Answ. Lay all these following things together, and you may be certain that this was not the case. 1. Even women, and many that were not teachers, were of the same belief. 2. The Teachers did all of them set up their Lord, and not themselves, but debased and denied themselves for his honour and service. 3. Their way of teaching was in travel and labour, where they must deny all fleshly ease and pleasure, and so must have nothing but bare applause, if that had been it which they sought after. 4. They suffered so much reproach and shame from the unbelievers, who were the rich and ruling party as would have much over-balanced their applause among believers. They were persecuted, imprisoned, scourged, scorned, and made as the off-scouring of the world. 5. They were so many, that no single person was like to be carried so far with that ambition, when his honour was held in equality with so many. 6. One of the great vices which they preached and wrote against was pride, and self-seeking, and over-valuing men, and following sect-masters, and crying up Paul, 1Apollo, or Cephas, &c. And those that thus sought to set up themselves, and draw away Disciples after them, were the men whom they especially condemned. 7.2 If they had done, as this objection supposeth, they must have all the way gone on against their certain knowledge ⟨p. 313⟩and conscience, in teaching lies in matter of fact. And though some men would go far in seeking followers and applause, when they believe the doctrine which they preach themselves, yet hardly in preaching that which they know to be false: the stirrings of conscience would torment some of them, among so many, and at last break out into open confession and detection of the fraud. 8. And if they had gone thus violently against their consciences, they must needs know that it was their Souls, as well as their lives and liberties which they forfeited. 9. And the piety and humility of their writings showeth, that applause was not their end and prize: if they had sought this, they would have fitted their endeavours to it; whereas it is the sanctifying and saving of souls, through faith in Jesus Christ, which they bent their labours towards. 10. So many men could never have agreed among themselves in such a scattered case, to carry on the juggle and deceit, without detection.
Answ. Lay all these following things together, and you may be certain that this was not the case. 1. Even women, and many that were not teachers, were of the same belief. 2. The Teachers did all of them set up their Lord, and not themselves, but de•ased and denied themselves for his honour and service. 3. Their way of teaching was in travel and labour, where they must deny all fleshly ease and pleasure, and so must have nothing but bare applause, if that had been it which they sought after. 4. They suffered so much reproach and shame from the unbelievers, who were the rich and ruling party as would have much over-ballanced their applause among believers. They were persecuted, imprisoned, scourged, scorned, and made as the off-scouring of the world. 5. They were so many, that no single person was like to be carried so far with that ambition, when his honour was held in equality with so many. 6. One of the great vices which they preach'd and wrote against was pride, and self-seeking, and over-valuing men, and following sect-masters, and crying up Paul, 1Apollo, or Cephas, &c. And those that thus sought to set up themselves, and draw away Disciples after them, were the men whom they especially condemned. 7.2 If they had done, as this objection supposeth, they must have all the way gone on against their certain knowledge ⟨p. 313⟩and conscience, in teaching lies in matter of fact. And though some men would go far in seeking followers and applause, when they believe the doctrine which they preach themselves, yet hardly in preaching that which they know to be false: the stirrings of conscience would torment some of them, among so many, and at last break out into open confession and detection of the fraud. 8. And if they had gone thus violently against their consciences, they must needs know that it was their Souls, as well as their lives and liberties which they forfeited. 9. And the piety and humility of their writings sheweth, that applause was not their end and prize: if they had sought this, they would have fitted their endeavours to it; whereas it is the sanctifying and saving of souls, through faith in Jesus Christ, which they bent their labours towards. 10. So many men could never have agreed among themselves in such a scatter'd case, to carry on the juggle and deceit, without detection.
- 11 Cor. 1. & 2. & 3. Act. 20.
- 2Sed non creditis gesta haec. Sed qui ea conspicati sunt fieri, & sub oculis suis viderunt agi, testes optimi certissimique authores, & crediderunt haec ipsi & credendo posteris nobis haud exilibus cum approbationibus tradiderunt. Quinam isti sunt, fortasse quaeritis: Gentes, populi, nationes, & incredulum illud genus humanum; quod nisi aperta res esset, & luce ipsa clarior, nunquam rebus hujusmodi credulitatis suae commodarent assensum. At nunquid dicemus illius temporis homines usque adeo fuisse vanos, mendaces, stol•dos, brutos, ut quae nunquam viderant, vidisse se fingerent? & quae facta non erant falsis proderent testimoniis, ut puerili assertione firmarent? Cumque possent vobiscum & unanimiter vivere, & inoffensas ducere conjunctions, gratu•ta susciperent odia, & execrabili haberentur nomine. Arnob. l. 1.Sed non creditis gesta haec. Sed qui ea conspicati sunt fieri, & sub oculis suis viderunt agi, testes optimi certissimique authores, & crediderunt haec ipsi & credendo posteris nobis haud exilibus cum approbationibus tradiderunt. Quinam isti sunt, fortasse quaeritis: Gentes, populi, nationes, & incredulum illud genus humanum; quod nisi aperta res esset, & luce ipsa clarior, nunquam rebus hujusmodi credulitatis suae commodarent assensum. At nunquid dicemus illius temporis homines usque adeo fuisse vanos, mendaces, stol•dos, brutos, ut quae nunquam viderant, vidisse se fingerent? & quae facta non erant falsis proderent testimoniis, ut puerili assertione firmarent? Cumque possent vobiscum & unanimiter vivere, & inoffensas ducere conjunctiones, gratu•ta susciperent odia, & execrabili haberentur nomine. Arnob. l. 1.
