be Mr. Le Clerc publish'd those Letters which I have undertaken to answer the Two First of them in his Sentimens de Theologiens de Hollande sur l' Histoire Critique c. the Rest in the Defence of the Sentiments Who is the Author of these Letters whether Mr. Le Clerc himself or as he pretends a Friend of his whom he calls Mr. N. signifies little to the Controversie it self and therefore I do not think it worth while to enquire And as to the Author's Design in writing these Tracts whether they were writ by way of Enquiry only or out of a Design to undermine the Authority of the Scriptures I shall not take upon me to Determine but shall leave that to the Searcher of Hearts Charity that believes all things prompts me to believe the Author's solemn Protestation which he makes b Eng. Ed. p. 38. French p. 229. that he disowns the ill Consequences which some have drawn from his Principles and his Arguments for the Christian Religion which are contain'd in the Last Letter incourage me to persist in that Christian Perswasion However when I found the Author earnestly desirous c Fr. p. 245. Eng. p. 51. that some body would fairly answer him and indeavour to give further Light to this Matter and withall was sensible that he has laid down several Assertions which tend to lessen the Authority and Credit of the Sacred Writers and that Ill men have made use of them to this purpose as 't is their constant Method to run away with any thing that seems to favour their side but to overlook what makes against them all these Considerations perswaded me to Vndertake a particular Examination of all those Passages in these Letters that reflect upon the Holy Pen-men or their Writings I know Mr. Simon has made a brief Answer to all the Material Objections of this Author the Substance of which is inserted in the Fourth Letter together with Mr. N's Reply But I must freely profess I am not at all satisfied with Mr. Simon 's Performance and his Answers seem to have been drawn up in Hast without a thorow Examination of the Force of the Objections Perhaps Mr. Simon is not so well vers'd in the Subtilties of Reasoning as he is in the Nicities of Criticism And indeed Both his Answers to Mr. Le Clerc discover as much where he spends most of his time in Railing against the Protestants which might much better have been imployed in Vindicacating his own Principles from his Adversaries Objections or Defending those Common Truths in which the Generality both of Protestants and Papists agree tho neither he nor his Adversaries seem to have any great regard for them But this is the usual Fault of such Zealots as Mr. Simon hath of late discover'd himself to be that they are more concern'd for the particular Opinions of their own Party than for the Fundamental Articles of our Common Christianity and therefore they very often advance such Arguments in Defence of their own particular Doctrines which if they are pursued further undermine the Foundation of Christianity it self or it may be of Religion in General Of which Mr. Simon himself is an Instance who has taken a great deal of Pains to weaken the Authority of the Scripture Text on purpose to set up the Certainty of Tradition in its place But I believe another Reason may be assign'd of Mr. Simon 's Fierceness against the Protestants and that is because he lives in a Country where Heresy now-adays is reckon'd a greater Crime than Infidelity and 't is less dangerous to be thought no Christian than no Catholick And consequently it more nearly concern'd Mr. Simon to clear himself from the Suspicion of Heresy than to prove himself a good Christian tho perhaps in the Judgment of the World he stands in need of an Apology in that respect as much as in the other And perhaps he could not take a better Method to atone for his Disrespect towards the Scriptures and to regain the Favour of his Superiours whose Displeasure he has felt upon that Account than by crying up in Opposition to them the Infallibility of Tradition and the Authority of the Church and Inveighing against the Protestants with a great deal of Bitterness and Virulency And since Mr. Simon 's Answer gives so little satisfaction to the Difficulties which this Author has started concerning the Inspiration of the Scriptures I thought it might be an useful thing to examine the Substance of these Letters over again and Vindicate the holy Writings from this Author's Objections I must leave it to the Reader to judge of the Performance All I shall say for my self is That I have manag'd the Dispute with all the Calmness and Freedom from Passion which becomes an Impartial Searcher after Truth and in that respect I hope I have fully satisfied the Desire of my Antagonist d Fr. p. 245. Eng. p. 51. I have kept my self close to his main Design which is not to question the Veracity of the Holy Writers or the Truth of the Doctrine or Matters of Fact which they deliver but only to propose some Doubts and Questions How far they were Inspir'd either with the Matter or Words which they writ So that in this Discourse men must not expect I should handle all the Arguments for the Truth of the Scriptures and the Christian Religion which are proper to be alledg'd a-against Atheists and Infidels This as 't is forreign to the present Design so it has been done so Often and so Fully by several Learned men and amongst others by this very Author in his Fifth Letter that nothing more need or can be said upon this Subject And if men will still shut their eyes against all Conviction we must e'en despair of doing any good upon them and can only say to them in the words of the Apostle He that is ignorant let him be ignorant and If our Gospel be hid 't is hid to them that are lost whose minds the God of this world hath blinded However to do what Service I am able to the Cause of Religion and to make this Discourse as useful as I can I have ventur'd to go a little beyond the Bounds which my Adversary hath set me and have indeavour'd briefly to explain the Nature and Design of the Prophetical Writings where I have discours'd upon some things not commonly treated of the Explaining of which I hope may tend to Illustrate that noble part of the Scripture and remove some Prejudices against the Authority of the Prophets which have been greedily entertain'd by such persons as are apt to be unreasonably Suspicious and Jealous of being Impos'd upon and because there have been False Prophets think 't is impossible there should be True ones If I have been guilty of any Mistakes I hope the Reader will the more easily pardon them when he considers the Niceness of the Subject and that it has never yet been purposely treated of by any
Rule of Faith Dr. Stillingfl Defence of A. B. Laud. Dr. Sherlocks Protestant Resolution of Faith Learned Defenders of the Protestant Resolution of Faith against those Popish Writers that set up Tradition in Opposition to it and the Absurdity of the latter is evident at first sight and none but meer Enthusiasts ever made any Pretence to it But on the other side for God to communicate his Will by Writing implies nothing in it but what is Natural and Easie there is nothing requisite to continue this to Posterity but God's preserving the Writings themselves by the ordinary Methods of Providence and then men may as well learn his Will from thence as they can know the Histories of former Ages the Opinions of Philosophers the Laws of their own and other Countries from the Writings which record each of these particulars unless we will say that God cannot order a Book to be writ in as Intelligible a manner as men can indite it when they are left to themselves But 't will further appear that 't is more reasonable to suppose that God should preserve the Knowledge of Christianity by appointing a written Rule of Faith than by any other means if we consider III. That he made use of the same means formerly for the Instruction of the Jewish Church With God is no variableness and what he once approves of he does not afterward lay aside but upon some great reason Moses wrote his Law in a book by God's direction e Exod. 34.27 the Prophets appeal to the Law and to the Testimony f Is 8.20 as the only safe Guide and by which men must judge whether a Doctrine come from God or not Our Saviour bids the Jews g Joh. 5.39 search the Scriptures for in them they were perswaded and so far they were in the right was contain'd the way to Eternal Life and in all his Contests with the Jews he desired no other Vouchers for the Truth of what he said but Moses and the Prophets And 't will appear very reasonable to believe that God should use the same Method to instruct the Christian Church which he did the Jewish if we consider that our Saviour and his Apostles conform'd the External parts of their Religion to the Customs received among the Jews as much as they could being resolv'd to give no offence by studiously affecting Novelties The Two Sacraments were taken from Jewish Rites the Government of the Christian Church was framed after the Pattern of the Jewish Hierarchy the Apostles as 't is natural for all men to do being willing to retain the Customs they had been bred up in wherever the Nature of Christiany did not oblige them to the contrary From whence 't is natural to suppose that the Apostles should take care before they left the world to provide some certain means of Instruction for the Christian Church in Conformity to the Jewish which might supply their place when they were dead and gone or else they would not have been so faithful in their office as Moses was who delivered the Book of the Law to the Priests before his Decease h Deut. 31 9 26. And 't is likely the Christians themselves would expect to be provided with as good and sufficient means of knowing their duty as the Jews enjoyed or else they would have had just cause to complain that they came behind them in the Advantages of Knowledge and Instruction And that this is not a meer Conjecture but the real Sense of the first Christians is plain from the Account which the Ancient Writers give us of the occasion of St. Matthew and S. Mark 's writing their Gospels Eusebius tells us i H. E. l. 3. c. 24. that St. Matthew wrote his Gospel particularly for the use of the Jews to whom he had preached because going into other parts he would supply the Want of his Presence by Writing Clemens Alexandrinus saies k Ap Eus H. E. l. 2. c. 15. That St. Mark wrote his Gospel at the Request of the Christians at Rome who were not satisfied with an unwritten Tradition of the Word and therefore desir'd him to commit it to Writing Which St. Peter coming to understand approved and confirmed this Gospel for the use of the Church And when these and the other Apostolical Writings came into the hands of Christians there was no need of a particular Command from God to make them be received as the Rule of the Christian Faith For the Character of the Persons who wrote them the Example of the Jewish Church and the Parity of Reason why these Writings should be of equal Authority among Christians as the Writings of the Old Testament were among the Jews and lastly the Necessity of having some Standing and Settled Rule of Faith these were all sufficient Inducements to Christians to look upon the Apostolical Writings as ordained by God for the Perpetual Use and Instruction of the Church And this will further appear if we consider IV. That God has actually made use of no other way for the conveying down the Doctrine of Christianity that can be assign'd but the Writings of the N. Testament 'T is a very weak Argument to infer that things must be so because we think it Convenient they should be so This is indeed to prescribe to God Almighty and tell him he ought to have ask'd our Advice in the Managing of things And therefore tho the Arguments for the Infallibility of Tradition for an Infallible Judge of Controversies or whatever other Guide men have set up in opposition to the Scriptures were never so plausible and were as real Demonstrations as the Authors of them fancy them to be yet as long as 't is plain by Experience that Tradition is not Infallible and that there is no Infallible Judge of Controversies all these Pretences to Demonstration signify nothing for a man may demonstrate his heart out before he will be able to confute Experience And that neither the Authority of the Church Representative nor the Tradition of the Church Diffusive neither Pope nor Council jointly or separately are Infallible Guides to Christians or equivalent to the Scriptures has been made out with such admirable Clearness and unanswerable Strength of Reason by the Learned Defenders of the Protestant Cause against Popery that without further insisting upon this Point I shall refer to them for further Satisfaction and proceed to the V. Proposition That the Apostles themselves design'd their Writings for the Perpetual Vse of the Church and look'd upon them of Equal Authority with the Writings of the Old Testament The Supernatural Assistance which attended the Apostles in every thing of Moment and tending to the Edification of the Church was so Extraordinary and even their Private Judgment as men was so Upright and void of all Self-interest and Corruption that 't will very much illustrate this matter to consider what Judgment and Opinion they themselves had of their own Writings The very Design of the
in Christ and his Church Our Author grants k Fr. p. 283. En. p. 113. that God immediately imparted to the Apostles those Prophecies which are to be found in their Writings so that this point need not to be further Insisted upon I proceed therefore to consider their gift of Explaining the Prophecies of the Old Testament and applying them to the times of the Gospel And here 't is to be considered that tho our Saviour did explain many Prophecies to his Disciples after his Resurrection concerning his own Sufferings and Exaltation and the Preaching of the Gospel to all Nations l Luk. 24.27 45 46 47. yet there were several other Prophecies which they could not understand till they were indued with Power from on High and thereby inabled to comprehend the great Mysteries of God's Oeconomy as in several other Instances so particularly in the Rejecting of the Jews and Calling of the Gentiles And therefore those Dispensations of the Old Testament which the Apostles apply to these purposes viz. the Allegory of Ismael and Isaac m Rom. 9.7 Gal. 4.24 of Jacob and Esau n Rom. 9.10 c. by which S. Paul illustrates this matter the words of Moses in his Song o Deut. 32.21 which he applies to the same purpose p Rom. 10.19 as also the words of Habakkuk q Acts 13.41 I say the explaining the Mystical Sense and Design of these and such like Occurrences and Prophecies of the Old Testament is to be reckon'd a peculiar gift bestowed upon the Apostles by the holy Spirit 1. Because they themselves look upon it as such as appears by St. Paul's reckoning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r 1 Cor. 12.8 which word certainly signifies the gift of Interpreting the Mysteries of the Old Testament and applying them to the State of things under the New 2. Because those Providential Occurrences had a secret and hidden design in them which could be discover'd by none but God that order'd them who as he comprehends the most distant Ages in one single view so in his disposing and ordering the more Remarkable Events under the Old Testament had all along an Eye to the times under the New 3. As to the Prophecies 't is not likely that any persons without a Supernatural Illumination could look to the end and utmost Completion of them since the Prophets themselves had not this priviledge granted them as appears from those places ſ Rom. 16.25 1 Cor. 2.7 Eph. 3.9 Colos 1.26 where the Gospel is called a Mystery kept secret since the World began a hidden Mystery and hid from Ages and Generations And especially from those remarkable words of St. Peter t 1 Pet. 1.10 11 12. Of which Salvation by Christ the Prophets have inquir'd and searched diligently who prophecied of the Grace that should come unto you searching what and what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify when it testified beforehand the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow To whom it was revealed that not to themselves but to us they did Minister these things From whence it appears that tho the Prophets were very Inquisitive after the Manner how and the Time when their Prophecies should be fulfill'd yet they had only this general Satisfaction that they should not be fulfill'd in their own time And I think we may infer from thence that the perfect understanding them was reserv'd to the times of the Messias And tho the event would sufficiently Interpret the meaning of several of them yet there were some that needed a greater Light than that to understand them and apply them aright To which we may add that the manner of Interpreting the Prophecies of the Old Testament which the Apostles used is a Rule to after Ages how they are to Interpret the Prophetical Writings and prove the Truth of the Gospel by them and therefore the same reasons which prove the Writings of the Apostles in general Divinely Inspir'd because they are a standing Rule of Christian Faith may be applied to that part of them which consists in explaining the Mystical Sense of the Old Testament Writings But concerning the Mystical Sense of the Prophets I shall have an opportunity to speak more fully in the next Chapter And so much may suffice for the proof of the third general Head viz. That the Assistance which the holy Spirit gave the Apostles was something more than refreshing their Memories and recalling to their minds what our Saviour had said unto them I proceed to shew IV. That the Apostles had an extraordinary Assistance when they were summon'd before Magistrates upon the account of their Religion and to vindicate their Behaviour at that time from the unbecoming and Irreverent Reflections of this Author One would think the words of our Saviour were plain enough in this point u Matt. 10.19 20. Mark 13.11 Take no thought before-hand what ye shall speak for it shall be given you in the same hour what ye ought to say for 't is not ye that speak but the Holy Ghost says S. Mark the Spirit of your Father saith S. Matthew speaks in you If this had been only a Spirit of Courage and Holiness arising from the Belief of the Gospel as Mr. N. pretends w Fr. p. 241. Eng. p. 44. 't would have requir'd a great deal of Care Consideration and Reflection to keep it warm upon their Hearts that it might not cool when danger approached And our Saviour's precluding the use of Humane means proves that it was something more than an ordinary Grace which always requires the Cooperation of our Natural Faculties and shews that 't was as much a new Impulse which the Apostles were to feel upon their minds on such occasions as any Prophetick Inspiration whatsoever But notwithstanding the plain import of the words rather than own an extraordinary Inspiration the natural force of the words must be dwindled away into nothing under the pretence of their being only a Hebrew way of speaking x Fr. p. 244 Eng. p. 49. like The Spirit of jealousie of slumber c. which are found in the Old Testament As if there was no difference in the nature of the Expression between the Holy Ghost or the Spirit of the Father and the spirit of jealousie or stupidity But this is the constant method of our New Interpreters of Scripture that don't care to believe any thing to be there but what Natural Powers can effect and Intellectual ones comprehend When they are pressed with plain words of Scripture they will not out of Good Manners in downright terms deny their Authority but think it more decent to evade it by explaining away all the force of them and alledging the Metaphorical and Pompous way of speaking which the Eastern Languages use which seems to imply a great deal more in it than the Writer really design'd Thus Spinoza tells us y Theol. Polit.
Care and Diligence as if he gave no Grace at all And in either Case 't is very hard to Assign just how far Nature goes or exactly to Define how much Second Causes contribute toward the Production of the Effect and how much is to be ascribed to God I would not be misunderstood as if I thought the Writing of the Scriptures owing to God's Providence no otherwise than as other common Events in the World are or that there was no greater Degree of Divine Grace and Assistance went to the Composing of them than does to the making other Pious and Good Books I hope I have made it appear that these Books were Design'd by God for the Perpetual Vse and Instruction of the Church to be a Fixt Rule of Faith and Manners and the Standard by which all other Doctrines and Practises are to be Tried And then I think 't is to Reflect both upon the Wisdom and Goodness of God to suppose that he did not Assist the Holy Writers with such a Degree of Infallibility as was requisite to make their Writings serviceable to that End But still I believe that the Extraordinary and the Ordinary Means of Grace agree in this that in both Cases God never affords Supernatural Assistance to do that which Natural Causes are sufficient to Effect of themselves and that his Constant Method is to let Natural Means go as far as they can and then supply the rest himself And if Mr. N. had well considered this he might have spar'd his pains in Writing this Treatise Or however Innocent his Intentions might be in Writing it yet it was not so Prudently done in the Editor to Publish it when at the same time he was sensible a v. Fr. p. 245 24â— Eng. p. 51 54. that very Ill Consequences might be drawn from it and he could not but think that Bad Men would greedily catch at them and make what advantage they could of them I am as little for an Implicit Faith or Building Sacred Truths upon False Principles as he or his Interpreter b Eng. Pref. p. 7. but yet I think a Man ought to be well Advis'd and very sure he is in the Right before he ventures to Unsettle Foundations I find the Publisher himself is of the mind that all Truths are not to be spoken at all times especially when 't is likely they will do more Harm than Good c Eng. 123 124. Fr p. 219. and therefore I wonder he should set such a value upon that which at best is but a Probability for he himself d v. Fr p. 245 221. Eng. p. 51 127. looks upon this Hypothesis to be no more as to venture the Publishing it at the Expence of the most Important Truths And tho we should suppose the Principles Mr. N. has advanc'd in his Treatise to be True yet I can't look upon them to be of such Importance but that ' t were better the Publick should be deprived of the Advantage it might draw from the Knowledge of such Truths than to be visibly Expos'd to the Danger of Abusing them so lamentably as it will be apt to do which the Publisher tells us e Fr. p. 218. Eng. p. 122. was the Opinion of several Learned Men concerning these Papers And I don't see any thing that he has said to the contrary hath force enough in it to make these Gentlemen alter their minds For as to what he f Fr. p. 221. En. p. 126 alledges that these Principles may be made use of to overthrow the Pretences of Libertines tho I grant 't were better men should believe as much of the Scriptures as Mr. N. does than none at all yet I conceive it a very improper way to go about to convince Infidels of the Authority of the Bible by telling them that several of those Writings which go under that Name are meer Fiction and Romance g Fr p. 248. 253. Eng. p. 164 170. and Pieces of Wit and Fancy h Fr. p. 274. 285. Eng. p. 99. 116. that other things in that Book are writ with Excessive Choler and Impatience i Fr. p. 228. Eng. p. 24. and unworthy not only of a Pious man but even of an Honest and Wise Heathen k Fr. p. 275. Eng. p. 100. Nay that some of the Writings that go under the Venerable Name of God's Word maintain the Principles of Libertinism it self l Fr. p. 273. Eng. p. 96. and have Expressions in them very like Blasphemies m Fr. p. 275. Eng. p. 101. These and such-like goodly Titles does this Author bestow upon several of those Writings which Christ and his Apostles and the whole Christian Church ever since have look'd upon as the Word of God and written for our Instruction Certainly this Method to use Mr. N's own words n Fr. p. 281. Eng. p. 100. Instead of Converting Libertines does but excite their Raillery and confirm them in their Impiety At least if the Publishers of such Tracts as this have a mind to convince the World that they design no Harm to Religion they ought to Publish them in the Learned Language that none but Scholars may Read them For the Publishing such Writings in Vulgar Languages proves a snare to Men of Unsettled Heads and Vicious Inclinations They have not Capacity enough to Examine the true Merits of the Cause or to weigh Exactly what can be said on both sides in such Nice and Difficult Subjects and therefore they presently run away with any thing that seems to make against Religion without considering what can be said on the other side because they are glad to find any Pretence or Plea for Sin and Wickedness But if the Editor had no good reason for Publishing this Treatise I am sure the Translator hath much less for Printing it in English He himself o Engl. Pref. at the End acknowledges that this Treatise is not Calculated for the use of simple-hearted Pious persons nor consequently the Translation tho one would think an English Translation were made for the use of Ordinary English Readers But since he tells us these Discourses were not design'd for Plain Honest Illiterate Christians I cannot imagine why they were Translated except it were as some other Precious Treatises have been of late for the Benefit of Dishonest Illiterate Atheists and to furnish those Wits with Objections against the Scriptures who set up for Advocates of Irreligion and value themselves for reasoning out of the common Road and not blindly following the Dictates of others and yet for all their mighty Boasts can only Repeat the Arguments which other Men put into their Mouthes and those too must be Construed into English before they can Understand them FINIS
A VINDICATION Of the DIVINE AUTHORITY and INSPIRATION of the Writings Of the OLD and NEW TESTAMENT In Answer to a Treatise lately Translated out of French Entituled Five Letters concerning the INSPIRATION of the Holy SCRIPTURES By William Lowth B. D. Fellow of St. John's College in Oxford OXFORD Printed at the THEATER And are to be sold by John Wilmot Bookseller An. Dom. 1692. Imprimatur JONATH EDWARDS Vice-Can OXON June 13. 1692. TO THE Right Reverend Father in God PETER Lord BISHOP of WINCHESTER AND PRELATE of the Most Noble ORDER of THE GARTER May it Please Your Lordship IT is the Misfortune of our times to have Religion at once assaulted by a Rude and Ignorant Profaneness by a Confident pretence to reason and by Sceptical Sophistry Its Foundations are attack'd by the Profess'd Enemies of God and Goodness Its Mysteries are Ridicul'd by Hereticks as if they intended to invite Atheists to their Assistance to joyn a Helping Hand to the Carrying on so Good a Work as the Exposing Religion and making it appear Absurd and Contemptible And as if it were not Task enough to Encounter Open Enemies it hath the Hard Fate of it's Blessed Author to be Wounded in the House of it's Friends whilest many of those who seem to Embrace it are much more Industrious to Raise Doubts and Scruples about it than to Establish the Fundamental Truths of it or else lay down such Loose Principles that Wicked Men may deduce their own Conclusions from them and can't but please themselves to see their Work done to their Hands and Christianity Undermin'd by the Imprudence or Treachery of it's own Votaries Thus by Degrees Men have proceeded from Arguing about Obscure and Nice Matters to question Known and Certain Truths and from Disputing about the Points and Tittles of the Law to Reject the Divine Authority of the whole from thence to Decry all Revelation because they cannot exactly Comprehend how God's Spirit Influences and Cooperates with Man's Understanding and at last to cast off Religion in General So True is that which a Great Man has Observ'd That the Disesteem of the Scriptures is the Decay of Religion and through many Turnings and Windings at last leads Men into the very Depth of Atheism My LORD The Design of the Letters which I have Undertaken to Answer is to Perplex Men's minds with Difficulties about the Nature of Inspiration and thereby render the Divine Authority of those Writings suspected which the Church has always lookt upon as the Sacred Depositum of Divine Truth which God has committed to it's Trust and Design'd for it's Guide and Oracle When first I saw this Treatise turn'd into English I was in Hopes that some of our Eminent Divines whose Writings are so Deservedly Admir'd for their Strength and Clearness would have Vindicated the Authority of the Scriptures and Clear'd their Title to Inspiration from those Difficulties with which Men that are Better at Pulling down than Building up have perplexed it The Subject has never yet been throughly Handled and is Worthy the Thoughts of those Great Masters of Learning Reason and Judgement But after I had waited some time and could not hear that any Abler Person Intended to take this Work in hand I resolved to do my Best Endeavour toward the Defence of so Good a Cause and give a Check to those Opinions which tend to Undermine all Revelation And when I had finished my Design there were many Considerations moved me to present it to your Lordship not doubting but your Known Candor and Goodness would pardon the Confidence of this Address Your Eminent Dignity in the Church makes You deservedly Esteem'd a Pillar of Religion and Truth Your Constant Residence in Your Diocess and Your Care and Vigilance to keep up the Good Orders and Discipline of the Church there preserve the Purity of it's Doctrine and give a Due Lustre to it's Constitution and your Generous and Obliging Temper Charms Men into a Complyance with your Good Counsel and their own Duty And as these Considerations Embolden'd me to Present this Treatise to your Lordship which is writ in Vindication of those Sacred Truths for the Defence and Confirmation of which your Lordship is Placed in that High Station so Your Signal Courage in Opposing the Enthusiasts of the Late Times whose Vile Hypocrisy and Lewd Pretences to Inspiration have made way for Open Profaneness and Contempt of all Revel'd Religion Encourages me to hope that your Lordship will favourably accept this Work how mean soever whose Design 't is to put some stop to those Lasting Ill-Effects which have proceeded from such Pernicious Principles And beside these Publick Considerations this Work does Implore your Lordship's Protection as being Visitor and Patron to the College of which the Author is a Member who readily Embraces this Opportunity of Declaring to the World how Happy that Society esteems it Self in having the Honour of your Lordships Patronage whose Government they formerly found to be so Great a Blessing and withal is glad of so good an Occasion of making this Publick and Grateful Acknowledgement of those Favours wherewith your Lordship has been pleased to Oblige My LORD Your Lordship 's Most Dutiful Servant WILLIAM LOWTH THE PREFACE THE Age we live in deservedly bears the Character of a Curious and Inquisitive Age which does not love to take things upon Trust or blindly follow the Determinations of others And I must profess for my own part that I reckon a free use of Reasoning and Judging as Valuable a Blessing as the Injoyment of our Civil Liberties and look upon no sort of Tyranny so grievous as that of forcing Persons of Ingenuous and Inquisitive Tempers exactly to square their Sentiments of things to other mens Opinions But as the Best things are liable to be abus'd so this Freedom of Enquiry has been made use of to Ill Purposes and has Accidentally produced very bad Effects For men have been so Fond of this Liberty as to think no Bounds or Limits ought to be set to it and at last to believe the Submitting to the Authority of God himself to be an undue Restraint upon the Vse of Humane Reason and the very pretending to such an Authority to be one of the Arts of Designing Priests who by this Device endeavour to Enslave the rest of the World and make them Think and Act just as they would have them Thus many men have Reason'd themselves first into Socinianism and then which is but one Remove from the former into Deism or at least into a Coldness and Indifferency to all Reveal'd Religion They think 't is to Impose upon them to Oblige them to Believe or Practise any thing unless they can see a Reason why it should be so and cannot be perswaded that they owe God so much service as to submit to those Laws which seem to them to have no other ground but his Arbitrary Will and Pleasure Vpon this account they reject the Use of the Sacraments the
Apostles thought of their own Writings and what Authority they challeng'd as due to them Irenaeus one of the Greatest men of the Church in that Age sufficiently shews the Sense of the Christians of his own time concerning the Authority of these Writings The Hereticks against whom he writes pretended that their Opinions came originally from the Apostles and that whatever the Apostles might say to the contrary in their Writings yet they taught those very things by word of mouth which these Hereticks since maintain'd In answer to this Irenaeus does not only confute their Pretences by shewing that there was Clear and Undoubted Tradition for the Catholick Faith which in those early Times could easily be trac'd up to the very Apostles g Iren. l. 3. c. 3. but likewise proves that 't is in vain to set up Oral Tradition in Opposition to the Writings of the Apostles h Ibid. l. 3. c. 1. because the very same Gospel which they at first preach'd they afterwards by the Will of God committed to Writing to be the Foundation and Pillar of our Faith In pursuance of which Testimony we may further observe that the very Arts which those Hereticks used either to Undermine or Evade the Authority of the Apostolical Writings plainly shew their Authority was look'd upon as Sacred and Decisive in the Christian Church The Writers of the same Age do fully bear witness to the Canon of the New Testament The Learned Mr. Dodwell has observ'd i Dissert in Irenaeum l. n. 40 41. that St. Paul's Epistles were generally known and received in the Church soonest of any of the New Testament Writings and accordingly besides the Testimony which St. Peter gives them which we have already mention'd we we may observe that Ignatius the earliest Writer of the second Age is very industrious in imitating St. Paul's Style and using his Expressions as if he had a mind his Readers should take notice that he had studied his Epistles The Authority indeed of the Epistle to the Hebrews hath been call'd in question because the Author 's not having set his Name to it has given occasion to doubt whether it were S. Paul's or not But as this Epistle must be of Apostolical Authority being older than Clemens Romanus who plainly alludes to it in two places of his Epistle to the Corinthians k N. 17 36. so the style the way of Arguing and the Genius of the work discover it to be S. Paul's but S. Peter puts an end to the dispute for the saying which he quotes in his second Epistle as S. Paul's is certainly taken out of the Epistle to the Hebrews l 2 Pet. 3.15 compar'd with Hebr. 10.37 The first Epistle of S. Peter is quoted by S. Polycarp who writ just after Ignatius's death About the same time certain Pious Men Travell'd from place to place on purpose to communicate the Writings of the Gospels as Eusebius informs us m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 H. E. l. 3. c. 37. which he to be sure understood of the Four Gospels now extant which only were reckon'd Authentick in his time And 't is plain they were esteem'd so in the Middle of the Second Age because Justin Martyr quotes them generally whenever he has occasion to mention any thing belonging to the History of our Saviour But in Irenaeus's time their Authority was settled beyond all dispute for he says positively n Iren. l. 3. c. 11. that there are Four Gospels neither more nor less And indeed the Authenticalness of Four Gospels seems to be owing to St. John himself who made them into one Complete Code as I observed before o p. 11. 12. The same Iraeneus gives a large Testimony to the Revelations and often quotes the first Epistle of S. John p ap Euseb H. E. l. 3. c. 18. l. 5. c. 8. I thought it not improper to give this brief Account of the Testimonies which are given by the earliest Christian Writers to the most considerable Books of the New Testament to shew how good a Foundation there is for the Authority of the New-Testament Canon and how little ground there is for Mr. Hobb's Insinuation to the contrary who tell us q Leviathan part 3. c. 33. that the Writings of the Apostles were not received nor acknowledged as such by the Church till the Council of Laodicca which was held in the Year 364. recommended them to Christians As if all Christians did not agree in acknowledging such particular Books for the Writings of the Apostles till they were Recommended to them as he speaks and Enumerated by a Council Which has as little truth in it as what he says just afterward that at the time of this Council all the Copies of the New Testament were in the hands of Ecclesiasticks which if it be not a downright and wilful falsity in him is such a piece of ignorance as a grosser cannot be found in all the Kingdom of Darkness which he has described I find Men generally agree in believing Mr. Hobbs to be the Author of the Leviathan and several other ill Books and I fear too many have a great deference for their Authority tho the Parliament which according to him hath a juster right to declare what Books or Doctrines are to be received than a Council hath not yet given us a Catalogue of his Writings or Recommended them to the World neither of which could be true if this Argument of his be good But to return I don't pretend to have Collected all that can be alledged to prove the Antiquity of the New-Testament-Canon nor will I go farther upon a Subject that is already undertaken by that Learned Person who will shortly Publish an Elaborate Collection of all the Various Readings of the New Testament from whom the World may expect full satisfaction as to this matter However I can't but just take notice that 't is no prejudice to the Divine Authority of the N. Testament as our Author intimates a Fr. p. 266. Eng. p. 85. that some Books are received into it whose Authors are not certainly known and therefore as he argues of whose Inspiration we can't be certain He instances in the Epistle to the Hebrews But there is sufficient proof that S. Paul was the Author of that Epistle as I have shewed already And as to the whole New-Testament Canon 't was certainly the design of those that Compiled it only to gather together the Writings of the Apostles or of such as writ by their direction as the Ancients tell us S. Mark did by S. Peter's b Clem. Alex. ap Eus H.E. l. 2. c. 15. S. Luke by S. Paul's c Iren ap eund l. 5. c. 8. Grot. in Luc. 21.34 1 Cor. 11.23 24 25. comparâ—d with Luk. 22.19 20. So that the only reason why some Books were doubted of was because it did not clearly appear whether they were Writ by Apostles or not and assoon as that point was cleared
which were not so The Reasons which Confute this Opinion of our Author concerning the Collection of the Canon of the Old Testament I thought fit to represent all together when I was upon this Subject tho I am sensible that 't is only the first of these Considerations which can be inferr'd as a Corollary from what has been said concerning the Early Date of the Old Testament Canon What I have hitherto said concerning the Authority and Antiquity of the Old Testament Canon I cannot call Absolutely Certain or Demonstrative but I may safely say thus much that it carries in it a greater Degree of Probability than any thing the Adversaries of the Canon have advanc'd to the Contrary So that tho we should grant what our Author says d Fr. p. 276. Eng. p. 102. That there is no proof at all that Esdras and the Great Sanhedrim of that time among whom were Haggai Zachary and Malachi Compil'd the Canon yet still 't is probable 't was made by those that were so near their time that they knew what their Sentiments were in this Matter and made this Collection accordingly But if this Proof be not thought Satisfactory I should think any Christian ought to acquiesce in the Judgement of our Saviour and 't is plain he lookt upon the Jewish Canon which was Undoubtedly the same in his time which is now received in the Protestant Churches I say he lookt upon it as a Collection of Holy Writings design'd by God for the Instruction of his Church and the Rule the Jews were to have recourse to when they would inform themselves what was the Will of God He bids them e Jâ—h 5.39 Search the Scriptures without distinguishing as our Author does f Fr. p. 277 279 285. Eng p. 10â— 106 116. the Truly Inspir'd Books from those which are not so for in them saith he ye think and so far ye are in the right that ye have Eternal Life 'T is strange our Saviour should not correct this Mistake of theirs if some of the Books they had such a great Veneration for favour'd such Dangerous Doctrines as our Author thinks the Book of Ecclesiastes does g Fr. p. 272. Eng. p. 96. and contain'd Expressions very like Blasphemies as he is pleas'd to speak concerning the Book of Job h Fr. p. 275. Eng. p. 101. For if this were true 't was certainly very dangerous for Men to Search or be too much Conversant in these Books especially since they came Recommended under the Character of a Divine Inspiration 'T is strange our Saviour i Luk. 24.44 should prove the Passion and Resurrection of the Messias not only out of Moses and the Prophets but also out of the Psalms by which our Author k Fr. p. 277. Eng. p. 123. understands those Writings which the Jews call Chetubim if these Books be of so little Authority as he would perswade us they are Mr. N. would fain Evade the Force of this Argument taken from our Saviours Authority by telling us l Fr. p. 278. Eng. p. 104 105. that Christ never design'd to Criticize upon the Sacred Books or to Correct those Errors of the Jews which were of small Importance But since our Saviour Criticiz'd so far upon the Sacred Books as to Confute the false Glosses m Matt. 5. c. 23. which the Scribes and Pharisees had made upon them and to Reject the Traditions n c. 15.1 which they had Equall'd to the Word of God and in some Cases Prefer'd before it it seems as necessary for him to have distinguisht between the True Scriptures and those Books which were Undeservedly esteem'd such Especially if these Latter advance Doctrines that do not well agree with the Former as our Author o Fr. p. 272 c. Eng p. 95 c. indeavours to prove concerning several places of the Proverbs Ecclesiastes and Job for then the Admitting the Authority of such Writings is of as Ill Consequence as the Receiving the Traditions of the Pharisees could be Nay with his leave I think it an Error of more dangerous Consequence to Equal a Book that is not Inspir'd when it contains False Doctrine with one that is truly Divine than to Equal such Traditions as the Pharisees held with an Inspir'd Writing Because a Tradition will probably in time be forgotten and so lose all its Authority which we see has been the Fate of most of the Pharisaical Traditions whereas a Book that has once been generally Reputed of Divine Authority 't is likely will maintain that Character for ever For its very Character will make Men careful to preserve it and the Older it grows the Stronger will the Plea of Prescription be for its Divine Original and Consequently the More will be Impos'd upon by it as we see hath Actually happen'd in the Case we are now speaking of if our Author's Opinion be true For the whole Christian and Jewish Church hath time out of mind lookt upon the Books contain'd in the Jewish Canon to be Inspir'd and have upon all Occasions appeal'd to their Authority as such From whence it appears that our Saviours taking notice of this Error if it had been one would have been much more beneficial to after Ages than his Confuting an Unwritten Tradition could be But further we find the Apostles Judgment does evidently concur with our Saviours in this matter St. Paul says a Rom. 3.2 that the Jews were intrusted b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Oracles of God but surely he would have told us that they were not True to their Trust if he had thought they had mix'd Prophane Books with the Sacred ones But that Text of the same Apostle c 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God is so clear a Proof of the Apostles Judgment in this matter that 't will admit of no Evasion For the Apostle tells Timothy in the foregoing Verse that from a child he had known the Scriptures by which he must mean the Body of Writings which the Jews look'd upon as such for in that Religion he had been Educated by the Care of his mother who was a Jewess d Act. 16.1 Then it follows in this verse All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God where the Apostle certainly understands the word Scripture in the same sense which he took it in the Verse before viz. for that Collection of Writings which the Jews received as the Word of God But pray let us hear our Authors Paraphrase e Eng. p. 192. Fr. p. 270. upon these two Verses It is as if he had said to Timothy that he ought to keep close as he had done hitherto to the Study of the Old Testament which would instruct him sufficiently in the way of Salvation by joyning thereunto Faith in Christ Jesus because all Scripture Inspired AS IS A GREAT PART OF THE OLD TESTAMENT Is profitable for Instruction I think I may appeal to any Indifferent Man
't is of no long standing since 't is contrary to the Sense of the Ancient Jews For Josephus often calls Daniel a Prophet p Antiq. l. 10. c. 12. nay one of the greatest q Ib. p. 353. G. Ed. Genev Prophets And agreeably to the Received Opinion our Saviour gives him the same Title r Matth. 24.15 But further the same Josephus Å¿ L. 1. c. App. p. 1036. G. makes use of another Division of the Old Testament Writings viz. into the Books of Moses the Prophetical under which he comprehends the Historical because they were writ by Prophets as he with very good Reason supposes and the Poetical Books as they are commonly call'd or those which contain Hymns to God and Precepts of good Life Which Division agrees much better with that mention'd by our Saviour t Luke 24.44 viz. into the Books of Moses the Prophets and the Psalms than the other which the Jews have since that time Invented Thus far I have shew'd that Mr. N. by rejecting some of the Receiv'd Books of the Jewish Canon rejects the Authority of the whole Jewish and Christian Church nay and of Christ and his Apostles too What Reasons he has for this we shall see by and by but at present let us examine what Authority he has to oppose to such a Powerful one as all these join'd together amount to And I can find no body that stands by him in this Opinion but Grotius and him he calls in to his Assistance at every Turn But tho I have a great value for Grotius's Judgment yet I think if it be laid in the Balance to counterpoise that of Christ and his Apostles 't will be found too Light That Great man's Extraordinary Learning and Merits and particularly his having so well deserv'd of several Parts of Scripture and given such Light into their true Sense and Design makes me willing to pass over his Failures and not be severe upon his Memory for those False Glosses and some of them deserve a Harder Name which he has made upon other Books of it Only I can't but observe that this Opinion of his concerning the Old Testament Canon is very Inconsistent with the Main Design of his Votum pro Pace and those other Treatises where he has asserted it For the Great Design of those Projects for Peace is to magnify Antiquity Tradition and the Authority of the Church and to shew that Catholick Unity is never to be restor'd but by submitting all Controversies to the Decision of these three as so many Arbitrators or Umpires between the different Parties And yet at the same time when he Pleads for the Authority of the Church of Antiquity and Tradition he Rejects those Books which have all the Authority that the Universal Church Uninterrupted Tradition and the Consent of all the Ancients both Jews and Christians can give them II. I come now in the Second Place to consider the Exceptions which our Author makes against Particular Books of the Old Testament and the Books he Excepts against are either Historical or those they commonly call Poetical As to the Historical Writings I agree with him thus far that the Sacred Historians were not usually Inspir'd with the things themselves which they relate nor with the Words by which they Express the things But I think I have prov'd in the First Chapter u P. 37. of this Treatise that a Book may be written by God's Direction and yet not without the Use of Humane means And as there is no Reason to think that God Inspir'd the Evangelists with the Knowledge of those Passages of our Saviour's Life which they themselves were Eye-witnesses of or might easily learn from those that were so so 't is every whit as groundless to suppose that God Reveal'd those Particulars to the Writers of the Old Testament History which they could come to the Knowledge of by Consulting the Records and Ancient Monuments in which these Matters were related But notwithstanding this 't will appear that these Books were writ by God's Direction and Design'd by him for the Use of the Church if we consider what Mr. N. himself grants x Fr. p. 231. En. p. 28. That they were not writ meerly to satisfy our Curiosity but to be a standing proof of a Providence to after Ages to shew us the Care that God always takes of Good People and the Punishments he inflicts upon the Wicked to give us Examples of Piety and Vertue and lastly to inform us of several Matters of Fact which tend very much to confirm our Faith as containing many Types and Predictions of our Saviour To which we may add that setting aside the Squabbles between F. Simon and his Adversaries about the Scribes and Keepers of the Publick Registers of the Jews 't is highly probable that the Prophets usually writ the Histories of their Kings and those Books which are so often quoted under the name of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah and Israel and were Annals from whence the Substance of the Books of Kings and Chronicles are taken For we find a Considerable part of the History of Hezekiah Incorporated into Isaiah's Prophecy a Is c. 36 37 38 39. which is a Strong Presumption that the whole History of that King's Reign was Recorded by the same Hand And indeed so much is expresly asserted 2 Chron. 32.32 So the Acts of David were Recorded by Samuel the Seer by Nathan the Prophet and by Gad the Seer b 1 Chr. 29.29 The Acts of Solomon were written in the Book of Nathan the Prophet in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer c 2 Chr. 9.29 The History of Rehoboam's Reign was written by Shemaiah the Prophet and by Iddo the Seer in his Genealogies d 2 Chr. 12.15 the last of these Recorded likewise the Acts of Abijah Rehoboam's Son e Chap. 13.22 Jehu the Son of Hanani who was a Prophet f 1 King 16.1 2 Chron. 19.2 writ the History of Jehoshaphat g 2 Chr. 20.34 The Acts of Vzziah were Recorded by the Prophet Isaiah h Ch. 26.22 and those of Manasses among the sayings of the Seers i Ch. 33.19 To the same purpose I think we may most probably Interpret those words of Josephus k Joseph c. Appion l. 1. p. 1036. Ed. Genev. which have been so often quoted of late upon this Subject where he tells us that the Histories of the Jewish Nation were writ only by Prophets and therefore they look upon none of them as Authentick which were writ after Artaxerxe's time because there was no Clear and Vndoubted Succession of Prophets in the following Ages Nor is Huetius's Objection l Demon. Evangel p. 161. against this Passage of Josephus of any Weight who affirms that Josephus Contradicts what he had said but just before viz. That the Chief Priests as well as the Prophets had the Care of Writing the Publick
Histories committed to them But that Learned Man seems not to have attended to the whole Scope and Design of Josephus in that place For that Historian does not say that the Writing of the Publick Histories was committed to the Chief Priests as well as the Prophets but that the Care of the Publick Records was committed to them * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if we take an Intire view of that Section we shall find that Josephus speaks not only of the manner how the Histories of Former times were written but likewise how they were Preserved after they are writ The Care of writing them was committed to the Prophets as the other Passage assures us not Excluding those Priests who had the Gift of Prophecy the Preserving them he here tells us was particularly the Business of the Priests who likewise exactly Preserved the Genealogies of their Nation and renewed them when the Copies were Impair'd and in danger to be all lost by Wars and other Accidents and therefore were lookt upon as the Keepers of the Publick Records Whence is it that the same Author usually calls the Holy Writings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 m Antiq. p. 73. G. p. 140. A. p. 176. G. The Books laid up in the Temple under the Custody of the Priests Which was agreeable to the Customs of the Neighbouring Countries for so Philo Byblius n Ap. Euseb Praep. Evang. l. 1 says of Sanchuniathon that he Collected the Phenician Antiquities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the Records laid up in their Temples But to return to our Subject From those many Instances I have given which shew 't was a Custom among the Jews for the Prophets to be their Historians we may conclude that the Historical Books of the Old Testament were writ by Men who had the Gift of Prophecy and Inspiration and tho we suppose them to be but Abridgements of the larger Commentaries of the Prophets yet they are really of as much Authority as those very Annals would be which were writ by the Prophets themselves if they were extant For if an Epitome be faithfully made and I suppose Mr. N. does not question the Fidelity of the Sacred Historians whatever is contained in it hath the same Authority and Credibility with the Original Writing So that if we lay all these things together the Character of the Compilers of these Historical Books the Matter and Design of them the Authority of the Jewish Canon and above all that of Christ and his Apostles these are sufficient Inducements to believe these Books to be Written by God's Direction for the Benefit of the Church And this I think is enough to give Divine Authority to an Historical Book tho neither the Matter nor Words of it be indited by Inspiration As for the History of Esther Mr. N. has taken much pains o Fr. p. 164 c. Eng. p. 249. and shewed a great deal of Skill in the Rules of Dramatick Poesy and all to prove that this Book looks like a Fiction and a piece of Tragi-Comedy He indeed tells us that he affirms nothing in this matter and does not intend to make himself a Party in the Dispute But a man would hardly take so much pains to make anothers Opinion look probable if he did not think it so himself But whatever his own Sentiments be to shew himself Impartial and that he is resolv'd not to conceal any thing that may be said on the other side he Critically remarks p Eng. p. 169. Fr. p. 252. that one Condition necessary to be observ'd in Dramatick Writings is wanting viz. Vnity of Time and Place which must needs seem a considerable Objection to so nice a Judge But besides this there 's another Objection which I confess has more Weight with me and seems quite to turn the Scales and make his Remarks appear meer Fancy and Fiction viz. that the Feast of Purim was really observed by the Jews in memory of the Deliverance recorded in this Book And 't will be a hard matter to make me believe that a whole Nation should keep an Anniversary Feast as 't is certain they did q 2 Macâ— 15.36 without some real Ground for it And if this was not the true Occasion of it as he seems to insinuate r Eng. p 170. Fr. p. 253. I desire either he would prove the Feast to be as very a Fiction as he supposes the History is or else inform us how the whole Nation of the Jews came to be so far impos'd upon as to observe it for till he does one of these two things I shall still be of opinion that the one was a Real Feast and the other a True History But tho this Play does not succeed he is resolved not to give over but try his Skill upon another Subject and turn the Book of Job into a Tragi-Comedy Å¿ Fr. p. â—â—4 Eng. p. 99. And I confess this Book is made according to the Rules of Poetry and with all the Beauties of it too as an Ordinary Reader may easily discover under all the Disadvantages of a Translation And therefore methinks our Author who understands the Rules and Decorums of Poetry so well should not be offended with those Pathetic Strains that are in the third Chapter and some other places of that Book for tho we should grant that they would not become a grave Philosophical Discourse yet I believe he might have found several Speeches in the Old Tragedies written with as much Vehemence and Warmth And yet the severest Philosophers commended those Writings and look'd upon them as containing very useful Instructions of Life And I see no Reason why God might not in this as well as other things suffer the Holy Writers to comply so far with their own Genius and the Humour which then prevail'd among the grave Sages of the World as to deliver Great and Weighty Truths in Poetical numbers and Expressions both to recommend them to the more Curious and Nice Readers and to convince the Wise men of the World who are apt to despise the Plainness of the Scriptures that there are to be found as Elevated Thoughts and as Noble Expressions in the Holy Writings as any Greece or Rome can boast of and therefore when they use a plain popular Style 't is not out of Necessity but Choice and because they rather aim at the Instruction of the ignorant than to gain Applause from the Learned t V. Orig. c. Cels p. 275 371 372. Ed. Cant. But still men perhaps will be ready to say that these Expressions may do well in a Profane Poem but are not so proper for a Sacred one and do not become the mouth of a Person eminent for Piety and Patience In answer to which I would desire the Objectors in the first place to consider that the Substance of the 3d Chapter of this Book which so much offends Mr. N. u Fr. p. 275. Eng. p. 100 when 't is taken in