Antiquitates christianæ, or, The history of the life and death of the holy Jesus as also the lives acts and martyrdoms of his Apostles : in two parts.

TO THE READER.

THE design of the following APPARATUS is only to pre∣sent the Reader with a short Scheme of the state of things in the preceding periods of the Church, to let him see by what de∣grees and measures the Evangelical state was introduc'd, and what Methods God in all Ages made use of to conduct Man∣kind in the paths of Piety and Vertue. In the Infancy of the World he taught men by the Dictates of Nature, and the common Notices of Good and Evil (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as Philo calls them, the most Ancient Law) by lively* 1.1 Oracles, and great Examples of Piety. He set forth the Holy Patriarchs (as Chrysostom observes) as Tutors to the rest of Mankind, who by their Religi∣ous* 1.2 lives might train up others to the practice of Vertue, and as Physicians, be able to cure the minds of those, who were infected and overrun with Vice. Afterwards (says he) having sufficiently testified his care of their welfare and happiness by many instances of a wise and benign Providence towards them both in the land of Canaan and in Egypt, he gave them Prophets, and by them wrought Signs and Wonders, together with innumerable other expressions of his bounty. At last finding that none of these Methods did succeed, not Patriarchs, not Prophets, not Miracles, not daily Warnings and Chastise∣ments brought upon the World, he gave the last and highest instance of his love and goodness to Mankind, he sent his only begotten Son out of his own bosom, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the great Physician both of Soul and Bo∣dy, who taking upon him the form of a Servant, and being born of a Virgin, conversed in the World, and bore our sorrows and infirmities, that by rescu∣ing Humane Nature from under the weight and burden of Sin, he might ex∣alt it to Eternal Life. A brief account of these things is the main intent of the following Discourse, wherein the Reader will easily see, that I considered not what might, but what was fit to be said, with respect to the end I design∣ed it for. It was drawn up under some more disadvantageous circumstan∣ces, than a matter of this nature did require; which were it worth the while to represent to the Reader, might possibly plead for a softer Censure. How∣ever such as it is, it is submitted to the Readers Ingenuity and Candor.

W. C.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Lib. de 〈◊〉〈◊〉. pag. 350.
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. XXVII. in Genes. Tom. 2. p. 285.