5_'4 7he Advantages of Truth, Vol. f I. him defctibed, Revel. 13, 13, 14: And he doth great wonders, and deceiveth thein tb* dwell on the earth, by themeans of theft Miracles which he had power to do. And now the Church of Rome may be allowed to work Miracles; and yet Di- vine Miracles, Euch as were wrought for the firft Confirmation of Chriflianity, may be ceafed in the Church : which is a fufrcient answer to theObjeaion, and upon the whole matter thews, that theMiracles pretended to in the Church of Reme, are to far from giving any confirmation toher Do&sines, that they are rather an evident proof that the is the Apoftate and Anti'Chriftian Church: I might now draw Two or Three Inferences from this whole Difcourfe. As, I. We have great reafon to admire the Wifdom and Goodnefs of God in the Difpenfation of the Gofpel, that by the fending down of his Holy Spirit to endow the firft Publifhers of this Heavenly Doltrine with fuch Miraculous Gifts and Powers, he hash given fuch abundant Teftimony to the Truth of our Religion, and fuch firm grounds for our Faith to rely upon. II. The Confideration of what hath been laid, convinceth Mea of the great Sin of Infidelity, and the unreafonablenefsof it, after fo dear Conviction and D:mon- firation as God bath given to the World of the Truth of Chriftianity. III. and laftly, They who believe the Gelpel, are utterly inexcufable, if they do not obey it, and live according to it : for this is the great end of all the Miracles, which God hath wrought for the confirmation of Chrittianity, that by the belief ofthe Gofpel, Men might be brought to the Obedience of Faith, and live conform- ably to the Precepts of that Holy Religion, which the Son of God by fo man, Se. Vol. Miracles bath planted and preferved in the World. But thefe I have* difcours'd tt. Senn. of on another Occafion, and therefore flail infili upon them no farther at this 144. time. S hit MON GLXXVIII: The Advantages of Truth, in Oppofition to Error. I JOHN IV. q., 5. The Firft Ye are of God, little Children, and have overcome them : becaufe greater is Ferro. ea tn. he that is in you than he that is in the world. They are of the World : triis therefore fpeak they of the World, and the World heareth them. I 1Vthe beginning of this Chapter, the Apoftle cautions Chrillians againft the falfe Teachers, and falle Prophets, intending more efpecially thofe of the Giro- ¡tick Se&, as is plain from the Scope of the whole EpiCle, who were fo butte to (educe Chriftians to their impious ways, and to tempt them to Apoftatize from the Chriftian Religion to the Heathen Idolatry, for fear of Perfccution. And to encourage them who had hitherto continued in the Truth, and refitted the feducing Arts of thofe fall Prophets, Bill to perfevere in their Holy Profef- (ton and Pra&ice, he tells them what advantages they, who have embraced the Truth, and lived according to ir, have above thofe who (educe Men to Errors, or are feduced by them. 7e are of God, little Children, andhave overcome them : le- caufe greater le he that is in you, than he that k in the World. That which gives Truth, and the Profeffors of ir, the advantage over Error and Seducers, is, that Truth is from God, and the Spirit of God dwells in thofe who fincerely embrace and obey ir. Ye are of God, that is, Ye are taught by him, and inttru&ed in the Do&rine which is from God, and relilh Divine Truth, which our Saviour calls favouring the
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