13. If any man doubt of the strange Antiquities delivered by Historians, as of the wonderful corps of _Antæus_ untombed a thousand years after his death by _Sertorius_. Whether there were no deceit in those fragments of the Ark so common to be seen in the days of _Berosus_; whether the Pillar which _Josephus_ beheld long ago, _Tertullian_ long after, and _Bartholomeus de Saligniaco_, and _Borchardus_ long since, be the same with that of _Lots_ wife; whether this were the hand of _Paul_, or that which is commonly shewn the head of _Peter_, if any doubt, I shall not much dispute with their suspicions. If any man shall not believe the Turpentine Tree, betwixt _Jerusalem_ and _Bethlem_, under which the Virgin suckled our Saviour, as she passed between those Cities; or the fig-tree of _Bethany_ shewed to this day, whereon _Zacheus_ ascended to behold our Saviour; I cannot tell how to enforce his belief, nor do I think it requisite to attempt it. [SN: _To compel Religion, somewhat contrary to Reason._] For, as it is no reasonable proceeding to compel a religion, or think to enforce our own belief upon another, who cannot without the concurrence of Gods spirit have any indubitable evidence of things that are obtruded: So is it also in matters of common belief; whereunto neither can we indubitably assent, without the co-operation of our sense or reason, wherein consists the principles of perswasion. For, as the habit of Faith in Divinity is an Argument of things unseen, and a stable assent unto things inevident, upon authority of the Divine Revealer: So the belief of man which depends upon humane testimony is but a staggering assent unto the affirmative, not without some fear of the negative. And as there is required the Word of God, or infused inclination unto the one, so must the actual sensation of our senses, at least the non-opposition of our reasons procure our assent and acquiescence in the other. So when _Eusebius_ an holy Writer affirmeth, there grew a strange and unknown plant near the statue of Christ, erected by his Hæmorrhoidal patient in the Gospel, which attaining unto the hem of his vesture, acquired a sudden faculty to cure all diseases. Although he saith he saw the statue in his days, yet hath it not found in many men so much as humane belief? Some believing, others opinioning, a third suspective it might be otherwise. For indeed, in matters of belief the understanding assenting unto the relation, either for the authority of the person, or the probability of the object, although there may be a confidence of the one, yet if there be not a satisfaction in the other, there will arise suspensions; nor can we properly believe until some argument of reason, or of our proper sense convince or determine our dubitations.