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
Apostles in these Writings speak the Words of Truth and Soberness in that which they deliver'd touching these Gifts and Operations of the Holy Ghost and did not boast of that which they had not performed in those Churches or of that of which those Churches had no experience will be evident from these Considerations 1. That they suffer'd loss of Goods Life Credit and of all that could be counted dear unto them to confirm the Truth of what they taught and they perswaded Myriads in all those places to which these Writings were directed by them to follow the Example of their Sufferings propounding to them only the first Fruits the Earnest the Comfort of the Holy Spirit here the Joys of Heaven hereafter as the true Motive and Engagement to endure all these dreadful things Now if Persons void of Subtilty and human Artifices as the Apostles were deliver to the World a Doctrine which is according to Godliness and worthy of the God of Heaven as is the Christian Faith if they declare they had Commission from Heaven to divulge that Doctrine and that they expected at present no advantage by it but only the most dreadful Sufferings this being what their Master had foretold and that to which they were appointed 16. Joh. 2 33. 1 Thes 3.3 4. as we read in their Epistles if accordingly they did suffer all that Wit and Malice could inflict upon them and sealed their Doctrine with their Blood I say when all these Circumstances concur what reason can we have to dispute their testimony or think they could be acted by any Motive in the Publication of the Christian Faith but the Conviction of the Truth of what they published Again since Men who are convinced of a future Happiness are naturally so unwilling to quit the Pleasures and the Enjoyments of the World in Prosecution of that Happiness can it be thought that many Myriads who could have no conviction of it if these things were false should with the greatest Joy and Freedom part with Life and all the sweet Enjoyments of it to promote a known Delusion and in defence of those Epistles which made a frequent mention of Gifts and Miracles imparted to them when they had no experience of them especially if thirdly we consider that the Assistance and Comforts of the Holy Ghost were promised to all Christian sufferers and they were told that as their troubles did abound 2 Cor 15. 1. Pet. 4 14. their comforts should abound much more that when they were reproached and exercis'd with fiery Tryals they were happy People because the Spirit of Glory and of God would rest upon them this the Apostles taught them to expect and this say the Apostles ye have found for ye became Followers of the Lord and of us 1 Thes 1â— 6 having receiv'd the Word with much affliction and joy of the Holy Ghost Now if this promise was sensibly made good unto them they receiv'd the Earnest of the Truth of Christian Faith and an assurance of God's concernment to encourage and reward the faithful Christian but if they found no sensible experience of this Pledge and Earnest of these Consolations what reason had they to expect the Blessings of another World or to continue to take joyfully the spoiling of their Goods the Loss of Credit Life and all their worldly Comforts in propagation of that Faith which had so palpably deceiv'd them and to establish the Belief of those Epistles which contained these apparent Falsehoods Secondly If Men in their Epistles to their Proselytes speak largely of the Gifts which they have exercised and of the mighty Works they have performed among them and also of the Power conferr'd upon those very Proselytes to exercise those Gifts and do those Wondrous Works if in those very Writings they appeal to the Senses and the Consciences of those to whom they write and boldly tell them that their Eyes have seen and their own Consciences bear Witness to the Truth of what they say and if those very Writings which contain these bold Appeals are by those very Men to whom they do appeal received and embraced as Divine Epistles there can remain when all these Circumstances do concur no place for doubting of the Truth of this Appeal Now that this was most certainly the Case of our Apostles cannot be reasonably denyed if you admit that they then writ when what they said might easily have been confuted if it had been false for they with the greatest Confidence assert That God confirm'd the Word of his Grace by doing Signs and Wonders by their Hands that he bare witness to it by mighty Signs and Wonders 2 Heb 4. and Distributions of the Holy Ghost as hath been prov'd already Thirdly You have heard them also frequently asserting and testifying that the like Gifts and Operations were vouchsafed to those Churches to which these Letters were directed and that they were all Partakers of this Grace Fourthly For Confirmation of these Sayings they appeal unto the Searcher of all Hearts and to the Consciences of those to whom these Writings were directed even you your selves say they 1 Thes 2.10 11. are Witnsses and God also how holily justly and urâ—â—lâ—mably we behaved our selves among you for neither at any time used we flattering Words as you know nor a Cloak of Covetousnes God is witness Vers 3 4. our Exhortation was not of Deceit or Guile we have not followed curiniâ—â—gly devised Fibles we have not walk'd in Craftinefs nor hundled the word of God deceitfully 2 Cor. 4.2 but do by manifestation of the Truth commend our selves to every Man's Conscience in the sight of God Now these Considerations do mightily confirm the truth of what they have deliver'd in these Books for can it rationally be be conceiv'd that Men of such Abilities to write the deepest Mysteries and the exactest Precepts of Morality should be so strangely foolish as to confirm them chiefly by an Appeal to the Sences and Experiences of those Men who as themselves were well assured had never seen or done or found the least Experience of any of those things they mentioned but if we could suppose that the Apostles had been so strangely inconsiderate can we believe those Writings which contain'd an Appeal of so great Falshood and Hypocrisie and only were confirm'd by Perjury and impudent Appeals unto the Conscience of those Men who never found those Comforts of the Holy Ghost who never had these Gifts of Tongues Interpretation Healing Prophesie c. which these Epistles tell us were their daily Exercise I say can we believe that such Epistles should obtain to be embraced by those Churches to which they were indited and by all other Christians as the Word of God May we not with like Reason think a Mountebank who should in Commendation of his Balsoms pretend that he had wrought great Cures by them upon many Persons present and before their Eyes when both his Conscience and their Mouths were
Knowledge Vnderstanding Council Courage Piety and the Fear of God no mention being made of signs and wonders 4. Because throughout the History of the Acts of the Apostles where St. Luke hath occasion to mention the Miracles which the Apostles and Primitive Professors did he always uses the Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wonders Signs Powers but where he speaks of Persons prophesying or speaking with Tongues the wonderous Things of God he doth as constantly ascribe this to the Holy Ghost descending on them Instances of the first kind you will find 2 Acts 22 43. ‑ 4.16 22 30 33. ‑ 5.12 ‑ 6 8. ‑ 8.6 13.14 3. ‑ 15.12 ‑ 19.11 Instances of the second kind occur 1 Acts 16. ‑ 2.4 11. ‑ 7.51 ‑ 8.17 ‑ 10.44 45. ‑ 19.2 6. ‑ 20.23 28. ‑ 21.11 ‑ 28.25 ‑ 5. Because where the Scripture mentions these things together it puts a manifest Distinction between Signs and Wonders and Gifts Vid. Supr prefat and Operations and distributions of the Holy Ghost as v. 9.15 Rom. 19.3 Gal. 5.2 Heb. 4.21 And therefore having spoken of these things hitherto in general and without distinction for farther demonstration of this Matter I proceed to speak more particularly of some of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Gifts which in the stricter Acceptation of the Word do bear that Name 1. And first the Gift of Prophecy affords a signal Demonstration of the Assistance of the Holy Ghost vouchsafed to the Abettors of the Christian Faith I have already shewed that this Gift was exercised at Rome at Thessalonica 't is represented by St. Paul as a thing common and luxuriant in the Church of Corinth who declares 1 Cor. 14.26 31. v. 1. that each Man had his Revelation and that all might prophesie and that they should desire spiritual Gifts but above others Prophesie Moreover he instructs them how and when to use and when to limit and restrain this Gift and chides them for abusing the plentiful Effusion of it to the Confusion of the Church the Disturbance of the Peace and the Hindrance of her Edification Now the Word Prophesie imports sometimes only the Interpretation of the Scriptures or Will of God to the Edification Exhortation or Comfort of the Hearer sometimes the composing of spiritual Hymns of Praises and Thanksgivings by the immediate Assistance of the Holy Spirit in both which Senses it is used by St. Paul when mentioned among the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vouchsafed to the Church of Corinth but then it was so used or with such Evidences of Divine Assistance as to convince not only the Unlearned but Unbelievers that God was in them of a truth 1 Cor. 14.23 24. Sometimes it signifies the Prediction of future and contingent things as when the Author of the Revelations saith that the Testimony of Jesus was the Spirit of Prophesie 10 Rev. 19. 11 Acts 27 28. 13 Act. 1.21 Act. 9 10. and in this Import of the Word we have mention in the Acts of the Apostles of the Prophet Agabus who foretold the Dearth which was to happen in the Reign of Claudius Caesar and of other Prophets coming from Jerusalem to Antioch of Prophets and Teachers at Antioch of four Daughters of St. Philip which did prophesie And among the Gifts dispensed by our Saviour when he ascended up on high are reckoned Prohets and Evangelists Pastors and Teachers Thus Justin Martyr tells the Jew that the Gift of Prophesie Dial cumâ— Tryph. p. 308. which among them had long since ceased was conferr'd upon the Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we have to this very time the Gift of Prophesie Lenaeus saith L. 2. c. 57. That Prophesie and Visions Predictions of things future and Revelation of things secret were frequent in his days And in Eusebius there is mention of an * The Prophets of Montanus saith he prophesied Euseb Eccl. Hist l. 5. c. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eusebius also adds that some thought Mâ—ntanâ—â— Aâ—cibiades and Theodotus might Prophesie because there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Many strange Effects of this Divine Gift still remaining in divers Churches Hist Eccles l. 5 c. 3. Antient VVriter who to consute the Montanist all whose pretended Prophets were Extatick brings in a Catalogue of the renowned Prophets of the Christian Church who never suffered the like Phrensies and after calls for a Succession of these Prophets as a thing necessary in the Christian Church which had the Gift then ceased could not have been required from its Adversaries without the greatest Prejudice to the Church of Christ Now this was even by the Heathens admitted as a certain Rule Si divinatio ergo Deus and 't is as certain that if God vouchsafed the Gift of Prophesie to Christians in Confirmation of that Faith that Christianity is derived from God Add to this 2dly That they who were then called to Sacred Functions were either chosen to them immediately by the Holy Ghost or with their ordination they received some measure of these extraordinary Gifts this indeed we might reasonably expect who know the Manifestation of the Spirit was given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the benefit of others 1 Cor. 12 7. that they should be more eminently vouchsafed to those Men who wee particularly designed for the perfecting of the Saints 4 Eph. 12. for the VVork of the Ministry for the edifying the Body of Christ We find that Christ himself was consecrated to his Prophetick Office by the descent of the Holy Ghost on him at Baptism and when he ordained his Apostles he saith unto them as my Father sent me 24 Lâ—ke 4. so send I you receive the Holy Ghost and would not suffer them to begin their testimony concerning him till they should be endued with Power from above or with the Holy Spirit 12 Acts 2. The Holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the VVork whereunto I have called them St. Paul speaks thus unto the Elders of Asia 20 Acts 28. 1 Tim. 4 14. 2 Tim. 1.6 Eph. ad Cor. ss take heed to your selves and to the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers And he advises Timothy not to neglect the Gift which was given him by Prophecy and the Imposition of the Hands of the Presbytery to stir up the Gift received by imposition of hands Clemens Romanus saith that the Apostles out of their Converts chose Bishops and Deacons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clemens of Alexandria adds that John coming from Asia ordained such to be of the Clergy who were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Hâ—â— Eâ—cl l. 3. c. 23. as I may render it presented to him by the Holy Ghost Ignatius saith of the Bishops placed every where that a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epâ—â— Epâ—â—â—â— 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ep. ad Philadelph S. S. 1. they were appointed by
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
able to attest that they receiv'd not the least Benefit from any of his Balsoms should by this impudene Untruth engage those very Persons he so shamefully bely'd to assert the Soveraign Virtue of them in contradiction to their own Experience Lastly if they who enter these Appeals and by them do endeavour to confirm their Proselytes in the Profession of the Faith they teach have many subtil and industrious Adversaries Men zealous to oppose that Faith and defirous to find Occasions of Advantages over them and apt for want of such Occasions to accuse them falsly and charged by the Apostles with false Accusation and yet these very Persons when these very Arguments and Demonstrations of the spirit are urged in Confirmation of that Faith which these deceitful Workers did gainsay could find no Ground of Cavil against these things or could prevail upon no Persons to believe that they had reason to accuse them of Falshood or Deceit in these Particulars we cannot reasonably suspect they used any Fraud or Falshood in their Words or Writings but this is certainly the Case of these Apostles and more especially of Blessed Paul 1 Cor. 16.9 1 Thes 2.14 1 Tit. 10.2 Tim. 3.2 3. Ep. of Joh. v. 10. 1 Phil. 25 16. 2 Gal. 4. for their Epistles do inform us that they had many Adversaries that they were in continual Perils from the Jews were oft encounter'd by the Philosophers and the Disputers of the World that even among themselves were many vain unruly Talkers and Deceivers which gainsaid their Doctrine many proud Boasters and Corrupters of the Truth which did endeavour to empair their Credit in the Church and who did prate against them with malitious words that there were some who preached Christ only out of a Principle of Strife and Envy that they might add Affliction to their Bonds and some false Brethren who came in privily to spy out thâ—ir Liberty Nor have we reason to suspect that all or any of these Adversaries negelected any Pains or Diligence which ought in reason to be used to search into the Certainty of what they offer'd for Confirmation of this Faith and for Vindication of their Apostleship from these Aspersions which these false Apostles laid upon them Since then we never find the Truth of these Relations question'd by any of their numerous and potent Adversaries the false Apostle or false Brother the inqusitive and learned Precisian or the malicious Jew and since we are assured by the Event that if Attempts of such a Nature have been made they all prov'd ineffectual and insufficient to lessen or take a way the Credit of these Writings in the Christian World I say seeing these things are so it may be certainly concluded that these Writings were not and could not be convinced of Falshood but contained Matter of unquestionable Truth Now hence it clearly follows that this Assistance of the Holy Ghost was a most full and ample Confirmation of the Christian Faith and a sufficient Evidence that it derived from the God of Truth for this they constantly declared 1 Cor. 3.9 1 Rom. 4 that they were Apostles sent from God Co-workers with God and faithful Stewards of his Mysteries that they were Servants and Apostles of that Jesus who was declared to be the Son of God with power and that they preached the Gospel by Virtue of the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven This then must be a certain Truth or else their Story must be false Moreover from what hath been discoursed I conclude that the Power by which these holy Men were acted could not derive from Satan it therefore must derive from God whence it will follow that what it was design'd to confirm must be certain Truth or God must be supposed to employ his Power to confirm a Lye and stablish an Imposture in the World by the Assistance of his Holy Spirit which is a great Absurdity and very much repugnant to to his Truth and Justice And if these things convince us of the Truth of Christian Faith Hence have we reason to infer That it is very worthy of our Labour and much concerns us to be well acquainted with this Faith God is not busied about Trifles when he is pleased by extraordinary Methods and Transports of Nature to shew the Glory of his Power we may be sure the Doctrine he thus confirms is worthy of all Acceptation of this Salvation saith St. Peter the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently 1 Pet. 1.11 12. because it was that glorious Work of Mercy and of Wisdom to which the Holy Spirit in them gave his Testimony and when we preached the same Gospel by the Assistance of the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Angels presently desired to look into it if then these Sacred Prophets thought it worthy of their Diligence instantly to search till they had found the Time appointed for this Revelation of the Will of Heaven it must be worthy of our Care to search those Scriptures which contain it If blessed Angels who continually behold the Face of God in Glory and who are less concern'd in these glad Tidings than we are thus earnestly desire to view the Mystery which contain it If blessed Angels who continually behold the Face of God in Glory and who are less concern'd in these glad Tidings than we are thus earnestly desire to view the Mystery which the Apostles had discovered by the assistance of the Holy Ghost it must be both our Duty and our Wisdom to be industrious to know it the Speculations of Philosophy may be neglected as being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Socrates but Ethicks well deserve our Study as being purposely design'd for the Improvement of our Souls Wherefore this Wisdom this Demonstration of the Spirit which wholely aims at the eternal Happiness of Man and is designed to make him wise unto Salvation and even advanced to Divine Perfections deserves as much to be prefer'd before all other Wisdom as the Concernments of our Souls deserve to be prefer'd before the Interests of our frail Bodies or our eternal Interests to be regarded more than temporal Inf II. If this Demonstration of the Holy Spirit doth so abundantly confirm the Truth of Christian Faith it must exceedingly concern us in Point of Interest and Wisdom to yield Obedience to all the Precepts of that Faith The Gentiles had the Law of Nature written in their Hearts their Conscience bearing them witness 2 Rom. 14 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Rom 24 26. and their inward Reasonings sometimes accusing and sometimes excusing them and the Result of their Trasgressions against this dim and imperfect Law of Nature was that God gave them up to vile Affections and to a reprobate Mind the Law was given to the Jews by Ministration of holy Angels and therefore every Transgression of it receiv'd a just Reward of Recompence 2 Heb. 3 4. How then saith the Apostle shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first was spoken by the Lord and was confirm'd by his Apostles God hearing witness to it by divers Distributions of the Holy Ghost Especially if we consider First That by Disobedience to the Christian Precepts we contradict the great Design of all those Demonstrations of the Holy Spirit which were vouchsafed to confirm it the Wonders wrought by the Power of the Spirit being intended 15 Rom. 18. faith St. Paul to make the Gentiles obedient in Word and Deed. Secondly That this great Confirmtion of the Christian Faith doth highly aggravate the Gunt of our Transgressions of the Christian Precepts for the stronger is the Motive to believe the greater is the Guilt of Disobedience because such Motives may be easily discerned and so our Ignorance of them must be less excusable and we cannot resist their Evidence but we must offer violence to the Convictions of our Consciences were Christian Faith confirmed only be probable Inducements to believe it our Disobedience to its Precepts would be most irrational they being in themselves most excellent and such as our own Reason must approve as beneficial to our selves and others the Motives which engage to the Performance of them are infinitely to be prefer'd besore whatever stands in competition with them the Evils which they threaten to the disobedient more terrible and lasting than any we can suffer by being stedfast in this Faith and surely then whoever owns the Certainty of Christian Faith and lives in Contradiction to it or by his Practice gives the Lye to his Profession can have no Shadow of Excuse or Hopes or Mercy at the great Day of his Account In a word seeing this Demonstration of the Holy Spirit doth convince us of the Truth of Christian Faith it must add Strength to all the Motives Engagements and Encouragements to lead a Virtuous and holy Life which this Religion above all others doth afford For ifall that is delivered in these VVriting and Epistles indited by the Apostles and Evangelists be the Revealed VVill of Heaven then all the Promises and comfortable Passages recorded in them will be assuredly made good to all true Christians and the Assurance of these inestimable Blessings must lay upon us strong Engagements to be stedfast immoveable always abounding in the VVork of the Lord as knowing that our Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. FINIS