Chrijlian Religionproved by Reafon. CHAP. V. The Teflimony produc'd by $t. John for the proofo(Chrifiianity, hriej!y_ ~on· fider'd. The Witn![r from Hea.ve_n, the Father, Word and SJ:lmt; the Witnelfes on Earth, the Sptnt, Water and Blood, confptre m declaring J E SUS C H RI S T to he the Son of God, and Sa":'iour of Mim. An Anfwer to Objeatons agamfl the Doarmes of the Tnmty, t~e Divine Incarnation, and the mean State and Suffermgs of the Son of God m· the World. The Conc/ufion. The Gofpel fo proved, defer"Ves our firmeft A./fent and Adherence to its Dalrines. Carn_al or SRiritual Lufls hinder the beliefofit. It j ets before us the mofl powerful Mottves to love God. We are obliged by theflrongeft Reafons to obey its Precepts. THd~ce~u:;: ~~;~~ :\~~~ ]if,~h~~i~, tl~ 'so:rifr~;~ ~~T~Zi'Y<~~~'~;;~ t ;·,[;h~vP.:'!J~ This 1 will briefly open: 'l herc ttre three that bare R ecord in Heaven, the Father, the TVord, 1md the Hoi:J Ghufl, and theft three are one. Aud there are three that bear lVit11eft in Earth, the Spirit, and tbe Water, ttnd the Blo~d, and thcfethrte agree in one. . All the Divinity gave ;~::~~Jc~~~~il:~~o~fffi~~~fhChr1~e[~t~%h~~~ 0;'~1 },~(e t~~i~;';~f11~s i~~~:ff~)bb;1~ Voice from Heaven: Fir[[ at his Baptifm, This' is my rpc/1-be/oved So11, i1J wbom I am well pleafed. And at his Transfiguration before [ome ofhis Di[ciples, a Shining Cloud, the iign ofthe Divine Prefence, encompaft them, and a Voice came forth of the Cloud, Thi< i< "IJ weU-helfl!led So11, hear him. Upon this glorious Voice they were ftruck with fuch an imprefljon of rear that they fell on their Faces. And when our Saviour near his Paffion prayed, Father, giorijie thy Name, a Voice came from Heavm, I have glorified it, and wiU glorifie it. Now can there remain any doubt after (uch an high atteftation from the n.o{( Soveraign Authority? The Son alfo, be!ides the perfeCt Holinefsof his Life, the exqu ifl te Wifdom of his D ochine, t he Wonders ofhis Works, hisRefurreCtion from the Dead, that were authentick proofs of his Celeftial Perfon and Calling, after his Afcen iion g lorionOy appear'd f rom Heaven in diverfe Vilions to the Preachers of his Gofpel . To Saul m his Journey to Da- :h~::Jc~~lli11h~~ i~~~, u~~~~e~~~~::re pre;~~~t/~i):;}/h: ii' t~ehS~~~f ~~d:0 ~~~;g~;fn fi'omthe Dead, and returned to Heaven from whence he thus d ifcover'd himfelf. Now that tnis was real and no fantaftick illuGon is evident by the marvellous effeCts ofit. Thofe who were Companions in the Journey were (eizcd with great Terror, and him{eJf firuck Blind by the overpoweringfplendor of the Appari:ion. But efpeciall y the effeCts ofi t upon l1is Sonlare convincing, who it was rhatfpake, tohim. For S(l/tl was by Sect a IJt.larifce, that of all othersmoft paOionatelyadher'd to the Jewifh Religion : By Temper hot and violent, by Profeffion a Perfecmor of the Chriftians. One tha t brea thed forth Threatning and Slan&hter, thot excited the Fury of the High-Pri efts, follicited their Cruel ty. In fhort, a fierce Spirit that envied Nero the Title of t he firft Perfecutor of the Church. Yet this Man by this Vi !ion and Voice from Heaven, of a Fnrious Perfecutor inan inffant became a Zealous Apoftle, of a Wolf became a Paftor. He pre[entl y expreft his entire fubmiffion, Lord, what wilt thou hrroe me to d<! .< There is nothing fo hard to do, nothing fo dreadful to fu ffe r, but I will readily undertake for thine Honour, and the propagating thy T ruth. Now from whence came this Change fo ftrange, fo n<w, in a Per ion confirm'd in the oppofiteParty? From whence this reiignation of Will fo enti re and perfeCt, fo unexpected and fudden? What gave him courage to contradiCt to their Faces the High-Pri efts, whofe Inftrument he was, and declare that Jefus whom they call ed a Deceiver, was the Son of Go;!, and their Judge ? W ha t animated him to appear before Kings and Emperors, to tef!Jfie thts dangerou; T ru th? W hat made him with unparall ell 'd aCtivity, with the moll: ardent affeCtions, propaga te the Gofpel, and after a thoufand peril s by Sea and Land, a thoufand difgraces and i nj•.Jrics, atlaft to confirm the Fai th ofChrift with his Blood? It is ther: fore paft all contradiCtion that he had thegreateft a!furance that the Son of God fpake to hun. 1 Another 74 ~ Chap.. 5· ~
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