ratio clara in contrarium affertur etiam ex insitis argumentis in ipsa versione quae magnam ejus antiquitatem testantur suaderi possit in antiqua enim editione non extant Epistola secunda Petri tertia Joannis Judae Apocalypsis Scriptoresque Syritestantur has partes in antiqua editione non versas fuisse unde colligi videtur factam esse antequam Canon N. Test communi Ecclesiarum consensu firmatus esset cum de his Epistolis Apocalypsi certum sit apud Antiquos dubitatum esse Proleg 13. ad Bibl. Polygl p. 91. 8 So carefully sought after As for the Books of the old Test we see what great and early care they took to be assured of their number Euseb l. 1. c. 26. how constantly they perused them and with what diligence they preserved them as from Origen's Hexapla and Octapla may be collected and how unanimously they agreed in the number of them Vid. Dr Cosen's Canon of Scrip. c. 3 4 5. and would they then be less regardful of those Books which the Apostles had delivered them 9 Many fathers had them memoriter Eusebius l. 8. c. 11. p. 336. tells us of one Valens who was so perfect in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being able 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of one John who being blind could when he pleased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb l. 8. c. 13. p. 344. 10 So constantly rehearsed Of this we have a full account in Iustin Martyr Apol. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vide Orig. Hom. 11. in Ex. Hom. 7. in Lev. Euseb l. 6. c. 19. 11 In the objections of their adversarys to whose perusal the Scripture was permitted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iust Mart. Apol. 2. p. 82. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tryph. dial Inspice Dei voces literas nostras quas neque ipsi supprimimus plerique casus ad extraneos transferunt Tertull. Apol. c. 31. 12 The tradition of the Christian World received them for such Non per alios dispositionem salutis nostrae cognovimus quam per eos per quos Evangelium pervenit ad nos quod quidem tunc praeconiaverunt postea vero per Dei voluntatem in scripturis nobis tradiderunt fundementum columnam fidei futuram Iren. vide Orig. adv Celsum p. 120.138 August contra Faustum l. 2. 13 To whole worlds of Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Pet. 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 13 Who questioned their divinity So the Ebionites qui Apostolum Paulum recusabant Apostatam eum legis dicentes Iren. l. 1. c. 26. Idem de Cerinthianis tradit Epiphanius Hear 28. 14 Not denyed to be what they pretended by the Jew or Gentile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom Homil. 6. in 1. Cor. p. 277. CHAP. V. The Contents THE Truth of Christian Faith asserted from the Gifts and Operations of the Holy Ghost in general and more particularly from the Gift of Prophesie and from the Gift of Tongues § 1. HAVING by what is thus premised prepar'd the way we now advance to that most clear and cogent evidence of Christian Faith which the Apostle stiles the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power I Cor. 2.4 and we have ample confirmation of it both from the Gifts and Graces the Predictions and Powerful Operations of the Holy Ghost the Excellency of the Christian Doctrine and its Subservience unto our present and eternal Welfare § 2. NOW that the Gifts and Power of the Holy Ghost were thus engaged to confirm and propagate this Faith will be apparent 1. From that assurance which the Baptist give both to the a Luke 3.16 Jews in general and to the b Matt. 3.7 11. Pharisees and Sadduces in particular that the Messiah would suddenly baptize them with the holy Ghost And secondly from a like Promise which our Saviour made to his Disciples that he would c joh 15.26 send his holy Spirit down upon them and would d Acts. 5.5 baptize them with the holy Ghost and by that Spirit would e Joh. 16.13 shew them things to come and bring to their f Joh. 14.26 and 16.13 remembrance the things which he had spoken and that he would instruct them and teach them all things For had no signal Evidence been given of the completion of these Promises upon the Primitive Professors of the Christian Faith as they pretend there was the Expectation of the Christian would have been entirely frustrated and the whole Story of the Acts of the Apostles have been convinced of Falshood especially Acts 4.31 33. when it so roundly tells us They were all filled with the holy Ghost Thirdly This is apparent also from their confident appeal unto the Testimony of the holy Ghost as a convincing Demonstration of the Resurrection of our Lord. Acts 5.30 31 32. The God of our Fathers hath raised Iesus to be a Prince and Saviour and to give repentance unto Israel and we are his witnesses of these things and so is that holy Ghost which he hath given to them that obey him They spake of this Testimony as a convincing motive to the Prophet or Spiritual Person to acknowledge that what the Apostles writ 1 Cor. 14.37 was the commandment of God and that the Gospel which they Preached was the undoubted Truth and that which was to be retained in opposition to the Law Gal. 3.5 The ministration of the Spirit and Power of working Miracles being the result not of the Law but of the Gospel And lastly This is apparent from the manifestation of this Spirit in the Church of God by gifts of wisdom knowledge 1 Cor. 12.8 9 10. prophesie and the discerning of the mind of God by miracles by gifts of healing and of faith by divers kind of tongues and the interpretation of them by the effusions of which Gifts on Iew and Gentile bond and free 1 Cor. 12.13 they were all baptized into one body and made to drink into one spirit § 3. BUT secondly The Gift of Prophesie affords a second Demonstration of the assistance of the holy Ghost vouchsafed unto them this being represented as a thing common and luxuriant in the Church of Corinth For the Apostle tells them that each man hath his revelation and that they all might Prophesie 1 Cor. 14.24 26 31. he instructs them how and when to use and when to limit and restrain this Gift and chides them for abusing it to the confusion of the Church and the disturbance of her Peace Now Joh. 7.39 since the tenure of the Promise made by Christ of giving of his Spirit to Believers and both the use and reason of the thing did equally concern Believers it may be rationally concluded That this Gift of Prophesie was equally vouchsafed unto other Churches Hence a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iren. l. 5. c. 6. l. 2. c. 57. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Irenaeus tells us That Prophesies and
traditio est quod à Manasse serra lignea dissect us sit Drus observ l. 10. c. 19. Iustin Dial. cum Tryp p. 349. B. Tertull. adv Gnost c. 8. de nat c. 14. Orig. in Mat. p. 225. Hom. 2. in Esaiam Epist ad Iul. Afric vid. de la Cerdam in Tert. tom 1. p. 389. Esay was sawn asunder the Prophet Jeremiah was cast into a noysom dungeon yea so inhumane was their carriage to him Vid. Grotium in Esaiam cap. 53. that some Great men interpret all those passages which were intended by Isaiah to set forth the Passion of our Lord of what this Prophet suffer'd in his own Person But 2ly The Revelations made to Daniel doe more effectually conclude a Providence they being such as did immediately concerne the King of Babylon unfold his Dreames declare unto him that for the space of seven yeares he should be driven from his People to abide with Beasts and feed on Grass like them and yet that afterwards he should enjoy his Kingdome which that it came to pass we are assured not only from the book of Daniel but the concurrent Suffrage of an Heathen a Abydenus apud Euseb praep Evang. l. 9. c. 41. Author Chap. 5th he tels King Belshazzar that his Kingdome was to be taken from him and given to the Medes and Persians and so immediatly it happened his Kingdom being then transfer'd unto Darius Medus and to Cyrus King of Persia of which event saith 35 Abydenus Nabuchadonosor having prophesied disappeared Now here let it be noted 1 that all this is pretended to be done in the most famous Court the World then knew Ezra 4.15 19.5 17.6 1. which kept its Records of all matters of Concern and Moment which occur'd amongst them and with whose Great and most remarkable Affaires the Nations round about must be acquainted and therefore such a Forgery could not have passed without Discovery 2ly That Metamorphosis so full of Wonder and which so much concern'd the Empire could not have been concealed if true nor believed if it had been false 3ly Consider the Events and Circumstances which did attend those things the Advancement of Daniel and his Friends by Nebuchadnezzar the Decree made by him in Honour of his God the Disgrace and Danger of the Magicians who being then and many Ages after in Great Place about those Eastern Monarchs were not likely to have suffer'd this Story in Disgrace of their Profession to have passed without some publick Animadversion if it had not been true Afterwards in Belshazzars time when Daniel seems to have been retired from Court and Business we read how on occasion of the Appearance to Belshazzar and his Disorder thereupon the Queen who is supposed to have been the Widdow of Nebuchadnezzar brought Daniel and his Prophesies afresh into Remembrance how thereupon he was call'd and heard and approv'd and prefer'd what Largesses were bestowed on him and Proclamation made that he should be the third Ruler in the Kingdome all which things whether true or false would appear by the forementioned Records of the Empire Besides these we have in the Book of Daniel sundry other Prophesies which concern the Translation of the Empire of the Assyrians to the Medes and Persians and from them to the Macedonians and what was to be done both by the Lagidae and Seleucidae and particularly by Antiochus Illustris all which were so evidently foretold by Daniel as they did afterwards fall out that 36 Porphyry was forced to say this Prophesy was written by another Daniel who lived under Antiochus Epiphanes and so after these things were done But this he says without all Ground and therefore might have said the like of any other Author and so may any one that pleaseth of the works of Porphyry That Daniel was in high repute even while the Babylonian Monarchy yet stood appeares by those sayings of Ezekiel who was his Contemporary where he ranks him with Noah and Job Ezeck 14.14 and where he says Ironically to the King of Tyre whose City was to be destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar ch 28.2 behold thou art wiser then Daniel there is no secr et that they can hide from thee Besides 37 Josephus tels us this Danicl built a Tower at Ecbatane of a most admirable structure wherein the Kings of Mede and Parthia were interr'd and that a Jewish Priest presided there unto his times as also that Alexander saw the Book of Daniel and was confirmed by it in his Conquests all which adds to the Glory of that Great Prophet and to the proof of that Supernatural Gift which could proceed from no other Cause but a Divine Inspiration § 8. 6ly THE Apparitions of good or evil Angels Ghosts or Spirits to seduce or to instruct comfort or terrify the World do give in Pregnant Evidence that God doth manage the Transactions of it and therefore firmly do evince his Providence Which Spirits had they not antiently appeared to men Moses could not have been so frequent in the mention of them the World could not have been so forward to believe and worship them and through all Ages to assert their Being and pay their Homage to them or think they did 38 preside over each Nation and attend on every 39 individual Person as his Good or evil Genius Their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vid. Stanly Theol. Chald. sec 3. ch 6 7 8. or consultation of the Dead would not have been so common or so famous through the Heathen World nor their endeavors by Theurgick or Telestick Rites to call forth and converse with good or to repel the evil Daemons Of this the Anges which did move the Waters of Bethesda is a most signal Instance for if those Waters had not wrought the Cures that were said to be done by them what could induce the Impotent to wait the motion of them or why should Christians ascribe those Cures to them which had they not been true the Jews of that Age would have eagerly denyed and might have easily confuted but if those Cures were true it is evident they were Miraculous For if the Water did the Cure by any natural Virtue why did it only help the first that stepped in why at such special Seasons only and whence could it derive so Catholick a Virtue against all Distempers § 9. 7ly IF any †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. in Celsum l. 1. p. 35. Dreams and Visions of the Night which were in Antient Times Gods frequent and familiar Way and Method to instruct his Prophets and inform his People and constantly affirmed by the Jewish Prophets and pretended also very often by the Heathens and Of which so many Tracts and Histories are written such numerous Examples given by Jews and Christians also that to conclude Them all mistakes would be to shake the Faith of History I say if any Revelations of this Nature were vouchsafed by God he hereby shews how much he doth concern himself to let us know his Will and
Visions Predictions of things future and Revelations of things secret were frequent in his days and b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. dial cum Tryph. p. 308. Justin Martyr doth attest the same And in c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 5. c. 17. Eusebius we have mention of an antient Author who to confute the Montanist all whose pretended Prophets were Extatick and bereft of sense brings in a Catalogue of the Renowned Prophets of the true Christian Church who never suffered the like phrensies And not contented so to doe he calls for a a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb ibid Succession of those Prophets as a thing requisite in the true Christian Church which had the Gift then ceased could not have been required from its Adversaries without the Greatest prejudice unto the Church of Christ § 4. BUT 3ly Of those Gifts which shew the power of the Holy Ghost engaged to promote the Christian Faith that of Tongues is most illustrious For the Spirit which fell upon the Christian Converts opened their silent mouthes and made them speak the proper Dialect of every Nation under heaven No sooner did an Apostle lay his hands upon a rude illiterate Person Act. 5.8.8.17 10.46.19.6 but he spake with Tongues A thing so requisite unto the speedy propagation of the Gospel which in the space offourty yeares was to disperse it self throughout the World so publick and notorious to all the Heathen World among great multitudes of whome it was dayly exercised they having free admittance unto the Christians publick Service 1 Cor. 14.22 26. and whose conversion was intended by it yea so continually experimented by those Persons who became dayly Converts to the Christian Faith as nothing could be more Act. 2.38.39 All which appeares 1. From that promise which our Lord and his Disciples made that they who believed should speak with Tongues that they who did repent and were baptized should receive this Gift and that because the promise did belong to them and to their Children and to as many as the Lord should call 2ly From that Assurance which the Scripture gives us of the miraculous Completion of this promise to the Disciples at the day of Pentecost in presence of somany Persons of every a Act. 2.5 Nation under heaven Unto b Vers 41.44 3000 Converts at one time to the c Ch. 8.17 Samaritans to the d 11.5 Family Freinds and kindred of Cornelius to e 19.6 twelve Disciples by the hand of Paul to the f Act. 4. Disciples in General and to the Chruch of Corinth in particular amongst whose Gifts are g 13.52 reckoned diverse kinds of Tongues h 1 Cor. 12.10 Cor. 1.14.26 v. 33. with the interpretation of them and amongst whose standing Offices which God had placed in their Church diversities of Tongues are numbred to whom it is objected that when they came together every one had his tongue and that if they proceeded thus to spake with Tongues it would breed confusion Vers 26. and make those Heathens who were permitted to assemble with them conclude them mad and if unto that Church in which the Apostle found so Great divisions Errors and Miscarriages much more to those whose greater Love and Piety gave them a better title to the Gifts and Graces of the Spirits So that 't is justly questionable whether the pregnant evidence of the thing or the frivolousness of the exceptions which are made against it do more irrefragably confirm it For 1. We have sufficiently prevented those who have attributed this wonder to the Devil by Proleg the third And as for others who ascribe it to the strength of melancholy or the diseases of the brain their Phansie seems to have to much of both to merit our more Serious refutation For to affert that at the laying on of an Apostles handes the Preaching of a Sermon the rushing of a mighty wind c. so strange a fit of Melancholy and such unaccountable diseases should seize upon so many thousands and should direct each motion of their Tongues and to assert that this effect should be so proper and peculiar unto the Christian temper as that no other persons should pretend unto it that it should naturally cease when once the Christian Faith had spread it self throughout all nations for t is observable that after Irenaeus not any Father hath made mention of its continuance in the Church and never give the world one fresh experience of its wonted Efficacy is sure an Argument of a more distemper'd Phancy and a deeper Melancholy CHAP. VI. SECT I. The Contents THe veracity of the Christian faith concluded from the deportment of the Christians under sufferings Proleg 4. the Patience and undaunted Courage of the weaker sex from the kindness of the Christians to their persecutors and those indignities they suffer'd from them from Gods miraculous assistance of them under sufferings and Great deliverances from them For had they not been assured of the truth of Christian doctrine t is both impossible they should and inconceavable they would have suffer'd after such a manner An Objection from instances of the like nature answered § 1. A Further evidence of the assistance of the holy Ghost vouchsafed to the primitive Professors of Christianity is their deportment under sufferings their unwearied Patience and unshaken Faith their undaunted Courage under the Greatest pressures and more amazing Kindness to their bloudy Persecutors Which will appear more visible if we consider 1 How 1 great and exquisite the torments which they suffer'd were For it was the business of their Persecutors both to invent the keenest and most confounding Torments and to 2 take care the Christians might still live to suffer them that if their sharpness could not their continuance by degrees might weaken and subdue their Faith And 2ly If we consider the number of their adversaries Quoties suo jure nes inimieum vulgus invadit lapidibus incendio Tertull apol c. 37. Euseb Hist Ecel l. 5. c. 1. l. 6. c. 41. For 3 Jew and Gentile Prince and Peasant the 4 Wisdome of the Wise the Zeal and Fury of the Ignorant yea the whole World conspired against them and that with such an Indignation and impatient rage as could not stay the Execution till sentence were past upon them or let their 5 Ashes rest when they had suffered If 3ly We consider the continuance of those Persecutions for 300 years and upwards And 4ly The Quality and Condition of the Persons suffering they being of all Ages 6 Places and 7 Conditions the soft and yeelding Sex whose weakness and infirmities could not have born much lesser sufferings without some Heavenly power to assist them the wisest 8 sages who could not easily be fool'd into their ruine or perish without Good assurance it was their interest so to doe and on the other hand the greatest Idiots who are most subject to be frighted by
otherwise their hopes lay buried in his Grave and expired together with him After such manifold experience of their Masters power to assist them by an Almighty hand after their solemne protestations made to own him in the sharpest tryals they shamefully deserted him and at first assault betook themselves to their heeles their Prolocutor renounced him and seconded his denyal with an oath they barr'd their dores and hid their heads dreading every thing they heard or saw And can it be imagined that persons so extreamly timerous should hazard their lives to rescue his dead body from the Grave who after all obligement both of faith and duty did so little to preserve him from it against a watch so vigilant and zealously concerned to prevent the mischiefs of a second and therefore more pernitious error After commands so strict peremptory to secure the Sepulcher in vain must they attempt to rifle it which if any say they did whilest the watchmen slept how came they privy to it what credit can their word deserve if whilst they waked what could induce those watchmen to make lyes their refuge and wilfully permit the cheat Besides it is a timerous trade to play the thief much more to rob the Grave of its Inhabitants and they might well expect that vengeance should arrest them in a fact designed to delude the world and to entitle God unto the worst of villanies and hence not only their respect unto their Master but their own safety must have taught them to dispatch their business and not to spend their time in the uncasing of his body and rowling up the Napkins that were about his head and to do things of such needless curiosities But 3ly more incredible it is that persons unconcerned for this Jesus should run so great an hazard or be concerned to remove his body thence or that the Apostles should bottom all their hopes on such a tottering foundation trust to the fidelitie of those men who in this very busines in which their silence could alone befriend them were the worst of cheats T is lastly most incredible that persons of this temper should still go on to stifle and conceal the matter and not be tempted by the pleasure of the thing the service they might do to their Religion the hopes of a considerable reward or by the hatred of a cheat so Gross and palpable to manifest the shame and infamy of those that forged it Besides how could his own Disciples hope by mighty signs and wonders by Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit great numerous to give in evidence unto his Resurrection which they confidently pretended had he been still reserved under the power of death and only by their own or others art reoved from his Sepulcher How is it that they never thought within themselves he could not save himself and whence shall we expect Salvation He could not by his Miracles of power and Goodness prevail upon one Nation to believe his Doctrine and can we though destitute of all that power which resided in him think to reduce the world into obedience or to impart the Holy Ghost to others when we our selves have the Spirit of delusion only Nay might not the example of Theudas Judas and many others both of their own and other Nations all whose endeavours although their hopes and their abilities were greater and their undertaking less proved unsuccesful and ended in the ruine of those bold adventurers be sufficient to deter them from such bold attempts Lo here a testimony which gives the Greatest evidence to it self and yet asserted by such men who neitheir would deceive nor were deceived in this particular and consequenty whose attestation could be no deceit Which that it may appear with greater evidence Consider first That they pretended to many and infallible convictions of the Truth to frequent apparitions of this Jesus attended with some signal circumstance to evidence their truth unto them and gae it out that they conversed with him fourty daies saw many Miracles done by him received instructions from his mouth to feed his Sheep to teach all Nations and Baptize them Yea that they were endowed with power from him to confirm the testimony by mighty signes and wonders and for the truth of this they frequently appeal'd unto their adversaries and the experience of those who did embrace their Doctrines in all which confident appeals and attestations requiring little more then eyes and ears to certifie the truth unto them t is equally incredible they should deceive or be deceived Did they give credit to this Jesus they must conclude him risen according to his own prediction and therefore could not be deceivers in asserting it Did they conclude him an Impostor what motives could they have to publish him the Saviour of the World who after he had call'd them to leave all and follow him and made such ample Promises unto them of Judging the twelve Tribes of Israel left them so sadly in the lurch exposed unto shame and infamy Did they give credit to the Sacred Oracles and reverence the Law of Moses why did they not dread those Judgements which God proclaimed against the false and lying Prophet if they did not believe it why were they so concerned for the Truth of the predictions of the Law concerning the Messias as to assert them with the loss both of the freedome and safety of their lives Should we ascribe the cheat unto the powers of imagination since they pretended to be eye witnesses of the Resurrection and to deliver nothing but what they saw and heard is it not strange to think that Phancy should create a person to them frequently appearing preaching and instructing giveing out commissions administring of holy Ordinances and the like that it should draw them out unto the mount of Olives after an aery Phantasm and then present it carryed up into Heaven In short they were certain his body was not privately conveyed away by their endeavours and that this only was pretended to disgrace their testimony and what could farther be required to assure both them and us that they were not deceived To Conclude If this relation were untrue either they were beside their senses when they did believe or besides their wits when they affirm'd it and did endeavour to confirm what they did not believe with loss of life and fortunes and if so what shall we say to the world of Christians that maugre all temptations to the contrary did stedfastly believe these men who had so little reason to believe themselves It is prodigious to think that a poor ignorant young man of meanest birth and breeding of a most hateful Nation and hated by that Nation to the death because pretending that he was a Prophet sent from God and after this his death only avouched to be so by twelve Fishermen pretending with loud boasts of miracles false as God is true to testifie his Resurrection though a greater falshood and promising to all that would