This confideration will be further strengthn'd by two very important Reflexions. And firft, we speak not here of fuch only who being born Chriftians, blindly followed the prejudices of Birth and Education: but alfo of a great number of perfons, who renounced Paganism to embrace Chriftianity, and laying afide the favourable prejudices of Education and Birth (which in them were quite contrary to the Chriftian Religion,) were yet willing to die for it as foon as 'twas known and embraced.

Secondly, The truth of Chriftian Religion is altogether founded upon mattters of fact. For if Jefus Chrift wrought Miracles, and rose again from the Dead, than is the Christian Faith True. But if Jefus Chrift wrought no miracles, nor rofe from the Dead,then is the Christian Faith falfe. And furely "twould have been folly or madness in those men to forfake fo flourishing a Communion as Paganism, to take upon them the name of Chriftians, a name fo vile and contemptible in those days, to fuffer voluntarily the lofs of their Eftates, and undergo a moft terrible Death, only to defend a Religion grounded upon fuch matters of fact as they had no reason to believe to be true. Thofe indeed that are born and live peacably in a Communion, may blindly believe the Doctrines of it: but he that is never fo little acquainted with the conftitution of man's heart,can fcarce imagin men to be fo fenflefs, as to renounce the prejudices of Birth and Education,to offer violence to their dearest and most tender Inclinations,and embrace a Faith purfued with fire and fword,and perfecured by all the powers of the World, unless they had first duely examined the nature of it, and knew well upon what grounds they thus embraced it.

If it be objected that fome of these men were of the meanest fort of people, whofe example cannot be alledged as a precedent for Wife and learned

men,

men, We'll grant it. But then it muft alfo be confefs'd that the Vulgar ufually embrace that Religion which is attended with Power, and Profperity, Pomp and Authority, and hate even Truth it felf, when once destitute of all thefe outward helps. How is it poffible then that against all outward appearance, they should have acted fo contrarily to themselves in this Occasion?

But fuppofing the commmon fort of Chriftians to have lost their Reason, can we fay the fame of the Doctors of the Primitive Church, as Clement, Polycarp, Fuftin, Iraneus, &c ? 'Tis certain on one hand thefe men were men of very good fenfe (as their Writings, thofe Monuments they have left us evidently demonftrate) And on the other, 'tis very well known they lived in a time fo very near to that of the Apostles, that it is abfolutely impoffible they fhould have been deceived in this respect. For Polycarp converfed a long while with St. John, Iraneus faw Polycarp, and Justin was a more ancient Father than Ireneus.

Had those Doctors only told us that Jefus Chrift and his Apostles wrought feveral Miracles, we might perhaps have fufpended our belief upon their bare word. But fince they fuffered Death in defence of the truth of certain matters of fact, which they must necessarily have fully been informed of, fince I fee that Clemens, and Polycarp, Difciples and Contemporaries with the Apoftles, chearfully came to the stake to maintain a Religion essentially founded upon those matters of fact, (fuch as were the gift of divers Languages conferred upon the Apostles, the power of working Miracles, and imparting thofe very gifts themselves to others ;) Since, I fay, thefe Christian Doctors fuffered Martyrdom for the confirmation of matters of fact which the Chriftian Religion is effentially united to; I confefs I begin to

be

be convinced. Nevertheless let us fearch more nar rowly into this matter, and fee whether we shall yet have any Reason to entertain any further fcruples.

CHAP. III, `

In which we further prove the Truth of Religion by feveral undeniable matters of fact.

Ho told us Clemens and Polycarp fuffered Martyrdom? And fuppofing they did, who will allure us they were not deluded by the Apostles? Nay who can tell whether there ever were any such men?

I fuppofe I fhall not be obliged to prove with a great many arguments there were fuch men as Clemens and Polycarp, who fuffered Martyrdom. Enfebius who wrote their history could not wholly have invented it, unless he had corrupted all the Writings of the Fathers that lived before him; for they all speak of it. Iraneus, Justin, Clemens Alexandrinus, &c. mention it, as a known matter of fact. The first of them glories in feveral places of his works that he had feen Polycarp in his youth; and it appears they all fuffered Martyrdom in imitation of thofe Primitive Chriftians.

That the Apostles deceived Polycarp and Clemens and the rest of their Difciples, is a thing much less to be fufpected, because they themselves ftuck not to boast of their being able to work miracles, heal all kind of difeafes, fpeak all forts of languages, and impart to others thofe gifts they called the gifts of the Holy Ghoft. And it is impoffible that Clemens, Polycarp, &c. fhould have fuffered them, felves to be deceived in this refpect, especially to

fuch

fuch a degree as to fuffer Death for the testimony of a Religion founded on fo many impostures.

But whence appears it that the Apostles boasted of a power to work miracles, and impart the gifts of the Holy Ghoft? It appears not only from their own Epiftles which can't be forged (as we fhall prove by and by) but alfo from the writings of the Doctors of the Primitive Church; and in fine, 'tis manifeft of it felf. For as we can't deny that there was fuch a man as Alexander the Great, without overthrowing the common Opinion that he fubverted the Empire of Darius, and the Macedonians fubdued all Afia under his conduct; because one matter of fact depends upon the other: fo we cannot acknowledge the Divinity of the Chriftian Religi on without believing the Miracles of Jefus Chrift, his Refurrection; his pouring out the Holy Ghost on the Apostles, and the miraculous Gifts imparted to those that believed. For take away these matters of fact, and what would become of the Chriftian Religion? Wherein would the Divinity of it confift? Wherein would lie the Strength, Promifes, and Effentials of it? Since therefore Clemens and Polycarp fuffered Martyrdom for the truth of Chriftian Religion, it follows also that they died in defence of the truth of those matters of fact we just now mentioned. So that those matters of fact being very palpable, and it being very eafy for Clemens and Polycarp who lived and converfed with the Apostles, to know certainly whether they really had the pretended gifts of divers tongues, of healing all forts of difcafes, and of communicating thefe extraordinary gifts to others, fo as to render them frequent in the Church, I do not fee how its poffible to call the truth of them in question.

The foul of man however fruitfull in imaginations, can hardly raife here a doubt of a moment's

con

continuance. For fhould I fancy they may have given me a false Relation of the Martyrdom of Clemens, of Polycarp, and the fucceffors of the Apoftles: this thought foon vanishes, when I confider the number, quality, and unanimous consent of the Witnesses of this matter of fact. For can we think that the Suceffours of Clemens, and Polycarp would have fuffered a real Martyrdom in imitation of one that was but imaginary? Would they fo couragiously have imitated a fictitious Martyrdom of their own invention? And fhould I imagin Clemens and Polycarp were impofed on by the Apostles, I am foon convinced of the contrary; fince those matters of fact which we have now before us, are matters of Experience fo evident in themselves, that we cannot be mistaken in them. Laftly, fhould I doubt whether the Apostles endeavoured to perfwade men of the truth of them, I am made to understand that there can be no Chriftianity without thefe matters of fact, and that the Apostles could never have established the Chriftian Religion unless they had first perfwaded men of the truth of them. This will be farther feen by what we shall offer in the following chapters.

In the mean while may we not know what the profefs'd Enemies of Chriftianity faid of them? For it seems unjust to hearken to that only which the Christians alledge in defence of their own caufe. This is no hard matter; We find Porphirius, Celfus, and Julian furnamed the Apoftate maintaining that Jefus Chrift did no miracles at all but by a magick power, and that it was a fantom which appeared to the Disciples instead of Jefus Chrift risen again from the dead. Whereupon I think it necessary to make some few Reflections. It is very remarkable that those who were far more exasperated against the Chriftians, than the Incredulous of these