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t.J- I>" ■|M.I»^aJJ..,^
DUKE
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
Treasure %oom
Utopia
LIBRARY
A N HiSTOFacAL and Geographical
DESCRIPTION
O F
FOR MO S4,,-
A N
Iflaqd fubjed to the Emperor of Japan.
GIVING An Account of the Religion, Cuftoms,
Manners, tifc. of the Inhabitants. Together with a Relation of what happen d to the Au- thor in his Travels J particularly his Confe- rences with the Jejints^ and others, in levcral i Parts of Europe. Alio the Hiftory and Rea- i fons of his Converfion to Chriftianity, wit!) his I Objefi:ions a^ainftit (in defence of Paganiim) and their Aniwers.
To which is prefix'd,
A PREFACE in Vindication of bimfelf from the Reflections of a Jcj'^it lately come hoywOnna, with an Account of* what palTcd between thcni.
.^'
By G E O R G E P S A L M A N A A Z A A R
a Native of the fiid Illand, now in Lon-lo/?.
3inuffratcO ml) (MnM €iit0. j
L 0 ii D 0 N : !
Printed for Dan. Brown^ at the Bl.tcl^ Swan without Tcmj'U'- \ Bar ; G. Strahan, and W. Drtv'iSy in Cornh'ill • and Fran. Cog£an^ in the hncr-Tcmple- Lane. 1704.
T o T H E r-^tih
Right Honourable
AND
Right Reverend Father in GOD,
H E N R Y^
By Divine Providence,
UB'ifhopof LONDON,
AND ONE QF
Her M AJ E S T Y's moft Honourable Privy Council.
IKnoivnot, My Lor d^ rphe-^ ther what I noiv moji humbly dedicate to Tour Lordjhip, may merit Tour Peru-'
A 2 fu.
The Epiftle Dedicatory. fal^ efpecially at this time^ when Tour Lordjloip is bujied about Affairs of the greatejl moment : But fince Tour Noble Soul [be it concern d about Things never fo weighty and intricate^ mujl he dUorpd fome Minutes to un^ bend^ I fubmijjively begTou would fleafe to bejiow fome of them upon this ireatife ; well know-' ing^ if Tour Lordjloip fmile upon it J theWorld carmot diflike it.
The Europeans have fuch obfcur'e and various Notions of Japan, and efpecially of our Ifland Formofa ^ that they cjn believe ?iothing for Iruth that has been faid of it. But the prevailing Keafon for this my Undertaking was ^ becaufe the
Jefuit$
The Epiftle Dedicatory.
Jefuits I found had imposed fo many Stories ^ and fnch grofs Fallacies upon the Public^ that they might the better excuCe themfelves from thofe hafe Am^ onSy which defervedly brought upon them that fierce Terfecu-* tion in Japan : / thought there^ fore it would not be unaccepta-^ ble iflpublifioda fhort Defer ip^ tion of the IJland Formofa, and told the Reafons why this wic-^ ked Society ^ and at lafi: all- that profefs'd Chrijiianity ^ were^ with them^ expeWd that Country.
My L o R D^
/ look upon my felf as much
obliged to Tour LordjJjip^ as ever
Man was to his Patron^ having
A 5 expe^
The Epiftle Dedicatory. ^xferiencd Tour Goodnefs ever* Jince I came into England ,• I have therefore earneflly defired by any honejl and humble way^ to expreff my Gratitude -^ but thd Tour tranfcendent Generojity^ and the meannefs of my Fortune and Capacity render it impoffible for me to pay Tour Lordfhip all that KefpeB and ylcknovpledgment which are due for Tour Lord-' jhifs many and greatFavours^ yet fince myprefentleifure and enjoy-^ ments are owing to Tour Muni" fee nee, I mojl }3pillingly lay hold on this Occafon^ and confer ate the Fir^'-fruits of fich Blejfings to the Hand that bejlofped them ipon me^ not in the leaf douht-^ ing but Tour Lordfrp, according
to
The Epiftle Dedicatory. to your wonted Charity and Good^ nefs^ will voucbfafe to receive this little Book as a thankful Teftimony how vajlly I am in-* debted to Ton -^ and as fuch it is^ with all Hnmility and Vene-^ ration offered hy^
My L o R D^
Your Lordfhip's Moft Grateful and Obfequious Servant,
George Psalmanaazaar*
THE
PREFACE
WHe» I frfl arrtvd in England, every one was curious to Dijconrfe me about my on>n Country 3 and forafmuch as my Account of it vpas entirely neVP^ they thought it my Duty to publifi it 5 and I readily comply d with their Advice^ both for my oven eafe and their Jatisfa&ion, But when I had met with fo many Romantic Stories of all thofe remote Eaflern Countries, efpecially of my own^ ivhich had been i»;posd upon you as undoubted Truths^ and univer- fully believed^ then I was much difcojtragd from proceeding />/ my Defer ipt ion cf it 3 yet fince Truth ought to difpcl thcfe Clouds of fabulous Reports, and 1 cou'd not efcape uH" cejffitrd even by my fclf^ Jl.wuld £ (by my fiUnce) juffer you to remain in Ignorance^ or rather deceivd by Mijreprefentaticns , I thought my felf indifpenfably obliged to give yon a more faithful Hifiory of the jjlc of
Forniofa,
;ii The PR E FACE.
Formofa, than as yet yon have met wltti, Bh( before I ent^r upon this Snbje^^ 'tis con- venicnt I jJjould prcmife fome few things. Since then (as I before obferved) there are fitch various Accoiwts, and all different from what I fhall give you^ thk is ?io Reafon for nte to expect greater Credit 5 hut I leave ip to the unbiafs'd Judge to prefer ivhich he plea- feth, for 'tk not fo nmch my Concern to be reputed fincere^ m 'tis really to be fo. Bnt .here I mufi entreat you diligently to obferve what follovoeth^ becaufe the Reputation of my Book, depends much upon it. In the firfi place there- are fiveral things in their Stvry r vohich you are obligd to fufpe^:^ becaufe they contradict one another in thofe Matters tohich every Relater affnres you he has been an Eye-'Tvitnefs' of-^ fince then their Tale is fo inconfifient, there is very little in it that you ought to depend upon. But that I may expofe fome of their Faljhoods^ I will ftreng- then what I affert by the Authority of fomc* ■ Englifli Merchants trading to China, whofe ^ Relations are much the fame with mine, but vafily different from theirs. As for exam- pie : -CandidiiiS, and others, in their Ac^ count of Formofa, tell us, there is neither Monarchical nor Democratical Government in the Jfland 3 that there is no Law nor Pu- mf/jment againfi Thefts Adultery, or Mur-
thcr^
The PREFACE. iii
ther^ and fuch black, Crimes 3 hut every Mafz jndgeth and revengeth in his oivn Cafe : For injiance , if a Man rob me of a hundred found, I majfjlealfrom him as much bj way of reprizaL If a Man, murthers me, any of my Family y or Friends^ ^^•^.' 4^ ^"^ Mnrther of him revenge mine ^ and fo of Adtdtery, 8cc. They tell us farther, that there is no Occonomy or Order amongjl the Natives, that they arc even Strangers to the dijiin&ion of Majier and Servant 5 that nei- ther Mines of Gold or Silver are to be found there, and that they have no Spires, In an- fwer to which, let me tell you^ ihat thofe Merchants I before mentioned , inform us, that there is a Govern our to re hunt they paid large Cufloms for every thing they exported. If then there be a Governour, certainly there muji be Laws, let Candidius,<?;;^ others, f ay what they pleafe. That they have Gold , Silver, and Spices alfo, is lif^eiv/fe provd by thofe Traders, who have exported vaji Sums of the one, and large ^tdhti^iQs of the other. • ' ,
Reafon it felf is fuffcient tq cohfnte irhat they fay of Anarchy in our IflandJ.' For how is it pojfible for any Kingdom toflandi^ if no Law or Degrees of Dignity are obfervd ,^ Or how can a Community be prefervd, if ihere arc no Penal Statutes to. correct Ojjcn'
ders ?
iv The P R EFA CE.
ders .<? In my Opimon^ if every one was left to revenge himjelf, fitch a Place mnft be a. contimieci Scene of Murther and Rapine 5 efpeciallji fince the Formofads (as Candi- dius, and others wond have yon believe J do not look, upon thefe Fa&s as monjirous Crimes^ but only as little Trick,s and Picca- dillo's.
There are fome li^ewife that tell you^ that the Ijland of Formofa belongs to the Chanri of Ciiina 5 but if fo^ why do the Chinefe pay fo great Tribute to our Governour ^ For the truth of this, I dare appeal even to the Dutch thentfelveSy who are competent Judges in the Cafe, ever fince the Emperor of Japan has given them leave to renew their Trade in Formofa , after they had many Tears been banifi'd from thence 5 as you may fee in the Booky Chap. ^J. Of the Succefs of the Dutch in Japan.
1. 1 could here alfo add much more, which for brevity-fakfi I omit : For 'tis convincing enough to fay, that he who fo grofly errs in one particular, may reafonably be thought an un* faithful Relater of every thing elfc. But whe- ther thefe ridiculous Story-Tellers above-men- tiond, vend their Legends out of a Defign, or for want of a true Knowledge of Matter of Fa^, is not my Bujinefs now to enquires
2. The
The PREFACE. v
2. The fecond thif7g Ivpond have yon take fiotice of, is^ That I pretend not io give j/oh a perfcCf and complete Hifiory of my Jfland^ becaufe I was a mecr Youth when I left Hy but nineteen Years of Age^ atid therefore nn- capable of giving an exaU Account of it : Befides I have now been fix Years from home^ fo many things of mowent may perhaps flip my Memory ^which would have adorn d the Defcription of my Country. But whatfoever I can recollect^ I have freely publijlfd ^ and I affure you., I have not pofitively ajferted any thing which is not as pofitively true-^ but if I have faid what I did not l^now, as a certain Truth , as fuch I have admonijijd you of it. I have difcharged my Confcience, receive it as you pleafc ^ for fince I have done my Duty , / fljall no more be con- cern d about it^
3. In my Book, I have told you the Rea- fons that movd my Country-men to make fo great a Slaughter of the Chrijlians 5 for the Jefuits then made fuch weak Excufes for themfelvcs^ that many, not without Reafon^ belicvd they had other Defigns than jvhat they pretended 5 / thought it therefore proper to give you from the Records and Iradition of my Country , the befh Account of thefe
Matters
vi The PREFACE.
Matters I could. In vaw the Jefulfs af^ (ign the Envji of our Pagan Priejis^ and the Emulation of the Dutch, as the Caufis of this Perfecutiotty fuch things could never in- duce us to treat fo cruelly all that profefs'd ' ChrijUanity : Certainly there was a Snakfi in the Grafs ^ which they would not, but I have difcover'd. I am confidcjit by my revealing this and much more^ I /hall draw all the Spite and Malice of the Jefuits upon me^ of which I have already met with a notorious Inflance in Father Fouiitenay, who is lately return d from China, having been eighteen Tears a Mijfionary there 5 this Man is now in London, and fome Body had told him I was pnblifjing a Booh,^ in which I fpeak, much againji the Roman Church , and efpecially agalnjl the Jefuits : This has fo enragd him , that he endeavours by all means imaginable to defroy my Credit , as I am daily informed by many Uentlemen ^ to whom I only reply d, ' Let him alone ^ I am little concern d at what fuch a fufpicious Perfon fays againji me : The truth is, and will be, I hope, evfdent^ notwithflanding hk Attempts to ftijie it, fo I fiall apply the Words of the Poet to him,
Parturiuntmontes, nafcetur ridiciilusmuSo
I
The PR.EFiA CE. vii
/ have hud three Conferences with himy fpithoHt coming to any conclnjion ^ the fir ii was before the Royal Society^ on Wedncliiay the fecond of this inftunt February, when there was a Publicly Meeting oftheilluflrious Members of that celebrated Body : J^hat he might the more eaflly defend himfelf he had Notice of my coming : After we had fainted each other, we began our Difcourfe. The fir jl Unefiion that was proposed to him^ was. To whom doth the Ifland of Formofa belong <? He prefently reply d. It was tributary to the Emperor of China. <Some of the Gcntleme??. asJ(d him how he knew it to be fo -^ he quick,- ly anfwerd , That a certain Englifli Ship call'd the Harwich, was by jiormy Weather fired upon the Shore of Formofa 5 that five Jefuitf ivere Paffengcrs in it, one of them was drown d, the other four efcap'd to the Ifland^ from whence they fcnt Letters to this Father Fontenay, ivho then was in a cer- tain City in China. Father Fontenay writes to the Chann, or Emperor 5 the Chann fiends a Letter to the Formofans, demanding them and the Ship 5 and fo the Formofans were compelled to reflore both them and the Ship, I anfwerd. That this Story was nothing to the purpofe 5 for fince we are not at Wars with the Chinefe, if any of their Ships fljould be driven on our CoaU, and the Chann fiould
reclaim
viii The PREFACE.
recUm thew, dtho we live not in his Do^ Mtnions, we an in Jujiice obligd to refiore them : And thus I then^anfwered his Story, But it appears Jtncc by the Tejlimony of feve- ral Merchants, that the afore-mentioned Ship was caji upon the Coaji of China, and not of Formofa * Had I known as much then , / Tpponld before the illnfrious Society have dete- ^ed the Faljhood of the Jefuit ^ but mijirnji- ing he might be mifiak,en in the Name of the the Place, and tal^e another JJland for For- mofa, Idejird him to tell me by what Name the Chinefe caWd Formofa ^ he anfwerd. That he kjtew no other Name for it but For- mofa, or Tyovvan ^ but it's very plain, not only from what I (who (hould know beft) affert, but alfo from a certain Gentleman rvho has been in Tyovvan , that it is an Iflund fomewhat remote and dijiinB from ours, and is 710W a Colony belonging to the before- mention d Dutch. This indeed he confcfs'd he was ignorant of. I told him further^ That the Chincfc cull our Ifland by the Name of Pak-Ando , ivhlch agrees with Gad-x^via , as we call it, both which Jignifie the JJl.ind Formofa. Pak, V 2^, fays he, there is not fuch a word in the whole Chinefe Language-, that ended with a C on f on ant as Pak doth -^ which is very falfe, for the Name of ah;oJi all their great Cities end with a Confon.afit^
The PREFACE. ik
«f Nanking, KantGii, Peking, &r, 2. W^eTt at my clcjtre he difioffrsd in the Cbinele Language^ near hulf his Words termifidted^ vcnth CoitfotiiWts ■: This rvus fo plaif? d Con- tradiufion^ thut all (he Aiidkorj chjerl>\l it. At the fame A[ceti//g aijo he dei/y'd there was any variety of Languages^ or Diulc&s^ thro' the whole Ewpire of Cliina, hul thut all I be Nutitms fpofy tviih one and the fume Tongue ^ which when it veas denio?/Jirated ta he fill fe by many thefi prejcnt, he\m<ule no manner of Reply ^ only ii}2reafcnahly and ob- ftinately perfjicd in afjnming what he before had f aid. At length, thatifpojfiblejmight make the matter yet f»otc plain ^ I told hini^ Either what all the Jcfiiits, and others, had tpritten of the Chincfe LangUiige^ was not true, or what he f aid n/nji be falfe 5 for they affnrc ns, the Ciiiiiclc in every Province fpeak, various Diale^fs, "*" and they hu;ve diffe- rent Languages, according tJ thrir Degrees or Quality j as for injlance^ the Nobh-mcfi fpcak the W^ind^nn Language ^ the Sonzees^ or Priejls, life another for the Divide Scrv'cei which is nnintelliglbie: to the I.nty^Peuple ^ and the Plebeans a t bird :,■ fothatdidld hitji^ either they, or he. ( pardo^ic^the^\eis:pKej^^.on ) Mujl lye grofy t Bui he cndcavoitrd' b^Jm-^
.. * yitte the Lord's Prayer ici a i.uudfed L^pg^ihigct.
[ a J ^crtfKtn^
X The PREFACE.
fertineHt Shifts to cxcufe himfdf He de- ny d dljo^ that the Chinefe had any Tone in their Speech by which they diflingHiJh the pg" nification of a word : This I liJ^ewife affirniei to be falfe : For I have, in FormoCs., heard many Chinefe talkjng together ^ but they feem'd to me rather to fing than difcourfe 5 befides , this contradicts what the Jefuits themfelves tell us. At length, after fo many Interruptions , we ended our Confe- rence : Let the Reader judge who had the better.
I have fnce had two Ajfignations to meet htm^ once at my Lady Powis V, another time at Sion-College 3 but he fail' d to anfwer the Appointments.
Eight Days after^ being Wednefday the Ninth of February , / was to Dine with Dr. Sloane, Secretary to the Royal Society 3 where were prefent the Right Honourable my Lord Pembroke 3 his Excellency, Spanhe- mius, the King of Pr\iiTv<xs Envoy 'j another Noble-man, and this Father Fontenay 5 when he was ask'd hy his Excellency, to whom the Jjland For mo fa belong d 3 he re- ply d, Here is a young Man, (pointing to me) who is a Native of that Country, he can better inform yon than /, who have only been
in
The P R E F A C E. xi
iff China. / theft anfwerd him , that it did belong to the Emperor ^/Jaj^an. We bad nothing elfe remarkable in this Confe- rence ^ neither had he the Ajfnrance at this time to fay any thing more to me : He wondred indeed to fee me eat raw Flefly ^ hecaufe ^ fays he ^ the Chinefe drefs their Meat after the fame manner as the Europe- ans, tho' at the fame time he confefs'd the Tartars differ d from them in their Cool{try 5 for they only warm'd their Flefi before they eat it.
A third time I met him in the Temple- Coffee-Houfe in Devereux-6W^ in the Strand, n^ar Temple-Bar, where feveral Noble-men were prefent 5 a/^d there he ask!d me the Manner J limey and Reafons of my leading my Country ^ and I rightly informed him .* Neither had he the Face to raife any Obje- 0ionSy unlefs that he never kjnevo Father de Rhode , who brought me out of my Coun- try.
I am well inform'^d he takfis a great deal of freedom in afperfing me ^ but I /hall re- turn him no other Anfvper than that of the Mendicant Friar, to fame falfe xiecu- fations againjl him , Mentitlir irjpudci"!- tillime. But fire 'tis much more hccom'rf?g L a 2 3, A Aio*
xii The PREFACE.
d Mem ofFrohitji to fpeak, openly^ atiicl Face to Jhace^ than thus clatidejlinely to backl^ite and crihtmniute. I have jitfl touched upon this Snhjeli , that ' y^ou may fee hovo miich this Ndrrathe ivill' hctfife the Jcfuits a- gabrfh nte • Un Itruji^thal Providcucc which fo off en has dclivcr\l me out of their Hufidj[, mil fntftrnte all th^ir Dxjigris and Contri- vances , that 1 fjLiy fay lyitb the Pfalmift, He (hall reward Evil unto mine Enemies ; (ieftroy thou them in thy Truth, Pftl. 54. V, 5.
If ear this trifling Perfornturice mil not he very acceptable to you^ becaitfe 'tis not fo elegant and polite as you perhaps wight ^'if^,j I was fcnjible of my own Weal^ncfs and In- capacity for it , and therefore depend upon your Goodncfs to pardon my hrrors^ and ftp- ply my Defi&s ^ elegant Exprejjions , ' a/^d pomp of Words ^ are not to be exfectedfrpm a raiv'and unpolijljci'^^^^nQ^Q. But fince I wrote this Treatife in Latine , that it might be afterwards . turnd j>/<^. EngU(h 5 and oblrgcl the TranJIator to mal{G no Ad;- d it ions or Alterations , 'tis, mine , and not his Fault, if you meet with a^y Imperfect i'* pJs in it.
The PREFACE. xiR
^ p'wastratfJlait'd'ourofLdXln by M^ Ofvvnjd, except from Page 94: ^^ '44* }^kich part I jprote in Englilh, avd was prepared for tht l^refs by another Ma^d,- "■"?..?^-"
1 thought it ^Jght not be at^ifs to begin Tppith an Account of my Travels and Conver* (lon^ which will (I hope) afford yon fomc things that are efttertaining.
*Tis not my delight^ but my grief that I am obliged to pubiijl) my Arguments againfi thofe Religions which I could not conform to , becaufe fomc perhaps will interpret what I have faid to rcfle&: upon them 5 but that was fir from my intention s^ who only de- Jtgn d to give yon my Reafons why I could not fubfcribe to them , vohich if they pleafi tfQt others, yet they do abundantly Jatisfie me , efpeciidly fince I as yet was tin^ur'd with the Prejudices of the Idolatry I was educated in. Far be it from me to con-^ demn any Man 5 but as I faid before , / only acquaint you^ that thefe things were of fenjize to me, which perhaps are not fo to others.
Now to the Omnipotent and AH- wife G p jD , / return my mofl humble Thanks,
wh0
xiv The PR EFACE.
who by the ajjlfiance of his Holy Spirit, hat brought me to the k^ovpledge of that Reli^ gion in which only Salvation is to be found f and ta that Chrifiian Communiof^ which is mofl conformable to the Infiitutions of our Saviour : To whom be all Honour and Praife pow and for ever. Amen.
m
rtrjpmmfiF'm^f^'
a
The Reader h dejired to mend the foUomftg
Errata*
PAge 1. 1. 4. after 1 549- add m h'mfdf tells us in f?is Epi- files, p. 4. 1. 3. after de Rode, add but went by the l^ame of Ammri-Samna.. p. 4. 1. 1 9. after Tongue inflead of a . put a ^ p. 7. 1. 24. for, [aid the)., r. they [aid. p. 12.I. $; for were, r, where, ibid. 1. 13. for Rockmo x.Rochmon. ibid; zW^t weigh- ing dele j ibid. 1. 26^, for Baleons. r. Balcons. p. 1 3. 1. 20. for on r. (i. p. 19. 1. 1 5t. after Sacrament, add 4^^/)'. p. 2(5. 1. 15. for whether r. whither, p. 29.I.21. for f/^e r. ^/jtv>. ibid. J.22i for their r. f/;e. p. 34. 1. 22. after dp^ie^jr n to, p. 39. 1. 21* after ivhich dele ive. p.40. 1.i 5. {ornatual r. natural. p.43.I.2(5i for fuppofion n fuppofition. p. 44.I.14. for Chriftion r.ChriJlom p. 45. !. 23. for /7tJ<:e r. havet ibid.I.29. afterpwedele , p.^6. }. 25. for indici'jus r. judicious, p. 5 J . I. 26. for /wj <: ^e/r^ n is producd. p. 57; 1. 7. for f/jer r. either, p. 64. 1. 14. after Worlds r. 0/ C^oi/. p. 83. 1. 6. for the r. ffcjj. p. 84. J. 7. for i«f r/;/V r. which, p, 100. K 29. for trvo Covenants r. two Seals of the Covenant, p. 102. 1. 13. zh"r Holinefs r. *?«(/. p. 117. ). 3. forjujlly r. ^ori'/>'. p. 147- I. penult, after fubdued r. tf. p. 153. 1. 19. for come r. wwe. p. 154. J. 26. for tvprejit r.exprefs'd. p. 162. 1. 15. for mde r. made. p. i58. I. 8. for Prowers r. Powers, p. 172. J. 10. for vifiJJed r. viftted. p* 179. 1. 20. inilead of our Clocl^s, &:c. r. the Clocks us^d in Europe, ibid. 1. 22. for our r. an. p. 205. 1.17. for Hk.e ours r. lik^ thofehere in England, p.222. J. 22. for Mer- chants r. Tradefmen and Shopkeepers, p. 23$.]. 22. for tifvelve r. one. ibid. 1. penult. fory?a; r.fixteen. p. 240. 1. 261 for at r. to. p. 243. 1. 8. for Brafs r. Copper, p. 244. 1. 3, for Copper r. Brafs. ibid. 1. 5. for Br.rfs r. Copper, p. 272. for Afalfion r. Mal-fien. p. 288. 1. 26. for f/;ey r. the. p. 292. 1.2. after down r. /o. p. 294. 1. 2 < and 8. for Merchants r. i'Aoj)- keepers. p. 295. 1. 13. for when he goes r. before they goi Append, p. 129. 1- 2. for thereby r. there by. p. 128. 1, 5. in the Append, for 1700. r. 1701.
Pref p. 4. 1. 14. after w nojv, add^ 6r was lately *
A N
ACCOUNT
0 F T H E
TRAVELS
O F
Mr. George Plalmanaazaar, a Native of the IfleFormo- la, thrd feveral parts cfRu- rope ; with the Realbns of his Convei^ion to the Chri- ftian Religion.
WHen Xaverim the great Apoftle of the IfiMes fail arrived, with tlie Jefuifs his Companions,at Ca/^ga- xima in Japa^, in the Year 1 549; they were Evilly entertain'd by the Inhabitants ot B tha.r
2 The Travel; of Mr. G. Pfalmanaazaar.
that Place, and after this the Jefuits and other Miffioiixries, being encouragM by the kind Reception they met with, fiock'din great Numbers to japm, and there boldly profefs'd and propagated the Chriftian Faith, with good fuccefs, for many years:* But fincethe Emperour of jf/^/^*?, about the year 1616, ( for certain reafons hereafter mentioned) has forbidden any Chriflian to come into his Dominions under pain of Death, and hath appointed Searchers in e- very City to examine all Forreigners, whe- ther they be Chriftians or no, by this teft, of Trampling upon the Crucifix 5 the Jefuits and other Mi^iomn'ics of thQ Romijlj-Churcb^ are fo far from venturing to appear there bare-fac'd , or making publick Profeffion of the ChrilHan Religion, and endeavour- ing to make Profelites, to it, that they in- duftrioufly m.ask themfelves under feveral difguifes, left they fhould be known to be ChriRiansor Forreigners. And to this end they firft Travel to Go^i, where there are Aca^ demies in which all the Oriental LmgUAges are Taught 5 and after they have Perfe£lly Lcarn'd the '^jafanefe Language, and can fpeak it as eafily and readily as any Native, Then they Cloth themfelves in a jafan Ha- bit, and fo they venture to Travel into fome iiland within the Dominions ofthsEnipire
of
The Travels of Mr, G. Pfalmanaazaar. ^
bfjapa/^. When they are come there, they pretend to be Natives of fome other Iflancl in the fame Empire ; which is eafily be- liev'd to be true by the Inhabitants, who . have no fufpicion of them, becaufe they fpeak their Language exa6:ly, and wear their Cloths after the mode ofthe Country. And thus having fecurd theii admiflTion in- to a City with fafety, their next bufinefs is to prevent any umbrage of fufpicion which may arife from their idle way of living, and to this purpofe they feem as much con- cern'd for fome Trade, or Employment, as if they really wanted means of Subfiftance. Thus fome fet up for Merchants, Artificers, or Toy-fellers, others for School-mafters or Pedagogues, to teach the Natives Children fome Language they want to learn : And fo every one adb his part, and Cloaks him- felf with fome difguife,left hefhould be dif- cover'dto beaForreigner, and confequent- ly be obliged to trample upon the Crucifix. By this means they continue fccurely and free from danger,inany Q\tyo^ Japan /or the /pace of four years, which is the time allotted! by their Superiors for their ftay in thofe parts ^ after which time they are oblig'd to return to their own Country, and give place to other Miflionaries who are then fent to fgcceed them.
B 2 Amons;
4 The Travels of Mr, G. Pfalmanaazaai'.
ilmong the reft, there was a certain jTp/^- it of Avtgnott^ whofe true Name was Fa- ther de Kode^ defcended of an Honourable Family, who after he had learned the ^Apa- mje LmgHage2X the Univerfity of Gf?^, came inrothe Ifland of F 'rmofa. about the Ycai* 1 69 J , w hich rvAs then md had hern for fome ye AYS Subject to the Empire Oj fap/m ; and, be- ing better quaUfied to be a Tutor to young JVlen than for any other Employment, he gave out, that he was a Native 0^ Japan, de- fcended of a rich Father,and that all hiseftate was divided amongfour Wives, and ig Sons, he had left behind him, befidcs Daughters; that he being the youngeft^thcPortion which fell to his (hare was fo fmall, that he was forc"'d,at Twenty Years of Age, to leave his Fathers Houfe, and Travel abroad, to get a Livelv-hood by teaching the Latin Tongue. Which he had been taught ; and that for this end he was come to Formofa after he had been in feveral other parts of Japan ; by chance this Story happen'd to come to my Father's Ears, who fentfor him, and after he had feen and difcourfed hira, he took him for a Learned and well-difpofed Pcrfon ^ and therefore refolv'd to take him into his Houfe to teach me the Latin Tongue, MyFa ther acquainted me with the defign,and told sne that I fliould give over the Lurning of
thf
The Travels of Mr .G. Pfalmanaazaar. 5 the Grff/t'/fP/^f^^/^jWhich I was then, Studying becaufe I might Learn it at any time in our own Academies,and that I muft make ufeof the prefent opportunity of Learning the La- tin Tongue by this Man, becaufe he did not know- when he fliould meet with the hke opportunity. I readily fubmitted to my Fa- thers Commands, as in Duty bound, and Father de Rode fecm'd to be as glad of the opportunity as we were. My Father of- fer'd to allow him yearly 1 7 Cop am foi* inftruQ:ing me in the Latin Tongue , befides Diet and Cloths, which he accept- ed of ; and fo a Bargain was ftruck be- tween them : Now a Copan is one pound weight in Gold, which in Englidi Money, according to our way of value, is about fix Crowns.
After this he came and livd at my Fa- thers Houfe in Xtermtfa, the Capital City of Formoja, for the fpaceof four Years, and be- havd himfelf fo well in all refpedls towards my Father and my felf, that we were both very well fatisfi'd with him. He accompanied me to all places whither I went, except when I entred into our Temples, for then he always left me at the Gate, becaufe, as he pretended, he being a ^upanmr was of a different Religion, from that which was eftablilh'd in the Ip of Formoja, and there- B g fore
6 The Travels ofMr.G. Pfalm anaazaar.
fore, he faid, he would return home and worfhip his God after his own way. In the meantime he took careto inftru£l me /« all the Articles of our Religion^ as exactly as if he had belie v'd it himfelf, and never fpokc fo much to me as one word of Chriftianity, and indeed he employed his rvhele time and pains in Teaching me the Latin Tongue, and inftru8:ing me in the Principles of our Faith, and of Moral Honefty : In fine,he appear'd to me, in all his difcourfe and ani- ons, to be a Perfon of fo great probity, hon- efty and candor, that I lov'd him almoft as well as my Father. But at length, after four Years were expir'd, when I had acquir'd a competent knowledge in the Latin Tongue, he received Letters whereby he was oblig'd to return into his own Country ; and there- fore he begg d the Favour of me, that I would acquaint my Father with his defign of going away, and pray him, on his behalf, that he would difmifs him, and pay him the Salary that was due to him, according to the Agreement made between them ; I lov'd him fo well, that I was mightily troubled to hear of his departure, and therefore, being ignorant of the fecret Midery of his Mif- f}on, 1 did all that I could to divert him fiom leaving the places but he dcclard
that
The Travel of Mj G. Pfalmanaazaar.TT
that he was fully refolv'd to be gone, and Travel over the U^orld, and fee all other other Countrks, and efpecially thofe th!at wereChriftian, which heextoll d above allo- thers,commcnding them highly upon feveral diQQOunts^wAmhl afterwards four? d to h falfe-^ Inanfwer to this I told him, fmiling,what are you mad to go among the Chrillians, where you will bekilld for your Religion, as we kill them here upon the account of theirs: But he very ferioufly affirmed the contrary, and alTured me that the Chrirtians were very good Men, and that they were fo far from any Cruelty, that they were al- ways kind and generous to Strangers, and entertain'd them very Civilly and Nobly. Befides, he told me, that he did not believe thofe Men who were formerly in Japa/t, to be true ChriftianSjas they pretended them* felves to be, for, faid he, J have diCcours^d with ma'/?y Japanners yvho have been in Chri- ftian Countries, and they mightily com- mended both the Country and the inhabi- tants, for the Country faid they was the moft Pleafant place in the World, and the Chriftian Natives gave them a very honourable reception, they O.owed them all the Curiofities of Art and Nature that were in thofe Parts, and when they came away, the Chriftians fo loaded them with Gifts and B 4 Pre-
8 The TrAveh ef Mr. G. Pfalmanaazaar.
Prefents, that tliey returned home to their own Country with great Riches , upon which accounts the fame Japa^^rs contmuQ flill to Praife the Chriflians^and their Coun- tries. My Tutor added farther, that in thefe Countries there is great plenty of thofe things which are here very fcarce and pre- cious, and bcfides there are many curious and valuable things in the Chriftian Coun- tries, which were never feen nor known in Japay/ or Formnfa. Laftly, he told me, that he would not ftay any long time in Chrift- endom, but only for the fpace of two or three Years at moft, that he intended to fpend three Years in his Travels, foraflbon as he departed hence he would go to Chma, and from thence to the Eaft-hdies, and after he had continued fome time in thefe parts, he refolvcd to fail for Jfrica^ and trom thence into Europe^2ind. there,continued he, I fliall fee Spai^^ France, Germ.tnj^ Itdj^ hlolUnd &c. I'he worft of which is more Beautiful and pleafant than this Ifland of hor?mfa And at length after I have Travelled over all the parts of the known World, which arc moll: Celebrated, either for the Curiofities of Nature, or the im- provements of Arts and Sciences, I fhall re- turn home to my own Native Country, full Freighted with the Riclics and experience I
have
The Travels of Mr. G. Pfalmanaazaar. 9
liave gained, and then I fliall have nothing clfe to do, but to fpend the remaining part of my Life in Mirth and good Company, for all Perfons of Ingenuity will be glad to fee me, and delight to hear me difcourfeof the llrange Rarities I have obferved ino- ther Countries, of their different and fur- priHng Manners and Cuftoms ^ of their Laws and Politicks in time of Peace and War, of the wonderful improvments ofArtsbe- yond what is known in our Native Coun- try, of their Methods of Trade and Com- merce, And laftly, of the feveral Notable Accidents which happened to me in my Travels: And by thefe fo Pleafant and ufeful Relations, I fliall Purchafe to myfelf great Honour and Efteem. Thefe things he reprefentcd to me with fuch enticing Circumftances, that I could not but think with my felf he had a mind to perfwade me to go along with him, and I being then a young Man, about 19 Years of Age, was the more eafily prevailed upon : For by the allurements he mentioned, he did fo ftrike my Fancy, and excite my Curiofity of fee- ing the Chrifiian Countries he fo much commended, that I could not forbear to tell him. That if there was no Danger, but we might fafely return again after five pr fix Years into our Native Country ;
I
lo The Treves of Mr. G. Pfalmanaazaar.
I had a great mind to be his Compani- on, and Travel with him thro' all thefe Countries ; But he, diflembling his defign upon me, feem d to be very averfe to my Propofal, and told me in a feigned PafTion, God forbid, that ever I fhould entice you a- way from your Father's Houfe, If he fhould know that I had any fuch Defign, what could I expect, but that he would prefently put me to Death, and therefore I pray you, continued he, talk no more to me of any fuch things : But after he had inflamed my defire of feeing of the forefaid Countries, by the charming profped he gave of them, this feeming refufal did rather irritate than extinguifhmy Curiority,and therefore I was flill the more importunate that I might ac- company him in his Travels , and to remove his jealoufies and fears, I promifed him very ferioufly, that I would never fpeak one word of our defign to any Soul alive,but carry it on with the greateft Secrecy that his own Heart could wifh. But notwithftanding my pro- mifes he ftill feemed to continue backwards and unwilling to confent to my defire, up- on account of the danger that attended him, which provoked mc to repeat with greater earneflnefs my Solemn affeverations and vows of Secrecy and Fidelity ; until atlaft af^ tcr a long ConferencCjand reiterated fupplica-
tions
The Travels of Mr, G. Pfalmanaazaar. 1 1
tionsandaffurances, he condefcended to tell me plainly, that he had always a great opi- nion of my Candor and Sincerity, and he be- lieved I had fome refpecl for him, fas in- deed I had a great Love and honour for him ) that now he was refolved to fhow the great confidence he had in me, by put- ting his Life in my Hands, which he looked upon as the rtrongeft obligation to Fidelity, and therefore continued he, fince you are fo urgent to be my Fellow-traveller, lam willing to take you along with me ^ but then you muft be fure to be very cautious, and manage all things fo fecretly, that no- thing may happen which will give the lead Sufpicion of our defign. After the main matter was thus agreed between us, he ufed great Freedom with me, in concerting the manner of our Efcape, and fecuringfome part of a Fund for Subfiiling us in our Tra- vels. To this purpofc, he told meone day, in our private Conversation, your Father is a rich Man and has great plenty of Gold both in Money and Goods, and fince we are to undertake fo long and expenfive a Voyage, it will be very convenient that we fhould take a good quantity of this Gold along with us, which will help to defray our Ex- pences ; but then to prevent all Danger of Difcovery, nothing of this nature muft be at- tempt
1 2 Tjjs Travels of M^". G. Pfalmanaazaar.
tempted, till fuch time as we intend to make our efcape and then about midnight we fhall feize upon all the Gold and Money we can fafely come at, and pack up our Bagage, and march o'T to the »ext Fort, were tve miy have a Ship.
Having thus fix'd our matters, when the time appointed came, I made ready to be gone, and carried off with me, (be ides o- ther Necedaries for our Journey ) 2$ pound weight in Gold, partly in Money and partly mVceHfils; viz,, one piece of coin'd Gold, call dRoff.^wo weighings 8 pounds '^Copm^, whereof each being a piece of coinM Gold U'cighs I pound; and 14 pound weight of Gold in Utenfils, as Pots, Plates, &c, befides what I took in Silver and Steel Money, to the value of 600 Crowns or thereabout. With this Stock of Gold and Money, my Tutor and 1 fet forth, having left all my Father's Family fail: afleep, and we arrived about midnight at a Port of the Sea, called by the Forme (am KJudzey, which is diftant from my Father's Houfe, in Xter- ;7f//^, about Nine EnghlJj Miles : And there [ met with one oF my Fathers B^/i-o/^i orGa 11 ies, and commanded the Steers- Maa to carry me to Lucoma, pretending I had earneft bufinefs to difpatch there for my Father. LuconU is the chief of the Phfil^pine liks, diftant from
The Travels of Mr, G. Pfalmanaazaar. i ^
KJjadzey about loo Leagues, where we ftay'd about Eight Days,during which time, I kept the Steers- Man and all the Marriners there, lell they fliould return back and ac- quaint my Father where I was : And after tight Days we found a Ship going to Goa^ in which we embark d, and arriv'd at Goa, diftant from Luconia about a i ooo Leagues. There we continued about fix Weeks, du- ring which time we were very Civily and Nobly treated in the Monaftery of the Je- fuits, which my Tutor told me, was a Houfe built by the Chriftians for entertain- ing Forreigners , and indeed by the kind reception we met with there, he did in fome meafure convince me of the truth of what he had formerly told me in Formofa^ about the Probity and Generofity of the Chriftians. After fix weeks were expif d,we went a board »on Ship that was going from Goa to Spain, and arriv'd at Gibr alter ^ in the fpace of Nine or Ten Months, where I was forced to ftay for the fpace of five Weeks, being very much indifpofed by the change of Climates, Air and Diet. Ac length after my Recovery we iailed from Gibr alter towards 2 oulon^ which is a Sea- Port- Town in France^ where I faw a great many feveral forts of Monks in different llabits, which feej;jii'd ftrange to me, where- upon
14 The Travels <?/ M/-. G. Pfalmanaazaar.
upon I ask'd my Tutor who thefe Men were, who told me they were Men come from different parts of the World for Trade aad Commerce ; and that every one of them wore the Habit of his own Country. And as we pafTed through Thoulon, Marfeils and Aix, in Provence^ \ obferved a great many CrofTes on the Road, which moved me to tell my Tutor ; furcly there muft be' a great many Thieves in this Country where there are fo many Gallows ; but he an- fwer'd, that thete Gallows were only in- tended to fright Thieves and Robbers, by the Terror of fuch a violent Death. And we arrived at laft at Avignon^ before I knew my Tutor to be a Chriftian : But af- ter we went into the Monaftery of the Je- fuits there, when I perceived the Porter call him by his Name, fhow him great refpefty and talk to him in their Langage, I began ro doubt of my Tutor whether he were not a Chriftian , and when I faw all the Fathers of the Convent come to him, falute him, and congratulate his fafe Return , and after that, all his Kindred, and laftly all the No- ble Men and Gentlemen of the City, came to vifit him, and exprefs their great joy for his fafe Arrival ; I could no longer keep filence, but ask'd him, Whether he had not been here befgre } How it came topafs
that
The Travels of Mr. G. PfalmanaazaarJ 1 5
that fo many People in this City received him very gladly, and prayM him to tell the me truth how the matter flood. Where- upon he confefs'd to me ingenioufly, tliat he was a Native of that Country ; and that he did profefs the Chriftian Religion, and then he allured me, that I fliould find all things true, both as to the Country and the Inhabitants, which he had told me in the Ifle o[ Formofa. I have indeed added he, brought you from your Father's Houfe ; but you know yoia were very willing and defirous to come along with me : And now I will make you a very fair offer ^ If you be willing to Learn, we will Inftrud you m all the Principles of our Religion ^ and if you can be perfwaded to embrace it, we will take care to provide fo well for you, that you fhall live as well here as you did at home : But if you have a mind to return into your own Country, we will affift you and furnifh you with NecefTaries for your Journey. This lafl part of his Propofal was only a Copy of his Countenance,which he never intended to make good, as ap- peared by the fequel : For he knew, there was no advantage to be reap'd by my re- turn into my own Country, which he might exped if I continuM there, by making a Convert of me to their Religi- on
1 6 The Travels of Mr. G. Pfalmanaazaar.
on. However, this Difcourfe made m^- very thoughtful and anxious, and when I refle(3:ed ferioufly upon nriy condition, and the great danger to which I was rcduc'd, I was fo aftoniChd, that I knew not what to fay or do : Yet I concluded with my felf, it would be my fafeft and bed way, to give my Tutor and the reft of the Fathers good Words, and carry my felf fairly towards them, left they fhould treat me after the fame way as we do the Chriftians in oui' Country ; of which I was (ometimes very apprehenfive. At length to fbow my felf tractable, and gain their good Opinion, I made them this frank offer, That if they could fliow me greater Evidence for the truth of their Religion, than I could fliow for the truth of mine, I was ready to re- nounce my own Religion and embrace theirs. Father de Rode prefently accepted of this Proposal, hoping I would yield to his Arguments upon the firft onfet : But to procure himfelf the greater Glory, he gave out tliat I was the Son of a King, (how truly God knom), and that I had accompanied liim into Europe, out of a defire I had to embrace the Chriftian Religion.
There were only three ways by which they could hope to make a Convert of me, by Arguments and Demonftiative Proofs,
The Travels of Mr. G. Pfalmanaazaar. i-f
by flattering Infinuations and fair Promiles, or by Threats and Violence. By Argu* ments they could not convince me, for I was able to fhow greater abfurdities in their Religion than they could prove in mine ; and particularly, in their Doctrine of Tran- fubftantiation ; Againll: which I argu d fe- veralvvays: As, Firft from the Teftimony of our Sefifes, viz., of feeing, feeling, taft- ing, all which do afTure us, that it is Bread, which we i-eceive in the Sacrament and not Flefli: If therefore we believe our Sen- fes, we cannot believe that the Subflance of the Bread is chang'd into the natural Flefh of Chrift, which is corporally prefent in this Sacrament : And then I prov'd that we muft believe the Tcftimony of our Sen- fes5 becaufe upon them depends the cer- tainty of the Relations we llave concern- ing the Miracles wrought by Jefus Chrift, for the confirmation of his Doctrine : For if thofe who were Eye-witDefTes, could not be certain by their Senfes, that iuch Mi- racles were wrought, as are related in the Life of Chrift, than we have no certainty of the truth of thefe Relations which de- pends upon the Teftimony of thofe Eye- witneiles, who affirm that they favffuch Miracles wrought by Chrift, and confe- quently all the Evidence for the truth of , ^ C Chriftianitf
1 8 The Traz'els of Mr. G. Pfalmanaazaar.
Cliriftianft}^ from the Miracles pretended to be wroujsht in confirmation of it, is fub- vcrrcd and deftroyed. Thus the belief of Tj aniubftantiation is inconfiilent with the Belief of thefe Miracles ; for if wc believe them we mufl: allow the Teftimony of Senfe to be a fufficienc proof of them ; But if we believe Tranfabftantiation wc mufl: renounce our Senfes, and deny them to be a certain proof of any thing we fee or feel
Secondly, I argu'd, That their Dodrine of Tranfubftanatition mull be falfe ;becaufe the fame Body cannot, at the fame time, be in two diftant places : But according to their Do(fl:rine,the fame Body of Chrift wss cor- porally prefent in a loco diftant places at the fame time, "oiz,. in all thofe places where this Sacrament is Celebrated, over the face of the whole Earth, however dillant and remote from one another. Their diilin£li- on which they applied to this Argument, That the fame Body could not be in more places than one Ctrcumjcriptive^ but only Definitive, appeared tome frivolous and im- pertinent ; for ftill it appeared to me impof* lible, that the fame body fhould be Cor- porally prefent ftho' it were only Lkfi.^^ittve as they called itj in feverai diftant places at the fame time j for then the lame Body
might
The Travels of Mr. G. Pfalmanaazaar. 1 9
might be kill'd and dead in one place, while it was alive in another*
Thirdly, I argu'd, That when Chrift faid at the Inftitution of this Sacrament, Do this in remembrance of me, he fuppofed that he would be ablent from them when they fliould Celebrate this Sacrament i for it is neither neceflary nor ufual to remem- ber a Friend prefent, but only one that is abfent^ And therefore, thefe words of Chrifi:, Do this in remembrance of me, do plainly imply, that he is not Bodily prefent ("in this Sacrament.) I argu'd that their Dodlrine of Tranfubftantiation could not be true, bccaufe it fuppofed, that the ac- cidents of Bread (as they call them) re- mained without the Subftance, and the Sub (knee of Chrifl's Flefh was corporally prefent without the accidents that are pe- culiar to FleQi, both which appeared to me impofTible : For I cannot conceive how the whitenefs of Bread can fubfift, when there is nothing that is white, and how there can be the Subftance of FleQi, which can neither be feen, felt nor tafted.
Thefe were fome of the Arguments I urg'd againft their Do8:rine of Tranfub- ftantiation, to whfch I could never receive a Satisfadory Anfwer, and tho' they al- ^g'd feveral Arguments to turn mc fromi C 2 Heathen-
20 The Travels of Mr* G. Ffalmanaazaar.
Heathenifm ; yet becaufe I thought there were greater abiurdities in their Religion than they could (hew in mine, I ftill ad- Jiered to my own Religion. And there- fore finding that by Argum^ents they could not prevail, they attempted to bribe my AtfeQions, and fo win me over to their Party, by many fair Promifcs, and wheed- ling Infinuations ^ But I kr/e)v fo well their Infimerity and cheating Tricks^ by their coun- terfeiting themfelves to be Heathens in Formofa, and by breaking their Promife of allowing me Liberty of Confcience, that I could put no Confidence in any Pwmifes ttiey made me. And befides, 1 very well knew, that I could have more Riches and Honour, if I fhould return into my own Native Country, than I could expeft from them. In fine, the earneft defiie and probable hope I had of returning to my Father, being join'd with the fear of continuing in tWs remote Country, far di- ftant from my Relations, among Strangers and Hypocrites, made ne flight all the offers they made me : Which induced them at laft to ufe Threats and Violence ^ and thefe I endur'd with great meeknefs, and endea- vour'd to mittigate their Anger with foft words, while in the mean time, I was con- triving arid preparing, by the nioft probable
means
The Travels of Mr .G. Pfalmanaazaar. 2 1
means I could think of to make my ef- cape out of their Hands.
1 continued at Avignon for the fp^ce of 1 5 Months, fix in the Monalle! y of the ^ Jefuits,and nine in other peaces: * While I ^^.^f^j/x* continued in the Monaftery, I fonnd they were continually tealing and pcr-xucing me vvidi Enticements, and Arguments to embrace their Religion, and therefore to get rid of them, I pretended a great defire to hear their publick Preledlions- for which end I went fometimes to their Schools of Philofophy, and fometimes of Theology. But being ftill liable to their troublefomc Solicitations, at lafl: I left the Monafiery, and took a private Lodging in the City, where I lived at my own proper Charges : iVnd becauM^ they liad a great part of my Money in their Hands, which they tliought I would not leave behind me, they gave me leave to iatisfe my Curiofity, and ram- ble over the Countries round about, which I did, travelling from City to City, forthe fpace ol fix Months : After I returned to A'T'tgnon again, I continued there only for the fpace of three Months, from the time I firil took a private Lodging in that City. And they welcom'd me, and fecm'd at firft to receive me very kindly, but when they found that I put off from Day to Day, to C 5 declare
22 The Traveli of Mr. G. Pfalmanaazaar.
declare my felf a Convert, then they begun to attack me more clofely, and told me plainly, We liave waited a long time to receive you into the Bofomof theCatholick Church, and ufed many arguments to con- vince you of the truth of our Religion, but fince you ftill continue obftinate, we muft defire you to take notice, _ that we can no longer bear with your delays ; for hitherto we have entreated the Fathers Inquifitors that they would not give you any trouble, which they have forbore to do upon our requcil : But now fince you have re\e£led all the tair means that vv^e have ufed for fo long a time for your Converfion, they are re- folved not to wait any longer. And to Hiow they were in good earneft, about eight Days after there came Letters from the Grand Inqpifitor, exprefly requiring that I fhould be put into the Inquifition, unlets I would embrace the Chriftian Religion. Whether thefe Letters were real or fuppo- fititious I know not, but this is certain, that tliS Inquifitors ihow'd me fuch Letters, and withal told me. That if 1 did not change my Kdigion within Ten Ddjs^ thry were ob- liged to imprifon me. The Jefuits were pre- fent, when thc'e things w^ere done, who having confulted with the Inquifitors, they both agreed to allow nie Fifteen Days
' whereifl
The Travels of Mr. G. Pfalmanaazaar. 25
wherein to make a pnblick profeflion of their Religion. The reafon of granting mc this funher time, was this, becaufe the Day on which they fpoke to me was tlie firft o{ Aur^u^i^, aiKi the 1 5th of that xMonth being, according to theni, the Day of the Affumption of the Blcflcd Virgin, they had a great mind that I fliouid publickly declare my Converfion, and be baptized on that Solemn HefHval. All thefe Propodils 1 was forc'd to fubmit unto, and durii not refufe them in my pi'efent Circumftances ; Where- upon they, conceiving good hopes of me, began anew to explain to me the Myfteries of their Religion, which they did by fimili- tudes ; Thus, for Example, they illuftrated to me the iMyiiery of the Trinity, by the fimilitude of a piece of Cloth which is thrice iolded, which, notwithftanding the three folds, is one and the fame Cloth. They would never allow me to read the Bible, but they furnifli d me with abundance of Books about the Miracles pretended to be wrought by fome of their Saints, in con- firmation of their peculiar Opinions. For the firit four or five Days, of the • Fifteen which were allotted me, I heard, with great appearance of fubmilfion, all the de-mon- firatinns they pretended to give for their Dotlrines, and when they anfwered my C 4 Argu-
44 T'he Travel! of Mr. G. Pfalmanaazaar.
Arguments with Philofophical diftinftions, and uftd a multituf.lc oF hard words, which "were to me unintelligible, I granted all that they faid, and confeiTed they had almoft made me a Convert. For when I faid that I could not underlland thofe Anfwers, or Philorophical Arguments s This Father De Rode began to fay to me , My dear , (ince you cannot underftand what this Reverend Father lays, I will explain it to you in your own Japafjois Language ; and 1o inftead of explaining it to me, he faid. My dear Son^ Tou fee that the Fa- thers hqurfitors^ have a great mind to put you ifjto the Inqutfittoff, becaufe you rvon^t conjefs your felf a Convert ^ therefore it would he better for you to fay that you under find what they fay, than to he any longer ohftinate\ their Arguments are very well grounded and reafonable, but you cannot ccitceive thejlrengtb of them 3 therefore let ?ne defire you to fay jpublicklyj that you are now perfwaded of the goodnejs of their Arguments, and that you don^t require any more. So I was obliged to fpeak in Latin, and fay, Now 1 under- ft and very well. Let us come to another Ar.. tick.
But nUl I trufted^under God,to my lieels, hoping by fome means or other to get out of their Hands, and to run away m fuch
3.
The Travels of Mr. G. Pfalmanaazaar. "2$
a Road that • they fliould not be able to find me out again. After Ten Day« of the Firteen were e)?pired, I had fold all that I had, and then I attempted to get out of the City, but I found that the Centinel, who watched at the Gate to which 1 came, was exprefly forbidden to fuflPer me to go out ; fuch care was taken by the Inquifitors to prevent my Efcape. However I did not defpair, but being returned to my Lodging, I put off my Japa^i Clothes,which I had hitherto wore, and clad my felf after the Mode of the Country ^ and then I at- tempted to pafs out by another Gate: But I was fo much taken notice of by all the People that were in the City, that the Soldier who ftood Centinel at that Gate, knew me under the difguife of my Clothes, and ftoppM me. This fecond difappoint- ment frighted me not a little, but having recolk6led my Spirits, 1 confidered that Money rules the World, and prevails over the generallity of Men, and therefore I offered the Soldier a Piftol if he would iuffer me to go out, which he accepted of, and fo let me go, hoping it could never be difcovercd that he was the Man that did it. Thus God delivered me out of the Hands of the Jefuits and Inquifitors, from whom I could expeft no Mercy, if I had not in
Hypocrifi€
26 The Tr Jives of Mr. G. Pfalmanaazaar.
Hypocrifie profefled fhetr Religion^ which I could never heartily believe.
Having thus made my efcape out of Avignon, I travelled along the River Rhone with all the fpeed I could, as far as Lyons, from Lyons I went to Salines, from Salmes to Brifacy and at la ft from Brifac I tra- veiled by the fide of the Rhone, as far as J/p^ dernach, where the Soldiers oftheEle£lor of Colen feized me by force, according to the Orders they had received from the E- leftor, to Prefs all Paflengers that came that way, to fill up the New Regiments he was Raifing. There were then three Com- panies in Jndernach^ three in Lintz,^ and fix in Bo?m, whether all the other Companies refortcd, being the place appointed for their Rendezvous ; And when they were all come together, my Captain, thinking to gratifie the Colonel's Curiofity, acquainted him with what I had told him, that I was a Native of the Ifle For mo fa, belonging to Emperor of Japan, and by Religion a Pa^ ga>f- - that I had travelled from this far diftant Country to fatisfie my Curiofity of feeing Europe^ having heard fi:range things about it : But the Colonel who was a Savoy- ard, and call'd k Chevalier St. Maurice^ be- ing a Bigot of the Romijfj Church, thought it a damnable thing to retain a PAgan in the
Service
The Travels of Mr. G. Pfalmanaazaar. 27
Service of the EIe8"or ; who being inform- ed about me, commanded me to be car- ried to lome kfuits, that they might en- deavour to Convert me. Whereupon I was obliged to go witbl the Colonel and fome other Officers to the lefuits, with whom I was to difpute about Religion, tho' I knew very well by my former ex- perience, that they are not able by ftrength of Argument to convince any Man, and much lefs, a "Jew, a Turk, or a HeAthen, And now,being well acquainted with their Opinions before hand, and thefeveral Eva- fions and JDiftinftions they made ufe of to defend them, I was the better prepared tcy enter the Lifts with the Jefuits, againlt whom I endeavoured to demonftrate ; that there were greater Abfurdities in their Rel igion, than they could fliow in mine ; which I did with fo much readinefs and brisknefs, and fuch a fair appearance of Reafon, that the Colonel cried out, like one aftoniOied, It was not I that fpoke, but fome Devil that fpoke within me. At laft one of the Jefuits took me afide to a private place, and told me, that I was in a moft miferable condition, if I fhould continue in the Vagan Religion, but if I would declare my felf a Convert to the Romifh Faithj he was able to obtain great
things
28 TheTrxvels <?/Mr.G.Pfalnianaa2aar.
things for me from the Prince Ele^or^ But I told him he fhoald firfl convince me of the Truth of his Religion, before he made me any fuch Promifes ; which he not being able to do I flighted his o^er jn 1 con- tinued ftill in my own Relig'o.i Where- upon the Colonel was fo ex^i^'ciaced a^ainft me, that he threatned co iirow m^ into Prifon, and h^A ms »vr;h Bread and vVa- tcr, until fuch time as I Ihouki declare my felfa Cori\^ert. But my Capcain, who was much the honefter Man ot th^ two, ha« ving feized me by force, wou) \ not futfer any Irurt lo be done me^ and therefore prayed the Cobnel to permit me to go off, and to grant me a Pafs, for traveling whe- ther foever I would ^ which was prefently done. After I got out of Bonrt^ I con- tinued my Journey till I came to Colerf, and there the Gentinel who kepc the Gate feized me again, and carried me before the Captain of the main Guard, to whom I fhowed my difmilHon ouc of Bonn^ upon the account of my Religion h but he told me, ]f others be Fools ^ I am not^ though you are a Pagan, you mxy ferve in the Arm^ as well as the befl Cliriltian, and fo I was ob- liged to Lifl: my felf a So'dier in thut Re- giment. The Colonel whofe Name was BuchwaU^ and the Major who was my
Cap tain 3
The TratTels of Mr. G. Pialmanaazaar. 29
Captain, and whofe Name was IVarmf- cierff^ wtre both 1 uthe?af?s : The Lieuten- ant Colonel, wliofe Name was Fa^dail, was a Romat' C/tthdick^ and many of the Offcers in th^ Regiment were Cahimfis, and all of them belonged to the Prince of Mechlenburg^ but the Regiment was Ixir'd by the Duuh for fome Years.
The Colonel and my Captain fent for fome Lutheran Minifters, whereof one was at Cokn^ another at a Village about an Hour difl-ant, and two more who ferved in the Brandenburg Regiments. All thefe four came and difputed with me about Religi- on for a whole Day ; but their Confub- ftantiation offended me as much as the Roman Tranfubftantiation.
For it is liable to many of the fame ab- furdities with the Rom^jh Doftrine, about the Eucharift ^ Firft, becaufe it denies the certainty of our Scnfes in the proper ob- jeQ:s, andconfequently deftroys their great Evidence of the Chrifhan Religion, from the Miracles wrought in connmr.ation of it, which depends upon the ieR-naony ot their Senfes, who were Eye-wkm i^e^ o* them. Secondly,The Lutheran Dv^i't^ as well as the Romifb^ fuppofes, tb?' ibe Body of Chrift which is now Glorir j> and Immor- tal in Heaven, is Corpoiai>} picfent in the
i-uchariil.
^o The Travels tj/Mz-.G.Pfalmanaazaar.
Eucharift, and at the fame time in all thofe places where this Sacrament is celebrated, which appeared to me impoffible.
But befides thefe Abfurdities, which are common to them both, the Lutheran Do- ftrine is encumbred with feveral that are peculiar' to it : For firfl they fay, that thefe Words, This is my Bo4^, are to be urtderftood literally,, and that the Subiiance of the Bread is really prefent s fo that ac- cording to their hiterpretation the meaning of the Words is, This Subiiance of the Bread is really the Vkih of Chrift, which is a contradi8:ion ^> ter?nims ; for it is plain- ly impoffible, that the fame Subftance iliould, at the fame time, be both Bread and Flefh. Secondly,They affirm that the Bread in the Eucharilt is the Sacrament and Sign of Chrift's Body, and at the fame time that it is the real Body ; whereas it is im- poffible that the fame thing lliould be both the Sign and the filing figniiied, or that any thing Ihould be a fign of it felf. Thirdly, They maintain that the Body of Chrift is alive in the Eucharift (for they deny the Popifh Sacrifice of the Mafs , wherein the Body is ilain and offered up) which being united to the Divinity, is certainly the objed of Adoration, and yet they deny that it is to be worftiipped.
Thefe
The Travels of Mr. G. Pfalmanaazaar. 5 1
Thefe and feveral otlier Arguments I urged againftthe lutherayis^ whereby they perceived that they were not likely to con- vince me of the Truth of their Do6lrine about the Eucharift : Whereupon the Mi- nifter who lived at the Village near Cokft, took me home with him, and kept me there for Fifteen Days, and thither the Cap- tain came alfo, and both of them joined together in making me many large Pro- mifes to entice me to declare for their Re- ligion ; but I continued inflexible, and could not be prevailed upon by any fuch Motives; After this the Lieutenant Colonel, who was a Roman Catholick, carried me to the Ca- puchins, and from them to the Jefuits; but all the means they could ufe wixh mc proved ineffectual. At laft the Officers that were Calvinifis carried mc to a Mi- nifter of their Church, who dealt fo ef- feftuaUy with me, that he almoil convinced me of the truth of the Chriflian Religion, becaufe he removed thofc If umbling blocks which were laid in the way by the Papifts and Lutherans : But when he propofed to me the DoQrine of Ahfolute j^re* defiimtion , and endeavoured to prove it from Scripture, I was fo fliockd by the apparent abfurdity of it, that I be- gun to doubt of all thofe things he had
convinced
^ 2 The Travels of Mr. G. Pfalmanaa^aa'r.
convinced me of before : Whereupon I told him, if abfolute Predeftination was ncceiTary to be believedjthen it was a figa of my Reprobation, that I could not be pcr- fwaded to believe it. Befides I added fur- ther, That, fuppofing abfolute Predelfina- tion, I fhould never be condemned for my Infidefity, but becaufe I was reprobated by an Abfolute and Eternal Decree of God. And Laftly, I infilled upon this Argument, That I could not be perfwaded to believe in Chrift, unlefs I were certain that Chrift died for me \ but, fuppofing abfolute Pre- deftination, I could never be certain of this, becaufe Chrift died only for thofe who were to be faved by an abfolute Decree, and it was impoffible for me to know whether I was one of that number or no. Thefe, and fuchlike arguments,! propofed to him, but he, to excufe himfelf for not anfwering them, pretended that i was obftinate and would not be convinced by Reafon : And thus, after all the attempts that had been made to convert me to Chriilianity, I con- tinued ftill fii'm in my old Religion. In the mean time our Regiment marched from Colen to Boifieduc in Holland^ where fome Cdvinifi Minifters came to fee me, rather out of curiofity, than any defign of con- Yerting me, whom I oppofed with the 2LVt
gumeat
The Travels of Air. G. Pfalmanaazaar. ^S
gument againft Predeftination which I Jaft mentioned, but could never meet with any fatisfa8:ory Anfwer to it. From the Bo/c/j we marclicd to ^/ufe in FUnders, where we ftay'd for the fpace of Three Months and a half, during which time, the mod: generous and candid Brigadier Lauder^ who was then Governor of Slufe^ invited to his Houfe a Minifter of the French Church, called D' Amahj. This French iVlinifler who had a good Opinion of him- felf, for a very learned iMan, challenged me to Difpute with him about Religion, and time and place were agreed upon. Whea the Day came, there appeared a great mul- titude of learned Men, who came to hear us: And in the prefence of them all D' Amdvy made me this offer ; That if I could fliow greater Evidence for my Religion than he could ibow for his, he was ready to re- nounce his own Religion and embrace minen and in return for this irank otfer, I promifcd him to do the fame thing, if he could give me clearer demon llrarions for the truth of his Religion, than I. could for mine. Ha- ving thus fettled the Preliminaries, I was fir ft to give an account of the God we adored, and our manner of worfliipping him, which I did as well as I could £je- temfore , But when I told him, that we
D arc
^4 ^he Trarjeh of Mr, G. Pfalmanaazaar.
arc commanded by our God to offer up Infants in Sacrifice to him, he ftoppM me, ^nd ask'd, Does not this favour of Cruelty in your God, that he will have Men Sa- pific'd to him; To whichl anfwer'd, that it was indeed moft cruel to require fuch Human Sacrifices \ but from hence I took Qccafion to retort the argument upon him, by fliewing that his God was yet more cruel, according to his Opinion of him, For if it be cruel to deprive Men of this Temporal Life, tbo' by this means they are admitted to Eternal Life ; certainly it is infinitely more cruel to create Men on purpofe to make them Eternally miferable, and to condemn them to this Mifery before they are Born, without any refpeft to the Good or Evil they Hiall do,and fo to Sacrifice them to the Devil. To this Retortion he could not anfwer, and fo I proceeded fur- ther to inform him, that our God did ap- pear tous in the fliape of an Elephant, an Oxe, &c. and that under thefe fliapes we v/orfhippM him : Againft this Apparition of God under fuch Figures, he objeded, I'hat it was impoiTible that God who was Omnipotent, Infinite, Immenfe, Incompre- henfible and Eternal, could be included in the Bcdy of fuch a Lkaft. To which \ anfwer'd, That it it is impoffible for God -'■■■■■■ ■ to
The Trxvels of Mr. G. Plalmanaazaar. 3 $
to be included in the Body of fuch a Beaft, he was bound to maintain the like abfur- dity by the Principles of his own Religion^ For,faid I,you believe that the Holy Ghoft, who is God Infinite, Immenfe, &c. did appear under the (hape of a Dove,which is much lefs than either an Elephant or an Oxe. To this he made no reply, and tho' there were many prefent who would have anfwer'd this and other Arguments, yet he commanded them all to be filent, and would fufl'er no body to fpeak but him- felf. In fine he exhorted me very much to the pra6lice of Chriftian Humility and Meeknefs, as if he intended to referve to himfelf alone the Priviledge of Pride a»d Arrogavce, whicli I could plainly difcern, by his Words and A£lions, to be very predo- minant in his Temper. Thus this Con- ference ended, without producing any good effed upon me, and if by God's Provi- dence I had not met with a better Guide to direft me in the Courfe I fliould Steer to arrive at a fafe Harbour in this dangerous Sea of Controverfies, I muft Iiave fplit up- on the Rocks and Shelve? of the abfurd O- pinionsl met with among fome fort of Chriftians, and adhear'd more obftinately than ever to the Idoltry in which I was cdupatcd. For I could never bring my
D 2 Mind
%6 The Travels ofMf' G. ffalmanaazaar.
Mind to believe luch a Scheme of the Chriftian Religion, as was propofed, but not demonjlrated by him \ Such a Syftem of Religion could never find en- tertainment with me, which places Cer- herm in the very ThreHiold, I mean, wl\ich impofcs as a neceflary Articles of Faitli, the horrible decree of ablolute Reprobation, for this Doctrine gives a very odious and fright- ful Idea of a moft Good and Gracious God, by reprefenting him as Cruel and Tyrani- eal to his poor Creatui'es, as one that de- figns and delights in their Eternal Ruine ; k perfectly overturns all Religion, by de- flroying the uie of all Laws, and their Re- wards and PunifhniCnts, to thofe that are fetter'd with the Adamantine Chains of this Fatal Decree; who according to the Qdvinifis are the greatell: part oi. Man- kind. But while I was in this uncertain and dangerous Condition, it pleafcd God, who is infinitely Wife and Good, and will not fuffer that Religion wlixh he has planted and maintainM by his own Al- mighty Power, to be chcck'd in its progrefs by the Ignorance or Millake of his Mini- Aers : 1 fay, it pleafed this good God to provide for me fuch a Judicious and Ho- ndl Gqide, as was very fuccefsful in all tUiiigs relating to my Coiverfion, who ■ ' " ■ propofed
the TvAvels &c. 5I 7
propofed to me the Chriftian Religion in its Purity, without thofe Monflrous Do- dlrines of Tranfubftantiation , Confub- llantiation and abiolutc Predeftination : A Religion that was not embarafs'd with any of thofe ^abfurditics which are main- tain'd by the many various Sefts in Chrifien* dom : Whereof he gave me a Scheme in a A^lathcmatical metliod by way of Dif^ii-^ tions. Axioms, PoJlaUta. and Propopttons ; wliich he divided into 2 Parts, whereof the fir ft contains the grounds of the Chriftian Religion in general, the fecond contains the particular grounds of the Church of Eng- Und^ as it is a Society diftinft from all Schif- n>atical Aflemblies. And firft, the grounds of the Chriftian Religion he propos'd in the following Order,whereby I was,thro' God's Mercy, deliver'd from the Errors and Su- per ft itions of my Pagan Religion.
Tk Grounds of the Author's Cot?- yerfion.
DEFINITIONS.
Dcfin. I. By Gody lunderjlan^ a Being in* finite^ uncreated, eternal^ &:c. Containing iri himfelf all Perfetlions that either aHually exiji, or are foffible. 7.^ A
g8 " The Grounds of
2. j4 things is fatd to be CreMed for the Glory of Gody which mamfefis one^ or more »f his Attribute Sy according to its natural State andPower»
3. By Miracles J J under fi and certain EffeBs that are clear and evident^ which exceed ail the Powers of natural Caufes, and are defigndfor the Confirmation of a good Religion,
4. By Revelation^ I under/land the extraor' dinary Manifeflation of the Divine Will^ which Men by their natural faculties could not at* tain to,
5. By Religion J I under fi and that Worfhi^^ or way of Worjbippingj which God requires of uSy and we owe unto him,
6. By Creatures of the fame kindy I under - ft and either fuch as are Vegetative^ Senfttive^
or Rational^ &c.
7. That is faid to exifi by alfolute neceffity^ without which nothing elfe can exifi,
AXIOMS.
1. All Creatures are not endowed with equal Ferfe^ions,
2. Two or more Prof options, contradt^ing two or more Propofitions^ cannot be both true,
7. If there be two or more things ^confifiing of two or more Proportions which are repugnant to one another^ thefe things catinot be both true.
4. There are different Religions in the World. 5* -^^'
the Author's Co^verfwrt, 39
5. Jll different Religions rvhatfoever^ con- jift of n certain Number of Propojiuo/fs /which are either all f^lfe, or ail true^ or partly falfe^ partly true,
6. Vfilefs rve had a Thinking faculty^ the Glory of God would not appear to us.
7. The flronger the faculty is in any Man^ the more clearly are the properties of a thing conceived, by him^ viz. Of that thing which ts the obje6i of the faculty.
8. Nothing can be made by nothing,
POSTULATA.
i . That the Glory of God, the Publick Good, and the Advantage of every Private Ma/ij be the great ends which are dejign'd by all true Re- ligion.
2. That Men vtuft either believe fotnething or nothing.
3 . That nothing be believd without fufficieni Evidence.
4. That thofe things which have the fame or equal degrees of Evidence^ (bould obtain wtib us J the fame or an equal degree of Jjfent,
PROPOSITIONS.
1. There ts a God.
2. A^thtngs were Created for his Glory,
D 4 ^ Thfi
4o The Grounds of
^. The more v;c know of an object ^ fhe more^ natural^ (peaking^ fhould the Contemplation of that objeci excite in us the love or hatred of it,
4. All the different Religions in the World^ proceed either from the love or hatred of the ob- ject of our Adoration^ or the different degrees of thefe Affections.
5. No Worjjjip is to be given to God, which is not grateful to him,
6. All the Religions in the IVorld^taken col- lectively^ are not acceptable to God.
7. There is one Religion^ confiderd difiin5lly hj it felf^ which alone is grateful to God.
8. Men in their Natural State^ cannot dif- cover this one Religion.
9. There are certain means^ whereby the true Religion may be difcern'*d from thoje that are faljt.
10. Revelation is abfolutely necejfary.
1 1 . ^Tis mofl agreeable to the p]^tfdom of GoJlj that ths Creatures of the fame kind^ jbould exprefs the Glory of God in one and the fame Harmonious manner ; Nay, this is a thing inftparable from the nature of thefe Crea- tures.
12. God may reveal himfelf more or lefs to Mankind, according to his own good pie afure.
I g . The more univerfal the Evidence is for any Revelation, the more per feU and univerfal lb' Religion it felf is »
14. That
the A uthor's Connjerfion. ^ |
14. That Religion was never defign'd by God, to he embraced by all Mankind, which had not the Degrees of Evidence proportionable to that Vniverfality.
1 5 . That Revelation is of all others mofi f erf eel ^ whofe Evidence is mojt univerfal.
16. That Revelation^ and confequently Re- ligion, is ']u[lly to be efieemd nwfi univerfal^ whofe Evidence is fo clear, that none can call it in queftion if he believes any thing, and which contains fuch arguments exciting Men to the Practice of it, as are fuited to the meanejl ccl- facity.
Upon thefe fure Foundations laid down by my faithful Guide, which he more parti- cularly explained and proved to me by word of Mouth, the Divine Grace afTifting me, I did heartily embrace the Chriftian Religi- Qn.
And I will be bold to affirm, that if a- ny one (hall carefully examine all the Reli- gions in the World, by the Rules aforcmen- tion'd, it will plainly appear, that neither the Jeivifjj^ nor Pagan, nor Mahometan Re- ligion, but only the Chrijlian, has a juft Title to be the Univerfal Religion of Man- kind.
But then finding there were feveral So- cieties of Chriftians, I was for fome time
donbt-
42 The Qreunds ef
doubtful to which Communion I fhould joyn my felf, for the Minifters of the Dutch Church, endeavoured to perfwade me to theii Communion ; Alledging that a Church Govern'd by Bifhops, was not agreeable to Scripture, and the Primitive Church : And on the contrary, Mr. Innei affirm'd, and en- deavour'd to prove, that Epifcopal Govern- ment was the moft Ancient and the Primi- tive form of Government, that was us'd in the Chriftian Church : But while I was thus doubtful, at length certain Principles were agreed upon between them both, which be- ing propos'd in a Mathematical method, and clearly demonftrated, remov'd all doubts out pf my mind, and fix'd me to be a moft faithful Member of the Church of Em-^
Thefe Principles were propos'd to me in the following Order.
DEFINITIONS.
1. By a ceru'm order of Men, I underfiand Come feleci perfim in a Society^ enjoying a power vr priviledge which is not communicahk to every fArncuLir member of that Society.
2. 0^
the Author's Conquer fion, /^^
2. By OrdwAtion I uncierjlAnd a power re- ceived of unother or others^ for admirti firing the Holy Sacraments and other Sacred Ordinances^ according to our hleffed Saviours In/^itu- tion.
J. By aChurch 1 under [i and a Society ofMeff believing and prof ejpng the Chriflian Do^irine^ 4nd having a power of admimftring the Holy Sacraments and other facred Ordinances ac- cording to our bleffed Savour"* s Inflitutionst
POSTULATA.
i. A Society may be [aid to have a FsweVy ivhen one or more of the Society are Vejled with it, tho* every particular 77iemher cannot pretend to it.
2. What ah folate necefjity Obliges 4 Society to do in time ofConfufton^ ought not to be made a ftandard for the fame^ or another So- ciety, when they C9?ne to enjoy their Power or Priviledges without any diflurbance ; nay in this cafe Neceffity makes not the thing Lawful but pardonable only, and lofes its name wheu any Efcape occajion^d by it can be redrefs'^d.
^. In matters of Faff, a fttppofuion of the • contrary being po/Jible, ii not fujficient to e- \ nervate the Truth of tvhat is pafs''dj i. e. none can fay [uch a thi?fg has not been fo, hecaufe^
perhaps,
44 The Grounds of
ferhup it could, h/ive been otherxvife,
AXIOMS.
1. Nothing is to be believd in the Chrijlian Religion hut what is built upon certain Evi- dence.
2. Nothing is to be pr dens'* d by Chrifiians ( 1 mean in that Capacity ) which is not believ- ed,
^, One Man, or nurnher of Men^cannot give that to another Man, or another Number of Meny which they themselves have not and is not in their power.
PROPOSITIONS.
1* There hath been a Church of Chrifiians upon Earth fnce the d^ys of our blejfed Savi- our and his Jpoflles.
2. The Church hath no power ^ but what [he hath derived from our blejfed Saviour and bis Jpoftles.
5. The Jpoflles were Cloath'^d with a power which Was not communicable to all Chrifiians in General.
4. All Chrifiians in general^ in the days of the Apoflks or the primitive Churchy had not A power of adminifiring the holy Sacraments and Preaching the Gofpel.
5. Thofe who had not this power themfelves
could
' the Author's Convcrfton. 45
could mt he in a Ca^a city of Comniurjicatijyg it to others.
6. Thts Power then has been continually lodq^cL in a certain Order of Men to whom our hleffed Saviour or his ^poji/es did communicate it,
7. Thts poirer has been tra'/ilmitted down to us by this Order of men inviolably and un- interruptedly from the firfl Ages of the Chri^ ftian Church.
8. Thofe are not a Church^who Ceparate them^ felves from that^or thole Societies of Chrifiians in whom the pmver of Jdminiflring the holy Sacrament Sy and other facred Ordinances is only lodgd.
9. No Perfon ought to joyn himfelf in Communion with that Society which has no Power of Admim firing theHoly Sacraments,and other Sacred Ordinances.
I o. No man ought to affume to himfelf that Power, unlefs he receives it from thofe who are in a Capacity of giving it.
11. Every one that receives it this way^ ought to be fully affured^and havefufjicient evi- dence^ that thofe from whom he receives it., have a real Power of granting it^ and a bare PrO' b ability can never vindicate him from Vfurp- in(f that Power.
12. No man can be affured of this unlefs at the fame, time he hath jujftcient evidence, that thofe who give it him be in tlte Number of that Order of Men, to whom th^ Apofiles did Com-
municate
4<^\ The> Grounds of
municnte this Power ^ to be tran'mittcd dowu inviolably and mnnterruptedly from the firfl Jges of the Chrijlian Church.
r^. There is no other ivayfor People to be affuredofthis^but bygoifig backward from their own times to thofe of the Apoftles or the Primi- tive Church. *
1 4. Thofe who cannot produce this Emdence, cannot be that Order of Men to whom the A' foflles did communicate this Power to be invio- lably and uninteruptedly . preferv^d and tranf mitted down to us jrom the §rfi Jges of the Chriflian Church.
I 5. The Church of England is able to pro- duce this Evidence^ and confequently is in the number of that Order of Men, to whom the Apo[tles did communicate this Power ^to be tranf- mit ted down to us inviolably and uninterrup- tedly from the firfl Ages of the Chrijlian Clmrch,
Thcfe were the Propofitions concerning Church Communion that were given to me by my Learned and Judicious Guide Mr. j^wffj, which I fljall not now pretend to de- monfiratCjbut fhali only add, That by their native Force and Evidence, all my doubts and Scruples, about the various Societies oF Chriftians, were dilTolv'd and vaniflKd a- way, and I did heartily joynmy felt tothe Church of England, as a true Apoltolical
Church
the Aulhov'^s Com/erjiop!, 4-?
Church, and free from all forts of Error ei- ther as to its Government or DoQrine. I know very well, that no Truths are fo clear but they may be liable to fome Ob- jeQions from Men of contrary Principles ; but this I told to the Minifters of ^iuce^ Reverend Sirs, if ye can give me as clear a. Scheme of the Principles upon which your Communion is founded, as this which is given me by Mr. J»;ies, I fliall readily compare them together, and determine my felf according to the beft of my Judgment ; but until you do this , you mull: Pardon me that I do not joyn my felf to your Com- munion: And (inccthcfe good Men never attempted to give me any fuch Scheme, I did Frankly and Publickly profefs my felf a Member of the Church of EngUnd.
Leaving therefore any further difputc a- bout Xhurch Communion, I fliall purfue the grounds and principles given me by my Guide for demonliratingthc Truth and Cer- tainty of the Chriftian Religion. And in doing this I fiiall obferve this order in the following difcourfe,i'/,c.
I. I fhall prove the Exiflence of a God by whom all things are Created, and dif- tinc^ily explain the Attributes ofGod.2. 1 fhall confider the final caufes for which God made the Heaven, and the Earth, and all things that are in them j and from thence
con<?
4 8 The Grofdnds of
conclude, tliat tliey were made by a inoft Intelligent and Wife being. 5. I fliall af- feit the necefiity of a particular Revelation from God to difcover the manner in which he will be worOiipM by Mankind ; which worfhip is properly call'd by the Name of Religion. 4. I fliall produce fuch Charac- terifticks and evidences whereby every one from the light of Nature, may diftinguifh between a true andfalfe Religion. 5. 1 fhall demonltrate the Chriftian Religion to be the only true Religion, revealed by God to Mankind, and tliat all the other Religi- ons in the World are falfe And laftly, I fliall anfwer the principal Objeftions which I made while a Heathen, againfl: the truth and certainty of the Chriitian Religion.
s b: c r. I.
Of the Exijleme of God.
I^Is certain that the being of God is the Foundation of all Religion, for all enquiries about the right way of Worlliip- ing him, would be fuperfluous and imper- tinent, unlefs we be fiift certain th^t there
the Authors Con*verfion. ^p
is a God. The far greateft part of Man- kind, as well Pagans as others, are agreed in the Exiftence of a God 3 yet becaufe fome do call it in queftion, I Ihall endea- vour to prove it by a few Arguments, that I may fecure this fundamental Dodrine of all reveal'd Religion, from all the attacks of unreafonable Men.
But before I proceed to thefe Arguments, it may be neceftary to obferve the various Opinions of learned Men concerning the means of attaining the Knowledge of God: Some think that the notion of God is im^ printed on the Hearts of all Men by na- ture ^ others deny that there is any fuch Idea of a God iu the Minds of Men by nature : Some think that the Knowledge of God is convey'd to us by Revelation, or deriv'd by Tradition from the firft Man, who was immediately created by God. But without entring upon a nice Exami- nation of thefe feveral Opinions, I hope this will be granted on all Hands, That by the right ufe of our rational Faculties, with the help of thofe Principles that are known by the Light of Nature, we may may arrive at the certain Knowledge of God, whofe Exiftence therefore I (ball en- deavour to demonftrate by the following Arguments.
E ARG.
tf o the GroitnUs of
ARGVMENT h
Every thing that is, mud either be from it felf, or from another. If it be from it felf, then it is uncreated, independent and eternal, and confequently God : If from another, feeing all lecond Caufes are produced by fome other which give them being, (as we derive our original from our Fathers, and they from their Fathers, and fo upwards) then either thefe fecond Caufes muft produce one another i» infi- mtum^ without any beginning ^ or the effed muft fometimes produce a prior Caufe, and fo they mul^ produce one ano- ther in a Circle, or we muft acknowledge fome fjrft Caufe, by which all other things are produced, which is God.
Now there cannot be an infinite fuccef- fion of Caufesproducing one another from all Eternity: For every Caufe that pro- duces a new thing out of nothing, muft have fome beginning of its operation, which muft be perfefted in a limited time, and therefore there can be no fucb pro- duction of any thing from all Eternity, but every thing muft be produced in a cer- tain determinate time, which is plainly in- con(]ftcnt with the nature of Eternity.
And
the Author s Con^verfion. 5 i
And neither can there be any fuch cir- cular produftion of Caufes, whereby the laft effed is the efficient of the firft Caufe, for then the fame thing would be the Caufe of its Caufe, it would be Prior and Pofterior to its Caufe, andtoitfelf, which is plainly impoffible, and therefore wemuft conclude, that there is a firft Caufe which is uncreated, and the Creator of all things elfe.
ARG, 11.
I am fure that there is fomething xiow in the World, for I am confcious to my felf, that I think,! perceive,! doubt 5 which Adions cannot proceed from nothing, and therefore I am certain, that there is a thinking Being. And from hence thefe two things will undeniably follow, ifl. That there was fomething from all Eternity, for either there was always fomething, and fo there was an eternal Being, or there was a time when there was nothing, and then nothing could ever have been ^ for there is no Principle more certain than this, that nothing can produce nothing; but every ching that has a Being, muft be produced by fomething^ and therefore if there was a time when there was nothing, nothing could ever have been produced.
E 2 2dly^
15 2 The Grounds of
2^/y, Since 'tis certain that there is now in the World a thinking Being, which knows and underftands 5 from hence it will no lefs evidently follow, that there was a Knowing, llnderftanding Being from all Eternity 3 for it is no lefs impof- (ible for a Being devoid of Knowledge to produce a knowing Being, than fot no- thing to produce fomething^ and if there was a time when there was no fuch know- ing Being, it could never have begun to be, becaufe there was no caufe to produce it 5 and therefore fuch a knowing Being muft be from Eternity. After the fame manner we may deduce all the perfecti- ons of God, f©r we find there is Power, Wifdom and Goodnefs in the World 5 all which muft be deriv'd from the fame eter- nal vS'ource : For if there had been a time when thefe things were not, they could never have begun to be , there being then no caufe to produce them ^ and there- fore this eternal Being muft be alfo moft Knowing, Powerful, Wife and Good, and be the fir ft caufe and original of all thefe Perfedions we find in the World 5 for no- thing can ever give to another any Per- fcdtion that it hath not in itfclf, and there- fore the firft eternal Caufe of all things muft contain in it all the Pcrfeftions that can ever after exift.
Having
the Aitlhors Con'verfion, 55
Having thus eftabliOi'd the Exigence of a God, I (hall next proceed to prove, thac he is the Ruler of the World, who di- rects and governs all things by his wife Pro- vidence : Which vyill appear by confider- ing, I. That all things in nature do ^^ for certain ends, which they attain by ufing proper means fitted to thofe ends that are defign'd^ but to defign and purfue an end, and make choice of fit means for compalTing that end, are fi.ich adtions as re- quire Reafon, Wifdom, and Forcfight, which no inanimate Creature is capable of ^ and therefore all inanimate Creatures muft be direded and guided by fome wife Superintendent, in purfuing their feveral ends by proper means, which themfelves know nothing of. 2. We fee that all things in nature are fubordinate to one another, and made fubfervient to feveral excellent ufes and purpofes, which muft be the contrivance of a wife Governour that ruleth over all.
Thus the Plants and Herbs ferve for food to Animals, and both Plants and Animals are ufeful for many purpofes to Man, as for Food and Phylick, and leve- ral other neceilary ends in humane Life ; Man himfelf is wonderfully made, all the parts of his Body being wifely adapted to perform their feveral Fun*?i ions, and mu-
E 3 tually
54 Tl-^^ GroHJids of
tually fubfervient to one another , and to the good of the whole, as might be largely prov'd by particular inftances, if it were neceffary. We cannot open our Eyes but we meet with many Arguments of a wife over-ruling Providence 5 for the Air ferves us to breath in, and is fo neceffary to our Life,that it cannot fubfift many Minutes without it. The Earth fupplies us with Corn for food, and Wood for firing 5 it fupports or houfes, and furniflies the ma- terials for buildings of them : The Sea ferves to tranfport our Ships and Commo- dities to the moftdiftant parts of the Earth, and to bring home into our Harbours the Products of all other Countries. The Sun does not (bine for himfelf, but appears to be made on purpofe to give Light to them that live upon the Earth, and it is placed at fuch a convenient di- ftance, and moves in fuch a conftant uni- form courfe, as is neceilary to refreih all things on Earth with its heat, and to ri- pen all the Fruits of the Ground. By which, and many thoufand other Inftances wherein the Creatures are admirably fitted for ufefu) and excellent purpofes, it plainly appears, that the Works of Nature cannot polfibly be theEfFeds of blind Chance and Necelfity, but muft be the contrivance of an ^ll-wife Creator and Gov$:rnour. 3. To
thefe
the Authors Cotwerfwti. 55
thefe Arguments wc might add for a far- ther confirmation of this Truth, \fl. The Univerfal confent of all Nations, which generally agree, that there is one fuprcme God, who made and governs the World. 2dly^ The Natural Power of Confcience, which reproves and torments a Man for the heinous Crimes he has committed, tho* the Perfon be above the fear of human Punilh- mcnt, or the Crime be committed fo fecret- ly, as to efcape all natural means of difco- very 3 in which Cafes Confcience by its Sentence does, as it were, bind a Man over to the Judgment of a fuperiour inviCble Judge. But I (hall conclude all with this Reflexion : That from what has been faid it appears, that tho' Mankind had not any innate Notion of a Cod, yet they are en- dow'd with fuch a rational Faculty, by which they can deduce the exiftence of a God, from fuch Principles as are univer- fally known and acknowledg'd by the Light of Nature: And this they can do without the help of Revelation, which muft al- ways prefuppofe the being of a God who makes that Revelation.
E4 SECT.
^6 "the Groujids of
SECT. II.
Of the Attributes of COD in generah
ALtho' we conceive the Divine Eflence in it felf to be one and the fame, w^hich confifts in all pollible perfedion 5 yet the Attributes of God may be diftin- guiOi'd and call'd by peculiar Names, with refpect to the different Objeds upon which they are exercis'd, and the different Ope- rations tbat are exerted upon them ^ not that there is any real diverlity in God him- felf, but only in our Conceptions of him ^ for fuch is the weaknefs of our Under- ftanding, that we cannot in one Thought comprehend all the Divine Perfeftions, but are forc'd to reprefent them to our Minds feverally, as exerting themfelves up- on different Objeds 5 and fo there is no difference in the Attributes themfelves, but only in our manner of conceiving, with refpedt to their different Operations.
But before we proceed to a particular enumeration of the Divine Attributes, we muft premife, that thefe Attributes are not to be confounded with the peculiar Ef- fedts proceeding from them, but thefe two are to be diftindtly coniider'd andexplain'd.
Thus
the Anthvr s Cowverfion. 57
Thus Juftice is to be diftinguifh'd from PuniQiment, and Goodnefs from Benefi- cence, as Caufes are commonly diftin- guifti'd from their proper Effeds.
This being premis'd, we may divide the Divine Attributes into two forts : For ther God is confider'd (imply as a Being, and fo Spirituality and Eternity are attri- buted to him ^ or as a living Being, and fo Underftanding and Will are afcrib'd to him. The Attributes of God that are in the Will, may be confider'd two ways, ei- ther after the manner of Affeftions, fuch as we feel in our felves, and fo Love, Ha- tred, Anger, Defire, Joy, and Sorrow, &c. are attributed to God 5 or after the man- ner of Moral Vertues, as Juftice, Good- nefs, Long-fufFering , Severity, d^c, to which we may add, as that which refults from all his other Attributes, his Glory and Happinefs.
SECT,
^8 The Grounds of
SECT. III.
Of the Vwine Attributes in particular.
OF the Attributes which belong to to God as he is fimply a Being, we (hall reckon in the firft place Unity 3 for God is properly and numerically one, as being undivided in himfelf, and divided from all other things 5 and becaufe the Divine Nature cannot be multiplied into different Gods, as the Human Nature is into feveral Men, therefore there is one only true God, and there is no other God befides him.
The fecond Attribute which belongs to Cod as he is (imply a Being, is Spirituali- ty 5 for God is a Spirit, i. e. a, moft pure and immaterial Being, devoid of all bulk, whofe moft elfential Aft is Cogitation ^ and he is not only incorporeal , but the moft pure and (imple of all Spirits.
The third Attribute of this fort belong- ing to God, is Eternity, which is nothing elft but a Duration that has neither be- ginning nor end. But when we fay that God is eternal, both a parte a»te, and a parte poft^ we include under this Notion his Immutability, and affirm , that .God
is
the Author s Converjion, ^p
is free from all variation and change.
The fourth Attribute of God is his Im- menfity, whereby he filleth all places : And therefore when we fay that God is immenfe, we affirm that no place can con- tain him, and that he is every-where pre- fent in all imaginable fpaces. And fo much may fuffice for the Explication of the firfl: fort of Attributes.
The fecond fort of Attributes are fuch as belong to him as he is a living Being : And in fpeaking to them, we are firfl: to confi- der his Life, as being the Foundation of all this kind of Attributes and their Ope- rations, without which he could neither exift, nor ad: as an intelligent Being, nor be capable of Happinefs, which is contrary to the Idea we have already fram'd of God.
The fecond Attribute of this fort is Un- derftanding, which may be difl:inguiQi'd into Knowledge and Wifdom. The Ob- jed of the Divine Knowledge is every thing that is knowable, all things that are, have been, or (hall be, all things that are poffi- ble and impoflible. When therefore we fay that God is Omnifcient, we affirm that God does, i. Know himfelf, and all his own infinite Perfeftions. 2. That he knows all things that are in himfelf, or from him- felf, or without himfelf 5 within himfelf,
as
6o The Grounds of
as his Decrees 3 from himfelf, as his ex- ternal Adions of Creation, Prefervation, &c, without himfelf, as the Sins of Men,
The Wifdom of God is that Perfeftion in God, whereby he foreknows and di- reds the means which he thinks fit for at- taining a certain End, which is either Tub- ordinate, as the Redemption of Mankind, which he accomplifh'd by the Incarnation of his only Son, or ultimate, which is the demonftration of his own Glory, to which all other things are made fubfervient.
The third Attribute is the Divine Will, which may be either confider'd as the Fa- culty, or the Ad ofwilling fuch and fuch things to be done, for wife, jull, and good Ends : Such are all the Decrees of God whereby he refolves within himfelf to ac- complifh certain Ends, by fuch means as conduce moft to his own Glory, And thefe Decrees are either abfolute, as thofe of the Creation, and fending his own Son into the World 5 or conditional, as the Decrees of faving Mankind, upon the Con- ditions of Faith and Repentance.
In the Divine Will we may coniidcr two kinds of Attributes , whereof the firfi: is conceiv'd after the manner of the AfFc- dions we feel in our feives 3 the fecond is conceiv'd after the manner of the Moral
Vertues,
the Authors Coti'verfion. 6i
Vertues, which in us do govern the Affe- dions.
Love in God is an AfFeftion whereby he delights in that which is good, and in communicating himfelf unto it, whence arifes Goodnels. This Love includes in it felf, Grace, Mercy, &c.
Hatred is that Affedion which is oppo- lite to Love, whereby God abhors every thing that is evil.
Anger hath great affinity with Hatred, and in us it is an AfFeftion whereby we keep oflF any thing that is evil from our felves , but in God it (ignifies his purpofe of punifhing Evil-doers.
The Juftice of God does perfeftly agree with his Holinefs, and is that Perfedion whereby he always wills and does that which is good, holy, juft, and right, and this is caird Univerfal JulHce 5 but his particular Juftice is that which diftributes to every one what is due, or that whereby he rewards the Good, and punilhes the E- vil, and fo it refpeds Man as fubjedtothe Lavv of Nature.
This Juftice is temper'd v/ith Mildnefs and Long-fuffcring, which are thofe Per- fedions in God that rcftrain his Anger againft Sinners without a great caufc.
The Omnipotence of Cod is that Per- fcdion whereby he can do all things that
do
62 The Grounds of
do not imply a contradiction, and is fuch a Power as nothing can refill:. The Glory of God is the Excellency of the Divine Nature, whereby he infinitely exceeds all the Creatures. The Happinefs of God is the refult of all the Divine Perfections, in which he cannot but take great compla- cency, and fo they make him infinitely happy by the contemplation of them.
From whathasbeen laid, we mayinfpr. That fince God is a moft fimple Being, and his Attributes are not really diftinguilh'd from one another, his Actions do not pro- ceed from one attribute alone , but from an harmonious concurrence of all his Attri- butes together.
3 E C T.
the Authors Coiwerfton. C^
SECT. IV.
Of God's End in Creating the World.
HAving thus eftablifti'd the Exiftence of a God, and prov'd him to be the Creator and Governor of all things, fo. far as was neceffary in a matter fo clear and evident in it felf, I proceed now to confider the End which God might pro- pofe to himfelf in creating the World, which muft be fuch as is Cutable to his own infinite Perfedtions : And feeing the Glory of God is the rcfult of his moll excellent Nature, we cannot imagine, that he did propofe to himfelf any other End in all his Works, befides his own Glory. And this feems to me as clear as the Sun at Noon-day. But if all the Creatures were made for the Glory of God, then 'ris cer- tain that every one of them is bound to glorifie God in that Station wherein it was created , and fo we fay, that the Heavens declare theGlory of God, becaufe by them we come to the knowledge of God : But Man being the mod perfeft of all the vifi- blc Creatures, and endow'd with the mod excellent Faculties, ought fo much the more to (hew forth ih^ Glory of God
above
64 Ti^ Cronnds of
above all the other Creatures, by how much he is more capable and adapted by Nature to that end. And indeed the in- animate Creatures can only (ilently com- mend their Maker, but it is the Duty of Man to make their Praifes vocal, and to declare the infinite Power, Wifdom, and Goodnefs of God, which plainly appear in the Works of the Creation. And this is the Great End for which his Faculties were given him by God 5 for therefore has he Eyes to fee, and an Underftanding to perceive and apprehend the wonderful Works 3 therefore has he a Tongue given him to publifh the Praife that's due to his moft excellent and bountiful Creator. Whether therefore we confider the End for which Man was created, or the many and great Benefits he has received from God, as the creating him of fuch an excellent Na- ture, his Prefcrvation, &c. he cannot but be fenfible that he is ftridly oblig'd to worQiip and ferve him in feme way or other : For all Men will own, that we ought not only to remember our Benefa- dors; but to return them hearty Thanks fuitable to the greatnefs of the Benefits we have receivM.
SECT,
the Authors Cojrverfion, 6^
SECT. V.
Of the Necejjity of a Di'vine Ke'v elation,,
AND, I. Since the Divine Favours are fo great and fo valuable, 'tis cer- tain that no Man can render him any Wor- fhip and Service that is equivalent to them* 2. Since God is a moft perfed and fimple Being, he will be vi^orfliipp'd in a perfedfc and fimple manner 3 but 'tis impoffible that Mankind {hould now in its prefent State ol Corruption, unanimoufly agree in the true Way of worihipping God, if it were left to their Invention \ for befides that the Reafon of Men is infinitely va- rious, according to their different Tempers, Capacities, Prejudices of Education, &ci Human Nature is fo much corrupted, and does daily fo far degenerate more and more, as we find by fad Experience, that they can neither difcern the right manner of wof (hipping God, nor perform hirii pure and acceptable Service.
Befides, fuppofing that Mankind could agree in a certain Form of Divine Service, and preferve it found and entire, yet ftill this Doubt would always remain in their Minds, Whether fuch a Wor(hip were ac-
F ceptabk
66 The Groutids of
ceptable to God or no } For whether we oft'er to him Gilts or Sacrifices, they all belong to him as Lord of the whole Crea- tion 5 nay, if we (hould facrifice to him our Soul and Body, we give him nothing but what we have receiv'd of his free Bounty ^ and therefore we can never be certain that we are acceptable to him by any thing we can do, or offering we can make. And this is what Socrates faid of old, a little before his Death : / have la- hour' d all wy Utfe-time. and dove what I could to render my felf acceptable to God^ and yet I Jiill doubt ivhether I have pleas d him : As liegis relates in his D/fcourfe of Philofophy. From whence we may con- clude, that Mankind by Nature is fo much miftaken in their "Notions of God, and has fo far err'd from the right wayofworfhip- ping him, being wholly addicted to fenfi- ble Things and PIcafures, that a Revela- tion from God was abfoiutely neceflary to teach him the true Knowledge of God and of his Will, particularly as to the man- ner of performing him acceptable Service 3 and therefore our infinitely-good and mer- ciful God, taking pity of the natural Blind- nefs of Mankind, was pleafed of his infi- nite Goodnefs to reveal his Will to them, and the particular manner wherein he will be worftiipt. And this Revelation being
once
the Author s Con'verjiojt, 6y
once made, all Men to whom it is fuffi- ciently propos'd, are bound, as they hope for Salvation , and would avoid eternal Torment, to keep the Commands of God, and obferve that Form of Divine Worlliip which he himfelf has prefcrib'd ; Which Obfervation of Divine WcrQiip is that which is commonly call'd Religion.
But before we proceed to treat of Re- ligion, it may be necefl'ary to obferve, that becaufe Men are ftiflf-necked, and flovv to believe Divine Truth, therefore left any (hould call in queftion the Revelation that comes from God, and take him foranlm- poftorwho deliver'd it, 'twas neceflary that it (hould be confirm'd by certain Evidence, the better to perfuade Men to believe that it came from God 5 and fo we find that the Chriflian Religion was confirm'd by Miracles^ and fupernatural Signs at the time of its firft publication : And becaufe cun- ning and ingenious Men may do many things by their extraordinary Art and Skill, which may feem to us miraculous when they really are not, wefliall hereafter Qiew how any Man may difcern between a true Miracle, and that which is falfly pretended to be one. This being premis'd, I fliall now fubjoyn,
F 2 SECT,
68 The C rounds of
SECT. VI.
Of Religion in generaL
Qlnce God is a moll: perfeft Being, 'tis t^ certain that he cannot contradift him- felf, and eftablifh two contrary Religions, having different and inconfiftent Objedsof WorQiip 5 and therefore when we fee fo many different Religions in the World , every one of which is contrary to ano- ther , and condemns another , we muft conclude that only one of thefe Religions is true, and of Divine Authority, and that rlie reft are Human Inventions, Frauds, and Forgeries : It concerns us therefore to en- quire after the Means whereby we may di- itinguiQ). the true Religion from thofe that are falfe.
Thefe Means may be confider'd two ways, either with refpe^t to the Evidence, or to the Object. We have already obferv'd, that the great Evidence of the true Reli- gion, is the Miracles that are wrought for the confirmation of it ^ but that we may be able to difcern true [vliracles from thofc that are counterfeit. I (hall lay down the rhree chief Conditions which are requifite in a true Miracle. The firft is, That he
who
the Author s Corwerfion. 6<^
who works a Miracle, (liould know before- hand that he is to work it, and have a mind to do it. The fecond is. That it be certainly known that the Miracle, or Sign, was wrought, and that the Etlcd of it be obvious to our Scnfcs. The third, That the Thing done be fuch as tranfcends all the Power of natural Caufes 5 which may be done two ways : The firft is, when it fo far tranfcends all the Powers of Nature, that it appears plainly inipofllble to be wrouglit by them, as the railing of the Dead to Life again. The fecond is, when, the thing done is fuch as does not exceed the force of natural Caufes, but the man- ner of doing it is plaiiily fupernatural, as the curing of Difeafes by a Word-fpeaking, without applying any l^emedy.
As to the Objeft of true Religion, it ought to refpcd the Glory of God, the Publick Good, and the Private Good of every particular Man. And thcfe are the Means which I think fufticient for difcern- m'g a true Religion from that which is falfe. For, i. As to Miracles, 'tis certain, that God will not exert liis Almighty Power to confirm a Lye, and juttifie an Im- poftor. 2. As to the Oh'yidi of Religion, 'tis likevvife certain, that every falfe Reli- gion which is invented by a Deceiver, is attended with feme abfurdity in its Do-
F 3 dtnne
70 The Grounds of
ftrine or Precepts, and contains in it fome- thing either contrary to the Divine Na- ture, or the Good and Welfare of Man- kind. If therefore we can difcover fuch a Religion as has the above-mention'd Evi- dence and Objed, we may fafely conclude that it is revealed by God 3 but if it be de- fective in either of thefe two, we muft be- lieve that it is falfe, and ought to be reject- ed by all.
SECT. VII.
Of the Chrijiiati Religion in generaly and particularly of the Miracles wrought in Confirmation of it,
IT would be an endlefs as well as ufelefs Work, to run over all the feveral Rellr gions that are in the World, for choofing one from among them which is eftablifh'd upon good Principles and fure Founda- tions f and therefore I fliall fingle out the Chriftian Religion as that which Teems to me, at the firft propofal, to be more excel- lent than the reft, and endeavour to prove. That it is founded upon the cleared and^ ftfongeft Evidence, tl^at any rational Man"
. can
the Authors Cower jioji. 71
can defire in matters of that nature. And this I hope will give full Satisfadion to the Reader of the following Difcourfe, if he be a Chrilf ian 5 and I defire him to judge for himfelf in this Cafe, by comparing his own Religion with all the other Re- ligions profefs'd in the World, and he will undoubtedly find it to excel all the reft, for the reafonablenefs and certainty of its Doctrines, and the holinefs and goodncfs of its Laws. But if the Reader be a Jev7, a Turk, or Heathen, I hope he will take the pains to compare his own Religion impartially with theChriftian, and I doubt not he will quickly perceive on which fide the advantage lies, as to the evidence of Principles, and goodnefs of Precepts. For I. The Miracles of Chrift were infinitely more numerous and greater than thofe of Mofes 5 and Mahomet never pretended to work any Miracles for Confirmation of his Religion, but us'd the Sword only for its propagation : And as to the Pagans, the ftrange Feats which they pretend to, are either ridiculous and incredible, or the Tricks and Forgeries of their Priefts, which cannot endure a fair Trial, as will appear more fully hereafter. At prefent I (hall apply my felf to the Confideration of Chrift's Miracles, and fliewthat they have all the Charaderifticks of true Miracles,
F 4 and
y:? T^he Grounds of
and that they were undoubtedly wrought by him for the Confirmation of his Re- ligion, when it was firft dehvered ii\ Judaea.
And, I. The Miracles of Chrift have all the three Conditions afore-mentiond which are requifite in true Miracles : For, ^ I. Chrift knew before-hand that he was to do his Miracles, and freely chofe to worl^ them in fome places, and not in others, as appears from the Hiftory of his Life, re- corded by the Evangelifts. 2. He did not work his Miracles in fecret places, or in a corner, but publickly and openly, in the Face of the Sun, before great Multitudes pf People, of all forts, not only Friends but Enemies, and the wonderful Effects pf them were apparent totheSenfes of all that were prefent : And therefore that fuch Miracles were wrought by him, is ownd not only by Chriftians, but even by the Jews in their Talmud, by Mahomet in his Alcoran, and by many Pagan Au- thors, whofe Names and Teftimonies (hall be hereafter mentioned. And Laftly, The Miracles of Chrili were fuch as tranfcend- ed all the Powers of natural Caufes 5 as to raife the Dead to Life again, to give Sight to the Blind, Hearing to the Deaf, Health to the Sick, without theufeof any Medi- fines, or natural Means, that are proper
the Author s Con<verjmj. 7 5
to cure thofe People 5 all which Efied:s therefore muft needs proceed from a fuper- iiatural Power, and can be afcrib'd to God only.
Tho* what has been faid may be thought fufficient, yet to convince all Men more fully of the fupernatural force and energy that was confpicuous in ChriiVs Miracles, I (hall add the following Confiderations : I. That they were in a manner infinite for number, fo that they cannot be particu- larly reckoned up 5 for he went thro' all the Cities and Villages of Jnci^a^ curing all Difeafes, and heal'd all that were pof- fefs'd of the Devil : And the Writers of his Life declare, that he wrought many other Miracles befides thofe which are mention d in their Hiftory. 2. That they extended univerfally to all forts of Crea- tures, over which he (hew'd an abfolute Dominion, by the miraculous Effeds he produc'd 5 as over Devils, by driving them out of Men that were poffefs'd with them* over the Winds and Seas, by allaying the Storm and Tempeftat his Command 5 over- the Fifties and Loaves, by multiplying a few of them to fuch a prodigious quantity as w^as fufficient to feed Five thoufand 5 over the Swine, by fufFering the Devils to enter into them, and drive them head-long ^nto the Sea ^ over the Fig-Tree, by blaft-
ing
74 7^^ Grounds of
ing it with his Word ^ over the Water, by- changing it into Wine 5 over all forts of Difeafes, by healing of them ^ and laftly, over Death it felf, by railing the Dead to Life again. 5. The Miracles of Chrifl: pro- duc'd fuch EfFeds as were not tranfienc but permanent : For the Dead being rais'd to Life, continu'd to live 5 the Blind having receiv'd their Sight, continu d to fee 5 the Lepers being cleans'd, continu'd clean : And all thefe things were done in the pre- fence of many Beholders, who faw and obferv'd the wonderful change that was wrought. 4. All the Miracles of Chrift but two, were Miracles of great Mercy and Coodnefs as well as Power 5 as the healing of Difeafes, the raifing the Dead to Life again, &c, I fay, except two, which were his fending the Devils into the Herd of Swine, and the curfing of the Fig-Tree : And thefe ferv'd to (liew his abfolute Do- minion over Plants and Animals. 5. All the Miracles of Chrift, even thofe that re- quire the greateft Power and Energy, were wrought by a Word-fpeaking. After La- zarus had lain three Days in the Grave, he did but fay to him, Come forth -^ and immediately he arofe, with all his Crave- Cloaths upon him : He did but take the Ruler's Daughter by the Hand, and fay unto her, Maidj arijfe 5 and prefcntly hej"
Spirit
the Author s Conifer (ion. 7 5
Spirit came again, and ftie arofe ftraight- way. He had fuch a divine commanding Power over all natural Caufes, that he cur'd the mod defperate Difeafes, even at a diftance, by fpeaking a few Words : Thus he cur'd the Noble-man's Son, when he was at the point of Death, by laying, Thy Soft liveth ^ and the Centurion's Ser- vant, by faying, As thou hafl believd, fo be it done unto thee : Nay, the difeafed Woman that follow'd him in a Croud was cur'd by touching the Hem of his Garment, becaufe (lie believ'd, when he perceiv'd that Vertue was gone out of him. All thefe Miracles he wrought without ufing means 5 and when he applied fome means, they were fuch as were naturally unfit to produce the EfFeft intended ; As when he cur'd the Man born blind, by fpitting on the Ground, and making Clay of his Spit- tle, and anointing his Eyes with it, fend- ing him to the Pool of Siloam ^ and the performing this Cure by fuch unfit means, was no lefs an Argument of his Divine Power in working the Miracle, than if he had us'd no means at all. 6. Chrift had not only this Power in himfelf of working Miracles, but he difpos'd of that Power to his Apoftles, who wrought many Signs and Wonders in his Name : So St. Peter cur'd the lame Man, by commanding hiqi
in
76 The Grounds of
in the Name of Jefus to rife up and walk 5 a Miracle that was notorioiiily known to all that dwelt at Jerufdem^ and which the Rulers of the Jews could not deny, tho* they were their malicious Enemies. Nay, the Dead were raifed by them, Tabitha by St. Peter^ and Eutj/chtts by St. Paul 5 and Handkerchiefs and Napkins obtain d the Virtue of doing mighty Cures , by being fent from the Apoftles Hands 5 and St. Pe- ters Shadow heard all that were afflicted with evil Spirits throughout all Jerufalem^ and all the Cities round about it, as we read in the ACh of the Ap^flles. This was a wonderful demonftration of the Divine Power in Chrift, that he could communi- cate the Gift of Miracles to his Difciples 5 as it was of his Divine Prefcicnce, that he foretold a thing fo ftrange, which requir'd an Almighty Power to accomplilh, by afTu- ring thofe that believed in him, that they fhould out-do the many Miracles he him- felf had wrought^ both which were his peculiar Prerogatives, whereby he excell'd the fird: Founders of all the other pretend^ ed Religions in the World, who never pretended to the Power of bellowing the Gift of Miracles upon their Difciples, or to foretel the working of them. 7. The Apoftles, after they received their Commif- Hon fron;i Chrift to preach the Gofpcl to
the Author s Coti'verjion, 77
all Nations, wrought Miracles not only in Jernfalem and the Land of Jfidd;ay but in Samaria^ Phemce^ Cyprus^ Antioch, EphefuSy and many other Cities and Countries thro' which the Apoftles travell'd for planting the Chriftian Faith, in all which places God confirm'd the Word of his Grace, by doing Signs and Wonders by the Apoftles Hands, as we read in the A&s of the Apo- flles 5 and St. Paul afTures us, that from Jerufalcm round about unto Illyrkum, the Gofpel had been preach'd by him with mighty Signs and Wonders : Nay, fo uni- verfally fpread was the Fame of the Apo- ftles Doftrineand Miracles,that their Sound went into all the Earth, and their Words unto the Ends of the World 5 for not only the Jews but Gentiles, the Romans^ Co- rinthiatjs^ and fome of all the raoft famous Countries then known, were converted to the Chriftian Faith, by the Preaching and Miracles of the Apoftles, who could all te- ftifie, that they faw fuch mighty Works done by them,as convinc'd them that their Doftrine was from God : So that this Evi- dence was not only publickly but univer- fally known. 8. This Gift of Miracles was not confin'd to the Days of the Apo- ftles, but was continued in the Chriftian Church for the firft three Centuries, as ap- pears from the Writings of Innmts^ Ori-
78 The Gronnds of
gen^ TertHllian, and other Primitive Chri- ftians, who relate innumerable Inftances of this miraculous Power in the fecond and third Ages ot the Church, and appeal for the Truth of their Relations to the Hea- thens who liv'd in thofe Times : And of its continuance in the fourth Century, Eh- febiitSj (jril^ and Auftin^ are fufHcient Wit- nelles 5 all which are cited in feveral late Writers, to whom I refer the Reader. And fome of the Miracles wrought in thefe Ages, are not only teftiiied by Chriftians, ^ but alfoby Heathens ^ for Marcus Aitrelius himfelf teftiiied publickly in his Letters to the Senate, the Miracle tnat was wrought at his Battle with the Marcomafz^ij when the Chriftian Soldiers obtain'd by their Prayers, a refre(bing Shower to the Roman Armydiftrefs'd for want of Water 5 while at the fame time the Forces of the Barba- rians were overwhelmed with Hail and Thunder. It appears to be a thing fo commonly known, that it is mentioned by the Poet Claudian, in 6. Cof/f, Hof/,
— '—Chaldsk mago feu carmhia ritit Armiivcre Deos, feu quod reor omnc To-
Obfcqii'ium Marci mores potuere mereri.
And
the Authors Con'verfion, y^
And the Prodigy by which Thcodojius crulh'd the Rebellion of Engemuf, and Ar- hegajies is alfo mentioned by the fame Poet, in thefe words :
0 mmium diUBe Deo, cuifiwdit ab antris lEobis armatas hyemes^ ^ militat <ether^ Et conjtirati vcnhtnt in clajjica venti.
Claud, de 3. Conf. Hon.
Vorphyrieconic^QSj that wonderful Cures were done at the Tombs of Chriftian Mar- tyrs, Hier, adv. Vigilant. c, 4. And that the Heathen Gods could give no help to Men, after that Jefus began to be worfhippd, Enfcb. lib. 5. pr£p. Evang. And Apollo de- clar'd from the Oracle, That certain jufl: Men, viz. the Chriftians , hinder'd him to foretel the Truth, Ei/feb. de Fit. Con- Pant, and the Oracle at Delphos con- ic fs'd, That he could give no Refponfes , becaufe Babjlas , the Martyr's Bones, were buried near him , as is related by Chrjfojl. Or at. 2. in Baby I am. In fine, it was a thing fo commonly known and ta- ken Notice of in the firil Ages of Chri- ftianity, that the Heathen Oracles were ftruck dumb 5 that Pint an h wrote a Book concerning the Reafon why the Oracles had ceas'd. And hence it appears, that this Power of working Miracles was con- tinu d in the Chriftiau'Church for the firfl:
four
8o The G rounds of
four Centuries ^ which adds great ftrength and force to the Evidence, as being attelted by fuch a vaft Cloud of Witnelles as liv'd in that large compafs of time.
To conclude, I muft defire the Pveader to take Notice, that the force of this Argu- ment confifts chiefly in thefe three things :
1. That if fuch Works were really per- formed, as is pretended, they were true and proper Miracles, fuch as could only be done by the Almighty Power of God.
2. That we have fufficient AlTurance that thefe Miracles were wrought by Chrift and his Apoftles, and the other Difciples, to whom they are afcrib'd by thofe that re- late them. 3. That thefe mighty Works were done in Confirmation of the Chriftian Religion.
I. That the wonderful Works pretended to be done by Chnft and his Apollles were true and real Miracles, fuch as could only be wrought by an Almighty Power, will appear, by confidering, i. That they could not be performed by the mod improved Arts and Skill of Men, or by any juggling Tricks and Frauds. To cure all Difeafes, and raife the Dead to Life again, by a Word-fpeaking, are too great and mighty Works for Human Power and Skill in the higheft improvement 5 they cannot cure Difeafes without the application of fome
proper
the Author s Con'verfion. 8i
proper Medicines, they cannot command a deadCarcaCe to rile out of the Grave, and reftore the Litje and Soul to it again, after it has been dead three Days. Thefe things appear fo plainly impoffible to the natural Powers of Mankind, tliat as it were ridi- culous for any Man to ailert the contrary, fo it were needlefs to confute them. But neither can they be done by the Tricks of Jugglers and Conjurers , who cheat and gull the People with the counterfeit ap'- pearance of wonderful Feats, which they perform by unheeded Caufes, and fecret Ways of ad-ing ^ for there could be no Trick us*d in mod of thofe Miracles which were wrought ^ as in raifing Lazarm from the Dead, after he had lain three Days in the Grave, before many Specta- tors who knew that he was dead, and that the fame Lazarus was now rais'd again j and it is altogether incredible, that a Cheat of this nature (hould be carried on thro' fo many inlhnces, for fo long a time, and that none of the great Numbers that were conccrn'd in the Contrivance, nor of the Spectators, many of whom were Jews and Heathens, (hoiild difcover the Cheat, efpecially confidering that the Contrivers could ferve no worldly End by impoling upon the World 5 but on the contrary they met with Bonds and Death for this
G pre-
8 2 The Gr OH fids of
pretended Trick 5 and many of the Speda- tors being learned and ingenious Men, of a contrary Religion, were fufficiencly able and ftrongly inclin'd to have difcover*d the Cheat, if there had been any, which yet was never done 5 and therefore we may certainly conclude, that the pretended Mi- racles were not wrought by juggling Tricks.
2. Seeing thefe wonderful Works could not be done by the Power or Artifice of Men, they muft be wrought either by the Power of created Spirits, or the Almighty Power of God : But that they were not wrought by the Power of any created Spi- rits, will appear by confidering, that they muft either be done by good Angels, or evil Spirits : As to good Angels, befides that many of the Works aforc-mention d appear to be above the Power of any Crea- ture, as we fhall (hew prefently, I fhall only obferve , that if they had been done by good Angels, this would be a demonftra- tion of the truth of Chrift's Revelation, no lefs than if they were wrought by a Power inherent in himfclf ^ for the good Angels are the Minifters of the heavenly Kingdom, and are fuppos'd always to do the Will of God, and defign the Welfare of Mankind. And it is utterly inconliftent with all the Notions we have of them,
that
the Authors Coti'verfion, 8:^
that they ftiould contribute fuch a mighty affiftance to delude the World with a falfe Do^rine 5 and to perfuade fo many Thou- fands of its Preachers and Profeflbrs to endure the greateft Miferies, and moft painful Deaths in the World, without any hopes of a future Reward in another Life for their prefcnt Sufferings : fuch a wic- ked Impoflure is agreeable only to the Falfhood and Malice of evil Spirits 5 and this indeed is the laft Refuge and Strong- hold of Infidels, who denying the Truth of Chrift's Revelation, afcribe his wonder- ful Works to the Power of wicked Spirits, with whom, they fay, he was confederate* So did the Jews in his own time 5 for when the Pharifees heard of his healing one blind and dumb, who was polTefs'd with a Devil, they faid. This Fellow docs not caji out Devils^ bnt by Beelzebub the Priffce of Devils, M^t. 12. 24. i. c. He does it by a Contcderacy with evil Spirits. A- gainft which pretence Chrifthimfelf argues very ftrongly in the following Verfes, Eve- ry Kingdom divided agai^ifl it Jdf k brojfght to defolution.^ A>id if Siitan caft out Sa- tan, he is divided againji hiwfelf, how JJjall then his Kingdom Jl,ind s-' The meaning of which Argument is this, Thathev/hoop- pofes Devils and unclean Spirits, and drives them by force from the quiet poiTeflion G 2 they
84 The GroHuds of
they have enjoy 'd of Mens Bodies, cannot be fuppos'd to aft by Collufion and Con- federacy with them, but mud be an Ene- my to them, and their Defigns ^ for the Devil cannot be thought to joyn with another to difgrace himfclf, to defeat his own Defigns, and ruin his Kingdom : but this appear'd plainly to be the Defign of Chrift, who went about doing good^ and healing all that were opprefs'd of the Devil : For he being a malicious Spirit, who de- lights in the Mifcryand Ruin of Mankind, exercis'd a Dominion over the Bodies he poUefs'd, infliftingupon them fcveral Di- leafes, and depriving them of the ufe of their Senfes, that he might keep them in fubjedion to him, and maintain his King- dom in the World : But, i. Chrift by dif- pollefling the Devils of Mens Bodks, and healing the Difeafcs they had intiided, de- flroy'd their Dominion,and ruin'd their De- figns of Mifchief againft Mankind, which cannot be fuppos'd to be done by the De- vil's Concurrence, but muft be the Work of one that is an Enemy to him. 2. Our Saviour argues, that it muft not only be the Force of an Enemy, but a Force fupe- riour to the Power of the Devil, v. 29. of the feid twelfth Chapter of Matthew, How C:ifr O'le enter into ajlrong Main's Houfe, and fpo'd his Goods J except hejirji bind theftrong •
Man,
the Author s Conquer fion. ^5
Mar?^ and then he will fpoil his Honfc^ i. e. the Devil having a quiet polieirioiiot Mens Bodies, will hold it until he is torcd to quit it 5 and he cannot be forc'd to leave it, but by a Power fuperiour to his own, which can conquer and overcome \\\m. 3. 1 may add, that the Miracles of Chrift were for the moft part Miracles of Mercy and Goodnefs to Mankind, whereby he icd the hungry, cur'd the (ick, and rais'd the dead to life 5 and fo they were diredly contrary to the Temper and Dcligns of the Devil, who feeks by all means the Mi (cry and Deftruftion of Mankind 5 as appears plain- ly in thofe Idolatrous Countries, where he requires the facrihcing of many thoufand Children every Year to latiate his Cruelty, and therefore he cannot be fupposM to contribute to the good and merciful De- fign of Chrift's Viiracles, which was fo contrary to his malicious and cruel Tem- per. 4. The Miracles of Chrift were wrought to confirm liis Doftrine, which tended directly to the overthrow of the Devil's Kingdom : For the Son of God rvas munifejied to dejiroythe \Vorl{f of the Devil : Which he did effedually by turning Men from all their Idolatrous Pradiccs, to wor- ftiip the only true and living God, and from all thofe unclean Lufts which reign'd with- out controul among the Gentiles, to a Life
G 3 of
8^ The Grounds of
of the greateft Purity and Holinefs : For the great Defign of the Devil was to with- draw Mens Hearts from the true God, and their dependence upon him, to put their truft in Idols, and to draw to himfelf, and fuch-like wicked Spirits, all that Worftiip and Adoration which is the peculiar Glory of God, whereby he gain'd an abfolute Dominion over the Souls of Men, making them do that Homage to himfelf, which was only due to their Natural Lord and Maker, as he did over their Bodies, by alluring them to thofe vile Lufts, which eftrange their Minds from God, and make them fit Receptacles for unclean Spirits. And in thefe two things the Kingdom of the Devil did cljicfly confift : But by the preaching of the Dodrine of Chrift, this Kingdom of Darknefs was fub verted, his Altars v/ere deferted, his Temples demo- lifh'd, and all Men were taught every- where to worftiip the true God, in Spirit and in Truth, and to abhor thofe obfcene Rites which Ibme of the Gentiles made a part of their Religion, Seeing therefore that by the Doctrine of Chrift Men were turned from Darknefs to Light, and from the Power of Satan to Cod, thofe won- derful Works could not be wrought by the Power of evil Spirits, which confirmed iacb a Dodtrine as was diredly contrary
to
the Author s Con'vcrfion. 87
to the Defign, and did effedually over- throw the Kingdom of Darknefs. And this I think may be fufficient to thew, that the Miracles of Chrift were not wrought by the Power of evil Spirits, as the Pha- rifees alledgd againft him. But becaufe the fame pretence has been made ufe of not only by Jews but Heathens, againft all the Miracles which were pretended to be done by Chrift, or his Apoftles, or the Primitive Chriftians in the firft four Centuries, which are afcrib'd to Magical or lEg^ptian Arts, to Inchantments, or the ftranee Power of Words, I fay, becaufe the fame pretence has been made ufe of againft all other Miracles pretended to be done by any Chriftians ^ (for thefe Magi- cal Arts, whatever they be, muft (ignifie a fecret Correfpondcnce with , and Concur- rence of evil Spirits, or elfe they fignifie nothing diftinft from the Power and Skill of Men) I ftiall therefore add two or three Confide rations relating to all the Miracles in geileral , which are pretended to be wrought for Confirmation of the Truth of the Chriftian Doftrine. And, i. The Miracles of Chrift and his Apoftles were fo many, fo great, done fo publickly and univerfally, through fo many feveral Coun- tries, and the Power of working them was continued fo long in the Chriftian Church,
G 4 tha
88 The Grounds of
tbat it is altogether incredible they (hould be done by Magical Arts, or the Power of evil Spirits 5 for who can believe that fuch a vaft number of mighty Works, for the fpace of four Centuries, as are pretended to be done in Confirmation of the Chri- ftian Religion , (liould be done by the Power of evil Spirits, when the like was never pretended to be done to confirm any other Religion that ever appear'd in the World ; What Account can be given why evil Spirits (hould be fo mightily con- cerned to propagate the Chriftian Religi- on, above all the other Religions in the World ? Was it not at leaft as much, and apparently more for the Intereft of their Kingdom of Darknefs, to promote the Ido- latrous Praftices, the filthy and obfcene, the barbarous and cruel Rites of Pagan Religions, than to promote the Worlhip of one only Supreme God, and the Purity and Gentlenefs which is prefcrib'd by the Chriftian Inftitution. Tis true indeed, there are fome Miracles pretended to be wrought by Pagan Priefts in Confirmation of their Religion, the truth of which pre- tence i fhall not now enquire into 5 but they never pretended, fo far as I could ever learn, that they wrought fo many and fo great Miracles, fo publickly in fo many feveral Countries, as Chrift and his Apo-
(Ilea
the Authdri Converfioft, 8^
ftles are faid to have done, or that they could communicate the Poivcr of working Miracles to their Difciples, and tranfmit it for feveral Ages to their Succeflbrs, as isr pretended to be done for Confirmation of theChriftian Religion , and it appears to me altogether unaccountable , why the Chriftian (hould fo far exceed all other Re- ligions in this point of Evidence, if thefe pretended Miracles were wrought by the Power of evil Spirits. If Chrift learn'd his Magical Art in Eg^pt, and taught it to his Difciples, whereby they were ena^ bled to work Miracles, as many both Jjews and Heathens have alledg'd, how comes it to pafs, that others who have been there, could never attain to the fame Art, or teach it to others ? Or why do not the Egyptians themfelves, who are the great M:i Iters of that Magical Art, (hew their Skill in it, by doing fo many and fo great Miracles as rhey taught Chrift to do> Buc fince neither they have ever done, nor any other from them could ever learn the Art of doing fuch mighty Works, fo far as has hitherto appear'd to the World , we may fately conclude , that this pretence is a grouridlefs and incredible furmile. Befides, if Chrift inftrufted his.Apoftles in thcfe Magical Arts, they muft believe and know him to be an Impoftor : And who then can
imagine
po The Grounds of
imagine, that ever any Men in their found Senfis, (hould be willing to facrifice their Lives and Fortunes for the fake of a vile Forgery, as the Apoftles did, when they might have fav*d them by deteding the Impofture.
2. There are feveral Miracles attributed to Chrift and his Apoftles, which feem to be above the Power of evil Spirits : But fuppofing it were poflible for them to do all thefe Miracles, yet being fubjeft to the Government of God , the great Creator and Governor of all things vifible and in- vifible, they could not do them without bis leave and permilTion, which we cannot believe that he would grant, becaufe it ap^ pears to be inconfiftent with his infinite Coodnefs, to permit evil Spirits to work fo many and great Miracles, on purpofe to delude the World with a Lye, and thereby cxpofe Mankind to an invincible Tempta- tion to believe it. Tis true indeed, other Religions have pretended to Miracles wrought in Confirmation of them 3 but befides that they were neither fo many nor fo great, as are pretended by Chriftians, there was always fome means left for dif- covering the Impofture, either by the mul- titude of Gods which they worft)ipp*d, contrary to the Unity of the Godhead, which may be known, as has been prov'd,
by
the Author s Cona/erfion. p i
by natural Reafon , or by the filthy and obfcene, the barbarous and cruel Pradtices they enjoyn'd, which are plainly contrary to the natural Notions we have of God, Und of Vertue and Vice : And it was juft with God to give them up to ftrong Delu- fions, that they (hould believe a Lye, be- caufe that when they knew God, or might have known him by the Works of Crea- tion, they did not glorifie him as God, but vporjhipt the Creature more than the Creator^ and allow'd themfelves in fuch unclean and cruel Rites, as are contrary to the na- tural Notions of the Divine Purity and Goodnefs ^ and we are certain that fuch a Religion cannot be from God, tho* it be confirmed by Signs and Wonders. But when the Chriftian Religion commands the Worlhip of one God only, and en- joyns no Pradice but what is pure, juft, and gentle, [as will appear in the next Chapter ^] if God (hould be pleas'd to per- mit fuch a Religion to be confirmed by evil Spirits, doing more and greater Mira- cles than ever were wrought for proof of any other Religion in the World, every one muft think himfelf oblig'd to believe it to be from God ^ becaufe there is no way left tp difcover fuch a Religion, ha- ving fuch ftrong Evidence, to be an Im- pofture ; And therefore, fince it is incon-
fifteat
p2 'the Grounds of
fiftent with the Goodnefs of God to off^r fuch a violent Temptation to Mankind to believe a Lye, we muft conclude, that he would never fufFer evil Spirits to work fo many and great Miracles in Confirmation of it*
But befides the Miracles which Chrift himfelf wrought here on Earth , there were feveral illuftrious Teftimonies given to him from Heaven, which I fhall but briefly mention, as a farther Confirmation of his being aflifted by a Divine Power in the Miracles which he wrought. Of this nature was the Star which conduced the Wife Men from the Ea^ to Bethlehem, where he was born 5 the frequent Appa- ritions of Angels to minifter unto him, at his Conception and Birth, at his Tempta- tion in the Wildernefs, in his Agony, at his Refurredion and Afcenfion into Hea- ven ^ fuch were the Voices that were heard from Heaven, teftifying, that he was the beloved Son of God ^ at his Baptifm, when John the Baptift faw tiie Heavens open'd, and the Spirit of God defcending like a Dove, and lighting upon him .• at his Transfiguration, when a bright Cloud overQiadow'd him and two of his Difci- ples, Peter and John ^ and again, in his Agony, when Chrift faid, Father^ ghrifie thj l^ame j and a Voice was heard from
Heaven,
the Authors Con^erfeon. p^
Heaven, / have both glorified it, and will glorifie it again : Of the fame nature were the Miracles and Prodigies that accompa- nied his Death on the Crofs, both in Hea- ven and Earth, when; there was Darknefs over all the Earth , from the Sixth Hour to the Ninth, when the Veil of the Tem- ple was rent in twain, and the Earth did quake, and the Rocks rent, and the Graves were open d, and many Bodies of Saints which flept arofe, and came out of the Graves after his Elefurreftion , and went into the Holy City, and appear'd unto many 5 which Signs fo aftonilh'd the Cen- turion and the Roman Soldiers that watch'd him, that they were forc'd to confefs. Truly this rcas the Son of God^ certainly thk was a righteoHs Man, And indeed all thefe Miracles were fo many Divine Atteftations of his MifTion from God, and that he was tiie peculiar Favourite of Heaven, whom God was pleafed fo far to honour 5 for as 'tis certain that no Human Power and Skill could perform or counterfeit fuch Signs from Heaven, fo neither is it conceivable that evil Spirits either could, or would give fo many glorious Tefti monies to bim. But to conclude, The Niiracles wrought by Chrift and his Apoftles, and thofe that were done by a fuperiour invifible Power in Attertation of him, were fo many and
fo
P4 T^l^^ Grounds of
fo great, and extended to fo many Crea- tures both in Heaven and Earth, that none but he who had an univerfal and ab- folute Dominion over all the Works of Nature could perform them, and therefore they were above the Power of evil Spi- rits, and could only be done by the Al- mighty Power of God, the Great Creator and Governor of all things.
II. Having thus demonftrated, that the Miracles which we believe Jefus did, had all the Conditions of true Miracles, and were fuch that no Power but that of Al- mighty God could effed : Our next Bufi- nels is to prove, that ChriLl: did really work fuch Miracles ^ and this from the following Confiderations will plainly ap- pear.
I. The Miracles of our Saviour were not like Tranfubftantiation, and others of the RoTHun Church, which are the Objedts of Faith only, but they were plain Objeds of our Senfes^ every Body prefent could fee them ^ they were not done in a Corner, or in a particular fecret Place , but publickly, before the Face of the Sun, fo that it can never be faid that thefe Demonftrations of Omnipotency were fubtile Deceits and Im- poftures.
2. We
the Authors Cotrverfton. pe
2. We have a conftant Tradition of Chrift's Miracles from the Apoftles, thro* all Ages of Chriftianity, even until now 5 the Hiftory of them has been always the fame, and never was, or can be contra- difted.
3. Thele Miracles are not only acknow- ledged by the Chriftians, but by their great- eft Enemies : For even the Jews, amongft other things which they relate of Chrift in thtitTAlmndy make mention of his Miracles alfo. The Turk^ in their Alchoran have recorded fome of Chrift's Miracles, his Re- furreftion is commonly believ'd amongft them, they look upon him as a great Pro- phet, and as fuch profefs a profound Ve- neration for him. Laftly, Several of the Jewifiy Mahometan, and Heathen Writers, frequently mention Chrift s Miracles 5 this the whole Chriftian World knows better than I my felf, I ftiall not therefore now trouble you with particular Quotations out of thefe Authors.
4. But fuppofing that we had not all thefe Teftimonies of Chrift's Enemies to prove his Miracles, yet that of the Apo- ftles and Evangelifts would be abundantly fufficient , as we ftiall more clearly ftiew hereafter : For they had not the leaft profped of any temporal advantage by
pub-
^6 Tihe Grour^ds of
publilhing thefe things 5 oq the contrary they exaipera>ed the j pwers ot the World ty it, an^.vyich theii: Blood feal'd the TDoftrines they had taught : this furely is a. valid Proof that the Miracles related in the Life of Chrift, were really done by him.
-' liT. That our Saviour wrought, thefe Miracles in Confirmation of his Religion, appears, from what he faid to th&.Di- fciples of John when they came and ask- ed him whether he was the 'Ee;:tW^5 or he that k to come 5 he anfwered , G<?, anci tell John what you have feen , &c. And from what he had faid to the Jews, If yon will not believe 7ne^ at leaft believe the Works I do in the Name of my Father, There are many other places in Holy Scripture, which (hew that the principal End of ChriiVs Miracles was to confirm his Doctrine.
SECT.
the Author s ConverfiotL ^y
SECT. VIII.
Of the OhjeH of Chrijiian Religion,
TH E Evidences for the Chriftian Re- ligion being thus produc'd and exa- mined, we come next to the OhJeC^ of it. We have already allerted, that the tfue Religion muft have for its Objeft, i. A- bove all things the Honour and Glory of God. 2. The univerfal Happinefs of Man- kind. 5. The Good of every Man ia particular. For the clearer underftanding of this, we (hall divide the Chriftian Re- ligion, I. Into the Crede»da, or what A Chrillian ought to believe. 2. The A^efi^- duy or the Precepts he Ihould pradice ^ and if we find both thefe Parts of Chriftian Religion have the aforefaid Objed, we may fafely conclude it is the true Religion. My Defign (as I have intimated elfewhere) is not to run over and repeat the Princi^ pies of all Religions, but only to demon- ftrate the Excellency of the Chriftian by its Objed, well knowing that all other Religions fall infinitely (hort of it.
I. As to its Credenda. It is true there are but few Nations which do not believe one Supreme Being 5 but how grofly are
H they
tp8 The Gromids of
they millaken in their Notions of him *> Some rob him of his chiefeft Attributes : Some reprefent him fubjed to almoft all the Paflions of Human Nature, and this leads them into fcch weak and pernicious Principles and Praftices, that Men (^of com- mon Sence] of contrary Opinions, are a- (ham'd to hear of ^ but the Chriftian Re- ligion teacheth not only God's Exiftence, but his Attributes aUb in the higheft per- fcdion that our UnderPtanding is capable to bear. Whereas other Religions adore 3 plurality of Gods, this teacheth to vvor- fnip one God in Unity : Some make him material, this an Jncomprehenfible Spirit. Some again deny his Providence, or fo af- fert his Sublimity that he neglcfts fublu- nary Things, as Matters much beneath his Government : But the Chriftian Religion teacheth us, that his Providence is Omni- prefent, and allures us of his great Love and tender Care over all his Creatures. In fhorr, his Goodnefs, Mercy, Long-fufFer- ing, Juftice, his infinite Power, Wifdom, Holinefs, 6^i\ are plainly preach'd and de- monftrated by Jefus the Author of Chri- ll:ian Religion. What a miferable State then are tliofe in who deny the Provi- dence of God ? They are Men without Faith, v/ithoutHopc ^ are they groaning undsr Afiiidiens, they dare not call \^on
him
the Anthers Coti'Verpon, pc^
him for Deliverance ! Are they in their laft Agonies, where can be their Truft and Confidence ? But we are taught that this God is the Creator, Preferver, and Governour of all Things ^ we know he obferveth all our Adions, and this makes us mindful of our Duty 5 we are fure that he giveth us the Fruits of the Earth, Sue- cefs, Honour, Life, Health, Children, and all other Bleffings 5 and this obligeth us ta be thankful to that infinite Goodnefs which beftow'd them upon us : We be- lieve he orders all Events , as Difeafes, Death of Friends, CrofTes and Afflidions 5 this (hews us the great Mercy of God, who fcourgeth and punilheth us, that we may repent, and return to our Obedience. Other Religions indeed oblige Men to con- fefs the Frailty of their Nature, to acknow^ ledge the Crimes they daily commit, and the Evils to which they are inclined 5 yet it gives them no other Remedies for the appealing the Juftice of an angry God, but the Sacrifices of Beafts and of Men.< But blelled be God, it is not fo with us, we know we are Sinners, but we arc con- fident that the God of infinite Mercy will, upon Repentance, forgive us all our Tref- palTes for the fake of Jefus Chrill: his be- loved Son, who died for our Sins, rofe again for our Jaflification, and afcended
H 2 into
lOO The C rounds of
into Heaven , to be our Advocate, Me- diator, and Interceflor with the Father : This is the greateft Confolation Man can Willi 5 for whilft others are concern'd to appeafe their God by an infinite multitude of Sacrifices, and thefe attended with fo great a number of Ceremonies, Chriftians enjoy a perfed Ttrauqnility and Freedom, relying entirely upon God's infinite Mercy, praying, extolling, and magnifying it without end. Yet this is not all that God hath done for us 5 he hath not only fent his Son to be an Expiation for our Sins, but alfo to be our Prophet and Teacher, to inftrud us in the Will of his Father, by preaching publickly in the vSynagogues of the Jews, and efpecially to thofe whom he had chofcn to be Witneircs of his Life and Doftrine -^ and after the time of his Mif- fion was expired, and he afcended into Heaven, he fent the Holy Ghoft the Com- forter to affift them, in planting the Reli- gion he left with them 5 beftow'd the Gift of Miracles upon them to confirm it 5 and for the better propagation of it he efta- blifli'd a Communion and Congregation of Saints, into v/hich all Men may be intro- duced who repent and have Fairh. f ailly. He has left two Covenants, viz. the Sa- craments, in his Church, by which he con- veys his Graces and Bleffings to us. Thefe,
and
the Author s Con<verfro}j. i o i
^ndmore, are the wonderful Works of the infinite Goodnefs and Mercy of God 5 which when we relied upon, we cannot but fay with the Pfalmift, What k Man, 0 Lord ! that thou art mrndfrl of him^ &c. This I think fufficient, to (lievv how much the Credenda of the Chril\ian Religion are for the Honour and Glory of God, the uni- verfal Happincfs of Mankind , and the Good of every Man in particular.
2. The Agenda, or Precepts which a Chriftian 'ught to practice, are no lefsfor the Honour and Glory of God, &c. That they far excel the Rules of all ether Reli- gions there can be no difpute. Tj e Jews indeed have the Decalogue, or Ten Com- mandments, as well as we ^ But how itrid- ly do they interpret them ? And how far has Chrifit extended them ? The Jews think if they are not Idolaters, or Blafphemers, if they obferve the Sabbath by not doing any manner of Work, if they honour Fa* ther and Mother, if they do not Murther, Steal, commit Adultery, bear Falfe Wit- nefs, or are not Covetous 5 if they obferve the Ceremonies and Feftivals which the Law prefcribeth, and abftain from the fe- veral Meats it forbiddeth, then they think they have done their Duty, and that God is obliged to give them the promifed Re- ward. But the Precepts of the Chriftian H 3 Reli-
1 02 The Grounds of
Religion extend yet farther, as we fhali prefently fhevv.
God forbid the Pagan Religion fliould any ways be compared to the Chriftian, which is fo far from glorifying God, that the Honour which is only due to the Crea- tor it giveth to the Creature, and teacheth Men to worftiip Idols, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, nay [for fear] the very Deyils , and to facrifice their very Children to them, it pbligeth its Devotees to the utmoft Cruel- ty to their own Bodies, under the Notion of Holinefs, Merit 5 it allows, even pre- fcribes the Impurity of Polygamy, and o- ther Uncleannefs : In a word, inftead of bringing Men to that degree of Holineft, without which no Man fliall fee the Lord, it r^akes them Reprobates , and throws them into the laft degree of Imperfedion, condemning all Graces and Vertues where- by we over-rule ourPaffions asfooliftiand idle Notions, &c. But leaft, contrary to rny purpofe, I (hould make too great a di- gredion in comparing the Chriftian Reli- gion to all others, I (hall return, and em- ploy the reft of this Sedtjon in fhewing, fhat the Chriftian Religion is not only a- toye all others, buc alfo that it brings a hhn toB^egenerationand thatperfed Holi» iiefs, which is the end of his Creation.
the Anthors Con'verjion. \ o '^
ff v/e conilder t' e Precepts of Chriftia- nity as the Rules of Human Life, we (hill find them the moft accurately adapted to our Nature, as ever were made known to the World, no ways contradiftory to our Reafon, but tend to make mortal Man pcr- fed, even as God is perfeft : The greatefl: Libertines who do not live up to them, yet approve of them. By thefe Precepts we are taught, Firll, Our Duty to our Maker, to believe in him, to fear him, to love him above all things 5 to truft and depend entirely upon him, to do his Will with all fubmiliion 5 to worQiip him with pure Hearts, not with Sacrifices, for he eats not the Fiefli of Bulls, or drinks the Blood of Goats ^ they inftruft us how to call upon him, and with fervent Zeal and Underftanding, and unwearied Conftancy, to offer up our Petitions to him 5 to praife and glorifie his Holy Name for all the Be- nefits we and all Mankind have receiv'd from him fince the Creation of the World. Thefe Duties are founded upon thehigheit and moft folid Reafon 5 and all that be- lieve there is a God muft perform them : For whom fhall we fear, but him that is Almighty ? Whom fliall we love, but in- finite Goodnefs and Loving-kindnefs it felf ? Whom (hall we confide in, but him who is able and willing to help us ? To
H 4 whom
104 The Gronnds of
whom {hall we fubmit, and upon whom fhall we depend, but upon hini who is in- finitely wife } Whofe Will ihall we do, but his who is juft and right ? Shall we worfhiphim with Sacrifices of Beafts, who is an eternal Spirit ? Briefly, fince on Earth we petition our Super iours, if we will ob- tain any Favours from them, and we pay our grateful Acknowledgments for them when received ^ infinitely more are we obliged upon all occa (ions to pray to that God,upon whom our being and well-being depends % and to offer up our Praife and Thankf- givings to him who hath beftow'd fo ma- ny Benehcs upon us. Thus our Duty to God has not only his Glory for its Ob- ject, but our own Good and Welfare alfo.
Our Duty to our Neighbour gives us the moft incomparable Rules for Government, Society, and FriendQiip ^ for it aims at the g'^^od of all Men in general, and of every ^.ian in particular ^ it requires from us O- bedience to our Governours and Superiors, even when they unjuftly ufe us, and per- fecute us ^ it teacheth us the greateft Mer- cy, Love, and Humanity, one to another, obliging us to forgive our bittereft Ene- niies, and to pray for our Slanderers and Tormcnters 5 it will not permit us to ren- der evil for evil, but on the contrary com-- '■■■*" mands
the Author s Conz/erfion. 105
mands us to do good to thofe who tr^at us injuriously. There is no Friendfhip fo fa- cred, no Juftice fo impartial, no Charity' fo great, no Meeknefs fo exemplary, . as that which our blefled Saviour has recom- mended to us ^ wicked Thoughts, much more wicked Deeds, are abhorr'd by his' true and genuine Followers, who live in perfeft peace and tranquility one with ano- ther.
Our Duty to our felves has the fame Ob- jed as the two former : It commands us the lowed and moll: profound Humility, the greateft Meeknefs and Patience under our Sufferings and Reproaches 5 to be content in whatfoever State of Life it (hall pleafe God to call us ^ to have an unfhaken Faith, unfpotted Chaftity, and to prefevere to the laft Moment of our Lives 5 to be tempe- rate in Meats and Drinks , and all Recrea- tions 3 to follow our Callings with dili- gence 5 it gives us a (ingular Modefty, Sim- pi icity. Gravity, and Sincerity of Heart 5 it teacheth us to deny our felves, to de- fpife worldly things, and hunger and thirft after Righteoufnefs 3 to husband well the Talent God hath given us 5 to follow the things that are pure, honeft, of good re- port, and praife- worthy 5 it commands nothing that is unaccountable, nothing
that
io6 The Grounds of
that is bafe and unbecoming reafonable Creatures ^ all our Adions are moderated by it, we ought to be as innocent as Doves, but as wife as Serpents 5 we ought to be modeft and humble, but not afraid to appear in the defence of Truth 5 we ought to do Juftice, but not to be unmer- ciful 5 we ought to bear Injuries, but not to be fenflefs of them 5 we muft be kind to all Men, but without any Pride or Af- feftation ^ and thus are all Chriftian Ver- tues moderated. If what has been faid be well confider'd and digefted, it will be evident , that the Chriftian Religion does bring us to the higheft degree of Perfedion that its poffible Human Na- ture can attain to, and that it tends [in- finitely beyond all others ] to the Glory and Honour of God, the univerfal Hap^ pinefs of Mankind, and the Good of eve- ry Man in particular, and confequently is the true Religion.
SECT.
the Author s Con^^rfwij, 107
SECT. IX,
Of Promifes and Rewards^ of Woes and Puijifrntejits,
HAving prov'd that tbe Chriftian Re- ligioa has the true Objed of the right Religion, and that the Crcdenda of it were as perfeft as could be , and the Agenda as Human Nature is capable of bearr ing5 we come now to conlider what Pro- mifes are made to them who live accor- dingly, and what Woes and Judgments are denounc'd againft the Children of Dlf- obedience. Our Corruption is fo great, and our vicious Inchnations fo fcrong , that without a certain belief of future Re- wards and Puniftiments, it would be very difficult for ns to walk in the moft pleafant Paths of Religion : For how can we con- ceive a Man ftiould extinguifli his violent Palfion for a darling Pleafure, had he not fure hopes (by thus mortifying himfelf to the World) of a more fubftantial Good, and of avoiding an everlafting Mifery >
Whether we confider thcfe Rewards in refped to God, or regard to our own Souls;
they
io8 The Grounds of
they are far more glorious and adapt than what any other Religion affords. What others have feigned to encourage Men to do good, is indeed not a little enticing, but yet it is direftly contrary to the Na- ture of God, and our Souls ^ for inftance : Their Notions of Metempfychofis, or the Tranfmigration of the Soul into snother Body, more noble or ignoble^ delightful charming Places 5 Riches 5 Plurality of Women, d^c, which can never agree with the Eternal Almighty God, neither with our reafonable Souls, they are Spirits which can never be fatisfied with temporal things, they came from God, and naturally defire to return to him, no Pleafure can fufii- ciently content them, but the infinite Hap- pinefs of enjoying their Creator. 2. Our Bodies have their part in thefe Promifesas well as our Souls : For is it not juft, that the Body which has accompanied the Soul through many Trials and Affiidions, for the fake of God, (bould fhare in its Re- wards alfo } Is it not reafonable, that the Body which has been depriv'd of fo many Lufts and Pleafures, (hould, with the Soul, be Partaker of eternal Happinefs > The Refurreftion of the Body muft therefore be a great Confolation to us 5 our Saviour proved it to the Jews, out of the Books of the Law and the Prophets, he laid the
Foun-
the Authors Conifer fion, lop
Foundation of this Truth, and we are fure our Faith is not vain, lince he is rifen from the dead. To fay, that the fcatter'd Particles of our diflblv'd Bodies cannot be colleded again, is an Objedion fo weak, that it defcrves not an Anfwer 5 for cer- tainly the Almighty Creator of Man out of nothing, cannot only reftore him to bis former State after his dilTolution, but en- due him alfo with a perfed Underfland- ing, and a perpetual Vigour, d^c. We fee then thefe Ke wards are not fuch fen- fual Banquets as the Jews vulgarly believe^ nor fuch a Fool's Paradile, a plurality of VV^omen, as the Turks exped ^ nor the Wandrings of the Soul from one Body to another, as the Heathens dream 5 but it is an infinite Spiritual Happinefs we are promiied, the greate(\ our Heart can wifti, or that a created Being is capable of, we fhall enjoy the Ber^rific Viiion, God will dwell in us, wc ftiail praife him with joy- ful Hallelujahs for ever and ever^ we fhall be free from Hunger and Thirft, from all Doubtful nefs of Thought, Sorrow, Fain, and Death ^ in (hort, we (hall be perfedly happy, for we (ball live in the Lord, and he inns. When weferioutly confiderthis, we (ball be ready to part with everything, even our Lives, for eternal Salvation 5 fuch perfedion of Blifs will make all the
Righteous
1 1 d The Grounds of
Righteous (with St. Paul) moft earneftly deiirous to leave this World of Sin and Miferies, and to be diflblv'd to be with Chrift 5 the Apoftle experimentally knew what this Happinefs was, when he thus explained it to the Corwthians, Eye hath not feen^ nor Ear heard, neither hath it en- tred into the Heart of Man to conceive^ the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. We fliall now briefly con- fider the Woes and Punifhments.
As God hath promifed fuch great and glorious Rewards to them that love him, and are obedient to his Commands, fo he hath pronounced moft terrible Woes and Judgments againft them that ad the con- trary : Is it not reafonable to think, that God who is merciful to the Righteous, (hould be juft to the Wicked and the Im- penitent ? And if the Rewards of the Good are inexpreffible , muft not the Pu- nilhments of thofe who die in their Sins be the utmoft Mifery ? I (hould be too tedi* ous if I repeated here all the Expreffions ufed in Holy Scripture, to make us fenfible of the miferable State of the Damned 5 I (ball therefore make fome Refledions on \vhat has been faid, and fo conclude this Sedion.
I. The
the Author s Co?rverfton, 1 1 1
1. The belief of thefe Woes and Tor: merits deterreth us from committing Sin, and quickens us to Repentance and a holy Life : For no Man can hope for eternal Life, but by doing the Will of God 5 ever- lafting Flames muft be his Portion, who dies without Repentance.
2. It breeds a dread and fear in us of the great and jealous God , a God that will not be mocked 5 it teacheth us to tremble at his Word, to confider his in- finite Juftice, and the fiercenefs of his Wrath.
5. We are hereby taught to put a true Value upon the Work of our Redemption, for if we believe not an Eternity of Tor- ments, we can never fufficiently efteem the Ranfom Chrift paid for us , whereas he who reflefts upon the Glories he had loO, and the infinite Mifery he had deferv'd, cannot but be moft thankful for fo plente- ous a Pvedemption.
The belief that God has laid up glori- ous Rewards for thofe that love him, is ufeful,
I. To wean our Affeftions and De fires from the Pleafurcs of this Life, to create in us a contempt of this World, and to teach us to prefer Heaven before all things.
2. It
1 1 a T^Ijc Grounds of
2. It encourageth us to take up the Crofs of Chrift, and willingly and cheer- fully to faffer all Affiiftions for his Name- fake, alTuring us in the Words of the Apo- ftle St. Paul, That the Snffer'wgs of this pre- fent time are not to he compared with the Qlory thatjhall be reveal' d.
SECT. X.
Several other Proofs for the Chrijiian Keligion.
MY Guide having thus proved the Truth of the Chriftian Religion by its Evidences and its Objed, he gave me fome other Arguments to confirm me, which are not of a little value. I (hall con- trad them as much as 1 can.
I. As the Jews own that there was a Meffias promifed, fo they cannot deny but that they crucified a Man whofe Name was Jefus, in whom we find all that's foretold of the Meflias in the Old Teftament ful- filled ^ as, that he (hould be born of a Virgin,in the City oi Bethlehem, oiih^YnhQ
of
the Author s Con'verjiott, i i ^
of Jndah, and of the Pofterity of David j that he (hould begin to preach in Galilee^ do many Miracles, be the Saviour not only of tlie Jews but the Gentiles aUb, that he Ihould eftablilh the Worfhip of one true God, and deilroy that of Idols and falfc Gods :; that he thould be bctray'd , and fold for Thirty Pieces of Silver, the Time, Manner, and Circumltances of his Suffer- ings and Death ^ the very parting his Garment, the Scoffs of the Multitude, his Behaviour, laft Words, the exempting his Bones from being broken, his honourable Burial, his R-efurrcdion, &c. All that was predided and prefigur'd of old, was ac- compliih'd in him, fo that undoubtedly this Jefus is the Chrift, and his Religion came from God.
2. My Guide noted to me the extraor- dinary manner how thefe Prophecies were fulfilled 5 of which take two or r hree Ex- amples : Is it not wonderful, that he who had fo many Enemies, (hould be betrayed by one of his own Difciples ^ that hefliould be condemn'd to Death whom the Judge declared innocent ^ that he who had of- tentimes efcaped being ftoned, (hould at laft be crucified ^ and yet had he been guilty of what he was accufed, by the Law of the Country, he ought to have been ftoned ^ that he who was crucified (which
I was
1 1 4 The Grotwds of
was a Koman and not a 'jewifi Punifliment) (liould be fo honourably buried 5 that none of his Bones (bould be broken, tho' it was the Cuftom to break the Bones of the Cru- cified, and it was then pradtis'd upon the two Thieves ? &c, Thefe things are fo furpriling, that we cannot fufticiently ad- mire and adore the infinite Wifdom of God, who in his Son Jefus has fulfilled whatfoever was foretold of the Mef- (ias.
5. The fulfilling of Chrift's Prophecies againft the Jev/s, their Temple and City : For in the time foretold by our Saviour, the Romaf7Sj under their Emperor Titus, did conquer the City, demoli(h*d the Tem- ple, &c. and ever fince that time the Jews have been difpers'd over the whole Earth, and never fince have had any Power or Government.
4. The wonderful progrefs of the Apo- ftles and their Succeflbrs, in propagating the Chriftian Religion. This Argument will be no advantage to the Mahometans, for their Opinions were propagated by other Methods. And here, i. Let us con- fider the Author and Preachers of the Chri- ftian Religion. 2. The Religion it felf. 3. The Manner of its propagation.
I. The Author of the Chriftian Reli- gion was JefitSy the Son of a poor Virgin,
and
the Author s ConzferCwn. 1 1 «;
and the reputed Son of a Carpenter, his Birth in a Stable in Bethlehem^ his Educa- tion in GiiliUaj his Sufferings, and igno- minious Death on the Crofs amongft Ma- lefactors 5 thefe are greater Hindrances than Helps to the fpreading of ChriiVs Dodrincs r but notwithftandinj^ fo mip-hti- ly grew the Word of Chrilt, and prevailed, that it threw down all Superftition and falfe Religion ^ which it could never have done, had not the Power of Almighty God went along with it. The Preachers of the Gofpel were not Princes of great Wealth and Authority, but poor Tradef- men , they were not Men of great Learn- ing, educated in famous Univerfities, but mean obfcure Galileans^ Men of Peace and Humility, they were very unlikely to do any notable things,(ince they wanted world- ly Wifdom and Power to gain them Repu- tation and Authority. This is the true Charader of the Primitive Preachers of the Gofpel. Thefe Men therefore by their own Cunning and Strength, could never have been able to baffle the Wifdom of the Greeks^ the Power of the Romans, the Malice of the 'jews, and the Obftinacy of Idolaters-^ we may as eafily believe that a Sheep could worry a hundred ravenous Wolves, as that thefe Men fhould have prevaifd againft fo many Obftacles of Men
I 2 and
I 1 6 The Groufids of
and Devils, and perfuaded the World to forfake their old Way of Worfhip, and to believe in Chrift crucified : We muft then conclude, that fince they have done all this, the Omnipotent God aflifted them 3 it muft necelTarily be an infinite Povi^er, that by fuch weak obfcure Men could bring fuch mighty Things to pafs.
2. As to the Religion it felf, altho' as we have already proved, it is the mofl: ex- cellent and perfed of all, yet it had feveral Articles of Faith, and Rules of Pradice, that were as fo many Stumbling-blocks to the Heathen 5 among the former, is the Creation of the World, which furely was ftrange Doftrine to them who belie v'd. Ex tiililo nihil fit, i. e. Out of nothing can be made nothing ^ they that had hi- therto believed there were many Gods, could not eafily be perfuaded there is but one. The Doctrines of the Trinity in Unity, and the Unity in Trinity, and of the Refurreftion of Bodies, feem'd very abfurd at Rome and Athens 5 and yet all thefe Doctrines as ftrange and difagreeable as they appeared , were received in thefe places, which could never have been, had not God's miraculous Providence given fuch wonderful, Succefs : And had not the fame Power attended the Preaching the Rules of Practice, the corrupt World had
never
the Author s Coti'verfion, i 1 7
never receiv'd them 5 for the Gofpel coni- mands us to deny all llngodlinefs, and to live righteoufly, jaftly, and foberly • it forbids not only evil Adions, but evil Thoughts alfo 5 it is fo fir from permit- ting us to do Injuries, that it will not al- low us Vengeance for thofe offer'd to us 5 not only Adultery, but even impure Ima- ginations arc forbidden by it, &c. But it will feem yet more ftrange , if we con- fider,
9. The Manner of the firfl: propagation of the Gofpel : It owes not its Succefs to the Eloquence or Rhetorick of the Apo- ftles, they were illiterate ignorant Men, and underftood no more of School-Learn- ing, than one born blind does of Colours ^ their Birth and Fortune were mean and obfcure, they never aflifted in Senates, or in the Councils of Princes ^ they were not great Lawyers, able to defend any Caufe 5 in fliort, they had no bright Qualifications to recommend them to the Princes of the World '^ under thele heavy Difadvantages they propagated the Chriftian Religion to a wicked, perverfe, and powerful Genera- tion. St. Fanl indeed was a Learned Man, and had all the Benefits of a Generous Education, neverthelcfs he tells us, that he determind to i{norv t/othh/g hut Jefuf Chrijl and h'ln? crfinjied ; and that neither his
\ 5 fpccch
1 1 8 The Grounds of
fpeecl\ nor his preachings was with the en* ticing -words of mans wijdom. So that the Succefs of the Chriftiaii Religion is flill owing to the Power of God alone.
War, and the Arm of Flefb, by which Mahomet propagated his Opinions, had no (liare in the advancement of the Gofpel 5 the Jew nor the Gentile need not be afraid of the Sword of the Apoftles, for they were forbidden all Violence and Cruelty, their Mafter did not fend them out as Beafts of Prey, but like Sheep in the midft of Wolves, he was the Mafter of Peace, and they his Servants, and therefore they came not to denounce War, but to bring Peace and Glad-Tidings, and to perfuade the Soldier to fheath his Sword : Princes and States, inftead of protefting them, ufe them cruelly, and perfecuted them from City to City, and yet they had no other Armour but Faith in Jefus Chrift , nor any Sword but that of the Word of God, and with thefe they overcame the Nations, and brought them under the Obedience of the Gofpel. The continual Sufferings , Tri- bulations, Afflictions, and Perfecutions, which the Apoftles and their Profelytes were expofed to, one would think ftiould very much binder the fpreading of the Do61:rine they preach'd 5 Prayers and Tears were the only Weapons they ufed, and yet
the.
the Author s Coii'verfwn, i i p
the Blood of the Martyrs was that fruitful Seed of the Church, fo that Thoulands daily embrac'd Chrifiianity. This won- derful Progrefs of it my Guide laid before me, as one Argument, that it is the only true Religion : He urged many more than what I have mention'd, as the Refurre- ftion and Afceniion of Chrift, his fending the Holy Ghoft to his Apoftles, the won- derful Gifts they receiv'd by it, of fpeak- ing all Languages 3 working Miracles, &c. But I need not mention any more, being convinced that every reafonable Man (if he confidereth what has been faid) muft confefs, that the Chriftian Religion excels all others in its Evidences, Objeft, Matters of Faith, Precepts, Rewards and Puni(h- ments, and that it comes from God, and is the only true Religion.
I (hall, in the laft place, proceed to tell you the Objedions I brought againft the Chriftian Religion, and the Anfwers my good Guide made to them..
I 4 SECT.
1 20 'The Grounds of
SECT. XI.
The QhjeSliojJS I made againsi the Chriflian Religion , with their So^ Intions,
TH E Arguments I brought againft the Exiftence of a God, his Attributes, and the Neceflity of a reveal'd Religion were fo weak, that they are not worth mentioning 5 they were only the common Opinions of my Country-men , and my Guide anfwer'd them lb clearly that I could make no manner of Reply' : So that the iirft Objeftion that feera'd to have any force was this :
OhjcL^, I. How can I now be certain, that what the Evangelifts and Apoftles af- fert is Truth 5 for they might impofe upon us, and write things which never were performed.
Af7fwcr. To this my Guide anfwerd : I. That he fuppos'd the Divine Writers were able to tell us the Truth, and to give us a true and perfed: Hiftory of the Life and Death of the Bleffed Jesus. 2. That they were very willing to do fo. No
Man
the Author s Con^verfion. 121
Man can doubt that they were able to fpeak the truth ^ for they did not write the Hiftory of Things which happen'd in Ages pad, and long before they were born, or of what was done in remote Parts of the World : But the things they deliver down to us they faw with their own Eyes, heard with their own Ears, and felt with their own Hands, &c. as the Apoftle St. John obfervcs. Molt of thefe Writers were con- ftant Attendants on our Saviour, from his firft preaching to the end of his Life 5 fo that if they publifti'd any Untruths, we muft attribute them rather to their Defigns and Intentions to impofe upon us, than their Ignorance : But by the following Confiderations it will appear, they were willing as well as able to tell us the naked Truth.
1. It cannot be imagin'd they could forge the Hiftory of the Life of Chrifl: , How could poorFiflier-men, ignorant Me- chanicks. Men without Learning, contrive fuch a Fidion as fhould in all refpeds fo exadlva^ree?
■J o
2. Suppofing they had been cunning Sophifters, and fubtle enough to invent fuch a Hillory, could they have the Face to undertake fuch a Delign, and impofe fuch a Forgery on the W'brld, when there were multitudes of living Witnefles (and
thole
122 The Grounds of
thofe their implacable Enemies) to contra" dicl them ? If thcfe Writers had been found Liars, they would foon have been deteded and carried before the Magidrate, and pu- nifli'd according to their Deferts 5 bcfides, it was the Intereft and IVefolution of thofe Magiftrates to hinder the propagation of that Doftrine, whofe Author they had with the utmoft Malice and Averfion perfe* cuted even unto Death.
3. Thefe Writers were godly, righteous, and fober Men ^ they have confefs'd their own Faults publickly which before were unknown to us, as their flownefs in belie- ving, their Difputes about preheminence, their leaving and forfaking their Lord and Mafier, &c, and confequently they can- not be thought guilty of this wicked de- fign.
4. And laftly, For what end (houldthey thus delude us > What advantage could they exped by fo doing } Not Honour and Glory, for they were continually re- vil'd and derided as Fools and Mad-men ^ not Riches, or any otlicr Temporal Bene- fit, for the Gofpel they prcach'd, taught them to renounce all and follow Chrift, and accordingly their Reputation, Goods^ and Lives, were daily in danger, they were hurried from one place to another, as Re- bels and Blafphemers, they were perfecu-
ted
the Author s Con<verfioih 123
ted and tormented, and at laft fuflfer'd the cruelleft Deaths that Malice could invent. Impoftors would never have fubmitted to fuch Trials. Is it poflible for Men joy- fully, and with alacrity to undergo all man- ner of Racks and Tortures for the fake of a Religion they knew to be falfe, efpecial- ly vi^hen they might have been crown'd with Honours and Preferments had they deny'd it ? Thefc things well confider'd, we cannot but believe the Divine Writers were true and faithful Hiftorians.
OhjeB. 2. How can I be fure that the Books we now have of the New Tefta- ment, are the fame the Evangelifts and the Apoftles penn'd, and that in Succeflion of Time they have not been changed and al- tered ?
Anfvp. I. He anfwer'd me, That the vaft Numbers of thefe Books which have been difpers'd thro' the whole World, and trans- lated almoft into all Languages, their ftill bearing the Names of the fame Authors, and the agreement of the different Ver- (ions, plainly prove, they have been al- ways the fame 5 neither can it be con- ceived that diftant Nations that fcarce ever had any Commerce or Correfpondence with each other, fhould all confpire in the fame Cheat , and alter the Holy Wri- tings.
2. Since
1^4 T'Ij^ Gromids of
2. Since there are luch Divifions, and fo many Seds amongft the Chriftians, had either of them added or diraini(h'd any thing in favour of their own Opinions, the reft would have done the like , but it appears thro' all Ages the Bible has been appeal'd to by all Parties. This fatisfied me, that the Holy Scripture is now the fame as was generally given to us.
Object, 3. 1 objected againft the Miracles of the Chriftian Religion, as not fufficient to denominate it the true Religion 5 for the Jewifh, and fome of the Pagan Reli- gions, have been eftablifti'd by Miracles 5 fo that were Miracles fufficient, all thefe Religions would be true ^ which is con- trary to what has elfewhere been aflerted.
Anfiv. I. Miracles are not alone a fuffi- cient Proof of the true Religion, but only a Confirmation of it ( as we have before obferv'd) ^ if therefore they are not agree- able to the Docrrines and Precepts of the true Religion they will be of very httle value.
2. The Wonders done by the Pagans have not the three Conditions of a true Miracle 5 viz. i. He that does the Miracle rauft know it, and be willing to do it. 2. It muft exceed all Art and Natural Power. 3. It muft be certainly perform'd and come to pafs. But the Wonders thefe
Pagan
N the Author s Cofi'verfwn, 125
Pagan Prophets are reported to have done, was only the foretelling the Calamities that (liould befal their Country 5 their Predictions did not exceed the Knowledge of Natural Philofophers, they only told you of the probability of Thunders, Light- nings, Earthquakes, and other Eftcdts of Natural Caufes. Laftly, There is no cer- tainty that thefe things happened accord- ing to the Times they mention'd ^ for the Jar/jabddio^/d, or the Pagans Book of their Law, in which thefe Wonders arc record- ed, is fo carefully kept by their Priefts, that no Man elfe is fuffer'd to read it, if he were able. Thefe Wonders therefore of the Pagans wanting the three neceilary Conditions, cannot properly be called Mi- racles 3 but thofe done by our Saviour I have abundantly proved to have thefe three Conditions, and confequently were true Miracles.
Objed^. 4. If you will not believe the Wonders or Miracles that were done by the Pagans, at leaft you will give Credit to what I my felf have feen, viz. That our God appears in a bodily vifible Shape in our Temple -^ for inftance, if he be an- gry with us, he appears in the form of a Lion 5 but if well pleafcd, in the (liape of a Bull or a Ram 5 in a few Hours fome- times he changes his Shape, and in the
fame
12(5 The Grou7ids of
fame Day be is feen angry and pleas'd by all that are in the Temple.
Anfvo. I. It is beneath the Majefty of the Supreme Being to appear, and that fre- quently, in the (hape of fuch wild and ra- venous Creatures, as a Lion, d^c
2. This feems rather to be a Cheat of the Priefts, for they change the Scene and {hut up the place, whilft one Beaft is led back, and another brouglit from his D^n to be (hewn to the People. 2. They will not fuffer any of the Congregation to come near it, but if it were the Almighty God that thus changes himfelf, he would not do it privately, but publickly before all the People. So that before a Man can be- lieve this, he muft fee a Cloud of Miracles to confirm it.
Objed^, 5. I replied : For the fame Rea- fon I may deny the Refurreftionof Chrift5 for if he really rofe from the Dead, why did he not appear to his Enemies } But fince he only was feen by his Difciples, I may, with the Jews fay, that they came by Night and dole him away, and then gave out that he was rifen from the dead. So that this Miracle wants other Miracles to confirm it.
Anfvt>, I. The Apoftles did many Mira- cles in Confirmation of it 5 for when they raifed the Dead, or cured the Sick, dv. it
was
N the Authors Coifverjion, 127
was always in the Name of Jefus Chrift, whom God hath raifed from the Dead.
Anfvp, 2. We may as well ask why God did not tranflate the Enemies of Chrift into Heaven, and (hew him fitting at his Right- hand 5 for I am confident, had the Jews feen him after his Refurredtion, they would have faid, as upon another occafion, it is a Spirit, an Apparition, or fomething like it : For if they belie v'd not the innumera- ble Miracles that Chrift did before his Cru- cifixion, they would never have been con- vinced that he was the Meflias, tho' they had feen him after his Refurreftion.
Attfrv. 3. That Aflertion of the ftupid Jews, That his Difciples took away his Body, will appear molt abfurd, if we con- fider the following Circumftances of his Death and Refurredtion 5 the Jews them- felves deny not Chrift's Death and Burial, and that his Sepulchre was ftrongly guard- ed by Soldiers ^ but they fay, whilft thefe Soldiers flept, his Difciples came and ftole him away : But we muft think it impolTi- ble for them to attempt fo bold an Adion, for when our Saviour was betray 'd, his Difciples were ftrack with fuch fear, that they all ran away, and left their Lord in the hands of his Murtherers ^ even St. Peter y who was the moft forward Zealot of them all, and faid, Tho allpwdd be offended yet
will
1^8 T'he Grounds of
will not I, ihd I JJjoiild die with t/jee, yet I 7vill not deny thee in any wife : Neverthe- lefs fear made St. ?eter liy, and thrice de- ny his Mafter. But fuppofing the Difci- ples recovered from their fear and furprize, and that they couragioully attempted to take away his Body, how can we imagine the whole Company of Soldiers flept at the fame time, without fetting one vigilant Centinel > But yet granting they did all ilecp together, how was it poilibletheDi- fciples (liould know at what Hour the Sol- diers were all aOeep ? Let us fuopofe they knew this alfo, how could they roll away the great Stone, enter into the Sepulchre, and take away the Body, &c. without ma- Yyc^" noife enough to awake one Soldier? But again, fuppofing hitherto they did all fouly and fecretly, yet they mud do every thing haftily for fear of being apprehend- ed ^ but on the contrary, there was no Dif- ordcr, no Confufion, the Grave-Cloathsin which the precious Body was wrapp'd, were decently folded up, and laid in one place, and the Napkin that was about his Head in another 5 which (hews it was done with a Prefence of Mind, and deli- berately. Granting ftill, that the Difci- ples did carry away the Body , why did not the Jews accufe them before the Ma- giftrates, who certainly would have con-
demn'd
>, the Authors Coti'vcrfwji. 129
demn'd them to Death, could it have been prov'd againft them ? And fuppofing the Soldiers had flept whilft the Body was ftollen, why did not thefe Soldiers fuffer Death, according to the Laws of both Jews and i^£?/;/<z/7j .<? Laftly, TheAflertion of the Jews plainly contradifts it fclf^ for if the Soldiers were awake, why did they not hinder the Difciples from taking away the Body > But if they were afleep, how can they tell which way it was taken, or who did it ? Thus you may fee the Stupi- dity, Partiality, andUnbelief of the Jews, who give Credit to the Miracles of Mofes^ and the Prophets, for which they had on- ly Hiftory and Tradition 5 and yet would not believe the Miracles of Jefus Chrift of which they every Day were Eye-witnelles.
Object. 6, 'Tis probable that the Devil can do fuch Miracles as Chrift did, how then (liall I certainly know, whether Chrift did them by the Power of God, or of the Devil >
Anfvo. 'Tis true indeed, that we do not well know how far the Power of Satan extends 5 but this we are certain of, if he could work all the Miracles that Chrift did, he could not do them for the fame end, viz. for confirming the true Religion, v/hich wholly deftroys the Empire of the Devil, and commands nothing but what
K is
1 JO The Grounds of ^
is for the Glory of God, and the Good of Mankind 5 the Devil is too great an Enemy of both, to do the lead thing for the ho- nour or good of either : If then we fup- pofe the Devil can work any great Mira- cles, thofe of the Pagan Religion muft be attributed to him ^ for that Religion is far more agreeable to the Nature of the De- vil, than to the Attributes of our Almigh- ty Creator, as may appear by its Precepts, commanding the Sacrifice of hifants, the Worfhip of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, and even of the Devil himfelf, and many other Abfurdities, contrary to the very Ef- fcnceofaGod.
O/z/Vc?. 7. Chrift did acknowledge the Miracles of Mofes, as wrought by the Power of God, why then did he abolifti his Religion and Law ?
Jnfix^. We grant that Chrift did ac- knowledge the Miracles of Mofes, and therefore he did not pretend to condemn the Law ^ for he affures us, he ccinit not to dejlroy the Law, but to fulfil it : So that he only abrogated thofe Rites and Cere- monies which were not needful for the fu- ture: The vefy Covenant God made with the Jews proves , that the time would ccmc that they (hould be aboliflVd 5 and he did not condemn them as fa He and con- tr;iry to the Nature of God, but only as
impcr-
the Author s Conquer jion. 151
imperfed, and wanting that full accom- plilhment which came by Jefus Chrift, who has taught us not to worQiip God with Sacrifices, Incenfe, Burnt-oflfcrings, &c. but in Spirit and in Truth.
Object. 8. Why has not Chrift left to his Church a continual Power of working Miracles }
Anfiv. We are not to be too bufie in en- quiring into the Secrets of the Almighty 3 'tis fufficient for us that it is his Will ^ we ought to be fatisfy'd and thankful that he fhew'd his Omiiipotency in confirming that Holy Religion he was pleas'd to reveal 5 but (ince the time of its Infancy is paft, and the Church is fo propagated and cftablilli'd, God needs not do any more Miracles, for the Gates of Hell fhall not prevail a- gainft it,
Thefe were the chief Arguments which I brought againft the Miracles of the Chri- ftian Religion, to which having receiv'd fatisfadory Anfwers 5 in the next place I oppofed the Great Work of Redemption, and asked firft,
Obje&. 9. Since God had determin'd to redeem Mankind from their Sins by the Sufferings of his only Son, why did he not fend him fooner into the World, or rather immediately after the Fall of Adam, that thofe who lived between Aduw and Chril\
K 2 might
12 2 The Grounds of ^
might have been Partakers of this Delive- rance and Salvation ?
Anfw. I. Suppofingyou Qiould ask why God did not create the World fooner > And neither I nor any elfe can give you a Rea- fon ^ this does not deftroy the Evidence of the Creation : So if I am not able to aflign the Caufe why God did not fend his Son earlier into the World, this does not invalidate the Efficacy of our Redemption 5 all that can be faid to it is, that the infinite Wifdom of God made choice of this ful* nefs of time, and thought it more conve- nient than any other.
Anfrv, 2. Tho' Jefus Chrift came into the World fome Thoufands of Years after the Sin of Adam, yet thofe that died be- fore his Nativity, were Partakers of the Benefits of his Redemption as well as we, provided they lived according to the Know- }ed2;e God had siven them.
Olje^. ic. Could not God have deli- ver'd us from our Sins by any other way, than by the Death of his only Son >
Aufiv, I. Nothing lefs it feems could fa- tisfie his Juftice 5 for we had offended an infinite God, and confcquently our Sins were of infinite magnitude, fo that nothing could make an infinite Attonement, but a Sacrifice of infinite Value, even his only Son Jefiis.
Anfw. 2,
the Authors Converfion, 123
Af2fw. 2. Had there been other means to fatisfie our angry God, and he had accept- ed one way, you would have faid why is God pleas'd this way rather than another 5 io that if this Method of arguing be al- low'd, God would be oblig'd to adt ac- cording to every Man's Humour and foo- liQi Capricio's.
AfTJw. 3. You may as well ask, why God (did not create Men as perfcft as the blcll^d Angels, and free from Sin 3 for this he could (\o^ if his infinite VVifdom had thought fit, and then we fhould not have ftood in need of a Redeemer.
Anfvp. 4. The All-knowing God has ta- ken fuch Methods as bethought proper to manifeft his Juftice, Goodnefs, Mercy, &c, but his Ways are incomprehenfible ^ fo that we are obliged fubmiilivcly to admire his infallible Government, v/ho defiresnotthe Death of finful Man, but rather that he fhould turn from liis VVickcdncfs and live, Mufl: we not pay as great Duty and Defe- rence to the King of Kings, as to our earths ly Sovereign ? Shall a poor ignorant Sub- ject condemn his Prince, who has always approved himfelf a tender Father of his Country > Shall he, I fay, cenfure the A- ftions of his Governour, becaufe he can-^ not conceive the Political Reafons for them ? As for inftance, How many Subi.fts ' K 3 'of
/"
I 3 4 The Cyoiwds of
oi Frafjce condemned the French Ring for concluding the. Peace at Refivyck,-^ they knew indeed he was an ambitious Prince, and thought he would never make a Peace, if he had not a profped of fome great ad- vantage by it, yet they (londemn'd him, becaufe they could not imagine the Eleafpn for his fo doing, which he has now told the World, was to acquire the Crown of Spain for his Grandfon. If then a Subjed ought to be obedient to, and not to criti- cize upon his Governours, the' he under- ftands not the fecret Springs of State 5 much more ought we humbly to fubmit to God, tho' his ways are pad finding out.
Ohjedf. II. Chrift could not pay that in- finite Satisfaction which you fay the Sin of Adam required ^ becaufe as God he could not fuffer, much lefs could he die 5 and as Man he was mortal, and therefore his Suf- ferings and Death were not a fufficient Ranfom ajone to fatisfie the infinite Juftice of God, and attone for the Sjns of all Mankind,
Anfw. I. The meritorius Death and Paf- fion of Chrift might be doubly fatisfadory, I. In regard to God's Holy Will , which required nothing more for the deliverance of us all, but has been fully appeas'd by that Vidira only 5 God fure might declare whkh way he would be fatisfied ^ and if
in
the Author s Con'verfjojt, i 3 5
\r\ ihe Old Teftament the Sacrifices otBeafts were llifficient to expiate the Crimes of particular Ot- fenders, much more can the Sacrifices of the Son of God attone tor the Sins of the whole World. 2. In regard to the Dignity of Chrift's Perfon, who is God above all, blefTed for ever •, for tho' he fuffer'd only in his Manhood, yet becaufe that Human Nature was hypoftatically ioyned to the Godhead, we may affirm, that the ever- lafting Son of God fufFcr'd all that the Humani- ty of Chrifl: endured for us.
Anfw. 2. Confidering Chrift as a Man, his Perfon fo infinitely excell'd all others, that the Sacrifice of it was an infinite Attonement tor our Sins. He wasconceiv'd by the Holy Gholt, made Man in the highelt perfe^ior, calFd the Son of God, and predeliinated by the Father to be our Redeemer. To this let us joyn the Power he had to work Miracles, and the Miracles like- wife the Father did to Ihew he was his beloved Son in whom he was well pleafed, and then we fliall conlcfs his Perfon was molt excellent, even beyond expreffion, and mult give the greatelt va- lue to his Sufferings ^ tor if the Captivity of a Prince be fufficient to ranfom all his Subje^s, much more may the Death of C hrilt attone tor the Sins of all Mankind.
Object. 1 2. God could never fatisfie his own Ju- ftice by giving his Son tor our Redemption, for he then would fatisfie himfelf by himfelt!, which is as abfurd as for a Creditor to pay himfelf out of his own Money.
An/to. I. If this be granted, not only the Fffi- cacy of all the Sacrifices that ever vi'ere otfer\l mull be deltroy'd, but even the Worlhipot Goci would ceafe •, for we cannot offer any thing but what entirely depends upon him.
K. 4 AafiK\ 2.
1^6 T^he Grounds of
AnfzQ. 2. We muft confider, that in the great Works of our Creation and Redemption, God afted not only by one ofbis Attributes, but by the Harmony of them all. As for example : Suppo- fing there had been a Man fo excellently perfe8:, and fo little depending upon God, that he could have paid the infinite Ranfom for all Mankind, 'tis true God by accepting him would have a8:ed agreeable to his Juftice, but not to his Mercy, Goodnefs, £?V. for God would not have (hewn his Mercy by accepting a Sacrifice proportionable to the Tranfgreflion •, but now he has fhewn his Love, Goodnefs, and Mercy to us by giving his own Son to be a Propitiation for us, as he has fatisfied his Juftice by Chrift's Sufferings and violent Death.
Objetl. 1 ?. To whom then was the Price of our Redemption paid >
Anfw, To God the Father, whofe eternal Wrath we had defer ved, by finning againft his infinite Maiefty. *
Ohjed. 1 4, But God the Father gave us the Re- deemer.
Anfiio. Yes : But tho' God fent him into the World, yet it was necefTary he fhould fuffer and - die for our Redemption j and as this great Work was God's gracious and willing acceptance of his Sufferings, fo there was fomething particu- larly for the Man Chrift Jefus to do for us, viz. That he who could have commanded more than twelve Legions of Angels, fhould meekly fub- mit and offer himfelf a Sacrifice for the Sins of the whole World ^ this ineftimable Offering God was well pleas'd to accept, and to blot out all our Offences for the fake of it. And thus the great Work of Redemption was finilhed. ^ OhjeU. I ^ If the facrificing of Children by the Pagans^ feems fo very unnatural, furely the Death
and
the Authors Conifer fion. 157
and Paflion of Chrift fhew much more Cruelty •, it is harder therefore for me to believe, that God (hould require the Sacrifice of his only Son, than of fome thoufands of Infants.
Anjw. We will not pofitively affirm, that the facrificing of Children is always unjuft and cruel, for if there be any Cruelty in fo doing, it is a- gainft the very Being of a God ; an Example of which we have feen in Abrahcim^ who would ne- ver fo cheerfully have attempted to facrifice his Son Ifiiacj had he thought it contrary to the At- tributes of God : And as to the Sacrifice of the Son of God, the Father did not a£l againft his Juftice by accepting it : For the better underltand- ing of which let us confider, i. That Injultice is a voluntary depriving another of what we are neither willing nor able to make reftitution ^ fo then God was neither unjuft nor cruel, by giving his Son once to die for us, fince he the third Day after rais'd him from the Dead, and gave him a Life far more glorious than that he had before ^ God has amply rewarded the Sufferings of his Son's Human Nature, by taking him into Hea- ven, and