we do nothing against our Neighbours Life or Bodily welfare but carefully preserve it as our own 7. That no man defile his Neighbours wife nor commit Fornication but preserve our own and others Chastity in thought word and deed 8. That we wrong not another in his Estate by stealing fraud or any other means but preserve our Neighbours Estate as our own 9. That we pervert not Justice by false witness or otherwise nor wrong our neighbour in his Name by slanders backbiting or reproach That we lie not but speak the truth in love and preserve our neighbours right and honour as our own 10. That we be not selfish setting up our selves and our own against our Neighbour and his good desiring to draw from him unto our selves But that we love our Neighbour as our selves desiring his welfare as our own doing to others as regularly we would have them do to us forbearing and forgiving one another loving even our enemies and doing good to all according to our power both for their Bodies and their Souls This is the Substance of the CHRISTIAN RELIGION § 15. II. The summ or Abstract of the Christian Religion is contained in three short Forms The first called The Creed containing the matter of the Christian Belief The second called The Lords Prayer containing the matter of Christian Desires and hope The third called The Law or Decalogue containing the summ of Morall Duties which are as followeth The BELIEF 1. I believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth 2. And in Iesus Christ his only Son our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried descended to Hell the third day he rose again from the dead he ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty from thence he shall come again to judge the quick and the dead 3. I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the Forgiveness of sins the Resurrection of the body and the Life Everlasting The LORDS PRAYER Our FATHER which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever Amen The Ten COMMANDEMENTS God spake all these words saying I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage 1. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me 2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image or any likeness of any thing in Heaven above or that is in the Earth beneath or that is in the water under the Earth Thou shalt not vow down thy self to them nor serve them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandements 3. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain 4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy six dayes shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the Seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter thy Man-servant nor thy Maid-servant nor thy Cattel nor the Stranger that is within thy gates For in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the Seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Seventh day and hallowed it 5. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee 6. Thou shalt not kill 7. Thou shalt not commit Adultery 8. Thou shalt not Steal 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour 10. Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours House thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Wife nor his Man-servant nor his Maid-servant nor his Oxe nor his Ass nor any thing that is thy Neighbours § 16. The ten Commandements are summed up by Christ into these two Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul and might and Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self § 17. These Commandements being first delivered to the Jews are continued by Christ as the summ of the Law of Nature only instead of Deliverance of the Jews from Egypt he hath made our Redemption from sin and Satan which was thereby typified to be the fundamental motive And he hath removed the memorial of the Creation-Rest from the seventh day-Sabbath to be kept on the Lords day which is the first with the Commemoration of his Resurrection and our Redemption in the solemn Worship of his holy Assemblies § 18. III. The briefest Summary of the Christian Religion containing the Essentials only is in the Sacramental Covenant of Grace Wherein the Penitent Believer renouncing the Flesh the World and the Devil doth solemnly give up himself to God the Father Son and Holy Spirit as his only God his Father his Saviour and his Sanctifier engaging himself hereby to a Holy life of Resignation Obedience and Love and receiving the pardon of all his sins and title to the further helps of grace to the favour of God and everlasting life This Covenant is first entered by the Sacrament of Baptisme and after renewed in our communion with the Church in the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ So that the Christian Religion is but Faith in God our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifyer producing the hope of Life Everlasting and possessing us with the love of God and Man And all this expressed in the genuine fruits of Patience Obedience and Praise to God and works of Charity and Justice unto Man § 19. That all this Religion might be the better understood received and practised by us the Word of God came down into Flesh and gave us a perfect Example of it in his most perfect Life in perfect holiness and innocency conquering all temptations contemning the honours riches and pleasures of the World in perfect patience and meekness and condescension and in the perfect Love of God and Man When perfect Doctrine is seconded by Perfect Exemplariness of Life there can be no greater Light set before us to lead us out of our state of darkness into the everlasting Light And had it not been a pattern of holy Power Wisdom and Goodness of Self-denyall Obedience and Love of Patience and of Truth and Prudence and of contempt of all inferiour things even of Life it self for the Love of God and for Life eternal it
dishonour God and destroy the souls of men as well as their bodies 4. And lastly the Temptations and suggestions of Satan yea and oft his external contrived snares are such as frequently give men a palpable discovery of his agency that there is indeed some evil Spirit that doth all this to the hurt of Souls Were there no such Tempter it were scarce credible that such horrid inhumane Villanies should ever be perpetrated by a rational Nature as Histories credibly report and as in this Age our eyes have seen That men should ever even against their own apparent interest be carryed on obstinately to the last in a wilfull course of such sins as seem to have little or nothing to invite men to them but a delight in doing hurt and mischief in the World Whence is it that some men feel such violent importunate suggestions to evil in their mindes that they have no rest from them but which way soever they goe they are haunted with them till they have committed it and then haunted as much to hang themselves in desperation Whence is it that all opportunities are so strangely fitted to a sinners turn to accommodate him in his desires and designs And that such wonderfull successive trains of impediments are set in the way of almost any man that intendeth any great good work in the World I have among men of my own acquaintance observed such admirable frustrations of many designed excellent works by such strange unexpected means and such variety of them and so powerfully carryed on as hath of it self convinced me that there is a most vehement invisible malice permitted by God to resist Mankinde and to militate against all Good in the World Let a man have any evil design and he may carry it on usually with less resistance Let him have any work of greatest Natural importance which tendeth to no great benefit to Mankinde and he may go on with it without any extraordinary impedition But let him have any great design for Common good in things that tend to destroying sin to heal divisions to revive Charity to increase Virtue to save mens Souls yea or to the publick common felicity and his impediments shall be so multifarious so far fetcht so subtile incessant and in despight of all his care and resolution usually so successfull that he shall seem to himself to be like a man that is held fast hand and foot while he seeth no one touch him or that seeth an hundred blocks brought and cast before him in his way while he seeth no one do it Yea and usually the greatest attempts to do good shall turn to the clean contrary even to destroy the good which was intended and drive it much further off How many Countreys Cities Churches Families who have set themselves upon some great Reformation have at first seen no difficulties almost in their way And when they have attempted it they have been like a man that is wrestling with a Spirit Though he see not what it is that holdeth him when he hath long swear and chafed and tired himself he is fain to give over yea leave behind him some odious scandal or terrible example to frighten all others from ever medling with the like again I have known that done which men call a Miracle a sudden deliverance in an hour from the most strange and terrible Disease while by Fasting and Prayer men were present begging the deliverance And presently the Devil hath drawn the persons in such a scandalous sin that God had none of the honour of the deliverance nor could any for shame make mention of it but it turned to the greater dishonour of piety and prayer though the wonder was past doubt I have known men wonderfully enlightened and delivered from courses of Error and Schisme and being men of extraordinary worth and parts have been very like to have proved the recovery of abundance more And they have been so unresistibly carryed into some particular Errors on the contrary extream that all the hopes of their doing good hath turned to the hardening of others in their Schism while they saw those Errors and judg'd accordingly of all the reasons of their change But especially to hinder the successes of godly Magistrates and Ministers in their reformings and their Writings for the winning of Souls it were endless to shew the strange unexpected difficulties which occurre and lamentably frustrate the most laudable attempts Nay I have known divers men that have had resolute designs but to build an Alms-house or a School-house or to settle some publick charitable work that when all things seemed ready and no difficulty appeared have been hindered in despight of the best of their endeavours all their dayes or many years Yea men that purposed but to put it in their Wills to do some considerable work of Charity have been so delayed hindered and disappointed that they were never able to effect their ends By all which it is very perceivable to an observing minde that there is a working invisible Enemy still seeking to destroy all Godliness and to hinder Mens salvation Perhaps you will say that if this be so you make the Devil to be stronger than God and to be the Governour of the World or to be more in hatred to goodness than God is in love with it I answer No but it appeareth that his Enmity to it is implacable and that he militateth against God and mans felicity and that sin hath so far brought this lower World under Gods displeasure that he hath in a great measure forsaken it and left it to the will of Satan Yet hath he his holy seed and Kingdom here and the purposes of his Grace shall never be frustrated nor the Gates of Hell prevail against his Church And if he may forsake Hell totally as to his felicitating presence he may also penally forsake Earth as to the greater number whilest for ought we know he may have thousands of Orbs of better Inhabitants which have not so forfeited his love nor are not so forsaken by him I have been the larger in proving a Life to come of Retribution to the good and bad because all Religion doth depend upon it and I have my self been more assaulted with Temptations to doubt of this than of Christianity it self though this have more of Natural Evidence And I have set down nothing that I am able rationally to confute my self though every Truth is liable to some snarling exceptions of half-witted and contentious men No man that confesseth a Life to come can question the necessity of a Holy Life But I have thought meet first to prove that a Holy Life is our unquestionable duty as the prius cognitum and thence to prove the certainty of the future state For indeed though God hath not hid from us the matter of our Reward and Punishment Hopes and Fears yet hath he made our Duty plainer in the main and proposed it first to our knowledge and
Dâ—moniacks and healing diseases their deliverances by Angels out of closed Prisons and Fetters their inflicting Judgements on Opposers and offenders their raising the dead and the conveying of the same Spirit to others by the Imposition of the Apostles hands 1. It is not the least testimony of the veracity of the Apostles that even while they lived with Jesus Christ they remained ignorant of much of the mystery of the Gospel and some that are since necessary articles of Faith as of his Death and Burial and Resurrection and Ascension and much of the spiritual nature of his Kingdom and Priviledges of Believers and that all this was made known to them upon a sudden without any teaching studying or common means by the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon them And that Christ had promised them his Spirit before to lead them into all truth and bid them wait at Jerusalem till they received it And it came upon them at the appointed time on the day of Pentecost And he promised that this Spirit should be sent on others and become his Agent or Advocate in the World to do his work in his bodily absence and bear witness of him And he told his Disciples that this Spirit should be better to them than his bodily presence and therefore it would be for their good that he should go from them into Heaven So that Christs teaching them immediately and miraculously by this sudden giving them his Spirit is an infallible proof both of his truth and theirs 2. This prophesying was partly by foretelling things to come as Agabus did the dearth and Pauls bonds and partly the exposition of old Prophesies and partly the spiritual instruction of the People by sudden inspirations And those that were enabled to it were people of themselves unable for such things and ignorant but a little while before 3. Their speaking in various languages was a thing which no natural means could produce Fernelius and many other Physicians who were very loth to believe diabolical possessions do confess themselves convinced by hearing the possessed speak Greek and Hebrew which they had never learn'd How much more convincing is this evidence when so many speak in so many languages even in the language of all the Inhabitants of the Countreys round about them and this upon these sudden inspirations of the Spirit 4. Their interpreting of such tongues also which they never learnt was no less a proof of a supernatural power and attestation 5. Their deliverances are recorded in the Scriptures Peter Act. 12. and Paul and Silâ—s Act. 16. had their bonds all loosed and the Prison-doors opened by an Angel and a Miracle which must be by a Power that sufficiently attesteth their verity 6. And they inflicted judgements on Delinquents by no less a power Ananias and Sapphira one after another were struck dead upon the word of Peter for their Hypocrisie and lyes Elymas the Sorcerer was struck blinde by Paul in the presence or knowledge of the Governour of the Countrey And the excommunicated were often given up to Satan to suffer some extraordinary penalty 7. Their healing Demoniacks the lame the blinde the paralitick and all manner of diseases with a word or by Prayer and Imposition of hands in the name of Christ yea upon the conveyance of Napkins and Cloaths from their bodies is witnessed in the many Texts which I have before cited out of the Acts of the Apostles And this Christ promised them particularly before-hand And it was the occasion of that Vnction of the sick which some have still continued as a Sacrament 8. Their raising the dead is also among the fore-cited passages so Peter raised Dorcas or Tabitha Act. 9. and its like Paul Eutichus Act. 20. 9. And it is the greatest evidence of all that the same Spirit was given to so many others by their Imposition of hands and Prayer and all these had some of these wonderfull gifts either prophesies tongues healing or some such like § 34. 2. These Miracles were wrought by multitudes of persons and not only by a few even by the Apostles and seventy Disciples and others on whom they laid their hands which was by the generality or greater part of the Christians If it were but by one or two men that Miracles were wrought there would be greater room for doubting of the truth But when it shall be by hundreds and thousands there can be no difficulty in the proof That the Apostles and the seventy Disciples wrought them in Christs own time is declared before That they wrought them more abundantly after and that the same Spirit was then commonly given to others I shall now further prove besides all the Histories of it before recited That upon the Imposition of the Apostles hands or Baptism or Prayer the Holy Ghost was given is expressed Act. 2.38 to three thousand at once the Holy Ghost was given Act. 4.31 All the assembly were filled with the Holy Ghost And with great power gave the Apostles witness of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all v. 33. Act. 8.15 17. The Samaritans received the Holy Ghost upon the prayer of Peter and John so that Simon Magus would fain have bought that gift with Money Act. 9.7 Paul was filled with the Holy Ghost by the imposition of Ananias's hands Act. 10.44 45 47. Upon Peters preaching the Holy Ghost fell on all the Family and Kindred and Friends of Cornelius who heard him preach and they spake with tongues and magnified God Act. 11.15 Even in the same manner as it fell on the Apostles Act. 13.52 The Disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost Act. 19.6 Twelve men upon Pauls imposition of hands received the Holy Ghost and spake with tongues and prophesied The Holy Ghost was given to the Roman Christians Rom. 5.5 Yea he telleth them If any have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8.9 The same was given to the Church of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 6.19 12.12 13. And to the Church of the Galatians Gal. 3.1 2 3 5. And to the Church of the Ephesians Eph. 1.13 4.30 To the Philippians Phil. 1.19.27 2.1 To the Colossians Col. 1.8 To the Thessalonians 1 Thess 5.19 1.6 And what this Spirit was and did you may find in 1 Cor. 12.4 7 c. There are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit to another faith by the same Spirit to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit to another the working of miracles to another prophesie to another discerning of Spirits to another divers kindes of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues But all these worketh that one and the self same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will For by one Spirit we
are all baptized into one body whether we be Jewes or Gentiles bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit And in 1 Cor. 14. the gift of speaking with tongues was so common in the Church of the Corinthians that the Apostle is fain to give them instructions for the moderate use of it lest they hindered the edification of the Church by suppressing prophecy or instruction in known tongues And therefore he perswadeth them to use it but more sparingly And James 5.14 15. exhorteth Christians when they were sick to send to the Elders of the Church that they may pray for them and anoynt them and they may be forgiven and recover By which it seems it was no unusual thing in those times to be healed by the Prayers of the Elders Yea the very Hypocrites and ungodly persons that had only the barren profession of Christianity had the gift of Miracles without the grace of Sanctification And this Christ foretold Matth. 7.22 Many shall say in that day Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out devils and done many wonderfull works Obj. But all were not healed by them Paul left Trophimus at Miletum sick Why doth not Paul cure Timothy of his weak stomack and infirmity without drinking of Wine if he could do it Answ 1. Certainly they did not cure all men that were sick For then who would have dyed It was none of the intent of the Spirit of Christ in working Miracles to make men immortal here on earth and to keep them from Heaven 2. And it is easily confess'd that the Spirit was not at the command or will of them that had it And therefore they could not do what and when they pleased but what the Spirit pleased And his operations were at his own time and disposal And this proveth the more fully that it was the testimony of God and not the contrivance of the wit of man 3. And miracles and tongues were not for them that believed but rather for them that believed not And therefore a Trophimus or a Timothy might be unhealed § 35. 3. These Miracles were oftentimes wrought even for many years together in several Countreys and places through the World where the Apostles and Disciples came and not only once or for a little space of time Dissimulation might be easilyer cloaked for a few acts than it can be for so many years At least these gifts and miracles continued during the Age of the Apostles though not performed every day or so commonly as might make them uneffectual yet so frequently as to give success to the Gospel and to keep up a reverence of Christianity in the World They were wrought not only at Jerusalem but at Samaria Antioch Ephesus Corinth Philippi and the rest of the Churches through the World § 36. 4. They were also wrought in the presence of multitudes and not only in a corner where there was more possibility of deceit The Holy Ghost fell on the Apostles and all the Disciples at Jerusalem before all the people that is They all heard them speak in several tongues the wonderfull works of God even the Parthians and Medes and Elamites and the Inhabitants of Mesopotamia Judaea Cappadocia Pontus Asia Phrygia Pamphylia Egypt Lybia Cyrene Rome Jews and Proselites Cretes and Arabians Act. 2.8 9 10 11 12. It was three thousand that the Holy Ghost fell on Act. 2.38 Those that went into the Temple and all the people saw the lame man that was cured by Peter and John Act. 3. The death of Ananias and Sapphira was a publick thing so that fear fell on all and hypocrites were deterred from joyning with the Church Act. 5. The gifts of tongues and interpretation were commonly exercised before Congregations or multitudes And crowds of people flocked to them to be healed As with Christ they uncovered the roofs of the houses to lay the sick before him so with the Apostles they strove who might come within their shadow or touch the hem of their garment or have Cloaths or Napkins from them that they might be healed So that here was an age of publick Miracles § 37. 5. All these miracles were uncontrolled that is They were not wrought in opposition to any controlling Truth which hath certain evidence contradicting this nor yet were they overtopt by any greater miracles for the contrary A miracle if God should permit it to be wrought in such a case might be said to be controlled either of these two wayes 1. If a man should work Miracles to contradict the certain light of Nature or perswade men to that which is certainly false 2. If men should do wonders as Jannes and Jamâ—res the Egyptian Sorcerers which should be overtopt by greater wonders as those of Moses and as Simon Magus and Elymas by Peter and Paul In these cases God could not be said to deceive men by his power or permission when he giveth them a sufficient preservative But these Miracles had no such controll but prevailed without any check from contradictory Truths or Miracles Thus Christ performed his Promise Joh. 14.12 Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do because I goe unto the Father § 38. III. The third testimony of the Spirit to the truth of the Apostles witness was the marvellous success of their doctrine to the sanctifying of souls which as it could not be done without the power and Spirit of God so neither would the righteous and mercifull Governour of the World have made a company of profligate lyars and deceivers his instruments of doing this excellent work by cheats and falshoods This I spake of before as it is the Seal of Christs own doctrine I now speak of it only as it is the Seal of the Apostles verity in their testimony of the Resurrection and Miracles of Christ Peter converted three thousand at once Many thousands and myriads up and down the world were speedily converted And what was this Conversion They were brought unfeignedly to love God above all and their neighbours as themselves Act. 2.42 46. They continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer And all that believed were together and had all things common not by levelling but by lone and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need and did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God and having favour with all the People Act. 4.32 The multitude of Believers were of one heart and of one soul neither said any of them that ought of the things that he possessed was his own but they had all things common All that are in Christ have his Spirit and are spiritually minded and walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts
hate such deceivers and make them a common scorn instead of being converted by them § 61. The foresaid impossibilities are herein founded 1. There is no effect without a sufficient cause 2. A necessary cause not sufficiently hindred will bring forth its answerable effect But the opposed supposition maketh effects without any sufficient cause and necessary causes without their adequate effects § 62. The providence of God permitted dissentions and heresies to arise among Christians and rivals and false Teachers to raise hard reports of the Apostles and the people to be somewhat alienated from them that the Apostles might by challenges appeal to miracles and future ages might be convinced that the matter of fact could not be contradicted The Romans had contentions among themselves the strong and the weak contemning or condemning one another about meats and days Rom. 14. and 15. The Corinthians were divided into factions and exasperated against Paul by false Apostles so that he is fain at large to vindicate his Ministry and he doth it partly by appealing both to miracles and works of power wrought among them and by the Spirit given to themselves 2 Cor. 12.12 and 13.3 4 5. and 1 Cor. 12.7 12 13. The Galatians were more alienated from Paul by Jewish Teachers and seemed to take him as an enemy for telling them the truth and he feared that he had bestowed on them labour in vain and in this case he vehemently rebuketh them and appealeth first to miracles wrought among them and before their eyes and next to the Spirit given to themselves Gal. 3.1 2 3 4 5. O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you This only would I learn of you Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith He therefore that ministreth to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you doth he it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith Now if no such miracles were wrought among them and if no such Spirit was received by themselves would this argument have silenced adversaries and reconciled the minds of the Galatians or rather have made them deride the cause that must have such a defence and say Who be they that work miracles among us and when did we receive such a Spirit So to the Romans this is Paul's testimonial Rom. 15.18 19. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed Through mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God c. And to the Corinthians he saith 1 Cor. 14.18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all So Gal. 2.8 1 Cor. 14.22 Tongues are for a sign to them that believe not So Acts 2.43 and 4.30 and 5.12 and 7.36 and 8.13 and 14.3 and 6.8 and 8.6 13. and 15.12 and 19.11 1 Cor. 12.10 Miracles are still made the confirmation of the Apostles testimony and doctrine And in Heb. 2.3 4. you have the just method of the proof and progress of Christianity Which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord but how is that known and was confirmed to us by them that heard him But how shall we know that they said truth God also bearing them witness with signs and wonders and with divers miracles and gifts of the holy Ghost according to his own will And Act. 4.33 And with great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus 1 Joh. 1.1 2 3. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life for the life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us c. § 63. III. The miracles of the Apostles are not only attested by the Churches which were eye-witnesses of them 1. By the way of most credible humane testimony 2. And by natural evidence of infallible certainty but also 3. By supernatural testimony of God himself as appeareth in these following evidences § 64. 1. Many miracles were wrought by those first Churches who were the witnesses of the Apostles miracles which is a divine attestation to their testimony 1. The Scriptures fore-cited tell us that the same holy Ghost was given to them all though all had not the same gifts and that tongues and healing and miracles were the gifts of many though not of all which as I have shewed they could not themselves have believed of themselves if it had not been true Yea sufficient historical testimony telleth us that for three or four hundred years at least till Constantine owned and protected Christianity by Secular Power miracles were wrought in confirmation of the Christian faith It hath been the devils craft to seek to destroy the credit of them partly by hypocrites who have counterfeited miracles and partly by lying Legends of the carnal proud domineering part of the Church who have told the world so many palpable lies that they seemed to do it in design to perswade them to believe nothing that is true But yet all wise men will know the difference between History credible and incredible The many testimonies of the miracles of Gregory Thaumaturgus and many others mentioned by Eusebius and almost all other Christian Writers of those times and those mentioned by Augustine de Civitate Dei lib. 22 cap. 8. and Retract lib. 1. cap. 13. passim and by Cyprian Tertullian and many more will not be thought incredible by impartial considering men § 65. 2. The eminent sanctity of the Pastors of the Churches with the success of their testimony and doctrine for the true sanctification of many thousand souls is God's own attestation to their testimony and doctrine How far the sanctifying renewing success of the doctrine is a Divine attestation to its verity I have before opened and how far God owneth even the truths of Philosophy by blessing them with an adequate proportionable success The defective partial truths of Philosophy produce a defective partial reformation how far God accepteth it belongeth not to my present business to determine The more full and integral discovery of God's will by Jesus Christ doth produce a more full and integral renovation And 1. The cause is known by the effect 2. And God will not as is before said bless a lie to do the most excellent work in all the world Now it is a thing most evident that God hath still bless'd the Ministry of the Christian Pastors in all ages to the renewing of many thousand souls That this is truly so I shall somewhat fullier shew anon but that
vain a bubble the honour of man and the glory of this world is will not be offended at the King of Saints because his Kingdom is not of this World And he that knoweth any thing of the difference between God and the Creature Heaven and Earth will not despise the Eternal Jehovah because he weareth not a silken Coat and dwelleth not in the guilded Palaces of a Prince If Earthly Glory had been the highest it had been the glory of Christ And if he had come to make us happy by the rich mans way Luk. 16. To be cloathed in Purple and Silk and faring sumptuously every day then would he have led us this way by his example But when it is the work of a Saviour to save us from the flesh and from this present evil World the Means must be suited to the end Obj. XII But it is a very hard thing to believe that person to be God Incarnate and the Saviour of the World who suffered on a Cross as a Blasphemer and a Traytor that usurped the Title of a King Answ The Cross of Christ hath ever been the stumbling-block of the proud and worldly sort of men But it is the confidence and consolation of true Believers For 1. It was not for his own sins but for ours that he suffered Even so was it prophesied of him Isa 53.4 Surely he hath born our griefs and carryed our sorrows yet did we esteem him stricken of God and afflicted But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like Sheep have gone astray we have every one turned to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all And it is impudent ingratitude to make those his sufferings the occasion of our unbelief which we were the causes of our selves and to be ashamed of that Cross which we laid upon him by our sins It is not worth the labour to answer the slanders of his accusers about his usurpation of a Kingdom when they believed it not themselves He was above a worldly Kingdom And it could be no blasphemy for him to say that he was the Son of God when he had so fully proved it by his works 2. His suffering as a reputed Malefactor on a Cross was a principal part of the merit of his Patience For many a man can bear the corporal pain who cannot so far deny his honour as to bear the imputation of a Crime For the innocent Son of God that was never convict of sin to suffer under the name of a Blasphemer and a Traytor was greater condescention than to have suffered under the name of an innocent person 3. And in all this it was needfull that the Saviour of Mankinde should not only be a Sacrifice and Ransom for our sinfull Souls but also should heal us of the over-love of Life and Honour by his Example Had not his self-denyal and patience extended to the loss of all things in this World both life it self and the reputation of his righteousness it had not been a perfect example of self-denyal and patience unto us And then it had been unmeet for so great a work as the cure of our Pride and love of Life Had Christ come to deliver the Jews from Captivity or to make his Followers great on Earth as Mahomet did he would have suited the Means to such an End But when he came to save men from pride and self-love and the esteem of this World and to bring them to Patience and full obedience to the will of God and to place all their happiness in another life true Reason telleth us that there was no example so fit for this end as Patient submission to the greatest sufferings The Cross of Christ then shall be our glory and not our stumbling-block or shame Let the Children of the Devil boast that they are able to do hurt and to trample upon others The Disciples of Christ will rather boast that they can patiently endure to be abused as knowing that their Pride and Love of the World is the enemy which they are most concern'd in conquering Obj. XIII It was but a few mean unlearned persons who believed in him at the first And it is not past a sixth part of the World that yet believeth in him And of these few do it judiciously and from their hearts but because their Kings or Parents or Countrey are of that Religion Answ 1. As to the Number I have answered it before It is no great number comparatively that are Kings or Lords or Learned men and truly judicious and wise will you therefore set light by any of these Things excellent are seldom common The Earth hath more Stones than Gold or Pearls All those believed in Christ who heard his word and saw his works and had wise considerate honest hearts to receive the sufficient evidence of truth The greater part are every where ignorant rash injudicious dishonest and carryed away with prejudice fancy custom error and carnal interest If all men have means in its own kind sufficient to bring them to believe to understand so much as God immediately requireth of them it is their fault who after this are ignorant and unbelieving and if it prove their misery let them thank themselves But yet Christ will not leave the success of his undertaking so far to the will of man as to be uncertain of his expected fruits He hath his chosen ones throughout the World and will bring them effectually to Faith and Holiness to Grace and Glory though all the Powers of Hell do rage against it In them is his delight and them he will conform to his Fathers will and restore them to his Image and fit them to love and serve him here and enjoy him for ever And though they are not the greater number they shall be the everlasting demonstration of his Wisdom Love and Holiness And when you see all the worlds of more blessed Inhabitants you will see that the Damned were the smaller number and the Blessed in all probability many millions to one If the Devil have the greater number in this World God will have the greater number in the rest 2. It was the wise design of Jesus Christ that few in comparison should be converted by his personal converse or teaching and thousands might be suddenly converted upon his Ascension and the coming down of the Holy Ghost Both because his Resurrection and Ascension were part of the Articles to be believed and were the chiefest of all his Miracles which did convert men And therefore he would Rise from the dead before the multitude should be called And because the Spirit as it was his extraordinary Witness and Advocate on Earth was to be given by him after he ascended into glory And he would have the World see that the Conversion of men to Faith and Sanctity was not the
Apostles may cause variety of style and other accidental excellencies in the parts of the holy Scriptures and yet all these parts be animated with one soul of Power Truth and Goodness But those men who think that these humane imperfections of the Writers do extend further and may appear in some by-passages of Chronologies or History which are no proper part of the Rule of Faith and Life do not hereby destroy the Christian cause For God might enable his Apostles to an infallible recording and preaching of the Gospel even all things necessary to salvation though he had not made them infallible in every by-passage and circumstance no more than they were indefectible in life As for them that say I can believe no man in any thing who is mistaken in one thing at least as infallible they speak against common sense and reason for a man may be infallibly acquainted with some things who is not so in all An Historian may infallibly acquaint me that there was a Fight at Lepanto at Edge-hill at York at Naseby or an Insurrection and Massacre in Ireland and Paris c. who cannot tell me all the circumstances of it or he may infallibly tell men of the late Fire which consumed London though he cannot tell just whose houses were burnt and may mistake about the Causers of it and the circumstances A Lawyer may infallibly tell you whether your cause be good or bad in the main who yet may misreport some circumstances in the opening of it A Physician in his Historical observations may partly erre as an Historian in some circumstances yet be infallible as a Physician in some plain cases which belong directly to his Art I do not believe that any man can prove the least error in the holy Scripture in any point according to its true intent and meaning but if he could the Gospel as a Rule of Faith and Life in things necessary to salvation might be nevertheless proved infallible by all the evidence before given Object XVIII The Physicks in Gen 1. are contrary to all true Philosophy and suited to the vulgars erroneous conceits Answ No such matter there is sounder doctrine of Physicks in Gen. 1. than any Philosopher hath who contradicteth it And as long as they are altogether by the ears among themselves and so little agreed in most of their Philosophy but leave it to this day either to the Scepticks to deride as utterly uncertain or to any Novelist to form anew into what principles and hypothesis he please the judgment of Philosophers is of no great value to prejudice any against the Scriptures The sum of Gen. 1. is but this That God having first made the Intellectual Superiour part of the world and the matter of the Elementary world in an unformed Mass or Chaos did the first day distinguish or form the active Element of Fire and caused it to give Light The second day he separated the attenuated or rarifi'd part of the passive Element which we call the Air expanding it from the earth upwards to separate the clouds from the lower waters and to be the medium of Light And whether in different degrees of purity it fill not all the space between all the Globes both fixed and planetary is a question which we may more probably affirm than deny unless there be any waters also upwards by condensation which we cannot disprove The third day he separated the rest of the passive Element Earth and Sea into their proper place and bounds and also made individual Plants in their specifick forms and virtue of generation or multiplication of individuals The fourth day he made the Sun Moon and Stars either then forming them or then making them Luminaries to the earth and appointing them their relative office but hath not told us of their other uses which are nothing to us The fifth day he made inferiour Sensitives Fishes and Birds the inhabitants of Water and Air with the power of generation or multiplication of individuals The sixth day he made first the terrestrial Animals and then Man with the power also of generation or multiplication And the seventh day having taken complacency in all the works of this glorious perfected frame of Nature he appointed to be observ'd by mankind as a day of rest from worldly labours for the worshipping of Him their Omnipotent Creator in commemoration of this work This is the sum and sense of the Physicks of Gen. 1. And here is no errour in all this what ever prejudice Philosophers may imagine Object XIX It is a suspicious sign that Believing is commanded us instead of knowing and that we must take all upon trust without any proof Answ This is a meer slander Know as much as you are able to know Christ came not to hinder but to help your knowledge Faith is but a mode or act of knowing How will you know matters of History which are past and matters of the unseen world but by believing If you could have an Angel come from heaven to tell you what is there would you quarrel because you are put upon believing him if you can know it without believing and testimony do God biddeth you believe nothing but what he giveth you sufficient reason to believe Evidence of credibility in Divine faith is evidence of certainty Believers in Scripture usually say We know that thou art the Christ c. You are not forbidden but encouraged to try the spirits and not to believe every spirit nor pretended prophet Let this Treatise testifie whether you have not Reason and evidence for Belief it is Mahomet's doctrine and not Christ's which forbiddeth examination Object XX. It imposeth upon us an incredible thing when it perswadeth us that our undoing and calamity and death are the way to our felicity and our gain and that sufferings work together for our good At least these are hard terms which we cannot undergoe nor think it wisdom to lose a certainty for uncertain hopes Answ Suppose but the truth of the Gospel proved yea or but the Immortality and Retribution for Souls hereafter which the light of Nature proveth and then we may well say that this Objection savoureth more of the Beast than of the Man A Heathen can answer it though not so well as a Christian Seneca and Plutarch Antonine and Epictetus have done it in part And what a dotage is it to call things present Certainties when they are certainly ready to pass away and you are uncertain to possess them another hour who can be ignorant what haste Time maketh and how like the Life of man is to a dream What sweetness is now left of all the pleasant cups and morsels and all the merry hours you have had and all the proud or lustfull fancies which have tickled your deluded fleshly mindes Are they not more terrible than comfortable to your most retired sober thoughts and what an inconsiderable moment is it till it will be so with all the rest