THat the being of the Christian Religion depends much up­on the Credit and Autho­rity of that Book we call the BIBLE, there needs little to be said to prove it. The instance were as hard to find, as 'tis unreasonable in it self to sup­pose, that any man should, at the same time, reject the Bible as Fictitious, and yet embrace the Christian Religion as True. For it must either be granted there are No Laws any where extant that do formally constitute this Reli­gion (which is absurd to suppose of any Re­ligion) [Page 2]or they must needs be admitted here No man can be a Jew, and renounce the Ol [...] Testament, nor he a Mahumetan that disclaim [...] the Alchoran. Because, to deny the Au­thority of those Books, is, visibly to rase the great foundation of all profession and practice in those two Religions. Although the fact of Christs being in the World, and many other things relating to the Christian Religi­on, be attested to by other writings; yet the Scriptures are the onely means by which we come to a sufficient knowledge of a Religion established upon that foundation, and which alone, contain the Laws and Constitutions of such Religion. No considerable attempt has been, at any time made, to set the Chri­stian Religion upon any other Bottom then the Bible, to promulge any other edition of Christian Laws, to write any Counter-Story of Christ and the Apostles; or is there extant in the World any different account of their Doctrines, from whence might be deduced a Contrary or other systeme of the Christian Profession from what is recorded in this Book?

Nor is it reasonable to believe there can be any foundation lay'd, whereon to erect Christianity, where the Bible is excluded. For, whatsoever has otherwise then by the [Page 3] Bible, by writing or tradition, descended down to the World, touching the Christian Religion, has been either by its Friends, or its Enemies. For the Latter, no mention is made in any Heathen Writer, of any Christi­an Laws, nor indeed of any considerable mat­ter at all relating to the Christian Religion, farther then what we find in the Bible it self: And so amounts to no more then a Cumula­tive help to its Credibility. And 'tis evi­dent, those of the Heathen who have, at any time, opposed the Christian Profession, and disputed most against it, have opposed it as contained there. That Book being granted, on all hands, to comprise its Doctrine, and to be the stated rule of that Religion. For the former, whatever has been, by the writ­ings or Traditions of such who embraced the Christian Religion, and gave their Assent to it, conveyed down to us, can never induce any other Rule of that Religion then the Bible. For, besides that all such Collateral traditions are, in their own nature, relative to the Bible, dependant upon it, and such as must necessarily stand and fall together with it; they have also come from the hands of those who have themselves Universally pro­claimed the Bible in all Ages, to be the great and infallible Rule of the Christian Religion. [Page 4]So that if Christian-tradition be credited the Authority of the Bible is thereby esta­blished. And if it be dis-believed in tha [...] there can be then no good reason to receiv [...] any other matter touching the Christian Re­ligion upon the credit of that conveyance▪ To retain therefore the name of a Christian and yet disown the Bible, is to become a per­fect Problem. No such man can produce an [...] Laws or Rules of his Religion, nor give an [...] account wherein they are contained, or b [...] whom or by what Church (with an exclusi­on of the Bible) they have been at any tim [...] Received.

Nor can any man rationally make a Partia [...] rejection of the Bible, and retain a Christian Profession from thence, in a Limited sens [...] of his own. For a man to say, he receive the Bible, as he receives other credible writ­ings, as a book generally True, and written by men that meant honestly and well, but be­lieves it not written with an Infallible Spirit nor to carry a Divine Authority along with it, nor submits to it as such, is to say a thing ex­treamly incongruous to all good sense, and to indulge himself in a perfect Absurdity. For, the Bible comes to us with a claim o [...] God's Authority attending it, speaks to us in his Name, is a Book that disowns all humane [Page 5]contrivement, proposeth it self as written by Divine Inspiration, and Immediate Direction from God, admits of no Composition for its Reception. In such a case, there can be no Middle-way, but either we must receive this Book and submit to it as such, or else reject it with the justest contempt imaginable. It is in nothing to be credited, if it be not in Truth what it pretends to be. For there can­not be a more vile and pernitious falshood im­posed upon the world, then to counterfeit a Divine Law, and to pretend that to come from Heaven, and to be sent us from God, which is nothing but the product of Men. Whoever will admit these premisses that the Scriptures were not written, in every part of them, by the infallible direction of the Holy Ghost, when they themselves tell us that they were so, must needs descend to this conclusi­on, that they then contain the most impu­dent falshood, and were composed by the worst designers against mankind.

The Christian Religion and the Scriptures being so related, and standing in so near a con­junction as they do: The being of the one having so necessary a dependance upon the Truth and Authority of the other, 'Twill be easily granted to be the great concern of the Christian Church in all ages to assert their Di­vine [Page 6]Authority, and to justify that Book to be written by men that were indeed [...] Divinely inspired, and to be sent us from God as that supreme Law by which he would in­form, Rule, and Judge the World.

He that undertakes this Province, and de­signs to himself such a service, is obliged, First, To consider with whom he is like to en­counter! And to proportion his defence to those various assaults the Scripture are usually exposed to. This being admitted (which it ought to be) that no man can, with any good Reason, close with the Christian Religion, and at the same time Renounce the Bible. That Maxime of St. Austin being undenia­ble, that Contra Scripturas nemo Christianus. There are but three sorts of men by whom the Scriptures can, at any time, be generally Attact, and from whose principles their sa­cred Authority can receive an Universal In­vasion. First, Such who wholly deny the being of God (and consequently of all Re­ligion, for God and Religion are Relatives) such who wallow in the mire of an Atheisti­cal profession. Secondly, Such who admit the Being of God, and a supreme and first cause, but deny his providence, and believe he is no way concer'd about the World, nor troubles himself to exercise any Rule or Do­minion [Page 7]at all over it. Thirdly, Such who admit the Being of God, and the existence of Religion, and providence, but reject the Christian Religion, as not True, and em­brace some other in opposition to it.

Of those first-born Monsters of Mankind, that Anomalous off-spring who deny the Being of God, whose principles contain in them the utmost dreggs of all humane Apostacy, and are of all others, the most wild and absurd, for, as Cicero sayes, Deos esse, ita perspicuum est, ut is qui negat, vix eum sanae mentis ex­istimem. The Being of the Gods is so evi­dent, that no man can be thought well in his wits that denies it. A previous consideration is necessary to whatever is said upon this or any other Divine subject; and therefore I have already contested with such, and di­spatcht all my concernes with them, in order to this matter, and the last converse I mean to have with that evil generation, of whom it may most truely be said, They are not only the avowed opposers of all Religion, but in­deed they are Hostes Humani generis, The com­mon enemies of all mankind: Who, by de­nying a Supreme Being above, demolish the great support of all well-being here below. Of this belief they were heretofore at Athens, in those primitive times of Atheism and first [Page 8]dawnings of [...]speculative Irreligion upon the World; and therefore Cotta tells us, in Cice­ro, that when Protagoras began his Books with this Introduction to Atheism, De Diis neque ut sint, neque ut non sint, habeo dicere, Atheniensum jussu Urbe at (que) Agro est extermi­natus, Libri (que) ejus in concione combusti. And he adds, Ex quo equidem existimo tardiores ad hanc sententiam profitendam multos esse factos, quippe cum poenam ne dubitatio quidem effugere potuisset.

For those secundary Enemies to the Bible, and together with that of all Religion, such who admit the Being of God, but deny all Providence, and Divine Rule over the World; such who out of shame, disown the grand principle of Atheism, but yet, by this Method, secure all the effects of it to them­selves. Of those a preliminary considerati­on on ought to be had. A previous confutation of such principles, being of absolute necessi­ty to make way for the discourse in hand. For it must needs be a vain and impracticable pro­ject to indeavour to prove any Book to be Di­vine, and a Law given forth from God, if there be no such Law any where in Being; which we are sure there never can be, if God no way concernes himself with what men do, nor exercises any Dominion at all over them? [Page 9]'Tis plain, such principles do, uno ictu, di­spatch all Religion out of the World, put a perfect period to all Divinity, and render it a thing very absurd, to submit either in our be­lief or practice to any thing as Divine. To this purpose Cicero concludes in his first Book De nat. Deor. Sin autem Dii (says he) neque possunt nos juvare, nec volunt, nec curant om­nino, nec quid agamus animadvertunt, nec est quod ab his ad hominum vitam permanare possit, Quid est quod ullos Diis immortalibus Cultus, Honores, Praeces, adhibeamus? If the Gods be no way concern'd about us, to what end should we worship or serve them? And Cotta in the same book tells Velleius, That Epicu­rus, by making God careless of the affairs of men, Sustulerit omnem funditus Religionem: Has utterly subverted all Religion. Quid est enim cur Deos ab hominibus colendos dicas, cum Dii non modo hominibus non consulant, sed om­nino nihil curent, nihil agant? The same Ju­stin Martyr observed in the beginning of his Dialogue with Tryphon, speaking to him of the opinion of those Philosophers who deny­ed the Doctrine of Providence. Says he, Hoc vero ad quem illi referant finem intelligere disicile non est; Nam hoc efficit securitas atque libertas loquendi, & eos qui haec docent sectandi, & quod volunt agendi, & dicendi impunitas. [Page 10]Neque paenam aliam metuens, neque bonum quod­que sperans a Deo.

That men by a denyal of Providence, do only publish another Edition of Atheism is evident enough. 'Tis in it self equally de­structive to all Virtue and Religion, and lies in no less opposition to all true reasoning, to say the highest Being no way concerns him­self with what men do here below, as to say there is no such Being at all. That there is such a being, and that this Being is a punisher of evil doers, and a Rewarder of them that do well, is the great Topick from whence all Re­ligion, and all good Manners are derived. If God regard not what Men do, they are no more obliged in their actions then if there were no God at all: And 'tis not more unrea­sonable to deny that God Is, then to admit him to be, and then deny those things that must necessarily belong to such an Ex­istence.

That the fixed belief of Gods Rule over the world accompanied the notion of his Be­ing, amongst the best and wisest of the Heathen, will appear obvious, if we consult the writings of Seneca, Plutarch, Epictetus, Simplitius, and many others of them. Balbus in Tully thus begins his Speech. Omnino dividunt nostri totam istam de Diis immortalibus questio­nem, [Page 11]in partes quatour. Primum docent esse Deos, deinde quales sint, tum Mundum ab his Administrari, postremo eos consulere rebus hu­manis. Those of our opinion always divide the question about the Gods into four parts; First, we teach that the Gods are: Then how they exist! Then, that the World is go­verned by them: And lastly, that they take the care of humane affairs. And Tully in his second Book de Legib. tells us, Persuasum hoc sit a principio hominibus Dominos esse om­nium rerum ac moderatores Deos, ea (que) quae geran­tur eorum geriditione atque numine. Men have believed this from the beginning that the Gods governed the World, and that all things were under their Dominion and Rule. Epi­curus, who first assaulted the Doctrine of Providence, and by a denyal of that found a way to transform the notion of God, so far as it concerns men, into a meer nullity, would needs suppose it a thing below the greatness of God to take any notice of humane affairs, or concern himself with what men did here. And therefore Cotta tells Velleius in Cicero, speaking of him, In illis selectis ejus brevibus (que) sententiis quas appellatis, [...] hac ut opinor prior sententia est, Quod Beatum & Im­mortale est, id nee babet nec exhibet cuiquam ne­gotium. This was one of his chi-fest Apho­risms, [Page 12]that the Blessed and Immortal Being had no imployment himself, nor occasioned any trouble to others, which appeared a thing so absurd in it self, and so Heterodox to all true Philosophy, that the best Moralists sharply rebuked his folly, thought this opini­on of his to be Turpis & indigna, base and un­worthy, and refused him the Honour to be stiled a Philosopher, who would be so unwor­thy to suppose that sloth and stupidity in the Deity, which every worthy and good man thought beneath himself. Aristotle (though no very good Divine, nor very Orthodox asserter of Providence, yet) so loathed this absurd fiction of Epicurus, and a total denial of Providence, that he speaks of it with this keen reflection: sayes he, Diversity of que­stions requires diversity of answers; Some ask whether Fire be hot! These must be an­swered by being made to touch it. Some ask whether their Parents are to be honoured! These are not to be discoursed with but rebu­ked. Others ask whether there be any Provi­dence that Rules the world, and refuse to be­lieve it without apparent demonstrations! Such men (sayes he) should be answered by a Whip, rather than by a Philosopher.

How extreme unreasonable the denial of Providence and Gods universal Rule over the [Page 13]world is, how unsuitable and opposite to those conceptions of him our own Reasons dictate to us! will soon appear, if we view over those fond speculations men have pleased them­selves with about this matter.

Some have confined providence to the Heavens, and limited it to what is above us. Will needs Imagine that God regards nothing beyond the Sphere of the Heavens, and that his Dominion reacheth no farther then the Heavenly Bodies; those they acknowledge, are under a Divine disposure. God settles (they grant) the Stars in their courses, and orders all the [...] Coelestial Bodies; but has no concern at all for any thing here below, nor regards what happens on this side the Clouds. This folly is sufficiently confuted, when we consider how evident it is that the Motions and Influences of the Heavens are all design­ed for the use and benefit of Mankind, and the good of all sublunary things, and are still guid­ed with a constant and suitable tendency therunto. Now, how unreasonable is it to suppose, That God should provide and dispose means in order to an end, and yet have no re­gard to the end it self! That God should go­vern the Heavens in order to the good of this lower world, and yet be no way at all concer­ned about it! And that man (for whose sake [Page 14]chiefly all things above, as well as below appear to be made and disposed) should be less re­garded then those things made subservient to his use!

Others have Imagined that Providence is exercised about Universals, but not about Sin­gulars; that God takes care of Generals, but nor of particulars. This Justin Mart. in his discourse with Tryphon, tells him, was the opinion of some Philosophers in Graece. Saith he, Illi etiam nobis persuadere moliuntur Uni­versitatis quidem hujus ac generum specierum (que) ipsarum curam gerere Deum, mei autem, atque tui & unius cujus (que) singillatim non itidem. They will needs perswade us that God hath a gene­ral care of the whole, but not a distinct care of you, and I, and of every particular part. The vanity of which will soon appear, if we consent to this undeniable truth, that all ge­nerals result out of particulars, and consist of them. The Species of Mankind subsists in the Individuals and Particulars, comprehend­ed under it: And therefore God cannot be said to take care of Mankind, nor his Provi­dence to extend to it in general, unless it do so in particulars, and his care reach to every Individual man. Abstract the Genus of any sort of Creatures from the Species and parti­culars, of which it necessarily consists, and 'tis [Page 15]nothing. When we place Providence so up­on Generals, as to abstract it from particulars, we make it a nullity; nor can there be Provi­dence exercised over Generals, without a di­stinst care of particulars; because those gene­rals do necessarily include each particular. This is excellently proved by Plato in his dis­course de Legib. That the whole of nothing can subsist, without a distinct care of all the particular parts, and therefore infers; 'tis no way fit to be credited, [...], that God who is so wise and excellent a Be­ing, should neglect to precide over any part of the World, and not take an universal care of the whole; and Cicero in his first Book de Divinatione, upon the same ground concludes thus, Deorum Providentia Mundus administra­tur, ijdemque consulunt rebus Humanis, neque solum universis, verum etiam singulis. The Gods govern the world, and take care of hu­mane affairs, and not only of universals, but also of singulars.

A third sort there have been, that will have Divine Providence reach no farther then Men that say, 'tis conversant, circa Homi­nes, non circa Bestias, that God descends not [Page 16]to the care of other Creatures beneath man, nor busies himself with those inferiour parts of the world. This Doctrine seems to have been first set on foot by some of the Jews, from whom 'tis probable Pythagoras learnt it, and became the teacher of it in Graece; for so we find it in Hierocles. And it has been too much countenanced since by St. Jerome, in in his Exposition of the Prophesie of Ha­bakkuk.

That God by his Providence, after a vari­ous manner, Rules over the several parts of the world, and guids and disposes them accor­ding to the Nature of their Beings, and that proper end to which he first designed them, is not to be denied. But that any parts of the world (those beings beneath the nature of Man) are not under the conduct of Providence, is a position evidently untrue; for if we consider Providence as it relates to preservation, the intire Fabrick of the world, in the whole of it, cannot be continued without a preservati­on of every part. If we consider Providence as it relates to Rule and Dominion, there can be nothing more plain, then that all Irrational Creatures are so under the Sovereignty and Dominion of Providence; because they are all guided in whatsoever they do to some par­ticular end, and all in general to one common [Page 17]End. Now to move or act towards some end, is the peculiar property of an intelligent Being. And therefore when we see Crea­tures void of Intelligence, constantly and re­gularly moving and acting toward some end, and all to a common end: 'Tis plain they are guided by some superiour Intelligence that has a supreme conduct of their Being; which can be no other then that we call God in his Pro­vidence.

But the grand and total subverter of the Doctrine of Providence is Epicurus, with Lu­cretius, Pliny, and others that have in this point embraced his sentiments. They whol­ly deny all Providence whatsoever: Suppose it a thing beneath the supreme Being to take any notice of humane affairs; Imagine the world wholy left to it self, and that God is retired above, having not the least imploy­ment himself, nor at all regarding what others do.

To what just contempt, and to how pal­pable a confutation Epicurus and his followers, and all deniers of Providence, expose themselves by the vanity and folly of such an opinion, will, with great ease, be made to appear to every impartial understanding. If God exercise no Dominion over the world, nor take any care of its preservation, if there [Page 18]be no such thing as Providence in either kind, it must either be because he cannot, or be­cause he will not. To say the first, is to de­ny what men say before, when they admit (which the Epicureans do) the existence of an Infinite Being. 'Tis a gross contradiction to say God cannot rule the world, and yet to say he is Infinite. (And 'tis plain, Infiniteness is inseperably annexed to his Being) If there be such a being that was before all, and infi­nitely above all, there can be no reasonable doubt of his power and ability, to rule and command all, and where ever his making and first framing of all is acknowledged there can­not be any; for there can be no subjection in it self so natural and so necessary as in what is made, to him that made it; nor any Domini­on so absolute or so certain as in the first fra­mer of all things. To say that God cannot Rule the world, is, in effect, to say, there is no God that made the world: for the admission of the one, naturally infers the possibility of the other. 'Tis much easier to suppose Gods Dominion over it now, then his Creation of it at first; and he that denyes a possibility of the former, can upon no good ground sup­pose the latter. Secondly, to say that God will not, that is, though he could Rule and order the world, yet out of choise he refuseth do it, [Page 19]and hath designedly withdrawn him self from all the concerns of it, is an affirmation highly unreasonable; and that upon many accounts.

First, This is plainly to suppose (if we admit Creation) that God made the world to no purpose at all, beyond its bare existence, and without any designed end to himself by it, future to its simple Being: for Providence is nothing but the preserving and guiding of all things existing, to a common end. 'Tis to suppose a world capable of many noble and excellent ends, when made, without propo­sing any end at all to himself by it. The meanest Composers in the smallest matters are never guilty of such an absurdity! 'Twere strange to Imagine the highest Wisdom, and the perfection of it should (in that act of mak­ing the World) fall beneath the exercise of every common discretion. No man attempts any thing without a prospect of some end: If God have layed by all thoughts of the world, and concerns himself no more about it then as if no such thing as the World were at all in being (which by the Epicurean Doctrine he does) What end can we conceive God to have in the first making of it? Nay, 'tis not only unreasonable to suppose that God infinite­ly wise, should make the World without pro­posing any end, but without proposing the [Page 20]highest and utmost end to himself the World is capable of. If any man say, that God in making the World, had no other end but the making of it, and that the bare act of making it was his end; he sayes that which is extream­ly absurd, and that upon these two Grounds. First, The bare act of Gods making the World could never be his end; because the World it self, when made, barely considered, only as made, and in his simple existence could not be his end; and if so, then the act of making it could not be his end, because all the rational End of making must lie in the Thing made. Whoever makes, without respect to the thing made by him, makes without respect to the true End of making, which cannot be sup­posed of the workmanship of God. Now; that the simple being of the World (abstract­edly considered from all use and exercise of it) could not be Gods only end when he first made it, is evident from hence, that no be­ing, quà a being, can be Gods ultimate end but his own being. All other created beings contain Gods end in their existency, as they relate in that existency to a dependance upon him, a subserviency and subjection to him: Not simply as they are beings, seperately con­sidered from the dependency and use of their beings. And therefore, in the denial of Pro­vidence, [Page 21]and Gods being any way concern'd in humane affairs, the Epicuraeans will be for­ded to confess God made the World without proposing any End at all to himself by it, un­less it were its bare existence, which seperate from a subordination to him, and a dependance upon him (all which purely relate to the no­tion of Providence) is impossible to be his end in any being but his own. Secondly, all such as say God had no end in making the World but the making of it, must needs upon their own supposition acknowledge, that end ceas­ed when the World was once made. And then we must Imagine, God, by his Wisdom and Power to frame such a structure as this world is, and yet design it to no use nor end at all, when it should be existing, and that so great variety of such excellent beings, capable of such noble Ends, should be made by him, with such a capacity, without any farther determi­nation or future design about them; and that God has continued this World, or at least suf­fered it to continue, ever since it was first ex­isting, without any regard at all to it, or any end designed to himself by it, all which is most ri­diculous to conceive, that infinite Wisdom and power should stand by, and have no share at all in such an affair as the continual revolu­tion of this World.

Secondly, By saying that God refuseth either to govern or care for the World, that (being blessed and happy in himself) he looks no farther than the enjoyment of his own bles­sedness within himself; we deny the ne­cessary effects and emanations of that good­ness which we must needs ascribe to him. 'Tis a true and a general Axiome of all subordinate good (and much more of the highest good) Bonum est sui Diffusivum, that's comprehend­ed in its Definition. Who can believe that infinite goodness should not delight in com­municating good? and should deny to care for others? This principle lies secured in eve­ry worthy Breast here below, and shall we shut it out of Heaven? shall we believe God to be of a contrary Nature to what we our selves think best? that were highly to divorce our selves from the notion of him as our Creator; can any man reasonably believe it consisting with Gods goodness to make a World that he knew would be subject to so much trouble and sorrow as this is, and resolve to be no way concern'd about it? What impotency and want does this World give us a prospect of! or whether does it naturally tend for sup­ply, but to infinite goodness? T'were a most high indignity offered to the Divine bounty to suppose God so to withdraw himself; and [Page 23]'tis no less a wrong done to mankind, to exclude them from the Rule and protection of such a being as that we ascribe to God, where­in they must needs be most happy and best secured. 'Tis to forbid the most necessary actings of the supreme being, and deny to our selves the greatest comfort of our own beings. VVe see in all things created a na­tural care to preserve their off-spring, and a constant oversight of what Nature has charg'd them withall; And from whence should this excellent genius, both in rational and irration­al creatures, be derived, but from the first framer and composer of all things? And can we suppose less in Him then he hath given to us? Can we, with any good reason, put that upon God which would be the greatest re­proch to our selves? VVhich is, not to take care of what belongs to us, and what we are but the Secondary Authors of? VVhen we see every Creature, by the Law of its being, obliged to the care of its proper and peculiar part, 'twere a most unworthy and unnatural conception to think the great God did not take care of the whole.

Thirdly, In denying Providence, we de­ny the necessary effects of the highest Justice: nay, of any Justice. Indeed, we charge per­fect Justice with the greatest Injustice. Were [Page 24]it not so, if God should refuse to punnish the vile practices of men toward himself and toward each other? To suffer them to blas­pheme Him in Heaven, and to commit all outrages upon Earth, and take no notice at all of it? When, by the infinity of his knowledge, he cannot be ignorant of it, and by the infinity of his power, he cannot be unable to punish it? And were it not high In­justice, should we suppose no reward for the Righteous, nor regard of them? Nor any recompence for all the Virtuous Religious actions we see performed amongst Mankind? Who is able so unworthily to conceive of God? What madness is it to acknowledge the perfection of all those excellent Attri­butes we can conceive off to be in God, and yet suppose an exercise of them beneath what we find amongst Men! To deny that to Him which we dayly experience and applaud in e­very virtuous and good Man! What good Man, in Authority, would refuse to punish an offender, or reward a Worthy action? And yet, if we believe Epicurus, we must imagine God to sit still in Heaven, and take no notice at all either of that Good or Evil which is dayly practiced amongst Mankind. This Doctrine of Epicurus does, in trueth, transform the notion of God into a meer Idol. [Page 25]'Tis in effect to say God has eyes, but sees not: He has Hands, but works not: He is in Heaven, able to do what he will, but his will is to do just nothing. God, as he is the Supreme Maker of all, so he is thereby ne­cessarily the Supreme Lord and Ruler over all. The right of Supreme Magistracy is inseper­able to his being, as containing the highest Power and Authority both Legislative and Executive. All Dominion, whether Natu­ral or Political, is derived from him as the Head of it, and He himself is the Supreme Magistrate over the whole, and can no other­wise stand related to the World. We can no other way rightly conceive of Gods Power and Authority but as Magistratical, nor look upon him in any other notion then as our chief and supreme Ruler; and so are to take no measure of His proceedings from the actings of private persons, but are to suppose God so to deal with the World as the supreme dispen­ser of Justice, and placed in the highest Seat of Magistratical Authority. And if this be true (as most demonstrably 'tis so) how con­trary is Epicurus his Doctrine to a right ap­prehension of God! and how inconsistent with it! How inseperably is providence an­nexed to all true Conceptions of him! And what a poor account does Epicurus give us of [Page 26]God without it? What a Magistrate does he render the most supreme Magistrate? One that neither relieves the oppressed, punishes the guilty, rewards the well-doer, nor indeed takes any notice of what his Subjects either do or say. 'Tis in short, impossible to sepa­rate supreme Magistracy from God; His be­ing supposeth it; 'tis evidently proved virtu­ally and essentially to belong to him, from an induction of all particulars relative to it. And if so, 'tis extreamly unreasonable not to suppose from his hand, the most compleat and perfect exercise of all Magistratical Au­thority that we are any way able to conceive of.

Fourthly, To suppose that God declines the exercise of all Empire and Rule over the world, is to suppose him to decline the most essential property of his own being, and the noblest exercise of any being. First, the most essential property of his own being. 'Tis as essential to God to Rule as to Be. Gods existence, we say, is a necessary ex­istence; He cannot but be; which implies a necessary superiority. That which cannot but, be, cannot but be above all. For, what­ever has a power superior to it, has a possibili­ty not to be. And that which cannot but be above all, cannot but Rule over all. Because, [Page 27]the very being of superiority lies in the exer­cise of Dominion, and cannot be upheld with­out it. To fancy the existence of infinite Power without exercise, is to frame an Idol in in our own imaginations, and to fancy what is in it self impossible to be. Infinite Power to Rule, implies infinite Actual Rule. We can never separate between infinite Power and infinite Dominion. The being of the one necessarily implies the other. Whatever is in God is actually in him. God has not only virtually an infinite power, but an infinite power in Act. Infinite power must needs be in continual Act, and cannot be otherwise, because Infinite. And therefore all things must needs be in subjection to it. VVe are so to conceive of all Gods Attributes as things not only in Potentia, but in Facto esse. Gods infinite VVisdom is not onely an ability to be wise, but an infinite Act and Exertion of wis­dome. So his infinite knowledg is not only an infinite capacity of knowing, and ability to know, but an infinite actual knowledge of all things, excluding an ignorance of anything. 'Twere to annex imperfection to Gods Attri­butes to say, they are not in exercise; Power, in its exercise, implies Dominion. 'Tis from defect where 'tis not so exerted. And there­fore, from infinite Power in which there can be [Page 28]no defect, must needs arise infinite Dominion. 'Twas a childish conceit of Epicurus to think that infinite Power could be set by, and not be in continual operation, or that any thing could move, act, or exist, without a necessary sub­jection to infinite Power. Should the world rule it self, and be under no subjection, Gods Power would cease to be, what it can never but be, which is, infinite in its Supremacy. Should any one thing be done in the VVorld and not come under the exercise of Gods su­preme and Sovereign Rule, his Power would cease to be Infinite, because not actually above all: VVhich it can never be unless it actually Rule over all.

Besides, Were it a supposition capable of admission, or such a thing as could pretend to a possibility, that infinite power could be set by, and exist without exercise, who could em­brace so gross an absurdity as to believe that God should thus determine with himself, that the best use that could be made of infinite Power, were, to make no use at all of it! And so, having at first made the World by his wisdome and Power, should leave it per­fectly to its own Chanceable revolutions, with­out any farther effect or communication of either.

Secondly, We suppose God (in declining the Rule of the World) to decline the no­blest exercise of any being. VVe can think of nothing more excellent then Rule and Do­minion to imploy the largest mind, and dis­pense the compleatest virtues. And is it rea­sonable to divest the highest Power of it? To have Power, and to use it for the good of o­thers, is that we most applaud amongst men. Those best faculties we have (by which we can only conceive of Gods excellent nature) their Perfection lies in Communication. He that Rules well, does the best thing we can frame an idaea of. And therefore the Rule of the VVorld is the most excellent thing we can ascribe to God. Cicero, in his 2 Book De Nat. Deor. speaks fully to this. Nihil est (says he) praeclarius mundi administratione Deorum, Igitur Consilio administratur mun­dus: Nihil est praestantius Deo; Ab eo igitur necesse est mundum regi. Those of the best endowments we think the fittest for Empire. And the more excellent any soul is, the more inlarged and vigorous in action it is. And shall we suppose God not to Rule in Heaven? Shall we think him very vain that should tell us? VVe then make the best Ʋse of all hu­mane abilities, when we least imploy them! Because the great and natural end of all ability [Page 30]for action, is action: And yet shall we suppose that God layes by the exercise of all his Infi­nite attributes, and wholly retires himself in Heaven? Who is able (without assaulting his own Reason) to admit such conception of that excellent being we ascribe to God, and father that upon him which would make up the Character of a very ill man.

But to render the absurdity of this Doctrine more evident to every impartial man, let me ask the Epicureans this question; If God doth not rule the World, and that darling Axiome of Epicurus be true, that Quod eter­num beatumque sit nec habere ipsum negotii quid­quam, nec exhibere alteri. How comes God to give Laws to the World? to admit the one, and still to affirm the other were ridicu­lous; for they are inseperable Relatives. All Laws necessarily relate to Rule and Dominion, on the one hand, and obedience and subjection on the other hand. That God has planted a natural Law in every mans Being, relating to his own Superiority and mans Subjection, is in truth past all rational denial. Whence comes that inherent distinction of good and evil eve­ry man is born with? and which nothing hu­mane can either alter or abrogate? but with reference to Gods authority over him? What is that we call Conscience in every man, but [Page 31]Gods vicegerent here below, and the Vicar­general of his supreme Rule over the World? Epicurus perceiving that if he once admitted any such thing as that we call the Law of Na­ture, or an inherent distinction of good and evil in Men, Providence (from thence) would necessarily be implied, positively de­nyes it; saying there is no such thing as the Law of Nature, nor any thing of that kind; and maintains this Hypothesis, that there is nothing in the naked Essence of things that discriminates them; but that all difference of things comes from Custom and Positive Law. First, I must needs say that Epicurus by this Doctrine; renders himself unworthy of all de­bate and discourse, because he denies common experience, and what every man may know to be true from his own breast, without far­ther information. And there needs no other demonstration then an appeal to all impartial Reason in the Case. Aristotle sayes (and up­on good grounds) that no dispute ought to be admitted against experience; because, if I once bring that into question I disclaim all ground of certainty. And therefore amongst all wise men, things of common experience are still excluded and set aside from all debate and dispute. How great stress soever the Epi­cureans lay upon this Principle (and they lay [Page 32]very great upon it) both from the Reason of things in themselves considered, and from common experience, 'tis proved to be equal­ly false and pernitious. The Law of Nature I call the dictates of right Reason, shewing good or evil to be in some things by their agreement or disagreement with the rational Nature, and so consequently, to be commanded and forbidden by the Author of Nature, God himself. The truth of this definition will appear very evident; for first, a Natural Law must needs be seated in the Rational faculty, as being the superior part of man. Nothing can truly or properly be said to be a Rule or a Law to a Rational Being, arising from it self, but the genuine dictates of Reason. Secondly, whatsoever my Reason tells me is in it self good (by its agreement to that judgment my Reason makes of what is so) I must needs think that agree­able to the Nature of God, and must needs think my self under obligation to it from God. Under obligation to it I must be, because of mine own judgment about it; and that Judg­ment must needs oblige me as a Law given to me from God; because 'twas he made me with a faculty so judging, and is in truth himself the author of this Judgment by creating the faculty that necessarily makes it. Whatever Judgment God makes a man with, must needs [Page 33]be a Law from God given to him, and he can never depart from it without offending him that was the Author of it, and placed it within him as a Rule of his Being. Whatever judg­ment God made me with, concerning my self and all other things, is his Judgment: And what is Gods Judgment is a Law to me, and I can never oppose it without sin, being in mine own existence, made with a necessary subjecti­on unto him. Now I say, that by the Judg­ment of the Rational faculty, and the dictates of right Reason, Mankind necessarily make such a distinction of things; that is, they de­termine some actions and some things to be in themselves intrinsically good, and others in­trinsically evil, from the Nature of the things themselves, as they stand related to the Ra­tional Judgment, abstracted from all collateral considerations whatever. And there is no reason to be given of that, more then of the faculty of Reason it self, that Man is created by God with a faculty so judging. He that denies the being of this natural Law, must ob­literate the judgment of Reason, by which eve­ry man becomes a necessary and unrepealable Law to himself in his opinion of things: 'Tis effect to deny a man to be Rational, to make all things alike to him, as to the good or evil of them; because the faculty we call Reason [Page 34]exists in every man with such an innate distin­ction. No man (using his Reason) can think falshood and truth equally good in themselves. Justice and injustice, Mercy and Cruelty are distinguished by the fundamental constitution of our beings, and can never be equal competi­tors to a Rational approbation. A man may well say, that the determinations that men make upon the plainest demonstrations de­pend not upon the intrinsick certainty of the Rational faculty, as to say, their determinati­ons about good and evil do not so. For the one lie, every jot, as connate to the Judgment of the Rational faculty as the other. A cor­rupt vicious man has the Judgment of all un­blassed Reason against him, as much as a false conclusion in Mathematicks: And a Virtuous man for him, as much as the most evident de­monstrable Truth. No man (of untainted intellectuals) can equally esteem a Religious Socrates, and a profane Caligula, and a sensual Sardanapalus, and a virtuous Cato. Many things appear to us in themselves intrinsically good, and so oblige us from the dictates of Reason, and those primary statutes of Na­ture, and no positive Law can alter or super­sede the Obligation. That Children should obey their Parents, and not Parents the Children, has no indifferency in it; nor can [Page 35]the Obligation be removed or inverted by any Custom or positive Law, that the Deity should be venerated is a Statute of Nature. Epicurus himself confesseth we are to venerate the Deity for its excellency. But upon what ground I would know? If upon the ground of our natural light, and an Obligation arising from the innate dictates of Reason, he must then admit the Laws of Nature; and, by so doing, 'tis certain he destroys his own Do­ctrine, and will be forced to acknowledge a Providence. If barely upon positive Law, he falls under this horrible absurdity, to make it at the pleasure of Men (for so are all things that depend meerly upon positive Law) whe­ther the Deity shall be so venerated or no. If the being of a Deity, and the excellency of such a being, be established by natural light, I am sure the Veneration of him is so too; and if it be not so established, but made to be in­different to believe whether there be such be­ing or no, Men may then by their own plea­sure make and unmake their Gods, as they do their Pictures and Statues. When we are told we must venerate the Deity for its excel­lency, we are told that which is true; but as Epicurus did circumstantiate this Doctrine, 'twas not like to produce much Religion; for, at the same time; he denies the being of all na­tural [Page 36]Laws, and makes all things in them­selves, indifferent, and also denies all Provi­dence, and any future Estate after this l [...]fe, by which all rewards and punishments are ex­cluded; so that the Epicurean Religion is in the very foundation of it wholly Precarious, and depends upon the pleasure of men, or else destructive to it self and its own Principles. The Deity is to be venerated for its excellen­cy (sayes the Epicureans) that is, if Men please to make Laws it shall be so; for other­wise, 'tis, in it self indifferent. If they say, 'tis not indifferent, but that we are obliged so to do by a natural determination of Reason; that's an acknowledging of the Law of Na­ture, and therein an admission of Providence. To say the Deity must be venerated, and at the same time to say that all actions and things are in themselves indifferent is plainly to say, there are no stated rules for this veneration, farther than positive Laws make them, and that a man may practise any thing, the very worst of things (supposing positive Laws not to forbid them) and yet be a Religious vene­rator of the Deity; the admission of which is lothsome to all Mankind. To say that a Man must venerate the Deity, and yet to an­nex no reward to the doing of it, nor any pu­nishment to the not doing of it, here nor here­after, [Page 37]is to prepare men to be Religious by telling them before hand, if they be so, it shall be no whit the better for them, and if they be not so, it shall not be one jot the worse. This notion of Epicurus (which yet is the whole of his Divinity) so circumstan­tiated, seems to me so weak an attempt to­ward any thing of Religion, that I rather think of him as Cicero does, That he was a man perfectly without any Religion, and had no belief of a Deity at all. For so says he of him, in the end of his first Book De Nat. De­or. Verius est igitur illud nimirum quod familia­ris omnium nostrum Posidonius disseruit. In libro quinto De natura Deorum. Nullos esse Deos Epicuro videri: quae (que) is de Diis immortali­bus dixerit invidiae detestandae gratia dixisse.

Two things (of which the whole world, in all ages, have had experience) do evident­ly discover the falshood of this position, that all things are in themselves alike to mankind, till custome and positive Law make a differ­ence. First, VVe find men passing a judg­ment upon themselves in the Closet of their own breasts, accusing and excusing themselves about matters no way connizable and no way determined by any positive Law, but meerly guided herein by the unavoidable evidence that their own Reason gives in concerning the [Page 38]good or evil of things. In all times and ages this Truth hath been established. For as Ci­cero says truely, Time wears out errours of o­pinion, but confirmes all Natural truths. Eve­ry mans own reason carryes an innate condem­nation in it to some things as evil, and an ap­probation of others as good, and this no way founded in Customes or Laws of times or pla­ces, but in the very faculty of Reason it self and is neither Created nor can be Abrogated by any thing humane. For, as Philo say well, Lex mentiri nescia est recta ratio, quae Lex non ab hoc aut ab illo mortali mortalis, non in Chartis aut Columnis exanimis exanima, sed corrumpi nescia, quippe ab immortali natura in­sculpta in immortali intellectu. If there were no Laws but positive, and what had their rise among men, were men under no obligation to the natural Light of their own beings; How can we conceive rational creatures to make a Conscience to themselves about things no way determined by any such positive Laws? What mens Laws reach not, no man can be reasonably thought to be concern'd in Conscience about, if there be no Superiour Law of God; because, where there is no Law there can be no offence, and so no foundation of Guilt. Nor is it conceivable that custome can be the foundation of such Conscience in [Page 39]men, and of that different Judgment they make to themselves of things, from whence that Conscience ariseth; because the principle upon which men go in these natural determi­nations are generally the same and agreed to by all. And 'tis highly unreasonable to suppose the whole World should every where agree in a custome of judging things to be other­wise then indeed they be, and subject them­selves in their own breasts to such an eroneous Judgment, and that the constant determina­tion of the publick reason of the world, that some things are in themselves good and others are in themselves evil, was at first founded in a mistake, and that that mistake became cu­stomary and universal. This is a thing that carries the utmost of improbability in it, and is in effect, to say mankind is not reasonable, and to put the Fool upon the whole World. Besides, the determinations of our Reason about the good or evil of things, are at the present justified to us to be pure, and abstract­ed from all byas, either from custome or from positive Laws, from the nature of the things themselves and the most genuine judgment of Reason it self in its judging of them. And he that will say that we are no way certain but that our best judgment about good and evil may be, for ought we know, grounded upon [Page 40]custome & so mistaken, may as well say that all other judgment is so too: And so in effect say, we are no way sure but that all the reason of the world's nothing else but a great customary mistake

Secondly, There are natural Laws, by which things are in themselves differenced, proved to be previous to all positive Laws; Because all positive Laws appear plainly to have their rise from those primary Laws of Nature, and to suppose them. The common principles of Natures Laws have been the common princi­ples of all positive Laws every where. How different soever positive Laws have been a­mongst themselves in other things, yet the Grand Maxims of Nature founded upon that innate distinction of good and evil men are born withall have been universally admitted by all Legislators. General effects, we say, must have general causes. And that general consent we find in all positive Laws to such natural Maxims, does evidently declare such Maximes to be the Universal sentiments of mankind, and those original Laws annexed to the beings of men in their first frame and constitution, by which things in themselves are primarily discriminated antecedently to all positive Laws, and from whence all positive Laws have their subsequent rise.

Should this Epicurean doctrine be admitted, [Page 41]That all things are originally and in their own nature alike, till differenced by positive Law or Custome, three things would evidently re­sult from it; The first ruinous to all policy, The second to all Religion, And the third de­structive to both. First, No Man that thought all things originally indifferent, and the whole world and all the actions of it, as to good or evil, to be Rasa tabula, could ever be obliged farther then force or his own interest prevailed upon him. For if all things be o­riginally in themselves indifferent, and have neither good nor ill in them, 'twas then in­different whether there should be any Law­makers, or any Laws made. Authority it self is indifferent; and if that be it self indiffer­ent, and have neither intrinsecal good nor evil in it, my obedience must needs be indifferent too. For if it be indifferent whether there should be any such thing as civil authority, or no, and civil Authority have no real internal good or ill annexed to it, it must needs be in­different (as to matter of inward Conscience) whether I should obey it or no. If all things be in themselves indifferent, 'tis impossible for men, by positive Laws, to make any thing otherwise; because the power by which those positive Laws are made, is, in its nature, in­different too, and has neither essential good [Page 42]nor ill belonging to it. And if so, it must needs be indifferent to me, whether I obey it or not. For, the things they command or forbid are, in their own nature, indifferent, and the power commanding is, it self, indifferent, as to its own Being, whether it should so command or no! For although a thing in it self and all its circum­stances wholly indifferent ceaseth to be so to me, when commanded or forbid by a positive Law, because of the conscience I ought to have of the authority commanding or forbidding, as having an intrinsical good in it, to which I am positively obliged, and as a thing in its own nature obligatory to me, yet, were that Au­thority wholly indifferent in it self, in its be­ing, whether it should be or no, and had no essential good or ill in its constitution, it must needs be indifferent to me whether I should o­bey it or not! There can never be any good or ill in obedience or disobedience, where there is a perfect indifferency in the being of that Power that requires it. Secondly, If all things were, to mankind, in themselves alike and indifferent, and there were no such origi­nal distinction of good and evil make in the rational nature, 'twere impossible ever to frame any amiable or excellent Idaea of God. 'Twere all one whatever we thought of him; We might as well think him cruel and unjust, [Page 43]as merciful and just. For, we have no other way to frame an Idaea of God, but from that distinction of good and evil we make in our own breasts. When the Epicureans tell us We must venerate the Deity for its excellency, What excellency is it we can ascribe to God? and from whence can we derive the notion of any such thing? If, to our own reasons, all things are alike, and there is no innate distin­ction of good and evil in the rational nature, this maxime of the Epicureans does, in truth, put a total end to all well-doing, and to all well-thinking, and does utterly extinguish all Religion amongst Mankind. The Noblest and best ground of all Religion is good thoughts of God, arising from an amiable ap­prehension of him in our minds. Without this, 'tis impossible to be truely Religious. And this is utterly impossible ever to be made, (but upon gross Delusion and mistake) if no one thing be, in the true judgment of men, better then another, but all things, as to their good and evil in themselves, equal and indifferent. 'Tis that distinction founded in the rational nature between good and bad, and an ability arising from thence to frame to it self an Idaea of excellency and perfection, that is the ground of all right conceptions of God. And indeed, by finding things distin­guished [Page 44]in our own rational nature, we come to know they are eternally distinguished in Gods Nature: Because he himself is the Au­thor of our rational nature. And 'tis not rea­sonable to conceive he should create a nature contrary to his own. And so we know there is not only a Reason in our own Breasts why some things are good, and some things are evil, but there is an eternal Reason in the na­ture of God why they are so! What I think good, I must necessarily think agreeable to God. And what I think evil, I must needs judge contrary to him; or else I do not answer the original notion my reason gives me of his being. And so, by the distinction I sind made of things in mine own rational Nature, I come to know there is the same Eternal distin­stinction in Gods Nature, and so an unalter­able Obligation arising from thence; because my Reason tells me, Gods nature must be agreeable to what I think most excellent by the judgment of that faculty God has made me withall. And of this I am as well assured as I am of Gods being; for the same faculty that tells me God Is, tells me also his Nature must needs be agreeable to what my reason tells me is in it self Holy and Good, and directly oppo­site to whatever it tells me is in it self Evil. Thirdly, were it Custom and Positive Laws [Page 45]that did only constitute the difference of Actions and Things, that difference must needs be regulated thereby. And 'twill then unavoidably follow that Custom and Positive Laws might possibly invert the whole frame of things, and that universal opinion of Good and Evil the World is now possessed with; that is Honesty, Truth and Virtue might come to be in the place of Wickedness, Falshood and Vice. And those we now think the Best Actions, reckoned the Worst, and the Worst adjudged to be the Best. The very mention whereof would be as Nauseous, as the practise of it would prove Ruinous to humane Nature. And every man carries about him, in his own Reason such an innate abhorrency of it as ren­ders it utterly impossible, upon any terms, ever to be.

It would be also a task too hard for the wi­sest Epicurean to give any rational account how the World (without a Divine disposal, and the admission of Providence) should be continued in that orderly frame we see it! never any such thing as the order of the world fell out by chance. 'Twere absurd to suppose it, how all things (even some contrary to their own Nature and proper tendency) should be made so subservient as they are to a com­mon end. 'Tis not possible for a rational Eye [Page 46]to view over the general Oeconomy of the world, arising from the regular motion of each particular, and exclude the influence of Divine Wisdom from it. If we look up, of how admirable consideration is the constant course of the Heavens, and the suitable in­fluences of the Heavenly Bodies to the good of things here below! though the motion by the Equator only had been more simple and direct, yet we see they have also an Oblique motion, whereby, with more variety, they dispence their favours to the World. The motions of the Stars Eccentrick and Epiciclike, as the best observers of them find, not only declare the virtue of their own Materials, but plainly point to us the regulation of a superior Agent, which seeing how far they are from the reach of all humane power, can be no o­ther but the Divine Being. If we look down­ward, we find the Sea and the Waters a stan­ding Monument of Providence. The Sea kept within Bounds, and not suffered to ex­ceed them, restrained from the natural ten­dency of its own Being; which 'tis plain no humane power could effect. Aristotle in his Book of Wonders, owns himself a Convert to Providence, upon the single consideration that the Land was not drowned in the Waters, and the Earth overwhelmed with the Sea, [Page 47]which without a Divine Power must needs be. Strabo observes the same necessity of Providence from the position of the Waters, which (sayes he) if you respect only their Quality, and suppose them left to themselves, must needs take place between the Earth and the Air, when as now we behold them confined to one proper Chanel, and interfused in the Earth, so far as to make it more fruitful and useful, nay, we find the Water as Grotius ob­serves in subserviency to the good of the whole against its own Nature, sometimes moving upwards, being so composed as to sustain it self in such motion, by a continued Cohaesion of parts. Wheresoever we cast our Eyes, the whole of the World, in all the parts of it, does evidently own it self to the manage and product of a wise and excellent Providence, all things moving towards parti­cular Ends, and all those particular Ends issu­ing themselves into one Common End. To move to an End is the plain effect of an Intel­ligent Being; And therefore, when we see Creatures without intelligence still moving both to particular and general Ends, 'tis plain they are directed by some intelligence. And we see Creatures Rational, and that have In­telligence moving and acting to Ends supe­riour to their own intelligence, and which [Page 48]themselves knew not of nor intended, and yet their actings and motions towards them regu­lar; 'tis plain they are conducted by a higher Intelligence. And this in both cases, can be no other but the highest Intelligence, who at once comprehends all Ends and all Means tending to those Ends; which is God him­self.

'Tis likewise an irrefragable proof of Pro­vidence, that many things have come to pass in this World that have been evidently super­natural, and beyond all humane ability to ef­fect; which could never have been, if God be so withdrawn from the World as to be no way an actor in it. What will the Epicureans say to all the Miracles that have at any time been wrought? and to such things as have come to pass beyond all product of Nature? to deny the fact of such things, and to say they have not been, is at once to impeach all humane Testimony, and to discard the credit of all History. If we admit them, we must needs confess they are the effect of Gods supreme power, and the evident Works of his hands in a providential way; and if so, we shall soon dispatch with Epicurus, and spoil his fictitious retirement of God in the Heavens, and bring down the Divine Majesty to an open converse with Mankind, and indeed undeniably esta­blish [Page 49]both his care of, and his supreme Rule over this whole World.

Two things there are upon which Epicurus at first, Lucretius, Pliny, and all the Epicu­cureans since, have chiefly justified their de­nial of Providence, and Gods supreme Rule over the World. First, (say they) 'tis a thing beneath the excellent Being of God, for him to concern himself with the affairs of this inseriour world, and to take notice of every little passage here below; nor can he (as Pliny sayes) be supposed (without great disorder to himself, and being withdrawn from his own delight and content) to per­form the charge tam multiplicis & tristis Mi­nisterij: Of so multiplicious and ungrateful a fun­ction. Secondly, (say they) the posture of things in this World is such, good men often suffering, and bad men prospering: wicked­ness succeeding, and Virtue miscarrying; 'tis so often bene malis & male bonis, that we can­not believe this World to be governed from above, and that all the affairs of it should be under the conduct of such perfect and excel­lent attributes as those we ascribe to God.

The first is soon answered, 'Tis an absurd diminution of infiniteness, and inconsistent with it, to limit or distinguish its comprehen­sion, God hath an infinite Comprehension, [Page 50]and cannot but know all things together, or else his Knowledge were not infinite. Nor can there be any distinction made in the man­ner of his comprehension; great things and small things are all alike, and upon even terms, as to his comprehension and Knowledge of them. Nothing can be above him or below him in any such respect: 'Tis foolish to say any thing is too mean for God to take Cognizance of; because an universal Cognizance of all things, past, present, and to come, is included and necessarily implied in the infinity of his Knowledge, So far the mistake is plain and visible; nothing can possibly happen, of which we can say God takes no notice: But suppo­sing all things that come to pass are known to him, yet (say the Epicureans) 'tis not fit to conceive, he any way concerns himself about them, or that he will so far trouble or discom­pose himself, as to undertake the Rule and Regulation of them; which lazy, slothful dream of Epicurus, above all his other Hy­potheses, has exposed him to the just con­tempt of all sober and intelligent men; 'tis so gross and unworthy a conception of the supreme Being, and so great an indignity offered unto him, and most evidently con­trary to all those notious that result from the true exercise of our Reasons about [Page 51]him, and that will easily appear several ways.

First, I acknowledge there are some things God cannot do, God cannot deny himself, nor do any thing against the Nature of his own Being, That results from the perfection of his Being, and is included in the necessity of it: But to say that whatsoever God can do; that is, can do, as being no way contrary to his Be­ing to do, and so has a possibility, he may do (I speak not of the bare Imaginary suppositi­on of what God can do in respect of his unli­mited power; for so we may conceive he may destroy the World in a Moment; but his power cannot be actually so exerted; that's but a vain santasm, unless it be correspon­dent to his Justice, his Mercy, and his other excellent attributes) but to say, whatever God can do in such a sense; that is, what­ever is not inconsistent with his Being to do, and so may be done by him, he cannot do without trouble to himself, and disorder to his own excellent Nature, is to deny the essentiality of his Being: The inseperable and essential property of Gods Being is per­fection. Now if he cannot perfectly act what­ever he can act, he is not essentially perfect, but has a possibility of imperfection annexed to his Being. To say God could govern this [Page 52]World if he pleased, 'twere no way contradi­ctory to his Being to do it; but yet if he should do it, it would trouble and discompose him, is to deny his perfection, and plainly admit him capable of imperfection, which is direct­ly opposite to all true notions of his Being; 'tis to suppose, God cannot perfectly do what­ever can be done by him, and to suppose per­fection not to accompany the utmost possibi­lity of his acting, which is to deny his perfe­ction, and consequently the most inseperable property of his Being. Nor can any man say, the Government of this World, in it self con­sidered, can have any contrariety in it to Gods Being; because Goverment in its Own Na­ture must needs be most suitable to his Being, and 'tis the certain way to bring the whole World into perfect conformity to him. And to say, 'tis contrary to his Being; because it would be a trouble to him, is plainly to say, 'tis contrary to his Being; because his Being is imperfect.

Secondly, This is to measure out Infinite­ness (which can have no measure) by Finite­ness. 'Tis in short, to measure out God to our selves by our own Line; and when we ac­knowledge his Being to be compleat in all In­finite perfections, to measure out the actings of those perfections by our own greatest im­perfections; [Page 53]and what can be more vain and less reasonable, then to carry up those distin­ctions we make in our own Actings, to the Actings of God, whom we acknowledge in­finite and perfect, when those distinctions arise, visibly from our own imperfection in Acting. 'Tis the limited extent of our own Beings that makes us reckon things above us, and below us; no such distinction can be made where there is infiniteness of Knowledge, and infiniteness of power. All things are under an even consideration to such infinite Attri­butes; and 'tis because of our own great im­perfections that labour and trouble attends us in what we do: and shall we suppose God capa­ble of that, in the exerting of his infinite and perfect Attributes? 'Twas most unlike a Philo­sopher to say, God would not govern the World, nor take any care of it; because it would trouble him so to do. 'Twas plainly in other terms, to utter this contradiction, God, who is infinitely perfect, would not govern the World, because he is imperfect. Epicurus, by this Divinity of his, deserves to be reckoned with such of the prolane and fa­bulous Poets, who usually ascribed the Infir­mities (nay, the debaucheries) of the Worst Men to the Best of their Gods, and transferred the highest notions they had of their Gods to [Page 54]very ill men; and amongst such Cicero ranks him, and concludes against his Divinity with this very good position. Nihil est quod Deus efficere non potest, & ullo sine labore.

Thirdly, If the happiness of the Deity lies in a total retreat to his own perfections, and the concerns of the world would be a trouble to him. If that be a sufficient Reason against all Providence, 'tis much more so against all Creation, and whoever upon that account does with Epicurus deny Gods providential Rule and Dominion, is engaged to embrace the whole of his other Doctrines against Cre­ation: for would it trouble and discompose the Deity to Rule the World now, it must needs do so to make it before. It that Rea­son be good against Providence now, 'twas good against Creation at first; either God act­ed against the grand Principle of his own feli­city then, or else 'tis consistent with his Pro­vidence now. Besides that, tis Childish to think God would make any thing too high o [...] too low for his own Dominion; or that he should Create a World that would be a trou­ble to himself to Govern: Nor can we ima­gine that any thing God thought fit at first to make, and be himself the Author of, should ever be unworthy of his care, or beneath his Regulation. 'Twere to impeach his wisdom [Page 55]in making, or his Goodness in not regarding what himself at first produced. God must needs know also from everlasting all the en­suing Consequences of what he at the first made. He saw, uno intui [...]u, whatever would happen and come to pass. And 'tis no way sup­posable that God (with such afore-sight and infinite Comprehension of all things) should make such a World, the future Effects and Consequences whereof should be unworthy his notice, or unfit for him to dispose, or a trouble to him to regard. Or indeed, that any thing should ever come to pass, from what God first gave an Existence to, that should not naturally and necessarily fall under his Regulation, and be most suitable to his Dominion, and the ex [...]tion of his own excellent Attributes, and be, at last, over-ruled by him to some wise and excellent End.

The other Objection made against Provi­dence, from the various successes all humane Actions are accompanied with; sometimes the worst Actions, and the worst Men pros­pering, and the best miscarrying, is that which the greatest opposers of Providence have still most applauded themselves in. And so far it prevailed with some Philosophers here­tofore, that although they admitted of Pro­vidence [Page 56]in all natural things, supposing they could not be [...] without it, yet they much doubted, if not wholly denyed it, in all things Moral and Political. 'Tis from hence, no doubt, that the greatest Atheism in the world hath arisen. Men have taken occasion from hence not only to dispute the notion of Provi­dence, but to question the Being of God him­self; thinking them (as indeed they are) in­seperable Relatives; and not only upon a ge­neral consideration of the various and uncer­tain disposal of things; but Men have also taken up Pikes against Providence and Reli­gion upon particular occasions; because their own Interests were not gratified thereby. Hence it was that Diagoras first set up for an Atheist; because the Gods did not immedi­ately strike a perjured Person dead in the place, as he desired. Hence it was that Cato (though a Stoical asserter of Providence be­fore) when he saw the Affairs of the Roman State decay under the conduct of Pompey, whom he esteemed a Patriot of his Coun­trey, and wished well to, and beheld Caesar prospering in his attempts to what he thought a tyranny, he falls soul upon Providence, and professed, that he saw a fallacious instability in the Government of the Gods: That Pompey was ever succesful when he did [Page 57]no good with his victories, but never prospered when he implied his Armies for the freedom of his Countrey. Hence it was that Cotta in Tully makes so great an Harangue a­gainst Providence. That the two Scipio's and so many good Patriots had miscarried, and in particular, that his Uncle Rutilius was ba­nished, and his friend Drusus slain. But set­ing aside all those particular occasions, and private Interests, upon which men have been driven to a disgust of the notion of Providence, (which yet have been, and still are very ma­ny and frequent) The general course of the World is visibly such as gives a real Ground to this Objection: And therefore a distinct and particular Answer ought to be given to it.

As God, in making the World has left us undeniable Evidence, that he himself is the Author of it, but yet has left us without an An­swer to many questions men may ask about it, and made it very suitable to our reason to think we should be so left, and to suppose a sinite capacity not fully able to comprehend the pro­duct of Infinite Wisdom and Power, so in his Rule over the World we have undeniably Evidence that he does Rule; but in the man­ner of his doing it we see many passages that far out-go our comprehension, If any man [Page 58]say, that in Gods first make of the World we acquiesce singly in his Sovereignty, nor need we go farther therein then the bare act of his Will; but in his Rule of the World 'tis not so; there we expect the visible effects of his Justice, suitable to those natural Laws he has given to us, and that capacity of judging between just and unjust, by which we ascend upward, and come to be ascertained, that there is a supreme and perfect Justice in God. I answer, 'tis true that Gods Will was the great Reason, at first, of the make of the world; but yet we must look upon his Will as the Ef­fect of his wisdom, and it cannot be other­wise; God could not will to make any thing that would not be Wisely made, when it was made, nor can we suppose he should. And yet 'twere as reasonable to deny Gods make of the World; because I cannot see the visi­ble Effects of his Wisdom in every part of it, as to deny his Rule of the World; because in every passage of it his Justice is not visible to me. All the Philosophers heretofore agreed to this, as a general Truth, that Na­ture produced nothing in vain: And yet never a­ny nor all of them could give a distinct account of the Reason and Use of every particular. If there be sufficient ground to assure me, that God made the World in the general, 'tis ab­surd [Page 59]to question the Wisdom or the Reason of any Particular. So if there be Evidence sufficient to establish Gods general Provi­dence over the whole, his Justice in Particu­lars is thereby necessarily implied. The be­ing of Providence in general is not only pro­ved upon such rational grounds as every un­prejudiced man must needs acquiesce in, but in many things we are experimentally con­vinced of the Being of it, from the Effects of it. He that denies the existence of Provi­dence, can admit but of two ways, by which any thing can be supposed to come to pass; either from the Moral determinations of Men and their Actings thereupon, or else from some purely Natural Cause. Now 'tis evi­dent that many things have and do come to pass in a visible judicial way, which have not their rise from any humane Judgment, nor can, with any good Reason, be derived from any natural operation, and can be ascribed to nothing else but Gods supreme Judgment. Virtue and Religion have been often reward­ed, and wickedness brought to a due punish­ment, before Mens Eyes in this World, by ways unthought of and undesigned by any, and out of the reach of all humane Authority, and in such a manner as no man, impartially judging, can possibly imagine to come to [Page 60]pass by a meerly casual conjunction of natural Causes, but must needs acknowledge an effect of Divine Justice therein. And of this we are informed by the Records of all Ages; and no one Age passeth without some experi­ence of it.

This objection (how great soever it may seem to be) will be sufficiently removed in every candid opinion, if two things be made appear. First, That there is good ground upon which to establish the belief of a provi­dence in general, which hath been proved al­ready. And Secondly, that a satisfactory account may be given how the present course of the world and this providence may very well consist together. And this latter may be done by the consideration of two things; First, our own great Incapacity to judge of the whole of providence, or of very many parts of it. And secondly, the rational supposi­tion of a Future State. The first ought to make us cautious not to impeach providence hastily, nor to deny it when we cannot fully comprehend it. The second ought fully and finally to satisfy us in all such cases where we see Gods providence and his justice are not in this world reconcileable. For the first, How reasonable is it to conceive that the ways and methods of God in his providence should not [Page 61]be fully grasped by our comprehension, when he is so much above us in those excellent at­tributes by which they are contrived and brought about. The Rule of the world and the harmony of providence in conducting all things to a common end, is an effect of the same infinity by which the world was at first produced. 'Tis unreasonable for us, when God Rules, to expect an exact and perfect Knowledg of all his proceedings. No hu­mane abilities can create a competent Judg of the whole, or of very many particular parts of Gods providential Rule over the World, and that for these three Reasons. First, God knows the Aims, Ends and Intentions of all Men in what they do; he sees the inside as well as the outside of the whole World, and proceeds according to the compleatness and intire Circumstances of every Action. This we are no way capable of, and so, in many passages of his Providence, no fit Judges of his proceedings. 'Tis a great piece of folly to judg of Conclusions, when we are uncer­tain of the Premises; and to call in question Gods determinations, when we know not the grounds of them. Secondly, God has de­signs to accomplish and bring about in this World, of which we are totally ignorant, and 'tis very unwise to find fault with what [Page 62]God does, and be angry that we cannot com­prehend it when we know nothing of those Ends 'tis designed to. 'Twas weakly done of Cato, and a great defection from his dis­cretion, to fall foul upon Providence; because he could not find out a Reason why Caesar had the conquest of Pompey, when he must needs be ignorant of that future Monarchy (and all the Consequences of it) God designed to set up in Rome, upon the foundation of his Suc­cesses. We see often, by a subsequent course of Providence, great Reason for that of which we could give no account at first. The future Events of good Mens sufferings often reveal to us a sufficient Reason for it, and reconcile mens opinions to the Wisdom and Justice of Providence. The impunity of ill Men in the worst Actions becomes sometimes very intelligible to us even in this World, by the after disposal of things. This we have ex­cellently discoursed of in Plutarchs incompa­rable Treatise De sera Numinis vindicta. Had the famous Constantine suffered what was due to the eminent sins of his Youth, what a loss had the World had of the Virtues of his riper years? and as Plutarch tells the Athenians, if Themistocles had been punished as the enor­mities of his Youth deserved, and Miltiades for his rebellion in Chersonesus, where had [Page 63]been (sayes he) those great Victories, those two afterwards obtained in the Plains of Ma­rathon on the Coasts of Arlesia? and at the River Eurimedon? The truth is, in all humane Judgment we are bounded by particulars. In­dividual actions are the Grounds upon which Men proceed. Nor can they look forward to know what any will be hereafter. But God has the whole of every Man before him, and has not only respect to the All of every Action, but to the All of every Man, in the whole of of his Actings from the First to the Last. Thirdly. There is a Harmony in Providence, which (unless we knew All, from its Begin­ning to its Ending) we can never fully com­prehend. 'Tis one intire System, a compleat Bottom wherein all Ends are exactly wound up: A rare contrivance of Divine Wisdom: A cu­rious piece of Divine Workmanship, wherein all particulars are so Interwoven as to make up the beauty of the whole. All the passages of the world, from first to last, have, in the providential Dominion of God over them, some dependency each upon other, and are not to be fully judged off singly, and a part. No One Action but relates to Millions of others; nay, has some reference to all o­thers from the first to the last of the world. Each particular hath some reference to the [Page 64] whole, like the Parts of a Natural Body, where every Part refers to the Whole: And is not, in its use, to be fully comprehended without an exact knowledge of the Whole. Every part of Providence hath somewhat in it Re­lative to all the rest. Though God be Just in each particular, yet he still executes his Justice to every part with reference to the Whole; And so, Times and Orders all par­ticulars that the beautiful season of every part is, when it bears its exact proportion to the Oeconomy of the Whole. Nor can we suppose this to be otherwise, but that God, who by an Infinite comprehension had all things pre­sent and before him, should so rank and dis­pose them, that at last the whole business of the World, should appear but One compli­cated and orderly united Means to bring about the first designed Ends.

This consideration of our own incapacity to make a full and compleat Judgment of the whole, or of many parts of Divine Provi­dence, ought to prevent such rash Censures as Men are too apt to make upon it: And to per­swade them not to deny it, where they cannot fully comprehend it: And to answer, in many cases, the doubts men may propose to them­selves about this matter; but does not answer this Objection fully. Because 'tis not to be [Page 65]denied, but that there are very many particu­lar cases wherein Gods Justice and his Provi­dence are visibly not to be reconciled toge­ther in this World. And upon that conside­ration I say 'tis much more reconcileable and natural to suppose the Being of a future state after this life (by which all Objections against Providence are fully answered) then to make that an Objection against Providence, and de­ny the Being of it thereupon, and that upon these two grounds. First, the existence of a general Providence is, upon convincing evi­dence proved to us. We have as good Rea­son to believe God Rules the World; as we have to believe that he is Just. And in that case, when we find we cannot, here in this World, accommodate his Rule and his Justice together, 'tis not reasonable to oppose the one by the other (when neither can be rationally denied) but to admit a state beyond this World, by which they are both safely reconciled. Secondly, there is nothing in the admission of a future state, in it self any way unreasonable: Nay, the existence of such a future state after this life, besides the evidence it has from the notion of Providence, has also many other rational proofs peculiarly appurtenant to it, and is a thing in it self, upon other grounds, highly probable. He [Page 66]that will bottom a denial of Providence sing­ly upon this Objection, must prove that there is no state of things after this life, or at least, have it granted to him. The proof of it is impossible, and the grant of it were very un­reasonable, when 'tis a natural and necessary consequent to all that rational proof that is made of a Providence in general, and I can­not deny the one without rejecting the o­ther; the thing in its own Nature, is greatly credible, and has been believed in all Ages, not only by the greatest part of the wisest and best, but even of the rudest and most barba­rous, [...] which strongly tend to perswade us the belief of it is founded in the dictates of right Reason, and the com­mon Sentiments of Nature.

'Tis to be taken as an undeniable Truth, that the existence of Providence, and the Being of a future state have a necessary depen­dency each upon other, and are no way sepe­rable. If there be a Providence, there must be a future state after this life. And if there be a state hereafter, it must relate to a Provi­dence here: The Epicureans therefore deny both. Epicurus under all his pressures made his retreat to this Maxime, That there had been a time when we were not in Being, and there would be a time when we should [Page 67]exist no more. Of how little a signification to the World the bare notion of a Deity would prove, abstracted from the belief of a Providence here, or any state hereafter, is easie to discern. The Truth is, whoever admits the existence of a Supreme and first be­ing, will be rationally forced to acknowledge the other two. If there be a God, he must Rule: Infinite power cannot be set by; and if he do Rule, there must be a reversion of rewards and punishments after this life, so Plutarch observes. The same Reason which confirms Providence, doth likewise confirm the immortality of the Soul: And if the one be taken away, the other follows; so that the great fundamentals of all Virtue and Re­ligion will appear sufficiently justified to us from the regular determinations of right Rea­son.

Upon these and many other invincible proofs is Gods providential Rule over the World established. The true notion of which frees us from the manifold absurdities of Epi­curus his chance, and Chrysippus his destiny, the two wide extreams on either hand. The first is the poorest account that ever was given of such Oeconomy as we see in this World, and a monstrous piece of folly, to think Chance should be Predominant whilst [Page 68]infinite wisdome is existing. The other such an unreasonable and abusive fiction of Provi­dence, (if related to God) as renders it in­consistent with the freedom of a Rational A­gent. The one denies all providence and makes God to do nothing: The other de­stroys mans freedome, and makes God to do every thing. Both equally false. 'Tis true, that God Rules over the Whole; And 'tis as true that his Rule no way destroys the freedom of mans will. Nor is the world subjected to any such thing as a Stoical Fate, from any ne­cessary connection of causes, but all the acti­ons of men proceed from the free choice and determinations of their own breasts. Every mans own Will being the true cause of his own doings.

Thus much may serve to silence and shame all the ignorant doubts and profane denials of providence, to assure men there is a God that Rule's in the earth, and to justifie the exercise of a supreme 'Dominion over the world. Up­on the truth of which the validity of all Di­vine Laws must necessarily depend. Such who (in the third place) admit the being of God, of Providence, and Religion, but reject the Christian-religion and consequently the Bible, as not true, and close with some other in opposition to it, against those the whole of [Page 69]this discourse will chiefly tend. If the Divine Authority of the Bible be sufficiently made good, and the Scriptures proved in trueth to be what themselves tell us they are, Laws sent us from God, by which he will Rule and judge the world, two things will result from it, first, All other Religions but the Christian will there­by appear to be false and fictitious. Secondly, Such who have embraced the Christian Profes­sion will be abundantly confirmed in the verity thereof, freed from all such doubts as may a­rise about it, and be ascertained of the truth of those grounds upon which it is established.

In the prosecution of this matter, when we deal with Antiscriptural men, such as pay no homage at all to the Bible, nor yield any obedience to its Authority, two things are to be avoided, and ought not to be insisted on, in order to their confutation. First, 'Tis not a reasonable step towards it, to say the Scrip­tures are the Principle upon which our Religion is built, and therefore ought to be granted to us: Because, in every particular Science, some Principles must be granted as the Sub­stratum; without which it cannot be upheld, and by a denial of which the being of it is sub­verted. This unwary demand is the ready way to six every man in his own profession what­ever it be, and to prevent the most important [Page 70] Discourse of Religion amongst all such who have already embraced any Religion; for there is no Religion without some prime Prin­ciples upon which 'tis erected, and by the grant of which it will be established. And as we are sure 'twill be equally expected, so there is no better ground upon which it can be deny­ed: Nor no less reason why we should admit the principles of other mens Religion, then they grant ours. And if so, we shall soon come to a full point in all our debates about different Religions. To such who have alrea­dy closed with the Christian-profession, this holds good. And he that admits not the Scriptures as the first Principle and Rule of all discourse upon any internal point of the Chri­stian-Religion, is not to be disputed with. Because, in disowning that principle, he de­stroys the being of the Religion he is contend­ing about, and subverts the whole by the man­ner of his disputing about a part. But when we deal with men out of the Church and Ene­mies to it, and the doubt is about the Scripture it self, we cannot otherwise defend it then by admitting it a matter Debateable, and indea­vouring its justification upon principles com­mon to us both, and such rational grounds as carry in them the greatest aptness to convince such opponents.

'Tis not to be denied but that in all Ration­al enquiries after truth and all humane-debates, there must be some common maxims and prin­ciples acknowledged on all sides, without which there can be no due measures of any discourse, nor any Standard by which a man can proceed either to satisfy himself or con­vince another, and 'twill be utterly impossi­ble ever to come to a rational end of any de­bate whatever. For, If one thing be to be proved (as it must be where things are in con­troversy) by another, and every thing may be still denied, we must prove in infinitum. He that opposeth needs nothing to help him but a bare Negative, and he that is to prove will be lost in an endless circle. Some princi­ples therefore there are which govern all mens thoughts and discourses as things granted by them, and are of absolute necessity to the ra­tional conduct of the World. And they are of two sorts; First, Such as are in them­selves so obviously true to our Senses and Rea­son that they gain an Universal Assent, and are approved by the common Vote of Mankind. These are such things as no man can be sup­posed to deny if he would, no more then he can deny himself to be Reasonable; and do discover to us the truth of the rational facul­ty, by the natural Emanation of which we [Page 72]fix upon many positions as undoubtedly true and beyond all question or dispute, and from thence measure out the truth of all other things. Therefore Aristotle says, that in all acquisition of knowledg there is a proceeding from premisses known and agreed, to conclusions that before were not known nor agreed. These first principles are secured by the innate rectitude of the rational faculty. These prove them­selves by their consonancy to the rational Na­ture, and cannot be otherwise proved, be­cause they are the ground and foundation of all other proof. And of these 'tis true what the Schools say, A posteriori possunt mani­festari, non per aliquid prius probari. What­ever knowledge we find attained to amongst Mankind, 'tis deduced from these first princi­ples, and is a Science subalternated to them. 'Tis from hence that all thoughts and debates are steered to some end, and guided to some conclusion. These principles are not to be confined to any enumeration, being of equal extent with the rational capacity it self, and are occasionally produced by our reason, ac­cording to the various objects 'tis conversant about. Nor can any other Character be giv­en of them but that they are such genuine Is­sues of Reason, as become self-evident Maximes to the universal Reason.

Secondly, There are acquired principles a­mongst mankind, which are taken as granted truths, and proceeded upon as such, that are not of this first nature: These secondary prin­ciples lye more remote from the first view of our reason, and are discovered by a chain of Inductions; and our assent to them proceeds from an Industrious exercise of reason, by which we come at length to acknowledg their verity, as agreeing to that idaa of truth we find seated in the rational Nature, and corresponding to those primary dictates of Reason, and equal­ly true with them. These things men acci­dentally make principles to themselves; and, laying them aside from debate, as things granted and agreed to, proceed to superstruct other notions and principles upon them; such principles as these (in the pursuit whereof mankind doth greatly differ, and often mi­stake) are the reasonable bounds of all such future debates as are bottom'd upon them, but ought not to be imposed when the princi­ples themselves are in question, nor upon such who make it their business to oppose them as erroneous and mistaken. When two Mabu­metans are in dispute, the authority of the Al­choran is, to them, a proper Umpirage, be­cause a principle granted by both. But when a Mahumetan disputes with a Christian, the [Page 74]proof of the Alchoran it self must precede any proof he can make of Religion from thence; because whatever is it self under question and doubt, can never be a Rule to determine other controversies by.

Nor ought this (the fact whereof is so ve­rified to us) to seem strange, that men should often mistake and generally differ and divide upon all such acquired principles, as they do, that 'tis hard, if not impossible, to find an in­stance wherein the whole World have been able universally to take one step together, be­yond those first and irrisistible institutes of Knowledge, and those primary Elements of a rational Being. 'Tis no way strange to see what is laid as a foundation by one, should seem an absolute nullity in the mind of ano­ther. What one man resigns up himself to, as his guide, another should reject with con­tempt. If we consider, first the difficulty wherewith all acquired knowledg is attained, and the various paths men tread towards it: How hard it is to reduce things to a Harmony with the rational Nature! With what labour and sweat of the mind we come to measure out things by the line of our Reason, and to find out those proper Mediums of demonstra­tion that lie in a direct line to the truth of any proposition! And how natural is it to doubt [Page 75]and object to the utmost in all rational pro­gression! Secondly, with what various abili­ties the World is capacitated for all intelle­ctual attainments! and how differently men do improve their knowing faculty! First prin­ciples arise from the Truth of our Reason in its naked existence; but all second Principles from the exercise and improvement of it. How few be there that travel so far as their own Reason would guide them! or suffer that noble faculty to do what it would do! What unequal concerns have Mankind about Truth! 'Tis the Jewel and delight of some, 'Tis an absolute Drug to others. Some men make the Talent of their Reason ten Talents; o­others fold up their knowing faculty in the slumber of a drowzie sensuality. The great­est part of the World sit down satisfied with what they do know, not what they might know: And choose a lazy enjoyment of ig­norance and errour, rather then an inquisitive possession of Truth. Men are not only born of several Statures in the knowing part; but they continually render themselves so, by the various and different improvement of those abilities they possess. Thirdly, the faculty of our Reason it self renders all things capable of dispute and debate that are not bounded with visible contradiction to its own Being, [Page 76]and are beyond the limits of those primary Laws it necessarily gives to it self, and makes various determinations about all such disputa­ble matters, and very often where we may well suppose an equal ability on both sides, men differ about the same thing. The cause whereof must not be imputed to any innate defect in the rational Nature, as if God had made us with a lame faculty (for whoever denies the truth of that, must needs retort the lie to himself; because he has no other faculty to judge by) but the true Reason of it lies collaterally, either first, From the diffi­culty relative to our Reason, in the Objects 'tis conversant about, from whence may well be supposed to arise various and different Sen­timents: for all things are not in their own Nature capable of positive determinations; we meet with few things without some diffi­culty, but with very many things that great­ly pose us: with some things so much out of our reach that they exceed all bounds of com­prehension, are beyond the Verge of Problems, and serve only to shew us the limits of a finite understanding. Or Secondly, from the want of such perfect information, as is requisite to ground a compleat and perfect Judgment up­on: There being not a little share of uncer­tain guess and conjecture mingled with most [Page 77]of our Knowledge of things, which nothing but experience can deliver us from. Or Third­ly, (which is most general, and an undeniable evidence of Mans fall) From the Byass of some Interest or Concern whereby Men are engaged, or some natural propensity and in­clination they are born with, that opposeth and undiscernedly prevails over the true and genuine issues of Reason inslaves them to ap­petite, and sways the Judgment another way. 'Twas therefore a prudent observation that one made heretofore upon those various Sects that arose amongst the Philosophers in Graece, that Qui fuerunt ingenio severo, rigido, & moroso, querulo, & aroganti, ij Stoicismum suns amplecti, qui vero fuerunt ingenio molli, & stadiosi tranquillitatis & atij, ij fuerunt Epicurei, qui deni (que) fuerunt ingenio civili, modesto (que) & liberali, ij Peripateticorum Doctri­nam sunt secuti. And Aristotle in his Dis­course of the Summum Bonum, sayes, Ʋnum­quem (que) prout animo affectus est, ita de Summ [...] Rono judicare, atque inde oriri quod alij Sum­mum Bonum collecant in Divitiis, alij in Hono­ribus, alij in Voluptate. 'Tis from hence, and from those many other circumstantial impedi­ments we are liable to in all our rational de­terminations, and not from the faculty of our Reason in it self considered, that hath been [Page 78]derived that great variety of Judgment and Opinion whereby the World, in all the Ages of it, hath been divided.

Of this second sort of acquired and acci­dental Principles is Mens assent to and be­lief of the Scriptures, as a Book penned by Divine Inspiration, and being of extraordina­ry Mission from God. 'Tis not of those first born Principles of Reason, from which we cannot dissent without an apparent absurdity, and therefore is not within the compass of those first praerequisites to all debate and discourse, and the standing boundaries of all Ratiocination: but, is of such a Nature as admits mens doubts, quaeries and debates about it. And the absolute positive belief of it is not to be imposed upon any man, but all men reasoned and discoursed into an assent to it, upon such grounds as are most suitable to such a subject, and mens satisfaction about it. Natural Religion is born with men, and is connate with their Beings, and must be sup­posed. But all supernatural Religion is dis­coursed into men, and makes its entrance that way. Though it be true, that in all Sciences there must be some Principles grant­ed, yet they ought to be no other, nor need to be, then such as are general and com­mon to all Mankind, and such as lie ad­equate [Page 79]to every mans Reason: And not such as are only the property of one party, and are peculiar to men of one perswasion. When­ever men (in order to the founding of any Science) lay down positions and Principles upon which they proceed, if such Principles be beyond the first and common rudiments of every mans Reason, though in themselves never so true, yet they ought to be subject to debate, and admitted questionable in all Reasonings about that very Science. Not to admit some universal Maxims, is the way to make Mankind certain of nothing; and to admit any particular mens Opinions, as in­disputable Principles, is the way to inslave the World to every party. The Scriptures are the first Principles of Christians, but not of Men. The first of Christian Religion, but not of all Science: And therefore we ought to begin their Proof against all Antiscriptural opposition, from the common Notions of every mans Religion and Reason, and from thence induce an assent to their Divine and Sacred Authority; which we shall find God has made sufficiently evident to a rational and impartial inquiry.

Secondly, The Testimony given by the Holy Ghost in the Minds and Consciences of Men, to the Truth of the Scriptures (though it be the [Page 80]most convincing Evidence that can be given to them, and that way God is pleased to re­serve to himself of giving men an unquestion­able satisfaction about that, and all other Divine things yet) 'tis not to be urged in proof of the Scriptures, against its profes­sed Adversaries: And that upon two ac­counts.

First, Because the blessed Spirit it self is not a common demonstrable Principle amongst Mankind, and so cannot be made use of a­gainst those that know no such Testimony, nor admit the being of any such Principle. Nothing but what a man does assent to, can with any good Reason, be urged upon him to prove what he does not assent to. To go about to prove the Scriptures by any Evidence arising from the Holy Ghost must needs be visi­bly absurd; because there is no other way to prove that there is any such thing in Being as the Holy Ghost, but by the Scriptures themselves. So that what I am about to prove, must first be admitted before I can make good the existence of that Medium I take to prove it by.

Secondly, Whatever Evidence the Holy Ghost gives to any man, to assure him of the Truth of any proposition, that Evidence, as such, can never go beyond his own Breast, nor [Page 81]can I ever prove any thing by it, as it is a Di­vine and infallible Evidence; because such Evidence is no way Communicable to another but in an ordinary way. Nothing is visible to another in such cases, but the Reasons I can produce. The Divine illumination I have within my self to convince me that such Rea­sons are Cogent and prevailing, can never be so demonstrated as to convince another that has no such illumination. The illuminati­ons of the Holy Ghost in the Minds of Men are no other way to be conceived of, then that he is pleased to propose the right Grounds and Reasons upon which things are to be believed, and to convince and satisfie the understanding that they are so, and to bring men to acqui­esce in Conclusions by assertaining them of the Truth of the Premises. 'Twere Heterodox and false, and one of the worst sorts of En­thusiasme, to say, That Divine illumination were not always accompanied with rational Evidence. And that any thing were the pro­duct of the Holy Ghost in the Minds of Men, for which no Reason could be given, 'twere most unsuitable to a reasonable being, and most contrary to the manner of Gods deal­ing with Men; all the intercourse between God and Man being maintained by the truest exercise of our rational faculties, and no other­wise. [Page 82]Whoever rests assured from a Divine Testimony of the Truth of the Scriptures as coming from God, may deal with an An­tiscripturist by those Grounds and Reasons upon which such Testimony is built: But will vain­ly and to no purpose urge that satisfaction he receives of the validity of such Grounds and Reasons from such a Testimony, when that Testimony can be no further made Evident then by such Reasons and Arguments as he is able to produce for it, of the sufficiency of which every other Mans Reason, in an ordinary way, must necessarily be the Judge.

To this present undertaking, there ought also to be this praeliminary Consideration, that as there are divers Things of divers Na­tures, true, so there are various ways of ren­dring the Truth of them Evident, and Me­diums of proof proper and peculiar to each. This is visible in Aethicks, in Physicks, in Mathematicks, and in all other Sciences. When we discourse of the Bible, divers things will come in question, the Truth of which, by various Mediums of proof must be esta­blished. First, in the general, whether it be reasonable to believe that there should be any such Supernatural Law as this, sent from Heaven or no! This is to be cleared from the exercise of our own Reason, and the com­mon [Page 83]principles of such natural Religion as e­very man is born with. Secondly, whether this Book, as 'tis now proposed to us, be, in the Matter of it, such as is likely to come from God, and to be that Law by which the Su­preme Maker of all things would Rule and Judge the World! This must also be cleared from that Natural Divinity that lodges in eve­ry Mans own Breast, and those primary No­tions of God and Religion, which all unpre­judiced Reason assents to, and which are an­tecedently supposed to all discourses of Re­velation, and whatever is Supernatural. Thirdly, whether this Book was written by those Persons whose Names it bears, and in those Times wherein it avows it self to be written! Whether such Miracles were wrought! such Praedictions fulfilled! All things of that Nature (being matters of fact) must be proved to us by credible Testimonies, and by such means as can ascertain us about a matter of fact, and a thing long since past. He that demands to be satisfied about a matter of fact long since past, and yet denies to acquiesce in Historical Evidence, is so absurd, as at the same time to propose a Doubt, and re­solves against all way of Answer. Fourthly, whether this Book, as now we have it, be the same it was when it was first written! and have [Page 84]not been since corrupted or changed! The proof of this depends upon what may be rationally urged to make it credible, That this Book should still be secured by a Divine care, and to render the ways and means Historically Evi­dent, by which such a Divine care, in all Times and Ages, hath been exerted. And so, in all other things that may be in doubt about the Bible, there are proper induce­ments to our belief (as will appear hereafter) and such as the Nature of such a subject re­quires. And he that will not acquiesce in a belief of things upon the Evidence they are capable of (though perhaps, not so full and convincing as some other things will afford) declares himself to be obstinately willful and absurd. Nothing can now be urged in proof of the Bible, that will come under any sensi­ble demonstration. The proposal of this Book to the World to be received as a Law Divine, is not so made as by Mathematical Evidence, or gross visible absurdities in its denial, to introduce it self irresistably at the first sight. But this book is so proposed to our belief, as that all men, by a seri­ous and impartial consideration of the matter of it, and a due enquity into all the Circumstances attending it, may have ground sufficient to acquiesce in it [Page 85]as Divine, and judge it to be such as it self claims to be.

And that the Bible should be upon such terms and no other proposed to the belief of the World, seems highly reasonable, when we consider that God intends this book as the great SHIBBOLETH, by which he will try the World; that from the believing or not be­lieving of it, shall arise the great discrimination between Virtuous and Good Men, and such who free from the prevailing influence of corrupt and sensual Interests pursue the Ge­nuine dictates of right Reason, and improve those notions of Divinity they are born with, and others who either choose to be Sottish­ly Ignorant, or else wilfully to oppose what God had made in it self most suitable and corresponding to the Reason and Consci­ence of every unprejudiced Man. The truth is, our Assent, or not, to the Bible, is made a matter of Reward and Punishment. And therefore 'tis so proposed to our be­lief, that there may be a sufficient ground for both.

The way to this Discourse in hand being thus far cleared, I shall now prosecute the design of it, in this method. First I will in­deavour to render it a thing reasonable to be believed that there should be some supernatural [Page 86]Law revealed from God and given to man­kind (in order to their present and future happiness) as the great Guide and Rule of all their actions towards God and towards each other. And that 'tis not a reasonable suppo­sal that the world, in the posture we find it, should be left singly to the conduct of Nature. Secondly, That 'tis most rationally credible, upon all such grounds by which a judgment in this case ought to be established, That this Book we call the Bible is this Revealed Law su­peradded to our natural Light, and contains in it self that compleat Systeme of Divine Truth by which God will Informe, Rule, and Judge the World. And this I shall endeavour a proof of, from the matter of this Book it self, and from such external concomitants of it, as highly concur to create a belief of its Divine Authority. And lastly, propose all such considerable Doubts, Queries, and Difficulties as the minds of men are usually busied withall about this Matter. And attempt their Satis­faction therein.

To make the first thing proposed evident, that 'tis Reasonable to believe, in the gene­ral, that God should give us some further di­rection then what our Natural Light will af­ford us: That he should promulge some Super­natural Law to the world: Let these several [Page 87]things following be duely considered. First, What wretched and dismal Ignorance has the world been in, yea the wisest and best parts of it, and in what disagreement with it self about all parts of Religion, where this supernatural Law hath been either not known or not recei­ved! How sadly hath that inbred principle of Religion wherewith all men are born, been seduced and mislead, where there has been no­thing supernatural to guide and direct it! The natural notion of a Deity has corrupted into all folly and vanity, and men have formed Re­ligions not only hateful to God, but at last nauseous to themselves. Devotion, men still had, to somewhat above them, but they knew not well how to express it. The Wisest saw reason enough to scorn their own Religion, but knew not how to compose a better. Some went farr in the Negative, in saying what ought not to be, that then was, amongst them­selves, but none ever attained to a certain directory of what should be. When we view over the utmost products of all humane abili­ties, and the greatest discoveries at any time made by natural light, we shall find the world without Revelation to have been greatly de­fective in these three things. First, in their Divinity, in their conceptions of the Deity, and their Worship of him. Secondly, In the [Page 88]account they gave to themselves of the worlds first Production and of the Origine of things. Thirdly, In their Morality, and in their Ethi­cal Institutes of humane life, and the converse of mankind together. First, In their Divi­nity. Varro ranks all the Heathen Theology under three heads, Their Fabulous and Histori­cal Theologie, Their Natural and Mystical Theology, Their Civil and Political Theolo­gy, which he also calls Mythical, Physical, and Civil. The first came from their Poets, and contains such a Rapsody of Nonsense and Folly, as the like to it hath not, upon any occasion, nor upon any subject, been collected since the world began; That one God was born from a Mans Head, another from a Mans Thigh, a third from some drops of Blood. That some Gods were Thieves, others Adulterers, others Servants to Men, with multitudes of such ab­surd and ridiculous fictions. The Second sort came from their Wise men, and from their Philosophers. They dispute what the Gods are! Where they are! And whence they are! And amongst them, we find an endless diver­sity, and most stupendious folly; some ma­king the gods to consist of Fire, some of Numbers, others of Atoms, and by their My­stical Divinity interpreting Jupiter to Fire, Juno to Earth, Pluto to Air, Nestis to Water, [Page 89]and others of their Gods to the several parts of the World, with many other so gross and notorious absurdities, that Justin Martyr tells the Graecians that the Divinity of their Philoso­phers, Multo sit quam Poctarum Theologia at (que) de Diis doctrina ridiculosior, is much more absurd then that of their Poet. The third sort relates it self to the Laws and Customes of particular Cities and Countreys, by which they ordered their Priests what Gods they should worship! at what Times, and Seasons! and upon what occasions, what Sacrifices, and Services! and all things relating to the exercise of their Religion, both upon the Stages in their Thea­tres, and also in their Temples. For in the one, they represented their Gods, and had Plaies acted in honour to them, as a part of Religion, and in the other they Worshipped them. In all which we find them shedding the blood one of another, and offering most inhumane sacrifices, and a numberless multi­tude not only of childish and foolish, but pro­fane and impious, obscene and lascivious rites and ceremonies. If we look back as farr as any Heathen Records will carry us, and view over the Barbarous Nations of the world (for so the Graecians were pleased to call all but themselves according to that of Varro, Barbarae sunt omnes nationes praeter Graecos) the Phaeni­cians, [Page 90]the Caldaeans, the Egyptians, and such others as we have any account of in story, we shall find them lost in a strange mist of Igno­rance, about all points of Religion, and we shall find Idolatry to be an Early as well as an Epidemical disease. The worship of the Su [...] beginning probably not long after the Babylo­nian dispersion. And the Caldaans, who are upon good grounds supposed to be the first people that associated themselves into a na­tional government after the stood, hasted a­pace into all kind of Idolatry. Bell or Bel [...] (for it is the same Name) the next successo [...] of Nimred and first King of Babel after him being Canonized for a Daemon and Deifyed b [...] them after his death. It has fill'd some Vo­lumes with tedious and nauseous vanities, the Narrative of the Divinity and Mythology o [...] those and other Nations, the Names and Derivations of their Gods (the most Rationa [...] of, which were the Sun, Moon and Stars) wit [...] all their wild and fabulous Theological inven­tions and fancies about the worship and servic [...] of them. This we find by the most Ancien [...] writers of their own, and have also a large ac­count thereof in Diodorus Siculus, the firs [...] that made a collection of general History, and (as Eusebius says of him) was Vir ap [...] Gracos clarissimus, quippe qui Universam Histo­riam [Page 91]ad unum commodissime corpus collegit. Nor was this ignorance and blindness where­with the world, in its more barbarous condi­tion was benighted, any way Cured by the increase of Knowledge and the propogation of humane Science: But Idolatry grew up with Philosophy. The Number of their gods increased with their Philosophers. The more they knew, the more gods they worshipped. The more men improved toward the utmost strength of humane abilities, the more visi­ble was their impotency about Divine things, and the more did principles of superstition and idolatry expatiate themselves amongst Man­kind. The Reason of which seems to be, that being unable by their natural enquiries, to arrive at a right knowledge of the true God, and a Certainty in Divine things, their contemplations did but multiply their mistakes, and mens greatest abilities proved but a proli­sick Nursery of Errours. Yea, the more de­votion they had from a clearer knowledg of a deity in general, and the farther discovery they made of a state of mankind after this life, the more propense they were to an universal Apostacy to all the ills of Superstition and Idolatry, by representing false Images of those things to themselves, and dilating those Apprehensions into Multiplied Objects both [Page 92]of Fancy and Sence, having no clear and fix­ed notions whereby to rescue themselves from their own fluctuations about those mat­ters.

That we call Learning (which is nothing else but acquired Knowledg resulting from the improvement of our rational faculties) if we consider its rise, 'tis not to be doubted but that the several parts of it had their first preductions from the Nations the Graecians caled barbarous, and were begun amongst them as the position of each Countrey, and the inclination of each people variously led to them. If we consider the progress learning hath taken, it came from all other parts, and first concenter'd in Graece, removed thence to Rome, and in the Declension of that Empire, diffused it self into all these European parts of the World. To make the Graecians the first Authors of it, as some do, and to derive it originally from them, is to abuse the World with a false and fictitious pretention, as if all the rational part of the World had been in a Lethargie but themselves, and all mens in­tellectuals had lain in a Trance, and been first awakened in Graece. 'Tis true, that what lay scatter'd in several hands, was their first eminently united, and greatly improved by the singular abilities and industry of their Phi­losophers; [Page 93]but to all parts of the known world were they indebted for the general grounds of their Knowledge. Ab omnibus fere Barba­ris Artes & utilia ad vitam Documenta Graecos didicisse, sayes Eusebius. And he tells us af­ter, their Astronomy they had from the Chal­deans, their Geometry from the Egyptians (with­out doubt the most learned of all the barbarous Nations) their Letters from the Phaenicians, and the notion of one God from the Hebrews. Clemens Alex. sayes, Vita me deficiet si velim sigillatim Graecorum furta persequi. Stromat. Pag. 149. Two famous benefactors they had that all Story makes visible: Cadmus who first brought them the inestimable Treasure of Letters, and instructed them in the Phaenician Religion and Learning, and Orpheus, who in­structed them in all the Egyptian Knowledg. Some of themselves, as Democritus, Hera­clitus, Pythagoras, and others who travelled much into remote parts, acknowledg the great Forreign helps they received: But especially Plato, of whom Clemens Alex. sayes, Clarum est autem semper inveniri Platonem magni facere barbaros, utqui meminisset se & Pythagoram plu­rima ea (que) praestantissima & nobilissima dogmata didicisse apud Barbaros. Stromat Lib. 1. Lactan­tius tell us, that Pythagoras, and after him Plato, were so inquisitive after Truth, that [Page 94]they travelled into Egypt and Persia, and other Countreys to be informed of their Religion and Learning, and wonders they never went to the Jews. Which if you believe Strabo, Pythagoras did; for he tells us, that Pythago­ras went into Jewry and dwelt a long time at Mount Carmel. Aristotle plainly owns the rise of Phylosophy to be forreign to Graece, and sayes, Persis, Magos, Babylonijs & Assyriss Caldaos, Indis Gymnosophistas, Celtis seu Gallis Druidas, & qui Semnothei appellabantar, ejus rei fuisse Authores. Many of the Graecians we know boast much to the contrary: Dioge­nes Laertius in the beginning of his Works, seems more positive against it then any; for for he tels us, that such who think other Na­tions, before the Graecians, began to Philosophiz [...], Per imprudentiam Graecorum recte facta inven­taque Barbaris applicant, ab ijs enim non solum Philosophia, verum ipsum quo (que) humanum ge­nus initio manavit. Two things well joyned, and of equal credibility; the latter as proba­ble as that fabulous tradition amongst the E­gyptians, That Mankind came first out of Egypt, and were there originally produced by the River Nile: And the former against the best and most ancient History, and positively disproved by some of the chiefest Graecian Philosophers themselves. Nor are the Reasons he gives [Page 95]after for it, so considerable, that they de­serve either to be confuted or named.

Whatever could be done without superna­tural help, by the Wisdom and industry of Men, seems to be attained to between that time wherein Learning flourished in Graece, and the declension of the Roman Empire. The most famous Men that the World hath had, for all natural acquirements flourishing in that compass of time in Graece and in Rome. And yet there needs no greater or other Evi­dence of mans defect without Revelation, then the Records of those very times. If we con­sider, first, how mean, confused, and un­certain an account they gave of the first cause of things, and of the Origine of the World. Thales Miletius the founder of the Ionick School, who was Antiquissimus Sapientum in Graece, and the first Author amongst them of that Science they afterwards called Natural Philosophy, and came nearest to the Story of Moses, he derived all things from Water. Re­rum omnium principium dixit esse Aquam; ex Aqua nam (que) omnia existere, & in Aquam re­solvi omnia. Following therein Homer the great Prophet of Graece (whose Books were indeed the great Pagan-Bible, and from whom not only most of the Gracian Religion, but most of all the Heethen Theology was after de­rived) [Page 96]for he makes the Sea the common Pa­rent of all things.

Year, of the Gods themselves; for he de­rives their Pedigree no higher.

Anaximander, his Successor, he thought the World came from no one particular thing, but that all things had their proper and sin­gular beginnings, which he held to be Infi­nite, and that Infinite Worlds were thereby begotten, all which had their successive Ori­ginal, Continuance and End. Anaximenes he thought all things came from Air, Ex Aere omnia fieri, & in hunc desinere omnia. Hera­clitus ascribed all to Fire, thought all things came first from Fire, and would revert to Fire again. Pythagoras, the Author of the Italick Philosophy, and the first introducer of the Name of Philosophy, according to Laertius; And as Clemens Alex. tells us, the first that took the Name of a Philosopher upon himself; which St. Austin sayes he did out of modesty, refu­sing to be called a Wise man (which every Philosopher was before but chose rather to stile himself a lover of Wisdom; he ascribed all [Page 97]things to Numbers. 'Twere endless to men­tion all the absurd and contradictory specula­tions the Philosophers had about this matter. The three best of all the Philosophers, who successively instructed each other, and attain­ed to the top of the Graecian Literature, Socra­tes, Plato, and Aristotle: What a Cloud did those elevated understandings set in about these matters! Socrates (so far as we can judg of him by what his Scholars have collected of his, for he wrote nothing himself saw so great vanity in the Sentiments of all the Philosophers about these things, & withall was so convinc'd of his own inability to come to a right compre­hension of them, that he applied himself chiefly to Morality, waved all disputings about them, as uncertain and no way satisfying, and made his business to instruct men in the Rules of good living, and to withdraw them from such speculations wherein he found they had been ever benighted and lost; which doubtless was the wisest resolve by far that any of them ever came to, it being a singular part of prudence to be silent in that about which we are Ignorant. And in this particular happily he made good what the Oracle said of him, Mortalium unus Socrates vere sapit. Plato asserts three first Principles of all things, Deum, Materiam, & Idaeam. Deum Conditorem omnium; Mate­riam [Page 98]autem primariae rerum genitarum genera­tioni subjacentem, & Causam occasionem (que) Deo creationis praebentem; Ideam porro Creaturae cu­jus (que) exemplar. And sometimes adds a fourth, Animam universalem. Aristotle makes but two Principles, Deum & Materiam. And in­deed so contradicted the former Hypothesis of Plato, and so little agreement was there in those things between them (though he had been his Scholer from fifteen) that Plato com­plains, He kicked at him as Foals use to do at their Dames that have bred them up. Some thought the World Eternal without a Deity. Aristotle he thought it Eternal with a Deity, and that the World flowed naturally from the Divine Being, as light does from the Sun. Nor indeed was there any one Philosopher a­mongst them all, but held that the matter of the World in some posture or other (about which they much differed) was Eternal, as well as the Deity it self. And therefore one of the Ancients sayes, Omnes Philosophi in his consenserunt semper, prater Deum ab omni Eter nitate aliquid fuisse. In this all Philosophers have agreed, that there was somewhat else be­sides God from all Eternity. They never admitted the matter of the World could possi­bly come originally from Divine Potentiality, and so from nothing; if you respect matter, [Page 99]that Maxim, Fieri é nihilo nihil, in nihilum nil posse reverti, was universal amongst them, and still confined by them all to the notion of mat­ter.

For Divinity, no parts of the world, before or since, ever produced a farther Corruption therein then Greece and Rome, in their greatest splendor. They made Gods of all parts of the World, and of themselves living and dead. Idolatry was then in its Meridian. That natu­ral notion men have of a Deity has been in no Age of the World more notoriously de­bauched to the very dregs of all false worship, then in those knowing times. Whatever they generally loved or feared, fancied and not un­derstood, that they were sure to Adore. Their backs were bowed down with an ignorant im­plicite reverence to what they knew not, and so their Devotions proved as ruinous to them as their Vices. 'Twas their Religion in Graece that made men turn Atheists, and made that learned Countrey the first Soyl that ever Atheisme grew in. 'Twas so grosly absurd, and their Poets had made it so ridiculous, that it became lothsome to the most intelligent part of themselves. At Athens so blind were they in their Devotion, and withall so con­fused with the multiplicity of their own Dei­ties, not sometimes knowing which to apply [Page 100]to, that they inscribed Altars to the unknown God (by which they fell accidentally into the worship of the true God, before they were aware: for the unknown God, amongst them, [...] indeed the true God) The occasion of [...] [...]uch we find in Laertius, in the life of Epi­menides, who he sayes, in the time of the great Plague that was at Athens, Oves allas & nigras in Areopagum adduxit, ac dimissis deinde quo ire vellent auctor suit, ut ubi illi recubuissent ibi Sacrificarent [...]. These Altars are likewise mentioned by Pausanias, Lib. 1. and by Phylostratus, Lib. 6. Such Altars so in­scribed also they had in Rome, upon the occa­sion of an Earthquake there, when they knew not which of their Gods to apply to, as appears by Agelli. Lib. 11. Chap. 28. In Rome, their Religion was growen to that height of absur­dity, that one tels us in Cicero, the Roman Priests themselves did to such a degree, con­temn their own Devotions and Ceremonies, that they could scarce forbear smiling at each other when they met in the Streets. 'Twere strange to believe God should be pleased with what Men mockt at themselves. Cotta in Cicero's Books de Nat. Deor. sayes plainly, Reli­gions must be continued as they were first insti­tuted for the safety of Common-Wealths, but that otherwise all wise people laughed at those [Page 101]Mysteries. Never any man scorn'd any thing more than Caesar himself did his own gods, and as Tertullian observes, pleased himself often, in that he was able to make his gods feel the power of his anger. What a Childish folly 'twas then to believe that a Roman Consul lost his whole Army, because he slighted the feed­ing of some young Chickens! or that Marcus Crassus was therefore slain by the Parthians, because he despised some fopperies of Atteius! If we look off from their publick Religion, and the general practice of their Divinity, and take a view of what the Wisest and Best thought, what a poor product were all their Notions, compared with the Bible! What a Midnight were men in, in respect of Religion, in that clear Sunshine of Humane Knowledge! Socrates, who saw the furthest of any man in the Age wherein he lived, into the vanity of the Hea­then Theology, and died for a pretended Con­tempt of it, for the Charge that Melius, one of his Accusers brought against him at Athens, as Laertius sayes, was, Jura violat Socrates, quos ex majorum instituto suscepit Civitas, Deos esse negans, alia vero nova Demonia inducens. The first Philosophical Martyr that we read of, has yet left but little better Divinity behind him: Nor can I perceive he had any design or ability to reform the World that way; for [Page 102]he Answers his Charge by a flat denial, as appears by his Apology in Plato (and his whole carriage sufficiently assures us 'twas out of choyce, and not out of fear that he did so) Sometimes also, before, he advised others to content themselves with the Religion of the Countrey they lived in. And we find like­wise in Plato, how uncertain and doubtful he was about that great point of the Soul's Im­mortality, and a future state of Men after this life, and could determine nothing with him­self positively about it, though he seems to incline that way, and to think it the more probable opinion that the Soul is Immortal: Much in the same way that Cicero speaks of it in his Tusculane Questions, who gives it but a probability: And as Plato does in his Phaed, who sayes in the Conclusion of his discourse, that he is not certain about it, nor will not be confident of it. 'Twas doubtless a high de­gree of uncertainty in his thoughts about those matters that made him say, He knew not whe­ther 'twere better to dye or to live, and that 'twas a foolish thing to be troubled about that of which we have no certain Know [...]edge, whether it be to be desired or feared. And when he came near to his end, he expressed great contentment in the hopes of being with Hercules and Pala­medes in the next World; but still qualified [Page 103]those Hopes with this doubtfull Parenthesis (In case the Soul be not extinguished with the Body) He chose indeed to be rather a good Moralist, and to deal in those Notions wherein he found some certainty, then to attempt much in the speculative part of Divinity, being wholly unable to frame any satisfactory Notions to himself about the Being of God and Divine Worship. He often plainly declares that of the Nature of God, and the business of ano­ther World he was wholly ignorant, and ma­ny of the wisest Philosophers acknowledged as much, and thought those things utterly be­yond the reach of all Humane Knowledge, all Notions about them to be full of uncertainty, and therefore chose to submit to the Vulgar Sentiments, rather then perplex themselves with doubtful and unsatisfying Speculations, and run the hazard of contradicting the pub­lick Religion of those Countreys where they lived. Plato the famous Divine Philosopher, who exceeded all the Graecian Philosophers, as much in the Speculative part of Religion, as Socrates did in the Practick, though there was more true Divinity uttered by him then by any of the Philosophers (where he first had it, is not hard to determine) yet attended with marvellous vanities, and intollerable Errours.'Tis not easie to forbear smiling in [Page 104]reading over the account he gives of the Crea­tion of the World (the matter of which he makes to be Eternal) the fabulous conceits he has about that and many other things of that Nature, 'twould tire out any ordinary patience to read. A great promoter he was of that gross Idolatry of Damon-Worship; for he sayes, That when men die, their Souls become Daemons, and if their merits be good, they are Lares, if Evil, Lemures, if different, Manes. Of which St. Austin gives a large account, De Civ. Dei lib. 9. Ch. 11. Though he speak much of one God, yet himself then (as all the Platonists since) held that many gods are to be Worshiped; and in his Timaeus, he calls Saturn, Ops; Juno, and others Gods; and sayes, the Daemons and Heroe's are to be Sacrificed to, and the good Estate of the City commended to them. Cicero observes likewise, out of his Timaeus, that he spake with great obscuri­ty and uncertainty about this one God. Some­times calling him an Eternal Mind, And some­times calling the Sun, Moon, and Stars, & all parts of the World, the Souls of men, and whatever the Heathens worshipped Gods. And at last concludes, that the whole of his Principles, per se sunt falsa, & sibi invicem repugnantia, Are in themselves false, and self contradictious. Aristotle, that great Luminary of the Rational [Page 105]World, a man of a most sagacious wit, who tra­velled with such unparallel'd success through all the Theorems of Nature, and all parts of Humane Knowledge, what Mushrom-Divi­nity has he left behind him! With what ob­scurity, uncertainty, and confusion with himself, has he spoke of those two great fun­damentals of all Religion, the Being of God, and the Immortality of the Soul! to such a degree that many of his Disciples since have avowed that he denied the latter. If out of Aristotles Books we should but extract a Mo­del of his Religion, it might be for a Monument of wonder, that such a Giant in all Natural Knowleage should die such a Child in Divinity. Cicero, who carried the Top-Sail of Learning in the Age wherein he lived, to whom the elder Pliny gave this Testimony, That he only had a Wit equal to the greatness of the Roman Empire, why did not he compose a right Systeme of Divinity; and leave a good account of those things to posterity behind him? from whom might we with more Reason, have expected it? he designing the Nature of the Gods, and Divinity for his Subject? In the beginning of his Book, he tells us with what unequal Sentiments men had debated those matters! Some of the Philosophers doubted whether there were any Gods, as Protagoras; [Page 106]Some possitively affirmed there were none, as Diagoras and Theodorus Cyrenaicus, [...]i vero Deos esse dixerunt, tanta sunt in varietate ac dissentione constituti, ut corum molestum sit an­numerare Sententias. Nam & de siguris Deo­rum, & de locis, at (que) sedibus, & Actione vitae, multadicuntur. De (que) his summa Philosophorum dissentione certatur. And those (says he) that do ac­knowledge the Being of the Gods, have such vari­ous and different Opinions about them, that 'twere an extreme trouble to reckon them up; For, about the shape of the Gods, their imployments, and what they do, and the places where they are, there are endless dissentions amongst the Philosophers. Now, why did not he, out of all the several Sentiments of the Philosophers, Compose a true notion of his own? unite their differences? and rectifie their mistakes by one common Truth? instead whereof we find him doing little else but repeating their various opinions; which amount to no less in number then four or five and twenty (and in Diogenes Laertius there is good store more) and generally con­demning them all as false and extravagant, unworthy the names of their Authors, other­wise famous and learned men; and at last sits down finding his own inability for so impra­cticable a task, and has left the World not much more informed then they were before in [Page 107]that point. The Sum of his three Books of the Nature of the Gods, is indeed a perfect Condemnation of the whole Pagan Religion; for, he sayes directly, All their Gods were but Men: and reckons up their Ages, their Garments, their Children, their Ancestors, their Alliances, and plainly confesseth their Tem­ples were their Tombs, and their Sacrifices and Ceremonies, representations of their Lives, and the whole of their Religions, Su­perstition and Vanity. But when he came to speak of the Supreme Deity that made all things; yea, the Heathen gods themselves, he openly declares his own Ignorance, and says he can sooner admire then utter any thing, and better declare what the Deity is not, then what it is: And concludes upon the whole. Ʋti­nam tam facile veram Religionem invenire possim, quam falsam convincere. I would I could as easily find out true religion, as discover that which is false. Himself, Socrates, and some others of the wisest of them, saw far into the Im­potency of their own Religion; but I could never yet find that any of them arrived at any ability to compose a better. Nor can any man in any Age be produced that (without Revelation) has been able to give the world aright or satisfying information about the Being of God, and the Truth of Divine things. [Page 108]It having been in fact according to what is ob­served by the most excellent Mornay in his dis­course De veritate Relig. Christ. Deni (que) evolve quaecun (que) a Priscis mundi sapientibus. To be short (says he) Amongst all the things which the Wise men of the World have written here and there of the Service of God ye may hap to find some one good saying, in a hundred years, and some one other in another hundred: But when ye have gathered them all together as diligently as you can, yet shall ye be able to make of them nei­ther Rules nor Grounds nor scarcely good Pro­blems. So greatly is man, by his corruption, both blinded in things concerning God, and help­less in things that concern his own welfare.

Tis true, that many points of the Christian Religion, especially the three Grand Funda­mentals of it, The Being of God, his Provi­dence and Rule over the World, and the Immor­tality of the Soules of men, have been even through these Heathen Ages, two ways ac­knowledged and justified. First, Implicitely and more Remotely, by the general and most corrupt practice of the Ethnick-Religion. What greater proof can there be of a God, and that the World still thought there was something above them, then their grossest Ido­latry? All Idolatry apparently taking its rise from the corruption of mens natural notion of [Page 109]the True God. What meant their Imaginary Deities for every business, and for every part of the World, and their applications to them upon all occasions, to seek their favour, and appease their anger, but that they supposed a Supreme Disposal of things, and that the World was Ruled by a Divine Providence? And what signified all their fictions about Hea­ven and Hell, and their adoration of Daemons, and the worship of dead mens Souls, which they made to be Mediators to the Gods, and variously called them Lemures, Lares, Manes, Larvae, some of which (if they were the Souls of their friends) they fancied, stayed about their Houses and Dwellings for their protection; others were more at Large; some were good Daemons and above: Others Infernal and Below, as appears by that of the Poet.

Whence came all this, but from an obscure confused notion of mens existence after this Life, and a belief of the Souls Immortality?

In the second place, more expressly and ex­plicitly, from the Judgment of some particu­lar persons amongst them, who have uttered here and there some fragments of Truth, and have sometimes spoken in justification of [Page 110]these Main Points. So Plato and others have spoken somewhat of One God (Though it ought to be noted that the Being of One God was never generally and distinctly acknow­ledged in any Heathen Country, nor was there ever a Law made in any Heathen State to esta­blish the Being and Worship of one God. Nay, some have supposed that no particular Person did ever purely by Natural Light, determine that there was but one God: But that such who have spoken of it had it from a Tradition ori­ginated in Revelation. So says a Learned Au­thor in reproch of the Grecian and Romane Learning, That setting aside what they learnt out of Egypt, they could never, by themselves, determine whether there were many Gods or but One) Cicero, Plutarch, and others, have spoken fully about Providence, and others of them have said much to justifie the souls Im­mortality; so much has been acknowledged in the Heathen World, that the sparks of Di­vine Truth, though under much Rubbish, have been there secretly kept alive, and so much as does sufficiently assure us that the great Fundamentals of the Christian Profession are most Suitable to the Rational Nature, do only Rectify its Depravations; and have been some way witnessed unto, in the darkest times; And to that end we often make use of their [Page 111] Testimony. But 'tis not imaginable that God should leave the world without any further dis­covery of himself their chiefest good, or any further direction toward an eternal happiness which is mans chiefest end, then what we find the world (without Revelation) has attained to: Nor can there be a stronger evidence of the necessity of some Revelation, then the con­dition the world has been in without it. The whole of the Heathen Divinity having been, some way or other, tainted, and is reducible to one of these three heads, either erroneous, uncertain, or imperfect. Most of it erroneous, much of it uncertain, but all of it imper­fect.

If we enquire how mankind came to be be­nighted as they have been in these things of greatest concernment, How such a flood of Idolatry and Superstition came to overslow the Gentile-world! Two things ought to be considered in order to the satisfaction of such an enquiry. First, the Internal Cause of it, And secondly, the External Means by which it hath been brought about. The Internal Cause of it hath layn in two things. First, An Insussiciency in our Natural Abilities, since the Fall, to ascertain us fully about Divine things, and to give a satisfying answer to all those enquiries we naturally make about [Page 112]them; Secondly, the general ill improve­ment the world has made of those abilites it had, and the universal Declension and Apostacy of mankind from that knowledg they might have arrived at. For the first, Though the Being of God and the existence of a Supreme Power be witnessed to, by every mans Rea­son, and every man be born with a relation to somewhat Above him, and there be many Maximes of Natural Divinty connate to the true exercise of our rational faculties, yet there be two things can never be attained by any Natural search. First, A certain know­ledg What God is! And Secondly a certain knowledg How he is to be Served! Neither a Satisfying account of the Nature of his Be­ing, nor of a Worship acceptable to him, is to be compassed, without Revelation. About these two things, when men have had no­thing told them from Heaven to fix them, their Opinions have been as various as their In­ventions. The grosser part of the world (God being onely an Intellectual Object, whom they could not see) generally fell to conceive of him by what they did see. Ci­cero himself confessing that when we come to consider Qualis sit Deorum Natura, Nihil est dificilius quam a consuctudine oculorum, aciem mentis abducere. Lib. 2. de Nat. Dear. And [Page 113]the more Refined part lost themselves in a Wilderness of Abstracted Speculations about what they could never distinctly comprehend. For the Second, 'Tis plain, a great part of the Heathen Idolatry arose, not only from their Mistakes in what they could not know, but from a corrupt defection from what they might know. Those Notices their own na­tural abilities gave them of God, thwarting their Sensual Inclinations, they delighted not to retain such a knowledg of God in their minds, but willingly turned aside to Delu­sion, left the guide of their Reason, and chose the conduct of Appetite. The Stupen­dious folly of their Religions, is as a Thou­sand witnesses to this Truth, That they lived not only below the true Knowledg of the one God, but farr beneath the exercise of Right Reason. For though I am apt to believe that a Supernatural knowledg does much instruct us in the true extent of what is meerly Natural, and does much inkindle our natural Light, and we see many things now to be attainable by Nature, which the world (so farr as I can discerne) never found out without Revela­tion. Yet 'tis not credible that a Rational Being (without some way extinguishing the dictates of his own faculty) should make a God of that which he himself knew to be but [Page 114]a Perishing Creature, or should think to please a being of such perfections as every mans Rea­son must needs ascribe to God, by debasing himself before the Meanest parts of the World.

Secondly, If we consider the External means by which these Internal Causes have operated, and how all that Rubbish of Pagan Theology hath been visibly induced to defile and cumber the world, from five things chief­ly we may derive it. First, From a corrupt Tradition of the Worlds first original, and the History of the Creation, and the Flood, and many passages both before and after the Flood, which Noah and his family first con­veyed down to the world in its Repeopling, and the Jews from Moses afterward inform'd them off. This appears to have been a great rise to many of the Heathen Superstions and Vanities, and most especially amongst the Phaenicians, much of whose Religion seems to be a plain corruption of those original Truths, and an apparent Mythology upon the True Hi­story of things before and after the Flood, as appears by Diodorus Sicubus, and more ancient­ly by their own famous Antiquary Sanconiathon, in the Version of Philo Biblius. The occasion of which corruption in the Tradition of those things was, probably, the Confusion of Tongues [Page 115]at first, the great increase of Barbarisme after, the proud desire every Nation had to apply all Traditional Stories of famous persons to some of themselves; with many other Reasons which Scaliger, Bochart, and other Learned men give for it. Secondly, From the Ficti­ons of the Poets, who 'tis clear, were the first beginners of all the Graecian Learning, and were therefore anciently called in Graece [...] Teachers, and as Strabo says (and I thinks, upon very good grounds) were also the first beginners of all the ancientest Learning every where. All other Speech, whether Historical or Rhetorical, being but the progeny of Poetry, the Ancients knowing no other artificial or set form of speech but what was in Verse; and therefore, as the same Author saies, Poetry was anciently called Prima quaedam Philosophia. These fill'd the World with innumerable Fa­bles, Mythologized upon every thing, and did greatly promote their Theological Vanities and the Corruption of all true Story. Thirdly, From the wild Speculations and multiplied Theories of the Philosophers (of whom there were some hundreds of Sects) which served greatly to Puzzle and Mis-lead men. There being, as Cicero saies, no Absurdity but had some Philosopher for its Patron. Fourthly, From their Oracles, by which the world lay [Page 116]subjected to all Diabolical delusions. And fifthly, from their corrupt Legislators, such as Numa in Rome, and others, who finding the World Sequacious in point of Religion, and Mankind apt to adore every fiction, im­posed upon their belief whatever they thought most conducing to their own Politick Ends.

Nor has the World without Revelation, been free from defects in its Morals, though Men attained far therein, and their Morality much outwent their Divinity. Cicero wrought with much better success de Officiis, then he he did de Nat. Deorum, yet the Bible has great­ly improved the world herein. Let any man extract the most exact Scheme he can of Mora­lity out of the best Philosophers, and the acutest Moralists, and compare it with the Doctrine the Bible proposeth to us about those things, and the defects of it will be visible. Amiraldus observes in his Treatise of Religions, That scarce can there be found any Common-Wealth amongst those which have been esteemed the best policyed, in which some Grand and Sig­nal Vice has not been excused, or permitted, or even sometimes recommended by publick Laws. Plato makes a Community of Women, one of the fundamental Constitutions of his Republick. Socrates and Cato I think are agreed to be two [Page 117]as famous Moralists as ever were in Graece or in Rome. Cato the great exemplar for Virtue and Justice amongst the Romans, and Socrates the Phoenix of Graece for Virtue and Piety, of whom Xenophon gives this admirable account in his Book De Socratis memorabilibus dictis, Nemo autem unquam Socratem implum q [...]iddam & irreligiosum aut facere vidit, aut dicere audi­vit. No man ever heard Socrate speak, or ever saw him do a wicked and irreligious thing (that is, according to the conceptions they then had of those things) Himself the first Author of Ethicks, and the first that contemned the fruitless Speculations of the Philosophers about other things, and reduced Men to the Do­ctrines of Morality: So sayes Laertius of him, Animadvertens autem naturalis speculationis, fructum nullum esse, eam (que) ad officia vitae nihil esse necessariam, invenit primus Ethicen de (que) illa & in Officijs, & in Publico, quotidie Phi­losophans, ea potius inquirenda hortabatur, quae mores instituerent, & quorum usus domi esses ne­cessarius. Yet these two famous Vertuoso's were no better principled in Morality, but that they could part with their Wives un­to others, for their own advantage. And therefore Tertullian in his Apology, cries out in derision of them, O famous example of a Graecians Wisdom and Roman Severity! [Page 118]A Philosopher and a Censor make a shameful Trade of their Wives Chastity. Aristotle and Cicero both commend Revenge as a Laudable part of Magnanimity. Self-murder in many cases, was generally allowed off by the best of their Casuists. One thing of great worth in it self, and of most general use amongst Man­kind, we are upon the matter wholly obliged to Divine Revelation for; That excellent Virtue of Humility has not a footstep to be found amongst them: nor is there a word of true Solf-denial in their best Ethicks. Nay, the contrary Vice had a share with their Vir­tues. Pride and Self-esteem was a disease Epi­demical amongst them, and seems wholly in­curable by any notions they had. Some arri­ved to that impudence to compare themselves with, nay, prefer themselves before their own gods. 'Twas either a horrible folly to Deifie what they Postponed to their own Self­estimation, or else 'twas a stupendious effect of their Pride to prefer themselves before the gods they Worshipped. Never any man a­mongst them proposed the Honour of their own Gods, as the chief end of their Actions, nor so much as dreamt of any such thing; 'Tis Evident the best of them in their best Actions, reflected still back to themselves, and determi­nated there; designed to set up a Pillar, to exalt [Page 119]their own fame & reputation, & to bring home a large Revenue of Glory and esteem to their own names: especially before the Gospel was extant, from the light of which 'tis probable e­ven the Heathen Philosophers themselves did in many things rectifie their Morals in after times.

Nor is it unworthy our notice, upon how much safer and surer foundations the power of Princes and Magistrates is established by the Doctrine of the Scriptures, then what we find it was by any other Laws. With what posi­tive indispensable strictness is mens subjection to Authority commanded! Not the least allowance for any Opposition to be made by private men against their Superiours. The worst Princes have a just claim to our submissi­on; when we cannot actually obey, we are positively obliged quietly to suffer. We find the World governed by much looser Principles amongst the best of the Heathen, and Authority exercised upon much unsafer terms. 'Twas ordinary with them to rebel a­gainst Authority, if they thought it not well exercised; and to lay violent hands upon such as they had a mind to call tyrants and invaders of the Peoples liberties. Nothing more fre­quent in their Writings then the highest En­comiums of those that murdered and assassinated men in highest Authority. And nothing [Page 120]more common in their Cities, then the Statues of such to perpetuate their Memory. What superlative praises of those that slew the Ty­rants of Thebes are transferred to posterity! Nay, that odious and detestable murder of Julius Caesar is so justified and applauded by Cicero himself, as if Brutus and his Complices had been sent from the Gods to do it; and yet in truth scarce did the Sun ever afford its light to a viler Action, and the Sequel of it sufficiently testified Gods high displeasure with such a Barbarous Assassination: for the peo­ple of Rome in general exchanged their Con­dition from better to much worse, and by the absoluteness and severity of three or four sharp Masters, felt an oppression far beyond even the most popular complaints of that kind against Caesar. And for the Murderers themselves, it fared much with them as it did with the ac­cusers of Socrates. Every one of them came to an untimely and remarkable End: And some of them (as the antients have been curious to observe) slew themselves with the very same Swords wherewith they had assaulted him, and became their own Executioners with those in­dividual weapons, by which they effected their malice against his noble person. The Laws of the Gospel greatly heighten the at­tainments of the World in these things. All [Page 121] revenge amongst private persons is there whol­ly exploded, much more against such as are clothed with authority. The Gospel bids us Pray for them that persecute us and despightfully use us, and subject our selves to Authority, not only for fear, and out of Interest, but also for Conscience sake, And this Doctrine the Apostles themselves made good in their own Practice, while they lived under that Monster Nero, the worst of Emperours, and the vilest of Men.

The whole of these things point us to the reasonable expectation of that we are in quest of, which is some supernatural Revelation. All men have turned Banquerupts upon those first natural stores God intrusted them with. 'Tis necessary to set up anew upon the stock of Revelation. Nothing can be more pregnantly urged to shew the necessity of it, then that the best and most knowing persons of the World, who have ransacked all the corners of Nature, and seem to have set a Copy for succeeding Ages to write after, in most Humane attain­ments, have been so far from discovering the certain tracks to an Eternal happiness, that they were never yet able to frame such a Re­ligion as could reasonably satisfie others, or convince the wisest of themselves, or much less upon any good ground be supposed to find any acceptance with the true God. In what [Page 122]strange mists of Religious Ignorance and folly did those knowing Ages of the world breath out themselves and expire! making the mea­nest Creatures their Gods, and ascribing the vilest qualities of the worst men to their Deities! Loo­sing themselves in a wilderness of vain Worship, to She Gods, Wicked Gods, Feigned Gods, Sense­less Gods, Many Gods; How do these things point us to the Necessity of the Bible, to put an end to the foolish Fancies and Inventions of Men! that what man, since the fall, could not find out, or had lost the knowledg of, God might acquaint him with, and at once discover to him all those admirable Topicks of Divine Knowledge which the Scriptures con­tain, and give him a clear and distinct account how the World came first to be made! and of those Methods by which Mankind came since to be saved, things beyond all natural kenn, and which only served to reproch the wisest thoughts, and to tell men how little they could discover of what they were most con­cerned to know. Moses having told us more in two Pages then the whole World ever dis­covered by the utmost of all Humane search. Nor has the world any way improved it self in this kind of Sience to this day. However men by experience and industry, have meliora­ted the condition of Humane Affairs in other [Page 123]things, whatever advance they have made in Natural Theories, or in any Mechanick contri­vance, whatever Rust of Errour or Ignorance that stuck to former Ages, may be worne off, by an improvement of Natural Speculation in this, yet where the Scriptures are either not Known or Rejected, they are at the same Loss in point of Divinity, they are as Igno­rant of the True God as ever. And the Re­sult of all Natural Theology (without the help of some Revelation) has been, and still is, no other then this, That while men have been most busily contemplating the nature of an Infinite Being, and contriving Ways to gain Acceptance with him, they have Lost themselves in the Crowd of their own vain Imaginations.

Secondly, Such have been the Principles and Practices of all Nations in all ages, that it evidently appears, The world, men them­selves, have generally found and acknowledg­ed a Necessity of Revelation; and out of an experimental sense of their own Impotency without it, have still lived in expectation of somewhat Supernatural to be Revealed from A­bove. Mankind, since the Fall, have been still listening after some further discovery of God then what the Work of his hands does afford them, and some more perspicuous No­tices [Page 124]of his pleasure then what their own Na­tural Abilities could dictate to them, as that which Gods goodness and his own excellent Na­ture seemed to promise to the World, and mans natural Tendency to some Supernatural happiness (as the great end of his being) continually call'd for. The Genius of the World has been so suited to the notion of Re­velation, and mens thoughts have been so constantly taken up with an Expectancy of some Divine Instruction, that they have been still in danger to fall into all the extreams of deluding Enthusiasme. Not only their Reli­gion but whatever else they thought well off, they were ready to Father it still upon Revela­tion. Scarce was there a Mechanick Invention but they ascribed it to a Discovery made by the Gods. Pythagoras when he had found out an excellent Demonstration in Geometry, sacrifi­ced a hundred Oxen in gratitude to the Gods who had favoured him with such a Discovery. Whatever was in it self difficult, or Excellent, they imputed the Accomplishment of it to a Supernatural Power. Homer (the great Ora­cle of the Heathen Divinity) not only a­scribes to the gods the Invention of all abstruse matters; and all the Heroical motions of the mind; but referrs our Ordinary Cogitations to Divine Impulses.

And his Book is filled throughout with En­thusiastick Advertisements directed to Men from the Gods. Cicero, in the end of his 2. Book, De Nat. Deor. is large in his expression this way. Nec unquam Magnus vir sine aliquo Afflatu Divino. Never was there any great Man (sayes he) without some—Inspiration. Not only were the Poets (who seem to be the Di­vines of the Pagans, and the Priests of their Mysteries) all Inspired Men; but not an emi­nent Physician or a Souldier was there among them, nor a Man any way excellent, but they derived his Abilities from some Supernatural Gift, and thought his Qualities from Above. Socrates that excellent person often says, That virtue and Religion are not things to be learnt as Arts and Sciences are; but to be had by in­spiration, being Divine and Heavenly gifts. He avowed himself raised up by God to Philo­sophize, and by his Precepts to Reforme the Athenian manners: And, when condemned to dye, and sentenced to the Poisonous Cup, [Page 126]Resolutely protested, Though the Prison­dores should be opened to him, with an in­junction never more to Philosophize, he would wholly refuse his Liberty upon those Termes, and would chose to obey God rather then Men. We read not of an eminent Legislator in a Commonwealth but pretended he received his Laws from the gods. Solon's Laws were said to come from Minerva: Lycurgus derived his Laws from Jupiter. And much more was their Religion and the Rites thereof still fa­thered upon some Deitie or other, and handed down to the world with a Supernatural Stamp. Numa Pompilius, the first founder of the Ro­mane Ceremonies, declared he received them from the Goddess Egeria. No Religion in any Nation but has made some pretence to Revela­tion. That absurd Imposter Mahomet was wise enough to father his Medley Divinity and all the confused trash of his Alchoran upon Reve­lation. Nothing else could have cheated so ma­ny into a belief of such a Religion, but that they were first perswaded it came from Above, and that Mahomet had it Revealed to him from Hea­ven. The Heathen world were, in Truth, without any Revelation in Religious affairs, that is, They had no Divine Laws given them from Heaven to direct their Religious obedience (Whether it pleased God to Reveal any par­ticular [Page 127]matters, at any time, to any of them, I dispute not; But He gave his Statutes, his Divine Laws, to Israel, and he did not deal so wit [...] any Nation besides) And yet nothing more general then the expectation of it, and nothing more common then Pretensions to it. This seems to have been a Catholick Maxime, that the true knowledge of the Deity, and the right way of serving him, must be revealed from Above. All the Nations of the Earth seem to have concenter'd in this belief, that Divine Revelation, and a Supernatural intercourse be­tween God and Man was necessary, for the present and future good of Mankind. 'Tis well ex­pressed by the Learned Camero, Omnium Gen­tium etiam Barbararum consensu receptum est, ut homini bene sit, praeter eam Rationem quam nimis magnifico & superbo Titulo vitae Ducem vocant, requiri Coelestem quandam Sapientiam; inde Nata est Religio, Ritus, Cerimoniae, quae sola Sanctitate se commendant. Praelect. de Verb. Dei. 'Tis a thing (says he) agreed to, by the consent of all Nations, yea the most Barba­rous, that in order to mans well being, there should be a heavenly Wisdome to direct him, be­sides the guide of his own Reason, and from thence comes Religion, &c. 'Twas from this General apprehension that the World came to be so often and so easily imposed upon by de­luding [Page 128]pretensions to inspiration, and the many gross Cheats of Enthusiasme, the greatest Impostors still setting up for Enthusiasts. 'Twas upon this account that the Heathen parts of the World were so enslaved to their Oracles, and did so greedily embrace whatever they thought came from above. The truth is, there is in every man not besotted with sensu­ality, and brutishly degenerated, an earnest thirst after the knowledg of God and Supernatu­ral things. And there is as clear a Conviction upon every Reasonable man, that without some further discovery from God himself, then what this World and our own contempla­tions thereupon will afford us, no satisfying account of those things can be attained.

Thirdly. Man is a Creature designed by his own Faculties for a Converse with the Diety, and by Natural Obligation, Tends to an Inter­course with God; To serve him acceptably, and to pay the Homage due from us, in such away as we may be fully ascertained is pleasing to him, and will be rewarded by him, is abso­lutely necessary to all humane welfare. That is, The greatest concern we have in this world, is to be fully instructed about Divine Wor­ship. And this seems no way attainable with­out some Revelation. That God is, and that he is to be Served, my Reason will tell me; But [Page 129] What he is! and after what Manner he Exists (the knowledge whereof is indispensibly ne­cessary, in all our Approches to him, as that without which we shall be sure to Debase his Excellency, and to represent to our selves some vain Idea's, and Fantasmes of our own imagination) I must be taught from above. And for the manner how he is to be served, and what will be acceptable to him therein, I must look upward, and expect a full and com­pleat direction from thence. Mankind seem, una voce, to have concenter'd in this, as a thing most sit, yea necessary, that God should from Heaven reveal to us the way of his own Worship, and Teach us the Methods of our Con­verse with Him. Where can we find a Reli­gion in any Nation, not founded upon some Pretences to Revelation, and established upon this Admission? 'Twere indeed a most irra­tional thing, and a great Indignity offered to the Supreme Majesty to make Men their own Judges in that case, and to suppose it left to the Arbitrary Determinations of Humane Di­scretion, How God should be worshipped! The consideration of the Wisdome and Sovereignty of God, and our own Dependance upon him, is singly sufficient to evince this Truth, that we ought to be under a Law, and a Stated Rule for the Manner of our Serving of him, With­out [Page 130]which we can never intitle the best of our Services to Obedience, or, upon any good Grounds, be secured of Acceptance. Not ought we to judge that any Worship ever found favour with God that had not the stamp of his own Command, and was not by himself, some way or other, Appointed. Though 'tis fit to believe that God was well pleased with the Moral goodness of the Heathen world, and any real conformity there was amongst them to that Natural Di [...]inity that is originally an­nexed to every mans Being, and greatly dis­pleased with the contrary, and rewarded and punished them upon their Good and Ill beha­viour in those things, yet tis not to be doubt­ed, but that the whole of their own contrived Worship, with all the Rites and Ceremonies of it, was a thing to God most Odious and De­testable. And of this we are well assured, not only from the Reason of the thing consi­dered in it self, but from a very Authentick Determination that tells us The whole of that Worship was a Service performed to Devils. Nor could any the best Intentions that any men e­ver yet had since the world began, sufficiently excuse for Will-worship and Idolatry. There are but two ways by which any worship can be a [...]pointed by God. Either by a Law Natural, given to us in our first Constitution, or by [Page 131]some Revealed Laws since. The Foundation of all Worship must be either in Nature, or Institution. The Point then to be proved will be this, That God has not by any Natural Laws, given to Mankind a sufficient directi­on about his Worship, and that Intercourse be­tween Himself and the World, that (re­specting either his own Honour or mans Hap­piness) is necessary to be maintained, and all mankind naturally tend to: But has left us to expect it in a Supernatural way. That God, by a Law Natural, binds us to acknowledg his Being, and has given us sufficient notices of it in General, and binds us to acknowledg that there is an Honour and Worship due to his Being, and has given us some General Innate directions about the performance of it, I grant: And has also obliged us to Live ac­cording to the Dictates of our Rational Na­ture (which shews to us Good and Evil) by that very Nature which becomes Obligatory to it self; In these things, our own Reason is our Law, and according to that Law, men without Revelation are Rewarded and Punish­ed: And so I doubt not but all the Heathen Nations were. But the Laws of Nature, the dictates of the best Reason, are not in­trusted with such a plenary direction about Worship as 'tis necessary for us to have, and we [Page 132]all tend to; Nor can any man be a sufficient Law to himself in those things. And that may be thus made to appear.

All Worship must either be confined to Words, Thoughts, and Bodily Gestures, and sim­ply Terminated there; or else it must be ex­tended to some further expressions of Service, by an Appropriation of some other Mediums unto it. First, No part of the World have ever yet thought it a thing Reasonable, that God should be no otherwise served then by Thoughts, Gestures, and Words. Both the Principles and Practices of all Nations have, in all times, declared the contrary. Nor has any Worship, in any Place, been established, or such a constitution framed as that we call Religion, without some other expressions of service, and some other External Mediums ap­propriated to it. And this seems to have a­risen from two things. First, Men have ne­ver supposed their Words, or their Thoughts, or their Gestures, to be alone, a sufficient ex­pression of that Homage they are naturally sensible they owe to the Greatness and Bounty of God, for their own Beings, and the Do­nation of this world, which he has visibly be­stowed upon Man, in making the Whole in a subserviency to Him, and giving him the ple­nary and quiet possession of it; But they still [Page 133]thought themselves bound to a further expres­sion of Gratitude and Subjection. Secondly, Mankind in every Age have applied to God under a sense of Sin, and of Guilt contracted by it, and upon that account, have still ad­judged it as necessary to make some further Offering to God for their sins, and by some other Mediums then bare Thoughts and naked Expressions, to apply to Him about them. No man ever yet imagined such a service a sufficient Compensation for Sin, but have still attempted a further Satisfaction to the Justice above, and by some other ways have indeavour­ed to appease Divine Anger. Now, the Reason of the world does not issue it self into any po­sitive Certainty about such things, as it does a­bout things in themselves Morally Good and Mo­rally Evil. No mans Reason determines about the positive Use of any such Outward Mediums of Worship, nor can assure me of Gods distin­guishing Acceptance, in any of them (And, to be upon certain grounds of Acceptance with God, is the chief thing in all our VVorship) Nor is any man by Nature, a clear and certain Law to himself about such things; Nor is it pos­sible he should; Because there is no Intrinsi­cally Religious Good, as to matter of Wor­ship, in any parts of the world, but all such goodness results purely from Institution. God [Page 134]has not sanctified any part of the Creation to his Service in such a way by any unalterable obligation arising from the Rational Nature. No such External Mediums of Worship are founded in Reason, but all in Institution. 'Tis true, the Light of Nature will direct me to that behaviour of my self in the performance of all Worship, which I think most Decent and Reverent, But for any External Medi­ums of Worship, the Light of Nature will give me no certain Direction at all. If any parts of the World be to be made use of in Worship (as by the judgment of God him­self, and the practice of the whole world, it has been declared Necessary that some should be) we must then, both for the Choice and the Use, of such parts of the World, be wholly guided and steered by Revelation. And the truth is, every mans own Reason is Impregnated with Obligations to a further Degree of Worship and Divine Homage, then Reason it self is able to be a Safe and a Certain guide to us in, and directs us to many Duties which we want Revelation to teach us how to performe. Which has, in all Ages, made the world so inquisitive after it, and shews us how Rationally we tend Upward in this mat­ter, and how greatly our own Natures pre­pare us to expect and receive Instructions from Above.

Secondly, Should this be admitted, that Divine Worship might be confined simply to Thoughts, Gestures, and Words, yet would not our natural light inable us to acquit our selves as we ought in this matter, nor well to perform such a service as that, with­out supernatural help. There be two great ends of all worship, which though inseparable in their attainment, are yet distinct in their application, and if not attained, the whole of mens attempts that way will prove altoge­ther useless and fruitless. First, in a right manner to give to God the Honour due from us to him. And Secondly, to provide suffici­ently for our own welfare, by an acceptance with him. For the First, how can we Ho­nour God, with the Honour due to him, un­less we have a right Knowledge of him, and such a discovery of his Being as may fully in­form and ascertain our minds about him; which we never can have, nor to this day the World never had, without Revelation. 'Tis impossi­ble to Honour God as we ought, unless (ac­cording to our measure) we know him as in truth he is; and 'tis equally impossible to know what God is, unless it be told us by himself. 'Tis not simply sufficient to Capacitate me for a due address to the Deity to know in the ge­neral that there is a Supreme Wisdom, and Ju­stice, [Page 136]and Power above me, that some way or other exists (which is all my Reason will tell me) but I must have some direct and di­stinct Knowledge of that Being, wherein all those Attributes do exist: Upon which, as the Object of my Worship, my mind may ter­minate, and without which I shall be sure to form an Idol to my self in the room of that Be­ing, and then apply those Attributes to It. To which fatal mistake and Idolatrous delusi­on the World (having by Nature, no cer­tain account what God was, not after what manner the Deity did exist) in all Ages, has been too apparently subject. Secondly, how can we sufficiently provide for our own wel­fare, unless we can be safely assured of the for­giveness of sin, and the total removal of natu­ral guilt: And how is it possible to be so assu­red, unless we knew the Terms of Gods for­giveness, and the Means of our Reconciliation, to him? Of which we have no certain satisfy­ing account given us by any dictates of Na­ture, nor can they ever be found out, until they be told us from above. Men must needs make strange Prayers, and have very wild and uncertain Meditations about God and their own Conditions, that were benighted with Ig­norance in such things. Prayer and whatever else is it self a part of Natural worship, would [Page 137]be very lamely performed, without some Re­velation to guide it. The Pagan devotion was a medley of strange Sentiments founded in horri­ble Ignorance of God, and of their own Con­dition, and the way of mans Restoration. Had Plato or Aristotle or the wisest amongst them but left us a Liturgy of their own Com­position, it would with great effect have con­vinced us what necessity there is of some Reve­lation to guide even the best understandings in all Divine addresses.

Two things about Worship, the practice of the Heathen World has taught us, beyond all reasonable denial. First, that Mankind have generally acknowledged it necessary that some Supernatural direction should be given for the manage of that intercourse that ought to be between God and Man, and have sub­scribed to the shortness and defficiency of Hu­mane Wisdom about it. And Secondly, that there is no one certain compleat Systeme of Worship, that by the light of Nature, Men do uniformly agree in. The one results from their constant recourse to Supernatural enquiries, and the many Enthusiastick pretensions there­upon. The other, from their great and emi­nent disagreement amongst themselves; for the Pagan world, who were only under the conduct of Naturallight (and had, in truth, [Page 138]no Revelation at all, but were still abused with the counterfeit of it) fell by that guidance into endless diversity in practice, and into a numberless variety of opinions, about the right way of serving and approching the Deity, and were universally engaged in multiplied Mediums and Methods of worship, no way prescribed by any Natural Law connate with Mens beings, or any general uniform issues of right Reason; nor indeed were they under any direction at all, either for their Choise, or their Use, further then what their own fancies or best guesses, or some Enthusiastick Impo­sters could suggest to them; which plainly declares, there is not an ability in Nature suf­ficiently to guide Men in Divine worship, so far as their own devotions do naturally Steer them.

And we that indeed have Revelation, are in­structed by that Revelation it self, sufficiently to know the necessity there is of Revelation. For we find that God, by his revealed Laws, does not only revive in general the whole of Natures Laws about worship, and instruct us in the true Extent thereof, which he does, and much inlightens our natural Knowledge there­in (which we find was greatly defective, e­ven about Natural Duty) and gives us a com­pleat view of our Natural Obligations to him, [Page 139]and teaches us in a duemanner, how to per­form the Duties of Nature; he does not only do this, not only rectifie, but far exceed all natural dictates of worship, and induceth much into his service that receives its Virtue and worth singly from Institution, and no otherwise. Never since Man was first made, has God left him singly to the Natural Laws of his own Being, for the payment of that Homage he owes him. Even to Adam in his Innocent state, God thought fit to give a Law Supernatural. A Law which for the matter of it, had no foundation at all in Adams Nature, further then that he was by his own nature generally obliged to do whatsoever God required of him. Much more may we expect it since the fall, the whole Method of our Recovery being Supernatural. Nor is it fit to be thought that God (who has made man not only under an Obligation to the per­formance of all moral goodness; but has also implanted in his Being a desite of a peculiar and supernatural converse with him, and given him such noble faculties so capable of it) should not promulge some particular Laws by which he might receive a full and satisfying direction for the attainment of it, or indeed, that God should not direct men to the furthest approches they were able to make toward him, [Page 140]and glorifie himself by appointing a way to the utmost Homage and Service their rational Beings are capable of.

Fourthly, Some things most essentially ne­cessary to the Being of all Religion, and to the present and future good of Mankind, are not discoverable but by Revelation. And 'twere a barbarous conception to think that God should leave the World wholly in the dark about those matters wherein their greatest conceruments lie. I will not speak particularly of the Nature of God, how indiscoverable it is without Revelation, and yet how necessary to be known (according to our capacity) in order to all true worship; Mens Ignorance in that particular having evidently been the root of all Polytheisme and Idolatry, nor what mar­velous dark, absurd, yea, prophane, and blas­phemous conceptions the World had of it, without Revelation! Nor will I speak further of the Worlds Original, how useful and ne­cessary the Knowledge of it is to us, to be truly informed how our selves and all things else came first to exist! What marvellous in­struction to our selves and what a natural Ho­mage to God results from it! which yet de­pends purely upon Revelation, and the Know­ledg of it is impossible to be attained without it. Nor will I mention those uncertainties the [Page 141]World hath been, and must (without Reve­lation) be still intangled with all about Death, to know whether it be a Natural accident! a thing originally appurtenant to Humane Nature, and annexed to our Beings in their first constitution! or hath been as a punish­ment, or upon some other account introdu­ced since! and the many difficulties that will arise to our meditation either way; nor will I much insist upon that uncertainty we must needs be in, about a future Condition after this life, unless particularly info [...]med therein by Revelation. Though my Reason will tell me (and it may safely be collected from the une­qual disposition of rewards and punishments here) that there is some future estate of things beyond this World, without a suppo­sition of which I must either depose God from his Government, or else admit him un­just, both which are absurd, yet how condu­cing is it to all true Religion, and how neces­sary for the incouragment of Virtue and the supression of Vice to be fully informed about these things, and not to be left fluctuating about with every blast of uncertain guess and conjecture! What wild conceptions had the Heathen world about their Infernal Regions, and their Elisian Fields! Nor were they only fictions peculiar to the Poets, but admitted by [Page 142]their Wisest men, and best Philosophers, who were able to frame very little better Ideaa's of those things. To give one Instance of many, Plutarch one of the wisest and best of the Hea­thens, in the Treatise he wrote upon this Motto, [...], gives no better an account of the future state of mens Souls, then that the Wicked are only overwhelmed in the per­petual Oblivion of all things; And for the Place and Condition of such as shall be happy hereafter, in his Consolation directed to Apollo­nius, he adheres to the opinion of Pindar, who describes those things in the same Ficti­ous and Ridiculous way that Virgil does di­rectly imitate Pindar therein, Epicurus indeed pretended to some Wiser Sentiments; But the end of them was to render all Notion of a Fu­ture condition Fabulous▪ and to Allegorize all that was said of another World into this; And to make men believe that whatever was said of the Sufferings and Pains of the Infernal Regions, it was nothing else but what was suf­fered in this Life, by Covetous, Ambitious, and Fearful Minds, Ex [...]gitated with their own Exorbitant Passions; Which was a most effectual way to banish out of the World all Fear of Vice, and all Love to Virtue, which even by those Obscure notions they had of a [Page 143]Future State, was much upheld and maintain­ed. But to go farther, How necessary must we needs grant it, to have the certainty of a Future condition after this Life, established by Revelation, when we consider how Unfix­ed some of the Wisest have been, about the very Being of any such thing at all! Such men as Socrates and Cicero were Doubtful and Un­resolved in the case, and came to no more but That they inclined to that opinion, and judged it the more Probable. And Aristotle discoursed of it with much more Obscurity. The Re­surrection of mens Bodies is a thing of farr Harder belief, stands in greater need of Re­velation to credit it. 'Tis not the easiest task to possess men with a through perswasion a­bout It, when 'tis revealed. Saducisme is a weed very apt to grow, and not soon Eradi­cated. We find St. Paul sufficiently Laughed at, at Athens for Preaching the Resurrection. 'Twas a New notion to the Philosophers. And yet if there were any Glimmerings of it a­mongst any of the Philosophers, it was a­mongst the Stoicks, who were one of the Sects he encountered. I know, there have been some remote apprehensions amongst the Pa­gans tending this way: But neither the Pagan­world in General, nor any considerable part, nor indeed any part of it at all, ever agreed [Page 144]in a positive distinct belief of any such thing. Some fancied there would come to be such a Revolution of the Heavens, as that all the Stars would be precisely returned to the very exact Punctum in which they were when all things began first to be, and that then all that ever had been should return, in Order, Time, and Nature, to their former Condition and Station, and be just as they had been. Some tell us, the Magi, who were the Caldaean Phi­losophers, had some obscure notions that all men should, one day revive, and become Im­mortal. And some of the Stoicks thought should be burnt to Ashes, and then would follow an immediate restoration of all things. But these were but wild and [...]oveing Guesses in general; no certain determination was Mankind able to make about this matter in particular. And yet, of how great use is the assurance of it to all the ends of Virtue and Religion! and how Sovereign a remedy is it against the terror of Death, which Aristotle calls the terriblest of all Terrors, to be assured, upon safe grounds, our Bodies shall be raised again, and all the Friends we part with here shall, in their Souls and Bodies Re-united, Exist for ever.

But waveing the prosecution of these, there be two things in themselves of absolute ne­cessity [Page 145]to the being of all Religion, and be­yond all possibility of a Natural discovery, from whence I shall endeavour to demonstrate the necessity of a Revelation, in order to the present and future happiness of Mankind. First, a certain distinct Knowledge how that Evil we find in Mankind came first to Exist! whence the Corruption of Humane Nature came! In short, how there came to be such a thing as Evil and Sin in the World! Secondly, how Sin (and Guilt, arising from the Con­science of it) may be removed, and Men brought to a Reconciliation with God! and an inward Acquescency about it! For the first. That there is such a thing as Evil and Sin in Men, and Guilt resulting from it, needs no proof; every mans own Reason determines the Case, and the whole transaction of the World is too sad an Evidence of. We find in the Prayers of all Nations a Confession of Sin: And no worship but some way or other tending to the removal of it; which is a pub­lick protest in the Case, entered by the whole World against themselves. 'Tis visible, our Inferiour faculties do combate our Superiour, and our Wills over Rule us to that which our own Reasons determine against. Aristotle, in the end of the last Chapter of his first Book of Ethicks, confesseth There is somewhat in our [Page 146]Nature that opposeth right Reason. Whatever directions the Philesophers and Moralists gave to Conquer our Passions and subdue our Sensual Appetites, and to conduct us to Virtue, they are all grounded upon this supposal. Hierocles, a Stoical Philosopher, in his Discourse upon the Golden sayings of Pythagoras, speaks fully and excellently to this point; His words are these. Man (sayes he) is of his own mo­tion inclined to follow the Evil and leave the Good. There is a certain strife bred in his affe­ctions; He hath a free Will, which he abuseth, bindang himself wholly to encounter the Laws of God. And this Freedom it self is nothing else but a Willingness to admit that which is not good, rather then otherwise.

That a certain Knowledge of the Origine of this we call Evil, and a clear discovery of the first rise and Cause of it, is of absolute ne­cessity to the Being of all Religion, and that a Man cannot be Religious as he ought with­out it, is easily proved, and will be sufficient­ly so, by a due consideration of these four things. First, how can we acknowledge Gods Justice in Punishing Mankind, and with­out repining submit to it as we ought, unless we know whence this Evil first came! what Author it had! and how, and upon what terms man comes to be guilty of that for [Page 147]which he is punished! Secondly, how can we be (as we ought to be) sensible of Gods general or particular favours, and adore his goodness in preserving us, and providing for us, unless we be rightly informed of our own demerits and rebellion again him, and that Man­kind have deserved a total ruine and subversi­on! which we can never be, unless we know the first entrance of evil, and the original Cause of it. Thirdly, how can we properly address our selves to God to repair our ruines, unless we perfectly know how the first breach came to be made! Lastly, how is it possible, upon reasonable Grounds to restrain Mankind from Impeaching the Wisdom, Power, and Goodness of God in making and Governing the world, unless we know the first rise and prima­ry Cause of all the disorder we see! which is not to be known till we come to the Spring­head of evil and sin. With what Impatience did Men use to reproch God and Nature about it, as if there were a kind of Malevolens and ill will in the Deity to the happiness of Men! One sayes,

Another.

And a third.

Nor indeed can we well blame the disorder of mens minds that contemplate the present posture of the World, and are able to give no satisfying account to themselves, how things came at first so to be!

And that a certain account of evil in its ori­ginal is impossible to be had without revelation, will appear very evident. How should any man ever come to discover whence that in­ternal conflict first arose between the Will and the Judgment! How a man came to be first so divided against himself, one condem­ning the other! No man naturally knows any thing of its Causality, nor more of it then that it is so. How should any man ever find out from whence, or by what means those unrn­ly lusts and passions, those evil and crooked inclinations that naturally infest the minds of men, and are a part of themselves, that cre­ate a guilt in mens own Breasts, and prove so ruinous to others, came first to exist? What footsteps are there in Nature to conduct us to the first cause of these things? and the mise­ries that attend them? something indeed we may say Negatively of the Origine of evil; but we cannot affirm possitively the least thing about it. VVe can much less tell how Man­kind came to be wicked, then we can tell [Page 149]how they came first to be! and yet 'tis impossible to know that, but by revelation. 'Tis easie to derive the beings of men in gene­ral, from some Supreme maker (though we can never find out the time when, nor the manner how they came first to be made) but we can no way at all imagine from whence to derive the evil of their beings, or upon what to father the Corruption of humane Nature, nor what Date to give it. From a Being infi­nitely perfect and good, evil it self could not originally come; that is, Men could not at the first be made so. That we may safely say in the Negative to assert mans Apostacy, however any part of the world may dream o­therwise; 'tis demonstrable that man is some way or other degenerated from his Primitive state (from the clear evidence of which, if we duly consider it, results the absolute necessity of a revelation) 'Tis impossible evil it self should be Con-created with him, and be originally appurtenant to him, as part of him. And 'tis thus demonstrable, if man had been at the first made, as now he is, naturally inclined to evil and Vice, had his inclination to evil as well as to that which is good been Created with him, his reason would never have appro­ved the one, and condemned the other; because both natural, and upon equal terms in our [Page 150] Constitution. To condemn any one part of our original constitution by another, had been in it self not only unnatural and unreasonable, but it had been directly to reproch our ma­ker, and our selves, which nothing Created can be supposed to be so Created as naturally to do. Nature (as 'twas first framed) could never be so divided against it self. A man could never have had any Conscience of evil, nor any remorse for it; nor could any guilt have been contracted by it, had it been (as now it is) part of himself, and at first Created with him. 'Tis not possi­ble a man should judge in himself that to be evil, and repent of it as such, which he acted in prosecution of his first make. There can be no fault in acting suitably to our original frame and composure, nor any punishment due for so doing, in the judgment of a ratio­nal Being; because 'tis impossible to do bet­ter. All Conscience of evil and sin must ne­cessarily arise from an inward conviction that we are not what we ought to be; which we must needs be if we be as we were first made. VVhenever my Reason tells me I do that which I ought not to do, the same reason will tell me, I am degenerated, and do not what I was first made to do; Besides, 'tis utterly impossible that a man should be originally [Page 151]Made with Opposite Inclinations, and an irre­concilable conflict within himself (one part condemning another) by a Being that is U­nity it self in all goodness, and one and the same by an infinite Identity in all Perfection. We can never, with any common sense, fa­ther Division upon Unity, or that which is Im­perfect and Evil upon that which is Perfectly Good, or primarily derive such a Composition as Man now is from what we know God must needs be. Nor can we imagine That inhe­rent Shame we now find in the nature of Man­kind, relating to much of themselves, could be of the Same Date with their first Constitu­tion, or that Man should be at the first so cre­ated as to be naturally ashamed of any part of Himself, or anything relative to his own Be­ing. 'Twas an Apostacy from what he once was, must needs make him turn aside and hide himself from his own eyes; 'Twas Evil and Guilt must needs be the first Authors of Shame.

So far we may go in the Negative; What we now are, is not what we first were. But how came the Change? Has any ill Genius, Since, taken up its abode in Humane Nature? And, imposing upon it, Acted it to all this Evil we See? Is the world under the Tyranny of any Evil Spirit? Or, is man-kind degene­rated [Page 152]by any Necessary Decay in the course of Nature? Or, was mans own Will the great root of Evill? Came it from a Created Free­dom? Have men Wilfully defaced them­selves? If they have, When was it done? What was the first occasion of doing it? Was it done all at once? and has it ever since come by Descent, and been intailed by a cer­tain Propagation upon the world? Or has its entrance been Gradual? Were some only the first Authors of it? Or has every man in every Age had his share in the Conspiracy? In short, If we suppose (which we ought) that Man was Not at first created with an Actual principle of Evil in his breast, Whence could it primarily Arise? And whence should we come to call it Sin? and, in the true judg­ment of Reason, Determine against it? It must be grounded upon a mans Relation and Duty to God. All conscience of Evil and Sin which we have in our own Nature, is still with a reference to God, to his Nature, and to his Will, and our Subjection to him. If such a thing then as Evil and Sin (for they are Conjoyned by the Rational Nature) must needs arise from mans Relative Subjection to God, it must be by Opposing and Disobey­ing his Will revealed by some Law, And that Law must be either Natural or Supernatural; [Page 153]If Natural and Created with him, it must needs be the Dictates of his Reason: And 'tis marvellous hard to conceive how Man (while he was intire, and untainted, in the compleat furniture of his first make) should (without some very violent Impressions, or some very strange concurrence of Accidents) go astray from the guide of his own Reason, and trans­gress such a Law as was the chief Ruling part of himself. Nor are we able to give to our selves the least satissying account of it. If a Law Supernatural; What that Law was! or How, or When, or by Whom Transgres­sed! we can never discover; Nor so much as make one probable Guess towards it. No man will ever find an Answer to these and ma­ny other endless Enquiries, that searches by the Candle-light of Nature. Nor is there any one Way-mark set up to direct us. No one thing has so point-blank silenced the whole world in all Ages, as this has done. How miserably involved in their own Confu­sed notions were the Philosophers about this matter! Never arriving at the least glimps of truth in the case. Sometimes deriving Evil from the perverseness and malignity of Mat­ter, sometimes from I know not what fancy­ed principle of Discord; Nor could they issue their Doubts at last into any better Resolve, [Page 154]then that there were Two Supreme Beings, one infinitely Good, and the other infinitely Evil, equally the Cause of both the principles of Good and Evil. And so were fain to Canton the Deity, and to put both the Principles upon even termes (which directly overthrows the dictates of all right Reason) to make room for a Solution of this Problem. And should we admit such a Cunning contrivance of Non­sense as two contrary Supremes, it would but still further Involve us. If a man were so made as he is, How came it to pass that both the Deities Agreed in the doing of it, and are yet perfectly Opposite and Contrary each to o­ther? Did one make the Good part, and the other the Ill part? Or did the Good Deity make man alone, and the other Debauch him and Un-make him after? 'Twill not be easy, in a due manner, to Share him Between them, And if that we naturally call Evil came origi­nally, as well as that we call Good, from a Being Eternal and equally Supreme, Why should the Judgment of right Reason in man be so much for the One, and directly against the Other? If it be so, the Pedigree of the One is no whit meaner nor baser then the Other. Nor is it a thing in it self possible, to annex that we mean by Evil, or Imperfection from whence it naturally results, to what is Eternal; [Page 155]because Eternity necessarily includes Perfection, and cannot be reasonably supposed without it. In such a dismal Wilderness of Ignorance and Error has Mankind wandered about, whilst they contemplated these things; about which upon any good grounds to be ascertained is (without Revelation) utterly impossible; nor can we (whilst Ignorant of the Origine of Evil) ever find out the true Reason and pri­mary Cause of all those Sorrows and Miseries we find the World possessed of. 'Tis true, the Heathen were deeply sensible of the ruinous and sad Condition of Humane Nature, and the troublesome revolutions of the World; some to so great a degree that they thought, as Euripides did, that we ought to weep at the Birth of our Children, and to laugh our Pa­tents to their Graves; and 'twas usual with them to fancy Death as a Present sent from the Gods to the best men for their best Actions: So they fancied Death sent to Cleobis and Biton for their Piety to Juno. To Agamedes and Try­phonius for building the Temple at Delphos: But they knew nothing how the World came into this posture we find it! either it must be a neces­sary consequent of Nature, or else the World is under some great punishment imposed by the Supreme Judge of it. If all we see be neces­sary consequents from Nature, we must needs [Page 156]think Nature it self to be some very Imperfect and Ill Composure. We must needs imagine it a wretched constitution at first, that carry'd in its bowels so many dismal misfortunes. Who can suppose God should from the beginning frame this World in the posture we find it? and e­rect the course of Nature with all those for­rows we see necessarily attending it? We can never reasonably believe things so wrought off their makers hands at first, as that the ne­cessary and natural consequence of them should be their present posture. And if we suppose (as well we may) all the sad and sorrowful accidents, and troublesome vicisitudes of hu­mane life, to come from a Judgment since im­posed from above; for some Treason of which the World has been attainted, and some grand piece of Rebellion against the great Sovereign, how short a Stage will Nature conduct us, in our searches after those things! Who can in­form us of the first Authors of such a fatal Treason? the Time and Occasion of its Com­mission? What the Sentence was God pro­nounced when he inflicted these Judgments? How far it Extended? VVhether all the o­ther parts of the world be punished for Mans Transgression? Or how it came first to pass that they are as we find them? VVhether God will pursue the Execution into the other [Page 157]world! Or whether any Bounds be set to its duration here! and the world shall ever sur­vive and out-last it, and return at length to be in so much a better Condition as we may reasonably conjecture at first it was! These and many other necessary Questions may be asked; but can ever be resolved without Reve­lation.

And as Mankind have been still reproched by their own Ignorance about this matter, being never able to make the least probable guess at the Origine of evil, nor to ascend by the Streams to the Fountain (the Spring-head of natural corruption being as much concealed from the most inquiring men, and as much unknown to the wisest parts of the World, as the Fountains of Nile were to the ancient [...]eographers) so, in the second place men can never (without supernatural help) upon good Grounds be assured how to remove that guilt ingendered by it! the burden of which they continually groan under, as the heaviest and sorest of all humane pressures; that is, no man (should he study over all the Vo­lumes of Nature) unless it be told him from Heaven, can certainly know upon what terms God will proceed in pardoning and punishing the sins of the World! should a man imagine that God would take no other vengeance upon [Page 158]mens disobedience, then those temporal judg­ments he has laid upon them and the World they dwell in? Should a man imagine that God has satisfyed his Justice in Condemning man to Death, and Sentencing of him to the Grave, and exposing him to those Sorrows that attend him thither, and means to go no further? These thoughts will not obliterate mens Guilt, nor will such guesses at the Penalty at all appease the minds of Men when they do Ill. Will God have the first-born of mens bodies, or the best of their Substance, or what parts of the World to satisfie for their disobt­dience? If we should ransack all the particu­lars that Humane invention can reach in this kind, we could never be fully assured, that the Expiation of mens Sin lay in any, or in [...] of them. The great concern of the World, and that which Mankind above all other thing [...] naturally press after, is a certain Knowledge upon what terms they may be accepted with God! the sense of their own Apostacy, and the Conscience of Divine Justice necessitate it so to be; and with such a Knowledge no natural abilities can supply us. That God is Just my Reason will tell me, and that he is Merciful my own Breast will assure me; But how he will proceed to deal with men, so as to reconcile both these Attributes! how far the [Page 159] one shall be Predominant over the other! or whether they must be in equal Conjunction, and both concur! and how that can be done! VVhat will procure Mercy, or what will sa­tisfie Justice, or how they will be made to meet in one Divine Act, when both perfect, and nothing of either can be abated; because not consistent with their perfection! are things utterly impossible to be known without Reve­lation. If God forgive absolutely without any satisfaction; what becomes of his Justice, which should secure and vindicate the Honour of his Laws? And should he only forgive men when they themselves make a Plenary satisfaction to Justice, where were his Mercy? And how could such a plenary satisfaction to insinte Justice for mens disobedience be ever found out? what Proxie can a man make in that case to answer for his sin? VVhat part of the world can be his sufficient substitute? or what can we suppose can satisfie Divine Ju­stice for mens transgression that is beneath themselves? If we go strictly to Justice, no­thing of less Dignity then the Offender can compensate for the Offence, if any thing but the Offender himself. And so it appears, some of the Heathens themselves thought by that famous saying amongst them,

And should we suppose God in his Judici­ary proceedings with Men, to forgive upon a Partial satisfaction, to accept some Imperfect satisfaction to his Justice, and to make up the rest by his Mercy, this were to render his At­tributes Imperfect, and to make him act like a Man, neither as infinitely just nor infinitely Merciful, nor at all like himself; nay, in some measure to deny himself, which is impossible. The truth is, the evil of the world being in its Nature an offence against God, and the guilt arising from it relating to his Tribunal, where no Sentence can pass but what is the result of infinite and perfect Attributes, the terms of our pardon must come from God. 'Tis not in man to find out how God shall forgive him, or to to Chalk out the Tracks of Divine Ju­stice and Mercy toward himself; nor will his guilt be removed, nor his thoughts be at rest, till he know Gods mind about it. Nothing can assure us of Reconciliation with God, but what is from Heaven appointed as the means of it. No natural knowledg can give us any certain direction about it; nor is it reasonable to believe it should. If Humane Nature had no absolute security in it self of its first state, how can we expect it should restore it self [Page 161]when once degenerated? What did not re­main perfect when it was so, is much more unlikely to recover again out of Imperfection to be so. Every man may know he is dege­nerated from what he ought to be, and so may reasonably collect from what he once was; but no man can reason himself into a ce [...]ta [...]n way of Recovery. The whole world have subscribed to their own Apostacy, but could never agree upon any certain remedy. How miserably have Mankind tired themselves, and to how little purpose, in finding out what would appease Divine Anger, and compensate for their disobedience! No man ever yet wor­s [...] ipped any God▪ but he made some Offering to him, in hopes that might indemnisie him, and be taken in Lieu of his own punishment. Men have at a Venture offered up all parts of the world in Sacrifice have tried all experiments, victi­mis & lavacris, and by all other means their best guesses could suggest to them, to oblite­rate their own Guilt, and to procure D v [...]e fa­vour; but never were upon any su [...]er g [...]ound then their own vain fancies for acceptance. Aga [...]hias tells us in his second Book of the Pe [...] ­sian war, that the Persians were wont to so­lemnize a great Holy-day once a year, which they called The death of Vices, in which (as an eminent piece of Devotion) they slew [Page 162]multitudes of Serpents & all other sorts of wild Beasts, and thereby thought they should Exe­cute all their Corruptions, & safely bury their sins. The Philosophers abounded with remedies fo [...] this Epidemical Disease. Some thought to cure the evil of the world in a Moral way, some in a way Mathematical, and some by Reli­gious Ceremonies. But alas, The right way of doing it has lain hid from Ages and Generations till God himself made it known, and revealed it from Heaven. VVhat a trifle is the Blood of a Sheep or an Oxe to satisfie for an Offence against an Infinite Justice! At how easie and cheap a rate might men Sin, and God be satis­fied! And what a publick tolleration of evil were it, if the Blood of Bulls and Goats might take away sin, and the lives of unreasonable Creatures Commute for the sins of Men! The consideration of all these things does directly Steer us upward, and point us to a dependance upon Revelation, to give us a clear, distinct, and satisfying Knowledge of God, of our selves, and of this whole World? How man came to Rebel, and Sin first to enter; By what ways and means Indemnity may be obtained? And upon what terms we may be again reconciled to God and accepted?

This precious discourse, the design of which is to render it a reasonable supposal [Page 163]that there should be in the general some Divine Revelation, some Laws Supernatural promul­ged to the world, and that Mankind should not be wholly left to the conduct of Nature, can be no way ungrateful to those who are al­ready possessed with a due esteem of the Scrip­tures, and do assent to their verity; because 'tis to re-inforce one of the great [...]st supports to all Scripture-belief. Nor will it seem im­pertinent to those who are any way ingenious in their doubts and enquiries about this matter; because 'tis naturally & necessarily the first step that is to be taken, in order to their satisfacti­on: But may be very well offensive to such who shall design to themselves a disbelief of the Scriptures, and make it their Province to weaken their Authority, and render all proofs brought for them insufficient; because it goes far to­wards an evident and apparent determination of the whole cause against them: Does indeed petere jugulum of their chiefest pretences, and virtu [...]lly breaks the very Back-bone of all Antiscriptural opposition; for if there be such a thing as a Revelation m [...]de to the World (as that which the goodness of God, and the wants of men seem necessarily to call for) If God have given to Mankind a Law superna­tural, Where is this Divine Law to be found? 'Tis but reasonable to suppose it somewhere or [Page 164]other upon Record. This Book we call the Bible must needs be it, and will certainly car­ry it against all Pretenders, the natural dictates o right Reason being Judge. What Book or Writing is there extant under Heaven, that can (with any tollerable colour) counter plead the Bible upon this account? A man must be horribly Hood-winkt in his inte [...]lectuals, that does not evidently see 'tis impar co [...]gressus between the Bible and all other Pretenders. From what pa [...]ts of the world will you fetch such a Supernatural L [...]w, by which we may suppose God to Govern Mankind? one either fit for him to Give, or for us to Receive, ac­cording to that Natural Knowledge we have of him, and of our selves, and that Rational Judgment to which all Supernatural pretences ought to be subjected? Where w [...]ll you find a Systeme of Divinity that makes known to us (in a way suitable to our natural conceptions of him) the most of God, and of his Nature we are able to comprehend, delivers us from all the intanglements of Humane Nature by ways and Methods so p [...]opo [...]tioned thereunto, and discove [...]s to us ce [...]ta [...]n tracks to the high­est happiness here and hereafter we are capable to enjoy? Shall we go to the Laws of Lycur­gus and Solon, because they pretended to Re­velation? Can any man be so stupid? Those [Page 165]Laws were chiefly Municipal, and made no pretence to what we enquire after. Shall we imagine the Books of the Sybills, because they were thought to be filled with many Divine secrets, contained such Revelation? The greatest part, if not the whole of them is long since perished out of the world, which is proof sufficient they were none of those standing Laws by which God designed to Rule and Judge Mankind. Some excellent Greek Verses there are indeed extant at this day, which go under their Names; but they are upon good grounds by the most learned, supposed to be none of theirs. And i [...] they were, the Christian Religion and the Truths contained in the Bible, are so clearly described, and the Pagan Religion so directly and strongly confu­ted therein, that the Scriptures can scarce have a greater Testimony given to their Divinity. Shall we go to the inspired Ent [...]usiastic [...]l Po [...]ts for this Revelation? What a ridiculous fop­pery would that seem to one that has once conversed with the Bible! And what a wild, extravagant Religion should we erect from the Theology of Hesiod! The Hymnes of Orpheus! The Poems of Homer! The Odes of Pindar! Or from Virgil or Ovid! Shall we look back to the Heathen Oracles for this Revelation? To those of Delphos, Dodona, Jupiter Hammon, [Page 166]and the rest? Who can be so marvelously vain? Besides, the consideration of that general uncertainty, and sometimes falshood that visi­bly attended their responses, the Records of those Oracles, the Books wherein their Respon­ses and Divinations were contained, are long since perished and lost. Shall we goe as far as Numa Pompilius, and his Goddess for the old Roman Theology? That▪s impossible to be retrived. The Religion of Numa is long since vanished out of the World, and the Books wherein it was contained were openly Burnt. And upon this occasion were they burnt long after the death of Numa, in the Consulship of Cornelius and Bebius, there were found in Rome two Coffins, in the one whereof was the Body of Numa, and in the other four­teen Books of Numa's, seven of them in Latine containing the Laws and Ceremonies of their Religion▪ and the other seven in Greek, con­cerning the Study of Wisdom; and in these latter was much contained not only destructive to the Gods, and the Religion of other Coun­treys, but also to his own, and to the Roman Profession; of which the Senate well consider­dering, resolved it as best, that the whole four­teen books should be openly burnt together: Which was accordingly done; Of which we have an account at large in Valerius Maxi­mus [Page 167]and Varro. Or shall we, at last, come to that Arabian Prophet, to Mahomet to set up his Collection of Precepts, his Alchoran (which he tells you, a hundred times over, God was the Author of, and that all Mankind could not have writ a syllable of it) to confront the Bible? 'Twere, to the full, as wife a project to light a Rush-candle and resolve to out-face the Sun, as to encounter the Bible with such Mean and Ridiculous Stuff. What an absurd Foppish Flam is that Alchoran! Evidently a Cheat in every Page of it; A confused Medley of wicked contemptible trash, heaped up to­gether by a Triumvirate of Arrians, Jews, and Pagans, all known Impostors in the Ages, wherein they lived, and so transferr'd by the History of their own times, to all future Ge­nerations. God has made every Reasonable Mind (not some way or other Debauched or Pre-ingaged) a Touchstone sufficient to dis­cover such counterfeit Metal. Some part of it seems rather like the Ravings of men Distract­ed then any product of Common Reason. It tells us that Men were first created of Sha­dow, That the Earth was made in two dayes, and that God fastened it to the Mountains by Anchors and Cables, That Mahomet cut the Moon into two pieces, and Cemented it close to­gether again: with a multitude of Such Raving [Page 168]and Distracted Fantasmes. In many things 'tis evidently self-contradictious, and what is said in one place is directly overthrown in ano­ther. Mahomet himself sometimes plainly Confessing He knows not whether He or His be in a way of Salvation, (for which very saying, I wonder the people did not stone him) The whole of it a Rapsody of most prodigious Ab­surdities: A c [...]nlused Inconsistent Compo­sure: Principles of Heathenisme, Judaisme, and Christianity, all Generally Corrupted, and so wildly patcht up together, that Mahomet might very well declare what he did, That he thought, No body would ever be able to underst and his Law. Whatever we sind in it that carries the least Resemblance of Truth, is apparently stollen out of the Old and New Testam [...]nt, though for the most part visibly Falsified and inverted. It tells us that Jesus was s [...]cretly conveyed in [...]o Heaven, and that somewhat in his likeness which was not himself, was nailed to the Cross. That He was not really Crucifi­ed, but that the Jews were Abused and Delu­ded. It tells us also that in the 14^th of St. John's Gospel (where mention is made of Sending the Comforter) that there was much sard of Mahomet, which the Christians have since Raz [...]d out. Which is to father a ridiculous and impossible falshood upon them, for that [Page 169] Gospel was Extant long before Mahomet was born or thought of (for he was not born till the year of Christ 571) and published most parts of the world over, not onely in the Greek Copies of it, but in divers Translations, in the Syriacke, Arabick, Ethiopick, and La­tin tongues, and was far enough from the possibility of any universal Alteration that could be made by the Christians in Mahomets time. That which the Alchoran tells us in general of the Bible and the Christian Religion directly overthrows it self, and Mahomet thereby has utterly subverted his whole Fa­brick: For he says that Moses and Christ were both sent from God, and that the Old and New Testament are Divine Books, that God im­parted the Law to Moses, the Psalms to David, and the Gospel to Christ. But pretends that as the Gospel succeeded the Law, so the Alcho­ran does the Gospel. Now if the first be true, I am sure the latter is false, unless God can contradict himself, which is impossible; For both Moses and Christ have delivered very ma­ny Doctrines directly Contrary to His. The Bible and the Alchoran are sufficiently Incon­sistent. And therefore wherever the Old and New Testament are acknowledged to be Books Divine, and from God, the Alchoran ought, reasonably, to be Rejected as a Vile and wick­ed Delusion.

If it be asked, as usually it is, How that Religion came to spread so far, and the Di­sciples thereof to be so Numerous, if it be so Vile, and also so absurd a Couzenage as indeed it is! Such a Question will be easily answered if these Three things be considered. First, The Mahometan Religion ows its original to the Sword, more then to all its pretences be­sides. 'Twas Mahomets being a General that made him pass for a Prophet. Nor was his Alchoran at first received in any Nation where his Sword did not make way for it. 'Tis a Religion that was at first Introduced, and has been since Propagated and Ʋpheld purely by Force. Not Discoursed into men, but Imposed upon them. Mahomet himself often declares that God did not send him to convert the World by Miracles, but by the Sword and by Instruments of War. And indeed, There is not a Chap­ter in his Alchoran where he does not preach Fire and Sword, Warrs and Massacres, for the advancement of his Law. Secondly, Where­ever that Religion is introduced, all Inquirie into it is absolutely forbid, and men are Made, (without the least Tasting or Chewing) to Swallow the whole Body of Mahomets Divinity at Once. And by this means, Ignorance is grown so natural an Appurtenant to that Re­ligion, that wherever 'tis setled, it does not [Page 171]only silence all Discourse of Divinity, but to­tally ruines all Learning, and brings men into perfect Enmity with all Liberal Sciences. 'Tis an easy thing to spread the Basest Metal as well as the purest, if we can prevent its Trial. Falshood and Truth are upon Even termes, where all Reasoning is Forbid. And, as Vives well observes, (discoursing of this Mahume­tan Tyranny) Tutum mentiendi genus est, Nolle rationem corum quae dicas reddere. 'Tis a safe and sure way of Lying, to resolve to give no Rea­son for what we say. As nothing is more con­trary to the nature of Truth and that rational Reception it bids for, amongst mankind, then this principle, so nothing can be more Effe­ctual to the introduction of all Errour and Deceit, then to Compel men to lay by, as useless, their own Reasons, and vield up them­selves, by an implicite subjection to the con­duct of such notions as others provide for them. Thirdly, 'Tis a Religion that Al­lows and Incourages men in the prosecution of Sensual Satisfactions, Say: Mahomet to his Disciples, Avenge your selves of your Enemies, and take as many Wives as you will, to propagate the Sectaries of Mahomet. A sure way to o­blige the corrupt part of the World, and by which the Devil out-numbers Christ. He himself Practiced accordingly; for his fol­lowers [Page 172]deny not but that he took Wives at his pleasure, and sometimes other mens: And then most blasphemously introduceth God himself speaking as if he had, in an extraordi­nary way, Married them to him. And indeed, suitable to his Doctrines and Practices is the End he proposeth, and the Heaven he promi­seth hereafter: A compleat enjoyment of all Earthly and Sensual delights: The Paradise he describes, being a place where men shall en­joy all the imaginable pleasures of Meats, Drinks, Musick, Women, and whatever the lusts of men can desire. Which sufficiently declares the Nature and End of his whole Con­stitution.

Nor is it any way hard to discover (if we consult the time when this Enthusiastick Impo­stor composed his Alchoran) out of what Dunghills much of it was raked together. That vile Pollution of Marriage by a Licentious Multiplicity of Wives, he had from the School of the Nicholaitans: His Carnal Paradise from Cerinthus; That absurd conceit that Christ did not really suffer, but a Fantasm in his place, was first forged by the Cerdonians: That rage his Alchoran is every where stuft with, against the Trinity and the Deity of Christ, came, no doubt, from the Arrians, who were famous at that time, & some of them his great Assistants; [Page 173]In short, The Religion of the Alchoran was at first founded, has been since propagated, and is still upheld purely by the Sword; is in it self so wicked, and so absurd a constitution, in ma­ny things so Heterogeneal to the dictates of right Reason, that when ever it wants the Military prop to support it, if ever it come to be nakedly exposed to the Test of mens Rea­son; or to a Trial by Persecution, it being nei­ther founded in Natural Reason, in Miracles, nor in Sanctity and Holiness of Life, the Com­pages of it will soon be dissolved, and the whole of it will quickly expire.

But to return; He that rejects the Bible will be easily reduced to this Dilemma, either he thinks there is some Revelation extant from God to the world, or he thinks there is none. If he say there is none, first he puts the lie not only upon the Christian and Jewish, but gene­rally upon all the Religion that either has been, or is, throughout the world. Revelation (ei­ther real or pretended) having been the uni­versal foundation in all Ages, of that consti­tution we call Religion. All Nations have respectively attributed the Origine of their Mysteries to their Gods. Which though it proves not that the world has generally had Revelation, nor justifies any one pretence to Revelation, upon which any one particular [Page 174]Religion is founded, yet it proves thus much, that by the judgment of the whole world there is good Reason to expect Revelation. And that thereupon Mankind have lived either in the real or Imaginary possession of it. And 'twere strange to conceive that the world should uni­versally agree in the Reason and necessity of it, and all Nations in all Ages thereupon pretend to it, and yet there should neither be, in the ge­neral, any real or rational ground for the Expe­ctancy of any such thing (for if there were, we cannot then, without impeaching Divine Justice & Goodness, refuse in the general to suppose it) nor the least truth any where in the fact of any such thing.

Secondly, If he say there is none, he will be forced to confess that God (who has made man the Noblest of all Earthly Creatures, and Lord of the world) has left him to a worse Con­dition in the present posture we sind him, then the meanest Creature he has subjected to his use, which is greatly unreasonable to conceive. The meanest Creatures that God has made even to the Ant, he has given them a sufficient ability to attain the highest end of their be­ings. 'Tis so in every Creature beneath the rational beings of men; whatever happiness they naturally tend to, as their chief end, God has given them an innate ability that suffici­ently [Page 175]directs them for the obtaining of it; not is there any defect in the meanest Creatures that way. 'Twere strange to suppose it other­wise with man, that God should not suffici­ently instruct him in all things necessary for him to know, in order to his highest end, and the obtaining of that Supreme good he natu­rally tends to; supposing him degenerated from an ability he once had, yet we can no way imagine it consistent with Gods goodness to leave the whole of Mankind without a suffici­ent means of Recovery, nor consistent with the great end of Gods Creation, in all the works that he has made. All other Creatures desire only what gratifies the sensual Appe­tite, not what is in it self simply best. They center in a sensual satisfaction as their highest end, and are sufficiently enabled for the obtain­ing of it. Man by his natural faculty mounts upward, reaches after a higher and more Noble happiness, a good above and beyond this world, Man by Nature has an innate notion of a Deity, a Supreme Being above him, that has in himself all possible Perfection, is superlatively good; The Enjoyment of this good, and a Converse with such a being he must needs aim at; be­cause 'tis the highest Good his Reason discovers to him, and in the truest judgement thereof the most suitable of all other to the rational [Page 176]Nature. He also finds himself with a pecu­liar Relation and Obligation (above all other Creatures) to this Supreme being, and design­ed by his own saculties for present and future Rewards and Punishments from him. Now man were, in this respect, of all other Crea­tures, by far, the most unhappy, should he be left in the dark, and not fully informed and as­certained about these things which are the highest ends and the most necessary concerns of his being, should he not have some certain account of God, by what ways and means he may come to enjoy him, and upon what terms God will deal with men here and here­after, have as full an account of God and of his own Duty, in reference to him as his rational being calls for, and he himself is capable of. And to arrive at this there is no possibility without Revelation. Natural Divinity, if duely pursued, points men directly to Super­natural, from a sense of its own deficiency: And our Natural light shews us the necessity of Revelation, from its own imperfect discove­ries, and by directing us to many Daties in general, which (without Revelation) we know not well how to perform. My natural light tells me of a Sapreme and Perfect Being that made me, but gives me no distinct or satisfying information about him. My natu­ral [Page 177]light enjoyns me to Worship him; but cannot sufficienly direct me in the way of it. My Natural light tells me I am upon Ill terms with God, and bids me (is my nearest con­cern) indeavour a Reconciliation with him, and assures me of the possi [...]ilit) of it from the general notion I have of his Goodness; but can give me no sure and certain Directions for the obtaining of it. In short, My natural light tells me Man is a Creature made for Su­pernatural enjoyments, for Rewards and Punish­ments from God, Superiour to this World; but discovers not unto me sufficient and infallible means (which in this case is of absolute ne­cessity to my welfare) for the obtaining the one or avoiding the other; but bids me look upward, and expect to be further taught from above. So that to say there is no Revelation at all, That God has left Mankind wholly to the conduct of Nature, is plainly to say God has left Man under that unhappiness which no Creature is under besides himself; that is, not fully informed about those things he is most concerned to know, nor sufficiently enabled to obtain the great End of his Being. 'Tis to say, God has made a reasonable Creature with a di­rect tendency towards himself, and the highest Supernatural good, with great Hopes and sears of Rewards and Punishments from him, and [Page 178]with inherent Obligations in his own Nature, relating to both, and vet hath left him with great uncertainty and obscurity to contemplate about these things, and has given him no suf­ficient (or to his own Reason, satisfying) di­rections about them; then which no concep­tion more vile and impious, and in it self more contrary to all true notion of God, can at any time infest the minds of men.

If it be acknowledged there is any where extant a Revelation from God to the World, let it be produced. Let the best [...]ival to the Bible upon that account, or all its Competitors toge­ther be brought fo [...]th, and let but the dictates of right and impartial Reason (of Reason, as much it self as we are able to conceive it, as abstracted from all prejudice, all Byass of Cu­stom, Education or any c [...]llateral interest, as we can suppose it) be the Judge, and we shall soon pat an end to the Contest. Let men be but true to that Divinity they are born with, and to the gennine issues of their own Reason (which must be the Judge in this case) and the Bible must needs be Pre­dominant, and prevail against all Competi­tion. And that will be thus made to ap­pear.

There are somethings which by the Judge­ment of right Reason must necesiarily be ap­purtenant [Page 179]to a Revelation from God, and such a Divine Law as we are in pursuit of, and without which it cannot reasonably be supposed. Now, we find those things peculiarly to belong to the Bille, and that they are no way applicable to any other Writings or Pretences to Revelation whatsoever. And this being so (as by the fol­lowing particulars 'twill undeniably appear to be) where any Revelation in the general, is admitted, the Bible cannot with any colour of Reason be rejected: And in truth its Divine Authority will against all opposition be esta­blished.

First, There must be reasonably supposed (in any Divine Laws God shall reveal to the world) such a Legislative Authority expressed in Commanding, in Promising in Threatning, and throughout the whole of them, as is (by the judgement of our own Reason) suitable to the Sovereignty of God and our natural subje­ction to him, that is, we must needs suppose God to give Laws in a way like himself. In this re­spect the Bible is singular. No Book under under Heaven contains such an assumption of Supremacy over the world, nor speaks to us in such a manner, with that Majesty and uncon­trollable Authority in Gods own Name, as this doth. Requires indispensible obedience from from all Mankind to whatever it enjoyns, as [Page 180]the Will and Pleasure of the Great God, upon the highest Penalty, That of Eternal destruction to Soul and Body. How far any man could have gone in this respect in personating the Su­preme Majesty of God, and abusing the world with a Counterfeit of his Divine Authority, needs not to be considered in this case (though, 'tis certain, the Bible has out gone all the possible contrivance of Men in such a way, and none but God himself could have spoke to the world in words so becoming his own greatness, and so suitable to those conceptions right Reason will give us of him) because though many Books and Writings have made a claim to Revelation besides the Bible, yet in fact, no Book nor Writing has so much as attempted to Command the world in so Majestick a way, nor indeed in any way becoming the Greatness and Sovereignty of God. The Bible has a pe­culiarity in this respect above all other Writings that have been extant since the world began. We find not an instance where any have so far usurped the Throne of God, as with such an absolute superintendency to dictate to the world. All pretended Revelations have in this visibly discovered their own nakedness, and betrayed their own mean descent: Not one of them hav­ing been clothed with such a Divine & Majestick Authority as becomes a product of Infinite Wis­dom [Page 181]and Power: and most of them no way sui­table to the common Prudence of men. The Ancient Heathen pretences to Revelation were, for the most part the meanest and most trifling part of those Ages wherein they were extant. And that Alchoran which, in later times, Mabomet has father'd upon Revelation, is a Systeme of Laws so prodigiously unsuitable to the Majesty of God, that 'tis, much of it, no way reconcileable to common Discretion, or any way worthy an Edition from Wise or or Good men.

Secondly, My Reason will tell me that a Re­velation from God to the World must needs be supposed to give us an Account of all things necessary for us to know, and to carry in it a Compleatness and Sufficiency of Instructi­on and Direction for all the great Ends of Man­kind relating to this life and a future. 'Tis not imaginable that God should make a Re­velation to the world, and not make it pro­portionate and sufficient to all the Ends of Re­velation. The great End of Revelation is to supply the Desiciencies of Nature (for if Na­ture were in it self perfect and without de­fect, there needed then no Revelation) and to furnish mankind with all those necessary Requisites to their own present and future happiness they stand in need of, and which [Page 182]they cannot otherwise obtain. Adaquate therefore to our Natural Defects ought our expectancy to be in this matter. When a Book proposeth it self to us as a Law Super­natural and containg Gods mind Revealed and make known to the World, 'tis a most rea­sonable way of Trial, to examine whether This Book contain all those things I may justly expect from such a Revelation, and be ration­ally accommodated to All those wants I expect a Revelation should supply, and for which a Revelation from God, my own Reason tells me, must needs be Designed. Now, the Bible stands Single in this respect likewise. No one Book, nor all the Books that now do, or at any time have pretended to Revela­tion, can answer all the Ends of a Revelation, besides it self, or endure such a rational Test, but are visibly Defective and Insufficient for those ends they must needs pretend to be Designed. What Book, besides the Bible, ever gave us so full a discovery of God as our own rational Nature looks after, tends to, and capacitate's us to receive? What Book, besides This, ever gave to mankind a clear and distinct account of the First Existence of things, and the Origine of the Ʋniverse? What Book, besides This, ever gave the least tolerable account of the Origine of Evil, the [Page 183]first Rise and Inlet, with the after-Progress of it? the Punishment inflicted for it, and the certain Means to Remove and Obliterate it? Never any Book so answered that great End of Revelation, as to make a full discovery to us of the whole business of mans Apostacy, and of his Recovery. In short, What Book, but the Bible, gives us an account of Gods pro­ceedings with Men from the first Foundations of the Earth, and has plainly and punctually told us what he will do to the end of the world, and for ever? has to the utmost discovered and supplied all our natural Defects, made known to us all that was necessary and fit for us to know, pointed us to the furthest bounds of our duty to God, and one towards another, and revealed to us plain and direct ways and means to attain the highest happiness here, and the most excellent Rewards hereafter our Beings are capable of? No other Book can so much as make a pretence to it, nor, with the least colour, be produced upon this account, in competition with the Bible. Did the world afford any Other Book, with an equal Pretence, that more fully answered all those Ends to which we may rationally expect a Di­vine Revelation should be Designed, I grant we had good Reason to preferr it before the Bible, and receive it as such; But if This [Page 184]Book alone, and no other, be found to answer all the Rational ends of a Revelation, and to ex­ceed all the Attainments of Mankind both Moral and Divine, and whatever has made Pre­tence to Revelation besides, There can be then no Reason at all to doubt, but that This Book ought to have the Precedence of all others, And really and truly is, what it self claims to be.

Thirdly, All Revelation must needs be sup­posed to be corresponding to, and perfective of, the true and genuine Issues of our Natu­ral Light. There must be nothing in it relat­ing to God, to our selves, or to any part of the world, that any way contradicts the Law Natural. For that being the Primary Law God gave to the world, and which is original­ly annexed to our Beings, and inseperable from our selves, 'Twere absurd to conceive (and indeed, upon many accounts, impossible to be) that God should ever Repeal either the Whole or any Part of it, but still proceed to Rectify and Compleat it, and Superstruct all future Revelation upon it. Two things, upon this account, we may reasonably expect from any pretence to Revelation. First, So farr as it relates simply to things Natural, it ought to be justified to us by the dictates of right Reason, and to be a Re-inforcement of [Page 185]the Law truly Natural. Secondly, Whatever it proposeth to our Belief as Supernatural, ought to be no way unsuitable to a Rational recep­tion as such. For though I may well suppose God to reveale things to me that were Above and Beyond me, and which my Reason could not Discover (and cannot refuse so to do, without a Negative upon the great End of Revelation) yet I cannot reasonably suppose him to reveal any thing to me that is, in it self, directly Contradictory to my Reason to believe, when 'tis so discovered, or uncapa­ble of a rational assent to its verity, when in such a way proposed. Because the design of all Revelation must needs be in a Reasonable though Supernatural way, to Instruct and In­form mankind. The Bible, upon this ac­count, will be found to justify it self against all exception, and to prevail against all competition. First, Not a Syllable in it De­structive to the Rational nature; some things indeed above the full reach and comprehension of it, but no way Destructive to it; And those such, and in such a way proposed to our belief, as ought to Enhance and no way to Lessen our value and esteem of it; Because 'tis a thing proper and suitable to the Ma­jesty and Greatness of God, and that which we ought to expect from him, to bring such [Page 186]things about, and to make such Sublime dis­coveries of himself to us as may provoke us to Reverence and Adore as well as to Believe. When God discourseth to us of his own Infi­nite Being, and tells us how the Deity it self does Exist, 'Tis a most rational thing to sup­pose, from the nature of the Subject, he should tell us many things that we cannot now Grasp in our minds, nor fully Comprehend. In­deed, whenever God reveals himself to the world, every mans Reason will tell him, 'tis a thing fit to be, That many things should be Received and Believed barely upon the Cre­dit of Gods Authority, and justified to us from their Author when they exceed the bounds of our Comprehension. What respect and Reve­rence do we otherwise, pay to the Great God, more then we should do to the Meanest humane Pretender, to whom we cannot deny an Assent to whatever he can Demonstrate either to Sense or to Reason? And 'tis no way Contradict­ious to Reason to bell us any thing is, that is in it self possible to be, and no way Unsuitable to God to bring about (when we are told God is the Author of it) but highly agreeable to it. Things Naturally and Humanely Impossible are as Easy and as Proper for God to do, and as fuitable to our Reason to conceive he that first made all things should do, as the ordinary [Page 187]actions of men are for them to do. Nothing is a Barr to my reasonable Belief about God and his Operations, but either what is against that notion I have of his Excellent Nature, or what (to my reason) implies a perfect Contradicti­on in its Existence, and so is utterly Impossible to be. The one, my reason tells me, God (because of his Infinite Perfection) never will nor can do; And the other, it assures me, cannot be done. The Bible tells us of no one thing (in the highest Supernatural Discoveries it makes to us) but what is, in it self, very Possible to be, Nor of any thing but what seems, to our reason, very agreeable to the Nature of God that it Should be, and very fit for us to believe (when we are told of God so) that it is. Secondly, Never any Book made such a discovery to us of what is truely Natural, and so farr Revived and Restored to the truth of themselves, as this has done, the Natural Laws of our own Beings, All impar­tial Reason being Judge. No Humane Wis­dome ever did, or ever could have given Mankind such a prospect of their Natural Du­ties toward God and toward Themselves as the Ten Commandements have done, or composed such a Systeme of Law Natural, or made such an exact Compendium of it. None but God that made man at first, and knew his Original, [Page 188]could have so farr Discovered him to himself, and retriv'd to his knowledg so much of his Primitive State, and discovered to him, What (by the judgment of his own Breast) he still Ought to be. The whole of the Scripture-Religion (both as it relates to God, and his worship, and our performance of Relative du­ties to each other) carries in it the Highest Perfection attainable by our Natural Light; And wherein it exceeds it, is the most Suita­ble to it, and the most justified by it of any Re­ligion the world has been ever yet possessed of. What pure and admirable discoveries of Gods Excellent Nature does it afford us, without the least Savour of what is Earthly and from Below! So corresponding to a Rational Idea of him, that nothing can be more; Religion and Worship without the least taint of Idolatry or Superstition; Rules of Holy living, without the least mixture of Impurity; Such Directi­ons for our Behaviour towards God and Man, as every mans own Breast Subscribes to, as Just, Holy, and Good. Indeed 'tis a Religion that so perfects Nature and whatever it reveals that is above nature 'tis so graffed upon the Stock of our Natural knowledg, and in such a suitable way Super-added to it, and so In­corporates with it, as is admitable to conceive, and could be the effect of nothing but an In­finite [Page 189]Wisdome, even of God himself who per­fectly knew what was in Man, and what would be Best for him, and most Agreeable to him. What just cause is there to Reject and Dis­claim all other Religions upon this single ac­count! 'Tis impossible, That should be a Law Divine and Supernatural that proves any way Destructive to what is truely Natural. What Unworthy, Ʋnreasonable, and Unnatural con­ceptions of God and his Being does the Hea­then Religion stand justly charged withall! How contrary was it to the true dictates of Nature, and the natural shame inherent in eve­ry mans being, to use such horrible Obscene and Lascivious Ceremonies, as they did in the wor­ship of some of their Gods? How unnatural and Inhumane was it to Murther each other, and shed the blood of Mankind, as they did in their Sacrifices? How may Vices that Nature con­demns, grew up under the shadow of their Re­ligion, and no way reproved; yea, some allow­ed and justified by it! The Bible spares not one: Goes to the utmost extent of all natural Evil, and all natural Good. The Alchoran also falls slat before the Bible upon this ac­count. 'Tis so far from perfecting our natural light, or corresponding with it, that in some things it directly overthrows it: And is eve­ry where stuft with such absurd, ridiculous, [Page 190]and incredible sopperies, as do inevitably ex­pose it to the just scorn and contempt of all unprejudiced Reason.

Fourthly, We must needs suppose that a Revelation from God, a Law Supernatural, to which an universal obedience is required, should have such a Conveyance to us as is suita­ble to its Author, and that great concern man­kind have in it; that is, 'Twere a most irrati­onal admission, that God should reveal him­self to the world, and not do it in such a way as should carry in it Evidence sufficient to eve­ry rational enquiry. We ought to believe that when God requires our obedience to Laws as Divine, he should afford us means sufficient to know that they are so, such as may satisfie all reasonable doubts, and shame all wilfull Opposition. 'Twere to impeach the Wisdom, Justice and Goodness of God, to think otherwise. Without this neither Gods end nor mans end can be attained: Not Gods end; for he can never with Justice proceed to reward or punish men by a Law revea'ed, un­less they have notice sufficient that it is so. Not mans end; for 'tis impossible to be any way advantaged by a Revelation, as such, un­less I be first assured that it is such. How ge­neral soever pretences to Revelation have been, and mens belief of those pretences, yet [Page 191]no pretence to Revelation but the Bible alone, has in any Age been accompanied with such a rational justification as we ought to expect a Divine Revelation should be, to ascertain us that it is so. And of this, the fact is sufficiently evident: All pretensions that way have been either recommended to the world upon the credit of mens bare words, or else have ob­tained a reception by means visibly capable of delusion and imposture. What reasonable as­surance had the Heathen world of a Divinity in their Oracles (which yet made the most pro­bable pretension of any thing amongst them to it?) 'Tis acknowledged by all that lived in those times, That the responses of those Oracles were given by persons visible, and seen when they did it. In some of them by young Virgins, which they supposed them to receive in a strange Obscene way, not fit to be mentioned; and in others of them by a man whom they called the [...], one that spake under the Oracle out of the Caverns of the Earth, by the Vapours of which they suppo­sed him Inspired, and to become an Enthusiast. That those Oracles, for the most part, uttered things doubtful and un-intelligible, is evident, and sometimes contrary to Truth; as we may see plainly set down in Thucidides, and other Authors of their own, and which never came to [Page 192]pass (one Instance of which was singly sufficient to confute their Divinity.) No Almanack maker writes with less certainty of the Weather, then they generally pronounced about future e­vents. And the best excuse their greatest Adorers made then for them, was, That those Daemons that inspired the predictions, did not themselves know things future, otherwise then by their inspection of the Stars, and so could collect from thence but uncertain conjectures. Plutarch, after all the pains he has taken to give the world a right account of the first rise of those Oracles, and the cause of their after ceasing, and spent much time in discoursing whether the Daemons that first caused them were not Mortal and Perishable! Or whether they removed not their Places, and changed their abode! and many things of that Nature: At last concludes with this excellent Philoso­phy, That the true Cause of those Oracles was, that the Earth in some places was endu [...]d with cer­tain Prophetick Virtues, which came by Exhala­tions to be mingled with, and insinuated into Souls fitted to receive those inspirations, and so cause in them Enthusiasms and predictions of fu­ture things. And, at last that Virtue, in the Sub­terranean Caverns is spent, and evaporates and so the Oracular Spirit ceaseth. What ground had the Heathen for all that Religion they [Page 193]took from their Poets, but their own Words that they were Inspired? What other Evidence had the Romans at first for their Religion, but that Numa Pompilius told them h [...] conversed with a Goddess, and received it from Her? What have the Turks to this day to assure them that Mahomet was a Prophet [...], and conversed with God and the An [...] [...], besides his own bare [...]ord? He [...] claimed working of m [...]acles an [...] a [...] h [...]m­self sent from He [...] to conve [...] [...] with his Sword. A Re [...]tion from [...] to be accompanied (and [...]nnot [...] to be otherw [...]e [...] with such plan and [...] evidence as is [...]ed to all reasonable satis­faction, though [...] p [...]evail n [...]t to a universal c [...] ­viction; such as will abundantly jus [...]fie it [...] to the strictest [...]crutiny or all wise and good men, however it be judged or by perverse and corrupt men. The Bi [...]le is not only s [...]h for the matter out, as that we make appeal to the most genuine issues of every [...]ns Reason, whether the Justice, Helmess and G [...]o [...]s of God be not very transparent in it, but in its gradual Conveyance to the World at [...]ve [...]al times, and in d [...]stant Ages and places, has been visibly accompanied with open and appa­rent Evidences of Gods Infinite and Almighty power, such (and in such a manner visible) [Page 194]as no one thing in the world besides it self can make a pretence to: And such as the fact of them, its worst Enemies (not a Celsus, nor a Julian) did ever assume impudence e­nough to deny; And indeed is eminently and singularly justified to us (as in par­ticulars shall be shewed hereafter) by a concurrence of all those Evidences from whence a rational satisfaction about a Law Supernatural and Divine ought finally to re­sult.

Fifthly, A Revelation from God, my Reason will tell me, must be without any visible defect. 'Tis unreasonable to father that upon God, which we our selves upon good grounds are able to charge with failing and Imperfection. Whatever claims from Him, and speaks to us in his Name, must have nothing in it unlike him, or unworthy of him. A pretence to Reve­lation must be above any just and reasonable Exception, or it naturally becomes its own Executioner. If in the judgment of right Re [...] ­son it be found guilty of Corruption in Doctrine, or of any falshood in matter of fact, tis but equal to reject it as a Spurious and fictitious Delusion. And therefore 'twas rightly said of St. Austin to St. Jerome, Si mendacium aliquod in Scrip­turis vel levissimum admittatur, Scriptur [...] Au­thoritatem omnem mo [...] labefactari ac convelli. [Page 195]If we admit the least falshhod in any part of the Bible, we ruine the Authority of the whole. All the Counterfeits of Revelation have upon this account visibly betrayed themselves, and re­vealed to us their own original. No one but the Bible, can the world produce, that will not some way or other disclose its own shame, and that falls not under some (nay, many) just and reasonable exceptions, 'Tis this Book alone in which there is not a flaw to be found. 'Tis only this Divine Law that is Perfect. The Bible consists of three parts, the Doctrinal, the Historical, and the Prophetical. Let the most accute Anti scripturist living produce any one Doctrine out of the Bible, that to the judg­ment of right Reason seems corrupt and un­sound: Let him shew any one Prophesie rela­ting to things past, not duly fulfilled: Let him, upon good and sufficient Historical Au­thority, palpably disprove any one matter of fact in the History of the Bible, and wee I yield him the cause. And if this be not to be done (as in fact it never has been, and we are well assured never can be) If a Book contain­ing so much variety of History, far beyond any other Book extant, for so many thousands of years: It a Book pronouncing with that positive certainty about such a multitude of future events, in so many several Ages, and [Page 199]relating to so many several persons and places; containing in the Doctrinal part of it Directi­ons and Rules for the who [...] business of [...]ens Duty [...]o God, and toward each other: I [...] this Book have not a [...]un to be sound in it: If it be proof against all exception: If there be no­thing but Truth in it, in all these respects; what more invin [...]ble Evidence can there be given to its Divinity? Who but God himself could have indited in h [...]a [...]ock? [...] who but a man wilfull and absurd can withstand such a Conviction? 'Tis the B [...]le, and 'tis that Book alone, upon every Page of which that Image and Superscripti [...]n of God is eng [...]aven, Tru [...] it self. 'Tis a [...]o [...] [...] in its [...]niver [...] Triumph over all [...]. Where is [...] a Book to be [...]ound, [...] of any conside­rable subject (much [...] a [...]au [...] this) [...]t c [...] [...] [...]ton [...] Judg­ment of Mankind, [...] worst ene­my to find [...] p [...]o [...]ucts are brought forth in [...] failing and Impe [...]ect. N [...] [...] the wi­sest or m [...]n [...] bound. Of this we are experime [...]ly [...]ed by all Hi­story, Philosophy, and all [...]. This Holy [...] legitimate Off spring of God, and th [...]t which only contains his mind Authorita [...]vely re­vealed [Page 197]and made known to the world, so it has singly appurtenant to it all those requisites ne­cessary to a Divine Revelation. And without which no such thing can rationally be sup­posed.

These things being so; He that rejects the Bible will find he is un [...]voidably ob [...]ed, ei­ther to deny that there is any Revelation a [...] all, and consequently to give some good answer to what has been urged for the reasonable sup­posal of it, and some tolle [...] account h [...]w Mankind (when we consider Gods goodness, and our own necessities) can be suppo [...]d to be left without it; or else to pro [...]ce some­what that with more Just [...] and better Evi­dence can put in a claim to it: is M [...]l more becoming the greatness and go [...]dness of God, and more suitable and use [...]l to men. The first, I dare say, will be found a task utterly im­practicable, if unprejudiced reason may be Judg; and with what success the latter i [...] like [...] p [...] ­ceed, and how visibly absurd 'twill ren [...]e [...] its undertaker, will soon be determined by every sober mind; when it pla [...]nly app [...]s by what has been said, that so many things which my Reason tells me must all necessarily accom­pany a Divine Revelation, and without which it cannot be admitted as such, are all [...] them found peculiarly appurtenant to the [...]ibl [...], and [Page 198]cannot belong to any other Books or Writings, or to any other Pretences to Revelation whatso­ever.

Having thus established these two general points; First, that 'tis a thing in it self reaso­nable and fit to believe, that there should be some Revelation made from God to the world, some Supernatural Laws promulged as the great Rule of mens lives here, and Gods Judg­ment hereafter. And that these Laws should be somewhere or other extant upon Record (that Mankind might be fully assured and as­certained about them, and that they might be visible to all) that there should be some such Book as the Bible pretends to be, and that 'tis greatly unreasonable to believe the contrary. And Secondly, that in the Judgment of right Reason there are many general qualifications that must necessarily be appurtenant to such a Revelation wheresoever 'tis extant, and by which 'tis but reasonable that Mankind should make a Judgment of every pretence to it, and that all those qualifications are found punctu­ally and peculiarly belonging to the Bible, and cannot be applied to any other extant preten­ces to Revelation whatsoever. I shall now proceed to the second thing proposed, which was a more distinct and particular proof, and endeavour to make it appear that this Book is [Page 199]indeed sent us from Heaven, and is in truth that Revelation we have good cause to expect from above, and that we have all those Reasons concurring to make us acquiesce in it as such, from whence a Judgment in such a case ought finally to result: That there is so much Evi­dence to be given in, to prove its Divinity, as no man ought to desire, nor can reasonably expect more, in a matter of such a Nature: And so much, that where mens corrupt Inte­rests and prejudices are not Predominant, will appear sufficient to every impartial en­quiry.

And this shall be prosecuted in this Method. I will these several ways consider this Book. First, In the time of its conveyance to the World. Secondly, In the way and manner of its convey­ance. Thirdly, In the success and effects of it, since its conveyance. And lastly, In it self, in the matter of it as we now find it. And from each of these considerations will a signal Te­stimony be given in to its Divinity, and when we have taken a view of the whole, we shall find that the Book both in the Matter of it, and in all the Circumstances that have at any time attended it, does eminently relate it self to God as its Author, and cannot be reasonably judged the product of any Humane contrive­ment whatsoever.

For the first, When we resl [...]ct upon the [...]me of this Books conveyance, we shall find two things of very great weight offering themselves to our consideration. First, the Antiquity of those things it relates to us, and informs us of: And Secondly, the Antiquity of this [...] i [...] [...]l [...] since composed and deliver­ed to us with such a relation. The Contents of this Book [...]ch a [...] far as the first foundations of the Earth and the Heavens, and give us an account of Gods Revelations to Man since his first m [...] and Original, and of an Orall and [...]er [...]all int [...]se between God and the World for two thousand four hundred and old years, before it was any where extant upon R [...]d or any part of it written: Which no other B [...] since the World began so much as makes [...] [...]ce to. If we consider the Revelation Histo [...]cally contained in this Book, 'tis what was [...] the beginning, and of the same [...] the World it self. If we con­sider the Edition of it in this Book, and the time [...] this Books a [...]ual Publication with all the a [...]tional Revelations contained in it, we shall find this Book to be the first born in its kind, to p [...]ecede all other Writings whatsoe­ver, and in truth to be extant while Thales, Mile [...]us, Hamer, H [...]rmes, and the most pri­mative writers the world had, were unborn [Page 201]and unthought of, Moses wrote of the God of Abraham, long before any of the Heathen Gods had a written mention made of them: God pleasing so to order it, that although the Re­velations he made to the World were not written from the beginning, yet they were written long before any other Writings were extant: And his own Laws were first recorded, and all other Writings are of a subsequent Date to this Holy Book, First, I will evi­dence this in point of fact, and shew that it is so, that to this Book is indeed due the right of Primogeniture, and that all other Books are of a much after-edition. And becondly, examine what reasonably results from thence toward that proof of the Bible we are about. To all which this must be premised, that when we speak of the Bible as thus, Ancient, we in­tend actually no more of it then the Writings of Moses (the whole Contents of the Bible being above four thousand years in a gradual publication, and the Bible it self above a thou­sand and six hundred years in writing; for so long it was from the time that Moses writ to St. John the revealer) nor need we intend more to justifie the Antiquity of the whole; because 'tis all there virtually contained, all the rest is superstructed upon that as its [...]o [...]n­dation, and every several part of the Bible af­ter [Page 202] Moses till the Top-stone was laid appears evi­dently to be writ in direct pursuance of what Moses at first delivered; and so much St. Paul affirmed before Foelix, that he taught nothing but what was long before extant in Moses and the Prophets. For the first, That the Books of Moses are in fact the most Ancient; I find both Jews and Christians have been greatly concerned to make it manifest, as judging it a point that did greatly credit their profession, and highly justifie that Religion they adhered to. Josephus and others of the Jewish writers have much insisted upon it, and amongst the Christian Writers, Justin Marter, Tertullian, Clemens Alexandrinus, Eusebius; Cyrill of Alexandria, in his Books against Julian, St. Austin and others: But most especially Justin Martyr and Eusebius; Justin Martyr in his Pare­naetick to the Graecians; because they used with great Arrogance to boast of the Antiquity of their own Learning and Religion, and upon that account to look with great contempt up­on others, proves against them out of Pagan Authors (and those chiefly their own) beyond all reasonable denial, that the Books of Moses were of much greater Antiquity then the most Ancient Writers they could make a pretence to: And that the Christian Religion, being the natural issue of those Writings founded [Page 203]upon them, and derived from them, was no new or upstart invention; but indeed the first and most Antient written and unwritten Truth the World was possessed of; and the same thing is afterwards more largely and distinctly proved and made good by Eusebius in his E­vangelical Preparation. Who thus concludes, Quare omnibus Diis ac Heroibus Graecorum mul­to Vetustior Moses invenitur. And indeed the most Ancient of the Graecian Gods, as appears by their own Histories, were not of a much Earlyer date then the Warrs and ruines of Troy, which Moses preceded some hundreds of years. Josephus says in his first Book against Appion That the Graecians had no Elder write then Ho­mer, who lived as Pliny says two hundred and fifty years after the Trojan Warr (which War was about four hundred and seven years be­fore the Olympiads began) according to Soli­nus two hundred and seventy years, as Hero­dotus thinks three hundred; But 'tis clear from his own Poems that he lived some very consi­derable time after, at least one hundred years by the Lowest calculation. Moses was so long before him and so much his Predecessor that 'tis granted by all that make mention of him That he lived some hundreds of years at least four hundred and odd before the Battle of Troy, before the beginning of the Olympiads not less [Page 204]then eight hundred and forty years, (Till which time the Graecian History is generally Confused and Imp [...]r [...], n [...]r had they any certainty in St [...]ry till th [...]n, which Varro posi­tively affirms, and Eus [...]b [...] also proves out of the Annals of Africa [...]us who tells us Us [...]iad O [...]mpiadas ni [...]il exploratum in Histori▪ Graeco­rum m [...]tur, sed omnia consusis conscripta tempori [...]us, sunt: Post Olymp [...]ad [...]s v [...]ro quo­niam quadr [...]unto dil [...]gentissime o [...]nia nota­hantu [...], Nulla penitus confusio temporum su. And indeed till that time there is little cer­tainty in any Story but that o the Bible) He lived b [...]fore the building o [...] Rome about eight hundred sixty and five years, for Rome was founded in the beginning of the Seventh O­limpiad, which was twenty five years after their first beginning, But suppose Homer was not the first Graecian Writer, as Euschius and others think, and perhaps truly enough, that they had others before him, 'Tis certain and agreed to by all. They had no Letters amongst them till Cadmus, nor any Written- [...]earning for some consid [...]able time after him. And [...]tis well known that Cadmus was Later then Moses; Those that carry him highest make him but contemporary with Josuah, and he is as some think, more truely to be reckoned of the same time with Oth [...]icl mentioned in the [Page 205]book of Judges. And yet we find the An­cientest learning the world possessed of besides the Bible, is written in the Greek to [...]e. So Justin Martyr observes, speaking of this mat­ter, says [...]e, Si quis vel P [...]etar [...] veterum, vel Legislaterum vel [...]isio [...]or [...]m, vel Plilo­sopherum meminiss [...] velit, comperiet tamen ill [...]s Libros sues [...]r [...]cerum compos [...]sse literis. Both Justin Martyr who lived within a hundred and thirty of Christ and [...]uschi [...]s a [...]our two hundred a [...]ter him, have evidently proved from the best and most acknowledged Calcu­lations, and from the mention that is made of Moses by Proph [...]e Writers, such as Sanco­niathon the Phaenician Antiqua [...], Ber [...]sus Caldeus, Ptolomens, and Man [...]tho, Egiptian Chronologers, and amongst the Creac [...]a [...]s, Ar­tapanus, Polemon, Eupolemus, and from Tre­gus Pomp [...]ius epitomized by Justin and others, that Moses was the first Legislator, and lived long before any Authors of Books were ex­tant; And this is also very particularly affirmed by Dioderus Siculus (the best and most eminent Historian the Gracians [...]d, who says himself he spent thirty years in Travel to search out the Antiquities of all Countries and to inable himself to write a General Story) for he tells us in his History that [...]e had learnt from the Egyptian priests that Moses was the First [Page 206]Legislator and Preceded all others in that kind. We are told by many Ancient Authors that he lived with (and to them St. Austin agrees in his 18th. Book De civit. Dei.) and by others, That he Preceded Cecrops the founder of Athens, after whom all those Ancient and me­morable things fell out in Greece, as Deucalions flood▪ Phaetons sire, the birth of Ericthonius, the ripe of Proserpina, the misteries of Ceres, the [...]titution of the Eli [...] sacrifices, Trip­tolemus his art of Tilling the Ground, the carrying away of Europa, the birth of Apollo, the building of Thebes by Cadmus, after whom also where Bacchus, Minos, Perseus, Escula­pius, Hercules, and others whom we find mentioned in the Graecian Authors as most An­cient; Nor had the Graecians any higher terms to express Antiquity by, then Cecropian and O­gygian, which they used to call all such things as they thought most Ancient from Cecrops and Ogyges, in whose times they supposed Men like Mushroms sprung naturally out of the Earth about Athens. But the certainest ac­count that seems to be given of the direct Time in which Moses lived, is this. That he was Contemporary with Inachus the first King of the Archie [...]es. In this, Chronologers seem most generally to agree, as Scaliger shews in his most learned Animadversions upon Euse­bius [Page 207]his Chronologie. Justin Martyr, Tertullian Tatianus, Clemens Alexandrinus, Athenagoras, Theophilus, and many others of the Christian Writers affirm it, and from many Heathen Au­thors we have direct Evidence for it. Polemon in his first Book Rerum Graecanicarum, is ex­press in it, and Apion, both in his Commentary that he writ against the Jews, and also in other of his Writings, speaks of the Jews coming out of Egypt, Regnante apud Archi­vos Inacho, quibus (sayes he) prefuit Moses. And Ptolomens Mendi [...]us, an Egyptian that wrote the Chronicle of Egypt, sayes, that Moses go­verned the Jews, and lead them out of Egypt, quando Inachus Argis regnabat. And 'tis suf­ficiently known to all that are any way verst in Antiquity, that Inachus, and also Cecrops. lived some hundreds of years before the Trojan War, and long enough before any Books, or the most Ancient Written Learning the world had, was extant. Tertullian in the 19 Chapter of his Apology tells the Romans they also, as well as the Graecians, glorified much in Anti­quities; sayes he, ‘Our Religion far out does all you can produce of that kind; for the Books of one of our Prophets only, (viz.) Moses wherein it seems God hath inclosed as in a Treasury, all the Religion of the Jews, and consequently all the Christian Religion pre­ceding [Page 208]for many Ages together) reach be­yond the Ancientest you have, even all your publick Monuments, the Antiquity of your Originals, the establishment of your Estate, the birth of most part of the people, the foun­dation of many great Cities, all that most advanced by you in all Ages of History, and memory of times, the invention of Characters, which are Interpreters of Sciences, and the Guardians of all excellent things, I think I may say more, even your Gods, Temples, Oracles and Sacrifices; Have you heard men­tion made of that great Prophet Moses▪ He was contemporary with Inachus, he pre­ceded Danaus three hundred fourscore and thirteen years, the Ancientest of all that have a name in your Histories: He lived some hundreds of years before the ruine of Troy. Every of the other Prophets succeeded Moses, and yet the last of them all is of the same Age as your first Wise men, Law­givers, and Historians were.’ And indeed, well might he tell them so; for the Prophets Hosea and Isaiah were contemporary with the first Olympiad, which began, as Scaliger proves aut of Eusebius and others, but in the Reign of King Ahaz, whose Son Hezekiah lived at the same time with Numa in Rome; and E [...]dras himself, and the latest Writers of the Old Te­stament [Page 209]wrote before Socrates Philosophized in Athens, who taught not there till some time after the Captivity. This Antiquity of Moses and his Writings, and their precedency to all other written Religion or Learning, is in fact so evident, that 'tis not capable of any tollerable denial: And as Scaliger sayes in his discourse upon Eusebius, the proof of it resulting so plain­ly from the universal Testimony of Heathen Authors themselves, nihil superesse Paganis vi­det [...]r, nisi aut ut inge [...]ua confessio ab tis expri­mcretur, aut silentium pertinac [...]ae sinem faceret; And he adds, quod certe faeliciter c [...]ssit, ut & hac in parte Porphrius manus daret. 'Tis not made out from any nice disputes between Chronologers, comes not within any near com­passes of time, but from a general concurrence of all Histories, and is so far beyond the [...]each of all contradiction that the worst Enemies to our Religion have agreed it, and given in their Testimony to it. Of this Eusebius in the tenth book of his Praep. Evan. Chap. 3. takes special notice, and tells us, that Porphrie (one of the most raging malicious Enemie that ever the Christians met with) had in his fourth book which he writ against them, given this Testimony to Moses and his Anti­quity; That he had written the History of the Jews truly, which thing he had perceived by [Page 210]conferring it with Sanchoniathon the Berutian, who rehearseth the very same Circumstances, and Names, and Places that Moses does, the which he had learned out of the Registers of one Hierum­balus a Priest of the God of Levi, and out of the Chronicles of the Cities, and out of Holy Books dedicated to Temples; and this Sanchoniathon (sayes he) was after Moses about the time of Semiramis. By which it evidently appears, he had such an Opinion of the Antiquity of Moses, that he makes him to be much earlier in the World then we affirm him to be. But 'tis agreed on all hands he lived and writ in a time long before any other Authors of books, or any other written Learning was known.

And this clear Evidence we have (so clear, that in such a case a clearer cannot be expect­ed) of the Antiquity of Moses in point of fact, and the Preeminence of his Writings above all others in that respect, gives us very proba­ble ground to believe, that he himself was the first introducer of Letters as well as the first Writer of Books (whatever other Nations have fabulously boasted to the contrary, and not­withstanding Plinies absurd supposition; that Letters were Eternal; because he imagined the World to have been so) for 'tis not rea­sonable to think if the World had enjoyed [Page 211]the use of Letters before, but that there would have been some Monuments of it before his time remaining, at the least to the next after Ages, of which we should have had some cre­dible account from them. And therefore Dio­dorus Siculus gives this as the Reason why there were no more Antient Histories and that the Actions of Kings were not Recorded of old; because the World wanted Letters: Im­possibile est (sayes he) primas Literas aeque ac primos Reges vetuslas extitisse. And Josephus gives the very same Reason why we have no more Antient History then we have; because the world antiently wanted the use of Letters; but especially we cannot suppose but that those Revelations God made before of himself and his mind to some parts of the World, would have been safely preserved in Writing, and left upon Record to posterity long before Moses writ; nor can we well imagine that those Holy men to whom at any time God pleased to reveal himself, should not use their utmost diligence in the best way to secure and com­municate so inestimable a Treasure; of this we hear not the least upon any tollerable ground of credit, nor of any other Writings before Moses, but upon reports that appear grosly fictitious and fabulous. 'Tis a thing greatly probable, that till Moses his time the [Page 212]World knew nothing of Letters; for we nei­ther find any Laws of God, or of Men written before, and 'tis likewise most probable that we owe them not, nor their use to Humane in­vention, but to Divine Revelation (and 'tis likely Plato had learned so much from the Jews, when he said in his Cratilus that the Original of Letters was from the Gods) 'Tis a thing offers its self very fairly to our belief, that God himself, when he gave the Ten Com­mandements written by his own singer to Mo­ses, introduced the first Alphabet, and that Letters themselves and those Divine precepts are of an equal Date; I insist not on this as capable of any certain and positive proof, nor if it were, is it to be urged as a convincing Evi­dence of the truth of the Bible: But yet 'tis a Circumstance of very considerable weight, and has very good probabilities for its belief, and that we shall find if we consult but what Chrysostome, Theophilact, and other of the Christian Writers have said in the justification of it: Cyrill of Alexandria in his seventh Book against Julian insists much upon it: Vives upon the thirty ninth Chapter of St. Austins 18 Book de Civ. Dei, sayes, that 'tis the most common opinion both of Jews and Chri­stians, that Moses first gave Letters to the He­brew Language▪ which doubtless has the Pri­ority [Page 213]of all others) and that Eupolemus, Arta­panus, and many other profane Authors affirm it, and that both the Egyptians and also the Phaenicians (from whom the Graecians first learnt the use of Letters) had their Letters from Him, and that Mo [...]es was that Mercury to whom the Egyptians ascribe the first inven­tion of them.

The Objections that are usually made a­gainst this, seem but of very little weight. First, we are told of certain Tractates of Enoch, that were written before the Flood. Second­ly, of two Pillars of the Sons of Seth with ob­servations Astronomical engraven upon them, which they set up to continue their Learning, and that it might remain beyond the Flood which Adam had foretold them of, The one of which remained in the Countrey of Syria till the time of Josephus, as he himself sayes. Third­ly, that Moses in the 21 of Numbers makes mention of the Book of the Wars of the Lord, as a Book extant before that time. And fourth­ly, that Moses himself is said to be Learned in all the Learning of the Egyptians, which learn­ing probably was written. For the first, That there were Books of Enochs Writing before the Flood which were preserved in the Ark, (for so they must be) seems to be a story wholly fabulous; we find not one word of them a­mongst [Page 214]the Jews in the time of our Saviour and the Apostles, nor before, and 'tis certain if there had been any Books then extant in truth written by him, they would have been in great esteem and veneration in the Jewish Church, though they had not been within their Canon, (which we are sure they were not) and Philo, or Josephus, (most diligent searchers of their Antiquities) would have made some eminent mention of them, in whose Works we find altum silentium about any such Books; and therefore 'tis not to be supposed they be­lieved there were any such real Books then extant. But 'tis most probable that after the Apostle Jude had in his Epistle quoted a Pro­phecie of Enoch, which Prophecie, without doubt, he came to the knowledge of, either purely by Revelation (which I rather believe) or else by a Tradition, the truth of which was ascertained to him by Revelation, by which means came others also of the Sacred Writers in after-times to be ascertained of what they writ about divers things that relate to the History of Moses, that were not to be found in his Books; for in the Psalms we find men­tion of some things done in Moses his time, that are not recorded in his Books: St. Paul in the 9 to the Hebrews, sayes, that when Mo­ses had spoken every precept according to the Law; [Page 215]he took the blood of Calves and Goats, with Wa­ter, and Scarlet Wool, and Hyssop, and sprinkled b [...]th the Book and all the People, saying, this is the Blood of the Testament, &c. In which the Apostle has added several things that are not inserted by Moses in the selation of this passage in the 24 of Exodus. So Stephens Speech set down in the 7 of the Acts, tells us, that Moses in killing the Egyptian supposed that his brethren would have understood how that God, by his Hand, would deliver them, but they under­stood not; By which we have a Reason given for Moses killing the Egyptian, that he himself has no where set down, and by which we come to understand; that before Moses went into the Land of Midian, God revealed to him that he was to be the deliverer of that people, which Moses himself has not any where told us. I say, 'tis probable that some Hereticks in the Church (most likely the Gnosticks, who much cryed up those Spurious Writings) to promote their own corrupt Opinions and Interests, took occasion from thence to frame certain counterfeit Books (just as some others did under the names of Ja [...]nes and Jambres, after St. Pauls mention of them) as written by Enoch before the Flood; which Books have sufficiently betrayed themselves; for those that were published under his name were [Page 216]stuft, as St. Austin sayes, with such absurd and fabulous Stories of Angels, and such ridi­culous relations of Gyants, whose Fathers were Angels, and no men, that they are to be justly rejected as p [...]lpably counterfeit and fictitious; Of the same mind is Jerom, Chrysostom, and Epiphanius; and when Celsus alledged some absurd Stories out of those writings in reproch to the Christians; Origen in his fifth Book answers him by shewing what a mean esteem the Jews as well as the Christians then had of them. For the second, those Pillars of the Sons of Seth, 'tis beyond all compass of credit that any such Pillars should be set up with an intention to outlast the Deluge, or that they should so do, or that any Engravings upon them should be visible some thousands of years after, especially upon one of Brick; for Josephus tells us there were two at first erected one of Brick, and another of Stone, and that of Stone they made on purpose to last, if the other should decay (how he came to such an exact account of their minds the Reader may guess) and yet he sayes 'twas that of Brick that then re­mained, upon which he does not absolutely say there was any thing written in Letters; but that the Sons of Seth Engraved upon them such things as they had invented; which might be by many other representations, and other [Page 217]ways then by Letters; for I doubt not but that a Symbolical representation of mens thoughts one to another was extream early in the World, though they wanted Alphabetical Letters: Nor does Josephus say, that He saw it it himself, or give any punctual account what it was that was engraven upon it, or any cer­tain Place where the Pillar was to be seen, but only in general that it was then in the Coun­trey of Syria (where he left men of leisure to enquire after it.) The truth is, there are so very many improbable and unlikely, if not impossible Circumstances, do attend this vain Story, that 'tis plain Josephus (though in the general a Historian of deserved credit) took it upon bare report from others (some late Authors think, and perh [...]ps not amiss, from the fabulous relation of Manetho, who sayes, he took his History from some Pillars set up be­fore the Flood and was marvailously abused in that Countenance he seems to give to it; nor ought it to seem strange that he should be so? for we sind many of the best Historians have taken up things upon trust, and fallen thereby into very great mistakes. Suetonius and Taci­tus are both eminent Historians amongst the Romans, yet both guilty of strange mistakes Ta­citus tells us in his History, That the Jews worship­ped an Asses Head with the highest veneration▪ [Page 218]then which nothing could be more untruly, and upon less ground affirmed; and Suetonius so mistook that he thought Christ lived in the time of Claudius; for he sayes In the time of Claudius, Judaeos impulsore Chresto assidue tu­multuantes civitate expulit: That Claudius ex­pelled the Jews out of Rome, who were continu­ally making uproars, being stirred up thereunto by Christ. Then which there could not be an absurder mistake, nor a greater falshood well uttered. For the third, The mention that Moses makes in the 21 of Numbers, and the 14 of the book of the wars of the Lord, as a Book then extant, his words are, wherefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord, what he didin the red Sea, and in the brooks of Arnon. First, divers probable senses are given of the place, that render it no Objection in this case. The Geneva Translation, not much differing from some others, renders it thus, Wherefore it shall be spoken in the book of the Battles of the Lord, &c. If so, then 'tis Prophetical, and may relate to Joshuah, who is said to sight the Battles of the Lord, and to the Relations in the books of Joshuah or Judges that were to be after. Junius reads the words thus; Idcir­co dici solet in recensione bellorum Jehovae, &c. Wherefore it is wont to be said in the rehearsal of the Wars of the Lord, &c. And so understands [Page 319]it not of any particular book, but that amongst the Wars that God disposed for the good of the Israelites there was in those times a fa­mous mention in the mouths of most men concerning those passages there expressed. Paulus Fagius, who seems to give the rightest account of it, differs not much from this of Junius, only reads it in the futuretense, and supposes it to intend a future relation, his words are, Ideo dicetur (est enim verbum Hebraicum [...] futuri temporis) in commemoratione bello­rum, hoc est, cum bella Deicommemorabuntur, recensebuntur a posteris, quae bella pro Israel in mari rubro gesscrit, & quae ad hos torrentes: qua­si dicat, hi auo locitanquam memorabiles ab omni posteritate repetentur in quibus Deus pro Israel dimicavit, ubi prodigia Coeleslia ost [...]nsa sunt; that is, In the relation that shall be hereafter of the Wars of the Lord, there shall be a famous mention amongst all posterity, of what God did for Israel in those two places; wheresoever the Wars of the Lord are spoke of, what God did in those two places shall have an eminent mention. The Hebrew word [...] Sepher, signi­fies properly any rehearsal or enarration, recen­sionem aut enarrationem quamcun [...]; recensio­nem scriptam; but per accidens. If we under­stand it not to relate to any Book, but only to a relation Verbal as it seems most probably [Page 210]to do; because Moses speaks only of a rehear­sal in generals but not directly of a written re­hearsal, it reaches not this matter; and if it do, I see no good reason can be given why by that Book of the Wars of the Lord should not be meant either some succeeding Book, part of the Bible, or else that very Book of Numbers it self. But Secondly, which way soever this Text be taken, it can never be reasonably urged to prove there were Letters or Books be­fore Moses; because 'tis said to be a Book re­lating a Story of things done in Moses his own Time; for those Wars called the Wars of the Lord, commenced but at the peoples coming out of [...]gypt under his conduct: And therefore 'twas impossible there should be a written story of them before Moses himself was extant. To the last Objection I Answer, 'Tis true that the Egyptians were a Learned people, probably the most learned the world then had. The continued clearness of their Skye, and the constant overslows of Nile, natural­ly tending to render them learned in those two Noble Sciences of Astrology and Geometry; yet there is not the least ground to believe they had any use of Alphabetical Letters before Moses his time, or any other way to express or communi­cate their learning, but what was Symbolical and Hycroglyphycal; nor is there the least Record any [Page 221]where extant to evince the contrary. Aristotle sayes, The ancient way of the Egyptians writing was, per Hi [...]roglyphycas literas saxis incisas; and he adds, Conceptus a [...]imalium scr [...]bunt, uti occulata side legimus in lapidibus per figuras; idem in omnibus Scientijs, Artibus (que) sacientes, quos locabant in Templis tanquam Paginas per­legendas; tales (que) illis pro libris extant. Tacitus tells us, Primi per siguras Anima [...]ium Egypti sensus mentis efsingebant, & antiq [...]ssima Monu­menta memoriae humanae impressa saxis cernun­tur. Diodorus Sicalus long before, in the fourth part of his History has given us a large account of this Symbolical way of writing amongst the Egyptians and Ethiopians, which was reduced to these three heads, Imitativa, Tropica, & Enigmatica; nor do we hear a word of any o­ther writing amongst them, till Moses his time, who in all probability first discovered to them that way of transferring their minds one to a­nother by Alphabetical Letters. And this Artapanus a most ancient Historian tells us, who speaking of Moses, sayes, Ʋt quasi Deas ab Egyptijs coleretur, & propter Literarum in­ventionem Mercurium appellatum; That he was reverenced by the Egyptians as a God, and for his first inventing of Letters called Mer­cury.

The Antiquity of the Bible in point of fact being thus cleared, 'tis in the second place to be considered what Testimony to the Divinity of the Bible does in truth result from thence! And herein we shall find the one very remark­bly leading us to the other. First in the gene­ral, 'tis a thing not to be denied that a reve­rence to Antiquity seems to have been univer­sal; All men in all Ages seem to have risen up and payed respect to the Hoary Head of An­tiquity: and that upon these two grounds; First, What is most Ancient, has undergone the greatest Trial: Every man is ready to venerate what has endured the Test of many Generati­ons, and lasted through most Ages; because nothing corrects mistakes like Experience, not distinguishes falshood and truth like Time; Time we say, and truly say is Index, as well as Edax rerum. Secondly, Every mans Rea­son tells him all Secundary truth must needs lie nearest to the Eternal truth, and so be of greatest Antiquity. Error of every kind is of a later Edition then truth, an Apostacy from it, and a Corruption of some prime Principles. Though Error and falshood may be very Anci­ent, yet Truth is still the Elder Brother, and has this still to say to all its opposers, Non fuit sic ab initio: And therefore the farther we wade into Antiquity, the nearer still we come [Page 123]to Truth. In Religion most especially that Maxim prevails, antiquitate nihil verius, veri­tate nihil antiquius. In the present case the Antiquity of the Bible carries in it a very signal proof of its Divinity. That which is the most ancient Religion, is like to be the Truest; great­est antiquity in Religion, is an eminent mark of greatest Truth, and that upon these two ve­ry forcable considerations; First, 'tis reaso­nable to believe, that there has been an inter­course between God and Man since the begin­ning, and a Supernatural inter course since mans first defection, that Gods Revelations were as early as mans necessities, That there was no time wherein man stood in need of Supernatu­ral Instruction and help, but that God affords it to him. If the supposal of Revelation in the general be reasonable, (as I have proved at large it is) the other will follow; and we shall find good ground to believe, that there has been a Revelation from God since there was first Reason for it, and such a constitution as Supernatural Religion in order to mans hap­piness and recovery that bears an equal Date with his first apostacy▪ to think otherwise were to deny what the notion of Gods goodness very openly affirms to us. And this being so, no Religion can be True that is not clothed with great antiquity: And that Religion that is [Page 224]most ancient, and can derive it self from the beginning must needs be most True. The Bible therefore giving us Historically an ac­count of Gods first intercourse with man, and of the constant continuation of it in all Ages, and being it self the first account that ever was given of Religion in such a Written way, upon all accounts the most Ancient the world has, and in its own Antiquity answering that antiquity we may justly expect to accom­pany Gods First Revelations, the Bible I say upon this account has a singular evi­dence given in to its Credibility, and its antiquity does strongly affirm its Divine Au­thority.

Secondly, The Antiquity of the Bible does point us to its Divinity, because 'tis not rea­sonable to believe that the First Writen ac­count the world had of Religion, should be a Cheat, that the First eminent Record of Reli­gion should be a Lye, and not only a Lye but the Worst of Lies, and the most Pernicious and Destructive falshood, (for so it must needs be to impose a Law upon the world in Gods name without his Authority) that ever was pub­lished amongst mankind. 'Tis not in the judgment of right Reason consisting with the Wisdom and Goodness of God to suffer the world to be Originally Cheated in point of Re­ligion: [Page 225]to suffer a publick open Counterfeit of his Name and Authority to the highest degree. First to possess the world and take the Prece­dence of all truth: to permit the Devil to publish a Systeme of Lies and erect a Monu­ment of Falshood, Before there was any writ­ten Record of Truth. We must needs sup­pose Gods care of Men, and the concern's of his own honour, to engage him to the con­trary, and that God should First establish his own Truth, to which mankind might still have a recourse, and by which as a Standard, all Delusions and False Pretensions might be Tri­ed. 'Twere, as one says well, very absurd to think God should permit the Devil to set up a Chappel before he had built a Church. If the Bible were originally composed by Impo­stors, and be not a Divine Book, 'twill then undeniably follow that the most Primitive and Ancient account we have of Religion is conn­terfeit, And that in the Earliest notices we have of God, of the worlds Original, Mans fall, and the way of his Recovery (for we have none so early as what the Bible gives us of any of these, and of some of them no o­ther) the world is Deceived and Abused, and that God suffer'd the Devil in the first place, (and before any thing was publiquely extant from him to contradict it) in his name and [Page 226]with pretence of his Authority, to abuse and deceive Mankind with a false and delusive ac­count of all those things they are most con­cern'd to know, and upon the right Know­ledge of which their present and future happy­ness does unavoidably depend. This very one consideration will prevail much upon e­very impartial judgment. Who can believe the first Religion should be the worst, when True Religion must needs be as old as the World? And the Earliest notions of God the falsest, when we must needs think it rea­sonable that God should reveal himself to the World from the beginning? Or that the first book we sind writ should contain the Highest imposture in point of Religion, and more dis­honour God and abuse the World then any or all the Books written since? 'Tis a thing beyond all compass of credit, That God should suffer false informations to be given in his own Name of himself and his own Revelations from the first beginning of the World for a­bout 4043 years (for about so long a time it was from that first intercourse between God and Man the Scripture gives us Historically an account of till the last Revelation of St. John) And that this account should begin with the first book that the world had, and be gradually carried on into such a complete Sy­steme [Page 227]as now we see it is, in a Written way, by several hands, in several Ages, for a thou­sand and six hundred years together (for a­bout so long a time it was from Moses his first Writing to St. Johns Closing the Bible) Nor is it supposable that the vilest falshood for such is the Bible if it be not from God (a Religion whereby (if it be false) God would be more dishonoured, and men more deluded then by any that ever was yet extant) should have this to say in its justisication, That 'tis of all others the most Ancient, and has been longest lasting amongst Mankind. The consideration there­fore of this Book in the Time of its conveyance, the Antiquity of it in respect of the matter it contains, and the Antiquity of it self, as a Book written long before all others, and of so early a Date in the World, does with great Evi­dence point us to its Divine Original, and very strongly tends to perswade us that God himself was the Author of it.

Secondly, The way and manner of this Books conveyance to us. The Method of Gods thus Recording his pleasure has been such, that we shall find we have all those reasonable in­ducements (and in some respects more) to credit it, upon which we receive any Hu­mane Authors, and acquiesce in them as true: And all such farther Evidence as we can well [Page 228]expect to insure us of the truth of a Book that pretends to come from God and be Divint, And this will appear to be so, if we consider, first, the Instruments God imploied in the wri­ting of it, and such humane Circumstances as attended their doing it. And Secondly, The Divine witness God himself has in the most eminent way, given to this Book in its conveyance, to ascertain us of the truth of it, and of the sincerity of those that wrote it.

First, If we consider the Pen-men of this Book, those Amanuenses God made use of for the writing of it, and such Circumstances as attended their doing it. How unlikely a thing is it that they either did or could abuse the world in this matter, if we reflect upon these several things. First, the unblemished Credit and Reputation of these Writers. Secondly, the several Qualifications and Qualities of them. Thirdly, their Interests as moral and reasona­ble men. Fourthly, their Number, and that great distance of Time in which many of them wrote one from another. For the first, No­thing we know does more credit Ancient Au­thors, then the good Report of those Ages wherein they lived transferred to posterity. Not one of those Holy Pen-men God imploied in writing the Bible, was (that ever we find [Page 229]upon any good grounds) tainted in Reputa­tion or convicted of any sort of Impostor in their own or future ages, but were men of acknow­ledged Integrity and Sanctity in those times wherein they lived, and very many of them gave the highest Testimony to their integrity, in becoming Martyrs in justification of what themselves writ. For the Second, the various Qualities and Conditions of these Writers seems much to secure us against so vile a design as this book must needs be composed with, if it be not from God. Some of them were Kings, and men of the greatest quality before they writ, and not very likely to be guilty of so much baseness and meanness to carry on such a work, and also men of deepest Learning and Knowledge: Others of them, many of the Prophets, and most of the Apostles were men Illiterate, and of Parts and Education so mean, that they seem no way capable to write so pro­foundly, to lay so deep a Contrivement of mis­chief, or by the single strength of their own abilities to bid so fair to delude the World. 'Twere strange to Imagine men of such distant qualities and different abilities should all agree in the same Imposture, and so Harmonize as we find they do in the promotion of it. Thirdly, If we consider the Interest of these Writers as they were Reasonable Men (for so we must [Page 230]needs suppose them, and to act upon the same inducements that Mankind do in all other things) No man could reap any advantage by counterfeiting this Book, nor could the Composers thereof design any Earthly or Hea­venly Good to themselves as a Recompence for such an undertaking: not Heavenly, for 'twere the highest Offence against God, and meriting the highest Punishment: Nor Earthly, and that upon these two Grounds. First, because the tendency of the Book throughout is to mortifie mens Earthly ambitions and appetites, and to propose a happiness of another Nature as mens great Interest, and relating to another World; and no man of common discretion that designed to greaten himself here, would choose to become the Author of such a Do­ctrine in order to it; because every step he ad­vanced that way would visibly betray an A­postacy from his own Principles, and render him an open Impostor, meriting the scorn and contempt of all Mankind. Secondly, The most of those that God imploied in that work actually exposed themselves by the doing of it to all the Persecutions, Hazards and Contempts imaginable; And some of them as amongst the Prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, and Ezekiel, and all the Apostles (according to what our Saviour foretold them) as History [Page 231]assures us, save only the Apostle John, with the loss of their own Lives published their Do­ctrine. 'Tis a thing greatly ridiculous to imagine so many men, in so many Ages, should agree to cheat the World to no other end but their own certain ruine both in this world and the next. What end could many of the Prophets have in those unwelcome Messages they brought to those Ages wherein they li­ved, and for which they knew beforehand they should meet with so much ill usage? No man can be so sottish to think Jeremiah designed to himself any Interest in this world, when he pro­phecied himself into the Dungeon, and at last into his Grave. Or that the Apostles designed greatness or happiness here when they know­ingly exposed themselves to all the rage that was then upon Earth, and endured the shock of all that fury which either Jews or Gentiles or the whole World together could execute upon them. He that reads the Story of St. Paul must needs suppose him to act beyond the bounds of all folly and madness, and not like a man either capable of instructing or abusing Mankind, if he intended any thing in this world as his End. The Motives of those Holy Writers in what they did, cannot with any Co­lour of Reason be judged to be other then pure obedience to God, love to truth, and prefer­ring [Page 232]a Reward hereafter above their own lives, and all enjoyments here. How highly did they preach up obedience and submission to Magi­strates, when all the Rulers upon Earth were their most bitter Enemies! And that Doctrine could have no other effect but to bring their own Heads to the Block. The Authors of the Heathen superstitions were of a very diffe­rent Genius. And as one sayes well of them, Cute Authores superstitionis inter Gentes, omnes sibi & suis semper conciliarunt Dignitatem. Nor is there any part of the Bible written by any of them with any the least shew of intention to greaten or advance themselves thereby: But on the contrary, many of the most eminent of them have themselves Recorded their own great fatlings and imperfections, as well secret as open: They all appear to be themselves un­der a subjection to the Doctrine they taught (which plainly declares they were inspired from above) and no way Masters of it as a Creature of their own. Throughout the whole Book there is a visible Antipathy to all self-seeking, flattery, or compliance: God alone is exalt­ed, and all mens persons, Actions and repu­tations are openly Postponed to his honour, and put in subjection to those Holy and excellent truths there delivered. Moses of all the rest seems the g [...]et [...]st gainer in this world; because [Page 233]'twas necessary at that time God should raise up a leader to his people, yet 'tis plain he had no design for himself; for he pronounceth a grievous curse, and a sore Judgment upon his own Tribe, the Tribe of Levi, rejects his own posterity, leaves them to the condition of common Levites, sets up Joshuah to succeed him, and places the Kingly superiority over that people in another Tribe from his own, the Tribe of Judah; and himself while he lived attained to no more, but to spend his days with great trouble, amongst a murmuring mutinous peo­ple in a wearisome Wilderness.

Fouruthly, The Number of those Writers and the great distances of Time may of them lived in from the other, does as probably secure us against any Humane contrivement in the com­posure of this Book as we can reasonably ex­pect. The world affords not an instance, that ever so many Men that lived in so many seve­ral and distinct Ages, so exactly agreed about any one thing, much less to cheat and abuse the World, and carry it on in such a continued written way: Never any such thing was done in any kind; nor is it supposable upon the grounds of common Reason that ever any such thing should be: 'Twere strange it should be done in a matter of highest concernment, wherein Gods Honour & mans welfare are to the [Page 234]utmost engaged; that such a number of Im­postors should be at several distant times for fifteen or sixteen hundred years together in contriving and composing such a Book as the Bible is, to delude and deceive the World, and that in all that time there should be no palpable discovery made of them, nor they themselves should so trip in the doing it, as visibly to shame their own undertaking, and betray those corrupt and rotten principles upon which they proceeded. As 'tis highly im­probable that such a number of men, living at such distances of time, should all agree in the same design, and the same way of promoting it, (and agree they must; for 'twere absurd to imagine it could happen so to be by chance) be­cause most parts of the Bible have been still written with a reference to things future, and no man that writ any one part could at that time know that others in future Ages would justifie what he said, and take up the design in a right nick of time, just where he left it, and so still carry it on; and yet this must still so come to pass, if the Bible were written by any Humane contrivement. Moses could not hu­man [...]ly foresee, That so many Prophets would ari [...]n so many after Ages, to justifie, explain and carry on what he at the first writ; nor could Moses or those Prophets know any thing [Page 235]of the coming of Christ and the Apostles so exact­ly to fulfill the whole. And yet all this, and all things relating to the Bible, have come as pun­ctually to pass, as if all those persons that writ the Bible had lived at one time, had all talked together, and perfectly agreed the whole busi­ness before one word of it was written. Nay Moses is so explained and justified by the Pro­phets, and both in such a way explained and fulfilled by Christ and the Apostles, Promises and Prophecies are in such a manner made good, fulfilled and interpreted, as seems utterly be­yond the reach of all humane skill and con­trivement, supposing all the Writers had li­ved at one time, had all consulted together, and with their utmost abilities laboured to bring it so to pass. What Humane skill can we reasonably conceive could have contrived such a gradual fulfilling throughout the whole Bible as now we see of that promise, That the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents head? What Humane Artifice can we conceive could have contrived such a Prophetical Prayer as Gods perswading Japhet to dwell in the Tents of Sem, with such a fulfilling of it, as that after the World had been Canton'd (in Ages then to come) into Jew and Gentile, from their posterity both Jews and Gentiles, who were in the highest enmity each to other, should in­corporate [Page 236]into one faith, and become one un­der the Gospel by an united subjection to one common Head? and so in many others of the like Nature. And indeed no man that is not bereft of his wits can Imagine, that any com­pany of Impostors could have been the Au­thors of such a projection as the saving men by Jesus Christ, which is the main and grand de­sign of the whole Bible, or could have contri­ved such remote obscure promises of it at first, and such gradual and stupendious fulfillings of those promises after. 'Tis not, I say, only highly improbable that such a number of men living in such distant Ages, should agree to write such a Book; but 'tis unreasonable to Imagine, that admitting they had so agreed, yet that they could have produced such a book as the Bible, or that a Book so consisting with it self, could have been at such remote distan­ces of time contrived by the cunningest Heads of any wicked Impostors whatsoever. Nothing less then a Divine and Heavenly Wisdom could have guided so many hands as writ the Bible in so many Ages into such an admirable agreement, and punctual correspondency with themselves. 'Tis not easie to find an agreement between men of the same sect and opinion in any one Age, or to find any one man in his own writings, if he write much, [Page 237]exactly agreeing with himself; But to see so many men, in writing such a Book as the Bible, so harmonizing together as there they do, is of singular consideration: Throughout the whole Book we find these Writers still pro­ceeding and building forward till the Top­stone is layed, without rejecting any thing, all things compleated, and fulfilled, never any thing denied, Contradicted, or destroyed, but we still see a rare use of every part relative to the whole, and such a fabrick intirely reared, without the least part Mis-placed, or any cause seen to entertain a second thought or to Alter. Of which no instance can be given in the pro­moting of any humane Science whatsoever.

The Harmony we find in this Holy Book is of great Remark, upon these three ac­counts. First, 'Tis a harmony that results from exceeding Different Styles, and the great­est Variety of Matter. 'Tis not so many mens bare agreement together upon any few plain points, but tis so many mens agreeing together who have writ Historically, Prophetically, Do­ctrinally, with wonderful variation both for Matter and Manner of all the Sublimest notions the minds of men are capable of, as well as of the plainest truths, of things in Heaven, in Earth, in Hell, of all sorts of things relat­ing to God and Men, and of the whole busi­ness [Page 238]of this World, and the next. Secondly, 'Tis a harmony resulting from an involved Cor­respondency of the parts one with another, and of every part with the whole (now we see it conjoyn d) in such a way, as could not be foreseen or contrived by any humane wisdom in the writing of any one distinct part. There is in the to [...]um compositum of the Bible such a peculiar Oeconomy relating to the whole, in the conjunction of all the parts, and likewise such an united consent in all the parts when together (relating to their conjunction) in all the Doctrines, Prophecies, Promises, Types, Histories, to promote the same thing, and such a Dependency each upon other in or­der to it, the whole in its connexion is so is­sued into one great and common end, as must needs argue a further and greater design in producing the whole, then what any Indivi­dual Men could possibly have at several distant Times in writing the pa [...]ticular Parts. Thirdly, 'Tis such a harmony as has been and still is dayly more and more disco [...]erable to us by the Accidents of Time, And the products of Ages and Generations have shewed us much of it, that lay hid and we knew not of before. The more experience we have of this Book the more we find it at unity with it self, and the more we search into it the deeper harmony [Page 239]still we discover: Every Age proves a fresh Interpreter, and the successive Revolutions of this whole world reveal to us more and more of its rare and admirable Concord, and we come to find things that seemingly most dif­fer'd in the highest and safest agreement; Which, when we consider by how many se­veral Pens, and at how many several and di­stant times, this Book was handed down to us, could not be the effect of any Humane Artifice, nor is it a thing that any Writers by the strength of their own abilities could possibly in their own Times design or provide for. Nor can we suppose it the effect of any other cause but an Infinite Comprehension and Fore­sight: And that the Writers of this Book were in all times guided in what they wrote by the Supreme Wisdome of that one God who is constant to himself and the Same for ever.

This consideration of the Pen-men God made use of for the Writing of this book, and those Humane circumstances that attend­ed their doing it, goes thus far, That there is at least as much (if not More) Ground to believe this book upon that single account, as there is to Receive any other Humane Au­thors we are most satisfied in: Indeed as ra­tional inducements to credit those men that wrote the Bible, considering Who they were [Page 240]that wrote it, and how, and when, and upon what Termes they wrote it, as to credit any other Authors we least doubt of; And if so, these two things will follow upon it; First, That he that rejects the Bible, obliges himself to believe no other books without apparent disin­genuity? Secondly, He that does credit the Authors of this book with the same credit wherewith he credits other Authors, and sup­poses they were men of common honesty that would not knowingly write an untruth, can­not then refuse to receive it as a book Divine and Infallible, upon as good termes of credi­bility as he believes any the best humane Au­thor in its Kind to be True, because they themselves tell us that it is so, (which were it otherwise without most impudent falshood they could not do) that God himself inspi­red them to write it, That 'twas no pro­duct of their own, but that every part of it is the genuine Dictate of the Holy Ghost.

But in the second place, in the manner of this books conveyance we shall find a further and more unquestionable ground of satisfacti­on, and a Divine witness given by God himself to the Truth of these Writings, to assure us beyond all reasonable doubt, they were writ­ten by men that did not deceive us, but such [Page 241]as were Intrusted by himself for that purpose; And that is the miracles that were wrought, and which visibly accompanied their first pub­lication. In the discoursing of which after a due sort, these three things will naturally fall under consideration. First, the Nature of a Miracle in general, what prop [...]rly it is! Se­condly, What evidence we have for the Fact of those Miracles we say the Scriptures are justified by! Thirdly, Whether Miracles sim­ply in themselves are always an unquestionable proof of that Doctrine they are wrought to confirm, and an infallible justification of the integrity of the persons that work them! The two first are of an ea [...]y dispatch, the difficulty rests in the Latter.

For the first, A Miracle is p [...]operly that which can have no second cause for its Au­thor, such a thing as no created Power in the judgment of reason can effect. Raising men Dead, curing [...]iseases by speaking a Word, being able in a moment to speak all Lan­guages, are things that exceed the bounds of all Natural Ability and such things as can be only related to God as effects of his sup [...]eme and unlimited Power: And su [...]h is a Miracle. Secondly, For the Fact of those Miracles we claim in defence of the Bible, we are much eased of the labour of proof from a General [Page 242] Concession: And 'tis of great remark, That the Warmest Adversaries, the Scriptures have met with, have never denied the Fact of those Miracles pleaded in their behalf, but indea­voured to invalidate their testimony some o­ther way; Neither the Miracles of Moses (which we find often mentioned in Hea­then Story) nor of Christ, are denied by any in point of Fact, but both fathered upon E­gyptian Magick. Those of Moses, by the Heathens heretofore, as we find in Pliny and Apuleius. Pliny says There is a very great Ma­gick depends upon Moses and the Cabala (Though he might have remembred that never any Law so positively forbad Magick as did that which Moses delivered) and those of our Saviour by the Jews and the Heathens since; The Jew [...] affirmed that all that our Saviour did was done by a Magical skill he first learnt in Egypt, and brought with him from thence, And Julian the Heathen says that Peter and Paul were the most expe [...]t men in Magick that ever lived, and that [...]hrist himself wrote a Bo [...]k of that Profession and Dedicated it to them two. Our Saviours Miracles in point of Fact are not only acknowledged by the Jews, but expresly both by Celsus and Julian (two of the most Learned, Malicious, and Industrious Adver­saries that ever opposed the Christian-professi­on) [Page 243]And this we may see in Origin's second book against Celsus (of whose w [...]k [...] there is nothing left but what is there [...]peated) and Cy [...]ill's sixth book against Ju [...]ian. And [...]n truth the Miracles of Christ and the Apostles and those that succeeded them in the Christi­an-church were in Fact so many, so eminent, so visible, lasted so long for in the Church for three hundred years in some measure they lasted) and the Relation of them has descend­ed down to us by such a Constant Uninter­rupted Written and Unw [...]itten Tradition, that no man has yet assumed Impudence enough publickly to Gainsay them.

For the Third, Whether miracl [...]s simply in themselves are always an unquest [...]onable proof of that Doctrine they are b [...]ug [...]t to Confirme and an infallible just [...]fic [...]tion of the Persons that work them! I answer, In the general they are not. If the Doctr [...]ne be no way Destructive to those Natural no [...]ons of God we are born with, If it be not evidently to our Reason Dishonora [...]le to H m, tend [...]ng to seduce us from him, and opp [...]si [...]e to that Natural Duty we owe him, They are. But if otherwise, if they come in direct Compe­tition with the Law of Nature, They are not. No Miracles whatever can or ought to oblige me to what my Judgment Dissents [Page 442]from as sinful: And that upon these two grounds; First, The Law of Nature as 'tis Previous to all Laws, so 'tis an unrepealeable Law, because tis so perfectly the Result of my Reasonable self that should God contradict it he would cease to deal with me as a Rational Being, which is not upon any account to be thought. Secondly, 'Tis not against Reason to suppose a possibility that God may in some cases exert a supernatu [...]l power by ill instru­ments for Trial as well as E [...]tablishment. God has no where told us that he will not so do, nor do our own faculties Recoile against it and adjudge it unreasonable that God should exer­cise the world with such a Trial, if he afford means sufficient to Oppose and Resist it. Such who deny this Latter, and say that a Super­natural power in a way miraculous was never exerted but to confirm and establish a Divine Truth, that 'tis an Impeachment of Divine Justice, and most unreasonable to think the contrary, That although many things may be b [...]ought to pass by the D [...]vil and Ill men that are in their own nature Wondrous, mi­randa, and mira [...]itia, and utterly beyond the compa [...]s of our Reason to conceive How by any natural power they should be effected, yet they are not Miracula, they are still eithe [...] natural effects proceeding from [...]atu [...]al cau­ses, [Page 245]though secret and occult, or else delusi­ons some way or other upon us. From the opinion of such I dissent, and that upon these four Grounds. First, That which they say does no way answer that end for which they themselves intend it. Secondly, 'Tis against plain Texts of Scripture. Thirdly, 'tis against great evidence of History. And fouthly, Be­cause the admission of the contrary is no way Destructive to those natural n [...]tions we have of Gods a [...]tr [...]butes, and his providential Rule over the world.

Fi st, What they say does not answer that end for which they themselves intend it. For if God suffer the Devil to exert a natural power in such a way that to the best exercise of my Senses and Reason it seems supernatural and miraculous, tis all one to me as if it really were so, and to my Judgment must needs be of the same prevalency with a miracle it self, nor have I the least way to help my self, if I am bound simply to subscribe to whatever is at­tested to by a Miracle, and look no further; For that must needs go for a Miracle with me, which to my senses and reason seems so to be. And tis evident such who make those Distin­ctions, do themselves thereby subject the wit­ness of a Miracle to the Doctrine tis brought to confirm; For if those they call Miranda [Page 246]and Mirab [...]lia be in all outward appearance as true miracles (as they are acknowledged to be) they would then have been so called, and that dist [...]nction had never been made, had not the Doctr [...]n [...]s they are severally brought to con­firm been [...]judged a ground [...]u [...]licient to Cre­ate the [...]ist [...]ncti [...]n. He that tells me 'tis not sit to suppose, as not consistent with the Ju­stice of God, that in a way Supernatural and [...]ira [...]u [...]us any w [...]ness should be given to a Doc [...] sa [...]se an [...] corrupt, and yet tells me the D [...]v [...]l and [...] men are often permitted with n [...] any m [...]ans left of conviction by: power mee [...]ly natural to [...]ect such a counterf [...] of it, that to the best Sen [...]es and Reason [...] Mank [...]n [...], is not discoverable, fi [...]st must nee [...] barely [...]uppose the counte [...]cit, and next say nothing at all to salve the Justice o [...] God a­bout that matter.

Secondly, 'Tis against plain Texts of Scrip­tur [...], What the Magicians did in Egypt in op­position to Moses seems to be plainly and un­deniably miraculous; turning Rods into Ser­pents waters into Blood, and bringing forth multitudes of Frogs out of the Waters by stretching out the Band with a Rod in it, can­not be [...]eckoned otherwise: And Pharaoh and the Egyptiaus were satisfied they did the same thing in those kinds that Moses did, having the [Page 247]same exercise of their Senses and Reason about both, and were hardened thereupon. And that what Moses did in those particulars, was miraculous, is plain; for God sayes to him in the 7^th. of Exodus, when he first sent him to Pharaoh, When Pharaoh shall speak unto thee saying, Shew a miracle for you, then thou shalt say unto Aaron, take thy Rod, &c. And in the 105 Psalm those things done by Moses are spoken of as miraculous, and in the 27 Verse called The [...]igns and wonders which God shewed in the Land of Ham; of which tis expresly said in Exodus. The Magicians did the same. In the 13 of Deut. we find there by Gods dire­ction a Caution given, If a Prophet arise, or a dreamer of dreams, [that is, one pretending to see Visions, or one that spake only from dreams, which were an inseriour sort of Pro­phets that saw things more obsem [...]ly, of which kind soever it was] and shall give thee a Sign or a wonder [any Miraculous or Supe [...]natural thing the word signifies] and the Sig [...] or the Wonder come to pass, if he say let us follow strange gods which thou hast not known, Thou shalt not hearken to him; for the Lord your God proveth you, &c. In the new Testament our Saviour tells us in the 24 of Matthew, of false Prophets that should arise and shew, [...], great Wonders and miracles, even such as if it were possible would [Page 248]deceive the very Elect. And in the 13 of the Revelation we read of another Beast rising up, that doth great Wonders, so that he maketh fir [...] come down from Heaven on the Earth in the sigh of men, and d [...]ceiveth them that dwell on the Earth [...]y Reason of those miracles which he hath power to do in the sight [...]f the Beast. And in the 19 Chapter, we are tol [...] of the taking of the false Pro­phet, who wroug [...]t miracles [...] And in the same Book we read of The Spirits of D [...]vils wo [...]king miracles.

Third [...]y, 'Tis against great Evidence of Hi­story; for though I doubt not but that for the most part the World has been abu [...]ed and de­luded with pretensions this way, which we have good Reason to think, when we consi­der what a superiour power to what is amongst men the Devils have by their Angelical Na­tu [...]e, and what s [...]ange and secret operations there are in Nature it self of which we can give yet no better account in many things, for ought I see, then Arislotle did long since, when he derived them from invisible Causes, that he called Occul [...] qualities; and also when we con­side [...] how the Wo [...]ld in all Ages, has general­ly doted upon the Art and Practice of Magick, the Reason of which Pliny sayes was not only because such st [...]ange things were brought to pass by it; but because there was also a con­currence [Page 249]in it of three such eminent Sciences, as Physick, Mathematicks, and Religion, yet 'tis no way reasonable to reject all the account we have in Story of Supernatural and Miracu­lous things that were brought to pass in the Heathen World. Nothing more frequent in History then relations of such things, it seems an unreasonable resistance of Historical Evi­dence, to think there was no [...]hing real of that kind, that there was nothing supernatural, in all the business of Esculapius, of Iarchas, so famous amongst indian Brachman [...]s in the times of the Apostles, Tespesion amongst the Gymnosophists of Ethiopia, Simon Magus of whom we have such strange Stories, and most especially Apollonius Ty­enaeus, who liv'd in the time of Domitian, though leasily grant much of what they all pretended to was visibly but a Counterf [...]it of it; nor can I wholly disbelieve what I find in the Roman Story about Clauda Vestalis, Tucia, and other of the Vestal Virgin [...], nor many other reports I find in credible Authors about such things: especially that Story of Vespasians curing a lame and withered I high, by treading upon it, and a Blind man in Egypt by spitting upon his Eyes; of which latter Cure Tacitas and Sueto­nius (Historians of great Credit) both gives us a very full and perfect account, and very ex­actly agree in the Circumstances of it; and as [Page 250] Dr. Jackson says in his Book upon the Creed, both those Cures were well known to the most Judicious Roman writers of those times, and so constantly avouched by them, as can leave no place (sayes he) for suspition in Ages following.

Fourthly, The admission of the contrary is no way destinctive to those natural notions we have of Gods Attributes, and his providen­tial Rule over the World; because God ne­ver puts men under any rational necessity by it to credit a falshood. He never permits men to be exercised with any such Trial, but when there is Evidence sufficient accompanying it to assure us 'tis but a Trial of our stability, and so intended. 'Tis no way unreasonable to suppose that God who is infinitely wise, and above us in the ways and Methods of his Su­preme Rule, should for Holy and excellent Ends we cannot reach, exercise the World with the greatest Trials, even Trials from an appearance of his Almighty power, so long as he still affords a plainly Superiour Evidence to Truth, and so Circumstantiates things that there is abundant ground of distinction. To make this appear is of chiefest concern in dis­coursing of this matter, how Gods Miracles can be an infallible Evidence, if the Devil and Ill men be sometimes inabled, (for so it is to [Page 251]be understood; for by no inherent power of their own can they do it) to act also in a Su­pernatural and miraculous way! for if a miracle by whomsoever wrought be not a sufficient proof of any Doctrine 'tis wrought in confir­mation of, twill then be said the Testimony from miracles seems to to be much Invalidated, and Mankind to be left at great uncertainty a­bout it.

That God, when he is pleased to establish Divine truth to the world by the power of miracles does make that Testimony unquestio­nable, and clearly Distinguish the witness given by His miracles, from any witness the Devil or his Instruments can give by any either seeming or real operations of that kind, will very evi­dently appear these three ways. First, from the order of his proceeding. Secondly, from the manner of his proceeding; and Thirdly, from the ma [...]ter about which he proceeds. First, God maks the miracles he works from Heaven an infallible Testimony by the order of his proceeding. He primarily, and in the first place before false Doctrine and worship can have any such pretence, by the power of Mi­racles settles and fixes his own truth, and makes that so setled a Rule to us to try all other Do­ctrines by. God has been ever beforehand with the Devil and his Instruments in this [Page 252]kind: Nor have they ever been suffered to attempt the World this way, till truth was First so unquestionably setled, that there was abundant ground to secure unbyassed and un­prejudiced men from any seduction, were the temptation to it never so great. This was the case at first under the Old Testament; God by most eminent and undeniable miracles from Heaven established the Doctrine and Worship published by Moses, and thereby fix­ed that as the great Standard and Rule of all Religion, before the Devil had ever attempted to impose any Systeme of his own upon the World in such a way; and that being so set­led, a [...]ter-prop [...]ecie was not to be judged of singly by a power of working Miracles (God himself had directed the contrary) but also by its co [...]fo [...]mity to that established Rule; and therefore if any Prophet arose, though attended with a Miraculous power, and indeavou [...]ed to introduce a Doctrine destructive to wh [...]t was so already established, and to withdraw them from the worship of that God to whom by Moses his Law they were Primarily subject­ed, they were obliged not to hearken to him, but to reject his Doctrine as a vile and wicked temptation. And 'tis of great remark, and an eminent justification of Gods proceedings in this kind, that the most that ever the Devil [Page 253]was suffered to do, was at first in opposition to Moses, when he by a power of miracles came to settle that Divine Law (for never any false Prophet after could reach to do what the Ma­gicians then did) and God in that very way, plainly, and openly, (to satisfie the World for ever after in this matter) determines the Cause against him; And Moses so far out went the Magicians in a Miraculous way, that they were forced to this confession, This is the singer of God. By which expression seems not to be meant that this particular work of turning Dust into Lice, in which the Magicians fa [...]led, is an effect of a Power Divine and Supernatural, and all that was done before both by Mo [...]es and us, (which were works every whit as great) was done by a power mee [...]ly natural: But This is the singer of God; that is, To stop us, that now we have tried to do the like, we find we can­not, that we should [...]e able to go no [...]ther, that our power of working Miracles should fail us, and be taken from us, and Moses should be still able to proceed.

So under the New Testament, the Gospel was first eminently established by unco [...]olla­ble miracles, as the great Standard and Rule of all suture Doctrines. And acquaints us that there is no further Revelation to be expected, before the wonders and Miracles of Seducers [Page 254]were extant. And when God has, by a mi­raculous power, once unquestionably establish­ed his own truth, all pretences to Miracles, be they feigned or real they come too late. Truth is in possession, and by that all things are to be tried, and whatever is found opposite to it, is but reasonably to be reckoned as a Trial and a temptation only to prove us. The Broad seal of Heaven is already solemnly and openly set: And let the Devil bring what shews he can of the same impression, they are still to be rejected. And whatever the Devil has been at any time able to do of that kind, has been but this second hand work, and to se­duce men from a truth beforehand unquestiona­bly estab [...]lished, and to which there was Rea­son sufficient (whatever could be done to per­swade to the contrary) for all men to adhere. And this made St. Austin, when the Donatists, much urged upon him in their justification, a power they had of working Miracles, to tell them, The truth was that way fully setled before, and we had warning enough not to be seduced from the Orthodox Doctrine of the Gospel by any such pretensions.

Secondly, The manner of Gods proceeding in his working of Miracles to ascertain the World, does sufficiently secure us against the danger of being seduced by Impostors that way, [Page 255]and any Miracles they can produce, if we con­sider; First, The grand occasions upon which God still works them. Of how vast concern­ment was the rearing up of both Testaments, and justifying the descent of Christ into Humane Nature. Secondly, The number of them, How far have Divine Miracles out-gone all o­thers in that kind. Thirdly, The Eminency of them. Fourthly, The Perspicuity of them to all sorts of men. Fifthly, Their perfor­mance without the least outward means, where­in there might possibly lye a deceit. Sixthly, The long and lasting continuance of them. In all these respects are Divine Miracles diffe­renced from all Diabolical Actings that way, which for the most part have been fictitious and discoverable so to be: and when real, com­paratively but few, and in no sort bearing any proportion to any of these Circumstances, wherewith Divine Miracles have been openly accompanied. And 'tis also to be noted, that very many of those Miracles we are told of a­mongst the Heathens, admitting them true, were not wrought to confirm or justifie their Religion, but upon other occasions: often for ends concealed and wrapt up in the Counsels of God which we know not of, and sometimes for other ends then to establish their Religion visible, as it seems to be in the case of Vespa­sian, [Page 256]whom God had designed as his Minister to execute so many dreadful Judgments upon the Jews, and therefore would establish him by those extraordinary Actings in the possessi­on of the Roman Empire, which with great difficulty, and against much probability to the contrary he obtained; and as Sueton [...]us sayes of him after he had obtained it, wanted Perso­nal Authority and Majesty to manage such a Dominion. A clear instance concerning this whole matter God gave us at first in the Ma­gicians opposition to Moses; wherein he gave us to know, that although Divine Truth might by Miracles be opposed, yet the supe­riour Luster of his own Miracles should be so visible to all, as perfectly to silence and van­quish the rest, and both in Number, Continu­ance and Quality as then it was, the diffe­rence should be to every Eye obvious and ap­parent.

Thirdly, The matter, for the establishment of which Divine Miracles are ever wrought, affords us ground sufficient to distinguish in this case. 'Tis always a doctrine leading us to that God of whom we have a notion imprinted in our own Nature, revealing him further to us, and instructing us in all those Holy Virtues, and excellent ways of living, that most cor­respond to our Natural light, are most suitable [Page 257]to that natural Divinity we are born with, and evidently tends to make us most happy here, and conduct us to the highest reward hereafter. Whatever miracles we shall at any time see wrought, to justify a Contrary do­ctrine, my own Reason will reject as a Tempta­tion, and assure me that in the one case a mi­racle is sent from God to Ascerta [...]n me, and in the other the Devil is only inabled in the high­est manner to Tempt and to Try me. And these three ways in the case of miracles, are we sufficiently secured against all the attempts that can be at any time made to seduce us that way: And may hereby rest abundantly satis­fied in the testimony of Divine Miracles, giv­en to Divine Truth, by whatever ways the Devil shall be able to countenance and pro­mote a Contrary Interest

Now, That the Scriptures have been at­tended with Miracles in their conveyance, is not (as before is proved) by any denied. And that those miracles have the advantage of all the foregoing circumstances is likewise very evident. The Doctrine of Moses is the First b [...]rn of all others, being the Religion that was from the Beginning. God, in the first place, setled and consecrated That by a miraculous Power, before any other Systeme of Religion was extant, and gave it therein [Page 258]the Precedency of all false Prophets and Im­postors and whatsoever Doctrines they should by that means oppose it withall. And so the New Testament being the natural product of the old, is by the miracles of Moses at the first, and those of our Saviour and the Apostles after (upon the validity of both which 'tis establish­ed) secured against all opposition that can that way be made against it to the end of the world.

Secondly, The way and manner of Gods working those miracles by which the Scrip­tures are justified to us to be his Words, has eminently distinguished them from all other operations of that kind. So 'twas in the times of Moses, when the Devil by the Ma­gicians went further that way then ever he did after. How far did the miracles of Moses exceed His! More miracles! Greater miracles! More Continued miracles! Undeniable and Un­controlable evidences of Gods Infinite and Al­mighty Power, in a way far superiour to what they could bring about! Under the Gospel the miracles have been such in the manner of their working, as leaves no room to doubt of Gods intention to secure us from Heaven [...]ereby of the Truth of our Saviour and his [...]rine: If we consider, First, the grand [...]sion of them: To fullfil the Old Testa­ment [Page 259]and establish the New: And this by Private men (respecting the world) without the least clothing of Humane Power or Autho­rity. Who can imagine less then that a Com­mission to Christ and the Apostles should be sealed from [...] Heaven in extroardinary way, to assure the World of their Authority to do this? Secondly, The admirable Nature of those miracles, Raising dead persons, curing all sorts of diseases, commanding Winds and Seas, Vanishing in a moment out of the sight of multitudes. Thirdly, Their Number, be­ing exceedingly Many, done in all places, and upon all occasions where they came. Fourthly, Their Visibility, openly seen and acknowledged by all present, by multitudes, Fiftly, Without the use of any Seconda [...]y means, or the least shew of Diabolical enchant­ments; And as one of the Ancients says Sine [...]lla vi Carminum, sine Herbarum aut Grami­num s [...]ccis, sine ulla aliqua observatione sollicita, Sacrorum, Libaminum, Temporum, &c. All most frequent in Heathenish Sorceries and En­chantments. Sixthly, The Long and lasting continuance of them: Not only during the times of Christ and the Apostles (and one of them, the Apostle John, lived till Trajan's time, which was above a hundred years from Christs birth) but also for very many years [Page 260]after, in the Christian Church. What mira­racles does the world pretend to, that can compare themselves with these miracles upon all or any of these accounts? No men, no [...] Devils ever did such works, nor in such a manner as these were. What lamentable and pitifull things are those of Apollonius, Tya­naeus, Esculapius, or any others compared with These! And what a shameful and indeed Ridiculous Partiality does appear in Hierocles and Porphiry, who designing thereby to incense the Empe [...]ours against the Christians, who much justified themselves upon the power o [...] miracles, and to bring them under persecu­tion) have indeavoured to draw a Paralel be­tween the miracles of Christ and Apollonius! We find by Eusebius that Hierocles (in a Book that is since lost) compared Apollonius and Christ; the Evangelists who wrote our Savi­ours Story and Philostratus the writer of Apol­lonius his Life, upon that account together, and preferred Apollonius and Philost [...]atus before the other. But with what an unreasonable Partiality is ea [...]y to be seen by any that wil [...] consult Eusebius his Answer to him; One chie [...] miracle Philostratus tells us off, was, that Ap­pollonius sitting at meat, was served after▪ wonderful manner, with Men of Brass; And another is That an Elme tree speak to him and [Page 261] Saluted him; with many other such things, which to every common understanding, ap­pear at first sight, very capable of Deceit and Delusion. The Sun is not in Lustre more Su­perior to the Dimmest Star, then Christs mi­racles are to all Pretensions of that kind. Nor were there ever any operations either of men or of Angels visible in this world that with any colour of Justice and Truth can (all cir­cumstances considered) be put in ballance with those eminently miraculous actings of Christ and his Apostles.

Thirdly, The Doctrine contained in the Scriptures which the miracles were wrought to confirme, and to assure us of the sincerity of those that delivered them to us, is most evidently from God, most corresponding to our Natural obligations to him, and is in it self directly opposite to the whole Corpora­tion of Debauched and Evil men, destructive to all corrupt Doctrines and Practices what­ever, and perfectly ruinous to the Interest of the Devil in this World, of which there needs no other proof but an appeal to the Judgments of all sober minded men. Never was there any Doctrine brought to light, so Holy, and so excellent. A Doctrine that has visibly the highest tendency to those two great ends of all Religion, the Honour of God, [Page 262]and Mans present and future happiness. No Instance can be given of any particular Duty enjoyned Destructive to mans true happiness, but all perfective of it. The strictest self-de­nial has a Recompence proposed to us of a hundred fold in things of a far more Noble and excellent Nature, and most suitable in all such cases to a Rational choice. The result of the whole is this: Whenever Miracles are wrought to establish such a Doctrine as in the judgment of right Reason is likely to come from God, we are upon the highest and most unquest [...]onable ground of Assurance that we can be. Whenever a Miracle is wrought to establish a contrary Doctrine, 'tis the high­est Trial, But still God is pleased to order it so, that we have ground sufficient to oppose and will s [...]nd it, and [...]kon in onely as such. Wh [...]ver consults, th [...] writings of the Primi­ [...]i [...]e Ch [...]s [...] will and there were two things upon which they [...]h [...]l [...] in [...]d, and by the str [...]n [...]th where [...]f the Ch [...]stian Religion made its s [...]st En [...]a [...]ce, and [...]avelled thorough a great part of the Heathen world: The Excel­ [...]ncy of its Doctrine, and the Miracles wrought [...]o confirm it; And these two conjoined give [...]s the m [...]st in [...]a [...]ible Assu [...]ance of Religion we are capable of in this World. The Mira­ [...]es justify the Doctrine, and the Doctrine re­flects [Page 263]a Testimony back to the Miracles: and in that Conjunction the proof is Invincible. And so 'tis in this case of the Bible; For we can have no more then what we find here: The Best Doctrine, with the Highest Attesta­tion. Whoever warily considers our Saviours Reasonings with the Jews, shall find him go­ing upon this Ground: For as he frequently justifies his Doctrine from his Miracles, so he likewise often justifies his Doctrine to be in it self Divine, Corresponding to the Scrip­tures of the Old Testament, and in direct pur­suance of what Moses and the Prophets had taught: And so makes the testimony of his Miracles unquestionable thereby; For such a Doctrine accompanied with such miraculous Evidence, must needs be from God, and can admit of no Rational Opposition; And there­fore, in discoursing this matter in hand, nei­ther ought to be insisted on, neither the Do­ctrine nor the Miracles, Distinctly and Sepa­rately from the other, but Both urged in that excellent Conjunction in which they are handed down to us.

Thirdly, If we look upon this Book in the Success and Effects of it since its Conneyance, We have from thence still further evidences of its Divinity, and more Rational perswasions to derive it from God, as a Book of his own [Page 264]Composing, and about which he has exer­cised a peculiar Care; And that upon these two Grounds. First, That this Book (though written at several times, all so long since past, and some of it before any other Books were extant) has yet, in its passage through so many Ages, escaped all the dangers to which it has been exposed, and is preserved intire to us to this day. Secondly, That this Rock and the Religion contained in it has made its En­trance into the world, and gain'd an Accept­ance amongst Mankind, in such a way and by such Means, as are Peculiar to it self, and no other Religion can make a Pretence to: In such a Way as when we rightly consider it, 'twill seem Absord and Ridiculous to all com­mon Reason to suppose that the wickedest Counter [...]eit and the [...]andest piece of Impo­sture about God and Religion should ever be able so to do: Or inde [...]d that any Book of Religion should upon such Permes arrive at such a Reception but one that contain'd the Highest and most Evident Truths, and had the great God for its Author. For the first, 'Tis true that other Books very Ancient, and written long ago, as we have good ground to believe, have descended Intire to this very Age. But herein the passage of the Bible through the chanel of so many Ages, is Di­stinguished [Page 265]from all other Writings, not only that 'tis, some of it, much Elder then they, and upon that account more liable to Loss and Decay, but that no Book or Writing, the world was ever possessed of, has had that vio­lent Opposition made against it, nor such De­signs formed for its Ruine and Extirpation as this has had; Others have met with a quiet and peaceable passage: This has been often beset with most Keen and Inveterate Enemies: Besides that great hazard so much of the Bi­ble was in as then was Extant in the days of Josiah, when for ought appears by the Story there was but one Copy, and that had been lost for sixty eight or sixty nine years, and was hid either in the Rubbish, or else in some secret part of the Walls of the Temple, (for it was found when the Temple came to be Re­paired) and in all probability was there hid during the wicked Reign of Manasseh, by some malicious Idolaters, with an intention ut­terly to extinguish it: Which might easily have been done in a way that had made it Ir­recoverable, had not a Divine hand over ruled and secured it. Besides this, and some other Hazzards the Bible has scap'd of a like nature, we read of two famous and most Implacable Enemies furnish'd with all Humane power, that with all their might and skill have beset [Page 266]it: Antiochus Epiphanes under the Old Testa­ment, and the Emp [...]rour Dioclesian under the N [...]w. This Antiochus Epiphanes called like­wise (and much mo [...] truely) Epi [...]a [...], the Mad and the Furious, was prophefied of and plainly foretol [...] by the Prophet David in the eighth and eleventh chapters of his prophecy: He there calls him a King of fierce count [...]ce, and says His heart should be against the h [...]ly C [...]ve­nant, and that he should have indigna [...]ion against the holy Covenant: Which was the Law of God, the Scriptures then Extant. This Antiochus came in the times of the Macca [...]ees, and most cruelly destroyed and wasted Jerusalem, and made it his grand business to ruine the Jews, and utterly extinguish their whole Religion and Worship, Dedicated their Temple to Jupi­ter Olympius, Erected an Altar therein for the Worship of that [...]l, and in contempt of the Jews, caused many Swine to be slain and of­fered up in sac [...]fi [...]e to him, and as the surest way to pat a p [...]rfect [...]nd to the Religion of that Place and People, with utmost diligence made search after their Law, and wheresoever he sound it, i [...] di [...]t [...]ly Burnt and destroyed it, and th [...]eatned [...]st exquisite torments and Death to any that should dare to Conceal or Retain it; Of which Josephas gives us the Relation at large, in the 12th. Book of his [Page 267] Jewish Antiquities. Some will needs imagine that Antiochus so far prevailed in this under­taking, that the Scriptures then Extant were wholly Destroyed; But the contrary is most evident and a special providence in their pre­servation sufficiently visible; For, no sooner was that storme over, but the Bible was every where publickly extant, having been particu­larly preserved by Matthias the Son of As­monaeus and his sons (who, as Josephus says, resolutely ventured their Lives in the doing it) and also by other good men, and was universally known in that Age amongst the Jews to be so. Calvin in the first book of his Institutes, observes, That though the Jews had undergone the malice of manifold Enemies on all hands, yet neither the Loss, nor the Change, nor the Corruption of their Law, was ever by their worst Enemies objected against them. And indeed, how great soever their enmity was against their Religion; yet they never denied but that Moses was the Author of it, and that the Law they had, was the Same He deli [...]cred at first. Under the New Testa­ment, since the closure and completion of the Whole, What a f [...]ious Persecution did the Bible es [...]ape in the time of Dioclesian! Who, after the grievous sufferings of the Christians in Mine fore Persecutions, assaults them a­bout [Page 268]the year 302 with the sorest and most cruel of all, and with a full purpose to root Christianity utterly out of the world, and de­stroy its very Name from the face of the Earth. Euselius tells us that in the Nineteenth year of his Reign He publisht an Edict against the Christians and Christianity it self: In which he so much Gloried, that he caused a Pillar to be erected as his Memorial to all posterity, with this Inscription, Dioclesiano Casari Augusto su­perstitione Christi ubi (que) deleta. To Dioclesian the Emperour having abolished the superstition of Christ, all the world over. By that Edict he commands that the Christian-Churches should every where be demolished, the Christians all Seized and Imprisoned: Et quibu [...]cun (que) adhi [...]itis Machinis, victimas Idolis immolare cogerentur. That by all sorts of means fair and foul, they should be brought to sacrifice unto his Ido [...]s: And that the Scriptures should be every where sought for, burnt, and destroyed: And who­ever Retained them should be most sharply Tormented. Dioclesian at this time had the command of the greatest part of the Habita­ble world; For, as one of the Roman Writers said, Roman [...] spatium est Ʋrbis & Orbis idem. The Scriptures were then but in Written hand. Men generally Quak'd with the fear of that Raging Tyrant: Very many Apostatized and [Page 269]delivered up the Bible to his wrath, and were thereupon branded with the name of Tradito­res (of which, and of the whole business we might perhaps have had a larger account, had not The Life of Deoclesian written by Eusthe­nius his Secretary, been since lost. For, As Baronius has rightly observed in his Annalls, We have now no Writer who did at that time Historically set down the Actions of that Em­perour) Yet, God by his Providence, deli­vered this Book out of his hand, Disappointed his fury, and suffered him not to quench the Light of these Divine Laws. The Christians at that time Tired out the Inventions of their Enemies in finding out ways to torment them, and by their constant and patient suffering the utmost of humane misery even wearied out their Executioners. One remarkable passage we have in Euseblus that happened upon this occasion: A noble man in Nicomedia, of emi­nent Quality, hearing this Edict against the Christians and the Bible published at Niceme­d [...]a, After it was Read and openly fixed to a publick Pillar, in the presence of Dioclesian himself, Maximinius, Galerius, Constantius, and other the Chiefest persons in the Empire, (for 'twas usual with the Emperors to come themselves in Person with their chiefest At­tendan [...]s to hear their own Edicts against the [Page 270] Christians proclaimed, to see the Christians tor­mented, and to make themselves sport with their miseries) this Noble man had such a zeal for the Bible, and the Christian Religion, that before the Emperors face he took down that prophane and impious Edict, and with a Holy indignation openly tore it to pieces, and and thereby willingly exposed himself to the utmost suffering the fury and rage of the Emperour could any way make him the subject of.

Two things are usually urged in diminution of the [...]ble and its Authority, upon a quite contrary account We are told by some, The Bible has been so far from being preserved in­tire in the whole, or in its parts, that first all that part of the Bible that was then extant, when the people of Israel were carryed into Babylon, peri [...]ed in the destruction of Jeru­salem and the Temple, and that Esdras wrote it himself all over again upon their return, and that we have now so much of the Bible only from Him, and as he Re-p [...]ned it. In this Mr. Hobs, in the 33 Chapter of his Leviathan (where he has not failed to insinuate all such things as might gratifie men of Sceptical noti­ons about the Bible is very positive, and tells us, The Books of the Old Testament are derived to us from no other time then that of Esdras, and were [Page 271]retrived by him when they were lost. And Se­condly, we are told that many particular Books and Writings, penned by Divine inspiration, and once part of the Bible, have been since consumed by Time, and are now wholly lost out of the World. The first, That so much of the Old Testament, as was then extant (which was the whole as we have it, save some part of the Psalms, the Prophecies of Eze [...]iel. Daniel, Haggai, Zachary, and Masachai, and the Books of Esther, Ezra and Nehemiah) was totally lost, and all the Copies destroyed in the ruine of Jerusalem and the Temple, is an asser­tion very weakly grounded: And there are very sufficient Reasons to perswade us to be­lieve the contrary. First, Weakly grounded; for there is no other ground for it, but that in an Apocryphal Book that goes under the Title of the fourth Book of Esdras (a Book every where stuffed with Childish and fabulous Sto­ties) There we find this absurd fiction, that Esdras should speak unto God, and tell him, Thy Law is burnt, and no man knoweth the things that thou hast done, and therefore desired to be inspired to write it all over again, and to wrire all that had been done in the World from the beginning: And that after he had been forty days and nights with God (in an apish foolish imitation of Moses) and had taken a Potion [Page 272]God had prepared for him, he dictated all the Bible over again to five men. Now, of how little credit this Relation (being no where found but in this Book) ought to be with any considering man, will appear, if we con­sider that this Book was not only constantly rejected as Apocryphal by the Jewish Church, as a counterfeit under Esdras his name, and none of his, but has been so by all sorts of Christians under the Gospel. St. Jerom calls it a Book full of Idle dreams. The Papists themselves, though they have admitted many other Books that we reckon Apochryphal into their Canon, yet have still rejected this; and Bellarmine himself, in his Book de Script. Eccles. speaks with great contempt of this whole Book: And calls the Author of it, whoever he were, a writer of Romances. Secondly, There are many very good and suffici­ent Reasons to induce us to believe the con­trary. First, There is no where in any part of the Bible, the least mention (not by Esdras himself, though he gives us a large and par­ticular account of what he himself did) of any such thing. And 'tis not conceiveable but so eminent a thing as God inspiring one man to write over again so great a part of the Bible, which so many had been inspired to write before, would have been some where or other Recorded: nor [Page 273]is it credible but that so great a Judgment upon the Jews as the total loss of their Law, would have been distinctly mentioned, when the Holy Ghost is so very particular in giving us an account of all the loss [...]s the Jews underwe [...] at that time, of all the ruines made by the Ba­bylonians at Jerusalem, and of all the spoils they carryed into Babylon from thence. Second­ly, 'Tis not to be doubted but that there were multitudes of Copies in the hands of the Reli­gious Jews, especially the Priests (of whom there were many hundreds) who had a con­stant use of it: And that the People also d [...]d generally possess themselves of it after that eminent danger it had undergone, and the Re­covery of [...]n the Eighteenth year of J [...]siah; And 'tis not to be supposed that all the Copi [...]s could be destroyed. Those that probably were in the hands of Jeremiah, Gedalich, and many others who stayed behind and accepted their liberty to continue still in Judea, and those in the hands of Daniel Ezekiel, and those that were carryed away with them in the first Captivity to Babylon, long before the City and Temple were burnt, and all those which were probably kept by many of those that were carried into Babylon after, especially if we consider, that we no where find that the Babylonians made it any part of their business [Page 274]in particular to destroy and extirpate their Law. And when Antiochus did afterward with all his might indeavour it, by Reason of the many Copies that were extant in good mens hands, he was no way able to effect it. Third­ly, It appears the Jews had the Scriptures with them during the time of their Captivity in Ba­bylon, both from Daniels Prophecie, who Pro­phesied there, and also from other Historical Evidence. First, From his Prophecie; for we find him in the 9 Chapter of his Prophecie quoting several times particularly the Wri­tings of Moses: And in the beginning of that Chapter he sayes. He understood by Books the number of years whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the Prophet, that he would ac­complish seventy years in the desolation of Jerusa­lem. And those Books could be no other but the Prophecie of Jeremiah it self, with other parts of the Scripture and the Records of the Kings of Babylon (wherein were to be found the times that the Jews were brought thither) which Daniel compared together, and so found out the End of J [...]remies seventy years, and of the Captivity; the difficulty in the doing of which arose from hence, that there had been four distinct Captivities, and four several Kings of Judah carryed into Babylon, at four several times; first Manasses, then Jehojakim, [Page 275]and with him amongst others Daniel himself; Thirdly, Jeconias, and with him Ezekiel and Mordecai; and lastly Zedekias, when the City and Temple were destroyed. And 'twas not a thing very easie to know, from which of these Captivities to reckon the seventy [...]a [...]s. Ezekiel seems to begin it eleven years before the City was destroyed, when Je [...]onias was carryed a­way thither; for he sayes, In the five and twen­tieth year of our being in Captivity, in the b [...]gin­ning of the year, in the tenth day of the month in the fourteenth year after that the City was smitten. And the Prophet Jeremie, in comforting those that were carryed away with Jecenias, used these words, Thus saith the Lord, after seventy years be accomplished in Babel, I will visit you, and cause you to return to this place; by which he seems to begin the seventy years from thence; but in other places is very express that the se­venty years were to be accounted from the de­struction of the City and Temple. And so it appears, the Captivity mentioned by Eze­kiel was not that by which the seventy [...]ears were to be reckoned. Nor was the Prophecie uttered by Jeremie to comfort those that were captivated with Jeconias, to commence when uttered, nor till the destruction of the City, and the last Captivity of Zedekiah: All which Daniel considered, and by comparing these [Page 276]Prophecies together, found the exact time from whence the seventy years were to be ac­counted. Secondly; From Historical Evi­dence; for Josephus sayes, the Reason why Cyrus set on foot the rebuilding of the Temple, and restoring of the Jews to their Countrey, was his reading the Prophecie of Isaiah, which was written [...]10 years before his time, where­in the Prophet foretells in Gods name, that Cyrus should be raised up for that very purpose; upon reading of which during the Captivity he save, Cyrus was ravished with admiration of God, and surprized with an ardent zeal to bring about what was so long before written. And tis highly prob [...]ble that God made use of the sight of that Prophecie to engage Cyrus to what he did; for otherwise 'twas a thing in it self most absurdly impoli­tick, and against all ordinary Rules of discre­tion, to restore such a people, and rebuild such a place, that had been so famous and so terrible to all the Nations round about. Es­pecially when as Josephus sayes, there went out of Babilon at their return, of those two Tribes of Judah and Benjamin there captivated Four Milions six hundred twenty and eight thou­sand Persons that were above twelve years old, besids four thousand and seventy Levites; and of their Wives and Children together forty thou­sand [Page 277]seven hundred forty and two: besides also some hundreds of the Tribe of Levi, that were Porters, Singers, and other sacred Servitors. Fourthly, 'Tis not Imaginable that Zerubba­bel, Joshuah, Haggai, and so many others of them would have so laboured as they did to return out of Babylon, to [...]e-build their Tem­ple, and restore their Ancient Worship, if the Law of God, the great Rule and Foundatio [...], of it had been wholly l [...]st and extinguished. Nay, it appears evidently in the Book of [...]zra, that those Jews that first [...]et [...]ed into Judaea before Esdras came out of Babylon, brought the Law out of Babylon with them; for in the sixth of Esdras 'tis there said, They set the Pr [...]ests in their divisions, and the Levites in their co [...]ses, and setled the Worship o [...]the Temple, according to the Law of Moses (which we cannot con­ceive, after seventy years, they could so ex­actly have done, or would ever have attempt­ed to have done it, had not they had the Law with them) while Esdras himself was y [...]t [...]n Babylon; and when Esdras did come to Jeru­salem, we find in the 8^th of Nehemiah, the people were so far from wanting the Law, or staying for any such Restoration or Re-penning of it by him, as is pretended, that they desi­red him only to read the Law openly to them, which he immediately did as a thing they were [Page 278]then possessed of, and which was notorious a­mongst them. Fifthly, 'Tis no way proba­ble that Esdras should so Re-pen the Bible; because we find his own writings full of Caldee words, as also the Prophecie of Daniel; but all that part of the Bible written before the Captivity, is in pure Hebrew; and 'tis no way conceiveable but that if he had Re-penn'd the whole, he would have written it in the same way he wrote his own Books, and according to the Idiome that was then in use amongst the Jews, either wholly in Caldee, or else with some mixture of Caldee and Hebrew together. The whole of this Story does evidently appear to be a Romantick fable, taken out of a Book s [...]ust with many vain and ridiculous fol­lies, and is contradicted by another A­pecryphal Book of much better credit, [...] wee'l depend upon such Evidence; for in the second Book of the Maccabees we are there told that the Tabernacle and the Ark (in the sides of which the Law we know was placed) were s [...]cured by the Prophet Jeremie, and hid in a Cave at Mount Nebo, when Jerusalem and the Temple were burnt: And if any such thing were, though the Law be not particularly mentioned, yet being always kept in the Ark, [...]s not to be doubted but Jeremie preserved it with the Ark, and had an especial reference to [Page 279]the securing of it, in what he then did. This we affirm as a truth to which both Jews and Christians have assented, that at the return of the people out of Babylon, the care of Esdras about the Bible, and that great Synagogue that was then according to Moses his first insti­tution assembled (in which were present Hag­gai, Zacharie; Malachy, Nehemias, and Ze­rubbabel) was very eminent and great; and to this day we derive singular advantages from it. For first, with great diligence they made an exact seperation between such Writings as were of Divine Inspiration, dictated by the Holy Ghost, and were to be a standing Rule to the Church in all Ages, and all other Writings whatsoever, whether written by true Prophets or false, for even true Prophets and such as were most eminent, might, (and without doubt, many of them did) write diverse things without any immediate assistance or dire­ction from God, and consequently which were nor of Divine Authority; they collected all the sacred parts of the Old Testament toge­ther, which during the Captivity lay dispersed in private hands, no publick use being made of them: Incorporated the whole into one intire Volumn (an admirable work) in the or­der we now have it, which before was not possi­ble to be; for several Psalms, several of the [Page 280] Prophecies, and some other Books, were written after the coming of the people into Babylon; and it does no where appear that those parts written before were conjoyned in one intire Volumn, more of them then the five Books of Moses, the Original Copy whereof Moses him­self delivered in a publick assembly to the Le­vites to be layed up in the sides of the Ark (the peculiar Archive God had, by his special com­mand appointed for it; the whole of the Old Testament so united, they ranked under three Classes, and divided into three parts; which division was continued amongst the Jews till the times of our Saviour, who in the 24^th of St. Luke refers to it, when he sayes, All things ought to be fulfilled which are written in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.

Secondly, Their care in securing the Original Text of the Scripture was eminently great, and most highly is it to be applauded, in adding points to the Hebrew Letters, to preserve the Knowledge of the Tongue, and facilitate the reading and Learning of it, dividing the sacred Writings into Verses, with many other things of that kind, most probably first begun by them, of which the Jewish Writers give us a large account. The whole of their indea­vours this way, and of those amongst the Jews that succeeded them therein, was called the [Page 281] Massora (which God wonderfully blessed to preserve the purity of the Hebrew Text, and to deliver the Old Testament safely and intirely o­ver to us.) What a useful and most laborious enterprize this Massora was, we may know by the description Buxtorffe gives of it in the se­cond Chapter of his most excellent Commen­tarius Massorethicus. Massora (sayes he) est Doctrina critica a priscis Hebraeorum sapienti­bus circa Textum Hebraeum Sacrae Scripturae in­genios [...] inventa, qu [...] Versas, Voces, & Literae ejus n [...]meratae, omnis (que) ipsarum variet as notata, & suis locis cum singulorum versuum recitatione indicata est, ut sic constans & genuina ejus lectio conservetur, & ab omni mutatione aut corruptio e aeternum preservetur, & valide premuniatur. The Massora is a critical Learning about the He­brew Text of the Sacred Scripture, ingeniosly in­vented by the Ancient wise men amongst the Jews, in which the Verses, words and Letters, are all numbred, and all their variations particularly noted, and set down in their proper places, with a recital of the particular Verses, that so the con­stant and genuine reading of the Scripture may be preserved, and for ever secured against all change or corruption. And that Ezra and this great Synagogue were most probably the first Authors and Contrivers of the Mass [...]ra (however aug­mented by others in after Ages) and not some [Page 282]learned Jews at Tiberias that long lived after ou [...] Saviour, as some have supposed. Buxtorffe in the Eleventh Chap. of the samebook hath large­ly and learnedly proved, from the best and most Ancient Writers amongst the Jews, and thus concludes upon the whole. Haec communis est Hebraeorum sententia, Massoram a viris Sy­nagogae magnae prosectam esse. This is the common opinion amongst the Jews, that the Mas­sora came from the men of the great Synagogue.

Thirdly, That Ezra and that great Synagogue, to render the sacred Text more intelligible, and make the truth of some Historical Relations more evident, did make some small additions, and some verbal alterations in some places, is greatly probable, and it might easily be done; but no Re-penning the Bible, nor the least viola­tion offered to the sacred Record, nor to the cre­dit of its Authority: nor can the least Objection (though many have indeavoured it) be raised from hence to that purpose, when so many Per­sons of an infallible Spirit were present in that As­sembly, and who were, without doubt Divinely directed about what they did in that matter. In a Word, that famous and venerable Senate in which the last of the Prophets were present, all parts of the Old Testament being compleated, and the whole Prophecy that God vouchsafed till the coming of the Messiah delivered, ap­plied [Page 283]themselves to the punctual Collection of the several parts together, and securing the O­riginal text against any corruption or alteration, exactly setled the Canon of the Old Testament, which the Jews kept punctually to, till the times of our Saviour, who fully approved the Scriptures as he then found the Jews in possessi­on of them.

Secondly, That any parts of the Bible, or any Books dictated by the Holy Ghost are wholly Lost, we utterly deny. The affirma­tion of it is neither consisting with the notion of Divine providence in General, nor can any particular proof be brought to make it good. Those who insist upon this (as Bellarmine and some of the Papists do, thereby to gain an advantage to the Church when 'tis put in bal­lance with the Bible: And others with design by proving the Loss of any Part, to invalidate the Authority of the Whole) instance in the three thousand parables or proverbs of Solomon, and a thousand and five songs, spoken of, 1 King. 4.32. The Books of Nathan the Pro­phet, and Gad the Seer, mentioned in the se­cond of Chronicles, The Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the visions of Iddo or Addo the Seer, spoken of in the 2 Chron. 9. and some others: And under the New Testament, an Epistle of St. Paul written (as they suppose) [Page 284] to the Laodicaeans, mentioned Colos. 4.16. Although very many of these Writings men­tioned in the Old Testament seem to refer to other parts of Scripture contained in the Bible▪ In particular, 'tis probable that Nathan and Gad wrote some parts of the Books of Sam [...] and the Kings, so much at least as concern's the Actions of David, of which they were ex­actly knowing, if they wrote not the whole Second Book of Samuel and the first of the Kings, which some upon probable grounds supposes yet, Admit all these were other writings then are now contained in any part of the Bible, it will no way follow they were ever any part of Canonical Scripture. When the Scripture mention's Books written by these or any other Men, and relates historically to the matter o [...] them, (as St Paul sometimes quoted Heath [...] Authors) Will that Infer They are parts of the Bible? By no means; Nay, the very Writers of the Bible themselves, such as David, Sol [...] ­mon, and others of the Prophets might (and without all doubt some of them did) Write many things in an ordinary way, that were True, without any Divine or Infallible directi­on. and which were never incorporated with the Bible; and so says St. Austin, in his 18th Book De civ. Dei. says be, Those Prophet whom it pleased the Holy Spirit to inspire, wrote [Page 285]some things as Men, And those works we have [...] in our Canon, nor had the Jews in theirs: and other things as from the mouth of God; and these works are really Distinct, Some being held their own as Men, and some the Lords as speak­ing by them. And therefore He that will prove from hence, that any parts of the Bible are Lost, must first be well assured that These are no parts of the Scriptures we are now pos­sessed of, and Secondly that admitting they are not, That they were written by an Infalli­ble Spirit, and ence within the Canon: Of which Latter, we are well ass [...]red the least proof cannot be made: For the Jews were most faithful Preservers of those Oracles of God committed unto their change. Nor were they ever so much as once blamed by Christ or the Apostles for any Miscarriage that way. As for an Epistle supposed to be written by St. Paul under the New Testament to the Laodicae­ons, which is since Lost; The supposition is frivolous and groundless; For the words in the Greck are [...], And that from Lao­dicaea. Which cannot be understood of an E­pistle written by St. Paul to Laodicae, but of one written from Laodicaea either to the Colos­sians themselves which they then had by them, or else to St. Paul, which he sent them, and re­quired them to read it, as containing something [Page 286]expedient for them to know. The mistaken opinion from this place, of an Epistle from St. Paul to the Laodic [...]ans, hath most probably ari­sen from the ill rendition in the Vulgar Latin, where the words are rendered, & illa quae est Laodicentium. But without any ground from the Original. Catherinus confesseth that accord­ing to the opinion of Chrisostome, and Oecume­nius, Non hic nominari Epistolam a Paulo script­am ad Laodicenses, sed ex co loco scriptam. That here's no mention of any Epistle written by St. Paul to the Laodicaeans, but of some Epistle written from Laodicaea. That there was anciently a Counter­feit Epistle that pretended to be written by St. Paul to the Laodicaeans, which is since lost, is most true; But in those times wherein 'twas ex­tant it was universally Rejected as Spurious and known so to be. St. Jerome speaks of it, but says, Abomnibus exploditur. The second Councel of Nice in their sixth Canon say thus of it, Inter E­pistolas Pauli Apostoli quaedam fertur ad Laodi­censes, quam Patres nostri tanquam Alienam re­probaverunt. Tertullian against Marcion, and The­ophilact, both reject it with great contempt, and say, 'tis Apostolico nomine plan [...] indigna. And Bellarmine himself, though he had formerly af­firmed there was such an Epistle, which was certainly Lost, Yet in the first Chapter of his Book which he calls his Recognition, or After­view [Page 287]of his works, Retracts it, says he was mi­staken, and that there never was any such thing as such an Epistle written by St. Paul.

So that all the Insinuations of this kind, that any parts of the Bible, any Books, writ­ten by a Divine inspiration have been at any time Lost out of the world, appear to be very weakly and ill Grounded. And in truth, the foot steps of Divine providence have been eminently visible in Securing those Holy writ­ings, upon this threefold account: From De­struction, Addition, and Alteration. First, No accidents of Time nor Designs of its worst Enemies have Totally obliterated the Whole or any Part. Secondly, Though many have attempted to piece in, and add to it false and counterfeit Fragments, and some whole Gospels, yet in defiance to all those Es­says, the Scriptures have remained intire, and stood like a Rock Impenetrable. No Spuri­ous Writings have been able to incorporate with this holy Book. Such who have gone a­bout to forge Scripture, have but made the Lustre of the Bible more Eminent, and more evidently shewed us the difference of Gods re­ [...]ealing from Heaven, and Mens counterfeiting upon Earth: Mens writing by the strength of humane abilities, and mens writing as they were moved thereunto by the Holy Ghost. [Page 288]Thirdly, From Alteration; No man has been suffer'd (notwithstanding all the attempts of Hereticks to that purpose) to pollute or corrupt it; All such attempts have still been discovered and openly sham'd. How many Hereticks have carryed about their own Con­futation, whilest they possessed this Book? and yet have not been suffer'd to change or alter such passages as have been most Cogent against themselves? The Bible passed through the Arian-world with all those plain Evidences it contains of the Divinity of our Saviour. When Emperours, C [...]uncils, and indeed upon the matter the whole Christian-world, w [...]e­tainted with that Heresie, the Bible scapd the infection, when the alteration of two or three plain texts would have done them more service then all the volumns they wrote in their own Defence; And, great designs were on foot that way, yet they were still disappoint­ed, as is evident by what we find in St. Am­brose. The Jews to this day need no other Confutation then their own Bible: Moses and the Prophets in whom they trust, are thei [...] greatest Accusers. All sort of Hereticks to this day are possessed of the Bible, as Uria [...] was of Davids Letters to Joab, which contain­ed his own Ruine: and as Golia [...] was of hi [...] sword, which served at last to cut off his own head.

Secondly, The success and effect of this Book since its conveyance, gives in a Sig­nal and most undeniable Evidence to its Divinity. If we consider the ways and means by which it has introduced it self, and upon what terms the Religion con­tained in it has gained that reception we find it has had amongst Man-kind. 'Tis of admirable consideration that a Religi­on directly opposite to the whole corrupt interest of humane Nature, and calling men to the highest Mortification and Self­denial, upon the account of an Invisible World to come, nakedly proposed by men, upon a worldly account always inconsiderable, without any the least Earthly supports: A Religion perioding the Jewish Religion, and totally subvert­ing all other Religions: A Religion oppo­sed & disowned to the utmost by the Jews themselves (though it derived it self wholly from them, and pretended to be the natural product of their Religion, and the true Completion of all they be­lieved and expected) a Religion in op­postion of which the whole World be­sides were agreed, and indeed both Jews and Heathens perfectly concurred. I say, 'Tis of admirable consideration that such [Page 290]a Religion so circumstanced against all the Religion, the Wisdom, and the Force of the World, should at first make its entrance, and be embraced by so great a part of Man-kind, and within the space of thirty years or thereabouts after its first Publication, for so it was, be spread not only throughout all parts of the Ro­man Empire, but also amongst the Par­thians and remotest Heathens. To no o­ther Cause, but its own Innate worth, and the Divine evidence from Heaven at­tending it, can it with any tolerable co­lour of reason be ascribed. The zeal men had for all other Religions in which they were Educated, sufficiently prompt­ed them to hate, abhor, and perse­cute it. The Learning and the Wisdom of the whole World was employed to ren­der it despicable, and to bring it under contempt; And all the force of the Ro­man Empire was every where violently at work for its total Suppression and Extir­pation. And yet, against all these seem­ing invincible oppositions, did the Bible prevail. The power of that great Em­pire could not withstand the naked pro­posal of a simple Truth; And both Juda­ism (in the main of it, as a National [Page 291]Establismment) and Heathenism finally fell before it.

This Book and the Religion it contains, as it avows it self to be solely from God, and comes to us with a command­ing voice from Heaven, speaks to us in God's own Name, and upon that single account requires our obedience; And those that wrote it, neither had nor pre­tended to have any other Authority but what was Divine and from Above; So it has introduced it self by Means suitable thereunto. Never was there at first any Force used to compel men, nor any Arts practised to deceive men about this mat­ter. No man can prove out of any Story that ever the Apostles or the Primitive Professors of this Religion raised Arms to introduce or promote it; Or that any Hu­mane Authority did countenance or assist it. The Christian Religion has this to say for it self above all others, That 'tis to debtor to the Sword either in a Civil or Military way; Neither the Sword of Justice, nor the Sword of War can lay any claim to it, as a Product of theirs. The greatest part of the Roman World [...]ad embraced it, and were become Cri­ [...]tians before Constantine publickly owned [Page 292]it. It ows nothing to any violent course for its Primitive Reception, nor indeed to any Humane contrivement; Neither the subtil­ty of Philosophers, nor the Eloquence of O­rators assisted in this matter. It never ad­vanced one step further in its first publica­tion than its own Innate Excellency, & the Divine evidence attending it procured it acceptance: nor did it ever gain a Convert, but where it could approve it self by Di­vine Evidences, to the Reasons & Consci­ences of men, to be Divine? I make a peremptory demand to all Antiscriptural men to grant me this, as a truth not ca­pable of any denial, That for three hun­dred years together the Gospel by its own Divine strength, withstood the most furious and violent Winds & Tides of all humane opposition, and by no other as­sistance but what was purely Divine, tra­velled most parts of the World over: It offered it self to mens reception upon no other terms but by an Appeal to the Judg­ment and Concience, and was contente [...] to stand and fall by the Rational determi­nation of every mans own Breast, and s [...] prevailed. Such who embraced it ha [...] no other way of Contest but Holiness o [...] living, and Patience in suffering: [...] [Page 293]both which they were very Eminent. To the first, their very Enemies the Heathens bore testimony; Pliny and others speak of the Christians harmless and holy be­haviour. For the latter, Never was any Religion so begun and propagated by such indefatigable Sufferings: How few Martyrs for Religion can the Heathen World boast of! If we admit Socrates for one, how few Successors had he? And those few they pretend to, seem by all Circumstances to be such as had no other end but to perpetuate their own names to Posterity, by suffering for such things as they thought the World would highly magnifie. But for Christian-Religion we find innumerable sufferings of Men and Women of all Ranks, Qualities, Ages, and Conditions: In many of which we cannot suppose any thing but Consci­ence and hopes of a future Reward could possibly be the Motive; Being persons of such mean parts and conditions, as could no way be thought to design a Name to themselves hereafter. Nor in­deed can we reasonably suppose an esteem upon Earth, and vain-glory, could be the ground upon which any of them suf­fer'd, when we consider they suffered for [Page 294]a Religion, the very name of which was every where Odious and Detestable, and the Profession of it brought nothing but shame and contempt. It swims down to these latter Ages in whole streams of Blood that ran from its Primitive Mar­tyrs; God pleasing to introduce the Go­spel at first without any thing Humane to befriend it, that we might be for ever as­certained of its Author. Who but God himself by a Power from above (can we reasonably imagine) could have enabled a few Mean, Ignorant, and Contemptible men so to confront the whole World, and in the Evening of it, (when other Religi­ons had so long lasted, and were so fast rooted) to erect a Religion destructive to all the rest; and to break through all the Opposition that the Religion of the Jews and Heathens, the Philosophy and Learn­ing of all the knowing parts of the World, the Laws and force of the Ro­man-Empire in its greatest splendor and strength, could form against it? And what Doctrine but one in its own Nature Di­ [...] and attended with the visible effects [...] Almighty Power to own and ju­ [...], can we conceive, could have [...] the World so to bow before it? [Page 295]How ridiculous does it appear to suppose a company of mean Impostors that had neither God nor Men besides themselves to befriend them, nor any other Founda­dation but a Design in the highest man­ner to cheat and abuse the World, could have effected all this; and that they should finally so prevail, and impose the grossest Delusion imaginable upon Man­kind, against all such Opposition! Had I no other consideration to induce me to believe the Bible but what ariseth from hence, this one seems singly sufficient to me to justifie its Divinity, against all rea­sonable suspition of Imposture, and for ever to silence all the doubts that can be at any time made about it. What great­er assurance can we have that a Doctrine is Divine, and comes from above, then when we see it has ventured it self upon its own Divine Evidence, against all Hu­mane Opposition, and singly by that pre­vailed and spread it self all the World over: Neither Arms nor Councils, nei­ther the Policy of Julian, nor the Sword of Dioclesian could put a stop to its pro­gress. Had God disowned the Gospel at first; Nay, had he not Eminently and Vi­sibly witnessed to it from Heaven, we can­not [Page 296]possibly imagine how it could have ta­ken one step forward; It had doubtless, as it was then circumstanced, been stifled in its first birth, and buried in perpetual si­lence. We find all the Religion of the Heathens has still grown up under the sha­dow of Humane Power and Authority, and has still decayed when Humane props have been removed. I challenge any man to shew me any other Religion that ever prevailed in the World without Humane help! and that ever stood out the brunt of Persecution! All other Religions but what have been founded upon the Bible have still fallen before the Power of the Sword; 'Tis only the Religion of the Jews and the Christians (founded at first upon the Bible, and the Miracles wrought to confirm the Doctrine contain'd in it) that has weather'd out all attempts for its eradication. 'Tis a marvelous evidence of that solemn and divine foundation up­on which the Jewish Church and the Old Testament were at first established, That notwithstanding all that the Jews have suffered, and their very Being in a Na­tional way, and their National Wor­ship (in which their Religion chiefly con­sisted) be utterly extinguished, yet still [Page 297]they retain their Profession, submit to a Yoke of most burdensome Ceremonies, & remain dispersed in the World, a Monu­ment of Scripture-verity, and so many standing Witnesses to the Truth of many eminent Predictions both in the Old and New Testament. And thus, from the suc­cess of this Book also since its first con­veyance, and all the circumstances that have attended the progress of it, since its first publication, have we as great an as­surance as in such a Case we can well ex­pect, that God himself, and no other, is in truth the Author of it.

I come, in the fourth and last place, to consider this Book in it self, in the Mat­ter of it, as at the present we find it, and as it now lies before us. In the doing of which, I mean not to insist separately and abstractedly upon any Internal evi­dence that results from the matter of the Scripture it self, but to take it (as it ought to be) in Conjunction with the former, and all other Collateral proof. 'Tis neither Reasonable nor Warrant­able to disjoyn the proof God has afford­ed us of his Word, and lay the weight of its Justification upon any one single [Page 298]Evidence; For, when God commands us to believe and obey this Book as his Word, and imposeth the highest penalty upon our not doing it, he layes not the stress of his Command, or the Penalty (nor ought we) upon any one particu­lar sort of Evidence, External or Inter­nal, but upon the whole intire proof he has made to us of it, and all those means he has afforded for our Conviction and Satisfaction about it. When we are up­on a general proof of the Bible, 'tis not necessary to insist upon any Internal Evi­dence that results from the Bible it self, as singly sufficient to prove it, or enter into any debate whether it really be so or no, because we have all the Cumulative ad­vantage of an External justification. And if all together be sufficient to prove the Bible to be what we that profess the Chri­stian Religon take it to be, 'tis enough for our purpose.

And that the matter of the Bible it self, with what ever Evidence will arise from thence, is not to be abstractedly insisted on from other Collateral proof, nor that any Collateral proof will prevail in this Case without there be also an Innate Evidence resulting from the matter of the [Page 299] Bible it self, so that a Conjunction of the Evidence in both kinds, is absolutely ne­cessary to establish a general proof, will be thus made to appear: The Bible, as hath been said, consists of three parts, Doctri­nal, Prophetical, and Historical; what­ever Evidence we have from the Scrip­ture it self to prove its own Divinity, must needs chiefly arise from the Doctrinal part; Because the Prophetical and Historical part can never be fully justified without Forraign proof; we cannot know the History of the Bible to be certainly true from the Bible it self: Nor can we suffi­ciently prove any Prophesies in any part of the Bible to have been actually f [...]llfil­led, because they are said in other places of that Book so to be: For 'twere to beg the Question, and admit the Book to be true, when we are debating whether it be so or no! This we may urge in proof of the Historical and Prophetical part, from that Divine Evidence that comes from the Doctrinal, that we find such History, and such Prophesie in an admirable Con­junction with such a Doctrine, subservi­ent to it, tending to the establishment of it, and inviron'd with all probable Cir­cumstances of being true, both from the [Page 300]nature of the Prophesies, and also from the excellent Manner of their fulfilling, and from the rare Method of the History, in order to the great end of the whole. But at last, the Positive and absolute Proof to one that denies it, must needs depend upon somewhat Collateral to the Book it self. Secondly, No External proof of the Bible would be sufficient to any rea­sonable enquiry, were there not like­wise an Internal Evidence resulting from it to its Divinity; that is, 'Twere to no purpose to urge any Arguments from Ex­ternal Evidences (be they Miracles or what they will) to prove a Book to be Divine, and sent us from God, did not the Book approve it self to the judg­ment of right Reason likely so to be: 'Twere a vain attempt to endeavour to make a reasonable man, upon any colla­teral considerations, submit to the Bible as a Law Divine, did not the Bible, upon a due Search into the matter of it, appear worthy of such a Denomination. I much applaud that saying of Mr. Chillingworth upon this occasion, For my part (sayes he) I profess, if the Doctrine of the Scrip­ture did not appear as good, and as sit to come from God the Fountain of goodness, as [Page 301]the Miracles by which it was confirmed were great, I should want one main Pillar of my Faith, and for want of it, I fear I should be much stagger'd. Nay, 'tis that Innate and satisfactory Testimony the Scriptures give at last of themselves, and their own Divinity to our Reasons, that finally determins all rational assent, establishes the truth of all other Testimonies, and upon which our belief of them as Sacred and Divine, is ultimately founded and established. So that as, on the one hand, we ought not to insist upon any Internal Evidence, as simply sufficient to Evidence the truth of the Scriptures exclusively, to the External justification God has in­circled them withal, and upon which the full and absolute proof of divers parts must necessarily depend; and also because 'tis upon all the reason God has given us to believe the Bible, that be requires our assent to it: So, on the other hand, we must not deny an Internal evidence to re­sult from the Innate worth of the Bible it self, whereby it appears to our reasons at last to be what other External Argu­ments perswade us to believe it is. When we tast the Excellency of the Do­ctrine, and when we perceive how all the [Page 302]matters of Fact stand justified to us, a Divinity appears in the Whole. We finde this Book to be a rare Compo­sure of Divine Wisdom, are convinced upon the whole matter 'tis from above, and bow to the Authority of God (as the formal Reason of our Obedience) whom we evidently perceive speaking to us in it.

This being premised, I proceed to con­sider this Book in it self, in the Matter of it, as it now lies before us; And here­in I shall endeavour these two things: First, To shew that this Book, so far as 'tis capable of being compleatly judged of, by what ariseth from it self, without any Collateral Supplement, so far as eve­ry Man's Reason becomes a competent Judge of it in its bare proposal, appears to a reasonable enquiery, most likely to come from God, and to be Divine; And by that internal Evidence arising from its own excellent Nature, reflects back also a justification to all those External Arguments brought to prove it. Second­ly, That in all such things as relate to Matters of Fact, and wherein an Exter­nal Justification is necessary to ascertain us fully about it, we find this Book so [Page 303]witnessed unto, so inviron'd with a con­currence of Humane Testimonies, as leaves no room for any reasonable Doubts to be made about this Matter.

For the first. That this Book, so far as we can competently judge of it from it self, appears to be Divine, and that there are many Internal Reasons of great force, resulting from the Matter of this Book it self, to perswade us that it is from God, and written by his special Command, will be sufficiently manifest in the considerati­on of these following Particulars. First, We find contained in this Book some things that exceed the bounds of all Na­tural Abilities ever to have found out: Such as could not, in the judgment of right Reason, be the product of any Hu­mane Invention. Not only such things as no man did think of before, (for that every Book contains that gives birth to a New Notion) but such things as no man could ever have thought of: Such as could not have been known amongst Man-kind any other way than by Revelation: And therefore, though written by Men, must needs be revealed from Above. The In­stances of this shall be these two; First, This Book tells us such things of God, [Page 304]of his Nature, of his Eternal Counsels, of the manner of his Existence, as were utterly beyond the confines of all Natu­ral Discovery, and could not be minted in any Humane Brain. No fimie Intel­lect could ever have travelled into such Depths and Heights as by this Book we are acquainted with, and appear to us to be in the Counsels of God, in order to the glorifying of himself by the Works that he has made. No man could ever have imagined a Trinity in the Deity, or such an existence of one Simple Essence as this Book acquaints us withall: These are such things as could never be ham­mer'd out in any Humane Shop: Such as without Revelation could never have en­ter'd into any created Mind to conceive of. Secondly, That contrivement we find in this Book of Saving the World, and rebuilding the fallen Tabernacle of Humane Nature, is evidently a reproach to the best abilities of Man-kind, and an undenyable instance of this kind; 'Tis not onely what was unthought of before, but what lay infinitely distant and wide from what could be thought, either by Angels or Men, and directly fathers it self upon that Supream Wisdom that is [Page 305] Above. And that first in respect of the thing in it self considered; And secondly, In respect of the Manner and Method of its Accomplishment. First, In respect of the Thing it self; and that on two ac­counts, The height of stupendiousness that is in it, and the transcendent degree of excellency that is in it. First, The Stu­pendiousness of it; What a hidden and amazing Mystery, how far removed from any mortal view or imagination, was this, That the Second Person in the Blessed Trinity should descend from Heaven, and assume Humane Nature into a conjuncti­on with the Divine! and in that conjun­ction become the Saviour of the World! That He should take upon Himself, in His own Person, the Sin and Guilt of Man-kind! Die for the World! Make thereby a Satisfaction proportionate to Infinite Justice! and prepare a way for God to express himself in the utmost act of Mercy, in a conjunction with the high­est exercise of Justice! No less than an Infinite Understanding could have shaped such a Design, or been the Author of such a Projection: Nor could any but God himself (with whom all things are possi­ble, that are in themselves possible) have [Page 306]found out an expedient to have reconci­led those two Infinite Attributes in his dealings with an Apostate Creature. Se­condly, Such a strange prodigious Excel­lency appears in the whole business of our Redemption, such a floodgate of Di­vine and Supernatural Truth is let open by it, that not only the wisest Men, but the Angels themselves look with the high­est admiration upon it. Indeed, all the Ends of God and Men are so attained by it, and in a way so sutable to the Nature of Both, that nothing but the Boundless Wisdom of God could have contrived it. In what a stupendious and unthought-of way is God, in all his Attributes Mani­fested, Exalted, and Glorified? After how excellent a manner is the Evil of the World, both in respect of the Guilt and Dominion of it obliterated and expun­ged? To how astonishing a degree is the whole Interest of Man-kind provided for? And to how great a Happiness here and hereafter is the World recovered? And this in a Way, and by Means far out of the reach of the wisest Thoughts, by the Faith and Obedience of the Gospel. In which there are three things of singular remark. First, That a Man is brought thereby to [Page 307]as near a converse with God, in the truest exercise of his Rational Faculties as our Nature will bear, and as can be had in this World, considering that infinite di­stance there is between the Nature of God and our present composure. Secondly, The greatest present, and future happiness is proposed to Man-kind upon such qua­lified Terms, and with such regard to the Impotency of Humane Nature, as is ad­mirable to consider. 'Tis not made ulti­mately to depend upon Perfection of Acti­on, but Sincerity of Intention. Thirdly, Provision is made for the greatest and no­blest Homage that Man-kind can pay un­to God; Man is brought to do the Most he can, in a way most sutable to his Be­ing, as a Free and Rational Agent, and yet to the highest Self-resignation, and God has the Glory of all his Actings. Never such Sanctity and Conformity to the Di­vine Nature; Never such willing and chosen Obedience, Never such inward in­tegrity and love to God, nor such self-denyal for God, as the Gospel produceth: And yet men still depending upon Divine Assistance for all this. The glory of the Whole redounds to God: His goodness alone is magnified; Man is so debased, [Page 308]and God so exalted: Man becomes so Happy in that Debasement, and God so Glorious; and both in a way so suitable to the Creator of all things, and a Crea­ture: Indeed, the Righteousness of Man is introduced in such a Subordination to the Righteousness of God, as fills us with the highest Admiration, and could never have been the effect of any Human Pro­jection.

The manner also by which the Scrip­tures have introduced the full and perfect discovery of Christ from the beginning, is such, the design of it appears so to be laid, as evidently points us to God. The whole Scriptures, even the difficultest parts of them, seem in a wonderful way to issue and unravel themselves into Christ as their great and common End. If we dissect the Bible, and rip up the Entrails of both Testaments, after how excellent a manner does Christ appear to be the great Soul of the Whole! And how strange and prodigious a vein of Di­vine Wisdom do we perceive running throughout all the Parts relating to Him! What a curious piece of Divine Skill to any considering Mind, is the Scripture-Method of revealing our Saviour! In what [Page 309]peculiar, unthought-of, yet strangely pro­per and agreeable Expressions, is he pro­mised! In what deeply Mysterious, yet fully significant Types and Shadows repre­sented! What a dark and obscure, yet lively and compleat Image was drawn of him under the Law! With what un-ima­ginable variety of Predictions and Pro­phesies was he foretold! And with what a strange concurrence of all parts of the Old Testament, was Christ brought forth in the New! The New Testament is such a Counterpart of the Old, and the Old such a Justification of the New, and be­tween both there appears such a harmony, resulting from such a strange variety about this Matter, as none but God himself could ever have tun'd them into. And indeed, the whole of this business, both for Matter and Manner, appears an emi­nent effect of divine Wisdom and cannot be ascribed to any other cause.

Secondly, We find the Laws contain­ed in this Book to be of such a nature that they reach the Inside as well as the Out­side of all Man-kind: Pierce into the Se­crets of every Man's own Breast, govern a Man's most retired Thoughts, speak with absolute Authority to the Grounds [Page 310]and Principles, the Design and Tendency of all mens Actions; And this seems much to evidence their Divinity. Who but God himself can exercise a Dominion over the Mind, speak to the Heart, and judge of the first and invisible risings of disobedience there? Two things upon this account are very considerable from what we find in this Book. First, That 'tis throughout equally directed to the mind, and to the thoughts of men, as well as their outward Actings: Forbids inward coveting and lusting, upon the same penalty that it does the grossest Practice of evil. This, as 'twas never done in any Heathen Laws, so 'twere absurd for any Humane Authority to attempt it: because things of that nature are onely connizable by an Infinite Knowledge. Secondly, This Book does not only pre­tend to an invisible dominion in that kind, But it makes such a discovery to us of the inside of the World, speaks so exactly to what we find within our selves, does so effectually command us, has such a justi­fication from every man's own Breast, that we cannot but reasonably suppose that God himself was the Author of it. Who but He that perfectly knows what is in [Page 311]Man, could have encompassed him round with such a Law? A Law that divides be­tween the Soul and the Spirit, and is a discerner of the Thoughts of the Heart. Who, but He, could have given such an exact Rule to the manifold Thoughts and Inventions of Men? There's not a pri­vate Closet in any Man's Soul, into which the force of this Law does not, some way or other, extend it self. There's not a Mental Case can happen that's left unde­termined, but falls under some Regula­tion or other from this Book. In short, Here's a Book that tells us the Good and Evil of all our Thoughts, becomes a per­fect Law to our Inward parts, punctually speaks to all that's in our Hearts; Nay, tells us more than we before knew of our selves, and yet find to be true. Is not this likely to be the Voice of God? None but he that made us, that sees within us, and from a Supream Soveraignty over us, judges upon the Whole that belongs to us, can we reasonably imagine, could have promulg'd such a Law?

Thirdly, The design and tendency of this Book, and the influence it hath upon Humane Life, does greatly perswade us that 'tis from God, and can have no other [Page 312]Author. The evident tendency of it, is to bring us to the best way of Living we are capable of in this World, both in re­spect of God, of our selves, and all o­thers. The Doctrines and Precepts of this Holy Book are so justified to us from the Light of our own Reason, and do so directly tend to the perfection of our Na­ture, and so guide us to what we our selves judge to be best, that 'twere extream un­reasonable to judge it an Effect of the vilest and worst sort of Imposture! Ne­ver any Doctrine taught men to live so dutifully to God, so comfortably to them­selves, and so usefully one to another, so tuneably in all Holiness and Righteous­ness, as this of the Bible does. The Do­ctrines of this Book are most transparent Beams of Divine Perfection: They are a Rule given according to what is eter­nally existing in the Holy Nature of God, so far as we are capable of a conformity to it: And that, in the judgement of right Reason, is the Highest and Noblest account of all good Living; For, we can­not do better than in our Measure to cor­respond to Divine Perfection. No Law can, with greater Reason, and less Ar­bitrariness, nor more indispensably oblige [Page 313]us, than that which appears to be ground­ed upon the Eternal and Unchangeable Nature of God; And such are the Laws of the Gospel, The great Design of which is to assimilate men, (so far as their Fa­culties will bear it) to the excellent Na­ture of God, and that rational Idea of it we are all born withal. What crooked and imperfect Lines have men drawn in their best Documents both Moral and Di­vine, compared with this compleat and excellent Rule of Holy Living! What Pure and Spiritual Worship is here! How suitable to the Holy Nature of God! What undefiled Religion, without the least mixture of Idolatry or Superstition! What Superlative Piety and Vertue, with­out any one spot of Vice! Yea, forbid­ding Evil in the very Thoughts! What punctual and perpetual Truth and Hone­sty is here required, upon no other grounds but pleasing God, doing good to Others, and hopes of a Reward hereafter! There's not the least taint upon any one Duty the Scripture requires from us, by proposing any base, mean, or sordid Ends. No vain Glory: No esteem from Men: No cor­rupt Advantages are made the ultimate End of our Obedience. The best way [Page 314]of living, and upon the noblest account, is here proposed to us. An exact Scrip­ture-Life has as much of Heaven as can well descend upon Earth; Makes the World as quiet an Habitation as it can be, and Man-kind as happy in them­selves, and as easie one to another in all Converse and Society as they themselves can wish to be. Where is there a Man (not degenerated below his own Reason) but approves the Scripture-Precepts as Excellent, and justifies Him in his own Breast, that conforms most to them? No well-disciplin'd Heathen can refuse so to do. What Charity is here required! Still we are bid to hope the best, To look upon all Men with a kind eye, and to in­terpret them into the best sense they are capable of. What commands, Not to offend weak Ones! What mutual For­givenesses! What provocations to Love! What strict injunctions to do good to all men upon all occasions! With what pa­tience and meekness are we taught to be­have our selves! Indeed, 'tis such a Do­ctrine as makes a Man perfect, through­ly furnished to every good Work; Brings men to the best way of Living, the nobles [...] Principles of Suffering, and the comfor­tablest [Page 315]way of Dying. Now, How can we better-judge of a Law that pretends to come from God, and to be of Divine Mission, than by its Nature, the great Tendency of it, and the influence it has upon Humane Life? And when we find so holy and excellent a Design as appears throughout this whole Book, for the ho­nouring of God, and compleating the Happiness of Men, and in a way so cor­responding to the judgement of right Reason, and that Divinity we are Born with; What can we otherwise judge, but that such a Book must needs be from God? Such pure and untainted Streams of Prety and Vertue must needs slow from the Fountain of all Perfection. 'Tis not possible to imagine that the Devil or any Ill Men should be ever either able or wil­ling to compose a Book of such a Nature, that should reduce the World to such a posture as This does: To make men the best Subjects to God, the best Friends to themselves, and the most useful Citizens one to another. Nothing less than an Infinite Wisdom could have contrived so great a Happiness for the World; And nothing less than Infinite Goodness it self can be reasonably thought to be the Di­spenser [Page 316]of it. 'Tis extreamly absurd to think that That Doctrine, which, in the judgment of the best Reason, is the most Pure and Excellent, and most useful to the World, of any we find in it, should be the product of the Devil, or the worst sort of Impostors, (and that [...]t must be, if it be not from God; for there's no middle way). 'Tis to suppose that such should out-do Divine-Goodness in that wherein my Reason bids me expect the highest ex­pression of it: And in truth, That the World should stand more indebted to such Benefactors for the best things, than to God himself.

Fourthly, We find in this Book, a full and most comprehensive account of the Revolution of this whole World in all its changeable Vicissitudes, and of God's vi­sible Providence in the disposal of all Hu­mane Affairs. Indeed, We find this Book a compleat Map of the Whole Affair of the World, and God's Government of it. There evidently appears an exact Conformity between the course of the World, and what we are here told of it. Nothing comes at any time to pass con­tradictive of, but according to, what is here revealed to us; And this we shall [Page 317]sind, if we consider the course of things, either in a Natural way, a Moral way, or a Spiritual way: First, In a Natural way; The natural course of the World has con­tinued to this time, according to what Moses at first, as from the Mouth of God, declared about it: That there should be Seed-time and Harvest, cold and heat, Sum­mer and Winter, and that Day and Night should not cease, but succeed each other. Secondly, In a Moral way; The Scrip­ture has given us a Summary, yet satis­factory and full account of what-ever we have seen acted amongst Man-kind to this day, and told us in general of all those Principles, Designs, and Practices by which the Wheel of this World has been turn'd about by the restless minds of Men in all Ages; So that we see nothing under the Sun of which we are not some way in­form'd in this Book. Thirdly; In a Spi­ritually way; Here we have an exact ac­count of all that Divine Intercourse which has been, or at any time is, between God and Men; The manner of it set down, and the general method of God's proceedings in his convincing, enlightning, sanctifying, satisfying, and comforting the minds of men. No man can well judge [Page 318]this an effect of any Humane Design, nor can reasonably think that the private ob­servation or experience of any particular men could have reached so far. Provi­dential Occurrences would soon have con­futed any counterfeit pretence to such an universal account of the whole Affair of the World: Nor could any but God him­self be secure, not to mistake in such a matter. The more we contemplate this World in its various motions, the more we consider the many intricacies and changes of it, the more is the Bible still justified to us; because we perceive the whole transaction of this World to be there strangely Epitomized. We are not only told in the general what shall fall out, that bad men shall often Prosper, and good men Suffer; that there is one even to the Righteous and the Wicked; that no man shall be able to make a certain judgment of Gods Loving or Hating, by the course of things here below; but we are so far pointed to the Reasons and Ends of these things, as much justifies Providence to us, and greatly informs us about those Grounds upon which God proceeds in his Supream Rule here, in order to his future judgment hereafter. [Page 319]Nothing can befall a good man, or an ill man, or happen in any kind, of which we are not told in the Bible, and of the reason whereof we have not some general and satisfying account. 'Tis extreamly unreasonable to think that any other but God himself (especially, not the worst deceivers) could have made such a com­pleat Model of his own Government; and 'tis no little justification of this Book, that God visibly governs the World ac­cording to what is here delivered. And those Laws must needs have all the ratio­nal probability to be Divine, and come from the Supream Ruler above, sutably to which all things evidently come about here below, and to which the whole Re­volution of this World, in all times and ages, and in all respects, appears exact­ly corresponding.

Fifthly, We find in this Book a full and ample provision for all the ills that have accompanied mans first Apostacy, and adequate and proper Cures for all the Maladies of humane life. And there­fore 'tis very likely to be a Divine preserip­tion sent from above, to heal and relieve the World. Who but God himself can be reasonably supposed safely to dis­engage [Page 320]Man-kind from all the entangle­ments of their Lapsed and Apostate con­dition? I appeal to every unprejudiced man whether this Book be not a general Store-house, a Divine Treasury, (far be­yond what the World besides can afford) to supply all the wants of Humane Na­ture: Not only more clearly and fully than was ever before, revealing to us the greatest good, pointing us to that true Summum bonum of a rational Being which Mankind in all Ages, with so much ig­norance and disagreement with them­selves, had been groping after, and con­ducting us to the greatest happiness, but applying suitable Remedies to every Distemper. Where can any man under the sense of sin, and the displeasure of God, or under any other dejection of mind, poverty or disgrace in the World, sickness of body, loss of friends, or any sort of affliction, comfort himself as he may here? What a Sacrifice are we here told of for Sin! We find all men in all Religions have still harped upon a Sacri­fice; The Sacrifices of living men were most Inhumane, detested by the best of Heathens; The sacrificing of Beasts, though generally practis'd, the wisest [Page 321]knew not what to make of, and thought it strange that God should be Atoned by the fat of a Bruit. How infinitely does the Sacrifice we are acquainted withal by the Gospel, exceed all the World has thought of in that kind! Of how ama­zing, and yet of how satisfying a nature is it! What Divine Antidotes are there provided in this Book, from suitable Ex­amples, comforting Promises, wise Di­rections, heavenly Counsels, to keep up a sinking Mind! 'Tis like that Wood where Jonathan came in his extremity and found Honey every where dropping, and a taste of it revived his Spirits, and re­newed his Vigour. And herein lies the strength of this Consideration, The rea­lity, the excellent and proper nature of that relief, and those Satisfactions that upon al occasions are here proposed to us: They are no such deluding Trifles as men are cheated into by education, and acqui­ess in only because they are bred up with a good Opinion of this Book: But they are such things as are of intrinsick value, such as are in themselves, and in their own Nature most real & most suitable to a rational Being in all such cases, and ju­stified to us from the Light of our own [Page 322]Reason, and that innate Notion we have of a Deity. The Voice of the Bible is, If thou do well (they own Conscience be­ing judge) thou shalt be accepted; If not, Sin lies at the door. We find no resem­blance here of the Heathen Superstitions, nor of those Vanities wherewith other Religions, through mens ignorance, and the track of Education, have besotted the World. The terms of our Reconci­liation with God, and our happiness in this World and the next, are such, and so propounded to us, as every mans own rea­son must needs acquiesce in; and there is a self-evident satisfaction results from the performance of them. It prevails much upon me, this general provision I find here made to suite all mens conditions in all Times and Ages, and the great worth and transcendent excellency of it. And 'tis a great account to us of that wonder­ful variety we find in this Book, both for matter and expression; What Depths and Shallows in both respects! Sometimes the sublimest Notions clothed with the high­est Expressions; Sometimes the easiest plainest Truths imaginable; Sometimes Divinity deck't with the richest Expressi­ons of Oratory, to delight and instruct [Page 323]the noblest and largest mind: Sometimes brought down to the meanest Similitudes, and expressed by things of the most com­mon use amongst Man-kind, to be grasped by the poorest understanding: And yet a decency and majesty in all. No part of Man-kind but find here a plentiful and suitable provision for every Condition. Not an impotent impoverished mind but is here relieved, nor a condition so mean but is cared for. And this tells us much of the vanity of those who are apt to sit in judgment upon this Holy Book; To find fault with some things as too Myste­rious, and with others as too mean: To think many Stories, Examples, Directi­ons, Superfluous, and others wholly Im­pertinent. When such men can fathom the deep and large design of this Book, are able fully to comprehend the sizes of all mens Capacities, and the variety of all mens Conditions, and can assure me that what one contemns, or not under­stands, may not prove of excellent and proper use to another, I then will acknow­ledge, They are every way fit to correct the Bible, and leave them free to fit the World with a better Model.

Sixthly, This Book appears so compo­sed, [Page 324]that all Truths are visibly concen­ter'd in it. Here is indeed a perfect Ren­desvouz of all such Truths as were any where scattered, and the World imper­fectly has had, and all such as they were in need to have; All such natural Truths, both of a Moral and Divine Nature, as the Reason of the World does acknow­ledge, and a full discovery of all such su­pernatural Truths as the minds of men naturally pursue, and are inquisitive af­ter. Whatever is written in mans heart, or upon the Works that God has made, is here, after an excellent manner Trans­scribed, Justified, and Improved: And many defects of natural Knowledge su­pernaturally supplyed, by a most suitable Revelation. So that if we'l [...] judge of this Book, either by what we certainly do know, or by what we need and desire to know, and expect should be revealed to us, concerning God, our selves, and this whole World; We shall find great rea­son to derive this Book from Above, and subscribe to it as Divine. For the First; Never any Book contained such a System of natural Truth since the World began, nor ever so far interpreted to us what tru­ly is so; And of this, every mans own [Page 325]Reason becomes a proper and competent Judge. Secondly, Never any Book has told us so much, nor gone so far to fix the restless minds of men about all such super­natural things as they are most inquisitive after. 'Tis here we have a certain ac­count of God's Nature, and the manner of his Existence; how and when he crea­ted the World! With what Designs, and to what Ends he disposes and governs it! Whence all our disorder first came! How 'tis to be cured! Sin removed! and Man reconciled to God! 'Tis here we are cer­tainly assured of the Resurrection of our Bodies, the Immortality of our Souls, and the condition of our future being for ever. 'Tis here, we know all we can know, and all we need to know, both of this World and the next. From no other but God himself could such a Beam of Light have broke forth, so to enlighten the World; Nor will it seem any way tolerable to an unprejudiced Judgment to father such a Book upon the highest principle of Fals­hood, and derive it from the worst design that ever the World was defiled with.

Secondly, I shall endeavour to shew, that this Book (so far as it relates to matters of Fact, wherein an Etxernal [Page 326]justification is necessary) is so far witnes­sed unto, that there can be no room left for any reasonable doubt to be made a­bout it. First, That there was such a man as Moses, and such a People as the Jews in Egypt, in those times which the Scripture mentions: That Moses was their Leader, and that he led them out of E­gypt, wrote their Story, and gave Laws to them, we have attested to us by the most Ancient Records of the Egyptians, the Phenicians, the Caldeans, and the Gre­cians: By Sanchomathon the famous Phe­nician Antiquary, Berosus a Caldean, Pto­lomeus, and Manetho Writers of the Egyp­tian-Chronicles: The latter of whom, Manetho, speaks very particularly both of the Jews coming into Egypt, and their departure thence: And amongst the Gre­cian Writers, by Artapanus, Polemo, Eu­polemus, Diodorus Siculus, with many o­thers (as is at large proved by Josephus in his first Book against Appoin:) And one of these, Artapanus, is so large in his Relation of the Story of Moses, that he sets down much of the business of his whole life, and many of his Miracles, his contesting with the Magicians before the King of Egypt, his carrying the Jew [...] [Page 327]thorow the Red Sea, and the drowning of the Egyptians who pursued them; his dwelling with the Jews after in the Wil­derness, Who were there (says he) fed with a certain Snow that God rained from Heaven: And at last, describes particu­larly the very Person of Moses, and sets down his Stature, his Countenance, and his Complexion. Many of the same things are Recorded by Eupolemus, Deme­trius, and others. Numemus a Pythogore­an-Philosopher (whom we find quoted in Origens's fourth Book against Celsus) tells us he had read the Life of Moses in many good Histories: And relates many particulars of him, as, his being taken out of the Water, his being bred up in the Court, that he wrought many Mi­racles, and that certain Magicians, called Jannes and Jambres, attempted to do the like. No one Story amongst the Heathen of any Nation has been so witnessed un­to by Writers Forraign to that Nation, as the History of the Jews has been, who from their greatest enemies have received a sufficient Testimony, in point of Fact, to the truth of Moses, and what he wrote. And indeed considering how great and eminent a Common-wealth was at first [Page 328]first established by the Writings of Mo­ses, and what a notorious and visible con­ [...]m [...]nce and succession there was of it, 'Ti [...] Morally impossible that the business of Moses and his Writing in those times, in matter of Fact, should be fictitious and false. Of so much of the History writ­ten by Moses as relates to things trans­acted before the Flood, we cannot expect to find any exact and punctual account in a Traditional way: Because of the great disadvantage of Oral Tradition, especially by the confusion of Babel. And yet, 'tis very evident that some consi­derable Remainders of the Ancient Story of the first World, about the Creation, the long lives of men in those first times, and divers other things were preserved amongst the several Nations after the dispersion at Babel. And we find many things relating thereto in Hermes, Orphe­us, Homer, Hesiond, and the most Primi­tive Writers: Of which Vossius, Bochar­tus, and many others have given a very satisfying account. Concerning the Flood, that there was such a Deluge, nothing has been more universally credi­ted; And because the Tradition of it was, That it befel in the prime time of [Page 329]the World, and men were generally ig­norant of the right account of times: Therefore they applyed it still to that time they thought most ancient. So the Thebans to the times of Ogyges, and the Thessalians to the time of Deucalion: which Floods of Ogyges and Deucalion were not two other distinct Floods, (as some have supposed) but the same Flood of Noah, applyed to those times, and cal­led by those Names which they thought of greatest Antiquity. One sayes well, What Nation has not believed it? Even amongst the remotest Indians we find the Tradition of it has remained: And what Author has not spoken of it? Amongst the Egyptians, Phenicians Grecians, and Romans, nothing more common. And well may we sup­pose it should be so; For, Those who at­tempted the rearing of that Structure at Babel, had probably a particular respect; in what they did, to the Flood that was past, resolving to prevent the danger of another, (which sprang from their own Infidelity: For God by his Promise to Noah had secured them against all fears of that kind) and therefore had sufficient occasion wheresoever they came, to pre­serve and continue the memory of it. Be­rosus, [Page 330]one of the most antient Writers after Moses, (I mean the true antient Be­rosus, and not the latter Counterfeit of him) sets down the Story of it, in the ve­ry same way that Moses does: Begins his History, Ante Aquarum cladem Famosam quâ universus perut orbis; And sayes, There was only eight Persons saved. Cyril in his first Book against Julian, shews that Alexander Polybistor and Abidene, under the feigned names of Saturn and Xyfu­thrus, have writ for the most part the same Story that Moses has done, of the Flood, and of the Ark, and the Place of its Resting. And in very many other anti­ent Authors have we particular Narra­tives of it. And 'tis evident that many Poetical Fictions, and Fabulous Stories, that we find amongst the Antient Heathen-Writers had their derivations from thence. So that, to doubt about the Fact of what Moses has written in this particular, were extreamly unreasonable; For 'twere to de­ny what is eminently witnessed unto by several Historians of several Countreys, and to withstand the Stream of an Uni­versal Tradition. The Story of Building the Babylontan Tower is particularly set down by the same Alexander Polyhistor and [Page 331] Abidene, as we find them quoted at large by Eusebius; They tell us, That Men would needs, in despite of the Godds, build up a Tower to the Sun in the place where Ba­bylon now is; And when they had built it very high, the Godds overthrew it; And that at that time began the diversity of Languages. And 'tis obvious to the commonest understanding, That all that Fiction of the Poets about the Gyants war­ring against Heaven, is but a corruption of this Story. The Burning of Sodom is mentioned by many of the best credi­ted Authors, by Diodorus Saculus, Strabo, Tacitus, Pliny, and Solinus. And 'twere easie to produce the like Testimonies to the most eminent Passages that Moses has set down. That the People of Israel conquered the Land of Canaan, dispossest the Inhabitants, and setled themselves in Palestine, is a thing so notorious from the Effects, that 'tis capable of no denyal: And we have a large account of many particulars of it in Procopius, Eupolemus, and other Authors who wrote of Joshua, Samuel, Saul, David, (in whom, accord­ing to the Prediction of Moses, the Go­vernment of that People came into the Tribe of Judah) and others mentioned in [Page 332]the Sacred Story. That there was such a King as Solomon that built a Temple at Jerusalem, Josephus in his first Book against Appion, proves from the antient Chroni­cles of the Tyrians, which (sayes he) they have kept with great diligence: And therein mention is made of Solomons League with the King of Tyre, and of his building the Temple at Jerusalem, and the exact time of it, A hundred forty three years and eight months before the building of Carthage. The same account we have in Eupolemus, Alexander Polyhistor, Haecate­us, Dius a Phenician, and many others, who have written so largely about that Temple, that as some have observed, There was not a Vessel, nor any Tool, or Instrument in it, w^ch they have not particu­larly mentioned: which exactness we find not in any Heathen Story in the Descrip­tions of any Temples of their own. The Captivity of the Jews in Babylon, Cyrus his obtaining the Persian Empire, and his Con­quest of Babylon, is all punctually set down by prophane Writers. Alexander Polyhi­stor writes an exact Story of Jeremiah's Prophesie, and of the Captivity. And Diocles and Berosus both give an account of the Jews deliverance by Cyrus, and that [Page 333]they were Captives in Babylon 70 years. And Alexander Polyhistor and Haecateus; both write of Cyrus his re-building the Temple of Jerusalem. Daniels Predicti­ons about the four Monarchies and other things, have been visibly fulfilled beyond all denyal. Porphiry so raged heretofore at that Prophetical Instance of the Truth of the Bible, that he seeks by all means to evade it, spends his whole twelfth Book which he wrote against the Christi­ans to that purpose, and finds no other way at last to do it, but by an absurd pre­tence, That those Prophesies about the four Monarchies were written long after Daniels death by some other in the times of Antiochas: Which is sufficiently con­futed, Not only by the credible relation we have in History, that Daniels Prophesie was shewed by Iaddus the High-Priest of the Jews to Alexander, (who lived many years before Antiochus) when he was marching toward Jerusalem with an inten­tion to destroy it, who finding himself so particularly in that Prophesie, prophesied of, spared the City thereupon: But be­cause the 70 Interprete [...], who tran [...]tated the Old Testament for Ptolomy, about a hundred years before Antiochus, tran [...]a­ted [Page 334]the Book of Daniel, which was then extant and part of the Bible. After the Captivity, tis clear from all Story, that the Jews that returned out of Babylon continued under a National establishment (though not under a succession of Kingly Government from the Posterity of David, for God had declared by Jeremiah, that none of the Seed of Jeconaih should any more sit upon the Throne of David) had Sovereign Jurisdiction among them (which the ten Tribes had wholly lost, and long before were totally deprived of); Nay, were still govern'd by some of themselves, till the Romans imposed Herod and Idumae­an upon them, in whose time our Saviour was born; So that the Scepter did not de­part from Judah, nor a Law-giver from be­tween his feet till Shiloe came.

For the Matters of Fact relating to the New Testament, 'Tis not possible for any reasonable Man to dis-believe, there was such a Man in Fact as our Saviour, and such Men as the Apostles, that lived in those times, that erected the Christian Re­ligion, because of the succession of it in multitudes of Professors ever since, and the written Account we have of it; Not only from Christians themselves, but from [Page 335] Jews and Heathens in those times. Taci­tus and Suetonius both make mention of Christ; Tacitus in the 15th Book of his Annals, speaking of Nero's cruelty to the Christians, sayes, The Author of them was one Christ, who in the Reign of Tiberius was punished with death, by Pontius Pilate Procurator of Judea. Josephus speaks of him. Pliny, Suetonius, and others, write of the Christians extant in those times, of their Principles, their manner of Li­ving, and of their Sufferings. Suetonius sayes, in the Life of Nero, Christianos genus hominum maleficae superstitionis sup­pliciis affixit; That he pumshed the Christi­ans, a sort of men of a magical superstition. Many Historical Passages in the Gospels are attested to us by Heathen and Jewish-Writters, (though 'tis most certain, the Roman Historians of that Age knew not much of the Affairs of Palestine, as ap­pears by what they have writ concerning the Jews, especially Tacitus, who appears very grosly ignorant both about them and their Religion). The Star that appeared at our Saviours Birth is mentioned by Pliny, lib. 2. chap. 5. And by the Phi­losopher Chalcidius largely in his Com­ment upon Platoes Timaeas: Herodi killing [Page 336]the Children in Bethlehem, by Macrobius: The Eclipse of the Sun upon the Cruci­fixion of our Saviour (which considering the Position of the Moon at that time, it being the time of the Jews Passeover, must needs be judged to be prodigiously super­natural) was mentioned in many Heathen Writers; which Eusebius sayes he him­self had read. Both Eusebius in his Chro­nology, and Origen in his second Book against Celsus, tell us, That Phlegon Tral­lianus, who lived in the time of Adrian, in the thirteenth Book of his Chronicles, wrote of this Eclipse, and sayes, That in the fourth year of the two hundred and tenth Olympi [...]d, there was the greatest Eclipse of th [...] [...]an that ever was beheld, and withal a strange Earth-quake. And that year was exactly the eighteenth year of Tiberius, in which our Saviour suffered. And 'tis certain, by what we find in Tertullians [...]lo [...]y, and other of the Christian Wri­t [...]rs, in those first Ages, that this and di­vers other Passages that relate to the Sto­ [...] of the Gospel, were in those times Re­ [...]red amongst the Romans; For, they of [...]en appeal to their own Records to [...]ove the truth of this and many other particulars. Justin Martyr in his Apo­logy [Page 337]to the Emperor Antoninus, (which [...]e wrote but fifty years after the death of St. John) perswading the Emperor to the belief of our Saviours Miracles, refers him to the Acts of Pontius Pilate then Registred at Rome. [...]. That our Saviour (says he) did these things, you may learn from the Registers of the Acts done under Pontius Pilate. Josephus who was born about five or six years after our Saviours suffering, and survived the Reigns of both the V [...]spatians, relates much of the New Testament Story of John the Baptist, of his Holy Life, and al­so of his Death: Tells us of Herod, (and gives a large and particular account of his strange and remarkable Death) of Pilate, of Festus, Foelix, Gamaliel, and others. Indeed, neither Jews nor Heathens did ever, in those times contradict or deny any matter of Fact that relates to the New Testament Story, judging it certain beyond all denial. Julian himself admits the Fact of Christ and his Miracles, and plainly acknowledges, the Books of the New Testament were written in those Times, and by those very Men whose names they bear, That we have no fuller [Page 338]and exacter an Account of Christ, and the Affairs of Judea, in his time in the Roman Story, is not to be much wonder'd at, if we consider the peaceable Posture that Country was then in, (News which best pleased the Romans from any of their Provinces, and wherein they were most­ly concern'd). Tacitus observes that Ju­dea was most quiet in the Reign of T [...]be­rius, (as well it might; All that our Sa­viour and his Followers did tending high­ly to Peace and Subjection). Now, We find that the Roman-Writers chiefly apply­ed themselves to write of some famous Wars, the suppression of some eminent Mutinies, or some such Accidents as in their Issue redounded much to the Roman-glory: The peaceable condition of any Province usually shortned their Relation of it; and therefore, neither of the Jews not of the Christians in that Age have they vouchsafed to say much. Nor did the Chri­stians at any time (such was their peaceable and submissive behaviour) give Historians occasion to mention much more of them than their patient sufferings. But in the after-times of V [...]spatian, Trajan, & Adrian, when the Roman-Sword was drawn against the Jews, and there were great Mutinies, [Page 339]Rebellions, and Wars amongst them, the Roman-Historians have left us an ample Relation of all those Affairs.

Two things there are of great eminen­cy in themselves, and of most publick Nature, contained in the Bible, the Fact of which have had such signal justificati­on, as does greatly establish the Truth of the Whole, and to which a very peculiar Remark is due; The one is, the History of the Flood in the Old Testament, and and the re-peopling of the World after it by the Posterity of Noah: The other is; those Prophetical Predictions of the De­struction of Jerusalem, of the ruine of the Temple, and the Afflictions and Suffer­ings of the Jews, uttered by our Saviour in the New. For the first, That there was such a Flood, Nothing (I have shew­ed) has had a more universal Belief. That the Earth (according to the History of Moses) was again re-peopled by the Po­sterity of Noah, and that the Nations were divided in the Earth from his three Sons, and their Issue, as Moses tells us, we have (from the Records of all Na­tions, and the consent of all History) a­bundant cause to believe; And that up­on this three-fold account. First, We [Page 340]find that in those Eastern Parts where Noah and his Family are said first to land and settle themselves after the Deluge, the Grandure of the World first began: (of which the Greatness and Splendor of the Assyrian-Empire is a sufficient In­stance.) Those Eastern Countries arri­ving to much state and pomp, and to much greatness in Dominion and Government, long before either in Greece, Italy, or any of the Western Parts, any such thing was attained to or known. Which evidently shews that the Inhabitants of those Coun­tries were the First-born and Heirs of the World, who had the great Court and Metropolis amongst them; and that other Nations were of the Younger▪House, and Colonies of a Latter Edition. Second­ly, The earliness of Learning, of Art, Sciences, and Inventions, amongst [...]he Assyrians, Chaldae [...]ns, and Egyptians, be­fore they so much as budded forth, or ap­peated in other Conntries, does argue, That those parts were first inhabited, That they were the eldest Possessors o [...] the World, had been longest in it, wer [...] of greatest Experience, and that othe [...] Nations & People were gradually derive [...] and planted from those Countries, an [...] [Page 341]the Inhabitants of that part of the World. Thirdly, We find that those in honour of whom the Nations received their first Names, were the Posterity of Noah that Moses tells us of. From Japhet (most probably the Eldest Son of Noa [...]) called by Hesiod, and others of the most an [...]ient Writers, Japitos, and his Posteri­to Jape [...]onides, came the Gomerians or [...]ymbrians from his Son Gomer, the Mago­gims from Magog; the Medes or Madians from Madus; the Jones (after called Grae­ [...]ns) from Javan, in Greek Jovan; and so from the Posterity of the other two: The Canaanites from Canaan; the Sabae­ [...]ns from Seba, (which the Grecians write Saba) the Philistims from Palesthim; the Thracians from Thyras; the Sidon [...]ans from Sidon; the Egyptians from the Posterity of Cham, Egypt being called Mizraim from Mizraim one of his Sons; Mizraim in Hebrew being the name of Egypt, and antiently even to the time of Josephus, the Egyptians (he sayes) were called Chuseans from Cush or Chus the eldest Son of Cham: And so throughout all the chiefest parts of the Earth, we find the several Nati­ons by their antient denominations to be originally descended from that Posterity [Page 342]of Noab set down in the tenth of Genesis. Sems Posterity appear to have been the Planters of Asia, Chams of Africa, and Japhets of most part of Europe, with Asia the Less. Of the first peopling of Ame­rica, from whence it was first peopled, or at what time, little account can be ex­pected, nor can any Objection be reasona­bly made from thence in this Matter, be­cause of the perfect silence in all Antient Story of any such place, and because of our total ignorance of it till of late; but there is ground sufficient to believe that 'tis of a much later Plantation than the other three parts of the World; For there are not Records found amongst the Peo­ple of that Countrey that exceed a thou­sand years, and as most tell us from thence, Not above eight hundred. The exact and punctual account of this whole Matter, we have from Josephus and Euse­b [...]us heretofore, and from many learned men since: But especially from the most excellent Bochart, who has herein far ex­ceeded them all, and whose most success­ful endeavours this way have not onely most evidently cleared the Truth of Sa­cred History in this particular, but in­deed the Whole of what Moses has wrote, [Page 343]is very greatly justified thereby.

Secondly, Those Prophetical Predicti­ons of our Saviour in the New Testament, concerning the miseries of the Jews their being led Captive into all Nations, the Besieging of Jerusalem, and such a Ruine of the Temple, as that one stone should not be left upon another, with many other Pro­phesies relating to that business, have had such an eminent and notorious fulfilling, in the times of Vespatian, Trajan, Adrian, and since, as greatly justifies the whole of the Gospel, and much assures us of the truth of all that our Saviour has spo­ken. What we find in Tacitus, Hegysip­pus, and other Heathen Writers, but especially the Story of Josephus, their own Historian, has written of that which hap­pened to the Jeus, their City and Temple, about forty years after the sufferings of Christ, is so exactly corresponding to what he himself foretold, and is set down in the 24th of St. Matthew, that no instance can be given that any future events were ever so plainly and fully foretold, and so punctually fulfilled in any Age: Nor can any impartial man consider that strange Agreement there is in every Particular between what then happened, and what [Page 344]our Saviour foretold so many years be­fore, without being greatly affected with it. And how fully competent Josephus was to write that Story, may be judged by what he himself sayes in his first Book against Appion. ‘I my self (sayes he) have composed a most true Story of those Wars, and of every particular thing there done; As well I might, having been present in all those Affairs: For I was Captain of the Galilaean [...] a­mongst our Nation, so long as any re­sistance could be made against the Ro­mans; And then it fell out that I was taken by the Romans; And being Priso­ner unto Titus and Vespatian, they caused me to be an eye-witness of all things that pass't: First, In Bonds and Fet­ters; And afterwards freed from them, I was brought from Alexandria with Ti­tus when he went to the Siege of Jeru­salem: So that nothing could then pass whereof I had not notice. For, be­holding the Roman Army, I committed all things to writing with all possible diligence: My self did onely manage all Matters disclosed unto the Romans by such as yeelded themselves, for that I only did perfectly understand them; [Page 345]Lastly, Being at Rome, and having now leasure, all businesses being past, I used the help of some for the Greek Tongue, And so I published a History of all that had happened in the aforesaid War; Which History of mine is so true, that I fear not to call Vespatian and Titus Emperors in those Wars to witness for them; I first gave a Copy of that Book to them, after to many noble Romans present in those Wars; I sold also ma­ny of them to our own Nation to such as understood the Greek Language; Amongst whom were Julius, Archelaus, Herod the Honest, and the most worthy King Agrippa; who do all testifie that my History containeth nothing but truth, who would not have been silent if any thing, either out of Ignorance or Flattery, I had changed or omitted in any particular.’ The City of Jeru­salem and the Temple being about forty years after our Saviours time, by Vespa­tion and Titus totally ruined and demo­lished: The Jews after that, three times indeavoured to rebuild their Temple; The first time was under the Emperor Adrian, in the year after Christ 136. Which at­tempt had no other effect but the slaugh­ter [Page 346]of fifty thousand of them, with many other sad Desolations, which we find set down at large by that noble Historian Di­on Cassius. Their second attempt was un­der Constantine, which he soon quashed, but not without great Expressions of his Displeasure against them, cutting off their Ears, and branding their Bodies, and making most of them Slaves and Vaga­bonds. Their last attempt to rebuild it, was in the dayes of Julian, when they were so far from being any way hindered, that they were highly encouraged by Juli­an himself, with Money and all Materials, on purpose (as Sozomon tells us) to vilify the Christian Religion, and confront our Saviours Prediction. The Story of it we have from one that we are sure could have no design to befriend the Christians: Am­mianus Marcellinus a Heathen-Historian, and a Souldier at that time in Julians Ar­my: He tells us with what immoderate Expences, and indefatigable Industry the Jews by the help of Julian set about it, intending to make it more famous than ever: And that to expedite the Work, Julian appointed one Alyppius, a Person of great quality in his Army, to oversee it, and assist in it: And at last, concludes [Page 347]his whole Relation with these words, Cum itaque rei idem fortiter instaret Alyppius juvaretque Provinciae Rector, Metuendi globi flammarum prope fundamenta crebis assulti­bus erumpentes, fecere locum exustis aliquo­ties operantibus inaccessum hocque modo, elemento destinatius repellente cessavit incaep­tum. Am. Marcel. lib. 23. When there­fore this Alyppius set eagerly on the work, being assisted by the Governour of that Province, dreadful Balls of Fire bursting forth, with often assaults, near the Foun­dation, made the place (the Workmen being several times devoured with the flames) inaccessible: And after this man­ner, the Element resisting, as with some kind of destiny, the design was given over. This was that final stroke from Heaven, that put a period to all endeavours of re­building that place, and to all future at­tempts of restoring again the Jewish Church-state and Polity. And how great an Evidence is it to the truth of the Go­spel, and the Whole of what our Saviour has spoken, to sind all these Predictions against his great Opposers and Crucifiers so strangely and so exactly, and in so visible and notorious a manner fulfil­led.

And in truth, that general prophetick Spirit we find throughout the Bible, those manifold, plain, and direct Predictions 'tis every where fill'd with, of things fu­ture and to come, tells us much of its Divinity, and greatly assures us, It could not be an effect of Imposture. Nor is it any way reasonable to think, That such who designed to Personate the Holy Ghost in writing a Book, should chuse to com­pose it in such a prophetick way, and so positively and plainly deliver themselves about so many future events: Indeed, a­bout most of the great things that have come to pass amongst Man-kind; For, the first miscarriage in that kind, a palpa­ble mistake in any one particular, must needs ruine the credit of the Whole. No man can believe that God can lie, or that an Infinite Knowledge can ever give a wrong Divination about what is to come. He therefore that personates the Holy Ghost in such a foreknowledge of things, must be sure never to miss, or else resolve to take the shame of his own Imposture. That in the Heathen-World there have been great pretentions to a fore-know­ledge of things, is not to be doubted: But upon very different terms to what [Page 349]we find of that kind in the Bible. First, Many things pretended to therein in a prophetical way, were such as might hu­manely be fore-seen, and were only the regular Consequents of some natural, and then extant, though more remote and less visible Causes. The first Discoverers of many secret workings in Nature, might upon that account have soon arrived to a great prophetical Credit. Thales who first amongst the Heathens foresaw an Eclipse of the Sun, might easily have passed for an eminent Prophet before the knowledge of its natural cause grew common. 2dly, The Heathen Predictions were generally clothed with Expressions so enigmatical and so unintelligible, as in truth render'd them Problems rather than Prophesies. They seemed to be framed more to con­found and amuse, than to inform or satis­fie, and to be chiefly calculated to abuse the weaker part of the World, who are apt to adore what they least understand, and to suppose some extraordinary Mat­ter to be wrapt up in all such clouded Expressions: According to that of Lu­cretius,

Thirdly, Their oraculous Divinations of future things, were for the most part so delivered, that they had divers Aspects, carryed in them divers intricate Senses, manifold Ambiguities: And to secure their Credit, were made capable of divers (and those contrary) Interpretations: Which made the Heathens themselves call their great Oracle at Delphos [...], a Thwarter, or Crooked-speaker. Fourthly, Many of their plainest and most intelligi­ble Predictions have been consequently found to be false and mistaken; and o­thers of them have had a direct tendency to a perfect subversion of their own Reli­gion, and to establish the truth of the Bi­ble; so 'twas when the Oracle of Apollo (which we find repeated by Porphiry) de­clared that, All other Godds were but Airy Spirits, and that the God of the Hebrews was alone to be worshipped; Which Di­rection, had it been followed, had put a final end to all their own Religion. So [Page 351]'twas when the Sybills prophesied so fully of the coming of Christ, which we find repeated out of their Works, in the 4th Eglogue of Virgil. We deny not but that, for some secret and to us unknown ends, God (who, as the Heathens generally ac­knowledge, could onely do it, for they still ascribed it, even Porphiry himself, unto their Godds) might and did some­times reveal some future events, which no other way could be known (as he did the death of Saul, and his Son, at Endor) to the Devil or to others, which they might communicate. But nothing that ever was extant in that kind, can be any way put in ballance with that Prophetick Spirit we find in the Bible. 'Tis much in this case, as 'twas in the business of Mi­racles; The Heathen-world were filled with Pretensions both wayes: Some of them real and true, but most generally fictitious and false: And when true, both the Miracles and the Prophesies, from whence we derive a proof of the Bible, have been so differently circumstanced, and there is such a superior eminency and lustre in the one, as renders the other no Objection at all in this case. Here we have clear, plain, and positive predicti­ons [Page 352]of most of the greatest things that have happened: Predictions of such things as could have no dependance upon any natural cause, then extant when they were made: Such as must needs have their rise from the unbounded Will of God, or the free choice of men. A multitude of such Predictions, with marvalous variety, and great exactness and particularity, con­cerning Persons and Things, in all Ages, and throughout a constant and un-erring Success, without a Failure in a Tittle: And the accomplishment and truth of the most of them recorded in the general Sto­ry of the World. Who but God him­self, can we suppose, could pronounce with such a positive certainty upon all future events? Not to foretell once, or a second time, what shall be here or there, but to speak with a positive prophetick de­termination about all the Great Things that were to happen, and write of the fu­ture state of the World, as men write Histories of Ages past; And to have things alwayes rightly come to pass! Never to mistake! Constantly to give right Divination! This is singly the pro­perty of God; Nor can any other be rea­sonably though the Author of such a [Page 353]Prophetical Book, but He that grasps all Ages with an Infinite Knowledge, spans all Times and Seasons, from whom no­thing can be concealed, and who with the saine Infinite Eye, equally beholds all things past, present, and to come.

To conclude this Matter; If the sup­position of some Revelation in the gene­ral be reasonable: If it be not fit to be­lieve that God should wholly leave the World to the conduct of Nature, which hath been largely made to appear; If then we find a Book that is, of all others, the most Ancient, contains the most Primi­tive notions of things, and from which the earlyest Authors, (as from the great Fountain and Spring-head of all Divine Learning and Knowledge) appear to have drawn out much of what they have writ: That gives us the most punctual account of the Worlds Original: With an exact Historical Narrative of all the great Suc­cessive Revolutions of it, long before a­ny other Writers were extant, with such an adjustment of Times all along, that without it no certain Knowledge can be attain'd in Chronology, and the study of it [Page 354]would become more intricate than a La­byrinth: If we find a Book written by several Men, of several Qualities, Con­ditions, and Interests, in several distant Ages, with wonderful variety both for Matter and Manner, promoting (by an unparallel'd agreement with it self) one and the same Design, and that the most excellent in the judgment of every mans own Reason, that can descend from Hea­ven, or be embraced by men, termina­ting all in the Glory of God, and Man's utmost Happiness: A Book leading us to the farthest confines of all natural Truths our own Reasons comprehend and approve, and revealing such super­natural Truths to us, as appear evident­ly sitted and suited to supply all the de­fects of our natural Knowledge; and af­ter an admirable manner harmonize with the rational Nature, in which things from Above are so interwoven with things below, and every way so proportioned to them, as that Truths Supernatural, which we cannot fully comprehend, ap­pear justified to us by Truths natural, that we are perfectly judges of, and be­tween both there appears a wonderful [Page 355]concord: If we find a Book written in God's own Name, commanding the World upon that single account to bow before it, and in a way peculiarly pro­per to his own Soveraignty and Great­ness, with a positive claim to his imme­diate Authority; and the truth of this claim established to the World by a mul­titude of the greatest and most eminent Miracles, at several times, openly wrought, that ever were extant, and the Fact of which was never by any de­ny'd: A Book, the Doctrine whereof, by the power and reputation of those Miracles, its own innate Worth, and the Divine Assistance that accompanyed it, without the least humane help; nay a­gainst all Humane-Opposition, all earth­ly Policy and Force withstanding it, has gain'd so great an acceptance, as we see [...]his to have done, subdued in its first en­ [...]rance that great Empire of Rome, sub­ [...]erted the whole Judaical Fabrick, and [...]as made both Heathenism and Judaism [...]inaly fall before it.

If we find a Book that gives us the [...]est and most satisfying account of the [...]hole affair of this World, and all the [Page 356]Vicissitudes of it, and of God's provi­dential Rule and Dispose of all Humane Affairs: A Book in which the whole bu­siness of the World is fully and strangely epitomized, and we see nothing happen or come to pass contradictive of, but ac­cording to what is there written, and of which we find there some general no­tice.

If we find a Book, the Doctrine where­of totally subverts the whole interest of the Devil, and all the corrupt interests of Men, in a way far superior to what e­ver was, or can rationally be supposed, ever could be attempted in that kind by the wisest and best of men, and introdu­ces much nobler and elevated Notions o [...] Piety and Vert [...]e, than the World wer [...] any other way ever possessed of.

If we find a Book that has plainly an [...] directly foretold most of the great thing▪ that have come to pass in all Ages, tha [...] has (many hundreds of years befor [...] some of them happened) pronounced with an absolute prophetick certainty a­bout th [...]m, and has never been found t [...] mistake in a tittle, (though it has, som [...] ­times descended so to Particulars, as [...] [Page 357]name even the Persons of men long be­fore they were born) cannot once be im­peached for giving a wrong Divination about the least Circumstance relating ei­ther to Persons or Things.

If we find a Book that has been signal­ly preserved from the greatest rage of many powerful Adversaries, and from the most Violent and Potent Attempts for its total Suppression and Ruine, of such who were in highest Authority, and furnished with greatest advantages to effect it; A Book that has scap'd all sorts of Contri­vance against it, and safely descended through the Channel of so many Ages, and been to this day providentially secu­red and unmaimed, and intirely deli­vered over to us.

If we find a Book that evidently, in the judgment of all right Reason, im­proves Mankind to the highest pitch in all worthy and excellent Attainments, bo [...]h Moral and Divine: Brings the World in­to the best posture 'tis capable of: Makes men Wiser, Better, and Happier than they ever were, or could themselves find out how to be.

If we find a Book that, by means ut­terly unthought of, and far out of all humane-reach, and yet of a most holy and excellent Nature, sweetly and safe­ly (even to our greatest admiration) re­conciles us to God: Fills up that vast Gulph that was between Heaven and Earth, and makes way for a free and perpetual intercourse between God and Man: Exposes to the view of the World thereby a Beatitude infinitely transcend­ing whatever the Wisdom of Man could contrive or invent: which the rational Soul, the more it considers, still the more it adores and admires, and in which to the utmost 'tis delighted and sa­tisfied.

In short, If we find a Book that has all those things (if we respect both the Mat­ter of it, and the Manner of its convey­ance to us) appurtenant to it, that we can rationally expect should accompany a Revelation from Heaven, and such a su­pernatural Law by which we may suppose God would enlighten and rule the World: A Book that every way answers all the great ends of Revelation, proposeth most suitable Remedies to all our natural De­fects, [Page 359]leaves not a Disease in Humane Nature uncured, nor a Breach that mans fall hath occasioned un-made up: If there be not one thing we can imagine God should reveal to us in order to our pre­sent or future Welfare, about things vi­sible or invisible, about This World or the Next, that we are not here told of: If we have here such discoveries made of things supernatural and unseen, as have evidently set bounds to the restless and inquisitive minds of Men about those Matters; And such as we cannot reason­ably judge could be the product of any humane thoughts, nor of any thing lesse than the infinite and boundless Wisdom and Knowledge of GOD himself. If we have found such a Book, If the Bible be thus qualified, What can be otherwise judged upon such Premises, but that this Book is indeed that sacred Instrument where­in God has recorded his Sovereign Pleasure? This is in truth that Revelation from Hea­ven the World in all Ages have so much expected, and to which so many false pre­tensions have in all Ages been made; Here is indeed contained that System of Laws supernatural, by the publication [Page 360]whereof God has abounded in all the effects of his Bounty, and even out-done the furthest Conceptions the World has at any time had of his Goodness. How strangely unreasonable were it to derive such a Book from the highest degree of imposture! How heterodox is it to all good sense, to suppose, that the worst and most pernitious delusion by which the World has been ever abused (which we must needs reckon this Book to be, if it be not from God) should have, in point of time, the precedency of all true Religi­on, and be of an antienter date than any divine Truth the World can pretend to! Who, that believes the supream Existence of God, can imagine that the best docu­ments (in the judgment of all unpreju­diced reason) that ever mankind were disciplin'd by, should have the Devil, or the vilest of men for their Authors? That such should contrive and publish a Do­ctrine that brings men to the best method of living? That such should reduce man­kind to the happyest and best condition? and out do the Divine goodness in that particular? Who can imagine that the Devil or any ill men, in promoting the [Page 361]highest Treason against God (counterfeting his Name and Authority) and the great­est ruine to mankind (deluding them with false informations about their chiefest concerns) should be able to produce, in their justification, the most eminent Mi­racles, and all the greatst Evidences that rationally can be expected to ascertain the World in the publication of the high­est supernatural Truths? In a word, who can beleive a Book so circumstanced as we find the Bible to be, should be com­posed by the worst Instruments, and with the worst of designs? No such thing can ever be credited, while we suppose there is a God ruling above, and men live in the exercise of Reason below. 'Twere most absurd to suppose that any Book falsely pretending to Gods Name and Authori­ty, designing his dishonour and mans destruction, should be capable of such a proof as has been brought in defence of the Bible. And yet, so must the Tables be turn'd, the whole proof must so be inverted, of all that hath been said, a con­trary application must of necessity be made, if this Book comes not from God, [Page 362]and be not in truth what it self openly claims to be.

The Divine Authority of this Book we call the Bible, being thus, upon the forementioned grounds, established: I come, in the last place to a Considerati­on of such Doubts and Objections as are usually made about it. All the Material Difficulties that can be proposed, will be reduceable to these four Questions.

• I. First, How could men come to be assu­red, in those times wherein the several parts of the Bible were first writen, that they were written by an Infallible Spirit, and upon sure grounds, distinguish them from all other Writings?
• II. Secondly, How come we certainly to know the true Compass and Extent of Holy Writ? How can we know that we have now contained in our Bibles all that was writen by a Divine Inspiration, and intended as a standing Rule to the Church, and no more? That is, How [Page 363]can we be now safely assured about the Canon of the Scripture? And be able, upon good grounds, to say, What is Ca­nonical, and what is Not?
• III. Thirdly, How can we that have not the Originals of the Scripture, not the Autographa's of those that wrote it, but onely the Copies of them, and most but the Translations of those Copies, rest assured we have God's Mind as it was first delivered?
• IV. Fourthly, How can we believe this Book (say some) to be from God, when we find contained in it divers Contra­dictions, several strange and incredible Stories, and other things greatly lyable to exception?

In answering the first Question, This ought to be previously considered; That there were Advantages peculiar to the belief of those who first received the Bible, or any parts of it, and lived in those Times wherein it was first deli­vered, that we have not.

And we have likewise some Advanta­ges (and those very considerable) to our belief, which they had not. They con­versed with the Pen-Men themselves, (the Names of many of whom are to us whol­ly unknown: the Holy Ghost not judg­ing it necessary to record them: fore­seeing the Scriptures would descend to us upon other sufficient Evidence); They were able to judge of their personal In­tegrity, and the account they gave of their Divine Commission; were Eye-wit­nesses of the Miracles, saw the Original Writings; And in the Apostles times, many knew some of their Hands. These we have not; but we see the progress and success of this Book, which they saw not; We see this Book translated into all Languages: whole Nations converted by it: The Gospel spread all the World o­ver, and the fulfilling of many Predicti­ons since, which they could not then be Witnesses of: With many other great Effects of it; We see the Whole con­joyn'd, and the excellent Harmony of it, and the relation each part has to com­pleat the Design of the Whole: Are in divers respects upon different terms of [Page 365]judging now upon the Whole, from what men were in judging at first upon any par­ticular parts.

But to come to a direct Answer to this Question: There could be but two wayes to ascertain men in their reception of any part of the Bible, when it first became publick.

First, By some outward visible Justifi­cation of the Persons imployed in that Service, to assure us that they were sent and commissionated from God.

Or secondly, From the Matter and the Nature of such Writings themselves. And herein a due consideration of those Times and Seasons in which the several parts of the Bible were written, and the then present state of things, and the or­der of writing it, will much inform us. Moses, who layed the first and great Foun­dation of the whole Fabrick in the five Books that he wrote, He had a justifica­tion Personal beyond all question; His Commission and Authority to do what he did, was sufficiently evident to all that conversed with him; There was all that could be expected to assure those that then lived, that God had imployed him; [Page 366]For God admitted him openly to a perso­nal converse with himself. We read in the nineteenth of Exodus, that the Lord said unto Moses, Loe, I come to thee in a thick Cloud, that the People may bear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for e­ver, &c. He impowered him, upon ma­ny occasions, to work the greatest Mira­cles, that, since the World had a being, had ever been wrought: and openly to shame and out-doe all his Opposers, and all Pretenders that way. And whenso­ever there was a doubt made about this Divine Authority, or any contest with him upon that account, as in the case of Korah, and at other times, God plainly and openly from Heaven, in the sight of all the People, decided the Matter; to assure them, and all Generations to come, that Moses was no Impostor, but acted by a Divine Commission in what he then did.

And indeed, It being the first time that God revealed himself to the World in a written way, and published those Laws which were to be a Standard to all that succeeded, and the great Corner-stone of all that Revelation, that he would at any time after make to Man-kind; 'twas [Page 367]but necessary it should be fixed and esta­blished upon certain and unquestionable grounds. So that such who lived in Moses his time, could have no good rea­son at all to doubt, in the least, of his sincerity; for all was done that could be done to put that matter out of question. And God visibly shewed himself, as we find in the four and twentieth of Exodus, and his own glory amongst them. For, 'tis said, They saw the Lord God of Israel, and there was under his feet, as it were, a paved work of a Saphire-stone, and as it were the Body of Heaven in its clearness. Nor could there be any doubt raised, Whether the Laws and Precepts of Moses were rightly recorded, and as he intend­ed they should: For, before his Death, he himself, by God's special command, in a publick Assembly, delivered over his Five Books to the Levites to be layed up in the sides of the Ark. After Moses his time, till our Saviours coming, and the writing of the New Testament (when there was again a Flood-gate of Divine Power let open in Mighty and Miraculous Ope­rations) all the parts of the Old Testament that were at any time written (and they [Page 368]were not all Written till the time of Ezra; after whom, and the erection of the second Temple, God made no fur­ther Addition) all the other parts, I say, of the Old Testament, were principally to be judged of by what Moses at first esta­blished; Working of Miracles, after his time, was not to be the great and onely Rule of Prophesie and Revelation. God had declared and commanded the contra­ry; Nor indeed has the Holy Ghost thought fit to record to us (whatever might be done in that kind) that any one Pen-Man of the Old Testament wrought any Miracles after Moses his time. 'Tis a truth, that there was among the Jews a Succession of the Office of Prophets after Moses, and certain Schools of them, which first began, and were continued in the Ci­ties of the Levites, who dwelt dispersed a­mongst all the other Tribes: And of ma­ny that were probably trayn'd up in those Schools we read in Scripture, as of God and Nathan, and other Seers and Pro­phets: That some of them wrote no part of the Bible, nor (that we read of) were any way extraordinarily imploy'd, but most likely were so stiled, because they [Page 369]had their education there, & were bred up and devoted to that Office and Employ­ment: That God did often make use of those that were of that Prophetical Society in extraordinary Matters, I doubt not; But in dictating the Bible, God was pleas­ed arbitrarily to chuse out what Instru­ments of conveyance he pleased, and con­fin'd not himself to any one sort of Men, nor to any Prophetical Office, to give us any assurance from thence in this case; For he sometimes chose men out of the Court, as he did Isaiah the Kings Ne­phew; And sometimes from the Herd, as he did Amoz the Shepherd, who sayes himself, He was neither a Prophet, nor the Son of a Prophet. And God, in an ex­traordinary way, by the Word and the Prophesie that he gave such to utter, crea­ted them Prophets. And the greatest evidence of such mens Prophetical Au­thority arose (if no Miracles were wrought by them) from the Word they uttered: And if any were (of which we cannot be certain, the Holy Ghost being silent about it) from a conjunction of both. A Miracle wrought in confirmati­on of any Doctrine correspending to what God by Moses had at first established, [Page 370]was the greatest assurance that the Judai­cal Church after Moses was capable of; No false Prophet in those dayes ever arrived so far: That is, They never had the con­currence of a Personal and a Doctrinal Justification together; If any such wrought a Miracle to gain them a perso­nal credit, yet their Doctrine was still faulty: And being to lead men from God, and to subvert those Laws of his by Moses so solemnly setled, That was an intimation sufficient from God's own di­rection, to discover and shame them. But, supposing the several Pen-Men of the Old Testament after Moses, wrought no Miracles at all, and that God made most of them Prophets by that very Employ­ment, which 'tis certain he did, and that they were not previously in any such Of­fice, so that nothing of that kind could give men any assurance; Yet by these three wayes, men might be then much se­cured in that case, in the first Edition of every distinct part of the Old Testament. First, From the known personal Sanctity and Integrity of the Writers themselves; God never made use of any ill men, or such as could come under any reasonable suspition of Imposture, to write any part [Page 371]of the Bible; nor of any but such whom men in that Age wherein they lived had very good reason to credit. This being a certain and revealed Truth, that in writ­ing all the parts of the Bible, 'twas Holy Men still that Spoke and Wrote. Now, there could not be a more superlative im­posture and wickedness, than to ascend the Throne of God, to speak in his Name, and pretend his Authority, without his Order. No Man (not wholly forsaken of all fear of God, and respect to men) could be supposed to make such an attempt: Nor could any Man of known Piety and Ho­nesty be reasonably suspected of it. Se­condly, and chiefly, From the conformi­ty of what was then writen to the Laws and Precepts of Moses, setled upon such unquestionable evidence; for whatever was superstructed upon that Foundation, came under the same Justification; So that if any Writings were published in God's Name, that appeared to be (as all the other parts of the Old Testament did) but a further discovery and promise of the Messiah, a renewal of those Threatnings and Promises in Moses to that People, and a further promotion of those Holy Laws, and that Religion and Worship by [Page 372]him established, there was no absolute necessity of Miracles in such cases. If any man will suppose there might be in those times Books piously written, and grounded upon the Doctrine of Moses, that came not from any Divine Inspirati­on; in judging of which Men might be possibly deceived and mistaken. I answer, Either such Books pretended to a Divine Mission from God, or they did not; If they did not, no man could be indanger­ed by them; If they did, They must ei­ther be written by true Prophets or False; No true Prophets would do it; And 'tis not reasonable to think any false prophets should; because they could serve no De­sign by it: Nor could the Devil, or any ill Instruments any way promote their own Interests by perswading men to serve the true God in the right way; Nor do we find that in Fact any such thing ever was. Thirdly, There appeared in most, if not all, the parts of a Bible, a peculiar Majesty, a savour of Divine Authority in a more than ordinary way; A great and eminent difference, as the Prophet Jere­miah sayes, between the Chaff and the Wheat. Nor is it fit to suppose but that wh [...] came by an immediate Inspiration [Page 373]from God, should carry some Impressions of his Wisdom & Power, and be some way differenced from the common Writings of weak and fallible men. Besides, from many other Circumstances attending the first Edition of the several parts of the Bible, relating to the Matter written, and the Authors that wrote, might God give a further evidence to their Divine Autho­rity, of which we are now wholly igno­rant; And it would be perhaps some­what of curiosity, and of little use to enquire after; And some of them are re­corded to us in the Scripture it self; As, particularly, the foretelling of future E­vents, that accordingly came to pass.

Two wayes God himself had previ­ously appointed by Moses for the disco­very of all false pretentions to Revelati­on.

First, If any Pretenders that way came to seduce men from the true God, and that Divine Worship of his then esta­blished, God commands, They should be rejected.

And secondly, If they foretold things that came not to pass, they were no way to credit them.

So we find it in the eighteenth of Deu­teronomy, [Page 374]When a Prophet speaketh in the Name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the Prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. The certain predicting of future events, was an unquestionable evi­dence of a Divine Commission: And this way many of the Prophets were justifyed in those Ages wherein they lived. As particularly the Prophet Hosea, who with the Prophet Amos, was sent to the Ten Tribes at the same time that Isaiah and Micah were to Judah: And in the sixth year of Hezekiah (to which time it ap­pears Hosea himself survived) his Pro­phesie long before against the Ten Tribes was actually fulfilled, and the destructi­on he prophesied of, came actually and visibly upon the Ten Tribes at that time, by the Hand of the King of Assy [...]a. And others of them had the like Justification, though sometimes it fell out to be later, and the events of their Prophesies could not be known till after-ages. Nor did any one Pen-Man of the Scriptures, or any Prophet of God, ever mistake in a tittle in this kind; For although some­times the judgements they prophetical­ly [Page 375]threatned, were not actually inflicted at those times, they were threatned so to be; yet that could not be the least de­rogation from the truth of their Prophe­sies, because God still reserved a supream and sovereign power of Pardon and For­giveness to himself in such cases: And all such prophetical Threatnings were still denounced with a reserve in case of repentance; And God himself, to justi­fie his own Prophets, did publickly de­clare thus much, At what Instant I shall speak concerning a Nation, or concerning a Kingdom, to pl [...]ck up, and to pull down, and destroy it; If that Nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from the evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them, &c.

But the total and final decision of all Questions that could arise among the Jews touching the several parts of the Old Testament, God was pleased to make in the times of Ezra, and that famous Sy­nagogue, That after so long and sad a captivity, assembled to reform what was amiss, and to revive the glory of that de­cayed Church and State, (which God had promised to restore and continue amongst those two Tribes of Judah and Benjamin, [Page 376]until the Messiah should come) several of the last Prophets being personally pre­sent, They, by a divine direction, col­lected all the Parts of the Old Testament together, (some of which, as the Prophe­sies of Jeremiah and Amos, and other Pro­phesies sent from God, and which came by Divine Inspiration, were wholly rejected by the corrupt ruling part of the Judaical Church in those times wherein they were first uttered) made a perfect separation, not only between the Works of True Pro­phets and False, and such Writings as came by Divine Inspiration, and such as were only of Humane Extraction; but between such as were to be of a perpetu­al continuance, and a standing Rule to the Church, and such as related onely to particular Cases, and were not so. They, by God's direction, punctually setled the Canon of the Old Testament, put a perfect period to all Doubts in those times about this whole business; and in that settlement of the Scripture then made, the Jewish Church fully acquies­ced, and to it firmly adhered till the times of Christ and the Apostles. From whose Divine Authority we have a [...] re-establishment of all that was then done.

For the New Testament, as God was pleased to establish the first Foundation of all Written Revelation in Moses his time, upon evidence from Heaven beyond all compass of Question; so the compleat­ing and finishing what God intended that way, the laying the Top-stone of that Fabrick, (which was done in the writing of the New Testament) was accompa­nyed with such manifest Effects of a Di­vine and Almighty Power, that no man that lived in those times could make any reasonable doubt about it. There were in this case the greatest Miracles to con­firm the most excellent Doctrine, and 'tis not possible to be upon surer grounds in point of Revelation. The Miracles were then apparent and visible; And the excellency of the Doctrine appeared these two wayes.

First, That in it self simply consider­ed, it introduced a Religion wherein all the great and desireable ends both of God and Man (in the judgment of all unpre­judiced Reason) were to the utmost at­tained, and wherein all that the World had in that kind at any time before arri­ved at, was far out-done and exceed­ed.

And secondly, In a relative way, in that it evidently appeared (and that in a very singular and extraordinary manner) to be the great accomplishment of all that God had before promised and fore­told: The natural Off-spring of the Old Testament, and that which the Scriptures, before written, throughout, travelled withal; Indeed, the Genuine Issue of all former Revelation, and so was incireled with all that Divine Justification that any former Revelation had been at any time accompanied with. And in the distinct publication of all the particular Parts of the New Testament, men had these two grounds of satisfaction in those times: First, (If we admit that Epistle to the Hebrews to come either from St. Paul, or some other Apostolical Hand, of the latter of which the Epistle it self suffi­ciently assures us; And for the former, there seems to be good evidence from some passages in St. Peter: And no man can be so reasonably supposed to write a Determination of that grand Question then on foot, about the abolition of the whole Judaical Policy, as the great Apo­stle of the Gentiles) I say, If we admit this Epistle to come from an Apostolical [Page 379]Hand; Every Part of it was then writ­ten by Apostles and Evangelists, men not onely perfectly knowing in all the Trans­actions of our Saviour, but every one of them then known to be men of extraor­dinary Endowments, in Office under Him, and with the highest Delegation of his own Power entrusted by Him. And as the Writing of the Old Testament ended with the Prophets, so the writing of the New had its period in the Apo­stles. Secondly, All the several Parts, at several times, and by several hands written, appear so to promote one and the same Design, are so much the same in Doctrine, do so harmonize in the same Tendency and End, and have such a re­lation each to other, that whatever Rea­sons there were in the general to satisfie men in those times about the Truth of our Saviour, and the Religion by him established, (and there was all that could be expected from Heaven in that case) the same would go very far to resolve all such Doubts as could be made about any particular Parts of the New Testa­ment then written.

Secondly, How can we now come cer­tainly to know the true Compass and Extent of Holy Writ? How can we know we have now contain­ed in our Bables all that was written by a Divine Inspiration, and intend­ed as a Rule to the Church, and no more? That is, How can we now be safely assured about the Canon of the Scripture, and be able upon good grounds to say, what is Canonical, and what is not?

'Tis too apparent a Truth, that nothing by the power of its own worth and excel­lency, has ever been able to scape con­tempt and reproach from the unruly wills and debauched minds of corrupt and un­reasonable men. The Bible has met with its share in this kind. Some, upon Fa­natical Pretences, have despised and re­jected the Whole; Others have mangled and severed it as themselves thought good; receiving some part only as Divine, and rejecting the rest as they pleased. Of this Iraeneus, Tertullian, Epiphanius, St. Austin, and many of the Christian Wri­ters have given us a large account. The [Page 381] Manichees rejected the whole body of the Old Testament, as coming from an Evil God. The Ptolemaites (as Epiphamus tells us) rejected all the Books of Moses. The Gnosticks, with some other Hereticks, re­jected the whole Book of Psalms. Cerdon, and after him Marcion, rejected all the Gospels but that of St. Luke, the Acts of the Apostles, and divers other parts of the New Testament, as we find by Tertullian. The Valentimans rejected all the Gospels but that of St. John, as we see in Irenaeus. Others rejected all that St. John wrote. The Ebionites received no Gospel but that of St. Matthen, and rejected in gross all the Epistles of St. Paul.

In a word, There is not one Part of the Bible, from the first to the last, that has scap'd the reprobation of some bad Men. But all such attempts were soon blown away, expired in the Birth, bore about them their own shame and re­proach; made no considerable battery upon the Truth in any Age; Nor did they reach further than the vitiated Minds and corrupt Breasts of such Profli­gate Hereticks as were the first Authors of them.

In answering to this Question, How we come to be well assured about the Ca­non of the Bible, and that those Books now received by the Church of England, and other Protestant Churches as such, are all Canonical, and no other.

Two things only will occur, that are of any seeming moment; In the due con­sideration of which, all will be said that is needful about this Matter.

First, How we come to reject out of our Canon those Books commonly called Apocryphal, which were written (at least all but one of them) during the times of the Old Testament?

And secondly, Upon what grounds we now receive some particular parts of the New Testament, which have sometimes layen under question?

If we mistake in the first, we have less in our Bibles than we ought: If in the latter, we have much more than we should. About the first, concerning the several parts of the Old Testament, there is a­mongst Christians themselves a present Disagreement: But concerning the other, the whole Christian World is, at this day, of the same opinion.

For the First, That there is good Rea­son [Page 383]to reject those Books commonly cal­led the Apocrypha, that they were not written by any Divine Inspiration, nor sent us from GOD, as any part of those Supream Laws by which he intended to rule and judge the World, and so ought not to be reckoned within the Canon, will be made very evident to any rea­sonable Judge, upon these Considerations following.

First, After the time of Esdras, and the erection of the second Temple, 'tis uni­versally agreed by all the most Antient Jews and Christians, that the Jews had no Prophet amongst them, Nor did GOD raise up any Man with an Extraordinary Spirit from the time of Malachi (who is agreed to be the last Prophet) till John the Baptist, Which was for the space of four hundred and odde years. Now 'tis sufficiently evident that these Apocry­phal Books were all written after the time of Malachi, and so can be of no ex­traordinary Mission; And if any of them had been written before, and had been extant in Ezra's time (which they were not) it had been an unanswerable Rea­son for their Rejection now, Because they were not received then. For, 'tis [Page 384]well known that none of these Books now in question were by Him incorpo­rated with the rest of the Bible, nor were within the Canon at that time setled. That the Jews had no Prophets (by whom all parts of the Old-Testament were writ­ten: For the Church is built upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apo­stles; And the whole of the Old-Testa­ment is called Prophecy) nor any Men of an Extraordinary Spirit amongst them after the Captivity, both Jews and Chri­stians generally agree. Josephus is ex­press in it; in his first Book against Ap­pion he tells us, that from the time of Artaxerxes, though certain Books had been written, yet they deserved not the same Credit and Belief that the Sacred Scriptures did, because there was no suc­cession of Prophers amongst them. Saint Austine in the 45th Chapter of his 18th Book De Civitate Dei, sheweth at large that the Jews had no Prophecy after Ez­ra's time. And the same, Eusebius af­firmeth in his Demonstrationes Evangelicae; Post Zachartam & Malachiam non fu [...]sse am­plius apud Judaeos Prophetam; Et a reditu ex Captivitate ad tempora Servatoris nul­lum babucrint Judaei sacrum Volumen. The [Page 385]Jews had no Prophets after Zachary and Malachi, nor any Sacred Writings after the Captivity, till our Saviour's time. And some of these very Books tell us as much themselves: For, in the first Book of the Maccabees Chap. 9. 'tis there said, That there was then great Tribulation in Israel, such as had not been since the dayes that there had been no Prophet in Israel, (relating to Ezra's time.) And indeed it appears very plain from the Scripture it self, that there were no Di­vine Writings published between the Prophecy of Malachi, and the writing of the Gospels. For the Evangelists take things up just where he left them, and begin the Gospel from the end of Ma­lachi's Prophecy. For, he ending his Prophecy at John the Baptist, under the Type and Title of Elias, and the Evan­gelists beginning the Gospel with Him, (for St. Mark expresly declares the end­ing of that Prophecy to be the begin­ning of the Gospel); There is a visible combination from thence, from that pe­riod of Prophesie, of the Old and New Testament together.

Secondly, All the Writers of the Old Testament were Prophets to the House of Israel, and to the Church of the Jews; and their Writings and Prophesies were directed chiefly to them. And so they were all writ (except some Passages in Daniel and Ezra that were written in the Chaldee Dialect, to which the Jews had in their Captivity been much accustomed) in their own Native Language, the Lan­guage of Canaan, which was the Hebrew. But these Books were confessedly most of them first written in Greek, and could be of no use at all to the Jews at Jerusalem, and in Palestine; nor understood by any but the dispersed Hellenists: And so were no way likely to be sent from the Holy Ghost to that Church, who never owned any Scripture for Canonical but what was in Hebrew, a Language peculiar to them. And the Bibles they constantly used till our Saviours time in their Syna­gogues were all in Hebrew.

Thirdly, There is, in most of these Books, some eminent discovery of their own Humane Extraction: As in the se­cond of Macc. 2.24. The Author of that [Page 387]Book, whoever he were, tells us that he had borrowed what he wrote out of Jason of Cyrene, and contracted five Books of his into one Volumn. And so what he there wrote, he is so far from fathering it on the Holy Ghost, or any Dictates of his, that he plainly confesseth 'twas none of his own, but the bare Epitomy of a­nother mans Writings, and desires to be excused if he had not done it well. And 'tis most notoriously evident to every common Reader, that many of these Books contain such ridiculous Stories, and gross Absurdities, that without high impiety, and great contradiction to all those Natural Notions we have of God, they cannot be imputed to the Holy Ghost as their Author.

Fourthly, These Books were never re­ceived by the Church of the Jews into their Canon, nor are to this day: And so, during the times of the Old Testa­ment, were never received by any Church, (for there was then no other) which is most absurd to conceive of any parts of God's Written and Supream Laws; As also that the Jews, to whom in a most pe­culiar [Page 388]way the Oracles of God were com­mitted, and who had the custody of all God's Sacred Records, and were (as St. Austin calls them) God's & the Churches great Library-Keepers, should so notoriously err, as to reject (for, not to receive into their Canon is to reject) so great a part of the Bible. 'Tis somewhat strange that those of the Roman Church (with whom chiefly we contest in this Matter, and who annex to the Church an infallible Judge­ment) should imagine the Church of the Jews to fall into so great and gross a mis­take in so fundamental a matter. That the Jewish Church never heretofore re­ceived these Apocryphal Books into their Canon, nor do to this day, is a thing that with the least colour of Reason can­not be denyed. That they do not to this day, is known all the World over, where­soever the Jews are: And their Bibles are to be seen. That the Ancient Church of the Jews, before the times of our Saviour, had no other Books within their Canon, than those we now have, is evident from the testimony of Josephus, in his first Book against Appion, who there t [...]lls us what Books the Jews reckoned [Page 389]Canonical, and sayes, They are onely twenty two in number, (according to the number of Letters in their Alphabet); and reckons those very Books we now re­ceive as onely Canonical; Other Books, he sayes, there were written after the Cap­tivity, but they were never numbred with the Sacred Records. Origen, St. Jerome, and many other of the Christian Writers have largely proved the same. Those of the Roman Church, who have turn'd every Stone to ease themselves from the dint of this Argument, have found no other countenance that ever these Books receiv­ed from the Jews, to make us suppose they received them into their Canon, but that in some places, some few of the Hellenist Jews that lived remote from Palestine, had annexed some of these Books to their Sep­tuagint Bibles. But such Hellenists themselves had any esteem of them as Canonical Writings: Nor can it any more be pro­ved from thence that they had, than it can, That we in England receive them into our Canon, because they are bound up with some of our Bibles. And never were any of these Books annexed to the Hobrew-Bibles used at Jerusalem, and in [Page 390] Palestine; nor were any of them ever read or admitted into their Synagogues there. In truth, This matter, in point of Fact, is so notorious and evident, that Bellarmine himself makes an ingenuous confession of it, and sayes plainly, Hos omnes Libros (speaking of these Apocry­phal Books) ad unum rejici ab Hebraeis, That every one of these Books were rected by the Church of the Jews, Contr. 1. lib. 1. ch. 10. And confirms the same out of St. Jerome. And if so, we have then not only the judgment of the Judai­cal Church in this case, (which is singly sufficient: For, 'twere a ridiculous con­tradiction to make any Books part of the Old Testament now, which were not so received then). But we have also a more infallible determination; For our Savi­our and the Apostles fully and constantly approved the Old Testament, as the Jews were then possessed of it. 'Twere absurd to suppose that our Saviour should with so much exactness, reduce all to the Rule of the Scripture, and yet tacitly approve, and silently pass over so great a mistake about the Rule it self. Our Saviour di­rects the Jews to search the Scriptures as [Page 391]they then had them, as being perfect and compleat: Appeals to their own Bibles upon all occasions in his own defence: Expounded Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets, as those to whom he spake were acquainted with them, and as they were then extant; Nay, he himself read and preached in their Synagogues out of the Scriptures, as he there found them, and as they were there publickly used. And no man can soberly imagine that our Sa­viour would go about to instruct the Peo­ple out of any false and imperfect Rule. The Apostles likewise upon all occasions made use of the Old Testament as they found the Jews possessed of it; Nor have we the least intimation that the Jews were either mistaken in the number of those Books they received, or that the least alteration had been made in those Books, since the times wherein they were first written.

And 'tis as evident that the Old Te­ment (as the Jews then had it, and as our Saviour and the Apostles approved it) descended down to the Christian Church, and was constantly so received. The Pri­mitive Writers agree universally in it. [Page 392] Cyprian, Epiphanius, Athanasius, Nazianzen, all bear witness to it. Cyril Bishop of Je­rusalem, after he has reckoned up to his Catechumini, the 22 Books of the Old Testament we now receive, adds, Hos lege viginti duos; Cum Apocryphis nil habe ne­gotii, Catechis. 4. Read these two and twenty Books; But meddle not with the Apo­crypha. Origen, quoted for it at large by Eusebius, in his History, reckons up the very same twenty two Books for the Ca­nonical parts of the Old Testament: And so does St. Jerome, and expresly reckons the other Apocryphal. The same we find in Russinus, who sayes, The Apocryphal Books they never antiently called Libros Canonicos, but Ecclesiasticos. And the first Council we read of that entred into a consideration of this Matter, which was that of Laodicea, about the year 364. in their 59 Canon, declare the Canonical Books of the Old Testament to be the very same, and no other then those we now receive. Nor were these Apocry­phal Books ever otherwise reckoned, ei­ther in the Jewish or Christian Church, than as humane and fallible Writings, till the late Assembly at Trent were pleased to declare them otherwise.

These things must needs seem sufficient to any reasonable man to clear up that doubt on the one hand, Whether we have not less in our Bibles than we indeed ought to have! Because that besides what the Roman Church hath of late done to Ca­nonize these Apochryphal Writings, no other addition to the Bible has been at any time attempted, that merits the least consideration. I proceed to the doubt on the other hand: And that is, How we may be reasonably secured, that our Bibles con­tains in them no more then they should! That is, upon what ground we receive some Books in the New Testament! The Epistle to the Hebrews, the Epistle of St. James, the second Epistle of St. Peter, the Epistle of Jude, the 2 and 3 Epistles of John, and the Apocalyps! Of all which there has formerly been some doubt made! In the solution of which, I shall endea­vour these two things: First, To shew what were most probably the first and ori­ginal grounds of such Doubts! And se­condly, To shew that those doubts then ought to be of no prevalency with us now; And that there is, at this time, no good reason to make the least doubt of a­ny part of the New Testament, as we are [Page 394]now in possession of it. All the Doubts that have arisen about any parts of the New Testament, were most probably these two wayes occasioned. First, 'Tis obvious that the New Testament was writ in several parts, at several times, and not all composed together. The Whole be­came not publick but by many steps and degrees: Had several former and latter Editions; That is, some parts that were first writ, were copyed out by those that had the Originals, and con-joyn'd, and so dispers'd: And other parts still added as they were written, and became publick. Now 'tis easie to conceive that some parts that were after added to such Bibles as first came out, might be at first questioned and doubted of, by such who had the for­mer Editions, and were not fully in­formed about the after Addition of other parts. And so it has fallen out in the publication of most Systemes of Humane Laws that have come out gradually and by parts, and not in a full and intire Body at once. Secondly, 'Tis very pro­bable that many Christians that lived in those first Times, by reason of their di­stance from those places where some parts of the New Testament first became pub­lick, [Page 395]might be, for a considerable time, it may be till after the deaths of their Authors) without any notice of them; And upon that account some doubts a­bout such parts might arise, because they [...]ad come to their knowledge no sooner, especially if any such parts seemed to [...]avour or countenance any particular Sect or Opinion, as the Epistle to the Hebrews did that of the Novations, and the Apo­ [...]alyps that of the Chiliasts). And this is most likely to be the true reason why some of the Epistles (and we know 'twas about the Epistles that the doubts chiefly were) were at any time questioned, espe­cially such as were more remotely, and un­certainly directed to the scattered Jews, as that of St. James, that to the Hebrews, and that of St. Peter, which were no way likely to be so soon, or so commonly known to the generality of Christians; Nor could they be so easie to come by as those Epistles sent to Rome, Corinth, and Ephesus, and those great and publick Cities, from whence the fame of them would soon spread; and Copies were upon much easier terms to be had, be­cause 'twas certainly known where the Originals were.

Secondly. There is no good Reason, from any Question that was made hereto­fore, to raise any Doubts now about any Parts of the New-Testament; And that for these three Reasons: First, Because these Books in question were most gene­rally received at first, and doubted of on­ly by some, and those such who had least information about them. And this is very evident; Because we find them fre­quently quoted, as Canonical Scripture, by many of the most ancient Christian-Writers, in those Ages next the Apo­stles. Tertullian (except the second Epi­stle of St. Peter) hath in his Works quo­ted, as Canonical Scripture, every Book of the New-Testament we now receive. And St. Ierome, speaking in his Epistle ad Dardan [...]m of the Epistle to the Heb [...]ews, and some other of those Books about which we now discourse, sayes, We re­ceive them not from the Custom of this Time, but from the Authority of the most Primitive Writers. Secondly, They contain no­thing in them but what does plainly har­monize with the rest of the Bible, and is generally witnessed unto by other Books, about which no question hath been at any time made. And of this there can [Page 397]be no doubt, unless it be concerning the Revelation, which yet contains a most Admirable, though Mysterious Agree­ment with the Books of Moses, the Pro­phecies of Ezekiel and Daniel, and divers other parts of the Bible. And to this Book (besides that the suitableness of Events thereunto, and the notorious ful­filling of many Prophetical passages in it, has put its Divine Authority out of all question) we have as great a Testimony from Antiquity, as can in such a case well be expected. Justin Martyr, who lived very near the Apostle John himself, in his Dialogue with Tryphon, cites it as the Writing of St. Iohn, and without the least question, ascribes it to him. Irenaeus (who lived some small time after Justin, and was the Scholar of Polycarp, who was the Scholar of St. Iohn) sayes positively, 'Twas written by St. Iohn the Apostle. And that he was well assured thereof from some (most probably Polycarp) that had seen the Apostle Iohn himself, and personally conversed with him. Lib. 4. cap. 37. and Lib. 5. And [...]ertullian in his 4th Book against Marcion, sayes, Though Marcion did reject the Apocalyps as none of St. John's, yet (sayes he) the succession of [Page 398]Bishops tracod to the beginning, will establish Him as the certain and undoubted Author of it. Thirdly, God has, in a providential way, determined this matter. For, those that at first questioned those Books (when the heat of primitive Persecutions were somewhat abated, the Church had free intercourse and communication together, and came to be better informed) received them: All doubts about them are now vanished. Luthur, and some with him in Germany (who were the last that revived any doubts of that kind) upon second and more deliberate thoughts, recanted their Error. All Christians are now at an Agreement about them (the Supreamest Establishment that can be of Canonical-Authority) even the Roman Church themselves receive the Apocalyps into their Canon, although many passages in it seem very particularly directed against them. Indeed, the heavenly lustre of these Books is broke forth like the Sun in his strength, has over-spred the whole Hori­zon of the Christian Church; And where ever the Gospel is owned, these Books are received with that Veneration that be­comes due to such Sacred Writings.

The Church of England Judges the doubts that have been at any time made about any parts of the New Testament not worthy of our Notice. And therefore in the sixth Article it is thus expressed. In the Name of the holy Scriptures we do understand those Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament, of whose Authority was never any doubt in the Church. That is, no considerable doubt; no general doubt in the Whole Church; Nor indeed any such doubt as ought to disturb either the Churches determination, or any particular mans judgment about this matter. For it cannot be shewed that any One intire Church, or that any National or Provincial Council, or indeed that any Considerable part of the Christian World, in any Publick Confessions, Catechisms, or otherwise, have rejected any of those Books we now reckon within the Canon. The most Considerable Doubt that we find made about any one of them was, about the Epistle to the Hebrews, which for some time was doubted of in the Roman Church; And yet Eusebius says onely, It was doubted of a quibusdam in Ecclesia Romana, by some in the Roman Church; and 'tis certain, much of that doubt was, whe­ther St. Paul were the Authour of it or no? But to conclude an Answer to this Question, let these two things be Considered. First, [Page 400]under the Old Testament, so soon as all the Parts of it were finished, the Canon of That was exactly settled by men of an infallible Spirit, in the times of Esdras, and those last Prophets contemporary with him; and so no further Doubt was, or could reasonably be made about that. Secondly, under the New Testament, it pleased God so to order it, that he that closed up the whole Bible, and wrote the Conclusion of it, so far out-lived all the other Pen-men, that he himself might very well see the Whole conjoyned, and deliver it over to the Church, intire as we now have it. The Apostle St. John not onely survived Titus, and that famous Destruction of the Temple, and the Jews, in his time, but he lived through Domitian's time, and Cocceius Nerva's time, to the Reign of the Emperour Trajan, which was somewhat above a Hundred years after our Saviours Birth, and sixty and odd after his Crucifixion; so Irenaeus tells us lib. 2. p. 192. And some other of the Apostles it should seem lived long; for the same Author says, that there were in his time Saniores qui non solum Johannem viderint sed & alios Apostolos: Elders that had not onely seen S. John, but others of the Apostles. That the Canon of the New Testament was established and setled by Aposto­lical Authority seems very probable. S. Austin [Page 401]contra Faust. Man. lib. 11. cap. 5. and in his 19. Epist. positively affirms it, Distincta est (says he) à posteriorum libris excellentia Ca­nonica authoritatis veteris & Novi Testamenti, quae Apostolorum confirmata temporibus. Saint Jerome sayes, Johannem omnium longissimè vix­isse & videre libros omnes & confirmare p [...]sset, & si qui fictitij liberi ederentur, eos à s [...]cris & verè Canonicis distinguere. That the Apo­stle John out-lived all the rest of the Apostles, that he might per [...]se and confirm all the Parts of the New Testament and distinguish them from all counterfeit Writings, if any such came a­broad. And he further adds, That some Spu­rious Writings concerning the actions of S. Paul were brought to him, and that he, by his Aposto­lical Authirity, condemned them. Tertullian, de Prescript. says expresly, The Canon of the Bible is founded upon Apostolical Authority. And Eusebius gives this plain testimony to it, Nar­rant veteres Johannem Asiaticarum Ecclesiarum rogatu, Germanum Scripturae Canonem constitu­isse. The antients tell us (says he) that St. John, upon the request of the Asiatick Churches, settled the true Canon of Scripture. 'Tis cer­tain that S. John before his death, made his abode much at Sardis and Ephesus, and a­mongst those Asiatick Churches; For after the death of Domitian, he was restored from his [Page 402]Banishment by the Emperour Nerva, and re­turned from Patmos into Asia, and there go­verned the Churches until his death. And 'tis extreamly probable, that upon their desire, he then fully settled the Canon of the New Testament; for that there was then occasion for the doing of it, we sind by Ense [...]ius his History of those times. And it is evident from S. John himself that the Church of Ephesus had been attempted by false Apostles in those days; and whatever Doubts of that kind were then extant, we cannot otherwise suppose but that they would be proposed to him, and End in his Apostolical determination. So that if we lay all these things together, St. Johns living so long after all [...]he Parts of the New Testament, but the Revelation, were Written: And his surviving some very considerable time after the Writing of that, (for it is most probable that he received those Ʋisions and wrote them in the end of the Reign of Domitian) his clo­sing the whole with that Book; after which, he declares (as many think) by pronouncing a Curse to him that should add to it, or diminish from it) that there was to be no further Re­velation expected, having therein given a full account of the State of the Church to the end of the world. Considering the Doubts that were then extant about some Parts, amongst [Page 403]such as had not a thorough Information about them, and that False apostles did then appear, considering of how great a Concern it was then, and would be to all future Ages to have the Canon of the whole Bible settled by an In­fallible judgment; and considering the mate­rial Evidence we have from many Primative Writers, That indeed it was so. All these things considered, there seemes very proba­ble Ground to believe that the Apostle John be­fore he left the world, did fully Determine this matter; and 'tis most likely, that as the Knowledge of what he had done came to be published abroad, the Doubts that were then made dis-appeared. And we that live in these latter Ages see that all the Questions and Doubts that have at any time been, are per­fectly vanished, and the whole bopy of the New Testament hath now gained an Universal recep­tion.

Thirdly, How can we that have not the Ori­ginals of the Scriptures, not the Outogra­pha's of those that Wrote them, but onely the Copies of them, and most but the Tran­slations of those Copies, rest assured we have Gods Mind as it was first delivered?

In Answering to this Question, it must be acknowledged that the Original Records of every Part of the Bible did at first consist of Perishable matter, and have undergone the common Fate of all oth [...]r Writings. 'Tis evident it was not the pleasure of God that the Authority of the Scriptures should be ter­minated singly in them, but be of a much far­ther Extension, and of a perpetual Duration. 'Tis not to be doubted but that the Apographa's Copies truely taken from the Originals of any part of the Bible, were of equal Authority with the Originals themselves. 'Twas not the Paper, nor the Ink, nor the Hand wherein they were writ, nor any thing Circumstanti­al of that kind, but the Matter it self, as di­ctated by the Holy Ghost, that gave Authority to them. And wheresoever that Matter is truely contained, there is also the same Au­thority present. The great Question in these dayes will be, Whether those Copies we have of the Scriptures in those Original Lan­guages in which they were first Writ, be True! and whether they have not been since Defaced or Corrupted?

The Satisfaction that ought to be given to this Inquiry, must arise these two wayes; First by considering the Scriptures themselves in their present posture; And Secondly, by con­sidering [Page 405]such Circumstances as attended their first Transcription, and the various Copies that were then, and have been since, taken of them. I begin with the Latter. First, the Old Testa­ment we know was delivered over as it first became written to the Church of the Jews, and committed by God himself to their Cu­stody: And 'twas they alone that had the Care incumbent upon them, punctually to Transcribe, and safely to secure it. That they performed this Trust with great Care and ex­actness, and delivered the Old Testament over intire to the Christian Church, we have good cause to believe: and that both upon general, and some more particular ground. First, up­on General ground; 'Tis notorious that the Jews had the highest value imaginable of their Law, and prized it above all else they pos­sessed. Both Josephus and Philo tell us, that the Jews would rather have suffered a thousand Deaths, then that the least thing should be once altered in the Divine Laws and Statutes of their Nation. The miraculous power upon which the first Foundation of it was Establi­shed, had imprinted in that People an inde­lible veneration of it. Secondly, it was the Municipal Law of their Countrey, and that by which all matters of right were daily Ad­judged, and by which each mans Property a­mongst [Page 406]them was maintained and secured. Thirdly, their Law was not onely the Glory of their Nation, and the Foundation of their Political and Ecclesiastical being, but it was also the great Title they had to their Coun­trey. The Scriptures contained in themselves the Deeds by which God himself conveyed to them the Land of Canaan, and gave them the highest Right to possess it. 'Tis not hard from hence to conceive that the Jews would be careful of such a Book, wherein their Bodies, their Souls, their Estates, their Honour, and in­deed their All was so much concerned. Se­condly, it appears more particularly and in fact that they were so; For after that by Gods Providential disposal, Ezra and that Famous Synagogue with him, had exactly settled their Canon, and delivered over the Scriptures pure and intire to the People at their return out of Babylon, the indefatigable Care of the suc­ceeding Mastori [...]es, from those very Times downward, to preserve every Letter and Syl­lable of the sacred Text intire, is notoriously known to all that converse with the Jewish Writers; even to so great an exactness had they arrived, that they knew how often every Let­ter was used in the Bible: And indeed they took such a course to preserve the Original Text intire, that it was morally Impossible [Page 407]that the least considerable Alteration or Change could at any time be made in it. Eusebius speaks with great Wonder of the Industry and Care of the Jews in this matter, Mira­bile mihi videtur (says he) duobus annorum mil­libus, in [...]o majore tempore jam ferè transacto (non enim exquisitissimè annorum possum dicere nu­merum) Nec verbum unum in Lege illius esse im­mutatum, sed Centiès unusquisque Judaeorum mo­ritur, quam Lege Mosaicae derogavit. It seems wonderful to me, that for the space of two thou­sand years and upward (for I cannot exactly rec­kon the number of years) not so much as one word should be Changed in their Law, but that every Jew would rather dye a hundred times over, then dero­gate in the least from it. And that this care of the Judaical Church was, by Gods blessing effectual and successful for the securing of the Old Te­stament from all maime or Imperfection, and the least considerable alteration from what it was when it was first Delivered; There needs no other Evidence then that our Saviour and the Apostles fully approved it as the Jews were then in possession of it, and never charged them with the least Guilt either of Corruption or Neglect in that kind. And to suppose the Jews have Corrupted it since (considering that it was near three hundred years before our Saviours time, translated into Greek, and [Page 408]that any after-corruption must needs have been manifestly Discovered from thence; and con­fidering how much of it is quoted in the New, (is very absurd.) so thought st. Jerome in his time, siquis dixerit, post adventum Christi & predicationem Apostolorum, Libros, Hebraeos fu­isse Falsatos risam tenere non potero, ut salvator & Apostoli ita Testimonia protuleri [...] sicut à Ju­daeis falsand [...]erant. If any man think the Old Testament (says he) falsifyed after our saviours coming, I can scarce forbear smiling to think, that our saviour and the Apostles should quote the Old Testament so, as the Jews should falsify it after their times. And with the same Con­tempt speaks Origen, and s. Austin of such a vain and absurd supposition.

That we have also good reason to believe, that the New Testament is safely and intirely, and without any Considerable variation from what it was when it was first written, descen­ded down to us, will likewise appear; first, from the Circumstances attending its first Tran­scription, and the Manner, and Circumstances of its Conveyance: And secondly, from its Present condition and posture. For the first, When the several Parts of the New Testament were first written, so very many had imbraced the Doctrine thereof, from the Preaching of Christ and the Apostles, that it is not to be [Page 409]doubted but that multitudes of Copies were immediately taken, and dispersed into all parts of Europe, into Asia, and Egypt, and whereso­ever the Christian Religion was by any recei­ved; Nor can we suppose that men that suf­fered daily for a Religion, the loss of their lives and estates, would not be careful Exactly to know the Doctrine of it, and to be safely pos­sessed of that great Rule by which they were to be in all things Directed, when 'twas so easi­ly to be had. Nay, 'tis probable that the A­postles themselves might disperse several Tran­scripts of their own Writings amongst the Chri­stians, & so innumerable Copies might be taken from many Originals. But however, Certain it is, that the Autographa's of the Apostles, the very Originals of the New Testament them­selves, were very long Preserved as most pre­tious Jewels in the Church. Tertullian sayes, some of them were extant in his time; and we are told by some Authors of Credit, that s. Johns Gospel Written with his own Hand, was preserved by the Church of Ephesus till the time of Honorius the Emperour. Now let any reasonable man judge what a vast number of Copies were likely to be taken before the Origi­nals perished? and how highly improbable, if not morally Impossible, it was, to impose a publick and general abuse upon the world by [Page 410]a false Transcription of such Writings! while the Originals themselves lasted it could not be done. Nor can we conceive the Christian Church so intollerable sottish, and so univer­sally Negligent, as to take up with false Tran­scripts, while the Originals were to be had to compare them withal, and correct them by. And before the Originals themselves perished, such a vast multitude of True Copies, generally known from the Originals so to be, must needs be extant, and we are historically assured actually were so: that the scriptures were for ever thereby secured against any attempts that could possibly be made that way.

secondly, If we consider how much this Book upon its first publication filled the world with Discourse! what various Disputes there arose relating to all Parts of it, wherein an Appeal on all sides was still made to the Letter of the Text and the Book it self! how through­ly all Passages in it were Discussed and Exa­mined both by Jews, Christians, and Heathens, urged and made use of in the warmest contro­versies (in the pursuit of which, by men of different Perswasions, the mis-reciting, or corrupting a Text would soon have been openly published) If we consider by how many Au­thors in those times it was quoted; and that it was then the continual and general study of [Page 411]the Christian-parts of the world, and the constant and daily Work and Imployment of many amongst them to Preach and instruct the People out of it; all this Considered, it is most absurd to imagine that the least consi­derable Alteration could ever be made in such a Book, without some notorious and universal discovery: Nor could it ever possibly hap­pen, unless we'l suppose that all men, in some One Age, of all Opinions, that were possessed of the Bible, should at once agree together to deface their Grand Charter, their Magna Char­ta by which they held all, to corrupt that sa­cred Depositum on which they wholly relyed for their present and eternal welfare, to no o­ther end, but their own utmost ruine, and to abuse all succeeding Generations.

secondly, If we consider the New Testa­ment it self as we now find it. First, 'tis in the Bulk of it so composed, as does much secure us (especially in all material things) against all danger this way. Either it must have been Generally attempted, or in some Particulars. To imagine any General attempt should that way be made, is ri [...]iculous; nor do we hear one word that there was ever a Thought to endea­vour any such thing. And to effect an Alte­tation about any One Particular point, is a thing could not easily be done; because no little al­teration would do it. No considerable Truths [Page 412]could be Inverted without many alterations made: because they are all generally ground­ed upon very many Texts, witnessed unto from several places; and indeed all the Eminent Truths of the New Testament are so interwoven together, and have such a Dependency each upon other, that it would be found a very hard Task to Deface the beauty of any One, with­out giving a considerable Wound to the Wholes Nor in truth do we find any one Part of the New Testament that looks like a Patch set upon the rest, nor any one Doctrine that savours in the least, of any such sophistication. This Book does not appear to be partly from God and part­ly from Men, but there is One Divine spirit breathed visibly through the Whole. 'Tis all of a Piece. Nor could any wicked design to Corrupt any one Part of it have taken ef­fect, but in all probability the rest would some way or other have made an opon Disco­very of it.

Thirdly; The various Readings we meet with in several copies of the New Testament, are in themselves, if duely considered, a great evidence that the Originals have not been cor­rupted; for such various readings of any place cannot be reasonably thought to arise from any design to vitiate and falsify the Text; be­cause such various Readings do rather acci­dentally [Page 413]tend to discover anything of that na­ture, and secure against any Total and General Alteration; and amongst them all to contain and preserve the Integrity and native sense of the Text, and enable a diligent Reader, by a through search and Examination of them to find it out. Nor do we ever suppose that any Book that has passed through many hands and been often Transcribed, to be totally Cor­trupted or Changed, because in some places of it we find various Lections, but are there­by much secured that such Books have not been Designedly Altered; And with good reason do judge that such various Lections are barely the effects of casual mistakes, and that the Original sense of the Authour is still preserved, and may, by a careful and diligent inspection be found out amongst them. And indeed, those we find of some Texts in the New Testament, are of such a nature, that they all evidently appear the effects of humane frailty, and onely such variations, as might (considering how vast a number of Copies were at first taken) escape the best scribes, and the greatest diligence. Nor is there the least appearance of any Design or Contrivance to Ʋitiate the Original Text, or any thing to be found that in the least degree looks that way in all those Various Readings that we find [Page 414]amongst such Copies, as have been most ancient­ly, most generally, and most publickly used in the Church, by which we are to take out Mea­sure in this matter. 'Tis in this case, of great Consideration, That no Particular designs of any bad men have been gratified, nor any cor­rupt Ends attained; nor indeed any Distinct Ends at all, of any sort, by any such diversity of readings: which sufficiently shews they came not originally from Contrivement, nor were Intended as the Foundation of any particular Notions, but are the bare and single effects of Accident. That the New Testament therefore has been in any Part of it, wholly changed and cor­rupted, there appeareth neither Certain not Probable ground to believe. Nor indeed is there any good ground to believe that these Sacred Records have suffered the least violati­on in this kind. First, no man can prove that the Scriptures were ever Corrupted, nor tell us by whom, or When, or the manner How! which yet ought to be done, if men will Reasonably Object in this case; For no such Presumpti­on as this (that renders God in his Providence so Regardless of his Word, and his Church, and so Reproches the Christian Profession that has been in such a Succession Established up­on the Authority of this Book) ought ever to be admitted without very positive Proof: [Page 415]Especially when we have such apparent Rea­sons to believe the contrary. By Whom is it, I ask, that the Bible could be corrupted? It must have been either by Jews, Pagans, or He­reticks. 'Tis plain the Jews have not done it; for we find multitudes of Texts that give in a daily witness against them, which doubtless had they attempted the Bible in such a way, they would never have suffered so to remain upon Record against them. No part of the Pagan World can be reasonably thought to have done it: for the Scriptures contain such an eminent Revelation of the One true God and his Worship, as puts an end to all Heathen­ish vanities, and at once dispatches all False gods out of the world. Nor have Hereticks done it; for 'tis this Sword of the Spirit, the Written Word of God, that upon all occasi­ons mortally wounds them: the Scriptures have slain their thousands and their ten thou­sands in this kind. 'Tis the purity of the Scri­ptures in asserting the Orthodox Truths of Re­ligion, that has in all Ages kept up the Chri­stian Verity, and still brought all sorts of Here­ticks to an open shame. It has been the Wres­ting or Perverting, not the Corrupting of Scri­pture, from whence all Heresies have chiefly arisen; and the native and genuine Sense of the Bible has still proved their Ruine. Nor [Page 416]is there upon the whole of this matter, any to­lerable Reason to Doubt but that as God was pleased by his special Providence to Secure the Old Testament (which we are sure he did) and preserve it intire till the time of our Sa­viour, so by the same Providence he has se­cured the Old and the New since, and delive­red them over to the Church in these latter Ages without any considerable variation from what they were when they were first written. And this ought to be duely considered, as an eminent help towards a rational Satisfaction in this point, That the very same Objections which some men now please themselves with against the New Testament, the Old Testament was equally lyable to, in the times of our Saviour and the Apostles. For after Esdras's time, the Old Testament came into no Infallible bands till the times of the Gospel, was convey­ed by fallible means through many Ages down to those times, had the same possibilities of Alteration then, that the New Testament has now; Various Lections also in the Hebrew co­pies were then extant: And yet for all this, the Scriptures of the Old Testament were then pure and intire: Nor does our Saviour or the Apostoles mention the least defect that was then in them: Nor was there in those eminent times of Reformation, the least Questi­on [Page 417]or doubt ever raised upon any such ac­count.

One grand Objection is usually made upon the whole of this matter, and 'tis thus framed. All these Arguments brought either to prove the Bible in general, or to answer such parti­colar doubts as arise about it, are built (say some) upon no better foundation then Hu­ [...]an [...], and in themselves fallible grounds: And if so, we still embrace our Religion, but upon uncertain terms; can never from chance arrive at any positive and absolute assurance, nor come to such a Divine and Infallible faith as we ought to have in this case.

In answering to this Objection, this must be acknowledged, that although the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were at first Pen­ned by the infallible guidance of the Holy Ghost, yet the manner of their Conveyance to future Ages has been by Humane, and in themselves fallible means. The Grounds and Reasons of which disposal of God, though we cannot pretend fully to reach, yet we are thus far in­formed; First, the Scriptures could not have been by means in themselves absolutely infa­llible, handed down to all Places and Ages, without the visible continuance and constant exertion of such a supernatural and extraordina­ry Power as would have wholly inverted that [Page 290]course we find God most generally takes in his Rule and dispose of the World. Second­ly, it would have prevented all that case and industry God intended to exercise his Church withall to their great advantage) in the exact preservation of these sacred Records. Thirdly, there had been no room for a belief of, not occasion for a dependance upon that Wisdom and Power God has expressed, and wherein he has greatly honoured himself, in an over­ruling disposal of ordinary means to such extra­ordinary Ends, who has providentially secured this Book through all the several Channels of Humane conveyance.

This Objection is much urged; First, by those of the Roman Church on the one hand, to convince us of the great uncertainty of our own profession, and the stability of theirs. And Secondly, by men of Sceptical Principles on the other hand, either to fright or perswade us, or both, out of all Religion, by telling us. There is no positive or absolute certainty in the grounds of any. How serviceable this Obje­ction (though it has filled the World with great noise and clamour, as it has been pressed both ways) will prove to either of these designs, and indeed with how great absurdity tis mana­ged in order to both, will be soon made to appear.

All belief of things Divine in an ordinary way (I speak not of such Divine illumination, as God may particularly vouchsafe to any) [...]ust of necessity be ultimately resolved into that we call Rational and Moral assurance; for when we speak most properly of Divine faith, we mean such a faith as is built upon a Divine Testimony, not denominating it from the Object of it, nor from the Effect of it (which is less proper) but from the Foundation and Ground of it. Now Divine faith, in that best and truest sense of it, will be reduced into no more then a Moral a ssurance at last; for, if I say my faith is Divine, because built upon a Divine Testimony, 'tis in some sense true: But if I am asked, by what means I came to know that Testimony to be Divine! That question must needs bring me back to a Moral assurance as the ground of all my previous belief about that Divine Testimony it self, that it really is so. Whatsoever Revelation God makes of his mind to me, I must needs without Divine assistance receive it upon Humane, and in them­selves fallible terms, and so judge of it as I judg of all other things. No man can receive my Revelation from God, with a faith a Di­vine and infallible as the Revelation is in it self, unless there be an equal inspiration in both cases, and God make men as infallible [Page 420]in Judging of Revelation when proposed, as he made the Instruments of it in the Act of its Conveyance. The plain Question, in this Case, is how I come to receive all other things into my belief that are Objects of belief? It must be confessed, upon the grounds of Ra­tional credibility and Moral assurance; and there­fore upon the same terms must I believe all things Divine and Supernatural, unless God give me new faculties, or some way extraor­dinarily assist me, and make me somewhat more then I was. Nor did any man that was not himself Divine and Infallible (as the Apostles were) and inspired infallibly to know that he was so, ever receive any Revelation upon any higher terms then that we call Moral assurance, and Humane credibility. For first, If I receive a Revelation upon Motives External and Fo­reign to it self, such Motives are all granted to be in themselves of a Humane and fallible Nature. If I receive it upon any Motives Internal, any Testimony resulting from such Revelation it self, to justifie its own Divinity to me, yet I must of necessity (without ex­traordinary inspiration) judge of such Inter­nal Testimony, by Moral considerations, and from Humane and Rational Argumentation with my self, come at last to make a judge­ment about it. Those that lived in the first [Page 421]times, that saw the Miracles, and heard the Doctrine delivered from the mouths of the Apostles themselves, were yet (without in­spiration) but upon Humane and fallible terms of judging and believing; because those Mediums by which they did judge and believe, were in their own Nature so; for, 'tis not a thing in it self infallibly certain, but that any man may be mistaken in the judgement he makes of a Miracle, or in that faith whereby he embraces any Doctrine as Divine.

First, This Objection, as 'tis urged by those of the Roman Church, does not disturb us at all. Indeed, returns directly upon themselves, nor does the remedy they provide, any way cure that inconveniency which they suppose will otherwise accrue to Religion by it; They tell us, God has placed an unerring Judgement, a faculty of making an infallible determination in the Church, and from thence this Objection is Answered, by that means we are perfectly at an end of all doubts about this matter; for, if the Church, that is in it self Infallible, tells us, that this is the word of God, and as it was at first delivered, we come upon that account to a Divine and Infallible faith, as built upon a Divine and Infallible Testimony, and are in­fallibly assured about it. But this kind of rea­soning brings us but just where we were, and [Page 494]is indeed in it self but a very mean sort of trifling; for, 'tis to erect another infallibility, to be assured of which there is ten times greater difficulty then in the former case. The Scrip­tures (we say) are in themselves Divine and Infallible, as coming from God; The Question is, about out way of coming to know this, that they are so. 'Tis confessed by us, it must be without inspiration by means in themselves Humane and Fallible, and from thence results the strength of this Objection: That supposing the Scriptures to be in themselves Divine, yet we coming in a Humane way to the Knowledge that they are so, and to solve all Objections a­gainst them, our belief of them is still resolved into no more then that we call a Humane and Rational credibility. And do we not come to the very same point in the other case? The Church (say they) is Divinely inspired; but how came I to know it? To say, by the Scrip­tures, is in this case ridiculous; If upon Provi­dential and Probable Motives (as themselves do acknowledge) we are thereby pitched upon a fallible bottom still; are we not upon the same Humane and Fallible means of judging; 'Tis not enough in this case to make the Pope or any else Infallible; but before we can that way perfectly enervate this Objection, we must make every man infallibly to know that they are [Page 295]so infallible. Can any man more infallibly judge of the Churches infallibility then of the Bibles? Are there not as many, nay more que­stions that must necessarily be determined by Fallibly and Humanely judging in the one Case then in the other? as first whether there actual­ly be any such thing as an infallible Church ex­tant or no; Secondly, if there be, what Church it is that is so; and Thirdly, whether that Church be universally infallible, or only in some things; and under what sort of constitu­tion it must be, when it so infallibly acts; so that, admit the Churches infallibility in it self, yet 'tis utterly impossible that a man should believe any thing upon its infallible determi­nation, with any other then a Humane and Fallible Faith; because 'tis upon Humane and Fallible Motives upon which men prima­rily and previously come to an assurance of such infallibility. And therefore, whatso­ever faith in the Roman Church is grounded upon the Churches infallible Judgement, it must unavoidably be ultimately resolved into such Grounds as are in themselves of a Humane and fallible Nature. So that the Roman infallibi­lity, as 'tis in it self an absurd and fictitious pre­tension, so were it admitted, 'tis to no purpose at all for that end for which 'tis intended, so far as 'tis urged in this matter.

Secondly, a rational Belief of the Bible, and a rational Satisfaction about it, founded in a Moral assurance, is all we can have, and all that in this case we ought to expect. I de­mand of all such Objectors, by what means they come to any Assurance in any Point of Re­ligion! To one of these three things they will be unavoidably forced: Either to deny that there is any certainty at all in Religion, and thereby to subvert all Religion: To pre­tend to extraordinary Inspiration; or else to acknowledge they come to it in a Moral way. And indeed the founding our belief of Reve­lation upon Moral and Rational Assurance, is so far from subverting the certainty of our Re­ligion, that the grand Fundamentals of all Religion must of necessity be originally esta­blished upon that Bottom, and can be upon no other; for we come to an Assurance of the Being of God, and the future state of mens Souls, upon no other Grounds then Moral and Rational conclusions, from whence there can possibly result no more then a Moral As­surance. Whoever attemps a Rational proof of the Being of God, is obliged to disclaim all pretence to Infallibility, in the way of his Proof; because Infalibility is wholly relative to God himself: The notion of it cannot exist without the admission of such a Being; and [Page 299]therefore to talk of an Infalible way of pro­ving his Being, would be grosly absurd; for 'twere openly to beg the Question, and take that for granted which we oblige our selves to prove. So that whoever upon rational terms and the grounds of Moral Assurance, believe the Bible to be sent us from God, believes it upon the same Grounds upon which he must necessarily believe the first Principles of all Religion, and believe it upon the highest terms God either requires or enables him without Inspiration to believe it; upon such as ought sufficiently to fix him in his belief, and upon such as if duely pursued, will certainly pro­duce all those excellent ends God intends by this Book.

This may serve, in some measure, to mani­fest the vanity of all pretensions to an Infali­ble belief (without a Divine and Infalible as­sistance) of revealed and supernatural Truths, and the Mistakes of such, who suppose we can never be settled in any Points of Religion without it: And may sufficiently justify an indeavour to make a Rational proof of the Scri­ptures, without a pretence to any such Divine and Infalible Judgment about them. If so much be urged for the Proof of the Bible in general, and in Answer to particular Doubts relating to the manner of its conveyance, as [Page 428]will amount to a rational assurance and satis­faction; 'Tis all we can have without Inspira­tion, and all we ought to Expect in this case. All we pretend to from attempts of this na­ture, is but a Moral assurance that this Book was at first written by Gods direction, and that those Copies we now have of it, are without any designed corruption, or other variation from the first Originals (then what humane frailty in the Transcribing of them has occasioned) descended down to us: and that in all such places where we find various readings, the true Sense of the place, and the original Dictates of the Holy Ghost, are amongst them all safely preserved, and by a diligent search may be discovered.

And upon the same Grounds of Moral As­surance are men in point of Translations, and all such who are Illiterate. For, as we can be without extraordinary assistance but Morally certain that the Bible was Original­ly Written by a divine direction, and that those Copies we now have of it in the Original Languages, were at first Rightly transcribed, and have not been since corrupted or changed, so men may be also Morally Certain about a Translation. For 'tis in it self a thing very pos­sible to be, that the Scriptures may, out of their own Languages, be truely and rightly tran­slated [Page 429](and being so, are of the same Divine Authority that they were before) and upon circumstantial considerations men may come rationally and safety to conclude that they are so. And indeed, unless all men in an Age that understand the Original tongues, should a­gree, (which is absurd to conceive, and mo­rally impossible to be) to deceive and abuse those that do not; no Designed abuse nor any palpable falshood can be imposed upon men that way. And in like manner, persons Il­literate may be Morally Certain that they are no way deceived, when the Scriptures are Preached or Read to them. The Ground of Assurance in all these cases is still the same; the Difference is onely Gradual. Those who understand the Original Languages are upon easier and nearer terms of Moral Assurance a­bout them, but in the other cases it may be al­so attained. And in all cases, God has pro­videntially afforded means sufficient to secure any reasonable man about the Truth and Au­thority of his Word.

Fourthly, How can we believe this Book (say some) to be from God, when we find contained in it divers Contradicti­ons? Several strange and Incredible Stories? and other things greatly liable to Exception?

This Objection, though it looks with the most Threatning aspect, has yet the least pre­vailing Influence; is of all others the most Impotent, has the least rational Vigour; and when duely examined, will prove least effe­ctual to those bad Ends for which it is by any intended. When men tell us in general of Contradictions they find in the Bible, but come to no Distinct and positive Proof, they do not in that case Object, but Revile. He that will give an Edge to such kind of Discourse must punctually Instance Wherein this book has as­serted any One such thing as implies a direct Contradiction, and is in its own Nature utter­ly Impossible to be; or where any two things are affirmed and denyed so directly contrary to each other, that they are wholly uncapa­ble of any Reconciliation. This task, with some degree of Contempt, we impose upon all Antiscriptural men: And are very secure that all those seeming Contradictions that are to be found in the Bible, do at last prove an eminent Testimony to its Divinity. For first, they are in their appearance so to be, a great Instance that in the Writing of this Book, there was no corrupt Design to Cajole or en­gage the opinions of men to it. And Second­ly, upon a thorough [...] & due there ap­pears in them all, such a deep, unthought of, [Page 303]and admirable Concord (without the least shew of any Designed Agreement) and such a unanimous tendency towards the great End of the whole, as greatly savours of Di­vine Council, and such a Contrivance, as we may reasonably expect to come from A­bove.

In the management of these kind of Wea­pons against the Bible, we find none that have been at any time since, more dexterous, then heretofore were Celsus, Juli [...]n, Porphiry, and Faustus the Manichee. How mean their at­tempts were, and how little Impression they made, will appear by the Instance of some of their chiefest Objections in this kind. First they Object against the Bible, because we are told therein of divers Incredible things: As that a Serpent should speak to Eve; an Ass re­prove his Master; that the Sun should stand st [...]; and a Woman be turned into Salt, with many other things of the like nature. That the Devil should speak in a Serpent, or that God should open the mouth of an Ass, can seem Impossible, and so incredible to none that ac­knowledge such Superiour and Invisible Pow­ers; especially 'twas absurd in Celsus, and Julian, and others of the Heathens so to Ob­ject; because nothing was more commonly believed amongst them then Stories of this [Page 432]nature; and 'tis well known the Devil spake daily to them through Images. Philostratus gives a large account how an Elm-tree spake to Apollonius; Porphyrie tells us that a River salu­ted Pythagoras; & Julian himself and his Philo­sopher Maximus had oft heard the Devil speak with divers kinds of voices: and therefore no such things could seem Impossible to them, Nay, Julian acknowledged a Possibility of the highest point in the Bible, which is the Incar­nation of the Deity; and himself gave an in­stance of it in Esculapius, whom he supposed to descend from Heaven and assume Humane Nature, that he might instruct the World in the art of Physick. 'Tis in truth, in it self, a thing Childish and absurd, to Object against the Bible for the relation of any such passa­ges, if the Being of God be once acknow­ledged. 'Tis true that no humane power can make the Sun stand still, turn a Woman [...]o Salt, or effect any thing of such a nature; and should the Scriptures ascribe any such things to any Humane Ability, the Objection were well grounded: but they are things pos­sible, and easy with God to effect: and the fact of them, when ascribed to Him, of an easie belief; Nor can any man reasonably Object against the Scriptures upon any such account, that does not first deny the Actual Existence of God.