like Speculations whose End is to dive into the Manner how those things are done which God has revealed to us thereby give Rise to the most considerable Difficulties of our Incredulous Adversaries who heap up all those humane Speculations together the better to impugn the Foundations of Religion it self or else rashly conclude from those vain Disputes of humane Curiosity that Religion has nothing of Certainty or Solidity in it But we shall easily confute both the Errour and Injustice of those Un believers Faith is assaulted by two sorts of Enemies 1 st The Incredulous who impugn it on that side on which it is most clear and evident and 2 ly The Inconsiderate and Curious who have no regard to its sacred Obscurity so that we have here those who deny all things and those who will know all things You will do well to shew those curious inconsiderate Men that they are mistaken and think not that their being convinc'd of the Uselessness of their nice Distinctions can do any prejudice at all to Religion because an unseasonable Curiosity is no less contrary to the Genius of Religion and the Nature of Faith than Scepticism and Incredulity V. This Curiosity is inseparably attended with Rashness and it is impossible to express into what strange Excesses both of them have insensibly brought Men. To confirm this we shall only set down one necessary Example and that is of the Trinity and Incarnation one of the most profound and unsearchable Mysteries of our Religion In this Curiosity has induced Men to exceed the Bounds of Revelation and Rashness has obliged them not to believe it The Scripture teaches us that there is but one God and one Mediatour It assures us also that Jesus Christ is God that he thought it no robbery to be equal with God that he made the World Time and all things therein It ascribes to him all the Attributes the Works and the Names of the Deity his Power his Wisdom his Eternity Immensity c. It further assures us that the Holy Ghost is God It asserts that those Three are One. It commands Baptism in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost It speaks of the Father Son and Holy Ghost as of Three Persons And why should we not rest satisfied with this 'T is because the Pride of Men thinks fit it should be otherwise I do not know or I do not understand are Confessions so terrible to them that there is nothing they won't invent to avoid them They are desirous to know how three Persons can subsist in one and the same Essence They tell us of Modes and Relations of modal and formal Distinctions of absolute and relative Entities c. They assert that the divine Intellect produced the Word and that the Holy Ghost is the uncreated production of the Divine Will and a thousand other things of this kind which if certain at least are not revealed And why all these Distinctions and Subtilties Unless they would make us comprehend a Mystery God is resolved shall remain the incomprehensible Object of our Faith Others displeased with those Scholastick Speculations are so impious as to attempt to destroy that Mystery which they cannot conceive either by utterly rejecting those places of Scripture which mention it or if they receive them by putting such a forced Interpretation upon them that the Holy Ghost must needs have had a design to deceive us if he meant what such Teachers would have him Thus for instance this place of Scriptnre Before Abraham was I am signifies according to the Socinians before the Prophecy contained in the Name of Abraham was fulfilled and before he became the Father of all Nations I am So they say this Text Glorify me with the Glory which I had with thee before the World was John 17. 5. imports as much as Glorify me with the Glory thou hadst resolved to honour me with And this other The same was in the beginnning and all things were made by him that is as they interpret it he was before the time of John the Baptist and by him all things were done in the Church But to what end do they invent those Niceties so contrary to the Gospel Simplicity and Truth 'T is doubtless on purpose to make void the effect of those sacred Obscurities which God has dispersed throughout his Mysteries and to save those by Humane Wisdom whom God designed to bless with Life eternal through the Foolishness of preaching as Men first called it VI. We may add Superstition to this irregular Curiosity and rashness of the Mind which arises by little and little from the Passions endeavouring to hide themselves or avoid by vain Pretexts the Mortification of Repentance and shift off the severe Injunctions of Christian Morality and to that end they employ Man in some unprofitable bodily Exercises or else wholly fix his Mind upon some carnal Worship Superstition is no sooner thus insensibly formed but it thrusts it self into Credit and as it were claims a privilege of Freedom in Religion So that the most prodigious Whymsies and Imaginations of the former are confusedly hudled together with the most sacred Mysteries of the latter and then there are no Absurdities so extravagant that human Passions suggest but what the Incredulous immediately take hold on as Instruments wherewith they attack the Foundations of Religion which is in some respect as it were infected with them And such is the Folly of Men that they will needs save all or lose all For if you go about to destroy Superstition you are then immediately condemned for being an Enemy to Christianity And if you endeavour to maintain the Glory and Holiness of Christianity Men expect you should too in some manner defend the absurd Extravagances of Superstition But our Design of writing in behalf of the Christians in general suffers us not to make any Application of this at present It is enough if the Position we advance be certainly true as will fully appear by the Examples as may be sought of it elsewhere and which 't is no difficult matter for any Man to find out We shall therefore rest contented to assert in that respect that the Multiplicity of Sects which so miserably divide the Christian Church amongst Men and on whose Account the Name of our common Lord and Master is so frequently Blasphemed among Infidels solely springs from these Three Principles viz. An irregular Curiosity a Rashness of the Mind and Superstition and these Three Principles themselves proceed from a more antient Original which is the Disorder and Irregularity of our Passions Now to demand why God permits such a multitude of Sects and different Religions to reign amongst Men is just as if one should ask why God suffers Wicked Men to live in the World For he that permits the Licentiousness of the Passions necessarily suffers the natural Effects and infallible Consequences of them VII This being granted we cannot doubt but that Philosophy it self is another Source of
one another and so to become Subjects of the same Heavenly King they renounced then all their differences and quarrels the dear expectation they had of their Messias stifling in their hearts all Passions and Resentments But when John the Baptist had as it were led them by the Hand to Jesus Christ himself they were strangely surprised to find in him nothing of what they expected They found in him Poverty where they thought to have found Riches Shame and Afflictions where they thought to have met nothing but great Splendor and Temporal Glory For this Reason therefore they rejected him with Horrour and Abomination all their thoughts being on a sudden changed into indignation and anger against him in whom before they had fixed all their imaginary hopes But tho' the generality of his Nation cast him off there were yet a certain number of persons who were willing to follow him and that number daily increased in proportion as Jesus Christ's sufferings and afflictions increased There were at first but twelve whom he called to his Service Then sent he seventy others abroad who were succeeded by a great may others after his Death And their number further increasing with the fury of the Sanhedrin there were at length many seen who testify'd in behalf of that crucified man But how come those Disciples to follow a Messias so contrary to their first Ideas and receiv'd opinions How is it possible they should not have been discouraged at his Cross unless Jesus Christ had promised them to do signs and wonders How could they have been with him night and day for three Years and an half without inquiring into that important matter of fact or knowing whether he were really able to do Miracles or not Or how is it possible when they found their mistake that Jesus Christ was but an ordinary sort of a man uncapable of working any signs or wonders they should not have forsaken him as a Whymsical Impostor How could their minds be so suddenly changed as to look on Humiliation and Meanness Misery and Afflictions as upon the true and real Character of the Messias they I say whose minds Education had filled only with carnal Ideas of the flourishing Kingdom of the Messias But above all how could they be present at the Crucifixion of their Master without being reduced to the last greatest Consternation and Confusion So that the second Consequence which may very well be drawn from these principles already established is that the Disciples having always imagined with their Fathers and Mothers their Brothers and Sisters their Teachers and Elders and in general with their whole Nation that their Messias should have restored the Kingdom of Israel and having understood those words in a literal sense it is impossible but that they should be extreamly offended to see him wearing a Crown of Thorns upon his Head when he was nailed on the Cross and a Reed instead of a Scepter in his Hand Nay more than this 't is morally impossible but that this object must have rooted out of their Hearts all thoughts of Pride and Ambition and all pretensions to Greatness and Temporal Prosperity which their Blindness had caused them to conceive upon this mans account unless there had happened since his Death such supernatural and extraordinary things as were able to revive in their Heart such great hopes as these Thirdly We shall conclude from the Principles we have already established that the Disciples as well as all other Jews being as it were ty'd to their Religion by what they had Seen and Heard by their Inclination and Vnderstanding by their Interest and Piety by their Customs and Education and by the Advantage wherewith they might well flatter themselves of being distinguished from all other Nations of the World and being further as it were wedded to it by that great number of Ceremonies and Customs the Justice and Holiness of which they could no way doubt of since they had been so exactly prescribed them by the Law of God himself it cannot be supposed but that they imagined their Law to be of an eternal Duration and that being extreamly averse to every new sort of Worship which was contrary to that of Moses they could not have so suddenly altered their opinion nor could there have happened so strange a revolution in the Hearts and Minds of so many persons united and as it were link'd by so many respects to the Law of Moses that in so small a period of time the Souls of all those Jews should have been so entirely changed as that they should begin to look upon the Jewish Religion as upon a Dispensation granted with a proviso and which was to come to an end and for the future be considered only as a thing altogether useless and out of Date I confess that this principle was not first of all approved of in the World without great contest and difficulty and that there were for a while certain Judaising Christians who taught others that the Law of Moses was still in force and that it was necessary to Salvation to joyn the Doctrine of Jesus Christ with the Ceremonies of the Law But then it is well known they were only either some of Christ's Enemies who started these questions out of a particular design to make a division in the Christian Church or some Jews turned Christians as yet very weak and not fully strengthened in their belief whose scrupulous Zeal and blind Superstition caused all those Controvesies But however 't is evident that the true Disciples of Jesus Christ and especially the Apostles were not long in an errour as to this point They affirmed that men were justify'd only by the Faith of Jesus Christ without the works of the Law And 't is manifest that in the first Council held at Jerusalem the Disciples of our Lord abolished the Customs and Rites of the Ceremonial Law But at last it is of no great moment whether the Ceremonial Law or Religion of Moses was abolished ten years sooner or later Still it is certain that it was sometimes abolished or rather to speak more exactly and truly it was fulfilled by the Gospel and so the observation of it ceased Now I demand how it is possible that those men who were so devoted and bigotted to that Law who made it the object of their thoughts and most common discourse should so great a number of them and in so short a time with one common consent renounce that Law which Piety made so venerable and Honour and Interest so valuable in their Esteem Whereas so many ages elapsed before the coming of Jesus Christ into the World could not wear out of their minds that profound esteem and respect they had for that Law For tho' they had often broke it in several respects yet it may be said in their behalf they almost always look'd upon it as inviolable And can we suppose that so many ages as have passed since the Death of Jesus Christ could not remove
be here if thou wilt let us make here three Tabernacles What a strange piece of stupidity was this and how well does it appear how incapable such gross and ignorant Men were of entertaining the least Design of imposing upon others Besides what makes St. Matthew relate this Circumstance What Honour could accrue thereby to Peter and how could it of itself enter into his mind Vers 16. And I brought him to thy Disciples and they could not cure him In this passage appears the Evangelists sincerity For nothing else could have obliged him to relate that Circumstance or make him so freely own the defects and want of Faith in a Society he himself was a Member of Chap. XVIII 3. Verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little Children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven That Children should be so simple no Man ought to wonder because their want of knowledge is a pure effect of their Age but that even Men should be obliged to return from the most refined Notions of worldly policy from that sinful cunning and dexterity so often seen in them to a State of a Holy and Amiable Sincerity That they should at once become simple and prudent righteous and religiously wise is such a thing that Men are wholly unacquainted with and which discovers to us both the greatness and highest perfection of that Person who taught Men a Doctrine so sublime and elevated Vers 4. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little Child the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven How different are these Notions from the common ones of Men How different is the Kingdom of Heaven from all worldly Empire And how well does it appear that such surprising maxims as these could not possibly proceed from the mind of Man Vers 9. And if thy Eye offend thee pluck it out c. By the Eyes here are to be understood our darling Sins or whatever else is dear to us So that Christ hereby teaches us that we ought to sacrifice to the glory of God whatever we dearly prize and value most Did ever any teacher less flatter mens vanity Vers 22. I say not unto thee until seven times but until seventy times seven This is a certain number made use of for an uncertain one which signifies that we must continually forgive that Mercy has no bounds and that Charity cannot be limited Who does not see that such a concern to unite all Hearts together to banish all misunderstanding amongst Men in giving so vast a latitude to Charity and Mercy can proceed from none but him that was Master of all Hearts and the common Father of Mankind Chap. XXI 43. Therefore say I unto you the Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the Fruits thereof This is indeed a very express prediction of the Calling of the Gentiles Vers 46. But when they thought to lay hands on him they feared the multitude because they held him for a Prophet What could be so remarkable in Jesus Christ that he should be taken for a Prophet but the efficacy of his Doctrine and the Miracles whereby he confirmed it Chap. XXIII 36 37. Verily I say unto you all these things shall come upon this Generation O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest c. Here the Destruction of Jerusalem is very plainly set down Chap. XXIV 28. For wheresoever the Carcass is there will the Eagles be gathered together The Body of Christ crucified was the Carcass and the Roman Standards where the Eagles which were to fall upon the City of Jerusalem where the Carcass was Vers 34. Verily I say unto you this Generation shall pass till all these things be fulfilled The same Reflexions must be made in this place as we have made above Chap. XXVI 13. Verily I say unto you wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole World there shall also this that this Woman hath done be told for a memorial of her A Prophecy that has been sufficiently fulfiled Vers 28. For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of Sins Did ever any Man act or speak after so unheard of and surprising a manner Can we find a Man who not only foretells his sufferings but also establishes before-hand some memorial of a Death he might easily have avoided And who but Christ ever took upon him to shed his Blood for the Remission of the Sins of Mankind Vers 38 39. Then saith he unto them my Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto Death c. And he went a little further and fell on his Face and prayed saying O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass away from me T is easie to explain what this exceeding Sorrow and Agony was yet it must be confessed that it presents us at first view with an Object very surprising and that it can't be imagined that those Men whose chief Design was to invent such things as should be most for their Masters Honour should yet give us such a Description of his Sufferings At least we find here the sincerity of the Disciples which sincerity shews us that we ought without scruple to receive the rest of their Relations Chap. XXVII 42. He saved others himself he cannot save if he be the King of Israel let him now come down from the Cross and we will believe him By this Text it appears that Christ passed for a Person that had performed several Miracles Vers 45. Now from the sixth Hour there was darkness over all the Land unto the ninth Hour How is it possible they could have made a whole City believe such a thing were it not true Vers 51 52 53. And behold the vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom and the Earth did quake and the Rocks rent and the Graves were opened c. How could St. Matthew have persuaded Men to such things as these against their own knowledge to the contrary Could the Vail of the Temple or the Rocks be rent could the Earth quake and the Graves open and yet the Jews know nothing of it To whom did the Evangelist relate all these things He wrote them before the Destruction of Jerusalem nay in the days of the Apostles themselves and consequently in a time when there were several thousands of People still living that could witness the Truth of them How then could he so much as imagin he could deceive so many Witnesses concerned in the business to whom he preached these things and whom he designed to bring over to his Party nay some of whom had already embraced the Gospel and formed a very numerous and considerable Church at Jerusalem where all these things had happened and where he attempted to perswade others to the belief of them CHAP. VII Wherein we shall further produce out of the other Gospels several Places very proper to make us truly sensible of