But what he aims to bring men unto, he justifies from the examples of Christians in ancient times, who had to deal with Jews and Pagans, whose disputes were rational and weighty, and puzzled the wisest of the Clergy to answer, So that after all their ratiocination ended, whether it sufficed or no, they still concluded with this one word, Credo; which in Logic and Philosophy, was a weak answer, but in Religion, the best and only one to be made. What could be spoken more untruly, more contumeliously, or more to the reproach of Christian Religion, I cannot imagine. It's true indeed, that as to the resolution, satisfaction, and settlement of their own souls, Christians always built their faith, and resolved it into the Authority o• God in his word; but that they opposed their naked Credo to the disputes of Jews or Pagans, or rested in that for a solution of their objections, is heavenly-wide; as far from truth, [Greek or Hebrew]. I wonder any man who hath ever seen, or almost heard of the Disputes and Discourses of Justin Martyr, ⟨p. 201⟩Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, Theophilus Antiochenus, Athenagoras, Tertullian, Lactantius, Chrysostom, Austin, Theodoret, and innumerable others, proving the faith of the Christian Religion against the Jews from Scripture, and the reasonableness of it against the Pagans, with the folly and foppery of theirs, could on any account be induced to cast out such a reproach against them. But it seems Jacta est alea, and we must go on; and therefore to carry on the design of bringing us all to a naked Credo, resolved into the Authority of the present Church, a thing never heard of, spoken of, nor that it appears dreamed of, by any of the ancient Christians. The objections of the Jews against the Christian Religion are brought on the stage, and an enquiry made, how they can be satisfactorily answered. His words are Pag. 142. In any age of the Christian-Church a Jew might say thus to the Christians then living; Your Lord and Master was born a Jew, and under the jurisdiction of the High Priests; these he opposed, and taught a Religion contrary to Moses, (otherwise how comes there to be a faction?) but how could ⟨p. 202⟩he justly do it? no humane Power is of force against God's, who spake (as you also grant) by Moses and the Prophets; and Divine Power it could not be, for God is not contrary to himself.
But what he aimes to bring men unto, he justifies from the examples of Christians in antient times, who had to deal with Jews and Pagans, whose disputes were rational and weighty, and pusled the wisest of the Clergy to answer, So that after all their ratiocination ended, whether it sufficed or no, they still concluded with this one word, Credo; which in Logick and Philosophy, was a weak answer, but in Religion, the best and only one to be made. What could be spoken more untruely, more contumeliously, or more to the reproach of Christian Religion, I cannot imagine. It's true indeed, that as to the resolution, satisfaction, and settlement of their own souls, Christians alwayes built their faith, and resolved it into the Authority o• God in his word; but that they opposed their naked Credo to the disputes of Jews or Pagans, or rested in that for a solution of their objections, is heavenly-wide; as far from truth, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. I wonder any man who hath ever seen, or almost heard of the Disputes and Discourses of Justin Martyr, ⟨p. 201⟩Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, Theophilus Antiochenus, Athenagoras, Tertullian, Lactantius, Chrysostom, Austin, Theodoret, and innumerable others, proving the faith of the Christian Religion against the Jews from Scripture, and the reasonableness of it against the Pagans, with the folly and foppery of theirs, could on any account be induced to cast out such a reproach against them. But it seems Jacta est alea, and we must go on; and therefore to carry on the design of bringing us all to a naked Credo, resolv'd into the Authority of the present Church, a thing never heard of, spoken of, nor that it appears dreamed of, by any of the ancient Christians. The objections of the Jews against the Christian Religion are brought on the stage, and an enquiry made, how they can be satisfactorily answered. His words are Pag. 142. In any age of the Christian-Church a Jew might say thus to the Christians then living; Your Lord and Master was born a Jew, and under the jurisdiction of the High Priests; these he opposed, and taught a Religion contrary to Moses, (otherwise how comes there to be a faction?) but how could ⟨p. 202⟩he justly do it? no humane Power is of force against God's, who spak• (as you also grant) by Moses and the Prophets; and Divine Power it could not be, for God is not contrary to himself.
