thereof and not leave it to be done by his Heirs or Executors who perhaps will forget it as soon as he is dead What we have here said of Restitution is to be understood of things that are undoubtedly another Man's or Debts that he has legally contracted and admit of no dispute But if it be a doubtful Debt and the Sick Person be able to give a clear account of it he must by all means be advis'd to do it in order to the restoring what is not his own Or if he cannot presently clear the Matter as may happen in the Case of a Guardian to a Minor or a Steward or Agent to One of a great Estate or Dealings he must be told that he ought by a special Clause in his Last Will and Testament to oblige his Heirs Executors or Administrators under a certain penalty to prepare immediately after his Death the Accounts he should have given-in himself had he lived and what shall be found to be remaining due to pay without delay And if he ow'd a clear Sum which he was not then in a condition to pay he ought likewise to oblige his said Administrators to discharge it as soon as may be But if it were at all possible 't would be much better and safer for him to make all those Restitutions himself before his Death than to charge them that come after him therewith Again if the Sick Person be publickly known to have been at Enmity with any one he ought not only to be now in Charity with him but if possible see him and as his Hatred has made a noise in the World so it would not be amiss that his Reconciliation were made before Witnesses to remove the Scandal occasioned thereby And if it was he that gave the first offence to his Neighbour he ought to send to him to beg his Pardon for his misbehaviour and make him satisfaction for the Wrong he may have done him This is meant of publick Injuries But if it be a private Grudge or Spleen Prudence requires That Satisfaction should be made in private and only with the Persons concern'd therein And if he is under an Obligation of repairing the Honour and Reputation which by Slander he may have taken away from his Neighbour let him do it in the best manner he can either by himself or another by word of Mouth or in Writing And Lastly If he has had the misfortune to incur the Publick Censure of the Church he should be exhorted to an humble submission and acknowledgment of his Crime This being over the Minister shall more particularly dispose him to receive the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper preparing him thereto by Acts of Faith Hope and Charity and above all a profound Humility before God who has said by his Prophet That he dwelleth with him that is of a contrite and humble Spirit CHAP. III. Advice to be given to a Sick Person concerning his Relations his Body and his Estate THE Minister having done with the Patient in whatever he thought necessary for the good of his Soul he must now proceed to the advising him to think of his Relations to declare where he will be Buried and to dispose of his Worldly Goods Of which he might have put him in mind before he administred the Holy Sacrament to him But if he omitted it then he ought now to do it and first of all to offer to him the consideration of his Wise and Children especially if the latter be under Age that he may appoint an honest and careful Person for their Guardian whom he can trust with their Education and Estate And in case he has any Daughters not yet dispos'd of that he may leave them according to his Ability wherewith to live either a Single or Married Life as it shall please God to order it And if he has Nephews or other Relations under his Care or Servants he owes any Wages to or is in conscience oblig'd to provide for that he be not remiss in his Justice and Charity to every of them In like manner if the Sick Person has had the Management and Administration of any one's Estate or Affairs or has been in any Publick Employment or concerned in any part of the King's Service let the Minister exhort him strictly to examine his Conduct and Behaviour with relation thereto that if he finds any thing respecting the discharge of such his Duty or Trust that troubles his Conscience he may tell it him or cause it to be told by some body else to the Parties concerned He should be ask'd also what Place he desires to be Buried in in case he has not yet declared it But above all should be desired to prohibit any superfluous Pomp at his Funeral which does not in the least contribute to the Salvation of the Soul but is commonly done by the Friends and Relations out of Pride and Vain-glory Shewing him that a good Christian ought to direct and enjoyn that his Burial be made in an humble and modest and decent manner and at most but suitable to his Quality and Condition In the making his Will and disposing of his Estate let the Minister exhorâ— him carefully to avoid all unjust Partialities which are often-times very ill grounded Or if he has made his Will already 't is fit he be ask'd whether he has any thing to add to take from or alter in it which may be done by a Codiciâ— annext putting him in mind to order therein the payment of his Domesticks Wages and what other Debts he owes If his Estate be so considerable as to admit of Pious Legacies the Minister may shew him the Order he ought to observe herein And much better and safer it would be for him to see the Distribution of his own Charities before he dies than to charge his Heirs or Administrators with them it too often falling out that they prove very hard and backward in the acquitting themselves therein Whereas if he saw the same done in his Life-time the Poor would reap the greater benefit and himself the more satisfaction from it and he might say with St. Lawrence The hands of the Needy have carried up my Alms to Heaven And if among his pious Legacies he designs to found an Hospital or Almshouse or ought of this kind that may remain a Monument to Posterity let him take great care that he does it not more out of Pride and a Vain-glorious Expectation of being celebrated for his Munificence than through a sincere Love to God making him sensible that those Foundations that are laid purely for Charity-sake and the Service of God and true Religion are infinitely more pleasing and acceptable to Him than the bestowing of a Man's whole Estate upon the Poor with any other prospect or intention Upon which the Minister shall advise him to make a serious reflection and to take notice also that though the Foundation of Hospitals and other Places of Charity be a very commendable Work yet the
conjunction with him and giving him an Explanation of its Contents From which if the Patient shall think himself in some measure inlightened but not yet sufficiently acquainted with some certain Articles thereof the Minister may prudently and dexterously instruct him concerning the same without any shew of catechising of him but by way of Prayer exhorting him to say after him Lord I commend my Soul to Thee O most Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity Father Son and Holy Spirit One only God in Three Persons and Unity of Substance have mercy upon me I commit my self to Thee O Father Almighty who hast created Heaven and Earth and all things visible and invisible I commend my self to Thee O Blessed JESU Saviour of my Soul who wast sent from Heaven by the Father Eternal Who wast conceived by the Operation of the Holy Ghost in the Womb of the Virgin MARY Who Suffer'dst Dyedst and wast Buried Who didst descend into Hell and rosest again on the Third Day Who ascendedst into Heaven and art sitting on the right Hand of God the Father Almighty From whence Thou shalt come to Judge all Men who are to rise again in their own Bodies giving Life to such of them as shall have dyed in Grace and adjudging the Reprobates to Eternal Fire I commend my self to Thee Holy Spirit who proceedest both from the Father and the Son and whom together with these Two Divine Persons I adore with one and the same Adoration who inlivenest and sanctifiest One Catholick and Apostolick Church on Earth in which Thou hast ordain'd Two Sacraments for the Remission of Sins and Communion with Thy Self I beseech Thee I humbly intreat Thee through Thine Own Merits O sweet JESU my Redeemer by Thy tender Love and Mercy and by all that Thou hast done and suffered for me to lead me to those Mansions of Eternal Bliss and Glory which Thou hast prepar'd for those that love Thee Amen The same thing may be done also by way of Oblation as I Offer up my Heart and my Soul to Thee O Lord who c. Or by way of Supplication as Have mercy upon me O Lord c. Or Lastly by way of Thansgiving as I thank Thee O most Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost One only God in Three Persons who hast created c. as before The Minister may also instruct the Patient by raising his Hope towards God and shewing him what Father he has by Creation and at the same time explaining to him those Articles of Faith that respect the Divinity Then by shewing him who his Redeemer is and acquainting him with the Mystery of the Incarnation And lastly by telling him who is his Comforter discoursing to him of the Holy Spirit and of the Graces which he communicates to us In like manner may he teach him the Articles of his Belief by causing him to ponder the Benefits and Favours God has done him by representing to him that the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost have created all Things for him and that Jesus Christ who is the Word equal to his Father has been willing to put on Human Flesh in order to his Redemption from Sin and Death and the purchasing for him a Crown of Everlasting Glory All these different Ways of explaining the Articles of the Christian Faith to One that is not throughly acquainted with them may also be very useful to those that are the most perfect therein not for instructing but inciting them to Acts of Faith especially when drawing near to Death it being very necessary at that juncture to fix in the Patient a Belief of those Blessings he hopes to enjoy to all Eternity CHAP. VI. How the Minister is to raise and exercise the Hope of the Sick Person FIRST of all he must examine how his Soul is affected there being three sorts of Dispositions to be found in Sick Persons Some have little Hope with much Fear whether proceeding from a Natural Timorousness and the remembrance of their Sins that perhaps are very many and heinous or from the Craft and Malice of the Devil who having propos'd to them while they were in health God's Mercy alone abstracted from his Justice for the more easie inducing them to a Security in Sinning does now they are approaching Death and Judgment present to their Eyes the Severity of God's Justice unattended with his Mercy to the end he may cast them into Despair concerning their Salvation and so harden them to a thorough impenitence Others there are who on the contrary exceed in Hope even to Presumption as thinking of nothing but the Virtuous Actions and good Works they fancy to have done and regarding only the Divine Mercy and infinite Merits of Christ without reflecting at all upon their Sins or the Judgments denounced by God against them The third and last sort are such as have neither Hope nor Despair in whom it is therefore expedient to excite the former by the Means we shall next endeavour to shew referring it to another place to speak of raising the Hope of the Timerous and moderating that of the Presumptuous As the principal Object of Hope is God He being the Author of that Felicity we look for so there are two Things which the Minister is chiefly to attend to with regard to this Head The one is the raising and fixing the Sick Person 's Hope upon the Glory Eternal The other is the exciting him to a Christian Confidence that he shall attain to it He may raise his Hope and strengthen his Courage by telling him that within a little time the Torments and Afflictions which always accompany this present Life will be at an end He may comfort him also with that which made the Prophet rejoyce namely The glad Tidings of his being now going to the House of God Wherein he shall feel no more Pains nor Cares nor Grief the same Prophet assuring us that no Harms no Sufferings no Torments no Fears shall ever come nigh the Everlasting Mansions Where also as St. John says God shall wipe away all Tears from our Eyes The Minister shall endeavour to lift up his Heart and Mind to the Heavenly Jerusalem that Divine City and sure Refuge from all our Enemies where the World the Flesh and the Devil shall no longer be able to pursue after us and where we shall reap the Eternal Fruits of our Victories over them and be Crowned with immortal Life and Glory It may inspire the Sick Person with some sort of Joy too to put him in mind that he will shortly return his acceptable Thanks to Almighty God for his having led him as it were through Fire and Water into a Place of true Refreshment and Delight Let him repeat sometimes the Words which God spake by his Prophet Isaiah Behold I will extend Peace to them like a River and Glory like a flowing stream that is I will cause their hearts to overflow with joy and tranquility Let him remember with St.
Paul that God's Children have no abiding and continuing City upon Earth but ought to long for the New Jerusalem which is above Let him cry out with David O how amiable are thy Tabernacles Thou Lord of Hosts My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for Thy Courts O Lord For there to dwell but one day or be a Door-keeper in Thy House is far better and more pleasant to me than were I to live Thousands and ten Thousands of Years in the Palaces of Worldly Men. Let him possess his mind with the unspeakable Joy he will feel in the Company of so many Saints and Blessed Spirits that do and shall ever love each other with a most perfect Love that resemble so many glorious Kings who reign not as the Kings of the Earth for a little while and that too in continual troubles and disquiets but in the Kingdom of the Living where there are none but the Children of God and where Sorrow and Death shall never come Let care be used to remove from his Soul all sort of reluctance or difficulty he may conceive of parting with his Body by making him sensible that at present 't is nothing but Filth and Corruption and Weakness and Infirmity and in lieu thereof will rise again all Glorious Spiritual and Immortal Let him be put in mind of what is intimated to us in Exodus That Man shall never see God so long as he lives in the Flesh For as the Apostle saith God inhabits an inaccessible Light That therefore out of this World we must get before we can enjoy that Glory so sull of Beauty and Sweetness the sole fruition whereof makes up the Felicity of the Blessed For which reason it is that Life Eternal is said in the Gospel to consist only in the full Knowledg and Love of God A Bliss so great as no Eye ever saw no Ear ever heard nor has it enter'd into the heart of Man to conceive Such is to be the Felicity of the Elect Who as David saith shall be satisfied and refreshed with those Rivers of Pleasure that continually flow from God as the Well of Life Let him be exhorted to say with the same Royal Prophet Like as the Hart desires the Water-brooks so longeth my Soul after Thee O God! My Soul is a-thirst for God yea even for the Living God O when shall I come to appear before the presence of God Must my Confinement continue yet longer And shall my Soul never be dissolv'd from this Body that she may for ever abide with Christ my Saviour These or the like Sentences according to his discretion the Minister shall make use of uttering them in such a manner as the Patient may distinctly hear them and if he can repeat them after him in order to their making the greater impression upon his mind Thus far of the Means for raising his Hope Now for the exciting his Confidence and Assurance of obtaining the Happiness he is labouring after the Minister may use these three several ways First By moving him to the Exercise and Performance of those good Works and Virtues his Condition shall leave him capable of such as Alms and pious Legacies Wherein he must yet be very cautious how he prompts his Zeal so far as to give any just occasion of murmur or dissatisfaction to his Friends and Relations But let him not spare exercising him in all the inward Acts of Faith Hope Charity and Contrition which no Doubt will give him great Confidence especially if he be fervent and continue in the practice thereof Secondly By Consideration that is fixing his Thoughts upon those things he shall say to him in order to his obtaining this Confidence And here he may entertain him after this manner Though the Glory of God infinitely exceeds your poor Merits yet fear you not God in his Mercy will supply your Defects and support your Weakness and comfort your Heart Be fully perswaded that he to whom Grace and Glory belong will bestow them on you inasmuch as he is infinitely Good and is pleased to make you and all sincere Believers happy You are his Son and He your Father and a Father full of Love and Tenderness who is far more desirous to receive you into Heaven than your self can be to obtain it Why should you therefore at all doubt of your being now going to possess Eternal Joy and Felicity For that alone it was He created you Nor came Jesus Christ to die upon the Cross for any other End than to open to us the Gates of Heaven which the Disobedience of our First Parents had shut upon us He has also wash'd in his Precious Blood the Sins you have committed He has given you his Sacraments and preventing Grace that hath wrought Contrition in your heart so as to make you Heir of his Kingdom Consider that He who so often sought for you during the whole Course of your Life even whilst you despised and highly provoked him will shew so much the more Mercy and Favour to you now that you humbly prostrate your self before Him with a truly broken and contrite heart Again The Minister may comfort the Sick Person and more and more establish his Trust and Confidence in God's Mercy by continuing to speak to him in this sort Dear Brother look-up chearfully towards Jesus Christ and never grow weary of thinking of what he did and suffer'd for your sake for the space of Three and Thirty Years He lived here upon Earth Who though very God and King of Glory was willing to subject himself to pains and contempt and at last to a shameful Death upon the Cross for your Salvation Be you perswaded that so many Sufferings will not be lost but will certainly procure you Everlasting Rest and Glory This All-merciful God who for your sake was pleas'd to take Human Flesh upon Him and hath left a sensible Memomorial of that his infinite Love to you in the Blessed Eucharist In a word who has adopted you to be Partaker of his Kingdom How can he now deny or reject you seeing you so well dispos'd to receive the Impressions of his Holy Spirit and so patiently submitting to all the Afflictions wherewith He thinks fit to try your Fidelity Consider that He is your Advocate and Intercessor with the Father and is prevailing with Him at this very time I am speaking to you for the Pardon of your Sins Apply your self to Him and say O Holy JESU my Redeemer accept I beseech Thee my Love and my Repentance Wash all my Sins in thy most precious Blood Cover my Unrighteousnesses and Imperfections with thy Merits and Righteousness and thus adorned present me unto God the Father that so I may be acceptable to Him for Thy sake and through Thy Dear Self O my Sweet Saviour All these things may be useful likewise to raise a true Christian Confidence in them who are afraid of Death Of whom we have promised to speak by and by Another Means to excite Hope in
by repeated acts to root it in his heart it being the best Disposition he can die in in order to his perfect enjoyment of God after his Dissolution And First For the bringing him duly to consider how much God deserves our Love let him make use of such Words as these Thou knowest Dear Brother that the Sum of all the Evangelical Law is That we should love God with all our Hearts with all our Souls with all our Minds and with all our Strength and this not only with regard to our selves because it is necessary and profitable for us and without which we cannot be happy but also with respect to Him and his Divine Attributes who being transcendently Good and Wise and Almighty and Gracious and Merciful and possessing all Perfections above utterance or Conception it ought to be our great desire that all Men should acknowledge Him for such and pay Him the Honour Obedience and Love due to so Supream a Being Who by his Own Nature and as the Fountain of all Goodness possesses the Virtues of the Saints and Angels and of all other Creatures Visible and Invisible their greatest Perfections how admirable soever they may appear to us being at the best but faint glimpses and reflections of his immense Light and Glory And thus you see how much we are bound to love God for his own sake whom to behold is alone sufficient to make both Angels and Men happy Let the Minister also observe to him that God has even prevented us by his Love and a greater Love than ever Father bore towards Son than ever Friend bore towards Friend than ever Husband bore towards Wife And that upon this account it is He has given Himself the three Titles of Father Friend and Husband to the end that by these endearing Appellations which express the greatest tenderness among Men He might make us sensible how great the Love is He bears towards us If a King that loves his Subjects deserves from them a reciprocal Love 't is surely very fit and just that though we were even vile enough not to love God for his own sake yet at least out of common gratitude we should love Him because He has first loved us Moreover let him be admonished to love God for the Benefits he has receiv'd at his Hand and this under a double Consideration I. With regard to the Order of Nature For his Creation and Being for his Immortal Soul capable of Eternal Happiness for the use and preservation of his Senses for the Rank assign'd all other Creatures in subservience to his Aid Pleasure and Convenience And then let him be put in mind that 't was not for any need He had of him that God had heaped all these Benefits upon him but purely out of an abundant Love and Goodness and for which He expects no return of Profit or Reward but only a mutual and reciprocal Love II. With regard to the Order of Grace That the Father Everlasting forbore not to give his own Son to redeem him from the Slavery of the Devil and perpetual Torments That this beloved Son humbled himself even to the Death of the Cross to purchase Eternal Glory for him That the Holy Ghost has many times been pleas'd to descend into his Soul to purifie it from its Spots and Blemishes and replenish it with his Divine Inspirations That He it is that comforts him in his Sickness that allows him time to prepare himself to die as behoves a pious Christian and has preserv'd him from being snatch'd away suddenly In short let the Minister present to his Consideration the Pleasures which God has provided for him Pleasures so great and ravishing as exceed the power of Mortal Man with Tongue to express or Thought to conceive And from all this leave him to judge with what fervency and faithfulness he ought to love Him Again The Minister may encline his heart to the Divine Love by way of Prayer causing him to repeat after him some Words of the Holy Scripture like these Lord Thou hast said that we ought to love Thee with all our Hearts and with all our Souls Oh! if it be thy blessed Will encrease in me this Divine Charity I feel a great desire of loving Thee and if in this Life I cannot do it to the degree I wish Lord grant I may in the Eternal State For whom have I in Heaven but Thee and whom upon Earth can I desire in Comparison of Thee Thou art the God of my Life and my Portion for ever Grant that I may not only love Thee above all the Creatures in the World but that I may love nothing but Thee and for Thy sake that so I may look upon Thee as my only Good both in this Life and in that which is to come O infinite Goodness Who shall give me power and strength to love Thee infinitely When will that blessed State come that Thou alone shalt have the sole possession of my Heart When shall I be wholly Thine who am by so many ties and on so many accounts bound to be so O let it come that blessed Time when God shall possess me fully and entirely and when I shall be able to offer my self to Him without reserve Lord who hast loved me with an Eternal Love Who createdst me of nothing who savedst me when I was worse than nothing and hast so often restored to me Thy Heavenly Grace when I had lost it by my Sins If I owe my Soul to Thee so many ways what do I not owe Thee for Thy Self who art so Holy and Merciful To the rest of Thy transcendent Favours be pleas'd to add that of inflaming my Heart so as I may love Thee without bounds or measure O Blessed Spirit who art that immense Love proceeding from the Father and the Son Who vouchsafest to fill us with Thy Divine Gifts Encrease I beseech Thee every moment the Love I have and shall ever continue to have for Thee Lastly The Minister shall engage him to a Love of God by some eminent Instances of the Great Love of the Saints towards Him whether from the Lives of the Holy Apostles or other Blessed Martyrs and Confessors of Jesus Christ raising there-from an Occasion of exciting him to Acts of Contrition and the acknowledging himself a miserable Sinner who contrary to the Example of those Holy Men had so often abandoned his God and Creator for the sake of the World and vilest of its Creatures directing him at the same time to lift up his heart to the Eternal Father in these Words Lord who hast prevented me by thy manifold Blessings I own my self to be that miserable Sinner that ungrateful Slave that Wicked Wretch who have despised Thee even Thee my Creator and my Father In the Name and for the sake of Thy dear Son Christ Jesus my Redeemer I implore Thy Pardon O Father of Mercy Wash away all my Iniquities and have mercy upon me Thy poor Creature who am the Work
pleases to lay upon us Which Arguments the Minister may greatly inforce by inculcating to him the Examples of Job the Holy Apostles Martyrs and Confessors and CHRIST Himself Crucified especially by displaying to him the excessive Torments of the Cross and at the same time proposing to his Meditation by way of Prayer and Self Resignation these Words of St. Austin's Lord burn me cut me into pieces scourge me and correct me in this World so Thou pardon me in the next Or these O God who chastisest those whom Thou do'st love admit me I beseech Thee after my Death into the Number of Thy Blessed Children since Thou makest me to endure thy Corrections in this Life My God! and my Father Who art my only Refuge and Defence succour me in all my Afflictions and Miseries either by asswaging and moderating them or giving me strength to sustain the same without repining I thank Thee O Merciful Father for the troubles Thou hast laid upon me Thou that knowest my weakness vouchsafe to fortifie and support me so as I may not fall into impatience and murmur but that I may truly humble my self under Thy Afflicting Hand and wholly submit to Thy Chastisements To which the Minister may still add what other Words of the like kind he shall judge convenient with regard to the Condition of the Sick Person CHAP. XII How those Persons ought to be managed that lie under Temptations against the Faith OF Persons tempted against the Faith there are two Sorts Either they are such as have not a clear apprehension of all that is necessary to be believed in the Law of Grace whom how to instruct we have shewn in the First Chapter Or they are such as are tormented by Satan who is continually endeavouring to cast Doubts into their Minds about their Faith in general or some particular Article of it The former of which Cases being as we have said provided for in the First Chapter we shall here need only to speak to the latter Which the Minister perceiving to be the Sick Person 's shall advise him not to dispute with the Devil whose sole aim is to destroy his Faith Without which as the Apostle tells us it is impossible to please God but humbly to implore the Holy Ghost so to inlighten him as that he may never fall into Infidelity nor the Enemy have any advantage over him Let him cry out with the Prophet Lord thou seest how I am tempted be thou pleased to answer for me Adding thereto if occasion be what is before mentioned in the Fifth Chapter and making an humble Confession of that Faith which is founded not upon human Reasons but the Eternal Truth Which will secure him against all the ill suggestions wherewith the Devil may labour to assault and disturb him and set him entirely at liberty to think of those things that will administer pleasure and comfort to him such as the unspeakable Joys of Heaven which he is hoping for the infinite Love of God towards him and Spiritual Graces He has confer'd upon him And for a yet further diversion of those Temptations he finds himself obnoxious to it may be convenient for him to speak sometimes to those that are present But if notwithstanding all these Precautions he shall still perceive his Faith to be wavering let him first pray to God to help his Unbelief and then protest before Him and all the Standers by that he resolves to die in that Faith which Jesus Christ is the Author of and the Martyrs have sealed and attested by their Blood And here if the Patient's illness will permit it the Minister may offer him some general Reasons to confirm him in the Christian Faith and Religion as that it flows directly from the Divine Wisdom and is not like others grounded only upon Human Arguments but the Authority and Truth of God himself who has been pleas'd to reveal it to his Church But at the same time he must be very cautious of descending to any particular Point least it should provoke the Sick Person to Disputation a thing most dangerous on such an occasion unless he desires to be inform'd about some of the Mysteries of our Religion Which is to be done too in as few words as may be Let him be shewn that the Christian Faith is establish'd upon no less than the Testimony of the Eternal Father who said of Christ He is my beloved Son hear ye him Than the Word of Jesus Christ himself who assures us that his Father and He are but One God and commanded his Apostles to Preach these Truths throughout the World saying that they who believe shall be saved and that there is no Salvation but in Him For the reasonableness thereof he may be refer'd to the Jews themselves who though the very Enemies of Christ gave sufficient Testimony to his Divinity when being astonish'd at the Miracles wrought by Him they openly profess'd that unless a stop was put thereto by securing his Person and forbidding his Doctrine all Nations would believe in Him Nor have their Historians alone but other Unbelievers also own'd the Christian Religion to be of all others in the World the best theirs only excepted which they 〈◊〉 before it either through ignorance or prejudice For indeed what Religion could ever shew such Marks and Tokens of the Hand of God as this of the Christian through the whole Course of its Propagation In its first Institution by how many Miracles was it confirm'd As we find them recorded in the Holy Scriptures by those who were Eye-witnesses thereof and whose plainness and simplicity apparent in all their Relations of the same is proof sufficient of their Sincerity Nor is it less to be admired how succesfully it was Preached and Established by Persons of neither Learning Eloquence nor Authority but on the contrary destitute of all outward Accomplishments exposed to Poverty and the Contempt of all Mankind Who yet by the meer force of Truth reduced both Learned and Unlearned whole Empires and Nations to the same Christian Faith and under which by the special Providence of Almighty God they have for so many Ages been preserved notwithstanding its containing not only Mysteries above the Reach but Precepts again the Inclinations and Passions of Men's Minds In a Word That he need not doubt of believing that which those Blessed Spirits so divinely proclaim'd who foretold the Birth of Jesus Christ and published it with Songs of Rejoycing giving Glory to God and promising Peace to all Men Who also were Witnesses of his Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven That which so many Saints and Holy Men and Women enlighten'd by God have profess'd which such vast Numbers of the Faithful in all Ages have by their Mortification and Self-denial sacrificed the Pleasures of this World to and through the midst of so many cruel Persecutions maintained at no less a Price than that of their Blood as knowing what sure Grounds they were on even the Authority as we have