Wisdom and Power upon his Apostles Not to mention the Apparition of Angels and of Christ himself the Bath Kol the Extasies Dreams Visions and Impulses which were given them for their own assurance That they might be enabled to preach the Gospel to all Nations and deliver to the world those Scriptures whereof we are speaking they had the word of Knowledge and of Wisdom and of Faith and the gift of divers Tongues and interpretation of Tongues bestowed upon them And to justifie their Doctrine to the Ages present and to come they had the Gifts of Prophesie and of Healing and of Miracles John the beloved Disciple heard a voice as it were of a Trumpet talking with him which said Come up hitber and I will shew thee things which shall be hereafter and immediately he was in the Spirit and received the Revelation Paul an Apostle though born out of due time came to Visions and Revelation he twice foretold what should happen to the Ship wherein he was carried Prisoner to Rome He foretold the Apostacy of the latter times the rising of Antichrist the perillous times which should come upon the world in the last days Agabus a Believer at large foretold the Famine which was to come upon all the world and the binding of Paul at Jerusalem c. But the instances of supernatural Power exercised in healing of Diseases raising the dead confounding the Opposers of their Doctrine and in several other kinds by the Apostles and their Companions and Adherents the Preachers and Writers of the Doctrine of the Gospel are so abundantly delivered in the New Testament that I shall not offer at particulars In the 4. of the Acts we find all the Apostles praying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God would stretch forth his hand to heal and that signs and wonders might be done by the Name of his holy Child Jesus And immediately the place was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Gost and with Power The particular Miracles of particular persons are recorded In one word they went and preached every where the Doctrines which are written in the Gospel the Lord working with them and confirming tbeir words by mighty signs and wonders and gifts of the Holy Ghost This is the state of the matter of Fact as it is propounded in the New Testament I conclude therefore that supposing matters of Fact to be truly delivered in the New Testament there is no reason to doubt of the Doctrines delivered by Christ or his Apostles relating to faith or manners And I come to the consideration of the last and extream Opinion of the Antiscripturists IV. The last opinion is of those who deny the truth of the Relation of matters of Fact delivered in the New Testament and in consequence reject the whole body of the Scriptures I could wish there were no such as these and that what I have yet to say were altogether needless for that reason But what mean then the publick Rumors which we hear and whence is an Opinion gone into the world that some great Philosophers and men of generous reason are dissatisfied concerning the truth of Scripture and believe the Authority of it to be wholy derived from the Magistrate In reference to these I shall endeavour 1. Briefly to shew that the ground upon which these Wisemen and Philosophers reject the Scriptures is contrary to the Reason of mankind 2. To evince that the belief of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures is most agreeable to Reason 1. As for the Argument and ground of those amongst us Christians that reject the body of the Scriptures I do not remember to have heard of other than this They have often called upon Believers Pastors perhaps or Doctors in the Church for a clear and undeniable evidence of the truth of the story of the Gospel and they have not afforded it therefore they conclude the Scriptures are to be rejected But is this the reasoning of generous wits and men of mighty deeds in disputation of men pretending to the depths of reason and Philosophy To give a man a clear and undeniable evidence of any thing there are but two ways viz. To convince either his Senses or his Understanding the former where of is to be done by experiment the later by demonstration Would they have now an Experiment whether such or such a thing were done 16 or 17 hundred years ago Would they have a demonstration of particulars in their nature indifferent to be done or not to be done depending upon the liberty of Causes Well were it for the world if these Beaux Esprits would have the patience and endure the fatigue of acquainting themselves with the ways of knowledge Experiment and demonstration it would not then be troubled with the dangerous impertinency of such Pretenders Then these men would not call for Experiment in a subject uncapable of it and being instructed that demonstration is only of Universal Propositions in materia necessaria whose contrary Positions imply a contradiction they would know that to demand this kind of evidence of the truth of the story of the Gospel is to be absurdly injudicious and to act contrary to the Reason of mankind For seeing we may not with civility suppose this principle to be advanced only for the destruction of Religion and the ruine or at least undeniable hazard of the Souls of men We ought to believe that these Philosophers intend this as a General Maxim that in matters at least of moment men ought not to adventure to act but upon clear and undeniable evidence and speaking properly that wise men ought to believe nothing at all Wherefore let us suppose this for a general principle and consider what will follow Setting aside the knowledge of the Affections of a few Lines and Numbers is not all learning to be cast away Must not the Civil world of mankind be brought to swift confusion must not mankind it self in a few days come to an end Suppose a subject should not yield his Obedience or a Tenant his Rent till Titles be made out by Experiment or demonstation Suppose the husbandman and the Merchant the Artificer the Souldier the Banker and the Judge should not adventure but stay for the assurance of Experiment or Demonstration would not the whole world be confounded Suppose men should not marry nor take Physick nor eat or drink till they should have clear and undeniable evidence that all these things are what they suppose and shall succeed according to expectation would not mankind quickly be spent and brought to an end If the management of all humane concernments Political Oeconomical Personal proceed upon the grounds of Belief and Hope and rational but not demonstrative inference If neither these Philosophers if they would consider nor any other Person either ever did or possibly could perform any one action upon such evidence as these men require concerning the truth of the ftories of the Scripture then
Camps the Tribes and Decuries the Palaces Senate Pleading-places It took possession of the Learned and the Wise the greatest and noblest Wits of the Eastern and Western Nations It raised up Philosophers to confound the Philosophy and noble Orators to confound the Rhetorick wherewith it was opposed Against Celsus it excited Origen against Porphyrie Apollinarius and Methodius against Porphyrie and Hierocles Lactantius and Eusebius besides what was written sparsim Jerom Augustine Cyril c. It set up Chrysostom against Libanius Prudentius against Symmachus and the Rhetoricians And as it spread it self large and high so where it took possession it took a deep possession Quantum vertice tantum radice Those that received it truly received it in the love thereof it took possession of their hearts It penetrated their spirits and took its lodging in the inmost recesses of the soul. The Contents of these Books was their most precious Pearl and they hid it in their heart The Books themselves were their greatest worldly treasure and rather than they would deliver them to be burned they chose to suffer the loss of Honour Liberty Estate Wives and Children nay even Life it self When Di oclefian required the Scriptures that they might be burned In one Province Egypt in one Month 17000 persons chose rather to dye than to deliver them In comparison of these they counted not their lives dear to them the love of them was stronger than Death many waters could not quench it neither could the flouds drown it This was Testimonium Rei and an advantage above all other Histories or Writings in the World 2. Moreover they had Testimonium Dei Indeed all that is already spoken is an evidence of a Divine assistance But more particularly God gave Testimony to these Books by 1. Their operation upon Believers of them 2. His co-operation with Believers of them 1. The Gospel which they contein was the power of God to every true Believer That which no Institution in Philosophy nor Initiation in the Mysteries of any of the Gods was ever able to accomplish that was every where atchieved by the belief of the Gospel in a moment Like a charm from Heaven it stilled the passions and mortified the lusts of men What a Beadroll doth Paul reckon up in the Corinthans But ye are washed saith he but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God Notwithstanding all the calumnies thrown upon Believers and the prejudice wherewith they were loaded the unpropitious and relucting world were forcibly convinced that the Believers of these Books were effectually taught to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world through the cloud of ignominy wherewith they were encompassed their innocency broke forth as the light and their just dealing as the noon day the piety loyalty justice charity magnanimity patience meekness and purity of believers of these Books convinced the unbelieving world that God was in them of a truth for they taught as having Authority and Power and not as the writings of other Scribes 2. But beside the operation of these Books upon the Believers God was pleased to give testimony to them by his co-operation with them in signs and wonders and mighty deeds The History of the Gospel tells us that when Christ was even now leaving the world he left this Legacy to believers for confirmation of the truth of the Gospel These signs said he shall follow them that believe In my name they shall cast out Devils Speak in new tongues Take up Serpents If they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them They shall lay hands on the Sick and they shall recover Now that this was made good and that these signs so long as there was need were continued among Believers we have as good assurance as we can have of any thing beyond our own memory or experience They have been delivered to us by a Cloud of Witnesses by men of the greatest Wisdom and Learning in their Generations by persons of such Integrity that they laid down their lives in testimony of their veracity delivered not by hear-say but upon their certain knowledge delivered in their Disputations with and apologies to the Adversaries of Christianity with a challenge to the examination of the truth or a conviction of the falshood of them Instances are very numerous I shall produce only a very few Justin the Martyr who suffered Anno 165 affirms to Trypho the Jew that these supernatural gifts were found in his time among Christians Irenaeus an Auditor of Polycarp who was a disciple of St. John suffered circa 206 affirms upon his own knowledge that the gift of Prophesie was then frequent in the Church that many had the gift of tongues ipsi audivimus Others cast out Devils Others healed Diseases Others raised the dead and those raised persons continued many years amongst them pro certo Tertullian in his Apologetica adversus Gentes affirms that Jam de vobis Daemonas ejiciunt Origen against Celsus saith that he himself had seen by invocation of God and the name of Jesus very many that were delivered from grievous maladies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alienatione mentis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not to mention others St. Augustine in his Book de Civitate Dei begun about 410 but many years in writing l. 22 c. 8. gives an account of very many Miracles done at Hippo Carthage and other places of no great distance noting times places persons occasions appealing to the Countrey delivering them under terms of the greatest assurance Scio ego cognosco ego nos interfuimus oculis nostris aspeximus And in his Retractations Ea quae cognoscimus neque referre neque enumer are possimus Other Histories and Writings and the Authors and Believers of them canpretend no higher than to the testimony of men these have the testimony of God also If we believe the testimony of men the testimony of God is greater I conclude therefore that there is greater Reason to believe the History of the New Testament than any other History in the world The sum of all is this The Divine Authority of the Scriptures is the great fundamental and comprehensive Principle of Christianity which being admitted it stands and being removed it presently falls to the ground Against this therefore the great Enemy of Religion in these later days under pretence of Reason and Philosophy directs his Forces and is said to have found a success very pernicious and deplorable I humbly conceive that the Resolution of the belief of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures into the Decrees of Popes or Determinations of Councils with those who call themselves Roman-Catholicks into private impulses and dictates of the Spirit with the Enthusiasts and into the Laws and Edicts of Princes and Magistrates with our new pretenders to Reason and Philosophy is that engine
whereby the Devil hath prevailed to scandalize the world and cast it into Antiscriptural infidelity It is for this cause that I have conceived it requisite after many others who have done worthily to have recourse once more to the Original Reason of things and the common grounds whereupon mankind doth proceed in matters of this nature Where hoping that I have escaped the absurdity of begging the matter in Question discoursing in a circle and the inconveniences of some other methods I have endeavoured to demonstrate That supposing the truth of the New Testament both 1. The Old Testament and 2. The New Testament are to be received as of Divine Authority 3. And supposing matters of fact to be truly related the Doctrinal parts are to be believed 4. For the Historical Relation of matters of fact that there is no ground to dis-believe it That for the reception of it it hath 1. All the advantages whereof an History is capable 2. Far greater advantages than any other History Wherefore I conclude that All the Scriptures i. e. the Canonical Books of the Old Testament and the Books of the New Testament were Given by inspiration of God Quod erat demonstrandum Concerning the Sinfulness Danger Remedies OF INFIDELITY A SERMON Preached at Whitehall February 16. 1667 68. BY SETH Lord Bishop of Sarum LONDON Printed by A. C. for James Collins at the Kings Arms within Ludgate near St. Pauls 1672. THE SINFULNESS OF INFIDELITY Heb. iii. 12. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Exhort one another daily I Shall not spend time in a disputation concerning the Author of this Epistle viz. whether it were Paul or Barnabas or Luke or Clemens or Apollos c. but shall with the Church of England suppose St. Paul to have been the Author of it If the Author of it be not infallibly known this ought not to detract from its Authority Most of the other Epistles have been acknowledged to be of divine Authority because they were known to have proceeded from Apostolical writers This on the contrary hath been concluded to be an Apostolical Epistle propter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Characterem by reason of that divine and Apostolical Spirit which to those who have had their Senses exercised hath manifestly appeared in it If it were lawful in this sense to compare spiritual things with spiritual I should not fear to affirm that this Epistle hath in it some peculiar advantages compared with some other of the Epistles Advantages I mean of usefulness not of Authority seeing all of them issued from the same Spirit The design of it is General Fundamental Comprehensive not Private Circumstantial Occasional And it hath peculiarly conveyed to the Church two great treasures 1. A Compleat Model or Systeme of Christian Divinity And 2. the way of that Analogy and manner of ratiocination whereby the true Spirit and meaning of the Types and Prophesies of the Old Testament is to be found out and applied It was directed to the Hebrews That is to those of the Jewish Nation who had received the Gospel and made a profession of Christianity And the main Scope and design of it is to preserve the Professors of Christianity from Apostacy and Infidelity The means used to this purpose are partly Didactical and partly Protreptical Demonstrating the truths of the Gospel and then urging the professors of those truths to be stedfast in the faith and to beware of Infidelity The Method here used is a mixt method of Doctrine and Application Dogmatical truths and pathetical Exhortations continually interwoven He begins with the Great foundation of our faith Christ is the chap. 1 Son of God the brightness of his glory better then the Angels Wherefore if the Word spoken by Angels was stedfast how shall we escape chap. 2 if we neglect so great salvation From the Comparison of Christ chap. 3 with Moses he concludes against Hardness of heart and Infidelity He demonstrates the Priesthood of Christ to be more Excellent then that of Aaron and in the midst of his argument he falls into an Application or Corollary concerning the dreadful Condition of them that fall away This is his design and method throughout the Epistle Whatever Doctrine he is upon this is still the drift and aim of all his Applications namely to preserve the Professors of Christianity from Apostacy and Infidelity The words which I have chosen are a Reiteration or Reinforcement of an Application or Corollary arising from the Consideration of the Excellency of Christ above Moses Moses was faithful in the house as a Servant Christ as a Son over his own house This bouse are we if we hold fast our faith Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith Harden not your hearts ..... Take heed brethren lest .... I say the words are an Use of Exhortation and in them are considerable 1. The Persons to whom directed Professors of Christianity expressed in the Word Brethren 2. Matter or Object about which it is conversant Unbelief heart unbelief 3. Form of Exhortation by way of Caveat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take beed Now every Caveat implies 1. Evil in the thing 2. Danger of the thing 3. That there are ways and menas to prevent it This is implyed in the Caveat and expressed in words following My design at this time will be to enforce the Exhortation of the Text And seeing that every Application is a Consequence or Corollary arising from some Antecedent Proposition and the force of it is finally resolved into the truth and evidence and concernment of that Antecedent Therefore it will be necessary to draw out that Antecedent by reflecting briefly upon the Text as it lies in the Series of the Epistle I. Then for the Persons They are here styled Brethren and elsewhere Holy Brethren Partakers of the heavenly Calling They were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 baptized into the profession of the Gospel they had tasted of the Word of God and the powers of the worldto come II. The Matter Unbelief or rather Disbelief not Negative Infidelity but a positive Revolting from the faith which they had professed Generally a Disbelief of the Word of God Particularly a Disbelief of the Gospel as to the Doctrines or Promises or Threatnings Thereof III. For the Form that which is here expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 look to it is in the other of forms Exhortation throughout the Epistle expressed by terms of the greatest Emphasis and earnestness imaginable Let us Fear lest we fall short 4. 1. Labour to enter 4. 1. Use diligence be not slothful 6. 11 12. Press earnestly draw near hold fast 10. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us give more deligent heed lest by any means we should let it slip 2. 1. So that the Sum of the Apostles Argumentation is this The last resolution of all the Obligation of men is into reasons of Duty and of Interest If there be
as the others did but were diligent in searching of the Scriptures daily and in a strict enquiry concerning the Grounds and Motives to Belief alleadged by the Apostles whether they were of that weight which was pretended whether they were so or no. In matters of so great moment as the Gospel doth pretend to be in reference to this world and that which is to come to despise or to reject the Proposals without a just consideration of them and without an impartial and ingenuous examination and full understanding of the Grounds and Reasons upon which they are propounded savours not of Prudence or Wisdom Wit or Learning Ingenie or Ingenuity in one word it savours neither of a Gentleman nor a Scholar Now that this is the Case in the Contempt of the Gospel I think it will appear if we shall attentively consider 1. What was the Judgement of Christ who was the Author of the Gospel concerning this matter 2. The signal Instances of the contempt and neglect of the Gospel mentioned in the Scriptures 3. If we shall make a rational enquiry into the Principles and Postulata into which the contempt of the Gospel is finally resolved 1. First this will receive evidence from the Judgement of Christ himself concerning the resolution of the rejection and contempt of the Gospel I suppose none will be so Jewish as to object the bringing of Christ to be a Witness in his own behalf seeing his case is not the case of an ordinary witness but resolves it self as afterwards will be briefly shewed into attestation of the greatest credit I say then that Christ himself who knew what was in man and needed not that any man should teach him hath resolved the contempt and rejection of the Gospel into want of understanding and of due and ingenuous consideration into Ignorance and want of Candour and Ingenuity In the Parable of the Sower we finde this Argument largely and profoundly handled by our Saviour the Parable is three times delivered in the Gospel and is very well known so that I need not stand upon the declaration or repetition of it The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning the bad that is the high-way the stony the thorny and the good that is the fruitfull ground I shall not mention He that shall harmonize the triple Narration and Analyze the ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this Parable shall finde that our Saviour therein propounds and intimates the causes immediate and mediate Mediate nearer and remoter of the reception and rejection of the Gospel whereof as to the point in hand the sum is this That the irregular endeavour after the attainment of temporal good things and the avoidance of temporal Evils The lust of the Flesh the lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life the Cares of the World and Deceitfulness of Riches the lust of other things Pride and conceitedness of Wisdom and other Carnal Interests are the cause of the want of an attentive and patient an ingenuous and impartial consideration And that the want of such a consideration is the cause of the want of a thorow Understanding and that the want of a thorow Understanding this is the cause of the Contempt or Rejection or neglect of the Gospel In the Gospel of St. Luke he resolves the causes of the Reception of the Gospel into honesty and goodness of heart sincerity and ingenuity into a patient and constant attention to hearing and keeping of the word In the Gospel of St. Matthew he resolves the whole matter into this one point of a perfect and thorow Understanding The good ground says he is he that hears the Word and brings forth fruit with understanding A fair and honest a candid and ingenuous attention and Consideration and a full Understanding are the causes of the Reception Therefore an Attention hypocritical and unsincere An ignoble ignorance perversness and want of candour and ingenuity are the causes of the contempt of the Gospel in the judgement of our Saviour 2. The same also will further appear if we might be permitted to examine the several Instances of contempt and neglect of the Gospel and so go thorow the various degrees of the Symptoms of Infidelity mentioned in the Gospel I shall only touch them very briefly and the heads of them are such as these 1. The egregious hesitation or slowness in believing 2. The refusal or rejection of the Gospel 3. The Offence or Scandal at it 4. The quarrelling and disputation against it and opposition to it 5. The down-right scorn and contempt of it 6. And lastly the Persecution for it I say if we might stay upon this Argument it would appear that as the Remoter causes of every Case are easily reducible to the lusts and interests mentioned by our Saviour so the more immediate Causes whether in Jews or Gentiles will be found to resolve into want of Ingenuity and Understanding 1. The Apostles were slow in believing before the Resurrection and Mission of the Spirit Christ tells them that then they were Fools and slow of heart inconsiderate and inadvertent stupid and Disingenuous 2. The most eminent Rejecters of the Gospel were the Scribes and Pharisees if we shall enquire after the Vertue or Modesty Candour or Ingenuity of these men we will finde them the most barbarous and covetous proud and supercilious insincere and hypocritical in the world how often doth our Saviour charge them with all these things And if we enquire after their Knowledge and Understanding we shall finde them to have been meer Braggadocio's and pretenders Christ often calls them blinde Pharisees and blinde guides he tells them that they were blinde leaders of the blinde that seeing they did see and not perceive hearing they did hear and did not understand 3. In the sixth of John we finde a mighty Scandal taken at the Gospel among the Auditors of Christ they murmured they strove amongst themselves they finally revolted upon a word because they judged it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a hard saying They judged it so because they did not understand it they did not understand it because they had not the Modesty and Meekness Patience and Ingenuity to enquire the meaning of it or to attend to that Explication which our Saviour made of that expression 4. In the 22 of St. Mathew and the parallel places we finde the Pharisees the Scribes the Lawyers the Herodians coursing our Saviour charging him with questions about paying Tribute unto Caesar the Resurrection the Great Commandment c. If now ye will judge of the Ingenuity of these men consider there how thick and threefold how furiously and how rudely they fall upon him how stupidly they persist every one judgeing that he was too hard for all the rest and answered them well but every one adhering to his own Conclusion Consider how before they set upon him they took counsel to entangle him and sent spies to entrap or trepan him And for their