their fault if they do not receive benefit by them The Miracles of Christ and his Apostles are so sufficiently attested as that were it not for Prejudice or Laziness Inadvertence or one such Vice or other I verily think there neither is nor ever was any considering Man in the World but either he was or might thereby have been câ—nvinced of the Truth of their Doctrine and so blessed by the excellencies of their Religion as that his mind should no longer be blinded with Superstition or Fluctuate in Uncertainties but should know assuredly where to have the most perfecting Objects of all His faculties How great then I say is the goodness of these Miraclâ—s that confirm such a â—reasure unto us how plainly doth it shew their descent from the Essential and Eternal Goodness viz. God Himself For who but an Almighty Goodness can be Author of such Productions Such unparalleled Instances of Love and Kindness such inimitable Beneficence so Immense and immixt a Goodness from whom can it come but from God who is Love and Goodness it self In mine apprehension therefore the Goodness of these Miracles shew as plainly that they were the Works of God in Testimony to His Word as the Image and Superscription on the Money did that the Coin was Cesars Let 's then Lay all these things together viz That Christ and his Apoâ—â—les did take upon them the Office of Prophets and that having the Antecedents to or Concomitant Attendents on the Prophetick Spirit they therein neither were deceived nor had a design to deceive others and by their Predictions exactly accomplished it appears that they had such certain Fore-knowledge as no Man by any Art or Science whatever could possibly have of Gods Eternal Purpose concerning future Contingences And besides this Supernatural knowledge to confirm their Doctrine or Demonstrate their Mission from God to Teach it they wrought such Miracles as in the Truth and Reallity of their Nature and the incomparableness of their Number greatness and goodness did most Evidâ—ntly and Eminently appear to be the Works of God and consequently Christ and his Apostles who did them being Teachers of such an excellent Wisdom as the World knew not before were therein inspired by God and so Prophets CHAP. VI. Some Use that may be made of this Doctrine THUS have we passed through the several parts of the proposed Mâ—thod and in so doing have I hope found the Truth of our Assertion sufficiently evinced And if so it be then thence surely we may see the Divine Authority of Christian Religion and of the Holy Scripture the insufficiency of Humane Reason and the Reasonableness of Christian Faith Hope and Practice Sect. 1. 1. The Divine Authority of Christian Religion It is not of so base and low an Extraction as to spring from an Opinion of Ghosts or ignorance of second Causes Devotion towards what Men fear or the mistake of things Casual for Prognosticks but it is an Heaven-born thing it descends from the Father of Lights it derives its Pedigree from God Himself and hath the Image not only of his Wisdom and Goodness but likewise of his Dominion and Lordship instampt upon it in so much that it brings its own Obligation along with it and makes it not only convenient but nâ—cessary not only Prudence in us but Duty to receive it for Christ and his Apostles being Prophets did not only Teach it by Gods commandement and direrection but also in so doing they laid the highest Obligation that can be on all to receive it God we know is the Supreme Lord the Fountain of all just Authority is in Him as therefore Watâ—rs drink sweetest out of a Fountain so those Laws that come as the word of prophecy doth immediâ—tly from God have the highest Majestie and Authority Instampt upon them For this Cause the Jews when they were Assured of any mans Calling to the Prophetick Office thought Themselves obliged and bound to obey him in all things except Idolaâ—ry yea though he required the omission of the Affirmative or the doing of the Negative Precepts of their Law Notwithstanding their mighty zeal for their Law and the profound Reverence they had for Moses their Master yet they Judged it their indispensable Duty in all things to obey the Prophets and whosoever would not they held Worthy and Guilty of Death by the immediate hand of Heaven This is the opinion of their Wise men in the Talmud where they say in all things except Idolatry if a Prophet say unto thee transgress the Law thou shalt obey him and good Reason too for a Prophet being Gods spokes-man to the people his Herauld to Proclaim his Laws there is good Reason he should be heard and attended to whosoever else be neglected the Reason is because the word of Prophecy coming immediately from God is cloathed with his Authority and if where the word of a King is there be Power much more methinks is there where the Word of Him is by whom Kings Reign had not this been the dictate of Natural Reason Numa Pompilius and other antient Lawgivers among the Heathens had been very Foolish as well as False in pretending to have received their Laws from the gods but Mens Natural Reason telling them that the Highest Authority of Man is far inferior to that of God this Politick pretense was thought a very effectual Engine to make Men obedient to their Laws and this Engine we see was to stand upon the ground That God above all is to be obeyed Since then Christ and his Apostles were Prophets those are no good subjects unto God yea they are worse than Jews or Heathens that deny the Religion that they have Taught us to have Power of binding us to receive it Yet the Leviathan would have it in and of it self to have none for it faith expresly the Preceâ—ts Repent be Baptized keep the Commandements believe the Gospel come unto Me Sell all that Thou hast give it to the Poor and follow Me are not Commands but Invitations and Callings of Mâ—n to Christianity like that of Esay Ho every man that thirsteth come ye to the waters come and buy Wine and Milk without money The difference between Precepts and Commands especially in point of Obligation I am hardly so subtle as to understand I have Read indeed that the Jews put a difference between Laws Statutes and Judgments but hardly ever that either they oâ— the Gentiles found any between Precepts and Commands but this is a matter too trivial to be debated whether therefore it be a profound piâ—ce of Subtilty or a Contradiction I shall not now take upon Me to determine but letting it pass as a Specimen of that Extraordinary Wit which the Treatise of Humâ—ne Reason observes in that Author we shall enquire why he â—aith so viz. Why he â—aith that the Precepts of the Gospel or its callings of Men to Christianity have not the Obligations of Commands in them his Reasons are
alwayes impart they were cloathed with the Holy Spirit neither did they need to prepare themselves to prophesie but were alwayes disposed and in a readiness to deliver such Truths of God as could no way be known but by the free Influx of the Divine Mind upon theirs i. e. by Prophecy had not all this been true it would be very hard to conceive how without any premeditation they could possibly have had a Mouth and Wisdom which all their Adversaries were not able to gainsay nor resist had not the Divine Spirit been alwayes present with them it had been impossible for them on all occasions even before Kings and other Rulers so to speak as that all their Adversaries could not with any shew of truth make any opposition against it and had it not been true that so they did it is altogether unlikely that their Adversaries would have burst out into such Rage and Passion such Cruelty and Inhumanity as we find they often did against them it seems therefore the degree they had of Prophecy was no whit inserior to that of Moses But whether it were or no is a Question that I am not solicitous about From what I have discoursed concerning the Nature of Prophecy in general it may not obscurely be collected that if Christ and his Apostles were men who by immediate influence from God upon their Minds and Faculties did attain to such knowledge of his Mind as by their Natural Abilities would be unattainable it is as much as I mean and contend for in the word Prophet Now that such Knowledge they had together with Commission from God to teach it it is the primary design of this Treatise to prove Yet that is not mine ultimate aim therein but besides that I have done mine endeavour as much as I could within the bounds of the proposed method to conciliate our most excellent Religion to our Reason and to settle it as much as in me lies upon its true foundations In order to this end I have in the fourth Chapter discoursed somewhat more largely than perhaps otherwise was requisite about the transcendent Wisdom of Christianity and have added the sixth Chapter almost on purpose to shake the sandy Foundation of bare Humane Authority whereon Mr. Hobbs and his Complices would have it wholly to depend I do most freely acknowledge that the Authority of the Civil Magistrate is very great about matters of Religion and that the Church of God is exceedingly obliged to those Christian Princes who by good and wholsom Laws are become its Nursing Fathers yet can I not believe there is nothing of obligation in Christianity besides what it receives extrinsecally from the Laws of Civil Sovereigns the reasons the Leviathan gives of this position I endeavour to ansâ—er and expose To this undertaking it is I hope nothing but a just resenâ—ment of the Affronts Mr. Hobbs hath cast and Injuries he hath done to our Religion thereby I can hardly think any man worthy the name of a good Christian much less of a Minister of Christ that can read such pernicious Principles and perverse disputings against the Honour of his Religion without something of Indignation for to make Religion so to truckle under Civil Sovereigns as in and of it self to have nothing of obligation what is it less than to clip the wings of all true Devotion towards God and render it unable to fly higher than the Thrones and Scepters on Earth yea also and to null the Authority of the Lord that bought us For though all Power be given to him in Heaven and in Earth yet this opinion makes him so far from being the Prince of the Kings of the Earth as that he is at best but their Counsellour modestly proposing his Advice which it seems they are not bound to take because that neither he nor his Apostles had a Kingdom and so could make no Laws for which reason such as it is the Leviathan affirms that the Commands of the Gospel are but Precepts or Invitations of men to receive it and Invitations we know we may accept of or refuse as we think fit and yet without sin so that our Acceptance is an act of Civility rather than of Duty and our Refusal an act of Unkindness and not at all of Disobedience Had not Civil Sovereigns done Christianity the kindness to imbody it into their Laws we had been under no obligation to be Christians We might have been Turks or Jews Pagans or Atheists and yet without Sin and what would a Laodicean desire more How kindly doth it cajole his Lukewarmness and how fairly doth it promise him security from danger by being against Christ in his Heart and Life as long as he is with him in his Profession Thus doth it turn Christianity into Hypocrisie and makes us to serve God for fear of Men. But if we are not so berest of Reason as to think that God borrows his Authority from his Lieutenants then the Philosophical Rudiments of that Epiâ—urean whereof the Author of the late Reflexions on Philosophy saith Thomas Hobbs is one of the boldest of these last Ages have taken care to corrupt our Religion another way and that is by perswading us to think that the obligation of yielding God obedience lies upon us by reason of our weakness This converts Religion into Superstition for it makes us to serve God not out of love to his Goodness but only for fear of his Greatness if we could resist him and escape harmless it were no matter it seems if we did but since we cannot we must obey Thus are we dragged to Obedience by the force of meer Omnipotence and when we are so it is evident we are acted by such dreadful and terrible Apprehensions of the Deity as debauch our Religion and make it a meer slavery utterly inconsâ—stent with that Charity or Love of God without which the most liberal Alms-deeds and Martyrdom it self much less inferiour acts of Worsâ—â—p will find no Acceptance this therefore I look on as another most pernicious Principle and for that cause I have made a long digression to prove that Gods Dominion is not founded in his sole irresistable Power but that he hath a right to Rule us from his great Mercy and Goodnesâ— to us in his works of Creation Providence and Redemption and forasmuch as it is requisite for all Christians rightly to understand this latter which was at first made known unto us by the Spirit of Prophâ—â—y in Christ and his Apostles I have sâ—â—ar enlarged the Digression as to giâ—e an account of it that from thence we may see what obligations â—herefrom do arise upon us to keâ—p the Commâ—nds of the Gospel and therewâ—â—h I put an end to this Treatise Wherein perhaps the Reader may find a coinâ—idâ—nce of expression and it may be of Matter also if he be inquisitive after the occasion of it he may please to know that it was written temporibus successivis which often were so
these Evangelists should write without their knowledge and approbation especially considering that Tertullian faith S. Marks Gospel may be affirmed to be St. Peters and St. Lukes the Apostolical Churches are wont to Ascribe unto St. Paul insomuch that St. Hierom it seems affirms that this is the Gospel which St. Paul calls His. What shadow of Probability had there been in these assertions if these Evangelists had not had at least the Approbation of these Apostles in their Writings and Approved it seems they were by St. John as well as them for Eusebius reporting the Tradition of the Church informs us that when the Writings of these Evangelists were come unto him He approved of them and gave them His testimony to their truth only â—e dâ—sired that in these Writings there â—ad been an account given of those things which Christ did when He first began to Preach And that that is said is true for it may be discâ—rned that these thrâ—â— Evangelists viz. St. Matthew St. Mark and St. Luke have committed to writing only thâ—se things which our Saviour did in the space of a year after the imprisonment and Captiâ—ity of St. John the Baptist They say therefâ—re that St. John the Apostle bath delivered in his Gospel the things which our Saviour did in that space of time which the former Evangelists â—ad passâ—d over in silence the time namely before the Imprisonment of the Baptist An Observation not unworthy of our Notice but at present we have no use for any part of it but only the beginning viz. That St. John the Apostle did not only approve of but added his Authority to the Gospels of St. Mark and St. Luke which testimony of Eusebius or rather of the Church by him is so much the more Credible because Justin Martyr in many places of his Works calls these as well as the other Gospels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Commemorations or Narrations of the Apoâ—â—les but this they could not be unless as Tertullian faith the Evangelical instrument â—ad for its Authâ—rs the Apostles on whom the Lord imposed the Office of Promulgating the Gospel or if Apostolical men had any hand in it yet not alone but with the Apostles and after the Apostles because the Preaching of the Disciples might be suspected of vain Glory if it had not â—ad the Authority of the Masters yea of Christ who made the Apostles Masters to assist it And having the assistance of their Authority it is very evident that since they were Prophets the Truth and Authority of these Writings muâ—â— needs be Divine the Authors of them wrote as Origen faith by Inspiration and so clear hath this argument heretofore been thought by its own light as that among the Jews it was a Rule That of whomsoever a Prophet bears witness that he is a Prophâ—t he shall be received as a Prophet neither shall there any farther Trial be made of him Since then the Apostles were Prophets and did either write or approve of and Authorize all the Books of the New Testament wherein also they give Testimony to those of the Old that they are the Word of God we ought to acquiesce and ceasing from making a doubt of it should conclude that the Authority of the whole Bible is Divine But it is Manifest faith the Leviathan that none can know the Scriptures are Gods Word though all true Christians believe it but those to whom God Himself â—ath revealed it Supernaturally It is Manifest yes that it is very good But I pray what makes it so why the sole Authority of the Leviathan And let me tell you you will never be fit to be his Disciple unless he hath Power enough over you to make you think so for he is â—o Authâ—ntick a Teacher as that he often suggetts such Principles as this upon his bare Word and this you must take although perhaps you have good Reason to the contrary If you are so ill Natur'd as to deny him this little Postulatum you spoil all and leave no hope that ever you will be of his Opinion For an Instance of this you need not seek far there is one before you For what is knowledge but a firm certain and evident Assent to the Truth of a Proposition and our assent to that under debate viz. That the Holy Scriptures are the word of God seems to have all these degrees of perfection in it for it is firm because without Hesitation and doubting it is certain because Built upon such sure and solid Foundations as cannot be made unable to bear it and it is evident because it is evidently and plainly deduced from the next and immediate cause of any Scriptures being the Word of God Namely the Spirit of Prophecy But whether or no according to the strict and rigorous definitions of Philosophers it be Knowledge properly so called it is not material to enquire because it is not necessary that so it should be for as in all Arts and Sciences firm Assent to first Principles by what means soever it be attained is sufficient for Learners so here the chief design of Holy Scripture being to Teach us knowledge of things Supernatural and our Assent to the Divinity of its Authority being one of the first premises requisite to our attainment of that Knowledge it had need only to be firm because firmness of Assent thereunto is of it self sufficient to make us learn believe and obey the Scripture as the Word of God as is evident by the example of all those Pious and Good men who although illiterate do yet take heed thereunto as to the Rule that God hath given them both of their Faith and Practice this they do although they can give no other Reason why they think the Scriptures to be so than because they are generally received as such and Vogued to be the Word of God these Men it is confessed do not know but only believe that they are so yet their Faith being stedfast i. e. their Assent firm they we see do Learn Believe and Obey them as the Word of God But this is more than they need to do for He to whom God hath not Supernaturally revealed that they are his nor that those that published them were sent by Him is not obliged to obey them by any Authority but His whose commands have already the force of Laws that is to say by any other Authority than that of the Common Wealth residing in the Sovereign who only has the Legislative Power The Postulatum before mentioned was obtrudâ—d upon us because it was big with this Monster which the Leviathan hath Midwif'd into the World with its unhallowed Mouth against Heaven absolving as much as in that lies all Men living from Obedience to the Word of their Maker unless the Common wealth requires it This puts me in mind of the Roman Senates Decree and Tertullians irrision of it that unless God please Man he shall not
be God so here Man must be merciful unto God or else there shall be no Power in His Word for those Books only are Canonical that is Law in every Nation which are established for such by the Sovereign Authority It is true that God is the Sovereign of all Sovereigns and therefore when He speaks of any Subject He ought to be obeyed whatsoever any earthly Potentate commanded to the contrary But the question is not of Obedience to God but of when and what God hath said which to Subjâ—cts that have no supernatural Revelation cannot be known but by that Natural Reason which guided them for the obtaining of Peace and Justice to obey the Authority of their several Common Wealths that is to say of their Lawful Sovereiâ—â—s It seems then by Natural Reason it may be known that the Scriptures are the Word of God but that a thing which none can know but those to whom God hath revealed it supernaturally may yet be known by natural Reason is so gross a contradiction as may perhaps puzzle his extraordinary Wit to reconcile But whether it do or no it is no matter it sufficeth me that since botâ— parts of it are the Spawn of the Leviathan he hath granted that it may be known by Natural Reason but by what means I pray doth Natural Reason attain to this knowledge by its guidance of Men to obedience to the Authority of their several Common-Wealths i. e. of their Lawful Sovereigns And how doth Natural Reason know what Books those are which Lawful Sovereigns have commanded to be acknowledged for Canonical how I say doth Natural Reason know this but by the Promulgation of their Laws and what is Promulgation but a Proclamation or publick Attestation or Testimony that they are the Sovereigns Laws and hereupon we know that Subjects yeild their Assent that they are so but Assent that is built upon Testimony is Faith not knowledge yet upon this the King requires Obedience and all good Subjects think themselves bound to obâ—y Faith therefore obligeth to obedience as well as Knowledge if not then evident it is that the Leviathan robs the King of his Scepter as well as Gods Word of Authority and iâ— so I cannot but recover some hope that one time or other this writing of his may fall iâ—to the hands of a Sovereign who will consider it him sâ—lf and by the exercise of entire Soverâ—ignty in protecâ—ing the publick not teaching but burning of it convert it into Ashes But if Faith i. e. Assent unto Testimony do oblige unâ—o Obedience in reference to the King why not also in reference to God Almighty If there be no reâ—son as surely there is none why it should not then supposing we do not know but only believe the Scriptures are Gods Word yet we are thereby obliged to obey them All that the Leviathan hath farther to say against it is that if it be not the Legislative Authority of the Common-Wealth that giveth them the force of Laws it must be some other Authority derived from God either private or publick if private it obliges only him to whom in particular God hath been pleased to reveal it Iâ— publick it is the Authority of the Common-Wealth or of the Church But suppose we should dâ—ny his Dilâ—mma and say it is not the Authority either of the Common-Wealth or of the Church but of God himself immediatly sending his Ministers and Messengers his Heraulds viz. the Apostles to proclaim his Gracious Law and if they gave Evidence as we have abundantly proved that they did of this their immediate Mission from Him then are these his Laws so sufficiently publishâ—d as that no Man can excuse himself by saying he knew not or could not know they were his and sinâ—e they are so sufficiently published according to the Leviathans own concâ—ssion they a e Laws tâ— them to whom they are so and thus we see they are without the Authority eitâ—er of the Church or Common-Wealth to make them so and therefore their Authority is Divine Sect. 3. But leaving him a while and his dangerous Positions Let 's look a little into the Treatise of humane Reason wherein we find Pelagianisme in a Disguise or Free will in Maskerade for one of the Errours of Pelagius was Quòd satis ad propriam possit conferre salutem Arbitra libertas etiamsi Gratia desit That a Mans own Free Will even without Grace is sufficient for his Salvation And so saith this Treatise is humane Reason for it informs us that a long and serious Debate about the choice of a Guide to Happiness could bring the Author thereof no other but his own Reason which saith he if it take such Directions as it ought and may do before it sets forth and pursue those Directions with care and constancy though it may possibly lead me into Error yet will bring me at last even through them to the purposed end of my Journey which is Happiness and letting us know that this is no peculiar excellency of his Reason The next Page tells us this is the only North Star which God has given us for the right Steering of our Course And afterward it saith that every Mans particular Reason if well followed i. e. With Constancy Diligâ—nce and Sobriety will Infallibly carry him at last though perhaps through many tedious and troublesome Wandrings to his Eternal Happiness This is there affâ—â—med of Reason in contradistinction to whâ—â—soever other Guide you pitch on whether it be the Scriptures Spirit Church past or presâ—nt or any thing else imaginable It is therefore somewhat more than probable that our Reason in some kind of opposition to Revelation is that which that Treatise would have us take for our Infallible Guide to Happiness But if this be our Guide whence is it that it may and ought to take Directions before it sets forth What a Guide and take Directions This is such a Solecisme as evacuates all pretence to the ability of a Guide and speaks it a Stranger in the way or at least not well acquainted with it Since then Reason may and ought to take Directions before it sets forth it is but a Traveller not a Guide unless it be a Blind one in the way to Happiness And indeed if it were not so what need had Men of any other And if no need of another to what End were Christ and his Apostles Prophets Whence was it that through the tender Mercy of our God the Day-spring from on High hath visited us to give light to them that sit in darkness and to Guide our Feet into the way of peace if Men could have seen this way by the Light of humane Reason what Necessity was there that the Day-spring from on High should visit them on purpose to Guide their Feet into it But since so it did we must either charge God foolishly and set his tender Mercy at nought or else we must confess that
can admit of no demonstration but that of the Spirit and this indeed is made à posteriori yet not from the constant and ordinary Phaenomena of Nature but from things Novel and Anomalous such as Predictions and Miracles purposely designed for that end and this is the way of proving the Gospel to be Divine far more decent and proper than any other because it becomes the Majesty of God and conciliates Authority to his Word by making our Faith to stand not in the Wisdom of men but on the Power of God Now to shew that this Demonstration was abundantly made by the Spirit in Christ and his Apostles is the great design of this Treatise which being written on an occasion of a Command laid on me by your Lordship was by me humbly offered to the Honour of your Lordships view and having attained thereunto your Lordship it seems was pleased to condescend so far as to read over as much as your Lordships time would give leave and then to return it with many thanks to me for my good pains as your Lordship was pleased to call them wisely placed on so worthy a Theme together with such other expressions of your Lordships Approbation as neither I did expect nor as I fear doth the Treatise Dâ—serve But I submit to your Lordships Judgmâ—nt and had I not so done this Treatise had been buried in obscurity with its Author but having that encouragement I thought my self sufficiently armed against all elation or dejection of mind at the various censures that may possibly be passed upon it if it should come abroad because I neither know nor am like to mâ—et with any more able to judge of such matters or impartial in Judging than your Lordship Hereupon I gave my consent to its being made â—ublick and for its freer passage among men in this declining age of Christianity I am humbly bold to let the World know that your Lordship is thus far concerned therein and forasmuch as it contends for that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints which is at this day God be thanked most excellently established and most mercifully preserved in the Church of England whereof also your Lordship very deservedly is one of the Chief Ministers with all humble confidence I perswade my self that for so doing your Lordship will either not be offended at or will easily pardon Your Lordships very much obliged in all Duty and humble Observance W. H. TO THE READER IN this Treatise you will find Christ and his Apostles put together in one Proposition the meaning whereof is not either that our blessed Lord Jesus was no more nor no other than a Prophet or that the Humane Nature of Christ had no higher a degree than the Apostles had of immediate Illumination for being Hypostatically united to the Divine it is reasonable to believe it had such communications of Knowledge therefrom as are vouchsased to no other man whatever But the meaning is that the Eternal Son of God having graciously been pleased to take our Nature upon him made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law found it expedient in order to this end for him to execute the Office of a Prophet and to inspire his Apostles with the Spirit of Prophecy That so he did lies we know at the bottom of our Christian Faith whoever believes the Gospel to be of God doth in a sort suppose it and take it for granted for whatever Religion is Divine must needs be either Natural or Revealed if Revealed then the first Preachers of it were Prophets because Prophecy is the only way whereby revealed Truth either is or can be dispensed unto us for very evident it is that the Positive Truths of God besides or above what is Natural can no way be made known unto us but by a free influx of the Divine mind upon ours since therefore as all agree that though Christianity doth most highly befriend Natural Theology yet it self if it be of God is Revealed it must be concluded that Christ the Author of our Faith and his Apostles the first Preachers of it were Prophets Yet among the many good Books that have either heretofore or lately been written to prove the Truth of Christianity I have neither seen nor ever heard of any purposely written and directly designed to make good this Principle I could not but somewhat wonder at it and wish it were well done and this my desire did at length vent it self in a Sermon on the Text you find prefixed to this Treatise and this Sermon I resolved on an occasion given me by a Person of great Learning and Authority in the Church to transcribe and enlarge in that method which is there proposed and you will find here observed from this undertaking the slenderness of mine acquaintance with Oriental Language and Learning did a long time deterr me but considering that besides mine own satisfaction and diversion from less pleasing Imployments I wrote it only for his Lordships perusal who I knew had goodness enough to pardon my Defects as well as Learning to discover them I reassumed my former resolution and in order to the performance of it I looked more narrowly than formerly I had done into those Books which I had that were likely to acquaint me with the customs and methods of the Jews in the tryal of Prophets and by so doing have I hope found and pitched upon the principal Means and Methods observed by that People in that Affair and this way of procedure even before I had that Idea of it which you will find in this Treatise I did conjecture must needs be very rational because it was not only projected but practised and that as far as we find without controul for many Ages among God's peculiar People and that I was not mistaken in this Conjecture the fifth Chapter of this Treatise doth I hope make manifest by shewing the strength and force of the preceding Arguments to prove that Christ and his Apostles were Prophets Now if any man ask what degree of Prophecy it is which I ascribe unto them he may be pleased to know his curiosity exceeds mine yet for an answer I referr him to that Prophecy of Moses wherein he told the Jews that the Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Proâ—het from the midst of thee of thy brethren like unto me unto him shall you hearken This Prophecy I find by St. Peter applyed to our Blessed Saviour in particular and by St. Stephen to the Evangelical state in general and from thence perhaps we may gather not only that this Prediction did more especially pertain to the dayes of the Messias but also that it speaks not of one single Person only but of an Order of Prophets like unto Moses and therefore though it were most eminently fulfilled in Christ yet was it also accomplished in those that he sent as the Father had sent him viz. the Apostles Whether
it was a more heinous sin to transgress them than the Written Law yea that whosoever dissents from his Teacher doth as much as if he dissented from the Divine Majesty and sinned against the Holy Ghost and for that Cause was guilty of Death viz. by the Scourge of Rebellion which was a sort of Punishment by cudgelling inflicted for the Breach and Contempt of Traditions Since I say they had these and many other such prodigiously wicked and cruel Inventions to uphold the Authority of their Traditions and Dictatorship it is no marvel if they proceeded against those that spake lightly of them as if Malice were the fittest Affection Vengeance and Cruelty the best Behaviour towards them Yet evident it is that Christ did not spare them but as the Prophets of old so did he detect the Hypocrisie and sharply reprove the faults of their Elders He did demonstrate the Vanity of their Righteousness and expose the cunning Wickedness of their Traditions He discovered the impiety of their Magisterial Dictates and freely unfolded the Mysteries of their Iniquity He pulled off the Guilding and Paint of their seeming Devotion and uncovered the Rottenness and Pâ—trefaction of their Hearts He despised the Pageants of a Pompous Formality and set at naught the Ceremonies of their External Performances without inward and real Goodness Though the People did rage and the Rulers take Councel together against him yet he did constantly affirm that God had sent him and as the Prophets before him so did he undauntedly shew the People their Transgressions and the House of Jacob their Sins And in so doing he strived to retrive the Law and the Prophets to rescue them from false Glosses and Misconstructions to discover the Insufficiency of Traditions and Pharisaical Righteousness to inculcate the necessity of Morality and so to reduce the Jews to the Practice of Piety in all Holiness of Living and Fervours of divine Worship in Spirit and in Truth without their numerous Ceremonies or at least their mighty Confidence in their Priviledges and Performances which both he and his Apostles taught them to place in our Lord Jesus a stumbling Block and Rock of Offence unto them and was not this a great and strange Undertaking Such as loudly speaks the Greatness of their Minds and the Bravery of their Courage Which was not in the least abated but rather increased by Opposition in their Lives it did assist them to bear all Sorts of Afflictions and to endure the rudest Contradictions of Sinners against them and at their Deaths it did not forsake them for though after some solemn Mockeries of Justice enough to move ones Indignation they were cruelly Murdered and barbarously Butchered yet their Patience and Charity those truest Signs of Mâ—gnanimity in Sufferings were conspicuous and admirable insomuch that They only of all Teachers may be compared with the Prophets or rather preferred before them for Fortitude Whereof also the Apostles gave abundant evidence among the Gentiles whom they found dead in Trespasses and sins prone to nothing so much as the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life i. e. Sensual Pleasures Riches and Honours these things they did not only love and live in but in a sort adore and deiâ—ie for not only Gods Creatures and Men that were famous in their Lives nor only the Fancies and Fictions of Poets but their own Lusts and Passions called by other names were also enrolled among their Gods Venus and Cupid Mars and Baccbus were the Names of deified Concupiscence Wrath and Drunkenness although they forbad these Vices and made Laws against them yet their Causes as Theodoret tells them they saluted as heavenly Gods and gave divine Worship unto them And was it not a sad and direful Apotheosis whereby Enmity against God was advanced to his Throne the grossest Superstition and Unâ—leanness established for Religion for in their Festivals and Solemn Ceremonies of divine Worship all manner of Vice and Wickedness was appointed to be committed such filthiness as the most salacious would almost blush at in a Closet was committed in open Pomp and Ostentation insomuch that almost all the Sacred Games but especially the Bacchanals were as one calls them the Cause and Seed-plots of the greatest Wickednesses If the Ethiopian may change his skin and the Leopard his as soon as those do good who are accustomed to do evil although their Religion teach them to do the one and eschew the other how hard is it for those to do good who have been not only accustomed but taught to do evil and that under pain of Transgression against Conscience or at least the Laws and Customs of their Country if they omit it Especially considering their most wicked and filthy Practice could plead Prescription in the Examples of their Fore-fathers and Noble Heroes yea also it had the Power and Policy the Stratagems and Devices of the Devil the Cunning Guile and Craft of his Agents the Force and Authority of Civil Powers to countenance and uphold it in despite of all Opposition Was it not then an hard thing for any much more for a few private men and strangers such as the Apostles to turn them from Darkness unto Light from the Power of Satan unto God yet they undertook to do it and pursued it all their dayes although they very well knew that not only Labours travels and hardships of divers kinds but also Bonds and Afflictions of all sorts and degrees stripes and Imprisonments yea and Death it self would abide them in so doing Yet none of these things could trouble their Minds nor discourage their Attempt nothing could make them retract their Resolution or abate their Endeavours as they were able to promote it which to me seems a demonstration of Prophetick Fortitude viz. that that same Courage and Magnanimity whereby the Prophets were acted in the discharge of their Office did assist them in promulgating the Gospel Of the Prophetick Riches of Christ and his Apostles Sect. 4. And as in Wisdom and Fortitude so also in the Riches of the Prophets i. e. in all Moral Vertues but especially Contentment Christ and his Apostles were equal yea superiours unto them Hereof we need no other demonstration than the designed End of their Doctrine which as we before saw was the Promotion and Establishment of the most Elevated Vertue and Immaculate Purity but if any farther proof of it be desired we may find it in St. Paul by whom we learn that the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation which words are but a Periphrasis of the Gospel teacheth us that denying all ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live sobâ—rly righteously and godly in this present World To this end both the Precepts and Institutions the Promises and the Threats of the Gospel are so extraordinary subservient as that they loudly speak the Holiness as well as Wisdom of its first Teachers It is no way probable that Lovers of Vice should so
Mechanicks and when they came abroad among the Gentiles they were looked on as foolish Bablers and were made as the Filth of the World and off-scouring of all Things Were these men likely to out wit the wise ones and to baffle the Philosophers to be too cunning for the Devil and too strong for the Powers of Darkness was their bare Word likely to pull down the strong Holds of Sin and Satan and to convert the World from the Errors of its Wayes and that by a sort of Doctrine which in divers points seemed Foolishness to the Wise direct opposition and contrariety to the carnal and this delivered not with enticeing words of mans Wisdom but in the plainest simplicity of speech nakedly representing what they believed had seen and heard Were these men likely by such Doctrine so delivered without Miracles to take down the Gates of Brass and break the Bars of Iron in sunder to reform the World in spite of all Opposition yet so they did for by their preaching mens beloved Lusts were divorced the Devils Oracles were put to silence his Prophets struck dumb and Soothsayers were unconsulted Temples were laid wast and Altars demolished the Wise were confounded by the Foolish the Mighty by the Weak the base and despised things of the World yea and things that were not brought to naught the things that were although they were favoured and patronized by the Love and Liking the greatest Power and Polity of Men and Devils of Earth and Hell all which took Council together and stood up against them Yet such was the Efficacy of their Doctrine as that though the Grecian and Roman Lawgivers notwithstanding their Authority and Reputation for Wisdom and Power and their Pretences to Inspiration from the Gods then worshipped could not perswade even their next Neighbours but only their own immediate Subjects to embrace their Laws yet the Apostles drew not only them but all barbarous Nations to the Love of the Law of Christ and that not by the force of Arms and Weapons but against it insomuch that they and their Followers in all Places were begirt with Reproaches and encircled with great Dangers both to their Lives and Fortunes yet all Mankind and all Nations they perswaded to embrace the Faith and Laws of our crucifyed Jesus and think ye men were then so mortifyed to the Flesh and crucifyed to the World as that they would hazard their Ease and Pleasure Wealth and Honour Relations and Lives and all that was dear to them upon the bare word of a few private persons preaching one Jesus crucified at Jerusalem think ye that that could have done it without the Demonstration of the Spirit and the power of the Almighty working Miracles to induce and perswade men to it Surely all Nations could not be allured by naked Asseverations or induced with vain Hopes to jeopard their lives when they saw no such thing as a Miracle to invite them to this their new Worship 'T is hardly imaginable that this could be how much more rational therefore is it to conclude that God by them did work Wonders and many Miracles among the Jews and Heathens Of which conclusion we are also assured by the Tradition of the Church which in this case is so august and illustrious as that there is nothing wanting to make it most absolutely compleat and perfect it hath Universality Antiquity and Consent of all Christians to avouch its Authority and credibility it was every where always and by all believed that Christ and his Apostles wrought Miracles to confirm their Doctrine Was there ever any Nation on Earth where the Gospel was planted but this was believed of them and what Age hath ever passed since their time without transmitting the same Belief to Posterity men of all Qualities and Countries of remotest Regions and different Customes Languages and Perswasions in other matters do all and ever did agree in this Assertion thence is it that Arnobius with great reason asked the Gentiles what we shall say of the men of that time viz. wherein the Gospel was first preached were they so vain and false so foolish and brutish as to feign themselves to have seen those things they never saw and so by false witness and childish asseverations to avouch those things that never were and that when they did not only lose the sweets of Vnanimity and peaceable converse with their old Acquaintance but also freely became so odious unto them as that their very name was execrable if the History of these things be false whence was it that the whole world in so short a time became Christian or that Nations of the farthest distant Regions driven as it were with the wind and convexions of Heaven should yet come together in this one mind was it possible they should be all deceived or have a design to deceive others was the world so sottish as that it could be so imimposed on or was it so knavish as that it would so impose on all others yet among so many Myriads both of Deceivers and deceived there should be none able and willing to discover the Cheat that was impossible and so it will appear if we consider the circumstances of that testimony wherein the Belief and Tradition of the Church seem founded viz. the Times and Places wherein and the Confidence wherewith it was given As for the time wherein it was first reported that Christ and his Apostles wrought Miracles it was not as we know other reports have been raised viz. long after the Fact was done but in that Age wherein the Doers lived yea in those Years Months and Dayes wherein the Facts supposed to be Miracles were done while all men were musing in their hearts concerning the Wonders they saw and heard and consequently while Interest in some and Curiosity in others did prompt them to make enquiry into the Truth of the Report and while if false it might most easily have been found to be so yet then did the first Witnesses of these things with all â—oldness give evidence thereof And that not in places far remote and distant from those wherein they were done but even in them where certainly if there had been any fraud it might best and would effectually have been discovered for the persons that found the effects those also that opposed the design of these Miracles viz. those on whom they were wrought and those who were enemies to the belief of them were then and there living when and where the Report was first spread of them and without all doubt in those times and places wherein Christianity was a Sect that was every where spoken against there wanted not those who had both Wit and vigilance enough to have discovered the Cheat and falshood if there had been any to be found either in the pretended Miracles or the Testimony that was given of them and is it not very strange that in such times and places there were none that would undertake to
sin but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father So convincing did he account his Miracles as that he imputes their unbeliâ—f to Malice and enmity against God and himself all which or any thing whereof he could not have done unless he had wrought his Miracles to consirm his Doctrine or attest his Mission from God to teach it To this End also 't is evident the Miracles of the Apostles were designed for they went forth and Preached every where the Lord working with them and consirming the word with sâ—gns following It is the dictate of Nature as well as of Scripture that God cannot lie or avouch a Falâ—hood therefore surely the word of his Grace is Truth for we find that he gave Testimony to it and this he did by granting signs and wonders to be done by the hands of the Apostles The salvation the Gospel proposeth first began to be spoken of by the Lord and was consirmed unto the first Christians by them that heard him i. e. By the Apostles but lest their Testimony should be suspected God did bear them witnâ—ss with signs and wonders and with divers Miracles Hereby then it is manifest not only that their Doctrine was true but also that the Wisdome of Providence did design the Miracles of the Apostles to the confirmation of it and so doubtless did they themselves for their Embassie to the Jews and Gentiles being somewhat like that of Moses unto Pharaoh viz. unlikely to be believed among them they found it expedient to have some Letters of Credence from the King of Heaven and hereupon they prayed God to stretch forth his hand to heal and to grant that signs and wonders might be done by the Name of his holy child Jesus and this they desired to the end that with all boldness they might speak his word and having obtained their request by the grant of signs and wonders to be done by their hands They speak boldly in the Lord. Neither the malice of the unbelieving Jews nor the ill affected minds of the seduced Gentiles could deterr them from speaking Boldly the truth as it is in Jesus it seems then the Testimony of God to that word by the Miracles of their Works was the Ground of their confidence in preaching the Gospel but this it could never have been without their intendment thereof to the confirmation of their Doctrine for without this they could neither pretend nor indeed believe their Miracles were the Testimony of God to the word of his Grace how could they look on them as such unless that they also themselves did use and intend them to this end Manifest therefore I take it to be that they wrought them on purpose to confirm their Doctrine or demonstrate their Mission from God to teach it and much Reason there was for their doing them to this end For 2. Miracles were always looked on as indisputable or demonstrative Proofs of Divine Power or Authority in them that did them To deny this is little less than to charge God foolishly for He indued Moses with power of doing Miracles to the End that the Israelites might believe that the Lord God of their Fathers had appeared unto him a charge also he had to do all his wonders before Pharaoh and although his heart was hardened yet being done in the siglit of the people they believed and bowed their heads and worshipped and after them it seems the Magicians were almost of the same perswasion for they sayed unto Pharaoh this is the finger of God by this their grant of the Premises they drew on themselves a necessity of confessing the conclusion for if the Miracles of Moses were done by the finger of God then had God appeared unto him or sent him Thus almost in the Morning of the world we find both the Children of Israel and the Wisest of the Egyptians confessing the force of Miracles to induce belief and that not as a probable argument but Demonstrative such as rather Commands Assent than Begs it for when Elijah sojourned with the Widow of Zarephath by his raising her Son to life She knew that He was a man of God and that the word of the Lord in his mouth was Truth And when the Prophets of Jericho saw that Elisha divided the waters of Jordan with Elijahs Mantle they said the Spirit of Eiljah doth rest on Elisha hereof it seems they were thereby so convinced as that though they themselves were Prophets partakers in some measure of the same Spirit yet they met him and bowed themselves to the ground before him as to the Father of the Prophets and the chief of Their Order and not only they who had their Education in the Schools of the Prophets and therefore perhaps are thought Apt to have ascribed somewhat too much to Their Miracles but also Naaman a Syrian an Alien from the Common-wealth of Israel being at the appointment of the same Prophet Miraculously Cured of His Leprosie was so convinced of the True God as that He returned to the man of God and said Behold now I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel His mind was cleansed from the grosness of Idolatry as wâ—ll as his Body from the Loathsomness of his Leprosie But to draw our Discourse a little nearer the business in hand we may observe in the New Testament that among the Jews many that Adhered not to Christ did yet believe that He came from God when they saw His Miracles Thus when He was in Jerusalem at the Passeover many believed in his Name when the saw the miracles which he did These many believers surely were not Disciples for Jesus did not commit Himself unto them or intrust Himself with Them as well affected to him because He knew all men and what was in them He searched their hearts and dived into the hidden secrets of their Souls and by so doing He found that though these mens Understandings were convinced by His Miracles yet their Wills were not subdued to His Doctrine and after them many of the people believed on him and said When Christ cometh will be do more Miracles than these which this man hath done To them it seemed Improbable that when their expected Messias should come he either would or could do more or greater Miracles than our Jesus did considering therefore his Works and his saying they peremptorily concluded that of a truth this is the Prophet viz. Foretold by Moses Deut. 18. 15. And believed by them to be different from the Messias but otherâ— said this is the Christ but when the Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him they and the Chief Priests sent Officers to take him But the Officers being astâ—nished at his Doctrine returned without him whereupon they Expostulate with them and in a Scornful manner askt him have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on
immediate right of Soveâ—eignty over us for Right in general being little or nothing else but that which is just or the Object of Justice viz. that Equity which Justice doth constitute and preserve the Right of Sovereignty muâ—t arise immediately from that whereby the Sovereign doth justly acquiâ—e that Relation to his Subjects for this cause also God's Right of Sovereignty cannot arise meerly and immediately from his sole irresistable Power absolutely considered because as such it neither causeth a relation between us nor confers any such benefits upon us as make it just and equal either for him to claim or for us to yield him such sovereign authority over us If therefore we should admit the Ruâ—iments strange Supposition viz. That there had been a man who so far exceeded the rest in Power as that all of them with joyned forces could not have resisted him yet by this excess of Power without any overt-acts or exercise of it for the general good of others Nature would perhaps have given him ability but no more Right to rule the rest than High-way men have to my Money by their force which I am not able to resist The Conclusiâ—n therefore is That though by reason of the Supereminence of the divine Nature it 's impossible for God to do any wrong yet the next and immediate Right of his Sovereignty is something whereby he doth most justly acquire that Relation to us And what can we imagine this to be but his Incomparable Goodness and inestimable Bounty to us in our Creation Preservation and Redemption A relation to God it 's manifest we have from these Acts of his towards us and that That of Subjects to him as Sovereign doth result thâ—refrom is so evident to every man's Reason as that the whole World as it were with one mouth doth confess it for every man much more hath God hath power over the work of his own hands and every man ought to obey him by whom he is preserved and much more methinks ought he so to do if also he be by him redeemed It is therefore most Just and equal that the first Authour of our Being Preservation and Redemption should have the preheminence of Rule over us From hence then it is that God hath his Right to Rule and to Punish those that break his Laws and from hence it follows that whatsoever there is in Creation Providence or Redemption to oblige us That there is in Gods Commandments to bind us to Obedience Here then I might be very large but because the Province that I have undertaken reacheth no farther than the Gospel I shall only shew That by the Redemption thereby made known unto us God hath renewed his Right to rule us together with the Obligations that thence arise upon us to keep his Commandments In order to a distinct and clear Declaration hereof it will be requisite to take a brief view of our state by Nature without the Grace of God in the Gospel of his Son And this I suppose most Christians know to have been a state of Sin against God and of Vassallage or Subjection to the Devil Such it seems was the malicious Pride of the fallen Angels as that soon after the Creation they shook off Obedience to God and chose to contend with Him for the â—upremacy and Government of all his other Creatures whâ—reupon Man being the Lord under God of all the lower World the Serpent tempted him to transgress and rebell as he himsâ—lf had done against his Maker in this Temptation he was we know so unhappily successfâ—l as that Man revolted from God his Natural Lord and Sovereign and became subject unto Satan Not that Adam did avowedly renounce his Duty unto God but that as Ireneus saith he became the first Vessel of the Devils possession and he held him under his power Insomuch that he could not recover his Primitive Innocence and Immortality but was necâ—ssitated to involve himself and his posterity yet farther in the grief of Sin and the Snares of Death for by this Fall it came to pass that the Nature of every Man that is Naturally ingendred of the off-spring of Adam is very far gone from Original Righteousness and is of it self enclined unto Evil so that the Flâ—sh lusteth against the Spirit and therefore in every person born into the World it deserveth Gods Wrath and Dâ—mâ—â—tion and this Degeneracy or Corruption of our humane Nature doth certainly give the Devil so great an advantage over us as that he will surely detain us in his Service for he having overcome our First Parents by his temptations seems to have claimed them for his by a kind of Right by Conquest over them and all Men in their suâ—cessive Generations being descended from them after their Revolt and Apostasie from God seem in a sort to be born in his subjection and are certainly less able than they were to withstand his tâ—mptations and forasmuch as he neither ever did nor ever will neglect therewith to assault them and that if need be to the utmost of his power it is manifest that in the state of Nature without the Grace of God in the Gospel of his Son we either wholly surrender our sâ—lves to the sâ—ductions of the Devil or â—lse we make too feeble a resistance oâ— too weak an opposition against them Since Satan conquered our first Parâ—nts while there was nothing in them of an evil inclination certain it is to our Reason that since of our own Nature we are inclined unto evil he will undoubtedly keep us in his subjection eithâ—r by his fraud or by his force by his subâ—ilâ—y or his strength he will make the tendency of our hearts lives and actions more to his pernicious designs than to Godâ— glory and thus it ever would have been without an Almighty Arm to help us and alâ—hough in this universal Monarchy the Devil was a Tyrant and Usurper yet because it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many Sons unto glâ—ry to makâ— the Captain of thâ—ir Salvation perfect through suffâ—râ—â—gs Inâ—inite Wisdâ—me did not think fit to rescue us out of the hand of Satan by the Almighty force of meer Omnipotâ—nce but was pleased to chuse another a fairer and more noble way for our Redemption and that was to raise up one in our Nature who should not only conquer Satan at his own weapons and so dissolve his seeming Right of Conqueâ—t over us but also should make atonâ—ment and satisfaction to God for our offeueâ—s and should aftâ—rwards be able to succour them that are tempted Now all these three parts of Redemption were undertaken and are most happily accompliâ—hed by our Blesâ—ed Lord Jesus partly in his Temptations and Sufferings for us and partly in his state of Exaltation far above us In order to making manifest the truth hereof it will not be amiss to observe That the whole World is a kind of Armory from whence the
this is that Appeal of Minutius Felix to other Heathens Most of you know that they themselves confess themselves Devils as oft as by the Torments of Adjuration or Flames of Devotion we cast them out of possession even Saturn Serapis and Jupiter himself and whatever other Devils ye worship being overcome with grief speak what they are neither lye they for the advantage of their Villany as they do to some especially of you that Patronize their Cause confessing the truth of themselves believe that they are Devils themselves being witnesses for being adjured by the true and only God they unwillingly either cling to the miserable bodies of the possessed or else they forthwith forsake them â—r else they vanish by degrees according to the Faith of the Patient or the Grace of the Physician About the same time Origen told Celsus that to that â—ry day Cures were wrought by the Name of Jesus And again afterwards he saith We can shew innumerable multitudes both of Greeks and Barbarians that confess the Faith of Jesus for the sake of which Faith some of them have received something miraculous the signs whereof they shew by Curing the Sick on whom they use no other means of Recovery but calling on the God of all and the Name of Jesus together with the History of him for by these means we our selves hâ—ve seen many rescued from grievous Evils Distractions and Madness and many other Diseases which neither Men nor Devils were able to cure And that the Christians of that Age wrought not these Cures by the Power of the Devil he farther yet makes evident by their Ejection of him wherever they found him the Power of Christ did so triumph over him as that almost the meanest Christians could dispossess him For More than a few of them were able to drive him away from them that suffered by him and that without any curious magical or poysonous thing but only by Prayer and pure Invocations such as a simple man may make For private Christians most frequently do it the Grace of Christ in his Word thereby discovering the contemptibleness and weaknâ—ss of the Devil 's that in order to their Ejection from the Soul and Body of a man there was no need so much as of a Wise man or one that was mighty in rational Demonstrations of the Faith To the same Purpose St. Cyprian wisheth that the Proconsul of Africa a great Persecutour of the Christians would hear and see the Devils whom he worshipt as Gods When saith he we adjure and vex them with spiritual Scourges and when by the torments of Words we cast them out of possessed Bodies when at the Word of Man by the Power of God as it were feeling Stripes and Scourges they cry out and groan and confess there is a Judgment to come Come and know that what we say is true And because thou sayest thou so worshipest the Gods either believe those whom thou dost worship or if thou wilt bâ—lieve thy self he that hath now besieged thy breast and blindâ—d thy mind with a night of Ignorance shall spâ—â—k iâ—â—hy hâ—â—ring concerning thy self thou shalt see that we are intreated by those of whom thou art afraid and adorest thou shalt see them sâ—and bound undâ—r our hands and tremble bâ—ing Captives whom thou dost honour and venâ—rate as Lords And after him Laâ—tantius testifyed that they fly from the Just and tremble because when they possess the Bodies of men and vex their Souls being by them adjured the Name of the true God chaseth them away For having heard it they tremble cry out and testifie that they are burnt and scourged and being asked who they are when when they came and how they entred into a man they confess being thus constrained and tortured by the vertue of Gods Name they are banished because of these lashes and threatnings they have alwayes hated holy and just men and because by themselves they cannot hurt them those whom they feel grievous to them they pursue with publick hatred and exercise Cruelty as violently as they can either that by grief they might diminish their Faith or if they cannot effect that that they might utterly take them from the Earth leâ—t they should survive to restrain their wickedness Now than this what is there more demonstrative that Christian Miracles were not wrought by the Power of Satan Since they bound and scourged him took him captive and thrâ—w him out of possession it is manifest the Power that did them was greater than his and contrary to it and can he give greater Power than he himself hath No surely Nor will he neither indeed can he change himself into an Angel of Light to destroy but only to uphold the Kingdom of darknâ—ss and if that be impossible much more so was it for him to have given Power to one that at the Invocation of his Name by others not only all Diseasâ—s should be healed but also he himself â—ormented and ejected This Power Arnobius observes that Jupiter Câ—pitolinus himself scarce granted to any Moral no not to his own chief Priâ—â—â— I wilâ— not demand saith he that he should râ—ise the Dead or restore light unto the Blind or give Strength and Beauty to the Lame and deformed but that either by the command of his Voice or touch of his Hand he should so much as supprâ—ss a Pimple a â—lâ—ft from the Nail or Wheal of the Skin And since so trivial a Power as this was not conferr'd by the chief of the Gods he might well as he doth with Confidence challenge the Gentiles to summon the most renowned Magicians from all Quarters to give to one of the people Power â—o make the Dumb to speak the Deaf to hear the born-blind to see to restore Sense and Motion to members long cold and withered Or if that be an hard matter such as they cannot give Power of doing unto others let them do it themselves and that with their Rites too whatever poysonous Herbs the Bosomes of the Earth do nourish whatever force there is in their rumbling of Words and the adjoyned Causality of Verses we envy it not let them gather it It liketh us to try and know whether they with their Gods can do that which Country Christians can by their naked commands And it seems by St. Austin that this Power of working Miracles continued in the Church though not so conspicuously a long time after for he testifies that even in his time viz. in the fourth Century Miracles were done in the name of Christ either by his Sacraments or by Prayers at the Monuments of his Saints And for Proof hereof he relates the stories of divers whereof he himself had been an Eye-witness Thus apparent it is and much more abundantly evident might it be made that the Disciples of Christ for several Ages after his Death wrought Miracles in his name and cast out Devils and surely these Miracles of theirs do conciliate Authority
to the Churches Tradition concerning those of Christ himself and his Apostles For 't is not possible that he who granted this Power to his Disciples should want it himself and next to an Impossibility it is that in his Circumstances he should never make use of it nor is it at all probable that he would confer it on his meanest Disciples in private capacities and that when his Gospel was every where planted and deny or withhold it from the chief of his Followers those whom he chose to be his Witnesses and Founders of his Faith throughout all Nations That this should be the oeconomy of his dispensations it 's an astonishment to Reason to imagine but that it was not is most highly agreeable insomuch that with Confidence we may conclude there is no matter of Fact whatever although of a far less distance of whose Truth we have more or indeed so much reason to be perswaded as we have of the Churches Tradition that Christ and his Apostles wrought many and great Miracles Yet if we may believe St. Austin that he who still requires Prodigies that he may believe is himself a great Prodigy it is to be feared there are more than a few such Prodigies in our Age for an admired Author asks the Question How can one that saith those things he saith or teachâ—th were confirmed by Miracles be believed unless that he also himself hath done a Miracle The reason of this Question such as it is he subjoyns in another For if a private man be to be believed without a Miracle why among those that teach diverse things is one to be believed rather than another Because there are other Motives of Credibility besides Miracles why else should this unlucky Author be believed in any thing he saith that 's different from others but whether it be fit he should or no I shall not now enquire but only observe First That Miracles have been done may be believed upon the Credit of Testimony without the doing of any Miracle to confirm it The possibility of Miracles I now take for granted and so also I might this Observation had it not been for this Authors sly insinuation that without the doing of a Miracle it cannot appear credible that ever there were any But why so is there any thing in the Nature of a Miracle that renders the Attestation of it incredible It seems not for the same Author else where defines a Miracle to be a Work of God besides his Operation by the way of Nature ordained in the Creation done for the making manifest to his elect the Mission of an extraordinary Minister for their Salvation Whether a Miracle be a Work of God only besides and not also above his Operation by the way of Nature ordained in the Creation and what precious ones this Authors Elect are it doth not at present concern me to enquire but only to observe that whosoever they are the designed end of a Miracle according to him is to make manifest unto them the Mission of some extraordinary Minister for their Salvation Be it so that this as in Part at least it undoubtedly is the End and Scope of real and true Miraclâ—s I would fain know of this Author how a thing that is incredible can make manifest a thing that is not The Mission of an extraordinary Minister although not hastily to be bâ—lieved yet is not incredible but a Miracle it seems is how then can it make it manifest But if this be impossible or unintelligible whence comes it to pass that God makes choice of such a thing to make manifest another doth this Author think the Wisdom of God so short or his Power so weak as to lay and effect his Designes no better if so he may change apprehensions with Epicurus as wretched as he thinks his and yet be no looser by the bargain But whatever he thinks of God I cannot think him so void of Reason as to deny that that which makes manifest must it self be more manifest than that which it makes so manifest therefore I take it to be that if the end of Miracles be to make manifest they themselves must needs be so and if manifest then credible and if credible why may they not be done before credible Witnesses And why may not those Witnesses report them truly to other credible Persons And why may not this Report be transmitted to Posterity And why may not Posterity bâ—lieve it as well as it doth those concerning Alexander Julius Câ—â—sar c What Impossibility Immorality or Imprudence is there in so doing If there be none then Secondly It is needless to demand the doing of Miracles to prove that there have been some done the Reason is manifest because this Assent may be built upon another foundation viz. Testimony of credible Witnesses transmitted or delivered down throughout all Ages to Posterity the sufficiency of this foundation to bear that Superstructure will be evident by the firm Assent that men build upon less credible Testimony whereof they give evidence in almost all affairs of humane Life The Nobleman claims his Peerage the Gentleman his Estate the Merchant ventures his money and the Traveller takes his Journey the honest Lawyer Pleads and the just Judge pronounceth Sentence upon the credit of Testimony and such is the necessity of Testimony as that the Child cannot learn his Letters nor the Scholar attain his knowledge in the Sciences nor the Mechanick skill in his Trade nor indeed can we our selves know our own Names without assenting to Testimony yet so firm an Assent do we yield unto it as that there is nothing more ridiculous and hardly accomplished than perswasion of us out of our Names Most firm Assent therefore we see is yielded to Testimony and that such as is not more perhaps less credible than that whereby the knowledge of Christs Miracles is conveyed unto us for it hath not Antiquity Universality and Consent of all Parties as this hath to avouch its Credibility most firm Assent therefore may and in reason ought to be given to it for where there is certain Credibility in the matter propounded and also in the Testimony that propounds it there doth arise upon men an obligation to believe as appears by the Law of Nature concerning Converse which would serve to very little or no purpose if the motives of Credibility do not induce an obligation to believe It seems therefore that the Testimony or Tradition whereby we understand that Christ and his Apostles did many and great Miracles we not only may but also we ought to believe because there is a certainty of Credibility both in the Matter propounded and also in the manner of its proposition to our consideration and if this renders it a Duty to believe then Thirdly It is both wicked and absurd to demand a Miracle to induce our Assent unto it It is wicked because it not only hinders the performance of our Duty but also meerly to gratifie