THAT the Things contain'd in these Epistles may have their due effect and influence upon us, I shall, as well as I am able, endeavour,

1. To establish their Divine Authority. Whence it will follow,

2. That the Doctrines and Instructions deliver'd in them are to be own'd as the Rules and Doctrines of our Lord, as truly as are any Doctrines delivered in the Gospels; and are as necessary to be believ'd and practis'd by all that bear the Name of Christians. My first Assertion therefore is,

§. I. That the Apostles indited these Epistles by the Assistance of the Holy Ghost: and that as the immediate succeeding Ages did, so we at present securely may rely upon them as a Rule of Faith. And here I shall consider,

1. How this Assistance may fitly be explained.

2. How far it is necessary, or reasonable to assert it.

3. What Evidence may be offer'd to confirm it. For Explication of this Divine Assistance, let it be considered,

1. That Prophecy is sometimes represented as the Word of the Lord, and he is said to speak to the Prophet; and sutably to this Metaphor, some Illustration of the Assistance of the Ho­ly Spirit may be made from the Analogy it bears to humane Conversation, thus: That as we convey our Thoughts one to another by such Words as by the Organs of Hearing make such a Motion on their Brain to whom we speak, as gives them an Idea of the Words we utter, and by them of the things which by those Words are signified; and so 'tis the Impression made upon their Brain which doth communicate our Thoughts unto them: so when it pleaseth God to reveal his Will to any Person, it seemeth only necessary that he talk inwardly with them, that is, that he make such a Motion on their Brains as giveth them a deep and clear Idea of that which he intendeth to make known unto them, only the Impression must be then made in such a manner and degree, and with such Circumstances, as may make it cer­tain to the inspired Person, that it derives from God. Now seeing when we hear the Voice of any one, or receive a Letter from him, we may be certain from the Knowledge we have of his Voice or his Hand-writing, that it is he indeed who speaks or writeth to us; we may very well conceive that God can easily give such distinctive Marks of what he inwardly speaks to us, or writes upon the Tables of our Hearts, as shall enable us to discern what he imprints upon them, from any Impression that shall otherwise be made upon them.

2. Sometimes the Prophet is in Scripture styled a Seer, and his Word a Vision; and then the Parallel, or the Analogy, runs thus. As we see by virtue of a Light reflecting the Species of Things upon the Retina of the Eye, and thence deriving a peculiar Motion to, and ma­king a distinct Impression on the Brain; so may the Prophet be supposed to see what God reveals unto him by a like Motion of the Holy Spirit made upon his Brain concerning it. And as it is as easie to propose a material Object to the View, as to describe it by our Words, so must it be as easie for God to dart such an Impression or inward Light upon the Brain of the Prophet, or spiritual Man, as shall give him a more bright and sensible Idea of things, than if he did perceive them by the Ear, or even view them by the Eye. And as we more ex­actly discern a sensible Object by the View, than we know it by a description of it without that View; so the Jews say that Prophecy [...] in Vision, is more excellent than that which comes only [...] by Dream, or in a Dream, in which we seem to hear one talking with us.

Now though this Impression may be sufficient to convince the Prophet, and inspired Per­son, that his Revelation did indeed derive from God, yet since this Revelation was intended not for himself, but for the use of others; he, with the Revelation, must be enabled by some convincing Proof to evidence to those who were concerned to embrace it, that he was sent in­deed by God with such a Message to them. Now of this they only could be satisfied by some outward Marks and Notes, of which they, by their Senses, were enabled to judge; viz. the Miracles wrought for Confirmation of his Testimony, or some Prophetical Prediction of [Page iii] something future and contingent, exactly verified in the Event. And thus saith the Apostle, was their Preaching confirmed to the World; God bearing witness to them, both with Signs and Wonders, and with divers Miracles, and Gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his Will, Heb. 2.4.

The ways of Prophecy under the Old Testament, seem to be comprehended under these four Heads, viz. either the Prophets received their Revelations in a Dream, or Trance, or in a Vision, or by a Voice from Heaven, or by the secret Suggestion of the Holy Ghost.

Now some of the Apostles had their Visions, either by day, as Peter, for an extasie fell up­on him, and he saw the Heavens opened, and he heard a Voice saying to him, Arise Peter, kill and eat, Act. 10.11. and this is called [...], a Vision, ver. 17. And by this, saith He, God taught me to call no Man common or unclean, ver. 28. Or by Night, thus a Vision of the Night was seen by Paul, and a Man speaking to him in the Vision of the Night, Act. 16.9. They had also the Spirit speaking to them; for the Spirit said to Peter, Behold, three Men seek thee; Arise therefore, and go with them, nothing doubting, for I have sent them, Act. 10.20, 21. And sometimes they had Visions and Revelations of the Lord, either by way of Rapture to him, 2 Cor. 12.2. or of Converse with him, as when Christ said to St. Paul, My Grace is suf­ficient for thee, ver. 9. Here then are the three Kinds of Revelation granted to the Apostles; but then these things were mostly occasional and accidental to them, in respect of their A­postolical Function.

Only the case of the Apostle Paul must here admit of an Exception; for it being necessary for an Apostle, that is, a Witness of Christ's Resurrection, to have seen the Lord risen from the Dead, according to those Words, Am I not an Apostle? have I not seen the Lord? 1 Cor. 9.1. and for an Apostle, not of Man, neither by Man, but by Jesus Christ, Gal. 1.1. to re­ceive his Message immediately from the Lord Jesus, Christ speaks thus to him, I have ap­peared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a Minister and a Witness, both of those things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee, Acts 26.16. Which Words contain a Promise of an immediate Instruction from Christ in his Apostolical Function: Whence this Apostle declares, confirming that his Declaration with an Oath, The Gospel which was preached by me was not after Man; for I neither received it of Man, neither was I taught it (by Man,) but (only) by the Revelation of Jesus Christ, Gal. 1.11, 12. He therefore had his Message from Christ, as Moses had from God, Christ speaking to him mouth to mouth, &c. Num. 12.7.

But yet that which enabled them for the Inditing all their Epistles to th [...] Churches, or Per­sons to whom they were sent, was the internal and powerful Assistance of the Holy Spirit.

§. II. To proceed then to the Second Enquiry, How far 'tis necessary or reasonable to as­sert the Divine Assistance of the Holy Spirit, or his inspiration of these Sacred Writers. To this I shall Answer, by premising a distinction of the Jews, between those Sacred Writers who were Prophets properly so called, and the Cherubim or holy Writers, who penn'd their Compositions by the Assistance of the Holy Ghost.

To the Prophets properly so called, they ascribe an immediate Suggestion and Represen­tation in their fancy, and imaginations, of the things which they delivered as from the Mouth, and in the Name of God, he keeping still alive upon them the Images and the Re­semblances of the Visions which they saw, till they were penn'd, and imprinting on their Me­mories the Messages which they delivered by his Command to the People. Hence, when the Roll of Jeremy was burnt, he was enabled to dictate again to Baruch the same words, Chap. 36.32. And this I believe to be true concerning all the Visions they declare they saw, and all the Messages they deliver with this Preface, Thus saith the Lord, or The Word of the Lord came to N. N. saying; but I do not think it necessary, with reference to the Historical Things related in the Writings of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, which the Jews stile the former Prophets, or with respect to the Historical Relations contained in the Prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, &c.

To the Cherubim, or Holy Writers who penn'd their Writings by the assistance of the Holy Spirit, they ascribe:

First, An impulse from God to write, or to compose them, but such as left them to the use of their own Words, and to the exercise of their Reasons.

2dly, A superintendency of the Holy Spirit over them, and a Divine Assistance still cleaving to them in those Compositions, so that they should not be obnoxious to any Error or Mistake in what they did indite; that Assistance which they ascribe to their Prophets by later Writers, is called an Inspiration of Suggestion, the Second, or the Assistance of the Chetubim, an inspiration of Direction only.

And this Assistance was thought inferior to that of Prophecy, not as to the certainty of the Revelation, or the subject Matter, but only as to the degree and measure of it; for be­cause there was in these Compositions no visum Propheticum, i. e. no Vision exhibited, nor [Page iv] did they speak in this high strain, Thus saith the Lord, therefore they thought they were not to be stiled Prophets in the proper acceptation of the Word. And I conjecture that it is for this latter Reason only, that they put the Prophet Daniel not among the Prophets, but the Hagiographi or Sacred Writers, because he never useth these Expressions, Thus saith the Lord, or saith, The Word of the Lord came unto me; since otherwise in Visions he was scarce inferior to any of the other Prophets. Nor is it easie to conjecture in what this way, whe­ther of Revelation, or Divine Assistance, and Inspiration by the Holy Ghost, should be infe­rior to the former. For,

First, Sure it is no disparagement to this way, that Persons acted by it do not express themselves in^(a) Parables, Similitudes, and Riddles, but use a more familiar Language, and appear in a more simple undisguising Dress, and so more advantageously condescend to the capacity of the Reader. Nor,

2dly, That it doth not act so much on the Imagination and the Fancy,^(b) but is princi­pally seated in the higher and purer Faculties of the Soul, which is the second Difference assign'd between them. Nor,

3dly, That it chiefly moveth the Inspired Person^(c) to dictate Matters of true Piety and Goodness, of Vertue, Wisdom, and of Prudence; these Differences, if assigned truly, seem to me to be advantages of this Assistance, above that which usually was afforded to the an­cient Prophets, rather than Tokens that it was really inferiour to the Inspiration they enjoy'd.

And this will be more evident, if we compare this Assistance of the Holy Spirit with that Gradus Mosaicus, which the Jews generally account the highest, or supreme Degree of Pro­phecy, and is recorded in these Words, If there be a Prophet among you, I the Lord will make my self known to him in a Vision, and will speak to him in a Dream. My servant Mo­ses is not so, who is faithful in all my House; with him will I speak mouth to mouth, even ap­parently, and not in dark Speeches, and the Similitude of the Lord shall he behold, Matth. 12.6, 7. Whence the Jews gather these several Excellencies of the Prophetick Gift of Moses above what was vouchsafed to the other Prophets, viz.

First, That all other Prophets prophesied by Dream, or by Vision,^(d) but Moses prophe­sied when he was waking, and standing. Now this also did the Spiritual Person, moved by the Holy Ghost.

2dly, That other Prophets prophesied by the Hand of an Angel, ^(e) and therefore saw what they saw in Parables, and dark Speeches; but Moses spake immediately from the Mouth of God, and without Parables, or dark Speeches; and so also did the Spiritual Per­son speak under the Gospel Dispensation, not by an Angel, but by that Spirit which search­eth the deep things of God, not in Parables and dark Riddles, but with great plainness of Speech.

3dly, That all the Prophets were afraid, and troubled, and fainted, but Moses was not so: Nor was it so with our Apostles. Moreover, There was Strength, say they, in Moses to un­derstand the Words of the Prophecy, and so was there also in the Prophets to understand the Revelations of the Spirit. So that you see, this way of Assistance gave to the Pen-men of the New Testament all these Prerogatives of Moses above the other Prophets; and so I know not why it should be reckoned inferiour to their way of Prophecy upon those very accounts for which the way of Prophecy vouchsafed to Moses is preferred above them, espe­cially if we consider that St. Peter lays this as the true Foundation of their Credibility, that they spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, 2 Pet. 1.21.

But 'tis of no great moment to insist on this Comparison, since the Sacred Writers of the Second Order stiled Hagiographi, are said to be so far attended with the Divine Assistance in their Compositions, as that they could not be obnoxious in them to Errour or Mistake in what they writ, which is abundantly sufficient to render all their Compositions a certain and unerring Rule of Faith in what they have delivered as the Object of it.

To proceed then to the consideration of the Distinction hinted before, viz. of Inspiration by Suggestion, and Inspiration of Direction only. I say then,

First, That where there is no antecedent Idea, or Knowledge of the things written for the good of others, to be obtained from Reason or a former Revelation, an Inspiration of Sug­gestion must be vouchsafed to the Apostles, to enable them to make them known unto the World. But where there is an antecedent Knowledge of the things to be Endited, it can be only necessary, that God should either immediately, or by some special Occasions, excite them to indite those things, and should so carefully preside over, and direct their Minds whilst Writing, as to Suggest, or bring into their Memories such things as his Wisdom thought fit to be written, and should not suffer them to err in the Delivery of what is thus [Page v] indited in his Name, or as Apostles of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore,

2dly, In all their Revelations of Mysteries, or things which could not otherwise be made known to them, either by natural Reason or antecedent Revelation, they must be acknow­ledged to have had them by an immediate Suggestion of the Holy Spirit. Hence of these things the Apostle saith negatively, that the natural Man (who only judges of things by his natural Reason) cannot know them, because they are spiritually discerned, 1 Cor. 2.14. i. e. they being Mysteries, can only be discerned by the Revelation of the Spirit, and positively that they spake the Wisdom of God in a Mystery, even the Wisdom hid from former Ages, which Eye had not seen, nor Ear heard, nor had it entred into the Heart of Man to conceive, 1 Cor. 2.7. and that because God had revealed these things to them by his Spirit, ver. 9. they having received the Spirit of God, that they might know the things which are freely given to us of God, ver. 10. Thus was the Mystery of the Calling of the Gentiles into an equality of Priviledges with the believing Jews, made known unto them; for God by Revelation, saith St. Paul, made known to me the Mystery of Christ, which in other Ages was not made known as it is now revealed to his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles should be fellow Heirs, and of the same Body, and partakers of his Promise in Christ by the Gospel, Eph. 3.3, 4, 5, 6. Chap. 1.9. — 6.19. Col. 1.26, 27. — 2.2. — 4.3, 4. So they knew the Mystery of the recalling the Jews, Rom. 11.25, 26. The Mystery of the Resurrection, i. e. the Quality of the Bodies to be raised, and the Order of it, with all the other special Cir­cumstances mentioned 1 Cor. 15.1 Thessal. 4. and the Apostacy of the latter Times; for the Spirit speaketh expresly, saith the Apostle, That in the latter days Men shall depart from the Faith, 1 Tim. 4.1. This Inspiration of Suggestion must also be allowed St. John the Au­thor of the Revelations, for he speaking only what was represented to him in Visions, or by Angelical Discourses or Apparitions, must have that Assistance which suggested these Ideas to him. But,

3dly, As for those things which they did know already, either by natural Reason, Educa­tion, or antecedent Revelation, they needed only such an Assistance, or Direction as would secure them from Errour in their Reasonings, or in their Confirmation of their Doctrines by Passages contained in the Old Testament; and therefore a continual Suggestion must be here unnecessary. And indeed, one great Work they had upon their hands, both in preach­ing the Gospel, and writing these Epistles, being to convince the unbelieving Jew, or to confirm the wavering Jew, or rectifie the Errours of the Judaizing Christian, the Gift of Knowledge of the Scriptures of the Old Testament, was very necessary to them, and there­fore is deservedly reckoned among the primary Gifts of the Holy Ghost; and being so, we have reason to believe, that either the Holy Ghost suggested to their Memory those Scriptures which they used in these Epistles to convince them, or else presided so over them, as not to suffer them to make any Inferences from them which were not agreeable to the true intent and meaning of them; tho', at this distance of time, we may not always be able to discern the strength and clearness of the Consequence. And,

4thly, In writing the Historical Parts of the New Testament, or Matters of Fact relating to themselves, or others, 'tis only necessary, That what is there delivered as Matter of Fact, should truly be performed as it is said to have been done; but 'tis not necessary that these things should be related in that order of time in which they were performed, unless that also be affirmed of them; for this must be sufficient to assure us of the truth of what they thus delivered.

Moreover, In writing the Discourses contained in these Books, it is not necessary that the very Words should be suggested or recorded in which they were first spoken, but only that the true intent and meaning of them should be related, tho' in diversity of Words. Tho' the Promise made to the Apostles by our Lord, That the Holy Spirit should bring to their re­membrance [...], all things which he had said unto them, Joh. 14.26. doth fairly plead for this exactness in what they have delivered of our Saviour's Sermons; it being scarce ima­ginable their Memory, without Divine Assistance, should exactly give us all that was spoken in such long Discourses.

And hence we may account for the Objections against this Divine Assistance, arising from the 7th. of the Acts; for tho' I verily believe there is is no real Mistake in the Words of the Proto-Martyr, yet were it granted, That there is an Errour in his account of the Sepulchres of the Patriarchs, yet that affects not the Authority of St. Luke at all, provided he exactly hath related what was then said by St. Stephen, who was not chosen to be a Pen-man of the holy Scriptures.

Lastly, From what is thus discoursed, it may appear, That I contend only for such an In [...]tion or Divine Assistance of the Sacred Writers of the New Testament as will af­f [...] [...]f the truth of what they writ, whether by Inspiration of Suggestion, or Direction o [...] [...]ut not for such an Inspiration as implies, That even their Words were dictated, or [Page vi] their Phrases suggested to them by the Holy Ghost. This in some Matters of great moment might be so; St. Paul declaring, That they spake the things which were given them of God in the Words which the Holy Ghost teacheth, 1 Cor. 2.13. If that relate not to what the Holy Ghost had taught them out of the Old Testament. But that it was not always so, is evident both from the consideration that they were Hagiographers, who are supposed to be left to the use of their own Words, and from the variety of the Stile in which they write, and from the Solecisms which are sometimes visible in their Compositions; and more especially from their own Words, which manifestly shew, That in some Cases they had no such Suggestions from the Holy Ghost, as doth imply, that he had dictated those Words unto them. For instance, When St. Paul declar [...] his Will or Purpose to do, what he was hindred by the Provi­dence of God from doing, as when he saith to the Romans, When I go into Spain, I will come to you, chap. 15.24. I will come by you into Spain, ver. 28. For tho' he might, after his Enlargement, go into the West, where St. Clemens saith,^(f) He preached; and even into Spain, as^(g) Cyril, ^(h) Epiphanius and⁽ⁱ⁾ Theodoret say, He did; yet it is certain, he did not designedly go to Rome, in order to an intended Journey into Spain. And when he saith to the Corinthians, I will come to you when I pass thro' Macedonia, 1 Cor. 16.5. and yet confesseth in his Second Epistle, 2 Cor. 1.15, 16, 17. that he did not perform that Journey; for 'tis not to be thought the Holy Ghost should incite him to promise, or even purpose what he knew he would not perform. This also we learn from all those places in which they do express their Ignorance, or Doubtfulness of that which they are speaking of: As when St. Paul saith, I know not whether I Baptized any other, 1 Cor. 1.16. And again, [...], Perhaps I will abide, yea, and winter with you, 1 Cor. 16.6. And when St. Peter saith, By Sylvanus, a faithful Brother, as I suppose, have I written to you, 1 Pet. 5.12. For these Words plainly shew, That in all these things they had no Inspiration, or Divine Assistance. This lastly, may be gathered from all those places in which they only do express their Hope, and that conditionally, of doing this, or that, as in these Words, I hope to see you in my Jour­ney, Rom. 15.24. I will come unto you quickly, if the Lord will, 1 Cor. 4.19. I hope to stay some time with you, if the Lord permit, 1 Cor. 16.7. I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy quickly to you, Phil. 2.19, 23. And, I trust that I my self also shall come quickly, ver. 24. These things I write, hoping to come to thee quickly, but if I should tarry that thou mayst know how to behave thy self in the Church of God, 1 Tim. 3.14, 15. I hope by your Prayers to be given to you, Philem. 22. This will we do if the Lord permit, Heb. 6.3. I hope to come to thee, St. John, Ep. 2.12. Ep. 3d. v. 14. For, 1. Spes est incertae rei nomen, The Word Hope, imply­eth an uncertainty, whereas the Holy Spirit cannot be uncertain of any thing; nor can we think he would inspire Men to speak so uncertainly. And, 2dly, There can be no neces­sity, or even use of a Divine Assistance to enable a Man to express his Hopes, seeing all Men do by natural Reflection know them.

§. III. And having thus declared what I do allow, I now proceed to shew what in this Matter I cannot admit of.

First then, I can by no means grant any slips of Memory in the Compilers of these Sacred Books of the New Testament; for, tho' these are allow'd by some^(k) in Matters of small Consequence, as they are pleas'd to stile them, yet is it of great Consequence that we do not own them: For, if you grant they have thus slipt at all, by what Rules can we be assured they have not slipt above an hundred times, or even in most of their Historical Relations? For instance, If St. Matthew could slip in citing the Words of the Prophet Jeremiah by a Mistake, for the Words of Zechariah, Matth. 27.9. why not also in citing the Words of the Prophet Isaiah, or of any other Prophet? If one of those Sacred Writers might be sub­ject to these Slips, why not all? if once, why not often? And can we think it no preju­dice to the Divine Authority of these Sacred Writings, that they should oft be subject to false Citations, and produce false Stories, contradicting the truth of the Old Testament? Would not this yield a great Advantage against our Rule of Faith, both to the unbelieving Jews, and to the Scepticks, and Antiscripturists, which too much abound among us? Nor,

2dly, Can I grant that the Apostles determined any Matters of Practice meerly from Rules of humane Prudence, without the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit; it is pretend­ed, this is done by St. Paul in these Words, To the rest speak I, not the Lord, 1 Cor. 7.12. And again in these, concerning Virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord, but I give my judgment, or advice, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be found faithful: I judge therefore this to be good for the present necessity, ver. 25, 26. And a third time, She is hap­pier [Page vii] if she so remain, after my Judgment, and I think also that I have the spirit of God, ver. 40. This is not, saith^(l) one, spoken with the Authority of a Teacher sent from God, or an Apo­stle, but in such a style as implies only an ordinary Assistance, such as any pious skilful Pastor may expect.

Answ. To this I answer, 1. That what the Apostle speaks of here, from ver. 12. to the 24th, seemeth to be no slight matter, but of great importance to the Good of Societies, and to the honour of Christianity: for sure it would have been a signal blemish to the Christian Faith, should it have tended to dissolve the Bonds of Matrimony, or given Men or Women license to quit that sacred Tye purely because they were turn'd Christians. And hence we find that the Apostle had taken especial care to prevent this Imputation every where, by or­daining the very same thing in all other Churches which he here prescribes to the Corinthians, though then he who had said before To the married person speak not I, but the Lord, 1 Cor. 7.17. because that Case had been particularly decided by Christ, Matt. 19.9. says afterwards, To the rest say I, not the Lord. He says not this to intimate that this Direction was only given by him as a Man using his natural Reason, only to direct them to what he thought best, but not as delivering the Mind of Christ, for he had before declared the contrary, by saying, We have the mind of Christ, 1 Cor. 2.16. and after doth it in these words, If any man think himself a Prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things I write unto you are the Commandments of the Lord, Chap. 14.37. but only to declare our Lord, in his Discourse of Divorce, had not decided the case de imparibus conjugiis, of the Marriage of a Believer with an Infidel, but had left this to the Decision of those Apostles to whom he had promised the Assistance of the Holy Ghost to lead them into all Truth, Joh. 16.13.

Answ. 2. In the Words cited with relation to the case of Virgins, though the Apostle owns he had no particular Commandment of the Lord, as he had in the case of married Persons, yet doth he say sufficient to convince us, that he advised in the matter not only as a Man assist­ed by his natural Reason, but rather as one assisted by the Spirit of God; for,

1. Though, saith he, as to this I have no particular Command, I give my Advice in it as one who hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be found faithful (in the Discharge of my Apo­stolical Office.) Now this, saith he, is all that is required of a Minister of Christ, and Stew­ard of his Mysteries, that he be found faithful in administring the Grace of his Apostleship, 1 Cor. 4.12. And this Fidelity was still attended with the Power of Christ assisting them, as appears from these words, I thank Jesus Christ our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the Ministry, 1 Tim. 1.12. So that this Phrase doth not imply that the Apostle had only an ordinary Assistance in this Advice, such as any pious skilful Pastor may still expect. And this is still more evident in those words, She is happier if she do so abide, after my Judgment; and I think I have the Spirit of God (enabling me to form that Judgment:) for they who say this is not spoken with the Authority of an Apostle, or a Teacher sent from God, seem not to have consider'd that the Apostle was writing to them who were apt to question his Apostleship, and required a proof of Christ speaking in him, 2 Cor. 13.3. and to them it was proper to say, Whatsoever you may conceive of me, I sup­pose I have the spirit of God; i. e. the Spirit of Wisdom and Knowledge, to enable me to make this Advice. Moreover, the words [...] may be render'd, I have the spirit of God; so in this Epistle [...] is he that is contentious, Chap. 11.16. and [...] if any man be a Prophet. See the Note there. Nor,

3dly, Do I grant that St. Paul any where implies that he doth not always use the best Ar­guments, but sometimes such as are best fitted to the Capacities and Notions of those he writes to; for if so, by what Rules shall we be able to distinguish betwixt his Arguments on which we safely may rely, as being absolutely true, and those which only are accommodated to the Notions of those with whom he had to do. St. Paul doth indeed say [...], I speak after the manner of Men, or what is common to Men, because of the infirmity of your flesh, Rom. 6.19. but he speaks not this by way of excuse for not using the best Argument he could in this Affair, but he speaks this by way of Illustration of his Argument, or Exhor­tation. The sense which the Antients put upon these words is this, [...], I frame my Exhortation with a due Consideration of the infirmity of your flesh, requiring only that you should do that Service now to God which you have formerly done to Sin. I rather think the Apostle discourseth to this effect. In this Discourse of their being Servants former­ly to Sin, and their Obligation now to be Servants to Righteousness, I speak that which all natural Men must have had experience of by reason of the infirmity of the Flesh, and of which they may thence take a just Idea, requiring only that as they have formerly yielded their Mem­bers instruments to Sin, so they would now yield them instruments to Righteousness.

As for the Arguments they use ad hominem, as they are very few, so is it only requisite [Page viii] that they should truly be convincing upon the Principles which such Men owned and recei­ved, there being nothing more intended by them than to convince them, that such an Infe­rence doth naturally follow from their Principle, and that they must either quit the Sense or admit the Inference. For instance, When the Apostle saith; Else what shall they do who are baptized for the dead, 1 Cor. 15.29. he is there disputing against some of the Corinthians, who said there is no Resurrection of the dead. Now here he all along disputeth ad hominem, and on supposition; as v. g. Then is Christ not risen from the dead, ver. 13. Then are we false wit­nesses of God, ver. 15. Then is their Faith vain, ver. 17. Then they that sleep in Christ are pe­rished, ver. 18. Then are Christians, of all Men, the most miserable, ver. 19, &c. All which Sup­positions are really false, but then they follow from the aforesaid Tenet of those Corinthians; so that all this Discourse is only an Argument ab absurdo. But, that the Apostles any where use such Arguments ad hominem as proceed only on such Principles as were generally admit­ted in their Age, without considering whether they were true or false, I utterly deny.

§. IV. Having thus premised these things for the right stating and Explication of the Con­troversie, I proceed to lay down the Arguments which prove that in these Writings the Apostles were assisted and preserved from Errour by the Spirit of God, and therefore were enabled to deliver to us an unerring Rule of Faith.

And 1st. I argue for the Divine Assistance of the Inditers of these Epistles, from what they do assert touching the Declarations made, the Doctrines delivered, and the Directions given in these Writings. For the Word spoken, and indited by them, is styled the Word of God. Men, saith the Apostle, could not believe the Gospel unless they heard it preach'd to them; nor could they hear it preach'd unless some were commissionated to preach the Gospel; for, Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, Rom. 10.14, 15, 16, 17. And, For this cause, saith he, thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the Word of Men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, 1 Thess. 2.13. I am made a Minister of Christ, saith he, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me to fulfill (i. e. fully to preach) the Word of God, Coloss. 1.25. 2. It is called the Commandment of God. For my Gospel, saith St. Paul, and the Preaching of Jesus Christ, is made manifest, and according to the Commandment of the everlasting God, made known unto you for the obedience of Faith, Rom. 16.25, 26. which Faith, is always built on a divine Testimony. And again, If any man be a Prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things I write unto you are the Commandments of the Lord, 1 Cor. 14.37. 3. It is declared to be the Wisdom of God, 1 Cor. 1.24. For, We preach Christ to you that are called, both Jews and Greeks, the power of God, and the wisdom of God; we speak the wisdom of God in a Mystery, even that wisdom which God hath revealed to us by his spirit, 1 Cor. 2.7, 10.4. It is the Testimony of God. For, I came not to you, saith he, in excellency of speech, de­claring to you the Testimony of God, 1 Cor. 2.1. 5. It is the Gospel of God. For St. Paul styles himself the Minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministring the Gospel of God to them, Rom. 15.16. We preach, saith he, the Gospel of God freely, 2 Cor. 11.7. We were bold to preach to you the Gospel of God, we were willing to have imparted to you not the Gos­pel of God only, but also our own Lives, 1 Thess. 2.2, 8, 9. even the glorious Gospel of the blessed God committed to my trust, 1 Tim. 1.10. 6. It is the Gospel of Christ; for I came, saith he, to Troas to preach Christ's Gospel, 2 Cor. 2.12. We sent Timotheus our fellow-labour­er in the Gospel of Christ, 1 Thess. 3.2. 7. It is the Mystery of his will, Eph. 1.9. The Mystery of God the Father and of Christ, Col. 2.2. The Mind of Christ made known to the Apostles, 1 Cor. 2.16. And the Word of Christ which must dwell richly in Believers, Col. 3.16.

Now sure it cannot rationally be conceived that the Apostles should be ignorant of that As­sistance by which they were enabled to indite these Epistles. If then they were assured of the Assistance of the Holy Spirit which they challeng'd, then must the Gospel which they both preached and indited, be received as the Word of God and Christ, the Mind of Christ, the Gos­pel of God and Christ, the Mystery of God the Father, and of Christ, the Commandment and the Testimony of God; which is the thing I am concerned to make good. If they had no such Assurance of the Assistance of the Holy Spirit, they grosly did impose upon the World in thus pretending that they preached the Gospel by the Assistance of the Holy Spirit sent down from Heaven. If they were not assured that in those Writings they delivered only those Doctrines which God required all Men to believe, those Precepts he required them to do, they must be very confident, in daring to make this the Preface to some of their Epistles, Paul an Apo­stle according to the will and the commandment of God, 1 Cor. 1.1.2.1, 1. Eph. 1.1. Col. 1.1. 1 Tim. 1.1.2.1. and saying with so much Assurance, If any man be a Prophet, let him ac­knowledge that the things I write unto you are the Commandments of God, 1 Cor. 14.37. and much more in declaring to all Christians thus; We are of God, he that knoweth God heareth us, he that is not of God heareth not us; by this we know the spirit of Truth, and the spirit of Errour, 1 Joh. 4.6. For this seems equal to what their Master himself said in the like words, [Page ix] Why do you not believe me? He that is of God heareth the words of God; you therefore hear them not, because you are not of God, Joh. 8.46, 47. Yea they must be false Witnesses of God, by styling humane Writings the Word, the Gospel, the Command, the Testimony, the Mind, the Mystery of God and Christ, and in requiring others to receive it not as the Word of Man, but as the Word of God, even that Word by which they must be judged at the last day, Rom. 2.16. which again runs as high as those Wdrds of Christ, The Word that I have spoken shall judge him that believes it not at the last day, Joh. 12.48.

If here it be replied, that these things are rather said of the Gospel which they preach'd, than of the Epistles which they writ. I answer,

1st. That St. Peter saith of all St. Paul's Epistles, that they were written according to the Wisdom given to him, 2 Pet. 3.15, 16. even that Wisdom which he styles the Wisdom of God, and ascribes to the Apostles in the General, saying, We speak the Wisdom of God, &c. 1 Cor. 2.6, 7. that St. Paul himself requires all spiritual Persons to acknowledge the things he writ unto them were the Commandments of the Lord.

2dly, I ask whether the Doctrines of Faith, and Rules of Life, delivered in these Epistles, be not as much a part of the Gospel, or the Law of Christ, as any thing they preach'd? If they be a part of it, all these Assertions must equally be true of their Epistles written, and their Sermons preach'd: If they be not, where shall we find, and how shall we be assured that we have the Gospel of our Lord, since we know nothing of it but from what is left on Record in that New Testament of which these Writings are a part, yea such a part as contains all we have left of their preaching after the Spirit promis'd to lead them into all truth was fall'n upon them? Or why did all Christians of that and the succeeding Ages depend upon them as their Rule of Faith? Moreover, That the Apostles were assisted as fully by the Holy Ghost in what they writ, as what they preach'd, will be apparent from the Consideration of their Of­fice, they having this Assistance as being Christ's Apostles, his Embassadors, the Ministers of Christ, and Stewards of the Mysteries of God. Now in the Preface to their Epistles they take care to let the Reader know they who sent these Epistles were Apostles, and Ministers of Christ, according to the Will and the Commandment of God, 2 Tim. 1.1. for (declaration of) the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, for the faith of God's elect, and the acknow­ledging the truth which is after godliness, Tit. 1.1. If therefore they had this Assistance be­cause they were the Messengers of Christ, the Teachers of the Jew and Gentile in Faith and Verity; Men who received Grace and Apostleship from Christ to the obedience of Faith, and had the Word of God committed to them according to the Commandment of our God and Sa­viour; and they were truly discharging their Office as well when they indited as when they preach'd the Gospel; they must be equally assisted in both.

This, lastly, will be evident from the Consideration of the common End and Design both of their Writing and their Preaching; for, the reason why this Assistance attended them in Preaching, was, the Benefit and the Edification of the Church, the building her up in her most holy Faith, the perfecting the Saints, the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man; for to this end Christ gave some Apostles, some Prophets, and Evangelists, Eph. 4.11, 12, 13. Now do not all these Reasons equally belong to their Writings? Were not they also intended and used for these very Ends in all succeeding Ages of the Church? Did they not in them write the same things which they had preach'd, because this was for their Safety? Philip. 3.1. that after their decease they might have these things always in remembrance, 2 Pet. 1.15. and that they might be mindful of the Commandment of the Apostles of the Lord? Chap. 3.1, 2. Had they not the Promise of the Spirit to assist them in their Preaching, that they might guide their Hearers into all Truth? And doth not the same Reason hold more strongly for their Writings, partly because they were to remain when the Apostles were dead, and could not be consulted as they might be whilst living, when any Scruple did arise touching their Doctrine, and serv'd for the instruction not of one Age only, as their Preaching did, but of all Ages of the Christian World? And indeed, their Preaching, without Writing, could not have an­swer'd the design of propagating the Christian Faith to future Ages, Experience having taught us, that what is handed only by Tradition to us, is subject to the greatest Change and Inno­vations, it being the pretended Traditions of the Jewish Church which corrupted, and made void the commandments of God, Matth. 15.6. and the pretended Traditions of the Romish Church which have turned their Christianity into a System of Superstition and Idolatry; for, as it truly is observed by^(l) Origen, That which only is delivered by word of mouth quickly vanisheth, as being of no certainty. So that if our Blessed Lord designed the Continuance of his Gospel to the End of the World, he also must design the Assistance of his Apostles in the writing of it.

Now from this Argument we may return an Answer to that Cavil which some have made against the Inspiration of the Writings of the New Testament, that we meet not in them as we do frequently in the Old, Thus saith the Lord, or the Word of the Lord, by such or such a Prophet. For,

1. We meet not with these Words in all the Cherubim or the Hagiographa, which yet all the Jews acknowledge to be written by the Assistance of the Holy Ghost.

2. When we meet with it in the Prophets of the Old Testament, 'tis chiefly, if not only, when these Prophets have a Message from the Lord to the People: and when Christ sends his Message to the Seven Churches, we find Words of like import still repeated, viz. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches, Apoc. 1.3.22.19. which whole Phrase occurs not elsewhere in the Revelations, or the words of the Prophecy of St. John.

3. 'Tis surely of like import to say, This I write to you by the Word of the Lord, 1 Thess. 4.15. The Word you received from us is not the Word of Man, but God, Chap. 2.13. And I who preach it am his Minister to fulfil the Word of God, Col. 1.25. The Word made known unto you for the obedience of Faith, is the Commandment of the everlasting God, Rom. 16.25, 26. The things I write unto you are the Commandments of the Lord, 1 Cor. 14.37. For the Phrase [...] is the Phrase used by the Prophets of the Old Testament, viz. The Prophet said unto him, [...] by the Word of the Lord, Smite me, 1 Kings 20.35. See Chap. 13.1, 2, 5, 32. And equivalent to it are these Sayings.

§. V. Arg. 2. They who inditing of these Writings were assisted by the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth, indited these Epistles by divine Assistance; but the Apostles were thus assist­ed: this they in terms, or by just consequence, assert. For St. Peter saith of them all in ge­neral, that they preach'd the Gospel by the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven, 1 Pet. 1.12. And is not this as much as he said of the Prophets of the Old Testament, when he declares they spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, 2 Pet. 1.21. St. Paul asserts in the same general Expressions, that those great things belonging to the Gospel, which neither Eye had seen, nor Ear had heard, nor Heart was able to conceive, God had revealed to them by the spirit, 1 Cor. 2.10. That they had received not the Spirit of the World, but the Spirit which is of God, that they might know the things which were freely given to Christians of God; and that these things they taught not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual, ver. 12, 13. In which place, the very Design of the Apostle is to prove against the Greek Philosophers, how unreasonable it was to reject the Gospel because it came not in the way of Demonstration to Humane Rea­son, but by way of Revelation from God, and so required Faith; as of necessity it must do, since it contained such things concerning the Design of Christ's salutary Passion, his Resurre­ction, Ascension, and a future Judgment at the general Resurrection, which no natural Man could know by the outmost Improvement of his humane Reason; and such Discoveries of the Council of God concerning Man's Justification, which depended upon his good Pleasure, which were known only to that Holy Spirit which searcheth all things, even the deep things of God. It is this Spirit, saith he, that we have received, and by this Spirit hath God re­vealed these things unto us, and we accordingly do teach them to the World, not in the words which humane Wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing the Re­velations made to us by this Spirit with the Revelations made to the Prophets in the Old Testament by the same Spirit, and finding that the Revelations made to us do far exceed what was discovered to them; for what the Eye of those Prophets had not seen in Vision, or their Ear heard in Dreams, nor can the heart of Man conceive without a Revelation; even these things God hath revealed to us by his Spirit. Thus did they speak the Word of God in demon­stration of the Spirit: whence he declares, that if any Man despised their Testimony or In­structions, he despised not Man only but God also, who had given them his Spirit, 1 Thess. 4.8. they being not sufficient for this Work of themselves, but their Sufficiency was of God, who, by this Ministration of the Spirit, had made them able Ministers of the New Testament, 2 Cor. 3.5, 6. And thus, saith he, that God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness (and who illuminated the Prophets, by shining upon their Imaginations and their Understandings) hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 4.6. In his Epistle to the Ephesians he declares that the Mystery of Christ was made known to him by immediate Revelation, and not to him only, but to the rest of the Apostles and Prophets of the New Testament; for God, saith he, hath made known this Revelation to us the Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit, Eph. 3.3, 5. And hence he speaks to the Corinthians in this Language, If any man be a Prophet, or spiritual, let him ac­knowledge that the things I write unto you are the Commandments of God, 1 Cor. 14.37. Here then the Argument runs thus:

They who had a like Assistance to that of the Prophets under the Old Testament, must write by the Direction of the Holy Ghost; for, Holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, and the Scripture they indicted was of Divine Inspiration, and their Words are ci [...]ed in the New Testament as spoken by the Holy Ghost.

But the Apostles had a like Assistance; for in the Words now cited, they stile themselves Apostles and Prophets, they challenge a like Illumination, or shining of God upon their Hearts, a like Revelation of their Gospel by the Holy Spirit; and they pretend to teach it to others in words taught them by the Holy Ghost: In all which Sayings, they must be guilty of a false Testimony concerning God, and must impose upon the Church of Christ, if no such Assistance of the Holy Spirit was imparted to them.

A Third Argument, for the infallible Assistance of the Apostles in delivering the Truth of the Gospel to Posterity, is taken from our Saviour's Promise to them: He having engaged,

First, To send the Comforter to be for ever with them. I will ask the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter to be for ever with you, Joh. 14.16. And to be always with them when they were executing his Commission to make Disciples in all Nations, teaching them to observe whatever he had commanded them, Matth. 28.19, 20. You, saith he, shall be my Witnesses of these things; and that you may be qualified to be so, Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you, Luke 24.48, 49. Hence I infer, That they had always the Assistance of the Holy Spirit with them in the Discharge of their Apostleship.

2dly, He adds, That this Spirit that should thus abide with them, was the Spirit of truth, which the World could not receive, John 14.16, 17. Now why doth he chuse to characterize him by this Epithet, but to inform them, That they might expect from him the certain Knowledge of that whole Doctrine, they were as his Apostles to declare unto the World, and leave to future Generations as the Rule of Faith? That this is indeed the reason we learn from these following Words, ver. 26. But the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father shall send in my Name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your Remembrance all things which I have said unto you, i. e. the things I have commanded you to teach, he shall faithfully bring to your remembrance; and as for those many things I have to say unto you, which now you cannot bear, He shall teach them all. That this is the true import of this Promise, we learn from the ensuing Words, Chap. 16.12, 13. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye can­not bear them now; but when He, the Spirit of Truth is come, he shall guide you into all Truth, and He shall shew you things to come. He shall guide you into, and therefore shall secure you from erring from, or going out of the way of Truth. He shall thus guide you into all Truth which it concerns you, as his Apostles, to deliver to the Christian Church, or any of her Members to know, in order to the performance of their Duty, or the obtaining the end of their Faith, the Salvation of their Souls. Hence then, First, We may be sure, that all the Sermons, or Discourses of our Lord to his Disciples recorded in the Evangelists, are faithful­ly delivered by his Apostles as to the sense and genuine import of them; for otherwise the Holy Spirit did not bring to their remembrance all things which he had said unto them, but suffer'd them to record some of his Sayings otherwise than He delivered them; nor were they faithful in execution of the Charge committed to them, which was to teach all Nati­ons all things which he had commanded them. 2dly, Hence also, we may rest assured, That what the Apostles taught in any of the Epistles directed to the Christian Churches, they taught by the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit: for since they were indicted by them as the Apostles of the Lord, for the instruction of the Church, of that and the succeeding Ages, if the Spirit of Truth did not guide them into all Truth, but suffer'd them to err in the composing of them; then was not this Promise of our Lord fulfilled unto them? No, not then, when they undertook to be the Teachers of the Church in Faith and Verity; and so were more especially concern'd to have this Guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Arg. 4. §. VI. These Epistles which were indicted, to be a standing Rule of Faith to Christians throughout all Ages of the World, the Gospel contained in these as well as other Scriptures, being made known to all Nations for the Obedience of Faith, Rom. 6.26. they must in all things propounded in them to our Faith, contain a Divine Testimony, or a Revelation of the Will of God. For as humane Faith depends upon the Testimony of Man, so divine Faith is that which depends upon the Testimony of God. And as Obedience to Men consists in doing the Will of Men, so our Obedience to God consists in our conformity to the Will of God. Again, if we must all be judged by this Law of Liberty, James 2.12. if Christ at the last day will judge the Secrets of Mens Hearts, according to the Gospel of St. Paul, Rom. 2.16. if he will come in flaming Fire, taking Vengeance of all that obey not his Gospel, then must this Go­spel, and this Law of Liberty, be a Rule of Faith until Christ's second coming. For upon that account alone, can Men be bound under this dreadful Penalty, to yield Obedience to it, and be judged by it.

Arg. 5. §. VII. Lastly, That the Apostles, and Writers of the Books of the New Testa­ment, were assisted both in their Preaching and Writing, by the Spirit of God, the Christians of all Ages from the beginning, do attest.^(a) St. Clemens in his Epistle to the Corinthians saith, That the Apostles delivered the Gospel to us from our Lord Jesus Christ, and Christ from God; and that being filled with the Spirit, and having the Word of God committed to them, they went out preaching the Kingdom of God: He adds, That the Scriptures are the true Words of the Holy Spirit: And that St. Paul writ to them by the Spirit touching him­self, and Cephas and Apollo. ^(b) Polycarp tells his Philippians, That none could attain to the Wisdom of St. Paul, who had writ Epistles to them; by looking into which, they might be built up in the Faith delivered to them.

^(c) Irenaeus informs us, That the Lord of all things gave to the Apostles Authority to preach the Gospel, and that by them we have known the Truth, that is, the Doctrine of the Son of God; to whom he said, He that heareth you heareth me: That this Gospel they preach­ed, and after by the Will of God committed to Writing, to be the Foundation and Pillar of our Faith. Adds, That^(d) all the Apostles knew the truth by Revelation as well as Paul; for as St. Paul was an Apostle not of Men, neither by Men, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, so were they.

^(e) Theophilus declares the consent there is betwixt the things spoken by the Prophets and in the Gospels, because they both spake by the same Spirit.

Clemens of Alexandria speaking of the Woman who anointed our Saviour's Feet with Ointment, saith, This may be a Symbol [...], of our Lord's Doctrine; for the ^(f) Feet anointed with sweet smelling Ointment, signifie [...], the Divine Doctrine; for the Apostles partaking of the Holy Spirit, betokened by the Ointment of sweet Odor, are the Feet of our Lord anointed. The Apostles are with him, The Disciples of the Spirit: And^(g) we may well call them Prophets, saith he, the Prophets and Apostles, being both acted by one and the same Spirit. And we who have the Scriptures are taught of God, be­ing instructed by that Son of God.

^(h) Origen is most express, That the Sacred Books are not the Writings of Men, but pro­ceed from the afflatus of the Holy Ghost, and came to us by the Will of the Father thro' Je­sus Christ, to them, saith he, that believe this, and adhere to the Canon of the Heavenly Church of Jesus Christ by Succession from the Apostles, we shall shew the appearing ways, viz. of distinguishing betwixt the Spirit and the Letter. ⁽ⁱ⁾ It becomes us, saith he, to believe, that in the Holy Scriptures there is not one title void of the Wisdom of God; for the Prophets speak, receiving from his Fulness; and there is nothing in Prophecy, or the Law, or the Go­spel, or the Apostles, which is not from the Fulness. He adds, That^(k) there is nothing un­equal or distorted in the Oracles of God, but a sweet Harmony of the Old Scriptures with the New, of the legal Scriptures with the Prophetical, the Evangelical with the Apostolical. He [Page xiii] adds, That^(l) we must either say as the Infidels do, that because they are not useful, they are not Divinely Inspired; or as the Faithful do, that because they are profitable, they also are Divinely Inspired. But it is needless to cite more Passages from the Fathers of the first three Centuries, since by them they are constantly stiled,^(m) The Divine Scriptures, the Oracles of God, the Wisdom of God, the Voice of God, the Divine Oracles; that all the Scriptures are the perfect and well-tuned Organ of God, giving from different Sounds one saving Voice to those who are willing to learn.

2dly, They add,⁽ⁿ⁾ That both the Prophets of the Old, and the Writers of the New Testament, spake by one and the same Spirit; the Holy Spirit by the Providence of God, thro' the Divine Word, enlightning these Ministers of the Truth, the Prophets and the Apostles.

3dly, They not only^(o) read those Writings from the Beginning, on the Lord's Day, for the Instruction of the People, but made their Inferences and Exhortations from them to all Christian Duties, and very early made their Comments on them.

4thly, They proved all their Doctrines from these Scriptures, and thence inferr'd, That they retained the true Rule of Faith, because^(p) they delivered only what was conso­nant to the Doctrine contain'd in the Evangelists, and the Epistles of the Apostles; as is evi­dent from all their Writings.

5thly, From these Scriptures of the New Testament they remonstrated against, and con­futed all the^(q) Hereticks which arose in those times, declaring, That they were later than those Apostles who delivered to them the Rule of Faith, and that they taught things contrary to, or alien from the Doctrine delivered by the Apostles of our Lord.

Lastly, That the Scriptures of the New Testament were Divinely Inspired, was a Truth so received by all Christians, that even some of the Hereticks durst not deny it; and they who did, were look'd upon as Infidels, say Origen and others. Thus speaking of the Disciples of Theodorus Coriarius, who corrupted the Scriptures,^(r) What Wickedness, saith an ancient Author, is this, For either they believe not the Holy Scriptures to be distinctly Inspired, and then they are Infidels; or they pretend to be wiser than the Holy Ghost, and then they are mad or possessed.

Now if persons so near to the Times of the Apostles, that some of them conversed with them, some of them were themselves inspired with spiritual Gifts, some of them were ac­quainted with the immediate Successors of the Apostles; if the Churches, which received these Writings from the very Hands of the Apostles, and kept still the Original, or the Au­thentick Copies of them, did so unquestionably receive them as Inspired Writings, and own them as the Rule, Pillar, and the Ground of their whole Faith, if they read them together with those Writings of the Prophets, which were on all hands owned as the Word of God, prov'd from them all the Doctrines of the Christian Faith, receiv'd them as the perfect Rule of Christian Duty, confuted all Heresies and erroneous Doctrines from them, and represent­ed those as Infidels, who question'd or deny'd their Inspiration by the Holy Ghost: They doubtless, must be well assured, they were delivered to them as such by the Apostles, or the Sacred Pen-men of them; and then, What reason can these latter Ages have to question what was so universally acknowledged by those who lived in that very Age in which those [Page xiv] Books were writ, and sent to the Churches of Christ, or who received them under that Character, from Men who in that very Age, had own'd them as written by the Conduct and Assistance of the Spirit of God?

Corollary. §. VIII. Now hence it follows, That what the Apostles have delivered in these Epi­stles, as necessary to be believ'd or done by Christians, must be as necessary to be believ'd and practis'd in order to Salvation, as what was personally taught by Christ himself, and is contain­ed in the Gospels; they being in the writing these Epistles, the Servants, Apostles, Ambassa­dors, and Ministers of Christ, and Stewards of the Mysteries of God; and the Doctrines and Precepts they deliver'd in them, being the Will, the Mind, the Truth, and the Command­ments of God.

Now evident it will be to any who judiciously read these Epistles, That they contain some­things necessary to be believ'd, and done, which were not clearly taught by Christ whilst he was on Earth, nor are delivered clearly in the Gospels; as we may learn both from our Sa­viour's Words to his Disciples, and from these Epistles.

First, From our Saviour's Words; for thus he speaks to his Disciples:

These things I have spoken to you, being with you, Joh. 14.25.

But the Comforter the Holy Ghost, whom the Father shall send in my Name, he shall teach you all things, ver. 26. And again,

I have yet many things to say to you, but ye cannot bear them now, Joh. 16.12.

But when He, the Spirit of Truth, shall come, He shall guide you into all Truth, ver. 13.

These things have I spoken to you in Parables, but the Hour cometh when I will not speak to you still in Parables, but I will shew you plainly of the Father, ver. 25.

2dly, From the things contained in these Epistles: As, v. gr. That by the Deeds of the Law shall no Flesh be justified, Rom. 3.20. That both Jew and Gentile being under condemnation, were only to be justified freely by God's grace, thro' the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God had set forth to be a propitiation thro' Faith in his Blood, ver. 25. That if Righteous­ness came by the Law, then Christ was dead in vain, Gal. 2.21. That as many as are of the Law are under the Curse, Ch. 3.16. That if we be circumcised, Christ shall profit us no­thing, Christ is become of none effect to them that are under the Law, they are fallen from Grace, Ch. 5.2, 5. That the Law was to continue only to the time of Reformation, Heb. 9.10. and was then to be disannulled for the weakness and unprofitableness of it, Ch. 7.18. That Christ is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck, Ch. 5.5, 6. That he hath an unchangeable Priesthood; that he in Heaven is continually making intercession for us, and therefore is able to save us to the uttermost, Ch. 7.24, 25.

Again, In these Epistles only have we Instructions about many great and necessary Duties, as v. g. That all our Thanksgivings are to be offer'd up to God in the Name of Christ, Eph. 5.8, 20. Thess. 5.18. Hebr. 13.14, 15. The Duties which we owe to our Civil Gover­nours, are only hinted in those Words of Christ, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; but are enlarged upon in the Epistle to the Romans, Chap. 13. to Titus, Tit. 3.1. and in the First Epistle of St. Peter, 1 Pet. 2.10. — 17. So also are the Duties which we owe to our Spiritual Superiours, taught more expresly in these Epistles, Gal. 6.6. 1 Thess. 5.12, 13. Heb. 13.7. — 18. In fine, All the particular Duties belonging to the Relations of Husband and Wife, Parents and Children, Masters and Servants, are particularly handled in these Epistles, Eph. 5.28, 33. — 6.1. — 9. Col. 3.18. — 25. but are scarce ever mentioned in the Gospels. But it may be objected,

Object. 1. That these Epistles were writ to those who were in the Faith already, and so could not be design'd to teach them the Fundamental Articles, and Points necessary to Sal­vation, or to instruct them in what was necessary to make them Christians.

Answ. It follows not from their being Christians already; That the Apostles design'd not to write to them in these Epistles of any Fundamental Articles, or Points necessary to Salva­tion, for it is very plain, they do so, St. Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 15.3. writes of the Resurrection of the Dead, and of Christ's Death and Resurrection, as of Doctrines necessary to be believ'd; and in his Epistle to the Galatians, of seeking Justifica­tion by the Works of the Law, as a thing opposite to, and destructive of the Grace of Christ. And since there were among them false Apostles, and deceitful Workers, who corrupted the Word, and handled the Word of God deceitfully, 2 Cor. 2.17. — 4.2. corrupted their Minds from the simplicity of Christ, Ch. 11.3. turn'd them from him that called them to another Go­spel, Gal. 1.6. sought to deprive them of their Reward, Col. 2.18, 19. and separate them from their Head Christ Jesus, who put away a good Conscience, and so made Shipwrack of the Faith, 1 Tim. 2.19. whose Doctrine did spread as a Gangreen, and overthrew the Faith of some, 2 Tim. 2.16. many Disputers of corrupt Minds turning from the Truth, 1 Tim. 6.5. many unruly and vain Talkers, and Deceivers, who subverted whole Houses, teaching things that they ought not, for filthy Lucres sake, Tit. 1.10, 11. Must not these things admi­nister [Page xv] occasion to these sacred Pen-men to endeavour to stablish and confirm them in the Faith, by letting them they wrote to know the moment of those Articles, the necessity of that Faith they had been taught, and the pernicious Consequences of those Practices to which they were seduc'd by these Deceivers?

Again, Seeing these Writings were intended as a Rule not to them only to whom they were sent, but to all future Ages of the Church, and the Spirit expresly told them, that in the lat­ter days some should depart from the Faith, giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of De­vils, 1 Tim. 4.1, 2. that the time would come when they would not endure sound Doctrine, but would turn their ears from the Truth, 2 Tim. 4.3, 4. when false Prophets should arise among them bringing in damnable Doctrines, whose pernicious ways many should follow, 2 Pet. 2.1.2. Seeing they knew that after their Departure grievous Wolves would enter in, not sparing the flock, Acts 20.29, 30. Must not all these Considerations give just occasion to them to write of the great Articles of Christian Faith, and of the necessary points of Christian Conversation, to preserve them, and those that came after them, from those damnable Doctrines and perni­cious Ways?

Moreover, this Objection is therefore insignificant, because the Apostles do inform us, that they found it safe to write the same things to them they had heard, Philip. 3.1. though they knew the Truth, and were confirmed in it, 1 John 2.21. that they might have these things always in remembrance, 2 Pet. 1.12, 15. and that some who for the time of their Conversion might have been great Proficients in the Faith, had yet need to be taught again the first Prin­ciples of the Oracles of God, Hebr. 5.12.

Obj. 2. It also may be said, That these Epistles were writ upon particular Occasions, and without those Occasions had not been writ, and so cannot be thought necessary to Salvation.

Answ. This Objection is neither exactly true of all the Epistles, nor of all that is contain­ed in them; not of all the Epistles, for it appears not that five of the General Epistles, the Epistle to the Romans, to the Ephesians, and to the Hebrews, were writ upon particular Oc­casions, unless the instructing Men in the Faith, and preserving them from Heresie, or Apo­stacy, be called particular Occasions; and where this doth appear, it is very evident, that when the Apostles had writ what they thought proper upon those Occasions, they add many excellent Rules of Piety and Vertue.

Answ. 2. 2dly, Were it exactly true, that all the Epistles were writ upon particular Oc­casions, it will not follow hence, that they were not directed, in writing them, by the Holy Spirit; or, that they contain nothing necessary to be believ'd or done in order to Salvation. For the Book of Psalms was not only writ upon particular Occasions, but was also adapted to, and fitted for them. The Prophets were all sent by God, to testifie against, and call the Jews to Repentance for Sins committed in their time, to reform their Manners, or comfort them in their Distresses; that is, upon particular Occasions: but will it therefore follow, that they did not write by the Assistance of the Spirit of God, or that there is nothing in the Psalms, or in the Prophets, which was necessary to be believ'd or practis'd by the Jews? Moreover, The Gospel of St. Luke was writ on a particular Occasion, viz. to instruct Theo­philus in the Certainty of the things he had been taught: and yet^(a) Epiphanius informs us, that the Holy Ghost compell'd and stimulated him to the Work. The Gospel of St. Mark was writ, say the Ancients, at the Request of the Converts at Rome; and yet he writ it, saith^(b) Epiphanius, [...], by the impulse of the Holy Ghost. They also say, That St. John was importuned by all the Asiaticks, to write his Gospel: and yet, saith^(c) Epiphanius, The Holy Spirit did inwardly impel him to the writing of it. The Gospel of St. Matthew, ^(d) say they, was indited at the Request of the Hebrews, that he might supply, by writing, the want of his Presence with them: so that we see the Writings of the Apostles and Evangelists may be occasionally penn'd, and yet be the Products of the Holy Ghost, and contain things necessary to be believ'd and done.

Answ. 3. 3dly, The particular Occasions of some of these Writings being the Errours or the Waverings of Christians in fundamental Points, as appears from the Epistles to the Co­rinthians, Galatians, &c. and in others the busie industry of false Apostles and deceitful Workers, to pervert them from the Faith; that these Epistles were writ on such Occasions, is rather a Presumption that they were writ upon some fundamental Points, than that they could not be indited upon these Occasions.

Moreover, Great Advantages arise from the occasional writing these Epistles, and such as might induce the Holy Spirit to excite them to the Work. For,

1. All the Occasions which they took to write, from the Disorders, Errours, Heresies, [Page xvi] Mistakes, which at first crept into the Church, render these Writings standing Rules for the Decision of like Cases through all future Ages.

2. The Deportment of the Apostles towards these erroneous Persons and disorderly Walkers, the Care they used to recover or inform them better, the Zeal and Tenderness they shew'd, and the Rules they laid down in those Cases, are excellent Precedents and Directions for all Church-Governours in Cases of like nature.

3dly, All the occasions which they had to write for the Direction of Church-Governours how to behave themselves in the Church of God, to give Rules for the Qualifications of those who were to be admitted to those Offices, and touching their Behaviour in them, for the Settlement of the Affairs of the Church, and the decent and regular Performance of Divine Service, afford us standing Rules of Government, and of admitting and ordaining a Successi­on of those divers Orders in the Church.

Lastly, These various occasions give us full Assurance that these Epistles must be written in those very times when these Disorders hapned, and these Errours crept into the Church, and so take off all Jealousie, or Suspicion that they were Writings contrived in the following Ages of the Church; whereas had their Writings been only Systems of Theological Doctrines, and Rules of Life, which equally concerned all Ages of the Church, it might have been more plausibly objected, that they were framed by some Christian Bishops assembled for that end.

Obj. 3. But if all, or most of the Truths declared in the Epistles were to be received, and believed as fundamental Articles, what then became of those Christians who were fallen asleep before those things in the Epistles were revealed to them?

Answ. 1. This Question equally concerns the Evangelists, and more especially the Gospel of^(a) St. John, which, say the Antients, was either the last Portion of Scripture which was written, or the last save his Epistles, it being written after his Return from his Exile in Patmos to Ephesus; and so if it contain fundamental Articles, or necessary Rules of Life, what became of those Christians who died before they were revealed in it.

Answ. 2. We say not that all, or most of the Truths, declared either in the Epistles or Gospels, are to be accounted fundamental or necessary Articles; but only that some of them ought to be so accounted, especially those which have this Character of a necessary Article or Rule of Life, that the Denial or Non-practice of them is represented as that which will en­danger our Salvation, or cut us off from the Communion of the Church.

Answ. 3. 'Tis also a precarious Supposition, that they who died before these Epistles were writ by them, must die before the necessary things contained in them were revealed to them, seeing we know that the Apostles writ the same things which they had preach'd before, and St. Luke writ his Gospel that Theophilus might know the Certainty of the things he had been taught: and in those times of the Effusion of the Spirit of Wisdom and of Knowledge, they had an Unction which could teach them all things, 1 John 2.27. and so supply the unavoidable Defects of outward Teachers.

Obj. 4. The Gospel was to be preached to the Poor: now they are not capable of sublime Notions, nor can they comprehend mysterious Reasonings.

Answ. 1. Whether this Objection be intended against the Necessity of believing the Epi­stles of St. Paul only, or also of the Gospel of St. John, is uncertain, the sublime Notions and mysterious Reasonings being common to both.

Answ. 2. There seemeth no necessity of troubling the poor Common People with sublime Notions, or mysterious Reasonings, since both the Ancient Church and our own Catechism declare that all the Articles of Christian Faith common to all that bear that Name, are com­prised in the Apostle's Creed. For when the Child saith, My Godfathers and Godmothers promised I should believe All the Articles of the Christian Faith, since it is evident they on­ly stipulated for the Belief of the Apostles Creed in Baptism, and when he doth rehearse those Articles, he only doth rehearse the Apostles Creed, 'tis certain that, by our Catechism, must be supposed to contain All the Articles of Christian Faith.

Moreover, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to make such persons have a right Con­ception of the Spiritual Nature, and the Attributes of God, or to enable them, by Reason, to prove the Providence of God, or the Immortality of the Soul; but yet these things must be proposed to them as Articles, or Foundations of their Faith. And as it is not very diffi­cult for them to learn from Scripture the Truth of these things; so neither is it difficult from the same Scripture to learn the Truth of all the Articles of the Apostles Creed, even in that sense in which all Christian Ages did receive them.

In a word, Were these Mechanicks as much concern'd for Spirituals as they are for Tem­porals, as many of them have attain'd to great Proficiency in their respective Arts, so might they also, by a Christian diligence, attain to a competent proficiency in all the necessary Ar­ticles of Christian Faith, and in the Rules of Christian Piety, or of their Duty to God and [Page xvii] Man. Now Christianity being that Doctrine which is after Godliness, Tit. 1.1. I believe nothing is proposed in it as necessary to be believ'd to Salvation, which hath not some ten­dency to the Promotion of true Piety.

§. IX. Having thus stablish'd the Divine Authority of these Epistles, I shall endeavour to confirm the Truth of Christian Faith from what is copiously delivered in them, and in those Acts of the Apostles which contain the History of the Authors of them.

This is of absolute necessity in this degenerate Age, in which all manner of Impiety ex­ceedingly abounds, and Men are by their Lives disposed, and even concern'd to question the Truth of that Religion, and of those Writings which threaten the severest Punishments to their Enormities; and do industriously, and even impudently, persue this black Design both in their Discourses and their Writings.

Now, to prove against these Enemies of reveal'd Religion the Truth and Certainty of Christian Faith, from what is copiously delivered in these Epistles, and in the Acts of the Apostles, it will be only requisite to shew that they contain a Declaration, of such things as could not possibly be true, but they must also be a full and a convincing Demonstration of the Truth of Christian Faith, and that we have great reason to believe the Truth of what is thus related by them. And,

1st. That they contain a Declaration of such things as could not possibly be true, but they must also be a full and a convincing Demonstration of the Truth of Christian Faith, the De­claration will be sufficient to evince; for it was this:

That the miraculous Gifts and powerful Operations of the Holy Ghost were plentifully afford­ed to them who preach'd the Gospel to the World, and also to those Christian Churches which receiv'd that Gospel, and embrac'd the Faith they taught.

By way of Preface to what I shall collect from these Acts and Epistles concerning these miraculous Gifts and Operations of the Holy Ghost, it may deserve to be considered, that as the Blessed Jesus spake as never Man spake, that is, delivered such just, holy, beneficial Commands as never were before made known to the World; and did, for Confirmation of his Doctrine, the Works that no other Man did; so was he pleased to lay the Truth of his Prophetick Office upon such future and miraculous Events, as no Impostor, that had any Wit, would undertake, or could be able to perform.

For the Prophecies which he had undertaken to fulfil, and his own frequent Declarations, made it necessary; 1. That he should die a peculiar Death, i. e. by being lifted up upon the Cross: 2. That in three days he should rise again: 3. That after his Resurrection his Gospel should in the space of forty years, or before the Destruction of Jerusalem, be propagated throughout the World or the whole Roman Empire: 4. That in order to the propagating of it, the Holy Ghost should plentifully be vouchsafed to his Apostles, and should endue them with power from on high, and even enable them to do greater works than he himself hath done, John 14.12.

At the great day of the Feast of Tabernacles, when all the Jews assembled at Jerusalem, were joyful in their Beth Haschoavah or House of drawing Water, and were, say their Tradi­tions, in expectation that the Holy Ghost would fall upon them, Jesus stood and cried, say­ing, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink; he that believeth in me, out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living waters: this spake he of the Spirit which they that believed on him should receive, John 7.37, 38. And at the close of his Life on Earth, he comforts his Disciples with the Promise of this Holy Ghost, who should continue with them not on­ly to teach them all things, and bring all things to their remembrance, but also to convince the World of Sin, because they believed not in him, and of his Righteousness, who was so glori­ously exalted to the right-hand of God his Father, and of a future Judgment, because the Prince of this World being cast out from those he had possest, was judged, John 16.7, 11. And after his Resurrection, he speaks thus to them; Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you, for ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence, Luke 24.49. And ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth, Acts 1.8. And lastly, to encourage others to believe the Doctrine which they taught, he saith, These Signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out Devils, they shall speak with new Tongues, they shall take up Serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Now I desire to know whether any thing of this nature was ever undertaken, or laid as the foundation of their Credit by any other Author of any Doctrine, Religion, Sect, or He­resie? Whether they ever made their own violent Death and Resurrection the foundation of their Veracity? or promised the like Powers and Assistances when they were risen to those who should promote, or should embrace their Doctrine? or, whether that which no Man else durst undertake, was not performed by the Holy Jesus so effectually, as that his Do­ctrine [Page xviii] presently prevail'd, and was receiv'd throughout the World in spight of all the Opposi­tion Men and Devils made against it, and wrought in Christians such a lasting Faith, as Time and Vice, though most concern'd to do it, was never able to deface.

But though we have no Instances of any other Persons that made the like Attempts, yet do our Lord's Disciples tread exactly in their Master's Steps: For the first thing which they de­clared to the World was this, that the Forerunner of their Lord, John the Baptist, when Je­rusalem, and all Judea, and all the Regions about Jordan, and in particular the Pharisees and Sadducees, the Publicans and Soldiers, repaired to his Baptism, declared in the Audience of them all, There was one shortly to come after him, one that stood then among them, who would baptize them with the Holy Ghost and Fire, Matth. 3.11. They also add, That their Lord, both before and after his Resurrection, made a like Promise to them, That he would sud­denly send down upon them the Spirit promised by the Father, that they should receive power from on high, and be baptized with the Holy Ghost, and so should be enabled to be the Wit­nesses of his Resurrection and of his Doctrine.

When these Apostles had themselves receiv'd the Holy Ghost, they declare, they only had received what God had promised by his Prophet Joel, saying, Chap. 2.28. It shall come to pass in the last days, I will pour my Spirit upon all flesh, and your Sons and your Daughters shall prophesie, and your Young-men shall see Visions, and your Old-men shall dream Dreams, Acts 2.16. Where note, That 'tis a receiv'd Rule among the Jews, that the last days, when used by the Prophets, do signifie the times of the Messiah. See the Note on 1 Tim. 4.1. Note also, That God of old revealed his Will to his People by Visions, Dreams, and by Pro­phetick Revelations; so that this is a Promise, that in the days of the Messiah God would miraculously pour his Spirit upon Men, and by that Spirit would enable them to prophesie, and to reveal his Will to others. Yea they say boldly to all that stood amazed at it, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; for the Promise is to you, and to your Children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Here then we see how fully they both claim a Promise of the Holy Ghost made by their Master to them, and also promise the like Gift to them who should believe, and be baptized in his Name.

Now either these Promises were actually performed, and made good before they were in­dited, and put into the Records of the Christian Faith, the Writings of the Apostles and Evangelists, or they were not; if all these Promises were fulfill'd before the Records which contain them were indited, then had Christ sent the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, and given them the Promise of the Father; then the believing Jews and Gentiles were actually bapti­zed with the Holy Ghost, and were enabled to speak with Tongues, and Prophecy; and so Christ must have given certain demonstration of the Truth both of his Resurrection and his Promises. But if these Promises were not made good before these Records were indited, then the whole Story of St. John, and of the Acts of the Apostles, might easily have been convinc'd of Falshood by many thousand living Witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all other places where they lay the Scene of this great Dispensation, because they had heard nothing of these things but from their Histories. Then by the Suffrage of our own Evangelists, our Lord's Forerunner must be a Deceiver when he declared the Messiah should baptize them with the Holy Ghost and Fire, whom he had then baptiz'd with Water. Yea, in those very Hi­stories designed to convince others that Jesus was the Christ, they must leave on Record a Promise made not to them only, but to all Believers, which never was fulfill'd; the Apostles also must be falsly introduced, saying, This was that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel, and with the greatest Impudence, promising that Holy Ghost to others which they themselves had not received; and surely then those Jews which after all Christ's Miracles required a Sign, would have enquired of the Apostles, where is that great Effusion of the Spirit promi­sed by the Prophet Joel, which may assure us that the times of the Messiah are now come? Where is that fiery Baptism? Where are those Rivers of spiritual Water which their pre­tended Christ, and his Forerunner, promised? Let us see them, that we may believe him. With what face could St. Peter promise that Holy Ghost to others upon Faith in Christ, which they themselves had not received? Or with what face could Luke declare he did this before such an Audience of which the greatest part must then be living, and so as with that Promise to convert three thousand Souls? Had neither these Converts, nor this Audience, any experience of that Affair? In fine, If these Apostles were not assisted with these miraculous Powers of the Holy Ghost, they must be well assured, that he who had so oft engaged whilst he lived, to send this Comforter to them, and at his Resurrection promised that in few days they should be all baptized with the Holy Ghost, was a Deceiver, and false Prophet, and then what Motive could they have, or how could they conceive it a thing possible to be his Wit­nesses successfully to the uttermost parts of the earth? If by the coming of the Holy Ghost upon them they were indeed enabled to speak all Languages, this Gift was a sufficient Confir­mation of the Resurrection and Ascension of that Jesus who thus made good his Promise to [Page xix] them. If they had no such Gift, how was it possible that such unlearned Persons, who only und [...]rstood their Mother-Tongue, should discourse in their several Languages to the Romans, Grecians, Egyptians, Persians, Armenians, Scythians, Indians, and all the barbarous Nations of the World? And to what purpose was it for them to travel to those Nations, to stand mute among them, or else to tell a story to them of which they could not understand one word? If, as the sacred Story doth inform us, they preach'd the Word with demonstration of the Spirit, and Power; if they went forth preaching every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with Signs following, God also bearing witness to them by Signs and Miracles, and by divers Powers and Distributions of the Holy Ghost; then might they boldly say, We are his witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Ghost, which God hath gi­ven to those that obey him, Acts 5.32. But if no such Assistance was vouchsafed to them, what evidence could they give to the World that he had sent them on this Errand? Or how could they expect to reverse all the ancient Laws and Religions of the World, and to per­suade all Nations to own and worship, as the great Saviour of the World, one who was late­ly hanged on a Tree. Their Compliance therefore with this Mission, and their Continuance in this Testimony under those dreadful Miseries they suffer'd for it, as well as their incre­dible success in Propagation of the Christian Faith to every Nation, will not suffer us to doubt that they were well assured of the Completion of this Promise to them, and so of Christ's miraculous Assistance of them.

§. X. Moreover, one signal Evidence of the miraculous Powers and Distributions of the Holy Ghost, confer'd upon the first Promoters and Professors of the Christian Faith, ariseth from the plain Matters of Fact related in the Acts of the Apostle, and the Epistles of S. Paul, concerning the miraculous Effusion of these extraordinary Gifts, on them who owned this Faith, and were baptized in the Name of Christ.

The Acts of the Apostles have left upon Record five remarkable Instances of this Affair; viz.

1st, That on the day of Pentecost the Apostles and Disciples of Christ Jesus being met to­gether, cloven Tongues, like to fire, fell upon them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other Tongues, as the Spirit gave them Utterance: adding, that when this Miracle was wrought upon them, there were devout men of every Nation who heard them speak in their own Tongues the wondrous works of God; and upon this account did, with Amazement, ask, Are not all these which speak Galileans? and how hear we every man in our own Tongue wherein we were born! And that St. Peter, one of Christ's Disci­ples, did then and there declare that the same Jesus whom the Jews had crucified, was by God raised up, and exalted to his own right-hand, and having receiv'd of the Father the Pro­mise of the Holy Ghost, had shed forth this which they now saw and heard; and that he with these Sayings instantly converted three thousand Souls, and that God daily added to the Church such as should be saved, Acts 2.

2dly, That when St. Philip had converted many People of Samaria to the Christian Faith, and had baptized them, St. Peter and St. John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost: and that Simon Magus seeing this, offer'd them Money to have this Power im­parted to him, that on whomsoever he should lay his hands, they might receive the Holy Ghost, Acts 8.

3dly, That whilst St. Paul, a zealous Pharisee, and a more zealous Persecutor, breathed out Threatnings and Slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord, and had received Commission from the High Priest and Elders, to bring them bound unto Jerusalem to be punished, as he came nigh to Damascus, a light from Heaven above the brightness of the Sun, shone round about him, and struck him blind; and the Lord Jesus, by a Voice from Heaven, said unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And that one Ananias being sent by the same Jesus to lay his hands upon him, he presently receives his Sight, is filled with the Holy Ghost, and preacheth Christ, in the Jewish Synagogues erected in that famous City, Acts 9.

4thly, That whilst St. Peter was preaching to Cornelius, his Kinsmen, and near Friends, the Holy Ghost fell on all those that heard the word, and they spake with Tongues, and magni­fied God in the Presence of the Jews, Acts 10.44, 45.

5thly, That St. Paul finding twelve Disciples of the Baptist who had not yet received the Holy Ghost, he baptizes them in the Name of the Lord Jesus; and when he had laid his hands upon them, they received the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, Acts 19.6.

Now all these things were done, saith this Record, in populous and famous Cities.

The first in Jerusalem, at the great Feast of Pentecost, immediately ensuing Christ's Ascen­sion, and therefore at a time when all Jerusalem was met to celebrate that Feast, and when the fame of the Messiah, expected suddenly to appear, Luke 19.11. had brought great multi­tudes of Jews and Proselites out of all Nations, to attend the issue of that Expectation; and so the Matter of Fact, if true, must be well known by all Judea so to be: nor could it [Page xx] possibly be false, but all then present, and alive, when first the fact was publish'd to the World, must be so many living Witnesses of the falshood of it.

The second populous City whose Converts received this effusion of the Holy Ghost, was the Metropolis of Samaria, according to our Lord's Prediction, You shall be my Witnesses in Sa­maria, Acts 1.8. The Time when this was done, is noted by three Characters; viz. That it was done soon after the Death of Stephen, Acts 8.2. and before the Conversion of S. Paul, ver. 1. and when Simon the celebrated Magician was there, and had so gain'd upon the Peo­ple of that City, that they all gave heed to him, and owned him as the great Power of God, ver. 9, 10.

The third was done in Damascus, the Metropolis and noble Mart of Syria, where flourish­ed many thousand Jews, upon a Person known by the whole Nation of the Jews to be a strict and celebrated Pharisee, and once a zealous Persecutor of the Christian Faith; one af­ter his Conversion, which hapned the next year after our Lord's Ascension, was hated, and persecuted by his own Nation for preaching up that Faith he formerly endeavour'd to de­stroy; and so not only they of Damascus, and they who journeyed with him, and saw and felt that glorious Appearance, which was the means of this Conversion, but even the whole Jewish Nation must be acquainted with, and even alarm'd at this miraculous and sudden Change.

The fourth happen'd in the City of Caesarea, the Seat of the R. Governour of Judea, inhabited by Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles, and well stock'd with Roman Souldiers, upon the Person and Kindred of Cornelius, a Centurion of the Roman Band, one well reported of by the whole Nation of the Jews, and so not only Caesarea, but all Judea and Rome also must be acquainted with the Conversion of a Man so eminent for his Post, so well approv'd by the whole Jewish Nation for his Piety. The Character of the time when this was done, we learn from these Circumstances, that before the Word was preached to the Jews only, and that this was the first Instance of their preaching to convert a Gentile to the Faith of Christ.

The fifth was done in Ephesus, the Metropolis of the Proconsular Asia, about twelve years after the former, in a City where dwelt many Jews, who were Teachers of the Law in op­position to the Gospel; and who had there a Synagogue: and after this, all Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of Christ, Acts 19.10, 17.

Now when Times and Places, Circumstances and Events, are so particularly set down, and are of such a nature as seem to carry in them a conspicuous evidence of the notorious Falshood, or the clear Truth of the Narration, as it is a sign that the Historian intended no Deceit, so neither seems it easie to conceive, how such great Cities and Regions should be ignorant of the Truth, or Falshood of them, or be capable of being imposed upon by such Relations.

All that can possibly be offer'd to impair the Credit of these Evidences of the miraculous Operations of the Holy Ghost, exercised by the Apostles, and conferr'd on such as did embrace the Christian Faith, must be comprised in these two Particulars; viz. Either that these things were not written and publish'd by St. Luke, or in his time; or, that they were not truly written, but contain false Stories invented for the Credit of Christianity.

Now that this History was originally and universally received by the Tradition of the Church amongst her true undoubted Scriptures,^(a) Eusebius sufficiently informs us. Clemens of Alexandria and Origen confirm the same Tradition. And as all agree that this History was written by St. Luke, and own'd as an unquestionable Record of Christianity; so do we find it cited by^(b) St. Clemens, St. Paul's Companion; by^(c) Papias, who conversed with Men of the Apostles time; and by^(d) Polycarp, who was St. John's Disciple: And^(e) Irenaeus who flourished in the second Century, hath in a large Chapter almost epitomiz'd it. Nor do I read of any Jew or Gentile who did except against the Truth or the Sincerity of the Re­lator of these things. Now if a Record so early, and so generally received and cited by the Christians, may be, without all proof, rejected, as not written by that Author whose Name it hath still born, if a Writing thus unanimously own'd among the Records of the Christian Faith, may be, without all reason, rejected, as a spurious or doubtful piece, the Truth and Credit of all History must be entirely subverted: and so there will be nothing certain left concerning any Records of Antiquity.

But if, according to this General Tradition, this History was indeed writ and published by St. Luke, there must be many Myriads still living in Judea, Samaria, Damascus, Ephesus, Caesarea, and many other places mention'd in these Acts, who could be able to disprove these things, had they been false; which yet was either not at all, or unsuccessfully attempted, as the Issue, which concluded in its general Reception, testifies. We therefore may conclude, [Page xxi] that neither Jew or Gentile, Orthodox Christian or Apostate, though they were all concern'd to do it, found any cause to doubt the Certainty of what was thus recorded.

But, to give Scepticism its utmost Scope, be it this History was not publish'd till an hun­dred years after our Lord's Ascension, beyond which Infidelity cannot go, if we consider the Citations of it before that time, and the Abridgment of it made by Irenaeus not long after; either the Facts related in it were true, and then they are a signal Evidence of the miraculous Operations of the Holy Ghost vouchsafed to Christians; or they were false, and then how is it possible they should obtain so easie and so general Belief? Could they not know in Ju­dea, Samaria, and Ephesus, by what means they were first converted to the Christian Faith? Must it not be sufficient prejudice to them against these Tales, that they had lived so long in the Profession of that Faith, and had heard nothing of these things, too wonderful, too much conducing to the Honour and Confirmation of that Faith to be so long conceal'd, had they been truly done by two such eminent Apostles as were St. Peter and St. Paul?

§. XI. Having made this brief Collection of Instances respecting these spiritual Gifts from the Acts of the Apostles, I now proceed to these Epistles which almost severally contain suf­ficient Proofs of the Effusion of the Holy Ghost upon Believers, and of his miraculous Assi­stance of the Preachers of the Christian Faith, and jointly do concur to make this Evidence triumphant over Infidelity. For,

1st, St. Paul writes to the Romans thus; I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual Gift, to the end you may be established, Rom. 1.11. See the Note there. For I know, saith he, that when I come to see you, I shall come in the fulness [...] of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ, Chap. 15.29. i. e. that fulness of spiritual Gifts with which all Chri­stians were blessed in Christ Jesus, according to that Promise of the Prophet Isaiah, Chap. 44.2, 3. Fear not, Jacob my servant, and Israel whom I have chosen, for I will put my Spirit on thy Seed, [...], and my Blessings on thy Children. Now that the Apostle came to Rome, both Scripture, and the whole Current of Antiquity attests; either then he came to them with the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ, and did impart unto them those spi­ritual Gifts which tended to confirm them in the Christian Faith, or he did not: if he did impart them, he gave them an assured Demonstration of the Certainty of Christian Faith; if he did not, he himself ministered to them a full Objection against his own Apostleship: for, this must render him a vain Boaster of things he was not able to perform, and a Deceiver of the Church of Rome. And why then doth he speak thus to them? I have whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God; for I will not dare to speak of any thing which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient in word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, and in the power of the spirit of God, Rom. 15.18, 19. These Powers, saith he, have accompanied my Preaching from Jerusalem, round about unto Illyri­cum; and this Grace, saith he, was given to me of God, that I should be the Minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the Gospel of God to them, that the offering up of the Gen­tiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. Where he compares himself, preaching the Gospel, to the Priest, conversant about his Sacrifice, to prepare and fit it to be offer'd; the Gentiles dedicated by him to the Service of God, are his Sacrifice or Oblation; the Holy Spirit confer'd upon them is the Libamen by which they are sanctified, and ren­der'd acceptable to God. Moreover, the Epistle to the Romans must be false, or else it must be sent by the Apostle before he had seen Rome, for it containeth an intimation that he had not then seen them, a Desire to see them, and a Promise to come to them; for, saith he, I make it my Request to God, if by any means, now at length, I might have a prosperous Journey by the will of God, to come to you, for I long to see you, Rom. 1.10, 11, 13. And, I often purposed to come to you, but was let hitherto. And again, I have been much hinder'd from coming to you, having therefore a great desire these many years to come to you, when­soever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you, Chap. 15.22, 23, 24. 'Tis also certain that he afterwards did see them; for after his Appeal to Caesar, he was sent to Rome, and lived there at least two years: he therefore must have sent this Epistle to them, and they must have receiv'd it, before that time. In a word, from those words in the Close of this Epistle, Chap. 15.25, 26. But now I go to Jerusalem to minister to the Saints; for it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain Contribution for the poor Saints that are at Jerusalem, it is evident he writ this Epistle before that Collection was carried by him to Jerusalem in the third year of Nero, and sent it from Corinth, as the Postscript faith. Note also, that this Epistle is often cited by St. Clemens and Polycarp.

In his Epistle to the Church of Corinth, he declares, They were enriched in all Utterance, and Knowledge, or in Tongues and Prophecy, 1 Cor. 1.5. (See the Note there) That they a­bounded in every thing, in Faith, in Utterance, and Knowledge, 2 Cor. 8.7. so that they came behind the other Churches in no Gift. His Twelfth Chapter begins thus: Now concerning Spiritual Gifts, I would not have you ignorant, that no Man speaking by the Spirit of God, [Page xxii] calleth Jesus accursed; and that no Man can say, that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of Gifs, but the same Spirit; and there are differences of Administra­tions, (or Offices in the Church, to which these Gifts belong,) but (all proceeding from) the same Lord; and there are diversities of Operations, performed by these Gifted Men, but it is the same God who worketh all these Operations in them all, ver. 4, 5, 6. Then he pro­ceeds to the Enumeration of the Gifts confer'd upon the Officers and Members of the Church, viz. The Gifts of Knowledge, Wisdom, Prophecy, and the discerning of Spirits; the Gift of Miracles, of Faith, of Healing, of divers Kinds of Tongues, and the Interpretation of them, saying, That God had placed in the Church, First, Apostles: Secondly, Prophets: Thirdly, Teachers: After that, Miracles, then Gifts of Healing; Helps, Governments, di­versities of Tongues; concluding with this Question, Are all Apostles? are all Prophets? are all Teachers? are all Workers of Miracles? have all the Gifts of Healing? do all speak with Tongues? do all Interpret? but covet earnestly the best Gifts, and yet shew I to you a more excellent Way, even that of Charity. For, tho' I have the Gift of Prophesie, and under­stand all Mysteries, and all Knowledge; and tho' I have all Faith, so that I could remove Moun­tains, and have no Charity, I am nothing, Chap. 13.1, 2. For Prophecys shall fail, and Tongues shall cease, and Knowledge shall be done away, but Charity never faileth, ver. 8.

Now this Epistle must be endited and sent to them whilst their Schisms, Contentions and Disorders remained, because it was designed to correct them, and whilst St. Paul was in a capacity to come to them, and so before his Bonds, because he saith, The rest will I set in order when I come, Chap. 11.34. Hence, after notice given of their Schisms, Contentions and Divisions, he adds, These things have I in a Figure transfer'd to my self and Apollo for your sakes, that you might learn in us, not to think of Men above that which is written, That no one of you be puffed up, for one against another, Chap. 4.6. saying, I have also sent Timotheus to you, and I my self will come unto you shortly; and then he puts the Question to them thus, What will you that I come unto you with a Rod, or in Love, and in the Spirit of Meekness, ver. 16, 17, 18, 19. Chap. 5. He commands them to put away from them, and to deliver up to Satan, the incestuous Person; and that accordingly they did so, his Se­cond Epistle shews, in which he writes to them to forgive, and comfort him, 2 Cor. 2.7.

Moreover, He writes part of this Epistle in Answer to some Questions they had sent to him, which required a speedy Answer, as being Cases of Conscience which concern'd their Conversation, their Freedom from Idolatry, and the Preservation of weak Christians. The rest of his Epistle is spent in endeavouring to correct their great Disorders about the Sacra­ment, their Church Assemblies, and the use of their Spiritual Gifts, Chap. 11. and 14. and their great Errour touching the Resurrection, Chap. 15. and to give Directions touching their Charity, Chap. 16. All which things required speedy Instructions; and that this Epistle was sent accordingly, these Words do manifest, When I come, whomsoever you shall approve by your Letters, them will I send to bring your Liberality to Jerusalem, and if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me, Chap. 16.3, 4. Now I will come to you when I pass thro' Ma­cedonia, and it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, ver. 5, 6. I say, hence it is evident, That they soon received this Epistle; for they accordingly made their Collecti­ons, with which he went up to Jerusalem; and in his Second Epistle, he Apologises for not coming to them, according to those Words, Chap. 1.16, 17. Moreover, the Second Epistle is a strong Confirmation of the First, in which he had pointed out unto them, those Disor­ders which he would have remedied, those things he would have done before his coming; for in this he tells them their Obedience to his former Letter, had filled him with Joy and Comfort, that his Instructions concerning the incestuous Person, had found so good effect, that they approved themselves to be clear in this Matter, and caused him to rejoice, That he could have such confidence in them in all things, Chap. 7. Whence it is evident, They had not only then received, but in some measure had complyed with the Instructions given them in that Epistle.

Add to this, That Clemens Romanus with the whole Church of Rome, in an Epistle sent to the Corinthians, not many Years after this of St. Paul's was written, declare, [§. 2.] That there was [...], a full effusion of the Holy Ghost upon them all; and that St. Paul had written to them an Epistle touching their Divisions about himself, [§. 47.] and Cephas, and Apollo; which is a great Confirmation, both of the ear­ly Knowledge, and Use of this Epistle in the Church, as also of the truth of what St. Paul relateth in it, touching the Gifts of the Holy Ghost confer'd upon them.

In his Epistle to the Galathians, he compares himself with the Chief of the Apostles, and the Pillars of the Church, declaring, That he that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apo­stleship of the Circumcision, was as efficacious in him towards the Gentiles; that these Pillars saw, and perceived by the Grace given to him, That the Gospel of the Uncircumcision was commit­ted to him, as the Gospel of the Circumcision was to Peter, and therefore gave to him the right hand of Fellowship, that he with Barnabas should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Circum­cision, [Page xxii] Chap. 2.7, 8, 9. adding for Consolation to the Gentiles, That Christ had redeem'd them from the Curse of the Law, that the Blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, that they might receive the Promise of the Spirit, thro' Faith, Ch. 3.13. adding, That thro' the Spirit they did wait for the Hope of Righteousness by Faith, Ch. 5.5.

Now in this Epistle, he mentions the Life that he now lived in the Flesh, Ch. 2.20. his fear of them, his desire to see them, and the desire of the false Brethren to exclude him from any Share in their Affections, and the Persecutions he yet suffer'd in the Flesh, Ch. 3.2. Ch. 4.11, 15, 17, 20. Ch. 5.11. And he concludes it thus; You see how large a Letter I have written to you with my own Hand; and from henceforth let no Man trouble me, for I bear in my Body the Marks of the Lord Jesus, Ch. 6.11, 17. Which Words demonstate, That this Epistle must be written, and sent to them whilst he lived, and after he had suffered greatly for the Name of Christ. Moreover, the occasion of it shews, it must be written by St. Paul himself; for it was writ upon occasion of some Judaizers, who preach'd up the necessity of circumcising the Gentiles, and requiring them to observe the Law of Moses, and who endeavoured to disparage this Apostle who had taught the contrary, as inferiour to other Apostles, and his Doctrine as contrary to what they taught: Now these Distempers requiring a speedy Remedy, we cannot doubt, but the Apostle sent this Epistle to them, as soon as he had heard, how they had been perverted from the Sincerity of the Faith. 'Tis al­so cited by Polycarp ad Philip. §. 5.

In his Epistle to the Ephesians, he tells them, He was made a Minister of the Gospel ac­cording to the Gift of the Grace of God given to him, by the effectual working of his Power, Ch. 3.7. And, that to every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ. For, He ascending up on High, gave Gifts unto Men. And, He gave some Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, some Pastors and Teachers; and that all these had their Spiritual Gifts. See the Note on Chap. 4.7, 8, 11. and adds, That after they believ'd, they were sealed with the Spirit of Promise, which is the Earnest of our Inheritance, till the Re­demption of the purchased Possession, Ch. 1.13, 14.

Now in this Epistle, he makes mention of his Bonds, and of his being then an Ambassa­dor in Bonds, Ch. 6.20. saying, I Paul the Prisoner of Jesus Christ, for you Gentiles; I Paul the Prisoner of the Lord, beseech you, Ch. 3.1. Ch. 4.1. This Epistle therefore, must be sent unto them, whilst he was in Bonds at Rome; and so it must be sent unto them An­no Christi 62. since Paul was set at liberty the next Year. He also adds, That it was sent by Tychicus, whom he sent to them on purpose to make known his Affairs whilst he abode at Rome, and begs their Prayers for Courage in making known the Mystery of the Gospel, whilst he was thus in Bonds, Chap. 6.19, 20, 21, 22.

Moreover, This Epistle is cited by St. Clemens [Ep. ad Cor. §. 46.] about six Years after the writing of it. It is twice cited by Polycarp [§. 1. 12.] in his Epistle to the Philippians. Ignatius [§. 12.] in his Epistle to the Ephesians, saith, That St. Paul in his whole Epistle, made mention of them in Christ Jesus. So early was this Epistle known to, and read by the Christians.

In his Epistle to the Colossians, he declares, That he had laboured in Preaching the Go­spel to them, according to the Energy of him that wrought with him, [...], by a migh­ty Power, Ch. 1.29. and saith, Let the Word of God dwell in you richly in all Wisdom, teach­ing and admonishing one another, in Psalms, and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, Ch. 3.16. Now in this Epistle, he saith, That he then rejoiced in the Afflictions which he suffered for them, Ch. 1.24. He also speaks of his Sollicitude for them, and those of Laodicea, and for as many as had not seen his Face in Christ, of his Salutation with his own hand, Ch. 4.18. and of his Bonds, and of his sending Tychicus and Onesimus, to give them an Account of his Affairs, and of the Salutations of many Brethren. He therefore, and they also, must be all alive when this Epistle was sent to them.

In his Epistle to the Thessalonians, he testifies, His Gospel came unto them not in Word only, but in Power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much Assurance, and that they received the Word with much Affliction, but yet with Joy of the Holy Ghost, 1 Thess. 1.5, 6. and for this he appeals to their own Experience, adding these Words, Ye know what manner of Persons we were amongst you for your sakes; whence he infers, That he that despised his Admoniti­ons, despised not Man, but God who also had given them his Holy Spirit, Ch. 4.8.

Now in this Epistle, he speaks of his Absence from them, of his great desire to see them, 1 Thess. 2.17. of his Sollicitude for their stedfastness under their Sufferings, Ch. 3.5, 6. his sending Timothy to give him an account of it, his Comfort when he heard that they stood firm; and maketh Sylvanus and Timotheus his Associates in sending it. This Epistle there­fore must be written whilst both they and he were living, and it is cited by Polycarp in his Epistle to the Philippians, §. 11.

In his Epistle to Titus, he speaks thus, Chap. 3.5, 6. According to his Mercy, he saved us by the washing of Regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us a­bundantly, [Page xxiv] thro' Jesus Christ our Lord. Now, of Epistles thus written to particular Persons, I think it needless to prove, That they were written whilst both St. Paul and they were li­ving, and were not sent unto them from, or in another World. Tho' that is here sufficient­ly proved from these Words, Chap. 3.12. When I shall send Artemas to thee, or Tychicus, be di­ligent to come to me to Nicopolis.

Arg. 2. §. XII. 2dly, That God vouchsafed to the Professors and first Propagators of the Christian Faith, these admirable Powers, and various Distributions of the Holy Ghost, is farther evident from this Consideration, That the Apostles in all their Contests and Debates with Friends and Adversaries, Believers and Rejecters of the Christian Faith, false Apostles, Antichrists, Corrupters of it, and Apostates from it, appeal with greatest Confidence to these miraculous Operations and Distributions of the Holy Ghost.

In their first Controversie, touching the Resurrection of our Lord, gain-said by the Rulers of the Jews, St. Peter speaks thus to them: The God of our Fathers hath raised up Jesus whom ye slew, and hanged on a Tree. Him hath God exalted to his right hand, to be a Prince, and a Saviour, to give Repentance to Israel, and Remission of Sins; And we are his Witnesses of these things, and so is also that Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that o­bey him, Act. 5.30, 31, 32. And again, This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are Witnesses; Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Fa­ther the Promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear, Act. 2.32, 33. Now evident it is, this Plea could not be offer'd to convince these Rulers, by an Appeal to their own Senses, without the highest Impudence, and plain Confusion of their Cause, had there been no effusion of the Holy Ghost imparted to the Apostles who at­tested, and the Believers which imbrac'd this Faith; nor could it have been publish'd in that Generation, and recorded by St. Luke, as made by the Apostles before so great an Au­ditory, if it had been false, so many Witnesses being then living to confute his Story.

2dly, The next Dispute arose betwixt St. Peter and the Converts of the Circumcision, ac­cusing him as a Transgressor, for Eating and Conversing with Cornelius, and other uncircum­cised Persons; in which case his Apology runs thus: As I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as upon us at the beginning. Then remembred I the Word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with Water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost: Forasmuch then as God gave them the like Gift as he did to us, who believed on the Lord Je­sus Christ, what was I that I could withstand God, Act. 11.15, 16, 17. And thus he puts to Silence the Zealots for the Circumcision, Men too tenacious of their Rites, too zealous for the Law to be satisfied with any thing that did not carry with it a convincing Evidence.

3dly, A third Contest arose at Antioch, where some believing Jews contended, That it was necessary to Circumcise the Gentile Converts, and to command them to observe the Law of Moses: This vain Pretension St. Peter baffles by this Argument, That God who knows the Hearts bare them witness, that whilst Uncircumcised, they were accepted with him, by giving them the Holy Ghost even as he did to us, and putting no Difference betwixt them and us, purifying their Hearts by Faith; and thence concluding, That by endeavour­ing to put this Yoke on the believing Gentiles, they would tempt, that is, would disbelieve, and even oppose themselves, to that God who had vouchsafed so clear a Demonstration of his Acceptance of them, not being Circumcised, Acts 15.8, 9. Hence also, the whole Col­lege of the Apostles write unto them thus: It seemed good to the Holy Ghost, to lay upon you no such Burthen, ver. 28.

4thly, When the same Zealots had infected the Church of the Galatians with the perni­tious Doctrine of the necessity of Circumcision, and of the observation of the Law of Mo­ses, St. Paul writes thus to them: Oh foolish Galatians! who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the Truth? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit (in his miraculous Gifts and Operations) by (Obedience to) the Works of the Law, or by the Hearing of Faith, Gal. 3.1, 2. If by the latter, as ye know ye did, this is a demonstration that their Justification and Acceptance with God, is the Fruit of Faith in Christ, not of O­bedience to the Law of Moses; this the Apostle reassumes, saying, He that ministreth the Spirit to you, and worketh Miracles among you, doth he it by (virtue of your Obedience to) the Works of the Law, or by the Hearing of Faith. We see then, this was the chief Argu­ment which carryed the Cause in the Council at Jerusalem, and which is urged by St. Paul to confirm the Galatians in the Truth, and Silence those who laboured to prevail upon them to admit of Circumcision, and the Observance of the Law of Moses: This confirma­tion therefore of the truth of Christian Faith, was such, as none concern'd to do it then, were able to gainsay, much less can any now find reason to doubt of it.

In the Epistle to the Church of Corinth, he is even forc'd to prove the Truth of his A­postleship, against those false Apostles and deceitful Workers who had set up against him, and for the satisfaction of those Corinthians who sought a Proof of Jesus Christ speaking [Page xxv] in him, 2 Cor. 13.3. He therefore justifies and confirms it by declaring, that the signs of an Apostle had been wrought among them by him, in all patience, in signs and wonders, and in mighty deeds, 2 Cor. 12.12. that he was not a whit behind the very chief of the Apostles in these Gifts, Chap. 11.5, 6. that both he, and his fellow Labourers among them, approved themselves as the Ministers of Christ by the Holy Ghost, by the word of Truth, and by the power of God, Chap. 6.6, 7. that they to whom he writ were manifestly declared to be his Letters commendatory, as being the Epistle of Christ ministred by him, written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God, Chap. 3. and that they came behind the other Churches in no gift, Chap. 12.13. To the Galatians infected with the like Distemper, he declares that he who wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the Circumcision, was as efficacious in him towards the Gentiles; and that this was so manifest even to the chief of the Apostles, that they were by the Grace vouchsafed to him convinc'd that the Gospel of the Uncircumcision was by Christ committed to his charge.

Some there seem to have been among the Members of the Church of Corinth who had not the knowledge of the truth, and who even question'd whether Christ were among them or not: To them he testifieth, that the Church of Corinth came behind the other Churches in no gift, and that by this the testimony of Christ was confirmed among them, 1 Cor. 1.5, 6, 7. See the Note there; that the Word he preached was not delivered in the enticing words of hu­mane Wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of Power, that their Faith might not seem to consist in the wisdom of Man, but in the power of the Holy Ghost, Chap. 2.4, 5. that God had established them in Christ by giving the earnest of his Spirit in their hearts, 2 Cor. 1.21, 22. Now for the truth of what he thus delivers, he makes a solemn and religious Ap­peal to their own Hearts and Consciences, saying, We are made manifest to God, and we trust also we are made manifest in your own Consciences, 2 Cor. 5.11. for we are not as many who corrupt the Word, but as of Sincerity, as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ, Chap. 2.17. We do by manifestation of the truth commend our selves to every man's conscience in the sight of God, Chap. 4.2. Yea he appeals to all the Prophets and spiritual Men among them, not only for the Truth, but also for the divine Authority of his Epistles, saying, If any man be a Prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things I write unto you are the com­mandments of God, 1 Cor. 7.3, 7. Now evident it is, that Arguments of this nature neither could be urged by this Apostle without confusion to his Cause, and the impairing of his Cre­dit; nor, being offer'd, could prevail upon the Churches of Achaia, and other Churches, to own him as a true Apostle, and his Epistles as the Commandments of the Lord, had not the matter of fact, on which they did entirely depend, been incontestible. For, had these things been false, or questionable, they whom he styleth false Apostles and deceitful Workers must have been able to reply, That he himself, in his Appeal to the miraculous Operations of the Holy Ghost for Confirmation of his Doctrine and Apostleship, must have been guilty of that very crime he laid to their charge; and all the Churches to which he had directed these Epi­stles must rather be confirm'd in the Suspicions they had entertain'd against him, than wrought off from them by these vain Pretences, and false Surmises of those Distributions of the Holy Spirit of which they had found no Experience, and had received no convincing Evidence.

The Believing Jews lay under two dangerous Distempers: The first was that which S. James takes notice of in his Epistle, viz. That Faith alone would be sufficient to save them without Works; and upon this the Hereticks mention'd by^(a) Irenaeus and others grounded their licentious Doctrines, that they might live as they lifted, they being not to be saved by good Works, but by Faith only. The second was a Proneness to Apostacy, or falling back from the Faith to Judaism to avoid Persecution: And this the Hereticks also so far improved, as to declare it lawful, in times of Persecution,^(b) to commit Idolatry, and to deny Christ with the mouth. Now in opposition to the first Assertion, St. Paul, in his second Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, shews the necessity of taking more abundant heed unto the Precepts of Christianity, as being all confirm'd by Signs, and Miracles, and Gifts of the Ho­ly Ghost; and therefore puts the Question to them thus, If the word spoken by Angels was firm, and every Transgression and Disobedience received a just Recompence of Reward; how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirm'd to us by them that heard it: God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders, and divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will. In opposition to their proneness to Apostacy, he declares it a most dreadful thing to fall from the profession of the Christian Faith after they had received such strong Convictions of it by those Gifts of the Holy Ghost they had received with it: for, saith he, it is impossible for them who were once enlightned, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and have been made par­takers [Page xxvi] of the Holy Ghost, and yet fall away, to be renewed to Repentance, seeing they crucifie again the Son of God, and put him to an open shame, Chap. 6.4, 5, 6. See the Note there. Again, to such there remains no more sacrifice for sin, but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, seeing they trample under foot the Son of God, and count the blood of the covenant, by which they were sanctified an unholy thing, and reproached the spirit of grace, Chap. 10.26, 29, See the Note there. Now visible it is, that the foundation of both these Arguments depends upon the certainty of this matter, that God confirmed the Truth of the Doctrine delivered by Christ and his Apostles, by divers Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost, and that Christians then were made Partakers of those Gifts.

Lastly, Against the Seductions of the Antichrists and the Deceivers which were then crept into the Church, St. John fortifies the Believers with these words; These things have I writ­ten concerning them that deceive you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any one teach you, but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lye; and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him, 1 Joh. 2.26, 27. And again, Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God, for many false Prophets are gone out into the World. By this shall ye know the spirit of God; every spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ coming in the flesh, is of God; and eve­ry spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God, Chap. 4.1, 2, 3. See the strength of the Argument in the Note there. And it is the Spirit that witnesses that Jesus is the Son of God, because the spirit is truth, Chap, 5.6. He that believeth in the Son of God hath the witness in himself, ver. 10. Now when Men thus lay claim in their Epistles to their Converts, to the Power of God co-operating with them in the promotion of the Faith, declaring that he testified to the Truth of what they preach'd by divers Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost; when they confidently speak of an Unction of the Spirit of Truth abiding in them, of which they to whom they write were made Partakers, and by this very Argument endeavour to convince them what a dreadful thing it would be for them to despise the Admonitions they had given, or to neglect the great Salvation they had tendred to them; there can remain no cause of doubting of the Truth of these Assertions, especially when they to whom they write not only do continue stedfast in the Faith, but also do admit those Writings which assert these things, as divine Records, and the Word of God.

And this Argument will be much strengthned from this Consideration, that the Primitive Professors, in all their Conflicts with Jews, Gentiles, Magicians, False Prophets, Hereticks, and false Pretenders to be the Successors of the Apostles, used still this Argument from the miraculous Operations the Christians then performed, and the Gifts of the Holy Ghost they still receiv'd and exercised, as an effectual confirmation of the Christian Faith, and a sufficient confutation of the Pretences of their Adversaries: v. g.

1st, From this they prove to the Jews, That God had deserted them, and was now graci­ously present with the Christian Assemblies; that the Shechinah and^(c) prophetick Gifts which were long since departed from them, were still extant among Christians, and exercised both by Men and Women.

2dly, Hence they triumph over the^(d) Heathen Deities, that by the Name of Jesus such Cures were wrought on the diseased, as none of their supposed Deities could perform; and that they by this Name expell'd those Devils which their Conjurers could not expel, and forc'd them to confess they were evil Spirits.

3dly, They triumph over the^(e) Simonians and Gnosticks, the Magicians and Hereticks of their times, by the same Argument, that they could neither cure all Diseases, nor expel all kinds of Devils, as the Christians did.

4thly, By this they, after the example of St. Paul, 1 Cor. 12.3. and of St. John, 1 Joh. 4.1, 2, 3. taught Christians to distinguish^(f) betwixt true and false Prophets; and by this they confuted the Montanists, because they left no Succession of Prophets, which yet continued in the true Church of Christ. Some Hereticks finding themselves unable even to pretend to such a Gift of Prophecy as the Gospel of St. John had promised, and the Epistles of St. Paul mentioned, rejected both that Gospel, and those Epistles. Now these, saith^(g) Irenaeus, [Page xxvii] are unhappy Men, qui gratiam prophetiae repellunt ab Ecclesia, who go about to exclude the Grace of Prophecy from the Church, and thereby make themselves false Prophets, i. e. Assertors of things in God's Name which they have not received from him.

Lastly, As for the true Successors of the Apostles,^(h) Irenaeus informs us, that Cum successione Apostolatus charisma veritatis certum secundum beneplacitum patris acceperunt, with their Succession they receiv'd the gift of Truth; and hence infers, that⁽ⁱ⁾ Ubi igitur cha­rismata Domini posita sunt, ibi discere oportet veritatem, where therefore these gifts of the Lord are placed, there the Truth is to be learned.

Arg. 3. §. 13. The Prayers and the Thanksgivings made for these divine Assistances, the Charges the Apostles give concerning them, the Exhortations and Directions which they send to Christian Governours, and Churches, touching these Gifts and Operations of the Ho­ly Ghost; are a convincing Demonstration that they were frequent, and notoriously exercised in the Church of God. For instance; I thank my God, saith the Apostle to the Church of Corinth, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ, that in every thing ye are en­riched by him in all utterance and all knowledge, (or in Tongues and Prophecy) so that we come behind the other Churches in no gift, 1 Cor. 1.5, 6, 7. See the Note there. He begins his Epistle to the Church of Ephesus thus; Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ, Eph. 1.3. See the Note there. Praying that the same God would give to them the Spirit of Wisdom, and revelation in the knowledge of him, ver. 17. He prays for the Romans, that they may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost, Chap. 15.13. And for his Colossians, that they may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual Understand­ing, Chap. 1.9.

Having convened the Asiatick Bishops, he requires them to take heed to the Flock over which the Holy Ghost had made them Overseers, Acts 20. 28. To the Church of Rome he speaks thus; Having therefore [...] different gifts, whether Prophecy, let us do it accor­ding to the proportion of faith; or ministering, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching, Rom. 12.6, 7, 8. See the Note there. He exhorts the Ephesians and Colossians to be filled with the spirit, speaking to themselves in Psalms, and Hymns, and spi­ritual Songs, Eph. 5.18, 19. Coloss. 3.16. Two of his Admonitions to his Thessalonians are conceived in these words, Quench not the holy Spirit, despise not Prophecy, 1 Thess. 5.19, 20. To his Son Timothy he speaks thus; Neglect not the Gift that is in thee, which was given thee by Prophecy, 1 Tim. 4.14. And in his second Epistle, Stir up the gift that is in thee by the putting on of my hands, Chap. 1.6. for, saith he, God hath not given us the spirit of Fear, but of Power, Love, and Wisdom, ver. 7. He exhorts him also to Keep the good thing com­mitted to him by the Holy Ghost that dwelleth in him, ver. 14. Now in these Epistles he speaks of himself as a Prisoner, and a Sufferer for the Cause of Christ, saying, Be not thou ashamed of the testimony of the Lord, nor of me his Prisoner; he tells him he was ready to be offered, and the time of his departure was at hand; informs him that Demas had forsaken him, and desires him when he came to him, to bring Mark with him, 2 Tim. 1.8.2.8, 10.4.6, 10, 11, 12. He speaks of Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom he had delivered up to Satan, and saith, These things I write unto thee, hoping to come to thee shortly, 1 Tim. 1.20.3.14. All which are evident Proofs that these Epistles must be sent to Timothy whilst St. Paul was living, and was a Prisoner at Rome. St. Peter advertiseth the converted Jews, that the Gos­pel was preached to them by the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; and he gives these In­structions to them for the use of their extraordinary gifts: As every man hath received the gift, so let him minister, as good stewards of the manifold Grace of God; if any man speak, let him speak as the Oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth, that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 4.10, 11. Now the Messenger by which he sent this Epistle, and the Salutations in the Close of it, shew that it was written whilst Mark and Sylvanus were living.

But the great Scene of these Directions and Admonitions lies in the first Epistle to the Corinthians, where he exhorts them to covet earnestly spiritual gifts, but chiefly that of Pro­phecy, 1 Cor. 14.1. to covet to prophecy, and forbid not to speak with tongues, ver. 39. More­over, he directs them in the due exercise of these spiritual Gifts, after this manner: Foras­much as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the Church, ver. 12. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown Tongue, pray that he may interpret, ver. 13. And again, If any man speak in an unknown Tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and let one interpret; but if there be no Interpreter, let him keep silence in the Church, ver. 27, 28. Let the Prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge, ver. 29. [Page xxviii] If any thing be reveal'd to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace, for ye may all prophesie one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted, ver. 30, 31. In the same Chapter he chides them for using these spiritual gifts without profit to the Hearer, and so as to breed confusion in the Church. How is it, saith he, Brethren, that when you come toge­ther, every one of you hath a Psalm, hath a Doctrine, hath a Tongue, hath a Revelation, hath an Interpretation? let all things be done to edifying, ver. 26. declaring that by using Tongues not understood in the Assembly, they would give to the Infidel and Unbeliever occasion to say they were mad, ver. 23. But if all prophesie, saith he, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all, and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest, and so falling down on his face, he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth, ver. 24, 25. So notorious are these Gifts supposed to be, not on­ly to the Saint, but to the Infidel, and so powerful for his Conversion. Now had these great Apostles given thanks for Gifts confer'd upon these Churches which they never had enjoy'd; had they exhorted them to desire, and earnestly to covet, to stir up, and excel in Gifts they never had, and which were not imparted to any Members of the Church; had they given these grave Directions, and solemn Charges touching those Gifts of Prophecy and Revelation, of Tongues and the Interpretation of them, which never had been exercised in that of Corinth, or any other Christian Church; had they severely chid them for abusing those Gifts they ne­ver had, and shewed themselves so much concerned to correct an Abuse of which they were incapable, as having not the use of what they are supposed to abuse; had they condemned the Murmurings of them who had them in a less, the Boastings of them who had them in a higher measure, by such Enquiries as these, What hast thou which thou hast not received? And if thou hast receiv'd (them,) wherefore dost thou boast, as if thou hadst not received (them?) 1 Cor. 4.7. See the Note there; and shewing the necessity that there should be such a diversity of Gifts, and Operations in the Body, 1 Cor. 12.14-27. and done, and said, all this without a just foundation; this must have render'd those Epistles in which these Passages are contain'd, the matter of their Derision and Disdain, rather than worthy to be owned as the Oracles of God: And those Apostles which indited them must rather have been esteemed by them brain-sick Enthusiasts, than Men inspired by the Spirit of God.

Since then these Writings generally were received as divine Records by all Christians, and by those very Churches to which they were indited, it must be certain, that in all these As­sertions they contained matter of unquestionable Truth, and only spake of those spiritual Gifts of which these Churches had a full experience; there being, saith Clemens Romanus in his Epistle writ soon after to them, a full effusion of the Holy Ghost upon them all.

Arg. 4. §. 14. This will be still more evident, if we consider what Christianity, the Au­thor, and the Propogators of it, required of all that would embrace the Christian Faith, and what were the Encouragements they tendered as the chief Inducements so to hope, believe, and act, or suffer, as Christianity required. And,

1st, They call upon all Christians to take up the Cross of Christ daily, and for his sake to forsake Father and Mother, Wife and Children, Goods and Relations, and even Life it self, declaring that without this they cannot be Christ's Disciples, Luke 14.26, 27. informing them that all that will live godly must suffer persecution, 2 Tim. 3.12. that through many tribulati­ons they must enter into the kingdom of God, Acts 4.22. that they were called to suffer, and were appointed to this very thing, 1 Thes. 3.3, 4. 1 Pet. 2.21. Accordingly we find that the Corinthians were Partakers with them of their sufferings, 2 Cor. 1.7. that the Galatians had suffered many things, Gal. 3.4. that to the Philippians it was given, not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for his sake, Philip. 1.29. that St. Paul commends the Colossians for their stedfastness in the faith under all their perfections, Chap. 1.11. and prays they may be strengthened with all might, according to his glorious Gospel to all patience, and long suffering, with joyfulness Chap. 2.5. He saith the Thessalonians suffered the same, from their Country­men, as did the believing Jews from theirs, 1 Thess. 2.14. that he sent Timothy to stablish and to comfort them concerning their faith, and to exhort them not to be moved at those afflicti­ons to which they were appointed, Chap. 3.34. adding, that he gloried in them in the Church­es of God for their patience and faith in all their persecutions, 2 Thess. 1.4. In his Epistle to the Hebrews he saith, They suffered a great fight of afflictions, partly while they were made a gazing stock both by reproches and afflictions, and partly whilst they became companions of them who were so used, and that they took joyfully the spoiling of their Goods; and he exhorts them not to cast away their confidence, because they had need of Patience, Hebr. 10.32.36. and af­ter the example of that cloud of witnesses which he had set before them, to run their Christi­an race with patience, Chap. 12.1. St. Peter tells the same believing Jews they were in hea­viness for a season through manifold Temptations, 1 Pet. 1.6. desiring them not to think it strange concerning the fiery trial which was come to try them, Chap. 4.12. These Tribulati­ons they exhort them to endure with Faith and Courage, Patience and Perseverance, Joy and [Page xxix] Triumph; and yet the only thing they offer them to raise this Joy and Comfort, engage them to this Perseverance, and to support them under these fiery Trials, is the Promise or the actual Vouchsafement of the Holy Ghost helping their Infirmities, that as they were Partakers of the Sufferings of the Apostles, so should they be also of their consolations, 2 Cor. 1.7. that if they suffered for the name of Christ, happy were they, for the Spirit of Glory and of God should rest upon them, 1 Pet. 4.14. This, say they, ye have found, for you became Followers of the Lord, and of us, having received the word with much affliction, and with joy of the Holy Ghost, 1 Thes. 1.6. and may well suffer hardship as good Soldiers of Jesus Christ, for God hath not Given us the Spirit of fear, but [...] of Courage to endure, of that Love which casts out Fear, and of that Prudence which will instruct us how to bear, or to escape them, 2 Tim. 1.7. Now if this promise was sensibly made good to them under these afflictions, they by it did receive an earnest of the truth of Christian Faith, and an assurance of God's concern to comfort and re­ward their Christian Patience in his cause. But if under these fiery Trials they found no sensi­ble Experience of the Holy Ghost thus helping their Infirmities, no inward Joys, Supports, and Consolations of the promised comforter, what reason had they to continue to take joyful­ly the spoiling of their Goods, the loss of Credit, Life, and all their worldly comforts, for the profession of that Faith which had so palpably deceived them, in the chief Motive which it offer'd to engage them to suffer for the name of Christ, or for the Truth and the Divine Au­thority of those Epistles which contained these apparent falshoods.

This Argument may be enforced from the consideration of the Multitude of Christian Mar­tyrs in the three first ages of the Church, all which could have no other Motive thus to suf­fer, but this promised assistance of the Holy Ghost at present, and the assurance which this earnest of the Spirit gave them of an eternal state of Happiness hereafter; and so if they had no experience of this assistance under Sufferings and no assurance of such an earnest of the Spi­rit in their hearts, must suffer all these dreadful things without just Ground, or Motive: which even an Heathen ^(k) Cicero doth represent as a thing impossible to be performed, the hardness of some Jewish Zealots, and some deluded Christian Sects, in suffering, being no instance to the contrary. For though they mistake in application of this future Happiness in prospect of which they thus endure; to themselves, the Principle upon which they suffer is indisputably true, and owned even by Epicurus himself, Ut voluptates omittantur majorum voluptatum adipiscendarum causâ, aut dolores suscipiantur majorum dolorum eftugiendorum gratia, that we should part with our temporal enjoyments for a season here, for a better and more enduring substance, and suffer these light afflictions which are for a moment, that we may escape more lasting and intolerable torments, this being only, saith^(l) Torquatus, the choice which the Wise-man of Epicurus ought to make. In a word, the manner of their sufferings doth give us full assurance that the assistance of the Holy Ghost, which Christ and his Apostles promised to the true Believers, was accordingly vouchsafed to the Christian Martyrs, and Confessors, they being enabled to bear the greatest Sufferings not only with undaunted Cou­rage, putting off the Body, saith^(m) Origen, more cheerfully than a Philosopher would put off his Coat, despising Death, saith⁽ⁿ⁾ Lucian, and willingly submitting to it; but with great Joy and Exultation, being strengthned to all long suffering with joyfulness, Colos. 2.5.^(o) re­joycing in tribulations, counting it all joy when they fell into divers temptations, and happy when they did endure them, James 1, 3, 12. and rejoycing when they were in hea­viness through manifold afflictions; 1 Peter 1.6. yea sometimes with^(p) miraculous experience of Consolations under all their Sufferings, causing this Joy and Gladness in them; yea sometimes with a perfect freedom from all sense of Pain under the most af­flicting Torments; as in the case of the^(q) Evangelist St. John, and of^(r) Blan­dina, these Sufferings not being able to extort from them one Complaint or^(ſ) Groan. [Page xxx] Now this being done as well by^(t) Children and the weakest Sex, by the Ideot as well as by the Wisest Sages, gives a full demonstration of the Truth of that Assertion of^(u) Eusebi­us, That the Love of Christ, the hopes of Immortality, and the Spirit of the Father, inspi­red them with this Courage; for what else could create such Joys and Exultations, or suggest such Comforts, and Supports under the sharpest Trials. What could procure to them a free­dom from the sense of Pain under the greatest Torments, and most intolerable Burthens to Flesh and Blood.

2dly, Again, they engage all Christians in the most difficult Acts of Self-denial, and Mor­tification of all carnal Lusts, in the cutting off their right-hands, and the plucking out their eyes, in patience under, and the forgiveness of the greatest injuries, in Love and Charity to the worst of Enemies, in Temperance as to the Pleasures and Honours of this present Life, in a deadness to the World, and the enjoyments of it, in Piety and Purity and heavenly mind­edness, because they cannot otherwise be Christ's Disciples, cannot be worthy of him, Matth. 10.37, 38. They cannot enter into his kingdom, Matth. 19.23, 24. but shall hereafter be denied, and rejected by him, Matth. 10.32, 33. Now what could such Threats signifie to them who were not by his Miracles, and by experience of the Holy Ghost sent down from hea­ven, convinced that he was indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the World. The Encourage­ment they gave them to be thus stedfast, immoveable, always abounding in the fear of the Lord, was only the Promise of a future and unseen Reward, chiefly to be enjoy'd after the Resurrection of the Body, which to the Sadducees among the Jews, and the whole Race of Heathen Sages, seem'd a thing incredible. 'Tis therefore not to be imagined that so many Myriads of Christian Converts should renounce all the Pleasures of the Flesh, all the Gratifi­cations of this present World, all their old Rites, Religions, Customs, evil Habits, submit to all this Self-denial and Mortification, only to be Partakers of these unseen Blessings after the Resurrection, without a full Assurance that they hereafter should enjoy them. Now the only Assurance which the Apostles and Holy Scriptures did afford them of this blessed Resur­rection, and eternal Happiness, was the Miracles by which their Doctrine was confirmed, the Powers, Gifts, and Distributions of the Holy Ghost vouchsafed to them. After the Disso­lution of this Body we expect, say they, an house not made with hands, eternal in the Hea­vens: we groan, desiring to be clothed with this house from Heaven, that Mortality may be swallowed up of Life. Now he that hath wrought this Hope within us, is that God who hath given us the earnest of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 5.1-5. And again, The Promises of God are all yea and Amen, or sure and certain in Jesus Christ, and He who hath established us with you, in expectation of them, is that God who hath anointed us, and sealed us, and given the ear­nest of his spirit in our hearts, 2 Cor. 1.20, 21. enabling us by the spirit to wait for the adoption, even the redemption of the body, Rom. 8.23. adding, that by the spirit of Adopti­on they were enabled to cry Abba, Father, ver. 15, 16. that he bore witness with their spirits that they were the sons of God, the Love of God being shed abroad in their hearts by the Ho­ly Ghost, which God had given them, Gal. 4.6. Hence they continually declare, that after they believed, they were sealed with the spirit of Promise, which was the earnest of their In­heritance till the redemption of the purchased possession, Eph. 1.13, 14. that by him they were sealed up to the day of redemption, Chap. 4.30. that he was the earnest of their future inhe­ritance, that they were not ashamed of their hope, they through the spirit waiting for the [...]pe of righteousness, Gal. 5.5. and abounding in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost, Rom. 15.13. Hence is he stiled by St. John, the witness of God within them, 1 John 5.10. and by this, saith he, do we Christians know, that God abideth in us, and we in him, even by the spirit that he hath given us, Chap. 4.13. By all which Sayings it appears, that if these things were true, they to whom this Assistance of the Holy Spirit was vouchsafed must be very sensible of his dwelling, and his acting in them, that they could plainly know they had this Unction from the holy one, and could be hence assured of the divine Affection to them, and of their future Hopes and Expectations, since otherwise he could be no such Seal, Pledge, and Earnest to them, and no such Witness of God within them, and no such Confir­mation of their Faith, or Token of the Love of God: and if these things were false, and they had no such sensible experience of the good Spirit acting and abiding in them, if they found no such confirmation of their Hopes from any inward Testimony or outward Operations of the Holy Ghost, they must not only have no certain ground or motive to assure them of that future Recompence, which was the only reason which could induce them to embrace, and to continue stedfast in the Christian Faith, but must have a convincing demonstration that the [Page xxxi] whole Doctrine of Christianity depended on a false Suggestion of such a sensible and certain Testimony of these future hopes, of which they neither had, nor could have any knowledge or Experience, and that the Apostles and first Asserters of this Faith had laid the whole foun­dation of their hopes upon a false and a precarious Appeal to their own Consciences concern­ing that of which they had no knowledge or experience. And being once assured of this, that the great Fundamentals of the Christian Faith were bottom'd on a confident Appeal to their Perception of those things of which they who embrac'd this Faith had not yet found the least experience, it is incredible to believe they should continue stedfast in, and endure such continual Persecutions for that Faith, and should receive those very Records as the Word of God which made these false Appeals unto their Conscience and Experience.

§. 15. I think I have sufficiently made it appear, that these Epistles, which contain these things must be endited whilst the Apostles lived, and so they must be sent to those Churches and Persons to whom they are directed, at a time when all the Members of those Churches must be able to discern the Truth or Falshood of what is thus asserted in them: Yet because the pretence that it might be otherwise containeth the whole strength of Scepticism, let it be farther noted;

1st, That these Epistles from which these things are cited, one alone excepted, bear the Names of the Apostles by whom they are supposed to be written: Now had they not been really indited by them, this could not have been done by any, but he must put a cheat upon all Christians, and substitute his own inventions for the Word of God.

2dly, That all of them, excepting one, which yet is proved to be genuine in the Preface to the Epistle to the Hebrews, have been delivered down unto us by the perpetual and uncon­trol'd Tradition of the whole Church of Christ, as the undoubted works of these Apostles, and as the Word of God. Moreover it is apparent from the Writings of St. Clement R. Ig­natius, Polycarp, Justin M. Irenaeus, that even from the Apostles Days they have been cited, read, and generally received as such. Now this is a Tradition more general, and of a firmer credit than any other Book, Writing, Charter, Law, or Statute whatsoever, can pretend to. Consider,

3dly. That the Tradition which concerns these Books was a Tradition concerning things of the highest moment, and which it was the Interest of all Christians to be well assured of, these Writings being at present the chief ground of their Support under their sharpest Trials, and of their future hopes; they therefore must be Writings which they were concerned to get and keep, to hear and read, they were Books written to whole Churches and Nations, yea to all that called on the name of Christ Jesus in every place; who could not easily have receiv'd, and yielded such a firm Assent unto them, as we know they did, had the Apostles, by whom they were converted, given no Intimations of them. They were also Books of the greatest opposition to the vain Tradition of the Jews, and to the Superstition of the Heathens, to the false Apostles and deceitful Workers, and which denounc'd upon them the greatest Plagues, and Judgments, which must oblige them narrowly to search into the flaws that could be spy­ed in them, and as much as possible, to labor to discover the falshood or imposture of them; and yet these works were not denied by them to be the Books of those Apostles whose names they bear, though the Apostles themselves, especially St. Paul, was persecuted by them with a restlest Malice, as an Apostate from the Law; and upon this account all his Epi­stles were rejected by those Jewish Christians who maintained the necessity of the obser­vance of the Law of Moses; most of them also are writ about that very Controversie, and against those very Men who pleaded the necessity of Circumcision, and of observing the whole Law of Moses; which yet could be no Controversie after the ruin of Jerusa­lem, and the Destruction of the Temple, seeing that rendered the Observation of the Pre­cepts of that Law, for the most part, impossible. They were Books which could not be spread abroad in the Apostles days, and in their Names, unless the Apostles had endited, and sent them to these Churches, or be esteemed as the great Charters of the Christians Faith, if the Apostles were so forgetful of them as not to let those Persons for whose sake they were written, know it. They were Books which pretended to a Commission from the Holy Jesus to leave a Rule of Life and Doctrine to Mankind, which was intrusted only in the Hands of the Apostles, all others still pretending to deliver only what they received from them. They also were indited partly to confirm the Christian Faith, and to engage Men to believe it; partly to put an end to the Contentions and rectifie the Errours which had crept into the Church in the Apostles Days, and needed speedy Reformation; partly to justifie themselves against false Brethren, and to assert the truth of their Apostleship; and partly to preserve their Proselytes from such as did pervert the Faith, and to instruct them how to bear up in fiery Trials, and to support the Souls of Christians under the miseries they suffer'd from a persecuting World: And therefore they were Written on such Grounds as did require a quick dispatch upon these Errands to the Churches for which they were intended; and so the [Page xxxii] Apostles must be supposed to give early notice of them, and to divulge them to the Chri­stian World whilst they to whom they were committed, were able to disprove them, if they had been false.

Let us consider all the Writings which pass for true Authentick Records in the World, and we shall find there is not any reason to conceive them such, which is not with advantage ap­plicable to these Books.

The Arguments which can be offered to prove a Book or Writing genuine, are only of two kinds, external from the Testimony of Persons who lived near to the times of the Author; and internal from the things contained in, and asserted by those Writings; and the firm Faith they obtained among them to whom they were directed and committed.

The external Testimonies have their force partly from the number and the eminence of the Testators, their nearness to the times when such a Book is said to be written, or such a Wri­ting published by the original Copies, preserved by those to whom they were at first commit­ted, and from the general Reception and Citation of them as such Writings and Records.

Now as for these external Evidences, no Writings can compare with those Epistles I have mentioned, they having all the Circumstances by which any Writing can be proved genuine, and many others of great weight which are peculiar to them, and which no other Writing can pretend to. I say, they have all the Circumstances to prove them genuine which any other Writing can pretend to. For,

1st, Their Originals were preserved in their respective Churches till Tertullian's time; who speaks thus to the Hereticks of his Age, or of the third Century:^(a) Go to the Apostolical Churches, where their Authentick Epistles are still recited, representing the Voice and Face of each of them.

2dly, They were not doubted of, but as^(b) St. Clement and Origen say, all that I have cited, excepting only the Epistle to the Hebrews mention'd by S. Peter, were generally re­ceiv'd by all Orthodox Christians throughout the World.

3dly, The Writers by whom they were cited lived either in those times when they were written, as St. Clemens Rom. or in the very next Age, as Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin Mart. Irenaeus, and were therefore stiled Apostolical Men.

4thly, They were very eminent both for their Learning, and for their Sufferings for the Faith contained in them, or for their opposition to it, as Celsus was: Now sure we have unquestionable Certainty of such Books as have been handed down to us by the Tradition of all Ages of the Church, inserted into all her Catalogues, cited by all her Writers as Books of a Divine Authority, and by her very Adversaries, preserved so long in their Originals, and of which never any doubt was made by any genuine Member of the Church of Christ. I add,

2dly, That there are many Circumstances of great weight to confirm these Testimonies, which are peculiar to these Writings: as,

1st, A general Dispersion of them through those places which were converted to that Faith which the Apostles preach'd: for the Apostles, saith Irenaeus, first preached the Gospel, and after, by the will of God, in Scripturis nobis tradiderunt; delivered it to us in the Scrip­tures, to be hereafter the Pillar and Foundation of our Faith, lib. 3. cap. 1. Eusebius saith, that the first Successors of the Apostles, leaving their Countries, preach'd to them who had not yet heard of the Christian Faith, and then delivered to them, as the foundation of their Faith, [...], the Writings of the Holy Evangelists. Hist. Eccl. l. 3. c. 37.

2dly, The Translation of them into other Languages, that of the Syriack being so Ancient that it leaves out the second Epistle of St. Peter and the second and third Epistle of St. John, and the Revelations, as being for a time controverted in some of the Eastern Churches. That of the Latin, stiled in Jerom's time the old Translation, and very probably made from the beginning of a settled Church among them. For the Latin Church could not be well with­out a Latin Version, it being the Custom of all Churches to read these Scriptures on the Lord's day; which sure they would not do in a Language not understood by those that heard it.

3dly, The constant reading of them in publick, and in private, in their Assemblies, and in their Closets and Families. On Sunday, ^(c) saith Justin M. all the Christians in the City or Country meet together, and then we have read unto us the Writings of the Prophets and [...] the Monuments of the Apostles; and having read them, they did [Page xxxiii] publickly^(d) [...] expound them to the People. That they were also read by the most eminent and pious Christians every day, that^(e) discat unusquisque ex Scripturis sanctis officium suum, every one might learn his duty from the holy Scriptures, we learn from the Question in the^(f) Constitutions of S. Clement, Whether a man ought the day after he had done the duties of Wedlock, or been subject to any unvoluntary defilement, [...] touch the Book; and the Declaration of^(g) S. Clement, that the Matrimonial Duties should not be done [...] when was the time of Prayer, or reading of the Scriptures; and that^(h) the Sacrifices of the true Gnostick were [...] Prayers and Praises, and the reading of the holy Scriptures before Meals. And seeing⁽ⁱ⁾ Irenaeus saith, that He who had a care of his Salvation might read the form of his Faith in the Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians; since that^(k) Epistle and the^(l) Epistle of St. Clement to the Church of Corinth, which were their genuine Works; yea, the Epistle ^(m) of St. Barnabas, and the Book of⁽ⁿ⁾ Hermas, which two were reckon'd as Apocryphal, were read publickly in many Churches, doubtless they must be more concern'd to read the undoubted Writings of the Apostles, which they esteem'd the Rule of Faith, which they styled^(o) Libri deifici, Books which transform'd them into a divine na­ture, which they look'd upon as the Records of their eternal Interests, as Books by which they must be judged at the last day, and according to which they should be punish'd, or re­warded everlastingly.

4thly, The early Perusal of them both by Jews and Heathens, who writ against them, and did endeavour to destroy them, that so they might cause the Christian Faith to perish, but never did deny them to be indeed the Works of the Apostles whose Names they bore: by Jews, for^(p) Trypho speaks thus at least of the Gospels; The Precepts contained in your Gospels are so great, that I suspect no man can keep them, [...], for I took care to read them. The^(q) Ebionites, who also were Jews, rejected all the Epistles of S. Paul, as gathering from them, that he was an Apostate from the Law of Moses. The Heathens, for^(r) Celsus not only boasts that he knew all things belonging to the Christians, but often carps at the Writings of the Evangelists, and of St. Paul. And indeed the Christians freely offer'd them to be perused by them: For that we may not seem to impose upon you, saith Just. Mart. to the Roman Emperours, we offer to you some of the Doctrines of Christ; and you, be­ing ^(ſ) Emperours, may [...] search whether we truly have been taught, and teach these Doctrines. And again, The Prince of evil Spirits is by us called a Serpent, Satan, and the Devil, ^(t) [...], as you may learn by searching into our Writings. Thou who thinkest we are not concerned for the safety of Caesar, saith^(u) Tertullian, look into the words of God, Quas neque ipsi supprimimus, & pleri (que) casus ad extraneos transferunt, which we do not suppress, and which many Accidents bring into the hands of Heathens. From their Endeavours to destroy the Christian Faith by burning these Books, came the Edicts of^(x) Dioclesian, [...], command­ing that the Scriptures should be committed to the flames, and the^(y) actual burning of them where they could be found, and the tormenting of the Christians to deliver up the Scrip­tures.

5thly. The direful Torments which the Christians chose to suffer rather than they would desert the Faith contained in these Books, or deliver them up to their Tormentors, and the infamy of those that did so, they being branded with the odious name of Traditors. Now what Writings in the World have been so generally dispersed, and so much perused by all sorts of Persons, Friends, Foes, Assertors of, and Enemies to the Faith of Christians? What Laws, or Writings whatsoever have been so early translated into other Languages? Who were so much concerned to peruse them as were all Christians to peruse the Laws of Christ? Who suffered so much for them as the Christians did? since then this early reading of them in pub­lick and in private by the Christian, this general dispersion of them through all Christian Churches, this quick translation of them into other Languages, this constant suffering for them, are all corroborating Circumstances of the unquestionable evidence all Christians had obtained that they were genuine works, and truly what they did pretend to be: 'tis also clear these Writings are more worthy to be received as genuine, and Writings of unquestionable truth, than any profane Writings in the World.

§. 16. The internal Arguments which usually are, or can be offered to prove other Wri­tings genuine, are only taken from the things contained in them, that they were proper to the times in which the Author was suppos'd to write, and from the freedom of them from any thing which is not well consistent with those times, which are all mean, and trifling things compar'd to those internal Arguments which these Epistles do afford, that they are the Authen­tick records of those Apostles whose names they bear, and that those things which they assert touching the Gifts and powerful Operations of the Holy Ghost, both exercised by them, and confer'd on other Churches, were unquestionably true. For,

1st. It is not once nor twice, it is not by the by, but it is frequently, professedly, and up­on all occasions they refer to these miraculous Powers, and spiritual Gifts, as yielding a full Proof and Confirmation of the Testimony they gave of Christ, and that Christ was among them, and as a Demonstration of the truth of their Apostleship against all opposers, and of the preference of that Faith which was attended with them, above the Law which some de­sired to observe, spending whole Chapters in discoursing of these spiritual Gifts, distinguish­ing them somewhat nicely into Gifts, Administrations, and Operations, ranking them under nine several Heads, and specifying the very names of those who did by Office exercise them, and shewing the necessity there was of this variety of Gifts and Operations in the Body, ap­pealing to the Senses, the Consciences, and the Experience of those to whom they wrote, touching the Truth and Certainty of what they had asserted touching those spiritual Gifts, by such enqui­ries as these; what? know ye not that Christ is among you? 2 Cor. 13.5. am I not an Apostle? sure­ly I am so to you, for the seal of my Apostleship are ye in the Lord, 1 Cor. 9.1, 2. 'Tis manifest you are the Epistle of Christ ministred by us, written not with ink, but with the spirit of the li­ving God, 2 Cor. 3.3. Surely the signs of an Apostle have been wrought among you in all pati­ence, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds, 2 Cor. 12.12. Have you received from the false Apostles another spirit which ye have not received from us? Chap. 11.4. This only would I learn of you, he that ministred to you the spirit, and wrought miracles among you, did he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the spirit, are ye (desirous to be) made perfect in the flesh? Gal. 3.3, 4, 5. our Gospel came not to you in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as ye know what manner of Persons we were among you, 1 Thess. 1.5. Which words are either plain Enquiries upbraiding the Doubtfulness, and Hesitation in so plain a case, or else Appeals unto their cer­tain Knowledge of these things; nor is it to be wondred that they should make these confi­dent Enquiries, and Appeals seeing the external Miracles, and the internal Gifts, and Distri­butions of the Holy Ghost mentioned in those Epistles, were either such of which even Infi­dels might from the nature of them be convinced, or such as from some outward and sensi­ble Appearances and effects, or by their inward Operations, made themselves known to them who heard and saw them. For instance, the working of miracles, the casting out of Devils by the name of Jesus, and the healing the sick through faith in his name, the Gift of prophecy, or foretelling things future, the discerning of Spirits, the gift of Tongues, and the interpreta­tion of them, if truly done, were things self evident, and could not well be exercised with­out a sensible Demonstration to all that saw, perceived, heard, or felt them, that they were performed; and therefore God by assisting the Apostles, and by enabling others to perform them, must give full testimony to the word of his Grace: And the Apostles by this constant appeal to them as to things which their own Eyes had seen, and their consciences bore wit­ness to, and they in Person had performed, must appeal to the Senses, and Experience of those to whom they writ in matters subject daily to their Experience, and to the Senses of the Mem­bers of those respective Churches, touching the truth of their Apostleship, and of the Con­firmation they pretended to have given of it. Now as it seemeth highly incredible that Per­sons able to write the deepest Mysteries, and the exactest precepts of Morality, should be so foolish as to confirm them only by an appeal to the Senses, and experience of those very Men of whom they were assured that they had never seen or done, or found the least experience of any of the things they mentioned; so is it still far more incredible that an Appeal of such apparent falshood, made to the consciences of Men who never saw these Miracles, or found these comforts of the Holy Ghost, and never had these gifts of Tongues, Interpretation, Healing, Prophecy, which the Epistles tells us were their daily exercise, should embrace these very Epistles as Divine, these Records as the word of God. And yet we know both they, and other Churches, did thus actually esteem them, and receive them as such, and therefore must be well assured that what they thus asserted of the gifts of the Holy Ghost were things con­firmed to them by their own Senses and Experience.

2dly, Add to this, that these Men, in these very Writings, confidently say, that this was their rejoycing, even the testimony of their conscience, that in simplicity, and godly sincerity, they had their conversation in the World, and more abundantly towards them, 2 Cor. 1.13. and that they writ no other things than what they did acknowledge, and they trusted would ac­knowledge to the end, Chap. 5.11. We are, say they, made manifest to God, and we trust also [Page xxxv] we are made manifest in your Consciences, Chap. 5.11. They represent it as a great Absurdi­ty, that they should be found false witnesses of God, 1 Cor. 15.15. They distinguish them­selves from others they call false Apostles, and deceitful Workers, by this very Character of their sincerity. For we, say they, are not as many who corrupt the word of God, but as of sin­cerity, as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ, 2 Cor. 2.17. we have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, not handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every man's conscience in the sight of God, Chap. 4.2. Yea for this they appeal to the Searcher of all hearts, and to the Con­sciences of those to whom they write, saying, Our exhortation was not of deceit or guile, for neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know; nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others; ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, and justly, and unblame­ably, we behav'd our selves among you that believe, 1 Thess. 2.3, 5, 6, 10. Now with what face could these things be asserted by Men who knew that they, in these Epistles, had told such things as even the Senses and Experience of those to whom they writ must know to be the greatest Falshoods? Or how could they to whom they writ give credit to such im­pudent Untruths as these must be, if the Relations which they made of these miraculous Operations of the Holy Ghost had been fictitious things? This therefore is a farther Evidence of their sincerity and truth in these Relations.

3dly, Let us consider how the Apostle treats those Churches of Corinth and Galatia, in which he speaks most copiously of these Operations of the Holy Ghost, and how they stood affected to the Apostle Paul. The Corinthians, in his 1st Chapter, are represented as Schis­matical; in his 3d, as Carnal; in the 5th, as glorying in an Incestuous Person; in the 6th, as Contentious, to their own shame, and to the Scandal of Christianity; in the 8th, as Mur­therers of them for whom Christ died; in the 10th, as Murmurers, Tempters of Christ, For­nicators, Idolaters, Partakers of the Table of Devils; in the 11th, as coming to the Lord's Supper not for the better, but the worse, offending in it both against the Rules of Charity, and Temperance, and Faith, in not discerning the Lord's body; in the 12th and 14th, as guilty of Emulations, Schisms, and Contentions, touching spiritual persons, and of Vain-glory, Scandal, and Confusion, in the exercise of their spiritual Gifts; and in the 15th, as Deny­ers of that Resurrection which was the great Foundation of all the future Hopes of Christi­ans. In his 2d Epistle he declares his fears that he might find among them Debates, Envy­ings, Wrath, Strifes, Backbitings, Whisperings, Swellings, Tumults; and that he should find among them many who had not yet repented of the Uncleanness, Fornication, and Lascivious­ness which they had committed, 2 Cor. 12.20, 21. And for these things, if not reform'd, he threatens he would use sharpness, and come to them with a rod, 2 Cor. 10.6.13.2. He char­ges the Galatians with Apostacy, admiring that they were so soon removed from him that cal­led them to another Gospel, Chap. 1.6. and represents them as foolish and bewitch'd for falling from that Gospel by which they had receiv'd these spiritual Gifts, to the beggarly Elements of the Law, Chap. 3.1 — 5. Now how could the Corinthians be guilty of such Emulations about spiritual Persons, or such Disorders in the exercise of their spiritual Gifts, provided there were among them no such Persons, and they had no such Gifts? How could they fear the Lashes of his Rod on the account of Crimes of which they neither were nor could be guil­ty? Why should they not be rather for Cephas or Apollo than for Paul, if Paul imposed up­on them with false Stories and sensible Untruths? Or why should not the Galatians even quit that Gospel in which he endeavour'd to confirm them only by an Appeal to that which they must know to be a Lye?

Moreover, the affections of the Members of these Churches were not so firm to him, their Esteem of him was not so great as that he might securely lessen it by venturing on these arts of Falshood, for he found some of his Corinthians puffed up against him, and preferring others much before him, 1 Cor. 4.18. charging him with Lightness and Inconstancy, 2 Cor. 1.17. and walking acording to the Flesh, Chap. 10.2. looking upon him as a man too much tran­sported, and almost besides himself, 2 Cor. 5.13. as base in Person, and in Speech contempti­ble, Chap. 10.10. He complains that they were streightned in their bowels of affection towards him, and that the more he loved them, the less he was beloved by them, 2 Cor. 12.15. that they question'd his Apostleship, and even sought a proof of Christ speaking in him, Chap. 13.3. He represents the Galatians as Men who questioned his Apostleship and Doctrine, or at least thought him much inferior in both to others, Chap. 1. and the 2d, supposing he dissem­bled with them, and elsewhere preached himself that Circumcision he condemn'd in them, Chap. 5.11. yea, who looked upon him as their Enemy, and were even ready to exclude him, Ch. 4.16, 17. Now under these Circumstances could he hope to repair his Credit with them, and to establish the Apostleship they question'd by an appeal to, and a relation of such things as both their Senses, and experience knew to be manifest Untruths? But,

4thly, Could it be supposed that these Churches were so stupid, and insensible, that they did not, or so partially affected to the Apostles that they would not take notice of these [Page xxxvi] things? these Epistles inform us of other Subtile and Industrious Adversaries, Men zealous to oppose, and to adulterate the Gospel which he Preached, and desirous to find occasions to depress and lesson the promoters of it, and to advance themselves above them, 2 Cor. 10.12 — 15.11.12. St. Paul complains that the Corinthians had among them false Apostles, and deceitful Workers, who transform'd themselves into the Apostles of Christ, when in truth they were Ministers of Satan, 2 Cor. 11.13, 15. Men who corrupted the word of God, Chap. 2.17. and sought to corrupt them from the simplicity that is in Christ, Chap. 11.3. That a­mong the Galatians there were evil Agents who troubled them, and would pervert the Gos­pel of Christ, Chap. 1.7. False Brethren who came in privily to spy out their liberty, Chap. 2.4. Men that desired to exclude the Apostles that they might be affected by them, Chap. 4.17. Men who constrained them to be circumcised, and observe the Law, and yet kept it not them­selves, but only did this least they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ, Chap 6.12, 13. wishing they were cut off who did thus trouble them, Chap. 5.12. The like he saith, Philip. 1.15, 16. Chap. 3.18. Col. 2.4, 8, 19, 20. 1 Tim. 1.5, 6. Chap. 6.3, 4, 5. 2 Tim. 2.17, 18, 19. Chap. 3.5, 8. Tit. 1.10, 11. Now if he himself were a vain Talker, and de­ceitful Worker, one who endeavour'd to impose upon them with false Tales, with what face could He object those things to others of which he was himself so guilty. Or how could they whom he so confidently doth accuse as guilty of these things, neglect this obvious Reply to such an Accusation that he himself, in his appeal to the miraculous operations of the Holy Ghost for Confirmation of his Doctrine and Apostleship, had done the very thing he laid to their charge. We have no reason to suspect that all, or any of these Adversaries neglected any Pains or Diligence to search into the Truth of what St. Paul thus offer'd to confirm his Doctrine, and magnifie his Office, and to vindicate himself from the Aspersions which they cast upon him. Since then we never find the Truth of these Relations question'd by any of those Jews who so insatiably thirsted for his Blood, or by those Judaizing Christians, those of the Circumcision, who so vehemently inveigh'd against his Doctrine, his Person, and his Office; and since we are assur'd by the event, that if they ever made any such attempts, they all proved ineffectual, and insufficient to impair the Credit of those Writings in the Christian World; it may be certainly concluded, that these Epistles could not be convinced of falshood but contain'd matter of unquestionable Truth in these assertions touching the powerful opera­rations of the Holy Ghost.

Lastly, Let us consider what the Apostles suffer'd for this Testimony, and what it cost them to propogate this Faith throughout the Christian World, and in what tragical Expressions they are set forth in Scripture; God saith St. Paul, hath set forth us the Apostles last, as it were appointed to death, for we are made a spectacle to the world, to Angels, and to Men. Even to this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, are naked, and buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place. And labour working with our hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it. Being defamed, we entreat; we are made as the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things to this very Day, 1 Cor. 4.9 — 13. that they died daily, or stood in Jeopardy of it every hour, 1 Cor. 15.31. that they approved themselves as Ministers of Christ in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tu­mults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings, 2 Cor. 6.4, 5. We were, saith he, pressed above measure, beyond strength, insomuch that we despair'd of life, 2 Cor. 1.8. And in the eleventh Chapter he gives such a dreadful Account of his own afflictions as can scarcely be read without trembling. Now by what motive could they be acted in the publication of that Faith, for which they suffered all that Wit and Malice could inflict upon them, but the conviction of the Truth of what they published; seeing they actually lost all in this, and could expect no Blessings in another World for calling God to witness to a Lye? The Moralists assure us that 'tis impossible for Men to act without appearance of some good to be persued by that Action; that love of Life, and a desire of self Preservation, is common to us with the Brutes, and 'tis as natural both for them, and us, to avoid Misery and Torments: If then the Apostles did actually abandon all the Enjoyments and Expectations both of this and of a better Life, and wilfully subject themselves unto the worst of Misery and Torments, in propogation of a Testimony from which they could expect no profit, or advantage, they must be even bereft of common Sense, renounce the natural instincts of Mankind, and be in love with Misery and Ruin. I confess tis possible for Men to lay down their lives for false opinions, provided they believe them true, but if the Apostles were guilty of any cheat at all in this matter, they must be guilty of a known imposture, and so must sacrifice their Lives for falshood, i. e. for that from which they could expect no Good at all, which seems so inconsistent with the common Principles of Reason and Self-love, that nothing can be more incredible.

And this, I hope, may be sufficient to convince any reasonable Person that these Epistles must be written whilst the Apostles lived, and be their genuine Writings, and then the truth of what they do so copiously assert concerning the miraculous Gifts and Operations of the Holy Ghost, vouchsafed to the Believers of those times, cannot be reasonably contested.

§. 17. But yet I shall proceed to farther Confirmation of this Argument from these two Heads.

1st, From a particular Consideration of the Gifts they mention.

2dly, From the Reason we have to believe that these extraordinary Gifts were equally confer'd upon all other Christian Churches, as upon those which the Apostles mention in their Epistles, and also were of a lasting Continuance among them.

1st, From a particular Consideration of the miraculous operations, and the Gifts they men­tion. Now they were of two sorts:

The healing of the sick, and the curing of the lame, blind, and maimed, the raising of the dead, the ejecting devils out of Men, and from their oracles, and Temples; which being per­formed by the Apostles and Primitive Professors of Christianity upon others, I stile outward Operations.

Or else those inward gifts by which the understanding was enlightned, and was enabled to discern that which their natural Powers could not reach, as the gift of speaking with unknown tongues, of prophecy, of discerning Spirits. I begin with

The gift of healing the sick, and the diseased. Of which let it be noted,

1st, That this Gift was not confin'd to the Apostles, but was confer'd on the Inferior Cler­gy, and other members of the Church indifferently: For amongst the Gifts confer'd upon the Church, the Apostle mentions [...] those of healing, 1 Cor. 12.19. and verse 29. they who exercised those gifts are reckoned after Apostles, Prophets, Teachers, as being both distinct from them, and inferior to them; and verse 30. the Question is thus put have, all the gifts of healing? St. James directs the sick, and the diseased to the Rulers of the Church, with promise that the Prayer of Faith, joyned with the holy Oyl, should heal the sick, Jam. 5.14, 15. And this is by our Saviour promised as one of the signs that should follow them that believed in his Name. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover, Mark 16.18. This being therefore made as well the matter of a promise, as of their frequent Prayers; had not these Prayers been answered, and this promise verifyed, Christianity would have, in pro­bability, been blasted by it.

2dly, This Gift continued frequent and notorious in the three first Ages of the Church, and the salutary Influences of it were dispersed throughout the World. Soon after the Destru­ction of Jerusalem, the Christians, saith^(a) Epiphanius, return'd from Pella, [...], working great miracles of healing. Amongst the Operations of the Holy Ghost confer'd at Baptism upon the Converts of his time,^(b) Justin M. enumerates [...] the gift of healing. ^(c) Irenaeus proves the Certainty of our Lord's Resurrection from those Miracles which his Disciples perform'd still in his Name; For some of them, saith he, cast out Devils, others heal those that are diseased, and even now the dead have been raised, and continued with us many years. The Spirit of many dead Men hath return'd again, and the Man hath oft been given to the Prayers of the Saints, the whole Church of that place requesting it with Prayer and Fasting. Even to this day, saith^(d) Origen, there remain Footsteps of that holy Spirit who appeared in the shape of a Dove among the Christians, for [...], they cast out Devils, and perform many Cures. And again,^(e) Even now the name of Christ exempts Men from Ecstasies, scares away [...] Devils and Diseases. Some footsteps and remainders of the Miracles which Christ performed ^(f) [...] are to this day done in the Churches by the Name of Jesus. And lastly, to that Enquiry of Celsus, What magnificent Work hath your Jesus done? he an­swers,^(g) This is one magnificent Work, that [...] even to this day his Name doth heal Diseases. Now of the Truth of what they thus deliver, they pretend,

1st, To be themselves Eye-witnesses. We can produce, saith^(h) Origen, a vast number of Greeks and Barbarians who believe in Christ; some of whom, as a token of the power of that Faith they have embraced, heal Diseases by invocation of the Name of God and Christ: [...] and we our selves have seen many delivered by these things from dangerous Symptoms, Ecstasies, and Madness, and ten thousand other Evils which neither Men nor De­vils could exempt them from.

2dly, They call the God of Heaven to witness to the Truth of what they say: We have seen many such things, saith⁽ⁱ⁾ Origen, being present, and beholding them with our eyes, [Page xxxviii] which should we write, the Heathens would laugh at them as things feigned, [...], but God is witness to my Conscience, that I do not endeavour by false Testi­monies to commend the Doctrine of Christ.

3dly, They appeal to the Testimonies of their very Enemies. For thus^(k) Tertullian speaks to Scapula, a Judge in Carthage: All these things may be suggested to thee from thy Of­fice, and the Advocates of it, who have received these Advantages from Christians; for the Notary of one, the Child and Kinsman of another, have been freed by us from Devils. Et quanti honesti viri (de vulgaribus enim non dicimus) aut à Daemoniis, aut valetudinibus remediati sunt. And how many honourable Men (for we speak not of the vulgar) have been delivered from Devils or Diseases by the Christians. 'Twas Proculus, saith he, the Christian, that heal'd with oyl Evodus, which so ingratiated him to Severus, that he kept him in his Pa­lace to his death. And,

Lastly, By this very Argument they triumph over the like Attempts of Hereticks and Hea­thens, who pretended to do these things by Magick, or that their Gods performed the same, 1. Over those Hereticks, who knowing these miraculous Cures were frequently performed by the Orthodox, were forced to pretend the like. Thus Irenaeus comparing the Miracles of Christians with the Magical Operations of Simon M, Carpocrates, and others of that Gang.^(l) This, saith he, is sufficient to confute them that they can neither give sight to the blind, nor hearing to the deaf, nor cure the weak, the lame, the paralytick, nor those that are disea­sed in any other part of the Body; which yet, saith he, was often done by Christians, to the benefit of the Heathens. 2. Over the like Pretences of the Heathens, who boasted that^(m) [...], that their Gods did many Cures, that they gave ⁽ⁿ⁾ morbis mede­lam, spem afflictis, opem miseris, Medicine to the diseased, Hope to the afflicted, Help to the mi­serable; and that their Gods had often cured ^(o) multorum hominum morbos valetudines (que) the Diseases of many. For to this they do not only answer, by saying they had no Assurance that their Daemons, however courted by them, could heal the Infirmities of humane Bodies, as^(p) Origen replies to Celsus; and that if they did any thing of this kind, 'twas only by ap­plying Medicines, and directing them to such Meats, such Potions, and such juices of Herbs, that is, saith Arnobius, by shewing the skill of a Physitian rather than the power of a God. But that they could do nohting of this nature worthy to be named with that which Christ and his Apostles did, he, say they, with a word commanded the Blind to see, the Lame to walk, and cured all diseases with a touch of his hand. Now can you shew us any among all your Ma­gicians, ^(q) consimile aliquid Christo millesima ex parte qui fecerit, who have done anything in the least resembling Christ? yea ^(r) quid simile dii omnes quibus opem dicitis aegris, & peric­litantibus latam? what like to this have any of your Gods to whom you do ascribe the cure of the sick performed? That whereas their Gods could not transmit their supposed power to others, our Jesus derived this power to the meanest, to Rusticks, Fishermen, Day-Labourers, ^(ſ) and did himself nothing which he gave not them also power to do. And that the Name of Jesus re­stored them to perfect health who were incurable by all the powers of humane Art, the assist­ance of the Demons, or of Heathen Deities. Seeing you have the confidence, say they, to bring the cures of Heathen Deities into contest with those of Christ, how many thousands shall we instance in who have in vain repaired with supplications to all the Temples of the Gods; in vain have tried the ears of your admired Aesculapius? ^(t) quid ergo prodest ostendere unum aut alterum fortasse curatos, cum tot millibus subvenerit nemo? and what availeth it, to tell us of the good success of two or three, when the complaints of thousands receiving no help from them shew their want of power to assist the needy?

Let it be then considered, that the Christians, for three whole Centuries together, heal'd many Miriads throughout the World, who laboured under those Diseases, which were incu­rable by all the Arts of Men and Devils, that they made frequently the Lame to walk, the Deaf to hear, the Blind to see, and sometimes rais'd the Dead by Invocation of the Name of Jesus; and we shall find just reason to conclude this was the Lord's doings, and it is marvel­lous in our eyes.

§. 18. 2dly, Our Lord promised that they who believed in him should cast out Devils, which promise he perform'd with such a constant scene of glorious Instances, and such ama­zing Circumstances, if in this matter we may credit the Primitive Professors of, and Mar­tyrs [Page xxxix] for Christianity, that 'tis not possible for any Man to doubt the truth and certainty of Christian Faith, who does not look upon them as impudent Untruths, and Lying Legends. For,

1st, Let us consider to whom this power was committed over this strong man armed, over these Principalities, and Rulers of the darkness of this World. Our blessed Saviour having said, behold I give you Authority over all the power of the Enemy, great Multitudes of Christians gave a continual Demonstration of the Truth of this Prediction. For, that our Lord was sent for the destruction of these evil Spirits, [...], you may now learn, saith^(u) Justin M. from what is done before your Eyes, for many Christians, through­out all the world, and in the very City of your empire, have healed many that were possessed of the Devil, and still do they eject them by invocation of the name of Jesus, whom none of your Inchan­ters, Conjurers, or Sorcerers were able to expel. Those Christians are not few, saith^(x) Ori­gen, who eject Devils from them that are possessed with them, and this they do without all curi­ous Arts, or any Sorcery or Magick only by Prayers, and simple adjuration of them, [...], for mostly this is done even by the meanest Christians, the grace assistant to the word of Christ demonstrating by this the Devil's weakness, that to expel them from the Soul or Body of a Man there is no need of Men of wisdom, or powerful in demonstration of the Faith? ^(y) Now, saith he, were not Christ of a divine composition the Devils would not thus quit the bodies they possess at the bare invocation of his name, Fidelis quisque Daemonibus im­perat, every Christian hath command over the Devils, saith^(z) Clemens, yea such is the effi­cacy, of the name of Jesus, saith^(a) Origen, [...], that it sometimes profits when it is used by wicked Men, according to our Lord's prediction, that at the dreadful Audit, many should be rejected who could make this Plea, in thy name we have cast out Devils, Matth. 7.22. It was sometimes efficacious even when used by them who were no Followers of the Holy Jesus; as in the instance mention'd by St. John, Master, we saw one casting out Devils in thy name, and we forbad him, because he followed not us, Mark 9.38. And this gave Courage to the Jewish Exorcists, the Sons of Sceva, to adjure evil Spirits by the name of Jesus, Act. 19.14. And not the^(b) Jews only, but other Inchanters also, saith^(c) St. Austin, mixed the name of Jesus with their Incantations.

2dly. This name was efficacious against all evil Spirits whatsoever, none of them being a­ble to resist the Power of it. Even now, saith^(d) Justin M. we who believe in Jesus, [...], adjuring the whole herd of Devils and Malignant Spirits, have them all Subject to our power. And again, By the name of the Son of God, [...] all kind of Devils, being adjured, are overcome, and brought into subjection. Tis evidently seen, saith^(e) Origen, that by the name of Jesus ten thousand Devils have been expell'd from the Souls and Bodies, of those who were possessed by them. On this account they triumphed over the Heathen Exorcists, that by the name of Jesus they expell'd those Devils which none of their Inchanters, Sorcerers, Magi­cians saith^(f) Justin M. could expel; And over all the Heathen Deities: bring one possessed mad and raging, saith^(g) Lactantius, to your Jupiter, or because he is not skilful in those matters, bring him to Aesculapius, or Apollo, let both their priests adjure him, in the name of their supposed Deities, to quit his station, they in vain attempt it; but let the same Devils be adjured in the name of the true God, and instantly they fly. Quae ratio est ut timeant Chri­stum, Jovem non timeant, were this Jove any better than themselves, why do they fear our Christ, and not their Jupiter? And on the same account they triumphed over those Hereticks which then appeared to corrupt the truth: for we by this, saith^(h) Irenaeus confound the Heresies of Simon M, Carpocrates, and the whole tribe of those deceitful Workers, that they cannot, omnes daemonas effugare, expel all kinds of Devils, but only such as are confederate with them, if they indeed do that. Consider,

3dly, That they expell'd them not only out of Men, but also from their Temples, Oracles, and Altars. We are so far, saith⁽ⁱ⁾ Origen, from worshipping of Daemons, that we expel them [...] from the places where they are seated. Go no more, saith^(k) Clemens of Alexandria in his Exhortation to the Greeks, to your Castalian, or other Fountains, all these prophetick Streams are now dried up, and they are pass'd away with their own Fables. Divination and Oracles, saith^(l) Strabo, were by the Ancients much regarded, but [Page xl] now they are as generally neglected and contemned, the Oracle at Delphos and at Hammon being wholly silent. Not above one or two remains, saith^(m) Plutarch, the rest are wholly silent, or entirely desolate. The Spirit of the Gods, saith the⁽ⁿ⁾ Apostate Julian, comes now [...] but rarely, and to very few. Thus are the very Heathens forced, with^(o) Porphyry, to confess the Triumphs of our Jesus over their supposed Deities. Nor did they only silence their Oracles, and stop the mouths both of their Priests and of those Dae­mons that inspired them, but they did open them, at the same time, to force them to con­fess, even before their Priests and Votaries, that they were evil Spirits. This most Men, saith^(p) Minutius, know, and some of you, that all your Daemons, when they are forced out of Bodies by our Words and Prayers, do with grief confess what they are, not belying their own filthiness, even in your presence, ipsis testibus esse eos Daemonas de se verum confitentibus credite, believe their testimony when truly they confess themselves to be but Devils. All the Dominion we have over them, saith^(q) Tertullian, proceedeth from the Name of Christ, and the Commemoration of those things they are to suffer from him as their Judge; this causeth them, at our Command, to come forth of the Bodies they possess with great reluctance, and grief and shame; when you are present, you who have credited their Lyes, believe them when they speak the truth of themselves, for none will lye to their disgrace, but for their honour; they are more to be believ'd who confess against themselves, than who deny for themselves. These Devils, saith^(r) St. Cyprian, being adjured by the true God, do instantly confess, and are compell'd to come out of the Bodies they possess, you may see them by our voice, and by the pow­er of the invisible Majesty, as it were whip'd and scorch'd, and as their torment doth encrease, you may hear them howling, groaning, deprecating, confessing even in the audience of their Votaries, whence they came, and when they will depart. In his Epistle to^(ſ) Donatus this is made one property of a Christian, to force impure Spirits to confess what they are, and to urge them by their powerful strokes to depart. Consider,

4thly, That this was done not in Rome and Carthage only, and other Cities of the chiefest note, but, as it is observed by^(t) Justin Martyr, [...] throughout all the world, not only for some Weeks or Months together, but, as these Records testifie, from the first rise of Christians to the days of Constantine; for even about that time^(u) Lactan­tius speaks thus: As Christ himself, whilst he convers'd with Men, did with a word expel all kind of Devils, ita nunc sectatores ejus, so now his Followers expel these filthy Spirits by their Master's name, and by the sign of his Passion. ^(x) Eusebius adds, that [...], even now he shews the vertue of his divine Power, by expelling wicked and hurtful Devils from the Bodies and the Souls of Men, only by mention of his name, [...], as from experierce we have foumd. This they did

Lastly, say these Authors, without the use of Medicines, or Magical Incantations, only by invocation of the Name of Jesus, or by reciting the sacred Books, saith^(a) Origen, without deceit, or without gain, saith^(b) Irenaeus, sine premio, sine mercede, without advantage, or reward, saith^(c) Tertullian, it being then conceived criminal to gain by such spiritual Gifts, and contrary to that injunction of their Lord, Matth. 10.8. freely ye have received, freely give. And truly to conceive these things were done by any Medicines, or Magical Inchantments, is the greatest folly; for how should Multitudes of mean and simple Christians arrive at such a skill in any of those Arts, which neither Jew or Gentile, who had long exercised them, could attain unto, and which none of those numerous Apostates or Hereticks which fell off from them in the times of persecution, could discover, or instruct others to perform, or them­selves exercise? And much less is it to be thought that Satan should assist them to build Christianity upon the Ruins of his own Kingdom, and to promote an interest as contrary both to his Nature and Designs, as is light to darkness. Moreover, that none might doubt the truth of these Particulars,

1st, They frequently appeal even to the senses of the very Infidels. If you are willing saith^(d) Justin M, [...], it is easie for you even now [Page xli] to be assured of these things with their own eyes. Dictis non stetis si oculi vestri & aures per­miserint vobis, disbelieve these things, saith^(e) Tertullian, if your eyes and ears will suffer you to do so. Admirable are those words of Cyprian to Demetrianus a Persecutor of the Christians, veni & cognosce vera esse quae dicimus, Come and experiment the truth of what we say; and since thou sayest thou worshippest the Gods, believe the Gods thou worshippest; ^(f) or if thou wilt, believe thy self; for he that now dwels in thy Breast, and holds thy Soul in igno­rance, shall in thy audience speak of thee, thou shalt see them entreating us whom thou en­treatest, them whom thou searest fearing us, thou shalt see them bound, and trembling under our hand, whom thou adorest as Gods; sure this must be sufficient to confound thee in thy er­rors, when thou seest and hearest thy Gods, at our command, instantly confessing what they are, and not daring to conceal their cheats in thy presence.

2dly, They appeal also to their Consciences; we expel Devils out of Men, saith^(g) Ter­tullian, sicut plurimis notum est, as very many know. Most Men are very well acquainted with these things, saith^(h) Minucius, pars vestrûm, and so some of you Heathens are. They ap­peal,

3dly, To the confessions of the very Devils, as hath been proved already from the Testi­monies of Tertullian, Minucius, Cyprian; and by this very Argument⁽ⁱ⁾ Theophilus proves them to be evil Spirits, that [...], even at this day, being exorcised by the name of the true God, they confess themselves to be deceitful Spirits. And,

4thly, They appeal to the effects produced upon the Persons thus dispossess'd, even their conversion by this means to the Christian Faith. Some Christians, saith^(k) Irenaeus, have the gift of casting out Devils so firmly, and so certainly, [...], that many times they who are heal'd, and delivered from these evil Spirits, believe, and do continue in the Church. Haec denique testimonia Deorum vestrorum Christianos facere consueverunt, these testimonies of your Gods do oft make Christians, saith^(l) Tertullian; believing them, we believe in Christ; they advance the credit of our writings, and build up our hope; for you worship them even with the blood of Christians, they therefore would not lose such profitable votaries, lest turning Christians you should, with us, expel them, si illis, sub Christiano volente vobis veritatem probare, mentiri liceret, if they durst lye to a Christian attempting to confirm you in the truth. ^(m) Lactantius accounting for the Multitude of Christians, saith this is no small reason of it, that the Devils being cast out by Christians, omnes qui resanati fuerint, adhaereant Religioni cujus potentiam senserunt, they who are healed, embrace that faith whose benefit and power they have felt.

5thly, They encourage others to embrace the Christian Faith, by promising to them this power of ejecting Devils, when they should cordially embrace it. Be you baptized, saith⁽ⁿ⁾ Clemens, in the name of the most holy Trinity, and then, if you believe with an entire faith, and with true purity of Mind, etiam ex aliis vos malignos spiritus effugetis, & daemones, you shall expel impure Spirits and Devils out of others, and free men from diseases; for the Devils know and own those who have given up themselves to God, and sometimes at their very presence are cast out; we exhort you therefore to be of our Religion, and we assure you that when you do ad­vance to the same faith and innocence of life with us, erit par vobis atque eadem etiam contra daemonas potestas, you shall obtain like power over the evil Spirits.

Lastly, They offer upon pain of Death, and all that could be dear to them, to make this Experiment before the Eyes of Heathens, i. e. not only to eject those very Demons they invo­ked, but even to force them to confess they were cheats, and own themselves to be but De­vils. I come now, saith^(o) Tertullian, to the Demonstration of the point, edatur hic aliquis coram tribunalibus vestris, let any one be placed before your tribunals who manifestly is possessed by the Devil, being commanded by any Christian to speak what he is, he shall as certainly tru­ly confess himself to be a Devil, as elsewhere he doth falsly profess to be a God; produce any other of them who profess to be inspired by any of your Gods, nisi se Daemones confessi fuerint, Christiano mentiri non audentes, ibidem illius Christiani procacissimi sanguinem fundite, if they do not confess themselves to be Devils, not daring to lye to a Christian, let the blood of that Malepert Christian be shed before you in that very place. What is more manifest than this ex­periment, more faithful than this proof? Here is plain evidence laid before you, whose virtue will assist it self, here can be no suspicion; even say that Magick, or some such fallacy is impo­sed upon you, if your Eyes and Ears will permit you.

All this we have delivered upon certain Knowledge, and confirm'd to us with the highest Attestations, by Men of greatest Wisdom, to distinguish betwixt Truth and Falshood, and so discern matters of real Fact, from vain impostures; by Men of that sincerity, and [...]di [...] ­guis'd piety, as renders their veracity, in matters subject to their senses, and their ex­perience, incontestable; by Men who suffer'd all that is terrible to humane Nature for the profession of a Faith whose Truth depended on the certainty of these events, and which in this World, call'd for continual Acts of Self-denial, and Austerity, and the renouncing all that tends to gratifie the sensual Appetite, only for the Enjoyment of inward and Spiritual Plea­sures here, and of Celestial Joys hereafter. Again, all this is said in their Discourses directe [...] to Heathen Emperors, and Judges, or to the Heathen World, partly to mitigate their hatred of them, and their severities against them, and partly to engage them to embrace the Christian Faith, which sure no Person of sincerity would, no Men of wisdom could attempt by s [...]ch untruths as might be easily detected by them; For could they boast of their continual Tri­umphs over Satan's Kingdom throughout all the World, and send the Heathens to Rome and Carthage, and other Famous Cities, to be convinced of the Truth of what they said? Would they talk of the multitude of Converts they had made to the Christian Faith by dispossessing Men of Devils, or forcing evil Spirits in their presence to confess they were but Devils? Would they encourage others to embrace the Christian Faith by promise of like power when they did cordially believe, and practise sutably to it? Would they appeal to the Senses, to the Ears and Eyes, to the Conscience and Experience of their most subtile Adversaries? Would they provoke them to make the experiment of the Truth of what they said with the hazard of their Lives, and even encourage them to shed their Blood, if, upon Trial, they should fail of the Performance? Or could they by such means as these, prevail upon the World, and daily gain new Profelytes, had not the Evidence of Truth confirmed their say­ings? And if in these Assertions they spake the words of Truth and Soberness, they gave the clearest evidence of the power of that Jesus whose name so mightily prevailed over the host of these infernal Legions. For is it reasonable to conceive these Devils, without constrain [...] from a Superior power, should not only quit the power they so long had exercised over the Bodies and the Souls of them who worshipped them as Gods, but also should confess so oft even in the presence of their Votaries, at the Command of them who sought the ruin of their Kingdom, and used their confessions to that purpose, that they were evil Spirits? Or could the name of Jesus, without the power to which he pretended, have been so great a Terror and a Torment to them, or be thus efficacious even in the Mouths of wicked Men, and those who followed not him, had not this also tended to the Confirmation of his Power? Did ever any of the Heathen Juglers, with all their arts of Magick, extort such plain confessions from them? Did they thus force them to desert the Bodies and the Temples they possess'd, and to exert their Power to the ruin of themselves, and the amendment of those Souls they had en­snared? This therefore being only done by our Jesus, or others in his name, demonstrates his divine Commission.

Obj. Against this signal Demonstration of the truth of Christian Faith, the only Cavil which the Infidels and Scepticks raise, is this, That we find no mention of Persons thus possessed with the Devil among Jews or Gentiles, before our Saviour's Advent; nor have we now Experience of any such thing, either among Christians or in the Heathen World, and there­fore cannot easily believe it was so then, but rather, that the Persons represented as Demo­niacks were only Persons afflicted with some strange Diseases, Fits of the Mother, Convul­sions, Falling Sickness, Madness, and the like.

Answ. 1. To this I answer, That were this granted, yet must this be a Demonstration of the Power of Christ, and of the Truth of Christian Faith, that it enabled its Professors every where, by Virtue of the Name and Invocation of the Holy Jesus, thus to heal all manner of Distempers, which no Physicians could cure by their Art, much less by speaking of a Word.

2dly, Moreover, I have sufficiently confuted this Cavil, by shewing, That the Christians of those Times ejected Devils, not only out of Men, but also from their Temples, Oracles and Altars, and that so signally, that even the best Historians of those Ages, tho' by Reli­gion Heathens, and some of them professed Enemies of Christianity, are forced to confess their Oracles were silent, and that Christianity had thus triumphed over their supposed Dei­ties, and also by shewing, that they forc'd these Evil Spirits to confess they were but De­vils. Besides, we find both in the Sacred Records and in the Writings of those Fathers, a constant and a plain Distinction betwixt these two things, the curing Diseases and the cast­ing out of Devils; so Mark 1.34. He healed many that were sick of divers Diseases, and cast out many Devils, and suffered not the Devils to speak, because they knew him. Matth. 10.1. He gave to the Apostles Power against unclean Spirits, to cast them out, and to heal [Page xliii] all manner of Sickness and Diseases. The Christians, saith^(a) Irenaeus, truly cast out De­vils, and heal the Sick by Imposition of Hands. [...]; they cast out Devils, and heal many Diseases, saith^(b) Origen. How many honest Men have by us been healed, or freed from Devils? is the Enquiry of^(c) Tertullian.

3dly, The falshood of the Suggestion, that Men possess'd with Evil Spirits were not known among the Jews in former Ages, appears from the plain Testimonies of^(d) Jose­phus, who saith, That God taught Solomon this Wisdom, for the benefit of Men; and that be left behind him those ways of exorcising Demons, which so effectually expel'd them, that they never entred into them more; and from that time to this, hath that way of curing those who were possess'd, been very powerful. He also talks of a strange Herb or Shrub, which being artificially pull'd up,^(e) [...], presently expels Devils. We also read in the Acts of Seven Sons of one Scaeva a Jew, who were Exorcists, Acts 19.13. and of their Children casting out of Devils, Matth. 12.25. And both^(f) Justin Martyr and^(g) Irenaeus inform us, That they did this before the time of our Saviour, by Invocation of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

That among the Heathens, there were Persons thus possess'd, appears sufficiently by this, that otherwise the Christians could not have pretended to cast them out; and from the Exor­cists and Magicians in every Nation, of whom^(h) Plutarch saith, That they advised those who were possess'd, to repeat the Ephesian Letters: And⁽ⁱ⁾ Lucian mentions it as thing known to all, That they had those who did dispossess Demons. ^(k) Justin Martyr faith, The Jews exorcised them, [...], using that Art as the Heathens did. The Names of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, are us'd, saith^(l) Origen, not only by the Jewish Exorcists, [...], but al­most by all that practise the Art of Magick or Enchantment. So that 'tis certain, that the History of Christ and his Apostles, casting out Devils in Judea, and of Christians casting them out throughout the World, was therefore never question'd by Jew or Gentile, because they had among themselves in every place, pretenders to it.

And if after the Triumphs of the Gospel, there now continue among Christians no foot­steps of this Power of Satan, this is a Testimony of the Truth of what our Lord fore­told, Now is the Prince of the World cast out, Joh. 12.31.

§. XIX. Of those internal Gifts, which shew the Power of the Holy Ghost engaged to promote the Christian Faith.

First, That of Tongues is most illustrious. This was a Gift exceeding requisite, to the speedy propagation of the Gospel, which in the space of Fourty Years was by our Lord's Prediction, Matth. 24.14. to spread it self throughout the World. And therefore, it was daily exercised among the Heathens to convert them, and by themselves, when they embra­ced the Christian Faith; for the Family; the Friends, and Kindred of Cornelius, receiv'd the Holy Ghost; and, to the Amazement of the Jewish Converts, spake with Tongues, and magnified God, Acts. 10.46. Upon the twelve Disciples of the Baptist, the Apostle lays his hands, and they receive the Holy Ghost, and speak with Tongues, Acts 19.6. St. Paul in his Epistle to the Church of Corinth, saith, They were enriched with, and they abounded [...], in all Tongues, Cor. 1.5. See the Note there. Among the Gifts imparted to them, he reckons divers Kinds of Tongues, and the Interpretation of them, 1 Cor. 12.9. and puts the Question to them thus, ver. 30. Do all speak with Tongues? This he objecteth as their Crime, That when they came together, every one had his Tongue, 1 Cor. 14.26. and adds, That if they thus continued to use this Gift, 'twould breed Confusion in their Churches, and cause their Auditors to say, That they were mad, ver. 23. Whence he advi­seth them who used these Tongues, to pray they might Interpret, ver. 13. permitting only two or three to speak with Tongues in one Assembly, and that by course, and with Inter­pretation, ver. 26, 27, 28. imposing Silence on them, when no Interpreter was present; and Order, saith he, being thus observed, Let no Man forbid to speak with Tongues, ver. 39. And if this Gift was so abundantly conferr'd upon that Church, in which the Apostle found so great Miscarriages, and of which he only saith, They came behind the other Churches in [Page xliv] no Gift; we reasonably may suppose others, and better Churches, had an equal Share in this Gift. Accordingly we have heard, saith Irenaeus, (l. 5. c. 6.) many Brethren who have recei­ved the Spirit of God, [...], and by that Spirit spake all Languages.

And now, what can the Unbeliever offer to invalidate the Strength of this convincing Demonstration? Will he ascribe this Gift to the Assistance of the Devil? Let him produce one Instance of like nature from any Heathen Writer, to shew, that ever this was done by any besides Christians: Or tell us, why that subtile Spirit should thus concern himself to propagate, and to confirm that Faith, which bears the clearest Opposition both to his Na­ture and Designs. Will they ascribe it to some Fit of Melancholy, or some Distemper of the Brain? What can be more absurd, than to assert, That at the Preaching of a Sermon, the rushing of a mighty Wind, the laying on of an Apostle's Hands, or the Baptizing of a Person in the Name of Jesus, such unaccountable Diseases should cease on many Thou­sands, and should enable them to speak a Language they had never learn'd? Or, is it rea­sonable to think, this Distemper should be so peculiar to Christian Constitutions, as that no other Persons should pretend to it? And that it should wholly cease from them, when once the Christian Faith had spread it self over all Nations, Christians themselves never pretend­ing, that it lasted beyond the Second Century.

§. XX. The second internal Gift of which the Scripture maketh frequent mention, is that of Prophesie; of which let it be noted,

That seeing the Jews from the Foundation of their Church to the completion of the Ca­non of the Old Testament, had a continual Succession of Prophets to instruct them in the Mind of God, it seemeth highly requisite, that the like Gift should for some season be conferr'd upon the Church of Christ, which was not only to succeed, but highly to excel the Jewish Oeconomy. Especially, if we consider, that their own Prophet Joel had foretold, touching the Times of the Messiah promised to the Jews, God would then pour his Spirit upon all Flesh, and their Sons and Daughters should Prophesie, Joel 2.18. and also that our Lord had promised to send the Spirit of Truth to his Disciples, to lead them into all Truth, and to declare unto them things to come, Joh. 16.13. and to send to the Jewish Nation Pro­phets and Wise Men, Matth. 23.34. and of these must he be supposed to speak, when he en­gageth, That he that receiveth a Prophet in the Name of a Prophet, shall receive a Prophet's Reward, Matth. 10.41. So that you see, the Christians had just reason to expect the Spirit of Prophesie should be again revived in their days, and plentifully conferr'd upon them; and that both Jew and Gentile must have had sufficient cause to question the whole Truth of Christian Faith, had not this Spirit of Prophesie been found among them: And therefore of the completion of this Promise, we are assured,

First, From the Catalogue of Christian Prophets, mention'd in the New Testament and Antient Writers of the Church. For Acts 11.27, 28. mention is made of Christian Pro­phets coming from Jerusalem; and of Agabus, who foretold the Famine that hapned in the days of Claudius Caesar, as^(m) Josephus, ⁽ⁿ⁾ Suetonius and^(o) Dion testifie. In the 13th. Chapter, we are told of five Prophets in the Church of Antioch, who whilst they were em­ploy'd in the Publick Ministry, received a Divine Afflatus, commanding them to separate Barnabas and Saul, to some especial Work to which the Holy Spirit had designed them, ver. 3. And Chap. 15.32. we read of Judas and Silas, who being Prophets, exhorted the Brethren with many Words. And Chap. 19.6. of Twelve Disciples, who when St. Paul had laid his Hands upon them, spake with Tongues, and Prophesied. In the Revelations of St. John, mention is made of Christ's Servants the Prophets, Chap. 16.6. and of the Blood of the Pro­phets slain by the Beast, Chap. 18.20, 24. and of the Prophets his Brethren, Chap. 19.10.^(p) Eusebius cites an Antient Author, who speaks of Quadratus and others, as [...], Inspired Prophets, and who declared, That the Prophetick Gift continued still in the Church. Moreover, as Joel had foretold, that in those days their Daughters and their Hand-maids should Prophesie; so do we read in the History of the Acts, of four Daugh­ters of Philip the Evangelist, who did Prophesie, Acts 21.9. In the Epistle to the Corinthi­ans, of Women Prophesying, 1 Cor. 11.5. and in the Ecclesiastical History, of^(q) Ammia of Philadelphia, a Prophetess.

In a Word, there was not any Church in which this Gift of Prophesie was not frequent. We read of Prophets at Jerusalem, the Mother of all Churches, Acts 11.27. in the Church of Antioch, Acts 13.1. of the Gift of Prophesie in the Church of Rome, Rom. 12.6. in that of [Page xlv] Corinth and of Thessalonica, 1 Thess. 5.20. and of Spiritual Persons in the Church of Galatia, Chap. 6.1. They are said to be placed in the Church in General; for God, saith the Apostle, hath set some in the Church, First, Apostles; 2dly, Prophets; 3dly, Teachers; as therefore the Apostles and the Teachers, so did the Prophets exercise their Functions in all Churches. They were given to the Church for Ends which equally concern'd all their Assemblies, Christ having given some Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, some Pastors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the Work of the Ministry, for the edifying the Body of Christ, Eph. 4.11, 12. Now these are Ends in which all Churches must be equally con­cerned, and therefore we have reason to believe, that as Apostles, Evangelists and Pastors, so Prophets also were vouchsafed to them all.

Moreover, it seems evident, That at the first Foundation of a Christian Church among the Gentiles, there were no settled Pastors to perform the Publick Offices in their Assemblies, but they were generally performed by Prophets, or by Spiritual Men, who had the Gift of Prophesie, or were in the Assembly excited to that Work by an Afflatus of the Holy Spi­rit. To clear up this, let it be noted:

First, That as soon as any Persons then embraced the Christian Faith, they received with it the Gift of Prophesie, or of the Holy Ghost; so when Peter and John laid Hands on the Samaritan Converts, they received the Holy Ghost, Acts 8.15. When Peter preached to Cornelius and his Friends, the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the Word, and they spake with Tongues, and magnified God, Acts 10.44, 46. So also the Twelve Disciples of the Baptist, when St. Paul laid his Hands upon them, spake with Tongues and Prophesied, Acts 19.6. so that this Gift of Prophesie was still contemporary with a Christian Church or Family of Christian Converts.

Note, Secondly, That the Apostles did not presently upon the Conversion of any number of Persons to the Christian Faith, ordain them Elders in every Church, but left them for a Season to the Conduct of those Prophets and Spiritual Men, the Holy Ghost had fitted for that Work. The Church of Antioch was converted, saith Dr. Lightfoot in the Fortieth Year of our Lord, and a great number of them turned to the Lord, Act. 11.21. and yet no Elders were ordained among them, till the Fiftieth Year, Acts 14.23. But in this interval, there were Prophets among them who ministred in their Assemblies to the Lord, Chap. 13.2. The Inhabitants of the Isle of Crete were converted for some considerable time before St. Paul sent Titus to them, to set in order the things which were lacking, and ordain Elders in every City, Chap. 1.5. How were they then in the mean time, supplyed with Teachers, and Men that ministred in their Assemblies, unless by Men assisted by that Spirit which was shed on them abundantly at their Conversion? Chap. 3.5, 6. And if we may take an Estimate of other Churches, by what was certainly performed in the Assemblies of the Church of Corinth, we cannot reasonably doubt the Truth of this Assertion. For, whereas all the Publick Offi­ces performed then in the Church were Prayer and Psalmody, expounding or preaching of the Word, and Eucharistical Oblations; all these are in the Fourteenth Chapter of the First Epistle ascribed to the Prophets in that Church, or to the Men endowed with Spiritual Gifts among them: For when they came together, some of them prayed, others composed Sacred Hymns by their Spiritual Gift, ver. 15. their Prophets did then teach for Edification, Exhortation and Comfort, ver. 3. and 31. they also did then [...], Bless, which is the Word used for Consecration of the Eucharist, Chap. 10.16. and [...], Give Thanks, which is the Word used in our Lord's Institution of this Sacrament, 1 Cor. 11.21. and at this Thanksgiving the People Answered, Amen, ^(r) as they were wont to do at the Celebration of the Sacrament, ver. 16, 17. That all, or any of these things were done by stated Pastors, we never read in the Epistles to that Church. And this seems yet more probable, touching the Church of Corinth, because there seems no Order observed among them in their Prophe­sying, and no Subjection of the Prophets in their Assemblies, to any Ruler in that Church. When the incestuous Person was to be delivered up to Satan, this was done by the Authority of St. Paul, with the concurrence of the whole Assembly; When you are met together, saith he, deliver such a one to Satan, 1 Cor. 5.4. put away from your selves that wicked Person, ver. 13. And when he speaketh of this Act of Discipline, he calls it [...], the Punishment inflicted by many, 2 Cor. 2.6. See the Note there. And when the same Person was to be absolved, there is no Direction sent to any Rulers of the Church to give him Absolution, but all seems immediately to be done by the Authority of St. Paul, and by the whole Assembly. And Lastly, In the Epistle sent from Corinth to the Church of Rome, we find not any Salutation sent to Rome, from any Bishop or Elder of the Church of Corinth, but only from the Kindred of St. Paul, from Gains the Host of that Church, E­rastus [Page xlvi] the Chamberlain of the City, and Quartus a Brother. Chap. 16.21, 22, 23. All which things put together, render it more than probable, that there were then no settled Pastors in the Church of Corinth, which makes it necessary that the Affairs of their Church Assem­blies should be wholly managed by their Prophets, and Spiritual Persons.

It seemeth also highly probable, this was the case of other Churches, since the Apostle directing his Epistles to many of them, maketh no mention of any Church Governours a­mongst them, either in the beginning of them, as he doth in his Epistle to the Philippian [...], or in the Salutations at the close of them, as he doth in the Hebrews, saying, Salute all them who have the Rule over you, Chap. 13.24. For instance, there is no Direction of the Epistle writ to the Galatians to any Church Governours among them, no Salutation of them in the close of it, no charge against them for suffering those Great Disorders which had obtained in that Church, no Exhortation to them to take heed to their Ministry, or to oppose them­selves to the Deceivers then crept in among them; but there are plain Directions given to the Spiritual Men, or to the Prophets then among them, in these Words, Brethren, if any Man be overtaken with a Fault, ye that are Spiritual, i. e. who are endow'd with those Spiritual Gifts which enable you for Publick Ministrations in the Church, restore such a one in the Spirit of Meekness, Chap. 6.1. (See the Note there.) which makes it highly probable, that Church was managed not by stated Pastors, but by Prophets, and Spiritual Teachers of the Word.

Thus also seems it, to have been in the Church of Thessalonica. For, (First,) we find no notice taken of them in the front of the Epistles to them, no Salutation of them in the close; the Words of Salutation being only these, Salute all the Brethren, with an holy Kiss. (2dly,) We find no Directions given to them in particular, but only to the Brethren inge­neral, touching such Matters as must have related to their Office only, or chiefly, had they been settled Rulers in that Church. The Charge, 1 Thess. 5.14. runs thus: We exhort you Brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the Feeble-minded, support the Weak. And, 2 Thess. 2 6. thus, We command you Brethren, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw your selves from every Brother that walks disorderly, and not according to the Tra­dition which ye have received from us. And. ver. 13, 14. And ye Brethren, — if any Man obey not our Word by this Epistle, note that Man, and have no Company with him, that he may be ashamed; yet count him not as an Enemy, but admonish him as a Brother. And lastly, to these Brethren the Adjuration mention'd, Chap. 5.27, is directed, charging them by the Lord, that this Epistle be read to all the holy Brethren.

The same may be observed of the Epistle directed by the same Apostle to the Church of Rome; for 'tis directed in the General, To all that are in Rome, beloved of God, and Saints called; and among the numerous Salutations in the Close, we find not one directed to any stated Pastors of that Church; but this we find, that having finished his great Dispute con­cerning Justification, and the Rejection of the Jews, he exhorts them to be wise to Sobriety, as God had distributed to every one the measure of Faith, Chap. 12.3. and adds, Having there­fore Gifts differing according to the Grace given to us, whether it be Prophesie, let us Prophe­sie according to the Proportion of Faith, ver. 6. or Ministry, let us wait on our Ministry, or he that teacheth on Teaching. Now evident it is, that both the Prophets and Teachers in those Times, are reckoned as Men who exercised those Offices by a Spiritual Afflatus, and were enabled to perform them by the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit then vouchsafed to them; whence they are styled in the Words now cited [...], Spiritual Gifts. Hence therefore it is highly probable, these were the Men who then presided in their Assemblies, and exercised Sacred Offices in the Church of Rome. Now if these things were so, all Christian Churches at their first Conversion to Christianity, must have a sensibe and constant Demonstration of the Exercise of these Spiritual Gifts in their Assemblies, and so a certain Evi­dence of the Divine Presence with them, and of the Truth of the Profession they embraced.

This will be farther evident, if we consider what is ascribed to these Prophets, what De­monstrations they afforded, that they were truly acted by a Divine Afflatus.

In prosecution of this Head, I do acknowledge that Prophesie doth 1 Cor. 14. signifie, Expounding the Scriptures, for Exhortation, Edification and Comfort, but then it signifies the doing this by a Divine Afflatus; and when this Gift was exercised by Singing, or by Praising God, this was still done, as Holy Scripture doth inform us, [...], in Psalms, and Hymns, and Odes, composed by the immediate Impulse and Assistance of the Holy Ghost; for upon that account alone, could this be styled Praying, and Singing in the Holy Ghost, and mentioned as an instance of their Spiritual Gifts; and such a Manifesta­tion of the Spirit did attend them in this Exercise, as made it easie for others to discern that they were Prophets; for either with the Gift of Prophesie they had the Gift of Tongues, as in the first Effusion of the Holy Ghost, when they spake with other Tongues the wonderful things of God, Acts 2.11. and thereby shew'd the Spirit of Prophesie which [Page xlvii] God had promised by his Servant Joel, was fulfilled upon them, and on Cornelius and his Kinsmen, the first Gentile Converts; for by this were the Jews convinced, that God had shed on them also the Gift of the Holy Ghost, that they heard them speak with Tongues, and magnifie God, Act. 10.44, 45. Or, 2dly, They foretold things fu [...]ure and contingent, ac­cording to our Saviour's Promise, That the Spirit he would send, should shew them things to come, Joh. 16.13. Thus we find mention in the Sacred Story, of the Prophet Agabus, who foretold the Year before, that Dearth which hapned in the Reign of Claudius, Acts 11.27. that other Christians might be moved by this Prediction, to send then Charity to their Brethren where the Famine pinched them most, as it did in Judaea, faith Josephus; and of Timothy, chosen to be an Evangelist, according to the foregoing Prophesies concern­ing him; whence by the Antients this Gift was styled, [...], the Gift of Fore­ [...]ledge.

Moreover, in the Epistles of St. Paul, we find not only mention of Prophets settled in the Church, and of Prophesie reckoned among the Gifts of the good Spirit, but we find him comparing it with other Gifts; particularly, (First,) with that of Tongues, and pre­ferring it before that Gift, as being such a Gift as rended more to the Edification of the Church; For greater is he that Prophesieth, than he that speaketh with Tongues, saith the Apostle; for he that speaketh with Tongues edifieth himself only, but he that Prophesieth edi­fies the Church, 1 Cor. 14.2, 5. Hence he declareth his desire, that they should rather Pro­phesie, than speak with Tongues. (2dly,) He compares it with that of Charity, declaring in that case, that Charity excels it, because, tho' we have the Gift of Prophesie, and under­stand all Mysteries, and all Knowledge, yet if we have not Charity we are nothing, 1 Cor. 13.2. and because Prophesies shall cease, but Charity never ceaseth, ver. 8. Moreover, he gives Directions to Prophesie, to Prophesie, according to the proportion of Faith, Rom. 12.6. to Pro­phesie successively, or one by one, and let the other Prophets judge, 1 Cor. 14.29. and to hold their Peace when any thing is revealed to another Prophet, ver. 30. He also blames them for Prophesying all together, in a confused manner, and without Observation of due Order, and for suffering their Women to Prophesie in the Church, ver. 39. And yet after all these Directions, he exhorts them to covet Prophesie, and faith, quench not the Holy Spirit, despise not Prophesies, 1 Thess. 5.19, 20. Now these things give us an unquestionable Evidence, that this Gift was then plentifully conferr'd upon the Church of Christ; for could the Apo­stle talk with so great confidence in his Epistles directed to Christian Churches, of Prophets and a Gift of Prophesie vouchsafed to them, and settled in the Church by God? Could he speak so much of the Edification, which the Church received by those who had the Gift of Prophesie, and of the Revelations which they made by Virtue of it, and of the effect it had on Unbelievers, to force them to acknowledge, that God was present with the Church? Could he compare it with other Gifts then extant in the Church, and give it the Preeminence a­bove them, and with the grace of Charity, exalting that even above Tongues and Prophesie? Could he give Directions to the Prophets then among them, how to exercise this Gift, and chide them for abusing it? Could he say to them, covet and despise not Prophesies, and could he close those Sayings with these Words, If any Man be a Prophet, or Spiritual, let him acknowledge, that the things I write to you are the Commandments of God? 1 Cor. 14.37. I say, could he have written all these things in such Epistles as were embraced, as the Word of God, had it not been beyond Exception, that there was such a Gift of Prophe­sie vouchsafed to, and exercised in the Church of God.

Lastly, Of the continuance of this Gift of Prophesie, not only in the Age of the Apostles, but also in the Age succeeding, we have sufficient Evidence from the best Writers of the Christian Church. For,

First, Hermas, contemporary with St. Paul, speaks of this Gift as still remaining, and usually practised in the Church of Christ: For he professedly gives Rules, by which all Christians might distinguish betwixt true and false Prophets, those who were acted by an evil Spirit, and those who were acted by the Holy Ghost, saying, That he who had the earth­ly Spirit, came not into the Congregation of just Men; or if he came thither, (l. 2. c. 11.) obmutescit, nec quidquam potest loqui, He was presently struck dumb; and had no power to speak before them. But ^(s) when a Man comes, saith he, who hath the Spirit of God, into the Congregation of the Just, and prays to God, he is then filled with a Divine Afflatus, and speaketh as God will. Whence two things are evident:

(First;) That he supposeth there were then Men in the Church inspired with th [...] Spirit of Prophesie. (2dly,) That this prophetical Afflatus came upon them, and was exerted by them in the Assemblies of the Church.

Of the continuance of this Gift in the second Century, we have a signal Testimony of the Church of Smyrna, declaring, That Polycarp their Bishop, was [...], an Apostolical and Prophetical Teacher; for, say they,^(t) every Word he spake, hath been already fulfilled, and will be fulfilled.

Eusebius makes mention of^(u) Quadratus, as an Apostolical Man, and one of the first Order of their Successors, who was, saith he, [...], celebrated for his Prophetical Gift.

Justin Martyr speaks of himself, as a Disciple of the Apostles; and Methodius saith, He was not far from the Apostles; now he expresly saith to^(w) Trypho, [...], we have still Prophetical Gifts among us.

Irenaeus was also near to the Apostles times, saith Basil and St. Austin; and he not only declares, That some Christians had then^(x) [...], the Knowledge of things future, and Visions, and Prophetical Predictions, but confirms this from what he and others had then heard; for, saith he, St. Paul calls them perfect, who had received the Spirit, and by him spake with all Tongues; [...],^(y) as also we have heard many Bre­thren in the Church, who had Prophetical Gifts, and by the Spirit spake with all Tongues, and discovered the Secrets of Men, and expounded the Mysteries of God. Moreover, three things are in this Matter very remarkable.

First, That by this very Argument, the Christians of the second and third Century, en­deavoured to convince the Jews, that their Religion was to give place to Christianity, that God had left their Synagogues, and was now efficaciously present with those Churches who had embraced the Christian Faith, because that Gift of Prophesie which formerly had been peculiar to the Jewish Church, had now entirely left them, and was translated to the As­semblies of Christians, among whom they remained [...], to that present time, as hath been proved already by the Testimonies of Justin Martyr, in his Dialogue with^(z) Try­pho. Thus to Celsus, pleading in the Person of a Jew for that Religion against Christia­nity, Origen declares, That the Divinity of Christ had transferr'd his Providence from the Jews, to the Converted Gentiles; for, saith he, we may see them after the coming of our Lord, entirely deserted, and having nothing venerable that remains among them, they having now no Prophets, and no Miracles, ^(a) [...], of which some considerable Footsteps have so long remained among Chri­stians.

2dly, The Case of Montanus and his Followers, pretending to this Gift of Prophesie, hath in it many Circumstances, which plainly shew, this Gift did still continue in some measure in the Church. For,

(First,) Eusebius informs us, That when Montanus, Alcibiades, and Theodotus in Phry­gia, pretended to the Gift of Prophesie, ^(b) many believed they might be Prophets, be­cause many extraordinary Operations of the Divine Gift, were still performed in divers Churches.

(2dly,) They confute the Montanists pretence to this Gift, by the Falshoods which they utter'd; Maximilla, one of his Prophetesses, having declared, That after her, there should be no Prophets, but the consummation of all things; and because they left no Pro­phets to succeed them, whereas, say they,^(c) the Prophetick Gift is to continue in all Churches; which shews, it did continue then; for otherwise, this Objection must have been as strong against the Church of Christ, as against the Sect of the Montanists. And, Lastly, they confute them from their way of Prophesying, they speaking still in Ecstasies and strange Emotions of their Minds; Whereas, say they,^(d) the Prophets under the Old Testament, and ours under the New, Agabus, Judas, Silas, Quadratus, and many others, were never subject to such Ecstasies; whence they concluded, [...], that Prophets must not speak in Ecstasies.

Lastly, It farther is observable that some Hereticks denied the Gospel of St. John because he had so fully spoken of the promise which our Lord had made to his Disciples, that he would send the comforter to teach them all things, and shew them things to come. They reject­ed also the Epistles of St. Paul, because in his Epistle to the Corinthians, he had so fully spoken de propheticis charismatibus of the prophetical Gifts. Now these, saith^(y) Irenaeus, are unhappy Men who chuse themselves to be false Prophets, i. e. to speak in God's name, when they confess they are not taught of God, and who endeavour to repel the grace of Prophecy from the Church; which words suppose it was extant in the Church of God.

§. XXI. There is one other divine Gift which beareth some affinity to that of Prophecy, which therefore I shall briefly handle, viz. that of discerning Spirits. Now this imports not only the skill of discerning betwixt true and false Prophets which he that had seems by^(z) St. Clemens to be stiled [...], a wise Man in discerning words, or in distin­guishing betwixt the lying Wonders, and Magical Operations of evil Spirits, and the Powers of the Holy Ghost, which must be in some measure common to all Christians, they being all enjoyn­ed to try the Spirits whether they be of God, 1 Thess. 5.20. 1 Joh. 4.1. But chiefly it signi­fies the Power of discerning the inward Operations of the Soul, and of discovering the se­crets of Mens hearts. Thus of the Prophets of the Church of Corinth; every one, saith St. Paul, hath his Revelation: and again, if ye all prophesie, and there come into your assembly, one who is an unbeliever, or unlearned, he is convinced of all, [...] his Actions are discerned by all the Prophets, and thus are the secrets of his heart laid open, and so falling down upon his face, he will worship God, and declare that God is in you of a truth, 1 Cor. 14.26, 30. So Peter discerned the Heart of Ananias and Saphira, saying to Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lye to the Holy Ghost? and to Saphira, why have you agreed to tempt the Holy Ghost, Act. 5.3, 9. i. e. having joyn'd your selves to the Assembly of Christians, where you have had so great experience of the assistance of the Holy Spirit, to declare the secrets of Men, why, after such experience, have you dared to lye in the Assemblies of those Men in which the Holy Spirit thus resides, and thereby shew you doubt his power to reveal what you have fraudulently conceal'd. He also knew the Heart of Simon Magus, for to him he speaks thus, Act. 8.22, 23. I perceive thy heart is not right before God, but thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. 'Twas by this Gift that St. Paul at Lystra looking up­on a blind Man, saw that he had faith to be heal'd, Act. 14.9.^(a) Ignatius also speaks of the Spirit in him that did [...] reprove things secret, and^(b) Irenaeus, that the Bre­thren which had the spiritual Gift, did [...], discover the hid­den things of Men.

It was discovered in discerning Mens fitness, or qualifications for any Office in the Church; and accordingly in setting them apart for that Office. Thus the Holy Ghost, in the Prophets, said, seperate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Thus is the Holy Ghost said to have made the Bishops and Presbyters in Asia the overseers of the Churches there, Act. 20.28. Because, as^(c) Clemens Romanus saith, the Apostles constituted Bishops, and Deacons [...] approving of them by the Spirit. And^(d) Clemens of Al­exandria, that St. John ordained to be of the Clergy, [...], them who were signified to him by the Spirit. And^(e) Ignatius saith of the Bishops of his time, that they were constituted not by Men, but [...], by the council of Christ Jesus.

§. XXII. I proceed, lastly, to shew the reason we have to believe that these extraordinary Gifts were equally confer'd upon other Churches, as upon those which the Apostles mention in their Epistles. This we may gather,

1st, From these expressions of St. Paul to the Church of Corinth in which they were so plentifully exercised; for his Enquiry to them runs thus: What is it wherein you were inferior to other Churches? 2 Cor. 12.13. and his Assertion thus, In every thing you are enriched by him in all utterance, and in all knowledge, so that ye came behind the other Churches in no Gift, 1 Cor. 1.5, 7. which words plainly insinuate, that all other Churches were plentifully en­dowed with these Gifts.

2dly, This also may be gathered from the Reason of the thing: For the operations of the Holy Ghost are said to be designed for these ends; 1. The confirmation of the testimony, and the faith of Christ, 1 Cor. 1.6. and their establishment in Christ, 2 Cor. 1.21, 22. 2. The edification of the Body of Christ, 1 Cor. 12.7. Eph. 4.11, 12.3. To be a pledge and earnest of their adoption, and their future happiness, Rom. 8.23. 2 Cor. 1.22. Gal. 4.6, 7. Eph. [Page l] 1.13. 4. To be their comfort under Persecutions, Rom. 5.3, 5. 2 Cor. 1.7. 1 Pet. 4.14. Now these are ends as necessary for all, as for any Christian Churches, who must all equally need the confirmation of their Faith, the work of the ministry, the perfecting the Saints, and the edification of the Body of Christ, the Support and Comfort of the Spirit under Per­secutions, the pledge and earnest of their future Hopes.

3dly, This also may be gathered from that account which the Apostle giveth of spiritual Gifts, and spiritual Persons in the Church. The Gifts given for the edification of the Church in general are these, the word of Wisdom, and of Knowledge, the Gifts of healing, the work­ing of Miracles, Prophecy, diserning of Spirits, kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of them, 1 Cor. 12, 8, 9, 10. The Persons exercising them are mentioned thus; God hath set some in the Church, first Apostles, secondarily Prophets, thirdly Teachers, after that Miracles, then the Gifts of healing, &c. v. 28. And in the Epistle to the Ephesians thus, He gave some Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, some Pastors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying the Body of Christ, Eph. 4.11, 12. Which places evidently shew that these were Gifts designed for the benefit of all the Churches of Christ in general, and exercised by these Persons as they went about to plant, or to comfirm the Churches, the Power of Miracles, and the Gift of healing, being also exercised by them in Confirmation of that Faith they preached according to out Saviour's promise. So that some Gifts seem for some time constantly exercised by the Members of each Church in their As­semblies, and others by those Persons who preached the Gospel first among them, or travel'd to confirm the Churches, and so all had experience more, or less, of these spiritual Operati­ons done among them.

Lastly, From the consideration of that Baptism which they all generally received; for as the promise ran to the Jews in general, that they should be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Matth. 3.11. to every one that would believe, and be baptized, that they should recieve the Holy Ghost, Act. 2.38. and that because the promise was to them, and to their Children [...], and to all that were afar off, even as many as the Lord should call; so was this promise signally fulfilled to the Belivers of the Jewish Nation, who being enlightned, [...], that is, baptized they also tasted of the spiritual Gift, and were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost, and of the powers of the World to come, Hebr. 6.4, 5. See the Note there: and great Grace was upon them all, Act. 4.33. To the Believers in Samaria, for when the Apostles, Peter and John, laid their hands upon them, they received the holy Ghost, Acts 8.17. To the Converts of the Gentiles; for by one Spirit they were all baptized into one Body, 1 Cor. 12, 13. and after they believed, they were all sealed with the spirit of promise, Eph. 1.13. they being saved, by the washing of Regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, which was shed on them abundantly through Jesus Christ, Tit. 3.5, 6. All Christians therefore being made Members of Christ's Body by Baptism, all Christian Churches, and Bodies must have these powerful Gifts confer'd upon, and exercised by some of the Members of those Churches to the edification of the rest.

Accordingly it is declared by Justin M. of them who were converted to the Christian Faith, that being ^(a) baptized in the name of Christ they received, some the Spirit of Knowledge, some of Counsel, some of Fortitude, some of Healing, some of Fore-knowledge, some of Doctrine.

§. XXIII. To conclude, the Primitive Professors, and Martyrs for the Christian Faith, afford us a full Testimony of the continuance of these Gifts and Operations of the Holy Ghost in the next Ages of the Church.^(b) Clemens Romanus, in his Epistle to the Church of Corinth, saith, There was [...] a full effusion of the Holy Spi­rit up [...]n them all. ^(c) Ignatius saith of the Church of Smyrna, that she was [...], favoured with all Gifts, and was deficient in none. ^(d) Justin saith, that even their Men and Women had the Gifts of the Holy Ghost. Eusebius, having mention'd the first Order of the Successors of the Apostles, he saith, that^(e) even then they performed many [...]drous works by the Holy Ghost. 'Tis needless, saith^(f) Irenaeus, to insist upon Particu­lars, for the miraculous Gifts which the Church throughout the World enjoys, and the benefi­cial Miracles she worketh for the good of Heathens, are innumerable. This he saith after he had enumerated among the Gifts then given to Believers the casting out of Devils, Prophecy, [Page li] the knowledge of things future, the healing the sick, and the raising the dead. And when Montanus appeared there was not only in the Church the Gift of Prophecy, but in divers Churches^(g) many other strange Works perform'd by the divine Gift.

Here then we find, by all these early Testimonies, That in the two first Centuries many Gifts of the Holy Ghost were still continued in all Churches, that every one at their Baptism received some or other of them. These also are Relations not of things past, or of things done in a corner, but of things commonly performed in the face of the Assemblies, and so confirmed by the joint Testimonies of all Christian Churches; they were Miracles which their own Eyes had seen, Tongues and Prophetick Gifts which their own Ears had heard; Gifts which they used against the Jews and Hereticks for their Conviction; and beneficial Miracles so truly wrought upon the Heathen, that they were efficacious to engage them to espouse, and persevere to the end, in the Profession of the Christian Faith. This therefore is, saith^(h) Origen, [...], the proper demonstration of our Jesus, no other Pretender to the Power of doing Signs or Wonders, having ever derived that Power from himself to others, or engaged that Believers should so generally receive it, none ever pre­tending to enable their Followers to speak with Tongues, discover the Secrets of Mens Hearts, or confer all, or any of these Gifts upon their Proselites. It also must be owned as a most convincing Demonstration of the Truth, and the divine Original of that Faith which ministred these Gifts so plentifully to its Professors.

§. XXIV. And oh that all who by this Demonstration of the Spirit are convinced of the Truth of Christian Faith, would seriously consider how much it doth concern them, in point of Interest and Wisdom, to yield Obedience to all the Precepts of that Faith! For, if the Gentiles were given up to vile affections, and a reprobate mind, Rom. 1.24, 26. only for Sins committed against the dim and the imperfect Light of Nature; if the Jews received a just recompence for every Transgression of the Law delivered by Moses to them; how shall we escape if we neglect this great Salvation, which at the first was spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed by them that heard him, God bearing witness to it by divers signs and wonders, and distributions of the Holy Ghost? Hebr. 2.3, 4. And to this end, consider,

1st, That by our Disobedience to the Christian Precepts we contradict the great Design of all these Demonstrations of the Holy Spirit, they being all intended, saith St. Paul, to make the Gentiles obedient in word and deed, Rom. 15.18.

2dly, That all our Certainty of Christian Faith doth highly aggravate the Guilt of our Transgression of the Christian Precepts: for the stronger is the Motive to believe, the greater is the Guilt of Disobedience, because such Motives may be easily discerned, and so our Ignorance of them must be less excusable; and we cannot resist their Evidence, but we must offer violence to the Convictions of our Consciences, and so we have no cloak for our Sin.

3dly, That though we own the Christian Faith, and our Lord Jesus; yet whilst we live in Disobedience to his Precepts, God looks upon us as meer Infidels, such as in words profess to know him, but in works deny him, being disobedient, Titus 1.16. Our faith at least must be ir­rational and absurd, for why call ye me Lord, Lord, saith Christ, and do not the things that I say? Luke 6.46. And 'twill be as unprofitable, as it is irrational; for though we know these things, we only can be happy if we do them, John 13.17.

To conclude all, Our Convictions of the Truth of Christian Faith, add strength to those engagements and encouragements which that Religion offers towards a Virtuous and Holy Life; for if all that is delivered in these sacred Records be the revealed Will of God, then all the promises and comfortable Passages contained in them, will be assuredly made good to all obedient Christians, and the assurance of such inestimable blessings as the Gospel promiseth, must lay upon us strong engagements to be stedfast and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, as knowing that our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord.