Pleasure and so assures us of the dispensations of his Providence And of this nature was that Dream of Pharaoh which foreshew'd him the seven Years of Plenty and of Famine according to Josephs's Interpretation Gen. 41. Where note 1. The vast Plenty for seven Years such as was never known in Aegypt the most fertile of all Countries 2. The rise of Joseph to be a chief Minister of State on the Experiment of the Truth of his Interpretation 3. The building of such vast Store-houses as could contain sufficient Corn for feeding of the Land of Aegypt and all the Neighboring Nations throughout the seven Years of Famine And 4. The admission of Jacob and of all his Family into Aegypt and the planting of them in the Land of Goshen 5. The altering of the Tenures of the Estates in Aegypt for hereupon every Mans Land except the Priests became the Kings and paid the fifth part of its Income to him Now since a matter of this moment must be recorded to Posterity and preserved in their Traditions unto future Generations as we find this was and since the Memory and motive of their repair to Aegypt the Exaltation of an Alien the Tribute of their Lands and the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Artap apud Euseb l. 9. c. 23. Exemption of their Priests could not so quickly be forgotten it remains that both the Jews Aegyptians and Strangers which joyned themselves to Moses must be assured of its truth § 10. LASTLY If any Hereticks if any 41 Gnosticks,42 Carpocratians,43 Marcionists or Saturnilians 44 Menandrians 45 Montanists 45 Eunomians Arians 47 Priscillianists 48 Donatists if any 49 Finland Lapland or Tartarian Witches if any of the Persian or Chalde an Magi vid. Stanly Phil. Chald. or the 59 Aegyptian Sorcerers whose names and their contest with Moses are still preserved in Heathen Story If a 51 Zoroaster or Hostanes if any wise Philosopher a 52 Pythagoras or a 53 Socrates if any Sect of Men as Brachmans or Druids or of Women whether the Pythonissae or the like If lastly vid. ch 9. Apollonius Apuleius Simon Magus any false 54 Prophetess or Prophet ever did what could not be effected without the help of some Superior Power as we have cause to believe both by the reputation they obtained the Records of those things both in prophane and Sacred Story and the Experience and Traditions of all Times and Places this gives us full assurance of the concern of Satan to oppose some Truth and some Religion in the World and so of Gods concernment to establish it In a word if but * Quin etiam hoc non dubitans dixerim si unum aliquid ita sit praedictum praesensumque ut cum evenerit ita cadat ut praedictum sit neque in eo quicquam casu ant for tuito fact um esse appareat esse certe divinationem idque esse omnibus confitendum Cic. Divin l. 1. p. 106. one real and undoubted Instance of these things hath been afforded to the World it doth conclude a Providence And surely then these many Myriads of Examples of each kind which Histories of every Age and Country will afford from Persons living in those Times of which they write must give in such Conviction as the greatest Sceptick shall not be able to controul And having made good the Doctrine of an All-ruling Providence it will be easie to advance unto the Confirmation of the Christian Faith by these Gradations § 11. 1. THAT this Providence hath been engaged for the Establishment of some particular Revelation and Religion in the World and hath as signally opposed some others which have pretended to those Names and consequently doth not esteem them all indifferent This is the natural Result almost of all these Instances we have produced in confirmation of a Providence they being such as visibly declared Gods Approbation of the Faith of Jew or Christian in opposition to the Heathen Deities and to their Modes of Worship § 12. AND secondly That no particular Revelation to which the adverse Parties have pretended can stand in Competition with the Christian Faith or give in equal Demonstrations of its Truth and Derivation from a Deity it being certain that of these Instances produced to evince a Providence none are so powerfully convincing as those that do assert the Christian Faith the Experience of Gods Mercies Protections and Assistances vouchsafed to the Professors of it as also of his Judgements on their Adversaries and the Engagement of his Power in Confirmation of this Doctrine being more numerous and evident and more unquestionably true Adde to this That seeing Moses and the Prophets by their evident Predictions of a Messiah that should come attended with those very Circumstances and should perform and undergoe all that Christ did and suffered do confirm the truth of Christian Faith it will follow that these Instances fore-mentioned which do ascertain the Veracity of those Prophets and Gods Concernment for the Laws delivered by them must also give in full Conviction to the Truth of our Messiah and his Doctrine And secondly It is evident that all these Forms of Worship which stand in Competition with it are either most apparently repugnant both to the Wisdom Purity and Goodness of a Deity or such as carry with them no Conviction of their Truth and Goodness nothing which speaks them worthy of the Concernment of the God of Heaven For that those Modes of Worship which had obtained in the Heathen World were vile and filthy ridiculous and brutish and most repugnant to those Conceptions of a Deity which Nature hath implanted in us will be so evident from what we shall discover of them that he who runs may read it As for Mahometism that having no internal Evidence which may convince us of its Truth no Purity and Goodness in its Precepts and no Subservience unto the Welfare of Mankind at present or to his Happiness hereafter beyond what Scripture doth afford us but Promises and Precepts more Carnal and Judaical and Stories more extravagant and idle then the wildest Fables vid. Cantucuz Orat in Mahum sect 23. and being such a Doctrine as never did pretend to Miracles except some petty Trifles pretended to be done by Mahomet it cannot lay upon us any Obligations to believe its Truth and therefore we may rest assured Azora 3.14 17 30 71. that God hath no Concernment that we should believe it That the Religion of the Jews is antiquated that it hath pass'd the Period to which it was appointed to continue is most apparent from the completion of those Prophesies which did relate unto the promised Messias of which we shall discourse hereafter from the Destruction of the Temple to which their Worship was confined and from those heavy Judgments they have laboured under above 1600 yeares without any intermission Their wandrings in the Wilderness were only for the space of forty years their Captivity but seventy although their Whoredomes and Idolatries and
not Sow and Plant and trade only in hopes of an encrease and should not then the hopes and probabilities of infinite eternal Happiness provided for the pious Christian engage us to obey Gods Precepts and to resist all those Temptations which flesh and blood suggests against them If thus to seek the false uncertain Mammon be the great Wisdome of the world can it be Folly to pursue with equal diligence and vigour but with better Hopes the true lasting Riches If then it be but probable that all the world throughout all Ages did not embrace the Doctrine of a Providence without some plausible Inducement so to do If all the primitive Martyrs and Confessors did not suffer for the Name of Christ and all succeeding Generations did not embrace or continue in the Profession of the Faith of Christ without all reason motive or even probable inducement If any of those probabilities we have amass'd together in the close of this Discourse deserve to be esteemed such or any of those Arguments which in this Treatise we have urged be probable then must the Folly of the Atheist be exceeding great and clear beyond exception 3. It must be Folly to renounce that Faith which hath been Generally owned by men of strongest Parts and most discerning Judgments in very many Nations and through many Generations and which delivers matters of so great Moment and Concern that our eternal Happiness or Misery depends upon them till we have used the Greatest diligence to search into the Reasons which induced them to believe it true Let then the Atheist say what he hath done to satisfie his judgment in this great Concern whether he ever did peruse the writings and Apologies of Antient Fathers or the most eminent Divines who have discoursed upon this Subject to the Satisfaction of the knowing World Whether he ever did consult with Persons of the best abilities propound his scruples and consider of the Answers given before he ventured to scoff at and renounce his Faith If not this is sufficient to convince him of the greatest Folly in the World If any that pretends to have used all this diligence and all these Endeavours continue still to question and suspect the truth of Christian Faith and of the Doctrine of a Providence let me intreat him to consider 1. Whether those motives which induce him to renounce a Providence or Christian Faith will not compel him to renounce those things of which he hath the evidence of Sense and Reason to convince him if so we have as great assurance of the falshood of those motives as Sence and Reason can afford If then you do reject a Providence because you are not able to conceive Gods Omnipresence or any other Attribute on which this Providence depends if you renounce the Mysteries of Christian Faith because you cannot apprehend them have you not equal reason to reject the Notions of Infinite unbounded space of an Eternal Flux of Time or an Indivisible Eternity which yet your reason must acknowledge Must you not question the Existence of the Souls of Men and Brutes as being not sufficient to conceive that Spirits if confined to points can performe any of those actions which we ascribe to them or that they can diffuse themselves through Bodies receive impressions from them or make impressions on them or that meer matter should perceive reflect and reason or have any sense of pain and pleasure Lastly must not this Principle oblige you to Question the Existence of all material Compounds For who is able to conceive that Indivisibles can be united or that a Grain of Sand can be for ever divisible and have as many parts as the whole World If you do question or dispute the truth of any Miracle Revelation or Prediction because you are not able to perceive the manner how it was or may be done this will oblige you to denie the Ebb and Flowing of the Sea till you are able to acquaint us with the true Causes of it and to distrust that ever you were born because you never can explain the manner of your own production For as thou knowest not the way of the wind nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with Child even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all things Eccl. 11.5 If you are tempted to disown these Revelations because you are not able to conceive Gods Ends and Reasons in them Why he who hath proclaimed Himself the God of Mercy should threaten an eternal punishment to finite transitory Sins why he should leave the World so long in Darkness and the like Might not a Subject on the like account reject the precepts of his Soveraign because not able to perceive the Wisdome of them or the necessity of all the Sanctions he annexeth to them Is it not certain that if there be a God he must be infinite in his perfections and so incomprehensible and then his Wisdome must exceedingly transcend the reach of finite Apprehensions the Secrets of it must be double to that which doth appear to us and there must be such depths both in his Judgments and his Acts of Mercy as we can never fathome So that unless the Notion of an Infinite and all-wise Being includes a contradiction in the Terms we cannot doubt but that he may reveal what we can never apprehend Besides we cannot understand the Beauty or Wisdome of Divine Transactions but we must be acquainted with the Ends and Motives the Tendence and result of all he doth for otherwise what seems absurd to us may admirably comply with the Designes of Providence what seems confused in the Beginning may conclude in Order and the Greatest Beauty Since then we do not know the minde of God since we are not acquainted with the Designes and Purpose nor are we able to look forward to the Results of Providence it is sure we cannot pass a Judgement on the Wisdome of them If you are tempted to disown the Christian Faith because you are not able to reconcile it to your shallow reason and infirm Conceptions This will oblige you to denie the Being Propagation the Swiftness or Continuation of all Motion it being certain we are not able to give an Answer to all the Arguments produced against the different degrees of Swiftness or the Continuation or the very Being of it or to conceive how Motion can be propagated It is acknowledged that an immediate plain indisputable Contradiction cannot be matter of our Faith or of a Revelation from the God of truth But seeing it is also evident that all matters infinitely great as infinite Duration Power Space and infinitely little as the indivisible parts of Space Time do as much bafle and confound our understandings as do the Attributes of God and do abound with difficulties as stubborn and unweildy as any Revelations of the Gospel do afford it must be rashness to reject these Revelations as inconsistent with the Dictates and Apprehensions of
that Reason which is obliged to own such Notions as do abound with equal if not greater Difficulties And certainly if Mathematicks will afford its Demonstrations pro and con if Matters obvious to sense do oft confound the Vnderstanding it is not to be hoped it should wade thorough the Abyss of infinite perfections and not be overwhelmed and lost 2. Consider whether you have not greater reason to believe these Doctrines then to disbelieve them From what is here discoursed in the introduction it is clear we have as many reasons to assert a Providence as we have reasons to believe that any signal Demonstrations of Gods power have been made by any acts of Judgment or of Mercy in any Parts or Ages of the World or that his Wisdome was engaged in any Revelations Oracles Predictions Dreams or Visions supernatural or in the Production of the World and in the exquisite Contrivance of any Portion of it We have as many reasons to believe a Providence as we have to assert that any good or evill Angels do exist or ever did appear or interest themselves in any actions of Mankind And yet our reasons which evince the truth of Christian Faith are far more numerous and cogent Let then the Atheist view and ponder what we have here produced in confirmation of these Truths and then consider whether his motives to renounce Christianity and to reject a Providence be more numerous and more convincing then what this Treatise offers to establish them If not he must have greater Reason to assert then to disown them and so his Infidelitie must be the worst of Follies Lastly Consider whether he that rejects the Christian Faith must not be forced to believe what 's more incredible then any Mystery contained in it For he must believe that Christ and his Disciples and the Christians of the three first Ages did endeavour to confirm the world in the belief of what they knew to be a lie and consequently that all the Primitive Professors who did so court the Flames and were so wearie of this present life were yet the vilest Atheists as not believing there was any God to punish this their pernicious lye Or secondly that they were all beside themselves that they had lost the principles of preservation and Self Love which Nature hath so deeply planted in the very Brutes and that they made it their designe to ruine and destroy their Souls and Bodys their Friends and their Relations to abandon all the Pleasures of this Life and to expose themselves to all the Miseries that can be incident to humane Nature without any motive but the love of Miserie And yet he must believe that they who did so little understand the common Principles of humane Nature were able to enrich the World with the best Notions of a Deity and of a future State and the best precepts of Moralitie that humane Nature ever was acquainted with And that these Fools had wit enough to propagate their Doctrine and to obtain belief throughout the World maugre all opposition that all the powers of men and Devils could make against them Or 2ly he must believe these Atheists chose to quit their Lives and suffer all the miseries they underwent only to beat down Atheisme and to establish that Religion which bears the Greatest Opposition to all the Naturall results of Atheisme He must believe that what is written in the Books of Scripture and the Apologies of all the Christians and that all that they pretended and appealed to in every corner of the World were but prodigious impudent untruths and that the World was universally induced to Worship a condemned Malefactor as God Blessed for evermore and to embrace the Doctrine of the Cross with all its Disadvantages without a seeming Miracle Or 2ly he must believe that they had no assistance in the Propagation of the Faith besides those arts of Magick in which both Jew and Gentile were more expert then they and which Apostates who were very numerous and frequent learned and ingenious were equally acquainted with and yet that never any of them did attempt to imitate or to disclose their Art or that the world when thus convinced of the Delusion would notwithstanding universally embrace and chuse to suffer for what they knew to be confirmed only by those Magical Collusions which they saw daily practised by Jew and Heathen and in which they were instructed by those very Christians who did so signally condemn those Arts as Devilish and threaten everlasting Misery to all that used them He must believe that all the Records of any signal Judgement which ever did befall the Enemies and Blasphemers of the Christian Faith or any portion of it or of any Mercies Preservations Gifts or Assistances vouchsafed to them in any age or places of the Christian World are void of Truth in every particular He must believe an hundred matters of like nature which this Treatise will suggest And therefore Reader I intreat you to peruse it with that care and diligence which matters of this moment do require and then I hope it may be instrumentall to convince you of and confirm you in the Truth of Christian Faith which is the hearty desire of Your Servant in the Defence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ DANIEL WHITBIE The Contents of the Chapters CHAP. I. WHAT Endeavours have been made to stop the growth of Atheism and Irreligion by asserting an All-wise presiding Power visible in the production of the World What seemeth further necessary to be alledged against the Atheist An Essay towards the eviction of a Providence 1. From the existence of evil Spirits 2. From many signal demonstrations of Gods Power 3. Of his Judgements upon rebellious Sinners And 4. of his power and mercy in preservation of his servants and his miraculous answers to their Prayers 5. From Revelations and Predictions of things contingent in their various Circumstances 6. From Apparitions of good and evil Angels 7. From Dreams and Visions supernatural 8. From things performed by pretenders to Miracles Magicians Witches Oracles Philosophers which could not be effected naturally c. The confirmation of the Christian Faith by what hath been delivered 1. by evincing that Providence hath been engaged for the establishment of some particular Religion in the World 2. That that particular Religion is no other then the Christian Faith pag. 1 2. CHAP. II. That common Prudence would not suffer the Apostles to pretend such things in their Historical Relations of the Life of Christ and in their Epistles to the Churches newly converted as must infallibly disgrace their Testimony and make them appear guilty of Delusion 2. That the Miracles recorded in those Historical Narrations and Epistles if true are a convincing evidence that some superior Power did assist the Workers of them 3. That Christ and his Disciples had no assistance from good or evil Angels to impose upon the World p. 55. CHAP. III. Sect. I. Proleg 4. That Christ and his Apostles did
not endeavour to impose upon the World Not Christ For 1. He could have no temptation to fulfil those Prophesies of the Messiah which concerned his ignominious poor and miserable life and his accursed death 2. He could have no expectation of his own Resurrection or of the sending of the Holy Ghost or of the destruction of the Jewish Nation or of the famishing of the Heathen Deities or of the propagation of his Gospel throughout the World or the performance of those mighty Deeds which were expected from the Messiah of the Iews 3. No hopes this should be done by Men so timerous so dull so ignorant as were the twelve Apostles 4. His Disciples must be acquainted with the Impostures of their Lord and so have greatest reason to disown him 5. If so John Baptist who obtained so great a reputation from the Iews must have been guilty of the same endeavour to delude them 2. Not Christs Apostles as is argued from their simplicity Sincerity Interest The things they did or were obliged to pretend 3. Not their immediate Successors for the same and many other reasons The assurance which we have of what these Arguments suppose Coroll That what they have delivered to the World must be related bona fide and with a full conviction of its Truth p. 77 78. CHAP. III. Sect. II. Proleg 5. That Christ and his Disciples could not be deceived in their pretensions to the things they spake of and presumed they did and yet prevail upon the World to own and to assert their Doctrine p. 107. CHAP. IV. Proleg 6. That we may safely take an estimate of Christian Doctrine from what we find recorded of it in the Books of Scripture those Writings not being corrupted nor yet containing any thing repugnant to the Christian Faith Corol. concluding that those Scriptures which we daily read must be the Works of those Apostles and Evangelists whose names they bear p. 113. CHAP. V. The Truth of Christian Faith asserted from the Gifts and Operations of the Holy Ghost in general and more particularly from the Gift of Prophesie and from the Gift of Tongues p. 131 CHAP. VI. The veracity of the Christian Faith concluded from the deportment of the Christians under sufferings the patience and undaunted Courage of the weaker sex from the kindness of the Christians to their persecutors and those Indignities they suffer'd from them from Gods miraculous assistance of them under sufferings great deliverances from them For had they not been assured of the truth of Christian Doctrine 't is both impossible they should and inconceivable they would have suffer'd after such a manner An Objection from Instances of the like nature answered p. 139. CHAP. VII Sect. I. That from the fulfilling of things future and contingent we may reasonably infer the Being of an over-ruling Providence which interests it self in their completion The truth of Christian Faith evinced 1. From those Predictions which concern the Person Birth Life Actions and Passions of our Lord and Saviour The confirmation of this Argument 2. From those Miracles which his Disciples wrought agreeable to our Saviours promise prediction and commission for they healed the diseased and ejected Devils according as our Lord foretold p. 163. CHAP. VII Sect. II. The Truth of Christian Faith evinced from those Predictions which concern the ruine of the Jewish Temple Discipline and Nation the authors time and manner the Greatness and Duration Concomitants and Attendants of it as the Scripture mentions them and the wonderful completion of them all A confirmation of this Argument from the attempt of the Apostate Julian to rebuild the Temple and the miraculous frustration of it p. 191. CHAP. VIII Sect. I. Arg. 4. Evincing the truth of Christian Doctrine 1. From the Miracles wrought by Christ suitably to his Design and to the Prophesies of the Old Testament and to the expectation of the Iews These Miracles were many mighty and they had most remarkable Effects upon the Hearers and Spectators of them They were avouched with greatest confidence by his Apostles who by those means converted thousands and whose Records of those things became the rule of Faith unto the Christian Converts The confirmation of this from the Miracles wrought by Christs Apostles who affirm Christ gave commission to them whilest abiding with them to work the greatest Miracles which they accordingly performed And that this Power was more abundantly conferr'd upon them after the Resurrection of their Lord is argued from the promise of Christ from the Confession of Jews and Heathens from the Records of Scripture Like wonders were performed by Christians in all places of the World and the same Power continued in the Church for divers Centuries The confirmation of the second Argument The result of these Particulars p. 215 216. CHAP. VIII Sect. II. Arg. 3. Proving the truth of Christian Doctrine from the speedy Propagation of it through the World by inconsiderable and unlearned Men against those many prejudices which did attend it The avowed Principles on which this Argument depends A further Confirmation of it by comparing its Effects with those of Heathen Wisdom or Philosophy p. 241. CHAP. IX An Answer to some Objections 1. Touching the Miracles of Simon Magus Apollonius and touching those Predictions Miracles and gifts of Healing to which the Heathen Oracles and Deities pretended And that 1. From the issue of them for they were blasted and confounded And 2ly From the Designs they aimed at which were all unworthy of a Deity They were controuled by Providence They were such whose deceit 't was no Mans interest to detect Obj. 2. Touching the general rejection of Christianity by the Jewish Nation An account of their rejection of it 1. From the temper and disposition of that People From the danger to which it exposed them From the Prejudices they conceived 1. Against the Person of our Saviour And 2ly Against his Doctrine p. 267. CHAP. X. Arg. 5. Concluding for the truth of Christian Doctrine from the excellency of its Precepts in order 1. To the publick Welfare of Man-kind 2ly To the perfection of humane nature 1. By the clearest Informations of Man's understanding in matters which concern the knowledge of God and of Virtue and Vice And 2ly by tendering the most prevailing Motives to engage the Will and the Affections to obedience And 3ly The most strong engagements to seek the welfare of our Brothers Soul Heathen Philosophy and their receiv'd Theology destructive of Religion and fitted to promote the Interest of Satans kingdom This proved from their conceptions both of God and of his Providence and of his Attributes and their uncertainty in matters of this nature and from their want of Precepts to direct them in or promise to encourage to the performance of their duty and from their doubtings of a future State and their denyal of all future Punishments and from the false Conceptions of the rise and fatality of Sin That these Opinions are destructive to the service
Baptist who obtained so great a reputation from the Iews must have been guilty of the same endeavour to delude them Secondly not Christs Apostles as is argued from their simplicity Sincerity Interest The things they did or were obliged to pretend Thirdly Not their immediate Successors for the same and many other reasons The assurance which we have of what these Arguments suppose Coroll That what they have delivered to the World must be related bona fide and with a full conviction of its Truth BUt Fourthly Sect. I. Proleg 4. we premise That Christ and his Apostles with their immediate Successors did not endeavour to impose upon mankind nor did they Preach unto them cunningly devised Fables And 1. 'T is both incredible our Saviour would and inconceivable he should endeavor to delude the World and yet obtain so many and such stiff Assertors of his Doctrine 'T is 1. Incredible he would as having no Temptation thereunto For had he liv'd a soft and pleasing Life had he been chief among the Rich and Honorable had he not come into the World poor and lowly Zach. 9.9 had he not been despised and set at naught Isa 53.2 whil'st he continued in it had he not found Reproach and Infamy ver 12. had he not been numbered with transgressors in his death and suffered from those Persons whom he came to save I say had he not done all this he had not answered the Predictions of the Law and Prophets which yet he was obliged to do and declared in the end of his Life that he had done it He said immediatly before his Expiration on the Cross 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are finished and accomplished which were spoken of me Joh. 19.30 and his Disciples in their Preaching to the Jews insisted upon this as the chief Evidence of his Messiahship That he fulfilled all things that were spoken of him in the Law and in the Prophets Acts 3.18 10.43 Luke 24.44 But he well knew before he entered upon this Office what the Conditions were which those Predictions did require that the Messias was not only to perform those Mighty Things which being misunderstood by the Jews made them expect his coming in Worldly Pomp and Grandure but that he also was to come in poverty and abjectness so contrary to their Expectations that this would cause them to despise and to reject him and in the end provoke them to put him to a cruel Death It was necessary therefore that as in one respect he should perform the greatest Wonders so in the other Isa 53.3 he should be a Man of sorrows rejected and despised of his Brethren and one who made his grave with the wicked ver 9. Had he not dyed an ignominious and accursed Death Joh. 3.14 Matt. 16.21 he must have suffered under the reproach of a false lying Prophet and what could tempt him to seal so great and vile a Falshood with the loss of Life and Credit Had not this Death concluded in a most glorious Resurrection Matt. 26.31 attended with the Gifts and Consolations Joh. 7.39 Act. 1.5 8. Mark 16.7 and mighty Workings of the Holy Ghost He had been manifestly false to his Promise and Predictions and the just matter of his Disciples scorn and hatred as having made them leave their present Welfare and their Worldly Comforts to be exposed to Shame and Beggery and having promised what they must immediatly perceive to be a Lye he could not hope that they should afterwards continue to assert his Cause nor had he performed what the Prophets and the Psalmist foretold of the Messiah Psal 16.8 9. whose soul must not be left in hell nor his body see corruption and in whose days the Spirit was to be poured upon all flesh Joel 2.28 Had not the Jewish Temple been thrown down Matt. 24. Mark 13.10 and so their Laws and Worship which was confined to it cancell'd had not the City which was full of People become an heap of Stones had not his Doctrine spread it self throughout the Heathen World Zeph. 2.15 had it not famished all their Deities and made their Names to perish from the Earth he had not done the Work of the Messiah And this he could not hope should ere be done without the aids of Heaven nor that God should be engaged to assert and not confound lying Blasphemies He could not cast out Devils by Beelzebub or heal Diseases by any Magical Collusions which only was objected against his Miracles by the Jew and Gentile but his Disciples on whom this Power was conferr'd must be Instructed by him in those Arts and having thus discovered himself to them as a most dangerous Impostor and one that laid Designs to work the ruine of their Nation and Religion and his own Apotheosis and to engage the World in a new kind of Idolatry and all this under pretence of the greatest Innocence Sincerity and purity of Life and kindness to Mens Souls and Bodies I say being discovered to his Disciples to be such an one what hopes could he conceive they should desert their former Faith and quit it for so vile a Forgery which must expose them and their Nation to the worst of Evils Matt. 17.6 20.21 What Expectations could he have what reason to conceive that Men so timorous so worldly Luke 9.46 24.37 so forward to contend who should be greatest as they themselves do of themselves confess should by Humility and Self-denyal Disgrace and Poverty by Confidence and Perseverance continue to assert what could not any way conduce unto their Interest yea what it was the Interest of humane Nature to detect and oppose In fine he could not thus deceive but his Fore-runner who gave so large a Testimony unto his Mission and who proclaimed him the Son John 1.34.36 the Lamb of God the true Messias and the Saviour of the World must do so too and were this so How came the Jews to have so great a Kindness and Respect for the Confederate of an Impostor to own him for a Prophet Mar. 6.20 Matt. 24.5 Luk. 20.6 a just and upright Man to receive his Baptism and be so much affected with his Sayings as Josephus witnesseth How came they to retain the same Opinion of him after his Death and to ascirbe the ruine which befel the Author of it unto the Murther of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iosep Antiq. l. 18. c. 7. John the Baptist so great assurance have we that our Lord and Saviour was no design'd Impostor which thing we have acknowledged confirm'd to us by b Ipse est Deus quem doctissimus Philosophorum quamvis Christianorum acerrimus inimicus etiam per eorum Oracula quos Deos putat Deum magnum Porphyrius confitetur August de C.D. l. 19. C. 22. Denique tanquam mirabile aliquid atque incredibile prolaturus praeter opinionem inquit profecto videtur esse
to do much less could they prevail upon the World to imitate that Phrensie which was so greatly opposite to all the Principles of Ingenuity and Reason Truth and Interest But secondly That we have just assurance that the Primitive Professors of Christianity did pretend these things will be evinced from these Considerations For First 'T is evident from their Apologies and Writings in the first Ages of the Church that throughout all the World the Christians did for divers Centuries appeal to the Predictions of our Lord and his Apostles and to the Gifts and powerful Operations of the Holy Ghost they daily exercised and to the speedy Propagation of the Gospel through the then known World as to the most convincing Evidences of the Truth of Christian Faith which consident Appeal assures us That those things were matters of unquestionable Truth And 2ly It is likewise evident they held that riches were a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beatior in hoc itinere vivendi qui paupertate se sublevat non sub divitiarum onere suspirat Minut. p. 40. vid. Lact. l. 7. c. 1. Cypr. de lapsis f. 219. Hieron in Jonam c. 3. unprofitable a b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beatior in hoc itinere vivendi qui paupertate se sublevat non sub divitiarum onere suspirat Minut. p. 40. vid. Lact. l. 7. c. 1. Cypr. de lapsis f. 219. Hieron in Jonam c. 3. burthen temptation a great c Virtutis via non capit magna onera portantes hanc tenere non potest nisi qui fuerit expeditus nudus Nam isti locupletes multis ingentibus Sarcinis onerati per viam mortis incedunt Lact. l. 7. c. 1. l. 5. c. 15. p. 505. impediment to their eternal weal and that they thought it sufficient to have Meat Drink and Clothing and their Duty not to cover more and thereupon declined d Peregrinis mercibus delectabitur qni nec lucrum sciat appetere cui sufficit victus Lact. l. 5. c. 17. p. 510. Tertul. de Idol c. 7. Arnob. p. 71. Merchandise and all those Callings which might tempt them to it that e Quia animo animaque miscemur nihil de rei communicatione dubitamus omnia apud nos indiscreta sunt praeter uxores Tert. Ap. c. 39. Aug. de Civ D. l. 5. c. 18. Tom. 10. Serm. 27. de verbis Domini Arnob. p. 152. Charity made their Enjoyments common not onely to their Christian Brother but their f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Julian Apost Epist ad Arsacium vid. Euseb H. Eccl. l. 9. c. 8. Heathen Enemy that they refused the g Nobis ab omni gloriae dignitatis ardore frigentibus nulla est necessitas coetus Tert. Ap. c. 38. Minut. p. 35. Honors and Preferments of the World and were so far from an ambitious pursuit of Glory that they religiously declined it that they were wont to slight the h Vos vero suspensi interim atque solliciti honestis voluptatibus abstinetis non spectacula visitis non pompis interestis Convivia publica sine vobis Cecil apud Minut p. 12. Tert. Apol. c. 38. sect 2. Pleasures of the World and by their readiness to dye made it i Non igitur quaestus commodi gratia religionem istam commenti sunt quippe qui praeceptis reipsa eam vitam secuti sunt quae voluptatibus caret omnia quae habentur in bonis spernit qui non tantum pro fide mortem subierint sed etiam morituros se scierint praedixerint Lact. l. 5. c. 3. appear how little they did relish all the Sweets and Satisfactions of this present Life that they abstained from the most Lawful Pleasures refused to k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conc. Laod. c. 53. p. 23. v. Elmen in Arnob. p. 90. Dance and gratifie the Flesh with Feastings but rather chose by solemn l De Icjuniis Christianorum solennibus v. Minut. p. 8. p. 13. Tert. Ap. c. 4. sect 2. Cōment in utrosque Fastings to subdue it That this they did and held themselves obliged to do in order to their future Bliss and in compliance with the Christian Precepts we have abundant Evidence from all the Writings and Apologies of Christian Fathers and consequently we have the best assurance that they were not acted by any of those Principles in the Propagation of the Christian Faith In a word their m Eccepars vestrum major melior egetis algetis opere fame laboratis Deuspatitur dissimulat non vult aut non potest opitulari suis Cecil apud Minut. Poverty and their contempt of Worldly Pleasures and Grandure their daily n Vid. Annot. in cap. 8. num 31. Persecutions and seeming Derelictions were the great matters of the Heathens Scandal it was this they daily did object unto them and reproach them with § 9. Corol. NOW hence it follows that what they have delivered to the World touching the appearance of Angels and what they did and spake Secondly That what they do relate of Christs Predictions of his Death the Persons from whom he suffered viz. the Scribes and Pharisees the Elders and chief Priests the Disciple that betrayed Him to them the manner of His Death and the deportment of the Gentiles towards Him the flight fear and scandal of His own Disciples though promising the contrary the three Denyals of St. Peter the Predictions of His Death and the continuation of the Life of His beloved Apostle Thirdly That what they tell us of his acquaintance with the Thoughts Conceptions and Imaginations of his own Disciples and of those Jews with whom he did converse their secret murmurs and desires to ask him Questions the reasonings and disputings of their Hearts the secret Councils vile Surmisings the treacherous Intentions and the mental Blasphemies of the malicious Jew or whatsoever of like nature they have left on Record were delivered bona fide and with a full Conviction of the Truth of what was thus asserted by them CHAP. III. SECT II. The Contents THat Christ and his Disciples could not be deceived in their pretensions to the things they spake of Proleg 5. and presumed they did and yet prevail upon the World to own and to assert their Doctrine THAT Christ and his Disciples could not be deceived in their pretensions to the things they spake off Proleg 5. and presumed they did and yet prevail upon the more knowing part of the World to credit and assert their Doctrine under the greatest disadvantages 1. Our Saviour could not be deceived if his pretensions to be the Saviour of the World and to accomplish what was foretold of the Messiah were not false and if they were this must infallibly destroy his Credit waith his Friends supposing what we have already proved that they were not wilfully Deceivers and give his Enemies too
just occasion to cry out on the Impostor The Testimony of St John concerning him the voice from Heaven the Holy Ghosts descent in likeness of a Dove Gods Declaration to him by these Tokens that he was the Lamb of God must be Delusions too What Zacharias and his Virgin Mother did pretend to see and hear what Simeon Elizabeth and Hannah Prophesied must be the issue of distempered Brains however they were Men and Women of unblameable Lives and Reputations Both they who tasted of the Water which he presumed was turned into Wine and those Five thousand Persons which were fed with five Loaves and with two little Fishes must have their Eyes and Appetites and Palates all deceived Christ having as it is here supposed no Design to put a Cheat upon them All Christs Predictions must be false and all the Spirit of Prophesie to which the Primitive Christian did so much pretend must be the Illusion of the Fansie Imagination must produce that Star which led the Wise Men to our Saviour and form those Voices which both he and his Disciples and the whole Multitude did seem to hear It must produce those frequent Apparitions of Angels and that Transfiguration which his Apostles seemed to see It must rebuke the winds and make the Sea obey him and must enable him to walk upon it It must form a conceit in him that he was the Son of God and Saviour of the world one sent into it from his Fathers bosome to take upon him flesh and suffer for the sins of men and all these great and strong delusions must consist with an exemplary life and an excellent wisdome so visible both in his Doctrine and discourses as he that runs may read it and lastly with a Glorious resurrection and the abundant Graces of is Spirit Again it must prevaile upon himself and his Disciples and the whole body of Believers dispersed through the then known world not only to believe that they did dayly cast out Divels cure diseases raise the dead that they did prophesy and speak with tongues but also on the eyes and eares of his and their Spectators and their Hearers and make them flock with their diseased to the places where they were and press to touch their Garments and come within the compass of their shadow or beg they would but speak the word that so their dead might live and their diseased might be whole Imagination must prevaile on those who were before possessed to believe that afterwards they were not and so upon the very devil to lie dormant in them it must prevail on those that were sick of what disease soever to conceive that they were well and think their sores and issues did not run upon the Lame to think they walked upon the Deaf to think they hear'd upon the dead to think themselves alive and lastly upon those with whom they did converse that is on their professed enemies throughout the world me learned and inquisitive and most concerned to find out the truth not only to believe the same but own the Christian faith upon the strength of those delusions In a word this phansie must give eyes unto the Blind and feet unto the Lame and eares unto the Deaf and life unto the Dead through divers centuries together or it must have deluded the whole world with those pretentions for divers Generations no man intending in the least to put a cheat upon them Or lastly it must prevail upon mankind to credit and to venture both their present and future even their eternal welfare to confirme what both their eyes and eares and other senses told them was but the vain delusions of some brain-sick Persons and what is now recorded thus that Many when they sew the miracles that Jesus did believed should be written thus that many when they saw the Great Delusions Christ and his Disciples suffer'd believed on him Now to conceive so strong and spreading a delusion should seaze upon so many millions throughout all climates of the world and this alone in the first ages of the Church never before or after that it should be peculiar to the Christian never should agree to the Apostate or the Heathen is a phansy so prodigious that nothing can be more If we can once imagine that the eyes and eares and apprehensions of so many millions should throughout diverse centuries be so continually and universally deceived what reason have we to believe either our senses or our undestanding or to expect that others should do so Why do we not continually suspect the like in all we seem to see or hear or understand and so set up for Scepticks and seekers in all things whatsoever In a word it was never heard since the foundation of the world that men of a deluded phancy did pretend to matters of so high a nature and yet deliver precepts of so confess'd an excellency that no Philosophy could match no Laws or Rules of Living how ever framed by long experience hard study and the greatest strength of humane reason could compare therewith And hence it is that never any of their malicious Adversaries however they pretended things as frivolous and as absurd as this did ever charge them with such Gross delusions or once imagine that they could prevail upon such feeble Grounds and therefore it would be folly to proceed to Confutation of what no Atheist Heathen Turk or Jew did ere object against them CHAP. IV. The Contents THat we may safely take an estimate of Christian doctrine from what we find recorded of it in the books of Scripture Proleg 6th those writings not being corrupted nor yet containing any thing repugnant to the Christian Faith Corol. concluding that those Scriptures which we dayly read must be the works of those Apostles and Evangelists whose names they bear But 6ly we premise §. 1. that we may safely take an estimate of Christian doctrine from what we find recorded of it in the books of Holy Writ For it is incongruous to conceive that Records which pretended to derive from the Apostles and Evangelists whilst both they and many of their Converts lived and did receive the Gospel from their mouthes and which exhorted all with so much passion to retain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Faith delivered to the Saints and which denounced such dreadful curses and Anathemas upon those who preached another doctrine and charg'd them to shun the man who did not own their platforme and not bid him God speed I say it is incredible that records of this nature should undermine that Faith which those Apostles had so largely planted and should present the Churches they converted with such a standing contradiction to that doctrine they had so lately taught and yet obtain and be received as the sacred Oracles and only Records of the Christian faith still more incredible it is that such a writing should be indited by those very men and yet they pass for the Embassadors of the King of Heaven and
of the disobedient unto the wisdome of the just accordingly John Baptist in the b Luk. 1.17 Power Spirit of Eliah went before Jesus attesting that he was the true c Joh. 1.29.34.33.31 Messias the Lamb the Sonne of God and that he was informed from Heaven of him thence commissionated to prepare his way And so effectually this Elias prevail'd on the whole Nation of the Jews that they esteemed him a d Mark 11.32 Prophet a e Joh. v. 35. Burning and a Shining light in which they willingly rejoyced a Just and Holy man whose Doctrine they liked very well Joseph Antiq Judaic l. 8. c. 7. whose Counsell they would gladly follow whose baptisme they receiv'd with greatest readiness The Messias was to be the offspring of a f Esa 7.14 Virgins womb and have no Father but the God of Heaven an opinion too incredible to find acceptance without greatest Evidence or to be unnecessarily pretended without Greatest Folly or to obtain and win upon the world when managed by the worst of fooles He was to come into the world 2 before the g Gen. 49.10 Scepter did depart from Judah before the 3 ruine of k Mal. 3.1 Jerusalem before the l Dan. 9.26.27 ceasing of the dayly Sacrifice He was to come into the world whil'st n Mich. 5.2 Bethlehem remained amongst the Governours of Judah and whil'st the second o Hug. 2.5.7.9 Temple stood He was to suffer Death at the Conclusion of the p Dan. 9.24 weekes of 4 Daniel which in the Judgment of the Jews 5 who then impatiently q Luc. 2.25.38 expected their Messias was that very time in which our Saviour did appear And well might they expect his present coming when both John Baptist taught that his appearance was at hand and some of them were assured by speciall revelation that their r Luc. 2.26 eyes should see their Saviour when both that 6 Ancient Prophesie which had obtained Credit throughout the Easterne world Talmud Cod. Sanhedr c. 11.5.33 and their own Prophets Paraphrasts and Doctors did agree in the assertion of it It being in it self so evident out of their writings that at this day the Jews confess Christ either came about that time and lies concealed ever since or else his comeing was deferr'd beyond the time prefixt by reason of the abounding sins of their Nation In 7 Bethlehem he was to be born a thing which hapned by so strange and unaccountable a taxing such as none was ever known before and there was no occasion for it then there being peace throughout the Roman Empire that nothing but a secret and over-ruling Providence could have procured it All which particularly afford a most convincing demonstration to the Jew that his Messiah was in vaine expected or is already come For where is now the second Temple and the City Bethlehem What place amongst the Governours of Judah doth it now retaine where 's Judahs Scepter and where the Law-Giver between his feet Is not Jerusalem destroyed Are not their sacrifices and oblations ceased And if the weekes of Daniel do not end where Christians do contend they did what certaine period can they have or what instruction can they give us when the Messiah whom they speak of will appear Besides he was to be a ſ Deut. 18.15.18 Joh. 4.25 Prophet and foretell things to come in his times was t Esa 9.6.7 Janum terra marique pace parta ter clausit Suet. de Augusto cap. 22. peace to flourish as at his birth it did throughout the then known world Janus his Temple being shut which in the time of War stood allwaies open A constant throng of 8 Miracles was to attend his life and doctrine he was to bear away our griefes and 9 heal our sicknesses to cure the v Esa 35.56 Lame the Deafe the Blind and Dumb and make his bodily cures become the preface to his spirituall yet his gratious Embassage his infinite amazing love must find no other welcome but x Esa 53.12 reproach and infamy he was to come into the world poor and lowly and riding on an y Zech. 9.9 Ass to be a 53. Esa 2. Esa 50.2 Ch. 53.12 despised set at nought buffeted and spit upon and to be numbered with transgressours he was to be 10 rejected by 11 suffer from those very persons for whose sake he suffered He was to be a d Esa 53.3 man of sorrows and to increase those sorrows nothing but e Psal 69.21 Gall and vinegar was to be tendered to him his Life was to conclude in an f Dan. 9.26 untimely Death a death attended with such circumstances as added to the wonders of his life his g Psal 22.17.25.12.1 Hands and Feet and 12 sides were to be pierced yet maugre all the Tyrannies of Custome and Jewish Malice of his adversaries not a h Ex. 12.46 Psal 22.18 Bone of him was to be broken not a Rent was to be made upon his Garment His i Psal 16.10 Soul must not be left in Hell nor must his Body see corruption his 13 resurrection was to be as signall as his death for he was then to see the k Esa 53.11 travel of his soul and to draw all men after him He was to be exalted into the highest Heavens and sit at the 14 right hand of God l Ps 110.1 Mat. 22.43 Government was to be upon his shoulders and to continue there for ever The fresh appearance of the Star of Jacob was to expell the shadows of the 15 law Christ at his resurrection was to throw down the m Mat. 23. Mark 13. Temple of the Jews and to inflict upon them for their unbeliefe the Greatest and most dreadfull vengeance which ever yet befell the nation he was to ruine and pull down the Kingdome of the Prince of darkness to spread the 16 Gospell through the n Esa 11.10 Jer. 16.19 Gentile world by the plentiful effusions and powerfull operations of the 17 spirit on his own Disciples to justify his mission and convince Gainsayers that his Doctrine was the Mind and Will of God and lastly to transforme into the Christian purity a world of men inslaved to heathen superstitions and overwhelm'd in sin § 3. LOE here a crowd of Circumstances so certainly foretold of the Messiah as that the Jew found nothing to except against them so signally fulfilled in our Jesus that nothing can be farther needfull to confirme their truth And 3dly incompatible to any other person For that I may not here repeat what I have already say'd that no man would have chosen to undergoe those hard termes which were declared in the Scripture of the Old Testament to belong to the Messiah it being contrary to humane Nature to desire to lead a poor and miserable life and then dye a painful Ignominious death unless it were in prospect of some great advantages
that might accrue unto him such as the resurrection and those other glorious things that were foretold of the Messiah But now could any other person hope for such a glorious resurrection and to enable a few illiterate despised persons by mighty signes and wonders by admirable Gifts and Graces of the Holy spirit to subdue the world to the beliefe of things incredible viz. To owne and worship for the God of Heaven and Earth one who was lately hanged on a tree and one that by his owne Nation was rejected as the worst of Malefactours § 4. AND now to take off that objection which is so often made by 18 Celsus and other Adversaries of the Christian Faith that all those places of the old Testament which are supposed to respect our Jesus are in themselves ambiguos and may by pregnant phansies be applyed and fitted unto any subject Let it be considered 1. that the prophesies which are here selected are in themselves most clear and such as cannot well admit of any other sense And 2ly That the sense here given of them is confirmed where it is needfull in the Annotations And 3ly That they are such as Christ and his Apostles urg'd with greatest confidence in their discourses with the Jews and their Epistles to them and by these they prevail'd upon some thousands of them notwithstanding their great and many prejudices to owne this Faith as being publickly and mightily convinced from the scripture Act. 18. 28. that Jesus was the Christ which sure would not have been attempted nor could possibly have been effected had not those scriptures been applyed by them according to the clear importance of the words or the received interpretations of the Jewish Doctors And hence when Justin Martyr in his dispute with Trypho urged those places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Dialog p. 316. he though a Jew confessed that they were all intended of the Messiah of the Jews the truth of which confession we shall abundantly make good in the ensuing Annotations on this Chapter But to proceed unto some further instances the prophesies of Christ touching the mighty signs and wonders which should attend the first Professors of the Christian Faith and touching the destruction of Jerusalem have been so signally fulfill'd that 19 Phlegon reflecting upon those and such like instances confessed Christ was endowed with the Gift of prophesie and the event did answer his predictions And 1. It was prophesied and that without exception or restriction to any sort of persons that they who did believe his doctrine should be endowed with power to cast out devils and to heal diseases and to speak with tongues Of the completion of which prophesie as to the Gift of tongues we have already spoken Mark 16. 17. 18. As for the Gift of healing this was so common in the Apostles days that the Epistle of St. James directs the Sick and the Diseased to the Rulers of the Church with promise that they shall be healed It was a thing so constantly pretended in their Story Act. 5.12 4. 30. 8. 7. 28. 9. and made so oft the matter of their Prayers as well as of our Saviours promise that Christianity had this pretention been a lye would have assuredly been blasted by it Besides this Gift continued frequent and notorious in after Ages its instances were famous and innumerable throughout the Christian World a Net e im caecis possunt donare visum neque surdis auditū neque omnes daemones effugare neque debiles claudos aut paralyticos curare vel alia quadam parte corporis vexatos quemadmodum saepe evenit fieri secundum corporalem infirmitatem vel earum que foris accidunt infirmitatum bonas valetudines restaurare Iren. l. 2. c. 56. c. 57. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To restore to health by imposition of hands to cure the Weak and Lame and Paralytick and those that labour under any other malady is a thing frequent in the Church faith Ireneus And b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig in Celsum l. 1. p. 34. rursus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vid. l. 2. p. 80. Origen gives us his owne experience of it in these words We oft have seen the people by the Christians freed from extasies and madness and from a 1000 other dreadful symptomes and calamities from which nor Men nor Devils could recover them and they at present heal by invocation of Christs name Whence 3ly We may note that generally those diseases were incurable by all the powers of humane Arts and all assistances of Heathen Deities or any other name then that of Jesus Thus c Et quoniam beneficia salutis datae aliorum numinum comparatis Christi quot millia vultis a nobis debilium ostendi Quot tabificis afectos morbis nullam omnino retulisse medicinam cum per omnia supplices irent templa cum Deorum ante ara prostrati limina ipsa converrerent osculis cum Aesculapium ipsum datcrem ut praedicant sanitatis quoad illis superfuit vita precibus fatigarent invitarent miserrimis votis Quid ergo prodest oftendere unum aut alterum fortasse curatos cum tot millibus subvenerit nemo Arnob. l. 1. p. 29. Arnobius And since you have the confidence to bring the petty cures of the Heathen Deities into contest with Christ how many thousands shall we instance in who have in vain repaired to their Temples And what doth it availe to tell us of the Good success of two or three when the complaints of thousands speak their want of power to assist the needy As for the 20 ejection of Devils both out of Men and Beasts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Celsum l. 7. p. 334. and places where they did reside that this was done etiam à rusticis Christianis as Arnob. or by the rudest and most simple Christians as Origen we have the frequent attestations of all the Records of Christianity through divers Centuries and their Apologies unto the Heathen world all which abound in frequent mention of this thing Moreover they did often urge sollicite and 21 provoke their adversaries in their Apologies and Disputations with them to try the truth of their assertion and make their 22 Senses Judge of what they did pretend to They did 23 appeal to their own Consciences and knowledge of it and tell them that many 24 Hundreds were still living of their owne superstition as well as Christian Proselytes who by their personall experience could attest it They offer'd upon 25 pain of Death and loss of all that could be dera unto them not only to eject those very demons they invoked but make them confess that 26 they were cheats and own themselves to be but Devils They publickly declared that by their presence only they could stop 28 mouths of Oracles and put to flight their Gods or render them unable to assist the Priest See notes in Chap. 2. Num. 1. 2. 3. that
when the 27 Heathens could not by all their charms and exorcisms and invocations of their Deities the Christian by the name of Jesus could eject them that false and Hypocriticall Professors had this power and that the name of Jesus 29 though pronounced by Jews or Heathens would performe the same A thing so notable that evne their 31 Inchanters used it for that end and 30 many Proselytes were won unto the Christian Faith by due consideration of it In fine the Apostles and the Church had power to command the Devil to torment Irregular professors and to inflict diseases on them and 32 this was often the punishment of their Apostacy impenitency and such like irregularities for which the censures of the Church did pass upon them All this we have delivered upon certain knowledge and confirmed to us with the highest attestations by men of greatest Wisdome Piety and Sincerity in every Nation where the Gospell had obtained Now can we think the Devil without any constraint from a superiour power should not only quit the tyranny which they had so long exercised on Humane Bodys and o're the Consciences of men who gave Idolatrous Worship to them but should also confess what they were to those who sought the ruine of their Kingdome and made use of their confessions to that purpose Or could a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig in Celsum p. 133. Nomen Philosophorum daemonia non fugat Tertull. Apol. c. 46. the name of Jesus without that power to which he pretended have been so great a Terrour and a Torment to them Did ever any of the Heathen Juglers with all their Arts of Magick extort such plain confessions from them Did they thus force them to desert not only their possessed Bodys but their Temples too and to exert their power unto the ruine of themselves and and the amendment of those Souls they had ensnared Or would the Christians thus appeal unto the senses and experience of their most subtile Adversaries would they provoke their Tryall and boast of their continuall Triumph over Satans kingdome throughout all the world and could they by those means prevail upon the world and dayly gain new Proselytes had not the evidence of truth confirmed their sayings ANNOTATIONS On the 7. Chapter 1. THE coming of Elias to prepare his way This the Jews put among the previous signs of their Messiah R. Abraham ex Seder Olam in lib. Juchas p. 12. Maimon in Hil. Mel. c. 12 s 2. Kimchi ad c. 4. Mal. Before the coming of the Son of David Elias shall come to declare his advent faith the Gloss in Hieros Pesach fol. 30.2 vide Lightf in Matt. 17. 11. 2 He was to come into the World before the scepter did depart from Iudah which Prophesy the Targums do apply to the Messiah Shilo is by Onkelos interpreted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Ionathan the Ierusalem Targum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Cabalists do also so interpret it because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their computation makes the same number with the letters of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 358. And Rabbi Iohanan asking the name of the Messiah they of the School of R. Shila answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according unto what is written untill Shilo come Coch. in duos tit Talmud p. 359. Now that the scepter did depart from Iudah before the desolation of Ierusalem their greatest Rabbins do assure us Our Rabbins have delivered that 40 years before the Temple was destroyd judgement of life and death was taken from them and of pecuniary causes in the days of Rabbi Simeon l. Sanhedr Hier. dine Mammonoth And when the Romans had expell'd the Sanhedrim out of their Palace at Ierusalem they put on sackcloth and cryd out Woe to us for the scepter is removed from Iudah c. and yet our Shilo is not come Talm. Hieros Tract Sanhedr And Epiphanius tells us that the translation of the Kingdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herodianorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Scepter is now departed is confessed by Kimchi on these words The Children of Israel shall abide many days without a King and without a Prince Hos 3.4 for these sayth he are the days of the captivity which we at present suffer having no King nor Prince in Israel but being subject to Heathen Potentates 3 Before the Ruine of the Temple The Lord whom yee seek shall suddenly come to his Temple Mal. 3.1 This â—ord sayth Kimchi is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whence R. Iose who saw the destruction of the Temple sayd the times of the Messiah are now come That the Prophesy of Malachi concerns the Messiah is farther evident from those expressions which style the person mentioned Lord the Angel of the covenant and the desire of the Iews and speak of an Elias to prepare his way That his coming was not be defered 2000 years is clear from these expressions behold he cometh suddenly 4 At the completion of the weeks of Daniel That the weeks of Daniel comprehended only 490 years the Iews confess Whereas it is written that 70 weeks are determined for the cutting off of the Messiah we are by him to understand 490 years Auctor Beth. Israel R. Saadias Gaon Aben Ezra apud Raymund Pug. fid p. 237. R. Moses and R. Selomo apud Morn de Christ Relig. c. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioseph Antiq Iud. l. 10. c. 12. So that in his opinion the 70 weeks were then concluded and that of which he prophesyed was come to pass There are who so interpret the 70 weeks of Daniel as to conceave that at the end of them the Messiah should appear to make them Lords of all things and this did animate the Iews in their Rebellion against the Romans they still expecting under the greatest miserys that their Messiah would appear to save them Manasse Ben Israel de termino vitae p. 175. 5 Who then impatiently expected their Messiah Hence so many false Christs and false Prophets 1. Herod Herodiani Christum Herodem esse dixerunt Tertull. adv Haeres c. 45. 2. Dositheus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. in Celsum l. 1. p. 44. 3. Barchocheba Ille Messiam seipsum pronuntiabat Auctor Schalschelet Hakkabalah vide Drusium de tribus sect is l. 3. c. 4.6 4. Vespasian who by the flattery of Iosephus was induced to destroy the line of David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 12. Ioseph de Bello Iud. l. 7. c. 12. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioseph de Bell. Iud. l. 2. c. 23. with many others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioseph Antiq. Iud. l. 20. c. 6. and this made them so forward to rebellagainst the Romans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joseph de bello Jud. l. 7. p. 967. 6 That antient Prophesie Percrebuerat Oriente toto vetus constans opinio esse in fatis ut eo tempore Judaea profecti rerum potirentur id Iudaei ad
been so full and pregnant that nothing could be more For to resume these heads 1. Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Romans written about the 2d Year of Nero vid. Lightfoot Harm N. T. P. 121.136 Cha. 1. 8 1. Col. 6. 22. tells them their Faith was celebrated throughout all the world In his Epistle to the Colossians about the 6th of Nero he assures them that the Christian Faith was preached to every creature under Heaven and proclaimed to the whole world The truth of which assertions will be sufficiently made Good from Proleg the 6th 2ly Of the multitude of false Christs we have already spoken Of false Prophets we are informed by 2 Eusebius who from Josephus tells us of one Theudas who by his Magicall collusions prevail'd upon a multitude of Jews to follow him to the river Jordan which that pretended Prophet promised to divide before them and of an 3 Aegyptian in the days of Nero who being also a Magician pretended Prophet deceaved 30000 who partly were dispersed and partly slaine by Felix Governour of Judea 4 Josephus speaking of the conflagration of the Temple and of the multitude that perished in it 6000. ascribes their ruine to a lying Prophet who drew them thither with promises of signs and wonders that should there be wrought for their deliverance and then adds that there were many such deceivers who still endeavoured to delude the people with promises of help from heaven Nay the Apostle tells us Tit. 1.10 11 14. that they especially were the vain bablers and deceivers and the perverters of the truth that by their Fables and their zeal for their Traditions and empty Ceremonies they did pervert Men from the Faith and hinder the progress of the Gospel Thirdly Their false and lying Wonders made them deserve the Title of Magicians And indeed the Miracles recorded by their Rabbins Lightf Horae Hebr. in Mat. p. 266 267. the Stories which their * Talmud gives us of their Skill this way their frequent 5 Exorcisms by Invocation of the God of Jacob their Amulets and * Ligatures and confident 6 Assertions Lightf ibid Voisin observ in Raymund p. 557 558. That God gave power to his Law his Name and Attributes when thus applyed by them to heal diseases and work signs and wonders Lastly Those many 7 Instances Iosephus gives us of Men pretending to such Works all these sufficiently evince how much they were addicted unto false and lying Wonders Fourthly the Apostacy of many from the Christian Faith especially of the Jews is manifest from the Epistles of St Paul complaining that they apostatized unto the Law of Moses Gal. 3.4 2 Tlm. 1.15 and that all Asia had shaken off the Gospel and from the descriptions which St Peter and St Iude give of them That they denyed the Lord that bought them They went out from us 1 Joh. 2.19 saith St Iohn Fifthly The sign of the Son of man coming in the Heavens being some visible appearance in the Heavens of his coming to destroy Ierusalem and to revenge his death and all the Persecutions of his Prophets and Apostles on them that 8 Comet which appeared like a flaming sword and for the space of a whole year did point down upon the city may refer unto it But that which best comports with the Expression of our Saviour who tells us his appearance should be in the clouds with power and great glory Matt. 24.29 30. or with an Host and Splendor and also agrees with the Opinion of the Jews That this his coming with the clouds of Heaven was coming with the host of heaven as 9 R. Saadias hath it is that 10 appearance in the clouds of Chariots and of Armed Men incompassing the City and attended with the noise of War And whereas it is said immediately after the tribulation of those days the Sun shall be darkned Matt. 24.29 and the Moon shall not give her light and the Stars shall fall from Heaven and the powers of heaven shall be shaken let it be noted That these Words intend not to declare unto us what should happen after the desolation of Ierusalem as will appear 1. From the Words ensuing Matt. 24.33 When you shall see these things come to pass know that it is nigh even at the door Secondly From the incouragement that follows to the Christian Mark 13.29 When these things begin to come to pass then look up and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh If this Redemption do not import the Christians freedom from this present vengeance and from those fiery Persecutions which were raised against them chiefly by the malice of the Jews it will be hard to know what it can signifie since all the Judgements which befel the Heathen World did not redeem the Christians from their Persecutions but were the causes of them they being still ascribed by them unto the 11 anger of their gods against the Christians And thirdly Because the Prophet Ioel who foretels the very same events Joel 2.31 That God would shew wonders in the heavens and on the earth that the sun should be turned into darkness and the moon into blood assures us this was to happen before the great and terrible day of the Lord that is before the plenary Execution of Gods vengeance on the Jews 1 Thess 2.16 when wrath should come upon them to the uttermost Now hence it follows That these Expressions must concern the Jewish Nation and signifie by a 12 Prophetick Scheme and sutably unto the manner of the 13 Eastern Nations those great and dreadful Judgements God had resolv'd to bring upon the Jewish Nation which would Eclipse their Sun and Moon convert their glorious and shining Days into the days of darkness and create as great a Terror to them as if these Prodigious Things had hapned in the course of Nature The 14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fearful Occurrences or Apparitions mentioned by St Luke Luke 21.11 may haply respect the flying open of the Temple doors the Light that shone about the Temple and the Altar before the multitude the Conflagration the Voices of an unseen multitude crying out Let us depart and quit this place Joseph de bel Jud. l. 7. c. 12. and especially of one Jesus denouncing Wo continually unto the City Temple and the People of Ierusalem and many other Signs which did declare their desolation and by the wiser Jews were thought to signifie it Lastly how dreadfully the 15 Famine raged among them how great and numerous the Earth-quakes were which happened about those Times Iosephus 16 Grotius and other Authors will inform us Sixthly That the Authors of this Desolation were the Roman Armies led on by Vespasian and his Son Titus that the destruction of the City and the Temple hapned within the space of 42 Years after our Lords Predictions and so within the compass of that Generation it will be needless to evince by Testimony these
weigh these things must soon be forced to confess and to admire the Truth and the Divinity of Christs Predictions or in the Words of Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 B. p. 83. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What can the Wise men of the World object against such clear Predictions and such convincing Demonstrations of the Power of Christ ANNOTATIONS On the 7th Chapter SECT II. THeir Doctors had concluded Ideo moderni Judaei dicunt Messiam non venisse quia nondum viderunt eum venire in nubibus Coeli Raymund Pug. fid p. 276. 2 Euseb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccl. Hist l. 2. c. 11. 3 Of an Aegyptian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Hist l. 2. c. 21. 4 Josephus ascribes their ruine to a lying Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joseph de Bello Judaico l. 7. c. 11. 5 Their frequent Exorcisms by the invocation of the God of Jacob Matt. 12.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Dial. cum Tryph. p. 311. vide Tertull. contra Marcionem Theophilum l. 2. ad Autolyc Orig. in Celsum p. 185. vide Annot. in c. 1. num 4. 6 Their assertions that God gave power to his law name and attributes to heal diseases The Author of Sepher Ikkarim tells us That the Attributes of God are Instruments to which he hath annexed a power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est That signs and wonders should be done by them Why is it that they who skill this art work miracles The reason is because the law is of divine Original Auctor Neve Shalom l. 5. c. 5. 7 These Instances Josephus gives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Bello Jud. l. 7. c. 12. 8 That comet which appeared like a flaming sword 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joseph de Bello Jud. l. 7. c. 12. 9 R. Saadias Quod autem scribit Cum nubibus coeli illi sunt Angeli de exercitu coeli haec erit maxima dignatio quam conferet Deus Christo In Dan. 7. 10 The Appearance in the clouds of chariots and of armed men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joseph ibid. 11 To the Anger of their Gods against the Christians vide infra Not. in c. 8. s N. 19. 12 A Prophetick Scheme See the like Esaiah 13.10 c. 24. v. 18.19.20.23 c. 34. v. 4. Jer. 4.23 Ezek. 32.7.8 Joel 2.10 Rev. 6.12.8.12 13 And sutably to the manner of the Eastern Nations Apud Arabes de eo cui singulare aliquod infortunium accidit dicitur quod coelum ipsius in terram conversum sit vel super terram ejus ceciderit Maimon More Nevochim p. 265. againe Neque quemquam puto ita ignorantem caecum literaeque Parabolarum narrationum Historicarum vel Oratoriarum addictum esse ut existimet stellas coelum lucem Solis Lunae mutata esse vel terram de centro suo motam quando destructum fuit regnum Babel verum repraesentat nobis tota haec narratio statum conditionem hominis victi cui lux omnis atra dulce amarum immo cui terra nimis angusta coelum ruinam minitari videtur ib. part 2. c. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Artemidorus Oneirocrit l. 2. c. 36. 14 The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may respect the flying open c. Of which things we have the testimony of Josephus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scilicet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Bello Judaico l. 7. c. 12. c. 11. Evenerant prodigia visae per coelum concurrere acies rutilantia arma subito nubium igne collucere Templum expassae repente delubri fores audita major humanâ vox excedere Deos simul ingens motus excedentium Tacitus Hist l. 5. p. 621. 15 Of the famine see Josephus de Bello Iudaic. l. 7. c. 7.8 16 Of the Earth-quakes in divers places Grot. in Matt. 24. vers 7. 17 From what Josephus hath recorded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paulo post 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de Bello Jud. l. 7. c. 18. lin 1. Gr. 18 S. Cyril Bishop of Ierusalem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socrat. Hist Eccles l. 2. c. 20. Ruff. l. 10. c. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socr. ibidem 19 Of the greatness of the judgement Iosephus gives account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 20 The manner of the Siege 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioseph Bell. Iud. l. 6. c. 13. 21 They did quit Ierusalem being admonished from Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccles Hist l. 3. c. 5. Epiphanius de Ponderibus Mensuris c. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 22 Whether this desolation shall be perpetual as many of the Fathers held Origen Annot. in Sh. 16. c. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Cels l. 4. p. 174. Chrysost crat 3. adv Iudaeos Dionysius Alexandrinae Ecclesiae Pontifex elegantem scribit librum irridens mille annorum fabulam instaurationem Templi c. Hieron Proaemio ad l. 18. Com. in Esaiam 23 As Hugo Grotius thinks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intelligere licebit â—â—mpora divinae patientiae praestituta emendationi eorum qui ex Gentibus Christi nomen professi à disciplina Christi plurimum recesserunt ut nimirum intelligamus Deum irritatum à Gentibus modo quodam novo atque extraordinario usurum in convertendis adse Iudaeis sicut ab Iudaeis irritatus modo simili Gentes ad obsequium suum pertraxit In locum 24 Sayth Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orat 3. adv Iudaeos 25 That it was believed by the very Atheist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. p. 81. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sozom. l. 5. c. 21. 26 The effect of it the invocation of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. p. 85 Sozom. Hist Eccl. l. 5. c. 21. Socr Hist Eccl. 21. c. 29. 27 Conclude with that of our Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccles Hist l. 3. c. 7. CHAP. VIII SECT I. The Contents Evincing the truth of Christian Doctrine Arg. 4 1. From the Miracles wrought by Christ suitably to his Design and to the Prophesies of the Old Testament and to the expectation of the Iews These Miracles were many mighty and they had most remarkable Effects upon the Hearers and Spectators of them They were avouched with greatest confidence by his Apostles who by those means converted thousands and whose Records of these things became the rule of Faith unto the Christian Converts The confirmation of this from the Miracles wrought by Christs Apostles who affirm Christ gave commission to them whil'st abiding with them to work the greatest Miracles which they accordingly performed And that this Power was more abundantly conferr'd upon them after the Resurrection of their Lord is argued from the Promise of Christ from the Confession of Iews and Heathens from the records of Scripture Like wonders were performed by Christians in all places of the World and the same Power continued
in the Church for divers Centuries The confirmation of this second Argument The result of these Particulars FOURTHLY Arg. 4 Those Miracles which Christ and his Apostles wrought in confirmation of the Christian Faith are a most signal Demonstration of its truth and certainty as will appear if we consider 1. The Design on which our Saviour came into the World For it was requisite that he who came to baffle and pull down the Devils Kingdom should shew his Power over those evil Spirits which upheld it Needful it was that he who taught the World to slight and to detest those Heathen Deities which had so long obtained in the World and had confirmed it in their service by seeming Miracles vid. Not. in cap. 9. num 5 6 7 8. Predictions gifts of Healing and the like should by more powerful works convince the World he was more worthy of their Adoration And it was also requisite that he who gave it out that he came down from God to manifest the will of heaven to the world should by unquestionable signs of Gods assistance prove the truth of his Commission from him And lastly It was requisite that he who came to null that Law of Moses which was established or by the Jews conceived to be established by many Miracles should give a greater proof of his Commission from the God of Heaven then were the Miracles of Moses Secondly This will be farther evident if we consider that the Jews expected great and many Miracles from their Messiah They tell us Midrash Coheleth in Eccles 1.11 that the Miracles of Moses should not be remembred by reason of those greater Miracles which their Messiah should perform That the signs of the Messiah should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 substance vid. Raymund Pugfid p. 610. whereas the signs of the departure out of Aegypt compared with them should be only accidents And this their Expectation was grounded upon these Predictions of their Prophets that their Messiah should make the blinde to see the deaf to hear Isaiah 35.6 the dumb to speak the lame to walk Thirdly The Jews and Heathens did in effect confess that sutably to these Predictions of the Prophets and to the expectation of the Jews they did work Miracles For to ascribe them to 1 Shem Hamporash or to the Arts of 2 Magick as Jews and Heathens did is to confess that they were done by Christ since nothing but the evidence of Fact could tempt his most malitious Enemies to use such slight Evasions and to confess as did the Pharisees and the Chief Priests that Christ did Miracles so many and so powerful that if he had been let alone Joh. 11.48 all men would have believed on him The wiser Heathens as 3 Celsus 4 Porphyry 5 Hierocles and 6 Julian confess'd the thing 7 Pilate who lived upon the place where his Disciples tell us that all his Miracles were done and who passed Sentence on him gave such a large account to Tiberius both of the Wonders of his Life and Death and Resurrection as made the Emperor 8 propose him to the Senate as one fit to be admitted among the Roman Gods And this account the Christians frequently appealed to and sent the Romans to their own Archives to be convinced of its truth Others conclude that he did his Wonders by that Art of Magick which he had learn'd from the 9 Aegyptians vid. Annot in cap. 9.1 and think it is sufficient to oppose against him an 10 Apollonius or an Apuleius as Men of equal Fame for working Wonders which had the truth of what the Christian Records do affirm concerning them been questionable they could have had no reason and no temptation to have done it being sufficient for their purpose to have questioned or disproved what was delivered by those Records But fourthly His Apostles do affirm his Miracles were very many and done in many places They tell us that he compassed all a Matt. 4.24 18.16 9.35 Galilee and all the cities and villages of Iudea preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and healing all diseases and all sicknesses among the people He b Mat. 12.15 15.30 19.2 healed many that were sick of divers maladies All the diseased throughout Syria Great multitudes yea all that could be c Luke 4.40 brought unto him He d Mark 1.34 cast out many devils and e Matt. 8.16 healed all that were possessed of the devil And then they adde that there were many other f John 20.30 signs which Iesus did which were not written by them From which compendious Repetition of them we may well infer his Miracles were more than they were able to recount particularly or more than they thought needful so to do Fifthly The same Apostles tell us they were mighty deeds for he rebuked the winds and g quell'd the ragings of the sea and h Matt. 8.26 14.25 walked upon it He i Mark 6.42 satisfied 5000 with two loaves and with five little fishes he gave sight unto the blinde and life unto the dead he cast out devils and knew the secrets of the heart He wrought his Miracles by inconsiderable means Matt. 8.3 16. Mark 8.7 13. Joh. 4.50 for he cast out the evil spirits and healed diseases with a word or by such means as were as insufficient by any natural Virtue to produce the Cure He raised the dead only by touching of the Bier on which they lay Luke 7.14 15 16. 18.54 John 11.43 45. or taking of them by the hand His word made Lazarus come forth though bound with Grave-cloathes and his Word made the Fig-tree wither Lastly The Wonders of his Death were as remarkable as were the Actions of his Life For then the Heavens were over-spread with darkness Matt. 27.49 52. the Temple vail was rent the Earth trembled the Rocks rent the Graves opened many dead Bodies did arise and shew themselves to many living in the holy City which when the People saw some of them being forced by remorse of Conscience Luke 23.47 smote upon their breasts and said of Christ Truly this was the Son of God this was a just and upright man and so notorious were these things that Heathens have recorded them But sixthly His Apostles tell us That he performed these things in publick and in the presence of the Pharisees Luke 5.17 6.17 18.19 Matt. 14.35 36. and Doctors of the Law of every Town of Galilee Judea and Jerusalem and from the Sea-coast of Tyre and Sidon which came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases That he did nothing privately but in the Synagogues Temples John 18.20 21. where his Accusers were still present And seventhly they affirm That these his Miracles had most remarkable Effects upon the Hearers and Spectators even the most perverse and spiteful of them Both Pharisees and Lawyers throughout Judea Jerusalem Luke 5.17 26. and Galilee when their
eyes saw the Power of God so efficacious to heal the sick were struck with fear and extasie and forced to cry out We have seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strange and unheard of Miracles Mark 2.12 Luke 19.37 John 3.2 such as we never saw before and such as onely God could do whence they so freely owned Gods power in them and gave him the glory The Multitude cry out with much astonishment He hath done all things well Mark 7.37 he maketh both the deaf to hear and dumb to speak When they beheld his Power over evil Spirits they were amazed saying Luke 4.36 37. What a word is this for with authority he commandeth the unclean spirits and they come forth Upon all these accounts Mark 1.28 John 2.23 his fame was spread throughout the Regions round about and many who had seen his Miracles believed on him concluding from the wonders he performed that God had visited his people Luc. 7.16 Mat. 21.11 Joh. 3.1 that a Great Prophet was risen up among them and that this Prophet was one sent from God and one assisted by his power that he was the Son of David the true Messiah Joh. 4.29.6.14 the Shilo that was for to come And generally they expressed their confidence and full conviction of his power to work the greatest Miracles The Leaper saith unto him if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Mat. 8.2 v. 8. The Centurion speak but the word only and my Servant shall be healed The Ruler of the Synogogue come and laye thy hands one my Daughter Mat. 9.18 21. and she shall live The Diseased woman if I may but touch his Garment I shall be whole The people of Gennesereth as soon as he was entred into their coasts run through the Regions round about Mat. 14.35 36. Mark 6.56 and carry out in Beds those that were sick to all places where he was And whithersoever he entred into Villages or Cities or Countries they laid the sick in the Streets and besought that they might touch if it were but the border of his Garment and upon all occasions the multitude are flocking after him 8ly His Apostles did avouch with greatest confidence that what they thus ascribed to their Master were things notorious to the Jew and what their consciences bore witness to by these sayings they converted those that heard them Thus in that Sermon of Saint Peters which added to the Church 3000 souls Jesus of Nazareth is said to be a man demonstrated to be the Christ by signes and wonders Act. 2.22 and powerful operations done in the midst of those to whom he spake for which he presently appeals unto their consciences in these words This you also know In another Sermon preached to Cornelius and his Friends he speaks thus You know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing done throughout all Iudea viz. how Iesus of Nazareth Act. 10.36 37. whom God annointed with the Holy Ghost and with power went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed with the Devil for God was with him Now all these things had they not been beyond the possibilitie of just exception are such as could not be delivered in those ages and by those persons by whom pretended to be done and presently obtain upon the Faith of thousands at a bare relation and engage so many of that very Nation besides a world of Gentile Converts to seal the truth of things so hard to be believed and harder to be done with their hearts dearest blood and rather suffer all that malice could invent than disbelieve them Impossible it is that men pretending that the miraculous operations of Jesus were so many that should they all be written the world would scarce be able to contain the Records Job 21.15 That he went about among them doing Good and healing all that were possessed of the Devil and all that were afflicted with any manner of Disease That he did this often in the presence of the greatest multitudes as well of Pharisees and Doctors of the Law as of the ruder sort and commonly upon their persons That by these actions he astonished and amazed his adversaries and forced them notwithstanding all that prejudice they had against him to own him for a Prophet and one sent from God and made them throng and strive to touch him and upon all occasions bring the diseased for cure to him and that even Gentiles did confess the thing I say impossible it is that men declaring that these things were acted and experimented in the places where those persons lived who embraced this Doctrine and for whom those Gospels were indited which contained these things should by such Gross untruths prevaile upon these persons to embrace that story which told these Barefaced lyes for a divine unerring History fit to be sealed with their Blood In a word let it be considered whether any person can imagine this to be the likely'st way to gain a reputation in the World Or whether any reasonable man can think it fit to suffer death in attestation of such things which all his neighbours must know to be untruths or whether he were like to gain belief by doing so And 2ly whether a story of like nature pretended by 12 Quakers to be done in England by one James Nailer or the like were likely to prevaile upon one single person not to say the Nation or the whole world of Christians to desert that Faith they own at present and embrace another which condemns and vilifies it and casts reproach upon the Nation Moreover these Disciples tel us that Christ whilst he continued upon Earth gave them commission to heal all manner of diseases Mat. 10.1.8 and to cast out Devils to raise the Dead and triumph over all the power of the enemy assuring them that neither serpent nor any other thing should hurt them Luc. 10.19 Luc. 9.6 Luc. 10.17 18. Marc. 6.13 And they accordingly did preach the Gospel healing every where casting out many Devils and making Satan fall as quick as lightening from the Heavens rejoycing that evil spirits were made subject to them anointing many with oyle and healing them And that this Power was more abundantly confer'd upon Them and upon their Converts when their Lord had left this world hath been sufficiently shewed in the foregoing chapter and may more fully be evinced by these considerations 1. That they have left on record in the Books they published and committed to their new converts as the Rule of Faith and which were owned by many thousands as Divine Christs Promise that his power should miraculously assist his Church that his Spirit should be confer'd upon as many as the Lord should call and this by virtue of a promise which he stood obliged to fulfil by powring his Spirit on all flesh to make their Sons and Daughters prophesie their young men to see visions and their old men to dream Dreams They gave it out that
Christ assured them a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Tom. 5. Orat. 2. in Bab. p. 442. they should out do those many miracles which He himself had wrought Ioh. 14.12 which was a promise of so strange a nature that never any person did pretend the like nor could it be fulfilled according unto what these Records have delivered without the greatest demonstration of Christs power or fail of being so without the ruine of that faith which he had planted the rejection of those Histories which spake of its exact completion But let it be considered 2ly That Jews and Heathens their most malitious and subtile enemies confess the thing Act. 4.16 That indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell at Jerusalem and we cannot deny it say the High Priest and Rulers of the Jews The Heathens tell us that they were the greatest 11 Juglers and had 12 received from our Saviour Books which did instruct them in these arts and made them able to derive the cheat unto their followers Nay they 13 acknowledge that at their very Sepulchers were many wonders done 3ly Agreably to these predictions and confessions we are told in the forementioned Records that God confirmed the word of his Grace Act. 14.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 19.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 8.13 Act. 4.23 Act. 9.40.20.10 by doing signs and wonders by the Apostles hands and that these Miracles were not mean ordinary things but mighty that with great power gave the Apostles witness to the Resurrection and that great grace was upon them all The dead were raised by them Tabitha by Peter and Eutychus by Paul and Irenaeus tells us that in his time by the prayers and fastings of the Church the dead were frequently restored to life a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iren. l. 2. c. 56. c. 57. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hereticks saith he for all their boast of miracles they cannot raise the dead as Christ and his Apostles did and as many of the Brotherhood when the necessities of the Church required it have by their prayers and fastings often done Their miracles were wrought at distance and by unlikely and inconsiderable means by Handkercheifs and Napkins which obtained this virtue of doing mighty cures only by being sent from an Apostles hand b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost St Peters shadow healed all that were afflicted with evil Spirits throughout all Ierusalem and all the Cities round about it Their very Sepulchers were instrumental to the working of so many and such apparent Miracles that as their Enemies were forced to confess them so Christians did often 14 plead them with the greatest confidence they were such as conquered and amazed the Conjurer Acts 19.18 19. such as prevailed with the Magicians to burn their Books and make confession of their Practises and own that Doctrine though with the hazard of their Lives which pronounced them guilty of contracting with the Prince of darkness 3ly These Wonders were perform'd by Christians throughout all places of the World in which the Gospel did obtain and flourish St Paul assures us that from Jerusalem Rom. 15.19 and round about unto Illyricum the Gospel had been preached by him with mighty signs and wonders and by the power of the Holy Ghost and both the reason and the necessity of the thing assure us that what was done by him must be done also by the rest of the Apostles and especially by those who were preferred above him by the Church of Corinth and Galatia The Records of the Churches and the Apologies of Christians writ from each corner of the World the Conversion of so many by the Apostles Preaching in every quarter of it Joel 2.28 the Promise of the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon all flesh Acts 2.29 and given to as many as the Lord should call all these and many other Circumstances confirm us in the Truth of this Particular Fourthly This Power of working Miracles was still retained in the World for divers Centuries For the Apologies and Records of the Christians in their respective Ages still avouch and plead them against the Heretick the Jew the Heathen for confirmation of their Faith Irenaeus writing against the Gnosticks Carpocratians and Valentinians asserts That if they truly did what they pretended only yet was it not to be compared with the Miracles of Christ and his Disciples And then he adds a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iren. l. 2. cap. 57. It is impossible to reckon up all the miraculous Gifts which the Church throughout the World receives and exerciseth to the benefit of the Heathens Origen in commendation of the Christian Faith above the Jews Pretensions tells them That b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. in Celsum l. 2. p. 62. since the coming of a Saviour they were left destitute of all the signs of Gods especial Presence with them they had no Prophets nor any Wonders done amongst them whereas the Christians were plentifully endowed with these Gifts of Miracles and Prophesie c Quanti honesti viri de vulgaribus enim non dicimus aut à Daemoniis aut valetudi nibus remediati sunt quando non Geniculationibus Jejunationibus nostris etiam siccitates sunt depulsae Tertul. ad Scap. c. 4. How many Men of reputation for we speak not of the vulgar sort have been freed from Devils by us when is it that our Prayers and Fastings do not cause their dearths to cease So Tertullian Of this miraculous Power the second and third Ages give us instances innumerable Of its continuance in the fourth Century Eusebius and 15 Cyril Theodoret and 16 Augustine are sufficient Witnesses If therefore these were matters which the Jews and Heathens who persecuted Christ and his Disciples do confess if Christians of all places through divers Ages of the World pretended and appealed to them using no other method to convince the World If their Apologies and Disputations with their Adversaries which were so mightily prevailing did bottom on the truth of these Particulars and if those Writings which contained them were universally acknowledged as Divine and absolutely true then must the Miracles recorded in them be Divine and such as they are held to be by Christians Besides the Apostle Paul assures the Church of Rome Rom. 15.15 18 19. he would not speak of any thing which Christ had not performed by him and yet he adds 2 Cor. 11.6 12.12 That he could glory of the grace given to him to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed through mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God And to the Church of Corinth he writes thus That he had given them full proof of his Apostleship that he had fully been made manifest among them in all things that he did not come behind the very chief of the Apostles Which is sufficient to evince that not St
Heathens do pretend the same 7 predictions 8 Miracles and 9 Gifts and do appeal unto experience as that which did abundantly confirme this thing and that their Magicians had the like 10 power of Ejecting Devils and doing things which did as far as we are able to conceave transcend the power of nature and that all this is frequently confessed by 11 Christians and as to Miracles foretold by Christ and his Apostles I say should any plead these things against the Arguments we have used and should hence infer with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clesus apud Origl l. 6. p. 303. rursus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. pag. 89. Clesus that t is incongruous to conclude the truth of our profession from what may be consistent with the worst of cheats § 2. IN refutation of these things it is obvious to say 1 That the world was in those times of darkness very 12 credulous and apt to be imposed upon as it is apparent from those Fables which their Religion did espouse Vid. August de C. D. l. 7. c. 35. de doctr Christ l. 2. c. 23. 2 That God in Judgment might permit their seeming divinations and pretended wonders in poenam impiorum that they whom the convincing evidence of Christian Piety could not win to the reception of the truth might be deluded by a lye 3 That the predictions to which they pretended were either so 13 false that they knew not when to believe them or so 19 obscure as to comply with any issue That they were false the result not of divine assistance but of chance was confess'd both by those 17 wiser Heathens who resorted to them and by those 14 18 Priests who served at the Altar and attended on those Oracles Their obscurity was the complaint not only of the Poets but the Historians and the 16 Philosophers who did assert upon their own 15 experience of them that they had Generally either many senses or none that could be understood And when they were intelligible they did commonly 20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not speak the inspirations of a Deity but the desires or interests of their Priests who would be bribed or forced to answer any thing But besides all this the Christian Fathers tell us that those predictons were either Grounded on the 21 Revelations of God to his Prophets or were the 22 conjectures of the Devil bottomed on experience or naturall 23 observations or were present informations of those spirits conveyed and told to their favourites of things that were acted on another Stage As to the 24 Miracles pretended it may be Answered First that they were partly false and such as did 25 serve the ends of nature or the interests of man 2. That they were few and mean 26 unworthy to be brought into comparison with those of Christ and his Apostles and such as hapily might not 27 exceed the power of those evil Spirits whose interest it was to set them up in opposition unto Christ and his Apostles and to whom they were 28 ascribed by the greatest enemies of the Christian Faith 3. The 29 diseases which they cured were only those which their familiars did inflict and heal by ceasing to inflict them or those which might be wrought by Phansie or humane skill or by natural observations and diabolicall assistances and applications without the miraculous power of God All these and many other Answers of this nature I shall wave insisting only upon such as fundamentally destroy the force of these and of such like objections § 3. 1. THAT all the great things ascribed to those persons have been 30 suddenly blasted and they like Comets have appeared for a while to amaze the world and presently have set in darkness nor 31 being able nor so much as pretending to transmit this power which they vaunted of to any other person as our Saviour did in confirmation of his doctrine or to leave behind them those who by like actions should attest the truth of what they did deliver or 32 suffer for the cause they owned Which is a pregnant evidence that they derived from the Prince of darkness and only feigned a commission from the King of Heaven For can it be supposed that God who wants not power or wisdome to carry on his purpose and decrees maugre all opposition that the world can make should not assist his messengers in the tradition of that faith which he commanded them to preach to the world or doing so should fail of his intended purpose though working all things according to the pleasure of his will And yet this was the fate of Apollonius and Simon Magus and other like Impostors whilst the Religion we profess was like the rising sun which shineth more and more unto the perfect day and the Apostles of our Lord out did their Master and a continued throug of miracles did through divers centuries attend that Faith which they delivered to the world as hath already been evinced § 4. 2ly THAT the Adversaries of the true Christian Faith either 33 waâ—e all pretenses to the power of working miracles or else pretend them 34 wrought to none or evill purposes as being done to establish the barbarous obscene and foolish rites of Heathen superstitions which was the Grand designe of Apollonius or else to introduce the lust intemperance and all the other villanies of 35 Simon Magus or somewhat equally repugnant to the concerns of real piety and consequently it is sure that Heaven would never set its seal unto them or be so much concerned to propagate an Hell above Ground Whereas the propagation of the Christian Faith was a thing worthy of the most pure and Holy God as being the most lively transcript of his own perfections and a most effectuall method to work the Soul into the Greatest likeness to a Deity and opposition to that Sin which he doth infinitely detest For to walk worthy of this holy calling is tolead a life of most Angelick purity abstracted from all worldly mindedness and anxious concerns for temporall things to abound in meekness and humility long suffering patience and mercy love and charity and to endeavour with the Greatest care to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace § 5. 3ly I adde that as for Hereticks and Heathens providence controuled their attempts and gave in evidence sufficient to evince their vanity It 36 struck dumb the statue of Apollonius and the oracles of the Gentiles it confounded 37 Simon Magius and in compliance with the Apostles prayers put a conclusion to his miracles and life § 6. 4ly That it was no concernment of mankind to sift these things before the coming of our Saviour they opposed not their interests their superstitions lusts or reputations they did not go about to overturn all other wayes of worship and to establish new Laws of Government and to subject the knowing wold to the humours and conceptions of rude Mechanick Souls But 1. The world found it
Hortulis in locis publicis ac privatis pro sua quisque opinione certabat August de C. D. l. 18. c. 41. Et rursus Has alias diffensiones innumerabiles Philosophorum quis unquam populus quis Senatus quae potestas vel dignitas publica impiae civitatis dijudicandas alias probandas recipiendas alias improbandas repudiandasque curavit ac non passim sine ullo judicio confusé que habuit in gremio suo tot controversias hominum non de agris domibus sed de his rebus quibus aut misere vivitur aut beatè dissidentium August ibidem 103 A stipend from the Roman Emperours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lucian Hunuch p. 160. p. 161. 104 Flourished most Quaeritur saepe cur tam multi sunt Epicurei Cic. de fin Bon. l. 1. Multi postea defensores nescio quomodo ii qui auctoritatem minimam habent maximam vim populus cum illis facit Idem l. 2. p. 87.88 p. 89. Dicitur Philosophus nobilis à quo non solum Graecia Italia sed etiam omnis Barbaria commota est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laert. l. 10. p. 712. vide p. 721. 105 The Abettors of them did accord the best Epicurus una in domo ea quidem angusta quam magnos quantaque amoris conspiratione conjunctos tenuit amicorum greges quod fit etiamnum ab Epicureis Cic. de fin l. 1. Numen apud Euseb Praep. Ev. l. 14. c. 5. 106 Hence they took up with carnal pleasures Nec equidem habeo quod intelligam bonum illud detrahens eas voluptates quae sapore percipiuntur detrahens eas etiam quae auditu cantibus detrahens eas etiam quae ex formis percipiuntur oculis suaves mentiones five quae aliae voluptates gignuntur in toto homine quolibet è sensu quae sequuntur in eadem sententia sunt totusque liber qui est de summo bono refertus sententiis verbis talibus est Cic. Tusc 3º de Epicuro Et rursus Nam singo num mentior cupio refelli istam voluptatem Epicurus ignorat quippe qui testificatur ne intelligere quidem se posse ubi sit aut quid sit ullum bonum praeter illud quod cibo aut potione avrium delectatione obscena voluptate capiatur An haec ab eo non dicuntur de fin bon l. 2. de N. D. l. 1. Non id semel dicit sed saepius annuere te video nota enim tibi sunt proferrem libros si negares His gemina habes apud Athen. deipnos l. 12. c. 12. Laert. l. 10. p. 710. Plutarch Moral p. 1098. 107 Held them the chiefest good Plerique voluptatem summum bonum dicunt Cic. de div l. 2. de fin bon l. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch adv Colotem p. 1125. vide Laert. l. 2. p. 54. Ed. St. Cic. de N. D. 108 Socrates first introduced it into families Ab antiqua Philosophia usque ad Socratem numeri motusque tractabantur unde omnia orirentur quove recederent studioseque ab his syderum magnitudines intervalla cursus inquirebantur cunct a caelestia Socrates autem primus Philosophiam devocavit è coelo in urbibus collocavit coegit de vita moribus rebusque bonis malis quaerere Cic. Tusc qu. l. 5. l. 3. 109 That there was nothing just or unjust in it self but as the Lawes of Nations made it so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot Eth. l. 1. c. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pyrrho apud Laert. p. 262. Hujus sententiae erant Archelaus Laert. l. 2. p. 37. Cyrenaici ib. Theodorii p. 57. Aristippus p. 55. Pyrrho p. 252. Epicur us p. 302. vide Sext. Empir adv Math. p. 450. 110 The examples and worship of their Deities did give encouragement unto the lewdest actions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato de Rep. l. 2. vide August de C. D. l. 1. c. 7. Nazianz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 77. 111 Porphyry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ep. ad Anebonem apud Theod. ser 3. p. 48. 112 Amelius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud Theodoret. de cur Gr. aff serm 2. p. 33. 113 A Heathen Emperour as to be writt Clamabat saepius quod à quibusdam sive Judaeis sive Christianis audierat tenebat idque per praeconem quum aliquem emendaret dici jubebat quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne feceris quam sententiam usque adeo dilexit ut in Palatio in publicis operibus praescribi juberet Aelius Lamp de Alex. Severo Hist August Leyd ed. p. 577. CHAP. XI OF THE RESVRRECTION of our Saviour Christ THE CONTENTS PROLEGOMENA in order to the demonstration of the Resurrection of our Lord. 1. That the Apostles did presently attest the thing 2. This attestation could not be a bare-faced and notorious lye Arg. 1. from the testimony Arg. 2. from these 3 considerations 1. that our Saviours body did not continue in the sepulcher when they proclaimed him risen 2. That his Disciples did not conveigh his body thence Nor 3. was that done by any other persons who had no relation to Christ and no affection for him Arg. 3. from the consideration of the persons testifying AND thus we have dispatch'd our demonstrations of the Christian Faith We now proceed unto that Article of it from which we may infer the rest viz. The Resurrection of our blessed Saviour Which that we may conclude with Greater evidence we premise § 1. THAT the Apostles did presently attest the thing The predictions of our Lord and Saviour own'd by the malice of the Jew and all their vain endeavours to prevent what he foretold touching his Resurrection the expectation of his friends and that abundant satisfaction which they found in this particular the early records of the Christians Story and Symbols of his faith which every where inculcate it all these give in a full assurance of this truth Nay had the knowledge of his resurrection been defer'd beyond that period which he himself had fixed how impossible had it been to have cajold the world into so firme and stedfast a belief of the particular circumstances to have held up the drooping Spirits baffled hopes of his disciples or to have kept the insulting Jew from giving visible demonstrations of the vanity of their pretensions or from crying out of the imposture Could his Disciples be assured of his resurrection by frequent apparitions of him and not endeavour to acquaint the world with what so much concern'd the truth of his predictions and their hopes which was of so great importance to mankind and could not be neglected by the Disciples of our Lord they be faithfull unto the commission which they pretended Or could they be so quick nimble to conveigh his body from the sepulcher and yet their tongues be backward to proclaim him risen Would interest or reason suffer them to
be highly probable and if it ought to be embraced upon the Probability of any one the Probability of all these Circumstances must give an ample confirmation to it and make it needless to insist farther on this Argument § 3. AND now that this discourse may have that Influence upon the Reader which matters of this moment ought to have let me intreat him to consider how much his interest and Wisdome doth oblige him to improve the certainty of Christian Faith into a Christian conversation that soe his knowledge may not aggravate his future doom and render all his wilful Disobedience against the Christian precepts inexcusable The speculative Atheist may have some colour of a plea that his miscarriages were the Result of ignorance not of contempt and wilful disobedience whereas the man who owns the certainty of Christian Faith but lives a contradiction to his knowledge and by his practise gives the lye to his profession he I say can have no shadow of Excuse He must confess his full acquaintance with his Masters pleasure and that his Reason did commend those precepts to him which Christianity enjoyned as things most excellent and certain and infinitely to be preferr'd before those vile affections which stood in competition with them and those enjoyments he preferr'd before them His conscience must accuse him dayly of most strange ingratitude in acting his rebellions against the Majesty of heaven and his dearest Lord it must convince him of his stupidity and folly not only in neglecting of so great salvation but in running headlong to his owne destruction and being at such cost and pains to purchase to himselfe damnation He must acknowledge at the dreadfull day his life was spent in a contempt and full defyance of the holy Jesus and that he still maintained that contempt in opposition to and in despight of the convictions of his conscience the striving of the Holy Spirit and all the motives of his present and eternal interest and then how miserable must is condition be how dreadful but how just his doom The sorest judgments that ever happened to the Gentile world those derelictions which betray'd them to the most brutish and unnatural lusts were the result of sin committed against conscience and truth detained in unrighteousnes Rom. 1. and if to sin against the dim and gloomy light of Nature became so fatal to the Gentile how dismal will the doom of Christians be who sin against the clear Meridian shine of Gospel Revelation For if Christianity be true the disobedient and unbelieving person will be convinced by sad experience of the assured falshood of his infidelity his flattering hopes and false imaginations and be depriv'd for ever of Gods blisfull presence and those comfortable relations which he beares unto his creatures and all those glories pleasures and perfections which the Saints hereafter shall enjoy His soul shall be exposed to that incensed justice 2 Thess 1.8 which shall come in flaming fire to take vengeance on it and to that God who will then stir up all his wrath 9. Rom. 22 23. and make the Greatness of his power known upon such vessels fitted for destruction and he shall find no rest by day or night Rev. 14. xi as being still tormented by that worm which never dyeth and suffering the vengeance of that fire whose smoak ascends for ever this being the avowed doctrine of the first a Cent. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clemens Rom. Frag. Epist 2. Ed. Patricii Junii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Barnabas Ed. Vossii p. 251. Cent. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iren. lib. 1. c. 2. Et l. 3. c. 4. de norma fidei veteri Apostolorum traditione loquens haec habet venturus est scilicet Christus judex eorum qui judicantur mittens in ignem aeternum transfiguratores veritatis contemptores Patris sui adventus ejus Poena damnatorum apud Justinum Mari. dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 41. 46. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 71. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 57. Cent. 3. Post inexpiabile malum saeviens ignis aeterna scelerum ultione torquebit Cypr. l. de laude Martyrii Servantur cum corporibus suis animae infinitis cruciatibus ad dolorem idem lib. contra Demetr Tormentis nec modus ullus aut terminus Minutius p. 39. Si. quis occisionem carnis atque animae in gehennam ad interitum finem utriusque substantiae arripiet non ad supplicium quasi consumendarum non quasi puniendarum recordetur ignem gehennae aeternum praedicari in poenam aeternam inde aeternitatem occisionis agnoscat tunc aeternas substantias credet quarum aeterna sit occisio in poenam Absurdissimum alioquin si idcirco resuscitata caro occidatur in gehennam uti finiatur quod non resuscitata pateretur Tertull. de resurr Carnis Illud tamen scire oportet quoniam sancti Apostoli fidem Christi praedicantes de quibusdam quaecunque necessaria crediderunt omnibus credentibus etiam his qui pigriores erga inquisitionem divinae scientiae videbantur manifestissimè tradiderunt Origenes in Proaemio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Omnis turba impiorum pro suis facinoribus in conspectu Angelorum justorum perpetuo igni cremabitur in aeternum haec est doctrina sanctorum Prophetarum quam Christiani sequimur Lact. l. 7. c. 26. Vide Theophilum ad Autolycum l. 2. pag. 79. Ages of the Church and that which did expose them to the worst of sufferings and the b The derision of their heathen adversarys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Mart. Apolog. 1. p. 47. Hoc errore decepti beatam sibi ut bonis perpetem vitam pollicentur caeteris ut injustis poenam sempiternam Caecilius apud Minutium p. 11. Haec est nostra sapientia quam isti qui vel fragilia colunt vel inanem Philosophiam tuentur tanquam stultitiam vanitatemque derident quia non defendere hanc publicè atque adserere nos solemus Lactant. l. 7. c. 26. Vide Origen in Celsum p. 408. 409. vide not 52. in c. 10. p. 357. derision of their adversaries Besides if Christianity be true then all the blessings it hath promised to the pious and obedient Person must be accomplish'd in their season by the advancement of our weak vile mortall bodies into a state of incorruption power Philip. 3.21 and glory and into the likenes of Christ's Glorious body and by the exaltation of the soul to a capacity of seeing God as we are seen of God 1. Joh. 2.2 and being like to him whose happines is infinite for when he doth appear wee shall be like him by the participation of a superlative exceeding and eternal weight of Glory and the enjoyment of those blessings which neither eye hath seen 1. Cor. 2.9 nor ear hath heard of nor hath thought conceived As therefore c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Gorgiâ p. 312. Ed. Ficin Plato doth conclude his disputation on this subject with this resolution viz. Being convinced of a future state of bliss and misery I bid adieu to the caresses of the world and to the vain applauses of the vulgar and have no other care but how I may appear before my Judge with a soul pure and spotless how I may live the best of men and dye secure of happines So let the Christian Reader be perswaded to improve the confirmations and convictions of the truth of his Religion into a fixed Resolution and sincere endeavour of obedience to the Christian precepts that so he may avoid those dreadful torments and everlasting miseries it threatens to the disobedient and may enjoy that more exceeding weight of Glory which is prepared for the upright Christian FINIS ADDENDA AD pag. 23. l. 16. after as we find this was add Prodigiorum sagacissimus erat somniorum primus intelligentiam condidit nihilque Divini Juris humanique ei incognitum videbatur adeo ut etiam sterilitatem agrorum ante multos annos providerit periisset que omnis Aegyptus fame nisi monitu ejus Rex Edicto servari per multos annos fruges jussisset tantaque experimenta ejus fuerunt ut non ab homine sed â Deo responsa dari viderentur Justin Hist l. 36. cap. 2. Ad Not. 6. p. 34.35 add 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damascius in vitâ Isidori Philos apud Photium Bibl. p. 1038. Errata in the Chapters P 29. l. 14. 1630. r. 1600. p. 96. l. 8. artificers r. artifices p. 107. l. 11. which r. with p. 115. l. 26. master r. matter p. 272. l. 19. want r. wave p. 274. l. 12. religions r. religion In the Annotations P. 124. l. 4. adde faciem l. 9. mutant r. nutant p. 148. l. 6. puris r. punis p. 157. l. 21 22. dele cemma primum tertium quintum p. 181. l. 24. adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 256. l. 4. unde r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 261. l. 22. impium r. Imperium p. 262. l. 8. quis r. qui. There are other small saults which the understanding Reader will easily discern and correct and besides it must be confessed that the references to the Annotations are not always exact but yet you will find the note within one or two figures of the direction
being things attested by the general consent of Writers Seventhly That the ruine of the Temple compleatly answered our Lords Prediction is evident from what 17 Josephus hath recorded viz. That Titus did command his Souldiers to dig up the City and the Temple which was so fully done that they who saw it judged it never would be built again yea the Jews Talmud speaks the same and a Maim Taanith c. 5. Apud Josephum l. 7. c. 7. vocatur Terentius Rufus Maimon gives the very Moneth and Day when Turnus Rufus the Captain of the Army left by Titus did with a Plough-share tear up the Foundations of the Temple in order to the completion of the Prophesie Ier. 26.18 Sion shall be ploughed as a field After all this when Julian the Apostate sent the Jews to build again the Temple St 18 Cyril Bishop of Ierusalem did confidently tell them this Prophesie of Christ should be most signally fulfilled by them which came accordingly to pass for b Sozom. Hist Eccles l. 5. c. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they in preparation to their intended Temple digged up purg'd out and took away the Reliques of the old Foundation the work being thus begun an Earth-quake comes and casteth up the remnants of it and the adjacent Buildings Eighthly As for the greatness of the Judgement 19 Josephus gives us an account thereof just parallel to that of Matthew assuring us 'T was such as never City suffered nor ever City more deserved Ninthly The 20 manner of the Siege was such as Scripture had foretold for as Iosephus tells us The Roman Army built a Wall 39 Furlongs in compass and having 13 Castles on it which did enclose the City And here I cannot but observe with him * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioseph Bel. Jud. l. 6. c. 13. That they were instigated to the work by a Superior Power and as if the same Power had assisted them 't was built with an incredible celerity Tenthly Gods Providence towards the Christians and that Salvation he vouchsafed to them when the Confusion was spread upon their Enemies Dr. Hammond in Matt. 24. Not. G. for when Gratus who besieged Ierusalem had on a suddain no other cause appearing that could move him to it raised the Siege the Christians presently did quit Ierusalem 21 being admonished so to do by Revelation from Heaven as Eusebius tells us Lastly For the continuance of this Desolation not to dispute whether it shall be perpetual as many of the 22 Fathers taught and held or whether the Jews shall be converted and brought back unto Ierusalem and have a Glorious Appearance there whether the times of the Gentiles will ever be fulfill'd and God provoked by their Sins will cast them off and re-assume the Jews into his favor as 23 H. Grotius thinks the Words may signifie or whether these Words import the final desolation of the Temple State and People of Ierusalem as Dr. Lightfoot thinks vid. Harmony of the New Test p. 195. I say not to insist on this Dispute 't is sure the Jews have oft in 24 vain endeavor'd to rebuild it Their last attempt was under Iulian who to convince these Prophesies of Falshood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sozom. l. 5. c. 21. Theodor l. 3. c. 17. gave them a Commission to rebuild the Temple but the immediate hand of Providence soon forced them to desist from that unhappy Enterprise The Story is very signal remarkable for many Circumstances As 1. The Persons that relate it who are many and very considerable Authors Gregory Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Ambros Ep. 29. ad Theodos Chrysost orat 3. adv Iud. Ruff. l. 1. c. 38 39. Men that flourished in that very Age and writ when the attempt was fresh and as Theodoret assures us was frequent in the mouth of every one to omit Socrates Theodoret and Sozomen who writ the Story within the space of fifty Years after the thing was done a Ambitiosum quoddam Templū apud Hierosolymam sumptibus immodicis instaurare cogitabat negotiumque maturādum Alypio dederat Antiochensi cum itaque rei idem fortiter instaret Alypius juvaretque Provinciae Rector metuendi Globi flammarum propè fundamenta crebris insultibus erumpentes locum exustis aliquoties operantibus inaccessum fecere hocque modo Elemento obstinatius repellente cessavit Inceptum Am. Marcel l. 23. ab initio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 B. p. 83. Ammianus Marcellinus a Heathen who flourished in those very Times gives us the story thus That Iulian endeavored to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem and gave it in charge to one Alypius of Antioch assisted by the Rector of the Province and a vast Treasure from the Emperor to hasten and promote the Work which undertaking to perform he was soon forced to desist from this his Enterprise by Balls of Fire which issuing from out of the Foundations did terrifie and burn those Persons that were engaged in the Work To this Nazianzen Chrysost Socrates Sozom. and Theodoret adde That an earthquake did tear up even the reliques of the Foundation Secondly The Evidence of the thing is most unquestionable Nazianzen tells us It was believed by the very 25 Atheist Theodoret That it was common in the mouths of all Men * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 H. Eccl. l. 2. c. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socrates That it was done in the presence of exceeding many and that the Fame thereof brought many far and near unto the Place Sozomen assures us That it was a thing believed of all and adds That if to any it should seem incredible it would be attested by many yet living both of them who were present and of them who received it from the Mouths of them who were present at it Thirdly The 26 Effect of it in the Confession of the Jews that Christ was to be worshipped and adored And secondly In their Conversion to the Christian Faith For a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sozomen and Nazianzen tells us That many upon this occasion were added to the Church and were Baptized and did endeavour by their Hymns and Supplications to this Jesus to appease his anger for their attempts against him Now to conclude If this Relation be a Truth 't is an abundant confirmation of the Christian Faith If false How came it to obtain so great and uncontrouled Credit How came it to be left on record by the Adversaries of Christianity and to force such clear Confessions from their mouths and to be a means of converting many of them to the Christian Faith How great must be the Impudence of those Historians who durst so confidently relate a lye so gross and palpable and having done so appeal unto so many Living Witnesses for attestation of what the World must know to be a lye and how prejudicial must these Pretences have been to the Christian Faith These things considered I may conclude with that of our 27 Eusebius He that doth