The reason of faith, or, An answer unto that enquiry, wherefore we believe the…

The things pleaded to give force unto this Testimony in particular, are all that such a Testimony is capable of, and so many as would require a large discourse by it self to propose, discuss, and confirm them. But supposing the Testimony they gave, I shall in compliance with my own design reduce the Evidences of its Truth unto these two considerations: (1.) of their Persons, and (2.) of the Manner of their Writing.

The things pleaded to give force unto this Testimony in particular, are all that such a Testimony is capable of, and so many as would require a large discourse by it self to propose, discuss, and confirm them. But supposing the Testimony they gave, I shall in compliance whith my own design reduce the Evidences of its Truth unto these two considerations: (1.) of their Persons, and (2.) of the Manner of their Writing.

1. As to their Persons they were absolutely removed ⟨p. 46⟩from all possible suspicion of deceiving or being deceived. The Wit of all the Atheistical Spirits in the World is not able to fix on any one thing, that would be a tolerable ground of any such suspicion concerning the integrity of witnesses, could such a Testimony be given in any other case. And surmises in things of this nature which had no pleadable ground for them, are to be looked on as Diabolical suggestions, or Atheistical Dreams, or at best the false Imaginations of weak and distempered Minds. The nature and design of their work, their unconcernment with all secular interests, their unacquaintance with one another, the Times and Places wherein the things reported by them were done and acted, the facility of convincing them of falsehood, if what they wrote in matter of fact, which is the Fountain of what else they taught, in case it were not true, the evident certainty that this would have been done arising from the known Desire, Ability, Will and Interest of their Adversaries so to do, had it been possible to be effected, seeing this would have secured them the Victory in the conflicts wherein they were violently engaged, and have put an immediate issue unto all that difference and uproar that was in the World about their Doctrine; their Harmony among themselves without conspiracy or antecedent Agreement, the miseries which they underwent, most of them without hope of relief or recompense in this World, upon the Sole Account of the Doctrine taught by themselves, with all other circumstances innumerable that are pleadable to evince the sincerity and integrity of any witnesses whatever, do all concur to prove that they did not follow cunningly devised Fables in what they declared