Incrodu&. Reafáns for the truth ofChriflian Religion. Chap. 12. 5. Calitu Rhedigintu andVolaterantts upon their credits leave us this in their Wri- tings, that among the Monuments of ("Egypt was found an Altar dedicated Vrgini paritrre, to a Virgin that fhould have a Child, like to the Temple of Peace before. mentioned, that fhould nand' Donee pepericvirgo,until a Virgin fhould bring forth a Chili. And Poflellus teftifies from the Druides, that they had an Altar, with this In- fcription, Araprimogenito Dei, an Altar to the firft begotten of God. 6. Sueronisu faith, that in fuch a year (which was the year before Chrifts birth) in afair day, at the time of agreat concourfe of people at Rome, there appeared a great Rain bow (as it were) about the Sun, of a golden colour,almoft of equal bright nets with the Sun. The Augurs being demanded the reafon, anfwered, that God would fhordy invifere humanumgentu, vifit Mankinde. And upon the day that our Saviour was born three Suns appeared in the firmament, whichafterward met and joyned intoone. The Augurs being likewife queftioned about this Apparition, their anfwer was, that he was then born, whomAugufius, the people, and the whole World fhould worship t wjiereupon (as it is ftoried) Auguflusat the next meeting of the Senate, gave over his Title of Dominus orbis terrorism, Lordofthe whole world,and wouldbe fo Riled nomore. 7. But the mote remarkable thing that happened at Chrifts `birth was the Star mentioned in theGofpel, andconfeffed by the Heathen themfelves to be ftella maxi- me falataris , the happieft Star that ever appeared for mankinde. Pliny calleth it, Stella erinita fina crine, A blazing or hairy Star without hair. Upon the ap Lib.s, c.tg, pearance and due conlderation of which Star many were converted to the Truth, as ¡Charemon among the Stoicks, and Challaelius among the Plato- nifts, who meditating upon the firangenefs of it, went into Jury and became Pro, felites. 8. Now concerning the deathof Chrift we finde, that the Antient c.4gyptiant, ( who ufed no Letters, but CharaEters or Hieroglyphiques ) when they would ex. prefs vitam eternam, everlafting life, they did it by the figne of the Crofs, whereby they deciphered the badge of our falvation, which concurred with the manner of Chrifts death. y. The next is, the two wonders orftrange accidents mentioned by the Holy Ghatt at the death of our Saviour. r. The general Earthquake. And z. the univerfal E- clypfe of theSun, fo often can in the teethof the Heathen. T. For the firft, they are not afhamed to confefs it. As Plink himfelf, and 7rd- £ib,s,o.sq lianas and Phlegon fay,that it came not of any natural caufe.For in nature, every thing that is moved mull have an:vmeimo, fomewhat to Ray upon, but this Earthquake went through the whole world. z. For the Eclypfe, many were converted by reafon of the nrangenefs of it, as Dionfrus and others. For all Eclypfes of the Sunare particular, this general and u- niverial. This happened at the Fcaft of the Paffeover, which was rq.a Lune, the fourteenth day of theMoon, when it was juft at the full, which is clean oppofite to the Rules of Aftronomy, and mans reafon. to. It is reported, that in the Reign of Tiberius, prefently upon this Eclypfe, there was a general defeft of Oracles. Of which argument Plutarch hath a whole Treatife ; in which he faith, that a man in great credit with the Emperour fayling by theCyclades, heard avoice, as it were, coming out of thofe Elands, Paying, that thegreat God Pan was dead. The Emperour hearing this report, fent for the Au. gurs to know who this Pan fhould be, but they could give him no fatisfathionzrkeph,/,t.c.t7 herein. And one asking counfel at the Oracle at Delphos about thefe things, was told, that it was 'aßtïte, bur Kebreusi an Hebrew Child, that had filenced them. t t. Ambrofe, 7ertellian, and tuflin Martyr terrific, fo (Jodi Eufebitr,, that Pilate rero.c. 5. in wrote toTyberins, about Chrifts Miracles (after his death) and that he died, and fuf. Apolog. fered as an innocent perfon. Whereupon Tiberius wrote to theSenate, commanding Euf'i' s.e'a' them todeifie him. But the Senate refuted, becaufe Pilate had written to Tiberius and not to them. A chiefman in this oppofition was Sejapus, who afterward came to a miferable end. tz.The next,and noneof the leali general arguments to prove thetruth of Chriflian Religion, is the progrefs of it. For whereas Nature and Reafon teach us, that a in 49
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