Aonoz tez kisteōz, or, An endeavour to evince the certainty of Christian faith in generall and of the resurrection of Christ in particular / by Daniel Whitbie, chaplain to the Right Reverend Father in God, Seth, Lord Bishop of Sarum ...

THE CONCLUSION.

SHEWING that if what hath been delivered should be only probable, yet the Christian Faith must in all reason be embraced, as being, 1. the safest way, and 2ly the greatest instrument of present Happines. A recapi∣tulation of the whole, with a practical re∣flection upon what hath been discoursed.

IF what hath been delivered do not seem to any to carry a convincing evidence, let it but passe for probable, and that which pro∣ves the Christian Faith more likely to be true than false, and this will be sufficient plea for the profession of it. For were it supposed only such, it must in reason be embraced as being the securest way, and the best instrument of present happiness.

And(1) CHRISTIANITY is the best help to present happines, because it gives the highest motives to contentment in our pre∣sent state, the strongest comforts and supports against those evils we can fear or suffer,

the best preservatives and remedies against the terrors of an evil conscience, the most effectual remedies against those passions and corrupt af∣fections, which impair our health, and which disturb our peace and quiet. It gives the fairest hopes and promises, and so the greatest motives unto love and kindnes, as is exceeding evident from Scripture, and from what we have discour∣sed in the 10^th Chap. of this Book.

(2.) That Christianity is also the securest way hath been already proved; and is invin∣cibly concluded from what Arnobius saith of it,in illo periculi nihil est, si quod dicitur imminere cassum fiat & vacuum, in hoc damnum est ma∣ximum, id est salutis amissio, si cum tempus ad∣venerit aperiatur non fuisse mendacium.

Besides, all other waies of Worship, which stand in competition with it, are so absurd, or surely antiquated, as not to bear the least de∣gree of Evidence, compared to the Evidence of Christian Faith: and therefore we may rest assured, that if there be a Providence, it can∣not be offended with us for preferring this be∣fore them: But God may justly be incensed against us, for not embracing of the Christian Faith, though the Inducements so to do were only probable, because we prosecute the most important Actions and Affaires of humane life upon the like Inducements. We goe to sea only

in hopes of a good Voyage, and a safe returne, and have recourse to the Physician only in hopes of a recovery, and therefore cannot be excused, if we neglect to do what we have like or greater reason to believe is both the will of God, and that which doth conduce to our eter∣nal happines: especially considering that Chri∣stianity doth promise greater measures of Con∣viction, and degrees of Evidence to such as do obey its Precepts; assuring us that he who doth the Will of Christ, shall know the Doctrine whe∣ther it be of God or not.

§. 2. IF then it be but probable, that Christ and his Disciples were endowed with any Power of working Miracles in confirmation of the Christian Faith, that any of them healed diseases, cast out devils, raised the Dead, and whilst they constantly pretended to these things for many generations, and in all places of the World, and did avouch them with their dearest blood, were not the worst of fools and knaves, or most deluded persons. Or if it be but probable that such Men could never leave unto the world the best and the sublimest Re∣velations, such as outdid the Laws of wisest Nations and all the Precepts of Philosophy, such as best serve the present and eternal In∣terests of Man, such as are most consistent with

the common Principles of Reason, and yet too hard for reason to invent. If it be probable that they could never by the bare Assertion of the Resurrection of a condemned malefactor (con∣firmed only by a lye) prevail upon the world to owne him for their God, to desert all other ways of Worship, and to run the greatest risks at present, only in expectation of some future Blessing, which he had promised in another life. If it be probable that such a world of men would never suffer fiery tryals, and sundry kinds of death, become the scorne, and the Ofscouring of the world, only to propagate that lye which scarce afforded a temptation so to do. If it be probable that any real Judg∣ments were inflicted upon the Enemies of the Christian Faith, or upon such as did pre∣varicate in the profession of it, or that the Church, and chiefly the Apostles, had power to inflict such Judgments, and did not terrify their converts vith vain words. If it be proba∣ble that any Revelations have been ever made in favour of the Christian Cause, and that S. Paul in his Epistles to the Church of Corinth, doth not give directions about things of nought, and confidently tell them that ever one had a Revelation, when no man did enjoy it. If it be probable that any Dreams or Visions have been vouchsafed to them, or any tokens

of divine Assistance under sufferings, of won∣derful deliverance from them, of confusion to their Adversaries. If it be probable that the predictions of the Messiah of the Jews were perfectly accomplish'd in our JESUS; and that things particularly foretold by him (viz. his Death and Resurrection, the large and speedy Propagation of the Christian Faith, the Mi∣racles of his Disciples, the destruction of the Jewish nation) however most incredible, were most assuredly fulfill'd, or that that gift of Prophesie, to which so many thousand soules pretended throughout divers centuryes, was really vouchsafed to any one of them. If it be probable that any of them spake with Tongues, and the Apostle did not charge the Church of Corinth with the too fre∣quent exercise of a gift with which they never were acquainted. If it be probable that the whole Sect of Christians for three hundred years were neither wicked Impostors, nor yet deluded Persons. If it be probable that they had no assistance from good or evil Angels to delude the World, and yet did things which could not be effected without the aid of some supernaturall Powers. If it be pro∣bable that both their Gospels and Epistles were indited in that Age they lived in, and sent to those Persons to whome they are in∣scribed,

and if it be improbable that whilst so many were alive that could attest the truth or falsehood of their story, it should, though a prodigious and bare-faced lye, obtain to be the Rule of Faith. I say if all these things are probable, then must Christianity be highly probable; and if it ought to be embraced upon the Probability of any one, the Probability of all these Circumstances must give an ample confirmation to it, and make it needless to insist farther on this Argument.

§. 3. AND now that this discourse may have that Influence upon the Reader which matters of this moment ought to have, let me intreat him to consider, how much his interest and Wisdome doth oblige him to improve the certainty of Christian Faith into a Christian conversation; that soe his knowledge may not aggravate his future doom, and render all his wilful Disobedience against the Christian pre∣cepts inexcusable. The speculative Atheist may have some colour of a plea, that his miscar∣riages were the Result of ignorance, not of contempt and wilful disobedience, whereas the man who owns the certainty of Christian Faith, but lives a contradiction to his knowledge, and by his practise gives the lye to his pro∣fession, he, I say, can have no shadow of

Excuse. He must confess his full acquaintance with his Masters pleasure, and that his Rea∣son did commend those precepts to him, which Christianity enjoyned, as things most excel∣lent, and certain, and infinitely to be pre∣ferr'd before those vile affections which stood in competition with them, and those enjoyments he preferr'd before them. His conscience must accuse him dayly of most strange ingratitude, in acting his rebellions against the Majesty of heaven, and his dearest Lord: it must convince him of his stupidity and folly, not only in neglecting of so great salvation, but in running headlong to his owne destruction, and being at such cost and pains to purchase to himselfe damnation. He must acknowledge at the dreadfull day, his life was spent in a contempt and full defyance of the holy Jesus; and that he still maintained that contempt in opposition to, and in despight of the convictions of his conscience, the stri∣ving of the Holy Spirit, and all the motives of his present and eternal interest: and then how miserable must is condition be? how dreadful, but how just his doom? The sorest judgments that ever happened to the Gentile world, those derelictions which betray'd them to the most brutish and unnatural lusts, were the result of sin committed against conscience,

and truth detained in unrighteousnes: and if to sin against the dim and gloomy light of Nature became so fatal to the Gentile, how dismal will the doom of Christians be, who sin against the clear Meridian shine of Gospel Revelation? For if Christianity be true, the disobedient and unbelieving person will be convinced by sad experience of the assured falshood of his infidelity, his flattering hopes, and false imaginations, and be depriv'd for ever of Gods blisfull presence, and those comforta∣ble relations which he beares unto his crea∣tures, and all those glories, pleasures, and per∣fections which the Saints hereafter shall enjoy. His soul shall be exposed to that incen∣sed justice, which shall come in flaming fire to take vengeance on it, and to that God, who will then stir up all his wrath, and make the Greatness of his power known upon such vessels fitted for destruction: and he shall find no rest by day or night, as being still tormented by that worm which never dyeth, and suffering the vengeance of that fire whose smoak ascends for ever: this being the avowed doctrine of the firsta Ages of the Church, and that which did expose them to the worst of suffer∣ings, and theb derision of their adversaries.

Besides, if Christianity be true, then all the blessings it hath promised to the pious and obedient Person must be accomplish'd in their season, by the advancement of our weak, vile, mortall bodies into a state of incorru∣ption, power, and glory, and into the like∣nes of Christ's Glorious body; and by the exal∣tation of the soul to a capacity of seeing God as we are seen of God, and being like to him whose happines is infinite; for when he doth appear wee shall be like him, by the participation of a superlative, exceeding, and

eternal weight of Glory, and the enjoyment of those blessings, which neither eye hath seen,nor ear hath heard of, nor hath thought conceived.

As thereforec Plato doth conclude his di∣sputation on this subject with this resolution viz.

Being convinced of a future state of bliss and misery, I bid adieu to the caresses of the world, and to the vain applauses of the vulgar, and have no other care but how I may appear before my Judge with a soul pure and spotless; how I may live the best of men and dye secure of happines:

So let the Christian Reader be perswaded to improve the confirmations and convictions of the truth of his Religion into a fixed Resolution, and sin∣cere endeavour of obedience to the Christian precepts, that so he may avoid those dreadful torments, and everlasting miseries it threatens to the disobedient, and may enjoy that more exceeding weight of Glory, which is prepared for the upright Christian.

Notes

• See the Preface.
• 1. Cor. 14. 29, 30, 31, 32.
• Rom. 1.
• 2 Thess. 1.8.
• 9. Rom. 22, 23.
• Rev. 14. xi.
• a

  Cent. 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Clemens Rom. Frag. Epist. 2. Ed. Patricii Junii. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Barnabas Ed. Vossii p. 251.

  Cent. 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Iren. lib. 1. c. 2. Et l. 3. c. 4. de norma fidei & veteri Apostolorum traditione loquens haec habet, venturus est (scilicet Christus) judex eorum qui judicantur, & mittens in ignem aeternum transfiguratores veritatis, & contemptores Patris sui, & adventus ejus. Poe∣na damnatorum apud Justinum Mari. dicitur 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. p. 41. & 46. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, p. 71. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 pag. 57.

  Cent. 3. Post inexpiabile malum saeviens ignis aeterna sce∣lerum ultione torquebit. Cypr. l. de laude Martyrii. Servan∣tur cum corporibus suis animae infinitis cruciatibus ad do∣lorem. idem lib. contra Demetr. Tormentis nec modus ullus, aut terminus. Minutius p. 39. Si. quis occisionem carnis at∣que animae in gehennam ad interitum & finem utriusque substantiae arripiet non ad supplicium, quasi consumenda∣rum, non quasi puniendarum; recordetur ignem gehennae aeternum praedicari in poenam aeternam, & inde aeternitatem occisionis agnoscat; tunc & aeternas substantias credet qua∣rum aeterna sit occisio in poenam. Absurdissimum alioquin si idcirco resuscitata caro occidatur in gehennam uti finia∣tur, quod & non resuscitata pateretur. Tertull. de resurr. Carnis. Illud tamen scire oportet, quoniam sancti Apostoli fidem Christi praedicantes de quibusdam quaecunque ne∣cessaria crediderunt omnibus credentibus, etiam his qui pigriores erga inquisitionem divinae scientiae videbantur, ma∣nifestissimè tradiderunt. Origenes in Proaemio. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Omnis turba impiorum pro suis facinoribus in conspectu Angelorum & justorum perpetuo igni cremabitur in aeternum, haec est doctrina sanctorum Prophetarum quam Christiani sequimur. Lact. l. 7. c. 26. Vide Theophilum ad Autolycum l. 2. pag. 79.
• b

  The derision of their heathen adversarys] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Justin Mart. Apolog. 1. p. 47. Hoc errore decepti beatam sibi, ut bonis, & perpetem vitam pollicentur, caeteris ut injustis poenam sempiternam. Caecilius apud Minutium p. 11. Haec est nostra sapientia quam isti qui vel fragilia colunt, vel ina∣nem Philosophiam tuentur, tanquam stultitiam vanitatem∣que derident, quia non defendere hanc publicè, atque ad∣serere nos solemus. Lactant. l. 7. c. 26. Vide Origen. in Celsum p. 408. 409. vide not. 52. in c. 10. p. 357.
• Philip. 3.21.
• 1. Joh. 2.2.
• 1. Cor. 2.9.
• c

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. in Gorgiâ p. 312. Ed. Ficin.