Spirit and did not in these Epistles and Discourses boast of that which they had not performed or which those Churches to which these Writings were directed had not experienced And first That these Writings were composed and sent unto these Churches in that very Age in which the Apostles lived and propagated the Christian Faith throughout the World may be concluded 1. Because they bear the Names of the Apostles and Evangelists for no Man could pretend they were so had they not really been such but they must put a Cheat upon the World and substitute their own inventions for the Word of God Moreover they have been handed down for such by a more general Tradition and of a firmer Credit than any of the Books of Cicero or Virgil which we indisputably own as theirs for it was a Tradition of the whole Christian World which owned cited read and receiv'd them as such from the Apostles days as is apparent from the Epistle of St. Clement Barnabas Ignatius and Polycarp whilst others which pretended to the same Original were universally rejected by them Besides they did attest them so to be by many sufferings which they had no temptation to endure besides the Truth of their assertion 't was a Tradition which concerned things of the highest moment and which it was their greatest interest to be well assured of they being the sole Ground of their support at present under the sharpest Tryals and of their future hopes and therefore Writings which they were concerned to get hear read and keep they were Books written to whole Churches and Nations yea the whole World of Christians who could not have receivâ—d them easily had the Apostles by whom they were converted given no intimations of them Books of the greatest Opposition to the Superstitions both of Jews and Heathen and which denounced upon them the greatest Plagues and Judgments such as obliged them to search as much as possible into the Truth of what they said and yet these Books were by them not denied to be the Works of those Apostles and Evangelists whose names they bare they were Books which could not be spread abroad in the Apostles days and in their names unless the Apostles had indited them nor be esteemed as the great Characters of the Christian Faith if the Apostles were so forgetful of them as not to let those Persons for whose sake they were written know it they were Books which pretended to a Commission from the Holy Jesus to leave a Rule of Life and Doctrine to Mankind which was intrusted only in the Hands of the Apostles all others still pretending to deliver only what they receiv'd from them they were indited partly to confirm the Christian Faith and to engage Men to believe it partly to put an end to the Contentions and rectify the Errors which had crept into the Church in the Apostles days and needed speedy reformation partly to justisy themselves against false Brethren and to assert the Truth of their Apostleship and partly to preserve their Proselytes from such as did pervert the Faith and partly to instruct them how to bear up in fiery tryals and to support the Souls of Christians under the Miseries they suffered from a persecuting World and therefore they were written on such Grounds as did require a quick dispatch upon these errands to the Churches for which they were intended and so the Apostles must be supposed to give early notice of them and to divulge them to the Christian World whilst they to whom they were committed were able to disprove them if they had been false In a Word The Epistle to the Romans must be false or else it must be sent by the Apostle before he had seen Rome 1. Rom. 11 15 28. for it containeth an intimation that he had not seen them a desire to see them and a Promise to come to them The first Epistle to the Corinthians must be indited whilst the Contentions and Disorders touching the Exercise of their spiritual Gifts continued because it was design'd to correct them and whilst St. Paul was in a Capacity to be in Person with them because he saith 1 Coâ— 11 34. Ch. 8 9. the rest will I set in order when I come The second Epistle must be written when the great Famine hapned in Judaea of which Agabus foretold because two Chapters of it are spent in exhortation to a liberal Contribution to it 2 Cor 8.4.11 Acts 30. and St. Paul was himself the Messenger by whom that Charity was sent The Epistle to the Galatians must be indited whilst the Controversie touching Justification by the Law or by the hearing of Faith was hot amongst them whilst their dissatisfactions touching the Apostleship of St. Paul continued and whilst he lived for I Paul saith he 5. Gal. 2. 1 Gal. 2â— Ch. 6.17 testify to yoâ— thus and thus the Truth of what I write I confirm to you by the Oath of God and he concludeth his Epistle thus henceforth let no Man trouble me for I bear in my Body the Mark of the Lord Jesus In his Epistle to the Ephesians he strengthens his exhortation with the Consideration of his Bonds 3. Eph. 1.4.1 1 Phil. 13 19 23 25 27. ‑ 2.12 24. 1 Col. 24 29 ‑ 2.1.4.18.9.10 1 Thes 2.17 ‑ 3.10.5.6 2 Thes 3 2.17 13. Heb. 18 19 23. saying I Paul the Prisoner of the Lord beseech you In that to the Philippians he mentions his Bonds his expectation of deliverance from them by their Prayers his desire to dye his assurance he should live to serve the Church his absence from them and confidence that he should come to them In that to the Colossians he speaks of his present joy his sufferings his labours for the Church his sollicitude for them and those of Laodicea his salutation with his own hand his sending Tychicus and Onesimus to give them an account of his Affairs In his Epistles to the Thessalonians he speaks of his absence from them of his great desire to see them his sollicitude for their stedfastness under the Sufferings they endured for the Faith his comfort when he heard that they stood firm he desires their Prayers that he may be delivered from evil Men and concludes with the Salutation of his own hand In the Epistle to the Hebrews he begs their Prayers that he may be the sooner with them and promises to come with Timothy as for those writ to Timothy Titus and Philemon I hope 't is needless to prove that they were written whilst they lived and were not sent unto them in another World In a Word all or most of these Epistles carry his Name before them his Mark or Token in the Close they mention the Brethren then living and speak of Salutation from or to them in them he is still praying for them or begging the Assistance of their Prayers to omit many other things which are most certain Indications of the Time when they were written 2dly That the
A DISCOURSE Confirming the TRUTH and CERTAINTY OF THE Christian Faith From the Extraordinary GIFTS and OPERATIONS OF THE Holy Ghost Vouchsafed to the APOSTLES and PRIMITIVE PROFESSORS of that FAITH By Daniel Whitby D. D. and Chantor of the Church of Sarum LONDON Printed for A. Churchill at the Black Swan in Pater-Noster-Row MDCXCI Imprimatur Geo. Royse R. Rmo. in Christo Patri at Dom. Dom. Johanni Archiep. Cantuar. a Sacris June the 30th 1691. THE PREFACE TO THE READER THAT this Discourse may not seem to take that for granted which cannot be proved and that some Notions in it seemingly new may give the Reader no Offence I crave leave to premise First That the Holy Ghost was certainly designed for a Witness to the Truth of our Lord's Resurrection and Exaltation to the Right-Hand of Majesty and given to confirm the Christian Faith For First Our Saviour doth assure his Disciples that this his Advocate should at his coming convince the World of Sin viz. of the great Sin of Infidelity because they believed not in him 16. Jo. 9 10. and of Righteousness or that He though condemned by the Sanhedrim as a False Prophet and a Deceiver of the People was a just and righteous Person one highly favoured by the God of Heaven because the sending of the Holy Spirit was a full Evidence that he was Gone to the Father that he was exalted to the Right-hand of God and had received from the Father the Promise of the Holy Ghost Secondly St. John the beloved Disciple doth inform us that the Spirit was the great Witness that Jesus was the Son of God Joh. 5.6 8. and that of the three Witnesses on Earth to this great Truth the Holy Spirit was the first Thirdly St. Paul doth frequently declare that by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the Gifts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 1.21 22. and Distributions of the Holy Ghost the Testimony of Christ was confirmed to all Christians and that God by giving this Holy Spirit to them did confirm them in Christ And upon this as well as other Accounts he seemeth to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Advocate of Christ because he was to undertake the Defence of the Ministry and the Prophetick Office of our Lord against the Presidents of the Sinagogue and the great Sanhedrim of the Jews who had condemned him and procur'd his Death as a False Prophet Secondly I premise that the Sin against the Holy Ghost seems best explained by that Notion of the Holy Ghost which I have here espoused to make this as clear as I am able let it be noted First That there is a manifest Distinction in the New Testament betwixt the Power of working Signs and Miracles and the Gifts and Distributions of the Holy Ghost As when St. Paul speaketh of things wrought by him to make the Gentiles obedient in Word and Deed by mighty Signs and Miracles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 15. Rom. 19. and Powers of the Holy Ghost when he speaks of the Gospel preached by him in demonstration of the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor 2.4.1 and in Power and of the Duty of the Clergy to commend themselves to others by the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 6.6 7. and by the Power of God VVhen he speaks to his Galathians of him that ministreth the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 Gal. 5. and worketh Miracles among them And to his Thessalonians of the Gospel coming to them in Power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 1.5 and in the Holy Ghost And lastly to the Jewish Converts that God bore witness to the Word of his Grace by Signs and Wonders and divers Miracles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Heb 4. and Distributions of the Holy Ghost And that being baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6 Heb. 4 5. they were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost and had tasted the Powers of the World to come Secondly That the Holy Ghost was sent after our Saviour's Resurrection to bear witness both to the Truth of his Resurrection and of the Doctrine which he taught He giving in his Testimony with the Apostles of these things For when the Advocate cometh 15 Joh. 16 17. which I saith Christ will send you from the Father he shall testifie of me and you also shall bear Witness of me for you have been with me from the beginning Accordingly we saith St. Peter are his Witnesses of these things 5 Act 32 and so is the Holy Ghost which he hath given to those that obey him Thirdly That our Lord Jesus and his Apostles seem plainly to assert the Holy Spirit was to give in his Testimony after his Resurrection and Ascension to the Father This is so evident from the forecited Places and from that Expression of St. John 7 Joh. 39. the Holy Ghost was not yet because that Jesus was not yet glorified that it seems needless to add any thing in farther Confirmation of it Now hence it follows that the Holy Ghost was to be a succeeding Testimony to that of the Miracles wrought by our Saviour upon Earth and consequently that the Sin against the Holy Ghost was a Sin chiefly and compleatly to be committed afterwards which also seemeth probable even from the Tenor of oâ—r Saviours Words 12 Luk. 10. 12 Matt. 24. 3 Mark 29. Whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man as you now do who say He hath a Devil and casts out Devils by Beelzebub it shall be forgiven him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but whosever hereafter shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him Fourthly Observe that this was the last Testimony God would exhibit to the Jews to evidence to them that Jesus was indeed the true Messiah and that on their Rejection of it depended their being given up to judicial Blindness and to utter Desolation and Excision from being any more hiâ— Church and his peculiar People Accordingly after this Blasphemy against our Lord both He and his Disciples sâ—ill call them to that Faith and Repentance which would assuredly procure their Pardon but then He warns them of the Greatness of their Sin as being next to that which was unpardonable informing them that as they had blasphemed the Miracles wrought by he Finger of God or by the Power of the Spirit before their Eyes so if they should add to this the Contempt of those internal Gifts and Operations of the Holy Ghost which were to be vouchsafed after his Resurrection for farther Confirmation that he was the Son of God their Sin should then become unpardonable And the Author to the Hebrews declares it a thing impossible to renew them to Repentance 6 Heb. 5 6. who being made Partakers of the Holy Ghost and having tasted the Powers of the World to come did notwithstanding wilfully apostatize from the Profession of
the Christian Faith for that by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that Expression we are to understand miraculous Powers may be concluded not only from the like Vse of the Word in this Epistle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Hebr. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Act. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 .4 Act. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 8 Act. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 19 Act. 10. See 15. Rom. 19. 1 Cor. 2.4 2 Cor. 6.7 3 Gal. 5. 1 Thes 1.5 but also in many other Places of the New Testament 2. That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the World to come denotes the Times of the Messiah cannot be reasonably doubted by him who well considers that Christ himself according to the Translation 9 Esa 6. or Exposition of the Septuagint is stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father of the future Age and that the Apostle writes to the Jews in whose Account there were two Ages the one before the other after the coming of our Saviour which they constantly stiled Holam Habba the future Age or the World to come 2 Heb. 5. as the Apostle intimates in that Expression For unto Angels hath he not put into Subjection the World to come that is whereas the World before Christ was chiefly governed by Angels the Almighty having divided the Nations 32 Deut. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Number of the Angels which were to preside over them 17 Eccl. 17. saith the Septuagint and Set of them a Ruler over every People saith the Son of Syrach according to the constant Doctrine of the Jews embraced also generally by the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just M. Apol. P. 44. vid. Athenag â—g pro Christian P. 27. c. Clem. Recogn l. 4. c. 4.2 Euseb Demonst Evang. l. 4. Antient Fathers the World to come or Christian State is not thus put in Subjection to them but to one far exceeding the Angels even the only begotten Son of God A Discourse tending to evince the Truth of Christian Faith from the extraordinary Gifts and Operations of the Holy Ghost by which it was at first confirmed WHosoever well considers the admirable Perfection of the Christian Faith how far the Doctrines and Precepts of it do excell all other Doctrines and Precepts which either in pretence or truly have been revealed to the World will find sufficient Reason to believe that such an excellent Dispensation took it's rise from the most excellent of Beings For it is 1. A Revelation which represents God to us such in all Respects as Men of Wisdom and Discretion would desire to be their Governor viz. a God of infinite Power to protect of infinite Wisdom to direct us and of the greatest Goodness Love and Compassion to design and to promote our Happiness and Welfare 2. It prescribes such Laws as every wise Man would chuse to live by they being Holy Just and Good 7 Rom. 12. 12. Rom. 1. and Obedience they require being our reasonable Service that is such Service as our own Reason cannot but approve of as fit and proper to be done 3. It is a Dispensation which propounds such Arguments to perswade us to yield Obedience to these Laws as no Man who regardeth his own Interest and truly loves himself can resist they being the most admirable Blessings promised to the Obedient and the most direful and lasting Evils threatned to the Disobedient 4. It is a Revelation which affords us good Assurance of the most powerful Assistance to perform this Duty even the Aids of Divine Grace Now that such a Revelation hath in it the true Characters of a Divine Religion that it contains a Doctrine worthy of God and therefore worthy of all Acceptation and cannot reasonably be thought a politick Contrivance of the Wit of Man much less the Product of wicked and deluding Spirits will appear evident to any who hath Ability and Opportunity to compare it with all pretended Doctrines and Religions which either the Wit of Man or Craft of Satan had before brought into the World Let any Person who thinks otherwise produce any Religion which doth so naturally tend to render Men truly devout and pious towards God Chast and Temperate Patient and Contented under all Conditions more Just and Honest Kind and Peaceable and Fruitful in good Offices towards all Men and which affords more solid Comforts and Supports under the Miseries of human Life let him produce one Book besides the Holy Scriptures composed before they were written which gives us such a clear and true Idea of the Attributes and Works of God prescribeth a more rational Service of him hath Rules of Life more equal in themselves more beneficial to Mankind which doth more fully tend to make Men better in all Respects Relations and Conditions and which doth offer more powerful Enducements to perswade them to be so and then he may have reason to prefer what he hath thus produced before the Pandects of the Christian Faith but if no other Book can vie with the New Testament no other Religion can compare with that which is contained in it then must we either say with Epicurus that God is not concerned to be obeyed and worshipby the Sons of Men or with the Infidel discard all Revelations of his Will as false or grant that this above all others deserves to be embraced as the must true and perfect Revelation of the Will of God But this Argument hath by much better Pens been handled and improved into so clear a Demonstration of the Truth of Christian Faith that nothing but the disagreeing Lives of Christians which generally fall so exceeding short of what this perfect Rule prescribes or run so counter to it could make Men to suspect the shining Evidence of it I therefore have chosen to insist upon another Argument arising from the Extraordinary Gifts and Distributions of the Holy Ghost by which this Doctrine was at first confirmed in which I hope to make some small addition to the Performances of others and which I shall endeavor to confirm by proving the ensuing Propositions I. That the Gifts and powerful Operations of the Holy Ghost were most assuredly vouchsafed to propagate and confirm the Christian Faith II. That the Assistance of the Holy Ghost vouchsafed to our Lords Apostles and to the Primitive Professors of the Christian Faith are a most full and ample Confirmation of it and a convincing Evidence that it is derived from the God of Truth Now that the Gifts and powerful Operations of the Holy Ghost were thus engaged to confirm and propagate the Christian Faith will be apparent 1. From the Assurance which the Baptist gave 44 Isa 3. 36 Ez. 27. 2 Joel 28. both to the Jews in general and to the Pharisees and Sadducees in particular that the Messiah would suddenly baptize those who believed in him with the Holy Ghost 3 Mat. 7.11 2. From a like Promise which our Saviour made to his Disciples that he would
that obey him When Peter was accused for transgressing the Jewish Rites by conversing with Cornelius and others uncircumcised Persons he apologizes for himself by saying The Holy Ghost fell upon them 11 Acts 15. as upon us at the beginning and by that fact convinced the Zealots of the Circumcision when the believing Pharisees contended that it was needful to Circumcise the Gentiles and to command them to keep the Law of Moses St. Peter by this Argument confutes them That God who knows the hearts of Men bare witness that though uncircumcised they were accepted with him 15. Acts 8. by giving them the Holy Ghost even as he did to us St. Paul speaks thus to the Church of Corinth My preaching was in demonstration of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2 4. and in power that they had received the Confirmation of the Faith bv the Arrabo the Pledge 2 Cor. 5.5 or earnest of the Spirit by whose Testimony they were abundantly confirmed in the Truth of what they did believe and in the Certainty of what they did expect These Gifts are represented by him as a convincing Motive to the Prophet or spiritual Person to acknowledge that what he wrote was the Commandment of God 1 Cor. 14.3 That the Gospel which he preached was the undoubted Truth and that which was to be retain'd in opposition to the Law he proves to the Galatians because the ministration of the Spirit and the Power of working Miracles was the result not of the Law but of the Gospel-Dispensation For thus he puts the Question to them 3 Gal. 1. 3 Gal. 2 3 Gal. 3 3 Gal. 5. O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth this only would I learn of you Received you the Spirit by the Works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith Are you so foolish having begun in the Spirit are you made perfect in the Flesh He therefore that ministreth the Spirit and worketh Miracles among you doth be it by the Works of the Law or by the Hearing of Faith In his Epistle to the Thessalonians he argues their Election by God because his Gospel came not to them in Word only 1 Thes 1. v. 5 6. but in Power and in the Holy Ghost and much assurance and they received the Word in much affliction and with joy in the Holy Ghost In his Epistle to the Hebrews he shews the dreadful Issue of the Contemners of the Gospel upon this account that God bare witness to it by Signs 2 〈◊〉 4. and Wonders and divers Miracles and Distributions of the Holy Ghost according to his will Now Arguments of this nature neither could be urg'd by nor being offer'd could prevail upon wise and considering Men had not the Matter of Fact on which they did intirely depend been uncontestible 5. This argument receives yet farther strength from this consideration that those Gifts and powerful Operations of the Holy Spirit were either such of which even Infidels might from the Nature of them be convinced or such as from some outward or sensible Appearance or by their inward Operations and Effects made themselves known to them who had receiv'd them for instance the working of Miracles as the making the Lame to walk the Deaf to hear the Blind to see the Dead to live which were all Miracles of Mercy or the inflicting Blindness upon Elymas or Death on Ananias and Saphira 13 Acts. 11. 5 Acts 5 10. the delivering Men up to Satan the Rod which the Apostle threatens to the Disobedient in the Church of Corinth which were all Miracles of Judgment the casting out Devils by the Name of Jesus the healing the Sick by Imposition of Hands the Gifts of Prophecy and discerning of Spirits the Gifts of Tongues and the Interpretation of them if truly done were things self-evident and could not well be exercis'd without a sensible Demonstration to all that saw perceiv'd heard or felt them that they were perform'd And therefore by enabling his Servants to perform them God gave full testimony to the Word of his Grace Some of these Gifts 1 Cor. 14.22 23. saith the Apostle were signs not to them that believe but to them that believed not and by the Exercise of them he will be convinced and the Secrets of his Heart will be made manifest and he will be induced to consess that God is in you of a Truth and therefore these are fitly styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Manifestation of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.7 The Baptism of the Spirit was at the first attended with a lambent Fire so he fell on the Apostles in the shape of fiery Tongues 3 Mat. 16. when our Lord Jesus was baptized the Holy Ghost descended on him in the Shape of a Dove say the Evangelists Epiph. Haer. 30. N. 13. 8 Rom. 23. 2 Cor. 1.22 4 Eph. 30. Ch. 1. 13 8 Rom. 15 16. 4 Gal. 6 7. 1 Joh. 5 10. 1 Joh. 4.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Fire was kindled in Jordan saith Justin Martyr Dialcu Tryp p. 315. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great Light shone upon the Place saith the Gospel of the Nazarens which the Syrian Churches also acknowledge in their Liturgy The Spirit then given to believers is stiled the first Fruits which rais'd an expectation in them of the Redemption of their Bodies ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 1 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 1.21 22. vid. 2 Cor. 5 1-5 5 Gal. 5. 1 Thess 1.5 2 Tim. 1.14 the Earnest of the Spirit in their Hearts the Spirit by which they were sealed up to the Day of Redemption the Earnest of their Inheritance for the buying out of the purchased Possession the Spirit by which they were enabled to cry Abba Father who testified to their Spirits that they were the Sons of God and should be heirs of Glory and the VVitness of God within them Which expressions plainly intimate that they who had this Spirit could certainly know he dwelt in them and could be thence assured of their Relation to God and of the Happiness which he had promised to them according to the saying of St. John hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit Moreover 6. The Primitive Professors of the Christian Faith afford us a full Testimony of the Continuance of those Gifts and Operations of the Holy Ghost in after Ages St. Clemens the Companion and Fellow-labourer with St. Paul in his Epistle to the (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S S. 2. Church of Corinth saith that they were filled with an insatiable desire of doing good and that there was a full Effusion of the Holy Ghost upon them all Eusebius adds that the first Order of the Succession of the Apostles and the Evangelists which preached the Gospel after them (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 37. did many and strange Wonders
the Council of Christ Jesus of the Bishops Presbyters and Deacons that they were assigned by the Sentence of Christ Jesus that they were sent by the Father of the Family of Onesimus Bishop of Ephesus that he was given them by God of Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna that he was made Bishop by God the Father and Christ Jesus and of the Bishop of Philadelpha that he received the Office not by himself nor by Man St. Cyprian saith of the Bishops and Priests in general that they were constituted such not only by the Suffrage of the People and the Consent of their Fellow bishops Copr Ep. 55. Edw. Ox. Ap. 69. p. but also judicio Divino that he did make them Priests and Bishops that thâ—y had Dei testimonium and that it was a great Absurdity to think that Bishops were not constituted in the Church by God which if true is certainly a Demonstration not only of the â—postolical but the Divine Original of Episcopacy But 3dly Of those Gifts which shew the Power of the Holy Ghost engaged to promote the Christian Faith that of Tongues is most illustrious for the Spirit which fell upon the Christian Converts opened their silent Mouths and made them speak the proper Dialect of every Nation under Heaven 2 Acts 5 No sooner did an Apostle lay his hands on an illiterate Person but he spake with Tongues this was a thing exceeding requisite to the speedy Propagations of the Gospel which in the space of Forty Years was to disperse it self throughout the World according to our Lord's Prediction it therefore was a thing publick 24 Mat. 14. and notorious to all the World it was daily exercised among the Heathens by others to convert them and by themselves when they embraced the Christian Faith as we are frequently inform'd by the History of the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistle to the Church of Corinth among whose Gifts are reckoned divers kinds of Tongues 1 Cor. 12.10 and the Interpretation oâ— them to whom St. Paul even objecteth this amongst their Crimes that when they came together every one had his Tongue Chap. 14.26 and that if they proceeded thus to speak with Tongues they would be the Authors of Confusion and cause the Heathens who came to their Assemblies to say that they were mad Vers 23 and then adviseth that when they spake with Tongues Vers 27 care should be taken that there be some Interpreter concluding that order being thus observ'd no Man should forbid to speak with Tongues Vers 39 and if this Gift was so abundantly conferr'd upon that Church in which the Apostle found so great Divisions Errors and Miscarriages and of which the Apostle saith only 2 Cor. 8.7 that they came behind the other Churches in no Gifts we may then reasonably suppose others and better Churches had at least an equal share in this miraculous Endowment This is that signal Demonstration of the Spirit which becomes more convincing from the exceeding firvolousness of those exceptions which are made against it by Men who want no subtility or wisdom to suggest Evasions where they may be found For 1. To assert that at the laying on of the Apostles Hands the Preaching of a Sermon the rushing of a mighty VVind so strange a Fit of Melancholy such unaccountable Diseases should seize upon so many thousand Christians and should direct each Motion of their Tongues to think that this effect should be so proper and peculiar to the Christian Temper as that no other Persons should pretend unto it that it should naturally cease when once the Christian Faith had spread it self throughout all Nations and never give the World one fresh experience of its efficacy that we know of after the second Century is sure a Symptom of a distemper'd Fancy and the deepest Melancholy 2dly Others who ascribe the Gift of Tongues to the Assistance of the Evil one seem yet more palpably absurd seeing the Doctrine which was promoted by this Gift is pure and peaceable and highly instrumental to advance God's Glory and to direct Mankind to the Enjoyment both of present and eternal Happiness and therefore cannot reasonably be supposed to derive from that impure mischievous Spirit who labours after nothing more than the Dishonour of the God of Heaven and the Destruction of Mankind This Doctrine was design'd to overturn the Devil's Kingdom 26. Acts 18. to turn Men from the Power of Satan unto God and to deliver the deluded World from that Idolatry those barbarous and inhuman Rites and those ridiculous and filthy Ceremonies which he had taught the World to practice and espouse as part of that devotion which was due to what they called God Moreover this Doctrine silenc'd all the Devil's Oracles it forced his Legions to quit those seats they had so long and quietly enjoy'd before our Saviour's coming and to a Nesi se Da monas confessi fucrint Christiano mentiri non audentes ibidem illius Christiani prâ—â—acissmi sanguinem fundite Tertul. Apol. c. 23. Haee omnia sciunt plerique pars vestrum ipsos Daemâ—nas de semetipsis confiteri quoties à nobis tormentis verborum crationis incendiâ— de corporilus exiguntur ipsis testibus esse eos Daemonâ—s de se verâ—m confiâ—entibus credite Minut. p. 31. Cyptian Ep. ad Demetr Lactan. l. 2. c. 15. l. 4. c. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porphyrius apud Euseb praepar Evang. l. 5. c. 1. confess they were but Devils and could do nothing when the Name of Christ was mention'd Now sure it is irrational to think Satan should thus contend with Satan that he should destroy the very Kingdom he himself erected or that he should concern himself to propagate and to confirm that Faith which bears the greatest Opposition both to his Nature and Designs Obj. I know not any thing which can with any colour of pretence be offer'd to invalidate the Strength of this plain demonstration of the Truth of Christian Faith but this surmise that these things are recorded only by the Apostles and Evangelists and Primitive Professors of that Faith and so the Truth of what they say only depends upon their testimony deliver'd in their own cause now this exception will be fully obviated by these Two Considerations Ans 1. That these Writings must be sent unto the Churches to which they were directed these Histories of the Acts of the Apostles composed in those very Ages when Christianity by the Apostles was propagated through the World and therefore whilst all Persons concern'd in the things delivered by them might be certain of the Truth or Falsehood of what they did affirm touching these Gifts and Operations of the Holy Ghost vouchsafed to them or exercised among them 2. That we have many strong and convincing Reasons to believe that these Apostles and sacred Writers spake forth the words of truth and soberness in that which they deliver'd in these Writings touching these Gifts and Operations of the Holy