Miracles do sufficiently prove the Authority of that Doctrin which was delivered by those who wrought Miracles as Christ and his Apostles 2. If there had been the least ground to question the Truth and Authority of these Writings they had never been so universally received in those Ages when so many were concerned to enquire into the Truth of these things for we see several of the Books were a long time examined and at last when no sufficient reason could be brought against them they were received by those Churches which at first scrupled the receiving them And I am so far from thinking the doubts of the first Ages any Argument against the Authority of a Book that by the objections of some against some of them I am thereby assured that they did not presently receive any Book because it went under the name of an Apostolical Writing As I am the more confirmed in the belief of the Resurrection of Christ because some of the Disciples were at first very doubtful about it 6. You may yet ask What doth all this signifie to the Writings of the Old Testament which were written at a longer distance of Time from us and in a more Ignorant Age of of the World Answ. There cannot be a more evident proof of the Old Testament than by the New For if the New be true the Old must be so which was confirmed so plainly and evidently by it our Saviour and his Apostles appealing to Moses and the Prophets on all occasions So that the same Miracles which prove their Testimony true do at the same time prove the Divine Authority of the Old Testament since it is so expresly said in the New That Holy Men of God did speak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost But after all this You urge that you have discover'd such things in these Writings as could not come from God as 1. Contradictions in them 2. Something 's inconsistent with the Wisdom of God 3. Promises made that were never fulfilled 4. Things so obscure as no one can tell the meaning of them Under these four Heads I shall examin the particular allegations you bring against the Scriptures 1. Under the head of Contradictions you insist on the Prophecy Gen. 15. 13 14 15 16. made to Abraham concerning his Posterity compared with the Accomplishment mentioned Exod. 12. 40. 41. And the force of your Argument lyes in this That the Prophecy in Genesis doth imply that the Servitude of the Children of Israel in Egypt was to be 40 Years or 430 saith Exod. but both these are repugnant to other places of Scripture which make their abode in Egypt not to exceed 215 Years or at the highest by the number of Generations could not exceed 350 Years stretching them to the utmost advantage To this which you lay so much weight upon I Answer distinctly 1. By your own confession supposing the 430 Years to begin from the Covenant made with Abraham the accomplishment mentioned Exod. 12. 40. doth fall out exactly in the time of the Children of Israels going out of Egypt for you have proved from Scripture that from the Covenant with Abraham to Jacobs being in Egypt were 215 Years to which you add that Coath being supposed 5 Years Old at the going into Egypt and that at 70 Years he Begat Amram and that Amram at at 70 Begat Moses to which Moses his 80 Years being added makes up the other 215 Years whereby we have the full 430 Years by your own computation Now Sir I pray consider what reason you have to charge the Scripture with contradiction in a Matter your self acknowledges so exactly accomplished in this way of computation 2. But you say the Words will not bear this because they speak of the 400 Years to expire in their Servitude in Egypt Answ. For this we must consider the importance of the Words both in Genesis and Exodus There is not a Word of Egypt mentioned in Genesis but only in general it is said Thy Seed shall be a Stranger in the Land that is not theirs and shall serve them and they shall afflict them 400 Years and it will conduce very much to the right understanding this Prophecy to consider the main scope and design of it which was not to tell Abraham how long they should be in servitude to the Egyptians but how long it would be before his Seed should come to the possession of the promised Land And it seems Abraham by the Question Gen. 15. 7. 8. did expect to have the Inheritance of this Land in his own time To this therefore God Answers by telling him he meant no such thing but it was intended for his Seed and that not suddenly neither for they were to tarry till the iniquity of the Amorites should be full which would not be till the fourth Generation and then his Seed should after 400 Years come to the Possession of the Promised Land but in the mean time they were to Sojourn in a Land that was not theirs and to meet with many hardships and difficulties This is plainly the scope of this prophecy and by attending to it the great Objections presently appear without force for the Land of Canaan notwithstanding the Promise was by the Patriarchs themselves looked on as a Land wherein they were Strangers So Abraham saith Gen. 23. 4. I am a Stranger and a Sojourner with you and which is more remarkable in the blessing of Jacob by Isaac to whom the Promise was made it is said And give thee the Blessing of Abraham to thee and to thy Seed that thou mayest inherit the Land wherein thou art a Stranger which God gave unto Abraham Gen. 28. 4. Where the very same Word is used concerning Jacob that is expressed in the Prophecy Gen. 15. 13. So that the Patriarchs looked on themselves as Strangers in the Land of Canaan so long after the promise made and after the increase of the Seed of Abraham And therefore the land of Canaan was called Terra Peregrinationum the Land wherein they were strangers Gen. 36. 7. 37. 1. And when God was calling the People of Israel together out of Egypt yet then the Land of Canaan was called by the very same title the Land of their Pilgrimage wherein they were strangers Exod. 6. 4. And Ps. 105. 9 10 11 12 13. where we have a full account of the Promise made to Abraham Isaac and Jacob concerning the inheritance of that Land it is said that they were few and strangers in it when they went from one Nation to another from one Kingdom to another People Which doth fully explain the meaning of the Prophecy in Genesis and that it is not to be restrained to the servitude of the People of Israel in Egypt but to be understood of their state of Pilgrimage for 400 Years wherein they were to suffer great hardships before they should come to the Inheritance of Canaan This is no forced or unnatural exposition of the Words as you seem to suggest
he may be trusted or no and for this he can expect no better satisfaction than that his History hath been in great reputation for its integrity among the most knowing Persons but how shall he be sure this was the History written by Thucydides since there have been many counterfeit Writings obtruded upon the World Besides the consent of learned Men in all Ages since we may compare the Testimonies cited out of it with the History we have and the Style with the Character given of Thucydides and the Narrations with other credible Histories of those Times and if all these agree what reason can there be not to rely upon the History of Thucydides All learned Men do acknowledge that there have been multitudes of fictitious writings but do they therefore question whether there are any genuine Or whether we have not the true Herodotus Strabo or Pausanias because there is a counterfeit Berosus Manetho and Philo set forth by Annius of Viterbo Do any suspect whether we have any of the genuin Works of Cicero because an Italian counterfeited a Book De Consolatione in his name Or whether Caesars Commentaries were his own because it is uncertain who Writ the Alexandrian War that is joyned with them By which we see that we may not only be certain of the Fidelity of Persons we converse with but of all things necessary to ouâ— belief of what was done at a great distance of time from thâ— Testimony of Writers notwithstanding the many supposititious Writings that have been in the World But it may be said That all this only relates to meer matters of History wherein a Man is not muâ—h concerned whether they be true or false but the things we are about are matters that Mens Salvation or Damnation are â—id to depend upon and therefore â—reater evidence should be given of these to oblige Men to believe them To this I answer 1. That â—â—y design herein was to prove â—hat notwithstanding the possibility of deception there may be sufficient ground for a prudent and firm assent to the Truth of things done at as great a distance of time and convey'd after the same manner that the Matters of Fact reported in the New Testament are and hereby those general prejudices are shewed to be unreasonable And all that I desire from this discourse is that you would give an assent of the same nature to the History of the Gospel that you do to Caesar or Livy or Tacitus or any other ancient Historian 2. As to the greater obligation to assent â— say it depends upon the evidence of Divine Revelation which iâ— given by the Matters of Facâ— which are delivered to us Anâ— here give me leave to ask you 1. Whether it be any ways repugnant to any conception you have of God for him to make use of fallible Men to make known his Will to the World 2. Whether those Men though supposed to be in themselves fallible can either deceive or be deceived when God makeâ— known his Mind to them 3. Whether on supposition that God hath made use of such Persons for this end those are not obliged to believe them who do not live in the same Age with them If not then God must either make no Revelation at all or he must make a New one every Age If they are then the obligation lies as much on us now to believe as if we had lived and conversed with those inspired Persons 2. That there is no reason to suspect the Truth of those Matters of Fact which are reported in the New Testament For since it is universally agreed among Men that Humane Testimony is a sufficient ground for assent where there is no positive ground for suspicion because deceiving and being deceived is not the common Interest of Mankind therefore we are to consider what the general grounds of suspicion are and whether any of them do reach the Apostles Testimony concerning the Matters of Fact reported by them And the just grounds of suspicion are these 1. If the Persons be otherwisâ— known to be Men of artifice anâ— cunning full of tricks and dissâ—mulation and that make nâ— Conscience of speaking Truth so a Lye tends to their greatesâ— advantage which is too mucâ— the Papists case in their Legends and Stories of Miracles 2. â— they temper and suit their Storâ— and Doctrin to the Humour anâ— Genius of the People they hopâ— to prevail upon as Mahomet did in encouraging War and Lasciviousness 3. If they lay the Scene oâ— their Story at a mighty distance from themselves at such an Age wherein it is impossible either to prove or disprove which is the case of the Brachmans as to their Brahmà and their Veda and was of the Heathens as to their Fabulous Deities 4. If there be any thing contained in the Story which is repugnant to the most authentick Histories of those times by which means the Impostures of Annius have been discovered 5. If there be evident contradiction in the Story it self or any thing repugnant to or unbecoming the Majesty Holiness Sincerity and Consistency of a Divine Revelation on which account we reject Fanatick pretences to Revelations If there were any thing of this nature in the Writings of the New Testament we might then allow there were some ground to suspect the Truth of what is contained therein But I shall undertake by the Grace of God to defend that there is not any foundation for suspicion as to any one of these 1. As to the Persons such whâ— go about to deceive others musâ— be Men that are versed in business and know how to deal with Men and that have some interest already that they have gained by other means before they can carry on such a design as to abuse Mankind by Lyes and Impostures in Religion Therefore the Atheists lay the deceiving the World by Religion to the Charge of Politicians and Law-givers to Men versed in the practice of Fraud such as Numa or Lycurgus or Xaca or Mahomet such as understood the ways of cajoling the People or to subtle Priests that know how to suit the hopes and fears of the superstitious multitude whence came the multitude of Frauds in the Heathen Temples and Oracles But would any Man in the World have pitched upon a few Fishermen and illiterate Persons to carry on such an intrigue as this Men that were rude and unexperienced in the World and uncapable of dealing in the way of Artifice with one of the common Citizens of Hierusalem When was it ever heard that such Men made such an alteration in the Religion of the World as the Primitive Christians did against the most violent persecutions And when they prevailed so much the common charge still against them was that they were a company of Rude Mean Obscure Illiterate Simple Men And yet in spight of all the Cunning and Malice and Learning and Strength of their Adversaries they gained ground upon them and prevailed over the Obstinacy of the Jews anâ—
Wisdom of the Greeks If thâ— Christian Religion had been a meeâ— design of the Apostles to makâ— themselves Heads of a new Sect what had this been but to havâ— set the Cunning of twelve oâ— thirteen Men of no Interest or Reputation against the Wisdom and Power of the wholâ— World If they had any Wisdom they would never have undeâ— taken such an impossible desigâ— as this must appear to them â— first view And if they haâ— none how could they ever hopâ— to manage it If their aim werâ— only at Reputation they mighâ— have thought of thousands â— ways more probable and morâ— advantageous than this If wâ— suppose Men should be willinâ— to hazard their Lives for theâ— Reputations we may suppose withall such Men to have so much cunning as not to do it till they cannot help it but if they can have Reputation and ease together they had rather have it I will therefore put the Case concerning the only Person that had the advantage of a Learned Education among the Apostles viz. St. Paul and whom you seem to strike at more than the rest Is it reasonable to believe that when he was in favour with the Sanhedrin and was likely to advance himself by his opposition to Christianity and had a fair prospect of Ease and Honour together he should quit all this to joyn with such an inconsiderable and hated company as the Christians were only to be one of the Heads of a very small Number of Men and to purchase it at so dear a rate as thâ— loss of his Friends and Interest and running on continual Troubles and Persecutions to the hazard of his Life It is possiblâ— for Men that are deceived anâ— mean honestly to do this buâ— it is scarce supposable of a Maâ— in his Senses that should knoâ— and believe all this to be a cheat and yet own and embrace it to sâ— great disadvantage to himself When he could not make himselâ— so considerable by it as he mighâ— have been without it Meâ— must love cheating the World at strange rate that will let go faiâ— hopes of preferment and ease and lead a life of perpetual trouble and expose themselves to the utmost hazards only for the sake of deluding others If the Apostles knew all they said to be false and made it so necessary for all Men to believe what they said to be true they were some of the greatest deceivers which the World had ever known But Men that take pleasure in deceiving make use of many artifices on purpose to catch the silly multitude they have all the arts of Insinuation and Fawning Speeches fit to draw in the weakest and such as love to be flatter'd but what is there tending this way in all the Apostles Writings How sharply do they speak to the Jewish Sanhedrin upon the Murther of Christ With what plainness and simplicity do they go about to perswade Men to be Christians They barely tell the Matters of Fact concerning the Resurrection of Christ and say they were eye-witnesses of it and upon the credit of this Testimony of theirs they Preach Faith and Repentance to Jews and Gentiles Was ever any thing farther from the appearance of Artifice than this was So that if they were deceivers they were some of the Subtilest that ever were in the World because there seems to be so little ground for any suspicion of Fraud and we cannot easily imagin Persons of their Education capable of so profound dissimulation and so artificial a Cheat. Besides all this we are to consider how far such Persons do allow the liberty of dissimulation and artificial Juglings especially in Religion we see the Papists could not practice these things without being forced to defend them by shewing how convenient it is for the People to be told strange Stories of Saints on purpose to nourish Devotion in them To which end they say it signifies not much whether they were true or no And withall they assert the Lawfulness of Equivocations and Mental Reservations and doing things not otherwise justifiable for the Honour of their Church and Religion And I shall freely confess to you if I found any countenance to such things as these from the Doctrin or Practice of the Apostles it would give me too just a ground for suspicion as to what they deliver'd For if they allowed Equivocations or Mental Reservations how could I possibly know what they meant by any thing they said For that which was necessary to make the Proposition true lay without my reach in the Mind of another and while they so firmly attested that Christ was risen from the Dead they might understand it of a Spiritual or Mystical Resurrection but if they should be found to allow Lying or Cheating for the cause of Religion their credit would be gone with me for how could I be any longer sure of the Truth of one Word they said I should be so far from thinking them Infallible that I could not but suspect them to have a design to deceive me The first thing therefore we are to look at in Persons who require our belief is the strictest veracity if they falter in this they expose themselves to the suspicion of all but credulous Fools But we no where find greater plainness and sincerity required no where more strict and severe prohibitions of dissimulation in Religion nor more general Precepts about speaking Truth than in the Writings of the New Testament But might not all this be done with the greater artifice to prevent suspicion Suspicion is a thing which he that set bounds to the Sea can set no bounds to if Men will give way to it without reason there can be no end of it For the most effectual ways to prevent it will still afford new matter and occasion for it If Men do use the utmost means that are possible to assure others of their sincerity and they will not believe them but still suspect the design to be so much deeper laid there is no way left possible to satisfy such Men their suspicion is a disease incurable by rational means and such persons deserve to be given over as past all remedy If Men act like prudent Men they will judge according to the Reason of Things but if they entertain a jealousie of all Mankind and the most of those who give them the greatest assurance they have no Intention to deceive them it is to no purpose to go about to satisfie such Persons for that very undertaking makes them more suspicious If the Apostles therefore gave as much ground as ever any Persons did or could do that they had no design to impose upon the World but proceeding with all the fairness and openness with the greatest evidence of their sincerity there can be no reason to fasten upon them the imputation of cunning Men who made it their business to deceive others 2. This will more appear if we consider the Matters deliver'd by them and the nature of their Doctrin
For if the Christian Religion were only a contrivance of the first Preachers of it it must by the event be supposed that they were very subtle Men who in so little time and against so great opposition could prevail over both Jews and Gentiles but if we reflect on the nature of their Doctrin we can never imagin that these Men did proceed by the same Methods that Men of subtilty do make use of If it were there own contrivance it was in their power to have framed it as they thought fit themselves and in all probability they would have done it in a way most likely to be successful but the Christian Religion was so far from it as though they had industriously designed to advance a Religion against the genius and inclination of all Mankind For it neither gratifies the voluptuous in their Pleasures nor the Ambitious in their desires of External Pomp and Greatness nor the Covetous in their thirst after Riches but lays a severe restraint on all those common and prevailing Passions of Mankind which Mahomet well understood when he suited his Religion to them Christianity was neither accommodated to the Temper and Genius either of Jews or Gentiles The Jews were in great expectation of a Temporal Prince at that time to deliver them from the Roman Slavery and every one that would have set up for such a Messias might have had followers enough among them as we find afterwards by the attempts of Barchocebas and others But the Messias of the Christians was so directly contrary to their hopes and expectations being a poor and suffering Prince that this set them the more against his Followers because they were hereby frustrated of their greatest hopes and defeated in their most pleasing expectations But besides if they would have taken in the Mosaick Law it might in probability have succeeded better but this St. Paul would by no means hear of But if they rejected the Jews methinks they should have been willing to have had some assistance from the Gentiles No they charged them with Idolatry where ever they came and would not joyn in any parts of their Worship with them nor so much as Eat of the remainder of their Sacrifices But supposing they had a mind to set up wholly a new Sect of their own yet we should think they should have framed it after the most plausible manner and left out all things thar were most liable to Reproach and Infamy But this they were so far from that the most contemptible part of the Christian Religion viz. A Crucified Saviour they insist the most upon and Preach it on all occasions and in comparison of it strangely despise all the Wisdom and Philosophy of the Greeks What did these Men mean if Christianity had been only a contrivance of theirs If they had but left out this one circumstance in all Human probability the excellent moral Precepts in Christianity would have been highly magnified among all those who had been bred up under the Instructions of Philosophers Nay they would not make use of the most commendable Methods of Humane Wisdom nor do as the Jesuits have done in China make Men have a better opinion of the Religion they brought for their skill in Mathematicks and Astronomy but as much as it was possible to let the World see it was no contrivance of Humane Wisdom they shunned all the ways of shewing it in the manner of its propagation Nay when the People would have given the Apostles Divine Worship never were vain Men more concerned to have it than they to oppose it And do these things look like the Actions of Men that designed only to make themselves great by being the Heads of a new Sect of Religion 3. Men that made it their design to deceive the World if they had thought it necessary to bring in any matter of Story concerning the Author of their Religion would have placed it at such a distance of time that it was not capable of being disproved As it is apparent in the Heathen Mythologie for the Stories were such as no person could ever pretend to confute them otherwise than by the inconsistency of them with the common principles of Religion But if we suppose Christianity to have been a meer device would the Apostles have been so senseless to have laid the main proof of their Religion on a thing which was but newly acted and which they were very capable of enquiring into all the Circumstances that related to it viz. the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead We may see by the whole design of the New Testament the great stress of Christianity was laid upon the Truth of this to this Christ himself appealed before hand to this all the Apostles refer as the mighty confirmation of their Religion and this they deliver as a thing which themselves had seen and had conversed with him for 40 Days together with all the demonstrations imaginable of a true and real Body And that not to one or two credulous Persons but so many of them who were hard to be satisfied and one not without the most sensible evidence but besides these they tell us of 500 at once who saw him whereof many were then living when those things were written Now I pray tell me what Religion in the World ever put it self upon so fair a tryal as this Of a plain Matter of Fact as capable of being attested as any could be Why did not Amida or Brahma or Xaca or any other of the Authors of the present Religions of the East Indies Why did not Orpheus or Numa or any other introducers of Religious Customa among the Greeks or Romans Or Mahomet among the Arabians put the issue of the Truth of their Religion on such a plain and easie tryal as this If you say That Christ appeared only to his Friends who were ready to believe such things and not among his Enemies I Answer That though they were his Friends yet they were very hard to be perswaded of the truth of it at first and afterwards gave larger Testimonies of their fidelity than the Testimony of the greatest Enemies would have been for we should have had only their bare Words for it if they would have given that which is very questionable considering their dealing with the other Miracles of Christ But the Apostles manifested their sincerity by all real proofs that could be thought sufficient to satisfie Mankind appealing to the very Persons who were concerned the most in it having a hand in the Death of Christ declaring their greatest readiness to suffer any thing rather than deny the Truth of it and laying down their Lives at last for it If all this had been a meer Fiction how unlikely is it that among so many as were conscious of it no one person by hopes or fears by flatteries or threatnings could ever be prevailed upon to deny the Truth of it If there had been any such thing what triumphing had there been among the
art and subtilty and therefore God made choice of many to write and at several times that by comparing them we may see how far they were from contriving together and yet how exactly they agree in all things which Men are concerned to believe But you say We have many infirmities of the Apostles discovered therein their heats and animosities one against another But I pray consider 1. How came you to know these things Is it not by their own Writings And if they had been such who minded only their applause had it not been as easie to have concealed these things and would they not certainly have done it if that had been their aim If St. Paul seems to boast doth he not do it with that constraint to himself as a Man that is forced to do it for his own vindication against malicious Enemies And who ever denyed a Man of a generous mind the liberty of speaking for himself 2. But suppose they had infirmities and heats among them doth this prove that God could not make use of them as his Instruments to declare his Truth to the World Then it will follow that God must never reveal his will by Men but by Voices from Heaven or Angels or the assumption of the humane Nature by the Divine But if God be not denyed the liberty of imploying meer Men we cannot find so great evidences of Piety and Zeal of Humility and Self-denyal of Patience and Magnanimity of Innocency and universal Charity in any Men as were in the Apostles And therefore did appear with the most proper Characters of Embassadors from Heaven And I dare venture the comparison of them with the best Philosophers as to the greatest and most excellent virtues for which they were the most admired notwithstanding the mighty difference as to their Education allowing but the same Truth as to the Story of the New Testament which we yield to Xenophon or Diogenes Laertius or any other Writers concerning them But what is it then which you object against the Writings of the New Testament to make them inconsistent with the Wisdom of God I find but two things in the Papers you sent me 1. Want of the continuance of the Power of Miracles which you say is Promised Mark 16. 17. 2. The number of the Beast in the Revelations But Good Sir consider what it is to call in question a Divine Revelation for such Objections as these are Must there be no Revelation unless you understand every Prophecy or the extent of every promise Be not so injurious to your own Soul for the sake of such Objections to cast away the great assurance which the Christian Religion gives us as to the Pardon of Sin upon Repentance here and eternal Happiness in another World Would you reject all the Writings of Plato because you do no more understand some part of his Timaeus than the number of 666 You must have a very nice faith that can bear with no difficulties at all so that if there be but one or two hard things that you cannot digest you must throw up all the best Food you have taken at this rate you must starve your Body as well as ruin your Soul But of these places afterwards 3. I have hitherto removed the grounds of Suspicion I now come to shew the positive Testimonies of their Sincerity which the Apostles shewed which were greater than were ever given to any other Matter of Fact in the World I will then suppose the whole Truth of the Christian Doctrine to be reduced to this one Matter of Fact Whether Christ did rise from the dead or no for as I have said already it is plain the Apostles put the main force of all that they said upon the Truth of this and often declared that they were appointed to be the Witnesses of this thing Now â—et us consider how it is possible â—or Men to give the highest assurance of their sincerity to others and that must be either by giving the utmost Testimony that Men â—an give or by giving some Testimony above that of Men which cannot deceive which is the Testimony of God 1. They gave the utmost Testimony that meer Men could give of their fidelity I know no betâ—er way we have for a full assurance as to any humane Testimony than to consider what those Circumstances are which are generally allowed to accompany Truth and if we have the concurrence of all these we have as much as can be expected For nothingâ— that depends on Testiâ—ony can be proved by Mathematical Demonstration But notwithstanding the want of this eitheâ— we may have sufficient ground to assent to Truth upon Testimony oâ— there can be no difference known between Truth and Falshood by Humane Testimony which overthrows all Judicial proceedingâ— among Men the Justice whereof doth suppose not only the veracity of Humane Testimony Buâ— that it may be so discerned by others that they may safely rely upon it Now the main thing to be regarded as to the Truth oâ— Humane Testimony are these 1. Iâ— Men testifie nothing but whaâ— they saw 2. If they testifie iâ— at no long distance of time from the thing done 3. If they testifie it plainly and withouâ— doubtful expressions 4. If a great number agree in the same Testimony 5. If they part with all that is valuable to Mankind rather than deny the Truth of what they have testified And where all these concur it is hardly possible to suppose greater evidence to be given of the Truth of a Thing and now I shall shew that all these do exactly agree to the Apostles Testimony concerning the Resurrection of Christ. 1. They testified nothing but what they saw themselves The Laws of Nations do suppose that greater credit is to be given to eye witnesses than to any others thence the Rule in the Civil Law Testimonium de auditu regulariter non valet Because say the Civilians and Canonists Witnesses are to testifie the Truth and not barely the possibility of things that which Men see they can testifie whether they are or not That which Men only hear may be or noâ— be and their Testimony is noâ— of the Fact but is looked on as more uncertain and ought to have greater allowances given it but the Apostles testified only what they saw and handled and that after the most scrupulous enquiry into the Truth of Christ Body and after many doubts anâ— suspicions among themselves abouâ— it so that they did not seem hastily and rashly to believe what they afterwards declared to the World Now a Body was a proper object of Sense and no tryal could be greater or more accurate than theirs was nor anâ— satisfaction fuller than putting their fingers into the very wound of the pierced side 2. They did not stay till the circumstances might have slipt out of their Memories before they testified these things but very soon after while the impression of them was fresh upon them If they had let these Matters
alone for any long time the Jews would have asked them presently if these things were true why did we not hear of them as soon as they were done Therefore we see the Apostles on the very day of Pentecost a little after Christs ascension to Heaven openly and boldly declare the Truth of these things not in private corners among a few Friends but in the most solemn meeting of their Nation from all parts which was the worst time could have been chosen if they had any intention to deceive 3. They testifie it in as plain a manner as is possible on purpose to prevent all mistakes of their meaning This Jesus hath God raised up whereof we all are Witnesses Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ. Men that had a mind to deceive would have used some more general and doubtful words than these were 4. If this had been testified by one single witness the World would have suspected the Truth of his Testimony for according to the Rule in the Civil Law in the case of Testimony Vox unius vox nullius est But this was testified by very many not meerly by the twelve Apostles but by 500 at once among whom some might be supposed to have so much honesty or at least capable of being perswaded to have discovered the Imposture if they had in the least suspected any 5. But that which adds the greatest weight to all this is that there was not one of all the Apostles and scarce any one of the rest but exposed themselves to the utmost hazards and dangers rather than deny or retract the Truth of what they witnessed If the People had been careless and indifferent about Religion it is possible Men might have gone on in a Lye so long till they had gotten interest enough to maintain it but no sooner did the Apostles appear witnessing these things but they met with an early and vigorous opposition and that from the chiefest Men in Power who made it their business to suppress them Now in this case they were put to this choice if they would renounce or conceal the Truth of what they testified they might presently enjoy ease and it may be rewards too but if they went on they must look for nothing but the sharpest persecution and this they met with almost in all places and is it conceivable that Men should be so fond of a lye to forsake all and follow it and at last to take up their cross for it If credit and interest in the hearts of People might carry a Man on a great way in the delusion yet he would be loth to dye for it and yet there was never a one of the Apostles but ventured his life for the Truth of this and all but one they tell us did suffer Martyrdom for it I pray Sir consider where you ever meet with any thing like this that so many Men should so resolutely dye for what themselves at the same time knew to be a lye and that they must certainly do if it were all a contrivance of their own heads 2. But although in these things they went as high as it was possible for humane Testimony to go yet they had something beyond all this which was a concurrence of a Divine Testimony in the miraculous gifts and operations of the Holy Ghost And this we assert to be the highest Testimony can be given in the World of a Truth of any thing because God will not employ his Power to deceive the World And as all other Truth hath a criterion proper to it so this seems to be the proper criterion of a Divine Testimony that it hath the power of Miracles going along with it For if we do suppose God to make known his Mind to the World it is very reasonable to believe there should be some distinguishing note of what is immediately from God and what comes only from the inventions of Men and what can be more proper to distinguish what comes from God and what from Men than to see those things done which none but God can do But against this you object several things which I shall easily and briefly Answer 1. You cannot tell what it is that Miracles do attest not all their Doctrin since Paul said some was not from the Lord. Answ. Miracles do attest the veracity of the Speaker and by consequence the truth of the Doctrin not that you should believe that to be from the Lord which he said was not but that which he said was from the Lord. But when he makes such a distinction himself it is very unreasonable to urge that as an Argument that he had nothing from the Lord it is much rather an argument of his candor and ingenuity that he would not pretend to Divine Revelation when he had it not 2. You would have it signified what Doctrin it is which is attested by Miracles since the Doctrins of Scripture lye in heaps and confusion Answ. To what purpose should any Doctrins be singled out to have the Seal of Miracles set to them since it is their Divine Commission to Teach and declare the Will of God which is sealed by it And what they did so Teach and declare is easily known by their Writings 3. But why do not Miracles still continue Answ. Because there are no Persons employ'd to Teach any new Doctrines and no Promise of Scripture doth imply any more For the signs which were to follow them that believe were such as tended to the first confirmation of the Christian Faith which being effected their use ceased and so to ask why God doth not continue a Gift of Miracles to convince Men that the former were true is to the same purpose as to ask why God doth not make a New Sun to satisfie Athiests that he made the Old 4. But doth not the Scripture say that wonders are not always to be taken as confirmations of the Truth of Doctrin since false Prophets may work Wonders Deuteron 13. 1. Answ. That signifies no more than that Wonders are not to be believed against the Principles of Natural Religion or Revealed Religion already confirmed by greater Miracles And that those who would value such a particular sign above all the series of Miracles their Religion was first established by may be justly left to their own delusions You might as well object the lying Wonders of the Man of Sin against all the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles If God hath once done enough to convince Men he may afterwards justly leave them to the tryal of their Ingenuity as a Father that hath used great care to make his Son understand true Coyn may afterwards suffer false to be laid before him to try whether he will mind his being cheated or no 5. But you may yet farther demand what the Testimony of Miracles doth signisie to the Writings of the New Testament Answ. 1. The