Nations It is impossible that all People should be gathered together in the Land of Canaan much more in one of the Tribes of Israel Impossible it is also that the Tribe of Levi should be numerous enough to find Priests to offer all their Sacriâ—ices there must therefore of necessity be a Change made both in the Place of Worship and also in the Priesthood And this which we have thus deduced from the Predictions of Moses was more fully revealed by succeeding Prophets viz. That it should come to pass in the last Dayes that the Mountain of the Lords house should be established on the top of the Mountains and should be exalted above the Hills and all Nations should flow unto it The Prophet here teacheth that not only temporal Good things but also Spiritual shall be given unto men of all Nations when the Messias shall come saith the last cited Author I have no Pleasure in you the Priests of the Jews saith the Lord of hosts neither will I accept an offering at your Hand For from the rising of the Sun even unto the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place Incense shall be offered unto my Name a pure Offering for my Name shall be great among the Heathen saith the Lord of Hosts But who shall then be Priests to offer this Incense and Pure offering why it shall come to pass saith the Lord that I will gather all Nations and Tongues and they shall come and see my Glory and I will also take of them for Priests and for Levites saith the Lord. Whereby 't is plain that there should be a Priesthood taken out of all Nations and Tongues And these Priests surely were to be subject to him to whom the Lord had sworn Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek for this Priest was to judge i. e. to Reign and Rule among the Heathen and to wound the heads of those that oppose him over many Countreys and that in the opinion of the Jews as well as of us Christians this Priest was their expected Messias Petrus Galatinus makes evident by divers of their most Ancient and Authentick Writings From these Premises they might have inferred that there was to be a Priesthood subject to the Messâ—as not after the Order of Aaron but taken out of all Nations and concerning the promised Messias the Jews were expresly taught to believe not only that he should confirm the Covenant viz. which God made with Abraham c. but also that he shall cause the Sâ—crifice and Oblation to cease On this account it is like it was that many Masters in Israâ—l have said as much viz. That all the Feasts and Oblations bâ—sides that of Consession or giving of Thanks shall ceasâ— in the future Age Yea that the Holy Blessed one now reâ—ts and considers of a new Law which â—e will give by the hâ—nd of the Messias and that God shall make a new Covenant with him and surely not with him only but in him with them also for Behold the day's â—ome saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judaâ— nâ—t according to the Covenant which I made with their Fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt but this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel â—fter those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my People In that he saith a New Covenant he makâ—th the â—irst Old and in that he saith I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts he clearly teacheth that this New Covenant was to be a more Spiritual Dispensation than the former The first had multifarious Ordinances of Divine Service and Pandects of Laws enjoyning such things as were not good in themselves but only because they were commanded but the New Covenant hath Laws agreeable to the dictates of Right Reason and Natural Morality written in our hearts and these shall be those whereby men in this Covenant shall have the Lord to be their God and they his People By all which 't is evident not only that the Law of Moses was in it self mutable but also that it should be actually changed another more Divine and Spiritual Dispensation was to be substituted in the room of it and if so it is very unlikely that by Gods Authority any were denied admittance to a tryal of their pretended Gift of Prophecy barely for want of strict Conformity to the Law of Moses especially if they gave evidence of Gods intention by them to repeal either the whole or any part of it The reason is manifest because God not intending it to bâ— perpetual did not certainly tyâ— himself up to send no Prophets but such as should in no case teach an abrogation of it nay by declaring that it should be changed he hath evidently reserved to himself a Power of so doing And of this we are assured by Maimonides his own concessions viz. That a Prophet had Powâ—r to command the omission of an Affirmative Precept and to enjoyn the doing of what was forbidden by a Negative except only in case of Idolatry and this saith he was the opinion of the Wise men in â—heir Talmud where they say In all things except Idolatry if a Prophet shall say unto thee transgrâ—ss the Law thou art bound to obey him And is it likely that God should endue men with Power to Suspend his Laws and yet give order that they should be put to death for offering to do it It is unworthy of God to think so of him Obj. Aye buâ— saith our Author This powâ—r was granted not to Candidates for the Prophetick Office but only to those of whom it was certainly known they were called unto it as Samuel Elias c. Answ But where I pray hath God declared he will not do it by any other but if he hath not why may not one but newly â—ndued with the Spirit of Prophecy give sufficient and certain evidence of it and if he doth it is unreasonable to reject him rebellicus against God to râ—fuse him and barbarous murder to kill him In this case therefore and doubtless this was the case of Christ and his Apostles they ought not so to do but to allow him a fair Tryal And so I come to consider Sect. 2. The Antâ—â—â—dents or Concomitants of a Propheâ—ick Spirit The Jewish Rabbies inform us there were certain Qualifications antecedently or concomitantly useful to sit a man for the Spirit of Prophâ—cy or rather for the Office of a Prophet all which according to their Recension of them Vorstius hath reduced to these six Heads viz. 1. Good Constitution of Body even from the very Conception 2.
it likely that God giving this Promise in answer should mean only that he would raise up a Prophet about two thousand years after and as unlikely it is that a Promise of a Prophet to arise so long after should keep them from Heathenish Abominations in the mean time nor is it likely that the Rules then given for the trial of Prophets should be of no use till Then These and some such other Considerations incline me to Confidence that this Promise though in its Extent and Latitude it reacheth to Christ in whom it was most compleatly fulfilled yet in its primary Sense and Meaning it hath reference to some Prophets which God would raise up to succeed Moses among the Jews and from hence the Inference is both easie and certain there where Prophets among them Hereunto it is apparent that both Jews and Christians give Testimony nor can the Heathens deny it for from their Assertions or at least Concessions that Moses was a Prophet by a good Consequence it follows that this his Promise was fulfilled For it is morally impossible that so important a Promise given on so solemn Occasions by so illustrious a Prophet should ever fall to the Ground Can God lye or his Prophet prevaricate Our Reason saith no it is therefore most rational to conclude there were Prophets among the Jews CHAP. III. The Tryal of Prophets among the Jews Sect. 1. AND by them doubtless they had much advantage chiefly because by Their Ministry the Oracles of God were committed to them Yet since wheresoever God employes men to sow the Seed of his Word there will certainly be some to scatter the Devils Darnel the Jews even while they had the Happiness of Direction from true Prophets were in some danger of Seduction from false ones for which cause their Law did authorize them to make trial of Pretenders Gift of Prophecy and gave them Rules for so doing of which Rules I shall give an account not of mine own but of the Jewish Rabbines collecting especially Maimonides by whom they are digested into two sorts whereof the first concerns the conditions of a mans Admission to a trial the other contains the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Notes or Marks whereby they made it Concerning the first Mâ—imonides saith Those who lay claim to the Gift of Prophecy are distinguished into two sorts namely those that prophesie in the name of an Idol and those that prophesie in the name of the Lord. Prophecy in the name of an Idol is again two-fold 1. When a Prophet that riseth up shall say such a Star by its spiritual influx upon me hath said Worship me in this manner or in this manner call upon me and also when he inviteth to the Worship of some Idol or Telâ—sman saying This hath it shewed me this hath it told me or commanded me that I should command the Worship of it in such a manner as the Prophets of Baal and the Prophets of the Wood were wont to do The second sort of Prophets in the name of an Idol were when one said There came a Revelation from God unto me that such an Idol is to be worshipped or that any spiritual Influx is drawn forth in such a manner This also is to be reckoned an Idolatrous Prophet for that Name comprehends not only those that say an Idol commanded its own Worship or any thing else but also those who say the Lord commanded the Worship of any Creature When therefore we have heard any one in â—ither of these manners boasting himself to be a Prophet and it be manifestly proved of him he ought to be put to death by stâ—angling as God saith but that Prophet or dreamer of dreams shall be put to death Thus far we agree with him or at least we put in no Exception against what he saith because he hath sufficient Reason and Authority for it and we need say no more of it because it is no way pertinent to our present purpose for manifest it is that Christ and his Apostles did equal the Jews if not exceed them in the Abhorrence of Idols that therefore that concerns the Trial of Idolatrous Prophets is no way pertinent unto theirs but that which our Author saith concerning those that Prophesied in the Name of the Lord it concerns us to Consider and examine and to prevent all suspicion of Partiality in this our Disquisition I shall take the pains to transcribe it at large out of him Moreover saith he Those that prophâ—sie in the Name of the Lord are likewise of two sorts 1 When one prophesying in the Name of the Lord allures men unto him and incites them to Worship him saying God hath added a Command to his Precepts or hath detracted some Precept from the number of those contain'd in the Book of the Law Nor is the matter much whether he add or take from it either in those things which are in the Text of the Law or in the Explication thereof received by Tradition As for Example If one should adde unto or detract from those things which are in the Text in this manner God hath said unto me the time wherein Fruits shall be uncircumcised is but two years after which it is lawful to eat of the Fruits that have been planted or if he shall say the Lord hath said unto me it shall be unlawful to eat of them for four years whereas the Lord hath said three years shall they be uncircumcised unto you and thus in other matters of the same nature Thus also if he shall make any change whatever it be in the Tradition yea though the letter of the Text favour him As for Example If he saith that saying in the Law and thou shalt cut off her hand thine eye shall not spare her is to be understood of a real and true abscission but not of some mulct so constituted as to make her ashamed as by Tradition it is received and gives out he received it by Prophecy saying The Lord hath said unto me that saying of his and thou shalt cut off her hand is to be understood as it soundeth this man also is to be strangled because he is a lying Prophet fâ—igning that of God which God never spake unto him nor is he to be regarded no not for a Sign or a Miracle done by him because that Prophet who astonish'd the whole World with his Miracles whom also God hath fastned it in our hearts to believe and have Faith in God himself affirming it when he said and they shall believe thee for ever hath now before-hand told us there was no other Law but his to come from God and this is it that he saith It is not in the Heavens that thou shouldest say Who shall ascend into Heaven for us c and when he saith In thine heart and in thy mouth he insinuâ—tes either Sentences delivered by the Mouth or else Conclusions drawn forth by Speculation and the Powers of the Heart which also he
hath forbidden to make Addition to or Diminution from saying Thou shalt neither add unto it nor diminish from it and therefore our Ancestouâ—s with whom be Peace have said from that time it is not granted to a Prophet to change any thing When therefore we know him the Prophet in that which he claims to himself to lye against God and to feign that of Him which He never said unto him we are necessitated to kill him according to what the Holy Scripture deâ—larâ—th while it saith The Prophet that shall have added c. even that Prophet shall dye The second sort of Prophets in the Name of the Lord was When one invites men to Worship God and incites them to keep his Commandment and declares they should observe the Law and that without Addition or Diminution as the last of them hath said Remember the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statutes and Judgments promising good to him that shall keep and threatning punishment to him that shall break this Law as Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel and the rest of them did in the mean time commanding and forbidding things different from those of the Law As for Example sake if he should say Drive out now that Country or this Faction as Samuel of old commanded Saul that he should destroy Amalek or if he prohibits the putting one to death as Eliâ—ha forbad Jehoram to vanquish the host of Hazael which had entred Samaria as 't is known and as Isaiah forbad water to be conveyed within the Walls and as Jâ—remiah forbad the Israelites tp go out of Jerusalem and other such like things When therefore a Prophet doth claim to himself the Gift of Prophâ—cy so as that he neither ascribes it to any Idol nor addeth to or diminisheth ought from the Law but walks in othâ—r wayes in that manner we have explained then our next work is to try him Thus far Mâ—imenides concerning those conditions on which Pretenders to Prophecy were to be admitted to a Tryal and thereby we see that according to him admitted they were not but on these two conditions 1 that they prophesied in the Name of the Lord this we have already granted 2 that they make no alteration either in the written Law of Moses or in the Explication of it received by Tradition This Rule how confidently soever it be given yet must not be received without Exceptions For first The Explication of the Law therein mentioned certainly had no such Authority as is thereby pretended and to the end we may the more fully see what that was together with the improbability of it I shall shew you the pretended Original of this Explication as it is recorded by our Author who would have us to know That all the Prophets of the Law which came from God to Moses came to him together with their Inteâ—pretation First God spake the Text unto him and then the Explication or Interpretation of it and what the Authentick Text it self comprehended and the manner of teaching them to Israel was such as I am now about to describe unto thee Moses being gone into his Tent the first that came unto him was Aaron to whom he told the Text which was given him from God and taught him the Interpretation of it Afterwards he having placed himself at the right hand of Moses Eleazar and Ithamar his Sons came in to whom also Moses told the same he had told to Aaron they then rose and went one to the left hand of Moses our Master the other to the right hand of Aaron afterwards the seventy Elders came in whom also Moses taught in the same manner that he had taught Aaron and his Sons after them a promiscuous Assembly of the People viz. Every one that sought the Lord came in to him also he repeated the same till they all had heard it from him And now Aaron had heard the Text four times from Moses his Sons twice the Elders twice the rest of the Assembly once Then Moses went out from them and the Text which Aaron had heard four times from Moses he repeated to all that were present so that now his Sons as well as himself had heard it four times thrice from Moses and once from him and then he himself also withdrew and Eleazâ—r and Ithamar repeated the same Text which they had so heard to the whole Assembly and they rose up from teaching and by these means the seventy Elders also had now heard the Text four times twice from Moses once from Aaron and once from his Sons then they also repeated it once to the People and so all heard it four times firâ—t from Moses secondly from Aaron thirdly from his Sons and fourthly from the seventy Elders who then departing some taught some and some others that which they had received from Gods messenger The Text they writ in Volumes then the chief of the people dispersed themselves throughout all Israel to teach and instruct them until they remembered the Text and could read it in writing afterwards they taught them also the Interpretation of the Text it sâ—lf which came from God which Interpretation contained the universal sense and meaning of it The Text they committed to writing but the tradition to memory And had they not all good memories to retain so much yes surely For Moses they say brought no lâ—ss then 613 Precepts together with their Interpretations from mount Sinai of necâ—ssity we know the Comment must be larger than the Text and was it not a wonder that he at once and they at four times hearing should be able to repeat it yet if you will believe him they did it so exactly as that neither the Text nor its Interpretation lost any thing of their Perfection or Authority for not the Text only but the Interpretation too had the Nature of a Law and thus as our Author informs as say the wise men the Law that is written and the Law that is delivered by word of mouth It seems then that they just as the Papists do now did receive and venerate the Holy Scripture and tradition with equal affection of Piâ—ty and Reverence But was not this tradition more liable to the Corruptions of men and the Injuries of Time than the Text was yes surely for Maimonides himself insinuates that even in the dayes of Joshua there was some small dissension about it but that being appeased by the consent of the greater part he commended it to the Elders that overlived him and they to the Prophets and the Prophets delivered it one to another till at length it came to the great Synagogue at which time there was such a stirr as that that Council was fain to make Decrees and Constitutions about it nor was it then safe And therefore Rabbenu Hakkadosh about 18 generations afterwards gathered together the Sentences and Sayings thereof aâ—d composed the Mishna which Contains the Explication of all
this is that Appeal of Minutius Felix to other Heathens Most of you know that they themselves confess themselves Devils as oft as by the Torments of Adjuration or Flames of Devotion we cast them out of possession even Saturn Serapis and Jupiter himself and whatever other Devils ye worship being overcome with grief speak what they are neither lye they for the advantage of their Villany as they do to some especially of you that Patronize their Cause confessing the truth of themselves believe that they are Devils themselves being witnesses for being adjured by the true and only God they unwillingly either cling to the miserable bodies of the possessed or else they forthwith forsake them â—r else they vanish by degrees according to the Faith of the Patient or the Grace of the Physician About the same time Origen told Celsus that to that â—ry day Cures were wrought by the Name of Jesus And again afterwards he saith We can shew innumerable multitudes both of Greeks and Barbarians that confess the Faith of Jesus for the sake of which Faith some of them have received something miraculous the signs whereof they shew by Curing the Sick on whom they use no other means of Recovery but calling on the God of all and the Name of Jesus together with the History of him for by these means we our selves hâ—ve seen many rescued from grievous Evils Distractions and Madness and many other Diseases which neither Men nor Devils were able to cure And that the Christians of that Age wrought not these Cures by the Power of the Devil he farther yet makes evident by their Ejection of him wherever they found him the Power of Christ did so triumph over him as that almost the meanest Christians could dispossess him For More than a few of them were able to drive him away from them that suffered by him and that without any curious magical or poysonous thing but only by Prayer and pure Invocations such as a simple man may make For private Christians most frequently do it the Grace of Christ in his Word thereby discovering the contemptibleness and weaknâ—ss of the Devil 's that in order to their Ejection from the Soul and Body of a man there was no need so much as of a Wise man or one that was mighty in rational Demonstrations of the Faith To the same Purpose St. Cyprian wisheth that the Proconsul of Africa a great Persecutour of the Christians would hear and see the Devils whom he worshipt as Gods When saith he we adjure and vex them with spiritual Scourges and when by the torments of Words we cast them out of possessed Bodies when at the Word of Man by the Power of God as it were feeling Stripes and Scourges they cry out and groan and confess there is a Judgment to come Come and know that what we say is true And because thou sayest thou so worshipest the Gods either believe those whom thou dost worship or if thou wilt bâ—lieve thy self he that hath now besieged thy breast and blindâ—d thy mind with a night of Ignorance shall spâ—â—k iâ—â—hy hâ—â—ring concerning thy self thou shalt see that we are intreated by those of whom thou art afraid and adorest thou shalt see them sâ—and bound undâ—r our hands and tremble bâ—ing Captives whom thou dost honour and venâ—rate as Lords And after him Laâ—tantius testifyed that they fly from the Just and tremble because when they possess the Bodies of men and vex their Souls being by them adjured the Name of the true God chaseth them away For having heard it they tremble cry out and testifie that they are burnt and scourged and being asked who they are when when they came and how they entred into a man they confess being thus constrained and tortured by the vertue of Gods Name they are banished because of these lashes and threatnings they have alwayes hated holy and just men and because by themselves they cannot hurt them those whom they feel grievous to them they pursue with publick hatred and exercise Cruelty as violently as they can either that by grief they might diminish their Faith or if they cannot effect that that they might utterly take them from the Earth leâ—t they should survive to restrain their wickedness Now than this what is there more demonstrative that Christian Miracles were not wrought by the Power of Satan Since they bound and scourged him took him captive and thrâ—w him out of possession it is manifest the Power that did them was greater than his and contrary to it and can he give greater Power than he himself hath No surely Nor will he neither indeed can he change himself into an Angel of Light to destroy but only to uphold the Kingdom of darknâ—ss and if that be impossible much more so was it for him to have given Power to one that at the Invocation of his Name by others not only all Diseasâ—s should be healed but also he himself â—ormented and ejected This Power Arnobius observes that Jupiter Câ—pitolinus himself scarce granted to any Moral no not to his own chief Priâ—â—â— I wilâ— not demand saith he that he should râ—ise the Dead or restore light unto the Blind or give Strength and Beauty to the Lame and deformed but that either by the command of his Voice or touch of his Hand he should so much as supprâ—ss a Pimple a â—lâ—ft from the Nail or Wheal of the Skin And since so trivial a Power as this was not conferr'd by the chief of the Gods he might well as he doth with Confidence challenge the Gentiles to summon the most renowned Magicians from all Quarters to give to one of the people Power â—o make the Dumb to speak the Deaf to hear the born-blind to see to restore Sense and Motion to members long cold and withered Or if that be an hard matter such as they cannot give Power of doing unto others let them do it themselves and that with their Rites too whatever poysonous Herbs the Bosomes of the Earth do nourish whatever force there is in their rumbling of Words and the adjoyned Causality of Verses we envy it not let them gather it It liketh us to try and know whether they with their Gods can do that which Country Christians can by their naked commands And it seems by St. Austin that this Power of working Miracles continued in the Church though not so conspicuously a long time after for he testifies that even in his time viz. in the fourth Century Miracles were done in the name of Christ either by his Sacraments or by Prayers at the Monuments of his Saints And for Proof hereof he relates the stories of divers whereof he himself had been an Eye-witness Thus apparent it is and much more abundantly evident might it be made that the Disciples of Christ for several Ages after his Death wrought Miracles in his name and cast out Devils and surely these Miracles of theirs do conciliate Authority
sin but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father So convincing did he account his Miracles as that he imputes their unbeliâ—f to Malice and enmity against God and himself all which or any thing whereof he could not have done unless he had wrought his Miracles to consirm his Doctrine or attest his Mission from God to teach it To this End also 't is evident the Miracles of the Apostles were designed for they went forth and Preached every where the Lord working with them and consirming the word with sâ—gns following It is the dictate of Nature as well as of Scripture that God cannot lie or avouch a Falâ—hood therefore surely the word of his Grace is Truth for we find that he gave Testimony to it and this he did by granting signs and wonders to be done by the hands of the Apostles The salvation the Gospel proposeth first began to be spoken of by the Lord and was consirmed unto the first Christians by them that heard him i. e. By the Apostles but lest their Testimony should be suspected God did bear them witnâ—ss with signs and wonders and with divers Miracles Hereby then it is manifest not only that their Doctrine was true but also that the Wisdome of Providence did design the Miracles of the Apostles to the confirmation of it and so doubtless did they themselves for their Embassie to the Jews and Gentiles being somewhat like that of Moses unto Pharaoh viz. unlikely to be believed among them they found it expedient to have some Letters of Credence from the King of Heaven and hereupon they prayed God to stretch forth his hand to heal and to grant that signs and wonders might be done by the Name of his holy child Jesus and this they desired to the end that with all boldness they might speak his word and having obtained their request by the grant of signs and wonders to be done by their hands They speak boldly in the Lord. Neither the malice of the unbelieving Jews nor the ill affected minds of the seduced Gentiles could deterr them from speaking Boldly the truth as it is in Jesus it seems then the Testimony of God to that word by the Miracles of their Works was the Ground of their confidence in preaching the Gospel but this it could never have been without their intendment thereof to the confirmation of their Doctrine for without this they could neither pretend nor indeed believe their Miracles were the Testimony of God to the word of his Grace how could they look on them as such unless that they also themselves did use and intend them to this end Manifest therefore I take it to be that they wrought them on purpose to confirm their Doctrine or demonstrate their Mission from God to teach it and much Reason there was for their doing them to this end For 2. Miracles were always looked on as indisputable or demonstrative Proofs of Divine Power or Authority in them that did them To deny this is little less than to charge God foolishly for He indued Moses with power of doing Miracles to the End that the Israelites might believe that the Lord God of their Fathers had appeared unto him a charge also he had to do all his wonders before Pharaoh and although his heart was hardened yet being done in the siglit of the people they believed and bowed their heads and worshipped and after them it seems the Magicians were almost of the same perswasion for they sayed unto Pharaoh this is the finger of God by this their grant of the Premises they drew on themselves a necessity of confessing the conclusion for if the Miracles of Moses were done by the finger of God then had God appeared unto him or sent him Thus almost in the Morning of the world we find both the Children of Israel and the Wisest of the Egyptians confessing the force of Miracles to induce belief and that not as a probable argument but Demonstrative such as rather Commands Assent than Begs it for when Elijah sojourned with the Widow of Zarephath by his raising her Son to life She knew that He was a man of God and that the word of the Lord in his mouth was Truth And when the Prophets of Jericho saw that Elisha divided the waters of Jordan with Elijahs Mantle they said the Spirit of Eiljah doth rest on Elisha hereof it seems they were thereby so convinced as that though they themselves were Prophets partakers in some measure of the same Spirit yet they met him and bowed themselves to the ground before him as to the Father of the Prophets and the chief of Their Order and not only they who had their Education in the Schools of the Prophets and therefore perhaps are thought Apt to have ascribed somewhat too much to Their Miracles but also Naaman a Syrian an Alien from the Common-wealth of Israel being at the appointment of the same Prophet Miraculously Cured of His Leprosie was so convinced of the True God as that He returned to the man of God and said Behold now I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel His mind was cleansed from the grosness of Idolatry as wâ—ll as his Body from the Loathsomness of his Leprosie But to draw our Discourse a little nearer the business in hand we may observe in the New Testament that among the Jews many that Adhered not to Christ did yet believe that He came from God when they saw His Miracles Thus when He was in Jerusalem at the Passeover many believed in his Name when the saw the miracles which he did These many believers surely were not Disciples for Jesus did not commit Himself unto them or intrust Himself with Them as well affected to him because He knew all men and what was in them He searched their hearts and dived into the hidden secrets of their Souls and by so doing He found that though these mens Understandings were convinced by His Miracles yet their Wills were not subdued to His Doctrine and after them many of the people believed on him and said When Christ cometh will be do more Miracles than these which this man hath done To them it seemed Improbable that when their expected Messias should come he either would or could do more or greater Miracles than our Jesus did considering therefore his Works and his saying they peremptorily concluded that of a truth this is the Prophet viz. Foretold by Moses Deut. 18. 15. And believed by them to be different from the Messias but otherâ— said this is the Christ but when the Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him they and the Chief Priests sent Officers to take him But the Officers being astâ—nished at his Doctrine returned without him whereupon they Expostulate with them and in a Scornful manner askt him have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on
yet there may be great reason to take it and since the Command of a Superiour much more of God may equal it in goodness there certainly may be some reason to obey it besides the Power it hath of obliging to Obedience and this was Saul's case his Duty undoubtedly it was to desist from Persecution to induce or perswade him hereunto our Blessed Saviour told him It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks i. e. thou wilt expose thy self to danger by persisting in thy way therefore desist from it But the Assertion now under consideration being a deduction from another Position sends us back to the fifth Article where we find it affirmed that God hath a Right to rule and to punish those who break his Laws from his sole irresistable Power and that God Almighty derives his Right of Sovereignty from the Power it self To say that the Right of Sovereignty in the Sovereign of all Sovereigns is derived is certainly somewhat incongruous but letting that pass it is plain his meaning is that God is our Sovereign Lord because his Power is irresistable so that his Dominion ariseth from his Power For proof hereof he alledgeth a place or two out of Job but how much they are to the purpose will best be seen by abridging the Analysis of the Disputation between Job and his Friends occasioned by his afflictions The Question discussed was Whether the rightâ—ousness or unrighteousnâ—ss the sincerity or hypocrisie of a person pretending to serve God may be judged of by Gods outward Dispensations of prosperity or adversity unto him This Question is sâ—iffly affirmed by Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar the Opponents and as vehemently denyed by Job the Respondent and so they joyn Issue in the management of this Dispute although Job was in the right yet it must be confessed that sometimes being chafed into Passion either by the sharpness of his Sufferings â—or the bitterness of his Opponents invectives he spake unadvisedly and rashly even of God himself whom he daringly challenged either to call and he would answer or to let him speak and God should answer hâ—reupon God having heard both him and them for the vindication of his own Honour and for the satisfaction and humiliation of his servant Job was pleased to answer him out of the Whirlwind and said Where wast thou when I laid the foundation of the Earth c. Hereupon Job was so far convinced of the folly and evil the irreverence and rashness of his Challenge and expostulations with God as that he confessed his own vileness and laid his hand upâ—n his mouth After this it pleased God to â—nlarge his Answer so far as that Job abhorred himself and did râ—pent in dust and Ashes the Lord then ceasing to speak any more unto Job was pleased directly to determine the Question disputed on between him and his Opponents This he did by saying unto â—â—â—phaz My wrath is kindled against thee and agâ—â—nst â—hy two Friends for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my Servant Job bath How these Texts do prove that God hath his Right of Sovereignty from his sole irresistable Power He must have other Eyes than I that can see Agreeable to this is his arguing from that speech of our Saviour in the man's case who was born blind when his Disciples asking him whether he or his Parents had sinned that he was born blind he answered Neither hath this man sinned nor his Parents but that the Works of God should be manifest in him For though it be said that Death entred into the World by sin it followes not but that God by his Right might have made men subject unto Diseases and Death although they had never sinned even as he hath made the oeher Animals mortal and sickly although they cannot sin But what of all this be it true or false how I wonder doth it prove that God hath Right to rule from his sole irresistable Power If it hath any relation at all to it or connection with it it seems rather to conclude the contrary viz. that Gods irresistable Power ariseth from his Right of Sovereignty or at lâ—ast is as I may say warranted thereby for all that this argument amounts to is but this that God might have done otherwise than he did or he may do whatsoever he will do To say that he hath this power from his Sovereignty or Dominion is good sense and agreeable to reason but to say that he hath this Power from his sole irresistable Power is to say it is so because it is so This Argument therefore as well as the other I look on as so far fetched and unworthy of a Philosopher as that a modest man may blush to have made use of it but this Authour either knowing or conceiting himself to be thought some body seems to have presumed that from him it would pass as perhaps it doth among his credulous Disciples for a Demonstration although therein be scarce so much as the shadow of a probability for it is very hard if not impossible to discern wherein the force of it lyes and since there can no other estimate be made of things that appear not than there is of those that are noâ— the Laws of Civility will scarce forbid us to say it is a piece either of mysterious Non-sense or of grave Impertinence to prove his incongruous Assertion That God Almighty derives his â—ight of Sovereignty from his sole irresistable Power The truth or falshood of which Position will best appear by a few Observations manifest almost by their own light as First that Sovereignty Dominion or Lordship is an essential Attribute of the Deity for a Being infinitely perfect it is evident there cannot be without it the prime Basis oâ— Foundation therefore of this as of all the other Attributes is laid in the Divine Essence it self Yet manifest it is Secondly that this Sovereignty cannot be brought into Act or Exercise without the existence of something else besides God for he is not a Sovereign over himself but over or unto other Things or Persons It must therefore be concluded Thirdly that this Attribute is relative i. e. it includes a relation or reference which God hath to the Persons or Things whereof he is the Sovereign and forasmuch as Parties related have not their Being as such the one before the other but both together it follows that in this Relation between God and us we are as old as he and for this cause the next and immediate Right of his Sovereignty cannot arise from his sole irresistable Power because that is positive and eternal it was long before us and is no emanative cause of a Relation to us but it must arise from something else by the intervention whereof God stands related to us and we to him That Act therefore or those Acts of God whereby this relation is produced I â—ake to be his next and
But besides Allurements and enticements unto Sin the Devil sometimes by especial permission from God hath other wayes of provoking men thereunto And this he hath power to do by bringing afflictions perhaps the â—orest pains both of Loss and Sense that possibly he can upon them Thus we read of Gods Servant Job whom he tempted by great and grievous afflictions in his Person Goods and Kindred And thus it pleased God to permit him to do by our Blessed Saviour It was we know at first foretold that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents head and the Serpent should bruise his heel i. e. that the Messias should destroy the power and authority of the Devil and the Devil should sorely but not irrecoverably wound the Messiaâ— Now in order hereunto there was to be a time wherein the Devil was to be permitted to do his utmost against him this bitter Conflict with the Devil it is thought our Saviour apprehended at his triumphant Ingress into Jerusalem three dayes or more before he entred upon it This seems it he spake of when he said Now is my Soul trâ—ubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour No this he himself upon a little deliberation seems to disapprove because for this cause saith he came I to this hour he resolved therefore to say Father glorifie thy Name Hereby he commits himself to his Father's disposal and prayes him to make the Contest glorious unto Him A little while after Jâ—sus knowing that this hour was come said unto his Disciples hereafter I will not talk much with you fâ—r the Prince of the World cometh Satan it seems would again try his strength upon him and that not as before with subtilty and snares but with greater force and violence than formerly had been permitted to him and accordingly so it seems he did in his Agonie and Bloody Sweat at which time saith a great Divine his Fathâ—r permitted Satan to exercise the utmost of his power against him only over his Soul or Life he had no power Yet doubtless during this Agonie he suffâ—red pains more than natural such as neither the Prophets before him nor the Apostles or Martyrs after him either felt or could indure the pains of Hell they could not be because the Prince of the World having nothing in him he was not a Patient rightly disposed to indure those pains yet doubtless as the glory of our Saviour Christ is now much greater than the glory of all his Sâ—ints which have been or shall be hereafter so no doubt his Sufferings did far exceed the sufferings of all his Martyrs But what they were is it seems best expressed in the ancient Greek Liturgies by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unknown Sufferings Hereby the Devil tempted him to Impatience or some other obliquity in one kind or other but his design was frustrate for when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death he was heard in that he feared The Paroxysme was over the sharpness of the pain was abated if not quite extinguished by tâ—ese means at this assault in this battel also the Devil was beaten he ceased therefore from farther attempts by way of single Duel But the Contest bâ—â—ng for no less than the Crown and Empire of the whole World Satan resolvâ—d not so to leave him but once again to attaque him and it should be in that manner wherein throughout all Ages he had found himself most successful in doing mischief and that is not by himsâ—lf alone and immediately but by his wicked Instruments Men being left to the freedom of their own Wills are not under so strict a restraint as the Devil is â—ereupon he hath tempted them to be executioners of his Malice and they at his suggestions have often acted greater cruelties than were permitted to him to do by himself immediately Judas therefore and the Jews he most eâ—fectually tâ—mpted to the most barbarous and unnatural cruelty that they could possibly execute on the Holy One of Israel Thence was it that when he was apprehended He said unto them that took him This is your hour and the power of darkness whereby it is plain not only that at that time our Dear Lord was delivered into their hands to do what they would with him but also though the Devil did not appear yet he was the greatest Actour in all the Scenes of that sad Tragedy from the Apprehension to the Crucitixion of our Lord Jesus his Darkness was in its power his Will was then done his Pleasure was fulâ—illed The Outrages and Barbarisms that men then committed upon him were but the Venom which that Old Serpent spit at him and by so doing did the worst he could against him viz. he bruised his heel i e. he crushed his Humanity to death yet neither so could he conquer him by obtaining the least Sin to be committed by him Had he effected this he had obtained his purpose and done his own business viz. he had deâ—cated our Salvation and established his own Throne for ever but blessed be God the Captain of our Salvation was Victorious and by so doing he â—ath cancâ—lled all the Claim that the Dâ—vil can pâ—ssibly make unto us and hath uttâ—rly dissolved and â—ispâ—â—sed all Shadow of pretence to the Right of Conquest over us and since he received his Commission from God and in all his Temptations and trials he fought his Battels against the Devil it is evident that his Right hand and his holy arm hâ—ve gotten God the victoâ—y and so indisputable is the Right of Conquest as that by the Law of Nations Conquerours are always and every where Lords and Sovereigns over them that they have taken in just and lawful Wars since therefore in the War between Christ and the Devil most justly and graciously designed for our Redemption our Blessed Saviour was the Conquerour he hath thereby undoubtedly renewed if not also augmented Gods Rigâ—t of Sovereignty over us and by so doing hath laid as we shall see in the Sequel fâ—esh Obligations of Allâ—giance and Subjection to Him upon us Neither is that all for by his sufferings he did not only â—eâ—â—ore us into the freedom of Gods service but did also propitiate and make him gracious unto us For God sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins or he set him forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood and so the Son Himself tells us that his Blood was shed for many for the Remission of Sins As a farther proof and illustration hereof it will not be amiss to observe That the Law of Moses had this severe Sanction Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them the matter of this Curse was a violent death without mercy so that whosoever transgressed it was for that