The Immortality of Mans Soul, Preface
The PREFACE.
§. 1. THE Author of the Letter which I anſwer, being wholly unknown to me, and making me no return of his ſenſe of my Anſwer, I ſuppoſe it can be no wrong to him that I publiſh it. I have formerly thought, that it is ſafer to keep ſuch Objections, and falſe reaſonings, from mens notice, than publickly to confute them. But now in London they are ſo commonly known, and publiſhed in open Diſcourſe and Writing, that whether ſilencing them be deſirable or not, it is become impoſſible. And tho I have ſaid ſo much more, eſpecially in two Books (The Reaſons of the Chriſtian Religion, and the Unreaſonableneſs of Infidelity) as may make this needleſs to them that read thoſe; yet moſt Infidels and Sadduces being ſo ſelf conceited, and fastidious, as to diſdain, or caſt by all that will coſt them long reading and conſideration, it may be this ſhort Letter may ſo far prevail againſt their ſloth, as to invite them to read more. I would true Chriſtianity were as common as the profeſſion of it: There would then be fewer that need ſuch Diſcourſes. But alas! how numerous are th…ſe Chriſtians that are no Chriſtians, no more than a Carcaſs or a Picture is a man; yea, worſe Chriſtians, who hate Chriſtianity, whoſe Godfathers and Godmothers (not Parents, but Neighbours) did promiſe and vow three things in their Names. 1. That they ſhould renounce the Devil. and all his Works, the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World, and all the ſinful luſts of the fleſh. 2. That they ſhould believe all the Articles of the Chriſtian Faith. 3. That they ſhould keep Gods holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the ſame all the days of their lives. Yea, before they could ſpeak, the mouth of theſe Godfathers ſpeaking for them, did not only promiſe, that they ſhould believe, but profeſs in the Infants name, That even then they did ſtedfaſtly believe the Articles of the Chriſtian Faith. The Infant is ſaid to make both the Promiſe and Profeſſion by theſe Godfathers; who alſo undertake to provide, that they ſhall [learn all things which a Chriſtian ought to know and believe to his Souls health, and ſhall be virtuouſly brought up, to lead a godly and a Chriſtian life]. Whether theſe Godfathers ever intend to perform this, or the Parents uſe to expect it of them, I need not tell you: But how little moſt of the baptized perform of it, is too notorious. And what wonder is it, if we have Chriſtians that in Satans Image fight againſt Chriſt, even PERJURED, MALIGNANT, PERSECUTING Chriſtians, haters of thoſe that ſeriouſly practice the baptiſmal Vow, when they are PERJURED and Perfidious Violaters of it themſelves, as to the prevalent bent of heart and life.
Theſe Hypocrite nominal Ceremony Chriſtians, become the great hinderance of the cure of Infidelity in the world. It is the SPIRIT by its ſupernatural Works, which is the great Witneſs of Chriſt, and the infallible proof of ſupernatural Revelation. Theſe witneſſing works of the Spirit, are theſe five: 1. His Antecedent Prophecies. 2. His inherent Divine impreſs on the Perſon, Works, and Goſpel of Chriſt. 3. His concomitant Teſtimony in Chriſts uncontrolled numerous Miracles, Reſurrection and Aſcenſion. 4. His ſubſequent Teſtimony in the numerous uncontrolled Miracles of the Apoſtles, and ſupernatural gifts to the Chriſtians of that Age. But tho the Hiſtory of theſe be as infallibly delivered to us, as any in the world; … the diſtance hindereth the belief of ſome, who have not this hiſtory well opened to them. 5. Therefore God hath continued to the end of the world a more excellent Teſtimony than miracles (thought not ſo apt to work on ſenſe) even the ſpecial regenerating ſanctifying work of the Spirit of Chriſt, on the ſouls of all ſincere Believers: The raiſing of Souls to a Divine and Heavenly Diſpoſition, and Converſation, to live to God and the common good, in the comfortable hopes of an everlaſting heavenly glory, as purchaſed and given by our Redeemer, conquering the allurements of the world and fleſh, the temptations of Satan, and all the flatteries and frowns of the ungodly; This is a work that none but God can do and will do, which beareth his Image and ſuperſcription.
But now theſe Hypocrites, obſcure it to themſelves and other unbelievers, and tempt men to ſay, Are not Chriſtans as bad as Heathens? and Mahometans. Are they not as fleſhly, and worldly, and falſe, and perjured, and malicious, and hurtful, and pernicious to others and themſelves? But I anſwer, No, They are not: Theſe are no more Chriſtians, than Images are men: They are the Enemies of Chriſtians, that under Chriſts banner, and in his livery and name, do the moſt perfideouſly hate him and fight againſt him: Who will tell them, Inaſmuch as you did it to the leaſt of theſe, you did it to me. They betray him for money, as Judas, by Hail-maſter and a Kiſs. I challenge any Infidel to find me One that ſeriouſly believeth the Goſpel of Chriſt, as perceiving the certain Evidence of its truth, who is not a perſon of a holy and obedient heavenly life: How can a man ſincerely believe that God ſent his Son from Heaven in fleſh, to Redeem man, and to bring us to Glory, and that he ſealed his Doctrine by all his miracles, reſurrection and aſcenſi…n, and the Holy Ghoſt, and that he is our Head in Heaven, with whom we ſhall live in joy for ever; and is the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him, I ſay: How can a man believe this ſeriouſly, and not eſteem, and chooſe and ſeek it, before all the ſhadows and vanitie to this world. It is not Chriſtians, but falſe hypocrites, whoſe lives repreſent Chriſtianity, blaſphemouſly as no better than Heatheniſm or Mahometaniſm; It is but for worldly Intereſt, and Reputation, or becauſe it is the Religion of the King, Countrey, or Anceſtors, that they take up ſo much as the name and badg of Chriſtianity. And will you judg of our Religion by its enemies? Do you not ſee in their drunkenneſs, ſenſuality, covetouſneſs, ungodlineſs, how unlike their lives are to the baptiſmal Vow; and that they hate, and ſeek to deſtroy them that are ſerious in keeping that Vow, and living as Chriſtians?
§ 2. And as I publiſh this for the uſe of unbelievers, ſo I muſt let the Reader know, that it is become one of the uſual tricks of the Popiſh deceivers, to put on the Vizor of an Infidel, and to diſpute about the immortality of the Soul, and the greateſt difficulties of Religion: And it is to puzzle men, and convince them, that by Reaſoning they can never attain to ſatisfaction in theſe matters; And then to infer, [You have no way left, but to believe the Church; & we are that Church. If you leave that eaſie quiet way, you will never come to any certainty]. Why do they not try the ſame triek about all the difficulties in Philoſophy, Astronomy, Phyſick, Hiſtory, &c? For every S… ence, and Art, hath its difficulties. But are not all theſe as gaeat difficulties to the Pope and his Prelates, as they are to us? But God hath given us a more clear and ſatisfactory way of the ſolution of ſuch Doubts.
§. 3. I muſt further give notice to the Reader, That it was the publiſhing of Dr. H. More's anſwer to a Letter of mine, which occaſioned the publiſhing of this. When I was put on the one, I thought it not unprofitable to premiſe the other, as being of much greater uſe. It ſeemed good to the worthy Dr. to deſire my thoughts of his Deſcription of a Spirit, which he laid down in the firſt Edition of Mr. Glanvile of Apparitions: which I gave him in a haſty Letter, which he thought meet▪ without my knowledg, to publiſh an anſwer to, in his ſecond Edition of Mr. Glanvile. Our difference is ſcarce worth the Readers notice. And our velitation is only friendly, and Philoſophical. But yet it may poſſibly be uſeful to ſome at leaſt to excite them to a more profitable ſearch than I have made. And it explaineth ſome paſſages in my Methodus Theologiae.
But I much more commend to the reading of the Sadduces and Infidels, the Hiſtories themſelves of Apparitiins, and Watchcrafts, which Mr. Glanvile and Dr. More have there delivered; many of them, at leaſt, with undeniable evidence and proof. To which, if he will but add the Devil of Maſcon and Bodin, and Remigius of Witches; he will ſcarce be able to deny belief to the existence and Individuation of Spirits, and the future life of ſeparated Souls.