SerrYl. CXCI. the ChrifianRevelation. 6o3 nefs, andye believedhim not : but thePublicans and the Harlots believedhim. And ye whenye hadfan it, repented ,rot afternard, thatye might believe him. Nay, which was the molt unreafonable of all, when they could not anfiver his Arguments, nor deny theMiracles which he wrought, yet theywere tefolved not to believe on him, nor to fuffer others to confefs him, John It. 47, 48. After he had wrought that great Miracle, in railing Lazarus from the Dead, after he had lain four Days in the Grave, they were fo far from owning themfelves convinc'd by it, that hereupon they took counfel to put him to Death. So the Text tells us, that many of the Jews which came to Mary, andhadfeen the things which yefushad done, namely, the railingof Lazarus, believedon him : but fame of themwent their way to the Pharifees , and told them what things yefus had done. And now one would have thought, that either they fhould not have acknowledged this mighty Miracle ; or if they had, that they thould have been convinc'd by it that he was from God : but the Miracle was fonotorious, they could not deny it ; and they were fo obftinately fet against him, that they would not be convinc'd by it ; they granted the premafes and yet denyed the conclufion, ver. 47. Thengathered the ChiefPriefls and Pharifees a council, andfail, What do we ? for this man Both many miracles; ifwe let him alone, all men will believe on him. And it follows, ver. 55. From that dayforth they tookcounfel together toput him to death. And after he was rifen from the dead, and thofe that bare witnefs to hisRefurre- Ilion had their Teftimony confirmed by Miracles, yet the yews continued in the fame obftinacy, as if they were refolved to`oppofe the Gofpel in defpight of all Evidence that could be brought for it. So we find Alls 4. 15, 16. that when the Rulers and Scribes beheld the man whom the Apoftleshadhealed, ftandingbythem, it is faid, They could faynothing against it. Butwhen they hadcommanded theih toga afide out of the Council, they conferred among themfelves; faying, What fhall we do to theft men ? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been doneby them, is manifec to all them that dwell in Jerufalem, andwe cannot deny it : but that itfpread no far- ther among thepeople, let usfiraitly threaten them, that theyfpeak henceforth to no man in this name. What could bemore unreafonable,than to own theMiracle, and yet to rejed theTeftimony ? V. Another quality which accompanied this Spirit of Infidelity and Oppofrtiòn to the Truth in theyews, waswant of Patience to confider and examinewhat could be faid for the Truth; ahaftinefs to pronounce and pafs Sentence, before theyhad heard what could be faid for it. Thus the Pharifees, when they faw our Saviour cart out Devils, they prefently, without any farther confederation, pronounce, that he did it by the Prince ofDevils, Match. 12. 44. Had they not been headily, carried on bypaffion and prejudice, they would never have part this rafh Sentence. Had they but had patience to have confideredmatters, theycouldnothave believed, that the Devil was confederate withChriH against himfelf, and the intereft of his own Kingdom. And as it was then, fo it is at this day ; many continue in unbelief and error, not becaufe there is not evidence enough for the things propofed to their belief, but becaufe they have not patience enough to confider what may be faid for then. Nay, in the Church of Rome, that they may retain their people in their Commu- pion, they ftri&lyforbid all examinationoftheir Religion, or fo much as to hear or read what can be faid against it ; becaufe this is doubting, and doubting is next to Infidelity, a mortal fin; and a temptation of the Devil. There is but one feafon and nick of time, wherein they will allow any of the people to eitamine and en- quire into matters of Religion, and that is when they would gain a man to their Religion, and they allow it then only becaufe theycannot help it. Some reafons they mull offer to perfuade men to be of their Church ; and when they offer them, theymuff allow them to confider them, and judge of the force ofthem, tho' they tadmuch rather they would take theirwords for the ftrength and goodnefsof them for they do what they can to hinder them from advifing with thofe that will dif pute the matter with them ; or if they cannot prevent examination, yet they divert them as much as theycan from any particular enquiry into theirpoftrines arid Pra= dices; this they pretend is a tedious and endlefs courfe, and therefore they còiri- H h h h 2 tìaooly ti
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