disgrace upon the Authors 13. Upon this ground also we evidently Nor in those who writh the Gospel clear our sacred Writers of the new Testament from all fraud and forgery in their plain Narration of our Saviours Miracles Reflect I beseech you what man endued with common prudence can work him selfe into this perswasion that the four Evangelists who candidly set down the sufferances the opprobrious death of their Lord and Master wherein as all confesse they speake truth in some strange Frolick or other met together and agree'd to tell à false lye of Lazarus raised to life of infirme restored to health that were never What prejudice fraud would have done the Evangelists sick Had this fraud been invented they had not only notoriously prejudiced their own cause but the Interest also of their great Master nay the very Iewes would have decryed all the Miracles they wrote of as publick impostures and if feigned might justly have pleaded No eyes ever saw them wrought whenas the contrary is manifest for they highly dreaded our Saviours Miracles and held them so attractive that if permitted to go on the whole world would follow him Hence it is that that ungodly People never dared in any Tribunal juridically to call into doubt the truth of his greatest Miracles though some whisperers said he cast out Divels by the help of Divels No all knew they condemned him to death not because the cure of the blind man or raising Lazarus from death were judged Impostures but upon this account that final Sentence was given because he made him selfe the Son of God 14. By all hitherto said we se 1. How and in what manner true Miracles objects of sense gained repute in the world and became credible First witnesses worthy beliefe not suspected of By what means Miracles gained esteem Guile saw them wrought and upon their faithful word communicated with other 's the wonders they had seen as certain and undoubted 2. Those first Hearers finding no reason to question the fidelity of Ey-witnesses justly reputed honest prudently yeilded assent to the Narration and imparted to others what they had received from those who saw the Miracles In Processe of time the Report of those wonders spread far and neer gained more ground till at last à publick Fame owned them certain This Fame held on Age after Age handed down by constant Tradition never as I said rationally contradicted is now general the whole Universe over and every way Comparable with the Fame we have of Alexander the great Julius Caesar and other known Heroes whereof no prudent man ever doubted Observe I beseech you how equally the Parallel run's in both cases Caesar and Pompey plain Objects of sense are proved to have had once being in the world because seen by many But Christ our Lord and his Apostles no lesse objects of sense were as visible the parity therefore hold's good 2. The Gests and noble Acts of Caesar first seen Records afterwards preserved None can force himselfe to deny à truth owned upon Vniversal Fame and as good Records are extant for the admirable works and Wonders of our Saviour 3. The Fame of those Heroes and their Gests taking its first rise from Sense became in time Universal and handed down by Tradition lives yet so vigorously in the minds of all men that no owner of this publick Fame can by any violence force himselfe to judge that Caesar never was in being never fought battle the whole Story of Alexander is à fourb c. Thus also the Fame of Christ of the Apostles and their Wonders once sensible and yet upheld by à perpetuated Tradition still remain's so fixed in all minds that unless this publick Fame perish which is impossible the matters of Fact supported by it are without Contest undeniable Hence I propose this Question whether à Iew or Gentile can by violence force his intellectual Power to judge Such à man as Christ such men as the Apostles were never in the world You will say No because they are Truths Universally received notwithstanding the very most of Unbelievers boldly deny the Miracles we speak of and why should not their Authority as much evince A Negative or prove no such Miracles done as the contrary Testimony of Christians avail for the Affirmative in saying Christ really wrought Miracles 15. To Answer the difficulty you have here an undoubted Principle Clear Positive proofs manifest for an Affirmative quite bear down over-weigh in true worth à contrary Negative bluntly maintained without semblance of Proof Should therefore the greatest part of men now living barely deny without Proof Alexander or Caesar ever to have been or done any memorable Action the contrary Positive Arguments alledged for their being would manifestly Show that ungrounded Denyal to be not only weightless but senseless also and improbable And thus I discourse in our present case Positive Ground 's irrefragable reasons whereof you shall have à few hints rationally prove our Saviour and his An objection answered Apostles to have wrought true Miracles therefore all contrary Opposition without Grounds and proofs appear's frigid senceless and improbable Some Critick may object Had as many from the first rise of Caesar opposed his being and Heroical Acts as have gainsaid the Miracles of Christ and the Apostles from the beginning of Christianity that certainly would have much abated the humane Beliefe all have now of Caesar of Alexander Cicero or who you will I answer no Abatement at all while on the one side and this is ever to be noted the Positive grounds for the Affirmative stand in vigour as they now stand and the Denyal rigidly examined for want of proofs comes to nothing but to this vain empty and Idle Assertion Caesar forsooth never was or did any thing worth à man Christ never wrought true Miracles Positive proofs therefore brought to light in behalfe of these Miracles enervate the contrary unproved Assertion and show it void of Strength futile in à word worth nothing 16. Now if you enquire after these Positive Reas and Relig. Disc 1. cap. 3. proofs all clear and convincing whole Volums might be written Some as I argued Reas and Religs remonstrate the Cause by its real effects and set before us à manifest Truth the known Conversion of the world made by Christ and his Apostles without force of Arms or any earthly Allurement Nay upon the greatest disadvantages imaginable because however poor and despicable in the eyes of all yet They prevailed against the rich and powerful and brought innumerable to believe in à Crucifyed man Was it not now that the greatest Philosophers the most Eloquent Orators were deem'd less wise than twelve unlearned Fishermen and did not God set à mark of folly upon humane wisdom in the noble Conquest made by the Divine Spirit that speake in these very men reputed Idiots This prodigious Work most certainly A Proofe taken from the Miraculous Conversion of Nations done whereof see
he never undertook to prove that Miracles are wrought to confirm the Churches infallibility in Doctrin Mr Dr err's grosly E. W. has handled Reason and Relig. Disc 2. c. 9. n. 3. this point upon several occasions For your Satisfaction Reader peruse only Reason and Religion where I proposed this Question If Miracles as the Dr often intimates only mark out à Doctrin The Dr again mistaken common to all called Christians hovv comes it to passe that that the Nestorians and Protestants have not Miracles more frequently done among them Why is this favour only annexed to the Catholick Church I said 2. There is not any one Doctrin taught by our Church which is not Sealed signed and confirmed by manifest Miracles and named particular Doctrins whereunto the Dr never yet replyed nor can reply hereafter Yet forsooth E. VV. never handled this matter 9. The Dr in the same page quotes Maldonat Maldonat in Marc. 16. 17. as one confessing that since the Christian Religion hath been confirmed by Miracles in the Churches beginning there is no necessity of Miracles for that End Here the Dr Juggles Maldonat makes no such confession He saith indeed which is à great Truth that Miracles were necessary for the Propagation The Dr wrongs Maldonat of Christian Faith But doth not therefore exclude them for being useful and necessary in after Ages his words are so plain that I wonder the Dr passed by them without notice Neque vero existimandum est c. VVe are not to think Saith he the Power of working Miracles exstinguished in S. Aug. 22. de civit c. 8. sermo 7. de sanctis in Episcopatu suo faithful Believers for many have been done as S. Austin proves by innumerable Examples which the Saint beheld vvith his ovvn Eyes for the space of Two whole years at the Reliques of Blessed S. Stephen Thus you have Maldonat's Confession Now if as the Dr pretend's Maldonat Quotes S. Gregory and Bede for this Confession he introduces both their Testimonies as strong proofes of latter Miracles wrought in the Church These Maldonat stoutly defend's And who ever yet doubted but that S. Gregory and Bede stood as earnestly for them as ever Catholick Authors did Nay more doth not the Dr in this very Treatise bitterly Dr Still Page 586. inveigh against S. Gregory and Bede upon the Account of their over much Credulity and want of Iudgement in giving encouragement to all the Monkish Tales and Impostures afterwards He would Say if he speak's Sence That because these two great Doctors wrote so copiously of Miracles the one in his Dialogues the other in several Passages of his works they taught Monks to tell their Idle Stories concerning Miracles yet here forsooth they are brought in as great Adversaries to Miracles 10. A word now to S. Gregory The Saint mentions three sorts of Miracles peculiar to most S. Gregory Homil. 29. in Evangelia post initium Christians in those Primitive times First they cast out Divels 2. Spake different Tongues And 3. By laying hands on the diseased cured them Thus much said S. Gregory demand's What my good Brethren will not you believe because you Ordinary Observe well of what Miracles S. Gregory Speak's Christians work no such Miracles Know those Signs were Necessary in the beginning of the Church to the End that Faith nourished by Miracles might encrease among the Multitude of Believers VVe saith S. Gregory water à plant till it take root but when that 's done irrigatio cessabit we water it no more Therefore S. Paul tells us that the gift of Tongues is not for Believers but for Infidels Observe Reader à double cheat The Dr first pervert's the true Sence of S. Gregory who speaks as you see of particular Miracles which God then usally wrought by all sort of ordinary Christians and such Signs saith the Saint were necessary at the beginning for the Suppression of Infidelity then rife in the world as also for the firm Establishment of Christian Faith But now that great Work being done The plant needs no more The Dr's two fold Cheat discovered watering That is it is not now necessary that the faithful generally be assumed to work such Miracles as they did in those Primitive Dayes Hence the Dr fraudulently infer's that all Miracles cease in the Church because either all or the most of Christians speak not different Tongues cast not out Divels lay not hands on the Infirm and cure them Is not this Jugling 11. What is here Said Maldonat whom the Maldonat's Doctrin Dr cites so fully expresses that more cannot be desired Viguit quidem in initio Saith he tantopere Miraculorum usus c. The use of Miracles was so frequent and flourishing in the beginning that seldom could you se à Christian who wrought not all Miracles Two chiefly were most common Viz. To speak different Languages and to cast out Divels Though these Graces were not given presently upon Baptism But by the Imposition of hands or in the Sacrament of Confirmation Thus Maldonat But the Dr's Eyes were shut and would not see Judge Reader whether this be not à second Fraud 12. The Dr Quotes Andradius we call him Dr Still page 688. Dandrada Defens Trident. Fidei lib. 2. Payva Dandrada and remit's me to his second Book which contain's à vast number of leaves from folio 98. to folio 270. And here I must seek out these few words of the Dr. Andradius saith that Miracles are often times false but alwaies weak proofs of à true Church The Authors own context Dandrada page 205. will afford the best light When saith Dandrada S. Augustine disputed against the Donatists who confined the whole Church to Africa He proved that the true Church could be Demonstrated by the Testimonies of Holy Scripture Hence Kemnitius thought the Saint asserted that all things are expresly contained in Scripture never considering what S. Augustine contend's for Viz. That the most firm proofs for the Church free from all suspicion of falsehood are to be taken from Scripture He goes on For vvhen Miracles vvhich Holy men often do may vvith the Divels help be exhibited by the most vvicked and the Prediction of future things may not only happen to the pious but to the impious Falsa Profecto haec sunt plerumque infirma etiam semper Ecclesiae verae indicia Such Miracles not comparable to the Testimonies produced from Scripture are often times false and ever weak Marks of the Church The only difficulty is when this Author distinguishes two sorts of Miracles some wrought by good men others by the most vvicked whether those Particles Falsa profecto haec sunt relate to both or are only restrained Dandrada his Doctrin explained to Miracles done by the vvicked And the whole Context seems to clear all Seing Miracles and Revelations saith Dandrada Non modo piis sed flagitiosis hominibus accidere aliquando possunt may happen
unanimously teach the Apostles to have wrought stupendious Miracles when at their preaching the Idols fell down and innumerable Believers were gained to Christ therefore the truth attested stand's uncontestably certain That these Witnesses are mighty numerous and without dispute worthy credit is undeniable being justly listed amongst the most wise learned and virtuous that ever lived Such are our Austins Chrysostoms Gregories Damascens Bernards with innumerable others who if occasion had offered it selfe would have willingly dyed for the truth of Apostolical Miracles Now if these Givers in of Evidence Seem not Satisfactory you have yet more viz. The whole humane Authority of Christs Kingdom I mean his Church She both tell 's us what our Saviour promised of these greater wonders and upon the Evidence had never ceased to preserve them in the memory of all her Faithful Children to this day 20. And thus you see that when we took one Proof for Miracles from publick Fame which some may say is fallacious we argued not so pressly as now while we evince their truth by the Testimony of the most choise learned and creditable Witnesses that ever spake since Christianity began And if our supposed Stranger find's not à Pregnancy of reasoning in this Discourse I shall soon dismisse him and deplore his condition as one in whom the light of reason if not utterly extinct seem's more then à little Eclypfed It may be some Critick will Object we have not yet shown how the Apostles Miracles are said to be greater than In what Sence Apostolical Miracles are called greaâ—â—r then our Saviours those wrought by our Saviour For an Answer all know that à Miracle may be considered with à double respect first to God an Infinit Power and so taken the greatest ever done cannot be called à Miracle because the greatest Transcend's not an Omnipotent Power Again consider à Miracle as done by one that has no more force to work it than to move the Heavens under that Notion it justly acquires the denomination of an effect truly Supernatural because far beyond all force in nature You may se what I aime at by this plain Instance Should à Giant lift up à weighty burthen all would Judge he work 's proportionably to his Strength but if à weak infant did so who would not justly proclaim the wonder The Miracles of Christ our Lord rightly compared to à Giant in Holy Writ were effects easily and Connaturally flowing from the Omnipotent Word united to humane nature infinitly in themselves more valuable than all the works of men and Angels but yet lesse wonderful than the Apostolical Miracles if on the one side we regard the mighty Power of our great Thaumaturgus and on the other cast an eye upon those weak Instruments that did them The weaknesse The weaknes of the Instrument hightens the greatnesse of à Miracle therefore of the Instruments whereby they were wrought much heightens the greatnesse of their Miracles Again the Apostles Miracles may be said greater because all summoned together were more numerous than our Saviours 3. They are greater in the Effect witnesse the glorious Conversions of Nations which followed upon the Apostolical Signs and wonders whereas Christ our Lord reserving that Honour to his first Choise and elected Ministers converted not halfe the number while 〈…〉 ived on Farth 21. Thus much of the Primitive Miracles and if any think I have stayed too long upon à known Subject My answer is All that know and own these Miracles as true rationally prove not their truth against Iewes and Gentils wherein I hold Dr Still very deficient Again if I show and 't is my chiefest Intent that Miracles wrought in the Roman Church are not only Defensible but every way firmly proved upon the same rational Grounds as those now mentioned none can deem my labour lost I Say upon the same rational Grounds for hitherto we have waved Proofs taken from Divine Revelation and only pleaded by Reason This therefore we endeavour to Demonstrate CHAP. II. The same rational Arguments whereby the Miracles of Christ and the Apostles are proved euince also true Miracles to have been wrought in the Roman Catholick Church Other clear proofs for Church Miracles A contest between Antichrist and Dr Stillingfleet The Dr is worsted If the Church doth Propose Forgeries for true Miracles none can believe Christ's Miracles upon the Vniversal humane Testimony of all 〈…〉 ed Christians True Miracles distinguish the Church from all false Conventicles 1. THe Parallel of these rational Arguments easily drawn from the precedent Chapter may be thus compendiously laid forth to every Reader Is à Heathen as we said to admit the Historical part of Scripture where Christs Miracles are recorded to be as morally certain upon humane Faith The first proof alledged applyed to Church Miracles only as any other known History he yeilds Assent to and if he denies this will he not soon be driven to ground the Denyal upon his own perverse will or selfe conceipted Fancy Nothing can be more clear Say then I beseech you is not à Sectary when he read's the Writings of Holy Fathers and other known Historians where the approved Miracles of the Church stand upon Record in reason obliged to hold these as morally certain upon humaine Faith as he doth innumerable other Passages written in the English or French History or à Iew ought to own the History of the new Testament In case he boggles we shall hereafter so overcharge him with the express Testimonies of Fathers and other choise approved Writers that his bogling will appear as it is Perversness Francy or plain dotage 2. Is it again true that some Gentils and The second proof applyed Iewes also though Adversaries to Christ frankly owned his glorious Miracles Nothing can be more clear But we have far more professed Enemies that acknowledge Miracles to have been wrought in our Catholick Community the Parallel therefore hitherto fail's not To produce à list of all would be tedious à few only borrowed from Englishmen shall suffice His Majesty Rex Jacobus lib. 3. Daemonolog cap. 4. King Iames hold's it true that the Papists really free popossessed Persons of Divels because Orthodox men say so and Ey-witnesses have seen such Miracles done Mr Covel in his Answer to John Covel cited by Brerely Protest Apology Page with me 529. Burges sayes No man can deny but that God after the death of his Son manifested his Power to the amazement of the world in the contemptible Sign of the Crosse which has been the Instrument of many Miracles Brerely again produces à clear Testimony taken out of Dr Boord à Physician who Se Protest Apology pag. 348. in his Extravagants annexed to his Breviary of health after many bitter Invectives against the Pope and Clergy of Rome reports himselfe to have been an Ey-witness of à Gentlewoman possessed with Divels brought from Germany to Rome and there freed from those evil Spirits yea perfectly cured The
course whereof saith Boord was so Stupendious and above all reason And the cure so evident that it cannot but be attributed to the virtue of those Holy words which the Priest did speak over that Daemoniack Thus our professed Adversaries 3. Is it true that the Miracles of Christ and the Apostles plain Objects of Sense were first proved by the Testimony of those that beheld them and that those who saw them distinct Ey-witnesses at different times cannot be imagined willingly to have conspired in à Forgery or basely given out Lazarus for à dead man raised to life that was not dead Is it also true that the Evangelists who afterwards registred these seen Wonders had they told so many horrid Lyes in matters of Fact open and publick where fiction has not easily place would not only have prejudiced their own cause but also been lyable to Publick infamy and the disgraceful Clamours of Iewes and Gentils If these Truths be undeniable we have the like rational Evidence for Miracles wrought in the Roman Catholick Church Reader consider An application of the third Proof things seriously Was not that Miracle wrought by the Reliques of S. Gervasius and Protasius in Milan witnesse S. Ambrose an Object of S. Ambros Epist 85. Sense and seen by many Were those stupendious wonders effected by the glorious Martyr S. Stephen whereof S. Austin speak's largely S. August lib. 22. Civit cap. 8. done in the dark without the Attestation of innumerable that saw them Was not S. Bernard's Miracle after his blessing certain loaves of bread whereof we shall speak presently so memorable and manifest to Sense that whole Multitudes having eaten of the bread finding themselves cured ran forthwith to the Saint and with all submission praysing God owned the Favour John Clements cure at Montagu the young youths restored Leg at Zaragosa and the Miraculous cure of F. Mastrilli at Naples were all Sensible and visible Works of à Divine power Say now I beseech you to goe on with the Parallel can any Imagin that either those who saw or wrote these Miracles damnedly conspired among them selves to delude the world with open Lies It is impossible because Spectators or writers of such matters lived far more distant for time and place from each other than the Apostles that registred our Saviours wonders If therefore those blessed men cannot be supposed wickedly to have feigned Christ's raising Lazarus to life or cleansing the Lepers it is more impossible to conceive that S. Austin for example perswaded those who lived many Ages after with S. Bernard to tell à forged Story of his miraculous Loaves Did those think you who saw the youth 's restored leg at Zaragosa suborne the Ey-witnesses of John Clements cure at Montagu to feign that matter of Fact which happened many years before the Miracle at Zaragosa It is Folly to Judge so 4. O but say Sectaries we doubt much whether the supposed Ey-witnesses of Latter Miracles and the Writers of them spake truth in what Those first are said to have seen That is They 'l doubt whether any saw the Miracles recounted by S. Austin and S. Ambrose and Question as much these Saints Sincerity in writing them And cannot á Iew or Heathen move all these doubts Concerning to Eywitnesses of our Saviours Miracles and the Evangelists Sincerity that wrote them Yea every whit as wisely Reader in this place we only compare the humane Testimony of those who saw Christ's Miracles before Scripture registred them with the humane Testimony of latter witnesses that visibly beheld the Miracle at Milan at Montagu or Naples and say no more rational exception can be made against the latter Ey-witnesses than the first Now because in discoursing with the Adversaries of Christ and his Church it were folly to suppose the Gospel God's Divine Word we clearly evince by reason that the Book at least deserves as great Credit upon No exception can be made against those who write of approved Miracles humane Faith as any other true plain History And then tell Sectaries that they in reason can-no more except against the approved Writers of our Church Miracles S. Austin for example or S. Ambrose than à Iew or Heathen against the Evangelists that wrote Christs Miracles and hence you have the Primitive Miracles and those in the Church prove alike Lastly would not the Evangelists now supposed to write candidly their Story without any fraudulent Combination have justly exposed them selves to publick Infamy in setting down matters of Fact had they singly considered recorded things newer Seen or heard No lesse publick Infamy Censure and Clamours those would have justly Incurred in relating Church Miracles had they brought to light strange Wonders never known in the world Would publick Clamours think ye or Censures have spared S. Austin or those that recorded John Clement's Cure if forged and feigned Stories No certainly men both wise and prudent would have excepted against them as Impostures had not Evidence cleared their Truth 5. Is it true that the Miracles of Christ first seen by Ey-witnesses and afterwards recorded raised them to à Publick Fame the whole world over which hitherto continues in force by à never interrupted Tradition The like publick Fame say I first grounded on Sense and hitherto continued by Tradition we have for Miracles wrought in the Church Speaking of Fame alone or of à humane universal Report these The fourth Proofe above applyed to the Churches Miracles Miracles are as certain as that the Historry of the Gospel recorded by the four Evangelists is Gods word or written by Divine Inspiration Sectaries it is true are found that Question the Truth of some Church Miracles none for ought I know unlesse Dr Stillingfleet denies all and no few Desertors of the Church Question also whether many Parts and Passages in the new Testament are God Sacred Word But the great Fame of clear Miracles and the new Testaments Divinity is even upon the Churches humane Authority upheld as indubitable by all called Catholicks and therefore very universal yea answerable to the Fame of Apostolical Wonders 6. Is it true that Positive proofs alledged for this Affirmative Christ truely wrought Miracles quite discountenance and bear down the contrary Negative barely vented without any appearance of proof Christ never wrought any The Principle is undoubted and clearly evinces that God has wrought many true Miracles by the Professed members of the Catholick Church Our Positive proofs you shall have afterwards more fully and the contradiction of those who deny Miracles demonstrated an improbable Attempt yea void of Sence and ridiculous In this place we only Argue as we did above and show the cause Miracles I mean by the real Effects which followed in the Conversion of Nations far more numerous after the Apostles dayes and all those wrought by The fift Proof applyed to our Churches Miracles the Roman Catholick Church than before Such remarkable Works of God over Italy Germany France Spain
gave mighty lustre to all his Pride and glory When behold the Servant of God S. Babylas like another Elias or S. Iohn Baptist with an undaunted Spirit confounded his folly suppressed the Tyrant and drove him though Majestically attended out of the Temple Thus S. Babylas stop't the mouths of the impudent who think forsooth the Power we asscribe to the Apostles nothing but vain boasting Thus he proved by Laying forth the like Signs that what those first Blessed men did was from Power given by God above the force of nature Much more S. Chrys page 878. S. Chrysostom relates to the eternal glory of this renowned Martyr while he lived to set down all particulars would seem over long to the Reader 4. A few words therefore of S. Babyla's manifest Miracles done after his death For as S. Chrysostom notes the dayly Miracles wrought by Martyrs now glorious in Blisse are many and amply proved by the frequent Concourse of People to honour them with the like honour as is â—â—ven to S. Babylas 5. When S. Babyla's Martyred Body was by the Emperour's command brought neer to the S Chrys page 884. Temple of Daphnis à place where all Debauchery and wickednes reigned Behold à certain small and gentle Air breathed out on all sides where the Martyr lay wrought so Powerfully Miracles wrought by S. Babylas after his death upon the minds of those formerly Debauched that they loathed their past Wickednes and after they had been where the Saints bones were found in Themselves à strange Alteration now thoughtful of nothing but of living à Vertuous life for the future Dismissed from S. Babylas's Shrine à strange amendment followed this stupendious Miracle not easily read of in the lives of other Saints An eternal silencing the Divels that used to give Lawes in the Temple of Daphnis was so Prodigious saith S. Chrysostom S. Chrys page 885. That if any doubt of the admirable Wonders of Christ's Apostles he or they ought to desist from that Impudence and cannot but be induced to à right Beliefe upon à serious View of those Miracles wrought by S. Babylas But wonder nothing saith he the Power of Saints is so great that Divels cannot endure their Very Shadowes Nay fear the very Shrines and Garments page 882. of Martyrs whence it is that God has left us their Holy Reliques And then further tell 's you How S. Babylas discovered the Gentils Impostures laid open their cheats and gained by the Miracles he wrought immortal prayse and glory Thus much I have faithfully collected out of S. Chrysostom's long Discourse Judge Reader whether the Saint be not à strong Maintainer of Miracles 6. Judge Reader also whether our Dr Dr Still page 578. Shuffles not when to cast a Mist before à vulgar Reader he distinguishes between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wonders and Signs Wonders the Dr calls those Extraordinary things the Martyrs did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Signs with him are such Miracles as gave Testimony to the Infallible Commission vvhich Persons had from God to deliver his Doctrin And S. Chrysostom saith our Dr expressly Assert's that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were ceased First I see no Distinction between Wonders and Signs either to our present Purpose or in S. Chrysostom's Sence For if the works whereof he speak's be as they are done by the Power of God above the force of Nature you may Promiscuously The Dr's distinction between Wonders and Signs useless in this place call them now Wonders now Signs as you please and boldly averre that God thereby commissioned S. Babylas and the other Martyrs faithfully to deliver Divine Doctrin 7. Now that their wonders were Signs from Heaven and proved them commissioned to Propagate God's revealed Truths is evident out of S. Chrysostom's whole Discourse For first He applyes our Saviours words of greater Things to be done by those vvho believe in him Than he had done But our Saviours Miracles were not only wonders in the Dr ' s Sence but Signs also of his being sent from God to teach the world Ergo the Martyrs Miracles if Christ's Prediction belong to them are both Wonders and Signs of their being commissioned to deliver the Verities revealed in Holy Writ Say I beseech you had any one seen the Miracles done by S. Babylas and other Martyrs would he not have exclamed as that poor widow did after Elias 3. Reg. 17. v. 24. had raised her Son from death Novv in this I knovv thou art à man of God and that the VVord of our Lord is true in thy mouth 2. S. Chrysostom cited above uses the very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sign when he tells us that such Signs or Miracles though not so necessary for the Learned avail much to strengthen the Faith of weaker understandings 3. As you have heard S. Chrysostom Argues thus If the Apostles Miracles had not beer Conviction enough to beget true Faith in men then living the Signal Miracles of S. Babylas had so much efficacy as to reclaime them from their Impudency Behold saith he the Gentils and the Divels Power utterly conquered became so mute and Silenced after our Saint as à Master or Commander had stop't their mouths That they never spake word though most busily lowd before in that Temple of Daphnis Tell me Reader whether this admirable Miracle may not bear Parallel with the like done by the Apostles Lastly and this Reason convinces The blessed S. Chrysostoms convincing Argument Apostles in their curing the sick casting out Divels c. Manifested by such Signs or extraordinary Miracles That Christ our Lord gave them commission to preach the whole world over But saith S. Chrysostom there is no Country No People or City where such new and unlook't for Signs have not been wrought and publickly divulged though not in the like ordinary manner as we shall note presently Therefore unless the Dr can make it out that the very same Miracles wrought by an Apostle and à Saint of à latter date S. Paul for example and S. Babylas are Signs in the one and not in the other which is impossible he is obliged to retract his Doctrin 8. By all hitherto said you see first that the word Miracle used by the Latins and the Church more significantly expresses the Nature of Works done by the Infinite Power of God than that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sign For à Sign taken in à General way belong's to Things not all wonderfull smoak is à natural Sign of fire our words by Institution are Signs of the speakers mind and the matter spoken of whereas the word Miracle lead's every one to à clear Perception of works done above the force of nature You se 2. The Dr ' s beggarly Put off or empty dissatisfactory Glosse brought to nothing when he saith that the extraordinary things done by Martyrs were only attestations of their Sanctity or being highly in Gods
six or seven things of no little Importance Sr when you have more faithfully laid S. Austins Testimonies together hitherto horridly out of order and far from Truth you will find your selfe at à losse and much short in your Reckoning But what are these Observations The first is That the main intention of Miracles vvas to convince Vnbelievers Add likewise to encrease A word to some Observations maie by the Dr. Faith and devotion in Believers as also to benefit them spiritually and corporally and you speak with S. Austin otherwise not 2. That Faith being established there vvas no longer any Necessity of the Povver of Miracles For proof hereof the Dr must either make use of S. Augustins Fall speaking in that 63. Question demonstratively proved à fourb or will be forced to sit down silent 3. That though Miracles vvere not of any such Necessity yet God out of his abundant kindness pleased to do some Extraordinary things among them in their time Mark how the Dr not daring to spea Fully minces matters some extraordinary things that is the raising of the dead and restoring sight to the blind c. for of these S. Austin speaks fully must Forsooth be called Extraordinary things but by no means dovvn right Miracles 4. That in Disputes about the Church they never appealed to the Povver of Miracles Very false for S. Austin already cited speaks fully and tell 's us that most glorious Miracles though Hereticks spiâ—ghfully opposed them held him fast in the Catholick Church 5. That those out of the true Church might make as great à Pretence to Miracles Visions and Revelations as those who were in it as appear's by the Donatist's To what End this Observation is made no man A pretence to Truth only little beneficial sees much lesse how it is gathered out of S. Augustin's Testimonies Did ever S. Austin teach that the greatness of à Pretence to Truth entail's Truth upon the Pretenders Certainly no for all know that as the Donatists laid claim to true Miracles they also pretended to be the only true Church Was that so because they Pretended There is à vast difference Mr Dr between à great Pretence and à strue Pretence the first those Hereticks might have but not the second unless you will say and I am affraid you would fain be at it durst you speak Fully That the Donatists Miracles and Visions were every whit as Good and sound as those which S. Austin recount's in his 8. Chapter cited If this be meant your Observation hath Sence in it without it there is none though I see not how this Sence agree's with your own Concession Viz. That God out of his abundant kindness pleased to do some extraordinary things among Orthodox Christians in those Dayes Extraordinary favours wrought by Almighty God Mr Dr were most surely real and not Phansies like the Donatists pretended Miracles Thus much of these Observations the other two scarce worth naming you have already refuted 15. We are now as the Title requires to give account of other Testimonies produced by Mr Dr against the Miracles of the Roman Church and because S. Gregory the Great one famous for Sanctity and Learning the whole Christian world over And our Venerable Bede à man highly renowned every where relate many particular Miracles wrought by God's favour neer The Dr strangely rude with S. Gregory and Bede or in the Ages they lived our Dr to blast the Credit of These two eminent Authors more like à Scold than à Scholar rudely taxes both of want of Iudgement and tell 's us they were the men that gave encouragement to all the Monkish Tales and impostures aftervvard Who durst have spoken thus irreverently but Bold Dr Stillingfleet After Dr Still Page â—86 venting this Passion please to hear à strange Proposition The credibility of their Miracles in the Church of Rome saith the Dr is destroyed by the Testimony of their ovvn more Iudicious Writers and to prove the Assertion he first produces Ioannes Ludovicus Vives and Melchior Canus as if forsooth these two Writers let them be greater then they are ought to be esteemed in the publick Opinion of the world more judicious than S. Gregory and our worthy Country man Venerable Bede Believe this who will Christians hitherto never thought so Ludovicus Vives one of Florence may passe for à Gramarian of his soundnes in Doctrin I say nothing Melchior Canus one of S. Dominick's Order was certainly very learned But free enough in his Censures given of others as learned as himselfe And this Licentiousness his Master Franciscus Victoria Sâ— Canus l. de Hum Histor Auctorit in proaemio foresaw when he feared that Canus would tread under foot the good Precepts he had learned of him 16. To confront the Dr's wild Proposition I say neither Vives nor Canus nor any Catholick Author ever destroyed the Credibility of Miracles in the Church of Rome no Catholick Author ever yet denyed true and most glorious Miracles to have been wrought in this great Body of Christians The Dr's Testimonies therefore not faithfully Quoted were they as he would have them are meer Impertinences and prove nothing against Miracles Observe Reader his simple and fallacious Proceeding Canus saith he and others recount Miracles Written in the lives of many Saints which in their Judgements were no Miracles because Written upon very uncertain reports Ergo these Authors doubt and deny all true Miracles which they openly professe to have been wrought in the Roman Catholick Church Is this way of Arguing tolerable Can any man inferr because one Questions or denyes some things he therefore Questions or denyes matters whereof he has certain assurance I certainly know Dr Still has quoted many Authors amisse do I therefore say he Quotes none right when I find though seldome the passage entire he remits me to 17. Turn now if you please to Canus whom Canus de Hum Hist Anct. l. 11. c. 6 Coloniae impres 1605. p. 533 the Dr cites De locis Theol. but means or he err's his 11. Book concerning the Authority of humane History His loci Theol. contain only two Books There you shall find that Canus admit's what ever Approved Historians testify to have seen Themselves or received from other credible Persons who were Ey-witnesses as many things are recounted in the Epistles of S. Ambrose of S. Cyprian S. Hierom in S. Austin's books De Civitate Dei S. Gregories Dialogues And for the most part in all other approved Ecclesiastical Writers To suspect saith Canus that such page 535. men vvould convey Lyes to Posterity vvould be à grievous sin à haynous offence Canus also receives with Canusplainly admits great Miracles all honour and veneration as Pope Gelasius did the Lives of S. Antony S. Paul S. Hilarion and all the Ancient Ermirs set foâ—th by S. Hierom where you have innumerable Miracles recounted These he admit's and therefore own 's great Miracles wrought by Saints 18. Soon after
the Coffin hoping to find the naked bones only When Behold contrary to all expectation not only the whole Body but his Priestly Habit likewise were then as fresh and free from corruption as when first laid in the Coffin and moreover saith my Author sent forth à most fragrant and delight some Odour Could Lime give this good Saviour The Body again placed in the same Chest and transported to Malaca was received with all Veneration of the People when another Miracle happened S. Xaverius his Body Miraculously preserved in corrupt For upon its entring the City à violent Plague which had Cruelly raged there before wholly ceased and gave great comfort to the afflicted Inhabitants Had Lime such vertue in it Some Months the Holy Body remained at Malaca and thence carried to Goa by Gods special favour did strange Wonders in that Navigation The Vessel wherein it lay Twice in great danger of Shipwrack by running upon Quick sands caused both Mariners and Passengers to implore No vertue in Limes to work these Miracles the Saints Assistance which was no sooner ask't than obtained in so much that presently freed from all danger they sail'd on joyfully to Goa The Lime I think did not this Miracle You may read in Acosta Cited with what great Celebrity and Pomp the Body was received at Goa where it remained to that day without the least Sign of Putrifaction To God's glory and the Saints honour be it Tell me Reader will the Dr yeild assent to this short Relation made by the same Author that recount's the Miraculous Incorruption of the Body If he doth he grants Miracles If not I said right he is forced to quit Authority and run to his old Plea à want forsooth of sufficient VVitnesses that is There are sufficient when he likes when not there are none 19. Hitherto I have born much with Mr Dr Still page 617. Dr but am now almost at an End of Patience in the perusal of his uncivil and rude Calumnies First he tell 's us that the Relation of S. Xaverius his Miracles comes from the Jesuits in the East Indies as if forsooth none had attested them but Jesuits A vast untruth when King John of Portugal as you have heard caused them to be examined by several great Prelates VVere all these Iesuits Did the deputed Cardinals at Rome who ordered another new strict Trial commit the charge to Jesuits only No. Did his Holinesse when he published his Iesuits not the only Informers of the Saints Miracles Apostolical Letters and declared that the matters of Fact plain Miracles had been attested upon undoubted certainty rely wholly on the Jesuits information Evidently no. What then shall we say of this Dr But that without regard to Truth and honesty he cares not what he Writes Yet worse followes Jesuits Saith he are men that think it lawful to Lye for à good cause as no doubt the Honour of the Society is such with them And how can we vvith any tolerable Discretion rely upon their vvord Answer Dr I call you to account before God and the world I here accuse you of à Malicious Detraction Speak out if you Iesuits Calumniated by the Dr. can poduce me but one Jesuit that ever wrote or taught it is lawful to Lye in any occasion either for à good or bad cause and I will will proclaime you Victor In case you shift This one Spiteful Calumny contrary to Evident Truth Showes the Dr cares not what He Writes off this just Challenge the Reader shall Judge whether you or Jesuits deserve the foul Imputation of Lyars 20. Your Errour Sr lies here And proceed's from malice ignorance or both in not distinguishing between à Lye alwaies sinful and the ambiguous use of words in certain Cases of danger and other vveightr Concerns whereof I treated largely in my Book against Dr Taylor This ambiguous use of words yea and some kind of mental Restriction also most grave and learned Divines no Jesuits t' is well known A discovery of Dr Taylors untruths c. 26. p. 184. printed anno 1665 maintain as Lavvful which is as remote from à Lye as your Calumny Dr imposed on Jesuits is from Truth though never to be made use of say Divines but when Necessity and just reason requires And this both you Sr and Dr Taylor vvith his Excellent use of Confession in England must acknowledge as is proved in the Discovery now cited I say vvhen Necessity and just reason requires For example if à Judge ask à Priest whether à Paenitent confessed such à Sin truly confessed and be further urged to Answer directly Yea or No If he saies Yea he betrayes the Penitent and sacrilegiously breaks the Seal of Confession If No in your Divinity he tell 's à Lye Learned Divines deliver contrary Doctrin and Therefore find out à way not to Lye on the one Side and on the other to keep the Seal of Confession sase and inviolable If à Confessor saies S Austin lib uno de mendacio ad consent c. 13. post medium nothing in such an Exigency S. Austin rightly observes in à like case of Danger the Secret is too openly discovered By all now said you see that to use mental Restriction in Contracts Leagues Promises Vovves or Oaths justly tendered is impious Yea and à horrid Sin in those who attest Miracles in publick Tribunals before Popes and Princes known false and forged or never to have been as the Informers declare 21. One word more Suppose which is utterly false that the relation of S. Xaverius his Miracles had come only from Jesuits à long time Missioners among those Barbarians can any one without shame or the deepest Malice Imaginable Perswade himselfe That men who went upon à most generous Design left Country Relations Friends and whatever is dear to Nature That ran to the furthest Parts of the world where they knew they should endure Hardship misery contempt neglect imprisonment And besides live in continual danger of dying upon Gibbets as many did And all this to reduce Souls to Christ can any man I say of Common sence perswade The Dr's Calumny cast on Iesuits highly Improbable himselfe as our unconscionable Dr doth That such laborious Missioners after so many Heroical Acts performed would down right Damn their ovvn Souls tell Lowd and abominable lyes Feign Miracles which they knew were never wrought just matter of Damnation And avouch these now supposed fourbs as real Truths before Kings Princes the Court of Rome and the vvhole vvorld I say the Imputation is so extravagant the Calumny so horrid that no mans head would once have harboured it but only Dr Stillingfleet's Had the Dr said S. Xaverius was never in the Indies King John of Portugal never made Enquiry after his Miracles The Catholick King of Spain never promoted the Saints Canonization the Apostolical letters cited above were all feigned c. He had Methinks gone every whit as wisely to Work as now
Grain blessed by Pius who was created Pope long after S. Ignatius his death And Dr Still page 649. Still cheated by Hazenmiller was so grosly blinded as to Tell the Story over again and will forsooth have one Bead of the Rosary consecrated by Pius the fifth sent by à Brother at S. Ignatius his command That is S. Ignatius either rose from the dead and sent the Brother or Dr Still shamefully err's in his Story 16. Another Lye followes Ribadineira Still page 647. Gretser page 218. saith this Sycophant denyed S. Ignatius to have wrought Miracles and Dr Still has much to the same Sence Gretser Answers Mentitur turpiter Miller tell 's à filthy Lye Produce the passage where Ribadineira writes so The contrary is Manifest For the Title of the last chapter in his V. Book is of the Saints Miracles And in the 6.th Chapter he recount's many wrought by the merits and Prayers of S. Ignatius O but saith Dr Still They were only such as are liable to fraud and impostures Viz. page 648. casting out Divels in their way A flat Calumny without Proof Show you Sr the fraud or retract your false Aspersion The way was pious by Austerity and earnest Prayer works laudable before God and man Who ever doubts of S. Ignatius his Miracles may peruse Ioannes Maffeius where you have many and great Maffeius lib. 3. c. 14. Miracles recounted 17. For an Upshot another abominable Lye told by Hazenmiller or Policarp may passe after the rest and our wise Dr Still sets it forth in English Ignatius saith he is said to Page 648. have freed à possessed woman from the Divel by rehearsing this profane Verse out of Virgil. Speluncam Dido dux Trojanus eandem c. Gretser Answers it is à wonder that Policarp fancied not that other Verse more proper Tytere tu patulae recubans sub tegmine fagi Then add's It is à shame to hear these black and blockish Calumnies Could the Calumniators ever perswade Themselves that prudent men would yeild Assent to such paultry intolerable Lyes Away with this Miller and his associats neither worth memory nor Answers What they might justly expect for their folly They have Contempt and Derision 18. There is yet more of the like stuff in another fearful Story the Dr tell 's of the Jesuits in England who under the Chief Contriver one Weston or Edmonds the Jesuits Provincial forsooth employed twelve Exorcist's to show Tricks upon certain hypochondriacal men and hysterical women falsely pretended to be possessed though all at last proved Impostures Dr Still page 650. This saith our Dr happened in the year 1585. and 1586. when I believe very few Jesuits had entred that Isleland And am sure that neither Then nor ever afterwards was there any Weston or Edmonds Provincial of the Iesuits Guileilm Weston à great sufferer in persecution but no Provincial se Morus lib. 4. His Provin Angl. num 215. for the first Provincial of the English Jesuits long after was Richardus Blondus à Grave Venerable and most pious man of whose great Prudence and vertue F. Henry More gives à large account Anno 1619. 19. Our Dr goes on The Forgery hitherto mentioned making à great noise the Persons concerned were rigidly examined and their Examinations entred upon Record in the Court of High commission were soon after published with A Story as false as fearful told of English Iesuits à particular declaration of the whole Imposture Whereunto is added à lowd confession of one Antony Tyrell à Priest who saith the Dr was fully perswaded that Sara VVilliams and Friswood her Sister Anne Smith and Richard Mayney deposed the Truth in such Points as concerned their false pretended Possessions Nay more This Tyrell saith the Dr knew that all was Counterfeit and Judged so of the rest However to gain the Catholick cause Credit They held it lawful to do as they did That is to cheat the world with lowd Lyes Thus Mr Dr. 20. Courteous Reader I justly require à Pro of this foul Calumny laid upon worthy men hitherto never blemished in their Fame and Ask upon whom may I rely for Satisfaction Must I trust the Dr No He is à broken reed I have found him faulty in à hundred other Particulars and herein rationally suspect his Fidelity Shall I credit that supposed Court of High-Commission To me it is yet à thing in the Air our of my reach Nor can I examin the Records or the whole Processe if ever any such Court was in being 21. For as much as concerns Antony Terryl the Priest The true Story which Dr Still tell 's by halves and thereby egregiously cheat's his Reader in relating the mans abominable sin but concealing his humble and hearty repentance Concertatio Eccles Cathol in Anglia printed at Triers by Henry Bock Anno 1588. You have amply set down in à known Book entituled Concertatio Ecclesiae Catho in Anglia There at the Very End of the second Part you will find the guilty Terryl his own Accuser bewailing his false and detestable Calumnies most unjustly laid not only on noble men but on many Innocent Priests also And he recals all Terril his own Accuser bewail's his unjust Calumnies with so much Zeal and fervour that I never read the like humble confession publickly made by any He acknowledges himselfe à horrid Sinner unworthy to appear before God Angels and men deserving nothing but God's just Indignation and hatred from every one upon the account◠of his impudent Lyes and malicious Detractions virulently vented against Catholicks most pious and Virtuous Then he Descend's to particulars and names the Persons he had injuriously slandered The whole Relation some what long deserves the Readers perusal Some perhaps will shed Tears when they se it 22. To be short Antony Terryl was brought Brought to S. Pauls Crosse he Professed himselfe Catholick by the Protestants to S. Pauls Cross in London the last day of January being Sunday Anno 1588. in hope he would there ratify all those false Calumnies and unjust Informations whereof we now speak and withal openly abjure Catholick Religion But the Penitent Soul came thither with another Designe For no sooner had he begun his Sermon but he publickly Professed himselfe à true Roman Catholick and would have retracted his unjust Accusations had not some Standers by commanded him silence Wherupon he quit the Pulpit and was carried again to his Prison yet found means to disperse Terrils humble recantation and the Dr's unjust Dealing some Papers Written in his own hand called Palinodia Antony Terrylli subscribed Per me Antonium Terryllum Presbyterum Manu propriâ Where you have this Penitent mans most humble Recantation and Justice done to those he had wronged Read it in the Author now cited and tell me whether Dr Still has not playd the Cheat in aggravating the Crime without saying one word of Terryls hearty Repentance 23. Some may reply Though the
seem's to contradict Mr Dr and call's himselfe Gilbert Burnet this Gentleman ascribes great power to evil Spirits and Mr Burnet in his Rational Method for the proving the Truth of Christiā Religion c. page 24. and 25. saies Miracles cannot Determine his beliefe without some what previous to Miracles Then concludes The first and great Argument for the proof of Christian Religion is the purity of the Doctrin and the Holiness of its precepts which are so congruous to the Common Impressions of nature and reason I may here first Ask Mr Burnet of what Christian Religion he speaks There are Arians in the world that deny the Mystery of the Sacred Trinity and the Incarnation also Pelagians that deny the necessity of Divine Grace Grecians that deny the Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and Son and finally Catholicks that believe these denyed Articles as Truths revealed by Almighty God All goe under the name of Christians And as you see contradict one another in the Very Fundamentals Mr Burnets Discourse found Weightles of Faith Speak out Mr Burnet the Difficulty here moved must not be flightly passed over is the Doctrin of so many dissenting Spirits in fundamentals pure Are the Precepts whereby every Society is obliged to follow the Doctrin it makes profession of Holy and Congruous Is it suitable to the Common Impressions of Nature and Reason Put us not off but Answer directly or point me out plainly that Society of Christians whose Doctrin only is pure and Percepts Holy or which is deemed by the wisest of the world so congruous to the Common Impressions of nature and reason If you extol your Puritans upon the account of their Pure Doctrin or your Protestants for Holy Precepts your first Reformers Luther Calvin Beza and the like will lay so much nastiness before your Eyes that the common light of Nature cannot but decry it as shameful and reason abhorre it Moreover you have not within the whole latitude of Protestancy as Protestancy one essential Article Se Reason and Religion Disc 1. c. 20. num 4. of Christian Doctrin pure For you have none at all Essential which is not either Popery and that 's no Doctrin of Protestancy as Protestancy or the long since Cashiered Opinions of condemned Hereticks as is amply proved in another Treatise A word now to your Exceptions against Miracles 12. You say 1. Some what previous to Miracles must have place ere we believe Christ's Doctrin and you build much upon its Congruity to the common Impressions of nature and reason Good Sr is the Sacred Mystery of the Trinity I hope you believe it which as Divines teach is above reason and transcend's all natural Discourse so Very congruous to the common Impressions of nature Our Lord Christ JESUS you know truly God and man after his painful labours was scourged and crucified by impious hands à scandal to the Iewes saith S Paul and foolishness to the Gentils Is this great Mystery 1. Cor 1. 2. 3. think ye so Very Congruous to reason You may say as the Apostle Writes that God to confound the wise made choise of things foolish in the eyes of men and of weak things to confound the strong But in doing so you run out of the reach of all natural Impressions and take your Proof from Divine Revelation so that if we yeild The high Mysteries of Faith transcend reason assent to these great Mysteries we are not to fix it upon any natural Principle but must believe because God has revealed them Now further But no man according to the present Order of Providence could ever prudently believe the Truth of that Revelation or own the Mysteries revealed evidently Credible Without Miracles and other prudent Motives Therefore Miracles Gods own Signatures were both necessary and ever previous to that firm assent which the Primitive Christians yeilded to the sublime Mysteries of Faith 13. Shall I prove what is here asserted by one clear and convincing Instance Suppose Almighty God should please to single out now Twelve poor Fishermen and impart many great Secrets never yet known to the world which cannot be known before they Preach Having commission from God they run from City to City and because so commanded faithfully declare what God told them For example The precise time of Antichrist's comming when the Day of Judgement will be how many are elected to eternal Glory how many rejected with other unknown Secrets but in the mean while A clear Instance proving what is asserted work no Miracles show no supernatural Signs only Speak and Preach Would prudent men think ye believe such Teachers or yeild assent to their Doctrin having no rational Motive to ground Beliefe upon But their bare word It is impossible Had therefore the blessed Apostles poor unlearned Fishermen by words only laid forth the Mysteries and high Secrets of our Faith had they only spoken of the sacred Trinity of that ineffable Mystery of God made man of the Dead rising to life again of the eternal pain due to the Damned and wrought no Miracles or exhibited no exteriour supernatural Wonders whereby to make their Doctrin Credible The whole world would have deemed them halfe frantick and dispised them as cheats or Authors of Novelties We se though they wrought stupendious Wonders yet how lingering and slow many were and are still in believing what then could have been expected had they shewed no Signs but à universal Incredulity 14. You Say 2. The Predictions of the Messias did all agree to our Saviour and received completion in him Very true Answers the Christian though the Iewes deny all and pervert these Prophesies to à sinister Sence And so much more your Barbarous Nations would have done had the blessed Apostles at their Preaching barely worded it or read out of the old Scriptures what Moses and the Prophets foretold of Christ But when they raised the dead to life cured the Infirm and visibly wrought other great Miracles before those they Preach't to the hardest hearts relented and yeilded to their Doctrin These Prophesies therefore are one partial Proof for Christianity but must not goe alone How the Motives of Credibility are to be taken without Miracles accompanying them Or if as taken Solitarily you hold them the chiefe or only motive you evince little The Motives of Credibility Sr are never to be look't on by retail or piecemeal joyned together they rationally convince devided from each other or considered one by one much of their Efficacy is lost 15. You Say 3. The strange Propagation of Christian Religion appear's not à sufficient Proof for Miracles I contrary hold it both stronge and convincing For as S. Austin discourses either The Propagation of the Gospel Miraculous Miracles as previous and the principal cause of that Propagation had influence upon it or not If they had Influence you grant what we plead for If not you must confesse the Propagation it selfe effected without
of Christianity at every particular Cry out this Wonder Gods worâ—s for no other End but only to All Miracles usually wrought for à double End prove Christ's Doctrin Infallible It s Improbable I Say therefore those Miracles were usually done for à double End The one was the benefit of him they were done for whether afflicted or diseased And this our Saviour fixed upon when he cured the blindeman so also S. Peter did in the Cure he wrought upon the Lame Criple sitting at the Temple gate The other End ever intended by Almighty God though not alwaies explicitly declared was the manifestation of his Divine Power ut manifestentur Iohn 9. 3. opera Dei in illo saith our Saviour working by those he sent to teach the World Whence every one might have rationally discoursed as that Prince among the Iewes did Rabbi we know John 3. 2. thou art come from God For no man can do the Signs thou does 't unlesse God be vvith him But if Christ and the Apostles were rationally proved Teachers sent from God by Miracles their Doctrin was in like manner rationally evinced sound and infallible 2. And thus we discourse as to Church Miracles where you also have à twofold End the one is the benefit of him that receives it the other the manifestation of Gods Power working by his Servants whence also their Doctrin is rationally proved to be from God sound and true though not alwaies explicitly asserted true at every Miracle Ask saith S. Austin often Miracles have their Language cited what Miracles speak of Christ Habent enim vocem suam They have an audible Voice speak by them selves and tell us that Christ was the true Missias sent by Almighty God to teach and therefore proved his Doctrin true and sacred So say I Ask what Miracles speak of the Church They have their language and tell us She is à luminous Sun that disperses her rayes over the vvhole Vniverse She is Gods ovvn Oracle and therefore what Doctrin She teaches is proved by reason evidently Credible sound and true Thus much is easily made out in à rational Discourse In what Sence all Miracles have à respect to truth though he that works the Miracle saies nothing of its confirming Faith or of its distinguishing the Church from all Heretical Communities And in this Sence All true Miracles cannot but have à respect to Truth 3. Again many Saints have often publickly declared that the Miracles they wrought were done to confirm the Catholick Faith So speak's S. Bernard of the great Miracle done upon the Loaves of bread In this saith he you shall knovv that those things vve teach are true and Se Chapt. 3 above n. 33. se Chap 12. num 3. that vve are God's Ministers c. So also did S. Xaverius to prove they are his words the Verity of our Christian Faith you shall see this dead man raised to life again But what good will these and many more like Instances do upon an incredulous Dr who can jeer at all when he has nothing to Answer 4. I Argue 2. If we show all those Articles Every Article of Catholick Faith has been confirmed by Miracles of our Catholick Faith most opposed by Modern Sectaries to have been confirmed by illustrious Miracles we clearly Evince that one End of Miracles wrought in the Church though not ever the only End was and still is to strengthen Faith and withall to assure us that what Doctrin this Oracle Proposes is from God and consequently most certain But this we make out upon the irrefragable Testimony of as grave Authors as ever wrote and in the first place will remind the Reader of S. Bernard's indubitable Miracle wrought to confirm these Catholick Articles Viz. The real Presence Sacrifice of the Masse Purgatory Prayers to Saints and praying for the Dead which those Hereticks like Protestants now à dayes denyed This one Miracle I say alone supposing the matter of Fact which none can rationally Question no lesse now evinces Protestants guilty of grosse Errour than it anciently did those Henricians or Hereticks called Apostolici 5. If you yet desire more Satisfaction herein Brerely Pâ—ot Apol. Tract 2 c. 3 sect 7. subd 1. Fevard in notis ad 8. cap. Irenaei lib. 1. advers Heret read Brerely an Author ready at hand and peruse also Franciscus Fervandentius There is saith he not any one Catholick Doctrin or Article of our Faith but has been proved and confirmed by most evident Miracles From Heaven which the Saints in God's Church have wrought as grave Writers beyond all exception testify It is known saith Fevardentius that the Decrees of the most Holy Councils at Nice and Calcedon wherein the main Articles of Faith are contained were all ratifyed by open and manifest Miracles Then he remit's you to S. Augustin to Optatus Milevitanus S. Cyprian S Ambrose and other worthy Fathers who recount most clear Miracles by which not only our Catholick Doctrin but even the Rites of our Church have been confirmed I cannot insist upon all or the halfe the work is too long and therefore will only bring to light à few most clear and undeniable 6. S. Gregory Nazianyen relates how his Nazian Orat 11. de obitu Gorgoniae One Miracle related by S. Gregory Nazianzen Sister Gorgonia when past all hope of recovery was miraculously freed from an infirmity by prostrating herselfe before the Altar and calling on Christ our Lord there present there honoured and worshiped O Admirable wonder saith the Saint presently quit of her sickness She found herselfe well and returned home eased in Body and mind 7. Optatus Melivitanus relates à fearful Story Optatus l. 2. contra Donatistas of Hereticks who cast the reserved Holy Eucharist to Doggs and had for that wicked fact à condigne Punishment the doggs saith he furiously raging tore their Masters in pieces à just Judgement of God Answerable to their horrid Two more by Optatus Melsvitanus crime Another Miracle saith Optatus Almighty God evidenced when those wicked Hereticks threw out of à window à little Vial of Chrism or Holy Oyle with intention to break it in pieces upon stones lying under the window but Providence by an Angel's Hand preserved the Vial entire not à drop of the Crism was spilt which caused wonder in many 8. Guitmundus Bishop of Avarsan Petrus Diaconus Guitmund lib. 3. de Sacramento Euchar. Petrus Joannes Diac in vita S. Gregory and Ioannes Diaconus recount à Signal Miracle wrought by S. Gregory the Great in confirmation of the real Presence and Transubtiation A Roman Matron say they ready to receive the blessed Sacrament burst out into laughter S. Gregory perceiving that Sign of contempt Ask't why She laughed She Answered I cannot but do so when I hear the bread I lately made called the Body of Christ Whereupon S. Gregory laid the consecrated Host on the Altar and desired that the People then present
like one on horsback Abaris rid and passed through places where no man could goe Nay with his Arrow He rid over Rivers standing waters Fenns or Marish grounds and flew over Mountains when he pleased Crafty Pythagoras like one scorning the The whole Story of Pythagoras and Abaris proved à Fourb Gift took the Arrow but never Ask'd Abaris vvhy he gave it For he vvas the God supposed to knovv all things Then he shewed Abaris set at distance from him his golden Thigh proving thereby that he had not told any Lye at all In Fine he took the Priest Abaris to his Tuition and imparted so much learning as he found him capable of Here you have briefly Iamblicus his Story of Abaris and Pythagoras Epitomised Judge Reader whether all circumstances duly weighed you find any thing in the whole But fraud or Necromancy What To hear of an old Idolatrous Priest riding on à Stick over Rivers and Mountains not feasible by humane Power either Argues as I think fiction in the Story or that the Divel had à hand in Abaris hit Travels 27. For as much as concerns Pythagoras showing his golden thigh or rather as Beyerlinck Beyerl in Theatro vitae â—â—mâ—â—sâ— verbo Magia S. Aug. l. 7. de civit cap. 35. observes bragging of it S. Augustin well versed in the Writings of Heathens touches upon the very Truth and plainly Saies Pythagoras vvas à Conjureâ— or one that Practized Hydromancy or Necromancy as Numa Pompilius did Numa saith the Saint to whom neither Prophet nor Holy Angel ever came used Hydromancy to the End he might see the Images of the Gods or rather Pychagoras Iudged à Conjurir by S. Austin the deceipts of Divels in vvater This Divination Witness Varro vvas brought from the Persians vvhich Pythagoras the Philosopher practized adhibito Sanguine adding blood to the vvater Etiam inferos perhibet sciscitari and said Divels were best enquired after others read suscitari or easily raised up by such Charms Well therefore might Pythagoras while Abaris was placed at à distance call up à Divel and in appearance show him à golden Thigh for if Divels as I noted above can by Necromancy make men sitting at à Table to appear like Blocks of vvood or carrying Asses heads on their Shoulders and spread on à Sudden à fair branched vine through à Dining-room They may as easily delude ones Senses and cause that à thigh made of flesh and bones seemingly look like Gold God I am sure wrought not this Wonder upon à Magician Philosopher if yet it was à wonder Nothing in nature can joyn à Thigh of gold to à humane Body the Divel therefore did what was done if the whole Story scorned by all Christian Authors be not as I said à Dream or à Heathenish fiction 28. Whoever would know more of Pythagoras and Abaris the Priest may peruse Malchus de vita Pythagorae in Iucem edita à Cunrado Ritters husio J. C. Porphyrius or Malchus where you have the same stuff told over again after Iamblicus here and there enlarged and as much laugh't to Scorn Malchus Page 43. Tell 's you of Pythagoras his taming the Daunian bear and à Tarentine Oxe adding the Salutation which à River gave Pythagoras as he passed by clarâ humanâ voce in à clear and audible Malchus corn's Pyâ—hagoras his Wonders voice Such things saith Malchus you may list among Lucian's Stories Nam quid non Graecia mendax audet in historia In the very next page this Author Quotes S. Chrysostom who thought some wonders done Chrysost Hom 1 in Joan Evang by Pythagoras were true but thence proves with S. Austin cited that he was à Witch à Juggler à Cousener and what not Thus much of Pythagoras and Dr Stillingfleets two Stories CHAP. XVII Of many other Quotations partly impertinent partly false produced by the Dr. Arguments against Miracles Answered 1. THe Dr very copious in his Quotations Dr Still page 673. Philosostory apud Photium cod 40. first introduces Philostorgius Saying that the Arian Bishops wrought Miracles and he attributes the same Power to the Bishop of Nicomedia to Agapetus the Bishop of Synada who is said to have raised the dead And to many other known Hereticks Yet this very Dr tells us at the End of the same Page that S. Chrysostom teaches There is not so Philostorgius cited much as à footstep of that Povver of Miracles left in the Church vvhich vvas in the Apostles and moreover assert's that God has put à stop to Miracles that they vvere intended for Infidels not for Believers novv setled in Christianity 2. I never yet saw man lay together à louder contradiction in one page Philostorgius saith the Dr ascribes the Power of working Miracles as raising the dead to Hereticks yet S. Chrysostom tell 's us God has put à Stop to Miracles and will have no more done If Philostorgius speak's Truth in granting Miracles The Dr drives on two plain Contradictions wrought by Arian Bishops S. Chrysostom understood as the Dr would have him grosly mistook when he teaches God has put à stop to Miracles The Dr not content with one contradiction drives on another The Arians saith he the Eunomians and Novatians all challenged the Power of Miracles to themselves but the Catholick Bishops pretended no more to them than the Protestant Bishops do now Reader this Dr writes he knowes not what Observe I beseech you Did those Hereticks falsely lay claim to à Power of Miracles So it is saith the Dr. How then durst your famous Philostorgius play the knave and peremptorily assert that an Heretical Bishop raised the dead and healed all sorts of Diseases or with what face could you Sr bring in an Author as deserving Credit when your own Judgement tell 's you he writes loud untruths Me thinks this Discourse is plain You either Judge the Arians and Eunomians to have had the Power of working Miracles or not If not you should have said plainly Philostorgius cheat's us in setting down Miracles which were never done And you Sr may be ashamed of your own Writings where you so highly extol Miracles wrought by Heathens For if Hereticks as you here seem If Hereticks never wrought Miracles much lesse did Heathens to Suppose never did any much lesse did Heathens and Infidels Therefore Aesculapius his Miracle wrought upon à beheaded woman And the whole Story of Pythagoras his Thigh ought in your Judgement to be decryed as fourbs and fictions or as Charms of Necromancy To what purpose doe you fill so many Pages of your Book with Lyes known as such to your selfe 3. Now if on the other side those Eunomians and Donatists had the Power of working true Miracles you force à Lye upon S. Chrysostom saying as you interpret That God has put à stop to all extraordinary Signs The Saints own words Mr Dr confute your Glosse There is not saith S. Chrysostom The like Power of Miracles in the Church which
was in the Apostles The cap. 9. n 10. true meaning is as I have largely proved above That no set number of men in the Church had such an ordinary Gift in working Miracles as was annexed by peculiar Priviledge to the twelve Apostles Se more of this Priviledge in the Chapter cited it is here needlesse to transcribe what is there clearly set down 4. Mr Dr I must once more tell you you write you know not what For nothing but à Frolick or à height of impudence could have uttered The Dr speak's à lowd Vntruth this intolerable Proposition The Catholick Bishops of the Church of Rome pretended no more to à Power of Miracles than Protestant Bishops do now With what Conscience or Countenance can you Sr impose so manifest an Untruth upon mankind Were not S. Irenaeus S. Gregory Thaumaturgus The two vvorthy Cyrills S. Athanasius S. Augustin S. Chrysostom Bishops and learned Bishops All these and many more as is evident have either wrought Miracles or laudably written in their Defence Show me but one Protestant Bishop that has done the like or for stark shame Mr Dr fool us no more abuse us no more with manifest Fopperies 5. The Dr as I told you to set forth his Phylostorgius Photius Biblioth page 26. de Philostor ex lib. 40. remits the Reader to Photius But how wisely he did so I leave to every mans common Judgement for having perused Photius exactly I find much ill and not so much as one good word spoken of Philostorgius He began with Philostorgius proved à most impious Heretick the Heresy of Arius next adhered to the Errours of Atius and finally professed the Eunomian Heresy Thus much I gather also out of several great Authors Photius goes on Philostorgius vvas à lying VVriter and full of Idle Fables He extolls Aetius and Eunomius as if they had purged the Christian Doctrin fouly contaminated vvith Errours vvherein saith Photius he lyes prodigiously He vvas enraged against the most Orthodox Fathers and falsly calumniated the great S. Basil though his calumny made the Saint more Baron Annal Ecclesias tom 3. Anno 354. n. 14. 15. 16. Vossius de Historicis Graecis l. 2. c. 20. p. 210. renovvned Cardinal Baronius speak's home also Philostorgius vvas à most infamous Heretick the ancient Graecians abhorred the mans very name cur'st his execrable VVritings as deserving nothing but oblivion and perpetual silence Gerardus Ioannes Vossius rebukes him as one Deo invisum hated by Almighty God for his Heresy and excessive bitternes against all Catholicks loving none but Hereticks These Testimonies and many more you may read in the Epitome of Iacobus Godefredus who compendiat's the Twelve Books of Photius See also Godefred's Prolegomena where upon several Godefred printed at Geneva occasions he spares not to tell us what an impious Heretick Philostorgius was However Dr Still introduces him as à creditable Author and will not have him suspected of Partiality though no man more ruin's his credit than the Dr for he saith those Miracles whereof Philostorgius and other Hereticks write may be justly suspected because only pretended to If only pretended Mr Dr you cannot but mistrust the Sincerity of those who relate them unlesse you Say though the Miracles in Them selves are false yet the Hereticks that wrote them spake Truth 6. The Dr much intangled loses himselfe in Page 676. and p. 677. à lame and undigested Discourse He would forsooth fain know hovv Miracles can prove the Truth and Infallibility of the Church if the Truth of Miracles depend's upon the Churches Approbation And I Sr would as fain know and I hope do know How Miracles can prove the Truth and Infabillibility A difficulty proposed by the Dr. of Christ's Doctrin if the Truth of those Miracles depend's upon Christ's Sacred word and approbation 7. To clear this matter I must first know what you mean by this word Proving Would you Sr have us prove the Truth and Infallibility of our Church Doctrin evidently or by à clear Demonstration Neither you nor any man living can thus evince the Truth and Infallibility of Christ's Doctrin Had you seen all the Miracles Christ wrought could you upon their outward Appearance or the exteriour sight alone have demonstrated that Christ was the true Messias or that his Doctrin was thereby evidently proved true and Infallible It is impossible even in your Principles Because you Say an Evidence taken from the outward Appearance of à Wonder only gives no certainty of its Truth or the verity pointed out by it Speak otherwise and you will be forced to grant that all the Wonders you have collected from Heathens were as really true as ever any was which Christ wrought for you yeild them an Appearance Very Visible 8. Hence it Followes that besides the Exteriour From whence we have full certainty of à Miracle Sight of à Miracle some other Oracle must interpose it's Authority and ascertain all yet vvithout Evidence of its real Truth as wrought by Divine Povver and for such and End This full certainty Mr Dr we take from the Churches Approbation as the Apostles and primitive Christians tooke theirs from our Saviours own words That the vvorks of God saith Christ John 9. 3. speaking of the blind man may be manifested in him I must doe the vvorks of him that sent me These Things John 20. ◠3◠are vvritten saith the same Evangelist That you may believe not knovv evidently That Iesus is Christ and that believing you may have life in his name 9. The want of pondering one Distinction plainly laid forth in Bellarmin brought the Dr Bellar. de not is Eccl. lib. 4. c. 14. §. Est autē to this confusion By Miracles saith Bellarmin the Church is demonstrated Non quoad evidentiam aut certitudinem rei sed quoad evidentiam Certitudinam credibilitatis That is we prove not Evidently the Church or her Doctrin to be evidently true by Miracles But prove both by Miracles to be evidently Credible The Evidence of Credibility Mr Dr disposes to Faith and brings in an Obligation of Believing That other fancied Evidence relating to the Truth and infallibility of Christ's Doctrin or the Churches God in this state impart's not to any For we walke by Faith not by Evidence 10. But say you vvhat Evidence of Credibility can there be from Miracles vvhere no one can be certain vvhether they be Miracles or not I Answer The same Evidence of credibility which the Primitive The same Evidence of Credibility we now have of the Churches Miracles which the ancient Christians had of our Saviours Christians had of our Saviours Miracles as they were Objects of Sense we also have of Miracles wrought in the Church The outward Appearance alone neither grovvnded Faith for Faith relies on à surer Motive God's Divine Revelation nor gave more Evidence of their ovvn real Truth than Church Miracles have done All true Miracles therefore whether wrought
by Christ or in the Church when attested by undoubted Witnesses and are known upon humane Faith as morally certain beget in every rational man an Evidence of Credibility and move to embrace Christ's Doctrin so far they lead us on but no further When the Church after à rigid Examination upon Her Humane Authority approves them as true and wrought by Divine Power we are raised to à higher Degree of certainty and upon this Oracles word own them not only in à vveak manner morally certain But without all Dispute Unquestionable though yet not known as evidently true For all Knovvledge implies c. 14. n. 8 9 not strict Evidence Reader turn if you please to what I have noted above and you will find this whole Difficulty cleared from all reasonable Exception 11. The Dr still remain's in his Confusion Hovv is it possible saith he that the Church should be certainly knovvn by Miracles if the Miracles cannot be certainly knovvn but by the Church I Ask likewise How is it possible that Christ should be certainly knovvn by his Miracles if his Miracles cannot be certainly known but by Christ or by some certain Oracles Approbation The fallacy lies in that word◠Knovvn which may either Signify à great moral Assurance such as the Primitive Christians had of our Saviour Miracles which prudently induced them to believe in Christ Or à higher Degree of certainty And this they attained when they heard an Infallible Oracle give full Assurance of our Saviours Miracles Thus we Discourse of Church Miracles The first moral knowledge previous to Faith induces us to believe the other grounded on the Churches Approbation takes all doubt away and in order to Believers gives full certainty as is further explained in the 14. Chapter already cited Upon this Page 6V7 Distinction that pritty Paralogism of the Dr comes to nothing but empty words We must Saith he knovv à man by such marks vvhich vve cannot knovv to be the Marks of such à man till vve first knovv the man He would say We must know the Church by her Marks That is by her Miracles The Dr's Paralogism dissolved which we cannot know to be the Marks of such à Church till vve knovv the Church I Answer we must know the Church by her Marks or Miracles upon moral certainty which yet we cannot know by à certainty excluding all doubt to be the Marks of such à Church till we know the Church That is till we have from her Approbation and Assurance concerning the real Truth and solid worth of her Miracles as proceeding from à Divine Power without fraud or false Illusion 12. To Satisfy the Dr I retort his Argument And instanced in our Saviours Miracles using the same formal words as to our Saviours Miracles We must knovv Christ by such Marks That is by his Miracles vvhich vve cannot knovv to be the Marks of Christ till vve knovv the man called Christ We must know Christ by his Miracles But hovv As the Primitive Christians knevv him when upon moral certainty they saw or heard of his Miracles And thereby were induced to believe in him Yet they could not know them by an indubitable certainty excluding all Dispute or That they were truly Miracles wrought by Divine Povver till some Oracle raised them to à higher Step of certainty 13. To clear what is now said Let us Imagin that Dr Still or some such like Incredulous man had been present with our Saviour when he cured the blind or cleansed the Lepers He would upon Moral certainty have Judged the vvorks Miraculous But withall might have doubted whether Christ did them by Divine Power or no hereof he had no Evidence at all Suppose that some other known Oracle owned infallible had told him These strange Cures thou sees't proceed from God He would without hesitancy have yeilded à firm Assent to their certain Truth and Judged them Miracles proceeding from God Thus we discourse of Miracles wrought in the Church A knowledge highly moral grounded on humane Faith first Proposes them as Works done by Almighty God though as yet not undoubtedly certain But when we hear that our Oracle approves them under the Notion of works done by Divine Power all further doubt ceases all hesitancy is taken away 14. From what we have said hitherto Two Two things deduced from the former Discourse things follow The first is that our Church Miracles as seen or heard of are easily distinguished upon Moral certainty from all Jugling Legerdemain Wonders pretended by Heathens and Hereticks Their exteriour Lustre even to Sense Their long and never interrupted Continuance in any Age Their prodigious Greatness and vast number vvrought in à Holy Society of Christians and by men of à most innocent life manifestly difference them from those other few and inconsiderable Wonders laid claim to by Gods professed Enemies Add to this exteriour visible Appearance the Churches Judgement and Approbation Though only Humane relating to the real Truth of Miracles all comparison ceases the Difference between true and false Signs is made most notorious 15. The second thing observable is That all Arguments Imaginable which either are or can be proposed against Miracles wrought in the Church have the very same force against our Saviours and the Apostles Signs That they are now registred in Scripture and thereby made matters of Faith weakens nothing the Strength of my Argument For I consider those Primitive Miracles as famed up and down the world and known upon humane Faith before the Holy Ghost sealed them up in the Book of Scripture Thus considered the Proofs are the same for Miracles wrought by Christ and in the Church And were there any Argument as there is none that could lessen the Credit of latter Miracles it would as I said be as forcible against the most Primitive Wonders Our Saviour all know wrought many Miracles not recorded in Holy Writ and so also the Apostles did Suppose these had been conveyed to us upon the Testimony of grave Authors as the very most of the Apostles Miracles are must such works of God be exploded as Fourbs because not recorded in Scripture It is no small Folly to Judge so But enough of this matter We now follow the Dr in his other Quotations 16. Dr Still cites Fevardentius who confesses Dr Stillî page 678. Fevardent in Irenaeum lib. 2. c. 86. the Church has never determined that Heretieks cannot work true Miracles and that those who hold the Affirmative have plain Testimonies of the Fathers for them Mr Dr relates not this Authors words or Sence sincerely Briefly Fevardentius having Quoted some Fathers only thought to favour the Opinion The Dr abuses Fevardentius concerning Miracles wrought by Hereticks though other Fathers are of à quite contrary Judgement Speak's thus Quibus vero magis adherendum sit pronunciet Ecclesia Let the Church here determine who we are to follow which is far from that round open Assertion which the Dr imposes
his Spouse the Militant Church with the same Signal Marks of Credibility which he favovrably demonstrated while he lived here on earth Why then do you like that depraved and wicked Generation of men mentioned in Luk 11. 29. Scripture require more Signs than are done Why should Missionaries come to you and work Miracles If the greatest were wrought before your Eyes your Dulness would slight all and account them either fallacious Charms Necromancy Luk. 16. 27. or painted Strawes and Counterfeit Trances 2. Remember I beseech you Abraham's Answer given to that Rich man in Torments who would have one sent from the dead to doe good upon his Bretheren Abraham replyed No. They have Moses and the Prophets And in The Dr has an Answer in the Cospel case no eare be given to these neither will they believe though one should rise from the dead and Preach to them In like manner I discourse of Miracles wrought in the Church They speak witness S. Austin as plain à language as ever Moses or the Prophets spake And if such visible and manifest attested Signs work nothing upon your Incredulity neither would the greatest servant of God though he should raise the dead in the City of London mollify your hearts change your minds or make you better than you are So true it is Perversi difficilè corriguntur 3. Again you Propose that which if done would do you little or no good at all Suppose one or more were raised from the dead in London Imagin also that the Missioner should like S. Bernard or S. Xaverius declare that God raises those dead for this End that all may believe the Roman Catholick Churches Doctrin what Conversions would be wrought hereby upon thousand and thousand obstinate hearts in the remote parts of England who only hear of the Miracles Must God send Missionaries to every one of these and set before their Eyes à dead Carkass restored to life Neither Christ our Lord nor the Apostles did so 4. You may Say The Fame of some dead Miracles seen by innumerable Famed and written work little upon Hereticks raised among you would be so publickly divulged that none could rationally call such matters of Fact into Question when visibly seen by many I Answer Ex ore tuo te Iudico But innumerable more Resuscitations innumerable more Miraculous Cures have been and are still famed the whole Christian world over and besides remain upon undoubted Record yet this Fame and these Records make no greater impression upon your hard heart than painted strawes and Counterfeit Trances The like or as little effect would such Miracles as you seek for work upon your numberless incredulous People dispersed over the Nation had they not beheld with their eyes what some few are now Supposed to have seen And God only knowes whether that visible Evidence were it shown would change their minds or abate in the least the Obduracy which stick 's close to the hearts of Thousands 5. The Dr has not yet done with the Poor Page 685. Boyes Leg. If all saith he that had been pleaded in the Apostles time for their divine Commission had been only that à Boy had his Leg cut off and strangely restored would this have Satisfyed the world A more simple Question was never proposed Pray Sr is all that the Church plead's for her Commission reduced to this one Miracle of à Boyes Leg restored No. She offer 's to your view the like admirable Miracles which Christ and the Apostles have done You Sr triefle no less in this your Demand than if you should Ask whether all the works our Saviour did were brought to the curing of à poor Boyes Eyes born blind Compare the one Miracle with the other and you will find that the restored Leg was in itselfe as great à Miracle as that restored sight Give me the least disparity if you can Nothing in nature could more reunite that Leg to its own Natural Body than restore Sight to one born Page 686. Suares de Fide Disp 4. sect 3. num 10. blinde and I am sure the Divel had no hand in either cure 6. The Dr Quotes Suares and fouly perverts his meaning A Miracle saies this learned Author may be wrought Two wayes 1. Without any respect to confirm à Truth but only for the benefit of him that receives it as in case of à Miraculous cure or the like 2. It may be done purposely to confirm the Truth of à Doctrin The First sort of Miracles saies Suares wrought Suares perverted by the Dr. for the Benefit of others God may doe by wicked men though this happens very seldom or if it happen it is rather done ex Fide for the Faith of him that receives it than for any good in the wicked man that work 's it All these words which explain Suares his meaning and discover the Dr ' s Jugling the Dr omit's Observe the Jugling If saith he such Miracles as the cure of Mark the Words According to Suares F. Marcellus and the restored Leg at Zaragosa may according to Suares be vvrought only for the benefit of those vvho receive them vvhat can this prove as to the Churches Infallibility Mr Dr Suares saies nothing to this The Dr's Iugling Discovered your Sence but expresly the contrary He speak's there of Miracles wrought and very seldom by wicked men Were those two cures upon F. Marcellus and the maimed youth done by the wicked The Mother of God wrought the one and S. Xaverius à Canonized Saint the other are these now glorious in Heaven according to Suares to be listed among the wicked For stark shame retract this vast Untruth and know that such Miracles may be justly numbred with those Suares mentioneth which confirm our Catholick Doctrin as is already proved 7. The Dr to little purpose Quotes Delrio Page 687. Delrio l. 4. Dis Magic c. 4. 9. 5. Sect. 2. Saying that Faith being now established there is little or no necessity of Miracles to confirm it I Answer Delrio in that place replies to an Adversary who thought Miracles not so frequent now as formerly by reason of much coldness and inconstancy in Faith That is one cause Saies Delrio but à better is because Faith being now established Minor est vel nulla necessitas Miraculorum Can the Dr draw from this Expression of lesse or no necessity à Total abatement of Mercy as if God wrought none but such as are precisely necessary Did Christ our Lord indulge no favours or Graces to mortals but just so many as were necessary Were all the Prodigious Signs which the Apostles wrought of such absolute Necessity that if one had been omitted men could not have believed or if more had been done than are recorded the world would have been overwhelmed with Miracles The Dr it seem's had little to Say while he tires his Reader with these impertinent Quotations 8. The Dr in the page cited tell 's E. W.