particular or universal as infallibly inspired that is deprehended to be actually deceived in any Points she proposes to be believed as necessary Articles of Faith This is so plain that it wants no farther proof The sixteenth That the Moral and Humane Certainty of Faith is grounded upon the Certainty of Vniversal Tradition Prophecy History and the Nature of the things delivered Reason and Sense assisting the Minde in her Disquisitions touching these matters That Certainty of Faith I call Moral or Humane that is competible even to a carnal man or a man unregenerate as it is said of the Devils that they believe and tremble By Vniversal Tradition I understand such a Tradition as has been from the Apostles that is to say has been always since the completion of their Apostleships as well as in every place of the Church For since there was to be so general and so early a Degeneracy of the Church as is witnessed of in the Holy Scriptures the generality of the Votes of the Church was not alwaies a sufficient warrant of the truth of Tradition But those Truths that have been constantly held and unalterably from the Apostles times til now it is a sign that they were very Sacred unquestionable and assured Truths and so vulgarly and universally known and acknowledged that it was not in man's power to alter them By Prophecy I understand as well those Divine Predictions of the coming of Christ as those touching the Church after he had come By History I mean not onely that of the Bible and particularly the New Testament but other History as well Ecclesiastick as Prophane And what I mean by the Nature of the things delivered is best to be understood out of such Treatises as write of the Reasonableness of Christianity such as Dr. Hammond's and Mr. Baxter's late Book See also Dr. More 's Mystery of Godliness where the Reasonableness of our Christian Faith is more fully represented and plainly demonstrated * Book 7. chap. 9 10 11. that it has not been in the power of the Church to deceive us as touching the main Points of our Belief though they would The seventeenth That no Tradition is more universal and certain then the Tradition of the Authentickness of such Books of the Bible as all Churches are agreed upon to be Canonicall There can be no more certain nor universal Tradition then this in that it has the Testimony of the whole Church and all the parts thereof with one Consent though in other things they do so vehemently disagree Wherefore no Tradition can be of any comparable Autority to this And therefore we may set down for Conclusion The eighteenth That the Bible is the truest Ground of the Certainty of Faith that can be offered to our Understanding to rest in The Reason is because it is the most universal both for time and place the most unexceptionable and universally-acknowledged Tradition that is The nineteenth That the Bible or Holy Writ dictated by the Spirit of God that is written by Holy and Inspired men is sufficiently plain to an unprejudiced Capacity in all Points necessary to Salvation This must of necessity be true by Conclusion the seventh Otherwise the manner of Gods's revealing his Truth in the Holy Scriptures would be repugnant to the Divine Attributes and which were Blasphemy to utter he would seem unskilfully to have inspired the Holy Pen-men that is to say in such a way as were not at all accommodate to the end of the Scriptures which is the Salvation of mens Souls nor to have provided for the Recovering of the Church out of those gross Errours he both foresaw and foretold she would fall into The twentieth That the true and primarie Sense of Holy Scripture is Literal or Historicall unless in such Parts or Passages thereof as are intimated to be Parables or Visions writ in the Prophetick style or the literal Meaning be repugnant to rightly-circumstantiated Sense or natural Science c. For then it is a sign that the Place is to be understood Figuratively or Parabolically not Literally The truth of this appears out of the immediately-foregoing Conclusion For else the Scripture would not be sufficiently plain in all Points necessary to Salvation Indeed in no Points at all but all the Articles of our Faith that respect the History of Christ might be most frivolously and whifflingly allegorized into a mere Romance or Fable But that the History of Christ is literally to be understood is manifest both from the Text it self and from perpetuall and universal Tradition Which if it were not the right Sense it were a sign that it is writ exceedingly obscure even in the chief Points which is contrary to the foregoing Conclusion But that those Places or Passages that are repugnant to rightly-circumstantiated Sense or natural Science are to be interpreted figuratively is plain from the general Consent of all men in that they universally agree when Christ says I am the Door I am the true Vine c. That these things cannot be literally true And there is the same reason of Hoc est Corpus meum This is my Body The twenty first That no Point of Faith professed from the Apostles time to this very day and acknowledged by all Churches in Christendome but is plainly revealed in the Scripture This may be partly argued out of the nineteenth and twentieth Conclusions and also farther proved by comparing these Points of Faith with Texts of Scripture touching the same matter The twenty second That the Comprehension of these Points of Faith always and every-where held by all Christian Churches from the Apostles time till now and so plain by Testimony of Scripture is most rightfully termed the Common or Catholick and Apostolick Faith The twenty third That there is a Divine Certainty of Faith which besides the Grounds that the Moral or Humane Certainty hath is supported and corroborated by the Spirit of Life in the new Birth and by illuminated Reason This is not to be argued but to be felt In the mean time no more is asserted then this That this Divine Certainty has an higher Degree of Firmness and Assurance of the truth of the Holy Scriptures as having partaken of the same Spirit with our Saviour and the Apostles but does not vary in the Truths held in the common Faith The twenty fourth What-ever pretended Inspiration or Interpretation of the Divine Oracles is repugnant to the above-described Common or Catholick and Apostolick Faith is Imposture or Falshood be it from a private hand or publick The Reason is apparent because the Articles of this Common Faith were the Doctrines of men truely inspired from above and the Spirit of God cannot contradict it self The twenty fifth None of the Holy Writ is of it self unintelligible but accordingly as mens spirits shall be prepared and the time sutable as God has already so he may as Seasons shall require still impart farther and farther Light to the Souls of the Faithfull
for a fuller and a more general understanding the obscurest Passages in the Divine Oracles The truth of this Assertion is so clear that it seems little better then Blasphemie to contradict it For to say the Holy Writ is in it self unintelligible is equivalent to the pronouncing it Non-sense or to averre that such and such Books or Passages of it were never to be understood by men is to insinuate as if the Wisedome of God did not onely play with the children of men but even fool with them This is but a Subterfuge of that conscious Church that is afraid of the fulgour of that Light that shines against her out of such places of Scripture as have for a long time seemed obscure The twenty sixth That there are innumerable Passages of Scripture as well Preceptive as Historicall that are as plainly to be understood as the very Articles of the common Faith and which therefore may be very usefull for the clearing those that may seem more obscure This wants no proof but Appeal to Experience and the twentieth Conclusion The twenty seventh That no Miracle though done by such as may seem of an unexceptionable Life and of more singular Sanctity can in reason ratifie any Doctrine or Practice that is repugnant to rightly-circumstantiated Sense or Natural Truths or Science or the common Christian Faith or any plain Doctrine or Assertion in Scripture The Truth of this is manifest from hence That no man can be so certain that such a man is not a crafty and cautious Hypocrite and his Miracle either a Juggle or Delusion of the Devil or if he was not an eye-witness of it a false report of a Miracle as he is certain of the truth of rightly-circumstantiated Sense of Common Notions and Natural Science of the Articles of the Apostolick Faith or of any plain Assertion in the Scripture And therefore that which is most certain in this case ought in all reason to be our Guide The twenty eighth That it is not onely the Right but the Duty of private men to converse with the Scriptures being once but precautioned not to presume to interpret any thing against rightly-circumstantiated Sense Natural Truth common Honesty the Analogie of the Catholick Faith or against other plain Testimonies of Holy Writ The truth of this appears from the Conclusion immediately preceding For why should they be kept from having recourse to so many and so profitable and powerful Instructions from an infallible Spirit when they are so well fore-armed against all Mistake and are so laid-at by so many not onely fallible but fallacious and deceitful persons to seduce them And why is there not more danger of being led into Errour by such as are not onely fallible but false and deceitfull then by those Inspired men that wrote the Scripture who were neither fallible in what they wrote nor had any design to deceive any man Wherefore there being no such safe Guide as the Scripture it self which speaks without any Passion Fraud or Interest it is not onely the Right but the Duty of every one to consult with the Scripture and observe his times of conversing with it as he tenders the Salvation of his own Soul The twenty ninth That even a private man assisted by the Spirit of Life in the new Birth and rightly-circumstantiated Reason being also sufficiently furnish'd with the knowledge of Tongues Historie and Antiquity and sound Philosophy may by the help of these and the Blessing of God upon his industry clear up some of the more obscure Places of Scripture to full satisfaction and certainty both to himself and any unprejudiced Peruser of his Interpretations That this Assertion is true may be proved by manifold Experience there having been sundry persons that have cleared such Places of Scripture as had for a time seemed obscure and intricate with abundant satisfaction and conviction But it is to be evinced also à priori viz. from the seventeenth and eighteenth Conclusions which avouch the Scripture to be the most Authentick Tradition that is as also from the twenty fifth that concludes it not unintelligible in it self nor to mankinde and lastly out of the first that asserts that Certainty of Faith presupposes Certainty of Reason For thus the Object of our Understanding being here certain and we not spending our labour upon a Fiction or Mockery and our Reason rightly-circumstantiated not blinded by Prejudice nor precipitated into Assent before due deliberation and clear comprehension of the matter if after so cautious a Disquisition she be fully satisfied she is certainly satisfied or else there is no certainty in rightly-circumstantiated Reason which yet is presupposed in the Certainty of Faith by the first Conclusion So that the Certainty of Faith it self seems ruinous if no private man have any Certainty of any Interpretation of Scripture that has once been reputed obscure Not to add that all the Scripture that has been once obscure and the Interpretation thereof not yet declared by the Church universal has been hitherto and will be God knows how long utterly useless Which is a very wilde Supposition and such as none would willingly admit unless those that would rather admit any thing then that Light of the Scripture that discovers who they are and what unworthy Impostures they use in their dealings with the children of men The thirtieth That no Tradition can be true that is repugnant to any plain Text of Scripture The Reason is because the Scripture is the most true and the most Authentick Tradition that is and such as the universal Church is agreed in The thirty first That if any one Point grounded upon the Autority of Tradition that has been held by the Church time out of minde prove false there is no Certainty that any Tradition is true unless such as it has not been in the power of the Church to forge corrupt deprave or else their Interest not at all concerned so to doe The Reason is because the Certainty of Tradition as Tradition is placed in this by those that contend so much for it that nothing can be brought into the Church as an Apostolick Practice or Doctrine but what ever was so from the Apostles Wherefore if once a Point be brought into the Church and profest and practised as Apostolicall that may be clearly proved not to be so this Ground for Tradition as Tradition is utterly ruined and considering the Falseness and Imposture that has been so long practised in Christendome can be held no Ground of Certainty at all As not Reason quà Reason nor Sense quà Sense but quatenus rightly-circumstantiated can be any Ground of Certainty of Knowledge so not Tradition quà Tradition can be the Ground of the Certainty of Faith but onely such a Tradition as it was not in the power of the degenerate Church to either forge or adulterate And such were the Records of the Holy Bible onely The thirty second That rightly-circumstantiated Sense and Reason and Holy Writ are
state of the Church out of the Apocalypse 265 IX The Angel's Measuring the City with a golden Reed what the meaning thereof 278 X. Severall passages of the Mercavah expounded or the Vision of the Cherubim seen by Ezekiel 280 XI An Exposition of the Vision of the Throne of God in Heaven the four Beasts and twenty four Elders seen by S t. John 298 XII What Grounds of hope out of Scripture for that glorious state of the Church to come 313 XIII That the glorious Times predicted by the Prophets have not yet appeared on the face of the Earth 321 XIV What grounds in Reason for the coming of those glorious Times 326 XV. That there is no fear that either Familism or Behmenism will supplant the expected glory of the Apostolick Church 332 XVI J. Behmen's marvellous pretence to the knowledge of the Language of Nature 337 XVII Farther Indications that J. Behmen did not write from an infallible spirit 342 XVIII Bathynous his judgement touching J. Behmen with some Cautions how to avoid the being ensnared by Enthusiasts 349 XIX That there is an Elias to come and in what sense 355 XX. The Character of this Elias gathered out of Prophecy 356 XXI His Character taken out of History 362 XXII The time of Elias his coming 367 XXIII Certain Principles tending to the Acceleration of the glorious Times of the Church 370 The First Principle 371 XXIV Of Luther's Conference with the Devil touching the abrogating of the Mass together with his Night-Visions of flying Fire-brands ibid. XXV Of the Obnoxiousness of Luther and other Reformers 377 The Second Principle 384 XXVI Of the Church of Rome's being a true Church 388 XXVII That although the Church of Rome were not a true Church yet it follows not but the Reformed Churches are 392 The Third Principle 398 XXVIII Of the Vse of the Word and of the Spirit in counterdistinction to dry Reason 402 The Fourth Principle 403 XXIX How a man shall know that he has the Spirit 404 The Fifth Principle 409 The Sixth Principle 412 XXX How the Church shall attain to the Vnity of the Spirit ibid. The Seventh Principle 415 XXXI How the mind of man may arrive to a state of Vnprejudicateness 416 The Eighth and last Principle 417 XXXII The Doctrine of Faith in the Power of God's Spirit for the ridding us of Sin why not so much insisted on at the beginning of the Reformation 423 XXXIII The true means of Vnity in the Church again glanced at 426 XXXIV The marvellous Efficacy of Faith in the Power of the Spirit of Christ for the vanquishing of Sin 429 XXXV An answer to an Objection touching this Doctrine of Faith 430 XXXVI Of the Duration of the glorious Times of the Church 434 XXXVII The Character of Theomanes 435 XXXVIII Theomanes his Vision of the seven Thunders 440 XXXIX A brief Explication of Theomanes his Vision 451 XL. The important Vsefulness of Theomanes his Vision together with the Iustifiableness of his yielding to such an Impression 453 XLI Philotheus prevail'd with to play a Divine Rhapsodie to the Theorbo 456 XLII Philopolis his mistake in preferring high Contemplations before the usefull Duties of a Practicall Life 461 XLIII His Complement to Cuphophron and his Friends with Cuphophron's return thereof upon Philopolis 464 FINIS ERRATA sic corrige Page 9. line 5 reade Paradisiacall p. 118. l. 9. for But after r. But upon p. 157. l. 26. r. then this other p. 188. l. 6. r. Description p. 207. l. 21. r. Emissarie Powers p. 276. l. 21. r. Prosperitie also the. p. 309. l. 2. r. off of p. 378. l. 21. r. spirit That p. 380. l. 3. r. Postillion in
meaning therefore of those Philoth. These are parallel to the Description of that Heros on the white Horse Apoc. 19.12 15 13. whose eyes are said to be as a flame of fire and a sharp sword to come out of his mouth and whose Name is also The word of God These Voices therefore and Thunderings and Lightnings are the Divulgations of the Law of Christ with an allusion to that terrible way of the Promulgation of the Law of Moses on Mount Sinai that is of the Gospel of Christ in the power of the Spirit which is resembled to fire By these I say is set out an extraordinary efficacious preaching of the Word in the power and demonstration of the Spirit under this last Vial. Analogous to which is that Vision in Esdras 2 Esdr. 13.10 of the Man who sent out of his mouth as it were a blast of fire and out of his lips a flaming breath and out of his tongue he cast out sparks and tempests which is there expresly interpreted of the Law of the Son of God 2 Esdr. 13.38 which is like unto fire Now this Thundering and Lightning is accompanied with a mighty Earthquake as it is said of mount Sinai at the thundring out of the Law that the whole Mount quaked greatly Exod. 19.18 and again in the Psalms Psalm 77.17 18. The air thundred and thine arrows went abroad the voice of thy Thunder was heard round about the Lightnings shone upon the ground the Earth was moved and shook withall Philop. Well but what in the mean time Philotheus becomes of that pitch'd Battel that those impure spirits the Frogs called the whole World to in the field of Armageddon For there is neither Fight nor Victory mentioned as if the Vision were left imperfect Philoth. Their Success is intimated in the signification of the word Armageddon as I told you before And the Vision is completely continued though under a new representation For you are to take special notice how this large pitch'd Camp the Symbols naturally leading to it is by a Commutation of Iconisms on a sudden turned into a mighty great City which signifies still but the same thing that is to say the Comprehension of those three Parties I numbered up to you before But this Tripartition is more plainly and elegantly declared in the Cortex of the Prophecy upon the mention of the Earthquake as if it were an Effect of it Apoc. 16.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philop. The Elegancy indeed is very admirable Philotheus very pleasing and harmonious Philoth. Nor is there any harshness in resembling that great Conflux of people in Armageddon to one great City because the Kings of the Earth and of the whole World are said to be gathered together there in that Symbol of a Camp which being turned into the Iconism of a City that City must needs be said to be a great one for it is in a manner the City of the whole World Matt. 4.8 in such a sense as all the Kingdoms of the world were said to be shewn to our Saviour which therefore must needs be the Comprehension of a world of Cities though the whole World be but as one great City Philo Jud. lib. de Ioseph as Philo speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And though every Kingdome of it self be a Sea yet the Comprehension of abundance of Kingdoms together is in the Prophetick style termed one great Sea as it is in Daniel 7. where the four winds of Heaven are said to strive on the great Sea Wherefore as the great Sea consists of a great many Seas so in like Analogie may one conceive this great City in the inward sense to consist of a great many Cities and these great many Cities which is the thing I drive at to be divided into three parts or parties the Cities of the Infidels conceited Deists and mere Moralists the Cities of the true Christians and the Antichristian Cities viz. Babylon with her daughters Philop. Well I confess Philotheus this is not unnatural But what execution in the mean time is there done in that Battel of the great day of God Almighty Philoth. The Cities of the Nations fell that is to say the Cities of the Gentiles Infidels or Unbelievers Philop. I suppose by the edge of the sword Philotheus Philoth. By the edge of that sword that comes out of the mouth of the Rider of the white Horse I mean by the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Or rather to keep to the present Vision they fell being Thunder-struck by the powerfull Boanergesses of the Gospel under the last Vial they were convinced and subdued and brought under the Sceptre of Christ and were adjoyned to his Kingdome Philop. Very good news I pray God it may so come to pass But Babylon it seems stands it out Philoth. Did not our Saviour of old tell the chief Priests and Elders that the Publicans and Harlots would goe into the Kingdome of God before them Matt. 21.31 But Babylon stands it out to her utter ruine and destruction She is forced to drink of the wine of the fierceness of God's wrath Apoc. 16.19 20. and every Island flies away she shall not be possess'd of any of her Churches or consecrated places and the Mountains are not found all her Ecclesiasticall Honours and Dignities shall vanish For great showrs of Hail out of Heaven shall fall upon her Ver. 21. every stone about the weight of a Talent that all her goodly Trees will be spoiled and stripp'd of their both leaves and fruit their boughs broken down and their stocks beaten bare even to the inmost bark Apoc. 18.6 7 8. Then shall it be doubled unto her double according to her works and how much she hath glorified herself and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow will be given her For strong is the Lord God that judgeth her Philop. But will not all this misery reclaim her Philotheus Philoth. Ask Solomon that question Philopolis and he will tell you roundly Though thou shouldst bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestill Prov. 27.22 yet will not his foolishness depart from him A considerable part of her may be thus obstinate for ever These are the fools that will be found to walk naked and all will see their shame which if themselves could see as well as others they would be converted But being struck with superstitious Blindness in stead of acknowledging the Truth and giving glory to God it is said Apoc. 16.21 they blaspheme God because of the plague of the Hail for the plague thereof was exceeding great Philop. So far then as I see Philotheus neither the Vision of the Rider of the white Horse where the Beast and the false Prophet are said to be cast alive into the Lake of fire nor this last Vial nor the Vision of the Wine-press signifie the destruction of the Persons of the Antichristian Kingdome but
Religion in their Dominions Which yet was an Event beyond the conceit of all the Papal Politicians that Church accounting herself impregnable and saying in her heart Apoc. 18.7 I sit as a Queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow What shall God thus effectually permit the Degeneracy and Apostasie of the Church till a certain time and shall he not more irresistibly effect that promised Recovery of her into Righteousness and Glory For these great and Oecumenicall Graces as I told you before he dispenses not according to our Merits but for his own Name 's sake that his Glory may be known And how inglorious a thing would it be Philopolis to make so express so vast so illustrious and absolute Promises and then ex flamma dare fumum to let all vanish into smoak Or what a piece of gross Diffidence and Unthankfulness is it in us when that he has unexpectedly fulfilled in a considerable manner that Prediction of the Ruine of the Papacy already in the ten Horns hating the Whore and burning her with fire which is the close of the sixth Trumpet and that we are proceeded to the third Vial in the seventh as I told you and know as it were in what Longitude and Latitude we are in this Voiage that we should seeing the steddy steering of Providence hitherto in the Affairs of the Church from the beginning to this very day have any mistrust or doubt but the same Providence will bring us safely at last to the desired Haven Philop. You would almost persuade a man that it is impossible but that it should be so in the conclusion But what will you say to those that pretend that these glorious Promises are fulfilled already XIII That the glorious Times predicted by the Prophets have not yet appeared on the face of the Earth Philoth. Why Philopolis has the Devil as he is expresly so called been laid hold on bound with a chain and cast into the bottomless pit and seal'd up there for the space of a thousand years since Christ's time From the beginning of the Christian Church to Constantine's time did not this old Dragon fight with Michael in Heaven Apoc. 12.7 and was beat and cast down to the Earth not till under the sixth Seal And were not the ten bloudy Persecutions of the Church during that Battel And after Constantine's time to say nothing of Iulian the Apostate what a Torrent of Bloud and Contention did the Dragon spew out of his mouth in the Arian Persecution Apoc. 12.15 to have swept away the Church if he could which was not quite extinguished for about an hundred years or more after it had begun About three hundred years after Constantine did that great Impostour Mahomet begin the Saracenicall Kingdome How close then think you was the Devil sealed up in his Prison from deceiving the Nations Apoc. 20.3 If we should run through all the six Trumpets are they not so many testimonies of the Devil 's being still then loose For who but he raised that mighty Tempest of Hail mingled with bloud and fire under the first Trumpet Apoc. 8.7 I mean that bloudy Irruption of the barbarous Nations into the Empire that wasted all with fire and sword Both these under Alaricus and those that after followed under Radagaisus the Scythian as also others in the year 406 no man can imagine what a raging Tempest they were but he that reads the story The second Trumpet also how direful a fate did it sound under which the Empire was dilacerated into so many Kingdomes Apoc. 8.8 upon Alaricus and Gensericus's casting the burning Mountain into the midst of the Sea After which under the third Trumpet the sorrowful Western Caesareate Ver. 10. compared to a Star or Lamp but fed with the oyl of wormwood in its sliding condition drew on along with it much trouble and Calamity and was in a short time quite extinct in Augustulus the last Western Emperour vanquish'd by Odoacer the Herule who thereupon made himself King of Italy Euist. But after sixteen years Reign he was overcome and slain by Theodorick King of the Ostrogothes who besides Dalmatia and Rhaetia which were the Provinces of Odoacer added also Sicily to the Kingdome of Italy and with a vast expense repaired the Walls and buildings of Rome administred the Affairs of his Kingdome with great wisedome and moderation retained the ancient Dignities and Offices of the City as Consuls Senate and other known Magistracies of Rome insomuch that bating the infamie of her having been so sadly burnt and spoil'd she seemed plainly to have recovered her ancient splendour and glory Philoth. You say true Euistor But this state of things lasted but a few successions of those Kings of Italy and was quite blown away at the blast of the fourth Trumpet Apoc. 8.12 For upon the War that Iustinian raised against them under the conduct first of Belisarius and after of Narses the Consulship and Senate and other Orders of Magistracy were quite abolished and the City governed by a Duke substituted by the Exarchs of Ravenna to whom Rome was also made Tributarie Thus were their Sun and Moon and Stars smitten and the glory of their City turned into baseness and Obscurity And lastly what infinite Devastations the Locusts C. 9. ver 1. that is the Saracens under the fifth Trumpet Ver. 14. and the Euphratean Horsemen that is the Turks under the sixth both which are called Wo-Trumpets did upon the Empire both the Title of the Trumpets and the description of the Visions do abundantly declare So that certainly all being so full of Wars and bloudshed and that in the Empire that was denominated Christian and look'd upon as the visible Kingdome of Christ through all the first six Trumpets the Devil as he is a Murtherer could not be then sealed up in his Prison And if you consider how the reign of the two-horned Beast or false Prophet synchronizes with these six Trumpets you must acknowledge him also loose as an Impostour not onely deceiving the Nations but that people which is called the Church of Christ. Philop. This to me O Philotheus is very demonstrative that the Millennium wherein that old Serpent Apoc. 20.3 the Devil and Satan is said to be bound has not yet begun upon Earth And therefore I must ingenuously confess that nothing is so plain according to Scripture as that the glorious Times there predicted and so described in those places you have produced are yet to come Nothing is more demonstrable out of Scripture then this But are there not also Arguments of a lower allay that Reason and prudent Sagacity may suggest Philoth. XIV What grounds in Reason for the coming of those glorious Times I will tell you rather O Philopolis what Life and Experience doth suggest To me I must confess it is a wonder the World is no better then it is Vice and Wickedness to my sense seeming so harshly
to think what is false or else that they never had any opportunity of falsifying in the Points they propound to our Belief Certainty of Sense is also required For if the Sense be not certain there could be no infallible Testimony of matter of Fact and Moses's conversing with God in the Mount may be but a Dream nor could there be any certain Eye-witnesses of our Saviour's Resurrection and Ascension if God will delude our Senses Wherefore to take away the Certainty of Sense rightly circumstantiated is to take away all Certainty of Belief in the main Points of our Religion Secondly Sense and Reason are rightly circumstantiated the one when the Organ is sound the Medium fitly qualified and the distance of the Object duely proportionated and the like the other when it is accompanied with Moral Prudence rightly so called such as it is defined in the above-said Enchiridion Lib. 2. c. 2. that is to say That this Reason be lodged either in a perfectly-unprejudiced Mind or at least unprejudiced touching the Point propounded For there are some Truths so clear that Immorality it self provided it do not besot a man or make him quite mad puts no bar to the assenting to them that is puts no bar to their appearing to be true no more then it does to the Eye unhurt to the discerning of Colours which the Wicked and Godly do alike upon this Supposition Wherefore The third Conclusion shall be That there be Natural Truths whether Logicall Physicall or Mathematicall that are so palpably true that they constantly and perpetually appear so as well to the Wicked as the Good if they be Compotes mentis and do not manifest violence to their Faculties The fourth That these Natural Truths whether Common Notions or Scientificall Conclusions that are so palpably true that they perpetually appear so as well to the evil as the good are at least as certain and indubitable as any thing that the Reason and Understanding of a man can give assent to that is to say There is at least as great a Certainty of these Axiomes that they are true as there can be of any And therefore because there is acknowledged a Certainty in some Points that our Understanding and Reason closeth with let us set down for The fifth Conclusion That these Natural Truths that constantly appear such as well to the evil as the good if they be not crack'd-brained nor do violence to their Faculties are in themselves most certainly true The sixth That what is a Contradiction to a certain Truth is not onely uncertain but necessarily false forasmuch as both the parts of a Contradiction cannot be true The seventh That no Revelation which either it self or the Revealing thereof or its manner of Revealing is repugnant to the Divine Attributes can be from God The eighth That no Tradition of any such Revelation can be true forasmuch as the Revelation it self is impossible The ninth That no Revelation is from God that is repugnant to Sense rightly circumstantiated This is manifest from the first Ground That Certainty of Faith presupposeth Certainty of Sense duly circumstantiated For if our Senses may be mistaken when they act in due Circumstances we cannot be assured that they are at any time true Which necessarily destroys the Certainty of all Revelation ab extra and of all Tradition and consequently of our Christian Religion Wherefore God cannot be the Authour of any such Revelation by Conclusion the seventh For it were repugnant to his Wisedom and Goodness The tenth That no Revelation is from God that contradicts plain Natural Truths such as were above described This is abundantly clear from Conclusion the 1 2 3 4 6 7. For if Reason where it is clearest is false we have no assurance it is ever true and therefore no Certainty of Faith which presupposes Reason by Conclusion the first Besides by Conclusion the sixth That which is contradictory to a certain Truth is certainly false But Divine Revelation is true Therefore there can be no Revelation from God that bears with it such a Contradiction Nay we may adde That if there were any Divine Truth that would constantly appear to Reason rightly circumstantiated contradictory to any constant Natural Truth God would not communicate any such Truth to men by Conclusion the seventh For the revealing of such a Truth were repugnant to his Attribute of Wisedome it making thereby true Religion as obnoxious to suspicion and exception as false For there is no greater exception against the Truth of any Religion then that it proposes Articles that are repugnant to Common Notions or indubitable Science Besides that one such pretense of true Revelation would enable a false Priesthood to fill the World with Figments and Lies Wherefore God will never be the Authour of so much mischief to mankind And lastly since the first Revelation must be handed down by Tradition and Tradition being but humane Testimony and infinitely more lubricous and fallible then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or natural Science how will it be possible for any but Sots or Fools to believe Tradition against solid Science or a Common Notion So that the Result must needs be either blinde Superstition gross Irreligion or universal Scepticism The eleventh That no Revelation that enforces countenances or abetts Immorality or Dishonesty can be from God This is manifested from the seventh Conclusion For it is repugnant to God's Attributes his Justice Fidelity Goodness and Purity or Sanctity The Image of God is Righteousness and true Holiness Wherefore no Doctrine that tends to Injustice Unrighteousness and Impurity can be a Revelation from God The twelfth That no Interpretation of any Divine Revelation that is repugnant to Sense or Reason rightly circumstantiated or to plain and indubitable Morality whether it be made by a private or publick hand can be any Inspiration from God There needs no new Confirmation of this Conclusion For the same Arguments that prove that no Divine Revelation can be in this sort repugnant do prove also that no Interpretation of any Revelation in this sort repugnant to Sense Reason or sound Morality can be Divine The thirteenth That no Interpretation of Divine Writ that justifies Sedition Rebellion or Tyranny can be any Inspiration from God This is easily evinced from the foregoing Conclusion For Sedition and Rebellion are gross and ponderous Species of Injustice against the Magistrate as Tyranny is also against the People both such high strains of Immorality that no Interpretation of Scripture that justifies these can be true much less Divinely inspired The fourteenth No Church that propounds as Articles of Belief such things as are repugnant to rightly-circumstantiated Sense and Reason or sound Morality can rightly be deemed Infallible The reason is plain For it appears out of what has hitherto been said that they are already actually deceived or at least intend to deceive others The fifteenth That the Certainty of Faith cannot be grounded upon the Infallibility of any Church