immediate Influence of the Divine Power but in Miracles this Power manifests its self in an extraordinary manner above and contrary to the Established Laws or Rules which God has in all other cases prescribed for the producing Effects II. Men would fancy to themselves some kind of Scheme or other and would frame some Notions and Conceits to give an Account of Miracles or they would imagin them to return of Course at certain Periods or upon some Accidents if they saw them frequently done or perhaps they would suppose them to proceed from some Defect in the Nature of Things which could not always keep its course but made many Deviations from it But when Miracles were wrought only in some Ages for peculiar Reasons this shews that they were done by an immediate Divine Power with a particular Design which could be no other than the Confirmation of Religion since they ceased both under the Law and the Gospel when both were fully declared and confirmed III. A perpetual Power of Miracles in all Ages would give occasion to continual Impostures which would confound and distract Mens minds and would make the true Mircles themselves suspected We see now that the Dreams of every Enthusiast and the Pretences of every Impostor are apt to startle weak minds tho' we have so much Reason not to expect Miracles or Revelations But if we were in constant expectation of True Miracles the False would be much more likely to mislead many and to make others reject the Belief of any Miracles at all If Prophecies and Miracles had been frequent in the Jewish Church to the coming of our Saviour his Prophecies and wonderful Works had not so well distinguished and manifested him to be the Christ But when after so long an Intermission they were again revived in him this shewed him to be the great Prophet and Messias who was expected And it is very observable that as Miracles had been discontinued for a long time among the Jews so St. John Baptist who was more than a Prophet and one of the greatest of all the Men that had been before him yet wrought no Miracles that he might be the better distinguished from the Messias and that there might arise no doubt in the Minds of any which of them was the Christ And when our Saviour had been acknowledged to be the Christ in all Parts of the World it was fit that Miracles should cease to preserve the Authority due to the Miracles wrought by himself and his Disciples it being more for the Honour of Christ that the Miracles wrought in his Name should cease when his Religion had been fully Established than that Men should be tempted to doubt who was the true Christ and which was the true Religion upon the account of false Miracles wrought in opposition to the True IV. Another Reason why the Gift of Miracles has been with-held in latter Ages may be this because since there has been a general depravation of Manners among Christians it would have proved a great occasion of Pride and Vain-Glory to those who had possest it as we find it was to some even in the times of the Apostles 1 Cor. xii xiv And our Saviour saw it requisite to give Caution to his Disciples Notwithstanding in this rejoice not that the Spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoice because your Names are written in Heaven Luke x. 20. It must be an eminent and truly Primitive Piety that could bear the having of such Gifts with an humble and Christian Temper of Mind V. It is an Observation of (f) Advan of Lâ—arn l. iii. c. 2. my Lord Bacon's That there was never Miracle wrought by God to Convert an Atheist because the Light of Nature might have led him to confess a God But Miracles are designed to Convert Idolaters and the Superstitious who have acknowledged a Deity but erred in his Adoration 〈…〉 Light of Nature extends to declare the 〈◊〉 and true Worship of God For the same Reason when once the true Religion is confirmed in such a manner as to have the same Evidence for it which there is for the Existence of God himself Miracles are no more to be expected to convert an Infidel than to convert an Atheist Among Men of Learning and Reason there ought to be no more doubt of the Truth of the Gospel than of the Being of a God and they without the help of Miracles may instruct others (g) De Procur Indor Salute Lib. ii c. 9. Acosta enquiring into the Cause why Miracles are not wrought by the present Missionaries for the Conversion of Heathen Nations as they were by the Christians of the Primitive Ages gives this as one Reason because the Christians at first were ignorant Men and the Gentiles learned but now on the contrary all the Learning in the World is employ'd for the Defence of the Gospel and there is nothing but Ignorance to oppose it and there can be no need of farther Miracles in behalf of so good a Cause when it is in the Hands of such able Advocates against so weak Adversaries However though there be no such change as was wont formerly to be wrought in the visible Course of Nature in Confirmation of our Religion yet there is still a Divine Power evident among Christians living in Heathen Countries For the Devil who tyrannizeth over the Heathens has no Power over Christians dwelling among them of which the Indians have taken great Notice and have (h) Lerii Histor Navig in Brasil c. 16. declared the Christians happy in being freed from the Tortures of Wicked Spirits by which they find themselves often seized on the sudden in a terrible manner and stand in perpetual fear of them (i) Capt. Knoxe 's Hist of Ceylon Part iii. c. 4. Christians they do acknowledge have a Prerogative above themselves and not to be under the Power of these Infernal Spirits It is so generally related by Travellers of all Professions both Protestants and Papists that the Devil exercises a manifest Tyranny over the Heathens but is able to do nothing to the Christians abiding amongst them that this cannot be denied to be a plain Argument of a Divine Power discovering it self in Confirmation of the Christian Religion though not by such Miracles as were formerly wrought because there is no longer any need of them CHAP. XXX Of the Causes why the Jews and Gentiles rejected Christ notwithstanding all the Miracles wrought by Him and his Apostles THough the Christian Religion be most certain in it self yet there is a Supernatural Grace required to make us throughly and effectually convinced of the certainty of it No Man can come to me says our Saviour except the Father which hath sent me draw him and this is declared to be the Reason of the Infidelity of such as were offended at his Doctrin and departed from him But there are some of you that believe not for Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not
Is it to be suppos'd that the Wise and Good God would create Men only to abuse themselves and one another To live a while in Sin and Folly here and some of them in the most extravagant and brutal Wickedness and then go down to the Grave and so there should be an end of them for ever What is there worthy of the infinite Wisdom of God in so poor a Design as this Doth not the Voice of Nature it self teach us and has it not been the general Belief and Expectation of all Ages and Nations that the prosperous Sinner who is subtle and powerful to do Mischief must suffer in another World for what he has done amiss here And that all is not to pass away with us in Sport and Extravagance in Laughter and Noise in Riot or in Violence and Cruelty as some Men are willing to believe as if the World were made for the Wicked and they to abuse it It appears likewise from the common Belief and Experience of Mankind that as there is a God of infinite Goodness and Holiness so there are wicked and malicious Spirits which are ever contriving the Mischief and Ruine of Men. For besides the Evidence of this from Scripture which we must be allow'd here to alledge in the Nature at least of an History it is Folly to imagine that all the Oracles and Prodigies of the Heathens could be meer Forgeries and that there was no Ground nor Foundation for such a Belief as universally obtain'd in all Nations and Ages of the World and for the Customs and Practices which follow'd upon this Belief that there are Daemons or Spirits of an evil and malicious Disposition and Power I shall instance only in the unnatural Cruelties which the Heathen World even the Greeks and Romans themselves were continually put upon by the Instigation of these malicious and wicked Spirits For the Heathen Nations offer'd up Multitudes of innocent Men and Women and even their own Children in Sacrifice to their false Gods which is as sure an Evidence that there are such Beings which requir'd these Cruelties from them as it is that there are Tyrants and Persecutors when they cause innocent Men to be murther'd and Children to be torn from the Arms of their Parents and slain in their sight And though the Dominion of Satan be now restrained by the over-ruling Power of the Gospel we have as great Evidence from all History that there are such Beings as Devils as we have for any other Matter of Fact whatsoever There have been indeed many false Stories concerning Spirits as well as in other Matters of History but doth this prove that there are none True Or could the Historians of all Times and Places be perpetually imposed upon or conspire to impose upon others There is no ancient History but gives some Instance or other of these things and all the Modern Histories of Heathen Nations are full of such Relations as confirm this Truth to us and even among Christians those who have by unlawful Arts put themselves under the Power of wicked Spirits have been convinced that there are such Beings which is proved not only by the publick Confessions of Witches in all Nations but by the private (a) See Mr. Boyle's Excellency of Theology c. § 1. Acknowledgments of divers learned Men both Physicians and others who have made attempts to discover the truth of this matter in different places and were Persons neither timorous nor superstitious But the Apparition of Spirits is Praeter-natural and therefore that Good Spirits who live in perfect Obedience to the Divine Will and in Conformity to the Order of their Nature should appear is now no more to be expected than any other Miracle But there are frequent Apparitions of Bad Spirits in Countries where the Christian Religion is not receiv'd and where it is receiv'd they appear to such as are willing to com◠under their Power but very rarely to others And if the Devil after so much Humane Blood as he has caus'd to be spilt in his Sacrifices and after so many Oracles and Impostures can yet perswade same Men that there is no such Being this is one of his subtilest Stratagems of all and proves how great Power though in a different kind and manner he still retains over the Minds of Men. Since therefore it is most certain That there is a Being of insinite Power and Wisdom and Justice and Goodness and that there is likewise a malicious cruel Spirit ever watchful and industrious to abuse and destroy Mankind It is highly reasonable to believe that a Being of such infinite Perfections after he had created Man would communicate himself to him would set him a Rule by which he ought to live and prescribe him Laws whereby he might answer the Ends of his Creation and attain to that Happiness which he was made capable of and design'd for by his Maker We cannot suppose that the God of all Goodness and Wisdom would create Man and then leave him to himself to follow his own Inventions and to live at random without any Law or Direction to frame his Actions by and to be expos'd to all the Assaults of an implacable subtile Enemy without any Caution and Instruction given him or any Help and Assistance afforded for his Defence Man in his Innocence was not thus to be left to himself And we have all the reason in the World to believe though we had not the express Word of Scripture for it that the God of infinite Goodness would not disregard this corrupt State of Mankind but would use some Means to reclaim them from the Error of their Ways to bring them to a Knowledge of themselves and of the Divine Majesty to inform them of their Duty and direct them to Happiness How Man became so prone to all Evil we can know only by Revelation and therefore those who reject all Revelation must suppose that Man was first created in this State of Sin and Misery which is a very heinous Imputation upon the Goodness and Justice of God but to suppose him plac'd in this Condition without all help or remedy is to charge God still more foolishly But how Men became so is not here the Matter of Enquiry it is evident that Man is of himself in a miserable and helpless Condition and considering the great Ignorance and Wickedness which have been from the Fall of our First Parents visible continually in the Word and still reign in it considering I say the notorious Wickedness and gross Ignorance of Men which from the earliest Records of Antiquity have continued down to our own Times nothing is more reasonable than to think that a Being of Infinite Perfection would take some care to rectifie the Mistakes and reform the Manners of Men. Can we believe it consistent with Infinite Truth never to manifest it self in the World but to suffer all sorts of Men of all Nations to be exposed to all the Designs and Delusions of Impostors
for the most part have gone on in their wicked Courses still and would have deny'd God in their Lives though their Understandings were never so clearly and fully convinc'd of his Will and Commandments as well as of his Eternal Power and God-head For as St. Paul testifies the Heathen themselves were not ignorant of the Being of God but when they knew God they glorify'd him not as God No Man can be more certain of any Inspiration which he can receive than he is of the Being of that God from whom he receives it and therefore he who denies the Being of God must by Consequence deny the Truth of any such Inspiration unless it have that powerful Impulse upon his Mind as both to convince him and force him to an Acknowledgement at once of the Being of God and of the Operation of his Spirit upon his Soul And it is hard to conceive how any Inspiration which doth not over-rule the Will and Affections as well as convince the Understanding should be of more Efficacy upon the Minds and Lives of such Men than the Notion of a God is For if Men can so stifle the Notion of a God in their Minds as to doubt whether there be any God or no or at least to act as if there were none no Reason can be given why they might not as well act against any Conviction which they might receive by Inspiration or any other way of immediate Revelation unless it had an irresistible Effect upon them and either take it all for Fancy and Delusion or else so harden themselves against it as not to be reclaim'd by it And of this we have Balaam for an Example who notwithstanding the Revelations he receiv'd from God loved the Wages of Vnrighteousness 2 Pet. ii 15. But above all Men the Prophane and Obstinate Unbelievers can have least Reason to expect that God should vouchsafe them an immediate Revelation (c) Vid. Smith of Prophecy c. 8. The Jews have observ'd That the Spirit of Prophecy rested only upon Men of regular and pure Affections of gentle and meek and tractable Dispositions For the Lord will be found of them that tempt him not and sheweth himself to such as do not distrust him for froward Thoughts separate from God into a malicious Soul Wisdom shall not enter nor dwell in the Body that is subject unto Sin For the Holy Spirit of Discipline will flee Deceit and remove from Thoughts that are without Vnderstanding and will not abide when Vnrighteousness cometh in Wisd 1 2 3 4 5. And to the same Purpose (d) Quis rerum divinarum Haeres sit Philo p. 404. Philo speaks And for this Reason when Joseph had the Interpretation of Dreams revealed to him (e) See Dr. Hammond on Psal cv 19. the Word of the Lord is said to try him or to purge to clear and justifie him it being evident that God would not in that Manner Inspire one who had been guilty of the Crimes which Joseph was accus'd of It is not to be imagin'd that God should further reveal himself to all such in particular by an immediate Inspiration who have rejected all the Manifestations which he has made of himself in the Creation and Government of the World but that he would reserve these immediate Revelations as peculiar Favours to his faithful and obedient Servants God has sometimes indeed made use of wicked Men Baalam Caiaphas c. as his Instruments both in Prophecies and Miracles to shew that they are at his Disposal and proceed from his Bounty not from any Worth or Merit of Men and that he can over-rule the Designs and Intentions of the worst of Men and make them serviceable to him even against their Will whenever he pleaseth But then these are peculiar Cases in which these Gifts were afforded for particular Ends and for the Benefit of others and the Men themselves were never the better for them But as for the Disobedient St. Paul acquaints us how in the general Dispensations of his Providence God dealt with them God gave them over to a reprobate Mind Rom. i. 28. and he there sets down a Catalogue of those Sins which were the Consequence of this Reprobation The Apostle all along maintains that they had so much Knowledge of God as to render them without Excuse and that they would make no Improvement of it to the attaining the Knowledge of the Laws of Nature first and then of his Revealed Will and it was the just Judgment of God to give them up to their own hearts lusts to abandon them to the Tyranny of their Sins since they would take no notice of his Works and would not abide his Counsels and it must needs have been highly inconsistent to send immediate Revelations or afford particular Inspiration to all such Men as are there describ'd God's Spirit will not always strive with man but he withdraws his ordinary Grace from those that abuse it and therefore it can never be presum'd he should confer higher Favours upon them If Men will believe upon reasonable Motives they have sufficient Means of Salvation allow'd them but if they will not believe without some immediate Revelation they are never like to have that in this World but in the next God will Reveal himself with Terror and Vengeance upon all the workers of iniquity God doth both by Nature and by Revelation provide for the Necessities for the Welfare and Happiness but never for the Humours and Peevishness of Men and those who will not be sav'd but according to some new Way and Method of their own Invention must be miserable without Remedy I doubt not but the greatest Infidels would own that if Christ should personally speak to them in a Voice from Heaven or appear to them upon Earth and grant them that Conviction which he once granted to St. Thomas or St. Paul they would believe in him as these Apostles did But they would do well to consider what Reason there can be why so much Favour should be shewn to those who reject with Scorn and Derision all the Tenders of Grace and Means of Salvation and what Obligation God can be under to save them in such a Manner as themselves shall prescribe who will not be sav'd in his Way and according to the Terms of the Gospel And if God should vouchsafe to make some immediate Revelation of himself to these insolent Offenders and Blasphemers of his Name and Authority how can we be assur'd that they would be converted Would they not rather find out some Pretence to perswade themselves that it was no real Revelation but the Effect of natural Agents or of Melancholy and of a disturb'd Imagination For those who have so long not only rejected that were a modest thing but derided and revil'd Moses and the Prophets nay the Apostles and our Saviour himself would not believe though one should rise from the dead They might be terrify'd perhaps for the present but they would soon stifle
well assured of that in which they agree that is of the Truth of Religion in General and of the Christian Religion in Particular as to the Fundamental Points of it The Differences among Christians may serve to prove to us Divine Authority of our Religion and of the Scriptures which contain it since Christians agree in asserting their Divine Authority and have never been so much at unity among themselves as to be able to agree to corrupt them but have certainly delivered them down entire to us 2. It is not Religion only which Men Dispute about but there is nothing besides in which they have not disagreed It is observed that want of Experience and Knowledge of the World leads Men into more inconveniencies than want of Parts and Abilities And it is as certain that a thorough Knowledge of the Debates and Contentions in Philosophy would sooner cure most Men of their Infidelity than any Arguments could do Those who raise Objections against Religion if they would but consider that almost every thing else has as great Difficulties would be ashamed to reject Religion upon Pretences which if they hold must force them to reject all other things with it and to believe just nothing at all There have been Disputes in all Ages concerning Light and Motion the Wind and Seas and other Wonders of Nature but it would be absurd for this Reason to question whether there be any such thing as Light and Motion and whatever besides Men have disputed And yet it is more absurd if it be possible to allow that is a good Argument against Religion but against nothing else If the Sun yield his Light and Nature go on in her constant Course tho' Men differ never so much in their Philosophy about it what can Religion be the worse for their Disputes no body thinks that he sees ever the less for any Difficulties which have been urged concernning Vision and why should we be ever the less inclined to believe the Truth of Religion by reason of any Controversies in it Men may dispute any thing and there is hardly any thing but it has been disputed but nothing is the less credible for being disputed unless it can be disproved but is rather confirmed and advanced by it Truth is nevertheless Truth for meeting with opposition but is the more tried and the more approved as Strength and Courage is by the sharpest Conflicts Since then there will be Vices as long as there are Men in this World and Differences and Dissentions in Religion as long as there are Vices since they cannot be hindered but by the Omnipotent Power of God and there are great Reasons why he should not interpose to prevent them since Differences in Religion are so far from implying any uncertainty in Religion that they rather prove a Confirmation of it and are in divers respects made useful and expedient to the Edification of Christians it must be great inconsideration and weakness to produce them as an Objection against Religion There must be Heresies and the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter Times some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to Seducing Spirits and Doctrins of Devils speaking Lies in Hypocrisy having their Conscience seared with an hot Iron 1 Tim. iv 12. The Scripture could not be true unless these things should happen which are foretold in several Places of Scripture Behold says our Saviour I have told you before Matt. xxiv 25. it ought to be no new nor surprising thing to Christians to see Heresies arise tho' they be never so wicked and abominable because we are forewarned to expect them and they serve to give a kind of Testimony to the True Religion in fulfilling the Predictions of it They help to prove the Religion which they would destroy For if there had been no Heresies that Religion could not be True which has foretold them but since there are Heresies our Religion is at least so far true as to contain express Prophecies concerning them which we see daily fulfilled and as they evidently prove our Religion true in this particular so they invalidate it in no other Which is the (b) Just Mart. Dial. Answer that the Christians anciently returned to the Enemies of Religion when they made this Objection against it Let us follow the plain the known and and confessed Duties of Religion Humility Temperance Righteousness and Charity and when once we have no Temptations to wish Religion untrue upon the account of the plain Precepts and Directions of it we shall never suspect it to be so by reason of any Controversies in it For if Men will impartially consider things that Religion which has now For so many Ages stood out all the Assaults and Attempts with Enemies from without and Parties within could make against it and has approved it much better and more gloriously than it could have done if there never had been either Heresies or Schisms Let us therefore hold fast the Profession of our Faith without Wavering being assured that the Gates of Hell that is all the Power and Stratagems of Satan shall never be able to prevail against the Church of Christ but shall only serve to add to its Victories and adorn its Triumphs The Malice O Lord and fierceness of Man shall turn to thy Praise And the fierceness of them shalt thou refrain Ps Lxxvi 10. CHAP. XXXIII Though all Objections could not be answerred yet this would be no just Cause to reject the Authority of the Scriptures ALL Objections which can with any Colour or Pretence be alleged have been considered and answered by divers Men of Great Learning and Judgment and several Objections which have made most noise in the World as that about the Capacity of the Ark and others have been Demonstrated to be groundless and frivolous But tho' all Difficulties could not be accounted for yet this would be no just or sufficient cause why we should reject the Scriptures because Objections for the most part are impertinent to the Purpose for which they were designed and do not at all effect the Evidence which is brought in proof of the Scriptures and if they were pertinent yet unless they could confute that Evidence they ought not to determine us against them He that with an honest and sincere Desire to find out the Truth or Falshood of a Revelation enquires into it should first consider impartially what can be alleged for it and afterwards consider the Objections raised against it that so he may compare the Arguments in proof of it and the Objections together and determine himself on that side which appears to have most Reason for it But to insist upon particular Objections collected out of Difficult Places of Scripture tho' they would likewise observe the Answers that have been given which few of our Objectors have patience to do but run away with the Objection without staying for an Answer I say to allege particular Objections without attending to the main Grounds and Motives