strange as what Bede VVrites though most lamely cast off by the Dr and refuted by asking What shall we think of them Much less can such trifling Questions imply any thing like à strict Examination A strict Examination Reader ponder's first what Strength the Authors have which are produced for à Thesis The Dr weigh's none nor alledges any that calls the Translation of that House or these other VVonders now recorded Fabulous It supposes 2. That whoever denies an Assertion plainly proved and what can be more plain than my alledged proofs for the Translation Is obliged to give measure for measure and either show his Adversaries Testimonies unconcluding or infringe their force by some contrary Reason or Authority The Dr Strangely forgetful of this Duty doth neither But as far as Huffs and flurts hurry him on layes about him lustily You have no more However such faint empty stuff must passe for à strict and rigid Examination May this Procedure hold à Iew or Heathen needs only to Huffe and tell us VVe Christians are all ridiculous in believing à Crucifyed man to be our Redeemer wherunto if he give an Overplus of Ieers easily cast out of an Infidels mouth he proves every whit as much against Christ as our Dr doth against the House of Loreto There is yet more of this ill Nicknam'd strict Examination in the Dr. Reflect à little I Quoted Reas and Relig. C. 8. n. 5. as grave and learned Fathers as ever wrote S Irenaeus S. Basil S. Hierome S. Ambrose and S. Augustine so clear aend express for Miracles that no Testimonies can be plainer It seem's the Dr durst not jerk these great Authors vvith his usual Taunts and Scoffs but betakes himselfe to another Subterfuge men vvho live by shifting can do no better I 'll tell you what it is Very vvisely he vvaves all slip's by these Authorities and though provoked to reply return's not one vvord of Ansvver to any May not this think ye pass also for another Strenuous proof of his Strict and careful Examination Two things may be considered in the Dr's wild Enquiry The one what he hold's of substance in it The other relates to his pretty Mode and odd way in writing To the First I say in à word plain Dealing is best and more amply prove it in this Treatise There appear's nothing like Substance through his whole Enquiry And first if the Dr shift's off all I required Satisfaction in or rather if he wholly wave what the world look's on as most Material in our present Controversy He is far from meddling vvith that vvhich deserves the name of Substance But this is Evidently so Fray Reader reflect à little My desire vvas and is still This all men look on as Substantial that the Dr vvould upon solid Principles Shovv but so much as one approved Miracle forged false or fabulous In Lieu of doing this Mountebank like he step 's upon the Stage and vvould beguile us vvith à varnish of meer painted vvares Idle Stories I mean concerning Miracles feigned by ungodly People altogether as impertinent as if he had told us so many Fables out of Aesop For no more can forged Miracles disparage God's true Wonders than Counterfeit Scripture the Verities revealed in the Gospel Again And here once more vve find à vvant of Substance VVho vvould not have expected from this Man of Words after so many brisk Attempts and flurts at Miracles Some clear Testimonies taken from the Ancient Church from Ancient Records from Tradition Councils Doctors and Divins But herein he is as mute as à Fish and neither doth nor can attaque us this vvay You have heard hovv the ancient Fathers and Modern Authors renovvned upon the account of their Learning and Virtue plead in Defence of Miracles And all the right the Dr doth such men is not to believe them Yet requires that vve credit his Philostorgius his Hazenmiller and his false Daniel de Dieu Vile Outcasts and detestable Heretiques Are vve not thus think ye Substantially Match't vvith Authorities I produce Miracles Seen and attested upon Oath vvrought by Saints and great Servants of Almighty God And He to be even vvith me makes à florish vvith the golden Thigh of Pythagoras and Aesculapius his cure done upon à dead vvoman Both false and fabulous or at most vvorks of Necromancy as is proved in the Treatise I all along insist upon such Miracles as have been knovvn and ovvned by the Very best of Christians And he to retaliate like one that had Vovved never to meddle vvith vvhat is Substantial trifles avvay time in telling long Tales of the Prioresse of the Annunciada at Lisboe and of one Fulco cryed up for à vvorker of VVonders vvho as the Dr vvill have it proved an Impostor I bring to light Miracles so clear and illustrious that none upon the Sight of their Evidence ever yet could though Criticks vvise and learned call into doubt And this Dr to Eclipse their glory fob's me off vvith such as are either dubious or at most but in à mean Degree probable Most fitly did S. Augustine Writing against Faustus lib. 5. C. Vltimo once blame this unjust Proceeding in his Adversary Vestrum oculum malevolus error Saith the Saint Thy Peevish and perverse Errour dravves thy Eye Faustus to regard nothing but chaffe in our standing Corne whereas had'st thou look't about thee thou might'st have found wheat both pure and precious Reader Miracles only doubtful much more forged ones passe for Chaffe the Church relies not on them yet vvith such Deceiptful Baites the Dr like Faustus vvould fain vvhedle us into à mean conceipt of God's certain great VVonders VVhereas the Contrary is evident for false and forged Miracles vvhen discovered as the most have been are so far from fouling the Glory of God's true Wonders that they confirme their Truth and make them more Illustrious Had the Inquisitors or Prelates of the Church think yee vvho left no stone unturned to find out such Forgeries and discovered many upon that Sight à less Esteem of God's Certain Miracles that pass't the Churches Tribunal with all possible Applause No. All thereupon extolled the Churches zeal and Vigilancy having Long since learned from S. Augustine That as Evil has its Good and gives à Grace to Vertue Errour add's Beauty to Truth So these feigned Signs set forth the Glory of true Miracles The Dr therefore get's nothing by his long list of forged VVonders Reader you will find hereafter the Dr's Arguments in this Controversy drawn from Reason as lame and bare as his Instances and Authorities VVhence I conclude that if he bottom his Discourse upon the fore-mentioned Principles And these fail or yeild him no support I rightly insinuated above and here again Say it more plainly That his whole Book is nothing but à Rapsody or à Work too unadvisedly set forth in real Truth not worth Notice or Answer Howeuer because once engaged I haue undertaken à Confutation not ill thought of by good
the Virtues of that worthy man largely set down too long à Subject for this place without the least mention of any imputed and contrived Exorcisms In case the Dr except's against my Author as one that 's partial or waves matters he should have related I require this Justice at his hands that he remit me to some VVriter who either proves F. More Partial or Weston guilty of those enormous crimes falsely I avouch laid to his charge Believe it F. More was no way Shy num 17. in faithfully recounting what difficulties Weston met with in Wisbick Castle caused chiefly by à Dr of Physick and another unnamed Priest that afterwards turn'd Apostat perhaps such an one as Tyrel once was He tell 's you also num 25. what false Aspersions were laid upon F. Weston and in what manner the Holy man was vindicated and cleared But not à word all this while of Records entred into any Court of High-Commission Weston vindicated or of twelve Exorcists Employed by Weston to feign Possessions that never were The whole Story even as the Dr set's it forth by the Very Circumstances showes it selfe à Fable yea an open Calumny peevishly invented to dishonour Priests and Catholick Religion 31. But enough of this And much more Dirt gathered up by the Dr wholly useless for any other End save only to make him that pack't it together ridiculous Observe I beseech you The Dr Supposes the long Tales hitherto told to have been cheats and fraudulent Dr Still page 663. fictions yet simply concludes This may abundantly suffice for the first Particular which was the comparing the Miracles of the Roman Church with those of Christ and his Apostles Are all indeed Forged Miracles cannot be called Miracles of the Church Fictions Mr Dr like that of the Prioresse of the Annunciada in Lisbon Have all been found cheats and forged Miracles So it is say you How then dare you Sr impudently call them Miracles of the Roman Church when you know and the whole world knowes That this Church abhorr's all feigned Miracles or what ever of that Nature is or hath been discovered manifestly false I say Therefore such filth deserves no more the name of Miracles wrought in the Roman Church than your new Negative Protestant Articles deserve to be called the old Positive Tenets of Faith or false Scripture the true Word of God Now according to my Promise in the 4.th Chapter I am to follow Mr Doctor as he leads us on to the End of his Enquiry CHAP. XIV An Answer to one os the Doctors Exceptions against Miracles VVhether Miracles in the first Age of Christianity were but few How Miracles are proved by true Doctrin and true Doctrin by Miracles No counterfeited Miracle can passe the Churches Tribunal without censure Of à late VVriters exceptions against Miracles The admirable Propagation of Christian Religion convinces that Miracles have been wrought 1. WE usually say an Argument that proves too much proves nothing but all Dr Still Arguments proposed against approved Miracles wrought in the Church make every whit as much against the Miracles of Christ and consequently prove too much Therefore nothing at all What is here Asserted you will find made good in the ensuing Chapters 2. I replyed to one of the Dr's Exceptions Page 665. c. 2 n. 17. where he thinks Miracles needlesse in future Ages because those wrought by Christ and his Apostles in confirmation of their Doctrin were abundantly sufficient without more I Said then that none can know by à bare owning those ancient Miracles what Doctrin Christ taught For all called Christians as Arians and Pelagians admitted Christ's Miracles yet grosly swerved from his Doctrin Dr Still I suppose None can say what Doctrin Christ taught by owning only ancient Miracles admit's all the Miracles our Saviour wrought yet he shall never prove one Essential point of Protestancy by them no more shall the Arian evince any Doctrin of Arianisme true that way if no other Oracle illustrated by Miracles interposes its Authority and ascertain's him that such and such is Christ's Doctrin concerning the greatest Mysteries of Faith For example That Christ is truly God and man one Essence and three distinct Persons c Tell me Reader what Sence find you in this Inference Our Saviour raised Lazarus from the dead cured the blind man cleansed the Lepers Ergo God is thereby proved one Essence and three distinct Persons Again if Dr Still take on to pare away what Miracles he pleases if he thinks so many will sufficiently serve for future Ages I Ask why are not Christ's Miracles alone excluding those the Apostles wrought sufficient for us all Nay why may not only one Miracle wrought by Christ without more if conveyed down by Tradition bring with it that Al-sufficiency the Dr speaks of Page 666. 3. The Dr seing such abundance of Miracles pretended to in all Ages and Countries and finding them so sparingly wrought in the Writings of Scripture unless for confirmation of à new Religion thinks we must either hold that God has changed the Method of his Providence in being once sparing and now too liberal or that we through ignorance and Credulity take those for Miracles which are not so Mr Dr's Religion as Protestancy is one of the newest in the world yet I never heard of any Miracles so much as sparingly wrought for its confirmation But ad rem 4. The Dr grosly mistakes Miracles wrought in the first Age of Christianity were neither scarce nor sparing but contrarywise Admirable great and numerous in so much that no one Age after that can Parrallel the Miracles then wrought The Signs and Miracles which Christ wrought saith S. John were many Though all are not John 20. v. 30. registred in Holy Writ The visible appearing of the Holy Ghost upon the then newly Baptized their speaking different Languages and working other Miracles seldom or never seen afterwards much augment the number and set forth the glory of Miracles in those Dayes Add hereunto The Primitive Miracles many and admirable the innumerable Miracles which the Apostles wrought in their Preaching up and down the world And in the Conversion of Nations you will find no want at all but great Plenty may Ecclesiastical History gain beliefe And I see not why that ought to be esteemed of lesser Credit then the Dr's Tale of Pythagoras his golden Thigh or his feigned cure wrought by Aesculapius whereof more presently In the mean while the Dr may read what strange Miracles the Priests and Deacons of Achaia recount of S. Andrew the Apostle what others Write of S. Thomas in his Preaching to the Medes Persians Bactrians and finally to the Indians Of S. Simon and Judes admirable Conversions and Miracles also wrought in Mesopotamia in Aegypt and finally in Persia where meeting together they dyed for Christ and suffered à glorious Martyrdom The like we read of other Apostles whose Holy Lives and labours
but Saith some one we Protestants credit Papists when they tell us that the Gospel is à true Story and believe them also in the Report they make of Christ's Miracles Most unreasonably done for if those men never told you true word of Miracles wrought in the Church but quite contrary cloy'd your eares with forged Stories their credit utterly lost deserves nothing but contempt as to Christ's Miracles if false in the one of mighty consequence hold them boldly fallacious in the other 15. What will you say if Dr Still to help himselfe in à present Exigency draw back à little and tell us He never yet plainly denyed all our Church Miracles Very good newes if true whence it followes that unless he will quite suspend his Judgement as doubtful of all he must necessarily grant some great Miracles those chiefly approved by the Church my desire is to know which and how many he will yeild us having upon his Concession certainty of so many I shall thence infer that either All approved Church Miracles are to bee admitted or None Some perhaps Either all approved Miracles must be allowed or none may here propose this Question what if the Church had never had Miracles done in it would not our Saviours admirable Wonders either written in the Gospel or conveyed down by Tradition have been sufficient to check Antichrist's pride and the legerdemain of that false Prophet Were this supposed Christians would have been in no worse condition than now though the Church tell false Stories of her Miracles I Answer the Supposition which notoriously impaires the Churches humane Authority and consequently takes off that high respect all bear to Christ's Miracles is à meer Impertinency Observe my reason It is one thing to Argue upon à false Supposition by imagining no Miracles wrought in the Church and another What followes if the Church had been without Miracles to make this Oracle an upon Lyar. In the first case had none been wrought the Church would never have divulged any but in the other Supposition She is perfidious while she ascertain's us of Miracles which Sectaries say were never done and therefore loses all credit and can gain beliefe of none 16. We come at last to the true fundamental Ground of Miracles wrought in the Church and prove them absolutely necessary None upon à bare owning those ancient Wonders wrought by Christ and his Apostles true can show who among so many dissenting Christians in the fundamental matters of Faith make at this day Profession of Christ's Doctrin Therefore other Miracles are absolutely necessary to mark out and distinguish Miracles proved necessary in the Church she true Professors of Christ's Doctrin from false Sectaries Whoever denies Miracles absolutely necessary for this end must either say that the Christian Societey where Christ's Doctrin is truly professed cannot be known or distinguished from false Sectaries though it gives in Evidence of undoubted Miracles Or which is as bad he must grant that all Hereticks are here-upon proved true Professors of Christ's Doctrin because forsooth they acknowledge Christ and his Apostles to have wrought such and such Miracles and this is evidently false for condemned Hereticks as Arians and Pelagians easily assent to that owned Truth but are not therefore to be listed among the true Professors of Christ's Doctrin Much more therefore is required and it is that Christ's true Society doth not only talk of primitive Miracles or own them true but besides really show you the like admirable distinctive Signs as raising the dead curing the blind and lame manifested by Christ and his Apostles peculiar to it selfe not Common to others of à contrary saith But this Prerogative whereby Faithful Believers are marked out and differenced from Hereticks belong's only to one living Oracle the Roman Catholick Church which took its rise from Christ and his Apostles and ever since stood Age after Age gloriously illustrated by known and renowned Miracles And thus we have it clearly distinguished from all Hereticks Whenas Sectaries men utterly forsaken like dirt cast out of the house of God lie under disgrace altogether unable to confirm their Novelties by one true supernatural wonder Thus Providence showes them no lesse naked and bereft of true Miracles than cold inefficacious and unlucky in their Conversions and drawing Infidels to Christ 17. By what is now Said you may discover Dr Still p. 665. no little lamenesse in Dr Still Discourse The Doctrin of Christ saith he being confirmed by the Miracles wrought by them there cannot be any such necessity in succeeding Ages to confirm the Much Lamenesse in Dr Still Discourse same Doctrin by Miracles The same Doctrin Sr You speak at random pray you tell us in this confusion of different Religions while every one lay's claime to Christ's Doctrin who are proved the true Professors of it by avouching Christ to have wrought great Miracles Or make this Consequence good Christ Cured the blind lame and deaf Ergo Arians who contradict Protestants in the Essentials of Faith or Protestants that contradict the Arians are proved the faithful Professors of Christ's Doctrin because both Judge well of Christ's Miracles If so Catholicks may come in with the best and show themselves sound in Faith upon this account But thanks be to God we can say more for our cause and rest not only in à bare Beliefe of those ancient great Wonders but as I noted above demonstrate à Church Characterized and gloriously marked out by the like supernatural Sign 's which those first great Masters evidenced when they preached to the world and thus our Church is distinguished from all false Conventicles 18. There is no shifting of the force of this Argument but by one of these two desperate evasions Either it must be said that publick Miraculous works evidently done by one or many Authoritively sent to teach Christ's Doctrin are not at all marks of Truth and this is contrary to the Gospel Our Lord working with them the Apostles and confirming the Mark 16. ◠19. John 20. 30. word with Signs that followed These Signs are written add's S. John that men might believe that Iesus is Christ the Son of God c. Or 2 You are flatly to deny the Church ever to had one true Miracle wrought in it which is evidently false as has been proved whereof more presently The only owning ancient Miracles Maintain's any Religion In the mean time you se that to plead for Christ's true Doctrin by only owning those ancient Miracles true licenses all dissenting Christians in Fundamentals to maintain any Religion true or false as they please The Arian may teach as he teaches and so may the Monothelit without Reproof if he tell us he hold's Christ's Doctrin confirmed by primitive Miracles though he cannot say upon à bare owning those Signs what Christ's Doctrin is whether for an Instance the Divine Word truly assumed Flesh or that God is one Essence and three distinct Persons
if all still reverence Blessed Magdalen's Reliques if several Synodes assembled consisting of most Virtuous and learned Prelates have approved them if they remain still recorded in many Martyrologies If finally Almighty God hath declared for S. Magdalen and her Reliques by his own clear Signs from Heaven unquestionable Miracles If these particulars I say be manifestly made out long may Mr John Launoy and his weak Partizan Dr Still attempt to Eclypse the Magdalen's glory but in vain Whilst She and the other Saints now mentioned live renowned in all Vertuous minds to the great Confusion of Hereticks Thus you have Courteous Reader some part of S. Mary Magdalen's Triumph here Epitomized more largely set forth in the Authors quoted 35. For as much as concern's the Sorbon Paris print 1659. Dr's Objections tediously Spun out in à whole Book it is sufficient that I who only Defend the boyling up of that Blood in à Vial at S. Maximins remit you to the Authors cited F. Launoy's Objections answered Denys n. 11 John Guesnay and Monsieur Denys Monsieur Launoy Saies first without any regard to ancient Tradition that the whole Story of Blessed Magdalen want's the Testimony of Ancient Writers within the first Age of Christianity No Wonder at the want replyes Monsieur Denys if we consider the many Saccages and ruins fallen upon Provence and particularly upon Marseils by the Goths Vandals and Saracens nine several times to Say nothing of other sad Disasters Mr Launoy Objects 2. What ever we Launoy page 228. produce for S. Mary Magdalen's arrival at Provence is taken out of à fabulous Book composed in Hebrew by S. Marcella Servant to S. Martha the Book saith Launoy is of à Denys n. 43 very late date about five hundred years since not older Monsieur Denys Answer 's some strange Phrensy seiz'd on Launoy in this Discourse For in another place he grant's that Book to have been extant twelve whole Ages past though neither here nor there he brings Proof Author or Witness for any thing he Saith but his own bare and proofless Word In the same place Monsieur Denys Showes we rely not only upon those Acts of S. Marcella having other both grave and Ancient Authors that Write of this Subject and recount many Particulars not expressed in Marcella's Acts. Monsieur Launoy Objects 3. The Tradition of the Greek and Latin Church whereby it appears that S. Mary Magdalen dyed at Ephesus for Proof whereof he Quotes Modestus Bishop of Hierusalem recounted by Photius Saying Magdalen out of whom our Lord cast seven Divels was à Virgin went to S. John at Ephesus and there ended her Dayes Monsieur Denys Answer 's it s à shame to see how this Dr contradict's himselfe In one Pamplet he will have Magdalen to Dye at Ephesus in Another he produces Martyrologies that say she dyed at Hierusalem In one Writing he find's Martyrologies Launoy contradict's himselfe for her death upon the 16.th of January in others that day is Transferred till 22. of July In one place Magdalen must be à Sinner dispossessed of seven Divels in another à pure Virgin Yea and Martyr also In à word saith Denys non erant convenientia Testintonia eorum and therefore worth nothing Launoy's Plea taken From the Tradition of the Greek and Latin Church you have amply refuted by Denys and Guesnay who hold Modestus his Testimony Denys n 32 cited an unsound Apocrypha Dr Stillingfleets little rubbish gathered out of Launoy he has no more is easily Swept away by the labour here performed To say more seem's needless 36. Now we proceed to another Question having again told you that it is far from my intention to dissolve all difficulties Proposed in this matter not by Monsieur Launoy much lesse by Dr Still but because I meet with strange Confusion among Authors in their debates concerning two Mary Magdalen's thought by some distinct Persons and à Third if yet distinct Luke 7. 37 not called Mary by S. Luke but Peccatrix à Sinner who watered the feet of our blessed Lord with her Teares and wiped them with the hair of her head Had we more light in this and some other particulars much might be cleared which yet lies in obscurity And what shall Monst Launoys most dim abstruse and mistie Discourse without Decision of matters necessary to be known be thought able to Contest with the whole Gallican Church Her Tradition and the Authority of Popes Kings Princes and People already mentioned It is no lesse than à high Degree of pride to attempt it CHAP. VII Of Dr Stillingfleets rude bold and shameful vilifying two renowned Saints The Glorious S. Dominick and the Seraphical S. Francis of Assisium 1. I Stand astonished at the Spite and Enuy of our unconscionable Dr who could not but know before he put pen to paper the great Wonders Authors of unspotted fame have recorded of these two glorious Saints He could not but know in what Strange manner Divine Providence Propagated the two Holy Orders founded by S. Dominick and S. Francis and this without the help of Arms humane Enticements or any earthly commodity The Propagation of Christian Religion gained much in the minds of men by it's spreading over all Nations and upon that Account was deemed by the great S. Austin Miraculous And shall we S. Austin lik 22. de civit cap. 5. think the large streaming out of Religious Orders visibly before our eyes altogether destitute of Divine Assistance The Dr could not but know if ever he perused History how many painful Missioners have been sent out of these Religious Orders into several parts of the world for the Conversion of Iewes and Infidels as also of the happie success they had in drawing innumerable Souls from Infidelity to the Profession of Christianity Finally he could not but know that never Protestants to their Shame be it did any thinge like them either in the neerer or further Parts of the large Universe and yet Forsooth these Holy Saints must be laid at and reviled by à Petit Dr though he neither refutes one Miracle Written of them much lesse can cast à blemish upon their Innocent and Virtuos Lives 2. I Say he cannot for stark shame deny one Of the Doctors fraud and Iugling Miracle Authentically recorded of S. Dominick or S. Francis having none of Authority to side with him should he desperately attempt à Denial what does he Therefore Il ' tell you he proceed's fraudulently and juggles all along First he slily passes over the greatest Wonders whereby the glory of these Saints is most advanced not à word spoken to this purpose and here Lies his Fraud 2. He pick 's out some few Miracles recorded by Authors most capable at as he thought of bearing Jests and these he set's forth with huffs and Scoffs hoping by that pretty varnish to make all ridiculous Here you have his Jugling And cannot an Atheist or Heathen think ye would he try his Ieering Faculty
had done like one versed in Antiquity But to turn off with à lame I am apt to think they will meet c VVhile no flaw is found in the Manuscripts produced makes your Enquiry after Miracles ridiculous And no other is your earnest urging home the Authority and Approbation of those Books you tax of Forgery Say Sr I pray VVhat advantage gain you to your cause in telling us those Books are highly approved if that for which they are approved be no further discountenanced by you than by barely saying You are apt to think they will meet with à great deal of Infidelity This Supposed Infidelity should have been plainly made out but instead of complying with that hard Task you wave the whole matter and only Think many things are amisse I think many things amisse in your Voluminous Account But is this enough to refute it 10. Now because you insist so much upon the Approbation of these Books please to know Two things considerable in the approbation of Books Two things may be Questioned First whether all the particular Miracles recorded by Capgrave and Colganus be in them selves exactly true And to Assert this the Truth of those Records and Manuscripts made use of is to be maintained as undoubted which very few I am perswaded no not Colganus himselfe will affirme For to ascertain the unquestionable Verity of such Records much more is required than to find them Written in old Characters or in à simple Style In like manner to prove them False or forged much more is necessary than to jeer or laugh at them as the Dr doth The second thing observable in the Approbations is the exact Diligence or Fidelity of the Collectors of Miracles so far the Approbations given by learned men reach and no further as you may se by the Censure of those who have approved Colganus first Tome Which is to say They approved his Fidelity in relating what he read in some Ancient Martyrologies Though none of these kind Censurers dare Swear that all he read there ought to be owned manifestly true without further Examination Thus Mr Doctor you must Discourse when afterwards you tell us out of Aelianus Vopiscus and others of strange Wonders like Miracles wrought by Heathens If these Authors speake as you quote you are quit of Blame and so far speak Truth But it doth not therefore follow that either Heathens did Miracles or that the matters of Fact were so in themselves as those Authors recount Just so it is our present case Capgrave and Colganus bring to light I confesse Quotations may be approved as Exact though the matters quoted be not true many strange Things and quote their Manuscripts for every particular the Quotations are approved as exact but whether those Ancient Manuscripts which may be Written by too slight hands or in à long time perhaps altered from what they once were punctually relate Truth is another difficulty and cannot be approved without more Trial and further Inspection into matter so Prodigious as we find there 11. The Judgement of those two learned Bolland Henschenius tom 1. Febr. c. 3. Writers Ioannes Bollandus and Godefridus Henschenius differ's nothing from what is here noted For speaking of Colganus they first prayse his great labour amply shown in his many Collections made of Irish Saints 2. They prudently advised him first to set forth such Martyrologies and Ancient Copies as he had by him which being once Publick and approved by men versed in Antiquity would give both force and light to the Saints and Miracles there mentioned 3. Though Colganus did not upon Reasons set down follow that Good Counsel yet he courteously granted F. Bollandus two Martyrologies belonging to the Month of February whereof saith Bollandus we made use But How VVe only Transcribed the Lives of such Saints taken out of those VVritings as we had sound approved in the Lives of other Saints Minimae suspectae fidei not at all doubted of And Purposely refrained to own those stupendious Miracles perhaps done Though often so unslâ—ilfully pack't together without Notice given of the Saints Vertues that à Reader may rather smile when he peruses them than Reverence the Saints Colganus VVrites of Thus Bollandus speak's warily and it is worth the Readers knowledge 12. Moreover Bollandus and Henschenius Actâ— Sanct. Bolland Hensch mense Ian. in Praefaâ— Gen c. 3. observe that in recounting the lives and Miracles of Saints the like is in all other History There are several Degrees of certainty or great Probability First if Ey-witnesses lyable to no exception attest upon Oath that they saw such à VVonder The matter of fact related cannot be prudently called into doubt For thus our Saviours own Miraclcs gained credit and I think without Oath from innumerable before Several degrees of certainty for Miracles Scripture recorded them But we as I noted above have the like clear humane Testimony for Miracles done in the Roman Catholick Church seen by Ey-witnesses and openly attested as that was wrought at Naples upon F. Mastrilli and all those were which God did by our glorious Bishop S. Thomas of Hereford Seen I say by many Ey-witnesses attested by Oath still preserved upon Record and conveyed down by Tradition as most clear and undoubted Truths If therefore the Dr's Discourse when he tell 's us that fallible Tradition alone which supplies the want of our Senses in Conveying upon moral certainty the Miracles of Christ to the Primitive Christians and to us also be without exception Good The Tradition of these now specifyed Miracles and express Records besides may well serve to convey them to men now living and to Posterity hereafter 13. Some may Reply the humane Tradition in behalfe of Christ's Miracles the Dr own 's no Tradition Divine and infallible is both for time and place very Vniversal and received by all Christians The Tradition for this or that particular Miracle of Saints though seen and attested upon Oath never yet gained the like General Assent and therefore Cannot be Parallel'd with that other more Universal To Answer à An objection Answered simple Objection I ask first whether this way of Arguing be solid Some particulars related of Caesar and Pompey as that they were men once in being Couragious and gallant Spirits c. are received upon Tradition more Vniversal than our Saviours Miracles For all Heathens Iewes Turks and Christians easily Swallow down These yet Iewes and Heathens boggle at Christ's Miracles Ergo they are lesse certain than those other because not so Universally assented to Every rational Christian will deny the Consequence upon this Ground because our Saviours Miracles being wrought before many are apt did not malice or some other accidental Cause hinder to beget in all à Vniversal Assent This is our Answer which will better appear if we examin things to the bottom Our Saviour raised Lazarus from the dead cured the blind man and wrought other great Wonders in such and such particular
not only to the Godly but to the wicked also falsa profecto haec sunt Those vvrought by the vvicked are for the most part false sometimes true as in Balaam and others and alwaies weak proofs of the Church 13. Now if you will refer those words Falsa profecto sunt haec plerumque to Miracles whether done by good or bad men you may Say without offence That all nevv Miracles yet under debate and not easily differenced from the Signs of wicked men may before they are rigidly examined and approved in order to us appear often times false and are alwaies weak proofs of the true Church Never did Dandrada Say or dream that Miracles juridically examined and approved by the Church can be false yet this the Dr is to show or he fail's in the Main and evinces nothing 14. The Dr in the same Page cites Ioannes Ferus Ferus in Matth. 24. 23. 24. saying that the Doctrin of à Church is not to be proved by Miracles but Miracles by the Doctrin I Answer he speak's so and very pertinently if you ponder his connected discourse You may learn saith Ferus how to Discern false and true Ferus deliver's true Doctrin Mitacles For as true Miracles when done are never contrary to God's word so false ones oppose those Sacred Verities which have been long since confirmed by Miracles And for that reason c. 14. n. 5. Miracles are to be examined by the Churches received Doctrin Here is nothing but what I expresly deliver in à foregoing Chapter and Therefore it may well passe among Dr Still impertinent Quotations 15. The Dr soon after Quotes Iosephus Acosta Acosta de Tempor noviss c. 9. as one highly extolling the Miracles which Antichrist shall work in so much That it will be à hard matter to discern true and false Signs and he Quotes it from Hippolytus that Antichrist shall do far greater Miracles than the cure of Marcellus or the restored Leg at Zaragosa Viz. That he will raise the Dead cure the diseased and have command over the Elements Thus the Dr And almost err's in every particular First he mistakes the IX Chapter for the 18. and 19. where Acosta handles these Acosta ill cited by the Dr. matter In the IX Chapter he chiefly insist's upon Antichrist's raging Persecution in subduing the Kings of the earth c. 2. Neither Hippolitus Hippolit de consumma mundi de Antichrist Biblioth Patrum apud Bignium Tom. 2. Edit 2. nor Acosta ever said as the Dr unworthily writes that Antichrist shall do far greater Miracles than those wrought upon Marcellus and the Boy of Zaragosa Peruse Hippolitus and you will find Acosta's observation true that he speak's indeed so much of Antichrist's Signs ut vix credibilia videantur that all he brings to light seems not credible Antichrist saith Hippolitus will do prodigious Things he will cleanse the Lepers expel Divels raise the Dead change night into day and day into night he will turn about the Sun whither and to what place he pleases c. Yet this ancient Writer Scholar to Clemens Alexandrinus contemn's all these wonders three or four times over in that Oration as false feigned and counterfeit Signa saith he edet horrenda non vera sed falsa He will show strange Signs But all will be false Again Haec omnia faciet consilio simulato ac fraudulento quo circumveniat omnes ut se Regem creent There will be nothing in these Wonders Hippolitus and Acosta Slight Anchrist's Wonders 2. Thes 2. 9. but hypocrisy and dissimulation Thus Hippolitus undervalues Antichrist's Miracles 16. So also doth Acosta and every Christian that believes the Apostle speaking of that Man of Sin whose comming is according to the operation of Satan in all Power and lying Wonders Magnopere nos recreat saith Acosta The Apostles words Comfort us when he tell 's us that Antichrist's Signs will be nothing but Cheats Acosta cap. 19. Lying vvonders vvrought by the Divels assistance Real Miracles cannot be done by that Archenemy of God and Truth Soon after They are rightly called fallacious Wonders exhibited either by à secret Povver in nature or by the Ministry of Divels and done for this End to confirm Lyes contrary to God's eternal Verities The Servants of JESUS CHRIST never work Miracles after this manner nor can attest à Lye by any true Sign they do Thus Acosta Is not therefore the Dr ' s Question most ridiculous I The Dr's simple question retorted and answered would understand saith he from E. W. Whether Antichrist's Church will not be proved as Infallible in this vvay as the Church of Rome And I would as fain understand from Dr Still whether Antichrist's Church will not be proved as Infallible in this way as the Apostolical Church If the Dr dare assert That Antichrist shall work true Miracles in raising the Dead and curing all desperate Diseases I Ask how can he distinguish the Apostolical Signs and those If contrariwise he Teach with S. Paul and Catholick Doctors That all Antichrist can do will be only Lying Iugling and Hypocrital Wonders The folly of his own Question appear's as it is vain idle and vveightlesse unlesse he prove which neither Divel nor Dr shall doe That all the Miracles wrought in God's Church even those related by S. Irenaeus S. Augustin S Hierom S. Ambrose and other Fathers are to be esteemed base Cheats jugling Legerdemain In fine wholly as Lying and invaluable as Antichrist's wonders will be 17. The Dr in the next place cites Cajetan Cajet de concep Virg c. 1. But where to find the Treatise of the Conception though I have four Tomes of that Author by me I know not However the words as the Dr relates them contain no Difficulty Cajetan saith first The Church has no ground to determine any matter Cajetan cited makes nothing for the Dr. of Doctrin novv on the account of Miracles Very true because as he insinuat's the Church has no new Revelations and therefore hold's her Doctrin already Determined upon Infallible Tradition handed down Age after Age from the Apostles Dayes O but Cajetan gives another Reason Because the Divel may do such things vvhich vve cannot distinguish from true Miracles Answ His meaning may be that some true Miracles are not upon the first sight before full Examination easily distinguished from false Signs but that many are distinguishable as when the dead rose and conversed witness Irenaeus à long time with the living seem's clear enough And I Neither Cajetan any ever taught that the Divel can revive the Dead am sure neither Cajetan nor any Christian ever thought that the Divel called those Dead to life or did those great Cures which our Saviour and the Apostles wrought As therefore the primitive Christians differenced those admirable works from the Divels Lying Wonders we likewise set the same distinctive Marks upon our Churches Miracles whereof I have largely treated above No