The divine appointment of the Lords day proved as a separated day for holy…

I know that the whole frame together of the Christian Religion […] its sufficient Evidence, but we must not be guilty of a peevish rejecting it. The […] part […] its witness within us, in that state of holiness which it imprinteth on the soul; and the rest are witnessed, to or proved partly by that, and partly by Miracles, and those and the records by historical evidence. But when God hath made many things necessary to the full evidence, and wranglers through partiality and Contention against each others will some throw away one part and some another, they will all prove destroyers of the faith (as all dividers be.) If the Papist will say, It is Tradition and not inherent Evidence, or if others will say that it is inherent evidence alone, and not history or Tradition, where God hath made both needful hereunto, ⟨p. 63⟩both will be found injurious to the faith.

I know that the whole frame together of the Christian Religion 〈…〉 its sufficient Evidence, but we must not be guilty of a peevish rejecting it. The 〈…〉 part 〈…〉 its witness within us, in that state of holiness which it imprinteth on the soul; and the rest are witnessed, to or proved partly by that, and partly by Miracles, and those and the records by historical evidence. But when God hath made many things necessary to the full evidence, and wranglers through partiality and Contention against each others will some throw away one part and some another, they will all prove destroyers of the faith (as all dividers be.) If the Papist will say, It is Tradition and not inhaerent Evidence, or if others will say that it is inhaerent evidence alone, and not history or Tradition, where God hath made both needful hereunto, ⟨p. 63⟩both will be found injurious to the faith.

II. Without this historical evidence we cannot prove that any of the books of Scripture are not maimed or depraved. That they come to our hands as the Apostles and Evangelists wrote them, uncorrupted. It is certain by History, that many Heretics did deprave and corrupt them, and would have obtruded those Copies or Corruptions on the Churches: And how we shall certainly prove that they did not prevail, or that their copies are false, and ours are true, I know not without the help of History. Mahomet and his followers (more numerous than the Christians) pretend that Mahomets name was in the Gospel of John as the Paraclete or Comforter promised by Christ, and that the Christians have blotted it out, and altered the Writings of the Gospel. And how shall we disprove them but by Historical Evidence? As the Arians, and Socinians pretend that we have added,