Church-history of the government of bishops and their councils abbreviated including the chief part…

III. The Prophets that had Divine Inspiration and Vision, had that Evidence which gave themselves a certainty, though not to others.

IV. When History delivereth a matter of fact and sense, by the common consent of all men that knew it, though of contrary minds, dispositions, and interests, it giveth us a certainty which may be called Natural; because Nature hath nothing in it that could cause such a Conspiracy in Lying: That it is so credible as to be a Natural certainty, that there is such a place as Rome, Paris, Jerusalem; that the Statutes of the Land are not Forgeries, while all Contenders plead them against each other, and hold by them their Estates and Lives: And so that there was such a Person as Jesus Christ, and that the Scriptures were written by the Prophets and Apostles, &c.

IV. When History delivereth a matter of fact and sense, by the common consent of all men that knew it, though of contrary minds, dispositions, and interests, it giveth us a certainty which may be called Natural; because Nature hath nothing in it that could cause such a Conspiracy in Lying: That it is so credible as to be a Natural certainty, that there is such a place as Rome, Paris, Ierusalem; that the Statutes of the Land are not Forgeries, while all Contenders plead them against each other, and hold by them their Estates and Lives: And so that there was such a Person as Jesus Christ, and that the Scriptures were written by the Prophets and Apostles, &c.

V. When the History of any person and action is proved by continued or visible effects: as that William of Normandy conquered England, while so many of the effects of that Conquest in our Laws and Customs are still visible: And that the Welsh were the Ancient Britons, driven by the Saxons into Wales, while their Language, Habitation, &c. show it: And so that Christ instituted Baptism, and Church-Communion, and the Apostles separated