of their Ingenuity congratulating the Prosperity of Men with the sweetest of Harmonies an Honour never before equall'd was not done to the Nativity of this great Person and that they were not high Presignifications of the Divine Quality and Excellent Actions of this mighty Prince and evidences of his Heavenly Extract infinitely more illustrious then those poor Instances which most would have admir'd as indubitable Presages that is if he had been born smiling if his Incarnation had been attended with a Dance of Swans if Bees had hiv'd themselves in his Lips or an Halcyon made her nest in his Cradle I find as much Reason to believe as before I had to wonder said Eugenius only I desire you would let me know who was that Virgin-Mother for being honour'd with such an Extraordinary Favour I cannot but suppose she was some very rare Person She was replied Bentivolio but her Excellency consisted in an humble Piety and unspotted Chastity It 's true she was lineally deriv'd from a Royal Family but that Relation was weaken'd by so many Descents that it was not much more conspicuous at such a distance then the Distinction of Waters which proceed from several Rivulets when they are blended in the Sea neither did she challenge any greater Honour from that Original then any poor man may claim as being descended from Noah nor God make any other use of the Pedigree then to verifie his own Predictions But this is no wonder for God having design'd to glorifie Humility by the Incarnation of his Son and to disparage those vain Estimations which are bottom'd upon High Parentage Noble Titles and Vast Possessions he sent him into the World devested of these Ornaments and obscur'd his truer Greatness with the Meanness of a poor Estate though indeed that was appointed as a Foil of his after-Glory which was shut up in this Cloud like the Sun-beams in Curtains of Crystal For besides the fore-mention'd Adorations which were pay'd him by Angels and the Lustre which was added to his Birth by a new-made Star Almighty God at his Baptism own'd him for his Son by a Voice sounding from Heaven equally loud with Thunder which he repeated twice afterward and commanded the World to obey him as their Universal Lord the Holy Spirit descending from the Celestial Regions and resting upon him as the true Lover of Souls in the Form of a Dove What was the meaning of this Solemnity said Eugenius I will tell you answer'd Bentivolio but to make you understand this Mystery more fully I must acquaint you with a piece of an ancient Story When Mankind apostatiz'd from their Creator and were afraid of being eternally undone with the Execution of the Punishment which was conditionally threatn'd the God of Mercy being unwilling that the Folly of his Creatures should be their Ruine took compassion of their Miseries and declar'd that he would not pursue his Right to their Destruction and to support their Life by Hope he promis'd in due time to send one who should make up the Unhappy Breach assure his Good-will and give Men a full knowledge of the Happiness to which they were restor'd After several Ages had past in which it pleas'd God to connive at the Sins of the foolish World for the sake of his Promise he sent Anaxanacton born after the manner which I have before describ'd who when he came did soon approve himself to be that Benign Saviour whom the common Father of the Creation had design'd to undertake the Restauration of the laps'd World I beseech you said Eugenius tell us how Anaxanacton verified that great Title for as the Appellation is magnificent so our best Concernments seem to be included in it You shall understand this presently answer'd Bentivolio When that Divine Person who existed eternally in the Bosom of his Almighty Father was pleas'd to appear upon this poor Globe for the Accomplishment of the fore-mention'd Promises to doe an unspeakable Honour to our forlorn Nature he cloth'd himself with Humane Flesh and united that Life to Immortality which was condemn'd to die for Disobedience When Divinity was thus embodied he which dwelt before in the Splendors of inaccessible Light descended and became visible in the lower Regions and those who had the Happiness to behold him were struck with the Brightness of his Divine Rayes by which he was as clearly reveal'd as the frailty of Mortal Eyes could bear and they perceiv'd that God had now fram'd for himself an Earthen Tabernacle and disdain'd not to converse familiarly with Men having veil'd the Majesty of his Glorious Presence in a Body like their own Here Eugenius interposing told Bentivolio that this seem'd more strange then the first piece of his Story and that it was more difficult to believe that God should become a Man then that a Virgin should be a Mother I did suppose replied Bentivolio that you would wonder at the Mystical sense of my last words neither would I have you think that I am able to give you a full Explication of so deep a Verity But I must tell you that though God hath made Religion Venerable by the Incomprehensiblenesse of some pieces of it yet no Article of our Creed is Incredible because we do not perfectly understand every Point it being a rational Satisfaction to our Minds that we believe only what God hath said and our Faith is as well secur'd in these Instances as our Knowledge is in many things which we take for granted though we are not able to give an exact account of them to a Curious Enquirer Who can explain the nature of Time and resolve all the Doubts which arise from the consideration of Place Who can shew us the Original Springs of Motion Why should any man stumble at the Mystical Union of God with Humanity when he considers the inexplicable Connexion of a Soul with a Body or the strange Adhesion of Matter to Matter Since we know not how our Soul doth at pleasure move so distinctly the various parts of this rare Machine our Body why should we be offended that God having told us many easie Truths which we are to believe and given us many plain Precepts whose Obedience is necessary should also command us to give credit to some higher Articles where our Duty is humble Faith and devout Admiration I am very well satisfied with this Answer said Eugenius neither do I desire rudely to uncover what God hath been pleas'd to hide but I beseech you to go on and let us know what this Divine Person was pleas'd to reveal concerning the Design of his Incarnation I will replied Bentivolio The first good news which he publish'd was That the Merciful Creator was willing to forgive the World that great Debt which they were not able to pay and that the most Good God who had been ingratefully abus'd had of his own benign Disposition sent an Offer of Pardon and to shew men the Reality of his Good will had made the Terms of Reconciliation
value Knowledg is in respect of Love we may perceive also by the Divine permissions which have given us leave to bestow it upon the meanest Creatures but Love is a hallow'd Faculty which he hath consecrated by reserving it for himself and is ever jealous lest any Idolatrous corrival should share with him in that facred Affection We have leave to know and use other things but not to love them except in such minute degrees that they may well think that we would rather make them believe that we do counterfeit an affection then love indeed Wherein God doth not only secure his own right but also expresses a great care of us because Love conteining the Virtue of Union if we should bestow it upon Creatures we should debase our selves by a conjunction with many things worse then our selves and so make our selves unmeet to be exalted into Union with God We have prophaned the Affection which was due to God by uniting it with every contemptible Object As by that which I said before concerning the Subserviency which Knowledg performs to Affection Love appear'd to be the Exaltation of Knowledg from which if it were separated it would be discarded by Mankind as a thing of no use or else mischievously applicable so lest any should think that Love is beholden to Knowledg for this service I will prevent that mistake for she is not only well rewarded for her labour but it doth so redound to the encrease of her own Interest that in the very way wherein she serves she is requited It s true a bare Knowledg doth give some small directions to the Love of God but the Divine Beauty of the Godhead is not clearly visible till Love have kindled a fire in the inamor'd heart The Light which shines from the flames of Love is like the noon-day beams Bright and Hot. This heavenly Fire doth shine with Vital light and with a potent heat doth dry up those fumes of Lust which would cast a cloud upon the eyes of the Soul Whosoever sees by any other light hath only some cold reflexion of wan Moon-beams upon glistring Snow Though he may brag of Knowledg he sees only with Owls eyes and if he talk must needs speak at random of that which he never saw but in the twilight He may make some Fancies proportionable to what he hath heard others say but is so devoid of the grounds of certain Knowledg for want of Experience that he doth but guesse at Heavenly things as blind men do at Colours By this Argument it is manifest that the Soul through Love ascends not higher into the ineffable Joyes of Heaven then into the Serenities of the Beatifick Vision and is as far from being in debt to Knowledg here below as he which payes his Creditor with Gold for Silver and that in greater weight then he receiv'd But why do I weary your Patience whilst I ballance Love with this Rival who is but its Harbinger and so though it goes before to the same place is but sent to provide Entertainment for another The Glory of this Vertue is better reveal'd if we consider the Noblenesse of its Descent accompanied with a correspondent Deportment Love is the Natural Child of Celestial Goodness and to produce it the God of Love vouchsafes to condescend to appear in the world not only cloth'd with the Essential Lustres of his Natural Beauty but also to superadd those adventitious Attractives of Bounty and Mercy proportion'd to the Wants and Miseries of our Condition The Divine Goodness designing our promotion chose this as the best Means to make us Happy and Good both at once For as God's Love brings his Goodness into view to produce our Love so when our Love is brought forth it becoms our Goodness As we must of necessity have continued miserable if God had not loved us so he permits us not to be happy but in loving him That God will be loved by such as we are is his great Condescension but that we love the Divine Goodness is the highest Exaltation of our Affections So that Heavenly Love being the Flower of the Reasonable Soul full blown and confirm'd in holy vigour by the same Goodness that produc'd it we may well think it the chief Faculty for which we should please our selves that we have receiv'd Souls Love is the Correspondent of Goodnesse for which God is pleas'd with himself Whilst the Best Good is the Parent and Object of our Love our Affections are made Divine and we led to Blessedness by a most pleasant way since in the Constitution of our Happiness Love is so great an Ingredient Thus Love is become that holy Ladder by which the Spirits of good men go and come between Heaven and Earth with reciprocal Motions Nothing comes from above that will rest long below The participations of this Spirit are like waters of Life deriv'd through invisible Channels from the great Sea filling the Hearts of men as so many little Springs but never forgetting the way home nor unmindful whence they came the overflowing Stream makes little Rivolets which never rest till they return into the bosome of the beloved Ocean I have often admired the noble Spirit of Love whilst I have seen how all that are possess'd with it it make way to God with an irresistible Vigour through all hindrances both carefully performing all services which are acceptable to him and for his Love despising all the glistring allurements of the flattering World and making use of a rare advantage which it hath in its own Nature for in Love all the Passions are seated as in their common Root it doth with it self offer up all the Affections of the Soul to God Taking constant Motives from the Generousness of its own Temper it doth that which none but Lovers can perform Where languid Souls enfeebled by the want of this assistance find impossibilities complain of impotency and make a stop it goes on and conquers with an invincible power It so passionately desires to please whom it loves that it doth not only such things as are required by Explicite Commands but never staying till it be bidden by words complies with the most secret notices of the Beloved's pleasure and doth whatsoever it thinks may please when it is perform'd whether it was commanded or no and having done all that it can counts nothing too hard to suffer and yet hath so poor an estimation of its own Merits that it doth not rate all that it hath done or can suffer at the value of one Smile from God As a Holy Lover sees that nothing can be added to the Greatness of the Divine Goodness which needs not what he can wish because it hath that already and infinitely more he is much pleas'd with the contemplation of such Perfections and makes proportionable Adorations and is conformably thankful since that Supreme Goodnesse would love or be loved by Him And whilst the Lover perceives that the Divine Goodness is only worthy of
having banish'd the spirit of Contention from among them They have nothing to do with any sort of Revenge but Forgiveness both because it is a Fundamental Law of their Kingdom to requite evil with good and because they do not desire to entaile quarrells upon their Posterity neither do they allow that Unchristian notion of Honour that passeth so currantly with such as can dispense with their duty when they must suffer in their reputation amongst the Ignorant for doing of it Thus the Theoprepians lead a happy life upon Earth Justice and Charity which are banished from other Nations have taken Sanctuary here Tranquillity which could not procure room to set her foot in other parts of the tumultuous world hath here erected her Throne Plenty which doth not satisfie other places with her largest Measures doth here take away the very name of Want with such proportions as they despise and abuse and they see plainly by their own Experience that it is not from Gods Unbountifulness but mens Folly and Wickednesse that they do not live happily in this world whilst some imprudently manage and others wickedly mis-spend his Gifts When Phronesia had gone so far her chief Gentleman call'd Anchinous brought word that Supper was ready and desired to know if she would have it set upon the Table Yes with all my heart said Phronesia and took that fit opportunity to end her Discourse begging pardon of Urania and her noble Companions who in stead of that return'd her most humble thanks and but that they were still to enjoy her presence would not have gone out of the Arbour for all the Suppers in the world for they valued her converse above all other possible Entertainments After Supper as one that was present reported they pleas'd themselves with putting divers ingenious Questions concerning the argument of Phronesia's Speech which I do not at present remember and because they would be too long to be here inserted I am the lesse offended at the weaknesse of my memory But after they had talked away a good part of the Night they were conducted to their Chambers to sleep out the rest In the Morning they receiv'd a Message from Theosebes to invite them to dine with him that day and also to favour him with their good company in the Temple that morning where some solemn Devotions were to be perform'd They accepted his courteous offer and return'd a thankful answer being very willing to partake in those Prayers which such Holy persons offer'd and to receive Love from those who were most worthy to be loved When they were come down into the Hall they were civilly accosted by Phronesia who also excus'd her self to them that for an hour or two she should be depriv'd of their most desired company praying them to impute this her involuntary Absence to the irresistable urgency of most important Business She acquainted them that she would leave with them Amerimnus who was an intimate friend of Theosebes to whose piety and prudence he did commit his chief affaires and that 〈◊〉 should attend them either in the Gardens or wheresoever they would please to divert themselves They received her Civility with all thankful correspondence and dismiss'd her much pleas'd that she had brought them acquainted with Amerimnus by whom they hoped to understand something of the Disposition and Manners of Theosebes That they might not lose such a fair opportunity they walk'd into the Garden and taking the advantage of handsome Seats in a place where they might have a full view of Eusebia Bentivolio 〈◊〉 Amerimnus to oblige him and the Company with some such reports as he should think fit to give to strangers of the holy life of Theosebes I should most willingly obey your command quoth Amerimnus but that I am not able to draw to the life the Image of such an Excellent person or to express any just Resemblances of his Vertues Alas his Worth is above the highest praises that I can reach and yet some peradventure who have been only acquainted with ordinary perfections would think that I extol him upon design more then his Merit But as I know that you have the fairest degrees of high attainments in your own Experience and so cannot but judge that possible of which you are Instances I will give you a short description of his Excellencies and the rather because it will not be long before you will converse with him and then you may easily correct the wrongs which I shall do him The chief thing which he aimes at is to be a true Lover of God to whose service he hath entirely devoted himself he thinks all noble Affections due unto him and judgeth Love misplac'd if it be bestow'd upon any thing else except in very low degrees As he finds the Excellency of things different he appoints them distinct allowances of that Affection which yet are but several sorts of small measures But as God is out of all measure excessive in Amiableness so he hath set no bounds to the Love which he hath for him I have often heard him say That he is not worthy of the name of a heavenly Lover that doth not Love God with his whole Soul In which I must confess I cannot but think him in the right for the Greatest Good doth justly challenge the best Love His affection is so really fix'd here that he seeks nothing but Union with God and doubting that he is not yet come to the utmost intimacy which is possible to an holy Soul he doth endeavour continually to make nearer Approaches He told me one day that he seem'd to see the mouth of Hell open when he did but think of such a state wherein men are remov'd from loving and being beloved of the infinitely Good God He hath consecrated himself for a holy Temple to God and hath made his Soul that spiritual Image wherein the Divine likenesse doth shine and being kindled with the vigorous heat of celestial Love he offers up his Heart for a daily Sacrifice the flames which ascend are all perfum'd with the breathings of Seraphick Joy mix'd with anhelations of fervent Desires Whilst he is conversant in acts of Devotion I cannot say that his Body is lifted up from the ground as they report that Pythagoras was when he pray'd but I am sure his more noble part is carried into Heaven which is never far from such a Divine Spirit It is not possible for any other man to describe the Passions which he feels for none knowes how much one loves but the Lover himself but he is so constantly attended with all outward demonstrations of inward affections and they are so notoriously known to all that converse with him that it is as hard not to think him a Lover as it is impossible to believe that such are who can give no proof but a bare pretence to that Honorable Title We cannot chuse but know that he is alwaies in the thoughts of God for he is ever speaking of him and
thy Footstool Earth the Sea Some drops from thy great Spring The chearful Day Glances from thy bright Eyes the Starry Night Takes from the Spangles of thy Vest its Light All Orders of Created Being say With different tongues thy praises as they may Whatever is or growes or useth Sense Reason embodied pure Intelligence Whatever swimms or creeps or goes or flies Doth when we blesse Thee eccho to the skies us be Thy Works will praise Thee whilst Thou makst At once we find our selves Great God and Thee Men And we poor Men through whose great fault the World Vnhing'd by sin was into Ruines hurl'd Curst because sinners have more cause then you Blest Angels as we can this work to do The Son of God made Man for us forlorn That we might live disdain'd not to be born And when our Staines requir'd a Holy flood He saw our need and wash'd us in His Blood Heaven is new open'd He hath made a Dore For all that do repent and sin no more He by his Love ended the dismall strife Hell's hope is frustrate Death 's the way to Life Which growes Immortall from the hallow'd Grave How can we chuse but sing when God will save For since He designs the ruin'd World to raise It is but just it should fall down in Praise Angells All Heavenly Powers do in Thy Praises meet Archangels throw their Crowns before Thy feet Men Old Patriarchs and Prophets bow before Thee Apostles and the Holy Church adore Thee Angells We offer praise because we kept our Place Men Because we are Restor'd we thank thy Grace Angells 'T is One great Sun whose Glory shines so bright In Heaven Men. And fills this lower world with Both By Thy blest Influence O Holy Dove Light Men Men are inspir'd Ang. And Angels taught to love CHORUS We blesse Thee God the Father of us all And celebrate the Worlds Originall The Heavens and Earth made and restor'd by Thee Joyne Praises in a gratefull Harmony Accept our thankfull Hymne though such poor laies Fall infinitely short of worthy Praise And since Great sourse of Being we can never Praise Thee enough we 'l sing and praise Thee ever After the Song was ended they spent the rest of the Afternoon in the spacious walks of a fair Garden and by various discourse made Theosebes bring forth those rich Treasuries of Divine Knowledg which he had laid into his Soul by frequent Meditations in the same place When the Evening began to spread her duskish wings they hasten'd to Phronesia's house and took Theosebes along with them When Supper was ended Nicomachus desired leave that he might propound two or three Questions to Theosebes which being chearfully granted he begun thus I have been told quoth he in Vanasembla that if one do but desire and entertain a purpose to go into your Country that he shall be carried thither immediately without any more adoe No quoth Theosebes all Forreigners must take the paines to travaile or else their Wishes and Resolutions will never bring them hither If I be not misinform'd your Experience will witness what I have said to be true you found not the passage free from all difficulty But the Borderers especially one call'd Hemicalus who though he dwells near unto us would never come among us hath rais'd many ridiculous and false tales concerning Theoprepia Others quoth Nicomachus say that you live a very Melancholick life in Eusebia They were never there which told you that quoth Theosebes you have seen the contrary They are unreasonable people who condemn such as they do not know We do not live discontentedly for then we should be miserable neither do we abandon Joy for so we should become Stones if we would live without the sense of humane things we should be forc'd to pull our Hearts out of our Bodies But we know that there is a sort of Masculine Pleasure which doth recreate and ennoble the Soul and we dare not sink our selves in the Voluptuousnesse of Sense lest we should stick fast in Mire as we have understood that they all do who will know no reasons or Delight but such as are derived from brutish Rellishes and dull correspondencies with the Worse part You take great paines for Knowledg quoth Nicomachus Is Wisdom so difficult or must you needs know every thing why do you do it Because we believe quoth Theosebes that God will not accept of Ignorance for a good Plea But they say quoth Nicomachus that your labour is never at an end There is good reason for that quoth Theosebes for our state consists in habitual Goodnesse and that is not to be attain'd without many Acts and besides this we seek a noble prize of our diligence Eternal Blessednesse Is that then quoth Nicomachus the great End of all your Industry Yes quoth Theosebes But methinks we need not doubt said Nicomachus but God will give us that although we should not strive so much for it because he knows that we are weak No said Theosebes we have no hope to make Imbecillity the refuge of Idlenesse since we find God is ready to help us to do all things that he requires of us But what need you be so careful every day said Nicomachus Because quoth Theosebes we shall be judg'd for every day But what need you do this more then others said Nicomachus Many do not trouble themselves so much Because we see said Theosebes that many are stupid and mind not their concernments and we have no such esteem of those whom we pity for their Errours as to make them exemplary to our selves Why quoth Nicomachus do you often vilifie the Interests of this world as they say you do Because quoth Theosebes we see them desert those who have courted them with most servile affections Since you have attain'd a great Perfection quoth Nicomachus why do you trouble your self any further Some think you are more burdensome to your self then you need to be To this Theosebes replied They which do but imperfectly understand their own condition cannot so well pronounce concerning others but I am assured that if I should slack my endeavours to grow better I should wax worse and so fall into a doubtful hope of Happiness and after that into a certain fear of Misery Those which resolve to sit down upon the Hill side will never reach the Top and if they fall asleep there peradventure they may tumble down again I despair of obtaining my End which I have told you but by Perseverance and I have no hope of that but by vigilant Care and constant Progressions There Nicomachus broke off his discourse praying pardon of the Company that he had continued it so long and by his speech occasion'd their silence and since it begun to be late Phronesia acquainted the Company that if they pleas'd she would waite upon them the next morning to the healthful Plaines of Sophrosyne and desired Theosebes to make them one more with his company The Noble Travailers
a warm Sun whilst Anaxanacton's Subjects wearied the Malice of their Tormentors with an unconquerable Patience and by the generous Testimony which they gave to Truth reconcil'd their mortal Enemies to the belief of that which they persecuted and to a most sincere Love of those whom but a little before they perfectly hated If Mahomet had made use of no other Means to serve his Design his Name would long since have been forgotten in the World but as his Religion in which he craftily made an honourable mention of Anaxanacton is contemptible in it self being a kind of Cento made up of Rites stollen partly from the Jews partly from the Pagans and some borrow'd from the Christians he fill'd it with ridiculous Fables absurd Stories perswades Obedience with obscene Promises and expresseth a base Condescension humoring the lowest sort of Life the worst of Men willingly observing his foolish Orders whilst they pleas'd themselves in hope to be admitted at last into a brave Seraglio for their Heaven and instead of Paradise to be put into a Gynaeceum Yet the subtil Lunatick perceiv'd that this would not effect what he aim'd at without the use of Arms and therefore as soon as he had multiplied his Disciples to a competent Number by fraudulent Arts he betook himself to Force and so order'd his way to make Proselytes that those whom he endeavour'd to perswade to his Religion saw that they must either die or be Mahometans Which is enough to shew the lowness of the way by which that cheating Arabian made his Attempts upon the World in comparison of the Celestial Method by which Anaxanacton's successes were obtain'd But since he became Master of his Designs by politick Stratagems and force of Arms and extended his Victories to the distress of Anaxanacton's People lest you should think this a sufficient Reason for venerable thoughts of that Impostor I must tell you that you may as well think honourably of the Devil and conclude that the Worship which was given to him in former dayes was Rational because he is a Cunning and Powerful Being I must also let you know that that Fatal Accident his unhappy Invasion of Christendom is a Permission of the Divine Providence of which we may easily give an Accompt For as it was but fit that the degenerate Jews having revolted from the Ingenuous Simplicity of their Ancestors should be punish'd by the Romans especially since they rejected and murther'd the promis'd Messiab who came after he had been long expected according to many Divine Predictions so it was just that false Christians should be chastis'd by the insolent Turk for Apostatizing from the true Faith and sincere Obedience of the Primitive times and I heartily pray that the growing Sins of the Western Europe may not make way for his further Progress into these parts of the World Because you question'd as I remember added Bentivolio still addressing himself to Antigraphus the whole Story whereupon all that I have said is grounded it is necessary as a Period to this Discourse to assert the Credibility of that Holy Book in which it is written Before I attempt that possibly it were not amiss if I should crave leave to ask you the Reasons for which you doubt of it and to desire you to say what would assure you of its Truth if your demands were answer'd But because that would extend this present Entercourse beyond the bounds of that Time and Patience which this worthy Company can allow I will give you a short Accompt why I believe that Story to be true and if you be satisfied with my Arguments I shall save you the labour of propounding any more Scruples This History is verified by all the Evidence of which such a Truth is capable For when Matters are question'd whose Truth depends not upon a Demonstration fetch'd from the Nature of the things themselves which makes it self manifest to all men upon the first view we must seek for Proof in good Testimony and we have sufficient witness to prove that there was such a Person as Anaxanacton and that the Narrative of his Life written by his Friends is a true History It is absurd to expect that our Saviour should be born live die rise again and ascend into Heaven in every Age neither is it necessary that God should repeat his Miraculous Testimonies continually having done it very often and convey'd the notice of those Assurances to posterity by the Records of Eye and Ear-witnesses If this be not a sufficient Evidence future Ages can never hope for any Proof of what was done in former dayes Since this sort of Demonstration is all that ought to be demanded I shall give you that Satisfaction in which you ought to acquiesce by shewing that all which I have said was done in the Presence of unexceptionable Witnesses In the Books of such as were his mortal Adversaries and therefore willing to have buried any thing which might keep his Remembrance alive in the World we find the mention of his Name and have receiv'd from some of them a Description of his Person None of them denies that he was famous for Miraculous Actions and when they desir'd to lessen the great Reputation which they reflected upon him they endeavour'd it not by affirming that he perform'd no such Works but by transferring the Effects which were really produc'd to less-worthy Causes not daring to call them Impostures but either Magical Actions or things deriv'd from Astral Influences and which had been equall'd by others They have recorded the Manner of his Death the Time and Place of his Suffering have told us the name of the Judge that condemn'd him and under what Roman Emperour they have acknowledg'd the vast Numbers of his Followers and grant that after his Death the World was fill'd with an Honourable Estimation of his Person and express'd the fear which they had lest his Doctrine should prevail upon the Faith of the whole Roman Empire and therefore made severe Edicts and inflicted cruel Punishments not only upon the Principal Converts but innumerable Multitudes of all sorts of People to stop its Growth They confess'd the Innocent Manners of his Disciples and bore witness to the constancy of their Loyalty to Anaxanacton They have let us know how punctually his Prophecie was fulfill'd in the Destruction of that People which first rejected him the Ruine of their Temple and City notwithstanding the Endeavours of some Emperours who desired to have hinder'd its Accomplishment both by preventing the Dissolution and attempting the Restauration of those famous Structures In short some of them have also acknowledg'd that the Holy Bible which did more fully relate these things and in particular give notice that when Anaxanacton was born a God descended from Heaven to restore the World to Happiness is a most Venerable Book This Testimony is not inconsiderable because we have it from those who besides this one courtesie which they never intended as an Expression of any Good will did