5000 perfons with five loaves, and two little fishes; yet as if this had been nothing, they still call upon him to work a miracle, John vi. 30. What fign workeft thou, that we may fee and believe?

IV. Another ufual concomitant of infidelity is ob. ftinacy, and pertinacious perfifting in error. This likewife was the temper of the Jews, not to be convinced by any evidence that could be offered to them. When our Saviour had feveral times put them to filence, fo that they were not able to answer him, yet they obftinately perfifted in their former conceit, and ftiffly held the conclufion, though they were not able to make good the premiffes, Matth. xxii. Our Saviour confuted the Sadduces about the refurrection, and put them to filence; and then undertook the Pharifees, and they could not anfwer him neither; both of them continued in their opinion, though each of them thought the other to be clearly baffled and confuted.

This obftinacy of theirs our Saviour makes a great aggravation of their infidelity, Matth. xxi. 31, 32. Verily I fay unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him. And ye, when ye had feen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

Nay, which was the most unreasonable of all, when they could not anfwer his arguments, nor deny the miracles which he wrought, yet they were refolved not to believe on him, nor to fuffer others to confefs him, John xi. 47, 48. After he had wrought that great miracle in raifing Lazarus from the dead, after he had lain four days in the grave, they were fo far from owning themselves convinced by it, that hereupon they took counsel to put him to death. So the text tells us, that many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had feen the things which Jefus did, namely the railing of Lazarus, believed on him. But fome of them went their way to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jefus had done. And now

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one would have thought that either they fhould not have acknowledged this mighty miracle, or if they had, that they fhould have been convinced by it, that he was from God: but the miracle was fo notorious, that they could not deny it; and they were fo obftinately fet against him, that they would not be convinced by it; they granted the premiffes, and yet denied the conclufion, ver. 47. Then gathered the chief Priests and Pharifees a council, and faid, What do we? for this man doth many miracles; if we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him. And it follows, ver. 53. Then from that day forth, they took counsel together to put him to death. I

And after he was rifen from the dead, and those that bear witnefs to his 'refurrection had their teftimony confirmed by miracles, yet the Jews continued in the fame obftinacy, as if they were refolved to oppofe the gofpel in defpite of all evidence that could be brought for it. So we find Acts iv. 15, 16. that when the Rulers and Scribes beheld the man whom the Apoftles had healed, ftanding by them, it is faid, they could fay nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go afide out of the council, they conferred among themselves, faying, What shall we do to thefe men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them, is manifeft to all them that dwell in Jerufalem, and we cannot deny it but that it spread no further among the people, let us ftraitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. What could be more unreasonable, than to own the miracle, and yet to reject the teftimony?

V. Another quality which accompanied this fpirit of infidelity and oppofition to the truth in the Jews, was want of patience to confider and examine what could be faid for the truth; a haftiness to pronounce and pafs fentence, before they had heard what could be faid for it. Thus the Pharifees, when they faw our Saviour caft out Devils, they prefently, without any farther confideration, pronounce, that he did it by the Prince of Devils, Matth. xii. 44. Had they not been headily carried on by passion and preju

dice, they would never have paft this rafh fentence. Had they but had patience to have confidered matters, they could not have believed, that the Devil was confederate with Chrift against himself, and the interest 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 because they have not patience enough to confider what may be faid for them. Nay, in the church of Rome, that they may retain their people in their communion, they strictly forbid all examination of their religion, or fo much as to hear or read what can be faid against it; because 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 examine and enquire into matters of religion, and that is when they would gain a man to their religion, and they allow it then only because they cannot help it. Some reafons they muft offer to perfuade men to be of their church, and when they of fer them, they must allow them to confider them, and judge of the force of them, though they had much rather they would take their words for the ftrength and goodness of them; for they do what they can to hinder them from advifing with thofe that will difpute the matter with them: Or if they cannot prevent examination, yet they divert them as much as they can from any particular enquiry into their doarines and practices; this they pretend is a tedious and endless courfe, and therefore they commonly direct them to a fhorter way, which is not to enquire first into the truth of their doctrines, and the goodness of their worship and practice; but first to find out the true church, and then learn of her what doctrines and practices are truly Chriftian; and by this means they get their religion fwallowed whole, without any par ticular examination of their doctrines and practices, which will not bear the trial; and therefore to make the work fhort, they take it for granted, that there is always a visible catholick church; that this church is infallible

infallible in all matters of faith; and that the Roman church is this vifible infallible catholick church, becaufe no other church pretends to be fo; as indeed there is no reason why any particular church fhould pretend to be catholick or univerfal, or to fpeak plainer, why a part fhould pretend to be the whole: and all this being admitted, there is nothing more now to be done, but to receive all the doctrines which this church teacheth, without any further examination of them, because this church being fuppofed to be infallible, all that fhe fays' muft be true, though it appears to be never fo contrary to fcripture, or reafon, or fenfe. But now in this way of proceeding, there are two or three things which feem to be very odd:

1. That men must take their religion in a lump, and not be allowed to examine the particular doctrines and practices of it: which is to say, they have an excellent religion, but men must by no means examine it, nor look into it. This looks fo fufpiciously, that a wise man, for this very reafon, if there were no other, would reject it, because they are fo afraid to bring it to the trial.

2. It feems likewife very ftrange, that when they go to make profelytes, they fhould take fo many things which are in queftion and controverfy between us, for granted; as that the church in every age is infallible, and that the church of Rome is the infal lible and catholick church. They meet indeed fometimes with fome eafy and willing converts, that will meet them thus far, that is, more than half way: but what if a man will not take all this for granted, bu will put them to,the proof of it? Why then he is not fo civil as they hoped and expected; and commonly they give over tempting him, or at least depart from him for a season, till they can find him in a more pliable temper; for it is a long work, and requires a great deal of time to prove fome things, especially to the dull capacity of a northern heretick: befides that fome things are ftubborn, and will not be proved, though never fo much pains be taken to do it; and fo are the propofitions now mentioned, towards the proof whereof I never faw any argument offered,

that

that is within diftance, or indeed within fight of the conclufion. And then,

3. It seems a very strange method of coming to know what the true doctrines of Chriftianity are, by first knowing which is the true church: for it is not the church which makes the doctrines of Chriftianity to be true, but the profeffion of the true Christian doctrine which makes the church; and therefore we must first know which are the true doctrines of Christianity, the profeffion whereof makes the true church, before we can poffibly know which is the true church; but which are the true doctrines of Christianity is not to be known but by a particular examination of them, and comparing them with the rule of the Chriftian faith, the word of God. But they that have a mind to delude men, and keep them in error, must never admit their religion to be tried by this rule. But to proceed,

VI. Another quality which accompanies infidelity and oppofition to the truth, is rudenefs and boifte roufnefs, falling into uncivil terms and reproachful names. Such was the carriage of the Jews towards our Saviour; when they were not able to reafon with him, they fell to railing at him, John viii. 48. When he argued against their infidelity in the calmeft manner, and by the strongest and clearest arguments endeavoured to convince them of the unreasonableness of it: Which of you, faith he, convinceth me of fin? And if I speak the truth, why do you not believe? He that is of God, heareth God's words; ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then anfwered the Jews, Say we not well, that thou art a Samaritan, and haft a Devil? They prefently call him heretick; for fo the Jews esteemed the Samaritans.

VII. Another quality near a-kin to this, is fury and Outrageous paffion, John vii. 23. The Jews were in a great paffion against our Saviour, for healing on the fabbath day. When the Apoftles wrought miracles, it is faid, that the High-prieft and they that were with him were filled with indignation. And when St. Stephen preached to them, it is faid, They gnafhed on him with their teeth. And St. Paul ac

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