Seim. CLXXV. Confirmation of Chri/tianity. 995 But let any Mai {hew me the lcaft Intimation in Scripture or Antiquity that our Saviour, or his Apoftles, or the Primitive Church, ever ufed this way; and yet thedanger of Error and Herefie, was as great then, asir is now. So that the Church of Rome mutt pretend hemfelves wilier than our Saviour and his Apofiles ; and to be more careful to prevent HereGe in the Church, than they were. This they were loth to fay ; and yet they mutt fay it, if they will jutlify their own doings. But the plain truth is, there is another and truer Reafon for it, tho' they are not willing to own ir, and that is :bis ; If the Scriptures were permitted to the people in a Lan- guage which they undedland, the Errors of their Church would bedifcoveted and laid open, and menwould plainly difcern how contrary manyof their Doétrines and Practices are, to thole of our Saviourand his Apofiles : for every one that doth evil hateth the light, neither cameth to the light, left his deeds fhouldbe difcovered Secondly, Thenext Miraculous Gift I (hall mention after the Gift of Tongues, is the Gift of Prophefie, or foretellingThings future, which was always looked upon as an Evidence of Infpiration. And this we find mentioned, r Cor, 11.. io. To another Prophefi., and in feveral other places; and to this Gift, the Apoftle gives a great Preeminence, r Cor. 04. t. Covet fpirituai gifts : but rather that ye mayprophefe ; be- caufe foretelling of things to come, was alwaysefteemed by MankindanEvidence of a Perlon divinely Inspired, and confequently, was one of thegreateft Tellimonies of the. Truth of Chriftianity, And this the Angel that appeared roSt. Johnparticularly takes notice of Rev. 09. lo. The Teflimonyofjefue is the fpirit of Prophefre. The Prophefies of that Book were to be a ffancling Tefhimony of the truth of Chriftia- nity in all Ages of the Church. Thirdly, The next Gift is that of healing all manner of Difeales. And this the Apoftles Item generally ro have had, and the Elders of theChurch allo, whole pe- culiar office it was to pray over the lick, and toanoint them with Oyl ; and upon their Prayers, God was pleated to grant miraculous recoveries, as we find exprefly. promifed, James S. i4, r S. Is any tick amongyou ? let himcall for ehe Elders. of the Church, and let thempray over him, anointing himwith Oil in the Name of the Lord: And the prayer offaith (hall Pave the fck, andthe Lord (hall raife him up. This Miraculous Power we find likewife mentioned to be conferred on the A- pottles in our Saviours life time, when he firft gavethem Commiffion to Preach the Gofpel to the Jews, Mark 6. ra, 13. where is is Paid, that They went out, and preached that men fhould Repent. And they call out many devils, and anointed with Oil many that were lick, and healedthem. Andnow that thismiraculous Gift is ceafed, there is no reafon why the meer Cere- mony of Anointing with Oil Mould continue; whichyet is hill ufed in the.Church of Rome, and made a Sacrament; tho' it fignifie nothing: for they do not pretend to heal men by it ; nay they pretend the contrary, becaule they never ufe it, but in extremity, and where they look upon the Perlon as pall recovery; and if they did not think fo, they would.not ufe it. But befrdcs the healing, with this folemnitÿ of Anointing with Oil and with' Prayer, which Teems to have been ufed by the Elders of the Church only upon thofe who were Members of. the Church, there was likewife a general Gift of hea- ling, which the Apoftles exercifed upon all Occafions where ever they came; and, this was performed only by laying their hands on the lick. And this we .find pre- mifed by our Saviour to his Apofiles, -when. he gave them- Commiffion to Preach the Gofpel to all the World, immediately before his Afcenfion and not only to the Apoffles, but to thofe who ihoúld believe upon their Preaching, Mark 16. t7,' t$. Thefe fgns /hall follow them that believe: in my Name fhall they cafe out devils, &c. And then it follows, they fhall lay. hands' on thelick, andthey ;hall recover. Fourthly, The Power of railing the dead which bath always been efteemed one of the greateft and molt unqueftionable Miracles of all other. A principal part of the Apoftles Office was to be witneì of our Saviour's: Refurretlion from the dead', whereby he was fo powerfully demonflrated to Lithe Son of God. But bccaufe this was a strange Relation, ana nor caly to be credited, by thofe whowere strangers to the Apoftles, and had never known them before; therefore that they might witnefs this with more Authority, God was pleated to endow them with a mira- T r t i ulou
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