CJ be Harmony of the 'Di'Vine Attributes "-..A/l caught bm o11e or two Souls. And in the progre!s of the Gojpcl they perftfled in their Ct11p. 2 I· oypofiti(;n. The mort grave and vertuous among th em centi.ued the Alarlyrs as fool- ~~. h,l rd y i1_1 r_heir genero.us Suft~rings. for th~ Name of Jefus Chril1. .Antonimu ( h) accuf~d im!. i•"."""' the Chni1:LJI1S of obrtmacy m thetr readmefs to endure Torments. Ariamu reprefems ~~;.:.~e,..v-~~..; thei r Cour,1ge as proceeding fmm a cuftomary comempt of DeJth,. which he oppofes ro t~"::~:::~;· Judgmcr,t and Rearon. Crefans _the C~nic~ was .t~e Perfe~utor ot Juftin i~a:·tyr .. In J]l ?;",· .L•"· ' · . Ages theGo[p<\ felt the fharppotnts ot thw malrcwus Wrts. They de[ptied rt as an !"~,;:.;:~;;· ill -co nt ri\'d Fable, as the ente rtait:Jment of (mall Underfbndin gs ( i); and Faith, as tht ;,:~~p.~";:.· .. Prcjidium of rhe we:1k and illi terate, who we re incapable of confiJerarion. Now when ~·r~~~:: .. i;~~r 1 hol~ ~vh ? we~e in hi gheft reputation tor their Morality and Learning, difcm1ntenanced 1_ 4 • ~- 7 • Ch rt f11an 1ty, 1t was a fl:rong Argument to move the vul ga r Hea thens to judge of ir as a :~:i};;{f!,~. ~;~~ ~f~~~~~n~s r!~t0~~!a~~r E~:~~~::"~".}e~~~sA~~~~~~: n:h:e~;~~ ~~::~e~ ~~eJr~~~ nrm7Jrud,·M, like ly to underrtand the Prophefies concerning the N!e!Jiab, believing on bim, Joh. 7· 48. ~:~~7:1uf2..;;:"fi 2. The Heathen Priefts vehemently obftruCted the reception of the Gofpel; for their 111!H/I1rod~ lmereft was fpecia ll y concern'd upon the account of their Reputati on and Gain. With ;~j:~~:1J:~::; great t"'. ~t they hJd ke~t the P~ople in _I gnorance for. a long time: They ~er[waded them 'l,~niM. H)(; thJt rhe1r Idolatrous Ceremome..:, Sacnfices and Felhvals m:1de the Gods tavourable, and r~~~~;r"~::i~~~ we re the fnpreme C~ufes of their Profperity; and that .ill Suc.cefs in War, P.ub lick Dif- t.. [<1 t~~~! ~- af1e rs, grea t Contagtons were Cent for the neglect of theu ServiCe. From thts Fountain nus~ !1-l!idl)s,a\ 1 Superf1ition was deriv'd. Now i f the Doctrine of Chrift (that ftriCHy for bids the 7J;::~:r.~:· ;~~~ \Vorll1ip of ldo ls) were received, who would attend to their old Lies? Who would r,.~ .. rtc~t,&purchafe rheir deceitfu l Promi[es? Who \~ould maintain them with prodigal Don~tfives? ~,;~;~~~\l J · Vv'ho \~ m~ld efl:eem them Divine Men?. 1 hey r;tu.ft lo[e their Honour and Support, ~and dJurenfi 5 in for the1r !·abies be the [corn of the Multitude. Tts no wonder then that thetr Paflwns Erifl. ,J St . 010nld be edged, and their Endeavours furious in oppoGng the Truth. And Gnce the A'o" 11 · People h>d a reverend regard for their Office, and a high Opinion of their Wi(dom, Authority and Sanll:ity, they readily joyned with them in their oppoGtion. 3· Princes who were ador'd by the People, thoughtthem[elves obliged to prevent the tk) V11l6~~-;" Inrrodull-ion. of a new Religion, left thei.r Empire lhoulcl be in hazard, or the Majefry };;~~ei;~~;~~ and GreJrnels of it leffen'd (k). For Religion being the true Foundation of publick h.1ber.d 11 , 11cc PeJCe, every change in it is [ufpected as dangerous, and likel y to bring fame eminent alnwu. terarion in the State. St. Pa11/ was accufed for teaching Cuft:oms (Atl. 16. 21.) which were nor lawful for them to obferve being Romans. And 1n after-times Chriftians were ccndemn'd as fed itious and mutinous, and their Atfembliesas rimous and unlawful. And 'cis obfervable, that there never was a lefs favourabl e Conft:innion of time, than when the Gofpel was firft preached. For Tiberius was extremely cruel and extremely jealous o t oil No"elty thot might diflurb his Repo[e . And Nero, the bloodieflTyrant that ever fat on the Rom.w Throne, endeavm1r'd to flrang\e Chriflianity in the Cradle (1). Befides, the Doctrine of Chrit1: w~s not only new and ftrange, but [evere; for it gives no di[pen[orion for Per(onsof the htg;hefl rank from univer[al Duty. Tis the Law of God , to whom all are equally [ubjecr, or equally obedient. It gives Rules without exception, to the Court as well as the Cottage; to tho(e cloath'd in Purple, and tho[e in S.11kclot h: it condemns the greatefl for Delinquents and guilty of eternal Death if th ey do not abandon tho[e Plea[ures to which corrupt Nature and many flrong Temptations vi.o lently incline them. Now the Heathen Princes who were profperous and vicions, could not rel ilh a Ooarine that retrench'd their exorbitan t Defires, and ftritl:ly forbad their unconfin'd enjoyment of [en[ual delights, which they e!leem'd the Prerogative annex'<.! to their fup reme Dignity; and the Minds of Subjects' are tainted with dependance on the powerful. From what hath been difcours'd, we may judge how great reG!lance the Go[pel met with in its fir!\ publication. For all things th>t can make an emerprife impoffi ble, were unired together againO: it. Wifdom aP.d Power, the P1eafures of Sin, and Zeal for Religion; the Under!landings and Wi)l s of Men were combin'd in oppofirion to its Progrefs; the Learned and Ignorant , Ma!!ift rates and People, Men and Devils join' cl to fupprefs it. Hell was in a. Commotion, and the Prince of Darkne[s in Arms, not to fu!fer the CrownsoHo many Kingdoms to fall from his Head, which for [o many Ages he had kept: He was en raged to lo(e the Homage and Ser"ice, efpecially of the more knowing Nations, as ,the Grecians and Romat:s ; \Vho, by how much the more capable of Truth, with fo much the more art to rhe Difhonour of God for a long time had been kept under his Deceit. 2dly. I f we conGder the Means by which the Go[pel was conveyed , it will be morl! evident rhat Omnipotence alone made it fuccefsfol. When Chrifi came from Heaven to co nvert the World, it had been according to the Law of Rea[on mare [uitable to his . , Pm..
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=