to truth as truth, and averse to falsehood. And they had all self-love. And they all embraced now a doctrine which would expose them to suffering and calamity in the world. And, therefore, both nature and interest obliged them to be at the labour of inquiring whether these things were so or not, before they ran themselves into so great misery. And the three thousand which Peter converted at his first sermon, must also take the shame of being murderers of their Saviour, and for this they were pricked at the heart. And Paul must be branded for a confessed persecutor, and guilty of the blood of Stephen. And would so many men run themselves into all this for nothing, to save the labour of an easy inquiry, after some matters of public fact? How easily might they go and be satisfied, whether Christ fed so many thousand twice miraculously, and whether he healed such as he was said to heal, who were then living? And whether he raised Lazarus and others from death, who were then living? And whether the earth trembled, and the vail of the temple rent, and the sun was darkened at his death? And whether the witnesses of his resurrection were sufficient? And if none of this had been true, it would have turned them all from the belief of the apostles, to deride them.

Object. Is not the unbelief of the most, a greater reason against the Gospel, than the belief of the smaller number is for it?

Answ. No: 1. Because it is a negative which they were for, and many witnesses to a negative, is not so good as a few to an affirmative. 2. Most of them were kept from the very hearing of the apostles, which should inform them and excite them. 3. Most men everywhere follow their rulers, and look to their worldly interest, and never much mind or discuss such matters, as tend to their salvation, especially by the way of suffering and disgrace. 4. We believe not that the unbelieving party did deny Christ's miracles, but fathered them upon the devil: therefore even their testimony is for Christ. Only they hired the soldiers to say, that Christ was stolen out of the sepulchre while they slept, of which they never brought any proof, nor could possibly do it, if asleep.

Sect. 30. III. I have proved Christ's miracles to be, 1. Credible, by the highest human faith. 2. Certain, by natural evidence; there being a natural impossibility that the testimonies should be false. 3. I am next to prove, that they are certain, by supernatural evidence; which is the same with natural

evidence, as in the effect, but is called supernatural, from the way of causing it.

Sect. 31. The same works of the Spirit, inherent, concomitant, and subsequent, were the infallible proof of the truth of the disciples' testimony of Christ's person, miracles, and doctrine.*

Sect. 32. I. They were persons of holy lives: and holiness is the lively impress or constitution of their doctrine, now visible in their writings.

What was before said of the doctrine of Christ himself, is true of theirs and as the king's coin is known by his image and superscription, or rather, as an inimitable author is known by his writings, for matter, method, and style, even so is God's Spirit known in them, and in their doctrine.

Sect. 33. II. Their miraculous gifts and works were so evident, and so many, and uncontrolled, as amount to an infallible proof that God bare his witness in the world, and showeth the most infallible proof of his assertions.

Sect. 34. Their gifts and miracles were many in kind: as their sudden illumination, when the Spirit fell upon them, and knowing that which they were ignorant of before; their prophesying and speaking in languages never before learned by them, and interpreting such prophecies and languages; their dispossessing demoniacs, and healing diseases; their deliverauces by angels out of closed prisons and fetters; their inflicting judgments on opposers and offenders; their raising the dead; and the conveying of the same Spirit to others, by the imposition of the apostles' hands.

1. It is not the least testimony of the veracity of the apostles, that even while they lived with Jesus Christ, they remained ignorant of much of the mystery of the Gospel, and some, that are since necessary articles of faith: as of his death and burial, and resurrection, and ascension, and much of the spiritual nature of his kingdom, and privileges of believers; and that all this was made known to them upon a sudden, without any teaching, studying, or common means, by the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon them. And that Christ had promised them his Spirit before, to lead them into all truth, and bid them wait at Jerusalem till they received it; and it came upon them at the appointed time, on the day of pentecost. And he 2 2 Peter ii. 16. Eye-witnesses of his majesty on the mount. Acts i. and ii.; John xiv. 16.

promised that this Spirit should be sent on others, and become his agent, or advocate in the world, to do his work in his bodily absence, and bear witness of him. And he told his disciples that this Spirit should be better to them than his bodily presence; and therefore it would be for their good that he should go from them into heaven. So that Christ's teaching them immediately and miraculously, by this sudden giving them his Spirit, is an infallible proof both of his truth and theirs.

2. This prophesying was partly by foretelling things to come, as Agabus did the dearth, and Paul's bonds, and partly the exposition of old prophecies, and partly the spiritual instruction of the people by sudden inspirations; and those that were enabled to it, were people, of themselves, unable for such things, and ignorant but a little while before.

3. Their speaking in various languages was a thing which no natural means could produce. Fernelius, and many other physicians, who were very loth to believe diabolical possessions, do confess themselves convinced by hearing the possessed speak Greek and Hebrew, which they had never learned. How much more convincing is this evidence, when so many speak in so many languages, even in the language of all the inhabitants of the countries round about them, and this, upon these sudden inspirations of the Spirit.

4. Their interpreting of such tongues also, which they never learned, was no less a proof of a supernatural power and attestation.

5. Their deliverances are recorded in the Scriptures: Peter, (Acts xii.,) and Paul, and Silas, (Acts xvi.,) had their bonds all loosed, and the prison doors opened by an angel and a miracle, which must be by a power that sufficiently attesteth their verity.

6. And they inflicted judgments on delinquents by no less a power: Ananias and Sapphira, one after the other, were struck dead upon the word of Peter, for their hypocrisy and lies: Elymas, the sorcerer, was struck blind by Paul, in the presence or knowledge of the governor of the country; and the excommunicated were often given up to Satan, to suffer some extraordinary penalty.

7. Their healing demoniacs, the lame, the blind, the paralytic, and all manner of diseases, with a word, or by prayer and imposition of hands in the name of Christ; yea, upon the conveyance of napkins and cloths from their bodies, is witnessed in the many texts which I have before cited out of the

Acts of the Apostles and this Christ promised them particularly beforehand; and it was the occasion of that unction of the sick, which some have still continued as a sacrament.

8. Their raising the dead is also among the before-cited passages so Peter raised Dorcas or Tabitha, (Acts ix.,) and it is like, Paul Eutichus. (Acts xx.)

9. And it is the greatest evidence of all, that the same Spirit was given to so many others, by their imposition of hands and prayers; and all these had some of these wonderful gifts, either prophecies, tongues, healing, or some such like.

Sect. 35. 2. These miracles were wrought by multitudes of persons, and not only by a few; even by the apostles and seventy disciples, and others on whom they laid their hands, which was by the generality or greater part of the Christians.

If it were but by one or two men that miracles were wrought, there would be greater room for doubting the truth; but when it shall be by hundreds and thousands, there can be no difficulty in the proof. That the apostles and the seventy disciples wrought them in Christ's own time, is declared before; that they wrought them more abundantly after, and that the same Spirit was then commonly given to others, I shall now further prove, besides all the histories of it before recited: that upon the imposition of the apostles' hands, or baptism, or prayer, the Holy Ghost was given, is expressed; (Acts ii. 38;) to three thousand at once the Holy Ghost was given; "All the assembly were filled with the Holy Ghost; and with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all." (Acts iv. 31.) The Samaritans received the Holy Ghost upon the prayer of Peter and John; (Acts viii. 15, 17;) so that Simon Magus would fain have bought that gift with money. Paul was filled with the Holy Ghost by the imposition of Ananias's hands. (Acts ix. 7.) Upon Peter's preaching, the Holy Ghost fell on all the family, and kindred, and friends of Cornelius, who heard him preach; and they spake with tongues, and magnified God. (Acts x. 44, 45, 47.) Even in the same manner as it fell on the apostles. (Acts xi. 15.) The disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost. (Acts xiii. 52.) Twelve men, upon Paul's imposition of hands, received the Holy Ghost, and spake with tongues and prophesied. (Acts xix. 6.) The Holy Ghost was given to the Roman Christians. (Rom. v. 5.) Yea, he telleth them, if any have not the Spirit of Christ,

Matt. xvi. 17; x. 1, 2, and iii. 11; Luke x. 1, 17, 19; Acts ii. 1—3.

the same is none of his. (Rom. viii. 9.) The same was given to the church of the Corinthians. (1 Cor. vi. 19, and xii. 12, 13.) And to the church of the Galatians. (Gal. iii. 1-5.) And to the church of the Ephesians. (Eph. i. 13, and iv. 30.) To the Philippians. (Phil. i. 19, 27. and ii. 1.) To the Colossians, (Col. i. 8.) To the Thessalonians. (1 Thess. v. 19. and i. 6.) And what this Spirit was and did, you may find in 1 Cor. xii. 4, 7, &c. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For, to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another divers kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will: "For by one Spirit we are all baptised into one body, whether we be Jews or gentiles, bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." And (in 1 Cor. xiv.) the gift of speaking with tongues was so common in the church of the Corinthians, that the apostle is fain to give them instructions for the moderate use of it, lest they hindered the edification of the church, by suppressing prophecy or instruction in known tongues. And therefore he persuadeth them to use it but more sparingly.

And James (v. 14, 15,) exhorteth Christians when they were sick, to send to the elders of the church, that they may pray for them, and anoint them, and they be forgiven and recover: by which it seems it was no unusual thing in those times to be healed by the prayers of the elders. Yea, the very hypocrites, and ungodly persons, that had only the barren profession of Christianity, had the gift of miracles, without the grace of sanctification. And this Christ foretold: "Many shall say in that day, Lord have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and done many wonderful works?" (Matt. vii. 22.)