Christ's certain and sudden appearance to judgment. By Thomas Vincent, sometime Minister of Maudlins…

3. I might show at large the rationally unquestionable certainty of Scripture-History, as handed to posterity; But in brief, when these things were so notable, and remarked in their times; when they were not done in corners; when ⟨p. 151⟩they were▪ the object of sense; when they were so many; when they had so many spectators and witnesses; when there are divers records of the same things, and all in the main agreeing; when the way they are declared i•, speaking so much simplicity in the relators; when there were so many Copies of the Records dispersed into so many divers places; when Enemies could not deny the truth of things recorded, only imputed them to other causes; when mention is made of these things in profane Histories; when we have the Writings of the ancient Fathers by us, who lived in all the Centuries between us, and the time of Christ, and wi•h one consent acknowledge these things, who might easily have found ou• the deceit, had there been any, when they lived some of them so near to the days wherein the chief of these things were done; when we cannot rationally assign an end, which should move Christians to deceive themselves and posterity, since they expose themselves to such losses, persecutions, reproaches and afflictions by their profession of Christianity; neither can we rationally imagine how all the Christians in the World could meet together from so many Countries, for the forging of things which were never done; much less how they should agree together about it; and least of all how they should keep this secret, but their adversaries would have found it out, and made it known, some hint of it would have been given in History; all these things being laid together, we may rationally conclude, that the History of the Scripture is as certain, yea more certain than any profane History, which we have the least doubt of; and if the Histories of Prophesies fulfilled, and Miracles wrought be true, it is a strong Argument that the Scriptures which hereby are confirmed, are indeed the word of God. These Arguments for the Divine Authority of the Scriptures may be sufficient to stop the mouths of gain-sayers, but without the testimony of the spirit in and by them, none will be sufficient to effect a saving faith.