deceivers of the world by wilful falsehood, is also certain by these following evidences.

Sect. 47. I. It was not possible that so many thousands, in all countries, should have wit and cunning enough for such a contrivance, and could keep it secret among themselves, that it should never be detected.

They that think they were all so stupid as to be themselves deceived, cannot also think that they were all so cunning as to conspire the deceiving of all the world, so successfully and undiscovered. But it is past doubt, that for their naturals, they were ordinary persons, neither such mad people as all to think they saw, and heard, and did things which were nothing so, for so long together; nor yet so subtile, as to be able to lay such a deceiving plot, and carry it on so closely to the end. And they that suspect the apostles and first disciples to be the authors of the plot, will not suspect all the churches too; for if there were deceivers, there must be some to be deceived by them if Christ deceived the disciples, then the disciples could not be wilful deceivers themselves; for if they were themselves deceived, they could not therein be wilful deceivers and then, how came they to confirm their testimony by miracles? If the apostles only were deceivers, then all the disciples and evangelists who assisted them must be deceived, and not wilful deceivers. And then how came they also to do miracles? If all the apostles and disciples of the first edition were wilful deceivers, then all the churches through the world which were gathered by them, were deceived by them, and then they were not wilful deceivers themselves: which is all that I am now proving, having proved before that they were not deceived.

Sect. 48. II. If they had been cunning enough, it is most improbable that so many thousands, in so many nations, should be so bad, as to desire and endeavour, at such a rate as this, their own temporal and eternal ruin, to deceive all the world into a blasphemy, without any benefit to themselves, which might be rationally sufficient to seem a tempting compensation to them.

Sect. 49. For all these churches which witnessed the apostles' miracles, 1. Did profess to believe lying and deceiving to be a heinous sin; 2. And to believe an everlasting punishment for liars. 3. They were taught by their religion to expect calamity in this world. 4. They had experience enough to confirm them

in that expectation; therefore they had no motive which could De sufficient to make them guilty of so costly a deceit. d

For, 1. Operari sequitur esse. A man will do ill, but according to the measure that he is ill; and as bad as human nature is, it is not yet so much depraved, as that thousands through the world could agree, without any commodity to move them to it, to ruin their own estates, and lives, and souls for ever, merely to make the world believe that other men did miracles, and to draw them to believe a known untruth. And, 2. As free as the will is, it is yet a thing that hath its nature and inclination, and cannot act without a cause and object; which must be some apparent good: therefore, when there is no good appearing, but wickedness and misery, it cannot will it so that this seemeth inconsistent with human nature.

Sect. 50. And the certain history of their lives doth show, that they were persons extraordinarily good and conscionable; being holy, heavenly, and contemners of this world, and ready to suffer for their religion; and therefore could not be so extremely bad, as to ruin themselves only to do mischief to the world and their posterity.

Sect. 51. And their enemies bare them witness, that they did and suffered all this in the hopes of a reward in heaven; which proveth that they were not wilful liars and deceivers ; for no man can look for a reward in heaven, for the greatest known villany on earth, even for suffering, to cheat all the world into a blasphemy.

Even Lucian scoffeth at the Christians for running into sufferings, and hoping to be rewarded for it with a life everlasting.

Sect. 52. III. If they had been so cunning, and so bad, yet was it impossible that they should be able for the successful execution of such a deceit, as will appear by all these following evidences.

Sect. 53. I. It was impossible that so many thousands, at such a distance, who never saw each other's faces, could lay the plot, in a way of concord; but one would have been of one mind, and another of another.

Sect. 54. II. It is impossible that they should agree in car

Nemo jam infamiam incutiat; nemo aliud existimet: quia nec fas est ulli de sua religione mentiri.-Tertul. Apol. c. 20.

с

Quid adeo simile philosophus et christianus? Græciæ discipulus et cœli? Famæ negotiator et vitæ ? Verborum et factorum operator.-Tertul. Apol. c. 46.

rying it on, and keeping it secret through all the world, if they had accorded in the first contrivance and attempts.

Sect. 55. III. It is impossible that all the thousands of adversaries among them, who were eye-witnesses and ear-witnesses as well as they, should not discover the deceit.

All those Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and other countrymen mentioned, (Acts ii.,) were not Christians; and the Christians, though many, were but a small part of the cities and countries where they dwelt and Paul saith, that tongues and miracles were for the sake of unbelievers, and unbelievers were ordinarily admitted into the christian assemblies, and the Christians went among them to preach, and most of the miracles were wrought in their sight and hearing.

Sect. 56. IV. It is impossible that the falling-out of Christians among themselves, among so many thousands in several nations, should never have detected the deceit, if they had been all such deceivers.

Sect. 57. V. It is impossible but some of the multitudes of the perverted, exasperated, separating, or excommunicated heretics, which were then in most countries where there were Christians, and opposed the orthodox, and were opposed by them, should have detected this deceit, if it had been such.

Sect. 58. VI. It is impossible but some of the apostates of those times, who are supposed to have joined in the deceit, would have detected it to the world, when they fell off from Christianity.

Sect.59. VII. It is scarcely possible among so many thousands in several lands, that none of their own consciences, living or dying, should be constrained, in remorse and terror, to detect so great an evil to the world.

Sect. 60. VIII. Much more impossible is it, that, under the conscience of such a villany, they should live, and suffer, and die rejoicingly, and think it a happy exchange to forsake life and all, for the hopes of a reward in heaven for this very thing.

Sect. 61. IX. Lastly, it is impossible that these thousands of Christians should be able to deceive many more than themselves, into the belief of the same untruths, in the very time and place where the things were said to be done, and where the detection of the deceit had been easy, yea, unavoidable.

Christianity was then upon the increase; they that were converted, did convert more than themselves. Suppose in

Jerusalem, Ephesus, Corinth, Rome, &c., some thousands believed by the preaching of the apostles, in a few years, at the first; in a few years more, there were as many more added. Now, supposing all this had been but a cheat, if the Christians had told their neighbours;—among us, unlearned men speak in the languages of all countries; they cast out devils; they cure all diseases with prayer and anointing; they prophesy, and interpret tongues; they do many other miracles; and the same Spirit is given to others by their imposition of hands; and all this in the name and by the power of Jesus ;-would not their neighbours easily know whether this were true or not? And if it were false, would they not hate such deceivers, and make them a common scorn, instead of being converted by them?

Sect. 26. The aforesaid impossibilities are herein founded: 1. There is no effect without a sufficient cause: 2. A necessary cause, not sufficiently hindered, will bring forth its answerable effect. But the opposed supposition maketh effects without any sufficient cause, and necessary causes without their adequate effects.

Sect. 63. The providence of God permitted dissensions and heresies to arise among Christians, and rivals, and false teachers to raise hard reports of the apostles, and the people to be somewhat alienated from them, that the apostles might by challenges. appeal to miracles, and future ages might be convinced that the matter of fact could not be contradicted.

The Romans had contentions among themselves; the strong and the weak contemning or condemning one another about meats and days. (Rom. xiv. 15.) The Corinthians were divided into factions, and exasperated against Paul by false apostles; so that he is fain at large to vindicate his ministry; and he doth it partly by appealing both to miracles and works of power wrought among them, and by the Spirit given to themselves. (2 Cor. xii. 12, and xiii. 3—5; and 1 Cor. xii. 7, 12, 13.) The Galatians were more alienated from Paul by Jewish teachers, and seemed to take him as an enemy for telling them the truth, and he feared that he had bestowed on them labour in vain; and in this case he vehemently rebuketh them, and appealeth first to miracles wrought among them, and before their eyes, and next to the Spirit given to themselves :-" O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you? This only would I learn of you; Received

ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? He, therefore, that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Gal. iii. 1-5.) Now, if no such miracles were wrought among them, and if no such Spirit was received by themselves, would this argument have silenced adversaries, and reconciled the minds of the Galatians? or rather have made them deride the cause that must have such a defence, and say, 'Who be they that work miracles among us, and when did we receive such a Spirit?' So, to the Romans, this is Paul's testimonial: "For I will not dare speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the gentiles obedient by word and deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God," &c. (Rom. xv. 18, 19.) And to the Corinthians he saith, "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all." (I Cor. xiv. 18.) So, "Tongues are for a sign to them that believe not.” (Gal. ii. 8; 1 Cor. xiv. 22.) So, (Acts ii. 43, iv. 30, v. 12, vii. 36, viii. 13, xiv. 3, vi. 8, viii. 6, 13, xv. 12, and xix. 11, 1 Cor. xii. 10,) miracles are still made the confirmation of the apostles' testimony and doctrine.

And in Heb. ii. 3, 4, you have the just method of the proof and progress of Christianity; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, (but how is that known?), and was confirmed to us by them that heard him. (But how shall we know that they said truth?) God also bearing them witness with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will.

"And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus." (Acts iv. 33.) "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life, for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us; that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us," &c. (1 John i. 1-3.)

Sect. 64. III. The miracles of the apostles are not only attested by the churches which were eye-witnesses of them; 1. By the way of most credible human testimony; 2. And by natural evidence of infallible certainty; But also, 3. By super