37. But if we look upon the impostures wrought by PART III. confederacy, there is nothing how impossible soever to be done, that is impossible to be believed. For two men conspiring, one to seem lame, the other to cure him with a charm, will deceive many : but many conspiring, one to seem lame, another so to cure him, and all the rest to bear witness, will deceive many more. against the In this aptitude of mankind, to give too hasty be- Cautions lief to pretended miracles, there can be no better, imposture nor I think any other caution, than that which God of miracles. hath prescribed, first by Moses, as I have said before in the precedent chapter, in the beginning of the xiiith and end of the xviiith of Deuteronomy; that we take not any for prophets, that teach any other religion, than that which God's lieutenant, which at that time was Moses, hath established; nor any, though he teach the same religion, whose prediction we do not see come to pass. Moses therefore in his time, and Aaron and his successors in their times, and the sovereign governor of God's people, next under God himself, that is to say, the head of the Church, in all times, are to be consulted, what doctrine he hath established, before we give credit to a pretended miracle or prophet. And when that is done, the thing they pretend to be a miracle, we must both see it done, and use all means possible to consider, whether it be really done; and not only so, but whether it be such, as no man can do the like by his natural power, but that it requires the immediate hand of God. And in this also we must have recourse to God's lieutenant, to whom in all doubtful cases, we have submitted our private judgments. For example; if a 37. Cautions against the imposture of miracles. PART III. man pretend, after certain words spoken over a piece of bread, that presently God hath made it not bread, but a god, or a man, or both, and nevertheless it looketh still as like bread as ever it did; there is no reason for any man to think it really done, nor consequently to fear him, till he enquire of God, by his vicar or lieutenant, whether it be done, or not. If he say, not, then followeth that which Moses saith (Deut. xviii. 22) he hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not fear him. If he say, it is done, then he is not to contradict it. So also if we see not, but only hear tell of a miracle, we are to consult the lawful Church; that is to say, the lawful head thereof, how far we are to give credit to the relators of it. And this is chiefly the case of men, that in these days live under Christian sovereigns. For in these times, I do not know one man, that ever saw any such wonderous work, done by the charm, or at the word, or prayer of a man, that a man endued but with a mediocrity of reason would think supernatural: and the question is no more, whether what we see done, be a miracle; whether the miracle we hear, or read of, were a real work, and not the act of a tongue, or pen; but in plain terms, whether the report be true, or a lie. In which question we are not every one, to make our own private reason, or conscience, but the public reason, that is, the reason of God's supreme lieutenant, judge; and indeed we have made him judge already, if we have given him a sovereign power, to do all that is necessary for our peace and defence. A private man has always the liberty, because thought is free, to believe or not believe in his heart those acts that 37. against the have been given out for miracles, according as he PART III. shall see what benefit can accrue by men's belief, to those that pretend or countenance them, and Cautions thereby conjecture whether they be miracles or imposture lies. But when it comes to confession of that faith, of miracles. the private reason must submit to the public; that is to say, to God's lieutenant. But who is this lieutenant of God, and head of the Church, shall be considered in its proper place hereafter. CHAPTER XXXVIII. OF THE SIGNIFICATION IN SCRIPTURE OF ETER- THE maintenance of civil society depending on PART III. 38. Adam's eter And first we find that Adam was created in such a condition of life, as had he not broken the comThe place of mandment of God, he had enjoyed it in the paradise nity, if he had of Eden everlastingly. For there was the tree of not sinned, had life, whereof he was so long allowed to eat, as he trial Paradise. should forbear to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; which was not allowed him. And been the terres therefore as soon as he had eaten of it, God thrust him out of Paradise, (Gen. iii. 22) lest he should put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life and live for ever. By which it seemeth to me, (with submission nevertheless both in this, and in all questions whereof the determination dependeth on the Scriptures, to the interpretation of the Bible authorized by the commonwealth, whose subject I am), that Adam, if he had not sinned, had had an eternal life on earth, and that mortality entered upon himself and his posterity by his first sin. Not that actual death then entered; for Adam then could never have had children; whereas he lived long after, and saw a numerous posterity ere he died. But where it is said, (Gen.ii. 17) In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die, it must needs be meant of his mortality, and certitude of death. Seeing then eternal life was lost by Adam's forfeiture in committing sin, he that should cancel that forfeiture, was to recover thereby that life again. Now Jesus Christ hath satisfied for the sins of all that believe in him; and therefore recovered to all believers, that eternal life which was lost by the sin of Adam. And in this sense it is that the comparison of St. Paul holdeth, (Rom. v. 18, 19) As by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the 38. free gift came upon all men to justification of part iii. life; which is again (1 Cor. xv. 21, 22) more perspicuously delivered in these words, For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. ing the place of life eternal, for believers. Concerning the place wherein men shall enjoy Texts concernthat eternal life which Christ hath obtained for them, the texts next before alleged seem to make it on earth. For if as in Adam all die, that is, have forfeited paradise and eternal life on earth, even so in Christ all shall be made alive; then all men shall be made to live on earth; for else the comparison were not proper. Hereunto seemeth to agree that of the psalmist (Psalm. cxxxiii. 3) upon Zion God commanded the blessing, even life for evermore: for Zion is in Jerusalem upon earth: as also that of St. John (Rev. ii. 7) To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. This was the tree of Adam's eternal life; but his life was to have been on earth. The same seemeth to be confirmed again by St. John (Rev. xxi. 2), where he saith, I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband: and again (verse 10) to the same effect: as if he should say, the new Jerusalem, the paradise of God, at the coming again of Christ, should come down to God's people from heaven, and not they go up to it from earth. And this differs nothing from that, which the two men in white clothing, that is the two angels, said to the apostles that were looking upon Christ ascending (Acts i. 11) This same |