XVIII.

Proof of Miracles, the great external Evidence CHAP. of Christianity, As i. 3. ftiling fuch Appeals to Senfe and Reason, infallible Proofs; and fubverts likewife the Evidence of the Being of God, which fuppofes the common Reafoning it out from the infallible Certainty of feeing his Handy-works in the Frame of the World. And as foon as his Faith is ftrong enough to fwallow that, without choaking Belief, it is presently fet at nought, and (as well it might) becomes weak and impotent, not able to fave them; but the Merit of Works fteps up to do that Job: and if they are not inclinable to thofe Works themselves, there is Stock enough in the Church to be purchased; and the greatest Rafcal of them all, with the Prieft's Abfolution, and Extreme Unction, is fure of going to Heaven. Thus Faith in the Pope and his Church, with little or no Regard to any in Chrift, without Senfe, Reafon, or Gospel, becomes a Fool's Paradife upon Earth. And fo their Faith is entirely an buman Faith, refting, not upon God, or his Word, (being fhut out from the Inspection of that) but on Man, upon a Cabal of Impoftors, for the Salvation of their Souls. In the ruling Part of which Faith, the Spirit of the World wholly fteers, and will steer the Mystery of Iniquity, that very gainful Abfurdity, as long as thick Darkness and Ignorance, Slavery of Mind, and Extinction of Reafon is contented to obey, and deceive itfelf with the Name of Chriftianity, Piety, and Catholick, without the Reality or Integrity of any one of them. For Ecclefiaftical Christianity with them is quite a different Thing from the New Testament, real, pure Chriftianity; whilft truly Clerical, Proteftant, Evangelical Christianity agree in one, are all one and the fame;

P 4

though

CHAP. though in fome Places, perhaps intermixt with XVIII. fome fmall Fraikies of human Judgment.

THUS the disguised Papist in Proteftant Countries, makes his Advantage of the other Extreme of Reason, in Excess, as, at home, he does of Reason in Defect. And that Church, and the Miffionary from it, find their Interest and Account, in playing into the Hand of Atheism, Deifm, and Scepticifm, with a Wink, flily, but faithfully promoting them what they can: And thefe, overwitted by thofe Layers-in-wait, play into the others Hand unknowingly, and are in a true Difpofition to become Profelytes *.

For

None, in Fact, are more credulous Bigots than modern Infidels; they ftrain at the Gnat of wholefom Religion the faving Gofpel, and fwallow a Camel, i. e. as great a Load of Abfurdities as a Camel can carry. Take a Specimen from a few: They deny both the Interpofition, and the Vengeance of God; yet let them dig where they will in any Hill, or Vale upon Earth (if Teneriff fays nothing, it is because it is agreed upon the View, to be a Poft delavian Hill, fprung up from an Earthquake) undeniable Relicks, and Spoils of the prevailing Deluge ftare them in the Face; in promifcuous Trees, Shells, Skelletons of Fish and Animals fubfiding in Countries abfolute Strangers to them. Yet they pleasantly maintain that none of the Punishments of God are final, but all for Correction of the Offender. Then, seeing the Memory and Monuments of a Flood over the highest Mountains (probably 15 Cubits according to Revelation) cannot be buried, they grant you a partial Deluge, wife Philofophers as they are! and so most abfurdly believe, that Water can climb up Hill, and by Miracle be fufpended in the Air, to make their partial Deluge: Whereas, by their own Conceffion, if it has covered the highest Mountain, it muft by its own Nature, and without an interpofing Miracle, cover all Hills, and confequently all Habitations in the World. So ridiculously do they go about to evade one Miracle by believing a much greater.

They believe God has a World of Goodnefs in him, fo far as to oblige him to confer upon them all the Happiness their Nature is capable of; they feel and confefs the Imperfection

and

For the two Extremes having no regard to the CHAP. Medium, where the true Religion only lies, pro- XVIII. duce each other. Over-believing or Credulity in Popish Myfteries, contrary to all Rule and Reafon of believing, when it perceives its Folly, naturally produces No-believing, which is equally contrary to the fame Rule and Reafon of believing: And No-believing, or Infidelity, when tired and fick of itself, for want of fome Rule to guide its fluctuating bewilder'd State, as naturally runs into the other Extreme, in order to compenfate for its former Fault. How true in Fact is it, that Popery, in its warmest Nest in Italy, hatches plenty of Deifts, fome adorned with the red Hat, fome with a Triple Crown*.

It is certain, fays Bishop Burnet in his Travels, "that in Italy, Men of fearching Understand"ings, who have no other Idea of the Christian "Religion, but that which they fee receiv'd "among them, are very naturally tempted to "difbelieve it quite; for they believing it all

alike in grofs, without Diftinction, and find"ing fuch notorious Cheats as appear in many "Parts of their Religion, are upon that induc'd

to difbelieve the Whole." In the Vulgar it generates little more than the old Deifm of Europe in a new Edition of Tutelar Mediators; in

and Disorders of their prefent Nature; yet they wont fuffer him to interpofe or reveal any Remedy, or prefcribe the leaft Thing to mend their Condition; they would be well, but they will take nothing!

They deny the pofitive, judicial Diftribution of future Rewards and Punishments, incredible monftrous Perfuafion! yet confefs the Providence of God ruling over this unequal Scene of Things.

Can Tranfubftantiation be more infufferable than thefe Beliefs, or betray more Credulity?

Quantum profuit nobis hæc Fabula Chrifti!

the

*

CHAP. the better fort, modern Deifm. And how eafily XVIII. is the East and West India Deifm turn'd into Popery, having fo near a Refemblance to one another?

AND after the true Religion for another World and the Favour of God is rejected by them, which is the true Medium of believing, and also the Proteftant Syftem; fome publick Religion must exift, and a worldly Religion, that of Papists, prefenting itself, they are, when the proper Turn comes, and the Infection has generally fpread itself, ripe for it: for indeed fuch a Religion exactly fits them; the Diests can ftill retain what they fet their Heart upon, the Love of their Sins, which they know in their Confcience was the fole Reafon of difliking the Religion of Proteftants: both these they retain. with a good Grace; Popish Faith even countenancing and difpenfing with them in it, by easy Pardops and Indulgences: and in running down the Proteftant Way of Salvation by depretiating the Holy Scriptures as a Rule of Life and Salvation, the Papifts vie, and concur with them. A boundless Licentiousness of Practice, such as

As to the

* Vid. Varen. defcript. Reg. Japon. pag. 200. Weft Indies, the Similitude of Inhumanity is notoriously confeffed by the best Writers of their own Travels. The Inhabitants of Mexico and Peru offer'd up incredible Multitudes of human Sacrifices in the most bloody Manner, to their Gods and Mediators; and the Spaniards, no lefs bloody, facrificed Millions of thofe Innocents to their Saints and falfe Mediators; whilft the true Mediator forbad it with the utmost Abomination. Cortes the Conqueror of Mexico, according to Purchas's Collection, pag. 990, pull'd down the Images of their Saints, and in their Room fet up that of the Virgin Mary. Where you may find a Parallel between the Mexican Pagan Fryars, Nuns, &c. and the modern Popi Superftitions of that fort.

the

XVIII.

the Deifts glory in, whenever it becomes Natio- CHAP. nal, is moreover naturally and methodically difpofed (fuppofing Abbey-Lands out of the Queftion) to feek its eafe, in exchanging that publick Religion which gives no Quarter, or the leaft Indulgence to their Vices, for that flattering Public Superftition which commutes for them at an eafy Price, and continues the Hopes of Heaven.

So fatal to our Publick, and to every Individual of it, is unbounded Liberty in Principle, and Practice! So perpetually feasonable, and profitable is the Controul of Scripture, and Reafon !

How jealous then in common Policy, fhould Proteftant Powers be of the Spreading, or in the leaft countenancing fuch lewd, unreasonable, unfociable Diffolutions, and Contradictions of their own true Faith of Chrift? Since they are in undeniable Danger of lofing the Heart and Confcience of every Subject converted to the other Religion. Though the Supremacy of the Pope is denied in Temporals, yet it is univerfally acknowledged by all of that Perfuafion in Spirituals, for the Extirpation of Hereticks, i. e. Proteftants. Their Heart and Averfion will ever be the fame, and nothing but the Want of Power, and the prefiding Favour of God and Christ disappoints them of it; and every fincere Proteftant fhould moreover endeavour to prevent it, by the mild Ways and Reafons of his Religion, for the fake of Chrift, and the Profperity of his Kingdom; because every fuch Convert is a Subject likewife loft to his mediatorial Kingdom.