

What
Hiftory
is
Credible,
and
what
not
A
s
the
Holy Ghofi
faith,
Believe not every
fpirit;
I
may fay, Believe
not
all
Reports,
or
Hiflory.
It
was
not
only Ahab:
Prophets, in
whole
mouths Satan was
a
lying
fy
irit
:
As
lying
and
deceiving
is his
work
in the
world,
for
the defiroying
of
Holinefs,
and
of
Souls,
even when he
turneth
himfeif into
an Angel
of
Light;
fo is
it
the work
of
his
Minifters, when
they'feemtobe
Minihers
of
Righteoufnefs; when it
is
oft
Paid (Be nöt
de-
eeived)
and
[Let
no
man
deceive
you with vain
words
;]
it
is
more neceliary
.
ad-
vile,and hardlier followed,
than
moll men underftand. As Truth
is
Gods
means to work the will to
holy love,
and
lead us in a
holy
life,
fo
Lying is
the
Devils
means
to
oppofe
them
: and
of
all
Lyars, none are more pernicious
than
lying Aifiorians,
and
lying Preachers.
It
is
a
fad perplexity
to the world,
that
when men read and
hear,
even
the
more
confident and
plaufible
Hi-
álories
and
Reports,
they
know not whether they are
true
or falfe; and
if
they
believe
that
to
be
true which
is
not,
the
effeei
is
worfe
than
this per-
plexity.
I
will
tell
you
what!
take to
be
credible, and
what not.
I.
It
is
prefuppoled
that
a
man
muff
believe his fenfes,
if
found, about
their proper
objec9rs:
Papifis
that
tell
us
that
all
mens fenfes
are
deceived,
when they
Item to
perceive
Bread
and
one
in the Sacrament, do
but
tell
us
that
no
man then
is
to
be
believed, and therefore
not
they
then
felves.
II. The
Hiflory
of
the Gofpel
is
certainly
credible,
becaufe
it
was
con-
firmed by
multitudes
of
uncontrouled
Miracles
wrought
by
Chrifi, and
by
his Apofiles, and
multitudes
of
Chriílíans
;
as
the Doeirine
it
felf beareth
the Image
and
Superfcription
of
God.
III. The
Prophets
that
had Divine
Infpiratiòn and
Vifìon,
had
that Evi-
dence
which
gave
themfelves
a
certainty, though not
to
others.
1V.
When Hiflory
delivereth
a
matter of
fact and fenfe,
by
the com-
mon
content of
all
men
that
knew
it, thoùgh
of contrary
minds,
difpoG-
tions,
and
interdis.
it
giveth
us
a
certainty
which may
be
called
Natural;
becaufe
Nature hath nothing
in
it that
could
ca.ufe
fuch
aConfpiracy
in
Ly-
ing
:
That it
is fo
credible as
to
be
a
Natural
certainty,
that there
is
inch
a
place
as Rome, Parris,
Jerufalem;
that
the Statutes
of
the Land are not
For-
geries,
while
all
Contenders
plead them
agaìnli
each
other,
and hold by
them their Eftates
and
Lives:
And
fo
that
there
was
filch
a
Perlon
as
Jefits
Chrifi,
and
that
the Scriptures were
written
by
the
Prophets
and
Apo-
des,
&c.
V.
when
the Hiflory
of
any perfon
and
aflion
is
proved
by
continued
or
vifible effeeis as
that
1Villim.ot
of
N.rnandy conquered
England, while fo
many
of
the effeés
of
that
Conquer
in
our
Laws
and Culloms
are
frill
viti-
ble
:
And that
the
Welfn
were the Ancient
Britain!,
driven by
the Saxonsin.
to
Wales,
while their Language
Habitation,
&c. fhew
it.:
And
fo
thut
Chrift inflituted
Baptifin, and Church-
Communion,
and the
Apoliles
Ie-
a
pirated