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
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
down from the Cross and we will believe in him Nay it is all one as if a Man should say If there be a God why does he not shew and manifest himself after a sensible manner by speaking to men immediately from the highest Heavens and then they would all be forced in spite of themselves to acknowledge him But God does not desire us to acknowledge him against our own Inclinations and consequently he is not obliged to manifest himself as we in our extravagant Desires would have him but as it seemeth best to his infinite Wisdom Had Christ or his Apostles raised all the Dead they found to Life again we should then contrary to the Design of the Almighty have had no other Faith but what depended entirely upon our Senses It is enongh that they healed almost an infinite number of Sick People and raised not only one but several Dead Men to Life So much indeed was absolutely necessary to confirm the Truth of their Calling Because they were not only to make Men believe in a crucified Saviour and adore him as the Son of God but also to oblige them for the Confirmation of their Faith to undergo Martyrdom More than this would have been but superfluous because they were not obliged to alter the Oeconomy of Faith but only to perfect it not to make Men believe against their own Inclinations but conformably to the Lights of their own Understanding But tho' I should grant all these Difficulties to be greater than they really are yet we ought to regulate our speculative Opinions by some Arguments drawn from matters of fact and not on the contrary regulate the Arguments drawn from matters of fact by any speculative Opinions And this is such a general Maxim that it holds good in all respects Many Difficulties arose at first about the Belief of the Antipodes Some pretended that such an Opinion was contrary to Reason others affirmed it could never be reconciled to the Principles of Religion And both Parties raised several notable Objections against it But as soon as the thing was evidently proved from undeniable matter of fact all their Objections and Difficulties were turned into Ridicule Some Philosophers have pretended to prove by Arguments that Motion is impossible But since we have daily Experience that there is such a thing as Motion we let these Philosophers talk on and chuse rather to believe our own Senses And I dare affirm without begging any Excuse for the Boldness of my Assertion that there never were nor never will be any matters of fact against which we might not raise several plausible Objections and considerable Difficulties that are meerly speculative Some are daily raised against the Flux and Reflux of the Sea against the Attraction of the Loadstone with Iron the Source or Head of the River Nile against Comets and Meteors nay even against the peopling of the World and the Propagation of Mankind We readily grant the Incredulous that several considerable Difficulties may be raised against the Mysteries of Religion as we see there are no less considerable ones daily raised even against the Mysteries and secret Operations of Nature But I still affirm that we must renounce the Evidence of Sense if we prefer any Difficulties of meer Speculation before those Arguments which are taken from undeniable matters of fact Tho' we should argue only upon the Nature of Things and the Principles of Natural Religion it would appear if we compare the Obscurities which cause those Difficulties with the Evidences which clear them that the latter would gain more upon our Belief than the former and this Truth we think we have sufficiently proved in our first Part of this Work But tho' we should meet with nothing else but Difficulties in those natural Principles without any Lights at all to clear them yet ought we to banish all Scruples and Doubts that arise meerly from Speculation the better to embrace the Opinion which proceeds from the Arguments drawn from undeniable matters of fact unless we have a mind to be guilty of an Absurdity not to be met with which is wholly contrary to common sense and Reason But having thus evinced the Truth of the Essentials of our Religion namely those matters of fact contained in the Writings of the Apostles it remains only that we make Men further sensible of them by laying down a few short Remarks which we shall make on several places of the New Testament whose whole Purport shall be either to perswade us that the Apostles did really teach all these matters of fact or assure us that they sincerely believed the things which they declared or else to make it appear that they could not have been imposed upon in those matters of fact For from those three principles is formed the Demonstration of the Truth of the Christian Religion SOME REFLEXIONS ON THE Gospel according to S. Matthew CHapt II. 1. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea behold there came Wisemen c. Those Wise-men were of all Nations the first that came to pay their Homage to Jesus Christ The Priests and Elders amongst the Jews being consulted concerning the Birth of the Messias freely owned he was to be born in Bethlehem and were quite of another Opinion than the Modern Jews who pervert the Meaning of the Prophecy of Micah Chap. 5. As to what concerns us we affirm that the History of the coming of the Wise-men could not be falsely invented I. Because it agrees admirably with the Prophecy of Balaam Numb 24. 17. where he Cries out I shall sâ—e him but not now I shall behold him but not nigh There shall come a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel A Star of the Wise-men indeed and a Scepter of Jesus Christ II. The Evangelist could not have made the whole City of Jerusalem believe that they were troubled and astonisht at the Coming of those Wise-men and much less perswaded the Inhabitants against their own publick Knowledge that Herod had so barbaroufly shed so much Innocent Blood III. Herod must necessarily have been told that the Christ or Messias was to be born in Bethlehem because thither he sent directly the Ministers of his execrable fury IV. And lastly Joseph fled into Egypt and was afraid to return again into Judea when he heard that Archelaus Reigned in the room of his Father Herod A Circumstance that wonderfully agrees with all the rest Chapt. III. 1. In those days came John the Baptist In this Chapter John foretells the Destruction of the Jews in these Words O generation of Vipers who has warned you to fly from the wrath to come and now also the ax is laid to the root of the Tree therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire c. He foretells also the Effusion of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles in these words I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that