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Weakness of fuch Authority, the tended Miracles of Apollonius are, for the most part, ridiculous, unworthy the Character of a Prophet, and (as the learned Photius fpeaks) full of Follies and monftrous Tales. In the highest Inftance of his miraculous Power, viz. his' raifing a dead Woman to Life again, 2 the Hiftorian fufpects (as he fays the Company did) that there was fome Confederacy and Collufion in the Matter; but, if even it were not fo, the Doctrines he taught, and the Zeal he profeffed for the Pagan Idolatry, together with his exceffive Pride, Ambition, and vain Affectation of divine Honours, are a plain Indication, that his Miracles were false, and his moft furprizing Performances, either the Effects of Magick, or downright Cheat or Imposture.

Tacitus indeed tells of two Cures, one of a Blind, and the other of a Lame Perfon, which Vefpafian pretended to work at Alexandria: But whoever reflects on the Situation of his Affairs at that Time, will perceive fome Reason to fufpect a Collufion. He was now in a Difpute with himself what to do, whether to affume the Roman Empire, or reftore the antient Form of Government, a Common-wealth: The Restora tion

2 Vid. Vit. Apol. L. 4. c. 16.

tion of the latter was what Dion, and Euphrates, two eminent Philofophers, advised; but Apollonius (whom he likewife confulted upon this Occafion) with great Vehemence, perfuaded the contrary, and (being himself accustomed to fuch Artifices) might, not improbably, fuggeft to Vefpafian the Neceffity of fome Miracle or other, in order to recommend him to the People, as a Perfon highly favoured by the Gods:

And indeed, if we confider, what an obfcure Perfon, and of what mean Original Vefpafian was, there feems to be the greater Reafon, why Apollonius, and others of that Party, should think of fome expedient or other to raise him a Reputation in the World, anfwerable to the new Station of Life, they had advised him to accept: And whoever confiders farther, a what various Artifices were about this time ufed, to procure an Opinion of Divinity in the Empe→ rors, will not much wonder that fuch Reports should be fpread of them, or that certain Perfons should be fuborned to feign fuch Diftempers, and then give themselves out to be cured by them. But allowing the Cures to be real, yet, fince they were Things exceeding the Power of any created Being, they could

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not be affected by Serapis, the falfe God or Dæmon, who is faid to prescribe them: They must be the Work of an omnipotent Hand, and might perhaps be providentially intended, to give fome dignity and fuperior Character to Vefpafian, as a Perion, who, in Conjunction with his Son Titus, was, appointed by God to be a fignal Inftrument of the divine Vengeance on the Jewish Nation.

But however this be, and whether thefe Cures were true or falfe; fince, in Confequence of them, Vefpafian never pretended to any divine Commiffion, nor to establish any new Worship or Do&trine; fince, the only ufe he made of them was purely political, and to recommend himself, with greater Advantage, to the Favour of the People: The Cafe is very plain, that they can never come up to any Resemblance of our Saviour's miraculous Works, which were performed on purpose to establish his Authority, and to evince him to be a Prophet sent from God; to which Character the Roman Emperor (however fome fycophant Jews might endeavour to, flatter him with it) never of himself made the least Pretenfion.

And, if what the Roman Emperor Greatrack, did (even upon the best Supposition)

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falls infinitely fhort of what is recorded of our Saviour; the Competition is fo very little between the Stroker Greatrack, and him, that nothing, but either grofs Ignorance, or Malice, could have formed fo unjust a Comparison. In his own b Original Letter, which is ftill preferved in the Bodlean Library, Greatrack thinks more modeftly of himself; he makes no mention of his healing all kinds of Diseases, much lefs of refloring any decays of Nature. The King's-evil, and fome few Diftempers more, he pretended to Cure by a divine Impulse; but, failing fometimes herein (as a just Examiner of his Pretenfions tells us) he was obliged to fly to the Affiftance of Phyfick, and Chirurgery; to,ufe Plafters and proper Medicines, and that, frequently too without Succefs. ufual Method was, to chafe, and rub, with fome Violence, the part affected, and, in fome Cafes, to pinch the Ulcers very feverely, by which means he might perhaps remove some few Indifpofitions from one part into another, or even quite out of the Body, by infenfible Perfpiration; but what is all this,

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This Letter was fent to Dr. Hall, Bishop of Chefter, An. 1665. David Lloyd, in his Book entitled, Wonders no Miracles, An. 1666. Bishop Smallbroke's Vind. p. 27.

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when compared with the numerous and lafting Effects of one powerful Word of our Lord, either prefent or abfent; of his immediately healing the most inveterate and incurable Diftempers, and reftoring, not only the greateft decays of Nature, but even Life it felf? Nothing at all: and therefore to fum up the Argument thus far pursued.

Since the power of working Miracles in Chrift was fo vaftly great, that it can be fuppofed to proceed from no other Caufe, than a Communication from God, and yet, to imagine that God would communicate any part of his Power, to give Sanction and Countenance to an Impoftor, is a Thing repugnant to his facred Attributes; fince God has not left us without means, either from the Works themselves, and the Manner of doing them, or from the Perfons themfelves, and the End for which they do them, to diftinguish between the true Prophet and the Impoftor, the real Miracles of the one, and the lying Wonders of the other; and, laftly, fince all the Signs and Characters of true Miracles concur in the Works of Jefus, but, on the contrary, violent Sufpicions of Trick and Artifice, at least, an Inferiority, that will admit of no manner of Comparison, in fuch as are named in competition

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