A vindication of the truth of Christian religion against the objections of all modern opposers written in French by James Abbadie ... ; render'd into English by H.L.

CHAP. XII.

Wherein we further examine the Epistles of St▪ Paul.

THe third thing to be observ'd in the Epistles of St. Paul, is, that they are as it were a continu∣al repetition of the Death, Resurrection, and Ascen∣sion of Jesus Christ, or at least of such things as es∣sentially belong to them: so that altho the four Go∣spels should be lost, still the Substance and Essentials of the Gospel are to be found in the Writings of St. Paul. Now this appears in the beginning of almost every one of his Epistles. Concerning his Son, says he in his Epistle to the Romans Chap. 1. v. 4. which was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holyness, by the Resurrection from the dead of our Lord Jesus Christ. But this appears yet more expresly in several other places, as in the 15. Chap. of his first Epistle to the Corinthians, v. 3, 5, 6, 7, 8. For I delivered unto you first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures; and th•••• he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve. After th•••• he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once: of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but so•••• are fallen a sleep. After that he was seen of James, th•••• of all the Apostles. And last of all he was seen of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 also, as of one born out of due time.

So boldly does this Apostle speak of the Resurrecti∣on of Jesus Christ. He does not only say in general terms that Jesus Christ was seen after his Resurrecti∣on; but in particular that he was seen of Cephas, of James, of the other Apostles, and of himself; that

he was seen by five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greatest part was then living, whom he appealed to as witnesses of the Truth of what he said, and who might easily have contradicted him if it had been false. But if so great a number of peo∣ple really saw Jesus Christ after his Resurrection, that matter of fact can never be false. For how is it possible that five hundred, three hundred, nay fifty persons, should maugre all punishments, conspire to∣gether to maintain a fiction? But if such a number of persons neither saw, nor certified they had seen Christ after his Resurrection: how should St. Paul have presumed to write this to an infinite number of persons, who seeing and conversing with the A∣postles, must have known the certainty of it? How durst he name those whom he pretends that Jesus Christ appeared to after his Resurrection? How great was his boldness to assign so great a number of Witnesses of that Truth, and to affirm that the great∣est part of them were still living? How comes he to speak of it slightly, by the way, or only as a thing universally known? He tells it, but not with any turn of Wit or fineness of Expression, which Im∣postors use to varnish over a specious lye, who use the more art and insinuation, the more incredi∣ble the things are they would induce men to believe. But why should not he boldly assert the Truth of the Resurrection, since as he pretends, the Holy Ghost evidently bare record of it?

In a word, St. Paul speaks in his Epistle of miracu∣••ous gifts as of a thing universally known. He calls them the Gifts of the Holy Ghost, and sometimes only the Holy Ghost. He that should attempt to cut off from his Epistles every place wherein he men∣••ions them, would certainly take away the most considerable part of them. To one, says he, is given ••he spirit, the gift of Wisdom, to another the gift of

Knowledge by the same spirit; to another Faith by the same spirit, to another the gift of healing by the same spirit; to another the working of Miracles; to another Pro∣phecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kind of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the self same spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will, 1 Cor. 12. 8, 9, 10, 11.

You see how St. Paul cursorily mentions this mat∣ter of fact, as a matter of uncontested Experience. Mean while 'tis observable that we have not to do with one single gift, but several miraculous gifts, in which there was no Artifice or Illusion. For tho' it might be pretended that some certain people had received the gift of tongues, and altho' those very people should not immediately be found out by those, who perfectly understood those Languages; yet how could there be others who expounded di∣vers Languages, and understood men of all Nations, others who healed the Sick, others who by Faith wrought miracles, &c.

But perhaps the Incredulous will not be satisfied with that one Text of Scripture, and therefore here is another of the same stamp, 1 Cor▪ 13. 1, 2. Tho' I speak with the tongues of Men and of Angels, &c. and tho' I have the gift of Prophecy, and understand all Mysteries, &c. And tho' I have all Faith, so that I could remove Mountains, &c. 1. Cor. 12. 29, 30, 31. Are all prophets? says he in the foregoing chapter. Are all workers of Miracles? Have all the gift of heal∣ing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all Interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you, a more excellent way. 'Tis then he begins his Encomium of Charity, and prefers it before all o∣ther miraculous gifts. In like manner he speaks in this place indirectly, and as it were by the by of those gifts; and the manner of his Expression mani∣festly

shews, that this matter of fact was publickly known.

But if they should still require a greater demon∣stration of this Truth, such a demonstration as seems to me above all subtilty of Cavils and Excep∣tions, it's sufficient to observe that among all those Gifts, that of Tongues was so common (by reason it was very often imparted by the Apostles's impo∣sition of hands) that there arose a great Disturbance and Confusion in the Church of Corinth upon the ac∣count of it; because all those who had received that gift, being desirous to speak strange Languages in the Church, the Congregation was not in the least edified by it. And it obliged St. Paul to write to them very sharply thereupon, to which end he par∣ticularly designed the 14. Chap. of his first Epist. to the Corinthians, I would, says he to them, v. 5. that ye all speak with tongues; but rather that ye prophecied that the Church may receive edifying. Now to prophecy in the sense of this Apostle, is to declare the word of God, and expound it to the people, I thank my God, adds he further v. 18, 19. I speak with tongues more than you all. Yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with my Ʋnderstanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. Wherefore, adds he a little further v. 22. Tongues are for a sign not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophecying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. That is, as any one may easily conceive, that the gift of tongues which God had granted to the Church after a most extraordinary and wonderful manner, was designed either to confound, or convert the Infidels by that evident testimony of the Divinity of Christi∣anity: whereas the gift of prophecying, that is, of declaring God's Will, and expounding it to the people, had been wholly given men for the good and

Edification of the faithful. Now to these miracu∣lous Gifts St. Paul certainly alluded, when he said in his first Epist. to the Thessalonians, Chap. 5. v. 19. Quench not the spirit. And tis concerning those same gifts and signal miracles that he says to the Galati∣ans, O foolish Galatians, &c. Chap. 3. 5. He there∣fore that ministreth to you the spirit, and worketh mira∣cles among you, doth he it by the works of the Law, or by the preaching of the Faith? Lastly, 'tis concerning these miraculous gifts that the Apostle speaks, when he says, that the sign of his Apostleship was manifested among the Corinthians, in all Patience, in Signs, and Wonders, and mighty Deeds.

We may see to what perplexity and confusion the Incredulous are reduced; and how angry soever they may be, there are but two sides they can take. They must either assert that St. Paul had lost his senses, when he wrote those things we just now mention'd; which they'll never do, because their opinion is that St. Paul wanted no cunning to de∣ceive a great many persons: or they must confess that the faithful very frequently received many mi∣raculous gifts in the Ancient Church; that those gifts were various; that there had actually been such persons in the Church of Corinth, who had caused some kind of disturbance in it, by speaking divers Languages as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost; and consequently they must own the Divini∣ty of our Religion.