call to mind how the Divel had like to have strangled him in the attempt had not violence been used to rescue Luther The story written by Staphilas Luther's Luther's and Calvin's Iugling own Scholar is known as well as Calvins fourb who suborning one Bruleus to feign himselfe dead pretended to raise him from death crying out Adolescens tibi dico Surge Young man I say rise up when behold à just punishment of God manifested the double fraud Bruleus was dead indeed and Calvin Shamed You Bosius de signis Ecclesiae liâ—sig 11. have another fearful story recounted by Bosius of à chief man among the Anabaptists neer the borders of Polony that Called many to be present at his Baptism and said they should see wonders that day the Holy Ghost descending and what not No sooner had the wretch set his foot in the Bath but in place of the Holy Ghost à fearful Divel appeared and first carried him into the air then to the horrour of all the Spectators strangled him in the water These things I briefly relate out of approved Authors chieflly to show how different the genius of these men was from our Dr s they fancied Miracles so strong à support to their new Gospel that nothing could set it off better or more advance it our Dr contrary to his Progenitors spirit will have all later Miracles blasted or of no account because forsooth he has none to glory in Thus much only in passing 3. We now go on in our discourse and show an absolute necessity of Miracles chiefly at the first propagation of the Gospel because the high Mysteries of our faith which require à firm assent and an humble submission to the first Verity revealing truth cannot stand fast unless it rely upon à most certain foundation and this must either be an Evidence of the truth revealed not granted in this life or the most Supream Authority imaginable I mean the Divine veracity which neither can deceive or be deceived To advance By what Motives God induces to beliefe therefore our faith to the highest certitude and infallibility whilst God gives us not Evidence of the sublime Mysteries believed far above our reach and natural Capacities it was necessary to lead us on by Sign 's and Motives suitable for that end but no external Signe or Motive can be more perswasive or make à stronger impression upon minds than Gods own Seals and Signatures of truth undoubted Miracles By these great lights he raises us out of our natural drowsinesse and by them as most attractive Inducements prepares hearts to believe without hesitancy though the Mysteries of Faith seem strange to nature and would be rejected unless set forth adorned and confirmed by prodigious Sign 's Hence all De Lingend Fer. 4. Domin 1. quadrag P. 7. acknowledge à mighty force in Miracles nay some Authors observe that God never proposed any new Doctrin without rational Inducements in making it credible by manifest Sign 's and wonders Who saith De Lingendes is ignorant of the stupendious Miracles wrought by Moses All How and when Miracles were Shoâ—â—n know when the Law was published in the Mount how many new and great Miracles were exhibited The new Priesthood of Aaron had its confirmation by Miracles Solomon's Temple gained great repute upon the sight of Evident Miracles when S. John the Baptist preach't the Baptism of Pennance himselfe was the Miracle Miraculously conceived Miraculously exulted in his Mothers womb Miraculously loosened his Father's tongue and many years lived in the desart more like an Angel than à man without house cloths meat or humane conversation Thus Miracles strengthened and made every new Modern Sectaries never wrought Miracle Doctrin truly proposed credible only our Sectaries are the priviledged persons that without Mission or commission brought à new learning into the world yet never had the good luck I use Erasmus known words to cure à Lame horse much lesse to work à Miracle on man woman or child 4. Courteous Reader please now to consider à little Is it true that God endued his Prophet Moses with the grace of working Miracles Did he manifest great Sign 's at the Promulgation of the law in Mount Sina Did he the like when Aaron was ordained Priest Did he shew wonders at the Baptists preaching Pennance Did he ennoble Solomons Temple with illustrious Miracles Ecce plus quam Salomon hic We are now to mind you of à more miraculous Prophet than Moses of à more Miraculous Priest than Aaron of à more Miraculous Preacher than the Baptist of à Lawgiver as Miraculous as ever published law finally of à more Miraculous Edifice than Solomon erected I mean the noble house of God the Militant and Triumphant Church of Christians founded by no other than our great Thaumaturgus our ever glorious and renowned Lord JESUS God and Man whose Miracles manifested here on earth surpassed in true worth and excellency all the wonders of men and Angels Of this subject I am now to speak and will endeavour so to clear our Saviours Miracles and those the Apostles wrought from all doubts and Cavils that none shall hereafter oppose them upon any rational Principle This performed we will proceed to the Miracles done in the Church 5. Dr Stillingfleet Seem's to make short work Dr Still pag. 66. with the Miracles of our Saviour and his Apostles It is saith he agreed on both sides that the Miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles did sufficiently prove that they were Teachers sent from God Then he insist's something of the assurance we have for them by the universal Testimony of all Christians and that Christ and the Evangelists declared they were wrought for this end that men might believe Dr. Still Slip's by the main difficulty Christ was sent from God It is agreed saith our Dr on both sides c. But Sr give us the rational Ground of this agreement otherwise you prove nothing against Iewes and Heathens who here undervalve the agreement of Christians neither are the passages of Scripture produced by you in behalfe of those primitive Miracles or the end they were wrought for of any account with these Aliens from Christ You tell à Iew that our Saviour cured one born blinde and did it for this end that men might believe he was sent from God the Iew answer's the Divinity of that Scripture cited has no more weight with him than the Miracle has you would prove by it yet you know à Proof should be alwayes clearer than the thing proved Here is an equal uncertainty for no more doth such à man believe your alledged Scripture to be truly Gods word than the Miracle to be à true Miracle Whoever therefore pertinently handles this matter must in à contest with these Adversaries of Christian Religion first distinguish between the different Principles of Iewes and Heathens those admit the old Testament as true Heathens no true Scripture at all Next he is to prove
seem's to contradict Mr Dr and call's himselfe Gilbert Burnet this Gentleman ascribes great power to evil Spirits and Mr Burnet in his Rational Method for the proving the Truth of Christiā Religion c. page 24. and 25. saies Miracles cannot Determine his beliefe without some what previous to Miracles Then concludes The first and great Argument for the proof of Christian Religion is the purity of the Doctrin and the Holiness of its precepts which are so congruous to the Common Impressions of nature and reason I may here first Ask Mr Burnet of what Christian Religion he speaks There are Arians in the world that deny the Mystery of the Sacred Trinity and the Incarnation also Pelagians that deny the necessity of Divine Grace Grecians that deny the Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and Son and finally Catholicks that believe these denyed Articles as Truths revealed by Almighty God All goe under the name of Christians And as you see contradict one another in the Very Fundamentals Mr Burnets Discourse found Weightles of Faith Speak out Mr Burnet the Difficulty here moved must not be flightly passed over is the Doctrin of so many dissenting Spirits in fundamentals pure Are the Precepts whereby every Society is obliged to follow the Doctrin it makes profession of Holy and Congruous Is it suitable to the Common Impressions of Nature and Reason Put us not off but Answer directly or point me out plainly that Society of Christians whose Doctrin only is pure and Percepts Holy or which is deemed by the wisest of the world so congruous to the Common Impressions of nature and reason If you extol your Puritans upon the account of their Pure Doctrin or your Protestants for Holy Precepts your first Reformers Luther Calvin Beza and the like will lay so much nastiness before your Eyes that the common light of Nature cannot but decry it as shameful and reason abhorre it Moreover you have not within the whole latitude of Protestancy as Protestancy one essential Article Se Reason and Religion Disc 1. c. 20. num 4. of Christian Doctrin pure For you have none at all Essential which is not either Popery and that 's no Doctrin of Protestancy as Protestancy or the long since Cashiered Opinions of condemned Hereticks as is amply proved in another Treatise A word now to your Exceptions against Miracles 12. You say 1. Some what previous to Miracles must have place ere we believe Christ's Doctrin and you build much upon its Congruity to the common Impressions of nature and reason Good Sr is the Sacred Mystery of the Trinity I hope you believe it which as Divines teach is above reason and transcend's all natural Discourse so Very congruous to the common Impressions of nature Our Lord Christ JESUS you know truly God and man after his painful labours was scourged and crucified by impious hands à scandal to the Iewes saith S Paul and foolishness to the Gentils Is this great Mystery 1. Cor 1. 2. 3. think ye so Very Congruous to reason You may say as the Apostle Writes that God to confound the wise made choise of things foolish in the eyes of men and of weak things to confound the strong But in doing so you run out of the reach of all natural Impressions and take your Proof from Divine Revelation so that if we yeild The high Mysteries of Faith transcend reason assent to these great Mysteries we are not to fix it upon any natural Principle but must believe because God has revealed them Now further But no man according to the present Order of Providence could ever prudently believe the Truth of that Revelation or own the Mysteries revealed evidently Credible Without Miracles and other prudent Motives Therefore Miracles Gods own Signatures were both necessary and ever previous to that firm assent which the Primitive Christians yeilded to the sublime Mysteries of Faith 13. Shall I prove what is here asserted by one clear and convincing Instance Suppose Almighty God should please to single out now Twelve poor Fishermen and impart many great Secrets never yet known to the world which cannot be known before they Preach Having commission from God they run from City to City and because so commanded faithfully declare what God told them For example The precise time of Antichrist's comming when the Day of Judgement will be how many are elected to eternal Glory how many rejected with other unknown Secrets but in the mean while A clear Instance proving what is asserted work no Miracles show no supernatural Signs only Speak and Preach Would prudent men think ye believe such Teachers or yeild assent to their Doctrin having no rational Motive to ground Beliefe upon But their bare word It is impossible Had therefore the blessed Apostles poor unlearned Fishermen by words only laid forth the Mysteries and high Secrets of our Faith had they only spoken of the sacred Trinity of that ineffable Mystery of God made man of the Dead rising to life again of the eternal pain due to the Damned and wrought no Miracles or exhibited no exteriour supernatural Wonders whereby to make their Doctrin Credible The whole world would have deemed them halfe frantick and dispised them as cheats or Authors of Novelties We se though they wrought stupendious Wonders yet how lingering and slow many were and are still in believing what then could have been expected had they shewed no Signs but à universal Incredulity 14. You Say 2. The Predictions of the Messias did all agree to our Saviour and received completion in him Very true Answers the Christian though the Iewes deny all and pervert these Prophesies to à sinister Sence And so much more your Barbarous Nations would have done had the blessed Apostles at their Preaching barely worded it or read out of the old Scriptures what Moses and the Prophets foretold of Christ But when they raised the dead to life cured the Infirm and visibly wrought other great Miracles before those they Preach't to the hardest hearts relented and yeilded to their Doctrin These Prophesies therefore are one partial Proof for Christianity but must not goe alone How the Motives of Credibility are to be taken without Miracles accompanying them Or if as taken Solitarily you hold them the chiefe or only motive you evince little The Motives of Credibility Sr are never to be look't on by retail or piecemeal joyned together they rationally convince devided from each other or considered one by one much of their Efficacy is lost 15. You Say 3. The strange Propagation of Christian Religion appear's not à sufficient Proof for Miracles I contrary hold it both stronge and convincing For as S. Austin discourses either The Propagation of the Gospel Miraculous Miracles as previous and the principal cause of that Propagation had influence upon it or not If they had Influence you grant what we plead for If not you must confesse the Propagation it selfe effected without
Bollandus it will not be amisse to Preacquaint the Reader with à notorious cheat that run's through his one and thirty leaves Pray observe it These Authors now mentioned though vilifiyed by the Dr even Colganus most laid at produce their Records Testimonies and Manuscripts in behalfe of every Miracle asserted or at least say they are Producible whether true or false is the only matter in Question Should not the Dr Think ye had he intended to Satisfy à judicious Reader have shewed these alledged Records and Manuscripts forceless or of no Account Should he not according to the Method of all Writers have proved them contradicted by other grave Authors or at least made their Flawes if any were apparent by Cronology or some other Circumstances worthy à Readers entertainment Thus Bollandus ' Henschenius and Papebrochius whom he cites seriously goe to work and have Discovered upon mature Examination no few mistakes in matter of History But our Dr content only with à bare Relation of what those Authors say wholly waves this necessary Labour and most simply perswad 's himselfe that the Extravagancy of The Dr makes the wonder in à Miracle the only Proof against it the Wonders so he speaks or the seeming Ridiculousnes of them is full Proof enough against their being so much as probable Alas your Atheists and Heathens may taught by the Dr upon the same Ground deride and jeer at the very most of the Miracles recorded in Holy Scripture I say therefore Though I am not of so easy Faith as to believe all that Captgrave and Colganus recount to be manifest Truths if they reach to Probability it 's well yet thus much I Assert that for any thing the Dr Opposes they may be most true so Pitifully and miserably he handles this whole Matter 3. You shall see by à few Particulars for I intend not to accompany the Dr in his long Carrier all through whether I speak not Truth Mr Cressy's whole Book though once perused I have not at present speak's as the Dr tells us of many Saints S. Iustianus S. Ositha S Clarus and others that walked as the Report goes of S. Denis in France with their heads cut off Mr Dr in this place should have confuted the Legends this Author relies on he ought to have proved them counterfeit by some Authority greater or of equal poise with these Legenders He might at least have said upon no improbable Guess as the more exact Writers do that many Saints had indeed their Heads cut off and that to Show they were Martyrs our Ancestors painted them like S. Denis carrying their heads in their hands which afterwards Some perhaps over credulous without due examination mistaking the Painters intent made à Story of Thus I say Judicious men Discourse whether well or no I am not to Define yet know that our Dr who waves all reasoning in this matter too Dr Still page 508. rudely refutes Mr Cressy with these few boysterous words What can be imagined more absurd and be supposed to be done to lesse purpose than such foppish Miracles as these Is not This as I noted above to Decry Miracles because they seem wonderful to à vulgar Fancy and may not à Heathen laugh as lowd at Elias dividing the River Jordan with an old Cloak I am sure Elias his Action considered in it selfe is altogether as Extravagant and if well set forth with an Atheist's Jeer may be made every whit as ridiculous Pray you Tell me when the Dr after à leaf or two jeer's at Cap Many Miracles in Scripture as Strange as those are the Dr Laughs at grave and Colganus who say that S. Aldem and S Deicola hanged their Garments on the Sun-beams tell me I say Whether of these two Miracles may seem the more odd and extraragant Viz. That the Sun-beams supported wet Garments or that Elias his cloak divided Jordan I think the Wonder is much à like in both and this the Dr only sport's with for he wholly leaves the matter of Fact unexamined O but Scripture relates what we read of Elias and old Legends perhaps very doubtful give these other Stories Credit A simple Reply For here we Parallel not humane Authority with Divine but Ask whether Scripture makes the Miracles there recorded Lesse Wonderful than these other Most evidently No. Therefore the Doctors whole Confutation of These Miracles taken from their seeming Extravagancy becomes à senceless Plea while Scripture in à hundred Passages forces on us the Beliefe of Things as Strange to Fancy or natural Discourse What can be more Extravagant than Samson's taking two Judges 16. 29. Pillars whereon à house rested and holding the one in his right hand and the other in the left brought ruine by the fall of that Fabrick to three Thousand Philistiens It is hard to conceive the placing of these Pillars so fitted to Samsons reach and the Ruine so universal that none of the three Thousand escaped More Instances of the like nature you have above 4. Out of all I conclude that as long as A Miracle necessarily implies Wonder the Dr weakens not the humane Authority produced by Catholick Writers in behalfe of Miracles and this he never attempts so long he feed's his Reader with an empty sound of words in rejecting Miracles because of their Wonder for à Miracle necessarily implyes à wonder and most justly in curr's à Censure for his tedious Tattle seasoned with nothing but Jeers and reproachful Calumnies 5. Innumerable Instances he hath just of the some Strain not worth refuting Capgrave Capgrave it seem's relates the Miraculous feeding of S. Kined Son to à Prince of little Brittany by his own daughter to whom an Angel brought à Brasse bell which the Child sucked and received nourishment sweeter than any milk and this makes the Dr great Sport Soon after Colganus is cited for à strange Miracle wrought upon Colganus S. Berach Abbot said to suck in his Infancy the right Eare of his Uncle ut quidam fingunt add's Colganus in his notes as some feign For although Colganus such à Miracle be not impossible to God that can fetch oile out of à hard rock yet Divine Providence could well give Nutriment to the Child by some easier means as he fed S. Macarius Witness Surius Dr Still page 517. Palladius in his Life and S. Giles by the milk of à Hinde See Surius 1. Septem The Dr excepts against the long lives of some Saints related by Colganus S. Mochaius lived 150. years much about the Age of old Thomas Parr in England But Kieran S. Abban and S. Mochteus out went Them not falling much short of 300. In all which time S. Mochteus neither Spake idle word nor eate meat Nay others sayes our Dr will have it that in one hundred years he eat nothing What These others not named say imports little Colganus I am sure uses Colganus 24. Mart. Page 734. this Expression taken out of old Verses
the Sign of the Crosse in the place here cited He tell 's us that fire made by enchantment unactive and contrary to its nature burned not was freed from the Witchery by casting Holy Water upon it blessed with the Sign of the Crosse whereupon the People and many Jewes were present cryed aloud there is one God that Epiphan cited in the precedent page 60. help 's Christians and departed satisfyed Another like Miracle He relates of à raging man possessed by the Divel that was presently delivered from the ill Spirit by Holy water cast upon him blessed with that Holy Signe The Testimonies of the Learned Theodoret seem here very remarkable Theod. l. 5. Eccl Hist c. 21 Coloig print 1577. page 312 The Divel saith he hindred fire from burning when Fuel was applyed the Pastor hearing of the Charm Forthwith blessed Holy Water with the Sign of the Cross gave it to Equitius à Deacon commanding him to sprinckle the water upon the enchanted fire That done saith Theoderet the Divel ran away the water burned like Oyl and the fire consumed the vvood in à moment Had the Dr I say considered these and many other Miracles wrought by that Holy Sign which most worthy Fathers and far more Ancient than S. Gregory recount Hee S. Gregor lib. 1. c. 11. would certainly have spoken with more respect and not scorned S. Gregory because he tell 's you of one Martirius that signed à cake in the Embers with the Sign of the Holy Crosse CHAP. XI A briefe Account of the Dr's large Excursion from his Page 595. to Page 664. Of his false Quotations and fallacious way in Arguing The rest Shewed à long list of impertinencies 1. REader you have three things chiefly in the Pages here noted First Many Testimonies taken out of latter Authors quoted most unsincerely some as the Dr thinks prove great Miracles to have ceased in the Church And all those are false Others much inveigh against the forging of Miraracles which though truly Quoted are nothing as I now said to our present Purpose A Second thing and most blamable is the Dr's fallacious way of arguing who would fain draw his main Document of Miracles ceasing from this unsound principle Some pretended Miracles have been proved counterfeit Therefore none ought to be ovvned true The last thing worth reflection relates to many Notorious Impertinencies Of these in order and first we begin with the Dr's Quotations 2. He cites 1. John Gerson and partly Gerson declaratio veritat tom 1 page 415 conceal's partly pervert's the genuine Sence of this Author who relies on à certain Principle waved by the Dr and delivers most true Doctrin As saith Gerson citing Aristotle it matters not that some things false in themselves are more probable than others true So import's not if somethings false in themselves be piously believed not as false for if known as false it is far from the Piety of the faithful to believe them The Estimation or pious credulity therefore fall's not upon the verity or falsity but only upon the appearance and probability while the falsity or verity is unknown Hence S. Hierom prudently said it 's better in such matters piously to doubt than rashly to define Two Gerson's Doctrin here faithfulâ—y set down contradictories may both be probable and the one well stand's with the other not in Truth but in Probability Thus under different Respects both may be believed without Prejudice to Faith so that the mind be free from pertinacy Reader what is hitherto amiss in Gersons Doctrin while he teaches nothing the Dr conceal's this but à Truth known the whole world over For who is there that believes not matters only probable in appearance whereof there is no absolute certainty Hath the Dr I beseech you certainty of all things that passe his head or believes upon humane Faith Gerson goes on This Degree of certainty respect's the Legends and Miracles of Saints the Lives of Fathers and the Visions of devout Persons c. Which the Church embraces and permit's to be read not that it determin's them to be believed as necessary for Saluation But because they conduce to move the pious affections of the faithful so long as nothing in such matters is known to be false although also nothing is known upon certainty to be true so in those things that by à pious consideration might be done is more to be regarded than what was done Thus Gerson 3. Now hear the Dr's own words Written in à different Character Gerson saith he honestly confesses this to be the End of the Legends and Miracles of Saints and their Visions and Revelations so much talked of in the Roman Church Viz. To stir up the Piety and Good affections of the People For these things saith he are not proposed by the Church to be believed as true but they are rather to consider them as things that might be done than things that vvere done Reflect Reader in passing how the Dr condemn's himselfe by his own words for if Gerson speaks as most certainly he doth of Miracles and visions read in the Lives of Saints not proposed by the Church to be believed as true but only permitted to be read He opposes no Miracles no Visions approved by the Church or owned as true Nay these he plainly supposes in his precedent words Priusquam elucidaretur alio modo Gerson impugn's not approved Miracles per Ecclesiam vel rationem certam ipsa veritas before the verity be cleared by the Church or upon some other certain reason Let therefore approved Miracles stand firm without controule we have our intent and will while the Dr loses both his time and cause Do as S Hierom prudently advises rather piously doubt of these Legendary Miracles than rashly define any thing The Dr end 's his Harangue thus Gerson saith it is no matter if some things that are really false be piously believed so they be not believed as false or known false at the same time The Dr thought this word False would rattle lowd in à vulgar eare whereas had he distinguished as Gerson doth between Truth in appearance or Probability and perhaps no Truth in re the noise would have ceased Has not many à man upon great Probability been deemed honest and so proceeded with that really was otherwise and many an one probably thought dishonest who deserved not that Censure Thus the Judgement of men are often regulated by Appearances Mens Iudgements often regulated by Probalities without having Truth clearly laid before them Miracles Judged probable or in appearance only have their End which as Gerson saith is to stir up Devotion though no man goes about to prove the Church infallible by them as the Dr too simply Imagin's 4. Three or four Quotations yet remain taken out of Lyranus Cajetan Launoy and Luke d'Achery as weightlesse and witlesse here as if the Dr had told you à tale of à Tub. These Authors Reader worthily blame all
was in the Apostles The cap. 9. n 10. true meaning is as I have largely proved above That no set number of men in the Church had such an ordinary Gift in working Miracles as was annexed by peculiar Priviledge to the twelve Apostles Se more of this Priviledge in the Chapter cited it is here needlesse to transcribe what is there clearly set down 4. Mr Dr I must once more tell you you write you know not what For nothing but à Frolick or à height of impudence could have uttered The Dr speak's à lowd Vntruth this intolerable Proposition The Catholick Bishops of the Church of Rome pretended no more to à Power of Miracles than Protestant Bishops do now With what Conscience or Countenance can you Sr impose so manifest an Untruth upon mankind Were not S. Irenaeus S. Gregory Thaumaturgus The two vvorthy Cyrills S. Athanasius S. Augustin S. Chrysostom Bishops and learned Bishops All these and many more as is evident have either wrought Miracles or laudably written in their Defence Show me but one Protestant Bishop that has done the like or for stark shame Mr Dr fool us no more abuse us no more with manifest Fopperies 5. The Dr as I told you to set forth his Phylostorgius Photius Biblioth page 26. de Philostor ex lib. 40. remits the Reader to Photius But how wisely he did so I leave to every mans common Judgement for having perused Photius exactly I find much ill and not so much as one good word spoken of Philostorgius He began with Philostorgius proved à most impious Heretick the Heresy of Arius next adhered to the Errours of Atius and finally professed the Eunomian Heresy Thus much I gather also out of several great Authors Photius goes on Philostorgius vvas à lying VVriter and full of Idle Fables He extolls Aetius and Eunomius as if they had purged the Christian Doctrin fouly contaminated vvith Errours vvherein saith Photius he lyes prodigiously He vvas enraged against the most Orthodox Fathers and falsly calumniated the great S. Basil though his calumny made the Saint more Baron Annal Ecclesias tom 3. Anno 354. n. 14. 15. 16. Vossius de Historicis Graecis l. 2. c. 20. p. 210. renovvned Cardinal Baronius speak's home also Philostorgius vvas à most infamous Heretick the ancient Graecians abhorred the mans very name cur'st his execrable VVritings as deserving nothing but oblivion and perpetual silence Gerardus Ioannes Vossius rebukes him as one Deo invisum hated by Almighty God for his Heresy and excessive bitternes against all Catholicks loving none but Hereticks These Testimonies and many more you may read in the Epitome of Iacobus Godefredus who compendiat's the Twelve Books of Photius See also Godefred's Prolegomena where upon several Godefred printed at Geneva occasions he spares not to tell us what an impious Heretick Philostorgius was However Dr Still introduces him as à creditable Author and will not have him suspected of Partiality though no man more ruin's his credit than the Dr for he saith those Miracles whereof Philostorgius and other Hereticks write may be justly suspected because only pretended to If only pretended Mr Dr you cannot but mistrust the Sincerity of those who relate them unlesse you Say though the Miracles in Them selves are false yet the Hereticks that wrote them spake Truth 6. The Dr much intangled loses himselfe in Page 676. and p. 677. à lame and undigested Discourse He would forsooth fain know hovv Miracles can prove the Truth and Infallibility of the Church if the Truth of Miracles depend's upon the Churches Approbation And I Sr would as fain know and I hope do know How Miracles can prove the Truth and Infabillibility A difficulty proposed by the Dr. of Christ's Doctrin if the Truth of those Miracles depend's upon Christ's Sacred word and approbation 7. To clear this matter I must first know what you mean by this word Proving Would you Sr have us prove the Truth and Infallibility of our Church Doctrin evidently or by à clear Demonstration Neither you nor any man living can thus evince the Truth and Infallibility of Christ's Doctrin Had you seen all the Miracles Christ wrought could you upon their outward Appearance or the exteriour sight alone have demonstrated that Christ was the true Messias or that his Doctrin was thereby evidently proved true and Infallible It is impossible even in your Principles Because you Say an Evidence taken from the outward Appearance of à Wonder only gives no certainty of its Truth or the verity pointed out by it Speak otherwise and you will be forced to grant that all the Wonders you have collected from Heathens were as really true as ever any was which Christ wrought for you yeild them an Appearance Very Visible 8. Hence it Followes that besides the Exteriour From whence we have full certainty of à Miracle Sight of à Miracle some other Oracle must interpose it's Authority and ascertain all yet vvithout Evidence of its real Truth as wrought by Divine Povver and for such and End This full certainty Mr Dr we take from the Churches Approbation as the Apostles and primitive Christians tooke theirs from our Saviours own words That the vvorks of God saith Christ John 9. 3. speaking of the blind man may be manifested in him I must doe the vvorks of him that sent me These Things John 20. ◠3◠are vvritten saith the same Evangelist That you may believe not knovv evidently That Iesus is Christ and that believing you may have life in his name 9. The want of pondering one Distinction plainly laid forth in Bellarmin brought the Dr Bellar. de not is Eccl. lib. 4. c. 14. §. Est autē to this confusion By Miracles saith Bellarmin the Church is demonstrated Non quoad evidentiam aut certitudinem rei sed quoad evidentiam Certitudinam credibilitatis That is we prove not Evidently the Church or her Doctrin to be evidently true by Miracles But prove both by Miracles to be evidently Credible The Evidence of Credibility Mr Dr disposes to Faith and brings in an Obligation of Believing That other fancied Evidence relating to the Truth and infallibility of Christ's Doctrin or the Churches God in this state impart's not to any For we walke by Faith not by Evidence 10. But say you vvhat Evidence of Credibility can there be from Miracles vvhere no one can be certain vvhether they be Miracles or not I Answer The same Evidence of credibility which the Primitive The same Evidence of Credibility we now have of the Churches Miracles which the ancient Christians had of our Saviours Christians had of our Saviours Miracles as they were Objects of Sense we also have of Miracles wrought in the Church The outward Appearance alone neither grovvnded Faith for Faith relies on à surer Motive God's Divine Revelation nor gave more Evidence of their ovvn real Truth than Church Miracles have done All true Miracles therefore whether wrought
disparity can be given Supposing the matters of Fact true And to call the Truth of all approved Miracles into doubt reaches to á high Degree of Madness 18. The only thing urged by Cajetan is that the most Authentick Testimonies of Miracles even in the Canonization of Saints are not altogether certain because it is á Written every man is à Lyar. If this Proof be valid Why may not he also mistake that wrote thus For he is amongst the number of every one Please Reader to distinguish three Degrees of certainty and the Difficulty vanishes One certainty called Metaphysical is altogether Infallible A second named Physical is had by such as behold à Miracle And that certainty the Three Degrees of certainty two Sisters Mary and Martha attained when they saw their Brother Lazarus raised to life A third certainty called Moral though inferiour to the other two may be so perswasive That none but most impudently and rashly can call the matter attested into doubt This Degree of Moral certainty all those had who upon the prudent Information of faithful Witnesses heard that our Lord restored life to Lazarus though they saw not the Miracle Thus much premised 19. I Say it is not necessary that Miracles which induce to Faith or excite us to believe be known by Metaphysical or Physical certainty A high moral Assurance of their being wrought The very most of the Primitive Christians before they believed had no greater is abundantly enough and fully sufficient The reason is Miracles as cap. 14. num 8. 9. I noted above show not Faith to be evidently true but only evidently credible neither are they the formal Object whereon Faith relies but rational Inducements only moving to accept of what ever Truth God Reveal's Therefore Cajetan saies well Faith must stand on à more Infallible Page 689. Moral certainty had of Miracles serves as an Inducement to Beliefe ground than that of Miracles and the Dr only Triefles when he tell 's us that our Writers hold there can be no certainty of the Truth of Miracles but from the Churches Approbation vvhich saies he is in effect to say They do not believe the Church Infallible because of their Miracles But they believe their Miracles to be true because they believe their Church to be Infallible The want of distinguishing different Degrees of certainty caused the Dr to blunder as he doth Read therefore his words thus We believe by à sirm Act of Faith the Church to be Infallible because God saies She is Infallible and to this Belief vve are prudently led by Miracles knovvn upon so high Moral certainty That it is open folly to call them into doubt And all difficulty ceases Again when the Church approves Miracles as true we ascend to à higher Step of certainty and own them thus approved without all hesitancy indubitable because à known Oracle seal's them up as certain Now I Ask Mr Dr who playes at fast The Dr would find à Difficulty where none is and loose with his word Certainty what Mystery lies in this that à lesser Degree of assurance to wit Moral serve as an Inducement to believe God speaking by the Church And that an other of à higher nature yet below the certitude of Faith be consequent after we own the Church firme and sure in Her Declarations No man but the Dr would have proposed such empty stuff to the wearisomnesse of every Reader Se more relating to this matter in the XIV Chapter already cited 20. The Dr yet cloyes us with three our four impertinent Authorities Paulus Zacchias à Physician saith that wicked men and Divels may not only doe Miracles in appearance but such as are really so as the Instruments of Divine Power Very true The question is whether Divels by their own Power can work Miracles Sec. 15. if God who has better Instruments at hand the blessed Angels will make use of Divels he might Destroy the world by them But the Question is whether Divels of their own Power can work true Miracles This difficulty waved by Zacchias is decided in à foregoing Chapter Zacchias also much inveigh's against bare pretended Miracles and so doth every wise man also But what is this to the purpose while we plead by no pretended or forged Miracles having thanks be to God great plenty of others never Questioned never called into doubt by any 21. The other Quotations following are as weightlesse and impertinent Fortunatus Schacchus Dr Still page 693. saith first it is à very easy to take false Miracles for true What then Are therefore no Miracles true because some too forward will perhaps have that thought à Miracle which is not I heard à very great man à Protestant confidently avouch more than once That the strange Escape of our Sovereign King Charles after the Battle at Worcester was à plain Doubtful Miracles of no account in the Chvrch. downright and undeniable Miracle God only knowes the Truth May be it was Miraculous if not what great harme followes save only That the Honourable person over confident vvas deceived The Church Mr Dr builds nothing upon dubious and uncertain Miracles Schacchus Asserts 2. That vvicked men may do real Miracles No doubt hereof if God will make use of them as he did of Balaam though this Witnesse Suares cited seldom happen's He saies 3. That no Argument can be dravvn for the Sanctity of any Person but only from such Miracles are approved by the Roman Church This supposes approved Miracles let the Dr own such as undoubted which are innumerable and there is enough to stop his mouth Episcopal Authority Mr Dr after due Examination may as we see practised the whole Church over approve à Miracle Though The See Apostolick only Canonizes Saints Page 694. to declare for the true Sanctity of any Person belongs only to the See Apostolick 22. The Dr hopes to find something for his purpose in the Processe touching the Canonization of Andreas Corsinus where the Auditours of the Rota say first It is necessary that à Person Canonized have wought Miracles Very good Miracles therefore are supposed wrought and useful also for some good End Will the Dr yeild thus much upon the Auditours Testimony O but They Say 2. It is not necessary that Miracles be done for the Confirmation of Faith seing they may be wrought for à proof of à Persons Sanctity I Answer If true Sanctity as is most certain ever supposes true Faith And The Miracles that Evince Sanctity prove Faith also if the Person Canonized be à faithful member of the Catholick Church the same Miracles which prove his Sanctity cannot but also prove his Faith sound and real Though as I noted above it is needless at every Miracle to cry out This is done to confirm such and such Articles believed in the Church You have already many Miracles purposely wrought in Confirmation of every Catholick Article what can the Dr desire more 23. Those Auditors
may be freed from that bondage That many have been thus possessed and released also out of thraldome is an evident Truth proved by experience and that the ejection or restraint of evil Spirits transcend's all force in nature and consequently done by Gods Omnipotent Power is no lesse certain and therefore à work truly Miraculous 11. Again shall Antichrist sit in Pompe and dazle mens eyes with à false lustre of wonders and shall not the Orthodox Church of Christ think ye be able when that Monster appear's to oppose one true Miracle against the Divel's pride vaunting by Antichrist of great wonders Shall he glory in false Signs and the Church show none that are true So it is saith Dr Stillingfleets your Church Miracles are cheats and no better than what Divels have done and Antichrist will do by his Charms Is it so indeed are all cheats and works of the Divel One word To grant some Miracles wrought in the Church will much abate Antichrists pride Mr Dr. A moderate man in granting some Miracles true would much cheer up the comfortlesse hearts of poor afflicted Christians in those future dayes of Tribulation and teach every one how to withstand Antichrist by setting true approved Miracles against his jugling Tricks Might not one then living though none of the strongest Combatants encounter that false Prophet thus I am assured of undoubted Miracles wrought in the Church wherein we Christians live but have no certainty of the Truth of thy Wonders which I Judge meer Illusions and therefore ought to be accounted most imprudent if I prefer thy suspected Signs before those I hold certain 12. Most I think will Judge this discourse reasonable though Dr Still makes it faint and senceless for if all the Miracles done in the Roman Catholick Church since the Apostles dayes have been Illusions and works of the Divel Antichrist upon our D 〈…〉 concession will so stop the mouths of Christians that none shall then speak à rational word against him for may he not plead and pertinently thus The great wonders I evidently Now Antichrist may plead upon Dr Still Concession set before your Eyes cannot be worse than cheats and works of the Divel Dr Still tell 's you and you must believe him that your Miracles are nothing but cheats and works of the Divel thus far he and I stand upon equal Terms therefore in reason you may as well credit my strange Wonders as your own which are every whit upon the concession of à Dr as jugling and fallacious Hence it followes that you are either obliged to believe me upon the present Sight of my wonders which for ought you yet know may be true and from the highest Power imaginable or which I would have done utterly renounce all claime to your past Miracles so much cryed up and down the world Dr Still may reply Though all Miracles wrought in the Church be truly deemed Cheats yet there have been other most clear ones powerful enough to Curbe Antichrist's Pride and these are the glorious signal Wonders of Christ and his Apostles alone sufficient to discountenance that false Prophet's Sign 's though never so Specious 13. Have at you Mr Dr saith Antichrist Grant me first as you doe that the Miracles wrought in the Church are forgeries and the Divels works and I 'll soon enervate the strongest Rational proof you have for Christ's Miracles Your only rational ground comes to this that the Gospel where those primative Miracles are recorded is owned upon the humane Testimony of all called Christians à true Story but this common Testimony in your Principles is evidently worth nothing and mark my proof If such vast Multitudes of Christians Christians who have fathered false Miracles upon God deserve not Credit in Saying Christ wrought Miracles have been so shamefully wicked as to make à clamour of Miracles when none were wrought That is to tell the world open Lyes nay more publickly to avouch Forgeriers and works of the Divel to have been done by the Power of Almighty God which God never did but both disclaim's and hates I say upon this Supposition no man in his wits can credit these mens Testimony though they swear à hundred times over that Christ and his Apostles wrought Miracles and that the Gospel truly recount's them for if they have falsely imposed upon mankind Matters of Fact so neer at hand or forged Miracles of à latter date seen aâ— they Say by innumerable that were never seen who can believe these mistaken Multitudes when they talk of Christ's Miracles à far off only seen if yet ever done by some few Ey-witnesses about sixteen Ages past This Discourse stand's upon à certain Principle which is that all the Miracles Christ wrought are not Selfe-Evident Truths or known as Truths ex Terminis though registred in Scripture therefore the first rational knowledge we have of them arises as Dr Still saies from the Universal humane Testimony of all called Christians though fallible which excludes à Possibility of reasonable The reason why their Testimony iâ— weightless doubting or as Catholicks speak from the Infallible Testimony of the Church made evidently Credible by glorious Miracles But neither Testimony is of any weight Nay both are utterly blasted if these Givers in of Evidence â—be proved publick Lyars and constantly cast upon God Iugling cheats and works properly belonging to the Divel 14. Some may reply This Argument seem's indeed to take off much Authority from Papits in their defence of Christ's Miracles because men once proved perjur'd or publick Lyars as they are now supposed in their false attestations given of Church Miracles deserve little credit in any other like publick affaire but Protestants forsooth who on the one side oppose latter Miracles and on the other stifly defend those wrought by Christ and his Apostles An Objection answered cannot but raise all upon their humane Faith to à high rational Credibility A most pitiful Put off which proves if of any force that before Protestants got footing in à few scattered parts of Europe Christ's Miracles could not be owned rationably credible upon the humane Autority of à whole ample learned Church But here is not all I say in à word the humane consent of Protestants in this matter or of any other precedent Sectaries stand's like an insignificant Cypher not worth à rush without the Testimony of our Evidenced Church I prove the Assertion Who ever takes the first Report in matters of fact from others both false and beguiled is as much cheated and beguiled as those Original witnesses are But Protestants the like is of all former Sectaries first received the Report of Christ's Miracles from the ancient witnesses of the Catholick Church here supposed false and grosly beguiled in relating their own Miracles neither God revealed to Sectaries nor did Divel ever truly tell them what Miracles Christ wrought therefore if those Primary witnesses are beguiled Protestants also remain fast in the like Errour O
Necessity of these Miracles since the large Propagation of Christianity in the world and account's him à Prodigie that yet seeks after Prodigies to confirm his Faith Reader note first how faintly the Dr speak's Some Miracles forsooth but durst not name them fearing they might appear Great ones For so They truly are in S. Austin if raysing the dead and restoring Sight to the blind be rightly accounted Great Thus much S. Austin de civit l. 22. c. 8. initio noted Turn to the Dr's Quotation you have it above where S. Austin's Adversaries proposed this Question Why are not the Miracles you preach done now He Answers Possem quidem dicere I might say Miracles were necessary before the world believed to the End it might believe And that whoever now seek's after Prodigies to believe when the world believes is himselfe à great Prodigie if he believes not with the believing World Thus I might Speak saith S. Austin which Expression as every one see 's exclud's not Miracles from being thought useful now but rather supposes them useful when God as S. Austin Testifies manifestly wrought them among Believers in those Dayes And therefore soon after concludes in the same context Etiam nunc fiunt Miracula Even now Miracles are done in our Age. Neither could S. Austin plead against those vain By what Argument Austin convinced his Adversaries Adversaries by Primitive Miracles for he Saith expressely They believed none were wrought Therefore he confutes them by S. Chrysostom's excellent Argument used above and known to every one The substance whereof is Either men believed our Christian Verities induced thereunto by Miracles or not If by Miracles God manifested them to the world If not the greatest Miracle of all is that the world believed the hard Mysteries of Faith without Miracles Thus S. Austin in this place plainly Discover's our Dr ' s fraudulent Proceeding 6. S. Austin next quoted upon the Psalms S Austin in Ps 130. v. 1. speak's of Simon Magus his pretended Miracles But has nothing like those words the Dr cites Though should the Saint either there or els where Say that the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles were vvrought for the benefit of future Ages he delivers à great Truth confessed by all neither ought any to complain had he done no more But humbly thank God for showing so many admirable Signs already manifested to the world whereunto none could lay just Claime much lesse rationally find fault had they never been wrought In like manner had God not Redeemed mankind by sending his only Begotten Son but done the work by an Angel or Some other way none could have justly complained or Challenged as Due that greater Mercy S. Austin deuitate Eccl cap. 16. Reason and Relig. Disc 2. c. 9. n. 4 shewed by JESUS CHRIST 7. Much lost labour followes in the Dr when he cites S. Augustine against the Donatists whereof I spake largely in another Treatise and cleared every Difficulty he falls upon in this place yet you must have it again like à fresh Objection Wonder nothing Sectaries will never leave off an old Idle Cowardly Trick nauseously to repeat what they once layd hold on though they see it solved Twenty times over Well but what Saies S. Augustin He bid's Donatus and Pontius plead no more by the Visions of this Brother or that Sister because all are Fictions Lyes and monstrous fallacies Then he discourses Either these visions spoken of among you are false Or if any wonders be wrought there we are the more to beware of them our Lord having foretold us that false Prophets should arise and vvork Signs which if possible might deceive the Elect. Here you see S. Austin would not in this place debate the Question with the Donatists whether God for reasons best known to himselfe work 's true Miracles by Hereticks Iewes or Heathens but prudently abstract's from that Controversy though he accounted them Lies and monstruous Fictions As who should say be they as you will true or false They are all worthlesse upon à Ground laid forth afterward Viz. Ye Donatists have not Christ your head because you are not of his Mystical Body the Catholick Church 8. The Dr replyes S. Augustine bring 's If the Church approve Miracles thoy are wrought there not the Evidence of Miracles to prove the Church by nor any visions or Revelations For he saith such things are to be approved because they are done in the Catholick Church not that the Church is proved Catholick because they are done in it Tell me Reader doth not S. Austin here plainly Suppose Miracles to have been wrought in the Church for if they require the Churches Approbation They are first wrought there Doth he not also assert above That maugre the spite of Hereticks Miracles held him in the Catholick Church Thus much is Proof enough against the Dr who denies Miracles Now if you Ask in what sence S. Austin teaches that the Church is not proved Catholick because Miracles are done in it I answered fully in the Treatise cited above Hee did so most prudently in his Contest with the Donatists who pretended as well to Miracles as S. Austin And therefore The saint waved that Argument not because Miracles are inefficacious to prove the Church by But upon this ground That the latter vvonders chiefly such as Optatus Melivitanus and S. Ambrose mention are not the first Sure Principle to manifest the Church against those Hereticks Hence the Saint appealed to Scriptute to the Testimonies of the Lavv of the Prophets and Psalms which the Donatists willingly admitted though they Cavilled at Miracles Haec sunt saith he Causa nostrae documenta haec firmamenta We plead why S. Austin pleaded not by Miracles but by Scripture by the strong Documents of Scripture where we have the Vnity the Visibility and large Extent of the Church over the world fully expressed These Testimonies you deny not though you slight our Miracles Produce therefore but one clear Passage of Scripture saith S. Austin without your Idle Glosses and interpretations whereby it may appear that the Church is only confined to Africa and you speak to the Purpose but if you fail herein and fail you must conticescite holde your Prattle believe the Truth c. In this Discourse the Saint Declares how grossy the Donatists strayed from the genuin Sence of those words in the Canticles Shevv me vvhere thou feedest and lies't ◠Cant. 1. 6. Noon most simply made use of by them to prove the Church confined to Africa Much more S. Austin has in this Chapter pertinent to the Controversy now in hand and further explained in the Treatise already cited 9. Some may Object 1. Miracles that need the Churches Approbation cannot prove her Doctrin Orthodox Why not I beseech you Christ's Miracles as seen or heard of by Report morally certain rationally induced the first Christians to believe his Doctrin and so I hope latter Miracles may much
while he admit's these Testimonies and attestations and denies the Miracles attested by them For example 22. He believes upon humane Authority that King John gave Order that the Saints Miracles should be rigidly examined And hold's it true because Writers of good credit say so But the very same Authors say also that the Miracles already mentioned were really done in the sight of many Spectators Why doth the Dr boggle at this having no greater Evidence of the Truth of that Order given by the King For it may be à fourb Than he has of the Truth of those Miracles attested to have been really done which he must Say are false and feigned Nay more why is not all that 's Written of S. Xaverius far from Truth feigned false and counterfeit 23. F. De Lingendes cited proposes this De Lingendes Feria 4. Domin 1. Quadr. Question VVhat could move those Iaponians most averse from our Christian Lavves and manner of living to forsake the vvayes they had long follovved c VVhat humane Interest could induce them to feign innumerable Miracles wrought by S Francis Xaverius à poor needy and unknown Priest Who God knowes brought them no worldly Advantage yet they boldly asserted his Miracles and did it with so great Zeal that many of their Barbarians Converted by Miracles feigned not Much lesse could those Pious Missioners forge any own accord dyed willingly in the Fire to Testify our Christian Faith suck't into their Brests by the force of clear Miracles partly seen with their Eyes and partly experienced in Themselves The like add's De Lingendes I may say of innumerable other Barbarians converted to Christ by the efficacy of glorious Miracles Now if these Barbarians did so upon no humane Interest much lesse could these worthy Fathers à long time Missioners amongst the Indians after so much Zeal shown in propagating the Gospel when all had an Ample share in Tribulation and many dyed to attest our Catholick Verities avouch horrid Lyes and Damn their Souls by forging Miracles that never were CHAP. XIII The Dr ' s unjust Calumny laid upon F. Hierome Xaverius proved False Of his lost labour in telling impertinent Tales of forged Miracles His famous Story of twelve English Iesuits Showing Tricks in feigned Exorcisms rejected as improbable A VVord of Hazenmillers lowd Lyes 1. MR Dr is yet pleased to continue Dr Still page 617. fine his Harangue and Asks what will Iesuits stick at in matter of lying who have had the Impudence to insert fabulous Miracles and Stories into the History of the Gospel For proof hereof he tell 's us that Hierome Xaverius à neer Kinsman to S. Francis with his Associat's was permitted by Acabar Emperour of the Mogols to live in Agra the Residence of that great Monarck and to give Account of the life and Miracles of Christ But saith Mr Dr the Subtle Iesuit well understanding their own Doctrin about the insufficiency of Scriptures durst not put into the Emperours hands the four Evangelists but framed an excellent Gospel of his own declaring that he took it Historia Christi Persicè à Hier. Xavier conscripta latinè reddita à Ludov. de Dieu out of the Gospel and Books of the Prophets To make this Good the Dr remit's us to one like himselfe of the Ministerial Brood Ludovicus de Dieu son to Daniel de Dieu à new Gospeller who banished Bruxell's upon the account of his Pestilent Errours after the Duke of Parma had taken that City fled into Holland and there Preach't 22. years I have perused this Book Written first in the Persian Language by F. Hierome Xavier Ludov de Dieu Epist Dedicat. which this De Dieu afterward turned into Latin and verily perswade my selfe that never worthy Missioner was more grosly abused than the Zealous F. Hierome Xaverius is by this false Dieu and our fraudulent Dr. The Story briefly is thus 2. F. Hierome having gained the Favour of the forementioned Emperour to live in Agra offered to his View the life of Christ in the Persian language For the substantial Part exactly taken What F. Hierome offered to the Emperour out of the Prophets and the Gospel But willing to make the Relation full and acceptable he first used different Expressions from the precise words of Scripture which all Preachers and Interpreters do in their further Explanations of Holy Writ 2. As Occasion required he added many pious Considerations most Suitable as he thought to beget in the Emperours mind à high Respect and honour of our blessed Saviour 3. After he had laid the foundation of his History upon the Gospel and recounted exactly the Birth the Infancy the Circumcision the Miracles the Doctrin of Christ c. the substance I say according to Scripture for the perfecting of his History here and there he introduces other ancient Testimonies not Divine Now mark the Fraud of these two Adversaries Dieu and the Dr Because the Father kept not alwaies close to the exact words of the Gospel and made his pious Additions as is noted Dieu cryes out in his Title Historia Christi sed contaminata the History of Christ but defiled The Dr as lowd Dr Still page 623. the very Story of the Bible horribly adulterated It is à flat Calumny Mr Dr. 3. I say contrary F. Xavier neither adulterated the Sence nor any one word of the Holy Gospel For to deprave and adulterate the Gospel is either to Propose some thing as Gospel or as revealed by Almighty God which God never Spake in Scripture This the Father did not Or to Produce à true Revelation there expressed and to Pervert or contradict it Now Show me Mr Dr by the Help of your false Dieu where F. Xavier either pervert's à Revealed Truth which is The Father depraved not the Gospel And why in Scripture or proposes that as the Revealed word of God and mark my Expression which is not in Scripture and you touch the Point But this is impossible the Father being far from such Transgressions Therefore prudently Entitles his Book not the Revealed vvord of God but the History of Christ partly much enlarged by Circumstances which easily might occur to every Pious mind yea and probably happen and partly augmented with the Testimonies of other Authors 4. For an Instance of the first The Father De Dieu page 41. cited by De Dieu supposes our Lady devoutly on her Knees about Midnight bowing her head towards the ground when the Angel came to Salute her This no more but à piovs Circumstance was never Proposed to the Emperour as à Truth revealed by Almighty God Again when he relates upon humane Authority that in De Dieu page 74. the night of our Saviours Birth the great Temple of Peace at Rome fell down and that much about the same time three Suns were seen in Spain which closed at last together like one Sun He tells us Sapientes dicunt Wise men Say the Vision
pointed out the great light of the world then appearing in Bethlem Observe the Expression wise men whether then living or afterwards imports not Judged so Therefore he never proposed this as à Truth revealed by Almighty God in Scripture 5. And thus Reader you have briefly the intolerable fraud of De Dieû and our Dr discovered who will needs impose upon F. Xavier what he never said They avouch he told all these Particulars and more as Verities revealed by Almighty God and words contained in the Holy Gospel Whereas it is evident by his manner of Writing And own Expressions no such thing can be meant Though desirous to make the History of Christ compleat he grounded himselfe first upon the exact Truths recorded in the Prophets and the Gospel with à further Enlargement as you have heard The Dr therefore yet living is obliged to recall what he has falsely said And to take off his foul Aspersion unjustly laid upon à most laudable Missioner 6. In like manner I Answer to the Exceptions made against the Story of the B. Virgin Dr Still page 618. where the Dr as God would have it manfully refutes himselfe F. Xavier saith he took what he had out of à Silly Book attributed to S. Hierome rejected by Baronius and others Is it so Did he take Baron Appar n. 44. what he had out of à Silly Book Prove you Sr that he presented the contents of that Book to Acabar under rhe Notion of God's revealed Wherein De Dieu and the Dr fail Word or as Written in Scripture and you Satisfy us But this neither De Dieu nor you shall ever make Probable 7. In the next place our Dr falls foule upon the Father for asserting Issachar to have been High Priest when S. Joachim offered up his Sacrifice in the Temple It is true Baronius cited saies Issachar could be no high Priest Then But tell me Reader is not this à pardonable fault in à poor Missioner who if mistaken thought he had S. Hierom's Authority for his Assertion And then neither did nor could know what Baronius had Written of this Subject Were the Dr's grosse Errours when he Quotes Authors falsly as I have Demonstrated When he produces Testimonies for the ceasing of Miracles in the Church though he saw those very VVriters he cites most expresse for glorious Miracles in latter Ages When he looks back upon his Jugling and foul perverting the plain Sence of Authors When he call's to mind his unjust Calumny Laid on Jesuits as men Forsooth who think it Lawful to Lye for à good cause c. These and many more Abominable frauds I have discovered in the Dr though to use his own words upon another Occasion he little thought they would ever come to light Were such grosse falsities I say as minute and pardonable as that one small Oversight is of F. Xavier Mr Dr might rejoyce And read these my Writings over with à merrier heart than he is like to do But his Errours are horrible and without serious repentance unpardonable The rest that followes in the Dr of the Blessed Virgins retyred life in the Temple of her vow of Virginity which grave Authors affirm The Baron Appar n. 47. c. 56. Dr laughs at all you have plainly asserted and proved in Baronius 8. Our Dr willing to make his Imputations cast on F. Xaverius relishable and to gain his precious Author De Dieu credit cites Philip Alagambe who saies the Text of Dieu his Translation is not unfaithfully done some few things Alagambe Biblioth Scrip. Societatis page 188. Animadversiones De Dieu page 537. excepted It is very true But Alagambe add's That De Dieu's heretical Observations or Animadversions one great part of his Book comming from à naughty heart deserve to be burnt with his Preface and marginal notes This Mr Dr conceal's yet Methinks if Alagambe merits credit in the one his word also may well be taken for the other The Dr at the close of Dr Still page 623. his Discourse thinks he hath said enough not only to stop the mouth of E. VV. for the future but even of impudence it selfe An idle brag of à defeated Adversary Peruse Reader this Treatise and you will see to whom Impudence as due belong's in this place I say no more 9. The Dr from his Page 624. to 663. afford's little worth reflection or any Reply In à word he seem's much like some poor Fellowes in our Cities that goe up and down the Streets and cast into nasty Carts all the filth and Dirt they meet with And I verily think gain more by that Sordid Employment Than the Dr gets Forged Miracles introduced by the Dr. wholly impertinent by his long and tedious Narration of forgeries and false Miracles impiously Pretended to have been wrought when none were This I call Dirt busily Scraped up by the Dr and cast into the Pages now mentioned But for what End or Purpose is hard to say Is it to tell us that Cheats and Counterfeits have sometimes plaid their prancks and abused others No great Doctorship is required for that which the whole world knowes Is it to Decry true Miracles because false ones have been forged A plain Degree of Madnes For so we should decry true Scripture because false Scripture has been Fathered upon the very Apostles Is it to prove à Religion naught because some that professe it Se Eusebius Hist lib. 3. c. 19. and l. 6 c. 10. And S. Austin contra Adversar Legis prophetar lib. 1. c. 20. Se Reas. and Relig. Disc 2. c. 8. num 11. counterfeit Miracles By this Art and Arguing Protestancy is ruined For not only Luther and Calvin as I shewed feigned Miracles but others also of the English Ministery have done so Witnesse that egregious fourb practized by John Dorrell in his pretended Possessions and Dipossessions of William Summers at Nottingham of Thomas Darling the boy of Burton of Cadwall and of Katharine Wright at Mansfeild c. Whereof whole Books have been Written laying open the frauds as you may read in Brerely who also introduces Dorells notorious cheat of à Spirit Brerely Tract 2. c. 3 Sect. 7. subd 5. p. with me 546. speaking in à wall against Queen Mary with the sleeping Preachers forgery Discovered by his Majesty King James VVere it worth the while to gather up more of this filth justly attributed to Protestants we could easily match Mr Dr and bespatter as many Pages with it as he has done But who besides the Dr can endure this Nonsense Some of such à profession have plaid the Knaves and forged Miracles Ergo the Religion that decryes the Forgery is naught Or true Miracles whereof Christians never doubted are to be looked on as False 10. Mr Dr after two tedious Stories of Falco and Joannes de Vincentia held by many Impostors by others not so hardly thought of But rather freed from the guilt for our purpose it imports not to
afford Miracles in abundance However grant which is not true that God in any one latter Age favovred his Church with á greater number of Miracles than he did the Primitive who can repine at his Providence he is Lord and may do what he pleases Or who dare censure us as Lyars and over credulous if by real Proofs taken from undoubted Records we make our Assertions good and evince the Truth of every Miracle in particular 5. Dr Still after à tedious rambling much Page 667. to this Sence That God would contradict himselfe should he confirm à Doctrin by Miracles contrary to Christian Religion already proved by Miracles à Truth known to all makes this Inference Therefore although in the beginning of à Religion the Doctrin is to be proved by Miracles yet that being once supposed Miracles afterwards are to be tryed by the Doctrin Would Dr Still either prove his Protestant Miracles by Protestant Doctrin or Protestant Doctrin what ever it is by Protestant Miracles I should be better Satisfyed But the Good man offer 's at neither I Answer How Miracles are proved by the Churches Doctrin and that Doctrin by Miracles this common Doctrin often proposed by our Divines All new Miracles wrought in the Church are to be examined and proved by the Churches Authority is True and therefore whatever Miracle after due Examination is found contrary to the Churches Doctrin as it is established and proved Orthodox by the Ancient Signs of Christianity the Ancient Prophesies also by the Sanctity of thousands and thousands and the large Extent of this great moral Body Such à Miracle I say ought to be rejected as false though an Angel from Heaven which is impossible should visibly exhibit the greatest 6. Some hereupon will say Not only new but all Miracles though now old are to be tried and proved by the Churches authority For the first Miracle wrought in the Church was then new so was the second and all other ensuing respectively to the time and place they were done in But all these together cannot if we make á right Analysis be proved by the Doctrin The Difficulty proposed or the Authority of the Church because the Churches Doctrin and Authority is Primarily proved by her Miracles which seem's impossible For who can first prove the Churches Doctrin true or Evidently credible by Miracles and afterwards without à vicious Circle prove her Miracles true by the Doctrin which is not proved true or evidently credible But by Miracles 7. Shall we in this Trial of Miracles try also Dr Stillingfleet's speculative faculty à little Has the like Force against our Saviours Miracles and propose the same Argument against the Miracles wrought by Christ and the Apostles using the very same words The first Miracle Christ wrought was then new the like is of the Apostolical Signs the second also ensuing respectively to the place and time when done was new and so of the rest But all these taken together if we make à right Analysis cannot be first proved true by Christ's Doctrin because that Doctrin is primarily proved true or evidently credible by Christ's Miracles which seem's as I said to imply à Vicious Circle For what can be more Circular than first to prove Christ's Doctrin by Miracles and afterwards to prove the Miracles true by the Doctrin not otherwise proved true or evidently credible than by Miracles What Answer gives the Dr to this Argument Will he say Christ's Miracles are now supposed true I may say as much of Church Miracles But believe it if we make à right Resolution of Faith we are obliged to show our Suppositions reasonable and goe deeper into matters than only to Suppose and prove nothing 8. My Answer conformable to what I delivered Part. 1. c. 6. num 17. in the last little Treatise against Dr Still is thus All Miracles whether wrought by Christ or in the Church may be considered two wayes First as Objects of Sence seen or known by undoubted Witnesses and under this Notion as previous to Faith they illuminate the mind and only rationally move to accept Christ's Doctrin anciently delivered and now taught in the Church But are not the last ground or only Formal Object of Beliefe and therefore Faith depend's not on the sight or bare Appearance of this The difficulty solved or that Individual Miracle 2. Miracles may be considered as most certainly true and this full Assurance of their Truth we have not from any outward appearance for Divels may delude us But from the Churches Approbation which Church is not only supposed but rationally proved God's own Oracle by the glorious light of external Motives Miracles chiefly Thus far led on by reason we prudently receive her Doctrin and say that all new Miracles are to be tryed and proved by the Churches known and received Doctrin what 's Contrary we reject as spurious and false What is conformable when the marter of Fact is made Morally certain we rest in and own as undoubted after this Oracle has sealed Chap. 17. from n. 1◠and n. 38. all up in à Legal Trial and given in her Approbation Se more here of afterwards 9. You will Say if the Churches Approbabation be required as necessary before we yeild An assent though sure implies not the certainty of Faith à sure Assent to the Truth of à Miracle How can we Show that the Doctrin of Christ or the Church is made evidently Credible by Miracles not yet known evidently true when meerly considered as previous Inducements or not firmed by any certain Oracle They move to Believe I Answer Those who heard of Christ's Miracles only relyed on Moral certainty very easily Tell me I beseech you Had all those who only heard of Christ's Miracles and Doctrin far distant from the place where they were wrought any previous clear Evidence of their Truth or did they then believe them by Faith fixed only upon the humane Testimony of such as made à Relation of them It is impossible because Faith requires à more noble Motive The knowledge therefore they had was then only morally certain which as I shewed in the last Treatise is enough with other helps to Assent to Christ's Doctrin upon this Motive that God revealed it 10. By all hitherto noted the Reader may Why the Churches Censure is necessary concerning Miracles see how necessary it is to have an Oracle ever ready at hand by whose Censure and Judgement true Miracles are discerned from the illusive Charms of Divels and wicked men Nothing that is counterfeit can passe this Tribunal Though therefore the Divel often Transform's himselfe into an Angel of light and may dazle mens Eyes with à false Lustre of fair Wonders yet the Church will find him out and lay open the Legerdemain 11. Dr Still told us just now That in the beginning of Religion the Doctrin is to be proved by Miracles Upon à meer Accident I met with à Protestant Brother who