worought to confirm any sound and useful Doctrine The Confession of the False Gods when they were adjur'd by Christians p. 401. CHAP. IV. The Defect in point of Doctrine in the Heathen Religions The Theology of the Heathens absurd p. 403. Their Religious Worship wicked and impious p. 405. Humane Sacrifices customary in all Heathen Nations p. 406. No Body of Laws nor Rules of Good Life proposed by their Oracles p. 402. But Idolatry and Wickedness approved and recommended by them ibid. CHAP. V. Of the Philosophy of the Heathens The Heathen Philosophy very defective and erroneous p. 411. Whatever there is of Excellency in the Philosophy of the Heathens is owing to Revelation p. 423. If the Heathen Philosophy had been as certain and as excellent as it can be pretended to be yet there had been great need of a Divine Revelation p. 429 CHAP. VI. The Novelty and Defect in the Promulgation of the Mahometan Religion p. 436. CHAP. VII The want both of Prophecies and Miracles in the Mahometan Religion p. 439 CHAP. VIII The Alcoran is false absurd and immoral p. 441 CHAP. IX Of Mahomet That he was Lustful Proud and Cruel appears from the Alcoran it self p. 443 PART IV. CHAP. I. THat there is as great Certainty of the Truth of the Christian Religion as there is of the Being of God p. 447 CHAP. II. The Resolution of Faith The Scriptures considered 1. As Historically true 2. As to their Doctrine which concerns Eternal Salvation p. 451 452. From both these Considerations it follows that they are infallibly True p. 455. In many cases there is as much cause to believe what we know from others as what we see and experience our selves p. 456. And thus it is in the present case concerning the Resolution of Faith p. 460. The Evidence of Sense and of Humane Testimony in this case compared p. 462. The Certainty of both ultimately resolved into the Divine Veracity c. ibid. An Objection from Joh. xx 29. answered p. 467. The Truth of the Christian Religion evident even to a Demonstration p. 470 Newly Publish'd CHristian Thoughts for every Day in the Month with Reflections upon the most Important Truths of the Gospel To which is added Prayers for every Morning and Evening Price 1 s. A Course of Lectures upon the Church Catechism By Thomas Bray D. D. The Third Edition Price 5 s. Very proper to be read in Families A Minister's Counsel to the Youth of his Parish when Arrived to Years of Discretion Recommended to the Societies in and about London By Francis Bragge Vicar of Hitchin Hertfordshire Price 2 s. THE REASONABLENESS AND CERTAINTY OF THE Christian Religion BOOK I. PART I. IN Discoursing of the Reasonableness and Certainty of the Christian Religion I shall use this Method I. I shall shew That from the Notion of a God it necessarily follows That there must be some Divine Revelation II. I shall enquire into the Way and Manner by which this Revelation may be suppos'd to be deliver'd and preserv'd in the World III. I shall shew That from the Notion of a God and the Nature and Design of a Divine Revelation it follows That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are that Divine Revelation IV. That no other Books or Doctrines whatsoever can be of Divine Revelation V. I shall from hence give a Resolution of our Faith by shewing That we have the same Evidence for the Truth and Divine Authority of the Scriptures that we have for the Being of God himself because it follows from the Notion of a God both that there must of necessity be some Divine Revelation and that the Scriptures are that Divine Revelation VI. Having done this I shall in the last Place endeavour to clear such Points as are commonly thought most liable to Exception in the Christian Religion and shall propose some Considerations which may serve to remove such Objections and obviate such Cavils as are usually rais'd against the Holy Scriptures CHAP. I. That from the Notion of a God it necessarily follows that there must be some Divine Revelation IN the first Place I shall shew how Reasonable and Necessary it is to suppose That God should Reveal himself to Mankind And I shall insist the rather upon this because it is not usually so much consider'd in this Controversie as it ought to be for if it were it certainly would go very far towards the proving the Divine Authority of the Scriptures since if it be once made appear that there must be some Divine Revelation it would be no hard Matter to prove that the Scriptures are that Revelation For if it be prov'd that there must be some Revealed Religion there is no other which can bear any Competition with that contain'd in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament My first Business therefore shall be to shew from the Consideration of the Attributes of God and of the Nature and State of Mankind that in all Reason we cannot but believe that there is some Revealed Religion in the World There is nothing more evident to Natural Reason than that there must be some Beginning some first Principle of Being from whence all other Beings proceed And nothing can be more absurd than to imagine that that wonderful Variety of Beings in the Heavens and Earth and Seas which all the Wisdom of Man is not able in any Measure to understand or throughly to search into should yet be produc'd and continu'd for so many Thousand Years together without any Wisdom or Contrivance that an unaccountable Concourse of Atoms which could never build the least House or Cottage should yet build and sustain the wonderful Fabrick of the whole World that when the very Lines in a Globe or Sphere cannot be made without Art the World it self which that is but an imperfect Imitation of should be made without it and that less Skill should be requir'd to the forming of a Man than is necessary to the making of his Picture that Chance should be the Cause of all the Order and Fortune of all the Constancy and Regularity in the Nature of Things and that the very Faculties of Reason and Understanding in all Mankind should have their Original from that which had no Sense or Knowledge but was meer Ignorance and Stupidity This is so far from being Reason and Philosophy that it is down-right Folly and Contradiction From a Being therefore of infinite Perfection must proceed all things that are besides with all their Perfections and Excellencies and among others the Virtues and Excellencies of Wisdom Justice Mercy and Truth must be deriv'd from him as the Author of all the Perfections of which the Creatures are capable And it is absurd to imagine that the Creator and Governor of the World who is infinitely more Just more Wise and Good and Holy than any Creature can be will not at last reward the Good and punish the Wicked For Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do Right
But thus much in this place shall suffice all particulars having been largely insisted upon in their proper places And since as sure as there is a God there must be a Revealed Religion if any Man will dispute the Truth of the Christian Religion let him instance in any other Religion that can make a better Plea and has more certainty that it came from God let him produce any other Religion that has more visible Characters of Divinity in it and we will not scruple to be of it but if it be impossible for him to shew any such as has been proved then he ought to be of this since there must be some Revealed Religion and if that Religion which has more evidence for it than any other Religion can be pretended to have and all that it could be requisite for it to have supposing it true and which it is therefore impossible to discover to be false if it were so If this Religion be not true God must be wanting to Mankind in what concerns their eternal Interest and Happiness he must be wanting to himself and to his own Attributes of Goodness Justice and Truth And therefore he that upon a due examination of all the Reasons and Motives to it will not be a Christian can be no better than an Atheist if he discern the consequence of things and will hold to his own Principles for there can be no Medium if we rightly consider the Nature of God and of the Christian Religion but as sure as there is a God and nothing can be more certain the Gospel was revealed by him CHAP. II. The Resolution of Faith HAving proved the Truth and Certainty of our Religion I shall in the last place upon these Principles give a Resolution of our Faith which is a subject that has caused such unnecessary and unhappy Disputes amongst Christians in these latter Ages for in the Primitive Times this was no matter of Controversie as indeed it could not then and ought not now to be 1. Considering the Scriptures only as an History containing the Actions and Doctrines of Moses and the Prophets and of our Saviour and his Apostles we have the greatest humane Testimony that can be of men who had all the opportunities of knowing the truth of those Miracles c. which gave Evidence and Authority to the Doctrines as Revealed from God and who could have no Interest to deceive others but exposed themselves to all manner of dangers and infamy and torments by bearing Testimony to the Truth of what is contained in the Scriptures whereas Impostures are wont to be invented not to incur such sufferings but to avoid them or to obtain the advantages and pleasures of this world And so this Testimony amounts to a moral certainty or as it is properly enough called by some to a moral infallibility because it implies a moral impossibility of our being deceived by it such a certainty it is as that nothing with any reason can be objected against it We can have as little reason to doubt that Christ and his Apostles did and suffered and taught what the Scriptures relate of them in Jerusalem Antioch c. as that there ever were such places in the world nay we have that much better attested than this for many men have died in Testimony of the Truth of it II. This Testimony being considered with respect to the nature of the thing testified as it concerns eternal Salvation which is of the greatest concernment to all mankind it appears that Gods Veracity and Goodness are engaged that we should not be deceived inevitably in a matter of this consequence So that this Moral Infallibility becomes hereby Absolute Infallibility and that which was before but Humane Faith becomes Divine being grounded not upon Humane Testimony but upon the Divine Attributes which do attest and confirm that Humane Testimony and so Divine Testimony is the ultimate ground why I believe the will of God to be delivered in the Scriptures it is no particular revealed Testimony indeed but that which is equivalent to it viz. the constant Attestation of God by his Providence For it is repugnant to the very notion of a God to let men be deceived without any possible help or remedy in a matter of such importance And so we have the ground of our Faith absolutely Infallible because it is evident from the Divine Attributes that God doth confirm this Humane Testimony by his own III. The Argument then proceeds thus If the Scriptures were false it would be impossible to discover them to be so and it is inconsistent with the Truth and Goodness of Almighty God to suffer a deceit of this nature to pass upon mankind without any possibility of a discovery therefore it follows that they are not false Here is 1. The object or thing to be believed viz. that the Revelation delivered to us in the Scripture is from God 2. The Motive or Evidence to induce our Belief viz. Humane Testimony 3. A confirmation of that Testimony or the Formal Principle and Reason of our Belief viz. the Divine Goodness and Truth The object therefore or thing believed is the same to us that it was to those who saw the miracles by which the Scriptures stand confirmed viz. the revealed Will of God and the Ground and Foundation of our Belief is the same that theirs was viz. the Divine Goodness and Truth whereby we are assured that God would not suffer Miracles to be wrought in his own Name according to Prophecies formerly delivered and with all other circumstances of credibility only to confirm a Lye The only difference then between the resolution of Faith in us and in the Christians who were Converted by the Apostles themselves is this that tho we believe the same things and upon the same grounds and reasons with them yet we have not the same immediate motives or evidence to induce our Belief or to satisfie us in these reasons and convince us that the Revealed Will of God contained in the Scriptures is to be believed upon these grounds that is to satisfie and convince us that the belief of the Scriptures being the Word of God is finally resolved into the Authority of God himself and is as well certified to us as his Divine Attributes can render it For they were assured of this from what their own senses received but we have our assurance of it from the Testimony of others The Question therefore will be whether the motives and arguments for this Belief in us or the means whereby we become assured that the Revealed Will of God is contained in the Scriptures be not as sufficient to produce a Divine Faith in us and to establish our Faith upon the Divine Authority as the motives and arguments which those had who lived with the Apostles and saw their Miracles could be to produce that Faith in them which resolved it self into the Divine Authority And this enquiry will depend upon these two things 1. Whether
others it seems probable that the highest degree of Excommunication among the Jews being styled Shammatha which is the same with Maran Atha Sham signifying Lord as †Vid. Grot. Ham. ad 1 Cor. xvi 22. Maran also doth in the Syriac and other Languages and Atha signifying cometh Atha might either Ignorantly or Maliciously be mistaken for Athon which signifies an Ass And it is likely that this Calumny might be first raised by some Body who had been Excommunicated and turned Apostate It would be a very wrong inference from what has been said to conclude that there is no certainty in the Greek and Latin and other Heathen Historians For the Circumstances of the Relation and the Consent of divers Authors may put most parts of History past doubt But it ought to be considered that those which have been mentioned are exceptions to which the Sacred Historians are by no means liable they do not charge one another with Falshood nothing can be discovered of Partiality in their Writings but they tell the most disgraceful Truths of their Ancestors and of themselves and the History it self has so many publick Circumstances that they clear it beyond all suspicion of Deceit If the Names of some Men be omitted upon particular occasions in the Scriptures we find them mentioned there upon others And there is evident Reason that the Names of infamous Men should in some Cases be omitted and should not be inserted in Genealogies and enrolled in the Registers of Honour But when the Memory of Persons and Actions is totally supprest this must extreamly abate the Credit of any History The Jews are the only People in the World that have had their Antiquities by an uninterrupted Tradition delivered down and preserved in an Authentick Book unanimously asserted by the whole Nation in all Ages which they have never changed nor altered but have in great numbers sacrificed their Lives in Testimony of it If the Heathens in divers things contradict the History of the Jews they contradict one another as much in the Accounts of their own Antiquities and what they relate of the Jews is upon uncertain and contrary Reports If they conceal what concerns the Jews it was their Custom to stifle that which did not please them The Histories as well as the Religion of most other Nations were kept secret and not communicated to the People no Book of History among them was ever put into the hands of a whole Nation with a strict Charge to every one to read and study it as the Books of Moses were when the Principal and most Memorable things related were within the knowledge and Memory of all that read them The Jews were under a necessity of preserving their Genealogies with all imaginable Care and Exactness if they would make good the Claim and Title to their Inheritances so that the meanest among them could with the greatest certainty derive his Line from Adam whereas the Persian Kings as we learn from (r) Herod lib. vii c. 11. Herodotus could boast but of a short Descent and the Kings and Emperours of the Romans and of other Nations to advance their Pedigrees were forced to have recourse to fabulous Reports And the Heathen Accounts of the Original not only of particular Families but of the several Nations of the World are acknowledged to be Fabulous or at the best but very uncertain by the most accurate Historians The Account of the Prophecies and Miracles contained in the Scriptures was impossible to be mistaken at first and it has been transmitted with all the certainty that any History is capable of to Posterity And the Writers of the Old and New Testament all agree in the Account of the Creation of the Deluge of Abraham and the other Patriarchs of the Bondage of the Israelites in Aegypt their Miraculous Deliverance from thence and their Journying into the Land of Canaan they all frequently assert suppose or imply the Truth of these things there is a continued Series and Line of Truth observable throughout the whole Scriptures But among Heathen Writers it is otherwise they contradict one another in Matters of any considerable Antiquity if they agree in some material Passages it is commonly with much variation in the Circumstances and with great Uncertainty and Doubtfulness and the things in which they most agree are such as have been taken from the Scriptures which compose a Book that if it were but for the Antiquity and Learning of it is the most valuable of any Book in the World and nothing but Vice and Ignorance and that which is the worst sort of Ignorance a Pretence to Learning could make it so much despised II. If the Histories of Heathen Nations be so little to be relied upon their Philosophy will appear to be worthy of no more Regard which for any thing of Truth and Usefulness there is to be found in it depends so much upon Historical Traditions That Poetry is the most antient way of Writing is not only asserted by Heathen Authors but may with great probability be made out from the Scripture it self Poets were the Chief upholders of the Religion and the Philosophy in use among the Heathens both these were at the first taught in short Maxims which that they might be the better received and the more easily retain'd in Memory were put into Verse without any farther Ornament than just what was necessary to give a clear and full Expression to their Notions and Precepts (s) Xenoph. Conviv Memorab lib. 1. Socrates and the Philosophers of his time had a value for the Verses of Theognis and those which go under the Name of Pythagoras are at least as antient as (t) Apuâ— A Gell. lib. vi c. 2. Chrysippus who alleg'd their Authority Solon himself wrote Elegies whereof some Remains are still preserv'd This gave the Poets a mighty Reputation and we find not only Solon but others of them quoted and appeal'd to by Demosthenes and Aeschines in the Courts of Judicature as well as by Philosophers in their Discourses But the Poets for the more delightful Entertainment of the People not only indulged themselves in that antient and useful way of Instruction by Fables for he (u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. Plâ—et was hardly esteem'd a Poet who had been the Authors of none but they became the Promoters of all manner of Superstitions and Idolatrous Worship the Oracles were delivered in Verse every Poet wrote something in Honour of the false Gods and (w) Plat. â—b Socrates himself during his Imprisonment made a Hymn in praise of Apollo By which means the Original Notions of Religion and Vertue were so obscured and corrupted that it was impossible in any Humane way to provide a sufficient Remedy Plato complain'd of the Fictions of Poets but when he set himself to recover Men to a true Sense and Notion of things by the help of some antient Traditions which he had met withal he fell into very absurd and sinful
question were not only dubious but certainly spurious the remaining Books which were never doubted of are sufficient for all the necessary ends and purposes of a Revelation and therefore this ought to be no objection against the Authority of the Scriptures that the Authority of some Books has been formerly matter of controversy I shall enter upon no discourse concerning the Apocryphal Books the authority whereof has been so often and so effectually disâ—roved by Protestants that the most learned Papists have now little to say for them but â—re forced only to fly to the authority of their Church which is in effect to beg the thing in question or to beg something as hard to be granted viz. the infallibility of the Church of Rome But I shall here engage in no controversy of that nature Both Protestants and Papists are generally speaking agreed that the Books of Moses and the Prophets in the Old Testament and the Writings of the Evangelists and the Apostles in the New are of Divine Authority and if this be so the Christian Religion must be true whether there be or be not others of the same nature and of equal authority These Books in the main have already been proved to be genuine and without any material corruption or alteration I shall now only propose such general considerations as may be sufficient to obviate objections The agreement between the Jews and Samaritans in the Pentateuch is a clear evidence for its Authority And tho there were many and great Idolatries committed in the Kingdom of Judah yet by the good providence of God there never was such a total Apostacy in the people nor so long a succession of Idolatrous Kings as that the Books either of the Law or the Prophets can be supposed to have been supprest or altered For three years under Rehoboam they walked in the way of David and Solomon 2 Chron. 11.17.12.1 and tho afterwards he forsook the Law of the Lord and all Israel with him his Reign was in all but seventeen years Abijam was a wicked King but he reigned no longer than three years 1 Kings xv 2. Asa the third from Solomon and Jehoshaphat his Son were great Reformers and Asa reigned one and forty years and Jehoshaphat five and twenty years 2 Chron. xvi 13. xx 31. The two next Kings in succession did evil in the sight of the Lord but their Reigns were short Jehoram reigned eight years and Ahaziah but one 2 Chron. xxi 20. xxii 2. During the interval of six years under the usurpation of Athaliah the people could not be greatly corrupted for she was hateful to them as Jehoram her husband had been before her and they readily joyned with Jehoiada in slaying her and in restoring the worship of God 2 Chron. xxii Joash the son of Ahaziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada 2 Chron. xxiv 2. We are sure that he reigned well three and twenty years 2 Kings xii 6. and probably much longer for Jehoiada lived to a very great age 2 Chron. xxiv 15. Amaziah his son has the same character and with the same abatement that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart 2 Chron. xxv 2. or yet not like David his Father he did according to all things as Joash his Father did 2 Kings xiv 3. Vzziah son to Amaziah reigned well and sought God in the days of Zachariah 2 Chron. xxvi 5. and after he was seized with the Leprosie for invading the Priests office the administration of affairs was in the hands of his Son Jotham vers 21. who imitated the good part of his fathers Reign Chap. xxvii 2. Ahaz was wicked and an Idolater but he reigned only sixteen years Chap. xxviii 1. and his son Hezekiah wrought a great Reformation who reigned twenty nine years Chap. xxix 1. Manasses was much given to Idolatry in the former part of his Reign but after his captivity in Babylon he was very zealous against it Chap. xxxiii 15 16. Amon imitated the ill part of his Father's Reign but his own continued no longer than two years Chap. xxxiii 21. The next was Josiah in whose time the Book of the Law was found in the Temple which must be the Book of Moses's own hand-writing for it is evident that a Book of the Law could be no such rare thing at that time in Jerusalem as to be taken so much notice of unless it had been that Book which was laid up in the side of the Ark and was to be transcribed by every King It seems that Book of the Law had been purposely hid to preserve it from the attempts of Idolaters who it was feared might have a design to destroy it for if it had only lain by neglected the finding of it could have been no such surprizing thing because the place in the Temple was well known where it was wont to be kept in the side of the Ark and where they might have sought for it but it was probably at that time supposed to have been utterly lost and its being found in the Ruines of the Temple which was built for the observation of it and where it ought to have been kept with the greatest care as a most inestimable treasure the veneration which Josiah had for so sacred a Writing and the happy and unexpected recovery of it when it had been disregarded and almost lost through the iniquity of his Predecessors these considerations could not but exceedingly move a mind so tender and affectionately pious as that Kings when he received the Law under Moses's own hand sent him as he believed by God himself and delivered to him as it were anew from Heaven Not long after his time was the Captivity in Babylon till which there were always Prophets frequent Reformations and never any succession of Idolatrous Kings which continued for a long time together very few Kings were Idolatrous throughout their whole Reigns and those that were reigned but a short time * Book 1. Part 2. c. 6. 9. It has been proved that the Pentateuch and the Books of the Prophets written before the Captivity were preserved amongst the Jews till their return and it is acknowledg'd by those who are of another opinion that Ezra who composed the Canon did it by a Prophetick spirit or had the assistance of Prophets in the doing it * Joseph Câ—nt Apion lib. 1. Josephus says that their Books after the time of Artaxerxes are not of equal authority with those before his time for want of a certain succession of Prophets And since the Jews admitted no writings as inspired into the Canon after Malachi's Prophecy this shews their sincerity and exactness in examining the truth and authority of such Writings as they admitted into their Canon of Scripture The Pharisees made the commandment of God of no effect by their Traditions but never durst presume to impose them under the notion and
World though Men will take no Warning by never so many Examples but have need of continual Advice and Exhortation to keep them from the Commission of them Is there the less Certainty in the Mathematicks because Euclid Apollonius and innumerable others of all Ages and Nations have put forth Books and Systems of Mathematicks in several Forms and Methods When many write upon the same Subject it is an Argument of the Excellency and Vsefulness of it not that they are dissatisfy'd in what has been already said by others but that they think more may be said or that some Things may be prov'd more clearly in another Method with more Advantage to some Capacities and with greater Probability of removing the Scruples of some Men. It is undoubtedly very fit that all necessary Doctrines upon which the Eternal Happiness or Misery of Mankind depends should be treated of in all kinds of Ways and Methods and they cannot be too often discours'd of nor by too many Men that no Objection may remain unanswer'd nor Scruple unobserv'd Though a little may be sufficient upon a plain Matter to wise Men yet too much cannot be said upon a Subject wherein all Men are concern'd And it is the great Assurance of the Truth of Religion and Charity to the Souls of Men that has engag'd so many Authors in this Cause Besides the Primitive Fathers and Apologists Men of the greatest Learning and Abilities in latter Ages have undertaken this Subject having made it their Study and Business to consider the Grounds of our Holy Religion And I think few will pretend to more Judgment to discover Truth or to more Integrity to declare it than such Authors who have had no particular Interest or Profession in reference to Religion but were under only the common Obligations of all Christians which if they had valu'd as little as some others they could with as much Wit and Learning have appear'd in the Cause of Irreligion as any that ever undertook it Many of the most Eminent in all Professions and Callings have been the most zealous Assertors of Religion as I might shew by particular Examples which are in every Man's Memory Indeed I believe few Men have so vain an Opinion of themselves as to think they understand their several Studies and Professions better than such Persons who have given undoubted Evidence of their unfeigned Belief of the Christian Religion Men of the greatest Sagacity and Judgment have not been mov'd with such Objections as others so much stumble at but have liv'd and dy'd the Glory of their Age and an Honour to their Religion such were the Learned Prince of Mirandula and that Learned French Nobleman Mornaeus such were Grotius Sir Matthew Hales Dr. Willis and many besides both of our own and other Nations I shall mention but one more who indeed was so Eminent that I scarce need mention him for he must be already in every Reader 's Thoughts I mean the Honourable Mr. Boyle who was as inquisitive and as unwilling to be impos'd upon and knew as much of Nature perhaps as ever any Man not Inspir'd did and had withal as stedfast a Belief and as aweful Apprehensions of Reveal'd Religion which he endeavour'd to Establish and Propagate not only by his own Writings but by the Labours of others which he Engag'd and rewarded by his Last Will and Testament 2. But Men do not always live answerably to what they profess to believe It were heartily to be wish'd that there had never been any Occasion given for this Objection For though it be very inconsiderable in it self yet it does I believe the most mischief of any because Men naturally govern themselves more by the Example than by the Judgment of others or even than by their own Reason But if we will judge aright the Example of one Man who lives according to the Doctrines of Religion ought to be of more weight with us than the Example of never so many who live contrary to their Profession Because when Men profess one thing and act another their Actions are surely as little to be regarded as their Profession And if we will not believe their Profession against their Actions why should we regard their Example against their avowed Principles and Profession It is in all other cases esteemed a good Argument for the Truth of any thing when Men confess it against themselves And the Motives and Temptations are visible by which they are led aside from their own declared Faith and Judgment this Pleasure or that Profit is the cause of it which every Man can point to But when he who lives conformably to his Principles denies himself when he loses and suffers by it he must needs be in great earnest whereas the others are apparently bribed to forsake that in Practice which notwithstanding they cannot but own in the Theory and Principles This was an old Prejudice against Philosophy That the Philosophers did not observe their own Precepts But it was rejected by wise Men as no Argument against the Truth and Vsefulness of Philosophy It is a great Objection against the Men but sure it can be no Argument against the Things themselves that they are disregarded by those who understand their worth and pretend to have a due value and esteem for them And whoever renounces the Faith or takes up Principles of Irreligion because of any ill Practices of others too plainly declares either that in Truth and Sincerity he never had any or that he is very willing to part with his Religion All Men make some pretence to Reason and those Men most of all who are so apt to decry Religion upon this account That many who profess to believe it do not always live up to its Rules and Instructions But they do not consider in the mean time That Men generally act as much against Reason as against Relgion and that therefore this Objection if it can signifie any thing must banish all Reason and good Sence out of the World If there be no True Religion because so few practise it as they ought there can be no True Reason neither because the Lives of so many Men contradict it And some perhaps would be contented that there should be no True Religion rather than that there should be no True Reason because then they must be no longer allowed to be able to Reason against Religion But if the Truth and Reality of Things depend upon the Practice of Men then the same Religion may be true and false at the same time it may be true in one Age and false in another or true in one Countrey and false in the next and must be more or less true or false in the same proportion as the Lives and Manners of its Professors are more or less vertuous or vicious Indeed this is so unreasonable and unjust a Prejudice against Religion though it be grown a very common one that methinks every Man should be ashamed of it especially Men of Reason
c. 18. lib. v. c. 7. Quadratus had this gift of Prophecy and it continued in the Church to the time of Justin Martyr and of Irenaeus II. The Miracles wrought by the Apostles were according to an express promise of Christ to them that after his Ascension they should do even greater Works than he had done himself John xiv 12. that is they should do works that would be more eminent and observable in the eyes of the World though not more excellent and divine for nothing could be greater in that sense than to raise a man from the dead Which promise was fulfilled to them at the Feast of Pentecost when men from all parts of the world were made witnesses to it For they were commanded by our Saviour not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for this promise and he assured them that they should be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days after his being taken up from them into Heaven and that they should receive power after that the Holy Ghost was come upon them and should be witnesses unto him both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the Earth Acts i. 4 5 8. And this miraculous power was visibly bestowed not only upon the Apostles themselves but upon the (c) Monstrabatur locus ubi super centum viginti credentium animas spiritus sanctus descendisset Hieron Epitaph Paulae vid. Dr. Light exercit on Act. ii 1. p. 643. hundred and twenty mentioned Acts i. 15. I have already shewn that the Apostles were effectually qualified to be witnesses of what they delivered concerning Christ and that they could neither be deceived themselves in it nor could propose any advantage to themselves by deceiving others and that if they had designed any deceit they alledged such circumstances as made it impossible for them to have past undiscovered All which will be exceedingly confirmed by considering the miraculous Gifts which the Apostles received by the descent of the Holy Ghost according to this promise of our Saviour I shall therefore shew how the Apostles were enabled by the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them to become witnesses to Christ 1. By the Miracles which they wrought themselves 2. By that power which was conveyed by them to others of working Miracles 3. By their supernatural Resolution Courage and Patience under their sufferings I. The Apostles were enabled to become witnesses to Christ by the Miracles which they wrought themselves This power of Miracles qualified them most effectually to be witnesses of the Resurrection and Ascention and other Articles of our Faith for they could neither deceive nor be deceived in these miraculous Gifts which were bestowed upon them to be an assurance to themselves and an evidence to others that it was the Cause of God in which they were engaged and his truth which they delivered They could not be deceived them selves undoubtedly in a thing of this nature they could not be ignorant whether they were real Miracles which they wrought or not they must needs know whether their own pretences were true or false and whether they could speak the Languages and do the Wonders which the world believed them to do and speak and they could not but know by what power and means they were enabled to perform all their miraculous Works And these works were of that nature and done in that manner that they could impose upon no man by them they could not make men believe that they spoke all kinds of Languages if they did not speak them nor that they cured all sorts of Diseases if they had not cured them nothing is more easy than for a man to know a Language that he understands when he hears it or than for men that were sick to know that they are recovered when they feel themselves well And the manner oâ— their performing these Miracles was the most publick and notorious in respect of the time and place and the persons on whom they were wrought Our Saviour had been crucified at the Feast of the Passover in the sight of the Jews and Proselytes who were met together from all parts of the World at that Solemnity and but fifty days after at the next solemn Festival of the Jews in the very same City where he had been Crucified in the presence of multitudes of people of all Nations and Languages which came to keep the Feast of Pentecost the Apostles declared to them in all their several Tongues that this same Jesus was by the Almighty Power of God raised from the dead and that they were impowered by him to speak all those Languages The Apostles were at the same time taken notice of to be Gallileans men of low Birth and of new Education St. John in particular was known to the High Priest himself and the rest were all known to many that heard them their Parentage and place of Abode and manner of Life might easily be enquired into for they were no strangers nor in a far Country and from all these it appeared that it was impossible that they should be capable of speaking any of these Languages but by inspiration and to speak all Languages is a thing which no man ever could hope to arrive at by study or conversation though he should make it the whole business of his Life and therefore this could least of all be suspected of men of mean Employments and who got their Livelihood by their daily labour and industry The Miracles which the Apostles wrought were likewise in the most publick places of the City and in the most publick manner upon persons who had been most remarkable and generally taken notice of for their Infirmities St. Peter by pronouncing only these words In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk cured a man of above forty years of Age who was known to have been lame from his Birth and was carried and laid daily at one of the Gates of the Temple where there was wont to be the greatest resort of people to ask an Alms of them that entred into the Temple and this man being immediately cured went with St. Peter and St. John into the Temple and all the people saw him walking and praising God and they knew that it was he which sat for Alms at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple Acts iii. 9 10. And the Rulers of the Jews enquired into the matter and upon examination when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men they marvelled and they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus and beholding the man which was healed standing with them they could say nothing against it but confessed among themselves that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem and we cannot deny it Acts iv 13 14 16. By this and other evident and publick Miracles the miraculous Power of the Apostles
Antiquity as Tully assures us but the Antients gave no reasons to prove it by they only received it by Tradition Plato was the first who attempted to prove it by Argument for though Pherecydes Syrus and Pythagoras had asserted it yet they acquiesced in Tradition by which they had received it from the Eastern Nations but Plato as it is generally supposed conversing with the Jews in Egypt or at his coming into Italy being there acquainted (c) Tull. Tusc Qu. lib. i. with the Doctrine of the Souls immortality amongst other notions of the Pythagoreans began to argue upon it but not being able to make it fully out has only shewn how far reason could proceed upon those grounds which were then known in the world from Revelation Seneca (d) Epist 54.102 tho he sometimes asserts the immortality of the Soul yet at other times doubts of it and even denies that the Soul has any subsistence in a separate State And yet this Doctrine of the Immortality of the Soul which the greatest of the Heathen Philosophers could not certainly prove from reason was firmly believed even amongst (e) Grot. de verit lib. i. Anot. Barbarians (f) Consuc lib. iii. Part. 4. p. 36. Confucius the famous Chinese Philosopher profest himself not the Author but the Relater only of the Doctrine which he taught as he had received it delivered down from all Antiquity and (g) Arist Metaph. lib. xii c. 8. Aristotle has declared that the Ancients left many Traditions which their Posterity had corrupted but from the remains of those Traditiwe know that they were originally derived from Revelation The first of the Philosophers that taught the immortality of the Soul was (h) Tull. Tusc Qu. lib. i. Pherecydes and he left his Writings to Thales from whence he had the notion that all things were produced from water Pythagoras was a Scholar of Pherecydes and Pythagoras Plato and Aristotle conversed with the Learned Jews (i) Plat. Phaed. Socrates disputed of a future State from Tradition and (k) Plat. Phileb profest that he always followed the Tradition which had descended from Antiquity and that he was at a loss whenever that failed him (l) Plat. Timae And this Tradition could not have its Rise from the Greeks who were confest to understand little or nothing of Antiquity The notions in Philosophy of the latter Heathens were much improved by Ammonius a Christian and a Teacher of Philosophy at Alexandria And we find that upon the propagation of the Gospel Moral Philosophy in a few years attained to greater perfection than ever it had done before as we may see in the works of Seneca Epictetus Plutarch M. Antoninus Maximus Tyrius and others We may therefore reasonably conclude that the Precepts and Rules of Morality which Philosophers all along taught had their original from Revelation rather than from the strength and sagacity of their own reason because they err in things no less obvious to natural reason and it appears that they had opportunities of becoming acquainted with the Scriptures and that they spared no pains either by reading or conversation in their own or in foreign Countries in their search and enquiries after truth III. If the Heathen Philosophy had been as certain and excellent as it can be pretended to be yet there had been great need of a Divine Revelation For 1. The rules of Philosophy lie scattered up and down in large and learned works mixt with many wrong and absurd notions and therefore must be in great measure useless how certain and excellent soever they may be in themselves they can be no rule of Life to us No perfect rule of Manners is to be found in any one Author and if it were possible to compile such a rule out of them all yet what man is able to collect them (m) Lact. de vit Beat c. 7. Lanctantius is of opinion that if all the truths dispersed up and down among the several Sects of Philosophers could be collected together into one System they would make up a Body of Philosophy agreeable to the Christian Doctrine but then he concludes it to be impossible for any man to make such a collection without a supernatural Assistance And if there were no other reason for it but this it is no wonder that we find (n) Tull. de Orat. lib. i. the XII Tables preferred before all the Writings of the Philosophers If there be nothing so absurd as Tully says but the Philosophers have taught it then it is necessary that men should not be left to the uncertainties and absurdities of Philosophy for tho some few of them might be free from such extravagancies yet their Notions were no Rule or Standard to the rest and the best were not without many great Errors 2. The Rules of Philosophy were no better than good Advice and carried no Authority with them to oblige men in Conscience they had not the force of a Law and failing in this necessary point whatever their intrinsick worth had been they never could have had that effect upon the Lives of men which Revealed Religion has Vertue was propounded by Philosophers rather as a matter of Honor and Decency than of strict Duty those were esteemed and admired indeed that observed it but such as did not only wanted that commendation Some Philosophers spoke great and excellent things but they past rather for wise sayings than for Laws of Nature their own Reputation which was greater or less with different sorts of men was the only Authority they had it might be prudence to do as they taught but there appeared no absolute necessity for it They commonly represented Vertue as very lovely with many very great and powerful charms and all that were of another mind did not know a true Beauty and that was an intolerable disgrace the Sanction of Rewards and Punishments in the next Life was little insisted upon by them They recommended Vertue for it's own sake not as it is enjoyed by God and will be rewarded by him and the contrary punished and those who could not soar to their Heights were rather the worse than the better for such Doctrines which they looked upon as the impracticable speculations of some who had a mind to speak great things And they often spoke the Truth indeed which they had from Tradition or from the excellency of their own Wit and Genius but they were not able to make it out by any such Principles as are wont to influence and govern humane Actions Accordingly we find that as the several Sects of Philosophy suited to the Tempers and Humors of particular men so far they prevailed and no farther The curious and inquisitive betook themselves to the Academicks the soft and effeminate to the Epicureans and the Morose to the Stoicks men applyed themselves to what ever opinion they liked best and found most agreeable to their Nature and Disposition Thus a severe and haughty Gravity made up the
If we have nothing to object but the imperfection of human nature we may rely upon God that this shall never mislead us in a matter of such consequence whether the imperfection be in our own sences or in the Testimony of others In short the Miracles related in the Scriptures will as effectually prove a Divine Revelation to us as they could to those that saw them but the difference is that they believed their sences and we believe them and all things considered we have as much reason to believe upon their evidence as they could have to believe upon the evidence of their sences Let us consider History as a medium by which these Miracles become known to us and compare this medium with that of Sight If a man would be sceptical he might doubt whether any medium of Sight be so fitly disposed as to represent objects in their due proportion and proper shape he might suspect that any Miracles which he could see were false or wrought only to amuse and deceive him and there would be no way to satisfy such an one but by telling him that this is inconsistent with the Truth and Goodness of God So in this other medium of History which to us supplies the want of that of Sight a man may doubt of any matter of Fact if he Pleases notwithstanding the most credible evidence but in a matter of this nature where our Eternal Salvation is concerned we may be sure God will not suffer Mankind to be deceived without all possibility of discovering the deceit The circumstances have all the marks of credibility in them and therefore if they be duely attended to cannot but be believed and the Doctrine which they are brought in evidence of being propounded to be believed under pain of Damnation require that they should be attended to and considered and that which is in its circumstances most credible and in its matter is supposed necessary to Salvation must be certainly true unless God could oblige us to believe a Lye For not to believe things credible when attended to and known to be such is to humane nature impossible and not to attend to things proposed as from God of necessity to Salvation is a very heinous Crime against God and to think that God will suffer me to be deceived in what I am obliged in Honour and obedience to him to believe upon his Authority is to think he can oblige me to believe a Lye But it may be objected if this be so how comes it to pass that they are prâ—nounced blessed who have not seen and yet have believed John xx 29. Which seems to denote that a peculiar Blessing belongs to them because they believe upon less evidence I answer that they are there pronounced Blessed who had so well considered the nature and circumstances of things the Prophecies concerning the Messias and what our Saviour had delivered of himself as to believe his Resurrection upon the report of others not because others might not have as sufficient Grounds for their Belief as those who saw him after his Resurrection but the evidence of sense is more plain and convincing to the generality of men though Reason proceeds at least upon as sure and as undeniable Principles A demonstration when it is rightly performed is as certain as the self evident Principles upon which it proceeds though it be so far removed from them that every one cannot discern the connexion Demonstrations may be far from being easie and obvious but are oftentimes we know very difficult and intricate which yet when they are once made out are as certain as sense it self The Blessing is pronounced to him who believes not upon less evidence But upon that which at first seems to be less which is less observable and less obvious to our consideration but not less certain when it is duly considered For which reason our Saviour after he had wrought many Miracles that were effectually attested by sufficient witnesses required Faith in those who came to be healed of him because the Testimony of others was the means which in Ages to come was to be the motive of Faith in Christians and he thereby signified to us that there may be as good Grounds for Faith upon the report of others as we could have from our own sences and generally those who came in unbelief went away no better satisfied Wherefore it is said that in his own Country because of their unbelief he could do no mighty work save that he laid his hands upon a few sick Folk and healed them Mark vi 5. He could not do his mighty works because they would be ineffectual and would be lost upon them and he could do nothing Insignificant or in vain if they would reject what had been so fully witnessed to them they would not believe whatever Miracles they should see him do It is very remarkable that amidst all his Miracles our Saviour directs his Followers to Moses and the Prophets and appeals to the Scriptures for the Authority of his very Miracles and that even after his Resurrection he instructs his Disciples who saw and discoursed with him out of the Scriptures to confirm them in the truth of it Luke xxiv 26 27. He requires the Jews to give no greater credit to his own Miracles than that which he implies they already gave to the wrirings of Moses so as firmly and stedfastly to believe that he came from God And we having all the helps and advantages which the Jews had to create in them a Belief of the Scriptures of the Old Testament and many more and greater Motives if it be possible to believe these of the New must therefore have sufficient means to excite in us that Faith which our Saviour required of those who saw his Works and heard his Doctrine which certainly was a Divine Faith and all the Faith which if it be accompanied with sincere and impartial obedience is required in order to Salvation Upon the whole matter I conclude that the Truth of the Christian Religion is evident even to a Demonstration for it is as Demonstrable that there is a God as it is that I my self am or that there is any thing else in the World because nothing could be made without a Maker or created without a Creator and it is as Demonstrable that this God being the Author of all the perfections in men must himself be infinitely perfect that he is infinitely Wise and Just and Holy and Good and that according to these Attributes he could not suffer a false Religion to be imposed upon the world in his own Name with such manifest Tokens of credibility that no man can possibly disprove it but every one is obliged to believe it FINIS BOOKS Printed for and Sold by R. Wellington at the Dolphin and Crown in St. Paul 's Church-Yard Newly Published A Treatise of Medicines containing an Account of their Chymical Principles the Experiments made upon them their Various Preparations and Vertues and the
is ordinary with the best Writers to express things uncertainly which they were notwithstaning throughly acquainted withal and to seem ignorant of things which they perfectly understood but past over as not worth the taking notice of or not considerable enough for them to own the knowledge of them It is a known Elegancy to say nescio quid or nescio quem when the Author so speaking was not ignorant of the thing or person there meant but either signified his contempt of the person or thing or intimated that it was not worth his while to trouble himself or his Hearers or Readers with a more particular relation The * Credo haec eadem Indutiomarum in testimonio timuisse aut cogitasse qui primum illud verbum consideratissimum nostrae consuetudinis Arbitror quo nos etiam tunc utimur cum ea dicimus jurati quae comperta habemus quae ipsi vidimus ex toto teslimonio suo sustulit atque omnia se scire dixit Cic. pro M. Fonteio Romans out of that Awe and Reverence which they had for Oaths never spoke positively in giving evidence of things which they were certain of and had seen themselves And uncertain forms of Speech are observed †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Uip. in Demost Olynth 1. by Vlpian to have been usual thy Aneient Greek Authors in their speaking of things whereof they were very well assured It could be of no use or moment in relation to the miraculous draught of Fishes to know whether the Ship were two hundred cubits or half a cubit or a quarter of a cubit over or under from the Land and it is usual with St John to express himself in this manner Jo. 2.6 6.10 19.14 Either then to keep to the same instance St John might know the precise distance and for the reasons mentioned not declare it or it not being of any use or consequence for us to be more particularly informed in a matter of that nature the Holy Ghost might suffer him to be ignorant of it if he had no other means of knowing it but by Inspiration For the Holy Ghost assisted the Apostles and Evangelists to write infallible Truth but not always to write every little circumstance concerning the things which they relate Many Miracles are wholly omitted and many circumstances not considerable or material to be mentioned are omitted of those Miracles which are recorded But if nothing be related which may lead us into error and nothing omitted which is necessary to be known this is sufficient and is all that can be expected in a Book which is to be a Rule of Faith and Manners to us It is necessary that nothing but Truth should be contained in it but not that every Truth should be in it for then the world itself could not contain the Books that should be written Suppose therefore that St John did not know precisely how many cubits the Ship was from shore what doth this prove That he did not know the Miracle which he there relates Doth it prove that he was not inspired in what he doth relate if he were not inspired in what he omits If he had determined the precise distance and had not known it this might have discredited the Authority of his Gospel but when he has not determined it can this be an argument in diminution of its Authority if he did not know what he did not profess to know Is it not 〈◊〉 good Argument in confirmation of its Authority that he would assert nothing but what he certainly knew if in what he was not persectly assured he mentions no further than he knew of it So St Paul acquaints us when he spoke himself and not the Lord which is an argument to us that in all other cases he did not speak of himself but the Lord spoke by him it is a consirmation of his Integrity that he would impose nothing upon us as of Divine Authority which is not really so because he that told us in any one case that he spoke of himself not as from the Lord would have made the same Declaration in other cases whenever he had written any thing without express Revelation 4. In things which might fall under human Prudence and Observation there the Spirit of God seems not to have dictated immediately to the Prophets and Apostles but only to have used a directive or conducting Power and Influence so as to supply such Thoughts and Apprehensions to them as might be most proper and seasonable and to keep them in the use of their own Reason within the bounds of Infallible Truth and of Expediency for the present case and occasion They might be permitted to insert such things as the state of affairs required which tho not immediately dictated by the Holy Ghost yet were agreeable to the end and design of his Inspiration and serviceable to the Ministry to which they were appointed There seems to be no necessity to assert that St Paul sent for his Cloak and Parchments by Inspiration of the Holy Ghost or that he had any immediate command or direction to salute the particular persons named at the end of his Epistles but only that his Doctrine was immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost and as he might be permitted to put that into his own words but so as never to be suffered to express it otherwise than in such a manner as was fully agreeable to the mind and intention of the Holy Spirit and therefore infallibly true So in these lesser and indifferent matters which some present occasion made requisite to be written of he had the guidance and assistance of the Holy Ghost to prevent him from writing any thing but what was expedient in those circumstances and serviceable to his calling and ministry in the propagation of the Gospel But things of an indifferent nature in themselves might become necessary as to time and place and persons and therefore might in some cases be of Divine Inspiration St Paul's journeying into Macedonia rather than into any other Country was in itself a thing indifferent but the salvation of many souls might depend upon it and therefore he was warned by Revelation not to preach the word in Asia nor to go into Bithynia but into Macedonia Acts 16.6 7 9. In like manner the Salutations of particular persons at the end of his Epistles tho they may seem to us to be of no great importance yet might be of mighty consideration and consequence to those who were concerned in them To be saluted by an Apostle in so particular and solemn a manner might revive their spirits and encourage them to perseverance under their Temptations and Asslictions for his Salutations include his Benediction which was the exercise of his Apostolick Office and Authority in one great branch of it And God himself might direct the Apostle to salute such persons for their support and comfort and encouragement in the Faith Besides the Salutation added at the end of the Epistles are
equivalent to the Distinction of Persons among Men. That there is this Unity and this Distinction we learn from the Scriptures but what kind of Distinction this is or how far it is to be reconciled with our Notion of Persons amongst Men and after what manner it is consistent with the Unity of the Godhead the Scriptures have not told us and it is impossible for us to determine II. Other things are and must be believed by us which are as little understood as this Doctrine Our Knowledge at the best concerning Finite Things is very imperfect which is so generally acknowledged by all Men of Wisdom and Experience that it is esteemed a great point of Wisdom for a Man to be truly sensible of his own ignorance and it is the Character which Solomon himself giveth of the Fool that he rageth and is confident Prov. xiv 16. But when we consider things Infinite we are much more at a loss That there must of necessity be something Eternal must be acknowledged by all who understand what is meant by the word even those that are so foolish as to say in their hearts there is no God yet must believe something else to be Eternal they must believe that there always was something because if ever there had been nothing there never could have been any thing For how could any thing have been produced by Nothing Out of Nothing it might but then there must have been something to produce it We can be certain therefore of Nothing if we are not sure of this that there is something Eternal the Atheist himself cannot deny it unless he be so stupid as not to know what it means And yet what apparent contradictions may he fancy to himself in the Notion of Eternity For what is Eternal can never be capable of either a shorter or a longer Duration than it always had so that Millions of Ages hence it will not have continued longer than it had done as many Million of Ages past And how strange and contradictory doth this seem to be that not only Three Ages and one Age should be the same but that there should be no difference between one Hour or Moment and never so many Ages in respect of Eternity And there is no avoiding this difficulty if a Man be of any Religion or no Religion let him but apprehend what is meant by Eternity and he must own both that there is such a thing and that he is utterly unable to explain it Here then is an unaswerable Difficulty in a thing which all the World must believe if they have it but so proposed to them as to be made understand what it is And there is no difficulty imaginable in the Doctrine of the Blessed Trinity which can be pretended to be greater than that which is inseparable from this Notion which all must of necessity hold And if we do but observe it in Finite things which are usual and familiar to us and the Objects of our Senses every day we Believe what we very little understand or are capable of understanding Our Knowledge indeed is so very imperfect concerning the Nature of most things that I may almost venture to say that if we will but be contented for the present to believe what God has delivered concerning his own Nature we may hereafter know God himself as plainly as now we know many things here For now we see through a Glass darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known 1 Cor. xiii 12. If it be thought unreasonable however that such abstruse Mysteries should be made necessary to Salvation and that we should pronounce that whosoever will be saved must thus think of the Trinity and that all who do not thus think and believe shall without doubt perish everlastingly Let it be considered that in all Religions whether Natural or Revealed there must be something believed which is above all Humane Comprehension and which can be known no further than in order to be believed there can be no Faith without all Knowledge but Knowledge if it were compleat would exclude Faith which is the Evidence of things not seen Knowledge may be considered either as it is general and imperfect or as it is particular and adequate to the Nature of the thing known we must have a general Knowledge of whatever is the Object of Faith but if we had a particular and adequate knowledge of it there could remain nothing of it unknown to be the Object of Faith The difference between Science and Faith is not that we are less certain of the Objects of Faith than of the Objects of Science but that we know less of them For Certainty depends upon our general Knowledge as that God is true and therefore what he has revealed is as certain as if we saw it or could demonstrate it in every particular And this general Knowledge which is necessary in order to Faith is in Natural Religion attained to by Reason and in Revealed Religion from Revelation Thus we attain to such a general Knowledge of the Divine Nature by Rational Evidence as to be convinced that Infinite Power and Goodness and Truth and all manner of Infinite Perfections belong to it but we believe the Divine Perfections without any particular comprehensive Knowledge of them in like manner from Revelation we attain to this general Knowledge that the Divine Nature consists of Three Persons in One undivided Essence but we believe these Three Persons to be One God without any particular and comprehensive Knowledge of so great a Mystery for then it would no longer be a Mystery and Faith would be no more Faith I would therefore ask the Adversaries of this Doctrine whether the Belief of a God Omnipresent Eternal Almighty Omniscient Infinitely Holy Just and Merciful be not necessary to Salvation No rational Man can deny it I enquire further whether Insants and Ideots are obliged necessarily under pain of Damnation to this Belief They must certainly answer no because none can be obliged to Impossibilities I demand then again whether if one or more of these Attributes or the Agreement of them one with another be impossible to be understood with a general and imperfect Knowledge by any who are capable of knowing and believing the rest the ignorance of these Articles which are above their Understandings even as to this general and imperfect way of Knowledge can be destructive of their Salvation They must needs say it cannot because God can require nothing impossible of any Man And the very same Answers applied to the Cavils against the Athanasian Creed will be sufficient to Silence them That Creed contains such Truths as are necessary to be believed in order to Salvation but necessary to particular Persons so far only as they are capable of knowing them in order to believeing them He that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity but this supposes him capable of thinking
of them must cease and the Reason why they should be bestowed ceasing these miraculous Gifts must of consequence cease with it And thus it was likewise under the Law It is observable that we read of no miraculous Power bestowed upon any Man before Moses The Creation of the World was dilivered down with undeniable Certainty and the miraculous Judgments of God in Drowning the Old World in the Confusion of Tongues and in the Punishment inflicted upon Sodom and Gomorrah were sufficient to keep up a Sense of the True Religion But when a new Institution of Religion was to be introduced by Moses miraculous Gifts were necessary to give Authority to it and to oppose those false and lying Wonders which were in use among the Magicians in Egypt and other Places In the former Ages Predictions were very frequent and they were delivered by the Patriarchs who were Men of unquestionable Credit and Authority and could have no need of Miracles to confirm the Truth of their Prophecies which were so usual in those Times and when the Lives of Men were so long divers Prophecies of the same Persons had been verified by the Event But Moses had a New Law to deliver and both He and the Prophets had a a stubborn People to deal with to whom the Message they were charged withal was commonly very unwelcome so that till this Institution was fully settled Miracles became necessary But when the Old Testament had been sufficiently authorized and established by Prophecies and Miracles and when by the Captivities and Dispersions of the Jews the Divine Mission of their Prophets became known among so many other Nations when the Jews were reduced from Idolatry which they never practised after their Return from their Captivity in Babylon and when they had made numerous Conversions amongst the Heathens then these miraculous Gifts were no longer continued as they had been before in the Jewish Church insomuch that it became a (a) Lightf Glean out of Exod. §. vi Harm of the Evang Luke i. 18. Joh. ii 18. Maxim among them that after the Death of Zechariah and Malachi and the rest of the Prophets who returned from Babylon the Spirit of God departed from Israel and ascended and for above Four hundred Years together the Gifts both of Prophecy and Miracles had been with-held from them before the Manifestation of Christ For though there were gross Errours and dangerous Corruptions among the Pharisees and Sadducees and other Sects of the Jews yet since the Truth and Certainty of that Revelation from whence these Errours might have been confuted had been so throughly confirmed all their Corruptions and Errors were not a sufficient cause for the continuance of miraculous Gifts and the Pharisees and other Sects who were most fond and zealous of their several Tenets and Traditions yet never durst pretend to a Power of Miracles or Prophecy but endeavoured to support themselves upon the Authority of Moses and the Prophets What they sometimes spake of (b) id Fall of Jerus §. IX Harm of the N. T. §. LXXIII the Bath Col or Voice from Heaven deserves but little Credit and amounts but to a Confession that the Spirit of Prophecy had failed under the Second Temple as the Jews themselves expressly acknowledge it to have done (c) More Nevock Part. 2. c. 36 41. Maimonides declares that the Bath Col did not denominate Men Prophets and therefore it is not reckoned by him among the Degrees of Prophecy I have already Proved at large Book 1. that the Evidence of those Miracles which were wrought in the Primitive Times affords as much certainty to our Faith as if we our selves had seen them wrought And our Saviour plainly says notwithstanding his Works which bore Witness of him that it was not to be expected that his own Words should be rather believed than the VVritings of Moses For had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me But if ye believe not his VVritings how shall ye believe my VVords Joh. v. 46 47. And when once the Gospel had been attested by Miracles as the Law had been and rendred as certain to all succeeding Ages as a constant Power of Miracles could have made it there could be no Reason why such a Power should be any longer bestowed Miracles were wrought in Evidence of the Truth of Revelations made to Mankind in the Old and New Testament not to decide any Controversies arising amongst those by whom the Scriptures are received For to whom the Scriptures are the Rule by which all Disputes ought to be determined and therefore the Gifts of Miracles were sometimes manifested among (d) Ad Orthodox inter Justin Martyr Oper. Respons v. Hereticks for the Conviction of Infidels which is the true end and design of Miracles and not to be any Note of Distinction between the Orthodox and Hereticks The learned (e) In Irenae Dissert 11. §. 28. c. Mr. Dodwell by an historical Account of Miracles from the Times of the Apostles through the Ages next succeeding has shewn that they were always adapted to the Necessities of the Church being more or less frequent as the State of the Church required till they at last wholly ceased when there was no longer any need of them For the only end and use of miraculous Gifts is the Confirmation and Establishment of Religion and therefore when this is once fully confirmed and established they can be no longer needful But it seems rather necessary that they should afterwards cease than that they should be continued I mean as to any constant Power of working Miracles residing in the Church For tho' there may possibly be some extraordinary Cases in which it may please God to manifest a miraculous Power yet there is no Reason to conclude that a constant Power of working Miracles should be continued to the Church but rather that those Gifts should cease when Religion has been confirmed by a perpetual Course of Miracles for some Hundreds of Years together Because I. Miracles when they became common would lose the design and end and the very Nature of Miracles For the Nature of Miracles consists in this that they are an extraordinary VVork of God not that they are more difficult than the ordinary works of Nature All things are alike easy to God and Miracles are as easy as any thing in the constant course of Nature can be the only difference is that Miracles are his wonderful Work they are more apt to raise our Wonder and Admiration and to put us in mind of a Divine Presence For we wonder at strange and unusual things and suppose a more than ordinary Reason for them But if Miracles had continued in all Ages this Effect of Miracles would have ceased and they would no longer have been Miracles but a kind of different Course of Nature For according to the best and most accurate Philosophy nothing in the settled Course of Nature can be performed without an
and who should betray him and he said Therefore said I unto you that no Man can come unto me except it be given unto him of my Father John vi 64 65. So that the Belief of the Gospel is stiled a Divine Faith not only in respect of its Object but of its efficient Cause In attaining to the Knowledge of the Truth of Religion we must proceed upon the same Principles of Reason by which we proceed in attaining to the Knowledge of any other Truth But Reason when it comes up to the Evidence even of Demonstration though it satisfies the Understanding yet doth not necessarily gain that firm and lasting Assent of the Will which is required in Faith but when the thing proved to be true is unacceptable against the Inclinations of the Will and against the former Opinions and Persuasions of the Understanding the present Convictions of the Understanding are soon stifled and overpowered by the prevailing Force of the Will and Affections which carry the Mind off to other and contrary Objects which it has been wont to think of and believe Thus it was in the Academicks and Scepticks they could not but have the same sense of Mathematical Demonstrations and other clear Truths which the rest of Mankind have whilst they thought of them and attended strictly to them But by a constant Practice to amuse themselves with Subtilties they had wrought themselves to a Persuasion that nothing could be certainly known to be true and this general and habitual Opinion soon stifled the Evidence of any particular Truth which could be represented never so clearly to their Minds To as many therefore as lay under long and violent Prejudices by reason of their former Opinions and of their Pride and Vanity in contending for them or by reason of any of those Lusts which are so contrary to the Purity of the Gospel to such an extraordinary and miraculous Power of Grace was necessary to establish them in the Faith or else though they believed for the present at the sight of some Miracle yet this was no lasting or well-grounded Faith John ii 23 24. And that Grace which was necessary to their Faith was denied to some for their Sins that they should not see with their Eyes nor understand with their Heart and be converted John xii 40. So that Men of great Learning and worldly Wisdom might still continue Unbelievers and not submit to all the Evidence of the Gospel because the Doctrin of the Gospel being so contrary to their Habitual Thoughts and Inclinations there was something necessary to convert the Will and Affections and to subdue the former Habits which had been rooted in their Minds by frequent Acts and length of Time and which were too strong for any Convictions of the Understanding that consisted but in transient Acts and were soon lost and vanished through the prevailing contrary Habits both of the Understanding and Will and Affections And therefore Faith must necessarily be an effect of Grace as well as of Reason and where because of former Sins and Provocations this Grace was not vouchsafed there could be no Faith though there might be some transient Convictions of Mind some faint Glimmerings which were soon damped and extinguished being overpowered by former contrary Persuasions And for the same Reason those who had less Wisdom and Knowledge but were not under the Power of Habitual Lusts and Passions and therefore were more easily persuaded to any thing of the Truth whereof they were once convinced were likewise the more easily converted The Causes why the Word became unfruitful and so little prevailed with many Men are in the Parable of the Sower declared to be either inconsiderate Negligence and Ignorance and the Advantage taken from thence by Satan or want of Constancy in Times of Tribulations and Persecutions or the Cares of this World and the Deceitfulness of Riches and the Lusts of other things Matth. xiii 18. Mark iv 9. It was next to an impossibility for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of God or to become a Christian They were not Natural so much as Moral Accomplishments not so much Parts and Learning as an honest and humble Mind which were the requisite Qualifications for Men to become Christians Because as God the more freely bestowed his Grace upon Men thus qualified so they were the better disposed to be wrought upon by it whereas others though they wanted a greater measure of Grace yet had less vouchsafed to them For God resisteth the Proud but giveth Grace to the Humble Thus much in the General I now proceed to give a particular Account of the Causes of the Unbelief both of the Jews and Gentiles I. Since there is so great Evidence that our Saviour is the true Christ it may seem a wonderful and almost an incredible thing that the Jews should so generally reject him notwithstanding all the Means and Opportunities which they had above other Nations of being converted But 1. The Jews and Proselytes were converted in vast Numbers Besides the Shepherds Simon and Anna the Prophetess acknowledged and adored our Saviour in his Infancy as the true Messias Luke ii 25 36. and it is probably (k) Buxtorf de Abbrev. Hebr. supposed that this was Rabban Simeon the Son of Hillel and Father of Gamaliel The Title of Rabban was the highest of all Titles signifying a Prince rather than a Doctor or Teacher as Rabbi doth and there were but Seven of the Posterity of Hillel who were dignified with it Nicodemus Joseph of Arimathea and many others of Note and Eminency received the Christian Faith About Three Thousand were converted at one time Acts ii 41. Great Numbers were converted not only of the People but of the Priests also Acts vi 7. All that dwelt at Lydda and Saron Acts ix 35. Many of the Jews and Religious Proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas Acts xiii 43. At Iconium a great multitude of the Jews believed Acts xiv 1. Crispus Chief Ruler of the Synagogue believed on the Lord with all his House Acts xviii 8. And Sosâ—henes another Chief Ruler of the Synagogue Acts xviii 19. 1 Cor. i. 1. Apollos an eloquent Man and mighty in the Scriptures was a Christian Acts xviii 24. Many Thousands or Myriads in the Greek Acts xxi 20. And the number of them which were sealed was an Hundred and forty and four thousand of all the Tribes of the Children of Israel Rev. vii 4. The People were generally well-disposed to receive the Gospel and when the Chief Priests and Rulers would have Persecuted our Saviour and his Apostles they were often forced to desist for fear of the People And if the Apostles did not depart (l) Euseb Hist lib. V. c. 18. from Jerusalem in the space of Twelve Years as there is Reason to believe the number of Converts in all that time must needs be extreamly great The Church of Jerusalem flourished exceedingly from the Beginning and the Bishops of that City were of
in part of what he related yet the People in a Rage and Tumult lift up their Voices and said Away with such a Fellow from the Earth for it is not fit that he should live they cried out and cast off their Clothes and threw dust into the Air Act. xxii 22.23 These are not the Actions of Reasonable Men no wonder therefore that they were not convinced by Reason 5. False Christs and false Prophets with their Signs and Wonders were then very frequent insomuch that if it had been possible they would have deceived the very Elect Matt. xxiv 24. And the Jews were much more enclined to give Credit to these who complied with their Lusts and Desires than to examine and consider the clearest Evidence which must oblige them to take up the Cross and follow a Crucified Saviour The Cross of Christ was to the Jews a stumbling Block and they would believe any thing rather than it 6. Upon these and such like Causes the Jews rejected their Messias and still continue in Unbelief whereby are fulfilled many Prophecies concerning this very thing and whilst they endeavour in vain to disprove all other Arguments their Infidelity and Obstinacy it self is an Argument against them the Prophets having foretold that they would thus reject their Messias as St. Paul proves Rom. ix 27. And it was no new or strange thing that the Jews should resist the Holy Ghost they always did it as St. Stephen tells them as your Fathers did so do ye Which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted And they have slain them which shewed before of the Coming of the Just One of whom ye have been now the Betrayers and Murderers Act. vii 55 52. II. What great Numbers of the Heathen Nations in all parts of the World were converted to the Christian Religion is evident both from Christian and Heathen Authors of those Ages in which the Gospel was first Preached and considering the general Depravation both of the Manners and Principles of those Times it is no wonder that many should be contented with any Religion or with no Religion at all so that they might retain their Vices rather than attend to any Arguments which could be brought in proof of a Religion that must oblige them to abandon and Crucify all their Lusts and Sins and renounce their Ease and Safety to live in Disgrace and Misery and die in Torments However notwithstanding all these Discouragements there was no Rank nor Order of Men nor Sect of Philosophers but divers of the best and wisest of them were early Converts to the Christian Faith such as Dionyssius the Areopagite Justin Martyr Athenagoras Tertullian Arnobius and others And as nothing but the clear Evidence and Force of Truth could convert these so it is no unaccountable thing that others should stand out and oppose it For I. The Greeks sought after Wisdom they were only for high and Subtil Speculations and were so possest with their own Notions and a Conceit of themselves that they would give no Attention to a Company of ignorant Men who told them a plain Truth of one that had been Crucified and Rose again from the Dead Christ crucified was unto the Jews a Stumbling-Block and unto the Greeks Foolishness 1 Cor. i. 22. 23. And the several Tenets of Philosophy then in Vogue were a great obstruction to all such as thought themselves skilled in them to hinder them from becoming Christians and we find that some of them after their Conversion could not soon lay aside all their Philosophical Notions The Epicureans a confident and vain Sect would receive nothing that could be said to them of a Resurrection and another Life but with Scorn and Contempt And some said What will this Babler say And when they heard of the Resurrection of the Dead some mocked Acts xvii 18 32. The Platonists held a Revolution of all Things into their former State in some certain Term of Years and therefore they by their own Principles must look upon all only as a Consequence of such a Revolution and a Period of Time The Peripateticks were persuaded that the World is eternal and therefore laught at those who seemed to them to teach that it was now just at an end and declared that it had a Beginning not many Thousands of Years before The Stoicks who mightily improved the Moral Part of Philosophy by borrowing from the Christian Doctrin yet holding that all Things are under an inevitable Fate and Destiny had such a perpetual curb upon them as left them no Liberty to think of changing their Opinions one of which was that there is nothing Immaterial a plain Contradiction to the Fundamental Doctrins of the Christian Religion Besides there was a great deal of Pride in the very Composition of a Stoick It (t) Arrian Epict. lib. III. c. 22. appears from the Account which Arrian has given of Epictetus that neither the Jewish Law nor the Christian Religion was unknown to him for in the Discourses which he has preserved of Epictetus we find him sometimes using the same words with the Scriptures But it appears likewise from those Discourses that Epictetus was a great Admirer of Diogenes the Cynick and imitated him in his Pride and Haughtiness For magnifying himself as one sent by God to be an Example to the World and to prove that the high Sayings of the Stoicks are not vain Boasts but real and practicable Truths he at last thus concludes How do I converse says he with these Men whom you fear and admire Do not I treat them as Slaves Who when he sees me doth not think he sees his King and his Master There could be little hope that such a Man should be wrought upon by a Religion which enjoineth That in lowliness of mind eâ—ch esteem other better than themselves Phil. ii 3. (u) Prope est a te Deus tecum est intus est Ita dico Lucili sacer intra nos spiritus sedet bonorum malorumqâ— nostrorum observator custos c. Senec. Epist 41. Seneca in some places writes as if he had been transcribing the Scriptures but he is not always the same and he likewise discovers a strange Vanity and Conceit of himself and his own Writings For citing a Passage of Epicurus where he told his Friend That if he desired Glory his Letters should make him more famous than all those things which he esteemed or for which he was esteemed a Seneca assures Lucilius (x) Epist 21. That he could promise him as much as Epicurus had done his Friend For he should be Famous in future Times and could raise and perpetuate the Fame of whomsoever he pleased The Pythagoreans were a superstitious Sect and were apt to ascribe all to Magick and besides they had given themselves up by a blind Obedience to their Master's Dictates and therefore were to regard no Reasons nor Arguments against them In short the Philosopers were all exceedingly prepossest and prejudiced by some peculiar
caused the Christians in their Apologies to press earnestly for a fair and impartial Hearing of their Cause beseeching their Enemies that they would not be so injurious to the Truth and to themselves as to despise and condemn what they did not understand They were desirous to undergo any Tryal if they might but be admitted to be heard 6. Yet many who did not actually become Christians had more favourable and just Thoughts of the Christian Religion (l) Ael Lamprid. in Alex. Severo Alexander Severus had the Effigies of Christ in his Chappel and had designed to erect a Temple for the Worship of him and to insert his Name among the Heathen Gods As it is reported that Adrian likewise with the same Intention had commanded Temples to be built without Images in all Cities but was dissuaded by some who consulted the Oracles about it which gave out that all Men would then become Christians and the other Temples would soon be forsaken This which is related concerning Adrian has been by some supposed to be a mistake because the Fathers say nothing of it But Ael Lampridius or rather Spartianus who mentions it being a Heathen might perhaps have it from the Gentiles for it was only in Adrian's Intention to set up the Worship of Christ which might be unknown by the Christians of his time the design being laid aside upon consulting the Oracles It was certainly reported in the Historian's time as he declares and yet this Objection lies as well against the Report as against the Reality of the thing For it is strange that a Report of this nature should be mentioned by no Christian Writer though there had been no Truth in it (m) Euseb Hist lib VII c. 11 Aemilianus the Prefect of Egypt asked Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria when he was brought before him why if he whom the Christians Worshipped be God they could not Worship him with the other Gods Many admired the Doctrin and were convinced of the Truth of the Christian Religion who could not free themselves from the Prejudices of their Education they would have been willing to have it taken in among others but could not bring themselves to relinquish all their old Religions for it The Calumnies raised against the Christians had caused the popular Odium and Rage against them but they were Vindicated by (n) Plin. lib. X. Epist 97. Just Mar. Apol. 2. Eus Hist lib. IV. c. 8 9 13. Pliny in an Epistle to Trajan by Serenius Granianu◠Proconsul of Asia in his Epistle to Adrian by Adrian himself in his Rescript by Antoninus Pius in his Epistle to the Common Council or the Community of the Estates of Asia though some ascribe this Epistle to M. Antoninus not to mention his Epistle to the Senate of Rome (o) Just Martyr Dial. Trypho the Jew likewise frees them from the Crimes commonly laid against them and owns the Excellency of their Precepts contained in the Gospel And it is observable that those Crimes which had been wont to be objected against the Christians by their former Adversaries were not mentioned by Julian in Discourses written to oppose them who (p) Epist 49. Fragm Epist p. 305. elsewhere speaks of them in such a manner and so much to their commendation as shews the mighty force of Truth which could extort it from him But the Fear and Shame of Men hindred divers from embracing the Christian Religion who had a truer Notion of Things than to approve of their own (q) Aug. Civit. Dei lib. VI. c. 11. Seneca exposed the Heathen Worship and express'd himself with bitterness against the the Jews but being able to find nothing to blame in the Christian Religion nor daring to commend it for fear of giving Offence to the Heathens he made no mention of it at all These and such as these were the Occasions of the Unbelief of the Jews and Gentiles Though it must be confessed that there is nothing more difficult to be accounted for than the Notions and Actions of Men it is as hard to give an Account how (r) Senec. de Ira. lib. I. c. 25. Plut. in Lycurg Seneca and Plutarch should allow of the Murdering or Starving of poor Infants as they certainly did as why they were not Christians No Phaenomena in Nature can be more variable and uncertain in their Causes than the Opinions and Practices of Men which differ according to their Tempers and Capacities and Circumstances it is sufficient if we can find out any probable Solution and have several to offer which might take place according to several Cases But the Writings of such as opposed the Christian Religion were very slight and frivolous containing a Confession for the most part of the principal Matters of Fact upon which our Faith is established and raising only some weak Cavils which never came up to the main Cause or undertook to disprove the Truth of the Miracles and Prophecies upon which it is founded They could not deny the Miracles upon which our Religion is established and then let any Man judge what Reasons they could have for their Infidelity And indeed the prevaling of the Christian Religion under all manner of Disadvantages as to Humane Means shewed that the Adversaries of it had little to say against it For they must be but poor Arguments which could not dissuade Men from becoming Christians when they must incurr all the Dangers and Sufferings of this World to be so The Books of the first Heathen Writers against the Christian Religion are frequently cited by St. Jerom and St. Austin and other Authors of their Time as commonly known and probably they were extant long after So that their Arguments were baffled and destroyed long before the Books themselves and they had Time and Opportunity enough to do all the Mischief that they were capable of And their Writings are not yet so far lost but that we still know their Principal Arguments which the Christian Writers have not concealed but have given them their full Force and commonly in their own Words Origen was so careful to omit nothing considerable which Celsus had alleged that he was often forced to make Apologies for mentioning the same things over again rather then he would seem to let any things pass which was Material that his Adversary had said without taking Notice of it (s) Ambr. lib. 2. Epist 11. Aug. Epist 43. And some Pieces are preserved entire as the Petition of Symmachus among the Epistles of St. Ambrose and the Epistle of Maximus Madaurensis among those of St. Austin The Arguments of Julian are set down at large by St. Cyril and we Learn from (t) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Spanhem in Julian oper Praefat St. Chrisostom that the Books of the Philosophers against the Christian Religion were neglected and despised by the Gentiles themselves and were scarce to be found but among the Christians before the Edict of Theodosius Junior to prohibit them There
character of a Book of the Scriptures The modern Jews in like manner never dared to pretend to new Books of Revelation but have constantly adhered to the old And what inducement could the Jews have to receive these Books into their Canon of which it consists rather than the Apocryphal Books but the evidence of their Divine Authority which is a thing more especially remarkable in some Books Why should they receive certain Books under the Names of Solomon Esther Daniel and Ezra but not admit into the Canon others going under the same names but because of the difference in their Authority Why should they receive the Books of those whom their fore-fathers had slain and those very Books for which they slew them but upon the clearest evidence It is certain they could be possest with no prejudice in their favour but with very many against the Books of such Authors To give another instance The Book of Ruth contains the affairs and transactions of a particular Family of no great consequence as one might imagine at first view and yet it has been preserved with as much â—are and as constantly received as the rest There is little reason upon human considerations why a relation concerning that Family should be inserted into the Canon of Scripture rather than one concerning any other But the lineage of the Messias is set forth in it and that was a sufficient reason why it should be inserted and therefore by the Divine Wisdom and Providence neither the emulation and envy of other Families nor any other cause or accident hindred its reception and preservation amongst the other inspired Books And in that History there is an account not very honourable for David's Family in deriving his descent from Phares of Thamar and shewing that his Great Grandmother was a Moabitess the Moabites being a people who had an indelible mark of intamy sixt upon them by the Law of Moses Dentr xxiii 3. II. As the Pentateuch was ever acknowledged by the People of Israel after their separation from the Tribe Judah so if they rejected the writings of the Prophets it must have been because all or most of them were written by Prophets who were of the two Tribes and all the Prophets of Israel owning the Temple of Jerasalem to be the true place of Worship the Isâ—aelites and Samaritans must have great prejudices against them upon that account and it cannot be expected that they should receive the Books of any of the Prophets in the same manner as they did those of Moses The Books of Samuel David and Solomon had less regard paid to them upon Reasons of State by the Tribes who followed the Revolt of Jeroboam yet when * Antiqu. Orient Eccl. pist 1. Joseph Scaliger sent to the Samaritans for the Canticles of the Book of Psalms in their Language as well as for the Book of the Law and of Joshua they promised to send him them And it is proved sufficiently by Dr †Hebr. Talmud exercit on Joh. iv 25. Lightfoot that neither the Samaritans nor the Sadducees rejected the Books of the Old Testament tho they did not admit the rest into the same veneration and authority with the Books of Moses nor read them in their Synagogues This is also proved by F. Simon * Crit. Hist V. T. lib. 1. c. 16. 29. Disquisit Crit c. 12. both of the Sadducees and the Karaei and †Epist 70. inter Antiqu Eccl. Orient Morinus likewise proves it of the Karaei who are generally taken for Sadducees F. Simon maintains the contrary and that they have wrong done them in being charged with the opinions of the Sadducces However this is not material to our present purpose since he shews that both the Sadducees and the Karaei or Caraites and all the Jews besides received the entire Volume of the Scriptures without any contradiction * Praefat. de Lipmanno Hackspan likewise has shewed that the Sadducees denied not the Authority of the Books of the Prophets III Concerning the Books whereof we we find mention made in the Old Testament either 1. They are not different from those which are now in the Canon but the same Books under divers Names Or 2. They were not written by Inspiration tho written by Prophets For we are not to suppose that the Prophets were inspired in every thing that they wrote any more than in all they spoke And this shews the care and integrity of the Jews in compiling their Canon that they would not take into it all the Writings even of the Prophets themselves but only such as they knew to be written by them as Prophets that is by Inspiration the Prophets themselves no doubt making a distinction as we find St Paul did between what they had written by the Spirit of God and that in which they had not his immediate and extraordinary direction and infallible assistance Or 3. They might not be written by Prophets For the office of Recorder or Remembrancer or Writer of Chronicles as it is explained in the Margin is mentioned as â—n office of great Honour and Trust and was distinct from that of the Prophets 2 Sam. viii â—6 2 Kings xviii 18. 2 Chron. xxxiv 8. Isaiah xxxvi 3 22. Besides the Hebrews called every small Writing a Book Thus Deut. xxiv 1. â—hat which we render a Bill of Divorcement â—s in the Original a Book of Divorcement the word being the same which Josh x. 13. and 〈◊〉 Sam. i. 18. is translated the Book of Jasher â—o Matt. xix 7. and Mark x. 4. it is in the Greek a Book of Divorcement the word is the same which the Septuagint had used it indeed may signifie a little Book but it often signifies a Book without that distinction and so it is rendered 2 Tim. iv 13. David's Letter to Joab is a Book in the Hebrew and in the Greek 2 Sam. xi 14 15. and Lettets are stiled Books by * Herod lib. 1. c. 124. lib. 6. c. 4. Herodotus Or 4. Tho it should be granted that some Books which were written by Inspiration are now lost it is no absurdity to suppose that God should suffer Writings to be lost thro the fault and negligence of men which were dictated by his Spirit Several things might by the Prophets be delivered by Revelation to the persons whom they concerned which were never committed to writing and others which were written but which were not necessary to the ends of Revelation in general but rather concerned particular times and places and the substance whereof as far as the world in general is concerned is to be found in the other Scriptures might by the carelesness of men never come to the sight and knowledge of Posterity And here I shall observe that the Books of Prophecy have always the Names of the Authors exprest and commonly they are often repeated in the Books themselves but in the Historical Books there was not the same reason for it because in matters