to him and Expounding the Scriptures of the Old Testament in such a manner that all that heard him were astonished at his Vnderstanding his Doctrine and Answers His usual way of Teaching the People that believed on him and reproving the Scribes and Pharisees and others that were unbelievers and sought occasion to find fault with what he said was by Parables which were such familiar Resemblances of or Allusions to the common and most observ'd accidents of Life as were more easily apprehended by ordinary Capacities better attended to and remembred and not so liable to Censure and Misinterpretation as plain and proper expressions of the same Truths that were delivered this way would have been But sometimes he both taught and reproved openly without any disguise or reserve and some of his Parables were such as were not understood even by his Disciples till he was pleased in private to shew them the meaning of them and acquaint them with the reason of this part of his Conduct His Answers to those that accused him of any crime as of eating with Sinners breaking of the Sabbath Blasphemy and the like or that sought to entrap him in his Discourse and to find matter of Accusation against him were very surprizing and unexpected and such as always silenced and disappointed his Enemies His Exposition of some parts of the Scriptures of the Old Testament and the Inferences he draws from them seem'd wholly new to all the Jewish Teachers and Expositors that heard him and yet we do not read that they confuted or so much as opposed either his Comments or his Arguments And in fine his whole Behavior and Conversation were so carefully and wisely ordered that though he was constantly watch'd and observ'd by cunning and malicious Men of different Opinions Designs and Interests yet no Man was ever able to convince him either of Sin or Ignorance as is manifest from the Answers he gave to those who Censured or Despised him or thought to puzzle him by difficult Questions and from the whole Process against him when he was condemn'd to die Thus lived Jesus Christ a perfect Pattern and Example of the Religion he established in all Holiness and unblameableness of Conversation shewing in all the Actions of his Life recorded of him an entire Submission and Resignation to the Will of God and exceeding great Charity and Compassion towards Men. And the same reason for which he came into the World and was obedient to the Law of Moses for which he published his Gospel and upon that account endured the Contradiction and Persecution of Sinners was that also which made him lay down his Life and submit to all the Indignities and Torments that accompanied it the only Cause Motive and End of all these Actions and Sufferings of Christ was the love of Mankind As he came into the World to save Sinners so he gave his Life a ransom for many To free Men from Eternal Misery render them capable of Eternal Happiness and to direct and assist them in the way of Salvation was his sole Work and Design These are the largest and most remarkable lines in the Character of Jesus Christ the first Author of that Religion we profess and defend In the next place I shall endeavour to give a short draught or representation of his Doctrine or Gospel or as we now call it The Christian Religion so far as it is plainly delivered in the Writings of the New Testament But all Religion as every one know consisting of Faith and Practice things to be believed and things to be done in consequence of such Belief I shall first consider the Christian Faith and afterwards what concerns the Practice of a Christian The sum of the Christian Faith is to believe in One God such as he is in the New Testament set forth to us and in Jesus Christ his only begotten Son our Lord according to the History and Character before given or whatever else the Scriptures say of him and by Faith in him accompany'd with a Sincere Vniversal and Persevering endeavour of Obedience to the Rules and Laws prescribed by him and a hearty Repentance for the Sins and Frailties we do at any time fall into to expect eternal inexpressible Happiness or in case of Infidelity or Disobedience attended with Impenitency to be assured of suffering Eternal inexpressible Misery in another Life The particular Doctrines which give us an account of these things more at large may be considered under these three Heads God Christ and Man The God proposed in the New Testament to be believed in is represented as a Spirit Invisible Incorruptible Eternal that is that was and is to come Almighty that knoweth all things and yet whose Judgments are unsearchable and his ways past finding out Creator of the World and all things therein who upholdeth all things by his Power in whom we live and move and have our being of whom and through whom and to whom are all things Most Holy Just Righteous and Perfect who is to be worshiped in Spirit and in Truth and with purity of Heart no respecter of Persons of great goodness and forbearance and yet who will render to every Man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Immortality Eternal Life but to them that do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath of whom it is further said That he is the Father the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father a Title he is frequently and peculiarly distinguished by all over the New Testament That he sent his Son into the World to die for us and by him reconciled us to himself That the Sins of Ignorance he winked at but that now at the appointed time when Christ came into the World he calleth all Men every where to repent That at sundry times and in divers manners he spake in times past by the Prophets but in these last days hath spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he hath made the World that he foreknew predestinated and Elected some in Christ and adopted them for Sons to be Heirs of Salvation and to obtain a Heavenly Inheritance all which are said to be Sanctified by the Spirit of God who is often called the Holy Ghost or Spirit and the Spirit of Christ and of the Son in several places of Scripture is joined together with the Father and the Son and frequently talk'd of as a Person acting after such and such a manner as God is in other places represented to do and many of the same Titles Characters and Attributes are ascribed to him as are ascribed to the One Only Supreme God The principal things that are taught us in the writings of the New Testament concerning Christ besides what we have already mentioned in his History and Character are That he came into the World took upon him the nature of Man was obedient to the Law
and his Birth proclaim'd by Angels That his Coming into the World was signified by a Star which brought Wise Men from the East to worship him That mighty Things were immediately before and after his Birth said of him by Angels and Just Persons moved by the Spirit of God From the Birth of Christ 'till he was thirty years of Age very little is mentioned of him besides some Discourse he held with the Doctors in the Temple at Twelve but when he began to be about thirty he was baptized by John who is stil'd his Forerunner that prepared the way for him and at his Baptism the Heavens were opened and the Spirit of God descended upon him like a Dove and a Voice was heard from Heaven saying This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleas'd The principal Things that are afterwards recorded of him are his calling of Disciples and Apostles his Sermons and Instructions to the People his Miracles and Prophecies and his Sufferings Death and Burial with some other remarkable Passages that happened after his Death His Disciples and Apostles but more especially Twelve of them were favoured with a nearer and more intimate Conversation than any of the rest he directed his Instructions to These were the constant Companions of his Labours and Witnesses of his most private Behaviour These he instructed in a more plain and open manner than he did others and communicated several things to Them which he kept secret from his common Auditors and Followers To these he gave a Commission to teach and instruct the Jews and to do mighty things among them while he lived and to preach to all Nations after his Death and propagate his Doctrine with Signs and Wonders He himself is represented as preaching and teaching throughout all Judea and several of his Publick Sermons and Discourses as also many things which he said in private to his Disciples are every where throughout the several Gospels repeated sometimes in short and only the Substance of them sometimes more at large in the same Form and Manner in which they were delivered The Miracles or wonderful Things mentioned to be done by Christ exceeding all the Observation and Power of Mankind are these Fasting Forty Days and Forty Nights together turning Water into Wine Stilling Tempests walking upon the Sea telling the secret Thoughts of Men's hearts curing the Blind Lame and Maimed healing all manner of Diseases with a word or touch of his Garment casting out Devils and unclean Spirits and restoring Men possessed with 'em to their former state of health and sense feeding vast multitudes of People with a few small Loaves and Fishes by his bare Word causing a Fig-Tree immediately to wither great numbers of Fish to be taken in a Net and a single Fish to come to the Hook with Money in its mouth to pay his Tribute with transfiguring himself before some of his Disciples so that they saw the fashion of his Face alter'd and his Raiment chang'd raising the Dead and rising himself after his Burial appearing to his Disciples after he was risen and conversing with them Forty Days sometimes being known by them and sometimes not according as he pleased and at last in their Presence ascending up into Heaven The Matters we find in the Gospels foretold by Jesus Christ were his own Passion Death Resurrection Ascension and Mission of the Holy Spirit or Comforter with several particular Circumstances of them the Persecutions and Sufferings of his Disciples the Death of some of them and the manner in which they were to dye as also their future Glory and Office at the end of the World the Rejection of the Jews Vocation of the Gentiles Success and Continuance of the Gospel or Christian Religion the Appearance of False Prophets and Teachers and False Christs the springing up of Heresies and falling away of Professors the Destruction of the Jewish Temple and Constitution and Dispersion of that whole People with many strange and terrible Signs foregoing and lastly the second Appearance of himself in Glory to judge the World which is set forth in a very large and pompous Description of the whole Scene As to his Sufferings Death and Burial and what followed afterwards which are the next things that challenge our Consideration we read that he was betrayed by one of his Disciples denied by another and deserted by all the rest that he was taken and carried first before the High Priest of the Jews and afterwards before Pilate and Herod that he was scourged mocked spit upon reviled and at last upon false and frivolous Accusations condemn'd by Pilate contrary to his Conscience only to please the Jews and then crucified between Two common Malefactors one of which reproached him the other believed in him while he was upon the Cross the Sun was dark'ned the Veil of the Temple was rent in twain and the Earth quaked and the Rocks rent and the Graves were open'd and many Bodies that slept arose and came out of their Graves after his Resurrection and appear'd unto many his Body being taken down from the Cross unbroken was laid in a Sepulchre hewn out of a Rock with a Stone roll'd to the door of it and the Sepulchre was made sure by sealing the Stone and setting a Watch notwithstanding which he rose again the Third day after he was buried and appear'd to his Disciples and many others But the Soldiers that were appointed to watch the Sepulchre being affrighted by the appearance of an Angel who descended from Heaven and roll'd back the Stone from the door came into the City and shew'd the Chief Priests all the things that were done and had Money given them to say his Disciples came by Night and stole him away after this the Disciple that betray'd him repented of the Fact brought back the Money he had received for betraying him and hang'd himself This is the summ of what is contained in the Four Gospels In the next Book call'd The Acts of the Apostles we find the Eleven who are peculiarly stiled Apostles after their return from beholding the Ascension of their Master assembled together at Jerusalem with the rest of those who were more particularly distinguished by the Name of Disciples where they make choice of another Apostle to supply the room of Judas that had hang'd himself After which choice the twelve being all with one accord in one place they were filled with the Holy Ghost and spake with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance which wonderful Gift of divers Languages was conferred upon them with very strange amazing Signs and Appearances viz. a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty Wind cloven Tongues like as of Fire c. Having received this extraordinary Assistance we find them wholly employ'd in preaching the things concerning Jesus interpreting the Scriptures of the Old Testament with relation to him baptizing in his Name converting People to the Belief of those Facts recorded in the Gospels and the Doctrines built upon them
exhorting Men to the Practice of the several Duties enjoin'd them by God and delivered to them by the Ministers of the Gospel of Christ and bidding them expect Salvation by Christ only ordaining several Persons under different Characters to assist in the Ministry healing all manner of Diseases raising the Dead and doing many other Signs and Wonders where-ever they come and conveying the same Powers and Gifts to others they had received themselves By which means we read that the Gospel was spread and the number of Believers encreased many Churches or Congregations were every where established and the Members of them kept so united by those that were set over them first in Judea and Samaria then in remoter Parts abroad where the Jews were scattered afterwards in several Cities Islands and Nations of Asia and Europe With the Progress of the Gospel or Christian Religion we have an Account likewise of several Attempts made in many Places to hinder and oppose the Establishment of it together with the Sufferings and Persecutions of the first Apostles and others chosen afterwards to be Assistants to them in carrying on the same Work many of which were beaten imprison'd and many other ways afflicted and distressed and some were put to death But a more particular relation is given of the Conversion Travels and Sufferings of Paul all which appear to be very extraordinary Several Discourses of Paul and other Apostles and Disciples of Christ are set down at large Some Prophecies also are mentioned of Holy Men who are represented as being filled with the Holy Ghost and speaking by the Spirit of God and some remarkable Judgments of God upon wicked Persons are there recorded These are the principal Matters which compose the History of the Acts of the Apostles All the following Tracts or Volumes of the New Testament are written in the form of Letters or Epistles sent from such of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ as we find mention'd in the Gospels and Acts and directed some of them to particular Persons some to large Societies of Men of several different Countries who had embraced the Christian Faith In which Epistles are contained most of the same Rules and Precepts that are laid down in the Gospels and Acts many large and particular Explications of several Doctrines there delivered and several new Doctrines which we do not meet with in those Books the Truth and Obligation of all which are frequently enforced by Arguments Most of the principal Matters of Fact recorded in the Gospels and Acts are reserr'd to in the Epistles and alledged as Proofs of the Truth of the Doctrines there taught and of the Authority of the Teachers Here are likewise several new Matters of Fact incidentally mentioned which we do not find in those former Books and some of the Facts there related are repeated here with new Circumstances All the Epistles do abound throughout with Exhortations to a steady Belief of those wonderful things said and done by Christ and his Apostles and to a constant Practice of the Duties enjoin'd by them In several of them there are some Prophecies too intermixed with these other Matters before taken notice of And the last Epistle directed to the seven Churches in Asia which is by a peculiar Title stiled The Revelation is almost wholly prophetical Some of them also conclude with Salutations to and from several particular Persons therein named These are the most remarkable things that occurr to a Man upon reading the Epistles Thus have I run through all the Variety of Particulars treated of in the New Testament But in order to form a juster and fuller Idea of the Subject of this Book 't is necessary to add some farther Considerations not formally express'd in any one particular Volume or Chapter but fairly and evidently collected from the whole Composure or from several plain Passages here and there dispersed through the several parts of it Such as are the Characters of Jesus Christ and his Doctrine of those that believed in him and that assisted him in the publishing and propagating his Gospel and of those that persecuted him and all that bore Testimony to him and opposed the Establishment of his Religion As to the Character of Jesus Christ so far as it can be collected from the several Writings of the New Testament it is in short this His Birth Life and Death were attended with extraordinary Circumstances of different kinds Those who are called in Scripture his Parents are said to be descended from the Family of David the greatest King that ever reigned over Judah and Israel but their present Condition when this Child was born is set forth as very low and the Employment that maintained them then and afterwards very mean but they were Persons that feared God and lived very conformably to the Law of Moses The first Appearance of Christ in the World was prepared accompanied and followed by Prophecies Visions Signs and Wonders Ministry of Angels Adoration of Wise Men Jealousies and Fears of a Great King together with the Doubts Ignorance Amazement Necessities and Flight of his Father and Mother His Education was fuitable to the meanness of his Birth Thirty years were spent at home in Obscurity and Retirement where he was subject and obedient to his Parents but at the same time he waxed strong in Spirit and encreased in Wisdom and the Grace of God was upon him to the Astonishment of all his Kindred and Countreymen who could not imagine whence he had that Wisdom His whole Life afterwards was taken up in preaching and instructing and confirming his Doctrine and Authority by Signs and mighty Works and by Arguments drawn chiefly from the Prophecies and other Passages of the Old Testament He went about every where teaching and doing Good He taught in the Temple and other publick Places of Jerusalem he passed through all the Cities and Villages of Judah and Samaria and the Neighbouring Coasts preaching and expounding the Scriptures to the People in their Synagogues In the Fields the Desarts and upon the Sea-shore we find him attended with great multitudes who heard him gladly Thus was he constantly employed from the first discovery of himself and his Gospel to the World 'till by Treachery and Malice he was apprehended and put to Death In all which time that he publickly convers'd with Men we have a great many surprizing things related of him which do very much distinguish his Character from that of any other Person He is represented as sensible of Human Passions Appetites and Infirmities and yet free from all Sin and endued with a Power of not feeling and relieving those very wants he suffered He loved grieved and was angry but these Affections were occasion'd in him by a just Concern for the Glory of God and the Success of that great Work he came about the Salvation of Mankind and they never exceeded their due bounds He felt Hunger and Weariness yet fasted Forty days and Forty nights together fed vast multitudes and
heal'd all manner of Infirmities by his miraculous Power and when his Disciples brought him Meat he refused it saying he had Meat to eat which they knew not of and that his Meat was to do the Will of him that sent him He lived in extream Poverty and Want He had not where to lay his Head and was destitute not only of the good things of this World but of all the lesser Conveniences of this Life And yet we see when he sent for an Ass and Fole to ride into Jerusalem with the Owners let them go and when he ordered to have such a room prepared for him to eat his last Supper in 't was presently got ready for him and both upon the bare Saying of his Disciples that the Master had need of them His Meekness Lowliness and Humility are very conspicuous throughout his whole Conduct and Behaviour and in several particular Instances as his conversing freely with Persons of the meanest Rank chusing such to be his constant Companions and most intimate Friends declaring that he came to minister to others and not to be ministred to ordering those he cured not to publish what he had done for them refusing to be King when the People would have made him so washing his Apostles Feet c. Notwithstanding which in many other Instances he discovers himself in very signal Characters of Greatness Majesty and Power For not to mention what we have before rank'd under the Stile of Miracles and Prophecies he taught as one having Authority so that not only the People but their Rulers and Teachers were astonished at his Doctrine he reproved the Scribes and Pharisees with Boldness he enter'd into Jerusalem with all the highest Solemnities of Triumph and drove out of the Temple all those that prophaned that Holy House by applying it to common Uses he spake the Word and whoever he call'd immediately left all they had and followed him he took upon him to forgive Sins and he gave his Disciples the same Power as likewise a Power against unclean Spirits to cast them out and to heal all manner of Sickness and all manner of Diseases to tread on Serpents and Scorpions and over all the Power of the Enemy so that nothing should by any means hurt them Besides all which and many other Marks of Greatness Power and Authority that appeared in the Actions of Christ the things which he declares of himself and which are attributed to him by his Disciples give us a much higher Idea of him He says of himself that he is greater than the Prophet Jonah and Solomon he proves that David call'd him his Lord he affirms that before Abraham was he is that Abraham rejoiced to see his day that he is the Christ the Messiah expected and prophesied of the Son of God the Way the Truth and the Life that all things are delivered to him of the Father who was Lord of Heaven and Earth and that all things which the Father hath are his that he and the Father are one that he is in the Father and the Father in him that he came forth from his Father when he came into the World that he is the Bread of Life that came down from Heaven that this Bread is his Flesh which he will give for the Life of the World that he has overcome the World that no Man took his Life from him but that he laid it down of himself and had Power to take it again and that when he leaves the World he goes to his Father He owns that he is a King but that his Kingdom was not of this World He tells us that all Power is given to him both in Heaven and in Earth that hereafter he should be seen sitting at the Right Hand of the Power of God and that he will come in his Glory and all the Holy Angels with him to judge the World that then he shall sit upon the Throne of his Glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations and receive their Sentence from him according to their Works He assures his Twelve Apostles that he will send the Comforter to them who shall teach them all things and guide them into all truth and show them things to come that he himself will be with them always unto the end of the World that whatsoever they shall ask the Father in his Name that he will do that he will prepare a place for them in his Fathers House and that when he comes to judge the World they shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel To all those that labour and are heavy laden he promises that they shall find rest to those that sell what they have and follow him that they shall have Treasure in Heaven to those that love him that they shall be loved of his Father and that his Father and he will come and make their abode with them Whosoever drinketh of the water that he shall give him he says shall never thirst but that water shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life and whoso eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood hath eternal life and he will raise him up at the last day He tells one of the Thieves upon the Cross That he should be with him that day in Paradise and in general to all those that believe in him and obey his Word and Commandments he gives assurance of Salvation and Eternal Happiness in another World besides many other occasional Blessings and Assistances in this and those that will not believe in him and obey his Gospel he threatens with Eternal Punishment in another life and with many Troubles and Calamities while they continue here Agreeable to which Declarations made by himself are the Language and Practice of his Disciples to him and of him in his Life time and after his Death They call him Lord and God Preach Baptize and Bless in his Name and attribute a great many glorious things to him which are in other places in the same Manner and Expression attributed to the One Only Supream God They Worship him when alive with all the external signs of Divine Adoration and Pray to him after his Death and expect all manner of Grace Assistance and Spiritual strength from him here and an Eternal Reward of their Labours Sufferings and Obedience from him hereafter And as these are all Evident Marks and Tokens of an amazing Greatness and Power in Jesus Christ so are all his Sermons and Discourses his manner of Preaching and Conversing and the whole Scheme both of his Life and Doctrine manifest proofs of an extraordinary kind of Wisdom It does not appear from the History of the Gospel or any other parts of the New Testament that Christ had read any other Book but the Old Testament or that he had had the advantage of being instructed in the meaning and sense of that by any Master or Teacher whatsoever yet we find him Teaching Reasoning Answering Questions that were put
them Among the Chief Rulers many believed on him but did not confess him lest they should have been put out of the Synagogue His Country-men acknowledg'd that mighty Works were wrought by his hands but were offended because so mean a Person did them whose Birth Relations and Education they knew The Gergesenes were astonished at the wonderful Things he did though they besought him to depart out of their Coasts And the Devils confessed his Power before they were cast out though he came to torment them before the time A great many were convinced of the Truth of his Miracles but did not hearken to what he taught because none of the Rulers or Pharisees believed on him and because they took him for a Galilean and thought that no Prophet arose out of Galilee Several would not believe on him because they knew whence he was and when Christ came no Man they supposed knew from whence he was though they were thus answered by others who believed when Christ cometh will he do more Miracles than these which this Man has done Some were entirely satisfied of his Miraculous Power by being healed by him as Nine of the Ten Lepers and nevertheless regarded him not Abundance of People accompanied him where-ever he went and were continual Witnesses of the Signs and Miracles done by him and yet followed him not for the sake of them but because they were fed by him And many there were that believed in his Name when they saw the Miracles that he did but Jesus did not commit himself to them because he knew all Men. So that all these bore Testimony to the Truth of the greatest part of Christ's Miracles as well as those who became his Disciples and imbraced his Doctrine But other Miracles there are Recorded of Christ which were done in the presence of his Apostles and Disciples only who already believed on him some of which continually attended him and others of them were very frequently with him Several of these Miracles were done in his Life-time sometimes before the whole Twelve who are peculiarly Styled Apostles sometimes before a Select Number of the Twelve sometimes before a promiscuous Company of his Apostles and Disciples together After his Death he appeared at several times to different Persons and different Companies but his Resurrection and whatever he did or said during Forty Days Conversing upon Earth after he was risen his Ascension into Heaven and Mission of the Holy Ghost with many extraordinary Signs and Wonders none were Witnesses of but his own Disciples and Followers and therefore the Truth of all these Miracles must principally depend upon the Credit of the Disciples of Christ that relate them Besides all these wonderful things immediately attributed to Christ himself we meet with several others in the New Testament which are represented as done by some other Power but are such as have a manifest relation to Christ and are designed to confirm the truth of his Pretences Such were the Appearance of Angels to Mary the Mother of Christ Zachariah the Father of John and to the Shepherds the appearance of a Star in the East to the Wise-Men the Dumbness of Zachariah and other Signs that attended the Birth of John and Christ the Dove and Voice from Heaven at the Baptism of Christ the Darkness Earthquake Renting of the Vail of the Temple and Resurrection of dead Bodies at his Crucifixion Several of these things could not be known immediately to the Evangelists that relate them or to any other Disciples of Christ but to those only whom they are told of and upon their credit we must in a great measure rely for the truth of them but several of them were very publick and consequently the truth of these rests upon the Testimony of a great number of Witnesses besides those that relate them In this manner are the Miracles of Christ and all the Wonders and Signs that accompanied him from his Conception to his Mission of the Holy Spirit upon his Apostles Related and Attested in the New Testament But of the same Jesus Christ who has so many wonderful things there reported of him it is farther testified that he conferred a power of working Miracles upon a great many of his Followers who believed in him and that a great many Miracles were accordingly performed by their Hands In his Life-time 't is said that he gave this Power to Twelve Apostles and Seventy Disciples whom he sent out into all the Towns and Villages of Judea with a Commission to Preach his Gospel to cast out Devils and to cure Diseases and they went about Preaching the Gospel and Healing every where and the Devils were subject to them through his Name This we have their own Testimony for and whoever were Cured or Dispossessed by them and all that saw what they did are so many more Witnesses of the Miracles they wrought but none of the Particular Facts or Circumstances of them are mentioned After the Ascension of Christ we read that the Twelve Apostles being all with one accord in one place received a larger power of working all kind of Miracles by the Mission of the Holy Ghost who according to the promise of Christ was to be constantly with them to guide and assist them in the whole course of their Ministry This Power immediately shewed it self by their speaking in several different Languages before unknown to them the Witnesses of which Fact are not only these Apostles themselves but a great many others that heard them Parthians and Elamites and the Dwellers in Mesopotamia and in Judea and Cappadocia in Pontus and Asia Phrygia and Pamphylia in Egypt and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene and Strangers of Rome Jews and Proselytes Cretes and Arabians who were amazed to hear Galileans speak in their Tougues the wonderful things of God Those also confirm the truth of the Fact who foolishly imputed it to New Wine After this we read of a great many other Miracles of different kinds performed by several Apostles and Disciples who received their Power immediately from Jesus Christ and by the account that is given us of them we find that the particular Facts were more numerous more frequent and more publick then those of their Master Christ himself The time of Christ's Ministry was but Three Years or thereabouts the Exercise and Manifestation of his Power was confined to the Country of Palestine and whatever mighty things he did he did them in his own single Person Whereas the Apostles and Disciples of Christ were a great many all which were constantly imployed in Preaching the Gospel and confirming it every where with Signs and Wonders during the whole course of their several Lives and they performed this Work with Diligence not only in Judea and Samaria but in divers other Cities and Countries throughout the whole Roman Empire By which Account it plainly appears that most of the same Persons who were Witnesses of those Miracles of Jesus Christ were also Witnesses of those
that were done by the Hands of his Apostles and Disciples the truth of which was likewise owned and acknowledged by avast Multitude more both of such as believed the Gospel and of such as rejected and opposed it and violently Persecuted the Teachers of it To omit the Testimony of true Believers thus it is Recorded concerning those upon whom the Gospel of Christ had no Power nor Influence The Rulers Elders Scribes and High Priests among the Jews when they summoned Peter and John before them for curing a Lame Man could not deny but that a notable Miracle had been done by them which was manifest to all them that dwelt at Jerusalem They were afterwards filled with Indignation and took Counsel to slay them because they could not restrain them from doing more Miracles in the Name of Christ but they never questioned the Truth of the Facts Stephen full of Faith and Power did great Wonders and Miracles among the people but he was accused and condemned by the Council of the Jews not for deceiving the People with false Miracles but for speaking things against the Holy Place and the Law for saying that Jesus should destroy that Place and change the Customs which Moses delivered them when at the same time it is said that all that sat in the Council looking stedfastly on him saw his Face as it had been the Face of an Angel Neither had they any Thing to object against his Life or his Works Simon the Sorcerer to whom all the people in Samaria gave heed from the least to the greatest looking upon him to be the great Power of God was himself as well as those that were bewitched by him Baptized by Philip and believed when he beheld the Miracles and Signs that were done But afterwards we find by the wickedness of his heart which he discovered to Peter that he was an Enemy to the true Doctrine of the Gospel Elymas the Sorcerer who was struck Blind by Paul and yet not converted to the Faith is another unwilling Witness of the Power of the Apostles The People of Lystra confirm the same Truth who took Paul and Barnabas for Gods in the likeness of Men by reason of the Miracles they saw performed by them and afterwards by the Instigation of the Jews stoned Paul The Damsel possess'd with a Spirit of Divination and her Masters who saw the hope of their gains gone by Paul's commanding the Spirit to come out of her several Vagabond Jews Exorcists who took upon them to cast out Evil Spirits in the Name of Jesus but suffered very much for the Impudence of their Pretences and a great many other such like were Witnesses of the Miracles of the Apostles who by reason of some wicked or dishonourable Motives rejected the Doctrine they taught or profess'd to imbrace it upon ill Designs or after they had received it made Shipwrack of the Faith Great Complaints of all which sort of Men we find in the Epistles Thus are the Miracles of the first Apostles and Disciples of Christ declared and attested But moreover it is Recorded of them that they had not only a Power of working Miracles themselves but that they were Authorized and Enabled by Christ and his Spirit to convey the like Power to others And accordingly we find a great many Instances in the New Testament where Miracles were wrought by private Christians by Virtue of a Power they had received from the Apostles which was conferred upon them by Prayer and Imposition of Hands After which Actions of the Apostles they are immediately said to be filled with the Holy Ghost and to have received the Gifts of the Spirit which according to the different exigencies of the Church and the different qualifications of the Persons indued with them were divers And among these are reckoned the Gifts of Tongues and of Interpretation the Gifts of Healing and of Miracles which Gifts are said to be very common among the first Converts to Christianity in all places where the Gospel was Preach'd and the same is plainly implied by the frequent Rules and Cautions that are given by the Apostles concerning the due Exercise of them and the fear and apprehension they often express lest the Christians thus impowered should by coveting one anothers Gifts or being puft up with those they were severally possessed of neglect to apply themselves as they ought to do to the Edification of the Church of Christ This is the Scripture-Account of Miracles and these were those wonderful Facts believed by the first Christians their full assurance of the Truth of which was the chief Ground and Motive of their imbracing the Gospel or Doctrine of Christ There were likewise other strange Matters of Fact called Prophecies which were most surely believed among them and which contributed very much to their receiving the Gospel and continuing in the Profession of Christianity without wavering and these I shall consider in the same Way and Method I did Miracles For there are several Prophecies Recorded in the New Testament as uttered by our Saviour himself together with several other spoken with relation to him and fulfilled by him others there are mentioned as spoken by the Apostles and Disciples of Christ who had received the Power of Prophecy immediately from him 'T is plain also from several Instances and Passages in the Sacred Writings that the Spirit of Prophecy was conveyed by the first Apostles and Disciples to private Christians and was very common among them The Prophecies spoken by our Saviour were most of them delivered in private to his Disciples some of which were not written till after the things happened and the truth of these the Disciples are wholly answerable for and some of them were Published in Writing before the things happened and these might then and may still be examined by the Circumstances of them others of them were spoken publickly and frequently before great Multitudes of People as those about his Suffering and Resurrection c. and several besides their being spoken openly in the presence of many were also spread abroad in Writing long before the Events actually happened as particularly that remarkable one concerning the Destruction of Jerusalem Prophecies spoken of Christ in former times with relation to his Person Actions Sufferings and Doctrine with the several Circumstances belonging to the whole Dispensation of his Gospel are to be found written in the Books of the Old Testament which were manifestly wrote long before his coming into the World and are now Extant and might then and may still be compared with those Events related in the New which are pretended to be completions of them And some Prophecies there are concerning our Saviour spoken by Holy Persons a little before and after his Birth and at his Presentation in the Temple as also others concerning John his Forerunner and all the Preaching of John was Prophetical of Christ The truth of all which Matters of Fact does not depend wholly upon the Credit of the Prophets themselves
great variety and disproportion of Faculties and Attainments observable among us a Man may be able by what he knows of himself so far to determine the Limits of Humane Force and Skill as to be firmly assured such and such things cannot possibly lye within the reach and comprehension of meer Man unassisted by any other Being Thus for Example to use the former Instances we are fully and intirely assured that no Man whatsoever barely by his own Power without the Assistance or Application of any other Being can Cure the Sick or Raise the Dead or Speak a Language he knew nothing of just before he spake it or foretell such Events as that of the Restoration of the Jews We may likewise be as fully sure that Persons of such an Education and Course of 〈◊〉 could not possibly of themselves by the force of their own Capacities and Acquisitions conceive speak write or do such and such things in such a particular way and manner as we can suppose or may actually find Whoever therefore believes the Miracles Propheâ—â—s and Doctrines of Christ and his Apostles according to the History given of them in the New Testament must have this assurance that if these Matters of Fact were so as they are there delivered 't is impossible that those Men should be the Authors of them as I shall shew more particularly by considering them apart To begin with Prophecies which have been always reckoned the most unexceptionable Testimonies of an Intelligence exceeding Humane Knowledge If the Books of the Old Testament were writ long before Christ came into the World and all those Passages out of them which we find applied to Christ and the Dispensation of the Gospel in the New Testament 〈◊〉 a designed relation to those Events they are there applied to 't is impossible to imagine that either the Prediction or Accomplishment of them was the effect of meer Humane Knowledge and Power Such a multitude and variety of surprizing Events never before heard of in the World that had no manner of perceivable connexion with the state of things when they were foretold nor indeed at any other time before they happened could not by any force of Humane Wisdom be so particularly and circumstantially foreknown Neither can it be supposed that Christ made all those Relations in the Old Testament pass for Prophecies by an Arbitrary Application of them to such Events as were in his own Power to bring about in such a manner as he thought would bear the nearest resemblance to those accounts of things he found already written for 't was manifestly impossible for Christ to order and contrive the time place and manner of his Birth and all the other Circumstances which attended his coming into the World and yet these things are as particularly and remarkably expressed in the Writings of the Old Testament as any other matters whatsoever applied by Christ to himself and as certainly believed by the Jews to belong to the Messiah before the Pretensions of Jesus Christ were heard of as any other Prophecies that were ever thought by them to concern him If the Prophecies cited out of the Scriptures of the Jews relating to the Death Resurrection and Ascention of Christ the Mission of the Holy Spirit Propagation of the Gospel Rejection of the Jews and Destruction of Jerusalem and the success and continuance of the Christian Religion among the Gentiles were allowed by the Jews of that time to belong to the Messiah when Christ applied them to himself then are they certain Arguments of a knowledge in the Prophets who uttered them exceeding all Humane Sagacity and Foresight But if none of the Jews understood them in that sence or would grant the Passages referred to to be Prophetical of any thing then must the Application of them to such and such future Events by Christ be reckoned as new distinct Prophecies uttered first by himself and so they will be equal proofs of an extraordinary and more than Humane Knowledge in Christ because the Events foretold were such as 't was plainly impossible for Man to foresee or accomplish by his own Power For not to mention the vast unlikelihood there was according to all Humane Measures of Judging that Jerusalem should be utterly destroyed and the whole Nation of the Jews rooted out so soon after the time it was foretold this should happen and in that very manner in which the whole Fact stood described not to insist upon all the amazing Difficulties that might be urged against the success of the Gospel which render'd it in all Humane Appearance a thing impracticable that Christian Religion should so mightily and suddenly prevail and spread by such means and instruments as is foretold it should be propagated by Waving I say all Reflexions of this nature that might be made which are a great many this must certainly be granted that 't was utterly impossible for Christ by any Humane Skill or Wisdom to know that he should rise again and ascend into Heaven and that afterwards his Apostles should receive such Knowledge Courage and Power as to Preach his Gospel boldly indure Afflictions patiently confirm their Doctrine by many Signs and Wonders and Convert great Multitudes to the Christian Faith And if it was impossible for him of himself to know all these things it must be accounted much more impossible for him to effect and accomplish them by his own Power But if it be said that all these great and wonderful Events were really foretold in the Old Testament though so darkly and obscurely exprest that no Man before Christ understood the method and way of applying them right whence had he the Art and Skill of Interpretation This is as great a Mark and Character of an extraordinary and more than Humane Wisdom as Prophesying it self would be But then besides this wonderful Skill of Interpreting he must be allowed the Talent of Prophesying too by reason of several new Circumstances and Particulars relating to those great Events which are plainly and expresly mentioned by Christ and cannot be deduced from any Passages of the Old Testament as will easily appear upon a Comparison of the several Predictions of Christ and the ancient Prophecies of the same Events referred to by him Which Particulars foretold by Christ himself and others afterwards by some of his Disciples and Believers are most of them such as could not be foreseen by any Labour Art or Force of Humane Understanding because they are such Matters of Fact as before they did actually happen no Man without an over-ruling Conviction could possibly perswade himself to believe would ever happen at all much less to expect that others should believe they would upon his Testimony From hence it evidently appears that most of the Prophecies Recorded in the Old and New Testament relating to Christ and his Gospel must be the results of some Higher Knowledge than that of Man because they are such as cannot possibly be accounted meer lucky Conjectures nor skilful
upon the prospect of which the whole Religion is founded might not shock the Faith of Mankind what wiser and more convincing Method could be taken than by various Instances of things actually done in their Presence of as strange and surprizing a Nature as those foretold and some of them of the very same kind as the Resurrection of the Dead Ascension into Heaven c. How I say could Men be better satisfied than by such present Experience of the Divine Power that nothing was impossible to God and that there might be such things in a Future State which Eye had not yet seen nor Ear heard nor had entered into the Heart of Man to conceive Thus have I proved in short that the Prophecies Miracles and Doctrines contained in the New Testament and consequently the whole Christian Religion which were before shewn to exceed all Humane Reach and Capacity did certainly proceed from God After which proof the third thing proposed will be very easily made out viz. that 't is very improper and absurd to ascribe these things to Evil Spirits All that we know of Good or Evil Spirits without Revelation is that there have been some Men unaccountably assisted by some invisible Power to say and do certain things which they knew they could not have said or done without such Assistance that if what was said or done this way was serious and concerning and seem'd to contribute any thing to the Good of Men it was reckoned to proceed from a Good Spirit appointed by the Supreme God for that End if the things said or done were Trifling or Hurtful they were thought to come from Evil Spirits permitted by the Supreme God to Amuse or Punish Men and that Sacrifices and other Religious Rites were performed by the Persons particularly concern'd to express their Thanks to the One or to appease the Other these Good and Evil Spirits being esteemed as Gods of a Lower Order who had different Offices assign'd them by the Supreme In the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament we have a more particular account of Good and Evil Spirits the first occasion of their Distinction and their different Offices and Imployments as such and there we find that what was said or done by Angels or Good Spirits was by the express Order and Command of God and is Attributed to him in the same manner as if it had proceeded immediately from himself and what was said or done by Devils or Evil Spirits was by the Permission of God for the Trial or Punishment of Men. The Power God suffered Evil Spirits to Exercise and the Signs and Wonders he permitted them to do in order to tempt Men from the Belief or Practice of those things he had injoined and commanded them were so easily distinguishable from the positive express Manifestations of Divine Power that any Man was justly to be Condemn'd for being deceived by them For besides that Miracles done by the help of Evil Spirits were Pascal as a Judicious Author well observes always foretold or outdone or both and consequently could never be of force enough to invalidate a Divine Revelation Besides this I say the Works of the Devil and the Doctrines of Devils are so contrary to the Reason and truest Interests of Mankind and so easily known to be so especially when compared with the Doctrine of God and the Fruits of it that no Miracles or Signs whatsoever can be sufficient to establish their Credit And therefore 't is very absurd and contrary to all that the Scriptures inform us of concerning Devils or Evil Spirits to suppose that they should imploy all their Power and Cunning to promote a pure and holy Service of One God and to destroy all the Pretences of Superstition and Idolatry 'T is contrary to all the Policy of the Kingdom of Darkness as our Saviour argues that it should be divided against it self and that some Evil Spirits should disturb and oppose the rest when they are all carrying on the same Work But neither Jews Christians or Heathens ever entertained any such Notions of Devils or Evil Spirits as to make them the Authors of any thing that recommended and establish'd what they call'd Vertue in the World or contributed to the Peace Welfare or Happiness of Mankind 'T is manifest then that such a Scheme as we have seen the Christian Religion is could not be Contrived and Propagated through the World in such a manner by Evil Spirits neither was it possible that the first Preachers and Professors of this Religion should derive their extraordinary Characters from the Possession and Influence of Devils These are such Notorious Truths that there is no need of further Inlargments upon this Head Thus have I finished what I undertook under my Second General and by a full and direct Proof made it very Evident that all the principal Matters of Fact related in the New Testament are true III. I shall strengthen and confirm the same Truth by shewing the improbability and absurdity of a contrary Supposition and the weakness of all the Difficulties and Objections rais'd against the Scriptures and the Matters contained in them which is the third thing I proposed to make good in order to my main Design which is to establish a firm Belief of the Christian Religion and all the Obligations of it It has been sufficiently proved already that if all the common Matters of Fact related in the New Testament or only the principal of them such as have been before mentioned are true in the Manner and Circumstances there set down it necessarily follows from hence that the Miracles and Prophecies there Recorded must be true also and if the Miracles and Prophecies are true they must certainly be the Effects of Divine Assistance and Revelation and consequently the Doctrines delivered by Persons so assisted must come from God This I say has been fully made out beyond all possibility of a a reasonable Contradiction and every thing that could be supposed all the different Accounts that could be given of these Matters in order to invalidate the strength of the Inferences drawn from them have been shewn to be false and groundless The next Pretence which the Enemies of Revealed Religion make use of in the behalf of Infidelity is that the whole Body of the Scriptures of the New Testament are Forged and Suppositious that all the principal Matters of Fact there Recorded with all the Strange and New Doctrines built upon them were purely the Inventions of Men and that the Books were given out by the Contrivers of them as containing the Revelations of God in order to Establish their Credit and Authority in the World This is the worst that the utmost Malice of Scoffers and Unbelievers can suggest but the Folly and unpresidented Absurdity of this Plea will easily appear upon a slight Examination of it For first 'T is very manifest from what has been said already that it has been a constant and universal Tradition in this part