A discourse for the vindicating of Christianity from the charge of imposture Offer'd, by way of letter, to the consideration of the deists of the present age. By Humphrey Prideaux, D.D. and arch-deacon of Suffolk.

SECT. V.

V. Another Mark of Imposture is, That where-ever it is first propagated, it must be done by craft and fraud; and this is natural to all manner of cheats. For the end of such being to deceive, craft and fraud are the means whereby it is to be effected. In this case a Lye must be made to go for a Truth, and an appearance for a reality; and to compass this a great deal of Art must be made use of, both to dress up the Cheat, that it may appear to be what it pretends, and also to cast such a mist before the eyes of Men, that they may not see it to be otherwise, and that especially where the cheat is an Imposture in Religion. For whoever comes with a new Religion to be proposed to the World, must find all men so far prejudiced and

pre-possessed against it, as they are affected to the old one they have before professed, and therefore when Men are educated, or any otherwise fixed and setled in a Religi∣on (and all mankind are in some or other) they are not apt easily to forego it, but it must be something more than ordinary that must bring them over to another contrary thereto. When the new Religion really comes from God (as the Jewish Re∣ligion first, and after the Christian did) it brings its Credentials with it, the power of Miracles to make way for its reception. For when Men find the Om∣nipotency of God working with it, they have from thence sufficient evidence given them from whom it comes, and there is need of no other means to induce them to believe, but that the Religion, which God doth in such a manner own and at∣test, must be from him. But where there is no such power accompanying the new Religion to gain credit thereto, the defect hereof must be made up by somewhat else to draw over the people to its belief, and this is that which must put all Impostors upon craft and fraud in order to the compassing of their ends. But that Jesus Christ and his Apostles made use of no such craft or fraud to in∣duce Men into the belief of that holy Reli∣gion,

which they taught, and consequent∣ly could be no such Impostors, will be best made appear by going over all those ways of craft and fraud, which Mahomet served himself of, and, by showing you that none of them can possibly be said to have been practised by any of them. For Ma∣homet being one of the craftiest cheats that ever set up to impose a false Reli∣gion on mankind, and the only person that ever carried on his wicked design with success, you may be sure he left no Art or Device unpractised, which could possibly be made use of with any advan∣tage for the compassing of it. And there∣fore by proving unto you that none of those methods of craft and fraud, which were made use of for the first propagating of Mahometism, were ever practised in the first preaching of Christianity, I shall suf∣ficiently prove that no craft or fraud at all which is anyway practicable on such occa∣sions, can ever be charged thereupon. For,

1. Mahomet made use of all manner of insinuation both with rich and poor for the gaining of their affection, thereby to gain them to his Imposture also. But our Saviour Christ, and his Apostles did quite the contrary, freely convincing all Men of their sins without having regard to any thing else but the faithfull discharge of

the Mission on which they were sent; which instead of reconciling men to their persons, provoked the World against them, and they sufficiently experienced it from the ill usage which they found therein.

2. Mahomet, the easier to draw over the Arabians to his Party, indulged them by his Law in all those passions and cor∣rupt affections, which he found them strongly addicted to, especially those of Lust and War, which those Barbarians above all the Nations of the Earth were by their natural inclinations most violent∣ly carried after, and therefore he allows them a plurality of wives, and a free use of their female slaves for the satisfying of their Lust, and makes it a main part of his Religion for them to fight against, plunder, and destroy all that would not be of it. But Jesus Christ and his Apostles allowed no such practices, but strictly prohibited all manner of sin, how much soever in reputation among men, even to the forbidding of many things till then allowed and held lawfull among those who where called God's own people, and therefore instead of seeking the favour of Men by indulging them in their lusts and sinfull practices, they laid a much stricter restraint upon them than was ever done before.

3dly. Mahomet, to please his Arabians, retained in the Religion which he taught them, most of those Rites and Ceremonies which they had been accustomed to un∣der that which he abolished, and also the Temple of Mecca, in which they were chiefly performed. But Jesus Christ with∣out having any regard to the pleasing of Men, abolished both the Temple and the Law, which the Jews were so bigotted unto, and also the total worshipping of God by Sacrifices, without being at all influenced to the contrary by that extra∣vagant fondness, which he knew the whole World had then for them.

4. Mahomet, when he found any of his new Laws not so well to serve his return, craftily shifted the scene, and brought them about to his purpose by such altera∣tions, as would best suit therewith; and therefore when his making his Kebla to∣wards Jerusalem did not so well please his Countrymen, he turned it about again towards Mecca, and order'd all his Pilgri∣mages thither, as in the time of their Ido∣latry. And the like changes he made in many other particulars according as he found his interest required. And this is that which every Impostor must do. For interest being the end, which all such

aim at, it is impossible that they can so well lay their designs in order to it, but that emerging changes in the one will frequently require changes in the other also. But Jesus Christ never made the least alteration in any of the doctrines or precepts which he delivered, but what he first taught both he and his Disciples immutably persisted in without at all re∣garding how violently all the interests of the World ran counter against them here∣in. And what can be a more certain evi∣dence that none such was the bottom which they were built upon.

5. Mahomet under pain of death forbad all manner of Disputes about his Religion, and nothing could be a wiser course to prevent its follies and absurdities from being detected and exposed. For they being such as could never stand the trial of a rational Examination, they must all have soon been exploded, had every man been allowed the free use of his reason to inquire into them. But Christ and his Apostles direct the quite contrary course. For our Saviour bids the Jews search the Scriptures for the trial of those truths which he taught them, (John 5. v. 39.) And the Noble Beroeans are commended, that they did so, before they would re∣ceive

those doctrines of the Christian Re∣ligion, which were preached unto them, Acts 17. v. 11. And St. Paul gives us this general rule, first to prove or try all things, and then to hold fast that only which we find to be good, 1 Thess. 5. v. 21. It is only errour and falsehood that desires to shelter it self in the dark, and dares not expose it self to an open view and trial. But Truth being always certain of its own stability, makes use of no art to sup∣port it self, but dares venture it self abroad on its own foundation only, and boldly offers it self to every Man's search; and the more it is sifted and examined into, the more bright and refulgent will it al∣ways appear. And since Christianity from the first ever took this course, (as it still doth where-ever purely professed) and instead of prohibiting Disputes about it, invites all Men to search and examine thereinto; this sufficiently argues, how certain the first Teachers of it were of its Truth, and that no cheat or Imposture could ever be intended thereby.

6. Mahomet made choice of a People first to propagate his Imposture among, who were of all Men most fitted to re∣ceive it; and that on two accounts: 1. Because of the indifferency which they

were then grown to as to any Religion at all; And, 2. Because of the great ig∣norance they were in of all manner of Learning at that time, when he first vent∣ed his Forgeries among them, there being then but only one Man among all the In∣habitants of Mecca that could either write or read. For who are more fit to be im∣posed on, than the ignorant? and who can be more easie to receive a new Reli∣gion, than those who are not prepossessed with any other to prejudice them against it? The Papists, who, next Mahomet, have the greatest claim to Imposture, as to those errours which they teach, very well understand how such a Cause is to be served by both these Particulars; and therefore make it their business, as much as they can, to keep their own People in ignorance, and pervert all those they call Hereticks to Atheism and Infidelity, that so having no Religion at all, they may be the better prepared again to receive theirs. And that there are so many Atheists now among us, it is too well known, how much it is owing to this their Hellish ar∣tifice against us. But all was quite con∣trary as to those whom Christ and his A∣postles first preached our holy Religion un∣to. Our Saviour did not chuse such ig∣norant

Times to come among us in, or a People so indifferent in Religion, first to manifest himself unto. For the Jews were so far from being weary of that Religion, which they had so long professed, when he first appeared in his Mission among them, that they were then grown into the contrary extreme; a very extravagant bi∣gottry and superstition concerning it; so that nothing was more difficult, than to withdraw them from it; nor could any thing be more offensive to them, than an offer tending thereto; and so it continues with them, even to this day. And the case was not much otherwise as to all the rest of Mankind; the Gentiles being then grown almost as tenacious of their Idola∣try, as the Jews of their Law; and Learn∣ing was in that Age among both at the highest pitch, that ever it was in the World; and consequently, Men were ne∣ver less disposed, than at that time, to re∣ceive a new Religion, or ever better able to defend their old. And therefore had Christianity been an Imposture, it could never have escaped in such an Age as that a full detection, or ever have been able to have born up against it; such inquisi∣tive Heads and piercing Wits, as were then in the World, would have sifted it

to the bottom, dived into its deepest Se∣crets, and unravell'd and laid open the whole Plot, and the prejudiced World would immediately have crushed it to pieces thereon, so that it should never more have appeared among Mankind. But the truth of our holy Religion was such, that it boldly offered it self to this trial; and it seems to have chosen such an Age as this, first to come into the World of purpose to undergo it, that so it might be the better justified there by. And justi∣fied by it it was; for although it were opposed by the utmost Violence of the prejudiced World, they could get no ground of it; though it were through∣ly examined and diligently searched into by the acutest and subtilest Wits of those Ages in which it first appeared, they could never discover any fraud, or make out the least flaw therein; but in spight of both it triumphed by its own naked Truth on∣ly over all manner of opposition, and by God's Mercy continues still so to do, even to this day. That a cheat and a fraud in a thing of this nature should be impo∣sed on Men totally ignorant and illiterate, or that such as they, when void of all man∣ner of Religion, (as the Men of Mecca for the most part were when Mahomet began

his Imposture among them) should be easie to imbrace a new one, is no hard matter to conceive; but that an Imposture should be received, and obtain such prevalency over Men in so learned and discerning an Age, as that wherein Christianity first ap∣peared in the World, or that they who where then so zealously addicted to the Religion, they had been educated in, whe∣ther Jews or Gentiles should ever have been induced to forsake it for a new one, founded only on a cheat and fraud, is what morally speaking, we may very well rec∣kon impossible.

7. Mahomet offered at no Prophecies, that he might not run the hazard of be∣ing confuted by the Event. But Jesus Christ delivered many clear and plain Pro∣phecies, several of which respected that very Age in which he lived, and were all in their proper time as plainly verified by the completion of them.

8. Mahomet offered at no Miracles in publick, although continually called up∣on and provoked to it by his opposers. For not being able to work any true ones or would not hazard himself to a disco∣very by those which were Counterfeit. And therefore all those things which he would have go for Miracles; that is, his

Converse with the Angel Gabriel, his Jour∣ney to Heaven, and the Armies of Angels that helped him in his Battles, are only related by him as things acted behind the Curtain, of which there was no other witness but himself alone, and conse∣quently there could be no witness on the other side ever to contradict them. But Jesus Christ and his Apostles having the real power of working Miracles did them openly in the sight of thousands, where all manner of opportunity was given to every spectator to examine into them, and try whether they were true or no; and therefore had there been any cheat or fraud in them, it is not possible to conceive how they should have escaped a discovery. And yet no such discovery could ever be made, which was so con∣vincing an argument of their truth and reality, that even the bitterest enemies of our holy Religion from the first yielded in this particular, and both Jews and Hea∣thens allowed all those miraculous Works, which are related of our Saviour and his A∣postles in the Books of the New Testament to have been really and truly wrought by them, as hath been afore-observed. And indeed the evidence was too manifest to be denied, since those very blind that re∣ceived

their sight, those dumb that were enabled to speak, those deaf that were re∣stor'd to their hearing, those lame that were made to walk, and those dead that were raised again to life, lived many years after to be as standing Monuments of the truth of those things, which no one could con∣tradict. And therefore the Opposers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ have all along rather chosen to invalidate the authority of those Miracles, than deny the truth and reality of them.

For they allowing the matters of fact object that there are other Powers lower than the divine, that are able to bring them to pass; and therefore, although those Works were wrought, they do not yet prove either the persons or the doctrines which they taught to come from God, and consequently can give no such evidence, as that which we insist upon from them for the truth of that Religion which we profess; That others by Magick Art have done the same things; That the Scriptures themselves tell us so of Jannes, and Jambres, and Simon Magus; and profane Writers of Apollonius Tyanoeus, Apuleius, and others; that both Moses and Jesus Christ knew this very well, and therefore forewarn'd their Disciples against

it, telling them that false Prophets should arise, who should show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the very Elect; and that they should take care not to hearken to them. And therefore, say they, if signs and wonders can be wrought by false Prophets, how can they be evidences for the true? Or how can we at all rely upon them for the verifying of any do∣ctrine which they deliver unto us? Or if those Miracles, which were wrought by them who are sent of God, be only true Miracles, and all others false ones, how shall we distinguish the one from the o∣ther, so as by them to discern, whether the doctrines be of God or no?

But these Difficulties will be easily re∣moved, and the Miracles of our Saviour and his Apostles, as they are allowed to be truly wrought by them, so also will they as truly prove the Doctrines which they taught to come from God, if you will but consider these following Parti∣culars.

1. Miracles are works done, which are strange and amazing to us, as being brought to pass out of the ordinary road, and in a manner which we cannot com∣prehend; and these are of two sorts:

1. Such as exceed only the Power of Man to effect them; and these we call signs or wonders; And, 2. Such as exceed the Power of any created Being whatso∣ever; and these only are properly Mira∣cles.

2. Where-ever such Miracles are wrought, as are of this last sort, God alone must be the Author of them; and therefore, where∣ever such are found, they manifestly prove the Power of God co-operating with the Persons, at whose word they are done; and with whomsoever it doth thus co∣operate, it necessarily demonstrates their Mission from him, and puts such an Au∣thentick Seal to the Truth of the Do∣ctrines which they teach, as cannot be denied.

3. Where-ever a creating Power is ne∣cessary to the effect produced, or the sta∣ted Laws of Nature are altered, there it is certain none but God himself can be the Author of the Work done. For he alone is able to create; and he having created all things according to his infinite Wis∣dom, and given to each their proper Es∣sence and Operations, he allows none but himself to alter the Natures of them, or change that Course which he hath put them into.

4. But within the Laws and Powers of Nature, there are abundance of things, which exceed the Power of Man to effect, and therefore seem as Miracles to us, which may be produced by other created Beings, and these are evil spirits as well as good.

5. To the producing of these effects, evil spirits as well as good are enabled two manner of Ways: 1. By their greater Knowledge of the Powers of Nature; And, 2. By the greater Agency which they have to apply them to effect. For,

6. There are a multitude of things in Nature, that those Spirits know the Na∣ture of, which we do not. For their Abi∣lities of knowing are vastly above ours, as not working by the dull Tools of Earth and Clay as we do, and their Experience exceedingly greater, as having known the Works of God from the beginning, and by long Observation pried deep into the Secrets of them. If a Chymist or a Mathematician, by his Skill in the Powers of Nature, can do many things, which to the ignorant and unlearned shall seem as Miracles, (as we often find) how much more can those knowing Spirits do so, whose Knowledge of the Powers of Na∣ture

is vastly more above all ours put to∣gether, than the highest and perfectest of ours is above that of the most ignorant that lives among us. But,

7. As those Spirits have a vastly grea∣ter Knowledge of the Powers of Nature than we can have, so also have they a vastly greater Power to apply them to effect. For they are of a much greater agility in their motion, of a much finer substance to penetrate into things, and actuate them into operation; and also of a much stronger agency or power to work than we have, and which, no doubt, they are endowed more or less with, according to the different orders and degrees in which God hath created them; and by both these together, that is, their greater Knowledge of natural Causes, and their greater Power to apply them to effect, can they do a great many things within Nature's limits, which exceed all the Pow∣ers of Men to effect, and seem as mira∣culous and wonderfull unto us, when ever brought to pass.

8. Good Spirits never work those Mi∣racles, but in subserviency to the divine Will, as they are necessary for the effect∣ing of those things which God hath or∣dained by their Ministry to bring to pass.

And to them those Miracles mentioned in Scripture, which exceed not the Power of such created Beings, may be referred as the immediate Authors of them; it not being likely that God would interpose his immediate Power, excepting only in such cases, as where there was need of it. For why should the Lord himself put his hand to that work, which may as well be discharged by the Ministry of his Ser∣vants?

9. Evil Spirits having in a great mea∣sure the same Knowledge of Natural Cau∣ses as the good, and the like Power to bring them to effect can also work the like wonders, and by God are often per∣mitted so to do, both for the trial of Men, and also for other good Causes, which to him of his infinite Wisdom seem fitting; and we have a plain in∣stance of it in the Case of Job.

10. Evil Spirits have not only this Power of working the like Wonders, which Good Spirits do, but also another, which Good Spirits will never make use of; that is, by juggle, delusion, and de∣ceit to imitate those true and proper Mi∣racles, which none but God himself can really effect. And thus by the delusion of the Devil was a cheat put upon Saul

in the raising of Samuel to him from the dead. For really, to raise Samuel from the dead, none but God could, and there∣fore that appearance, which Saul saw, was no more than a false appearance, contri∣ved by the Devil to put a cheat and de∣lusion upon him. And of this same sort may we reckon the Miracles which Jan∣nes and Jambres wrought in imitation of Moses. For to turn a Rod into a Serpent and Water into Blood, or to cause Frogs to come up upon the Land (in which three Particulars they did the same thing by their inchantments, that Moses did by the hand of God) are Works, which, if really done, require the creating Power to bring them to effect, which none but God hath; and therefore in this case the Devil acted for them, not by his effect∣ing, but only by his deluding Power. And such Miracles the Scripture calls 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; i. e. Lying or false Miracles, which are not really wrought, but only made so to appear by the juggle and delusion of Satan.

11. Those cheats and delusions of the Devil, whereby he imitates the true and real Miracles of God, which he cannot work, are only in transient Effects, like those of Jugglers upon a Stage, never in

such as are lasting and permanent. And where the Effect is totally transient, God's Works are often so far above the Devil's Imitation, that even in these there will be still a multitude of Particulars, where∣in he can have no power, as much as by juggle or delusion, to do any thing like unto them.

12. Whatsoever signs or wonders are wrought by Magicians or false Prophets, must be referred to one of these two Heads; that is, that they are either the Devil's Works, or the Devil's Delusions: and the Scriptures, which tell us of Ma∣gicians and false Prophets working such signs and wonders, do in many places re∣ferr them hereto.

13. Those signs or wonders which are really wrought by the Devil and his Evil Spirits, are to be distinguished from those which are wrought by the Power of An∣gels or Good Spirits, by these following Marks: 1. That Angels or Good Spirits never work those Wonders, but in subser∣viency to the Will of God, for the pro∣moting of Truth and Righteousness; but the Devil and his Evil Spirits only for the promoting of Errour and Wickedness. 2. Angels or Good Spirits never co-operate in the production of those Wonders with

any Prophet or Teacher, but such only as being sent of God, are good and righteous Persons; but the Devil and his Evil Spi∣rits only with such, as not being sent of God, are Evil like themselves. 3. Angels or Good Spirits never exert their Power to work these Wonders, but in things se∣rious and grave, whereby either the Good of Men or the Honour of God is promoted; but the Devil and his Evil Spirits do it mostly in things mischie∣vous both to God's Honour and Man's Good, or else in such trivial and foolish matters, as are beneath God or his holy Angels to be concerned in. And by the same Marks also may we distinguish God's Miracles from the Devils Juggles, and those wonderfull Works which the Hand of the Almighty really effecteth from those false Appearances, which the Devil makes in imitation of them to put a cheat and a delusion upon us. Which Particulars being premised, the Answer to the fore∣going Objections will be as followeth.

1. We do acknowledge that abundance of very wonderfull Works may be effected by Powers lower than the divine, and that not only by Good Spirits, but also by Evil.

2. That therefore such Works alone are never sufficient proof of a divine Mis∣sion, unless corroborated by such concur∣ring circumstances, as prove them not to be from Evil Spirits, but only from Good.

3. That where-ever such wonderfull Works are done at the word of a wicked Man, or to a wicked purpose, (i. e. either to influence to a wicked practice, or to give credit to some false doctrine) or else in such mean and trivial cases as are be∣neath the Majesty of God, or his Mini∣string Spirits to be concerned in, there we may be sure that he that doth those Works, how much soever he may pretend to a divine Mission, is only a false Pro∣phet; and that it is not by the Power of God or his Good Spirits, but only by the Power of the Devil and his Wicked Spirits that they are wrought; and against those Wonders is it, and the Workers of them, that Moses warneth the Jews, and Jesus Christ his Disciples, that they should be aware of them.

4. Where they, who work those Won∣ders, are holy and righteous Men, and do not teach any Doctrine contrary to the certain Dictates of Natural Religion, or the Revelations of God afore given unto us, and

the Wonders which they work are in such serious and grave Matters, as are not un∣worthy of God, or his Ministring Spirits to be concerned in, there we have no rea∣son to suspect Satan's Power in the effect∣ing of them; and therefore such Works may, although not of themselves alone, yet with these concurring circumstances be sufficient proof of the truth of any Doctrine which they give testimony un∣to. For although they cannot be proved to be immediately from God, because pro∣duceable by inferiour Beings, yet with these circumstances accompanying them, they must at least appear to be the Works of his Ministring Spirits, who can bear testimony to nothing, but what is from God, whose Will they are in all things subservient unto.

5. As such Works, which the Devil and his Evil Spirits can do, are not of self-sufficient proof to a divine Mission, so neither are such which he can by juggle or delusion imitate, because Men may be deceived by the one as well as the other; and therefore the same con∣curring circumstances are necessary to these also, and by the same Marks are they to be tried, whether they be of God, or no.

6. But where the Works are such, as no created Being can either really pro∣duce, or by juggle or delusion imitate, there those Works do of themselves alone prove a divine Mission, and give an au∣thentick Seal of undeniable Truth to eve∣ry Doctrine thus revealed unto us.

7. Although therefore it should be al∣lowed, that some of the Miracles, which Christ and his Apostles wrought, might be produceable by Powers lower than the divine; yet since they who did them were most holy and righteous Persons, and did not teach any Doctrine, contrary either to the Dictates of Natural Religion, or the Re∣velations of God afore given unto Men; and the Miracles themselves were not in such mean and trivial cases, as are related of Apollonius Tyanoeus, and others like him; with these circumstances they sufficiently appear to be, if not immediately from the hand of God, yet at least from his Mini∣string Spirits, and their Works; since all done in subserviency to the divine Will, do as thoroughly prove a divine Mission, where-ever they evidently appear to be theirs, as those of God himself. That Christ and his Apostles were most holy and righteous Persons, and taught no Doctrine, which was in the least contrary

to the Dictates of Natural Religion, hath been afore shown; and how far their Mi∣racles were from being in mean and trivial matters, the Works themselves make evi∣dent: And it is as certain, that no Doctrine of theirs ever contradicted in the least any divine Revelation afore-given unto Men. For Jesus Christ and his Apostles every∣where allow both the Law and the Pro∣phets to be from God. Had they taught any thing which would have charged a falsehood on either, they must then in∣deed have been said to contradict divine Revelations afore-given, and would there∣by have fallen under that character and mark of false Prophets, which I have above laid down; but they were so far from this, that the Law and the Prophets were the ground-work, which they founded all their Doctrines upon. For the Law con∣tained in Types and Shadows and the Pro∣phets in their Prophecies and dark Sayings, what-ever the Gospel hath in substance and reality since clearly delivered unto us, and laid down all that in the first Rudiments, which Christ and his Apostles afterwards built up into perfection in that holy Reli∣gion, which they have given unto us. And therefore, although the Gospel hath abolished the Law, it was not by contra∣dicting

or condemning it, but by per∣fecting and fulfilling it in that manner, as all the Prophets fore-showed that it should.

8. But the Miracles of Jesus Christ and his Apostles were most of them undeniably such, as could not be produced but by the immediate hand of God himself, as necessarily requiring the creating Power to effect them; and also of that permanency, as allowed no room for juggle or delusion to take place in them. For what other Power but that of the Almighty could raise a Man, who had been four days dead, again to life? Or what other hand, but that of the Creator himself, could make him see, who had been without the natural organs of Sight from his very birth? Or what but the same Power, which first formed Man of the dust of the Earth, could restore him in so many instances, as our Saviour and his Apostles did, to health and perfection, when the very Parts and Vessels necessary thereto were thorough∣ly perished; and in so miraculous a man∣ner, with a word of their mouth, bring back total privations again to their for∣mer habits? Or what craft of Satan can reach as much as to an imitation of such wonderfull Works as these, which left be∣hind

them for many years after, effects of lasting permanency in the persons cured, not only to be Monuments of the things done, but also undeniable evidences of the truth and reality of them? It would be too long to go over all the Miracles of this na∣ture, which Christ and his holy Apostles did for the confirmation of those holy Truths which they taught. These already men∣tioned are sufficient to show, that some of their Miracles at least were such, as are above the Powers of all created Beings either to effect or imitate; and therefore these certainly must be allowed to be from God alone without possibility of Imposture deceit, or delusion in them; and in that they are so, they must necessarily prove the Mission of them, at whose word they were done, to be from him also, and con∣sequently become a witness to the truth of every Doctrine delivered by them, as firm, certain, and infallible, as the Ve∣racity of God himself, which can never err or deceive for ever. And so much of the fifth Mark of Imposture.

Notes

• 2 Thess. 2.9.