Holy Body abundantly testifies Thus and much more S. Chrysostom speak's to our present Purpose of Signs and Miracles shewed in his Age And can any believe that so great à man ever contradicted himselfe in à Doctrin so plainly delivered Mark his significant Expressions God never desisted never ceased never vvas vvanting in Working Miracles Generation after Generation And though he did them not for wise Philosophers or the learned Believers Yet they were useful profitable and necessary to others whose faith as I noted els where would have grown cold had it not been sometimes excited by Powerful Signs from Heaven 3. Another Testimony pregnant and convincing Chrysost contra Gentil lib. uno Tom 5. Paris print is taken out of S. Chrysostom where he relates at large the life and glorious Miracles of S. Babylas Bishop of Antioch á most renowned Martyr Christ our Lord saith the Saint the night before his Sacred Passion calling his Disciples together forewarned them of many Things and Prophesied thus Verily I say unto you He vvho believes in me the VVorks vvhich I do he shall do and greater than these A plain Passage produced against the Dr in confirmation of latter Miracles whereunto he never replyed But some perhaps will demand where are our Saviours words verifyed S Chrysostom Answers If any take into his hands that Book of Scripture called the Acts of the Apostles he shall find Persons lying sick in bed cured by the Shadowes of the Apostles many also Possessed with Divels This reason produced by the Saint proves latter Miracles wrought in the Ghurch and furiously raging freed by à touch only of S. Paul's Garments which things if any Say were Fictions or legerdemain The Wonders Mark his words novv seen are more than enough to stop the mouths and tye the Tongue of so impudent Blasphemers Observe the Saints Reason For there is no Country faith he no People no City of the vvorld vvhere these nevv Miracles have not vvith Apostolical Miracles in found S. Chrysostom Prayse been famed and publickly divulged That is to Say All have heard of the infirm cured of possessed Persons freed from Divels in à word of such Apostolical Miracles which would never have filled mens minds with Admiration as we se done had they been Tales or feigned Stories Thus S. Chrysostom after he had reproached the Gentils upon the account of their licentious feigning Wonders discribes at large the undoubted Miracles wrought by S. Babylas both living and dead so clear and admirable That they verifyed our Saviours Prediction of greater to Se S. Chrysost with me p. 873. be done in ensuing Ages Yet more consider saith S. Chrysostom what Pompe that wicked Emperour assumed And do not slightly passe it over Here you might have seen his Royal attendance his armed Souldiers and the Monarck in the midst of his Courtiers entring the Temple cloathed in Purple and Princely Attire richly adorned with Iewels and innumerable precious Stones Besides à refulgent Crown on his head
Necessity of these Miracles since the large Propagation of Christianity in the world and account's him à Prodigie that yet seeks after Prodigies to confirm his Faith Reader note first how faintly the Dr speak's Some Miracles forsooth but durst not name them fearing they might appear Great ones For so They truly are in S. Austin if raysing the dead and restoring Sight to the blind be rightly accounted Great Thus much S. Austin de civit l. 22. c. 8. initio noted Turn to the Dr's Quotation you have it above where S. Austin's Adversaries proposed this Question Why are not the Miracles you preach done now He Answers Possem quidem dicere I might say Miracles were necessary before the world believed to the End it might believe And that whoever now seek's after Prodigies to believe when the world believes is himselfe à great Prodigie if he believes not with the believing World Thus I might Speak saith S. Austin which Expression as every one see 's exclud's not Miracles from being thought useful now but rather supposes them useful when God as S. Austin Testifies manifestly wrought them among Believers in those Dayes And therefore soon after concludes in the same context Etiam nunc fiunt Miracula Even now Miracles are done in our Age. Neither could S. Austin plead against those vain By what Argument Austin convinced his Adversaries Adversaries by Primitive Miracles for he Saith expressely They believed none were wrought Therefore he confutes them by S. Chrysostom's excellent Argument used above and known to every one The substance whereof is Either men believed our Christian Verities induced thereunto by Miracles or not If by Miracles God manifested them to the world If not the greatest Miracle of all is that the world believed the hard Mysteries of Faith without Miracles Thus S. Austin in this place plainly Discover's our Dr ' s fraudulent Proceeding 6. S. Austin next quoted upon the Psalms S Austin in Ps 130. v. 1. speak's of Simon Magus his pretended Miracles But has nothing like those words the Dr cites Though should the Saint either there or els where Say that the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles were vvrought for the benefit of future Ages he delivers à great Truth confessed by all neither ought any to complain had he done no more But humbly thank God for showing so many admirable Signs already manifested to the world whereunto none could lay just Claime much lesse rationally find fault had they never been wrought In like manner had God not Redeemed mankind by sending his only Begotten Son but done the work by an Angel or Some other way none could have justly complained or Challenged as Due that greater Mercy S. Austin deuitate Eccl cap. 16. Reason and Relig. Disc 2. c. 9. n. 4 shewed by JESUS CHRIST 7. Much lost labour followes in the Dr when he cites S. Augustine against the Donatists whereof I spake largely in another Treatise and cleared every Difficulty he falls upon in this place yet you must have it again like à fresh Objection Wonder nothing Sectaries will never leave off an old Idle Cowardly Trick nauseously to repeat what they once layd hold on though they see it solved Twenty times over Well but what Saies S. Augustin He bid's Donatus and Pontius plead no more by the Visions of this Brother or that Sister because all are Fictions Lyes and monstrous fallacies Then he discourses Either these visions spoken of among you are false Or if any wonders be wrought there we are the more to beware of them our Lord having foretold us that false Prophets should arise and vvork Signs which if possible might deceive the Elect. Here you see S. Austin would not in this place debate the Question with the Donatists whether God for reasons best known to himselfe work 's true Miracles by Hereticks Iewes or Heathens but prudently abstract's from that Controversy though he accounted them Lies and monstruous Fictions As who should say be they as you will true or false They are all worthlesse upon à Ground laid forth afterward Viz. Ye Donatists have not Christ your head because you are not of his Mystical Body the Catholick Church 8. The Dr replyes S. Augustine bring 's If the Church approve Miracles thoy are wrought there not the Evidence of Miracles to prove the Church by nor any visions or Revelations For he saith such things are to be approved because they are done in the Catholick Church not that the Church is proved Catholick because they are done in it Tell me Reader doth not S. Austin here plainly Suppose Miracles to have been wrought in the Church for if they require the Churches Approbation They are first wrought there Doth he not also assert above That maugre the spite of Hereticks Miracles held him in the Catholick Church Thus much is Proof enough against the Dr who denies Miracles Now if you Ask in what sence S. Austin teaches that the Church is not proved Catholick because Miracles are done in it I answered fully in the Treatise cited above Hee did so most prudently in his Contest with the Donatists who pretended as well to Miracles as S. Austin And therefore The saint waved that Argument not because Miracles are inefficacious to prove the Church by But upon this ground That the latter vvonders chiefly such as Optatus Melivitanus and S. Ambrose mention are not the first Sure Principle to manifest the Church against those Hereticks Hence the Saint appealed to Scriptute to the Testimonies of the Lavv of the Prophets and Psalms which the Donatists willingly admitted though they Cavilled at Miracles Haec sunt saith he Causa nostrae documenta haec firmamenta We plead why S. Austin pleaded not by Miracles but by Scripture by the strong Documents of Scripture where we have the Vnity the Visibility and large Extent of the Church over the world fully expressed These Testimonies you deny not though you slight our Miracles Produce therefore but one clear Passage of Scripture saith S. Austin without your Idle Glosses and interpretations whereby it may appear that the Church is only confined to Africa and you speak to the Purpose but if you fail herein and fail you must conticescite holde your Prattle believe the Truth c. In this Discourse the Saint Declares how grossy the Donatists strayed from the genuin Sence of those words in the Canticles Shevv me vvhere thou feedest and lies't ◠Cant. 1. 6. Noon most simply made use of by them to prove the Church confined to Africa Much more S. Austin has in this Chapter pertinent to the Controversy now in hand and further explained in the Treatise already cited 9. Some may Object 1. Miracles that need the Churches Approbation cannot prove her Doctrin Orthodox Why not I beseech you Christ's Miracles as seen or heard of by Report morally certain rationally induced the first Christians to believe his Doctrin and so I hope latter Miracles may much
Divines Though the Dr most likely will not allow me so favourable à Censure The Dr's way or mode in writing whilst Substance failes cannot but be worthless unsavory and distastful Peruse him Reader page after page you will find the man all along in à peevish Humour when you see his Book brim full of tare biting Ironies Drolleries Comical Expressions impertinent Demands Idle Stories c. As if the disgorging à little Gall were enough to bring into Contempt the Clearest Miracles God ever wrought Had he had but common Prudence He might well have thought that for one Petit private man hid in à corner of the world pertly to rise up against all ancient Fathers Doctors and Divines without Manifest Proofs reduced to sound Principles would never take But appear to every Iudicious Reader as it is an unluckly Management of an ill cause Herein without all doubt Passion blinded the man And I am sure left him no clear Ey-Sight when he too boldly tell 's us above That be relies on our own Writers in this Controversy and thinks himselfe not mistaken I say once more the Pretence is most false having not so much as one Catholick Author that opposes approved Miracles But suppose one or two could be racked to his Sence hitherto I neuer met with any might not the Dr haue called to mind his own Apology made in behalfe of Mr Thorndick Who as Zealously clear's the Catholick Church from Idolatry as the Dr fondly laies that foul Aspersion on Her If we should grant They are the Dr's words in his General Preface That He Mr Thorndick held some things singular in this matter what is that to the constant Opinion of our Church So say I should we grant which I shall neuer yeild that some one or other Catholick Author were singular in this matter now debated what 's that to the contrary Iudgement of all other Writers and the Sentiment of à whole Church besides But now when the Dr has none that sides with him His only course will be to sit down silent and talk no more of our Writers By what is hitherto said T' is hard methinks to conceive what moved the Dr to quarrel with our Miracles Has God angred the man in Showing so many clear Legible Characters Written by his own powerful hand intending thereby to make his Church glorious I say many For there is no Kingdom Saith S. Chrysostom no Country no common wealth no famous City in the world where innumerable have not either seen or heard of Miracles attested by most faithful Witnesses and upon that Account haue rendred humble thanks to God for so signal Testimonies of his favours It may bee the Dr thinks that those who have Written of Miracles are but à few only Vulgar and ignorant It is à Cavil Many stout Champions inferiour to none in knowledge have defended them These are our Combatants and Conquerours in this Controversy But perhaps these learned only recount some Trivial matters or as the Dr speak's à few extraordinary Things Quite contrary They mention most Signal Works great Wonders as raysing the Dead restoring sight to the blind and curing incurable Infirmities clear effects of God only Omnipotent But stay have not our Learned Writers willing to wave pains slightly passed over such Matters of Fact No. Never any were or can be more accurate in laying forth the Substance and all Circumstances relating to Miracles than S. Irenaeus S. Hierom S. Augustine S. Gregory Thaumaturgus and S. Bernard These Admirable Saints to omit latter Authors have either wrought great Miracles or Written of them with so much care and diligent Study That one with halfe an Ey may perceive As They themselves never doubted of what they wrote so they purposely strove to fix à firm Belief of them in the minds of others Hence S. Augustine cited afterward Lib. 22. de Civit. Cap. 8. assures us He vvrote the Miracles there specifyed for this End that they might be publickly read before the People and knovvn to all For saith the Saint Such was my express will Because when we saw the Signs and Miracles wrought frequently in our time like those which God anciently evidenced to the world I endeavovred that their memory should not perish If therefore Miracles have been frequent If knovvn the vvhole vvorld over If seen and attested by Many Ey-Witnesses if legible Characters Written by God's own hand if great and prodigious If finally wrought for this End that their Memory might be preserved and known to all VVhat could induce our unadvised Dr most rashly to publish his lame and imperfect Enquiry against Miracles This to me appear's à Paradox or rather à Riddle which no Oedipus can solve Had not this man shown Spight enough in his former Treatises vvhere he set's that Vile and Infamous Mark of Idolatry upon our Ancient Church though She drevv vvhole Nations from Idolatry to the Christian Faith But thanks be to God He has not as I hear gained three Iudicious men of his ovvn Profession to believe him Had He not spit out Venome enough in stiling the most Learned vvith in this great Moral Body Rebel teachers and Sowers of Divisions Had he not in some Frolick gnash't his teeth enough in his more than bold presumptious railing at the Saints in Heaven How could à renowned S. Benet S. Dominick or S. Francis fall under his lash and raise up so much unruly Passion in à Dr Could he not he have left these happie Souls in their eternal Rest free from his Scratches Taunts aend bitter Obloquies Without doubt he look't on them as some of old did on the wild beasts in Theaters publickly exposed to be bated and furiously encountred Yet to make the burthen of his sins more heavy he sports himselfe with all that can be serious Do but mention the Sanctity and Austerity of thousands yet living in the Church all with him is thought Hypocrisy Speak of our Catholick Doctrin taught his Progenitors for à thousand years and more it Led them forsooth into so many abominable Errours that 't is hard to say whether they are saved or damned Bring to light the clearest Miracles God ever wrought what are they Nothing but painted Strawes and Counterfeit Trances And thus he add's Sin to Sin without remorse or check of Conscience upheld by no other Principles than Drollery vain Florishes lowd untruths and Calumnies Dr Iohn Avila à man of great learning and à renowned Preacher hearing soon after the death of à Priest of one sole neglect and t' was that but once only he had offered up in his whole life time the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass spake these few but weighty words Multum defert ad Iudicem This man upon that Account carries much with him to be answered for before his Iudge VVhat was this little small Omission compared with Dr Stillingfleet's enormous Commissions Dovvn Cries He vvith their Sacrifice avvay vvith their Mass all is Superstition and the highest Idolatry He
disgrace upon the Authors 13. Upon this ground also we evidently Nor in those who writh the Gospel clear our sacred Writers of the new Testament from all fraud and forgery in their plain Narration of our Saviours Miracles Reflect I beseech you what man endued with common prudence can work him selfe into this perswasion that the four Evangelists who candidly set down the sufferances the opprobrious death of their Lord and Master wherein as all confesse they speake truth in some strange Frolick or other met together and agree'd to tell à false lye of Lazarus raised to life of infirme restored to health that were never What prejudice fraud would have done the Evangelists sick Had this fraud been invented they had not only notoriously prejudiced their own cause but the Interest also of their great Master nay the very Iewes would have decryed all the Miracles they wrote of as publick impostures and if feigned might justly have pleaded No eyes ever saw them wrought whenas the contrary is manifest for they highly dreaded our Saviours Miracles and held them so attractive that if permitted to go on the whole world would follow him Hence it is that that ungodly People never dared in any Tribunal juridically to call into doubt the truth of his greatest Miracles though some whisperers said he cast out Divels by the help of Divels No all knew they condemned him to death not because the cure of the blind man or raising Lazarus from death were judged Impostures but upon this account that final Sentence was given because he made him selfe the Son of God 14. By all hitherto said we se 1. How and in what manner true Miracles objects of sense gained repute in the world and became credible First witnesses worthy beliefe not suspected of By what means Miracles gained esteem Guile saw them wrought and upon their faithful word communicated with other 's the wonders they had seen as certain and undoubted 2. Those first Hearers finding no reason to question the fidelity of Ey-witnesses justly reputed honest prudently yeilded assent to the Narration and imparted to others what they had received from those who saw the Miracles In Processe of time the Report of those wonders spread far and neer gained more ground till at last à publick Fame owned them certain This Fame held on Age after Age handed down by constant Tradition never as I said rationally contradicted is now general the whole Universe over and every way Comparable with the Fame we have of Alexander the great Julius Caesar and other known Heroes whereof no prudent man ever doubted Observe I beseech you how equally the Parallel run's in both cases Caesar and Pompey plain Objects of sense are proved to have had once being in the world because seen by many But Christ our Lord and his Apostles no lesse objects of sense were as visible the parity therefore hold's good 2. The Gests and noble Acts of Caesar first seen Records afterwards preserved None can force himselfe to deny à truth owned upon Vniversal Fame and as good Records are extant for the admirable works and Wonders of our Saviour 3. The Fame of those Heroes and their Gests taking its first rise from Sense became in time Universal and handed down by Tradition lives yet so vigorously in the minds of all men that no owner of this publick Fame can by any violence force himselfe to judge that Caesar never was in being never fought battle the whole Story of Alexander is à fourb c. Thus also the Fame of Christ of the Apostles and their Wonders once sensible and yet upheld by à perpetuated Tradition still remain's so fixed in all minds that unless this publick Fame perish which is impossible the matters of Fact supported by it are without Contest undeniable Hence I propose this Question whether à Iew or Gentile can by violence force his intellectual Power to judge Such à man as Christ such men as the Apostles were never in the world You will say No because they are Truths Universally received notwithstanding the very most of Unbelievers boldly deny the Miracles we speak of and why should not their Authority as much evince A Negative or prove no such Miracles done as the contrary Testimony of Christians avail for the Affirmative in saying Christ really wrought Miracles 15. To Answer the difficulty you have here an undoubted Principle Clear Positive proofs manifest for an Affirmative quite bear down over-weigh in true worth à contrary Negative bluntly maintained without semblance of Proof Should therefore the greatest part of men now living barely deny without Proof Alexander or Caesar ever to have been or done any memorable Action the contrary Positive Arguments alledged for their being would manifestly Show that ungrounded Denyal to be not only weightless but senseless also and improbable And thus I discourse in our present case Positive Ground 's irrefragable reasons whereof you shall have à few hints rationally prove our Saviour and his An objection answered Apostles to have wrought true Miracles therefore all contrary Opposition without Grounds and proofs appear's frigid senceless and improbable Some Critick may object Had as many from the first rise of Caesar opposed his being and Heroical Acts as have gainsaid the Miracles of Christ and the Apostles from the beginning of Christianity that certainly would have much abated the humane Beliefe all have now of Caesar of Alexander Cicero or who you will I answer no Abatement at all while on the one side and this is ever to be noted the Positive grounds for the Affirmative stand in vigour as they now stand and the Denyal rigidly examined for want of proofs comes to nothing but to this vain empty and Idle Assertion Caesar forsooth never was or did any thing worth à man Christ never wrought true Miracles Positive proofs therefore brought to light in behalfe of these Miracles enervate the contrary unproved Assertion and show it void of Strength futile in à word worth nothing 16. Now if you enquire after these Positive Reas and Relig. Disc 1. cap. 3. proofs all clear and convincing whole Volums might be written Some as I argued Reas and Religs remonstrate the Cause by its real effects and set before us à manifest Truth the known Conversion of the world made by Christ and his Apostles without force of Arms or any earthly Allurement Nay upon the greatest disadvantages imaginable because however poor and despicable in the eyes of all yet They prevailed against the rich and powerful and brought innumerable to believe in à Crucifyed man Was it not now that the greatest Philosophers the most Eloquent Orators were deem'd less wise than twelve unlearned Fishermen and did not God set à mark of folly upon humane wisdom in the noble Conquest made by the Divine Spirit that speake in these very men reputed Idiots This prodigious Work most certainly A Proofe taken from the Miraculous Conversion of Nations done whereof see