Book a'gaini^ "cV^i,, handlqs Virtue ^ifynu take auoayLlhertu this Matter, as he ufes to do {a) LapJ\\ E<ven they them" others, very learnedly \ where fehes\ &c.]. Concerning this r.mongll other things, he (ays, whole Matter, See tl>e Note ac That you dejlroy the tUture 0/ Sed. VIH. -.
yS Of the Tfuth of Book I.
ferved, is eftabliriied by fiich ftrong Arguments; but rather, with the wifeil Men, draw this following Inference; Sect. XXI. This may he turned upon them, fo as to prove, that Souls furvive Bodies.
That fince God has a Regard to human Adlions, who is himfelf juft; and yet thefe things come to pafs in the mean time; we ought to expedl a Judgment after this Life, left either remarkable Wickednefs fhould continue unpunifhed, or eminent Virtue go unrewarded and fail of Happinefs.
Sect, XXII. Which is confirmed hy 'Tradition.
In {a) order to eftablifh this, we muft firft ihew^ that Souls remain aftei* they are feparated from their Bodies; which is a moft ancient Tradition, derived from our firft Parents, (whence elfe could it come?) to almoft all civilized People; as appears {h) from Homer's Verfes, {c) and from the Philofophers, not only the Greek, but alio the ancient Gauls, (d) which were called Druids, * {a) In order to ejlahlijly.thts^ added, the like, in Virgil, in &c.] Whoever has a mind to Seneca s, Oedipus, Luc an, St aread this Argument more large- tins, and that in Samuely I \y handled, I refer him to Sam XXVIII.
Chry/ojiom on the lid Cor. [c] And from the Fhilofophers^ Chap. 18. and Ko\C\% Ethicks &c ] Pherecydes, Pythagoras, Tome VI. againft thofe who and Plato, and all the Difciaffirm that human Affairs, are pies of them. To thele Jujiin regulated by Demons: And adds Enipedocles, and manjt to his IVth Difcoiiife upon Oracles in his lid. Apologe- Providence. tick; and Xenocrates.
Efpecially in that Part called ids, &c.] Tlieie taught, that viKiJ^idL,concermngtbofe that are Souls did not die. ^^^Cafar, departed: To which may be Book VI. of the War with the Sedt. 22. the Chrijlimi Religion. 7^ {a) and from the Indians called Brachmans^ and from thofe Things, which many Writers have related, {b) concerning the Egyptians (c) and Tbracians, and alfo oftheGermans. And moreover, concerning a Divine Judgment after this Life, we find many-Things extant, not only among the Greeks^ {d) but alfo the Gauls ^ and Strahoy Book IV. of the fame. 7hefe and others fay, that Souls are incorruptible; (fee alfo Lucan^ Book {a) And of the Indians called Brachmans, &c.] Whofe Opinion Strabo explains to us thus. Book XV. •* We are to think " of this Life, as of the State •' of a Child before it be born; ** and of Death, as a Birth to *' that which is truly Life and '* Happinefs, to wife Men." See'alfo a remarkable place concerning this Matter, in Porphyry\ IVth Book, againfl eating Living Creatures.
[b] Concerning //Lr Egyptians, &c.] Herodotus in his Euterpe fays, that it was the Opinion of the Egyptians, That the Soul of Man ^vjas immortal. The fame is reported of them by Diogenes Lairtius, in his Preface, and by Tacitus Book V. of his Hidory of the "Jeixs. They buried rather than burnt their Bodies, after the Manner cf the Egyptians; they having the fame Regard and Perfnafion concerning the Dead. See Diodorus Siculusy concerning the Soul of Ofris; and Ser^vius On the Vlth Mneid, moll of which is taken from the Egyptiarii.
[c) And Thracians, &c ] See again here, the Places of Hermjppus, concerning Pythagoras, which we before quoted out of Jofephus. Mela, Book II. concerning the Thracians^ fays, *' Some think, that the " Souls of thofe who die, re-" turn again; others, that " though they do not return, *' yet they do not die, but go *• to a more happy Place.** And Solitius concerning the fame, Ch X. ♦* Some of them *' think, that the Souls of thofe ** who die, return again; o* " thers, that they do not die, •* but are made more happy.'* Hence arofe that Cuftom of attending the Funerals with great Joy, mentioned by thefe Writers, and by Valerius Max. Book I. Chap. V. 12. That which we before quoted out of the Scholiaft upon Arijiophanes, makes this the more credible, nuz, that fome of the He b revjs o( old came into (d) But alfo among the Egyptians, &c.] Diodorus Siculus, Book I. fays, that what Orpheus delivered, concerning Souls departed, was taken from the Egyptians. Repeat what we now q^uoted out of Tact" tus.
8o Of the Triith bf Book I.
alfo among the Egyptians [a) and Indians^ as Strahd, Vidgenes Laertius^ and {b) Plutarch tells us: T6 which wc may add a Tradition, that the World Ihould be burnt; which was found of Old (c) in Hyftafpes and ih^Sibyls, and now alfo {d) in Ovid (e) and Lucajiy {a) And Indians •^•-'c ] A- nou> Place of h's, quoted by BookXV.ieckom that concern- his Goi'pel Preparat. out of ifig the Jtidgmenti that are ex- the Dialogue concerning the ercifed a?nongJi the Souls de- Soul.
farted. [c) In Hyftafpes avd the Sicerning thofe whofe Puniih- Apologetick, and Clemens^ inent is deferred by the Gods, Strom. VI. whence is quoted and concerning the Face of that from the Tragosdian. the Moon's Orb. See a fa- For certainly the Day ivill cof/:ey ''tnjoill come^ When the bright Sky Jhall from his Treafure Jend A liquid Fire ^ n.vhofe a II- devouring Flames ^ By La<vjs unbounded, Jhall deftroy the Earthj And'^hat'' s above it; all Jlyail vanijl? then, ^The Water of the Deep f:?all turn to Smoke, The Earth fhall ceafe to nov.rijh 'trees; the Aiti Infead of bearing up the Birdsy Jhall burn, (d) In Ovid, kc ] Metamorphofes, Book I.
For he rfmemhred ^ttvas by Fate decreed . lo future times, that Sea, and Earth, and Heav tt Should burn ^ and this njafl Frame of. Nature fail.
[e) And Lucan, &;c.] Book I.
So ^vhen this Frame of Is.xivre ts difj'ulvd. And the laji Hour, in future: "Times ^ approach'^ All to its antient Chaos fhall return i *Ihe Stars confounded tumble into lied, *The Earth rej\fe its. Banks ^ and. ry to throve 7 he Ocean off. The Moon attack the Sun, Driving Her Chariot through the burning Sky^ Enraged, and challenging to; ule the Day. The Ordzr of the l. drWs dijiurb'' d thraiighout.
Lucan, Scft. 23. the Chrijlian Reli^ton, %X Lucan^ and amongft {a) the Indians in Siam \ a Ta* ken of which, is the Sun's approaching nearer to the Earth, (h) obferved by Aitronomers. So likewife, upon the firft going into the Canary IJlands and America^ and other diftant Places, thefameOpinion, concerning Souls and Judgment, was found there.
Sect. XXIII. And no way repugnant to Reafon, (r) Neither can we find any Argument drawn from Nature, Which overthrows this ah ancient Lucan was preceded by his Uncle Seneca, in the end of his Book to Marcia; J he Stars &all rim upon each other; and g'very thing being on a Flame^ that nvhich no-tv Jhincs regular-^ ly, Jhall then hum in one Fire.
{a) The Indians rVSiam, &c,] See Ferdinand Mendejius.
[b) Ohfer^ved by Jjironomers, &c.] See Copertticus''s Revolutions, Book in. Ch. 16. Joachim Rheeiicus on Copernicus^ iind Gemma Frijius. See allb Ptolemy, Book 111. Ch. 4. of liis MathematicalSyntax. That the World is not now upheld by that Power it was formerly, as itfelf declares j and that its Ruin is evidenced, by the Proof ^ hotv the Things in it fail ^ fays Cyprian to Demetrius. Th6 Earth is nearer to the Sun in its Perihelions, that is, when it is in the extreme Parts of the leiTery^viV of its Parahald^ though the Earth always approaches at the fame Diftances; yet it is manifeft from hence, that at the Will of God, it may approach ftill nearer, and if it io pUafes Him, be fet on Fire by the San, as?t happens to Comets. Le Clerc. " It vvere *' to be wilhed that the learned •* Remarker had left ont this ** and fome other Notes of ** this Kind, unlefs he had *' ftixlied fuch fort of Things *' more^* (t) l^ either can njoe find any Jrgument, &c.] This Matte* might he handled more exadt* ly, and upon better Principles of Philofophy, if cur Room would allow it. I. We ought to define what we mean by the Death of the Souly which would happen, if either the Subftance 6f the Soul vvere reduced to nothing, or if there vvere fo great a Change made in it, that it were deprived of the Ufc or all its Faculties; thus Material Things, are faid to be; deftroyed, if either their Subftance ceafes to be, or if their Form be fo altered, that ihcy are no longer of the fame Species; as when Plants are burnt or putrifyed; the like to which befals Brute Creatures. H It cannot be proved that the SubRance of the Soul G peiiihes: 82 Of the Truth of Book I.
cient and extenfive Tradition: For all thofe Things which feem to us to be deftroyed, are either deftroyed by the Oppofition of fomething more powerful than themfelves, as Cold is deftroyed by the greater Force of Heat: or by taking away the Subjedt upon which they depend, as the Magnitude of aGlafs, iDy brealdng kf orixy the Defeft of the ■jv.n.^yi 9iiJ fbiii^ noq'u ib^rdoS on ai 9i3' efficient perifhcs: J^or Bodies are not entirely deftroyed, but only divided, and their Parts feparated from each other. Neither can any Man prove, that the Soul ceafes to think, which is the Life of the Soal, after the Death of the Man; for it does not follow, that when the Body is deftroyed, the Mind is deftroyed too, it having never yet been proved, that it is a Material Sabftance. III. Nor has the contrary yet been made Appear, by certain PhJlofophick 'Arguments, drawn from the Nature of the Soul; becaufe we are ignorant of it. It is true indeed, that the Soul is not, by its own Nature, reduced to nothing; neither is the Body; this muft be done by the particular Aft of their Creator. Bat it may poflibly be without any Thought or Memory; which Statej as I before faid, may be called tfie Death of it. But IV; If the 80 uf,'^ after " the DHfol utio n of fhe' 'Body, fiiourd feitiaiafor ever in that Stat^, and ne\^r return to- its Thoughr or- Me- ' rrt«ry agiin, then thefe can be nty Acdoiint given of t)ivine VrdvT<Jenee, which has-been proved to be, by the fore^iwg Atgnments. Go^\ Goodnti: and Juftice, the Love of Virtue, and Hatred to Vice; which every one acknowledges in him, would be only empty Names 5 if he (hould confine his Benefits to the ihort and fadinggoodThingsof this Life, and make no Diftindion betwixt Virtue and Vice; botk good and bad men equally perilhing forever, without feeing in this Life any Rewards or PunifhmentSjdifpenfed to thofe who have done well or ill: And hereby God would ceafe to be God, that i?, the moft perfedl Being; which, if we take away, we cannot give any Account of almoft any other Thing, zs Orotius has fuffi' ciently fhown, by thofe Arguments, whereby he has demonft rated, that allThings were created by God.- Since therefore there is a God, who love^ Virtue and abhors Vice; the Souls of Men muft be Immortal, and refer ved for Rewards or Punifhments in another Life. But this requires further Enlargement. Le €/erc. The Proof of the SouPs Immortality, drawn from the ConJiderationof the Nature of it, may be fciWi in its fhll Force in Dr CUarh's Letter to Mr DocfwfUstndiht Defences of it.
Sed. 23. the Chrijiian Religim, efficient Caufe, as Light Sun. But none of thefe by the Abfence oF the can be applied to the Mind; not the firft, becaufe nothing can be conceived contrary to the Mind; nay, fuch is the peculiar Nature of it, that it is capable equally^ and at the fame time, of contrary Things in its own, that is, in an intelleduaL Manner. Not the fccond, becaufe there is no Subjedl upon which the Nature of the Soul depends; {a) for if there were any, it would be a Human Body; and that it is not fo, appears from hence, that when the Strength of the Body fails by Adion, the M^ind only does not contract any Wearinefs by ading. {b) Alfo the Powers of the Body fuffer, by the. too great Power of the Things, which are the Objeds of them, as Sight l?y the Light of the Sun. (c) But the Mind is ^q vIlBLpd rtam bzd bnij boo^ p.i bniM.Oiis,bs^oiflli^^^^r^^ {a) For if thetf nvere^nji, ^cj] That there is none, ylrijiotle proves very well from Old Men, Book I. Ch. IV. concerning the Soul. Alfo Book III. Chap. IV. he commends AnajcagoraSf for faying, that the Mind was fimple and unmixt, that it might diftinguilli other Things. J -rj.^ ,? * jcannot be fmelt nor feen.
'•vJBut the Mind, when it con- *• fiders TJiiings moll excellent *• to the Underflanding, it is " not hindered by thern from ** thinking, any more t4ian.it ** is by meaner Things, but ** rather excited by them j be- ** caufe the Senfitive Part can- J* not be feparated from the 5".^dy, but the Mind may."
«A^4 ^0 this, the famous Place j^{^htinus, quoted by Eufe* '^iusi'iid his Prepar. Book XV, :Ch. 22. Add alfo, th^t the vMind can overcome thofe Paf- - Cions which arife from theBody, > by its own Power; and can - chufe the greateft Pains and even the Death of it.
(r) But the Mind is rendered, &e.] And thofe are the^moft excellent Adions of the.'Mind, which call it oiF moli from the Body. d,r»d oj r §4 Of the Truth of Book I.
rendered die more perfedl, by how much the more excellent the T'hings are, about which it is converfant j as about Figures abitraded from Matter, and about univerfal Propofitions. The Powers of the Body are exercifed about thofe Things which are limited by Time and Place, but the Mind, about that which is Infinite and Eternal. Therefore, fince the Mind in its Operations, does not depend upon the Body, fo neither does its Exiftence depend upon it; for we cannot judge of the Nature of thofc Things which we do not fee, but from their Operations. Neither has the third Method of being, deftroyed, any Place here: For there is no Efficient Caufe, from which the Mind continually flows: Not the Parents, becaufe the Children live after they are dead. If we allow any Caufe at all, from whence the Mind flows, it can be no other than the firfl and univerfal Caufe, which, as to its Power, can never fail; and as to its Will, that That fhould fail, that is, that God fliould will the Soul to be deftroyed, th|s''cirf' never be proved by any Ar- M;aSBiQ;T. XXIV* jBut many. Things javmr.it, Nay, There are many, not inconfiderable Argumejits, for the contrary \ fuch as(<3:)the abfolute Power-.evcry Man has ovier-i.bis wn Anions j a \n\'pjyahfilulefo0ni'p^-.TdTicii of this Knowledge, is, ryjiflqnho'io^er his oivn^:4c-.that there is nothing fo grie-//3/;j,;''£.c.'J And" 'bver ail o- 'V6ti*, which the Mind will not flher' Living' Creitur$s~."'"1l'o 'Jfefpife, for the fake of God. wlilch" may Be,'^dd'ifd,',^ the Befide^ the Power of Under-/Knowledgc of (jod, '^i. of -ifanding and '-A<^ing, is not Jmnicirtal Beings. uin]If)fmor- ^ lii-nited, as it is in other Creata! Creature is not undetifl^td by tWres, but unwearied, and ex-^iTiy morfizIo?2e Jiiys SaJ/iip:i\ic ttnds itfclf infinitely, and is l^hi]olo2^hcr. One remarkable by this means like unto God; which Seft. 24, 25. she.ChrlJlian Rcligian. ' 85 natural Defire of Immortality; the Power of Confcience, which comforts him when he has performed any good Adions, though never fo difficult; and, on the contrary, (a) torments him, when he has done any bad Thing -, efpecially at the Approach of Death, as it were, with a Senfe of impending Judgment; (b) the Force of which, many times could not be extinguifhed by the word of Tyrants, tho' they have endeavoured it never fo much \ as appears by many Examples, Sect. XXV. From whence it follows^ that the End of Man, is Happinefs after this Life..
If then the Soul be of fuch a Nature, as contains in it no Principles of Corruption •, and God has given us many Tokens, by which we ought to . - underftand, vos: zn c 'x^-,imiym\- -^ air ** did his Crimes and Wicked- ** ednefsturntohisPunifhrnent.
true is that Aflertion of which Difference of Man from other Creatures, was taken Notice of by Galen.
[a) torments htm njuhen he has dons, &c.] See Plato's Ift Book of his Common-wealth: •* When Death feems to ap- " proach any one, Fear and *' SoUicitude comes upon him, " about thofe Things which ** before he did not think of."
{b) The Force ofnvhich, &c.] Witnefs that Epiftle oi Tiberius to the Senate. " What **■ I ihould write to you, O *' Senators, or how I fhould ** write, or what I fhould not '* write, at this Time, let the ** Gods and Goddeffes deftroy *' me, worfe than I now feel *• myfelf to perilh, if I know.*' Which Words, after Tacitus had rejyte^ jn the Vlth of his Annals, 'he adds, ** So far " bo " bo •* the Wifert of Men, that' if ** the Breafts of Tyrants were *' laid open, we might behold ** the Gnawings and Sting- ** ings,of them; for ^ the ** IBody is bruifed with Stripes, *• fo the Mind is torn with ** Rage and Lull and evil De- " figns.'* The Perfon which Tacitus here means, is Plato, who fays of a Tyrant, in Book XX. of his Common-wealth: *' He would appear to be in *' reality a Beggar, if any one ♦* could but fee into his whole *' Soul; full of Fears all his *' Life long, full of Uneafinefs " and Torment.'* The fame Philofopher has fomething like this in hisG(7r^/«y.^ Suetonim^ Ch 67. being about to recite S6 Of the Yruih of Book I.
tinderftand, that his Will is, it Ihould remain after the Body; there can be no End of Man propofed, more worthy of Hilii> than the Happinefs of that State; and this is what Plato and the Pythagoreans faid, {a) that the End of Man was, to be made moftiike to God. Thus what Happinefs is^ -and how to be fecured. Men may make fome Conjectures; but if ther^ be any thing concerning it, revealed from God, that ought to be efteemed, mofb true.and moft certain.
r Now fince the Chriftian Religion, recommends itfelf above all others *, whether we ought to give Credit to it or no, fhall be the Bufinefs of the fecond Part of this Work to examine.
the forementioned Epiftle of Tiberius, introduces it thus. *« At laft, when he was quite ** wearied out., in the Begin- " ning x)f fich aii Epiftle as "this, he confeiTes almoft all "his Evils.'' Claudian had an , Eye to this, place of Flato^ when he dercribes Rufinus in tains ^tbin;\ .rDeforvi his Breajif %vhich bears the Stamp oJ^^C€.,,",' ^^{a\ "Thai the End'of Mdn had from Pldta\ ':i!i QletftJgiti .VX 5J0C lOG B O QmE II.
TH E Defign then of this fecond Book, (after having put up our Petitions to Chrift the King of Heaven, that he would afford us fuch Afliftances of his holy Spirit, as may render us fufficient for fo great a Bufinefs) is, not to treat particularly of all the Opinions in Chriftiahity; but only to fhow that the Ghriftian Religion itfelf, is moft true and certain; Avhich we attempt thus. " • -- - ^? j 0 ^^^T S £ c T. U. The Proof that there was fuch a Per ton That ff^s'<:^}^azani^^ Jud^a^ in the Reign of l!ibermth& Roman Etpperor, is conftantly acknowledged, not only by Chriftians, difperfed all over the; World, but aifoby all the Jews which now' are,' Of have ' ever Wrote fince that, time-, - the.fam^ • is -alfateftified^Dy, Heathens, that is, fu'ch as did not write, «itrh€X of the Jewifh, or of theChriftian Religion, {a) Suetoniu5^{h) Tacitus^ {a) Suetonius, &c.] In his The Mth^r of that Name was 'Claudius, Chap. 25. where Chriji^nvho in the Reign of Ti- Chrefio is put for Chrijio, be- berius, fujfered Punijhmtnt un* caufe that Name was more der hisPrQcurator?oj\tms?i\d.ic.
known to the Greeks and Where the great Crimes and Latins Hatred to human kind they [b] Tacitus, &c.] Book XV. arc charged with, is nothing where'" he IS ipeaking of the elfe but their Contempt of Punifhment of the Cliriftians. Falfe Gods j which fame Rea- G 4 fon 88 Of the rruth of Book II.
*Tacitu5^ {a) Pliny the Younger, and many after Th a t the fame Jefus'was crucified by Pgnfius Pilate^ the PreHdent o^ Judaea ^ is acknowledged by all the faniq;Chriftians, nocwithftanding it migl^t * fon Tacifui liad, to curfe the ' ^eivs; and P/iny the Elder, when he calls the jeivsa People remarkahle. for Contempt of the Gads. " That is, very marfy of the Romctni were come tothis, that their Confciences \yerp pot affeflsd by that Part of their Ideology v/hich was Civil (which 5'^«^r(« commends) out they feigned it in their ' outward Ai^ions, and, kept it as a ComrFfand' of' the LaW; ';_«]cfching-upon W.orihip, ijs- a -j,,T/iirg of,i<uiiQm, more than. ,*JuD,Rtal^ty,^ See th^ Opinion of ""Varro nnp Scfic-a about this "'^^tter, wliichis tlie^lme with i; t^at' of- Ifa^huj -;,■ ip 'i^ag^^'w.- f^ook V. Ch. 33. and Book 'VvLrjC^ap TO. df hi^City of ^'KjO^. In the mean Time it is worth obferving, that Jejus, who- wa,s ■puniChea by P.mtius. Pf^<<,, was _9gknQwledged by jTiany at Rome'\x\ TVd^Tj'sTime, • 10 "be the Chjift.. Compare i.. that 6tjufiin in hJ& lid. Apologetick concerning thia Hillory; wherv he addreiTes himfelf to the Emperors and Roman."enare, who might know thtOie 'I'hiiigs from t^ A<^5, {a) Vlinytie fouvgir, &c.] The Epiille is obvious to every one, 'vi;z. Book X- Cn. 97. which Tertufh'anTfiehtionti in his Apologetick, and Safehius in his ChronUon; where we find, that the Chriftians were ufed to fay a Hymn to Chrift as God, and to bind th^mfelves not to perform any wicked Thing, bat to forbear committing Thefr, Robbery, or Adultery j to be true to their Word, and ftridiy p-^rform their Tru ft. P/;«^' blanaes their Scubbornnefs dnd inflexible Obftinacy in this ' one Thing-j that they would not invoke the Gods, ' por do Homage with* Frankindenfe ^nd Wine, "before th^ Shrines of Deities, nor curfe Chrift, nor could they be compelled to do ic by any. Torm«^nts whatfoevf/. The Epiftle in anfwer to^at of Trajan, fays, tjjiat He openly declares himfelf to \)Q zq Chrillian, who fupplicates the Romafi Gods. Origea in liis IVth Book againfl &A fuj, tells us, there was, a certain Hiilory of Jefus extant in Kumeniui the Pythogoviean^ Lord, {a) It is alfo acknowledged by the Jews^ though thty are not ignorant, how much they lie under the Difpleafure of the ChriftianSj undeV whofe Government they, every, where live, upon.this Account, becaufe their Anceftors were the Caufe Q^ Pilate's doing it..Likewife the Heathen Writers we mentioned, haye recorded the fame to Pofterity;' {b) and a long Time after, the A6ls of Pilale were extant, to which the Chriftians fom^-times appealed. Neither did Julian^ or other Oppofers of Chriftianity, ever call it in Quellion. So that no Hiftory can be imagined more certain than. this; which is confirmed by the Teflimonies, I don't fay, of fo many Men, but of fo many People, which differed from each other. (^) Notwithftanding which, we find Hiin worfhippcd as Lord, throughout the mofl diftant Countries of the World fed by ivife Men.
And That, not only in our Age, or thofe immediately foreg9iDg; but alfo, even in.the firil, the Age next to that in which it was done, in the Reign of^ the Emperor Nero; at which time the forementioned Tacitus^ and others atteft, that very many were punifhed^ becaufe they profefled the Worfhip of Chrift.
kz.'] Who call him 'I^D, th^t' ftiarts' might appeal "io fome is, hanged. Benjaminisludeien^ Ipurious Afts; i(ii it does hot fis in his Itinerary, acknow- appear there was any.gfinuine Jedges that 7c/«j was ilain at ones, LeCl'erc.)
Jerufahm.,.-y ^5(-^) Notioithjiandhg nvhick jScc] See Epiphanius in his7>/ Matter at large, cpoh zCor.
10 have omitted this Argument, 90 'Of the Truth of.. Book II.
Sect. IV. 7he Caufe of which could he no ather^ hut thofe Miracles which were done by him.
And there were always very many amongft the Worfhippers of Chrift, who were Men ot good Judgment, and of no fmall Learning; fuch as {not to mention Jews) (a) Sergius the Prefident of Cyprus^ (b) Dionyfius the Areopagite, {c) Polycarp^ (d) Juftin^ {e) Iren^us^ (f) Jthenagoras, (g) Origeny \^)TerStillian^ (i) Clemens J^exandrinus^ and others: "Who^ being fuch Men; why they fhould them- ' felves be Worfhippers of a Man that was put to an ignominious Death, efpecially when almoft all of- them were brought up in other ReJigiof^Si and there was neither Honour f^j Fi^t t©. fcahad by the Chriftian ReUgio^r^ v^Why^riJiiVy^.^fex^;^ do thus, there cai? be^ Jj^for^ 'giy^Ocbut this one; that upon a dUige^t-g^^iryftfuch ap t?ecpines. prudent M^n to m&e^inA^matter of the higlieft Concern to thelti^l;hfcy found J that the Reportwhich was fpread^br^ad^^nGerniilglheMiracle w^redone \ ' Xh)mGtiyi\i%^t^A^e6p£^^/-d^^r^^ &Do\x\ theCLXXXth 'tcc.Y'iMs XVII. 34. Year of Chrift, as appears {c) Polycarp.SiC.'] Who fuf- from the infcription of his. fered Marty^rdor^ in;i,<$?a»r in-,!p^€|k..•.,v,.^.,^ Sths CLXIXtji Vt?^..4fctw^ift^v..;- "^^VP^i.;S^T,J^ 3. -according to ^i^^/4i-,.-i, ^.^nil>ed about. the^VCCXXAth;" "' \d) Jufiin, &C.J..W;hp,pub-J, V^kr^of C^Ki-irt. ':" :• lifhed Writings in B^ence of;;;. '"^hy'Terti^lian, 'Src ]' Who the Chriftians, in the C-^UId'" was Tamous in the. CCVUIth i Year of C)irill. Sec t(ie fame^^^ Year of,Cii^^irt.. « y 'jcv Year of Chnil.
mony: Such as healing fore Difeafes, and thofe of a long Continuance, only by a Word, and th*^ publickly •, reftoring Sight to him that was born blind; increafing Bread for the feeding of many thoufands, who were all Witneffes of it; reftqtjng the Dead to Life againy.ai;d,. m^ny. pthpr.^fucb Uke, Sect. V. PFbich Miracles cannot he afcriled to art^ Natural or DiahoUcal Power ^ but mufi be froh Wh I c H Report, had fo certain and undoubtefl a Foundation, that neither (^) Celfus, nor (b) Julian^ when they wrote againll the Chriftians, dared to deny, that fome Miracles were done by Chrift; {e) the Hebrews alfo, confefs it openly in the Books 6f the Talmud. X^at they iwere not performed by any natural Power, fufficiently appears from hence, that they are caHed Wonders or Miracles ^, nor can it ever be, that grievous Diftempers ftiould be healed immediately, only by a Word fpeaking, or a Touch, by tiie Power of Nature. If thofe Works could have been accounted for by any natural Efficacy, it would have been faid foat firft, by thofe, who either profefftd themfelves Enemies of Chrift when he was upon Earth, or of his Gofpel^ By the like.Argument we gather, that they were not juggling vTricks, becaufe very many of the Works were done.^^ppenly, {d)m the Sight of all the People; and ^^ {a) Cel/us, &c.} WSofe" ""Thiers any one will reckon V. Words, jn Book IL ai Origin ** amongft the moft difficult are: ** You think he is the •* things, healing the Lame, »• Son of God, becaufe* he. -^"^and the Blind, and calling y •* healed the Lame and the'; •*6vu Devils in Bet/j/aUa znd {/>) Julian, Sec.} Nay, he (r) Ue Hebrews alfo. &c.]
plainly confefles the thing. In the Title JbuJa Z a ra. '■ when he fays in the Words re- {d)Inihi Sight of allthePeople, cited by QW/, Book VI. ttQ-^Aa^XXWzb.UhXU, 92 Of the Truth of. Book H.
amongfi: whom were many learned Men, who bore no goodwill to Chnll, - v/ho obicrved?.li his 'Works. To which wee may. 'add; that the like Works were often repeated, and the Effe6ls were rot of a fhort Continuance, but lafting. All which, rightly confidered, as it ought to be, it will plainly follow, according to the Jews o-^n ConfefTion, that thefe Works were, done by fome Power more than humar^ that is, by fome good or bad Spirit; That thefe Works wer6 not the Effedls of any bad Spirit, is from hence evident, that this Doctrine of Chrift, fe the Probf of which thefe Works were performed,,^as oppofite to thofe evil Spirits: For it forbids othe Worihip of evil Spirits; it draws Men off: from all Immorality^ in which fuch Spirits delight.
3t appears a ho from the things^ themf<rlves, that ' wherever ^ this Dodrine has- been received, the rWorfhip of Daemons and (^) Magical Arts have ' ceafed ^ and the one • GoH 'has been worfhipped,.'"With an Abhorrence of Bimons; whofe Strength. and Power {b) jPi?r/>inryacknowledges were broken 3upon the coming'of Chrifli..And it is not at all /credible,.chaf-^arty evil Spirits fhould be fo imprudent, asTt(5ido(^tfiofe things, and that very often, from which Mlo Honour- or Advantage could arife 'to them^ butr 6a 'the contrary, great Lofs and Difgrace. ^ Neither is -it any way confident _with the Goodnefs or Wifdom of.God, that he fhould ' be thought tpfli Iter Men^iV/hbUvere free from all.-.wicked Dcfigns, and whofeared ivm, to be de- Sect. 5. the Chrijlian Religion. 95 ceived by the Cunning of Devils •, and fuch wcrd^ rhe firft Difciples of Chrift, as is manifeft front their unblameable Life, and their fufFcring very many Calamities for Confcience-fake. - If any one fhoLild fay, that thefe Works were done by good Beings, who yet are inferior to God, this iS to confefs, that they were well-pleafing to God, and redounded to his Flonour; becaufe good Beings do nothing but what is acceptable to God, and for his Glory. Not to mention, that fome of the Works of Chrift were fuch as feem to declare God himfelf to be the Author of them, fuch as the raifing more than one of thofe that were dead, to Life. Moreover, God neither does, nor fuffers Miracles to be done, without a Reafon; for it does not become a wife Law- giver, to depart from his Laws, without a Reafon, and that a weighty one. Now no other Reafon can be given, why thefe things were done, but that which is alledged by Chrift, viz. {a)to give Credit to his Dodlrine •, nor could they who beheld them, conceive any other Reafon in their Minds: rAmongft whom-^ iifi<<e there were many of a pioas Dilpofition,;a3 -was faid before, it would be prophane to think God Ihould do them to impofe upon fuch. And this was the fole Reafon why many of the Je^syiv^ho 4ived^ 'Jie^:;the (time;:, 3of jjdus^i(-k))who yet could b!:. ''H' '^H ii;dt,bot.> io mooli // ^o sbni..o^ v ^ iiot Wi 313V/ criv/,n3M idfiift ol iiiguori? 9d