Christ assured them a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Tom. 5. Orat. 2. in Bab. p. 442. they should out do those many miracles which He himself had wrought Ioh. 14.12 which was a promise of so strange a nature that never any person did pretend the like nor could it be fulfilled according unto what these Records have delivered without the greatest demonstration of Christs power or fail of being so without the ruine of that faith which he had planted the rejection of those Histories which spake of its exact completion But let it be considered 2ly That Jews and Heathens their most malitious and subtile enemies confess the thing Act. 4.16 That indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell at Jerusalem and we cannot deny it say the High Priest and Rulers of the Jews The Heathens tell us that they were the greatest 11 Juglers and had 12 received from our Saviour Books which did instruct them in these arts and made them able to derive the cheat unto their followers Nay they 13 acknowledge that at their very Sepulchers were many wonders done 3ly Agreably to these predictions and confessions we are told in the forementioned Records that God confirmed the word of his Grace Act. 14.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 19.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 8.13 Act. 4.23 Act. 9.40.20.10 by doing signs and wonders by the Apostles hands and that these Miracles were not mean ordinary things but mighty that with great power gave the Apostles witness to the Resurrection and that great grace was upon them all The dead were raised by them Tabitha by Peter and Eutychus by Paul and Irenaeus tells us that in his time by the prayers and fastings of the Church the dead were frequently restored to life a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iren. l. 2. c. 56. c. 57. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hereticks saith he for all their boast of miracles they cannot raise the dead as Christ and his Apostles did and as many of the Brotherhood when the necessities of the Church required it have by their prayers and fastings often done Their miracles were wrought at distance and by unlikely and inconsiderable means by Handkercheifs and Napkins which obtained this virtue of doing mighty cures only by being sent from an Apostles hand b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost St Peters shadow healed all that were afflicted with evil Spirits throughout all Ierusalem and all the Cities round about it Their very Sepulchers were instrumental to the working of so many and such apparent Miracles that as their Enemies were forced to confess them so Christians did often 14 plead them with the greatest confidence they were such as conquered and amazed the Conjurer Acts 19.18 19. such as prevailed with the Magicians to burn their Books and make confession of their Practises and own that Doctrine though with the hazard of their Lives which pronounced them guilty of contracting with the Prince of darkness 3ly These Wonders were perform'd by Christians throughout all places of the World in which the Gospel did obtain and flourish St Paul assures us that from Jerusalem Rom. 15.19 and round about unto Illyricum the Gospel had been preached by him with mighty signs and wonders and by the power of the Holy Ghost and both the reason and the necessity of the thing assure us that what was done by him must be done also by the rest of the Apostles and especially by those who were preferred above him by the Church of Corinth and Galatia The Records of the Churches and the Apologies of Christians writ from each corner of the World the Conversion of so many by the Apostles Preaching in every quarter of it Joel 2.28 the Promise of the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon all flesh Acts 2.29 and given to as many as the Lord should call all these and many other Circumstances confirm us in the Truth of this Particular Fourthly This Power of working Miracles was still retained in the World for divers Centuries For the Apologies and Records of the Christians in their respective Ages still avouch and plead them against the Heretick the Jew the Heathen for confirmation of their Faith Irenaeus writing against the Gnosticks Carpocratians and Valentinians asserts That if they truly did what they pretended only yet was it not to be compared with the Miracles of Christ and his Disciples And then he adds a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iren. l. 2. cap. 57. It is impossible to reckon up all the miraculous Gifts which the Church throughout the World receives and exerciseth to the benefit of the Heathens Origen in commendation of the Christian Faith above the Jews Pretensions tells them That b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. in Celsum l. 2. p. 62. since the coming of a Saviour they were left destitute of all the signs of Gods especial Presence with them they had no Prophets nor any Wonders done amongst them whereas the Christians were plentifully endowed with these Gifts of Miracles and Prophesie c Quanti honesti viri de vulgaribus enim non dicimus aut à Daemoniis aut valetudi nibus remediati sunt quando non Geniculationibus Jejunationibus nostris etiam siccitates sunt depulsae Tertul. ad Scap. c. 4. How many Men of reputation for we speak not of the vulgar sort have been freed from Devils by us when is it that our Prayers and Fastings do not cause their dearths to cease So Tertullian Of this miraculous Power the second and third Ages give us instances innumerable Of its continuance in the fourth Century Eusebius and 15 Cyril Theodoret and 16 Augustine are sufficient Witnesses If therefore these were matters which the Jews and Heathens who persecuted Christ and his Disciples do confess if Christians of all places through divers Ages of the World pretended and appealed to them using no other method to convince the World If their Apologies and Disputations with their Adversaries which were so mightily prevailing did bottom on the truth of these Particulars and if those Writings which contained them were universally acknowledged as Divine and absolutely true then must the Miracles recorded in them be Divine and such as they are held to be by Christians Besides the Apostle Paul assures the Church of Rome Rom. 15.15 18 19. he would not speak of any thing which Christ had not performed by him and yet he adds 2 Cor. 11.6 12.12 That he could glory of the grace given to him to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed through mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God And to the Church of Corinth he writes thus That he had given them full proof of his Apostleship that he had fully been made manifest among them in all things that he did not come behind the very chief of the Apostles Which is sufficient to evince that not St
not Sow and Plant and trade only in hopes of an encrease and should not then the hopes and probabilities of infinite eternal Happiness provided for the pious Christian engage us to obey Gods Precepts and to resist all those Temptations which flesh and blood suggests against them If thus to seek the false uncertain Mammon be the great Wisdome of the world can it be Folly to pursue with equal diligence and vigour but with better Hopes the true lasting Riches If then it be but probable that all the world throughout all Ages did not embrace the Doctrine of a Providence without some plausible Inducement so to do If all the primitive Martyrs and Confessors did not suffer for the Name of Christ and all succeeding Generations did not embrace or continue in the Profession of the Faith of Christ without all reason motive or even probable inducement If any of those probabilities we have amass'd together in the close of this Discourse deserve to be esteemed such or any of those Arguments which in this Treatise we have urged be probable then must the Folly of the Atheist be exceeding great and clear beyond exception 3. It must be Folly to renounce that Faith which hath been Generally owned by men of strongest Parts and most discerning Judgments in very many Nations and through many Generations and which delivers matters of so great Moment and Concern that our eternal Happiness or Misery depends upon them till we have used the Greatest diligence to search into the Reasons which induced them to believe it true Let then the Atheist say what he hath done to satisfie his judgment in this great Concern whether he ever did peruse the writings and Apologies of Antient Fathers or the most eminent Divines who have discoursed upon this Subject to the Satisfaction of the knowing World Whether he ever did consult with Persons of the best abilities propound his scruples and consider of the Answers given before he ventured to scoff at and renounce his Faith If not this is sufficient to convince him of the greatest Folly in the World If any that pretends to have used all this diligence and all these Endeavours continue still to question and suspect the truth of Christian Faith and of the Doctrine of a Providence let me intreat him to consider 1. Whether those motives which induce him to renounce a Providence or Christian Faith will not compel him to renounce those things of which he hath the evidence of Sense and Reason to convince him if so we have as great assurance of the falshood of those motives as Sence and Reason can afford If then you do reject a Providence because you are not able to conceive Gods Omnipresence or any other Attribute on which this Providence depends if you renounce the Mysteries of Christian Faith because you cannot apprehend them have you not equal reason to reject the Notions of Infinite unbounded space of an Eternal Flux of Time or an Indivisible Eternity which yet your reason must acknowledge Must you not question the Existence of the Souls of Men and Brutes as being not sufficient to conceive that Spirits if confined to points can performe any of those actions which we ascribe to them or that they can diffuse themselves through Bodies receive impressions from them or make impressions on them or that meer matter should perceive reflect and reason or have any sense of pain and pleasure Lastly must not this Principle oblige you to Question the Existence of all material Compounds For who is able to conceive that Indivisibles can be united or that a Grain of Sand can be for ever divisible and have as many parts as the whole World If you do question or dispute the truth of any Miracle Revelation or Prediction because you are not able to perceive the manner how it was or may be done this will oblige you to denie the Ebb and Flowing of the Sea till you are able to acquaint us with the true Causes of it and to distrust that ever you were born because you never can explain the manner of your own production For as thou knowest not the way of the wind nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with Child even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all things Eccl. 11.5 If you are tempted to disown these Revelations because you are not able to conceive Gods Ends and Reasons in them Why he who hath proclaimed Himself the God of Mercy should threaten an eternal punishment to finite transitory Sins why he should leave the World so long in Darkness and the like Might not a Subject on the like account reject the precepts of his Soveraign because not able to perceive the Wisdome of them or the necessity of all the Sanctions he annexeth to them Is it not certain that if there be a God he must be infinite in his perfections and so incomprehensible and then his Wisdome must exceedingly transcend the reach of finite Apprehensions the Secrets of it must be double to that which doth appear to us and there must be such depths both in his Judgments and his Acts of Mercy as we can never fathome So that unless the Notion of an Infinite and all-wise Being includes a contradiction in the Terms we cannot doubt but that he may reveal what we can never apprehend Besides we cannot understand the Beauty or Wisdome of Divine Transactions but we must be acquainted with the Ends and Motives the Tendence and result of all he doth for otherwise what seems absurd to us may admirably comply with the Designes of Providence what seems confused in the Beginning may conclude in Order and the Greatest Beauty Since then we do not know the minde of God since we are not acquainted with the Designes and Purpose nor are we able to look forward to the Results of Providence it is sure we cannot pass a Judgement on the Wisdome of them If you are tempted to disown the Christian Faith because you are not able to reconcile it to your shallow reason and infirm Conceptions This will oblige you to denie the Being Propagation the Swiftness or Continuation of all Motion it being certain we are not able to give an Answer to all the Arguments produced against the different degrees of Swiftness or the Continuation or the very Being of it or to conceive how Motion can be propagated It is acknowledged that an immediate plain indisputable Contradiction cannot be matter of our Faith or of a Revelation from the God of truth But seeing it is also evident that all matters infinitely great as infinite Duration Power Space and infinitely little as the indivisible parts of Space Time do as much bafle and confound our understandings as do the Attributes of God and do abound with difficulties as stubborn and unweildy as any Revelations of the Gospel do afford it must be rashness to reject these Revelations as inconsistent with the Dictates and Apprehensions of
that Reason which is obliged to own such Notions as do abound with equal if not greater Difficulties And certainly if Mathematicks will afford its Demonstrations pro and con if Matters obvious to sense do oft confound the Vnderstanding it is not to be hoped it should wade thorough the Abyss of infinite perfections and not be overwhelmed and lost 2. Consider whether you have not greater reason to believe these Doctrines then to disbelieve them From what is here discoursed in the introduction it is clear we have as many reasons to assert a Providence as we have reasons to believe that any signal Demonstrations of Gods power have been made by any acts of Judgment or of Mercy in any Parts or Ages of the World or that his Wisdome was engaged in any Revelations Oracles Predictions Dreams or Visions supernatural or in the Production of the World and in the exquisite Contrivance of any Portion of it We have as many reasons to believe a Providence as we have to assert that any good or evill Angels do exist or ever did appear or interest themselves in any actions of Mankind And yet our reasons which evince the truth of Christian Faith are far more numerous and cogent Let then the Atheist view and ponder what we have here produced in confirmation of these Truths and then consider whether his motives to renounce Christianity and to reject a Providence be more numerous and more convincing then what this Treatise offers to establish them If not he must have greater Reason to assert then to disown them and so his Infidelitie must be the worst of Follies Lastly Consider whether he that rejects the Christian Faith must not be forced to believe what 's more incredible then any Mystery contained in it For he must believe that Christ and his Disciples and the Christians of the three first Ages did endeavour to confirm the world in the belief of what they knew to be a lie and consequently that all the Primitive Professors who did so court the Flames and were so wearie of this present life were yet the vilest Atheists as not believing there was any God to punish this their pernicious lye Or secondly that they were all beside themselves that they had lost the principles of preservation and Self Love which Nature hath so deeply planted in the very Brutes and that they made it their designe to ruine and destroy their Souls and Bodys their Friends and their Relations to abandon all the Pleasures of this Life and to expose themselves to all the Miseries that can be incident to humane Nature without any motive but the love of Miserie And yet he must believe that they who did so little understand the common Principles of humane Nature were able to enrich the World with the best Notions of a Deity and of a future State and the best precepts of Moralitie that humane Nature ever was acquainted with And that these Fools had wit enough to propagate their Doctrine and to obtain belief throughout the World maugre all opposition that all the powers of men and Devils could make against them Or 2ly he must believe these Atheists chose to quit their Lives and suffer all the miseries they underwent only to beat down Atheisme and to establish that Religion which bears the Greatest Opposition to all the Naturall results of Atheisme He must believe that what is written in the Books of Scripture and the Apologies of all the Christians and that all that they pretended and appealed to in every corner of the World were but prodigious impudent untruths and that the World was universally induced to Worship a condemned Malefactor as God Blessed for evermore and to embrace the Doctrine of the Cross with all its Disadvantages without a seeming Miracle Or 2ly he must believe that they had no assistance in the Propagation of the Faith besides those arts of Magick in which both Jew and Gentile were more expert then they and which Apostates who were very numerous and frequent learned and ingenious were equally acquainted with and yet that never any of them did attempt to imitate or to disclose their Art or that the world when thus convinced of the Delusion would notwithstanding universally embrace and chuse to suffer for what they knew to be confirmed only by those Magical Collusions which they saw daily practised by Jew and Heathen and in which they were instructed by those very Christians who did so signally condemn those Arts as Devilish and threaten everlasting Misery to all that used them He must believe that all the Records of any signal Judgement which ever did befall the Enemies and Blasphemers of the Christian Faith or any portion of it or of any Mercies Preservations Gifts or Assistances vouchsafed to them in any age or places of the Christian World are void of Truth in every particular He must believe an hundred matters of like nature which this Treatise will suggest And therefore Reader I intreat you to peruse it with that care and diligence which matters of this moment do require and then I hope it may be instrumentall to convince you of and confirm you in the Truth of Christian Faith which is the hearty desire of Your Servant in the Defence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ DANIEL WHITBIE The Contents of the Chapters CHAP. I. WHAT Endeavours have been made to stop the growth of Atheism and Irreligion by asserting an All-wise presiding Power visible in the production of the World What seemeth further necessary to be alledged against the Atheist An Essay towards the eviction of a Providence 1. From the existence of evil Spirits 2. From many signal demonstrations of Gods Power 3. Of his Judgements upon rebellious Sinners And 4. of his power and mercy in preservation of his servants and his miraculous answers to their Prayers 5. From Revelations and Predictions of things contingent in their various Circumstances 6. From Apparitions of good and evil Angels 7. From Dreams and Visions supernatural 8. From things performed by pretenders to Miracles Magicians Witches Oracles Philosophers which could not be effected naturally c. The confirmation of the Christian Faith by what hath been delivered 1. by evincing that Providence hath been engaged for the establishment of some particular Religion in the World 2. That that particular Religion is no other then the Christian Faith pag. 1 2. CHAP. II. That common Prudence would not suffer the Apostles to pretend such things in their Historical Relations of the Life of Christ and in their Epistles to the Churches newly converted as must infallibly disgrace their Testimony and make them appear guilty of Delusion 2. That the Miracles recorded in those Historical Narrations and Epistles if true are a convincing evidence that some superior Power did assist the Workers of them 3. That Christ and his Disciples had no assistance from good or evil Angels to impose upon the World p. 55. CHAP. III. Sect. I. Proleg 4. That Christ and his Apostles did
eyes saw the Power of God so efficacious to heal the sick were struck with fear and extasie and forced to cry out We have seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strange and unheard of Miracles Mark 2.12 Luke 19.37 John 3.2 such as we never saw before and such as onely God could do whence they so freely owned Gods power in them and gave him the glory The Multitude cry out with much astonishment He hath done all things well Mark 7.37 he maketh both the deaf to hear and dumb to speak When they beheld his Power over evil Spirits they were amazed saying Luke 4.36 37. What a word is this for with authority he commandeth the unclean spirits and they come forth Upon all these accounts Mark 1.28 John 2.23 his fame was spread throughout the Regions round about and many who had seen his Miracles believed on him concluding from the wonders he performed that God had visited his people Luc. 7.16 Mat. 21.11 Joh. 3.1 that a Great Prophet was risen up among them and that this Prophet was one sent from God and one assisted by his power that he was the Son of David the true Messiah Joh. 4.29.6.14 the Shilo that was for to come And generally they expressed their confidence and full conviction of his power to work the greatest Miracles The Leaper saith unto him if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Mat. 8.2 v. 8. The Centurion speak but the word only and my Servant shall be healed The Ruler of the Synogogue come and laye thy hands one my Daughter Mat. 9.18 21. and she shall live The Diseased woman if I may but touch his Garment I shall be whole The people of Gennesereth as soon as he was entred into their coasts run through the Regions round about Mat. 14.35 36. Mark 6.56 and carry out in Beds those that were sick to all places where he was And whithersoever he entred into Villages or Cities or Countries they laid the sick in the Streets and besought that they might touch if it were but the border of his Garment and upon all occasions the multitude are flocking after him 8ly His Apostles did avouch with greatest confidence that what they thus ascribed to their Master were things notorious to the Jew and what their consciences bore witness to by these sayings they converted those that heard them Thus in that Sermon of Saint Peters which added to the Church 3000 souls Jesus of Nazareth is said to be a man demonstrated to be the Christ by signes and wonders Act. 2.22 and powerful operations done in the midst of those to whom he spake for which he presently appeals unto their consciences in these words This you also know In another Sermon preached to Cornelius and his Friends he speaks thus You know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing done throughout all Iudea viz. how Iesus of Nazareth Act. 10.36 37. whom God annointed with the Holy Ghost and with power went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed with the Devil for God was with him Now all these things had they not been beyond the possibilitie of just exception are such as could not be delivered in those ages and by those persons by whom pretended to be done and presently obtain upon the Faith of thousands at a bare relation and engage so many of that very Nation besides a world of Gentile Converts to seal the truth of things so hard to be believed and harder to be done with their hearts dearest blood and rather suffer all that malice could invent than disbelieve them Impossible it is that men pretending that the miraculous operations of Jesus were so many that should they all be written the world would scarce be able to contain the Records Job 21.15 That he went about among them doing Good and healing all that were possessed of the Devil and all that were afflicted with any manner of Disease That he did this often in the presence of the greatest multitudes as well of Pharisees and Doctors of the Law as of the ruder sort and commonly upon their persons That by these actions he astonished and amazed his adversaries and forced them notwithstanding all that prejudice they had against him to own him for a Prophet and one sent from God and made them throng and strive to touch him and upon all occasions bring the diseased for cure to him and that even Gentiles did confess the thing I say impossible it is that men declaring that these things were acted and experimented in the places where those persons lived who embraced this Doctrine and for whom those Gospels were indited which contained these things should by such Gross untruths prevaile upon these persons to embrace that story which told these Barefaced lyes for a divine unerring History fit to be sealed with their Blood In a word let it be considered whether any person can imagine this to be the likely'st way to gain a reputation in the World Or whether any reasonable man can think it fit to suffer death in attestation of such things which all his neighbours must know to be untruths or whether he were like to gain belief by doing so And 2ly whether a story of like nature pretended by 12 Quakers to be done in England by one James Nailer or the like were likely to prevaile upon one single person not to say the Nation or the whole world of Christians to desert that Faith they own at present and embrace another which condemns and vilifies it and casts reproach upon the Nation Moreover these Disciples tel us that Christ whilst he continued upon Earth gave them commission to heal all manner of diseases Mat. 10.1.8 and to cast out Devils to raise the Dead and triumph over all the power of the enemy assuring them that neither serpent nor any other thing should hurt them Luc. 10.19 Luc. 9.6 Luc. 10.17 18. Marc. 6.13 And they accordingly did preach the Gospel healing every where casting out many Devils and making Satan fall as quick as lightening from the Heavens rejoycing that evil spirits were made subject to them anointing many with oyle and healing them And that this Power was more abundantly confer'd upon Them and upon their Converts when their Lord had left this world hath been sufficiently shewed in the foregoing chapter and may more fully be evinced by these considerations 1. That they have left on record in the Books they published and committed to their new converts as the Rule of Faith and which were owned by many thousands as Divine Christs Promise that his power should miraculously assist his Church that his Spirit should be confer'd upon as many as the Lord should call and this by virtue of a promise which he stood obliged to fulfil by powring his Spirit on all flesh to make their Sons and Daughters prophesie their young men to see visions and their old men to dream Dreams They gave it out that
believe it nothing besides this power of working Miracles but death and miseries at present which their experience proved to be true I say it is prodigious to think that He and his Disciples should with no other charmes worke such a lasting Faith in all the wisest part of men that neither time nor vice though most concerned to do so should ever be able to deface it And yet what 's so prodigiously incredible must be certain truth or else the Resurrection must be so THE CONCLUSION SHEWING that if what hath been delivered should be only probable yet the Christian Faith must in all reason be embraced as being 1. the safest way and 2ly the greatest instrument of present Happines A recapitulation of the whole with a practical reflection upon what hath been discoursed IF what hath been delivered do not seem to any to carry a convincing evidence let it but passe for probable and that which proves the Christian Faith more likely to be true than false and this will be sufficient plea for the profession of it For were it supposed only such it must in reason be embraced as being the securest way and the best instrument of present happiness And 1 CHRISTIANITY is the best help to present happines because it gives the highest motives to contentment in our present state the strongest comforts and supports against those evils we can fear or suffer the best preservatives and remedies against the terrors of an evil conscience the most effectual remedies against those passions and corrupt affections which impair our health and which disturb our peace and quiet It gives the fairest hopes and promises and so the greatest motives unto love and kindnes as is exceeding evident from Scripture and from what we have discoursed in the 10th Chap. of this Book 2. That Christianity is also the securest way hath been already proved and is invincibly concluded from what Arnobius saith of it See the Preface in illo periculi nihil est si quod dicitur imminere cassum fiat vacuum in hoc damnum est maximum id est salutis amissio si cum tempus advenerit aperiatur non fuisse mendacium Besides all other waies of Worship which stand in competition with it are so absurd or surely antiquated as not to bear the least degree of Evidence compared to the Evidence of Christian Faith and therefore we may rest assured that if there be a Providence it cannot be offended with us for preferring this before them But God may justly be incensed against us for not embracing of the Christian Faith though the Inducements so to do were only probable because we prosecute the most important Actions and Affaires of humane life upon the like Inducements We goe to sea only in hopes of a good Voyage and a safe returne and have recourse to the Physician only in hopes of a recovery and therefore cannot be excused if we neglect to do what we have like or greater reason to believe is both the will of God and that which doth conduce to our eternal happines especially considering that Christianity doth promise greater measures of Conviction and degrees of Evidence to such as do obey its Precepts assuring us that he who doth the Will of Christ shall know the Doctrine whether it be of God or not § 2. IF then it be but probable that Christ and his Disciples were endowed with any Power of working Miracles in confirmation of the Christian Faith that any of them healed diseases cast out devils raised the Dead and whilst they constantly pretended to these things for many generations and in all places of the World and did avouch them with their dearest blood were not the worst of fools and knaves or most deluded persons Or if it be but probable that such Men could never leave unto the world the best and the sublimest Revelations such as outdid the Laws of wisest Nations and all the Precepts of Philosophy such as best serve the present and eternal Interests of Man such as are most consistent with the common Principles of Reason and yet too hard for reason to invent If it be probable that they could never by the bare Assertion of the Resurrection of a condemned malefactor confirmed only by a lye prevail upon the world to owne him for their God to desert all other ways of Worship and to run the greatest risks at present only in expectation of some future Blessing which he had promised in another life If it be probable that such a world of men would never suffer fiery tryals and sundry kinds of death become the scorne and the Ofscouring of the world only to propagate that lye which scarce afforded a temptation so to do If it be probable that any real Judgments were inflicted upon the Enemies of the Christian Faith or upon such as did prevaricate in the profession of it or that the Church and chiefly the Apostles had power to inflict such Judgments and did not terrify their converts vith vain words If it be probable that any Revelations have been ever made in favour of the Christian Cause 1. Cor. 14. 29 30 31 32. and that S. Paul in his Epistles to the Church of Corinth doth not give directions about things of nought and confidently tell them that ever one had a Revelation when no man did enjoy it If it be probable that any Dreams or Visions have been vouchsafed to them or any tokens of divine Assistance under sufferings of wonderful deliverance from them of confusion to their Adversaries If it be probable that the predictions of the Messiah of the Jews were perfectly accomplish'd in our JESUS and that things particularly foretold by him viz. his Death and Resurrection the large and speedy Propagation of the Christian Faith the Miracles of his Disciples the destruction of the Jewish nation however most incredible were most assuredly fulfill'd or that that gift of Prophesie to which so many thousand soules pretended throughout divers centuryes was really vouchsafed to any one of them If it be probable that any of them spake with Tongues and the Apostle did not charge the Church of Corinth with the too frequent exercise of a gift with which they never were acquainted If it be probable that the whole Sect of Christians for three hundred years were neither wicked Impostors nor yet deluded Persons If it be probable that they had no assistance from good or evil Angels to delude the World and yet did things which could not be effected without the aid of some supernaturall Powers If it be probable that both their Gospels and Epistles were indited in that Age they lived in and sent to those Persons to whome they are inscribed and if it be improbable that whilst so many were alive that could attest the truth or falsehood of their story it should though a prodigious and bare-faced lye obtain to be the Rule of Faith I say if all these things are probable then must Christianity
be highly probable and if it ought to be embraced upon the Probability of any one the Probability of all these Circumstances must give an ample confirmation to it and make it needless to insist farther on this Argument § 3. AND now that this discourse may have that Influence upon the Reader which matters of this moment ought to have let me intreat him to consider how much his interest and Wisdome doth oblige him to improve the certainty of Christian Faith into a Christian conversation that soe his knowledge may not aggravate his future doom and render all his wilful Disobedience against the Christian precepts inexcusable The speculative Atheist may have some colour of a plea that his miscarriages were the Result of ignorance not of contempt and wilful disobedience whereas the man who owns the certainty of Christian Faith but lives a contradiction to his knowledge and by his practise gives the lye to his profession he I say can have no shadow of Excuse He must confess his full acquaintance with his Masters pleasure and that his Reason did commend those precepts to him which Christianity enjoyned as things most excellent and certain and infinitely to be preferr'd before those vile affections which stood in competition with them and those enjoyments he preferr'd before them His conscience must accuse him dayly of most strange ingratitude in acting his rebellions against the Majesty of heaven and his dearest Lord it must convince him of his stupidity and folly not only in neglecting of so great salvation but in running headlong to his owne destruction and being at such cost and pains to purchase to himselfe damnation He must acknowledge at the dreadfull day his life was spent in a contempt and full defyance of the holy Jesus and that he still maintained that contempt in opposition to and in despight of the convictions of his conscience the striving of the Holy Spirit and all the motives of his present and eternal interest and then how miserable must is condition be how dreadful but how just his doom The sorest judgments that ever happened to the Gentile world those derelictions which betray'd them to the most brutish and unnatural lusts were the result of sin committed against conscience and truth detained in unrighteousnes Rom. 1. and if to sin against the dim and gloomy light of Nature became so fatal to the Gentile how dismal will the doom of Christians be who sin against the clear Meridian shine of Gospel Revelation For if Christianity be true the disobedient and unbelieving person will be convinced by sad experience of the assured falshood of his infidelity his flattering hopes and false imaginations and be depriv'd for ever of Gods blisfull presence and those comfortable relations which he beares unto his creatures and all those glories pleasures and perfections which the Saints hereafter shall enjoy His soul shall be exposed to that incensed justice 2 Thess 1.8 which shall come in flaming fire to take vengeance on it and to that God who will then stir up all his wrath 9. Rom. 22 23. and make the Greatness of his power known upon such vessels fitted for destruction and he shall find no rest by day or night Rev. 14. xi as being still tormented by that worm which never dyeth and suffering the vengeance of that fire whose smoak ascends for ever this being the avowed doctrine of the first a Cent. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clemens Rom. Frag. Epist 2. Ed. Patricii Junii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Barnabas Ed. Vossii p. 251. Cent. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iren. lib. 1. c. 2. Et l. 3. c. 4. de norma fidei veteri Apostolorum traditione loquens haec habet venturus est scilicet Christus judex eorum qui judicantur mittens in ignem aeternum transfiguratores veritatis contemptores Patris sui adventus ejus Poena damnatorum apud Justinum Mari. dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 41. 46. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 71. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 57. Cent. 3. Post inexpiabile malum saeviens ignis aeterna scelerum ultione torquebit Cypr. l. de laude Martyrii Servantur cum corporibus suis animae infinitis cruciatibus ad dolorem idem lib. contra Demetr Tormentis nec modus ullus aut terminus Minutius p. 39. Si. quis occisionem carnis atque animae in gehennam ad interitum finem utriusque substantiae arripiet non ad supplicium quasi consumendarum non quasi puniendarum recordetur ignem gehennae aeternum praedicari in poenam aeternam inde aeternitatem occisionis agnoscat tunc aeternas substantias credet quarum aeterna sit occisio in poenam Absurdissimum alioquin si idcirco resuscitata caro occidatur in gehennam uti finiatur quod non resuscitata pateretur Tertull. de resurr Carnis Illud tamen scire oportet quoniam sancti Apostoli fidem Christi praedicantes de quibusdam quaecunque necessaria crediderunt omnibus credentibus etiam his qui pigriores erga inquisitionem divinae scientiae videbantur manifestissimè tradiderunt Origenes in Proaemio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Omnis turba impiorum pro suis facinoribus in conspectu Angelorum justorum perpetuo igni cremabitur in aeternum haec est doctrina sanctorum Prophetarum quam Christiani sequimur Lact. l. 7. c. 26. Vide Theophilum ad Autolycum l. 2. pag. 79. Ages of the Church and that which did expose them to the worst of sufferings and the b The derision of their heathen adversarys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Mart. Apolog. 1. p. 47. Hoc errore decepti beatam sibi ut bonis perpetem vitam pollicentur caeteris ut injustis poenam sempiternam Caecilius apud Minutium p. 11. Haec est nostra sapientia quam isti qui vel fragilia colunt vel inanem Philosophiam tuentur tanquam stultitiam vanitatemque derident quia non defendere hanc publicè atque adserere nos solemus Lactant. l. 7. c. 26. Vide Origen in Celsum p. 408. 409. vide not 52. in c. 10. p. 357. derision of their adversaries Besides if Christianity be true then all the blessings it hath promised to the pious and obedient Person must be accomplish'd in their season by the advancement of our weak vile mortall bodies into a state of incorruption power Philip. 3.21 and glory and into the likenes of Christ's Glorious body and by the exaltation of the soul to a capacity of seeing God as we are seen of God 1. Joh. 2.2 and being like to him whose happines is infinite for when he doth appear wee shall be like him by the participation of a superlative exceeding and eternal weight of Glory and the enjoyment of those blessings which neither eye hath seen 1. Cor. 2.9 nor ear hath heard of nor hath thought conceived As therefore c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Gorgiâ p. 312. Ed. Ficin Plato doth conclude his disputation on this subject with this resolution viz. Being convinced of a future state of bliss and misery I bid adieu to the caresses of the world and to the vain applauses of the vulgar and have no other care but how I may appear before my Judge with a soul pure and spotless how I may live the best of men and dye secure of happines So let the Christian Reader be perswaded to improve the confirmations and convictions of the truth of his Religion into a fixed Resolution and sincere endeavour of obedience to the Christian precepts that so he may avoid those dreadful torments and everlasting miseries it threatens to the disobedient and may enjoy that more exceeding weight of Glory which is prepared for the upright Christian FINIS ADDENDA AD pag. 23. l. 16. after as we find this was add Prodigiorum sagacissimus erat somniorum primus intelligentiam condidit nihilque Divini Juris humanique ei incognitum videbatur adeo ut etiam sterilitatem agrorum ante multos annos providerit periisset que omnis Aegyptus fame nisi monitu ejus Rex Edicto servari per multos annos fruges jussisset tantaque experimenta ejus fuerunt ut non ab homine sed â Deo responsa dari viderentur Justin Hist l. 36. cap. 2. Ad Not. 6. p. 34.35 add 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damascius in vitâ Isidori Philos apud Photium Bibl. p. 1038. Errata in the Chapters P 29. l. 14. 1630. r. 1600. p. 96. l. 8. artificers r. artifices p. 107. l. 11. which r. with p. 115. l. 26. master r. matter p. 272. l. 19. want r. wave p. 274. l. 12. religions r. religion In the Annotations P. 124. l. 4. adde faciem l. 9. mutant r. nutant p. 148. l. 6. puris r. punis p. 157. l. 21 22. dele cemma primum tertium quintum p. 181. l. 24. adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 256. l. 4. unde r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 261. l. 22. impium r. Imperium p. 262. l. 8. quis r. qui. There are other small saults which the understanding Reader will easily discern and correct and besides it must be confessed that the references to the Annotations are not always exact but yet you will find the note within one or two figures of the direction