to save for a Time he for Ever Therefore A Concurrence of all the three Offices in Christ that he might be every way sutably qualified for the Charge and Burden which he underwent he became Prophet Priest and King all which Offices were never confer'd on any but on Christ For 't is observ'd that Melchisedec was King and Priest but no Prophet David was King and Prophet but no Priest Samuel was Priest and Prophet but no King But there 's a Concurrence of all these three Offices in Christ and he was furnisht from Heaven with a sufficiency of Power Holiness Wisdom and Goodness to dispense them for the Comfort and Benefit of all that believe in and obey Him And to this End 't was necessary 1 That he should be a Prophet The absolute Necessity of Christs being a Prophet to cure that gross Ignorance which we deriv'd from the Loins of the first Adam to reveal and expound God's Mind and Will to us to teach us how to apply his Merits by the exercise of a true and lively Faith and to direct us how to walk more conformably to God's Will in doing our Duties and avoiding Sin for the future that so the Devil and our Lusts should not have the Rule and Dominion over us 2 It was necessary that he should be our Anointed Priest And Priest Altar and Sacrifice that he might propitiate and make Atonement for all our Offences free us from the Guilt and Punishment of them reconcile us to God's Grace and Favour and translate us from a state of Sin and Death to a State of Righteousness and eternal Life 3 But since this Peace and Happiness could not be obtain'd for us And Xing not applied to us but by an absolute and irresistable Power considering the many Enemies and Impediments we have to conflict with in our Christian Course therefore 't was necessary that he should be a King That having sufficiency of Power and Authority he might enable us to resist and overcome all those Difficulties and Oppositions which might hinder our Return from the Chaos of corrupt Nature to a state of Grace and Glory And to this End God has been pleas'd to raise him far above all Principalities and Powers that he might effectually apply the satisfaction which he made and the Ransom which he paid for the Salvation of Mankind Thus much of Christ's anointing in General by God's holy Spirit to those three great Offices which he receiv'd as the Head and conveyeth to his Members the Church By instructing us as a Prophet satisfying for us as a Priest and protecting and governing us as a King We pass on to Particulars CHAP. V. Of his Prophetical Office THere are several other Titles synonimous to his being a Prophet which are ascrib'd to our blessed Saviour in holy Scripture He is call'd the Pastor the Apostle of our Profession Rabbi Master a Teacher from God a Law-giver the Author and Finisher of our Faith a Minister of the Circumcision a Teacher of the Gentiles that he might be a Light to them as well as the Glory of his People Israel All which several Titles and Appellations do import that he was a Prophet sent from God to instruct his People and to guide them in the Way of Salvation And without all controversie Christ the Prophet this is he whom God the Father promis'd to send into the World whom the Prophet Isaiah tells us should be anointed to Preach the Gospel And being com'd into these lower Regions was confirm'd in this Office by an audible Voice from Heaven three times repeated as before with this peremptory Command annext to his Commission Hear ye him His Mission was also confirm'd by many notable Signs and Wonders by the Testimony of his Harbinger John the Baptist and many other infallible Proofs which would be needless to mention here But besides the Disposition and Temper of his Mind was every way sutable to his Office and Authority For his Wisdom and Discretion Purity and Holiness His Particular Qualifications Courage and Constancy Meekness and Patience Sweetness and Goodness Power and Majesty conspicuous in all his Discourses and Demeanour are so many unanswerable Topics to prove that our Lord Jesus Christ was anointed with the holy Spirit and with Power that he might be every way qualified for the due Administration of this high and extraordinary Office of a Prophet Which Office in the most strict sense denotes that the Person invested with it should be inspir'd with extraordinary Abilities to Prophesie of and foretel things to come And tho' our Anointed Saviour could not be deficient in this since his Wisdom and Knowledge are infinite yet his Prophetical Office is to be understood in a larger Acceptation and does import a Person endu'd with the extraordinary Gifts of Divine Wisdom and Authority to interpret God's Mind and Meaning and to reveal his whole Will to the Sons of Men so far as it may concern his own Glory and their present and eternal Welfare Thus we have seen how Christ our great Prophet is every way sutably dispos'd and qualified for the Management of this weighty Office We shall enquire in the next Place into the manner of its Administration The Admistration of this Office And for the better understanding of this Point We shall consider 1. What it is that God has been pleased to make known and communicate to us by the Spirit of his Son 2. What Returns of Duty and Obedience he expects from us For the 1st What God has been pleas'd to reveal to us by the Spirit of his Son Christ our great Prophet has by his Grace and Spirit reveal'd God's will to Mankind hereby declaring what he will have us believe and do that we may be happy here and for ever And to this end he has been graciously pleas'd to take away the Veil and has fully explain'd those Laws of Nature and Morality which were never understood before Mat. chapters 5.6 7. he has also corrected the Mistakes and supplied the Defects of all former Dispensations Concerning the Law which he was rectified and improv'd and added some excellent Principles and Precepts most conducing to the Interest and Satisfaction of Mankind which do far transcend all former Laws and Institutions whatsoever For in the Doctrine of the Gospel we have anexact Specimen of all those Truths which concern the Salvation of Christians wherein the Terms of our Reconciliation are fully and clearly exprest all the Doctrines Commands Counsels Conditions Covenants Threatnings Promises which respect the present and future Happiness and Misery of our Souls and Bodies are so throughly stated that he who runs may read And the excellent Design of this great Ambassie the Priviledges and Immunities of this Gospel Covenant are not limited to some few Kingdoms and Countries but extended to all Persons in all Ages thro' the most remote and distant Parts of the World The sound thereof is gone into
We pass on from this Head of Commutative 2 To Distributive Justice This is peculiar to the Supreme and Subordinate Magistrates in every Nation who are God's Vicegerents and Representatives on Earth and invested with Power and Authority from above to protect and reward the Innocent and to inflict Punishments on Offendors in proportion to the Crimes committed against the Laws of God and the King But tho' the great Majesty of Heaven and Earth has devolv'd his Authority upon them yet they are to exempted from Rule being oblig'd by the Laws of God and their Country in their respective Capacities to be impartial in the Administration of Justice Therefore they should be always ready to hear the Complaints of those that are opprest and injur'd and be severe and terrible in inflicting due and deserved Punishments upon all wilful and open Transgressors And 't is requir'd of 'em that they be impartial and unbiast in their Determinations of Matters of Law or Fact which may concern either the Poor or Rich. Justice knows no Friends no Relatives no Bribes and is equally at Leisure to hear the Complaints of all Persons of all Ranks and Qualities whatsoever It must needs then be heinous Impiety in any man who is intrusted with the Managemenr of the Affairs of Government either in Church or State to take Bribes or out of any by-ends or private respect to wrest and corrupt the public Justice of the Nation or to proceed in Judgement contrary to the Merits of the Cause For tho' ill Magistrates may and many times do escape Punishment in this World yet there 's a God above who is higher and greater than they and with whom there 's no respect of Persons that will take a strict and severe account of their Administrations 1 Pet. 1.17 and reward or punish 'em accordingly Rom. 2.6 This exact and impartial Administration of Justice would be a great means to reduce Christianity to its ancient Dignity and Perfection and doubtless those should be most careful and conscientious in doing Justice themselves who are intrusted with Commissions from God and the King to distribute it to others But 't is not my Province to prescribe Rules to my Superiors I have done with that Branch of Justice which concerns the Possessions of our fellow Christians My Method leads me 2dly Justice respecting the Credit and Reputation of others To consider that which relates to their Credit and Reputation And 't is unquestionable that all Men have a natutural Right and Title to a good Reputation in this World unless they shall forfeit it by some gross Miscarriages Whosoever therefore shall go about to attaint an innocent Man's Credit by false Witness public Slanders private Whisperings or any other clandestine and disingenuous Means and Methods is not only guilty of the Sin but shall incur the Penalties of downright Knavery and Injustice Therefore in common Charity and Justice we are oblig'd to be as tender of every Man's Reputation as our own And doubtless upon this Account our blessed Saviour has forbidden all sorts of Lying Backbiting Slandering Railing Detraction Censoriousness virulent and uncharitable Invectives and all other false and politic Devices whereby the Repute and Credit of our Neighbour may be impair'd and injur'd Besides these uncharitable Practices are the spawn and issue of the Devil who is the Father of them and therefore whosoever doth maliciously lye and dissemble for his own Advantage or to the prejudice of others he is of the Devil his Father Joh. 8.44 whom God has threatned to destory Again these Methods of evil Speaking have a double Tendency to do Mischief Either public as Slander or private as Detraction Pievish and passionate Men do make use of the open way to hurt but those who are more politic and reserv'd and yet envious are more close and subtile in managing their Designs of Mischief and Wickedness an tho' the Credit and Reputation of good Men be usually wounded both ways yet private Whisperers are the most dangerous Enemies because the injur'd Person does seldom or never meet with an Opportunity to vindicate himself Now for the Prevention and Cure of this uncharitable and unchristian Humour which God knows is every where too common especially amongst those of the precise Party who esteem themselves considerable Proficients in Christianity give me leave to make these few Remarques And 1 The holy Scripture has denounced a severe Woe against the Haters and Revilers of their Brethren 1 Cor. 6.10 1 Joh. 2.9 esteeming 'em no better than Children of Wrath Prov. 6.16 18 19. Ps 101.5 and Vessels fitted for Destruction In which they nearly resemble our great Adversary the Devil who is a cruel Enemy to and merciless Accuser of God's dearest Saints and Servants 2 Uncharitable Invectives are certain Evidences and Indications of a corrupt and unsanctified Heart and are said by the Ancients to be caninos dentes Diaboli the devouring Teeth of the old Serpent Upon which Saint Bernard expresly Detrahere aut detrahentem audire Bern. Lib. 2. de Conâ—ide ad Eugen. utrum horum damnabilius fit non facile dixerim so vile and mischievous are these uncharitable Practices that those who can hear their Neighbours reproacht with pleasure and satisfaction are as much to blame and must expect to share with the Detractors themselves in their due and deserved Punishments 3 The Slanderer and Detractor add sin to sin and iniquity to iniquity For he always despiseth and hates those whom he so unwarrantably rails against We shall conclude this Point with that remarkable Distich of St. Aug. which he writ over his Table and I wish it were written in legible Characters in the Practices of all Christians Quisquis amat dictis absentem rodere Famam Hanc Mensam vetitam noverit esse sibi For 't is very unmanly and disingenuous as well as unchristian in any one to abuse his Neighbour especially in his Absence And I am confident it would conduce much to the Interest of Religion and the Peace of our Civil Government if such Canibals were interdicted all humane Societie and indeed they are more fit to be herded up with Beasts then have the Priviledge to converse with Men. Thus much of those Duties which relate to the Persons and Possessions of our Christian Neighbourhood We pass forward 3dly Concerning the practice of Peace and Unity amongst Christians To the last Branch of our Duty to Others which imports the public Peace and Quiet of the whole Community of Christians 'T is most observable that before and at our blessed Saviour's coming into the World the Jews and Gentiles were so much at odds that they denied the common Offices of Civility to one another they would have no Intercourse nor Dealings together but did prosecute each other by such barbarous Methods of Cruelty and Injustice that their Inhumanities were scarce ever equal'd but could not be outdone by the most savage Heathens But when our everlasting
Justification without Sanctification For he gave himself for us Tit. 2.14 not only to redeem us from all Iniquity but to purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of Good-works Heb. 14.14 16. Seeing then we have a great High-priest that is passed into the Heavens for us Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast and adorn our Profession by our strictest compliances with the Conditions and our uniform Obedience to all the reasonable Commands and Constitutions of the Gospel And therefore 2 We have sufficient Motives and Encouragements to perswade us to be vigorous and active in the prudent Conduct of our Lives in the ways of Religion if we look back to the Premisses But besides to enforce those Obligations we have a Friend and Favorite in Heaven who being sensible of our Infirmities is able and willing to present and recommend Mat. 21.2 Mat. 7.72 8. and if they be seasonably offer'd he will prevail for the comfortable Success of all our pious Endeavours And what can be more argumentative to perswade us to be faithful and diligent in our most devout Attendance on all the Duties of Religion then such a well grounded Assurance of the Success of our Performances and the Acceptance of our Persons before God 3 what returns of Love and Gratitude do such wonderful Instances of Mercy and Bounty require from us These are the last Overtures and Tenders of Grace and Mercy which shall ever be made to the Sons of Men and therefore to be embrac't with the highest Regard most endeared Expressions of Love Joy and Thankfulness But if we reject and trample upon Heb. 1.2 and 2.1 2 3 4. Heb. 10.26 27. or neglect and undervalue these glad Tidings of our Peace our other Sins will receive a mighty Aggravation and our Guilt will be hugely increased Insomuch that it had been comparatively well for us if we had been born in India amongst Pagans who never heard of Christ nor his Religion rather than in England where the Gospel has been publickly and purely preacht for many years And it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah at the Day of Judgement Mat. 10.15 then for the dissolute and debaucht Christian Thus we 've seen at large that when the whole World was involv'd in the sad Catastrophe of Adam's Sin and Guilt and laid under the dreadful Decree Condemnation to eternal Misery and Death And when all the legal Sacrifices could not satisfie for the least Offence nor procure a Minute's Reprieve from God's justly incensed Wrath and Vengeance 'T was in this great Strait that mercy interpos'd and God was pleas'd to provide a Sacrifice worthy of his own Acceptance A Sacrifice so pure and excellent in its own Nature and so precious in its Value as becomes every way satisfactory to God's Justice and a sufficient Ransom for the Sins of the whole World We 've seen likewise the highest Proposals of Grace and Mercy which could be offer'd to the Sons of Men in that the eternal Son of God is pleas'd to intercede so effectually for our Pardon and Peace and has put us into such a feasible Way of obtaining them that nothing but our wilful Stubbornness can make us miserable What remains now but that we proceed by the Assistance of God's Grace to the last Branch of Christ's Mediatorship In which we have the assured Confidence that he will preserve us in the Enjoyment of Peace protect us from all the Enemies of our Welfare and establish and confirm us in the Enjoyment of those temporal and spiritual Blessings which he has purchas'd and prepar'd for us CHAP. VIII Of Christ's Kingly Office THat Christ Jesus the righteous is invested with an absolute and irresistable Power to govern the whole World in General and his Church and People in Particular was the last thing I propounded to be discourst of in this Treatise Now that I may the better inform the Judgements and affect the Hearts of my Reader with the saving Knowledge of this necessary Point of Doctrine I shall for Methods sake offer these four things to your serious and impartial Consideration 1st We shall present you with some unquestionable Evidences of Christ's Kingly Power and Authority which has been fully manifested to the World and herein we shall consider from whence this Right of Government is deriv'd 2dly We shall treat distinctly of the Administration of this Government and enquire particularly how over whom and in what Instances he exerciseth his Dominion and Authority 3dly We shall give you a Specimen of the several Benefits resulting from his supreme Power and Jurisdiction which he does thus impartially administer for the Comfort and Happiness of his Subjects 4thly We shall consider what Influence this excellent Doctrine should have upon the Lives and Practices of all Christians Of all these severally and in Order And the 1st Imports that Christ is an absolute King and the supreme Monarch of all the Kingdoms of the World Testimonies of Christ's Kingly Power Ps 2.6 8. Which may be fully evidenc't 1 From Scripture Testimony The Psalmist is very express to this purpose I will set my King saith he upon my holy Hill of Sion and I will give him the Heathen for his Inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for his Possession Consonant to which is that of the Evangelical Prophet Isaiah Isai 9.6 7. Vnto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given the Government shall be upon his shoulder and his Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace of the encrease of his Government and Peace there shall be no end to sit upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order it and to establish it with with Judgement and Righteousness from henceforth even for ever and ever Ps 45.7 6. Thy Throne O God saith the Kingly Prophet is for ever and ever the Sceptre of thy Kingdom is a Right Scepter thou hast loved Righteousness and hated Iniquity therefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the Oyl of gladness above thy Fellows And so he goes on through the whole Psalm to exalt and magnifie the Grace and Majesty of Christ's Kingdom And that all the Prophesies concerning his Kingdom are to be thus interpreted is evident from the Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles Zech. 9.9 comp Mat. 2.45 Tell the Daughter of Zion behold thy King cometh unto the meek c. which is the complement of that of the Prophet Zechariah with many other parallel Passages to the same purpose which would be needless to repeat But besides all the Works of Creation and Providence are ascribed to him as before and God the Father has given him all Rule and Authority Mat. 28.18 Phil. 2.8 1 Pet. 3.22 For which end he rais'd him from the Dead and set him at his own right hand far above all Principalities and Powers Heb. 2.9 Eph. 1 20 21.
and every Name that is named both in this World and also in that which is to come And hath put all things under his Feet and gave him to be the Head over all Things to the Church This is he of whom St. John makes mention that he was clothed in a Garment dipt in Bloud Rev. 19.13 16. com Isa 63.2 3. the Ensign of his Victory and Triumph over all his and the Church's Enemies and his Name was called the Word of God and he has on his Vesture and on his Thigh a Name written KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS Many other Arguments and Authorities might be added from Scripture if 't were necessary to confirm and illustrate this Point Ioh. 1â— 37 But Pilate tho' a Heathen believ'd it upon his own single Testimony and may serve instead of many others as appeareth by the Inscription set over him on the Cross Ioh. 19.19 with the Sanction added what I have written I have written 2dly His Kingly Authority is asserted and confirm'd by the many strange and wonderful Miracles which he wrought For he manifested his Power on Earth in curing the Blind and the Lame and all manner of Diseases and in raising the dead Bodies of Lazarus and many others at his Resurrection He exerted it in the Sea when he asswaged its Storms and Tempests and walked on the Water without a Ship He gave a Testimony of it in the Air when he led Captivity captive drew Principalities after him and trampled upon them And lastly he exercis'd his Kingly Power in Hell in his Conquest over the Devil and all the infernal Furies Who in despight of all their Policy Power and Malice were forc't to confess that he was omnipotent Act. 19.15 and therefore they must submit to his Jurisdiction 3 We have the unanimous Consent of all pious and prudent Christians in all Ages who have cheerfully submitted themselves to the Sceptre of his Kingdom For they had their whole Dependance on his Power for their Safety on his Wisdom for their Guidance and Direction and on his infinite Merits and Mercy for their comfortable Living here and eternal Salvation hereafter But as Christ our King is invested with an absolute and unlimited Power and Authority so he has an unquestionable Right and Title to govern the whole World and all the Creatures in it And he holds this absolute Tenor of Empire and Soveraignty 1 By Inheritance Christ has an undoubted Right to this Office Mat. 2.2 1. By Inheritance This is clear from the Concessions of the Eastern Sages who came so far to see him and do him Homage And besides his Hereditary Power as the eternal Son of God he was of the Royal Race as Man St. Matthew derives his Pedigree from fourteen Kings successively and therefore his hereditary Title as Man to the Kingdom of Israel must needs be indisputable 2 He has an absolute and unquestionable Right to his Kingdom by Donation 2. By donation Mat. 28.18 Psal 8.7 Matth. 9.6 Ioh. 5.22 Ioh. 5.27 Mat. 16.27 and hence he derives his Power and Authority to rule and govern all things to forgive us all our Sins and to indemnifie us from the Punishment of them to pass Judgement upon Angels and Men not only in what concerns his Kingdom of Grace here but in determining their final Doom and Condition hereafter and in the Distribution of Rewards and Punishments to the faithful and disobedient 3 He has obtain'd an absolute Right to govern all the Creatures by Conquest For he has spoil'd all Principalities and Powers 3. By Conquest taken the Prey out of their Teeth and in despight of the Power and Policy of Devils and wicked Men the greatest Part of the known World have been reduc'd from their Heathenish and Idolatrous Superstitions in worshipping false Gods and have cheerfully and voluntarily submitted themselves to be govern'd by the just Laws and Constitutions of his Kingdom 4 He has a just claim to his Kingly Government by Purchase 4. By Purchase Rom. 2.23 c. For when by our Sin and Rebellion against God we had justly forfeited our Lives lost our Freedom contracted an universal Guilt and Stain and had not only depriv'd our selves of all the Hope and Possibility of any future Comfort and Happiness but were sentenc'd to Death and as condemn'd Slaves and Villains bound over to everlasting Torments When I say we were by our Sins plung'd into this desperate and damnable Condition 1 Tim. 2.6 Act. 20.28 2 Pet. 1.18 without the least prospect of Reprieve or Rescue Then it was that the eternal Son of God and our blessed Saviour purchased our Peace and Pardon by the Sacrifice of his dearest Life and has hereby restor'd all his faithful Votaries to the comfortable Enjoyment of God's Grace and Favour Hence 't is evident in all these several Respects that our Lord Jesus Christ is the most absolute King of Kings and Lord of Lords A King at whose feet all Prices and Emperors must cast down their Crowns and a Lord whose Authority supersedes the Power and Jurisdiction of all Earthly Princes and Monarchs They must all stoop to him all Nations shall do him service And thus much of the Original and Extent of our Saviour's Kingly Office We pass forward 2dly The Administration of Christ's Kingly Government To the Administration of his Government But for the better understanding of this Point we must consider the Government of Christ's Kingdom under a double Acceptation And 't is 1 Vniversal over all the Creatures which the School-men call the Kingdom of his Power Whereby he orders and disposes all things and rules all the Creatures visible and invisible within this vast frame of the Vniverse For he governeth the highest Heavens and appoints the holy Angels his ministring Spirits their several Offices and Imployments He rules the lower Orbs causing Day and Night Heat and Cold Summer and Winter He governs the Air the Winds and Seas Storms and Tempests raising and calming them again how and when and where he pleases He rules the Earth and all the Inhabitants thereof so that those things which seem casual and contingent to us are order'd and brought to pass by his determinate Councel and Providence He exerciseth his Power and Authority in Hell over-ruling those unruly Powers of Darkness keeping that disorderly Rout under a certain kind of Government well known to himself but inconceivable to us or to them who are rul'd by it So that from the glorious Angels to the crawling Worms from the highest Heavens to the lowest Hell all the Creatures are within the Sphere and Compass of his absolute and indeed unlimited Jurisdiction But 2 And more Particularly He exerciseth his Dominion over the Church his Body and every particular Member thereof His Kingdom is founded in the Souls and Consciences of all true Believers where he reigns by his Word and Spirit directing them in the Ways of Godliness by his Grace that
by other Means and Methods For a few days before his Ascension into Heaven he gave Commissions to Matt. 28.19 20. and invested his Apostles and Disciples with Power and inspir'd them with Abilities to Preach this Doctrine of Salvation to and propagate it in the World And this was not the least Miracle in it that a few Persons of the lowest Extract slender Education and arm'd with no external Power the most of 'em being poor Mechanicks as Tent-makers Carpenters Fishermen and such like should be able to withstand all the Authority Wit Learning Policy and Eloquence of the greatest Monarchs Politicians and Philosophers on Earth and all the Devils and damned Spirits in Hell which were combin'd against them and in despight of Malice it self to establish a Religion which did so much check and control the Ambitions Interests Pleasures and Appetites of the greatest Princes and their Adherents and was so directly Opposite to the then Temper and Inclinations of Mankind that they must offer Violence to their dearest Lusts and deny themselves the sensual Enjoyment of their most ravishing and transporting Pleasures ere they could become Proselites to it And yet notwithstanding all these Obstacles the Apostles and Disciples of our Lord had wonderful Success in Establishing the Gospel triumphing over and trampling upon the greatest Oppositions and did defend it and its Excellent Author with the highest Manifestations of Zeal and Integrity tho' continual Reproaches and Contumelies Racks and Prisons Flames and Martyrdoms did await 'em in every place where they came For we 've a certain account from Ecclesiastical History that eleven of the twelve Apostles and many Thousands of the Primitive Christians suffer'd violent Deaths by the hands of those who persecuted them meerly for their Religion And what rational Motive could carry 'em through such an hazardous Imployment that Christians alone should seem so fond of sufferings that they forgot Humanity it self indured Torments and abode the Flames not only with Patience and Magnanimity but with joy For tho' this Christian Courage was lookt on by the most to be either the folly or Phrensie of a distemper'd Brain yet doubtless it could be no less than the absolute conviction of their Minds and Consciences of the Truth and certainty of the Doctrine which they deliver'd with a comfortable Prospect of those inconceivable Rewards which should await 'em in another World Thus Christianity has been always hitherto and shall be ever propagated by Arguments rather than Arms by submission and sufferings rather than force and Violence And has far beyond all humane conceit been attended with such wonderful Succcess and Prevalency without any kind of Power or Earthly Authority to back it and not so much as one Sword except that of St. Peter Matth. 27.52 53. for which our blessed Saviour severely reprov'd him has been drawn in the defence of it Insomuch that 't was impossible that any thing but Truth it self which has an Omnipotent and over-ruling force in it could by such weak and improbable Means and Methods have so soon subdu'd mankind to the Faith and obtain'd a Victory over the hearts of Men in so great a part of the World And thanks be to God our Religion has not only captivated a few of the Meaner sort but the greatest of all Ranks and degrees even Kings and Emperors have submitted to Christ's Scepter and many of 'em have become nursing Fathers of his Church The greatest Philosophers Orators Rhetoricians c. such were Justin Martyr Athenagoras Tertullian Origen Clemens Alexandrinus and many others who neither wanted Wit Learning Eloquence nor Authority to defend and maintain their Heathenish Principles and Opinions yet became Proselites to the Christian Faith and zealous Preachers and Defenders of it with their very Lives and Fortunes And to our great comfort and satisfaction our Religion rides on prosperously still to conquer Nations far remote and there have been few Ages since our Saviours Exhibition in the Flesh wherein the Boundaries of his Church have not been enlarg'd with new Productions 5 The Truth and Excellency of the Christian Religion is evicted and confirm'd By the Miraculous Effusions of God's holy Spirit upon the Apostles c. by the Miraculous Effusions and gracious Influences of God's Holy and Blessed Spirit according to Christ's promise concerning it Not only on the Day of Pentecost but in many thousand instances besides to the wonder and astonishment of all Beholders And tho' the most of the Apostles and Disciples of our Lord were men of very obscure Fortunes mean Capacities as I hinted before and altogether unskil'd in humane Learning yet they were furnish'd in a moment with such an extraordinary measure of inspir'd Wisdom and Knowledge Acts 2.2 c. Acts 10.44 that the greatest Doctors among the the Jews and Philosophers among the Gentiles stood in a Maze at them were baffl'd and overcome by the Dint of their Arguments and afterwards became zealous Champions for the Defence and active Instruments in the Propagation of the Gospel All which Gifts were bestow'd by the Spirit of God for their perfect Guidance and Instruction for their Support and Comfort in the great Temptations and Pressures which they underwent and to inable 'em to convince the obstinate and unbelieving Jews and Gentiles of their Legal and Heathenish Superstitions and to convert them from their Sins and Errors to the Belief and Practice of this Excellent Religigion of the holy and Eternal Jesus 6 Upon the first publishing and promulgation of the Gospel By silencing the Heathen Oracles at our Saviours coming into the World all the Heathen Oracles were silenc'd cleombrotus Demetrius c. as Plutarch relates tho' they had been formerly very zealous Champions for them yet at Christ's coming in the Flesh they neither could nor durst speak one Word in the defence of them Ablata est Pythii Vox haud revocabilis ulli Temporibus longis Eternim jam cessit Apollo Clavibus occlusus silet ergo ritè peractis Discedens Patriae redeas ad lumina sacris Porphyr Vt citatur Lib. 5. Cap. 8. Eus de Preparat Evangelicâ Vltima Cumaei venit jam Carminis aetas Magnus ab integro seclorum nascitur Ordo Virg. Eccl. Sybils Oracles then drew their last breath and in them all others On which the same Poet sweetly Jam redit Virgo redeunt Saturnia Regna Jam nova Progenies Coelo demittitur alto And the Devil himself who was the Father and Founder of all those illusive Dreams and false Prophesies received a deadly Blow so that not only Christ himself has obtain'd an absolute Victory over him But all sincere Christians of which more fully afterwards thro' the assistance of his Grace are more then Conquerors over him and all his Agents 7 The Christian Religion in the New Omnia quae Scriptae sunt ad unum Christum referuntur nec saepit vetâ—â— scripturae nisi Christus in ea intelligatur Aug. in Ps 51. Id. in