of {a) And others, kc.l^ Irenorus, who was ancienter than Ter- tullian. Book I. Ch. 3. *' For *' though there be different ** Languages, the Power of ** Tradition is the fame; rei- " ther the Churches founded '* in Germany, have any other ** Belief, or any other Tradi- *• tion: Nor yet thofe in Ibe- *' ria, nor thofe among the ** Celtegf nor thofe which are ** in the Eaji, nor thofe in ** nor thofe that are efta- •' blifhed in the Middle of the ** World: But like the Sun, ** which God created, and is ** one and the fame through- *' out the whole World: So " the Light, the preaching ** of the Truth, ftiines cv&ry ** where, and enlightens all ** Men, who are willing to ** come to the Knowledge of " the Truth." And Origens Homily upon the IVth ofEze- kiel. ** The miferable Je^tvs ** confefs, that thefe things •* were foretold of the Pre- ** fence of Chrill; but they «* are foolifhly ignorant of his •• Perfon, though they fee ** what is faid of him fulfilled; *' for when did the Britijh ** Land, before the coming of •* Ghrifl, agree in the Worihip *' of one Go("i? When did the ** Country of the Moon, when •' did the whole World toge- *♦ ther, 06 for" And Jmo- bJus, BookH. *' The Poweis ^•^^ which they faw with their ** Kyes, and thofe unheaj-d-of *' Effetfls, which were openly " produced, either by him, " or which were proclaimed, *' by his Difciples, throughout ** the whole World, fubdued ** thofe violent Appetites, and ** caufed Nations and People, *' and thofe whofe Manners *' were very different, to con- " fent with one Mind,' to the ** fame Belief; For we might ** enumerate, and take into ** our Account, thofe things *' which were done in India ** among the Ser^, Perjtans *' and Medesy in Arabia, E- *' the GalatianSy Parthians, " Phrygians, in Achaia^ Ma^ ** cedonitty Epirus; in thofe ** Iflands and Provinces, fur- *' veyed by the Eaft and ** Weftern Sun; and lallly in ** Rome, the Miftrefs of the " World." And Aibanajius, in hisSynodical Epiftle, which we find in Thecdoret, Book IV. Chap. 3. mentions the Chri- ftian Churches in Spain, Bri- tain, Gaul, Italy, Dqlmatiay Myjia, Macedonia, Greece, Afri- ca f Sardinia, Cyprus, Crete, Pam- phylia, Lyjia, Ijauria, Egypt, Lybia, Pont us and Cappadocia. And Theodoret in his Vlllth Difcourfc againft ihc Greeks ^ fpeaks thus concerning the Apoftles: " When they were •* converfant in the Body, the^' *' went about, fometimcs to *' one fort,' and fometinies to *' another; fometimeschey filif- ** courfed to the Romans, ionic- " timcij CO the Spaniards, and •' fome- Sedl. i8. the Chrlftia7i Religion. 133 of Chrift, was famous in their times, amongft the Britons^ Germans^ and other diftant Nations. What Religion is there that can compare with it, for the Extent of its PofleiTion? If you anfwer, Hea- thenifm: That indeed has but one Name, but is not one ReHgion: For they do not all worfhip the fame thing; for fome worfhip the Stars, others the the ** fometlmes to the Celtans; ** but after they returned to f* him that fent them, all en- •* joyed their Labours without ** exception; not only the Ro- " mans^ and they that loved the *• Roman Yoke, and were fub- *• je<^ to their Government, ** but alfo the Perjians and Scy- •* thianSy and Majfaget^^ and ** Sauromat^, and Indians^ ** and Ethiopiani't andtofpeak ** in one Word, the Borders of *' the whole World." And again in his IXth Book, a- mongft the converted Nations, he reckons the Per/tans, the Majfagetce^ the Tibareni^ the Hyrcaniy the Cafpians and ^ry- thians. Jtrom in the Epi- taph of Nepotian, reckons a- mong the Chriftians, the In- dians, Perfiansy Goths, Egyp- tians, Bejians, and the People clothed with Skins: In his Epiftle to Lata, he reckons up the Indians, Perjians, j^thio- pians, jirmenians, Hunns, Scy- ihians. and Getans: And in his Dialogue between anOrthodox Man and a Luciferian, he men- tions the Britons, Gauls, the Eaft, the People of India, the Iberians, the Celtiberians, and the ^Ethiopians. And Chry- fojiom in his Vlth Komiiy upon I Cor, fays, •' If the)' were " not worthy to be believed " in what they faid, how *' fhould their Writings have ** fpread all over barbarous ** Countries, even to the In- " dians, and thofe Countries " beyond the Sea?" And a- gain, in his laft Homily upon Pentecoft. " The Holy Spirit *' defcended in the Shape of ** Tongues, divided its Doc- ** trine among the feveral CH- ** mates of the World; and by " this Gift of Tongues, as ic " were by a particular Com- ** miffion, made known to e- *' very one, the Limits of that *• Command and Dot^lrine that *' was committed to him/' And again, in his famous Ora- tion, concerning Chrifl's being God: " We muft fay then, that *' a mere Man, could not, in ** fo ihort time, have over- ** fpread the World, both Sea " and Land; nor have fo called " Men to fuch things, who ** were withheld by evil Cuf- *• toms, nay, poflefled with *' Wickednefs: Yet he was " fufficient to deliver Man- " kind from all thefe, not only " Romans, but alfo Perjians, " and all barbarous Nations.'* See alfo what follows, which is highly worth reading, K3 134 Of the Truth of Book IR^ the Elements, others Beafts, others things that have no Exiflcnce; neither are they governed by the fame Law, nor under one common Mafter. The Jews indeed, though very much fcattered, are but one Nation; however, their ReHgion has received po remarkable Increafe fince Chrift: Nay, their own Law, is made more known by theChriftians than by themfelves. Mahometanifm is fettled in very many Countries, but not alone; for the Chri.- ftian Religion is cultivated in thofe fame Courr-A tries, and in fome Places by a greater Number:■ Whereas, on the contrary, there are no Mahome- tans to be found in many Parts where the Chriftian .nlidq x^^-/ 2«w rbaaqB iMT (i).:iA fbii) oa Cpnjidefhjg the Weakfiefs and Sijnplicity of thofe whs ^ taught it m thi Jirfi Ages...,..^.;.;. i 7nB 23vb'!m3fi:j pa 5on b£i} i^A^ 'sonii.aiohi^dw ' We; come next to'examihe, in what manner the Chriftian Religion made fuch a Progrefs, that in this Particular alfo it may be compared with others. We fee moft Men are difpofed to coniply with the Examples of Kings and Rulers, efpecially if they be pbliged to it by Law, or compelled- by Force. To thefe the Religions of the Pagans, and that of the Mahometans, owe their Increafe. But they who firft taught t\\t Chriftian Religion, were not only Men without any Authority, but of low Fortune, Filhers, Tent-makers, and the like: And yet, by the Induftry of thefe Men, that Do6trine, within thirty Years, or thereabouts, fpread not only through (a.) all Farts of the Ro- marl Empire, but as far as the Parthians and In- dians. And not only in the very Beginning, but for almoft three hundred Years, by the Induftry of private Perfons, withpi^lt any Threats,,without any Enticements, nay, oppofed as much as poflible, by the Power of thofe who were in Authority; this Religion was propagated ib far, that it poflefTed the greateft Part of the Roman Empire, (a) before Conjiantine profefledChriftianity. They among the Greeks^ who dehvered Precepts ofMorahty, at the fame time rendered themfelves acceptable by other Arts; as thePlatonicks, by the Study of Geome- try; the Peripateticks, by the Hiitory of Plants and Animals •, the Stoicks, by Logical Subtiity; the Pythagoreans, by the Knowledge of Numbers and Harmony. Many of them were endued with ad- mirable Eloquence, as Plato^ Xenophon, and 'Theo- phraftus. But the firft Teachers of Chriftianity, had no luch Art. {h) Their Speech was very plain, without any Enticements; they declared only the Precepts, Promifes and Threats in bare Words \ wherefore, fmce they had not in themfelves any Power, anfwerable to fuch a Progrefs, we rauft of Neceffity allow that they were attended with Mi- racles; ob that the fecret Influence of God favoured their Undertaking ^^^©f^botk n->i^^l ■iiniu ^i:>^/ ,-/;r >.f bn£.'2nf>{ lo?")IqrnExH ^ffl S EC %^'^Xi:^ Mdlhegr^fat 'In^Jir^Pt^tl:^!^ dred Men from emhritcing Ht^-,,, or deterred ' ihim from prof ejhng it. j- ' ^ ^o which Confideration'^ wc^fnay add this; that the Minds of thofe who. embraced the. Ch rift ian {a] Before Conftantlne'/^<^.''',^-fed^;Senaije aftd Jot^m; we fejfed Chrijliunity, Sec. ] Tir-tuf- Y'have left you only your Z;^;; faid in his time. Apology •*,/! emples.", U. " We are butof Yefterday-,;:ib)^ Their ^'peefh nxias mery »' and have filled all Places be- flaU; &c.] I'hi's Was" wifely *' longing to you, your Cide9i 'Obferved \^ Chryfojiom, on *• Iflands, Cafiles, Towns, 1 Cor. I. i?- and by Theoiioret, *< Councils, your very Camps, after the Words now cjuoted. ** Tribes, Companies, th^^jg-,,^^,, K4 J-S^' Of the Truth of Book lis/.
K eligion, taught by thefe Men, were not entirely free and unprejudiced from any eftablilhed Rule of Religion, and confequently very pliable; as they were, who firft embraced the Heathen Rites, and the Law of Mahoraet: And much lefs were they prepared by any foregoing Inftitution; as the Hebrews were rendered fit for the Reception of the Law of Mofes^ by Circumcifion, and the. Knowledge of one God, But, on the contrary, their, Minds were filled with Opinions, and had acquired Habits, which are a fecond Nature, re- pugnant^ to thefe new. Inftrudlions; having been educated and confirmed by the Authority of Laws, and of their Parents in the Heathen Myfteries, and Jewijh Rites. And befides this, there was an- other Obftacle, as great, namely the mofl grievous Sufferings, which it was certain they who pro- fefled Chriftianity, mufl endure, or be in fear of, upon that Account: For fmce fuch Sufferings are highly difagiecable to human Nature, it follows, that thole things which are the caufe of fuch Suf- ferings, cannot be received without great Diffi- culty. The Chriftians, for a long time, v/ere kept out of all Places of Honour, and were more- over fined, had their Goods confifcated, and were banifhed: But thefe were fniall things -, they were condemned to the Mines, had the mofl cruel Torments, that it was poffible to invent, iniiidted upon them; and the Punilhments of Death were fo common, that the Writers of thofe times relate, that no Famine, no Peflilence, no War, ever con- fumed more Men at a time. Neither were they the^ord^narj^.^igds ^9^^ of {(t\But}^nifig^fihemalin}et that Chriftians ought to have Arc.], DomtiiiiVipi^nusy z fa- inliided on them. LaSianiius mous La\yye3:> ■ y%v^'ote feven mentions them, 'fiook^ *V.' Books about the Punirnmenis Chap. 7, • ■* ' Se6t. 19. the Chrijiian Religion. 137 them alive, crucifying them, and fuch like Punifh- ments; which one cannot read or think of without the greateft Horror: And this Cruelty, which, without any long Interruption, and that not every where, continued in the Roman Empire, almoft till the time oiConftantine^ and in other Places longer j was fo far from diminifliing them •, that on the contrary, their Blood was called the Seed of the Church, they fo much more increafed as they were cut off. Here therefore let us compare other Reli- gions with Chriftianity. The Greeks and other Hea--*' thens, who are wont to magnify their own Matters, 1 reckon a very few that fuffered Death for their Opi- ^ nions-, fome /;»?i/^;2 Philofophers, Socrates^ and not ^' many more; and it can hardly be denied, but that;^ in thefe famous Men, there was fome Defire of ^ tranfmitting their Fame to Pofterity. But there:^ were very many of thecommon People,jfcarce known" to their Neighbours, among theChriftians, who fuf--''J fered Death for their Opinion; Women, Virgins,' young Men, who had no Defire nor probable > Hopes, that their Name would continue long after them; and indeed, there are but a 'itv^r^ whofe Names remain in the Martyrologies, in comparii'"' fon of the Number of them that fuffered for this Caufe, and are {a) reckoned only by the Heap. Further, very many of them might have efcaped this Punifhment, by fome fmall DifTimulation, fuch as throwing a little Frankincenfe upon the Altar • {a)'Reckonedonlyhy the Heap, Thrygiay in Pontus, under &c.] As the innocent Com- Maxtmin; at NnomeJia, in pany of three hundred at Car- Numidia, at Rome, in Thebais^ //^rta^,mentionedintheXXIVth Tyre, Trevers under Dioclefi- Roman Martyrology of Au- a?t, in Perjia, under Cahada gufius; very many in Africa, and Sapores. All which are under Severus; nudcr Valerian mentioned in the Martyrology, TitAntioch i and in Arabia, Cap* without any Names. padocia, and Mefopotatnia, in 138 Of the Truth of Book IL which cannot be affirmed of them, who, whatever private Opinions they had in their Minds, yet in their outward Adtions, conformed themfelves to the Cuftoms of the Vulgar. So that to fuffer Death, for the Honour of God, could fcarce be allowed to any but the Jews and Chriftians •, and not to the Jews after Chrift's time; and before, only to a very few, compared with the Chriftians; more of which, fufFered Punifhment for the Law of Chrift, in one Province, than ever there did Jews •, all whofe Sufferings ol this kind may ahiioil be reduced to the times of Manajfe's and Antiochus. Wherefore, feeing the Chriftian Religion, in this particular alfo, infinitely exceeds others -, it ought juftly to be preferred before them. It muftbe in- ferred from fuch a Multitude, of every Age and Sex, in fo many different Places and Times, who refufed not to die for this Religion y that there was fome great Reafon for fuch a conftant Refolution, which cannot be imagined to be any Other, but the Light of Truth, and the Spirit of God.
An -^^SWP^.^P ^hcife who require more and Jlronger -\oh ski 1-0 fimiT ^dArguments.
hrl F there be any one, who is not fatisfied with the Arguments hitherto alleged, for the Truth of the Chriftian Religion, but defires more powerful 6^1^^'he qugl^t tQ.k,i>p^^, la}, that different things [a] That different' Thlngf, *^ tHeniahcal "Certainty, is not &.€,] See Jrijlotlif^s Ethics to •* to be met with inallrhings " Nicomachus, Book I '* It is And ChaUidiusonlht^Tim^sus, " fufficient, if a thing be made according to the Opinion of •* appear accordi;ig to the fub Plato. " A Dlfpofirion to be- "jeet matter of it; for the ** lieve. precedes all DoOrines 5 «♦ fame Evidence, is not to be *' efpecially if they be afTerted, *• expeiled in all things." And *• not by common, but by in the latter part of his firft ♦* great, afld' alm(>ft diviriC Scft. 19. the Chrijlian Religion. 139 muft have different kinds of Proof; one fort ia Mathematicks, another in the Properties of Bodies, ^ another in doubtful Matters, and another in Mat^:; ters of Fa6t. And we are to abide by that, whofc: Teftimonies are void of all Sufpicion: Which if it be not admitted, not only all Hiftory is of no further Ufe, and a great Part of Phyfick; but all that natural Affedion, which is betwixt Parents and Children, is loft, {a) who can be known no other way. (h) And it is the Will of God, that) thofe things which he would have us believe, fo as that that Faith fliould be accepted from us as Obedience; fhould not be fo very plain, as thofe things we perceive by our 3enfes, and by Demon- >n::xj iiucn 3l..m^rij aio'fad bam^isir ftration; / -^{a) Who tan be kntyivn no ather yjmyf^^ ] Thus Hemtr^ No man for certain knozvsi <M&JeSoh i^JsP'^ 7^n. b6i[iht That is, with the mofl exa£t kind of Knowledge.
{&) And it is the Will of Goti, &c.] There are two forts of Propofjtions in the Chriilian Religion; one fort of which, may be philofophically de- motift rated, the other cannot. Of the former arefuch asthefe: The Exigence of God, the Creation of the World, a Di- vine Providence; the Goodnefs and Advantage of the Precepts of Religion; all which arc capable of a Demonftration, find are adlually demonilrated by Grotius and others; fo that a iVL-in muft renounce his Rea- ibn, or elfc admit diem. But thofe Paffions which are con- trary to them, hinder Unbe- lievers from receiving them, becaufe if theyihouldown them to be true, they mufl fubdue thofe Paflions, which they ar© unwillmg to do, Iptecaufe the/ have been fo long accuftomed to thera. Of the latter Sort, are the hiftorical Fa(5l5, upon which the Truth of the Gof- pel depends, and which are explained by Grotiusy and proved by hiilorical Argu^ ments. Which fame Argu- ments, would be allowed to be good by Unbelievers, in the iame manner as they do the Proofs of all thofe Hiftories, which they believe, tho' they did not fee the Fads j if they were not hindered by the Pre- valence of their Paflions; and which they muft entirely fub- due, if fuch Arguments came once to take phure. See a little Book of mine in French ^,c4>n^ ititning Infidelity.. Le Ckr<>.^\ I40 V Of the Truth of Book IL ilration; but only fo far as is fufficient to procure the Belief, and perfuade a Man of the thing, who is noc obftinately bent againft it: So that theGof- pel is, as it were, a Touch-ftone, to try Mens honeft Difpofitions by. For fince thofe Argu- ments, which we have brought, have gained the Aflent of fo many good and wife Men; it is very manifeft, that the Caufe of Infidelity in others, is not from the want of Proof; but from hence, {a) that they would not have that feem true, which contradids their Paflions and Affedlions. It is a hard thing for them lightly to efteem of Honours and other Advantages; which they muft do, if they would receive what is related concerning Chrift, and for that Reafon, think themfelves bound to obey the Precepts of Chrift. And this is to be difcovered by this one thing, that they receive many other hiftorical Relations as true, the Truth of which, is eftablifhed only upon Autho- rities, of which there are no Marks remaining at this time: As there is in the Hiftory of Chrift; partly by the Confeffion of the Jews^ which are now left; partly by the Congregation of Chriftians, every where to be found; for which there muft of Neceffity have been fome Caufe. And fince the long Continuance of the Chriftian Religion, and the Propagation of it fo far, cannot be attributed to any human Power, it follows, that it muft be attributed to Miracles: Or if any one fhould deny it to have been done by Miracles; this very thing, that [a) That thev would not ha've fays; that they do not believe that fcem true y Sic. '^ ChryfoJio7n the Commandment Sy proceeds treats very handfomely of this, from their Univillingnefs t9 in the Beginning of i Cor, keep them.
Chap. 3. And to Demetrius, he Sedl. 19. the Chriftin?2 Religion, iai that (a) it fhould, without a Miracle, gather To much Strength and Power, ought to be looked upon as greater than any Miracle.
[a] ItJJ^ouId, nx^ithout a Mi- I. towards the End; and Ju- rade^kz.] Chryfojiom \i^xid\Q% ^«/?/«, concerning the City of this Argument on i Cc;/u.tCh. * 'God, Book XXIl. Chap' c " '»' ■r'w Ip dJiitT aoO*3d:r vd YbiRq ^ ilsl won . t>i3ib ijjiiiw lol; ^ bnui aadw yiov^ BO "OK" III.
^"sf^^iVl ^d\^^^? i-t^v^Y^^I i\5J^\ K,^ Vn;a? ^-^w,m^\ •: Sect. X. Of the Authority of the Booki of the Netx^ Tefiajnefit, E who is perfwaded of the Truth and Ex- cellency of that Religion which Chriftians profefs, having been convinced either by the Arguments before offered, or by any other befides them, in order to underhand all the feverai Parts of it, he mufl go to the moft antient Books, which contain this Religion; and they are what we call the Books of the New Teftament, or rather Covenant: For it is unreafonable for any one to deny, that That Religion is contained in thoi'c pooks, as all Chriftians affirm; fince it is tit that every Sed, good or bad, fhould be believed in this AfTertion, that their Opinions are contained in this or that Book 5 as we believe the Mahometans, that the Religion of Mahomet is contained in the Alcoran: Wherefore, fince the Truth of the Chriftian Religion, has been proved before, and at the fame Time it was evident, that it was contained in thefe Books; the Authority of thefe Books is fufficiently eftabliflied by this fingle Thing: How- ever,.i^rftny one defire to have it more particularly made appear to him, he muft firft lay down that common Rule amongft all fair Judges, {^a) That He who would difprove any Writing, which has beenj j|;e^f^i(:?d/9|:^jn^ny;Ages, is, obliged to ibiing ArguM See Bixldus in his Rubrickcon- Obf. CXLIX. Nu?rth 6 and 7, ^^errling t}i^ Credibility of Wli- and thofc'i»& theic cites.
Stdc. I, 2, the ChriJIian Religion. 145 iTients that may diminifh the Credibility of fuch a | Writing; which, if he cannot, the Book is to be \ defended, as in Pofleflion of its own Authority. -^ Sect. II. J'he Books that have any Names affixed to tbem^ were writ by thofe Perfo^s whofe Names Usihey bear.
W E fay then, that the Writings, about which there is no Difpute amongfl Chrillians, andvvhich have any particular Perfon's Name affixed to them, «irc that Author's, whofe Title they are mark'd with; becaufe the firft Writers, fuch as Juftin^ Iren^usy {a) Clemens^ and others after them, quot6 thefe Books under thofe Names: And befides, (b) l^ertullian fays, that in his Time, fome of the Origind Copies of thofe Books were extant. And becaufe all the Churches received them as fuch, before there were any publick Councils held: Neither did any Heathens or Jews raife any Controverfy, as if they were not the Works of thofe whofe they were faid to be. ■Ax\di(€) Julian openly confefTes, that thofe ^t^'^ti^^i^^Bm^^Matthew's^ Mark's^ and only Clemevs's Vj^^i^Wq.to the RuUf in their refpeclive Places i Corinthlatis extant, in wiiich in,^ki,ch the Autbentick Letters he quotes Places of the Netv thewfeltesarerecited. And why Telhment, but does hot name might not the Hand of the Athe Writers; wherefore Cle- poftles be then extant, when ;7;^/?i's Name iiiight have been ^intilian fays, that in his omitted J and romightJz(/?/«'s, lime Cicero's Hand was exwho is not ufed to add the, tant; and Gf///«/ fays the fame Names. UClerc..g'-'H^lV'^^ of r/Vj[r//'s in his?
his Prefcription againft the He- &c. I J he Place is to be feen reticks. Let any one ivbo ^jcould in CyriPs Xth Book. (See alfo e.xercije his Curiofity principally our Annotations, in the Differin the Affair of his SahatioHy tation on the IV Evangelilb, let him run over the /Jpojiolical added to the Harmony of thf CburchiSfOvernjohich the Seats Gpfpels, LtClerc.) * .^^ Of the Truth of.uook III.
Jjuke^.^ which were read by the Chriflians, under thofe Names. No Body, in his Senfes, makes any Doubt of Homer's or VirgiPs Works being theirs, by reafon of the conflant Teftimony of the Greeks concerning the one, and of the Latins concerning the other -, how much more then, ought we to Hand by the Teftimony of ahnoft all the Nations in the World, for the Authors of thefe Books?
IN- SECT. III. 'The Dotiht^ of thofe Books that were formerly doubtful^ taken away.
There are indeed in the Volume we now ufe, fome Books which were not equally received from the Beginning; {a) as the Second of Peter^ that of James^ and Jude^ two under the Name o^John the Prefbyter, the Revelations^ and the Epiftle to the Hebrews: However, they were acknowledged by many Churches, as is evident from the ancient Chriftians, who ufe their Teftimony as facred; which makes it credible, that thofe Churches, which had not thofe Books from the Beginning, did not know of them at that Time, or elfe were doubtful concerning them; but having afterwards learned the Truth of the Thing, they began to ufe thofe Books after the Example of the reft; as we now fee done in almoft all Places: Nor can there be a fufiicient Reafon imagined, why any one Ihould counterfeit thole Books, when nothing can be gathered from them, but what is abundantly contained in the other Books that are undoubted.
{a) Ai the Second of Peter, two Epillles, could be called ia &c.] However, Grotlus him- Queftion, this would not renlelf doubted of this; the Rea- der the reil doubtful; nor Ions of which Doubt, he him- would any Part of the Chriftian ielf gives us, in the Beginning Faith be defeilive, becaufe it is of his Annotations upon this abundantly delivered ia other Epiitle. But though one or Places. Le C/erc, Sect. IV. ^ht Authority of thofe Books, which have no Name to them^ evident from the Nature of the Writings, There is no Reafon why any one fiiould de- tradi: from the Credibihty of the Kpiftle to the He- brews^ upon this Account only, becaufe we do not know who wrote it •, and fo Hkewife of the two Epiftles of John, and the Revelation •, becaufe fome have doubted whether John the Apoftle wrote them, or another of the fame Name, ia) For in Writers, the Nature of the Writings is more to be regarded than the Name. Wherefore we receive many Hiftorical Books, whofe Authors we are ig- norant of, as that oi C^far^s Alexandrian War; viz, becaufe we fee, that whoever the Author was, he lived in thofe Times, and was prefent at thofe Mat- ters: So fikewife ought we to be fatisfied, when thofe, who wrote the Books we are now fpeaking of, teftify that they hved in the firft Age, and were endued with the ApoftoHcal Gifts. And if any one fliould object againft this, that thefe Qualities may be feigned, as may the Names in other Writings j he would fay a Thing that is by no means credible, viz. that they who every where prefs the Study of Truth and Piety, ihould without any Reafon, bring themfelvcs under the Guilt of a Lye -, which is not only abhorred by all good Men, (b) but was pu- nifhed with Death by the Roman Laws.