546 `7h.é Evidences of the Irruth; Vol. i I. the cootie and defign of his Life and AFtions, or by any magical Rites that he ufed, that he had any familiarity with the Devil ; or carried on any deign for him ? What colour of Reafon then was there to afcribe the Miracles that he wrought to the Devil, any more than the Miracles that Mofes had wrought; or any more than thofe difpoffeßïons which were wrought by the Children of their own Na- tion, in the Name of the God of Abraham, and Ifaac, and yacab ? ver. i7. If I by Beelzebub call out Devils, by whom do your Children Call th,m cut ? Therefore they (hall be your judges. Several among your (elves do, or at leafs pretend to cat' out Devils by the Power of God, and you believe they do fo 5 why tbould you not think that I do it by the (lime Powor ? What Reafon have you to fufpe& me of correfpondence with the Devil more than them ? No Anfwer could have been more fatisfaCtory in it Pelf, and more appofite to chafe that made the Obje- &ion. The Second Objeftion is grounded upon a fpiteful and malicious perverting of thofe words of the Evangelift, Matth, 13. 58. where it is laid, that Jefua whets he was in his own Country, did not many mighty works there. becaufe of their untie- lief From whence fome Atheiflical Pcrfons, as Cvfar f7aninus, and a wretched Man of our own Nation, who I luppolo fiole it out of him, have notice-ten, that Credulity and ftrong Imagination in the People, were'the principal Ingredients into our Saviour's Miracles ; and where he did not meet with Perlons fo difpofed, he could do no great matter. This Objeétiondeferves rather to be abhorr'd and detefted as a groundlefs and malicious Infinuation, than to be anfwer'd : but becaufe it f ems to have force colour as well as fpite in it, I fhall briefly return an Anfwer to it, and that by giving a plain account of this palfage in the Evangelift 3 and that is this ; Out Saviour comes to Nazareth, the place where he had been born, and he began CO inftru&t them in his Do&rine, and as he ufed to do whereverhe came, he wrought Tome Miracles for the confirmation of his Dofirine ; but they upon an unreafona- ble Prejudice taken up againft him, becaufe they had known the mcannefs of his Parents and of his Education, defpifed both his Doärine and his Miracles. Our Saviour perceiving that upon this Prejudice they rejelted the Evidence of his Miracles, the highell atteftation that God can give, f,w that there was no good to be done upon them ; and therefore leaving them to their own Obttinacy and unreafonable Unbelief, he forbore ro do any more great works among them: For the Text doth not fay that he did no mighty Works among them, becaufe of their Unbelief ; but that he did not many mighty Works among them ; that is, finding them peflèft with this unreafonable Prejudice againft him, he found they were not to be convinc'd by any, Miracle that he could work, and therefore, tho' he had done Tome mighty works among them, yet he forbore to do any more, as a juft Judgment upon them for their Obftinacy and Unbelief And that this is the plain meaning of it, there needs no more to convince any Man, but to read over this paffage of the Evangelift, Matth. t ;. 54. 55, 56, 57,58: And -wben be was come into his own Conntrey, he taught them in their Svnagegue, irfrnuch that they were afionifheef, andlaid, if'hance bath this Man this WOJdom, and thole mighty Works ? Is not this the,Carpenter's Son ? Is not his Mother called Mary ? and his Brethren, James, and Joies, and Simon, and Judas ? And his Sitters, are thy not all with us ? (Thence then bath this Man all theft things ? And they were ofend.d in him. But yefus [aid ante them; A Prophet is not without honour, fave in his own Countrey, and in his own Houle. And he did not many mighty Works there, becaufè of their Vnielief. And now judge how little reafon there is from there wends, for any fach foolilh and malicious Objection. I might add farther, if it were neceffary, that-many of his Miracles were fuels as no credulity or ftrengrh of Imagination could affilt to the working of them ; as, I could make evident from very marry Inftances, particularly that of raifìng Lazarus after he had lain four days in the Grave. But enough of this. Now to refieft upon this Evidence of Chrifi's Divine Authority front the Mira- cles which he did, and which were wrought to give Teftimony to him. What greater
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