delivered in these Books: To affirm any Thing more than this for certain, either concerning the Nature of God, or concerning his Will, (a) by the mere Direction of human Reason, is an unsafe and fallible Thing; as we may learn from the many Opinions of the Schools different from one another, and of all the Philosophers. Nor is this at all to be wondered at, for if they who dispute (b) about the Nature of their own Minds, fall into such widely different Opinions; must it not necessarily be much more so with them, who would determine any Thing concerning the Supreme Mind, which is placed so much out of our Reach? If they who understand human Affairs, affirm it dangerous (c) to pry into the Councils of Princes, and that therefore we ought not to attempt it; who is sagacious enough to hope, by his own Conjectures, to find out which it is, that God will determine of the various Kinds of those Things that he can freely will? Therefore Plato said very well, that (d) none of those Things could be known without a Revelation: And there can be no Revelation produced, which can be proved clearly to be such, by greater Testimonies than those contained in the Books of the New Testament. There is so far from being any Proof, that it has never yet been asserted that God ever declared any Thing to Man, concerning his Nature, that was contradictory to

(a) By the mere Direction of, &c.] Matt. xi. 27. Rom. xi. 33, 34, 35. 1 Cor. ii. 11, 16.

(b) About the Nature of their own Minds, &c.] See Plu tarch's Works, Book IV. or the Opinions of the Philosophers. And Stobaeus's Physics, Chap. xi.

(c) To pry into the Councils of Princes, &c.] Tacitus says so in the VIth of his Annals.

(d) None of these Things could be known, &c.] The Place is in his Phædon, and also in Timæus. It was well said by Ambrose, "Who should I rather believe concerning God, than "God himself."

these

these Books; nor can there be any later Declaration of his Will produced, that is credible. And if any Thing was commanded or allowed, before Christ's Time, of these Sort of Things, which are plainly indifferent, or certainly not at all obligatory of themselves, nor plainly evil; this does not oppose these Books; (a) because in such Things the former Laws are nulled by the latter.

SECT. XIII.

An Answer to this Objection, that some Things are contained in these Books which are inconsistent with one another.

IT is objected by some, that the Sense of these Books is sometimes very different: But whoever fairly examines this Matter, will find, that, on the contrary, this is an Addition to the other Arguments for the Authority of these Books; that in those Places which contain any Thing of Moment, whether in Doctrine or History, there is every where such a manifest Agreement, as is not to be found in any other Writers of any Sect, (b) whe

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(a) Because in such Things, &c.] "The latter Constitutions are more valued than the former." It is a Saying of Modestinas, L. Ultima, D. de Constitutionibus Principum. Tertullian, I think (says he) that in human Constitutions and "Decrees, the latter are more binding than the former." And in his Apology: "Ye lop and hew down the ancient and foul "Wood of the Laws, by the new Axes of the Decrees and Edicts of the Princes." And concerning Baptism, "all Things we are determined by the latter, the latter Things are more binding than those that went before." Plutarch, Sympos. IX. In Decrees and Laws, in Compacts and Bargains, the latter are esteemed stronger and firmer than the "former."

"In

(b) Whether they be Jews, &c.] The different Opinions amongst whom, as they are to be seen in other Places, so likewise in Manasses the Son of Israel, a very learned Man in this Sort of Learning, in his Books of the Creation and Resurrection.

ther

ther they be Jews, (a) or Greek Philosophers, (b) or Physicians, (c) or Roman Lawyers; in all which we very often find, that not only they of the same Sect contradict one another, (d) as Plato and Xenophon, (e) but very often the same Writer sometimes asserts one Thing, and sometimes another; as if he had forgot himself, or did not know which to affirm: But these Writers, of whom we are speaking, all urge the same Things to be believed, deliver the same Precepts concerning the Life of Christ, his Death, and Return to Life again: The main and principal Things are every where the same. And as to some very minute Circumstances, which make nothing towards the main Thing, we are not wholly at such a Loss for a fair Reconciliation of them, but that it may easily be made, though we are ignorant of some Things, by Reason of the Similitude of Things that were done at different Times, the Ambiguity of Names, one Man's or Place's having many Names, and such like. Nay, this very Thing ought to acquit these Writers of all Suspicion of Deceit; because they who bear

(a) Or Greek Philosophers, &c.] See the forecited Book of the Opinion of the Philosophers.

(b) Or Physicians, &c.] See Galen of Sects, and of the best Sect; and Celsus of Physic, in the Beginning; to which the Spagirici may be added.

(c) Or Roman Lawyers, &c.] There was a remarkable Difference of old, between the Sabiniani and Proculiani; and now betwixt those who follow Bariolus and his Followers, and those who follow Cujacius and others who were more learned. See Gabriel's Common, more common, and most common Sentences.

(d) As Plato and Xenophon do, &c.] See Xenophon's Epis tle to Eschines, the Disciple of Socrates. Athenæus 1. Laërtius's Life of Plato; and Gellius, Book XIV.

(e) But very often the same Writer, &c.] Many have shewn

this of Aristotle; and others of the Roman Lawyers.

Testimony

Testimony to that which is false, (a) are used to relate all Things so by Agreement, that there should not be any Appearance of Difference. And if, upon the Account of some small Difference, which cannot be reconciled, we must immediately disbelieve whole Books; then there is no Book, especially of History, to be believed; and yet Polybius Helicarnassensis, Lry, and Plutarch, in whom such Things are to be found, keep up their Authority amongst us, in the principal Things; how much more reasonable then is it, that such Things should not destroy the Credibility of those, whom we see, from their own Writings, have always a very great Regard to Piety and Truth? There remains another Way of confuting Testimonies, from contrary external Testimonies,

SECT. XIV.

An Answer to the Objections from external Testimonies: Where it is shewn that they make the more for these Books.

BUT I confidently affirm, that there are no such Things to be found; unless any one will reckon amongst these, what is said by those who were born a long while after; and they such, who professed themselves Enemies to the Name of Christ, and who therefore ought not to be looked upon as Witnesses. Nay, on the contrary, though there is no Need of them, we have many Testimonies, which confirm some Parts of the History delivered in

(a) Are used to relate all Things, &c.] This is what the Emperor Adrian affirms; in Witnesses, we are to examine whether they offer one and the same premeditated Speech: L. Testium D. de Testibus. Speculator, Lib. I. Part IV. de Teste in pr. n. 81. A very exact Knowledge of all Circumstances is not necessary in a Witness. See Luke i, 56. iii. 23. John ii. 6. vi. 10, 19. xix. 14.

these

these Books. Thus, that Jesus was crucified, that Miracles were done by him and his Disciples, both Hebrews and Heathens relate. Most clear Testimonies of Josephus, published a little more than forty Years after Christ's Death, are now extant, concerning Herod, Pilate, Festus, Felix, John the Baptist, Gamaliel, and the Destruction of Jerusalem; which are exactly agreeable to what we find amongst the Writers of the Talmud, concerning those Times: The Cruelty of Nero towards the Christians is mentioned by Tacitus: And formerly there were extant Books of private Persons, (a) such as Phlegon, (b) and the public Acts, to which the Christians appealed; (c) wherein they agreed about the Star that appeared after the Birth of Christ; about the Earthquake, and the preternatural Eclipse of the Sun at full Moon, about the Time that Christ was crucified.

(a) Such as Phlegon, &c.] Book XIII. of his Chronicon or Olympiads, in these Words," In the fourth Year of the CCIId "Olympiad, there happened the greatest Eclipse of the Sun "that ever was known; there was such a Darkness of Night "at the sixth Hour of the Day, that the Stars were seen in the "Heavens; and there was such a great Earthquake in Bithy"nia, which overturned a great Part of Nicea." These Words are to be seen in Eusebius's and Jerom's Chronicon. And Origen mentions the same Thing, Tract. XXXV. upon Mutt. and in his Second against Celsus.

(b) And the public Acts, &c.) See Tertullian's Apology, CXXI. "This Event, which has befallen the World, you "find related in your Mystical Books."

(c) Wherein they agreed, &c.] Chalcidius the Platonist, in his Commentary on Timaus: "There is another more Holy " and more Venerable History, which relates the Appearance "of a new Star, not to foretel Diseases and Death, but the "Descent of a venerable God; who was to preserve Mankind, " and to shew Favour to the Affairs of Mortals; which Star "the Wise-Men of Chaldæa observing, as they travelled in the Night, and being very well skilled in viewing the Heavenly "Bodies, they are said to have sought after the New Birth of "this God; and having found that Majesty in a Child, they "paid him Worship, and made such Vows as were agreeable to so great a God."

M

SECT.