Introdua, Reafons agaítrft Polrtbeifte, anfwered. Chap. 9 OP The next Objeflionis, If they werenot Gods, how came fome of them toworkObjed. Miracles, and give Oracles. ' t. The firft is thus anfwered, 'That there isdifferencebetween true andfalfe Mira- Anfw. cles, the one being profitable to Mankinde, as railing the dead to life, and healing in- curable difeafes, which not they nor their Magicians could ever perform, but only wrought fuch as were fi ultious and imaginary ; and forceofthem were unprofitable, fuch as were Simon Magus hismaking a mountain feem to remove; and Ai-tin! Mari, ilia his cutting a Whetitone in two pieces. 2. Concerning the Oracles of the Gentiles, Porphyrie faith, that as great things were done by theMagitians of his time, as by thofe whom they fnppofed to be Gods. Befides, the Oracles whichthey uttered, were ever either ambiguous (being indeed not the Oracles of their images, but of Devils that fpake in them, (asEe- febins affirmeth) oroft-times falfe and frivolous, nay fometime contradiftingone ano- ther, and might have been as truly conje ìured bypolitick or wife men from the dif, pofition or concurrence of caufes. 3. And it is a Elrongargument,to prove that thefe Oracles wereuttered by theDe- vil, in that many of them were cruel and inhumane, tending to thefacrificing ofmen unto them, whereas if theyhad been from God, they would have been rather to the prcfervation, than to the de(Iruetion and defacing of Gods Imageand workmanfhip. And when they would feem to be more milde, upon deliverance fromwar or danger, they commanded the Inflitution of Gladiatore,, Sword-fencers, whereupon enfued much bloodfhed and murder. And if they were not the carafeof cruelty, yet ofall kinde of obfcenity ; for if they enjoynednot the Sword-plays always, yet at other timesthey commandedStage - plays, the effects whereof Sr. Auguflinedefcribeth at De cie.1.4.o. large, whereby men grew to fuch :height of all lafciyioufnefs, that the Romans and n6. Greekrbanifhed them out of their Territories, and made a Decree, that allStage- players fhould die inteftate. 4. Laftly it is common in Homer and Virgil and the Philofophers concerning their Gods, that if theynamed but Styx or Ceertuy they themfelves would be afraid and tremble, and all the Images would be in a fweat, jurareper Stygem terroremDemon, havingfworn by Styx the terrour of the Gods. Now we know that no Prince is a- fraid of his own Prifon. And Socrates faid , that a manmight as well bwear by an In ApoL; Onyon or aLeek, asby yttpiter, and ufed much to inveigh againft theAthenianGods, affirming them to be none, for which he was convifted : yet Laertius reporteth, that not long after his death there happened fuch a plague, that they never felt the like before or after. And confulting with the Oracle about the caufe, they were anfwer- ed, that it was for putting the Innocent todeath. In recompencetherefore toSocra- tes they ereûed an Image, and afcribed divine honours to him that had difhonoured their Gods : thereby condemning therfelves, their own Religion, and their Gods. For thisconk fore of themmifiked theHeathen Religion: but not finding a better theywould not alterthe old: And fo muchof Paganifm. CHAP. IX. Of7sedai fm. The Poftionsof the yews. 1. That the Mefau Ad /rave anearthlyKingdome ar Jerufalem, confuted. z. That leTut ie not the McJas. The contrary provedby Jacob's Prophefie, Genefis 49. II. By Daniels's feventy two weeks. Dan. 9.2g. áll divers other Reafons. ;. no the Mesas is not yet come. The contrary proved by fundry Arguments. IHe fecondReligion is Judaifm, or the Religionof the Jews, The Controverfe betweenwhomand us Chrifhans is concerning Chrift, whomwe ptofefs, and they deny. And becaufe they acknowledge the OldTeftament to be Gods word, as well as we, ourproofs tomaintain our affirmation ¡hall be out of it, and thofe Authors which are in molt accompt with them. ThePotations which she Jews hold are thefe. t. That the B1effiae (hall have an earthly Kingdom, and that this Seatof his Court fhall be at rerufalem. a. That
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