shell and bark If I may so say of the Christian Religion by examining all those Arguments that are drawn from the external Testimony which the Primitive Christians gave of it and by considering their natural Capacities the discoveries that were made to them their prejudices the peculiar frame of their minds their Martyrdom and the reasons that induced them to suffer it c. And all this before we proceed to the consideration of the Writings of the New-Testament II. We shall consider these Writings themselves and enquire whether they are forged or not We shall examin the subject-matter of them and endeavour both to defend them against the suspicions of the Incredulous by shewing that they contain nothing but what is certainly true and to evince the Divinity of them by the Character of those things they contain III. and lastly We shall endeavour to shew the very substance and spirit of Christianity by discovering the Excellence uses advantages the end genius and in general all the beauties which are proper and natural to it And this is what we design to treat of in the following Sections whereof this second part is composed But since our Adversaries by their prejudices may be inclined to fear lest we should impose upon them by making them believe such Doctrines as can't be proved by Reason and since it is much for our advantage to remove all such suspicions we will for a while doubt of every thing with them and raising our selves by degrees to the Knowledge of those matters of fact which establish Christianity it self admit of nothing for truth but so far as appears evident CHAP. I. Where we shall enquire whence the Christians had their Original and what their Profession is by looking back into the first Ages wherein they appeared IN order to which we suppose that there are now Christians in the World and there have not always been such From this I gather that I must look back into past Ages to find out the Original of my Religion In this search I pass therefore from Age to Age till I come to Constantine without being able to clear this doubt But here we must make a little stop The prosperity of this Prince gives at first some occasion of suspicion and we easily mistrust a man who being Master of the most considerable part of the World seems probably to have established the Christian Religion therein either by Force or Policy looking perhaps upon it as more proper than that of the Heathens to carry on his designs Yet that suspicion soon vanishes since we are assured there were Christians in the World before Constantine's time All the Heathen Writers who lived before him speak of them and the Ecclesiastical Historians are wholly employed in describing their sufferings But supposing that these Historians lived in the days of Constantine or after him they must needs have either lost the use of their reason themselves or have imagined that the men of their age had lost theirs when they give them the History of the Christan Church down from the Apostles to Constantine if 't were certain there had not been Christians in the World before that Prince And therefore this must be too extravagant a suspicion to be entertained long But here is something still more observable viz. that on the one hand the Christians who lived before Constantine were then possessed of the Books of the New-Testament and on the other that those very Christians were so strongly perswaded of the truth of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ of his miracles of the pouring out the holy spirit on the Apostles and of all other matters of fact that establish the Christian Religion that they hardly speak of any thing else their books are full of them and their Doctrine is altogether built upon this foundation And therefore if Constantine invented the matters of fact which establish Christianity he must not only have forged the Books of the New-Testament but also the Writings of Clemens Justin Iraeneus Athenagoras Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian Origen and in general of all the Fathers who lived before him because every one of their Writings have an essential relation to those matters of fact that prove the truth of Religion And should we go up a little higher than the reign of Constantine we should hear of Christians that were afflicted during the three first Centuries of the Church and persecuted throughout the whole World and punished with most barbarous and new invented torments They were put to Death upon wheels and scaffolds tortured by fire their flesh torn with pincers their bodies were mangled by cutting off limbs one after another they were thrown into Rivers and cast into the Sea and exposed to Wild Beasts wrapp'd up in garments dipped in sulphur to serve for torches and set up to light Passengers in their Way In fine it was never known that men so universally agreed in any one thing as in their design of tormenting the Christians in so much that the ordinary people who have generally some compassion for the greatest malefactors upon the Scaffold conducted the Christians to the place of Execution with acclamations of Joy Certainly 't is a very difficult matter to restrain one's Curiosity so much as not to desire a more particular Knowledge of a people persecuted by the World with so much rage and malice For to see the whole World so strangely incensed against one sect of men one would easily think them the common Enemies of all mankind and the offspring of Hell it self born for a common plague to the Rest of the World What then were the great Crimes these Christians were guilty of They were accused of impiety murther and incest 'T was pretended that they violated the respect due to the Gods that they murthered their own Children which they scrupled not to eat up after having Killed them and lastly that they lay promiscuously together the Brother with the Sister and the Son with the Mother But first of all there is little likelyhood that the Christians should suffer Death and torments worse than Death it self in defence of a Religon which engaged them to the Commission of such infamous actions That stedfast constancy they shew'd in the midst of their Torments and which their Enemies themselves acknowledged sutes very ill with the voluptuousness and enormities they were accused of Besides were they question'd concerning these Crimes which they are obliged to clear themselves of they would produce in their Behalf the Apologies of Justin Athenagoras and Tertullian wherein they earnestly desired the Senate and Roman Emperours that they would make a strict enquiry into their lives and inflict upon them such torments as were a thousand times if possible more cruel than those they had already endured if they were really guâ—lty of what they were accused They would shew us likewise a letter from Pliny to Trajan which ought to be looked upon as an authentick monument of their Innocence Since Pliny there informs
cometh after me is mightier than I c. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire Lastly John saw the Holy Ghost Descending upon Jesus under such a form as truly denoted the gentleness and mildness his Life was to be attended with and he heard that voice from Heaven this is my beloved Son c. These three matters of fact have a necessary connexion with the Principles of our Religion if they be true as they will evidently appear to be to all who shall seriously consider and reflect upon them 'T would be to no purpose to suspect the Evangelist of having forged that prediction of the Destruction of Jerusalem which he makes Jesus Christ himself utter because that Gospel was compiled long before that Event It would be as little to the purpose to pretend that that other prediction of the Baptism with the Holy Ghost and with fire was falslly inserted into the History of John the Baptist. For what likelyhood is there that the Disciples should have made John the Baptist utter such a prediction had they seen nothing like it And if they were truly baptized with the Holy Ghost and with Fire why should any body refuse to believe that St. John the Baptist foretold it Chapt. IV. 1. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness c. Had the Evangelists proposed any other Method to themselves in all their Writings but to speak the plain truth they would never have represented Christ to us as being delivered into the power of the Devil to be tempted of him who set him one while upon the Pinacles of the Temple and another while upon an exceeding high Mountain In all this Relation we have certainly a most undeniable mark of their Truth and Sincerity Vers 19. And he saith unto them follow me and I will make you fishers of men Who is this that without Riches Arms and Authority nay without any assistance from Men pretends to convert ordinary Fishers into Fishers of Men How came any such Thoughts into his Mind What a strange Design is this What a rash undertaking Nay what confidence joined to so great a weakness For Jesus Christ to fortel and execute that project he must not only have been absolute Master of his Disciples to convert them so wonderfully but also of their minds to enlighten them of their Hearts to make them less sensible of all wordly objects He must have been an absolute Master of suturity to foretel it of time present to Dispose of it of those Men's Inclinations whom he was thus to change of their resistance and continual struglings and oppositions against him nay he must have been absolute Master of all the Enemies of his Name in a word of all Events and Junctures whatsoever Vers 24. And his fame went throughout all Syria 'T is certain that the Evangelists could never have made the World believe that Jesus Christ was become famous for his Miracles had he really neither wrought nor pretended to work any Miracles Besides herein was Jesus Christ distinguish'd from John the Baptist that the former wrought many notable Wonders and Signs but the latter was famous only for the innocency of his Life and purity of his Manners And if Jesus Christ passed for a person who really did several Miracles it remains only for us to know whether those Miracles be true or false and that solely depends upon the examination of the Witnesses that saw them the nature of the matters of fact themselves and the Enemies that so firmly opposed them c. Chap. V. 1. And seeing the multitude he went up into a mountain c. And he opened his mouth and taught them c. I shall not say any thing concerning that excellent Sermon which Jesus Christ preached on the Mount We need only read it over to be satisfied that it is an abstract of the most Sound Pure and Spiritual the most impartial sublime and surprizing Doctrine that ever was thought of Read it therefore I say and you will as much be surprized at his Doctrine as the Multitudes that heard it Chap. VIII 1. When he was come down from the mountain c. In this Chapter we read of the cleansing of Lepers of healing sick Persons that were absent and far off by the efficacy of his word of his calming the Storms and Tempests of the Sea of his casting Devils out of those that were possessed of the consternation the Gadarenes were in at the loss of their Herd of Swine and their surprize to see those healed that were possessed with Devils all which are such matters of fact as the Evangelists could not have been perswaded of by a meer Illusion nor the Disciples make others believe against their own publick Knowledge Vers 11. And I say unto you many shall come from the East and West c. Who was it that had thus enlightned the Mind of Jesus Christ as to make him so clearly foretell the calling of the Gentiles Vers 22. But Jesus said unto him follow me and let the dead bury their dead This was certainly the expression of a Man that had so deeply reflected upon the vanity of the World and was truly perswaded of the Misery and Corruption of Mankind For did ever any Man but him speak after this manner Vers 34. And behold the whole City came out to meet Jesus and when they saw him they besought him that he would depart out of their Coasts Here were a sufficient number of Witnesses who might have easily convinced the Evangelists had that matter of fact been false Chap. IX 1. And he entred into a Ship c. In this Chapter Jesus Christ calleth Matthew from the receit of custom healeth a Woman that was diseased with an Issue of Blood twelve Years restoreth sight to two blind Men raiseth a young Girl to Life again and healeth one that was possessed with a Devil Now Matthew who compiled the History of all these matters of fact and whom no interest whatsoever could have obliged to follow Jesus Christ to the prejudice of his own repose could not but know certainly what force or secret Power had compelled him to follow Christ And Jairus knew very well whether or no his Daughter had been raised to Liâ—e again his Friends and Relations had been informed of it the Neighbours and Minstrels who were already come to solemnize her funerals could not be ignorant of it In a word the Blind the Lame and the Sick of that Town could not but tell whether they really experienced that healing virtue which proceeded from his very garments But who can suppose that so many Persons should have known the certain Truth of that matter of fact and yet that the Disciples themselves should not have known it And supposing they knew it how is it possible they could have so unanimously agreed to impose upon all the World at the expence of their lives and against their own temporal interest Vers 5. For whether is
uncircumcision but a new Creature Great indeed was his Faith for he would not subscribe to their Maxims who constrained the faithful to be Circumcised tho he might have thereby avoided a sharp Persecution But he shews us that the Circumcision of the Heart only was acceptable to God that none but the New Creature could be for the future agreeable to him A Circumcision indeed infinitely more painful than the first and a New Creature established upon the Ruins of the World the pleasures of which are so dear to us Certainly it is impossible this Doctrine so spiritual so holy and so necessary in it self should have proceeded only from Flesh and Blood Epistle to the Ephesians Chap. III. 17 18 19. That ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth all Knowledge c. Had the Apostles been such Deceivers as the Incredulous would have them to be what mean those transports of admiration as often as they reflect on the mercy of God which every Page of this Book is full of Were they then deceived No surely because they could not be imposed upon in such certain matters of fact Had they then a mind to deceive other people That could not be neither because their Writings seem to be designed only to induce Men to fear God Chap IV. 24 25. And that ye put on the New man which after God is created in Righteousness and true holiness Wherefore putting away lying speak every Man truth with his neighbour c. A strange and surprising Discourse indeed but which would have been much more astonishing should it have been uttered by the mouth of an Impostor Epistle to the Philippians Chap. I. 29. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake The Stoicks who had so much distinguished and raised themselves above all other Men by their sublime Morality had ever imagined that the Wise man might very well preserve a tranquil and sedate Mind in the midst of his Afflictions and they were so much intoxicated with Pride that they were altogether insensible of any Pain or Torment But the Disciples of Christ went yet higher They looked upon the most cruel Sufferings as upon so many Benefits and so many causes of Joy and Peace and Ineffable Consolation and Comfort They cried out I rejoyce in my sufferings c. I delight in Stripes in Afflictions c. Nay more than this they returned Thanks to God for having been thought worthy to suffer for his Name 's sake Their Afflictions gave rise to their Gratitude And all this because they were supported by a Divine hand and were most certain to obtain an everlasting Reward A strange thing indeed that this Certainty only should be absolutely requisite to demonstrate the truth of Religion The Apostles could never have entertained any false hopes of reward because their hopes were grounded on what they had seen and on the miraculous Gifts of God they had both received and often imparted to others We can't then doubt but that they had the hopes of a future Reward in prospect unless we will be wilfully Blind and Ignorant So blind must the Incredulous be who wilfully shut their Eyes and refuse to be convinced of so evident a Truth First Epistle to the Thessalonians Chap. I. 4. For our Gospel came not unto you in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost c. By these words it appears that the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost continually testified of the Gospel Chap. III. 4. For verily when we were with you we told you before that we should suffer tribulation even as â—t came to pass and ye know The Disciples of Christ had been prepared by him and had prepared themselves nay prepared their Successors also to suffer patiently according to the Words of this Apostle who says in another place 2 Tim. 3. 12. All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution T was therefore in cold Blood with their own choice and free deliberation they suffered such Torments Chap. V. 27. I charge you by the Lord that this Epistle be read unto all the holy brethren St. Paul feared not in the least his being contradicted or convinced of any Falsity he had advanced concerning his Afflictions and the Gifts of the Holy Ghost And therefore he commanded that his Epistles should be read to all the holy Brethren First Epistle to Timothy Chap. III. 16. And without controversy great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World received up into glory This mystery can't be invented only by Humane understanding for several Reasons 1. Because it is so great and sublime that Men tho never so learned and quick sighted in other things yet would never have been able to find it out of themselves barely by the Scrutinies of their Reason 2. Because they were only poor Fishermen that preached it 3. Because this so sublime and magnificent Object proceeds if I may so speak from the Death and Sufferings of a Man who was condemned and punished with the most rigorous Punishments that could be thought of For t was only after the Passion of Christ that the Disciples went about preaching every where the wonderful works of God 4. And lastly because the contemplation of it depends upon Experience it self and altho this mystery appears at first view infinitely exalted above the reach of our capacity yet it must have been both seen and touched by the Disciples They certainly saw Christ and beheld his glory as the Glory of the only Son of God full of Grace and Truth They saw with their Eyes that Flesh in which corporeally dwelt an intire fulness of the glorious Godhead They were fully convinced of the extraordinary excellence of his Mysteries and the perfection of his Holiness They themselves received the Gifts of that same Spirit in which God himself was justified They saw Angels ascending and descending to minister unto him They preached it themselves to the Gentiles and so compelled the World to believe in him by their Patience and Preaching which was continually attended with the Demonstration of that Spirit and the Evidence of those Miracles performed by them in the Name of Jesus Lastly he ascended into Heaven in their sight So that these are all sure and certain proofsof the Truth of that great Mystery which can't in the least be suspected Second Epistle to Timothy Chap. III. 15 16. And that from a Child thou hast known the holy Scriptures c. All Scripture is given by inspiration There is no maintaining false Religions in the World but by the help of Ignorance Negligence and a blind Submission But the Christian Religion can't be suspected of any
related such things as at first shock our thoughts and which Impious men chiefly insist upon such as this complaint of Jesus Christ My God My God c. Besides this the Circumstances with which they relate all the actions of their Master will sufficiently convince us of their sincerity For is it probable the Evangelists should have invented or forg'd the murmurings of the Scribes and Pharisees who reproach'd them saying Why do ye eat and drink with Publicans and Sinners c. And that controversy betwixt the ambitious Disciples on whose account it was that Jesus Christ having taken up a little Child told them they must be like that Child if they would qualifie themselves for the Kingdom of Heaven c. a wonderful discourse indeed both for its shortness and simplicity which sufficiently shews us the very Soul of our blessed Lord 'T is not one single Writer of all these that relate those Actions there are three of them who wrote after such a manner as manifestly evinces they copy'd not one anothers Writings And if you would be further satisfy'd the Apostles themselves prove the Holiness of life of their Divine Master by imitating his Actions The Primitive Christians shew us how well the Apostles lived by following their Example If you should desire we should produce some authentical testimonies of Holiness Vertue sweet and peaceable temper of the Primitive Christians there are abundance to be had in the Writings of their very Enemies We need only an indifferent Knowledge of Antiquity to banish all suspicions in that respect Thus the truth appears on all sides and I sensibly perceive it as soon as I frame any Idea to my self of the life and actions of Jesus Christ Yet I am willing however that the Incredulous should not wholly conform their judgment to mine and if this Argument does not move and convince them as much as it does me they need only pass on to the consideration of others CHAP. VIII Of the Prophecies of Jesus Christ THey will perhaps be much more affected with the Prophecies that occur in the Gospel several of which are very expresly delivered But among the rest we shall make choice of one which we shall particularly examin 't is that concerning the final destruction of Jerusalem We may easily perceive how clearly 't is set down by the Evangelists who bring in Jesus Christ foreâ—elling it and how exactly 't was afterwards fulfilled The words of the Prophecy are these And Jesus answering said unto him seest thou these â—reat buildings There shall not be left one â—tone upon another that shall not be thrown down c. And when ye shall hear of Wars and Rumours of Wars be ye not troubled for all these things must come to pass but the end is not yet For Nation shall rise against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom and there shall be Earthquakes in divers places and there shall be famines and troubles for all these are but the beginnings of sorrows c. When ye therefore shall see the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet standing where it ought not whoso readeth let him understand then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains Let him which is on the house top not come down to take any thing out of his house c. But wo unto them that are with Child and to them that give Suck in those days For in those days shall be affliction such as was not since the beginning of the Creation which God created unto this time neither shall be again And except that the Lord had shortned those days no flesh should be saved but for the Elects sake c. And then if any man shall say unto you lo here is Christ or lo he is there believe it not For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shew great signs and wonders to seduce if it were possible even the Elect. But take ye heed behold I have foretold you all things It is not requisite that a man should be very well acquainted with the Jewish History to know that this Prophecy was exactly fulfilled Those who doubt it may consult the History Josephus wrote of it There they will hear of Troubles of Wars Rumours of Wars of Famines Earthquakes from place to place which preceeded for some years the final destruction of Judea Therein they will find Jerusalem surrounded with Armies and trodden down by the Gentiles There they will read of a time wherein 't was much better for the Inhabitants of that miserable Country to forsake their abodes in the Cities and to flee to the Mountains There they will see the Temple of Jerusalem burnt down and demolished without having one stone left upon another and surely be convinced that there was never Tribulation like unto the Tribulation of those days They will be no longer ignorant of the Abomination of Desolation set up in the holy place which the Prophet Daniel speaks of when they shall see the Jews rushing into the Temple and there cutting one anothers throats on a solemn feast day But if they would further consult our Ecclesiastical Historians or the Primitive Fathers they would find them all agree in this Relation that the faithful Disciples of Jesus Christ who were at Jerusalem fled to a little City called Pella after having been forewarned of it by the Spirit and there will be no longer reason to think these Words of Jesus Christ obscure But pray ye that your flight be not in the Winter c. There are few people but what perceive the exact Conformity of this prophecy with its Event and we need not at all question the certainty of it But 't is not so very certain that it was not composed after the Event and it will concern us to enquire into it It appears then first that the Gospels wherein 't is related were composed before the destruction of Jerusalem because St. Luke wrote not the Book of Acts till some time after he had composed his Gospel as he testifies himself in these Words The former treatise have I made O Theophilus of all that Jesus begun both to do and to teach c. Acts 1. 1. Besides it seems that St. Luke had written the Book of Acts before the destruction of Jerusalem because he is so far from speaking of that Event that on the contrary he speaks of Jerusalem as of a City that was still in being and wherein there was a flourishing Christian Church But perhaps this is not so much insisted upon It may be further ask'd whether that prophecy might not have been inserted in the Gospel by some Zealous Christians who having seen the destruction of Jerusalem might have took occasion from thence to honour their Master by pretending he had foretold it For the clearing of this doubt we shall observe first that tho' this Prophecy be the same in substance in the three Gospels wherein 't is related yet 't is expressed after a very different
Apostles sincerely believed they could speak all sorts of Languages and had received the extraordinary and miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost I affirm that it was absolutely impossible they should have been Deceivers as to the other matters of fact For it is impossible they should believe they had received those miraculous Gifts unless they also believ'd the Miracles Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ to be true and it is impossible they should have believed the Miracles Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ to be true if all those Events had not been true indeed because as we have already plainly made it appear it is not possible that those matters of fact should have been capable of Illusion and Deceit CHAP. VI. Wherein we shall joyn all the miraculous Matters of fact together and form thereby a full and perfect Demonstration of them SHould we consider all those Events in general we might form an invincible Demonstration of them by supposing the three following Principles which in my Opinion will hereafter appear to be very evidently proved The first is that the Apostles and the rest of the Disciples of Christ did really testify his Miracles Resurrection Ascension and the pouring out the Holy Ghost on the Apostles The second that they sincerely believed what they so testified And the third that they having firmly believed that Jesus Christ wrought many wonderful Miracles that he was risen from the Dead ascended into Heaven and had poured out his Spirit upon all his Disciples of all which Events they were Eye-Witnesses it must necessarily follow from thence that all those things were certainly true The first of these Principles is undeniable in it self For it appears that these four Events were the whole subject Matter of the preaching of the Holy Apostles which too is plain because they themselves tell it 〈…〉 thâ—ir Writings or rather because their Writing◠〈…〉 continual History of them because they 〈…〉 oâ— any thing else in all their Epistles but of those four wonderful Events in those Epistles they wrote to whole Societies who so carefully preserved them as Writings of the greatest value because there is no fragment page or scarce a line in all those Writings but what either relates those matters of fact or evidently supposes them because there can be no Christianity established in the World without this Foundation because they have been confirmed to us by Persons who lived since the Blessed Apostles and discoursed familiarly with them because the publication of those things was the cause of the establishing very numerous Churches almost every where in the days of the Apostles themselves because Reason and Common sense sufficiently assure us that the Jews and Gentiles could never have believed in a crucified Man as such without being at the same time also taught that he was risen from the Dead because the Faithful only believe the last Resurrection upon their certain hope and strong perswasion that they are to be made like unto the glorious Body of their Divine Redeemer because it is manifest that the Authors of the New Testament copy'd not one anothers Writings and yet unanimously agree in the relation of those four surprising Events as being the very essentials of their Doctrine because the Primitive Christians would not have sanctified themselves nor utterly renounced the enticing charms of the World but that they trusted wholly in a Man that was risen from the Dead and ascended into Heaven because the most obstinate and most insolent Enemies of Christianity never entertained the least scruple in that respect nor presumed to deny but that Christs Disciples boldly testify'd of him that he was risen from the Dead and ascended into Heaven because the Jews always acknowledged this to be the testimony of the Apostles and lastly because the union of all those and many other Circumstances we have already handled render the thing itself wholly undeniable and evident in the highest degree so that it is almost to no purpose to insist any longer on the proof of the first Principle The second is no less certain than the first For 't is evident that the Apostles sincerely believed that whatever they related was most certainly true because those things they deliver'd to us in their Writings were the Motives and Incitements they had to their Vertue self denial and patience so often tried in the dangers they underwent because they made such simple and natural allusions to them that it is absolutely impossible one should not perceive their being truly perswaded of the truth of them in so much that they were convinced of the future Happiness of their condition mauger all the reasons they might have to think it should be Miserable and Sorrowful because 't was this very perswasion which gave them the Courage they had to expose themselves to the greatest Dangers and undergo the most severe trials because they rejoyced with one another in that they were thought worthy of spending their lives and whatever else was dearest to them for the defence of so good a Cause tho they must needs have very well known the cheat they had forg'd among themselves if what they said was not certainly true and above all because they pretended to shew very sensible and miraculous proofs of the matters of fact which they had delivered In fine the last of these Principles is still if I may so speak more evident than either of the former For it is impossible that the Disciples of our Lord should have been deceived 1. in such evident matters of fact the Truth of which they might so easily have been assured of by sensible Experience 2. in so great a number of matters of fact so different from one another by their Circumstances and 3. in such matters of fact that were so link'd and united one with another that whosoever grants but one must necessarily grant the truth of the rest And now let the Reader but throughly consider all these things within himself and I am fully perswaded he can never doubt of any of these three Principles For he cannot so much as deny one of them without an extraordinary reluctance in his mind which will force back the truth upon him Should he say that the Apostles never preached the Miracles Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ nor the pouring out the Holy Ghost on the Apostles themselves 't would be as great a falsehood as if he should say that there were never any such Men as the Apostles or that they were not the Disciples of Christ nor preached that Men must necessarily believe on him and it is most certain that he will presently reject all these propositions as being absurdly false and extravagant in themselves Again should he say that the Apostles did not sincerely believe the Miracles Resurrection Ascension of Jesus Christ nor the Effusion of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost 't is as much as if he should affirm they did not pretend to work any Miracles speak strange Languages or think
Husbandmen after having destroyed them as so maâ—y unfaithful servants another while that the King â—ho had invited them to the Marriage of his Son would â—nd his Soldiers to destroy them and burn up their City But not to go so far off one of the Marks whereâ—y they ought to have known that the Event which esus Christ had foretold drew nigh was that the â—entiles were to be called to the knowledge of the â—ue God This is expresly delivered in the places â—e have already quoted He therefore that insertâ— this Prophecy in the Gospel must have imaginâ— that in his time the Gentiles had already been â—lled to the knowledge of Jesus Christ But since â—ere were then an infinite number of Christians disersed throughout World since an infinite number â— Persons had the Writings of the Apostles in their â—ssession How was it possible either to alter or â—d thereto several Parables and Chapters nay to â—rrupt three Gospels in three Essential places If ch a thing had been done in Asia how could it afterwards have been received in Europe where there must necessarily have been an infinite number of Copies of that Gospel For of all the Books of the New Testament the Gospels were first composed And now do not the Incredulous as yet perceive that Truth overthrows more scruples than they are able to raise against it That they continually offer Violence to thelr Reason by resisting the Truth which appears so strong and invincible on all hands and that tho' their Reason is sometime perverted and blinded by their Passions so that they cannot see things in their due light yet the Objects the Nature of things and the Truth which is immutable never shift or turn a side to follow the foolish fancies of their Understanding or the perverse Inclinations of their Heart CHAP. IX Wherein we shall examine the matters contained iâ— the Book of Acts. THe matter of this Book may be reduced tâ— these three heads viz. the Ascension of Jesuâ— Christ the coming down of the Holy Gost upon thâ— Apostles and the Establishment of the Christiaâ— Churches by the successful preaching of the Apostles All these things are of such a nature as could noâ— possibly be forg'd The Ascension of Jesus Christ is related with toâ— many Circumstances to leave us any reason to believe that the Disciples themselves were deceiveâ— therein The Author expresly affirms that Jesâ— conversed the space of forty days with his Disciplâ— after his Resurrection that he promised them theâ— should be baptised with the Holy Ghost and commanded them to wait at Jerusalem for the effect of that promise that he carried them to the Mount of Olives that he was taken up in a Cloud which carried him out of their sight and that as they stedfastly looked up towards Heaven as he went up two men stood by them in white apparel and promised them that Jesus Christ would come again in like manner as they had seen him go into Heaven So that â—t is no longer a question whether the Disciples were deceived in this respect but rather whether they had a mind to deceive others by a false Relation of so Chimerical an Event For the perfect understanding of this Matter it is sufficient to observe the time in which the Disciples begun to declare it And when the day of Pentecost was fully come says St. Luke they were all with one accord in one place And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty Wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting And there apâ—eared unto them Cloven tongues like as of fire and it â—at upon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and begun to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews devout Men out of every Nation under Heaven Now when this was noised abroad the multitude came together and were confounded because that every man heard them speak in his own Language c. But Peter standing up with the eleven lift â—p his voice and said c. Then they that gladly received his Word were baptised and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand Souls c. And fear came upon every Soul and many wonders and signs were done by the Apostles Acts Chap. 2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 14 41 43. That this matter of fact was not invented appears by the bare Consideration of it because this is a thing as must have been brought to pass at Jerusalem upon a solemn feast day before men of all sorts of Nations and as I may so speak in the sight of all the Universe and which Consequently is such as could not possibly have been forg'd or invented What then can be objected to shake the Certainty of this History Can it be said that this Matter of fact was inserted in the Writings of St Luke long after the Death of that Author But then it must at the same time be confessed that the whole Book was forg'd because that is an essential and fundamental matter of fact on which the other things contained in the Book of Acts altogether depend Thus for instance the preaching of the Apostles and the success of it wholly depend upon it Whatever is contained in their Epistles absolutely relates to it And lastly every thing in the New Testament is forg'd if the coming down of the Holy Ghost on the Apostles be a meer Invention Shall I believe that St. Luke himself invented this matter of fact and that no one ever spoke of it before him If so what was it the Apostles said to those they preach'd the Gospel to What did they ground their preaching upon but only on the Mission of the Holy Ghost What other right but that had they to preach Did the Apostles themselves to deceive Mankind pretend that they had received the Holy Ghost This is the only plausible suspicion the Incredulous can entertain yet for all that it is absurd For when was it they made this Pretension It must necessarily be either after they had founded a Church at Jerusalem or some time before If it was after they had founded a Church therein how was it possible this Church should have been afterwards perswaded that the Apostles had received the Holy Ghost that they had publickly spoken all sorts of Languages and that their preaching attended with several strange prodigies had been the occasion of the forming that Church But if the Apostles pretended they had received the Holy Ghost before there was ever any Christian Church established in Jerusalem nay if it were by a false attestation of this matter of fact and many other such that they founded this Church the Apostles must of necessity have learned all the Languages in the World since the death of their Master and together with that the secret of making the lame walk and healing the sick because these are what they call the gifts of the
Necessities in Persecutions in Distresses for Christ's sake for when I am weak then am I strong Nay he pretends that all those who are animated with the same spirit that he was cannot forbear piously rejoycing in their sufferings But the fruit says he of the spirit is Loâ—â— Joy Peace long Suffering Gentleness Goodness Faitâ— Mâ—ekness Temperance Gal. 5. 22. That is the trâ—â— Character of a Christian And the Apostles desigâ— in preaching was to plant these Virtues in the mindâ— of men But let us see further some other marks of the joyfulness and confidence of St. Paul He expresses himself after this manner in some of his Epistles 2 Cor. 4. 8 9 10. We are troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be mde manifest in our body And in another place yea and if I be â—ffered upon the sacrifice of your faith I rejoyce with you â—ll for the same cause also do ye rejoyce with me Phil. 2. â—7 From whence could proceed those motions of Joy which St. Paul so naturally expresses which no Art can imitate which run through all his Epistles from the beginning to the end and which seem to spring from an heart which not being able to conâ—ain its inward pleasure and satisfaction opens and â—nlarges it self and breaks forth into these lively â—xpressions of Joy Certainly such sentiments as these could never â—pring from Nature For Nature sends forth sighs â—nd groans under her sufferings The Stoicks who â—ndeavoured to stifle her innocent complaints preâ—ended that a man might overcome himself to that degree as to preserve his mind serene and calm in â—he midst of Torments but the Stoicks never went â—o far as to believe that joy could spring out of the midst of the bitterness of afflictions None but the Christians could ever find unspeakable joy and comâ—ort in the midst of their sorrows Who was that â—aul then that had thoughts so elevated Only an â—mpostor if we will believe the Incredulous By â—hat strength or power does he so much surpass the â—ertue of the Stoicks By the power of the greatest â—mposture that ever was And can any one really be â—erswaded of such a thing For my part the only â—ifficulty I find in all this is to imagin that the proud â—retended Patrons of Humane Reason should be so â—nreasonable and Extravagant CHAP. XII Wherein we further examine the Epistles of St Paul THe third thing to be observ'd in the Epistles of St. Paul is that they are as it were a continual repetition of the Death Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ or at least of such things as essentially belong to them so that altho the four Gospels should be lost still the Substance and Essentials of the Gospel are to be found in the Writings of St. Paul Now this appears in the beginning of almost every one of his Epistles Concerning his Son says he in his Epistle to the Romans Chap. 1. v. 4. which was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holyness by the Resurrection from the dead of our Lord Jesus Christ But this appears yet more expresly in several other places as in the 15. Chap. of his first Epistle to the Corinthians v. 3 5 6 7 8. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures and thâ—â— he was seen of Cephas then of the twelve After thâ—â— he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once of whom the greater part remain unto this present but soâ—â— are fallen a sleep After that he was seen of James thâ—â— of all the Apostles And last of all he was seen of 〈◊〉 also as of one born out of due time So boldly does this Apostle speak of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. He does not only say in general terms that Jesus Christ was seen after his Resurrection but in particular that he was seen of Cephas of James of the other Apostles and of himself that he was seen by five hundred brethren at once of whom the greatest part was then living whom he appealed to as witnesses of the Truth of what he said and who might easily have contradicted him if it had been false But if so great a number of people really saw Jesus Christ after his Resurrection that matter of fact can never be false For how is it possible that five hundred three hundred nay fifty persons should maugre all punishments conspire together to maintain a fiction But if such a number of persons neither saw nor certified they had seen Christ after his Resurrection how should St. Paul have presumed to write this to an infinite number of persons who seeing and conversing with the Apostles must have known the certainty of it How durst he name those whom he pretends that Jesus Christ appeared to after his Resurrection How great was his boldness to assign so great a number of Witnesses of that Truth and to affirm that the greatest part of them were still living How comes he to speak of it slightly by the way or only as a thing universally known He tells it but not with any turn of Wit or fineness of Expression which Impostors use to varnish over a specious lye who use the more art and insinuation the more incredible the things are they would induce men to believe But why should not he boldly assert the Truth of the Resurrection since as he pretends the Holy Ghost evidently bare record of it In a word St. Paul speaks in his Epistle of miracuâ—ous gifts as of a thing universally known He calls them the Gifts of the Holy Ghost and sometimes only the Holy Ghost He that should attempt to cut off from his Epistles every place wherein he menâ—ions them would certainly take away the most considerable part of them To one says he is given â—he spirit the gift of Wisdom to another the gift of Knowledge by the same spirit to another Faith by the same spirit to another the gift of healing by the same spirit to another the working of Miracles to another Prophecy to another discerning of spirits to another divers kind of tongues but all these worketh that one and the self same spirit dividing to every man severally as he will 1 Cor. 12. 8 9 10 11. You see how St. Paul cursorily mentions this matter of fact as a matter of uncontested Experience Mean while 't is observable that we have not to do with one single gift but several miraculous gifts in which there was no Artifice or Illusion For tho' it might be pretended that some certain people had received the gift of tongues and altho' those very people should
Character of the New Testament is infinitely more excellent than that of the Writings of all the Fathers who lived successively from the Apostles down to us wherein any one may easily observe a strange affectation a particular vanity of shewing their parts and learning and sometimes much heat and passion because they were far from the perfection in Christianity which the Apostles had IV. That the best sorts of godly Books written amongst the Christians from the Apostles's time down to us I mean those Books that most establish the peace and tranquility of publick Society and chiefly tend to the Glory of God were written in imitation of the holy Scriptures from which they had their materials to compose them with This is what in my opinion is very sure and certain And as certain it is that if the Apostles were not divinely inspired they must necessarily be Impostors nay such abominable men as desired only to dishonour their Nation and to sacrifice to a vain flattering Idea of Glory the lives and fortunes of an infinite number of persons whom they encouraged to suffer Martyrdom Let us now see whether we can perswade our selves that the most excellent Books that were ever known I mean those Books that are most proper to inspire us with piety with the love of God and our Neighbour that are the source of the best matters that ever were written and the original of the Piety and Vertue of all those persons who were converted by them were only the invention of the most wicked men that ever were Certainly since all Christians in all Ages considered this Book as Divine and as the rule of their Faith whereby they distinguish'd it from all other Books it follows thence that all the Christians were either deceived in the Essentials of it and that their Faith was false or else that Book must in reality be of a Divine Authority For such an Universal Tradition so constant and so necessarily affixed to the end and design of Religion can never impose upon us It has been the Wisdom of Providence as we have already observed to take care that this Book should be left to us as entire as when it came out of the Apostles hands and the Primitive Christians who all assure us that it is of a Divine Authority tell us only but what right Reason obliged them to acknowledge and us as well as them For the Word preached and the Word written by the Apostles differ not essentially from one another so that if the former be Divine the latter must necessarily be so too And who doubts but that Word must be looked upon as Divine which God himself authorised by so many Miracles Perhaps some will reply that it would be of a very dangerous Consequence to reason often after this manner and that altho' a false Prophet should work prodigious Miracles yet we ought not to follow him upon a bare supposition that God never assists an Impostor with his infinite Power But this I own and affirm also that we ought strictly to examin both his Doctrine and Miracles to find out by that comparison the true Original of both And therefore we have this advantage that we not only find here such miracles as excel all the power of Hell such as for example the raising a man from the Dead but that this Doctrine also visibly bears all the Characters of one that proceeded from Heaven Those miracles on the one hand so great and numerous that the people cried out surely this is the finger of God take away all suspicion of the falsity and pernicious consequences of the Doctrine they confirm because the arm of the Lord is not usually employed in favour of an Imposture And on the other hand that Doctrine which is so holy and so perfectly tends to the union and wellfare of Mankind which is so worthy of the love of God to man sufficiently warrants us that the Miracles whereby it is confirmed proceed not in the least from the power of Darkness as the Enemies of Christianity seem to believe Hell never concerns it self either to unite or sanctify mankind All the Apostles expresly declare that the word which they preached proceeded not from themselves but God But I certifie you Brethren says St. Paul in his Epist to the Galatians Chap. 1. v. 11. that the Gospel which was preached of me was not after man for I neither received of man neither was I taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ Thus when the Apostles were assembled together at Jerusalem in the first Council that ever was held and wrote to some Chnrches concerning several questions that were then in Agitation they made use of this manner of speaking For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us Act. 15. 28. It appears then that the Apostles spoke by the Order and Revelation of God which was given several ways viz. sometimes by Vision as when St. Peter saw a certain vessel descending from Heaven as it had been a great sheet knit by the four Corners wherein were all kinds of unclean Beasts and he was commanded saying Peter kill and eat Act. 10. 13. on purpose to signify that he ought to preach â—he Gospel to the Gentiles who were no longer an unclean Nation in the sight of God sometimes by Dreams as when a certain Macedonian appeared unto St. Paul commanding him to go into Macedonia and preach the Gospel there sometimes by Exâ—asy as it is probable that St. Paul was caught up into the third Heaven but yet much oftener by the inward dictates of the Holy Ghost formed as it were â—n their Souls as when the Spirit said unto Peter concerning the men which Cornelius sent to enquire for him Go thou with them doubting nothing for I â—ave sent them Act. 10. 20. 'T is true one might very well suspect these Reveâ—ations if one single man boasted of having had â—hem imparted to him but here we have several God did not reveal himself to them after one single manner but after divers They asserted not only â—hat God had revealed some things to them in order â—o induce Mankind to believe it but they wrought many Miracles spoke divers Languages imâ—arted â—hose Gifts to others thereby converted the World â—nd exactly fulfilled the Oracles of God That â—pirit which filled them and was necessarily to fill â—hem because the time of the Calling of the Gentiles â—as come was outwardly produced by such effects â—s undoubtedly will confound the Incredulous if they â—eflect upon them Certainly if it be true as it is that God poured down his Spirit upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost 't was only that they might preach unto men by their Ministry unless it be pretended that the Tongues of the Apostles which were exalted after a supernatural manner so far as to speak all sorts of Languages were to confine themselves to that particular employ and not to reveal unto men the will of God But if we ought
Neither was it because of his extraordinary Piety For Moses called the meekest of Men was without doubt in that equal to him 'T was then because of the advantage he enjoyed both in Seeing and Hearing the Messias But how comes our Saviour to add that the least in the Kingdom of Heaven was greater than him Must we understand by the Kingdom of Heaven that Kingdom of which John himself said the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Was it not rather because John saw none of all the Wonders of that Kingdom which the least of Christ's Disciples had seen Which indeed was the reason that our Saviour told them Blessed are your Eyes for they see and your Ears for they hear For verily I say unto you that many Prophets and righteous Men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them Matth. 13. 16 17. Now all this evidently supposes the Miracles of Christ and all the other marvellous Events which serve for a Confirmation of our holy Religion What he also said himself concerning Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is altogether strange and very surprising Nay the very name he gave to that sin implies something in itself Singular and Extraordinary For no body before him ever expressed himself after this manner Men were not ignorant that sinning against God was a very great Crime but they had no Knowledge of the sin against the Holy Ghost much less were they satisfied if there was any harm in Blaspheming against him This unusual Language necessarily proceeded from a new Revelation and from new and different objects not seen or heard of before For the Jews knew not what the Holy Ghost was if we take that word in the Sense of the Evangelists Nay there were some of them who tho converted to the Gopsel of Christ yet still were ignorant of the true meaning of that Expression In the mean while if we will but consult the Writings of the New Testament and therein the Gospels the Acts of the Holy Apostles and the Epistles of those great and extraordinary Men they will presently inform us that by the Holy Ghost must be understood in most of those places the extraordinary and miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit imparted to the Men of those days and that to Blaspheme against him is downright Blasphemy against that Divine and Glorious Principle of all things which was the cause of all the Perfections and Miracles of Christ and gave such Power unto Men. So that there is first in that Text such an obscurity as proves that the Evangelists could not have thought of inventing it had not Christ himself really utter'd these very words and secondly it undeniably supposes the miraculous matters of fact the Pharisees were wont to ascribe to the Power of Belzebub wherein indeed Chiefly consisted the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost In like manner this Text Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit John 3. 5. implies a very puzling Difficulty because it was not usual formerly for Men to express themselves after this manner It is a very difficult matter indeed to understand the true meaning of that Text but it is yet far more difficult to invent it and all the Doctors in the World might put their Heads together and yet never be able to invent the like Text. Above all it was not natural for the Jews to invent any such thing because they had no such objects amongst them as could fill up their Minds with any such Ideas When we suppose the Baptism of the Holy Spirit confer'd upon Christ's Disciples we may then easily comprehend the true meaning of that mysterious but very remarkable Expression We might also add to this Text that other which mentions the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and of fire In like manner it pleased God in his Wisdom that they who related to us the History of Christ's Resurrection should tell us also some things which we cannot at first view easily comprehend tho they have a true and reasonable meaning on purpose to make us understand that as it was impossible those obscure and difficult sayings ascribed to him by them should come of themselves into their thoughts had not he really spoke them so consequently it can never be supposed that those Men should have forg'd the History of Christ's Resurrection or their Discourses with him after he was risen from the Dead as for instance these Words which he spake to Mary touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father John 20. 17. We could make almost an infinite number of such Remarks as these which tho' they cannot come up to an evident Demonstration yet are very proper to make us sensible of the Truth of those matters of fact we are now speaking of The Sincerity of the Disciples will further appear by the great number of Circumstances with which their Narrative is fill'd some whereof are so singular that they can't easily enter into any Man's Mind and others so unbecoming their Master or dâ—â—â—dvantageous to themselves that there is not the least Probability they could have any Desire to forge them others are so inseparably united with those Events which must necessarily have been well known that they durst not so much as think of forging them against the publick Knowledge every body must have had of them as we have already proved at large But lastly 't is not our present Design to insist purely upon probable Reasons tho' never so probable and sufficient of themselves to form a true and perfect Demonstration when joyned together I therefore proceed to that which is in itself wholly Demonstrative Now the whole Demonstration of the Truth of Christian Religion depends upon this Argument namely that the Apostles and Disciples of Christ sincerely believed his Miracles Resurrection Ascension and the Effusion of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost whence it follows that all those matters of fact are most certainly true We have already given an invincible proof of the Consequence of this Argument by shewing that it was impossible the Disciples should have been imposed upon in all these matters of fact that tho' they might have been deceived in the Miracles of Christ yet they could not be imposed upon in his Resurrection that tho' they should have been imposed upon in his Resurrection yet they could not be deceived in his Ascension and that tho' they should have been deceived in his Ascension yet they could not be so too in the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost which are matters of fact that they knew by inward sense and continual Experience I prove also the Principle of this Argument viz. that the Disciples of Christ sincerely believed all those matters of fact by the same Gradation I say then that the Disciples could not impose upon Men as to the Miracles of Christ not only because they asserted them at the Expence of their own
Quiet of their dearest Blood and even of their Lives but also because they mention'd the Places the Occasions the Time when they were done and generally all the Circumstances absolutely necessary to discover the Truth and render the Design of imposing upon Mankind altogether impossible and besides that they confirmed those Miracles by others full as great if not greater than they were which they pretended to do even in the sight of those to whom they preached the Gospel not only telling them That which we have heard which we have seen with our Eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life declare we unto you 1 John 1. 1. alluding thereby to Christ's having deliver'd himself to be touched and handled by his Disciples after his Resurrection but also adding these Words in another place Therefore he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear there being this further very remarkable in those Expressions namely that they pretended that the Holy Ghost descended not in great abundance upon them till after Christ's Glorification For they make this Truth one of the chief Articles of their Gospel the Holy Ghost said they was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified John 7. 39. Thus it appears what it was they understood by the Holy Ghost not the Grace of God only which they had already received when Christ was yet with them not a few of the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost for they had partly received them when they were sent into the different Parts of Judea to preach the Gospel and work Miracles in the Name of their Master but also that extraordinary and abundant Effusion of the miraculous Gifts which they received on the day of Pentecost For as they were then obliged to speak to all sorts of Nations so they received the gift of speaking divers Tongues and were baptised and fill'd with that Spirit which they had received but in part before And this they called the receiving the effect of the Promise which every one of the Evangelists also termed Baptising with the Holy Ghost and with fire But tho' it were not possible for us to prove that the Disciples sincerely believed Christ's Miracles yet it must be granted that they sincerely believed his Resurrection it being impossible that they should either unanimously agree to testify the same notwithstanding all the severe Trials they were forced to undergo in a time they must otherwise have been so much dejected or that they could be able to maintain that Cheat with so much Constancy as they did And the same thing I also affirm of his glorious Ascension Certainly tho' the Sincerity of the Disciples might be justly suspected in both these two last Events yet it can never be call'd in question concerning the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost For if Christ's Disciples were not truly sincere then they necessarily knew themselves to be Deceivers and consequently not able to work any Miracles or speak all sorts of Languages And if so they could not have boasted that they were able to do both and make this an Essential Article of their Gospel Nay they could not so much as have any Thoughts of attempting it And were they as some pretend perswaded that they could perform no Miracles nor speak any Language but their own t is impossible that they should yet declare that God had sent them to work Miracles and preach to all Nations in the World in their respective Tongues 'T is yet still more impossible they should promise to enable their Proselytes to perform the same Miracles and speak all sorts of Languages so that they themselves and those to whom they spoke should equally be sensible of it at the same time For if the Disciples knew by Experience they could speak no Language but their own they would easily know by the same Experience that their Proselytes would soon perceive how falsly they had promised them the Gift of several Languages And tho' one single Disciple of Christ should have been so foolish and stupid as not to perceive it yet it cannot be that all of them together should be besotted with the same kind of stupidity Should we suppose that all the Disciples had undertaken to perswade their Proselytes that they had confer'd upon them the Gift of Tongues yet we can't suppose that those Proselytes would believe it against their continual Experience to the contrary For if the Disciples knew by Experience they could speak no Language but their own by the same Experience their Proselytes would have known that they had not received the Gift of Tongues And though one single Person might have fancy'd he had received it which is yet impossible in it self yet a whole Multitude could never be perswaded of it and it is still much more impossible that this pretended Illusion should have grown so universal and durable that St. Paul not only supposed but found it settled in the World and undertook to reform the Disorders which arose in several particular Churches concerning the Use of the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit And tho' Christ's Disciples might have promised out of a particular Design of their own to impart these miraculous Gifts which they were sensible they had not and make other Men speak such Languages as they neither understood nor spoke themselves and tho' a Multidude of Proselytes and Disciples might have perswaded themselves against their own Experience and inward Sense that they understood those things which they understood not or spoke those Languages which they really spoke no more than they did before their calling yet it is still impossible that those miraculous Gifts supposing them to exist only in the imaginary conceit of the one and of the other should have such an effect as any way to move the sight of the Spectators or make the Jews glorifie God in that they had seen his Spirit descend upon the Gentiles But granting all this possible tho' this Illusion should have taken place with respect to the Gift of speaking divers Tongues yet men could not be deceiv'd in the Gift of interpreting them and much less in all the other Gifts of the holy Spirit Add to this the consideration of the Patience of the Disciples of their Holiness of Life their Charity their Zeal their unaffected way of expressing themselves their Self-denial Sincerity and plain Ingenuity Methinks all these Characters put together necessarily and evidently convince us that the Disciples were plain honest sincere Men that had not in the least any Design to impose upon us so that this Truth needs no further Demonstration It may not however be amiss to remove some few small Difficulties which may seem to oppose what has been said concerning these miraculous matters of fact The first difficulty is to know how the Enemies of the Gospel could be able to extinguish the Knowledge of so many extraordinary and miraculous matters of fact which seemed sufficient to convert all
to him about eating he answered that his meat was to do the will of his Father And when he sat on the side of the Well he spoke of his divine Grace as of a Well of Water springing up into everlasting Life Who is not filled with admiration when he considers these things Vers 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth This was telling Men in short what they should have known and what all till then were wholly ignorant of This was what is most conformable to a reasonable nature and the Principles of natural Revelation what distinguished true Religion from Superstition what the wisest among the Heathens had not been able to discover at a time when reasoning and speculation were at the height at least what they had but a very faint Knowledge of what the Prophets themselves had spoke of but obscurely and what the Jews who in the days of our Saviour minded nothing in Religion but the External Corporeal part of it were wholly ignorant of What manner of Man then was he who alone had so much Wisdom Chap. V. 25. Verily Verily I say unto you the hour is coming and now is when the Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live He that could raise the Dead to Life again might well speak after this manner But such Expressions would have been extravagant in any other but him Vers 36. But I have greater witness than that of John for the works which the Father has given me to finish the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me Those works must have been very extraordinary indeed since he preferred the witness they bore of him before that of John the Baptist For were it otherwise he would have exposed himself to the scorn of those that heard him Vers 44. How can ye believe which receive Honour one of another and seek not the Honour that cometh from God only He that designs to deceive others does not express himself after this manner Christ should rather have made use of the vanity and weakness of Men which is nicely to be touched and delicately to be wrought upon in such cases Chap. VI. 14 15. Then those Men when they had seen the Miracle that Jesus did said this is of a Truth that Prophet that should come into the World When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a King he departed again into a mountain himself alone 'T was not out of any weakness or fear that Christ refused to put himself at the Head of those that would have made him King He that foretold his sufferings and established a memorial of them nay he who assembled together a Company of distressed Wretches whom he vouchsafed to lead about would not surely have been afraid os the fortune of War since he might have been followed by an innumerable company of People who would have daily increased being deluded by the common Opinion of those days that he was to be a great King What then deterred him from it Only his Humility Vers 35. I am the Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that cometh to me shall never thirst Did ever any man use an expression like this How can a Man be the Bread of Life And what can be the meaning of this expression Was going to Christ enough to satisfy hunger and thirst No one but an Enthusiast or one that was really come down from Heaven to instruct Mankind could have expressed himself thus But who is he that shall dare to Blaspheme against the Wisdom of that Divine Person Vers 63. The Flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life This Comment excellently justifies the Wisdom of that wonderful Teacher and clearly shews us what we should think of those seeming Paradoxes he advanced in the foregoing Verses so contrary to all our former Ideas and Prejudices Chap. VII 17. If any Man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self This is the best and surest Rule whereby we may judge of Christ and his Gospel And therefore for a Man to be perswaded of the Doctrine of Christ it is first requisite that his Heart be rightly disposed rather than his understanding fully enlightned Men at Christs coming into the World were wholly ignorant of this great and noble Truth They made a Science of Religion which none could understand but the learned And the Reason of Man which would know every thing but scarce knows any thing perfectly proudly assumed to itself the priviledge of judging in matters of Salvation But were that a certain Rule to go by the proud would be the greatest Favourites of God and the more Men strove out of vanity or ambition to become learned the clearer insight they would have into Revelation That indeed would be proper to make a considerable progress in humane Sciences but the Science of Salvation is not to be acquired but by Holiness and Humility For Virtue is a practical Habit. The more Simple and Ignorant we are the more our Eyes will be open The better we live the less scruples we shall entertain The more we love God the more sensible we shall grow of his admirable Precepts What great Wisdom then does this Maxim contain which Men in past Ages were wholly ignorant of and which the present Age scarce yet understands Vers 37 38 39. In the last Day that great Day of the Feast Jesus stood and cried saying If any Man thirst let him come unto me and drink He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of living Water But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive For the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified How could the Evangelist have made Christ utter such words as these and a little after added this Annotation concerning the Effusion of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost had he really seen nothing happen that was like it Who sees not plainly that the Parenthesis supposes that Event to be well known since it informs us of the Reason of it Vers 40 41. Many of the People therefore when they heard this said of a Truth this is the Prophet Others said this is the Christ But some said shall Christ come out of Galilee All these Disputes and little Contests manifestly shew the great impression the Doctrine and Miracles of Christ had already made upon Peoples minds Besides they are of such a Nature as not easily to be thought of by a Person who could invent Lies Chap. VIII 7. 10 11 So when they continued asking him he lift up himself and said unto them he that is without sin among you let him first cast a Stone
Christ as one that supplied all his wants and necessities He was therefore obliged to make use of such unusual and surprising expressions First Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. I. 13. Is Christ divided Was Paul crucified for you or were you baptized in the name of Paul A singular and uncommon piece of Humility since Men are not by nature displeased and disquieted at those who endeavour to pay them too much Honour Chap. II. 4. And my speech and my preaching was not with inticing words of Man's wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power It is beneath a King to study how to adorn his Discourse and make use of the Charms of Eloquence when he goes about to speak to his Subjects to whom he shews mercy and prescribes Obedience Such a way of dealing would be much more beneath the Holy Ghost Wherefore Paul opposes the power of the Holy Ghost which serves him to confirm the Gospel to the Eloquence of the Men of his Age which he absolutely contemns and despises For the latter may but the former can't be suspected Chap. III. 5. Who then is Paul and who is Apollos but ministers by whom ye believed Those Men were not like Simon Magus Cerinthus Sâ—turninus Basilides Menander c. who positively affirmed themselves to be the power of God the Word and the Prophet and who strove to excel one another in extravagant Vanity Chap. IV. 11 12 13 14. Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place and labour working with our own hands being reviled we bless being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we intreat we are made as the filth of the World and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day I write not these things to shame you but as my beloved Sons I warn you Did Paul imagin he could easily impose upon those he wrote this Epistle to in those matters which must have been so publickly known Or did he think he could incite them to emulate his Patience by such narrations as every body knew to be utterly false Vers 19 20. But I will come to you shortly if the Lord will and will know not the speech of them which are puffed up but the power For the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power By these words it appears that the extraordinary and miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost justified in those days the mission of the Pastors of the Church and indeed what can be less liable to suspicion than such a mark and sign of them Chap. V. 5. To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus The Apostles testified of the Gospel by their works and not their words only Vers 11. If any Man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator or Covetous or an Idolater or a Railer or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such an one do not eat What strange Severity was this What amazing and wonderful effects what surprizing changes in Men were produced by the Gospel Believe it if you can after what has been said that this was a Society of Deceitful Impostors as it must need be confessed supposing their Testimony false Chap. VI. 9 10 11. Be not deceived Neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind c. shall inherit the Kingdom of God And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus c. Had the Testimony of Jesus been a meer Imposture how could he have sanctified Mankind And what could be the design of the Apostles in deceiving Men to make them righteous in making a false Belief serve to lead them to the practice of all Virtues For such notions as these our Incredulous Adversaries must necessarily entertain Chap. XII 28 29 30. And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles then Gifts of healing helps governments diversities of Tongues Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers are all workers of Miracles have all the gifts of healing do all speak with Tongues It appears that the Apostle by this enumeration of the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost supposes them to have been very common in the Church as being a matter of fact publickly known Was he then out of his Senses to talk thus We have seen Men who falsly boasted they could work many Miracles but we never heard of any that pretended to make a numerous Society believe that they also could work Miracles when they had not indeed the power to perform any Vers 31. But covet earnestly the best gifts and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way He preferred Charity before Miracles themselves and all the miraculous Gifts of the holy Spirit How different then was his opinion from the Vanity Ambition and Superstition of the World Chap. XIV 24 25. But if all prophesy and there come in one that believeth not or one unlearned he is convinced of all he is judged of all And thus are the secrets of his Heart made manifest and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a Truth This was the Gift of knowing the secrets of Men's Hearts which this same Author speaks of in another place saying tho I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries c. Was there ever any Seducers seen who to prove their mission pretended themselves able to know the secrets of Man's heart How comes this Author then to speak of it cursorily and as a thing generally known to them all Chap. XV. 13 14 15 16 17 19. But if there be no Resurrection of the Dead then is Christ not risen And if Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and your faith is vain also yea and we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ whom he raised not up if so be that the dead rise not c. And if Christ be not raised your faith is vain ye are yet in your sins Then they also which are fallen a sleep in Christ are perished If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable Nothing can better acquaint us with the perswasion of our Apostle than these words For I pray observe after what manner he relates the Opinion of those men who thought there was no Resurrection of the Dead He seems very much surprised to see them prepossessed with any such Opinion after what they had known of Christ 's Resurrection of their Happiness that slept in him and the Afflictions they endure in this Life which they could not endure without some reason some hope and expectation of future Happiness Vers 32. If after the manner of Men
I have fought with Beasts at Ephesus what advantageth it me if the Dead rise not Let us eat and drink for to morrow we die Since the beginning of the World Men of wordly Minds and carnal Appetites who aim only at the good things of this Life have always argued thus and indeed they would have a great deal of reason in arguing thus and pursuing their reasons were there no Resurrection of the dead Chap. XVI 21. The Salutation of me Paul with mine own hand If any Man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha He begun still and ended with Christ which evidently shews the strong persuasion of his Mind Second Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. I. 8 9. For we would not brethren have you ignorant of our trouble c. That we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead By these words we perceive what troubles they underwent and what hopes they had to sustain them in their Sufferings Chap. II. 14 15 16. Now thanks be unto God which always causes us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savour of his Knowledge by us in every place For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ c. To the one we are the savour of Death unto Death and to the other the savour of Life unto Life and who is sufficient for these things And who is sufficient to express all the force and energy of these words unlike the false Charms of humane Eloquence yet such as are easily discerned by an Heart rightly disposed Chap. IV. 6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the Knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The Eloquence of Men which is generally above the thing it represents has usually but one Idea to represent one single object But if that Idea be a complex one then it is composed of several others proportionable and agreeable to it There cant well be in this sort of Eloquence a mixture of various Ideas and different Metaphors together in one and the same Period But on the contrary the Eloquence of the Holy Ghost which is always inferiour to those Objects it lays before us makes use of several different Images and Ideas at once because a single one could not express what it endeavours to represent As for instance in these expressions The Sun of righteousness with the healing of his wings has visited us through his tender mercies as also in this place where the Apostle thought he could never say enough this is a light which shineth which shineth into the heart which giveth the light the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. For a Man to express himself thus he must really be very strongly perswaded of what he could say The Orators of this World are usually Masters of their own Thoughts but this Writer here was as it were filled and wholly taken up with the greatness of the Object he was about to represent Vers 15. For all things are for your sakes that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God Thanksgiving Gratefulness Acknowledgement Glory of God Charity Confession of their Frailties Prayer Exhortation c. are the only Subjects that all the Writings of those pretended Impostors are full of Vers 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory No Writer ever spoke with so much energy because no Writer was so strongly perswaded of the Truth of what he delivered Chap. V. 17. Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature What Teachers ever required such things of their Disciples What mean these Words and this strange Exhortation Chap. VI. 1 4 5 6. We then as workers together with him beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain c. but in all things approving our selves as the ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in imprisonments in tumults in labours in watchings in fastings by pureness by knowledge by long-suffering by kindness by the Holy Ghost by love unfeigned Do such Exhortations usually come from the Men of this World or rather do they not proceed from the Holy Ghost himself Chap. VIII 18. And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the Gospel throughout all the Churches He speaks of St. Luke in this place and what he says of him is sufficient to make us understand that the Gospel according to St. Luke was read even in those days in all the Christian Churchès which overthrows all suspicion that that Gospel had been filled with sham Stories of certain matters of fact in a time when every body had yet fresh in their Remembrance all that came to pass in those days Chap. XII 12. Truly the signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience in signs and wonders and mighty deeds St. Paul wrote these things to several numerous Churches and to whole Societies And can we suppose he could perswade them that he wrought so many Wonders and Signs among them when he wrought none Chap. XIII 5. Examine your selves c. prove your own selves c. how that Jesus Christ is in you What mean these Expessions We are in Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is in us And whence come they Who first established such a strange Language And who did the Apostles learn this Stile from a Stile till then unknown to the World Had Men ever said before that time Cesar is in us No surely because they had never received the Spirit of Cesar But the Disciples had received the Spirit of Jesus Christ Epistle to the Galatians Chap. III. 4 5. O foolish Galatians c. Have ye suffered so many things in vain If it be yet in vain He therefore that ministreth to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you doth he it by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith What means this Interrogation If the Miracles and the miraculous and extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost had been only meer Fictions Is it possible we should not perceive the Truth of that matter of fact by the ingenuous simplicity wherewith this Author takes it for granted when he makes it a Principle of his Arguments and takes an occasion from thence to censure the Galatians after so sharp and severe a manner Chap. VI. 12 14 15. As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh they constrain you to be Circumcised only lest they should suffer persecution for the Cross of Christ c. But God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the World is crucified unto me and I unto the World For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor
such defects because it is wholly founded upon Instruction and Knowledge Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal Life John 5. 39. Chap. IV. 7 8 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness St. Paul was drawing nigh toward his latter end and the words of a dying Man are always to be regarded Whence then comes that chearful Joy the Apostle so naturally expresses in this occasion His Hopes had they been of this World must have been soon buried with him in his Grave and his Happiness too at an end Whence then derived he that great Confidence which he seems to have had Was it from the inward sense of a guilty Conscience which reproach'd him for having betray'd the Synagogue blemished his Country Men deceived Mankind testified of a Seducer and forg'd such fictitious Visions by the most signal Imposture that ever was Let any one believe it if he can First Epistle of St. Peter Chap. I. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead The Mind of those Writers was so full of the Salvation that was revealed to them that they were never weary of returning thanks to God for it Chap. II. 17 18 19 20. Honour all men Love the brotherhood Fear God Honour the King Servants be subject to your Masters with all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward c. For what glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently But if when ye do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God c. It is a strange thing we should be desired to own that a mutual Agreement of Malice and Falshood which really is a wonderful Agreement of Piety Charity Obedience and Righteousness Paul expressed himself like Peter and Peter spoke like Paul They both acted and suffered alike nay they bore the very same Testimony being endowed with the same Patience practising the very same Virtues and discovering one and the same Wisdom in all their words Now what have we any reason to suspect in all this Second Epistle of St. Peter Chap. I. 16 17 18. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were Eye-witnesses of his Majesty For he received from God the Father Honour and Glory when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory This is my well beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And this voice which came from Heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Mount c. This is a Witness who spoke of what he had seen who suffered Death in defence of the Truth of his Testimony who saw it not alone for several others had seen the same thing who spoke not out of any principle of Interest or concealed what he knew through any fear or apprehension of Death and who for all that did his utmost endeavours to sanctifie Mankind and bestowed all his Time his Labour and his Life in advancing such an extraordinary work which is so little to be suspected And if so what Man is there that can reasonably mistrust him First Epistle of St. John Chap. I. 1 3. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our Eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of Life declare we unto you c. If you should doubt whether the Apostles did really go about testifying every where that they had seen with their Eyes both the Miracles and Resurrection of Christ 't is but learning it from their Epistles and their own words too Chap. II. 1. My little Children these things write I unto you that ye sin not But what was it to him whether Men sinned or not Did ever the design of sanctifying Mankind and contributing to their Salvation at the cost of ones Blood ones Liberty ones Life enter before into any Man's Heart but theirs These and the like Reflexions are of themselves sufficient to give the Reader a relish of those Truths and incite him to make some of his own as shall more effectually instruct and convince him For my part I have made several which perhaps satisfy me better than they would any body else And no question but he will also make several of his own that will convince him far better than those of another In the mean while let us pass on to the consideration of the Substance of that Religion which Christ himself did bring into the World For after having considered the outside t is very necessary to look into the inward part of the Building SECTION IV. Wherein we shall prove the Truth of the Christian Religion by the Consideration of it's Nature and Properties Several Portraitures in which it may be considered HItherto we have insisted as it were upon the Shell and Bark of Religion we have examined the proofs taken from matters of fact being the first that offered themselves to our mind It seems therefore now Expedient we should discover as it were the Substance and Spirit of Christianity and so proceed to those other proofs drawn from the Nature of it and that by shewing the truth of it by it's Beauties and proper Excellencies But because this is too copious a Subject for us who study Brevity we shall endeavour to reduce what we have to say into as small a Compass as we can and since we cannot allow our Reflexions their due and proper Extent to give at least some Plan or Draught of the same as shall supply that defect And tho the Christian Religion may be considered under several different Faces because in this respect 't is like unto its Object which has no Bounds to confine it's Extent yet methinks we may give an Idea just and adequate enough to our present design by considering it in eleven different Draughts or Portraitures I. In the Multitude of Testimonies given in favour of it which we shall touch upon cursorily because we have already partly examined them all II. In its essential opposition to all false Religions that ever were III. In it's Effects which can only justly be referred to a Divine and Supernatural Cause IV. In the Purity of its end V. In it's Suitableness to the Heart of Man which it undertakes to reform VI. In the Relation it has to the Glory of God which it should advance VII In it's Morality VIII In it's Mysteries IX In the conformity of it's Mysteries to the light of Reason X. In that exact proportion it bears to the Jewish Religion XI And lastly in that proportion it bears to Natural Religion I hope these Portraitures will like so many
the Paper it is written upon yet they are enjoyned to oppress Men that bear the Image of God by their Religion which breaths out nothing but Violence Fury and Oppression The Reason why Men usually refer thus every thing to their Senses is because a Worship that is corporeal and sensual is far more easie It is much easier for a Man to take the Sun for a God than to be continually taken up in seeking after a God that is invisible to solemnize Games and Festivals in honour of a pretended Deity than to renounce himself for the sake of a true one 'T is much easier for him to fast than to renounce his Vices to sing spiritual Songs or bow to a Statue than forgive his Enemies It appears then that the Christian Religion bears a more excellent Character in that it gives us for the Object of our Worship not a God under an human Shape but a God that is a Spirit in that it teaches us to honour him not with a carnal but a Spiritual Worship And this Christ himself has very elegantly told us in these Words God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth John 4. 24. Who could fill his Mind with such elevated Notions And how comes it that he so excellently sets down in that short Precept the Genius of true Religion of which Men before were wholly ignorant V. It may be said of all other Religions without Exception that they induce us to look after the Pleasures and Profits of the World in the Worship of God whereas the Christian Religion makes us glorify God by renouncing the World Thus the Heathens designing rather to please themselves than their Deities introduced into Religion whatever could any ways flatter and divert them And the Mahumatan Religion not being Incumbred with many Ceremonies at least affixes temporal Advantages to the Practice of its Worship as if the Pleasures of the World were to be the future Reward of Religion But certainly both of them are much mistaken for the Heathens should have known that the Worship of God consisted not in diverting and pleasing themselves and the Mahumetans should not have been ignorant that since temporal and worldly Advantages were insufficient in themselves to satisfy the boundless Desires of Man's Heart they could not come in Competition with those Benefits which true Religion had peculiarly designed for him But both these follow'd the Motions of Self-love which being naturally held in suspense between the World and Religion imagins that nothing can be more pleasant than to unite them both thinking thereby to reconcile its Inclination and Duty consecrate it's Pleasures and put no difference between Conscience and Interest But the first Rule of true Religion teaches us that that mutual Agreement is impossible or to use it 's own Words that Christ and Belial are incompatible one with the other that we must either glorify God at the expence of worldly Pleasures or possess the Advantages of the World with the Loss of our Religion And this certainly shews the Christian Religion to have a Divine Character VI. Other false Religions debase the Deity and exalt Man whereas the Christian Religion humbles Man and exalts the Deity The Egyptians a Nation that boasted so much of their Antiquity made Monsters of their Deities and the Romans made Deities of their Emperors who were rather Monsters than Men The most famous Philosophers were not ashamed to rank their Deities below themselves and themselves ever before Jupiter but the Christian Religion teaches us that we owe all to God who owes nothing at all to us It humbles us by the Consideration of that infinite Distance there is between God and us it shews that we are miserable despicable Creatures in comparison of God who is a Supream Being and only worthy our Love and Adoration Who then can chuse but admire so excellent a Religion VII Other Religions made us depend upon those Beings which were given us to command and saucily pretend a Power over that supream Being upon whom we ought wholly to depend They taught Men to burn Incense to the meanest Creatures and impudently to equal themselves to the Universal Monarch of the World But 't is no wonder that Men should be so impious as to desire to become Gods since they were so base as to forget that they were Men and yet how ill their Pride became them when they disdain'd not to submit to the four-footed Beasts to the Fowls of the Air the creeping Animals and Plants of the Earth as St. Paul reproaches them and how basely superstitious were they in that they were not content to Deify themselves but would also Deify their own Vices and Imperfections But the Christian Religion alone restores that equitable Order which ought to be establish'd in the World by submitting every thing to the Power of Man that he might submit himself to the Will of his God And what can be the Duty of true Religion but to restore such just and becoming Order in the World VIII We need no deep search into other Religions to find that they chiefly tend to flatter Men's corrupt Desires and efface those Principles of Justice and Vprightness which God has imprinted on their Minds But he that shall truly consider the Christian Religion will certainly find that it tends to the rooting up those corrupt Desires out of our Hearts and restoring those bright Characters of Honesty and Justice imprinted on our Minds by the hand of God The Heathens flattered their Passions to that degree as to erect Altars in Honour of them and Mahomet was so well pleas'd with temporal Prosperity that he made it the End and Reward of his Religion The Gnosticks imagined that when they had arrived to a certain degree of Knowledge which they called a State of Perfection they might commit all sorts of Actions without any Scruple of Conscience and that Sin which polluted others would be sanctified in them But what Blindness what Impiety was this How admirable is the Christian Religion which alone among all others shews us our own Wickedness and Corruption and heals it with such Remedies as are as wholsome to the Soul as unpleasing to the Body IX 'T is observable that other Religions are contrary to Policy either in favouring or restraining too much human Weakness and Corruption upon the Account of Policy Whereas the Christian Religion preserves it's Rights and Privileges inviolable independent from either The Pagan Religion was against Policy in giving too much to human Weakness and Corruption It would have been much better for the Good and Welfare of the State if Men had framed to themselves a greater Idea of the Holiness of their Gods because they would have been less licentious and more submissive to the Civil Laws whereas they were encourag'd by the Example of their Deities to violate the most sacred and inviolable Rights Mahomet desirous to avoid this Irregularity retain'd the Notion of a true
inevitable Difficulties when joyned to Religion Their Ends are so different that they may justly be allowed to be opposite For 1. The main Design of Philosophy is to gratify the vain Curiosity of Men whereas Religion designs only to mortify it 2. The one endeavours to find out the Nature of things the other professes an utter Ignorance of them 3. That swells up the Heart of Man by encreasing his Knowledge This humbles it by requiring him to submit his Reason to his Faith Lastly Philosophy endeavours to comprehend all things whereas one of the most essential parts of Religion consists in hmbly acknowledging that we comprehend nothing at all of the hidden Mysteries of Nature much less of those of Religion And therefore hence it is that Philosophy seldom agrees with Religion nor Religion with Philosophy Thus Copernicus and Descartes doubtless were not well pleased with the Descriptions the Author of Genesis gives us of the Creation of the World of the Two great Luminaries of Heaven of the Miracle of Joshuah who stopt the Course of the Sun of the third Heaven which St. Paul speaks of of the New Heavens and the New Earth which sacred Authors make us expect of the Conflagration of the Heavens the Dissolution of the Elements and the putting out the Light of the Stars all which Signs are to preceed the great and wonderful Day of Judgment I say such Philosophers as these would perhaps cry out that these Objects had no relation to their Ideas of Astronomy But certainly there is no reason to wonder at it For those Holy Writers intended to speak in the Language of the People and not in that of the Philosophers They had a mind to sanctify Mankind and not to explain the Mysteries of Nature and therefore it was highly necessary they should accommodate their Expressions to the Vulgar Notions Nay the Holy Ghost was pleased they should use no other that so his Mysteries being represented under those Vulgar Ideas might be suitable to every ones Capacity at least in the manner of their Revelation since they could not be so in their own Nature Nor ought we to think this Conduct of his extraordinary or unusual For thus the Wisdom of God acted when it was to represent to the Ancient Israelites the Wonders of the Gospel Dispensation And it made use of Expressions borrowed from Customs and Practices generally received amongst Men. It says that all Nations shall go up to Mount Sion that there shall be an Altar in the midst of the Land of Egypt that in every place Incense shall be offered unto God and a pure Offering that the Tabernacle of God shall be with the Gentiles c. But if it be asked then why the Prophets foretold the Calling of the Gentiles in this familiar way 'T was because those were the Notions of the People and that it was necessary they should use only Expressions known and familiar to the Vulgar since Revelation it self would have become unintelligible without that condescending Goodness of God who is wont to accomodate himself to the Capacity of every Man without Exception For supposing that God had deferr'd his Revealing to us the Truth of the Creation of the World the Miracle of Joshua the Glory which the blessed enjoy in the other World the Judgment to come c. till all Men had been made to understand by the Principles of Philosophy that the Stars are bigger than the Moon that 't is the Earth and not the Sun which moves that the Heavens are nothing but liquid Spaces of an Infinite Extension that the Sun is so essentially bright that he cannot lose his Brightness without an immediate Annihilation of his Essence c. Heavens where should we be and what would become of us if all Men must necessarily first become Philosophers before they can learn to fear God But the Wisdom of God is so wonderful in that he not only accomodates Himself to the Notions of every Man that he may render Himself intelligible to all but also in that he has at the same time taken care we should not be deceived in urging too far the literal Sense of all those vulgar Expressions Thus for instance nothing can be more insipid than the ridiculous Jests of our Incredulous Adversaries touching those Descriptions which the Scripture gives us of Hell-fire And certainly they do but Expose themselves as often as they pretend to mock and despise Religion For he that will truly consider what Holy Writ tells us in that respect will certainly find that it puts several different Images together to represent to us by known and familiar Ideas an Object altogether unknown and set before us by all those different Images such Notions as one single Idea was wholly unable to represent Thus for that end it borroweth the Notions of the Fire and Brimstone of Sodom the sore Affliction of the Days of Noah the Judgments which God himself displayed over the Nations in the Valley of Josaphat the terrible Darkness spread over all the Land of Egypt whilst at the same time the People of Israel freely enjoy'd the the Light of God in the Land of Goshen the unquenchable Fire and the Worm of the Valley of the Children of Hinnon which dieth not c. the weeping and gnashing of Teeth of those Children sacrificed to Moloch who for that End were thrown alive into the Arms of that burning Statue Now 't would be full as reasonable to carry on the sense of some of these Ideas too far as to raise any Difficulties upon the Notions of Paradise the Bosom of Abraham the Celestial Canaan the Heavenly Jerusalem c. all which Notions are particularly designed to represent to us the Bliss that attends the Faithful And these Ideas would be absolutely false and contradictory if understood in a literal Sense because 't is certain that Paradise can never be taken for the Land of Canaan or Jerusalem for the Bosom of Abraham Hence therefore it plainly appears by the Variety of all those Images that they can never be taken in a strict and literal Sense and that the Nature of the Object represented to us after so many different ways was too great and sublime to be described unto Men by any one single Idea of this Kind And indeed according to this Notion 't is an easy matter to answer a certain Objection raised about a future Judgment which at first may seem somewhat considerable and to carry in it some intricate Difficulty Some hold that the Description which Holy Writ gives us of the Day of Judgment when it tells us that the Son of God is to be preceeded by his Holy Angels that he will place Men some on his right Hand and others on his left c. I say they affirm that this Description neither agrees with the Idea which we already have of the Nature of Spirits nor with that we should entertain of so great and signal an Event To answer this Objection we are only to
who is no respecter of Persons and not from Men who give and receive Praise and Honour from one another But Politicians usually argue thus Religion say they is very useful to us to keep Men within the Bounds of their Duty and bring them under Subjection to the Sovereign and the Laws of the State It follows therefore that Religion was designed for no other End But this does not follow And to comprehend that Religion was designed for a sublimer and nobler End they ought chiefly to consider that 't is no less repugnant to the Ambition of Princes than the Rebellion of their People that it relates not to the Welfare of any private State but essentially tends to promote Peace amongst Nations and Kingdoms and perfect that Union and Society which ought to reign amongst Men that it despises all Prohibitions Politick Laws and even the secular Power when it endeavours to constrain it that all the Roman Policy tho' armed with the severest and most cruel Punishments that could be thought of was not powerful enough to stop its wonderful Effects that by teaching Men to despise Death and hope for a better Life after this it puts them above the reach as well of the Promises as Threats of Policy and that by sanctifying both their Hearts and Consciences it produces that Effect in them which Policy never durst so much as attempt IX In like manner Rhetorick has been prejudicial to Religion through the ill use Men have made of it The Objects of the Gospel as they were at first offered to Men without any Ostentation of Wit and Learning struck their Minds with such Surprize and Admiration as moved their Hearts and made them wholly renounce their dearest Pleasures and darling Sins This was the only Eloquence used in the Primitive times But the Church afterwards unfortunately taking in the filly Vanities of the Greeks and Romans the Mysteries of the Gospel became then either Matters of Philosophical Disputes or subjects of Eloquence and because this last derives its Original from Poetry whose grand Commendation solely consists in Fiction things came to be either disguised and varnished or heightned and exaggerated and from thence proceed all your Panegyricks Funeral Orations c. and all those Paradoxes and false Tenets set off with glittering Reasons and pompous Language which in time produced so many monstrous Opinions But this we ought the less to wonder at since Eloquence and all the charming Expressions of humane Invention are no less repugnant to Religion than we have shew'd Philosophy to be For if it becomes not Men to endeavour to comprehend by the help of Philosophy those Mysteries which God himself is pleased should remain incomprehensible it certainly as ill becomes them to attempt to set off with false Ornaments of humane Eloquence those Objects which the Wisdom of God design'd should be adapted to every Mans Capacity by the simple manner after which he was pleased to propose them X. Lastly Even Grammar when differently managed according to the Passions and evil Designs of Men mav serve to darken and perplex Religion This gives occasion to some Mens Complaints that the Jewish Grammar is uncertain that the pointing of it is dubious that there are several various Readings both in the Old and New Testament that we are ignorant who it was that collected the Books of Scripture and composed the Catalogue of those Books which are to be held Canonical that the Apostles when quoting the Prophecies in their Epistles altogether make use of the Greek Translation of the Septuagint and are not very exact in reciting all the Words of those Texts they mention that there are many obscure and imperfect places in them for want of Expressions to fill up the Sense c. But 't is certain that this grammatical Exactness or rather Superstition is not very agreeable to our Faith This a certain Author has very well hinted at when he says Scriptura non amat nimium diligentes And the Reasons that may be alledged for it are 1. Because the Objects of the Gospel are of too great and important concern for the Wisdom of God to suffer them to depend upon the insignificant Niceties of Grammar If Men dont usually enquire whether a King's Laws are set forth in such words as are altogether in use or whether there be any Transpositions and Parentheses in them whether the Rules of Grammar are duly observed or who it was that drew them up if it be enough that we know them to be really the Laws of such a Prince and that they are clear enough to be understood by all I say if those considerations are sufficient to incline us to a due Observance of them I do not see how any one can reasonably raise all these Difficulties against the Books of Scripture which have that peculiar Advantage over the Ordinances of Princes that the very same things are often and often repeated in them and consequently need no Grammatical alteration Besides if the Essentials and Substance of Religigion depended upon any such external Alterations it would follow from thence that no Man could be a Christian without being first a Critick and that he must be a perfect Master of Languages before he could be allowed to study the Means of Salvation and consequently that we could make no further Progress in Religion than we had well employed our Time in the Vniversity which certainly is a thing contrary to the Design of God who is pleased to call all sorts of Men to the Knowledge of himself To this we might also add that if Mens Salvation was affixed purely to the Order and Disposition of Words and Syllables they would pay a Reverence to Words and Syllables instead of Mysteries and thus we should inevitably fall into all the Extravagances of the superstitious Cabbalists Suppose you had lived in the Time of the Apostles and had distinctly heard them one after another preaching the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven tho' each of them expressing himself after his particular way 't is certain you would never have made your Salvation depend upon their different manner of expressing their Thoughts but upon those Objects they would have unanimously laid before you and had you been never so little moved at those excellent things which they preached and repeated several ways it may well be presumed you would not have cavilled about a few equivocal Words as perhaps escaped them or the Method and Order of their Discourse or any other insignificant Trifles of this Kind Now the written Word is of the very same Nature with that which they preached and consequently we cannot chuse but pass the same Judgment upon it For those good and holy Men who spoke as the Spirit gave them utterance that is with all Simplicity as was necessary for the Accomplishment of the Design of God imagined not in the least that those who were to come after them would be so nice in their Judgments or raise any such Scruples