language though it be asserted by some antient writers of the Church is very questionable chiefly upon this account that a sufficient reason cannot be assigned of undertaking a new translation at Alexandria if there had been any extant before Especially if all those circumstances of that translation be true which are commonly received and delivered down to us with almost an unanimous consent of the persons who had greater advantages of knowing the certainty of such things then we can have at this great distance of time And therefore certainly every petty conjecture of some modern though learned men ought not to bear sway against so unanimous a tradition in a matter of fact which cannot be capable of being proved but by the testimony of former ages And it is somewhat strange that the single testimony of one Hermippus in Diogenes Laertius whose age and authority is somewhat doubtful concerning only one particular referring to Demetrius Phalcrous should be thought of force enough among persons of judgement as well as learning to infringe the credibility of the whole story delivered with so much consent not only by Christian but Iewish writers the testimony of one of which every whit as considerable as Hermippus viz. Aristobulus Iudaeus a Peripatetical Philosopher in an Epistle to Ptolomy Philometor doth plainly assert that which was so much questioned concerning Demetrius Phalereus But whatever the truth of all the particular circumstances be which I here enquire not after nor the authority of that Aristeus from whom the story is received nor whether this translation was made by Iews sent out of Iudea or by Iews residing at Alexandria it sufficeth for our purpose that this translation was made before either the Chaldaean Dynasties of Bâ—rosus or the Aegyptian of Manetho were published to the World In order to which it is necessary to shew in what time this translation was effected and herein that channel of tradition which conveyes the truth of the thing in one certain course runs not with so even a stream concerning the exact time of it all indeed agree that it was about the time of Ptolomaeus Philadelphus but in what years of his raign is very dubious Ioseph Scaliger who hath troubled the waters so much concerning the particular circumstances of this translation yet fully agrees that it was done in the time of Ptolomaeus Philadelphus only he contends with Africanus that it should be done in the 132. Olympiad which is in the 33. year of Ptolomaeus Philadelphus but Eusebius and Ierom place it in the very beginning of his raign which I think is far more probable and that in the time when Ptolomaeus Philadelphus raigned with his Father Ptolomaeus Lagi for so it is most certain he did for two years before his Fathers death By which means the great difficulty of Scaliger concerning Demetrius Phalereus is quite taken off for Hermippus speaks nothing of Demetrius his being out of favour with Philadelphus during his Fathers life but that upon his fathers death he was banished by him and dyed in his banishment so that Demetrius might have the oversight of the Library at Alexandria and be the main instrument of promoting this translation and yet those things be after true which Hermippus speaks viz. when Ptolomaeus Lagi or Soter was now dead For it stands not to reason that during his Fathers life Philadelphus should discover his displeasure against Demetrius it being conceived upon the advice given to his Father for preserring the sons of Arsinoe to the Crown before the son of Berenice Most likely therefore it is that this translation might be begun by the means of Demetrius Phalereus in the time of Philadelphus his raigning with his Father but it may be not finished till after the death of Soter when Philadelphus raigned alone And by this now we can perfectly reconcile that difference which is among the Fathers concerning the time when this translation was made For Irenaeus attributes it to the time of Ptolomaeus Lagi Clemens Alexandrinus questions whether in the time of Lagi or Philadelphus the rest of the Chorus carry it for Philadelphus but the words of Anatolius in Eusebius cast it fully for both for there speaking of Aristobulus he saith he was one of the seventy who interpreted the Scriptures to Ptolomaeus Philadelphus and his Father and dedicated his Commentaries upon the Law to both those Kings Haec sane omnem scrupulum eximunt saith Vossius upon producing this testimony this puts it out of all doubt and to the same purpose speaks the learned Iesuite Petavius in his notes on Epiphanius Having thus far cleared the time when the Translation of the Scriptures into Greck was made we shall find our conjecture much strengthened by comparing this with the age of the fore-mentioned Historians Manetho and Berosus Manetho we have already made appear to have lived in the time of Ptolomaeus Philadelphus and that saith Vossius after the death of Soter It is evident from what remains of him in Eusebius his Chronica that he not only flourished in the time of Philadelphus but writ his history at the special command of Philadelphus as manifestly appears by the remaining Epistle of Manetho to him still extant in Eusebius This command of Philadelphus might very probably be occasioned upon the view of that account which the Holy Scriptures being then translated into Greek did give of the world and the propagation of mankind upon which we cannot imagine but so inquisitive a person as Philadelphus was would be very earnest to have his curiosity satisfied as to what the Aegyptian Priests who had boasted so much of antiquity could produce to confront with the Scriptures Whereupon the task was undertaken by this Manetho High-Priest of Heliopolis whereby those things which the Aegyptian Priests had to that time kept secret in their Cloysters were now divulged and exposed to the judgement of the learned world but what satisfaction they were able to give inquisitive minds as to the main 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or matter enquired after may partly appear by what hath been said of Manetho already and by what shall be spoken of his Dynastyes afterwards But all this will not perswade Kircher for whatever Scaliger nay what Manetho himself says to the coutrary he with the confidence and learning of a Iesuite affirms that this Manetho is elder then Alexander the great For these are his words Frequens apud priscos historicos Dynaestiarum Aegyptiacarum fit mentio quarum tamen alium authorem non habemus nisi Manethonem Sebennytam Sacerdotem Aegyptium quem ante tempor a Alexandri quicquid dicat Scaliger in Aegypto floruisse comperio Certainly some more then ordinary evidence may be expected after so confident an affirmation but whatever that person be in other undertakings he is as unhappy a person in Philology as any that have pretended so much acquaintance with it One would think he that had been twenty years as
God or our selves that God should when it pleases him single out some instrument to manifest his will to the world our enquiry then leads us to those things which may be proper notes and characters of such a person who is imployed on so high an Embassy And those are chiefly these two if his actions be such as could not flow from the power of meer natural causes and if the things he reveals be such as could not proceed from any created understanding First then for his actions these striking most upon our outward senses when they are any thing extraordinary do transmit along with the impressions of them to the understanding an high opinion of the person that does them Whereas the meer height of knowledge or profoundness of things discovered can have no such present power and influence upon any but such as are of more raised and inquisitive minds And the world is generally more apt to suspect its self deceived with words then it can be with actions and hence Miracles or the doing of things above the reach of nature hath been alwayes embraced as the greatest testimony of Divine authority and revelation For which there is this evident reason that the course of nature being setled by divine power and every thing acting there by the force of that power it received at first it seems impossible that any thing should really alter the series of things without the same power which at first produced them This then we take for granted that where ever such a power appears there is a certain evidence of a Divine presence going along with such a person who enjoyes it And this is that which is most evident in the actions of Moses both as to the Miracles he wrought both in Aegypt and the Wilderness and his miraculous deliverance of the Israelites out of Aegypt this latter being as much above the reach of any meerly civil power as the other above natural We therefore come to the rational evidence of that divine authority whereby Moses acted which may be gathered from that divine power which appeared in his actions which being a matter of so great weight and importance it being one of the main bases whereon the evidence of divine revelation as to us doth stand and withall of so great difficulty and obscurity caused through the preferring some parties in Religion above the common interest of it it will require more care and diligence to search what influence the power of miracles hath upon the proving the Divine Commission of those who do them Whether they are such undoubted credentials that where ever they are produced we are presently to receive the persons who bring them as extraordinary Embassadors from heaven imployed on some peculiar message to the sons of men For the full stating of this important question two things must be cleared First In what cases miracles may be expected as credentials to confirm an immediate commission from heaven Secondly What rational evidence do attend those miracles to assure us they are such as they pretend to be First For the cases wherein these miracles are to be expected as inducements to or confirmations of our faith concerning the Divine imployment of any persons in the world And here I lay down this as a certain foundation that a power of miracles is not constantly and perpetually necessary in all those who mannage the affairs of Heaven here on earth or that act in the name of God in the world When the doctrine of faith is once setled in sacred records and the divine revelation of that doctrine sufficiently attested by a power of miracles in the revealers of it What imaginable necessity or pretext can there be for a contrived power of miracles especially among such as already own the Divine revelation of the Scriptures To make then a power of working miracles to be constantly resident in the Church of God as one of the necessary notes and characters of it is to put God upon that necessity which common nature is freed from viz. of multiplying things without sufficient cause to be given for them and to leave mens faith at a stand when God hath given sufficient testimony for it to rely upon It is a thing too common and easie to be observed that some persons out of their eagerness to uphold the interest of their own party have been fain to establish it upon such grounds which when they are sufficiently searched to the bottom do apparently undermine the common and sure foundations whereon the belief of our common Christianity doth mainly stand It were easie to make a large discourse on this subject whereby we may rip open the wounds that Christianity hath received through the contentions of the several parties of it but this imputation cannot with so much reason be fastened on any party as that which is nailed to a pretended infallible chair for which we need no other instance then this before us For while the leaders of that party make a power of miracles to be a necessary note of the true Church they unavoidably run men upon this dangerous precipice not to believe any thing as a matter of faith where they find not sufficient miracles to convince them that is the true Church which propounds it to them Which necessarily follows from their acknowledged principles for it being impossible according to them to believe any thing with a divine faith but what is propounded by the Church as an infallible guide and it being impossible to know which is this infallible guide but by the notes and characters of it and one of those notes being a power of miracles I cannot find out my guide but by this power and this power must be present in the Church for nothing of former ages concerning faith as the Miracles of Christ his resurrection c. is to be believed but on the Churches account and therefore where men do not find sufficient conviction from present miracles to believe the Church to be an infallible guide they must throw off all faith concerning the Gospel for as good never a whit as never the better And therefore it is no wonder Atâ—eism should be so thriving a plant in Italy nay under if not within the walls of Rome it self where inquisitive persons do daily see the juglings and impostures of Priests in their pretended miracles and from thence are brought to look upon Religion its self as a meer imposture and to think no Pope so infallible as he that said Quantum nobis profuit haec de Christo fabula Such horrid consequences do men drive others if not bring themselves to when they imploy their parts and industry rather to uphold a corrupt interest then to promote the belief of the acknowledged principles of Christian faith But as long as we assert no necessity of such a power of miracles to be the note of any true Church nor any such necessity of an infallible guide but that the miracles wrought by
it to attest the truth of such things by any real miracles For so it would invalidate the great force of the evidences of the truth of Christianity if the same argument should be used for the proving of that which in the judgement of any impartial person was not delivered when the truth of the doctriâ—e of Christ was confirmed by so many and uncontrouled miracles But hereby we see what unconceivable prejudice hath been done to the true primitive doctrine of the Gospel and what stumbling-blocks have been laid in the way of considerative persons to keep them from embracing the truly Christian faith by those who would be thought the infallible directors of men in it by making use of the broad-seal of Heaven set only to the truth of the Scriptures to confirm their unwritten and superstitious ways of worship For if I once see that which I looked on as an undoubted evidence of divine power brought to attest any thing directly contrary to divine revelation I must either conclude that God may contradict himself by sealing both parts of a contradiction which is both blasphemous and impossible or that that society of men which own such things is not at all tender of the honour of Christain doctrine but seeks to set up an interest contrary to it and matters not what disadvantage is done to the grounds of Râ—ligion by such unworthy pretences and which of these two is more rational and true let every ones conscience judge And therefore it is much the interest of the Christian world to have all such frauds and impostures discovered which do so much disservice to the Christian faith and are such secret fomenters of Atheism and Infidelity But how far that promise of our Saviour that they which believe in his name shall cast out Devils and do many miracles may extend even in these last ages of the world to such generous and primitive-spirited Christians who out of a great and deep sense of the truth of Christianity and tenderness to the souls of men should go among Heathens and Infidels to convert them only to Christ and not to a secular interest under pretence of an infallible head is not here a place fully to enquire I confess I cannot see any reason why God may not yet for the conviction of Infidels employ such a power of miracles although there be not such necessity of it as there was in the first propagation of the Gospel there being some evidences of the power of Christianity now which were not so clear then as the overthrowing the Kingdom of Satan in the world the prevailing of Christianity notwithstanding force used against it the recovâ—ry of it from amidst all the corruptions which were mixed with it the consent of those parties in the common foundations of Christianity which yet disagreâ— froâ— each other with great bitternâ—ss of spirit though I say it be not of that necessity now when the Scriptures are convâ—yed to us in a certain uninterrupted manner yet God may please out of his abundant provision for the satisfaction of the minds of men concerning the truth of Christian doctrine to employ good men to do something which may manifest the power of Christ to be above the Dâ—vils whom they worship And therefore I should far sooner believe the relation of the miracles of Xaverius and his Brethren employed in the conversion of Infidels then Lipsius his Virgo Hallensis and Asprecollis could it but be made evident to me that the design of those persons had more of Christianity then Popery in it that is that they went more upon a design to bring the souls of the Infidels to heaven then to enlarge the authority and jurisdiction of the Roman Church But whatever the truth of those miracles or the design of those persons were we have certain and undoubted evidence of the truth of those miracles whereby Christianity was first propagated and the Kingdom of Satan overthrown in the world Christ thereby making it appear that his power was greater then the Devils who had possession because he overcame him took from him all his armour wherein he trusted and divided his spoils i. e. dispossâ—ssed him of mens bodies and his Idolatrous Temples silenced his Oracles nonplust his Magicians and at last when Christianity had overcome by suffering wrested the worldly power and Empire out of the Devils hands and employed it against himself Neither may we think because since that time the Devil hath got some ground in the world again by the large spread of Mahometism the general corruptions in the Christian world that therefore the other was no argument of divine power because the truth of Christianity is not tyed to any particular places because such a falling away hath been foretold in Scripture and therefore the truth of them is proved by it and because God himself hath threatned that those who will not receive the truth in the love of it shall be given up to strong de'usions Doth not this then in stead of abating the strength of the argument confirm it more and that nothing is fallen out in the Christian world but what was foretold by those whom God employed in the converting of it But we are neither without some fair hopes even from that divine revelation which was sealed by uncontrouled evidence that there may be yet a time to come when Christ will recover his Churches to their pristine purity and simplicity but withall I think we are not to measure the future felicity of the Church by outward splendor and greatness which too many so strongly fancy but by a recovery of that true spirit of Christianity which breathed in the first ages of the Church whatever the outward condition of the Church may be For if worldly greatness and ease and riches were the first impairers of the purity of Christian Religion it is hard to conceive how the restoring of the Church of Christ to its true glory can be by the advancing of that which gives so great an occasion to pride and sensuality which are so contrary to the design of Christian Religion unless we suppose men free from those corruptions which continual experience still tells the world the Rulers as well as members of the Christian society are subject to Neither may that be wonderd at when such uneveness of parts is now discovered in the great Luminaries of the world and the Sun himself is found to have his maculae as though the Sun had a purple feaver or as Kiroher expresseth it Ipse Phoebus qui rerum omnium in universo naturae Theatro aspectabilium longè pulcherrimus omnium opinione est habitus hoc seculo tandem fumosa facie ac infecto vultu maculis prodiit diceres eum variolis laborare senescentem I speak not this as though an outward flourishing condition of the Church were inconsistent with its purity for then the way to refine it were to throw it into the flames of persecution but that
of Nabonasser Which if we should be so greedy of all empty conjectures which tend to our purpose as to take them for truths would be a very strong evidence of the falshood and vanity of the Chaldeans in their great pretences to antiquity But as the case stands in reference to their history we finde more evidence from Scripture to assert their just antiquity then ever they are able to produce out of any undoubted records of their own Which yet hath been endeavoured by an Author both of some credit and antiquity the true Berosus not the counterfeit of Annius whose vizard we shall have occasion to pull off afterwards This Berosus was as Iosephus and Tatianus assure us a Priest of Belus and a Babylonian born but afterwards flourished in the isle of Co and was the first who brought the Chaldean Astrology in request among the Greeks in honour to whose name and memory the Athenians who were never backward in applauding those who brought them the greatest news especially i suitable to their former superstition erected a statue for him with a guilded tongue A good emblem of his history which made a fair and specious shew but was not that within which it pretended to be especially where he pretends to give an account of the most antient times and reckons up his two Dynastyes before the time of Belus but of them afterwards It cannot be denyed but some fragments of his history which have been preserved from ruine by the care and industry of Iosephus Tatianus Eusebius and others have been very useful not only for proving the truth of the history of Scripture to the heathens but also for illustrating some passages concerning the Babylonian Empire as making Nabopolasser the Father of Nebucadonosor of which Scaliger hath fully spoken in his notes upon his fragments Far be it from me to derogate any thing even from prophane histories where they do not enterfere with the Sacred history of Scripture and it is certainly the best improvement of these to make them draw water to the Sanctuary and to serve as smaller Stars to conduct us in our way when we cannot enjoy the benefit of that greater light of Sacred history But that which I impeach these prophane histories of is only an insufficiency as to that account of antient times wherein they are so far from giving light to Sacred records that the design of setting of them up seems to be for casting a cloud upon them Which may seem somewhat the more probable in that those monstrous accounts of the Aegyptian and Chaldean Dynastyes did never publickly appear in the world in the Greek tongue till the time that our Sacred records were translated into Greek at Alexandria For till that time when this authentick history of the world was drawn forth from its privacy and retirement being as it were lookt up before among the Israelites at Iudea into the publick notice of the world about the time of Ptolomaeus Philadelphus these vain pretenders to antiquity thought not themselves so much concerned to stand up for the credit of their own Nations For till that time the onedulous world not being acquainted with any certain report of the creation and propagation of the world was apt to swallow any thing that was given forth by those who were had in so great esteem as the Chaldean and Aegyptian Priests were Because it was supposed that those persons who were freed from other avocations had more leasure to inquire into these things and because of their mysterious hiding what they had from the vulgar were presumed to have a great deal more then they had But now when the Sun of righteousness was approaching this Horizon of the world and in order to that the Sacred history like the day-star was to give the world notice of it by which the former shadows and mists began to fly away it concerned all those whose interest lay in the former ignorance of mankind as much as they could to raise all their ignes fatui and whatever might tend to obscure that approaching light by invalidating the credit of that which came to bespeak its acceptance It is very observable to consider what gradations and steps there were in the world to the appearance of that grand light which came down from heaven to direct us in our way thither how the world not long before was awakened into a greater inquisitiveness then ever before how knowledge grew into repute and what methods divine providence used to give the inquisitive world a taste of Truth at present to stay their stomacks and prepare them for that further discovery of it afterwards In order to this that Nation of the Iews which was an inclosed garden before was now thrown open and many of the plants removed and set in forraign Countries not only in Babylon where even after their return were left three famous Schools of learning Sora Pombeditha and Neharda but in Aegypt too where multitudes of them by Alexanders favour were setled at Alexandria where they had opportunity to season those two great fountains whence the current of knowledge ran into the rest of the world And now it was not in Iewry only that God was known but he whose name was great in Israel did make way for the knowledge of himself among all the Nations of the earth And that allwise God who directed the Magi by a star to Christ making use of their former skill in Astronomy to take notice of that star which came now on a peculiar errand to them to lead them to their Saviour The great God condescending so far to mankind as to take advantage of particular inclinations and to accommodate himself to them for which purpose it is very observable that he appeared in another way to the Wisemen then to the poor Shepherds the same God made use of the curiosity and inquisitiveness after knowledge which was in Ptolomaeus Philadelphus which he is so much applauded for by Athenaeus and others to bring to light the most advantageous knowleage which the world ever had before the coming of Christ in the slesh And that great Library of his erecting at Alexandria did never deserve that title till it had lodged those Sacred records and then it did far better then the old one of Osymanduas of which Historians tells us this was the Inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The shop of the souls Physick But this being a matter of so much concernment in order to our better understanding the original of these vast accounts of time among the Chaldaeans and Aegyptians and a subject not yet touched by any we shall a little further improve the probability of it by taking a more particular account of the time when the Scriptures were first translated and the occasion might thereby be given to these Aegyptians Chaldaeans to produce their fabulous account into the view of the world Whether the Scriptures had been ever before translated into the Greek
then these were Had there been any ground of suspicion concerning the design of Christ why could not the Iews prevail with Iudas to discover it as well as to betray his person Iudas had done but a good work if Christ had been such an impostor as the Iews blasphemously said he was what made Iudas then so little satisfied with his work that he grew weary of his life upon it and threw himself away in the most horrid despair No person certainly had been so fit to have been produced as a witness against Christ as Iudas who had been so long with him and had heard his speeches and observed his miracles but he had not patience enough to stay after that horrid fact to be a witness against him nay he was the greatest witness at that time for him when he who had betrayed him came to the Sanhedrim when consulting about his death and told them that he had sinned in betraying innocent blood What possible evidence could have been given more in behalf of our Saviour then that was when a person so covetous as to betray his Master for thirty pieces of silver was so weary of his bargain that he comes and throws back the money and declares the person innocent whom he had betrayed And this person too was such a one as knew our Saviour far better then any of the witnesses whom afterwards they suborned against him who yet contradicted each other and at last could produce nothing which in the judgement of the Heathen Governour could make him judge Christ worthy of death 3. The Apostles were freer from design then any counter-witness at that time could be we have already proved the Apostles could not possibly have any other motive to affirm what they did but full conviction of the truth of what they spake but now if any among the Iews at that time had asserted any thing contrary to the Apostles we have a clear account of it and what motive might induce them to it viz. the preserving of their honour and reputation with the people the upholding their traditions besides their open and declared enmity against Christ without any sufficient reason at all for it now who would believe the testimony of the Scribes and Pharisees who had so great authority among the people which they were like to lose if Christs doctrine were true before that of the Apostles who parted with all for the sake of Christ and ventured themselves wholly upon the truth of our Saviours doctrine 4. None ever did so much to attest the negative as the Apostles did to prove their fidelity as to the affirmative Had sufficient counter-witness been timely produced we cannot think the Apostles would have run so many continual hazards in Preaching the things which related to the person and actions of Christ. Did ever any lay down their lives to undeceive the world if the Apostles were guilty of abusing it 5. The number of such persons had been inconsiderable in comparison of those who were so fully perswaded of the truth of those things which concern our Saviour who were all ready as most of them did to seal the truth of them with their lives Whence should so many men grow so suddenly confident of the truth of such things which were contrary to their former perswasions interest education had they not been delivered in such a way that they were assured of the undoubted truth of them which brings me to the last proposition which is Matters of fact being first believed on the account of eye-witnesses and received with an universal and uncontrouled assent by all such persons who have thought themselves concerned in knowing the truth of them do yeild a sufficient foundation for a firm assent to be built upon I take it for granted that there is sufficient foundation for a firm assent where there can be no reason given to question the evidence which that there is not in this present case will appear from these following considerations 1. That the multitudes of those persons who did believe these things had liberty and opportunity to be satisfied of the truth of them before they believed them Therefore no reason or motive can be assigned on which they should be induced to believe these things but the undoubted evidence of truth which went along with them I confess in Mahumetisme a very great number of persons have for some centuries of years continued in the belief of the doctrine of Mahomet but then withall there is a sufficient account to be given of that viz. the power of the sword which keeps them in aw and strictly forbids all the followers of Mahomet to dispute their religion at all or compare it with any other Therefore I can no more wonder at this then I do to see so great a part of the world under the Tyranny of the greâ—t Turk Neither on the other side do I wonder that such a multitude of those professing Christianity should together with it believe a great number of erroneous doctrines and live in the practice of many gross superstitions because I consider what a strange prevalency education hath upon softer spirits and more easie intellectuals and what an aw an Inquisition bears upon timerous and irresolved persons But now when a great multitude of persons sober and inquisitive shall contrary to the principles of their education and without fear of any humane force which they beforehand see will persecute them and after diligent enquiry made into the grounds on which they believe for sake all their former perswasions and resolvedly adhere to the truth of the doctrine propounded to them though it cost them their lives if this give us not reason to think this doctrine true we must believe mankind to be the most miserable unhappy creatures in the world that will with so much resolution part with all advantages of this life for the sake of one to come if that be not undoubtedly certain and the doctrine proposing it infallibly true It is an observable circumstance in the propagation of Christian Religion that though God made choice at first of persons generally of mean rank and condition in the world to be Preachers of the Gospel God thereby making it appear that our faith did not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God and therefore chose the weak things of the world to confound the strong yet soon afâ—er the Gospel was preached abroad in the world we finde persons of great place and reputation of great parts and abilities engaged in the profession of the Christian faith In the History of the Acts we read of Sergius a Proconsul of Dionysius the Areopagite converted to the faith and in the following ages of the Church many persons of great esteem for their excellent learning and abilities such was Iustin Martyr one who before he became a Christian was conversant with all sects of Philosophers Stoicks Peripateticks Pythagoreans and at last was a professed Platonist till he
was converted from Plato to Christ and then found that true which he speaks of in his Dialogue with Trypho that after all his enquiries into Philosophy speaking of the doctrine of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I found this at last to be the only sure and profitable Philosophy And when Trypho after derides him as a man of very easie faith who would leave the doctrine of Plato for that of Christ for it seems by him the Iews then had a more favourable opinion of the state of Platonists then Christians Iustin is so far from being moved with such reproaches that he tells him he would undertake to demonstrate to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Christians did not give credit to empty fables and unprovable assertions but to such a doctrine as was full of a Divine spirit and power and flourished with grace The proving of which is the subject of that discourse At Alexandria we meet with a succession of excellent persons all which were not only embracers themselves but defenders of the Christian faith for setting aside there Abilius Iustus Cerdo Eumenes Marcus Celadion Agrippinus Iulianus Demetrius and others who flourished about the second Century I shall only fix on those persons who were famous enquirers after truth and noted for excellency in Heathen learning yet these persons after all their inquiries found nothing to fix on but the Christian faith and valued no other discovery of truth in comparison with that Such was Pantaenus who as Eusebius tells us was an excellent Stoick before he became a Christian and was after so eminent a one that in imitation of the Apostles he wenâ— into India to convert the inhabitants to the Christian faith and at his return was made Rector of the School at Alexandria which as the same author tells us was much frequented by such who were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well skild in humane as well as Divine learning How excellent Pantaenus was in humane learning may appear in that Origen and Hierome both make his example their plea for the studying of it After him succeeded Clemens Alexandrinus Pantaenus his Schollar a person of great depth of learning and exquisitly skild in all Heathen Antiquities as appears by his remaining writings The Learning of Origen is sufficiently known which was in such great reputation in his own time that not only Christians but Philosophers flocked to his Lectures at Alexandria as Eusebius tells us wherein he read the Mathematicks and other parts of Philosophy as well as the Scriptures and the same author informs us that the Philosophers did dedicate their books to him and sometimes chose him as arbitrator between them in matters of dispute and Porphyrie himself in his books against the Christians vouchsafed a high encomium of Origen for his excellent learning In Origens time Heraclas a Presbyter of Alexandria for five years together frequented the Schools of the Philosophers and put on the Philosophick pallium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and was very conversant in the books of the Grecian Learning Besides these we read of Pierius and Achillas two Presbyters of Alexandria who were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nicephorus Callistus speaks persons well skild in the Grecian learning and Philosophy If from Alexandria we go to Caesarea there we not only meet with a School of learning among the Christians but with persons very eminent in all kinds of learning such were the famous Pamphilus and Eusebius so great an admirer of him that ever since he is called Eusebius Pamphili At Antioch was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nicephorus speaks a person versed in all kind of ingenuous literature Anatclius Bishop of Laodicea one versed in Geometry Astronomy and all kind of Philosophy as well as in the doctrine of Christ. Thus we see how in those early dayes of the Greek Church what excellent persons many of those were who were zealous Professors of Christianity and concerning those of the Latin Church I shall only mention that speech of St. Austin who was himself an instance of the same nature and a star of the first magnitude among them Nonne aspicimus quanto auro argento vâ—ste sâ—ffarcinatus exierit de Aegypto Cyprianâ—s Doctor suavissimus Martyr beatissimus quanto Lactantius quanto Victorinus Optatus Hilarius ut de vivis taceam quanto innumerabiles Graeci quod prior ipse fidelissimus Dei servus Moses fecerat de quo Scriptum est quod eruditus fuerit omni sapientia Aegyptiorum To whose catalogue of learned persons among the Latin Christians Tertullian Arnobius and several others may be deservedly added But as St. Austin there well observes though the Israclites went rich out of Aegypt yet it was their eating the Passover which saved them from destruction so though these were accomplished with those perfections and riches of the soul the ornaments of learning yet it was their eating the true Passover which was Christ by their adhering to his doctrine was that which would be of more advantage to them then all their accomplishments would be Now then since in the first ages of the Christian Church we find not only innumerable multitudes of persons of great integrity and sobriety in their lives embracing the doctrine of Christ but so many persons that were curious enquirers after the truth of things we can certainly have no reason to distrust such a Testimony which was received in so unanimous a manner by persons as able to judge of the truth of things and as fearful of being deceived in reference to them as any now in the world can be 2. As this testimony was received by persons inâ—uisitive after the truth of things so the doctrine conveyed by it was a matter of the highest moment in the world and therefore we cannot conceive but persons ordinarily inquisitive about other things would be more then ordinarily so about this because their eternal welfare and happiness did depend upon it All persons that are truly religious must at least be allowed to be persons very inquisitive after the state and condition of their souls when they shall be dislodged from their bodyes And if we do but grant this can we in any reason think that such a multitude of persons in so many ages should continue venturing their souls upon a Testimony which they had no assurance of the truth of And that none of all these persons though men otherwise rational and judicious should be able to discover the falsity of that doctrine they went upon if at least any upon consideration of it can imagine it to be so It is not reconcileable with the general presumption of humane nature concerning Divine providence and the care God takes of the welfare of men to suffer so many persons who sincerely desire to serve God in the way which is most pleasing to him to go on in such a continual delusion and never have it at all discovered to them If all then who