all those things which we expect our Religion should do for us For therein we find an Atonement infinitely sufficient to expiate the offences of the most guilty and to satisfie the doubts of the most scrupulous to silence all the clamours of an accusing Conscience and to answer all the objections of a misgiving Understanding if the Sinner be but truly penitent For though the Humane Nature of Christ was the sole Subject of his Sufferings yet the Manhood being taken into God it was the Divine Person that humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross insomuch that the Church of God is said to have been purchased by his Blood What then can there be so Precious as the Blood which Christ shed to redeem us What Sins can there be so great and crying as to call so loud for Vengeance as that doth for Mercy upon penitent Offenders If then we are weary and heavy laden with the burden of our Sins here we may find Rest and here we may repose our Souls with such confidence as the severest Reason cannot shake and will not gainsay And if so then undoubtedly the Sufferings of our Saviour do satisfie our Reason in the first thing it expects to find in our Religion viz. a sufficient Atonement made for our Sins The like Satisfaction they give it in the second viz. That it should shew us a likely way to Heaven and so they do because Christ suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps And the Example that he hath left us our own Reason can not chuse but approve of for it is such an unblemisht Pattern of Purity as cannot be parallell'd in all the World He did no sin neither was guilt found in his mouth So magnanimously holy was he as that notwithstanding the Injustice and Severity of his Sufferings he would do no sin nor so much as speak a guileful word This is an Example that farther exceeds all others in Purity than the Sun doth the Moon in Brightness And an Example he hath left us not only of the most immaculaâ—e Purity but also of the most elevated Vertue and this as St. Bernard observes we have in the work the manner and the final cause of his Passion For in the work there is Patience in the manner Humility in the cause Charity commended unto us And indeed his Patience in the one was so insuperable his Humility in the other so admirable and his Charity in the third so inestimable as that they pass our expressions and are fir for no less than Exstasies of apprehension And such is the nature of those Vertues as that if we rightly follow him in these steps of his Example we shall undoubtedly pursue the highest degree that can be of Vertue and Holiness for if Patience hath her perfect work it will make us perfect and entire wanting nothing If we be humble and lowly in heart we are qualified for the Grace of God for He giveth grace to the humble and if we follow after Charity we shall not only tread in the steps of his Example but also walk in the way of his Commandments for Love is the fulfilling of the Law and the end of the Commandment is Charity Herein then ought we so to follow the Example of our Blessed Saviour as that we may come to a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ And although now in this our state of Imperfection we cannot tread exactly in the steps of his Example yet may we therein walk uprightly And this is all that the Grace of God in the Gospel of his Son hath made necessary as a means of our Happiness for though perfect Conformity thereunto be our duty yet God be thanked Sincerity of endeavour after it only is an indispensable condition of our Salvation so that the Holiness of Christs Example is adapted both to our Reason and to our Ability What he hath done being our duty how plainly doth it lead us unto Holiness But but what we can do being a condition of our Salvation how graciously doth it stoop to our infirmities How satisfactory therefore is the Religion which we may read in the red Letters of our Saviour's Blood and Passion with what delight and complacency may our Reason receive it and our rational faculties contemplate and think on it Especially considering that the Religion therein recommended unto us doth not only lead us unto holiness but also more than any other whatever it doth dispose us to follow it because it is taught us by an Example for Examples we know especially of those whose actions may be thought to warrant ours have the force of Natural Agents as well as Moral Commands do oblige and Promises do perswade us to obedience but Examples do in some sort constrain and drive us to an Imitation The reason I suppose is because Example makes its way to the Affections not only by the Understanding but also by Imagination Such is the force of prevalent Affection as that out of the abundance of the Heart the Eye looketh the Foot walketh and indeed the whole Man moveth as well as the Mouth speaketh And observable it is that there is a kind of plastick power in Imagination whereby it shapes and forms a man as much as may be into a conformity likeness or resemblance of the image of persons or things therein lodged by a strong impression and this is apt much more vigorously to incite the Affections than bare Precepts can do to a prosecution If then we did set the Lord alwayes before us and meditate so frequently as we ought on our Saviour in his Sufferings how conformable should we be to his death how crucified to the World and mortified to the â—lesh how patient in adversity and humble in prosperity how resolute not to be overcome of evil but to overcome evil with good In short how servent in Charity and consequently advanced should we be in all Vertue if we did rightly understand and duly consider the Temptations and Sufferings of our Blâ—ssed â—â—od Jâ—sus for they not only have the efficacy of a most powerfull Example but also 3. They give us the grâ—atest encouragement and assistance that can be to follow it For as we have already seen Chriâ—â— suffered and was tempted that he might be able to succour them that are teâ—pted This is one grâ—aâ— advantage which we Christians have above the holy Patriarchs and Prâ—phets of Old they indeed did believe in the Mâ—ssias tâ—at was to come and they did hâ—pe to be saved by his future Merits but they then had not an high Priest in Heaven that could be touched with a â—eeling of their infirmities but blessed be God We have and what a mighâ—y encouragement is this unto us to take his Yoake upon us and to learn of him i. e. advisedly and constantly to frame our selves to keep his Commandments and
very foundation of our whole Law and the book whereon it turns is to raze those Opinions out of mens heartâ— and to extirpate their memory This also is the primary and principal Intention of all our whole Law as our Wise men have taught us in saying Whosoever confesseth Idolatry is accounted to deny the whole Law but whosoever denies Idolatry is reckon'd to confess it If then this were the Foundation and primary Intention of their Law how was it immutable The Opinions Rites and Worship of the Zabians were not unchangeable if they were how came it to pass the Law was designed to raze them out of mens Hearts and to blot out their Memory if then they were changeable how can that be immutable which was founded and hanged on them how can those Laws be immutable whose Reason and Foundation are subject to Vicissitudes and Changes the Intention and Reason of a Law is the Law rather than the Words of it Since then in these Laws the particular Things intended and the Reasons as well as the Words of them may be altered so methinks may they Especially considering that while they were in greatest force divers of them were occasionally suspended and transgressed yet without offence to God yea with his Liking and Approbation as for Instance that of offering Sacrifice only in the place which the Lord should chuse was violated by Elijah when he offered Sacrifice upon mount Carmel yet was it accepted as appeared by the Fire that fell from the Lord and consumed it The command to keep the passeover in the month Abib was transgressed by the good King Hezekiah and his Subjects who kept it in the second Month yet was this no unacceptable Sacrifice for the Lord harkened to Hezekiah's Prayer and healed the People and when the Priests blessed the People their Voice was heard and their Prayer came up to his Holy dwelling Place even to Heaven whereby 't is evident that when men did prepare their Hearts to seek God he himself did dispense with the strict Observation of the Ceremonial Law Yea God himself hath declared that he desired Mercy and not Sacrifice and the Knowledge of God more than burnt Offerings whereby 't is plain that God preferred the Dutiâ—s of Morality for before all Ceremonial Performances and consequently when they stand in Competition the latter was to yield and give place unto the former it seems then that in such cases the Ceremonial Law was suspended by the moral and if so then certainly it was not immutable and that that admits of a temporal Suspension is not in its own Nature uâ—terly uncapable of a total Abolition that which may be made void for a time may certainly be made so for ever it is not repugnant to its Nature Obj. But Moses hath told us there was no other Law to come from God but that which he gave unto us 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. but it is in thine Heart and in thy Mouth Ans But was this it that Mâ—ses there saith no surely for whoever considers the Series of his Discourse will easily find that he is not speaking of the Duration of his Law whither long or short but requiring Obedience to it the Reason of his so doing is because the Commandment is not hidden neither is it far off It is not in Heaven that thou shouldest say who shall go up to Heaven for us and bring it unto us that we may hear and do it Neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it to us that we may hear and do it But the Word is very nigh unto thâ—e in thy Moâ—th and in thy Heart that thou mayest do it But what is this to the pretended Eternity of the Law because the Law was neither hidden nor far off so that they need not to send either to Heaven or beyond Sea to fetch it was it therefore Eternal either this argument is wholly impertinent or else I do not understand it Obj. 2. But it is saith our Author expounded and declared in our Law that the Precept is â—ixt for ever that it shall not be obnoxious to variations neither Diminution nor Addition Every Word that I command you you shall keep that you may do it thou shalt neither adde unto it nor diminish from it And therefore our Ancestours have said it is not granted to a Prophet to change any thing Have they so but what Authority had they for so saying for divers of their Rabbies disputing against the pretended Eternity of their Law tell us the Holy Scripture admonisheth none but Vs that we should not for our pleasure or according to our own judgement add unto the Precepts or diminish ought from them but what hinders why the blessed God himself may not add unto the Law or diminish from it as his Wisdom shall appoint Nay it seems that R. Albo whom the Jews call the Divine Philosopher and adorn with more than a little praise restrains the place now cited to Idolatry and understands it to speak of Idolatrous Additions and Diminutions from the Manner or Form of Gods Worship constituted by the Law And this saith he may rightly be gathered from the Context for in the two preceding Verses the People are dehorted from the horrible Worship of the Gentiles and the Oblation of their Children whereunto this Admonition is immediately subjoyned If then this be the meaning of the place as R. Moses Nachman also thought it was it puts in no Caveats against those that for ought appears by the Spirit of Prophecy teach a variation in other matters from the Law of Moses Of which Law we are to observe 2. That Moses himself declared there should be a Change and Abrogation of it for he foretold such a state of things as was utterly Inconsistent with its Observation in all particulars Evident it is by his Writings that long before the Promulgation of his Law God had a purpose to communicate his Grace and Goodness to all Nations for he it was that recorded Gods Promise to Abraham that in his Seed should all the Nations of the Earth be blessed And afterwards old Jacob foretold that the gathering of the People should be to Shiloh But shall all Nations be blessed at Jerusalem must they all resort thither to Shiloh All Nations saith Menasseâ— Ben Israel with unanimous consent shall adhere to the God of Jacob and Isaac and embracing his Doctrine with one and the same Worship they shall serve him But shall the Worship of God be then confined as it is by the Law of Moses to the place which the Lord shall chuse in one of the Tribâ—s of Israel But if that were possible will the Aaronical Priâ—â—thood be sufficient to attend at the Temple for all
those Precepts which are written in the Law And why was this Comment committed to writing as well as the Text but because there was no preserving it intire without it Why then should it be set cheek by jole with the Text it self Was Rabbie Judah a Prophet as well as Moses no He lived a long time after the Spirit of Prophecy was ceased among them his writings therefore ought in all reason to truckle under the Scripture which was given by Inspiration of God and although the matters contained in them as is pretended came together with those of Holy Scripture from God Almighty yet having been for many hundreds of years most easiely subject to Corruptions Changes and Depravations for the prevention whereof he committed them to writing there can be but little or no certainty and consequently no knowledg of such Authority as is pretended to be in them and if not after much less before he wrote them For by committing them to writing without all doubt he did rather add unto then diminish their Authority and truly it seems probable that He devised the fable of their descent from God Almighty for had there been such an Explication as they say delivered by God to Moses by Moses to Aaron and his sons by them to the seventy Elders by them to Joshuâ— by him to the surviving Elders by them to the succeeding Prophets who delivered it from one to another through at least a thousand years had this I say been true it is very strange that in all that time they did not drop one word from their pens about it although certainly they had frequent occasions of so doing for a great part of their Office was to uphold the practice of the Law in the Purity and Integrity of it which they could no way have done better than by reducing Transgressoâ—s to that authentick Interpretation of it yet we find not a word of it but that that falls out most unluckily is that this traditional Interpretation of the Law doth thwrat and contradict the Exposition thereof by the Prophets this wretchâ—d Trâ—dition restrained the sense of the Law to the letter of it and taught men to believe it forbad no more than it expressed but the Prophets surely taught them otherwise whence â—lse was it that they râ—proved them for the thoughts of their hearts as well as the Works of their hands Thus did the Comment make void the Text and this Tradition made the Commandments of none â—ffâ—ct It is therefore most manifâ—st that they came not from the same hand Can infinite Wisdom speak contradictions or destroy what it builds it is blasphemy to say it can Since then this Tradition explodes the Law instead of expounding it we are sure it came not from God Was it then likely that the Divine Majesty as our Author often calls the Spirit of Prophecy should be made to hold up its hand at the Bar of this Tradition which perhaps was made worse by its keepers than it was in it self It was alwayes imprisoned in a Consistorie where no man knows what usage it had or how it might be dress'd up to serve the emergent exigence of Prophecy were tryed by Tradition and that Tradition known only in a Consistory and that Consistory consisted of men subject as doubtless they were to Error and Corruptions the Ark was more like to fall before Dagon than Dagon before the Ark I mean the Truth of God to be repelled by Vice and Wickedness oftener than they corrected by the Truth of God How easie was it for Vice to pretend to this Tradition and for Wickedness to plead Prescription by this Oral Law for its Protection And if they dwelt in the Consistory as too often they did or could make some friends there as no doubt they might they would certainly be more mindful of their concerns than to neglect so fair an Advantage and then if the Consistory declared that Tradition was for them that Prophet must die who presumed to speak against them But is it possible that the God of Holiness should make a Law so apt to establish wickedness no it borders upon Blasphemy to say he did Piety therefore as well as Reason inclines us to look on this Tradition as a meer Fiction at first invented to uphold the tottering Reputation of their Magisterial Rabbies and afterwards improved and used to patronize their Infidelity and justifie their barbarous Proceedings against Our Blessed Lord Jesus and all that adhered to him This therefore we do utterly reject But the other part of Maimonides his assertion viz. That Pretenders to the Spirit of Prophecy were not admitted to a Trial unless they made no alteration in the written Law of Moses is something more probable for doubtless an attempt to null the Obligation of a Law which God himself hath established if he that makes it gives little or no Evidence of Gods Intention by him to do it is a strong presumption yea a sufficient argument that he therein is a false Prophet But if God hath constituted a Law which in it self is mutable and withal hath declared that it shall be changed if the Pretender to Prophecy gives as great or greater Evidence of Gods Intention by him to do it then he did at first to establish it there is no more Reason to reject him than there was Moses and if so the Jews were certainly very rude and barbarous if they would not vouchsafe him a Trial but forthwith put him to Death without it What Law therefore of the Jews it was wherein our Author saith this Rule was contained is yet unknown to us however assured we are that though it might be of theirs yet it was no part of Gods Law because it inflicts Death on them who bring the broad Seal of Heaven to avouch their Authority to speak what they do in his Name I suppose therefore the Rule is seldom or never true but in case either of Immutability in the Law it self or want of sufficient Evidence of Gods Intention by the pretender to change it and that neither of these is the case now under debate will be evident by considering these two things 1. That the Law of Moses as to the Ceremonial and Judicial parts of it was not immutable for it was founded upon no immutable Reasons this methinks Maimonides himself must needs have confessed if he had consider'd what he himself hath elsewhere told us viz. That the first intention of our Law is to take away Idolatry to blot out the memory of it and of all things that adhere to it or give occasion of it And then after some digression he returns to his purpose and saith the Reasons and Causes of many of our Laws became known to me through the knowledge of the Faith Rites and Worship of the Zabians the knowledge of their Opinions and Sciences is a great Gate i. e. it serves much to let in the sight of the Causes of the Precepts for the
the Staff of Life and neglect their own Bodies to promote a â—iction of their own or others fancies that if such could have assured them of nothing but contradicton and gainsaying yea the worst of usage from all sorts of men that were otherwise minded yet herein to take unparallel'd pains and travails to undergo the greatest miseries and perils tortures and death it self how wonderfull was their constancy how admirable their resolution whereunto can it rationally be imputed but to the Spirit of Prophecy Which being in their hearts as a burning fire shut up in their Bones made them weary with forbearing and unable to hold speaking Of which Spirit in them we are yet farther assur'd by the Nature of the Wisdom which was peculairly Theirs for we have found it to excell not only that of the Gentiles but of the Jews also and surely 't was impossible for them without Revelation to have Taught a sort of Wisdom more excellent than that that was revealed can Man be Wiser than his Maker or his Wisdom more excellent than that of his Creator That 's impossible Or is not the Foolishness of God iâ— I may so call the most imperfect of his Revelations wiser than Men Yes surely that it is Why else was it made known unto them since then the Wisdom discovered by Christ and his Apostles is more excellent than that Revealed by Moses and the Prophets they could not have attained unto it but by Revelation Whence else was it possible that these Men should have this Wisdom surely 't was neither from Themselves nor any other Creatures They themselves in the Eye of the World were very unlikely to be Authors of so Excellent a Production for they were ignorant and unlearned men their Education had not raised them above the Vulgar nor their Callings distinguish't them from the common sort For to say nothing of our Saviour his Apostles were Fishers Artificers and Rusâ—icks or such like unlearned men and were these Men likely of themselves to bless the World with a sort of Wisdom more excellent than that both of Jews and Gentiles no surely 't is therefore evident they had it not of themselves no nor yet of other Creatures either Men or Angels good or bad not from oâ—her good Men or Angels for these neither would â—or could without loss of their goodness devise a Religion and impose it on the World for Divine so Fathering their Lies on God himself much less could they have it from bad Men or yet from the Fiends of darkness it is utterly inconsistent with their Lusts and Interests to be Authors of so much Glory to God and Good to Men or of such Destruction to themselves and their Impiety as we find designed and effected by the Gospel of Christ and his Apostles If then these men had not this Wisdom from any Creatures we must conclude with St. Paul that God revealed it to them by his Spirit But that Christ and his Apostles were prophets we have yet greater evidence than that of the Antecedents or concomitant Attendants on the Spirit of Prophecy Namely that of their Predictions and Miracles That the exact accomplishment of Predictions concerniug future Contingencies were looked on as Infallible Proofs of a Prophetick Spirit and that Christ and his Apostles were Authors of such Predictions we have already seen All therefore that now remains will be to shew the reason of the Consequence viz. Why from thence we conclude them to be Prophets what strength or force is there in the accomplishment of such Predictions to shew that the Authors of them were Divinely inspired What cause or reason is there on that account to conclude that they were Prophets Hereto I Answer the reason is Because thereby it appears they were intrusted with some knowledge of Gods Secret purpose concerning future Contingents To discover the force of this Reason it will be needful to observe that Contingents are twofold viz. either such as happen as we call it by Chance Namely such as have their Being from the concourse of diverse natural causes in some sort hindering as well as helping one another or else such as come to pass according to the purpose and intention of some free Agent There is no natural nâ—â—â—ssity of their Production in such a manner the Ability of their cause might otherwise have produced its effect there is no necessary connection between them and the Series of natural causes their Being depends wholly as to their Contingency on the will either of God himself or of his reasonable Creatures These things are most properly contingent and if so then evident it is that the fore knowledge of them cannot come within the compasâ— of any art or Science whatever because all Arts and Sciences being habits of doing or demonstrating from things natural and necessary they neither do nor can reach those that have no necesary connection with them or dependance on them Yet by the Predictions concerning them evident it is that God foreknows them If not how could he foretell them I may therefore say with Tertullian that Gods foreknowledge hath as many and great Witnesses as he hath made Prophets Now this his foreknowledge must needs be though not the efficient yet the directive cause of all future contingents otherwise there would some things come to pass which neither of themselves nor yet by any superintendence of Providence would have any subservience to the Supream end of all things viz. The Glory of their Maker But this is absurd and unworthy of God For t is not credible that the infinitely Wise and Almighty Creator who at first made and still upholds all things in their Being and vertues for his own glory should suffer any thing to come to pass that neither of it self nor by his direction is subservient thereunto For Providence being the reason of the Order of things as well as the actual gubernation of them in reference to their end especially the last it must needs belong to the perfection of it to dirâ—ct all things as well contingents as others to the glory of God and for this cause 't is necessary that of all the contingencies within the vast Circuit of Possibility those that come to pass should be if not predefined i. e. absolutely willed yet as I may say pre-permitted i. e. in the prescience and eternal Order of all things in the Divine Intellect allowed to come to pass in their respective seasons Which 't is evident they cannot be without some secret purpose concerning them of which secret purpose it is as evident by the exact accomplishment of Predictions that the Prophets had some fore-knowledge but whence I pray had these men this knowledge Were their souls themselves without Revelation able to attain unto it No surely for though the mind of man walks in all the Paths of Arts and Sciences as well those that lye dâ—ep in reason as those that are usual and beaten and though it compasseth
Argument into this form and the strength of it will be evident Those whom God employes to prophesie are Fellow servants But you and your brethren the Apostles as well as I God employes to prophesie therefore we are Fellow-servants St. John could make a doubt of nothing in this Argument but the Assumption whether he and the rest of the Apostles were sent to prophesie Yes sayes the Angel that you are for the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy Hereby to me it seems apparent that the Testimony of Jesus here signifies that which the Apostles gave unto him and would you know why this is called the Testimony of Jesus not of the Apostleâ— concerning him then observe that this Testimony of Jesus may be considered two wayes viz. Strictly or Largely if abstractly or strictly in it self then it is little or nothing else but the Record they gave of Christ or the Doctrine they taught concerning him and this is said to be the Testimony of Jesus because he is the principal thing it treats of but if it be considered largely it comprehends not only the Doctrine of the Apostles concerning Christ but also the Strength Power and Authority whereby they taught it Thus considered it is the Testimony of Jesus not only because they gave it to him but also because they received it from him For he gave them not only Command to bear this witness of him i. e. to go into all the World and to preach the Gospel to every creature but also Strength and Power so to do for he first opened their Vnderstandings that they should understand the Scriptures and afterwards he eâ—dued them with Power from on high by sending the Promise of the Father i. e. the Spirit upon them to lead them into all Truth and enable them to speak it to all Nations whatsoever and this was done so effâ—ctually as that men of every Nation under Heaven heard them speak in their own Language and this surely in it self considered was no small matter of Testimony to our Jesus The Apostles we know were ignorant and unlearned men that understood but little of Scripture less of Foreign Languages yet hereby on a sudden they were enabled exquisitely to understand the one and to speak the other of all sorts and doth it not surpass the Power of Nature to make so stupendious a change as this was What Creatures can make Men Wise Holy and Learned in an instant It is a work of Wonder that falls within the compass of little less than Omnipotent Power and Wisdom Surely therefore the Author of it was God and if so then Jesus to whom the Apostles were thereby enabled to give Testimony was at least a Man approved of him On that account therefore their Doctrine or rather their Preaching or Promulgation of the Gospel by it may well be called the Testimony of Jesus And this Testimony of Jesus my Text tells us is the Spirit of Prophecy The truth and Essence of Prophecy saith Maimonides is nothing else but an Influence from God by the Mediation of the active Intellect operating first upon the Rational afterwards on the Imaginable Faculty This Definition is thought somewhat too scanty and obscure to express the nature of Prophecy in its full Latitude it is therefore conceived that by a little alteration of its Definition by another Rabbi we may have a more adequate and clear conception of its nature viz. that it is an Influence from God upon the Rational Faculty either by the Mediation of the Fancy or otherwise and by this Influence whether by the Ministry of an Angel or otherwise a man attains to such knowledge as by his Natural Abilities would be unattainable In these Definitions of Prophecy we have nothing at present to observe but that wherein they both do agree namely the general Nature of it which they make to consist in Influence from God Prophecy is not an Ignis fatuus of a disturbed Fancy but an Impression of Divine Light thence perhaps it was that in old time the Prophets were called Seers not because or at least not so Properly because of their Fore-sight of things Future as of their Visions those Images or Appearances of things as Visible which by Divine Influence were represented on the stage of their Fancy to the sight of their Understandings And afterwards the Prophets were called Men of God because God was pleased immediately to reveal himself unto them and so the word rendred Prophet denotes one that receives what he saith from God It seems then that all Prophecy truly so called hath its descent from Above it is not of any Private interpretation or rather of a mans own starting or suggestion for it comes not by the Will of Man but Holy Men of God did thereby speak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost We Christians therefore believe the Holy Ghost spake by the Prophets and that Prophecy is a Gift of the Spirit For which cause no doubt it was that Justin Martyr intitles him the Spirit of Prophecy But when we consider that the Spirit of Prophecy as in my Text is affirmed of the Testimony of Jesus it seems most probable that it therein signifies not his Person but his Gift not his Essence or Subsistence but an Effect produced by him which is here called by his Name Thus the Spirit of a sound Mind the Spirit of Wisdom and Meckness the Spirit of Knowledge the Spirit of Grace and the Spirit of Prayer signifie Effects Works or Gifts which the Spirit of God produceth in the Souls of Men. So here in my Text the Spirit of Prophecy by an ordinary Metonymy of the Cause for the Effect is put for the Gift or Ability to prophesie which the Holy Ghost wrought in some of Gods Ministers This Gift the Angel had when he spake to St. John and so saith he had St. John too and the rest of the Apostles in their Testimony of Jesus i. e. in the Record they gave of Christ or in the promulgation of the Doctrine they taught concerning him from whence it apparently follows that the Angel here speaking and they were Fellow-servants But it is not this their Association with Angels which I now intend to discourse of but the Reason and Cause of it viz. their Gift of Prophecy It is we see here avouched by an Angel that the Apostles in the Promulgation of the Gospel were indued with the Gift of Prophecy or in short that they were Prophets and if they in their Testimony of Jesus were Prophets much more was He himself by whose Spirit they gave it to him a Prophet all then that remains for me to do will be to prove that Christ and his Apostles were Prophets Hereof methinks none can doubt but those that are slow of heart to believe the Holy Scriptures for therein we first find it fore-told to the Jews that God would raise them up a Prophet from among their Brethren like unto
Moses which Promise Petrus Galatinus proves the ancient Jews themselves understood to speak of the Mâ—ssiah and in the Acts of the Apostles St. Peter affirms that our Jesus is that Prophet And Christ himself gave such evidence of it as that his Disciples thought him a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people i. e. that God did demonstrate and the People did confess that he was a great Prophet and that they did so is manifest for the Jews themselves whose hearts were not subdued to his Doctrine did yet believe that of a truth he was that Prophet that should come into the world The Samaritan woman also perceived that he was a Prophet and the men of Samaria believed and knew as much namely that indeed he was the Christ the Saviour of the World a part of whose Office as they thought was to tell them all things and so to be a Prophet And then for the Apostles we do not only read that God by his Spirit revealed things unto them but moreover we find it recorded that he did it in this manner Our blessed Lord Jesus Christ promised his Disciples to send them a Comforter and that when He the Spirit of Truth should come he would guide them into all Truth which it seems fell out accordingly for when the day of Pentecost was fully come the Aposâ—les were all with one accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty Wind and it filled all the House where they were sitting and there appeared to them cloven Tongues like as of Fire and it sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance Nor did they then receive only the Gift of Tongues but that also of Prophecy For the promise of God by the Prophet Joel that He would pour out his Spirit upon all Flesh and that their Sons and Daughters should Prophesie c. The Importance of which Promise is that in the days a little before the Destruction of the Jewish Nation there should be so great and unusual an effusion of his Spirit upon Pâ—rsons of all sorts as that those who were not brought up in the Schools of Prophets should yet be indued with the Spirit or Gift of Prophecy This Prediction of Joel was fulfilled in the Apostles by the most auspicious Descent of the Holy Ghost upon them for St. Peter affirms this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel It seems then the Mystery of Christ which in other Ages was not made known unto the Sons of men as now it is was revealed unto his Holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit It is therefore manifest there can be no doubt made of our Assertion if the Holy Scripture be thought sufficient to prove it On this account I suppose it is that among those who believe the Scripture it seems an Hypothesis rather taken for granted than otherwise proved by any But because our Age is inquisitive and somewhat too apt to derogate from the Authority of the sacred Pandects because also since those parts thereof which make mention of Christ and his Apostles did drop from Their Mouths and Pens to alledge Texts from thence is but to produce their own Testimony concerning themselves and therefore whatever Truth there may be there certainly is but little Force in that way of arguing unless it be to those that already are well perswaded of their Authority For these Reasons I shall at present ascribe no more Authority to the Holy Scripture than is usually given to other Writings far inferiour and argue only from Reason and Testimony that cannot be suspected of Partiality by the help thereof together with Gods blessing I doubt not to prove these five Particulars 1. That the Notion of a Prophet is very agreeable to Reason 2. That there were Prophets among the Jews 3. That for the Tryal of Pretenders to the Gift of Prophecy they had certain Rules Notes and Signs whereby to judg of them 4. that if Christ and his Apostles be tryed thereby it will be found that they were Prophets 5. That this way of proving they were so is very sufficient and rational CHAP. II. Of the Notion of a Prophet and that there were Prophets among the Jews THE Notion of a Prophet may certainly best be learned from the Nature of Prophecy before defined from which Definitions of Prophecy we may gather this of a Prophet viz. that He is a person who by the Influence of God upon his Rational Faculty doth attain to such knowledge as by his Natural Abilities would in one respect or other be unattainable In which Description it concerns us at present to observe only that it is not Prediction but Influence from God which constitutes a Prophet at least such an one as we are now speaking of And that this is no new Notion adapted to our present Undertaking is evident enough by the words of a late Author whose Principles are thought most unluckily of any to undermine such Foundations as we are now laying yet he expresseth himself in these words Although there be many significations in Scripture of the word Prophet yet is that the most frequent in which it is taken for him to whom God speaketh immediately that which the Prophet is to say from him to some other man or to the People Gods speaking to men immediately he himself saith is to be interpreted that way whatsoever it be I suppose he means without the Ministry of man by which God makes them to understand his Will Hereby 't is evident that in his Judgment as well as ours a Prophet was a Person on whose Understanding God had immediate Influence how else is it possible he should make him immediately to understand his Will and sure it cannot seem strange to any that there have or might have been such men in the World the Power and Wisdom of God together with the Capacities of Mens Souls are enough to remove all suspition of Its impossibility He that made the Mind shall not He be able to teach men knowledge and he that was made on purpose to know God and give him the Glory of his Handy-work shall not he be thought capable of learning from such a Teacher There is therefore no show of Reason to doubt the Possibility of Prophecy especially considering that all sorts of men how wide soever their differences are in other matters do yet agree in this viz. that there are or have been such Prophets in the World This is so manifest and vulgarly known to be the Belief of Christians Jews and Turks as that among all that have heard of Christ Moses or Mahomet all necessity of proving it is perfectly fore-stalled and that the Heathens also were of the same opinion is evident by what they have reported of some of their Law-givers viz.