{a)'Reckonedonlyhy the Heap, Thrygiay in Pontus, under &c.] As the innocent Com- Maxtmin; at NnomeJia, in pany of three hundred at Car- Numidia, at Rome, in Thebais^ //^rta^,mentionedintheXXIVth Tyre, Trevers under Dioclefi- Roman Martyrology of Au- a?t, in Perjia, under Cahada gufius; very many in Africa, and Sapores. All which are under Severus; nudcr Valerian mentioned in the Martyrology, TitAntioch i and in Arabia, Cap* without any Names. padocia, and Mefopotatnia, in 138 Of the Truth of Book IL which cannot be affirmed of them, who, whatever private Opinions they had in their Minds, yet in their outward Adtions, conformed themfelves to the Cuftoms of the Vulgar. So that to fuffer Death, for the Honour of God, could fcarce be allowed to any but the Jews and Chriftians •, and not to the Jews after Chrift's time; and before, only to a very few, compared with the Chriftians; more of which, fufFered Punifhment for the Law of Chrift, in one Province, than ever there did Jews •, all whofe Sufferings ol this kind may ahiioil be reduced to the times of Manajfe's and Antiochus. Wherefore, feeing the Chriftian Religion, in this particular alfo, infinitely exceeds others -, it ought juftly to be preferred before them. It muftbe inferred from fuch a Multitude, of every Age and Sex, in fo many different Places and Times, who refufed not to die for this Religion y that there was fome great Reafon for fuch a conftant Refolution, which cannot be imagined to be any Other, but the Light of Truth, and the Spirit of God.
An -^^SWP^.^P ^hcife who require more and Jlronger -\oh ski 1-0 fimiT ^dArguments.
hrl F there be any one, who is not fatisfied with the Arguments hitherto alleged, for the Truth of the Chriftian Religion, but defires more powerful 6^1^^'he qugl^t tQ.k,i>p^^, la}, that different things [a] That different' Thlngf, *^ tHeniahcal "Certainty, is not &.€,] See Jrijlotlif^s Ethics to •* to be met with inallrhings " Nicomachus, Book I '* It is And ChaUidiusonlht^Tim^sus, " fufficient, if a thing be made according to the Opinion of •* appear accordi;ig to the fub Plato. " A Dlfpofirion to be- "jeet matter of it; for the ** lieve. precedes all DoOrines 5 «♦ fame Evidence, is not to be *' efpecially if they be afTerted, *• expeiled in all things." And *• not by common, but by in the latter part of his firft ♦* great, afld' alm(>ft diviriC Scft. 19. the Chrijlian Religion. 139 muft have different kinds of Proof; one fort ia Mathematicks, another in the Properties of Bodies, ^ another in doubtful Matters, and another in Mat^:; ters of Fa6t. And we are to abide by that, whofc: Teftimonies are void of all Sufpicion: Which if it be not admitted, not only all Hiftory is of no further Ufe, and a great Part of Phyfick; but all that natural Affedion, which is betwixt Parents and Children, is loft, {a) who can be known no other way. (h) And it is the Will of God, that) thofe things which he would have us believe, fo as that that Faith fliould be accepted from us as Obedience; fhould not be fo very plain, as thofe things we perceive by our 3enfes, and by Demon->n::xj iiucn 3l..m^rij aio'fad bam^isir ftration; / -^{a) Who tan be kntyivn no ather yjmyf^^ ] Thus Hemtr^ No man for certain knozvsi <M&JeSoh i^JsP'^ 7^n. b6i[iht That is, with the mofl exa£t kind of Knowledge.
{&) And it is the Will of Goti, &c.] There are two forts of Propofjtions in the Chriilian Religion; one fort of which, may be philofophically demotift rated, the other cannot. Of the former arefuch asthefe: The Exigence of God, the Creation of the World, a Divine Providence; the Goodnefs and Advantage of the Precepts of Religion; all which arc capable of a Demonftration, find are adlually demonilrated by Grotius and others; fo that a iVL-in muft renounce his Reaibn, or elfc admit diem. But thofe Paffions which are contrary to them, hinder Unbelievers from receiving them, becaufe if theyihouldown them to be true, they mufl fubdue thofe Paflions, which they ar© unwillmg to do, Iptecaufe the/ have been fo long accuftomed to thera. Of the latter Sort, are the hiftorical Fa(5l5, upon which the Truth of the Gofpel depends, and which are explained by Grotiusy and proved by hiilorical Argu^ ments. Which fame Arguments, would be allowed to be good by Unbelievers, in the iame manner as they do the Proofs of all thofe Hiftories, which they believe, tho' they did not fee the Fads j if they were not hindered by the Prevalence of their Paflions; and which they muft entirely fubdue, if fuch Arguments came once to take phure. See a little Book of mine in French ^,c4>n^ ititning Infidelity.. Le Ckr<>.^\ I40 V Of the Truth of Book IL ilration; but only fo far as is fufficient to procure the Belief, and perfuade a Man of the thing, who is noc obftinately bent againft it: So that theGofpel is, as it were, a Touch-ftone, to try Mens honeft Difpofitions by. For fince thofe Arguments, which we have brought, have gained the Aflent of fo many good and wife Men; it is very manifeft, that the Caufe of Infidelity in others, is not from the want of Proof; but from hence, {a) that they would not have that feem true, which contradids their Paflions and Affedlions. It is a hard thing for them lightly to efteem of Honours and other Advantages; which they muft do, if they would receive what is related concerning Chrift, and for that Reafon, think themfelves bound to obey the Precepts of Chrift. And this is to be difcovered by this one thing, that they receive many other hiftorical Relations as true, the Truth of which, is eftablifhed only upon Authorities, of which there are no Marks remaining at this time: As there is in the Hiftory of Chrift; partly by the Confeffion of the Jews^ which are now left; partly by the Congregation of Chriftians, every where to be found; for which there muft of Neceffity have been fome Caufe. And fince the long Continuance of the Chriftian Religion, and the Propagation of it fo far, cannot be attributed to any human Power, it follows, that it muft be attributed to Miracles: Or if any one fhould deny it to have been done by Miracles; this very thing, that that [a) That thev would not ha've fays; that they do not believe that fcem true y Sic. '^ ChryfoJio7n the Commandment Sy proceeds treats very handfomely of this, from their Univillingnefs t9 in the Beginning of i Cor, keep them.
Chap. 3. And to Demetrius, he Sedl. 19. the Chriftin?2 Religion, iai that (a) it fhould, without a Miracle, gather To much Strength and Power, ought to be looked upon as greater than any Miracle.
[a] ItJJ^ouId, nx^ithout a Mi- I. towards the End; and Jurade^kz.] Chryfojiom \i^xid\Q% ^«/?/«, concerning the City of this Argument on i Cc;/u.tCh. * 'God, Book XXIl. Chap' c " '»' ■r'w Ip dJiitT aoO*3d:r vd YbiRq ^ ilsl won . t>i3ib ijjiiiw lol; ^ bnui aadw yiov^ BO "OK" III.
^"sf^^iVl ^d\^^^? i-t^v^Y^^I i\5J^\ K,^ Vn;a? ^-^w,m^\ •: Sect. X. Of the Authority of the Booki of the Netx^ Tefiajnefit, E who is perfwaded of the Truth and Excellency of that Religion which Chriftians profefs, having been convinced either by the Arguments before offered, or by any other befides them, in order to underhand all the feverai Parts of it, he mufl go to the moft antient Books, which contain this Religion; and they are what we call the Books of the New Teftament, or rather Covenant: For it is unreafonable for any one to deny, that That Religion is contained in thoi'c pooks, as all Chriftians affirm; fince it is tit that every Sed, good or bad, fhould be believed in this AfTertion, that their Opinions are contained in this or that Book 5 as we believe the Mahometans, that the Religion of Mahomet is contained in the Alcoran: Wherefore, fince the Truth of the Chriftian Religion, has been proved before, and at the fame Time it was evident, that it was contained in thefe Books; the Authority of thefe Books is fufficiently eftabliflied by this fingle Thing: However,.i^rftny one defire to have it more particularly made appear to him, he muft firft lay down that common Rule amongft all fair Judges, {^a) That He who would difprove any Writing, which has beenj j|;e^f^i(:?d/9|:^jn^ny;Ages, is, obliged to ibiing ArguM See Bixldus in his Rubrickcon- Obf. CXLIX. Nu?rth 6 and 7, ^^errling t}i^ Credibility of Wli- and thofc'i»& theic cites.
Stdc. I, 2, the ChriJIian Religion. 145 iTients that may diminifh the Credibility of fuch a | Writing; which, if he cannot, the Book is to be \ defended, as in Pofleflion of its own Authority. -^ Sect. II. J'he Books that have any Names affixed to tbem^ were writ by thofe Perfo^s whofe Names Usihey bear.
W E fay then, that the Writings, about which there is no Difpute amongfl Chrillians, andvvhich have any particular Perfon's Name affixed to them, «irc that Author's, whofe Title they are mark'd with; becaufe the firft Writers, fuch as Juftin^ Iren^usy {a) Clemens^ and others after them, quot6 thefe Books under thofe Names: And befides, (b) l^ertullian fays, that in his Time, fome of the Origind Copies of thofe Books were extant. And becaufe all the Churches received them as fuch, before there were any publick Councils held: Neither did any Heathens or Jews raife any Controverfy, as if they were not the Works of thofe whofe they were faid to be. ■Ax\di(€) Julian openly confefTes, that thofe ^t^'^ti^^i^^Bm^^Matthew's^ Mark's^ and only Clemevs's Vj^^i^Wq.to the RuUf in their refpeclive Places i Corinthlatis extant, in wiiich in,^ki,ch the Autbentick Letters he quotes Places of the Netv thewfeltesarerecited. And why Telhment, but does hot name might not the Hand of the Athe Writers; wherefore Cle- poftles be then extant, when ;7;^/?i's Name iiiight have been ^intilian fays, that in his omitted J and romightJz(/?/«'s, lime Cicero's Hand was exwho is not ufed to add the, tant; and Gf///«/ fays the fame Names. UClerc..g'-'H^lV'^^ of r/Vj[r//'s in his?
his Prefcription againft the He- &c. I J he Place is to be feen reticks. Let any one ivbo ^jcould in CyriPs Xth Book. (See alfo e.xercije his Curiofity principally our Annotations, in the Differin the Affair of his SahatioHy tation on the IV Evangelilb, let him run over the /Jpojiolical added to the Harmony of thf CburchiSfOvernjohich the Seats Gpfpels, LtClerc.) * .^^ Of the Truth of.uook III.
Jjuke^.^ which were read by the Chriflians, under thofe Names. No Body, in his Senfes, makes any Doubt of Homer's or VirgiPs Works being theirs, by reafon of the conflant Teftimony of the Greeks concerning the one, and of the Latins concerning the other -, how much more then, ought we to Hand by the Teftimony of ahnoft all the Nations in the World, for the Authors of thefe Books?
IN- SECT. III. 'The Dotiht^ of thofe Books that were formerly doubtful^ taken away.
There are indeed in the Volume we now ufe, fome Books which were not equally received from the Beginning; {a) as the Second of Peter^ that of James^ and Jude^ two under the Name o^John the Prefbyter, the Revelations^ and the Epiftle to the Hebrews: However, they were acknowledged by many Churches, as is evident from the ancient Chriftians, who ufe their Teftimony as facred; which makes it credible, that thofe Churches, which had not thofe Books from the Beginning, did not know of them at that Time, or elfe were doubtful concerning them; but having afterwards learned the Truth of the Thing, they began to ufe thofe Books after the Example of the reft; as we now fee done in almoft all Places: Nor can there be a fufiicient Reafon imagined, why any one Ihould counterfeit thole Books, when nothing can be gathered from them, but what is abundantly contained in the other Books that are undoubted.
{a) Ai the Second of Peter, two Epillles, could be called ia &c.] However, Grotlus him- Queftion, this would not renlelf doubted of this; the Rea- der the reil doubtful; nor Ions of which Doubt, he him- would any Part of the Chriftian ielf gives us, in the Beginning Faith be defeilive, becaufe it is of his Annotations upon this abundantly delivered ia other Epiitle. But though one or Places. Le C/erc, Sect. IV. ^ht Authority of thofe Books, which have no Name to them^ evident from the Nature of the Writings, There is no Reafon why any one fiiould detradi: from the Credibihty of the Kpiftle to the Hebrews^ upon this Account only, becaufe we do not know who wrote it •, and fo Hkewife of the two Epiftles of John, and the Revelation •, becaufe fome have doubted whether John the Apoftle wrote them, or another of the fame Name, ia) For in Writers, the Nature of the Writings is more to be regarded than the Name. Wherefore we receive many Hiftorical Books, whofe Authors we are ignorant of, as that oi C^far^s Alexandrian War; viz, becaufe we fee, that whoever the Author was, he lived in thofe Times, and was prefent at thofe Matters: So fikewife ought we to be fatisfied, when thofe, who wrote the Books we are now fpeaking of, teftify that they hved in the firft Age, and were endued with the ApoftoHcal Gifts. And if any one fliould object againft this, that thefe Qualities may be feigned, as may the Names in other Writings j he would fay a Thing that is by no means credible, viz. that they who every where prefs the Study of Truth and Piety, ihould without any Reafon, bring themfelvcs under the Guilt of a Lye -, which is not only abhorred by all good Men, (b) but was punifhed with Death by the Roman Laws.
[a) For in If'riters, &c.] It minis. D. de Lege Cormlia; had been more proper to fay and Paul, Book V. ^ent, ^(it.
in ItWitings^ or Books, which XXV. Se6t. \ o, and 1 1. See is the Meaning of Grotius, as Examples of this Purifhment, appears from what follows, at the end of rhe Books of /^4- Le Clerc lerius Maximui, and in Capito- \b) But nvas funijhid <iviih linui in Pertinax. Death, ice] See I. Falfi No- L Sect.
146 Of the Truth of Book III.
Si eTv V. That thefe Authors wrote what wastrue^ becaufe they knew the Things they wrote about, ICt is certain therefore, that the Books of the New Teflament, were wrote by thofe whofe Names they bear, or by fuch Perfons as they profefs themfelves to be \ and it is moreover evident, that they had a Knowledge of Things they wrote about, and had no Defire to fay what was falfe; whence it follows, that what they wrote muft be true, becaufe every Falfity proceeds either from Ignorance, or from an ill Intention. Matthew^ John^ Peter^ and Jude^ were of the Company of thofe Twelve, which Jefus chofe to be Witnefles of his Liife and Dodrines: {a) So that they could not want the Knowledge of thofe things they relate: The fame may be faid of J antes ^ who either was an Apoftle, or as others would have it, (h) a near Relation of Jefus, and made Bifhop of Jerufalem by the Apoilles. Neither could Paul be deceived through Ignorance, concerning thofe Dodrines which he profefTes were revealed to him by Jefus himfelf reigning in Heaven; neither could he be deceived, in the Things which he performed himfelf; no more could Luke^ who was his (c) infeparable Companion in his Travels. This fame Luke could cafily know what he wrote, concerning the Life and Death of Jefus; becaufe he was born in a neighbouring Place, and had travelled through Palejii?ie^ [a) So that they could not phus alfo. {Add to thefe Eufe- Kvant the Kfio^ledzey^Q.'] John biiis^ H. E. Book II. Ch. i.
XV. 27. alfo r Epiji.l. Ads and 23.)
\b) A near 'Relation of Jefus, &c.] ^z&ASis XX. and the &c.j So others, and they not following. Colof IV. 14. 2 a few, think; and St C^ry- TViw, IV. \\> PhiUm. 24. fcfoni every where, ^ee Joft- Sed:. 5, 6. the Chriflia?! Religion. 147 where, he fays, {a) he fpake with them who were Eye-Witnelfes of thefe Things. Without doubt there were many others, ( befides the Apoftles with whom he was acquainted,) who were then aUve, having been healed by Jefus, and who had {t^n him die, and come to Life again. If we beheve Tacitus and Suetonius^ concerning thofe Things which happened long before they were born, becaufe we rely upon their diligent Enquiry •, how much more reafonable is it, to believe this Author, who fays he had every Thing from Eye-Witnefles? {b) It is a conftant Tradition that Mark was a continual Companion o^ Peter •, fo that what he wrote, is to be cfteemed as i^ Peter himfelf, who could not be ignorant of thofe Things, had didated it: Befides, almoft every Thing which he wrote, is to be found in the Writings of the Apoflles. Neither could the Writer of the Revelations be deceived, in thofe Virions which he fays {c) were caufed from Heaven % (d) nor he to iht Hebrews^ in thofe Things which he profeffes he was taught, either by the Spirit of God j or /fey the Apoftles them* lelves. I ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ btyli^^vvj 1^v^'-'■?!^ibf^jiO' ^^:^^^T:p'^lf.,4nd hecaufe they wguM not fay what The oth^r Thing vireaffiriiied, viz* that they would not fpeak an Untruth •, belongs to what was before treated of, when we fiiewed the Credibility of [a] Hefpah 'with them, &c.] i,<fO ^^^^ caufed from Bea- In the Preface of his Gofpel <V€n,.^.c^ R&v. 1. i, 2. IV, Hiftory. 1. and the following, XXII.
&c.] Irenaus, Book III. ch. i.^..(^) -^'^^" ^^ ^'^ theHcUews, 148 Of the Truth of Book III.
of the Chriftlan Religion in general, and of the Hi* ftory of Ghrift's Refurredion. They who would difprove WitneiTes in this Particular relating to the Difpofition of their Mind and Will, muft of necefiity allege fomething to make it credible, that they fet their Mind againft the Truth. But this cannot be faid here; For if any one fhould objedl that their own Caufe was concerned j he ought to examine upon what Account it was their Cauft; Certainly not for the fake of getting any Advantage, or fhunning any Danger j when, on the Account of this jProfeflion, they loft all Advantages, and there was no Dangers which they did not expofe themfelves to. It was not therefore their own Caufe, unlefs out of Reverence to God, which certainly does not induce any Man to tell a Lye; efpecially In a Matter of fuch Moment, upon which the Eternal Salvation of Mankind depends. We are hindred from believing fuch a wicked Thing of thern, both by their Dodrines, which are in every part ia) full of Piety \ and by their Life, which was never accu fed of any evilFadl, no, not by their Enemies, who only objeded their Unfkilfulnefs againft them, which is not at all apt to produce a Faifity. If there had been in them the leaft bilhonefty, they would not have fet down their own Faults to be eternally remembred; {b) as in the the [a] Full of Piety, Zi.c,'] And which are his own, and thofe abhor Lying, JohnXW^ 17. which are the Lord's, i Cor.
XV. 26. XVL 13. XVIL 17, VIL 10, 12. how cautious in 25. Rom. I. 2y2^ke/. IL 20. ther he faw them in the Body, 1 John I. 6, 8 ir. 4, 21. 2 or out of the Body, 2 Cor. Xil.
Colof, IIL 9. Rev. XXIL 15. [b) As in the Flight of them Sedl. 6, y. the Chrijlian Religion. 149 the Flight of them all, when Chrift was in Danger \ and {a) in Peler's thrice denying him.
Sect. VII. The Credibility of thefe Writers further confirmed'^ from their being famous for Miracles, But on the contrary; God himfelf gave remarkable Tefl-imonies to the Sincerity of them -, by working Miracles, which they themfelves and their Difciplcs (b) publickly avouched with the highefl AfTurance; adding the Names of the Perfons and Places, and other Circumilances y the Truth or Falfity of which AfTertion, might cafily have been difcovered by the Magiftrates Enquiry; amongft which Miracles, this is worthy Obfervation, (c) which they conftantly affirmed, viz. their fpeaking Languages they had never learned, before many thoufand People; and healing in a Moment Bodies that were difeafed, in the Sight of the Multitude j nor were they at all afraid, tho' they knew at that Time, that the Jewifh Magiftrates were violently fet againft them v and the Roman Magiftrates very partial; who would not overlook any Thing that afforded Matter of traducing them as Cn mi nals, and Authors of a new Religion y nor did any' of the Jews or Heathens in thofe neareft Times, dare to deny that Miracles were done by thefe Men: Nay, Phkgon, who was a Slave of the Emperor Adrian^ (d) mentions the Miracles of Peter in his Annals: ^/wif, Sec] ' Mai. XX Vf 6t). quotea feefore.:':. VV ' and the following; Mark XIV.,' ' [4] lUntion\thf^ Kf tracks ef 66. and the following; Luhe Peter, &c.] Book 5^111. As XXII. 54. and the following. Ongen^zy^ in his lid Booiv a- [b) Publickly avouched. Sec] gain ft C^////^. This i.s ^l^t See the Afts of the Apoflies Fhlegon, whofe Remains vie throughput, and 2 CorXll, 12. have yet, concerning ^^lirjicks, {c]lVhi€h they conjlantly af- and long-lived Men.
L3 ISO Of the rmtb of Book IIL And the Chridians themfelvesin thofeBooks, wherein they give an Account of the Grounds of their Faith, before the Emperors, Senate, andRuk'rs [a) Ipeak of thefeFadls, as things known to every Body, and about which there could be no Doubt: Moreover, they openly declare, that the wonderful Power ©f thertn {b) remained in their Graves for fome Ages; when they could not but know, if it we're falfe, that they could eafily be difproved by t|ie Magiftrates to their Shame and Punifhment., A'i\d, thefe Miracles, now mentioned at their Sepulchres, were fo common, and had fo many WitnefTes, (fj- that. they forced Porfbyry_ to confefs the Truth fa) Speak of thefe FdiTi ii' thtHgs, &c.] The Places are very many, efpecially in Origin. See the whole Vlllih Chap, of Augnfline\ XXlId Book of i\i^ Gity of God.
[h)Rtinained In their Gra'ves, &C.J The Miracles at the Sepulchres ^^ holy Men, then begab-^6 be boafted of, when the • iChrJftians having the Power in their Hands, began to make an Advantage of the dead Bodies of Martyrs and others, that were buried in their Churches. Wherefore I would not have this Argifmcnt made ute of, left we diminifh from the Credibility of certjuh Miracles, by thefe doubtful or fi£\itious ones. Every one knows, how many Stories are related after thelVth Century, about this Matter. But Origen dOes not mention any fuch Miracles: but in his Vllth Book againft Celfm fays, Very many Miracles of the Holy Spirit nuere manifejledat the Beginn^.
ing bfJifus^sVoSiritfey andofter his Afc\nfiqn^ hut afiei^va>:ds. theyiverefenver; howcd'er there are nO'VJ fame Tootfeps of them in fome few, njoh-oft Minds are purified hy Reafon, and their ASlions agreeable thereto. Who can believe that fo many Miracles fliould be done in cM^e or two Centuries after Origen^ when there was le5 need of them? Certainly it \> as reafonable, to derogate from the Credibility of the Miracles of the iVth and Vth Centuries, as it would be impudent to deny the Miracles of Chrlft and'hii Apoftles. Thei'e Miracles could not be aflerted without Danger; thofe could not be rejefled without Danger, nor be believed without Profit to thofe who perhaps forged them; which is a great Difference, he Clerc.
(c) That they forced Porphyry, &c.] See CyriTs Xth Book againrtyW/^w, 2it\AJerom againft a Book of VigUantius, Seft. 7, 8, 9. the Chrijiian Religioju 151 of them. Thefe things which we have now alleged, ought to fatisty us: But there are abundance mgre Arguments, which recommend to us the Credibility of thefe Books.
Sect. VIII. 4i^d of their Writings \ hecaufe in them ^^re contained many things^ which the Invent proved yto he revealed by a Divine Power.
■^ For we find in them many Predictions, concerning things which Men could not pofiibly know of themfelves, and v/hich were wonderfully confirmed by the Event; {a) fuch as the fudden and univerfal Propagation of this Religion; {h) the perpetual Continuance of it; {c) that it fhould be rejected by very many of the Jews^ (d) and embraced by Strangers; {e) the Hatred of the Jews againft thofe who profefTed this Religion; (f) theieverePunifhments they fhould undergo, upon the account of it; (g) the Siege and Deftruclion oijerufakmy and the' Temple, and {h) the fore Calamities of the J^wi.
Sect. IX. And affo from theCare that it *wasfit God fhould take, that faff e Writings fhould not he forged.
To what has been faid may be added, that if it be granted, that God takes care of human Af- {a) Such as the fudden, &c.] aka il/^.-.VIII. 2.- 3cil.-.2I.
Mtf/. XIII. 33. and follow iag XXi. 43.. ^,., • Verfes. Luke X. 18. John^W. -{e) The Hatred of it^t Jews, of it, Sec] lukel. 33. Mat^ SccJ^M^t,'^ zi\7Pi^:^^lll, [c] That it fjould he rejeSied^ (^) The Siege OftdDe^^mBion^ &c.] Mat. XXI. 33. and foU &c.] Mat, XXIII. 58. XXIV.
lowing Verfes; XXII. at the *6. Luk^ XIII, 34- XXI. 24: • Beginning. Luke X.'V. 11. and {h) And the fore CaloTfiitiis [d) And e?nb raced byStrangers, 33. and following. "Verfei.
&c.] Ift the fame Places,, and XXIIL 34.. XXIV.-^jo..-,.. - L4 152 Of the ^1'ruth of Book III.
fairs, and efpecially thofe that concern his own Honour and Worfhip; it is impolTible he fhouid fuffer fuch a Multitude of Men, who had no other Defigrt than to worfhip him with Sincerity, to ba deceived by falfe Books. And, after there did arife feveral Seds in Chriftianity, there was fcarce any ^tbund, who did not receive either all, or moft of thefe Books, except a few, which do not contain any thing particular in them -, which is a ve^y good Argument why wc ihould think, that nothing irj thefe Books could be. contrad idled; becaufe thofe Sed:s Were lb inflamed with Hatred.again ft each Other, that whatfoever pleafed one, for that very Reafim difpleafed another.
1 '-There were indeed amongft thofe who were .willing to be called Chriftians, a very few, who rejected all thofe Books which feemed to contradict their particular Opinion; fuch as they, who out of Hatred to the JewSy {a) fpoke ill of the God of the Jews^ of the Maker, of the. World, and of the Law: Or, on the contrary, out of fear of the Hardfhips that the Chriftians were to undergo, (^) llieiteredthemfelves under theName oijews^ rtiiy ihat they might profefs. their Religion, with- 'fhejeivsy &c.] Ste JnTic^us, their Religion, Szcl W^s IX, l^ook I. chap. 29. Tertu/Iian 20, XIII. ahd many times in againfl: Marcion, and Epipha- that Book. Philo againft ^lacfiius concerning the fame. cus; and concerning the Em- {b)^heUeredthemfel<ves under hajjy, Jofephus every where.
tW Name, Sec ] See Gai. II. To which may be added L.
2. VI. 13, 14. Philip III. Generaliter, D. de Decurionil3. Iren^usfBodk III. Chap, hus^ and Lib. L C. de JuJais.
28. i?^/^i'a«;:^J concerning the TertuUian, in his Apology, Ebioniies, fays. Bat the Jeivs read their Laiu SfeHt. 'lo. theChrtfticm Religion. 15'^ out Punifhment. (a) But thefc very Men were difowned by all other Chriftians every where, {b) in thofe times, when all pious Perfons that differed from one another, were very patiently borne with, according to the Command of the Apoftles. The firft fort of thefe Corrupters of Chriftianity arc, I think, fufficiently confuted above, where we have ihewn that there is but one true God, whofe Workmanlhip the World is: And indeed it is fufficiently evident, from thofe very Books which they, that they might in fope meafure appear to be Chriftians, receive; [c) fuch as the Gofpel of St Luke in particular: It is, I fay, evident, that Chrid preached the fame God, -which Mofes and the Hebrews worfhipped. We (hall have a better Opportunity to confute the other fort, when we come to oppofe thofe who are Jews, and willing to be called fo. In the mean time I Ihall add only this; that the Impudence of thofe Men is very furjprifing, -who undervalue the Authority oi Pauly when there was not any one of the Apofties who founded more Churches; nor of whom there were fo many Miracles related v at that timewhen^ as was before obferved, the Fadts might be eafily inquired into. ' And-^af we believe-';.liis;i Miracles, •:fc:i..:?}:-in3:...:;;. ■ v^-ubT..]: what. oj^N^'to amBHarlj uabnu a^vislm^fijb^isibdl (4),0^ Litw opghif%' ' iiey 'gemra^''^ ttr -al ihe Erxf oP the Vlth fur chafe Lea've by a Tribute y Book. Add alfo Irena^uis Envhich they gather upgn all piftle to the ViSIory and what Sabbath Days. ••■ ■ \.Jfrom writes, concerning it -/ \a) But thife'very Men kvere mhis Catalogue; and Cyprian difonjcnedy &c.j Tertullian^ in ix\')a\sJfricanCo\xnQi\. Judging his Ift againft Marcion, fays, no Man, nor remomng any one Tou cannot find any Church of from the Right of Conwtunion, ApQJlolical Ordery iK>ho are not J'er his differiug in Opinion.
Chrifita^ns.mt ofre^firdjo the (f) ^uch as the Gofpel of St (b) In tUfe timeSy&:.Y^^^^ VJth Book againft Marcion, what will be faid of this Mat- makes it appear very plainl/.
154: ^f ^^^ Truth of Book III,