Page images
PDF
EPUB

that if they were refolved not to believe what the Chriftians faid, yet they would at leaft credit their own Records.

Upon these Proofs and Reasons, by the clear evidence and power of Truth, the word of God mightily grew and prevailed, against all that Prejudice and Malice, and every Vice could do to oppofe it, in Rome and in Jerufalem itself: for in this very City, where our Saviour had been Crucified, and where it had been impoffible to have made Profelytes, if his Refurrection had not been evidently proved beyond all poffibility of a confutation, great numbers were daily added to the Church. A Church was forthwith founded at Jerufalem, and a Bishop appointed by the Apo ftles, and both the body of the People, and their (e) Bifhops, being xv. in num-(e) Eufe ber, to the final Deftruction of Jerusalem Hift. li by Adrian, were Jews by Nation.

[ocr errors]

We fee then, that as the Teftimony of the Apostles is in itself beyond all excepti on, fo it is of fuch a nature, as to make it impoffible for them to deceive, if they had intended it; but indeed no men could have proceeded in that manner, or would have endeavoured it, who had had any intentions to deceive; and the event fhewed, that it was the direct and plain evidence, and force of Truth, which fupported itself, notwithstanding all the prejudices

X 4

judices and advantages, which its worst Adverfaries had against it.

CHAP.

XV.

Of the Apostles and Evangelifts.

T

[ocr errors]

He Principal Articles of the Christian Faith being matters of Fact, as the Paffion, Refurrection, and Afcenfion of Chrift, upon which the reft depend; the great thing to be enquired into is whether the Apoftles had all the qualifi cations requifite to become witnesses of matters of Fact. This has been already fhewn as to the Refurrection, and if in general we examine whether we may fafely rely upon that credibility where with they preached the Gofpel to the world, the enquiry will fall under these heads; I. Whether they were men of fufficient Abilities to difcern and understand what they teftified. I. Whether they had fufficient means and opportunities to know it. III. Whether they were men of Integrity, that without Artifice or Defign, truly declared what they knew.

I. That the Apoftles were men of suffi cient understanding to become witnesses of a matter of Fact, was never doubted by

any

any one, nor can it be queftioned by fuch as peruse their Writings: and indeed who is there of any common fenfe, that is not a competent witness of what he fees, and hears, and has the experience of, for fo long time together? For,

II. By their converfation with our Saviour, both before his Paffion, and after his Refurrection, the Apostles had fuch oppor tunities of knowing what they attested, that it was impoffible for them to be deceived in any part of it. It was a neceffary qualification of all the twelve Apostles, that they should have converfed with our Saviour before his Death, and have feen him after his Refurrection. For when one was to be ordained in the room of Judas, to be a witnefs with the rest of Chrift's Refurrection, he was to be one," that had companied with them all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among them, beginning from the Baptifm of John unto that fame day, that he was taken up from them, A&t. i. 21, 22. They faw his Miracles, and heard his Doctrine, and knew his manner of Life, and had all the opportunities, and used all the means to inform themselves that it was poffible for men to do: they were eye-wetneffes of his Majesty, 2 Pet.i.16, they had heard, and feen with their eyes, and I had looked upon, or beheld and difcerned for a long time together, and their hands

- had

had handled that, which was the subject of their Teftimony, 1 job. i. 1, 2, 3. They had made all the fearch into it, and had ufed all the exactness that could be, and were as diftrustful and as hard of belief, as any men could have been, who are most fufpicious and jealous of being impofed upon. And of these Apoftles, two wrote the Life of our Saviour, and all bore witnefs to the Truth of what thefe wrote, and preached the fame things, where-ever they came: Of the two other Evangelifts, St. Mark had his information from St. Peter, whofe Difciple and Companion he was, and St. Luke wrote his Gofpel from the account he had of thofe who were eye-witneffes and minifters of the word, Luke i. 2. And he was the Companion and Difciple of St. Paul, who was fuch an enemy to Christianity before his Converfion, that nothing less than a miraculous Power could have made that fudden change in him; he probably muft have feen our Saviour before his Paffion, and then faw him again at his Converfion, and heard him speaking to him from Heaven: So that St. Paul, as well as the other twelve Apostles, had feen and heard our Saviour, and they were all convinced by their own fenfes of what they delivered to others, and be. fides thefe, he was feen after his Refur rection by many others, both men and

women,

women, and at one time was feen by above five hundred together, 1 Cor. xv. 6. all the writers of the Books of the New Teftament, there are but two who were not eye-witneffes to what they relate, and these two had their Relations from the Apostles and others, who were eye-wit neffes.

III. The Apostles were men of integrity, and without any Artifice or Defign, truly declared what they knew. 1. They had no worldly Interest to advance by their Teftimony, but fuffered by it, and had a certain profpect of fuffering. 2. There are peculiar marks of fincerity in all their writings.

7

I. They had no worldly intereft to ferve by their Testimony, but fuffered by it, and had a certain profpect of fufferings. They could propofe no advantage to themselves of Gain, or Honours, or Pleafures; but on the contrary, underwent a voluntary Poverty, and Infamy, and Tor ments, which was all that they met with in this world for their Pains, and all that they could expect to meet with. They forfook all which they had; St. Matthew a gainful Employment, and St. Paul who wrote the most of any of the Penmen of the New Testament, loft the favour of the Chief Priests, and the preferments, which a perfon of his Learning and Zeal might promife

« PreviousContinue »