an assistance I cannot repose upon Commentators who setting aside the Succour of the Holy Ghost were less learned and of less Abilities than many Doctors at this day Moreover had the Apostles always distinguish'd what they knew by Revelation from what they spoke of their own Heads there would be less difficulty in the thing but they present us almost all the whole Bulk in a Mixture where it is a hard matter to discern what is Divine from what is not My Conscience cannot be satisfied with this Method I am always in doubt whether I ought to argue after the Apostles or whether I ought to appeal from their Decisions to my own Reason I can never be able to stop the Progress of Error if after I have found a Passage which utterly and clearly destroys it it shall be reply'd upon me this comes from the Apostle not from God and thus there will be never any thing of Certainty But most assuredly God has not made Choice of a Means that authorises our Doubts for a Rule of our Faith Of Necessity therefore all the Parts of Scripture must be divinely inspir'd to the end the Scripture may render the Man of God accomplish'd in all good Works CHAP. IX Wherein the Inspiration of the Sacred Books of the New Testament is demonstrated by the manner of their Composition It is a difficult Thing to conceive that the Sacred Books of the New Testament should be inspir'd by the Holy Ghost and yet that there should appear no Footsteps in it of that Inspiration and this is that which I design to examine I do not pretend by any means to prove that every Page or every Line of the Holy Scripture carries imprinted in it a sensible Character of the Splendor of the Holy Ghost that inspir'd it Take the best Book if you pull it to pieces you lessen the Value of it 'T is only esteemed for the happy Assemblage of Words and Things of which it is compos'd After you have destroy'd the Proportion and the Symmetry you will no longer find what caus'd it to be admir'd Let the whole Scripture be but duly consider'd and it will be found to be a Work worthy of Heaven There are some Peices of it without question which being considered apart cease not however to deserve our Admiration But there are others which being remov'd out of their proper place will appear very common Let us look upon the Scripture in that Point of Perfection as the Holy Ghost represents it to us and we must needs acknowledge it to be his Work It were to be wish'd some will say that the Holy Ghost had manifested himself more distinctly in the Writings of the New Testament How would ye that the Holy Ghost should not have spoken the Language of Men I confess indeed that he might have spoken the Language of the Third Heaven but it would not have been intelligible to us who are not there as yet Since he spoke to Men to the end they might understand him 't was necessary he should conform his Style to human Apprehension He was oblig'd to take upon him our Manners our Words our Shape and our Air to convert us To that purpose he made choice of Men made as we are after they were sufficiently instructed in what they had to say to us and he was to guide their Pens for fear they should make any false step Had the Holy Ghost either sent an Angel or form'd a Voice in the Air to settle the Doctrine of Heaven such means had appear'd more extraordinary but they were not fit for Instruction It was the Wisdom of God to prefer Useful before Miraculous The only Difficulty is to know which way to find out that they who wrote like other Men were guided by the Holy Ghost There are two Ways whereby to attain to this Knowledge the One is the Attestation of the Apostles strengthened by the Proofs which they have given of their Sincerity and by the Miracles by which they made it appear that they were Men who were sent from God The other Way is to search into the Composition it self of the Sacred Books for Proofs of their Inspiration As to the first way 't is not our Intention at present to call it in question As to the Second I shall conclude in a few Words 'T is a strange thing to consider the various Oppositions of human Wit This Book wherein some behold the Finger of God by others is look'd upon as a Piece of human Workmanship Let us impartially examine the Matter The profane must acknowledge that they are prepossessed in their Judgments which they make of the Scripture for when they read another Peice that is but a little study'd according to the Rules of Art they are charm'd with it they cry 't is all divine they affirm that there is nothing great without Inspiration Nihil magnum sine afflatu divino But when they come to the Scripture they are quite of another Opinion they despise what they would have admir'd in another Book Nevertheless it has so happen'd that upon some Occasions the Force of Truth has extorted several Approbations in favour of Moses the Prophets and S. Paul The World has found that there was something extraordinary in those great Men. But if we would but search into the Original of the Scripture without prepossession we should soon confess that it is a Work of Heaven This does not appear perhaps upon the first Reading Read it again and the more you read that Book the less you will be weary of reading it nay it will appear more lovely the last time than the first Had I to do with Christians only that with delight have read over and over again the New Testament I would refer 'em to their own Experience and ask 'em whether their Hearts ever found that Satisfaction in any other Book which they found in this But it behoves us to speak something which may be more generally satisfactory Was ever known a Doctrine more sublime or Instructions of a purer Extraction 'T is true that there are in the World certain People who have so disguis'd this Doctrine as to make it appear low and mean Now I consider it such as it is in it self in this Prospect I dare say that Men never saw any Book so much worthy of their Admiration This Argument is not proper but for persons that have absolutely declared themselves against the Christian Religion M. N. will say that the Question whether it be inspired or no is not the Subject of the Dispute He grants that Jesus Christ was divinely inspir'd and in regard it was by him that his Evangelists and Apostles were instructed 't is clear that the Religion which they preach'd bears the Character of its first Author I must confess that the Question between M. N. and my self chiefly concerns the Manner how they publish'd those Truths which they learn'd from the Lord. Our Author believes that in that respect they
ADVERTISEMENT OF Two Books lately Printed for Thomas Bennet TWelve Sermons Preached upon several Occasions by R. South D. D. Never before Printed The Second Volume The Lives of all the Princes of Orange from William the Great Founder of the Commonwealth of the United Provinces Written in French by the Baron Maurier in 1682 whose Father was Twenty Years Ambassador ar the Hague And Published at Paris by Order of the French King To which is added the Life of His Present Majesty King William the Third By Mr. Thomas Brown Together with each Prince's Head before his Life Done from Original Draughts by Mr. Robert White THE INSPIRATION OF THE New Testament Asserted and Explain'd IN ANSWER TO SOME MODERN WRITERS By C. G. LAMOTHE DIVINE LONDON Printed for Tho. Bennet at the Half-Moon in S. Paul's Church-Yard 1694. THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. THE State and Importance of the Question and Division of the Book CHAP. II. The first Proof of the Inspiration of the Sacred Books of the New Testament drawn from the mannâ—r after which the Ancients speak of it CHAP. III. The second Proof drawn from hence that the Ancients have equall'd the Writings of the Apostles to the Oracles of the Old Testament CHAP. IV. The third Proof drawn from the Distinction which the Ancients made between the Canonical and Apocryphal Books CHAP. V. The Fourth Proof drawn from the Honour which the Ancients paid to the Sacred Books of the New Testament CHAP. VI. The Fifth Proof drawn from hence that the Ancients positively asserted the Books of the New Testament to be inspir'd CHAP. VII Wherein the Objections that may be brought against the Testimony of Antiquity are answered CHAP. VIII Wherein we begin to prove by the Books of the New Testament that they are inspir'd and particularly by the Intention which God had in giving them to the World CHAP. IX Wherein the Inspiration of the Sacred Books of the New Testament is demonstrated by the manner of their Composition CHAP. X. Wherein the Inspiration of the Books of the New Testament is made out from the Nature of the Covenant of which they are the Writings CHAP. XI Wherein the Inspiration of the Books of the New Testament is made out by the Prerogatives of the Apostles CHAP. XII Wherein the Inspiration of the Books of the New Testament is made out by the Promise which Christ Jesus madâ— of his Spirit to the Authors of it CHAP. XIII Wherein the Inspiration of the New Testament is made out by the fulfilling of the Promise of Jesus Christ CHAP. XIV Wherein are produc'd several Passages of Scripture which shew that the Sacred Writers of the New Testament have declared that they were Inspir'd in their Writings CHAP. XV. Wherein is drawn from the Gift of Discerning of Spirits granted to the Primitive Christians a Proof very much in Favour of the Sacred Books which the Apostles have left us The Second Part. CHAP. I. Wherein is shewn that 't is not the Common Belief that the Sacred Books of the New Testament were dictated word for word by the immediate Suggestion of the Holy Ghost CHAP. II. Wherein is explained the Nature of the Inspiration of the New Testament in respect of Revelatious CHAP. III. Wherein is Explain'd the Nature of the Inspiration of the Sacred Books of the New Testament in reference to things which the Apostles had heard and seen CHAP. IV. Wherein is Explain'd the Nature of the Inspiration of the Sacred Books of the New Testament in reference to the Progress which the Apostles might be able to make in reasoning upon the Truths suggested by the Holy Ghost and upon those which they had learn'd by the way of Sense CHAP. V. Wherein are set down Four Consequences that arise from the Manner of Explaining the Manner of the Inspiration of the New Testament CHAP. VI. Wherein is Consider'd the Nature of the Infallibility which springs from the Infallibility of the Holy Ghost and in particular touching the Manner how the Apostles obeyed it CHAP. VII Wherein is considered the Nature of the Infallibility which arises from the Direction of the Holy Ghost with reference to the Things wherein the Apostles were directed and whether they were in particular deceived in their Opinion of the near Approach of the End of the World CHAP. VIII Wherein is Examined What Influence the Direction of the Holy Ghost had over those Things that were only Concomitants of the Doctrine CHAP. IX Wherein it appears what ought to be the Extent of the signification of the words which the Sacred Writers have made use of in the Writings of the New Testament CHAP. X. Wherein some Objections are answered which have no Relation to the Apostelick Writings CHAP. XI Wherein some Objections are Answered which are directly made against the Inspiration of the Sacred Books of the New Testament THE PREFACE THEY who have a Reverence for the Holy Scripture will never be offended to see the number of the Champions of it encrease 'T is known that in the Primitive Ages when Religion was continually attacqu'd the Church was never disgusted at the Apologies which the Christians so frequently set forth All those that knew how to write made it a part of their Duty to uphold Christianity And there is no question but that this was one of the most Potent means that Providence made use of to advance the Triumphs of the Religion of Jesus Christ We are in an Age wherein the Scripture is dishonoured sometimes after one manner sometimes after another So that I cannot believe when Libertinism exerts it self so boldly that Christians will grow weary of seeing the Number of Apologists increase who take upon them to defend that Scripture which made them Christians We dare not presume to say that all who have shaken the Authority of Scripture were profest Libertines in regard that some Persons of worth have upheld Propositions which being carry'd a little too far do great mischief to that Book for which in other respects they declare that they have an esteem even to Veneration 'T is not possible to dive into the secret intentions of Authors so as to know whether it be out of Impudence or through a hankering after Libertinism that they suffer these bold and dangerous stroaks to escape their Pens The Libertine counterfeits himself sometimes to be Orthodox and a lover of Truth and he proposes his doubts with a seeming Ingenuity and vigorously asserts the Truth for fear of being suspected Sometimes also a faithful disciple of the Truth expresses himself in a feeble and trembling manner and by his doubts and scruples gives an advantage to his Enemies God alone knows the bottom of the Heart and it is our Duty to leave it to him to decide the intentions of Authors and to endeavour to defend the Truth against all manner of Onsets on what side soever they are made There appear'd within these few Years a certain Treatise which attacqu'd the inspiration of the Sacred Scripture I shall not
go about to inform my self of the real Design which the Author had in composing a Work so injurious to Scripture but I thought it necessary to prevent the evil Consequences of such a dangerous Book Monsieur Witsius of Holland and Mr. Lowth a Divine of Oxford Father Simon and Father Le Vassour have set forth Answers to it which I have read But in regard it was their only Design to trace their Adversary step by step and not to handle this matter throughly there is therefore still room left for a new management of it The English Divine indeed in my Opinion has gone somewhat farther than the rest but I shall take the liberty to say that he might have built the Inspiration of the Holy Writings upon better foundations that he has not so sufficiently explained the nature of it as he might have done and that he has ventur'd to advance some things which in my judgment need a great deal of softning I hope he will be pleas'd to pardon me the Expression without which I could not be able to justifie my Design of writing after him In his Preface he acknowledges that the matter is nice and new and after he has besought the Readers not to censure him as if he intended to betray the cause which he defends he invites them to uphold it themselves According to this Invitation I shall make some steps in order to it If my Example should excite some other more Learned Pen to write upon the same Subject the Publick will be oblig'd to me for it I shall be well satisfied with my weak endeavours provided they may give occasion to the publishing any Treatise that shall maintain the Inspiration of the Holy Writings as effectually as the truth of them hath been asserted It will be found that I have tied my self to consider only the Writings of the New Testament there was no medling with the Books of the Old Testament without cutting out too much work for my self in a time when the Public receives not well any but small Treatises especially in matter of Divinity Therefore that I might accommodate my self to the Palate of the Age I was enforc'd to shorten my Subject After I had taken this Resolution it was no difficult thing for me to chuse which of the two Parts of Scripture it behov'd me to handle So that I determind in favour of the New Testament as being that Part upon which there has least been said We have several Books in defence of the Inspiration of the Prophets and their Writings because they have been so often attacqu'd But the Writers of the New Testament having peaceably enjoy'd the Honour pay'd them by the uninterrupted belief of their Inspiration Authors have not made it so much their Business to examine the nature of it or if any Libertine has attempted to contest it with them they have altogether relied upon the belief which the Church has had of it from time to time Besides this I may say that by maintaining the New Testament I defend the Old The Apostles have given such honourable Testimonials of the Writings of the Prophets that no Man can better maintain their honour than by demonstrating that Men inspir'd by the Holy Ghost have given Testimony to them But the chief Reason which made me chuse to defend the Writings of the New Testament is this because it is properly the Book that makes us Christians It is our Duty indeed to read the Writings of the Prophets there are to be seen those Oracles the Accomplishment of which is of glorious Consequence to the Gospel there we are inform'd of a great number of Actions wherein God appears magnificent in his Works and thence may be drawn Instructions effectual for the Sanctification of the Heart all these things were written for our Instruction but still a Christian must chiefly repair to the Writings to the New Covenant there it is that he ought to be most intent and stedfast from thence it is that he is chiefly oblig'd to receive his Faith and his Instructions in order to put himself into a state of Salvation The New Testament is that Book which God deliver'd as a Legacy to Mankind in these later times 'T is our Duty to cherish as much as in us lies the Respect which is due to that Sacred Book and to prevent it from being reckoned in the Catalogue of Common Writings for fear the Religion which it teaches us should be look'd upon as a Piece of Human Invention THE HOLY SCRIPTURES Inspir'd c. CHAP. I. The State and Importance of the Question and Division of the Work IT being my design to treat of the Inspiration of the Sacred Books of the New Testament I cannot forbear exactly to set down the state of the Question Which being done it will be found that all my Arguments aim at the same Mark and that I have made it my business not to amuse my Reader with any unprofitable Digression In the first place then the Reader is to be admonish'd that the Dispute is not here which are Canonical Books and which Apocryphal We suppose that those with whom we Contend agree that there is no contradiction to be made against the Canonical Authority of the New Testament according as we enjoy it at this day but that those Sacred Books were actually written or dictated by the Authors whose Names are affixed to ' em 'T is agreed that these Holy Men both saw and heard the matters of Fact which they relate and which they have written with extraordinary Fidelity and Sincerity Which being granted the Work begun is already in so great a forwardness that there is no need at all of entring into the discussion of several Difficulties which concern the Question relating to the Apocryphal Books By this means also we are freed from the trouble of proving that the Sacred Books were written by Men who were Witnesses of all the matters of Fact which are contain'd in the History of Jesus Christ or who themselves wrought great Miracles by which it appear'd that their Mission was Celestial In a word we are agreed upon the truth of these Books so that nothing remains farther to be known but whither they are inspir'd The Verity and the Inspiration make two different Questions of which the first is decided the Sacred Books of the New Testament are stedfastly and undeniably true at least so far as concerns Essential Things The main dispute is whether they are inspir'd or no So that there are some who let 'em alone with the Honour of being true but ravish from them that of Inspiration 'T is against these Innovators that I undertake the defence of the New Testament of which I maintain'd alike and equally assert both the Inspiration and the Truth even to the meanest Circumstances I could wish with all my heart that I might be able to handle this Question without chusing any certain Adversary My aim was to examine this important Matter without having any
be agreed also that their Memory might deceive them It is clear then that if the Holy Ghost left them to their Infirmities our warrants for the truth of their Revelations is not over abounding Therefore we must of necessity admit the Guidance of the Holy Spirit VVhen we seriously dive into the writings of these Gentlemen there is a great deal of reason to suspect that they seem to have some regard for the Apostolic Revelations only to make some shew They do not believe they do any injury to their Darling Principle which reduces all Religion to Reason purely Natural They know well that the number of these Revelations is not considerable And should we oppose against them any one that annoy'd them never so little they would from the Infirmities of the Apostles derive an argument which should bring their Revelations to the trial Their Concessions are exactly calculated for their Principles specious appearances which signifie little Such is their Confession of the Infallibility of Jesus Christ They discourse of it in pompous Terms which however are of no great advantage to the Christian Religion For since he has not written any thing all that comes onely to the infallibility of Preaching If a Doctrine taught viva voce with Infallibility be intrusted to Writers that may falsifie it 't is evident that their Writings can be no foundation of a certain Belief And therefore we have a priviledge to examin what they have written by the Rules of sound Judgement And to this it is that they would reduce all Religion But not to speak at present of any other Revelations than what the Apostles had 't is seen that though an Infallible Spirit suggested them they lose the Prerogative of their original Infallibility when they come once to be handled by the Apostles in case the Holy Ghost had suffered those Revelations be obscur'd by human infirmities I say then that the Holy Ghost acts two ways by relation to the truths which he hath revealed by the Apostles First he suggested those truths which he imprinted in their Souls by some of those ways which I have set down wherein the Apostles were in a passive disposition like a piece of Cloth that receives the Colours 'T is in this manner that they were instructed but when they set themselves to instruct others and communicate in writing what the Holy Ghost had taught them he acted after another manner he push'd them forward to write he strengthen'd and refreshed their Memories and so directed their Pens that they wrote nothing which was not to the purpose and according to the most exact Rules of Truth There was then in the written Revelations which they have left us two sorts of Inspiration Inspiration of Suggestion and Inspiration of Direction CHAP. III. Wherein is Explain'd the Nature of the Inspiration of the Sacred Books of the New Testament in reference to things which the Apostles had heard and seen WE must acknowledge that we should expose our selves to very smart Objections in maintaining that the Holy Ghost dictated all the Words and all the Things which the Apostles wrote The Infallibility of their VVritings does not depend upon that Hypothesis as we shall shew hereafter The Holy Ghost suggested to those Holy Men the things which they knew not But as for those things which they knew they had need only of his Direction to render 'em infallible in their VVritings To the end my Notion may be the better understood I distinguish those things which the Apostles knew by the ordinary ways of Knowledge There were some that had a regard to ordinary Education and others that were the Consequences of Instruction in Religion I refer to common Education whatever the Apostles might have learn'd from Nature and Society There are an infinite number of Things which enter into the Minds of the most vulgar Souls even without study I do not pretend that the Apostles were learned and witty Men at the time they were called 'T is known that unless it were S. Paul whose Education had been singular the other Apostles were very rude and unpolish'd and they had reason to make of their Ignorance a Glorious Monument to the Holy Ghost who with such feeble Instruments triumph'd and caus'd the Gospel to triumph in all Places However this is no Hinderance but that it must be agreed that the Apostles had replenish'd their Minds with several things which they had learn'd without the Help of Study They had general Ideas that are obvious to the most illiterate and they had other Ideas with which their Profession and common Conversation furnish'd ' em The Instruction which they receiv'd in Religion was at two times before and after their Call to the Apostleship Before their Call they knew as much as had been usually taught of the Jewish Religion to the common People whether by the Exposition of Scripture or the Rehearsal of some Traditions After their Call for three or four years they saw and heard what is to be read in the Gospels These are those things which enter'd into the Minds of the Apostles by seeing and hearing and which have their Place in the Apostolick Writings Common Knowledge furnish'd 'em with Allusions Metaphors Proverbs and Maxims of Wisdom The Knowledge of Religion challenges the first Rank in Scripture there we see the Christian ingrafted upon the Jew the Gospel added to the Law the Apostles wrote concerning Christianity as People that had been Jews Our Business is to decide how the Holy Ghost guided the Apostles in those things which they knew by the ways already observ'd 'T is clear that a new Suggestion was absolutely useless and as we ought not at any time to have Recourse to Miracles but in a Case of Necessity we should violate that Maxim by affirming that the Holy Ghost suggested and whisper'd into the Ears of the Apostles what they knew before He was not oblig'd to begin but where Nature had ended 't was enough that he spoke when she became silent Let us not imagine however that he was only a Spectator of the Functions of Nature He brought her to perfection and hinder'd her from going astray In the Hands of this great Master the Faculties of the Soul receiv'd a new Degree of Strength the Senses more faithfully admitted the Images of Objects the Memory was refresh'd and confirm'd and the Judgment found the way not to be deceiv'd 'T is my Opinion that it cannot be deny'd but that the Apostles found all these Advantages in the assistance of a Spirit that in a moment taught 'em to speak Foreign Languages that in Answer to their Prayers reviv'd the dead but which appears to us yet more considerable for our Purpose who made choice of the Apostles to make 'em Masters whose Credit should be so great as that the Faith of the People might rely upon their Testimony We have thus seen that the Apostles learn'd by the assistance of their Senses several things before they were call'd and after
forgot what kind of death Christ Jesus died The death of Judas was an Accident so considerable and so extraordinary that they could not but remember it will they say that Saint Luke was deceived How could that be He wrote under the Inspection of the Apostles concerning a notorious Accident That says he which was known to all the Inhabitants of Jerusalem Doubtless he had read the Gospel of Saint Matthew whom he acknowledged to be a testimony of sufficient Credit After which would he in common sence have undertaken to contradict such a Testimony By these Reflexions it appears that it is impossible that either of the two Evangelists should have been deceived Nevertheless one says that Judas hang'd himself the other that he threw himself headlong But easie satisfaction may be given upon this seeming Contradiction 1. Nothing hinders the reconciling these two Idea's by saying that Judas hang'd himself upon some high place but that the Rope broke which was the reason that his Body falling headlong he burst himself and his Bowels gush'd out this is very possible In this the Evangelists agree perfectly One says what the other says not but they do not contradict themselves Therefore M. N. is in the wrong to assure us with so much confidence that it is a manifest Contradiction 2. 'T is known that there is a difference between hanging and strangling a mans self Judas might strangle himself and yet not hang himself Hammon and other good Authors say that upon this occasion Grief did the Office of a Hangman and proves by several Examples that men have been strangled with Grief that is to say that they were choked by intercepting the passage of the Spirits The original Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies no more Let us say then that this Accident befell Judas in some High place from whence his Body falling might burst out 3. I ought not to forget a third Opinion according to which the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or strangled himself includes not the death of Judas but barely an extream Grief As if a man should say though he did not die at the same time I am stifl'd with Grief only to express a considerable degree of anguish of mind In the Book of Tobit Tob. 3.12 vid. Ham. in Matth. 27.5 there is an express example of it We find the Daughter of Raguel so terribly griev'd with the Reproaches that were cast upon her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that she thought to have strangled her self However she did not die as appears by the sequel of the History Thus it was say they that Judas was surpriz'd by his Grief he did not die presently but some days after he went and threw himself headlong in the height of that Rage which attends people in in despair Saint Matthew speaks of the excessive Grief of Judas Saint Luke of his Death there is no contradiction After these three Explanations can a man with so much confidence affirm that 't is a manifest Contradiction which the Learned in vain endeavour to reconcile Must he not have declar'd open War against the Sacred Writers to call this a manifest Contradiction I appeal to all Persons of Justice and Moderation whether it does not appear by the manner after which the Answers are made to both Examples that they are not sufficient to prove that the Evangelists contradicted themselves or were deceived even in things of little Importance CHAP. IX Wherein it appears what ought to be the Extent of the signification of the words which the Sacred Writers have made use of in the Writings of the New Testament I Have distinguish'd those things which the Holy Ghost immediately suggested to the Apostless from those wherein he only presided by way of Direction They would not make any Scruple to grant that the signification of the Expressions dictated by the Holy Ghost are to be taken in a full sence but 't is pretended that there is no need of being so exact in those that may be called the product of Human Wit M. N. cannot brook there should be any search made after the Reasons why the Holy Ghost made use of one word rather than another and maintains that it is Ridiculous because often the Language of the Sacred Authors is Human and Careless enough The ordinary Method hath as he thinks a grear affinity with the Opinion of the Jews who hold it for a Maxim that the Books of the Law are inspired even to a Letter Defence des sentim pag. 235. lett 9. There is not one Letter in the Law say they upon which great Mountains do not depend He alledges the Example of the Antecedent Imputation of the Sin of Adam which is grounded upon a Comparison that S. Paul makes use of that Comparison says he is taken in a rigid sence whereas it should be consider'd that the Style of S. Paul being the Style of a man who is not exact in his expressions though the ground of his Arguments are to be admir'd Now to be so nice about the full signification of all his Expressions would expose one to a world of mistakes I am glad he acknowledges that the grounds of S. Pauls Arguments are to be admir'd Were the Author hard put to it I question whether he would not enervate this Confession with some distinction But that we may examin what he says concerning those who insist too severely upon the Sacred Language of the authors of the New Testament I think it necessary to observe two Things 1. That by this sort of Divinity they annihilate the use of the Sacred Books They will make them speak whatever they think fit Who does not plainly see that if they can make us believe that the Sacred Authors wrote things without exactness there must be a door open'd for all manner of Errors Though I set down a Truth which I might support upon words that seem clear to me they will presently dispute it with me because they may tell me there is no exactness in the Terms You deceive your self by confining your thought to the meaning of the words This is awonderful Rampart for all manner of Heretics Had the Holy Ghost abandon'd the Holy Writers to such a Negligence I should believe that his design was to have made the Scripture a Nursery of Errors and Divisions and not a Nursery of Truth 2. That although the Style of the Sacred Authors be Human it cannot be said to be Careless in respect of Things we know that there are Careless Expressions which Grammar would never pardon The Holy Ghost had no design to make the Apostles Masters of Language his aim was only to instruct them in the Truth provided they render'd it Intelligible that was sufficient According to this supposition 't is plain that we ought not to take the Language of the Apostles for a Model of pure Greek that was never the design of the Holy Ghost But since it is certain that he made them intelligible
in this Treatise which I divide into two parts First I shall shew in General that the Sacred Books of the New Testament were inspir'd and while I demonstrate what the nature of that Inspiration is I shall produce Principles whereby to resolve all difficulties that are already or may be rais'd upon this Subject We have but two sorts of Proofs to satisfie a Christian about matters which have no dependance upon the first Principles of Reason the unanimous consent of those Doctors that liv'd in the Primitive times of the Church and the Holy Scripture when it speaks after a plain and decisive manner These are the two sorts of Proofs which I shall make use of to shew that the Sacred Books are inspir'd I begin with the Belief of the Primitive Church after I have given the Reader two Admonitions the one that I do not undertake to drain all the Proofs that are to be found in this Fountain it being my design to confine my self to what may bring the matter to a point of Demonstration and to derive my Proofs from the first or most Primitive Ages of the Church My second Advertisement is that as M. N. assails the Body of the Sacred Books of the New Testament in gross I am not bound to defend them otherwise than in the same manner That Author believes that they are no way inspir'd that is to say that the Holy Ghost was never concern'd in the Composition of them For the repelling of this Attacque it is not requisite to follow the Sacred Books one after another by shewing upon the Subject of every one of them that they were effectually inspir'd I shall therefore consider the several Sacred Books as one single Book and I shall produce to the advantage of all together all the Testimonies which I shall find favourable to any one in particular 'T is according to this Method that M. N. attacques them for when he thought he had observ'd in any one of the Sacred Books any slip of human weakness he infers from thence an Argument against all the rest Let him in like manner be pleas'd to permit me to extend to all the Sacred Books whatever I shall meet with advantageous to any one which ought to be allow'd me so much the rather because there is not any one single where there is not something to be met withal which M. N. takes for a good Objection If only one of the Sacred Books proves to be inspir'd the Inspiration of that single Book secures the rest from the Objection which are made against them Though I speak in this manner 't is not that I am in fear for any one Sacred Book of the New Testament the whole is safe if men will but take the pains to consider the Testimonies of the Primitive Church in favour of the Inspiration of the Sacred Books they will not find any one for which there is not the Testimony of the Ancients or if any one be more remiss than the rest that negligence will be repair'd by the General Proofs that relate to all the parts of the New Testament CHAP. II. The first Proof of the Inspiration of the Sacred Books of the New Testament drawn from the manner after which the Ancients speak of it 'T IS known how the Christians speak at this day of the Holy Scripture of the New Testament According to their Stile 't is call'd The Scripture by way of Excellency the Sacred Oracles the Word of God when the Preacher takes his Text he says as it is written in the word of God and the People for that Reason believe themselves oblig'd to hearken with a devout Attention This Language no way agrees with M. N's System who looks upon the Sacred Books as a work purely Human and wherein there are faults which he would not pardon Livy or any other prophane Historian Were I of this Authors Opinion I should be dreadfully troubled to hear the Christians speak as they do of the Holy Scripture I should cry out Blasphemy I should never indure that they should say of the Voice of a mortal man 't is the Voice of God and not of man 'T is to be suspected that M. N. says to himself that it is one of those pieces of Superstition which are so rooted in the minds of the People that it is not safe to decry them But let him think what he pleases the language of the Christians is the same at this day as it has been all along in that particular there has been no variation In the purest Ages they exprest themselves in reference to the Scripture as we do now I defie the most Zealous Disciples of M. N. to deny it They cannot do it without speaking against their Consciences or without shewing that they are altogether strangers to Antiquity To fortifie this Proof which I draw from the Appellations that the Ancients gave the Scripture I think my self bound to make two Observations The first is that the Language cannot proceed from any superstitious Aggravation It was in use in the very first times when Christians spoke according to the simplicity of their Hearts and when they had no leasure to corrupt the Truth by Rhetorick or Superstition In that same Age of Innocence they call'd the Writings of the New Testament the Oracles of Heaven the Word of God the Holy Scripture Nor can this language be accus'd to have sprung up from the Corruption of after Ages when Superstition extended her Empire I love to speak as they spoke at a time when the Church was a Virgin if I may be allow'd to make use of the words of an Ancient Author My second Observation is this that the Ancients when they thus expressed themselves honoured the New Testament as the New Testament had honoured the Ancient I explain my self thus when the Old Testament is cited by the Apostles they usually call it the Scripture without any addition that is the Scripture by way of Excellency as when St. Paul speaking of an Oracle dictated by the Mouth of God himself says For what saith the Scripture Gal. 4.30 cast out the Bondwoman and her Son And in another place Gal. 3.8 And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed I made choice of these two Passages on purpose wherein St. Paul cites certain Oracles that M. N. would not himself deny but that it was God who spake them The Apostle calls them Scripture As he phrases it The Scripture saith this or God spoke This comes all to one sence This is so true that having said to the Romans Rom. 11.32 That God had concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all He speaks the same thing to the Galathians in these words Gal. 3.22 But the Scripture has concluded all under sin c. By which it appears that the Voice of God and Scripture signifie
the same thing Thus then I argue upon the whole The Apostles when they cited the Oracles of the Old Testament comprehended them all under the Name of Scripture as if they would have said the Scripture of God Now I find that immediately after the Apostles the Saints also quoted the Writings of the Apostles under the Name of Scripture they have paid the same Honour to the Writings of the Apostles as the Apostles did to the Old Testament Have I not reason then to conclude from thence that it was the judgment of the Saints of the Primitive Church that the Writings of the Apostles were no less the Scripture of God than the Prophetick Writings wherein are recorded the Oracles of God CHAP. III. The second Proof drawn from hence that the Ancients have equall'd the Writings of the Apostles to the Oracles of the Old Testament IF what M. N. has asserted touching the writings of the Prophets were examined according to the Belief which the Primitive Church had of them it would be soon acknowledg'd that this New System is not to be maintained by dint of Argument The Proofs of which are every where to be found For the Primitive Writers of the Christian Religion being obliged to fetch from the Prophetic writings their Arguments to convince the Jews or to confirm the Christians who acknowledged their Authority this was the reason that they had frequent occasion to speak of the Inspiration of those Sacred Writings So that we plainly see that they are hardly ever cited by the Ancients without some Elogie drawn from the Sanctity of their Original Sometimes 't is the VVord of God sometimes 't is the Holy Scripture sometimes the Oracles of the Holy Ghost and sometimes the Scripture divinely inspired VVhen the Primitive Christians quoted any passage of the Old Testament it was as they phrased it the Mouth of the Lord that spoke But I do not speak this to divert me from alledging some Proofs Clemens Romanus who as 't is well known was contemporary with the Apostles speaking of the Prophets says That the Ministers of the Grace of God instigated by the Holy Spirit spoke of Repentance A little after that-reciting a Maxim drawn from the Old Testament he assures us that 't was no more than what the Holy Spirit recommended to us Quod vaticinantes non alio quam verbo divino afflati agantur vos quoque ipsos dicturos reor Dial. cum Triph. Jud. p. 8. Justin Martyr speaks of the Inspiration of the Prophets as of a Truth common to the Jews and Christians Descendens in eos spiritus Sanctus Religionem veram discere volentes per illos docendos esse statuit Id. ad Graec. Cohort p. 32. And in another place he says that the Holy Spirit descended upon the Prophets to the end they might teach all those that desired to be instructed in the true Religion * Caeterum Dei homines pleni spiriu Sancto à Deo inspirati institutique Prophetae ordinati sunt proinde fuere à Deo docti Theophil ad Autol. lib. 2. p. 87. Theophilus of Antiochia asserts that the Prophets were men filled with the Holy Spirit and inspir'd by God Clemens of Alexandria is full of Passages wherein he affirms the same thing I shall cite no more than one which is to be found at the beginning of his Protreptic Ipse est Dominus loquens in Isaia ipse in Elia ipse in ore Prophetarum All the Primitive Authors honour the Prophets and their VVritings as being inspir'd by God Origen alone would furnish me with several passages of which to be convinc'd â—here needs no more than only to read his â—hilocatia But to what purpose will some Body say â—o I quote all these Proofs The dispute is â—bout the New Testament not the Old one 〈◊〉 will not say that I had any desire of maâ—ing it my Business to let the World know â—he Character of M. N. by shewing that in â—he judgement of the Ancients he does an â—nfinite injury to the prophetic Writings by â—he liberty of writing which he assumes to â—imself That was never my Design for 〈◊〉 confine my self exactly to my Subject My â—im is still to make out that the writings of â—he New Testament are inspir'd by the Holy Ghost And is not the confirming the high Opinion which the Ancients had of the Prophets and their Writings a keeping close to â—hat Design If at the same time I shew that â—he Ancients have equal'd the Apostles and â—heir writings to the Prophets and their Prophesies without proceeding any farther that cannot be call'd a Deviation For to be convinc'd that it is a Truth Iren. adver heret lib. 3. c. 11. Because first the Apostles secondly the Prophets but all from one and the fame God Commentaria Apostolorum scripta Prophetarum sequuntur p. 98. Just Martyr Quia utrumque Testamenti Ministri uno eodemque spiritu inspirati locuti sunt Theophii ad Autol. l. 30 p. 125. Deus Aeâ—ernus Vnigenitus verbum incarnatum predicatum a Prophetis omnibus Apostolis ab ipso spiritu Iren. adv Eereticos l. 3. c. 21. Vnus eâ—â—m idem spiritus Dei quae in prophetis praeconavit c. Ipse in Apostolis Annunciavit ib. c 35. there needs no more than to read the Passages which I have quoted in the Margin the number of which I might have easily augmented more especially would I have cited the Fathers who lived after the Council of Nice CHAP. IV. The third Proof drawn from the Distinction which the Ancients made between the Canonical and Apocryphal Books THis Distinction takes place in respect of both Testaments There are join'd to the Canonical Books of the Old Testament several Pieces purely Human as the Books of Tobit Judith Baruc Macabee's c. which are call'd by the name of Apocrypha A word of which the true Original is very uncertain But whether it signifie conceal'd or obscure or whether it have any other sense certain it is that those Books which are added to the Scripture though they are not of divine Authority are call'd Apocrypha If the Books which are added to the Old Testament are not admitted to be Canonical 't is not because they are defective in their matter There are some of them whose Doctrine is sound and their Instructions pure so that there has been no scruple made to read them publickly in the Church I dare presume to say there is such a Portion of Apocryphal Books which is more Instructive and more edifying than such a portion of books we call Canonical Wherefore then are they rejected as Apocryphal I know very well that several Marks of human Frailty are to be discover'd in them but the chief Ground of their being rejected is because they are Books which the Holy Ghost has not inspir'd the Finger of God appears not in them the good things which are there to be found flow not immediately from the
Spring Moreover we have reason to examin and suspect them because they are not recommended to us by Persons actuated by the infallible Spirit of God This Reason is express'd by the Ancients in other terms for they say that the Apocryphal Books added to the Old Testament want Canonical Authority because they were written by persons who were no Prophets and who lived after Malachi the last of the Prophets Wherein they followed Josephus who has deriv'd from thence the grand Character of the difference which we ought to make between the Canonical Books and the Apocryphal The words of the Author are so remarkable as not to be omitted Answer to Appion l. 1. c. 2. There can be nothing more certain than the Writings authoriz'd among us because they cannot be subject to any Contradiction in regard that there is nothing approv'd but what the Prophets wrote some Ages ago according to the purity of Truth by the Inspiration and Agitation of the Spirit of God They have also written all that pass'd from the time of Artaxerxes to our Time But by reason there has not been as formerly a successive Series of the Prophets there is not the same Credit given to the Books which I have mention'd The Books written after the Prophet Malachi have been constantly rejected in regard he was the last Writer whom the Holy Ghost inspir'd under the Old Testament Euseb l. 8. De monst Evangel Quod ab illo tempore servatoris nullum extet Sacrum Voâ—umen VVhat I have said in respect of the Old Testament takes place in relation to the New Several Books of Piety were compos'd in the Primitive Church the Authors were Persons of Worth and the Books were so useful that the Reading of them was not only recommended to private Persons but they made no scruple to read them in publick For example the Epistle of Saint Clement had the same Honour VVherefore was it that those Books were not put into the number of Canonical that is to say of those Books that are the constant Rule of our Faith and Manners It was not always because they were in some things erroneous but by reason they were not inspir'd by the Holy Ghost that was sufficient to hinder them from being received for Canonical The Question that was put when there was a Dispute about any Book of which they doubted was to know whether or no it were written by a Person inspired Thence it came to pass that in the History of Eusebius we find that Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria pronouncing his Sentence upon the Apocalyps said that he acknowledged it to be the work of some Holy Man inspir'd by the Spirit of God 'T is known also that Origen speaking of the Book written by Hermas Reor enim sancti cujusdam divino spiritu afflati viri id opus esse Euseb h. e. l. 7. c. 21. Quae Scriptura valde mihi utilis videtur Et ut puto divinitus inspirata Origen l. 10. reptam Epist ad Rom. c. 16. Com. 14. said That he believ'd it to be a Writing divinely inspir'd a certain proof that they believ'd those Books which the Church has admitted as Canonical were inspir'd by the Holy Ghost CHAP. V. The Fourth Proof drawn from the honour which the Ancients paid to the Sacred Books of the New Testament WE may draw a very strong Argument to prove that the Primitive Church believ'd that the Sacred Books of the New Testament were inspired from the Honour and Reverence which they paid them I shall begin with that Holy awe which kept the Ancients from attempting any alterations in the Sacred Writings Addenti aut dâ—trahenti poena non modica Iren. adv Heres l 5. c. 30. It was a piece of rashness and Sacriledge to adulterate them either by adding or diminishing They were laden with Anathemas who were so bold as to lay their mending Hands upon those Sacred VVritings We find in the Ecclesiastical History that the Heretics who denied the Divinity of our Lord had the confidence to falsifie the Scripture to accommodate the Text to their Opinions Upon which an Author of the Primitive Ages says that it was not likely that the Heretics were ignorant how criminal an Enterprize of that nature was For says he Quantae porro audaciae sit ejusmodi facinus ne ipsos quidem ignorare credibile est aut enim sacras scripturas à spiritu sancto dictatas esse non credunt ac proinde infideles sunt aut semet ipso spiritu sancto sapientiores esse existimant ac proinde quid aliud sunt quam Demoniaci Euseb h. e. l. 5. c. ult either they believe not that the Sacred Scriptures were dictated by the Holy Ghost and so are Infidels or they imagine themselves to be wiser than the Holy Ghost and then what are they other then Demoniacs They had an inviolable Veneration for the Sacred Scripture Tatianus for having only presumed to put the Epistles of St. Paul into more elegant Language incurred the Censure which may be seen in the Historian last cited Euseb l. 4.29 If the Church were so jealous of the words of the Scripture we may easily judge of the Indignation of the Christians when they saw that any body durst presume to violate the Text it self either by addition or diminution 'T is clear that the Christians would never have been so sensible of injury done to the Scripture if they had not believed it to be the work of the Holy Spirit Some small fragment of Piety affixed to human Works would never have been a crime of Sacriledge For example I see not what great harm it could be to sow to S. Paul's Epistle to Philemon some little Discourse upon that Indulgence which is due from Christian Masters to their Servants were it true that the Epistle to Philemon is a Peice wherein the Holy Spirit had no Share 'T is true there may be something said in dislike of such an Act in regard that Sincerity requires that other Mens Works should be let alone in their natural Dress Nevertheless the Miscarriage deserves not to be treated with the Penalties of Sacrilege there is no reason to make such a noise about it as the Primitive Christians did upon the Alterations that were made in the Writings of the New Testament Nothing more clearly shews the Opinion which the Ancients had of the Inspiration of the Sacred Books than the Honor which they paid 'em in looking upon 'em as Sovereign Decrees in Matters of Religion For which Reason it was that in several Councils they were plac'd upon a Throne as they would have seated Jesus Christ himself had he come visibly to preside in those Holy Assemblies There was the same Honor paid to his Word as they would have done to his Person Which clearly shews with what an Eye of Veneration they look'd upon the Sacred Writings of the New Testament This Honor also no less visibly appears in the use which
the Jews look'd upon to be all Scripture In the Main the observation of Grotius does my argument no harm though it were well grounded for the design of that Author is only to deprive the Historical Books of the Old Testament of the Honour of Inspiration He acknowledges in another place that Moses Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel David and Daniel were divinely Inspired So that according to Grotius the Jewish Church had Books wherein the Holy Ghost spake Had they need of the Spirit of God they found it in the writings of the Prophets and this Light has constantly endur'd in all Ages of the Jewish Church even in the later times as corrupt as they were Ought we not to have a Light at least equal to it under an Oeconomy wherein it is agreed that God has manifested himself with more advantage than under the Law We have no longer any Apostles there are no longer any men inspir'd if we have not writings which repair that loss by means of that Infallibility with which the Holy Ghost would have invested them To whom is it not apparent that our condition is worse than that of the ancient Jews The Day shin'd out to them but it is Night with us All the advantage is on the side of the Carnal posterity of Abraham even of that which is rejected The Jews had formerly and still have Books wherein they find the infallible Voice of God But if we believe M. N. we must rely upon the Credit of Histories which some persons of sincerity have written for the Doctrine of our Saviour and to the arguments which only sound Reason and Judgement dictated to Authors without Logic or Education I cannot believe that this Hypothesis will ever be relished by those who are never so little acquainted with the Prerogatives of the Christian Church CHAP. XI Wherein the Inspiration of the Books of the New Testament is made out by the Prerogatives of the Apostles THE best way which we have to know certainly whether the Christian Church has not as great a share of divine Illumination as the Jewish Church is to see what sort of Persons the Authors of the New Testament were The Jewish Church had Prophets and we have Apostles our Books except two or three which were made under the inspection of the Apostles were written by the order and with the approbation of the Apostles There needs no more than to see whether our Apostles were not equal in worth to the Prophets of the Old Testament In the Epistle to the Ephesians I find them equalled together C. 2. v. 20. in the work of Salvation being built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets In this place to speak of Equality would be an injury to the Apostles in regard that here they are named before the Prophets Nor is it without good Ground that I make this observation since St. Pauls Custom is to put the Apostles at the head of the Ministers of the Christian Church She had also Prophets and Prophets inspir'd like those of the Old Testament Would you know which are the most Excellent the Apostles or the Prophets There needs no more than to see what rank they hold in the Catalogue which St. Paul gives of the Ministers of Grace 1 Cor. 12.28 First Apostles secondarily Prophets then Teachers Besides that this is a Place where the Apostle is bound to mark out to every one his Station Chance had no share in Ranging them under that Order So that we find that St. Paul observes the same Order in the sequel of his Argugument Are all Apostles 1 Cor. 13.29 are all Prophets are all Teachers In his Epistle to the Ephesians the Evangelists are set before the Teachers but he is constant in the precedency which he gives the Apostles before the Prophets He has appointed some for Apostles and others for Prophets Nevertheless notwithstanding his humility he gives the first Place to his own Dignity when he acted in his Apostleship he gave way to no Man If we may believe him the Apostles of the Christian Church were more excellent than the Prophets Nor do we too highly exalt the Apostleship by adding that it included in it self all the advantages affixed to the inferiour Degrees The Apostles were Prophets and Teachers they had the Gift of working Miracles which the Holy Ghost divided among them Had they all the Gift of Healing Did they all speak divers Languages Did they all Interpret No but the Apostles did all this the Grace of the Apostleship included all other Graces We ought not slightly to pass by the words of Saint Paul when designing to set forth that subordination which Grace had established in the Primitive Church by the variety of Gifts he declares that to every one is given the manifestation of the Holy Ghost so far as is expedient Though St. Paul had not said it 't is a Truth which common Sence would have given us to understand For do we not find that it is incumbent upon the wisdom of God to order the Means according to the Purpose which he proposes to himself Let us then say that the Apostles had a measure of the Holy Ghost proportionable to the designs of the Apostleship They had at least as much of the Spirit of Truth as the Prophets had received We say at least for in regard the Apostolic Writings were to be serviceable toward the edification of the Church at all times and in all places 't is clear that those Writings wanted a more especial assistance than those other of which the primitive use was only for a particular Nation and for a very limited time But 't is sufficient for me to extend the force of my Argument so far that the Prerogative ought at least to be equal If then the writings of the Prophets were inspir'd as I have prov'd certainly the writings of the Apostles who were the more excellent ought à fortiore to be inspired 'T is not any thing of personal Excellence which is the Business in dispute for the Prophets and Apostles are not to be here considered but with reference to the Use that they were made for The Prophets were not Prophets for themselves 1 Pet. 1.12 unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the Things c. The Apostles were not Apostles for themselves but it was for our sakes that they administer'd They are our Masters we are grounded upon their Writings Let us compare the Prophets and the Apostles we shall find that as it is certain that the Apostles were much more excellent than the Prophets 't was requisite they should have a more advantageous share of the Holy Ghost They stood in need of a lively and durable Light which was not to be extinguish'd by time but to enlighten all Ages I do not believe this argument is to be eluded with the least Tittle of Solidity Some will say that we ought to look upon the Writings of
prove the fulfilling of the Promise as I have said already but they deserve a Chapter by themselves CHAP. XIV Wherein are produc'd several Passages of Scripture which shew that the Sacred Writers of the New Testament have declared that they were inspir'd in their Writings 'T IS now time to pass to particular Proofs which are to be found scatter'd here and there in the Writings of the New Testament The Enemies of their Inspiration set a high Value upon the Objection which they fetch from hence that the Apostles never begin their Discourses as the Prophets do by saying The Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it and are so daring as to assert that the Sacred Writers of the New Testament never thought nor desired it should be thought that there Writings were inspir'd I must confess that the Apostles do not say in express Words The Mouth of the Lord hath thus spoken For in regard that the Prophets did not enjoy the Benefit of Inspiration but by Intervals there was some kind of necessity that those Holy Men should declare what things those were which they had learn'd by Revelation It was not the same thing with the Apostles in regard they were assur'd that the Holy Ghost assisted 'em always according to the Promise of Jesus Christ in Matters of Religion More especially it ought to be observed that it is not true that the Prophets always began their Prophetick Writings with these Words The Mouth of the Lord hath spoken Let 'em read the Five Books of Moses and they shall find several Proofs of what I affirm That Legislator without any more ado begins with these Words In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth Nor is the Book of Exodus signaliz'd with any other better Character of Inspiration Nevertheless 't is known that those Two Books are no less inspir'd than the Prophesies that command Attention with these Words at the Beginning The Mouth of the Lord has spoken Let 'em not therefore have a worse Opinion of the Writings of the New Testament under pretence that these Words are not there In the Old Testament that which was merely Historical was not introduc'd with this Preface The Mouth of the Lord has spoke This is usually reserv'd for parts that are purely Prophetick wherein the Spirit of God had a singular Concern Now I affirm that the New Testament in those parts that contain some Prophecies marks out their Original as distinctly as if the Apostles had said The Spirit of the Lord has spoke it As for the Historical Parts and such as undertake Argument 't is not to be thought strange if we do not there meet with the same Character That is common to both Testaments they never expresly attribute to God any more than his Oracles But that is no Obstruction but that what those Holy Men either wrote or thought under the Guidance of the Holy Ghost may not be in some measure inspir'd I shall discourse of that more distinctly in the Series of this Treatise I have said enough to shew that the Old Testament has no advantage over the New in respect of Inspiration and that they are in the wrong who deny this Truth under pretence that the Prophets say sometimes The Mouth of the Lord hath spoken but the Apostles never make use of that Expression As to what they add that the Apostles never pretended to Inspiration and that they have not mention'd any thing of it in their Writings it is easie to be discern'd that nothing stands upon a weaker Foundation than this Objection In short the Apostles let us know that they had receiv'd from Heaven what we call Prophetick Parts sometimes it was in Vision sometimes by the Suggestions of the Spirit As to other Parts besides that I have already observ'd that the Works which compose the New Testament are written by Authors which the Holy Ghost had invested with Endowments necessary to make that Book the Foundation of Truth I could wish that something of Attention might be given to some express Passages of the New Testament S. Paul assures the Corinthians that he had the Mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in another place after he had given his Judgment upon several Scruples that arose in point of Marriage he says that he speaks by permission not by command Chap. 7. and that he gives his Judgment as one that has obtain'd Mercy of the Lord to be faithful Is not this of as great Force as if he had said all these Instructions which I have given you were inspir'd into me by the Holy Ghost The Thing speaks it self S. Paul affirms that what he wrote to the Corinthians touching Marriage was the Work of the Holy Ghost For these Words Now I believe that I have the Spirit of God either signifie nothing where they are placed or else they signifie that what the holy S. Paul had wrote was by the Guidance of the Holy Spirit 'T is the general Intention of this Apostle that he should be look'd upon as a person in whom the Spirit of God resided to render him capable to instruct others The good thing that was committed unto thee 1 Tim. 1.14 2 Cor. 13.3 1 Thess 4.6 says he by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us since ye seek a Proof of Christ speaking in me He therefore that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit If any man thinketh himself to be a Prophet or Spiritual let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the Commandments of the Lord. All which Passages clearly shew what Opinion it was that S. Paul desired Men should have of his Writings S. Peter is no less positive This Second Epistle beloved I now write unto you That ye may be mindful of the Words which were spoken before by the Holy Prophets 2 Pet. 3.1 and of the Commandment of us the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour S. Peter in these Words designs two Things which are proper for our Subject 1. He parallels that Epistle with the Writings of the Prophets 2. He puts a great Value upon that Epistle because it was written by an Apostle of Jesus Christ Will any Man say that a person who thus expresses himself did believe that the Writings of the Apostles were not inspir'd In the same Chapter S. Peter gives an Authentick Testimony in favour of the Epistles of S. Paul Even as our beloved Brother Paul also according to the Wisdom given unto him 2 Pet. 3.15 16. has also written unto you as also in all his Epistles speaking in them of these Things in which are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures These Words furnish us with two convincing Arguments in favour of the Inspiration of the Epistles of S. Paul 1. They were written according to the Wisdom which S. Paul had receiv'd
from Heaven I have already touch'd upon this Argument The other is that the Epistles of S. Paul are reckon'd in the Number of the inspir'd Scriptures which the ignorant and unstable wrest as they do the other Scriptures Assuredly by those other Scriptures S. Peter means the inspir'd Scriptures of which Jesus Christ says in another place You go astray not knowing the Scriptures and which the New Testament usually cites as the Work of the Holy Ghost The Business in Hand is about the Scriptures which the unlearned wrest to their own destruction which can be meant of no other than of the Holy Scripture S. Peter does not complain of the Unlearned for wresting the Scriptures but for wresting the other Scriptures VVhence it is evident that the Epistles of S. Paul are reckon'd in the Number of the inspir'd Scriptures Can any thing be more positively express'd upon the Inspiration of the VVorks that make up the New Testament CHAP. XV. Wherein is drawn from the Gift of Discerning of Spirits granted to the Primitive Christians a Proof very much in Favour of the Sacred Books which the Apostles have left us MEN dispute about the Marks whereby they might formerly know the true Prophets Commonly it is affirm'd that Miracles or the Accomplishment of the Prophecy was the true Proof of a real Prophet But it may be said that this is not always certain for it would be a difficult thing to prove that all the Prophets verified their Mission by Miracles or by accomplish'd Prophecies This was not altogether so necessary but when there was something of great Importance that was the Subject of the Prophecy For to what purpose was it to make a great Noise and a stir when there was nothing more in the Business than to reduce Sinners into the right Path that had been traced by a Law supported by so many Miracles God never overturns the Laws of Nature unless there be some necessary occasion I should have rather said that the Miracles of a true Prophet become serviceable to him that wrought none at all wherein I thus explain my self When a Prophet had justified his Mission by some Miracles he was acknowledg'd for a Man of God After which his Testimony was as good as a Miracle to other Prophets while he acknowledg'd that those new Prophets were sent by the same Master This Attestation remov'd all Occasion of Doubts When we find that certain Books of the Old Testament want these authentick Proofs of their Divinity which other Books have that are look'd upon in the first Order of Canonical we are confirm'd by understanding that those Books about which some Men would raise Disputes and Doubts pass'd through the Hands of the last Prophets truly inspir'd I say the same thing of persons a Prophet whose Mission was not honor'd by Miracles was acknowledg'd upon the Inspiration of another Prophet whose Attestation had been prov'd I apply this Argument to my Subject They who had no good Opinion of the Works of S. Mark and S. Luke because they were not Apostles ought to alter their Sentiment when they consider that the Evangelists had the Approbation of the Apostles How shall we prove that the Apostles were worthy to be credited We have their Miracles but we have also other Proof from the Conduct which God observ'd in providing credible Testimonies among the Primitive Christians to justifie the Apostles 'T is known that among them there were several to whom God had granted the Talent of discerning Spirits 1 Cor. 12.7 8 10. S. Paul is positive in it But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit To another the working of miracles to another prophecy to another discerning of Spirits This is no bare natural Discerning since it is reckon'd in the number of miraculous Gifts The Spirit of God taught several Christians how to understand Persons and Doctrines truly inspir'd Several make no scruple to refer to this what S. Paul says of the Spiritual Man 1 Cor. 2.15 But he that is spiritual judges all things This is to be understood of the things of God 14.29 Let the Prophets speak two or three and let the other judge Thus you see the discerning of Spirits establish'd Verse 22. of the same Chapter 't is said The Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets which is usually explain'd by saying that the Prophets of the New Covenant were Masters of themselves to observe silence till they had an opportunity to speak But nothing hinders but that it may be meant of that same Dependance which some of the Prophets had upon others when the one examin'd the other In which Sence the Prophets were subject to the Prophets The same Chapter furnishes me with an undeniable Proof to uphold my Argument Vers 37. If any Man think himself to be a Prophet or spiritual says S. Paul let him acknowledge that the things which I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. If any one thinks himself to be a Prophet or spiritual that is according to the Phrase of Scripture If any be a Prophet or spiritual let him acknowledge c. Spiritual persons then might discern if what S. Paul wrote came from the Lord. The Epistles of that Sacred Author pass'd for such a Proof which might well be call'd the Judgment of God since it was God who inspir'd Spiritual Men. This Consideration may serve for the Understanding of several Places of S. Paul he exposes his Writings to the Judgment of Spiritual Men Men judicious and discerning establish'd by Grace to corroborate the Authority of the Apostles By that means it was plainly discern'd that there was nothing spurious in their Writings and that they contain'd neither Arguments nor Matters of Fact which were not exactly according to the Weights of the Sanctuary Spinosa and M. N. here propose some Scruples but my Answer will be more intelligible when I have considered the Nature of the Inspiration of the Sacred Books of the New Testament Which is that which I am going to undertake in the Second Part of this Treatise The End of the First Part. The Second Part. CHAP. I. Wherein it is shewn that 't is not the Common Belief that the Sacred Books of the New Testament were dictated word for word by the immediate Suggestion of the Holy Ghost WHEN we go about to disabuse the Publick of an Euror 't is necessary that it should be notoriously manifest that it is publickly received in which case the notoriousness of it supplies the Proof or at least if the thing be not so evidently known 't is requisite we should give our selves the trouble to prove it For if it so falls out that Men undertake to undeceive the Publick when it is not deceived 't will be a sufficient reason to complain of the injury and to upbraid a
this Subject He seems indeed says he Sentiments p. 261. to disapprove this Sentiment in another place But 't is his Custom to accommodate himself to the Common Opinion yet not to omit the producing his own The testimony therefore of a man that contradicts himself ought to be of no great weight it may be here observ'd Vid. l. 3. in cap. 2 Matt. v. 6. Putant Evangelistas Apâ—stâ—â—â—s in Adegandis locis â—â—t Testam noununquam â—â—ivâ—â—ne â—el insirâ—â—â—â—â— memoriae lapses esse qâ—ae seâ—â—â—ntiae Hyeronimo quaâ—â—â—â—â— immerito adscriâ—â—◠〈◊〉 sâ—â—et Hoc quippe 〈…〉 â—â—â—atteretur actum 〈…〉 totius scriâ—â—â—â— that M. N. goes farther than the Socinians Wolsog Which I have cited already justifies Saint Jerome and at the same time declares that the Opinion which some lay to his Charge concerning defect of Memory in the Apostles utterly annihilates the Authority of the Scripture As for Erasmus I have very near the same thing to say of him that M. N. asserts in reference to S. Jerome and what S. Jerome says of himself that he frequently reported the Opinions of other men and not his own in his Commentaries In like manner might not Erasmus when he confesses that the Apostles might be deceived for want of Memory in things of slight importance speak as he had heard and not according to his own judgment For he acknowledges himself that he followed that very same way of Commenting upon Scripture For says he Cum viderem eam esse libertatem Commentariorum ad quam sapenumero provocat divus Hieronimus hoc colore causam tuetur suam Arbitrabar multo magis idem jus mihi tribuendum in opere quod praeter humiles ac poene grammaticas quasdam Annotationes nihil profiteretur praesertim cum semel immo non semel sed crebro moneam me Annotationes scribere non Dogmata Erasm Apol. ad Jacob. Fabr. Stapulens Hieronymus aliquoties haereticorum recenset Opiniones nec rejicit sententias nec indicat Authores Hic primum in jus trahatur si non licet referre quid censerint alii Nor does it seem to me that Episcopius is more of his side than S. Jerome or Erasmus The Passage which M. N. takes out of Episcopius is quoted only side-ways we see no more than what favours the Sentiments of M. N. But that we may shew Episcopius with a whole Face it behoves us to add what he adds Quod si cui tamen id videtur durum is amplestatur si velit interpretationes tales quae aptissimae dari possunt ad vindicandum Scriptores sacros ab omni ignorantia memoriae lapsu quae piis mentibus sufficere possunt etsi rigidioribus ingeniis non satisfaciant Praestat enim rigore deposito piam quamlibet interpretationem licet cavillo aut difficultati alicui obnoxiam anplecti quam Lapsum ullum etiam Levem qui circa rei narratae circumstantiam solum versatur admitti These words sufficiently make it manifest that Episcopius had much ado to be of M. N's Opinion Neither does Capel speak more affirmatively upon this Subject And thus you see what heed we ought to give to the Quotations that are produced against us 2. If the Question were to be decided by Authority M. N. knows well that it would not turn to his account He acknowledges that he has a Croud of leaned men against him whose authority he neglects I do not believe my self says he obliged to submit to the Authority of a Croud of learned Men who do but repeat the same things over and over again without ever having examin'd them or without producing any Reason for what they say Are we more oblig'd to submit to M. N's Learned men than he to ours Let him but only remember as to this particular that his Learned men are reduc'd to one or two at most and that we have all the rest of our side So that if the Dispute were to be carried by Authority the Contest would soon be at an end I must confess I would not absolutely renounce the advantage which we draw from the Consent of so many learned men but not to insist too much upon their Testimony I would willingly agree that setting all Authority aside the Question might be examin'd to the very bottom And this is that which I have done by shewing that there is no likelihood that the Holy Ghost ever intended to lessen the Reputation of the Apostles by permitting them to fall into the defects of Memory though they were never so slight I should lookupon the Objection which is drawn from Examples to be of greater force were they well grounded I will not here enter into a particular examination of the passages upon which the Enemies of Christianity build their Pretences that the Apostles stumbled into Contradictions for want of memory I shall only pick out two the most seemingly apparent Contradictions and they shall be those that M. N. has mark'd out himself The one is that S. Matthew relating the story of Judas's Treachery seems to mistake Jeremy for Zachary The other relates to the manner of the Traytors death There is nothing to hinder us from affirming upon occasion of these two Examples but that it might so happen that the greatest part of the pretended Errors which are imputed to the Evangelists ought rather to be charged upon the Copyers of the Books than upon the Apostles The Sacred Books were originally without Blemish and this perfection extended it self even to things of least moment If it be said that Providence whose cares are constant for the substance of Religion did afterwards permit that the Scripture should suffer by the Hands of Amanuenses in respect of certain petty things wherein Religion was no way concern'd yet the work of the Holy Ghost is secur'd and is no way liable to the difficulties we meet with in some parts of the Scriptures The faults of Copyers or Printers ought not to do any prejudice to the Original which formerly was delivered forth by those Infallible Hands which the Holy Ghost directed But there is no need of bringing this Answer Providence hath guarded the Holy Scripture so that after a slight examination the Scruples vanish There is requisite for that no more than such an Examen as is necessary for Common Authors to avoid the Lashes of Criticism And now I shall demonstrate this Truth in reference to the two Examples which I have produc'd by way of Objection VVe don't beg here for any favour though such a matter wherein remoteness of Time when several Circumstances were known whereby the Scripture was more intelligible and which are lost for us would require that we should not exercise the severity of Criticisin with too much Rigor Saint Matthew Matt. 27.28 relating the Story of Judas's Treachery says that the thirty pieces of Silver which the Traytor restor'd were laid out in the purchase of a Field to bury Strangers and adds that then was fulsilled
what was spoken by the Prophet Jeremy They took the Thirty pieces of Silver the price of him that was valued Now the words are in Zachary Zach. 11.12 13. not in Jeremy therefore say they S. Matthew mistook one name for another But though the mistake be of little moment I believe the Sacred Writer ought to be justified and it is easie to do it in a few words There are several Methods that Interpreters make use of to shew that Saint Matthew was not mistaken The greatest part are very good I shall produce those which seem to me to be the best For brevities sake I confine my self to some few I begin with the learned Lightfoot Hor. heb in loc who proves by the Talmud and by Kinchi that Jeremy was the running Title of the rest of the Prophets in one and the same Volume Whence it came to pass that in the answer which the Disciples gave our Lord Jeremy is the chiefest Prophet Some say thou art John the Baptist Others Eliah Others Jeremy Which being so all the Prophets were cited under the name of Jeremy He bequeath'd his Name as I may so say to the whole Volume in like manner as the Volume of the Hagiographers is call'd the Psalms of David because that Davids Psalms make up the first part of the Volume So that according to this Explanation Saint Matthew did but follow the common Custom in citing the words of Zachary under Jeremy's name Grotius quoted by M. N. to authorize the defects which he imputes to the memory of the Apostles makes no use of this means to free Saint Matthew from the Scandal thrown upon him He very judiciously observes that Saint Matthew does not say that Jeremy wrote the words which he attributes to him Then was fulfilled what the Prophet Jeremy had spoken These words are not to be found in Jeremy and consequently he never wrote ' em He had only pronounced them and they were preserved by Tradition from whence Zachary took them Grotius to make out his Opinion proves that the Prophets commonly made use of the same words which other Prophets had left behind them and that Zachary in particular strives to imitate Jeremy so that the Jews were accustomed to say that the Spirit of Jeremy was upon Zachary And then according to this Exposition Saint Matthew makes Jeremy to say no more than what he said indeed I shall add another wherein still farther satisfaction may be met with if one of the two former does not satisfie Saint Austin says that the Holy Ghost suffered the name of Jeremy and not that of Zachary to drop upon the Evangelists Pen and that Saint Matthew was unwilling to correct himself as being persuaded that the design of the Holy Ghost was to shew that all the Prophets spoke by the same Spirit Singula esse omnium omnia singulorum all the Prophetic Writings belong'd in common to all the Prophets But this Explanation seems to me a little too much forc'd and therefore I could more willingly assent to another which is to be found in the same place That the words which S. Matthew reports Cum igitur ea quae dicta sunt perâ—â—eremiam tam sint Zachariâ—e quam Jeremiae qâ—ae sunt dicta per Zachariam tam sint Jeremae quam Zachariae quod â—pus erat ut emendaret Maâ—â—â—â—us being to be found part in Zacary part in Jeremy both together make a Compleat Oâ—acle which the Evangelist might attribute to Jeremy as being the more considerable of the two Prophets To support this Explanation several Examples are cited wherein an Oracle compos'd of words drawn from two different Prophets is alledg'd under the name of one only In a word there are several Copies of the New Testament wherein the second Verse of the Gospel according to Saint Mark is thus render'd according as it is written in the Prophet Isaiah though the words are drawn from both Isaiah and Malachy So that the Oracle of Saint Matthew being taken part out of Jeremy part out of Zachary 't is no wonder that only one Prophet should be cited and Jeremy before the other There is another Conjecture which Great Authors have made use of L. 4. Ep. 31. I mean Mede and Hammon The first has enclosed in one Epistle several scruples like to those which I examin He says that Saint Matthews intention in citing the words in question under the name of Jeremy was to let us understand that the Chapter where those words are found was really written by Jeremy and adds that if we exactly consider the Contents of the nine ten and eleven Chapters of Zachary we shall find that they were written before the time of that Prophet The Eleventh Chapter which is that quoted by S. Matthew foretels the destruction of the Temple which no way agrees with Zacharies time when the main Business of the Prophets was to exhort the Jews to rebuild the Temple For this reason among others Mede maintains that the last Chapters of Zachary were written by some Prophet more ancient than he which Prophet could be no other than Jeremy seeing Saint Matthew assures us of it and for that we find nothing to the contrary in any part of Scripture It would be in vain to alledge that those Chapters are join'd to the Prophecies of Zachary That argument is of no greater force than if they should go about to prove that the whole Book of Psalms was written by David or the whole Book of Proverbs by Solomon because they go under their Names They must be very scrupulous that will not be satisfied with one of these Solutions I am persuaded they will satisfie any man that is not resolv'd whatever it cost him to maintain that Saint Matthew was deceiv'd 'T is now time therefore to pass to the second Example which they make use of to shew that the Evangelists contradicted one another for want of Memory Saint Matthew Matth. 27.5 in the same place tells us that Judas after he had cast down the pieces of Silver departed and went and hang'd himself But Saint Luke seems to observe that this miserable Wretch perished by another sort of death For says he And falling headlong he burst asunder Acts 1.18 and all his Bowels gushed out Now they pretend that in this the two Sacred Authors have contradicted each other M. N. loudly triumphs upon it as if there were no answer to be given to it There says he is a manifest Contradiction which the Learned in vain endeavour to reconcile Sentiments p. 235. Let us see whether it be so apparent as he would make us believe By admitting the Contradiction 't is to be suppos'd that one of the two Evangelists was deficient in his memory Must it be Saint Matthew How one of the Twelve one of Judas's Colleagues could he forget how Judas died This is that which no body will presume to affirm I should almost rather chuse to say that the Apostles
't is our Duty to receive with submission all the Truths which he has permitted the Apostles to wrap up in a common Style The Holy Ghost has not suffered them to write any thing but what was true 'T is our Duty to search after what they have said and to rely upon those Truths which they have taught us under the direction of the Holy Ghost To which purpose there is no necessity of admitting that all is inspired in the New Tâ—stament to a Letter as the Jews affirm concerning their Law and that Great Mountains depend upon every Letter By this Proverb the Jews mean Inspiration by suggestion I have shewed that all that we read in the New Testament was far from being inspir'd after that manner but that the greatest part was the work of the Apostles under the Direction of the Holy Ghost who would not suffer them to fall into any Error In that our Divinity no way resembles that of the Jews We do not pretend as they do that Mountains depend upon every Letter They make every thing to be Mysterious in their Cabalistical Science This is not our Genius nor do we approve the Method of some Christians who turn all the Scripture into Allegories but while we avoid that excess which would make the Ministers of the Holy Ghost to speak what they never thought we are careful not to fall into t' other extream viz. to reject what they both said and thought We make a diligent search after the true meaning of the Terms which they make use of And when we have found out their true and Genuine Sence we submit to their Decision as if the Holy Ghost had spoken to us Whatever they have told us by his direction may it not pass for the real Declaration of his Will When I explain a Scripture compos'd by his Order and direction to that degree of perfection as we enjoy it I think really that I explain the Voice of the Holy Ghost I shall conclude this Chapter wiâ—â—â—he words of Curcellaeus who declares that it is one of the Prerogatives of the Apostles that the Holy Ghost was their Guide in all Truth So that we may confidently and without any fear rely upon them and their Writings Curcel p. 715. Col. 2. Adeò ut nos tuto ipsis ipso rumque scriptis absque erroris periculo tanquam Christo fidem adhibere possimus Et p. 718. Col. 2. Adeoque nos absque metu erroris scripta ab illis relicta approbata tanquam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amplecti ad illa tanquam ad rectam veritatis Amussim fidem mores nostros componere as upon Jesus Christ Himself My conclusion could not be expressed in fitter words then these We have nothing more now to do than to answer some Objections CHAP. X. Wherein some Objections are answered which have no Relation to the Apostolick Writings SPinosa and M. N. have endeavoured by various Objections to overturn the Inspiration of the Sacred Books of the New Testament but seeing those Authors only oppose a sort of Inspiration which we admit not it signifies nothing to us Now the main Foundation upon which M. N. builds his Objections is this 'T is believ'd in the first place that the Things themselves were infused by Inspiration into the Sacred Historians and afterwards the Terms wherein they are express'd In a word the Sacred History was dictated word for word by the Holy Ghost and that the Authors whose Names are affix'd to it were as it were his Secretaries that wrote according as he dictated Upon this Foundation it is that M. N. rears his Objections Therefore they don't concern us who admit no other than an Inspiration of Direction in things which it was not necessary that the Holy Ghost should suggest to the Apostles Having made this Observation I might conclude for I have answered every thing in explaining the Nature of the Inspiration of the Sacred Books But the better to make it appear that all their Objections can do my System no harm I shall propose them in few Words I shall divide these Objections into two Classes to the end my Answer may be the more orderly and methodical There are some which are drawn from the Behaviour of the Apostles upon certain Occasions that have no relation to the Sacred Writings The other are deriv'd from the Sacred Writings themselves Those of the first Rank so far as I can remember are That S. Peter doubts about the Admission of the Gentiles into the Christian Church That the same Apostle dissembled with the Jews for which he was deservedly contradicted by S. Paul That S. Paul said of the High Priest that he knew him not and that at another time he divided the Opinions of his Judges by a peice of prudential Policy which was altogether human From all which 't is concluded that they were not inspired 'T is quite out of the Subject I have in hand to insist upon these Objections because I have only undertaken to discourse of the Inspiration of the Sacred Books The Question is not to examin whether the Apostles were inspired as to every thing they said or did my Argument extends no farther than their Writings those Writings which Providence preserv'd for the Instructions of Christians in all Ages It might be that the Holy Ghost might leave the Apostles to themselves upon divers Occasions yet that could be no prejudice to those Writings upon which by the appointment of the Almighty our Faith and Salvation depend Nor is it impossible but that the Apostles in their first Motions might both say and think things which were not supported by the Holy Ghost Nor should I much oppose Divines who would thereby explain what the Apostles said when they heard that S. Peter whom they thought to be in Prison was at Liberty Aâ—t 12.15 It is his Angel There is no Ground for the Opinion of a Guardian Angel to be deduc'd from those Words for besides that the Words might have been spoken by some Christians in the same Room who were not Apostles which one would easily think upon these Words of the Historian where several were assembled together to pray besides that I say altho it might be prov'd that the Words were spoken by the Apostles that should be ascribed to their Amazement that would not be sufficient to support such a Belief If at any time where the Apostles were not employ'd in the Functions of their Ministery they seem'd to act like Men there is no Inference to be drawn from thence as to what they acted as Apostles Under this Quality they were the Ministers of the Holy Ghost in every thing which they did and as such they were infallible Spinosa acknowledges that the Apostles were inspired in their Preaching Conoludimns itaque Apostolos ea tantum ex singulari revelatione habuisse quae viva voce praedicaverunt simul signis confirmaverunt Spin. Tract Theol. Polit. c. 11. par 1. but not
Stratagem which every Body knows that Three hundred chosen Men took each of 'em a Trumpet and a Lamp inclosed in an Earthen Pitcher When the Signal was given every Man sounded his Trumpet and brake his Pitcher and upon that sudden and unexpected Noise and the sight of so many Lights a panick Terror seiz'd the Midianites Will any one presume to say that this was not from God Or that there was something too much of human Prudence in the Stratagem I made choice of this Example among several others and it is sufficient to shew that it is not a thing unworthy of the Holy Ghost to suggest to those whom he inspires Designs which human Prudence would allow And this Objection is yet of less Force in reference to the Inspiration of Direction For this sort of Inspiration leaving the Man to act alone in the Apostle whom the Holy Ghost is contented to direct 't is no wonder that S. Paul tho inspired should give us some Proofs of his human Prudence It is evident by my Answer to these Objections that if I said that they no way concern'd the Inspiration of the Holy Writings it was not because they seem'd to be unanswerable My Design in this Discourse was only to defend that Inspiration and in pursuance of it was not my Business to meddle with any thing more than the resolving and confuting such Objections as directly oppose it CHAP. XI Wherein some Objections are Answered which are directly made against the Sacred Books of the New Testament MY general Answer to these sorts of Objections is that there is not any one which injures in the least the manner of my explaining the Inspiration of the Sacred Books Had I asserted that they were dictated word for word by the Holy Ghost I should have been troubled to answer several Objections but affirming as I have done that the greatest part of the New Testament is not the Work of the Holy Ghost any farther than as it was written under his Direction by Men whose Faculties he let alone to act of themselves and guided them I do not see that any Objection can be made against it but what must be built upon a sandy Foundation This has already appear'd by several Objections which I have answered by the by as they offered themselves But now I shall make no scruple to collect together all that Spinosa and M. N. have propos'd to countenance their Opinion And it will be seen that there needs no more than to apply my Principles to put off these vain Appearances 'T is said that the Apostles do not speak good Greek that they themselves acknowledge that they speak upon the Credit of their Senses that many times they contradict one another that they make use of doubtful Expressions and that if their Words had been inspired Providence would have been more careful of ' em This in few Words is the whole that is objected against the Inspiration of the Sacred Writings If any one believes that the Holy Ghost suggested 'em word for word it behoves him to consider how to answer these Objections For my part I see not any one that bears upon the Principle which I have laid down Let us run 'em over in few Words The Apostles were not Masters of all the Purity of the Language wherein they wrote What harm does this do to Inspiration according to the manner after which I have explain'd it 'T is well known that the Holy Ghost could have made 'em speak more exactly than they did at Athens But he did not do it therefore he did not assist 'em to speak as they did where 's the Consequence They are assur'd that the Apostles spoke not Foreign Languages to the heighth of Perfection Who will from thence conclude that they did not learn 'em from the Holy Ghost His Design was to facilitate the spreading of the Gospel by the Ministry of the Apostles provided they could understand how to do that it was sufficient It was not his Design to make 'em infallible Grammarians Their Slips in Grammar are but feeble Arguments against their Inspiration I am really convinc'd that the style of the Apostles is much better than what they naturally had and that that same degree of Perfection proceeded from the Holy Ghost But though he should have let them speak Galilean that could be no ground for any scruple against the inspiration of the Sacred Writings If their Authors while they committed several faults against Grammar wrote the truth exactly I desire no other advantage to save the Reputation of my System The Holy Ghost it was who guided the Apostles in all Truth This is sufficient Truth is the principal Ornament of the Sacred Writings It were to be wish'd say some that for a farther proof of the inspiration of the Sacred Authors of the New Testament they had declared that they were no more than the Secretaries of the Holy Ghost and that like the ancient Prophets they had told us The mouth of the Lord hath spoken But instead of that 't is said that they appeal to the testimony of Sence they declare that they have seen and heard and that they arriv'd to the knowledge of things by good and authentic Testimonies I have already answer'd this Objection 1. Pars. c. 13. I shall say no more at present but that it opposes only the Inspiration of suggestion We need not have any recourse to Miracles but in case of necessity Now there was no necessity that the Holy Ghost should suggest and dictate those things which were already known by ordinary means there is no more to be admitted than a direction by means of which the Sacred Writers wrote exactly those things which it behov'd them to write and after such a manner as they were bound to write them They argue they deliberate therefore they are not inspir'd This is Spinosa's great Argument He maintains that there is this difference between the Prophets and the Apostles Apostoli namque ubique ratiocinantur ita ut non prophet are sed disputare videantur Prophetae contra mera tantum dogmata decreta continent quia in iis Deus quasi loquens introducitur qui non ratiocinatur sed ex absoluto suae naturae imperio decernit Et etiam quia Prophetae authoritas ratiocinari non patitur c. c. 11. l. 1. Tract Theolog. that the one never argu'd whereas the VVritings of the latter are full of Arguments VVhence he concludes that by the Prophets God spoke like a Lord and Master without debasing himself to argue with his Creatures and that the Apostles speak like Men who submit their Ministery to the Examination of their Hearers and their Readers I do not believe that a more daring and rash assertion could be laid down that this It visibly shews that Spinosa was a man who car'd not what he said right or wrong to support his impious Conclusions How could he be so bold as to affirm that God and
they were called those things enter'd into the Composition of the Sacred Books under the immediate Direction of the Holy Ghost Natural Ideas common Ideas Ideas of their Profession all these became serviceable as well as the Ideas of Religion The share which we believe the Holy Ghost had in the writing of those things is 1. That he was the Primum Mobile of that Composition 't was he that set the Apostles at work whether it were in furnishing 'em with Occasions and Subjects to write upon or whether it were by secretly stirring 'em up to write I may say he put the Pen in their Hands 2. He presided in the Choice of the Matter which was to be put into the Work not suffering the Apostles to write any thing but what was true and to the purpose This is an Inspiration of Direction nor does there need any more to be said as to the Truths which they had heard and seen We shall see hereafter what sort of Infallibility arises from this Direction CHAP. IV. Wherein is Explain'd the Nature of the Inspiration of the Sacred Books of the New Testament in reference to the Progress which the Apostles might be able to make in reasoning upon the Truths suggested by the Holy Ghost and upon those which they had learn'd by the way of Sense THere are in the Writings of the Apostles several things which appear to proceed from their own Brains and which are as it were the Additions of their Reason This appears both in respect to the Oracles which the Holy Ghost suggested to 'em and in respect of those things which they had learn'd by Hearing and Seeing 'T is known to be the usual Custom of the Apostles to accompany the Truths which the Spirit suggested to 'em with certain Reflections For instance S. Peter joyning the Vision of the Sheet to the Vision that was seen by Cornelius Of a truth says he now I perceive that God is no respecter of persons c. S. Paul after he had declared what the Spirit had said in express Terms 1 Tim. 4.1 touching such as should depart from the Faith makes a short Discourse upon it S. Peter understanding by Revelation the near approach of his Death concludes from thence that it behov'd him to be a good Husband of his Time and to inculcate the Truths of the Gospel into the Hearts of the Christians in such sort that they might survive him 2 Pet. 1.12 13 14. Wherefore says he I will not be negligent to put you all in remembrance of these things tho ye know them and be establish'd in the present Truth Yea I think it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance knowing that shortly I must put off this Tabernacle even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me When thus they reason'd upon the Oracles the Apostles had no need of being inspired to take the Word in a Sense of Suggestion Their Reason fortified and guided by the Holy Ghost whose Instruments they were was sufficient for 'em to find out in the revealed Propositions the Conclusions that were included in ' em Natural Logick would have served the Turn here we have no recourse to the Holy Ghost but to warrant the Infallibility of the Reflection of the Apostles The ancient Oracles that were clear needed no more than the ordinary Direction of the Holy Ghost to be well understood and to be the Foundation of Reflections and Exhortations But it is plain that for the apprehending certain Oracles which the Apostles apply to Christ or to Matters of the Gospel they stood in need of an extraordinary Assistance which was a sort of Suggestion 'T is not enough to say that many times the Apostles understood the Sense of Oracles by some Tradition which it may be was preserved ever since the time of the Prophets There will still remain some places of the Old Testament in reference to which we must needs say that the Apostles had an extraordinary Inspiration Such for Instance is that which allegorizes upon Mount Sina and Agar Such is also that which we find in another place touching Melchisedech Gal. 4. And such are several Oracles apply'd to Jesus Christ The Holy Ghost discovered upon those Occasions what we could never have understood by the usual Keys of Scripture The same Spirit which had inspired the ancient Prophets inspired the Apostles to make 'em understand what was said by the Prophets He perfectly understood his own Oracles and all the Grammatical Cavils that can be opposed against the Explications which the Apostles make of the Old Testament will never be able to carry it from the Decision of the Men of God The Prophets have been always look'd upon as the Interpreters of Moses but as infallible Interpreters their Interpretations passed for new Oracles from whence there was no Appeal In a word the Prophets are the best Commentators upon the Prophets because they spoke by the same Spirit Let us apply this to the Apostles who are also according to the Confession of Spinosa the Prophets of the New Testament They have explain'd the Old One 'T is by them that the Holy Ghost unfolds the Oracles which he had formerly inspired Curcellaeus himself with all the Liberty which he takes cannot forbear to attribute to the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost the Explananation which the Apostles make of the ancient Oracles Forsan etiam ad munus eorum attinebat Prophetias veteris Testamenti explicare de quibus Petrus dicit Ep. 2. c. 1. v. 20. Eas non fuisse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu privatae Explicatioms quia eodem spiritus afflatu à quo fuerunt primum profectae opus est ad eorum Arcana enucleanda Curcell Tract Eccl. c. 8. sect 10. I pass to the Evangelic Matters of Fact of which the Apostles were inform'd after our Lord Jesus Christ had call'd ' em For three or four years together they receiv'd his Lessons and saw his Miracles After what manner is it that the Apostles have set down in writing what they learn'd during all that time Many times they have enlarg'd their Subject they have reason'd the Case they have explain'd This was done naturally under the Direction of the Holy Ghost as I have already made out But there was something more for if things had been barely presented to their Memory there would have been some which would have been enigmatical to the Apostles as they were when they receiv'd 'em from the first Hand We know that at that time they understood not several Parables and how long was S. Peter before he understood the Calling of the Gentiles 'T was requisite the Holy Ghost should make use of Visions to instruct that Apostle 'T is true the Explanation was not always made by Visions for the Holy Ghost had other ways to remove their Prejudices He opened the Understanding of his Ministers to the end they might the better apprehend the