where he says, (a) he spake with them who were Eye-Witnesses of these Things. Without Doubt there were many others (besides the Apostles with whom he was acquainted) who were then alive, having been healed by Jesus, and who had seen him die, and come to Life again. If we believe Tacitus and Suetonius, concerning those Things which happened long before they were born, because we rely upon their diligent Inquiry, how much more reasonable it is to believe this Author who says he had every Thing from Eye-Witnesses? (b) It is a constant Tradition that Mark was a continual Companion of Peter; so that what he wrote is to be esteemed as if Peter himself, who could not be ignorant of those Things, had dictated it: Besides, almost every Things which he wrote, is to be found in the Writings of the Apostles. Neither could the Writer of the Revelations be deceived in those Visions which he says (c) were caused from Heaven; (d) nor he to the Hebrews, in those Things which he professes he was taught, either by the Spirit of God, or by the Apostles themselves.

SECT. VI.

And because they would not say what was false. THE other Thing we affirmed, viz. that they would not speak an Untruth, belongs to what was

(a) He spake with them, &c.] In the Preface of his Gospel History.

(b) It is a constant Tradition, &c.] Ireneus, Book III. Ch. 1. and Clemens in his Hypotyposes, cited in Eusebius's Eccles. Hist. (c) Were caused from Heaven, &c.] Rev. i. 1, 2. iv. 1. and the following; xxii. 18, 19, 20, 21.

(d) Nor he to the Hebrews, &c.] Heb. ii. 4. v. 14. xiii. 7. 8, 23.

before treated of, when we shewed the Credibility of the Christian Religion in general, and of the History of Christ's Resurrection. They, who would disprove Witnesses in this Particular relating to the Disposition of their Mind and Will, must of Necessity alledge something to make it credible, that they set their Mind against the Truth. But this cannot be said here; for if any one should object that their own Cause was concerned, he ought to examine upon what Account it was their Cause: Certainly not for the Sake of getting any Advantage, or shunning any Danger; when, on the Account of this Profession, they lost all Advantages, and there were no Dangers which they did not expose themselves to. It was not therefore their own Cause, unless out of Reverence to God, which certainly does not induce any Man to tell a Lie, especially in a Matter of such Moment, upon which the eternal Salvation of Mankind depends. We are hindered from believing such a wicked Thing of them, both by their Doctrines, which are in every Part (a) full of Piety; and by their Life, which was never accused of any evil Fact, no, not by their Enemies, who only objected their Unskilfulness against them, which is not at all apt to produce a Falsity. If there had been in them the least Dishonesty, they would not have set down their own Faults to be eternally remembered; (b) as in

(a) Full of Piety, &c.] And abhor Lying, John, xiv. 17. xv. 26. xvi. 13. xvii. 17, 19. xviii. 37. Acts xxvi. 25. Rom. i. 25. 2 Thess. ii. 20. 1 John i. 6, 8. ii. 4, 21. 2 Cor. vi. 8. Ephes. iv. 15, 25. Colos. iii. 9. Rev. xxii. 15. 2 Cor. ii. 31. Gal. i. 20. Observe how industriously St. Paul distinguishes those Things which are his own, and those which are the Lord's, 1 Cor. vii. 10, 12. how cautious in speaking of what he saw, whether he saw them in the Body, or out of the Body, 2 Cor. xii. 2.

(b) As in the Flight of them all, &c.] Matt. xxvi. 34, 56.

the Flight of them all, when Christ was in Danger, and (a) in Peter's thrice denying him.

SECT. VII.

The Credibility of these Writers further confirmed, from their being famous for Miracles.

BUT on the contrary, God himself gave remarkable Testimonies to the Sincerity of them; by working Miracles, which they themselves and their Disciples (b) publicly avouched with the highest Assurance; adding the Names of the Persons and Places, and other Circumstances: The Truth or Falsity of which Assertion might easily have been discovered by the Magistrate's Inquiry; amongst which Miracles, this is worthy Observation, (c) which they constantly affirmed, viz. their speaking Languages they had never learned, before many thousand People; and healing in a Moment Bodies that were diseased, in the Sight of the Multitude; nor were they at all afraid, though they knew at that Time, that the Jewish Magistrates were violently set against them; and the Roman Magistrates very partial, who would not overlook any Thing that afforded Matter of traducing them as Criminals, and Authors of a new Religion; nor did any of the Jews or Heathens, in those nearest Times, dare to deny that Miracles were done by these Men: Nay, Phlegon, who was

(a) In Peter's thrice denying him, &c.] Matt. xxvi. 69, and the following; Mark xiv. 66, and the following; Luke xxii. 54, and the following.

(b) Publicly avouched, &c.] See the Acts of the Apostles throughout, and 2 Cor. xii. 12.

(c) Which they constantly affirmed, &c.] The Places are quoted before.

a Slave

a Slave of the Emperor Adrian, (a) mentions the Miracles of Peter in his Annals: And the Christians themselves in those Books, wherein they give an Account of the Grounds of their Faith, before the Emperors, Senate, and Rulers (b) speak of these Facts, as Things known to every Body, and about which there could be no Doubt: Moreover, they openly declared, that the wonderful Power of them (c) remained in their Graves for some Ages; when they could not but know, if it were false that they could easily be disproved by the Magistrates, to their Shame and Punish

(a) Mentions the Miracles of Peter, &c.] Book XIII. As Origen says in his Second Book against Celsus. This is that Phlegon, whose Remains we have yet, concerning Miracles, and long-lived Men.

(b) Speak of these Facts, as Things, &c.] The Places are very many, especially in Origen. See the whole Eighth Chapter of Augustine's Twenty-second Book of the City of God.

(c) Remained in their Graves, &c.] The Miracles at the Sepulchres of holy Men then began to be boasted of, when the Christians having the Power in their Hands, began to make an Advantage of the dead Bodies of Martyrs and others, that were buried in their Churches. Wherefore I would not have this Argument made use of, lest we diminish from the Credibility of certain Miracles, by these doubtful or fictitious ones. Every one knows how many Stories are related after the Fourth Century, about this Matter. But Origen does not mention any such Miracles: But in his Seventh Book against Celsus, says, "Very many Miracles of the Holy Spirit were manifested at "the Beginning of Jesus's Doctrine, and after his Ascension, "but afterwards they were fewer; however there are now some

Footsteps of them in some few, whose Minds are purified "by Reason, and their Actions agreeable thereto." Who can believe that so many Miracles should be done in one or two Centuries after Origen, when there was less Need of them? Certainly it is as reasonable to derogate from the Credibility of the Miracles of the Fourth and Fifth Centuries as it would be impudent to deny the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles. These Miracles could not be asserted without Danger; those could not be rejected without Danger, nor be believed without Profit to those who perhaps forged them; which is a great Difference. Le Clerc.

ment,

ment. And these Miracles, now mentioned at their Sepulchres, were so common, and had so many Witnesses, (a) that they forced Porphyry to confess the Truth of them. These Things which we have now alledged, ought to satisfy us; but there are Abundance more Arguments, which recommend to us the Credibility of these Books.

SECT. VIII.

And of their Writings; because in them are contained many Things, which the Event proved to be revealed by a Divine Power.

FOR we find in them many Predictions, concerning Things which Men could not possibly know of themselves, and which were wonderfully confirmed by the Event; (b) such as the sudden and universal Propagation of this Religion, (c) the perpetual Continuance of it; (d) that it should be rejected by very many of the Jews (e) and embraced by Strangers; (f) the Hatred of the Jews, against those who professed this Religion; (g) the severe Punishments they should undergo upon the

(a) That they forced Porphyry, &c.] See Cyril's Tenth Book against Julian, and Jerom against a Book of Vigilantius. (5) Such as the sudden, &c.] Matt. xiii. 33, and following Verses. Luke x. 18. John xii. 32,

(c) The perpetual Continuance of it, &c.] Luke i. 33. Matt. xxiii. 20. John xiv. 16.

(d) That it should be rejected, &c.] Matt. xxi. 33, and following Verses; xxii. at the Beginning; Luke xv. 11, and following Verses.

(e) And embraced by Strangers, &c.] In the same Places, and also Matt. viii. 2. xii. 21. xxi. 43.

(f) The Hatred of the Jews, &c.] Matt. x. 17.

(g) The severe Punishments, &c.] Matt. x. 21, 59. xxiii. 34.

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