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
Order of Ministers and Church-Governours who have the Power of Dispensing them the Necessity of being Incorporated into the Church as a Society Founded upon a Divine Charter and to whose Members alone belong the Priviledges of the New Covenant the Meritorious Efficacy of Christ's Sacrifice and Intercession towards the Procuring men's Salvation these Doctrines I say they will by no means admit to be True because as they pretend they cannot see what Natural Force there is in these things toward their producing their intended Effects And when they have deprived Christ of his Titles of Saviour and High-Priest tho perhaps they may still be contented to acknowledge him a Prophet and a Teacher come from God yet they look upon his Coming into the World as a matter of no Great Consequence and which men do well to believe if they see good Reason for it or if after having used Reasonable Diligence they are not convinc'd that 't is True there 's no great Harm done since he came only to Reinforce the Principles and Duties of Natural Religion which men's Reason will sufficiently instruct them in and if they do but live up to its Directions and lead good Moral Lives they may be saved whatever their Opinions are as to what they call the Speculative Points of Religion These Opinions every body is sensible are very much in Vogue especially among those who value themselves for being Free Thinkers and Reasoners 'T is evident likewise that men of these Principles are apt to look upon the Bible as a Book of no great Value and which the World might very well be without and are ready to declare that the Disputes it has occasion'd have done more harm than the Book has done good and so from Vndervaluing its Worth they come to question its Authority From what has been said it appears very probable that the Prevailing of these Loose Notions concerning a Church-state and Revealed Religion at first gave Rise or at least hath since given Continuance to those Controversies that have been so much Debated of late concerning the Integrity and Authority of the Scriptures And the Atheistical Party have been Industrious to keep alive this Dispute as well knowing that 't is doing no small piece of Service to their Cause to weaken the Authority of the Holy Writings Mr. Hobbs and the Author of Theologo-Politicus are the Chief of that Party who have engag'd in this Controversie tho indeed they ought to pass but for one Writer since the latter has taken the Substance of what he says from the former and seems to have little of his own Invention unless it be the Quoting of a Text now and then in Hebrew which he does I suppose to raise in his Vnlearned Readers an Admiration of his Profound Reading and Schollarship And this Design of his has in some measure taken Effect for his Atheistical Admirers are generally Ignorant enough to take him for a Writer of Sense and Learning But to pass by these Profess'd Advocates of Atheism and Irreligion the most considerable Writers that have been concern'd in the Controversie about the Integrity and Authority of the Holy Writings are Mr. Simon and his Adversaries Whose Learning as I do not intend to disparage so neither will I take upon me to judge of their Secret Intention in the Management of this Dispute I acknowledge them to be men of Learning and as to their Design I am willing to think as Charitably as I can But yet I cannot forbear saying that tho they differ very much in their Notions as to other Matters yet they seem to agree in speaking slightly and irreverently of the Holy Writers they readily lay hold of any Difficulties which tend to weaken their Credit and do not take half so much pains to Improve any of the Arguments that may be produc'd for them as they do to Vrge Objections against them But however I must say thus much in behalf of Mr. Simon that many to shew their good Will to the Bible make him say much Worse things than he really does and such as they would fain have him say and would be glad if they could Vouch his Authority for They are Industrious to make the world believe that if we will take his Judgment there have been so many Corruptions and Alterations made in the Text of the Bible that 't is impossible to tell which is the True and which is the False Reading Mr. Dryden particularly in his Religio Laici makes this Comment upon Mr. Simon 's Critick and tells us as delivering that Author's sense that the Jews have Let in Gross Errors to corrupt the Text Omitted Paragrahs and With vain Traditions stop'd the Gaping Fence Now one would think by this Account of his Work that Mr. Simon had expresly asserted that the Jews had Wilfully and Designedly Corrupted the Original by Adding to and Taking away from it as they thought fit But in my Opinion 't is taking a greater Liberty than Poetry it self will allow to make a man speak quite contrary to his Sense and Meaning For Mr. Simon makes it his Business to prove in several places of his Book a Critique upon the O. T. l. 1. ch 17 18 19 l. 2. c. 4. that the Jews have not corrupted the Hebrew Text and answers the Arguments that are usually brought for that Opinion All that he affirms as to this matter is that the Bible has been obnoxious to the same Corruptions that other Books are through the Ignorance or Negligence of Transcribers and that such kind of Faults crept into the Text in those Ages chiefly that did not mind the Niceties of Criticism and therefore the proper way to Reform those Errors is by Correcting the Suspected Places according to the Rules of that Art and by diligent Comparing of Copies as Criticks correct other Books and the Massorets have already the Hebrew Text. And as for the Additions which are supposed by many to have been made to the Original Text he supposes them inserted by Prophets whereof there was a constant Succession whose Business 't was to take Care of the Publick Records How true this Hypothesis is 't is not my Business to examine 't is sufficient to my present Purpose that Mr. Simon does not represent these Additions as so many Corruptions of the Text. So that in this Case Mr. D. has Misrepresented Mr. Simon 's Text aswell as that of the Bible and put such a Gloss upon it as it does not appear that he ever intended as far as can be gathered from his Words But I shall pursue this Matter no further because Mr. D. may think it hard measure to urge any thing said in his Religio Laici against him at this time of day when he has alter'd his Mind in so many Particulars since the Writing of that Poem and has made Amends for his Former Incredulity by turning Advocate for Implicite Faith One of Mr. Simon 's Antagonists whom he and the rest of the World take to
Opinion that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Conclusion of the Letter which he finds so much fault with is for all that a very elegant Expression He has printed the Close of this Synodical Epistle in great Letters as if it had something more than ordinary in it and were a manifest argument of his side but as Big as the words look whoever considers them will find there 's very little sense in his Application of them CHAP. III. Concerning the Inspiration of the PROPHETS I Do not see much in our Author that reflects upon the Authority or Inspiration of the Prophets But since I am engag'd in the Subject of Inspiration and those persons who have no great esteem for the Sacred Books fancy there are many things relating to the Prophets liable to Exception I think it will not be altogether impertinent or beside my main Design which is to Vindicate the Authority of the Holy Writings if I take a short View of those Considerations which tend to establish the Authority of the Prophets and to answer some of the most Popular Objections against them I shall therefore I. Consider the Personal Qualifications of the Prophets II. I shall consider the chief Design of their Prophecies III. I shall resolve some Difficulties which relate to the Prophets themselves or their manner of Writing I. As to the first 't would in a great measure take off mens Prejudices against the prophetical Writings if they would but consider what manner of men the Prophets were and what excellent Qualifications they were indowed with Men that are glad of any Argument that makes Religion look like a Cheat think they have a great Advantage against all sorts of Prophecy because there have been so many Cheats of this kind and they find that usually the persons that pretend to a prophetick Spirit are in all other respects of such shallow Intellectuals and such mean Qualifications that no wise man would take their Advice in any thing of ordinary concern and therefore 't is very unlikely God should make choice of such persons to be his Messengers and the Conveyers of his Will to men But if they would likewise consider how unlike the Prophets of the Old Testament were to these Pretenders both as to their Intellectuals and their Morals 't would go a great way to discover how vastly different they are from each other and the Truth and Excellency of the one would more evidently appear by comparing it with the evident marks of Imposture and Meanness which are found in the other As to the Intellectual Accomplishments of the true Prophets they had usually an Ingenuous and liberal Education as appears by the Institution of the Schools of the Prophets so often mention'd in the History of the Kings And we find 't was reckon'd a wonder that Saul should be among the Prophets a 1 Sam. 10 11 -19.24 because he had not been Educated suitably to that Profession So God's calling Amos to this Office from being a Herds-man was extraordinary and unusual as he himself intimates b Amos 8.14 And indeed the style of the Prophets plainly discovers them to have been Men of a good Education and therefore the Criticks have all observed what great difference there is between Amos's style and that of the other Prophets which they justly impute to their different Education Isaiah's style is Elegant c Isaiae dictio purissimaâ—ntor omnes qui post Mosen scripserunt ejus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pulcherrimae Grot. in Is 50 4. and Lofty Jeremy's shews him to have been a great Master of Rhetorick d Mirus in affectibus concitandis Jeremias Idem Ezekiel plainly discovers in his way of writing great skill in Architecture and Geography Daniel's Wisdom was so famous even when he was young that it became a Proverb among the Chaldeans to say Art thou wiser than Daniel e Ezek. 28.3 And not to descend to any more particulars we find that all their writings are full of Powerful Exhortations to Vertue of weighty and Pathetick Representations of the heinousness of those Vices which were then prevailing and the miseries which would attend them We find they set forth the absurdity of Pagan Idolatry f Is 40.18 c. 44.9 c with great strength and smartness of Argument and endeavour to give Men clear and distinct Notions of Gods Spirituality g Is 40.12 c. Unity h Jer. 10.11 12. Is 44.6 Omnipresence i Jer. 23.23 24. Is 66.1 Universal Providence of which the foretelling how Free Agents will determine themselves is a signal instance and Justice in rewarding Men according to their works k Jer. 18.7 c. Ezek. 18. They unfold the methods of Providence in disposing of Kingdoms l Jer. 25. and making use of wicked Princes and Nations to be the Instruments of God's Justice in punishing the sins of others m Is 10.6 c. Ezek. 29.18 19. Such discourses don't look like the idle dreams of a Melancholy and disturb'd fancy but do indeed answer the Character they pretend to And those Men who will not believe them to be of Divine Original ought in reason to allow them to be the Product of a settled Judgement and can't in Justice but grant that if the Prophets did not foresee what was to come by a Prophetical Spirit yet they made very probable Conjectures by a Natural Sagacity since the event has so plainly justifyed a great part of their Predictions And if they will not be perswaded that God inlightned the minds of the Prophets by an extraordinary Revelation yet they can't in Justice deny but that they discourse of the Nature of God and of his Providence and of the Obedience which he requires with as great a degree of clearness and certainty as Men's Natural Faculties can arrive to And therefore 't is not without reason that Origen does often in his Books against Celsus n P. 18 -177.-260.-359 Ed. Cant. insist upon this That Moses and the Prophets instructed Men in the nature of God and of their duty much better than the acutest Philosophers among the Heathens So malicious and groundless is that pretence of Spinoza where he tells us o Theol. Polit. c. 1. p.m. 21. that the Prophets did not agree in their Notions about the Nature of God because forsooth different Prophets saw different Signs of the Divine Presence As if they could not distinguish between a Symbol of God's Presence and the Divine Nature it self And he may as well say that Moses took the Cloudy Pillar to be God himself and by the same reason he must conclude that Moses thought the Cherubims and the Cloud upon the Mercy-seat which he himself order'd to be made to be God or at least to resemble his Essence and then I think he would have been guilty of greater Idolatry than Aaron was in making the Golden Calf 2. If we consider the Moral Indowments of the Prophets we shall find
Vales. ibid. 5. However that be yet 't is certain that when the Book of Ecclesiasticus was writ the Canon of the Old Testament was settled for he makes mention of the Twelve Prophets altogether l Ecclus. 49.10 which is an Argument that the Smaller Prophets were then Collected and Compil'd into one Book which Book was afterward call'd the Book of the Prophets m See Act. 7.42 Justin M. c. Tryph. p. 45.50.57 Ed. Steph. Cyprian Epist 59. Ed. Oxon. Nay further the Author of the Prologue to that Book speaks of the Law Prophets and other Books of Scripture as then Translated into Greek which is an Undeniable Argument that the Canon was then Completed And tho we suppose that Prologue to be made by the Grandchild of the principal Author Jesus the son of Syrach which Younger Syracides lived in the time of Euergetes II. commonly called Ptolomee Physcon yet it appears by the Beginning of that Prologue that his Grandfather studied the same Holy Books which he afterwards says were turn'd into Greek And this Elder Siracides speaks of Simon the son of Onias the High Priest as one whom he very well remembred n c. 50. 1 c. now that Simon was High Priest in the Beginning of Philopator's Reign o See 3 Macc. 2.1 com with c. 1.1 who was next in Succession but one to Philadelphus So that the Canon of Scripture will appear to be as old as Philadelphus's time because 't is evident from hence that 't was Translated all into Greek in a little time after tho we should not suppose the whole work performed by the LXX Lastly to these Considerations we may add the Concurring Testimony of all the Ancient Writers both Jewish and Christian who agree in supposing the Canon of the Old Testament to have been Compil'd in or about Ezra's time and who probably had the Authority of some Ancient Writers for what they say which now are lost And if these Considerations taken all together have any Force in them to prove the Canon of the Old Testament to have been settled in Ezra's time or in the next Age I say if it were settled so early this very thing will add great Weight to its Authority For 1. 't is agreed on all hands that Ezra who calls himself a Ready Scribe in the Law of Moses p Ezr 7.6 Revis'd the Holy Writings Retriev'd them from the Corruptions which the Scarcity of Copies and the Disuse of the Hebrew Language during the Captity had brought into them supplied and completed many of them and put them into Order and Method And when a man of so great Authority as Ezra was had done all this so lately it cannot be imagin'd but that the Compilers of the Canon must have had a particular Regard to his Judgment and admitted no Books into their Collection but what were allow'd of by Ezra or if they were of Later date than his time the Writing of them must have been within the Memory of these Compilers so that they were proper Judges whether a Book deserv'd to be esteem'd Sacred or not So that from hence 't will follow that the Authority of the main Body of the Canon bottoms upon the Judgment and Authority of Ezra whom if we should grant to have been no Prophet yet we canot think but in a matter of such Moment as the Revising and putting in order the Holy Writings he would not only use the best Skill he had himself but likewise consult with Haggai Zechary or Malachi the last of which must needs have been alive in his time and possibly the other Two also and do nothing without their Advice For we find that at the first Return from the Captivity in a matter of much less moment viz. where some that pretended to the Priesthood could not prove their Pedigree the Governour would determine nothing but left the matter undecided till a Priest should arise who had Vrim and Thummim q Ezr. 2.62 63. And if any such Priest did arise afterward as if we believe Josephus there did for he tell us that that Oracle ceas'd but 200. years before his time r Antiq. Jud. l. 3. c. 9. p. 90. C. Ed. Gen. 't is very probable that the Judgment of the Canonical Books was left to him to determine which were such as the Learned Mr. Dodwell has made appear in the Appendix Å¿ Sect. 9. to his Lectures now in the Press 2. This Early date of the Canon of the Old Testament quite destroys that Fancy of our Authors x Fr. p. 279. Eng p. 106. that the Jews put together all the Fragments that remain'd of their Ancient Books so that the Canon of Scripture was their whole Library For in the First place 't is plain that the Chronicles are Extracts out of larger Records which they often Refer to and yet these Books were Compil'd after the Captivity as appears by several passages y 1 Chr. 3.17 〈…〉 c. in them and 't is not likely that the Originals which escaped the Destruction of Records occasion'd by the Ruine of the Commonwealth and the Captivity which ensu'd should be lost in so little a time as was between the Compiling the Chronicles and making the Canon Especially since Josephus z L. 1. c. App. p. 136. D. tells us that the Genealogies of the High-Priests and their Succession for above Two Thousand years past were preserved in the Publick Records and remain'd to his own time Again several Books which never were in the Canon were Extant when the New Testament was writ and are Cited there as Writings of Credit and Antiquity such as are the Prophecy of Enoch and the Assumption of Moses both referr'd to by St. Jude a Jude 〈◊〉 and 14. as also several other Ancient Books from whence both Christ and his Apostles take many Passages concerning Historical Matters which are not Extant in the Canonical Writers b â—ee Matth. 23 3â— Luk. 4.25 Jam. 5.17 Act. 7.22 52. Heb. 11 37.-12.21 2 Tim. 3.8 V. Orig. Epist and African And 't was from such Ancient Writings probably that Josephus took some Stories which he relates of Moses c Antiq. l. 2. c. 5. and of other Persons Besides we find Apocryphals quoted by Barnabas in every Page of his Epistle almost by Clemens Alexandrinus and other Ancient Writers in several places many of which 't is likely were Written Originally in Hebrew since by the Matters they Treat of we may reasonably judge them to be as old as the Collection of the Canon and were certainly lookt upon as Books of great Antiquity or else they would not have been Cited by these Authors under the Venerable name of Scripture From all which it appears that the Compilers of the Canon did not take in Promiscuously whatever Hebrew Writings they could find but used all possible diligence to distinguish Sacred Writings and such as were design'd by God for the Use of the Church from those
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
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
Fr. p. 280 285. that laying too great stress upon Words has bin the occasion of most of the Disputes among Christians I readily grant it has but then the fault has bin that Men have either Interpreted Scripture-Expressions by notions of Philosophy which the Holy Writers never heard of or else they have not inquir'd into the Sentiments of those times in which these Books were writ but have judged of their sense by the Schemes and applied them to the Disputes of Modern Ages as if they were writ only with a regard to the Controversies that should arise in After-Times without any respect to the Sentiments and Exigencies of the Age wherein they were written But if we have a regard only to the Genius of the Language which the Holy Writers used and judge of their Sentiments by the State of the Church in their time and by such Ancient Authors as were most likely to be acquainted with the Notions which were then generally received I don't think laying stress upon the Phrases of the Scriptures can lead us into such gross errors as Mr. N. imagines k Eng. p. 146. Fr p. 234. And without supposing this we can scarce deduce any Inferences from Scripture Texts and yet this is practis'd by the Apostles themselves who sometimes argue from Words and those too taken in their nicest signification A remarkable example of which is that Inference of S. Paul's l Gal. 3.16 To Abraham and to his seed were the Promises made he saith not And to seeds as of many but as of one And to thy seed which is Christ 3. Since God in his Providence took care that these Books should be Writ for the use of his Church and therefore gave Providential occasions for their being Written it follows that they are Compos'd in such a manner as not to exclude the use of the Natural Reason and Meditation of the Writers who Compos'd them Works of Providence are not suppos'd to exclude Humane means and we believe many things to be brought to pass by the determinate Counsel and Power of God tho they are not purely Miraculous and and meerly God's own Act and Deed but are brought to pass by second Causes as his Instruments And why then can't he give Men a Rule of Faith and Manners except the Writing be with the immediate Finger of God as the Two Tables were 'T is certain that the ordinary Operations of the Spirit do only excite and assist our natural Faculties not supersede or render them useless And even the extraordinary ones do very often influence Men's minds after the same manner as appears by S. Paul's advice to Timothy m 1 Tim. 4.14 Give attendance to Reading to Exhortation to Doctrine neglect not the gift which is in thee which was given thee by prophecy And to the same purpose he speaks in the second Epistle n 2 Tim. 1.6 And therefore tho we suppose the Authors of the Scriptures to have been Inspir'd and to have had the extraordinary Assistances of God's Spirit yet this will not exclude the use of their Natural Talents but that the Writers made use of them as far as they could be serviceable to their purpose and God supplied their defects From hence appears the weakness of that Argument which is urged by our Author and by some others against the Inspiration of the Poetical Books o Fr. p. 230. En. p. 27. of the Old Testament because they seem to be the effects of Study and Meditation and against that of the Historical Books of the Scripture p Grot. votum pro pace p. 672. Refutat Apologet. p. 722. because the things contain'd in them are either of the Writers own Knowledge or else taken from Ancient Memoirs or the Relation of others To the same purpose 't is urged against the Divine Authority of S. Paul's Epistles by Spinoza q Theol. Polit. c. 11 that they are full of Argumentation which he thinks must be the effect of S. Paul's own reason As if a Man that had a perfect Systeme of the Christian Religion infused into his mind by Revelation as we suppose S. Paul to have had did not apprehend it after a Rational manner and see the whole Series and Chain of its Principles by the help of which he could infer one thing from another But is it not a pleasant Argument against the Inspiration of a Book that it is writ in a Rational and Argumentative way which must either suppose that 't is below God Almighty to give a reason for his Institutions or else that 't was not proper for the Apostles to shew their Disciples that the Doctrines they taught them were such as might be Rationally deduc'd from certain Principles and to confute their Adversaries the same way who would not submit to their bare Authority nor believe a thing to be true meerly because they said so 4. It follows from what has bin said that 't is no Argument against a Book 's being design'd by God for the perpetual use of the Church that 't was at first writ upon some particular Exigency and with relation to the peculiar Circumstances of the persons to whom 't is directed For some of those Books of the Old Testament which were certainly design'd for the publick benefit of the Church as 't is granted by all that acknowledge any such thing as Inspiration and I don 't at present concern my self with any others I say some of the Undoubtedly Inspir'd Writings were occasion'd by the particular Exigences of those times in which their Authors lived I mean the Books of the Prophets who were all sent by God to testify against the sins which were committed in their own times And if God so order'd it that these Prophecies should be of perpetual use to the Church why may not the other Occasional Writings of the Scripture if I may so term them have been compos'd with the same Design I have already shewed r P. 19. that the manner of St. Paul's Writing does excellently answer this Intent From hence it appears that the Argument used by some Popish Writers why the New Testament cannot be a perfect Rule of the Christian Faith because several parts of it were writ only with Relation to particular Exigencies of some one Church holds as well against the Old Testament being a Rule to the Jews because a great part of of it viz. the Prophecies were occasion'd by the particular Circumstances of those Times in which the Prophets lived CHAP. II. A more particular Inquiry into the nature of the Apostolical Gifts and Inspiration HAving said thus much in general concerning the Divine Authority and Inspiration of the Apostolical Writings I proceed to examine more distinly the Assertions which the Author of the Letters hath laid down concerning the Inspiration of the Apostles and of their Writings and in order to that shall consider particularly both as to their Nature and Extent some of the most remarkable Gifts with which the
whether those words of this Paraphrase As is a great part of the Old Testament be not added meerly to serve the present Turn without the least Intimation of such a Restriction from the Text it self and whether the Coherence of these two Verses be not plainly this Continue in the Study of the Old Testament because all the Books which that consists of are Divinely Inspir'd But I supposes he grounds this Interpretation of his upon that Reading of the Text for which Grotius f In locum contr Rivetum vouches the Syriack and Vulgar Translations Omms Scriptura Divinitùs Inspirata utilis est But if we should admit of this Reading still the Sense will come all to one and the Words as they lie then tho they do not in Express terms assert that all the Old Testament Writings are Divinely Inspir'd yet they Imply it and take it for granted For if we read the Greek thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will be an Explicative Epithet to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just as if we add the Epithet Rationalis to Homo in such a Proposition as this Homo Rationalis creatus est ad colendum Deum In which Proposition tho it be not expresly asserted that Homo is Rationalis yet so much is Implied and if it were not true 't would make the whole Proposition false as Monsieur Nicol has observed in his Ars Cogitandi g Pars 2. c. 5. And just so in the Proposition we speak of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the Scriptures of the Old Testament in which sense the word is always taken in the New Testament and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is added for a fuller Explication of that term I know Grotius h Votum pro Pace prout citatur Fr. p. 270. Fn. p. 193. will needs have the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken here in its General Sense and signify simply a Book or Writing But I can't forbear saying that this gloss is Unworthy of Grotius and 't is a sign of a Bad Cause when so Great a Man is fain to betake himself to such Pitiful Sophistry as is to be seen in the fore-cited Place For he can't produce one Instance in all the New Testament where the word is used in that Sense and if he could yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 added to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficiently Restrains the General sense of it and makes one Complex Term which must signify the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Verse before both which Expressions signify the Old Testament because 't is a Collection of Inspir'd Writings and consequently the Phrase it self asserts so much by way of Implication or else it would be an Improper Expression I think it appears from what has been said what was the Judgement of Christ and his Apostles concerning the Canon of the Old Testament and since 't is certain that they approved the Canon of the Old Testament as it was received by the Jewish Church of their own time I can't guess what evidence of Reason can be sufficient to perswade a Christian to Oppose such an Authority And therefore I can't be of our Author's mind when he tell us i Eng. p. 188. Fr. p. 267. He knows not why we may not doubt of the Books of the Old Testament as well as of some of the New the Authority of several of the Latter having been question'd But there is a visible Difference between the Authorities that confirm the Old Testament Canon and those which give Testimony to the New To the Former Christ and his Apostles bear Witness whereas the Credit of the Latter depends upon the Consent and Testimony of much the Greater part of the Church in the Ages succeeding that of the Apostles which tho it be sufficient for any Wise and Unprejudic'd Man to ground his assent upon yet it hath not that Sacredness and Infallibility in it which the other hath For those Ages made use only of Humane Means for settling the New Testament Canon which was sufficient for that purpose considering the Nearness of those times to the Writing of the Books to which they give Testimony Nor does the name of Chetubim which the Jews give to those Writings of the Old Testament which Mr. N. calls in question at all justify his Opinion He fancies k Fr. p. 276. En. p. 102. they were call'd Chetubim i. e. Simply Writings as he Interprets it to signify that they were like other Humane Writings and had nothing at all of Inspiration in them But the Jewish Writers say not one Syllable to confirm this Opinion that I can find On the contrary by their placing Daniel among the Chetubim it appears that they look upon the Writers of that Class to have been Inspir'd for the Jews all agree that Daniel had really the Gift of Prophecy tho they fancy it to be in a lower Degree Further Maimonides saith expresly l More Nevoch p. 2. c. 45. that they are called Chetubim quia scripta sunt per Spiritum Sanctum And tho he reckons that Impulse which he calls Spiritus Sanctus inferiour to the Degree of Inspiration which Isaiah and the other Prophets properly so call'd had yet 't is plain that he looks upon it as a proper kind of Inspiration for the instances he gives of it are by his own Confession real Inspirations m See Mr. Smiths Discourse of Prophecy c. 7. So that I do not see how Maimonides take his Explication altogether gives any Advantage to this Opinion tho Grotius n Votum pro pace prout citatur Fr. p. 231. Eng. p. 141. quote him for it The Jews do indeed acknowledge a Difference between the Inspiration of the Hagiographa and the Prophetical Writings but this doth not prove them to be no part of the Scripture for I think there is no body that considers the manner of the Spirit 's Operation upon the Minds of Inspir'd Persons but will readily acknowledge that there 's no need of the same Degree of Inspiration to write a History or a Book of Morality as is requisite to make a Prophet But concerning the different Degrees of Inspiration I have discours'd already in several places of this Treatise and shall have Occasion to speak of it hereafter But if the Jewish Division of the Old Testament favour'd Mr. N's Opinion never so much I do not see any Force at all in the Argument taken from thence for that Division is not of so early a Date as to be able to vye with the much Ancienter Opinion concerning the Inspiration of the whole Jewish Canon St. Jerom is the first that I find takes notice of this Division o Prolog Galeat Praef. in Daniel the placing the Prophet Daniel among the Chetubim in this Division besides that there is no shadow of Reason for it except it be that the Jews bear him a Spight for Prophecying so plainly of our Saviour discovers that